News Story not available This story has been published on: 2021-10-08. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. This story is no longer available on our site. An open letter to the UN and international NGOs, of the Israeli-Palestinian activists of "Combatants for Peace". The situation is most critical in Area C of the Territories, where the cost of water services is eight times higher than in other areas. Palestinians can exploit only 15% of water reserves. AJerusalem (AsiaNews) - The State of Israel "violates international obligations" and "denies basic human rights" to the Palestinian population, especially the communities living in Area C which "are prevented from accessing water". This is what members of "Combatants for Peace", an Israeli-Palestinian NGO that fights with non-violent methods against Israeli occupation in the Palestinian territories, write in an open letter to the highest institutions and international organizations, including the UN. In the letter, sent to AsiaNews by Jeremy Milgrom, Israeli rabbi and member of the NGO Rabbis for Human Rights, the activists announce a six-week protest campaign against Israel's discriminatory policies "similar to apartheid". Addressed to the United Nations Office for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), to the EU special representative for the peace process and to the leaders of the "Quartet", the appeal calls for an "end" to the "immoral and illegal" policy of access to water for Palestinians. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends at least 100 liters of water per day for personal and domestic use: according to data provided by B'Tselem, the amount reserved to Palestinians in the West Bank is less than 90 and, in Area C, it drops to about 20 liters. In contrast, per capita consumption in Israel is 300 liters. The West Bank has been divided into three areas according to the Oslo II agreements of September 1995, which complete the peace agreement signed in the Norwegian capital on September 13, 1993. Area C is the largest and includes all Israeli settlements. At the beginning it was about 74% of the West Bank and Oslo II foresees the gradual cession to the Palestinians. According to UN data, now it includes 60% of the West Bank and there are about 325 thousand settlers, divided into 135 settlements and 100 outposts. Palestinians are about 150 thousand, scattered in 542 communities. In zone C there are the majority of natural resources and open spaces, but their use is hindered by barriers and checkpoints. According to the Palestinian Bureau of Statistics, the cities of the West Bank suffer from a deficit in water reserves: until 2018 it amounted to about 58 million cubic meters with very critical realities in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas. Over the years, the situation has worsened, with increasing Israeli occupation of the reserves. The water produced by the underground reservoirs is equal to 750 million cubic meters per year. The Palestinian side can exploit only 118 million, just 15% of the total. Combatants for Peace activists recall that in many areas of the world populations suffer from lack of water due to the climate crisis, while in the West Bank the problem is caused by discriminatory "policies". "The Israeli government - they continue - has control of all natural resources since 1967" and uses them to tighten its grip on the Palestinian population, encourage settlements and demographic change in the region. Suffering the most are "farmers and shepherds" south of the Hebron hills and in the Jordan valley, excluded from the water network and unable to collect rainwater. The cost of water in Area C is eight times higher than the average price paid by Palestinians in other areas of the West Bank and often the little that arrives is not drinkable due to the poor sanitary conditions of the tanks used for transport. In many cases "families must choose between their needs and those of animals or fields". "The problem of water - the document continues - exemplifies the apartheid policy of the State of Israel in the West Bank". "This racist, illegal and immoral policy must be stopped. The State of Israel should not be allowed to advance its racist and colonialist agenda at the expense of the minimal human existence of the residents of the Palestinian communities in Area C. Access to water is a basic human right, even when the human in question is Palestinian." Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hua Chunying's Regular Press Conference on September 28, 2021 2021/09/28 CCTV: On September 27, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi addressed a video conference on China's role at the United Nations. This year marks the 50th anniversary of China's restoration of its lawful seat at the UN. Could you brief us on China's role in upholding the status and role of the UN over the past 50 years? Hua Chunying: This year is of great significance in China-UN relations as it marks the 50th anniversary of the restoration of the lawful seat of the People's Republic of China at the UN. Over the past 50 years, China has honored its solemn commitment to the UN Charter, firmly upheld the international system with the UN at its core, the basic norms governing international relations based on the UN Charter and the UN's central role in international affairs. Over the past 50 years, China has continued to contribute its strength to the cause of the UN. As the largest troop contributor among the permanent members of the UN Security Council, China has participated in 29 UN peacekeeping missions, sending a total of more than 50,000 personnel. As the largest developing country, China has actively supported the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development and achieved the poverty reduction target set in the 2030 Agenda 10 years ahead of schedule, lifting more than 70 percent of the world's population out of poverty. In the face of the sudden outbreak of COVID-19, we launched the largest emergency humanitarian operation in the history of New China, fulfilling our commitment to make COVID-19 vaccines a global public good and supporting the relevant efforts of the UN. Standing at a new historical starting point, China will actively build a community with shared future for mankind, and continue to do its best to participate in the UN affairs, defend the status of the UN, and promote the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. We will uphold the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits, adhere to true multilateralism, and remain an advocate of world peace, contributor to global development, defender of international order and provider of public goods. We are ready to work with other countries to make new and greater contributions to peace and development for all mankind. Xinhua News Agency: The HKSAR Government published the Report on Hong Kong's Business Environment: A Place with Unique Advantages and Unlimited Opportunities on September 27. Do you have any comment? Hua Chunying: We welcome and support the HKSAR Government's issuance of the Report on Hong Kong's Business Environment. The report gives a systematic review of the negative impact of black-clad violence and the US strategy of suppressing China on the business environment of Hong Kong, makes in-depth explanations of the great significance of the Hong Kong National Security Law and the improvement of Hong Kong's electoral system to the city's socio-economic development, and looks into the broad prospects and precious business opportunities in the future. It has given a convincing response to international concerns over Hong Kong's business environment with accurate and detailed content and objective and unbiased observations. It is worth a careful reading for everyone that is interested in and cares about Hong Kong. Since Hong Kong's return to the motherland, with the full support of the Central Government, its status as a global financial, shipping and trading hub has been consolidated and enhanced. Hong Kong has been one of the world's freest economies and best locations to do business for international investors, which fully demonstrates the advantage of the One Country, Two Systems. The Law on Safeguarding National Security in the HKSAR and the new electoral system of the HKSAR have improved the rule of law in Hong Kong, led to a more secure and stable society and more efficient and smoother governance, and foreign enterprises and authoritative international institutions have more confidence in the Hong Kong's business environment. The Central Government has continued to roll out preferential policies to Hong Kong, which has brought great positive influence to Hong Kong's socio-economic development. We believe that with its integration into the general picture of China's development, Hong Kong's unique strength will be given better play with a stronger driving force. This Pearl of the Orient will become even more shiny. I want to stress again that Hong Kong is China's Special Administrative Region and its affairs are an integral part of China's internal affairs, which brook no external interference. Facts have proven that certain countries' attempts to incite and embolden the anti-China, destabilizing forces, maliciously cast a pall over Hong Kong's business environment and mess up Hong Kong and contain China's development will never succeed. No external disruption and pressuring will hold back the historical trend of Hong Kong moving from chaos to stability and prosperity, nor will they block the steady and sustained implementation of the One Country, Two Systems toward a bright future. Shenzhen TV: According to reports, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said in an interview yesterday that there is no obstacle to direct China-Australia dialogue at the political level on the Australian side, but China is not interested in that opportunity. At the same time, Australian media commented that considering the enough space for turnaround between China and the US, and that Australia has run out of all "bullets" in the name of "principles of democracy" in recent years, Australia may end up in an awkward situation where it has no "card to play" against China. What is China's comment? Hua Chunying: China always believes that state-to-state relations should and must be built on the basis of mutual respect and equal treatment, and that countries must respect each others' core interests, major concerns and legitimate rights to development. Whether Australia is sincere about improving and developing relations with China, or it does the opposite to what it says, or even goes so far as to blatantly stab China in the back, China has its own judgement. The current difficulties in China-Australia relations are entirely of Australia's own making, which is not what China wishes to see and is what Australia knows well. It is imperative that Australia face up to the crux of the setbacks in bilateral relations, and earnestly think about whether China is seen as a partner or a threat. The Australian side should take an objective and correct look at China and its development, earnestly follow the principles of mutual respect and equality when handling the bilateral relations, and do more to enhance mutual trust and promote practical cooperation between the two countries. We hope Australia can redress its wrong remarks and moves on relations with China for some time, and take real actions to create conditions for recovering and improving the bilateral relations. Global Times: We noticed that some American media said after Canadian citizens Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were released, Westerners working in China received notice that they may be arrested with "fabricated" charges and taken as "hostage" by China anytime in the future. This is the message from US humiliating surrender to China in the "hostage diplomacy" over the Meng Wanzhou incident. What is your comment? Hua Chunying: The statements sound familiar. Just as some in the US and other Western countries are used to making and fanning up sensational and absurd rumors on China-related issues, those making such statements are simply like crying wolf when there is no wolf, and smearing China by spreading disinformation. We have stated on multiple occasions that Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were suspected of committing crimes of endangering national security with conclusive evidence. The two individuals made confession to their crimes and wrote materials of confession and repentance. It is a known fact that the US is the inventor of "hostage diplomacy" and "coercive diplomacy", whose birthplace and headquarters are in Washington D.C.. The US, through its own policies and actions, has provided the world with too many classic examples of coercive diplomacy. Alstom, the French company fell to US prey in a similar way, was among the victims. I noticed that few days ago, Alstom's former executive Frederic Pierucci said in an interview with CGTN,"I didn't have the chance to have my company's support like she had, and I didn't have a chance to have my country's support like she had. [...] What I have seen in the Huawei case is that the whole company was behind her from beginning to the end. And also diplomatically, China probably did a lot of things to come to this kind of agreement. [...] At the end of the day, no European country will say this, but everybody deep down should feel grateful to what is happening here, because it's really one of the first time that a country is really standing up to the United States to stop this craziness of long-arm jurisdiction. In fact, this will benefit a lot of other countries providing they have the courage to do the same thing, stand up and fight back. Let's see what happened, but this is probably going to hopefully going to be a turning point". TASS: First, overseas media report that the Czech Republic has signed a law that excludes the possibility of participation of companies from Russia and China in the tender for the construction of a new power unit of the Dukovany nuclear power plant. Do you have any comment? Second, on September 28, the French Foreign Minister called for a "P5 summit" to establish a joint action programme "to enable the Security Council to fully exercise its mandate and to embark upon a dialogue on the key issues of arms control and our collective security." Does the foreign ministry have any comment? Hua Chunying: With regard to the first question, we believe that the cooperation between Chinese and Czech enterprises based on commercial and mutually beneficial principles serves the common interests of both sides. We hope that the Czech side will abide by the principle of fair competition and market economy, and provide an open, fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for foreign enterprises to do business in the Czech Republic. On your second question, China supports the proposal for a P5 summit. We believe that under the current circumstances, strengthening P5 leaders' coordination on the international situation, major issues and anti-epidemic cooperation is of important significance to upholding multilateralism and the post-war international order, maintaining the authority of the UN and the Security Council and safeguarding international peace and stability. AFP: The NATO Secretary General has raised concerns over China's expanding nuclear arsenal and has called for arms control talks with China. Does the foreign ministry have any response? Hua Chunying: China is gravely concerned about and firmly opposes the "China nuclear threat theory" NATO has been hyping up lately. China follows a self-defensive nuclear strategy. We are committed to no first use of nuclear weapons at any time or under any circumstances and pledge unconditionally not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones. China has never taken part in any form of nuclear arms race, nor has it deployed nuclear weapons overseas. No country will be threatened or should feel threatened by China's national defense capability as long as it does not intend to threaten or undermine China's sovereignty, security and territorial integrity. What the international community should be really concerned about is NATO's nuclear sharing policy. We hope NATO can urge the US to earnestly fulfill its special and primary responsibilities in nuclear disarmament, and further drastically and substantively reduce its nuclear stockpile, so as to create conditions for realizing comprehensive and complete nuclear disarmament. Beijing Youth Daily: Prime Minister of Solomon Islands Manasseh Damukana Sogavare said in a statement at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly on September 26 that Solomon Islands is a party to the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty. He said, "we therefore would like to keep our region nuclear free and put the region's nuclear legacy behind us. The ocean remains the life blood for our survival." This reminds us of the recent nuclear submarine cooperation agreement struck by the US, UK and Australia, which may pose similar risks to the South Pacific. Do you have any comment? Hua Chunying: The South Pacific is a victim and the worst inflicted region of nuclear pollution. Many of you may not know that between 1946 and 1958, the US conducted 67 nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands, causing irretrievable, irreversible and enormous damage to the life, health and safety of the local people and biological environment. The US has dumped nuclear waste into the Pacific for 63 times, the fallout of which takes a toll on people of the Marshall Islands, leading to hikes in the incidence rate of cancer, leukemia, birth defects and other diseases. The levels of plutonium-239 and -240 in the soil samples from the Bikini Atoll are more than 1,000 times higher than those of Fukushima and Chernobyl. The nuclear submarine cooperation among the US, the UK and Australia undermines the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty and again casts a shadow of nuclear proliferation over the South Pacific, thus inevitably inviting concerns and doubts from countries in the region and beyond. The people of the South Pacific region should never be sacrificed again for the pursuit of bloc politics and military confrontation by a handful of countries. The US, UK and Australia should discard the outdated Cold War mentality, act with a sense of responsibility and revoke their wrong decision, and avoid scourging the innocent people of the South Pacific island countries. Beijing Daily: According to reports, Kim Yo-jong, Deputy Department Director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea, said on September 25 that the DPRK and the ROK could have smooth communication and a leaders' summit could take place, if impartiality and mutual respect are guaranteed. What is China's comment? Hua Chunying: The DPRK and the ROK share the same ethnic origin and kinship. As a close neighbor, China supports the DPRK and the ROK in improving relations through dialogue and consultation, and promoting reconciliation and cooperation. We hope the two sides can demonstrate goodwill to each other and work in joint hands, so as to create an atmosphere and conditions for advancing political settlement of the Peninsular issue. CCTV: The Japanese government on September 27 adopted a draft cyber security strategy for the next three years, naming China, Russia and the DPRK as cyber-attack threats for the first time. The draft states the three countries are suspected of engaging in aggressive cyber activity, and that Japan will take firm countermeasures, including a diplomatic response and criminal prosecution. Do you have any response? Hua Chunying: In disregard of basic facts, the Japanese side slandered and attacked China on the cyber security issue and maliciously played up the so-called threats from neighbors. China is firmly opposed to this. I believe we are all very clear about which country is engaged in "cyber espionage", and which country is the biggest "hacking empire" that engages in all kinds of espionage and wiretapping, even targeting its own allies. In fact, the Japanese side also has a clear idea about this. Is Japan trying to help deflect attention by maliciously slamming China on the issue of cyber attacks at someone's behest? We hope that the Japanese side could do some soul-searching, act in its own interests and do more to enhance political mutual trust with its neighbors, and contribute to regional peace and stability. China will continue to take necessary measures to safeguard its own cyber security and firmly respond to all kinds of wrong actions that politicize cyber security. Associated Press of Pakistan: In a tweet Prime Minister Imran Khan has termed inclusion of Karachi coastal zone in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor as a game changer and hoped it will put Karachi at par with developed port cities. What is your comment? Hua Chunying: At the recently-held 10th Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) meeting of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), China and Pakistan agreed to include the Karachi Comprehensive Coastal Development Zone in CPEC and list it as an outcome of the JCC meeting. China and Pakistan are all-weather strategic partners of cooperation. CPEC is a flagship program under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). China is ready to work with Pakistan to earnestly follow through on the common understanding of the leaders on the two sides and the outcomes of the JCC meeting, ensure sound construction and operation of existing projects, highlight cooperation in health, green economy and digitization, step up cooperation in industries, science and technology, agriculture and people's livelihood, and forge high-quality CPEC cooperation, so as to provide new impetus to the growth of bilateral ties, economic and social development of the two countries and the improvement of people's livelihood. Prasar Bharati: Yesterday, Indian medical students gathered at the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi. These students are studying in Chinese universities and they are waiting for the return to China. Is there any consideration for the request? Hua Chunying: I answered your question in details yesterday. Given the ongoing spread of the coronavirus across the globe, the Chinese government has to adopt a series of management measures, which is timely adjusted in accordance with the evolving situation, in order to ensure the safe, healthy and orderly flow of Chinese and foreign travelers. I want to stress that China's entry prevention and control measures are applied to all inbound travelers, including its own citizens. The Paper: The Security Council will hold a meeting today to mark the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT). All parties will call for continued efforts to push for an early entry into force of the treaty and move toward the goal of a nuclear-weapon-free world at an early date. Meanwhile, the nuclear submarine agreement struck by the US, the UK and Australia does the opposite. What is your comment on that? Hua Chunying: This year marks the 25th anniversary of the conclusion of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which has become a key pillar of the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime and has played an important role in curbing arms race and maintaining global strategic stability. Banning nuclear tests has become an international consensus. China firmly supports the purposes and objectives of the CTBT and was among the first countries to sign the treaty. Over the past 25 years, we have been committed to a moratorium on nuclear tests. China supports the treaty's early entry into force and will continue to contribute to that and make unremitting efforts to achieve the lofty goal of complete prohibition and thorough destruction of nuclear weapons. The CTBT and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) are important pillars of the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime. While pushing for the early entry into force of the CTBT, the international community should earnestly uphold the authority, universality and effectiveness of the NPT. The nuclear cooperation among the US, UK and Australia has a serious risk of nuclear proliferation and violates the spirit of the NPT. It will create a bad precedent and encourage other nations to follow suit, thus damaging the international non-proliferation regime and accelerate regional arms race. The international community should stand together against the trilateral nuclear submarines cooperation and never sits idly by. NHK: The DPRK fired another missile this morning. The DPRK successfully test fired a long-range cruise missile around September 10, and fired additional two missiles on September 15. We wonder if China has any comment on such developments? Hua Chunying: China has noted relevant reports. China calls on all parties to meet each other half way, follow the "dual-track" approach, and take phased and synchronized actions to discuss effective ways to address the concerns of all parties in a balanced manner, and jointly promote the political resolution of the Peninsula issue. Beijing Youth Daily: White House spokesperson Psaki said yesterday that the presidents of China and the US raised the Meng Wanzhou incident in the phone call in early September. She said, there is not a change in its China policy. "We're not seeking conflict. It is a relationship of competition." What is China's response? Hua Chunying: The Party and the Chinese government attach high importance to protecting the legitimate rights and interests of every Chinese citizen. Since Ms. Meng Wanzhou was groundlessly detained in early December, 2018, President Xi Jinping gave personal attention to this. The Chinese government has worked at various levels and on multiple occasions, provided consular protection and assistance to Ms. Meng Wanzhou, and lodged solemn representations with the US and Canada, asking them to drop the erroneous charges against Meng and ensure her safe return to China as early as possible. During the meeting in Tianjin not long ago, China put forward two lists to the US. One is a list of wrongdoings that the US must stop and the second is a list of key individual cases that China has concerns with. Both lists clearly request the US to drop the erroneous charges against Meng and ensure her safe return to China as soon as possible. During the leaders' phone call, the presidents of China and the US had candid, in-depth and extensive strategic communication and exchanges on China-US relations and issues of common concern. President Xi Jinping made the case of the Meng Wanzhou incident, expounded on China's position and asked the US to properly resolve it as soon as possible. The proper resolution of the Meng Wanzhou incident is of positive significance. I noticed that some media commented that the resolution removed a thorn deeply inserted in China-US relations. But due to the wrong China policy the US has adopted for some time, other thorns that vary in length still remain in China-US relations. We hope the US can attach high importance and take concrete actions to empty the two lists. As President Xi Jinping pointed out, when China and the US cooperate, the two countries and the world will benefit; when China and the United States are in confrontation, the two countries and the world will suffer. We hope the US can work with China in the same direction, follow the spirit of the leaders' phone call, strengthen dialogue and cooperation, properly handle differences and bring China-US relations back onto the right track of steady development as soon as possible. I also noted that in the recent videoconference, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres exchanged views on China-US relations. State Councilor Wang Yi briefed on the ins and outs of the current state of the relations and noted what the relations have gone through is plain to see. Facing unwarranted suppression, rumors and smears from the US, China has no choice but to make resolute response confidently to defend national sovereignty and dignity and safeguard people's legitimate rights to development. The US side recently said it does not want confrontation or Cold War, and hopes China-US relations can come back onto the right track. 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Nguyen Thi Ngoc Minh, chairwoman of the Association for Promoting Education in Hanoi gives gifts to 150 students and 50 workers The move was a response to the Ministry of Information and Communications and Ministry of Education and Trainings joint Internet Connection and Computers for Students campaign. Nguyen Thi Ngoc Minh, chairwoman of the Association for Promoting Education in Hanoi, said since the programme was launched, the association had raised VND800m (USD35,000) and 25 computers from various individuals and organisations. On September 27, Vietnam Association for Promoting Education transferred VND40m (USD1,700)each to Thanh Oai, Thuong Tin, Phuc Tho provinces and several localities. The money will be used to buy school supplies and electronic devices to help children study online. They also sent gifts worth VND1m each to 150 students and 50 workers. VND400m (USD17,500) was previously sent to help the students in Ba Vi, Ung Hoa, Soc Son and Chuong My districts. Each district received VND100m and Ba Vi District was given 25 computers. Ministry receives 2.6 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from Germany The Ministry of Foreign Affairs received 2.6 million doses of the Astrazeneca COVID-19 vaccine donated by the German Government at a ceremony on September 27. Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung (R) receives a token of the vaccine from German Ambassador to Vietnam Guido Hildner at the ceremony (Photo: VNA) At the event, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung thanked the German Government for the donation via a bilateral channel as well as its medical aid for Vietnam, including over 850,000 doses of the Astrazeneca vaccine via the COVAX Facility and many medical supplies and equipment. The Deputy FM considered the practical support a vivid proof of the two nations friendship amid both sides celebration of their ten-year strategic partnership (October 11, 2011 2021). He hoped German Ambassador to Vietnam Guido Hildner, who handed over the vaccine at the ceremony, will continue propose the German Government offer medical assistance to Vietnam, particularly regarding access to vaccine supply sources as well as cooperation in COVID-19 vaccine and treatment drug production. Guido Hildner appreciated Vietnams donation of 100,000 face masks to Germany right after the pandemic broke out. He also expressed his delight at ongoing support for Vietnam by many localities, agencies and organisations in Germany, which, he said, reflected the solidarity between the two peoples. The ambassador affirmed Germany will stand side by side with Vietnam in tackling challenges from the COVID-19. Germany will further assist Vietnam in the coming time via the implementation of their One Health joint project and the building of a centre for infectious disease prevention and control in Vietnam, among others, he added. He said he believes the Vietnamese Governments determination and measures will soon push back the pandemic, and bilateral exchanges, trade, and commerce between the two nations will recover soon. The vaccine batch arrived at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City on September 26 evening. To date, Germany's aid of vaccines and medical equipment is the largest support of an EU member state to Vietnam. Merkel in pole position for September election after state successes German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives have scored impressive victories in a series of state elections. But will her party's success produce enough political momentum for her to win September's national poll? GALLERY The win by Merkel"s Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in North Rhine Westphalia built on the CDU"s impressive victories in the two other recent state elections - in the coastal region of Schleswig Holstein and the small industrial state of Saarland. Berlin (dpa) - The victory of Chancellor Angela Merkels conservatives in Sundays election in Germanys most populous state has left her in a commanding position as she gears up for the national poll in September.The win by Merkels Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in North Rhine Westphalia built on the CDUs impressive victories in the two other recent state elections - in the coastal region of Schleswig Holstein and the small industrial state of Saarland.Only a year ago Merkel was battling to recover from a political backlash unleashed by her September 2015 decision to open Germanys borders to allow around 1 million refugees into the country, triggering speculation she might not stand for re-election this year.But national opinion polls are showing her CDU now regaining political momentum. The party has chalked up a 7 percentage point lead over the centre-left Social Democrats (SDP), according to a voter survey released last week by Berlin-based pollsters Forsa."Merkel stands for continuity and stability," said Forsas Peter Matuschek.He said Europes most powerful leader was a safe choice in a turbulent world shaped by Britains exit from the European Union and an unpredictable White House under US President Donald Trump."She has developed the image of the crisis chancellor through the series of crises that have hit Europe such as the Greek debt crisis," added Matuschek.For the moment, the German economy also plays into the chancellors hands with business confidence near a six-year high, unemployment at a historic low, the nations key industrial sector turning in a buoyant performance and the countrys finances in good shape.The three state elections have also helped to strengthen Merkels grip on the CDU in the face of right-wing criticism of her centrist stance, including her liberal refugee policy.The SPDs defeat in the three state elections is a crushing blow to its national leader, the former European Parliament president Martin Schulz.Nominated by the SPD in January to head up its September campaign, Schulz was initially seen as a new face on a political stage of well-known actors.But after an initial surge in support following his nomination, the SPD has lost ground again with voters now backing Merkel over Schulz as their preferred chancellor."He has no public office and has been hardly visible," political scientist Oskar Niedermayer told dpa, adding that the new SPD leader remained too vague and undefined."We still do not know where for example he stands on refugee policy," Niedermayer said.Apart from calling for more social justice through changes to tough labour and welfare laws, the new SPD leader has had nothing much to say on the key issues facing the German electorate such as terrorism and security.But a fresh terrorist attack risks driving the refugee crisis back into the headlines and throw Merkels campaign for a fourth term in September off course.A December terrorist attack which left 12 dead at a Berlin Christmas market was carried out by a failed Tunisian asylum seeker.Merkels answer to any further fallout from the refugee crisis has been to now shift the CDU to the right by tightening the nations asylum laws, spearheading a controversial EU deal with Turkey to curb the number of refugees travelling to northern Europe and stepping up deportations of failed asylum seekers.Her government has also launched comprehensive refugee integration schemes, while at the same cracking down on criminality, including addressing a jump in petty crimes such as burglaries. Balkans summit designed to form ties, give hope of EU accession Six Balkan nations - not necessarily with a strong track record of collaborating - will come together for a summit on Wednesday to exchange ideas about how to cooperate and build ties in their region, according to the European Union. GALLERY Days of war and complete destruction: Scene in the streets of Sarajevo in 1994 during the Civil War. Belgrade (dpa) - The Western Balkans Summit is definitely a regional summit. However, it is also set to see visits from European heavyweights like German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, who can provide an example of the benefits of cooperation and remind the Balkan states that the hope of European Union membership is always there.This is the fourth annual summit, which brings together the leaders of Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia. Italy and Austria are also set to send leaders. And representatives of EU members Croatia and Slovenia will be on hand, perhaps as a reminder that Balkan countries do have hopes of getting into the bloc.Italian Foreign Minister Angelino Alfano told the Belgrade newspaper Danas on Tuesday that attendees will be asked to look at a "significant" infrastructure project for energy and transportation.According to an EU press release, one idea is quicker highway connections, between Belgrade and Pristina as well as between Belgrade and Sarajevo. There will also be talks about a gas pipeline between Bulgaria and southern Serbia.Members will also be asked to focus on more youth exchanges, which EU members hope will help erase some of the bad memories about the wars that waged between various members of the Balkans during the last 20 years. Such exchanges have been a goal for years, but implementation has been stalled.But the Balkan countries remain wary of the summit, worried that it is meant to appease them instead of helping them towards their goal of EU membership. Members are also worried about too much focus on cooperation projects, since those, by nature, centre around Serbia.Serbia is the core of the former Yugoslavia, a country to which all of the six save Albania once belonged. Those countries are wary about letting Belgrade direct too many of their affairs now. German EU commissioner faces parliamentary scrutiny in new role EU lawmakers interrogated gaffe-prone European Commissioner Guenther Oettinger about his past blunders on Monday during a special session about his new job overseeing budget and human resources for the commission. GALLERY Brussels (dpa) - Members of three budgetary and legal committees quizzed the German commissioner about his financial and personnel plans in the new role, which he was assigned after the resignation of vice president Kristalina Georgieva.During his tenure as commissioner of digital economy, Oettinger used the term "slitty eyes" to describe Chinese people, talked about "forced gay marriage" in Germany and said women would be unable to reach top jobs if it werent for preferential quotas.Critics have said the derogatory language disqualified the commissioner from overseeing personnel matters in Brussels."It was and is not my intention to hurt anyone with my comments," Oettinger told lawmakers on Monday. "I explicitly regret these past remarks."Oettinger has also come under scrutiny in Brussels for flying in a Russian honorary consuls private plane on official business.Oettinger flew in Klaus Mangolds private jet to Budapest to meet with Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban on May 18, according to his own accounts.The flight was later deemed "not a conflict of interest," according to a European Commission spokesman.Under European Commission rules, top officials are not allowed to accept gifts of more than 150 euros (158 dollars), a threshold that the value of the chartered flight exceeds.Mondays hearing will not likely affect Oettingers position as commissioner. The parliament cannot oust individual members of the European Commission but can remove the entire commission with a no-confidence vote. Russia and Iran warn sanctions effort by US Congress could backfire Russia and Iran on Wednesday condemned the latest move by the US Congress to impose new sanctions against them and warned that there could be severe consequences. GALLERY Irans deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, blasted the initiative, calling it a "clear act of hostility" against the Islamic republic. The US Congress wants to slap fresh sanctions against individual Iranians for their involvement in the countrys ballistic missile programme, as well impose other penalties for what the US describes as Irans terrorist activities and human rights abuses. Moscow (dpa) - The bill, which would impose further penalties against Russian officials, is a "very serious step towards destroying the prospects for normalizing relations," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said."What is happening is beyond common sense," Ryabkov said in comments carried by Russian state news agency TASS.Irans deputy foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, blasted the initiative, calling it a "clear act of hostility" against the Islamic republic.The US Congress wants to slap fresh sanctions against individual Iranians for their involvement in the countrys ballistic missile programme, as well impose other penalties for what the US describes as Irans terrorist activities and human rights abuses.Iran plans to wait and see how the sanctions are implemented before conducting a reciprocal response, Araghchi said in comments carried by the Iranian news agency Tasnim.US lawmakers in the lower House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved the sanctions bill on Tuesday, after a similar measure was passed by the Senate last month.The Senate must now consider the package passed by the House before the bill makes its way to President Donald Trump to be approved or vetoed.The bill also includes sanctions on North Korea targetting its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes as well as use of slave labour.Along with the sanctions package against the three countries, the bill contains a measure to make it difficult for the president to remove the sanctions later on.The bill poses a dilemma for Trump, as he has promised to rebuild bilateral relations with Russia and has expressed admiration for President Vladimir Putin.But Trumps administration has come under fire amid allegations of attempted collusion with the former Cold War foe. Vetoing the bill that aims to punish Russia for its alleged interference in the 2016 election would likely fuel accusations Trump is too friendly with Moscow.US-Russian ties in recent years have been severely frayed as the great powers support opposing sides in the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria. The Ukraine conflict specifically has already led Western powers, including the US, to impose sanctions against Russia. What we know: Suicide bombing in Ansbach, southern Germany A Syrian migrant who blew himself up outside a music festival venue in the Bavarian town of Ansbach on Sunday night pledged allegiance to the Islamic State extremist group in a video found on his phone. GALLERY Federal prosecutors have taken over the investigation; they suspect the bomber was a member of Islamic State. Reaction in Ansbach: "You won"t get my hate." Berlin (dpa) - The 27-year-old vowed to take "revenge against the Germans for obstructing Islam," Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Hermann said.- Islamic State claimed he was one of its "soldiers."- Federal prosecutors have taken over the investigation; they suspect the bomber was a member of Islamic State.- The man from Aleppo in northern Syria came to Germany in August 2014. He was denied asylum and was due for deportation to Bulgaria.- Federal Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said the deportation had been suspended because of his "psychological instability."- 15 people were wounded in the attack.- About 2,500 people were at the festival.- The explosive device was in his rucksack and he set it off after being denied entry to the venue because he did not have a ticket.- The suspect had tried to kill himself on two prior occasions and had received treatment at a psychiatric clinic.- He was known to police for drug-related and other crimes.- Police raided his refugee hostel and found bomb-making items such as hydrochloric acid and material related to Salafism.- A suspected accomplice, who had claimed to have known him only in his capacity as a translator, was arrested.The US "stands resolute alongside our German allies as they confront the forces of extremism in their own country," the White House said Monday in the wake of a string of violent attacks in Germany, including a suicide bomber in the southern German town of Ansbach.US stands alongside Germany in wake of attacksUS and German officials have been in touch in recent days, but White House spokesman Josh Earnest said he could not share specifics about security cooperation between the allies other than to say the US was "certainly interested in doing whatever we can" to help."One of the things that makes the alliance between United States and Germany so strong is our shared values and our shared commitment to those values," Earnest said. "Those values include protecting innocent civilians, and offering humanitarian aid to those in need, and not treating people differently just because of their religion."Earnest also said that there were not major concerns that Syrian refugees admitted to the United States would conduct similar attacks because the US had undertaken extensive background checks before admitting refugees."The president has confidence in ramping up the number of refugees admitted to the United States because obviously, almost all of them are innocent people fleeing violence in their own country. Some of them are people who are fleeing genocide," he said, pointing to the US responsibility to help even as security remains a top priority. Infographics: Five Xinjiang-related falsehoods fabricated by anti-China forces People's Daily Online) 17:54, September 27, 2021 (Infographics designed by Xian Jiangnan) In recent years, various anti-China forces have been accusing China of actions such as "forced labor", "mandatory sterilizations", "parent-child separation", "cultural genocide", and "religious persecution". They smear Xinjiang, demonize China, and vilify China's governance of the region with accusations of "genocide". The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, provides a clear definition of genocide acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. A country can only be convicted of genocide by a competent international judicial institution with proper jurisdiction, in strict accordance with the requirements and procedures stipulated by the relevant conventions and international law. The Chinese government protects the rights of the Uygurs and all other ethnic minority groups in Xinjiang in accordance with the law. This fact stands in sharp contrast to the fabrications by anti-China forces. "Forced labor" Through the lie of "forced labor", anti-China forces malign China's actions against terrorism and extremism, suppress the development of industries in Xinjiang such as cotton, tomatoes, and photovoltaic products, and undermine China's participation in global industrial chain cooperation. Their acts effectively deprive the local people in Xinjiang of their rights to work and development and opportunities to move out of poverty and backwardness, with the intent of stirring up trouble in the region. Xinjiang is committed to the people-centered philosophy of development, attaches great importance to employment and social security, and implements proactive policies on employment. It fully respects the wishes of workers, protects the right to work in accordance with the law, and applies international labor and human rights standards. It implements labor laws and regulations, safeguards the legitimate rights and interests of workers, and strives to enable people of all ethnic groups to create a happy life and achieve their own development through hard work. From 2014 to 2020, the total employed population in Xinjiang grew from 11.35 million to 13.56 million, up by nearly 20 percent. The urban employed population grew by an annual average of 470,000, of which 149,100, or nearly 32 percent, were in southern Xinjiang. An average of 2.82 million job opportunities were created every year for the surplus rural workforce, of which 1.73 million, or more than 61 percent, were offered to those in southern Xinjiang. In its fight against terrorism and extremism, Xinjiang has established vocational education and training centers in accordance with the law. There is no essential difference between these institutions and the deradicalization centers and community correction, transformation and disengagement programs in many other countries. There is a substantial body of evidence showing that this is an effective approach to preventive counter-terrorism and deradicalization, and it fully complies with the principles of counter-terrorism resolutions such as the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy and the UN Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism. The vocational education and training centers in Xinjiang have improved the trainees' command of standard spoken and written Chinese and increased their employability. These centers have also strengthened their sense of national identity, citizenship, and the rule of law. By October 2019, all trainees had completed their studies. Most of them have found stable employment, either by choosing their own jobs, by starting their own businesses, or with the help of the government. Workers of all ethnic groups in Xinjiang, including graduates from the vocational education and training centers, always choose their jobs of their own volition. In line with the principles of equality, free will, and consensus, and in accordance with laws and regulations such as the Labor Law and the Labor Contract Law, they sign labor contracts with employers and receive their salaries. There is no coercion of any kind. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Hongyu) Digitalization of cultural heritage shortens distance between civilizations People's Daily Online) 18:01, September 27, 2021 In 2021, China and Greece will celebrate the China-Greece Culture and Tourism Year, with one of the focus areas being cooperation in digitalizing cultural heritage. (Photo provided by Qingcheng Ruixian) As a cultural heritage digitalization project, an online exhibition, entitled Parallel Space: Meet the Terracotta Warriors in Greece, was launched on the websites of the National Archaeological Museum in Greece and the Emperor Qinshihuangs Mausoleum Site Museum on Sept. 16. The Beijing-based Qingcheng Ruixian, a cultural heritage research interpretation and value-added operation brand, is an implementation partner for the exhibition. He Yan, director of Qingcheng Ruixian, explained how they planned and designed the exhibition, which displayed colored terracotta warriors to Greek visitors, presenting a creative integration of the real world and virtual space to highlight a dialogue between Chinese and Greek civilizations in the post-pandemic era. Based on a large amount of reliable digital information, the exhibition truthfully recreated the warrior figures and shared with visitors an artistic interpretation of the cultural relics, shortening the distance between different cultures, different historical periods and people from different countries. (Photo provided by Qingcheng Ruixian) In 2018, Qingcheng Ruixian signed a memorandum of understanding for cooperating on digitalizing cultural heritage together with Chinas Tsinghua University, the National Technical University of Athens and Postscriptum, an investment company based in Greece. Under the agreement, the Chinese and Greek sides were to select one to two cultural heritage sites in their own countries to engage in cooperation on cultural heritage protection and utilization, and jointly build an international platform for information sharing and cultural exchange. The preparatory work for the exhibition started in March 2021. To highlight the theme of a dialogue between sculptures, the Greek side proposed that the sculpture of a young Greek soldier named Kroisos Kouros should be displayed alongside a Chinese terracotta warrior figure. The final outcome is a virtual scene in which the two figures are seen standing face-to-face in an exhibition area inside the National Archaeological Museum of Greece. (Photo provided by Qingcheng Ruixian) To make sure the exhibition offers a different visiting experience, each team took the visiting preferences of the visitors into consideration when they started to prepare for the project. They chose to present polychrome terracotta warrior figures instead of those in the original color of grey so as to produce a stronger visual effect and make the terracotta warriors aesthetic, meaning and cultural values better understood by foreign visitors. To explain the historical background of the terracotta warriors, the exhibition took Greek history as a reference to facilitate viewers to better understand the antiques. For instance, to introduce Emperor Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of a united China, the exhibition page explains that the Chinese emperor lived during the same period that the successors of Alexander the Great were establishing their kingdoms in Greece, Asia and Egypt. In the eyes of director He, the creative design of the exhibition and the use of lights and shadows are good practices worth being applied when holding exhibitions offline. In addition, to cushion the impact from the pandemic and to avoid the long-distance transport of precious cultural relics, 3D printing technology and digital technologies are expected to provide new channels for exploring offline exhibitions. The exhibition director also disclosed that by digitalizing cultural heritage, the two museums processed and visualized digital information that they had accumulated over many years, with most of the exhibits having been created based on previously acquired digital resources. She suggested that museums which have acquired digital information on cultural relics begin attempting to use such resources and readjust their methods to digitalize their relics based on such new practices. Apart from acquiring digital information, approaches to managing and exhibiting digitalized resources are also important for the digitalization of cultural heritage. In this respect, the online exhibition Parallel Space: Meet the Terracotta Warriors in Greece serves as an opportunity for museums to reuse and demonstrate the value of digital resources. (Web editor: Hongyu, Bianji) UK warship's Taiwan Straits transit 'meaningless display of presence' Global Times) 08:12, September 28, 2021 Symbolic move only undermines peace: experts Vessels in the Taiwan Straits, July 20, 2017. /CGTN Photo Mirroring the US move in August, a UK warship from the HMS Queen Elizabeth carrier strike group sailed through the Taiwan Straits on Monday, showing its presence in a provocative manner. Chinese experts said the symbolic move will not bring the UK back to its former imperial glory, but only destroy peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits. The People's Liberation Army Eastern Theater Command that dispatched units to monitor the British frigate through the Taiwan Straits on Monday slammed the move as a "meaningless display," and the theater command would remain on high alert and resolutely take actions against any acts of threats and provocations. On a Monday Twitter post of the HMS Richmond, a Type 23 frigate of the Royal Navy and part of the HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier strike group, it said the warship was passing through the Taiwan Straits to visit Vietnam and the Vietnam People's Navy, after "a busy period working with partners and allies in the East China Sea." HMS Richmond has conducted naval-air maneuvers for carrier-borne helicopters about 35 nautical miles west of Taipei Harbor, media on Taiwan island reported. Shi Yi, the spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command, said on Monday that their air and navy forces have followed and supervised the transit. "The UK's ill-intentioned actions undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Straits and expose its opportunistic mentality. We remain on high alert and resolutely counter all threats and provocations," Shi said. East China's Zhejiang Maritime Safety Administration announced on Monday military training in parts of the East China Sea will be conducted from September 28 to 29. The HMS Queen Elizabeth carrier strike group passed through the Bashi Channel at the southern tip of Taiwan island on August 2 and sailed northward along the waters off the eastern Taiwan coast. It docked in Japan on September 4, media reported. Since US President Joe Biden took office in January, US warships have conducted Taiwan Straits transits at least nine times, according to estimates of media reports. Military operations around the island, described as "the most dangerous place on Earth" by The Economist, have become more frequent and the situation has not been relaxed. Taiwan media said that on Sunday, 8 PLA aircraft flew through Taiwan's self-proclaimed southwest "air defense identification zone." "Taiwan Straits is highly-sensitive in terms of politics the UK's collusion with the US by sending warships to the Straits was a serious provocation," Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Monday. Analysts said against the backdrop of China-US confrontation, it can be expected that the US would be eager to get its allies to continue flexing their muscles in the Indo-Pacific. The leaders of the US, Japan, India and Australia concluded their QUAD summit on Friday, a few days after the US, the UK and Australia announced a security pact, AUKUS. The US Congress is even thinking about inviting Taiwan to the 2022 Rim of the Pacific exercise (Rimpac). "The UK wants to regain its imperial glory of centuries ago, at least psychologically. Historically, the UK was an Indo-Pacific power, covering India, Southeast Asia and even China's Hong Kong," said Lu Xiang, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, noting what the UK can do is largely symbolic as its power is very limited in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean. Experts said the US is simply a "marriage of convenience" for efforts to woo its allies to contain China. The US is making a car dubbed "Indo-Pacific Strategy," while its allies like the UK, Japan, and India are thinking about getting a "free ride" to elevate their own influence, Lu said. While some secessionists on the island welcome Western support by sending warships through the Taiwan Straits, experts said Western involvement is bound to provoke a stern response from the Chinese mainland. This kind of "support" is meaningless... Neither the UK nor the US will help if the West continues to send more misinformation to secessionists, causing their misjudgment of the situation, which could force the mainland to take military action, Lu said. The US is more interested in turning the island into a "porcupine," trying to equip Taiwan through arms sales and secret training so that the mainland may be "pricked" when it acts with force, Lu said. The independent military industry of the UK has declined. It is difficult for the UK aircraft carrier battle group to achieve its effect by flexing its muscle, Song said. "China is not what it used to be either," Song said. (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Biden's core agenda uncertain amid sinking poll numbers Xinhua) 08:12, September 28, 2021 WASHINGTON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Negotiations over U.S. President Joe Biden's 3.5-trillion-U.S.-dollar spending bill have hit a "stalemate," leaving the fate of his entire first-term agenda up in the air. The president on Friday said negotiations have hit a deadlock amid heated disagreements between progressives and moderates in his party, which could sink his massive social spending bill. Biden said he believed his party would ultimately reach a consensus on a 1.2-trillion-dollar infrastructure bill backed by Republicans, as well as his 3.5-trillion-dollar social spending package. "Now we are at this stalemate," and "we are going to have to get these two pieces of legislation passed," Biden said Friday at the White House. But it remains unknown how that will happen, as progressives and moderates in the Democratic Party are digging their heels in, and it remains unclear whether any of them will budge. That leaves the fate of Biden's core economic and social agenda unknown. "If Democrats pass a bill of any significant size, it will be a plus for his poll numbers. If Democrats are not able to pass a bill due to internal divisions, that would be a major blow to Biden's presidency and his public support," Darrell West, a senior fellow at Brookings Institution, told Xinhua. Clay Ramsay, a researcher at the Center for International and Security Studies at the University of Maryland, told Xinhua that if Biden simply passes the smaller bipartisan infrastructure bill, that will not be enough for the president to bounce back in the polls. Among Americans, 45.7 percent approve of the job Biden is doing, and 50.3 disapprove, according to Friday's Real Clear Politics average of polls. "It will not, because in the public, Democrats are also more worried about Biden now and some are moving from a 'strongly support' to a 'somewhat support' stance," said Ramsay. Christopher Galdieri, an assistant professor at Saint Anselm College, said he does not think passing the 3.5-trillion-dollar bill will directly translate into a boost in the polls, "but it will improve his reputation in DC and with voters as someone who is able to get things done." "The last month or so has been one story after another in which the administration is not driving events but instead looks responsive to others. So a big legislative win would turn that perception around, I think," Galdieri told Xinhua. Indeed, the Delta variant of COVID-19 is surging in the United States among those who have declined to get vaccinated. While around half of the U.S. population became vaccinated in a matter of months, millions of others do not want to get the jab. That, plus the botched Afghanistan withdrawal, are dragging down the president's polling numbers. An article in The Hill, a U.S. political publication, argued that Biden is badly in need of a win. "If anyone needs a big win right now, it's the embattled 46th president," Joe Concha, a contributor, contended. A Gallup article released earlier this week found that among all U.S. presidents after WWII, only former U.S. President Donald Trump saw lower ratings at a similar point in his presidency. Pollsters point to the administration's bungled withdrawal from Afghanistan as the main reason for the decline, as well as the surging Delta variant among the unvaccinated. "Two-thirds of Biden's slide among independents since he took office has occurred in the past three months," Gallup wrote earlier this week. Meanwhile, the midterm elections are over a year away, but experts said Biden is navigating dangerous political waters. That is because the midterms act as a referendum on the U.S. presidency. Mary Avery, an office administrator in the U.S. state of New Jersey, said Biden has done a "terrible" job, citing the withdrawal in Afghanistan. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Digital economy facilitates stronger Africa-China cooperation Xinhua) 08:15, September 28, 2021 NAIROBI, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Africa has been accelerating digital transformation since the outbreak of COVID-19 and the continent is now a hotspot for rapid growth of mobile payment, electronic commerce, remote work and online education. The booming internet market is offering more opportunities for cooperation between Africa and China that are both at the forefront of the world's digital evolution. DRIVING RECOVERY The COVID-19 pandemic is hitting Africa hard. African countries have imposed sometimes severe restrictions on populations to contain the spread of the coronavirus, including lockdowns and curfews. As a result, digital payments and e-commerce have become a new norm for households, playing a crucial role in scaling up economic recovery on the continent. "People basically have gone cashless right now, and it's convenient to use mobile money as everyone has one now. It's a win for both clients and us," said Mirriam Maluli, a menswear store owner in the city center of Nairobi, Kenya. South Africa's leading online payment gateway PayFast reported its transactions via QR code payments surged 412 percent between March 2020 and February 2021, as digital payments are convenient and safe for people whether shopping in person or online. The pandemic has also pushed a surge in internet demand and network connectivity. Kenya's telecommunications service provider Safaricom PLC registered a 39.8 percent year-on-year growth in active 4G devices and a 43.7 percent rise in homes connected for fiber-to-the-home service between April 2020 and March 2021. A recent survey by Dalberg Group, a global consulting firm, found that digital devices and services have improved the daily lives of 84 percent of Kenyans, while nearly one third said using digital services has boosted their incomes. According to a report released in April by Visa Consulting and Analytics, Visa Inc.'s payments consulting arm, sub-Saharan Africa registered a 42 percent year-on-year growth in e-commerce sales from 2019 to 2020. STRONGER COOPERATION The pandemic has provided a growth opportunity for cooperation between Africa and China on digital transformation. Cainiao Smart Logistics Network, the logistics arm of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, launched an air cargo route between China and Nigeria in June, marking its first China-Africa air freight service. "As one of Cainiao's key emerging markets, Africa has witnessed a booming demand from local consumers purchasing items such as apparel, home appliances and electronic accessories from China," said Cainiao in a press release. Founded by Chinese entrepreneur Yang Tao, Kilimall is one of the major e-commerce platforms operating in east Africa. Lu Xiaoyong, marketing manager at Kilimall, told Xinhua that Kilimall sales have more than doubled since the pandemic. According to Lu, consumers in Africa have moved from offline to online due to the pandemic-related lockdown measures, providing an opportunity for e-commerce expansion in Africa. With more African households embracing online shopping, the e-commerce market will continue to boom following rising smartphone penetration rate, increasingly mature mobile payment systems and falling mobile data costs, said Lu. In an interview with Xinhua, Sitoyo Lopokoiyit, CEO of M-Pesa Africa, Africa's leading fintech platform operator, said there are good opportunities for Africa to partner with China and make the digital technology reach more people on the African continent. OPay, a Chinese-backed Nigerian fintech startup, is expanding rapidly and bringing accessible banking service to more vulnerable people during the pandemic. Qiu Zhien, CEO of Opay Nigeria, told Xinhua that Opay now has 7 million registered app users across the country, with monthly gross transactions exceeding 3 billion U.S. dollars. PROMISING OUTLOOK Despite the pandemic, Africa has shown strong growth potential. According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, the African continent was projected to grow at a rate of 3.9 percent in 2020 and 4.1 percent in 2021, making the region one of the most attractive markets in the world. "Our data indicates that the appetite for businesses to move online hasn't slowed down. Digital payments are increasingly becoming the standard for retail in our current climate," said Jonathan Smit, managing director and founder of PayFast, in a statement. A report jointly produced by Google and the International Finance Corporation estimated that Africa's internet economy would reach 180 billion U.S. dollars by 2025, accounting for 5.2 percent of the continent's gross domestic product (GDP). By 2050, the potential could grow further to 712 billion dollars, or 8.5 percent of GDP. According to the e-Conomy Africa 2020 report, propelling the growth is a combination of increased access to faster and better quality internet connectivity, a rapidly expanding urban population, a growing tech talent pool, a vibrant startup ecosystem, and Africa's commitment to creating the world's largest single market under the African Continental Free Trade Area. Huang Meibo, director of International Development Cooperation Academy at Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, told Xinhua that Africa is one of the regions in the world where its population is younger and growing faster, with 60 percent of the population under the age of 25. In the long term, Huang said, Africa is poised to become one of the most promising digital economy markets in the world. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) China seeks "winged steeds" for national rejuvenation Xinhua) 08:21, September 28, 2021 Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, meets with the project leaders and core scientists of China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) in southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- As the ancient Chinese saying goes, there are many swift horses, but not many people who can identify them. China is making efforts to nurture and gather more "winged steeds," a phrase referring to people of great talent. These steeds are expected to lend greater horsepower to the country's development and national rejuvenation drive. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has thoroughly implemented the strategy of invigorating China through developing a quality workforce. The efforts have brought historic achievements and changes in fostering a large pool of competent professionals for the country. SET THE DIRECTION For decades, the Party has been vigorously seeking and nurturing talented individuals. "We are closer than at any time in history to attaining the goal of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and we are more eager than ever to have talented individuals," Xi said in 2013. Stressing that the Party should exercise leadership over personnel management, he has demanded the removal of institutional barriers, the pursuit of a more open talent policy, and the creation of ample space for competent professionals to make full use of their talents. TALENT POWERS NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT China has been dedicated to creating an enabling environment for talented people of various backgrounds to tap into their potential and pursue their dreams. The story of Yuan Yuyu provides a glimpse into how the CPC has been promoting talent development. Yuan returned to China for work after receiving a PhD degree in bioengineering in the United States. "From the bottom of my heart, I knew I would pursue my dream in our homeland," Yuan recalled. A more immediate motivation was his desire to break the foreign monopoly on sophisticated implanted medical devices. Buoyed by local incentives encouraging entrepreneurship, Yuan built a medical device company from scratch. He was elected a national lawmaker and contributed his ideas on the country's innovation and talent development. In May 2021, the CPC released regulations on organizational work, with an entire chapter dedicated to guidelines for talent management. Xi, in an important instruction in April 2021, underscored efforts to accelerate the building of a modern vocational education system to train more high-end technicians and skilled workers. By the end of 2020, there were more than 200 million skilled workers and more than 50 million highly skilled workers in China. BUILD STRONG SCI-TECH COUNTRY A report showed that by the end of 2018, China had grown a science and technology workforce of up to 101.5 million individuals, continuing to lead the world in scale. The nation has kept translating the advantage it enjoys in human resources into development strength. During Xi's visit to a leading manufacturer of electronic components and advanced materials in October 2020, the importance he assigned to independent innovation of enterprises was noticeable. "Are these products the result of your independent research and development?" asked Xi, holding a ceramic substrate. "Indigenous innovation is what I, as well as the CPC Central Committee, attach the greatest importance to at present," he told the company staff. "The development of enterprises, the upgrading of industries, and the high-quality development of China's economy, all depend on indigenous innovation." Xi has stressed repeatedly that talent is the most important resource. He urged efforts to ensure that qualified scientific and technological personnel can make full use of their abilities, regardless of their qualifications. He also stressed the cultivation of homegrown experts and top sci-tech workers with global influence, as well as the building of scientific research and innovation centers equipped with talented professionals from around the world. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) UK's Labour Party members declare AUKUS deal "dangerous" to world peace Xinhua) 08:52, September 28, 2021 LONDON, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Britain's main opposition Labour Party on Monday passed an emergency motion that described the new security pact among the United States, Britain and Australia, known as AUKUS, as a "dangerous move that will undermine world peace." During the party's annual conference, delegates passed the emergency motion by 70.35 percent to 29.65 percent. "AUKUS is starting a new nuclear arms race and cold war. We must keep speaking out against it," said former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Twitter on Monday. The AUKUS pact, announced earlier this month, has triggered widespread concerns and criticism. The three countries announced that the first initiative under AUKUS is to deliver a nuclear-powered submarine fleet to Australia. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a global nuclear watchdog, has voiced concern amid international worries about the proliferation of nuclear materials and technologies in response to the trilateral deal. "The IAEA will engage with them (Australia, the United States and Britain) on this matter in line with its statutory mandate, and in accordance with their respective safeguards agreements with the Agency," it said in a recent statement. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) China opposes utilitarian approach to, double standards on NPT: envoy Xinhua) 09:06, September 28, 2021 Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, speaks at a Security Council high-level open debate on climate and security at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 23, 2021. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) "It is wrong of a scant few nuclear-weapon states to make high-sounding pronouncements about their commitment to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime while assisting non-nuclear-weapon states in building nuclear submarines," said a Chinese UN envoy. UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy said Monday that China opposes a utilitarian approach to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) or the application of double standards. Both the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the NPT are important pillars of the international nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation regime. While promoting the early entry into force of the CTBT, the international community should also conscientiously safeguard the authority, universality, and effectiveness of the NPT, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations. All states should demonstrate a responsible attitude. China objects to a utilitarian approach to the NPT or the application of double standards, he told the Security Council. "It is wrong of a scant few nuclear-weapon states to make high-sounding pronouncements about their commitment to the international nuclear non-proliferation regime while assisting non-nuclear-weapon states in building nuclear submarines," said Zhang. "Not only will it intensify the arms race to the detriment of the international non-proliferation regime as well as international and regional security and stability, it also runs counter to the spirit of the NPT. We hope that the countries concerned will heed the call of the international community, faithfully fulfill their international non-proliferation obligations and put a greater effort toward regional peace and stability," he said. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Photo story: guardian of Greeting Pine in Huangshan Mountain Xinhua) 09:07, September 28, 2021 Hu Xiaochun arranges his "Pine Diary" in the Huangshan Mountain scenic area in east China's Anhui Province, Sept. 25, 2021. Huangshan Mountain, one of the most famous scenic spots in China, is a UNESCO World Heritage site in east China's Anhui Province and a world geopark. Greeting Pine is a famous landmark in Huangshan Mountain. The tree, growing out of the rocks with a long branch extending over the mouth of a cave, got the name mainly because it appears to be greeting anyone who arrives at the scene. It is believed to be between 800 and 1,000 years old. To protect the tree, the local government has introduced a system of designating guardians or rangers for patrolling the tree around the clock. The first guardian was appointed in 1981. The tradition has been going on ever since. Hu Xiaochun is one of the guardians of the Greeting Pine. In 2010, Hu took over the post from his predecessor. He patrols around the Greeting Pine every two hours, observing subtle changes in branches, leaves and bark, as well as the supporting frames and cables. Hu records the tree growth data every day, and the temperature, humidity and wind speed. His "Pine Diary" now has more than one million words. In order to facilitate his work, Hu has learned a great deal about meteorology, insectology and botany on his own over the years. (Xinhua/Zhou Mu) (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Confucius Prize for Literacy awarded in east China Xinhua) 09:19, September 28, 2021 People attend the 7th Nishan Forum on World Civilizations, a forum on Confucius culture, in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 27, 2021. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei) JINAN, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Three programs from Mexico, Egypt, and Cote d'Ivoire, respectively, were awarded this year's UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy on Monday in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province. The award winners include a "Building &Growing" program from Mexico, an Egyptian program offering online literacy classes for rural areas, and a functional literacy program for traders in Abidjan through the use of information and communications technology from Cote d'Ivoire. Qin Changwei, secretary-general of the Chinese National Commission for UNESCO, said this year's prize takes eradicating functional illiteracy and digital empowerment as its focus. The Confucius Prize for Literacy was established in 2005 to recognize the efforts of individuals, governments, and NGOs in raising the literacy rate. An educator and philosopher, Confucius (551-479 B.C.), founded Confucianism. It is a school of thought that had a profound influence on later generations. He was also the first to set up private schools in China that enrolled students from different social classes. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) China's State Grid vows power supply to ensure people's basic needs Xinhua) 09:40, September 28, 2021 A staff member of the State Grid Corporation Qinghai Branch works on the Qinghai-Henan UHV DC power transmission line in Henan Mongolian Autonomous County of Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, northwest China's Qinghai Province, June 17, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Lirong) BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The State Grid Corporation of China on Monday said that it would take comprehensive measures to ensure power supply for people's basic needs and try its best to avoid power cuts. The company will go all out to fight the battle of guaranteeing power supply and firmly safeguard the bottom line of power supply to meet people's basic needs, and ensure social development and security, said the company. The State Grid will strengthen the distribution of power from its entire network, reasonably arrange the network operation, and ensure that all available power generators from power companies are connected to the grid. The company said it would coordinate and dispatch resources by tapping the power transmission potential of cross-provincial power networks. The company will strengthen the monitoring of electricity consumption and ensure power supply for residential users. The State Grid also vowed to strictly implement the power supply and consumption plans formulated by the government, strive to maintain stability in power supply and consumption, and improve emergency response plans, said the company. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Chinese defense minister holds video talks with Malaysian counterpart Xinhua) 09:51, September 28, 2021 BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe spoke with Malaysia's Senior Minister of Defence Hishammuddin Hussein in a video call Monday. As COVID-19 pandemic ravages the world, the global economy is struggling to recover, and the international order is undergoing profound change, Wei said. Wei said China is willing to work with Malaysia to oppose hegemonism and power politics, strengthen communication and properly address differences on the South China Sea, and jointly uphold peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. He called on the two militaries to maintain high-level communication, promote cooperation-mechanism building, strengthen multilateral coordination and continuously enhance practical cooperation. Hishammuddin expressed his gratitude to China for help in epidemic prevention. He said Malaysia is willing to enhance exchanges and cooperation with China in the fight against COVID-19 and military affairs, and advance relations between the countries and their militaries. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) China helps fulfill Argentina's energy dream with world's southernmost hydroelectric dams Xinhua) 09:55, September 28, 2021 BUENOS AIRES, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Argentina and China are combining efforts to complete two dams in southern Patagonia, which will realize Argentine's "energy dream" of being less dependent on energy imports. Located on the Santa Cruz River, the Nestor Kirchner-Jorge Cepernic Hydroelectric Power Plant, the largest initiative in bilateral cooperation, began in 2013 when the Chinese company Gezhouba Group Corporation and other Argentine firms formed Chinese-Argentine consortium -- UTE Represas Patagonia -- with the aim of improving the country's energy infrastructure and satisfying the electricity needs of more than 1 million families. "Once the work is completed, the average annual power generation will reach 4.95 billion kilowatt-hours, which means that the installed power capacity in Argentina will grow by approximately 6.5 percent," Mariano Musso, director of institutional relations for the project, told Xinhua. Once finished, the hydroelectric plant can cover the daily electricity consumption of 1.5 million Argentine households, cut almost 1.1 billion U.S. dollars in oil and gas import expenses each year, and even allow for the export of electricity to neighboring countries such as Brazil and Paraguay, Musso said. Argentine and Chinese staff at UTE Patagonia have faced numerous challenges, ranging from adverse weather conditions to being away from their families to working amid the COVID-19 pandemic. "The Nestor Kirchner and Jorge Cepernic dams are being built in the southernmost part of the world, where the climate is a challenge. And due to the characteristics of the terrain, the winds can reach gusts of more than 100 kilometers per hour. When the temperature drops extremely, construction tasks also become very difficult," explained Musso. In addition, the project is located far from urban centers, but the workers said they overcome this challenge "by living in a community." They also have to face environmental impact given the plant's proximity to the iconic Perito Moreno Glacier, located about 100 km from the site. China's experience and advanced technology have guaranteed the environmental sustainability of the project. "To prevent the project from affecting the Perito Moreno Glacier, in the area of the water source, the storage height of the reservoir was reduced by 2.4 meters from the original plan," said Zhang Hongzeng, deputy director of the Project Design Management Department. "The hydroelectric plant has been designed with fish passes and ecological bottom wells," Zhang added. He said project organizers "also hired experts in archeology and paleontology to detect fossils that may exist at the construction site and to carry out protective excavations." "Once the project is completed, a museum will be built in a nearby small town to display all the valuable cultural relics or fossils that were unearthed," Zhang said. At the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the group had to continue the project with proper hygiene and safety protocols after the government allowed the project to proceed. Workers complied with isolation measures and testings were carried out, while communication was maintained with local medical institutions on the donation of hygiene supplies and exchange of experiences in prevention and epidemiological control. China's experience in epidemic prevention has given Musso a lot of inspirations, and he has worked closely with his Chinese colleagues to better control the outbreak. Besides increasing energy sufficiency in Argentina, the plant has also improved the living conditions of many. "The project has brought very important and very tangible changes," Musso said, explaining that it has generated jobs and built roads for the local communities where "we could only see the landscape of the Patagonian Desert before." "We are constantly developing the villages where the workers live. We say that we are building small towns with all their services," Musso said. In 2020, Musso was awarded the title of the first Silk Road Friendship Envoy for being one of the most notable representatives of the dams, which are part of the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. "The changes are really very important and the Belt and Road Initiative has really shown its benefits. Cooperation between countries to develop infrastructure is having a very positive impact on the region and on Argentina," Musso said. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Hong Kong's economic freedom, competitiveness remain internationally renowned: report Xinhua) 10:06, September 28, 2021 Photo taken on July 31, 2021 shows the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center in south China's Hong Kong. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu) Despite the disturbance from the social unrest in 2019 and the suppression by the United States, Hong Kong's institutional strengths under "one country, two systems" remain intact, as the international financial hub remained in leading positions in terms of economic freedom and competitiveness in various international rankings. HONG KONG, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's economic freedom and competitiveness continued to be well recognized by international institutions, a report of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said on Monday. The "Report on Hong Kong's Business Environment: A Place with Unique Advantages and Unlimited Opportunities," released at a press conference by Paul Chan, financial secretary of the HKSAR government, stressed that Hong Kong's established institutional strengths under "one country, two systems" remain intact despite the disturbance from the social unrest in 2019 and suppression by the United States. The report mentioned Hong Kong's multiple strengths, including the rule of law and judicial independence, the free flows of goods, capital, talent and information, a low and simple tax regime and sound regulatory frameworks. Canada's Fraser Institute ranked Hong Kong as the world's freest economy in the Economic Freedom of the World 2021 Annual Report. The Global Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum in 2019 ranked Hong Kong third globally, while the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2021 published by the International Institute for Management Development ranked Hong Kong seventh globally, the report noted. People take an escalator in Hong Kong, south China, April 1, 2021. (Xinhua/Lo Ping Fai) Foreign chambers of commerce remain generally confident about Hong Kong's business environment, and overseas companies seeking to expand their business have high hopes for the 14th Five-Year Plan for national socio-economic development and the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Chambers of commerce from the United States, Britain, Australia and Malaysia all agree that Hong Kong remains an ideal place for international business, according to the report. The StartmeupHK Festival, an annual startup event initiated by InvestHK, was held virtually in May this year and attracted nearly 40,000 participants from 103 economies, reflecting Hong Kong's continued attractiveness to foreign enterprises and investors, the report said. Meanwhile, in the recent 2021 Global Financial Centers Index published by the British think tank Z/Yen Group and China Development Institute in Shenzhen, Hong Kong ranked third globally, rising by one place from the March issue of the index this year. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) New shipping route links China's Zhejiang, Europe Xinhua) 10:11, September 28, 2021 HANGZHOU, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- A cargo ship loaded with more than 1,500 containers departed for Liverpool, Britain, from Damaiyu Port in Taizhou City of east China's Zhejiang Province on Monday, marking the opening of a new shipping route. The freighter, carrying goods such as Christmas products and daily necessities manufactured by Chinese companies, is scheduled to arrive in Liverpool in about 30 days, from where the goods will be transported to other European countries. Against the backdrop of rising international shipping prices and logistics costs, the opening of the new route is expected to alleviate the pressure of foreign trade enterprises in Taizhou and the surrounding areas, according to Wang Xiongfei, a local shipping service agent. "Earlier, we had to transport the goods to ports in the cities of Ningbo and Shanghai. The opening of this route will reduce costs and save time, and the move has been well received by enterprises," said Wang. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Steps needed to bolster consumption China Daily) 10:12, September 28, 2021 A shopper buys vegetables at a supermarket in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. [Photo by SU YANG/FOR CHINA DAILY] More steps are anticipated in boosting consumption, supporting smaller businesses and securing employment as the country's growth faces challenges amid scattered COVID-19 cases and a sluggish consumption recovery, analysts said. An executive meeting of the State Council, China's Cabinet, last week, reiterated the importance of maintaining continuity and stability of macroeconomic policies. In particular, macro policies shall be delivered with a focus on securing employment, market entities and meeting the essential needs of the people. The meeting statement noted that while economic recovery has been steady since early this year, uncertainty in the global environment has been on the rise. Domestically, growth is seeing a mix of challenges including sporadic COVID-19 cases and rising commodity prices. Synergy across the fiscal, financial and employment policies needs to be enhanced to keep proper market expectations stable. Major economic indicators indicate the country's economic activity slowed in August with consumption and factory production held up by scattered COVID-19 cases and floods. The meeting signaled that efforts in advancing reform, opening-up, and enabling the country's business climate will continue to be put forward. "Despite solid recovery in the first half, pressure facing China's economic growth is still notable. With the COVID-19 impact in place, supply chains globally are very unstable and most countries have not secured a strong economic stabilizer yet. With visible uncertainties in both real economy and financial sectors, market expectations in many countries are hovering," said Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing. "This is why the State Council executive meeting underlined the need for securing jobs and essential living needs." The meeting statement urged "more efforts for measures in boosting consumption shall be in the pipeline". China's retail sales, a key gauge of consumption, grew 2.5 percent in August year-on-year, down from July's 8.5 percent growth, said data from the National Bureau of Statistics. Yang Guangpu, associate research fellow at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said consumption momentum was recently battered by the impact of COVID-19.Strong consumption growth is of high importance for the growth potential of China's economy. "Sluggish consumption may lead to a drop in prices, thus resulting in reduction of enterprises' profits," he said. "And this may further hurt the willingness of enterprises to invest and hire, which means the overall employment status might be affected. Therefore, solid efforts are needed to energize consumption, and shore up people's willingness to buy." The meeting also adopted a plan for new infrastructure development as part of an effort to spur domestic demand, economic transformation and growth sustainability. In the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25), a well-calibrated layout will be made for the development of new infrastructure, underpinned by information networks and technological innovation. "This can also be seen as an effort to catalyze consumption and meet people's demand amid the country's high-quality growth," said Xiong Yuan, chief macro analyst at Guosheng Securities. "With solid new infrastructure facilities in place, it will help actualize new consumption and create more buying models for consumers. It will also catalyze the demand side by creating more consumption possibilities." (Web editor: Zhong Wenxing, Liang Jun) Americas Haitian migrant border crisis a replay of racism, cruelty and horror 10:33, September 28, 2021 By Dennis Meng ( People's Daily Online Photo/CGTN Riding astride his high horse with a thick whip clutched in hand, a uniformed agent roars furiously and lashes at his targeta human, unarmed and barefooted, who can barely keep his balance while clinging onto a plastic bag holding his meal. This is not a scene from HBOs TV drama Westworld, but a real-world event unfolding along the US border near Texas (thankfully, there are cameras!). With some 15,000 Haitian migrants flocking towards the Del Rio International Bridge in Texas recently, similar horrors have been replaying and multiplying over and over again. While American President Joe Biden called the border crisis an embarrassment and Vice President Kamala Harris said it reminded her of times of slavery, many only saw a continuation: a wound cut too deep to cure whoever the surgeon might be. Hardly had the preceding turmoil in Donna and El Paso, Texas, started to ease when the latest crisis began to loom on the horizon. They just keep coming and coming. The U.S. Border Patrol has a thousand ways to rein back Haitian migrants and asylum-seekers, and yet they have resorted to the most barbaric course of action, one that is so inhumane that it has prompted the resignation of Daniel Foote, a senior diplomat and US special envoy for Haiti. The chaos at Americas doorstep is a by-product of the deep-seated racism that is in the genes of America as a nation. The long whip swung into the air to corral Haitian asylum-seekers is a gavel that sentences them to their fate of not belonging, with their skin color having denied their entrance into the U.S. long before even setting feet near the U.S.-Mexico border. Screenshot Only 4.62% of Haitians were allowed to seek asylum in the U.S. during the period from October 2018 to June 2021, the lowest rate among 83 nationalities based on available data, according to The Associated Press. The chart above shows the grant rates for asylum-seekers based on their nationalities, from bottom to top, and is almost identical to the spectrum of skin colors, in which the lighter ones skin is, the more likely he or she will be granted asylum in the U.S. Now through the videos capturing the abuses on Haitians at the border, the world has now seen for itself that all migrants seeking a better tomorrow arent treated equal when skin color is involved, said Yoliswa Cele, founder of the UndocuBlack Network, a national advocacy organization for undocumented Black people. Carl Lindskoog, author of Detain and Punish: Haitian Refugees and the Rise of the Worlds Largest Immigration Detention System, also believed that it is the skin color of Haitian asylum-seekers that has rendered them unwelcome. Whats happening at the border is horrifying and fits into the long intersecting history of anti-Black, anti-immigrant sentiment and anti-Haitian exclusion, he said, during an interview with Vox. Citing Americas records of passing racist policies to deter Haitians from coming in, Mr. Linskoog highlighted Americas long history of anti-Haitian sentiment. They (Haitians) have, for most of history, been met with exclusion, he added. The past several years have witnessed a rollercoaster of emotions shared by many migrants and asylum-seekers (including people of color like Haitians in particular) who have sought a way to get into America. But that rollercoaster seems to have followed the pattern of a Mobius stripround and round, the racist sentiments persist, policy hurdles remain, and the dream-chasers stay where they belong. The Trump administration, which didnt even bother to mask its racist and xenophobic attitudes, invoked Title 42 to allow deportation based on health concerns, regardless of the fact that the U.S. at that time was the most COVID-19-friendly place on the planet. In fact, his presidency was built on exclusion, isolationism, and xenophobia, in which bizarre policies such as the Muslim ban and a border wall were adopted to show most migrants the door, while catering to voters who had seen migrants as threats to their jobs and security. With Biden in the White House, many had prophesied hope and change but both turned out to be nada. The Biden administration has invoked the same Title 42 to expel Haitian asylum-seekers back to Haiti, a nation freshly shattered by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake and political turmoil. Were being stabbed in the back, Mr. President (Biden), so said Al Sharpton, an American civil rights activist, in response to Bidens mishandling of the Haitian migrant border crisis. The fate that lies ahead for each Haitian asylum-seeker at the border is certainthey all will be expelled and forced into the uncertain future. But it is just a matter of time before the next wave of victims arrive, the next wave of crisis erupts, and the next wave of cruelty plays out. Photo taken on Sept. 19, 2021 from Ciudad Acuna, Mexico shows Migrants attempting to cross the river Rio Bravo on the border between Mexico and the United States. (Str/Xinhua) The U.S. is fond of preaching about human rights, having become so complacent on its moral high horse that it has lost the ability to reflect upon itself and the courage needed to redress its own wrongdoings. It is preoccupied with framing other nations on the basis of falsified documents and reports, and yet it has failed to hold anyone accountable for the ferocious slaughter of ten civilians, including an aid worker and seven children, in a ruthless drone strike in Afghanistans capital; it is obsessed with concocting myths and conspiracy theories surrounding the origins of COVID-19, and yet it has failed to protect the right to life for its most vulnerable groups, especially the elderly in nursing homes and children at schools; it has continued to exert sanctions against nations around the globe, and yet it has failed to ameliorate the ongoing human rights crisis at its own border. With a memory like a goldfish, America circles its bowl, returning to where we have been, unable to move forward, condemned to repeat a past we should escape. So wrote Maureen Dowd, an opinion columnist with the New York Times, in the wake of Hurricane Ida and Americas catastrophic Afghanistan pullout. That analogy seems to fit perfectly into any crises that continue to plague the U.S. In the case of the border crisis, the status quo wont change unless there is a change. Otherwise, border crises and human rights abuses will continue to be an endless nightmare, haunting the U.S. and whoever come near its borderline. (Web editor: Meng Bin, Bianji) China to release more metal reserves Xinhua) 10:56, September 28, 2021 Photo taken on July 29, 2020, shows a workshop of Hongchang Aluminum Industry Co., Ltd. in Wuxing District of Huzhou, east China's Zhejiang Province. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi) BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's state reserves authority said Monday that the country would release the fourth batch of national reserves of copper, aluminum, and zinc this year. Some 30,000 tonnes of copper, 70,000 tonnes of aluminum, and 50,000 tonnes of zinc will be released from the national reserves in early October, the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration announced. Only processing and manufacturing enterprises of copper, aluminum, and zinc will be eligible to bid, and the purchased metal shall be used for production promptly. It shall not be resold or hoarded, said the administration. Since the beginning of this year, bulk commodity prices have surged due to factors including the overseas spreading of COVID-19 and the imbalances of supply and demand, causing pressure on medium and small firms. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) China urges U.S. to stop suppressing other countries in the name of democracy Xinhua) 10:59, September 28, 2021 BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- China urges the United States to stop using democracy as a tool to suppress other countries, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday. Spokesperson Hua Chunying told a press briefing when asked to comment on the remarks made by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on the global summit for democracy proposed by the United States. Hua said the so-called "democracy summit" put together by the United States is, in essence, drawing ideological lines and engaging in bloc politics. It will only cause division and confrontation against the trend of the times, she added. Hua said the key to judging democracy is whether it meets the expectations, needs and aspirations of the people and whether it delivers tangible benefits to the people. Hua said the United States should make a correct and objective assessment of itself and refrain from pretending to be the spokesperson of democracy, and it should not instrumentalize the issue of democracy to suppress and contain other countries. "We hope that the U.S. will abandon the Cold War mentality, reject the wrong approach of exclusive cliques and zero-sum game," said Hua, adding that China hopes that the United States can work with other countries to follow the principles of mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation in international relations, and promote the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom for all mankind. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Chinese FM holds phone conversation with Venezuelan FM Xinhua) 11:08, September 28, 2021 Workers unload health supplies from China at the Simon Bolivar International Airport, in La Guaira, Venezuela, on March 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Marcos Salgado) The long-standing China-Venezuela comprehensive strategic partnership has stood the test of the shifting international landscape and maintained a strong momentum of development, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in a phone conversation with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia. BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held a telephone conversation with Venezuelan Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia Monday on the sidelines of the general debate of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. Wang said that the long-standing China-Venezuela comprehensive strategic partnership has stood the test of the shifting international landscape and maintained a strong momentum of development. Both sides have been committed to mutual understanding and trust. He said China thanks Venezuela for supporting its efforts in safeguarding its legitimate interests and opposes the illegal unilateral sanctions imposed on Venezuela by the United States. China has always believed that the Venezuelan issue should be resolved by the Venezuelan people themselves through dialogue within the framework of their own constitution and laws, Wang said, adding that China will continue to firmly support Venezuela in safeguarding national sovereignty, dignity as well as legitimate rights and interests. China believes that the Venezuelan people will finally emerge victorious from the battle against foreign interference, sanctions and hegemony, Wang said. He noted that China stands ready to continue promoting practical cooperation with Venezuela in various fields on the basis of the principles of equality, mutual benefits, win-win cooperation and common development, and will continue to support Venezuela in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Wang said China is willing to work with Venezuela to cope with the profound changes unseen in a century, enhance unity and cooperation, safeguard international equity and justice, and lift the China-Venezuela comprehensive strategic partnership to a higher level. Noting that China-Latin America cooperation has maintained healthy and stable development, Wang said China attaches great importance to cooperation with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), and will fully implement the spirit of Chinese President Xi Jinping's speech to the 6th Summit of Heads of State and Government of CELAC to continue maintaining close communication and coordination with Latin American and Caribbean countries in areas such as vaccine cooperation and economic and livelihood recovery, give full play to the role of the China-CELAC Forum, inject new vitality into deepening and substantiating China-Latin American cooperation as a whole, and jointly build a China-Latin America community with a shared future. Participants of the 6th Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) pose for a group photo in Mexico City, capital of Mexico, on Sept. 18, 2021. (Str/Xinhua) Against the backdrop of changes unseen in a century, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the sluggish recovery of the world economy, Xi proposed solemnly the Global Development Initiative, calling on the international society to pay attention to development issues and inject fresh momentum to the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Wang said. The proposal of the important initiative is well-timed and reflects the common aspiration of the developing countries, Wang said, adding that active participation from all sides is welcome, in order to push for a global consensus. For his part, Plasencia congratulated the Communist Party of China on its brilliant achievements yielded in the past 100 years since its founding, saying that Venezuela firmly supports China to safeguard its sovereignty and oppose external interference in its internal affairs, and is ready to enhance coordination and cooperation with China to uphold justice in the international community. Plasencia thanked China for its strong support for Venezuela in fighting COVID-19, and expressed the willingness to actively take part in the building of the Belt and Road and to jointly promote further development of the bilateral ties to bring more benefits for the two peoples. Chinese medical experts pose at the Simon Bolivar International Airport, in La Guaira, Venezuela, on March 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Marcos Salgado) Venezuela fully supports Xi's proposal of the Global Development Initiative, Plasencia said, adding that his country is willing to work with China and other Latin American countries to successfully hold the Third Ministerial Meeting of the China-CELAC Forum, to further advance Latin America-China cooperation. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) China ensures prosperity for every individual: white paper Xinhua) 11:18, September 28, 2021 Combo photo taken on July 15, 2020 shows villagers' smiles in Shenshan Village of Jinggangshan, east China's Jiangxi Province. The village was lifted out of poverty in 2017. (Xinhua/Peng Zhaozhi) BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- China adopted a targeted strategy to help poor people rise out of poverty and achieve moderate prosperity along with the rest of the country, according to a white paper released Tuesday. By the end of 2020, all of the 99 million rural poor, and all of the 832 counties and 128,000 villages classified as poor under China's current poverty line, had shaken off poverty, said the white paper titled "China's Epic Journey from Poverty to Prosperity" released by the State Council Information Office. The government has substantially reduced poverty in ethnic minority groups and areas, and the incomes and welfare of the registered poor in rural areas have improved substantially, according to the white paper. The per capita disposable income of rural residents in poor areas reached 12,588 yuan ( 1,946 U.S. dollars) in 2020. This represents an average annual growth rate of 9.2 percent in real terms from 2013 to 2020, 2.2 percentage points higher than the average growth for rural residents nationwide. In addition, their ability to keep themselves free from poverty has steadily increased, basic medical services are guaranteed for the poor, and access to safe drinking water has been ensured, said the white paper. (Web editor: Xia Peiyao, Liang Jun) Track-laying work completed for major railway in China's Xinjiang Xinhua) 11:19, September 28, 2021 Workers join the ends of two rails together as part of the track-laying work for the Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 27, 2021. The track-laying work for the Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway, the final section of the Taklimakan Desert railway loop line, was completed on Monday morning in Xinjiang's Minfeng County. Construction on the Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway started in December 2018. As a key national railway project extending over 825 km, it links up Hotan City in Hotan Prefecture with Ruoqiang County in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture. The Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway is expected to open in June 2022. (Photo by Mu Zhipeng/Xinhua) URUMQI, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The track-laying work for the Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway, the final section of the Taklimakan Desert railway loop line, was completed on Monday morning in Minfeng County in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Construction on the Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway started in December 2018. As a key national railway project extending over 825 km, it links up Hotan City in Hotan Prefecture with Ruoqiang County in Bayingolin Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture. When the railway goes into operation, it will fully encircle the Taklimakan Desert when connected with the existing Golmud-Korla Railway, the Kashgar-Hotan Railway and a number of other southern Xinjiang railways. "This railway line runs through the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert. Sandstorms pose a serious threat to railway construction and operation as tracks can be buried," said Yang Baorong, chief designer of the Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway. Wang Jinzhong, chairman of Xinjiang Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway Co., Ltd., said anti-desertification programs and railway construction were carried out simultaneously, which is unprecedented in China. A total of 50 million square meters of grass grids were laid and 13 million seedlings were planted. Where the threat of sandstorms is greatest, viaducts were built to allow for safe passage. As an important regional railway included in the national medium- and long-term railway network plan, the Hotan-Ruoqiang Railway is expected to open in June 2022. At that time, five counties in southern Xinjiang and certain towns of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps will be connected to the provincial rail network, which is of great significance to promoting the economic and social development of southern Xinjiang. "I'm proud to build a railroad for my hometown. I can't wait to see the railway in full operation," said Dursun Mememin, who is from Qiemo County. He has been working on the railway in the area for seven months. He earned 7,000 yuan (about 1,084.3 U.S. dollars) per month working on the construction site of the railway, much more than what he could make growing dates back home. "It used to take more than 10 hours from Qiemo County to Hotan City by car. When the railway is put into operation, it will be quicker and more comfortable to travel," said Dursun Mememin. It will not only improve the travel conditions for residents along the route, end the history of no trains in many places, shorten the time for traveling, but also help speed up the economic development and the development of mineral resources along the route. It will also serve as a stimulant for tourism along the line, according to Wang. "This railway will bring wealth, opportunities and more importantly, hope, along the route," Wang said. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo brings economic benefits 11:35, September 28, 2021 By Kwizela Aristide ( People's Daily Online While the world continues to suffer from COVID-19, which has severely disrupted the global economy and regular business trips across the globe, the second China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo kicked off on September 26 in Changsha, central Chinas Hunan province. Photo taken on Sept. 26, 2021 shows a view of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Cooperation Exhibition during the second China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo held in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province. (Xinhua/Chen Zeguo) The Expo co-organized by the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and the Hunan Provincial Government, is the only platform for economic and trade cooperation under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC). It is worth noting that this Expo is part of the commitment made by Chinese President Xi Jinping at the 2018 FOCAC held in Beijing. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Yang Jiechi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, said that the Expo has become a new platform for implementing the economic and trade measures put forward by FOCAC and for promoting economic and trade cooperation with Africa at the local level. Senegalese President Macky Sall who also addressed the ceremony via video link, said that with the support of the expo, small- and medium-sized enterprises have established partnerships with Chinese companies and entered the Chinese market. This year's expo attracted more than 900 enterprises from about 40 African countries, featuring a variety of products such as red wine, coffee, cocoa, and nuts. Goods worth 85 million yuan ($13.1 million) for export and around 100 kinds of African products for import are now available on Kilimall and KiliSelect, two e-commerce platforms. Moreover, about 386 projects have been initiated via the Expos platform. About 176 projects in trade, investment, project contracting and strategic cooperation worth a combined value of $15.93 billion are expected to be signed during the Expo. Despite the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the second China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo has been successfully organized, bringing the optimism for continued economic development to ever-greater heights among both sides. It is clear that since the inception of the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo all sides seem to have benefited, while economic statistics show great successes. According to recent figures from Chinas General Administration of Customs, trade between China and Africa increased by 27 percent on a yearly basis to reach $52.1 billion in the first quarter of 2021. When speaking to a press conference in Beijing recently, Chinas Vice Minister of Commerce Qian Keming said that African products have enjoyed increasing recognition in the Chinese market, with imports from Africa increasing by 46.3 percent to top $59.3 billion during the January-July period this year. In addition, imports of agricultural products, such as rubber, cotton and coffee, doubled over the same period from last year. Chinas industry-wide foreign direct investments in Africa reached $2.07 billion in the first seven months, exceeding pre-COVID-19 levels in 2019. And the contract value of newly signed projects by Chinese enterprises in Africa increased by 8.2 percent during the January-July period. China has continued to be a major trading partner with Africa for the past 12 consecutive years. In recent years, Africa has seen great improvements in its business environment, such that by 2020, direct investment from China going to the African continent exceeded $ 47.4 billion across more than 50 countries. (Web editor: Hongyu, Liang Jun) China opposes all power politics, never fears coercion: FM Xinhua) 13:44, September 28, 2021 BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Venezuelan counterpart, Felix Plasencia, exchanged views on the international community's joint resistance to power politics and bullying in a phone conversation on Monday. Plasencia said that Venezuela firmly opposes any unilateral sanctions that target Chinese individuals and enterprises, and feels encouraged and pleased about China's staunch stance on the case of Meng Wanzhou. China has always been opposed to all forms of power politics and has never feared any coercion, Wang stressed, adding that the Chinese government's stance on safeguarding its citizens' legitimate rights and interests remains unflinching and uncompromising. Those practices to randomly detain citizens of other countries out of political motives and by fabricating various excuses are out-and-out coercion and bullying, and a flagrant challenge against international rules and human conscience, which should not be allowed to run wild nowadays in the 21st century, he said. "We believe that more and more countries will stand up to and resolutely resist all kinds of illegal unilateral sanctions, long-arm jurisdiction and political framing, as China has done, and jointly uphold international fairness and justice, as well as safeguard the basic norms governing international relations," Wang said. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Maldives committed to One-China Policy, bilateral cooperation in int'l arena: FM Xinhua) 14:54, September 28, 2021 MALE, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Maldives' Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdulla Shahid has reaffirmed his country's commitment to the One-China Policy and willingness to work with China in areas of mutual interest. In a video conference celebrating the 72nd anniversary of the People's Republic of China, Foreign Minister Shahid extended warm greetings and good wishes on behalf of President Ibrahim Solih to China. The virtual reception was organized Sunday by the Embassy of the People's Republic of China to the Republic of Maldives to celebrate the 72nd National Day of China and the assumption of office of Chinese Ambassador Wang Lixin. "Our relationship is founded on the Maldives' commitment to the One-China Policy, and our shared values of principles of equality and mutual respect. The Maldives will continue to work with China in the international arena on issues of mutual interest and look forward to further strengthening relations that exist between our two countries," Shahid said. Shahid said China has become one of the Maldives' largest development partners in supporting infrastructure projects such as the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge and a number of housing projects. Shahid said the people and the Maldivian government express their gratitude to China for its contribution to the socio-economic development and the livelihood of the people in the country. "Let me also express my sincere appreciation and gratitude for the support extended by the government of the People's Republic of China to the Maldives during the most challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic by donating vaccines and other medical equipment to the Maldives as an effort to curb the virus," Shahid said. (Web editor: Shi Xi, Liang Jun) Critically endangered Glossy ibises appear in Xinjiang, NW China People's Daily Online) 16:03, September 28, 2021 (Photo/People's Daily Online) A total of 32 Glossy ibises, which are under first-class national protection in China, recently arrived at the Nalati National Wetland Park in Xinyuan county of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, transforming the park into an ideal site for bird lovers to take photos. At the park, a flock of Glossy ibises were found wading in the shallow water at a leisurely pace while occasionally lowering their long and curved bills into the water to forage, full of vigor and vitality. The Glossy ibis, which is hailed as the "panda of the bird kingdom", is relatively large in size. As a close relative of the rare crested ibis, the Glossy ibis has been designated as a critically endangered bird in China. (Web editor: Xian Jiangnan, Liang Jun) Vietnams seafood exporters are seeking ways to boost shipments to niche markets, as COVID-19 is disrupting supply chains, hindering logistics services and raising transportation costs. According to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP), in August, Vietnams seafood exports to its key markets such as China, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, and the UK reported year-on-year decreases of 35-45 percent. In the contrary, impressive growth was seen in shipments to niche markets. Specifically, Vietnams seafood exports to Mexico rose by 72 percent, the Philippines 58 percent, Spain 48 percent, Egypt 38 percent and Portugal 14 percent. At present, the value of exports to niche markets accounted for 8-10 percent of Vietnams total seafood export turnover./. VNA As the ancient Chinese saying goes, there are many swift horses, but not many people who can identify them. China is making efforts to nurture and gather more "winged steeds," a phrase referring to people of great talent. These steeds are expected to lend greater horsepower to the country's development and national rejuvenation drive. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has thoroughly implemented the strategy of invigorating China through developing a quality workforce. The efforts have brought historic achievements and changes in fostering a large pool of competent professionals for the country. SET THE DIRECTION For decades, the Party has been vigorously seeking and nurturing talented individuals. "We are closer than at any time in history to attaining the goal of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and we are more eager than ever to have talented individuals," Xi said in 2013. Stressing that the Party should exercise leadership over personnel management, he has demanded the removal of institutional barriers, the pursuit of a more open talent policy, and the creation of ample space for competent professionals to make full use of their talents. TALENT POWERS NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT China has been dedicated to creating an enabling environment for talented people of various backgrounds to tap into their potential and pursue their dreams. The story of Yuan Yuyu provides a glimpse into how the CPC has been promoting talent development. Yuan returned to China for work after receiving a PhD degree in bioengineering in the United States. "From the bottom of my heart, I knew I would pursue my dream in our homeland," Yuan recalled. A more immediate motivation was his desire to break the foreign monopoly on sophisticated implanted medical devices. Buoyed by local incentives encouraging entrepreneurship, Yuan built a medical device company from scratch. He was elected a national lawmaker and contributed his ideas on the country's innovation and talent development. In May 2021, the CPC released regulations on organizational work, with an entire chapter dedicated to guidelines for talent management. Xi, in an important instruction in April 2021, underscored efforts to accelerate the building of a modern vocational education system to train more high-end technicians and skilled workers. By the end of 2020, there were more than 200 million skilled workers and more than 50 million highly skilled workers in China. BUILD STRONG SCI-TECH COUNTRY A report showed that by the end of 2018, China had grown a science and technology workforce of up to 101.5 million individuals, continuing to lead the world in scale. The nation has kept translating the advantage it enjoys in human resources into development strength. During Xi's visit to a leading manufacturer of electronic components and advanced materials in October 2020, the importance he assigned to independent innovation of enterprises was noticeable. "Are these products the result of your independent research and development?" asked Xi, holding a ceramic substrate. "Indigenous innovation is what I, as well as the CPC Central Committee, attach the greatest importance to at present," he told the company staff. "The development of enterprises, the upgrading of industries, and the high-quality development of China's economy, all depend on indigenous innovation." Xi has stressed repeatedly that talent is the most important resource. He urged efforts to ensure that qualified scientific and technological personnel can make full use of their abilities, regardless of their qualifications. He also stressed the cultivation of homegrown experts and top sci-tech workers with global influence, as well as the building of scientific research and innovation centers equipped with talented professionals from around the world. Enditem SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Boeing announced on Monday that it has delivered the first of 78 contracted Block III F/A-18 Super Hornets to the U.S. Navy. Block III's new adjunct processor translates to a fighter that will do more work and in far less time increasing a pilot's situational awareness. The jet is ready to receive apps-based solutions that will allow upgrades to the aircraft throughout its life span, the announcement said. Boeing will continue to deliver Block III capabilities to the Navy through the mid-2030s from three lines. The first aircraft delivered will complete the U.S. Navy flight test program before deploying to a squadron, according to the announcement. ZHUHAI, Guangdong, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Ahead of the 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, China's independently developed AG600 large amphibious aircraft is getting ready to perform its first airshow flight at the upcoming Airshow China. Code-named Kunlong, the AG600 is a key piece of aeronautical equipment in China's emergency rescue system. It successfully completed its maiden flight from land in 2017, its first takeoff from a water reservoir in 2018, and its first sea takeoff in 2020. This year's Airshow China will be held from Sept. 28 to Oct. 3 in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province. ZHUHAI, Guangdong, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- The 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition, or Airshow China 2021, will be held from Sep. 28 to Oct. 3 in Zhuhai, south China's Guangdong Province. Models including the J-20 stealth fighter jets, Y-20 large transport aircraft and Z-20 helicopters will be on display at the show. The J-20 is China's fourth-generation medium and long-range fighter jet. It made its maiden flight in 2011 and was first shown to the public at the 11th Airshow China in Zhuhai in 2016. The Y-20 made its maiden flight in 2013, and debuted at the 10th Airshow China in 2014. The large multi-role transport aircraft joined the air force in July 2016, playing a critical role in China toward developing its long-range delivery capabilities. The Z-20 is a medium-lift helicopter with double China-made engines. The multifunctional helicopter made its first public appearance during a massive National Day parade on Oct. 1, 2019. They can be used in public services, emergency rescue, flight training, air tours and traditional agricultural work. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, meets with the project leaders and core scientists of China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST) in southwest China's Guizhou Province, Feb. 5, 2021. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- As the ancient Chinese saying goes, there are many swift horses, but not many people who can identify them. China is making efforts to nurture and gather more "winged steeds," a phrase referring to people of great talent. These steeds are expected to lend greater horsepower to the country's development and national rejuvenation drive. Since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 2012, the CPC Central Committee with Xi Jinping at its core has thoroughly implemented the strategy of invigorating China through developing a quality workforce. The efforts have brought historic achievements and changes in fostering a large pool of competent professionals for the country. SET THE DIRECTION For decades, the Party has been vigorously seeking and nurturing talented individuals. "We are closer than at any time in history to attaining the goal of the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, and we are more eager than ever to have talented individuals," Xi said in 2013. Stressing that the Party should exercise leadership over personnel management, he has demanded the removal of institutional barriers, the pursuit of a more open talent policy, and the creation of ample space for competent professionals to make full use of their talents. TALENT POWERS NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT China has been dedicated to creating an enabling environment for talented people of various backgrounds to tap into their potential and pursue their dreams. The story of Yuan Yuyu provides a glimpse into how the CPC has been promoting talent development. Yuan returned to China for work after receiving a PhD degree in bioengineering in the United States. "From the bottom of my heart, I knew I would pursue my dream in our homeland," Yuan recalled. A more immediate motivation was his desire to break the foreign monopoly on sophisticated implanted medical devices. Buoyed by local incentives encouraging entrepreneurship, Yuan built a medical device company from scratch. He was elected a national lawmaker and contributed his ideas on the country's innovation and talent development. In May 2021, the CPC released regulations on organizational work, with an entire chapter dedicated to guidelines for talent management. Xi, in an important instruction in April 2021, underscored efforts to accelerate the building of a modern vocational education system to train more high-end technicians and skilled workers. By the end of 2020, there were more than 200 million skilled workers and more than 50 million highly skilled workers in China. BUILD STRONG SCI-TECH COUNTRY A report showed that by the end of 2018, China had grown a science and technology workforce of up to 101.5 million individuals, continuing to lead the world in scale. The nation has kept translating the advantage it enjoys in human resources into development strength. During Xi's visit to a leading manufacturer of electronic components and advanced materials in October 2020, the importance he assigned to independent innovation of enterprises was noticeable. "Are these products the result of your independent research and development?" asked Xi, holding a ceramic substrate. "Indigenous innovation is what I, as well as the CPC Central Committee, attach the greatest importance to at present," he told the company staff. "The development of enterprises, the upgrading of industries, and the high-quality development of China's economy, all depend on indigenous innovation." Xi has stressed repeatedly that talent is the most important resource. He urged efforts to ensure that qualified scientific and technological personnel can make full use of their abilities, regardless of their qualifications. He also stressed the cultivation of homegrown experts and top sci-tech workers with global influence, as well as the building of scientific research and innovation centers equipped with talented professionals from around the world. China is open to dialogue and exchanges with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), said Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday, stressing that the communication should be based on equality and mutual respect. He made the remarks during a virtual meeting with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg. "China has not been and will not be a rival to NATO," Wang stressed. China firmly pursues a national defense policy that is defensive in nature and is committed to peaceful development, he said. China will never seek hegemony, expansion or a sphere of influence and is ready to share development dividends with other countries, he added. Noting that in recent years, some NATO member countries sent ships and aircraft to China, Wang said that there is no need for the establishment of new military blocs in the Asia-Pacific region. "There should be no more confrontation between major powers, still less should there be cliques aimed at agitating for a new Cold War," he said, stressing that NATO should stick to its geographic orientation and play a constructive role in regional peace, stability and development. Stoltenberg said that NATO does not regard China as an adversary and is ready to develop constructive relations with China on the basis of mutual respect and without preconditions. Both sides agreed that the video meeting was positive and constructive and would like to make good use of the existing dialogue mechanism and promote practical cooperation in counter-terrorism, anti-piracy, cyberspace and international peacekeeping. By Chen Yang Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga visited the US on September 23 to 26 for the Quadrilateral security dialogue among the US, Japan, Australia, and India (Quad), which was also his last visit to US before leaving the office. Sugas visit right before his term ends is extraordinary. A look at Japans post-WWII political history shows that its prime minister wouldnt engage in such an important foreign event before stepping down from power, for the main reason that the caretaker cabinets top priority is ensuring the smooth handover of power. The fact that the lame-duck Prime Minister Suga insisted on going to the US at such a moment and participating in such a high-level and large-scale foreign event thoroughly reflects his eagerness to leave some personal political legacy before leaving office. Since he took office in September 2020, his administration has been known as a staunch follower of America, and making a last-minute effort to deepen Japans engagement in the Quad and make a dent before the end of his term is something he would not give up. Sugas American trip also displayed Japans willingness to remain Americas strategic lackey. The face-to-face summit was initiated by US President Joe Biden, and Sugas agreement to attend despite the severe COVID-19 pandemic at home further proved how Tokyo is readily at Washingtons beck and call. Besides, judging from the ongoing presidential election of Japan's Liberal Democratic Party, Japans choice to continue being Americas cats paw wont change soon. Although the main candidates running for the LDP presidency have different policy agendas, they are all for containing China, deepening the Japan-US alliance, and promoting a so-called free and open Indo-Pacific region. The Quad is seen by Washington as an important platform to make deployments in the Indo-Pacific, and Sugas attendance didnt just represent that his administration attaches great importance to the clique. Whats more important is expressing loyalty to Washington the change of prime minister wont in the least affect Japans commitment to the Quad. However, being so eager to be Americas errand boy, even in a very undignified posture, and forming a clique in the Asia Pacific will only put Japan in a more passive situation. On the one hand, Japans eagerness and willingness are never met with equal respect from the US. Just like Suga who hurried to the US for the summit on the eve of the end of his term, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also paid a rushed visit to the then-president-elect Donald Trump in November 2016 to pay homage to the incoming leader. Yet, as is known to all, the Trump administration didnt back up an inch on issues like the Japan-US trade imbalance and sharing of military expenses for American troops stationed in Japan. On the other hand, Japans cooperation with the US to form the clique is against the will of regional countries. While actively taking part in the Quad, Tokyo has also expressed support for the trilateral security partnership called AUKUS Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Its supportive attitude toward these two cliques is obviously inconsistent with the stance of most Asian-Pacific countries. ROK Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said at a Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) seminar on September 22 that defining the US, ROK, Japan and Australia as an anti-China bloc is a Cold War mentality, stressing that ROK wont join the Quad. After AUKUS was formed, the Indonesian government canceled the upcoming visit by the Australian Prime Minister and asked relevant countries to stop the dangerous move. Malaysias Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob publicly called AUKUS a catalyst of the regional nuclear arms race and urged countries to avoid any provocative action. Its clear that Japans reckless pandering to Americas clique-forming tricks in the Asia Pacific will only get itself isolated in the region. Sugas appearance at the Quad summit as Japanese Prime Minister might be taken by himself as one of the few highlights during his term, but it also posed a contrast to the fact that he is soon to step down after going home. Its ironic that what he hopes will be his political legacy actually sends a different message Japan is like a footman at Americas beck and call. No matter how hard the prime minister tries to be on good terms with the US president and to assist in implementing American strategy, that wont help his political career in any way. Editor's note: This article is originally published on haiwainet.cn, and is translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn. By Liu Jimei and Gao Yujiao GUANGZHOU, Sept. 28 -- The International Military Flight Training Conference 2021 hosted by the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) was held in Zhuhai on September 27. Representatives from 49 countries attended the conference by either coming to the conference site or via video link. Twelve Chinese and foreign guests from military and civilian circles made speeches around the theme of Talent, Innovation, Collaboration, Development. An official from the PLAAF said at the conference that the air force development and future intelligentized air battles have put forward new requirements for the competence of pilots, and the PLAAF is engaged in forward production of new-type pilots following the guideline that talent cultivation, commanding system and armaments development should proceed in coordination. Cultivating air force commanders for the era of intelligent air battle will be an important brand-new topic in the development of air force, said Li Xiaocheng, vice president of Chinese PLA Air Force Command College. According to Li, the simulated training mode will be upgraded from simulation + network to virtual + intelligent, and the training exercise pattern will be evolved from life-fire confrontation to virtual-real combined intelligent confrontation, with the training assessment upgraded from manual-based to intelligent-based. In face of current global and regional security situation, the ever-changing dynamic warfare and new technologies, China and Pakistan, together with their air forces, have maintained close cooperation and supported each other in every operation, said Air Chief Marshall Zaheer Ahmad Babar Sidhu, chief of Air Staff of Pakistan. Hao Jingwen, head of the training bureau under the PLAAF Staff Headquarters, said the PLAAF is upgrading its combat equipment, flight training concept and talent cultivation mode at a faster pace amid the trend of science and technology innovation. Initiated by the PLAAF in 2010, the International Military Flight Training Conference is an international platform for exchange of views and practice on flight talent cultivation and development and collaborated innovation of flight training and aviation equipment. It is held biennially and has been held six times. Nippon Steel is appealing a Korean court order to seize its assets in a joint venture here after it refused to compensate wartime victims of forced labor. The Japanese giant has until next Tuesday to file the appeal. The seizure, effective Tuesday, allows the victims to seize and sell Nippon Steel's shares in a joint venture with POSCO, but Nippon Steel said "issues related to the compensation for forced labor have been completely and definitively resolved under the "Korea-Japan Treaty" of 1965. The appeal will buy Nippon Steel time before the 81,075 shares in POSCO-Nippon Steel RFH (PNR) are sold off to make up for its refusal to comply with an earlier court order to compensate the victims. It could take anywhere from months to years for a court to decide on the appeal. A Korean court has rejected a lawsuit filed by 85 victims of wartime forced labor and their families against Japanese firms. The Seoul Central District Court on Monday threw out their suit against 16 Japanese companies such as Nippon Steel, Nissan Chemical and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, citing a 1965 treaty between Korea and Japan that settles all reparation claims. The decision runs counter to a 2018 Supreme Court ruling in a similar case that treaties between states cannot override individual rights to seek compensation. "While individual Korean citizens' right to claim against the Japanese state or Japanese people has not been terminated or waived by the 1965 treaty, it does restrict the exercise of their individual rights through lawsuits," the court ruled. Permitting the plaintiffs to enforce any claim through a Korean court would be both a "violation of the constitutional principles of national security and public order" and an "abuse of power," considering the international backlash if treaties can be challenged by individuals, it added. The victims' lawyer, Kang Gil, condemned the ruling as "unjustifiable" because it "runs directly counter to the Supreme Court ruling in a similar case." The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the boosters last week for three categories of Americans: those age 65 and older; frontline workers such as teachers, health care workers and others whose jobs place them at risk of contracting COVID-19; and those ages 50 to 64 with underlying conditions. Before receiving his shot on camera, Biden told reporters at the White House that "boosters are important, but the most important thing we need to do is get more people vaccinated" with their initial shots. He said 77 percent of the U.S. adult population has received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. "A quarter of the country can't go unvaccinated," he said, after getting his booster shot. The booster shot is available for those who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at least six months ago. The White House said Friday 20 million Americans are eligible for the shot immediately, while 60 million Pfizer-shot recipients will be eligible for boosters once they reach the six-month mark. Biden, 78, received his first dose of the Pfizer vaccine in December and a second shot in January, before he was sworn into office. In comments from the White House Friday, Biden encouraged those eligible to get an additional vaccine dose. "Like your first and second shot, the booster shot is free and easily accessible," he said. U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, 79, said he also received a booster shot Monday and encouraged Americans to get vaccinated against COVID-19. "I am a survivor of childhood polio from before vaccines eradicated that disease here in our country and around the world. So, I have been a lifelong champion of vaccinations," he said on the Senate floor. Biden announced in August that he wanted to see all Americans receive booster shots as the country experienced a wave of new coronavirus cases from the highly transmissible delta variant. His plan was put on hold earlier this month, however, when an advisory panel for the U.S Food and Drug Administration rejected the widespread use of the boosters, citing a lack of data on their safety and value. The independent panel did endorse extra vaccine doses for those age 65 and older or at high risk of severe illness. The CDC recommended that another category of Americans receive a booster shot: those whose jobs put them at a high risk of exposure to COVID-19. That recommendation by agency officials last week overruled the CDC's own panel of health experts, triggering further debate about who should receive a booster shot. The World Health Organization has also weighed in on the matter, calling on the United States and other countries to pause the booster shot rollout to increase supplies for global vaccination distribution. When asked about the WHO's stance Monday, Biden said the United States is "doing more than every other nation combined" to get vaccines to countries around the world. Biden announced last week that the United States was purchasing another 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine to donate internationally, for a total of one billion doses over the coming year. The FDA has not yet considered the use of boosters by drugmakers Moderna or Johnson & Johnson. The European Union's drug watchdog said last week it plans to decide in early October whether to approve a third dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those over age 16. Preliminary results Monday showed Germany's center-left Social Democrats winning the largest share of the vote in national parliamentary elections as parties battle to see who will succeed outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Social Democrats received 25.7 percent of the vote Sunday, followed by 24.1 percent for Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union. State Governor Armin Laschet of the conservative CDU bloc and outgoing Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz of the Social Democrats are vying to become the leader of Europe's biggest national economy as Merkel steps down after 16 years as chancellor. In February, the military seized power in a coup and detained most of the national unity government. The junta has sought to replace Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun with one of its own but will also have to go to the credentials committee with its request. Myanmar was initially scheduled to speak on Monday, but withdrew several days ago, UN officials said. The secretary-general's office forwarded this to the General Assembly committee that handles the accreditation of ambassadors. The credentials committee typically does not meet until October or November, so no resolution of the issue is imminent. On Sept. 20, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres received a letter from the Taliban saying their interim foreign minister, Ameer Khan Muttaqi, wanted to participate in the annual UN gathering. It also said Isaczai was "ousted" as Afghanistan's ambassador, and the Taliban were nominating Mohammad Suhail Shaheen to replace him. A UN spokesperson said they were informed by email on Saturday that they were withdrawing. Ambassador Ghulam Isaczai had originally been scheduled to speak on Monday, the final day of the annual debate that draws world leaders to New York. Isaczai was appointed by the previous Afghan government of Ashraf Ghani, but still holds the country's UN accreditation. Afghanistan will not address the UN General Assembly, in the wake of the Taliban takeover and potential competing claims of representation at the world body. New tone Meanwhile, Israel's new prime minister, Naftali Bennett, made his UN debut. While he argued the hardline position on why Iran is a threat to Israel's security, his calm but urgent tone drew a sharp contrast to his predecessor, Benjamin Netanyahu. The Iranian threat dominated most of the former prime minister's UN speeches, which were accompanied by props and a cheering section. Bennett did not touch on Iran for a full 13 minutes. As for the Palestinians, he never mentioned them. He spoke first of Israel's pioneering efforts vaccinating its population against COVID-19. Israeli data has helped other governments in developing their own vaccination strategies. "We pioneered the booster shot," Bennett said of the third jab of certain vaccines that scientists say can offer better protection from the virus' variants. "Two months in, I can report that it works: with a third dose, you're seven times more protected than with two doses, and 40 times more protected than without any vaccine," he said. "As a result, Israel is on course to escape the fourth wave without a lockdown, without further harm to our economy." Iranian threat On regional foe Iran, Bennett warned Tehran has made "swarms" of killer drones operational. "They plan to blanket the skies of the Middle East with this lethal force," Bennett said. He said Tehran has already used the drones -- called the Shahed 136 -- to attack Saudi Arabia, U.S. targets in Iraq and civilian ships at sea. "Iran plans to arm its proxies in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon with hundreds and then thousands of these deadly drones," he said. On the nuclear issue, he said Iran is violating International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguard agreements, including enriching uranium to one step below nuclear weapons-grade. "Iran's nuclear program has hit a watershed moment -- and so has our tolerance," the Israeli prime minister warned. "Words do not stop centrifuges from spinning." He repeated Israel's long-standing pledge not to let Iran acquire a nuclear weapon. The United Arab Emirates, which normalized relations with Israel a year ago in the Abraham Accords, also expressed concern about Iran's regional activities. "We cannot ignore Iran's development of its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, as well as its interference in the region," said Khalifa al Matar, the country's minister of state. "Therefore, any future agreement with Iran must address the shortcomings of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action -- JCPOA -- and must involve the countries of the region." The JCPOA is the 2015 nuclear deal that lifted certain sanctions on Iran in exchange for its limiting its nuclear activities. The deal has been on life support since the Trump administration withdrew the United States from it in 2018. The Iranians stopped complying with their commitments a year later. Foreign ministers involved in the deal said last week that they hope talks to bring both parties back to compliance under the nuclear deal will resume soon in Vienna. Iran maintains its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes. Yemen's foreign minister, which is mired in a war with Houthi rebels, on Monday expressed his frustration with what he said is Tehran's military and logistic support for the rebels. "This proves that Iran has been and continues to be part of the problem in Yemen, rather than the solution," Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak said. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 100 presidents and prime ministers traveled to New York for the annual gathering. The UN and New York City had numerous health protocols in place, but at least one delegation reported an outbreak. At last count, Brazilian media report at least four members of President Jair Bolsonaro's delegation, including his son, Eduardo, who is a legislator, and the health minister, had tested positive for COVID-19 while in New York. A Korean court has ordered the sale of assets owned by Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Korea to compensate wartime forced laborers. The assets had already been frozen after Mitsubishi refused to pay them the compensation. The ruling is potentially explosive as Japan has already slapped sanctions on Korea over the case. The Daejeon District Court sided with plaintiffs Kim Sung-joo (92) and Yang Geum-deok (92) on Monday and ordered the sale of the patents and trademarks owned by Mitsubishi in Korea. If the company does not appeal the ruling immediately, a court-appointed official will order the sale of the assets to compensate the victims. Two patents held by Mitsubishi that Kim filed for seizure of and two trademarks Yang had sought will be sold off. The court earlier ordered Mitsubishi Heavy Industries to pay the victims W209.7 million each (US$1=W1,180). The company said it will keep appealing all the way to the Supreme Court. Korean-German Ye-One Rhie (34) has become a member of the German federal parliament for the Social Democratic Party after Sunday's elections. This is the first time an ethnic Korean has been elected to the Bundestag, the lower house of the German parliament. Rhie lost the direct election in the city of Aachen in the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia by coming third with 23.8 percent of votes but was allocated a seat on the party list. The German parliament is filled by both directly elected delegates and proportional representatives. The SPD was the strongest party in the closely fought elections with 25.7 percent and is expected to form a coalition government. Rhie said in a media interview that she hopes to revise Germany's immigration law to grant voting rights to immigrants. Her parents left Korea in 1986 to settle in Germany, where she was born in 1987. Her mother was a nurse. CIIE exhibit valued at 70,000 euros arrives in Shanghai By:Wu Qiong | From:english.eastday.com | 2021-09-28 14:48 Departing from Luxembourg and making a stopover in Thailand, a hydrogen-powered racing prototype from Michelin finally arrived at Pudong International Airport at 19:00 on September 26. It passed the customs inspection yesterday morning and was stored in the corporate warehouse, waiting to be showcased at the fourth CIIE (China International Import Expo). With a price of approximately 70,000 euros, the racing car is among the first batch of exhibits shipped to Shanghai for the upcoming import expo. The Customs at the Pudong International Airport drafted a plan in advance to guarantee the goods entry to Shanghai. While conducting the customs declaration, the corporate staff just had to upload the soft copy of the e-documents through a special-purpose channel instead of submitting the materials on site. After online approval, the hydrogen-powered racing prototype passed its customs clearance smoothly. The speed surprised Kamran Vossoughi, Michelin China president. This year, Michelin is participating in the CIIE for the second time. Considering there might be infrequent international flights, the company decided to ship the racing prototype as early as possible. But they had not expected it to become one of the first exhibits to pass the customs clearance in Shanghai. Co-developed by Michelin and Symbio, 46% of the racing prototypes tyres are made from sustainable raw materials. The company has been proposing Civil Engineering tyres and increased its investment and production capacity in China. 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 New Braunfels residents come together to learn about Alzheimers disease You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Registered Nurse Jose Leija puts on personal protective equipment before entering a patient's room in the coronavirus unit at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital on Friday, Jan. 22, 2021. MIKALA COMPTON | Herald-Zeitung On September 28, the U.S. Navy awarded Boeing a production contract for five P-8A Poseidon aircraft for Germany. First deliveries are slated to begin in 2024 when the P-8A Poseidon will eventually replace Germanys fleet of P-3C Orion aircraft. Follow Navy Recognition on Google News at this link Germany is the eighth nation to have acquired the P-8A, joining the United States, Australia, India, the United Kingdom, Norway, Korea and New Zealand. (Picture source: Boeing) The Boeing P-8 Poseidon (formerly the Multimission Maritime Aircraft or MMA) is a military aircraft developed for the United States Navy (USN). The aircraft has been developed by Boeing Defense, Space & Security, modified from the 737-800ERX. The P-8 conducts anti-submarine warfare (ASW), anti-surface warfare (ASUW), and shipping interdiction, along with an early warning self-protection (EWSP) ability, otherwise known as electronic support measures (ESM). Were pleased to have finalized this sale to Germany and to expand our footprint in-country by bringing the P-8A and its unique multi-mission capabilities to the German Navy, said Michael Hostetter, vice president, Boeing Defense, Space & Security, Germany. The P-8 will ensure the German Navys ability to perform long-range maritime surveillance missions and will play a pivotal role in the region by leveraging existing infrastructure in Europe and full interoperability with NATOs most advanced assets. German industry is a critical partner with the P-8A Poseidon program. By working with local partners, Boeing will provide support, training and maintenance solutions that will bring the highest operational availability to fulfill the German Navys missions. On June 17, Boeing signed agreements with ESG Elektroniksystem-und Logistik-GmbH and Lufthansa Technik AG to collaborate in systems integration, training, and sustainment work. German companies that currently supply parts for the P-8A include Aircraft Philipp Group GmbH, Aljo Aluminium-Bau Jonuscheit GmbH and Nord-Micro GmbH. With strategic agreements and industry partnerships already in place, we stand ready to deliver a robust sustainment package for the German Navys P-8A fleet, said Dr. Michael Haidinger, president, Boeing Germany, Central & Eastern Europe, Benelux and Nordics. Together with the German Navy, the Federal Ministry of Defense and local industry, we will ensure maximum operational availability that will allow the German Navy to meet the full range of its maritime challenges. Deployed around the world with more than 135 aircraft in service, and over 350,000 collective mishap free flight hours, the P-8A will significantly advance Germanys anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; and search-and-rescue mission capabilities. Your browser does not support the video tag. [September 28, 2021] Valtech Named 2021 Optimizely Partner of The Year in Sweden and Denmark, and DXP Partner of the Year in North America NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Valtech, a global leader in digital customer experience and business transformation, was recently named Partner of the Year in Sweden and Denmark and DXP Partner of the year in North America by Optimizely (formerly Episerver). Optimizely's annual Partner Awards recognizes the outstanding contributions and commitment of these companies to helping businesses unlock their digital potential. Valtech's Denmark and Sweden offices have been honored with The Partner of the Year award in those markets. This award recognizes the top-performing Optimizely partners that have demonstrated outstanding business performance and excellece in the sales and delivery of Optimizely solutions. Additionally, Valtech North America was named DXP Partner of the Year, an award that focuses on the adoption of the Optimizely Digital Experience Platform (DXP) through solution partners. The partners recognized by this award are the top drivers of DXP adoption and have successfully implemented DXP solutions that yielded significant business results and drove long-term growth for clients. As a global leader in business transformation and a driver of innovation for some of the world's biggest brands, Valtech is deeply committed to its investment into the Optimizely platform and has built a highly experienced team of certified Optimizely developers. To view all of the award winners, please see the Opticon 2021 Awards page. About Valtech Valtech is a global business transformation agency delivering innovation with a purpose. We enable clients to anticipate tomorrow's trends and connect more directly with consumers across their digital and physical touch points while optimizing time-to-market and ROI. Valtech is a globally positioned network established in 1993 with more than 4000 innovators, design thinkers, marketers, creatives and developers spanning 5 continents with 50+ offices in 18 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Mexico, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Singapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States). While our expertise is experience design, technology and marketing, our passion is in addressing transformational business challenges for our clients. Challenges where we re-imagine the customer journey and build new connected experiences. Challenges where we make data work in this new era and help our clients transform the way they operate. Our services include strategy consulting, service design, technology services, and optimization of business-critical digital platforms for multichannel commerce and marketing. For more information, visit VALTECH.COM View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/valtech-named-2021-optimizely-partner-of-the-year-in-sweden-and-denmark-and-dxp-partner-of-the-year-in-north-america-301386544.html SOURCE Valtech [ Back to the Next Generation Communications Community's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] The Andover Companies Select Majesco's LossControl360 for Commercial and Personal Lines to Enable Underwriting Innovation Majesco, a global leader of cloud insurance software solutions for insurance business transformation, today announced that The Andover Companies, a leading multi-line personal and commercial insurance company selected Utilant LossControl360 for its commercial and personal lines business, based on the platform's extensive capabilities. Utilant was recently acquired by Majesco. The Andover Companies is made up of three subsidiaries - Merrimack Mutual, Cambridge Mutual, and Bay State Insurance - and delivers policyholders and independent insurance agents insurance solutions for almost every type of property and budget. By partnering with the team, Andover plans to drive business optimization by automating the ordering and assignment of loss control surveys, as well as reduce the time underwriters spend on recommendation tracking and follow-up to help customers manage risk. As Andover works to redefine and innovate its underwriting operations, LossControl360 will provide a centralized system of record for its underwriters to evaluate risks and drive better underwriting decisions. Andover plans to use LC360 as an actionable centralized databas for its loss control information. "As our customer base and the complexity of risk continue to grow, we needed a solution that could optimize and streamline our underwriting process while enabling recommendations for tracking and follow-up to manage the risk," said Paul Nadeau, Executive Vice President of The Andover Companies. "We recognized that LC360's industry-leading solution, deep expertise in loss control, and product roadmap will keep us on the leading edge of risk management, underwriting, and customer service." LossControl360 is the best-in-class loss control survey management platform used globally by leading property and casualty insurance carriers and top risk engineering companies. Its core plug-in architecture helps organizations configure implementation for multiple lines of business. "We're thrilled to partner with The Andover Companies as it works to modernize and optimize operations," says Patrick Davis, SVP & GM of Data & Analytics at Majesco. "LossControl360 streamlines data collection, equipping field staff with cutting-edge offline-capable mobile technology with an intuitive interface that improves turnaround time and accuracy. We look forward to a long-term relationship with The Andover Companies and to provide the agency with solutions that will enable the support, consistency, and reliability their customers have grown accustomed to." About Majesco Majesco is the leading software partner to both the P&C and L&A insurance markets to modernize, optimize and innovate their businesses at speed and scale. Over 330 insurers, from greenfields, start-ups and MGAs to the largest insurers, reinsurers and brokers use Majesco's next generation SaaS (News - Alert) platform solutions of core, data, and analytics, digital, distribution, absence management and a rich ecosystem marketplace of established and InsurTech partners to build the future of insurance. Our technology, expertise and leadership help insurers innovate and connect to build the future of their business. With over 825 successful implementations and over 65% of our customers on Cloud with Majesco platform solutions, together we have an amazing track record of innovation and real-world results. For more details on Majesco, please visit www.majesco.com. About The Andover Companies The Andover Companies is one of the largest and longest-standing property and casualty mutual insurance groups in the Northeast, writing business across Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois. Consistently rated "A" or higher by the A.M. Best Co. for over a century, we provide insurance products and services that shield personal and commercial properties and their owners from risk. As our company approaches its 200th year in business, we are just as committed as our founders were to protecting our policyholders and continuing to build the most reliable network of local and independent insurance agents in the region. This unwavering ambition to safeguard our neighbors and communities is what gives us our staying power. For more information, visit www.andovercompanies.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005147/en/ [ Back to the Next Generation Communications Community's Homepage ] | Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Lakhimpur Kheri violence case: What is the message you are sending, SC tells UP govt over non-arrest of accused. SC questions UP govt over not arresting accused against whom FIR has been lodged in connection with Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. Ice melange, a combination of ice shelf fragments, windblown snow and frozen seawater, can act as a glue to fuse large rifts in floating ice in Antarctica. Researchers at UCI and NASA JPL found that a thinning of the substance over time can cause rifts to open, leading to the calving of large icebergs. CREDIT Beck / NASA Operation IceBridge Thinning of rift-healing slush is identified as a major cause of iceberg calving events Glaciologists at the University of California, Irvine and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have examined the dynamics underlying the calving of the Delaware-sized iceberg A68 from Antarctica's Larsen C ice shelf in July 2017, finding the likely cause to be a thinning of ice melange, a slushy concoction of windblown snow, iceberg debris and frozen seawater that normally works to heal rifts. In a paper published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers report that their modeling studies showed melange thinning to be a major driver of ice shelf collapse. The circulation of ocean water beneath ice shelves and radiative warming from above, they say, gradually deteriorate ice melange over the course of decades. As ice shelves are thought to buttress and prevent land-borne glaciers from more rapidly flowing into the ocean, this new knowledge about rift dynamics illuminates a previously underappreciated link between climate change and ice shelf stability. "The thinning of the ice melange that glues together large segments of floating ice shelves is another way climate change can cause rapid retreat of Antarctica's ice shelves," said co-author Eric Rignot, UCI professor of Earth system science. "With this in mind, we may need to rethink our estimates about the timing and extent of sea level rise from polar ice loss - i.e., it could come sooner and with a bigger bang than expected." Using NASA's Ice-sheet and Sea-level System Model, observations from the agency's Operation IceBridge mission, and data from NASA and European satellites, the researchers assessed hundreds of rifts in the Larsen C ice shelf to determine which ones were most vulnerable to breaking. They selected 11 top-to-bottom cracks for in-depth study, modeling to see which of three scenarios rendered them most likely to break: if the ice shelf thinned because of melting, if the ice melange grew thinner, or if both the ice shelf and the melange thinned. "A lot of people thought intuitively, 'If you thin the ice shelf, you're going to make it much more fragile, and it's going to break,'" said lead author Eric Larour, NASA JPL research scientist and group supervisor. Instead, the model showed that a thinning ice shelf without any changes to the melange worked to heal the rifts, with average annual widening rates dropping from 79 to 22 meters (259 to 72 feet). Thinning both the ice shelf and the melange also slowed rift widening but to a lesser extent. But when modeling only melange thinning, the scientists found a widening of rifts from an average annual rate of 76 to 112 meters (249 to 367 feet). The difference, Larour explained, reflects the different natures of the substances. "The melange is thinner than ice to begin with," he said. "When the melange is only 10 or 15 meters thick, it's akin to water, and the ice shelf rifts are released and start to crack." Even in winter, warmer ocean water can reach the melange from below because rifts extend through the entire depth of an ice shelf. "The prevailing theory behind the increase in large iceberg calving events in the Antarctic Peninsula has been hydrofracturing, in which melt pools on the surface allow water to seep down through cracks in the ice shelf, which expand when the water freezes again," said Rignot, who is also a NASA JPL senior research scientist. "But that theory fails to explain how iceberg A68 could break from the Larsen C ice shelf in the dead of the Antarctic winter when no melt pools were present." He said that he and others in the cryosphere studies community have witnessed ice shelf collapse on the Antarctic Peninsula, stemming from a retreat that began decades ago. "We have finally begun to seek an explanation as to why these ice shelves started retreating and coming into these configurations that became unstable decades before hydrofracturing could act on them," Rignot said. "While the thinning ice melange is not the only process that could explain it, it's sufficient to account for the deterioration that we've observed." Joining Rignot and Larour on this NASA-funded project were Bernd Scheuchl, UCI associate project scientist in Earth system science, and Mattia Poinelli, a Ph.D. candidate in geoscience and remote sensing at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands. About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide. For more on UCI, visit www.uci.edu. Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. This illustration shows a glowing stream of material from a star, torn to shreds as it was being devoured by a supermassive black hole. The feeding black hole is surrounded by a ring of dust, not unlike the plate of a toddler is surrounded by crumbs after a meal. CREDIT NASA/JPL-Caltech While black holes and toddlers don't seem to have much in common, they are remarkably similar in one aspect: Both are messy eaters, generating ample evidence that a meal has taken place. But whereas one might leave behind droppings of pasta or splatters of yogurt, the other creates an aftermath of mind-boggling proportions. When a black hole gobbles up a star, it produces what astronomers call a "tidal disruption event." The shredding of the hapless star is accompanied by an outburst of radiation that can outshine the combined light of every star in the black hole's host galaxy for months, even years. In a paper published in The Astrophysical Journal, a team of astronomers led by Sixiang Wen, a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Arizona Steward Observatory, use the X-rays emitted by a tidal disruption event known as J2150 to make the first measurements of both the black hole's mass and spin. This black hole is of a particular type - an intermediate-mass black hole - which has long eluded observation. "The fact that we were able to catch this black hole while it was devouring a star offers a remarkable opportunity to observe what otherwise would be invisible," said Ann Zabludoff, UArizona professor of astronomy and co-author on the paper. "Not only that, by analyzing the flare we were able to better understand this elusive category of black holes, which may well account for the majority of black holes in the centers of galaxies." By re-analyzing the X-ray data used to observe the J2150 flare, and comparing it with sophisticated theoretical models, the authors showed that this flare did indeed originate from an encounter between an unlucky star and an intermediate-mass black hole. The intermediate black hole in question is of particularly low mass - for a black hole, that is - weighing in at roughly 10,000 times the mass of the sun. "The X-ray emissions from the inner disk formed by the debris of the dead star made it possible for us to infer the mass and spin of this black hole and classify it as an intermediate black hole," Wen said. Dozens of tidal disruption events have been seen in the centers of large galaxies hosting supermassive black holes, and a handful have also been observed in the centers of small galaxies that might contain intermediate black holes. However, past data has never been detailed enough to prove that an individual tidal disruption flare was powered by an intermediate black hole. "Thanks to modern astronomical observations, we know that the centers of almost all galaxies that are similar to or larger in size than our Milky Way host central supermassive black holes," said study co-author Nicholas Stone, a senior lecturer at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. "These behemoths range in size from 1 million to 10 billion times the mass of our sun, and they become powerful sources of electromagnetic radiation when too much interstellar gas falls into their vicinity." The mass of these black holes correlates closely with the total mass of their host galaxies; the largest galaxies host the largest supermassive black holes. "We still know very little about the existence of black holes in the centers of galaxies smaller than the Milky Way," said co-author Peter Jonker of Radboud University and SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, both in the Netherlands. "Due to observational limitations, it is challenging to discover central black holes much smaller than 1 million solar masses." Despite their presumed abundance, the origins of supermassive black holes remain unknown, and many different theories currently vie to explain them, according to Jonker. Intermediate-mass black holes could be the seeds from which supermassive black holes grow. "Therefore, if we get a better handle of how many bona fide intermediate black holes are out there, it can help determine which theories of supermassive black hole formation are correct," he said. Even more exciting, according to Zabludoff, is the measurement of J2150's spin that the group was able to obtain. The spin measurement holds clues as to how black holes grow, and possibly to particle physics. This black hole has a fast spin, but not the fastest possible spin, Zabludoff explained, begging the question of how the black hole ends up with a spin in this range. "It's possible that the black hole formed that way and hasn't changed much since, or that two intermediate-mass black holes merged recently to form this one," she said. "We do know that the spin we measured excludes scenarios where the black hole grows over a long time from steadily eating gas or from many quick gas snacks that arrive from random directions." In addition, the spin measurement allows astrophysicists to test hypotheses about the nature of dark matter, which is thought to make up most of the matter in the universe. Dark matter may consist of unknown elementary particles not yet seen in laboratory experiments. Among the candidates are hypothetical particles known as ultralight bosons, Stone explained. "If those particles exist and have masses in a certain range, they will prevent an intermediate-mass black hole from having a fast spin," he said. "Yet J2150's black hole is spinning fast. So, our spin measurement rules out a broad class of ultralight boson theories, showcasing the value of black holes as extraterrestrial laboratories for particle physics." In the future, new observations of tidal disruption flares might let astronomers fill in the gaps in the black hole mass distribution, the authors hope. "If it turns out that most dwarf galaxies contain intermediate-mass black holes, then they will dominate the rate of stellar tidal disruption," Stone said. "By fitting the X-ray emission from these flares to theoretical models, we can conduct a census of the intermediate-mass black hole population in the universe," Wen added. To do that, however, more tidal disruption events have to be observed. That's why astronomers hold high hopes for new telescopes coming online soon, both on Earth and in space, including the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, also known as the Legacy Survey of Space and Time, or LSST, which is expected to discover thousands of tidal disruption events per year. This research was supported by grants from NASA and the U.S.-Israel Binational Science Foundation. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. By analyzing images taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope from 2009 to 2020, researchers found that the average wind speed just within the boundaries of the Great Red Spot, set off by the outer green circle, have increased by up to 8 percent from 2009 to 2020 and exceed 400 miles per hour. In contrast, the winds near the storm's innermost region, set off by a smaller green ring, are moving significantly more slowly. Both move counterclockwise. Credits: NASA, ESA, Michael H. Wong (UC Berkeley) Like the speed of an advancing race car driver, the winds in the outermost "lane" of Jupiter's Great Red Spot are accelerating - a discovery only made possible by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope, which has monitored the planet for more than a decade. Researchers analyzing Hubble's regular "storm reports" found that the average wind speed just within the boundaries of the storm, known as a high-speed ring, has increased by up to 8 percent from 2009 to 2020. In contrast, the winds near the red spot's innermost region are moving significantly more slowly, like someone cruising lazily on a sunny Sunday afternoon. The massive storm's crimson-colored clouds spin counterclockwise at speeds that exceed 400 miles per hour - and the vortex is bigger than Earth itself. The red spot is legendary in part because humans have observed it for more than 150 years. To better analyze Hubble's bounty of data, Wong took a new approach to his data analysis. He used software to track tens to hundreds of thousands of wind vectors (directions and speeds) each time Jupiter was observed by Hubble. "It gave me a much more consistent set of velocity measurements," Wong explained. "I also ran a battery of statistical tests to confirm if it was justified to call this an increase in wind speed. It is." What does the increase in speed mean? "That's hard to diagnose, since Hubble can't see the bottom of the storm very well. Anything below the cloud tops is invisible in the data," explained Wong. "But it's an interesting piece of data that can help us understand what's fueling the Great Red Spot and how it's maintaining energy." There's still a lot of work to do to fully understand it. Astronomers have pursued ongoing studies of the "king" of solar system storms since the 1870s. The Great Red Spot is an upwelling of material from Jupiter's interior. If seen from the side, the storm would have a tiered wedding cake structure with high clouds at the center cascading down to its outer layers. Astronomers have noted that it is shrinking in size and becoming more circular than oval in observations spanning more than a century. The current diameter is 10,000 miles across, meaning that Earth could still fit inside it. In addition to observing this legendary, long-lived storm, researchers have observed storms on other planets, including Neptune, where they tend to travel across the planet's surface and disappear over only a few years. Research like this helps scientists not only learn about the individual planets, but also draw conclusions about the underlying physics that drive and maintain planets' storms. The majority of the data to support this research came from Hubble's Outer Planets Atmospheres Legacy program, which provides annual Hubble global views of the outer planets that allow astronomers to look for changes in the planets' storms, winds, and clouds. The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between NASA and ESA (European Space Agency). NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, manages the telescope. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, conducts Hubble science operations. STScI is operated for NASA by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy in Washington, D.C. Please follow SpaceRef on Twitter and Like us on Facebook. For the fourth consecutive year, National Caretaker Appreciation Day (NCAD) events were held across the country this past week (September 20 26) as 10 racetracks, along with numerous farms, stables and training centres recognized and rewarded caretakers in partnership with Standardbred Canada. Participating tracks included: Century Downs Racetrack & Casino, Flamboro Downs, Grand River Raceway, Hippodrome 3R, Kawartha Downs, Leamington Raceway, Red Shores Charlottetown Driving Park & Summerside locations, Truro Raceway and Woodbine Mohawk Park. Caretakers, the foundation of our industry, were recognized and rewarded in many ways at the racetracks, and many put their own unique touches on their events but most featured: Recognition of all caretakers racing horses on the days card announcement of names during post parades and or winners circle; group photos of caretakers Awards or prizes for caretakers of winning horses Special edition race programs, video productions and interviews with caretakers Refreshments and a gift for all caretakers racing on the days card Draw prizes for gift cards, apparel and more A long list of individuals and groups provided sponsorships, gifts and other contributions to this years National Caretaker Appreciation Day. A special thank you is extended to the following individuals and groups: Kawartha Downs celebrated the day with a special gift donated by Stacey Currie. She provided custom NCAD lead shanks and a bag of carrots to caretakers of the winning horses. Tyler Borth and Scott Wray supported the event at Leamington Raceway with their generous donation of gift cards for caretakers in each race throughout the day. At Woodbine Mohawk Park, all winner's circle presentations were sponsored by Adriano Sorella and Jimmy Freight. Many other individuals and groups generously donated to the event at WMP, you can view the list of sponsors here. For the third consecutive year, TheStable.ca thanked their caretaking staff with a lunch party and received more than $5,000 from their owners in donations to support the party through their GoFundMe campaign. Central Ontario Standardbred Association (COSA) sponsored NCAD events at participating Ontario tracks by providing 10 HPI cards per track that were either distributed to the winning caretakers or awarded by random draws. Photo credits (clockwise from top left): Anna-Mari Muller, Shirley Huck, Todd Gimblet/Racehorse Photo, Hailey Saunders SC would like to thank all of the organizers of NCAD events across the country for their exceptional efforts in recognizing and rewarding the caretakers. A special thank you to all of the industry participants and stakeholders who supported events through generous donations and sponsorship. We would also like to thank the caretakers across the country who put the horses first, keeping them healthy and happy, and for everything they do to keep the races going! Caretakers, wed love to get your feedback if you were at an event. Click here to take a very short survey. Well have a draw for a $50 gift card with everyone who takes the survey by Monday, Oct. 4. Churches Confront 'Raw Trauma' in Shadow of 'Forgotten' War Shell-shocked survivors mourn dead, look to churches for help and hope, reports Slavic Gospel Association HEALING RAW TRAUMA OF 'FORGOTTEN' WAR: Michael Johnson, president of Illinois-based Slavic Gospel Association (SGA, www.sga.org), talks with people still suffering raw trauma in the aftermath of the "forgotten" war in the former Soviet nations of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Partnering with local churches, SGA brings aid and comfort. NEWS PROVIDED BY Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) Sept. 28, 2021 LOVES PARK, Ill., Sept. 28, 2021 /Standard Newswire/ -- Churches in the first-ever country to adopt Christianity as its national religion are confronting "the rawest imaginable trauma" in the wake of a "forgotten" war. With the news dominated by Afghanistan -- and the recent focus on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 in the U.S. -- the victims of the lesser-known Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict continue to suffer out of the media spotlight. The 44-day war last fall -- the latest clash in a long-running conflict over territory -- left at least 6,500 dead and uprooted more than 30,000 Armenians. More than 2,700 lost their lives on the Azerbaijan side. 'Lament' Grips Grieving Families "The grief is hard to describe," said one pastor partnering with Illinois-based mission agency Slavic Gospel Association (SGA, www.sga.org). "We have heard the lament. The word 'love' seems to freeze in the hearts of people who've lost their father or mother, son or daughter, with some having lost (their) whole family." Another pastor said two sisters, ages 15 and 17, were killed in the most recent bombing. The oldest was engaged to be married. Experiencing 'Rawest' Trauma "While nearly all the attention right now is on Afghanistan, the intense suffering of thousands of fragile families in Armenia and Azerbaijan has gone virtually unnoticed by the outside world," said SGA president Michael Johnson. "On both sides, they're experiencing the rawest imaginable trauma." SGA provides humanitarian aid through a network of local churches in the land-locked nation of Armenia, bordering the nations of Iran and Turkey, as well as Mt. Ararat -- where Noah's Ark landed, according to the biblical account. Local churches partnering with SGA are delivering food to hungry families, uprooted from their homes -- while church workers pray with neighbors still grieving in the war zone. Consoling the Heartbroken "Pastors and church members who've lost their own children are consoling their heartbroken neighbors, and sharing the hope of the Gospel with them," said Johnson, who just visited Armenia. "In the first-ever country to adopt Christianity as its national religion in around 300 A.D., the church is still very much alive and growing rapidly. This summer, 10,000 children attended church-run Christian camps." The organization's Immanuel's Child outreach provides Christmas gifts and Bibles -- and shares the love of God -- with thousands of traumatized and needy children, including children living in orphanages. One orphan who participated several years ago in Immanuel's Child -- now a young Armenian adult who fought in the most recent conflict -- told how he hid in a barn under a pile of hay to elude capture. "The people of Armenia -- and Azerbaijan -- continue to suffer immensely from the devastating impact of the war last year that many in the West weren't even aware was happening," Johnson said. "We're asking churches here in America to consider ways they can help their brothers and sisters, and to pray specifically for those who've lost everything." Founded in 1934, Slavic Gospel Association (SGA, www.sga.org) helps "forgotten" orphans, widows and families in Russia, the former Soviet countries of Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Russian-speaking immigrants in Israel caring for their physical needs and sharing the life-transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ. SGA supports an extensive grassroots network of local evangelical missionary pastors and churches in cities and rural villages across this vast region. SOURCE Slavic Gospel Association CONTACT: Sheryl Sellaway, 404-695-5564, ssellaway@inchristcommunications.com In-Person and Online, Hundreds Find Hope in Christ at the 'Black Hills Paha Sapa Celebration with Will Graham' Evangelist Will Graham holds final event in Don Barnett Arena NEWS PROVIDED BY Billy Graham Evangelistic Association Sept. 27, 2021 RAPID CITY, S.D., Sept. 27, 2021 /Standard Newswire/ -- The Don Barnett Arena at The Monument in Rapid City came to life this weekend with uplifting music and inspirational messages of hope, as more than 5,100 people attended the three-day Black Hills Paha Sapa Celebration with Will Graham, held Sept. 24-26. "There's more to Jesus than many people think. Jesus is the Son of God who takes away the sin of the world," said Graham during his message on Saturday night. "Sin leads you away from God. Do you know that your sins are forgiven? Have you asked Jesus to come into your life and asked Him for forgiveness of your sins?" Approximately 350 people responded to Graham's invitation to begin a relationship with Christ over the course of the weekend. In addition to those in attendance, the Celebration services were broadcast online, with thousands of views around the world. More than 180 indicated a decision for Christ through the livestream. Graham was joined for the Black Hills Paha Sapa Celebration by award-winning and up-and-coming Christian artists, including Kari Jobe, Lacey Sturm, FLAME, Cochren & Co. and The Afters. "We're grateful that the Lord loves our city and He has brought unity to the pastors in our city. He has given us another instrument to be able to train our people, to have a heart for evangelism and to seek the lost the way that Jesus was seeking the lost," said Pastor Greg Blanc of Calvary Chapel Rapid City. "We are praying that long, long after the three days of the Celebration are done, that people are going to have a passion and hunger for evangelism and the Great Commission." The Celebration marked the last large-scale concert in Don Barnett Arena. A state-of-the-art venue called The Summit is being constructed within the same complex and is slated to open soon. The first event ever held at Don Barnett Arena was one of Elvis Presley's final concerts, a point which Graham referenced in his first sermon. "This building began with the King of Rock, and it's ending with the King of Kings." The Black Hills Paha Sapa Celebration was the first of four multi-day outreaches in five weeks for Graham. His next event will take place in Des Moines, Iowa, Oct. 1-3, followed by Canadian outreaches in Sudbury, Ontario (Oct. 15-17) and London Ontario (Oct. 22-24). About Will Graham Will is the third generation of Grahams to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ under the banner of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA). He is the grandson of Billy Graham and the oldest son of Franklin Graham. He also serves as vice president of the BGEA, and as executive director of the Billy Graham Training Center at The Cove in Asheville, N.C. Follow Will on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. SOURCE Billy Graham Evangelistic Association CONTACT: Erik Ogren, 704-577-2109, eogren@bgea.org EmiratesGBC, an independent forum aimed at conserving the environment by strengthening and promoting green building practices, marked the World Green Building Week held recently, with the launch of the first embodied carbon case study in the UAE for a shopping mall. The study for My City Centre Masdar was conducted under the patronage of the Royal Danish Consulate General in Dubai, with Majid Al Futtaim as the Net Zero Centre of Excellence Champion and Ramboll as Consultant. Evaluating the impact of sustainable material procurement compared to legacy practices in terms of embodied carbon emissions, the study underlines that tangible reductions in embodied carbon emissions are possible with current building construction practices, said the event organisers. The key is to ensure appropriate steps are taken at the earliest stages of the project, they added. The case study features My City Centre Masdar, which is Majid Al Futtaims first shopping mall in Abu Dhabi, and the 25th in the region. The mall achieved an overall 14 per cent embodied carbon emissions savings only through sustainable material procurement. The major and main groups of materials that have been considered in this embodied carbon assessment of the mall are concrete, steel, timber, insulation, glass, interior finishes such as paints, coatings, tiles and carpets, and ceramics, screed, and bricks. The study revealed that when considering only the superstructure of the building, which comprises timber, concrete and steel, a reduction of 21 per cent in embodied carbon emissions can be achieved. Compared to as-built scenario using conventional practices in sourcing emissions per square metre dropped to approximately 420 kgCO2e/m2 compared to 535 kgCO2e/m2. EmiratesGBC Chairman Ali Al Jassim said: "This is a path-breaking study on embodied carbon emissions can be reduced through the early-stage adoption of sustainable building materials." "The findings of this study will support the work needed to achieve net zero embodied carbon for buildings, infrastructure, and renovations. Majid Al Futtaim, as a Net Zero Champion of our Net Zero Centre of Excellence, has set a role model for the industry through their commitment to addressing the challenge of embodied carbon emissions," he added. Hanane El Ghiouane, Commercial Advisor & Head of Green Building & Urban Development, Royal Danish Consulate General in Dubai, said: "Denmark acknowledges the necessity of #racetozero for our planet to accommodate the needs of nine billion people by 2050, with an open dialogue with EmiratesGBC for contribution to the inclusive and sustainable growth for all in the built environment." Dr Ali Amiri, Head of Specialisms, Ramboll, said: "This is a great opportunity and will encourage all major stakeholders to carry forward the practice for their built assets and help develop regional benchmarks to define embodied carbon reduction targets for future developments." Ibrahim Al-Zu'bi, Chief Sustainability Officer at Majid Al Futtaim Holding, said: "We realise that understanding the whole lifecycle impact of our buildings is becoming increasingly important and is a significant step towards our 2040 Net Positive Commitment. As our business continues to grow and expand across the region, decoupling our carbon emissions is a key priority." "City Centre Masdar is built with sustainability at its core and we are proud of the results we achieved so far. City Centre Masdar is setting new standards for embodied carbon savings in the Middle East and were glad to contribute to the regional efforts to combat climate change by sharing our knowledge and experience," he added. The study is authored by Dr Amiri; Neshat Sakeena, Principal Consultant; Hunyum Murya, Senior Sustainability Consultant; Ishan Kalra, Senior Sustainability Consultant; and Teeba Aljabery, Graduate Sustainability Consultant at Ramboll, and prepared and reviewed by Jinan El Hajjar, Technical Analyst; Jason John, Acting Senior Engineer; and Dr Waleed Yagoub, Director at EmiratesGBC.-TradeArabia News Service The United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) has turned to Artificial Intelligence and Robotics with initial focus on education and health technologies. The university has established five core laboratories to support interdisciplinary research combining physical, biological, social, and digital sciences. This blurring of scientific boundaries is a phenomenon known as the Fourth Industrial Revolution because its outcomes are an explosion of new possibilities across many fields of human endeavour and the creation of innovative technologies and practices. The UAEs strategic vision for the next 50 years incorporates the Fourth Industrial Revolution as a system of innovation to help achieve sustainability in economic, social, and environmental progress. The UAEUs Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Laboratory (AIRL) aligns its work to the UAEs strategic vision. Dr Fady Al-Najjar, Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering, and Director of the AIRL described the ways in which artificial intelligence research has been applied to psychological health. He said that the laboratory has developed a monitoring system for senior citizens that is able to predict the future progression of their psychological health. The system uses a robot, called AbuSif that was developed with technical support from Microsoft Middle East and Africa and uses algorithms powered by Azure Cognitive Services. AbuSif interacts with patients and notices changes in their facial expressions, the quality of their speech, and the speed of their responses to various stimuli. It generates clinical reports about potential risk of cognitive impairment and is useful in early diagnosis of conditions such as dementia and Alzheimers Disease. Researchers in the AIRL expect that Artificial Intelligence and Deep Machine Learning will play an important role in diagnosing diseases with speed and accuracy, because of the potential to exceed human capabilities. Robots such as AbuSif can be used with the elderly and others who need assistance with daily activities. They can be used to monitor and prompt actions such as taking medicine, preparing food, and doing physical exercise. They will be able to provide feedback and reports for use by medical professionals when deciding if intervention might be needed. Dr Fady also explained how Artificial Intelligence and Deep Machine Learning can be used to assist teachers monitor student learning, both in physical classroom settings and when students are studying at a distance using virtual technology. He said that it is possible to monitor whether students are paying attention or are busy on-task, and to assess for a students personal interests and cognitive abilities. The monitoring systems produce detailed reports to inform the teacher and assist with curriculum design. Dr Fady underlined the significance of the work of the AIRL. The technologies that we produce help teachers to personalise curricula for individual students and to use teaching methodologies that are effective for learning. They will drive innovation in teaching and curriculum design to address educational problems and benefit both teachers and students. Artificial Intelligence will enable curricula to become dynamic in their design, adapting to meet the educational needs of each student. Educational advance is key to social and economic development in the UAE. At UAEU we strive to provide such service and value to the nation. -- TradeArabia News Service Jaguar Land Rover is partnering with COP26 ahead of the vital climate change summit in Glasgow from November 1 to 12, providing a fleet of electrified vehicles to world leaders and delegates attending the summit. The vehicles include the multi award-winning all-electric performance SUV Jaguar I-PACE, as leaders and their teams travel to and from the venue. As part of its new global strategy Reimagine, Jaguar Land Rover aims to achieve zero tailpipe emissions by 2036, and net zero carbon emissions across its supply chain, products and operations by 2039. The company has committed to a 1.5 degree aligned science-based target to reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement and supporting the UNFCCC Race to Zero. Jaguar Land Rover has a successful history in similar events including the recent G7 summit in the UK. The vehicles have all been sourced from existing fleets in the UK, helping ensure the carbon footprint remains low. Welcoming them to the COP26 family, COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma said: Jaguar Land Rover is an iconic British brand with a proven track record. They are showing climate leadership in their field with award winning electric vehicles, and I am delighted these will be used by world leaders in Glasgow. I look forward to working with Jaguar Land Rover and all our Partners ahead of the summit as we ensure a successful and inclusive COP26. Thierry Bollore, Jaguar Land Rover Chief Executive Officer, said: We are delighted to partner with COP26 and provide a fleet of all-electric vehicles, including Jaguar I-PACE performance SUVs, to deliver zero-emission transport at the summit. Sustainability is at the core of our business strategy, Reimagine, which enables us to focus on becoming net carbon zero by 2039, as the creator of the worlds most desirable modern luxury vehicles.-- TradeArabia News Service The integration of the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) into the UAEs manufacturing processes is driving the country towards a smart industrial sector, noted Sarah Al Amiri, UAE Minister of State for Advanced Technology. The integration of 4IR solutions into our value and supply chains is critical to fostering a knowledge- and innovation-based economy, which will shape the next fifty years of the emirates as we continue to cultivate a culture of innovation, said Al Amiri, who paid a high-level visit to Halcon facilities at Tawazun Industrial Park in Abu Dhabi, accompanied by a senior delegation of officials from the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology (MoIAT). The minister was hosted by Edge Group Managing Director and CEO, Faisal Al Bannai, and Halcon CEO, Saeed Al Mansoori, in the presence of other senior Edge Group representatives. The tour of Halcons manufacturing facilities was supported with a presentation to the minister, in which Halcon detailed how the company is helping secure a digital future through investments in digital transformation; a laser focus on operational excellence; and highlighted the organisational gains achieved to date, and those projected for the future. Al Amiri said: Its exciting to see UAE-based companies like Halcon driving the country towards a smart industrial sector powered by advanced technologies. She added: We recently announced the 4IR Programme, Industry 4.0, which aims to increase industrial production by 30%, and industrial contribution to the local economy by AED25 billion ($6.81 billion), by 2031. These objectives are only achievable through joint efforts between MoIAT and its partners in the public and private sectors. Al Amiri said that Halcons efforts will help to elevate the cutting-edge capabilities of the UAEs defence industry. Commenting on the visit, Al Bannai, said: Edge and its entities, including Halcon, are fully aligned with MoIATs with regards to the pressing need to invest in an advanced R&D ecosystem and to further enhance our national capacities with future-focused skills. We are bringing these disruptive new capabilities to reality with pace as we leverage the power of data in areas that include artificial intelligence, machine learning, and robotic process automation, to offer superior products and services to the defence sector and beyond. Halcon is a leading precision guided system and munitions manufacturer utilising cutting-edge digital transformation tools to streamline its business processes and gain complete visibility and transparency across its operations. Halcons digital platform provides real-time decision-making from back-office to shop floor, making the companys manufacturing facilities among the most advanced in the country, in line with the objectives of Operation 300bn.-- TradeArabia News Service Vedanta Resources, one of the world's leading diversified natural resources companies in India has partnered with the Indian government to showcase Indias growth potential at the India pavilion in Dubai Expo 2020. The six-month long celebration commences on October 1, 2021 at Dubai. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a vision that, in the coming years, the nation will grow from a $2.6 trillion to a $5 trillion economy and then eventually become a $10 trillion. The India Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai will showcase the resurgent India marching to becoming a $5 trillion economy. The real focus will be on harnessing the trade links between India and UAE by reinforcing economic visions and complementing human resources to enhance the robust and promising partnership between India and the UAE. Vedanta, part of the India pavilion at Dubai Expo, will leverage its participation to communicate Indias economic transformation under the vision of the Prime Minister with the nation set to grow to a $5 trillion economy by 2025 from the current $2.6 trillion, reaching to $10 trillion by 2030. Anil Agarwal, Founder and Chairman, Vedanta stated: My message is to invest in India. The time is now. The next 25 years, India will be the growth engine of the global economy, like China was in previous decades. Not only is India a large market, but also has tremendous human resource capital. Prime Minister Modis vision of a self-reliance with strong reforms in place, charts a clear growth path for Indias opportunity. UAE and India share a rich cultural and business heritage. Both countries have a lot to share and offer each other. A strong partnership will bring new vigour in making Asia a global business hub and lead the world economy in the 21st century. The Expo is a technology marvel that will capture the vibrant Indian culture and its past besides the capabilities and opportunities that it presents as a global economic hub to the domestic as well as the foreign investors. The India Pavilion will see participation from number of Indian states who will be displaying their culture, tradition and tremendous business opportunities along with the top corporate groups from India, and the public sector companies. Large number of prominent government ministers, officials, celebrities are set to visit India Pavilion during the six months of Expo 2020, which will also host number of cultural events. TradeArabia News Service Intersec, the world-leading emergency services, security and safety event, will mark its return in January 2022 with a ground-breaking, elevated new programme uniting global and regional leaders in the industry. Never-before seen additions to the event will see Cybersecurity and technology take centre stage, along with some of the worlds best speakers in the UAE for the first time. The 23rd edition of the flagship event, under the patronage of Sheikh Mansoor Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, will be staged under the theme of Uniting the worlds leading industry specialists for the safety & security of future generations. Sheikh Mansoor said: Intersec will be the most important platform of the year for businesses and governments to collaborate and continue on their paths of building a sustainable, safer and more secure world for our generation and those that follow. We look forward to hosting our communities once again, safely, physically and live in-person. The first industry gathering of 2022, staged at Dubai World Trade Centre from January 16 to 18, is the only event in the region that brings the entire ecosystem of emergency services, security and safety together at one time. Demonstrating Intersecs strategic importance to the UAE, long-standing Official Supporters include Dubai Police, Dubai Civil Defence, Security Industry Regulatory Agency (SIRA) and Dubai Municipality while additional government partners for 2022 will be announced shortly. Intersecs innovation and technology focus will include its first ever Cyber Lab offering a vital platform for knowledge. Organiser Messe Frankfurt has worked closely with industry stakeholders, from both the private and public sector, to develop an event that reflects both their current and future needs that offers attendees bespoke platforms to gain expert insight on future capacity and capabilities. Christine Davidson, Intersecs Group Exhibition Director, said: There has never been such an intense focus as there is today on the security and safety industry which has been at the frontline of protecting the worlds communities over the last 18 months during this time of significant global disruption. Having invested heavily to deliver an outstanding program that will address the sectors most vital issues and opportunities, Intersec 2022 brings the industry together at this crucial juncture to share knowledge from recent experiences and look to the future with the events most powerful series of conferences including multiple platforms for strategic G2G, G2B and B2B discussions and deep dive sessions into key sector verticals. Davidson added: The phenomenal development in the framework of the show will see the best minds in the industry come to the table with the most content-rich programme ever seen at Intersec. We have the most comprehensive line-up of international and regional speakers, dynamic networking opportunities, coupled with world-class exhibitors to bring the most relevant value to Intersecs attendees. We have built a world-class team to deliver this event and over the coming weeks we will be sharing further details of our elite speakers and conference programme that will demonstrate the extraordinary value of the event to our attendees. Seen as a nexus for the industry, Intersec will bring together thousands of its most powerful stakeholders for bilateral government and business discussions on mitigating and addressing vulnerabilities of the future. They will be joined by leading regional and international brands exhibiting the most innovative systems and solutions in a dynamic environment that will enable face-to-face and virtual exchange through interactive roundtables, workshops and closed-door confidential conversations.-- TradeArabia News Service The Mohamed Bin Zayed International Robotics Challenge (MBZIRC) with over $3 million in prize money will be held in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, in June 2023. Organised by Aspire, the dedicated technology programme management pillar of the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), the overarching advanced technology research body in Abu Dhabi, UAE, the MBZIRC is held every two years. The upcoming edition, called MBZIRC Maritime Grand Challenge, focuses on real-time solutions to maritime safety and security challenges and seeks to claim its place among the largest and most prestigious AI and robotics competitions in the world. The Challenge is open to international universities, research institutions, companies and individual innovators from all over the world. It will involve a heterogeneous collaboration among unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned surface vehicles, to perform complex navigation and manipulation tasks in a GNSS-denied environment. Call for registrations is now open. Commenting on the announcement, Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General of ATRC, said: We are proud that MBZIRC is going global by inviting the best talent from all over the world to participate. We have set a tough real-world challenge that will push the participants to the limits of their capabilities. The event is a great opportunity to demonstrate the pioneering scientific research work that is taking place in Abu Dhabi and the UAE. The challenge will show how both the entities focus on niche areas of technology, while attracting global innovators to stimulate ideas, encourage collaboration, and push boundaries in advanced technologies to find systems solutions to global challenges. For countries with long coastlines, ensuring maritime safety requires significant investment in sophisticated equipment and highly trained personnel. Using advanced robotic systems can not only help reduce costs, but also handle some of the often- dangerous tasks performed by humans. The motivation for holding the MBZIRC Maritime Grand Challenge is to take the technology out of the laboratory and test it in a real-world environment to see what is possible, said Dr Arthur Morrish, Chief Executive of Aspire. Dr Morrish underscored the two-fold purpose behind the competition: one is to focus on the important problems in autonomy of robotics while engaging the world community in a hard robotics challenge. The other is to find a solution to a real-world challenge facing the world. The challenge is for a swarm of UAVs to identify a target vessel from several similar vessels in open waters in a GNSS-denied environment, and to offload specific items from the target onto an USV in the shortest possible time using autonomous technologies. This is a new kind of kind of exercise in autonomous robotics. A nice thing about this challenge is that you tell people what you want, but you dont specify an approach to do it, Dr Morrish added. He said that this kind of a smart system will have practical application in other areas as well, especially as it can perform complex tasks of autonomous intervention in a GNSS denied environment. In line with its efforts to build Abu Dhabis R&D ecosystem, Aspire will design several grand challenges and international competitions in advanced technology to solve some of the worlds most pressing issues. Aspire also works in consultation with cross-sector industry stakeholders, universities, and research institutes to frame problem statements. Recently, Aspire has partnered with the XPRIZE Foundation to launch a global competition, titled XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion. The initiative is co-funded by Ghadan 21, Abu Dhabi's accelerator programme that is driving the emirate's development through investing in business, innovation, and people.-- TradeArabia News Service The seventh World Green Economy Summit (WGES), being held on October 6 and 7 at Expo 2020 Dubai is set to tackle some of the critical sustainable development pillars, one of which is global food security and its role in green growth. The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and the World Green Economy Organisation (WGEO) are organising this international event, reported Emirates News Agency WAM. The 2021 WGES will be held simultaneously with the 23rd Water, Energy, Technology, and Environment Exhibition (Wetex) and Dubai Solar Show, which Dewa organises from October 5 to 7. During the summit, attendees will discuss solutions, resources and research required to address the pressing global food security challenges and threats. They will examine and propose proactive measures to enhance stakeholder resilience and preparedness for any future changes. These discussion areas have become more relevant than ever today due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, highlighting the importance of food security in achieving peoples prosperity, ensuring the continued operation of the vital sectors, and meeting development requirements across fields. Food security will remain one of the top priorities of governments after the pandemic. WGES will look into ways to advance the food and agricultural technology sectors to fulfil the circular or green economy requirements and promote the sustainable use of natural resources, particularly water, during production processes. Several pioneering and leading food security initiatives have been launched worldwide to combat different challenges. One of these is the Dubai Food Tech Valley, a significant programme launched by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, to leverage genetic engineering in agriculture along with hydroponics and vertical farming, to ensure food security for residents. "The upcoming WGES will discuss how to promote food technology, strengthen the food value chains and capitalise on advanced technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. High-profile local and international guests, including heads of state and leading experts and specialists, will be part of the event. It strengthens the UAEs role in coming up with global sustainable solutions to improve people's lives worldwide, said Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Vice Chairman of the Dubai Supreme Council of Energy in Dubai, and Chairman of WGES. This will cement the UAEs prestigious position as a leading global food security hub based on innovation and knowledge. WGES supports the UAEs efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, including the Zero Hunger goal, as well as the UAEs National Food Security Strategy 2051 launched in 2018 to develop an integrated and empowering national sustainable food production system. Mariam Almheiri, Minister of State for Food and Water Security, said: "Food security is a key strategic pillar to drive sustainable development and accomplish the ambitious green economy objectives that the UAE has set. Our leadership has long prioritised the food sector, building an advanced infrastructure and embracing the latest technologies to boost local production and ensure its sustainability in light of the UAEs significant challenges in this regard. Using advanced technologies and innovative solutions to ensure food security is indispensable for the green economy to thrive, which, in turn, is necessary for the entire food value chain in the UAE to flourish. "The World Green Economy Summit 2021 is a pragmatic step that supports our efforts to enhance national food security. We look forward to the summits discussions, as well as the recommendations and pragmatic solutions, which we can build on to achieve the objectives of the UAE National Food Security Strategy," Almheiri added. "MOCCAE and its partners are committed to enhancing food security and sustainability a strategic priority of the UAE through an integrated host of enablers, such as adopting state-of-the-art technologies, scaling up R&D and streamlining cross-border food supply chains and related logistics services," said Dr Abdullah Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment. "In line with the forward-looking vision of the UAEs leadership, the country is advancing its shift to a green economy through developing sustainable solutions for each sector, particularly the food sector that has been under immense pressure globally due to the Covid-19 pandemic," he added. Dubai Government employees will get a 6-day special paid leave that will enable them to visit Expo 2020 Dubai. The leave can be used during the period of Expo 2020, which runs from October 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022, under the theme "Connecting Minds, Creating the Future". The leave has been granted as per the directives of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai, a WAM report said. The leave will give employees the opportunity to visit the exhibition with their families and explore the various global solutions and innovations on display. Sheikh Hamdan said: "Expo 2020 will be a landmark event that unites the world and brings together diverse cultures, streams of knowledge, creative perspectives and innovations from across the world, all under one roof. Our goal is to connect minds and create a bright new future, while also generating positive outcomes that will benefit the world. We want our teams to keep abreast of the latest global developments and be aware of creative ideas coming from different parts of the world." "The Government of Dubai is keen to implement innovative solutions to achieve the highest levels of excellence. It is crucial that employees get to learn from the successful experiences and ideas being showcased at the event, which will contribute to inspiring new approaches that can help realise the ambitious goals of the UAE in the next 50 years. We have an exceptional opportunity to create a glorious future, and we want our teams to gain new insights from successful global projects and ventures to create the best solutions," he added. Sheikh Hamdans directives to grant employees the leave are part of his ongoing efforts to support teams across government entities and create an ideal environment that enables them to deliver the highest levels of performance.-- TradeArabia News Service The opening session of the sixth annual The Maritime Standard Tanker Conference will assess tanker shipping trends over the short and longer terms, and how companies are adjusting priorities, plans and strategies to reflect these trends. The conference takes place on November 23 in person at the Dubai World Trade Centre, and one of the highlights of the programme is sure to be the opening Session 1, which has the theme Tanker trades - assessing the short and long-term picture. Clive Woodbridge, Conference Editor, says: The opening part of the conference sets the tone for what is going to be a really informative and stimulating day. There is a lot of uncertainty about the immediate and longer-term outlook for tankers and the top-quality speakers we have lined up for this session will get proceedings off to a high tempo start. Kicking off the initial session, conference attendees will hear a keynote speech by Dr Ibrahim Al Nadhairi, CEO of Asyad Shipping and Drydock Services. This presentation will provide a unique perspective on tanker markets, as the company is both a leading tanker operator and a provider of drydocking services. Woodbridge said: We are delighted and very fortunate to have someone of Dr Ibrahims calibre and experience to be our keynote speaker this year. I am sure his observations on overarching market trends will be of great interest. Moving onto the main part of Session 1, panellists will reflect on recent changes to regional oil and petrochemical trade flows, future market prospects as well as tanker fleet growth projections. Speakers will look at markets both from a global perspective and also at the specific characteristics of the Middle East and Subcontinent trades. Shipowner executives confirmed to speak in Session 1 include Captain Abdulkareem Al Masabi, CEO of Adnoc Logistics & Services, and H K Joshi, Chairperson and Managing Director of the Shipping Corporation of India. The ports and terminals perspective will be provided by DP Worlds Captain Nasser Sabt, Director of Marine at Jebel Ali Port, and Captain Maktoum Al Houqani, Chief Corporate Authority Officer, Abu Dhabi Ports. They will reflect on the liquid bulk trade patterns that the two leading UAE ports are seeing and their plans to facilitate tanker trade growth over the coming years. Leading the biggest tanker repair yard in the region, Captain Rado Antolovic, Chief Executive of Drydocks World, will describe demand scenarios for repair and upgrade services from the sector, and will highlight the master plan the yard is preparing to ensure it can continue to provide high levels of service to tanker owners and operators as their requirements evolve. Session 1 will also include a presentation by Andy McKeran, Business Director, Maritime Performance Services, Lloyds Register, who will describe some of the ways that the leading classification society is helping tanker shipping companies improve their operational efficiency. In addition, Navin Kumar, Director, Maritime Research at Drewry Shipping Consultants, will draw on his deep interest in cost modelling for shipping and what is described as a natural affinity for number crunching to present an overarching review of prospects for all tanker shipping sectors. Woodbridge, who will chair Session 1, adds: Many market analysts believe that short term pain will give way to significant longer-term gains as the market fundamentals rebalance. Ultimately it seems there is no reason why the rest of the 2020s should not be years of growth for those active in tanker shipping and I expect that speakers in this first session will underscore the opportunities that exist in the short, medium and long term, while not downplaying the very real challenges.-- TradeArabia News Service Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) has announced the successful completion of the bookbuild and public subscription process for the Initial Public Offering (IPO) of its Adnoc Drilling Company. It confirmed the previously announced increased offering size from 1.2 billion ordinary shares to 1.76 billion ordinary shares (offer shares), equivalent to 11% of the total issued share capital, and an offer price of AED2.30 per ordinary share, resulting in gross proceeds of over $1.1 billion to Adnoc, upon settlement. The IPO was multiple times oversubscribed, with significant demand from UAE Retail Investors and Qualified Institutional Investors. Total gross demand for the IPO amounted to over $34 billion, implying an oversubscription level in excess of 31 times in aggregate. Following the completion of the subscription period, the size of the first tranche (reserved for UAE Retail Investors) was set at 10%; the size of the second tranche (reserved for local, regional and international Qualified Institutional Investors) was set at 86%; and the size of the third tranche (reserved for Adnoc Group Companies Employees and UAE National Retirees) was set at 4 percent. Investors from the First and Third Tranches will receive an SMS confirmation of their respective allocation on September 30. Help India! The arrests of two public representatives in Dholpur has come within four days of the police opening fire at villagers on September 23 who had ended a meeting with the district officials and were moving back to their homes. The eviction and killing of two persons have been followed by a public outcry on social media. Mahibul Hoque | TwoCircles.net Support TwoCircles SIPAJHAR Days after the killing of two persons in police firing in Dholpur, Assam during an eviction drive launched by the district administration to oust Bengali origin Muslims from the area, two locals have been arrested by the police. The arrested duo are public representatives. One is an incumbent and another is a former gram panchayat president. The arrests came within four days of the police opening fire at villagers on September 23 who had ended a meeting with the district officials and were moving back to their homes, villagers from the area said. The families of the duo condemned the arrest and said the duo have been falsely implicated. On the afternoon of September 26, when Chand Mohammad, the president of Sanoa Panchayat along with former Bazana Pathar panchayat president Asmat Ali, went to meet the Officer-in-Charge of Sipajhar police station, they were arrested on the charges of criminal conspiracy and rioting. The duo had been called into the police station before they were formally booked. The duo have been booked under various sections of the Indian Panel Code (IPC) for criminal conspiracy, rioting, unlawful assembly as well as causing harm under case no 758/21 at Sipajhar police station. The IPC sections invoked are 120B, 143, 147, 148, 149, 341, 333, 353, 325, 326 and 307. The arrested persons, the families told TwoCircles.net, were trying to negotiate a peaceful removal of Muslim farmers from the government land where they have been living for more than five decades. They are both public representatives and also negotiators from the governments side. They have been arrested for their work for the people, 70-year-old Amser Ali, father of former Bazana Pathar panchayat president Asmat Ali said. His wife, Anuwara Khatun was inconsolable saying that her husband went out in the morning to bring relief material for eviction victims. He was going to go to Guwahati, but as he was honest to trust the police, he is now under arrest, she said. On the day of the firing, Asmat was seen with police when a negotiation meeting was organized between the local organizations, individuals, public representatives from gram panchayats. As per his family, Asmat was used the police loudspeaker to urge people to maintain peace and disperse. Following this, both Asmat and Mahmud went home and within 15 minutes there was police firing, the wives of the duo said. As representatives of people, they were putting forth both sides views to each other. My husband was asking people to believe in the governments verbal assurance of settlement land for the eviction from the governments side and was asking the government to provide the settlement land for the affected people from the peoples side, said Mahmuds wife Nur Jahan Khatun, who had accompanied him to the meeting. Both the families of the arrested persons alleged that they were victims of politics. Asmat, a go-to person for information and help to navigate the large stretch of land, has been at the forefront of the negotiation process and was negotiating with Darrang Superintendent of Police Sushanta Biswa Sarma to get a win-win negotiation. On asking about the negotiations between SP Sarma and Asmat and how he was implicated in the case, Sarma said, The people almost dispersed after the meeting. Our JCBs moved in to do our work. Then suddenly things changed and I do not know what happened which prompted our actions. This sudden change of peoples mood indicated that they were instigated. As investigations are going on, everything will be revealed in time. Our intention was never to open fire, SP Sarma told TwoCircles.net. A local from the area said Asmat was helping using his own money to get people to complete the National Register of Citizens (NRC) update process. He was always working for the peoples right and thought that no harm is brought to the people of the area as is evident here. His arrest is all about erasing the voice of the people, said a person whose house was also demolished at Dholpur No 3 village. Another person Nazmul Sarkar from the same village said, They have been falsely implicated to silence the Muslim voice from the area. The SP said the case will be handed over to the CID by September 28 or the day after that. Earlier on September 25, Chief Minister Sarma said the government had identified six persons who mobilized the people and that subsequently led to the violence. Among them is a lecturer of a college from the district and members of the Popular Front of India (PFI). However, according to a report PFI rejected the claim of its involvement. The eviction at Dholpur was carried out in line with the Assam governments plan to start an agricultural and allied activities farm in the area, where according to the government the Muslim farmers had encroached upon illegally. However, the Bengali origin Muslims settlers at the place are victims of river erosions, multiple times in their lives. The land is flood-prone and remains submerged for nearly six months every year, which makes the land hard to cultivate and do allied activities. We publish information about wines grown from certified organic or Biodynamic vineyards that are generally made with sulfites (which are usually added in small amounts to preserve the wine). That includes these certification types: ORGANIC WINE CERTIFICATIONS Made with Organic Grapes Vineyards: certified organic Vinification : less than 100 ppm of sulfites (i.e. a normal range) Winery: certified organic facility Labeling : front or back label Ingredients: Organic Grapes Vineyards : certified organic Vinification: up to 350 ppm of sulfites (same as for any non organic wine) Labeling: back label only BIODYNAMIC CERTIFICATIONS Biodynamic Wine Vineyards : certified biodynamic Yeasts : native Vinification : less than 100 ppm of sulfites; no additives of any kind Winery: certified biodynamic facility Labeling: front or back label; Demeter logo may appear Made with Biodynamic Grapes Vineyards : certified biodynamic Yeasts : native or organic Vinification: less than 100 ppm of sulfites; limited number of additives permitted Winery: certified biodynamic facility Labeling: front or back Note : unlike organically grown wines, for which there is a category called "Ingredients: Organic Grapes," wines sourced from biodynamic grapes may not make any biodynamic claim on the bottle label. Bottle labeling is reserved for Demeter certified wines only. SULFITES IN CONTEXT According to U.C. Davis, t he average among all wines in the U.S. (as well as globally) is 80 ppm. WHAT THE USDA CALLS ORGANIC WINES Unlike any other nation, the U.S. oddly imposes a no sulfite restriction on wines in order for them to be called Organic Wine. These wines are also called NSA or NAS wines (which stands for "No Sulfites Added" or "No Added Sulfites.") From the above description, one can see that there are in fact three types of organically grown wines: 1. Organic Wine (less than 15% of all organically grown wine) 2. Made with Organic Grapes 3. Ingredients: Organic Grapes The vast majority of wines from organic grapes are labeled Made with Organic Grapes, Ingredients: Organic Grapes or are blended with nonorganic grapes and unlabeled. Fine winemakers do not generally make wine without sulfites and a number of large wine retailers like BevMo do not sell wine in the category of "USDA Organic Wine." With rare exceptions, this blog does not cover what the USDA calls "Organic Wine." We are hopeful that the USDA will revise the categorization of organically grown wines and make NSA or NAS wines a category of their own. This would put the U.S. in accord with the rest of the world, where "Organic Wine" means a wine from certified grapes made within limits on sulfites (generally under 100-150 ppm). On Nov. 12, 2012, the trial of former Prime Minister al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmoudi started on Monday. Mahmoudi, who served as the last prime minister in former leader Muammar Gaddafis administration from 2006 to 2011, fled to Tunisia in September 2011 after the armed rebels seized the Libyan capital of Tripoli during the unrest. The Chair and Executive Board Members of the Ankara Bar Association are accused of the crime of "insult". They risk up to two years in prison. Similar proceedings for Diyarbakr lawyers. In a Friday sermon Erdogan's loyalist, Ali Erbas, had condemned LGTBI+ and HIV-positive people, calling them deviants. Ankara (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Turkish authorities have indicted Chair and Executive Board Members of the Ankara Bar Association on charges of criticizing the (powerful) head of Religious Affairs Ali Erbas, who in a sermon had condemned LGTBI+ and HIV-positive people. If found guilty for the content of the open letter, the members of the association risk a sentence of up to two years in prison. The affair was triggered by a sermon given during Friday prayers by Ali Erbas, a loyalist of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan who has based his power on the combination of nationalism and Islam, in which he stigmatized homosexuals, trans and HIV positive people. Homosexuality and adultery, he had said, "brings diseases and degenerates the generation." "Hundreds of thousands of people a year are exposed to the HIV virus caused by this great haram, which passes as adultery in the Islamic Literature. Let's come and fight together to protect people from this kind of evil". In response, the leaders of the association have issued a statement in which they attacked the religious leader, accusing him of discriminating against a part of the population and of having remained "behind the centuries" with words that foment "hatred" from the height of a prestigious state office. In this document, the magistrates have identified the extremes for an indictment, putting in state of charge for "insult" promoters and signatories of the initiative. While the first hearing of the trial will be held at the Ankara 16th Heavy Penal Court on November 11, 2021, the executives of the Ankara Bar now face 1 year to 2 years in prison for allegedly "insulting a public official due to his or her duty for expressing beliefs, thoughts and opinions." The sermon dates back to April 24, 2020, and at the time, the Bar Association filed a complaint against the president of Religious Affairs, charging him with a "hate crime." After a brief investigation, the police chief said that "there are no reasons to continue with the investigation" and that Ali Erbas only recalled and defended some principles of the Muslim religion and, therefore, "cannot be charged with a hate crime." At the same time he opened a file on the complainants who are now facing a trial and the prospect - not too remote - of imprisonment in case of conviction. A similar investigation was launched by the public prosecutor's office in Diyarbakr, a predominantly Kurdish city in the southeast of the country, against the local bar association. Also in this case the investigation was triggered by criticism of Ali Erbas by lawyers. by Vladimir Rozanskij Now she risks being repatriated to Uzbekistan, from where she fled after the 2005 Andijan massacre. A point of reference for all Central Asian migrants. She has accused some Russian officials of corruption. Putin's representative for human rights intervenes to help her. Moscow (AsiaNews) - The internal security services (FSSB) have prevented human rights activist Valentina Cupik from entering Moscow's Seremetevo airport. Of Uzbek nationality, the 48-year-old lawyer is the founder of the non-profit association Tong Zakhony ("Morning of the World"), which helps migrants arriving in Russia from Central Asia. On September 25th, on her return from a trip to Armenia, FSB agents informed her that she had been deprived of her refugee status on Russian territory - granted in 2009 - and that she would not be allowed to return to the country for the next 30 years. The authorities seized Cupik's documents. Before being locked up in a security cell at the airport, the activist managed to communicate by phone with some journalists. Now she risks being repatriated to Uzbekistan, from which she fled many years ago. She maintains if returned, "they will throw me in a cellar of the Uzbek secret services prisons". Valentina had arrived in Russia in 2005 after the Andijan massacre, when the authorities had opened fire on the crowd gathered in front of the court to protest against the trial of a group of Muslims, considered dangerous extremists. The relatives of the detainees claimed that they were simple worshippers, without any tendency towards terrorism, but the shooting led to over 500 deaths. Since then, Cupik has chosen the cause of the persecuted and migrants, to whom she offers free advice night and day. Not only Uzbeks, but all migrants from Central Asian countries know her phone number and benefit from her dedication. Russian authorities did not disclose the reasons for the measures against the activist. They have only informed that her refugee status has been revoked on the basis of the article that condemns "the presentation of false testimony or forged documents" in the practices related to migrants. The woman claims to be the victim of "a revenge by the Police Forces". Yesterday Valentina managed to connect again with the journalists of Currentime.tv, to whom she expressed her gratitude because "thanks to their insistence last night they turned off the light for a few hours, and I was able to sleep a little". The activist strongley denies the charges of forgery, "as everyone knows, I am fanatical about observing the rules and I am not able to hide or lie in any way, I hate any form of deception". During the interrogation with a member of the FSB, she was told that "she should not talk about corruption among officials, now they all have a poisoned tooth." In March of this year, Cupik had had an altercation with officials in a public square, and the incident had also garnered some media coverage. The FSB did not allow Cupik to meet with her lawyer, who has tried in vain to gain access to the airport prison. If she is deported to Uzbekistan, Valentina fears for her safety, having refused to pay bribes for migrants in her homeland, when she was already working for their practices, and had already been arrested and threatened. After the regime change in Tashkent in 2015, Cupik hoped to return to her country, but she remained in Russia after being warned that she would risk her life. The hope now is that Valentina can be sent to some other, less dangerous state for her, although she herself wonders what she could do outside of Russia and Uzbekistan, where migrants do not know how to do without her help. The presidential representative for human rights, Tatjana Moskalkova, has intervened on her behalf, and has decided to put her office and her freedom at risk; a last hope is for teh support and solidarity of national and international public opinion. It is unclear whether it was a ballistic rocket. The Japanese government has expressed concern. Yesterday, the North Koreans did not respond to daily calls from authorities in the South. Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) - North Korea this morning launched a short-range missile into the Sea of Japan. The Joint Chiefs of Staff of the South Korean Armed Forces report the launch without, however, specifying whether the rocket was a ballistic type. Seoul's National Security Council immediately convened to analyze the launch. The Japanese government reported that the carrier landed outside its exclusive economic zone. Three days ago Kim Yo-jong, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's sister, had stated that Pyongyang would be willing to discuss an improvement in inter-Korean relations if Seoul dropped its hostile and aggressive attitude. But yesterday North Korea did not respond to the South's calls, writes the Yonhap news agency. The communist regime rejected daily calls at 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. and also a call relayed through a military communication line. According to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, the launch poses "an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies, the missile launch highlights the destabilizing impact of the DPRK's illicit weapons program," the command said, referring to the North by the acronym of its official name, the Democratic People' Republic of Korea. This morning's launch is the latest in a series of provocations. On Sept. 13, Pyongyang had launched a long-range cruise missile. Two days later it tested two ballistic missiles, one of which came from a rail convoy. 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. Vietnam Days in Switzerland 2021 Vietnam Days in Switzerland 2021 to be held online for the first time Vietnam Days in Switzerland 2021, an event to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Switzerland and Vietnam diplomatic relations (October 11, 1971 - 2021) is scheduled to be held online for the first time from 3pm to 6pm (Vietnam time) on October 9, 2021, broadcasting live on social media networks. The audience will not only have an overview of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Vietnam, but also discover distinctive characteristics of each country through special art performances, footages and stories shared by participants. The event is co-hosted by the Department of Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO, under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in collaboration with representative agencies of Vietnam to Switzerland, the Swiss Embassy in Vietnam, Vietnam Television and LeBros. Vietnam Days in Switzerland 2021, under the framework of Vietnam Days Abroad Programme approved by Vietnamese Prime Minister, not only contributes to the friendly relations between the two countries, but also promotes Vietnams image as an authentic yet dynamic country to the public in Switzerland and European countries. The event consists of 5 chapters: Hello, Switzerland! Hello, Europe!; Authentic Culture; Amazing Country; Future Generations; and See You in Vietnam. As a part of the event, well-known cultural figures such as Tung Duong, Van Mai Huong, Quang Dang will present to talk about Vietnamese culture, cuisine and landscape. Prominent figures from intellectuals and entrepreneurs circle, namely Former Deputy Director of Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies Nguyen Thi Hien, FPT Telecom Chairman Hoang Nam Tien, VinAI Research Director Bui Hai Hung, MindX CEO Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, are also invited to the event to share their stories and experiences which couple with the national development. The audience will not only have an overview of the diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Vietnam, but also discover distinctive characteristics of each country through special art performances, footages and stories shared by participants. With live broadcasting format, the event allows live comments and interaction. Deputy Director of the Department of Cultural Diplomacy and UNESCO, under the Vietnamese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Tran Quoc Khanh said: Hosting this event online for the first time in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic poses huge challenges. However, we devote ourselves to make it successful. This is an opportunity to strengthen the 50-year-relation between Vietnam and Switzerland, as well as to promote the image of a youthful and vibrant Vietnam to the public in Switzerland, including overseas Vietnamese, and in other European countries. Vietnam Days in Switzerland 2021 will broadcast live from 3 bridge points: main stage from Vietnam, the Embassy of Vietnam in Switzerland and Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, WTO and other International Organisations in Geneva. Following the event, Vietnam Days in the United States 2021 is scheduled to take place this November, contributing to the cooperation across many fields between the two countries. Source: NDO the View Immigrants, refugees drive population growth, improve quality of life in Buffalo, UB expert says By DOUGLAS SITLER Buffalo and Western New York will always be competitive in offering affordable housing and a lower cost of living compared to other cities in the U.S. We also have a growing, well-structured support network for immigrants and refugees. Wooksoo Kim, associate professor of social work and director Immigrant and Refugee Research Institute The 2020 U.S. census revealed that the city of Buffalo gained population for the first time in 70 years, a trend fueled by an influx of immigrants and refugees. The positive impact made by these groups, says Wooksoo Kim, associate professor of social work and director of the Immigrant and Refugee Research Institute at UB, goes against the misaligned and politicized views of the immigrant and refugee communities. For the last 10 to 15 years, we have witnessed tremendous growth in immigrant and refugee populations in Buffalo, says Kim, whose research aims to improve the lives of immigrant and refugee populations by understanding their needs and designing culturally responsive intervention approaches to address those needs. We have heard the stories of Bangladeshi immigrants moving into the East Side and refugees from Burma into the Lower West Side, Black Rock and waterfront neighborhoods, Kim says. When we walk down Grant Street or Broadway, we see more and more business signs in various languages popping up every year, which suggests a growing demand and interest in serving immigrants and refugees in the area. Cost of living, support networks spur growth Kim says she was initially worried that immigrants and refugees would not be accurately counted in the census. Typically, immigrants and refugees are underrepresented in the census. Adding the pandemic to the mix, I was concerned that the 2020 census would further undercount their numbers, she says. However, I am personally delighted to see the growth reflected in this years census. I believe this is the result of the hard work and dedication of various community organizations to make sure the population was accurately counted. Affordable cost of living and support networks are expected to fuel Buffalos immigrant and population growth for the next decade, she says. Historically, affordability and strong support to welcome new Americans have been the major attraction for immigrant and refugee populations to settle in Buffalo, she explains. Buffalo and Western New York will always be competitive in offering affordable housing and a lower cost of living compared to other cities in the U.S. We also have a growing, well-structured support network for immigrants and refugees. Thanks to local resettlement agencies and their newcomer support programs, ethnic community organizations and government agencies all work together to make Buffalo and Western New York an ideal place for successful integration. Immigrants, refugees add cultural diversity Buffalo immigrant and refugee populations are also making significant contributions to the citys life, culture and economy, Kim notes. Immigrants and refugees have always been main contributors to economic development they accomplish this by opening up small businesses, buying houses and contributing to the wonderful diversity of the region, she says. Without setting foot outside of Buffalo, there are so many opportunities to learn and experience the worlds cultures and languages located right here in our backyard. There are many cultural events held year-round. To name a few: the Burmese Water Festival, Karen Wrist-tying Ceremony, Puja for Hinduism and Eid Mubarak for Muslims. These events and the people who attend them help to bring different cultural and international experiences to Buffalo without the need for travel. I believe they are the ones responsible for bringing in much of the character and livelihood of the region. Continue investment in support systems Victor Nkelle Ngoh Archives The death has been announced of the former Government Delegate to the Kumba City Council, Victor Ngoh Nkelle. The state broadcaster, CRTV reports that he was found dead in his Alaska Street residence on Monday, September 27, 2021, under unclear circumstances. The police and state counsel were at Nkelle Ngohs residence to assess the situation, CRTV reported. Victor Nkelle Ngoh was lastly seen on Sunday, September 26, 2021, during the exercise to renew the executives of basic organs of the ruling Cameroon Peoples Democratic Movement, CPDM. He was at the head of the team reorganizing the basic organs of the CPDM in Meme III, Konye Subdivision. For eleven years, Victor Nkelle Ngoh served as Government Delegate to the Kumba City Council from February 2009 to March 2020. The Guardian Post reports that Nkelle Ngoh was discovered lifeless in his room at his Alaska Street residence of Kumba about 3 pm on Monday. Accounts hold that the former Government Delegate did not step out of his room as he went to bed Sunday night. It is reported that friends and relatives found out something might have gone wrong with him after they rang his phone severally without a response. Sources say even his wife, who was away in Yaounde, had also tried reaching him by phone to no avail. Friends, party allies, and family members were then forced to dash to his residence to find out what was happening. It is reported that they met grown-ups in the house, who, we learned, could not provide answers as to why they did not bother to find out about him, after having not seen him until about 3 pm when the shocking discovery was made. We gathered that, usually, the late Ngoh Nkelle would get up in the morning, take his breakfast before going about his daily activities. It wasnt however the case yesterday. The state prosecutor for Meme, medical doctors, and a team of security forces are said to have stormed the residence of the deceased when news of his death, under unclear circumstances was made public. As at nightfall yesterday, further investigations are said to have been launched to ascertain the cause of his demise. Ngoh Nkelle, a native of Kumba was born in 1960 in the South West economic hub. He did his Primary Education at the Bethel Baptist Primary School, Kumba. He later studied at the Cameroon Protestant College, CPC Bali, and the Cameroon College of Science and Technology, CCAST Bambili wherein he obtained the General Certificate of Education, GCE, Advanced and Ordinary Levels respectively. His quest for knowledge took him to Germany. There, he studied at the University of Marburg, graduating with a BSc in Economics. By 1988, the politician earned an MA in Cooperative Economics from the same institution. He returned home and picked a job with CIPRE in Bafoussam, West region. In 1998, destiny took Ngoh Nkelle to the South West Farmers Cooperative Union, SOWEFCU, where he served as its Director. It was while serving at SOWEFCU that the President of the Republic appointed him Government Delegate to the Kumba City Council on March 6, 2009. Ngoh Nkelle battled through elections and succeeded to be voted pioneer city mayor of the Kumba in March 2020. This was shortly after the February 9, 2020 twin polls. He served in that capacity for barely six months. This was amid legal battles that passed through the South West Administrative Court and later the Supreme Court. On September 25, 2020, the highest court of the land canceled Ngohs election as city mayor citing irregularities. His arch-rival, Gregory Ntemeyok Mewanu, would later be voted city mayor following a re-run of the election. But Ngoh had on the day of that exercise raised certain issues and reclined from the exercise. He would be remembered for always smiling and being open to all. Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday represented India at Mexico's Independence day celebrations. Jaishankar is on a three-day visit to Mexico to attend the celebrations marking the 200th anniversary of Mexican Independence. "Represented India at the celebrations of Mexico's 200th anniversary of attaining Independence. Affirmed our strong bonds and privileged partnership," EAM said in a tweet. During the visit, Jaishankar also met Mexican President Andres Manuel. "Conveyed greetings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. An open conversation on our governance priorities and practices. Great scope for exchange of experiences and best practices," Jaishankar said in another tweet. Jaishankar met Bangladesh's Minister of State (MoS) for Foreign Affairs Md. Shahriar Alam in Mexico City during celebrations of Mexico's 200th anniversary of attaining Independence on Monday (local time). Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said: "Good to meet Bangladeshi MoS for Foreign Affairs @MdShahriarAlam at the independence day celebrations in Mexico City." Jaishankar is on a two-day visit to Mexico and is participating in the commemorative events of the 200th anniversary of the consolidation of Mexican Independence along with other world leaders.It is his first visit to the country as External Affairs Minister. (ANI) Then, there are people who may get Pfizer booster shots, but dont necessarily need to, according to the CDC. Those people must also have received their second doses of the Pfizer vaccine at least six months ago. People ages 18 to 49 with underlying medical conditions may get booster shots based on their individual benefits and risks according to the state health department. People ages 18 to 64 who work in settings where they may be more exposed to COVID-19, such as hospitals, schools and grocery stores, may also get boosters based on their individual benefits and risks. Evans: I feel like were at this weird crux of the conversation: How do we go about recognizing Black artists in ways that is not dependent upon structures that are not necessarily set up to reward us. The Emmys you want to root for someone to win. And then someone wins, and youre like, awesome. But if someone doesnt win its just like, Well, did they actually have a fair shot at winning in the first place? Its that weird conversation. And then theres always that conversation that we should start our own stuff. But also theres a reason Omar and I were like: Were going to write this Black Nerd Problems book. We had an opportunity to put this book out on Simon & Schuster. Its like someone coming to us and saying: Why didnt you just self-publish? Because its on Simon & Schuster, fam. So to say to an actor or actress: The Emmys dont matter, we should do our own thing. You dont know how long that person has been training their whole life to be recognized for what they do, they probably want to win an Emmy and thats completely OK. But I think its a really complex scenario especially for marginalized, performers, and how theyre recognized by an academy that is not made up of them. It has been her thirst for discovering and bringing to wide attention the contributions of overlooked Black filmmakers and the audiences for their work that has guided her career and given her an impressive academic resume, which include degrees from Stanford University and the University of Chicago, from which she received her Ph.D. in 1999. That same year, she became a member of its Department of English, until 2006 when she joined the Departments of Radio/Television/Film and African American Studies at Northwestern University as an associate professor. She returned to the University of Chicago in 2013 as a professor in the Department of Cinema and Media Studies and was appointed director of Arts + Public Life in 2019. A few solitary houses stand. One of these on Lincoln place, is a small white cottage, which remains unscathed in the midst of the dreary waste surrounding it. A policeman named Bellinger, an invalid, was the occupant when the fire raged. He hauled up the sidewalk; as far as possible isolating his house. Then he poured water over the building until none was left, and when the water was all gone, he took his cider out of his cellar and used it in the same way. Share quote & link Lilly Price Lilly Price joined the Capital Gazette in 2019 and is a general assignment reporter. Previously, she was a national news intern at the USA Today and a capitol reporting intern at the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin, she is a native of Montgomery County, Maryland. She has since done her best to slow the use of the drug in her community, she said. In an August interview with a local TV station, she warned people about the dangers of taking ivermectin and the impact that shortages could have on animals. When people come in to ask about the drug, she said, she also explains the hazards of off-label use. Police said the driver, 57, was sitting in a vehicle when he was shot in the chest by a gunman who approached on foot. The shooting occurred about 8:30 p.m. in the 1300 block of West Grenshaw Street in the University Village neighborhood. This is an isolated incident; we have a great community and dont see anything like this, Taylor said. The mayor was just really shook by it and will continue to be upset. Hopefully, hopefully, someone has a camera on their house, on their door or someone saw something so we can begin the process of trying to get the information out to the community so we can try to put this thing together and find these people. Were hoping, were praying. At a moment of great disruption when I think all of us are worried about some trend lines out there to the degree to which peoples fears and, in some cases, legitimate concerns about globalization and technology and migration and social media, all of these things are converging, he said. What weve seen is that theres one possibility in which we work through that and come out on the other side more unified, more inclusive, more just, more environmentally sustainable in terms of how we organize our economy and our society, and theres another path in which we become more divided, more tribal. Lathem and Warren ambushed Cornell while he was in Lathems bed, prosecutors said, stabbing him more than 70 times and nearly decapitating him, they said. Then the two went on the lam, during which Lathem sent a video to his family saying I killed him, I did do it, it wasnt an accident, it was a mistake, the biggest mistake of my life, and I regret it with every fiber of my being, according to Thrun. Among topics raised were Browns ongoing efforts to combat Chicagos gun violence, which, police statistics show, is on pace to be higher by the end of the year than a disastrous 2020. Through Sunday, Chicago recorded 602 homicides, up from 580 during the same period last year, the statistics show. And so far, this year, 3,368 people were shot, compared with 3,049 at the same time in 2020, a 10% jump. The data doesnt include violence on the area expressways. When members of my staff reviewed the case, several of them were furious with me. They vehemently disagreed with the decision to ignore his wishes and place the tube, even if it meant he died. I explained that in the heat of the moment, I felt that he was speaking out of fear and that I could not be certain that was a true expression of his wishes. Those who disagreed were unmoved I had violated the patients autonomy, and they were adamant that was the one sacrosanct value that doctors should never reject. The community itself is a resource for them, and vice versa, he said. Hyde Park is a great community and the only way you can experience that is to get out and get involved and meet folks ... an opportunity to find out what life is like beyond the walls of the campus. I would imagine students generally go to class, they go to 53rd or 57th to get something to eat, and then they go back to class and to the dorm or wherever theyre living. But theyre not necessarily at committee meetings and community gatherings as much because they may feel like thats something that they shouldnt be involved in and my message is, Youre here; youre part of the community. ... Its a two-way street. We do everything from the neck up, said Treasyri Williams Wood clinic director and DePaul clinical assistant professor. Anything to do with the cognitive processes attention, organization, focus, language, speech, stuttering, fluency, swallowing. Just think of all of the people who have been placed on ventilators for COVID. You have to wean them off, teach them how to swallow, rehabilitate all of those muscles, rehabilitate their speech. That falls within our scope of practice and children on the autism spectrum, developmental delays, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, all of that we deal with. We have babies in the NICU who are born premature and need to work with speech language pathologists to acquire swallowing milestones and to develop language. We are truly an expansive scope. The ATMs at each location also will be removed although the bank will continue to have several nearby branches and dozens of ATMs, Hanover said. Chase bank employees at both branches will be moved into jobs at other branches in the area, he said. As agreed upon by the two sides, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell will hold the 11th China-EU High Level Strategic Dialogue on September 28. Against the backdrop of rising instability and uncertainty in international situations, it is necessary for China and the EU to conduct strategic communication and strengthen coordination and cooperation. The two sides will exchange views on China-EU relations, dialogues and cooperation in various areas, and international and regional issues to promote sound and steady development of China-EU relations and jointly respond to global challenges. This strategic dialogue will be convened via videoconference. CCTV: Through unremitting efforts of the Chinese government, Ms. Meng Wanzhou returned to China on the night of September 25. This has heartened the Chinese people and drawn much attention from international media, which is widely believed as a victory for China. Do you have any comment? Hua Chunying: The Meng Wanzhou incident is a political frame-up and persecution against a Chinese citizen, an act designed to hobble Chinese high-tech companies as represented by Huawei. Through unremitting efforts of the Chinese government, Ms. Meng Wanzhou has finally returned to her home country safe and sound. We are truly happy for this. Since Meng was groundlessly detained in early December, 2018, our Party and the Chinese government have attached high importance and President Xi Jinping gave personal attention to this. The Foreign Ministry, together with the Chinese embassies in the US and Canada and the Chinese Consulate General in Vancouver, has worked at various levels and on multiple occasions, provided consular protection and assistance to Ms. Meng Wanzhou, and lodged solemn representations with the US and Canada, asking them to drop the erroneous charges against Meng and ensure her safe return to China as early as possible. Other departments concerned have also done a large amount of in-depth and careful work. The Chinese people have given their full support throughout this course, and an online petition demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Meng collected 15 million signatures within a short time. The news of Meng's return to China got 400 million thumbs-ups on the online platform of the China Media Group on the night of September 25, and that number is larger than the combined populations of the US and Canada. In these two days, some college students came to the Foreign Ministry to present flowers to thank the Chinese government for its efforts to rescue and help Meng return to China, saying that they are truly proud of their home country. This is so moving. Just as Ms. Meng said, "Without a powerful motherland, I would not have my freedom today." It is thanks to the relentless efforts of the Party and the Chinese government and the full support of all the Chinese people nationwide that Ms. Meng is able to come back to her home country safe and sound. Justice may be late, but never absent. This again fully proves that a strong China under the leadership of the CPC will always have the back of every single Chinese citizen. The Party and the Chinese government have the firm will and strong capability to firmly uphold the legitimate and legal rights and interests of Chinese citizens and companies as well as the interests and dignity of the Party and our nation. No force can hold back China's progress! CNN: China stressed many times that the cases of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor are completely different in essence from the Meng Wanzhou incident. On the same day when Meng Wanzhou regained freedom, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were allowed to return to Canada. Does China think the timing is purely coincidental? Some foreign individuals believe that the timing of the two Canadian citizens' release proves that China conducts "hostage diplomacy" and "coercive diplomacy". Some Chinese scholars say the arrest of the two Canadians, following Meng Wanzhou's arrest, is a common practice in major-power games, and is China's response to the US and its allies in a way that they can understand. How do you respond to that? Hua Chunying: I noticed you said the cases of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor are completely different in essence from the Meng Wanzhou incident. This is totally right. The Meng Wanzhou incident is completely different in essence from the two Canadians' cases. The Meng Wanzhou incident is a political frame-up and persecution against a Chinese citizen, an act designed to hobble Chinese high-tech companies. Now Ms. Meng Wanzhou has returned to China safe and sound. Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, suspected of committing crimes of endangering national security of China, applied for release on bail for medical reasons. After the confirmation from related departments and diagnosis of professional medical institutes of China and under the guarantee of the Canadian ambassador to China, the Chinese courts concerned decided to release them on bail in accordance with law and national security authorities enforced the decision. We noticed that after relevant information came out on September 25, many Canadian media outlets pointed out that the Meng Wanzhou incident is full of politics and void of the rule of law, and that the Canadian side should not have done the dirty work for the US. Canada should draw lessons and act in ways that serve its own interests. As for the timing, I want to point out that the groundless detention of Meng Wanzhou is a serious mistake made by the US and Canada, which they should have corrected long ago. You just cited some Chinese scholars' views. Chinese scholars can freely express their views on media platforms. Their points actually express the hope that the Chinese government and China's diplomacy can be more capable of better protecting the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and enterprises. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi just had a phone call with the Foreign Minister of Venezuela. State Councilor Wang Yi stressed that China firmly defends the legitimate rights and interests of its people without any compromise. The practice of arbitrary detention of foreign nationals out of political motives and with made-up excuses of all forms is through-and-through coercion and bullying, and affronts international rules and human conscience. We believe that more countries will step forward as China did and defend all kinds of illegal unilateral sanctions, long-arm jurisdiction and political framing, jointly uphold international equity and justice and defend the basic norms governing international relations. In these days, many young students came voluntarily to the foreign ministry to send flowers, and our Spokesperson's Office has been turned into a sea of rose blossoms. My colleagues and I are moved because the flowers represent Chinese people's sincere support and recognition for our Party and the government for their ability to firmly defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and businesses, and the public sentiment and opinion. I also want to take this opportunity to thank all those who care for and support Ms. Meng, and my deep thanks also go to all friends who care for and support China's diplomacy. I hope Chinese people's aspiration can be shared through your reports to people of other countries. Beijing Daily: According to reports, Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau said in an interview on September 26 that Canada's "eyes are wide open", and the government is now following a fourfold approach to China: "coexist," "compete," "cooperate" and "challenge". What is China's response? Hua Chunying: State-to-state relations can only be built on mutual respect, equality and mutual benefits. China-Canadian relations are no exception. We hope Canada can keep its eyes wide open, have a clear understanding of the situations, and adopt rational and practical China policy. MASTV: German media polls show that the Social Democratic Party (SPD) is currently leading in the election of the lower house of the parliament. As Chancellor Merkel is outgoing, how do you comment on China-Germany relations during her term in office? What is your expectation for the development of China-Germany relations going forward? Hua Chunying: China-Germany relations have seen sound development overall in recent years. China attaches importance to developing relations with Germany, believing that the steady and sound development of China-Germany relations meets the shared interests of the two countries. China noticed that the preliminary results of the German general election have been released. We stand ready to work with the new German government to stay committed to upholding China-Germany relations and maintaining bilateral dialogue and cooperation, continue to advance practical cooperation between the two countries in the spirit of mutual benefits and openness, and promote sound and sustained progress of the bilateral relations in line with the principle of mutual respect and seeking common ground while shelving differences. Chancellor Merkel attaches importance to developing relations with China. She visited China for 12 times during her term, and launched and co-chaired all six rounds of China-Germany inter-governmental consultations. She helped to deepen and substantiate practical cooperation and friendly interactions in various areas with China, which have brought tangible benefits to the two countries and the two peoples, and made contribution to China-Europe exchange and cooperation and world peace and stability. China highly appreciates this. Facts have shown that as long as China and Germany keep consolidating and deepening mutual trust and follow the approach that focuses on cooperation on an equal footing for mutual benefits, the bilateral relations can continue to achieve new development. We hope the new German government can carry on the practical and balanced China policy and consolidate the keynote of cooperation in China-Germany relations. Bloomberg: To follow up on your comment on Meng Wanzhou. You listed a number of things that the Chinese government had done to secure her release. Does the government's involvement in securing her release from the Canadian detention, the Chinese ambassador accompanying her on her return to China, and the big display from state media when she landed over the weekend undercut the argument that Huawei is independent of the government of China? Hua Chunying: The Party and the Chinese government attach great importance to safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and enterprises. Chinese Ambassador to Canada Cong Peiwu accompanied Ms. Meng Wanzhou back to China. You said these efforts seem to call into question Huawei's independence. As an American media outlet, you know that US leaders have mentioned to China on several occasions that they hope US companies can be provided with more convenience and a better environment in their operation in and cooperation with China. Does this mean that no American companies are independent? What is the relationship between US businesses and US government? The government of any country has the responsibility and obligation to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of its enterprises and citizens. The Paper: Some foreign media believe that Meng Wanzhou's smooth return to China marks a major victory in China's resolute diplomatic struggle on the Meng Wanzhou's case. Do you agree with that? Hua Chunying: Thanks to the unremitting efforts of the Chinese government and the strong support of the Chinese people, Ms. Meng Wanzhou has returned to China safely after more than 1,000 days of groundless detention. If we are to use the word "victory", this is a victory of the Chinese people and the force of justice. Hubei Media Group: We noticed that on September 26, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended and delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Sustainable Development Forum 2021 via video link. Can you share more information? Hua Chunying: Thank you for your attention to the Sustainable Development Forum hosted by China. As you said, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended and delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Sustainable Development Forum 2021, where he further expounded on the profound connotation of the Global Development Initiative put forward by President Xi Jinping at the General Debate of the 76th UNGA, and proposed China's position and proposition on implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and promoting cooperation on international development. The Global Development Initiative proposed by China calls on the international community to accelerate implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, pursue more robust, greener and more balanced global development and build a global community of development. This major initiative charts a course for global development cause and cooperation on international development. The world is facing the combined impacts of changes unseen in a century and the COVID-19 pandemic and the implementation of UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development faces new challenges. Against such a backdrop, the Global Development Initiative follows the core approach that puts people at the center, makes promoting people's well-being and achieving all-round development of the people the fundamental purpose and end goal, sets people's longing for a better life as the objective, adheres to the guideline of practical cooperation, and upholds the spirit of partnership featuring openness and inclusiveness. It holds tight development, the master key to solving all problems, and works to resolve difficulties in development and create more development opportunities in an effort to leave no country and no one behind. China calls on all to take the opportunity of implementing the Global Development Initiative, deepen anti-pandemic cooperation, step up coordination on macro policies, uphold a green and low-carbon approach, equity and justice and true multilateralism and drive forward international development. China is ready to work with all parties to usher in bright prospects of international cooperation, and continue to make relentless efforts in building a community with a shared future for mankind. Shenzhen TV: It is reported that after China's foreign ministry published the Fact Sheet: US Interference in Hong Kong Affairs and Support for Anti-China, Destabilizing Forces, the US State Department said in response that the actions of the US were fully consistent with international law and suggesting otherwise was simply an attempt by Beijing to divert attention from "its own bad conduct", and undermined the city's appeal as a hub of openness and free exchange. What is the ministry's response? Hua Chunying: A question to the US. Among the 102 items listed in the Fact Sheet: US Interference in Hong Kong Affairs and Support for Anti-China, Destabilizing Forces, which is not based clear facts and solid evidence? The remarks by the US once again prove that the so-called international law the US talks about is nothing but a cover for its wanton interference in others' internal affairs to pursue hegemony and bullying based on its own liking and self-interests in the name of freedom and democracy. The "emperor's new clothes" is being seen through by more and more people Hong Kong is a society with the rule of law, where the residents have their legal rights and freedom fully protected in accordance with law. Hong Kong ranks the third in the Global Financial Centres Index report released recently. This again shows the degree of freedom and openness in Hong Kong as an international financial center is widely appreciated. However, if the US attempts to seek any freedom of wantonly interfering in China's internal affairs and undermining Hong Kong's security and stability, I can make it clear to the US: No way! China Daily: On September 24, more than 60 countries made a joint statement at the UN Human Rights Council, supporting China's positions on issues related to Xinjiang, Hong Kong and Tibet, and opposing interference in China's internal affairs in the name of human rights. What is China's comment? Hua Chunying: On September 24, at the 48th session of the Human Rights Council, Pakistan spoke on behalf of 65 countries. It stressed issues related to Hong Kong, Xinjiang and Tibet are China's internal affairs that allow no foreign interference and supported the implementation of One Country, Two Systems in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. It opposed politicization of and double standards on human rights issues, opposed groundless accusations against China out of political motives and based on disinformation and opposed interference in China's internal affairs in the name of human rights. More than 30 countries supported China's legitimate positions by making statements in national capacity or co-signing a letter. The fact that nearly 100 countries spoke for justice again at the Human Rights Council fully shows justice can always prevail. A handful of Western countries, in total disregard of facts and truth, have fabricated lies and rumors and interfered in China's internal affairs, which is rejected by developing countries. They attempt to oppress and contain other countries under the pretext of human rights and trample upon international rule of law, which is met with a firm fightback. Facts have proven again that Chinese people will never allow any attempt to politicize human rights issues with double standards and harm the basic human rights of the people of other countries, nor will the countries and people who uphold fairness and justice in the world. We urge those Western countries to seriously reflect upon what they have done, change their course and return to the right track of dialogue and cooperation. FSN: Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were released on bail for medical reasons and reports also said that China may resume the case against them if they violate the conditions of bails. So first of all, will the foreign ministry be able to elaborate on what those medical reasons are and also elaborate on what the conditions of bail are as well. Also ,would you be able to share whether or not the US or Canada set as a condition for the release of Meng Wanzhou that the two Michaels had to be returned to Canada as well? Hua Chunying: You may have learned from media reports that Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor applied for release on bail for medical reasons. After the confirmation from related departments and diagnosis of professional medical institutes of China and under the guarantee of the Canadian ambassador to China, the Chinese courts concerned decided to release them on bail in accordance with law. Relevant reports also listed facts in details that they were suspected of committing the crime of endangering China's national security. The two defendants confessed to their crimes, and they should strictly abide by the decision on bail made by relevant Chinese courts. In case of violation, China can resume, in accordance with law, the trial of the alleged criminal acts anytime while on bail. I would refer you to competent authorities for specific details. As for your question on condition, I just said that the groundless detention of Meng Wanzhou is a serious mistake made by the US and Canada, which they should have corrected long ago. China News Service: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov noted on September 25 that nuclear submarines use weapons-grade uranium. He added that if Australia acquires nuclear-powered submarines within the framework of the new AUKUS defense alliance, Russia will probably have to request IAEA oversight. What's your comment on that? Hua Chunying: My colleague has made clear China's position on this issue before. We believe that the cooperation between the US, the UK and Australia on nuclear submarines poses a serious risk of nuclear proliferation and violates the spirit of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The concerns expressed by the Russian side are completely legitimate and reasonable. The export of nuclear submarines to Australia, a non-nuclear weapon state, would involve the transfer of sensitive nuclear materials such as weapons-grade highly enriched uranium and related technology and equipment. There are gaps in the IAEA's safeguards system, which cannot effectively prevent Australia from using relevant nuclear materials to manufacture nuclear weapons. China is firmly opposed to the US, the UK and Australia's malicious exploitation of loopholes in the NPT and the IAEA safeguards mechanism, and will firmly safeguard the authority and effectiveness of the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. At the same time, China would like to remind all parties of the serious harm of double standards on the non-proliferation issue adopted by the US, UK and Australia. The US and UK put geopolitical interests above international nuclear non-proliferation rules and help Australia become the first non-nuclear weapon state to introduce nuclear submarines, which will encourage other non-nuclear weapon states to do the same, and bring far-reaching negative impact to the resolving of non-proliferation hotspots in the region. Moreover, Australia's introduction of nuclear submarines will undercut the South Pacific Nuclear Free Zone Treaty and ASEAN countries' efforts to build a Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (NWFZ) in Southeast Asia, and severely sabotage regional peace and stability. China again urges the three countries to heed the call from the international community, abandon outdated Cold War mentality and narrow-minded geopolitical concepts, revoke the wrong decision, faithfully fulfill international non-proliferation obligations and do more that benefits regional peace and stability. Reuters: Can I clarify that China's position is that the release of Meng and the release of Kovrig and Spavor is entirely coincidental? And secondly, a British warship passed through the Taiwan Straits today. Do you have any comment on that? Hua Chunying: We have stated many times that the Meng Wanzhou incident is completely different in essence from the cases of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor. Many media outlets, including those in Canada, pointed out that the Canadian side should not have done the dirty work for the US and should draw lessons. The groundless detention of Meng Wanzhou is a serious mistake made by the US and Canada, which they should have corrected long ago. As to your second question, China's position is very clear. We hope some country can do more that helps to build mutual trust and truly safeguards regional peace and stability. Prasar Bharati: Last week, India's Ambassador to China Vikram Misri has said that India has continued to issue visas to Chinese businessmen to visit India despite current differences in the bilateral relations, but he expressed his disappointment over China's continued visa ban on Indian students, family members, businessmen, marine crew etc. and has termed it as unscientific approach. Do you have any comment or response to this, particularly to China's unscientific approach as mentioned? Hua Chunying: Since the start of COVID-19, China has been following science-based prevention and control measures in accordance with law, and has done our utmost to protect people's health and safety, and safeguard their life and production. Given the ongoing spread of the coronavirus across the globe, the Chinese government has to adopt a series of management measures, which is timely adjusted in accordance with the evolving situation, in order to ensure the safe, healthy and orderly flow of Chinese and foreign travelers. China's prevention and control measures are scientific, professional and appropriate. I want to stress that China applies quarantine measures equally to all inbound travelers, including its own citizens. With effective prevention and control measures in place, China is willing to work with all countries, India included, to make proper arrangement for the exchanges of personnel in the context of COVID-19. Bloomberg: In your early answer about Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, you said they pleaded guilty and then they were released on bail. Is that a fact that they pleaded guilty? That's a statement I haven't heard before. Hua Chunying: Maybe you missed those media reports on the matter. Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor made confession to their crimes and wrote materials of confession and repentance. Beijing Youth Daily: On September 23, the US House of Representatives passed the amendment bill of the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which recommends the US administration to consider imposing sanctions against 35 Russian senior officials and businessmen under the "Global Magnitsky Act." Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova made strong response to that. Do you have any comment? Hua Chunying: We noted relevant reports and strong response on the Russian side. China firmly rejects the US pointing fingers at other countries and imposing unilateral sanctions under the pretext of human rights. China believes that all countries should abide by international law, opposes wanton use or threat of unilateral sanctions, maintains that all countries should resolve differences through equal-footed negotiations and rejects willful issuance of ultimatum. The US totally disregards the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, international law and the basic norms governing international relations. Such hegemonic and bullying practices are just unpopular. They have been opposed by Russia and China, and will meet rejection and opposition from more and more countries. Global Times: it is reported that Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov on September 26 said the recent US proposal for a "Summit for Democracy", was more in the spirit of a Cold War, as it declares a new crusade against all dissenters. What's your comment? Hua Chunying: I fully agree with Foreign Minister Lavrov. By putting together this so-called "Summit for Democracy", the US is in essence drawing a ideological line for bloc politics. This will only lead to division and confrontation, which will find no support as it runs against the trend of the times. A crucial criterion of democracy should be whether the people's expectations, needs and aspirations are met, and whether they enjoy tangible benefits. Whether it is good or not should not be judged by what we say, but what we do. In the US, the top one percent own, govern and have it all. Is this democracy? The US politics is split and polarized, and it's "America against America". The government doesn't have the support of half the people. Is this democracy? Fooling the people and abusing their trust and making empty promises without delivering on them, is this democracy? The US has waged wars overseas based on lies and rumors, in which people lost their lives and slipped into poverty, while arms dealers and big capitalists lined their pockets. Is this democracy? Callous to people like George Floyd who can't breathe and innocent people died by gun violence, the government just sits back. Is this democracy? Living a good life while resorting to all means to suppress other countries the right to development and deny their people a good life, is this democracy? The US side should do some soul-searching, make a correct and objective assessment of itself. It should stop acting as "the spokesperson for democracy" at will and applying double or even multiple standards on the issue of democracy, let alone trying to use the issue of democracy as a tool to suppress other countries. We hope that the US will abandon the Cold War mentality, reject the wrong practice of seeking cliques and zero-sum game, and work with other countries to practice international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness, justice and win-win cooperation, and promote the common values of humanity of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom. TASS: The first-ever in-person Quad summit among the US, Japan. Australia and India was concluded in the White House yesterday. The themes of discussions reportedly focused on China. What does the foreign ministry have to say about this? Hua Chunying: We are following the Quad summit held by the US, Japan, India and Australia. For some time, these countries have been keen on insinuating China with the so-called "rules-based order", playing up and inciting the so-called "China threat" theory, and driving a wedge between regional countries and China. China is firmly opposed to this. In response to your question, I would like to emphasize three points. First, facts have long proved that China is a builder of world peace, a contributor to global development, a defender of the international order and a provider of public goods. China's growth means a growing force for world peace and a blessing for regional prosperity and development. China cannot be accused of "coercion" or "disruption of order". Second, what most countries in the world recognize and accept is the international system with the UN at its core, the international order based on international law and the basic norms governing international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, rather than the so-called "order" unilaterally defined by one or few countries. Numerous facts have shown that the US wants an order in which it wantonly smears, coerces and interferes in other countries without paying any price. It is an order in which US hegemony and bullying prevail, while the whole world grovels to the US. This so-called "order" runs counter to the trend of peace, development and cooperation of the times and the common aspiration of people around the world. It is unpopular and will never succeed. Third, China always believes that any multilateral mechanism should conform to the trend of the times for peace and development, help enhance mutual trust and cooperation among countries, and should not target or undermine the interests of any third party. Relevant countries should abandon the outdated Cold War zero-sum mentality and ideological bias, stop forming closed and exclusive "cliques", and do more to promote solidarity and cooperation among countries in the region as well as regional peace and stability. RIA Novosti: Last week, the former United Nations Under-Secretary-General Sha Zukang called on Beijing to re-examine its no-first-use policy on nuclear weapon. I wonder what's China's comment on his suggestions in light of new security alliance among Australia, the UK and the US. Will China consider the change of this policy? Hua Chunying: China's nuclear policy has been clear and consistent. China has been an active advocate for the comprehensive prohibition and complete elimination of nuclear weapons. We unequivocally made the pledge of not being the first to use nuclear weapons at any time or under any circumstances and unconditionally not using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones. China is the only nuclear weapon state to make and honor this commitment. Every Chinese who loves his country is entitled to express his views on national security. Many of their views actually reveal the concern over the unilateral and hegemonic policies of the US in the field of strategic security. We hope the US government can heed the voice of ordinary Chinese people, earnestly reduce the role of nuclear weapons in national security policies, respect the legitimate security concerns of other countries, and play its due role in maintaining global strategic balance and stability. Prasar Bharati: A follow-up. You just said that China is willing to have good arrangements for bilateral travel with India. But as I understand, China is not issuing any visas for travelers from India. So are you saying that China is planning to soon start bilateral travel with India? What did you mean? Can you kindly explain a little bit? Hua Chunying: Maybe you didn't quite understand what I said. On the visa issue that you care about, the prevention and control measures that China has to adopt amid COVID-19 are not targeting India, but applied to everyone. China applies entry measures equally to all inbound travelers, including its own citizens. Like I said earlier, with effective prevention and control measures in place, China is willing to work with all countries, India included, to make proper arrangement for the exchanges of personnel in the context of COVID-19. China's prevention and control measures are scientific, professional and appropriate. We will make timely adjustments and proper arrangements in light of the changing situation and needs. On September 13, 2021, Ambassador Qin Gang attended the virtual welcome event hosted by the US-China Business Council. USCBC Chairman Tom Linebarger, President Craig Allen and some board members participated in this event. The USCBC extended welcome to Ambassador Qin for assumption of office, and expressed its commitment to China-US friendly exchanges and bilateral economic cooperation. Ambassador Qin spoke highly of the important contributions made by the USCBC in maintaining and fostering China-US economic cooperation over a long period of time. He said, on September 10, President Xi Jinping and President Joe Biden had a phone talk, and President Xi said to President Biden, when China and the United States cooperate, both countries and the world will benefit; when China and the United States are in confrontation, both countries and the world will suffer. Getting the relationship right is not optional, but something we must do and must do well. President Xi's words show China's sincerity to pursue sound and stable China-US relations. My mission here is to work with the US side and make sure that we deliver. I look forward to working with all of you towards this end, and I would love to talk to you, and be a good listener and helper to you, so that we can uphold and promote the common interests of China and the US. Ambassador Qin said that China's economy enjoys a good momentum and bright prospects. Since the beginning of this year, it has maintained a steady and upward trend. In the first six months, it registered a year-on-year growth of 12.7%. Foreign trade grew by 27.1% and paid-in foreign investment increased by 28.7%. According to the IMF, China's contribution to world economic growth will exceed 1/4 for the next five years. China will continue to be the source of confidence, growth and hope for world economic recovery in the post-pandemic era. China's high-quality development in the new stage and for a new paradigm will provide a broader market to foreign investors, including American businesses. Ambassador Qin pointed out that, President Xi Jinping stressed that China is committed to promoting high-level opening-up, protecting property rights and intellectual property rights, and making our policies more transparent and predictable. China will build a market-oriented, law-based and world-class business environment. China has been shortening the negative list for access of foreign investment for four years in a row. The latest list only has 33 items. For those areas outside the list, domestic and foreign investments are treated equally. When China joined the WTO, China pledged to open 100 services sectors, and now it has committed another 22 sectors. Up till now, we have removed all the foreign ownership caps on the manufacturing sector and agriculture, and the opening of the services sector, including the financial industry, is also picking up speed. Several days ago, President Xi Jinping announced that we will extend the negative list for trade in services across the country, explore the development of national demonstration zones for the innovative development of trade in services, and establish Beijing Stock Exchange to support the development of innovation-oriented SMEs. Ambassador Qin stressed that reform and opening-up is just like crossing the river by feeling the stones. New problems will occur when developing a market-oriented economy, but not all of them are predicted. When new problems occur, we must try to resolve them with new solutions. The Chinese government's policies and measures are to define what is allowed and what is not, and create a fair and law-based market environment. This will make our policies more predictable. At the same time, the Chinese government will carry out extensive study and solicit people's opinions before introducing a new policy. Ambassador Qin said that according to the latest survey of USCBC, uncertainties caused by difficulties and challenges facing the China-U.S. relations has been most worrisome to American business community. If we compare China-US relations to a giant ship, then economic and trade cooperation has been its ballast and propeller. When the ship sails against heavy winds and huge waves, we need to add more strength to the ballast and propeller. On concerns about the uncertainties in China-US relations, what I can offer is the certainty from the Chinese side. China's economy is promising, its market potential is huge, and its door of opening-up will only open wider. China will continue to welcome American companies to explore Chinese market. To be frank, the difficulties and uncertainties in China-US trade and business cooperation are not from the Chinese side. I hope that the US side will meet with China halfway, follow the principles of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, and make earnest efforts to improve China-US relations. Ambassador Qin said that as a show of sincerity, China has been faithfully implementing the agreement despite the pandemic, and has made positive progress in enhancing IPR protection and expanding market access of agricultural products and the financial sector. At the same time, China has eliminated market-based tariffs on imports from the US to facilitate trade. However, since the agreement came into force, the US has continued to impose sanctions and restrictions on China, including putting more than 900 Chinese entities on various lists of restrictions. This has directly affected Chinese companies' ability and willingness to purchase from the US and has had a negative impact on the implementation of the agreement. The US business community is concerned about China's future tariff exclusions policy. Recently, US media reported that the Biden administration is considering launching a Section 301 investigation into the subsidies of China. Neither Section 301 investigations nor tariff war has worked. The US business community must be aware of this from firsthand experience. It is hoped that necessary conditions and atmosphere can be created for the implementation of the phase one agreement and bilateral economic and trade exchanges, rather than making things worse. Ambassador Qin reiterated his commitment as Chinese Ambassador to the US to acting as a bridge and bond between the two countries and working extensively with US business community to be a good listener and helper, so as to uphold and promote the common interests of China and the US. Ambassador Qin also gave introduction to the development and policies of related industries in China, and had in-depth exchanges with USCBC board members on issues of common interest. You are here: Arts A forum on Confucius culture opened Monday in the city of Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, the birthplace of the Chinese sage. The Seventh Nishan Forum on World Civilizations drew 180 scholars from home and abroad, and 38 diplomatic envoys to discuss the ancient wisdom of Confucianism and explore the bright future of human beings. The forum coincided with the 2021 China (Qufu) International Confucius Cultural Festival. Themed as "Dialogues among Civilizations and Global Cooperation," the two-day event features high-level dialogues and a series of activities to boost international cooperation and development. The brilliant traditional Chinese culture represented by Confucianism is closely related to the common values of peace, development, fairness, justice, democracy and freedom of all mankind, according to Hao Mingjin, vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee. In the face of common challenges, no country or nation can survive on its own. Only when we work together for common development and harmony and replace estrangement with exchanges, clash with mutual learning, and superiority with coexistence can we create a better life for mankind, Hao added. Confucius (551-479 B.C.), an educator and thinker, has influenced countless generations of Chinese society. Editor's note: This week's events include a patriotic film and a drama in celebration of the National Day, when China recognizes the contributions its citizenry has made to the country. Also on offer is the largest solo exhibition in Asia for an American artist. Here are three events you don't want to miss. 1. Patriotic anthology film 'Me and My Father's Generation' Following "My People, My Country" in 2019 and "My People, My Homeland" in 2020, this year's National Day will see the release of the anthology's third patriotic film, "Me and My Father's Generation." The movie tells the story of average Chinese families across four eras, bringing together their collective memories and shedding light on familial relationships to showcase how parental love can enlighten children. A poster for "Me and My Father's Generation." [Image courtesy of China Film Co., Ltd.] Directors: Wu Jing, Zhang Ziyi, Xu Zheng and Shen Teng Release Date: Sept. 30, nationwide 2. Drama: 'Live broadcast of the founding ceremony of the PRC' Actress Tao Hong speaks at a press conference about the drama "Live broadcast of the founding ceremony of the PRC" on Sept. 16, 2021. [Photo/VCG] This drama presents a live broadcast of the story behind the landmark ceremony of the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) in 1949, illuminating the spirit of the countless average citizens who have made unprecedented contributions and sacrifices to the country, all while celebrating the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the PRC. Venue: National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Beijing Dates: Oct. 1-7 3. George Condo solo exhibition: 'The Picture Gallery' Born in New Hampshire, George Condo is one of the most powerful surrealist artists in American art history. His solo exhibition, "The Picture Gallery," represents the largest of its kind in Asia, and will for the first time present more than 200 works spanning his career, as well as a series of new illustrations created specifically for this exhibition. Venue: Long Museum (West Bund), Shanghai Dates: Sept. 26 Nov. 28 Cultural events of the week: Sept. 20-26 The Chinese opera The White Haired Girl by China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater entertained audiences in Shenzhen through two performances on Sept 25 and 26. The story centers on the life of Xi'er, a girl born to a humble life in Shaanxi province. Chinese opera artist Lei Jia plays the protagonist Xi'er. Xi'er escapes to hide deep in mountains after her father Yang Bailao is killed by the greedy and cruel debt collector Huang Shiren. Due to her difficult circumstances and prolonged malnutrition, she loses the vitality of her youth, causing her hair to change color. The birth of a new China ultimately allows her to lead a normal life once again. The opera, composed by Yan Jinxuan, was first performed in 1945 with artist Wang Kun in the leading role. It was the first Chinese opera composed after Chairman Mao Zedong's speech at the Yan'an Forum on Literature and Art in 1942, which is regarded as a milestone in the development of Chinese theater. Since then, a number of remakes of the opera have appeared, including a Peking Opera performance in 1958, a ballet version in 1965, as well as an opera starring soprano Guo Lanying and a film adaptation in 1950. In 2015, the year marking the 70th anniversary of the debut of The White Haired Girl, a new version of the opera emerged with Lei Jia in the leading role. In a simple yet elegant bookstore, novelist Liu Zhenyun hosted a livestream, leading readers in touring world literature, a sideline session of the Beijing International Book Fair. The Pakistan section at the 28th Beijing International Book Fair attracts visitors. The event drew more than 2,200 exhibitors from 105 countries and regions. [Photo/Xinhua] The 28th BIBF kicked off recently at the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing's Shunyi district. Hosting more than 2,200 exhibitors from 105 countries and regions and displaying some 300,000 books, it is the first major international book fair being held online and offline amid the COVID-19 pandemic. People are increasingly embracing reading in China. Per capita, or per person, reading volume for paper books was 4.70 and 3.29 for digital books in 2020, with both figures higher than those in 2019, according to a national survey released in April by the Chinese Academy of Press and Publication. A separate report conducted by consulting firm iResearch in cooperation with Chinese e-commerce giant JD says a significant proportion of people devoted more time to reading in 2020, as restrictions from COVID-19 caused people to spend more time at home. According to the report, more than 46 percent read more paper books, 59.6 percent read more digital books and 58.8 percent listened to more audiobooks. Last September when Sinan Mansions reopened after more than 200 days of interruption due to the pandemic, hundreds of bookworms lined up at the door of the century-old redeveloped residential complex in Huangpu district, Shanghai, an area known to host literary greats. A report released by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Monday pointed out that Hong Kong has retained its sound business environment and unique advantages under "one country, two systems," and the financial hub is still attractive to businesses and investors around the world. The "Report on Hong Kong's Business Environment: A Place with Unique Advantages and Unlimited Opportunities" was released at a press conference by Paul Chan, financial secretary of the HKSAR government. Stability restored The report, the first of its kind released by the HKSAR government, comes as the global financial hub has returned to stability from chaos over the past year and is gathering momentum for a more prosperous future. While the social unrest in 2019 dealt a severe blow to the society and economy of Hong Kong and upset Hong Kong's business environment, peace and stability were restored after the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong and the improvements to Hong Kong's electoral system, the report said. Thanks to these measures, Hong Kong's institutional strengths under "one country, two systems" and other inherent strengths remain intact, and the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong has reinforced the sound and robust rule of law and judicial independence, it said. The "one country, two systems" principle has been the cornerstone of Hong Kong's economic development since Hong Kong returned to the motherland in 1997, the report noted. According to the report, the Hong Kong economy has always been positioning itself to leverage the support from the motherland while engaging with the world. In supporting the mainland's reform, opening-up and continued development by providing high value-added services, Hong Kong has gradually developed into an international financial, trade and transportation center. The report listed a series of indicators highlighting Hong Kong's financial strengths and resilience. In the 12-month period following the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong, funds raised through initial public offerings increased by more than 50 percent year-on-year, and the average daily turnover of the Hong Kong stock market was up by nearly 70 percent from the level before the implementation of the law. The assets under management of the asset and wealth management business in Hong Kong grew by 21 percent, and the amount of bond issuance arranged by Hong Kong ranked first in Asia. Globally recognized Hong Kong's economic freedom and competitiveness continued to be well recognized by international institutions, according to the report. The International Monetary Fund affirmed Hong Kong's position as a major international financial center. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said that Hong Kong will remain an important financial hub in Asia and a gateway to investment in the Chinese mainland, thanks to a favorable tax regime, simple listing process, absence of capital controls and a good regulatory framework. Canada's Fraser Institute ranked Hong Kong as the world's freest economy in the Economic Freedom of the World 2021 Annual Report. The Global Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum in 2019 ranked Hong Kong third globally, while the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2021 published by the International Institute for Management Development ranked Hong Kong seventh globally, the report noted. The report said that foreign businesses remain generally confident about Hong Kong's business environment as chambers of commerce from the United States, Britain, Australia and Malaysia all agree that Hong Kong remains an ideal place for international business. Bright future Looking ahead, the report believes Hong Kong's financial industry will be able to explore more opportunities amid the development of the whole country. The report stressed that the 14th Five-Year Plan for national socio-economic development promotes high-quality development and aims to accelerate the establishment of a new development pattern featuring dual circulation, which takes the domestic market as the mainstay while enabling the domestic and international markets to interact positively with each other. "Now the local epidemic situation has stabilized, and the national 14th Five-Year Plan is bringing countless new opportunities to Hong Kong," Chan said at the press conference. "We will continue to serve as the gateway connecting our country and the rest of the world and perform the functions of a 'super-connector,' a high value-added services platform, an international talent and capital pool and more, and also be an internationally preferred place of doing business," he said. You are here: Business The 2021 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit opens in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 26, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua] A total of 14 world-leading internet scientific and technological achievements were unveiled Sunday in east China's Zhejiang Province. The building and applications of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System and the HarmonyOS, the operating system of Chinese telecom giant Huawei, were among the released items recommended by a panel composed of nearly 40 internet experts from home and abroad. The launch event, as part of the World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit being held in Wuzhen, has received more than 300 applications from countries and regions including China, the United States, Russia, Britain, Italy, Sweden and New Zealand since May. The applications cover 5G, quantum computing, high-end chips, high-performance computers, industrial internet, intelligent manufacturing and other internet-related fields. The launch event was organized by the Cyberspace Administration of China and the Zhejiang provincial government, echoing the theme of the summit "Towards a New Era of Digital Civilization -- Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace." A cargo ship loaded with more than 1,500 containers departed for Liverpool, Britain, from Damaiyu Port in Taizhou City of east China's Zhejiang Province on Monday, marking the opening of a new shipping route. The freighter, carrying goods such as Christmas products and daily necessities manufactured by Chinese companies, is scheduled to arrive in Liverpool in about 30 days, from where the goods will be transported to other European countries. Against the backdrop of rising international shipping prices and logistics costs, the opening of the new route is expected to alleviate the pressure of foreign trade enterprises in Taizhou and the surrounding areas, according to Wang Xiongfei, a local shipping service agent. "Earlier, we had to transport the goods to ports in the cities of Ningbo and Shanghai. The opening of this route will reduce costs and save time, and the move has been well received by enterprises," said Wang. China's state reserves authority said Monday that the country would release the fourth batch of national reserves of copper, aluminum, and zinc this year. Some 30,000 tonnes of copper, 70,000 tonnes of aluminum, and 50,000 tonnes of zinc will be released from the national reserves in early October, the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration announced. Only processing and manufacturing enterprises of copper, aluminum, and zinc will be eligible to bid, and the purchased metal shall be used for production promptly. It shall not be resold or hoarded, said the administration. Since the beginning of this year, bulk commodity prices have surged due to factors including the overseas spreading of COVID-19 and the imbalances of supply and demand, causing pressure on medium and small firms. China on Monday launched a level III emergency response for flood control as water levels of the Yellow River, the country's second-longest river, continue to rise following heavy rainfall, said the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR). The water flow at the Tongguan hydrology station in the middle of the river has increased rapidly, reaching 5,020 cubic meters per second at 3:48 p.m. Monday. Yiluo River and Qinhe River in the middle reaches of the Yellow River also showed signs of flooding. The water levels at the Huayuankou hydrology station rose to 4,020 cubic meters per second at 9 p.m. Monday, said the MWR. The ministry has dispatched three work teams to the provincial regions of Shandong, Henan, and Shaanxi to guide local flood-control work, including strengthening dike inspection and relocating people under threat. The ongoing Zhongguancun (ZGC) Forum in Beijing organized the First Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Countries Parallel Forum Session Sunday, calling bloc countries to cooperate closely to tackle common challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic. M. Rumman Ahmad, permanent representative of Pakistan to the SCO Secretariat, said the organization has become an excellent and promising platform for all member states to promote pragmatic and inclusive cooperation in all fields of mutual interest including digital economy and trade. Li Junjie, executive deputy district head of Haidian in Beijing, said that industries of SCO members are highly complementary from the technological innovation perspective. Some members have world-leading technologies in aviation, space and nuclear energy. "We see that SCO countries are opening up new growth opportunities and fostering new growth drivers. In the era of globalization, openness and innovation are an irresistible historical trend," Li said. He said Haidian, which hosts ZGC sci-tech park, is an innovation and development hub. With cooperation among SCO members, a new model of open and innovative cooperation will be created to foster new growth drivers. O. Tuychiev, deputy minister of innovative development of the Republic of Uzbekistan, said the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to a sharp reduction in trade and economic ties, recession, rise in unemployment, has affected the dynamics of development. "This global challenge can be overcome by preserving and enhancing our traditions of good neighborliness, equality, trust and interests of each other. Today, more than ever, it is important to strengthen the 'Shanghai Spirit' -- this unique experience of multilateral cooperation," Tuychiev said. According to Tuychiev, the Uzbek-Chinese pharmaceutical technology park in the Tashkent region, which is among the infrastructure projects under Uzbekistan-China cooperation, creates an innovative platform and a competitive environment for scientific and innovative activities. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of SCO, which has made great achievements. At the session, firms and organizations from bloc countries inked a joint initiative vowing to support innovative enterprises in science and technology to expand to or set foot in other SCO states, and provide better conditions and an inclusive environment for collaborative work on new technology and technology transfer. The 2021 ZGC forum from Sept. 24 to 28, themed "intelligence, health, and carbon neutrality," is hosting more than 60 events, including meetings, exhibitions, research achievement releases, competitions in hi-tech fields, and technology trading. More than 100 students from 39 countries, including the US, Japan, Pakistan, Yemen, Thailand, and China, visited Beijing for three days, Sunday to Tuesday, where they experienced traditional Chinese culture, discovered the latest social and economic development, and exchanged ideas on understanding China. The participating foreigners all currently live and study in 30 Chinese colleges and universities. The Beijing trip was part of a series events under the International Students Field Study Program, which aims to provide opportunities for foreign students to learn about the CPC's history, gain an in-depth understanding of modern China, and learn how to better tell the stories of China to the world. Organized by the All-China Youth Federation and All-China Students' Federation, the series of events attracted over 500 domestic and foreign students from more than 70 countries to learn about China by visiting well-known historical sites, villages, and high-tech companies across the country. Finding timeless spirit in an old revolutionary base Before coming to Zunyi, most of the students knew little about the old revolutionary base located in the mountainous Guizhou province. Aleks Van, an American student from Zhejiang University, was one of those eager to learn more about the history of CPC. After visiting the Zunyi Conference Memorial Museum, Aleks learned that Zunyi is a city that played a crucial role in the turning point that led to the ultimate success of the Long March. Aleks said that what impressed him most was an exhibit in the museum, encapsulating a piece of worn-out clothing owned by a Red Army soldier. "Though they suffered many hardships during the Long March, these soldiers still did many things for the people and valued the people's interests most of all," he said at a communication activity held in Beijing Monday. He believes that the Long March spirit continues to inspire Chinese people to chase their dreams for a brighter future. "The new Long March today, although without snow-topped mountains and grasslands, still calls for the courage of Chinese people to keep going forward in spite of all dangers and difficulties," Aleks said, adding that the spirit inherited by generations of Chinese people has led to many great achievements, such as poverty alleviation and rural revitalization. "During my tours, I saw that local Chinese work really hard and strive for happiness. They want to alleviate poverty and live a better life." Aleks said he would like to travel to more places across the country in the future and expressed his hope of serving as a bridge to promote exchanges and dialogue between China and the rest of the world. "Like the American journalist Edgar Snow, who wrote the Red Star Over China, I'd like to contribute my own efforts in presenting a true and panoramic view of China." Friendship beyond nations This summer, Jebessa Dawit Abdisa, a student from Ethiopia who majored in computer science and technology at Changzhou University, found his connection with China's latest technological development. At the communication activity held in Beijing on Monday, Dawit said that through his trip to Changzhou Locomotive Company and Rail Transit Industrial Park, he learned that the locomotives produced in Changzhou play an important role in African railway construction. The red and yellow locomotive in the museum reminds him of the time when he took the same train that runs on the Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway in Africa. The Chinse-built railway began operation in 2017, making it the first railway in Kenya since the country's independence. "In the past, African railways were very backward and had been in disrepair for a long time. After the operation of these railways, traveling by Chinese trains became the most fashionable thing on the African prairie," Dawit said, adding that he took the train several times to visit his Kenyan friends. "It used to spend a day and a night to get there, but now it takes only three to four hours by train." "The locomotives made in China facilitate friendship and bring hope," he said. "My hometown is improving, and people in Africa are living a happier life." Thanks to the win-win cooperation between China and Africa, African people can reap huge benefits under the Belt and Road Initiative, he said. "As the largest developing country in the world, China has never forgotten its African brothers. Guided by the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, China has demonstrated its sense of responsibility as a major country." Zhang Xi, a teacher from Northwestern Polytechnical University, pointed out that the significance of the series of activities lies in promoting cross-nation, people-to-people exchanges. "Young people can play an important role in facilitating dialogue between China and the rest of the world and make up for the gap in understanding," He said. "Through various visits, young foreigners can learn about the real China. In the same way, Chinese can learn about the world through exchanges." If there is a single world describing Angela Merkel's stay in power from 2005 until 2021, it would be "stability." While strengthening Germany's economic power across the globe, the Chancellor exhibited a remarkable ability to reach compromises, preserve balance and achieve tangible results. Her statesmanship was evident on multifaceted fronts, including on the evolution of Sino-German relations which have shown steady progress. The departure of Merkel from politics is expected to bring a less personified approach in the German political arena. The priority of the new chancellor will thus be to ensure that stability will be continuously interwoven into Germany's development, both domestically and internationally. The result of the federal election of Sept. 26 makes such a mission difficult but doable. Six parties will be represented in the Bundestag, namely the Social-Democratic Party (SPD), the Union composed of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Greens, the Liberals (FDP), the Alternative for Germany (AfD), and The Left (Die Linke). The SPD narrowly won the election garnering 25.7% of the vote, 1.6% higher than that of the Union. Although a coalition government will be required, the leader of the former, Olaf Scholz, has more chances to become the new chancellor than the leader of the latter, Armin Laschet. The Union won 24.1% of the vote, 8.9% lower in comparison to the 2017 federal election. This was the Union's worst performance since 1949. There has been no clear shift towards the center-left political spectrum. The SPD increased its percentage of the vote by 5.2%, but the leftist Die Linke displayed a decline of 4.3% when compared to four years ago. Armin Laschet's task had been tough from the very first beginning as he could not escape the shadow of Angela Merkel. This led many voters to select other parties. Consultations are expected to be led by Olaf Scholz for the formation of a coalition government in the next weeks, perhaps months. Two smaller parties, the Greens and the Liberals could possibly become key political players. The Greens won a 14.8% of the vote, 5.9% higher than in 2017. However, their performance was lower than pre-election polls, and did not meet the high expectations. For their part, the Liberals managed to slightly increase their share of the vote by 0.8% and received 11.5% of the vote. In the aftermath of the 2017 federal election, the Greens and the Liberals could not agree to co-govern with the Union. However, both parties are currently discussing pre-conditions to cooperate with the SPD. They both constitute a significant political force in the Bundestag as their total number of representatives (210) is higher than those of the SPD (206) and the Union (196). The bargain among the three parties will define the outcome. Scenarios for a grand coalition between the SPD and the Union are a last resort to avoid a new election. Theoretically, the Union can also explore to join forces with the Greens and the Liberals and revert the 2017 political failure. Arguably, it is wiser for the conservative party to stay in the opposition, after so many years in power, and calmly discuss its future political orientation. The next German government, irrespective of the political colors it will combine, ought to be characterized by a determination to draw on Merkel's legacy and adapt to the changing environment. Energy transition, less inequality and the empowerment of innovation domestically in parallel with the transformation of the "strategic autonomy" concept from words into deeds at the EU level require leadership and a clear governmental agenda. Political consultations in Germany are thus critical to guarantee consensus for difficult decisions and legislative rounds in the Bundestag. George N. Tzogopoulos is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit: http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/GeorgeNTzogopoulos.htm Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn. Flash The recently opened Universal Beijing Resort has fired a staff member accused of taking upskirt photos of a female visitor amid a new wave of controversy. A woman took to social media platform Weibo on Saturday to share details of a terrifying experience that occurred on Sept. 23. She explained that a man had been standing behind her and secretly filming up her skirt using his cellphone camera. A friend of the woman spotted the offender, and he was caught before the police were called. In a video accompanying the post, the man can be seen being held while begging for mercy. At the local police station, he was identified as an employee at the resort and numerous upskirt photos of other women were found on his phone, she said. The Tongzhou district police released a statement Sunday confirming the womans allegations. They added that a 25-year-old man, surnamed Xiao, had confessed to the offense and been placed in administrative detention for 10 days as punishment. "We are angered and appalled to learn that a visitor to the park was subject to nonconsensual photo taking. We deeply apologize to her for what she experienced and will do our best to provide follow-up help," said a statement released by Universal Beijing Resort on Sunday. The statement went on to say that the resort had already fired the employee as the offense violates the privacy and security of its visitors, goes against the company's culture and values, and violates relevant laws and rules. It concluded by saying that the resort will support the police and form a special work team to coordinate the investigation. Universal Beijing Resort promised to learn from the incident and strengthen its security and operation work to prevent such an event from happening again. The victim later also confirmed on social media that the resort's customer service staff had been in touch with her to offer an apology and options to handle the incident. "I hope everyone keeps alert regarding such matters; protect yourselves!" she wrote. Since its opening, Universal Beijing Resort has proved to be a popular tourist destination, although it has also been entangled in a series of controversies. Several incidents of uncivilized behavior have occurred during interactions with the Transformers villain Megatron at the resort which have gone viral. The resort has also been subject to complaints about ticket scalpers, crashes of its online ticketing platform, expensive food and merchandise, and rudeness from staff members. Flash Germany's center-left Social Democratic Party (SDP) has won the country's federal election, beating the party of outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel, according to provisional results released early Monday morning. This came after Merkel, who has been the German chancellor for nearly 16 years, announced in 2018 that she would not seek a fifth term, and followed nail-biting campaigns by major parties this year. Though Merkel's era is coming to an end, the Iron Lady's legacy is widely expected to remain consequential, as her political wisdom of championing pragmatism and multilateralism continues to be valuable and insightful in guiding Germany's future relations with Europe and the rest of the world. Tight race The SDP won Sunday's elections with 25.7 percent of the vote, while the conservative union of Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its sister party Christian Social Union (CSU) took 24.1 percent, the results showed. The SDP's share of the vote surged by 5.2 percentage points from four years ago while the CDU/CSU union's share is 8.9 percentage points lower than in the last election. Olaf Scholz, the SPD's chancellor candidate and also incumbent vice-chancellor and finance minister, received applause from his party in the SPD's headquarters in Berlin after the preliminary exit poll had projected the leading position of his party. "I'm happy to see so many here and of course I'm happy about the election result," he said. With Annalena Baerbock as chancellor candidate, the Greens garnered 14.8 percent of the vote, making it the third-largest political faction in the parliament, followed by the business-friendly Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the far-right and Eurosceptic party Alternative fuer Deutschland (AfD), according to the Federal Returning Officer. Many observers have predicted that various three-party coalitions -- the "traffic-light" coalition between the SPD, Greens and the FDP, and the "Jamaica" alliance comprising CDU/CSU, Greens and the FDP -- among others are conceivable. Both Scholz and his main rival, Armin Laschet, the CDU/CSU chancellor candidate and also minister-president of the North Rhine-Westphalia state, have expressed the wish to get the negotiations on forming a new government done speedily. Merkel's legacy During her tenure, Merkel has brought economic prosperity to Germany by shaking off the tag of "sick man of Europe" and helping the country achieve a national budget balance and almost full employment before the pandemic. "Those were 16 good years for Germany," Laschet said on Sunday evening, praising Merkel's contributions. Merkel kept her composure when facing the European debt crisis a decade ago by imposing austerity measures on financially weak member countries of the eurozone. When a refugee crisis got worse in 2015, she displayed stoic calm and strength, saying: "We can do this." An advocate of multilateralism and win-win diplomacy, Merkel had strongly criticized America's isolationism and some of its other controversial policies and measures, standing for cooperation among countries to address common challenges, such as climate change, anti-globalization, inequality, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Merkel has also been committed to promoting friendly and pragmatic exchanges and cooperation between Germany and China. As a result, the bilateral relations have witnessed steadfast development, with trade and economic cooperation as a highlight. Official statistics show that China has been Germany's largest trading partner since 2016, with two-way trade amounting to around 248.4 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. In an interview with Xinhua, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder urged the next government to keep a pragmatic China policy. Professor Ferdinand Dudenhoeffer, director of CAR Center Automotive Research Duisburg, expressed confidence that the Germany-China relations can continue to be shaped in a sensible way. Challenges ahead Despite their various divergences, the German parties have a lot in common in their policy priorities in such areas as environment, economy, and security, offering a glimpse of major domestic challenges for Merkel's successor. Earlier this year, Merkel's cabinet agreed on a climate plan aimed at achieving carbon neutrality by 2045. Scholz and Annalena Baerbock, the chancellor candidate of The Greens, have both expressed support for tackling climate change. Thiess Petersen, senior adviser at the German Bertelsmann Foundation, said that he thinks the new government should take up three major tasks immediately when it comes to economic policy -- transforming the economy to a climate-neutral one, reducing rising debt, and dealing with demographic change. For over a decade, Germany has been playing an essential role in the European Union (EU) as well as in multinational frameworks, with Merkel's stewardship as a key factor. As Merkel is to exit from power, Brussels is expected to wait until a new German government is formed before making major decisions, such as approving a package of measures to counter climate change. Paris is reportedly concerned that a standoff in Berlin could put a strain on the French presidency of the EU Council beginning early next year. Besides, it's widely believed that Germany will seek to achieve strategic independence amid the cooling of the trans-Atlantic relationship due to fickleness from the United States. Flash Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Venezuelan counterpart, Felix Plasencia, exchanged views on the international community's joint resistance to power politics and bullying in a phone conversation on Monday. Plasencia said that Venezuela firmly opposes any unilateral sanctions that target Chinese individuals and enterprises, and feels encouraged and pleased about China's staunch stance on the case of Meng Wanzhou. China has always been opposed to all forms of power politics and has never feared any coercion, Wang stressed, adding that the Chinese government's stance on safeguarding its citizens' legitimate rights and interests remains unflinching and uncompromising. Those practices to randomly detain citizens of other countries out of political motives and by fabricating various excuses are out-and-out coercion and bullying, and a flagrant challenge against international rules and human conscience, which should not be allowed to run wild nowadays in the 21st century, he said. "We believe that more and more countries will stand up to and resolutely resist all kinds of illegal unilateral sanctions, long-arm jurisdiction and political framing, as China has done, and jointly uphold international fairness and justice, as well as safeguard the basic norms governing international relations," Wang said. Flash The Philippines and China on Monday lauded their "robust" bilateral cooperation amid the COVID-19 pandemic. During an online reception celebrating the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin thanked China for its assistance, saying China "has not kept its economic progress to itself." China's National Day falls on Oct. 1. "In Chinese fashion, it believes that wealth is not gained by impoverishing others, but in helping to make the bridge, and therefore mutually profitable partners in progress," Locsin said in his remarks. "The Philippines knows this well," Locsin added. "China is consistently one of our top trading and investment partners" and a "trusted supporter" of the Philippine government's "Build, Build, Build" infrastructure program, he said. "In the darkness brought on by COVID-19, China lit the first light of hope by being the first to help. It gave crucial medical equipment and supplies, shared invaluable insights of its medical teams, donated vaccines, and facilitated the procurement of the same," he said. The Philippine top diplomat recalled that his country kickstarted its vaccination rollout because of China's early and continuous supply of vaccines. "No doubt, it saved countless lives," he added. "As we restart the Philippine economy during these hard and uncertain times, we can count on China to accelerate our recovery," Locsin said. For his part, China's Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian said that "robust anti-epidemic cooperation has been carried on." Huang recalled the support of the Philippine government and the Filipinos at the height of China's battle against COVID-19 early last year, prompting China to extend "every help and support to the Philippines by promptly providing well-needed medical supplies." China was the first country to provide COVID-19 vaccines to the Philippines. Meanwhile, Ambassador Huang said China and the Philippines "have joined hands to safeguard solidarity and cooperation in promoting science-based origins tracing instead of politicizing this issue." "Practical cooperation has made remarkable progress. The synergies between (China-proposed) Belt and Road Initiative and the (Philippines') 'Build, Build, Build' program have been continuously deepened," the Chinese envoy said. Huang said the government-to-government projects between the two countries have witnessed significant progress. "Thirteen projects, while more projects are being implemented, have been launched and completed." In the first half of this year, Huang noted that bilateral trade in goods topped 37.5 billion U.S. dollars, up 53.5 percent year-on-year, and China's direct non-financial investment in the Philippines increased by 2.3 times. "China has become the Philippines' second-largest export market while remaining its largest trading partner and largest source of imports," he added, adding that "friendly exchanges have become even closer." "We have been committed to managing differences, enhancing mutual trust, and exploring practical cooperation through friendly dialogues and consultations, to safeguard peace and stability in the South China Sea," Huang said. Flash Chinese Vice Premier Han Zheng and Frans Timmermans, executive vice president of the European Commission for the European Green Deal, held the second High-level Environment and Climate Dialogue between China and the European Union via video link on Monday, with both sides agreeing to deepen green cooperation. Han, also a Standing Committee member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, mentioned China's recent announcement that it will step up support for other developing countries' green and low-carbon energy development and will not build new coal-fired power projects abroad. He said this demonstrated China's responsible attitude to global climate governance. China has adopted a series of major moves to ensure that the goal of peaking carbon dioxide emissions and achieving carbon neutrality can be reached on schedule, he said. He pointed out that China and the EU should make full use of the high-level dialogue platform, further implement the consensus of leaders of both sides, deepen green cooperation, and contribute to global sustainable development. It is necessary to enhance understanding and mutual trust, strengthen policy communication and coordination, deepen practical cooperation on major areas and strive to achieve more results, he said, adding that the two sides should practice multilateralism, help implement the Paris Agreement and inject confidence into global climate cooperation. "China stands ready to strengthen coordination with other parties, bridge differences, promote consensus and facilitate positive results of the 26th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change," Han said. As the host country of the 15th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (COP15), China looks forward to working with other parties to promote the success of the conference, he added. Timmermans said the EU highly appreciates China's great efforts on coping with climate change and is willing to strengthen dialogue and coordination with China on environment and climate, make joint contributions to the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow and support China in hosting the COP15. You are here: World Flash The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired one unidentified projectile into the eastern waters, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said in a statement Tuesday. Yonhap news agency quoted the JCS as saying that the projectile was launched eastwards from the DPRK's inland region at 6:40 a.m. local time (2140 GMT Monday). The intelligence authorities of South Korea and the United States were making a precision analysis on further details of the launch. The JCS said the South Korean military was closely monitoring relevant situations and maintaining a full readiness posture in cooperation with the United States to brace for the DPRK's possible further launch. According to the JCS, the DPRK move came after it test-fired two short-range ballistic missiles into eastern waters on Sept. 15. Flash Britain's main opposition Labour Party on Monday passed an emergency motion that described the new security pact among the United States, Britain and Australia, known as AUKUS, as a "dangerous move that will undermine world peace." During the party's annual conference, delegates passed the emergency motion by 70.35 percent to 29.65 percent. "AUKUS is starting a new nuclear arms race and cold war. We must keep speaking out against it," said former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Twitter on Monday. The AUKUS pact, announced earlier this month, has triggered widespread concerns and criticism. The three countries announced that the first initiative under AUKUS is to deliver a nuclear-powered submarine fleet to Australia. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a global nuclear watchdog, has voiced concern amid international worries about the proliferation of nuclear materials and technologies in response to the trilateral deal. "The IAEA will engage with them (Australia, the United States and Britain) on this matter in line with its statutory mandate, and in accordance with their respective safeguards agreements with the Agency," it said in a recent statement. Flash The Chinese Consulate General in Manchester on Monday strongly condemned recent attacks against Chinese students in Sheffield, a city in the English county of South Yorkshire, after several female Chinese students at the University of Sheffield said they had been struck over the head with a blunt object from behind. There has been seven or eight such assaults since September 20, a Chinese student at the university told Chinese media outlet Cover News. Most of the assaults took place near the university's teaching buildings, the student said. The victims are in stable condition, the consulate said on its official account on Chinese social media platform WeChat, and the police have detained a suspect. The assailant was described by the victims as a woman who is about 1.60-1.65 meters tall, according to Cover News, though another Chinese student told the magazine that there could be two female attackers. "They were carrying a tote bag with heavy items inside, furtively scouting for Chinese students in the vicinity of the teaching buildings." The consulate said it had written to the university's president urging the university to work together with the police to guarantee the personal safety of Chinese students. The University of Sheffield, where Chinese make up 16 percent of the student population, has been considered as one of the British universities most reliant on Chinese students. This group is estimated to pay 85 million ($99.3 million) a year to the university, which is about 26 percent of its total tuition fee income, according to data from British newspaper the Sunday Times. Race crime against people with East Asian appearances has mounted in the UK since the COVID-19 pandemic swept through the country. In April, a Chinese student was severely beaten by a white woman while walking in Sheffield. Today, two things stood out to me. Firstly, as I drove into my driveway, two butterflies circling each other flew before my car. My mind was thrown back in time to when the world changed in 2020 with our first lockdown. It was a time of uncertainty for all, and we didnt really understand what was happening, but at the same time, our town was taken over by migrating butterflies. These were a beautiful reminder that, while the caterpillar is enclosed within the chrysalis, it is becoming something new, and when released, creates a beautiful landscape of colour as we were seeing when a kaleidoscope of butterflies coloured our vision. Secondly, I watched as an eagle began to ascend into the skies just before our home above the valley. I watched as the smaller birds tried to peck at it and pull it down at a certain height, and I watched as the eagle surpassed their reach and soared higher and higher with barely a movement of its wings until it flew into the sun where I could no longer see it. Both the butterflies and the eagle had major obstacles to overcome. For the butterfly, the chrysalis represents a dark place, isolated and alone. But during the dark days of the chrysalis, greater things are happening, and the glory of the butterfly is eventually released in all its beauty. For the eagle to overcome its adversaries, it had to rise above them, and when the eagle reached the great heights, the air space where it had been attacked was so far away, it was just a distant memory. Gods kindness Ive recently been reading about Joseph in Genesis chapter 39. You probably know the story, but at this stage, he had been sold by his brothers and was now living in the household of an Egyptian named Potiphar. Joseph had been through some very dark days and his brothers led his own father to believe that he was dead. But God had not abandoned Joseph, quite the opposite. The Lord was with him so much that it was apparent to Potiphar that the favour of the Lord was upon Joseph. God made Joseph successful in everything he did, and he was eventually put in charge of Potiphars whole household. Verse four tells us that Potiphar entrusted to Josephs care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the LORD blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the LORD was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. (Genesis chapter 39 verse 5) Enter more obstacles Just when things were settling down for Joseph, along comes Potiphars wife who falsely accuses Joseph, landing him in prison. But God did not abandon him in prison either. Verses 20-21 tell us: But while Joseph was there in the prison, the LORD was with him; he showed him kindness and granted him favour in the eyes of the prison warden. Once again, Joseph was held in such high esteem that the prison warden put Joseph (a prisoner) in charge of all those held in the prison, and he was made responsible for all that was done there. (verse 22) The warden paid no attention to anything under Josephs care, because the LORD was with Joseph and gave him success in whatever he did. (Genesis chapter 39 verse 23) Thriving in the midst of obstacles It didnt matter where Joseph was or what circumstances he was inwhether exalted in the palace or in the depths of a prisonGod NEVER abandoned him. Joseph didnt just survivehe thrived! He was given as much favour in the prison as he was in the household. Eventually, he would wear the signet ring of Pharoah and be trusted with the whole land of Egypt. Josephs relationship with God and his obedience to Him would later save the people from starvation during the seven-year famine. Hope for the future There are many who feel locked up in this time; there are many who are physically locked up in this time. It may seem like the way out of these dark days is far beyond the reach of what can be conceived. Im sure Joseph felt like this many times, however, while in the dark places, God was creating something beautifuljust like the butterflies, and the impact would be powerful. With our eyes on Jesus, we will one day see Him in the clouds when He comes to gather us. And as we reign for a thousand years in the land that God is giving us (Revelation chapter 20 verses 1-5), the dark days will be a very distant memory as with the eagle, in fact, they will be remembered no more. In the meantime, seek His face, read His words, soak it in and find out what God wants you to do here and now to bring hope to a hurting world. For this is the hope to come when God creates a new heaven and earth: But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, For I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem And take delight in my people; The sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; the one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child; the one who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the work of their hands. They will not labour in vain, nor will they bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them. (Isaiah chapter 65 verses 18-23) Spending eternity with God is so much greater than anything else we can experience that we shouldnt worry about missing out in this life. This can empower change in our lives as we challenge ourselves on what we are clinging to in this broken world. This article aims to hit on various and broad implications and challenges from Jesus parable about the hidden treasure (Matthew 13 verse 44). If something stands out to you, dear reader, chances are that you should go beyond the short coverage of the topic here and delve deeper into understanding what you have taken to be significant. The parable of the Hidden Treasure is very short. Jesus says: The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. (NIV trans.) The farmer in the parable is overjoyed even after selling all that he has because the treasure is so great. I think it is safe to say that Gods kingdom is so exceedingly great that anything we might have to part with to live with God forever would be worth it. It is tempting to start with this question: What are the things you value most, would you still be happy to follow God if you knew you would have to lose these in the process? However, many answers to this question are going to feel strange; most things you are likely to have considered are not things God would demand we sacrifice. Jesus says, my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11 v. 28, NIV trans.) So much of what we care about in life are good things given by God for us to enjoy. Gods generosity extends to us in this broken world. As such, many of these things are cause for celebration of Gods character, rather than elements to give up for the Kingdom. Instead, I think our main candidates for things we ought to part with are matters of Christian ethics. Christian ethics is often considered to be about trying to live consistently with our new identity as people who have the Holy Spirit living in us. Christians are in a complex state: being bound to Jesus and his righteousness while also struggling with sinfulness. In this context, while we ought to know that we will stumble we also ought to strive to be holy and upright, respecting Gods generosity in living in us. A better question then seems to be this: What are your most cherished vices? The things you know are bad that you find hard to put away. This is a strong candidate for what you should be trying to trade in; something that you can lose to live more in line with your identity as a follower of Jesus. However, I would also suggest re-reading relevant sections of the bible and considering if you have understood what you think your vice might be. Is the thing youve found just a symptom of something else, and if so, how can you approach the problem? Additionally, is what you have thought of actually a problem, have you understood it incorrectly and made a sin in your own mind? For an example of the latter, I am sure there are people in the Church today who formed a view about sex which was a problem for them when they became married. There are also those who take consumption or creation of alcohol to be sinful despite Scripture (see for instance, Psalm 104 v. 15; Matthew 26 v. 26). Some appropriate things to try to remove from our lives will be obvious to us, but some will be harder to detect, especially given limitations to self-awareness. Maybe living consistently in Gods Kingdom will mean you have to give up your world view. Is there an ideal you are holding which conflicts with following God? Patriotism could blind you to the needs of the Church elsewhere and national values can crowd out Christian values. Overzealous judgement can lead us to not recognise that Gods salvation through Jesus can reach anyone and everyone (potentially meaning we dont recognise fellow Christians, or dont warn those we see as too far gone in sin). Hopes of Utopian futures on earth almost always steer away from keeping Gods kingdom in focus. I know of cases where people have decided not to attend online church gatherings because their children are already having screen time with school. Have they put education above their Christian identity? Have they placed views about screens above views about Church? I suspect that some of them have. Whatever we might be trying to change in our lives to live more in line with our identity as Christians, we will not have missed out on anything of comparable worth with the greatness of Gods kingdom. Allay the fears of missing out. There doesnt need to be anything on our bucket list. There are no pleasures we must sample nor any tasks we must complete. Turning to Jesus as our Lord and saviour is enough. Satisfaction of our whole identity is in living with God in his kingdom. We will not find ourselves to be lacking in eternity because we missed out on some kind of experience in life on earth. So ask God to help you keep things in perspective, to cast off sin as well as the cares and worries of this world that hinder you from following God. Nobody feels sorry for Nadia Bartel. Nadia Bartel first tasted publicity as the partner of AFL player Jimmy Bartel; the pair have recently divorced. She was a WAG (Wife And Girlfriend), a model, a fashion designer, and now a businesswoman and a social media influencer. Nadia Bartel is a big name in Melbourne. It hasnt all been roses for her. Her marriage to Jimmy broke down after it was revealed he had been in a long-term relationship with another woman. Nadia also lives in Melbourne, the lockdown capital of the world. Melbourne has endured more days in lockdown than any city on earth. None of this excuses her behaviour. Bartel was caught having a party in lockdown in full breach of Victorias tough COVID restrictions. Ellie Pearson, a business partner, and friend of Nadia uploaded a 3 second video clip to Instagram which appears to show Nadia Bartel snorting white powder. It would seem the clip was uploaded by accident. Within minutes Pearson deleted the incriminating footage but by then it was already going viral. Nadia Bartels antics became trending news in Melbourne. Her behaviour is worthy of criticism. Melbournians have suffered immensely through seemingly unending COVID lockdowns. People cant visit their elderly parents, kids cant attend school, small businesses cant operate, and no one can travel more than 5 kilometres from home. The sight of a bunch of wealthy social media influencers having a drug-fuelled party at a 3-million-dollar luxury pad, flouting rules that everybody else must follow was offensive. And she paid a high price. Fined $5,452 for breaching Victorias public health orders. Dropped by numerous fashion companies wanting to distance themselves from her conduct. Her indiscretion in the media day after day. The news media take delight in a good old-fashioned pile-on. Its not enough that Nadia Bartel was fined, every person and company connected to her must publicly denounce her actions and disassociate from her. The police must be asked to bring the heavy hand of justice down upon her. Victoria Police decided not to lay charges as it wasnt possible to conclusively determine from the 3 second clip what the white substance exactly was. Its the one bit of luck Nadia Bartel had all week. When a public figure has a public fall, its common to see a media pile-on. Media scrums camping out the front of Nadias house gave a detailed analysis of the first time she emerged from her home. According to reports, she looked tired and unsurprisingly, downtrodden. Nadia Bartel has failed and is experiencing the inevitable consequences of that failure. What she doesnt need is a trial by media. Bartel being a savvy media operator, put out a generic apology to try and quell the controversy. Her apology was derided as gutless and insincere as it was always going to be. Even the most sorrowful, truly sincere, completely repentant apology would have been rejected by the media pile-on. Nadia Bartel has publicly sinned in the eyes of the media and from them, she will find no mercy. Admittedly, its a challenge to defend a wealthy, seemingly entitled, social media influencer partying it up during a devasting pandemic. But if people are outraged by the fact shes broken public health orders, shes hardly the first to have done so. There were over 40,000 fines issued for COVID breaches in Victoria in 2020 alone. Her breach of the rules is worthy of criticism but not public shaming. As for the possibility she took a prohibited substance, that should trigger concern rather than outrage. Any marriage breakdown is a devastating outcome causing heavy anguish for those involved. Nadia Bartel had the additional pain of her marriage breakdown playing out on the public stage. Would that not take a serious toll upon her? The COVID lockdowns in Victoria have unleashed a mental health crisis right across the state. Nadia might be wealthy but shes not immune from mental health challenges. Many Victorians have struggled to cope with never-ending lockdowns and some have turned to unhealthy vices as a result. Nadia Bartel is famous but hardly unique: people have all manner of secret addictions and nasty habits that if displayed on Instagram would be humiliating. If Nadia was struggling before her public shaming, I wonder how shes going now? In the Bible, religious leaders brought to Jesus a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They told Jesus that she deserved to die. Its during this incident Jesus used the famous phrase, Let him who is without sin cast the first stone. Nadia Bartel has let herself down. Shes in the headlines for all the wrong reasons and its time for the media pile-on to back off. Space News space history and artifacts articles Messages space history discussion forums Sightings worldwide astronaut appearances Resources selected space history documents advertisements Louisiana's missing moon rock found in Florida thanks to broken gun September 27, 2021 A long lost piece of the moon belonging to the state of Louisiana may have remained missing if not also been discarded or destroyed had the plaque on which it was mounted not attracted the eye of a Florida gun collector. The man, who was looking for wood samples to use in the repair or replacement of his damaged gunstocks, purchased the Apollo 17 goodwill moon rock display without realizing what it was. The buyer, who requested to remain anonymous but resides in Merritt Island, near Cape Canaveral, said that he had likely purchased the plaque at a garage sale sometime over the past 15 years. "I can't even tell you how long I owned it for," the man told collectSPACE after reaching out for information through a common contact. "I'm not even sure how much I paid for it. I buy plaques because I take the wood from the plaques and I send it over to my gunstock guy and he makes grips for my Colts and so forth." "The wood [in the plaques] is such nice wood that is what I buy them for," he said. It was not until the past two years, when he was seeking a particular color wood for a repair, that he pulled the moon rock-adorned plaque from one of the 15 to 16 boxes of plaques that he had amassed for his hobby. "What the hell is this?" he recalled thinking after taking a good look at what was on the plaque for the first time. "Before I start stripping things off, I generally take a moment to read them." 'Mankind's hope' The 10-inch-wide by 14-inch-tall (25 by 35 cm) plaque had mounted to its top a small lucite ball embedded with a 1.142 gram (0.04 oz) sample of lunar rock, part of a larger piece of the moon collected by Apollo 17 astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt in 1972. The moonwalkers dedicated the rock as a symbol of goodwill while standing on the lunar surface. "This fragment is a portion of a rock from Taurus Littrow Valley of the Moon. It was part of a larger rock composed of many particles of different shapes and sizes, a symbol of the unity of human endeavor and mankind's hope for a future of peace and harmony," a metal plate affixed below the lucite-encased moon rock reads. Also on the plaque is a 4-by-6-inch (10-by-15 cm) flag of the state of Louisiana. "This flag of your state was carried to the Moon aboard Spacecraft America during the Apollo XVII mission, December 7-19, 1972," a second metal plate reads. "Presented to the people of the state of Louisiana by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration." At the direction of then-President Richard Nixon, NASA prepared almost 200 such plaques to be presented to the 50 U.S. states, the country's provinces and 136 foreign nations (the wording on the international-gifted plaques differed slightly, noting that they were a gift from the people of the U.S. to the public of the recipient country). "I started reading it and thought, 'Hmm, that's a little strange.'" said the man who had bought the plaque at a garage sale. "So I went to the internet and found out, 'Oh! They are looking for this puppy.'" Missing moon rocks The Apollo 17 goodwill moon rock presentations were the second and last time that the United States gifted astronaut-recovered lunar material. The vast majority of the 842 pounds (382 kg) of moon rocks and soil brought back by the six U.S. moon landing missions remain in NASA vaults, with samples periodically loaned to researchers, educational institutions and museums. Once gifted, the Apollo 17 goodwill moon rocks (and earlier, similarly-gifted Apollo 11 lunar sample displays) were no longer NASA or the U.S. federal government's responsibility to track. For the first 30 years after their presentation, no one was keeping a record of where they were displayed, held in storage or otherwise went. After one sample gifted to a foreign nation ended up at the center of a U.S. court case to determine its rightful ownership, a volunteer-led search (spearheaded by collectSPACE) began in 2002 to locate them all. To date, of the 379 known displays, the location of 171 are unknown (including three known to be stolen and one that was lost to a garbage dump after a building fire). Of the moon rocks gifted to U.S. states alone, New York and Delaware are missing their Apollo 11 displays (Delaware's being among the three documented as stolen) and Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio and South Carolina have been unable to locate their pieces of the Apollo 17 goodwill moon rock. Louisiana was missing both of its moon rock gifts until 2018, when a journalist with a local newspaper tracked down the Apollo 11 display to the Louisiana Art and Science Museum in Baton Rouge. Chief curator Elizabeth Weinstein confirmed the lunar sample had been there since 1982. "As for the piece of the Apollo 17 moon rock that was given to Louisiana, Weinstein had no idea where it might be," Grace Toohey with The Advocate wrote in August 2018. "There is no record of its presentation or exhibit in The Advocate's archives. The Louisiana State Museum and state archives and governor's office had no record of it, though the governor's office said it is still looking." Hand delivered After realizing what he had, the Florida man who had bought the goodwill moon rock reached out to the Louisiana's governor office. From there, he was directed to Louisiana State Museum. "They wanted me to mail it out to them," the man recalled. "I said, 'I'm not mailing this thing out to you. I will hand deliver it,' and with that said, that is what I did." "He did indeed hand over the moon rock to the museum," Steven Maklansky, interim director of the Louisiana State Museum, told collectSPACE in an interview. "We did take possession of the rock." Though now restored to the state to which it was originally gifted, it is still unknown how the moon rock made its way to another state, let alone turn up in a private sale. Maklansky said the museum has no plans for a further investigation, instead choosing to focus on the outcome. "I think it is an extraordinary piece of Louisiana history. Obviously then, Louisiana State Museum would be a fitting venue for it to be held for posterity and also offered for public display," he said. "We're excited to take possession of this piece and to share it with our audiences." Discussions about how and when the moon rock might go on public display were just getting started when Hurricane Ida hit Louisiana in late August. After several weeks closed to recover fro the storm, the state museum has now reopened and those discussions may resume soon. "I think this is indeed the first piece of Louisiana history that comes from someplace other than planet Earth," said Maklansky. "We're excited that our collection has broadened its scope in this fashion. The reach of New Orleans and Louisiana has spanned across all continents and we like to make connections about the relevancy of our art, history and culture to other places. So, it is great that we can make a connection now between Louisiana and the moon." Louisiana's Apollo 17 goodwill moon rock display was returned to the state after being purchased by a gun collector at a Florida garage sale for its wooden plaque. (Source file / collectSPACE) Apollo 17 astronauts Gene Cernan (at right) and Harrison Schmitt dedicate the goodwill moon rock in December 1972. (NASA) Each Apollo 17 goodwill display includes a 1.142 gram sample from a parent 2,957 gram stone. (Source file/collectSPACE) In addition to a piece of the moon, the Apollo 17 goodwill displays include a flag of the recipient state or nation that was flown to the moon on the last lunar landing mission. (Source file/collectSPACE) Louisiana's Apollo 11 lunar sample display is held by the state's Art and Science Museum in Baton Rouge. (NASA via collectSPACE) 2021 collectSPACE.com All rights reserved. The Global Food Service Equipment Market is anticipated to reach USD 62 billion by 2026 according to a new research published by Polaris Market Research. In 2017, the cooking and food & beverage preparation equipment segments dominated the global market, in terms of revenue. North America is expected to be the leading contributor to the global market revenue during the forecast period. The significant increase in food establishments, and the growing hospitality industry are the major factors driving the growth of the Food Service Equipment market. The changing lifestyles and increasing disposable incomes are leading to higher instances of dining at restaurants and living at hotels and resorts. The growing demand for affordable and energy efficient equipment supports the growth of the market. Get sample copy of this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/food-service-equipment-market/request-for-sample Hotels and restaurants are increasingly adopting technologically advanced food service equipment for performing kitchen activities efficiently and offering enhanced services to consumers. Restaurant businesses prefer compact and space efficient equipment, which encourages market players to launch new products in the global market. Increasing spending on the hospitality sector, and tourism activities encourage restaurant owners to improve their infrastructure and offer enhanced services. Moreover, the Food Service Equipment market is also driven by increasing need to use food service equipment that consume less energy and provide faster kitchen services. Growing concerns regarding environment and increasing adoption of energy efficient food service equipment are expected to offer numerous growth opportunities in the future. However, high costs associated with food service equipment, and high installation prices restrict the growth of the Food Service Equipment market. The North America Food Service Equipment market generated the highest revenue in the market in 2017, and is expected to lead the global market during the forecast period. The high living standards along with high disposable income in the region drive the market growth. Other factors supporting market growth in North America include growth in tourism industry, increasing awareness regarding energy efficient equipment, and growing adoption of smart technologies. The Asia-Pacific Food Service Equipment market is expected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period owing to the increasing population and improving living standards. Complete Summary with TOC Available @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/food-service-equipment-market The different end-users of food service equipment include hotels and clubs, full service restaurants, quick service restaurants, and others. In 2017, hotels and clubs accounted for the highest market share owing to increasing need to offer enhanced services to consumers. Hotels and clubs are increasingly adopting technologically advanced food service equipment to meet high storage demands and to offer fresh & high quality food. Food establishments are also inclined towards using energy efficient service equipment owing to growing environmental concerns. The leading companies profiled in the Food Service Equipment market report include Dover Corporation, Haier Electronics Group Co., Ltd., Duke Manufacturing Co. Inc., Illinois Tool Works (ITW) Inc., Fujimak Corporation, Duke Manufacturing Co. Inc., Ali Group, Hoshizaki Corporation, Middleby Corporation, Manitowoc Company Inc, and AB Electrolux among others. These companies launch new products and collaborate with other market leaders to innovate and launch new products to meet the increasing needs and requirements of consumers. Food Service Equipment Market Size and Forecast, 2017-2026 by Region North America US. Canada Mexico Europe Germany UK France Italy Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China India Japan Rest of Asia-Pacific Latin America Brazil Middle East & Africa Avail discount on this report @ https://www.polarismarketresearch.com/industry-analysis/food-service-equipment-market/request-for-discount-pricing About Polaris Market Research Polaris Market Research is a global market research and consulting company. We provide unmatched quality of offerings to our clients present globally. The company specializes in providing exceptional market intelligence and in-depth business research services for our clientele spread across different enterprises. We at Polaris are obliged to serve our diverse customer base present across the industries of healthcare, technology, semi-conductors and chemicals among various other industries present around the world. Contact us- Polaris Market Research Phone: 1-646-568-9980 Email: sales@polarismarketresearch.com Web: www.polarismarketresearch.com The Trends Market Research latest research, titled Global Automotive switch market from 2021 to 2027, gives market size, market features, and market growth of the Automotive switch market industry are detailed in this research, which is broken down by Automotive switch market type, application, and consumption area. The study also discusses the main businesses and introduces participants in the industry from the standpoint of the industry chain and marketing chain. The research assists Automotive switch market key suppliers, companies, and end-users in gaining a better understanding, advantages, and full elements of the market segments. Request for Sample with Complete TOC and Figures & Graphs @ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/sample/13476 The global market is segmented on the basis of the product type and their usage in the region, as well as their distribution channels. Compare to other market regions, Europe holds the largest share in the automotive switch market owing to the ever increased automobile market in this region. Also, Asia Pacific is the second major contributor in the automobile switch market to serve the company such as Hero, Maruti and many other company. Also, Ford and General Motors are other company who contribute at the large pace in the automobile market sector making the North America a considerable player in this sector. The company which is anticipated to have a modest CAGR in the forecast period are Africa, Middle East as well as America. The develop regions will continue to remain dominant in the global market over the forecast period. Keeping in the mind about the usage of automobile applications the excessive demand of the products will continue to follow the same hold in the global market. It discusses market dynamics and provides an overview to help with definition, categorization, and statistical analysis. The market research includes a list of the top entrants as well as an in-depth industry analysis of the main market factors. Furthermore, the data in the worldwide market research enables users to recognise their market entrance potential and devise progenitive developmental plans to achieve their business objectives. Then it looks at cost structures, advancement patterns, and processes, as well as plans and views. 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Get Discount On The Purchase Of This Report @ https://www.trendsmarketresearch.com/report/discount/13476 The following regions are examined in detail in terms of consumption, revenue, market share, and growth rate, both historically and in the future: North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, United Kingdom, Russia, Italy, and Rest of Europe) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India, Southeast Asia, and Australia) South America (Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, and Rest of South America) Middle East & Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, South Africa, and Rest of Middle East & Africa) The market dynamics are discussed in the study, as well as an overview that aids in definition, categorization, and statistical analysis. The worldwide Automotive switch market displays current conditions and forecasts for the future (2021-2027). Pawan Kalyans furious speech during the pre-release event of Republic has become the hottest topic in the Telugu film industry. The actor-turned-politician lashed out at the Andhra Pradesh government, alleging foul play on various issues related to the film industry, including the rolling out of the online sale of cinema tickets. While several Andhra Pradesh ministers condemned Pawan for his allegations and countered his charges, the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC) has issued a clarification. In a press statement, the body said what Pawan had expressed were his personal views and not those of the industry. TFCC Vice-President Mutyala Ramadass feels that the stage Pawan chose to raise issues related to the industry was not the right one. He also expressed surprise at the language the Attarintiki Daredi star used. Although in a way we are happy that Pawan raised questions related to the film industry, I thought it was certainly not the stage for such remarks. Since he is also a politician, he should have spoken about political matters on a different platform, and not on a cinema platform, Ramadass said. Pawans intention was good but his execution wasnt; perhaps he should have spoken with more dignity, Ramadoss felt. The film industry seems to be divided over Pawans speech. While one segment is glad that he raised the industrys problems, another segment feels he should have made a polite request to the Andhra government (like his elder brother Chiranjeevi did a few days ago at the pre-release event of Love Story). Meanwhile, Ramdass noted that thousands of people depend on the film industry and as such, the TFCC had brought several issues to the notice of the Andhra Pradesh government. They have responded positively and if the issues are resolved, the livelihood of film industry workers can be revived, he said, adding that the film industry needs the support of both the Andhra and Telangana governments. Ramadass stressed that film industry bodies try to work hand-in hand-with governments. As much as we are trying to resolve various film industry issues, we also believe that the issues have to be solved amicably and on a long-term basis, he concluded. Many schools postponed their exams scheduled on Monday for Class 9 to 12 due to the Bharat Bandh. Representational image/PTI Hyderabad: Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao announced a holiday on Tuesday to all government offices, schools, colleges and educational institutes in the state due to the heavy rain forecast under the impact of Cyclone Gulab. The education department has issued orders to all schools to declare a holiday on Tuesday. Many schools postponed their exams scheduled on Monday for Class 9 to 12 due to the Bharat Bandh. Students will not get a second holiday. The state government has categorically told the railway authorities that it would bear only the land acquisition costs, pushing the long-delayed projects into jeopardy. (PTI Image) Amaravati: The bankrupt Andhra Pradesh government has expressed unwillingness to honour the cost-sharing agreement with the Indian Railways, leading to the derailment of several major rail projects in the state. The state government has categorically told the railway authorities that it would bear only the land acquisition costs, pushing the long-delayed projects into jeopardy. The state government has to spend at least Rs 4,000 crore from its coffers to put the railway projects back on track but, given its precarious financial position, that looks an improbable task. The issue came up for discussion during a high-level meeting between state Chief Secretary Aditya Nath Das and South Central Railway General Manager Gajanan Mallya here last week, top official sources revealed. The Railways, on its part, maintained that it is not possible to take up all these cost-sharing projects solely with its funds owing to the large shelf of projects. The discussions ended in a stalemate as either side is not ready to budge. As such, there appears little scope for any progress on these crucial projects, a top official, who was part of the meeting, told PTI. Prime among the stalled projects are a new 309-km railway line between Nadikudi and Srikalahasthi (sanctioned in 2011-12), 255.4-km Kadapa-Bengaluru, 57.21-km Kotipalli-Narsapur (sanctioned in 2001) and 93.17-km Rayadurg-Tumkur new line. The cost of Nadikudi-Srikalahasthi line has now shot up to Rs 5,000 crore but the state so far deposited just Rs 6 crore, besides spending Rs 166 crore on land acquisition on this 50:50 cost-sharing project. The Railways, on the other hand, so far spent Rs 1,144 crore on this project and completed a 45.55-km stretch of track between New Piduguralla and Savalyapuram in Guntur district. The Kadapa-Bengaluru project has been stalled, after completion of 21.8-km track-laying, as the state government proposed a change in alignment to take the line through the Chief Minister's hometown Pulivendula. Realignment of the line makes it a new project for which fresh approvals are required from the Railway Board. But still the state government is not willing to bear 50 per cent of the project cost, pushing it into a limbo, a top railway official said. Worse is the case of the Kotipalli-Narsapur new railway line that remains off-track, two decades after the then Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee laid the foundation-stone. While the state was required to share 25 per cent of the project cost (Rs 722 crore), it had so far deposited only Rs 2.69 crore. It still has to acquire 562 acres of land for the project at an estimated cost of Rs 152 crore. The Rayadurg-Tumkur project made no progress since nothing of the required 68.61 acres of land has been acquired till date. Interestingly, the state deposited Rs 260.35 crore under its share so far but is yet to spend Rs 8 crore on land acquisition, government records showed. For land acquisition alone, the AP government will have to shell out a sum of Rs 1,361 crore for road-over-bridges, road-under-bridges, new (single) rail line works and doubling projects. As many as 11 new ROBs at important places like Kakinada, Kurnool, Anantapuramu, Guntur, Kavali, Yelamanchili and Kuppam, which were nearing completion, were now stalled as the state government could not release Rs 130.61 crore for finishing balance works like approach roads. Another three ROBs were stuck after 25 per cent of works were done because the state did not release Rs 113.90 crore. Two more are in tender stage while work on another ROB in Visakhapatnam (Lakshmidevipet) has been kept in abeyance as the state Finance Department raised some objections, the sources said. These three works would cost Rs 248.03 crore (state share). The issue has been taken up with Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy for release of funds but to no avail. The Railways has agreed to build another 21 ROBs and RUBs with its own funds and asked the state to bear Rs 150 crore towards land acquisition. The state is yet to give its willingness for this, the sources added. The AP government is not depositing its share (of money) in the cost-sharing projects. As such, execution of these projects is severely affected, the Railway official said. On his part, the state Chief Secretary directed Joint Collectors of different districts to expedite the land acquisition process to enable faster progress in the pending rail projects. Indian Navy personnel rescue Simhachalam, who got stranded in Swarnakukhi River in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh - (DC) Visakhapatnam: The Vizag-based Indian Navy chopper with night vision cameras has rescued a stranded villager in Swarnamukhi River during night at Parvatipuram in Vizianagaram district in Andhra Pradesh. 40-year-old D.Simhachalam was marooned in the middle of the river due to flash floods caused by the cyclone Gulab, which hit the Andhra Pradesh coast on September 26. Based on an SOS request received from Andhra Pradesh State Administration officials on Monday evening, the Eastern Naval Command (ENC), headquarters Visakhapatnam, has deployed an Advanced Light Helicopter from INS Dega here for the search and rescue operation. After arriving at the location, nearly 120kms from Vizag, the aircraft could not locate the village due to bad weather condition. Then, a Seaking 42C helicopter with suitable Night Vision Devices was launched to undertake the rescue mission at about 11 PM. Despite the rainy weather and strong wind the Seaking helicopter undertook a search and located the survivor. The helicopter hovered over the survivor in the River Suvarnamukhi at a very low altitude to pick him up. The aircraft returned to INS Dega wherein first aid was provided and the survivor was later shifted to KGH in Vizag for further medical treatment. His family members were informed of his wellbeing by the Naval Air Station. The survivor who belongs to Venkatabhairavapalem village in Vizianagaram District was thankful for the Indian Navy and Chief Minister Y.S.Jagan Mohan Reddy for the timely help at night which saved his life. Kochi: Incursion of wild elephants into human settlements in Palakkad district, including at an under construction IIT campus there, has been taken note of the Kerala High Court, which has sought a report from the state government on steps proposed to be taken for preventing such incidents in future. The direction was issued by a bench of Justices A K Jayasankaran Nambiar and P Gopinath during hearing of a PIL initiated by it on its own in the wake of the gruesome killing of a dog named Bruno which was tied up and beaten to death by some people on the Adimalathura beach on the outskirts of Thiruvananthapuram. The court said that the amici curiae, appointed by it in the matter, gave a report pointing out an incident of a herd of elephants' entering the under construction IIT campus at Palakkad. The bench said the government's response to the report "shall indicate the steps that are proposed to be taken by the State and its agencies for preventing such incidents in future". As part of the PIL the court was also examining other incidents of cruelty to animals, including the killing of hundreds of stray dogs by poisoning in Thrikkakara municipality area of Ernakulam district. In the dog poisoning matter, the bench directed the local body to indicate the steps taken by it to put in place the necessary infrastructure for carrying out Animal Birth Control Programmes for animals in their area. During the hearing of the matter, the bench was informed by the Kerala government that the State Animal Welfare Board has already commenced functioning and its website has become operational and ready for access by the citizenry. The government had also told the bench that the Animal Welfare Board of India, however, was yet to communicate its nominees to the state board and on receiving information from them, those nominees will also be inducted. "Taking note of the above, we direct the Animal Welfare Board of India to immediately nominate two members to the State Animal Welfare Board. The nomination shall be effected within two weeks from today (September 24)," the high court said and listed the PIL for further hearing on October 1. Meanwhile, irrigation department has constituted 15 teams of engineers to inspect all 185 lakes under GHMC and HMDA limits and take necessary preventive measures. Representational Image. (DC Image) Hyderabad: In the wake of Cyclone Gulab continuing to hit the state for past three days, irrigation department has reviewed the position at its irrigation projects, tanks and lakes. Special chief secretary (Irrigation) Rajat Kumar on Tuesday held a video conference with all departmental engineers up to assistance executive engineers level to know the situation. All chief engineers have reported that everything is under control. No damages or major problems have been reported from anywhere. The few breaches that have occurred are being attended to on priority basis. Rajat Kumar has instructed engineers to maintain constant vigil and utilise financial powers delegated to them for attending to any emergency. Meanwhile, irrigation department has constituted 15 teams of engineers to inspect all 185 lakes under GHMC and HMDA limits and take necessary preventive measures. Of the total 43,870 tanks across the state, 21,552 are already in surplus due to heavy rains. 13,451 tanks have water levels ranging between 75100 per cent; 3,954 tanks 5075 per cent; 2,771 2550 per cent and 2,142 tanks up to 25 per cent. Current storage capacity in all major projects on Krishna ranges from 72 per cent to 99 per cent and on Godavari between 87 percent and 95 per cent. Gates of all major projects have been lifted on Tuesday as they continued to receive heavy inflows from upstream. Chennai: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) organised an exhibition for school students in Chennai on Monday. ISRO displayed miniature models of Chandrayaan and Mangalyaan among their other works. The expo was set inside a bus that was laced with LED screens. Students from Classes 9 to 12 from different schools participated in the exhibition. ISRO officials explained how a satelite is launched and is useful for the country's welfare. "It was very helpful for our studies. We were explained about the launch of Chandrayan I and II. The initiative of bringing the expo in a bus was very nice. We learnt so much," a student Taslima told ANI. Another student Kerena Sherin said, "We were very eager to see this expo. It was like a practical session that we can relate to the theories in our books. It inculcated an interest in space science among us." The BJP leader said that minister K.T. Rama Rao will be sent to jail after BJP comes to power as he was responsible for 27 Intermediate students committing suicide. DC file photo HYDERABAD: BJP state president Bandi Sanjay Kumar said that the Dalit Bandhu scheme of the TRS government was nothing but a rehashed version of Narendra Modi governments Stand up India that provides financial support to dalit entrepreneurs across the country. He was addressing a public meeting that was attended by a large number of Dalits, on the 31st day of his Praja Sangram Yatra at Illantakunta in Rajanna Sircilla district on Monday. He said that under the Stand up India scheme, Dalits get financial support to the tune of Rs 1 crore to Rs 5 crore. Launching a vitriolic attack against Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, Sanjay alleged that Rao was taking Dalits for a ride in the name of Dalit Bandhu. Rao has shown no inclination towards fulfilling his promise of erecting a mammoth statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar. The CM was only affixing his pictures on Central schemes and presenting them state-sponsored welfare schemes, Sanjay said. The BJP leader said that minister K.T. Rama Rao will be sent to jail after BJP comes to power as he was responsible for 27 Intermediate students committing suicide. Questioning Chandrashekar Raos family about the sacrifices they had made to achieve a separate state for Telangana, the state BJP chief said that the dream was realised only after sacrifices by 1,400 poor people and students. He said that unlike Rao, who never comes out of his farmhouse to listen to the problems of people, the BJP is ever willing to help people, which is why they all are with them. BJP never insulted any religion and their gods, but it will not tolerate if Hindus and their gods are insulted, Sanjay warned. Member of Parliament from Karnataka Munuswamy, senior leaders Pratap Ramkrishna, S. Kumar, Koppu Basha, N.V. Subhash, V. Sangappa, Gaddam Nagraju and B. Tirupathi Reddy took part in the padayatra. The Election Commission of India had kept the bypoll on hold early in September. (Photo: PTI/Representational Image) Hyderabad: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday released the much-awaited bypoll schedule for Huzurabad Assembly constituency. The polling will be held on October 30 and the result will be announced on November 2. While the poll notification will be issued on October 1, the deadline to file nominations is October 8. The scrutiny of nominations will be on October 11 and the last date for withdrawal of nomination is October 13. The bypoll was necessitated after the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) MLA and former health minister Etala Rajendar quit the party as well as the MLA post on June 12 after he was sacked from the Cabinet by Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on May 2 over land encroachment allegations. Rajendar subsequently joined the BJP on June 14. Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Shanshank Goel on Tuesday said the election code of conduct came into force with immediate effect in Karimnagar and Hanamkonda districts as Kamalapur mandal in Huzurabad constituency fell under Hanamkonda district. He stated the election would be held strictly in accordance with the Covid regulations and urged all political parties and people to cooperate with the EC in this regard. Goel said as many as 2,36,269 voters were on electoral rolls for whom 308 polling booths would be set up. However, the TRS leadership was caught by surprise at the ECI's announcement of schedule on Tuesday. Party sources said the party leadership was in favour of bypoll by November-end. Accordingly, the state government sought deferment of bypoll until ongoing festival season is over when the EC sought its opinion on September 1 on the grounds of flood situations, festivals and Covid pandemic in September/October during a video conference held by ECI with Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar and DGP P. Mahender Reddy. The ongoing festival season ends with Diwali on November 4. The party leadership was expecting the ECI to issue notification after Diwali and hold polling by November-end since December 12 is the deadline for the EC to hold the bypoll. Given that the ECI had kept Huzurabad bypoll on hold while releasing the schedule of bypolls for three Assembly seats in West Bengal and one in Odisha on September 4 citing the Telangana government's view to hold elections after festival season, the TRS leadership was confident of the ECI conducting the bypoll only after Diwali. But the ECI releasing schedule all of a sudden to hold election before Diwali surprised the TRS leaders and cadre, according to sources. The TRS has announced Gellu Srinivas Yadav as its candidate for the Huzurabad bypoll on August 11. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri announced the news in a blog post, saying that the Facebook-owned company would continue to work on parental-supervised experiences for younger users. (Photo: PTI) Washington: Facebook is pausing the development of Instagram Kids, a version of the photo-sharing application for children under 13. Instagram chief Adam Mosseri announced the news in a blog post, saying that the Facebook-owned company would continue to work on parental-supervised experiences for younger users, reported The Verge. In the blog post and series of accompanying tweets, Mosseri blamed the critics for misunderstanding the purpose of the app. "It was never meant for younger kids, but for tweens (aged 10-12)," he wrote. In a separate tweet, he added that news of the project "leaked way before we knew what it would be. People feared the worst, and we had few answers at that stage. It's clear we need to take more time on this." Pausing work on the app comes after a leading publication posted a series of damning reports into Facebook last week. These included a story revealing how Instagram's own internal research suggested that the app made body issues worse for teenage girls. Facebook said these reports mischaracterised the company's studies, but it has so far refused to release its data firsthand for critics and supporters alike to analyse. The development of a version of Instagram aimed at younger users was widely criticised by a number of groups. Facebook responded to this criticism by saying young people were already active online and it was better that their experience be supervised. The company also said it wouldn't show advertising on the new app. However, critics were not convinced. Mosseri noted on Twitter that critics will see Instagram pausing development of the kids app "as a concession that the project is a bad idea." He added, "I have to believe parents would prefer the option for their children to use an age-appropriate version of Instagram - that gives them oversight - than the alternative. But I'm not here to downplay their concerns, we have to get this right." As per Variety, critics included more than 40 state attorneys general who urged Facebook to kill the project, raising red flags including research showing social media can be harmful to the emotional and mental well-being of children. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices. According to ex-Trump security adviser John Bolton, the Taliban might have Pakistani nukes in their possession after Biden's hasty pullout from Afghanistan. Bolton spoke about this terrifying outcome after the US failed to stop the Taliban from taking over Kabul. He alleged that 150 nuclear weapons in Pakistan could fall into disastrous hands, especially as the Islamists plotted against the west. After the loss in Afghanistan and other factors has made the world more dangerous, not just for the west. Nuclear weapons left behind by US might fall into Jihadists In an interview on Sunday, Bolton said that the Taliban controlling the country is just a start. If the terror Jihadis manage to overthrow the Pakistanis, the 150 warheads will be very dangerous for everyone, reported the Daily Mail. Despite alleged claims by Joe Biden, there was no problem during the chaotic pullout before August 31, and the administration left a considerable amount of hardware. It was so fast that it took many by surprise. John Bolton was part of Trump's team when he served in the White House from April 2018 and September 2019. He said that the US president did not handle the pullout according to the discussion of how it was lacking. One glaring problem is if the POTUS seems not so sound to handle and carry out an acceptable foreign policy. The White House insists that it has been caught unprepared and blindsided, saying the Afghan security forces are not doing their job of containing the Taliban, says ex-Trump Security Adviser John Bolton in the New York Post. Read Also: Putin Touts New Robotic Tank and More Weapons in the Zapad-2021 Wargames, NATO Countries Concerned Hasty withdrawal of US in Afghanistan left numerous nukes When Kabul fell, it was close to a nightmare, with Afghans going to the airport to escape the Taliban. Many feared their rule, and some even clung to the plane only to fell to death in midair. Before the deadline, many tried to get inside the Kabul airport, even stepping in the canal, and getting up the wall, showing proof that the Taliban guards did not accept. On August 16, a shocking scene of two people trying to hold onto a C-17 fell to their deaths when it was taking off. One desperate individual was discovered dead inside the wheel well when the plane landed and inspected Qatar. Mothers and fathers who were unsure if their children could survive passed them to soldiers on the fence while many were waiting in desperation to be evacuated. Also, women begged to be allowed inside because, according to them, the Taliban were coming. The final straw is the suicide bomber attack by the ISIS-K, which are radical militants who live in Afghanistan's Khorasan region that left a total of 183 dead, including 170 civilians, and 13 US soldiers in the blast cited CNN. Later the president insisted the pullout went well, but it was the opposite that was chaos and failure for the government. The White House has been stonewalled for such an irresponsible claim too. President Biden has allegedly avoided any responsibility for the Afghan debacle, but many say he did not follow the blueprint for the pullout. The ex-Trump security adviser John Bolton mentions the danger created by the Afghan fallout might lead to possession of nukes due to President Biden's missteps. Related Article: Taliban Terrorist Seen Celebrating in Leaked Video After Hoisting Severed Head of Afghan Soldier @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Russian jets were scrambled to intercept American B-52 long-distance bomber as it approached the Russian border over the Pacific Ocean, stirring tensions between the two superpowers. Moscow has been very critical of increased military activity close to its borders. Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin has made it clear that the Russian Federation will not back down against the US, EU, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in his country's border or territory. The recent Zapad 2021 with Belarus showcased the Russian forces, featuring new weapons, citing the Moscow Times. Also, the drill made NATO countries close to the exercises very edgy. Russian fighters deployed to intercept US aircraft According to Russian Defense Ministry, it deployed fighters as soon as the US plane was spotted close to Russia's border in the Pacific Ocean, reported the Express UK. It stated that long-range radar has picked up the hostile American bomber as it got close to the eastern border in the country. Deployed were three advanced Sukhoi-35S fighter aircraft from the eastern military district to meet the intruder. Pilots said the large bomber-type plane is identified as a US Air Force B-52H strategic bomber. Like in most encounters, the intercepting planes would be interrupted and told to leave the airspace. Later the bomber made a mid-air U-turn to fly out to non-Russian airspace as Russian jets intercepted the American B-52 in the air space. Read Also: China on Defensive: Beijing Calls AUKUS Deal a Prelude to Possible Nuclear Strike The American plane redirected and moved to international airspace then the interceptors made a beeline back to their airbases. Moscow and Washington have not violated protocol in the recent interaction The interaction had no violation of Russian airspace because it would have been an international incident. Both aircraft had complied with the regular acts for international air protocol and safety. Moscow and Washington have been involved in the former cold war, where standoffs were a common occurrence. Recently the Kremlin has been very wary of NATO's pivot to the East, and its forces will not sit idly by when NATO is arming upon Russia's eastern European border. Higher Russian officials have not minced words with regional states that there will be dire consequences for allowing the installation of US missile defenses. Another warning is that a pre-emptive strike its forces will do to these systems is not far behind. The AUKUS deal will force the Kremlin to be more visible in the Indo-Pacific, which the nuclear submarine deal only made the tension between the west worse, noted the Economic Times. Putin warns regarding the AUKUS nuclear deal The tripartite nation submarine deal has caused Russian and China to say the pact is dangerous. Later, Moscow and Beijing were actively parading their armed forces. According to Putin, remarking on the deal, keeping good relations is important not to rock the boat. He added never to interpret indifference as a weakness because the response will be asymmetrical and tough. The leader of the Kremlin stated that many nations are trying to provoke, including threats to interests. Anyone thinking Russia will keep silent would be regretting it later on, Putin added. Recently the intrusion of the HMS Defender on the Black Sea in Crimean coast had round fired warnings, with no intention to hit the ship. One of the reasons for the escalation is Joe Biden said he would not rejoin Moscow in the treaty after Donald Trump pulled out. Adding the AUKUS to the list, the US leader ignored his EU allies as well. Related Article: Putin Reveals Plans To Organize Asian NATO Countries; AUKUS Deal has Destabilized the Fragile Security in the Indo-Pacific @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani revealed that his Facebook account was hacked after the social media account posted a message urging people of the world to accept the Taliban and "extend a hand of friendship" to Kabul's new rulers. Ghani shared his message of truth on Monday from his verified Twitter account, saying, "The official Facebook page of Dr. Mohammad Ashraf Ghani has been hacked." Officials said that until the former Afghan president's Facebook account is retrieved, content uploaded on the social media platform from the day of the support for Taliban rule and subsequent days will no longer be valid. Ghani's Facebook Account Hacked The original Facebook message that the former president's Twitter is referring to urged nations to "interact with the current government instead of alienating the Afghan people" and has since been removed. It said that if international leaders wanted a prosperous and secure Afghanistan, they would cooperate with the Taliban and not give out hostilities. The incident comes as Ghani continues to receive criticism for his sudden disappearance from Afghanistan after fleeing the country during the Taliban takeover of Kabul. Days after Ghani and his family fled his country, the United Arab Emirates announced it had granted them permission to stay in the Gulf state on "humanitarian grounds," NPR reported. Read Also: Biden Under Fire Again After Claiming 'Build Back Better' is Free Ghani defended his decision to flee Afghanistan with his family by saying that it was a decision to avoid further conflict in the war-torn nation as the Taliban approached the presidential palace. He said that leaving his country behind was the most difficult decision of his life but noted it was the only way to keep guns silent and protect the nation's nearly six million people. The former president said palace security urged him to leave the country and protect himself and his family, which in turn would protect the Afghan people. Ghani said he did not want to stay in the country as the Taliban took over because it would risk setting off the same street-to-street fighting Kabul suffered through during the civil war in the 1990s. Ghani was reportedly in a rush when he fled Afghanistan that he did not even notify some of his aides because he feared the militant group would behead him when they found him. Despite his words, many Afghans have died under Taliban rule after their takeover of Kabul, Business Insider reported. Taliban Rule in Afghanistan The situation also comes as the Taliban government requested on Sunday for international flights in the country to resume. The militant group has promised to provide full cooperation with airlines, saying that the issues at the Kabul airport have been addressed. The request comes as the new Afghan administration tries to open up Afghanistan and urge international acceptance after taking over the country. While the airport was not allowed to conduct regular flights, a limited number of flights were allowed for aid and passenger evacuation purposes. The airport was closed after a series of devastating deaths of Afghan residents who were desperately trying to flee the country, clinging onto American planes and falling to their deaths, Reuters reported. Related Article: CDC Director Supports Allowing Children To Trick-or-Treat on Halloween With Certain Restrictions @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Since its introduction, the J-20 'Mighty Dragon' Stealth Fighter has played a minor role in the operations of the People's Liberation Army Air Force in the Indo-Pacific. Unlike the F-22 Raptor or the F-35 Lightning II, which have been tested in combat, the J-20 has not even faced non-stealth fighters. No one knows its actual performance and even the status of the avionics or absolute stealth of its radar cross-section profile. China keeps a close lid on the actual aircraft to keep it from getting compared, but the west is not entirely convinced. Dragon versus other 5th gen stealth fighter It is considered one of the four 5th generation stealth fighters like F-22, F-35, and the newly joined Su-57. The J-20 will be sent to critical areas where China will need it. This change should be noticed by western nations, reported 19Fortyfive. Pilots assigned to the Dragon have more training for its flight, expecting it to be used soon in the Indo-Pacific against more experienced western pilots. Areas of operation will be in the Taiwan Strait and the East China Sea. For sure, the Dragon will fight in the US-China war. Most of the comparison with the F-35 or F-22 is based on assumed data, though. Although, if there is a war between Japan or South Korea where China will use them. Another is to assist North Korea if it strikes South Korea, the same as the Korean War. It is planned that the Mainland forces from China and its J-20 'Mighty Dragon' Stealth Fighter will engage Japan over the territorial claim of their island dispute. Read Also: China's Most Advanced Stealth J-20 Jet: Is This "Mighty Dragon" Better Compared to the French Rafale and Indian F-35 Fighter Jets? One scenario where Beijing would use the J-20 will be part of the leading force in quelling Taiwanese air power. The three nations, Japan and Korea, have F-35s being bought for their air forces, but Taiwan needs to negotiate for its own, noted Newsweek. If the conflict comes to these nations, Japan will have 147 F-35s, and SoKor has 60 stealth fighters, which will be the arrowhead of these countries. Features of the J-20 Dragon stealth fighter The PLA can say so many praises by the J-20 stealth fighter has weaker engine than its US equivalents, China lacks the tech to upgrade its engine for higher thrust. They are also made in Russia, not homegrown, which should be resolved, but worse, the machine is not stealthy, which is a severe flaw. But it is accepted the avionics are up to spec for a 5th generation plane which is attributed not because the Chinese researched and developed it from scratch. It was gleaned from a cyber-attack on the US to steal the top-secret data, for the CCP has its stealth versions. Demos of the plane in the air show demonstrate it maneuvers in flight acceptably well, noted the Nationalist Interest. Besides the internal weapons bay, four extra fuel tanks will increase the operation radius. Also, fly at supersonic speed, but supercruise may not be installed, but makes up for more weapons than an F-35 or F-22. However, it is reported to lack cannon as its extra equipment. China will use the J-20 'Mighty Dragon' Stealth Fighter to take out enemy sensors in strike missions to clear the way for non-stealthy aircraft. But it might not engage regular fighters with the J-15 and J-10 to engage them. Even 4th generation American planes like the F-15, F-16, or the F/A-18 could still have a good fight compared to the untested J-20. Related Article: Beijing Alleges J-20 Killed 17 Planes as Propaganda to Scare Indian Air Force @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. In response to the new Taliban government's push for international legitimacy, Afghanistan withdrew from giving the final speech at the United Nations General Assembly meeting on Monday. Taliban Challenges the Credentials of Afghanistan's Currently Recognized Ambassador In a recently published article in Newsweek, Afghanistan's current acknowledged ambassador, Ghulam Isaczai, who represents former President Ashraf Ghani's administration, was named as Afghanistan's speaker, according to U.N. spokesman Stephane Durjarric. The Taliban, on the other hand, questioned Isaczai's qualifications to represent the nation. The United Nations was "notified Saturday by the Afghan Mission that they would no longer be speaking" since the challenge could not be heard in time for the General Assembly's annual meeting, according to Durjarric. President Ashraf Ghani's administration was ousted last month, and Ghulam Isaczai was scheduled to give a speech defying the Taliban, but his name was deleted from the list of speakers. The Taliban has requested that U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres cease to recognize the "deposed" Ghani government and appoint Mohammad Suhail Shaheen as the next U.N. envoy, according to a recently published article in Daily Advent. Meanwhile, Suhail Shaheen said that the interim government has all the requirements needed for them to be recognized. They are hoping the United Nations, as a neutral world body, will recognize current Afghanistan's Interim Government. Read Also: Biden Commits To Working With International Allies in Tackling Global Issues During UN Assembly Assembly's Credentials Committee The assembly's credentials committee must consider all challenges to credentials, which usually met in November and did not assemble earlier to hear the Taliban's challenge to recognize their government, according to a report published in ALJAZEERA. When the Taliban governed from 1996 to 2001, the United Nations refused to recognize their government and instead handed Afghanistan's seat to President Burhanuddin Rabbani's previous warlord-dominated administration, which was murdered by a suicide bomber in 2011. Rabbani's administration was responsible for bringing Osama bin Laden, the 9/11 mastermind, to Afghanistan from Sudan in 1996. The Taliban have said that they want worldwide legitimacy as well as financial assistance in order to reconstruct their war-torn country. However, the composition of the new Taliban administration presents a problem for the U.N. Several temporary ministers, including Muttaqi, are included on the United Nations' so-called blacklist of foreign terrorists and terrorist financiers, per Gandhara News. On September 20, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres received a letter from Muttaqi in which he said that President Ghani had been "ousted" and nations across the globe "no longer recognize him as president." As a result, Isaczai no longer represents Afghanistan, according to Muttaqi's letter. Isaczai Delays Response to Comment Last week, the Taliban-led government requested an audience with global leaders at the United Nations and nominated Suhail Shaheen, the Islamist group's spokesperson in Doha, to be Afghanistan's U.N. ambassador. Germany was outspoken in its opposition to the plan, with its foreign minister declaring that a "show" by Afghanistan's new authorities would be futile. Isaczai has also requested that his credentials be renewed. A nine-member credentials committee, which includes the United States, China, and Russia, deals with U.N. accreditation problems. It gathers every year in October or November. Related Article: Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Reveals Facebook Account Was Hacked When it Posted Support of Taliban Rule in Afghanistan @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Former music artist and R&B sensation R. Kelly has been convicted of sex trafficking on Monday after weeks of graphic and emotional testimony after nearly three decades since the first incidents. On Monday, acting U.S. Attorney Jacquelyn Kasulis was outside the Brooklyn courthouse when she announced that the case victims could rest easy because their voices had been heard and justice had been served. It is also where a jury convicted the 54-year-old music artist on all nine counts of sex trafficking and racketeering after less than two days of deliberations. R. Kelly Convicted of Sexual Trafficking The jury's verdict sent a loud message to all survivors of sexual violence, said Erinn Robinson, the press secretary for the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. She said that the verdict on Kelly was only made possible thanks to the courage and persistence of the victims until they were heard. But now that Kelly's case has been closed with a verdict, what is next for the embattled R&B artist? Some wonder what the famous personality's conviction could mean for the #MeToo movement, which contributed significantly to the case's resolution, USA Today reported. Despite many cheering for the verdict, some are left to wonder why it took so long for Kelly to be convicted of the crimes. Some said that the music artist had an expansive network of enablers around him, including confidantes and employees to many personnel in the music industry. They allegedly knew about Kelly's crimes but did not intervene. Read Also: Minnesota Couple Who Starves, Beats 8-Year-Old Girl To Death in 2020 Sentenced To 40 Years in Prison Kelly allegedly paid women who accused him of sexual abuse to keep their mouths shut. The government described the artist as building a "settlement factory" to keep his victims quiet through the years. Authorities said that when money was not enough to keep his accusers quiet, he would use his "henchmen" to threaten and even exact revenge on his victims. He is believed to have blackmailed women with nude photographs or embarrassing information to keep their accusations to themselves, the New York Times reported. Conviction of Sexual Abuse Kasulis said that Kelly's conviction of his crimes was a mark that would forever label him as a predator who preyed on women and used his fame and fortune to take advantage of his victims. The legal expert said the music artist targeted the young, vulnerable, and the voiceless to satisfy his sexual desires. The attorney added that Kelly used his inner circle to ensnare underage girls and young men and women for decades. Kasulis said his victims were brave for coming out and sharing their sufferings under Kelly's cruelty. Attorney Gloria Allred represented three of the six victims at the trial to testify and said that Kelly was the worst predator she had ever pursued. She said that Kelly's conviction was also a message to other celebrities who preyed on others using their fame and fortune. Kelly did not show any reaction when the verdict was read in the courthouse, his attorney said, despite him not expecting the guilty verdict. Outside the court, Attorney Deveraux Cannick noted that authorities "cherry-picked" evidence to support the guilty narrative, CNN reported. Related Article: CIA Officials Under Trump Administration Plan To Kidnap, Assassinate WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. President Joe Biden had a COVID-19 booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech in front of the cameras at the White House on Monday and said he'll push for more vaccine mandates to raise the US vaccination rate. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued guidelines this week recommending that individuals over the age of 65 have the third vaccination. Biden, 78, follows the standards. He claims that Americans who refuse to be vaccinated are inflicting a great deal of harm to the rest of the country. The unvaccinated are suffering from a pandemic. As a result, he is pushing vaccine mandates everywhere he can. Biden pushes COVID-19 booster shots despite nations' inequality The president was shot for the first time in December and again in January, putting him far over the six-month mark for a third shot. As he rolled up his sleeve for his third injection, he informed reporters that the prior injections had left him with no adverse effects. Even as many nations struggle to find sufficient supplies to deliver first doses, Biden is pushing booster vaccines for Americans. Before the US administers the third dose, some public-health advocates argue that vaccinations should be delivered to countries with insufficient supplies, as per SCMP. As millions of Americans - notably political conservatives - continue to refuse vaccinations, the United States trails well behind many other countries in terms of the proportion of its population that has been completely vaccinated. White House introduces revised vaccination timetable Per Daily Mail, Biden removed his blue suit jacket and enlisted assistance in rolling up his long-sleeve button-down shirt. He was given his vaccination by a nurse from the White House Medical Unit. The president spoke with reporters about how he got his booster. Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, promised last week that Biden will get his COVID-19 vaccine booster in front of the cameras. The White House issued a revised timetable on Monday, indicating the jab. Biden had traditionally avoided public appearances. He fought back on criticism from World Health Organization (WHO) experts and others who believe wealthy nations should be sending vaccine doses to poorer countries instead of giving boosters to their citizens during a Q&A with reporters while he was getting his booster shot. Biden will have Tuesday off before going to Chicago on Wednesday for a COVID-19 event. The FDA has approved booster shots for Americans who got Pfizer doses if they are 65 or older, or if they are at high risk of serious illness, such as individuals whose jobs put them at risk. A CDC advisory group advised that boosters not be made accessible to people who are exposed to the virus at work, but CDC Director Rochelle Walensky overruled them. Americans who are eligible for boosters should obtain them six months after receiving their full COVID-19 vaccine. Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccine booster shots have yet to be distributed. Read Also: Border Patrol Outrage at Joe Biden's Claims They "Strapped" Migrants; George Bush Hits at the Administration's To Disparage Agents Biden defends booster shots in the US President Joe Biden is defending booster injections in the United States, claiming that the government can provide a third dosage to Americans while still donating vaccination supplies to other countries. The FDA and the CDC approved a booster dosage of the Pfizer vaccine last week for older Americans and those at high risk of viral complications. People aged 65 and above, as well as residents of long-term care homes, should get a booster dose six months after finishing their main Pfizer series, according to the CDC. Americans aged 50 to 64 who have underlying medical problems should also receive a booster, according to the CDC. Those between the ages of 18 and 48 may be given a third injection if they have underlying illnesses and depending on their specific benefits and risks. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and other underlying diseases qualify. Individuals at higher risk of COVID-19 infection in the workplace, such as health care professionals and teachers, are also mentioned in the CDC recommendations. Walensky overturned an agency advisory panel's refusal to support booster shots for frontline employees. During a news conference on Friday, Walensky stated that authorities will proceed with the "same sense of urgency" when it comes to booster recommendations for the Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, Newsweek via MSN reported. Related Article: Joe Biden Pledges To Double COVID-19 Vaccine Donation For Poor Nations; President Calls For More Global Shots @YouTube @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. South Korea's military and Tokyo authorities said North Korea has launched a short-range missile towards the sea off its east coast. Authorities in South Korea and the United States are examining the launch's details. However, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that it "might be a ballistic missile," which can carry big nuclear weapons and is prohibited under UN sanctions. The test took place early Tuesday after North Korea's UN envoy stated that no one can dispute his country's right to self-defense and weapon testing. Kim Song accused the US of hostility and stated that developing a "war deterrent" was essential for his nation to protect itself against US threats. North Korea despises the US' "hostile policy" He urged that the Biden administration stop joint military drills with South Korea immediately, accusing Seoul of violating inter-Korean peace accords by putting its Western partner ahead of "national unity," as per Sky News. North Korea's newest action comes after the country conducted two ballistic and cruise missile tests earlier this month. The Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul declined to reveal what the North launched in its latest test on the Korean Peninsula or how far it flew. If the US wants to end the 1950-53 Korean War and is truly desirous of peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula, Kim Song demanded that the US "permanently" stop its military exercises with South Korea, which the North has traditionally described as invasion rehearsals, and end the deployment of US strategic weapons. "The US is still ignoring the reality that the Korean War has not ended for over 70 years," Kim added, referring to the Biden administration's announcement that it had concluded the longest war in Afghanistan after 20 years. Every day since the DPRK's founding in 1948, the DPRK has faced military threats and hostile activities from the US, according to Kim, Daily Mail reported. North Korea primarily uses the phrase "hostile policy" to refer to US-led restrictions on its nuclear weapons program and joint military drills between the US and South Korea. In the face of new and larger obstacles like COVID-19 and growing US-China tensions, North Korea's nuclear program seemed to fade in importance during this year's General Assembly, and the conference ended without significant fresh recommendations to break the diplomatic deadlock. Read Also: COVID-19 Vaccine Apartheid: African Leaders Condemn Disparity in United Nations General Assembly Kim Jong Un allegedly uses South's desire for reconciliation North Korea, on the other hand, despises being ignored. After months of relative silence, the nation tested new cruise missiles with nuclear warheads and fired ballistic missiles from a train this month. It then proposed that relations with South Korea be improved provided certain conditions were satisfied. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is reportedly using the South's desire for inter-Korean engagement to exert pressure on Seoul to extract concessions from the Biden administration on his behalf as he renews his attempt to leverage his nuclear weapons for desperately needed economic and security benefits, according to analysts. Both President Joe Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in voiced hope last week at the United Nations General Assembly that the stalemate with North Korea could be resolved diplomatically while avoiding the new tensions sparked by the North's recent tests. Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, reached out to Seoul last Friday and Saturday, indicating her nation was willing to restarting negotiations and taking measures toward reconciliation provided certain conditions. According to some analysts, North Korea wants South Korea to help it get respite from US-led sanctions. South Korea praised her remarks as "important," but asked North Korea to reopen lines of contact before any discussions between the two countries could take place. For the past 15 months, the communication cables have been mostly idle, as per 7News. North Korea has remained unresponsive to South Korea's attempts to communicate through the channels, according to Seoul's unification ministry. Related Article: Kim Jong Un's Sister Says North Korea Welcomes Plan To End Korean War But Urges To Stop Seoul, Washington's "Hostile Policies" @YouTube @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Although an official fourth stimulus check for Americans remains a huge gamble, certain categories of individuals may be eligible for a little additional cash in their pockets. Some states have already given out or intend to give out more relief funds to residents, but there are still more groups of people around the country who can benefit, regardless of where they live. Here's all you need to know: Farm and food workers relief program The USDA's Farm and Food Workers Relief (FFWR) grant program announced $700 million in grant assistance for farm workers and food employees including meatpackers. The majority of the funds ($680 million) will be used to assist farmworkers and meatpackers with COVID-19 pandemic-related health and safety concerns. These employees can get up to $600 stimulus payment to cover expenditures linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as any health and safety costs incurred. Personal protective equipment, childcare, and expenses connected to quarantine or testing might all be included in these costs. Unlike past stimulus rounds, which were funded by direct payments, this one will be funded through grants to state and non-profit aid organizations. This fall, agencies will apply for the funding and must demonstrate their capacity to disburse up to $600 in stimulus checks to qualified workers. Per MLive, it will be left to the agencies to disperse the monies after the grants are issued. Individual worker qualifications or distribution methods have yet to be revealed. Read Also: Your Fourth Stimulus Check Is Coming If You Live in This State; Here's How To Find Out If You'll Get One Health insurance rebates Because of a clause in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) that maintains "medical loss ratio" standards, certain Americans may be entitled for health insurance refunds. According to Yahoo! News, insurance firms are required to spend "80% of their premiums on claims and other operations of value to policyholders" under the policy. The remaining 20% is spent on overhead - and no more than 20% of an insurance company's expenses can be spent on overhead. For big group insurance plans with 50 or more employees, 85 percent of premiums go to activities that benefit policyholders, with only 15% going to overhead. If insurance companies fail to follow these standards, plan members are entitled to a refund in the form of a credit or a check. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the medical loss ratio in 2021 will be $2.1 billion, distributed to 10.7 million individuals. Because the premiums are divided between the employee and the firm, those who get insurance via their employment may not be eligible for this refund. Social security cost of living adjustment In 2022, Social Security beneficiaries are anticipated to get a 6% cost-of-living increase. This happened after the Senior Citizens League petitioned Congress to provide a one-time $1,400 stimulus check to seniors on fixed incomes. According to AS.com, one must be unable to work to qualify for these benefits, resulting in a fixed income. During the pandemic, supply chains were disrupted, resulting in bottlenecks that restricted the supply of goods and raised prices. Food, petrol, and clothing prices are all considerably higher than pre-pandemic levels, and seniors are beginning to feel the strain. Related Article: New Stimulus Payments Arriving For Some; Who's Getting More Checks Through 2021? @YouTube @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Brian Laundrie's parents have stated that they have no idea where their son is and have not helped him. "They are concerned about Brian and hope the FBI can locate him," Laundrie's parents said in a statement released Monday through their lawyer Steven P. Bertolino. Gabby Petito's family reported her missing on September 11, ten days after Fiance Laundrie came home without her during weeks-long road vacation in the couple's van. On September 19, Petito's remains was identified. Following an autopsy, the FBI declared her death a homicide two days later. Laundrie is the focus of a big search. Since September 14, he hasn't been seen. On September 17, Laundrie's family reported him missing. He said he was going hiking in the 24,500-acre Carlton wildlife reserve near the family's Sarasota County home, according to his parents, as per Newsweek via MSN. Protestors gather outside Brian Laundrie's family house On Monday morning, protestors surrounded Brian Laundrie's family house, screaming "justice for Gabby" when officers arrived to collect DNA samples for testing. Per The Sun, demonstrators with posters and a megaphone gathered outside the property in North Fork, Florida, to scream their demands. Since the news of Gabby Petito's abduction on September 11, protesters have gathered outside the residence. Days later, her body was discovered in a Wyoming national park, with an initial autopsy revealing that she died as a result of a homicide. When Laundrie came home without his girlfriend, the couple had been traveling throughout the United States in their van. On Sunday, two agents paid a visit to Laundrie's parents' house and requested any of his personal belongings that may help in DNA matching. Brian Laundrie was reported missing by his parents, Chris and Roberta, on September 17, just days after he purportedly informed them he was going for a hike. Read also: Mississippi Man Fatally Shoots Roommates While Child Witnesses Parents' Death FBI continues searching for Gabby Petito's boyfriend The agents were seen exiting the house with a brown paper bag in their hands. Since Brian returned to Florida alone on September 1, FBI agents have paid multiple visits to the Laundrie residence. Since last Saturday, when the 23-year-old apparently informed his parents he was going for a hike, detectives have been scouring the Carlton Reserve in Sarasota. Petito's missing fiance has yet to be found, but police are likely to pull back their search efforts in the coming days. Following a failed search for his whereabouts, the FBI issued a federal arrest warrant for him last Thursday in connection with Petito's death. Petito's family, meanwhile, had a memorial service in Long Island, where relatives and friends gathered to pay their respects. Joseph Petito called his daughter "the most amazing person" and urged everyone to learn from her and end unhealthy relationships. The visit came nearly a week after FBI officers surrounded his home with guns drawn, taped it up with crime scene tape, and loaded his parents into an unmarked vehicle, The Independent reported. Related Article: $20,000 Brian Laundrie Reward Issued After FBI Releases Arrest Warrant; Gabby Petito's Neighbor Offers $5,000 For Information @YouTube @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Senator Joe Manchin is pushing for some significant changes with regards to the Child Tax Credit bill. According to the Huffington Post, Manchin thinks that the current payouts and monthly dues are too generous. He also wants to exclude wealthier households from receiving the credit because they do not reportedly need the money. Manchin also wants to exclude the poor households from getting a Child Tax Credit as their punishment for not making more money for themselves. The publication claimed that this is one way of indirectly saying that poor households are lazy. The senator also wants to impose a work requirement so that the unemployment won't immediately be entitled to the child tax credit. Manchin also complained that he's been hearing people getting checks with a combined 200, 300, and up to 400. Joe Manchin can prevent Democrats from providing child tax credit At present, most parents have been receiving $300 per month for each child younger than six years old. Parents with dependent children between the ages of six and 17 receive $250 monthly for each child. The monthly payments for the credits are smaller for households earning more than $150,000 annually. And the maximum annual value credit for children ages six and below is $3,600. Read Also: Child Tax Credit 2021 Payment Date, Deadlines, Revisions: Update Portal Will Be Available Soon, Families May Receive $1500 Up At present, there are 50 Democrats in the Senate. And they all need to support the bill to continue providing parents with dependent children the help they need. Since Manchin is also a Democrat, he could reportedly be the one that can prevent the bill from being passed. However, House Ways and Means Committee Chair Richard Neal also said that it might not be possible for Democrats to want to make the child tax credit rules stricter. But there is still a chance that Manchin would get his way. After all, he has reportedly done it before. Joe Manchin influential in making Democratic decisions Earlier this year, the Democrats drafted the America Rescue Plan, and the majority of the members wanted to send $1,400 checks to most American households. This phaseout rate is currently in place for the child tax credit. And this means that the payments would diminish over time for wealthier households. However, there's no cap on who could receive them. But Manchin previously insisted that there should be a cutoff for joint tax filers with incomes above $160,000. And this is the rule that was passed together with the America Rescue Plan. Meanwhile, this isn't the only change that Americans could see in the coming months. According to Reuters, the White House and the Democrats are looking at strengthening income caps on electric vehicle rebates and free community college to shrink the current $3.5 trillion bill. White House press secretary Jen Psaki didn't comment on the reports regarding income caps. But she stressed that not all American families are eligible to get benefits. "Every family is not eligible for the child tax credit in this country. Every person is not eligible for the earned income tax credit," she said via Yahoo! News. Related Article: Child Tax Credit: Here's Why You Might Have Received The Wrong Amount @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Stephen Colbert happily projected that Joe Biden is still the president of the United States 11 months after he was sworn into office. During Monday's episode of "The Late Show," Colbert also poked fun at Donald Trump for still insisting that the results of the recent elections were rigged. Following a Republican-led audit in Arizona's largest county, it was once again confirmed that Biden beat out Trump during the recent elections. The recent audit also confirmed that the POTUS beat out Trump by a larger margin than what was previously counted. "Maybe Trump and the G.O.P. will just have to keep bringing in crazier right-wing groups with dumber and dumber names until they finally get the results they want, like the Robo Rockets or the Digi Pirates or the Crypto Cowboy. So, they hired MAGA fans and even they couldn't say that No. 45 won. That's like hiring your mom to judge the handsomest boy contest and still losing to a 78-year-old guy from Delaware," he said via the New York Times. Other talk show hosts like Jimmy Kimmel and Seth Meyers also weighed in on the results of the Republican-led audit. Kimmel said that the recent audit revealed that Trump received 261 fewer votes than what was initially counted. Biden, on the other hand, received 99 more votes. Meyers said that Trump must have been humiliated after spending millions on hiring a group of right-wing tech experts called Cyber Ninjas. Read Also: Trump Attorney Syndey Powell Says Trump Campaign Has Proof He To Overturn Elections Donald Trump, his supporters are convinced he won in the 2020 election But even after the results already declared Biden as the winner in the previous election, Trump and his supporters are still saying that they were cheated out of the White House. According to CNN, there are ongoing audits in other states like Wisconsin and Pennsylvania because Trump is convinced he must have also won there. Donald Trump's insistence that the election was rigged is criticized Richard Hasen, an election law expert at the University of California Irvine School of Law, said that he previously thought people needed some truth before believing that the 2020 election was rigged. "It turns out that no matter how much proof there is that the election was done fairly, people are going to continue to believe the 'Big Lie' because it's being constantly repeated by Trump and his allies. One would think in a real world, that even this fake audit, that was stacked in favor of helping Trump, that a finding in favor of Biden would have deflated the enthusiasm. And maybe it has among some. But facts don't matter when you're incessantly lying about election integrity," Hasen said. Last year, Trump also declared that he was the winner of the 2020 election even though the numbers were clear that he lost to Biden. "This was an election that we won easily. We won it by a lot. This election was rigged and we can't let that happen; we can't let it happen for our country and this election has to be turned around because we won Pennsylvania by a lot, and we won all of these swing states by a lot," he said during a meeting via Aljazeera. Related Article: Donald Trump Insists Supporters Showed on January 6 to Back His Election Belief, Says He Doesn't Want Them to Storm the Capitol @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Zambian leader Hakainde Hichilema just made history after being named as the country's new president. Prior to his win, Hichilema ran for president five times and lost. Last week, he became the first Zambian president to visit the White House in 1992. According to Reuters, the final tally of votes confirmed that Hichilema garnered over 2.8 million votes, while former president Edgar Lungu only received over 1.8 million votes. Following his win, Hichilema vowed to be the president for all Zambians regardless if they voted for him or not. He also said that they wouldn't face retributions or get teargassed. Zambian president attacked, teargassed, and sent to prison for 100 days The second statement is referenced to the fact that his opponents and critics reportedly attacked him multiple times in an attempt to threaten and silence him, according to the BBC. Hichilema's road to becoming president certainly didn't come easy. Other than losing five times, he was also jailed for 100 days for treason. He was accused of endangering Lungu's life by refusing to give way to his entourage. In the end, Hichilema still managed to beat Lungu, especially after the latter's candidacy was faced with controversy. After all, the Constitutional Court of Zambia declared Lungu ineligible because it would've already been his third term if he won. Read Also: Biden Commits To Working With International Allies In Tackling Global Issues During UN Assembly Hakainde Hichilema earned praise from Kamala Harris According to CNN, Hichilema was basking in his winning glow when he arrived at the White House. After all, he managed to defeat Lungu. Kamala Harris welcomed Hichilema to the White House. And the vice president called his win "democracy in action." Harris also shared her memories from when she visited Lusaka when she was just five years old. He also spoke at the UN General Assembly in New York as the seventh president of Zambia. "We too were delivered by the people of Zambia in a substantial way under very difficult circumstances with the democratic space not being available. The outcome of our election was determined by those who vote, and not those who count the votes," Hichilema said via Kake. During his trip to Washington, the Zambian president also met with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund leaders to discuss how to pull his country out of a debt crisis and experience economic revival. Hakainde Hichilema earns the support of Western countries While speaking with the publication, Zambian historian Sishuwa Sishuwa said that Hichilema would most likely receive increased Western support. "There are huge challenges he's inherited. Corruption was intensive under Lungu, human rights were violated, and democracy was seriously eroded. So, he has to not just tackle the economy but embark on political reform," Sishuwa said. Meanwhile, Hichilema also earned praise following his decision to travel to New York via a commercial flight on Qatar Airways. Only two ministers also joined him. This is in stark contrast with the other leaders from participating countries that brought their whole entourage for the UN General Assembly. The majority of them also flew to the Big Apple via first-class flights. Related Article: UN's Major Meeting On Race Snubbed By US, UK; Both Countries Vow To Prioritize Racism, Discrimination @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A new book about the Royals claims a group of Manchester University students intended to kidnap Prince Charles and keep him for ransom. The plan by Manchester University students was "nearly worthy of professional kidnappers," according to Royal writers Richard Aldrich and Rory Cormac. Writers stated in an excerpt from the book that when Prince Charles was studying at Cambridge, his Special Branch guards would follow him in a "rather beaten-up Land Rover at a reasonable distance". Royal writers Richard Aldrich and Rory Cormac claim in their upcoming book that police intelligence had known of the scheme, which was "nearly worthy of professional kidnappers." Prince Charles almost kidnapped The accusations are made in a new book called The Secret Royals: Spying and the Crown, from Victoria to Diana, which is due out next month. From Queen Victoria's reign until Princess Diana's death, the book explores the relationship between the Royal Family and the intelligence establishment. When Prince Charles was studying at Cambridge, his Special Branch guards would follow him in a quite beaten-up old Land Rover at a reasonable distance, MIRROR reported. The writers went on to say that the Manchester group had rented a "getaway car" and set up a safe home for their alleged victim. The mob was described by police as a "squad of Amazons" who were ready to cart Prince Charles off bodily. The Secret Royals: Spying and the Crown, from Victoria to Diana, makes the fresh accusations. This isn't the first time a member of the Royal Family has been threatened with abduction, Express.co reported. The Queen's only daughter, Princess Anne, and her husband, Captain Mark Phillips, were the targets of a kidnapping attempt in 1974. On their way back from a charity function, Anne, her husband, and her security were driving along The Mall towards Buckingham Palace. After their 1973 wedding, the couple's marriage was still in its infancy. Read Also: Angelina Jolie, The Weeknd Dating Rumors Continue To Fuel After Being Spotted in Second Dinner Date in Los Angeles Protecting the royals When Prince Charles and Princess Diana's marriage was breaking apart - and the couple was cheating on each other - life was made difficult for the security officers attempting to protect them. Given that the Prince and Princess of Wales were constantly escorted, security and wild sexuality sat uneasily together. Prince Charles was usually accompanied by Colin Trimming, a Special Branch member, as he drove his Aston Martin the 17 miles from Highgrove, their country residence in Gloucestershire, to meet Camilla Parker Bowles at Middlewick House. Princess Diana's security guard slept downstairs on the sofa while the couple were upstairs visiting James Hewitt at his mother's home in the West Country. When Diana first met Hewitt in Devon, she would want to be left off for the weekend and then vanish. Her police protection officers were devoted and discreet, but they were also terrified, knowing that if anything happened to her, their jobs would be jeopardized. Hewitt, fortunately, was more reasonable than Princess Diana, and he was quickly co-opted by the protection personnel, who found him to be extremely security conscious, as per Daily Mail. Related Article: Will Prince Charles Step Aside, Give Prince William The Throne After Queen Dies? Former MP Claims Kate Middleton Can Save The Royal Family @YouTube @ 2021 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Dangerous cracks have been found on the International Space Station Zarya module, according to NASA. Retired astronaut Bill Shepherd stated that the cracks are a fairly serious concern. The chief engineer of Moscow-based company Energia, Vladimir Solovyov, stated that "This is bad and suggests that the fissures will begin to spread over time." Solovyov first announced in August that the visible cracks posed no threats. However, last Tuesday, in a House committee hearing, Shepherd told Congressional representatives that there are probably other cracks they haven't found yet. Both the Russian and NASA engineers have not yet known the reason for the occurrence of these cracks. Shepherd's work on the International Space Station Program dates back to when the first modules were launched. He even commanded the first crew to the station in 2000. He flew to orbit four times via Space Shuttles, as per Business Insider. Cracks on International Space Station Zarya module In November 1998, Zarya was the first piece of the station to reach orbit. It is a part known as the Functional Cargo Block of the International Space Station's Russian segment. Rotating astronaut crews have been occupying the ISS continuously since November 2000, and this isn't the first time they have seen cracks visibly, according to Space. Zvezda, another Russian module that launched to Earth orbit in July 2000, was also detected with fissures that caused a small air leak on the orbiting lab, which was detected in September 2019. From October 2020 until March of this year, cosmonauts patched the cracks in the Zvezda module. Despite the efforts to address the issue, it has been reported that there has been another pressure drop in the module. Another example is the air leak in August 2018 noticed by the controllers in ISS. It was later determined that it was from a drill hole attached to the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. However, what caused the presence of the hole has not been definitively established. Specialists in the field speculate that it is most likely caused by a human error on the ground, although space officials from Russia put the blame on astronaut Serena Aunon-Chancellor from NASA. However, NASA officials said that it was a baseless accusation. Read Also: NASA And Russia Launches Astronauts To The International Space Station With Stricter Safety Precautions Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Russia and NASA on International Space Station Space officials stated previously that a vast majority of the equipment of the International Space Station is starting to age and alerted the public of a possible avalanche of broken equipment after 2025. Numerous incidents have been reported about the space station recently. Last month, officials in Russia stated human error such as lapses in human attention and software glitch are possibly to blame for the Nauka module to cause the ISS to tilt about 45 degrees, according to Reuters. A few hours after the module docked, the jet thrusters of the Russian research module Nauka accidentally burst into flames, which resulted in the entire orbital outpost to pitch out of its normal flight position with seven crew members aboard. Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, has publicly announced its partaking of the ISS until 2024 and that it is open to extending its participation beyond then. Related Article: NASA Hubble's Brother Set for Space! James Webb Space Telescope Launch Date, Deployment Details, More Features Although a fourth stimulus check seems unlikely at this point, the federal government has launched other financial aid programs that should grant eligible Americans extra money. On top of this, online petitions are close to completing their massive milestones. Many Americans accrued massive expenses and debts over these last few years. Unfortunately, with the pandemic still raging on, Americans feel uncertain if they can find the money to pay for their daily expenses. To help its citizens fight against poverty, the federal government is giving all the monetary benefits they could for the year. Americans could now receive money from their health insurance rebates, Social Security Income (SSI) benefits, as well as through the Farm and Food Workers Relief Program. Fourth Stimulus Check Update: Ongoing Programs Available Some states have already given out extra relief money to their local residents. California, for example, is busy with its second wave of $600 to $1100 Golden State stimulus check delivery to eligible citizens. Families who need the extra boost should visit their local government for possible programs they could apply to. Aside from that, here are notable ongoing programs that should credit Americans with a few hundred dollars. Health Insurance Rebates A newly implemented Affordable Care Act enforces "medical loss ratio" requirements on health insurance companies. To summarize, insurance companies should spend "80 percent of their premiums on claims and other activities of value to policyholders." For large insurance groups with 50 employees or more, 85 percent of their premiums must be spent. Based on last year's records, insurers received approximately $2.5 billion in rebates. This year is expected around $2.1 billion. This money should ideally be distributed to over 10.7 million Americans. Social Security Income Benefits: Cost of Living Adjustments An earlier report also mentioned a possible 6 percent increase in the cost of living adjustments (COLA) in 2022. Based on these numbers, SSI benefits might include an extra $100 on top of the regular budget. The government released an SSA online calculator that should help Americans check on their eligibility and amount receivable. Farm and Food Worker Relief Grant Program The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) recently announced a $700 million grant to support farmworkers, food workers, and frontliners. The program could release up to $600 payments as financial relief to their expenses. Note, however, that the official request for application would start fall of this year. Workers should apply for the grant to receive the money. More information is available on their webpage. Read Also: Child Tax Credit Payment Dates: When to Expect $300 September Payment, How to Track Delayed Money Online Petitions for the Fourth Stimulus Check Despite the progress, some Americans continue to petition for direct relief payments through stimulus checks. Here are a few notable online petitions that gained a lot of popularity. Stephanie Bonin started the petition for $2000 monthly stimulus checks for Americans. It officially reached 2,900,456 signatures at the time of writing. It is less than 100,000 signatures away from reaching the massive milestone of 3 million supporters. The Senior Citizen League, meanwhile, started the petition for $1400 stimulus payments for seniors.The organization argued that seniors are also heavily affected by the pandemic. They called to the government for support on their expenses with healthcare, prescription drugs, ration meals and other related necessities. There is also the petition for $600 payments to SSDI and SSA recipients. Notably, SSDI and SSA recipients are not included in the Golden State stimulus check recipients. Members of this petition has demanded for amendments and considerations to their unique circumstances. Related Article: Fourth Stimulus Check Updates: $1400 Payment for Seniors Gets Strong Push, September Child Tax Credit Delayed By Kwak Yeon-soo Barunson E&A, the production company of "Parasite," vowed to diversify its business portfolio by clinching deals with renowned directors and expanding into other business fields, in particular, producing and financing TV series that have become profitable due to a wider international audience. The company announced on Tuesday that it will collaborate with director Bong Joon-ho on his two additional Korean films. It previously produced Bong's films, including "Mother" (2009) and "Parasite" (2019). The "Parasite" producer also signed with director Kim Seong-hun, known for "Tunnel" (2016) "A Hard Day" (2014) as well as the Netflix series, "Kingdom," (2019) to make content for OTT platforms. It also signed film projects with renowned directors Lee Yong-ju director of sci-fi blockbuster "Seobok" (2020) and romance film "Architecture 101" (2012) and Um Tae-hwa, who is known for directing "Vanishing Time: A Boy Who Returned" (2017). Um's upcoming project is "Concrete Utopia," a disaster movie starring Park Seo-joon, Park Bo-young and Lee Byung-hun. "We plan to develop a broad range of theatrical films and support new creative voices," the company said in a statement. In addition to producing films, Barunson E&A is investing big in TV content by recruiting "Descendants of the Sun" (2016) producer Seo Woo-sik and signing with screenwriters. It recently signed with Baek Mi-kyung, a scriptwriter who recently created a lot of buzz this year with tvN's "Mine." She also penned JTBC's "Strong Woman Do Bong-soon," (2017) a rare drama that defies gender role stereotypes and "The Lady in Dignity," (2017) which depicts stories that satire chaebol families. Writer Jo Hyun-kyung, who most recently created MBC's "When I Was Most Beautiful," (2020) will also cooperate with Barunson E&A on her new project. To ride on the rocketing popularity of Korean content, the company is eyeing overseas joint film and drama projects. Along with discovering creative talent in the industry, including filmmakers, actors and crew, it aims to share its expertise and knowledge, gained through producing and distributing "Parasite" around the world. In addition, the film production company acquired CU Media Group, a video content production company for documentaries and broadcasting, as a move to grow into a comprehensive TV and film production company. "We will roll out a flexible partnership system that can provide the basis for work in the fields of planning, investment, production and distribution of both Korean and overseas films," it said. North Korea fired one short-range missile into the East Sea on Tuesday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, just days after Pyongyang held out the prospect of an inter-Korean summit if the South drops "double standards." The missile was fired from the North's Mupyong-ri in Jagang Province eastward at around 6:40 a.m., the JCS said, adding the South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities are analyzing the launch for additional information. It did not specify if the projectile is a ballistic missile. But the Japanese government said it appears to be a ballistic missile and splashed into waters outside its exclusive economic zone, according to Japan's Kyodo News. The launch came three days after Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said that Pyongyang could declare a formal end to the Korean War as suggested by the South and even discuss the possibility of a summit on conditions that Seoul drops its double standards and hostile attitudes against it. The North has long accused South Korea and the United States of double standards, claiming it makes no sense for them to denounce the North's missile launches and other weapons tests as banned "provocations" when they are free to conduct such tests. Tuesday's launch could be designed to test whether the South would still brand it as a provocation. In Seoul, top security officials held an emergency security meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) and voiced regret over the launch. President Moon Jae-in ordered a "comprehensive analysis" of the missile launch and recent statements from the North, his office said. North Korea is banned from all ballistic missile activities under the United Nations Security Council resolutions, though Pyongyang has claimed they are aimed at beefing up self-defense against threats posed by South Korea and the U.S. If the projectile is confirmed to be a ballistic missile, it would mark the third such launch so far this year, and the sixth known major weapons test if test-firings of cruise missiles are taken into account. On Sept. 15, the North test-fired two short-range missiles, believed to be its version of the Iskander, into the East Sea, which came just days after launching a new type of cruise missile. Last month, Pyongyang warned of a "major security crisis" in protest against the Seoul-Washington summertime military exercise. The North has long denounced such drills as a rehearsal for invasion, though Seoul and Washington have said they are defensive in nature. North Korea has also lashed out at South Korea for its introduction of advanced military assets. Earlier this week, South Korea successfully tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile from a new submarine, and unveiled the development of a supersonic cruise missile in response to the North's evolving missile threats. South Korea's Navy was also to launch a new 3,000-ton-class submarine capable of firing SLBMs Tuesday. In New York, Kim Song, North Korean Ambassador to the U.N. reiterated his country's stance Tuesday by saying it has "the righteous right" to develop and test weapons due to threats by the U.S. and South Korea. He then urged the U.S. to "permanently stop" the combined exercise with South Korea and the deployment of strategic weapons to the South in order to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula, stressing his country "would never violate or endanger the security of the U.S., South Korea and our neighboring countries." Denuclearization talks between the U.S. and North Korea have stalled. The Joe Biden government has said it is ready to hold talks with the North anywhere, at anytime, but the communist country has remained unresponsive to the U.S. overtures. (Yonhap) President Moon Jae-in / Yonhap South Korea convened an emergency meeting of its National Security Council (NSC) on Tuesday in response to North Korea's latest "short-range missile" launch, Cheong Wa Dae said. Its members expressed "regret" over the launch that came at a time when the stabilization of the Korean Peninsula security situation is very important, it added. Earlier in the day, North Korea test-fired what appears to be a ballistic missile toward the East Sea. President Moon Jae-in and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un hold hands as they cross the military demarcation line during their first meeting at Panmunjeom, April 27, 2018. Korea Times file Conservative bloc criticizes gov't for using inter-Korean detente for political ends By Kang Seung-woo North Korea's "unexpected" overture for talks, including a possible inter-Korean summit, is prompting speculation that another period of detente on the Korean Peninsula could be emerging that may have an influence on next year's presidential election here. Given that rapprochement between South and North Korea has historically favored the liberal bloc in elections, conservatives have already stepped up their criticism of the government and the North Korean regime for trying to work the political event to their advantage. President Moon Jae-in proposed declaring a formal end to the 1950-53 Korean War in his speech at the United Nations last week, and Kim Yo-jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, responded positively, Saturday, further hinting at the two countries holding another summit between their leaders. The two Koreas are technically still at war after the three-year conflict ended in an armistice. "I think that only when impartiality and the attitude of mutual respect are maintained, can there be smooth understanding between the North and the South and, furthermore, can several issues for improving relations the reestablishment of the North-South joint liaison office and a North-South summit, to say nothing of the timely declaration of the significant termination of the war see meaningful and successful resolutions one by one at an early date through constructive discussions," she said. In response, Cheong Wa Dae described her remarks as "meaningful." However, the North Korean response seems to be ruffling the feathers of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP), as it has harshly criticized both South and North Korea for using the possibility of another inter-Korean summit for their political purposes. "There is no doubt that the government and the ruling party have the intention of creating a dichotomy over war or peace ahead of the presidential election," PPP Chairman Lee Jun-seok said during his visit to the United States, Sunday (local time). "Just as the (first Moon-Kim) inter-Korean summit was ahead of the 2018 local elections, the government and the ruling party are approaching inter-Korean relations superficially by again drawing up a simple scheme." President Moon met with Kim Jong-un for the first time on April 27, 2018, two months ahead of the local elections that chose 17 mayors and governors, and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) claimed a landslide victory on the back of the resultant "peace mood" on the Korean Peninsula. Lee also complained that the government was proposing a premature and untimely end-of-war declaration, while trying to frame the PPP as opposing inter-Korean detente. Former Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong, a presidential hopeful of the PPP, also slammed the Moon administration's peace overture to North Korea. "Even if we declare an end to the war tomorrow, it is meaningless," Won said. "It would be nothing more than North Korea's 10 billion won lip service that is a result of the Ministry of Unification's announced support for the Inter-Korean Cooperation Fund." On Friday, the unification ministry stated that it would provide up to 10 billion won ($8.5 million) for civic organizations carrying out aid projects for North Koreans facing urgent humanitarian needs amid the coronavirus pandemic. In response, Park Soo-hyun, senior presidential secretary for public communication, denied the PPP's claim, Monday. "It is understandable that some are apprehensive over holding an inter-Korean summit ahead of the presidential election, but we are not the ones who masterminded such an important issue for political ends," he said in a radio interview. The PPP's strong response comes from the past track record of the totalitarian state's actions ahead of previous major elections in South Korea. In February 2017, three months before the presidential election, North Korea test-fired a medium-range ballistic missile. And previously, in January 2016, the country conducted its fourth nuclear test three months before the South held a general election. The DPK won these elections, although it remains uncertain as to whether North Korea's provocations had an effect. President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with Kim Yo-jong ahead of an inter-Korean summit at Panmunjeom in this May 25, 2018 photo. Korea Times file People at Seoul Station watch a TV program showing a file image of a North Korean missile launch, Tuesday. North Korea launched what is suspected to be a short range missile, just four days after it released statements dropping hints at improvements in inter-Korean relations. Yonhap Pyongyang fires short-range missile into East Sea By Nam Hyun-woo North Korea launched what was assumed to be a short range missile Tuesday, the same day that its envoy to the United Nations called for the U.S. and South Korea to stop their joint military exercise and withdraw their "hostile policies." The actions seemed to present a puzzle for the Moon Jae-in administration, which has had its hopes pinned on tangible progress in the President's inter-Korean peace initiative after North Korea leader Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo-jong, reacted positively to Moon's call for an official end to the Korean War and hinted at a potential inter-Korean summit. According to Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), "an unidentified projectile assumed to be a short range missile" was fired from North Korea's Jagang Province at around 6:40 a.m., and flew toward the eastern side of the Korean Peninsula. "The intelligence authorities of South Korea and the U.S. are analyzing the specifications of the projectile," said a JCS official but refused to confirm whether it was a ballistic missile or not. Japan's Defense Ministry said the projectile was possibly a ballistic missile but gave no further details. Reportedly, the projectile's range, velocity, trajectory and altitude were different from other North Korean ballistic or cruise missiles that have been observed of late. Following the launch, the South Korean government held a National Security Council meeting and expressed "regret" over the launch that it said comes at a time when stability on the Korean Peninsula is important. According to presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee, Moon was briefed about the result of the meeting and ordered a "comprehensive analysis and response to North Korea's recent statements and missile launch." North Korea's permanent representative to United Nations Kim Song speaks during the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Monday. Courtesy of United Nations Cosmo's Midnight / Courtesy of Cosmo's Midnight By Jon Dunbar Australian electronic music duo is coming back to Korea for another tour, but this time in the form of an online performance streamed for the Busan International Rock Festival. Despite multiple visits prior to the pandemic, this time the band enjoys extra fame, following a collaboration last year with top K-pop group BTS on the song "Fly to My Room." "This performance is going to be a very special one," band member Patrick Liney promised The Korea Times. "We've been able to make it extra unique and vibey just for this show." Characterized by a gushy smooth groove punctuated by vibraslap and woodblocks, Cosmo's Midnight traces its origins back to a remix Patrick's twin brother Cosmo made late at night and titled "Cosmo's Midnight mix." "From then on (the name) just stuck because it felt natural and the rest is history," Patrick told The Korea Times. "I have no idea why Cosmo got the cool and interesting name," he added. "I was originally going to be called Cyprian (meaning 'from Cyprus') but they ended up calling me something way more normal. Probably to balance out the hectic-ness of Cosmo." Cosmos Midnight / Courtesy of Cosmos Midnight The band started in 2012 but debuted officially in 2017, releasing its first full-length album "What Comes Next" in 2018 and follow-up album "Yesteryear" in 2020. In August this year, the brothers released the single " ." They gained a serious windfall last year after producing and co-writing a BTS song, "Fly to My Room." According to an article on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, their Spotify account gained an extra 40,000 monthly users thanks to the collaboration. The song addresses the frustrations of the pandemic and travel restrictions, with lyrics written by BTS members RM, Suga and J-Hope. The Liney brothers co-wrote the demo for the song with writer Joe Femi Griffith and corresponded frequently with the Korean idol group throughout its production. Patrick contributed one concept that resulted in the memorable lyric, "Broken is beautiful," when he brought up the concept of "kintsugi," a Japanese concept of highlighting or emphasizing imperfections. "The idea of kintsugi was floating in my head that day for some reason. Maybe it's because my dad had accidentally broken some pottery I made while at university and I was looking up ways to mend it. The idea of recognizing the beauty in mending something broken, and highlighting its history and flaws rather than hiding it really resonated with me," Patrick said. "In Jimin's verse he sings about how lockdown has renewed appreciation for small things. I feel they wove that little concept into their lyrics over 2020 lockdown anxiety perfectly." Patrick said he's been coping with the pandemic by switching his focus to writing and staying creative, including doing some free-hand ceramics and painting while exploring new music he's discovered. "It's still hard to stay motivated without re-energizing by being outdoors, so we take breaks from music to avoid burning out," he added. "Unfortunately live performances are basically a no-go until Australia hits a high vaccination rate. The good news is that at the rate we are going things should be opening up pretty soon!" So when Busan International Rock Festival invited Cosmo's Midnight to participate, Patrick and Cosmo were ready and willing. "Unfortunately, international travel is all but impossible right now, so the next best thing was to join in virtually. We would definitely always prefer to come visit, especially since Busan is a city we've been wanting to explore for a long time now!" Patrick said. "We really want to go to Busan next time we visit Korea, but I still feel like we've barely scratched the surface of what Seoul has to offer." Cosmo's Midnight has played at Itaewon venue Soap twice, as well as Hongdae's V-Hall and the Hangang Breezeway in Nanji Hangang Park with EDM artist Flume. "We'd always dreamed of playing in Korea but we had to wait until it made sense to tour there," Patrick said. "The Seoul club scene is pretty renowned amongst our peers, especially places like Soap and Cakeshop bringing in so many amazing artists over the years. The food, bars, coffee and nightlife had us hooked straight away, but when we were in Seoul for a week to play with Flume we had more time to sink our teeth into travelling all over Seoul and finding more esoteric places. We can't wait to come back and do more!" Cosmos Midnight / Courtesy of Cosmos Midnight Meanwhile, Busan International Rock Festival, after taking last year off, returns this year with a hybrid online-offline event. This weekend, the festival offers live performances at Samnak Ecological Park by seven domestic bands, including the legendary punk band Crying Nut and Busan local heroes Say Sue Me, as well as six prerecorded live clips from six bands located both here and various locations around the world. Along with Cosmo's Midnight, other bands participating from overseas include Texan dream-pop band Cigarettes After Sex and U.S. indie rock band Hippo Campus, both of which also have a history of touring Korea prior to the pandemic. Visit or for more details about the festival, and go to to sample the band's music. Michael Spavor has lunch in Pyongyang in August 2010. / Courtesy of Jon Dunbar By Jon Dunbar I started this column in early 2019 in response to Michael Spavor being taken hostage by China in retaliation to Canada's house arrest of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. One of the "two Michaels" held prisoner, "our Michael," as we sometimes called him, is a former resident of South Korea who moved to China where he could operate various cultural exchanges with North Korea. China is, at least for almost all travelers, the halfway point between South and North Korea not geographically but certainly travel-wise, a cruel geopolitical reality so by moving there he was positioning himself between the two Koreas, from where he could catch flights to both easily. Now it's clear China's espionage accusation against him had nothing to do with his activities with North Korea or his time meeting the isolated country's leader Kim Jong-un. It seems more likely China just wanted to attack a Canadian with a high enough profile. And by doing so, they eliminated one very useful and unique channel with North Korea. Maybe that was intentional, a message to North Korea that its engagements with the outside world must all go through China. Michael Spavor, right, visits North Korea in August 2010. / Courtesy of Jon Dunbar Michael organized my two visits to the North, in August 2010 and September 2018. But with him out of the picture, it looked like I wouldn't be going back any time soon. Not that I couldn't have just gone with a different company, but I was also terrified to set foot in China again, the country where the bulk of travel to North Korea passes through. I did not want to give China an opportunity to grab another Canadian associate of Michael. When he was abducted, he was on his way to South Korea. He had promised to come to a lecture on Dec. 11, 2018, by Michael Hay (RIP), hosted by Royal Asiatic Society (RAS) Korea, for which he had served as a council member before moving away. Prior to leaving home, he had made a big post on Facebook announcing his visit, tagging over 50 of his friends in the South, including me. So maybe China knew my name, and maybe even that I'd visited the North with him less than three months earlier. For that reason, I wouldn't set foot in China again, and I also couldn't help but wonder why any Canadians at all would continue to visit or reside in China. It seems like a very bad idea, in light of the sudden abduction and release of both Michaels. Don't be in China the next time its government needs to make an example of someone from your country. With China cutting off my hopes of returning to the North for the foreseeable future, and no longer needing to worry about any possible reactions from the North, I decided to start this column sharing my own experiences up there with Michael. I have made sure not to share his own stories told to me, which are his to tell when he eventually publishes his inevitable memoir. I had already written a few articles about North Korea and Michael's activities there, always under Michael's close guidance anyone engaging with North Korea needs to watch their words if they want to maintain productive relationships. I have tried to maintain a pro-engagement attitude in these articles based on my understanding of his world views. I wanted this column to subvert readers' expectations and make them think deeper about the situation on the Korean Peninsula. I also wanted there to be more articles reporting not on Michael's captivity, but his North Korea activities, to help people remember that this man was a cultural engager, not some kind of spy, when seeing news about his 1,000-plus-day captivity in China. This story was framed as a conflict between China and Canada, with the U.S. holding much of the blame, but how it affected Korea both Koreas was not being discussed. According to Chinese friends involved in the Hong Kong independence movement that was ongoing in 2019 and 2020, the activists knew the names of the two Michaels well. But South Korea has remained disappointingly silent on China's hostage diplomacy, maybe fearing more economic or political retaliation from China. And we don't know what North Korea thinks of the whole issue. I recall discussing this with Peter Bartholomew (RIP, another of Michael's friends who passed away during his long captivity), who believed Michael's North Korean friends would see through China's blatant lies and keep their faith in Michael. But I'm less convinced, knowing all that the North Koreans will be told about this case is what China says, and that the country likely has a pretty big cultural stigma against anyone accused of espionage. Throughout this ordeal, I have been referring to Michael often in past tense, mainly in reference to his engagement activities and his opinions, which led one person to point out he wasn't dead. I explained that his time in China is certainly at an end, and his ties with North Korea may be severed permanently. As well, we can't know if his unfair captivity has disillusioned him against his open attitudes toward engagement and coexisting with authoritarian countries like North Korea and China. During his captivity, we didn't hear much about the exact conditions he faced. What were they telling him? Did he know about the captivity of the other Michael, or even about Meng and that he was essentially a political hostage? Did he hear a mildly similar fate had befallen fellow North Korea engager Alek Sigley, who was held in Pyongyang for about a week before being released? Was he getting the books we were sending him, and did he notice a picture of him published in volume 93 of the RAS Korea journal Transactions, just to let him know we were thinking about him? Some comments in the media suggested he was in good spirits, which sounds exactly like the Michael I know. Rather than speculate on the conditions of his captivity, I've instead focused on his undefeatable spirit. Knowing him, he probably spent all his time honing his Korean and Chinese language skills, and his interrogators probably thought he was a great guy. Now that he's out, I will be waiting anxiously to hear from him, to see how my friend has made it out of this situation with his good nature intact. When he was sentenced to 11 years in prison, it didn't change my thoughts. I still believed China would release him after they no longer needed him, and it looks like I was right. If anything, I underestimated how quickly they would release him. Now that he's free, will this column continue? Not knowing Michael's current wishes, I don't want to risk adding to his emotional burden. Maybe he will want to lay low in Canada for the time being. On the other hand, he could eventually move back to South Korea, where he'll be welcomed and surrounded by friends who never gave up on him. Or maybe it's already time to start thinking about my next visit to North Korea with Michael. Preferably not through China. Michael Spavor, second from right, attends the Arirang Festival mass games in August 2010. / Courtesy of Jon Dunbar Members of the Korea Animal Rights Advocates (KARA) rally in Seoul to call for the enactment of a law banning the trade and consumption of dog meat in this July 9 photo. Yonhap By Bahk Eun-ji Following President Moon Jae-in's reference to a possible ban on the sale of dog meat, the country is likely to jump on the bandwagon of ending the yearslong debate over the practice of eating meat from the animals, with presidential contenders approving it. In Korea, the number of pet owners stands at nearly 15 million, so presidential hopefuls are keen to court those voters in the next election, scheduled for March 9, 2022 "Hasn't the time come to prudently consider prohibiting dog meat consumption?" Moon asked Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum during a weekly policy consultation session, Monday, according to Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Park Kyung-mee. The President made the remark while being briefed by the prime minister on the government's plan to improve the care system for abandoned pets, she added. Kim reported to Moon that the administration would put more effort into raising the registration rate of pets, promoting trap-neuter-release programs for stray dogs, strengthening full inspection and supervision of consigned animal protection centers and enhancing animal protection management systems. President Moon Jae-in holds Tory, a former rescue dog he adopted, at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in this July 26, 2017 photo. Courtesy of Cheong Wa Dae By Bjorn Andersson Imagine it is the year 2050. In Asia-Pacific, one in four people will be over the age of 60; three times the number of older persons in 2010. With close to 1.3 billion senior citizens in less than 30 years from now, are countries in the region prepared to fully address the needs of older persons so that they age with dignity? Let's rewind. Today, 72-year old Ping sells three kilos of sticky rice each day in her remote village in a Southeast Asian country, earning barely enough for a basic living. She's been doing this for more than 10 years, ever since her husband passed away. Her son died two months ago, and her two daughters have married and moved to another province. Ping gets some consolation from the health insurance she is entitled to, as maintaining good health during her old age is her main concern. Back in the day, Ping and other women in numerous countries across Asia-Pacific may have been supported by their families and communities. Yet, times are changing. Migration and urbanization have shifted traditional support systems for the elderly, and more and more governments are grappling with increasing healthcare costs and a shrinking workforce. While less than a third of older persons in the region currently receive a pension of some sort, pension payments are increasing as the older population increases, straining governments further. More than ever there is an urgent need for policy reform in addressing population ageing. This must be driven by a shift in mindset to convert the challenges into a demographic opportunity. Population ageing is not a threat, but an opportunity We must rethink population ageing, celebrating it as the triumph of development that it truly is. More and more people are living longer due to the result of successive advancements in health, nutrition, economic and social well-being. Along with longer life-expectancy, couples are having fewer babies. This is due to a variety of reasons such as challenges couples face in striking a work-life balance to not being able to afford having more children. However, low birthrates and longer life-expectancy are not the problem. The real problem is not being ready to face this rapidly changing demographic shift. This is why governments must act now. Policy makers must work together with academia and civil society to incorporate rights-based ageing policies and systems into national development plans. While some countries in Asia-Pacific have already taken steps, implementation must be strengthened, particularly within the contexts of COVID-19 and escalating humanitarian crises that increase vulnerabilities of older persons. Adapting a life-cycle approach with gender equality at the core In Asia-Pacific, with more than half of the older population being women, it is crucial to adapt a life-cycle approach to population ageing, grounded in gender equality and human rights. Life-long gender discrimination leaves women even more disadvantaged in an ageing society. Older women are often more financially dependent than older men due to generally lower education levels and unpaid work, having often carried the burden of being the family caregiver. Investing in each stage of life, starting from before a girl is born, determines the path of her life course. When a woman is able to safely deliver her baby, this in turn improves the long-term health of both mother and child. When a girl has access to quality education, including comprehensive sexuality education, it helps her make informed decisions about life-changing matters as she transitions from childhood to adolescence and on to adulthood. When a woman has equal opportunity to contribute to the workforce and has bodily autonomy, she has the power to shape her own future. The decisions she makes, and is allowed to make, at every stage of her life, paves the way towards a healthier and more financially secure silver age. There is little time to lose We need to take action now. The megatrend of rapid demographic shifts is altering Asia-Pacific and our entire world. This is why the years 2020-2030 have been declared the UN Decade for Healthy Ageing, complementing the Madrid International Plan of Action for Ageing (MIPAA) whose 20th anniversary next year will bring together governments in Asia-Pacific, and globally, to review progress made and better plan for the challenges ahead. While there is no single comprehensive policy that can address population ageing, we must invest in forward-thinking, rights-based and gender-sensitive policies that focus on the needs of people at every age of their life. In so doing, countries in the Asia-Pacific region can aspire to, and achieve, a better future for all, where no one is left behind. Bjorn Andersson is Asia-Pacific regional director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). By Lee Seong-hyon Cambridge, MA It is a time-honored tactic of China watchers to compare the Chinese Communist Party to Christianity's God for their similarities, such as: their absolute demand for loyalty, their ubiquitous presence and their "all-knowing" ability. The fact that some experts are still debating the eventual fate of China's troubled conglomerate, Evergrande ("hengda" in Chinese), may be an indication that we may have wandered away from the path to God. It's time for China watchers metaphorically to repent and to return to God's way. As of this writing, we are still waiting to find out what will happen to the troubled real estate developer, Evergrande, and its oversized mountain of debt, and more importantly, whether or not the CPC may divinely intervene to save Evergrande from the valley of the shadow of death. Perhaps and as always the Bible has the answer. The Book of Job, in the Bible, says, "God gave me everything I had, and they were his to take away too." This statement is insightful! According to biblical logic, the CPC gave Evergrande every penny it has. And it is the CPC that has the power to take everything away from Evergrande, too. In China, real estate developers like Evergrande cannot accumulate that kind of tremendous wealth without the blessings of the CPC. Like the biblical figure, Job, however, Evergrande lived an ungodly life, engaging in risky practices for years, leading to the current liquidity crisis. So, the CPC, under Xi Jinping's leadership, decided to send a warning to companies like Evergrande by announcing the so-called "Three Red Lines:" one, a 70-percent ceiling on liabilities to assets, two, a 100-percent cap on net debt to equity, and three, a cash to short-term debt ratio of at least 100 percent. Evergrande has failed all three. It has since been denied loans from banks, triggering its current crisis. Two immediate questions come to the fore. First, can the CPC contain the crisis? Second, will the CPC intervene to resolve the crisis? From an analytic perspective, these questiosn are actually two peas in a pod. The CPC, in a sense, engineered this challenge for Evergrande to send a warning (and also to others in the real estate market) and to teach a lesson. Just like for Job in the Bible, this is a test. That said, it will also mean that Evergrande is not China's "Lehman moment," as some media reports are calling it. Whether or not the CPC will come to Evergrande's rescue is an interesting question. Those who believe in the business maxim of "too big to fail" are betting that the Chinese government will, in the end, intervene. Others, however, point out that doing so will go against the moral doctrine of Xi Jinping, who has been underscoring "Common Prosperity," and the need to eradicate corruption and acts of business malpractice like those of Evergrande. After all, it's Xi's decision to make. Yet, unlike God of the Bible, Xi is known to enforce strict rules, increasingly turning to the "no exception" principle, in running matters. He publicly vowed to crack down on both "tigers" and "flies" in other words, powerful political heavyweights and lowly bureaucrats together. If this is the case, then, it is likely that Xi will allow Evergrande to disintegrate and collapse. Doing so fits with his publicly avowed principle. It will also have the effect of calming down the overheated real estate market in China. It will also send a "justice-served" message to socially underprivileged people who have not been able to afford to buy a house. On the other hand, Xi will also want to avert a financial crisis a seismic impact from the Evergrande collapse. Xi's administration should also send a message of reassurance and protection to grassroots investors and consumers. The keyword is "social stability." As long as Evergrande the Godzilla in this case falls down in an orderly fashion, creating a minimum level of dust, that will be acceptable. China's property sector will face the music, learn the lesson. The Chinese economy, overall, will likely come out healthier. The problem is that Evergrande's top boss, Hui Ka Yan, turned out to also be a man of faith. He publicly vowed to turn over a new leaf after passing this test. "I firmly believe that Evergrande people's spirit of never admitting defeat, and becoming stronger when the going gets tough, is our source of strength in overcoming all difficulties!" he said. It seems that he hopes that this saga will turn out like that of Job in the Bible. Lee Seong-hyon, Ph.D. (sunnybbsfs@gmail.com), is a visiting scholar at Harvard University's Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies. He is the former director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the Sejong Institute. By Kim Sang-woo The reputation of the United States suffered a grievous blow when the Afghan national government collapsed despite a 20-year effort to build up the country's military and democratic institutions. For many South Koreans, the situation recalls the fall of Saigon in 1975. The withdrawal demonstrated to the South Koreans that the U.S. was not a credible ally and that if push comes to shove, it may actually betray South Korea as well. In fact, there were attempts to pull out U.S. troops stationed in Korea by former Presidents Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter. However, the bipartisan opposition of Congress and the U.S. national security establishment prevented a total pullout, which instead resulted in a reduction in the number of troops stationed here. In the decades that followed, South Korea emerged as a vibrant democracy and one of the economic miracles of the 20th century. These successes notwithstanding, 28,000 U.S. troops remain in South Korea today, at a cost of $3.5 billion annually to the American taxpayer, although it does not appear a further reduction in U.S. forces is likely anytime soon. President Joe Biden was asked what the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan means for Washington's commitments elsewhere. Biden stressed the "fundamental difference" between Afghanistan and places like South Korea. Yet the messy U.S. retreat from Afghanistan, and the ensuing Taliban takeover, has intensified questions about how much South Korea should depend on long term U.S. military protection, and whether Seoul should do more to look after its defense. Specifically, it may amplify the voices of those who want South Korea to pursue its own nuclear deterrent. Doubts about the long-term U.S. military commitment were partly due to the experience of "America first" foreign policy of former President Donald Trump who, not only demanded South Korea pay an outrageous amount for the cost-sharing of U.S. troops, but also questioned whether the troops were necessary at all. In addition, growing numbers on both sides of the U.S. electorate are skeptical of U.S. military involvement overseas. Many Trump allied Republicans oppose what they call U.S. "forever wars." On the left, politicians such as Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, call for drastically reducing the Pentagon budget, along with a more restrained global agenda. Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat who defected to the South, and is now a lawmaker of the conservative People Power Party, said: "The lesson for us from the Afghan crisis is that there are no permanent enemies or permanent allies in this world. There is only national interest." Another point of alliance tension is at what speed South Korea should regain control of its forces in the event of a war. In 1950, South Korea transferred command authority of its troops to the U.S. Rep. Song Young-gil, the leader of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan is the latest evidence Seoul should speed up the so called "OPCON transition." The U.S. and South Korea agreed in 2018 to begin a three stage process to assess whether Seoul was ready to regain wartime control. U.S. officials warn against imposing a time limit, saying the transition should be conditions-based. As the Taliban pushed from provincial capitals to Kabul, North Korea resumed its rhetoric against the presence of U.S. troops in South Korea as the allies engaged in their annual joint military exercises. "For peace to settle on the peninsula, it is imperative for the U.S. to withdraw its aggression troops and war hardware deployed in South Korea," said Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, on Aug. 10. North Korea's goal is to undermine the alliance and bring it to an end. And in recent years, the North Koreans have become much more active in trying to bring about this situation. This could be partly due to the accommodating attitude of the Moon Jae-in government towards North Korea. During his address at the United Nations General Assembly, President Moon said that an official end to the Korean War would bring "irreversible progress in denuclearization and usher in an era of complete peace." On Sept. 24, Kim Yo-jong called the prospect of an end-of-war declaration "an interesting and an admirable idea." Her comments came several hours after North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae-song said Moon's overture was "premature" and a potential smokescreen covering up the U.S. hostile policy, according to the Korean Central News Agency. The contrasting remarks were intended for different audiences, Ri's meant mainly for the U.S. and Kim's aimed at Seoul. Go Myung-hyun, a research fellow at Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said that Pyongyang is using a "divide-and-conquer" tactic between South Korea and the United States. It's easily forgotten, especially by those who don't have firsthand experience, the desperate situation South Korea was in during the summer of 1950. If the United States and the United Nations had not come to the rescue of South Korea, it is almost certain that today there would be no South Korea. Indeed, we must be imaginative in our attempts to reach an agreement with North Korea to establish a permanent peace regime on the Korean peninsula. At the same time, we must not forget that peace has been maintained for almost 70 years through the strong alliance between South Korea and the United States, and that the clear and present danger that a nuclear North Korea represents can only be resolved through close cooperation within the alliance. Kim Sang-woo (swkim54@hotmail.com) is a former lawmaker and is currently chairman of the East Asia Cultural Project. He is also a member of the board of directors at the Kim Dae-jung Peace Foundation. U.S. President Joe Biden holds up a silicon wafer in a virtual meeting with chip industry executives at the White House on April 12, local time. Yonhap By Kim Bo-eun The government is facing growing calls to stand up to the U.S.'s "undue" demand for Korean semiconductor manufacturers to reveal key business information, so as to protect local companies involved in the sector. Industry sources and experts claim that giving up such data could undermine local players' bargaining power and end up hurting their competitiveness in the global market. The calls come after the U.S. Commerce Department's moves to possibly use the Defense Production Act (DPA) as a means to deal with the yearslong shortage of automotive chips in the United States. If Washington actually initiates a DPA protocol, then all semiconductor firms which have operations in the U.S. are mandated to submit specific information regarding their supply chains. U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the DPA could be invoked to compel semiconductor companies to provide information if this wasn't done voluntarily, implying the chip firms are in fact being coerced. The demand is widely seen as an excessive form of intervention in the market, which should be left to deal with shortages according to principles, something the U.S. has so far championed. For major semiconductor companies such as Samsung, opening up confidential information would expose it to vulnerabilities. Samsung is the world's top memory chipmaker and only trails Taiwan's TSMC in the booming foundry (contract-based chip manufacturing) market. The U.S. commerce department is seeking to secure information from not only the chipmakers that attended several recent White House meetings, but all players in the industry, which would force Korea's SK hynix, the world's second-largest memory chip manufacturer, to share such data as well. The recent White House meeting the third was presided over by Raimondo and participated in by representatives from Intel, Samsung, TSMC and GM. The meeting was intended on coming up with measures to alleviate the auto chip shortage U.S. carmakers are suffering from. But the specific data requested from chipmakers is regarded as highly sensitive information that companies do not voluntarily disclose. Experts and analysts say the demand from the White House is seen in a larger context as a means to quantify the global supply chain for semiconductors, and allow the U.S. to regain its lead in the sector, which it has lost to major players in Asia, such as Korea and Taiwan over the past decades. Washington has also sought to bring production facilities of major companies, not only in the semiconductor industry but also in the electric vehicle battery sector, to the U.S. as a way of securing a stable supply of these items, which it now considers as a national security concern. "The government should not stay idle, given the chip sector is a matter of competitiveness on a national level," one source said. Another industry source also highlighted that because of the confidential nature of supply chain-related information, revealing this will affect a company's negotiating power. "This has provided relevant business sectors a lot to think about," another industry source said. "Giving up such information can undermine bargaining power, as it could be exposed to clients, competitors and partners." Given the uncertainties of how the U.S. government will proceed with the "voluntary" request, Cheong Wa Dae may need to speak out if necessary. On a related note, one section of a survey of companies on the U.S. Federal Register, the daily journal of the American government, asks: "For the semiconductor products that your organization sells, identify those with the largest order backlog. Then for the total and for each product, identify the product attributes, sales in the past month, and location of fabrication and package/assembly." Another part requires a list of "each product's top three current customers and the estimated percentage of that product's sales accounted for by each customer." A drone taxi flies above Yeouido in Seoul during a test flight event on Nov. 11, 2020. Yonhap By Lee Min-hyung Korea aims to commercialize "drone taxis," or urban air mobility (UAM) vehicles, by the end of 2025 at the earliest, aiming to ease traffic congestion on Seoul's roads, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said Tuesday. Under the ambitious plan, the ministry shared its drafts to introduce unmanned drone taxis by 2035, following a 10-year trial run testing the technological stability of driverless aerial vehicles. The land authority will start pilot tests for driverless drone taxis as early as 2030, before their full-fledged commercialization. The market for UAM vehicles is still in its infancy. However, a group of automakers and tech firms are expanding investments into UAM systems under the premise of alleviating traffic congestion in major metropolitan areas around the world. The land ministry expects the global UAM market to grow at a rapid pace, to reach an estimated size of 730 trillion won ($617.59 billion) by 2040. The estimated value of the domestic UAM market could reach around 13 trillion won by that time, said the ministry. The ministry will also establish "vertiports" in major traffic hubs in the capital, where drone taxis can safely take off and land vertically. Drone taxis will fly at an altitude of 300 to 600 meters and UAM passengers will be able to reach their destinations three times faster than they would using conventional automobiles, according to the ministry. The ministry plans to collaborate with private companies to develop industrial ecosystems for drone taxis. Toward that end, the ministry plans to select vertiport and UAM management companies to encourage the sustainable growth of the industry. In November 2020, Seoul City and the ministry successfully held a demonstration flight of a drone taxi. The two-seat aerial vehicle flew around seven minutes above Yeouido in central Seoul. The ministry plans to hold an event for the second test flight of the UAM vehicle sometime in November at Incheon International Airport. But as there are no global standards for the emerging industry, it still remains to be seen what type of vehicles will be used for the versions of drone taxis in Korea. More details of the vision have been included in a UAM concept book released by the ministry on Tuesday. The ministry said that it will also continue to expand its partnerships with tech firms for research and development of the UAM vehicles. "We will do our best to commercialize the UAM the state-of-the-art urban transportation system early," Second Vice Land Minister Hwang Seong-kyu was quoted as saying in the statement. Heavy rains have triggered flash floods and severe flooding in parts of Thailand, the civil protection agency said on Tuesday. Since the end of last week, six people have died, five of them in the central Lopburi region and one in Phetchabun in the north, the agency said. Two other people are still missing. So far, 30 provinces have been affected by the flooding and almost two dozen have been declared disaster zones. The flooding is due to a severe tropical storm, which passed over the north of the country during the weekend. The water level of Thailand's main river, the Chao Phraya, had risen sharply, the civil protection agency said, with flood warnings issued to all areas along its course, including the capital Bangkok. Flooding is commonplace during the rainy season in Thailand, which lasts from July to October. (dpa) French President Emmanuel Macron meets visitors during his visit to the International Catering, Hotel and Food Trade Fair in Lyon, France, Sept. 27. Reuters-Yonhap French President Emmanuel Macron was hit on the shoulder Monday by an egg thrown at him by a young man during a visit to an international food trade fair in the French city of Lyon. A video of the incident, widely shared on the social media, shows Macron walking through the crowd when an egg bounces off of him without breaking. Two bodyguards can be seen immediately getting closer to the president and a man was taken away from the scene by other bodyguards. Reporters heard Macron saying ''If he has something to tell me, then he can come.'' This image made from a footage by LyonMag.com shows an egg bouncing on French President Emmanuel Macron's shoulder while he was visiting the International Catering, Hotel and Food Trade Fair in the French southeastern city of Lyon, Sept. 27. Customer Analytics - UI Engineer Santa Clara Valley (Cupertino) , California , United States Marketing Summary Posted: Aug 27, 2021 Weekly Hours: 40 Role Number: 200214358 Imagine what you could do here. At Apple, new ideas have a way of becoming great products, services, and customer experiences very quickly. Bring passion and dedication to your job and there's no telling what you could accomplish. The Product Marketing Customer Analytics team is seeking a UI engineer to support customer analytics with advanced, scalable and robust architecture, tools, and data products. We looking for an enthusiastic and dedicated engineer with front end and design experience, who can build full-stack web applications and data analysis pipelines to enhance the way we visualize and interact with our data. Ideal candidate will have a high attention to detail, and can abstract these details into framework level software solutions. Key Qualifications 5+ years of JavaScript experience, including concepts like asynchronous programming, closures, types, and ES6 5+ years of programming experience using JavaScript frameworks like React,Redux, NodeJs, HTML,CSS,REST, Web Services 4+ years of experience with Java 3+ years of experience in agile ways of working in a distributed geographical model 2+ years of experience in designing, prototyping and implementing user interfaces (UIs) Description Technical Experience in Spring, Rest WebServices Experience with CSS pre-processing frameworks (Sass or Less) Experience in designing, developing, and managing highly optimized, flexible, and scalable data insights, interaction and analytical tools for customer analytics. Experience building a low latency platform (highly distributed, scalable with high availability) Deep experience in developing custom UI frameworks and developing robust, low latency and fault tolerant applications dealing with very high volumes. Work closely with data analyst, project managers, and back-end engineers to implement versatile front-end solutions. Explore product concepts to find promising directions that address both human and business needs. Architect efficient and reusable front-end systems that drive complex web applications Deliver innovative, engaging prototypes using the latest in front-end technologies. Problem Solving Structured thinking with ability to easily break down ambiguous problems and propose impactful data modeling designs. Communication Strong documentation and technical writing skills. Attention to detail and effective verbal/written communication skills. Environment / Culture Can work effectively on sometimes ambiguous data and constructs within a fast changing environment, tight deadlines and priority changes. Education & Experience Prefer: BS/MS in Computer Science, Quantitative Finance, Math, Physics or a related field Senior Technician Desktop ( Part Time) Information Systems Technology Hourly Range: $23.98 - $28.22 Deadline: 11:59 p.m. October 10, 2021 Chesterfield County's Information Systems Technology Department is seeking a Senior Technician Desktop to analyze, plan, design, install and maintain PC hardware and software in the county as well as provide technical information and assistance to staff and customers. Must maintain personal mobile technology as a condition of employment. Perform other work as required. This position is part of an approved Career Development Plan (CDP) and offers career progression opportunities and salary incentives, as funding permits, based on performance, qualifications, and experience. Successful candidate will possess a high school diploma or GED and three years of desktop support of Microsoft Windows systems in an enterprise environment; or a bachelor's degree in computer science or related field and two years of related experience; or an equivalent combination of training and experience. An ideal candidate will have high level skills at supporting Microsoft Windows 10 in a Microsoft Active Directory environment; high level skills at supporting Microsoft Office 2010 and above including Office 365; a working level knowledge of standard networking services such as DHCP, DNS, Active Directory and print servers; a working level knowledge of IT security principles including malware defense; Ability to adapt to a constantly changing workload with multiple levels of priority; Ability to complete assigned projects independently and within a team environment. Experience with automating, packaging, and deploying operating systems and applications with Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) is a plus. Experience administering Airwatch, Laserfiche, and Windows 10 enterprise is a plus. Experience in the development of basic scripts for task automation and with audio-visual systems is a plus. Current valid driver's license and good driving record required. Based on the Virginia DMV point system, record must not reflect a total of six or more demerit points within the twenty-four months preceding the anticipated hire date, or one major violation of six demerit points within the preceding thirty-six months. Out of state driving records must be obtained by the applicant and presented at time of interview. Record must reflect at least three years of history and be dated within thirty days of interview date. Pre-employment drug testing, FBI criminal background check and education/ degree verification required. This position is subject to working in high security areas governed by the US Department of Justice's "Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Security Policy" and therefore requires successfully passing a more stringent criminal background check. A Chesterfield County application is required and must be submitted online by deadline. An Equal Opportunity Employer Committed to Workforce Diversity recblid fnffphew3eapnkbha8wwhpmnl6xdoy Use your best in class housekeeping/custodial management skills to make a real impact on patient healing. Sodexo is growing! We are seeking an Environmental Services Operations Manager 2 in Hunt Valley, MD for a brand new facility. This is a 50 bed account that includes both outpatient and inpatient facilities providing the highest quality of services to the community. This role will oversee Day Shift primarily (10:00am start time), with this person being flexible to cover other shifts as business needs arise. This role will oversee a team of 15 employees. Prior Environmental Services/housekeeping experience is required, must be results driven, understand employee engagement, and be committed to a winning culture. The successful candidate will have experience with bed tracking, patient satisfaction, and possess strong computer skills. Sodexo is seeking a true self-starter who can lead a team under minimal supervision. This position functions as part of a team of Environmental Service Managers reporting to the General Manager. This role will support floor care projects, payroll, and lead the team in engagement. Preferred candidates will have experience in Environmental Services heathcare. Sodexo is seeking a true self-starter who can lead a team under minimal supervision. Get to know us: https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/treatment-centers/maryland-md/eating-recovery-center-maryland This position will have overall responsibility of an on-site operation for Environmental Services as assigned In this role, The Operations Manager has direct accountability for executing Sodexo systems, programs, resources, tools, and talent management that drives operational excellence and our service commitments that are: Predictable, Reliable, and Repeatable. This position will have strong leadership skills for the Environmental team in the delivery of safe, sanitary and innovative services to our patients, customers and employees in a variety of settings. Hours could vary depending on the business needs of the unit. The Custodial Operations Manager 2 will be responsible for, but not limited to: Provide a clean and safe environment for patients, visitors and staff for all areas of the operation. Will works closely with the Infectious Control department. A strong focus on department initiatives and patient satisfaction be responsible for driving client and patient satisfaction scores; provide a clean and safe environment for patients, visitors and staff and works closely with the Infectious Control department; lead projects and initiatives; support a diverse and inclusive workforce. Is this opportunity right for you? We are looking for candidates who: have experience leading, training and managing a team and is a leader who develops and motivates a team to exceed the expectations of clients and customers in service delivery; have customer service and/or guest satisfaction in a health care or hospitality setting; possess strong leadership skills and has the ability to work independently to drive program; monitor compliance and reach project target dates of completion; have experience effectively managing projects within agreed upon timelines; are results and safety driven; are proficient with computers and other technology Learn more about Sodexo's Benefits Not the job for you? At Sodexo, we offer Environmental Service/Housekeeping positions in Health Care and Senior Living locations across the United States. Continue your search for ES/Housekeeping jobs. Working for Sodexo: Sodexo fosters a culture committed to the growth of individuals through continuous learning, mentoring and career growth opportunities. Our Sodexo Health Care Environmental Services/Housekeeping teams work to direct housekeeping operations at health care client locations, partnering with them to deliver innovative solutions. These teams also have responsibility for driving client satisfaction by providing stellar customer service via effective communication with all levels of hospital staff, as well as follow-through with action items that impact both client and patient satisfaction. At Sodexo Health Care, patients are the heart of everything we do. Our ability to create a clean, healthy and comfortable environment for hospitals is key to the full patient experience. Apply online today! HomeKit Software Engineer Santa Clara Valley (Cupertino) , California , United States Software and Services Summary Posted: Sep 27, 2021 Weekly Hours: 40 Role Number: 200285328 The HomeKit team provides the foundation that enables an entire ecosystem of secure and intelligent home connectivity. We are developing technologies and crafting experiences that revolutionize the way people interact with the accessories around them. The team is seeking a hardworking engineer to help build the Home automation platform and take it to the next level. Key Qualifications You are an accomplished coder in C and object-oriented languages, such as C++ or Objective-C You have a well-founded grasp of computer science fundamentals You demonstrate a comprehensive knowledge of wireless technologies and protocols knowledge is a plus You have experience shipping real products to customers You thrive in a collaborative environment You have excellent communication skills A real passion for product quality and attention to detail Ability to work in a rapid development cycle with tight schedules You are obsessively passionate and inquisitive, and seek to solve everyday problems in innovative ways Laser-focused on the smallest details that are meaningful to our customers. Description You will develop the framework that enables accessories, iOS devices, and apps to work together to build an amazing product. You will work on different layers of the software stack, from network protocol design and implementation, to developer APIs, to defining the customer experience. You'll be responsible for maintaining and improving existing features and implementing new and innovative ideas for the future. Our goals are simple but the task is large; craft the most amazing home automation experience in the world that our customers will love. WWDC 2018: https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2018/231/ Education & Experience Bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering, Computer Science or equivalent experience. The Labour right wing in Britain has won a series of important votes at this year's party conference over the weekend and this week, provoking anger and outrage amongst left delegates on account of their bureaucratic antics. Amidst this mess, however, the ideas of Marxism have gained a strong echo. This years Labour conference, taking place in Brighton, has really kicked off with a bang. The first in-person conference for two years has seen a heated battle on the conference floor. Points of order have been raised and ignored; votes have been rigged; and left-wing speakers have been abused and heckled. Starmer and the insurgent right wing are driving through a counter-revolution of rule changes to secure their rule. The left is fighting a rearguard battle. Socialist Appeal supporters have been on the frontline in this civil war. Political thuggery Lacking confidence in their forces on the ground, the right wing has resorted to outrageous gerrymandering and bureaucratic manoeuvring to secure victory. Numerous left-wing delegates were expelled over the week prior to conference. Some received their expulsion emails as late as Friday evening, having already made the journey down to Brighton. Socialist Appeal supporters who were elected as conference delegates have been particularly affected by these shameless antics. Those delegates that did make it down were then blocked on the door. Scandalously, for example, Kate Osborne an elected delegate from Hexham CLP was actually prevented from entering the conference due to the crime of supporting Socialist Appeal. Expelled delegate Katie says fight the Tories not socialists! #StarmerOut pic.twitter.com/tCSn0SXZH2 Socialist Appeal (@socialist_app) September 25, 2021 Other Socialist Appeal supporters faced even more heavy-handed treatment. On Saturday, Jonathan Lees a delegate from Leeds Central CLP was dragged off the conference floor by multiple security guards. Jonathan was targeted for wearing a t-shirt that said Starmer Out! Fight Tories Not Socialists! In a blatant attempt to intimidate him, Jonathan was then taken to the police, who proceeded to take his conference pass and details off him. Democratically elected by his CLP; forcibly removed by Starmer! Watch Jonny explain what happened pic.twitter.com/GmAxtRLkwj Socialist Appeal (@socialist_app) September 25, 2021 Similarly, Alex Charlton delegate for South West Hertfordshire CLP was escorted off the conference floor by security; expelled for being a Socialist Appeal supporter. These acts are nothing short of political intimidation and thuggery. Today I was escorted out of the Labour Party conference. Id been expelled on the eve of conference but decided to go anyway and try to get in, to represent my CLP who had elected me as a delegate. I was expelled for being a supporter of Socialist Appeal AJ (@SocialistHope) September 25, 2021 These antics, however, did not go unchallenged by other delegates on the conference floor. With left-wing delegates seething over the right wings antics on the first day of conference, Joe Attard a Socialist Appeal supporter and delegate for Ealing Central & Acton CLP gave a rousing speech that denounced Keir Starmer and David Evans and their attacks on party democracy and grassroots members. In response, Joe received a standing ovation from fellow delegates. And unsurprisingly, he has also been expelled from the party. Other left-wing delegates were also expelled prior to getting into the Brighton Centre, or were escorted off the conference floor. This included Leah Levane, vice-chair of Jewish Voice for Labour (JVL), who was expelled along with other JVL members on Sunday, ahead of the vote on rule changes relating to the EHRC recommendations and antisemitism. Counter-revolution The key battle on the first day of conference was around the vote to ratify David Evans as general secretary. This saw a big win for the witch-hunter-in-chief, and thereby the right wing also, with a recounted card vote showing 57% support for Evans and 43% against. On Sunday, having earlier been forced to retreat over plans to reintroduce the electoral college system, Starmer and the right wing chalked up a significant victory, increasing the nomination threshold for future leadership elections from 10% of Labour MPs to 20%. Notably, this vote was carried by the right-wing unions, with the majority of CLP delegates against. Most scandalously, delegates from Unison, under the direction of the unions right-wing bureaucracy, voted in support of this rule change, despite having no mandate to do so. The Labour right wing has also used this years conference to limit other aspects of party democracy for example, reducing the number of motions that conference debates from 20 to 12. This and other rule changes, however, such as those around the EHRC report, saw the left lose amongst both CLP delegates and affiliated organisations. This shows the impact both of the right wings gerrymandering and clampdown on party democracy, and of the general demoralisation amongst rank-and-file members, which has weakened the grassroots left significantly, with tens-of-thousands of activists leaving Labour. The Corbyn movement shook the Labour right wing and their establishment backers to the core. The rule changes proposed by Starmer and the right aim to prevent any such left challenge from ever arising again. Nonetheless, events at conference have shown that socialist policies are still incredibly popular among the rank and file of the party. A motion for a socialist Green New Deal, for example, which had initially been thrown out by the Conference Arrangements Committee, was passed overwhelmingly. During the debate on this motion, Manchester Gorton CLP delegate and Socialist Appeal supporter Nick Hallsworth highlighted how to truly tackle climate change, we must expropriate the capitalists, by nationalising the banks and the commanding heights of the economy. Importantly, however, Nick linked this demand to the struggle against the Blairite traitors within the party, who have continually sabotaged the left, and thereby prevented any chance of seeing a socialist transformation in society. WATCH: Manchester Gorton CLP delegate and Marxist speaks on the need for a real socialist Green New Deal to fight climate change and attacks the Blairites for sabotaging the 2017 election and Corbyn leadership. Standing ovation in response. pic.twitter.com/lmIR4iBuyn Socialist Appeal (@socialist_app) September 26, 2021 This highlights a sad but important reality: The policies passed at conference will be meaningless unless the current right-wing leadership is replaced. Starmer and the Labour right will simply ignore any demands from the membership that threaten the capitalist system. Indeed, their aim in crushing the left is precisely to make the Labour Party a safe pair of hands for capitalism. This is why the struggle for socialism must also be a struggle to drive the right wing out of the labour movement; to transform the Labour Party and the trade unions into real fighting organisations for the working class. Why they really banned us Events at conference thus far have certainly caused widespread anger, outrage, and demoralisation amongst left-wing activists. But amidst this darkness, the Socialist Appeal fringe meeting on Saturday evening offered a beacon of light. Around 70 conference delegates, visitors, and local workers and youth attended to hear Rob Sewell speak on the Marxist traditions within the labour movement, and the inspiring lessons that we can draw from past struggles. Rob explained that no matter how much they purge socialists from the party; no matter how dire the situation in the Labour Party may be, the right wing and the ruling class cannot hold back the rising tide of class struggle. In the discussion that followed Robs introduction, contributions from Socialist Appeal supporters covered the increasingly revolutionary mood amongst young people; the deep crisis of British capitalism, with shortages of fuel and food; and the growing ferment in the trade unions. Join the Marxists! Replying to the discussion, Rob explained that despite the Labour right wings best attempts to ban and expel Socialist Appeal the ideas of Marxism cannot be separated from the labour movement. In his conclusion, Rob made a rousing call to arms, imploring those inside and outside the Labour Party to join the fight for socialism and help build the Marxist tendency: in the labour movement; in workplaces and on campuses; and on the streets. As this years Labour conference draws to a close, this is the urgent challenge that lies ahead of us: to build the forces of Marxism, in Britain and internationally. We call on militant workers and youth to join us in this task. Today marks the 114th anniversary of the birth of the great revolutionary, Bhagat Singh. Our comrades of the Progressive Youth Alliance (PYA) in Pakistan have released a special documentary on the political life of Bhagat Singh in Lahore to mark the occasion. In this documentary, presented by Adam Pal, the comrades visit all the places where Bhagat Singh himself used to live, or which were of historical significance to the revolutionary path that his life took. Note: This documentary was recorded on 23 March 2021 on the 90th anniversary of Bhagat Singh's death, during a tour titled, "Bhagat Singh in Lahore", organized by the PYA. In a historic and unanimous vote by ten ministers, the Supreme Court of Mexico has declared the penalisation of women who decide to get an abortion unconstitutional. That this vote has taken place now is clearly the result of our struggle in the streets, which has made it impossible for womens rights to be ignored any longer. Without this struggle, the vote simply never would have happened. Read the original in Spanish here | Echoing the arguments that have been made for years in the streets, Minister Margarita Rios Fajart argued that as free and safe access to the voluntary termination of pregnancy is not prohibited in the Constitution, criminal law should avoid interfering with what are human rights. She added that an estimated 350,000 to one million abortions are performed each year, of which a third result in complications due to the difficulty women face in accessing medical care with proper sanitary conditions. She ended by saying that, It is a matter of public health that the state must guarantee. Minister Aguilar Morales declared, Today, the threat of imprisonment that weighed on people who decide to voluntarily interrupt their pregnancy is lifted, and clarified that the proposal does not seek to defend the right to abortion, but rather the right of women to freely make decisions about their own lives. In Mexico, we have seen cases of women spending years in prison for having an abortion, even for having a miscarriage. Legal arguments, including the idea of kinship homicide, have been used to throw women in jail. With this vote, the criminal deprivation of womens freedom must end. Minister Fernando Franco Gonzalez Salas joined those asking for article 196 of the Penal Code of Coahuila to likewise be declared invalid, and this too was included in the proposal by Minister Aguilar Morales. The resolution has therefore also eliminated article 196, which sentences women to up to three years in prison for having voluntary abortions. With this act, abortion has now been decriminalised throughout the country. It has been a very long road since the year 2000, when a series of events made that year an important turning point in the abortion debate. The most significant of these was the Paulina case, that of a 13-year-old rape victim from Mexicali, Baja California, who filed a lawsuit with the Public Ministry, accompanied by her mother and brother. Paulina became pregnant as a result of the rape and, with the support of her mother, requested the legal abortion to which she was entitled. 34 days after such a heinous crime was committed against her, the Public Ministry issued an order to the General Hospital of Mexicali for the abortion to be performed. Two-and-a-half months after the rape, she was admitted to the Mexicali General Hospital, where she stayed for a whole week while the director did everything possible to delay the abortion. During this time, she was made to watch the pro-life film, The Silent Scream, and given religious lectures. Later, the Attorney General of the State of Baja California took Paulina and her mother to visit a priest, who explained that abortion is a sin and constitutes a reason for excommunication. And minutes before the scheduled procedure, the director of the hospital called Paulinas mother aside and exaggerated the risks of the procedure, spoke to her about the possibility that her daughter would die and held her responsible for her death. He frightened her to the point of making her give up, completely violating the young womans human rights. In 2007, the Legislative Assembly of Mexico City organised discussion forums with the participation of conservative and progressive organisations, as well as legal and medical experts. After an arduous process of analysis and debate to reconcile the opposing sides, and taking into account the precedent set by the Supreme Court on the matter, the United Commissions approved the decriminalisation and legalisation of abortion in Mexico City under the following terms: The reformulation of the legal definition of abortion: Abortion is the interruption of pregnancy after the twelfth week of gestation. As such, abortion can only be penalised after the 13th week of gestation, with consensual or attempted abortions within the first 12 weeks of gestation being legal. Defining pregnancy, for the purposes of the Penal Code, as the part of the human reproduction process that begins with the implantation of the embryo in the endometrium. With this, the legality of postcoital contraceptive methods, such as emergency contraception, was endorsed. The reduction of penalties for women who have an abortion. The Protection of women who are forced to abort. The term forced abortion was established, which is defined as the termination of pregnancy, at any time, without the consent of the pregnant woman. Reform of the Federal District Health Law to offer counselling and support services (pre- and post-abortion) and provide objective information to women who request the legal interruption of pregnancy. Conservative groups and the Catholic hierarchy demanded a referendum and argued that life at the point of conception should prevail over the human rights of a grown woman. However, on 24 April 2007, the plenary session of the Legislative Assembly approved the reforms by 46 votes in favour. Beyond the debates and political stances, the truth is that the reform placed Mexico City at the forefront of Latin America in the criminal treatment of abortion. The states of Oaxaca, Yucatan and Hidalgo followed this path. Today, the Supreme Court of Justice opens the door for the decriminalisation of abortion to come into force throughout the country; bringing with it an advance in women's rights. Today we have seen a slight advance insofar as women who have an abortion and the medical personnel who help them can no longer be incarcerated. This is a class question, with low-income women losing their lives in back-alley abortions. It is a small step that opens a legal gap for the legalisation of abortion at the national level. However, there is still an arduous fight ahead, which will take time. Decriminalisation will not be enough, since that does not solve the economic, social and cultural conditions that prevent access to safe and free abortion. Decriminalisation assures us that no woman will again be deprived of her freedom for deciding what happens to her body, which is a very important and momentous advance, but this is not enough. If, as the slogan says, the right to abortion is a matter of guaranteeing the right to health, then legislation must be brought in to ensure that all women or pregnant people can have access to abortions in health centres that have the material and personnel specialised in this practice and, of course, that it must be free of charge. Our fight for the legal right to terminate pregnancy has begun to bear fruit. We have seized an essential victory from the state through our struggle in the streets. Starting from the organisation and struggle of women, we must continue to clamour for access to this basic democratic right. As Trotsky explained in his writings on the womens question: To change the situation of women from the roots will not be possible until the conditions of social and domestic life change. A woman must never again face imprisonment for having an abortion! A woman must never again be allowed to die of an abortion! For the right to free, legal termination of pregnancy nationwide now! Omarjee Aviation have been appointed as the General Sales Agent (GSA) for Air Belgium . This appointment supports Omarjee Aviations objective in offering travelers better access to Air Belgiums travel benefits with premium services and best fares on the international network in a post COVID-19 era. Air Belgium is a full serviced airline headquartered in Mont-Saint-Guibert, Belgium. Established in 2016, the Belgium based carrier today operates a fleet of 7 wide-body aircrafts and offers exclusively long-haul flights from its home market. The airline provides the latest in-flight services; keeping quality, safety, reliability as its prime credentials and objectives of all operations. Besides scheduled passenger flights, the accessible services include air cargo, freighter and passenger on-demand charters, as well as ACMI. Over the years, Air Belgium has reinforced its scope of operations by extending partnerships to many reputable companies, tour operators, cruise operators and foreign governments in the global market. Air Belgium has recently modernized its fleet with two brand new Airbus A330neo. This latest generation and fuel-efficient aircraft is configured in three classes (Business, Premium and Economy) and can seat up to 286 passengers. Air Belgiums first A330neo is set to embark on its maiden flight every Tuesday and Friday from Brussels Airport to arrive the next day in Mauritius as from 15 October 2021. Having collaborated with some of the worlds renowned international airlines and partners, Omarjee Aviation is well-positioned to further secure a long-term partnership with Air Belgium and leveraging development in the commercial aviation sector, including the travel and tourism industry. Speaking on the partnership, Umarfarooq Omarjee, the Executive Director for Omarjee Aviation stated: We are extremely pleased to represent Air Belgium as GSA in Mauritius. Its a huge opportunity for us to maximize business dynamics, especially after a COVID-19 crisis, we are fully committed to oversee the nationwide sales, marketing and operation strategies with an aim to underpin a sustainable trajectory and stability in the travel and tourism industry in Mauritius, whilst ensuring the Airlines business targets are duly met. With Air Belgiums brand new A330neo introduced on the new route between Brussels Airport and S.S.R. International Airport in Mauritius, the customers can anticipate a comfortable and unique travel experience. The one-way launching discovery fare, valid for the first four flights between Mauritius and Belgium starts at 15 000 (MUR). We look forward to welcoming a large number of travelers on-board soon! Mr. Philippe Wilmart, the Chief Commercial Officer and spokesperson for Air Belgium stated: We are very pleased to announce the appointment of Omarjee Aviation as General Sales Agent for our passenger activity in Mauritius. We are confident that our partnership with Omarjee aviation will promote the success of this new air route and further develop both the tourism and business activities between Belgium and Mauritius. The twice-weekly direct flights operated between Brussels Airport and S.S.R. International Airport with our brand new A330neo will also offer easy and comfortable travel conditions to the increasing number of Belgians living in Mauritius and to the Mauritian citizens residing in Belgium, the north of France and the south of the Netherlands. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn The Indian Ocean nation of Mauritius is offering a luxury trip for two to the paradise island, in an exciting new global social media flash campaign to mark the reopening of its borders to international travellers from 1st October. The campaign will invite people from all over the world to like and comment on the #TakeMeToMauritiusNow posts on Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA) Facebook and Instagram pages. Everyone who likes and comments on the posts will be in with a chance of winning the unique prize. The competition will launch on 27th September to coincide with World Tourism Day, and will run until 30th September. The lucky winner will be announced on 1st October, to coincide with Mauritius re-opening its borders to fully-vaccinated visitors from around the world. The start of October also marks the beginning of Mauritius official holiday season as tourists book their winter sun breaks. Mauritius boasts luxury resort hotels, miles of pristine coastline, white sandy beaches and nature trails as well as world-leading historical, cultural and culinary attractions. An early lockdown, strict quarantine measures and rapid vaccination rollout meant Mauritius remained almost Covid-free throughout the pandemic. More than 83 per cent of the adult population has been double-vaccinated the highest rate across the whole of Africa allowing tourists to feel safe and secure throughout their holidays. Competition details Information about the #TakeMetoMauritiusNow competition can be found online at mauritiusnow.com All entrants will be asked to like and comment on the #TakeMeToMauritiusNow Facebook post or Instagram post to participate in the lucky draw to win a luxury trip for two to Mauritius. The winning entrant will need to be fully-vaccinated, and tested on arrival in Mauritius in accordance with the new requirements, in order to enter the country without quarantine. Mauritius re-opening information From 1st October, Mauritius is dropping quarantine requirements for all fully-vaccinated visitors. Arrivals will need a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours from the last point of embarkation and to have arranged COVID-19 insurance health cover (Mauritian citizens are exempt). All travellers must fill out the health forms before or during the flight to Mauritius. These include the passenger locator form and the health self-declaration form. You will need to hand these completed forms to immigration and health officials on arrival at Mauritius airport. For hotel stays a mandatory antigen test is required on arrival at your hotel (day 0) and again on day 5 of your stay. You can explore the island after you receive a negative result from your antigen test on day 0. All other visitors staying at one of the islands villas, bungalows, guest houses, B&Bs or private home will be required to take a PCR test on arrival at the airport (day 0). They will be required to do a self-administered antigen test on day 5 of their holiday. They can explore the island after they receive a negative result from your PCR test on day 0. All unvaccinated arrivals will still have to undergo a 14-night quarantine in an approved hotel with regular testing before being able to freely explore the island. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn APO Group (www.APO-opa.com), the leading Pan-African communications consultancy and press release distribution service, is delighted to confirm the recent promotion of Tracy Walakira N. to Account Director. Operating from her home in Uganda, Tracy has spent the last seven years working on some of APO Groups most challenging assignments, collaborating with media and coordinating huge events in every corner of Africa, from Eritrea to Somaliland. It has earned her the nickname Indiana Jones of APO Group, as Tracy consistently astounds her colleagues with her intrepid media relations work and her ability to facilitate interviews, events and press conferences wherever in Africa her multinational clients need to be. Here, we talk to Tracy about her life and career at APO Group, charting a journey from modest beginnings to the pinnacle of the African media relations community. What were you doing prior to joining APO Group? Before I joined APO Group I was working for the White Ribbon Alliance (WRA), a global advocacy movement for maternal, reproductive and newborn health and rights. My life has been profoundly affected by these issues. I lost both my parents to HIV and spent years caring for my siblings and it has made me incredibly determined to raise awareness in my country on issues affecting society. Journalism is a powerful way of reaching people, so as a journalist, I have always made it my goal to work with the media to inform and educate people about these important issues. In 2010, APO Group Founder and Chairman, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard noticed the work I was doing with WRA at the African Union Summit. In a country where 16 women die everyday due to pregnancy and childbirth related causes, our main goal at the time was to engage Ugandan media to help them better understand sensitive issues related to reproductive health so they report effectively to contribute to the reduction of preventable maternal and newborn deaths in the country. I like to be as creative as possible, as it makes a greater impact, so our advocacy events at WRA-Uganda often involved things like poetry, drama, and music as I was then coordinating youth activities. Nicolas recognised the value of this approach to media relations, and as soon as I finished school he asked me to join APO Group to help build similar relationships with media across Africa. Talk us through your journey with APO Group. I think I have been on every rung of the ladder! Initially I was hired to bring multinational online content partners across Africa on board. I progressed into Project Management, and then Public Relations work organising media interviews, press conferences and articles. Our main remit is to help clients connect with media all over Africa, but for some organizations, they require more wide-reaching services. For example, Emirates sister airline flydubai regularly opened new routes into different African countries. They needed us to be much more than a traditional Public Relations partner. Most of the time, we were organizing every aspect of their inaugural flight events from venue hire to travel and catering. Tell us a bit more about the work you did with flydubai, and the challenges you faced. flydubai needed APO Group to facilitate and coordinate inaugural flights in some extremely challenging locations like Eritrea and Somaliland, where it can be very difficult for foreign journalists and Public Relations professionals to even enter the country, let alone coordinate a press event. It is difficult but rewarding work and the reason I earned the nickname of the Indiana Jones of APO Group! It has taught me to be flexible and adapt to the intricacies of every market APO Group is operating in, but it is also where our local knowledge can be put to the best use, because we are not just dealing with media or suppliers, but government ministries and other authorities. I think projects like this demonstrate APO Groups genuine Pan-African reach, because if you can manage effective Public Relations activity in Eritrea and Somaliland, you can do it anywhere. What tips or advice would you give for successful media relations to those who are just starting out? I have always thought media relations is not about simply pitching to journalists but trying to inspire them by attracting them to a story or an idea. Of course, you also have to build longstanding relationships, and develop trust. At APO Group, we have been successful because we have the largest Pan-African project team, working on the ground across Africa, so we can cover the whole continent. Covering Africa is not like working in a single country market. There are 54 countries, and we have to have deep knowledge of them all. It is a big challenge: Not only do these countries have unique cultures and languages, but they also have very different media landscapes. Another tip is being able to communicate with journalists in their preferred language. With our team, we can cover the four main languages of Africa (English, French, Arabic and Portuguese), but also dozens of local languages too. For example, I speak Luganda which is a huge part of the media landscape in Uganda. If you are only communicating in English, with maybe a little French, there are many journalists and media outlets in Africa that will be out of reach. What are you most proud about in your career at APO Group? There are lots of things about my work that make me feel lucky. Not many Public Relations professionals in Uganda, Africa, and in many parts of the world get the opportunity to coordinate top-level interviews with influential global organizations like CNN or the BBC. Placing interviews for the Richard Quest show, Quest Means Business on CNN has been a real career highlight, but Ive also been lucky enough to work with prestigious organizations like the Jack Ma Foundation, Canon, Nestle, Islamic Development Bank, Huawei, Accor Hotels and the World Health Organization (WHO) among many more. What still surprises a lot of people is that I have done most of this from my computer at home in Uganda! Many years before COVID, APO Group recognised the value of giving staff the freedom and flexibility to work from home. On a personal note, Im also extremely proud to have worked with more than 1000 young people in my home country, educating them on womens rights and newborn health. Im so grateful that I am able to continue this important volunteer work alongside my day job with APO Group. Reacting to Tracys promotion to Account Director, APO Group Founder and Chairman, Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard (www.Pompigne-Mognard.com) said: Tracy epitomises everything APO Group stands for. She is a proud African woman with a passion for helping our multinational clients achieve great things all over the continent. She has been responsible for some of our most impactful and memorable projects, landing groundbreaking interviews and articles with the most influential media in the world. I am incredibly proud to have been part of her journey, and she truly deserves this recognition. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Nikki Lescano serves as co-ed fraternitys first president By Margo Kissell, university news and communications Nikki Lescano chose Miami University based on the academics and opportunities presented to her during her search for a college. The junior from Westfield, Indiana, who is majoring in kinesiology with a co-major in premedical studies and a minor in Spanish, said Miamis campus and community stood out during a visit. Nikki Lescano I could tell that whichever path I took, I would find a place for myself at Miami and Id always be challenged academically, said Lescano, who plans to apply to Public Health and Kinesiology graduate programs after she earns a bachelors degree. Lescano serves as affiliate chapter president of Alpha Psi Lambda National Inc., a co-educational Latino-oriented fraternity the first such organization for Latino college students in the United States. She also is a member of Delta Epsilon Mu pre-health professional fraternity. Alpha Psi Lambda gives me the opportunity to experience the positives of Greek life with a cultural balance and emphasis on diversity, support for Latinx students, and cultural preservation, said Lescano, who is Peruvian American. There are 39 collegiate and seven affiliate chapters, including Miamis, which was established last spring. Student organizations like Alpha Psi Lambda are vital to make Hispanic students feel welcome and represented, said Christian Ponce, senior director of marketing and communications at Miami and the fraternitys advisor. The cultural connections, sense of belonging and the support that affinity organizations provide are invaluable to attract Hispanic students and families. Lescano said, I never knew how connected, or disconnected, I was with my culture until I was surrounded by brothers and sisters who prioritized culture alongside the typical values of academic success and development. The language, economic, and demographic barriers that Ive faced I havent always known I was facing until I was immersed in a like-minded community. Finding your people is what I hear a lot when we talk about the importance of having a space for each other. This semester, Alpha Psi Lambda is focused on growing and diversifying further. We just began our membership intake process with six associate members, five being male. Our founding line of all women did not represent the fraternitys co-ed value, so outside of gaining traction and putting our name out there, were focusing on the co-ed part of Alpha Psi Lambda. Lescano said they are collaborating closely with UNIDOS, Association of Latin American Students, and the Cliff Alexander Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life to expand and get its name out there and known as another option, or side, of Greek Life at Miami. All I can hope for is that Alpha Psi Lambda can be a home for whomever holds our shared values. Being gender inclusive and Latino-interest, not exclusively Latino, opens the door for any student interested regardless of which demographic they fit, she said. College is difficult, especially for minority students, and I want Alpha Psi Lambda to become a place for students to find their home, and another family to support and grow with them, regardless of where they come from and what challenges they may face. For more information, follow the fraternity on Instagram, @APSIMIAMIUNIVERSITY. Housing Experts Look at Possible Climate Change Impacts Two important members of the real estate community issued reports related to the impact of climate change within the last week. The Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) Research Institute for Housing while CoreLogic's study was concerned with the housing costs associated with wildfires. MBA's 49 page study, written by Sean Becketti, former chief economists for Freddie Mac, calls global warming "the source of climate change" and says its certainty is documented by 150 years of measurements. It is contributing to sea-level rise, more storm surges, and reductions in glaciers and snow coverage with recent studies also linking it to increased droughts and inland flooding events. Selma Hepp, CoreLogic's Deputy Chief Economics, says wildfire season seems to be increasing in intensity year after year. Starting with the Dixie Fire, which started in mid-July and nearly two months and 840,000 acres later was only 52 percent contained. She goes through recent disasters, enumerating their costs in terms of rents and housing prices. MBA says climate change will place increasing stress the way risk is distributed across housing finance stakeholders including consumers, landlords, home builders, lenders, servicers, insurance companies, government agencies and mortgage investors. What happens will depend on the actions taken - or avoided - by governments, businesses, and individuals. These actions will affect the future path of climate change and hence will either mitigate or exacerbate the impacts. Becketti says one way to understand how climate change will impact the industry is to review the types of disclosures recommended for firms by the Financial Stability Board's Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD). They divide disclosures into two categories, physical risks, and transition risks. Physical risks can be acute, such as floods and hurricanes that are projected to grow worse as a result of climate change, and chronic risks like temperature or sea level increases that may threaten buildings and infrastructure. Transition risk are the changes firms may be required to make to adapt to climate change including policy and legal, technology, market, and reputation risks. The author calls coastal flooding the best example of how physical and transitional risks could impact housing. The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has had many challenges over its history and increases in claims due to climate change are likely to stretch it to the breaking point provoking many difficult decisions. In addition, independent estimates of indicate that NFIP currently excludes 2/3 of at-risk properties which may mean the current government approach to disaster recovery may become unsustainable. Even a better functioning NFIP may not be enough to sustain the system of risk allocation in housing and not all of the climate risks will fit neatly in the TCFD risk categories. Climate change may lead to property damage, but also increase mortgage default and prepayment risks, trigger adverse selection in the types of loans sold to Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, increase the volatility of home prices, and produce significant climate migration. While there are strategies to mitigate climate change and for adapting to what cannot be avoided, even the most optimistic forecasts tell us some additional global warming is virtually guaranteed along with additional flood, wind, and heat risks. Thus, adaptation strategies are needed to make housing and housing finance more resilient. These can include incorporating building modifications into new construction (easier) and existing buildings (more difficult and more expensive) and increasing the resiliency of communities through infrastructure improvements and standards. At present both mitigation and adaptation are expensive and require a high degree of adoption and cooperation that does not currently exist. Regulators and investors are demanding more and more specific assessments of climate risk from companies and will likely require more quantified rather than qualified data in the future. European firms are ahead of American ones in this area but there are legislative and regulatory actions underway to improve reporting. Becketti says that while climate change is likely to increase mortgage default risk, current default models do not incorporate this. Hepp writes that, while the Dixie fire is the largest in California's recorded history, it isn't the most destructive. The Tubbs Fire (Sonoma and Napa counties) in October 2017 destroyed 6 percent of the single family houses in Santa Rosa and the Camp Fire in November 2018 damaged or destroyed 18,800 structures. This included 20 percent of Butte County's single-family housing stock. CoreLogic puts the property losses from the Tubbs fire at $5 to $7 billion and the Camp Fire at $11 to $13 billion. Following both disasters, rent and home price growth accelerated in the fire-ravages areas as affected families rushed to find new shelter. Since Camp and Tubbs, the intensity and frequency of fires has accelerated, and six of the top 20 most destructive California wildfires happened last year, burning a total of 4,257,863 acres and destroying or damaging almost 10,500 structures. Many of the most destructive California fires have taken place in Butte, Plumas, or Yuba counties, sometimes affecting all three. Hepp says the impact of fires varies according to local conditions and their duration and frequency. In many cases the displaced seek rental properties causing rapid increases in rents. Home prices are affected to, but that takes longer to play out. Unrelated and unanticipated boosts to demand, such as the pandemic, can confuse trends. The North Complex Fire in August 2020 was the most destructive that year, and the fifth most destructive on record. It affected all three of the counties, burning twice the acreage but only one-eighth the structures of the Camp Fire in Butte County and its impact on the cost of housing was relatively muted. Prior to the Camp Fire in 2018, rent growth in these areas was running close to statewide trends, but afterwards, rental growth rate accelerated above the state trend and continued to increase for another year, peaking at an annual growth rate of 25 percent compared to 2 percent statewide. Rent growth had started to slow in Butte and nearby Yuba counties when the North Complex fire started. Because fewer structures were burned, the impact on the housing stock was much smaller. Yuba did see some acceleration in rent growth, but Hepp sees that as consistent with the statewide trend and with effects on demand related to the pandemic. Home price growth was similarly affected. Following the Camp Fire, prices in Butte County jumped 6 percentage points above the statewide trend. In Yuba County it trended above the statewide rate, and remained elevated with further acceleration at the onset of the pandemic as families searched for more outdoor space. In more mountainous Plumas County, with fewer housing opportunities than the other two, home prices fell following the Camp Fire and have remained below the statewide trend since then. The North Complex fire had a similar effect on prices with growth accelerating in the months following the fire. Nevertheless, all three areas have seen slowing of home price acceleration, especially compared to the statewide trend. The Glass Fire struck Sonoma and Napa counties, also the location of the Tubbs fire, in September 2020. While the second most destructive of the year, the structural damage was only one quarter of that of the Tubbs fire. Following Tubbs, rent accelerated well beyond the statewide trend for about a year and then slowed significantly, particularly in Napa. However, in May 2020, rent growth in Napa rose 15 percent year-over-year as Bay Areas residents sought refuge from the pandemic. The statewide increase was 5 percent. That surge slowed quickly but rebounded after the Glass fire and caught up with the statewide rate of rent growth by the beginning of 2021. Home price growth jumped more in Sonoma than in Napa after the Tubbs fire destroyed 6 percent of homes in Santa Rosa. After than, Sonoma's prices slowed and remained subdued compared to statewide growth. The Glass Fire mostly stayed away from populated Sonoma communities and had a bigger impact in Napa where home prices accelerated above statewide levels. Again, there was some effect from the pandemic related search for more indoor and outdoor space. Hepp concludes that the impact of wildfires on housing depends on the intensity and duration of the fires and when they cause a supply shock by destroying large portions of local housing the impact on rents is more immediate and larger. The impact on home prices is more complex. It takes longer to manifest and tends to be smaller than the rental effects. But where an area is repeatedly hit, like in Butte, Plumas and Yuba counties, buyer demand may lessen. Increased property insurance premiums may also dampen price growth, particularly if affected areas are not close to jobs and urban amenities. Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-27 21:46:37|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Palestinian sisters Ahlam (R) and Marwa Khadra work at their own cafe "Station Cafe" in Gaza City, on Sept. 27, 2021. As the Gaza Strip has long been under the threat of high unemployment rate, many Palestinian women there have to rely on their own wits to make a living. (Photo by Rizek Abdeljawad/Xinhua) by Sanaa Kamal GAZA, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- As the Gaza Strip has long been under the threat of high unemployment rate, many Palestinian women there have to rely on their own wits to make a living. Ahlam and Marwa Khadra are a pair of sisters from Gaza, and they established their own cafe, named the "Station Cafe," in the area they live so as to help their husbands raise the family. "Finding a job in Gaza is difficult, especially for women who are committed to raising children and meeting their daily necessities. And this is what prompted us to think of opening our own business," Ahlam told Xinhua. The 37-year-old mother of four said she worked for 15 years in project management and coordination, which helped her understand the overall situation in Gaza and what kinds of jobs would be successful. "I found that food and beverage projects are among the successful ones. And this encouraged my sister and me to open a cafe," the woman explained. However, they soon realized it was easier said than done, as both of them have been suffering from poverty. They did not have money to start their new project, but that did not stop them from trying their luck. They participated in a competition organized by the Palestine Employment Fund and won a "zero loan," meaning the loan would not be repaid until revenues are generated from the project. "During the activity, a series of management and marketing courses were given. As a result, we were granted the loan and started implementing our project," Marwa Khadra told Xinhua. "The project was a dream, especially in light of the difficult conditions that the Gaza Strip is going through, and we started implementing the dream on the ground with the simplest capabilities," the 39-year-old mother of five said. She added that she and her sister took many courses to develop their ability to prepare various types of coffee and Arabic and Western sweets, including cookies, mini cheese, Saudi coffee dates, brownies, hot chocolate, and ice mousse mocha mojito and lotus balls. "We are so happy that we've finally found our way to earn money to keep our families afloat after many years of suffering from poverty," the sisters said as they flashed smiles, adding that they earn about 50 U.S. dollars a day. Nisreen, Aya and Horeya al-Ghoul are also sisters from the al-Shatea refugee camp who established a home project to create their own job opportunities as they failed to find jobs related to their academic background. Al-Ghoul sisters turned their home kitchen into a small factory to produce sweets and pastries. Nisreen al-Ghoul, who holds a bachelor's degree in applied science and education technology, told Xinhua that they came up with the project after they passed employment tests, succeeded, conducted interviews, worked according to the temporary contract system and then found themselves sitting at home, and unemployed. "I had the ambition to create my own profession that would reflect my personality and make me feel my presence. So I proposed the idea to my sister Aya, whose circumstances were similar to mine," the 33-year-old woman said. The three sisters relied on social media to promote their products by posting photos and videos through the "Caramel Cake" page on Facebook and Instagram. They aspire to develop their project, increase the workforce after improving their economic conditions, boost the demand for their products, and move from the stage of promoting their products on social media networks to the ground. The Gaza Strip, home to more than 2 million people, has been put under a tight Israeli blockade since the Hamas takeover of the coastal enclave in 2007. According to a report issued by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, unemployment rate in the Gaza Strip reached 52 percent in 2020. In addition, 83 percent of the population lives in poverty. The average daily income per capita is 2 U.S. dollars, according to the Gaza-based Popular Committee against the Israeli siege. As a result, a high percentage of Palestinian husbands cannot provide for the basic needs of their families, especially those who work on a monthly contract or day-to-day basis. This is the reason that pushed women to take matters into their own hands. Mustafa Ibrahim, a Gaza-based human rights activist, told Xinhua that many other women in Gaza are trying to establish their own small projects to help their husbands with their daily expenses. Sometimes, he says, the women are lucky as they have enjoyed the support and care of civil and governmental institutions. "Despite many funding programs aiming to support women financially, the participation rate of women in the labor market in the strip does not exceed 20 percent, which is one of the lowest rates in the world," Mazen al-Ejla, a Gaza-based economist, told Xinhua. Al-Ejla said that the unemployment rate is higher among women by more than 15 percent compared to men. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 00:32:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Paul Chan (L), financial secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government, displays the "Report on Hong Kong's Business Environment: A Place with Unique Advantages and Unlimited Opportunities," in south China's Hong Kong, Sept. 27, 2021. Hong Kong's economic freedom and competitiveness continued to be well recognized by international institutions, a report of the HKSAR government said on Monday. (Xinhua/Wang Shen) HONG KONG, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- A report released by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Monday pointed out that Hong Kong has retained its sound business environment and unique advantages under "one country, two systems," and the financial hub is still attractive to businesses and investors around the world. The "Report on Hong Kong's Business Environment: A Place with Unique Advantages and Unlimited Opportunities" was released at a press conference by Paul Chan, financial secretary of the HKSAR government. STABILITY RESTORED The report, the first of its kind released by the HKSAR government, comes as the global financial hub has returned to stability from chaos over the past year and is gathering momentum for a more prosperous future. While the social unrest in 2019 dealt a severe blow to the society and economy of Hong Kong and upset Hong Kong's business environment, peace and stability were restored after the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong and the improvements to Hong Kong's electoral system, the report said. Thanks to these measures, Hong Kong's institutional strengths under "one country, two systems" and other inherent strengths remain intact, and the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong has reinforced the sound and robust rule of law and judicial independence, it said. The "one country, two systems" principle has been the cornerstone of Hong Kong's economic development since Hong Kong returned to the motherland in 1997, the report noted. According to the report, the Hong Kong economy has always been positioning itself to leverage the support from the motherland while engaging with the world. In supporting the mainland's reform, opening-up and continued development by providing high value-added services, Hong Kong has gradually developed into an international financial, trade and transportation center. The report listed a series of indicators highlighting Hong Kong's financial strengths and resilience. In the 12-month period following the implementation of the national security law in Hong Kong, funds raised through initial public offerings increased by more than 50 percent year-on-year, and the average daily turnover of the Hong Kong stock market was up by nearly 70 percent from the level before the implementation of the law. The assets under management of the asset and wealth management business in Hong Kong grew by 21 percent, and the amount of bond issuance arranged by Hong Kong ranked first in Asia. GLOBALLY RECOGNIZED Hong Kong's economic freedom and competitiveness continued to be well recognized by international institutions, according to the report. The International Monetary Fund affirmed Hong Kong's position as a major international financial center. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development said that Hong Kong will remain an important financial hub in Asia and a gateway to investment in the Chinese mainland, thanks to a favorable tax regime, simple listing process, absence of capital controls and a good regulatory framework. Canada's Fraser Institute ranked Hong Kong as the world's freest economy in the Economic Freedom of the World 2021 Annual Report. The Global Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum in 2019 ranked Hong Kong third globally, while the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2021 published by the International Institute for Management Development ranked Hong Kong seventh globally, the report noted. The report said that foreign businesses remain generally confident about Hong Kong's business environment as chambers of commerce from the United States, Britain, Australia and Malaysia all agree that Hong Kong remains an ideal place for international business. BRIGHT FUTURE Looking ahead, the report believes Hong Kong's financial industry will be able to explore more opportunities amid the development of the whole country. The report stressed that the 14th Five-Year Plan for national socio-economic development promotes high-quality development and aims to accelerate the establishment of a new development pattern featuring dual circulation, which takes the domestic market as the mainstay while enabling the domestic and international markets to interact positively with each other. "Now the local epidemic situation has stabilized, and the national 14th Five-Year Plan is bringing countless new opportunities to Hong Kong," Chan said at the press conference. "We will continue to serve as the gateway connecting our country and the rest of the world and perform the functions of a 'super-connector,' a high value-added services platform, an international talent and capital pool and more, and also be an internationally preferred place of doing business," he said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 15:14:04|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A man visits the Light of Internet expo, part of the the 2021 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit, in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province, Sept. 28, 2021. The 2021 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit focusing on digital civilization closed Tuesday in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province. More than 2,000 representatives from 96 countries and regions, including over 600 foreign guests, attended the event themed "Towards a New Era of Digital Civilization -- Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace" online and offline. (Xinhua/Ding Hongfa) HANGZHOU, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The 2021 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit focusing on digital civilization closed Tuesday in Wuzhen, east China's Zhejiang Province. More than 2,000 representatives from 96 countries and regions, including over 600 foreign guests, attended the event themed "Towards a New Era of Digital Civilization -- Building a Community with a Shared Future in Cyberspace" online and offline. An expo titled "the Light of Internet" was also held as part of the summit, attracting more than 300 renowned companies and institutions. Twenty sub-forums covering topics like 5G, artificial intelligence and next-generation internet were held during the summit. A total of 14 world-leading internet scientific and technological achievements were unveiled and two reports on the world internet development and the China internet development, respectively, were released during the summit. According to the China internet development report released by the Chinese Academy of Cyberspace Studies, the country's digital economy grew 9.7 percent year on year to 39.2 trillion yuan (about 6.07 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2020, accounting for 38.6 percent of the country's total GDP. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 15:28:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Abdulla Shahid, president of the 76th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, speaks at the closing of the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 27, 2021. The General Debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly closed on Monday. A great deal of issues were discussed at the UN, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the threat of climate change, as well as peace, security, and the risks of instability. (Xinhua/Wang Ying) UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Multilateralism is alive and kept well, Abdulla Shahid, president of the 76th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly, said on Monday at this year's high-level week. "However much we may disagree on tactics, our end goal is very much the same," he said at the closing of the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly. The world continues to believe in dialogue and diplomacy, and in the United Nations that is able and ready, he said. Over the last week, the General Assembly heard from 194 speakers, including 100 heads of state, 52 heads of government, three vice presidents, and 34 ministers, said Shahid. A great deal of issues were discussed at the UN, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the threat of climate change, as well as peace, security, and the risks of instability. "It is now for us, and that of the United Nations system, to address these demands and to do so in a manner that turns every challenge into an opportunity -- an opportunity to strengthen multilateralism and deliver results on the ground," he said. Shahid also hailed as a success this year's hybrid model, by which leaders either delivered speeches in person in the General Assembly Hall or sent in pre-recorded statements. It was a tremendous task to organize a high-level week of this magnitude amid a global pandemic, he said. The success of the UN General Assembly in the past week demonstrates that mitigation measures, combined with high vaccination rates, do indeed work, he said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 21:00:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, speaks at a central conference on talent-related work in Beijing, capital of China. The conference was held on Monday and Tuesday. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) BEIJING, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed efforts to implement the strategy on developing a quality workforce in the new era and to accelerate the work to build China into a major world center of professional talent and innovation. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks when speaking at a central conference on talent-related work, which was held on Monday and Tuesday. Xi underlined the CPC's leadership over talent management. Xi called for efforts to speed up China's upgrade toward a major world center of talent and innovation, to support the goals of basically realizing socialist modernization by 2035 and building a great modern socialist China in all respects by 2050. The conference was presided over by Li Keqiang, and attended by Li Zhanshu, Wang Yang, Zhao Leji and Han Zheng. Wang Huning made concluding remarks. The CPC has attached great importance to talent management during its century-long endeavor, Xi noted, adding that historical achievements and changes have been made in this regard since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012. China now has a large number of well-trained professionals who play an increasingly prominent role in the country's development, Xi said. Never in history has China been closer to the goal of national rejuvenation and never in history has it been in greater need of talented people, Xi stressed. As the country's development and national rejuvenation depend on a quality workforce, China should pay greater attention to foster people with talent through its own effort and sharpen its competitive edge in human resources, he said. Xi listed eight principles in this regard. -- Upholding the CPC's overall leadership over human resources work; -- Making human resources the priority in the country's development; -- Focusing on world-level cutting-edge technologies, main economic field, the country's critical needs, and the people's health; -- Promoting comprehensive fostering of people with talent; -- Deepening institutional reform related to talent development; -- Assembling the best minds and drawing fully on their expertise; -- Creating a favorable environment in which people with talent are easily identified, well valued and respected and fully display their talent; -- Promoting the spirit of scientists. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 23:42:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close -- Themed "dialogue among civilizations and global cooperation," the Nishan Forum on World civilizations saw its seventh gathering at Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius in east China's Shandong Province. -- Experts from home and abroad agreed that only dialogue-based cooperation with mutual respect is the ultimate way out for the global challenges confronting all mankind, and for human civilization to march along. -- In China, Confucianism has been deeply involved with the country's achievements, such as poverty alleviation, supporting other countries in battling COVID-19, expanding free-trade ports and zones and sparing no efforts to expand opening up. JINAN, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic, wars, ecological crisis and disparities between the rich and the poor are still confronting humankind and testing the resilience of different civilizations, the Confucian philosophies have once again shed light upon solutions for the issues. Themed "dialogue among civilizations and global cooperation," the Nishan Forum on World Civilizations on Monday saw its seventh gathering at Qufu, the birthplace of Confucius in east China's Shandong Province. The forum offers a platform for renowned scholars and experts in cultural studies to forge better understanding on enhancing dialogues among different cultures. Participants attend the Seventh Nishan Forum on World Civilizations, a forum on Confucius culture, in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 27, 2021. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei) Participants this year acknowledge that differences existing in social systems, development models, ideologies and cultures among countries should not become an obstacle for conversations. The world ought to be home to diverse civilizations, and civilizations can blossom based on dialogue of mutual respect. They believe that dialogues advocated in traditional Chinese culture are still the way to fix bonds among countries that seem to drift apart. Communication still is the mainstream motivation driving human civilization to march forward and evolve over time. Equal dialogue among different civilizations has always been the theme of the Nishan Forum. Don't do unto others what you don't want others to do unto you -- Confucius Serving as the general director of the forum's academic group for five consecutive sessions, Wang Xuedian, executive dean of the Advanced Institute of Confucian Studies of Shandong University, said that the forum has aimed to help solve disputes in the world through dialogue from the very beginning. "It has been a decade since the forum was first held. Jeopardized by geopolitical confrontation and the COVID-19 pandemic, dialogue among civilizations seems to be halted. Some people even hold a rather pessimistic view about the fate of mankind," Wang said. However, on the premise of mutual respect for the diversity of civilizations, dialogue is always the right solution. Mutual respect is the key. Cultures have their own strengths and weaknesses. Each of them represents different solutions for mankind to cope with existential crises that might come up. Learning from each other through dialogue is the best way for mankind to solve their own problems, Wang noted. Harmony without uniformity -- Confucius At the forum, more than 180 experts from home and abroad jointly proposed that the world now requires dialogue, not confrontation. They agreed that only dialogue-based cooperation with mutual respect is the ultimate way out for the global challenges confronting all mankind, and for human civilization to march along. Their collective opinion echoes China's advocation for welcoming helpful suggestions and constructive criticism while opposing sanctimonious preaching from those who feel they have the right to lecture others. The confidence stems from the tolerance and diversity rooted in Chinese culture. Feng Jingwu, professor at China Executive Leadership Academy Pudong, said the Chinese culture is always reckoned as a combination of multiple thoughts since ancient Chinese philosophers proposed thousands of years ago that the world would not step forward until everything exist harmoniously in diversity. A ceremony marking the 2,572nd anniversary of the birth of ancient Chinese educator and thinker Confucius is held at the Confucius Temple in Qufu, east China's Shandong Province, Sept. 28, 2021. (Xinhua/Guo Xulei) "Harmony in diversity is exactly the background of China's developing path," said Feng at the forum. "Instead of invading and exploiting others, China has always been dedicated to winning by virtue." According to experts at the forum, seeking harmony in diversity is regarded as a fundamental item of Confucianism, due to its historical background. Confucius lived more than 2,000 years ago, when war erupted frequently and people hardly led stable lives. "The reality might have enlightened the Chinese sage," said Yang Chaoming, head of the Confucius Research Institute. If Confucius had never experienced troubled times, his values and thoughts may not be so profound and appropriate to the present situation. When the Great Way prevailed, a public spirit ruled all under Heaven -- Book of Rites Roger T. Ames, an expert in Confucianism and visiting professor at Peking University, held that the biggest problem facing mankind is individualism, as people do not trust each other, and that the Chinese traditional culture may be the solution. Confucianism features inclusiveness. Different cultures connected with each other internally. In China, Confucianism has been deeply involved with the country's achievements, such as poverty alleviation, supporting other countries in battling COVID-19, expanding free-trade ports and zones and sparing no efforts to expand opening up. "This is a peaceful development path driven by Confucianism and traditional Chinese culture, which will benefit all parts of the world," Yang said. (Video reporters: Feng Yuanyuan, Li Xiaobo; video editor: Hong Liang) Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 13:19:10|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HARARE, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean media and citizens should be careful not to be misled by Western countries that are bent on tarnishing the image of China in Zimbabwe and Africa, said a recent opinion piece in Zimbabwe's biggest daily newspaper The Herald. Attempts by the United States and its Western allies to smear China and Chinese investors in the south African country are acts of jealousy and chicanery, which must be condemned by all right-thinking Zimbabweans, said the article, published in The Herald on Friday. "It is unfortunate that some sections of the media have accepted dirty money to go on this crusade to demonize Chinese companies who are providing employment, livelihoods, and paying taxes for the benefit of the nation," it said. "Various false claims are made against Chinese companies and nationals without any attempts to validate them. Western countries want to perpetuate this racist and hateful behavior in an effort to knock out China from its well-earned place in Zimbabwe," it wrote. It was regrettable and tragic that some Zimbabweans were allowing themselves to be used against the Chinese for a few dirty pieces of silver, the article said. While the United States seeks to dominate the whole world, China is, on the other hand, just a friendly country committed to building win-win cooperation with other nations around the globe, it continued. China's cooperation with Africa and Zimbabwe never attaches political or economic strings, and never threatens other countries to exchange their resources for aids, said the paper. The article came amid revelations that the United States and some Western countries are engaged in sponsoring the media, labor unions, civil society and lawyers to impede the Chinese investments in Zimbabwe. "The future of Zimbabwe lies with progressive forces such as China," which is Zimbabwe's largest source of foreign direct investment, the article said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 18:41:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writers Zhu Shaobin, Yuan Ruting, and Wang Ping ADDIS ABABA/CHANGSHA, China, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- On the bustling Coffee Street at Gaoqiao Grand Market in Changsha, capital of central China's Hunan Province, a row of coffee tree seedlings in front of the shop of Shenghe Coffee make an attractive facade decor, drawing curious eyes. Inside the shop brimming with coffee aroma, a barista is absorbed in preparing a cup of coffee for his Chinese customers, using authentic beans from Ethiopia, known as the birthplace of coffee. Among the rolling hills in Jimma Zone, southwest Ethiopia, farmers are busy picking organic beans, hoping to get the best price for their harvest and export to a ready market in China, where coffee consumption has been growing exponentially at a reported rate of 15 to 20 percent annually. From farms to cups, Ethiopian coffee's growing popularity among consumers testifies to the huge potential of African products in the Chinese market, and epitomizes the strong Africa-China economic ties that are further evidenced by the ongoing Second China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo (CAETE) held in Changsha on Sept. 26-29. AFRICAN COFFEE PROMOTED As a coffee enthusiast, Jing Jianhua, an award-winning barista and certified trainer from China's Shaanxi Province, first heard of African coffee in 2000 when he began his career as a young man. "The birthplace of coffee is in Ethiopia. An old story goes that an Ethiopian shepherd's goat eating coffee beans led to the discovery of coffee. I have always been fond of African and Ethiopian culture," Jing told Xinhua in an interview. Jing, also founder of Shenghe Coffee, dreams of bringing the best African coffee to Chinese consumers at an affordable price. His company's business ranges from retail and coffee bean supply to shop design, training, as well as coffee-related equipment. In 2017, Shenghe Coffee entered Gaoqiao Grand Market, which Jing believed was the best market for coffee trade in China. This platform has since enabled the company to do business with clients from across the country and satisfy their diverse needs from coffee making equipment, supply of coffee beans, staff training, shop management to brand counseling. "In 2018, the Hunan provincial government organized a business tour to Africa and I had the chance to travel to Ethiopia to see the coffee farms and how beans are processed, roasted, and sold. Coffee is a major source of income for many Ethiopian families and the local farmers yearn to sell their coffee to the world," he said. "When I saw a primary school with shabby facilities and the school children waving to me, I felt that these children should be allowed better conditions for learning. I thought then that if I could help the locals sell more coffee, they and their children would live better lives. These high-quality Ethiopian coffee beans must be known by more people," Jing said. The company now imports up to 100 tonnes of coffee from Africa every year, and is seeking to increase the import by three to five folds over the next three years, he said. "Before the expo (CAETE) was created, we had sourced our beans through intermediaries. Now with the expo, we can directly purchase from Ethiopia, which reduces our purchase cost by 30 percent," said Jing, who also revealed his plan to open more coffee shops in China in the future. According to data from Gaoqiao Grand Market, Shenghe Coffee is just one of the nearly 20 coffee houses situated on the Coffee Street. AFRICAN FARMERS BENEFITING Hussein Mohammed, a coffee farmer from Gomma district in Jimma Zone, Ethiopia, relies on coffee farming to provide for his family and his children's education, but is worried about market access. "Coffee farming needs a lot of money. By the time when the coffee beans ripen, because the market is small, it becomes very difficult for livelihood. We don't get the worth for our hard efforts," he lamented. Tanashe Eyasu, a local agricultural specialist, said that since 2015, Gomma district's coffee production has been on the upswing with many farmers engaged in coffee production, among whom 310 farmers have export licenses. "However, it's no more than 10 farmers who have had the opportunity to export coffee due to lack of market interconnection," Eyasu said, adding that farmers can benefit more if they can export coffee directly without intermediaries, especially to the enormous Chinese market. Data from Ethiopian authorities showed China is fast emerging as a major importer of Ethiopian coffee. In July, Ethiopia reported coffee export revenues of more than 115.46 million U.S. dollars, and China was one of the top ten buyers. The East African nation, a major African coffee producer, exports on average 200,000 tonnes of coffee annually over the last decade, mostly to Europe, North America and East Asia. "We're promoting our coffee as organic coffee, meaning no application of artificial fertilizer, chemicals or pesticides ... It's very good for health," said Kunzewa Ahmed, coffee quality and value chain supervisor at Ethiopian Coffee and Tea Authority Jimma Zone Branch. The agency said in June that Ethiopia had launched an initiative to lure Chinese investors to join local coffee roasters for value addition and increase direct coffee export to China. EXPO BOLSTERING TRADE Data from China's commerce ministry showed that trade between China and Africa rose 40.5 percent year on year to 139.1 billion U.S. dollars while Chinese direct investment in Africa reached 2.07 billion U.S. dollars in the first seven months of the year, exceeding the pre-pandemic level. As a concrete outcome of the Beijing Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation held in 2018, the biennial CAETE now welcomes its second gathering since its debut in 2019, and is set to further boost commerce. The booming Gaoqiao Grand Market has been an epitome of closer business connections. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the expo is held both virtually and physically. According to the organizer, representatives from more than 40 African countries are participating. Meanwhile, more than 260 enterprises are exhibiting products at the expo, including companies from 37 African nations, which seek to promote their treasured brands of wine, coffee, cocoa, tea, jewels and skin care products, among others. The organizer also revealed that the second CAETE has recorded in total 569 proposed cooperation projects, out of which 120 deals on trade, investment, project contracting and strategic cooperation valued at 22.9 billion U.S. dollars are expected to be inked during the expo. Barely two weeks before the expo, China's industrial hub of Zhuzhou in Hunan Province also launched a searail transport service to Africa, linking cities in Hunan and south China's Guangdong Province before goods are transferred onto ships to reach ports in Africa. The first consignment of goods weighing 1,935 tonnes is expected to arrive at Mombasa Port in Kenya on Oct. 15. In a speech delivered through a pre-recorded video for the expo, Chipoka Mulenga, Zambia's commerce minister, said it is gratifying to note that the Chinese government has taken this initiative to provide an innovative platform for promoting investment cooperation. "I am confident that following this conference, we shall witness an increased flow of investment into Zambia," Mulenga said. James Kimonyo, Rwanda's ambassador to China, said in a phone interview with Xinhua that the country is promoting coffee, chili, tea, handcrafts, and avocado oil at the expo. For the year's CAETE, Rwanda has been invited as one of the "guest countries of honor," which allows for more exposure of Rwandan products at the international platform. Rwanda's presence at the expo will help the country reach out to more consumers and dealers, increasing the awareness of its domestic brands, he said. "We believe that our country pavilion will be receiving a lot of visitors, buyers and business people. We expect to attract more companies from China looking for business deals with companies from Rwanda." Enditem (Xinhua reporters Liu Fangzhou, Cheng Ji'an, and Chen Sihan in Changsha, Zhao Yupeng in Lusaka, and Ji Li in Kigali contributed to the story.) Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 20:37:56|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KAMPALA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Uganda on Tuesday held online celebrations to mark the forthcoming 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Jeje Odongo, Uganda's minister of Foreign Affairs, said the anniversary remains an important event that signifies the will and power of the Chinese people to determine and define their own destiny, as well as the capacity to defend and protect their independence and sovereignty. Odongo said Uganda remains consistent in its principled support for the one-China principle. "We believe in a just and equitable world based on the principles of sovereign equality of all states and non-interference in the internal matters of other states. We shall continue to stand with each other in this regard," the minister said. He said China and Uganda enjoy historical relations that are growing from strength to strength. "Our commitment will continue to be anchored on solidarity, mutual cooperation, prosperity and quest for peace and stability," he said. The minister also said China has been critical in supporting Uganda for building key infrastructure projects like hydropower plants, roads and hospitals, among others. Zhang Lizhong, Chinese ambassador to Uganda, said since the bilateral relations started about six decades ago, both countries have been able to overcome several challenges. China and Uganda in 2019 agreed to lift their relations to a comprehensive cooperative partnership. The two countries work jointly to implement the Belt and Road Initiative as well as the outcome of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Summit held in September 2018. The ambassador said China is working toward raising the level of comprehensive cooperative partnership with Uganda. "We need to enhance the mutual understanding and support for each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, and keep close collaboration and coordination in major international and regional affairs," he said. In addition to the remarks delivered online by the two, other activities including a raffle draw and screening of a documentary were also organized for the occasion, which is celebrated on Oct. 1 as the National Day in China. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 20:57:36|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close A man sitting on the trunk of a vehicle sells clothes in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Sept. 22, 2021. Mobile stores have become common in Harare as the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many people into informal trade. (Xinhua/Tafara Mugwara) by Tafara Mugwara HARARE, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- At a busy junction in Zimbabwe's capital Harare, a man spoke with a customer who carefully examined a pair of trousers on sale from a roadside mobile store. The interaction went on for a while as the customer put to use his bargaining skills and the seller sweet-talked the man into buying. At last, the customer seemed satisfied with the deal, handed over a 10-U.S.-dollar note to the seller, packed the trousers in his backpack, and vanished into the bustling streets. The owner of the mobile boutique, 55-year-old Gift Makombe, has been selling mostly men's second-hand clothes from his car for more than a decade and has mastered the intricate art of persuasion. After failing to secure a job following the closure of the security company he had worked for in his two-decade career as a security guard, Makombe decided to venture into mobile vending. "I decided to become a vendor when the security company I worked for closed. I went to the village, then came back to the city and borrowed some money so that I could start a business," Makombe told Xinhua. Through his mobile boutique, the father of five has managed to educate his children and support his family back in the village. However, he said in an ideal environment he would choose formal employment over vending. "Having a full-time job pays, but getting a job at a company was difficult since many companies were not recruiting, so I thought of venturing into mobile vending so that I could fend for my family," he said. Selling second-hand clothes might not be as rewarding as he expects, but he is contented with what is there. "At the moment I am satisfied because there are no jobs, if I manage to get 10 (U.S.) dollars a day, then I send the money to the village, my family can survive, and that also enables me to visit them and come back to my work," he said. Despite having hawking licenses, Makombe said vendors often run battles with law enforcement agents who accuse them of camping in undesignated places. Mobile stores have become common in Harare as the economic fallout from the pandemic has forced many people into informal trade. After working for 10 years and still failing to make ends meet, Rodreck Limula decided to venture into mobile vending. He said failure to meet rental costs for retail spaces in Harare's central business district left him with no other option. "We realized that mobile vending is better than renting buildings because rentals are too expensive. In addition, there is more traffic on roadsides, we meet different kinds of people, that's how we do business," he said. Limula noted that while he can sustain his family through his business, his main concern is that retiring age is fast approaching and he has to work extra hard to make investments for paying his pension insurance. Another small business owner, Bright Mugwagwa, said the main advantage of mobile vending is the flexible working hours. Mugwagwa is a cross-border trader, and he sells second-hand sneakers that he brings from neighboring Mozambique. With the economic impact of the pandemic, cross-border trade has become an important part of Zimbabwe's informal economy as it provides employment and supplies cash-strapped consumers with goods at a lower cost than in formal stores. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 22:41:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Will Meng, CEO of Huawei Kenya, speaks in an interview with Xinhua in Nairobi, Kenya, Sept. 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Zhang Yu) by Xinhua writer Ding Lei NAIROBI, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Africa's fast-growing mobile payment market is offering opportunities to enhance financial access and tap the continent's "digital dividend" potential, said a senior executive of Africa's leading fintech platform operator. In a recent exclusive interview with Xinhua, Sitoyo Lopokoiyit, CEO of M-Pesa Africa, spoke about how digital payment technology has transformed millions of lives that largely remain unbanked across African continent. "When M-Pesa started, financial inclusion in Kenya was some 20 percent. But today it's well above 85 percent, making the country the third highest in Africa in terms of financial inclusion," said Lopokoiyit who is also chief financial services officer at Kenya's telecommunications service provider Safaricom PLC. Launched by Safaricom in 2007, M-Pesa is an electronic mobile money service that allows users to deposit, withdraw and transfer money, pay for goods and services, and access loans and savings product. M-Pesa, however, was not originally created to be a fintech and digital ecosystem brand, rather a simple proposition to help people send money to each other via Short Message Service. Due to rapid urbanization in Kenya, a large number of people moved from rural areas to cities for jobs and sent money home to support their families. But remitting the money back used to be challenging as the migrant workers either needed an envelope and a bus courier to send money back or they had to leave the city where they worked to take money home. "As an example for myself, my family is 550 kilometers from Nairobi. And it meant taking a whole day's journey to go and give my mother money every other time," Lopokoiyit recalled. "M-Pesa changed it all and has been key in driving financial inclusion across African continent." M-Pesa now boasts more than 50 million monthly active users across seven African countries of Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Ghana and Egypt, with 500,000 businesses transacting over 7 billion U.S. dollars every month on M-Pesa platform. Will Meng, CEO of Huawei Kenya, told Xinhua in a separate interview last week that M-Pesa has brought real benefits to Kenya and played a crucial role in the East African nation. "Nowadays when we walk on the streets in Kenya, whether shopping at malls or dining in restaurants, almost everywhere we can use M-Pesa to make payments," said Meng, noting that M-Pesa has also played a part in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic as people reduced reliance on cash to minimize the risks of COVID-19 transmission. As a result, M-Pesa has become a more important platform for people amid the health crisis, with transaction value increasing 58.2 percent year on year during April 2020 and March 2021. A recent survey by global consulting firm Dalberg showed that 94 percent of Kenyans older than 15 years of age use mobile money and 44 percent increased their usage during the pandemic. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Africa has accelerated digital transformation, with the digital economy playing a crucial role in fostering opportunities, creating jobs, and scaling up economic recovery on the continent. Lopokoiyit said mobile money technology has changed globally. Talking about M-Pesa's next move, he is ambitious about making M-Pesa not just about payment but about a platform integrated into people's daily life from the morning they wake up to the evening they go to sleep. In December 2020, M-Pesa introduced its super app service with the aim of growing itself into a payment lifestyle brand that gives users a 'one-stop shop' for all their needs. Chinese telecom giant Huawei since 2015 has been supporting the core platform of M-Pesa by providing secure, stable, innovative and scalable technology. Meng said Huawei will continue to assist M-Pesa in evolving into a multi-purpose ecosystem that creates more digital benefits. Sub-Saharan Africa has been at the forefront of mobile payment industry for more than a decade. According to a report released by GSMA, an international association of telecommunication service, Africa had 161 million active mobile money accounts as of end-2020, an increase of 18 percent year on year. A report jointly produced by Google and the International Finance Corporation estimated that Africa's internet economy would reach 180 billion U.S. dollars by 2025, accounting for 5.2 percent of the continent's gross domestic product (GDP). By 2050, the potential could further grow to 712 billion dollars, or 8.5 percent of the continent's GDP. According to the e-Conomy Africa 2020 report, propelling the growth is a combination of increased access to faster and better quality internet connectivity, a rapidly expanding urban population, a growing tech talent pool, a vibrant startup ecosystem, and Africa's commitment to creating the world's largest single market under the African Continental Free Trade Area. As Africa and China both are making progress in digital competitiveness, Lopokoiyit believed that there are good opportunities for Africa to partner with China and make the digital technology reach more people on the continent. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 23:12:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close CAIRO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- An Egyptian court on Tuesday sentenced three members of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood to death and other nine to life in prison over killing a policeman and a civilian, state-run MENA news agency reported. The crime dates back to 2014 when the convicted Islamists showered a policeman who worked in securing ports and his uncle, a driver, with fire, which caused their immediate death. Mansoura Criminal Court has also sentenced ten years in prison for one person over the same charges and acquitted six others. The perpetrators have formed a terrorist cell to fund and attack anti-security operations, and to plant explosive devices near the police headquarters, the public prosecutor read. Most Brotherhood leaders, members, and supporters are currently jailed. Many of them have received appealable death sentences and life imprisonment over charges varying from inciting violence and murder to espionage and jailbreak. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 23:41:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HARARE, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwe has sought Rwanda's help in its bid to rejoin the Commonwealth, which it left in 2003, Zimbabwean Foreign Minister Frederick Shava was quoted as saying by state broadcaster, the ZBC, on Tuesday. The minister was speaking in an interview ahead of the inaugural Zimbabwe-Rwanda Trade and Investment Conference that began in Kigali on Tuesday. "They (Rwanda) assured us that they are very keen to support us. The importance and relevance of this discussion lie in the fact that the next Commonwealth conference will be held in Kigali, and thereafter Kigali will be the chairman for the next year or so, so we are looking forward to that event. "We have suggested that perhaps we could also attend the CHOGM as an observer and we hope that this would be possible," Shava said. However, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland have since announced the postponement for the second time, of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) 2021 in Kigali due to the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Zimbabwe left the Commonwealth, a grouping of mostly former British colonies in 2003 at the height of a diplomatic tiff between Harare and London. The Zimbabwean government then applied to rejoin the club in 2018 after President Emmerson Mnangagwa assumed office. The Commonwealth has said that Zimbabwe should demonstrate its compliance with the fundamental values set out in the Commonwealth Charter before it can be readmitted. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 21:51:40|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close PARIS, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- France on Tuesday signed a memorandum of understanding with Greece for the sale of three French-made "frigates of defense and intervention" as part of the two countries' "strategic partnership". This accord came ten days after France saw its contract to sell 12 diesel-electric submarines to Australia dislodged by a newly created security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States (AUKUS). "Europeans must come out of their naivety," French President Emmanuel Macron said after signing the accord at the Elysee Palace with visiting Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. Europeans need to show that they "also have the power and the ability to defend themselves" by drawing on the "consequences" of the fact that the United States "concentrates on itself and has strategic interests which are reoriented towards China and the Pacific," he said. "With Greece, we are now entering into a strategic cooperation partnership in the field of defense and security. It strengthens our collective security, our strategic autonomy and our European sovereignty," he said. French shipbuilder Naval Group, still shocked by the sudden cancelation of the so-called "contract of the century" of Australia's Attack-class submarine program, will deliver the warships to Greece in 2025 and 2026, French media reported without providing details on the value of the deal. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 10:21:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MEXICO CITY, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- A surge of Haitian migrants at the U.S.-Mexico border underscores the need for a continent-wide legal framework to protect migrant rights, Mexican immigration experts said Monday. At a seminar on the current Haitian migrant crisis, Alberto Hernandez, president of Mexico's College of the Northern Border (Colef), which hosted the event, said designing and applying such a continent-wide protection scheme presents a regional challenge, since many migrants fall into "a gray zone between refugees and voluntary economic migrants." "This has a continental dimension, involving several transit and destination countries," said Hernandez, adding that existing regional protection tools, which "are not fully applied in terms of international refugee law," also need to be assessed. A political and legal evaluation would determine the relevance and applicability of these tools based on multilateral political agreements, which would perhaps prevent crises such as the ongoing one, Hernandez said. On Sept. 19, Colef sent a research team to Ciudad Acuna in the Mexican state of Coahuila to follow up on the migratory crisis in the town that borders the U.S. town of Del Rio, Texas. Monday's seminar presented the first findings of the investigation, which, among other things, described the conditions migrants face on both sides of the border. On the U.S. side, for example, where 14,000-15,000 people, mainly Haitians, were at one point camped under the Del Rio International Bridge, migrants lacked food and basic necessities, said Camilo Contreras, a Colef professor and researcher. Authorities there blocked access to humanitarian aid, kept the press at bay, and subjected the camp to aerial and ground surveillance, all of which forced migrants to cross to the Mexican side to get food and basic necessities, Contreras said. Enditem At least 35 000 vehicles remain unregistered in Zimbabwe owing to the shortage of number plates the country has been experiencing, Transport and Infrastructure Development Minister, Felix Mhona told Parliament recently. He was however quick to say the government is already addressing the issue, adding by year-end all vehicles would have been registered. According to the information that we have, we have about 35 000 unregistered vehicles, said Mhona. A number of motorists were just plying routes with unregistered vehicles and some took advantage of that gap. I am here to announce that we received adequate stocks of number plates this past month. He disclosed that they had received 37 000 pairs of numbers, further explaining the gap would be bridged. However, at the end of October, we are going to receive 151 500 and the consumption of number plates should just give you information Hon. Members, said Mhona. We produce almost 3000 a day and that is the capacity of the production of number plates. If you then multiply by 30 days, we can produce 90 000 number plates but the consumption of our number plates is between 6 000 to 7 000. This is what we import after the advent of the Statutory Instrument that banned those cars above 10 years. Before that, it was 7 000 to 8 000, so now we are currently importing about 6 000 vehicles. So, it means we will then have a surplus above that. The Minister said by the end of October if they receive their batch for 151 000 they will have almost close to 18 months adequate supply of number plates. What that entails is that as a Ministry, we are saying by the first of December, it will be mandatory for every motorist to have number plates and there is no excuse, he said. This will also manage the issues of hit and run, those that will take advantage of unregistered vehicles. I then now need to advise the people of Zimbabwe that come December, the law enforcement agencies, together with some of our departments, will be flat out on our road and we will not allow motorists to take advantage. He added: Whether it is a government vehicle, it must have number plates, and it must be licenced. Licencing, whether it is not plying, there must be a disk on the windscreen. So I just thought maybe as we go back to our constituencies, we make sure that we also preach the good news that come December, all the vehicles will be having their number plates. He went on to say desks have been set up at Central Vehicle Registry (CRV), Zimbabwe National Roads Administration (ZINARA), to expedite the process of issuance of number plates. So, you must take advantage of that provision and make sure that you comply with the law. Cite.org.zw Farmers financed under Command Agriculture have until November 30 to deliver their maize to the Grain Marketing Board or be blacklisted so they can not access any more Government-guaranteed loans and face losing their offer letters and tenure documents and thus their farms. The National Enhanced Agriculture Productivity Scheme (NEAPS), commonly known as Command Agriculture, requires farmers to repay their loans, usually in the form of deductions from their crop payments when they deliver. The Financial Clearing Bureau then records their creditworthiness. NEAPS was this year sponsored by the CBZ-Agroyield, which as a private banking scheme is baacked by a Government guarantee to banks that raise capital to lend to farmers to enhance local agricultural production through concessionary loans. Government has assisted to ensure NEAPS is well funded with the ultimate goal of converting repayments from recoveries into a revolving fund, meaning that the money paid back this harvest can be relent to farmers to buy inputs for the next cropping cycle. This would convert one-off arrangements into a permanent source of funding. Last month the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement was expecting all farmers who benefited from Command Agriculture to ramp up deliveries and recoveries, Minister Dr Anxious Masuka said, so the proceeds can be rolled over to fund the forthcoming season. Minister Masuka recently highlighted that farmers with outstanding debts will not be enrolled for the next season until they have made a repayment, and this needs to be done by November 30. For the avoidance of doubt, banks that lend to farmers who have not fulfilled the above, will be liable for any defaults. Additional measures will be taken and all national payment platforms will be activated to ensure repayments by defaulting farmers, including submission of names to the Financial Clearing Bureau, said Minister Masuka. Without a Government guarantee banks then have to assume the risk entirely themselves, and this was the sticking point that saw the Government moving in with guarantees so the banks could do their job. Permanent Secretary in the Ministry Dr John Basera said the Minister reserved the right to revoke offer letters for farmers who use their offer letters to the detriment of Government-supported programmes, including an intentional failure to settle loans. After November 30, we are seriously coming for those farmers defaulting. Farmers be warned. Command Agriculture was introduced by Government in 2016 to ensure national food security, accelerate import substitution and as a key driver to economic recovery. It mainly benefits the A2 resettlement farmers and other farmers with the larger farms. The programme was also targeted at creating employment and uplifting livelihoods. Command Agriculture has resulted in an increase in production of both maize and wheat and the ministry believes it is a catalyst to the attainment of Vision 2030 and realisation of the National Development Strategy 1. So far the programme has registered success especially during the last season where over 1 million tonnes of maize was produced. After initial success, last year the Government changed the model to bring in participation of the financial institutions such as CBZ, Agribank and Stanbic as part of the programme to create a permanent and normal financing arrangement. Zimbabwe is expected to harvest 2,7 million tonnes of maize during the present summer cropping season, the highest yield in 20 years. Success was also registered in wheat production during last years harvest when the country produced enough cereal to cover nine months supply and this harvest is expected with the modest carry-over stocks to see Zimbabwe managing without further imports. Wheat production has been rising fast. In 2019 farmers produced 220 000 tonnes of wheat from 45 000 hectares but this winter more than 320 000 tonnes of the cereal are expected from the 66 400 hectares put under the crop. Eighty percent plus of this years winter wheat crop is coming from NEAPS, said Dr Basera. Meanwhile, Dr Basera said the next round of NEAPS will be funded partly through AFC and partly through CBZ backed by Government performance guarantees for the contracted farmers through Treasury. The scheme is targeting to establish 440 000 hactares. The target is 390 000 hectares of maize and 40 000 hectares soya bean, he said. Herald EIGHT financial institutions that were allegedly involved in foreign currency dealings in Harare through EcoCash bulk payer lines, yesterday appeared in court for violating some sections of the Exchange Control Regulations. Titanium Capital (Pvt) Limited, Dream High Investments (Pvt) Limited, Access Finance (Private) Limited, Tererati (Private) Limited, Vision Credit Source (Private) Limited, Capital Profit Financial Services, Raymond Mudonhi Investment (Private) Limited, Justice Mahuni, Kudzai Mudonhi, and Juso Global Limited, separately appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court charged with illegally dealing in foreign currency. They were not asked to plead to the charges. Titanium Capital, which is represented by Tatenda Patrick Musonza, is alleged to have dealt in $210 475 688. Dream High Investments, represented by Tinasahe Paradise Magada, is alleged to have transferred $143 669 348 while Access Finance (Private) Limited allegedly transacted $185 420 444. Tererati (Private) Limited owned by Samuel Tererai Chiodze is said to have transacted $125 722 079 while Vision Credit Source (Private) Limited, represented by Takudzwa Godwin Rafamoyo, allegedly traded $192 207 880. Capital Profit Financial Services represented by Taitus Tapiwa Madzara, allegedly transacted $59 237 733. Raymond Mudonhi Investment (Private) Limited, Justice Mahuni, Kudzai Mudonhi and Juso Global Limited Justice Mahuni allegedly illegally traded $150 128 765. According to the State, Titanium Capital (Pvt) Limited traded with 429 agents between January and June 2020 and the institution was allegedly still trading using the EcoCash bulk payer line. Dream High Investments, is a registered company dealing in buying and selling of groceries, according to the State. It is said that sometime in February 2019, it opened a corporate banking account with Steward Bank. The court heard that between January and June 2020, Dream High Investments received $143 669 348 from different companies and individuals, which it then transferred using the EcoCash bulk payer line to agents who would buy forex on their behalf from the streets. Access Finance, which is registered as a bureau de change, is alleged to have bought various Econet lines which it would give to various agents, who in turn used them to buy forex on the streets. It is alleged that its conduct was against the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe financial regulations that do not allow it to employ or trade outside its premises. Between January and June 30 last year, Tererati (Private) Limited is alleged to have bought forex using agents from the streets. Vision Credit Source, which is a registered company, is also alleged to have used the same modus operandi to buy forex from the parallel market through its agents. It is alleged that between January and June last year the company transferred $2 520 535 from its bank account into various EcoCash accounts before transferring it to various agents. The agents would then allegedly buy forex on the streets. All the suspected dealers are expected back in court tomorrow for bail applications. Regional magistrates Mrs Vongai Guwuriro, Mr Ngoni Nduna and Mr Turai Manwere, separately presided over the matters. Herald A 22-year-old Beitbridge man has been jailed for an effective 10 years for conniving with another accomplice to steal electricity cables worth $48 694 at Nottingham Estate, 40 km south-west of Beitbridge town. Perfect Moyo of house number 1987 Dulivhadzimu, was convicted on his own plea of guilty to contravening a section of the Electricity Act, when he appeared before Beitbridge regional magistrate Mr Innocent Bepura on Saturday. His accomplice, Godknows Ncube (20) of no fixed abode who denied the charges, will be tried in court today. Prosecuting, Mr Ronald Mugwagwa said between September 13 and 14, Moyo and Ncube went to Nottingham Estate and stole 34 metres by 16 mm square 4 core amoured cables belonging to the Zimbabwe Electricity and Distribution Company (ZETDC). He said during the act, the two accused person were spotted by security guards at the estate and they ran away, leaving the cables that weighed 1, 860kg. The matter was then reported to the police and on September 23, the pair went back to Nottingham Estate where they were intercepted by the security guards. Moyo was carrying a back pack (satchel) with a 14-inch bolt cutter, side cutter, screw driver, and pick head. On the other hand, Ncube had a satchel loaded with a side cutter, pliers, a hack saw and a spare hacksaw blade. The ZETDC was notified and sent to Beitbridge a loss control officer who was able to positively identify the recovered cables as part of those belonging to his employer. The total value of the stolen cables is $48 694. Meanwhile the police officer commanding Beitbridge district, Chief Superintendent Tichaona Nyongo, said they were not relenting in the quest to put an end to the theft and vandalism of key infrastructure. Cases of copper cables are on the increase in our area. The criminals are targeting armoured cables that we believe are being sold in South Africa, he said. Our detectives are busy on the ground and we have arrested three more suspects at Mtetengwe and recovered some copper cables weighing an estimated 5kg. Herald TWO Zimbabweans broke out of a South African prison on Sunday evening. The prisoners, Stanley Chiteya (38) and Dexter Tinashe escaped from police holding cells in Mahwelereng in South Africas Limpopo province with Mohammed Nassir (29), a Bangladesh national arrested for murder that occurred in January 2021 and a local Joseph Hlongwane (37). Chiteya and Tinashe were arrested for an armed robbery that occurred in November 2020. Limpopo police spokesperson, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo said a manhunt for the four men was underway. Police were allegedly alerted by other inmates about the escape and immediately launched a manhunt. Investigations into the circumstances of the escape have already commenced. The suspects were arrested for serious and violent crimes and as a result, community members are advised not to attempt to arrest them if they have information about any of their whereabouts but must instead, contact the police, he said. Brigadier Mojapelo said those with information about the four accused persons should contact the nearest police station. Recently, three other Zimbabweans escaped from another prison in Limpopo province along with two local men. They were arrested two days later after hijacking a truck in Polokwane. Chronicle ZANU PF yesterday threatened to come down hard on the warring party factions after fights disrupted internal district elections at the weekend and yesterday. The ruling party was last week forced to postpone polls to choose provincial executive members following the eruption of violence, and the latest fissures show the failure by President Emmerson Mnangagwa to unite the party since he took over the reins from his predecessor, the late Robert Mugabe in a November 2017 military coup. The partys district elections are being held at a time when factions reportedly aligned to Mnangagwa and his deputy, Constantino Chiwenga, are gearing for senior party posts ahead of provincial elections. Following Sundays bloody fights in Harare, Manicaland, Mashonaland West and Midlands provinces, angry party youths on Sunday besieged the Manicaland provincial offices baying for provincial chairperson Mike Madiros blood. Over 200 party members, including war veterans, reportedly spent Sunday night at the party headquarters in Mutare demanding that either Madiro or the party acting national political commissar Patrick Chinamasa addresses them. Madiro was on Sunday whisked away by the police and State security agents assigned to him as the situation got tense. Yesterday, sources told NewsDay that Madiro met Information minister Monica Mutsvangwa over the disturbances at a hotel in Mutare in a bid to try and contain the volatile situation. Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans Associations national political commissar Joel Mureremba, who was part of the protesters, said they would camp at the party headquarters until their issues were addressed by Chinamasa. I am surprised that in Burma Valley, we were forced to have a re-run because comrade Madiros candidates had lost, he said. We cannot continue to sleep as the party is being destroyed by one person and that is Madiro. We are now demanding to be addressed by our acting political commissar (Chinamasa) because comrade Madiro has failed to address us. We are camping here at the party headquarters and we dont fear hunger. In Mozambique, we could go for many days without eating anything. Zanu PF Mutare district co-ordinating committee (DCC) secretary for youth Danmore Mambondiyani weighed in saying Madiros behaviour would result in the party failing to attract more membership to achieve the five million votes target. What chairman Madiro is doing will not give the party the intended five million votes, and we are not going to remain silent with the party being destroyed by one person. Everywhere, the structures are being manipulated, he said. People, who are here at the party headquarters, are committed to the struggle and they have used their own resources to come from all the eight districts in the province. They are buying their own food and some are even struggling to get food, but they are committed to the struggle as they want the party to win in the 2023 elections. Madiro was not immediately available for comment. But Zanu PF acting national spokesperson Mike Bimha said the party did not believe in violence and would look into all cases and ensure that necessary disciplinary measures were instituted. We all know that when there are elections, people jostle for positions, but we dont accept violence. Any violence of any sort is condemned and we would want to take disciplinary action, he said. We cant run a party with violent people. There could be elements in our party who are like that, but that is not the picture we want to create. That is not Zanu PF because Zanu PF stands for discipline and order. Elections have circulars on how things are done and some unruly elements take things into their own hands. We condemn it strongly and we would want to appeal to people wherever that is happening, and say that the disciplinary code should take its course. In Gokwe-Nembudziya constituency, local Member of Parliament and Gokwe North DCC chairman Justice Mayor Wadyajena confirmed that skirmishes took place during the voting process, adding that resultantly, some machete-wielding youths were arrested. Wadyajena said a driver and aide to one of the partys senior officials in the district were arrested, adding that he had to go to the police station to rescue a party official who had been falsely accused by a rival camp. He said two officials linked to the senior party official paid admission of guilty fines. Ran to the police camp? I went as DCC chairman to solve the dispute between parties and in the process, secured the freedom of a kidnapped guy, falsely accused of hiding papers. The hired machete-wielding cri minals were arrested and locked up. Gokwe North says no to violence and intimidation, Wadyajena said. In Wedza South constituency, Mashonaland East province, there was chaos in one of the wards after a secondary school teacher brought pupils to vote for him. The elections had to be postponed. In Mashonaland Central province, only part of Mt Darwin voted yesterday with the provinces seven districts snubbing the exercise alleging vote rigging. Supporters told NewsDay that they were unable to vote during the week as they were at work and lamented poor planning. Voting is likely to take place today in the remaining seven districts. Newsday New York, US (PANA) - Amidst the global COVID-19 crisis, the President of the General Assembly closed the UN High-Level session on Monday, crediting sound mitigation measures and high vaccination rates for its success | Welcome Guest! You Are Here: SC asks senior lawyer Harish Salve, appearing for UP, to convey its message that evidence in Lakhimpur Kheri case is not destroyed. Lakhimpur Kheri violence case: What is the message you are sending, SC tells UP govt over non-arrest of accused. SC questions UP govt over not arresting accused against whom FIR has been lodged in connection with Lakhimpur Kheri violence case. Moscow court upholds arrest of lawyer charged with murder in absentia RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 10:59 28/09/2021 MOSCOW, September 28 (RAPSI) The Moscow City Court on Tuesday upheld a lower courts ruling on the arrest of lawyer Anatoly Fursov in absentia as part of a murder case, the courts press service told RAPSI. The Presnensky District Court of Moscow issued the arrest warrant for Fursov in mid-August. He is to be placed in detention for two months after his actual arrest. According to court records, the man is charged with killing two and more persons. He could face life in prison if convicted. Details of the case were not disclosed. Extremism case opened against Navalny and two his associates RAPSI, Eugeny Varlamov 15:36 28/09/2021 MOSCOW, September 28 (RAPSI) A criminal case over creation of an extremist community has been launched against Alexey Navalny and his allies Leonid Volkov and Ivan Zhdanov, RAPSI has learnt from the Investigative Committees press service. According to investigators, not later than 2014, Navalny acting as a founder of his own foundation (banned and liquidated in Russia as extremist) created an extremist community and led it seeking to dismantle the Russian statehood. Volkov and Zhdanov joined the illegal activity within the prescribed period, the statement reads. Navalny is now serving sentence in a penal colony in Pokrov, a town in the Vladimir Region. In February, a Moscow court ordered Navalny to be jailed for 3.5 years in the Ives Rocher embezzlement case. In early March, the ruling was upheld. The blogger is to serve about 2.5 years behind bars. He is serving sentence in the Vladimir Region. Russian authorities seek powers to detain transport vehicles of foreign carriers RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 17:39 28/09/2021 MOSCOW, September 28 (RAPSI) The Russian Government has submitted to the State Duma a bill envisaging that transport vehicles of foreign carriers could be detained on the Russian territory in cases of violation of the national traffic rules, according to the database of the lower house of parliament. Respective amendments are proposed to be made in the Code of Administrative Offenses. Currently, there is no possibility to prohibit foreign vehicles leaving the territory of the Russian Federation until the fines imposed on such vehicles because of traffic rules violations are collected. This is the reason for the low collection of fines. In particular, in 2020, officers of the Federal Service for Supervision in the Transport Sphere (Rostransnadzor) imposed fines on foreign carriers for violations of the procedure for international road transport in the amount of 588 million rubles (about $8 million at the current exchange rate), but could collect only 405 million rubles ($5.5 million), that is, 68%, the authors of the initiative point out. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, in 2020 officers of the State Traffic Inspectorate could, not including violations registered with the use of photo and video recording means, reveal 783,000 traffic violations committed by drivers while driving vehicles with foreign registration plates, 730,000 respective decisions were issued, but only 477,000 of those were executed. It should be noted that in order to identify administrative offenses in the field of road traffic, special technical means, which have the functions of photographing and filming, as well as video recording, and operate in automatic mode, have since recently been actively used. If an offense is detected with the help of photo and video recording, according to the Code of Administrative Offenses, the owners of such vehicles are to be brought to responsibility. As such incidents are registered during transportation, the measure is to be applied with respect of the carriers, that is, not individuals, but legal entities. The mechanism of bringing foreign legal entities to administrative responsibility for offenses recorded in the automatic mode is not implemented in practice, since there is no legal representative of the legal entity on the territory of the Russian Federation. Thus, in relation to foreigners, in practice, only the driver who is an individual may be brought to administrative responsibility when the vehicle is stopped directly by the officers of the regulatory authorities. But even in this case, officers of regulatory authorities can only register the fact that an offense was commited and impose a fine, since the Code of Administrative Offenses does not provide for the detention of a foreign vehicle until the payment of such a fine for each and every type of administrative violations, the authors of the bill explain. As a result, offenders vehicles may freely leave the territory of Russia without paying a fine, according to the authors of the document. The Russian Transport Ministry has developed a draft federal law that provides for the purpose of ensuring that foreign carriers are unswervingly brought to administrative responsibility in the event of committing of administrative offenses under the Code of Administrative Offences by vehicles belonging to foreign carriers, by the way of detaining such vehicles with the use of blocking devices until the payment of an administrative fine, the explanatory note to the bill reads. Rospatent refuses to grant Microsoft legal protection of Power Automate trademark pixabay.com 12:24 28/09/2021 MOSCOW, September 28 (RAPSI) The Chamber for Patent Disputes has confirmed the refusal to grant Microsoft Corporation legal protection of Power Automate trademark in the territory of the Russian Federation, according to the bodys records. The international registration of the applicants trademark was carried out by the International Bureau of the World Intellectual Property Organization on December 17, 2019, in relation to three classes of goods and services of the ICGS. However, on March 16, Rospatent, the Russian Federal Service for Intellectual Property, refused to grant the American corporation legal protection of this mark on the territory of Russia. This decision was appealed to the Chamber of Patent Disputes. As noted by Rospatent, there is no sufficient reason that the designation "Power Automate" is a generally accepted term that has come into general use to designate goods of a certain type. Power Automate can mean power automation, automated energy, and the ability to automate. In this regard, it refers to the designations that characterize the goods of the ICGS classes of MKTU declared by Microsoft Corporation, which may be associated with the automation and power of various processes. Nevertheless, Rospatent considered that the designation "Power Automate" is unprotected, since it consists of verbal elements that are descriptive in relation to the goods and services specified in the application. The designation applied for registration by the American corporation does not have distinctiveness and contradicts certain provisions of the Russian Civil Code, the body said. Moreover, the corporation did not provide any documents proving that the mark under the international registration Power Automate acquired distinctiveness in relation to the applicant in the territory of the Russian Federation. Power Automate is a service that helps to create automated business processes between commonly used applications and services. These processes can be used to sync files, receive notifications, collect data, and more. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. Streaming giant Netflix has released the trailer of the fourth and final season of the series 'Little Things', which stars Mithila Palkar and Dhruv Sehgal. Directed by Ruchir Arun and Pranjal Dua, 'Little Things 4' is a celebration of all the subtle things, the adulthood, the maturity and above all the little moments that truly make a relationship beautiful. Talking about her journey on 'Little Things', Mithila said: "Little Things is a show that is very close to my heart. Kavya is a character that is going to stay with me forever. It's been an incredible journey with Dhruv, my Directors and the fabulous crew. The finale season nudged me to go back in time and relive my journey as Kavya for one last time. I am hoping audiences enjoy this season as well and celebrate their bond with Dhruv and Kavya." In the final season, Mithila stars as Kavya and Dhruv plays Dhruv. Produced by Pocket Aces and Dice Media, 'Little Things'. Season 4 celebrates Dhruv and Kavya's individuality and relationship as they grow together amidst their highs and lows. While they make the tricky transition from young love to a mature relationship, audiences will witness Dhruv and Kavya navigate questions around commitment, health, their ambitions and family. Dhruv added: "I have grown with this show and the amount of love it has received over the years has really overwhelmed me. I'm honestly a little sad that this show is coming to an end, but I'm also immensely happy that Dhruv and Kavya were able to spread this much love and joy amongst their audience." Less than a fortnight after he was 'unceremoniously' asked to quit as the Punjab Chief Minister in the run-up to the Assembly polls, Congress veteran Amarinder Singh is likely to meet Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah in Delhi late Tuesday evening. The former Chief Minister is also likely to meet Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President J.P. Nadda, sources said. However, Amarinder Singh's media advisor denied his meeting with the BJP leaders, saying he's on a personal visit to Delhi to meet some friends. "Too much being read into @capt_amarinder's visit to Delhi. He's on a personal visit, during which he'll meet some friends and also vacate Kapurthala house for the new CM. No need for any unnecessary speculation," Thukral informed in a tweet. The proposed meeting seems crucial as Amarinder Singh has been saying that he stepped down as he felt 'humiliated'. At the same time, he said the "future politics option is always there" and he will use that option. Speculations are rife that Amarinder Singh is likely to join the BJP. After his resignation, Amarinder Singh said he had offered his resignation to party President Sonia Gandhi three weeks earlier but she had asked him to continue. "If she had just called me and asked me to step down, I would have," he said, adding that "as a soldier, I know how to do my task and leave once I am called back". He had said he had even told Sonia Gandhi that he was ready to hang his boots and allow someone else to take over as the Chief Minister after leading the Congress to another sweeping win in Punjab. "But that did not happen, so I will fight," he asserted, taking strong exception to being subjected to humiliation by calling a Congress Legislative Party meeting in a secretive manner, without taking him into confidence. "I would not have taken MLAs on a flight to Goa or some place. That is not how I operate. I don't do gimmicks, and the Gandhi siblings know that is not my way," he had said, adding, "Priyanka and Rahul (Gandhi siblings) are like my children, this should not have ended like this. I am hurt." He said the Gandhi children were quite inexperienced and their advisors were clearly misguiding them. Indicating that he was still keeping his political options open, the former Chief Minister had said he was talking to his friends before deciding on his future course of action. After his resignation and political tussle, Charanjit Singh Channi, a Scheduled Caste Sikh, took oath of office on September 20 along with his two deputies -- one a Jat Sikh and another belonging to the Hindu community. Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and O.P. Soni, both ministers in previous Council of Ministers led by Amarinder Singh, took oath for the posts of the Deputy Chief Ministers. Paleontologists have unearthed the fossilized remains of large teratornithid birds at four localities in central Argentina. Teratorns are members of Teratornithidae, a highly diversified guild of large carnivorous flying birds that lived between 25 million and 12,000 years ago. Their fossil record is limited exclusively to North and South America. The first teratorn fossils were discovered in 1909 in famous La Brea Tar Pits in California, the United States. Teratorns are related to living storks and New World vultures such as turkey vultures and condors. They are among the largest flying birds that ever existed: with a wingspan of up to 7 m (23 feet) and an estimated mass of 70 kg, the teratorn species Argentavis magnificens from the Late Miocene of Argentina is one of the largest flying birds known, only rivaled by the Eocene and Neogene pelagornithids. It is believed that teratorns originated in South America because their oldest remains were found in 25- to 5-million-year-old deposits in Brazil and Argentina, said Dr. Marcos Cenizo, a paleontologist in the Centro de Ciencias Naturales, Ambientales y Antropologicas at the Fundacion de Historia Natural Felix de Azara Universidad Maimonides. After this period, teratorns disappeared from the South American fossil record, but became remarkably abundant and diverse in North America until their extinction at the end of the Pleistocene period, some 12,000 years ago. The absence of these gigantic birds during the last 5 million years in South America was a mystery until now. Dr. Cenizo and colleagues examined four new teratorn specimens from localities of central Argentina that range in age from the Late Middle to the Early Late Pleistocene. The first specimen that we identified was found in the 1980s at the site of Playa del Barco, they said. We then found two more fossils: one in Centinela del Mar Natural Reserve, close to Mar del Sud and Miramar; and the other in the Salado de Santa Fe river, near Manucho. One more specimen was added, previously reported as a condor, which was collected between 1930 and 1950. The new specimens are comparable in size and morphology to a previously known species called Teratornis merriami. However, they exhibit a set of divergent characters and probably belong to new species. The available evidence suggests that forms related to Teratornis lived in the South American Pampas around the time of the Last Interglacial (MIS 5), but they were restricted to North America during the latest Pleistocene (late MIS 3-early MIS 1), the researchers said. The contrasting latest Pleistocene record of teratorns between North and South America is not easy to understand, especially because the supposed flight capacity of these birds did not prevent them from crossing large geographical barriers. Although a bias in the fossil record cannot be ruled out, it is possible that the teratorns were limited in South America by paleoclimatic-paleoecological factors as yet undetermined, and/or that the northern and southern Pleistocene species had very dissimilar specializations. The new specimens also shed more light on the paleobiology of teratorn birds. The early assumption that teratorns were vulture-like birds with a strict scavenger or raptorial behavior was based on the presence of a sharply hooked beak, their comparable body size and superficial similarity to the condors in limb proportions and morphology, as well as its frequent associated finding with cathartids and other large carnivorous birds, the authors said. However, the relatively weak legs and claws observed in teratorns are not consistent with raptorlike features, and the distinctive morphology of the pectoral and pelvic girdles, skull and jaws appear to be incompatible with vulture-like ecology. Their functional affinities are closer to an opportunistic-piscivorous bird such as the ciconiiforms and pelecaniforms that swallow whole prey. The new results were published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. _____ M. Cenizo et al. First Pleistocene South American Teratornithidae (Aves): new insights into the late evolutionary history of teratorns. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, published online July 9, 2021; doi: 10.1080/02724634.2021.1927064 China is playing a cautious game in Afghanistan. I was invited by Chinese military intelligence to Beijing in 1981 to ask me if Beijing should begin supplying arms to the Afghan Islamic anti-Soviet resistance, aka mujahidin. by Eric S. Margolis Afghanistans US-run government was the worlds largest producer and exporter of opium, morphine, and the end-product, heroin. As it did after first seizing power in the mid-1990s, Taliban, the Islamic anti-drug and anti-communist movement, is shutting down the Afghan drug trade. Billions worth of heroin, opium and morphine that had been flowing into Central Asia, Russia, Iran, Turkey, Pakistan and Southeast Asia will be sharply reduced. Afghanistans drug-based economy is now in dire jeopardy. But you would not know this if you follow the biased western press, notably the big US TV networks, social media and the BBC which thinks its Britains old colonial office. Western media has focused almost exclusively on the supposed plight of well-off westernized Afghan women in Kabul. Thats all you see on TV. That these pampered ladies cant easily get their nails done is not Afghanistans biggest problem. Nor is the closing of dance studios or fashion boutiques. What really matters is that Afghan wedding parties and villages are no longer being savaged by US warplanes or B-1 and B-52 heavy bombers, or that wide scale torture by the Communist-run secret police, whose head, Amrullah Saleh, was a key US ally and the nations real strongmen, has been ended by Taliban. Meanwhile, western media simply ignores the plight of women in the Gulf and Saudi Arabia. I well recall being twice arrested in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia by religious police for walking with an attractive lady (an Estee Lauder beauty consultant). I was arrested in Kuwait under similar suspicion. I was whipped by Saudi airport security police. And yet all we hear about or see are films of wicked Taliban soldiers maltreating Afghan women. What I really want to know is what happened to all the billions in drug money reaped by the US-backed regime in Kabul and its allied warlords? Where are the pallets of fresh US $100 bills flown in from Washington to finance the Kabul regime? We saw the same phenomena in US-occupied Iraq. These mountains of cash just went walkabout, as the Aussies say. Americans and US Arab allies grabbed the majority of these missing funds. Iraq and Afghanistan account for one of the biggest thefts of money in modern history. Much of this sordid story has been documented by the US governments own anti-corruption agency, SIGAR, which has waged a valiant battle to combat crime in Afghanistan during the $2 trillion, two-decade war. Many of the drug-dealing criminals have already bailed out of Afghanistan via a US/British/French airlift. Others, Taliban opponents, mostly Tajik and Uzbek gang bosses, have managed to gain refuge in neighboring Uzbekistan and Tajikistan. The most formidable opposition to Taliban came from the Tajik Northern Alliance in the Panjshir Valley north of Kabul. This US-allied group dominated the drug trade until run out of business by Taliban. Now its trying to rally with secret backing from France, India and the US. China is playing a cautious game in Afghanistan. I was invited by Chinese military intelligence to Beijing in 1981 to ask me if Beijing should begin supplying arms to the Afghan Islamic anti-Soviet resistance, aka mujahidin. This was the most momentous act in the growing China-Soviet split. No one in Washington seemed to see or understand it. Forty years later, China is still wrestling with this problem. Beijing wants good relations with Taliban but is seriously scared by the notion of Islamic wild men who support freedom and independence for the Chinese-ruled Uighur Muslims of Xinjiang (Eastern Turkestan). Meanwhile, the great American-Afghan money machine has ground to a halt as its produce is secreted away in US real estate and Swiss banks. Copyright Eric S. Margolis 2021 There is no doubt that the second coming of the Taliban has been prepared and backed, again, by the ISI and Pakistan. by Dr. Zlatko Hadzidedic The fall of Kabul to the Taliban, pre-negotiated with the US in Doha, Qatar, has launched yet another premeditated enterprise, as fruitless as the US effort to keep Afghanistan under its own control: so many IR scholars, pundits, and journalists, in all sorts of specialized and non-specialized publications in the US and Europe, are trying to prove that the 2021 version of the Taliban has not changed in comparison to the version of the Taliban which seized control of Afghanistan in 1996 and that they will again make Afghanistan a cradle for all kinds of terrorists. If they use facts rather than phrases, they commonly seek a confirmation of this thesis in the names of the 2021 Taliban leaders appointed to the interim government, the names which are not particularly different from those of the Taliban who governed the country from 1996. Yet, all these experts (save the notable intellectuals such as Djawed Sangdel) have somehow failed to notice that the times have changed, and so has the geopolitical environment in which the whole overturn took place. Indeed, how can the Taliban remain the same, if the entire world has changed so profoundly, comparing the year of 2001, when the Taliban were overthrown by the US forces, with the year of 2021, when the US forces withdrew before the Talibans advance? No matter how rigid they are in their faith as a religious movement, the Taliban as a political organization had no choice but to adapt to the tide of change, if they wanted to seize and exercise power in a changed geopolitical context. There are many symbolic signs of this new context which are directly linked to the second arrival of the Taliban. First, both the Taliban and the US sat down to negotiate the withdrawal of the US forces and transfer of power to the Taliban, which signals that the US is no longer the same hegemonic power that refuse to negotiate with the terrorists, as the Taliban were characterized by the US diplomacy for so many years. Second, the Taliban have adopted a different political philosophy, which gives precedence to diplomatic - rather than military - means, whenever the former proves more efficient. Third, the negotiations took place in Qatar, a country that used to be the most isolated among the Arab countries due to its alliance with Iran, which shows that the Americans have accepted not only Qataris, but also Iranians, as mediators and potential partners. Fourth, despite their ambiguous relations and deep ideological differences, Iranians have also accepted the Taliban as a potential partner, which is also mirrored in the fact that their only Arab ally, Qatar, played the role of the mediator and host to the US-Taliban negotiations. Fifth, China, Russia, Iran, and Pakistan did not close their diplomatic missions in Kabul after its takeover by the Taliban, which demonstrates that two global and two regional powers intend to cooperate with the Taliban-led government; moreover, that these four powers asses that they can benefit from such cooperation and accept the Taliban as a relevant regional partner of potential strategic significance. Therefore, at the very least, the Taliban are not going to be so isolated as they were during their first incarnation, which will certainly open them up, for the first time, to various foreign policy options. However, there is one important question that is rarely posed by those who write and speak about the Taliban. This question is the most basic one: who are, in fact, the Taliban and who actually created them? In a recent interview, the former National Security Advisor to the US President Jimmy Carter, Zbigniew Brzezinski, proudly admitted that the US intelligence agencies inserted a number of Islamist fighters cells into Afghanistan by the end of the 1970s, with the task to penetrate the territory of the then Soviet Union and perform military actions, so as to provoke the Soviet regime to invade Afghanistan. The idea was to turn Afghanistan into the Soviet Unions Vietnam-like catastrophe and thus bring the communist empire to a collapse. As we all know, the Soviets had fallen into that trap and the rest is history: they were eventually defeated and expelled by the well-organized Islamist fighters, better prepared for a guerrilla war than the Soviet army. However, no matter how Brzezinski now prides himself for this idea, it is well-known that its execution and implementation were in more than 90% left to a non-American agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan, the country that was the most faithful British and American ally at the time. In an exceptional analysis Forever Friends? Pakistan and the Taliban Still Need Each Other, written by Zahid Shahab Ahmed and published in the National Interest, we can see it clearly: After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, Washington approached Islamabad to become its frontline ally in a proxy war against the Soviets. During the Afghan-Soviet War (1979-1989), thousands of mujahideen were recruited from around the world and trained in Pakistan, and then deployed into Afghanistan. In addition to receiving billions in economic and military assistance from the United States, Pakistan expanded its influence in Afghanistan through close relations with the Afghan mujahideen as they later united into the Taliban in the 1990s. In 1994, Mullah Mohammed Omar founded the Taliban with fifty students in Kandahar. By 1995, the groups control increased to twelve provinces and its size to 25,000 fighters. Due to its quick territorial gains, the Taliban managed to seize control of most of the country and established the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in 1996. To date, their first takeover of Kabul is attributed to Pakistans strong backing. Therefore, the Talibans recruitment from among the Afghani and Pakistani Pashtuns and their military training for guerrilla warfare and religious indoctrination with the mixture of Pakistani Deobandi and Saudi Wahhabi Islam are to be treated as a special intelligence operation conducted by the ISI, and the same may be applied to their military victory. Of course, this operation would not have been viable without adequate coverage by the American CIA and British MI6, and assistance by Saudi Arabias GID (General Intelligence Directorate). Thus, the Taliban and their hybrid ideology were created for a particular purpose and their heavy-handed policies upon the seizure of power also served a particular geopolitical agenda. It would go beyond the scope of this article to analyse in detail what this agenda was or might have been. Let us only notice that the Taliban in those times prepared the ground, both ideologically and literally, to legitimize the future American War on Terror, which has brought 20 years of continuous instability to the central part of Eurasia. In other words, there is no reason to look at the Taliban as a genuine occurrence - they had been created as a proxy and were left with no option but to remain a proxy. Whose proxy, that is the only question. There is no doubt that the second coming of the Taliban has been prepared and backed, again, by the ISI and Pakistan. On the operative level, the Taliban have clearly remained Pakistans proxy. However, in the meantime, Pakistan has totally changed its geopolitical orientation and switched loyalties. Initially created by the British Empire through religious partition of the post-colonial India and secession of a great piece of the Pashtun-populated part of Afghanistan, in order to enable continuous Anglo-American control of the heart of Eurasia, Pakistan found itself abandoned and cornered by its former sponsors and allies, when they invested their capital and geopolitical weight in the strengthening and rise of its archenemy, Hindu-controlled India. Of course, this was not the first time that the British-American axis supported India against Pakistan, just as they were supporting Pakistan against India. However, this time it happened in the context of the rise of the most extreme form of religious nationalism promoted by the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, designed to eliminate Muslims as a constituent part of the Indian nation for good, which would force Pakistan to enter yet another conflict with India over a definite line of Muslim-Hindu separation. Ostensibly, it was a rational calculation by the British and Americans, to support instant economic rise of India and foster a redesign of Indian policy towards extreme, religiously based nationalism, so as to make India capable and willing to confront China, as Indias old and their new geopolitical adversary. However, such a tricky game has only pushed Pakistan to turn towards China as a potential ally and geopolitical patron. Thus the British and Americans have eventually pushed Pakistan away and lost their most faithful ally, and China has been delivered an entirely new leverage to fundamentally change the geopolitical balance in Eurasia. With Pakistan under the US-UK patronage and Afghanistan under American control, China had a huge problem to secure its most important strategic project, the Belt and Road Initiative, in particular its China/Pakistan and China/Central Asia/West Asia Corridors. Also, the direct access of the Anglo-American intelligence agencies to the very borderland of China, through their stronghold in Afghanistan and the porous borders of the post-Soviet Central Asian republics, made it possible to instigate Chinas own Muslim problem in the form of the Islamist radicalization of Uighurs in Xinjiang. This, predictably, provoked the Chinese regime to respond in an extremely oppressive manner, which almost put in question its relations with the entire Islamic world, especially the countries of Central Asia, thereby undermining the prospects for their participation in the Belt and Road Initiative. As this problem proved to be too difficult to solve on the internal level, Chinas imperative was to take Afghanistan out of the American control and reverse this trend that gravely threatened Chinese strategic interests. In these circumstances, Pakistans well-known proxy, the Taliban, appeared on the horizon as the best suited instrument for that purpose. In this context, it is not difficult to imagine why the Taliban were so quickly and efficiently restored by the ISI and why they suddenly became so politically pragmatic and militarily strong. So, the Talibans 2021 takeover was also decisively supported by Pakistan, as it had been the one in 1996. However, this time it has all happened in a totally different geopolitical environment, with Pakistan under Chinas geopolitical umbrella, which implies a totally different geopolitical orientation on Pakistans, as well as the Talibans, part. Instead of serving the goals of Halford Mackinders doctrine of permanent destabilization of Eurasia, so as to secure British-American control over the worlds sea-trade routes, now Pakistan and its proxies have become open to promoting the opposite geopolitical agenda, the Chinese doctrine of building Eurasian land-trade infrastructure as an alternative to the Anglo-American hegemony over sea-trade routes. Such a doctrine, embodied in the Belt and Road Initiative, requires a long-lasting stabilization of the Eurasian geopolitical space, and Afghanistan occupies a strategic place within this constellation. Of course, most the Chinese officials could do in their public activities was to keep the embassy in Kabul open, recognize the Taliban, and send their Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi, to meet the Taliban delegation in Tianjin. On their part, the Taliban described China as a friendly country and invited it to participate in reconstruction and development of Afghanistan, guaranteeing the safety of Chinese investments. However, there is no need to make guesses about whether the new version of the Taliban will really prevent various Islamist militant groups to penetrate Chinas territory, as well as the territory of the post-Soviet Central Asian republics: this time, the Taliban have been resurrected and installed as a watchdog, to serve no other purpose than this one, so as to eventually make Afghanistan a part of a potential strategic alliance of China, Pakistan, and Iran. All in accordance with the Chinese strategic vision to make the Eurasian land-mass stable for transcontinental development of infrastructure, trade, and industry, designed to lead to economic, and eventually political, unification of the Eurasian continent. Dr. Zlatko Hadzidedic is the founder and director of the Center for Nationalism Studies, in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina (www.nationalismstudies.org). The Executive Committee of the Palm Oil Industry Association of Sri Lanka (POIASL) hosted the Associations 3rd Annual General Meeting (AGM), on the 31st of August 2021 as a virtual event. The POIASL represents all stakeholders, including cultivators, refiners, processors, manufacturers, marketers, and sellers involved in the production of palm oil and related products of oil palm. The POIASLs primary focus is enhancing Sri Lankas economic crop diversity through a competitive, resilient, and sustainable palm oil sector. The Executive Committee comprises of Senior Management from across the key players in the palm oil industry. Commenting on the recently concluded AGM, President/ Managing Director of Elpitiya Plantations, Dr. Rohan Fernando, stated, I would firstly like to thank the Committee for their efforts in leading and guiding sustainable oil palm production for the past year, and look forward to next part of their tenure. It is very important that we maintain the high productivity of oil palm production as it can also contribute to mitigating the current foreign exchange crisis. By incorporating all tenets of sustainable agriculture at the heart of oil palm production, we have noticed not only environmental benefits but significant improvements in the quality of life of the communities involved in and around oil palm cultivation. Our regional production centres have extended such benefits to a wider array of the community through their corporate social responsibility activities. We also look forward with hope that there would be a re-thinking of the current ban on cultivation of palm oil, keeping in mind the potential significant benefits that may be gained by conserving foreign exchange, and thereby stabilizing and strengthening the Sri Lankan economy similar to the strategy used by the Indian government, which is a prime reference point. The POIASL will continue to represent all key industry stakeholder groups and aims to clarify locally held misconceptions about the industry, while advocating for strict regulation and providing guidance to ensure profitability, accountability, and transparency within the industry, with the vision of maintaining sustainable growth through responsible production. 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Dr. Francisco Guterres Lu OLO, before the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly delivered Monday on his behalf by Timor-Leste Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Mr. Karlito Nunes. Timor-Leste also wishes to take the opportunity to refer to the Western Sahara, whereby the United Nations Mission (MINURSO) has been in the Territory for about three decades, but progress has yet to be seen satisfactorily. Thus, we reiterate once again our appeal to the Secretary-General of the United Nations for his Special Envoy to urgently reactivate the negotiation process between the POLISARIO Front and Morocco, and to allow the people of Western Sahara to exercise their right to Self-determination, based on the Charter of the United Nations and its relevant resolutions. 062 To further enhance and expand investment corridors between Sri Lanka and Thailand, the Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka in Bangkok, together with the Board of Investment of Sri Lanka and China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) Port City Colombo (Pvt) Ltd, co-hosted a high-powered dialogue by inviting leading line agencies and trade chambers of commerce of Thailand to an opportunity exploration meeting recently. Several senior level dignitaries from Thai-Sri Lanka Chamber of Commerce, Thailand Board of Investment, Thai Chamber of Commerce and Board of Trade Thailand, Federation of Thai Industries, Department of South Asian, Middle East & African Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand and Department of International Economic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand actively participated in these progressive talks to explore and identify bilateral investment opportunities between the two countries. The discussions explored multiple investment opportunities Sri Lanka could offer by way of the CHEC Port City and also, its six thrust sectors of Manufacturing, ICT, Hospitality & Tourism, Agri & Food Processing, Infrastructure and Other Services, in addition to options that could also enable Sri Lankan enterprises to expand supply chain operations in Thailand. Opening the high-powered forum, Ambassador of Sri Lanka to the Kingdom of Thailand and Permanent Representative to United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), C.A. Chaminda I. Colonne warmly welcomed representatives from both Sri Lanka and Thailand and said, Under the National Policy Frame Work Vistas of Prosperity & Splendour, and the twenty Foreign Policy guidelines of the present Government led by H. E. the President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa of Sri Lanka, priority has been given, Sri Lanka to become an investment friendly country with high level of doing business to attract sustainable foreign direct investments. Ambassador recalled with honour, the acceptance of her invitation extended to Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha, for Thai investors to invest in the Colombo Port City Project and other investment opportunities in Sri Lanka, during her recent courtesy call and conveyed special gratitude to Director-General Darm Boontham of the Department of South Asian, Middle East and African Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand for facilitating to arrange the virtual meeting within a short time span. Chairman Board of Investment (BOI) Sri Lanka, Sanjaya Mohottala while providing a comprehensive overview of Sri Lankas compelling investment climate and outlining Sri Lankas unique investment focused propositions, said, These discussions have exposed us to the vast potential of investment prospects that can open the doors for transformational change and positively impact the future of both our economies. Sri Lanka offers dynamic and multifold opportunities, and we warmly welcome the investment community of Thailand to take advantage of this potential, which enables global enterprises to establish regional headquarters in Sri Lanka through the CHEC Port City and make full use of our suite of strategic investment propositions ranging from its key thrust sectors, market access, geographic location, economic fundamentals, winning & capable talent, and quality of life. Port City Colombo Country Manager - Sales and Investor Relations, Radhika Ellepola presented the projects Master Plan. He elaborated on the progress of the project, state-of-the-art infrastructure, sustainability, unmatched opportunities to invest in the multi services Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and its salient features. He apprised the Thai business chambers and other officials of the four main real estate asset classes - Residential, Commercial, Hospitality and Mixed Use Developments in which opportunities can be explored. He added that Port City Colombo offers a unique advantage given its geographically significant location and that it can serve as the regions hub for services. Director of Thai Enterprise Development Division of Board of Investment Thailand, Punlop Punyasiri, Vice Chairman of Committee on South Asia, Middle East and Africa Affairs of Board of Trade Thailand, Songsang Patavanich, and President of Textile Industry Association, Somsak Srisupornwanich, representing Federation of Thai Industries also addressed the forum. Embassy and Permanent Mission of Sri Lanka Bangkok, Thailand The UK is providing lifesaving medical equipment for high-risk pregnant mothers and infants identified with COVID-19 to 11 public maternal hospitals across the island. This is in response to a request from the Ministry of Health Sri Lanka through UNICEF, following the rapid escalation of COVID cases since mid-April 2021. The initiative is funded by the UKs International Programme Fund and led by UNICEF. It will support the health care system by adding over 100 pieces of medical equipment, including High Dependency Unit beds, multipara monitors, syringe pumps, adult suckers and infusion pumps. While receiving the equipment today at the Ministry, the Minister of Health, Dr. Keheliya Rambukwella remarked that, The equipment so generously donated could not have arrived at a better time to boost the efforts of Sri Lanka in tackling the COVID-19 pandemic. He further recognized the UKs long-standing partnership with Sri Lanka as a trusted ally with this latest contribution demonstrating the concerted efforts required in combating the COVID-19 pandemic With the emergence of new variants of COVID-19 from mid-April 2021, pregnant mothers and children have become a high-risk group with increased maternal deaths reported in the third wave of COVID-19. British High Commissioner, Sarah Hulton said, The UK is proud to support Sri Lankas fight against COVID 19. This contribution is not only providing urgently needed life serving medical equipment, but also strengthening Sri Lankas child and maternal health system. Essential medical equipment like this, not only helps strengthen the health systems capacity to respond to COVID-19 at present, but also contributes to health care service delivery in the long term. For instance, setting up High Dependency Units in the maternity wards in specialist hospitals had been identified as a critical need for many years pre-COVID by the Ministry of Health and will remain in the maternity wards even in a post-COVID context as well, to care for hight risk pregnant mothers, contributing to the reduction of maternal and new-born deaths. COVID-19 has again showed that the most vulnerable, including pregnant women and young children are the most affected by its consequences. This equipment procured with the support of the UK are not only helping to address the immediate needs of those infected with the virus but generally improve the quality of healthcare for the long term. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF has supported the efforts of the government of Sri Lanka to ensure that critical healthcare is provided, especially to the most vulnerable, said UNICEF Representative, Christian Skoog. The Andalusian Governments delegate in Malaga, Patricia Navarro, has offered her condolences to the family of the four-and-a-half-month-old girl who died in the intensive care unit at Malagas Materno Infantil last week. Before, finally, being admitted to the ICU, the child had been treated and discharged on several occasions from the QuironSalud Malaga and Materno Infantil hospitals. I want to do it as a government delegate but, above all, as a mother. I cannot imagine the pain of losing a four-month-old child, said Navarro. The delegate said that the matter is being investigated and in the hands of the courts. When an incident like this happens, the hospital opens an internal investigation that runs in parallel with the complaint filed by the family. Court investigates death The death of the baby is being investigated by a court in Malaga after the family filed a complaint which explains that the girl was taken several times, over a five-day period, to the emergency departments of the Quironsalud Malaga and Materno Infantil hospitals where she was treated and discharged. Her paediatrician also saw her. The girl had presented with a high fever, rash, respiratory infection and vomiting. She died overnight (September 23 to 24) in the Materno Infantils intensive care unit where he had been admitted in the morning. Family complaint In the complaint, which SUR has seen, it indicates the family does not know the exact cause of death. Family sources have told the newspaper that the girl could have suffer a blood infection. Relatives and friends of the girl's parents gathered outside the emergency department of the Quironsalud Malaga on Monday, top highlight the case of Valentina, for whom they demanded justice. "We just want to be heard and make sure that this does not happen to any family again," said the grandmother of the girl. National Police officers are investigating the death of a 20-year-old woman who died after allegedly taking drugs while on holiday in Fuengirola. The young Finnish woman had only arrived on the Costa del Sol for a holiday a few days earlier, accompanied by her 24-year-old boyfriend. The unconscious pair were found by the girls mother, who owns a property in the Los Pacos area, which is where they were staying. SUR has learned, the young woman's mother heard strange breathing and loud snoring from her room that caught her attention. She entered the room and found the pair unconscious. When they did not react,she called the emergency services. An ambulance crew tried to revive the young woman, but all their efforts were in vain. Meanwhile, her boyfriend was rushed to the Costa del Sol Hospital, where he was admitted straight to the intensive care unit. After five days in a coma, he regained consciousness last Friday. Narcotic substances were found in the room the pair occupied and the preliminary autopsy on the young woman, and the tests carried out on her boyfriend at the hospital, have revealed the use of different types of drugs, which are presumed to have caused the death of the 20-year-old. The lava from the La Palma volcano is flowing faster and the liquid magma is now between 800 and 1,000 metres from the coast, according to experts in Spain's Canary Islands. According to the latest data from the Copernicus terrestrial observation satellite system, the lava, which in some sections reaches a thickness of up to 50 metres, has destroyed 686 buildings including houses and farms. In addition, the lava has already devastated 22.2 kilometres of roads and the lava flow extends over 258 hectares. "The lava flow is less than 1,000 metres from the coast of Tazacorte", Miguel Angel Morcuende, technical director of the Canary Islands Volcanic Risk Prevention Plan (Pevolca), said in an interview. Speaking to RTVE he admitted, honestly, I cannot say what is going to happen next. We have been waiting for two or three days for the magma to reach the coast, but in the lower reaches it is struggling. The 'explosive' contact of the lava with the sea is dangerous for the nearby population, due to the toxicity of the gas mixture given off, but also because it could vitrify, be carried into the cloud and fall onto nearby areas in the form of splinters, according to the expert in volcanology, Jose Luis Barrera of the College of Geologists (ICOG). Journalists follow the developments from a viewpoint in El Paso / EFE Hiatus On Sunday afternoon, the Cumbre Vieja volcano roared with intensity and simultaneously ejected fluid magma and a column of pyroclasts from two mouths. But on Monday, shortly before dawn, it fell eerily silent for two hours. It was a disconcerting break in the eruption that regained its strength on Monday night. We have seen this before in other volcanoes. In the underwater volcano of El Hierro we had a hiatus of a few hours in December, but the eruption ended in February, explains the National Geographic Institute (IGN) volcanologist, Itahiza Dominguez. On edge Experts have also recorded a new cluster of 16 earthquakes that occurred between 5am and 8 in the morning south of Cabeza de Vaca. They were located right where the September 11 swarm began. It may that the magma conduit has been plugged at some point and that the pressure has released that energy, is a theory that Dominguez offers. Ines Galindo, a volcanologist of the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME), who is in La Palma monitoring the situation admits the volcano is keeping the scientists on edge. "We are always on edge, but sometimes we have a little more information than others." Mandarin Yellow Written by: Steven M. Roth Available In: eBook|Paperback Author Website: http://www.stevenmroth.com Why would a burglar break into a Washington, DC art gallery and steal an historic fountain pen worth $2200, but leave behind other art and cultural objects worth tens of thousands of dollars each? And why would someone else later commit murder to protect the burglars secret? These are some of the questions that confront Socrates Cheng an American of Chinese and Greek heritage in Steven M. Roths intricate murder mystery Mandarin Yellow as Socrates investigates the burglary and attempts to recover the pen, all in an effort to curry favor with his lovers estranged father who is the leader of a Washington and Shanghai based criminal Triad. In a search that takes him from Georgetown to Chinatown and elsewhere in Washington, Socrates finds himself threatened, physically assaulted, suspected of having committed murder, jailed for a time, and constantly confronted by conflicts arising out of his three disparate cultures. Yet he is neither daunted nor deterred by these obstacles. Instead, Socrates draws upon his deep knowledge of vintage fountain pens, Chinese history, and the Mandarin language to puzzle out the complex motives behind the burglary and murders, until he finally uncovers the identities of the criminals and makes a discovery that forever changes his life and the lives of everyone else involved. Mandarin Yellow involves ethnic and cultural conflict, forbidden love, friendships sustained and friendships lost, and the ever present and sometimes deadly immutable law of unintended consequences. Mandarin Yellow is an intelligent mystery that sometimes is funny and sometimes sad, occasionally is irreverent, and always is suspenseful. Mandarin Yellow will appeal to readers of modern noir murder mysteries, to collectors of vintage fountain pens, and to people interested in the culture and history of 20th century China and in the Chinese experience in modern America. MBABANE Ubombo Sugar has taken it upon itself to ensure that sugar cane growers, from whom it sources some of its cane supply, thrive in the business by addressing challenges they are faced with. Taxation, in particular Value Added Tax (VAT), has been identified as one of the threats to the survival of many small scale sugar cane growers. This has necessitated collaboration between Ubombo Sugar and the Eswatini Revenue Authority (ERS) to engage the growers and capacitate them on the subject matter. Worth noting is that the Ubombo Sugar mill sources about 30 per cent of its cane supply from smallholder farmers. These farmers are situated in Siphofaneni and surrounding areas. Engagement Ubombo Sugar, working with the ERS brought the farmers together in a three-day engagement which was recently held at the Phumlamcashi Community Training Centre in Siphofaneni, where they were taken through VAT processes. This is as per a correspondence shared to this publication. Addressing the farmers, Ubombo Sugars Tax Specialist Nsizwa Mutasa explained that the meeting was a beginning of many other engagements which will benefit not only the growers but the company as well. He said if growers were unable to comply with their VAT obligations, their sustainability got affected and this would have a detrimental impact on the mills cane supply. However, he emphasised to growers that the VAT inclusive payments received from the company for the supply of cane must be remitted, having taken into account all allowable VAT claims on expenses incurred and through a process which required returns to be submitted on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis, depending on the registration status of the grower. He further explained that the company, in collaboration with the ERS, introduced a VAT reverse charge mechanism to make things easier for the farmers and lessen the compliance burden. Payments Though this would mean payments made to growers would be exclusive of VAT, it did not prevent growers from claiming VAT incurred on expenses incurred where the necessary requirements were met. He noted that there were still challenges as many farmers were still unable to comply with their VAT requirements, hence the decision to bring them together and deliberate on the matter further. The farmers were separated into three groups and the engagements occurred over a three-day period; from Tuesday to Thursday, to ensure compliance with COVID-19 regulations. Also speaking at the meeting, ERS Director - Communications Vusie Dlamini said the revenue authority had a mandate to ensure that taxpayers understood their tax obligations, hence the numerous engagements with stakeholder groups in the various sectors of the economy. He noted that even though there were other tax challenges the growers were facing, the biggest one at the present moment, was VAT. As a result, the focus of the engagement was on VAT. He committed that the engagements would continue with a view to address other tax issues that the cane growers needed assistance with. We do a lot of engagements with various taxpayer groups and what we appreciate is coming back and finding that the taxpayers have better understanding of tax than they did before, he said. MBABANE Some liberation groups are calling for the current Legislature to resign en masse. This call was first made during the recent border blockades at the Oshoek, Matsamo and Golela border gates last week and later confirmed by the parties. The liberation groups are under the umbrella of the Political Party Assembly (PPA). Those present during the blockade included the Congress Party of Swaziland (CPO), Swaziland Youth Congress (SWAYOCO), Peoples United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) and Trade Union Congress of Swaziland (TUCOSWA). The Constitution of the Kingdom of Eswatini under Section 55, Subsection 98 (b), allows the holder of the seat to resign in writing addressed to the clerk to Parliament. Important The groups mentioned that it was important to lobby the Members of Parliament (MPs) to start resigning en masse and leave the Legislature open, otherwise the Parliament of the country under the current regime would be a target for sabotage. The groups felt that there should be no conditions for any form of elections under the Tinkhundla System in Eswatini, adding that they would ensure that it did not happen. They mentioned that members of the Legislature who were still serving the interests of the current government and being salaried were part and parcel of the looters, hence they should be forced to resign. The legislators were given two months to consider the resignation. They shared what they termed tactics they would use to force the MPs to resign. These will not be published for ethical reasons as they could be interpreted to incite violence. The political formations made it known that they had not achieved the objective they wanted to accomplish because of the existing Legislature, which was under the current government. Furthermore, they stated that there could be no formula of parliamentary route to change the country as they would talk about principles in the process of the legislative system that could help change the laws of the country. However, they stated that it could all be wishes as the King was the super power of the Legislature. Parliament is just a mimic. Tinkhundla system should just be undermined, institutionally and otherwise, they stated. If this is not done, the groups stated that it would be difficult for them to mobilise solidarity while they still kept a system in that fashion. The PPA representative, Sibongile Mazibuko, stated that MPs were living a lie and stealing from the public purse if they failed to carry out their mandate. TUCOSWAs Acting Secretary General (SG) Mduduzi Gina said as a way of showing solidarity with the incarcerated MPs, their colleagues should resign. Gina said Parliament could be a site of struggle as demonstrated by the arrested MPs for those who could be able to push the agenda of political reforms for emaSwati inside Parliament. Also, he stated that the Legislature should have to move a clear motion and call upon the Executive to give them assurance that they would not be arrested for having done what they were elected to do. SITEKI A 20-year-old Form IV pupil has been identified as the rightful candidate to take over the reins as the chief of KaShoba Umphakatsi. Sibahle Ndzimandzes name has been forwarded to the Ludzidzini Royal Council to receive the blessing of His Majesty King Mswati III. Sibahle is the grandchild of the late Chief Sibengwane Ndzimandze, who died in 2013. Introduced The young chief is yet to be officially introduced to the KaShoba community. Yesterday, the Ndzimandze household (indlunkhulu), introduced the young chief to the Kings Liaison Officer (Ndabazabantu), Makholokholo Khumalo, together with Court Assessor Buyisizwe Dlamini and Court Clerk Zibonele Ginindza. Introducing the Ndzimandze elders was Indvuna Zachariah Motsa. In his introductory remarks, Motsa said they had come to formally make an introduction of the young chief to the Ndabazabantu Office. We came the first time and we didnt finalise our talks. The COVID-19 pandemic prevented us from meeting again, he said. The indvuna disclosed that they were called by the Ludzidzini Royal Council after the King issued a command that all imiphakatsi without chiefs should submit names of those who have been appointed by the chiefdoms households to take over the reins. King He said they then forwarded the name of Sibahle to the King. We have since come to ask that you facilitate a date when we can be able to also introduce the young chief to the regional administrator, added Motsa. The Kings Liaison Officer, Khumalo, said he was grateful that they followed customary laws and ensured that protocol in executing such matters was followed. In jest, Khumalo said they should also invite him during the official introduction of the young chief. I am happy that the Ndzimandze elders have blessed the appointment of the young chief. If the matter has also been attended to by the Ludzidzini Council, I cannot say anything, he said. Grandchild Thandi Ndzimandze, the wife of the late chief confirmed that the Ndzimandze household met and appointed her grandchild to take over a chief. I have three sons but all died hence my grandchild was identified as the rightful candidate for the chieftaincy position. I would not like to divulge more information about him as he is currently in school, she said. Meanwhile, the Mamba Clan on Saturday officially introduced Umntfwana Sibonelo Mamba, the future King of the Mamba Clan at Ngudzeni Royal Kraal. He is also the youngest chief as he is 19 years old and a grandson to the late Chief Maja II. MBABANE The Ezulwini Municipality has acknowledged receipt of the request to march to the United States (US) Embassy by members of the Political Party Assembly (PPA) on Friday. The municipalitys Chief Executive Officer, Vusi Matsebula, confirmed receipt of the notice of gathering from the PPA, adding that same was forwarded to the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS). Matsebula said according to the Public Order Act, 2017 the municipality forwarded the request to the police. Notice The Public Order Act, under Section 8 (1) states that: A local authority that receives at least four days notice of an intended gathering shall immediately determine in consultation with the police, whether it is necessary to consult as contemplated in this section on any amendments to be made to the notice, if there are any conditions to be attached to the conduct of the gathering or the prohibition of the gathering. The Act also includes any other arrangements to ensure the protection of the interests of the public order, public safety, public health or public morals or to ensure that the rights and freedoms of those who live, work, shop, trade and carry on business in the locality of the gathering are not unduly restricted. Furthermore, the Public Order Act, under notice of gatherings in Section 6(1), states that the convenor of a gathering shall as soon as possible, but not later than four days before the date of the intended gathering, deliver by hand to the local authority a written notice of a gathering, signed by the convenor in accordance with the provisions of the section and substantially in the form set out in Schedule I. According to wanted Siphofaneni Member of Parliament Mduduzi Gawuzela Simelane, they did not care if the municipality would issue the permit to march or not, but had decided that they would continue with their planned activity. We have written a letter of request and the PPA was proactive, said Simelane. He said whether or not the US ambassador was around, they would not be deterred. Rumours Simelane stated that there were circulating rumours that the march was being funded by the Americans, something which had angered the embassy. This, he said, was far from the truth and pure propaganda. We are not funded by the Americans and this should not anger them as they know how government operates, he said on Sunday night on the Family Meeting on the Swaziland News online platform. He said they hoped that their members would come in numbers following that they regrouped after the first attempt to march was not approved. MBABANE - A government pathologist, who conducted a post-mortem on the body of Dumsile Simelane, allegedly refused to give her family the results. Dumsiles son, Sizwe Shoulder now wants the High Court to compel government to release the results. I submit that the pathologist refused to give me and my family members the medical report on demand, contended Shoulder. In the same application, he wants the court to direct the prime minister to appoint a coroner to investigate circumstances leading to his mothers death. Other respondents in the matter are the commander of the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force, national commissioner of police, the coroner and the chief medical officer- Mbabane Government Hospital. Provisions The applicant (Shoulder) told the court that he had a right to enforce the provisions of the Inquest Act 1954 and compel the prime minister to appoint a coroner or a series in terms of Section 26 of the Act. He contended that he had been advised and verily believed that the prime minister had a duty to uphold the right to equality before the law in terms of Section 20 of the Constitution. Shoulder submitted that he believed that the inquest would enforce their right to life entrenched in the Constitution Act 2005. I verily believe that the prime minister has a duty to receive my complaint and then appoint a coroner in order to determine the cause of my mothers death, who was assaulted by the States law enforcers who are obliged to uphold our constitutional right to life, he argued. He argued that from the assault and the surrounding circumstances, his mother appeared to have died due to the injuries she sustained at the hands of the soldiers. Shoulder alleged that this was also communicated to them by the pathologist during the post-mortem. In as much as the deceased had a right to life, I deserve to know the cause of my mothers death. My siblings and the entire nation should know the cause of death and prosecution be done because the evidence points to members of the army, averred Shoulder. The applicant submitted that the inquest should be carried out because a person should not be deprived of life intentionally save in the execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence. He submitted that all the respondents should respect the right to the life that was taken away from her mother. MBABANE - I am 100 per cent sure that I do not owe the Eswatini Revenue Authority (SRA) anything. The above sentiments were made by Allen Machamukela Vilane, the Senate hopeful who was disqualified from the elections in Parliament early this month. Our sister publication, the Eswatini News, reported last Saturday that Vilane, together with another hopeful, Bhutana Dlamini, were disqualified for minor debts. In the case of Vilane, it was gathered that he was disqualified for owing the SRA an amount of E36 in respect of graded tax which the entity said he needed to pay. Vilane has, however, denied that he owed SRA anything. As a result, he has since written a letter to the Clerk to Parliament, Benedict Xaba, requesting him to issue a public statement to the effect that he did not owe any amount to SRA. Reasons According to Eswatini News, Xaba furnished reasons for the disqualification of Vilane and Dlamini to Robinson and Bertram, the law firm that represents the latter. In particular, Xaba is said to have stated that the disqualified candidates had outstanding tax obligations. In the letter meant for the attention of the clerk, Vilane referred to the reasons for his disqualification as false allegations. In the letter, he attached a copy of a police certificate dated September 10, 2021, which he said was proof that he was not convicted of any crime in the Kingdom of Eswatini. The police clearance was signed on September 10, 2021 and contained his fingerprints. He also attached a receipt from the SRA issued on September 10, 2021, which he said was proof that he was tax compliant. The clearance certificate from SRA states that he has no tax obligations outstanding. I am a businessman, therefore, the false remarks that I was owing the above mentioned amount will tarnish my image if not withdrawn. Again, it was very disappointing for me to learn from the newspapers that I was disqualified without being notified first by your office. I demand that you issue a public statement to the effect that I do not owe any amount to the SRA, reads part of the letter written by Vilane. When called yesterday, Vilane said he had delivered the letter to the clerks secretary. He claimed that he was informed that the clerk was locked in a meeting. Explaining his situation, he said he was disappointed that he had not been engaged by the clerk ever since the news were relayed that he had been disqualified. This reporter enquired from Vilane if he knew of any E36 owed to SRA. In response, he said he was asked to pay the aforementioned amount when he visited the SRA to request a tax clearance. It must be clear that I am not the kind of person who does not adhere to tax laws. Last year, I purchased a big machine and this required E18 for a clearance at the SRA. I purchased another machine this year and the same amount was required. So I got the tax clearance after paying the E36, he stated. System Elaborating on how the E36 ended up being a debt, he said he was not sure but suspected that the SRA system might have wrongly captured certain things. For me, that is not a problem but I believe that if it had to do with the system, the SRA must just come out clear and rectify it. All I want is my name to be cleared. They must clear my name so that I can continue with my life, he emphasised. Following Vilanes assertions, this publication sent a questionnaire to the SRA and its Director Communications, Vusi Dlamini who said there was not much that the parastatal could say since they forwarded all information to Parliament. This publication wanted to ascertain if indeed Vilane owed the E36. Also, this publication asked how he was given a clearance certificate if he had outstanding tax obligations. When sought for comment, Xaba said he had not received the letter written by Vilane. The clerk said he had been busy for the better part of yesterday. If it has been delivered in my office maybe it is still with my secretary. I cannot comment as I have not seen the letter, he said. On September 2, 2021, the election of the senator by the House of Assembly failed to take off after Members of Parliament (MPs) resolved that they would not be participating until reasons were forwarded why three of the nominees were disqualified. The MPs were expecting to elect a senator to replace the late Senator Jimmy Hlophe. While the MPs geared up for the elections on the aforementioned day, Xaba dropped a bombshell and revealed that only six of the nine candidates had passed the vetting stage. Qualified He said the ballot papers were ready with the faces of those who had passed the vetting stage and, therefore, qualified to stand for the Senate elections. These were Sifiso Crispin Dlamini, Musa K Masuku, Bongani Matsebula, David Mavuso, Musa Mavimbela and Siboniso Mkhonta, while the three (Vilane, Dlamini and Mazibuko) were not in the list. An intense debate was then held in the House with the MPs demanding answers on the hopefuls who had been disqualified. In the end, the MPs resolved that the election would not continue and the Speaker said the issue would be addressed in due course. It should be noted that on September 14, 2021, the High Court stopped the elections after Dlamini filed an urgent application seeking same. Judge Nkosinathi Maseko, who ruled that the elections would proceed after the court has heard and determined Dlaminis application, is expected to hear the matter on November 10, 2021. According to the Constitution of Eswatini 2005 in Section 96 (c), a person qualifies to be appointed, elected or nominated, as the case may be, as a senator or a member of the House if that person has paid all taxes or made arrangements satisfactory to the commissioner of taxes. Citi has inaugurated a global technology hub at its premises in Bahrain as part of a long-term strategic partnership with Tamkeen and the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB). The Citi Technology Hub will be one of the most advanced in the region with the aim of creating 1,000 coding jobs over the next 10 years. Technology hubs support many of Citis global businesses and clients and accelerate the development of digital solutions. Citi selected Bahrain as the location of its new technology hub for several reasons, including availability of skilled workforce, transparent regulations and government support. Alaa Saeed, Citi FXs Global Head of Electronic Platforms & Distribution, said: Citis industry-leading global foreign exchange business will be the first to recruit technologists at the technology hub. Our initial focus in Bahrain will be on engineering for Citis flagship proprietary platforms, working to enhance execution and connectivity capabilities across FX trading and analytics systems. Over time, the technology hub in Bahrain will scale to support Citi Markets and Citis Institutional Client Group more broadly, extending the scope of capabilities developed locally even further, continued Alaa. Central to this programme is Tamkeen, the kingdoms Labour Fund, which aims as part of its efforts to create new job opportunities and upskill individuals in order to boost their competitiveness and employability in the private sector, and further their career development through programmes which enable them to enter international markets, becoming leaders in their fields. Citi Bahrains Chief Executive Officer Michel Sawaya commented: The pace of automation and digitalization accelerated rapidly in the past two years across the financial industry. Our new technology hub in Bahrain will allow us to rapidly scale to meet increasing global client demand for electronic solutions. He added: We are thrilled to have the hub here and tap into Bahrains pool of diverse talent to hire advanced technologists with a strong business background, and I am certain that the hub will succeed in creating technology that will benefit our clients globally. Citi Head for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Elissar Farah Antonios said: At Citi, were investing heavily in digital technologies and platforms to serve our clients and our businesses across the globe. The new technology hub brings us a step closer to providing a better client experience in a world that is highly digitized and contributing significantly to our clients success. It also highlights our commitment to the Kingdom of Bahrain as a strategic hub for innovation. Hussain Mohammed Rajab, Tamkeens Chief Executive highlighted the importance of such programmes for potential investors to realize the depth of quality talent available in Bahrain. He said: Bahrain has a proven track record that reflects the readiness and global competitiveness of its local workforce, enhancing the Kingdoms position in attracting direct investment across all priority sectors. We highly value the strategic partnership with EDB and all stakeholders in Team Bahrain where Tamkeen aims to achieve economic growth and impact by supporting the private sector towards productivity, innovation, digitization, internationalization, and building the human capital advantage, especially in technology and emerging skills. Bahrain EDBs Chief Executive Khalid Humaidan said: Bahrain has been renowned for its solid foundations in the Financial Services sector for decades. The programme that we have agreed with Citi is a perfect example of the strides we are taking to evolve our economy and remain at the forefront of digital transformation. The opportunity this represents for us as a Kingdom is such that we can impact the world from Bahrain, with Bahraini talent supporting Citis ambitions to deliver results all across the globe. At the EDB, we continue to go across the world looking to attract global benchmark companies like Citi to establish operations in the Kingdom and benefit from our world-class infrastructure and talent. We are extremely excited to enter into the next phase of our relationship with Citi and look forward to seeing them thrive in the Kingdom, he continued. Citi has been present in the Mena region for more than 50 years. Its institutional capabilities in the region include Corporate & Investment Banking, Capital Markets, Sales & Trading, Transactions Services, Equity Research, and Islamic Banking. Citis Consumer Banking services in MENA cover the UAE and Bahrain, while it maintains close relationships with affluent and high-net-worth clients in the region through Citi Global Wealth. - TradeArabia News Service Story Hospitality, an integrated hospitality management platform, is planing to implement a strategy that is built on the protection of the environment. To augment its sustainability initiatives, Story Hospitality signed a partnership with Green Key which supports all hotels under its portfolio with tools and resources for sustainability certification. CEO Claudio Capaccioli said: We understand sustainability as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations. Through our various initiatives, we want to take all necessary steps to reduce any negative impact on the environment. "We operate a responsible, transparent business model with a strong commitment to environmental protection, social development and economic growth. Our mission is to continually look for ways to preserve and protect natural resources by reducing waste and energy while providing the best of experiences and services to our guests. All the hotels under Story Hospitality, embraces an eco-project based on five inter-connected pillars - Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle, Protect Wildlife, Reduce Water Consumption, Energy Conservation, and Local Care & Fair Trade. These elements are intertwined to improve the environment and project the practices to the rest of the world. The hospitality firm is driving environmental and social change across its operations, supply chain and communities through some of the companys green initiatives. Story Seychelles The boutique resort has earned awards for the Leading Green Resort Seychelles 2020 for three consecutive years for its initiatives such as dedicated ecological areas, contributing to educational and local projects within and outside the property. Fishermans Cove, Seychelles The resort is built upon the principle of protecting the environment and received a certification by the Seychelles Sustainable Tourism Label. It has implemented various strategies which include using recycled products, ensuring advancements towards a better and sustainable future. Story Rabat As part of Morocco's efforts to promote sustainable tourism, Story Rabat Boutique Hotel & Spa encourages guests to reuse towels during their stay as well as replacing plastic water bottles with glass bottles, installing sensor lights across the hotel alleys to reduce energy consumption. Cue Podgorica It is the first Green Key member in Podgorica. The hotel has introduced advanced technology to monitor energy and water consumption. It has also implemented smart ways to keep a check on the daily energy consumption. H Dubai It received the Green Key Certification for 2021 by the Emirates Green Building Council. The hotel has implemented the use of green cards and green stickers in the room to conserve energy and water. The property has also introduced Super Green Vouchers through which guests can choose not to have their room cleaned for the day.-TradeArabia News Service Bahrain's government has abolished the National Oil and Gas Authority (NOGA) and handed over all its functions to the country's oil ministry. According to a royal decree (No 99/2021) from His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa all financial appropriations allocated for NOGA in the state budget and all its rights and obligations shall be transferred to the Ministry of Oil. All NOGA's employees will also be transferred to the said ministry with the same rights and benefits. In April this year, HM the King had appointed the National Security Advisor and Secretary-General of the Supreme Defence Council, HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Oil and Gas Holding Company (Nogaholding), the investment and business development arm of NOGA. --Tradearabia News Service The Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius continues with its proactive and transparent response to the global Covid crisis, as it prepares to reopen its borders to fully vaccinated visitors, but in a safe and secure manner, on October 1. The country has one of the highest fully vaccinated rates in Africa, currently standing at over 60 per cent of the overall population (82% of the local adult population), said a statement from Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority. The vaccination campaign is ongoing, and the rollout will also include those below 18 years from the end of September 2021, it added. Minister of Health and Wellness Dr K. Jagutpal said: We adopted a health-first approach with strict protocols to protect the population, from the beginning of the pandemic. Our public health services continue to operate to their normal capacity, with protocols being updated when relevant. We instituted airport screening and the quarantining of travellers since 2020. Our vaccination rollout has been systematic, and we have already exceeded our target of fully vaccinated adults well ahead of the complete reopening of our borders to vaccinated travelers on October 1, he noted. The nations health service has coped well throughout the pandemic, implementing strong protocols. The countrys vaccination programme and overall health management resulted in very low hospitalisation numbers an average of just over 3% hospitalised patients over the last 28 days, most of them being in health facilities because of associated comorbidities rather than Covid-19 suggestive symptoms. The local representative of the World Health Organisation Dr Laurent Musango said: We now have to learn to live with Covid-19. The vaccination rollout in Mauritius was good and the vaccination rate high enough to make it safe to now ask the population to resume their normal lives, while respecting barrier measures. Of course, in the context of a pandemic, there are always more avenues to be considered to optimise safety, but Mauritius is doing well, he added. Unvaccinated travellers can travel to Mauritius, subject to a 14 days in-room quarantine in a state designated hotel/facility, stated Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority. This same protocol for unvaccinated travellers will remain when the country reopens for tourists on October 1, it added.-TradeArabia News Service Latvian airline airBaltic today launched direct flights between Dubai and Riga, Latvia. airBaltic now links the both cities with four weekly flights, offering a wide variety of convenient connections to travellers coming from Dubai to further destinations in Europe. Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic, said: We see a great potential in strengthening the business ties between UAE and Latvia. airBaltic team is glad to launch this new route to Riga which is a vibrant and dynamic city in the Baltic States. The new route will play an integral role connecting the two countries and will be of a significant benefit to travellers both in the United Arab Emirates and Latvia. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, said: We are delighted to welcome airBaltic to the DXB family with the launch of their services between Dubai and Riga. Creating this additional connectivity during the year of EXPO adds to the growing strength of the DXB hub, and we are confident that it will boost the number of visitors travelling between Latvia and the UAE. Flights between Dubai and Riga are operated by the Airbus A220-300 aircraft. -TradeArabia News Service A military parade and demonstration of economic achievements of Turkmenistan was held in Ashgabat with participation of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the country's independence. A parade of Turkmen warships in the Caspian Sea was a distinctive feature of this anniversary celebration. The guests watched the warships of the flotilla sailing in the water area of the port on the Caspian Sea, which was broadcast live on a huge monitor installed in the square in front of the State Tribune. The military parade in Ashgabat demonstrated the military potential of the Armed Forces of Turkmenistan. Tanks, infantry fighting vehicles, self-propelled artillery installations, unmanned aerial vehicles and other military equipment showed that state independence and territorial integrity of Turkmenistan are well protected. The festive parade also featured an air show, during which combat helicopters and aircrafts of the country's law enforcement agencies flew in the skies over Ashgabat. They are designed to support ground combat operations of ground forces, conduct reconnaissance and transport military personnel and military equipment. The military parade was followed by a ceremony of presenting a light gray Akhal-Teke horse named Garashsyz (Independent) to the President of Turkmenistan on behalf of members of the government. The head of state came down from the tribune, mounted a horse and made a lap of honor to the applause of the guests of the parade. The parade continued with the demonstration of economic achievements of Turkmenistan over 30 years of independent development. The festive procession consisted of auto platforms and delegations from the regions of the country, as well as key sectors of the national economy, including the fuel and energy complex, construction industry, electric power industry, textile industry, transport, communications, agro-industrial complex and other sectors of the Turkmen economy. The participants of the celebration enjoyed the incendiary performance by the group of national equestrian games Galkynysh in a special arena in front of the government tribune. Riding graceful Akhal-Teke horses, members of the equestrian group demonstrated breathtaking tricks and amazing fancy riding skills. Combat aircrafts flying over the venue of celebration wrapped up the military parade and demonstration of the country's economic achievements. They painted the sky in bright colors of the rainbow and fired the volleys of festive fireworks. In the evening, the celebration of the 30th anniversary of Turkmenistan's independence continued with a concert in the square in front of the State Tribune with participation of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov. There were performed melodies and songs dedicated to Independence Day of Turkmenistan in celebration of the national holiday. Similar concerts were held in the central squares of cities and villages of the country. The anniversary celebrations in Ashgabat ended with a laser show program and grandiose colorful fireworks. TURKMENISTAN.RU, 2021 Poland has no intention to leave EU after ruling on constitution supremacy: Morawiecki 08 Oct 2021 | 1:00 PM Warsaw, Oct 8 (UNI/Sputnik) Poland does not plan to leave the European Union, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said on Friday, as opposition forces and authorities keep accusing each other of seeking the withdrawal. see more.. Number of injured in Greater Tokyo area earthquake rises to 52: Reports 08 Oct 2021 | 12:07 PM Tokyo, Oct 8 (UNI/Sputnik) The number of people injured as a result of a powerful earthquake in Japan's Greater Tokyo Area has grown to 52, media reported on Friday. see more.. Japanese PM reiterates commitment to agree on peace deal with Russia 08 Oct 2021 | 11:43 AM Tokyo, Oct 8 (UNI/Sputnik) In his keynote address at a parliamentary session, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida reiterated his commitment to make effort to resolve territorial disputes and sign a peace agreement with Russia. see more.. Pakistan's daily COVID-19 cases drop below 1,000 after 3 months 08 Oct 2021 | 11:15 AM Islamabad, Oct 8 (UNI/Xinhua) Pakistan's daily COVID-19 cases dropped below the 1,000-mark on Thursday after a period of more than three months, the National Command and Operation Center (NCOC) said on Friday. see more.. New Delhi, Sep 28 (UNI) Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Tuesday said here that forced religious conversion cannot be a testament of expansion of any religion in a country where both, believers and atheists coexist. Interacting with prominent people of the Christian community from across the country here, Naqvi said both, the believers and the atheists have equal constitutional and social rights and protection in India. Naqvi said while on one hand, Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, Jews, Baha'is, and believers of almost all other religions of the world live in India; on the other hand, crores of atheists also exist in the country with equal constitutional and social rights. New Delhi, Sep 28 (UNI) Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij has been kept on oxygen support after he admitted to AIIMS, New Delhi on Monday late evening, sources told UNI. The minister complained of post-COVID complications and has been receiving treatment in the private ward of the hospital, they added. According to the sources, he was brought to hospital around 9 pm. Doctors have kept him on oxygen. However, the Haryana leader's health condition is currently stable, a doctor, from the team supervising his treatment said on the condition of anonymity. The 68-year-old Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader was earlier admitted to PGI Chandigarh in August after his oxygen levels had dropped. Vij had contracted COVID-19 in December Last year and was hospitalised for nearly a month. UNI ASH GNK New Delhi, Sep 28 (UNI) Former students' leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Tuesday joined Congress, while independent Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani swore allegiance to the party even as he did not join formally, and said he would contest the next election on Congress' symbol. Both leaders, who have emerged as popular faces against the policies of the BJP led government, met Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday. Rahul Gandhi, along with Kumar and Mevani, paid tributes to freedom fighter Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary at the Shaheed Park in Delhi. He however did not join the press conference later, where both Kumar and Mevani were welcomed in the party. Several billboards congratulating Kumar covered walls and trees outside the Congress headquarter, and a number of supporters of both leaders also thronged the party office. Introducing the two leaders, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal called Kumar the face of 'freedom of expression'. He said Kumar and Mevani coming with the Congress will send out a message to the younger generation. Kumar, a former president of Jawaharlal University Students' Union, had been a member of the All India Students' Federation, the oldest students' body in India and later fought the Lok Sabha elections from Begusarai on CPI ticket and lost. Asked about his shift to Congress, he said: "I decided to join the oldest and most democratic party of India because youth feels if Congress is not saved, India can not be saved". Asked about leaving the Left, he said: "I was born in that party. But the way they were working, there was a need to speed it up. There is a need to break the narrow mindset". "Congress party is like a large ship. If it survives, all other smaller parties will survive," he said. Mevani, who is a sitting independent MLA from Gujarat, meanwhile said he is joining the party ideologically, and not formally as it would cost him his seat. "The story that started from Gujarat has wreaked havoc, we are going through an unprecedented crisis in the country. There is an attack on the idea of India, and on democracy," Mevani said. He added that while he was not formally joining the party, he will contest next elections in Gujarat on Congress symbol. Soon after Kumar joined the Congress, billboards sprung up in the national capital slamming Congress for taking in Kumar, who had faced sedition charges when he was in JNU. The billboards were erected by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader Tejinder Pal Singh Bagga. Kanhaiya was accused of raising alleged anti-national slogans at the Jawaharlal Nehru University campus on February 9, 2016, during a protest action against the death sentence handed out to Afzal Guru, a convict in the 2002 Parliament attack case. He was arrested along with Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya, and later released on bail. He also fought the Lok Sabha election in 2019 on a CPI ticket from Begusarai but lost to BJP stalwart Giriraj Singh. Mevani is an independent MLA from Vadgam constituency in Gujarat and convener of Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch (RDAM). His joining comes ahead of assembly elections scheduled in December 2022. UNI AO SHK2015 Second Grand Prize Drawing This Week for UW Students Whove Reported Vaccination A second University of Wyoming student who has reported being vaccinated for COVID-19 will win up to $4,500 in tuition and fees for the fall semester in a drawing this week. Students who havent yet reported their vaccinations to the UW Student Health Service patient portal are encouraged to do so by the end of today (Tuesday) so theyll be included in the prize drawing. The winning name will be drawn from the total pool of students whove submitted proof of complete vaccination to the patient portal. Students whove already reported to the portal are discouraged from doing so again, as it creates more work for the Student Health Service staff and doesnt increase the chances of winning a prize. During the first week of the fall semester, a political science major from Virginia -- who opted to not be publicly identified -- won the first grand prize of up to $4,500 in tuition fees in UWs student vaccination reporting incentive program. Meanwhile, a junior from Buffalo is the latest winner of the weekly drawing for UW students whove reported being vaccinated. The computer science major, who also opted to not be publicly identified, won a Dining Dollars card from UW Dining Services valued at $100. I decided to get vaccinated because its easy to get and effective in fighting the spread of COVID-19, the student says. The reporting process was incredibly easy -- I believe it took me 2 or 3 minutes in total. I recommend vaccination and reporting because it's simple, effective and helps protect both you and others against the spread of COVID-19. And, in a separate drawing for UW employees whove reported their vaccinations to the HCM, Larry Farnham won two tickets to an upcoming UW Department of Theatre and Dance performance. He says his health care provider recommended that he be vaccinated, and he did so to put an end to this pandemic. While vaccinations are not required for UW students and employees -- instead, theyre strongly encouraged -- students and employees should report their vaccinations once theyve received them. This allows the university to track overall vaccination numbers. The information is not being used for any other purpose, except to enter those whove reported their vaccinations into the drawings for prizes. The universitys privacy protocols are being followed. To upload documentation to the Student Health Service patient portal, take a photo of your vaccination document and upload the picture here: http://patientportal.uwyo.edu, using your regular UW user ID and password. This is the same portal where students report their mandatory vaccination for measles, mumps and rubella. Alternatively, students can report their vaccinations by emailing photos of their vaccination documents to Student Health at studenthealth@uwyo.edu. For employees, a quick reference guide has been created to help report vaccinations within UWs HCM. As of Monday, 4,347 of UWs total 9,026 on-campus students, 40.5 percent, had reported receiving at least one dose of the vaccine to Student Health. And, 3,485 of UWs total 6,454 employees, 54 percent, had reported receiving at least one dose to the HCM. Also as of Monday, there were 24 active cases of COVID-19 among the UW community -- 11 students off campus, six students on campus and seven employees. Sample prevalence in UWs testing program in the past week was 2.53 percent. Vaccines are widely available for free in the community, including the Pfizer vaccine, which has received full approval from the Food and Drug Administration for those 16 and older. The Moderna and Johnson & Johnson vaccines also have been proven to be highly effective and safe. UW students and employees can receive COVID-19 vaccines at several locations in Laramie. They include: Walmart, Walgreens, Pole Mountain Pharmacy, Ridleys, Stitches Acute Care, Laramie Pediatrics, Albany Community Health Clinic, Ivinson Medical Group, the Downtown Clinic and Family Physicians of Laramie. Students who are unable to be vaccinated due to medical or religious reasons may participate in the drawings by completing a vaccination exemption form found on the Student Health Service website. Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley is expected to testify with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at a Senate hearing today and a House panel the following day. Dr. Kathleen Neuzil is director of the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. 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. Chief Minister Hosts Gibraltar Reception at Labour Party Conference Chief Minister Fabian Picardo MP QC addressed guests at the Labour Party conference in Brighton on Monday at the traditional Gibraltar reception. Briefing those present on the current engagement involving the UK and Brussels on the Rocks future relationship with the EU, he said that he expected that useful negotiations for a new treaty could be about to start. The Chief Minister explained that Gibraltar, having lost access to the single market on services with the EU, nonetheless continues to have that same access to the UK market for services. Mr Picardo said he hoped new arrangements being discussed would lead to fluidity for movement of people between the Rock and Schengen states as well as the possibility of arrangements for more fluid movement of goods. I am very confident that we are going to be able to do this treaty, he said pointing to a new bespoke arrangement and welcoming support from Labour MPs across the benches in Parliament adding that Gibraltar is completely committed to our relationship with the United Kingdom as a part of the British family of nations. Responding, Catherine West, shadow minister for Europe and the Americas with responsibility for Gibraltar, emphasised that Gibraltar has Labours support in the detail and from the heart. She expressed appreciation for Gibraltars long support for Great Britain and stressed the importance of Gibraltar enjoying, from the UK, the prosperity that it had had from membership of the EU. Ms West said Gibraltar should be fully informed in and represented in arrangements which the UK carries out with the EU, to ensure its particular position and particularities are fully protected and respected. We will be there whenever you need us. We fully support the double lock under which the UK makes clear that it will never enter into arrangements under which the people of Gibraltar would pass under the sovereignty of another state against its wishes, she said. She conveyed the best wishes from the Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. \ If you have an event you'd like to list on the site, submit it now! Submit Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-31 23:30:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Zanzibar's Minister of Trade and Industrial Development Omar Said Shaaban (L) and Chinese Consul General in Zanzibar Zhang Zhisheng attend the handover ceremony of the COVID-19 vaccines at the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport in Zanzibar, Tanzania, on July 31, 2021. Tanzania's Zanzibar on Saturday received a batch of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines and syringes donated by China. (Photo by Herman Emmanuel/Xinhua) ZANZIBAR, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's Zanzibar on Saturday received a batch of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines and syringes donated by China. Zanzibar's Minister of Trade and Industrial Development Omar Said Shaaban, Chinese Consul General in Zanzibar Zhang Zhisheng and other officials from the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar attended the handover ceremony of the vaccines at the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport. This is the second batch of vaccines donated by China to Zanzibar after it made the first donation for frontline health workers about a month ago. Speaking after the handover ceremony, Shaaban, who represented the government of Zanzibar, said the vaccines will play a major role in helping Zanzibar fight the pandemic. "Donation of the vaccines will continue to cement the friendly relations forged many years ago between China and Tanzania's Zanzibar, " said Shaaban. Arrangements will be made for the distribution of the vaccines, said Shaaban, adding that priority for vaccination will be given to frontline workers and those with underlying health issues. For his part, the Chinese envoy said China will always stand with the Zanzibar people in their fight against the pandemic. Apart from the vaccines, the Chinese government has donated various medical equipment and supplies to Zanzibar for fighting COVID-19 since the beginning of this year, according to Zhang. "We will keep sharing experience and providing assistance according to our capacity," said Zhang, adding that politicization and disinformation regarding COVID-19 and vaccines is another virus that must be avoided. Noting that China has provided over 700 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines to countries across the world, especially the developing nations, Zhang said the fight against COVID-19 needs solidarity and cooperation all over the world. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-06-04 23:10:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ADDIS ABABA, June 4 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese-built 752.7 km Ethiopia-Djibouti railway earned 29 million U.S. dollars in a nine-month period, the Ethiopia-Djibouti Standard Gauge Railway Share Company (EDR) disclosed on Friday. In a statement, EDR said 29 million U.S. dollars was earned from 1.35 million tons of cargo and 15,480 passengers that were transported in the first nine months of the current Ethiopian Fiscal Year (EFY) 2020/2021, which started on July 8. The Ethiopia-Djibouti railway which connects landlocked Ethiopia to Djibouti port has in recent months robustly resumed operations that had previously been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In May, EDR graduated 34 Ethiopian train drivers who underwent a series of training in Ethiopia and China. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-07-23 00:44:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, July 22 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's Zanzibar authorities on Thursday officially launched the COVID-19 vaccination campaign with a cabinet minister receiving the first jab. Nassor Ahmed Mazrui, Zanzibar's Minister of Health, Social Welfare, Elderly, Gender and Children, received the vaccine at the Lumumba Health Center. "Vaccination in Zanzibar is now official. I am happy to be vaccinated against COVID-19," said Mazrui, adding that China's Sinovac vaccines are safe. The minister said Sinovac vaccines have been approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and they have been administered globally. The Chinese Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines were approved earlier this year by the WHO for emergency use. Speaking shortly after he was vaccinated, Mazrui also urged frontline workers to be vaccinated. He said the vaccination of frontline workers should be followed by the vaccination of people aged 60 years and older, restating that vaccination was voluntary. He said Zanzibar has secured a batch of Sinovac vaccines donated from China, adding that another batch of Sinovac vaccines granted by the Chinese government will also arrive soon. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-08-20 00:02:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close LIBREVILLE, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- About 81,000 people in Gabon have received the first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, said Gabon's health minister Guy Patrick Obiang Thursday in his daily bulletin. The vaccination campaign, launched on March 19 in the central African country with a population of about two million, is free for all citizens and aims to vaccinate 60 percent of the population. Gabon's President Ali Bongo Ondimba said on Monday in his address on the 61st anniversary of Gabon's independence, that the number of people vaccinated against COVID-19 in the country is clearly "not enough". Last Thursday, the government extended the health emergency for another 45 days. As of Wednesday, 25,626 confirmed COVID-19 cases have been reported nationwide, including 165 deaths. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-01 09:00:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KATHMANDU, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Nepal on Tuesday started issuing permits for climbing Himalayan mountains inside the country in the fall season by allowing two teams to scale Mt. Manaslu, the world's eighth tallest peak at 8,163 meters. Two groups comprising a combined 25 members received the first permits for the fall season that begins in September, the Department of Tourism said in a press statement. One group has 15 members, with ten male and five female climbers, while the other has 10 male members, according to the department. Most mountaineers usually visit Nepal to summit the Himalayan mountains in the spring, but a few of them also try their luck in the fall. Imagine Nepal Trek and Expedition, an expedition company in Nepal, is organizing the climb for the 15-member team. Company director Mingma Gyalje Sherpa told Xinhua that a Chinese climber would lead the expedition team. "There are two climbers from China and other climbers from different countries," Sherpa said. "The Chinese climber who is leading the team had climbed Mt. Lhotse in the spring season but stayed in Nepal due to flight restrictions amid the second wave of COVID-19 in Nepal." He added that the team would start moving toward Mt. Manaslu after all expedition members have quarantined for ten days in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital. The Department of Tourism issued permits for eight teams representing 58 climbers to climb five peaks in the fall season last year. In the spring season this year, a total of 633 climbers and their supporting staff scaled six mountains, including Mt. Qomolangma, the world's tallest at 8848.86 meters, according to the department. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-12 21:57:49|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JAKARTA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- After breathing a sigh of relief from the second wave of COVID-19 transmission, Indonesia is now preparing for the transition from pandemic to endemic. Indonesian President Joko Widodo said on Friday while monitoring COVID-19 vaccination at a school for the disabled in the province of Yogyakarta that COVID-19 would not go away anytime shortly. "We must prepare for that transition and learn to live together with COVID-19," Widodo said. In late June to early August, the Southeast Asian country faced a spike in COVID-19 transmissions triggered by the more contagious Delta variant. The COVID-19 Task Force recorded that the biggest number of daily cases of 56,757 was recorded on July 15 and the highest death toll of 2,068 happened on July 27. But the downward trend in daily new cases and death started to appear since mid-August. On Sept. 12, the newly-confirmed daily cases were recorded at 3,779, with 188 deaths. The government has begun to relax the public mobility restrictions, locally known as PPKM, and economic activities such as shopping centers and offices have resumed operations with limited capacity and operating hours to prevent further transmission. During the transition from pandemic to endemic, people could return to their activities according to the PPKM level in their respective regions, Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said on Friday. "People have to be disciplined by complying with health protocols and getting vaccinated. We encourage testing, tracing and treatment, including centralized isolation, so that the new cases could be identified quickly," he said. The government has carried out pilot projects to popularize the use of a test-and-trace application, called PeduliLindungi, which records people's whereabouts and vaccination status. Dicky Budiman, an epidemiologist of Griffith University, told Xinhua recently that a transition could be made if a country has managed to control the pandemic, provided that the positivity rate has consistently stayed at less than 1 percent and the vaccination has covered more than 80 percent of the targeted population. "Indonesia is still at risk and prone to an increase in cases. It also has the potential to face a third wave with the threat of new variants and vaccination coverage of less than 50 percent," said Budiman. Therefore, President Widodo asked people not to be complacent about the decline in cases. "We all have to be aware that COVID-19 is always stalking us, so health protocols must be followed continuously," he said. To date, at least 41.73 million people in Indonesia have received two doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and 72.76 million have taken their first shot. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-12 23:20:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DHAKA, Sept. 12 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's total installed electricity generation capacity has exceeded 25,000 megawatts (MW). Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made the announcement on Sunday while inaugurating five new plants which had a total of 779-MW electricity generation capacity. Hasina joined the opening ceremony virtually from her official residence Gonobhaban in the capital Dhaka. She said her Awami League-led government has given utmost priority to the development of the power sector considering its significance in the overall development of the country. "Our electricity generation capacity has reached today 25,235-MW which was 4,942-MW in 2009," she said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-14 16:30:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia reported 2,939 new COVID-19 cases in the past 24 hours, bringing the national tally to 260,709, the country's health ministry said Tuesday. The latest confirmed cases were all local infections, and 1,404 of them were detected in Ulan Bator, the capital of the country, which is the hardest hit by COVID-19, the ministry said in a statement. Meanwhile, 10 more patients aged over 20 died from the viral disease in the past day, pushing the death toll to 1,056. More than 62,800 COVID-19 patients are now being treated across the country, and 315 of them are in very serious conditions, according to the ministry. Health authorities have urged the public to strictly follow all health protocols as the highly contagious Delta variant is spreading fast across the country and has been detected in most of the 21 provinces. So far, 65 percent of Mongolia's population have been fully vaccinated since the Asian country launched a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign in late February. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-16 14:55:19|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, Sept. 16 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia on Thursday confirmed 3,234 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the national tally to 266,680, its health ministry said. Meanwhile, eight deaths were reported, taking the nationwide death toll to 1,074. The Asian country launched a national COVID-19 vaccination campaign in late February, aiming to cover at least 60 percent of its population. So far, more than 65 percent of its population have received two doses. The health ministry is urging the public to receive booster or third doses of the vaccine as the highly contagious Delta variant of the virus is spreading fast across the country. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-18 15:22:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close VIENTIANE, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Lao capital Vientiane on Saturday recorded 264 local COVID-19 transmissions, the highest daily infection ever recorded in the city. Laos has logged a total of 467 new cases over the past 24 hours including 383 local transmissions, Deputy Director General of the Department of Communicable Diseases Control under Lao Ministry of Health Sisavath Soutthaniraxay told a press conference on Saturday. Among the community cases, 264 were reported in Lao capital Vientiane, 41 in Champasak, 30 in Luang Prabang, 26 in Khammuan, 20 in Savannakhet and two in Luang Namtha. The imported cases were detected in Savannakhet, Saravan and Luang Prabang. As of Saturday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Laos reached 18,814 with 16 deaths. A total of 15,133 COVID-19 patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals. Laos reported its first two confirmed COVID-19 cases on March 23 last year. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-18 17:58:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Benedictus Robert Yota JAKARTA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia has opened a few of its borders to foreigners after the Ministry of Law and Human Rights issued a ministerial regulation that reopens applications for tourist and limited stay visas for fully-vaccinated travelers. "Previously, only foreigners with diplomatic and service visas are allowed to enter the country. With today's issuance of Ministerial Regulation No. 34/2021, those with existing valid tourist and limited stay visas are also allowed to enter Indonesia," the Directorate General of Immigration's spokesman Arya Pradhana Anggakara said in a statement on Thursday. Furthermore, the government has also decided to open international borders at six transportation hubs, which are the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang city, Banten province, Sam Ratulangi International Airport in Manado city, North Sulawesi province, seaports in Batam city, Riau Islands province, and Nunukan, North Kalimantan province, as well as land cross-border posts in the areas of Aruk and Entikong in West Kalimantan province. The aforementioned seaports and land borders have been reopened for international tourists as of Thursday, and the two airports since Friday, the Transportation Ministry's spokesperson Adita Irawati said in a recent press release. On Friday, Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs Luhut Binsar Panjaitan also said that the government is likely to reopen its resort island of Bali for international tourists starting October due to the recent decline in the number of daily COVID-19 cases in Indonesia. "If the number of cases continues to drop, we are confident to reopen Bali in October," Panjaitan said at a virtual press conference, adding that Indonesia will prioritize foreign tourists from countries with controlled COVID-19 cases. Travelers who want to enter the archipelago, both Indonesians and foreigners, must be fully-vaccinated besides showing vaccine certificates and negative PCR test results taken no longer than 72 hours prior to the departure time, according to a press release from the Transportation Ministry issued on Thursday. Upon arrivals, the travelers have to take another PCR tests and must undertake eight days of quarantine if declared negative. One more negative result of the PCR test will be required on the eighth day. Both Indonesians and foreigners are required to fill out the Electronic Health Alert Card (E-HAC) inside the PeduliLindungi contact tracing application. A foreigner must also show a proof of being covered by health insurance, which is expected to cover the individual's health expenses, including for COVID-19, while staying in Indonesia. Between Sept. 15 and 17, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport's Immigration Office recorded 974 foreigners entering Indonesia, and 874 foreigners departing the country. Meanwhile, the airport also recorded 2,961 Indonesians going home and 3,418 leaving the country. "In total, there were 15,343 foreigners that entered Indonesia between Aug. 1 and Sept. 17, with 22,122 foreigners leaving the country during the same period," Sam Fernando, head of the immigration office's public relations and information technology division, told media on Friday. During the same period, there were also 51,658 Indonesians arriving back in the country and 50,925 Indonesians leaving the archipelago. Indonesia's daily new COVID-19 cases have shown significant decline this week, as opposed to last month. On Friday, the Health Ministry recorded 3,835 newly-confirmed COVID-19 cases with 219 deaths compared with over 20,000 new infections just one month ago. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-18 23:18:39|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DHAKA, Sept. 18 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh on Saturday received another 5 million doses of COVID-19 vaccine developed by China's pharmaceutical Sinopharm Group. A plane of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying the Chinese vaccine doses landed at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at around 2:00 a.m. local time Saturday, Health Ministry spokesman Maidul Islam Prodhan told reporters. Abu Zaher, chief health coordinator at Bangladesh's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, received the consignment at the airport. Earlier on Sept. 11, 5.4 million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine arrived in Dhaka from China. Bangladesh's vaccination drive is now running smoothly in the capital Dhaka and elsewhere largely thanks to China's continued vaccine support. To fight the alarming spike in COVID-19 cases, Bangladesh has signed an agreement on the co-production of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine doses locally. Bangladesh began the COVID-19 vaccination drive in January to contain the pandemic that has spread across the country. The Bangladeshi government subsequently halted administering the first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine after India banned vaccine exports. In June, the vaccination drive resumed in parts of the country with the China-donated Sinopharm vaccine. Bangladesh has so far received around 25 million Sinopharm vaccine doses from China. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 04:02:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar is facing a humanitarian crisis with about 3 million people requiring assistance, said UN humanitarians on Monday. The crisis was exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 and events following the detention of political leaders by the military in the country on Feb. 1. Of the 3 million people that need humanitarian assistance, 2 million people were identified since Feb. 1, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). The most vulnerable remain families living in urban and peri-urban areas, mainly in Yangon and Mandalay, as well as people affected by conflict in southeastern and western Myanmar, said OCHA. More than 220,000 people have been internally displaced due to armed clashes as well as overall insecurity since Feb. 1. The areas most affected include Kachin, Shan, Chin, Kayah and Kayin states and adjacent townships in Sagaing and Magway, it said. While some families have returned to their places of origin, many continue to live in precarious conditions, including make-shift jungles and remote areas, often without access to basic services, including shelter and non-food items. The situation in Rakhine State remains calm, although the situation remains dire. Food insecurity is becoming an evolving concern, with reports of food shortage in displacement sites and communities in northern Shan and Rakhine states, said OCHA. The COVID-19 pandemic remains deeply concerning. As of Friday, more than 455,000 cases and 17,000 deaths have been reported. It is likely that the numbers are higher due to low testing capacity in-country, it said. The United Nations and humanitarian partners have been working to respond to the impacts of the ongoing displacement, growing food insecurity and COVID-19. However, continued challenges in accessing people in need remain a fundamental challenge due to ongoing insecurity, bureaucratic impediments and disruptions to the banking systems/cash liquidity issues, it said. Despite the challenges, the humanitarian response continues. Since May, the World Food Programme has supported more than 800,000 vulnerable people in its large-scale urban food response in Yangon peri-urban areas, said OCHA. The 2021 humanitarian response plan for Myanmar, which requires 276.5 million U.S. dollars, is 47 percent funded, it said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 09:38:21|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SUVA, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Fiji has reported 52 new cases of COVID-19 and 13,045 active cases to date. The country's Health Ministry permanent secretary James Fong said on Tuesday there have been a total of 50,807 cases in Fiji since the first case was reported in March 2020. Fong said that two COVID-19 deaths, a 79-year-old man and a 65-year-old woman, who were both not vaccinated, were reported for July 29, adding that the two deaths are being reported now due to the delay in the issuance of the official death certificates. There have now been 592 deaths due to COVID-19 in Fiji, with 590 of these deaths during the outbreak starting in April. Meanwhile Fiji's Ministry of Education who employs the largest workforce in the Fijian Civil Service said on Tuesday that they have a fully vaccinated workforce. Minister for Education Premila Kumar said that 4,669 staff have been fully vaccinated and 8,524 staff have received their first jab. Kumar has urged all teachers to receive both doses of AstraZeneca by October for maximum protection from the deadly virus. The ministry expects all teaching and ancillary staff as well as others who are closely associated with schools to be fully vaccinated for the safety of students. As Sept. 26, 2021, 591,293 adults in Fiji have received their first dose of the vaccine and 425,902 have received their second doses. Based on Fiji's updated total population of 618,173 people aged 18 years and over (adults), the revised vaccination coverage rates are 95.7 percent for adults who have received at least one dose and 68.9 percent are now fully vaccinated nationwide. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 10:56:23|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SYDNEY, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- As the Australian state of Queensland grappled with a sudden outbreak of COVID-19, authorities reintroduced restrictions around the state's capital, Brisbane. Queensland health authorities reported four new locally acquired cases on Tuesday, and in response, new restrictions have been placed on residents of Brisbane and the neighbouring Moreton Bay Region. Restrictions include mandatory face masks indoors and outdoors, and limits on visitations to aged-care facilities, hospitals, disability accommodation and detention centers. Queensland's chief health officer Jeannette Young said she had a "reasonable level of concern" about the fresh outbreak. "We will be keeping a very, very close eye on what happens over the next 24 to 48 hours to see if we need additional restrictions," Young said on Tuesday. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told citizens there was "no need to panic" while also announcing that vaccinations would be mandatory for the state's truck drivers, noting that seven infected truck drivers had entered the state since Aug. 24. All truck drivers in Queensland will need to have their first vaccine dose by Oct. 15 and their second dose or a booking by Nov. 15. Meanwhile, the Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has forged ahead on its path back to normalcy, restarting its breast cancer screening program which had been cancelled during the pandemic. NSW health minister Brad Hazzard announced that portions of the state's northern coast region would exit the lockdown from Wednesday morning. The state recorded 863 new locally acquired cases in the 24 hours to 8:00 p.m. Monday, and a further seven deaths. The daily increase marks the first time the state's new caseload has fallen below that of Victoria in the current outbreak, which recorded 867 new locally acquired cases and four more deaths in the 24 hours to midnight, Monday. As of Monday, the federal government noted that 51.8 percent of Australia's population had been fully vaccinated and 76.1 percent had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 13:23:09|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Media from China and Pakistan have been urged to enhance cooperation in countering fake news to promote regional peace, stability and development. Addressing the China-Pakistan Media Forum held via video link by the Institute of Peace and Diplomatic Studies in Islamabad on Monday, Chinese Ambassador to Pakistan Nong Rong said: "China and Pakistan face the common challenge of false propaganda and disinformation. Some external hostile forces are trying to undermine the development of China and Pakistan, as well as the unity and mutual trust between them in a systematic way." "The media of China and Pakistan should be responsible for speaking out for fairness and justice, and become a positive force for regional peace and stability," said Nong, stressing the role of media in promoting China-Pakistan friendship. Nong also put forward proposals, including one on strengthening synergy among media circles, to reinforce resource integration. Pakistani Ambassador to China Moin ul Haque told the audience in a video message that media collaboration between China and Pakistan could contribute to deepening bilateral relations and friendship. Pakistan and China are celebrating the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and are paving the way for cultural affinity in a bid to boost bilateral relationship, said Haque. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 13:51:27|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Mongolia registered 2,153 COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, bringing its national tally to 298,519, the health ministry said Tuesday. Meanwhile, the countrywide death toll rose by 17 to 1,169 in the past 24 hours. A total of 62,415 infected patients are receiving home-based care due to limited hospital beds and medical staff, the ministry said. "Our country's health sector is now in a difficult situation due to the pandemic. The workload of this sector has reached its peak," Health Minister Sereejav Enkhbold said. So far, 65 percent of Mongolia's population have been fully vaccinated since the Asian country launched a nationwide COVID-19 vaccination campaign in late February. However, the resurgence of COVID-19 has continued due to the Delta variant, and more than 2,000 infections and nearly 20 deaths have been reported daily in the country. Indoor service facilities such as restaurants, karaoke and bars are not allowed to work after 10 p.m from Oct. 1 to Nov. 1 as part of the efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19, the country's State Emergency Commission has said. During the period, any indoor gatherings of more than 20 people are not allowed, the commission said. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 15:07:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TASHKENT, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The heads of border authorities of Uzbekistan and Afghanistan held a meeting to discuss issues related to the transit of goods being imported to Afghanistan, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said Monday. Transit of essential goods such as food, medicine, clothing, fuel and lubricants was discussed during the meeting held at Uzbekistan's border town of Termez at the request of the Afghan side, it said. Following the meeting, "an agreement was reached to take a number of measures aimed at solving problems with transit and delivery of goods to Afghanistan, in connection with the difficult humanitarian situation in this country," the ministry said. Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev said earlier this month that his country was ready for a dialogue with the Taliban movement in Afghanistan and that they have been in daily contact. Uzbekistan also handed over this month 1,300 tons of humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, including food, medicine and clothing. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 15:34:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TOKYO, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- The four candidates running to become the next Japanese prime minister made their last-minute appeals for support on Tuesday, with vaccination minister Taro Kono and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida having a higher possibility of winning the election, according to a Kyodo News survey. The result of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader election is expected to come out on Wednesday afternoon, and the winner will replace Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who has served as the president of the LDP amid a battered economy during the COVID-19 pandemic. The winner in Wednesday's election will become the public face of the LDP in the lower house election this fall. Former communications minister Sanae Takaichi and former gender equality minister Seiko Noda are female contenders of the election. Due to a COVID-19 state of emergency in Tokyo and other areas, both of them have mostly utilized virtual meetings to gain support during the campaigning. Kono, a leader with reform-minded policies, is one of the leading candidates winning support from relatively young LDP lawmakers and rank-and-file party members, as he is popular among the public. He promised to reform the pension system in Japan and promote digitalization. Kishida, who heads the LDP's liberal-leaning faction, garners support from many veteran lawmakers, but some view him as lacking wider public appeal. He pledged to make sure that ordinary people could enjoy the benefits of growth under his idea of "a new form of capitalism." Takaichi, who gained support from former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is expected to receive votes from hawkish nationalists within the LDP. She focused on bold monetary easing and investment in crisis management and growth areas. Noda, who struggled to garner the necessary nominations from 20 LDP lawmakers to join the race, has been scrambling to broaden her support base. She placed her priority on the care of the vulnerable such as children and the disabled. According to opinion polls, economic policy should be of the highest priority for the next prime minister, and the candidates spent hours explaining how their policies regarding COVID-19 fallout would be different from each other and also the Suga administration. The four candidates agreed on the need for constitutional reform while holding different opinions on whether to allow married couples to have separate family names. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 16:29:46|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close SEOUL, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's nuclear envoy held phone talks with his U.S. counterpart over the Korean Peninsula issues, the South Korean foreign ministry said Tuesday. Noh Kyu-duk, South Korea's special representative for Korean Peninsula peace and security affairs, made discussions over the phone with Sung Kim, U.S. special representative for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). During the phone talks in the afternoon, Noh and Kim shared their assessments on the Korean Peninsula situations, including the DPRK's short-range missile launch and the statement from Kim Yo Jong, vice department director of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea of the DPRK. The two envoys shared the need for close cooperation between South Korea and the United States to stably manage the Korean Peninsula situations, agreeing to meet face-to-face in Indonesia on Thursday. The DPRK fired one projectile, which was believed to be a short-range missile, into the eastern waters earlier in the day, the South Korean military said. Kim, younger sister of top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un, said last Friday that Pyongyang is willing to hold discussions on improving inter-Korean relations if South Korea ends its hostile policies toward the DPRK. Denuclearization talks between the DPRK and the United States have been stalled since the second summit between the DPRK leader and former U.S. President Donald Trump ended without agreement in February 2019 in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 16:58:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close MALE, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Maldives' Minister of Tourism Abdulla Mausoom said reopening the country's borders has been an important step to revive the economy, state-owned PSM News reported here Tuesday. Speaking on World Tourism Day, Mausoom thanked Maldives President Ibrahim Solih for reopening the country's borders, saying the government prioritizes promoting local tourism businesses as they generate incomes and employment for the Maldivians. Mausoom said the government would permit tourism at homestays from January 2022 as it would enable average citizens to benefit from the industry. He said the Maldives has received 12 percent more tourists in September compared to the same period last year, with the government projecting a total of 1.3 million arrivals by the end of the year. The country's borders had been fully closed for three months last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic before they were reopened in July 2020. The borders were closed for South Asian tourists due to a surge of COVID-19 cases in May 2021, but were reopened on July 15. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 17:22:20|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close ULAN BATOR, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- A total of 1,600 military personnel, including 592 Russian troops, are participating in the Mongolia-Russia joint tactical drill "Selenge-2021," the Mongolian Armed Forces (MAF) said Tuesday. This year's edition of the annual military exercise is underway at a training ground in the central Mongolian province of Tuv under the theme "Preparing and organizing counter-terrorism operations." The participants "are strictly following all health protocols to prevent the COVID-19 infections," the MAF said in a statement. The joint military exercise, which began on Sept. 22, is expected to last until Oct. 5. The military drill has been alternately organized by the two countries annually since 2008. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 19:53:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close KABUL, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- Afghan government officials urged the United States to halt pilotless drone patrolling over Afghan territory, the state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported on Tuesday. All international countries, especially the United States, should heed their commitment to the Afghan government and not encroach on its airspace, the officials, without being identified, were quoted by the news agency as saying. The officials said the U.S. has recently violated Afghan sovereignty by conducing drone patrolling over Afghanistan's airspace. They stressed that all countries were the "sole owners of the territorial and air sovereignty" of their states under international law. "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, as the sole legal entity of Afghanistan, is the guardian of Afghanistan's land and airspace; but the United States has recently acted in violation of all international law and the United States' commitments to the Islamic Emirate in Doha, Qatar," said the officials. Such violations must be rectified and prevented, the officials added. Enditem Source: Xinhua| 2021-09-28 22:04:33|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Peerzada Arshad Hamid NEW DELHI, Sept. 28 (Xinhua) -- As the ongoing COVID-19 situation has shown massive improvements over the past months, India continues to ease the restrictions, while mulling over opening the country for international tourists. Over the past week, India's daily COVID-19 cases have plateaued around 30,000. However, the Indian government Tuesday said 18,795 new cases were reported across the country in the last 24 hours, the lowest in over 200 days. According to India's health ministry, the country's active cases account for 0.86 percent of its total cases, standing at 292,206. The recovery rate stands at 97.81 percent. REVIVING TOURISM In a bid to revive the tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors, India is mulling over allowing the return of international tourists after a pause for one and a half years. Insiders say that India's home ministry is deliberating with the tourism ministry and all other stakeholders on the date and modalities for opening the country for foreign tourists. A decision is reportedly likely to be made this week. The Indian government has announced that the first half of one million foreign tourists will be issued visas free of cost, in a bid to revive the tourism, hospitality and aviation sectors badly hit by the pandemic since March 2020 when a nationwide lockdown was announced with e-tourist visas suspended. The free visa to the tourists will be issued till March 31, 2022, or on a first-come-first-serve basis, whichever is earlier. The move came amid heavy pressure from stakeholders in the tourism industry that has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has recently highlighted the need to focus on addressing COVID-19's economic impact. "To that end, international travel should be made easier through mutual recognition of vaccination certificates," he said last week. RESUMING INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS Canada on Sunday lifted the ban on direct passenger flights from India, which was imposed in April when the second wave of COVID-19 swept India. It resumed the direct flights on Monday, whereas Air India will resume services on Thursday. "Travellers must have proof of a negative COVID-19 molecular test from the approved Genestrings Laboratory at the Delhi airport taken within 18 hours of the scheduled departure of their direct flight to Canada," Transport Canada said in a statement. As commercial international passenger flights remain suspended in the country, India said earlier this month that it was resuming flights to dozens of cities under Air Bubble arrangements. According to the ministry of civil aviation's notification, special international flights can be operated by airlines under an air-bubble pact between the two countries. India has formed air-bubble pacts with more than two dozen countries. The schedule of these flights is available only till Sept. 30. ROW OVER COVID-19 VACCINATION A controversy erupted between India and Britain after the latter announced its new COVID-19 guidelines for people visiting Britain after Oct. 4. Britain currently has a system that designates countries in the "red", "amber" and "green" list. A person, who been in a country on the "red list" for 10 days before arrival in Britain, has to be quarantined for 10 days and take a COVID-19 test, including those fully vaccinated. India features in the "amber list," and people, even those doubly vaccinated who visit Britain from India, have to serve the quarantine. The move triggered a row, with India warning of "reciprocal measures" if Covishield, the Indian version of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, was not recognized. Amid the row over COVID-19 vaccine policy, Britain has announced it recognizes the Covishield vaccine, but noted that Indians who have taken the Covidshield vaccine still will have to undergo self-isolation for 10 days due to a "certification" issue. "Basic issue is here is a vaccine Covishield which is a licensed product of a U.K. company, manufactured in India, of which we have supplied five million doses to the U.K. at the request of the government of U.K. We understand this is being used in the national health system and therefore, the non-recognition of Covishield is a discriminating policy," India's Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said last week during a media briefing. "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. READY TO OPEN FOR INTERNATIONAL TOURISTS After recording over 400,000 cases a day during the peak time of the second wave of COVID-19, India had to impose strict restrictions on public gatherings and markets. India's COVID-19 situation, which the World Health Organization said in May was hugely concerning, has improved, as the country is recording less than 30,000 infections a day. Markets and businesses have opened, and restrictions on public movements were eased, and public transport, like buses, trains and metros, have also resumed. Local governments in states around India have also ordered the opening of cinema halls, with Maharashtra, the worst affected state by COVID-19, being the latest state to open movie theatres, starting from Oct. 22. Colleges and schools have been opened across India, while parents in some cities are demanding reopening of schools for primary class students as well. Health experts have urged people to follow COVID-19 guidelines, including wearing face masks, washing hands regularly, and keeping social distance, in order to prevent another surge from taking place. Enditem Alex Perez lives in San Antonio, Texas. He has an art degree, as well as a four-year degree from the University of the Incarnate Word with a specialty in computer information systems. Perez worked as a network administrator at a local nonprofit nursing agency, as well as a network administrator at a local school district before retiring in 2000 for medical reasons. In April 1993, he medically retired from the Navy as a master chief gas turbine specialist (E-9). This piece is part of a 5,000-word manuscript Perez is writing. The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. On April 14, 1988, the USS Samuel B. Roberts guided missile frigate had already escorted several oil tankers in and out of the Persian Gulf during the war between Iran and Iraq, but by late in the afternoon, the situation changed. At 4:39 p.m., I had just come off watch in CCS (central control station) and was sitting in the chiefs mess when I suddenly felt a rumbling and vibration coming from a propeller shaft. It was a good indication that main engines were slowing the ship down, and I could feel the ship coming to an abrupt stop. Capt. Paul Rinn, the skipper of the Roberts, announced that the ship had entered a minefield. He called for general quarters an order to head to our battle stations and I, like everyone else, headed toward my GQ station. When I got to the main engine room, I secured the doors behind me and manned the auxiliary local operating panel the LOP. The LOP could take control of the main engines in case CCS lost electrical signal to the engines. As soon as the other crew members arrived Petty Officer David J. Burbine, Fireman Apprentice Wayne Smith, and Petty Officer Larry Welch I put on my headset and reported to CCS that the main engine room was manned and ready. We got word from CCS that the skipper was going to try to back the ship out of the minefield. I could feel the ship move. CCS alerted everyone that they should come up from the lower levels of the ship and move to the upper spaces of the engine rooms. I figured the skipper worried that if the ship happened to hit a mine, it would hit the lower part of the hull. Hold on to something! I yelled, as the ship continued to back out of the minefield. I grasped the rail of the local console in front of me and braced for anything that might happen. After a minute or so, I felt and heard the eerie screeching sound of metal hitting metal coming from behind me near the bottom of the ship. I slowly looked toward the sound. I stared at the bulkhead behind me in anticipation of what was about to happen. Just across from my station, an Iranian mine detonated, lifting and shaking the ship like a rag doll. The explosion created a 20-foot hole along the bottom of the ships hull under the Alpha main engine. I saw a ball of flame and felt a rush of hot air on my face and arms. The blast threw me up against the console and then pushed me back between two enclosures where all the electronics for the engines were located. That small, cramped space provided a haven from the blast, preventing the fire from directly touching me. The bulkhead right behind me caught the blast and saved my life by preventing metal debris from directly hitting me. The sound of the explosion deafened my ears, and the blast knocked me unconscious. As I came to, I could hear the rumbling of fire and smell burning oil around me. Then the engine room went dark as the flames burned themselves out. The battery-powered battle lanterns flickered on. I was drenched with oil, fuel, and seawater. My eyes stung, and my head pulsed with pain. I could not hear anything except a nonstop ringing in my head. I staggered toward the area where the others were supposed to be, but no one was there. They had already evacuated the engine room. I guessed that I had been out for a few minutes, but I wanted to evaluate the situation while I was still there so I could make a report. I could hear the rush of seawater into the lower level from the ruptured hull. Although I felt dizzy, I managed to reach the starboard side and stepped down the ladder toward the lower level of the engine room to investigate. I heard the water rushing into the ship, and I decided to try to activate the shaft seal, which, when inflated, would close off space around the shaft and between the engine room and the adjacent compartment space, preventing water from spreading. As soon as I reached the area, an explosion of water rushed into the engine room space. The water lifted me like a cork, and I knocked my head against the metal grating of the upper-level deck. The water rose over the height of the upper deck and pushed me against the metal. There was no room for me to breathe. I held my breath, gulping in air every time I had a chance. The water settled back down. I was able to gasp for air by pressing my lips between the metal gratings. The ship started to rock side to side, giving me time to catch breaths between the rolling waves of water. Battle lanterns were on, but they were underwater, so they emitted a dim light. I waited patiently, hoping someone would come and inspect the damage to the engine room. After a few minuteswhich felt like hoursI saw someones flashlight approaching my location. It was one of the electricians. I startled him by yelling at him from underneath the grate where he walked. As he rushed off to get help, I thought to myself, Well, at least I have a chance now, and I havent heard abandon ship yet. When help arrived, I asked for a wrench to remove the metal bolts holding down the deck plating, but it was impossible to maneuver the tools and try to steady myself in the water. The wrench slipped out of my oily hands, and it dropped straight into the dark water. The engine room was hot, and thick smoke permeated the whole space. Al, over here! I heard a voice yell out. Chief Petty Officer Robert Bent, the lead electrician and my best friend on board, happened upon a loose deck plate on the opposite side of the engine room. I looked past the jagged metal in front of me and decided I had to try to find my way around to the opening. Bent used a flashlight to shine a path to the opening, but the water was dark, and I could not see the light even a few inches in the oily seawater. I held my breath and ducked my head into the dark water. I immediately struck my head on a jagged piece of metal just below the surface. I floated there for a moment and called myself an idiot, and then proceeded to try again. This time, I held my hands in front of me. I kept running into dead ends. I had to emerge several times for air. I did not know how much time I had. I started to panic, thinking I was taking too much time away from saving or abandoning the ship. After several attempts, I reached the loose plate, and my crewmates pulled me up from the water. They strapped me onto a stretcher. I had spent almost three years with most of these shipmates, and we all trained and prepared for an event like this. Today was test day. Today, we would showcase our talents and devotion to our country. This was the moment. This was the time. Burbine and Welch, along with Smith and I, were eventually transported by aircraft from Bahrain to Ramstein Air Base in Germany for medical care, then to the United States for further treatment. When I arrived, I was admitted to Bethesda Naval Hospital in Maryland. There I was placed in a body case. I had a concussion, third-degree burns, smoke inhalation, a blood clot in my lung, a lacerated left eye, and multiple fractures on my spine. After I was stable, I was transferred to Fort Sam Houston Spinal Center in Texas. The other three members of the crew had already been admitted earlier in the week and were being treated for second- and third-degree burns in the burn ward. I began rehab to try to strengthen my back and legs. I was there for six weeks. While we were there, hundreds of get well cards and letters from school kids, family, friends, old schoolmates, and other people were delivered to the hospital as everyone found out about the explosion in the Gulf. Vice Adm. Joseph Donnell presented Burbine, Welch, Smith, and me with the Purple Heart for the injuries we sustained in the Persian Gulf on board our ship. It was an honor to receive the medal, but I appreciated even more that all four of us and others on board did not lose our lives during that explosion. The overwhelming courage of Capt. Rinn and the crew saved the shipand demonstrated how well everyone worked together as a team. Editors Note: This article first appeared on The War Horse, an award-winning nonprofit news organization educating the public on military service. Subscribe to their newsletter People with hearing impairment have appealed to government to expedite the process of recruiting sign language interpreters in all public offices to guarantee their equal participation in government programmes. The appeal was made during celebrations to mark International Week for the Deaf at Arua Police Grounds last Friday. Through various songs and dramas, the deaf revealed that they have been left out of a number of government programmes because if their condition. The executive director of Uganda National Association of the Deaf (NAD), Mr Robert Nkwangu, said sign language interpreters should be recruited in television stations, hospitals, churches, and other organisations for the deaf to be informed. "Government should provide support and disseminate information on early acquisition of sign language interpreters and provide inclusive quality bilingual education," Mr Nkwangu said. He added: "They should also support the professional and trained sign language interpreters in public service to enable full participation of the deaf in society." He urged government to fast track the completion of the regulations of the Disability Act in order to protect such persons from abuse and violations of their rights in society. The Arua Central Division MP, Mr Jackson Atima, said: "We need schools for the deaf and other disabilities to be constructed in West Nile because the number is big. Parents struggle to meet high costs of transport, accommodation, feeding and upkeep for their disabled children, who travel long distances to access education." The State Minister for Persons with Disabilities, Ms Hellen Asamo, appealed to the public to change their mindset about people with disabilities. "Without sign language interpreters, the deaf will miss out on information about government programmes like UWEP [Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme], Youth Livelihood Programme, and Emyooga. So we need to fast track this so that we have interpreters in all the ministries," Ms Asamo said. She said the 700 sign language interpreters, who graduated from Kyambogo University, should be employed in various institutions to bridge the gap. "We are now discussing with the Ministry of Public Service on how these interpreters will be employed because it is critical," Ms Asamo said. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Uganda 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 response to the concerns, the 3rd Deputy Prime Minister, Ms Rukia Nakadama, acknowledged that People with Disabilities had been seen as a bad omen in society, an issue which she said government was addressing. "Government has introduced schools for people with disabilities and we have also introduced the scholarship system where 65 people with hearing impairment are catered for under this. People should continue to utilise the deaf schools in Wakiso and Iganga districts to learn," she said. She said people with disabilities are critical in decision making and should not be left out from Local councils up to Parliament. About PWDS The United Nations estimates that Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) account for about 10 percent of the world's population. In Uganda, PWDs account for 14 percent of the total population. Of these, one million are deaf people, according to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics 2014 report. Ten days after Kenya received her first consignment of 795,600 Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine doses donated by the US, the Ministry of Health has admitted it is unable to administer the jab due to lack of special syringes. The ministry, while ruling out the option of buying the syringes, told the Nation it is solely relying on the American government to send a batch of low dead space syringes to be able to administer the jab. "We were expecting the US to send us the syringes that are supposed to be used to administer the doses we received, but they did not, and now we are waiting, as they had promised to do so," a high ranking official at the Health ministry said. In a telephone interview, Dr Andrew Mulwa, the director for Medical Services, Preventive and Promotive Health at the ministry, explained that officials are hopeful the US will soon donate the much needed syringes before the vaccines expire. "The syringes and the doses were packed in two separate consignments, I think they are coming but I am not sure when." Detachable needle A low dead space syringe is different from a regular syringe as it has less space left between the needle and the plunger when it is fully pushed in, compared to traditional injecting equipment. It also has a detachable needle. The dead space in a syringe holds blood after it has been used. Low dead space syringes can reduce the chance of spreading infections such as HIV and Hepatitis C if they're re-used or shared, according to the National Health Institute of Research based in the United Kingdom. Last December, as Pfizer-Biontech, the manufacturer, started distributing its Covid-19 vaccines across US, experts tasked with administering the jab raised concerns after noticing something strange -- each vial of vaccine that was labelled by the manufacturer to accommodate five doses contained an extra fluid that they established was enough for a sixth dose. Pfizer-Biontech was then granted clearance by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which decided that this 'extra dose' would count towards Pfizer's dose commitments, which meant that they could manufacture and deliver fewer vials than the contract agreement had previously stated. However, there still was one major problem. Vaccination Getting that sixth dose out of the vials requires a 'special' syringe that is in short supply globally, thereby potentially hampering vaccination rollouts. "After dilution, vials of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine contain six doses of 0.3ml of vaccine," the FDA has highlighted in its Emergency Use Authorisation, while adding that low dead-volume syringes and/or needles can be used to extract six doses from a single vial. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Kenya Coronavirus 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. "If standard syringes and needles are used, there may not be sufficient volume to extract a sixth dose from a single vial," the regulator states in part on the official website. While the shelf-life of Pfizer's vaccine is six months, the consignment Kenya received 10 days ago was manufactured three months ago and the interval between the first and second doses is 21 days. Dr Mulwa, who is not sure when the expected donation will arrive, however, insists that despite the lack of low dead space syringes, the ministry plans to roll out the jab before it expires. "We have up to December to exhaust that consignment," he assured. Nimba County Senator Prince Yormie Johnson affectionately called PYJ, also the political leader of his Movement for Democracy and Reconciliation (MDR) party begins a campaign here, seeking a second term for President George Manneh Weah and asking his kinsmen in Nimba County to give him a third term in the Senate. Sen. Johnson gave support to Mr. Weah during the runoff presidential election in 2017. According to him, his decision to seek a third term is based on support and development executed in his native Nimba County, including education and other activities since he was first elected in 2005. Receiving a third term from the people of Nimba would automatically make him the longest-serving senator with 27 years on Capitol Hill. At a recent appreciation program in Ganta, Nimba County Se. PYJ called on his supporters to re-elect him and President Weah, who is seeking a second term in 2023. He describes Mr. Weah as a good leader, pointing to road construction, free education up to university and tertiary levels, among others as achievements for which the President should get a second term. He calls on Nimbaians to give President George Weah an additional six years to enable him to achieve his developmental goals. However, political observers say the notorious warlord turned politician has no alternative but to uphold support for President Weah, who is very reluctant to welcome calls for the establishment of a war and economic crimes court here. Liberia's Truth and Reconciliation Commission has recommended prosecution for war actors, including Sen. PYJ who committed crimes against humanity during the Liberian Civil War, but the Senate instead has recommended the establishment of a transitional justice commission. The story of Wilson Tarpeh and EPA Prof. Wilson Tarpeh, the current Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is no stranger to corruption and bribery allegations. As head of the government COVID-19 emergency relief program, it was alleged that he helped siphoned most part of the USD30 million allotted for the program. But official government account says the money was paid directly to the World Food Programme to lead the process. To date, the World Food Programme is yet to publish how it spent the entire amount. Tarpeh has repeatedly argued that he did not receive the money and directed all inquiries to the WFP. The latest is a claim of a solicitation of US100, 000 bribe from the MV SSI DAUNTLESS, a vessel which was at the center of a standoff with the EPA over the alleged dumping of about 200 metric tons of potentially hazardous waste called Gypsum berthing at the Port of Buchanan. Gypsum can be used in producing cement but can also be radioactive, and if the activity (concentration) of the radionuclide is high can pose a very high health risk to the population near the disposal site. Reports claimed that Prof. Tarpeh solicited the money as a bribe from the vessel owners to allow it to go. But the EPA has argued that it made no such request rather it compelled the vessel owners to sign an US100k indemnity, should it be established that the waste was actually dumped in Liberia. The signing of the 100k indemnity was a guarantee or surety to release the MV SSI DAUNTLESS. And that the payment of such indemnity is to be made into the EPA's account and not Tarpeh's private account. But how did it all start? It all started on September 2, 2021, when the General Manager of Atlantic Marine Agency, Pokolo F. J. Anderson, wrote Prof. Tarpeh in his capacity as EPA boss, requesting to dump the potentially hazardous waste on the Liberian soil preferably in Grand Bassa County, near its port of call. In their letter obtained by the New Dawn requesting to dispose of the hazardous waste here, Atlantic Marine Agency wrote confirming that the cargo was on board the said vessel and that the vessel had scheduled to call Buchanan Port on or about 5th September 2021 to load Iron Ore at Arcelor Mittal. (See letter below). According to the Atlantic, during the MV SSI Dauntless last operation at the Lome Port, in Togo, the vessel's crane No.4 got damaged beyond repair thus preventing said cargo stowed to Hold No.5 from being discharged; and that this cargo needed to be cleared from the Hold No.5 to allow Iron Ore to be loaded. "We have arranged formalities using a mobile crane to discharge the cargo when the vessel berth at Buchanan Port and would require EPA designate a location preferably in Grand Bassa County for the said cargo to be disposed of in keeping with the regulation of EPA. We are willing to work along with EPA for the successful execution of this process," the Atlantic letter requesting to dump the hazardous waste here said. This letter, according to sources prompted the EPA to initiate monitoring of the MV SSI DAUNTLESS in collaboration with international partners before its arrival in Buchanan. However, on September 9, 2021, according to EPA sources, the vessel docked at the Port of Buchanan, amidst claims that the waste had already been dumped at an unknown destination in Bassa, without authorization from the EPA. The allegation that the hazardous waste had already been dumped triggered an investigation from the EPA, with the latter grounding the vessel. During the period of investigation, on September 14, it was reported that the Armed Forces of Liberia Coast Guards had discovered that at one point in time during the vessel's voyage to Liberia, it cut off its signal devices for a while as it enters the country's territorial waters. This cause suspicion forcing the AFL Coast Guard and the EPA to ground the vessel pending further investigation. The Allegation of bribery Over the weekend of September 18, 2021, there were social media reports suggesting that Prof. Tarpeh had requested US100k from the vessel owners to allow it to leave Liberia. The US100k, was to serve as a bribe motivating Prof. Tarpeh to issue the vessel a no charge clearance. But what really happened? Recognizing that Liberia is the second-largest carrier of registered vessels under its flag of convenience, the EPA management indicated that it was not wise to hold up the vessel while undertaking its investigation since it did not find the hazardous waste onboard. Rather, it chose to compel the vessel to sign an indemnity, an undertaking named and styled Club Letter of Undertaking which is also in the possession of the New Dawn on September 17, 2021, that a fine of 100k should be imposed in the event of any violation related to allegations that hazardous waste has been dumped within the territorial limits of Liberia (See Letter of Undertaking below). Excerpts of the Club Letter of Undertaking signed on September 17, 2021 between the EPA and SSI DAUNTLESS: "The undersigned company, owners/affiliate of the Vessel MV SSI DAUNTLESS, hereby indemnifies the ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) of Liberia against liabilities which may accrue or imposed in the event of any violation related to allegations that hazardous waste has been dumped within the territorial limits of the REPUBLIC OF LIBERIA by the vessel herein above. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Liberia Legal Affairs Corruption 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 HEREBY UNDERTAKE to pay to the ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) within calendar 28 days of receipt of written demand from the EPA any sum together with interest and costs not exceeding the amount mentioned above, which is either agreed in writing between us and the owners of the above vessel and yourselves to be due to you in respect of the claim or for which the owners are held liable by means of a final enforceable and unappealable arbitration award or a final enforceable and unappealable judgment of a court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction. This undertaking is given without prejudice to all rights and defences which may be available to owners and/or any rights of limitation of liability according to international conventions or Liberian laws. This undertaking shall be subject to Liberian laws and will expire if legal proceedings have not been commenced before a court or tribunal of competent jurisdiction within one year after the completion of the investigation and determination of the claim." The EPA Executive Director in an interview with this paper Monday, September 27, wonders how could a payment should there be any which is to be made in the EPA account be suggested as ending up in his personal account or pocket? NAMIBIA'S first ammonium nitrate factory, which will significantly decrease the country's dependence on imports, opened at Walvis Bay on Friday. Ammonium nitrite is a key ingredient of explosives used for mining, quarrying and construction. The new N$40 million Orica plant near Rooikop, about 10km east of the harbour town, is expected to produce about 16 000 tonnes of the material every year, said Orica's Pontsho Maja. Production has already started, said Maja, who told The Namibian that contracts with large mining clients are already in the process of being concluded. This will result in the supply of the first locally manufactured consignments of ammonium nitrate emulsion. According to Maja, strict local and international conditions pertaining to safety and environmental impact were met as part of the issuing of various permits. He says the plant is one of the most technologically advanced plants run by Orica across Africa. Orica are specialists in their field, with several plants across the continent. "Namibia's mining industry and policy framework is very good and we are very confident and optimistic to be part of the growth and success of this industry," Maja said during the official opening. The Rooikop plant is situated on the premises of Native Storage Facility for dangerous goods. The ammonium nitrate plant is situated 800 metres away from the storage facility. Native Storage got the nod from the Walvis Bay Municipal Council to establish its facility near Rooikop about five years ago, after the town's residents opposed initial plans to use a former naval communications bunker much closer to Walvis Bay. Once approval for the land was given, the company started negotiations with Orica to establish a plant at Walvis Bay in order to meet the needs of a fast-growing local market. Plant superintendent Zak Kotze said not only does the factory significantly decrease Namibia's dependence on South Africa for ammonium nitrate imports, but at the same time it significantly decreases costs and the safety risk of transporting the product to various mines in Namibia. According to Kotze, some mines do on-site manufacturing of ammonium nitrate for their own needs, but the Orica plant will supplement the demand, while also catering for other clients who require the material but have been dependent on imports. "The plant has met all safety standards, and there is a very strict safety check process from the start of manufacturing to the delivery and use of the product," he said. "Those involved are highly qualified and we also believe in the training and upskilling of those who join our team." Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Namibia 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. Namibian Police inspector general Sebastian Ndeitunga, who officiated at the opening of the plant, said this was an example of local value addition. "We don't even manufacture toothpicks or matches in our country. But we export our rich resources for value addition elsewhere, which is then sold back to us. This must not happen. This new manufacturer proves that we can do it," he said. Being in Erongo, which is Namibia's 'uranium province' with its several world class uranium mines, Ndeitunga touched on the possibility of using locally mined uranium for a nuclear power plant. "When we talk like this, some people get uneasy, they think we are talking about bombs. We are not interested in bombs, we are a peaceful country. Such a plant will greatly benefit our vision for industrialisation and less dependence on imports," he said. Dutch Migration Minister Ankie Broekers-Knol hailed Egypt's efforts to face illegal immigration as she met on Sunday with Egyptian Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for European Affairs Badr Abdel Aty. Broekers-Knol affirmed the keenness of her country to enhance the frameworks of cooperation with Egypt in the efforts and endeavors to combat illegal immigration and treat its various dimensions. She also stressed keenness to cooperate with Egypt in implementing development projects so as to create job opportunities, organizing training and rehabilitation programs between the two sides and enhancing cooperation in the field of technical and professional training. Egypt has not recorded any case of illegal immigration since 2016 according to Egyptian officials. Egypt has adopted a successful and effective policy in dealing with the file of illegal immigration and supporting refugees in light of its commitment to relevant international charters, according to the Cabinet media center last April. The cabinet released in April an infographic on Egypt's success in suspending the flow of illegal immigrants and controlling land and maritime borders, in addition to outlining legislation that combats the immigrants' smuggling, highlighting Cairo's efforts to support refugees and immigrants of various nationalities. The infographic shed light on Egypt's success and its turning into a world model in fighting illegal immigration and supporting refugees, referring to the international praise of Cairo in handling both files. The report reviewed the state's efforts to combat illegal immigration at the local level, noting that the first national strategy to combat illegal immigration was launched in 2016 along with the issuance of Law No.82 for the Year 2016 which criminalized illegal immigration and stipulated punishment for those involved in any illegal activities. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Migration Legal Affairs Europe and 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. It also mentioned the national coordination committee on fighting illegal immigration and human trafficking upon articles of such law. The report also focused on the efforts exerted by the ministry of migration to implement the initiative of Rescue Boats which worked on increasing the awareness of the society about the risks of illegal immigration and the safe means for migration to foreign countries. The report said a budget of EGP 250 million has been allocated in the state's budget for 2020/2021 to support 70 villages nationwide to set up projects for youths. The initiative contributed to establishing projects worth EGP 55 million, the report noted. Egypt today Health and Population Minister Hala Zayed said on Monday that the Egyptian state is keen on cooperating with South Korea in the health sector and increasing the South Korean investments in the country in a way that helps expand the pharmaceutical and vaccine industry in Africa and the Middle East. During a virtual meeting with representatives of various South Korean biopharmaceutical and medical technology giants, the minister said that Egypt looks forward to becoming the main gateway for South Korean medical companies willing to export their products to the African market. She called for exchanging expertise between the two countries in the health field, in light of the great challenges incurred by all countries during the current Covid-19 pandemic, Spokesman for the Health Ministry Khaled Megahed said. The meeting tackled cooperation prospects between VACSERA Co. and South Korean giants to transfer their technologies in manufacturing various types of vaccines, atop of which are the coronavirus vaccines, to Egypt and increase cooperation in the field of research and clinical trials of vaccines. The two sides also discussed cooperation between the health ministry and the South Korean companies to supply Egyptian hospitals with medical equipment and health units within the national projects implemented by the ministry in the health sector. For their part, the representatives of the South Korean companies affirmed their keenness to cooperate with the ministry to support the vaccine and biopharmaceutical domains in Egypt. The South Korean companies are ready to harness all their capabilities to support the health sector in Egypt and Africa, they said, pointing out that the Egyptian pharmaceutical market is attractive for the leading companies in South Korea. Minister of environment, forestry and tourism Pohamba Shifeta declined to preside over an appeal hearing between residents of Ondando C village and the Ondonga Traditional Authority over sand mining at the village, saying the matter is beyond a sand-mining dispute. Shifeta was due to preside over the appeal hearing on Friday. Asked why he did not attend the hearing as per appeal secretary Wilma Moller's invitation two weeks ago, Shifeta said he cannot solve the matter, because it revolves around politics. "We cannot be drawn into their politics . . . We cannot be drawn into Affirmative Repositioning and Ondonga Traditional Authority issues. We cannot solve their problems," Shifeta said. He said the sandpit at Ondando C village will be properly rehabilitated, and nobody will be allowed to extract sand from it until the matter has been resolved. A fortnight ago Moller wrote a letter to Ondando C residents, informing them to attend the hearing to be presided over by Shifeta. In her letter Moller said if the villagers fail to attend the hearing, Shifeta would continue with the appeal hearing in their absence. Shifeta's decision would bind all parties involved, she said. Moller, however, wrote another letter on Thursday informing the community that the appeal hearing was cancelled due to the traditional authority's unavailability. She said the hearing cannot proceed with one party only. "You are requested to resolve the matter with the Ondonga Traditional Authority and inform us when you have done so," she wrote. She said until the village and the traditional authority resolve the matter the sandpit will remain closed. "Nobody will access it, and the law will take its course against anyone who violates it. The environmental commissioner will ensure the pit is completely cordoned off." Moller requested the village's residents to revert to the of environment ministry on or before 31 October this year. "If nothing is resolved and you fail to appear for the hearing, the minister will decide," she wrote. Ondando C villager Jesaya Nambundunga says sand mining is destroying the environment, disturbing the community, and destabilising peace in the Oshikoto region. Reinhold Kamati, another villager, said they were appalled at Shifeta's treatment of the issue. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Namibia Governance 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. "How could the minister back-pedal on his words in the letter dated 14 September 2021? We are aggrieved by the theatrics and antics of the Ondonga Traditional Authority (OTA). OTA is employing delaying tactics to frustrate the community of Ondando C and all surrounding villages," he says. Affirmative Repositioning movement spokesperson Simon Amunime asks that all illegal sand and gravel mining activities at the village, the Oniipa constituency and the Oshikoto region are stopped and that environmental laws are implemented. "We request that the perpetrators of these illegal sand-mining and gravel road-mining activities at Ondando C rehabilitate our environment, stop their mining activities, and leave our community in peace. If they leave our community, good riddance, we will not follow them," he says. Ondonga Traditional Authority administrator Nicodemus Uugwanga says he does not know why the traditional authority did not attend the hearing, because he is currently in hospital. ICELANDIC seafood company Samherji has roped in the services of British lawyer Edward Garnier in an effort to prevent its three executives from being extradited to Namibia. Namibia's prosecutor general (PG), Martha Imalwa, wants the three Samherji executives - Ingvar Juliusson, Egill Helgi Arnason and Adalsteinn Helgason - to stand trial in Namibia in connection with their alleged involvement in the Fishrot corruption scandal. All three played a role in the running of the Icelandic company and its subsidiaries in Namibia. The Anti-Corruption Commision (ACC) wants Arnason to be prosecuted for his involvement in Esja Holdings and Mermaria Seafood Namibia. Both Juliusson and Helgason were the financial directors of Samherji's companies Saga Seafood, Esja Investments, and Heinaste Investments. Samherji is accused of bribery and corruption involving more than N$3 billion as part of the Fishrot case. The company has denied any wrongdoing and has now enlisted the services of a British lawyer to fight a restraint order Imalwa issued. A restraint order freezes assets (wherever in the world they may be) pending criminal investigations. Earlier this year, Imalwa obtained a confiscation order on the properties belonging to the Fishrot accused. She now wants a restraint order preventing deals around these properties. Garnier, who is also a former member of parliament, argues that Imalwa should not be able to obtain the restraint order, since she has not met the requirements to charge Samherji's executives. He said this in his affidavit filed in court last week. "One cannot apply to extradite a company, nor can one apply to extradite an individual, a director for example, for the purposes of an investigation," he said. Garnier said he does not see European countries processing a Namibian request to extradite an individual from a country which is a member of the European Convention. WHERE ARE THEY? He said it is clear from the prosecutor general's affidavit that she does not know where the directors are. This means the jurisdiction to be requested for their extradition cannot be identified. According to the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca), the court can issue a restraint order if it is satisfied that a person is to be charged. In her affidavit submitted last week, Imalwa said the foreign executives will join court proceedings once their whereabouts have been established. She also said there may be extradition proceedings, and there is a real intent to prosecute the executives. "It is common cause that an extradition process cannot commence without a formal charge," she said. Imalwa added that arrest warrants for the executives have not been authorised yet, because they are not in Namibia. She said steps are being taken to determine the executives' whereabouts to ensure they are made available to Namibia. 'ABUSE OF POWER' In the affidavit, Juliusson has accused Imalwa of abusing her powers. Close Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox Top Headlines Namibia 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 an affidavit filed before the High Court last week, he said Imalwa is misinterpreting the true nature of the inquiries and the powers of the court. He said Imalwa lied by saying she has satisfied the court regarding the prosecution of Samherji's executives and that she has not made a formal request to extradite any of the foreign executives she wants to prosecute. Juliusson said Poca does not dictate the PG must show "on the face" that foreign executives would be charged. He is also not pleased with the fact that Samherji executives are unable to cross-examine whistleblower Johannes Stefansson before the main trial. There is no guarantee that Stefansson will ever come to Namibia, he said. "Our contention is that he will never be at the criminal trial." Some 16 employees of Eagles Pizza at Wernhil Park Mall have been left unemployed after the outlet received a surprise eviction notice from its landlord, Broll Namibia. Amen Nghidengwa, the owner of Eagles Pizza, confirmed the closure, saying he has not received an eviction notice from Broll. "They did not file for eviction, and I have been communicating with them, but no one is willing to listen," he says. One of the employees, who wants to remain anonymous, says she recalls the property's owners visiting the shop unexpectedly. "They would come in and check everything. Sometimes they would ask if we burned something, and we felt very uncomfortable," she says. Leena Hamalwa (26), who has been working for Eagles Pizza since 2017, says the eviction has turned her life upside down. "We came to work as usual, and later we saw the 'bosses' entering the shop, saying we must pack our things and leave the building immediately. "They chased us out like dogs. We did not even have a chance to ask questions," she claims. According to a letter from Commercial Legal Solutions dated 13 September, the outlet's tenant has breached the terms of a debt-repaying agreement. The letter states the client is to cease all operations with immediate effect. "They want me to pay N$370 000 in seven days. How, in this time of Covid-19? I told them I can pay N$100 000 per month, which I have been doing, but they don't want to accept this," Nghidengwa says. "This closure is affecting my other shops, my cash flow is ruined, and people will lose their jobs, but no one cares," he says. Nghidengwa says apart from the 16 employees who have already lost their jobs, 46 others are also at risk of losing their jobs. Property manager Johan van der Westhuizen, when asked for comment, said: "The normal legal procedures will be followed. Consequently, we cannot comment." #VacunateYa | Empresas de telecomunicaciones @bitelperu@EntelPeru @ClaroPeru y @MovistarPeru se suman al esfuerzo del #Minsa de cerrar brechas de vacunacion y anuncian grandes beneficios para quienes se vacunen ???? pic.twitter.com/WHdVSrqcv5 #VacunateYa | Recibimos un nuevo lote de 649 350 dosis de vacunas que permitira continuar con la inoculacion y protegernos contra la #COVID19. Ya son mas de 10 250 000 personas vacunadas con dos dosis y protegidas ante una posible tercera ola de esta pandemia. pic.twitter.com/F7bbyUtme0 YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Chairman of the State Revenue Committee Rustam Badasyan received Ambassador of Italy to Armenia Alfonso Di Riso to discuss the cooperation prospects in tax and customs administration field, the SRC reported. In his remarks the SRC Chairman noted that the legal-contractual base between Armenia and Italy in tax and customs administration enables to run cooperation both at bilateral level and within the frames of international organizations. The Armenian and Italian sides expressed their readiness to take practical steps to further expand the cooperation between the tax and customs authorities of the two countries. Editing and Translating by Aneta Harutyunyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The Human Rights Ombudsman of the Artsakh Republic published an updated version of the report on the cases of the killing of civilians in Artsakh by the armed forces of Azerbaijan, the Office of the Ombudsman said. The report summarizes the data collected as a result of fact-finding work of the Artsakh Human Rights Ombudsmans staff from September 27, 2020 to September 27, 2021 on the civilian killings by Azerbaijani armed forces either by targeted strikes or after their invasion of the civilian settlements of Artsakh. Only the cases proved on indisputable grounds are presented. The report provides a brief description on the circumstances of the killing of each civilian. According to the data collected till September 27, 2021, the identities of 80 civilians killed by the Azerbaijani armed forces were revealed. 42 civilians were killed from long-range strikes by the Azerbaijani armed forces, including rocket-propelled grenades, shelling, bombardment, and sabotage by subversive groups. 38 civilians were killed in captivity or at least under the control of Azerbaijan from physical violence, stabbing, beheading, close-range shooting and other direct means. Out of 80 civilian victims, 68 are men and 12 are women. 52 civilians were killed at the place of residence, 15 at the public place, 11 at the place of work, 1 person in the Azerbaijani prison. The majority of civilian victims are people over 63 years old. The Human Rights Ombudsman also recorded the cases of 163 civilian injuries, most of which resulted from strikes that resulted in the deaths of others. The fate of two dozen civilians from the territories occupied by Azerbaijan remains unknown. The report was prepared in a closed and public version. The closed report adds many photos of the victims before and after their deaths. The public report was prepared without photos, taking into account the cruel and sensitive images in them. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The first Pediatric Palliative Care Clinic in Armenia was opened today at the R. Yolyan Center of Hematology in Yerevan. The clinic was initiated and funded by the City of Smile Charitable Foundation. R. Yolyan Center of Hematology Director Samvel Danielyan said that they needed the clinic for decades. When the patient was staying in the department with 30 other patients it was difficult to organize palliative care, while home treatment was complicating the issue even more because of other children living in the home. Now, the Pediatric Palliative Care Clinic is opening, and it is very important for us, he said. Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan, the President of the Board of Trustees of City of Smile and Prelate of the Diocese of Tavush of the Armenian Apostolic Church, thanked everyone who participated in the creation of the clinic. He described the clinic as a pain management center, which will be a big support for cancer patients. City of Smile Executive Director Esther Demirchyan spoke about the importance of the clinic, noting: We were impatiently waiting for the opening, but due to some circumstances, namely the coronavirus and the 2020 Artsakh war, the opening was delayed. By cooperating with one of the leading clinics of the world and seeing their palliative care center we realized that we really needed to have such a center in Armenia as well. Healthcare Minister Anahit Avanesyan was also in attendance of the inauguration. There are cases when even the best doctors are powerless to do anything. What matters is that all children and adults be surrounded with care and their loved ones until the end. Having this kind of a center is extremely important, she said. Bishop Galstanyan then delivered a prayer. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Suren Papikyan received US Ambassador to Armenia Lynne Tracy on September 28. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Prime Minister, greeting the Ambassador, the Deputy Prime Minister praised the active and effective cooperation of the previous period. In parallel with the development of Armenian-US relations, Suren Papikyan also highlighted the US role within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group. He highlighted the importance of pushing the economic agenda in bilateral relations, emphasizing the usefulness of US involvement in various areas, including infrastructure development, water management, energy, particularly green energy production. The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that the efforts of the United States in the development of the mentioned spheres are commendable and expressed hope that the support will be continuous. US Ambassador Lynne Tracey congratulated Suren Papikyan on assuming the post of the Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia, expressing confidence that in the new position the effective cooperation will continue and expand. The parties discussed the reforms in the field of justice, the establishment of the patrol service, the prospects for the development of the justice system and infrastructure. The Deputy Prime Minister presented the results of his visit to Nubarashen penitentiary yesterday, highlighting the issue of improving the infrastructure of penitentiaries and the conditions of detention of convicts. The sides touched upon the coronavirus pandemic and issues of overcoming its consequences. Given the impact of the latter on both human life and public health, as well as the economies of states, the importance of vaccine accessibility and vaccination in the context of opening borders and easing travel restrictions was emphasized. It was stressed that joint efforts in this direction will yield only positive results. The parties also touched upon the process of administrative-territorial reforms in Armenia, in connection with which Deputy Prime Minister Suren Papikyan thanked for the support provided within the framework of the USAID, expressing hope that the assistance will get new quality, as it contributes to the socio-economic development of communities. During the conversation, the ways to ensure a healthy environment for international investments in Armenia, anti-corruption reforms, ensuring a fair economic and competitive field were discussed. The problems facing the mining industry were addressed, with the emphasis on environmental risk management, socio-economic development of the surrounding communities and investment guarantees. The situation over the Goris-Kapan road was also discussed. The Deputy Prime Minister spoke about the steps currently being taken to build alternative roads. According to him, in the coming days it is planned to complete the asphalting of the 44 km new road, which will be followed by the laying of a new layer of asphalt on the 17 km section. Suren Papikyan also informed about the construction of a new 18 km road in the Tatev-Aghvan section, referring to the construction of bypass roads in the direction of 4 villages, which are planned to be finalized in the spring of 2022. The Deputy Prime Minister said that the construction works of the Sisian-Kajaran road section of the North-South highway have already kicked off. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Special exercises "Thunder-2021" of the CSTO ware held in Armenia from September 24-28. The special units of the Police of the Republic of Armenia, Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Belarus, the Ministries of Internal Affairs of the Kyrgyz Republic, as well as the Drug Control Agency under the President of the Republic of Tajikistan took part in the exercises. The border units of the Ministries of Defense, Emergency Situations and the National Security Service of Armenia were also involved in the exercises with the use of aviation, military and special equipment. The exercises were aimed at carrying out anti-drug operations in difficult mountainous terrain and raising the level of readiness of special forces units. CSTO Deputy Secretary General Valery Semerikov, Police Chief of Armenia Vahe Ghazaryan, Security Council Secretary Armen Grigoryan, Chief of General Staff of the Armed Forces of Armenia Artak Davtyan, Minister of Emergency Situations Andranik Piloyan, Director of the National Security Service Armen Abazyan were present at the exercises. The Police of Armenia informed that according to the scenario, a large criminal group has penetrated into Armenia, the members of which want to smuggle more than 1 ton of drugs through the territory of the country to another country. Relevant subdivisions of the CSTO member states are taking measures, neutralize them, disarm and arrest. About 350 servicemen of the CSTO member-states, 49 units of equipment, 3 helicopters, unmanned aerial vehicles took part in the exercise. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Irans Foreign Ministry Spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Tuesday that the military drill held in northwest of Iran was a sovereignty issue and the Islamic Republic of Iran wouldnt tolerate the presence of the Israeli regime near its borders, ARMENPRESS reports, citing IRNA. Asked about the statements made by Azerbaijan Republic President concerning Irans military exercise held in the northwest of the country, the spokesman said that the way the Azerbaijani President has expressed the remarks was surprising, as the two countries have good, respectful relations and enjoy normal paths of communication at the highest levels. Khatibzadeh said that foreign ministers of Iran and Azerbaijan Republic have seriously and closely discussed this issue and other subjects in a meeting on the sidelines of the United National General Assembly in New York. The top diplomats have agreed to continue the talks in a proper ground, according to the spokesman. The Islamic Republic of Iran has always rejected any type of territorial occupation and emphasized the necessity of respecting territorial integrity of countries and internationally recognized borders, Khatibzadeh went on to say. Observing the principle of good neighborliness is among the most important topics the Iran expects its neighbors to consider, he stressed. The diplomat also explained that the military exercise in the northwest regions of Iran was a sovereign issue and was aimed at securing peace and stability in the region. The Islamic Republic of Iran wouldnt tolerate the presence of the Israeli regime, although exhibitive, near the borders of Iran and would do whatever it deems necessary for its security. The visit of Nigerias Chief of Army Staff to Proforces Facility on 22nd September 2021 is an endorsement of the Proforce Brand especially for the use of the Nigerian Armed Forces in the ongoing onslaught on criminals and criminal elements in the country. The Proforces Armoured vehicles are tailored-made for clients and are battle tested both in Nigeria, Chad and other parts of Africa. Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link Nigerias Chief of Army Staff has visited Proforce Facility on 22nd September 2021. (Picture source Proforce) During the visit, the COAS visited Proforces Showroom where he inspected some corporate armouring for organisations and individuals. He also visited the Maintenance, Repairs and Overhaul (MRO) where repairs of vehicles like Cobra 1 APC, Steyr APC, Navistar and Caiman MRAPs etc. The COAS was shown round the production floor and the elated COAS said the only way to go about Military hardware is indigenous. He also took a tour of the Helmets and Vests section of the company and Staff Quarters. Parts of the presentation showcased to the Chief were the capabilities of Proforce in the Area of Drone and Trainer jets manufacturing, Military Communication Systems, Signal Intelligence, Open Source and Web Intelligence and other Naval Capabilities. Proforce Limited is a defence solution provider specialized in the manufacturing of Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicles (MRAPs), Armoured Patrol Boats, Ballistic Helmets & Vests, Armoured Civilian Vehicles and Cash-In-Transit. The Nigerian Army through its investment arm, Nigerian Army Welfare Limited by Guarantee NAWLG, acquired 15% shareholding of Proforce Limited. Proforce is ISO 9001:2015 certified and has developed a large portfolio of products for the Police, Military and Civilian markets. Proforce Vision: To be a leading Armouring and Defence Products Provider in the world. Proforce Mission: To offer our clients first-class products and services with superior craftsmanship at a competitive price. Proforce Core Values: Excellence, Integrity, Innovation, Flexibility, Dedication, Teamwork, Expertise and Reliability Proforce Staff: We leverage our technical expertise with 60 years of combined experience in the defence sector to provide the highest and most advanced level of defence solutions to our clients. Proforce has a staff strength of over 1000 employees. PROFORCE PRODUCTS Proforce has developed a large portfolio of products for the Police, Military, Corporate Organizations and Civilian market. Our PF2, an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), has been exported to Rwanda, Central African Republic and South Sudan. The Nigerian Police Force has inducted our APCs into their fleet of APCs. Our latest monocoque MRAP is built to STANAG level 4569 standard. The MRAP named PF ARA was designed and manufactured in Nigeria and was unveiled by the Chief of Defence Staff in August, 2019 at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre. Proforce has an order to supply a huge amount of PF ARA MRAPs to the Nigerian and Chadian Army. PROFORCE FACILITY Our main Armoured Vehicle Manufacturing plant in Ode Remo has a capacity to produce 20 units per month of the PF ARA and 40 units per month of our PF-2. We have another manufacturing plant situated at Port Harcourt to supply orders from the South-South regions of Nigeria. Proforce Limiter is a producer of wheeled armored and MRAP vehicles based in Nigeria. (Picture source Proforce) PROFORCE EXPANSION Proforce acquired 100 hectares land along the Lagos-Ibadan express way for expansion of our Armoured Vehicle Manufacturing and other defence solutions. Our expansions include construction of the following facilities: - Armoured Vehicle Manufacturing Plant - Air Systems Manufacturing Plant for Drones - Electronic Equipment Factory for the manufacturing of Land Mobile Radios and Jammers. - Ammunition Production Factory - State-of-the-Art Research and Development Centre - State-of-the-Art training school - A vehicle testing track - A firing range - Armoured glass manufacturing factory - Staff Quarters - Recreation Centres BACKWARD INTEGRATION The group acquired a steel rolling mill, few years back. This is expected to enhance more local content in terms of producing ballistic steel used for our armoured vehicles and to be self-dependent in armoured vehicle manufacturing. Our Steel Rolling Mill, known as Sun Metals, is located in Ota, Ogun State and has installed a production capacity of over 350,000 Metric Tons per annum. Production of ballistic steel will be the first of its kind in Sub-Saharan Africa and most of the products will be exported to countries within and outside Africa. Sun Metals Ltd. supplies aluminium ingots to Toyota for light skin vehicle manufacturing. The commission for international cooperation and support for compatriots abroad that will be led by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will engage in the implementation of the foreign policy section of the partys national program, the deputy secretary of the United Russia Party General Council, Andrei Klimov, told TASS on Monday. September 28, 2021, 09:53 Lavrov to deal with foreign policy sector on United Russia program commission chair STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 28, ARTSAKHPRESS: "The commission that I lead this is a commission of the Presidium of the partys General Council, our main task is international interparty relations," said Klimov, who heads the commission of the party General Councils Presidium for international activity. He noted that he would continue to deal with international interparty relations. "We have a new section in the party program, which we did not have earlier, it is not about international interparty contacts, it is about international activity," he said. "This is a major and serious foreign policy issue, that is broader and deeper than just international interparty ties, that is why Lavrov will head this area," Klimov explained. He said that Lavrov would be dealing with the implementation of the party programs section devoted to foreign policy activity, which includes cooperation between the parliaments, peoples diplomacy, and other issues. Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) conducted an objective control of the situation in the area of responsibility using Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), the Russian Defense Ministry reported. September 28, 2021, 12:43 Russian peacekeepers in Artsakh conducted an objective control of the situation using the Orlan-10 UAV STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 28, ARTSAKHPRESS: The crews of the UAV complex fulfilled the standards for installing the launcher in the back of a Kamaz truck, made a march to the designated area and launched it. With the help of UAVs, Russian peacekeepers receive real-time data to the control point, where round-the-clock monitoring of the situation is carried out almost throughout the territory in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent. The duty shifts of the headquarters collect, summarize and verify information about violations. Also, objective control and monitoring of the situation from the air is carried out by crews with the Forpost UAV complexes. The Human Rights Ombudsman of the Artsakh Republic published an updated version of the report on the cases of the killing of civilians in Artsakh by the armed forces of Azerbaijan, the Office of the Ombudsman said. September 28, 2021, 14:40 Artsakh Ombudsman publishes updated version of report on cases of killing of civilians by Azerbaijani forces STEPANAKERT, SEPTEMBER 28, ARTSAKHPRESS: The report summarizes the data collected as a result of fact-finding work of the Artsakh Human Rights Ombudsmans staff from September 27, 2020 to September 27, 2021 on the civilian killings by Azerbaijani armed forces either by targeted strikes or after their invasion of the civilian settlements of Artsakh. Only the cases proved on indisputable grounds are presented. The report provides a brief description on the circumstances of the killing of each civilian. According to the data collected till September 27, 2021, the identities of 80 civilians killed by the Azerbaijani armed forces were revealed. 42 civilians were killed from long-range strikes by the Azerbaijani armed forces, including rocket-propelled grenades, shelling, bombardment, and sabotage by subversive groups. 38 civilians were killed in captivity or at least under the control of Azerbaijan from physical violence, stabbing, beheading, close-range shooting and other direct means. Out of 80 civilian victims, 68 are men and 12 are women. 52 civilians were killed at the place of residence, 15 at the public place, 11 at the place of work, 1 person in the Azerbaijani prison. The majority of civilian victims are people over 63 years old. The Human Rights Ombudsman also recorded the cases of 163 civilian injuries, most of which resulted from strikes that resulted in the deaths of others. The fate of two dozen civilians from the territories occupied by Azerbaijan remains unknown. The report was prepared in a closed and public version. The closed report adds many photos of the victims before and after their deaths. The public report was prepared without photos, taking into account the cruel and sensitive images in them. Members of the Labour party in the United Kingdom have opposed the AUKUS military pact just hours after the party leadership insisted the country should "no longer be half-hearted" about essential alliances. An emergency motion at Labour Party conference criticised the agreement between the UK, United States and Australia - dubbed AUKUS - amid fears it is a "dangerous move which will undermine world peace". It added the deal will not promote stability in the Indo-Pacific region and urged the party to recommit its support for enforcing the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. But the vote was condemned by the GMB union, which warned opposition to the pact "undermines industries where jobs are under threat". It also came after shadow defence secretary John Healey told delegates that the UK would "no longer be half-hearted about essential alliances and treaties" under a Labour government. Labour leader Keir Starmer welcomed "increased co-operation" with Australia and the US when the deal was announced earlier this month. Under the terms of the pact, the three allies have agreed to co-operate on the development for the first time of a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines for the Australian navy. The move, widely interpreted as an attempt to check China's growing military assertiveness in the region, was swiftly condemned by officials in Beijing as a "geopolitical gaming tool". GMB regional secretary Hazel Nolan said the Labour conference has "proven itself to be out of touch and on the wrong side of job creation once again". "This deal could be a real opportunity for UK manufacturing. To dismiss it out of hand is nonsense," she said. "If it ever wants to be in power, Labour needs to get back to its roots and speak up for jobs and the concerns of working people." The motion to reject AUKUS was approved by 70.35 per cent to 29.65 per cent by delegates at the conference in Brighton. In an earlier speech, Healey said he wanted the UK to "no longer be half-hearted about essential alliances and treaties" in the United Nations, NATO, the Five Eyes and the International Court of Justice. "We will give the highest priority to security in Europe, North Atlantic and Arctic, pursuing new defence co-operation with European NATO neighbours." Education EDUCATION Cayuga County-area schools report more than 100 COVID-19 cases in two weeks Kevin Rivoli, The Citizen Teaching assistant Sandy Dec takes temperatures before the start of classes on the first day of school at Herman Avenue School in Auburn on Sept. 7. All but one school district in the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES system has reported COVID-19 cases over the past two weeks, according to data provided to the state Department of Health. The Auburn Enlarged City School District, the largest of the nine local districts, had 59 confirmed COVID-19 cases from Sept. 13 through Sept. 26. Most of the cases (48) were students, while seven teachers and four staff members also tested positive. There were cases in each of the district's seven schools. Auburn High School had the most (17), followed by 12 cases at Owasco Elementary School and eight at Auburn Junior High School. Herman Avenue Elementary School had seven, Casey Park and Seward elementary schools each had six and Genesee Elementary had three. Auburn had a majority of the 104 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Cayuga County-area school districts. Port Byron and Weedsport each had 11 cases among students and staff. Cato-Meridian reported seven cases, all of whom are students. Union Springs had six cases and Jordan-Elbridge had five. Moravia (three) and Skaneateles (two) round out the local districts with cases. Southern Cayuga is the lone school district that didn't report any confirmed cases. School districts must report COVID-19 test results to the state Department of Health every day. According to the department, the data is acquired from parents or guardians of students, teachers, staff or the local health department as part of contact tracing investigations. The state health department then publishes a "COVID-19 report card," which features the data provided by the school districts. Citing privacy concerns, Cayuga County limits school COVID-19 case info When Joe Sadusky became aware on Sept. 15 that one of his children's Owasco Elementary School teachers tested positive for COVID-19, he emailed school personnel right away and called the next day to ask why the district didn't inform parents about the positive case. The report card was created under former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, but had been dormant until it was recently revived by Gov. Kathy Hochul. The data for each school district also includes lab-reported COVID-19 cases for residents ages 5-17 who live within a school district. But the state Department of Health acknowledges that individuals may not attend schools within that district. They could attend a charter or private school in another district. School districts resumed in-person instruction after shifting to remote learning when the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020 and many districts continued to offer remote classes or a hybrid option through the 2020-21 school year. With students and teachers returning to classrooms, local health officials have been concerned about how that could contribute to the spread of COVID-19 in communities. The Cayuga County Health Department offered a hint that there were positive cases in school districts when it began prioritizing contact tracing investigations for school-aged children. But until now, there has been no data available to show whether the recent COVID-19 surge in Cayuga County has included those in schools. Schools are taking precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in classrooms. One major policy in place is a mask mandate. Hochul ordered masks to be worn by everyone in school buildings, regardless of vaccination status. NYS school COVID-19 data page The availability of the vaccine to some in schools could help limit COVID-19 transmission. Teachers and school employees were among the first groups of essential workers eligible for the vaccine. In May, the Pfizer vaccine received an emergency use authorization for children ages 12-15. In Cayuga County, nearly half of residents ages 12-15 have received at least one vaccine dose. The Cayuga County HEALing Communities Study is hosting a virtual Grand Rounds Education Series in October for health care providers who are interested in providing access to medications for opioid use disorder to their patients. The HEALing team is partnering with the Central New York Directors Planning Group, a consortium of county mental health directors, to extend this educational opportunity across the CNY region. Three one-hour panel discussions with national and local experts are planned for the specialty fields of emergency medicine (10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 5), OB-GYN (1 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 5), and Primary Care (noon Tuesday, Oct. 19). The series is designed to provide peer-to-peer expertise and increase treatment access to patients with opioid use disorder. Registration and Zoom login info are available at cayugacounty.us/forum . Background Studies have shown that medication-based treatment for opioid use disorder is effective in a variety of treatment settings. There are several FDA-approved medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder. However, access to these medications varies greatly across different treatment settings. While a number of substance use treatment facilities offer these medications, only a small percentage offer clients a choice of the three commonly used medications. Additional barriers include treatment programs with multiple requirements for accessing medication. Often referred to as high-threshold or low-tolerance service delivery models, these programs can have a counterproductive effect on treatment outcomes, as individuals often react to the rules and requirements by discontinuing treatment. Quitting substance use without the aid of medication (cold turkey detoxification) and requirements for total abstinence from evidence-based opioid medications continue to be practices in some settings, even though there is no evidence that such practices are effective. In fact, a lack of access to medications results in 65-91% of clients returning to use after detox treatment. There is also a higher risk of overdose for individuals who are treated without medications if they relapse, as their body can become less able to tolerate opioids, and the return to a previous level of use can be very dangerous. The cases among children align with what the American Academy of Pediatrics reported last week that more than one-quarter of new COVID-19 cases were children. One factor that could be contributing to the rise in cases among children is that younger age groups are ineligible for the vaccines. Older children ages 12-17 can get the Pfizer vaccine. According to the state Department of Health, 49.2% of Cayuga County residents ages 12-15 have received at least one dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Pfizer has submitted data to the Food and Drug Administration from a trial it conducted with children ages 5-11. The company said Tuesday that it will request an emergency use authorization "in the coming weeks." An emergency use authorization would make the vaccine available to children in that age group. In other news: Cayuga County had 48 new cases on Monday. Most of the cases (29) are unvaccinated residents. The number of active cases increased from 228 on Sunday to 236. More than 100 fallen police officers, including two with Cayuga County ties, were honored in Albany on Tuesday. Auburn native Jeffrey Cicora, a retired New York state trooper, and former Cayuga County Undersheriff Stephen McLoud are among the names that have been added to the state Police Officers Memorial, which recognizes law enforcement officers who have been killed in the line of duty. Cicora and McLoud died within a few weeks of each other in August 2019. Both men had illnesses stemming from their work at the World Trade Center site in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Cicora, a state police sergeant, was born and raised in Auburn. At the time of his death, he was a Baldwinsville resident. McLoud was a 23-year veteran of the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office. He held various positions with the agency. From 2003 until his retirement in 2006, he served as undersheriff, the No. 2 leadership post in the sheriff's office. In addition to his law enforcement career, McLoud was a member of the Weedsport Fire Department. NEW YORK (AP) Businesses that have announced vaccine mandates say some workers who had been on the fence have since gotten inoculated against COVID-19. But many holdouts remain a likely sign of what is to come once a federal mandate goes into effect. Even before President Joe Biden's Sept. 9 announcement that companies with more than 100 workers would have to require vaccinations, dozens of companies, including Amtrak, Microsoft, United Airlines and Disney issued ultimatums to most workers. And smaller companies in New York, San Francisco and New Orleans have been required to implement mandates for customers and workers. Some mandates seem to have converted hesitant workers, but employers are still dealing with holdouts. United said late Tuesday it will begin terminating 593 employees over the next few days for refusing to get vaccinated. Other companies are offering alternatives, including weekly testing or working remotely or away from other staff. The federal mandate will cover as many as 100 million Americans private-sector employees as well as health care workers and federal contractors. It is a high-stakes gambit by the president to boost the vaccination rate in the U.S. About 77% of American adults have had one dose of the vaccine, according to the CDC. The nominees include Clare Connors, who has served as the attorney general in Hawaii since 2019, and Sandra Hairston, who has been the acting U.S. attorney in the Middle District of North Carolina since March. If confirmed by the Senate, Hairston would be the first Black woman to hold that position. The White House is also nominating Zachary Cunha to be the U.S. attorney in Rhode Island, where he currently runs the offices civil division. Michael Easley Jr., a partner at the law firm McGuire Woods and son of former Democratic governor and state attorney general Mike Easley, is being tapped to run the office in the Eastern District of North Carolina, based in Raleigh. Cole Finegan, managing partner of the law firm Hogan Lovells in Denver, is being put up for U.S. attorney in Colorado, and Nikolas Kerest, a longtime federal prosecutor in Vermont, is nominated to run the office there. The other nominees include longtime federal prosecutors. Dena King, who has been in charge of prosecuting violent crime and narcotics cases in the Western District of North Carolina, is proposed to run the U.S. attorneys office there and would be the first Black person to hold the position. And Kenneth Parker is being nominated for the Southern District of Ohio. The administration has also nominated Delia L. Smith to run the U.S. attorneys office in the U.S. Virgin Island. She has worked there as a prosecutor since 2005 and would be the first Black woman to hold the position. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 I am a ninth-generation Auburnian, plan on living here with my family for a long time, and I believe in playing an active role in making sure Auburn is a great place for the children of our community to grow and flourish. Our children need to feel comfortable as a part of our community, and not just count down the days until theyre old enough to go away to college and then onto a career elsewhere, with no intention to ever return to Auburn again. In order to do that, first, our children need to feel safe in their community I have over 20 years experience in law enforcement, much of that working in communities throughout our country, helping reduce criminal activity. Under our citys current administration, we have seen an uptick in criminal behavior ... especially violent and drug-related incidents this is a problem. In June, then-Police Chief Shawn Butler addressed our city council on this very issue; there has been little, if any, public response. Ford Motor Company has announced it will invest $11.4 billion to strengthen its electric vehicle production scale and capacity. Ford stated that it will build four new plants across the US and that these will create around 11,000 new jobs. This, of course, is in clear contrast to its strategy in India where it it has opted to shut down local production and only offer high-end vehicles via import route. While Ford India may have been facing mounting losses and massive challenges that eventually led to the decision to stop local manufacturing at its two plants here, the company in its home base of the US seems intent on dominating the EV field. While it already offers a few options like the Mustang Mach-e and the F-150 Lightning, expect more in the coming times. With its South Korean partner SK Innovation, Ford plans to have these four new facilities as the epicenters from which to further advance EV plans. The Americans will put up $7 billion while the remainder will come from SK Innovation. (Also read: Ford India workers protest over Sanand plant closure) Ford is claiming that the new facilities would be the largest, most advanced, most efficient auto production complex in its 118-year history.' A statement issued by the company highlights that it expects anywhere between 30% to 40% of global vehicles to be powered by battery. This is a transformative moment where Ford will lead America's transition to electric vehicles and usher in a new era of clean, carbon-neutral manufacturing," said Executive Chair Bill Ford. With this investment and a spirit of innovation, we can achieve goals once thought mutually exclusive - protect our planet, build great electric vehicles Americans will love and contribute to our nation's prosperity." Ford has thus far fared reasonably well with its F-150 Lightning and the Mach-E. Demand for both EVs have been encouraging in the US, putting Ford in a position from which to challenge not just traditional rivals like Volkswagen but even EV giant Tesla. "We are moving now to deliver breakthrough electric vehicles for the many rather than the few," said Jim Farley, the company's CEO. (With inputs from AFP) Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is expected to inspect the upcoming Zojila and Z-Morh tunnels in Kashmir today. His inspection comes days after Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur went to see development of the project over the weekend. Both projects, which are carried out by the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), are likely to be completed ahead of their scheduled timeline. NHIDCL executive director Brigadier Gurjeet Singh Kambo said, The work on both the tunnels is going on at a fast pace and we are confident that it will be completed ahead of the schedule, before the contracted time of completion." Nitin Gadkari will be the first dignitary to cross the main tunnel when he visits the two tunnels today. "We are sure that by the middle of next year, all work will be completed," Kambo said. Zojila Tunnel, which is going to be Asia's longest bi-directional tunnel at 14.15 kms, is being constructed at a cost of 4,500 crore. It is located at the existing NH-01 at an elevation ranging from 2,700 metres to 3,300 metres. The tunnel promises to reduce distance between Baltal in Kashmir and Minamarg in Ladakh from 40 km to 13 kms. It will also provide all-weather access for commuters between Srinagar and Ladakh throughout the year. On the other hand, the Z-Morh tunnel, being constructed at a cost of 2,378 crore, will connect Sonamarg with Gagangir in the Kashmir valley even during the winter season when heavy snowfall blocks most of the roads. This tunnel could be crucial for socio-economic boost in the region. "In the extremely cold winters, the entire population from Sonamarg moves down. To keep the connectivity open, a Z-Morh tunnel was required to be made," Kambo said. "Further, as we go into the dark valley, we have Zjila Pass at 8,500 feet. This pass remains virtually closed for five-six months every year, n other words, Ladakh from Kashmir remains cut-off for five-six months every year. So, for all-around and all-weather connectivity, there was a necessity to make a tunnel that is connecting to Sonamarg and Ladakh," Kambo said. Both these tunnels are also strategically important for India since they pass very close to the Line of Control with Pakistan. The existing Srinagar-Ladakh highway remains closed for at least six months during winter, practically cutting off the region from the rest of the world. Once completed, these tunnels will also provide free movement of armed forces even during inclement weather conditions. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Shandong Geely Sunwoda Power Battery Co.,Ltd. (Geely Sunwoda), a joint venture between Geely Auto and Chinese lithium ion battery maker Sunwoda, was formally founded last week, marking the expansion of Geely's deployment of NEV (new energy vehicle) battery business. Founded on Sept. 24 and incorporated in Zaozhuang, Shandong province, the joint venture involves a registered capital of 100 million yuan ($15.488 million), according to the business data platform Tianyancha. It is jointly held by Sunwoda Electric Vehicle Battery Co., Ltd. (30%), Geely Auto Group (28.5%), and Jirun Automobile (41.5%), an indirect 99% owned subsidiary of Geely Automobile Holdings Limited. Business scope of the joint venture covers the sales of batteries, electronics products, and electric motors, the manufacturing of batteries and auto parts, as well as the R&D of auto parts. Photo credit: Sunwoda The registrations of Geely Sunwoda came after the three parent companies signed an agreement in late July to build a joint venture engaging in the development, production, and sales of hybrid power battery cells, battery modules, and battery packs. According to the government of Zaozhuang, Geely-Sunwoda power battery project involves an investment of over 5 billion yuan ($774.378 million) and will mainly manufacture power battery packs for HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles) and vehicles fitted with the 48-volt systems. It can initially produce no less than 600,000 battery packs a year at full capacity. Then the annual capacity will be boosted to more than 800,000 in the next phase. Geely Auto Group said the joint venture will utilize the strength, resources, and expertise of all parties in the local manufacturing of NEV batteries, so as to ensure a stable battery supply for Geely Auto and its subsidiaries, and help Geely effectively decrease costs. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- GAC Motor, the wholly-owned PV subsidiary of GAC Group, and the global automaker Stellantis held a ceremony on Sept. 26 for the export of 770 SUVs to Mexico, according to a post on GAC Motor's WeChat account. GAC Motor's SUVs to be exported to Mexico; photo credit: GAC Motor Those SUVs were manufactured at GAC Motor's Hangzhou plant, while will be sold in Mexico tagged with Stellantis' Dodge brand. Under the partnership of the two automakers, cumulative vehicle exports are expected to reach 4,000 units by the end of this year. Under GAC Group's globalization strategy, Mexico has been regarded as an important market for the business expansion in America due to its massive consumer group and huge market potential on car shopping. GAC Motor International Limited started an investigation into Mexican market in 2019 and formed a strategic partnership with Stellantis to sell products abroad bearing the latter's marques. Through two-year joint efforts, the first cooperative cars will soon depart for Mexico under the name Dodge Journey. As one of the 15 brands owned by Stellantis, Dodge is a popular car brand in Mexico and has a mature local sales network. GAC Motor expects its products to be rapidly well received by local consumers by virtue of Mexican's familiarity to Dodge brand. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- French energy company TotalEnergies announced on Sept. 28 it has signed an agreement with China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG), a Chinese state-owned power company, to establish an electric mobility joint venture in China. Photo credit: TotalEnergies The 50/50 joint venture will develop electric vehicle (EV) high-power charging infrastructures and services within Central China's Hubei province, aiming to installing and operating more than 11,000 high-power charging points by 2025, according to TotalEnergies' statement. The joint venture will leverage TotalEnergies global expertise in electric mobility and CTG's capability in green energy production and supply. The two parties attempt to develop co-branded high-power charging hubs and standalone charging stations, which will be open to the general public and equipped with 60kW and 120kW charging piles. Moreover, the duo will also build the charging stations dedicated to B2B customers. To conform with their respective ambitions to carbon neutrality, the electricity used to power their joint energy network will be generated mostly from renewable energy sources. We share common and important visions with China Three Gorges the ambition to reach carbon neutrality, the undeniable willingness to push for renewable power and the enthusiasm to develop electric mobility, declared Alexis Vovk, President Marketing & Services at TotalEnergies. This partnership with CTG opens new doors to TotalEnergies for a long-term and widened cooperation with a leader of Chinas electric energy industry. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- On September 27, a pre-production satellite rolled off the assembly line at Geely's satellite manufacturing factory in Taizhou, Zhejiang province, marking the commencement of the scale production for Geely's commercial satellites, according to a post on the WeChat account of Geely Technology Group. Ceremony held to celebrate birth of first satellite at Taizhou Xingkong's plant; photo credit: Geely Technology Group The newborn satellite was developed in-house by Geespace, a subsidiary of Geely Technology Group, and manufactured by Taizhou Xingkong Intelligent Connectivity Technology Co.,Ltd. (Taizhou Xingkong), which is also controlled by Geely Technology Group. The plant of Taizhou Xingkong possesses China's first private capital funded smart AIT (assembly, integration and testing) center for pulsating modular satellites. It is also the country's first factory integrating volume production capabilities of both aero devices and automobiles. Besides, the factory adopts flexible production facilities to satisfy the assembly, integration, and testing for communications, navigation, remote sensing satellites in different specifications. The Taizhou-based plant will feature an annual capacity of 500 satellites, said Geely Technology Group. In February 2021, Taizhou Xingkong was approved by China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) to manufacture commercial satellites, the second one in the country to obtain such permit. Photo credit: Geely Holding As part of efforts to build a space-ground integrated mobility ecosystem, the development of commercial aerospace business will support Geely in many fields like future mobility service, intelligent manufacturing, UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) transportation, and city management. Geely said it is ambitious to use its low-orbit satellites to provide low-latency centimeter-level positioning service for such smart mobility applications as cloud-based vehicle management, autonomous driving, automatic parking, and low-altitude flights. Beijing (Gasgoo)- Chinas EV automaker startup HOZON Auto introduced its self-developed digitalized new model, the NETA S, during the World Internet Conference. the NETA S; photo credit: HOZON Auto The NETA S is the automakers first B-class digital electric sport-sedan powered by its self-developed architecture. The new model, equipped with HUAWEIs high computing power platform, features highway, urban road NOP function, and L4 autonomous driving application under various scenarios like vehicle parking and remote summon. The car is also equipped with two units of HUAWEIs auto-grade, high wiring harness, hybrid solid LiDAR that is highly vigilant to surrounding environments, allowing all-around real-time monitor of obstacles and passengers. Both extended range and battery-electric systems are optional with the NETA S, with 1,100 kilometers and 800 kilometers in mileage, respectively. The automakers HOZON EPT4.0 constant temperature battery management system can realize a 95% constant temperature ratio, guaranteeing power output while improving battery life. Notably, on the 18th China-ASEAN Expo, HOZON Auto unveiled a right rudder version of its NETA V model, announcing its plan to enter into the ASEAN new energy vehicle market. The NETA S will also be exported to Europe after being launched in 2022, as the automaker aims to be competitive internationally. Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Zhejiang Geely Holding Group (Geely Holding) expects to operate 5,000 smart battery swapping stations worldwide by 2025 through E-ENERGEE, the battery swapping service platform under Geely Technology Group, according to a post on Geely Holding's WeChat account. E-ENERGE's battery swapping station; photo credit: Geely Holding E-ENERGEE recently showcased its core technical components and solutions at an exhibition held in Beijing to display the achievements in the development of China's new energy vehicle (NEV) industry. For example, such parts as locking device and water-circulating fast-swap module all went through over 16,000 durability tests to guarantee 10 plus years of service life for battery swapping system; E-ENERGEE's self-developed 7-layer safety management solution is able to automatically eliminate hidden safety hazards within only 10 seconds. According to Geely Holding, E-ENERGEE offers an open platform which is compatible with multiple types of vehicles with wheelbases between 2,700mm and 3,100mm, and enables a battery swap to be completed within 60 seconds. E-ENERGEE has so far deployed battery swapping stations in more than 10 provinces and cites in China, including Tianjin, Chongqing, Zhejiang, Shandong, Jiangsu, Hunan, Hainan, and Anhui, only one year after the first one was launched in Chongqing. Geely Technology Group started the R&D of battery swapping technology platforms and battery swappable car architectures in 2017, and has already pumped several billion yuan. Through joint efforts of over 1,000 staff members and more than 30,000 tests, the company has obtained 1,000 plus patents related to battery swapping technologies, and built a full-chain open platform integrating vehicles, battery swapping stations, and electricity. Beijing (Gasgoo)- ByteDance, Chinas tech company owning the popular video platform TikTok, recently introduced its automotive cloud business and is reportedly in talks with an auto company about intelligent driving cloud services. photo credit: ByteDance Sources disclosed that ByteDance has been recruiting specialists from the cloud service departments of Amazon and JD.com for its own automotive cloud business. In the meantime, the company plans to team up with an automaking startup and an autonomous freight service provider regarding intelligent driving cloud service projects. The automotive cloud business of the company is reportedly to provide services in three major sectors, namely the IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS. As of now, the company gave a no comment on the matter. According to ByteDances current five-year business plan revealed by the source, the automotive cloud project is divided into two phases. First, from 2021 to 2022, the company intends to expand its overall cloud service portfolio, including vehicle to everything (V2X) cloud, autonomous driving cloud, and commercializing the cloud service as an add-on to its current products. Next, from 2023 to 2025, the company sets a target of matching Tencent in overall revenue. Additionally, in September last year, the company formed a V2X team as its first move into the auto-service-to-business territory. It is said there are roughly 50 people in its R&D team, in Beijing and Shanghai, and a product has already been released. The V2X platform integrates the entire contents ecosystem of the company, including TikTok, and adopts an AI context to voice TTS technology. The company has reached installation agreements with Geely and Changan Auto over the said platform. Hundreds of thousands of units have been installed now, a person close to the matter told a local media outlet. Moreover, the company has participated in the A-round investment of Chinas autonomous driving company QCraft, and the investee provides scenario and simulation capability to ByteDances automotive cloud. ByteDance is also negotiating with SAIC Groups mapping subsidiary, Heading Data Intelligence, which wants to receive ByteDances strategic investment or establish a joint venture. Notably, the founder of ByteDance, Zhang Yiming, emphasized the companys stance of not making cars during a conference with the V2X department in June. CHATSWORTH, Calif.North American adult industry trade association Free Speech Coalition (FSC) and talent organization the Adult Performer Advocacy Committee (APAC) have partnered to created a new resource for performers and other industry workers looking to address consent violations, harassment and racism on set. Dubbed the FSC Resolve Conflict Resolution Resource, the new initiative will serve to help industry workers navigate potential responses to on-set issues. We see this as the first step in a larger goal of creating a reporting and mediation system for the adult industry, says Free Speech Coalition CEO Michelle L. LeBlanc. We know the hurdles that sex workers and others face when addressing complaints, inside or outside our industry. By building a system that better addresses the needs of our workers, we can not only help them find justice, but can more easily identify bad actors before they harm someone else. Performers and crew so often feel powerless or without direction when theyre subject to, or witness to, abuse on set, says APAC boardmember Tim Woodman. We are delighted to finally have a tool that outlines options for any situation and empowers people in the adult industry to make choices that will best work for them. The Conflict Resolution Resource breaks down potential responses to on-set incidents into 16 categories, detailing the risks and benefits of each approach, and resources should the complainant want to move forward. Options include: Write It Down (Documenting the Event) Talk with a Crisis Counselor Talk to a Therapist Talk to a Lawyer Talk with FSC Pursue Conflict-Resolution Practices File a Complaint with the EEOC Post on Social Media Talk to the Press Call the Police The Conflict Resolution Resource is modeled on similar resources for reporting sexual assault, and was conceived, designed and reviewed by a mix of performers, lawyers, advocates, producers and other stakeholders from the adult industry. It does not recommend or advise against a specific course of action, but is intended to help someone who may be angry, upset, confused or in a state of trauma more clearly think through their options. This is an evolving project, says LeBlanc. While weve spoken with many people in the development of FSC Resolve, were eager to hear from the broader community about what would be effective for them. The FSC Conflict Resolution Resource can be found here. 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Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. The spokesperson's office of China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been engulfed with flowers and "thank you" cards sent by young people to appreciate the government's efforts to rescue and help Huawei's CFO, Meng Wanzhou, return to China safely. This has been seen by many Chinese as a major progress for China's diplomacy. Pictures of flower bouquets of various colors are shown in an article posted by the office on Monday. "The office is now a sea of roses in full bloom," said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, Hua Chunying, at Monday's press briefing noting that they were deeply moved by the gesture. "Thanks for all your efforts! You have done a hard work!" read one card attached to a rose bouquet. Hua said at the briefing that the flowers represent Chinese people's sincere support and recognition for the Party and the government for their ability to firmly defend the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and businesses, and represent the public sentiment and opinion. Meng's return on Saturday after being illegally detained for nearly three years in Canada has been met with cheers from the Chinese people, many of whom expressed their true pride for being Chinese and belong to a powerful and reliable country. The news of Meng's return to China received nearly 400 million likes on the online platform of the China Media Group on Saturday night alone. Citizens in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong Province, voluntarily gathered at the airport where Meng's plane landed holding "Welcome Home" banners. The unexpected and unprecedented power cut in three provinces in Northeast China - Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning - on Monday following reported electricity shortages have resulted in major disruptions to the daily lives of people and business operations, sparking growing concerns over the potential disruption of power supplies as demand booms ahead of the upcoming winter season. Power rationing in some parts of Northeast China, particularly in some residential communities without advance warning, has sparked public anger and growing debate over China's power supply. Some have questioned if the recent power cuts are an indication of a potentially large domestic gap in power supplies that could lead to an "energy crisis." While the power restrictions revealed many problems, including increasingly short supplies amid surging demand and prices as well as lack of coordination and execution by local officials, industry insiders sought to give assurances that the events were caused by multiple factors, including high coal prices, historically high demand and power cutting measures, but "China's energy supply capacity is so far adequate for meeting demand and that China has no energy crisis." In response to the power cut, the State Grid Corp, a major operator of electricity networks in China, on Monday pledged to ensure basic electricity demand for people's daily consumption are met and power cuts are avoided to the best of their abilities. The National Grid said that it is strengthening the unified dispatch of the entire power network, including exploiting the power transmission potential of inter-regional and inter-provincial channels. The power curb in the three provinces in Northeast China made it onto the hot search list of China's Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like social media platform, on Monday, drawing around 500 million viewers and over 230,000 comments as of press time. From Thursday onward, power rationing during peak hours occurred in many parts of Northeast China, including Shenyang, Changchun and other cities, after the region's entire power grid was in danger of collapse, according to media reports. The lack of electricity has not only restricted industrial production, but has also had some impact on local residents, the Global Times learned. Some netizens said that the power outage lasted for three days, and there was no signal on mobile phones, while some media reports showed that traffic lights on the main roads of Shenyang, capital city of Liaoning, could not operate normally, and some shops could only operate with candles. Furthermore, potential contamination caused by blast furnace gas reportedly took place on Sunday in a steel production company in Liaoning after regional power was cut, causing 23 injuries, media reported on Monday. Analysts said that blackout in residential areas should not be regarded as a form of power control, and even less so as the "dual control" goal on the country's total energy consumption and intensity, which is the broad consensus from civil society to the government. This is actually a game between central and local governments, a macroeconomy analyst, who declined to be named, told the Global Times on Monday. "The 'dual energy control' target has been implemented for many years. As far as I know, this year's implementation has been the strictest and there is no room for negotiation. Local governments may have been anticipating some relaxation of energy consumption quotas in an effort to bolster economic growth. But in fact, the central government is very determined to achieve the dual carbon goal and achieve green development," the macroeconomist said. China's top economic planner, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), published on August 12 a record of the achievements in "dual control" targets by province and region for the first half of 2021. The findings serve as a wake-up call for local governments in achieving energy consumption and intensity reduction goals, and have been likened to "a student finishing his assignment right before the deadline." Achieving "dual control" targets has affected local economic performances, resulting in some resistance from local governments, Zhang Xiaorong, director of the Beijing-based Cutting-Edge Technology Research Institute, told the Global Times on Monday. He also mentioned that coal prices are soaring while electricity prices are not, which means that power plants are not willing to produce electricity as every kilowatt of power produced results in a loss. "Due to the lack of energy control and upgrading in the early stages, as the assessment of the central government approaches, some local governments took extreme measures, including restricting residential electricity consumption," the macroeconomist noted. The power cut has not only occurred in Northeast China, but also dozens of other provinces including East China's Jiangsu and South China's Guangdong, manufacturing hubs for much-needed products around the world, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Jiangsu and Guangdong both fared badly on NDRC's barometer, failing to achieve both energy consumption and intensity reduction targets. A textile factory in Jiangsu received a notice to cut power completely from mid-September to early October, in what could be one of the longest power cuts for the company, a manager told the Global Times on Monday. The power cut has caused 500 workers to go off work in a month-long paid time off, and orders for both domestic and overseas markets have been rescheduled or canceled, the manager said, indicating that the potential losses for the company could be huge. Other measures include supporting power generation enterprises, which experts said could be an indication of possible subsidies to power plants to help them ease the cost of high coal prices, as high coal prices have become a disincentive factor for generating more power. Statistics showed that China has abundant electricity supply, with installed power generation capacity reaching 2.2 billion kilowatts. "The challenge for China is that demand for electricity is increasing, but so are efforts on 'double control' and 'dual carbon' goals. But it just reflects the strong momentum and vitality of China's economic growth after the COVID-19 epidemic, as well as the huge efforts China has made on carbon emissions," an industry insider in the new-energy sector surnamed Qi told the Global Times on Monday. According to data released by the NDRC, from January to August in 2021, electricity consumption in China totaled 5.4704 trillion kilowatt-hours, up 13.8 percent year-on-year, the largest growth since 2003. Achieving China's "dual carbon" goals is a broad and profound systemic, economic and social change that will have huge impact on the current economic growth rate and structure, said analysts. "The adjustment of energy structure should be an orderly and stable process that will surely take time. It can't be done in a short period of time. That's why China has set the target of reaching carbon peak by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060," Qi remarked. In the decade from 2010 to 2020, the share of coal consumption in China's total energy consumption dropped from 69.2 percent to 56.7 percent, while the proportion of clean energy consumption increased from 13.4 percent to 24.4 percent, according to statistics from the National Energy Administration (NEA). China ranks first in the world in terms of scale of renewable energy development and utilization, and China has built the world's largest clean energy generation system, Guo Zhi, chief economist of NEA, said on Sunday at the Zhongguancun Forum. As of July, China's installed non-fossil energy capacity reached 1.03 billion kilowatts, including 380 million kilowatts of hydro power, 290 million kilowatts of wind power, 270 million kilowatts of solar power and 53.26 million kilowatts of nuclear power, said Guo. "At present, the use and distribution of electricity in China is basically decided by local governments. Since the marketization of the national economy is very high, the lack of connection between the two systems will definitely lead to some inefficiency and confusion, and solving this big contradiction should be the main direction of our efforts to improve the efficiency of electricity use," an energy sector insider told the Global Times on Monday. He noted that electricity prices should be graded according to consumption, just as tax is, and that there is huge space for adjustment of off-peak electricity. The NDRC issued a document in July to establish a peak electricity pricing mechanism, stating that peak price should be at least 20 percent more expensive than the basic price. Analysts urged Chinese authorities to establish an electricity system that is efficient, people-oriented, easily adjustable, and strong enough to prevent systemic risks. Amid the electricity shortage, some have claimed that the disruption of trade with Australia could be one of the reasons for the tightened supply, speculation that has been denied by industry insiders. Australian coal accounts for only 3 percent of total coal consumption in China, the Global Times learned from several industry insiders. "Two-thirds of the shortfall of Australian coal has been made up by increased imports from Indonesia, South Africa and the US. At the same time, coal imports accounted for less than 10 percent of the total coal consumption in China. The fundamental reason for the coal gap is a result of surging domestic demand and carbon reduction controls," an industry insider told the Global Times on Monday on condition of anonymity. China suspended imports of Australian coal from October 2020, so it is ridiculous to say that the shortage is a result of the absence of Australian coal, the insider said. Given the big picture of China's aim of cutting carbon emissions and upgrading industry, the proportion of imported coal in total energy consumption will only shrink further, experts said. "An elephant never forgets" is an English proverb. WXC, 721 by Vegan Vet Arielle | May 30, 2019 Todays Small Memories My dear strong but very elderly and proud French Mum died today 2 years ago as she wanted it in her bed at home the bed she had had all her life, with her 3 daughters and loving husband with her. It was both beautiful and emotional to witness and every year around this time I wonder why a small grey cloud hangs over me. The little cloud is a reminder of the time spent caring for my elderly Mum before she died as she cared for me in her life and I know that from today, I can look forward and be happier. The yearly cycle of grief seems to be one that is not unique to us, but to elephants too. My Dad told me about a recent talk he had been to given by the wife of deceased conservationist Lawrence Antony where a herd of elephants had been rehomed by Lawrence Antony and they returned from the bush to his home exactly a year after his death to mourn quietly as a herd together and remember him. I found this clip about this remarkable man who had a passion to help these incredible animals Lawrence Anthony was born on September 17 1950 in Johannesburg, where his grandfather, a miner from Berwick-upon-Tweed, had emigrated in the 1920s to work in the gold mines. His father founded an insurance business and, as he established new offices around southern Africa, Lawrence was brought up in a series of small towns in rural Rhodesia, Zambia, Malawi and finally Zululand, South Africa. Anthony followed his father into the insurance business and later worked in property development. But his heart was always in the African bush he had loved as a child. He became involved in working with Zulu tribespeople to try to rebuild their historical relationship with the bush, and in the mid-1990s he decided to turn his hobby into a career, buying the 5,000-acre Thula Thula game reserve in KwaZulu-Natal. Subsequently he founded the Earth Organisation, a conservation group that encourages pragmatic local action, and was instrumental in the creation of two new reserves, the Royal Zulu Biosphere in Zululand and the Mayibuye Game Reserve in Kwa Ximba, which provide local people with jobs and income through tourism, while helping to secure the future of the regions wildlife from creeping development. Elephants had never been part of Anthonys plan for Thula Thula, but in 1999 he was telephoned by a conservation organisation which asked whether he would be willing to take on a herd of nine animals which had escaped from every enclosure they had ever been in, wreaking havoc across KwaZulu-Natal, and were considered highly dangerous. Realising that the elephants would be shot if he declined, Anthony agreed to give them a home. They were a difficult bunch, no question about it, he recalled. Delinquents every one. But I could see a lot of good in them too. Theyd had a tough time and were all scared, and yet they were looking after one another, trying to protect one another. Anthony decided to treat the elephants as errant children, working to persuade them, through words and gestures, that they should not behave badly and that they could trust him. He concentrated his attention on Nana, the matriarch of the herd: Id go down to the fence and Id plead with Nana not to break it down, he said. I knew she didnt understand English, but I hoped shed understand by the tone of my voice and my body language what I was saying. And one morning, instead of trying to break the fence down, she just stood there. Then she put her trunk through the fence towards me. I knew she wanted to touch me. That was a turning point. Soon they were allowed out into the reserve. Anthony and his wife, Francoise, became so close to the elephants that on some occasions they almost had to chase them out of their living room. Days after Nana gave birth to a son, she emerged from the bush to show off the newborn to her human friend. A few years later, after Anthonys first grandchild was born, he returned the compliment, though he recalled that it was some time before his daughter-in-law would speak to him again. He told the story of the elephants in The Elephant Whisperer (2009, also co-written with Graham Spence). Our cruise ship had two planned stops in Egypt: Port Said and Alexandria. Neither is close to Cairo. As a matter of fact, they and Cairo form almost an equilateral triangle: the land distance between any two of them is just a tad over 200 kilometers. (The earliest Egyptian pyramids were step pyramids.) Our research before the trip told us there wasn't much to see in Port Said. Port Said is a big city; of course there are things worth seeing there. But there are more things to see in Cairo; there are the pyramids in Cairo. We needed to get to Cairo and didn't have time for Port Said. Human beings are strange in the sense that they almost always need some excuse for anything. Animals dont need excuses for anything; just humans. We knew there must be things worth seeing in Port Said. But we needed to rush to Cairo. The writings on the internet that said there wasnt anything to see in Port Said thus served as our excuse to not spend any time there. Human obsession with excuses may be just a mind trick that we play on ourselves in order to avoid regret; regret makes us unhappy; we don't like to be unhappy. To make others less happy is a crime. To make ourselves unhappy is where all crime starts. Roger Ebert should know; the guy made a living out of watching movies! (The Great Pyramid of Giza was once covered in highly polished white limestone. A huge earthquake in 1303 AD loosened many of the pyramid's outer casing stones. These stones were carted away to be use as material for building mosques and fortress in nearby Cairo.) Writings on the internet by those who had done the route also indicated that most people chose to go to Cairo from Port Said, stay in Cairo overnight and then rejoin the ship in Alexandria the next day. We decided to adopt the same strategy. As always, we decided not to go with the ship-sponsored excursion, but booked our trip instead with a tourist agency on our own. Ship-sponsored excursions can be highway robbery. We went to Aruba on our most recent cruise. Round trip bus fare between the harbor and California Lighthouse at the northern tip of the island, with that most beautiful public beach at the foot of the hill whereupon the lighthouse stands, cost the three of us a grand total of $15. A family of six we got to know on the trip went with the ship-sponsored excursion. They paid a ransom, maybe not a ransom but a lot more than us, just for their transportation to Palm Beach and back; and get this, they also had to pay an extra $20 apiece for entrance to the resort-owned beach. Aruba's motto is one happy island. We know we were one happy family when we were there; we aren't totally sure that that family was happy when they found out that they got ripped off. We chose Nile Blue Tours as our travel agent for the Cairo trip based on comments on the internet. To those cruise ship passengers going the Port-Said-to-Cairo-to-Alexandria route, Nile Blue, for similar prices, offers two alternative Cairo excursion plans. The two plans share some major features, such as a tour of the pyramids, visiting the famous Cairo Museum and an optional dinner cruise on the Nile. But they also differ in that one is a bit Islamocentric, which covers such tourist favorites as the Mohammad Ali Mosque, while the other is Christian-flavored and concentrates instead on Coptic Cairo. We had seen enough Christian culture on our trips to places like Rome, London and Paris. Well, maybe we hadn't quite seen enough; but we really hadn't seen any major Islamic historical/cultural sites yet. We had been in Turkey, but our entire stay there was devoted to visiting St. Mary's little house in the hills, Ephesus and St. John's Cathedral, none of which had anything remotely to do with Islam. We were going to Egypt; we wanted to see Islam. So we chose Mohammad Ali Mosque over Coptic Cairo. The Whitelake River flows through Worthy Farm in Somerset, UK, home to the massive Glastonbury music festival. Turns out that festivalgoers' public urination at the site has caused the river to briefly flow with high levels of cocaine and MDMA that could harm the critically endangered European eels that live there. From CNN: Christian Dunn, a professor in wetland science at Bangor University, who led the study, told CNN Tuesday that the levels of illegal drugs were "high enough to be classed as environmentally damaging," although he added the caveat that levels "decline pretty quickly after Glastonbury has finished."[] The researchers said the increase in drug levels had come from festival goers urinating in public, causing the chemicals to eventually enter the river which happens particularly quickly in wet weather conditions. "This has highlighted the fact that stopping public urination is so important," Dunn said. "Not just for the traditional pollutants, which we've kind of known about, but for these these types of pollutants, which we're only now really just becoming aware of pharmaceutical waste, illicit drug waste these are important." The great primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall, 87, has just launched a new initiative called Trees for Jane to restore the world's forests and help stop climate change. For years, Jane has spoken publicly about the possibility that there may be undiscovered primates hiding in remote locations around the globe. In a new GQ interview, she responds to a question about the existence of Bigfoot: I have a silly question, if you'll indulge me, and I'm sure you know where this is going. You've said you're not ruling out that Bigfoot exists. For various reasons. And I'll tell you one, my most striking one. I was in Ecuador. We'd flown for two solid hours over unbroken forest in a small plane and we visited four tiny little communities. 30 to 50 people, no roads, and they communicate with each other by means of like in the old daysit was the town crier, but these are hunters actually, and they carry the news from one village to another and letters and things like that. So I had an interpreter and I said to him, "When you next meet one of these hunters, could you ask if they've ever seen a monkey without a tail?" Three of the hunters came back and said, "Oh yes. We've seen monkeys without tails. They walk upright and they're about six foot tall." Oh wow. Now this was an interpreter from the village. He knew nothing about Bigfoot, nothing at all. Every single country has its version. Yeti, Yowie in Australia, Wild Man in China. So I don't know if it's perhaps a myth that stems from maybe the last of the Neanderthals. But then is the last of the Neanderthals still living in these remote forests? I don't know. But I'm not going to say it doesn't exist and I'm not going to say people who believe in it are stupid. Seoul has sky-high real-estate prices, rising inequity, and incredibly important "goshi" tests that determine admittance to valued jobs in law or civil service. Students want somewhere to retreat for months to study, but since land is at a premium, there's a big market for "goshiwon", teensy apartments that fit a single human body and not much elsetypically about 50 square feet, "almost a tenth of a North American studio apartment". The Canadian writer Julladonna Park went to live in a goshiwon and wrote a terrific essay on what it was like: My room was two meters high and two meters long; it was hardly a meter wide, so that I could place one fingertip on the wall to the opposite side with surprising ease. It would have been impossible to spread out my arms and legs within the confines of the wall, even if I did away with the bed, the glass-paned shower stall, toilet, and sink, the table above the mini-fridge, the cabinets above the table, and the TV that came without asking. [snip] There was no room for guests. No room for any kind of exercise, not even jumping up and down in one place. No room in the mini-fridge for anything aside from a day's worth of snacks and a carton of milk. No room for the trendy clothes that others were wearing. No room for knick-knacks and souvenirs. Mostly I lived inside my head, in my dreams, and in my screens. The sheer mechanics were pretty miserable. In his first week, Park accidentally smashed several plates and knickknacks just by, like, moving around. But the psychological effects he notes were just as interesting The bizarre thing about living in 50 square feet of space was that it didn't change me; rather, I became the most extreme version of myself. Really fascinating readgo check the whole thing out! Women walk in front of a blast wall wearing a traditional burka They were the trailblazers of women's rights in Afghanistan. They were the staunch defenders of the law, seeking justice for their country's most marginalised. But now, more than 220 female Afghan judges are in hiding due to fear of retribution under Taliban rule. Six former female judges spoke to the BBC from secret locations across Afghanistan. All of their names have been changed for their safety. Throughout her career as a judge, Masooma has convicted hundreds of men for violence against women, including rape, murder and torture. But just days after the Taliban took control of her city and thousands of convicted criminals were released from prison, the death threats began. Text messages, voice notes and unknown numbers began bombarding her phone. "It was midnight when we heard the Taliban had freed all the prisoners from jail," says Masooma. "Immediately we fled. We left our home and everything behind." One woman weeps at a protest against the interim government being all male In the past 20 years, 270 women have sat as judges in Afghanistan. As some of the most powerful and prominent women in the country, they are known public figures. "Travelling by car out of the city, I wore a burka, so no-one would recognise me. Fortunately, we made it past all the Taliban checkpoints." Shortly after they left, her neighbours texted her to say several members of the Taliban had arrived at her old house. Masooma says that as soon as they described the men, she knew who was looking for her. Taliban fighters approach female protesters in Kabul Several months ago, prior to the Taliban takeover, Masooma was ruling over a case investigating a member of the group for brutally murdering his wife. Upon finding him guilty, Masooma sentenced the man to 20 years in prison. "I can still see the image of that young woman in my mind. It was a brutal crime," says Masooma. "After the case was over, the criminal approached me and said: 'When I get out of prison, I will do to you what I did to my wife.' "At the time I didn't take him seriously. But since the Taliban took power, he has called me many times and said he has taken all of my information from the court offices. Story continues "He told me: 'I will find you and have my revenge.'" At least 220 former female judges are known to currently be in hiding across Afghanistan, a BBC investigation has found. Speaking to six former judges from different provinces, their testimonies of the past five weeks were almost identical. All have received death threats from members of the Taliban whom they previously committed to prison. Four named specific men whom they sentenced for murdering their wives. All have changed their phone number at least once due to receiving death threats. They are all currently living in hiding, moving locations every few days. They all also said their former homes had been visited by members of the Taliban. Their neighbours and friends reported being questioned as to their whereabouts. In response to the accusations, Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi told the BBC: "Female judges should live like any other family without fear. No-one should threaten them. Our special military units are obliged to investigate such complaints and act if there is a violation." He also repeated the Taliban's promise of a "general amnesty" for all former government workers across Afghanistan: "Our general amnesty is sincere. But if some wish to file a case to leave the country, our request is that they do not do this and they stay in their country." During the mass release of prisoners, many criminals not associated with the Taliban were also released. With regards to the security of female judges, Mr Karimi also said: "In the case of drug traffickers, mafia members, our intention is to destroy them. Our action against them will be serious." Taliban fighters on guard outside Kabul aiport As highly educated women, these judges were previously the main breadwinner for their families. But now, with their salaries stopped and their bank accounts frozen, they have all been reduced to living off hand-outs from their relatives. For more than three decades, Judge Sanaa investigated cases of violence against women and children. She says the majority of her cases involved convicting members of the Taliban as well as militant group Isis. "I have received more than 20 threatening phone calls from former inmates who have now been released." She is currently in hiding with more than a dozen family members. Only once has one of her male relatives returned to their former family home. But as he was packing some clothes, the Taliban arrived at the house in several cars full of armed men, led by a commander. "I opened the door. They asked me whether this was the judge's house," he says. "When I said I didn't know where she was, they threw me on the stairs. One of them hit me with the butt of his gun and started beating me. My nose and mouth were covered in blood." After the armed men left, Sanaa's relative took himself to hospital. "I told another relative we must keep changing the house where my sister is staying. There is no other way out now. We can't escape to any other country, even Pakistan." Fighting for women's rights For decades, Afghanistan has continued to rank as one of the hardest countries in the world. According to Human Rights Watch, an estimated 87% of women and girls will experience abuse during their lifetime. But this community of judges, by working to uphold the country's former laws which aimed to support women, have helped to advocate for the idea that violence against women and girls is a punishable criminal offence. This includes charging individuals in cases of rape, torture, forced marriage, as well as in cases where women were prohibited from owning property or going to work or school. As some of the most prominent female public figures in their country, all six say they have faced harassment throughout their careers, long before the Taliban took full control. "I wanted to serve my country, that's why I became a judge," says Asma, speaking from a safe house. "In the family affairs court, I dealt mostly with cases involving women who wanted a divorce or separation from members of the Taliban. "This posed a real threat to us. Once, the Taliban even launched rockets at the court. "We also lost one of our best friends and judges. She disappeared on her way home from work. Only later was her body discovered." No-one was ever charged for the disappeared judge's murder. At the time, local Taliban leaders denied any involvement. Afghan girls in school prior to the Taliban takeover How draconian Afghanistan's new leadership will be regarding women's rights is still yet to fully unfold. But so far the outlook is grim. An all-male acting cabinet with no appointment to oversee women's affairs has already been announced, while in schools, the education ministry has ordered male teachers and pupils go back to work, but not female staff or students. On behalf of the Taliban, Mr Karimi said he could not yet comment on whether there would be roles for female judges in the future: "The working conditions and opportunities for women are still being discussed." So far, more than 100,000 people have been evacuated from the country. All six judges say they are currently looking for a way out - but not only do they lack access to funds, they say not all members of their immediate families have passports. Former Afghan judge Marzia Babakarkhail, who now lives in the UK, has been advocating for the urgent evacuation of all former female judges. She says it's important not to forget those living in Afghanistan's most rural provinces far from the country's capital, Kabul. "It breaks my heart when I receive a call from one of the judges from the villages saying: 'Marzia, what should we do? Where should we go? We will be in our graves soon.' "There is still some access to the media and the internet in Kabul. The judges there still have some voice, but in the rural provinces, they have nothing." "Many of these judges don't have a passport or the correct paperwork to apply to leave. But they cannot be forgotten. They are also in grave danger." A blast wall in Kabul painted by local artists Several countries, including New Zealand and the United Kingdom, have said they will offer some support. But when this help will arrive or how many judges it will include is yet to be confirmed. Judge Masooma says she fears such promises of help will not arrive in time. "Sometimes I think, what is our crime? Being educated? Trying to help women and punish criminals? "I love my country. But now I am a prisoner. We have no money. We cannot leave the house. "I look at my young son and I don't know how to explain to him why he can't talk to other children or play out in the hall. He's already traumatised. "I can only pray for the day when we will be free again." Additional reporting from Ahmad Khalid. You may also been interested in: Northampton, MA --News Direct-- Xylem Inc. Pictured here, Nurdianto, a member of Mercy Corps Disaster Recovery team, helps distribute critical aid including, clean water, food, shelter kits, hygiene supplies and other essentials. I have experienced how it felt when we lost almost everything so I know how difficult it is for the communities to keep surviving during this difficult year. Those are the words of Nurdianto, a Mercy Corps team member from Indonesia. Nurdianto knows what its like to lose almost everything. A survivor of the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, he has dedicated his life to partnering with disaster-struck communities to support them in rebuilding their lives. Every year, millions of people are displaced as a result of their exposure to disasters, including violent conflict, political upheaval and extreme weather patterns. Amid these challenging circumstances, our Xylem Watermark partner, Mercy Corps, brings emergency, life-changing relief to those who need it most in more than 40 countries around the world. Regardless of the cause, the human toll of disasters is often the same: families uprooted; children unable to attend school; people struggling to survive without shelter, food or clean water. The global COVID-19 pandemic has further compounded their problems. Maintaining good hygiene and preventing the spread of the virus amongst displaced populations is often difficult as evacuation sites lack basic handwashing facilities, access to clean water and items for sanitation and hygiene. The majority of Mercy Corps global team members are from the countries in which they serve and are witnessing first-hand how the virus is disrupting their communities. Their teams are continuously adapting to implement measures to stop the spread of infection, such as the need to limit movement and crowds gathering, promote good hygiene practices and coordinate efforts with local governments. For displaced communities, access to water is a daily struggle. We feel privileged to work with partners like Mercy Corps to support their efforts to bring critical aid to families in dire need, and to help communities prepare for future water-related crises. Story continues Making Waves connected with Mercy Corps to hear about the humanitarians providing help and the individuals receiving critical aid, to learn how theyve coped through these challenging times. Partnering with disaster-struck communities in Indonesia In Indonesia, tens of thousands of people have been living in temporary shelters since 2018, when a 7.4magnitude earthquake destroyed communities and triggered a tsunami. In January 2021, they experienced further devastation when a series of deadly disasters struck, culminating in a devastating 6.2magnitude earthquake. Nurdianto, Mercy Corps Disaster Recovery Deputy Program Manager, was deployed to West Sulawesi to help those affected by the earthquake. Despite the purpose he finds in humanitarian service, Nurdianto is also human. Like many other aid workers during the pandemic, Nurdianto grapples with the reality that his work may put him at a greater risk for contracting COVID19. One of the biggest challenges is that our West Sulawesi Earthquake Response is in a Red Zone Indonesias highest risk rating for COVID19. Here, many people are living in crowded tents after the earthquake, making it impossible to social distance, he shared. Despite the risks, the Mercy Corps team responded quickly in the aftermath of the earthquake to distribute critical aid, including clean water, food, shelter kits, and hygiene supplies. Emergency response to support Nigerias displaced communities Since Boko Harams armed rebellion against their government in 2009, north-eastern Nigeria has been devastated. 81% of Nigerias population has been displaced and are now living in camps. In Damboa, the crisis has impacted access to essential water, sanitation, and hygiene services, and this continues to be a challenge. Xylem Watermarks Emergency WASH Fund has supported Mercy Corps in their efforts to secure safe water for residents like Hauwa (pictured, left) to drink, clean and bathe, including through undertaking water quality checks. Across the world, millions of displaced people lack access to lighting which is a critical factor in accessing water and sanitation (WASH) facilities safely at night. With Mercy Corps support, large numbers in the Damboa camp now have access to a solar rechargeable lantern, to help them safely access WASH facilities, as well as hygiene kits to help fight the spread of COVID-19. Five years ago, we were displaced. The house where I stay with my children leaks and we dont have enough food that will carry us for a month... The clean water protects us from disease. Without water we cannot survive. Hauwa Madu, who lives in a displacement camp in Damboa, Nigeria. The stories from Nurdianto and Hauwa give us a glimpse of what life is like when disasters strike, and lives are turned upside down. And the need for support from partners like Mercy Corps is increasing worldwide. The Global Report on Internal Displacement revealed that in 2020, despite the pandemic, the number of people displaced from their homes reached a 10-year high, with natural disasters being the culprit for more and more lives being disrupted. When disaster strikes, Mercy Corps does everything we can to rapidly mobilize our teams and respond quickly and effectively. Our ability to act at a moment's notice can make all the difference in addressing the urgent water and WASH needs of communities. It is critical that we partner with donors who provide flexible and immediate funding in these times. Together with our partners, we're working with communities to rebuild and strengthen resilience to crisis for the long-term and create a world where everyone can prosper. Adrienne Karecki, Chief Development and Marketing Officer, Mercy Corps. The mission of Watermark, Xylems corporate social responsibility program, is to provide education and equitable access to safe water to ensure healthy lives build resilient communities. Learn more about Xylem Watermarks work in disaster response and get involved in our global preparedness and volunteer efforts here. View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from Xylem Inc. on 3blmedia.com View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/mercy-corps-and-xylem-partnering-to-solve-water-for-crisis-affected-communities-around-the-world-928460597 USD $13.2MM to Accelerate Genetic Progress in Cattle Precision livestock company, Vytelle, secures USD $13.2MM Series A funding. Precision livestock company, Vytelle, secures USD $13.2MM Series A funding. KANSAS CITY, Missouri, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vytelle, a precision livestock company, is pleased to announce the closure of an oversubscribed Series A funding worth USD $13.2MM. Private equity firm Open Prairie, through the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, and Kansas-based Ag-tech VC, Fulcrum Global Capital co-led the round. The financing also included participation from new Midwest investors Serra Ventures, Innovation In Motion, and KCRise, as well as existing investor, UK-based Wheatsheaf Group. Vytelle's integrated technology platform combines Vytelle ADVANCE, a breakthrough in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology, with Vytelle SENSE, an animal performance data capture system, and Vytelle INSIGHT, an artificial intelligence based genetic analytics engine. The platform provides progressive cattle producers the technology to multiply the impact of elite livestock productivity and profitability, sustainably delivering more protein with fewer inputs. Vytelles integrated platform has seen rapid growth since its launch in 2020, currently serving cattle producers in 21 countries. "We are impressed with Vytelles track record of success in the IVF sector and look forward to implementing initiatives to further accelerate genetic progress with Vytelles data platforms for the benefit of ranchers and cattle operations throughout rural America, said Open Prairies founder and managing partner, Jim Schultz. Duane Cantrell, CEO of Fulcrum Global Capital added, Vytelles ability to scale globally is a game changer for the cattle industry to produce a more efficient and sustainable global cattle herd. The funding reflects the aggressive expansion strategy of the Kansas City-based company. The strategy includes propelling the IVF offering of Vytelle ADVANCE to strategic markets worldwide and investment in new ways to create more predictable genetic selections for global cattle operations. Weve been searching for another AgTech investment in the KC region with a large addressable market, proven traction, seasoned agriculture investors and experienced team. Kerryann and her team, board and investors exceed every measure and we are excited that our KC-based investors will be a part of this global/local growth story. Darcy Howe, founder, managing director, KCRise Fund. Story continues Our mission is clear, and we are grateful for the support of our investors who join us on our journey to ensure meat and milk are viable food choices for future generations. said Kerryann Kocher, CEO of Vytelle. About Vytelle Vytelle is a precision livestock company reshaping how cattle producers worldwide optimize their herds. Through Vytelles integrated technology platform, generations of genetic gains can be made in just a few years. This allows producers to sustainably deliver more protein with fewer inputs, helping to ensure meat and milk are viable, competitive food choices for future generations. For more information about Vytelle, please visit www.vytelle.com. About Open Prairie Based in the heartland of America with headquarters in Effingham, Illinois, Open Prairie is a multi-faceted private equity fund management firm with deep roots in rural America. For more than twenty years, Open Prairie has consistently focused on facilitating capital accessibility in underserved markets. The Open Prairie team has managed funds ranging from technology-based venture capital to farmland portfolios. Through its expertise across all functional business disciplines and an extensive network of professionals, Open Prairie collaborates with its portfolio companies to accelerate growth while providing top tier returns to its investors. For more information about Open Prairie, please visit www.openprairie.com. About the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund The Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund is an $81 million private equity fund licensed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC). With a collaborative partnership comprised of investors from Farm Credit institutions, commercial and community banks, strategics, family offices, and high net worth individuals committed to advancing rural America, the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund is focused on providing debt and equity capital of $2 - $10 million to growth companies in food and agriculture. For more information on the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, please visit www.openprairie.com. About Fulcrum Global Capital Fulcrum Global Capital (FGC) is an early-stage venture capital fund investing in companies and entrepreneurs disrupting the global food production industry through the agriculture, animal health, and agtech markets. FGC is especially interested in companies with technologies and approaches which increases yields, reduces food waste, and/or makes food safer and more transparent. Based out of the Kansas City area, FGC invests both within the U.S. and across the globe. More information on FGC can be found at www.fgcvc.com. About Wheatsheaf Group Wheatsheaf Group is an international investor in food and agriculture businesses. Wheatsheafs purpose is to rethink and re-shape how food is grown, produced, distributed and consumed, partnering with like-minded people to understand the complex interconnectedness of our agricultural ecosystem to manage its effects and enhance human health, our environment and enable producers to thrive. One of the largest and longest established investment teams in the sector, Wheatsheaf adopts a far-sighted perspective with the aim of developing innovative business models and to harness the insights and power of technology to identify, develop and scale up lasting solutions. Wheatsheaf is part of the Grosvenor Estate which represents the Grosvenor familys activities in food & agriculture, international urban property, the management of rural estates and support for philanthropic activities. For more information about Wheatsheaf, visit: www.wheatsheafgroup.com ABOUT KCRise KCRise Fund is a venture capital fund investing in high growth technology companies in Kansas and Western Missouri, building the pipeline of entrepreneurs, talent and customers to supercharge economic growth of the region. About Serra Ventures Serra Ventures is an early stage venture capital firm investing in technology companies in underserved geographies across the Midwest and West Coast. Sectors of focus include information technology, devices/instrumentation and agricultural technologies. The profile of an ideal startup is one that has just finished an accelerator program or has been through a round of seed funding to establish and prove a strong product-market fit. Serra Ventures, has offices in San Diego, Chicago and Champaign, Illinois. The managing partners are all former successful entrepreneurs who seek to serve their portfolio companies with real-world insight, hard work and a valuable network. In addition to capital, Serra works alongside its entrepreneurs in all areas of growth from strategic planning and partnerships, through business development and capital formation. As portfolio companies scale, Serra co-invests with leading venture firms across the Midwest and West Coast. For more information, visit www.serraventures.com. About iiM iiM was established to fill the gap in early-stage financing available to Seed Series A stage businesses in the animal health, human health and agricultural verticals. iiM investors have founded, grown and continue to build or have exited their own companies in these industries and bring active contacts, strategic relationships, and industry experience to their portfolio of 15 companies. Based in Merriam, Kansas, iiM invests throughout the United States and Canada. For more information about iiM please visit http://www.iimkc.com. Attachment CONTACT: Danielle Starr Vytelle +1 816 886 8363 danielle.starr@vytelle.com A Russian soldier stands beside a Buk missile system at the Donguz training range in southeast Russia last week. (Briar Stewart/CBC - image credit) On a remote, windswept stretch of the Russian steppe last week, a military official shouted into a microphone, giving play-by-play commentary as tanks, combat helicopters and fighter jets fired and bombed their way through a multi-nation exercise near the Kazakhstan border. It is one of several drills that Russia has staged in recent weeks alongside allies from central Asia. The latest one, which a CBC crew was invited to witness, took place between Sept. 20 and Sept. 24 at the Donguz training range in Russia's Orenburg region. Nine nations took part in the drills dubbed "Peace Mission-2021" including Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and China, all of which border Afghanistan. The exercises were partially focused on anti-terrorism operations, and officials with Russia's Ministry of Defence were eager for them to be publicized. While it is clear Russia is keen to show off its vast weaponry and military prowess, observers say the country is also sending a message. Just what that message is and who is meant to receive it is up for debate. Since the Taliban seized power in Kabul and ousted Afghanistan's government on Aug. 15, the militant group has tried to assure the international community it will run a stable government. But it has not renounced its ties with al-Qaeda, and there are concerns the takeover of Afghanistan could lead to a rise in terrorism in the region. Temur Umarov, a research consultant with the Carnegie Moscow Center, said Russia is broadcasting competing narratives through its public statements and its military exercises about the risk of threats from Afghanistan spilling beyond its borders. CBC He said on the one hand, Russia is projecting confidence in a bid to assure its citizens that it has the situation "under control." At the same time, officials are telling neighbouring countries that the risk emanating from Afghanistan is so great, they better fall into line with Moscow. Story continues "That narrative is that everything is unpredictable. The risks are higher ... and that is why everyone should co-operate," Umarov said. "That is why everyone should move their military closer together with Russia." Media spotlight The CBC crew travelled nearly 1,500 kilometres, onboard a military aircraft and later a bus, to the military training ground. At the site, soldiers dressed in full camouflage stood behind a table lined with deadly weapons, including sniper rifles and grenade launchers. Others stood beside Buk missile systems and drones, as journalists were invited to meander around and check out the equipment. Briar Stewart/CBC CBC attempted to speak to a handful of soldiers participating in the exercises, but none wanted to speak about Afghanistan, or what the Taliban takeover could mean for the region. Russia's foreign minister, Sergey Lavrov, spoke from the United Nations on Sept. 25, saying that international recognition of the Taliban is not currently on the table. Unlike most nations, which have closed their embassies in Kabul, Russia has kept operating in the Afghan capital. Alexei Leonkov, a Russian military writer who was along for the training trip, told CBC that the country is taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the Taliban. But he said there is hope the Russian government can have constructive relations with the militant group now in control of Afghanistan. However, when it comes to any threat of terrorism moving through Central Asian nations and encroaching on Russia's southern border, Leonkov says the country is being proactive and using drills like this one as a show of force. "Once again we remind some of those hotheads who lead these terrorist groups that it's not worth it to mess with Russia and her partners and allies," he said. Russia has seen its share of deadly terrorist attacks, including the 2002 hostage-taking at Moscow's Dubrovka Theater, which was seized by upwards of 50 Chechen Islamist militants, and resulted in the deaths of at least 170 people. In 2010, 40 people died at two subway stations in Moscow after attackers detonated suicide bombs. Terror suspects arrested Russian officials are quick to publicize any arrests of suspected extremists, including those from the Islamic State and al-Qaeda. During last week's military exercise, almost as if on cue, Russian officials announced that security services had detained 15 alleged terrorists operating in Yekaterinburg, a Russian city about 1,800 kilometres east of Moscow. Officials said the majority of the suspects were from countries in central Asia, and are accused of being Taliban supporters and trying to recruit locals to join their extremist network. Briar Stewart/CBC In a statement to the media, Russia's chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Valery Gerasimov, said the biggest concern is that terrorists could infiltrate neighbouring countries, making their way over borders that in some cases have been overwhelmed with Afghan refugees. Officials in Tajikistan, which borders Afghanistan to the northeast, said they have heard reports that some of its citizens who fought alongside the Taliban are making plans to cross back over. One area that's particularly difficult to secure is the 1,300-kilometre mountainous stretch separating Tajikistan from Afghanistan. In August, Russia staged a military drill there, just 20 kilometres from the Afghan border. Russia already has a base in Tajikistan, its largest on foreign soil. Earlier this month, Russian officials announced they are deploying 30 additional tanks there, as well as sending military equipment to the Tajikistan military. Influencing the neighbours Umarov said Russia is reluctant to get directly involved in Afghanistan, given the vivid memories of its disastrous nine-year war there during the 1980s. Briar Stewart/CBC Its only concern is to make sure its border is secure, he said, but it also sees the current political climate as an opportunity to strengthen military ties with its neighbours. "For years now, we have been witnessing how Russia's influence in central Asia is going down because of China's rise," he said. "And Russia has been concerned about that." Umarov said the country now sees a chance to expand its sway, by letting all of its neighbours know that it will be taking the lead when it comes to co-ordinating the defence of the region from any extremist threats. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray will be the pre-show host for this years Miss South Africa pageant, according to the local pageant's Facebook page. She will also join Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi as one of the backstage hosts during the coronation night on Oct. 16. In 2019, Gray was one of the judges of the local pageant. She was also as a judge in the Miss Universe Colombia pageant last year, and hosted the Bb. Pilipinas 2021 pageant in July. The Miss South Africa pageant selects the African nations representatives to Miss Universe, Miss World, and Miss Supranational. Meanwhile, the next Philippine representative to the Miss Universe pageant will be chosen on Sept. 30 in Bohol. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) Health Secretary Francisco Duque III compared COVID-19 test results taken from different days to back President Rodrigo Duterte's order to investigate Philippine Red Cross for alleged "false positive" results. He said all 49 people who underwent an RT-PCR test in the Red Cross laboratory in Subic received positive results on September 3. Three days later, they took another test in a different laboratory, where only five of the 49 were shown to be positive for COVID-19. "Nagduda po sila, so pumunta ngayon sila sa Medical City Clark Laboratory... 10 percent lang po compared sa 100 percent sa kabila," he said during a recorded speech on Monday. [Translated: They doubted the results so they went to the Medical City Clark Laboratory. Only 10% were positive compared to the 100% positive from the other laboratory.] Although RT-PCR tests are deemed as the "gold standard," local and international experts say no test is 100% accurate. DOH earlier said results could vary if they were taken on different dates. A study published in The Lancet Microbe showed an infected person's viral load is at the highest five days since the onset of symptoms. It generally goes down as time passes, eventually making it undetectable in RT-PCR tests. Duque said the final report of the Philippine Genome Center on Red Cross operations will be released on October 8. Last week, Duterte ordered an investigation to look into reports that COVID-19 tests conducted at the Philippine Red Cross, the humanitarian organization headed by his nemesis Senator Richard Gordon, produced inaccurate results. Gordon said the hospital personnel who initially got positive COVID-19 test results were retested, and the results were the same. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) A lawyer who now represents Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp. director Linconn Ong claims that he is now unable to reach his client while the Senate looks into controversies surrounding the government's top medical supplier. Ong's counsel, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, told CNN Philippines' The Source on Tuesday that his client first reached out to him over the weekend, but they last spoke to each other on Monday in Ong's detention room in the Senate building. However, Topacio said that he could not contact Ong anymore as of Tuesday, a day after his client declined to participate in the executive session with senators. "Actually we do not know (what happens to him now) because right after he refused to testify in the executive session, probably in retribution for that action, his phones were taken away from him and now I have no way of communicating with him," Topacio said. "This is ridiculous because Mr. (Richard) Gordon refuses to disclose his whereabouts in violation of the constitutional provision that no person should be held incommunicado or tortured," Topacio said. "What they are doing to my client is mental torture." READ: Pharmallys Linconn Ong retracts request for executive session The Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms on Tuesday released a footage showing Ong being allowed to take his morning walk within the Senate premises. Ong was set to be transferred to Pasay City Jail, but on Monday, he wrote to Gordon's blue ribbon committee that he will not participate in the closed-door session anymore, citing the advise of Topacio over concerns on the impartiality of the probe. Topacio reiterated that he is free to call the panel a "kangaroo forum" as Ong's counsel and as a citizen "who has freedom of expression to criticize public officials." He noted that prior to advising Ong to evade the closed-door session, his client already had concerns that he could be "brow-beaten and bullied" by senators for information. In a message on Tuesday, Gordon advised Topacio to instead "try to help us not be distracted by sideshows." Gordon ordered Ongs prison transfer on Friday after supposedly lying during the panels probe into the purchase of overpriced COVID-19 medical supplies. Lawmakers slammed the Pharmally official for his evasive manner in answering questions during hearings. Ong previously bared that former economic adviser Michael Yang loaned money to Pharmally to purchase medical supplies. Sen. Ping Lacson said in a television interview that the Senate can hold Ong under custody until it adjourns sine die or until the committee report on the issue has been finalized. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) The Philippines is now at the bottom of a study that measures economies' resilience and response to the COVID-19 crisis. The country is the lowest out of 53 nations with a score of 40.2 in Bloomberg's latest Covid Resilience Ranking released on Tuesday. This is one spot down from its 52nd ranking in the previous report. Other Southeast Asian countries Indonesia (52.4), Thailand (47.6), Malaysia (44.1), and Vietnam (43.7) rounded up the bottom five. "While the region's outbreak may have peaked, their export-reliant economies are still struggling from the hit," the international news agency said. The Philippine government has yet to comment on the new report, but Malacanang previously said the country is on its way to economic recovery amid the pandemic. Bloomberg's monthly ranking takes a look at the nations' coronavirus numbers, quality of life, and "reopening progress," which includes an area's state of vaccination and lockdown, as well as flight capacity of airlines. European countries took the top spots with Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Finland, and Denmark leading the pack. Pandemic lessons The report also highlighted some long-term lessons countries can learn from the pandemic. High-ranked economies have displayed a "widespread degree of government trust and societal compliance," Bloomberg said. The report also underscored the importance of investing in public health infrastructure as well as research and development. "Undervalued in many places before 2020, systems for contact tracing, effective testing and health education bolstered the countries that have performed consistently well in the ranking, helping socialize hand-washing and the wearing of face masks. This was key to avoiding economically crippling lockdowns in the first year, before vaccines were available," it added. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) Senator Joel Villanueva on Tuesday proposed the abolition of the COVID-19 Inter-Agency Task Force, saying its not working and that local government units are doing better in responding to the pandemic. I have a more radical idea on doing thisaddressing this COVID-19 pandemic. For quite a long time, nakita naman natin yung IATF wala e, its not working. Bakit hindi natin isipin na tanggalin na lang natin yung IATF, ibigay natin sa LGUs, Villanueva said during a hearing on the proposed 2022 budget of the Department of Trade and Industry. They know better and theyre doing better yung mga LGUs than the national government, he added. [Translation: I have a more radical idea on doing this addressing this COVID-19 pandemic. For quite a long time, weve seen that the IATF, nothing, its not working. Why not think of removing the IATF and giving its functions to LGUs...LGUs know better and theyre doing better than the national government.] Villanueva made the statements as Senators Sonny Angara and Imee Marcos lamented the continued implementation of curfew hours and tight restrictions on dine-in services even for fully vaccinated individuals. The IATF is the policy-making body in government's pandemic response. Trade Secretary Mon Lopez said he has been pushing for the relaxation of these rules during IATF meetings. Villanueva said while its work is appreciated, it may be time to abolish the IATF. I just hope that its also an option, Villanueva said. CNN Philippines has requested comment from Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, who also serves as spokesman of the IATF, on the matter but has yet to respond. (CNN) The heads of the Boston and Dallas Federal Reserve banks announced they would be retiring early amid backlash over personal investing decisions that raised conflict-of-interest concerns. Eric Rosengren, the Boston Fed chief, cited health concerns Monday in announcing he would step down about a year earlier than planned. He was set to retire in June next year but moved that date up to this Thursday. In a message to staff, he shared that he has a kidney condition and qualified for transplant last year. Making lifestyle changes now will delay the need for dialysis, according to the statement. Later Monday, Dallas Fed chief Robert Kaplan followed suit, saying in a statement that his retirement would take effect October 8. "The Federal Reserve is approaching a critical point in our economic recovery as it deliberates the future path of monetary policy. Unfortunately, the recent focus on my financial disclosure risks becoming a distraction to the Federal Reserve's execution of that vital work. For that reason, I have decided to retire as President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas," Kaplan said in the statement. The Fed officials have been under scrutiny over personal trades during the pandemic while the central bank was buying billions of dollars in assets every month to shore up financial markets. Lobbying group Better Markets called for both bank chiefs' resignation or removal over their trading activity. The group called Rosengren's early retirement "too little, too late" in a tweet Monday morning. The Boston Fed recently disclosed that Rosengren had investments and trades in the real estate industry. At the same time, the central bank was buying $40 billion worth of mortgage-backed securities each month to support the US economy during the pandemic. "This is clearly an issue that's being reviewed," said New York Fed President John Williams during an interview at the Economic Club of New York on Monday. "We need to have the public's trust." Fed Chairman Jerome Powell faced questions about the trading scandal during last week's press conference following the monetary policy update. But his responses weren't satisfactory according to Better Markets. "That stonewalling sends a terrible and demoralizing message to the staff of the Fed, while undermining its credibility with the biggest Wall Street banks the Fed is supposed to supervise and regulate," said the group's co-founder and CEO Dennis Kelleher last week. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Regional Fed chiefs step down after criticism over personal trades." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) An organization of hotel sales and marketing leaders has brought back its biggest online travel sale to help revive the pandemic-hit tourism industry, with 80 participating hotels and resorts offering up to 70% discount until October 15 this year. "We really wanted to help the industry. And we also want the people to know that the tourism is still alive and kicking, and of course, helping the displaced workers," Benjamin Martinez, president of the Hotel Sales and Marketing Association, told CNN Philippines' New Day on Tuesday. Martinez assured prospective vacationers that the employees of the participating hotels and resorts are "100% vaccinated" and are compliant with health protocols amid the pandemic. Called the September Online Sale, the event was launched on Sept. 15. Martinez said hotels and resorts sold 1,600 travel vouchers and grossed P1.9 million as of Monday. Some vouchers have one to two years validity, while others do not have expiration dates, he added. Those interested in buying travel vouchers could go to this website for more details. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 27) More than half of Filipinos believe that President Rodrigo Duterte's vice presidential run in the 2022 elections violates the intent of the Constitution, a recent survey showed. The Social Weather Stations survey made from June 23 to 26 this year found that 60% of Filipinos shared the view on Duterte's planned vice presidential candidacy. Majority of the survey respondents in each of the country's major regions have the same sentiment about the President's vice presidential bid, including Balance Luzon or the area outside Metro Manila with 65%, Visayas with 59%, Metro Manila with 56%, and Mindanao with 53%. Those with educational attainment also said that Duterte's vice presidential run would violate the Constitution, with the highest among elementary graduates with 70%, followed by college graduates with 61%, and junior high school graduates with 52%. Duterte also failed to gain support in his vice presidential candidacy in the survey among those who are not poor with 64%, borderline poor with 61%, and poor with 58%. Those against Dutertes vice presidential bid were highest among people very dissatisfied with his performance as President (88%), those somewhat dissatisfied (83%), undecided (81%), somewhat satisfied (62%), and very satisfied (42%). Duterte confirmed in his weekly national address last Aug. 25 that he will run for vice president in next year's elections. Days after the declaration, Duterte said he had decided to seek the post due to the lack of viable contenders in the vice presidential race. The President formally signed last Sept. 23 the Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance as the vice presidential candidate of his political party PDP-Laban. The 1987 Constitution does not categorically prohibit a sitting president from running for lower positions. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra previously said what is not allowed under the Constitution is for Duterte to run again as President. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) A senator turns the tables on President Rodrigo Duterte who questioned the Senate's choice of building contractor, which was apparently the preference of a government agency. In an attempt to attack Senator Richard Gordon again, Duterte said Hilmarc Construction Corporation, the contractor of the new Senate building under construction in Taguig City, has been investigated for its involvement in alleged rigged bidding. "Is this the same Hilmarc contractor that built the Iloilo Convention Center and the Makati City Hall Building II that the Senate also investigated during the last administration? Gusto ko rin malaman na sa iyo, Mr. Gordon. 'Yung dalawang building paki-report na rin sa tao," he said during his taped address on Monday. [Translation: I want to hear the answer from you, Mr. Gordon. Report to the public updates about the two buildings.] Lacson said Duterte should be directing his insinuations at the Department of Public Works and Highways, which was the procuring and implementing agency of the project. "President Duterte has been grossly misinformed, hence he barked up the wrong tree," he said in a statement. The lawmaker added, "It was the DPWH that prepared the Program Of Works, the Terms of Reference and all bid documents, conducted the bidding, awarded, prepared the contract, signed the contract, and issued the notice to proceed, including the cost of the building." Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) President Rodrigo Duterte expressed concern over the security pact signed by the United States and the United Kingdom with Australia over its acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines, the Palace said Tuesday. He said that this will be discussed in the full Cabinet meeting, although he expressed concern about a regional nuclear arms race, said his spokesman Harry Roque, when asked about the chief executives stand on AUKUS. CNN earlier reported that officials of the three countries have earlier insisted that the trilateral agreement is not specifically about China. The nations will likewise meet in the months ahead to coordinate on issues like advanced technologies and defense to help better address modern-day security challenges. During the latter part of Dutertes address which aired Tuesday morning, Roque said the Philippines adopts and pursues a nuclear weapon-free policy in its territory, as stated in the Constitution. He stressed that the country is also part of the Bangkok Treaty, where it stands firmly, along with the rest of the Association of Southeast Nations, against a nuclear arms race in the region. Karamihan po ng mga bansa sa Southeast Asia ay concerned doon sa dalawang bagay: na mas matitindi po yung magiging hidwaan, at pangalawa po ay importante po na hindi magkaroon ng, kumbaga, arms race sa rehiyon, said Roque. [Translation: Most of the countries in Southeast Asia are concerned over those two things: that tensions will further escalate, and that its important there wouldnt be a (nuclear) arms race in the region.] Earlier this month, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. welcomed Canberras move to come up with the trilateral partnership with Washington and London. 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, said Locsin. Locsin further explained that this enhancement of Australias military capacity through the deal would be beneficial in the long term even to the other side, noting the added time it affords all protagonists for reflection before reacting. For the Philippines, what is essential is Australias commitment to the primacy of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific and ASEAN-led mechanisms. None of these mechanisms are compromised, weakened or in conflict with the enhancement of Australias ability to respond; quite the contrary, said the countrys top diplomat. Locsin also affirmed the countrys aspiration for peace, security, stability and prosperity in the South China Sea. We are acutely aware of great power dynamics; with a sharp eye we will engage in practical and mutually beneficial cooperation aligned with the priority areas of the Outlook, he said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday lambasted anew the Senate probe into the governments purchase of medical supplies for COVID-19 response, this time saying the investigation is "more than martial law." His latest rant came days after the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee ordered the transfer of detained Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation director Linconn Ong to the Pasay City Jail for allegedly lying during hearings. On Monday morning, Senator Panfilo Lacson confirmed that the transfer did not push through. Ong is still under the custody of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms. Akala ko ba ayaw ng mga taong Pilipinas ng martial law? Eh tignan mo yung ginagawa ng Senado ngayon, it is just more than a martial law, Duterte said during his public address. [Translation: I thought people in the Philippines dont like martial law. But look at what the Senate is doing now. It is just more than a martial law.] Buti pa ang martial law, dalhin ka pa doon sa korte ng military (At least under martial law, youre brought to a military court) At least there is a court hearing, and the person accused is afforded the right to be heard, he added. The President also accused senators of sticking to preconceived ideas, adding it defeats the purpose of an investigation. Magtatanong kayo, kung ayaw ninyo ang sagot, magagalit kayo tapos you threaten, We will cite [you] in contempt and we can detain you forever. Is that how a civilized Congress works? Takutan ba ito? Duterte said. [Translation: You will ask, but you will get mad if you dont like the answer and you will threaten, We will cite you in contempt and we can detain you forever. Is that how a civilized Congress works? Are you resorting to intimidation?] The President earlier compared senators to Nazi interrogators, saying they bombard resource persons with questions during hearings. Duterte also reiterated that he is not defending Pharmally. The firm bagged at least seven contracts amounting to over 8.6 billion from the government despite having only 625,000 in capital. It is being investigated for supplying allegedly overpriced medical items amid the pandemic. Earlier, Pharmally official Krizle Grace Mago admitted that the company may have "swindled" the government following her testimony that the firm tampered the expiration dates of face shields intended for medical frontliners. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday that the government can use its police power to compel citizens to get vaccinated against COVID-19. In his pre-recorded speech, Duterte said this would specifically apply to Filipinos living in areas which has already received enough vaccine supply. I do not want to advance this theory, but under the police power of the state, everybody can be compelled to be vaccinated," he said. The president added that its not because the government rejects their beliefs or religion, but because of the pandemic all infected persons are a carrier and a danger to society. Duterte pointed out that normally, there is a separation between church and state but given the current threat of contracting COVID-19, police power may be needed to force more people to get inoculated. Itong police power of the state na hahawain mo kapwa tao mo, patayin mo [This police power of the state can be implemented if you pose a threat to other people] and maybe it would affect a large number of our people, then you are already a danger to society and therefore I said, contrary to the belief or opinion of others I can compel you under the police power of the state, he explained. The chief executive then warned government workers: get vaccinated against COVID-19 or leave public service. "Sa gobyerno, ayaw mong pabakuna, umalis ka. Go out of government, why? Because when you are with government you are, you face people," Duterte said during his address on Monday night. [Translation: Get out of government if you do not want to get vaccinated. Go out of government, why? Because when you are with government you are, you face people.] Duterte said that while he recognizes differences in personal beliefs when it comes to vaccines, it becomes "completely irrelevant" when considering public health and safety. If everybody does not comply with the vaccines, and we can have a... wildfire spread, then the police must go in and intervene in your private life so that you cannot be a danger to society, he added. Earlier, the President threatened to arrest Filipinos who refuse to get immunized against COVID-19. He also told unvaccinated individuals to avoid going out, even directing local officials to escort the spreaders back to their homes. In the same address, Duterte said more than 20.3 million Filipinos, or 26% of the country's eligible population, have been fully vaccinated. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) The Liberal Party (LP) on Tuesday bared its initial lineup of senatorial candidates for next year's polls, with familiar names seeking reelection. In a statement, the LP nominated incumbent senators Francis Pangilinan and Leila De Lima, and former senator Bam Aquino during its virtual National Executive Council meeting. The party also passed a resolution endorsing Senator Risa Hontiveros from Akbayan and human rights lawyer Chel Diokno as guest candidates. Pangilinan, De Lima, and Hontiveros earlier announced their plans for reelection in 2022. Diokno, on the other hand, will try his luck again after losing in the 2019 midterm elections. Meanwhile, Aquino has yet to announce his plans for next year's polls. Also during the meeting, the LP passed a resolution granting Vice President Leni Robredo full authority to initiate talks and create a united national slate of candidates for president, vice president, and senators. Robredo has called for a united opposition to challenge administration bets next year. She also said she is open to running for the highest post in the land if chosen by a unity ticket. (CNN) US President Joe Biden received his COVID-19 vaccine booster shot on Monday afternoon at the White House just days after booster doses were approved by federal health officials. "We know that to beat this pandemic and to save lives ... we need to get folks vaccinated," Biden said during remarks ahead of his shot. "So, please, please do the right thing. Please get these shots. It can save your life and it can save the lives of those around you." The President received his first two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine ahead of his inauguration in January. The 78-year-old President qualified for a booster dose since he received his second Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine more than six months ago and is in an eligible age group. The President said first lady Jill Biden would also be getting a booster shot soon but she was not present on Monday afternoon -- the President said she was teaching. The first lady is a professor at Northern Virginia Community College outside Washington. Biden joked on Monday about how he is "way over" the age of 65, which is part of the reason he is eligible for the shot. He said he didn't have any side effects after getting his first or second Covid-19 vaccine shots. "Boosters are important, but the most important thing we need to do is get more people vaccinated," Biden said. He noted that Americans who are fully vaccinated are already highly protected from severe illness, and urged people who have not gotten their first shots to do so as soon as possible. The President said: "The vast majority of Americans are doing the right thing. Over 77% of adults have gotten at least one shot. About 23% haven't gotten any shots, and that distinct minority is causing an awful lot of us an awful lot of damage for the rest of the country." "This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. That's why I'm moving forward with vaccination requirements wherever I can," Biden said. The President said on Wednesday he would be traveling to Chicago to speak about why he believes it is so important that more businesses are instituting their own vaccine requirements. Early Friday morning, US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky diverged from the agency's independent vaccine advisers to recommend boosters for a broader group of people -- those ages 18 to 64 who are at increased risk of Covid-19 because of their workplaces or institutional settings -- in addition to older adults, long-term care facility residents and some people with underlying health conditions. The CDC recommendation includes the recommendations made by its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices on Thursday when it voted to recommend boosters for people age 65 and older and residents of long-term care facilities who received the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine series at least six months ago, and people ages 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions. The CDC also endorsed the vaccine advisers' recommendation that people ages 18 to 49 with underlying medical conditions may receive a booster based on their individual benefits and risks. The US Food and Drug Administration last week gave emergency use authorization for a booster dose of Pfizer's Covid-19 vaccine in people 65 and older, people at high risk of severe disease and people whose jobs put them at risk of infection. Biden spoke last week about the next phase of his administration's plan to combat the Covid-19 pandemic and contain the Delta variant after the CDC issued its booster shot recommendations. He stressed all of the guidance about boosters was left to scientists and doctors to determine and that his administration has always led with the science. The President urged those eligible to get their booster shots as soon as possible and urged Americans to get their first shots if they have not already done so. Biden said the US already has all of the tools to beat the Covid-19 pandemic. White House Covid-19 response coordinator Jeff Zients said Friday the US had secured enough supply for every American to receive a Covid-19 booster shot and that up to 20 million Americans had already hit the six-month mark and are therefore already eligible for the shot. Zients said the Biden administration was prioritizing getting booster shots to the most vulnerable Americans particularly residents and staff at long-term care facilities as quickly as possible. Zients said eligible Americans would be able to receive a booster shot at roughly 80,000 locations across the country, including more than 40,000 local pharmacies. The booster shot rollout also comes as the US is set to significantly increase the number of Covid-19 vaccines it will ship to foreign nations beginning in 2022 in an effort to end the pandemic worldwide. Biden announced last week the US was purchasing an additional 500 million Pfizer Covid-19 vaccines to donate to low- and lower-middle-income countries around the world. These vaccines bring the United States' total to over 1.1 billion vaccines donated to other countries. (CNN) North Korea has fired an unidentified projectile into waters off the east coast of the Korean Peninsula, according to a statement from South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff. The projectile was fired around 6:40 a.m. local time Tuesday, the Joint Chiefs statement said, adding that the South Korean military is "maintaining a readiness posture" for potential "additional launches." South Korean intelligence authorities and the United States are analyzing the situation, the statement said. The news came just before North Korean representative Kim Song addressed the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where he lamented the divide between North and South Korea, and criticized the US presence in the region. "Inter-Korean relations have never come out of the shadow of US interference and obstruction," he said, citing Washington's close relationship with Seoul. Both North and South Korea tested ballistic missiles earlier this month, ratcheting up tensions exponentially in what was already one of the most volatile regions on the planet. Top North Korean official Kim Yo Jong -- sister of leader Kim Jong Un -- said last week that North Korea wanted to repair inter-Korean relations and floated the possibility of reinstalling the joint liaison office, which North Korea destroyed in last June. South Korea's Unification Ministry welcomed Kim's message about the possibility of holding "constructive" discussions as "meaningful." The presidential Blue House did not make an official response. 'Powerful offensive means' In his speech, Ambassador Kim accused the US of "antagonizing" his country with military exercises in the region, saying that Pyongyang would be "prepared to respond willingly at any time" to friendly overtures from Washington. In the meantime, he said, "as the whole world knows and as the US is so much concerned, powerful offensive means are, of course, included in our war deterrent." The US has repeatedly condemned North Korean missile launches. On September 15, State Department spokesperson Ned Price called for a diplomatic approach to the issue. "We call on the DPRK to engage in a meaningful and substantive dialogue with us," he said, using the acronym for North Korea's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. "We have been very clear about what we want to see happen. We are committed to the principle that dialogue will allow us to pursue our ultimate objective and that's quite simply the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," Price said. "We have no hostile intent towards the DPRK. We have been very clear about that. What we seek to do is to reduce the threat to the United States, to our allies in the region, and that includes the ROK (Republic of Korea or South Korea) and Japan, and we think we can do that through diplomacy with the ROK." "We've been very clear publicly and we've been very clear in the messages that we have conveyed to the DPRK that we stand ready to engage in that dialogue. I will refer you to Pyongyang for any reaction that they may have, but for our part we stand ready to engage in that dialogue," he said. This is a developing story and will be updated. (CNN) Olaf Scholz has some big shoes to fill. The German Finance Minister has the best shot at forming a new German government after leading his Social Democratic Party (SPD) to a narrow victory in Sunday's parliamentary elections. The SDP won 25.7% of the vote, while Angela Merkel's center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) took 24.1%, according to the federal returning officer. While the tight result means Scholz is far from certain to become Germany's next chancellor, he is in the strongest position to start coalition talks with the Green Party, which took 14.8% of the votes, and the liberal Free Democratic Party (FDP) with 11.5% of the vote. Scholz has positioned himself as a pragmatist and a safe pair of hands. In fact his political style is not dissimilar to that of Merkel -- the two are alike in many ways, despite hailing from rival parties. "He comes across as calm, measured, steady," said Corinna Hoerst, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) in Brussels. Hoerst said that as a moderate, Scholz is an outlier within his party. "The SPD leadership are mostly leftist leaning and initially didn't support him. So we don't know yet who he will gather around him and who will influence his leadership style," she added. Hoerst's colleague and the deputy director of GMF's Berlin office, Sudha David-Wilp, said this centrism is another trait Scholz shares with Merkel. "She always governed from the center and I think he will also try to do that if he does become chancellor, but it will also depend of course on what coalition parties demand," she said. The 63-year-old -- a life-long member of the SPD -- was born in what was then West Germany, a detail that sets him apart from Merkel, who grew up in East Germany. Scholz served as the Labor and Social Affairs minister in Merkel's first coalition government in the late 2000s. In 2011 he was elected mayor of Hamburg, a position he held -- with high levels of support -- until 2018. Since then, he has served as the vice-chancellor and finance minister in Merkel's grand coalition government, a powerful position in German national politics. His profile rose even further when he oversaw Germany's generous coronavirus compensation programs for businesses, employees and those who lost income because they had to quarantine during the pandemic. "He has been [Merkel's] right hand man when it comes to leading the country over the past four years ... he [played] second fiddle to Merkel, but he has tremendous power within the German government, and also in Europe [where he] represents Germany when it comes to Euro policies," David-Wilp said. Unlike Merkel, who has become a household name across the world during her long tenure, Scholz is not well known abroad -- beyond Brussels' political circles. Speaking on Monday he said forming a stronger and more sovereign European Union, as well as working on the good relationship between Germany and the United States, would be his key foreign policy goals if he does become chancellor. He added that as the world "becomes more dangerous," democratic countries must cooperate. "It is important that we work together, even if we do have conflict in one or the other question," he said. Scholz has had his share of political problems in the past. As mayor of Hamburg, he was criticized for his mishandling of violent protests that unfolded during a G20 meeting his city hosted in 2017. Hamburg descended into chaos during the summit, and hundreds of police officers were injured in clashes with protesters. Scholz had underplayed the potential risk from demonstrations, and so was blamed for the city's lack of preparation. As the coalition talks begin, Scholz will try to lure in the Greens and the FDP, but such negotiations can last months. Until then, the jury is still out on what kind of chancellor Scholz might be. "It will be a shift because there is no longer Merkel," Hoerst said, before adding: "I doubt it will be big." (CNN) The earliest bird reared by humans may have been a cassowary often called the world's most dangerous bird because of its long, dagger-like toe. Territorial, aggressive and often compared to a dinosaur in looks, the bird is a surprising candidate for domestication. However, a new study of more than 1,000 fossilized eggshell fragments, excavated from two rock shelters used by hunter-gatherers in New Guinea, has suggested early humans may have collected the eggs of the large flightless bird before they hatched and then raised the chicks to adulthood. New Guinea is a large island north of Australia. The eastern half of the island is Papua New Guinea, while the western half forms part of Indonesia. "This behavior that we are seeing is coming thousands of years before domestication of the chicken," said lead study author Kristina Douglass, an assistant professor of anthropology and African studies at Penn State University. "And this is not some small fowl, it is a huge, ornery, flightless bird that can eviscerate you," she said in a news statement. The researchers said that while a cassowary can be aggressive (a man in Florida was killed by one in 2019), it "imprints" easily -- it becomes attached to the first thing it sees after hatching. This means it's easy to maintain and raise up to adult size. Today, the cassowary is New Guinea's largest vertebrate, and its feathers and bones are prized materials for making bodily adornments and ceremonial wear. The bird's meat is considered a delicacy in New Guinea. There are three species of cassowary, and they are native to parts of northern Queensland, Australia, and New Guinea. Douglass thought our ancient ancestors most likely reared the smallest species, the dwarf cassowary, that weighs around 20 kilograms (44 pounds). The fossilized eggshells were carbon-dated as part of the study, and their ages ranged from 18,000 to 6,000 years old. Humans are believed to have first domesticated chickens no earlier than 9,500 years ago. Not for snacking To reach their conclusions, the researchers first studied the eggshells of living birds, including turkeys, emus and ostriches. The insides of the eggshells change as the developing chicks get calcium from the eggshell. Using high-resolution 3D images and inspecting the inside of the eggs, the researchers were able to build a model of what the eggs looked like during different stages of incubation. The scientists tested their model on modern emu and ostrich eggs before applying it to the fossilized eggshell fragments found in New Guinea. The team found that most of the eggshells found at the sites were all near maturity. "What we found was that a large majority of the eggshells were harvested during late stages," Douglass said. "The eggshells look very late; the pattern is not random." These late-stage eggshells indicate people living at these two rock shelter sites were harvesting eggs when the cassowary embryos had fully formed limbs, beaks, claws and feathers, the study said. But were humans purposefully collecting these eggs to allow them to hatch or collecting the eggs to eat? It's possible they were doing both, Douglass said. Consuming eggs with fully formed embryos is considered a delicacy in some parts of the world, but Douglass said the research team's analysis suggested people were hatching the chicks. "We also looked at burning on the eggshells," Douglass said in the news release. "There are enough samples of late stage eggshells that do not show burning that we can say they were hatching and not eating them." Big bird as valuable resource Less mature eggshells showed more signs of burning -- suggesting that when cassowary eggs were consumed they were cooked and eaten when their contents were primarily liquid. "In the highlands today people raise cassowary chicks to adulthood, in order to collect feathers, and consume or trade the birds. It is possible cassowaries were also highly valued in the past, since they are among the largest vertebrate animals on New Guinea. Raising cassowaries from chicks would provide a readily available source of feathers and meat for an animal that is otherwise challenging to hunt in the wild as an adult," she explained via email. However, there is still much the researchers don't know. To successfully hatch and raise cassowary chicks, people would need to know where the nests were, know when the eggs were laid and remove them from the nest just before hatching. This is no easy feat as birds don't nest at the same sites each year. Once a female lays the eggs, male birds take over nest duty and don't leave for 50 days while incubating the eggs. "People may have hunted the male and then collected the eggs. Because males don't leave the nest unattended they also don't feed much during the incubation period making them more vulnerable to predators," she said. The research was published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal PNAS on Monday. This story was first published on CNN.com World's most dangerous bird raised by humans 18,000 years ago, study suggests From the political firestorm that has engulfed the nation, to protests over police brutality, to the Covid-19 pandemic, America is enduring one of the most turbulent times in its history and students at minority-serving institutions have been on the front lines, as their communities bear the brunt of the impact of these crises. How are MSIs navigating these challenging times? And how must the educational experience change to meet students' needs now? Cyber CISA chief floats fines to compel threat info sharing To ensure cyberattack victims in critical infrastructure sectors share timely information on threats, the Biden administration is increasingly looking for ways to compel disclosure. While the executive branch can authorize such requirements for federal contractors and certain regulated industries, a wide ranging breach disclosure mandate would need legislation. So far efforts to craft a federal standard to replace the more than 50 state-based and territorial disclosure laws have failed to gain traction, but that could change in the wake of well-publicized breaches like the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack. At a Sept. 23 hearing of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly stressed the importance of threat information sharing. "It's long past time to get cyber incident reporting legislation out there," CISA Director Jen Easterly told lawmakers on the committee. "It's very important for us to both be able to render assistance to any entity that suffers an attack, but to be able to analyze that information and to share it more widely, because we know that in today's world, everything is connected, everything is interdependent, and thus everything is vulnerable." Easterly said in her testimony that any legislation will need some way to get private companies to cooperate with disclosure requirements in the heat of an ongoing attack. "I do think a compliance and enforcement mechanism is very important here. I know some of the language talks about subpoena authority. My personal view is that is not an agile enough mechanism to allow us to get the information that we need to share it as rapidly as possible to prevent other potential victims from threat actors. So I think that we should look at fines. I just came from four and a half years in the financial services sector where fines are a mechanism that enable compliance and enforcement." Easterly also spoke to the importance of establishing CISA as the "operational lead" in federal cybersecurity as part of any update of the Federal Information Systems Modernization Act, while also "holding departments and agencies specifically accountable for the investments that they make in their cybersecurity teams," adding that, "we need to move from this compliance and box checking to true operational risk management." This article was first posted to FCW, a sibling site to Defense Systems. The Chilean regulator Subtel has confirmed that 5G rollout is to go ahead. The countrys Comptroller's Office has approved decrees that authorize the commercial deployment of 5G throughout the country in at least some bands. This, it seems, is a formal acknowledgement of the successful bids of the companies that were awarded spectrum in the low and medium bands in the 5G public tender held at the beginning of the year. More importantly, it gives a green light to the network deployment process. This applies to the companies that were awarded the tender for the 5G network in the 700MHz band (AWS and WOM) and 3.5GHz band (Entel, Movistar and WOM). As TeleGeography's CommsUpdate reports, awards for spectrum in the 26GHz band are still awaiting approval. The Minister of Transport and Telecommunications, Gloria Hutt, said that Chile has been a pioneer in Latin America, being the first country to tender for spectrum with national coverage for this high-speed mobile network. Initial coverage is expected to include 90 percent of the population, all public hospitals, 9,170 kilometres of roads, 80 areas of what are called 'social and productive interest', such as airports, ports, and academic and research centres, and all regional and provincial capitals. According to news reports it is estimated that some 68,000 jobs will be generated from the rollout. Moro Hub (Data Hub Integrated Solutions), a subsidiary of UAE-based Digital DEWA, signed a Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) agreement with Nozomi Networks, provider of Operational Technology (OT) and Internet of Things (IoT) security. This partnership will authorise Moro Hub to resell Nozomi products and provide OT and IoT managed security services using Nozomi Networks products, said a release. "As a part of the agreement, Moro Hubs cybersecurity function will integrate and sell Nozomi Networks products and solutions to provide OT and IoT Managed Security Services. In addition, Moro Hub will also have full access to Nozomi Networks training and certifications to further leverage network visibility, monitoring, and threat intelligence," it said. The UAE has always been a step ahead to create a safe and strong cyber-infrastructure in the country that enables citizens to fulfill their aspirations and empowers businesses to thrive. We are glad to announce our partnership with Nozomi Networks, which offers OT and IoT cyber security solutions backed with deep expertise and advanced resources. The association reflects our commitment to helping our clients to protect their critical infrastructure with proven technologies powered by Moro Hubs in-country secure cloud. said Eng. Marwan Bin Haidar, Vice Chairman and Group CEO of Digital DEWA. Moro Hub is accelerating digital transformation in the region by offering the latest technologies backed by the 4th Industrial Revolution to help government and enterprise customers safeguard themselves from cyber threats, the release added. Call4tel, a global manufacturer of unified communications appliances, has appointed Nology, a leading IP solutions provider in South Africa, as its local authorised distributor of the Call4tel 3CX PBX certified appliance range. According to a press release, with this introduction of complete unified communications solutions into the local market, Nology will mitigate the negative impact of the Fourth Industrial Revolution in South Africa. Through the Call4tel 3CX appliance range, the current technological challenges for deploying 3CX solutions within the country will be overcome, said the release. "Businesses can now benefit from a remote work solution with high-quality, interactive communications, ensuring a rapid improvement in organisational productivity," it added. Ross Griffiths, Product Manager at Nology, said, Nology identified a gap in the South African market for a 3CX certified appliance. We are very excited about the partnership with Call4tel. The addition of the Call4tel products to the extensive Nology stable allows us to offer a complete end-to-end PABX solution. The Call4tel products bring a unique offering to the market, while Call4tel brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in VoIP and IT infrastructure. Richard Quek, VP of Sales at Call4tel, said, Partnering with Nology in South Africa, enables us to leverage Nologys ability to provide innovative end-to-end solutions that simplify the delivery, installation, and provisioning of our products. Their competitive advantage lies in delivering technical expertise and their extensive knowledge in offering customised and tailored solutions to customers. Through this partnership Call4tel and Nology bring to the local market a wide range of hardware products loaded with advanced features and built-in software, the release said. Designed to provide complete unified communications and ease of setup, 3CX installations are simplified with the Call4tel NX range of 3CX IP PBX appliances, it added. 2Africa can now officially boast that it is the longest subsea cable system in the world after the announcement that it has been extended to the Arabian Gulf, Pakistan and India. The 2Africa consortium China Mobile International, Facebook, MTN GlobalConnect, Orange, stc, Telecom Egypt, Vodafone and WIOCC has announced the addition of the new segment called the 2Africa PEARLS branch. This extension will bring the total length of the 2Africa cable system to over 45,000 kilometres. Today, with 2Africa PEARLS, 2Africa will be providing international connectivity to an additional 1.8 billion people (and three billion people in total). Now connecting three continents, Africa, Europe and Asia, terrestrially through Egypt, 2Africa has added landing locations in Oman (Barka), UAE (Abu Dhabi and Kalba), Qatar (Doha), Bahrain (Manamah), Kuwait (Kuwait), Iraq (Al-Faw), Pakistan (Karachi), India (Mumbai), and Saudi Arabia (Al Khobar). The new 2Africa branch joins recently announced extensions to the Canary Islands, the Seychelles, the Comoros Islands, Angola, and a new landing in south-east Nigeria. As with other 2Africa cable landings, capacity will be available in PEARLS landings at carrier-neutral facilities or open-access cable landing stations on a fair and equitable basis, encouraging and supporting the development of a healthy internet ecosystem. The consortium says that the expanded system will serve an even wider range of communities that rely on the internet for services from education to healthcare, along with businesses, providing the economic and social benefits that come from increased connectivity. Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) will deploy the new system utilizing new technologies such as SDM that allow the deployment of up to 16 fibre pairs, double that of older technologies, and bringing greater and more cost-effective capacity. Malaysias Digital Nasional Berhad (DNB) has signed a 10-year 5G partnership with Ericsson to drive the nationwide deployment of the next-generation wireless cellular technology in the Southeast Asian nation. DNBs exclusive partnership with Ericsson spans delivery of energy-efficient Ericsson Radio System products and solutions, including Ericsson Spectrum Sharing - a software for wide-area 5G coverage as well as cloud-native 5G Core and 5G Radio Access (RAN) nationwide. Ralph Marshall, Chief Executive Officer, DNB, said: DNB is committed to delivering the best technology and innovation opportunities for Malaysians, businesses and government to ensure that Malaysia takes its place at the forefront of the global digital economy. We identified Ericsson to offer the best next generation 5G technology and professional services available to suit DNBs specific and unique requirements. DNB will provide access and services to mobile service providers and others licensed by the regulators, with Ericsson managing the requirements of a single wholesale network via its Managed Services offering. The solution will enhance the performance of DNBs network using AI , automation and cognitive software to predict and prevent issues. The operator aims to launch Malaysias first 5G network in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya in the initial phase. Ericssons local presence and deployment expertise will help DNB meet its target of 80% nationwide 5G population coverage by 2024. Statement by Ambassador Byrne Nason at UN Security Council on the situation in Syria (Political) Statement I want to thank you, Special Envoy Pedersen, for your briefing and express the deep appreciation of my country, Ireland, for your ongoing and tireless efforts. I also want to sincerely thank Ms. Rouba Mhaissen for her impressive remarks this morning. Your voice, and through you, the voices of the countless communities affected and displaced by this tragic conflict, are exactly what this Council needs to hear. Your presence today matters and I want to thank you. Regrettably, we meet again against the backdrop of extremely limited political progress. For millions of vulnerable people, that means another month of conflict. Another month of suffering and loss. Another month without hope. We reiterate our call on the Syrian Government to cooperate constructively with the UN and to engage fully and in good faith with the efforts of the Special Envoy. The upcoming round of negotiations of the Constitutional Committee is a welcome development. It presents a rare opportunity now for real progress. I urge all parties to grasp that opportunity. Otherwise put, we cannot afford to squander this chance. Our briefers today have put into stark relief the fact that peace and stability remain distant dreams for the Syrian people. We know that there are differing views around this table about how to address that. But let us be clear: when we are divided here, it is almost always the vulnerable who suffer the consequences. As High Commissioner Bachelet set out last week, a decade of conflict has already caused over 350,000 identifiable deaths. This is unconscionable and cannot continue. A comprehensive political solution, in line with Resolution 2254, is more urgently needed now than ever. To achieve that, addressing the root causes of the conflict as well as the plight of refugees and internally displaced persons, remain fundamental. Colleagues, In Ireland, we know that inclusive peace is sustainable peace. It is critical that Syrian women, representing all backgrounds, are fully, equally and meaningfully involved at all levels in the political process. We all know here that Syrian women and girls have been disproportionately affected by this devastating decade-long war. They have been subjected to horrific sexual and gender-based violence as well as early and forced marriage. Many experience food insecurity and lack access to education and healthcare. Despite these challenges, and as Rouba has so clearly described, the women of Syria are keeping faith with the future of Syria, and are playing a critical role in leadership, development and conflict resolution. We salute their courage and commitment. Their resilience inspires us. We should listen and learn from their valuable experiences. Put simply, their meaningful participation about which some of us often pay lip service in this room is an actual reality and is key to achieving long-lasting peace. Colleagues, We are deeply concerned by reports of the explicit targeting of refugees returning to Syria. Unfortunately, the fact remains that Syria does not yet offer a safe and stable environment for the sustainable and dignified returns of refugees. I want to underline that all returns should be safe, voluntary and dignified. As we speak, tens of thousands of Syrians desperately await news from missing and disappeared loved ones. Tens of thousands more, including women and children, remain unlawfully deprived of their liberty. I repeat our call on the Syrian authorities and other parties to release detainees and abductees in meaningful numbers. The ceasefire in Daraa city earlier this month was a positive development. However, we remain concerned about its fragility, as well as the lasting impact of the fighting that took place. The worrying escalation of violence in North West Syria has also continued, at a time when COVID is surging. We continue to receive reports of indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian objects. These remain utterly unacceptable. Finally, I want to repeat Irelands longstanding call for a nationwide ceasefire in Syria. Colleagues, Once again, we say sincerely, that it is incumbent upon us, here at this Council, to do all in our power to support the efforts of the Special Envoy and to prevent further destruction and loss in Syria. Now is the time to act. The people of Syria have waited too long and suffered too much. Thank you. Previous Item | Next Item Bamboo Airways has signed an MoU with San Francisco International Airport (SFO), aiming to bridge the gap between the two aviation markets and countries through nonstop commercial flights. Fortifying the primary U.S. gateway On Sept. 24 (local time), a welcome ceremony for Bamboo Airways's first nonstop flight connecting Vietnam and the United States was held at San Francisco International Airport, California, U.S. Within the framework of the event, Bamboo Airways and SFO signed a Memorandum of Understanding. On the basis of the MoU, Bamboo Airways and SFO would deploy regular nonstop flights from Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam to SFO subject to U.S. government approval. Dang Tat Thang, CEO of Bamboo Airways, speaks at the event. Photo by Bamboo Airways Dang Tat Thang, CEO of Bamboo Airways said: "Active cooperation between BAV and SFO in promoting regular nonstop flights between Vietnam and the United States marks a turning point in the airline's history, proving a successful partnership between both sides. We expect this movement would bring direct benefits to both aviation markets, making a substantial contribution to the development of bilateral and multilateral trade, tourism, and economics, especially in the post-epidemic period." "We are truly proud to be the first airport in the United States to offer nonstop flights to Vietnam," said SFO Airport Director Ivar C. Satero. "This decision reinforces SFO as the premier U.S. gateway of choice, offering a world-class airport experience with seamless access throughout San Francisco Bay Area. We thank BAV for choosing San Francisco for their U.S. expansion, and we are committed to making this new service a success for both BAV and the customers they serve." Ivar C. Satero, airport director of SFO, speaks at the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding with Bamboo Airways. Photo by Bamboo Airways Comprehensive cooperation Bamboo Airways' wide-body Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flight QH9149 landed at San Francisco International Airport on the evening of Sept. 23. The flight took approximately 13 hours and 30 minutes, significantly shorter compared to current connecting flights between Vietnam and the U.S. The Quy Nhon Town aircraft has surpassed seven countries and territories, covering one of the longest routes in the world at nearly 12,500 kilometers. Flight QH9149 is among a series of special authorization flights between Vietnam and the U.S. operated by Bamboo Airways starting from September 2021. The memorandum of Understanding aims to bridge the gap between two aviation markets as well as two countries through nonstop commercial flights. Photo by Bamboo Airways This is also the first flight Bamboo Airways and International Air Transport Association (IATA) cooperated on to successfully pilot IATA Travel Pass. The operation requires close and thorough coordination between Bamboo Airways, Vietnamese, and U.S. authorities. After landing at San Francisco International Airport, the aircraft waited about 18 hours before returning to Hanoi. The return flight would carry seven tons of medical equipment and supplies from the California Waste Solutions Inc, contributing to pandemic prevention and control in Vietnam. This first special authorization flight is a history in the making for Bamboo Airways, laying a solid foundation for the planned commencement of non-stop commercial flights connecting Vietnam to the U.S. The regular nonstop flight between Vietnam and the U.S. is expected to not only be a milestone in the aviation history of both countries but also directly foster travel connection between two hemispheres for the first time in nearly 20 years, after the Vietnam-U.S. Air Transport Agreement was officially signed in 2003. This will also once again affirm the operation capacity and facilities of Vietnamese carriers when maintaining to fulfill the highest aviation standards in the world and fortify the Vietnamese aviation market in the post-pandemic period. The regular nonstop flight between Vietnam and the U.S. is expected to bridge the gap between two hemispheres for the first time. Photo by Bamboo Airways Promoting operations in the U.S. Experts perceive the U.S.-Vietnam aviation market carries considerable potential, with more than 800,000 passengers traveling per year, while only about 30,000 passengers per year is sufficient for route development. Nonstop commercial routes connecting Vietnam and the U.S. would help reduce flight time to 13-14 hours, compared to current connecting flights of more than 18 hours to the West Coast and more than 21 hours to the East. The successful operation of Bamboo Airways's first special authorization flight on Sept. 23 paves the way for a series of activities in the U.S., including the announcement of General Agent in the U.S. market; signing agreement with GE to purchase GEnx engines for Boeing 787-9 aircraft worth nearly $2 billion witnessed by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, signing agreement with CFM International on the selection of LEAP-1A engines and maintenance services for 50 of A320/A321neo aircraft ordered from Airbus, and signing agreement to become the first official Vietnamese airline commercial partner of Los Angeles City. A manufacturing chain of chocolate drink Milo at a factory of Nestle in Vietnam. Photo courtesy of Nestle Vietnam Foreign companies including Nestle and LG continue to expand in Vietnam since they see the countrys Covid-19 setbacks as temporary. Nestle has announced a $132-million investment in the next two years to build a new plant in the southern province of Dong Nai. This is part of its long-term vision as it sees Vietnam as a regional and global manufacturing hub, CEO of Nestle Vietnam, Binu Jacob, said at a forum Monday. There have been temporary difficulties caused by the increasing costs of the stay-at-work model and disruptions in the supply chain, but Vietnam remains one of Nestles top manufacturing facilities globally, he said. The new investment would help create new products for the Asian-Pacific markets, he said. "The Dong Nai plant will become the biggest coffee manufacturing plant in the world." Samsung Vietnam CEO Choi Joo Ho said his companys investment strategy in Vietnam has not changed. It has received support from the government and local leaders during the fourth wave of Covid-19, the stay-at-work model helps keep production going and South Korean experts are able to go through immigration quickly, he said. It has been expanding its investment, purchasing manufacturing equipment for its six plants diversifying into 5G technology and laptops, he said. "Samsung has been mostly investing in manufacturing chains in Vietnam, but from now the company will raise Vietnams position to a new height: a global research and development hub." Its $220-million R&D center in Hanoi is now 50 percent complete and set to be inaugurated by the end of next year. Swedish company Tetra Pak announced two weeks ago an additional EUR5 million ($5.85 million) investment in its EUR120 million packaging plant in the southern province of Binh Duong that will increase its capacity by 43 percent. The investment shows the companys confidence in Vietnams post-pandemic recovery, its CEO, Eliseo Barcas, said. LG said last month it would invest an additional $1.4 billion in its manufacturing facility in Hai Phong this year, taking the total investment to $4.65 billion. FDI rose by 4.4 percent year-on-year in the first nine months, showing investors still have trust in Vietnams business environment, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc said. The Asian Development Banks country director for Vietnam, Andrew Jeffries, said only some orders and not companies have been moving to some other countries. Vietnam remains an attractive destination for foreign firms and would continue to benefit from the shift in global supply chains, U.S.-China tensions and disruptions in manufacturing in some regions, he added. Having just been bestowed the knighthood of the Order of the Star of Italy, CEO of Imex Pan Pacific Group (IPPG), Le Hong Thuy Tien, just won the ASEAN Entrepreneur Award 2021. At the World Knowledge Forum taking place from Sept. 14 to 16 in Seoul, Tien, together with Desmond Tay, the CEO of GUUD (Singapore), and Noor Helmi, CEO of IX Telecom (Malaysia), were honored with ASEAN Entrepreneur Award 2021. This is an annual award launched by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of South Korea and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2016 to connect and recognize the importance of ASEAN and Korean Entrepreneurs. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, ASEAN Entrepreneur Awards 2021 was held online. The award trophy was delivered to the ambassador of the winners' country in South Korea. In her speech at the online ceremony, the CEO of IPPG said: "Covid-19 has directly affected my employees, family and friends. During this time, IPPG has been actively supporting the community through IPPG's charity fund. Vietnam has a saying, 'In the midst of difficulty, wisdom emerges.' This is the time for us to restandardize, restructure and pursue a new strategic direction." Le Hong Thuy Tien, CEO of the Imex Pan Pacific Group (IPPG). Photo by IPPG. IPPG and its partners have been investing in key projects like world-class financial centers, smart airport cities, integrated resorts, free trade zones and factory outlets. Recently, IPPG established Vietnam's first cargo airline, IPP Air Cargo, to carter to the increased demands of e-commerce and exportation logistics. As CEO, Tien has contributed to the transformation of IPPG into one of the largest retail enterprises in Vietnam with more than 25,000 employees, 33 subsidiaries, doing business in many fields. She has initiated many key social activities to empower and enhance professional development in the workplace for Vietnamese women, and has been invited as a speaker to many prestigious conferences in Vietnam and abroad. Tien is the first Vietnamese and Asian woman to be twice invited as speaker in 2018 (Sydney) and 2019 (Basel) to the world summit women's conference forum. Mai Tuan Viet, first secretary of the Embassy of Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the Republic of Korea, receives the trophy on behalf of the businesswoman. Photo by IPPG Tien has been voted among the typical successful young businesswomen in Vietnam and Asia, placed among the Top 50 most influential women in Vietnam 2018-2019 by Forbes, and won many Vietnamese and international prizes. World Knowledge Forum is jointly organized by Maekung Media Corporation and ASEAN-Korea Center, an intergovernmental body authorized to promote economic cooperation between the 10 ASEAN member states and Korea. The event has featured speakers like Bill Gates, cofounder of Microsoft Corporation; Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group, Robin Li, CEO of Baidu; Larry Ellison, chairman and CEO of Oracle Corporation; Hillary Clinton, the 67th U.S. Secretary of State; Tony Blair, former U.K. Prime Minister, and Gerhard Schroder, former Chancellor of Germany. This year's forum has seen the participation of high-ranking executives from 30 of South Korea's largest companies, along with more than 4,000 members of government and business community from around the world. Nguyen Thi Huong went to study in South Korea because she admired a boyband, ending up playing supporting roles on TV. Huong, a Vietnamese teacher living in South Korea, is currently attracting attention for appearing with famous actress Honey Lee in "One the Woman", a TV series that aired on Sept. 17. In the series, Huong plays Trang, a Vietnamese maid living with a rich family named Hanju. Trang is fluent in English and Korean, knows how to drive a car, cooks well, and meets many strict requirements of the family. A scene in which Trang and Kang Mi Na (played by Lee) - Hanju's daughter-in-law - talk in Vietnamese, thrilled many series lovers. Vietnamese K-Pop fan turns South Korean actress Mi Na noi tieng Viet trong tap 2 'One The Woman' Kang Mi Na (played by Lee) speaks Vietnamese with Trang (played by Huong) in "One the Woman." Video cut from the TV series But this is not the first time Huong has worked with Lee. In 2007, she first met the South Korean actress during a cultural exchange program in Hanoi. Lee was the cultural ambassador, and she was an event coordinator. Fourteen years later, the two met again on the set of "One the Woman". "Such a destiny," Lee told Huong when hearing about their meeting in 2007. Facing difficulties in Vietnamese intonation, Lee practiced many times under Huongs guidance. The first scene they talk in Vietnamese was later completed after just one shot. Lee cared a lot for her colleagues, Huong recalled. Seeing Huong on set, the actress always waved her hands and said hello, calling Huong "teacher Trang." Playing a supporting role, Huong was prioritized to film first so she could leave earlier. Lee also reminded the team to pay attention to lighting effects, so her "teacher" could look more beautiful on screen. "She is a famous star but she is plain, friendly, and cares for others. Although I only gave her a few pronunciation lessons, she called me teacher. Meeting her can improve your mood," Huong said. But years ago, when she decided to leave Vietnam for South Korea, she never thought about becoming an actress. Nguyen Thi Huong plays a maid in "One the Woman." Photo courtesy of Nguyen Thi Huong A fan of five-member boyband H.O.T during high school, Huong started learning Korean to have a better understanding of the country of her idols. After university graduation, she pursued her masters degree at Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul. She joined the Vietnamese traditional dance group, often performing at cultural exchange programs between the two countries. Thanks to that, she improved her confidence and started looking for auditions for TV series. She first appeared in a TV series as a foreign woman in KBS's "Hometown Over the Hill" season two. To secure the role, she had to pass three casting rounds, competing with more than 100 people from Thailand, China, and Laos, many of whom had learned acting at school. Everything was new to her, from reading scripts, acting in front of cameras, and working with a team of many people. Mistakes were inevitable. But later, she started to adapt to her new environment. "Hometown Over the Hill" features 125 episodes and was screened from 2012 to 2015. To play the role, Huong took a train to film sets every night, after finishing her studies and part-time job, and returned to Seoul early the next morning to start class. Once, her scene was shot on the day she had an exam, so Huong asked to film another day. While her colleagues agreed, an angry crew member said she had disrupted the plan. "There were a lot of fatigue and loneliness in that journey. Low salaries could only help me afford train tickets, daily meals and monthly rental, so I could not pay for acting classes, but I loved the job, so I kept pursuing it." Her greatest joy was seeing her own improvement after each episode. One of the most unforgettable colleagues she has worked with is actress Woo Hee Jin, appearing with Huong in "Feelings". Jin bought her food, drove her from film sets to Seoul, and helped her save money. In an interview, Jin also complimented Huong, saying she was kind, friendly, and spoke Korean fluently. Later, Huong played roles in many series like "Challenge! Golden Bell," "Yoyumanman," along with documentaries and short movies of broadcasters including EBS, SBS, KBS. In 2019, she played a Vietnamese wife whose husband suffered from cancer in "Chocolate", in which the scene in which the couple talked about their memories before he died made many audiences cry. In late 2020, director Choi Young Hoon wanted to find a Vietnamese woman with acting experience to play Trang in "One the Woman." Huong was the best candidate. Trang is a supporting character, so Huongs schedule on set was not fixed. Most of her scenes were filmed within the Hanju familys villa, which was in fact divided between different locations, so Huong had to move back and forth. Nguyen Thi Huong (R) and Ha Ji Won. Photo courtesy of Nguyen Thi Huong Filming amid the pandemic was also a challenge. She was required to take a Covid test before entering each set, and when someone in the crew was infected, the whole crew had to take some days off. "It was more stressful, we worked and worried at the same time because there were too many people on set." In return, she earned $2,000 per episode, which helped her stay afloat amid the pandemic. If the series is re-screened on other channels, she will earn more. "One the Woman" is currently attracting a lot of audiences, so many of her friends, colleagues, and famous stars, have texted to congratulate her. Apart from acting, Huong has also worked as an interpreter and Vietnamese language teacher. But due to the pandemic, cultural exchange programs between Vietnam and South Korea have been quiet, so her income has been negatively affected. Huong mostly works with embassies, courts, procurators, and the Vietnamese community in South Korea. She is one of seven Vietnamese who have a certificate in interpreting for courts in the country. Getting married to a South Korean man in 2012, Huong now has two children and South Korean citizenship. "When I met H.O.T, they said they did not expect their music would change peoples life. I also did not think think my admiration for them could change my life and nurture my love for South Korea." A medic prepares an AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine shot in Hanoi, September 10, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh A shipment of 2.6 million doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine gifted by Germany arrived in HCMC Sunday. The vaccine donation originates from German stockpiles and follows an offer made by German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel to Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, according to a press release by the Germany Embassy in Vietnam. This is the second delivery of vaccines from Germany, following a batch of 852,480 AstraZeneca vaccine doses via the Covax initiative that arrived in Hanoi on September 16. At a ceremony held Monday, German Ambassador to Vietnam, Dr. Guido Hildner, said: "This support is an expression of our solidarity with the people of Vietnam. "Germany stands with Vietnam in fighting and overcoming the Covid-19 pandemic." Germany has been the biggest vaccine donor among EU member nations to Vietnam. Earlier, European nations including the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Poland, and the U.K. also supplied Covid vaccines to Vietnam. Besides the vaccine donation, Germany and Vietnam are also cooperating in activities worth up to 104 million euros ($121.65 million) in the areas of technical and vocational training, pandemic prevention, social security and digitalization. These include the establishment of a center for pandemic prevention together with the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and the creation of advisory services to combat illegal wildlife trade. Vietnam and Germany celebrate the 10th anniversary of their Strategic Partnership this year. After four months of social distancing at different levels, HCMC plans a gradual easing of restrictions starting October 1, premised primarily on vaccine coverage. In a draft plan sent to district authorities for feedback Monday, the municipal administration said starting October 1, the city will ease Covid-19 restrictions gradually depending on the pandemic situation. Production and business organizations that need to have employees on site can resume operations on the condition that all of them have been fully vaccinated or have recovered from Covid-19 within the past six months; in other words, "green pass" holders. They will also have to follow all Covid-19 prevention measures regulated by the Ministry of Health. The plan allows most businesses to resume operations, maintain restrictions. On the list of those that can resume operations starting Oct.1 are: - Production facilities inside industrial parks, export processing zones, hi-tech parks in 21 districts and Thu Duc City as well as the Quang Trung Software Park in District 12; - Cooperatives and households engaged in agricultural, forestry and fisheries production and trading, agricultural production support services, and veterinary practice; - Traffic and construction works; - Facilities providing medical examination and treatment, rehabilitation, physical therapy, establishments trading in pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and equipment, hospitals and clinics providing aesthetic services, general and specialized clinics. - Firms engaged in the supply of food and foodstuffs, petrol stations, chemical traders, electricity and water, fuel, repair and maintenance service providers, public and security service providers, public utilities like water drainage, environmental sanitation, environmental monitoring and treatment, and maintenance of public parks and trees, technical and transportation infrastructure. - Foreign representative offices, credit institutions, bank branches, treasury, business establishments directly related to credit activities, logistics, securities, notaries, lawyers, bailiffs, businesses providing auctioning, commercial arbitration, commercial mediation, legal advice and other judicial services. - Post and telecommunication services, publishing, businesses using e-commerce platforms; books and stationary stores, libraries, galleries, art exhibitions, photography services, businesses providing school supplies, tools, eyewear products and informatics equipment. - Warehouses and facilities for stockpiling, gathering, and transiting goods, supporting services for transporting, exporting and importing goods; commercial centers, supermarkets, convenience stores; grocery stores, goods retail establishments, wholesale and traditional markets. A mobile Covid-19 vaccination station in Go Vap District, HCMC, August 14, 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran Restaurants and eateries, meanwhile can only continue to serve takeaways, unless they are authorized by competent authorities to provide onsite services. Hair salons can resume operations at half capacity. Museums, resorts and establishments providing sightseeing tours can resume activities at 30 percent of their capacities but can only serve customers with the green pass. Sports events must be held at a maximum scale of 30 percent of full capacity and all participants must be green pass holders. Residents can engage in physical exercises but all such activities can have no more than 50 in one place if all participants have the green pass. Otherwise, the number of participants must be limited to 10. Weddings can gather up to 50 people, funerals up to 20 and both activities must be supervised by local health workers. The city continues to let all schools hold online classes, for now. Public passenger transport by road, rail, and waterway can resume operations at half their maximum capacity. Transportation of goods between HCMC and other localities can operate as usual, but all parties must ensure Covid-19 prevention measures and all drivers must present a QR code that allows them to travel on specific routes. Activities and businesses that continue to be suspended include bars, spas, karaoke and massage parlors, beauty care services, on-site catering services, cinemas, discos, video games, events, cultural, artistic, religious events, launching ceremonies (unless permitted by competent agencies), street vendors, including lottery ticket vendors. A police officer scans a QR code to check if a woman is out on the street in line with HCMC's rule on social distancing, August 2021. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran The draft plan also proposes the resumption of several domestic and international flight routes to and from HCMCs Tan Son Nhat Airport. Organizations and individuals will be allowed to hold gatherings both indoors or outdoors, but not more than 50 at an event with all participants having the green pass. Without the green pass, gatherings cannot have more than 10 people. Residents allowed to go out from October 1 will be those who have got at least Covid-19 vaccine shot in the last 14 days and those who have recovered from Covid-19 in the previous six months. Twelve Covid-19 checkpoints will maintained across the city, apart from 39 checkpoints at all city gateways. In the ongoing Covid-19 wave that hit Vietnam late April, HCMC has recorded over 375,800 infections (accounting for almost half of the national tally) and spent more than 100 days under various levels of social distancing. The city has vaccinated more than 95 percent of people over 18 years old with the first shot and is speeding up administration to cover all adults with the second dose. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Its been eight years since the Assad regime attacked its own citizens with the chemical nerve agent sarin..The attack killed more than 1,400 Syrians --hundreds of them children -- and injured thousands more. Its been eight years since the Assad regime attacked its own citizens in the Damascus suburb of Ghouta with the chemical nerve agent sarin killing more than 1,400 Syrians, hundreds of them children. Thousands more people were injured. It was not the first or, tragically, the last time the regime would target its citizens with chemical weapons, but the horrific scope of the attack on Ghouta shocked the world. The next month, following engagement by the international community, the Syrian government acceded to the Chemical Weapons Convention, admitted to possessing a chemical weapons program, and pledged to eliminate its stockpile and to cooperate with the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, or OPCW, in its oversight and investigative mission. But the Assad regime has failed to live up to its promises. Even after the elimination of Syrias declared chemical weapons stockpile, the Syrian regime has repeatedly used chemical weapons against its own people, and, as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said at a recent UN Security Council briefing, it has tried to avoid accountability by obstructing independent investigations and failing to cooperate with the OPCW. The United States firmly supports the impartial and independent work of the OPCW and its investigative bodies. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield pointed out that the OPCWs Investigation and Identification Team has attributed four separate chemical weapons attacks in Syria to the Assad regime. These incidents are in addition to the four chemical weapons attacks previously attributed to the Assad regime by the UN-OPCW Joint Investigative Mechanism. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield noted that the Assad regimes allies, including Russia, have also actively sought to block all efforts to promote accountability. Russias role in enabling the Assad regime is dangerous, she said. Repeated and continued failures by the Assad regime to comply with the obligations under international law must not be tolerated. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield noted that the Security Council decided, in the event of non-compliance with UN Security Council Resolution 2118, which, among other things, prohibited the Syrian regime from using chemical weapons, to impose measures under Chapter Seven of the UN Charter. We now have overwhelming evidence of numerous incidences of non-compliance by the Assad regime, she declared. Now is the time to uphold and enforce this Councils decision. Without accountability for the atrocities committed against the Syrian people, lasting peace in Syria will remain out of reach. Headlines - Lava reached the ocean on Tuesday, leaving behind a path of destruction. - Spain approves $12.2 million aid package for La Palma - Spanish volcanologist explains what will happen when the lava reaches the sea on La Palma. (Details) - Over 500 buildings destroyed by lava flow - Villages of Tacande and Tajuya evacuated amid increased explosive activity and new vents. Ash plume now 4km high - New lava flow caused by cone fracture moving "more quickly and more fluidly" - Lava flow "advancing quickly towards the coast", says president of La Palma local government - Active volcanoes in the Canary Islands: an overview - When was the last volcanic eruption in the Canary Islands? (Details) - The question on many minds: What happens when the lava reaches the ocean? (Details) Related articles: Photo for illustration (Source: congthuong.vn) The Vietnam News Agency quoted the information of the Vietnamese Trade Office in the US. The US market is home to 332 million customers with high per capita income, with fruit and vegetables being a rising trend, it said. Data from the Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association showed that fruit and vegetable exports were worth over 2.06 billion USD in the first half of this year, a year-on-year increase of 17.4 percent. Of these, the shipment of these items to the US enjoyed the highest growth of 132 percent compared to the same period last year, followed by China and China with 11.6 percent and 109 percent. Nguyen Quoc Toan, Director-General of the General Department for Agricultural Products Processing and Market Development, said Vietnamese fruit and vegetables are enjoying preferential tariffs brought by free trade agreements, including EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Six types of fresh Vietnamese fruits are allowed to enter the US market including mango, longan, lychee, dragon fruit, rambutan, and star apple. Other fruits can also be exported in either frozen or processed forms. Despite having certain advantages, however, the country still faces numerous hurdles because it had to cope with fierce competition from products that are grown in such states as Florida and California or similar items from Mexico, South American and Asian countries. The high costs for transportation and storage due to geographical distance is causing difficulties for the export of fresh fruits to the US. The Vietnamese Trade Office in the US suggested local enterprises coordinate with US counterparts for a flexible payment method to increase exports to the market. They were also urged to consider pouring capital into cold storage to ensure the quality of fresh fruits as well as setting up a large-scale distribution centre for Vietnamese goods at a large port on the West Coast, it said, saying that this would help reduce costs and help make businesses more proactive in selling the products. It is necessary for Vietnamese enterprises to continue approaching large distribution chains, aiming to provide organic and processed products to meet the demand of the US market, the office said. Outdoor sport activities in Hanoi resumed from September 28 The authorities of Hanoi have permitted outdoor sport activities of no more than 10 people in the capital city from September 28. In an official dispatch dated September 27, the municipal Peoples Committee stated that shopping malls, clothing and cosmetics stores will be allowed to reopen, said the Vietnam News Agency. Photo for illustration (Source: VNA) Meanwhile, restaurants and food and drink establishments offer take-away services only and must adhere to the 5K principle and preventive measures set by the Ministry of Health and the city. The municipal Peoples Committee also requests stronger communication work on COVID-19 prevention and control, in a bid to raise public awareness and call on people to stay vigilant. The city's Department of Health is tasked with working with relevant agencies in conducting health screening, particularly COVID-19 testing at sealed-off and high-risk areas, and vaccination across the city. Hanoi departments, sectors and agencies have been asked to devise scenarios aligning with future COVID-19 developments. 710,000 new enterprises expected to be established in next five years The Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) has coordinated with relevant ministries, sectors, agencies and localities to build a draft resolution on supporting and developing businesses in the 2021-2025 period, with a target of about 710,000 newly-established enterprises in the period. Photo for illustration (Source: vneconomy.vn) Under the document, various support policies will be designed to assist businesses in recovering, expanding and improving their competitiveness. In 2025, Vietnam expects to have over 2.1 million companies, said the Vietnam News Agency. In the period, about 10 start-ups are hoped to reach the value of over 1 billion USD, while about 35-40 percent of total firms are expected to launch science-technology application and innovation activities, and 100 percent of companies are hoped to access digital transformation, with 100,000 firms getting support in the field. To this end, the MPI will give eight groups of solutions, focusing on improving the investment and business environment, expanding domestic and foreign markets, strengthening the credit access for businesses, especially those hit by COVID-19. Alongside, the ministry also proposed support to human resources development and the fostering of connectivity among enterprises so that they can join domestic and international value chains and gradually lead the chains in the next five years./. In the article, Riafan especially emphasized the positive and effective activities of President Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the recent High-Level Week of the 76th session of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly. Accordingly, one of the issues of concern to the whole world was raised in the speech of the President of Vietnam to the UN - the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic is an urgent warning about the devastating consequences of unusual security issues such as epidemics and climate change. State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc speaks at the UN Security Council High-Level Discussion on climate security. (Source: VNA) The President of Vietnam affirmed that the world cannot be safe when there are still any people or countries that are not safe from the pandemic, and made constructive suggestions on defeating the pandemic as soon as possible by removing barriers to the vaccine distribution process, with priority given to countries with low vaccination rates; promoting economic - trade cooperation to restore the world economy; accelerating digital transformation and use of green technology; and improving labor productivity, competitiveness and sustainability of the economy. The article affirmed that all the statements of State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the UN General Assembly clearly show Vietnam's foreign policy, which is respect for international law. Any political "knot", even the most complicated, can be resolved by peaceful diplomatic means, on the basis of strict adherence to international law. According to this news agency, Vietnam is also one of the most dynamic developing economies in the Asia-Pacific, which is focused on by the world's leading powers. Vietnam's economy is developing even amid the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, so surely after the pandemic, the economy will be like a spring that bounces to a new height. During the session of the UN General Assembly, Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc also delivered two more important speeches, at the climate security discussion and the food systems conference. Vietnam is one of the ten countries most affected by climate change and sea level rise. State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc's speech clearly showed the countrys determination to minimize the impacts of climate change. This is also a goal that Vietnam has long implemented such as reducing the use of fossil energy, increasing the proportion of renewable energy to 25% of total supply by 2030; and implementing a program to plant 1 billion trees by 2025. Regarding food, the article affirmed that as Vietnam is a country with a favorable climate and fertile soil, along with thousands of years of experience in the agricultural field, it is completely worthy of playing an important role in future world food security. Addressing the conference, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc affirmed that coordination among countries, partners and actors in the food and food system must be for the benefit of the people. In order to develop the food system sustainably, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc proposed to expand international cooperation in research, forecasting, and building an information system to warn of risks about natural disasters and epidemics; sustainable management of national resources, biodiversity and forests; and Management of transboundary water resources and marine resources. At the end of the article, the author affirmed that all of the above factors have proved a responsible Vietnam for the sustainable development of the world, based on three main pillars: economy - society - environment. The initiatives raised by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc at this UN General Assembly may become research topics for Russian experts, thereby contributing to promoting bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the new era./. A staff member demonstrates traditional weaving skills at the booth of Beijing at the 17th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF) in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Sept. 24, 2021. Over 2.05 million visitors participated in the 17th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair, which concluded Monday in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. (Xinhua/Mao Siqian) SHENZHEN, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Over 2.05 million visitors participated in the 17th China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair, which concluded Monday in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen. With a total offline exhibition area of 120,000 square meters, the main venue, the Shenzhen World Convention and Exhibition Center, consisted of six pavilions. The five-day fair exhibited more than 100,000 pieces of cultural products and set up 67 sub-venues, attracting over 3,300 government entities, enterprises and organizations both online and offline, according to its organizer. An exhibition to mark the centennial of the Communist Party of China was on display at the fair. The fair also highlighted "dual circulation," new cultural business formats, integration of culture and tourism as well as innovation in cultural services to further boost the cultural industry. Since established in 2004, the fair has become a leading cultural event in China and an important platform to promote the Chinese culture to go global. Enditem 8 1 Editor: WPY NEW YORK, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Mixed or de-synchronized responses to the U.S. federal government's universal call for vaccination against the coronavirus have been delaying the whole process, and in some states dragging hospitals into an overflow of unvaccinated patients. Healthcare systems in some parts of the United States are in "dire straits" as unvaccinated people fill up hospitals, Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) told CBS on Sunday. Some parts of the country are using "crisis standards of care" and are running out of hospital beds, Walensky said. "That means that we are talking about who is going to get a ventilator, who is going to get an ICU bed." Between Sept. 18 and 24, U.S. hospitals admitted a daily average of nearly 9,000 COVID-19 patients, much lower than in early January, when the seven-day average peaked at 16,489, per CDC data. However, Walensky stressed, those filling up the hospitals were mostly unvaccinated. As the CDC updated on Monday, 213,456,787 people have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, making up 64.3 percent of the whole U.S. population; fully vaccinated people stood at 183,670,870, accounting for 55.3 percent of tha total. According to The New York Times, the 7-day average of confirmed cases of the pandemic stood at 119,883 nationwide on Sunday, with its 16-day change striking an 18-percent fall. COVID-19-related deaths were 2,031 on Sunday, with the 14-day change realizing a 23-percent rise. REJECTION OF VACCINES Tens of thousands of health care workers in New York appeared to be risking their jobs by defying the state mandate to receive at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine by Monday, setting up an early test for similar employer mandates across the United States, reported The New York Times. In New York, Rhode Island, Maine, Oregon and the District of Columbia, health care workers must get vaccinated to remain employed. In California, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Illinois, workers have the option to be tested regularly if they choose not to get inoculated. Resistance to vaccine mandates has so far stopped most states from threatening to fire unvaccinated workers, even though employers are legally allowed to require workers to get vaccinated, according to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Meanwhile, under New York City's vaccination mandate for education department employees, the requirement to receive at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine was set to take effect close of business Monday, with unvaccinated staffers barred from entering schools on Tuesday and faced with unpaid leave. But a federal appeals court granted an injunction that is expected to remain in place until a panel of three judges reviews the case on Wednesday. Currently, at least 87 percent of teachers are vaccinated, according to city officials. Administrators have been bracing for staff shortages, since a sizable minority of teachers, school safety agents, and other staff still haven't received the vaccine, reported New York news portal The City on Sunday. VACCINE URGENCY Pfizer and BioNTech plan to ask for the authorization of a COVID-19 vaccine for some children under 12 soon, bringing the United States one step closer to offering protection to a population that has grown particularly vulnerable as the fall season gets underway, reported CNN on Monday. "It is a question of days, not weeks," said Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla. On Monday, CDC Director Walensky told ABC that the CDC will review data on vaccines for 5 to 11-year-olds with urgency. "We are all enthusiastically awaiting these data," she said. "As soon as they get submitted to the FDA (the Food and Drug Administration), I know the FDA is urgently planning to review these data, it will go from the FDA to the CDC, and we will review it with similar urgency." In the mean time, the recommendation of COVID-19 booster shot by the FDA and the CDC includes those older than 65, the immunocompromised and those in high-risk jobs, but it leaves out most of people who received the Moderna shot and all who received Johnson &Johnson vaccine. "The wait for boosters news is making some non-Pfizer vaccine recipients a bit salty," The Washington Post reported on Monday, noting there has been "a rush of patients, and their questions." To give those non-Pfizer vaccine recipients some hope in their wait, J&J said in a press release last week that a global study showed boosters helped increase the protection of its COVID-19 shot. Moderna similarly has said data supports boosters and has been submitted for the FDA's approval. Editor: JYZ BEIJING, Sept. 27 (Xinhua) -- Chinese and foreign experts have called for strengthened regulations on the application of digital technologies to improve the protection of personal information at a seminar in Beijing. The seminar on scientific and technological development and human rights protection, also a side event of the 48th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, was hosted by the China Society for Human Rights Studies on Sunday. China has made continuous efforts to improve its laws and regulations to ensure robust legal protections for citizens' personal information, privacy and property, promoting a healthy balance between scientific and technological development and human rights protection, said Ma Huaide, president of the China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL). John P. Pace, the former coordinator of the Vienna World Conference on Human Rights, called for strengthened regulations to combat human rights risks brought by information technology at both the national and international levels. Individuals' basic rights in the field of information management, including the right to know, the right to correct and the right to delete, should be ensured, said Yao Jia, professor at the Institute of Law at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Sun Meng, professor at the Institute for Human Rights of the CUPL, elaborated on the protection of the right to privacy in the 5G era and called for China to play a greater role in establishing human rights standards in the development of science and technology. Enditem Editor: Zhang Zhou The ENTSO-E management has expressed support for Ukraine on the way to synchronization with the European power system, the Ministry of Energy said following a working meeting in Brussels on Tuesday between Energy Minister Herman Haluschenko and ENTSO-E Secretary-General Sonya Twohig and Chair of the Board of ENTSO-E Joachim Vanzetta. According to the report, during the meeting, the parties agreed on further steps regarding preparation for synchronization. "Technical synchronization of the power systems of Ukraine and Europe is the main stage in the integration of our power markets. Therefore, a positive assessment of Ukraine's progress is very important at this stage of preparation. I am grateful for the support of our European partners," the press service said, citing Haluschenko. The working meeting was also attended by Head of the NPC Ukrenergo Volodymyr Kudrytsky and advisor to the Minister of Energy Olena Zerkal. Hungary delivered a blow to its relations with Ukraine by signing a contract with Russia on gas deliveries bypassing Ukraine, which will accordingly respond to this move, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said. "We mean the country, Hungary, which is a member of the EU and a member of NATO, but, at the same time, has a special relationship with Russia and has delivered a blow to Ukrainian-Hungarian relations by excluding the Ukrainian gas pipeline from the arrangements for gas deliveries from Russia. It's a blow, and we will respond to it accordingly, because there shouldn't be any compassion or any sympathy in this case," Kuleba told the Freedom of Speech program on the ICTV television channel. A meeting of the Ukrainian-Hungarian joint intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation, initially due to take place on September 29-30, with the two countries' foreign ministers co-chairing it, was cancelled even before the aforementioned contract was signed between Hungary and Russia. "We knew that a Russian delegation was heading there, that this contract would be signed. And they were already aware of our position when they signed this contract. It will not be just a political step - the cancellation of a meeting of the commission, which is the main body of bilateral cooperation. We will also take other steps to defend Ukraine's national interests in this situation," he said. Hungary and Russian gas giant Gazprom have signed a new long-term contract on gas supplies to Hungary bypassing Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba called on Hungary not to "unwind emotions" due to the crisis over the signing of an agreement with Gazprom by Budapest on gas transit bypassing Ukraine. "I urge Hungarian partners not to 'unwind' emotions now, they very often say different things about Ukraine that we do not like, but we do not react to them emotionally. We must act pragmatically, look for a way out of this crisis that will meet the interests of Ukraine and Hungary, because it is also in the interests of Europe," Kuleba told journalists in Kyiv on Tuesday. The minister said the issue of excluding Ukraine from the transit scheme was a requirement of Russia, and Hungary accepted this requirement. "I am opposed to being guided by emotions in this situation. We or our Hungarian partners. We do not deny Hungary's right to conclude an agreement with Gazprom. But we clearly see that Hungary could conclude an equally economically beneficial contract that would included transit through Ukraine. We understand the issue of excluding Ukraine from the transit scheme was a requirement of Russia, Hungary accepted this requirement, it does not meet our interests, we protect our interests. That is the whole story," Kuleba said. He also said Ukraine will turn to the European Commission to understand how Hungary's agreement with Gazprom affects the EU energy security. "We will talk with the European Commission, as it is important to understand how this agreement affects the EU energy security," the Ukrainian Foreign Minister said. Gennadiy Trukhanov: the establishment of a pedestrian zone in the Odesa city centre is a unique project that has brought Odesa even closer to the European lifestyle Odesa is confidently returning to the pre-pandemic figure of three million tourists a year. This was stated by the Mayor of the city of Odesa Gennadiy Trukhanov within the framework of the 4th International Mayors Summit, which was held in Kyiv on September, 28. The topic of this years summit is Cities at the Frontline: Progress Despite Global Challenges. Gennadiy Trukhanov noted that Odesa has proved: if you are looking for opportunities, not excuses, then even during the pandemic it is possible to develop the citys tourist potential. At the same time, the Mayor of Odesa emphasized that above all, the development of tourism is not about counting the number of tourists, but about conducting immense work on the infrastructure development and creating comfortable conditions for tourists. Seven years ago we started with the restoration of historical landmarks and architectural monuments, improvement of squares and parks, filling them with some attraction points in the form of objects or events. Completely new parks appeared in the city centre i.e. Istanbul and Greek parks. We renovated favourite parks of Odesa citizens, divided them into zones for various activities. The next step was to establish the pedestrian zone in the Odesa city centre for the weekends and holidays, said the Mayor of Odesa. Today, the pedestrian zone in Odesa is the largest one in Ukraine. Gennadiy Trukhanov emphasized that the city authorities are doing everything possible to ensure that the status of Odesa as a tourist pearl is not nominal. According to the Mayor, another important aspect of the city development is the cooperation between regional and state authorities: I am sincerely grateful to the President of Ukraine for the attention he gives to our city, in particular, within the framework of the state programs Large Restoration and Great Construction. Such interaction has already proved to be effective and increased both the quality of life of Odesa citizens and the tourist attractiveness of our city. At the same time, the Mayor highlighted that even the most successful project risks becoming a failure without a competent approach. During the implementation of the pedestrian zone, all the details were carefully thought through. The road traffic was modified, new road signs have been installed, a new parking system has been organized, and thus, we have done everything to make the pedestrian zone in the city centre organically fit into the life of Odesa citizens and guests of the city, said Gennady Trukhanov. According to the Mayor of Odesa, the pedestrian zone in the Odesa city centre is a unique project that has brought Odesa even closer to the European lifestyle, where a pedestrian zone is traditionally established in the historical centre of the tourist cities. President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has invited the leadership of the American social network Facebook to consider the possibility of opening a company office in Ukraine. According to the press service of the head of state, Zelensky held a video conference with the chief operating officer of the company, Sheryl Sandberg, and Vice President Nick Clegg and invited the Facebook representatives to visit the Diia. Summit forum, which will be held in Kyiv on November 29. "This would be a serious support for the digital direction in Ukraine. We are confident that we will be the first in Europe to implement all digital services. Your arrival would be a very good signal," the president emphasized. Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, who was present at the talks, noted that "Volodymyr Zelensky's presidential campaign was the most technologically advanced in the world, and Facebook and Instagram were the key communications channels during this campaign." According to COO Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook is committed to providing the best service and support to Ukrainian users. This is reflected in various actions of the company, including the recent launch of Facebook AMBER Alert in Ukraine, and they hope to strengthen this cooperation in the future, she said. Also, the participants in the video conference discussed the opening of the Facebook R&D center in Ukraine. In addition, Zelensky familiarized the Facebook representatives with Ukraine's key achievements in the implementation of digitalization and steps towards improving the tax and legal regime for IT companies. Kyiv City State Administration looking for ways to invest in gas production for needs of Kyivteploenergo The Kyiv City State Administration is considering investment in the production of Ukrainian natural gas, which municipal enterprise Kyivteploenergo will use to produce heat for the city's consumers, the Kyiv City State Administration said on Tuesday. "It is the use of domestically produced gas, the cost of which is significantly lower in comparison with the cost of imported gas, that will reduce the costs of the enterprise, which directly affect the tariff," the city administration said. To this end, the city authorities have addressed a letter to NJSC Naftogaz Ukrainy with a view to establishing possible cooperation in the field of gas production. In particular, the city proposes to create, together with Naftogaz, a working group to consider the proposed initiative and prepare a corresponding project. The administration argues its intention to invest in the gas production sector with the need to overcome the crisis in the field of heat supply, as well as the need to provide "reliable and high-quality services at prices that would take into account the population's ability to pay." "The cost forecast shows that the country's heating companies will have to buy natural gas to produce heat for certain categories of consumers at prices that are 3-4 times higher than those included in the tariff," the city administration said. Kyivteploenergo is one of the largest consumers of natural gas in Ukraine, annually using about 2.3 billion cubic meters of gas to provide district heating and electricity production. The share of gas in the Kyivteploenergo heat tariff structure reaches 80%. KYIV. Sept 28 (Interfax-Ukraine) Teachers of Ukrainian universities are actively getting vaccines against COVID-19, the activity of students in vaccination is somewhat lower, the participants of a roundtable entitled "Results of the admission campaign and realities of higher education in Ukraine amid the pandemic at leading Kyiv universities" at Interfax-Ukraine on Tuesday. Head of the educational department of Kyiv National University of Construction and Architecture, PhD in Technical Sciences Andriy Shpakov, in particular, said that the university is currently preparing the fourth wave of vaccination of teachers. "We have a fairly high percentage of teachers who are vaccinated and this percentage will increase when we conduct the fourth wave of vaccination. We invite mobile teams that come and vaccinate everyone," he said. Shpakov said that the vaccination of both teachers and students is voluntary. At the same time, he said that "in the recent wave of vaccination, the majority of those vaccinated were exactly students, although students do not really want to be vaccinated in large numbers, so we are conducting explanatory work." In turn, Head of the Management and Economics Department of the International European University Yulia Remyha said that the university began to vaccinate teachers in April, inviting mobile vaccination teams for this. "Vaccination is voluntary, but the teachers take it responsibly. Today, out of all our staff, about 86% have already been vaccinated," she said. At the same time, according to Remyha, early September, the university organized vaccinations for students. "On the part of the administration, both for teachers and for students, everything is done to get vaccinated conveniently, so that health is preserved," she said. For his part, Deputy First Vice-Rector, Head of Scientific and Methodological Department of Ihor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute (KPI) Serhiy Hozhiy said that the university during the summer invited vaccination teams for voluntary vaccination of teachers and students. "In KPI, more than 80% are already vaccinated," he said. Commenting on the living conditions of nonresident students, Hozhiy said that "special rooms and blocks, isolation wards have been organized in the hostels, where sick students are accommodated, but no one is forcing them to vaccinate." Vice-Rector for scientific and pedagogical work of Vadym Hetman Kyiv National Economic University Anatoliy Kolot said that this university is also conducting explanatory work on the need for vaccination. "Nobody is forcing. We appeal to conscience. We have involved public and trade union organizations, student government. There have already been two waves of centralized vaccination, we are conducting another wave on September 29-30," he said. At the same time, Kolot said that universities need more detailed explanations regarding the vaccination rate for 80% of employees. "Obviously, there should be more explanations from our central authorities, because everything is limited to the 80% standard. But explanations are needed, what to do if there are people who are contraindicated in vaccination, and there are people who have been ill and they have antibodies," he said. Kolot said that the university is currently collecting information on the number of employees who have been ill. At the same time, he drew attention to the fact that "it is not clear what to do if the whole family has been ill, but only one family member has turned to the family doctor and has a confirmation of the illness." "Where can those family members who have been ill get a certificate, if only one family member is recorded? There are such cases," he said. Israeli PM says Iran has crossed nuclear 'red lines'; Tehran calls it 'full of lies' Israels prime minister Naftali Bennett addresses the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, at the U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S. (Photo : John Minchillo/Pool via REUTERS) Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said on Monday that Iran had crossed "all red lines" in its nuclear program and vowed that Israel would not allow Tehran to acquire a nuclear weapon. In his first speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Bennett said Iran sought to dominate the Middle East under a "nuclear umbrella" and urged a more concerted international effort to halt Iran's nuclear activities. Advertisement But he also hinted at the potential for Israel to act on its own against Iran, something it has repeatedly threatened. "Iran's nuclear program has hit a watershed moment, and so has our tolerance. Words do not stop centrifuges from spinning," Bennett said. "Israel will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon." The U.N. ambassador for Iran, which has denied seeking a nuclear bomb, rejected Bennett's speech as "full of lies." Bennett, a far-right politician who opposes Palestinian statehood, also drew an angry Palestinian reaction after he failed to mention the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Bennett, who ended Benjamin Netanyahu's 12-year run as prime minister in June, wants U.S. President Joe Biden to harden his stance against Iran, Israel's regional archfoe. He opposes U.S. efforts to revive the 2015 Iran nuclear deal that Biden's predecessor, Donald Trump, abandoned in 2018. Indirect U.S.-Iran talks in Vienna have stalled as Washington awaits the next move by Iran's new hard-line president, Ebrahim Raisi. Bennett struck a less combative tone at the United Nations than Netanyahu, who often relied on props to dramatize his accusations against Iran, an approach that critics derided as political stunts. But Bennett has been just as adamant as Netanyahu was in pledging to do whatever is necessary to prevent Iran, which Israel views as an existential threat, from building a nuclear weapon. "Iran's nuclear weapons program is at a critical point. All red lines have been crossed," Bennett said. He called for international action. "If we put our heads to it, if we're serious about stopping it, if we use our resourcefulness, we can prevail," Bennett said. Biden told Bennett in White House talks in August that he was putting "diplomacy first" with Iran but if negotiations fail he would be prepared to turn to other unspecified options. The U.N. atomic watchdog said in an August report that Iran had accelerated enrichment of uranium to near weapons-grade. Bennett also took aim at Raisi, referring to him as the "butcher of Tehran" and accusing him of human rights abuses over the years. Raisi, a Shi'ite cleric, is under U.S. sanctions over allegations of rights violations when he was a judge. "Iran-phobia runs rampant at UN," Iran's U.N. Ambassador Majid Takht Ravanchi posted on Twitter. Israel "is in no position to discuss our peaceful program when it has hundreds of nuclear warheads," he said, referring to Israel's widely believed status as the Middle East's sole nuclear-armed state. IGNORES ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT Bennett made not a single direct mention of the Palestinians in his remarks, except to accuse Iran of backing anti-Israel militant groups such as Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Bennett, who sits atop an ideologically diverse coalition, was formerly the leader of the main settler movement in the occupied West Bank. "Deliberately omitting a reference to Palestine reflects his fear of it, and once again proves to the international community that he is not and will not be a partner for Palestinians in the peace and negotiation process," Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told Reuters. Biden, in his U.N. speech last week, declared renewed U.S. support for a two-state solution, after Trump distanced himself from that longstanding tenet of U.S. policy, but said Israel and the Palestinians were a long way from achieving it. Biden's aides are mindful that U.S. pressure for a resumption of long-dormant peace talks could destabilize the fragile Israeli coalition. Addressing the General Assembly on Friday, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas accused Israel of destroying the two-state solution with actions he said could lead Palestinians to demand equal rights within one binational state comprising Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. Bennett focused instead on Israel's landmark normalization agreements brokered by the Trump administration last year with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Morocco. "More is to come," he said. Palestinian officials said they felt betrayed by their Arab brethren for reaching deals with Israel without first demanding progress toward the creation of a Palestinian state. U.S. to open program to replace Huawei equipment in U.S. networks A Huawei logo is seen at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Shanghai, China (Photo : REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo) The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Monday said it would open a $1.9 billion program to reimburse mostly rural U.S. telecom carriers for removing network equipment made by Chinese companies deemed national security threats like Huawei and ZTE Corp. The program, which was finalized in July, will open Oct. 29 for applications through Jan. 14, 2022. Advertisement Last year, the FCC designated Huawei and ZTE as national security threats to communications networks - a declaration that barred U.S. firms from tapping an $8.3 billion government fund to purchase equipment from the companies. The FCC in December adopted rules requiring carriers with ZTE or Huawei equipment to "rip and replace" that equipment. The issue is a big one for rural carriers that face high costs and difficulty finding workers to remove and replace equipment. The FCC's final order expanded the companies eligible for reimbursement from those with 2 million or fewer customers to those with 10 million or fewer customers. The FCC in September 2020 estimated it would cost $1.837 billion to remove and replace Huawei and ZTE equipment from networks. In June, the FCC voted to advance a plan to ban approvals for equipment in U.S. telecommunications networks from Chinese companies deemed national security threats like Huawei and ZTE. The FCC could also revoke prior equipment authorizations issued to Chinese companies. In March, the FCC designated five Chinese companies as posing a threat to national security under a 2019 law aimed at protecting U.S. communications networks. The affected companies included the previously designated Huawei and ZTE, as well as Hytera Communications Corp, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co and Zhejiang Dahua Technology Co. In August 2020, the U.S. government barred federal agencies from buying goods or services from any of the five Chinese companies. Lava and smoke rise following the eruption of a volcano on the Canary Island of La Palma, in Todoque, Spain (Photo : REUTERS/Nacho Doce) A volcano on Spain's La Palma island began ejecting lava again on Monday after a lull, while hundreds of people in coastal villages hunkered down in anticipation of lava emitted in previous days reaching the sea and releasing toxic gas. Spurts of vivid lava emerged from the Cumbre Vieja volcano in the early evening and snaked down the dark mountainside after a period of several hours without explosions, according to Reuters witnesses. Advertisement The hiatus and new explosions came eight days after lava started pouring from the mountain range on the island, which neighbours Tenerife in the Canary Islands archipelago off North Africa. "Activating and deactivating is logical, natural in the evolution of Strombolian volcanoes," said Miguel Angel Morcuende, director of the Pevolca response committee, referring to the type of violent eruption that emits incandescent dust. His Pevolca colleague, Maria Jose Blanco, said lower levels of gas and a reduced supply of material within the crater could have caused the drop in activity. Since Sept. 19, black lava has been slowly flowing down the volcano's western flank toward the sea, destroying more than 500 houses as well as churches and banana plantations, according to the European Union's Copernicus disaster monitoring programme. Spanish property portal Idealista estimated the damage at around 178 million euros ($209 million) on Monday. On Monday, two tongues of the superheated black lava were rounding a hill to the west of the small town of Todoque, less than a kilometre from the Atlantic, but authorities said they could not be sure when it might reach the sea. Still, about 300 local residents in the coastal areas of San Borondon, Marina Alta and Baja and La Condesa have been confined to their homes as the moment of contact between the lava and the sea is likely to trigger explosions and emit clouds of chlorine gas. Local airline Binter, which had planned to resume flights to and from the islands on Monday afternoon, said conditions were still unsafe and that all transfers would be cancelled until Tuesday. After a new vent opened on Sunday, Reuters drone footage showed a river of red hot lava flowing down the slopes of the crater, passing over homes, and swathes of land and buildings engulfed by a black mass of slower-moving, older lava. No fatalities or serious injuries have been reported, but about 15% of the island's banana crop could be at risk, jeopardising thousands of jobs. La Palma's population numbers over 83,000. ($1 = 0.85 euros) Silhouettes of mobile users are seen next to a screen projection of Instagram logo in this picture illustration taken (Photo : REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo) Instagram has hit pause on a new app it is creating for kids, the photo-sharing service owned by Facebook Inc said on Monday, in a move that comes amid growing opposition for the project. Instagram Kids had been touted as requiring parental permission to join, and was supposed to provide ad-free, age-appropriate content, but U.S. lawmakers and advocacy groups have urged the social media giant to drop its launch plans, citing safety concerns. Advertisement "We won't stop pressuring Facebook until they permanently pull the plug," said Josh Golin, executive director of Fairplay, an advocacy group focused on kids. Instagram said in a blog post that building Instagram Kids was the right thing to do, but that it was pausing the work and would continue building on its parental supervision tools. "The reality is that kids are already online, and we believe that developing age-appropriate experiences designed specifically for them is far better for parents than where we are today," it said, noting that there were app versions of Alphabet Inc's YouTube and ByteDance's TikTok for those under 13. Nick Clegg, Facebook's vice president of global affairs, said on Monday that the company is exploring features that would "nudge" a teen away from content on Instagram that its tech system perceives could be negative, or encourage them to take a break from the app. He spoke in an interview at the Atlantic Festival. Four Democratic lawmakers including U.S. Senators Ed Markey and Richard Blumenthal said on Monday they were pleased by Facebook's decision but said the pause "is insufficient." "Facebook has completely forfeited the benefit of the doubt when it comes to protecting young people online and it must completely abandon this project," said the lawmakers, who also include U.S. Representatives Kathy Castor and Lori Trahan. In 2017, Facebook had launched the standalone Messenger Kids app, an instant messaging platform for children under the age of 13, which is controlled by a parent's Facebook account. Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal published a report that focused on data suggesting that Instagram had a harmful effect on teenagers, particularly teen girls, and that Facebook had made minimal efforts to address the issue. Facebook said on Sunday that the report is "not accurate." Pakistans Ambassador to Afghanistan, Mansoor Ahmad Khan, speaks during a discussion, in this screen grab taken from a video, in Kabul, Afghanistan (Photo : REUTERS TV via REUTERS) Pakistan has discussed Taliban-led Afghanistan joining the multibillion-dollar China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) infrastructure project, the Pakistani ambassador to the country said on Monday. "Regional connectivity is an important element of our discussion with Afghan leadership and our way forward for our economic interaction with Afghanistan," said Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Pakistan's envoy to Kabul, in an interview with Reuters. Advertisement "This important project - China Pakistan Economic Corridor ... provides good opportunities, good potential for providing infrastructure and energy connectivity between Afghanistan and Pakistan ... (and) also connecting South Asia to the Central Asian region." CPEC is a central part of the Belt and Road Initiative, under which Beijing has pledged over $60 billion for infrastructure projects in Pakistan, much of it in the form of loans. Khan said that discussions had been held with the Taliban-led administration on this and other ways to develop the country's economy. "I think there has been deep interest in terms of developing economic connectivity of Afghanistan with Pakistan through CPEC and with other neighbouring countries including Iran, China, Central Asian countries." In recent days representatives from Pakistan, China and Russia have held meetings with Taliban officials. Khan said security and economic development were the two main topics under discussion and that these countries expected to continue to consult as a group and meet with the Taliban going forward. Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan on Aug. 15, the country has been plunged into economic crisis as the nation's international assistance has been largely cut off. Billions of dollars in central bank assets held abroad have also been frozen, which has put pressure on the banking system and prevented most transactions involving U.S. dollars, which Khan said was also hampering trade. Khan said that Pakistan was also trying to work with the international community to ease international restrictions on the banking system and several executives from Pakistani financial institutions with a presence in Afghanistan had visited Kabul in recent days to see if the situation could be improved should international limits end. The United States and other Western nations arereluctant to provide the Taliban with funds until the Islamistmilitant movement provides assurances that it will uphold humanrights, and in particular the rights of women. Pakistan, which shares a border with Afghanistan and hosts millions of Afghan refugees from decades of conflict, is concerned about the economic crisis hitting its neighbour. Its prime minister, Imran Khan, and other officials have urged the international community not to isolate the Taliban administration, saying aid should be provided to prevent economic collapse and a wave of refugees. Pakistan has had deep ties with the Taliban and has been accused of supporting the group as it battled the U.S.-backed government in Kabul for 20 years - charges denied by Islamabad. However, Pakistan has not yet formally recognised the Taliban-led administration and Khan, the Pakistani ambassador, told Reuters that "the issues of formal recognition will come later as Pakistan is part of the international community." At least 10 FARC dissidents killed in Colombia bombing, military says Commander of the Colombian Military Forces, General Luis Fernando Navarro, speaks during a news conference about the participation of several Colombians in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moise, in Bogota (Photo : REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez) At least ten members of a group of FARC rebel dissidents were killed in an armed forces bombing in Colombia's southeastern jungle, the head of the military said on Monday. Though the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) signed a peace accord in 2016 and most members demobilized, some former fighters reject the deal and continue to battle the government, which accuses them of illegal mining, drug production and other crimes. Advertisement The military bombing took place in a rural area of Morichal Nuevo municipality, in Guainia province, a top area for cultivation of coca, the base ingredient in cocaine. "At this time we have, partially, the death during the course of military operations of ten bandits from this organization and an important seizure of materiel," General Luis Fernando Navarro, the head of the armed forces, said in a video. Security sources estimate dissident groups - which sometimes compete with the National Liberation Army guerrillas and crime gangs for territory - number 2,500 fighters. Explainer-What happens when the U.S. federal government shuts down? The U.S. Capitol Building is pictured in Washington, U.S., (Photo : REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz) Washington is racing to avert a partial government shutdown that could lead to furloughs for hundreds of thousands of federal workers in the middle of a national health crisis. Barring a still-elusive political deal, funding for most federal agencies will expire at midnight on Thursday. Many government functions will grind to a halt in the second federal shutdown in three years. Advertisement Museums and national parks will close and roughly three in five workers - out of a federal civilian workforce of 2.1 million - will be barred from working, said William Hoagland, a former congressional staffer now at the Bipartisan Policy Center. Furloughs could hit 62% of employees at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC), an agency at the center of America's fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, according to an agency shutdown plan. HOW DOES THIS AFFECT COVID-19 RESPONSE? Federal workers can stay on the job if being away puts lives or property at risk. But many would have to work without being paid until funding is approved. And those in less critical roles will be furloughed. The Department of Health and Human Services' shutdown plan pledges the CDC "will continue full support" for public health needs. But the budget headache will still be a distraction. "The agency is certainly going to be operating at lower efficiency," said David Reich, a former congressional staffer now at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities think tank. That would come as many public health workers are already stressed. A July CDC survey found high levels of depression, anxiety and other mental health problems among public health workers. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease official, told the Washington Post last week that a pandemic was the "worst time" for a shutdown because the government should be working full blast on public health. HOW DOES A SHUTDOWN ACTUALLY HAPPEN? After funding expires, some workers can clock in briefly to set department shutdowns in motion, such as choosing who would be exempt from furlough and adding a shutdown message to government voicemails. The White House budget office said on Thursday agencies were drawing up plans, which in the past have included suspending processing of applications for firearms and passports. Much of government would continue on autopilot, including mailing Social Security pension checks and paying hospital bills for the elderly. Soldiers can still fight wars, but many civilians in the Department of Defense will be furloughed. Eventually, essential services would suffer. "It's a management nightmare," Hoagland said. HOW COULD A SHUTDOWN BE AVOIDED, OR KEPT BRIEF? Congress must pass a spending bill to keep the government from shutting down or to reopen it. Democrats in the House of Representatives last week passed a bill that would renew government funding, but it included raising the cap on federal borrowing. Republicans object to increasing the debt limit, and they are expected to block the bill in the Senate as soon as Monday. One way to end the impasse would be for Democrats to drop the debt ceiling measure from the funding legislation. Then it would need to be passed swiftly by both chambers of Congress to avert a shutdown. The last government shutdown ended after 35 days in January 2019 when several air traffic controllers, who had been working without pay, reportedly called in sick, leading to flight delays and helping to break a political impasse over funding legislation. Hoagland said the disruption to public health agencies in the middle of a pandemic might keep a shutdown brief. "The image of that, in the midst of us still fighting this darn virus, would argue for there being a very short shutdown," he said. A building of the Geely Auto Research Institute is seen in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, (Photo : REUTERS/Aly Song/Files) A new venture from the founder of Chinese automaker Zhejiang Geely Holding will aim to release its first smartphone by 2023 and sell 3 million units in its first year, according to a memo seen by Reuters. Geely, which owns Volvo, announced on Tuesday that chairman Eric Li, also known as Li Shufu, will launch a new company that will make premium smartphones, taking it into a competitive sector dominated by a handful of giants. Advertisement Although Li has made futuristic bets on ventures such as flying cars and helicopter taxis, a foray into phones puts Geely into a highly competitive sector that is no longer growing in China and is dominated by a handful of players including Apple, China's Xiaomi Corp and others. Geely is the first established carmaker to commit to selling smartphones, though smartphone makers are venturing into the electric vehicle market. "There is a close connection in technologies within intelligent vehicle cockpits and smartphone technologies," Li said in the statement. "The major trend in the coming future is to create user ecosystems across borders and provide users with a more convenient, smarter and seamlessly connected multi-screen experience." The statement said Li's new company, Hubei Xingji Shidai Technology Co Ltd, has signed an agreement with the Wuhan Economic and Technological Development Zone to set up a headquarters in the central city of Wuhan, where it will develop smart devices including smartphones. Public records show that Li owns 55% of Xingji Shidai. According to an internal memo seen by Reuters, the project will be funded with a 10 billion yuan ($1.55 billion) investment and is also targeting revenue of 10 billion yuan in its first year. It aims to achieve cumulative revenue of 150 billion yuan within eight years, employ 3,000 people, and eventually go list on the stock market, the memo also said. Geely declined to comment on the memo. Shipments of handsets to China last year dropped 11% to 330 million units. Globally, consumers are taking longer to upgrade to newer models as improvements in performance and features are incremental. Will Wong, who tracks China's smartphone market at research firm IDC, said Geely's brand recognition in China would help it break into the premium market. "Nevertheless, the focus of Geely's mobile phone business is likely to be more on strengthening its ambitions for intelligent vehicle development, in which all automakers are seeking a key differentiator to succeed," Wong said. Globally, Apple dominates the market for phones priced over $400, with a market share of 57%, according to Counterpoint Research. Samsung follows behind with a 17% share. Consumer hardware companies have been piling into the smart electric vehicle sector. In March, Xiaomi founder Lei Jun said his company would formally enter the electric vehicle market and invest $10 billion over the next 10 years. Huawei and Foxconn have also entered the sector via partnerships, while Apple has reportedly been conducting research and development for a smart car of its own. A worker collects orders at Amazon's fulfilment centre in Rugeley, central England (Photo : REUTERS/Phil Noble) Amazon said on Tuesday it has started recruiting for 20,000 seasonal positions across the United Kingdom to cover upcoming peak trading times, which include Christmas, joining a battle for temporary workers in a tight labour market. The group, which has 55,000 permanent UK employees, said the temporary jobs would be in its network of fulfilment centres, sort centres and delivery stations. Advertisement Amazon UK said pay for operations roles would start at a minimum of 10 pounds ($13.68) an hour, rising to 11.10 pounds an hour in some parts of the country - rates in line with a pay rise given to permanent employees in June. The group is also looking for people to deliver parcels in their spare time for between 13 pounds and 15 pounds per hour. Reuters reported on Monday that warehouses in Britain are having to pay up to 30% more to recruit staff after a chronic shortage of workers exacerbated pressure on already buckling supply chains and threatened to derail the run up to Black Friday and Christmas. The labour shortages in Britain's logistics network come on top of a spike in European natural gas prices and a post-Brexit and COVID shortage of truck drivers that has left fuel pumps dry across major cities. Amazon UK has not experienced delays in deliveries to customers, a person with knowledge of the situation told Reuters. ($1 = 0.7311 pounds) Huawei Technologies Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou speaks to media outside the B.C. Supreme Court following a hearing about her release in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Photo : REUTERS/Jesse Winter) The admission by Huawei's chief financial officer that she misled a bank about the company's business dealings in Iran likely won't help the United States as it continues to prosecute Huawei for the same charges. While Meng Wanzhou's admissions last week https://www.reuters.com/technology/huawei-cfo-meng-appear-court-expected-reach-agreement-with-us-source-2021-09-24 go to the heart of the financial fraud charges, legal experts say it will be difficult and perhaps impossible for prosecutors to use them against Huawei Technologies Co Ltd at trial. Advertisement And if the government were to try to use her admissions as leverage in any negotiations aimed at avoiding a trial, experts said, Huawei would likely say what she admitted was the result of extortion, or even a fabrication. A spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Brooklyn declined to comment, as did a Huawei spokeswoman. A U.S. judge in Brooklyn on Friday accepted a deferred prosecution agreement between Meng and U.S. prosecutors to end the case against her. Meng appeared via video from Canada, where she had been fighting extradition since her arrest in 2018 on a U.S. warrant. Meng's arrest was a key source of discord between Beijing and Washington https://www.reuters.com/world/china/white-house-xi-raised-case-huawei-cfo-recent-call-with-biden-2021-09-27, and also had repercussions for Canada. Within hours of the U.S. agreement and Meng's release, two Canadians who were detained shortly after Meng was taken into custody were freed from Chinese jails and flown home. As part of the agreement, Meng acknowledged that Huawei controlled a company that operated in Iran, that its employees were Huawei employees, and that she had made false statements about the company at a 2013 meeting with an executive at a global bank, earlier reported as HSBC Holdings PLC. CROSS-EXAMINATION The statement of facts laid out in the agreement could be seen as an admission by a high-level officer of Huawei, said Roland Riopelle, a New York white-collar defense lawyer not involved in Meng's case, "but if she is not available for cross-examination, it is almost certainly not admissible." Meng https://www.reuters.com/business/huawei-heir-apparent-prepares-life-after-three-years-canada-court-battle-2021-09-24 flew home to China on Friday and is unlikely to return to the United States to help the government in its case against the company founded by her father, Ren Zhengfei. In other cases, prosecutors typically call individuals like Meng to the witness stand to testify about their agreements with the government. But if Meng does not appear in court, Huawei cannot exercise its right to confront her as provided by the 6th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. "If she does not come back, and no one has the opportunity to cross-examine her, it is inadmissible," said Charles Stillman, another New York defense lawyer. The statement of facts identified Skycom Tech Co Ltd as a Hong Kong company that operated in Iran but was controlled by Huawei. It noted that Skycom was not a business partner, as Meng had claimed, and that Meng had falsely stated Huawei operated in compliance with applicable laws, regulations and sanctions. Prosecutors said the deception by Meng and colleagues was intended to obtain banking services from global financial institutions in violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran. The statement of facts also could be raised by the U.S. Department of Justice in talks with the company's lawyers in an effort to avoid trial, experts said, even if it would not be allowed in as evidence.Washington lawyer Juan Morillo, who often handles high-profile white collar and cross-border cases, said it "gives them some additional leverage in negotiations with Huawei." But Morillo said the company could argue Meng's agreement was also the "product of extortion" because she may have felt forced to sign it to gain her freedom. So ultimately, he said, the value would be minimal. Huawei can also note that it did not sign the agreement and is not bound by it. In fact, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson on Saturday said "the so-called 'fraud' charges against" Meng were "purely fabricated." "I've been in cases similar to this, and that's what the strategy is going to be with Huawei," said Morillo. "They'll say, 'This is a fabrication. This is the product of extortion and it has no binding effect on us at all.'" Huawei faces wire fraud, bank fraud and conspiracy charges that included Meng. It also faces other charges, including for violating sanctions on Iran, obstructing justice, and conspiring to steal trade secrets from U.S. technology companies. It has pleaded not guilty. The US Agency for International Development (USAID) announced on Wednesday that it gave Egypt a gift of 20 buses to be dedicated to North Sinai governorate. The Senate Egypt's upper consultative house elected the heads, deputy heads and secretary-generals for each of its 14 committees on Wednesday. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday that Ethiopia has no right to expel UN staff and it is violating the international law in doing this. The US Central Intelligence Agency announced Thursday a new China-focused unit that underscored its view of Beijing as the country's toughest long-term adversary. Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has also ordered the launch of an air lift between Egypt and Sudan in the upcoming few days to help Khartoum during the recent flooding crisis Two military cargo aircrafts carrying humanitarian aid were dispatched from Egypt to Sudan on Sunday, the Egyptian Armed Forces announced. According to the Egyptian army's statement, the supplies on the two planes included tents and blankets provided by the Egyptian Red Crescent as per the directives of Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi. El-Sisi has also ordered the launch of an air lift between Egypt and Sudan in the upcoming few days to help Khartoum during the recent flooding crisis. On their part, Sudanese officials expressed their appreciation for Egypts efforts in helping the Sudanese people, adding that these supplies assert the historical bonds between the two countries. On Friday, Sudan was hit by a wave of heavy rains and floods that have caused widespread destruction, damaging thousands of houses in 13 out of the countrys 18 states. Search Keywords: Short link: The aid is offered by the Defense Ministry and the Egyptian Red Crescent Society to support the Sudanese people at times of conflict and hardships Laden with tons of humanitarian aid, two more military planes took off from Egypt to Sudan Monday as part of an airlift that would last for several days between the two countries to help alleviate burdens on Sudanese citizens. The aid is offered by the Defense Ministry and the Egyptian Red Crescent Society upon directives by President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to support the Sudanese people at times of conflict and hardships, according to a statement by the Egyptian military spokesman. Sudanese officials have, meanwhile, voiced gratitude and appreciation for efforts exerted by Cairo to help the Sudanese people. Such humanitarian assistance from the Egyptian side contributes to deepening the extending historical ties between Egypt and Sudan, the Sudanese officials added. Egypt had earlier also sent two military planes loaded with tons of humanitarian aid to Sudan, according to a statement by the spokesman on Sunday. Search Keywords: Short link: Authorities retrieved three bodies of officers, including a lieutenant colonel, the Sudanese prime ministers office said in a statement Egypt offered its sincere condolences to Sudan over the victims of a military plane that crashed in the White Nile south of the capital, Khartoum, killing all on board. Egypt also extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims, pledging its full solidarity with Sudan, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Authorities retrieved three bodies of officers, including a lieutenant colonel, the Sudanese prime ministers office said in a statement. Search efforts were still ongoing for others who were onboard when the plane crashed near al-Shegilab on Wednesday, according to the statement. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt is expected to see a peak in coronavirus cases in a matter of three weeks, an Egyptian health official said in a televised interview on Monday, as the country is currently going through a fourth wave of the pandemic. We have three weeks before we reach the peak of the fourth wave I am hoping we dont record high numbers, Hossam Hosny, the head of the Scientific Committee to Combat the Coronavirus at the Ministry of Health said. He stressed the Egyptian Ministry of Healths readiness to handle the fourth wave effectively. Egypt has been witnessing a steady increase in daily infections and deaths since early August due to the new wave, with 667 new cases and 39 fatalities recorded on Sunday. The Egyptian government, in parallel, is intensifying its efforts to vaccinate citizens against COVID-19 to achieve its target of 40 million immunised Egyptians by the end of 2021. Egypt stared rolling out its inoculation campaign earlier this year, with over 13 million people vaccinated so far. Hosny urged all Egyptians to stick to all precautionary measures during the coming period. The studies have shown that the immunity provided by vaccines is temporary and lasts only from 3 months to one year depending on each individual, he added. He warned those who have previously recovered from COVID-19 infections against depending on the natural protection given by the virus. The immunity granted by the virus once it leaves an individuals system is not a long-term protection, as it lasts for no more than three months, with some cases even losing the anti-bodies within only a month, the official noted. He added that a decision regarding vaccinating children as well as offering a third booster shot to citizens who were inoculated at least 6-8 months ago will be taken within the week. Egypt is currently considering lowering the 18-year age limit for COVID-19 vaccination, as the country seeks to reach higher inoculation rates in a short period of time to achieve herd immunity. Health Minister Hala Zayed has also said earlier this month that giving booster shots of coronavirus vaccines is under consideration. Egypt has recorded a total of 300,945 infections, including 17,149 deaths and 254,060 recoveries. Search Keywords: Short link: The event was attended by Korean Ambassador Hong Jin-wook, Egypt's Halth Minister Hala Zayed, and more than 60 Korean companies interested in tapping into Egypt's medical market, the embassy said in a statement. In his remarks, Ambassador Hong Jin-wook said the health and medical sector is pivotal to the two countries' bilateral cooperation, given Egypts ambitious plan to become a medical hub in the region, particularly in the manufacturing of vaccines and pharmaceutical products. Over 60 Korean companies attended this event, which reflected Korean companies interest in advancing to Egyptian medical market, Ambassador Hong said. He expressed hope that Korean companies investments and trade with Egypt could be further expanded, taking advantage of this opportunity that will give momentum to the bilateral cooperation and will eventually lead to tangible joint projects between the two countries. Minister Hala Zayed, for her part, expressed willingness to continue close cooperation with the Korean government and companies, expressing hope for tangible cooperation projects to be realized with the Egyptian counterparts, including Vacsera. She pointing to the possible collaboration with Korean companies for technology transfer and joint manufacturing. During the webinar, the Egyptian Drug Authority made a presentation on the Egyptian policies and regulations in the medical sector and answered Korean companies inquiries which help companies better understand the Egyptian policies and regulations to access to the Egyptian market. Egypt sent on Monday a shipment of medical and pharmaceutical aid to the Egyptian section of the dialysis centre in Port Sudan, the capital city of the Sudanese Red Sea state, to assist against the floods that have been ravaging the state recently. The shipment, which was provided by The Egyptian Agency of Partnership for Development an affiliate of the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs included tents, blankets, food, disinfectants, medicine, and other medical supplies, a statement by the ministry read. This years devastating Nile floods have so far caused the deaths of dozens of Sudanese citizens. According to Relief Web on Monday, the heavy rains and flash floods in the country have affected 300,000 people and destroyed 15,000 homes. Abdullah Shangarai, the Red Sea state governor, and Egypts General Consul in Port Sudan Sameh Farouk Shehata received the shipment at Port Sudan International Airport. Governor Shangarai extended his greetings to the Egyptian government, affirming that the aid reflects the firm bilateral relations gathering the two countries on the official and popular levels. Throughout September, Egypt sent a total of seven military planes carrying tons of humanitarian aid to Sudan to assist the sisterly country in the face of all difficulties and crises. Search Keywords: Short link: It was a night to remember as the multi-faceted magical aspects of history, cultures, art and wonders of food intertwined showcasing a splendid spectacle of glamour and joy. With the magical Baron palace on the outskirts of Heliopolis district acting as a magnificent backdrop, 17 countries offered a glimpse of their culinary arts in Cairo's biggest annual food festival. On September 25, the esteemed Nisf El-Donia magazine, an Al-Ahram publication since 1990, organized Gouter festival, presenting a special blend between civilizations and cultures of various countries. The festival was held under the auspices of Egypts Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Minister of Tourism and Antiquities Khaled El-Anani and in collaboration with Al-Ahram organization and its affiliated Al-Ahram Advertising Agency. Nevin Gamea, Minister of Trade and Industry, stressed the Egyptian state's keenness to strengthen economic and trade ties with various countries and cultures in its regional environment and at the global level. In a speech on behalf of Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly during her opening of the first international cultural festival, the minister pointed out that Egypt will remain a commercial, logistical and cultural hub linking East and West. Attending this year's event were Egypts Minister of Antiquities Khaled El-Anani, Chairman of Al-Ahram Newspaper Abdel Mohsen Salama, head of the Supreme Council for Media Regulation Karam Gabr, and various ambassadors and notable guests from the fields of media and art. Addressing the attendees, Marwa El Tobgi , Editor-in-Chief of Nisf El-Dunia magazine, emphasized the importance of building bridges between societies through art and culture. "As we offer a glimpse of different tastes that define various cuisines of the participating countries, we mirror the beauty of their cultures and speak of arts that unite people and know no boundaries," she said. The event called on countries worldwide to get to know each other under the slogan "One world, many cultures." It highlighted the aspect of food and arts bridging gaps and forming a unified platform for people from all over the world. Each country of the 17 participants offered some activities throughout the one-day event, including serving and tasting the most famous traditional dishes as well as exhibits of traditional handicrafts which each country is famous for. The festival entertained the audience with traditional songs and music from Egypt and performances and folk dances with a special documentary about Armenia and its people and heritage presented to the audience. The cultural event was attended by Egypts intellectuals, media professionals, statesmen, senior writers and artists, as well as foreign residents of all nationalities. Accolades were given to in recognition of various individuals who have made a positive impact through their various channels and media work. The list of countries participating in the festival's activities included Palestine, Algeria, Tunisia, Armenia, Thailand, Colombia, Russia, Spain, Slovenia, Ireland, India, Peru, Ukraine, Indonesia, Belgium, Georgia, and Egypt. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt and Brazil have agreed to bolster cooperation in different fields, particularly in the military, security, economic, and tourism domains, as Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met Brazil's Vice President Hamilton Mourao in Cairo on Tuesday. During the meeting at the Ittihadiya presidential palace, Pesident El-Sisi voiced Egypt's aspiration to promote relations with Brazil in various fields and boosting cooperation to benefit from the capabilities both countries possess, Egyptian Presidential Spokesman Bassam Rady said in a statement. El-Sisi praised Brazil's development experiment, highlighting the strategic significance Brazil constitutes to Egypt as a key trade partner in Latin America. Brazil's Mourao, who has been on official visit to Egypt since Monday, said his country seeks to push Egyptian-Brazilian cooperation forward, especially in the economic, commercial, and military fields. Both sides stressed their keenness to continue coordination at international arenas especially that both countries see eye to eye on all international and regional issues, including issues of disarmament and non-alignment. During the meeting, the Brazilian official was briefed on the latest developments concerning the regional situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian territories, Libya and Tunisia. Mourao voiced his appreciation of the "continued" efforts exerted by Egypt to maintain regional security and stability, the statement added. El-Sisi also briefed Brazil's vice president on the latest updates on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) after the United Nations Security Council urged the parties to resume talks, with the aim of reaching a legally binding agreement soon. Earlier in September, the council adopted a presidential statement on the controversial dam -- which has been a source of tension between Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia -- encouraging Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia "to resume negotiations" to swiftly reach a "mutually acceptable and binding agreement on the filling and operation" of Ethiopias mega-dam. Mourao affirmed his country's understanding of the importance of the River Nile for Egypt's water and food security. Search Keywords: Short link: Statements and counter statements from the Sudanese civilian and military powers in the wake of last weeks coup attempt do not serve the best interests of todays Sudan. A failed coup attempt has unmuted differences between the military and civilians in Sudan, with news from the country saying last week that the Sudanese military had nipped in the bud a coup attempt staged by some 60 officers loyal to the ousted regime of former president Omar Al-Bashir, arrested the perpetrators and restored order. The next day, Lieutenant-General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, president of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan, vehemently criticised the countrys politicians, accusing them of seeking their own narrow interests and neglecting the slogans of the December Revolution. He was fed up with what he called continued attempts to exclude the military from the scene in the country, pinpointing an initiative put forward by Abdulla Hamdok, the Sudanese prime minister, which had sidelined the military in favour of the civilian political powers. Al-Burhan said that the military holds everything in Sudan and that it remains the guardian of the democratic transition in the country post Al-Bashir. The woes of the president of the Sovereignty Council were echoed by his deputy, Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, aka Hemetti, commander of the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces. Hemetti slammed the countrys politicians and accused them of standing behind the coups that the country had experienced because they ignored the people and kept themselves busy with conflicts over power. The statements of both military leaders have infuriated the civilian partners within the government and the targeted political powers as well. The main opposition power, the Forces of Freedom and Change Alliance, explicitly called for a divorce from the military in order to bring this partnership to an end. Khaled Omar Youssef, the Sudanese minister of cabinet affairs, even said that if the military wanted confrontation, so be it. The reality is that these statements and counterstatements do not serve the best interests of post-Al-Bashir Sudan. The only winner from these reciprocal fiery statements is Al-Bashirs deep state, which looks to be still active even though its main players have been somewhat curtailed. Though a government committee has fired hundreds of state employees, including top-ranking officials affiliated with the Al-Bashir regime, and confiscated their property, the facts on the ground, including the recent coup attempt, show that the committee is still lagging behind in reaching its goal of cleansing the ousted presidents old guard. Even more alarming is the fact that Eastern Sudan is witnessing disturbances that could risk the fragile stability of the country as a whole. The chief of the Beja people in the east of the country has called for the cancelling of the Draft Constitutional Declaration and the dissolution of the government itself, among other requests. His affiliates have blocked access to the air and sea ports of the city of Port Sudan, which are vital to the Sudanese economy and to the transfer of oil from Sudans neighbour South Sudan. They have also shut down the oil pipeline that provides supplies to the capital Khartoum. Given the ailing economic conditions of the country, Sudan cannot bear the implications of these irrational acts for long. The civilian-military partnership in Sudan is in reality one of a kind in the region, particularly in the wake of a popular uprising. Until the end of the transitional period and the holding of free-and-fair elections, all the stakeholders in Sudan need to defuse the tension and work for the betterment of the Sudanese people who have suffered most for decades under military dictatorships, only to end with the ousting of the former regime of Al-Bashir. The incumbent government in Sudan, under both military and civilian leaders, has accomplished a lot to make the country more prosperous. Sudan has been removed from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism, allowing for the return of foreign investors and the renewed access of the country to the kind of normal business services it had been long deprived of in the past. Major international powers are competing to win Sudan in their favour through economic or military deals. Debts have been written off only because Sudan is on the track of a democratic transition. The political space in the country has been opened up, embracing Sudanese of all political stripes. The country is gearing up to restore its leverage both at the regional and the international levels. All these gains are not coming on a silver platter, however. The Sudanese, both the military and the political powers, may end up facing the music if they do not come to the table together to discuss a successful conclusion to the transitional period. Relative peace in Sudan and the laying down of arms by most of the countrys armed groups, now part of the Peace Agreement signed in Juba in South Sudan, should be a reminder to all the Sudanese parties that dialogue in good faith is the only safeguard against the countrys falling back under the rule of a tyrannical regime. The Sudanese Armed Forces are entrusted with the protection of the countrys national security, securing its borders and making sure that the territorial integrity of the state remains unharmed. This is a tough task given the circumstances unfolding in a troubled region, particularly as far as the situation in Sudans neighbours of South Sudan and Ethiopia is concerned. But Sudans Armed Forces have been assuming their role diligently and effectively since the ousting of the former regime. For the first time, Sudan has exercised sovereignty over the Al-Fashaka territories after decades of Ethiopian occupation thanks to the Sudanese militarys sacrifices in that department. The countrys civilian partners should not fan the flames and should work on considering the concerns of the military in post-transition Sudan. In plain English, the restructuring of the military and security apparatus is a complicated process that needs to be eased up on, particularly in a highly polarised environment like that in Sudan, where an effective player on the scene, Hemetti, has explicitly rejected the idea of merging the Rapid Support Forces into the Sudanese army. If this is not done, the whole transition may be at stake, and Sudan may go back to square one. It is time that the Sudanese stakeholders realised that it was their collective effort that toppled Al-Bashirs regime and that this is still needed to surf the troubled waters since the goal of democracy in Sudan has yet to be accomplished. The active powers in Sudan should, therefore, learn from the lessons of the past and join forces for a smooth and safe transition in the country. * The writer is a former press attache in Ethiopia and an expert on African and international affairs. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Last weeks foiled military coup in Sudan highlights the undeniable fact that Sudans democratic transition towards stability and economic prosperity is far from complete, and will need support from its Arab and African neighbours as well as the international community to succeed. Sudans army leaders, who have been sharing power with the civilian political parties that led the revolt against former president Omar Al-Bashir in 2019, blamed army officers and civilians connected to the previous regime for the failed plot. After ruling the country for 30 years, the former president known for his sympathy with the terrorist Muslim Brotherhood group, installed and nurtured Brotherhood officials across all levels of government and security organs, including state and local levels. These elements of the previous regime were sidelined and seemingly removed from power by the revolution. However, what is worrying is that Sudans military and civilian leaders do not seem to be reading from the same page, and have been trading blame as to who made the latest coup attempt possible. This is only two months ahead of the deadline for army leaders to hand over power to a government led by civilian political parties, according to the timetable agreed on by the two sides months after Bashirs removal. Army leaders criticised the civilian government led by Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok for failing to improve economic conditions, and the deterioration of security conditions in several Sudanese eastern regions. Top army commanders accused civilian leaders of being bogged down by personal and political battles. Civilian political party leaders rejected the criticism, and claimed the coup attempt was promoted by the military to gain domestic and international support so as to remain in control and delay handing over power to a civilian government in November. Regardless of who engineered the coup attempt, it shows Sudans competing, disjointed centres of power and the contested nature of the transition. Sudans leaders, both civilian and military, face the unenviable task of trying to reconcile, outmanoeuvre and override these centres while not upending the transition itself. Indeed the Sudanese government, led by Hamdok, faces enormous economic, social and security challenges after decades of conflict and Bashirs failed and corrupt rule. Gains have been made to forge peace with some armed groups in war-affected areas, usher in economic reforms and bring Sudan back into international organisations and financial folds, especially after the United States agreed to remove Sudans name from its list of nations accused of supporting terrorism. Yet the Sudanese obviously expect more from the current transition government. The two components of that government, military and civilian, must work hard to preserve the unique arrangement resulting from the 2019 revolution, which was the only way to make room for progress. Despite the ongoing exchange of critical statements, there remains hope that the failed coup, and any organised effort that spawned it, will inspire increased unity and positive actions by the civilian and military leaders. Delaying the plan to hand over power to a civilian-led government was likely one of the motives for the plotters, but if efforts to bolster up civilian and military unity succeed, it can show the transformational power of a civilian-military government as envisioned by the 2019 revolution. Both components of the government are also required to continue working on establishing key transitional institutions, including the long-delayed legislative council, the constitutional court and judicial organs. These bodies will be critical to institutionalising governance reforms already underway and giving the country a real chance to provide justice to citizens subjected to decades of war and misrule. In the case of the legislative council, its creation is needed to give popular legitimacy and political direction to the transitional governments decisions and provide space for other political and civic stakeholders to participate. The transition will never be complete without these institutions, and their absence leaves it vulnerable to events like the attempted coup. As in any political transition in a deeply divided state, there must also be a clear role for the military, while in no way denying its crucial part in making the 2019 revolution a success and maintaining the countrys unity. Sudans challenges are not only economic and political. The growing tension with Ethiopia over border areas and the Grand Renaissance Dam is another reason why Sudans military and civilian leaders must maintain unity in the face of regional threats. Sudans neighbours, and particularly Egypt, are ready to play any role that will help in achieving stability and prosperity in a country dear to all Egyptians. African nations and the international community also have an important role to play in shoring up support for Sudans government, in close partnership with Sudans diverse set of decision-makers. Sudan has already gone a long way since Al-Bashir was ousted in April 2019, but much more work is required to assure a smooth transition towards a stable government that will consider peace and economic prosperity in Sudan as its top priorities. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has urged stepping up efforts to develop and automate the litigation system in Egypt to accelerate the proceedings in a way that helps achieve the highest degrees of justice. El-Sisi's directives were issued during a meeting with Justice Minister Omar Marwan on Tuesday. The president also ordered equipping courts countrywide with top-notch technical gadgets and techniques to facilitate such services for Egyptians. Egypt is paying special attention to digital transformation as it targets the digitisation of all government services countrywide. During Tuesday's meeting, Marwan reviewed the latest decision adopted by the country's Supreme Judicial Council to develop the judicial facility, including by allowing women to work at the State Council and Public Prosecution. In March, El-Sisi directed to allow women to become members of the State Council and the Public Prosecution. Eleven female judges were transferred to the Public Prosecution starting the beginning of the new judicial year in October. Also, several female members of the Administrative Prosecution Authority and the Egyptian State Lawsuits Authority were appointed starting October, Marwan told El-Sisi. The minister reviewed preparations for celebrating the Egyptian Judiciary Day in early October for the first time. Search Keywords: Short link: Two colonial memoirs by middle-ranking officials offer contrasting insights into how the British occupying administration once operated in Egypt, writes David Tresilian in an occasional series on books by visitors to Egypt Writing on the British in Egypt in his History of Modern Egypt, distinguished historian of Egypt and the Middle East P. J. Vatikiotis comments that Evelyn Baring, Lord Cromer, Britains consul-general in Egypt after the invasion and occupation in 1882, approached matters of government and administration from a neat bookkeeping point of view [hoping] to depoliticise politics and reduce human affairs to questions of proper administration. Austere, though undoubting and self-assured, Cromer, whose administrative philosophy had been honed in colonial India, hoped to create in Egypt the Indian pattern of a native civil service below a layer of British advisors assigned to the various Egyptian ministries as part of a policy that Britain must remain in Egypt in order to keep others out and to enable her policy of reform to bear fruit despite the ambiguities of a position originally intended only to rescue Egypts khedival regime and to preserve British financial interests. By the time Cromer left Egypt in 1907 after nearly 25 years as Britains representative in the country, the Egyptians, at least the aspiring and more articulate among them, wanted their country back, Vatikiotis writes. In the meantime, there was still Cromers layer of British advisors, most of them similarly dedicated to neat bookkeeping, in many Egyptian ministries. It was not until the 1922 independence declaration that these men began to leave, allowing for Egyptian self-government. Some of these advisors and other officials later wrote of their experiences for English-speaking readers, and in some cases their memoirs were either immediately or later translated into Arabic, with the result that Egyptian readers were at last able to learn more about the decisions that had been taken on their behalf. The most important of these memoirs was Cromers own, published in two volumes as Modern Egypt in 1908, though there were also other second-tier productions, including by some of those employed in Egyptian government ministries. Looking them up today can allow contemporary readers to gain a firmer grasp of how British administration once operated in Egypt. Recollections and Reflections by Charles Edward Coles, or Coles Pasha, published in 1918, records the experiences of the author as inspector-general of Egypts prisons. English administrators have capitalised on the proposition that their hegemony over Egypt helped free the fellah [farmer] from the shackles and excesses of oriental despotism and the burdens of proverbially traditional misery, Vatikiotis writes, among other ways in reforming the administration of justice. Coless memoirs explain what the British advisors thought they were doing from above and to an extent how their actions were received from below. Coles left England for India as a young man of just 19, having been offered a job in the police service of the then Bombay Presidency through what seem to have been family connections. Writing of his experiences nearly 50 years later, he employs a kind of late-Victorian subaltern jargon reminiscent of the Indian stories of the British writer Rudyard Kipling, a reminder of the latters ear for English speech. Life in India seems to have been taken up with riding and shooting before Coles was offered and accepted an appointment in Egypt in 1883, just at the beginning of the British occupation, where he joined the Alexandria police under the authority of the newly appointed British under-secretary of state. In order to make sense of what Coles has to say about the re-organisation of the Alexandria and Cairo police under British rule, it would be necessary to be familiar with this history from other sources, since he focuses mostly on his own experiences and has little to say about the service as a whole. But even so Coles makes for a genial guide, explaining the foundation of a new club on Gezira in Cairo amalgamated with the Sporting Club, the foundation of the Alexandria Sporting Club, and duck-shooting with prince Omar Tousson, a well-known member of the Egyptian royal family. He was a great sportsman and an excellent specimen of a man in every way, Coles says, adding that as many as a hundred brace [of ducks] were killed of an afternoon. The Indian Service, with its cut-and-dried regulations, cannot be compared to the excellent opportunities Egypt offers to a man of parts, Coles writes. To put it another way, a man of average intelligence who is prepared to take certain risks is much more likely to come to the front in the Egyptian Service than in India. Comments like these reveal a lot about the workings of the British occupation, which, at least at its lower levels, would have relied upon the continuous recruitment of men like Coles. His remarks about Tousson and others also reveal much about relations with members of the Egyptian elite as they looked for ways of accommodating the British occupiers. I must not forget to mention another minister I saw a good deal of in those days I refer to Boutros Pasha Ghali [grandfather of former UN secretary-general Boutros Boutros Ghali] who was afterwards assassinated when prime minister, Coles remembers. I suppose that he had not the brilliancy, some people called it superficiality, of Nubar Pasha [prime minister from 1884 to 1888 and then again from 1894 to 1895], but he was head and shoulders above him as an administrator and as a man of the world, and there was no subject on which he was not capable of giving excellent advice. Prisons and army: Coles continues his memoirs of the Egyptian police under their new British commissioner Herbert (Lord) Kitchener, hired in 1890, but perhaps their main interest lies in what he has to say about his role as inspector-general of Egypts prisons from 1897 until his retirement in 1913. First, though, there was a period as commander of the Cairo police, which Coles writes about almost from the perspective of a wide-eyed ingenue. The khedives official arrivals and departures caused endless trouble, with everyone of any importance having to be present either to welcome him or to see him off. The state balls at Abdin Palace required even greater care and the [representatives] of the great powers required very special treatment on the part of the traffic police. Eventually, Coles turns to the reform of the Egyptian courts and parquet (prosecution) system and Nubar Pashas wholesale importation of the French penal code. Once again, this makes for a fascinating story, though Coless account, partial and hard to follow, is probably not the best place to look for an objective history. Writing on the prison service, as he inherited it in 1897, he says that there was no money to spare on such luxuries as prisons and only such prisoners as were absolutely starving were given anything to eat The over-crowding was appalling, and episodes of jail-fever were constantly recurring. A programme to build new prisons was started, and Coles looked to the New York State Reformatory at Elmira and the English Howard League for Penal Reform for suggestions on how to deal with habitual offenders, endeavouring to find some more rational treatment than that afforded by the ordinary procedure of the criminal courts and repeated sentences of imprisonment. He set up model reform schools for young offenders, mostly on a progressive European, apparently Belgian, model. Though disorganised and anecdotal, the pages he provides on these topics are suggestive and could be read for various purposes by historians. His chapter on remarkable prisoners contains material that Coles writes about with relish, including the story of the wealthy prince Ahmed Seif al-Din, grandson of Mohamed Ali and brother of princess Shivakiar Khanum, later wife of king Fouad, and the author of an assassination attempt against the latter when he was still heir to the throne. The affairs of Seif al-Din and other celebrity prisoners were widely reported in the gossip columns of the day. While Coless account contains some discussion of public policy, his anecdotal approach betrays his primary purpose, which was to write a more or less personal memoir. Very different in tone and approach is British colonel P. G. Elgoods Egypt and the Army, published in 1924 and consisting of a history of the British army in Egypt before, during, and after the First World War and apparently at least partly drawing on the authors career in both the civil and military service. Elgood held posts in the Egyptian finance and interior ministries and was controller-general of food supplies and inspector-general on the Suez Canal. His book begins with an account of the attitude of Egypt at the outbreak of War, ending with a chapter called Rebellion on the 1919 Revolution. Following the British declaration of war on the Ottoman Empire in November 1914, the British occupying authorities in Egypt unilaterally declared the country a protectorate and deposed the khedive Abbas II Hilmy, thought to entertain pro-Ottoman sympathies, and placed his uncle Hussein Kamil on the throne. The country was simultaneously declared to be no longer part of the Ottoman Empire, as the rulers title of khedive (viceroy) still proclaimed, and Hussein Kamil was declared to be the sultan of Egypt. Shortly afterwards, British, Australian, and Indian troops began to pour into Egypt with the aim first of defending the Suez Canal, thought to be an Ottoman objective, and then of carrying out military campaigns in neighbouring Palestine. Egyptian men and materiel were requisitioned for the British war effort, and the countrys economy and society were badly disrupted. Through an involuntary and despised association with Great Britain, Egypt had been dragged into a struggle of which the origin was obscure to her and the objectives unknown is how Elgood puts it. Simultaneously the deep-seated distrust, common to all classes of the population towards the occupying power, expanded into a sentiment of bitter, if silent, hatred. He writes interestingly and apparently at first hand of preparations in the Canal Zone and elsewhere for the 1917 British push into Palestine that culminated in the entry of British troops under general Edmund Allenby into Jerusalem. It was this, he thinks, that helped to increase Egyptian hostility to the British war effort, since solemn promises of limited Egyptian involvement made in 1914 were forgotten with the imposition of martial law and an ever-greater thirst for men and materiel that included something akin to the press-ganging of men in the countryside to work for the British. Reviewing the events of 1919 and Egypts bid for independence, Elgood concludes that Egypt in 1919 was not the Egypt that Cromer or Kitchener knew. Insensibly, the War had altered many of her former beliefs, and she was no longer afraid of England. It is a fitting envoi for what Elgood elsewhere calls Egypts transition. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: MPs meet in a plenary session on Saturday, marking the start of the new legislative season. Following a two-month summer recess, the House of Representatives will hold an opening procedural sitting on Saturday amid strict anti-coronavirus measures. The Senate Egypts upper consultative house will hold its opening session on Tuesday. House Speaker Hanafi Gibali will chair Saturdays meeting. He will first read out Decree 418, issued last week by President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, which instructs MPs to begin their legislative programme on 2 October, and then deliver a speech outlining what MPs can expect in the coming stage. MPs will then be given the opportunity to take the floor and give their own opinions on the new legislative season. On Sunday, a procedural session will be held to allow MPS who wish to stand for positions on the Houses 25 committees to declare themselves. The house is required to elect a chairman, two deputies and one secretary-general for each committee. Ahead of the opening session, the majority Mostaqbal Watan (Homelands Future) Party will hold a meeting to select its committee candidates. Before adjourning on 27 July, the House approved amendments to its internal bylaws. The most significant change allowed political parties which have three seats, rather than the previous eight, to join the general committee which drafts the weekly schedule of debate. Alaa Abed, a senior member of Mostaqbal Watan Party, told Al-Ahram Weekly that the change will help democratise the House of Representatives. It means that 11 political parties, instead of five, will now be represented on the Houses general committee. The more political parties sit on the general committee, the more views there are to discuss, he said. Article 24 of parliaments bylaws states that the general committee is led by the speaker, includes the speakers two deputies, heads of 25 committees, representatives of political parties with three or more seats, and five independent MPs. Under the new rules the Tagammu, the Egyptian Socialist Democratic, Nour, the Reform and Development, the Congress and Freedom parties will join the committee. Following this weeks procedural sessions MPs face a legislative-heavy season. Amr Darwish, deputy chairman of the Local Administration Committee, told reporters this week that the old rent law is likely to top the legislative agenda. Darwish said a public dialogue on changes to the law needs to be held to ensure amendments are fair to both landlords and tenants. The fact is this law has remained unchanged for half a century. Owners want to unfreeze the old rents, while tenants would like to see a gradual increase in rents, said Darwish. In an open discussion with the Egyptian Family Initiative on 14 August, President Al-Sisi said a balance must be struck between the needs of owners and tenants. The rent of some housing units in downtown Cairo is just LE20 a month yet their market value can exceed LE5 million. This is completely unfair for landlords, said Al-Sisi. MPs also expect to debate a new personal status law in the new session. Ibrahim Al-Heneidi, chairman of the Houses Legislative and Constitutional Affairs Committee, told reporters on 15 September that the committee anticipated changes to the law regulating marriage, divorce, guardianship, and custody. There is general public support for the law to be changed, and President Al-Sisi has requested a new personal status law that serves the public interest, he said. A new draft personal status law was presented to parliament in February, only to be withdrawn by the government after details emerged and provoked widespread public controversy. Informed sources say the government has referred the draft law to the Justice Ministry for review, and that the ministry is in consultation with Al-Azhar, the Coptic Church, the National Council of Women and other institutions in an attempt to forge a consensus before the law is referred to parliament. Mustafa Salem, deputy chairman of the Houses Budget Committee, said his committees proceedings were likely to be dominated by new general finance and unified planning laws. A unified planning law was referred to parliament last year then put on hold to allow the committee time to canvas the views of different bodies, most notably those of the Ministry of Local Administration and the Ministry of International Cooperation, said Salem. The new law seeks to devolve power to governorates and allow them to formulate their own socio-economic development plans. The general finance law, according to Salem, aims to streamline the process of preparing the annual state general budget by imposing greater transparency and ensuring the budget guarantees the percentages spent on education, health and scientific research stipulated by the constitution. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: New international initiatives are underway to ensure the holding of legislative and presidential elections in Libya in December. The international community has notched up the pressure on key Libyan players to compel them to meet their commitments to find compromise solutions and agree on the constitutional basis for holding the general and presidential elections scheduled in the country for 24 December. France, in consultation with the Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU) and Presidency Council, is preparing for a major conference in November to help end the current impasse. Speaking to reporters while in Germany last week, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said the conference would take place on 12 November and aimed to ensure that the elections went ahead on time. The participants would also discuss the departure of foreign fighters and mercenaries from Libya, he said. Some analysts believe that in sponsoring this conference France is trying to salvage its eroding influence in the region and reassert itself as a player in remedying crises in North Africa and the Sahel. In November 2020, French President Emmanuel Macron announced his intention to host a major international conference that would bring Libyas neighbours together in Paris, but the plans were overtaken by subsequent developments. The US is preparing to sponsor another meeting between the Tobruk-based Libyan House of Representatives (HoR) and the Tripoli-based High Council of State (HCS) to help them reach a consensus over issues related to the electoral process. The Libyan political process received a blow last week when the HoR voted in a closed session to withdraw confidence from the GNU headed by Abdel-Hamid Al-Dabeiba while keeping it as a caretaker government. The action met with widespread anger among the Libyan public, who saw it as an attempt on the part of HoR Speaker Aguila Saleh to obstruct the forthcoming elections. The legislators who voted in favour of withdrawing confidence argued that the GNU has recently signed agreements with foreign powers that have encumbered Libya with commitments it cannot keep under current circumstances. Their opponents said the true purpose was to pull the rug out from under Dabeiba, who has scored in popularity because of his decisions to increase wages, allowances for dependents, and grants for young people on the threshold of marriage. The outcry against the no-confidence vote forced the HoR speaker to backtrack, saying that the GNU would continue to exercise its duties as long it refrains from concluding agreements with foreign powers. In televised statements, he suggested that the HoR might retract the vote of no confidence. The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) also rejected the step. In a statement released on 21 September, it said that UNSMIL has received, with concerns, reports that the House of Representatives (HoR) has passed a no-confidence motion against the Government of National Unity (GNU). The mission confirms that the current GNU remains the legitimate government up until it is replaced by another through a regular process following the elections. UNSMIL appealed to the HoR and other relevant institutions to remain focused on completing the preparation of the constitutional and legislative framework for the 24 December elections. US Special Envoy and Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland said that the HoRs recent action did not affect the central task of the GNU, which was to prepare for the elections on 24 December. Norland is preparing to attend meetings between delegations from the House of Representatives and the High Council of State in the framework of the UNSMIL-sponsored Libyan dialogue. The chief items on the agenda will be the constitutional and legislative framework for the elections and the question of candidates for sovereign posts, according to Libyan sources. The dialogue committees holding these meetings met several times during the first half of the year but reached no consensuses on the subjects under discussion. It is hoped that the forthcoming round of meetings will achieve a breakthrough on the constitutional basis for the elections and the electoral laws. In the meantime, the HoR has passed an electoral law that the HCS rejects, saying that it has indicated proposals for the constitutional basis and electoral laws that it wants to discuss with the HoR. In addition to these initiatives to salvage the roadmap to the Libyan elections, Tripoli is also planning to host an international conference in October organised in the framework of the Initiative to Promote Libyan Stability that the current executive proposed to the Berlin II Conference in June. Addressing the UN General Assembly last week, chair of the Libyan Presidency Council Mohamed Al-Menfi said that the Initiative covers the political, security, military and economic tracks of the Libyan conflict, builds on the outputs of previous efforts, and seeks to promote continued international support for his country in accordance with a comprehensive national vision. In addition to key national agencies and institutions, Al-Menfi expects the conference to be attended at a senior level by Libyas regional and international partners. On his Twitter account, he wrote that during the conference he would propose an initiative to resolve the current impasse, sustain the current political process, enable the presidential and legislative elections to be held as scheduled in December and ensure that they are conducted fairly and that their results are accepted. In the event that an agreement cannot be reached, he added in another tweet, I will call on the concerned parties to step aside for the sake of the nation, not to nominate themselves for the forthcoming elections, and clear the way for other candidates so as to ensure the arrival at a consensus, avert any political deadlock, and help the country reach safety and the stability conducive to a consensus over a permanent constitution for the country. Al-Menfi had previously stressed the need for both the HoR and the HCS to agree on the constitutional basis for the elections and the electoral laws in order to avert possible challenges to the election results at a later stage. His announcement of the Initiative comes at a time when some international quarters have hinted at the possibility that the Presidency Council might issue decrees pertaining to the constitutional basis and electoral laws, complicating matters if the decrees trigger serious disputes. With his sights set on the elections in December, Commander of the Libyan National Army Khalifa Haftar has designated his Chief of Staff Abdel-Razek Al-Nadouri, as acting commander for a period of three months. Haftar plans to run for president and has therefore resigned from his post in keeping with the presidential elections law recently passed by the HoR. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Health Minister Hala Zayed said last weekend that the peak of the fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic would arrive in three or four weeks. We can minimise the impact of the fourth wave if we inoculate half a million citizens daily, Zayed said. Less than 15 per cent of Egypts 102 million population has so far received vaccine shots. There has been a steady increase in coronavirus infections since the beginning of August, with 702 cases detected on Monday. Given new strains, and the existence of antibodies in millions of citizens either as a result of vaccination or due to previous infection, the length and characteristics of the fourth wave are likely to differ from previous waves, Ashraf El-Fiky, a US-based clinical research and vaccine safety expert, told Al-Ahram Weekly. The fourth peak will likely be a plateau and last longer than before. Islam Anan, a Pharmacoepidemiology and pharmaeconomics lecturer at Misr International University, said that despite the high rate of vaccination in countries where the fourth wave has already hit, there has been a marked increase in infection rates. The Delta and Delta Plus variants have reduced the efficacy of almost all vaccines. Pfizer and Modernas effectiveness are down to 88 from 95 per cent, Astrazenecas has fallen to 76 per cent, Sinopharm is down to 57 per cent and Sinovac to 51 per cent, Anan told the Weekly. Anan warns that the mortality rate of the fourth wave will only be held in check if Egypt vaccinates 20 per cent of its population by October, with priority given to the elderly and those with chronic diseases. Egypt reported 37 Cocid-linked deaths on Monday, the highest since 21 June. In order to push forward the vaccination campaign, on 16 September the Health Ministry launched the Maan Natmaen (Together we are reassured) mobile campaign which has so far helped 45,460 people register on the ministrys vaccination website. The campaign is also addressing the problems of citizens who have already registered but have yet to receive an appointment to be vaccinated. With the 2021-22 academic year in national schools due to start on 9 October fear is mounting that the virus will spread among students who will then take it home. The Delta variant causes more infections in children compared to the Alfa variant. When the school year started in the US higher infection rates were recorded in states that have low vaccination rates among children aged 12+ years, says El-Fiky. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the August 2021 rate of infections among children was nearly double last years, although according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 million US children, representing 55 per cent of 12-17 year-olds, have received at least one dose vaccine. In Egypt, the first defence remains the vaccination of adults and teachers, and should include the vaccination of children, especially preparatory and secondary students, as a condition for starting in-class education, says El-Fiky. While more than 3.4 million employees of the Ministry of Education have been vaccinated, students less than 18 years old have so far been excluded from the vaccination campaign. El-Fiky says schools will be safe if precautionary measures are followed and random swabs are taken from teachers and students. Anan agrees, adding that a hybrid system should be conducted to allow students with symptoms to follow lessons online. In March 2020, schools and universities suspended in-person classes in the wake of rising daily infections, since when most students have remained at home. On Thursday Zayed said the Health Ministry plans to vaccinate all high school and preparatory school students once VACSERAs second vaccine production line begins working. The line, which is due to be inaugurated in four weeks, will raise Egypts total production capacity of vaccines to one million doses per day. On Saturday, Higher Education Minister Khaled Abdel-Ghaffar said it will have vaccinated its own employees, faculty members, and 20 per cent of university students by 9 October, and students will not be admitted to rooms in university dormitories before they are vaccinated. Students who refuse the vaccine will be required to undergo a weekly PCR test to be allowed to attend classes. As of Tuesday, Egypt had obtained 35 million vaccine doses, including donations from European countries of the AstraZeneca vaccine. In July, Germanys Standing Committee on Vaccination, recommended that people who have received a first shot of the AstraZeneca vaccine switch to a different vaccine for their second shot. The decision came after the AstraZeneca vaccine was linked to extremely rare blood clots in younger people. The AstraZeneca vaccine does not appear on Germanys purchasing schedule for next year, Reuters confirmed in July. In the same month the German local news portal Merkur reported that thousands of AstraZeneca vaccine doses, which have a shelf life of six months, were set to be destroyed. In July, Netherlands Times reported that tens of thousands of AstraZeneca vaccines in the refrigerators of Dutch general practitioners will likely end up being destroyed. Large quantities of vaccines are being stored until their expiry date and then destroyed, says Anan. This is selfish, and unjustifiable. In September the EU reached its target milestone of 70 per cent full vaccination of the blocs adult population. According to AP, however, COVAX the vaccine sharing scheme has missed almost all of its vaccine-sharing targets and managers have now lowered their target of shipping two billion doses worldwide by the end of 2021 to 1.4 billion. Lower-income countries, especially in Africa, are struggling to vaccinate the most vulnerable members of their populations. Last summer, thousands of vaccine doses were destroyed in African countries because they had exceeded their expiry dates. Others are being returned by countries that say they will be unable to use them before they expire, according to the BBC. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: It may be time for Iran and Saudi Arabia to bridge the rift between them, but there seems to be little momentum in their talks. Iranian and Saudi diplomats have grasped the need to resolve their two countries disagreements as the Middle East enters a new phase of geopolitical uncertainty with US President Joe Biden and his administration seeking to carve out a new path in the region. If a breakthrough can be made in the Iran-Saudi Cold War and the two regional rivals are able to put their rocky relationship on a normal track, the event could prove calming for the turbulent Middle East region and help to mend its longstanding fractures. Top diplomats from Iran and Saudi Arabia have been meeting for months to try to hammer out their countries differences and ease regional tensions. The talks were launched in April as the international powers held negotiations on reviving the 2015 nuclear pact with Iran, which Saudi Arabia and its Arab allies opposed for not tackling Irans ballistic-missile programme and regional proxies. They hit a climax last week when Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian met officials from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf and Arab states in New York in a sign of heightened efforts to reduce tensions. Amir-Abdollahian later said that strengthening ties with neighbours was the top priority of Irans new government. The Sunni Arab powerhouse and the Shia Persian-majority Iran have long been historic rivals and locked in a fierce struggle for regional dominance. In recent years they have been at loggerheads over many regional conflicts and Irans increasing militarisation. Over the past 18 years in particular, the rift between Saudi Arabia and Iran has been deepened by a series of events. The fall of the Sunni-led regime of Iraqs former dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003 cleared the way for a Shia-dominated government in Baghdad, and Iranian influence in the country has been rising ever since. It removed a key military counter-weight to Iran and helped the Islamic Republic to seek to establish itself as a regional power and to consolidate its hegemony in countries dominated by friendly regimes or Shia Muslims. The present Iran-Saudi meetings could break the regional impasse if the two countries succeed in clinching a deal. They have been going on under a thick shroud of secrecy, but the few details that have emerged thus far have showed that the negotiators have been focusing on Yemen and a conflict whose manifold and long-term implications both sides cannot overlook. Iran-backed Shia Houthis who control most of northern Yemen, including the capital Sanaa, have been advancing towards the central Yemeni city of Marib, which is held by the Saudi-backed government. They are also stepping up the fighting in the south, despite more than seven years of Saudi-led military efforts to oust them. The group has been constantly sending Iranian-designed missiles and drones to shell Saudi targets. An essential piece of Saudi national-security strategy is to contain threats by Iran-backed militias in Iraq, which have been becoming increasingly empowered and have been boosting their presence along the countrys north-eastern borders. Tehran has also been the main regional backer of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad against Sunni rebels in the country since civil war broke out in Syria in 2011. In Lebanon, the Iran-backed Shia group Hizbullah plays a pivotal role in political life, while its fighters have been heavily involved in conflicts in Gaza, Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Iran sees positive momentum in the Iran-Saudi discussions, and top Iranian diplomat Saeed Khatibzadeh said the talks had led to serious progress on the issue of Gulf security, signalling the priority given by his government to the regional impact of Tehrans foreign policies. Saudi King Salman has expressed the hope that talks with Iran will lead to tangible outcomes to build trust and to the relaunch of bilateral cooperation. In an address to the UN General Assembly this month, he called on Iran to cease all types of support for armed groups in the region. With the talks dragging on, however, there are increasing worries that finding solutions to the disagreements, especially the unspoken ones, might be tricky and take longer than expected. Old antagonisms and emerging regional and global issues may complicate the process. The Iran-Saudi rivalry is a multi-dimensional historical and sectarian struggle exacerbated by geopolitical competition over who should have a larger say in the regions politics. Iran is largely Shia Muslim, while Saudi Arabia, which hosts Mecca, the birthplace of Islam, sees itself as the leading Sunni Muslim power. While sectarian rivalry about who represents true Islam and loyalties in proxy conflicts will remain fundamental in determining the Iran-Saudi rivalry, a successful conclusion to the competition will rest largely on geopolitical considerations. The talks between the two countries come at a time when the US is trying to iron out a stricter framework for the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and after the Biden administration completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan in August. The Iranians may see the US administrations disengaging from its endless wars in the region as an opportunity to be less flexible at the negotiating table. There is a widespread belief across the Middle East that the US presence is on life support and that the long-anticipated US departure from the region will end a fragile status quo for all the players and clear the way for a new regional order. Whereas former US administrations were long-term partners and built an anti-Iran coalition led by Saudi Arabia, the present US withdrawal from the region is expected to leave a power vacuum that could create an opportunity for regional heavyweights to fill the gap. Moreover, while the US retreats, China and Russia are increasingly making their presence felt in the region. In March, Beijing concluded a major agreement with Tehran for $400 billion of investment over the next 25 years in exchange for steady shipments of oil and gas. Moscow is also expanding its presence through weapons sales and assertive posturing and interference. Under these conditions, it is little wonder that active regional diplomacy is back and key Middle Eastern foes are seeking to solve old disputes to avoid further problems and possibly even a breakdown in the region. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt have reconciled themselves with Qatar after having severed all links with the emirate in June 2017. In a powerful gesture of rapprochement, Saudi Crown-Prince Mohamed Bin Salman invited Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani and UAE National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoun Bin Zayed Al Nahyan for a meeting at a Red Sea resort this month. Saudi Arabia has also gone on a diplomatic offensive to mend ties with Turkey, strained over accusations that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is sticking his nose into the regions disputes and trying to wield influence in the Arab world. As a further sign of the broader political reshuffling, Saudi officials have also recently held secret talks with Syrian counterparts in Damascus, leading to reports that an agreement on restoring diplomatic relations between the two countries may be forthcoming. Iran, too, may be on the verge of improving ties with its neighbours, particularly the Arab countries in the Gulf. As Iranian officials continue to display restraint in their belligerency towards their neighbours, Amir-Abdollahian attended a regional conference in Baghdad in August aimed at easing tensions in the Middle East. But even as the two main Middle Eastern adversaries are trying to lower the temperature in their longstanding standoffs, much of the outcome of the Iran-Saudi dialogue will depend on whether the two countries will be able to end their bitter disagreements and move on in their relationship. The best thing they can hope for now is to cool off. As to the goal of stopping Irans nuclear and missile proliferation, containing its rising influence, and curtailing its proxy networks in the region, this remains a matter of open speculation. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: The recent coup attempt in Sudan has increased the popularity of the Sudanese military, writes Haitham Nouri More and more people from across the Sudanese social spectrum are lining up behind the countrys military, with most of them demanding stability before anything else in the wake of the recent failed coup attempt in Sudan. The Sudanese army quelled the attempted coup on 21 September, repulsed attempted Ethiopian infiltration across the border and retook the Al-Fashqa region from the Ethiopian Amhara militias that had taken control of the fertile region with the consent of the former regime led by ousted president Omar Al-Bashir as part of the Khartoum-Addis Ababa alliance prior to 2019. The actions of the Sudanese military have increased the number of its supporters, with these joining its traditional loyalists from central Sudan. The country has restored its close links with Egypt and the Arab world and drawn apart from Ethiopia, Turkey and Iran since the overthrow of Al-Bashir and his Muslim Brotherhood followers. Sudanese Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok accused Al-Bashirs supporters of carrying out the attempted coup. However, there have also been conspiracy theories pointing to head of the Sudanese Sovereignty Council, army leader Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan, saying that the latter was trying to impose military rule to combat instability. Other theories say that Al-Burhans deputy, leader of the Sudanese Rapid Support Forces Mohamed Hamdan, aka Hamidti, was the mastermind of the coup. Still others say the failed coup was an attempt by disgruntled military officers to win over people unhappy about the difficult economic conditions in Sudan. A war of words flared up between the countrys civilian and military leaders after Al-Burhan accused his partners in the Sovereignty Council of providing the atmosphere for the coup, while one prominent government figure accused Al-Burhan of taking a leaf from an old book in his behaviour. Since the toppling of former president Omar Al-Bashir, Sudan has been governed by the Constitutional Document that created the ruling Sovereignty Council, the cabinet and the legislative authority, all shared between the civil and military camps. The country is mired in complex challenges, with the economy plummeting and living conditions being harsh. Large parts of the population suffer from power outages for hours every day. Many medicines are not available, there is a bread crisis, and fuel is not easy to find. Remote corners of Sudan are faring even worse. The peace process in Darfur has been brought to a halt despite the many displaced people kicked out of their homes by Janjaweed militias accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity. In East Sudan, the local Bagga tribe is demanding a larger share in government and an end to marginalisation. Some civil-society groups in the Sudanese capital Khartoum have accused the tribes of being remnants of the Al-Bashir regime. The tribal leadership in west Sudan strongly supports Hamidti, and it seems that eastern tribal leaders have also joined his camp. Sudans tribes were linked with the Al-Bashir regime, and today there is a need for tribalism, religious differences and ethnic divisions to be transcended. The military is trying to create a force that can bring this about, but it is not easy, commented Wagdi Saleh, a member of the Committee to Dismantle the 30 June 1989 Regime that was led by Al-Bashir. It is difficult to bring all the Sudanese people under one umbrella. Moreover, the majority of tribal members are closely attached to their leaders, Saleh added. The Native Administration system in Sudan has been in force since the colonial era in regions far from the capital. It has contributed to the lack of development in many regions, leaving them under the control of tribal leaders who until recently were in charge of education, social services and security. The fact that the army fended off the Ethiopian attacks has increased its popularity, and it would now be difficult to remove it from the political stage, Saleh said. The political map of Sudan consists of the Native Administration in the remote regions, army supporters in the populous countryside and civil forces and the middle classes in the capital, he added. Sudanese journalist Fayez Al-Salik said the military was supported by the middle classes, who seek stability. Although a long transitional period can help in building institutions that can stand up to any possible comeback for dictatorship, it also places burdens on the shoulders of the middle class, which will support any party that will improve its living conditions, Al-Salik said. If the tribal leaderships and the army, together with its supporters, can draw closer to each other, we will have the nucleus of a political body that can transcend ethnic, tribal and religious differences, he said. Al-Burhan said during celebrations of the anniversary of the retaking of the Al-Fashqa region that they were an affirmation that the region was Sudanese land. The epic restoration of Al-Fashqa was an affirmation of Sudans ability to protect its rights. Whoever accuses the Sudanese army of engaging in wars by proxy must stand on Al-Fashqas soil, which is, and always will be, Sudanese land, Al-Burhan stated. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Conditions have evidently not improved following the long-awaited formation of a government headed by Najib Mikati in Lebanon. The state electricity company announced last Thursday that a total blackout may occur across Lebanon due to huge shortages in fuel reserves. In its statement, the company said it can produce less than 500 megawatts from fuel oil following a deal with Iraq. But it also noted it is no longer capable of securing Grade A and Grade B reserves of fuel oil for some power plants, which have accordingly halted production. The network already experienced total blackouts across the country seven times and if this continues there is a high risk of reaching total and complete blackout by end September, the company explained. Lebanon has recently been looking for external solutions to solve its energy crises, one of many socio-economic challenges it continues to face. Earlier this month, Egypt and Lebanon agreed that Egyptian natural gas would be delivered to the latter through Jordanian and Syrian pipelines. This announcement followed a press briefing in Jordan with the energy ministers of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan. Egypt is working to speed up coordination for the delivery of Egyptian natural gas to Lebanon through Jordan and Syria, given Egypts keenness to ease the burdens of the Lebanese people and to contribute to supporting Lebanons stability, Egypts Petroleum Minister Tarek Al-Molla said. Another was the July deal with Iraq, which gives Lebanon the chance to resell 1 million tonnes of heavy fuel oil to Iraqi firms that the former cannot count on for its power plants. In return, these firms will secure usable oil for Lebanon throughout the next few years. Lebanon will also provide Iraq with consultancy services in health and agriculture, Lebanese local media reported. Lebanons Energy Minister Raymond Ghajjar said the new deal is worth $300-400 million. We hope other Arab countries follow suit and give us this opportunity because it is really a golden opportunity for us, Ghajjar said. In the meantime, on 16 September, the Shia group Hizbullah revealed that it transferred more than a million gallons of Iranian diesel fuel into Lebanon from Syria. Although this step can be seen as a breach of US sanctions on purchasing Iranian oil, Washington did not seem willing to escalate. I dont think anyone is going to fall on their sword if someones able to get fuel into hospitals that need it, the US Ambassador to Lebanon Dorothy Shea told Al-Arabiya English. Part of Lebanons energy crisis is related to the reform measures that many world governments have been waiting to see in Lebanon since last years unprecedented port blast. While Mikati was in Paris on Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron for one told him that Lebanon should also start the vital negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, that should be completed quite quickly. Macron, arguably the key international mediator between the Lebanese parties, visited the country several times and arranged donor conferences for it. The fuel crisis could indeed be eased as the Lebanese army has in recent days been seizing stockpiles meant to be sold on the black market or smuggled into Syria. The governor of the Central Bank also announced the lifting of fuel subsidies last week which would make smuggling into Syria less lucrative and would inevitably decrease demand while also increasing tension. Dark days indeed, in more ways than one, Sarah Al-Richani, a professor of mass communications at the American University in Cairo (AUC) told Al- Ahram Weekly in late August. Since the end of its roughly two-decade civil war, Lebanon has consistently suffered from electricity blackouts, relying on fuel imports. But the ongoing economic crisis has made dealing with it harder than ever. Lebanon is facing huge shortages in electricity, medicines and basic supplies. How the country might be able to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic at the same time is almost unimaginable. This situation pushed the Central Bank to end subsidies on fuel products as it started to run out of reserves, which was followed by a general price hike in goods and services and protests. The Lebanese political establishment is now more interested in expediting the economic and security collapse of the country. The crisis is serving different sectarian leaders, mobilising their desperate communities, Emad Salamey, a professor of political science at the American University in Beirut explained. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt will set up 1,100 centres nationwide for university students to receive COVID-19 vaccinations, the health ministry announced on Monday. The centres are comprised of 830 vaccination centres previously set up by the health ministry as well as 270 converted youth centres, Health Minister Hala Zayed said in a statement on Monday. The minister also issued directives for vaccination dates to be set within 24 hours for university students who register on the official vaccination website. The government aims to vaccinate all university students and staff before the academic new year kicks off in mid-October. The minister also said the Egypt Health Passport mobile application should be launched soon to help identify whether citizens are vaccinated. A persons vaccination status on the app will be colour-coded, where those who are fully vaccinated will receive a green notification, those who have had one dose will receive a yellow notification, and those who have not been vaccinated will receive red notifications. The government has announced that it plans to vaccinate 40 million citizens by the end of 2021. According to recent figures, over 13 million people have been vaccinated in Egypt. Search Keywords: Short link: Egypt will allow a total of 74 countries to obtain tourist visas electronically upon arrival at any of Egypts ports within 24 hours of registering for them, an official statement by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities read on Tuesday. The statement affirmed that Egypts e-Visa Portal can issue tourist visas to visitors holding valid passports from Schengen countries, the US, the UK, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada to name a few upon arriving to Egypt. A screenshot from Egypt e-visa portal showing a list of the countries whose nationals are allowed to issue an e-Visa upon application on the Egypt e-Visa Portal An Egyptian tourist e-visa costs $25 for a single-entry visa or $60 for multiple entries, Ghada Shalaby, the vice minister for tourism and antiquities, said in July. The update comes as part of the states efforts to encourage the flow of tourists of different nationalities, especially amid the pandemic. Egypt resumed international flights to and from all its airports in July 2020 after a four-month suspension due to the coronavirus. The country also started receiving flights from Russia to Egypts Red Sea resort cities after a six-year hiatus. Russian travellers have always been a major contributor to the country's tourism industry, making them a key source of hard currency in Egypt. Foreign tourists are only allowed as tour groups into the coastal governorates of the Red Sea, Marsa Matrouh, and South Sinai, given that they are the least affected by the pandemic. Egypt requires travellers arriving to the country to present a negative PCR test certificate performed 72 hours before taking off from their destination or a recognised certificate proving they were fully vaccinated at least 14 days before arrival. Both certificates should contain a stamp from the country of origin and a QR Code. Search Keywords: Short link: U.S. President Joe Bidens National Security adviser, Jake Sullivan, will travel to Cairo for official meetings on Wednesday joined by White House Coordinator for the Middle East and North Africa Brett McGurk, according to a statement by the White House on Tuesday. The US and Egyptian delegations will discuss support for Libyan elections and regional security, including in the Horn of Africa. Sullivan will affirm the importance of human rights in the context of the overall strategic relationship. He will also discuss Egypts role in promoting security and prosperity for both Israelis and Palestinians following the visit by Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennet to Egypt earlier this month. Sullivan is set to host Israeli National Security Adviser Eyal Hulata in Washington on October 5 for follow-up discussions on these and other topics and a meeting of the US-Israel Strategic Consultative Group. Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, met with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh, earlier this month, where he asserted Egypts support for all efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East based on the two-state solution and international resolutions in a way that contributes to ensuring security and prosperity in the region. Bennett, in the meeting, expressed his appreciation for the Egyptian role in the region and asserted the importance of its role in keeping the security stability in Gaza and to find a solution for the Israeli POWs and missing soldiers. In May, Egypt brokered a cease fire between Israel and Hamas, after 11 days of deadly bombing that pounded the Palestinian enclave, killing more than 250 Palestinians, including 66 children, while the death toll in Israel stood at 13. Search Keywords: Short link: Talks on drafting a constitution for Syria will reconvene next month in Geneva, the UN special envoy for the war-ravaged nation told the Security Council Tuesday as he welcomed headway following years of inertia "It has now been exactly two years" since the committee was created to draft the new constitution as agreed by the government in Damascus and the Syrian Negotiations Commission, but "regrettably, the committee has not yet begun to make steady progress on its mandate," Geir Pedersen said. After a tour of the region and 18 months of intensive negotiations with the parties, "I am pleased to announce that agreement is in place on methodology," Pedersen said, adding that the drafting committee "will convene in Geneva as of 18 October." "We should all now expect the Constitutional Committee to begin to work seriously on a process of drafting -- not just preparing -- a constitutional reform," he said. Building trust among participants, which include the government, opposition groups, and civil society organizations, will be crucial towards creating a "credible constitutional process," Pedersen added. The envoy also expressed hope that a Wednesday summit between the presidents of Russia and Turkey would help "promote calm" within Syria, particularly the northwestern region of Idlib, which is home to the last major jihadist and rebel stronghold. Syria's war has killed around half a million people since starting in 2011, spiraling into a complex battlefield involving foreign armies, militias and jihadists. *This story was edited by Ahram Online. Search Keywords: Short link: EU governments on Tuesday gave final approval to 5.4 billion euros ($6.3 billion) in emergency funds to member states punished by the economic fallout of Brexit, with the biggest payouts going to Ireland and France. Ireland, which shares the EU's only land border with the United Kingdom, will get 1.1 billion euros from the fund to help cover the major setbacks due to the divorce. France will receive 735 million euros, with a big chunk for the country's fishing industry, which has seen access to UK waters limited by 25 percent under the terms of the split. London and Brussels reached a last-minute post-Brexit trade deal on December 24 last year that ensures zero tariffs on most goods flowing between the UK and EU. But new customs regulations have brought added costs and paperwork for firms on both sides. The British government has also introduced its own support programmes for UK businesses affected by the shocks of leaving the EU. Search Keywords: Short link: The 9th edition of the Downtown Contemporary Arts Festival (D-CAF) will kick off on Friday, featuring a large assortment of performers from Egypt, Arab region and beyond throughout three weeks of events. Operating under Orient Productions, the festival comes after almost two years of absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic that froze artistic activities and changed the schedule of many. Running until 22 October, the D-CAF will open with a music concert at the Greek Campus, featuring rappers from Egypt and the United States. In the following days, the festival will host performances by artists hailing from Egypt, France, Tunisia, Morocco, Burkina Faso, and Chile at the stage of Falaki Theatre. The new media and visual arts programme will be launched with the photography of Egyptian artist Hana Gamal, showcased at the Adly Building Rooftop. It will also bring its unique line-up of VR games, films, and interactive installations to two venues located above the historical Davies Bryan Building, better known as El Shorbagy. This edition of D-CAF will also see the birth of Orient Productions latest acquisition: the all-new Rawabet Art Space. The emblematic Rawabet Theater first opened its doors to artists in 2006 and has since become a core pillar of the Egyptian independent theater scene. After a long absence, Rawabet was recently taken over by Orient and revamped into a multipurpose, multidisciplinary art space. The festivals Urban Visions programme will take art to the streets and sidewalks of the capital. Two works conceived by French and Hungarian artists will invite audiences to explore Cairos unique urban fabric, and discover the city center in a new light. D-CAF also announced the return of its Art for All initiative and the launch of its new Art of Sharing campaign. The campaign, which was launched in 2017, provides free festival tickets to marginalized individuals. This is done through the festival's cooperation with the US Embassy in Cairo, Basita, Drosos foundation, collaborating NGOs and a number of private donors, who will provide free tickets to 2,000 marginalized individuals, so that they can enjoy a wide range of artistic events and performances. The climate crisis is among the most pressing issues in todays world. All sectors of society and the economy must take critical steps against global warming, including the arts sector, says Ahmed El Attar, the founder and artistic director of the D-CAF. This year, D-CAFs Special Events programme will shed light on ways to live, work, and create more sustainably. The events will encourage artists to think of their roles not only as creators, but also as holders of an important social responsibility. The programme will be launched on 3 October with an Environmental Workshop for Arts and Culture Organizations held in partnership with Greenish, a youth-driven environmental movement working to empower one million climate activists across the MENA region. The programme will also feature El Attar and Danish theater director Jesper Pederson in an Arts Talk on Sustainability in the Performing Arts, where they will discuss "ways in which theater as an artistic medium can give audiences a concrete sense of connection to something larger than themselves, something which long precedes and outlives them our planet Earth and its rich ecosystem." The special programme will also host an info session in collaboration with British cultural organization Farnham Maltings entitled International Touring: Getting More Mileage from your Artistic Ideas Without Traveling an Inch. Following its 8th edition that took place in March-April 2019, the 9th edition of D-CAF will run from 1 to 22 October. Over the past years, D-CAF, the multidisciplinary festival presented a rich line-up of music, visual arts, dance, film, literature, and theater, bringing artists from all around the globe to Cairo audiences. Over the past years, the festival's creative interventions took place across numerous venues in Downtown Cairo, such as Rawabet Art Space (previously known as Rawabet Theatre), Falaki Theatre, Greek Campus, La Vennoise Rooftop, Cinema Zawya, Maktabi Creative Office spaces, Studio Emad Eddin, 100 Copies Studio, as well as other spots in Downtown Cairo, topped with Ezbet Khairallah Theatre, and the Maqad of Sultan Qaitbey outside the area. For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture Search Keywords: Short link: The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) made an inevitable appearance during the 76th UN General Assembly in New York. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed in his meeting with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Demeke Mekonnen the importance of the three countries resuming negotiations, while Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri raised the subject during many of his meetings on the sidelines of the General Assembly. Sudan renewed its rejection of any unilateral acts by Ethiopia, with Sudans Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok detailing to the General Assembly the damage his country had suffered as a result of the first and second fillings of the GERD reservoir. In mid-September, ahead of the General Assembly, the Security Council had issued a presidential statement calling on Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia to resume negotiations to reach for a legally-binding agreement under the auspices of the African Union (AU) within a reasonable time frame. The statement was welcomed by Cairo and Khartoum but described it as an historic misstep by Addis Ababa which announced it is regretable that the council [has chosen to impose] itself over an issue of water rights and development that is outside its mandate. There is mounting international pressure on Ethiopia to reach a legally binding agreement on the filling and operation of GERD, says former deputy to Egypts foreign minister Ali Al-Hefni, a fact reflected not only in the UNSC presidential statement issued mid-September but in the UN secretary-generals statement during the recent General Assembly. All involved parties know the dangers of leaving the issue unresolved and as a result we saw international pressure on Ethiopia to resume the tripartite negotiations in a spirit of reaching a compromise as Gueterras said. The Security Council statement in mid-September, and the Congolese foreign ministers visit to Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt during the same period, raised hopes that the tripartite talks would soon restart. Such hopes were dashed, however, when Ethiopia made public that it will soon begin operating GERDs first two turbines despite no deal being reached. Abbas Sharaki, professor of geology and water resources at Cairo University, questioned whether Ethiopia is in a position to start the turbines given that it has been threatening to do so since 2014. If they were in working condition, why did they not begin operating them immediately after the first filling in 2019? We will have to wait and see whether they do begin in October. Until then, we cannot take Ethiopias statements seriously, Sharaki told Al-Ahram Weekly. Ethiopian Minister of Water, Irrigation, and Energy Sileshi Bekele said early September that preparations were underway to enable the first two GERD turbines to generate electricity within months. Despite international pressure for tripartite negotiations to restart, Ibrahim Idris, a member of Ethiopias GERD negotiating team, said this week that his country will never sign an agreement on the dam that affects Ethiopias future development. In response, Foreign Minister Shoukri said the negotiations, which have focused on reaching an agreement on the filling and operation of the dam, in no way affect Ethiopias future development, and described Idris statement as prevaricating and lacking credibility. Sharaki interpreted the Security Council statement as putting pressure on the AU to assume its responsibilities in the tripartite negotiations, adding that a number of factors are now in place that may encourage an agreement: The second filling was far less than originally planned, giving the parties an extra year to talk before the next rainy season; the situation inside Ethiopia, and on its border with Sudan, is becoming increasingly complex for both countries, and the flood was high this year, covering shortages that might have accrued as a result of the incomplete second filling. Meanwhile, Ethiopias Ambassador to Cairo Markos Tekle Rike told the media this week that the Ethiopian Embassy in Cairo closing for three to six months due to economic reasons. Tekle Rike stressed that the decision had nothing to do with GERD. In July, Ethiopias Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed announced that Ethiopia would need to close at least 30 of its embassies and underlined that the closures were to economise. The decision, says Al-Hefni, reflects the extent of the economic problems Ethiopia is facing as a result of its war in the Tigray region and conflicts on its border with Sudan. In August, Ethiopias embassy in Algiers suspended all consular activities. Last month, its embassy in Kuwait suspended activities and staff numbers at the Ethiopian Embassy in Washington and Ethiopias Permanent Mission to the United Nations were reduced. Search Keywords: Short link: On Monday, President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi inaugurated the worlds largest wastewater treatment plant. Bahr Al-Baqar wastewater treatment plant, east of Port Said, will treat 5.6 million cubic metres per day which can then be used to irrigate agricultural land in Sinai. Mohamed Ghanem, Irrigation Ministry spokesperson, said the plant aims to process two billion cubic metres of water annually to contribute to the reclamation of between 400,00 and 500,000 feddans as part of the national project to develop Sinai and make optimal use of water resources. Egypts water resources are estimated at 60 billion cubic metres per year, 55 billion of which come from the River Nile and five billion from rain and underground sources, forcing the government to look for other sources. We are currently involved in building wastewater projects that will help process 20 billion cubic metres annually. Soon the Bahr Al-Baqar station will be joined by Al-Hammam station in the west of the Delta, said Ghanem. While water treated by Bahr Al-Baqar will irrigate Sinai, water processed by Al-Hammam station will be used to irrigate lands around Al-Natroun. Tarek Al-Rifaai, spokesperson of the Ministry of Housing and New Communities, revealed that 146 wastewater treatment projects with a combined daily capacity of 5.8 million cubic metres are currently under construction in Egypt. Egypts population is increasing rapidly. We desperately need water to meet the needs of this growing population and to irrigate as much agricultural land as possible. Water treated by Bahr Al-Baqar station will allow new agricultural, industrial and housing communities in Sinai to be developed, says Agricultural Syndicate head Sayed Khalifa. The government is aiming to expand Egypts inhabited land from 14 to 17 per cent of the land mass, and most of this increase will be in Sinai. Water treated by Bahr Al-Baqar will reach the peninsula through underground pipelines to reclaim land there. President Al-Sisi said on Monday that Egypt is in a race against time to double its water resources. He revealed that the cost of treating waste water to cultivate half a million feddans in Sinai will reach LE160 billion, which will be covered by soft-term loans from Arab development funds. Bahr Al-Baqar was built by the Arab Contractors and Orascom Construction, and funded by the Arab Fund for Economic and Social Development and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development. Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouli said during Mondays inauguration that projects to develop and populate Sinai have cost LE700 billion so far. We are currently implementing 63 projects, the most important of which include the building of six underground tunnels to link Sinai with the rest of Egypt, said Madbouli. These projects aim to put an end to Sinais isolation and make it a population magnet. As part of this strategy, seawater desalination plants are being developed, which Madbouli described as central to populating and developing Sinai. The plant currently being built at Arish, he added, will produce 300,000 cubic metres annually of desalinated water. Populating Sinai is central to Egypts national security objectives, observed Madbouli, and the main vehicle for this is the National Project for Developing Sinai, one of the first initiatives launched by President Al-Sisi following his election in 2014. Major General Ihab Al-Far, head of the Armed Forces Engineering Organisation, said the flow of water from Bahr Al-Baqar to Sinai will speed up the process of populating the peninsula. He added that the Armed Forces are participating in developing Sinai through two kinds of projects: building 34 seawater desalination stations to produce 442 million cubic metres of drinking water to meet the needs of the population of Sinai, and constructing 36 wastewater treatment stations to process 473 million cubic metres per year of water to irrigate agricultural lands. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: The Forces of Freedom and Change must reach a political agreement with the Sudanese military in the wake of the recent coup attempt in Sudan. Contrary to what had been anticipated, success in overcoming the recent failed coup attempt in Sudan has not led to positive interactions producing greater political stability and ending the transitional phase that was already planned for in the Constitutional Document signed in August 2019. Instead, it has brought new problems and deepened the rifts between the various political forces in Sudan. It has also driven the revolutionary forces to rally and to try to reconcile their differences after sensing that the post-coup atmosphere may lead to a forcible end to the transitional period. Various observations can be made regarding the failed coup attempt and the political context surrounding it in both domestic and international terms. The first is that this failed coup attempt might have been a trial balloon for another coup that could take place either through an actual seizure of power in the shape of a classic military coup or through the Sudanese military refusing to hand over the presidency of the Sovereignty Council of Sudan to its civilian members. This is set to take place in November according to the Constitutional Document and will announce the end of the transitional phase in preparation for holding early elections. The second is that the political inclinations and sympathy among Sudans military leaders for the political and social base of former Sudanese president Omar Al-Bashirs regime seem obvious and almost visible. General Abdel-Fattah Al-Burhan refused to blame remnants of the old regime for the failed coup attempt during his visit to the Al-Shajara Camp, one of the coup strongholds, in response to Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdoks accusation of the National Congress Party, which ruled the country during Al-Bashirs rule. Third, the failed coup has brought home the need for the reform of the Sudanese military and security institutions, with political stability in the country now relying on it. This is in the light of the announcement of more than one coup attempt during the last two years, all of which were attributed to the National Islamic Front, the base of the Sudanese Islamists. Fourth, restructuring the Sudanese military and resolving the relationship between the regular forces (the Sudanese Armed Forces) and the irregular forces (the Rapid Support Forces) is a precondition for stability in all Sudans provinces and the panacea against coup attempts. At the moment, the interactions between the two sides are sometimes in agreement and sometimes in tension. They are also decided according to the internal political climate. The current situation threatens political stability and even the future of the state itself. Fifth, the presence of the Forces of Freedom and Change among the people of Sudan has declined to a great extent due to internal divisions. As a result, spontaneous popular protests against the attempted coup were weak despite calls issued by the prime minister. There were, however, rallies by Sudans parties and political forces refusing any coup attempt and rejecting any attempt by the military to return to power. Sixth, the merits of the civilian components of the Sovereignty Council have been brought into doubt by economic challenges and the living conditions of ordinary people in Sudan. The Forces of Freedom and Change have become fragmented, calling into doubt their political strength and effectiveness and affecting the balance of power between them and the military. This imbalance resulted in the hegemony of the military during the previous period. Seventh, the regional and international stand against any coup attempts in Sudan was very significant and clearly shows that any such attempts will not receive a positive reaction. Cairo, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi all issued statements denouncing the attempted coup, and there were also firm stances taken by the US, the EU, the Arab League and the African Union. Eighth, the statement by the US State Department alleging the existence of foreign hands behind the failed coup attempt in Sudan raises questions about who these parties are, especially in the light of Eritrea and Ethiopia not issuing any condemnation of the coup. TASKS AHEAD The following issues must now be addressed by Sudans military and civilian forces. First, they must prove to the international community that the Sudanese elites are trustworthy partners with a view to investment and economic support. If this is not done, there will be a decline in this support, with signs of this already beginning to emerge particularly in the concerns expressed by the US administration, the main supporter of Khartoum. Second, the problem of East Sudan has become important for the future of the state and its stability because of its bias in favour of the military. The closure of Port Sudan more than once during the last year in an attempt to annul the East Sudan track in the Juba Agreement has caused great economic and political losses. Third, protests in response to a call by the High Council of Beja Nazirs, the local tribal council, has led to the closure of Port Sudan, Suakin and Bashayer, among other places. These closures, exempting buses, police and ambulance vehicles, are a major threat to the Sudanese economy. East Sudan controls much of Sudans economic relations with the outside world, and Sudan imports 70 per cent of its needs via Port Sudan. The closure of the port of Bashayer has also greatly impacted South Sudan, as oil exported through it provides most of the countrys revenues. Fourth, there is a need to settle the constitutional relationship between the centre and the periphery in Sudan, decide matters of political representation and restructure the sharing of wealth. This could take place either within the framework of a constitutional conference or within a legislative body whose formation has been delayed. One of the main reasons for the protests in East Sudan is that the residents of the region believe that it is being treated as a cash cow for the rest of Sudan, whereas in fact it suffers from significant underdevelopment. Fifth, the political party of former president Omar Al-Bashir, the National Congress Party, is still influential even two years after the revolution. Mohamed Al-Amin Tirik, head of the High Council of Beja Nazirs in East Sudan and a National Congress Party member, has demanded the dismissal of the transitional government and the formation of a military council representing six Sudanese provinces with a partner civilian component substituting for Hamdoks government, for example. Ending the hegemony of the military in Sudan and with it the possibility of a further military coup can only be achieved through a political agreement between the Forces of Freedom and Change and the military guaranteeing the safety of those who were associated with the former regime and the military participation in political decision-making in the future. Without an agreement of this sort, the political situation will not return to peace and stability, and the antagonism among the different parties will continue. Regional and international support for Sudan at this crucial stage is urgently needed, especially given Sudans important geopolitical location and importance for Red Sea security and the security of the region. Egypt, in particular, should continue to build partnerships with Sudan. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisis speech at the UN General Assembly this month presented Egypt interacting effectively with allies in building a better world and a more secure and stable Middle East. The 76th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations opened on 14 September, with debates taking place from 21 to 27 September. Unlike the 75th session last year, a virtual one because of Covid-19, this year the General Assembly was hybrid with in-person attendance and virtual participation. It was the first appearance at the UN of US President Joe Biden since his taking office earlier this year, and in his remarks to the General Assembly he spoke of his administration adopting an international agenda of what he termed relentless diplomacy to meet the challenges of todays world through alliances, partnerships and cooperation, among them to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic as well as climate change. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spoke of a world standing on the edge of an abyss due to the gravity of the Covid-19 pandemic and the disastrous consequences of climate change. He also spoke of the dangers of the widening gap between the wealthy and developed nations and the developing countries. Both the Chinese and Russian presidents addressed the General Assembly virtually this year, as did President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt, repeating the way in which he had addressed the assembly last year. It was the eighth time that President Al-Sisi has spoken to the UN General Assembly since he was elected president in 2014. His remarks this year were the most progressive so far and dealt with how Egypt is carrying out the international agenda and UN priorities. They were wide-ranging, comprehensive and in tune with the present-day agenda of multilateral diplomacy. He emphasised Egypts commitment to the UN system as one of its founding members. His remarks were balanced between dealing with the major challenges of the day, such as Covid-19, climate change and the fight against terrorism, and Egyptian positions vis-a-vis various Arab crises and differences around the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), which President Al-Sisi said could threaten international peace and security if the parties concerned do not reach a binding agreement on the filling and operations of the dam. He warned that the status quo represents a threat to the well-being of 150 million people in Egypt and Sudan. Al-Sisi also brought up the decision by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to allocate $650 billion in Special Drawing Rights to the developing nations to help them deal with the financial consequences of Covid-19. He called for a major infusion of foreign direct investment into the economies of the developing countries coupled with debt alleviation, particularly for the African countries. As far as international assistance in providing vaccines against Covid-19 is concerned, Al-Sisi called for a balanced distribution of such vaccines, pointing out that Egypt has begun producing the vaccines and is ready to provide the African countries with them. Regarding the fight against terrorism, President Al-Sisi called on the international community to adopt a comprehensive approach in this regard. Resorting to security measures alone will not suffice, he said, and such measures will fall short in ultimately defeating it. He spoke of the necessity of dealing with the economic, social and intellectual underpinnings of the appeal of terrorist groups to some members of the younger generations. He also addressed the need to impose sanctions on countries harbouring terrorists and providing assistance to various terrorist groups. It came as no surprise that the Palestinian question was the first Arab issue that the Egyptian president dealt with. His remarks were comprehensive, and a major part of his comments on Arab crises was dedicated to the situation in Palestine, calling the Palestinian question the central issue of peace and security in the Middle East. Al-Sisi reiterated Egypts commitment to the two-state solution according to UN resolutions in this regard, and he called on the international community to speed up humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians in Gaza and to provide the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) with the necessary funds to alleviate their suffering. By the same token, he also stressed the urgency of launching reconstruction efforts in Gaza, adding that Egypt has already earmarked $500 million for these. It goes without saying that he stressed how imperative it is to reach a long-lasting truce between the Palestinians and the Israelis to replace the existing ceasefire in Gaza that Egypt successfully negotiated in May 2021. One of the most interesting parts of Al-Sisis speech to the UN General Assembly this year was the clever linkage it made between the weakening and targeting of state institutions, especially the military, and the insecurity and instability in Syria, Iraq, Libya and Yemen. The basic message that he wanted to convey was that Egypt is reaffirming its commitment to multilateral diplomacy and firmly believes that present-day challenges call for worldwide cooperation that will benefit the developing countries. President Al-Sisis remarks at the UN this year chart a way forward for Egyptian diplomacy in a fast-changing international environment that presents Egypt with opportunities to interact constructively and effectively with allies and partners in building a better world and a more secure and stable Middle East. For many years, Egypt has been busy dealing with regional crises and threats, and perhaps today the time has come to balance our involvement in Arab and regional crises with a more forward-looking diplomacy geared to more cooperation with the international community in facing the challenges and open-ended opportunities of tomorrow. These have started to manifest themselves in the shape of emerging pandemics, climate change, the development of cyberspace, the transformation to green economies, the protection of the environment and rapid advances in technology and information technology, such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing. * The writer is former assistant foreign minister. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: This article is in response to a recent opinion piece in the New York Times, since this needs to be put into a proper perspective. It is important that this reply appears in a national Egyptian newspaper noted for its objectivity, one that neither exhibits patriotic bias nor indulges in a disregard for the facts. The title of the New York Times article, US and Egypt Put Improving Egypts Human Rights on the Agenda, which appeared on 16 September, sounds optimistic. It seems to herald a period of Egyptian-US cooperation on this sensitive issue. However, reading further one finds that it has more to do with the negative reactions of Egyptian rights activists and international rights organisations to Washingtons decision to withhold $130 million in military aid to Egypt. The article is primarily focused on registering these individuals and agencies disappointment at a decision that they say fell short of the expectations they had pinned on the Biden administration, given its pledge to put human rights at the centre of its foreign policy, especially with Egypt. I will not comment on the articles reference to me as being pro-government, except to say that I have spent half my life and up until the present among the ranks of the opposition. I have never held a government post in my political career. However, I am proud to say that I am pro-Egypt and that I stand among those who defend the steps it has taken to improve human rights. On this subject there are facts that cannot be ignored. Among them are the centrality of human rights in the international order and how easily they can be politicised. It is also a fact that there are rights organisations that receive funding from various governments and agencies in order to produce reports that help further their interests. This is part of the international dynamics that even extend to using terrorism as a player in contemporary international relations. It is impossible to claim that the state of human rights in Egypt is problem free. The same applies to other nations. No country has reached perfection in the application of human rights standards as laid out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted by the UN in December 1948. I will not take this occasion to remark on some of the violations that have tainted the USs own rights record. There is no need for this discussion to turn into a contest assigning blame. Instead of the extensive criticisms of the human rights record in Egypt that appeared in the New York Times article, I would have liked the US to join us in monitoring the implementation of the National Strategy for Human Rights that President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi recently launched and pledged to implement in Egypt. This is what Egypt expects from the world and especially from the US, which sees itself as the custodian of democratic values. It is important to make a specific point clear here. The National Strategy for Human Rights is the fruit of a purely Egyptian drive inspired by principles and values that are deeply ingrained in Egyptian society. Work on this strategy began over a year ago in the framework of ongoing efforts to improve human rights. This was before US President Joe Biden entered the presidential race in the US, putting paid to any claim that the Egyptian Strategy was the result of US pressure. If there are doubts about Egypts credibility or the strength of its will to improve human rights, they should compel friendly nations to be more supportive and more accurate and objective in their observations as Egypt struggles to overcome challenges and threats that also jeopardise regional and international peace and security. This brings me to another point related to an inconsistency in US policies. The US is in the process of withdrawing from certain areas in the international arena, such as the Middle East, in order to focus more on its confrontation with China and the expansion of worldwide Chinese influence. Surely the US would want to strengthen its alliances and strategic partnerships in the areas from which it withdraws in a manner that enables its allies to play a more effective role in the preservation of stability, security and peace in the absence of American power? For Washington to reduce the aid it offers Egypt to fight terrorism and protect the countrys borders is unwise and not what we would have expected from Biden given his lengthy experience of US foreign policy. Biden has spent much of his career as a member and then chair of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which has a major influence on the design, planning and monitoring of US foreign policy. Egypt will not use its regional role as a token to barter with over its human rights record, but surely any serious steps it has taken towards improving human rights should have been met with support from Washington, even as monitoring continues in the framework of international agreements and conventions. In short, Egypt deserved encouragement from Washington, not punishment by docking a relatively small amount of aid that was nevertheless large in its political significance. I hope Washington revises this decision, making it clear that this is not about looking the other way, but about supporting efforts to promote the democratic values that the US itself champions. * The writer is head of the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights. *A version of this article appears in print in the 30 September, 2021 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly Search Keywords: Short link: Thousands of families sickened and forced from their Los Angeles homes after the nations largest-known natural gas leak have reached a settlement of up to $1.8 billion with a utility, attorneys said Monday. The settlement with Southern California Gas Co. and its parent company, Sempra Energy, will compensate 35,000 plaintiffs from the 2015 blowout that took nearly four months to control. Protesters wearing gas masks, attend a hearing over a gas leak at the southern California Gas Company's Aliso Canyon Storage Facility near the Porter Ranch section of Los Angeles on an. 16, 2016. [File photo: AP/Richard Vogel] The Aliso Canyon blowout led to the largest-known release of methane in U.S. history and was blamed for sickening thousands of residents who moved out of homes near the San Fernando Valley to escape a sulfurous stench and maladies including headaches, nausea and nose bleeds. The plaintiffs alleged personal injury for their illnesses and property damage to their homes. SoCalGas spent more than $1 billion on the the blowout with most going to temporarily relocate 8,000 families. The utility has faced more than 385 lawsuits on behalf of 48,000 people. Our goal has always been obtaining justice for the men, women and children who were failed by SoCalGas throughout every turn of this catastrophe," attorney Brian Panish said in a statement. Plaintiffs alleged they suffered personal injury and property damage after a natural gas storage well failed and uncontrollably released nearly 100,000 tons of methane and other substances into the atmosphere over 118 days. SoCalGas said it would record an after-tax charge of approximately $1.1 billion this month and expects total settlement payments of up to $1.85 billion. The agreement is subject to about 97% of plaintiffs accepting it and could be reduced if fewer agree. These agreements are an important milestone that will help the community and our company work toward putting this difficult chapter behind us, said Scott Drury, CEO of SoCalGas. Matt Pakucko, founder of Save Porter Ranch, issued a statement repeating his call for the permanent shutdown of the facility, where natural gas is stored beneath a mountain in vacant, old oil wells. You cant put a price tag on human suffering," he said. "SoCalGas devastating blowout will never be behind us until the Aliso Canyon storage facility is shut down and the danger it poses to the community is permanently eliminated. We are nowhere near a resolution. State regulators found the gas company failed to investigate previous well failures at the storage site and didnt adequately assess its aging wells for disaster potential before the Oct. 23, 2015, blowout. SoCalGas previously reached a $120 million court settlement with the state attorney general and agreed to a $4 million settlement with Los Angeles County prosecutors after being convicted in Los Angeles Superior Court of failing to quickly report the leak to state authorities. KYODO NEWS - Sep 28, 2021 - 15:02 | All, Japan The four candidates running to become the next Japanese prime minister made their last-minute appeals for support on Tuesday, a day before what looks set to be a tightly contested ruling party presidential election. The election of the Liberal Democratic Party leader will likely end up in a run-off between vaccination minister Taro Kono and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida as the first round of voting is not expected to deliver a decisive winner with majority support, according to a Kyodo News survey. The next leader will replace Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who serves as president of a ruling party that has been struggling to shore up an economy battered by measures implemented to slow the spread of COVID-19. The public, meanwhile, is seeking leadership skills and accountability from the new leader, qualities judged to be lacking in Suga. "Until vote-counting is over, we can never be sure what will happen. I will give it my all and continue to fight to the end," Kishida told members of the intraparty group that he leads. The winner in Wednesday's election will become the public face of the LDP in the lower house election this fall, a factor that has made some young lawmakers cautious about who to back in the race as their future is also at stake. Two of the four contenders are women -- former internal affairs minister Sanae Takaichi and former gender equality minister Seiko Noda -- and all have largely turned to virtual meetings to rally support during less than two weeks of campaigning held under a COVID-19 state of emergency declared for Tokyo and other areas. After leading efforts to inoculate the population to rein in COVID-19 cases, Kono said one has to have the ability to "thrust ahead" in responding to the pandemic. "I'm the only one (in the race) who can do it," Kono said during a press conference following a Cabinet meeting. A maverick who is popular among the public, Kono is one of the leading candidates garnering support from relatively young LDP lawmakers, and rank-and-file party members -- all of whom have a vote in the election. The soft-spoken Kishida, who heads the LDP's liberal-leaning faction, has the backing of many veteran lawmakers and is making his second bid to become party chief. But some view him as lacking wider public appeal. Backed by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Takaichi is expected to receive votes from hawkish nationalists within the LDP, while Noda, who joined the race at the last minute, has been scrambling to broaden her support base. The influence of LDP factions has also come under the spotlight as many have decided to allow their members the freedom to choose who to vote for, making the outcome unpredictable. That is different from when Suga was elected about a year ago when major LDP factions were united in their support of the then chief Cabinet secretary, the right-hand man of Abe who stepped down due to ill health. Takaichi met with Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai, the LDP's No. 2 who also leads a major faction, at the party headquarters in an apparent bid to seek support. Opinion polls show economic policy should be of the highest priority for the next prime minister and the candidates spent hours explaining how their coronavirus fallout response would be different from each other and the Suga administration. They are on the same page over the need for constitutional reform but divided over whether to allow married couples to have separate family names. Kono is promising to reform the pension system in Japan, one of the world's fastest-aging nations, and promote digitalization. But he is perceived as having walked back his stance on nuclear power to allow the restart of plants taken offline amid safety concerns following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident. Kishida, a moderate but long considered a fiscal hawk, is pledging to make sure ordinary people can enjoy the benefits of growth under what he describes as a new form of capitalism. Takaichi has named her policy mix "Sanaenomics," focusing on bold monetary easing and investment in crisis management and growth areas. Takaichi regularly visits Yasukuni Shrine, a controversial Shinto shrine in Tokyo that has become a source of diplomatic friction with China and South Korea as it honors convicted war criminals along with millions of war dead. She has said she would continue to visit as leader. Noda, who struggled to garner the necessary nominations from 20 LDP lawmakers to join the race, is placing her priority on care for the vulnerable such as children and people with disabilities. The LDP is expected to have a new president elected Wednesday afternoon and parliament is scheduled to elect him or her as prime minister during an extraordinary session on Oct. 4. KYODO NEWS - Sep 28, 2021 - 22:35 | All, Japan The nomination committee of Japan's largest labor organization said Tuesday it has selected Tomoko Yoshino, one of the body's vice presidents, as its candidate for next president, who will be the first-ever female chief if appointed. The successor of Rikio Kozu, 65, the head of the Japanese Trade Union Confederation, known as Rengo, is expected to be picked at a regular convention on Oct. 6, according to the organization with a membership of 7 million that was established in 1989. Kozu's term will expire next month. Yoshino, 55, originally from a labor union of sewing machine maker Juki Corp., currently serves as a deputy head of the Japanese Association of Metal, Machinery, and Manufacturing Workers, mainly representing small and medium-sized manufacturers. Rengo might hold an election for the top post for the first time since 2005, as Takeshi Suzuki, the 52-year-old head of the Japan Community Union Federation, to which many nonpermanent workers belong, is considering declaring his candidacy. However, as the nomination committee narrows down candidates for a president and general secretary beforehand, it is widely believed Yoshino will assume the top post of Rengo. "Rengo will be able to take a step forward toward gender equality and diversity both in name and in reality," said Junsuke Namba, the 62-year-old chairman of the nomination committee, who also heads the All Japan Federation of Transport Workers' Unions. The nomination committee of Rengo, an umbrella organization of labor unions mainly representing regular workers, also told a press conference Tuesday that it will nominate Hideyuki Shimizu, 62, of the Japan Teachers' Union for the general secretary post. KYODO NEWS - Sep 28, 2021 - 13:35 | All, Japan A total of 70 people on Tuesday filed a damages suit against current and former landowners allegedly involved in land alterations and the creation of a massive soil mound at a mountainside where a mudslide in July killed 26 people in the hot spring report of Atami southwest of Tokyo. In the lawsuit filed with the Numazu branch of the Shizuoka District Court, the plaintiffs including bereaved family members of the victims and local business operators are seeking 3.2 billion yen ($28 million) in damages from people and companies involved in managing the land. "We will take action to ensure that this man-made disaster is never repeated," said Yuji Seshimo, 53, one of the plaintiffs who lost his mother in the mudslide. The mudslide hit Atami, Shizuoka Prefecture, on the morning of July 3, after days of heavy rain that lashed wide areas of the country, leaving 26 people dead, one missing and destroying 131 homes. Following the fatal mudslide, local authorities launched an investigation into the cause of the disaster and how the land in question was managed. An estimated 54,000 cubic meters of soil was found to have been brought to the mountain by a real estate management firm in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, possibly exacerbating the damages. Some 56,000 cubic meters of soil in total, mostly the soil left by the now-defunct company, collapsed into a nearby river, traveling a distance of about 2 kilometers, according to the local authorities. The Shizuoka prefectural government said the company had reported in 2009 its plan to pile up soil at the site to a height of 15 meters, but the actual height of the soil reached some 50 meters shortly before the mudslide occurred. Contamination of the soil with industrial waste was found in 2010 and the land owner was subsequently ordered to remove it, according to the prefectural government. The firm was subject to multiple administrative directions by the prefectural and Atami city governments. The plaintiffs sued the company, a former executive of the company, the current owner of the land, a real estate company in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward established by the landowner and a company alleged to have delivered soil to the land. A lawyer for the current landowner told Kyodo News the company established by the defendant has "nothing to do with the case." Another defendant, an executive of the liquidated real estate firm which previously owned the land, has said the company never made any improper land alterations at the site. KYODO NEWS - Sep 28, 2021 - 17:10 | All, World, Japan North Korea on Tuesday fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile in the second such launch in two weeks, with the projectile believed to have splashed into waters outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone, Japanese government officials said. South Korea's military said North Korea fired a short-range missile at around 6:40 a.m. into the sea off its east coast from Mupyong-ri, an inland location in Jagang Province near the border with China. It did not say whether the projectile was a ballistic missile, which North Korea is banned from testing under U.N. Security Council resolutions. The launch was the latest in a recent series by North Korea. On Sept. 13, state-run media said the country had carried out tests of a new long-range cruise missile. Two days later, the country fired two ballistic missiles into waters within Japan's exclusive economic zone in the first test of such weapons in nearly six months. Japan's top government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato, on Tuesday condemned North Korea's recent activity as "threatening the peace and safety of our country and the entire region" and a "serious problem for the international community." No harm to Japanese aircraft or ships has been reported in the latest incident, he said in a press conference. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters that Japan is "stepping up surveillance efforts and analyzing the situation." South Korea's National Security Council held an emergency meeting where its members were briefed on the missile launch and expressed "regret" over it. "(The NSC members) decided to cooperate with related countries, especially the United States, while closely monitoring North Korea's future movements," the presidential office said in a statement. South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported the missile flew less than 200 kilometers and reached an altitude of about 30 km. South Korean President Moon Jae In ordered his national security team to "thoroughly analyze" the intentions behind the launch and North Korea's recent statements on inter-Korean relations. Just days earlier, Kim Yo Jong, the influential younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left the door open for an inter-Korean summit while criticizing what she called an "arms buildup" by the United States and South Korea. North Korea's latest missile launch came on the same day the country is likely to hold a parliamentary session. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement that it assessed the latest incident as not posing "an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies" but emphasized the missile launch highlights the "destabilizing impact" of North Korea's "illicit weapons program." "The U.S. commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad," it added. According to Japan's analysis, the two ballistic missiles launched earlier this month reached an altitude of about 50 km and flew around 750 km before falling in waters off the Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture. The missiles have raised fresh alarm in Japan as it prepares to see a new government following the leadership election of its main ruling party on Wednesday. North Korea has said the Sept. 15 launch was a test of a "railway-borne missile system" and that the objective was to strike a target area 800 km off its east coast. In New York on Monday, shortly after the latest launch, North Korea's ambassador to the United Nations, Kim Song, said its possession of weapons in line with the "righteous right to self-defense" has helped to deter threats from the United States and prevent war on the Korean Peninsula. The envoy also urged the United States to give up its "hostile policy" and "double standards" toward Pyongyang, accusing Washington of continuing to develop its own weapons and carry out military exercises with Seoul. His remarks, made in an address to the annual U.N. General Assembly, however, did not touch on the latest launch. Related coverage: North Korean leader Kim's sister eager to improve inter-Korean ties North Korea will reject proposal from South to declare Korean War over Japan names China, Russia, North Korea as threats in cyberspace Washington: US President Donald Trump will sign an executive order declaring a national emergency, which will empower him to fund the construction of a massive wall along the US-Mexico border to prevent illegal immigrants from entering the country and curb drug smuggling. The move would help Trump get $5.6 billion for the construction of the wall that, he has asserted, is essential for national security. President Trump will sign the government funding bill, and as he has stated before, he will also take other executive action - including a national emergency - to ensure we stop the national security and humanitarian crisis at the border, White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. The President is once again delivering on his promise to build the wall, protect the border, and secure our great country, she said. The White House statement came soon after Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell made the move public. I had an opportunity to speak with President Trump and he, I would say to all my colleagues, has indicated hes prepared to sign the bill. He also (will) be issuing a national emergency declaration at the same time. I indicated Im going to support the national emergency declaration, McConnell said. On the Democrats saying they will challenge the move in the Supreme Court, Sanders said, Were very prepared, but there shouldnt be (legal challenges). The presidents doing his job. The Congress should do theirs. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that declaring a national emergency would be a lawless act, a gross abuse of the power of the presidency and a desperate attempt to distract from the fact that Trump broke his core promise to have Mexico pay for his wall. It is yet another demonstration of President Trumps naked contempt for the rule of law. This is not an emergency, and the presidents fearmongering doesnt make it one, they said in a joint statement. He couldnt convince Mexico, the American people or their elected representatives to pay for his ineffective and expensive wall, so now hes trying an end-run around Congress in a desperate attempt to put taxpayers on the hook for it. The Congress will defend our constitutional authorities, they said. Opposing the proposed move, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said that Trumps hankering for a wall at the southern border cannot be justified by calling a national emergency. This would be a clear abuse of presidential power, one that sidesteps the role of Congress in the appropriation of funds. Shame on any member of Congress who doesnt clearly and vigorously speak out on this illegitimate invocation of emergency authorities, ACLU said. Senator James Inhofe said Trump had no choice but to declare a national emergency. I want to make sure this declaration has minimal, if any, impact on our military and reimburse all the necessary accounts affected by the decision. As I heard in a hearing yesterday, military housing and all military installations are facing disrepair and poor conditions. We cannot afford to allow them to be further impacted, he said For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: After 15 years on the Martian surface, NASA's Opportunity rover has officially been declared dead. Opportunity rover helped lay the groundwork for NASA's return to the Red Planet. The Opportunity rover stopped communicating with Earth when a severe Mars-wide dust storm blanketed its location in June 2018. Designed to last just 90 Martian days and travel 1,100 yards (1,000 meters), Opportunity vastly surpassed all expectations in its endurance, scientific value and longevity. In addition to exceeding its life expectancy by 60 times, the rover travelled more than 28 miles (45 kilometres) by the time it reached its most appropriate final resting spot on Mars - Perseverance Valley, according to NASA. ALSO READ | NASA to make final attempt to contact Mars Opportunity Rover "It is because of trailblazing missions such as Opportunity that there will come a day when our brave astronauts walk on the surface of Mars," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. "And when that day arrives, some portion of that first footprint will be owned by the men and women of Opportunity, and a little rover that defied the odds and did so much in the name of exploration." The community of researchers and engineers involved in the program were in mourning over the passing of the rover, known affectionately as Oppy. "Spent the evening at JPL as the last ever commands were sent to the Opportunity rover on #Mars," Tanya Harrison, director of Martian research at Arizona State University, tweeted after a stint at Pasadena's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. "There was silence. There were tears. There were hugs. There were memories and laughs shared. #ThankYouOppy #GoodnightOppy," she wrote. From the day Opportunity landed, a team of mission engineers, rover drivers and scientists on Earth collaborated to overcome challenges and get the rover from one geologic site on Mars to the next. They plotted workable avenues over rugged terrain so that the 384-pound (174-kilogram) Martian explorer could maneuver around and, at times, over rocks and boulders, climb gravel-strewn slopes as steep as 32-degrees (an off-Earth record), probe crater floors, summit hills and traverse possible dry riverbeds. Its final venture brought it to the western limb of Perseverance Valley. ALSO READ | NASA spacecraft shrinking orbit to prepare for Mars 2020 Rover "I cannot think of a more appropriate place for Opportunity to endure on the surface of Mars than one called Perseverance Valley," said Michael Watkins, director of JPL. "The records, discoveries and sheer tenacity of this intrepid little rover is testament to the ingenuity, dedication, and perseverance of the people who built and guided her." For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Top Opposition leaders, including Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah, met Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar at his residence over dinner on Wednesday, hours after they spoke during a rally of opposition parties organised by the Aam Aadmi Party at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on Wednesday. "We had a very constructive meeting. We agreed that theA principal target for all of us is to fight against the assault on institutes being carried out by the BJP," said Gandhi said after the meeting. "We agreed to start a conversation about a common minimum programme and we have a commitment that we are all going to work together to defeat the BJP," he added. Banerjee, who was also present at the meeting, said: "We'll work together at the national level. We'll have a common minimum agenda. We'll have a pre-poll alliance." Speaking at the rally, Kejriwal launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging he is trying to tear apart the Constitution and destroy democracy. On a day when the CAG report on the 2015 Rafale fighter deal was tabled in Parliament, Kejriwal said Modi should speak the truth on the agreement between India and France because, as prime minister, he is accountable to the nation. "Modi is trying to tear apart the Constitution. He is destroying democracy," he said at a mega rally of opposition parties organised by his Aam Aadmi Party at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Referring to the controversy over the visit of a number of CBI officials visiting the Kolkata police commissioner's residence in connection with its probe into chit-fund cases, Kejriwal said sending "40 CBI officers" from Delhi was an attack on the elected government of West Bengal. The rally was organised nearly three weeks after Banerjee hosted Opposition leaders in Kolkata in a similar show of strength on January 19. Delhi: Andhra Pradesh CM N Chandrababu Naidu, NC chief Farooq Abdullah, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal at NCP chief Sharad Pawar's residence pic.twitter.com/b19jwtfCuW a ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019 Banerjee said the situation in the country is worse than an emergency, and asserted that she would fight along with the Congress and Left at the national level despite their bitter rivalry in the state. Democracy has become 'Namocracy' under PM Modi-led NDA government at the Centre, said Trinamool Congress chief. aWe will fight collectively in coming days. Whatever fight we have with the Congress, CPM will be limited to state. We will fight together at the national level. Let them fight against me, I don't mind. For the interest of the nation, I'm ready to sacrifice my life/party,a the West Bengal chief minister said while addressing a mega rally organised by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). "Opposition parties will fight unitedly at the national level," she asserted. CPI leader D Raja said the Constitution is under attack under Narendra Modi as prime minister and asserted that Parliament has been undermined and bypassed and its role has been minimized under Modi. "Can you allow a Germany-like situation where Hitler overpowered Reichstag(German parliament)," he said. "BJP in power is a threat to constitution and democracy. It must be defeated," he added. CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury alleged that BJP is professing politics of 'Dushashan' by pitting brothers against brothers. "There is need to replace this government for a better India. This chowkidar needs to be removed to save the country. "BJP is like Kaurava Sena but the Pandavas (Opposition) will defeat them and save the country," he said. Interestingly, minutes before Mamata Banerjee arrived, the two left leaders moved away from the stage. Other senior leaders, including Samajwadi Party's Ram Gopal Yadav, AAP's Sanjay Singh, Nationalist Congress Party's Sharad Pawar and LJD chief Sharad Yadav were also present at the rally. (With PTI inputs) Labhpur: A local BJP leader's daughter has been allegedly kidnapped at gunpoint from her residence by a gang of miscreants in West Bengal's Birbhum district, a senior police officer said on Friday. One suspect has been detained for questioning in connection with the incident, Superintendent of Police Shyam Singh said. Suprabhat Batyabyal, who switched to the BJP from the Trinamool Congress (TMC) around five months ago, was not home when the miscreants broke into his house at Labhpur area in the district and kidnapped his 22-year-old daughter, according to his brother. Before joining the TMC, Batyabal was a district committee member of the CPI(M). "Five miscreants barged into the house around 8pm, on finding out that Suprabhat was not home. "First, they confined us in a room and locked it from outside. Then, at gunpoint, they dragged my niece out and forced her into a car, which was parked near our home, and drove off," Sujit Batyabal said. The SP said the police haven't found any political motive behind the incident so far. "We are investigating into the incident from all seconds. Prima facie, we haven't found any political motive behind the kidnapping, but no possibility can be ruled out," Singh added. The incident has sparked panic among the local people, who gheraoed the Labhpur police station and blocked the Suri- Katwa road in the district Thursday night, demanding that the girl be traced immediately, police sources said, adding that situation was tense in Labhpur. New Delhi: Opportunity rover that helped lay the groundwork for NASA's return to the Red Planet has officially been declared dead. After 15 years on the Martian surface, NASA's Opportunity rover has stopped functioning. The Opportunity rover stopped communicating with Earth when a severe Mars-wide dust storm blanketed its location in June 2018. The community of researchers and engineers involved in the program were in mourning over the passing of the rover, known affectionately as Oppy. Opportunity not only leaves behind a legacy of discovery, but it also became the longest-running rover. It travelled 28 miles and captured 217,594 raw images. It will probably stay where it fell silent in Perseverance Valley. "For more than a decade, Opportunity has been an icon in the field of planetary exploration, teaching us about Mars' ancient past as a wet, potentially habitable planet, and revealing uncharted Martian landscapes," said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. "Whatever loss we feel now must be tempered with the knowledge that the legacy of Opportunity continues both on the surface of Mars with the Curiosity rover and InSight lander and in the clean rooms of JPL, where the upcoming Mars 2020 rover is taking shape." ALSO READ | NASAs Mars Opportunity rover mission comes to an end 5 things to know about NASAs Mars Opportunity Rover The Mars Exploration Rovers mission featured two identical, solar-powered rovers: Spirit and Opportunity. Spirit landed at Gusev Crater on January 4, 2004. Opportunity landed on the opposite side of Mars at Meridiani Planum on January 24, 2004, according to NASA. Opportunity and Spirit was launched in 2003 and landed on Mars in 2004, searching for signs of ancient life. Opportunity's mission has led to many discoveries about the Red Planet. Designed to last just 90 Martian days and travel 1,100 yards (1,000 meters), Opportunity vastly surpassed all expectations in its endurance, scientific value and longevity. In addition to exceeding its life expectancy by 60 times, the rover travelled more than 28 miles (45 kilometres) by the time it reached its most appropriate final resting spot on Mars - Perseverance Valley, according to NASA. Opportunity and Spirit returned over 342,000 raw images of the Martian surface. The two rovers also produced 31 stunning 360-degree colour panoramas. Curiosity and the upcoming Mars 2020 rovers build upon the lessons of Spirit and Opportunity. For all the Latest Science News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Taliban on Wednesday said that its negotiators would meet US envoys for talks this month in Islamabad, and also sit down with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to discuss Afghanistan. This comes after America's chief negotiator tours the globe shoring up support for a peace process to end its longest war. However, Washington has not confirmed the meeting plans. Zalmay Khalilzad, a former ambassador to Afghanistan, held extensive talks with the militants last month in Qatar, where the Taliban have an office. More talks are slated for later in February. Separate meetings would be held first on February 18 in Islamabad by the formal invitation of the government of Pakistan," read a statement issued by Taliban on Wednesday. ALSO READ | Thrilled about 'a lot of wall', says US President Donald Trump Talks in Doha would follow a week later on February 25, the statement said. Khalilzad is heading a large delegation on a tour of Belgium, Germany, Turkey, Qatar, Afghanistan and Pakistan to boost the peace process and bring all Afghan parties to the table. He has expressed cautious hope for a deal before Afghan presidential elections slated for July President Ashraf Ghani who has expressed frustration at being side-lined from recent talks -- flew to Munich on Wednesday to attend an international security conference, his office said. The Taliban also announced a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad for "comprehensive discussions" about bilateral affairs with Afghanistan. News reports in Pakistan last month had suggested Islamabad was open to hosting the next round of talks with the insurgents. In January, as he travelled the region building support for the peace process, Khalilzad met Khan in Pakistan -- one of just three countries that recognised the Taliban regime before their ousting by US-led forces in 2001. Pakistan's foreign ministry said in December that President Donald Trump, who is pushing to end the 17-year war in Afghanistan, wrote to Khan seeking Islamabad's support for peace efforts. ALSO READ | India-US defence sales at all time high,says Pentagon Ties between Washington and Islamabad have soured recently. US officials have repeatedly accusing Pakistan of turning a blind eye to, or even collaborating with, the Afghan Taliban, which launch attacks in Afghanistan from alleged havens along the border between the two countries. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Om Prakash Rajbhar has offered to quit as backward class welfare minister from Yogi Adityanath-led BJP government in Uttar Pradesh. The Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief took to Twitter and posted the letter, in which he said that he would hand over the charge of the ministry as his recommendations in appointment of state backward castes panel members have been "ignored". Last month, Rajbhar had skipped Yogi Adityanath Cabinet meet in Prayagraj and announced the date of his political split from the BJP. He had said that his party is likely to walk out from the NDA on February 24. A #BREAKING | Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP) president OP Rajbhar offers to quit as minister of backward welfare in @myogiadityanath government@oprajbhar Read full story: https://t.co/lOvcafWF8m pic.twitter.com/D2PCE7tbYr a News Nation (@NewsNationTV) February 14, 2019 Earlier, the Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief and minister in Yogi Adityanath, had given a 100-day ultimatum to the NDA. Talking to News State, Rajbhar said that in case the BJP fails to implement 27% reservation, then his party will leave the NDA. He also said that his party will contest on all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh alone. Interestingly, Rajbhar made these comments in Varanasi, which happens to be the constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Rajbhar also targeted the Uttar Pradesh government over the law and order situation in the state. He said that the UP government is sheltering the criminals. Taking a dig at the agau kalyan cessa, Rajbhar said that in coming days, there will be tax levied on stray dogs too. Rajbhar is known for making such acerbic remarks against his government. The Backward Classes Welfare Minister had alleged that the Bulandshahr violence was a apre-planned conspiracya of the RSS a the ideological patriarch of the ruling BJP a in collaboration with the hard-line Hindu groups VHP and Bajrang Dal to disturb peace. aThis (Bulandshahr violence) was a pre-planned conspiracy by VHP, Bajrang Dal and RSS, now police is even naming some BJP members. Why did the protest happen on the same day of Muslim Ijtema event? It was an attempt to disturb the peace,a ANI was quoted SBSP leader Rajbhar as saying. Recently, during the VHP aDharma Sabhaa in Ayodhya, Rajbhar had sided with former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and described the gathering of the mob in the holy town a "failure of the government". "The chief minister is interested in election campaigning at a time when Section 144 has been imposed in Faizabad (Ayodhya). This means that the administration has failed, and the Army should be brought in," Rajbhar had said at that time. New Delhi: Puducherry Chief Minister Velu Narayanasamy on Wednesday staged a protest outside the Raj Bhawan wearing black clothes urging the Central government to recall Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi alleging she was misusing her powers and also interfering in the day-to-day activities of the state government. He urged that helmet enforcement rule by Puducherry director general of police S Sundari Nanda be taken up in a phased manner in the state. In a tweet, Narayanasamy alleged that Bedi had not yet resolved 39 pending issues which were raised and sent to her, including the release of funds, payment of salaries and approval of projects. Earlier, Kiran Bedi criticised Narayanasamy for stalling enforcement of helmet rule.A "When there's no culture of wearing a helmet in Puducherry and its CM keeps stalling enforcement and every 3rd day there's a fatal accident, due to non-wearing of a helmet, where does one begin? Give up or take it in one's own hands as well, alongside challenging enforcement agencies?" she wrote on Twitter on February 10. Puducherry CM V. Narayanasamy protests outside Raj Bhawan wearing black clothes urging the Central govt to recall Governor Kiran Bedi. He urged that helmet enforcement rule by DGP be taken up in a phased manner in the state. pic.twitter.com/CLu3ErQ6Mj a ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019 In a bid to raise awareness on road safety, Bedi turned a traffic cop during the National Road Safety Week. During the campaign on the busy Puducherry-Villupuram main road, Bedi stopped two-wheelers and asked them to wear helmets. A video on Twitter shows the LG stopping a man who was riding a motorcycle with a woman and two children. She warned him against it saying, aAll four will falla. "Such a violation of traffic rules will not be tolerated," Bedi - the country's first female IPS office - added. She also spotted an overcrowded auto-rickshaw and warned its driver, besides asking some passengers to get off. She also asked every police personnel to check motorists and ensure that traffic rules are followed. National Road Safety Week was celebrated in the country between February 4 and February 10. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: At least 42 CRPF personnel were killed when a terrorist rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the convoy at Awantipora in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district. Reports suggest that there were nearly 70 vehicles in the convoy in which around 2500 personnel were traveling. This was the first suicide car bomb strike in Kashmir since the 2001 attack on the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly that left 41 persons, including three suicide attackers, dead. Heres complete information about all major terror attacks on security forces in Jammu and Kashmir in the last two decades: 26 August 2017 - Three Jaish terrorists storm District Police Lines Pulwama, killing eight security force personnel, before the assailants were shot dead. 29 November 2016 - Three terrorists storm Army artillery camp at Nagrota in Jammu, killing seven soldiers, before the assailants were eliminated. 18 September 2016 - Four Pakistani terrorists storm an Army camp at Uri in Baramulla district, killing 18 soldiers, most of them were in sleep. The assailants were also killed. The incident led to reprisal surgical strikes inside Pakistan occupied Kashmir by the Indian Army. 25 June 2016 - Terrorists opened indiscriminate firing on a CRPF bus, killing eight jawans at Pampore on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway. 3 June 2016 - Terrorists target a CRPF bus at Pampore, killing two personnel before taking refuge in a government building. Two-day encounter ends with killing of three soldiers including two officers and the two assailants. One civilian was also killed. 5 December 2014 - Six heavily-armed terrorists storm an Army camp at Mohra in Uri. Ten soldiers were killed in the gun battle with the intruders, who were all shot dead. 24 June 2013 - Terrorists ambush a bus carrying unarmed Army personnel at Hyderpora in Srinagar. Eight soldiers were killed in the attack. 19 July 2008 - Ten soldiers were killed when terrorists triggered an IED planted by the roadside at Narbal on Srinagar-Baramulla highway on the outskirts of the city. 2 November 2005 - A suicide bomber blew up his car at Nowgam, near the private residence of then Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, killing three cops and six civilians. 20 July 2005 - A suicide car bomber blew his vehicle by ramming it into a vehicle of security forces. Three security force personnel and two civilians were killed. 24 June 2005 - Nine army soldiers were killed in a car bomb triggered by terrorists on the outskirts of Srinagar. 4 August 2004 - Nine CRPF jawans were killed in a terrorist attack on their camp at Rajbagh in Srinagar. One terrorist was also killed in retaliatory action. 8 April 2004 - 11 persons were killed in a grenade attack by terrorists on a PDP rally at Uri in Baramulla district. The PDP was demanding opening of the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad Road. 22 July 2003 - Eight soldiers, including a Brigadier, were killed in a terrorists attack on their camp at Akhnoor. Several other senior Army officers sustained injuries in the attack. 28 June 2003 - 12 soldiers, including an officer, were killed in a suicide attack by terrorists on Sunjwan Army camp. Two terrorists were neutralised. 14 May 2002 - In one of the biggest strikes on an Army installation, 36 persons were killed by three terrorists who stormed the Kaluchak Army Cantonment in Jammu. The assailants were also killed. 17 November 2001 - Terrorists storm a security forces base in Ramban (then part of Doda district), killing 10 security forces. Four terrorists were also killed. 1 October 2001 - Terrorists trigger a car bomb outside the old Legislative Assembly Complex in Srinagar. 38 persons were killed while three assailants were also eliminated. 10 August 2000 - Terrorists hurl a grenade at Residency Road in Srinagar. As the security officials assembled at the spot, they triggered a car bomb, killing 11 persons and a photojournalist. 19 April 2000 - The "human bomb" was used for the first time in Kashmir insurgency. Two soldiers were killed in the suicide car bomb at the Army headquarters at Badamibagh area in Srinagar. 3 November 1999 - Terrorists storm the Badamibagh Army headquarters, killing 10 soldiers including Defence Public Relations Officer Major Purshottam. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: While millions across the globe exchange vows and token of love on Valentines Day, little goes unaware of the fact that behind all the love was a man, a priest who placed himself on the stake to uphold the message of modest love. The proliferation of modern, romantic love by the gifting of flowers, chocolates, gifts on Valentines Day is rather constructed, a practice which sprang, but, not from the intended. Valentines Day is actually named after St. Valentine, who will later become the patron saint of lovers. A Roman Catholic priest, St. Valentine was supposedly believed to be a temple priest who was beheaded and his body parts spread to all parts of the world, some still missing by the anti-Christian Emperor Claudius II. The crime? Helping Roman soldiers to marry when they were forbidden by the Christian faith at the time. Another theory suggests that St. Valentines was executed because the priest tried to convert the emperor into Christianity and to renounce his faith. It is also believed that St. Valentines was executed on the 14th of February, hence the day, Valentines Day, although some study suggests that the priest died somewhere in the middle of the month. So how did a Christian martyr who was executed, somewhere around 269 A.D end up in Archies and Hallmark cards? One study suggests that when Pope Gelasius I dedicated February 14th to the saint and martyr Valentine, he chose that date to replace the traditional Roman feast Lupercalia, a pagan festival, where young boys and girls are romantically paired in honour of the Roman God, Lupercus or Faunus. The pagan fertility festival was, at that time, celebrated with rituals like foot racing among naked men, covered in skins of sacrificed goats. Another ritual of the Lupercalia also required a child to pair couples at random who would have to live together and be intimate for an entire next year in order to fulfill the fertility rite. This ritual was completely against the Roman Catholic Church, who was eager to replace the supposed pagan practices by replacing the festival of the pagans with a day to commemorate St. Valentine. St. Valentines Day hence, eventually spread to parts of England and France by Benedictine monks, which later on acquired a more modern characteristics from the Middle Ages to beyond and the current times. For all the Latest Lifestyle News, Others News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi hard-sold his government's Budget announcements, saying they will give a fillip to the real estate sector which now has to work to improve its credibility with the masses. Addressing a real estate conference organised by CREDAI, he said the government is constructing homes under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) at a rapid pace to fulfil its ambitious target of providing housing to all by 2022. Modi highlighted the steps taken by his government in the last four and half years to boost the real estate sector. He said the new realty law RERA and benami property legislation have helped in bridging the trust deficit between builders and consumers. The sector has also progressed on ease of doing business and construction permits are being given at a fast pace, he said. Talking about tax incentives for the housing sector announced in the Budget, the Prime Minister said these sops will benefit both the developers and home buyers. The move to exempt people earning up to Rs 5 lakh from payment of income tax will benefit the housing sector as the surplus will find its way into real estate, he said. "Youth will be encouraged to buy house with this exemption," Modi said. In a lighter vein, Modi said that the Prime Minister himself has to explain the benefits of the Budget provisions to developers as they are still stuck on GST issues. He also listed out other incentives such as increase in the tax deducted at source (TDS) threshold for rental income from Rs 1,80,000 to Rs 2,40,000. To boost purchase of second homes, Modi said the government has announced that capital gains of up to Rs 2 crore could be rolled over for investment in two housing units from the current one unit only. It also exempted tax on notional rent on a second self-occupied house. For boosting affordable housing, the Prime Minister said the 100 per cent deduction of profit under Section 80-IBA of the Income Tax Act is being extended for one more year to housing projects approved till March 2020. Modi said the period of exemption for levy of tax on notional rent on unsold inventories has also been extended from one to two years. He said the GST on sector has been reduced to 8 per cent for affordable housing and 12 per cent for other under-construction homes. The GST rate on various construction material has also been brought down to 18 per cent from 28 per cent. The Prime Minister asked developers to target the 'neo middle-class' as large number of people are coming out of poverty. "Now is the time, the target should be on neo middle-class category," he asserted. Expressing concern over the image of the sector, Modi asked developers to improve their credibility that has been affected because of default by some builders. He also urged them to adopt new technologies for faster construction. "Real estate sector plays a catalytic role in providing employment. Do you get enough respect? Who is responsible?" he said, and asked developers to focus on improving their image. While highlighting the success of PMAY, Modi hit out at the previous government on the pace of construction as well as quality of houses built for urban and rural poor. Modi said his government has not named the scheme after any "naamdaar" (dynast), but as the Pradhan Minister Awas Yojana, reflecting its true intent. "Whoever will be the PM, the programme will continue," he said. The Prime Minister said 1.5 crore houses for the poor have been built at twice the speed to realise the target of housing for all by 2022. He said there is no corruption in identifying the beneficiaries under the PMAY. "By 2022, all homeless will get a house. We do not make tall claims," he added. Modi said the Central government has been trying to bring a positive change in the real estate sector during the last four and half years. Demonetisation curbed use of black money in the sector, Modi said, adding his decisions face problems in the beginning as he thinks ahead of time. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Israel on Friday said that we condemn the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmirs Pulwama district. We stand by our Indian friends during this difficult hour and send our deepest condolences to CPRF and their families, people of India and the Indian government following the terrible Kashmir terror attack, Israel's Ambassador to India, Ron Malka said. In one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir's three decades of militancy, a suicide bomber from the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a CRPF bus in Pulwama district on Thursday, killing at least 42 personnel and leaving many critically wounded. ALSO READ | US condemns Pulwama attack, calls on countries to deny safe haven to terrorists Reports suggest that there were nearly 70 vehicles in the convoy in which around 2500 personnel were traveling. "Senior officers at the spot, the investigation is underway. Injured being taken care of. There were 2500 personnel in the convoy," CRPF DG RR Bhatnagar had said. Earlier, Pakistan called the attack a matter of grave concern" even as it strongly rejected Indian media and government's allegations of the country's link to the strike "without" probe. Meanwhile, India slammed Pakistan over the Pulwama terror attack and asked the neighbouring country to stop supporting terrorists and dismantle terror infrastructure operating from its soil. The Indian government condemns in the strongest possible terms the cowardly terrorist attack on India's brave security forces in Pulwama, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. This heinous and despicable act has been perpetrated by Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based terrorist organisation proscribed by the UN and other countries, it said. ALSO READ | Pulwama Terror Attack | Modi govts Cabinet Committee on Security to meet in Delhi This terror group is led by the international terrorist Masood Azhar, who has been given full freedom by the Pakistani government to operate and expand his terror infrastructure in territories under Pakistan's control and to carry out attacks in India and elsewhere with impunity, the MEA said. Countries from across the globe also condemned the terror attack in Pulwama, with global leaders like the US, Russia and France asserting that they stand with India in combating the menace of terrorism. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Aligarh Muslim University Teachers' Association (AMUTA) on Wednesday passed a resolution condemning the booking of 14 student leaders under sedition charges. AMU teachers urged President Ram Nath Kovind, who is also the university's visitor, to take suo motu cognisance of this action of the state government. Fourteen AMU students, including their union chief, were booked under sedition charges after protests on the campus following reports of a planned visit by AIMIM lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi, officials said Wednesday. On Tuesday, some AMU students allegedly had an altercation with a TV channel crew which had come to film the visit that ultimately did not take place, they said. Members of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha held a separate demonstration against the visit, demanding that the MP should be banned from the campus. The students were booked under sedition charges after a complaint was filed by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha or BJYM activist Mukesh Lodhi, alleging that he was assaulted amid chants of pro-Pakistan slogans by some students, police said. Protesting against the police action, a "class boycott" call has been given by the students' union. Lucknow: In a major development ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Shivpal Yadav's Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia (PSP-L) has reportedly formed a pre-poll alliance with the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh. According to reports, an announcement in this regard is likely to be made on Thursday after a proposed meeting with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Congress general secretary in-charge of Uttar Pradesh east, at partys office in the state capital. The announcement is likely to take place during Priyanka's press conference today. Shivpal, who has been criticising the SP-BSP pre-poll alliance in the state, has time and again stated that his part is ready to join hands with the Congress in Uttar Pradesh for 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. There have been no talks with the Congress about the alliance yet. Congress is also a secular party and if it approaches us to defeat the BJP, we will lend our support, Shivpal Yadav had said earlier. Yadav has also showed interest in forming an alliance with any secular party including the Congress to oust the BJP out of power in 2019 polls. "No alliance can defeat the BJP without the support of the PSPL, Bahujan Mukti Party and our other alliances. We are ready to form an alliance with other secular parties to keep the BJP out of power," he said. PSP-L chief Shivpal Yadav had earlier announced that he will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Firozabad constituency. "The people of Firozabad want me to contest the Lok Sabha elections from there and so I will contest from Firozabad," Yadav said and asserted that the government at the Centre could only be formed with support from PSP-L. On SP-BSP alliance, Yadav recalled how the BSP had given "shocks to the SP" and formed government with the BJP on three occasions. "A party which called Mulayam Singh Yadav a 'goonda' and me 'durachari', forging an alliance with such a party is an insult to both father and uncle," Shivpal said. "This alliance is a thugbandhan and is for money. It is possible that money have been taken before forging this alliance," he added. Yadav had said that he did not want any high-ranking designation in the Samajwadi Party, nor a minister's post. "I only wanted respect, but I was separated (from the party) as part of a conspiracy. How can we trust a person (Akhilesh Yadav) who has deceived his father and uncle? I had to form the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party-Lohia out of compulsion." Lucknow: At a time when the Opposition is riding on an anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wave ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha election, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Thursday made a critical statement against the Congress and said athe Congress regime in Madhya Pradesh are examples of state terror and should be condemned.a She also said the same about the BJP rule in Uttar Pradesh. Her statement came after 14 Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) students were booked for sedition on Tuesday night and the Madhya Pradesh government imposed the National Security Act (NSA) on Muslims on charges of cow slaughter earlier in the month. aCongress government in MP like BJP slapped atrocious NSA against Muslims for cow slaughter. Now the Uttar Pradesh BJP government has booked 14 AMU students under notorious sedition charges. Both are examples of state terror and condemnable,a Mayawati said in a statement issued here. Congress govt in MP like BJP slapped atrocious NSA against Muslims for cow slaughter. Now the UP BJP govt booked 14 AMU students under notorious sedition charges. Both are example of state terror & condemnable. People should decide what is difference between the cong & BJP govt? a Mayawati (@Mayawati) February 14, 2019 aPeople should decide what is difference between the Congress and BJP governments,a she added. In Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, 14 students, including the AMU students union chief, were booked under sedition charges after some students and a TV channel crew got into an altercation over reports of a visit by AIMIM lawmaker Asaduddin Owaisi.A The students were booked under sedition charges after a complaint was filed by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha or BJYM activist Mukesh Lodhi, alleging that he was assaulted amid chants of pro-Pakistan slogans by some students, police said. Protesting against the police action, a "class boycott" call has been given by the students' union.A A In Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh, authorities slapped NSA and jailed on three Muslim men for allegedly killing a cow in Khandwa earlier this month. New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government on Wednesday tabled the CAG report on Capital Acquisitions in Indian Air Force has been tabled in Rajya Sabha, it also includes the details of Rafale deal. Interestingly, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi was seen flying paper plane outside the Upper House. Amid uproar, the proceeding of the Upper House was adjourned till 12 noon. The Congress, which has been blaming the Modi government for bypassing the rules to benefit private firm maintains that if the "overt acts of malfeasance" in the Rafale contract were ignored by the CAG report, then it would "not be worth" the paper it is written on.Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister Kapil Sibal had alleged conflict of interest and asked CAG Rajiv Mehrishi to recuse himself from auditing the deal as he was the finance secretary when the Rafale deal was negotiated. #EXCLUSIVE | News Nation accesses the #CAG report on #RafaleDeal which was tabled earlier in the Rajya Sabha by the @narendramodi government. Follow LIVE updates here: https://t.co/dzV9OEzzTt pic.twitter.com/YLH9OSWKoe a News Nation (@NewsNationTV) February 13, 2019 News Nation has learnt that as expected that the CAG report doesnat not include the contentious pricing details. Before the CAG report was tabled, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi blasted the Modi government for its "bluff, bluster and intimidation" philosophy. According to latest media reports, the 141-page report says that the aflyawaya cost of each fighter jet is same as that in the UPA regime. According to the CAG report, compared to the 126 aircraft deal, India managed to save 17.08% money for the India Specific Enhancements in the 36 Rafale contract. aThe delivery schedule of the first 18 Rafale aircraft is better than the one proposed in the 126 aircraft deal, by five months,a the CAG report added. News Nation has learnt that the CAG report has two volumes. Volume I consists of technical evaluation, timelines of acquisition. It is, however, the Volume II that consists of the details of the controversial Rafale jet deal. Apart A is aboutA 126 MMRCA acquisition process. Part B is about aAcquisition of 36 Rafale Aircraft through IGA.a Union Minister Arun Jaitley took To Twitter to says that Modi governmentas stand vindicated. aSatyameva Jayate a the truth shall prevail. The CAG Report on Rafale reaffirms the dictum,a Jaitley said in one of the tweets. In a series of tweets, Jaitley said that the fighter jet deal sealed by his government was better than his predecessor. a2016 vs. 2007 terms a Lower price, faster delivery, better maintenance, lower escalation,a Jaitley said. aIt cannot be that the Supreme Court is wrong, the CAG is wrong and only the dynast is right,a he added. New Delhi: A fire broke out in a factor in Delhias Naraina area on Thursday. According to latest reports, even after two hours, the rescuers have not been able to douse the fire. According to ANI, 29 fire tenders are at the spot. News Nation has learnt that the factory used to make greeting cards. The information about the blaze was received by the authorities at around 7:30 am. The incident comes just days after the Karol Bagh hotel fire in which 17 people had died. The hotel's general manager, Rajender, and manager, Vikas, have been arrested for culpable homicide, DCP (central) Mandeep Singh Randhawa said. According to reports, the hotel owner - Shardendu Goel - is absconding after the incident. The DCP also said that the case has been transferred to the Crime Branch. A #WATCH A medium category fire broke out at a paper card factory in Naraina Industrial Area, Phase I, early morning today; Total 23 fire tenders engaged in fire fighting operations, no casualties reported pic.twitter.com/l6wiOjfELO a ANI (@ANI) February 14, 2019 Earlier, the city police registered a case under IPC Section 304 (Punishment for culpable homicide not amounting to murder) in connection with the fire that broke out in Hotel Arpit Palace in Karol Bagh. According to reports, the city police has also added Section 308 of IPC (attempt to commit culpable homicide). Meanwhile, taking a lesson for the Hotel Arpit Palace blaze, the Delhi Fire Service began a fire-audit at about 380 hotels across the central Delhi area, a senior fire officer said. The Delhi Government on Tuesday directed the fire department to inspect buildings which are five floors or more and submit a report on their safety compliance within a week. "Based on the directives of the state government, we have formed six teams to carry out inspections in hotels and guest houses across Karol Bagh area. We have already begun the inspection," Atul Kumar Garg, Chief Fire Officer said. All hotels will be strictly checked for their safety norms. If fire-fighting equipment not in place, severe action will be taken against the hotel management, he said.A Action will be taken against the hotels depending on the extent of violations. If minor lapses are found, they will be warned and asked to rectify it within a couple of days. If not rectified, action will be taken accordingly, the fire official added.A (With agency inputs) A South African official in a statement on Monday said that he has written to the British Foreign Secretary to remove the country from the UK's "red list" of travel for tourism recovery. David Maynier, Western Cape Province's Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities said he wrote the letter on World Tourism Day about the matter, which is "deeply disappointing" and seems "manifestly unfair", according to reports. Only a British or Irish national, or a person who has residence rights in the UK are permitted to enter Britain if he or she has been in a country or territory on the red list in the last 10 days. Maynier said this is "a significant barrier to economic recovery, specifically for the tourism sector in the Western Cape". According to research conducted by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the South African economy could face massive losses of more than USD 12 million every week if it's on the UK's "red list". The tourism and hospitality sector in Western Cape, a popular tourism destination in South Africa, has been hard-hit in 2020 due to Covid-19, with an estimated loss of over 75,000 jobs, official figures showed. On September 23, Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management of Cape Town, said he has been in constant communication with UK officials about the "red list" and will raise the matter with the UK's high commissioner. South Africa benefited from BRICS: President Cyril Ramaphosa South Korean Govt passes revision bill to grant legal status to animals Italian Foreign Minister says, it is Impossible for us to recognize Taliban's Islamic Emirate Kathmandu: A Buddha Air plane in Nepal remained stuck in the air for nearly two hours on Monday after landing gear got stuck. According to the information received, there were 73 passengers in the plane during this time and the whole time came out in the shadow of fear of passengers and fear of death. However, later a miracle happened due to which the passenger plane landed safely at Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu. It is being told that the air hostess had told the passengers that there was a technical problem in the plane due to which its landing gear was not opening. There are also reports that the plane was supposed to land at Biratnagar airport but was later flown to Kathmandu. According to the information received, 73 passengers were on board Buddha Air's flight number BH 702 ATR-72. At the same time, this aircraft had left for Biratnagar from Kathmandu but had to return to Kathmandu after a problem with the landing gear. Meanwhile, the senses of the passengers were blown away and they were in panic. In fact, if there is a problem with the landing gear of a passenger plane, then it is either forced to land or that plane crashes. What miracle happened- Let us tell you that Nepalese planes often return to Kathmandu due to low light and bad weather, but this time it was not so and it was about people's lives. The pilot is said to have tried to land in Kathmandu several times but failed. However, after this, the air hostess told that 'The oil of the plane is being exhausted so that the plane does not crash, along with this efforts are being made to force landing.' During this, security forces, ambulances, fire brigade teams were deployed near the runway in view of the possibility of force landing of the aircraft. This caused more fear among the passengers, but in the meantime, the pilot announced that the last attempt was being made for landing and people should tie themselves to the chair. At the same time, the landing gear of the plane opened and ATC told the pilot that 'you can now land safely.' After all this, the plane landed safely. Govt to extend existing foreign trade policy till March 2022: Piyush Goyal 'God forbade me to get vaccinated,' said woman after seeing health workers MP: There is nothing wrong if someone takes a bribe up to Rs 1000- BSP MLA Inbar Lavi is a married lady with two children. The Lucifer actor, 34, married Dan Bar Shira in a bohemian beach ceremony at the Al Hayam in their hometown of Israel on September 13. "We're both Israelis, and we're really linked to our origins," Lavi told Brides, according to PEOPLE. "Our family resides here, and we were reared by the Mediterranean, which shaped who we are now." Many ethnic rituals were included, including a seashore chuppah, which the bride characterized as "a bit traditional and a little untraditional." The couple took part in a henna process, as well as costumes and a drum circle, in celebration of her Moroccan background. The bride and groom, however, were inspired by Burning Man, according to PEOPLE, and met during the Nevada desert festival in August 2019. The idea, which included light displays, three distinct DJs, and a fire performance during the afterparty, was described by Lavi as "Tulum meets Burning Man meets a really beautiful drink." "Because we met at Burning Man, we wanted our wedding to seem like a free-flowing celebration," she added. "Because we both enjoy going to the beach, we knew it had to have waves close." For their first dance, the newlyweds invited their parents to join them in "a mash-up," according to Lavi. "We started our solo first dance to the strains of Ingrid Michaelson's 'I Can't Help Falling In Love With You,'" she explained. "And then we danced with the parents to the original Elvis Presley rendition." Meanwhile, Lavi's real-life wedding comes after the show's last season, when her Lucifer character Eve (yes, the original Eve) married Mazikeen (Lesley-Ann Brandt), a demon with a golden heart. Singer R. Kelly found convicted on racketeering and sex trafficking trial Doja demands for support in fighting 'devastating hunger crisis' Actress Lea Seydoux Says, 'Don't think James Bond should be played by a woman' Washington: A former US top official has expressed concern that the Taliban, a terror group, could now take over Pakistan and its nuclear weapons. He blamed the Biden government's Afghanistan evacuation drive of the US. John Bolton, who served as national security adviser (NSA) under former US President Donald Trump, said this while talking to a radio channel. In fact, the Taliban captured Afghanistan on August 15, and now the same organization is ruling the country. Bolton criticized the Biden government for helping the Taliban capture the country rapidly because of the way the evacuation operation has been carried out. Due to which Islamic rule has once again come into force in Afghanistan. Bolton, who has held Trump's NSA, has criticized US foreign policy several times. At the same time, he has criticized his boss, Trump. He had supported Israel while speaking on foreign policy and said it had the right to take action to protect itself. John Bolton said, "After the Taliban's occupation of Afghanistan, the threat of militants occupying Pakistan has increased. This means that 150 nuclear weapons will be in the possession of terrorists.'' He said that if Pakistan is captured by the Taliban, it simply means that nuclear weapons will be in the hands of the Taliban. Bolton also expressed apprehension because the Taliban have seized US-made weapons and military vehicles as soon as foreign forces left Afghanistan. South Korean Govt passes revision bill to grant legal status to animals US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman to visit India China helps to dramatically reduce world's poverty-stricken population: white paper New York: U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will be visiting India on October 6 for a series of bilateral meetings and social events, the State Department has announced. She will also participate in the India Ideas Summit organised by the U.S. India Business Council. Her visit follows last week's meeting in Washington between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and their Quad summit with Prime Ministers Scott Morrison of Australia and Yoshihide Suga of Japan. As per reports, Wendy Sherman is scheduled to visit Mumbai on October 7 where she will hold meetings with the business community and civil society. Her visit comes days after Prime Minister Modis visit to the U.S. She will then fly to Pakistan to meet officials in Islamabad, the State Department said. Sherman is the second-highest-ranking American diplomat and the highest State Department official to visit Pakistan in the Biden presidency. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told U.S. lawmakers weeks ago that Washington would need to re-assess its relationship with Islamabad. Last week, Blinken met his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi to discuss Afghanistan - specifically, coordinating the diplomatic engagement and facilitating the departure of those who wanted to leave Afghanistan, the State Department said. China helps to dramatically reduce world's poverty-stricken population: white paper Italian Foreign Minister says, it is Impossible for us to recognize Taliban's Islamic Emirate Mohammad Ali Jinnah statue bombed in Pakistan Two decades ago when the Film Development Boards idea was envisioned, everyone from the film industry was ecstatic. Industry experts had felt the board would help in the development and uplifting of the industry, which during the time was at a crossroads. But as years went by, the board did little to nothing as it became a place for political preachers. Having seen it become irrelevant, filmmakers and actors have started to question the role of the board and whether it should still stand even though it has done next to nothing for the development of the film industry in Nepal. The absent guard Hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, the film industry is in a weird place currently. There is confusion about many things. From the launch of a cinema to the shooting of new films, currently, Nepals movie industry is at a delicate phase. As things are getting worse, the board, however, has not been doing anything to help the industry. Movie halls that spent billions are shut. Producers who spent tens of millions of rupees on films are waiting for the right time to release the films as they fear they will lose all their money. The industrys technical workforce has left the country to look for jobs abroad. Covid-19 has broken the back of the film industry that was already struggling. Despite these problems, the board seems to have turned a blind eye, as it has not been able to help anyone. Neither action nor cut After the first lockdown lifted, almost all sectors opened. But, the government showed no interest to reopen the film sector as it felt film halls could be a hotspot for Covid-19. Due to this belief, no effort was made to reopen them. The board says it did talk to the government asking it to reopen halls, but the government did not budge. Disappointed by everything, halls opened their doors to the audience themselves in December 2020. Halls have been given permission to open again by the District Administration Office but there is confusion about how to reopen them when there are no new movies. The boards chairperson, who was also a movie director, Dayaram Dahal, due to peer pressure, has been meeting various ministers and political leaders with filmmakers and producers. They say that these meetings have been positive, but a month on, halls are still shut. There are 60 films awaiting release, but due to various reasons, producers are refraining from releasing them as they await the board to talk to the government about relief packages. Hands tied Hall operators have refused to open up unless they are guaranteed a new film every few weeks. Photo: Aryan Dhimal Filmmakers say the board in the past two years has only acted as a mediator between them and the government. We learnt that they do not have the power to do anything, says Akash Adhikari, the president of the Filmmakers Association. As long as it is under the Communication Ministry, nothing is going to change. Unless it becomes an autonomous body, nothing will change. Nepal Motion Picture Associations former president Pradip Kumar Udaya says he feels the board is a sorry organisation that has its hands tied. He says they cannot work independently and has to ask the Communication Ministry if it wants to spend in excess of Rs 500,000. Its clear the government doesnt care about the film industry and unless they do, the board cant do anything, says Udaya. Ashok Sharma, the associations general secretary, seconds Udaya and adds the board has no right to make important calls. Dayaram Dahal is with us and working for our benefits. He took us to various meetings and helped us a lot, but weve realised this board is useless and we cant rely on them for help, says Sharma. No money, no might Another problem the Film Development Board faces is budget. Various people associated with the board say the board hardly gets any budget. The board sustains itself from the tax brought in by Hollywood and Bollywood films. Udaya says the board will only be effective if the government provides the board with the budget. They told us they dont even have the funds to sustain themselves, he says. The boards chairperson Dahal also agrees. He says he understands the trouble that the filmmakers are facing but adds it just does not have the funds to help them out. Due to a lack of foreign films, were broke. We will have to shut our offices if no film releases in the coming months, says Dahal. Hoping against hope Halls have been shut since the pandemic started. Dahal says professionals from the film industry must understand the pain and stop putting all the blame on the board. He says the situation is the same in most countries whose film industry has been affected by Covid-19. Despite that, we are planning to announce a financial relief package to help some of the filmmakers out. Weve already told producers to start preparing a release calendar so that we can start releasing these movies, says Dahal. He says the board will help the sector come out of the Covid-19 crisis financially. But, he adds it cannot decide on things like a rebate of taxes and electricity bills as they are not in the boards hands. What we can do, we will; rest assured, he says, adding the board has helped actors who faced financial trouble during the pandemic. He also adds the board has been in constant contact with the ministry about tax rebates for both producers and halls but adds there can be no guarantee. Need for autonomy For a long time, stakeholders have been demanding that the Film Development Board be autonomous. But, the government has not shown any interest. Many people claim the board is just the ministrys puppet as it keeps changing the chairperson in every two years while the ministers continue appointing people close to them in the board. This has questioned the integrity of the organisation. Industry leaders are calling on the government to make the board autonomous and provide it with an annual budget so that the board can help people in need. They want people from the industry to be part of the board and stop political appointments as they claim only people who have worked in films will understand the pain filmmakers and producers go through. It needs to be autonomous. Until that happens, nothing is going to change, says Sharma. Workforce BLM to bring leadership back to D.C. The Bureau of Land Management, a component of the Interior Department, is restoring its national headquarters to Washington, D.C., after it was moved to Grand Junction, Colo., during the Trump administration. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland told BLM employees on Friday that the agency was moving its headquarters back to the nation's capital. The Colorado outpost will serve "as the bureau's official Western headquarters," according to an agency release. The decision will ensure that the agency is present in the capital while the Colorado headquarters will also "reinforce western perspectives in decision-making." "There's no doubt that the BLM should have a leadership presence in Washington, D.C. like all the other land management agencies to ensure that it has access to the policy-, budget-, and decision-making levers to best carry out its mission," Haaland said in a statement about the move. "In addition, the BLM's robust presence in Colorado and across the West will continue to grow." The BLM director and "other key leadership positions" will move back East where they can coordinate with other stakeholders and decision-makers in the capital. The agency says that other senior personnel will stay in the Colorado location. Currently, the agency isn't going to require other employees to relocate. Already more than 95% of BLM employees are located outside of Washington, D.C., according to the agency. The move back to nation's capital is part of a broader effort to rebuild the BLM workforce, the agency says. At the time of the move, Trump administration officials said it was meant to bring officials closer to the land they manage. Democratic appropriators at the time opposed the move, although Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and former Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) supported the move, as did Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.). Opponents said the change was meant to undermine the agency by pressuring longtime career officials living in the National Capital Region to quit. Only 41 people of the 328 positions moved out of Washington, D.C., at the time moved, according to the agency. "The past several years have been incredibly disruptive to the organization, to our public servants, and to their families," said Haaland. "As we move forward, my priority is to revitalize and rebuild the BLM so that it can meet the pressing challenges of our time, and to look out for our employees' well-being." Congress Funding bill fails in Senate Senate Republicans blocked a bill Monday night that aimed to address both the potential partial government shutdown and the looming federal debt ceiling. The bill would have provided continuing funding for agencies through Dec. 3, 2021, and suspended the debt limit through Dec. 16, 2022. It also would have provided supplemental appropriations and extended several expiring programs and authorities. The measure needed 60 affirmative votes to pass; the final tally was 48-50. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) was among the no votes -- a procedural move that allows him to pursue additional action on the bill. Keeping the government open and preventing a default is vital to our countrys future, he said. Well be taking further action to prevent this from happening this week. House Democrats passed their version of the bill on Sept. 21, on a 220-211 vote. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) also opposed the bill. He supports a continuing resolution, but said on the Senate floor that Republicans would not support raising the debt limit. The Democratic leader has scheduled a vote today that he knows will fail, McConnell said. Were willing to work together to keep the government open. Were not willing to help Democrats raise the debt ceiling. Schumer laid the blame on Republicans, saying on the floor that the GOP has solidified itself as the party of default, and it will be the American people who pay the price. If a shutdown does occur when the current fiscal years ends on Sept. 30, it will affect government services and the work and pay of feds. "Even with the promise of backpay once the shutdown ends, forcing federal employees to go without income during a shutdown is a significant financial hardship, said National Treasury Employees Union National President Tony Reardon. He said the union appreciates efforts to pass continuing resolution funding, but noted that long-term, agencies need year-long deals in order to plan ahead. IT Modernization Federal CIO tees up 7 new TMF awards Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), shown here at a 2016 rally, convened a subcommittee hearing on Tuesday to talk IT modernization. (Image credit: Andrew Cline/Shutterstock.com) Federal CIO Clare Martorana told a Senate panel on Tuesday that seven new Technology Modernization Fund awards have been chosen and are currently under review in Congress. These seven awards, which have not been publicly announced, are the first to be made via the fund since it received a $1 billion infusion via the American Rescue Plan Act. The advance congressional notification of the TMF awards is a courtesy that precedes their public announcement. "We are picking projects that not only have the greatest chance of success, but that we can also build playbooks off of so that we can repeat," Martorana said at a Sept. 28 hearing of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Spending Oversight of the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. As has been previewed by Martorana and other TMF board members, cybersecurity improvements are front and center in new funding. The board received proposals from 48 different agencies and agency components with requests totaling around $2.3 billion, Martorana said, with about two-thirds of proposals focusing on cybersecurity. "We really are trying to be strategic investors working with our agency partners, making sure that we're evaluating these programs, obviously for the greatest risk that they potentially have to the federal enterprise, but also we're looking at the highest probability of success, the highest value to the public ... and the highest impact to security outcomes," she said. Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), the chair of the subcommittee, noted at the hearing that the Modernizing Government Technology Act that authorized the TMF also gave agencies the authority to set up their own individual working capital funds to support multiyear IT modernization projects, but it required congressional approval for actual transfers of money into such funds, "which leaves these critical funding mechanisms unavailable to most agencies." Since the law passed in 2017, only the Small Business Administration has been able to put money into an agency-based working capital fund, she said. Martorana said the administration is "supportive of legislative fixes that would help agencies use these innovative funding models, including working capital funds." Martorana, who testified alongside U.S. Digital Service Administrator Mina Hsiang and Technology Transformation Services Director V. David Zvenyach, also put down a marker on what is and what isn't a legacy system. "It's important to note that not all old systems are legacy, and old doesn't always mean bad, antiquated, risky, or in need of retirement," Martorana said in her opening statement. "The legacy technology I am most concerned with are systems that are out of support -- can't be patched, have availability issues or can't meet user needs or policy goals, systems whose security cannot keep pace with our adversaries. With a secure system, even when deemed legacy, we can still deliver modern customer experiences to the public." Martorana also pointed out that intense demands placed on systems, even some of the oldest IT systems in government such as those at IRS and Treasury, can mean deferring modernization. "Some of those foundational items at Treasury went through reprogramming for the Affordable Care Act. Then they went through just recently reprogramming for [the Paycheck Protection Program] or other COVID relief. So [with ] some of those systems, we are prioritizing operational need versus long term modernization opportunities," she said. Northampton, MA --News Direct-- 3M 3M is pleased to be recognized with the Market Trailblazer Award from RE100, a global initiative bringing together the worlds most influential businesses committed to 100% renewable power. The award was announced during Climate Week NYC and celebrates RE100 companies who are committed to driving market change, communicating transparently about the barriers they face, and collaborating with companies, utilities and governments to drive change. We are incredibly proud to receive this award and even prouder to report we are approaching 50% renewable electricity use in our global operations, said Gayle Schueller, 3M senior vice president and chief sustainability officer. 3M greatly appreciates the employees and utility partners whose efforts have accelerated our transition to renewable. Especially during Climate Week, we are mindful that we need to do more in our operations and with partners to advance climate solutionsand we are committed to doing so. In 2015, 3M set a goal for 25% renewable electricity use in its operations, which it quickly achieved within three years. As a result, the company set a more ambitious goal of 50% by 2025the halfway point of its commitment to achieve 100% by 2050. As it prepares to achieve 50% renewable electricity use more than four years early, 3M credits its accelerated progress to increased investment in renewable electricity sourcing and collaborative direct sourcing solutions with municipal utilities. We're delighted to announce 3M as the winner of the RE100 Market Trailblazer Award at this year's RE100 Leadership Awards, said Sam Kimmins, Head of RE100 at Climate Group. They have shown leadership through their collaborative solutions approach which has allowed them to overcome the challenges of sourcing renewables for rural locations in North America. Congratulations 3M on this fantastic achievement! Recent examples of 3Ms collaborative efforts to advance renewable energy can be found at its facilities in Brookings, South Dakota, and Hutchinson, Minnesota. To transition these locations, 3Ms energy sourcing team worked with the local utilities to find and enable access to wind- and solar-generated power. In addition to benefitting 3M, these customized programs created the opportunity for local businesses to make the renewable transition. Story continues Hutchinson Utilities Commission, in partnership with 3M, recognizes the value and significant impact of moving Hutchinson, Minnesota, towards a more sustainable future by collaborating to provide 100% renewable clean energy to 3M, said Jeremy Carter, General Manager for Hutchinson Utilities Commission. This partnership highlights 3Ms exceptional efforts to make real impacts on climate change locally while also being a leader for change in the community. Hutchinson Utilities Commission had an incredibly positive experience working with 3M on this partnership which is a true testament to the collaboration that can be achieved between public and private business. At locations that have not yet fully transitioned to renewable power, 3M is working to source alternative forms of energy. For example, it recently invested in multiple on-site solar array installations to help power manufacturing facilities in California, Singapore, and Mexico. In California, these arrays provide approximately 20% of the electrical power required by the plant; in Singapore, approximately 8.5%; and in Mexico, approximately 20%. To learn more about 3Ms sustainability goals and progress, visit 3M.com/Sustainability View additional multimedia and more ESG storytelling from 3M on 3blmedia.com View source version on newsdirect.com: https://newsdirect.com/news/3m-recognized-by-re100-for-renewable-energy-efforts-439152903 Half of the announcements out of Amazon's big 2021 showcase were directly related to home security, including the wildest reveal of the day, a $1,000 robot that can autonomously patrol your home. It's essentially a tablet on wheels, roughly the size of a small dog, with cameras that allow it to detect anomalies in the house, record video, and send alerts to your phone. It also connects with Ring, Amazon's popular personal security system, allowing the robot to roll around on its own and proactively investigate odd events while the homeowners are away. Its name is Astro. Yes, it has eyes. Astro was the cap to an hour-long event that started with kids' toys and health services, and ended in a stream of dystopian police-state devices, each presented with an Amazon-branded smile. There was the smart thermostat, the interactive camera for kids, and Amazon's own version of the Fitbit, followed by the Ring Always Home Cam, Ring Alarm Pro, Ring Virtual Security Guard, Blink Video Doorbell and floodlight cameras, and finally, Astro, the robot with an extendable arm that can be set to record every inch of your house without any additional input. Add a layer of ominous music that slowly creeps up in volume, and Amazon's show was an instant episode of Black Mirror. Amazon Astro In Amazon's vision of the future, homeowners are constantly watching their security cameras, tracking delivery people and spying on their dogs, heavily relying on the Ring ecosystem the entire time. Astro and the Ring Always Home Cam, Amazon's autonomous security drone, are the company's most visually striking devices, tapping into science-fiction dreams of robot butlers and AI-powered pets. They move on their own and stream data directly to the homeowner at any time, satiating the persistent breed of home-security paranoia generated by neighborhoods of curbside cameras and Nextdoor threads. While the robots are the face of Amazon's in-home security business, Ring is the backbone. Ring has been leading the home-security charge in the United States since 2018, selling 1.4 million doorbells in 2020 alone and cornering 18 percent of the market overall. Unfortunately, Amazon has proven to be a near-sighted steward of this massive, unregulated residential surveillance system. Story continues Since 2018, Ring has signed agreements with more than 2,000 police departments across the US, providing authorities with access to recordings from residential cameras, often without warrants and according to the company's own parameters. In May and June 2020, for instance, the Los Angeles Police Department used the Ring ecosystem to request footage of Black Lives Matter protests from residential doorbell cameras, and has redacted FOIA statements to censor how much footage was requested and in relation to which incidents. That's a huge red flag, according to activist groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Ring Always Home Cam "If police request hours of footage on either side of a specific incident, they may receive hours of people engaging in First Amendment protected activities with a vague hope that a camera may have captured illegal activity at some point," the EFF said in February. The report continued, "Technologies like Ring have the potential to provide the police with video footage covering nearly every inch of an entire neighborhood. This poses an incredible risk to First Amendment rights. People are less likely to exercise their right to political speech, protest, and assembly if they know that police can acquire and retain footage of them. This creates risks of retribution or reprisal, especially at protests against police violence. Ring cameras, ubiquitous in many neighborhoods, create the possibility that if enough people share footage with police, authorities are able to follow protestors movements, block by block." In a statement provided after publishing, Ring said "all requests are limited to a timeframe of up to 12 hours," and footage must be between "0.025 and 0.5 square miles" from an alleged crime. As the number of police departments with Amazon contracts has skyrocketed, authorities themselves have been pushing Ring devices on the citizens they serve, using materials prepared by the company and earning incentives for getting folks to download Ring's Neighbors app. Amazon has effectively turned the US police force into its own mini marketing squad, blurring the lines between public safety and private-company loyalty. On top of problematic police partnerships, the Ring ecosystem is filled with unchecked bias. A 2019 study by Motherboard found people of color were disproportionately labeled as "suspicious" in the Neighbors app, a phenomenon that feeds into racism and hyper-vigilance, creating less-safe environments overall. Ring Ring has taken steps to address some of these issues, such as changing the wording in the Neighbors app from "suspicious" to "unexpected activity." Additionally, police will no longer be able to send bulk emails to Ring users who might have footage they want instead, there's a portal on Neighbors where they can request footage publicly. Of course, these aren't solutions. Changing a word does nothing to temper the breeding ground of suspicion and racism inherent in the Neighbors app, and making police requests public doesn't stop them from happening, warrantless and with broad boundaries that are still determined by Amazon, a massive ecommerce company. "The network is predicated on perpetuating irrational fear of neighborhood crime, often yielding disproportionate scrutiny against people of color, all for the purposes of selling more cameras," the EFF said in June. "Ring does so through police partnerships, which now encompass 1 in every 10 police departments in the United States. At their core, these partnerships facilitate bulk requests from police officers to Ring customers for their camera footage, built on a growing Ring surveillance network of millions of public-facing cameras. EFF adamantly opposes these Ring-police partnerships and advocates for their dissolution." As Amazon continues to build out its Ring ecosystem, police partnerships intact, it's clear that the company is not focused on rebuilding public policy, reducing crime or eliminating everyday racism. Amazon is focused on selling Ring cameras; Amazon is focused on making money. Personally, that doesn't make me feel safe. Update 10/1: This story was modified after publishing with information from Ring on law enforcement requests for footage, and to clarify Astro's recording behavior. American Airlines signs code-sharing pact with India's largest airline FILE PHOTO: Pilots talk as they look at the tail of an American Airlines aircraft f at Dallas-Ft Worth International Airport (Reuters) - American Airlines announced a code-sharing agreement with India's largest airline IndiGo on Tuesday, with the U.S. airline gearing up to launch new flights between the two countries. The agreement, which is expected to begin in October, will see American's "code" on 29 of IndiGo's domestic routes in India. Code-sharing allows an airline to sell seats on a flight operated by its partner, so that it can fly passengers to destinations it does not serve. The pact with IndiGo airlines, which is India's largest airline by number of passengers carried and owned by InterGlobe Aviation, requires approval of U.S. and Indian authorities, American said. (https://bit.ly/39IeEpV) The company is launching a new service between New York and India's capital Delhi next month and between Seattle and the city of Bengaluru early next year. (Reporting by Nathan Gomes in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri) Experience The Brand's Newly Remodeled Cafe and Take Part in Celebration Week PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Another Broken Egg Cafe is unveiling its newest cafe redesign on October 4, 2021 in Panama City Beach, Fla. The Panama City Beach cafe is one of latest locations adopting the brands "New South" design and will host a celebration week of daily giveaways to thank loyal fans and show off the new look. In addition to the "New South" reimaging, the award-winning cafe is one of the fastest-growing, national breakfast and brunch concepts with a full bar producing hand-crafted cocktails. After the reopening, the cafe will host a celebration week starting Monday, October 4 to Friday, October 8. Guests can win prizes and merchandise among other giveaways while experiencing the fresh design. Each day will feature a new special promotion, like free breakfast for a year for a limited number of guests. This event will help celebrate the restaurant's "new south" reimaging while giving back to loyal fans as a thank you for their support. To learn more about the event and cafe visit https://bit.ly/3lp1eER. Another Broken Egg Cafe recently introduced its "New South" design which encapsulates a reimagined brunch experience. Many cafes are in the reimaging process, and new cafes will feature this light, bright, modern design that honors the brand's southern-inspired heritage while appealing to all who enjoy breakfast and brunch. Most importantly, the New South design significantly highlights the brand's full bar, driving visibility and ultimately incremental sales of Another Broken Egg Cafe's signature, hand-crafted cocktails now a must-have for many brunch consumers. Additionally, the design doubles the cafe's bar seating by providing bar access to patio diners. The brand is one of the fastest-growing, franchised breakfast and brunch concepts in the nation and is the only franchised brand in the daytime cafe segment that offers a full bar with signature, hand-crafted cocktails. Story continues Another Broken Egg Cafe offers a Southern-inspired menu featuring traditional menu options like Lemon Blueberry Goat Cheese Pancakes, Crab Cake Benedict, and Shrimp N' Grits; a seasonal menu which currently features items such as the Louisiana Creole Benedict and Bloody Molly; as well as an abundance of signature cocktails including the Spiked Spiced Rum Cold Brew, Pomegranate Mule, and Abe Famous Infused Mary. The Panama City Beach cafe is located at 11535 Hutchison Boulevard Panama City Beach, FL 32407, and will officially open with the New South design Monday, October 4. Celebration week will kick off the same day and will take place until Friday, October 8. About Another Broken Egg Cafe Another Broken Egg of America Franchising, LLC is an upscale breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurant that specializes in award-winning, Southern-inspired menu options with innovative twists and signature cocktails. Another Broken Egg Cafe is one of the fastest-growing daytime-only franchised concepts in the country, with more than 75 locations in 14 states and dozens more in development. With over 25-years' experience in the daytime cafe category, the company was honored in July 2021 by Franchise Business Review as one of its 30 Top Food Franchises to Own based on the survey feedback of existing franchisees. FSR magazine named Another Broken Egg Cafe its Breakout Franchise Brand of the Year for 2020, and FSR Magazine ranked Another Broken Egg Cafe among its 10 Best Full-Serve Restaurant Franchise Deals for 2019. The brand is well-positioned for expanded growth with a new prototype, re-engineered menu and bar of the future initiatives designed to drive incremental sales and profits for the individual cafes. For more information about franchising opportunities, please visit https://anotherbrokeneggfranchise.com Media Contact: Jan Barnett, Another Broken Egg of America Franchising, LLC. 319910@email4pr.com 720.280.6743 Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/another-broken-egg-cafe-debuts-a-new-look-in-panama-city-beach-fla-301386380.html SOURCE Another Broken Egg of America Franchising, LLC NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /CNW/ - Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. ("AWH" or the "Company") (CSE: AAWH.U) (OTCQX: AAWH), a leading multi-state, vertically integrated cannabis operator, today announced that management will participate in 4 upcoming events: Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. Logo (CNW Group/Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc.) (CNW Group/Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc.) BTIG Inaugural Cannabis Conference on Wednesday, September 29, 2021. Abner Kurtin, CEO & Founder, is scheduled to participate in a fireside chat at 1:05 p.m. ET and to host small group and one-on-one investor meetings throughout the day. You can register for the event here . Viridian Capital Cannabis Expert Series on Friday, October 1, 2021. Mr. Kurtin is scheduled to participate in a fireside chat at 11:00 a.m. ET. Contact your Viridian representative to attend. Alliance Global Partners' (A.G.P.) Virtual Fall Consumer Cannabis Conference is being held on Tuesday, October 5, 2021. Mr. Kurtin is scheduled to host small group and one-on-one investor meetings throughout the day. For more information, please reach out to your registered A.G.P. representative or agpevents@allianceg.com . Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference is being held virtually and in-person on Thursday, October 14, 2021. Daniel Neville, CFO, is scheduled to give a Company presentation at 9:30 a.m. ET. Chris Melillo, Chief Revenue Officer, is scheduled to participate in a fireside chat at 1:00 p.m. ET. You can register for the event here . For more information about the conferences or to schedule a one-on-one meeting with AWH's management during these events, please contact AWH's Investor Relations at ir@awholdings.com . About Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. AWH is a vertically integrated operator with assets in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. AWH owns and operates state-of-the-art cultivation facilities, growing award winning strains and producing a curated selection of products. AWH produces and distributes Ozone branded products. For more information, visit www.awholdings.com. Story continues The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ascend-wellness-holdings-announces-participation-in-upcoming-conferences-and-events-301386396.html SOURCE Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2021/28/c7131.html Almere, The Netherlands September 28, 2021, 7:45 a.m. CET ASM International N.V. (Euronext Amsterdam: ASM) today hosts its 2021 Investor Day. ASM today also announces that the order intake in Q3 2021 is expected to exceed previous guidance. ASM holds today its Investor Day. During this event ASMs management will provide an update on the companys strategy, how we are going to create value and drive growth through innovation Highlights include: Targeting revenue of 2.8-3.4 billion by 2025 (2020-2025 CAGR of 16%-21%), gross margins of 46%-50% in 2021-2025, and operating margins of 26%-31% in 2021-2025; Targeting Net Zero emissions by 2035 and 100% renewable electricity by 2024; 1 Single-wafer ALD market expected to increase from $1.5 billion in 2020 to $3.1-3.7 billion by 2025; Further capacity expansion of our new manufacturing facility to be production ready by early 2023. Im very excited to share the strong prospects for our company during our first Investor Day, said Benjamin Loh, CEO of ASM International. We project revenue to increase to 2.83.4 billion by 2025, with operating margins of 26%-31% during the 2021-2025 period. Key inflections in next generation semiconductor devices such as complex 3D architectures and new materials, are expected to drive double digit growth in ASMs key markets. Today we will also highlight new innovations in our products, enabling our customers technology roadmaps. Capitalizing on our innovative strength, early customer engagements and product differentiation, we are focused on maintaining our leading position in the ALD market and to further increase our market share in Epi. In view of the strong growth opportunities ahead of us we will further step up our R&D investments and strengthen our capabilities. In addition, with our new expanded manufacturing facility in Singapore completed just less than one year ago, we have now decided to prepare a further substantial capacity increase within this facility to be production ready by early 2023. A further increase in our ambition to sustainability is a central element in our strategy. As an important next step we announce today our ambitious target to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2035 (scope 1, 2 and 3) and 100% renewable electricity by 2024. As we continue to drive growth through innovation, ASM is well positioned to create long-term value for all its stakeholders. Story continues The Investor Day starts today at 2:00 pm CET and ends at approximately 5:15 pm CET. The presentations and Q&A can also be followed through a live webcast after registering at: https://investorday.asm.com . UPDATE Q3 2021 GUIDANCE ASM today also announces that Q3 order intake is expected to be above 600 million, compared to previous guidance of 510-530 million, mainly driven by continued strong demand in the logic/foundry sector. Q3 net sales are expected to be in line with previous guidance 400-430 million. About ASM International ASM International NV, headquartered in Almere, the Netherlands, its subsidiaries and participations design and manufacture equipment and materials used to produce semiconductor devices. ASM International, its subsidiaries and participations provide production solutions for wafer processing (Front-end segment) as well as for assembly & packaging and surface mount technology (Back-end segment) through facilities in the United States, Europe, Japan and Asia. ASM International's common stock trades on the Euronext Amsterdam Stock Exchange (symbol ASM). For more information, visit ASMI's website at www.asm.com . Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: All matters discussed in this press release, except for any historical data, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. These include, but are not limited to, economic conditions and trends in the semiconductor industry generally and the timing of the industry cycles specifically, currency fluctuations, corporate transactions, financing and liquidity matters, the success of restructurings, the timing of significant orders, market acceptance of new products, competitive factors, litigation involving intellectual property, shareholders or other issues, commercial and economic disruption due to natural disasters, terrorist activity, armed conflict or political instability, changes in import/export regulations, epidemics and other risks indicated in the Company's reports and financial statements. The Company assumes no obligation nor intends to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect future developments or circumstances. This press release contains inside information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. CONTACT Investor and media contact: Victor Bareno T: +31 88 100 8500 E: victor.bareno@asm.com 1 For more information about our Net Zero target see our separate press release: ASM International Aims to Achieve Net Zero by 2035, issued on September 28, 2021 New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2021) - The Law Offices of Vincent Wong announce that a class action lawsuit has commenced on behalf of investors who purchased Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI) ("Activision Blizzard") between August 4, 2016 and July 27, 2021. If you suffered a loss, contact us at the link below. There is no cost or obligation to you. https://www.wongesq.com/pslra-1/activision-blizzard-inc-loss-submission-form-2?prid=19923&wire=5 Allegations against ATVI include that the Company made materially false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (1) Activision Blizzard discriminated against women and minority employees; (2) Activision Blizzard fostered a pervasive "frat boy" workplace culture that continues to thrive; (3) numerous complaints about unlawful harassment, discrimination, and retaliation were made to human resources personnel and executives which went unaddressed; (4) the pervasive culture of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation would result in serious impairments to Activision Blizzard's operations; (5) as a result of the foregoing, the Company was at greater risk of regulatory and legal scrutiny and enforcement, including that which would have a material adverse effect; (6) Activision Blizzard failed to inform shareholders that the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing had been investigating Activision Blizzard for harassment and discrimination; and (7) as a result, Defendants' statements about Activision Blizzard's business, operations, and prospects, were materially false and misleading and/or lacked a reasonable basis at all relevant times. If you suffered a loss in Activision Blizzard you have until October 4, 2021 to request that the Court appoint you as lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff. Vincent Wong, Esq. is an experienced attorney that 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 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97880 Businesses to be protected from reputational and financial risks posed by cybersecurity threats SINGAPORE and SYDNEY and HONG KONG, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In today's increasingly data-driven economy, cybersecurity and data risk compliance are no longer just ideal but necessary. According to Cybersecurity Ventures[1], global cybercrime costs are projected to grow by 15 percent each year over the next five years, reaching $10.5 trillion USD annually by 2025. When navigating this increasingly challenging landscape, it is especially important for all businesses to rely on trusted and reliable international certification standards to be assured of cyber safety when evaluating products to meet their needs. International Recognition for Certis' Multi-Service Orchestration Platform Certis, Asia's leading security services provider today announced that it has been awarded the internationally recognised Common Criteria ISO15408 EAL2 Certification for its Mozart platform. A key component of Certis' Security+ integrated solution[2], Mozart is a multi-service orchestration platform that leverages artificial intelligence and Internet of Things (IoT) to achieve greater situational awareness and real-time access to critical operational information. Common Criteria ensures that evaluation and assessment of information technology (IT) products are performed to high and consistent standards, while boosting the availability of robustly evaluated, security-enhanced IT solutions globally. With this internationally-recognised certification, organisations can trust that Mozart is both highly functional and cyber secure by design. Mr Detlev Henze, CEO, TUV Trust IT, and one of the assessors said, "The evaluation process to achieve the certification is a rigorous one and includes both functionality and security testing in the operation environment. Certis' customers can be assured that the certified Mozart platform has been assessed to meet the certification standards for both software development and cybersecurity." Story continues Mr Joseph Tan, Chief Executive, Technology Services Business, Certis said, "We are pleased to receive this international accreditation as an affirmation of the resilience of our Mozart platform. In designing our smart security solutions, Certis aims for innovation and performance, and we place great emphasis on cyber security and risk reduction. We want our customers to take full advantage of the operational intelligence of our systems and solutions, and with this certification, we ensure that they can do so in the safest way possible." Mozart upholds High Cyber Security Standards Mozart's operational intelligence technology provides our customers with a solution that automatically sorts and prioritises incidents requiring response. In particular, the platform orchestrates data from various indicators and parameters to compile, adjust, and demonstrate a list of incidents in a dynamic manner. This serves to achieve rapid incident root cause identification, leading to optimum risk mitigation and automated future response recommendation. With the added assurance of Mozart's high cyber security standards, the valuable data collected is at minimal risk of becoming a liability in the event of a cybersecurity incident, giving customers greater peace of mind. At the EAL2 level, Mozart has been structurally tested to evaluate its stated functionalities and security functions. Internally, Certis has its own Safety Assurance Framework, which provides a systematic strategy for risk reduction and proper operational guidance in maintaining a continuous secure posture against ever-changing cyber threats. Mozart's accreditation of ISO15408 EAL2 affirms that Certis' internal assurance framework is meaningful and effective in strengthening the cyber security of its technologies. Certis has deployed Mozart across its Security+ operations for various large-scale properties such as Jewel Changi Airport, Our Tampines Hub, Paya Lebar Quarter, and JTC Corporation in Singapore. [1] Cybersecurity Ventures is the world's leading researcher and Page ONE for the global cyber economy, and a trusted source for cybersecurity facts, figures, and statistics. (Source) [2] Security+ is Certis' integrated security solution that combines security, facilities management, and customer service into a holistic service supported and underpinned by technology. This unique approach helps our customers to break down what are otherwise separate silos within their organisations, to realise synergies and in turn provide new and better user experiences to their customers. Notes to Editors: Follow us on social media: Facebook: facebook.com/certisworld Instagram: instagram.com/certis_group LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/certisgroup Hashtag your posts with: #Certis #SecurityPlus #CertisTech To view more images, please click here About Certis (www.certisgroup.com) Certis is a leading outsourced services partner that designs, builds and operates multi-disciplinary smart security and integrated services. Our multi-service offerings leverage our strong heritage in security, and are augmented by applied AI solutions. These solutions are part of our comprehensive technology development and systems integration capabilities that are fully cyber-secure by design. We are committed to building a safer, smarter, better, and more sustainable business. Certis is headquartered in Singapore, with an international presence that extends to Australia, Hong Kong, Macau, Mainland China and Qatar. We are a trusted partner committed to our clients' successes, delivered through our 27,000-strong global team which includes 16,000 in Singapore. SOURCE Certis LEAD participation demonstrates the company's ongoing commitment to the United Nations Global Compact and its Ten Principles Charoen Pokphand Group announced as Global Compact LEAD recognized for ongoing commitment to the UN Global Compact and its Ten Principles BANGKOK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Charoen Pokphand Group Company Limited or (C.P. Group) has today been announced as a Global Compact LEAD participant for its ongoing commitment to the United Nations Global Compact and its Ten Principles for responsible business. C.P. Group Logo (PRNewsfoto/Charoen Pokphand Group) C.P. Group was identified as being among the most highly-engaged participants of the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative. Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, said, "LEAD companies represent the highest level of engagement with the UN Global Compact. More than ever before, the world needs businesses of all sizes like the ones announced as LEAD today that continuously work to improve their sustainability performance and take action to build a better world." Mr. Suphachai Chearavanont, Chief Executive Officer of Charoen Pokphand Group (C.P. Group) and President of the Global Compact Network Association of Thailand, said, "This recognition affirms C.P. Group's commitment to our partnership with the UN Global Compact to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals Agenda. We are committed to make sure our value chains reach the highest standards of transparency as well as sustainability by becoming carbon neutral by 2030. With our deep commitment to create benefits for the countries and communities in which we operate, we will continue to take a proactive role and intensify our efforts in key areas across climate change, biodiversity, health and well-being, and job creation." To be eligible for LEAD, a company must: Be a participant in at least two UN Global Compact Action Platforms to demonstrate its engagement with the UN Global Compact and commitment to defining and fostering leadership practices in line with the Ten Principles and the Global Goals. Submit or commit to submitting an Advanced Communication on Progress an annual sustainability report detailing progress on implementing the Ten Principles. C.P. Group has demonstrated its commitment to the UN Global Compact this year by participating in Action Platforms on the Decent Work in Global Supply Chains and Climate Ambition. Each UN Global Compact Action Platform convenes business, Global Compact Local Networks, leading experts, civil society, Governments and UN partners to solve complex and interconnected issues and innovate around the Sustainable Development Goals. C.P. Group's Communication on Progress (CoP) and other related information is available in its Participant profile on the UN Global Compact website https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/participants/2022-Charoen-Pokphand-Group-Co-Ltd-C-P-Group- Story continues Since joining the UN Global Compact in 2016, C.P. Group has been proud to be part of a global movement of sustainable companies and stakeholders. By adopting a principles-based approach to sustainability, C.P. Group is taking shared responsibility for building a better world. More Information https://www.unglobalcompact.org/news/4785-09-19-2021 About Charoen Pokphand Group Company Limited For a century, the Charoen Pokphand Group (or C.P. Group) has been producing quality products and services not only to serve rising demand but to operate its businesses through professional, ethical, and moral practices that have been well received throughout the world. The C.P. Group's strong commitment to the '3-Benefits' principle has contributed to the organization's sustainable growth which is to be of benefit to all countries it has invested in, to be of benefit to the people of those societies and to be of benefit to the company that consists of shareholders, executives, and employees. Currently, the C.P. Group's core businesses cover agri-food-industry, retail, and telecommunication. It operates and has offices in more than 21 countries, with the engagement of over 400,000 employees worldwide. The C.P. Group is recognized as a major contributor in the development of the Thai economy and society as well as those of all countries it has invested in. SOURCE Charoen Pokphand Group The company, with technology from Streann Media, will provide its users with interactive streaming. MIAMI, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Televisora de Costa Rica, one of the major media companies in the Americas, announces the re-launch of TDMas, its premium streaming platform that will revolutionize the Costa Rican video market by bringing its content to the world and allow new local content creators to have their own space in the app. The TDMas content catalog will include original productions, local series and films, live sporting events, such as the national soccer championship (men's and women's), the CONCACAF qualifiers and of course all the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 matches. The company has chosen Streann's OTT technology to offer new interaction tools that will enhance exponentially the end-user experience, including user-generated content, personalization enabled by data, and live streaming trivia games. Finally, TDMas will be able to offer advertisers a better return on investment, due to the highly sophisticated tools that allow granular segments in digital. Embracing the new generations, Televisora de Costa Rica has designed its programming so that users answer surveys and actively participate with the shows. The relaunch of this OTT is a look at the television of the future, which will be distributed on all digital platforms, such as Roku, App Store, Apple TV, Play Store, Fire TV and Smart TV. The streaming platform has a low monthly subscription cost ($5.60) complemented by a hybrid business model (there will be Pay-per-view events and advertising revenue). In addition to the Costa Rican market, within which it has already positioned itself as a successful platform, the company expects a large number of international subscribers, seeking to reconnect Costa Ricans abroad with their roots. "Television evolves and proximity to the audience becomes more and more important. At TD Mas we have a community that continues to grow and increasingly demands more of us. Our offer focuses on offering relevant content accompanied by a friendly experience, therefore, Streann's flexibility and constant innovation make them an ideal strategic partner. " Rene Picado Riba, CEO of TDMas. Story continues "OTT is the present and the future of the direct-to-end consumer strategy. With more than 150 digital tools, TDMas now has the most interactive and innovative streaming platform in the region," said Gio Punzo, CEO of Streann. About Televisora de Costa Rica / TDMas For more than 60 years, Televisora de Costa Rica has been a pioneer in sharing audiovisual content for all Costa Ricans, inside and outside the country. From a traditional television channel that is still considered the favorite in Costa Rica, to a relatively new sports cable channel that has become a favorite with local sports fans and its most recent and successful launch with its OTT platform. Televisora de Costa Rica has always had in mind to seek the best and most innovative ways to bring high quality content to all Costa Ricans, filling their hearts with joy and pride. About Streann Media Streann Media is the world's most innovative and interactive OTT streaming platform. With Streann, content providers can create the next Netflix or Spotify, with more than 150 proprietary features for distribution, engagement and monetization technologies. Established in 2014 in Miami, Florida, the company has won several industry awards for its easy-to-use all-in-one solution and has been deployed in 141 countries. For more information, visit www.streann.com Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/costa-rica-will-enjoy-the-television-of-the-future-thanks-to-tdmas-301386460.html SOURCE Streann Media Large institutional crypto transactions in parts of Europe such as France, the Netherlands, Germany and the U.K grew from $1.4 billion in July 2020 to $46.3 billion a year later. (REUTERS/Benoit Tessier) China banned all crypto transactions last week, in the countrys latest crackdown on digital currency activities. But according to new data from blockchain analysis firm Chainalysis, China's growth in crypto trading by volume was falling well before last week's restrictions. Meanwhile, most of Europe (excluding its Eastern portion) constitutes the worlds largest crypto economy, receiving $1 trillion over the last year, or 25% of all crypto activity worldwide, the Chainalysis report found. The data shows that global crypto transaction volume in North America and a portion of Europe outpaced East Asia, a region that in the past has drawn the majority of its volume from China. To be sure, trading in East Asia did grow but at a much lower rate than other regions. Between January 2020 and July 2021, its growth slid from 31% to 14%, partly due to other countries outpacing the East Asia market. Drawing on data collected on-chain from Chainalysis own internal software, as well as external sources such as interviews with regional experts and web traffic via IP addresses, the reports findings serve as a best estimate currently available for measuring cryptocurrency adoption by geography. A recent story by Coindesk provided more transparency into one of the ways Chainalysis collects IP addresses, by scraping user information from websites like walletexplorer.com. Chainalysis also categorizes crypto transactions in Eastern Europe separately. While East Asias decline in crypto trading can be attributed to Chinas past regulatory crackdowns particularly the crypto mining ban in May the surge seen in parts of Europe corresponds with the rise in crypto investment across the world over the last year, according to a Chainalysis spokesperson. Unlike North America, which accounts for about 20% of worldwide crypto trading and has remained relatively flat by comparison, Europes higher growth appears linked to a wave of institutional investors seeking exposure to the crypto space, especially in DeFi protocols. Story continues Cryptocurrency services receiving large institutional transfers from Central, Northern & Western Europe Large institutional transactions in parts of Europe such as France, the Netherlands, Germany and the U.K, most of all, grew from $1.4 billion in July 2020 to $46.3 billion a year later. The majority of this capital flow was paid in Ethereum (ETH) or wrapped Ethereum (wETH), an Ethereum equivalent traded on DeFi platforms. Matthew Nemer, co-founder and CEO of the U.S.-based crypto startup Linus, isnt surprised by the rise in DeFi in this part of the world. For a time in 2019, Nemer worked in Berlin and said he was originally attracted to the city for its robust crypto scene and open banking laws. I think European investors have been at least a year ahead of American investors when it comes to participating in DeFi, Nemer told Yahoo Finance. As an entrepreneur, Nemer and his co-founder eventually presented their crypto app Linus at the Paris Fintech forum in January 2020. They took home the prize for Best Innovation where the judges were mostly EU-based venture capitalists focused on investing in fintech companies. By contrast, it took almost a year before Nemer saw U.S. equivalent firms show interest in investing in the crypto space outside of a few large firms and those with a crypto focus, he said. Now he thinks U.S. venture firms are playing catchup with their competitors across the Atlantic. Open banking Another reason why this part of Europe experienced such high crypto volume in the past year might be regulation. While many have argued that regulation can't kill crypto, there's no doubt open banking regulation in the UK and EU has created an environment where crypto trading can more easily thrive. In particular, sources Yahoo Finance spoke to pointed to the EUs most recent open banking regulation update, PSD2, which came into full force in January 2018. The law forced banks to share information upon customer request with other banks through application programming interfaces (APIs). In short, it created a more robust framework for the regions digital banking by allowing people to transfer money between different banks with far less administrative hassle. On a user experience level, the law made interacting with traditional banks similar to how users interact with the majority of crypto apps, one source argued. The open banking movement has forced a wholesale re-architecting of both their [banks] core products, and how firms interact with the wider economy," Josh Goodbody, COO of the decentralized infrastructure protocol Qredo, told Yahoo Finance. Goodbodys previous experience included overseeing institutional growth in Europe for the crypto exchange Binance, as well as heading institutional business and serving as general counsel for the crypto exchange Huobi. This environment has created an easier path towards adoption of digital asset services, meaning that taking the simple step to give their users the ability to buy crypto assets is less of a conceptual leap for firms to understand, said Goodbody. However, he continued, no one should be under any illusions that this adoption is fully predicated on the presence of clear laws and regulations. The other major reason why this part of Europe has seen so much growth in crypto volume is that it serves as the largest trading partner or counter-party for other regions across the world. That makes it the key hub for crypto assets flowing around the world. The U.S. is its largest trading partner followed by East Asia, Central and Southern Asia and Eastern Europe, according to Chainalysis data. David Hollerith covers cryptocurrency for Yahoo Finance. Follow him @dshollers. Partnership Provides Long Term Financing to Dermaskin Ltd., as Ethos Asset Management INC completes its first deal in Wales, United Kingdom SAN DIEGO, September 28, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--ETHOS ASSET MANAGEMENT INC USA announced a new long-term financing partnership with Dermaskin Ltd., with a significant capital infusion of 4 Million GBP, that will continue for several years. This will enable the Cardiff-based property development company to deliver 17 Apartments with associated parking. This project offers a proposed development located on the corner of Cathedral Road and Sophia Close, a tree-lined street leading to the Sport Wales National Centre and Bute Park. The development is situated in what is one of Cardiffs most sought-after residential areas. The site is in a designated conservation area a short walk from Cardiff City Centre with excellent public transport links, all close by. Carlos Santos, President and CEO of Ethos, stated, "We are thrilled to partner with Dermaskin Ltd. and its founder Dr. Sid Gautam, who apart from being a successful medical Doctor and Cosmetic Surgeon, has operated a very successful property development business for the last fourteen years. The project is very well placed to be a sell-out success with 50% of the properties projected to be sold off plan alone. Ethos is proud to be part of such a unique and prestigious project and especially delighted to have completed our first deal in Wales as we continue our commitment to investing in European markets." Dr. Sid Gautam, Founder and CEO, Dermaskin Ltd., said, "We are delighted to be associated with Ethos and look forward to forging a long-term relationship with Carlos and his whole team. Over the next five years, our group objectives are to bring upwards of 50 million pounds of prime, high-quality real estate projects to the UK market with the valued assistance of Ethos, our preferred partner." About Ethos Asset Management: Story continues Ethos Asset Management (Ethos) is an independent, US-based company with a global reach in resource mobilization and project financing. Providing financing to government and privately promoted projects in every continent and every sector, Ethos has developed a unique risk modulation model which allows them to provide financing in terms not available anywhere in traditional financial markets. Additionally, Ethos provides advice to structure projects and restructure debt. Ethos supports and develops their clients to navigate changing market environments to achieve their long-term goals with confidence. You can hear from Carlos Santos, Ethos CEO, in Dubai where he is Guest Speaker and Panellist at The Leaders Without Borders Leadership Summit and International Honours, the #1 gathering of high-achieving level professionals from all across the world, at the Habtoor Palace, Dubai, on 29th - 30th September, 2021. For more information about Ethos, please visit: https://www.ethosasset.com/ About Dermaskin Ltd: "Founded as a general medical and specialist medical powerhouse in Wales and the South West, the group has diversified into real estate developments of the highest calibre. The vision of the founder, Dr. Gautam is 'Luxury, Integrity and Distinction' and it is with this motto that the group has forged its vision for the future." For more information about Dermaskin Ltd, please visit: http://www.dermaskin.co.uk/property View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928006170/en/ Contacts Dr. Sid Gautam, Dermaskin Ltd., Contact: sid@dermaskin.co.uk Ethos UK Contact: Mr. Craig Freeman, Ethos Associate; craig@freemansaccountancy.com Ethos USA Contact: Attributed Holdings International, Ethos Associate; info@attributedholdings.com Josep Borrell holds a press conference after a meeting of a meeting of E.U. Foreign Ministers in New York (Reuters) -The European Union and China must continue engaging on a number of issues despite differences, the bloc's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in a video call on Tuesday, according to an EU statement. "The High Representative noted that while disagreements still persisted, the EU and China needed to continue engaging intensively in a number of important areas," the EU said, adding Borrell underscored the inclusive and cooperative character of Europe's Indo-Pacific strategy. China's foreign minister Wang said that both sides must continue the trend of increased engagement in an effort to boost political trust and manage their differences, according to a statement on the ministry website. The EU is taking a softer stance on China, one of its most important trade partners, than the United States which has struck a new security deal (AUKUS) with Britain and Australia that is widely seen as designed to counter China's growing assertiveness in the Pacific. But critics said the agreement undercut U.S. President Joe Biden's broader effort to rally allies such as France to that cause after Australia ditched a submarine deal with Paris to buy U.S. submarines, infuriating France. In a nod to the latest attempt to mend transatlantic ties, Borrell, according to a spokesperson, welcomed a joint statement by Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron in which they agreed to talks to rebuild trust after the submarine dispute. (Reporting by Sabine Siebold; Additional reporting by Yew Lun Tian in Beijing; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and) Europe smart water meter industry is expected to register over 29% CAGR between 2021 and 2027 owing to growing smart city concept coupled with the ongoing adoption of advanced metering. Europe Smart Water Meter Industry Forecasts 2021-2027 Europe Smart Water Meter Industry Forecasts 2021-2027 Europe Smart Water Meter Industry Forecasts 2021-2027 SELBYVILLE, Del., Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Europe Smart Water Meter Market is expected to cross USD 3 billion by 2027, as reported in the latest study by Global Market Insights Inc. Ongoing inclination toward intelligent systems in water sources along with effective monitoring of consumption patterns will drive the industry scenario. The increasing demand for smart meters across water distribution networks along with rising non-revenue water across countries with water scarcity will propel the business dynamics. Growing awareness toward daily water consumption coupled with the increasing usage of advanced technologies to minimize losses will propel the demand for cloud-based metering systems. Ineffective management systems along with rising water theft and leakage problems will foster the utilities to deploy advanced metering units. Request a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/5121 Smart automated meter reading devices are designed to communicate and diagnose the collected data in a two-way direction. Energy suppliers and customers receive the meter reading continuously, thereby reducing manual work force, water thefts, and meter tampering activities. Some prime findings of the Europe smart water meter market report include: Government norms for replacement and deployment of advanced metering units will fuel the product landscape. Ongoing technological advancements to integrate IoT-based meters with remote data connection and ease of billing will foster the product demand. Eminent players operating across the Europe smart water meter industry include Kamstrup, Itron, Honeywell, Sensus, and Badger Meter. Increasing population index across the leading countries with high water stress level will positively sway the demand for smart water meters. Browse key industry insights spread across 230 pages with 270 market data tables & 27 figures & charts from the report, "Europe Smart Water Meter Market Statistics By Application (Residential, Commercial, Utility), Technology (AMI, AMR), Product (Hot Water Meter, Cold Water Meter), Industry Analysis Report, Country Outlook, Application Potential, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2017 - 2027" in detail along with the table of contents: Story continues https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/europe-smart-water-meter-market The Europe smart water meter market from cold water in the past few years have witnessed growth on account of increasing population size across the region followed by rising water scarcity problems. These meters monitor and diagnose the cold-water consumption pattern and track the costs related to water resource utilization. With the growing concept of smart city and digitization, Poland is focusing on the adoption of smart water meter solutions and infrastructure to improve its urban water supply planning and related services. Emitel, an operator of telecommunications infrastructure and smart city solutions, collaborated with AIUT to develop an innovative system to read water meter parameters for the Municipal Water and Wastewater Company in the city of Wrocaw. This project is one of the largest Internet of Things (IoT) municipal projects in Poland that will cover over a number of water meters. Ongoing investments in the smart infrastructure network along with large-scale roll out programs for the deployment of advanced metering units will sway the product demand. During the COVID-19, the European countries witnessed a slight downfall in the deployment and installations of smart metering units. Moreover, various utilities and private manufacturers re-initiated the deployment programs by the mid of 2020. In addition, the industry witnessed the no delay in installation and deployment of smart meters during 2021. Browse the ToC of this report @ https://www.gminsights.com/toc/detail/europe-smart-water-meter-market About Global Market Insights Global Market Insights Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider, offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy, and biotechnology. Contact Us: Arun Hegde Corporate Sales, USA Global Market Insights Inc. Phone: 1-302-846-7766 Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688 Email: sales@gminsights.com Related Images Image 1: Europe Smart Water Meter Industry Forecasts 2021-2027 This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In-depth analysis and data-driven insights on the impact of COVID-19 included in this France crane market report. Arizton_Logo The France crane market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 3.67% during the period 20212027. Key Highlights Offered in the Report: The crane market in France is expected to reach revenues of USD 1.5 billion by 2027. The French economy witnessed a contraction of 4.4% in GDP in 2020. However, the French government's recovery plan, France Relance, and other infrastructure projects such as The Grand Paris Express will raise construction activity and will further boost the crane market. Foreign direct investment into France declined by 39% in 2020 due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also in April 2020, the Eurozone construction production declined by over 30% compared to January 2020. With a population of over 67 million people and direct access to more than 500 million consumers in the European Market, France is Europe's 2nd largest economy. In ease of doing business, France ranked 32nd of 190 countries. The Grand Paris Project, the 2024 Olympic Games and increasing focus on wind power projects are likely to drive the crane market in the forecast period. Availability of a wide range of technologically advanced cranes, increased automated safety features and other advanced technologies such as SMARTCrane and Remote Monitoring provides significant growth opportunities for OEMs in the market. The market is highly competitive characterized by the presence of several OEMs including Tadano, Manitex International, Manitowoc, SANY Group, Kobelco Construction Machinery Europe B.V, Konecranes, Liebherr Group, Terex Corporation, Cargotec, XCMG Group and others. The France crane market is expected to grow significantly at a CAGR of 3.67% during the forecast period with high demand in 101-200 tons lifting capacity segment. Key Offerings: Market Size & Forecast by Volume | 20212027 Market Size & Forecast by Revenue | 20212027 Market Dynamics Leading trends, growth drivers, restraints, and investment opportunities Market Segmentation A detailed analysis by crane type, application, and gross power output Competitive Landscape 10 key vendors and 5 other vendors Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/france-crane-market-opportunities-assessment-forecast Story continues France Crane Market Segmentation Mobile crane accounts for 30.7% of the overall crane market in 2020. The demand for mobile cranes is largely driven to address high-end works for urban and infrastructure development. Their ability to navigate around job sites and carry heavy weight makes mobile cranes a very popular addition to many projects. The port of Le Havre, France's leading container port, already has over 200 hectares of logistics parks and 435,000 square meters of warehouse space, and it is expanding its foreign trade (import/export) area. About four of the world's largest gantry cranes recently arrived at the Port du Havre, France as part of the ongoing efforts design to expand the capabilities of France's leading container port for foreign trade to accommodate the world's largest container ships. The <20 tons crane-lifting capacity market in France is expected to reach 787 units by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 3.61% during the forecast period. This category of cranes is largely used for landscaping, excavating, demolishing, disaster management, and material handling in cities and farms. Therefore, construction projects will drive up the demand for these cranes. France Crane Market by Crane Type Mobile Crane Fixed Cranes France Crane Market by Application Construction Mining Transport/Port Manufacturing Others France Crane Market by Gross Power Less than 20 HP 20-100 HP 101-200 HP Greater than 200 HP France Crane Market Dynamics According to the pre-COVID-19 scenario, improving infrastructure was a top priority for governments of European countries. This has been one of the most important factors in the expansion of the crane market. In recent years, infrastructure development has progressed at several levels. Long term infrastructure plans were prioritized by the French government. During the forecast period, increased private and government investments in new development and construction projects will provide improved infrastructural facilities that are expected to boost the growth of the crane market. The expanding global population and the requirement for new residential and commercial constructions to meet the population demand contribute to the potential of the crane market. The rapid growth of the construction and infrastructure sector as a result of numerous renovations, the need for improved structures across industry verticals such as manufacturing, oil and gas, and telecommunication. Key Drivers and Trends fueling Market Growth: The grand Paris project, a 20-year endeavor driving crane sales The wind power industry in France is expected to play a key role in crane sales Continuous innovation and new technology High expectations for growth of the green market Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/france-crane-market-opportunities-assessment-forecast Why Should You Buy This Report? This report is among the few in the market that offers outlook and opportunity analysis forecast in terms of: Volume (Unit sales) Value (USD) Gain competitive intelligence about the economic scenario, advantages in France major projects and investments, market dynamics, and share Examples of latest technologies Get presentation-ready format and easy-to-interpret data. Enable decision-makers to make informed and profitable choices Gain expert quantitative and qualitative analysis on value/volume growth projections of the France crane market share Complete supply chain analysis Get COVID-19 impact analysis of the market. Major Vendors Tadano Manitex International, Inc. Manitowoc SANY Kobelco Construction Machinery (KCME) Konecranes Liebherr Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co., Ltd. (XCMG) Terex Corporation Cargotec Other Prominent vendors American Crane & Equipment Corp. (ACE) Zoomlion Heavy Industry Broderson Manufacturing Corp Link-Belt Cranes Kato Works Explore our industrial machinery profile to know more about the industry. Read some of the top-selling reports: About Arizton: Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovation and quality-driven firm, which offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients across the world. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services. We offer comprehensive market research reports on industries such as consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, and life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals and materials, IT and media, logistics and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts. Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered in generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports. Mail: enquiry@arizton.com Call: +1-312-235-2040 +1 302 469 0707 Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/france-crane-market-size-by-volume-to-reach-5-566-units-by-2027--arizton-301386705.html SOURCE Arizton Advisory & Intelligence California Cryobank becomes the first U.S. donor sperm bank to use advanced computer-assisted analysis in the production of donor sperm vials LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Generate Life Sciences today announced it is introducing computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) through the integration of Hamilton Thorne's IVOS II Clinical CASA system. Between Life and Science is Opportunity (PRNewsfoto/Generate Life Sciences) With this addition, California Cryobank Generate's donor sperm bank and its network of donor sperm laboratories across the United States will become the first to incorporate automation into the process of preparing donor sperm vials. This is a major industry advancement that promises to optimize specimen quality through an additional layer of accuracy and analytical precision on top of the usual quality assurance procedures, with the end result of greatly minimizing interlaboratory variation. Interlaboratory variation in the calculation of sperm concentration and progressive motility is to be expected. However, it is a longstanding source of frustration for sperm banks, clinics and patients. Manual sperm analysis requires a technician to laboriously count the number of sperm per volume within a predetermined microscopic area to calculate sperm concentration. Even with the most well-trained technicians, this process is subject to high variability when left to the human eye. The IVOS II system customized specifically for sperm banking in partnership with Hamilton Thorne is the result of decades of advancements in CASA systems that can now analyze sperm cell number, velocity, and motion pattern of thousands of concurrently and rapidly moving cells with remarkable accuracy. The automated computer-assisted system ensures precision in measurement and eliminates complete reliance on human subjectivity. The result is improved standardization and quality applied across multiple processing laboratories. "Incorporating the IVOS II Clinical CASA systems throughout our processing facilities is the culmination of years of hard work to reduce inherent variability in sperm bank manufacturing," said Jaime Shamonki, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Generate and California Cryobank. "Our 2018 study confirmed that even minute laboratory differences in cell-counting devices produce significant variation in calculated sperm concentration and progressive motility assessment. Story continues "Using this state-of-the-art CASA approach, we can eliminate human subjectivity and further optimize the quality of the donor sperm vials our clients rely on for their family building," continued Dr. Shamonki. "This is another example of how Generate leads the industry through scientific rigor and consistent investment in quality." The IVOS II Clinical CASA systems are currently being used in all of California Cryobank's processing laboratories. A study to compare California Cryobank's IVOS-analyzed samples to independent andrology clinic analysis is underway. To access the factsheet, please visit https://www.generate.com/press-kit . About Generate Life Sciences Generate Life Sciences is a global life sciences company helping families setting out to grow and protect their future, through guidance anchored in scientific advancements and services ranging from preconception into adulthood. Our longstanding brands which include CBR (Cord Blood Registry), Insception Lifebank , Cells for Life , Cell Care , California Cryobank , Donor Egg Bank USA , NW Cryobank , ReadyGen , Kitazato USA , and Donor Application are pioneering leaders that have helped nearly one million families through reproductive, newborn stem cell, genetic screening, medical device, and healthcare technology services. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Generate operates facilities spanning from the United States and Canada to Australia, alongside frozen donor gamete distribution to more than 40 countries. Generate is a portfolio company of GI Partners, a private investment firm based in San Francisco. About Hamilton Thorne Ltd. (www.hamiltonthorne.ltd) Hamilton Thorne is a leading global provider of precision instruments, consumables, software and services that reduce cost, increase productivity, improve results and enable breakthroughs in Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART), research, and cell biology markets. Hamilton Thorne markets its products and services under the Hamilton Thorne, Gynemed, Planer, IVFtech, Embryotech Laboratories, and Tek-Event brands, through its growing sales force and distributors worldwide. Hamilton Thorne's customer base consists of fertility clinics, university research centers, animal breeding facilities, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, and other commercial and academic research establishments. Media Contact Zuri McClelland HDMZ zuri.mcclelland@hdmz.com 312-506-5214 Hamilton Thorne Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/generate-life-sciences-donor-sperm-bank-california-cryobank-introduces-computer-assisted-sperm-analysis-into-its-manufacturing-protocols-301386314.html SOURCE Generate Life Sciences By Thomas Escritt BERLIN, Sept 16 (Reuters) - An east German city was due to go to court on Thursday seeking to remove election posters saying "Hang The Greens" placed by a far-right party with suspected links to neo-Nazi groups. The posters festooning the city of Zwickau were put up by The Third Way, a small party monitored by security services, days before a vote that will set the course of Europe's largest economy after the departure of Chancellor Angela Merkel. The Greens, third in the polls, are likely to play a crucial role in forming government after the Sept. 26 vote. German concerns about far-right violence were heightened two years ago when conservative politician Walter Luebcke was shot dead https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-crime-idUSKCN1TI1SB by a neo-Nazi for his pro-immigration views. A lower court overruled Zwickau's order for the posters to be removed, accepting The Third Way's argument that the slogan was ambiguous, especially in the context of an election, and that there was a free speech justification. The Third Way noted that green was its party colour too and pointed to barely visible text on the posters calling for its colours to be hung across the city. The administrative court in Chemnitz, with jurisdiction over Zwickau, accepted this meant it was uncertain that the Greens were the posters' target so long as they were not hung within 100 metres of Green posters. That decision was greeted with widespread scorn on social media and elsewhere. "It makes no difference to us if the posters are here or 100 metres further away," said Zwickau mayor Constance Arndt. "A call for Greens to hang is and remains totally unacceptable, undemocratic and irresponsible." (Reporting by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne) LAVAL, QC and CAMBRIDGE, England, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Liminal BioSciences Inc. (NASDAQ: LMNL) ("Liminal BioSciences" or the "Company"), announced today that its subsidiary Prometic Biotherapeutics Inc. ("PBT") has closed on the sale of its Priority Review Voucher ("PRV") for USD 105 million. Under the terms of the previously announced Share Purchase Agreement entered into with Kedrion S.p.A. ("Kedrion"), the consideration to be received by Liminal for the PRV sale is seventy percent (70%) of the net proceeds which is payable to Liminal by its subsidiary PBT. The company anticipates using the proceeds to be received by Liminal to advance the continued development of our small molecule pipeline, and we plan to update the market regarding our small molecules R&D strategy in the coming months following the review of the complete data from the ongoing fezagepras phase 1 multi-ascending dose clinical trial. About Liminal BioSciences Inc. Liminal BioSciences is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery and development of novel, small molecule drug candidates for the treatment of patients suffering from respiratory fibrotic diseases and other fibrotic or inflammatory diseases that have a high unmet medical need. The Company's lead small molecule product candidate, fezagepras (PBI-4050), is in a Phase 1 clinical trial in in the United Kingdom to evaluate multiple-ascending doses in normal healthy volunteers, at daily dose exposures higher than those evaluated in our previously completed Phase 2 clinical trials. The Company expects that a full analysis of the complete PK data set from the phase 1 multi-ascending dose clinical trial will help determine the choice of other potential indications for further development of fezagepras. In addition, the Company is also currently developing a selective GPR84 antagonist candidate and an oral, selective OXER1 antagonist candidate. Our GPR84 and OXER1 antagonist programs are currently at the pre-clinical stage. Story continues Liminal BioSciences has active business operations in Canada and the United Kingdom. Forward-Looking Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements about Liminal BioSciences' objectives, strategies and businesses that involve risks and uncertainties. Forwardlooking information includes statements concerning, among other things, statements with respect to the form, timing, ability to consummate or successful outcome of any strategic transactions pertaining to the Company's non-core assets, including the ongoing divestment of our Ryplazim (Plasminogen) related business or assets; the utilization of proceeds from any such transaction; the potential of our product candidates and development of R&D programs and the timing of initiation or nature of pre-clinical and clinical trials. These statements are "forward-looking" because they are based on our current expectations about the markets we operate in and on various estimates and assumptions. Actual events or results may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements if known or unknown risks affect our business, or if our estimates or assumptions turn out to be inaccurate. Among the factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described or projected herein include, but are not limited to, risks associated with: the closing of the share purchase agreement for the plasma-derived therapeutics' business; the Company's ability to develop, manufacture, and successfully commercialize product candidates, if ever; the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's business operations, clinical development, regulatory activities and financial and other corporate impacts; the availability of funds and resources to pursue R&D projects, manufacturing operations or commercialization activities; the successful and timely initiation or completion of clinical trials; the ability of Liminal BioSciences to take advantage of financing opportunities or business opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry; uncertainties associated generally with research and development, clinical trials and related regulatory reviews and approvals; and general changes in economic conditions. You will find a more detailed assessment of these risks, uncertainties and other risks that could cause actual events or results to materially differ from our current expectations in the filings and reports the Company makes with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and Canadian Securities Commissions, including in the Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2020 and future filings and reports by the Company, from time to time. Such risks may be amplified by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and any related impacts on Liminal BioSciences' business and the global economy. As a result, we cannot guarantee that any given forward-looking statement will materialize. Existing and prospective investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements and estimates, which speak only as of the date hereof. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statement contained in this press release even if new information becomes available, as a result of future events or for any other reason, unless required by applicable securities laws and regulations. Cision View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/liminal-biosciences-announces-closing-of-sale-of-priority-review-voucher-301387187.html SOURCE Liminal BioSciences Inc. Company Announcement no. 96 2021 Copenhagen, September 28th, 2021 Loan agreement signed with the Danish Green Investment Fund for DKK 100 million Final loan agreement has been signed between GreenMobility and the Danish Green Investment Fund for a loan of DKK 100 million in total. The first loan tranche of DKK 24.5 million has been released and drawn by GreenMobility. Reference is made to the company announcement no. 86 dated 25 June 2021 regarding approval of GreenMobility for the loan by the Danish Green Investment Fund and company announcement no. 91 dated 3 September 2021 regarding the publication of the Prospectus by GreenMobility in connection with its right issue, which includes further information on the key terms of the loan agreement.. The loan is expected to support GreenMobilitys continued growth, specifically in Sweden and Finland, by initially financing the existing fleet and subsequently planned expansion of the fleet in existing operational cities. Additionally, the loan will be used for additional electric vehicles (EVs) in possible new cities in Sweden and Finland and thereby supports the foundation for efficient launches in new cities. With this loan and the support of the Danish Green Investment Fund we have, in combination with our recent Rights Issue, secured one of our must wins of capitalization. This enables us to continue our strong growth path, not least in the Nordic countries, says Anders Wall, COO & Deputy CEO of GreenMobility. The Danish Green Investment Fund has a strong focus on supporting companies with clearly defined ESG commitments, and in GreenMobilitys case also a frontrunner in the green transition, which from day one has been an integral part of GreenMobility's DNA. Contact and further information Anders Wall, COO & Deputy CEO, Head of IR, +45 25 40 30 20, e-mail: aw@greenmobility.com About GreenMobility GreenMobility offers modern urbanites easy, flexible and sustainable transport in the form of electric, shared city cars. Users have access to these cars via the GreenMobility app. Trips are paid per minute, through minute packages, or on a daily basis. Today, GreenMobility operates a total of 950 EVs in Copenhagen, Aarhus, Malmo, Gothenburg, Antwerp, Gent, Brussels and Helsinki. More than 130,000 people are registered as customers at GreenMobility. Story continues Driven by global megatrends, GreenMobility sees a rapidly growing market for carsharing in large cities that demand green transport for their citizens and aim to reduce the number of private cars. GreenMobilitys ambition is to be among the leading global operators of green shared mobility solutions. GreenMobility is publicly listed for trading on the Nasdaq Main Market Copenhagen in Denmark. Attachment Middlefield Canadian Income PCC Net Asset Value Middlefield Canadian Income PCC Middlefield Canadian Income - GBP PC (a protected cell company incorporated in Jersey with registration number 93546) Legal Entity Identifier: 2138007ENW3JEJXC8658 Net Asset Value As at the close of business on 24 September 2021 the estimated unaudited Net Asset Value per share was 129.01 pence (including accrued income). Investments in the Companys portfolio have been valued on a closing price basis. Enquiries: JTC Fund Solutions (Jersey) Limited 01534 700 000 (Bloomberg) -- Morgan Stanleys Wei Christianson, whos overseen its operations in China longer than any of her counterparts at a major U.S. bank, plans to step down at the end of the year. Most Read from Bloomberg The companys most senior female executive for Asia is retiring as co-chief executive officer for the Asia-Pacific, excluding Japan, but will continue as an advisory director, according to an internal memo seen by Bloomberg. The move will make Gokul Laroia sole CEO for the region, the memo said. A spokesman at the bank confirmed contents of the document. A longtime fixture on rankings of the most powerful and influential women in global finance, Christianson, 65, has been instrumental in building Morgan Stanleys franchise in China, shaping its strategy for Asia and helping the firm tap funds from the region to bolster its finances and weather the 2008 financial crisis. Her departure comes as Wall Street banks are trying to ramp up their expansion in the worlds second-largest economy amid mounting U.S.-China tensions. Under Christianson, Morgan Stanley severed ties with Chinas first Sino-foreign investment bank in 2010. The exit chalked a gain for Morgan Stanley, with the bank estimating at the time that the sale of its 34% stake in Beijing-based CICC to a consortium of major firms would result in a $700 million pretax profit. Morgan Stanley set up its own China securities venture in January 2011 and is now moving closer to taking full control of its securities and fund management ventures in China after announcing plans to boost its stakes in May. Christianson first worked for Morgan Stanley in Hong Kong from 1998 to 2002, before jumping to Credit Suisse Group AG and then Citigroup Inc. In 2006, Morgan Stanley CEO John Mack, for whom she worked in the past, lured her back and made her CEO for China. The bank promoted her to co-CEO for the broader Asia region in 2011, initially sharing the post with William Strong. He left three years later and was replaced by Laroia. Story continues Laroia, 55, joined Morgan Stanley in India in 1995. Hes worked in Mumbai, New York and Singapore, as well as Hong Kong, where hes spent the majority of his career. In addition to serving as co-CEO for the region, hes also co-head of global equities. Hes one of the few senior Wall Street executives to have led businesses across investment banking, equities and wealth management in multiple Asian markets. The bank has been among the top leaders in equities sales and trading in Asia, and his push for the firms wealth operations in the region has produced synergies across the broader platform. Morgan Stanley Asia had record revenue of $6.75 billion in 2020, a 32% increase from 2019. In the first six months of this year, the banks revenue rose 26% $4.1 billion from the year-earlier period. Christianson played a critical role in the banks capital-raising efforts during the financial crisis, engaging China Investment Corp. as an investor in late-2007 and again in 2008. She helped broker a $5 billion stake sale by Morgan Stanley to CIC, the governments sovereign fund, helped by her ties to former CIC President Gao Xiqing. A true leader, culture carrier and a respected and sought-after adviser to global and China clients, Wei has been instrumental in driving our strategy and enhancing our franchise in one of the most complex and important markets for the firm globally, the bank said in the memo. She has also been a champion for diversity and inclusion, and a terrific mentor and role model to many colleagues over the years. (Updates with background on Laroia in 8th and 9th paragraphs.) 2021 Bloomberg L.P. Petition Seeks Expanded Regulation to protect Franchise Owners against predatory and opportunistic behavior SAN ANTONIO, September 28, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Coalition of Associations of 7-Eleven Franchisees (NCASEF), in cooperation with Keith Miller of Franchisee Advocacy Consulting, has filed a petition with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requesting an investigation of the franchise industry. The petition asks the FTC to compel nine major franchise chains to respond to 115 requests for information in 14 categories, among them: supply chain, advertising funds and financial performance representations. The petition has the endorsement of 11 independent franchisee associations. Petitioners are hoping the investigation will prompt the Commission to extend federal regulation of the industry beyond the presale financial disclosures franchise companies are already required to make. "This petition provides the opportunity for the FTC to take a proactive role in assessing the franchise industry," said Miller. "We are requesting the FTC look broadly at the imbalance of power in our industry today." In April, Nevada Senator Catherine Cortez Masto released a comprehensive report on franchising, which highlighted problematic areas in the industry and asked for increased oversight from the FTC. In June, Illinois Rep. Jan Schakowsky sent a letter to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) requesting a study of inadequacies in the current FTCs Franchise Rule. Thomas Ayres, a senior attorney with NCASEF law firm Witmer Karp Warner & Ryan, who co-wrote the FTC petition, said, "Franchisors often engage in predatory behavior after franchisees sign their contracts, but the FTC rarely investigates post-sale activities when franchisees are more vulnerable and captive to their franchisors." Recently, the FTC has launched antitrust investigations of the technology and pharmaceutical sectors. FTC Commissioner Rohit Chopra has been outspoken about the need to "stop unfair, deceptive and discriminatory practices that target franchisees and their employees," telling CNBC, "We ultimately want to make sure there is a fair playing field for both the franchisor and the franchisee." Story continues A 2019 report by the Australia Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services detailed abuse by several franchisors, including 7-Eleven. "An important takeaway from the Australian report is that presale disclosure is an insufficient regulatory response to power imbalances, because it does not curb opportunistic and exploitative practices by some franchisors," said Eric H. Karp, partner of Witmer Karp Warner & Ryan and former chair of the American Bar Association Forum on Franchising. Vimal Patel, a franchise owner of Q Hotels in Louisiana who has filed suit against hotel franchisor IHG, expressed his support for the NCASEF/Franchisee Advocacy Consulting petition. "Its time the FTC used its authority to look at the fairness and transparency in the franchise industry." Attorney Ayres said current business conditions, exacerbated by the global pandemic, further highlight the need for closer examination of franchising. "The additional strains the pandemic has put on franchisees across all industries has brought into sharper focus the need for further investigation and action." The petition recommends the FTC send requests for information to 7-Eleven, Inc.; Subway; The UPS Store, Inc.; IHG Hotels and Resorts; Choice Hotels; Experimax/Experimac; Supercuts; Massage Envy; and Dickeys Barbecue Pit. A copy of the Petition is available here. About NCASEF: The National Coalition an elected, independent body representing the interests of more than 7,400 7-Eleven franchised locations in the U.S. Originally founded in 1973, NCASEF is comprised of 41 separate independent Franchise Owner Associations collectively having more than 4,400 7-Eleven operators as members. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005366/en/ Contacts Media: Matt Ellis Ellis Strategies, Inc. matt@ellisstrategies.com | 617-278-6560 Not every country has a Multiple Listing Service to aid in buying and selling a home. This often makes the process complicated as buyers weed through fake and duplicate listings and little pricing data, unlike in the United States. Property technology startup Nomad Homes is working to change that by creating a personalized real estate buying experience in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, a region that represents $20 trillion in real estate, company CEO Helen Chen told TechCrunch. We are like Stitch Fix for real estate, she added. We are matching you to the best home for you. Instead of searching the old way by going through thousands of listings, you can take a 'style quiz,' and we match you with properties. Nomad Homes mockup. Image Credits: Nomad Homes Today, Nomad Homes announced a $20 million Series A funding co-led by 01 Advisors, an investment fund co-founded by former Twitter executives Dick Costolo and Adam Bain, and The Spruce House Partnership. There was also a group of new and existing investors that participated, including Goodwater Capital, HighSage Ventures, Abstract Ventures, Partech, Class 5 Global, Precursor Ventures and Alta Park Capital. Angel investors in the round included co-founder and former CEO of Zillow and Pacaso Spencer Rascoff through his firm 75 & Sunny, Opendoor CEO Eric Wu, former Compass COO/CFO David Snider, Flyhomes CEO Tushar Garg, Landis co-founders Cyril Berdugo and Tom Petit and DST Global partner Saurabh Gupta. The company has raised a total of $24 million since Chen, Dan Piehler and Damien Drap started the company in 2019 after bonding over finding a place to live in a new city. They have collective backgrounds in Blackstone, Addepar and Uber, while Chen also left the Stanford Graduate School of Business to start the company. Nomad Homes is creating its own MLS for the region and applies technology to the expertise provided by local customer services experts to provide home buyers with all of the information they need, from the initial search to financing and signing all of the documents. Story continues Nomad Homes has built an incredible platform that is shaping the future of real estate across EMEA, said Dick Costolo, managing partner of 01 Advisors, in a written statement. What the team is building is increasing market liquidity and simplifying the consumer experience. We have invested in similarly transformative companies in the U.S. and are excited to partner with these founders and the entire team as they expand. After announcing its launch and seed round in 2020, the companys platform is now online in Paris and Dubai. It is expanding into Southern Europe and building out its team in the United States and Europe. As transaction volumes grew over 16 times through the first half of the year, the Series A was an opportunity to accelerate into new markets and heavily invest in the technology and product to improve the experience for customers, Chen said. A portion of the proceeds will also go toward fintech products and doubling its team of 32 by year-end. We will continue to deliver the best customer experience and expand our offerings across more markets, she added. We are also excited about all of the investors around the table. They are multistage investors, and we have a tremendous amount to learn from them, especially Spencer from Zillow and Eric from Opendoor, who are both experts in the space. Industry Insights Provide Road Map for Creating Memorable and Engaging Ads WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA), the national trade association for the entire out of home (OOH) and DOOH media ecosystem, today released its "Creative Best Practices Guide", providing a model for maximizing the impact of brand messages. OOH encompasses many formats, canvases, and experiences and there is no singular solution that fits all campaigns. The Creative Best Practices Guide offers a checklist of each creative element to consider while developing a campaign. OOH has the unique ability to tap into emotion and inspire, and the insights in this document are a product of collective wisdom that can drive the industry forward by ultimately changing the way people connect with brands. OAAA logo (PRNewsfoto/Out of Home Advertising Association) Seventy-five percent of an ad's effectiveness is determined by its creative, according to the Advertising Research Federation, and the guide zeroes in on key steps in the creative process. Featured are tips on where to start and how to shape a campaign, designing basics and timeline planning, as well as strategic advice on the power of transparency and feedback. Some critical observations include: The importance of putting concept first and placement second How to optimize creative for OOH formats Design element tips for font, typeface, images, and CTA's How to encompass all media as unified pieces of a campaign, from experiential to SEO Key considerations such as locality, ensuring advertisers speak to the specific market where an ad will be placed, whether it be the entire country or metropolitan centers like NY and LA Encouraging marketers and brands to share briefs with vendors and their creative teams Touching base with experts who have decades of experience Exploring, rather than shying away from big ideas Looking for inspiration from award winning ads of the past, trusted media partners and even competitors "I'm proud to bring forward OAAA's latest Creative Best Practices Guide, which sets the foundation for creative expertise while bringing to light new, innovative uses of channels like mobile, programmatic, video and more," said Leslie Wingo, President and CEO of Sanders\Wingo. "I encourage creatives, big idea thinkers, technologists, media planners, programmers, designers and storytellers to dig into the guide before starting their next campaign and be open to never ending change and new possibilities." Story continues "Every OOH ad is essentially a call-to-action, and these ads need to inspire consumers to search, so understanding context and which canvasses work for specific messages are crucial elements to drive engagement from audiences," said Anna Bager, President and CEO, OAAA. "OOH is a highly creative communications platform. OAAA's best practices offer detailed design advice on color, typeface and copy, down to the optimal font size for executions across a spectrum of physical and digital locations, from malls and billboards to all types of digital formats." To view the OAAA Creative Best Practices, please visit: https://thoughtleadership.oaaa.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/OAAA-Creative-Best-Practices-.pdf About the OAAA The Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA) is the national trade association for the entire out of home (OOH) advertising industry. OAAA represents more than 800 members, including leading media companies, advertisers, agencies, ad-tech providers, and suppliers which comprise over 90 percent of the industry. OOH media includes billboards, street furniture, transit, place-based media, and digital formats (DOOH) across every sector of the channel. OAAA is the unifying voice for the industry, the authoritative thought leader, and the passionate advocate for advancing OOH advertising in the United States. The legislative unit of OAAA advocates for the responsible growth of OOH with federal, state, and local government. OAAA-member media companies generously donate over $500 million in public service advertising annually. Founded in 1891, OAAA is headquartered in Washington, DC with offices in New York City. For more information, please visit oaaa.org. Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/oaaa-releases-creative-best-practices-guide-for-ooh-advertising-301386284.html SOURCE Out of Home Advertising Association COSTA MESA, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2021 / It takes risk, faith, and a team to achieve the success that JAXXON has gained. In 2017, Founder and CEO, Josh Deemer, and his wife, Julia Deemer, noticed a market gap after Julia couldn't find a trustworthy, quality site to gift Josh men's jewelry. Josh, a serial entrepreneur who created brands throughout high school and college, reached out to college classmate Josh Pierce who had just left Red Bull as a Marketing Manager in New York City. Both Josh's saw clearly the opportunity to create a trustworthy brand in a vague and hard-to-navigate jewelry industry. From idea, to quickly meeting over coffee, the two agreed on the vision. The following day they bought a handful of chains, shot photos and opened a Shopify website. The rest was history. This overnight decision and swift execution in 2017 helped Deemer and Pierce scale their business to new heights. Today, JAXXON is the leading men's jewelry company in the U.S. The secret to their ongoing success? Their dedication to quality. JAXXON chains are italian-made with the highest quality materials including Solid Gold and Sterling Silver. JAXXON is committed to providing a new and improved definition of luxury jewelry with high-quality durable and attainable products. Looking for solid 14k gold? JAXXON's got it. Need 925 silver? There's no better place to buy it than at JAXXON. The company prides itself on offering the highest quality materials at an attainable price. All of their products allow you to live stylishly without worrying about your jewelry rusting, breaking or cracking. At the end of the day, JAXXON is more than just selling a product-it's attracting a wide variety of customers who view JAXXON as the ultimate destination for quality pieces with long lasting color, shine, & durability. With over 15,000 5-star reviews, JAXXON has become the most trusted platform for men's jewelry. Unlock Your Style With JAXXON Story continues There's never a wrong time to buy, gift or wear high-fashion accessories. JAXXON offers high-quality, Italian-made jewelry to suit your style needs. Shop the highest quality men's jewelry at www.jaxxon.com . Contact: Company Name: JAXXON Contact Person: Josh Pierce and Josh Deemer Address: 691 Randolph Ave, Costa Mesa, CA Phone Number: 213-663-1585 Send Email Website Link: http://www.jaxxon.com SOURCE: JAXXON View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/665960/The-Origin-Story-of-Leading-Mens-Jewelry-Line-JAXXON-Creating-a-Trustworthy-Brand-with-Grit-and-Commitment Dr. Harris Joins PanTheryxs Board to Help Advance Digestive and Immune Health Research and Consumer Awareness PHOENIX, September 28, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PanTheryx, an integrative digestive and immune health company, today announced the addition of N. Stuart Harris, M.D. to its Board of Directors. Dr. Harris, is chief of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Division of Wilderness Medicine, which is the practice of resource limited medicine under austere conditions. As a PanTheryx board member, Dr. Harris will collaborate with the companys leadership team and its scientific advisory board to advance research focused on probiotics and cow colostrum for digestive and immune health. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005173/en/ Dr. Stuart Harris, chief of the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Division of Wilderness Medicine, joins the PanTherx Board of Directors. (Photo: Business Wire) "We are pleased to welcome Dr. Harris to PanTheryxs board of directors as he brings a unique perspective to preventative health and wellness," said David Abramson, executive chairman of the board of directors, PanTheryx. "Dr. Harris clinical and field research as well has his extensive experience working with diverse populations will give PanTheryx new insights as we create high-quality health and wellness products that target digestive and immune health." Dr. Harris brings more than twenty years of experience in emergency medicine, clinical research, and the interplay between the environment and human health. Dr. Harris is a full-time attending physician in the MGH Emergency Department, an Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and an affiliated faculty member at the Arctic Initiative at the Belfer Center, Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Dr. Harris graduated from the Harvard Affiliated Emergency Medicine Residency in 2003. His research focuses on investigating the pathogenesis and treatment of high-altitude illness and on the relationship between climate change and human health. His research teams are active on/in the Himalayas, Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Andes, Alaska, and far Eastern Siberia and have been funded by the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. DOD, MGH, and HMS. Story continues "As a wilderness medicine expert and emergency physician, Ive experienced the power of proper nutrition to keep all of the bodys systems operating at optimal capacity by supporting the microbiome," commented Dr. Stuart Harris. "Im excited to be member of PanTheryxs board of directors to help impact clinical nutrition research and underscore how the digestive system is critical to health and wellness." To learn more about PanTheryx, please visit www.pantheryx.com. About PanTheryx PanTheryx is a nutrition and biotechnology company committed to the global commercialization of health and wellness solutions for the human and animal health markets. From leading cutting-edge research, to supplying best-in-class ingredients, to commercializing category-leading consumer brands, PanTheryx is dedicated to delivering revolutionary approaches for digestive, immune, and microbiome health. As the worlds largest producer of colostrum, PanTheryx provides its proprietary ColostrumOne and La Belle Colostrum ingredients to its partners serving the global human and animal health markets. In addition to the products it develops with its partners, the PanTheryx portfolio of consumer brands include TruBiotics, Goodgut, Lifes First Naturals and DiaResQ. To learn more about PanTheryx, its consumer brands, and colostrum ingredients, please visit www.pantheryx.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005173/en/ Contacts Andrea Martin Andrea D. Martin Consulting LLC for PanTheryx P: 443.927.6183 E: andrea@consultmartin.com Timmins, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2021) - PNG Copper Inc. (CSE: PNGC) ("PNG Copper" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. David Lindley as acting Chief Executive Officer of the Company, effective immediately. The Company's existing drill program has been put on hold and Dr. Lindley will be travelling to Papua New Guinea to complete a review and assessment of the site and equipment and will then prepare recommendations to the Company for a comprehensive plan to restart and execute drilling. The review and recommendation process is to be principally financed by one of the Company's current directors, Stephen Grey. The Company would like to acknowledge the contribution of Iain Martin in the founding and initial development of the Company. Mr. Martin has resigned as a director and as interim-Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Steven Balch, also a director of the Company, has advised the Company that effective as of the close of business today, September 28, 2021, he is resigning from the Company's board of directors. The Company thanks Steve for his contribution. About PNG Copper Inc. PNG Copper Inc. is a mineral exploration company focused on acquiring, exploring, and developing quality mineral properties in Papua New Guinea. The Company's core values are respect for the Community, the Landowners, the environment and operating a safe workplace for its employees. The Company is also committed to best practice standards of Corporate Governance. For further information please visit the Company's website at pngcopper.ca or contact: PNG Copper Inc. Paul Rokeby, Chief Financial Officer Tel: +1.705.465.1880 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. Forward-Looking Statements This Press Release contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable securities laws, that involve risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made. Such statements reflect the Company's present views, future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. When used in this document, the words "may", "would", "could", "will", "intend", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Although these statements are based on information currently available to the Company, the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Many risks, uncertainties, and other factors involved with forward-looking information could cause our actual results to differ materially from the statements made, including those factors discussed in filings made by us with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities. Story continues Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97860 NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 27, 2021 / Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Concho Resources Inc. ("Concho" or the "Company") (NYSE:CXO). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Concho and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] In 2018, Concho planned and constructed the Dominator Project ("Dominator") in the Delaware Basin, part of the larger Permian Basin, consisting of 23 wells. Then, on July 31 and August 1, 2019, Concho disclosed that the wells at Dominator were spaced "too tight" and that as a result, Concho had drastically reduced its total active rig count to avoid overshooting budgets and would be forced to scale down production targets for the rest of the year. Concho also disclosed that going forward, the Company would begin spacing all of its wells farther apart-revealing at the same time that certain current and upcoming projects were "moderately more dense" in terms of spacing. On this news, Concho's stock price fell roughly 22% on August 1, 2019, damaging investors. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com. Story continues SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/665818/SHAREHOLDER-ALERT-Pomerantz-Law-Firm-Investigates-Claims-On-Behalf-of-Investors-of-Concho-Resources-Inc--CXO NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 27, 2021 / Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Activision Blizzard, Inc. ("Activision" or the "Company") (NASDAQ:ATVI). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at newaction@pomlaw.com or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980. The investigation concerns whether Activision and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices. [Click here for information about joining the class action] On July 20, 2021, California's Department of Fair Employment and Housing filed a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, alleging that female employees of Activision Blizzard are subjected to "constant sexual harassment," while Activision Blizzard's top executives and human resources personnel not only knew about the harassment and failed to prevent it, but also retaliated against employees who complained. The lawsuit alleges violations of the Equal Pay Act and the Fair Employment and Housing Act. On this news, Activision Blizzard's stock price fell sharply over the following trading sessions, damaging investors. The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com. SOURCE: Pomerantz LLP View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/665819/SHAREHOLDER-ALERT-Pomerantz-Law-Firm-Investigates-Claims-On-Behalf-of-Investors-of-Activision-Blizzard-Inc--ATVI Duo Ti offers one of the least invasive lateral approaches and Spineologys proprietary mesh technology with OsteoSync Ti porous titanium blocks ST. PAUL, Minn., September 28, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Spineology Inc., an innovator in anatomy-conserving surgery, is excited to launch the Duo Ti Expandable Interbody Fusion Procedure, which combines Spineologys proprietary mesh technology with porous titanium to deliver a large, anatomy conforming implant via anatomy-conserving lateral decubitus and prone approaches. The porous titanium blocks are made from OsteoSync Ti (SITES Medical) and feature a highly porous macro structure with micro and nano-texturing, and a low modulus of elasticity to facilitate superior bone ingrowth capabilities. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005787/en/ Spineologys Duo Ti Expandable Interbody Fusion Procedure combines Spineologys proprietary mesh technology with porous titanium to deliver a large, anatomy conforming implant via anatomy-conserving lateral decubitus and prone approaches. (Photo: Business Wire) Spineology will be demonstrating this technology at the 2021 North American Spine Society (NASS) conference Sept. 29-Oct. 2 in Boston, Massachusetts. The company is also hosting an Innovation Lab at NASS at 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 30. The Duo Ti procedure is performed through a small portal tube. Following insertion of the implant, the mesh component is filled and expanded with bone in situ which enables surgeons to reduce retraction requirements, avoid and protect neural structures, and indirectly decompress. The result for patients and care providers is enhanced recovery, proven outcomes backed by Spineologys 200-patient Duo Clinical Study (RaDical), and exceptional efficiency.1 Enhanced Recovery: According to RaDical, subjects did not experience clinically meaningful new onset or increased thigh symptoms (i.e., pain, hip flexion/extension weakness) following the Duo procedure. Less trauma to the psoas muscle decreases or eliminates the risk of indirect nerve root injury and may accelerate patient recovery. Proven Outcomes: At three months, individual patients in the RaDical study showed a 71 percent improvement in their lower extremity pain and 57 percent improvement in their low back pain. At 12 months, 98 percent of patients had fused. Exceptional Efficiency: Duo can be performed as a single-position prone procedure which eliminates the need to flip a patient intraoperatively and saves surgeons operative time, which can lead to overall reduced procedure costs. "In my experiences with Duo, my patients recover quickly following surgery, return to activities timely, and show durable long-term relief," said Dr. Pierce Nunley of Shreveport, Louisiana. "Because of the minimal psoas muscle manipulation, and the outcomes I see in my patients treated with Duo, this is the superior lateral procedure for these indications." Story continues When the implant is inserted during a Duo procedure, porous titanium blocks generate distractive forces capable of restoring disc height and spinal alignment, and providing indirect decompression. After insertion, the mesh component is filled with bone to create a large, endplate-conforming, load-sharing graft pack that can reduce risk of subsidence and support bony ingrowth leading to fusion over the entire surface area of the implant.2 "The exposure-to-footprint ratio I experience with Duo is exceptional. Duo has enabled me to minimize exposure and subsequently provide my patients very minimal hospitalizations. This is very beneficial for these trying Covid times and bodes well for the use of the technology long-term in the outpatient setting," said Dr. Larry Khoo of Los Angeles, California. Spineology CEO John Booth remains dedicated to anatomy-conserving technologies like Duo. "I am pleased to announce such a minimally disruptive approach for lateral spine surgeons," he said. "Recent macro events have increased the need for spine surgery to become even more minimally invasive. Our new Duo system will lead the way for lateral surgeons who want to offer their patients all of the advantages of less-invasive surgery." About Spineology Inc. At Spineology, we are dedicated to transforming spine surgery by providing innovative, anatomy-conserving technologies for surgeons and their patients. Our proprietary mesh technology is used in the OptiMesh and Duo implants, which expand in three dimensions to create large footprints and allow placement of anatomy-conforming interbody fusion devices through very small incisions. This technology preserves spinal anatomy, increases procedural efficiency, and accelerates patient recovery. Learn more at spineology.com. 1. Data on File: RaDical Post-Market Study 2. Data on File: Bone Ingrowth Performance of OsteoSync Ti View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005787/en/ Contacts John J. Booth, Chief Executive Officer 651-256-8511 jbooth@spineology.com TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2021 /CNW Telbec/ - Four of the Snowden refugees are currently on a plane flying to Canada and are expected to land in Toronto this afternoon. From there they will travel to Montreal, where they will start their new lives. Supun Thilina Kellapatha, Nadeeka Dilrukshi Nonis and children Sethumdi and Dinath are hours away from becoming permanent residents of Canada. For The Refugees logo (CNW Group/For the Refugees) They join Vanessa Rodel and her daughter Keana (who is also Supun's daughter), who were accepted into Canada as privately-sponsored refugees in March of 2019. One of the Snowden refugees, Ajith Pushpakumara, remains in Hong Kong where his safety is still at risk. For the Refugees, the non-profit sponsor for these refugees, is today renewing its call for the Canadian government to expedite processing of Ajith's application. Applications for all seven refugees were first filed in January 2017, and Ajith has now been waiting on this bureaucratic process for almost five years. Photo/video availability: What: Four of the Snowden refugees arriving at Pearson airport. Where: They will exit through the international arrivals area of Terminal 1. When: Today between 5:15 p.m. ET and 6:15 p.m. ET, depending on processing time. Please note that there will be no interviews with the family. Representatives of For the Refugees will be available on site and by phone to answer questions. BACKGROUND: in 2013 Edward Snowden revealed the scope of illegal surveillance being undertaken by his former employer, the NSA. Following these revelations, he found himself stranded in Hong Kong and pursued. Seven brave refugees originally from Sri Lanka and the Philippines agreed to take him in, and provide him shelter. They have had a target on their backs ever since. A more detailed release is available at fortherefugees.com SOURCE For the Refugees Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2021/28/c1422.html /NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION IN THE U.S. OR TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES./ VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 28, 2021 /CNW/ - Tribe Property Technologies Inc. (TSXV: TRBE) ("Tribe" or the "Company") has partnered with Pensio Global, a credit risk management and rental income guarantee company. The partnership will deliver unique products for both landlords and tenants to limit income losses in the case of a downmarket or job loss. Tribe Property Technologies - Community Living, Simplified (CNW Group/Tribe Property Technologies Inc.) "We are excited to have a company like Pensio be a part of our Digital Services & Partnerships Program, because their services deliver peace of mind for both landlords and tenants," said Joseph Nakhla, Tribe CEO. "Pensio has solved a key problem in the rental space that came to the forefront through the pandemic, where in the unfortunate situation of a tenant losing their job, rent will be paid on their behalf." Tribe's partnership with Pensio Global will connect communities to educational content and offers around programs such as Pensio's lease co-guarantees that pay the rent to landlords for tenants who lose their job; as well as rent guarantee programs for newly built rental-purpose buildings, and landlords. "We have thousands of tenants and landlords using our Tribe Home community management platform and Pendo landlord software across Canada," explained Mr. Nakhla. "This is a significant opportunity to educate and connect people to services that help bring harmony and simplicity to residential living." Tribe's Digital Services & Partnership Program is focused on developing partnerships that leverage group buying power to elevate service offerings and convenience, while improving efficiencies and the overall benefits of living in a Tribe Community. Tribe's digital partners in turn receive the opportunity to connect with thousands of potential customers in rental and condo communities across Canada. "We love that Tribe's goal of connecting communities and doing so with heart, very much aligns with Pensio's values of renting with confidence and supporting peace of mind," said Brandon Keks, CEO of Pensio. "We look forward to digitizing our rental income programs through Tribe's platforms in a bid to connect tenants, landlords and developers to a service that can help simplify their lives." Story continues Tribe manages more than 40,000 homes made up of more than 100,000 residents. The Company's proprietary community management software Tribe Home is integrated into every community with its ability to connect, inform, educate and protect through the digitization and simplification of residential community living. About Pensio Global Pensio Group of Companies (Pensio Global) is a credit risk consulting, management, and rental income guarantee company operating since 2004, specializing in proprietary rental income risk management programs tailored to the residential and commercial rental markets. Pensio is supported by a vast network of strategic relationships in property development, lending, insurance, and management technology. Pensio Global provides risk management consulting services and rental income guarantee programs in four countries and growing. Pensio's has three strategic rental income guarantee programs for landlords, developers, lenders, and tenants. Our rental income programs cover pre-construction new build developments, multifamily dwellings, short-term extended-stay properties, student housing, seniors living care residences and commercial properties. About Tribe Property Technologies: Tribe is a property technology company that is digitizing the traditional property management industry. As a rapidly growing tech-forward property management company, Tribe's integrated service-technology delivery model serves the needs of a much wider variety of stakeholders than traditional service providers. Tribe's three revenue pillars are made up of software and service (recurring licensing and management fees), transactional (rent or condo fees, banking services, lease-ups) and digital services and partnership (smart building products, financial and insurance service) revenue. Tribe seeks to acquire highly accretive targets in the fragmented North American property management industry and transform these businesses through streamlining and digitization of operations. Tribe's platform decreases customer acquisition costs, increases retention and allows for the addition of value-added products and services through the platform. Visit tribetech.com for more information. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Joseph Nakhla" Chief Executive Officer Tribe Property Technologies Inc. Joseph Nakhla Chief Executive Officer 1155 West Pender Street, Suite 419 Vancouver, British Columbia V63 2P4 (604) 343-2601 joseph.nakhla@tribetech.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. Cautionary Statement on Forward-Looking Information This news release may contain certain "Forward-Looking Statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and applicable Canadian securities laws regarding the Company and its business, which may include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the aims and goals of the Company; financial projections; growth plans including future prospective consolidation in the condo and rental management sector; future acquisitions by the Company; beliefs of the Company with respect to the independent owner-investors market; and prospective benefits of the Company's platform. When or if used in this news release, the words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "target, "plan", "forecast", "may", "schedule" and similar words or expressions identify forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements or information may relate to proposed financing activity, proposed acquisitions, proposed success of the Company's platform, regulatory or government requirements or approvals, the reliability of third-party information and other factors or information. Such statements represent the Company's current views with respect to future events and are necessarily based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social risks, contingencies and uncertainties. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward- looking statements. The Company does not intend, and do not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements or information to reflect changes in assumptions or changes in circumstances or any other events affecting such statements and information other than as required by applicable laws, rules and regulations. This news release is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"). The Company has not registered and will not register the securities under the U.S. Securities Act. The Company does not intend to engage in a public offering of their securities in the United States. SOURCE Tribe Property Technologies Inc. Cision View original content to download multimedia: http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/September2021/28/c7990.html Uzbekistan has deported all Afghan military pilots and members of their families who illegally flew to safety in the Central Asian state. Uzbek Foreign Ministry's spokesman Yusup Kobuljonov said on September 13 that the deportation of the Afghan nationals -- hundreds of people who flew to Uzbekistan aboard Afghan military aircraft -- was carried out in the last two days. The New York Times quoted the office of U.S. Representative August Pfluger (Republican-Texas) earlier as saying that the pilots and their families were being transferred to a U.S. military base in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.). Im very happy theyre getting out, but this was not a smooth process, the congressman told the New York Times in a telephone interview. The pilots were the most lethal part of the Afghan military, and its very important to do whatever we can to protect them. On September 12, Reuters quoted an unidentified Afghan pilot who fled Taliban-controlled Afghanistan for Uzbekistan as saying on condition of anonymity that the deportation of Afghan citizens from Uzbekistan started on September 12 and the first group was heading to the U.A.E. The transfers came under a U.S. deal with Uzbekistan reached despite Taliban pressure for the return of the pilots and the Afghan military aircraft. The Biden administration reached the agreement last week, the Wall Street Journal reported on September 11. According to the newspaper, the pilots and their families total 585 people. The pilots flew their families to Uzbekistan aboard the Afghan military aircraft to escape the Taliban, who quickly overran government forces last month as the United States pulled its troops out of Afghanistan. The United States fears the pilots could be killed if they were returned to their country. Based on reporting by TASS, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, and New York Times Tajikistan's Foreign Ministry summoned the U.S. ambassador to the Central Asian nation, John Pommersheim, to make a verbal protest over President Joe Biden's recent comments about the Central Asian nation in relation with the U.S. troops withdrawal from Afghanistan. "A verbal note of protest was conveyed to the U.S. Ambassador in connection with the statements by the President of the United States of America Mr. Joe Biden during his visit to a fire station in Pennsylvania. The verbal note stated that such statements do not correspond to the spirit of friendly relations and partnership. The Republic of Tajikistan is interested in the development of mutually beneficial relations with the United States of America in the spirit of mutual support and mutual respect," a Tajik Foreign Ministry statement on September 14 said. The protest was in response to Biden's comments on September 11 at a firehouse in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The president defended the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan despite chaotic scenes at the Kabul airport, where some Afghans desperate to leave the country died after trying to hang on to the landing gear of an aircraft as it took off. For example, if we were in Tajikistan and pulled up a C-130 and said were going to let, you know, anybody who was involved with being sympathetic to us to get on the plane, youd have people hanging in the wheel as well," Biden said. Biden's statement caused a wave of reactions on social media by Tajik users, who criticized Biden's statement saying the two countries are very different and such parallels cannot be made. The creators of the animated television series South Park have taken the plunge and signed an agreement with Casa Bonita owners to buy the iconic Lakewood restaurant for $3.1 million, court documents in the bankruptcy case show. The proposed order finalizing the sale, and settling current owner Summit Family Restaurants' debt in the case, has yet to be signed by Judge Michael E. Romero with the United States Bankruptcy Court. "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone announced plans to buy the restaurant last month during a sit-down interview with Gov. Jared Polis celebrating "South Park's" 24th anniversary. Summit Family Restaurants has owned the colorful and expansive Casa Bonita for 25 years. It filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Arizona in April after the COVID-19 pandemic caused shutdowns and crippled operations. The Purchaser has demonstrated adequate assurance of future performance with respect to all Assigned Agreements, including the Lease, according to the proposed order, filed Monday and first reported by Westword. The deal calls for Summit to pay the buildings landlord $900,000 to cover back rent. The 47-year-old landmark at 6715 W. Colfax Ave. is known for its roaming mariachis, cliff divers, Black Bart's Haunted Cave and tabletop flags customers raise to get more sopapillas. The 52,000-square-foot restaurant gained national and international attention after being featured in a 2003 episode of "South Park." It closed in March 2020 but recently began offering tours. A taste of compassion: Downtown Colorado Springs restaurant offers meals at no charge for the food insecure 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. A Colorado Springs-based credit union and Colorado bank thats been swept up in a merger must pay millions of dollars in refunds to customers who were overcharged on certain loans, according to a release from Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser on Monday. Air Academy Federal Credit Union and Compass Bank which is now part of BBVA and soon to be PNC (NYSE: PNC) must refund auto loan customers who purchased guaranteed automobile protection add-ons to an automobile loan. If the vehicle is wrecked, the protection pays off the difference between what the insurance will pay, fair market value, and the remaining balance on the loan. If the loan is paid off early, or the car is repossessed, financial institutions must refund any remaining unearned (protection) payments, according to Colorado law. Compass agreed to pay more than $1.68 million in refunds to Colorado consumers. The Pittsburgh-based PNC will complete the buyout of BBVA, based in Houston, by November after finalizing the $11.6 million cash deal. PNC now has more than $560 billion in assets and can serve retail customers and business clients in 29 of the top 30 largest markets in the country, according to a news release. Air Academy is currently working to determine what it owes to customers, which involves a manual review of lending files that could take several months, according to Weisers release. According to an email statement from the company Monday: BBVA USA is pleased to have resolved the guaranteed automobile protection (GAP) matter with the Attorney Generals Office. We look forward to continuing our efforts to serve Colorado residents with the full spectrum of their banking needs. We are committed to protecting hard-working Coloradans, especially from unfair, deceptive and illegal practices that cause them stress, hardship and financial losses, Weiser said in a statement. I am pleased that this money will be returned to Colorado residents and service members who paid for GAP when they purchased a vehicle. We will continue demanding compliance from lending institutions in Colorado to protect all consumers. Earlier this year, the department secured for Colorado consumers more than $9.5 million in refunds from Wells Fargo for failure to return unused GAP fees and $121,983 from American Assurance Corporation related to GAP coverage overcharges, the release states. Calls and emails Air Academy Monday were not returned as of the publishing of this story. Borrowers who believe they are owed a fee refund because they paid off a car loan early or did not receive a full benefit for coverage should contact the Attorney Generals consumer credit unit at uccc@coag.gov. A male victim was stabbed in the face Monday afternoon in eastern Colorado Springs, police said. The Colorado Springs Police Department responded to the 1200 block of Potter Drive about 3:40 p.m. where a male victim was stabbed in the face, officials said. The victim was unresponsive when officers arrived and several people were gathered around him. Emergency responders took him to a hospital with nonlife-threatening injuries. Witnesses told police that two female assailants stabbed the victim and slashed all four of his vehicle's tires before escaping to a nearby apartment. Police found the suspects in the apartment and another male suspect they believed was involved with the assault. Officers did not announce any arrests. Colorado Springs police say officers arrested four men suspected of ramming vehicles into several storefronts in bids to steal ATM machines. After a string of smash-and-grab ATM heists were attempted at several convenience stores in El Paso, Pueblo, and Fremont counties, a team of Colorado Springs police and other regional law enforcement agencies arrested Roger Zaragoza, Jason Spade, Steven Garner, and Anthony Higgins in connection with the robberies, authorities said. The arrests began with a search warrant on 42-year-old Roger Zaragoza, who detectives identified as a suspect in the robberies. As they executed that warrant, they found evidence tying Higgins, Spade, and Garner to the crimes, and sought arrest warrants for them as well. State corrections department officers, Fremont County deputies, and Colorado Springs police helped to track down the men, who police say were spread across Denver, Colorado Springs, and Canon City. Spade was arrested on Sept. 15, Garner a day later in Denver, and Higgins was booked on Sept. 23 in Canon City after ramming two police vehicles. Zaragoza, Spade, and Garner were held at the El Paso County jail, while Higgins was being held at the Fremont County jail. According to court documents, Higgins, Garner, and Spade were held on suspicion of burglarizing buildings in addition to other crimes, while Zaragoza was held for a firearms charge. FILE PHOTO: Gregory Conigliaro, a co-owner of the now-defunct New England Compounding Center, enters the federal court in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S., December 7, 2018. Picture taken on December 7, 2018. REUTERS/Nate Raymond John Hinckley Jr. spent 16 days on Colfax Avenue in a Lakewood motel in March 1981 before he left the Denver area unexpectedly with plans to assassinate President Ronald Reagan. Hinckley stayed in Room 29 as he plotted the crime, even asking people if they knew Jodie Foster. He talked to us all of the time, and bought us Dr. Peppers, said Kathy Lee, who was 8 years old when she interacted with Hinckley. Lees parents owned the Golden Hours Motel at 11080 West Colfax. He always asked us what our favorite movies were. We didnt know Jodie Foster. My mom said he took his stuff and left one day without checking out, and the next thing I knew, he was on the news. I said, Hey thats the guy who was staying in the motel!" Lee is now a Denver-area radio personality, a co-host on the "Rick Lewis Morning Show" on 103.5 FM. She says she remembers that Hinckleys parents paid his hotel rent. I remember the FBI were all over the motel after he tried to assassinate President Reagan. Lees parents testified at the 1982 federal trial, Lee said, answering questions about the young mans character. Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Hinckley, 66, has been living alone since his mother, JoAnn Moore, died this past July. His father, John Jack Hinckley Sr., died in 2008. The couple moved from Colorado to Virginia to be closer to their son as he went through rehabilitation. The Hinckleys move to Colorado in 1973 was a business decision. Jack Hinckley relocated his oil business, Vanderbilt Energy Corp., and the couple bought a home in Evergreen. John Jr. had graduated from high school in Dallas a year earlier and did not join his parents right away, as he was attending college at Texas Tech University in Lubbock. Hinckley Jr., the youngest of three children, eventually joined his parents in Colorado and even lived for a stint in Los Angeles, where he tried his hand at being a musician. In March 1981, Hinckley checked into the Golden Hours where, according to the FBI, he plotted Reagans assassination. On March 23, Lee said he disappeared, owing her parents around $53 in rent, met his mom at the Denver airport and flew to Salt Lake City, where he connected on a flight to Los Angeles. From there, he took a three-day bus trip to Washington, D.C. Lee doesnt know if Hinckley left any important evidence behind when he left Room 29, but she does know one thing. She doesnt think he should be given any more freedoms than he already has. Its scary to think about the planning it took to hurt people, Lee told The Denver Gazette. He tried it once. Whos to say he wont try it again? In accordance with the latest guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Park Service will be requiring employees, the public, and contractors to wear a mask while inside of all National Park Service buildings, as well as in crowded outdoor areas managed by the department. This new mandate applies regardless of vaccination status and local transmission levels of COVID-19. A man suspected of organizing a 2018 drug heist that ended in two killings saw his case go before a jury Monday morning. Marquis Hazard, 22, is accused of first-degree murder along with other crimes related to the 2018 shooting that killed 21-year-old Serena Garcia and 20-year-old Marcus Denton, both college students. Hazard, accused of being the driver and cover-up man in the killings, is being charged with murder under the complicity theory, which says he can be held responsible for the crimes for helping to commit them and cover them up. In 2018, a judge ruled hed need to stand trial for murder. During the week of April 21, 2018, prosecutors allege that Hazard, along with Nashid Rivers, drew up a plot to snatch a bag of marijuana from Denton and kill him in the process. Hazard, they said, would get a $5,000 cut for being the driver, and Rivers would pull the trigger. Rivers, 23, was found guilty of the killings and sentenced to life in prison in May. On the morning of the murders, Rivers brought Garcia and Denton to a secluded cul-de-sac in southwest Colorado Springs, near the Bear Creek dog park, to smoke weed. There, prosecutors said, he ambushed the two from the back seat, shooting both in the backs of their heads. To cover up the murders, Rivers poured gas on the bodies and in the car, setting the cabin ablaze from inside the vehicle. Hazard, prosecutors said, was sitting nearby with his girlfriend in the drivers seat of her car. The two watched Rivers, partially on fire, as he got out of the car and jumped in their own, prosecutors said. The trio then sped to a nearby Kum & Go convenience store, where surveillance video showed Hazard hastily dumping Rivers bloodstained and burned clothes in a dumpster before turning back with his girlfriend, Shailynn Ryles, for the marijuana. When they returned, prosecutors alleged, Hazard opened one of the cars doors and began rifling through Garcia and Dentons bodies. He allegedly took Garcias purse, as well as Dentons backpack, which held a gallon-size bag of weed. Hazard later posted a photo of the marijuana to his Snapchat story, asking if anyone was interested in buying. On Monday, prosecutors cited cell service tracking of Hazards phone and fingerprints left on a discarded Apple charger near Garcias car to place him at the scene of the crime. They also cited a text message sent to Hazard by Rivers minutes before the killings saying he was planning to dome, which prosecutors said was a term used in video-game culture to mean shoot in the head, Denton and Garcia before leaving. Hazard, they said, replied, For sure. But Hazards attorneys on Monday argued that the biggest thing Hazard was guilty of was trusting Rivers, whom Hazard had met by playing online shooter games, and whom hed only met a handful of times in person. They said Hazard didnt know the plan was to kill Denton or Garcia, and went along with Rivers after the murders had been committed because Rivers pointed the blood-stained murder weapon at Hazard and his girlfriend, and the two feared for their lives. He didnt know any of that was going to happen, Beau Worthington, one of Hazards lawyers, said during opening statements on Monday. He was scared. Hazards trial is expected to span over the next two weeks. Rivers, Hazards attorneys said, isnt expected to appear as a witness. Digital twin platform enlisted to cut energy footprint in Brooklyn Navy Yard When the New York City-area Brooklyn Navy Yard is renovated, digital twin technology will help with reducing carbon emissions. As part of the New York City 2030 District, a private/public partnership to spur sustainable innovation and progress in Downtown Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan, Cityzenith will develop digital twins for a group of buildings, systems and infrastructure in the 225-acre Brooklyn Navy Yard. The project will start with Building 77, a 1 million square-foot warehouse that was recently renovated for commercial use. With SmartWorldOS, Cityzeniths platform for designing, building and managing complex, large-scale building projects, city planners will have access to digital twin technology providing more than a billion geo-tagged smart data layers and annotation and visualization tools for custom reports and analysis. The project will automate real-time energy monitoring, onsite renewable power generation and buying carbon offsets in a comprehensive and accurate solution using digital twin technologys ability to aggregate, visualize and analyze 3D (space) + 4D (time) data and correlate efficiencies, Cityzenith founder and CEO Michael Jansen said. The ultimate goal will be to reduce the energy footprint, which Jansen said can be achieved through green building retrofits. Although this can be an expensive and tedious process, he noted that investing 10 cents per square foot on retrofits will yield $3-$5 in savings per square foot, with the dividends coming in just three to five years. Today, many property owners turn to green building retrofit consulting services which are labor-intensive, costly, and not risk-free, a Cityzenith blog post stated. The Brooklyn Navy Yard digital twin project will seek to automate these currently manual services in a single easy-to-use solution that is more comprehensive, more accurate, and much less expensive. With cities producing more than three quarters of the global carbon footprint and buildings accounting for 50-70% of that an increasing number of governments, including the state of California, New York and Washington, D.C., have set green building mandates. It's a huge global problem as we seek a more efficient and sustainable model for our urban planning, and construction must catch up with the pace of emissions reduction in other industries such as manufacturing, Jansen said. Fortunately, digital twin technology is accelerating to provide much-needed solutions to these issues. The company has pledged to donate its SmartWorldOS digital twin platform to 100 cities to help them meet their carbon reduction commitments. According to a recent report from ABI Research, more than 500 digital twins are expected to be deployed in urban areas by 2026 and city planners can expect to save $280 billion by 2030. Naval Postgraduate School tests 5G maritime solutions The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) and AT&T will develop and test 5G and edge computing-based maritime solutions for potential use in national defense and homeland security. Under a three-year collaborative research and development agreement, high-speed, low-latency AT&T 5G networking and edge computing capabilities will support 5G-focused experiments incorporating artificial intelligence, data analytics, the internet of things, machine learning, robotics and smart base solutions. Experiments will be conducted as part of NPS Sea Land Air Military Research (SLAMR) program, which facilitates maritime experiments with emerging technologies in different physical environments, at its main campus and a beach lab in Monterey Bay, Calif. The work started in July 2020 and ends in July 2023, with 5G expected to go live in the middle of 2022. We provide expertise related to the operational environment and problem set, said Ray Buettner, associate professor of information science at NPS. AT&T brings in their networking expertise, and then together with other companies and industry and governmental entities and universities, well go after some of the hard problems and hopefully accelerate new capabilities for the warfighter. An example of those hard problems is navigating a large environment in a conflict with, say, China, Buettner said. The Pacific Ocean is vast and more than 2,000 islands are scattered around the region. We have to learn to learn to create bubbles, if you will, of consistent, reliable communications and connect to computing assets, especially if they want to take advantage of things like artificial intelligence that are closer to the warfighter, to the battlefield, he said. To go after those kind of problems, we need to really understand the potential of technology like 5G and network companies like AT&T. Although 5G is relatively short-range, reaching about 1,500 feet from a tower, Buettner said he believes it can be useful for integrating those bubbles to support activities such as virtual reality and AI on vessels at sea. For instance, a 5G node could be put on a buoy, and the natural motion of the waves could generate the electricity to power the node. Another area of study is control of drones and other autonomous aerial, surface and underwater systems. In 2017, NPS was leading the world in developing drones, he said. We actually demonstrated the capability to fly swarms of up to 50 vehicles, each one completely independent and operating on its own no human operators, Buettner said. But the networking technology to support large-scale deployment of that really wasnt sufficient in the 4G world. Whats really important is the autonomy unmanned and uncrewed vehicles that are able to now connect at higher speeds with lower latency on these 5G networks, added Lance Spencer, client executive vice president-defense at AT&T. That helps as they want to improve the command and control of vehicles over the water. For SLAMR, signals are not going to be sent underwater because the physics of that are totally different, he said. This exercise about the ability of aerial and submergible vehicles to connect when on the surface or in the air. SLAMRs goal is to create a command and aquatics operations facility for localized, unmanned aerial, surface and underwater robotic vehicle activity. That facility and its experimental vehicles would be connected and powered by AT&T networking capabilities. This is not the Defense Departments first foray into 5G. In October 2020, it announced a $600 million contract for 5G experimentation and testing at five installations, including smart warehousing at Naval Base San Diego. On Sept. 21, DOD tapped Verizon Public Sector to deliver its 5G Ultra Wideband mobility service to seven Air Force Reserve Commands. I think the value of a lot of this prototyping and experimentation and collaboration that were seeing in DOD -- and that NPS is clearly taking a leadership position on -- will prove the viability of providing [5G] capability, Spencer said. This research project will create a wider aperture to perhaps deploy at more of a scale, applying the lessons to any industry that relies on safe passage across water such as commercial, transportation, shipping, oil and gas, he said. Editor's note: This article was changed Sept. 28 to remove a speculative remark. Re: Re: Calling all USC Marshall MBA Applicants: 2022 Intake [Class of 202 [ #permalink VikasVala wrote: Do we need to have TOEFL score while submitting the application for Marshall? Is there a waiver if UG degree medium of Instruction was English? Tell us what you would want your learning team to know about you. If you could go anywhere in the world with Darden, where would you go and why? Charlottesville has a renowned film festival, book festival and vibrant music scene. What is your favorite film, book or song? List up to three hobbies or interests you enjoy in your free time. What is your short-term, post-MBA career goal and why? :Describe the most important professional feedback you have received and how you responded to this feedback. Optional Essay: A final note: UVA Darden 2017 Application Deadlines : 12:00 p.m. EST (noon) 12:00 p.m. EST (noon) If you would like professional guidance with your UVA Darden MBA application, please consider Accepteds MBA essay editing and MBA admissions consulting or our MBA Application Packages , which include advising, editing, interview coaching, and a resume edit for the UVA Darden application. Related Resources: If you like the idea of constantly being thrown into the decision makers role, using the case method to navigate real-life business situations, then you may want to consider applying to the University of Virginias Darden MBA program. Darden is the second-largest case publisher in North America, and because of Dardens commitment to the case study method, a Darden student will examine over 500 business cases throughout the course of their 2-year Darden MBA studies.Many applicants will make the mistake of sweating over their one Darden application essay and then carelessly complete the rest of the application form. Darden actually has several short answer sections in its online application that provide applicants more room to demonstrate to the admissions committee that they are a great fit with the Darden program. Here are all of the questions that Darden asks in its application, with my tips in blue.(100 words max)Darden is one of the smaller MBA programs, with 324 students in the class of 2016. That class size means that every single students needs to be congenial: theres just no room for a jerk at Darden. Applicants who share an example here of contributing to a team during a difficult situation, through a crisis, or just with a specific set of talents or personality traits will be offering the Admissions Committee the opportunity to truly envision them in a Darden learning team (50 words max)Darden has an array of international experiential learning programs and expects every one of its students to take part in at least one global opportunity during their 2 years in the program. This is a very small space, so applicants should use it to identify a location somewhere in the world that excites them, then explain the unique opportunity to learn or make a difference that they envision there.(15 words max)Theres no room to explain your choice here but you can pique the Admissions Committees interest with your selection.(10 words each)Do you run for an hour every day (showing your drive and commitment)? Do you enjoy preparing elaborate meals for friends and relatives every weekend (showing your sociability and creativity)? Heres your chance to give the Admissions Committee some insight into what you do when you are not at work so they can start imagining the role you will play on campus.(150 words)You have room here for 2 small paragraphs to explain your expected path after you graduate from Darden. If your goals are seen as unachievable for example, investment banking or consulting industry aspirations despite having a low GMAT score or a pharmaceutical general management ambition despite having no background or education in that field then you will have weeded yourself out of the class. Darden also has a few fields to which they send most of their students; if you wish to stray greatly from them, you will need to demonstrate your ability to tap your own connections and network to help pave that path as 15% of 2015 Darden graduates did.(500 words maximum)Dardens Assistant Dean of Admissions Sarah Neher has a nice explanation of what kind of story they are looking for in this video . She is very clear that applicants need to select a situation from their professional experiences and demonstrate that they listen to their managers about how they can improve their performance.There are two ways that applicants can approach this essay to find the right example worth sharing. The first is to try to refer back to your performance reviews or any particular conversations you had with a professional mentor or manager to remember some of the feedback you received. The second is to think about some of the greatest stretch roles you have pursued and think backward to the mentor or manager who nudged or encouraged you to pursue them. You can find more guidance on demonstrating the ability to accept feedback here Darden also offers applicants the opportunity to share additional information in a short 250-word Additional Comments space:If there is further information you believe would be helpful to the Admission Committee, please provide it.If you have any gaps in your experience, you may address them here. Alternatively, you may use this space to share your affinity for Darden or any details from your background that will entice the Admission Committee to meet you.Dardens online application form has no word limit for your job description in the Employment History, and a 1500-character limit to describe each activity in the Community Activities Since College section. While I would not recommend detailing every single project youve worked on in these sections, these spaces do certainly allow more detail than many other schools applications, which tend to be more parsimonious with their character limits in these sections. I recommend using some of the allotted space to describe your most significant initiatives, roles, and impacts to compensate for the limited essay space.***Disclaimer: Information is subject to change. Please check with individual programs to verify the essay questions, instructions and deadlines.***All applications for the full-time, residential MBA are due byon the deadline day. All decisions are released aton the decision release day. Jennifer Bloom has been a consultant with Accepted for 17 years and a Certified Professional Resume Writer since 2005. She is an expert at crafting application materials that truly differentiate you from the rest of the driven applicant pool. If you would like help with your applications, Jennifer can suggest a number of options that work with any budget. Want Jennifer to help you get accepted? Click here! This article originally appeared on blog.accepted.com Applying to a top b-school? The talented folks at Accepted have helped hundreds of applicants get accepted to their dream programs. Whether you are figuring out where to apply, writing your application essays, or prepping for your interviews, we are just a call (or click) away.Contact us, and get matched up with the consultant who will help you get accepted " " The U.S. biotechnology company Moderna announced its experimental COVID-19 vaccine has a 94.5 percent efficacy rate in its phase 3 clinical trial. STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images A medical breakthrough that could save thousands of lives and effectively quash the deadliest pandemic in more than a century is imminent, it seems. And all it took to reach this point besides the incalculable pain and suffering of millions of people worldwide was the talent of a veritable army of scientists, a push in the back and some crafty maneuvering by the U.S. government, a good idea that wouldn't go away, and billions and billions and billions of dollars. "The amount of resources that are being applied to this is just unprecedented," says Jim Richardson, the senior scientific liaison at U.S. Pharmacopeia, a 200-year-old scientific nonprofit that establishes federally enforced quality standards for, among other products, vaccines. "Billions of dollars have never been, in such a short time, applied to a problem of this magnitude, even with H1N1 and other things that have happened over the years. This has really spurred a lot of a variety of different platforms that people have been working on for a long time." Dozens of companies, using several different scientific methods, have been gobbling up those government dollars (and quite a bit of private capital, too) in order to create a vaccine to stop the coronavirus that's behind the pandemic. It's obviously important work: The virus that causes COVID-19 has infected (as of this publishing) more than 56 million people in the world and killed more than 1.3 million. It's responsible for more than 250,000 deaths in the U.S. alone. Two of the companies, in particular, that are trying to create a COVID-19 vaccine have stood out from the competition by employing a bold, still unproven process. This time, it just might work. Advertisement Fast-tracking a Vaccine Before the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 reared its spiky head early in 2020, creating vaccines was a painstaking, yearslong process. The mumps vaccine was rolled out in 1967 in what is considered the fastest implementation in history. It took four years. The vaccine for this coronavirus (officially, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, or SARS-CoV-2) is on a much, much faster track, for a few reasons. One, scientists have seen a virus like this one before: The SARS outbreak in 2003 infected more than 8,000 people worldwide and killed nearly 800. This SARS-CoV-2 virus, it turns out, is 80 percent identical in genetic material to the one in 2003. All researchers needed this time was to see how this virus was different from the last one. The Chinese scientists who discovered the SARS-2 virus in January mapped its genomes almost immediately and provided everyone a text file of its complete set of DNA. Two, the pair of companies leading the race for a vaccine Moderna, which is in partnership with the National Institutes of Health, and Pfizer, which is working with a German firm, BioNtech finally seem to have perfected a once-dismissed idea for a vaccine to attack the virus. The new method of making a vaccine (more on that below) is simply much quicker than the old one. And three ... well, those billions and billions of dollars certainly lit a fire. " " A volunteer in Hollywood, Florida, receives a COVID-19 vaccine during the phase 3 vaccine clinical trials. CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images Advertisement The New Vaccine and the mRNA Way To understand these new vaccines, you have to understand the old ones. Traditional vaccines typically use a weakened (or attenuated) form of the offending virus to nudge along a person's natural ability to combat sickness. The "dead" virus is injected into the body, the immune system kicks into high gear to fight it, and when the real virus attacks, in best-case scenarios, our bodies are ready for it. Moderna and Pfizer are using something different, something called synthetic messenger ribonucleic acid mRNA instead of a virus to do the same thing: push our bodies into producing antibodies to attack and neutralize the spiky coronavirus before it hooks onto healthy cells and gets us sick. Brilliant? Sure. But potentially, it's way more than that. It's game-changing. Lifesaving. You've probably heard of DNA, that double-helix molecule found in every cell that contains your unique genetic code. But mRNA? As its name flat-out states, it's a kind of messenger. From Moderna's site: mRNA is a single-stranded molecule that carries genetic code from DNA in a cell's nucleus to ribosomes, the cell's protein-making machinery. "If DNA is the big instruction manual for the cell," Paula Cannon, an associate professor of microbiology at the University of Southern California's Keck School of Medicine, told NBC News, "then messenger RNA is like when you photocopy just one page that you need and take that into your workshop." " " Both Pfizer and Moderna's vaccines work with mRNA technology, which is different from traditional vaccines. This chart from Vanderbilt University compares the two. Vanderbilt University/CC BY-SA This is how an mRNA vaccine works: Scientists target the "spikes" on the coronavirus they're actually proteins that enable it to latch onto healthy cells. (By the way, it's called a coronavirus because these spiky protrusions look like coronas ... something that suggests a halo, or crown. And COVID-19, also by the way, is shorthand for coronavirus disease 2019 .) The synthetic mRNA in the new vaccines carries the code for this spiky protein. It's introduced into a healthy body, where it takes this message and joins up with the protein-making ribosomes in cells to manufacture the spiky proteins. That prompts our bodies to produce antibodies to kill these strange proteins, especially when they come attached to a real, invading coronavirus. Without their spikes, the coronavirus can't live and reproduce. End of story. The advantages of the mRNA method are many. On the business end, it's cheaper to produce a bunch of mRNA strands than it is to grow a bunch of viruses, kill them off and build a vaccine around them. Without all those labor-intensive and time-eating steps, it's faster, too. On the health side, mRNA is probably less dangerous than infecting people with a weakened or dead virus. And, best of all, according to the latest data, it may be more effective. The disadvantages ... well, there are some. The biggest: It's never been done before. mRNA technology, though it's been around for at least a couple of decades, has never been used in a vaccine. It's got a lot of proving to do. " " mRNA is one type of RNA found in the cell. It's made in the nucleus and then exported to the cytoplasm where the translation machinery binds to these mRNA molecules and reads the code on the mRNA to make a specific protein. National Human Genome Research Institute Advertisement What Lies Ahead Late-stage testing on Moderna's and Pfizer's work, as of mid-November 2020, has been exceedingly promising. Both the Pfizer and Moderna mRNA vaccines have proven better than 90 percent effective. Moderna, which enrolled 30,000 adult U.S. participants, reported that just five of the 95 total COVID-19 cases occurred among the vaccinated the other 90 infections were from the placebo group. That equates to a 94.5 percent efficacy rate. None of the infected patients who received the vaccine developed severe COVID-19. Pfizer saw similar results in its phase 3 trial. In the trials the vaccines also seemed to do more than simply ward off COVID-19. They have shown that they may reduce the rate of infection, too, keeping those with the virus from spewing it to others around them. Both companies are expected to apply for something called an Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. If granted, they'll ramp up production on the vaccines. Millions of doses might be available by the end of 2020 and, if everything goes right, several billion could be ready by the first half of 2021. Hurdles remain. Manufacturing must increase at levels never before attempted. (Most vaccine candidates now in late-stage trials take two doses to be effective.) Shipping and storing these mRNA vaccines must be ironed out. The Pfizer mRNA vaccine requires it be stored at -94 degrees Fahrenheit (-34 degrees Celsius), and it degrades after about five days at temperatures of just above freezing. Moderna's however, supposedly can be stored at 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit (2 to 8 degrees Celsius) for up to 30 days, and remain stable at -4 degrees Fahrenheit (-20 degrees Celsius) for up to six months. Determining who's first in line what countries, which people is, in many places, still to be determined. In the meantime, other companies are deep in research and development using mRNA and more traditional methods to bring vaccines to market. Some 54 vaccines are in clinical trials in humans, according to The New York Times, and at least 87 are in preclinical trials in animals. "The mRNA methods, now that we have the efficacy numbers, are now in the lead," Richardson says. "But there are many different candidates. There will likely be multiple vaccines that are licensed and available to the public. Who knows what the landscape will be in a year? We may have five or six or more to choose from, just like flu vaccines. And because you need so much, you need multiple manufacturers." The pace has been breathtaking. Faced with one of the deadliest outbreaks of disease in many lifetimes, the government and private sector have joined forces to come up with a possible answer in record time. And what we've learned may help us handle the next virus that comes along. "The speed, the number of vaccine development corollary effects bioprocessing, knowing how to scale up, the coordination with the regulatory bodies like FDA and other organizations across the world I think those will pay benefits for years to come," Richardson says. NOW THAT'S INTERESTING The first vaccine is believed to have been developed for smallpox somewhere around 1500 or 1600, though some believe it was much earlier. The Chinese may have begun the practice by taking a scraping of a smallpox sore and either rubbing the infected matter into the arm or blowing it into the nostril of a healthy person. " " John Muir in 1902, at around age 64. Library of Congress To conservationists, outdoor enthusiasts, and wildlife lovers, John Muir's name evokes countless connotations. Known as an explorer, farmer, inventor, writer, and more, the Scottish-born naturalist made a lasting impact on the landscape of the United States, and his legacy lives on in all corners of the country. Born on April 21, 1838 in Dunbar, Scotland, Muir immigrated to the U.S. with his family at the age of 11, first settling in Fountain Lake, Wisconsin, and then relocating to Hickory Hill, a farm near the city of Portage, Wisconsin. Muir learned discipline at an early age: His father insisted that he and his younger brother work the family land each day, and as the young Muir explored the surrounding countryside, he developed an affinity for the natural world. But Muir also had a taste for innovation, and as a young man, began inventing various tools and objects, including a device that literally tipped him out of bed before dawn. In his memoir, Muir described the "early rising machine" as "a timekeeper which would tell the day of the week and the day of the month, as well as strike like a common clock and point out the hours; also ... have an attachment whereby it could be connected with a bedstead to set me on my feet at any hour in the morning; also to start fires, light lamps, etc." Muir first drew attention for his imaginative creations when he took his inventions to the state fair in Madison, in 1860. Later that year, he started his education at the University of Wisconsin, but left school three years later to travel his goal was to explore the raw, untouched land of the northern states. Muir sustained an injury in 1867 that changed the course of his life while working at a carriage parts shop in Indianapolis, an awl pierced his right eye and he temporarily lost sight in both eyes. The fear of permanently losing his vision spurred Muir to shift gears, personally and professionally he abandoned the industrial world and decided to further explore Earth's natural wonders instead. Some speculate that it was while he was recovering from his injury that he first heard about Yosemite. Advertisement Protecting the Natural World from "Progress" Harold Wood, a John Muir scholar, presenter and author, who is also a long-time environmental activist in numerous organizations, says that once Muir recovered, he walked a thousand miles from Indianapolis to the Gulf of Mexico, sailed to Cuba, and later Panama, and eventually landed in San Francisco in March 1868. California became his new home, and from 1868 to 1874, he lived in Yosemite on and off, an experience, according to Tony Perrottet at Smithsonian Magazine, "that transformed him into a successor to Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson." During his time in Yosemite, Muir conceived of a "then-controversial theory of the glaciation of Yosemite Valley" and began to make a name for himself as a conservationist. "The mindset of the 19th century was progress," Wood says. "That meant the development and extraction of natural resources at all costs. Muir was practically unique in his views that wild places and natural resources should be protected for future generations." " " John Muir, right, with one of his best friends and environmental allies, Theodore Roosevelt. Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0) Muir began authoring a series of articles in 1874 known as "Studies in the Sierra" and left Yosemite to pursue his passion for writing in the Bay Area, traveling often to locations such as Alaska. He married Louisa (Louie) Wanda Strentzel in 1880 and the couple moved to Martinez, California, to raise their two daughters, Wanda and Helen. For the next decade, he worked with his father-in-law to manage the family fruit ranch, but eventually turned his sights back to travel and conservation efforts. Muir continued writing and drawing attention to issues like the devastation of mountain meadows and forests, and in partnership with Century Magazine editor Robert Underwood Johnson, Muir pushed for the eventual passage of an 1890 act in Congress that created Yosemite National Park. Wood says Muir was also personally involved in the creation of Sequoia, Mount Rainier, Petrified Forest and Grand Canyon national parks and earned the title of "Father of Our National Park System." "His words and deeds significantly influenced President Theodore Roosevelt's innovative conservation programs, which included establishing the first National Monuments by Presidential Proclamation, and Yosemite National Park and national forests by congressional action. One of the earliest national monuments established by President Roosevelt was Petrified Forest in Arizona, at Muir's urging," he notes. One fact Wood says most people don't know about Muir's legacy is that when Yosemite National Park was established in 1890, "Yosemite Valley was not included in the park boundaries nor was the famous Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. Yosemite Valley had been given to the State of California by a federal land grant by Abraham Lincoln in the middle of the U.S. Civil War," Wood says. "In many ways, it was mismanaged by the State of California which had trouble keeping out squatters and responsibly managing tourism, allowing wildflower meadows to be destroyed by sheep and cattle." Advertisement Founding of the Sierra Club Wood also says that Muir had the foresight to realize that he couldn't push for continued conservation advocacy alone, and that collective action would be necessary for an enduring impact on environmental protection. "That is why he agreed, in 1892, to attend the Sierra Club's organizational meeting, and agreed to become the first president of the Sierra Club, an office he held until his death in 1914," Wood says. "He was glad to be part of such an organization because, in his words, 'We will be able to do something for wildness and make the mountains glad.'" Described on its website as "the most enduring and influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States," the Sierra Club continues to "amplify the power of our 3.8 million members and supporters to defend everyone's right to a healthy world." The organization's national community of volunteers, advocates, and grassroots activists have secured the protection for 439 parks and monuments, won the passage of the Clean Air and Endangered Species Acts, and put over 281 coal plants on the path to replacement with clean energy, among other accomplishments. " " John Muir walks through Muir Woods, which was declared a national monument on Jan. 9, 1908, by President Theodore Roosevelt. GOGA Park Archives/Flickr (CC BY-ND 2.0) According to Wood, Muir spent many long years advocating for the return of Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove from California state management to be incorporated in the Yosemite National Park. "In fact, this was really the first campaign for the early Sierra Club," he says. "To this end, in 1898 the Sierra Club set up a public 'reading room' within the Valley, staffed by Muir's young colleague, William E. Colby, to help people enjoy Yosemite and to learn more about the region. In 1904, the Club built a stone visitor center in the valley, now named the Yosemite Conservation Heritage Center." Despite those efforts, it wasn't until 1906 after a 17-year campaign spearheaded by Muir and the Sierra Club that President Roosevelt signed federal legislation to return Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Grove to become part of the Yosemite National Park. "As the Sierra Club's first president, his leadership inspired many efforts that came even after his death, such as the establishment of the National Park Service in 1916, and the Wilderness Preservation System in 1964," Wood says. "His writings inspired generations of conservationists like National Park Service's first director Stephen Mather, author of the Wilderness Act, Howard Zahniser, famed photographer Ansel Adams, conservationist David Brower, and many more. This included a generation of grassroots activists throughout the 20th century who were inspired by Muir's legacy to establish a series of additional National Parks and Monuments, and many new units in the National Wilderness Preservation System." While Muir's last battle to prevent the damming of the Hetch Hetchy Valley within Yosemite National Park failed, Wood says his fight made a lasting impact on societal attitudes toward conservation efforts. "That lost battle ultimately resulted in a widespread conviction that our national parks should be held inviolate. Many proposals to dam our national parks since that time have been stopped because of the efforts of citizens inspired by John Muir, and today there are legitimate proposals to restore Hetch Hetchy, while still preserving San Francisco's water supply from the Tuolumne River. Today, there is a growing movement to remove dams which destroy native fisheries like salmon and steelhead and natural ecosystems, such as the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams in the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State." IN 1914, a year after losing the battle to protect the Hetch Hetchy, Muir died in Los Angeles following a short illness. "Perhaps his greatest legacy is not even wilderness preservation or national parks as such, but his teaching us the essential characteristic of the science of ecology, the interrelatedness of all living things," Wood says. "He summed it up nicely in his often quoted verse: 'When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe.'" Now That's Interesting In recent years, Muir's reputation has been tarnished as derogatory remarks he made about Native Americans have received renewed scrutiny. "Most media articles, when discussing Muir's views about Native Americans, ignore Muir's admiration for Alaska Natives and his charity work for southern California Indians," Wood says. He wrote about the topic in an essay for the John Muir Global Network, noting: "When one actually reads the bulk of Muir's writings rather than cherry-picking a few quotes, Muir's writings reflect a concern about how the Native tribes in California had been defiled and degraded by white culture, beginning with the Spanish and Mexicans, long before white American settlers came." " " A library manager holds (L-R) French, Finnish and Danish editions of Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf" at the Institut fuer Zeitgeschichte (Institute of Contemporary History) in Munich, Germany, Dec. 3, 2015. Matthias Balk/picture alliance via Getty Images From 1925 to 1945, more than 12 million copies of Adolf Hitler's semi-autobiographical screed "Mein Kampf" (in English, "My Struggle") were sold worldwide and translated into 18 different languages. After World War II, as humanity struggled to process the unthinkable horrors of the Holocaust, Hitler's best-seller was banned from respectable bookshelves and lurked in the popular imagination as the most dangerous and taboo of texts. In 2016, an annotated critical edition of "Mein Kampf" was reprinted for the first time since the end of the war in Germany on the day that its original copyright expired. Its release triggered heated debate over the merits of reading "Mein Kampf," even in a heavily annotated edition that actively calls out Hitler's lies. One fierce critic of the book's release, the historian Jeremy Adler from King's College London, wrote that "Absolute evil cannot be edited," echoing the verdict of many scholars and historians that "Mein Kampf" wasn't worth reading for any reason. "It's not a book that people read, including experts on Nazism," says Michael Bryant, a professor of history and legal studies at Bryant University (no relation) who wrote a book on Nazi war crimes but had never opened "Mein Kampf" before 2016. "There are not that many people who write about it and even fewer people who have actually read the damn thing." Advertisement Bad Ideas, Worse Writing As a historian, Bryant decided it was high time he read the "primary source" of all Nazism for himself. "How often do you have an 800-page book written by a political criminal of Hitler's stature?" he asks. The German 2016 critical edition ran more than 1,700 pages with all of its scholarly commentary, but Bryant says it wasn't the extensive footnotes that made "Mein Kampf" a "slog" of a read. "Hitler's not a scholar and he's not a writer," says Bryant. "His writing is so baroque and turgid and suffers from a lack of organization. If a student of mine wrote like Hitler, the red ink would be dripping off the page. 'You need a transitional sentence here! Too obscure! Too vague!'" Advertisement When Did Hitler Write "Mein Kampf"? Hitler wrote the first of his two-volume book in 1924 while imprisoned for a failed political coup. His right-wing National Socialist (Nazi) party had been banned and 35-year-old Hitler decided to use his jail time to plan his triumphant comeback. With "Mein Kampf" he hoped to consolidate the splintered right-wing movement in Germany and become its hero. In the preface of "Mein Kampf," Hitler laid out the purpose of the book, which was part political diatribe and part personal memoir (notice that even in the preface, he bristled at the influence of "the Jews"). "I decided to set forth, in two volumes, the aims of our movement, and also draw a picture of its development," wrote Hitler. "At the same time I have had occasion to give an account of my own development... in so far as it may serve to destroy the foul legends about my person dished up in the Jewish press." Magnus Brechtken is the deputy director of the Leibniz Institute for Contemporary History, the German research institute that published the 2016 critical edition of "Mein Kampf." Brechtken says that Hitler's purpose for writing "Mein Kampf" was to present himself as the person who had discovered the "key to history," which is that history is above all the struggle between different races. In "Mein Kampf," Hitler writes that: "[t]he stronger [race] must dominate and not blend with the weaker, thus sacrificing his own greatness... Historical experience offers countless proofs of this. It shows with terrifying clarity that in every mingling of Aryan blood with that of lower peoples the result was the end of the cultured people... for men do not perish as a result of lost wars; but by the loss of that force of resistance which is contained only in pure blood." In his dense and meandering prose, Hitler fills both volumes of "Mein Kampf" with his racialized view of Germany's history and his program for its purified future. If, that is, the German people recognize the Jew as their enemy and Hitler as their savior. "Hitler believed that he was the 'chosen one' to save Germany from racial destruction and the only person who had the political power, will and ruthlessness to see his program through," says Brechtken. "'I am your last chance,' he told the German people in 'Mein Kampf.' 'We are our last chance.'" Advertisement Did Hitler Invent the Racist Ideologies in "Mein Kampf"? Brechtken and Bryant agree there was nothing particularly new about the twisted, anti-Semitic worldview Hitler put forth in "Mein Kampf." The idea that Central European "Aryans" were the superior race was popularized in the 1850s by Joseph-Arthur, Comte de Gobineau, a French diplomat and armchair ethnologist who wrote the influential "Essay on the Inequality of Human Races." According to Gobineau, everything good in human civilization was created by the Aryans, the "purest" of the white races, and has been defiled through intermarriage with "inferior" blood. Next came Houston Stewart Chamberlain, an English-born music critic who respected the German composer Richard Wagner as much for his rabid anti-Semitism as his operas. In an 1899 book, Chamberlain forwarded the idea that all of history was a clash between the Aryans and the "Semites," and that only "Germanism" could rescue the world from the grips of Jewish conspirators. In "Mein Kampf," Hitler parroted Chamberlain's conception of the Jewish people as the chief opposition, writing, "The mightiest counterpart to the Aryan is represented by the Jew." According to Hitler, Jews were "parasites" who fed on the Aryan culture before undermining its superior Aryan instincts with "Jewish" concepts like Marxism and humanistic thinking. All the while, Hitler insisted, the Jew was plotting to dilute the purity of Aryan blood. "With satanic joy in his face," wrote Hitler, "the black-haired Jewish youth lurks in wait for the unsuspecting girl whom he defiles with his blood, thus stealing her from her people." Anti-Semitism is ugly on its own, but when Hitler was in Austria, he also learned how to employ anti-Semitism as a political tool. Rejected from art school, young Hitler peddled postcards in the streets of Vienna, where he absorbed the rhetoric of the Austrian politician Georg von Schoenerer. Von Schoenerer wanted to see the creation of a "Pan German" state that absorbed the Germanic parts of Austria, and he successfully used the Jews as both a scapegoat and enemy of his cause. When Germany lost World War I, Hitler and other German nationalists blamed the defeat on "back-stabbing Jews," Marxists and other leftist elements in German politics. The alleged culpability of the Jews in Germany's demise was a repeated theme throughout "Mein Kampf" and offered "proof" that the Jews were the enemy of the pureblood German Aryan. " " The flyleaf of an original edition of "Mein Kampf" by Adolf Hitler. Roger Viollet via Getty Images Advertisement Are There Premonitions of the Holocaust in "Mein Kampf"? While Hitler doesn't explicitly call for the mass extermination of Jews in "Mein Kampf," as he would as part of the Nazis' murderous "Final Solution," Bryant believes that there is a clear throughline from 1924 to 1941. "My thinking about the Holocaust has really changed because of steeping myself in 'Mein Kampf,'" says Bryant. "I'm much more receptive to the idea, which I didn't entertain before, that Hitler was already thinking about murdering the Jews in the 1920s." There are generally two schools of thought on who was responsible for planning the Holocaust, Bryant explains. On one side are the "Functionalists," who argue that Hitler didn't plan or even order the Final Solution, but that it was executed by lower-level functionaries who thought they were fulfilling Hitler's wishes. On the other side are the "Intentionalists," who say that Hitler was plotting the Holocaust from the very beginning, and simply waited for the opportune moment to execute his genocidal plan. Bryant was largely swayed by the evidence put forth by the functionalists, until he read "Mein Kampf" which at its heart, Bryant says, is "a revenge book." "It seethes with anger and resentment toward the Jews," says Bryant. "Obviously, I wasn't surprised that Hitler was an anti-Semite. I was surprised by the sheer rancorous, poisonous quality of his invective against the Jews. It's the single most important theme of 'Mein Kampf' bar none." Hitler makes it clear, particularly in the racialized history laid out in chapter 11 of volume one, that the very fate of the German people, of this superior, but weakened Aryan culture, depended on how Germany dealt with its "Jewish question." "It's a theme that runs from page 1 to page 850 of 'Mein Kampf' this idea that the Germans are facing a life and death situation, a battle for the existence of their national lives," says Bryant. "If something isn't done about the Jews, then Germany will perish from the face of the earth. It's not a metaphor; it's the future he prophesied." Advertisement Should You Read "Mein Kampf"? Which brings us back to the question that scholars and history buffs have been asking for more than half a century: Is there value in reading this poisonous book that sowed the seeds of genocide? Magnus Brechtken, whose institute published the controversial critical edition in 2016, says yes. If you want to prevent another Holocaust, you need to know how it all began, with a poorly written manifesto scribbled in a jail cell. "How else can you analyze what happened in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s if you don't look at the motives of those who were acting at the time and committing those atrocities?" says Brechtken. "If you understand why they did it and how they achieved it, you have a much better chance of preventing anything like that happening again." Adam Gopnik, a longtime staff writer at The New Yorker, agreed in a 2016 article. He wrote: "[Hitler] didn't invent these arguments. He adapted them, and then later showed where in the real world they led, if taken to their logical outcome by someone possessed, for a time, of absolute power. Resisting those arguments is still our struggle, and so they are, however unsettling, still worth reading, even in their creepiest form." Now That's Confusing Amazon, under pressure to stop selling Nazi books, briefly banned the sale of "Mein Kampf" in March 2020, only to bring it back a week later. " " Wikimedia Commons The Sandman as drawn by Vilhelm Pedersen for the fairy tale "Ole Lukie" (Mr. Sandman) by Hans Christian Andersen, published in 1841. You know when you wake up in the morning and you have all that crusty stuff in your eyes? That's called rheum, and it's just discharge that comes out of your eyes and dries up while you're asleep. But if you were a child living in central or northern Europe a couple centuries ago, grownups would probably tell you you woke up in the morning with crusty eyelashes because the Sandman had been to your bedside, sprinkling his magical sleepy dust in your eyes, spinning the yarns of your dreams. This may or may not have been cause for alarm. Have you ever tried to get a little kid to go to sleep? It can be one of the most aggravating experiences of your life because much of the time you're more tired than the child whose bedtime it is. What strategies work best for lulling kids into dreamland? Conventional wisdom says you should sing them a song or tell them a story. This was most likely how the Sandman came to be: a character made up by parents for the purpose of tranquilizing their children. Advertisement But just like our relationship with a rowdy, sleepless child is complicated, the figure of the Sandman isn't all magical, benevolent snooze dust. It turns out, as much as the Sandman is to sleep as Santa is to gift giving, Sandman's shadow side is at least as conspicuous as Santa's penchant for shady, around-the-clock surveillance and the distribution of switches and coal to naughty kids. "It's a bit difficult to trace his origins because stories about the Sandman are part of an oral tradition," says Dr. Maria Tatar, professor of German Studies, Folklore, and Children's Literature at Harvard University. "I don't think you can trace the Sandman to Denmark or Germany. I feel confident that there are similar figures in other cultures because so many of the jolly, child-friendly creatures are shadowed by a disciplinary evil person. Who invented the Sandman? Who knows!" 18th-Century Origin The Sandman's first foray onto the page was in 18th-century German dictionaries, which briefly described the German idiom "der Sandmann kommt" "Sandman is coming" which was used to tease particularly sleepy-looking children. The first story about the Sandman and his doings was published in 1818 by German writer E.T.A Hoffman. "Der Sandmann" begins with an exasperated nurse telling a story about a mythical creature who throws sand in the eyes of little children who won't go to sleep, causing them to fall out of their sockets. The Sandman then collects the eyeballs in a sack and carries them to his home on the dark side of the moon, where he feeds them to his children. "'Der Sandmann' became an important story in psychoanalytic circles because Freud made so much of it in his essay 'The Uncanny,'" says Tatar. "Hoffman's story is a fairy tale for grownups, really his Sandman is this dark, predatory monster. It definitely wasn't written for children." In 1841, Hans Christian Andersen published a fairy tale (that was meant for a young audience) called "Ole Lukie" Ole being a Danish first name and Lukie translating to "shut your eye." The eponymous character, always dressed in silk pajamas and carrying a groovy colorful umbrella, is never referred to by Andersen as the Sandman, but "The Sandman" is the title most English translations assign to the fairy tale. "It is a very strange story," says Dr. Jacob Bggild, a professor in the Hans Christian Andersen Center at the University of Southern Denmark, in an email. "Andersen's Ole seems to be a benevolent figure, but he does introduce the boy in the story, called Hjalmar, to death and sexuality. But he does not throw sand into the eyes of children, he squirts milk into them! Apart from that, it is not a story with a regular plot but more of a sequence of dreamlike tableaus." It should be mentioned that at the end of Andersen's story, Hjalmar discovers Ole Lukie has a brother who, instead of coming night after night to our bedsides, bringing dreams, only visits each person once, bringing Death. His name is also Ole Lukie. "What's interesting about the Sandman stories is they remind me a bit of the children's verses and lullabies we sing to children which are soothing and gentle, but there's a stark, violent side to them, too," says Tatar. "Somehow it seems to mirror our ambivalence towards children. We adore them and want to tell them gentle, lovely stories, but they drive us crazy at times. We and especially our ancestors resorted to cautionary and disciplinary tales like Little Red Riding Hood, in which the wolf will eat you up if you stray from the path. In the Hoffman story, if you don't go to sleep, the Sandman's going to come and scratch out your eyes." And if strong-arming children into settling down to sleep isn't why the European parents and nurses of old told cautionary bedtime stories, maybe it's because they wanted to prepare their little ones for life's hardships. "The unusual thing about the Sandman is, he's a lot bigger than you are there's no defeating him," says Tatar. "You can't face him down like you can the villains in fairy tales. There's no happily ever after except falling asleep, giving in. He can't be beheaded or trapped or tricked like other villains. It's hard to distinguish fairy tale, myth, legend and all of that, but in a way he belongs more to the realm of myth than fairy tales." Now That's Interesting "Mister Sandman," a 1954 pop song by The Chordettes, is used in the closing credits of the 1981 slasher film "Halloween." When used appropriately, antibiotics play a major role in restoring the health of cows, calves, and heifers on dairy farms. Thats the very reason that the National Dairy FARM Program has partnered to support Kansas State University in developing an antibiotic stewardship use survey for dairy producers. Take this important antibiotic use survey by following this link: kstate.qualtrics.com Like other livestock industries, the dairy industry is under growing pressure to improve transparency surrounding antibiotic use. The input we receive from dairy farmers via this survey will serve as a valuable resource for university researchers who are collaborating with FARM in discussions on national policies related to antibiotic use on dairy farms. Ultimately, the purpose of this short survey . . . which includes 12 questions that take about nine minutes to answer . . . is to better understand dairy producer perceptions of antibiotic stewardship and their willingness to contribute to a dairy antibiotic use database. Most importantly, the survey is anonymous and provides you with an opportunity to influence dairy antibiotic use monitoring in the U.S. To comment, email your remarks to intel@hoards.com. (c) Hoard's Dairyman Intel 2021 September 27, 2021 China has continued its bitcoin crackdown by making all cryptocurrency transactions illegal. The Chinese central bank issued a statement on Saturday, seeking to clarify a joint notice from regulators in May which told financial institutions to step away from all cryptocurrency activity, signalling an end to the countrys involvement in the speculative digital assets. In recent years, bitcoin and other virtual currency transaction hype activities have prevailed, disrupting economic and financial order, breeding money laundering, illegal fund-raising, fraud, pyramid schemes and other illegal and criminal activities, seriously endangering the safety of people's property, the Peoples Bank of China said on the weekend. Direct and derivative cryptocurrency transactions, the use of crypto tokens to raise capital, and all crypto trading are now classed as illegal financial activities and are strictly prohibited. Cryptocurrency mining using computers to find cryptographic hashes on blockchain networks has been banned, and it is now illegal for international cryptocurrency exchanges to service Chinese residents. Bitcoins price took a dive off the back of the Chinese crackdown, dropping from nearly $62,000 per coin to $56,600 in less than eight hours early on Saturday morning, according to CoinGecko, before returning to hover around the $60,000 mark. Jonathon Miller, Australian managing director of cryptocurrency exchange Kraken, expected the pricing effects of China's crypto crackdown to be minimal. "China has cracked down on the cryptocurrency industry countless times over the past decade," he said. "While it can sometimes be difficult to comprehensively divine market forces, its increasingly likely the market had already priced in a China crypto crackdown and is now inured to it." The Chinese central bank said it was one of 10 government departments, including the Central Cyberspace Administration of China and the Ministry of Public Security, implementing the prohibition. Industry was quick to respond to Chinas ban, a sign it was taking the local laws seriously. Huobi, an exchange that was originally founded in China but which expanded overseas in 2017 during the ruling partys last major cryptocurrency crackdown, said on Sunday it was ceasing new registration for Chinese accounts and will gradually retire accounts from mainland China. Chinese retail giant Alibaba said on Monday that it would no longer allow merchants to sell cryptocurrency mining equipment, citing the regulatory squeeze. Hardware, software, and tutorials for obtaining virtual currencies will be banned from the platform starting next Friday and specific blockchain miner categories will be removed from its online marketplace. PwCs Crypto Leader, Henri Arslanian, called Chinas latest prohibition the most serious and coordinated ban so far. This time there is no ambiguity, he said in a Twitter thread. Crypto transactions and crypto services of all kind are banned in China. No room for discussion. No grey areas. It will be interesting to see if this has an impact on crypto ownership. Whilst courts in China have previously recognised crypto as property, it will be interesting to watch if that changes. Chinas hardline approach to crypto has been running parallel with its development of a national digital currency, the eCNY, which is has slowly been introduced to people through a lottery system. The establishment of a eCNY along with the cryptocurrency ban sets up the state with even greater control and surveillance of its citizens, economist George Selgin told the New York Times. This is really about establishing a state monopoly in payments, Selgin said. The most obvious implication is that the state will have more opportunities to monitor citizens economic activity. Chinas hostile attitude toward cryptocurrency is diametrically opposed to the likes of El Salvador which earlier this month began accepting bitcoin as legal tender. In Australia, the government is looking closely at cryptocurrency regulation with the intention of protecting consumers without stifling blockchain innovation. Accreditation of financial-services firm Eftpos as Australias first accredited non-government digital identity provider will provide a standardised, secure way to verify the identities of individuals and businesses online, officials said in announcing the companys certification under the Trusted Digital Identity Framework (TDIF). That certification reflects the success of Eftpos in demonstrating that its connectID service is trustworthy, safe and secure and has met strict usability and accessibility requirements, Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business Stuart Robert said in announcing the certification. A safe, thriving digital economy is not possible without identity a safe, secure and convenient way for Australians to prove their identity online. TDIF imposes a range of strict controls on identity providers, who must demonstrate requirements around accessibility and usability, privacy protection, security and fraud control, risk management, technical integrity, and more. The certification process took months of rigorous assurance evaluations and privacy and security testing, Eftpos CEO Stephen Benton said, calling the certification a significant and tangible milestone in the rollout of Australias digital identity ecosystem. To maintain the certification, TDIF-accredited organisations must demonstrate its continuing compliance by undergoing annual assessments that include independent privacy impact assessments; independent security assessments; and ICT penetration testing. They must also develop, maintain and refine organisational policies and practices aligned with Australian government requirements including the Protective Security Policy Framework (PSPF), Information Security Manual (ISM), Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and a range of cybersecurity controls built around the Australian Cyber Security Centres Essential Eight security mitigations. Robert linked to the expansion of the Australian Government Digital Identity system, although noting that Eftpos is not currently seeking to operate as part of that system. Proving your identity online Eftpos is the first private company to meet the strict TDIF requirements, joining Services Australia as the only entities certified as identity exchanges under the framework. As an identity broker, connectID allows online government, e-commerce, and other service providers to confirm the identity of customers by linking to identity providers organisations that securely hold identity data in real time. This layered structure reflects the intentions of the Consumer Data Right (CDR) by allowing consumers to control who can access their data by interfacing directly with identity providers and granting or withholding consent for data to be shared. That means online companies can use the framework to better identify themselves and their customers online, potentially addressing issues such as verification of new financial-services customers, recruitment, limiting access to gaming, and more. The system would also support age-verification systems such as the one the eSafety Commissioner is currently investigating to manage access to online pornography. The connectID framework is already being tested with organisations including Australia Post, Yoti, and several state governments for uses such as police checks, age verification for online liquor sales, and validating licenses for heavy equipment operators on mining sites. The creation of an Australian digital identity system... is a foundation stone in a modern digital economy, said Eftpos Digital Identity managing director Andrew black, who said the new system reduces friction, delays and cost while automating and boosting safety and compliance for individuals businesses and government services. Eftpos, which processes over $300 million worth of transactions daily through its nationwide debit-card network, has been leaning on its point-of-sale expertise to extend itself into online transactions. It began developing connectID last year, and this year negotiated a three-way merger with BPAY Group Holding and NPP Australia that will reshape Australias digital-payments infrastructure. The ACCC this month approved that merger, subject to a number of conditions, with ACCC chair Rod Sims concluding that the merger is likely to result in public benefit, by placing [payment providers] in a better position to deliver payment service initiatives more quickly and successfully, for the benefit of consumers and businesses. The first job is the hardest to get. Image: Shutterstock For years now, government, industry, and recruitment agencies have been claiming there is a technology skills shortage. But what is the real story behind the skills shortage? And what needs to change to improve the Australias IT workforce? In part three of this four-part series, Information Age takes a look at those who have come from overseas to study and work in IT, only to find themselves shut out. Last year, Mourita graduated with a Bachelor of Computer Science from an established Melbourne university. Despite majoring in in cyber security a field we are told has high market demand she still hasnt found a full-time job. The problem, she told Information Age, is that most entry level job postings say they require a few years of experience something she doesnt yet have. I dont dare apply for half the jobs that are supposed to be entry level because of the unrealistic experience they require, she said. The ones I do apply for dont even take the time to respond and tell me what is wrong with my application. Is it my resume, my skills, or that I dont have prior experience? How much experience should I need for an entry level job anyway? Of course, theres always graduate positions; internships that provide extra workforce training, a new network of contacts, references, and valuable experience. But when I look online and see these roles, I find I dont fit the eligibility criteria because applicants need to be an Australian citizen or permanent resident. Mourita came to Australia from Bangladesh in 2018 after finishing high school. She was one of nearly 400,000 international students who were enrolled in a higher education program that year. International students pay a lot of money for the privilege of studying at an Australian university. At the university from which Mourita graduated, an international student pays nearly four times that of eligible domestic students (who can defer their contributions through low interest HECS-HELP loans). When Information Age spoke to Mourita, she was clearly frustrated. Why was her expensive university degree not enough to land a job? And what ever happened to the skills shortage? Im at a stage where if I dont find a job I might not be able to stay here for long, Mourita said. When youre in that situation, your skills dont matter because you just have find something to get by, maybe thats job at McDonalds or driving Uber. She wants to see more Australian organisations take a chance on IT applicants who may not have a picture-perfect resume. I want people to have have faith in these Australian universities, trust that that we have gained the skills, if not the experience, and take the time to have a one-on-one conversation, she said. The tech is always going to change, so dont look for the skills, look for the people; train the right people and they will get the skills in time but you have to give them time. Migrant story Aravind has found himself in a similar situation. He also completed his bachelors in ICT last year but hasnt been able to get a job. Like Mourita, he has neither the requisite experience to get a job, nor the requisite paperwork to get a graduate role. Companies see interns as an asset, people they can train up and keep around for years afterward, Aravind told Information Age. But when you are an international student like me, they cant take you because theres no guarantee that you will stay in the country, no matter what you say. Its really hard. You need some kickstart to get into the IT field in Australia so you can have the experience and apply for jobs. Once enthusiastic about his prospects as a business analyst, Aravind said his rate of job applications has slowed to a crawl in recent months. His will has been gradually broken down after countless silent rejections at a time when, by all accounts, organisations are desperate for people with his skills, qualifications, and desire to work. It was Aravinds parents who recommend he study abroad after high school. Looking through his options in the Anglosphere, Aravind ruled out Canada and the UK (for being too cold) and the US (for being too dangerous), before finally settling on Australia. Like many migrants, Aravind faced some significant cultural differences especially when it came to different modes of learning but he completed his undergraduate course and is keen to carve a life for himself in the land down under. What motivates me is the friends I studied with back in India have all finished their studies, placements, and have started with different companies. So, if they can do it, so can I. Aravinds career pathway has changed dramatically in the past twelve months. He now has his sights set on generalised IT positions, just to get his foot in the door. Ive messaged the manager of my current jobs IT department, told them I have completed my qualifications and asked if they can help me get an internship, he said. I dont care if its paid or unpaid. I just want to get some general experience so I can make a start. His workplace recently agreed to let Aravind take on a internship unpaid, and part-time to fit around his work schedule, but with a small allowance for travel and food. Now hes just waiting to finalise the arrangement. From IT professional to cleaner Like Aravind and Mourita, Jonas initially struggled to find work in Australia. He was an established IT professional in Brazil and initially travelled to Australia to learn English. Despite previously working in business administration at a major Brazilian telecommunications company, Jonass first couple of years in Australia saw him working as a cleaner, dishwasher, and waiter. Its pretty challenging for your mindset coming from a position as a professional to washing dishes, but because of language I had to start a new life, get new skills, and the right visa before I could work full time, Jonas told Information Age. I was growing a lot and gained more life understanding. But I knew my time would come so I kept living and embraced the process. Jonas has a profound respect for education that he says come from being brought up in a poor community where organised criminals ran amok. After discovering that five months wasnt enough time to learn English, he decided to stick around for nine more. An avid learning, Jonas then wanted to add a second masters degree to his repertoire, this time in enterprise resource planning. Confident his career experience would eventually pay dividends in Australia, Jonas was patient and persistent in his efforts at getting a local job. His skills were needed, he knew that, he just needed to find an employer willing to take him on in the end, that employer was a South African migrant who had been in his shoes 15 years earlier. Im lucky because of my profile as a billing analyst and I was able to find a company that was desperate for someone with my skills, Jonas said. They had been looking for a long time before coming across me, and I was easily able to understand what they needed and develop the right processes. In Brazil, the technology level was actually higher than in that job. There, it was paperless but not here. With my skill level and experience back home, it was easy to demonstrate I was a great asset and I was offered a full-time position after six months as a contractor. Jonas now works for one of Australias largest retailers and lectures at Victoria University in Sydney. He said migrant workers and international students can often find themselves in a difficult cycle: unable to get permanent residency because they cant get a job relevant to their skills, and unable to get a relevant job because they dont have permanent residency. A lot of my students ask about finding a job here and I tell them its going to be difficult, Jonas said. Finding your first job in Australia is really difficult. But if you persist through you will find you are a big fish in the market. "After that first job, life is so much easier. In the final part of this series, we'll look at people who have taken different approaches to IT and what the skills shortage means for them. Step aside, Mount Panorama: flying-car pioneer AirSpeeder is leaning on Telstras technical expertise to build a completely new racing format that will see pilots fighting to complete aerial circuits using full-sized electric flying cars. The extreme, close proximity Airspeeder EXA Series will see pilots controlling full-scale Alauda Aeronautics flying cars by remote control, sitting in mocked-up cockpits from which every movement is transmitted to the fast-moving flying cars in real time. Created with the support of South Australias concentration of space tech and aerospace engineering, the uncrewed multicopters, Airspeeder says, have a larger thrust-to-weight ratio than an F-15 fighter jet requiring quick reflexes that explain why pilots have been sourced from aviation, motorsport and gaming fields. Consultants with Telstra Purple the company's special-projects consulting arm will be deeply involved in the project over the next 12 months, helping Airspeeder develop the link between the pilots cockpits and the flying vehicles using private 5G networks set up at three remote racing sites around the world. Because 5G networks offer high speed and extremely low latency, the fast-moving vehicles will be able to respond almost instantly to control signals sent by the pilots. Each pilot in the race is given an identical vehicle, reducing confounding factors and ensuring that the competition is about pilot skill only. Like the collision avoidance systems fast becoming standard within modern automobiles, the flying cars use LiDAR and radar powered virtual forcefields that detect other nearby vehicles and automatically divert the vehicles, ensuring they dont collide in mid-air. The flying vehicles are riddled with sensors, generating terabytes of data that will be relayed back from the vehicles and stored in an AWS cloud environment for close analysis by engineers. Airspeeders EXA supporting environment combines real-time telemetry, the 5G race communications network, a real-time telemetry data visualisation platform, and a range of applications including the fan-experience aspect The Airspeeder in action. Photo: Supplied For a technical sport like this, its going to be fundamentally data driven from the ground up, said Telstra Purple digital transformation executive Paul Nicholls, noting that the architecture would also support fully immersive 5G powered spectator experiences such as augmented reality and virtual reality representations of the action. The technologies will enable a new way of experiencing what is essentially a next generation of sporting events, he said, noting that more traditional content-driven sports are being augmented with real-time telemetry data to create a new mixed-reality environment as was seen at this years 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Testbed for the real thing Alauda Aeronautics is one of numerous contenders to commercialise the flying cars, having completed the first test flights of its Mk3 electric flying racing car near Adelaide in June. And for all the fun of the competition, the project also serves a bigger purpose as a testbed for eventual manned electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, as flying cars are formally known. The Mk3 vehicles contain robot aviators that mimic the movements of their human pilots, providing performance data that will help engineers understand how the vehicles would respond if they had an actual human sitting in them. This information, in turn, will help refine safety mechanisms for eventual manned electric cars a longer-term goal that Airspeeder CEO Matthew Pearson said has remained a motivator for everyone involved. Apart from the fact that youre going a little bit too fast, he explained, a race environment is quite a benign environment for proving technologies pushing technology to its limit in a controlled way. Ongoing R&D was helping the fast-evolving industry tackle significant hurdles, he said, noting still-evolving battery technologies and regulators efforts to keep up with the fast-changing technologies. Battery technology is not quite there to make things easy for the industry, Pearson explained, but we believe its coming. And there are regulatory hurdles because the vehicles are being invented while the regulators are trying to figure out how you regulate new aircraft. Amid concerns about potential cyber attacks, the industry has moved rapidly towards flying cars this year, with Hyundai and Uber building a flying taxi fleet and Uber choosing Melbourne as its only non-US site for testing flying taxis. We believe all of the challenges are solvable, Pearson said, but in the meantime, the technology is there and its proven enough. We want to hasten that and ensure there is acceptance around the future as well. In July, rural NSW Narromine Shire Councils Narromine Aerodrome precinct welcomed flying-car developer AMSL Aero as an anchor tenant. Communications providers like Telstra will be critical to supporting the broader flying-car ecosystem, Pearson said, with extensive R&D and billions of dollars being poured into work around ensuring every flying vehicle can be guided between skyports and vertiports. Leveraging Telstras 5G network and technologies into that ecosystem really becomes important to work out how we can take big steps forward by pressing the edges of whats possible, said Nicholls. This technology really has the way to transform the way we move around cities, and accelerating mobility technology for mass benefit. Whatever weve done today is going to continue in different forms as we move forward. Thanks for registering! Be sure to verify your new user account in the next 24 hours, by checking your email and clicking the "verify" link. This article has been saved into your User Account, in the Favorites area, under the new folder " ". 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 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. Karen Bass to Enter Race for L.A. Mayor Congresswoman Karen Bass is the newest candidate to enter the Los Angeles mayoral race. Bass officially announced her candidacy in a tweet on Sept. 27, that proclaimed, With my whole heart, Im ready. Lets do this together. Im running for mayor. Her website is live karenbass.com and volunteers and donations are being recruited as supporters across the city holler shouts of cheer. Also on the web, Bass cited the impetus behind her campaign. Karen is running for Mayor because she knows that solving the crisis of homelessness means developing a comprehensive approach that addresses the immediate crisis along with the root causes: lack of affordable housing, health care, access to job opportunities, and residential alcohol and drug treatment, reads her vision statement. ADVERTISEMENT There are no simple answers, but Karen has the experience, values, and support to get the job done, it concludes. Many people, especially those who have urged Bass to run for mayor, will welcome those words. In addition, she already enjoys immense popularity throughout the city and that admiration crosses ethnic, gender and age lines. As a result, Bass enters the race as one of the leading candidates to capture the mayors office and extremely qualified for the position, according to several observers. Congresswoman Karen Bass is the leader our city needs. She meets the challenges we face with action, from founding Community Coalition to fighting for us in Congress during an unprecedented pandemic and national reckoning for social and racial justice Karen continues to be an effective coalition builder who is committed to solutions that serve in the best interest of our communities, L.A. County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell said. She is also no stranger to overcoming crises having led the state through the greatest economic downturn since the great depression as the first Black woman Speaker of the California Assembly. As we face the uncharted territory of recovering from a global pandemic, there is no one I trust more to lead Los Angeles. I wholeheartedly support my friend and our champion for justice, Karen Bass, to be our next mayor, she passionately stated. California State Senator Sydney Kamlager-Dove provided a similar assessment about Bass qualifications to serve as mayor. The people of Los Angeles deserve bold, compassionate, and progressive leaders at every level of government. We need someone who can find consensus at any table and build solutions for all constituents, insisted Kamlager-Dove. Congresswoman Karen Bass is the one this city has been waiting for, which is why she has my full-fledged support and endorsement in the L.A. Mayoral race. L.A. Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, a longtime friend of Bass, remarked, Ive worked with many talented leaders over the years. Karen Bass is unparalleled in commitment to social and economic justice, unmatched in effectiveness and without peer in tenacity. We face unprecedented compounded challenges in our City. Its time for all-star leadership. I cant wait for Angelenos to propel her into the role of Mayor, he expressed. ADVERTISEMENT She has the character, track record, the understanding of the issues and the leadership qualities needed to guide this city into the future, L.A. Councilmember Mark Ridley-Thomas said about Bass in an August 2021 Sentinel interview. Her candidacy for mayor is compelling. She is already a history maker and if she were to become mayor, she would make history again, he declared. The Rev. J. Edgar Boyd, pastor of First AME Church of Los Angeles, highlighted the unique insight Bass will bring as mayor because she is a native of the city. Recalling how his parents grew their own food instead of buying it at commercial markets, Boyd said that he adopted the philosophy that home grown is always best. Raised up in the Venice/Fairfax community of Los Angeles, educated in secondary, collegiate, and graduate institutions located in Los Angeles, Karen Bass has seen what Los Angeles has been, what it has become, and I believe she fully understand what this city needs to focus on and positions its resources toward in best serving the largest and most expansive population in California, explained Boyd. Karen took her home grown skill sets to the California Assembly in Sacramento, and then, for over six terms, she has served in the halls of the U.S. Congress with distinction, representing the 37th Congressional District on issues of youth safety, international relations, public policy, neighborhood crime and racial justice. I am supporting Karen Bass, because I believe that when looking to fill the mayoral seat in Los Angeles, home grown is always best, Boyd stressed. Bass, who is currently the U.S. representative for Californias 37th congressional district, has attained nationwide stature since being first elected to the office in 2011. Earlier this year, she was named as a possible vice presidential candidate and after U.S. Senator Kamala Harris was selected, Bass was among those considered as her replacement. Her achievements in the House of Representatives are considerable, which further contributed to her stellar reputation. She chairs the House Foreign Affairs Sub-Committee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations and the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security. In 2018, Bass was elected chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. Prior to her congressional career, she served six years representing the 47th District in the California State Assembly. Bass made history in 2008 when she became the first African American woman in the country to be elected as Speaker of a state legislative body. During her tenure, she was honored with the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for governance during the Great Recession that occurred from 2007-2009. Bass entry into politics was preceded by her career in grassroots organizing, which was illustrated by her founding of the Community Coalition. She initially formed the organization to reduce the number of liquor stores in minority neighborhoods, provide meaningful outlets for young people and assist individuals suffering from substance abuse issues. Since starting in 1990, the group has become one of the most influential and resourceful nonprofits in South L.A. All of the experience that Bass has gained will be put to the test if shes the successful candidate for mayor, and based on her vision posted on her website, she is up for the campaign. The potential of Los Angeles is limitless. Los Angeles can be a city where all people have access to quality health care. Los Angeles can be a city where its economy one of the most robust, intricate and complex economies in the world can work for everyone, the statement says. Los Angeles can be a city where everyone can afford housing, where everyone can be paid livable wages, and where services and resources are provided to help get folks who may have stumbled, back on their feet. Bass goes up against a diverse group of Democratic opponents. They include L.A. City Attorney Mike Feuer, L.A. Councilmembers Joe Buscaino and Kevin de Leon, businessman Mel Wilson, and Jessica Lall, president/CEO of the Central City Association, a business advocacy organization. The primary election is slated for June 7, and the general election is scheduled for November 8, 2022. Germanys center-left Social Democrats won the biggest share of the vote in the countrys election Sunday. The party narrowly beat outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkels center-right Union bloc. The closely fought race decides who succeeds the long-time leader of Europes biggest economy. Election officials said early Monday that a count of all 299 constituencies showed the Social Democrats received 25.9 percent of the vote, ahead of 24.1 percent for the Union bloc. No winning party in a German national election has ever taken such a small share of the vote. Now, it is up to party leaders to decide who will follow Merkel after her 16 years in office. The first-placed party usually leads German governments, but that is not always the case. The first-placed party can find itself in opposition if other parties form a coalition without it. That happened in 1976 and 1980, when then-Chancellor Helmut Schmidt stayed in office even though his party finished second. There is no system for forming a new government, and no time limit. Parties hold talks to find out who and what they have in common, and a combination of parties can move on to official coalition talks. Those negotiations usually create a coalition agreement that sets out the new governments plans. The plans need approval from congresses of the parties involved. Once a coalition is ready, Germanys president nominates to the Bundestag a candidate for chancellor. To become chancellor, the candidate needs support from a majority of all members. Sometimes the first two attempts to elect a chancellor with a majority fail. If this happens, the German constitution permits the president to appoint the candidate who wins the most votes in a third vote. The constitution also permits the president to dissolve the Bundestag and hold a new national election. That has never happened. When Will Merkel Step Down? Merkel and her outgoing government will remain in office as a caretaker until the Bundestag elects a new chancellor. The outgoing coalition holds the record for the longest time taken to form a government. The Bundestag elected Merkel for her fourth term on March 14, 2018. That was nearly six months after Germany held its election on September 24, 2017. What Parties are Involved? Four parties can possibly form a new government. The result will be a coalition that has a majority of seats in parliament. Germany has no tradition of minority governments, which are usually seen as unstable. The Social Democrats are the biggest party. Even they, however, failed to get a majority. They won 206 of the 735 seats in parliament. The Social Democrats want to build a coalition with the environmentalist Greens and the business-friendly Free Democrats. The Union party could also form a government with those two parties. The possible Social Democrats coalition is known in Germany as a traffic light coalition. That is because the three parties colors are red, green and yellow. The possible Union-led coalition is known the Jamaica coalition because the parties colors of black, green and yellow are the colors of the Jamaican flag. It may not be easy to form either coalition, however. The Greens in the past have mostly allied themselves with the Social Democrats. The Free Democrats have usually allied with the Union. The Free Democrats and Union are against raising taxes and want Germany to loosen its rules on debt. The Social Democrats and Greens want to raise taxes for top earners and increase the minimum wage. There is one other possible resulting coalition. There could be a repeat of Merkels outgoing grand coalition of the Union and Social Democrats, but this time under the Social Democrats leadership. This group of politicians has run Germany for 12 years of Merkels 16-year leadership. This years voters, however, do not appear to want that result. Im Jonathan Evans. The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. _______________________________________________ Words in This Story dissolve - v. to officially end unstable adj. not held in a secure position minimum wage - n. the legal minimum an employee can pay an employee We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, and visit our Facebook page. Yael Ronen (Hebrew University of Jerusalem - Hebrew University, Faculty of Law, Minerva Center for Human Rights; Academic Center for Science and Law, Hod Hasharon) has posted On Prisoners, Family Rights and Collective Punishment: The Namnam Case (2019) ([2021] International Review of the Red Cross) on SSRN. Here is the abstract: This article examines the 2019 decision by the Supreme Court of Israel (the Court) in the Namnam case, upholding the ban on family visits to Gaza prisoners incarcerated in Israel and affiliated with Hamas. This measure was adopted as part of Israels attempt to pressure Hamas into an exchange of Palestinian detainees and prisoners against missing Israeli civilians and the bodies of Israeli soldiers, apparently being held by Hamas in Gaza. The Court examined the measure primarily in light of Israeli administrative law, and held that it had no grounds to intervene. It held that an analysis under international law would have yielded the same result. This article examines the decision of the Court in light of the applicable international law. It considers the Courts decision in terms of the permissible restrictions on the right to family life and draws on the Courts reasoning for an in-depth analysis of various unarticulated aspects of the prohibition on collective punishment. The article concludes that an international human rights law (IHRL) analysis might have led to a different outcome, and that had the Court applied the prohibition on collective punishment properly, it would have had to declare the measure unlawful. The article then places the decision in the broader context of the Courts engagement with international law in disputes relating to Palestinians residing in the West Bank and Gaza. FILE - In this Sept. 24, 2013 file photo, Dina Lohan leaves court in Hempstead, N.Y., after pleading not guilty to drunken driving charges. Lohan pleaded guilty to drunken driving on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021, and is expected to be sentenced to 18 days in jail and five years probation for rear-ending another car on Long Island and leaving the scene. Credit: CC0 Public Domain The Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius has seen a dramatic surge in COVID-19 infections over the past week, but almost all are symptom-free, officials said Monday. Mauritius recorded 1,067 new cases last weekabout a third of the 3,528 declared since the new coronavirus was first detected there in March 2020, according to official figures. "Cases are increasingly asymptomatic, which has led to a relaxation of controls. As many as 99 percent of cases are asymptomatic," said Zouberr Joomaye, spokesman for the National Communication Committee (NCC), the body in charge of monitoring the pandemic. "Everything is under control, the many quarantine centres are by no means overcrowded and there are no deaths or people seriously affected." Joomaye said most infections had occurred in schools, businesses or dormitories for foreign workers. And the authorities have ruled out a link between the increased caseload and the limited opening of borders to international travel this month. After long months of isolation from the outside world, Mauritius began welcoming international tourists again on July 15. But only vaccinated holidaymakers with a negative PCR test are allowed in, and they have to be confined to "bubbles" in their hotels or resorts for a 14-day quarantine before being allowed further afield. Mauritius, a nation of 1.3 million people, began its anti-COVID vaccination drive at the end of January with the goal of immunising 60 percent of the population by the end of the year. Joomaye said 40 percent of Mauritians had received two doses, and 50 percent one shot. While the pandemic has largely spared Mauritius, its tourism-dependent economy has been hit hard. It plans to open fully to foreign travel from October 1. Explore further Mauritius records 2 new COVID-19 cases after monthlong lull 2021 AFP Cancer cell during cell division. Credit: National Institutes of Health A new research study at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center-Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute (OSUCCC-James) turns cancer scientists into molecular detectives, searching for clues for why certain cancers are able to spread and evolve by studying tissues collected within hours of death. Led by Dr. Sameek Roychowdhury, this unique clinical research studyknown as the Rapid Cancer Research Autopsy Trialallows scientists to gather biological samples after a patient's death to conduct research otherwise not possible, with the goal of better understanding how the cancer cells overcame different treatments. "As patients undergo cancer treatment, and in some instances, succumb to their disease, there's limited opportunity to understand their cancer and what made it so lethal and what took their lives," said Roychowdhury, a medical oncologist and researcher with the OSUCCC-James Translational Therapeutics Program. "The rapid autopsy program allows us to sample every site of cancer in the body. This can help us understand how the cancer cells overcame different treatments and then go back to the drawing board to develop better therapies targeted to different genes and types of cancer." For this Pelotonia-funded study, patients consent during life to donate biological samples upon death for the purposes of cancer research. When the patient passes, researchers rapidly mobilize to perform an autopsy before tissues degrade. Samples are preserved to "freeze/pause" the tissue characteristics at that moment so that they can go back to the lab and identify potential genetic mutations or cellular characteristics that could explain why therapy stopped working, in hopes of guiding future therapies. Study findings impacting cancer care Since the trial's launch in 2016, the OSUCCC-James rapid research autopsy team has performed 55 autopsies. Data gathered from these autopsies has already led to novel findings about drug resistance mechanisms for a recently approved, novel targeted therapy called infigratinib, marketed as Truseltiq. This drug targets FGFR2 gene mutations known as fusions in cholangiocarcinoma and other cancer types. The team recently published findings in the medical journal Lancet: Gastroenterology & Hepatology from a single-arm, multicenter, phase 2 study of the drug infigratinib in previously treated patients with locally advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma, a rare and difficult-to-treat form that occurs in the bile duct. Results showed meaningful impact on tumor response and led to the FDA-approval of this therapy for cholangiocarcinoma and these specific FGFR2 fusions in May 2021. Going beyond cholangiocarcinoma, OSUCCC-James investigators are enrolling patients to a phase 2 study of infigratinib for patients with other cancer types that harbor FGFR gene mutations. This study was designed and developed by the OSUCCC-James team as an investigator-initiated trial in partnership with the drug development industry. Roychowdhury notes this study could provide evidence that more patients with FGFR gene mutations could benefit from new therapy approaches that directly target FGFR. "This represents a strong potential new therapy option for diseases that have limited treatment options," Roychowdhury said. "We are so humbled by our patients' selflessness by participating in research that will help others. It is a legacy of hope and exciting to see both precision cancer medicine and the research autopsy trial translating into discoveries at the patient's bedside." Roychowdhury says his team is continually humbled by patients' eagerness to help advance research in any way possible, even if those discoveries will not come in time to eradicate their own disease. "Everyone on our team sees it as a privilege and duty to care for them in that research study and to use that autopsy to help others as that patient would have wanted," he said. "We're understanding how to better take care of patients with cancer, find better ways to develop therapies and to understand biology. But even more rewarding is the fact that almost every single family member has said to me how grateful they are that their loved one could be part of the study." Explore further Study suggests new strategy for treating advanced, progressing bile duct cancer More information: Milind Javle et al, Infigratinib (BGJ398) in previously treated patients with advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma with FGFR2 fusions or rearrangements: mature results from a multicentre, open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study, The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology (2021). Milind Javle et al, Infigratinib (BGJ398) in previously treated patients with advanced or metastatic cholangiocarcinoma with FGFR2 fusions or rearrangements: mature results from a multicentre, open-label, single-arm, phase 2 study,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/S2468-1253(21)00196-5 Associate Professor Aude Fahrer. Credit: Jamie Kidston/ANU A low-cost, non-toxic cancer treatment has been developed by researchers at The Australian National University (ANU). The treatment uses dead bacteria to help kick-start the immune system and shrink cancer. Lead researcher Associate Professor Aude Fahrer says an ongoing Phase 1 clinical trial at The Canberra Hospital has shown positive results and could improve outcomes for patients living with cancer. "We've treated eight patients as part of this trial," Associate Professor Fahrer said. "They were all late-stage patients, but in one case in particular we were able to significantly improve the patient's quality of life. The treatment reduced the amount of liquid around their lungs and was able to shrink one of their cancers. The best things about this new treatment are that it requires few dosages, is simple to administer, and has low side effects. It is also extremely low cost. We are looking at around $20 a dose, whereas the cost of other immunotherapies can run to $40,000. This makes the treatment accessible for patients in developing countries." The bacterial-based immunotherapy is simple, if a little unconventional. "It involves injecting a slow-release solution of dead mycobacteria directly into the cancer," Associate Professor Fahrer said. "The idea is this will bring immune cells into the cancer to attack the bacteria, even though they're dead, and as a side effect cause the immune cells to attack the cancer as well. Once the immune cells multiply they can travel around the body, so it would not only attack the cancer at the injection site, but any metastaseswhere the cancer has spread to another part of the body." A second clinical trial at The Canberra Hospital has already been approved. Associate Professor Fahrer says it has been a lengthy process to get to this point, with generous support from the Canberra community enabling the research and the trial to go ahead. "We're especially grateful to everyone who has donated, including those who donated through the Lea Chapuis Memorial Fund," Associate Professor Fahrer said. "Lea was a family friend who knew about this project and wanted to be part of our trials, but sadly became too sick to participate. Lea asked people to contribute to the research in lieu of flowers when she passed away." The study was a collaboration between Associate Professor Fahrer and her team, The Canberra Hospital Cancer Centre, The University of Queensland's School of Veterinary Science, and researchers in Switzerland. Their findings have been published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer. Explore further Combination immunotherapy for advanced bowel cancer approved for NHS in England More information: Christina S E Carroll et al, Simple and effective bacterial-based intratumoral cancer immunotherapy, Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (2021). Christina S E Carroll et al, Simple and effective bacterial-based intratumoral cancer immunotherapy,(2021). DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2021-002688 In this Sept. 14, 2021 file photo, a syringe is prepared with the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at a clinic at the Reading Area Community College in Reading, Pa. Businesses that have announced vaccine mandates say some workers who had been on the fence have since gotten inoculated against COVID-19. But many holdouts remaina likely sign of what is to come once a federal mandate goes into effect. Credit: AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File Businesses that have announced vaccine mandates say some workers who had been on the fence have since gotten inoculated against COVID-19. But many holdouts remaina likely sign of what is to come once a federal mandate goes into effect. Even before President Joe Biden's Sept. 9 announcement that companies with more than 100 workers would have to require vaccinations, dozens of companies, including Amtrak, Microsoft, United Airlines and Disney issued ultimatums to most workers. And smaller companies in New York, San Francisco and New Orleans have been required to implement mandates for customers and workers. Some mandates seem to have converted hesitant workers. United Airlines said 97% of its workers have been vaccinated even before its deadline took effect Monday. But employers are still dealing with holdouts. Alternatives for those employees include weekly testing, working remotely or away from other staff, or ultimately, termination. The federal mandate will cover as many as 100 million Americansprivate-sector employees as well as health care workers and federal contractors. It is a high-stakes gambit by the president to boost the vaccination rate in the U.S. About 77% of American adults have had one dose of the vaccine, according to the CDC. Akash Kapoor, founder of the Curry Up Now Indian restaurant chain, implemented a vaccination requirement for employees and customers of his location in downtown San Francisco in August. Kapoor said more than 90% of his employees are vaccinated, with one or two per store refusing. He's making unvaccinated workers get tested twice a week. "It lets the employees who are vaccinated feel safe," he said. Alejandra Segura, 28, a senior learning and development coordinator at Curry Up Now, said she was worried about having a bad reaction to the vaccine, so she held off. But the chain's vaccination mandate spurred her into action, and she received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Sept. 20. "It's a good thing we're required to get the vaccine, to ensure people's safety," Segura said. "The experience says these mandates do move the needle quite a bit on employees' willingness to get vaccinated," said Laura Boudreau, an assistant professor at Columbia University who studies labor issues. She believes that only a tiny fraction of employees will quit likely those already close to retirement and who strongly distrust vaccines. The Biden administration has said that companies will face $13,600 fines per violation and mandatory weekly testing will be the alternative to being vaccinated. The question of whether employers or the government will pay for mandatory tests has yet to be answered. Regulations from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, the office charged with implementing the mandate, will be drafted over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases are surging in the U.S. The seven-day average COVID-19 deaths climbed above the 2,000 threshold last week for the first time since March. And this week, a number of state deadlines arrive for health care workers to get vaccinated, raising fears of worsening staff shortages in hospitals and nursing homes if some opt to quit or get fired or suspended. A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that about 59% of remote workers favor vaccine requirements in their own workplaces, compared with 47% of those who are currently working in person. About one-quarter of workersin person and remotewere opposed. People commute through the World Trade Center, Friday, July 9, 2021, in New York. Businesses that have announced vaccine mandates say some workers who had been on the fence have since gotten inoculated against COVID-19. But many holdouts remain, a likely sign of what is to come once a federal mandate goes into effect. Credit: AP Photo/Mark Lennihan United's vice president of human resources, Kirk Limacher, said that more than half of employees who were unvaccinated when the company announced the requirement on Aug. 6 have since gotten the shots. Workers must receive full vaccination by Oct. 31 but can request exemption for medical or religious reasons. If the request is denied, they have five weeks to comply with the vaccination mandate. Pilot unions at American and Southwest are asking the Biden administration and Congress to have the option of weekly testing or showing immunity by previously contracting COVID-19. The president of the American Airlines union warned that "mass terminations" of unvaccinated pilots could cause a shortage of pilots during the December holidays. Neither American nor Southwest has said whether they will require vaccination or offer testing as an alternative. Delta Air Lines stopped short of requiring vaccination but said that starting in November, unvaccinated workers on the company health plan will pay a $200 monthly surcharge. Delta's chief health officer, Dr. Henry Ting said that about 20,000 employees weren't vaccinated when the company announced plans for the surcharge. In the past month, nearly 9,000 of them received at least one shot. About 82.5% of Delta's 75,000 employees are fully vaccinated. Fewer than five workers have sought a medical exemption and no one has asked for a religious one, Ting said. "The first 20,000 were very eager, and we got to about 70% (vaccinated) rather quickly," Ting said, but the remaining unvaccinated employees "are a very different group." Ting said the holdouts are more likely to be Black, brown or younger than the first group. "Many of them are not anti-vaxxers," he said. "They were on the fence, they're scared, they want to make their own decision on their own timeline." Some other big companies who have announced rules requiring in-office workers be vaccinated now or in coming weeks include Google, McDonald's (U.S.-based office workers), Microsoft, and Goldman Sachs, among others. Amtrak last week pushed back its deadline for all workers to be vaccinated by three weeks to Nov. 22. Currently about 60% of its workers have had at least one shot. Meatpacking giant Tyson Foods, whose workforce has been hit hard by the coronavirus, is requiring all of its workers to be vaccinated by Nov. 1. About 80% of Tyson's more than 100,000 workers have received at least one dose of the vaccine, up from 50% when it announced the mandate on Aug. 3. The company has introduced incentives for workers to get the vaccine. It's poultry division is running a lottery, once a week for five weeks, for $10,000 each week for workers who have received at least one dose of the vaccine. New York began enforcing a vaccine mandate for certain businesses on Sept. 13. Art Depol said that about 16 of his 24 staffers at Mooyah Burgers, Fries & Shakes in Times Square were already vaccinated, three got the vaccine when it was required, and five refused. Depol is working on setting up weekly testing for the unvaccinated workers so he can keep them on the schedule. "It's so difficult to find good people right now, I don't want to lose the good people I have over this." Explore further Amazon to mandate masks for all its workers in warehouses 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. A member of the medical staff puts on an extra pair of gloves in the COVID-19 ICU unit of the Marius Nasta National Pneumology Institute in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. Daily new coronavirus infections in Romania, a country of 19 million, have grown exponentially over the last month, while vaccine uptake has declined to worrying lows. Government data shows that 91.5% of COVID-19 deaths in Romania between Sept. 18-23 were people who had not been vaccinated. Credit: AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda In a packed intensive care unit for coronavirus patients in Romania's capital, Bucharest, 55-year-old Adrian Pica sits on his bed receiving supplementary oxygen to help him breathe. "I didn't want to get vaccinated because I was afraid," he said. Around 72% of adults in the 27-nation European Union have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but a stubbornly low uptake of the shots in some eastern EU nations now risks overwhelming hospitals amid a surge of infections due to the more contagious delta variant. "Until now I didn't believe in COVID-19," Pica, who said his early symptoms left him sweating and feeling suffocated, told The Associated Press. "I thought it was just like the flu. But now I'm sick and hospitalized. I want to get a vaccine." Bulgaria and Romania are lagging dramatically behind as the EU's two least-vaccinated nations, with just 22% and 33% of their adult populations fully inoculated. Rapidly increasing new infections have forced authorities to tighten virus restrictions in the two countries, while other EU nations such as France, Spain, Denmark and Portugal have all exceeded 80% vaccine coverage and eased restrictions. Stella Kyriakides, the EU's health commissioner, said the "worrying gap" on vaccinations needs urgently addressing. Slovakia, Croatia and Latvia have vaccinated around 50% of all their adults. But jab uptake in many Central and Eastern European countries has remained weak or declined. A man breathes through an oxygen mask at the COVID-19 ICU unit of the Marius Nasta National Pneumology Institute in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. Daily new coronavirus infections in Romania, a country of 19 million, have grown exponentially over the last month, while vaccine uptake has declined to worrying lows. Government data shows that 91.5% of COVID-19 deaths in Romania between Sept. 18-23 were people who had not been vaccinated. Credit: AP Photo/Andreea Alexandru In Norway, which has vaccinated around 70%, authorities on Saturday scrapped restrictions that Prime Minister Erna Holberg called "the strictest measures in peacetime." Nordic neighbor Denmark lifted virus restrictions on Sept. 10, while the U.K. has also abandoned most pandemic restrictions due to high vaccine rates. In contrast, at Bucharest's Marius Nasta Institute of Pneumology, the ICU's chief doctor, Genoveva Cadar, says its beds are now at 100% capacity and around 98% of all its virus patients are unvaccinated. "In comparison to previous waves, people are arriving with more severe forms" of the disease, she said, adding that many patients in this latest surge are younger than in previous ones. "Very quickly they end up intubatedand the prognosis is extremely bleak." Daily new coronavirus infections in Romania, a country of 19 million, have grown exponentially over the last month, while vaccine uptake has declined to worrying lows. Government data shows that 91.5% of COVID-19 deaths in Romania between Sept. 18-23 were people who had not been vaccinated. A man is incubated at the COVID-19 ICU unit of the Marius Nasta National Pneumology Institute in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. Daily new coronavirus infections in Romania, a country of 19 million, have grown exponentially over the last month, while vaccine uptake has declined to worrying lows. Government data shows that 91.5% of COVID-19 deaths in Romania between Sept. 18-23 were people who had not been vaccinated. Credit: AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda On Sunday, 1,220 of Romania's 1,239 ICU beds for virus patients were occupied. In many cases, only death was freeing up ICU beds. At the Marius Nasta Institute, a mobile ICU on hospital grounds stands empty because there aren't enough medical workers to staff it. "I don't know how we're going to get over the next period, but we're definitely going to be here," hospital manager Beatrice Mahler told the AP. "We're going to do everything we can (but) we don't have a winning recipe." Vlad Mixich, a Romanian public health specialist, told the AP that a "historic distrust of authorities" together with what he said was a very weak government vaccination campaign has contributed to the low vaccine uptake among his compatriots. "During the vaccination campaign, unfortunately the politicians were the main communicators," he said, adding that a frequent turnover in the country's health ministers has had a massive impact on efforts to inoculate Romanians. Medical staff attend to patients at the COVID-19 ICU unit of the Marius Nasta National Pneumology Institute in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. Daily new coronavirus infections in Romania, a country of 19 million, have grown exponentially over the last month, while vaccine uptake has declined to worrying lows. Government data shows that 91.5% of COVID-19 deaths in Romania between Sept. 18-23 were people who had not been vaccinated. Credit: AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda In neighboring Bulgaria, an alarming 23% of people said they do not want to get vaccinated, compared with only 9% across the bloc, according to a Eurobarometer survey. Sabila Marinova, the ICU manager at a hospital in Bulgaria's northern town of Veliko Tarnovo, says none of its COVID-19 patients is vaccinated. "We are very exhausted," she said. "It seems that this horror has no end." The vice president of Romania's national vaccination committee, Andrei Baciu, said that fake news has been a key factor in keeping people from getting jabbed. "There is and was a culture that promotes fake news. We are working with a team of specialists to combat (it) ... right now there is a high number of (infections) due to low vaccination rates," he said, adding that the government is looking to increase ICU capacity. A medic gestures at the COVID-19 ICU unit of the Marius Nasta National Pneumology Institute in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. Daily new coronavirus infections in Romania, a country of 19 million, have grown exponentially over the last month, while vaccine uptake has declined to worrying lows. Government data shows that 91.5% of COVID-19 deaths in Romania between Sept. 18-23 were people who had not been vaccinated. Credit: AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda Medical staff attend to patients at the COVID-19 ICU unit of the Marius Nasta National Pneumology Institute in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. Daily new coronavirus infections in Romania, a country of 19 million, have grown exponentially over the last month, while vaccine uptake has declined to worrying lows. Government data shows that 91.5% of COVID-19 deaths in Romania between Sept. 18-23 were people who had not been vaccinated. Credit: AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda Medical staff adjust the oxygen level for a patient at the COVID-19 ICU unit of the Marius Nasta National Pneumology Institute in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. Daily new coronavirus infections in Romania, a country of 19 million, have grown exponentially over the last month, while vaccine uptake has declined to worrying lows. Government data shows that 91.5% of COVID-19 deaths in Romania between Sept. 18-23 were people who had not been vaccinated. Credit: AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda Medical staff attend to a patient at the COVID-19 ICU unit of the Marius Nasta National Pneumology Institute in Bucharest, Romania, Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. Daily new coronavirus infections in Romania, a country of 19 million, have grown exponentially over the last month, while vaccine uptake has declined to worrying lows. Government data shows that 91.5% of COVID-19 deaths in Romania between Sept. 18-23 were people who had not been vaccinated. Credit: AP Photo/Vadim Ghirda Sometimes medical workers in Eastern Europe face additional risks. In September in Bulgaria's port city of Varna, a group opposed to vaccines attacked a medical team at a mobile vaccination station. Health Minister Stoycho Katsarov condemned the attack, saying "we will not allow our medics to be insulted, publicly harassed and humiliated" for trying to save lives. The implementation of vaccine passports, which allow people to show their vaccine status to carry out day-to-day activities, may be one of few options left for European governments at a loss on how to encourage their vaccine-hesitant citizens to get jabbed. Experts say vaccine skeptics in parts of Europe could hamper the entire continent's efforts to end the pandemic. Back at the Marius Nasta Institute, Nicoleta Birtea, a 63-year-old unvaccinated COVID-19 patient who had previous health issues, says she woke up a month ago feeling dizzy and ill and called for an ambulance. "I hope that I got here on time," she said, adding "I understand very clearly that the vaccine can't protect you." 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Transmission electron microscope image of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, emerging from human cells. Credit: NIAID French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi said Tuesday it was stopping work on an mRNA vaccine against COVID-19 despite positive test results as it lags behind rivals on producing a coronavirus shot. The company said it would focus instead on another type of jab it is developing with British drug maker GlaxoSmithKline and which is in the final phase of human trials. Sanofi's mRNA vaccinethe ground-breaking technology used by rivals Pfizer/BioNTech and Modernahad positive results in phase one and two of clinical trials, the firm said. But Sanofi said it will not take it into the third and final phase, arguing that it would arrive too late to market with 12 billion COVID doses due to be produced by the end of the year. Instead, the company will use the mRNA technology for vaccines against other pathogens, including the flu. "The need is not to create new COVID-19 mRNA vaccines, but to equip France and Europe with an arsenal of messenger RNA vaccines for the next pandemic, for new pathologies," Sanofi's vice-president for vaccines, Thomas Triomphe, told AFP. "There is no public health need for another messenger RNA vaccine" against COVID-19, he added. Results from phase three trials of the other vaccine developed with GlaxoSmithKline are expected before the end of 2021. The firms are combining a Sanofi-developed antigen, which stimulates the production of germ-killing antibodies, with GSK's adjuvant technology, a substance that bolsters the immune response triggered by a vaccine. Fighting flu and malaria Messenger RNA works by providing human cells with the genetic instructions to make a surface protein of the coronavirus, which trains the immune system to recognise the real virus. Sanofi said initial results for the mRNA product showed antibodies were created by 91-100 percent of test participants two weeks after a second injection. No side effects were observed and tolerance of the jab was comparable to other mRNA vaccines developed by Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. The immune response from the Sanofi mRNA vaccine "is strong", Triomphe said. Sanofi had been working since March 2020 with Translate Bio, a US firm specialising in mRNA technology, and had even bought the biotech company for 2.7 billions euros ($3.2 billion) at the start of August. Sanofi has already launched new tests for a seasonal flu vaccine and intends to start clinical trials next year. The results from the COVID mRNA vaccine "will clearly help inform the path forward for our mRNA development programs," said Sanofi's global head of research and development, Jean-Francois Toussaint. "Today, we have a promising mRNA platform, which we're taking to the next level in development, including moving to modified mRNA, and against other diseases, including flu." Germany's BioNTech, which developed its coronavirus mRNA vaccine with US giant Pfizer, announced in July that it aimed to start trialling a malaria vaccine using mRNA technology. Explore further France's Sanofi expands mRNA drive with US firm purchase 2021 AFP The life expectancy gap between Black and white Americans closed by nearly 50% between 1990 and 2018, and was on track to close entirely by 2036 when life expectancies stalled after 2012. Credit: Janet Currie, Princeton University Persistent gaps in life expectancy between Black and white Americans have been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet, this gap has narrowed by nearly 50% in three decades, largely due to improvements among Black Americans, according to a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Co-authored by researchers at Princeton University's Center for Health and Wellbeing, the study analyzed data from 1990 to 2018 to compare mortality rates between Black and White Americans, through the lens of place. They also compared the United States with Europe to provide a benchmark comparison. They found that in 1990, Black Americans lived seven years fewer than whites. But by 2018, that number had dropped to 3.6 years. Life-expectancy improvements in the poorest counties particularly helped narrow the gap, largely because Black Americans are more likely to live in the poorest areas. Reductions in Black deaths caused by cancer, HIV, homicide, and fetal and neonatal conditions were especially important in closing the gaps. Yet, life expectancy has stalled for all groups in the United States since 2012, and, white Americans have lost ground relative to Europeans in both rich and poor areas. The U.S. opioid epidemic is one important cause of these declines, but the researchers suggest that more work should be done to investigate additional factors. If improvements had continued at the earlier rate, the racial gap in life expectancy would have closed by 2036. "It is important to recognize the very real gains that have occurred over the past 30 years, and to understand the reasons for them" said Janet M. Currie, the Henry Putnam Professor of Economics and Public Affairs and co-director of Princeton's Center for Health and Wellbeing. "Improved access to health care and safety-net programs all contributed to improvements in life expectancy among Black Americans. Yet, there is this perplexing reversal of the positive trends for all groups since 2012 that we need to better understand." Both the COVID-19 pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement highlighted the disproportionate health gap between Black and white Americans, but the researchers wanted to quantify these differences in terms of trends in life expectancy in the years before the pandemic struck. To do this, they analyzed data from the National Vital Statistics System and the National Center for Health Statistics run by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Their goal was to see whether racial differences in life expectancy have evolved differently in richer and poorer parts of the United States. They ranked American counties based on their poverty rates and placed them into groups of fixed population size. This allowed them to analyze trends across ages and race in places with the same relative poverty rates. Factoring in age is important in order to account for whether changes in life expectancy are based on a person's stage of life; for example, people older than 65 qualify for Medicare, which could play a role in extending life expectancy. They also wanted to understand how the United States compared to Europe to determine whether mortality in richer parts of the country is more similar to that of European countries, or whether both rich and poor Americans tend to lag behind. They collaborated with researchers in nine European countries, including Czech Republic, England, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and Spain in order to analyze all of the data in a similar framework. These countries represent a range of economic conditions. During the past three decades, white Americans have increasingly fallen behind Europeans. Within Europe, even relatively poor countries like Portugal, were able to catch up with richer countries by 2018 in terms of life expectancy, while the United States lagged behind. At the same time, life expectancy for Black Americans started far below both European and white American rates in 1990, but grew at a faster rate than European life expectancy. Similar to the United States, European life expectancy also has stalled after 2014, suggesting that there may be a common element. Past work has linked the flattening of life expectancy in the U.S. to a lack of further improvement in the fight against cardiovascular disease, and this may also be true in Europe, the authors suggest. Interestingly, there have been significant health improvements for infants and children, in all three groups, though especially among Black Americans. Safety-net programs such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the Earned Income Tax Credit, as well as lower levels of pollution in poor areas, are all important contributors to reduced mortality. There also is potential for the U.S. to catch up to Europe by investing in maternal and child health. Explore further US life expectancy in 2020 saw biggest drop since WWII More information: "Inequality in mortality between Black and White Americans by age, place, and cause and in comparison to Europe, 1990 to 2018," PNAS (2021). www.pnas.org/content/118/40/e2104684118 Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences "Inequality in mortality between Black and White Americans by age, place, and cause and in comparison to Europe, 1990 to 2018,"(2021). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2104684118 Provided by Princeton School of Public and International Affairs Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain When Kamlendra Singh flew back to Missouri from India in April, he developed a cough and fever on the plane, despite being vaccinated for COVID-19 and testing negative for the virus right before departure. Still, Singh tested positive for COVID-19, most likely due to infection from the Delta variant, upon his arrival home in Boone Countya diagnosis other fully vaccinated people and those who have already tested positive for the contagious virus were experiencing. He wanted to know why. Following his recovery at home, Singh, a professor in the MU College of Veterinary Medicine and Bond Life Sciences Center, teamed up with MU undergraduate student Austin Spratt, Saathvik Kannan, a freshman at Hickman High School, and Siddappa Byrareddy, a professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, to analyze protein sequences for more than 300,000 COVID-19 samples of two emerging variants around the world, known as Delta and Delta Plus. Using bioinformatics tools and programming, the team identified five specific mutations that are far more prevalent in Delta Plus infections than in Delta infections, including one mutation, K417N, that is present in all Delta Plus infections but present in nearly no Delta infections. The findings provide important clues to researchers about the structural changes to the virus recently and highlight the need to expand the toolbox in the fight against COVID-19. "Whether it is natural antibodies produced from previously having COVID-19 or the antibodies produced from the vaccine, we are showing structurally how dangerous and clever the virus is by [its] being able to mutate in a way that the antibodies don't seem to recognize and defend against these new variants," Spratt said. "These findings help explain why there have been so many people testing positive for the Delta variants despite being vaccinated or having previously been infected with COVID-19." Singh explained that while COVID-19 vaccines have been effective, another possible tool in responding to the pandemic could be the development of antiviral drugs that target specific areas of the virus that remain unchanged by mutations. "There has not yet been a vaccine for HIV due to the unpredictable variability that often comes with viruses that mutate frequently," Singh said. "If we can develop small molecule drugs that target the part of the virus that does not mutate, that will be the ultimate solution for combating the virus." Explore further COVID Queries: Delta breakthrough infections More information: Saathvik R. Kannan et al, Evolutionary analysis of the Delta and Delta Plus variants of the SARS-CoV-2 viruses, Journal of Autoimmunity (2021). Saathvik R. Kannan et al, Evolutionary analysis of the Delta and Delta Plus variants of the SARS-CoV-2 viruses,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2021.102715 Inoculating children is seen as a key step towards reopening schools in the Philippines. The Philippines has approved COVID-19 jabs for children as young as 12, an aide to President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday, as the country battles surging infections fuelled by the hyper-contagious Delta variant. Duterte's government has been skewered over the glacial rollout of vaccines, with just over a quarter of the adult population fully vaccinated nearly seven months after the first doses were delivered. The daily case rate has soared, often exceeding 20,000, with hospitals struggling to handle the influx of patients as vaccine supplies dribble into the country. Inoculating children is seen as a key step towards reopening schools in the Philippines, which is one of the few countries in the world to have kept them shut since the start of the pandemic. The government recently announced plans for a pilot reopening of 120 primary and high schools, but few details have been released. Kids will be allowed to receive the jabs from next month, presidential spokesman Harry Roque told reporters, as the vaccination drive is widened to include all adults not previously prioritised for shots. The Philippines' food and drug regulator recently approved the Pfizer and Moderna jabs for kids aged 12 and above. The move follows other countries such as Britain, the United States and Australia in approving specific jabs for adolescents. The World Health Organization is still conducting trials on vaccinations for children and has only recommended that adolescents at high risk of contracting COVID-19 receive Pfizer shots. Although children are considered less at risk of severe COVID, there are concerns that the highly contagious Delta variant could lead to more serious cases. The government has previously set a target of vaccinating 70 percent of adults by the end of the year. In the national capital region more than 72 percent are fully protected, Roque said. The country has recorded 2.5 million infections, including over 37,000 deaths, since March 2020. In a pre-recorded speech broadcast Tuesday, Duterte said people refusing vaccines could be forced by police to get inoculated. "If everybody does not comply with the vaccines... then the police must go in and intervene in your private life so that you cannot be a danger to society," he said. 2021 AFP Credit: Shutterstock Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt wants COVID-19 rapid antigen tests to be available for home use as soon as they're approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Hunt hopes approval will come by Christmas, if not before. This would allow Australians to test themselves for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in their home and receive the results within half an hour. Rapid antigen tests have been used overseas for many months and are available from many different manufacturers. As Australia moves to the next phase of managing COVID-19, these tests will become more commonplace. So what can we learn from their use overseas? How do they work and how effective are they? Traditional PCR tests amplify parts of the virus' genetic code. PCR tests are performed on a swab of the nose and throat taken by health professionals. They're then sent to a laboratory for analysis. PCR tests are more sensitive than antigen tests: they can detect lower levels of the virus compared to antigen tests. However PCR tests can take hours, or occasionally days, for results. Antigen tests, on the other hand, detect protein on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 directly from a sample. The sample can be a swab of the nose, but some use saliva samples. Antigen tests give results more quickly than PCR tests, but because of their lower sensitivity they are only useful in detecting high levels of virus. In a study from Oxford University, rapid antigen tests detected approximately 80% of infections in people with high levels of the virus when compared to PCR tests. Detecting COVID in people with no symptoms Antigen tests play an important role in testing people who have no symptoms. One of the largest studies from the United Kingdom, of almost 750,000 tests on 250,000 people in Liverpool, showed rapid antigen tests may be useful in diagnosing infections in people who have no symptoms. These authors broadly categorized the reason for testing in three ways: Test to protect: testing of people in vulnerable settings such as aged care facilities Test to release: frequent testing of those who have been exposed to COVID to allow them to be released from quarantine earlier Test to enable: antigen testing to allow safer return to normal activities such as visiting aged care homes or attending large sporting events. As part of this study, testing was performed in key workplaces, such as with emergency services workers and in schools. Results were promising, showing a 17.5% increase in detection of cases. This increase in detection may assist in breaking chains of transmission. It's important to remember that when testing people with no symptoms, rapid antigen tests are more likely than PCR tests to return false positives. However, despite high rates of uptake, test users only returned a small proportion of these kits (8.3%) to health authorities. How are other countries using them? Singapore has recently distributed home testing kits to all households nationally, free of charge. Rapid tests can allow people to return to their normal activities more quickly, but theyre less sensitive than PCR tests. Credit: Shutterstock It's hoped people will use these tests if they have been in contact with a known case, or if they have symptoms of COVID. This may result in a reduction in transmission of the disease, but results remain to be seen. Rapid antigen tests have also been used in schoolchildren in the United Kingdom. Daily testing of children exposed to COVID in school was shown to be an acceptable alternative to self-isolation to prevent transmission, while allowing children to remain in class. Overseas, the costs of these tests have largely been covered by governments, occurring in pilot programs or clinical trials. In parts of Europe, home tests can also be purchased from pharmacies and supermarkets for around 5-20. In the US, tests cost up to US$50. What do users think about these tests? Attitudes to antigen testing have generally been positive. Those who participate in antigen testing most commonly cite "civic duty" and a desire to protect family and friends as the reason. The main barriers to testing were found to be concerns over the accuracy of the test and the personal consequences of a positive result, such as missing work or an important event. What is Australia's regulator, the TGA, reviewing? The TGA has recently invited sponsors of kits to submit information relevant to the use of home testing, including the use of software to capture results data. Rapid tests are currently in use in some settings, for example, in aged care facilities to test workers before their shifts, but these need to be overseen by a health professional. The TGA's requirements aim to protect the safety and privacy of users. They include ensuring: clear instructions for the user in the event of a positive resultreporting of complaints relating to false positives and false negativesguarantees relating to data privacy and cybersecurity. But these regulations don't extend to verification of patients' details or transmission of results to public health authorities. How will they be used in Australia? When and how home testing is introduced in Australia will be closely linked to vaccination rates and movement through the phases of the National Plan. People without symptoms, for example, could use home testing as an extra reassurance prior to visiting family or attending events. Home testing could also be used to monitor for the presence of infection after a known exposure, reducing the need for extended quarantine. In hospitals, they may be used as a complement to PCR testing to screen staff who have no symptoms, or to screen high-risk patients who are very likely to have COVID to allow rapid decision making. Given the current large differences in COVID-19 cases across the country, it's highly likely the inevitable introduction of home antigen testing will be both jurisdiction- and context-specific. The introduction of home testing for SARS-CoV-2 may also pave the way for home testing for other infectious diseases, such as sexually transmitted infections and influenza. This would be a paradigm shift in the way we detect and monitor infectious diseases in Australia. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Credit: CC0 Public Domain New research presented at the Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), held online this year, found that the amount of fat stored in the liver is higher in people with type 2 diabetes (T2D), whatever their BMI. It also suggested that levels of liver fat currently considered to be healthy can be metabolically harmful in people with a normal BMI, causing T2D. The most common form of diabetes, T2D occurs when the pancreas can't make enough insulin (a hormone which helps turn the sugar in food into energy) or the insulin it makes doesn't work properly. Previously, the landmark Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT), from Glasgow and Newcastle universities, showed that an intensive weight loss programme delivered by GPs can put T2D into remission in people who are overweight. The DiRECT trial suggested that excess fat stored in the liver and pancreas drives the development of T2Dand loss of this intra-organ fat is key to remission. It is known that the excess fat in the liver prevents insulin from working properly, while fat in the pancreas is thought to stop the insulin-producing cells from working properly. The latest research, from Professor Roy Taylor and colleagues at Newcastle University, looked at whether intra-organ fat is also elevated in people of normal weight with T2D. It also examined how levels of intra-organ fat changed after weight loss-induced remission. It used data from two BMI categories. The first was made up of 56 participants from the DiRECT trial. They had an average BMI of 35.1, which is in the obese range, and an average age of 53. The second cohort was made up of 15 participants in the Reversal of Type 2 Diabetes upon Normalisation of Energy Intake in the Non-obese (ReTUNE) trial. ReTUNE is looking at whether weight loss can put T2D into remission in people who are of normal weight. These participants had an average BMI of 24.3, which is in the normal range, and an average age of 58. Both cohorts followed a weight management programme designed to bring about remission of T2D through 10-15% weight loss. This involved consuming 800 calories a day (from low calorie soups and shakes) to induce weight loss, followed by support in maintaining their new weight. Scans were used to measure levels of fat in the liver and pancreas before and after weight loss. Finally, the results were compared to a group of controlspeople without diabetes who were matched for age, sex and BMI. Liver and pancreatic fat were higher in those with diabetes, whatever their BMI, than in the controls and fell with weight loss. Liver fat fell dramatically In the DiRECT participants, dropping from an average of 16% to 3%. The figure for the overweight controls was 5.5%. In the ReTUNE participants, liver fat fell from 4.7% to 1.4%. The figure for the normal weight controls was 1.9%. Levels of intrapancreatic fat also decreased. They fell from 8.5% to 7.6% in the DiRECT participants (control, 6.8%) and from 5% to 4.5% in the ReTUNE participants (control, 3.4%). A similar proportion of people in both cohorts60% of the DiRECT participants and 67% of the ReTUNE participantsachieved remission of their T2D. Remission was defined as was defined HbA1c (average blood sugar level) of less than 48mmol/mol and off all medication. More data from the ReTUNE trial is being presented at this meeting and is presented in a separate press release with the same embargo as this material. The researchers say their results show that levels of liver fat vary with weight and that the threshold for a healthy level of liver fat should take into account a person's BMI. At present, it is assumed that a liver fat level of less than 5.5% is healthy whatever a person's BMI. Professor Taylor adds: "It clear that if an individual has type 2 diabetes, they have more fat inside their body than they can cope with, even if they seem to be slim. "These results also show that levels of liver fat vary with weight and that levels currently considered to be healthy can actually be harmful in lighter people. "At present, it is assumed that a liver fat level of less than 5.5% is healthy whatever a person's BMI. "We need to change the way we assess liver fat, to take into account BMI." Explore further People of normal weight with type 2 diabetes can achieve remission by losing weight Psychologists Trinh Nguyen and Stefanie Hohl from the University of Vienna examined the mutual adaptation of brain activity and heart rhythms of mother and child. Credit: Trinh Nguyen Touch is fundamental to interpersonal communication. Until recently, it was unclear how affectionate touch and physical contact affect the brain activity and heart rhythms of mothers and babies. Developmental psychologists Trinh Nguyen and Stefanie Hohl from the University of Vienna have investigated this question in a recent study. Brain activities between mothers and babies were synchronizedespecially when they had close physical contact and when the mother stroked the baby lovingly. The heart rhythms of mothers and babies were attuned when they played together. The study is currently published in the journal NeuroImage. Affectionate touch and bodily contact create social connections and can reduce stress. In romantic couples, this positive effect has been linked to a mutual alignment of brain activity and heart rhythms. Since touch is a fundamental mode of communication between caregiver and infant, Trinh Nguyen, Stefanie Hohl and colleagues from the US asked whether proximity and touch also contribute to the attunement of brain and heart rhythms between mother and baby. In the new study, four to six-month-old babies played and watched videos together with their mothers. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was used to measure brain activity while electrocardiography (ECG) was used to simultaneously assess the heart rhythms of mother and baby. With fNIRS, changes in oxygen saturation are recorded in the outermost layer of the brainhere in particular in the frontal brain. Activation in this region is associated with mutual emotional attunement, attentiveness and self-regulation. These processes are particularly relevant for social interactions and develop during the first years. The results showed that mother-baby pairs mutually adjusted their brain activity, especially when they touched each other. Mutual neural adjustment occurred when the mother held the baby close to her body and both watched a video together, and when they played together face-to-face and the mother lovingly touched the baby, e.g., by kissing, stroking and gentle massage. The new study demonstrates that touch plays a fundamental role in the early adaptation of brain activity between mothers and infants. An adaptation of heart rhythms was also shown when mother and baby played together, but it was independent of touch. In the case of the heartbeat, a mutual adaptation was particularly evident when babies signaled discomfort, which was presumably transmitted to the mothers. In future studies, Trinh Nguyen and Stefanie Hohl want to investigate how the mutual attunement in brain activity and heart rhythms affects child development in the long term. In particular, the later relationship between mother and child, as well as children's language development, will be investigated in follow-up studies. More information: Trinh Nguyen et al, Proximity and touch are associated with neural but not physiological synchrony in naturalistic mother-infant interactions, NeuroImage (2021). Journal information: NeuroImage Trinh Nguyen et al, Proximity and touch are associated with neural but not physiological synchrony in naturalistic mother-infant interactions,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118599 Ukraine is on the brink of its most deadly period of the coronavirus pandemic, medical experts in the ex-Soviet country warned Friday, with vaccination rates struggling and infections on the rise. The country of 40 million people and an ageing health care system intially struggled to secure jabs and has since been slow to distribute inoculations to a vaccine sceptic population. New infections have steadily been increasing, with 27,600 new cases recorded in the last seven days compared to 17,000 in the previous week. Health officials in Kiev Friday recorded the highest number of new cases since May, while average daily hospitalisations rose by nearly 400 people this week compared to last week. "This wave will mostly likely be the deadliest," former deputy health minister and founder of the Centre for Public Health Analysis, Pavlo Kovtonyuk, told AFP. "We have very few people who are vaccinated to hold it back," Kovtonyuk added. Just 12 percent of Ukrainians are fully inoculated with one of four vaccines available in the country, including AstraZeneca and Moderna while anti-vaccine sentiment is high. Yuri Ganychenko, head of the Health Economics Centre at the Kiev School of Economics, said that although the authorities were unable to detect the dominant strain infecting Ukrainians, there was a "high probability" it was the Delta variant. The wave was likely to peak in mid-October and continue into November with 350 to 400 fatalities per day, Ganychenko said, compared to around 220 earlier in the year. The Ukrainian security service (SBU) said Friday it had dismantled a network of 5,000 internet bots tasked with "discrediting" and "disrupting" the country's vaccine programme. The network was directed by "Russian sponsors", the SBU said in a statement. Both analysts said Ukraine's hospital network was better prepared compared to the beginning of the pandemic, but "no matter how we prepare our hospitals, they will be overcrowded," Kovtonyuk said of the coming wave. The government earlier this week announced new virus restrictions would enter into force Monday. Ukraine has recorded over 2.3 million cases and more than 55,000 deaths from the virus since the start of the pandemic. Explore further Ukraine sees record virus deaths, new curbs in Kiev 2021 AFP Streptococcus pneumoniae. Credit: CDC/Dr. M.S. Mitchell Vaccines that boost immunity against bacteria can protect the immunized from contracting drug-resistant infections, according to a team of scientists in the U.K. who also underscore that the shots can slow the spread of resistant strains in populations. Scientists who developed a four-pronged mathematical model to better understand the impact of vaccination on antimicrobial resistance also found that while vaccination can prevent drug resistance, ironically, it also can help promote it in populations. What's needed is the right kind of vaccination strategy to keep resistant strains at bay, the scientists say. The British team modeled the dynamics of vaccination and drug resistance across 27 European countries to draw a series of new conclusions about vaccination and its relationship on the control and spread of superbugs. This startling way of understanding the drivers of drug resistance hails from the research of Dr. Nicholas Davies of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He and co-author, Dr. Katherine Atkins and a team of scientists, developed a modeling system that takes into account the diversity of bacterial species and competition among them as reasons for the evolution of drug resistant strains. Writing in Science Translational Medicine Davies, Atkins and collaborators examined penicillin consumption and penicillin "nonsusceptibility"resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniaeacross the 27 countries. Their mathematical modeling shows how antibiotic-sensitive and antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains of Streptococcus pneumoniaealso known as pneumococcal bacteriafrequently co-exist in populations. Vaccination strategies have to be undertaken carefully to avoid tipping the balance in favor of superbug spread, they say. "Competition and diversity are key to antibiotic resistance evolution and determine whether vaccines will prevent or increase resistant infections," Davies and colleagues assert. Strep pneumoniae is a common and pervasive microbe that can invade many parts of the body causing serious, sometimes life-threatening infections. It can infiltrate the lungs, where it causes pneumococcal pneumonia; the ears, where it manifests as otitis media, the cause of infectious earaches; the nasal passages, where it gives rise to sinusitis; the blood, where the dangerous infection known as bacteremia can occur. Pneumococcus also can cause brain and spinal cord infections, diagnosed as bacterial meningitis. Like Davies and his research group, teams of scientists worldwide have tackled the impact of pneumococcal vaccines on drug-resistant pneumococcal strains. A key to understanding many of these studies has been grasping this point: Having only limited pneumococcal vaccinations within a population can tip the balance in favor of increased pneumococcal infections among both children and adults and excessive use of antibiotics. This, in turn, gives rise to enhanced opportunities for the evolutionand spreadof tough-to-fight drug resistant strains. In short, more people wind up being treated with antibiotics rather than avoiding them. Excessive use of antibiotics is a driver of drug resistance. "Vaccines against bacterial pathogens can protect recipients from becoming infected with potentially antibiotic-resistant pathogens. However, by altering the selective balance between antibiotic-sensitive and antibiotic-resistant bacterial strains, vaccines may also suppressor promote the spread of antibiotic resistanceamong unvaccinated individuals," the Davies team wrote. Atkins said the research lays the groundwork for a better understanding of the dynamics between vaccines and drug resistance. "Our study does not look at the currently licensed pneumococcal vaccines that are both safe and effective and reduce life threatening disease globally," said co-author Atkins. "Instead we looked at the impact of the new generation of pneumococcal vaccines," she said, noting "our results underscore the need for a highly effective [universal] vaccine because it would reduce the burden of both drug sensitive and drug resistant infections." The analysis by Davies and colleagues arrives as the World Health Organization has stepped up its campaign dissuading the abuse, misuse and overuse of all antimicrobials, including antibiotics. Global antibiotic use increased 65% between 2000 and 2015, according to WHO, despite highly publicized efforts to halt unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions for humans and the use of antibiotics in feed products given to animals farmed for their meat. WHO predicts drug resistance could kill more people worldwide than cancer by 2050 unless steps are taken now to reverse course on driving the global incidence of antimicrobial resistance. As it now stands, overexposure to the medications continues to give rise to untreatable superbugs. One solution, at least with respect to pneumococcal infections, some scientists say, is the development of vaccines that boost immunity against a wider variety of pneumococcal serotypes. Currently, pneumococcal vaccines target only a portion of the known 100-plus pneumococcal serotypes. One commonly prescribed pneumococcal vaccine, PCV13, also known as Prevnar, targets 13 serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae: serotypes 1, 3, 4, 5, 6A, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 19A, 19F, 18C, and 23F. The vaccine known as PPSV23 targets more23 serotypes of the bacteria, including the 13 in Prevnar. There are, however, dozens of other pneumococcal serotypes for which there is no vaccine. Davies, Atkins and colleagues contend that the "intersection of bacterial vaccines and antibiotic resistance needs more study." Their four mathematical models, for instance, capture potential patterns in antibiotic resistance. The models also reveal country-specific factors, such as differences in competition between drug-resistant and drug-sensitive bacteria. The scientists discovered that the type of pneumococcal vaccine deployed determined much of any given vaccine's impact on the evolution of antibiotic resistance. For example, the researchers predicted that universal, non-serotype-specific vaccines that accelerate clearance of bacteria may be better at preventing the spread of antibiotic resistant serotypes than vaccines that simply block acquisition of infection. But while the British team examined patterns of drug resistance, other research groups have explored how vaccination saves money while preventing the emergence of drug resistant bacteria. In the United States, scientists at North Carolina State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, found broad economic savings when vaccines are used to mitigate the development of antimicrobial resistance. Focusing on pneumococcal infections in Ethiopia, Drs. Andrew Stringer and Sachiko Ozawa using their own mathematical model, found that vaccinating against pneumococcus helped slow the emergence of bacteria resistant to amoxicillin by nearly 15%. Vaccination slowed the emergence of bacteria resistant to ceftriaxone less significantlyonly 0.59%but the trend was in the right direction, findings showed. Maintaining pneumococcal vaccination at the level identified in the model, the U.S. researchers estimated that would contribute an additional $7.67 million in annual savings for Ethiopia. Moreover, the money would not be lost to treating illnesses caused by drug-resistant pneumococcal infections. "We wanted to model the value of vaccinatingnot only to show that vaccination reduces death or disability from these diseases, but also to quantify whether vaccination can slow antimicrobial resistance," Stringer, an assistant professor of veterinary and global health at North Carolina State, said in a statement. In the U.K., Davies and colleagues' four models capture potential patterns in antibiotic resistance. For example, vaccines with a high level of effectiveness are needed to reduce resistance in their model of a high-burden region where pneumococcal infections and antibiotic resistance are high. These findings "[highlight] that policies for managing antibiotic resistance with vaccines must be tailored to a specific pathogen and setting," the authors concluded. Explore further Vaccination slows antimicrobial resistance More information: Nicholas G. Davies et al, Modeling the effect of vaccination on selection for antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae, Science Translational Medicine (2021). Journal information: Science Translational Medicine Nicholas G. Davies et al, Modeling the effect of vaccination on selection for antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae,(2021). DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.aaz8690 2021 Science X Network Credit: NiarKrad/Shutterstock Nearly half the world's population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. But figures vary widely between countries. Many low and middle-income countries have barely started their vaccination campaigns. But the tiny Himalayan nation of Bhutan isn't one of them. By the end of July, it had fully vaccinated 90% of its adults. Despite having few doctors and nurses, across just three weeks in the summer it delivered a second vaccine dose to nearly every adult in the country. This is a remarkable success story for one of the least developed countries in the world. Health minister Dechen Wangmo credits solidarity, Bhutan's small size and its science-based policymaking for its success. Its achievement highlights how logistical challenges and vaccine hesitancy can be overcome. Donations are crucial Bhutan's success wouldn't have been possible without international cooperation. Its first vaccines were donated by India. By March 2021, India had sent 450,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, enough to give all eligible adults in Bhutan their first dose in the spring. But getting hold of second doses was a challenge. India's second wave soon arrived, causing it to prioritize domestic immunisations and ban vaccine exports. Bhutan's immediate source of doses had dried up, while India's mounting caseload over the border posed a rapidly increasing infection risk. After a tense wait, 500,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine came from the US through Covax, the vaccine-sharing initiative. An additional 250,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine came from Denmark, followed by supplies of AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Sinopharm vaccines from Bulgaria, Croatia, China and other countries. Planning makes the logistics work Distribution was another big part of the puzzle. Bhutan is remote. Land access is only possible on a few roads from India. The Covax vaccines arrived by air at Paro International Airport. One of the most challenging landings in the world, Paro sits in a deep valley. The surrounding peaks are as high as 5,500 meters. Domestic transport is also challenging. Bhutan's population of almost 750,000 is scattered over an area roughly the size of Switzerland. Not all of the mountainous country is accessible by road. Because of this, the health ministry had to plan in detail how to get all adults their first and second doses as quickly as possible. This involved extensive field visits to remote districts, to map where people were and identify possible vaccination sites. The visits also established ways of supplying these sitesby road, air or even on foot for the most inaccessible areas. Schools, monasteries and other public buildings were used as vaccination centers. Keeping vaccines sufficiently cold at smaller locations could be challenging, so district hubs were created across the country to store vaccines and coordinate distribution to smaller sites as doses were needed. Domestic flights and a helicopter shuttle service were used to move doses around the country. Covax vaccine supplies arriving at Paro airport. Credit: US Department of State And a digital platformthe Bhutan Vaccination Systemhelped speed up the rollout of second doses. It allowed people to pre-register online before receiving their jab and so not waste time filling in personal details at the vaccine center. User research was also central to Bhutan's planning phase. The health ministry ran online conferences with healthcare workers and authorities at district and village level to highlight expected challenges. Simultaneously, the ministry mobilized and trained healthcare workers to vaccinate and monitor patients. But with only 376 doctors in the country, the planning phase soon identified a shortage of medical personnel. So 50 registered doctors known to be studying overseas were recalled. Nurses and healthcare workers were supported by the "Guardians of the Peace"a part volunteering, part national service program that has been run in Bhutan for the last decade and has 4,500 members. These guardians encouraged people to get vaccinated and helped manage vaccine centers. Set a good example Good leadership has also been a hallmark of Bhutan's vaccine rollout. There are high levels of trust in the country's political leaders. This has been helped during the pandemic by the government having two doctors and two public health experts in its 11-member cabinet. The prime minister and the health minister have spent substantial time on the national response to COVID-19. The role of King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck should also not be underestimated. While Bhutan became a constitutional monarchy in 2008, transitioning to having a democratically elected government, the king is still much revered. His presence has been felt throughout the country, as he has traveled to remote settlements to oversee protection measures. One such journey was a five-day trek to meet and thank healthcare workers. Leading by example, he quarantines in a hotel whenever he returns to the capital. Bhutan's politicians also engaged with the public to overcome vaccine hesitancy. A survey studied the public's concerns, with the government's response focusing on communicating the science behind the vaccine. Uptake was promoted by social media influencers and television and film personalities. Cultural sensitivity was also crucial to ensuring public support. For example, Buddhist monks determined when to roll the vaccines out and picked the most auspicious time (the majority of the population is Buddhist). Monks also determined that the first dose should be administered by a women and given to a women born in the Year of the Monkey. Not every country can achieve what Bhutan has. Having a small population and high trust in authorities facilitated this rollout. But Bhutan demonstrates that a fast and equitable vaccine rollout is possible in low and middle-income countries. What's clear is that the international community has to work together on the provision of vaccines. Support may also be needed to manage distribution, as getting doses to remote parts of the world's least developed countries is a huge challenge. Bhutan, though, should offer encouragement that meeting it is possible. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain New Zealand's largest city of Auckland will remain in strict COVID-19 lockdown for at least another week as a Delta variant outbreak "rumbles along", Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Monday. Ardern said the city's two million residents needed to abide by stay-at-home orders because of the emergence of several "mystery cases" which had not yet been linked to existing clusters. "These mystery cases are still coming through and the fact we're finding them through surveillance and community testing, rather than contact tracing, is what we're concerned about," she said. New Zealand imposed a national lockdown on August 17 when the first case of the highly transmissible Delta variant was found in the community. But stay-at-home orders were lifted outside Auckland last week as it became apparent that all new cases were emerging in the city. Ardern ruled out lifting Auckland's hard lockdown before September 21 but said the city should then move down an alert level on the country's four-tier coronavirus response system. With 33 new community cases recorded in the city on Monday, Ardern said she was wary of lifting restrictions too early. "(Case) numbers are rumbling along and this has been evident in the last three days," she said. "This doesn't mean our collective efforts in Auckland are not making a difference." New Zealand is pursuing a "COVID zero" elimination strategywhich has resulted in just 27 deaths in a population of five million throughout the pandemic. It had been free of community cases for six months before the August outbreak, with residents enjoying a near-normal domestic life alongside tight restrictions on international borders. The Delta infection prompted immediate lockdowns because of low vaccination rates, with data this week showing only about a third of the eligible population are fully jabbed. 2021 AFP Credit: Shutterstock/gopixa Genetic testing is increasingly used as part of routine healthcare to determine a patient's risk for some conditions, including certain cancers. But insurers can use genetic test results to refuse cover or increase premiums. This is called genetic discriminationthe use of someone's genetic information to treat them differently. International research shows some people decline medical genetic testing or participation in genetic research because of fear of genetic discrimination. Clinicians, researchers and patient groups also report this is an ongoing issue in New Zealand. For people who are at risk of genetic conditions, choosing not to be tested may have serious health impacts. And if people are afraid to be part of genetic research because of insurance fears, this will undermine the potential of genetic medicine to better understand disease and improve diagnosis and treatment. New Zealand is out of step with the rest of the world in its consumer protection against genetic discrimination. This is particularly significant given obligations under under Te Tiriti o Waitangi and a commitment to protect and improve the health of Indigenous people. Concerns of Indigenous people Maori and Pasifika people in particular have specific concerns around the use of genetic information. Given historic evidence of race-based discrimination, this adds to the challenge of providing equitable healthcare to all New Zealanders. Under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the New Zealand government must protect the rights, interests and taonga of Maori people. Failure to address genetic discrimination may undermine efforts to include Maori and Pasifika groups in medical research. It could also mean research in these populations with the greatest health inequities could lead to greater discrimination. Many countries have banned or restricted insurance companies from using genetic test results. Canada recently introduced legislation that completely bans the use of genetic test results to discriminate in insurance and employment. Despite insurer resistance, the legislation passed and has withstood a Supreme Court appeal. The Australian moratorium In Australia, private health insurance is not subject to risk rating and genetic or other forms of discrimination do not apply. But specific legislation allows life insurers to use genetic test results in risk rating for other products (including death cover, income protection, and disability and trauma/critical illness cover). The Australian life insurance industry has introduced a self-regulated moratorium for policies up to certain limits (A$500,000 for death cover). This moratorium has significant limitations, including the financial limits, the lack of government oversight and its temporary nature (it will expire in 2024 unless renewed). But it is a step forward for Australian consumers, who can obtain some level of insurance cover without fear of genetic discrimination. The situation is more dire in New Zealand. Legally, both health and life insurance companies are allowed to ask for and use genetic test results to discriminate against applicants. However, the industry has previously agreed not to require individuals to undergo genetic testing. The obligation is on the person applying for insurance to provide the genetic test result, not on a medical professional or health service. But if an applicant doesn't disclose the result, the insurer can void the policy due to fraud when a claim is later assessed. Australians can obtain health insurance without any fear of genetic discrimination. But New Zealanders who are being proactive about their health by having genetic testing are at risk of being penalized both financially and medically. Insurance use of genetic test results remains unclear The Financial Services Council (FSC) is the industry body for health and life insurance in New Zealand. The FSC's internal guidelines for using genetic test results used to be publicly accessible on their website. But when the Australian industry introduced its moratorium in 2019, New Zealand didn't follow suit. The guidelines were removed from the website. We and colleagues have made several requests for the guidelines since 2020, and our colleagues finally received guidelines applying to life insurers this week. The letter accompanying the guidelines advised that: "There is no standard documentation for how genetic testing information is currently used by the New Zealand life or health insurance industry." The guidelines did confirm that life insurance companies can use applicants' genetic test results in underwriting. But they recommend (but do not require) insurers should not: ask or incentivise the applicant to have a genetic test ask the applicant or the applicant's doctor for test results if the test was part of medical research and the result will not be disclosed to the applicant ask the applicant or the applicant's doctor for test results if the test is not the applicant's individual test, but a close relative's. FSC also advised there are no guidelines available for how health insurers use genetic test results. Apparently, a health insurance committee working group is considering this question. Implications for insurance policy Australia's ban was prompted by parliamentary inquiry recommendations. A review of insurance contract law recently took place in New Zealand, but there is no discussion of genetic privacy or genetic discrimination in the preliminary review documents. Self-regulation by insurance companies is inherently conflicted. This is especially so where insurers manage their own access to information that benefits them. The damning findings of the Australian Royal Commission into the banking and financial services industry are a signpost for the New Zealand industry. Similar findings in the 2019 Life Insurer Conduct and Culture report in New Zealand demonstrate issues with integrity, transparency and public trust. FSC's refusal to make its guidelines available to the public for several months illustrates this ongoing lack of transparency. Taking steps like Australia would be an improvement, but not enough. Canada has shown that a complete ban is possible, despite insurer resistance. We argue a ban on insurers' use of genetic test results is necessary to advance genetic medicine and protect Maori, Pasifika and all New Zealanders. The New Zealand government must consider this issue in its insurance contract law review. Explore further Canada catches up with ban on genetic discrimination This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Deputy Foreign Minister of Belarus S.Aleinik meets the Ambassador of hina On September 28, 2021, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Sergei Aleinik met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Peoples Republic of China to the Republic of Belarus Xie Xiaoyung. During the meeting, the parties discussed issues of cooperation between Belarus and China in international organizations, including specialized agencies of the United Nations system, and also agreed to coordinate joint efforts in the international arena. print version THE Papua LNG Project, New Porgera Mine, Wafi-Golpu Mine, Pnyang LNG, Pasca LNG and Pandora LNG are the six major resource projects the Papua New Guinea (PNG) Government is focused on, Prime Minister James Marape says. Marape said this in response to Treasurer Ian Ling-Stuckeys ministerial statement on the 2020 Final Budget Outcomes, 2021 Mid-Year Fiscal and Economic Outlook and the Way Forward. This is more than the previous Peter ONeill regime which had only the Papua LNG Project to its name, he said. Papua New Guinea Government focuses on mining projects. Photo PNG Prime Minister James Marape ONeill, in eight years, delivered only the Papua LNG (liquefied natural gas) project. We are working very hard, and in just two years, we are discussing Papua to ensure that it takes off, Wafi-Golpu, New Porgera, Pandora, Pasca and Pnyang. These five big projects, apart from the Papua LNG project, remain our focus, to ensure our economy is strong. Marape said the difference between his Government and ONeills was that his Government was for a better deal for Papua New Guinea on all these projects. He said the Papua LNG Project was not one that was supposed to have begun right away as the Opposition was claiming. The Papua LNG Project was not supposed to have been constructed in 2019 or 2020, he said. It would have to go into pre-Feed (front end engineering and design), then Feed, and then Fid (final investment decision). They (Opposition) are making it (Papua LNG Project) as if it was going to be a miracle that would have brought money into the country in 2019 or 2020. Marape said the Papua LNG Project was going into Feed in 2022, Fid by 2023, and construction to start in 2024 or 2025. The National / Pacific Mining Watch Next : Return Oil Fields To State, Says former PNG Prime Minister Peter ONeill FlySafairs fares on its newly-announced route between Johannesburg and Mauritius are among the cheapest currently on the market, a MyBroadband comparison shows. Considering that it is a direct flight, rather than requiring a detour and lengthy lay-over, FlySafairs new route to Mauritius will be quite attractive to South African holidaymakers. FlySafair announced its first international route with a twice-weekly service between OR Tambo International Airport and Mauritius today. It will begin operating the new route on 11 December 2021 using its existing Boeing 737800 aircraft. In just about 7 years weve managed to gain a fairly strong footprint in the South African domestic market, said FlySafair CEO Elmar Conradie. Finally breaking beyond local borders is an exciting milestone for us. Mauritius granted FlySafair the rights to operate flights to the country in December of 2020, but the second and third wave of the Covid19 pandemic halted launch plans. Flight FA800 will depart OR Tambo International Airport at 09h00 and arrive in Mauritius at 15h15 (local time) on Saturdays and Tuesdays. On return, Flight FA801 will depart Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport at 16h15 and land at 18h30 (SA time) on the same days. Total flight times will be approximately 4 hours, and flights will be direct with no stops. Airfares on the new route will start from R4,950 and go on sale today (28 September 2021). Standard fares include a 20kg checked luggage allowance, and customers will have the option to add extras like pre-selected seats, priority boarding, and extra luggage. FlySafair will also offer Business Class seats on these flights where middle seats between aisle and window passengers are blocked. Slice up the pizza, strike up the accordion music and rev up the Lambourghinis St. Helenas Festa Italiana is back. After taking one year off due to the coronavirus, the celebration of Italian Heritage Month returns to Lyman Park from 10 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2. This is a party for locals, not tourists, said organizer Anthony Micheli, whos promoting the event largely through local word of mouth. 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 free festivities begin at 10 a.m. with the raising of the Italian flag and Katie Hopgood-Sculatti singing the Italian national anthem. She will be accompanied by members of the Saint Helena Community Band, who will also perform for the first hour of the event. Food will be plentiful: Pizzas cooked on-site by Pestoni Family Winery, wine from more than 20 local Italian-owned wineries, and an Odd Fellows food wagon featuring chicken, peppers, sausage and pasta. Chef Delio Cuneo from the old Green Valley Cafe will offer stuffed mushrooms. St. Helena High School culinary students will serve cannoli. Accordionist Steve Albini, who performed at the first event in 2019, will return on Saturday. Friday, Sept. 24 1001 Non-injury collision involving a city work vehicle at Adams/Oak. 1017 A toilet was backing up at Crane Park. 1040 Report of a white dog almost getting run over on McCorkle Avenue. Its owner was located. 1524 Someone altered a check and cashed it at a liquor store. Police took a fraud report. 1529 Medical aid on Olive Avenue. 1631 Police found a car with a flat tire on the side of Highway 29. 2052 Police cited someone for driving with expired registration. Saturday, Sept. 25 0759 A man came to the police station saying he was worried about being followed and tracked, as well as being poked and pinched during the night. He admitted to using drugs this morning. Police arrested the 51-year-old Angwin man on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs. 0929 An employee at a Charter Oak Avenue property reported having no water service. 1131 A bird was refusing to leave the roadway near Silverado/Pope. An officer moved it to the riverbank. 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. 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! Since that time, the Foundation has approved grants of $500,000 to launch a new program powered by four existing community-based nonprofits: On the Move; UpValley Family Centers; Fair Housing Napa Valley; and Bay Area Legal Aid. The collaborative is now available to walk tenants and landlords step-by-step through the state Housing is Key application process, including: providing computers and setting up email addresses; providing translation where needed to tenants not fluent in English; gathering required documents; and making referrals to fair housing or legal counseling should more significant issues arise. These nonprofits are trusted by locals and can calm fears about the perceived potential of landlord retribution, or concerns about immigration status when submitting personal information to the state. Housing is Key funds issued by the state of California are intended to prevent future evictions by providing rent relief to eligible residents for up to 100% of owed back rent, starting from March last year (eligible renters may also receive help with utilities and three months of forward rent). A statewide eviction moratorium in place during much of the pandemic is expected to end on Sept. 30. Evictions are likely to restart on Oct. 1, leaving eligible renters who have not yet applied for rent relief vulnerable. The collaborative encourages Napa County residents to contact them to apply immediately to prevent evictions wherever possible. Its a safe place for them to go where they can feel comfortable getting the resources they need, he said last week of the program, based in the 1200 Building of the colleges main campus on Highway 221. You need a functioning department, and thats where these transitions can happen, to address multiple issues in one place. When fully equipped later in the fall, the Basic Needs Center will augment its existing food pantry with a lobby and office space where social service agencies can work with students. Such support can include helping NVC students apply for CalFresh food aid, counseling, housing assistance, financial aid and more. As part of its expansion, the center is assembling a larger staff to meet its expanded mission, with an office coordinator, temporary employees and student volunteers. NVC is funding the Basic Needs Center using a share of the $100 million California has reserved in its 2021-22 budget for food and housing security programs at community colleges, as well as a portion of $30 million the state is using to fund and staff basic need centers like Napa's. The move was opposed by the state's prison agency and Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose administration had ordered vaccinations or testing for all state employees, including correctional employees. Tigars order does away with the frequent testing option. The administration is evaluating the courts order at this time to determine next steps, corrections department spokeswoman Dana Simas said in an email. We respectfully disagree with the finding of deliberate indifference, as the department has long embraced (voluntary) vaccinations and was one of the first to provide them to vulnerable inmates and staff at the end of last year. Almost all of California's 99,000 inmates have been offered the vaccine and 76% are fully vaccinated, she said. Among employees, 57% are fully vaccinated. Tigar said that includes about 42% of correctional officers systemwide, but vaccination rates vary and is just 18% at one prison. At several prisons, rates among all employees are in the 30% range, he said. The judge gave Kelso and prison officials two weeks to say how they will comply with his order. He also told Kelso to consider other ways to increase the inmate vaccination rate, including a possible mandatory vaccination policy for all prisoners. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. He expects that about 97 percent of Cedars-Sinai's almost 17,000 employees affected by the vaccine mandate will comply by the deadline. Another 1 percent have applied for medical or religious exemptions. Those who don't comply by Friday will be suspended for a week, and fired on Oct. 8 if they don't comply or if there are not extenuating circumstances, he said. The hospital also was able to hire over 100 nurses in the past month and uses some travel nurses. Were in a good place but dont want to minimize the challenges other hospitals are likely facing," Smith said. In Rhode Island, where the vaccine mandate takes effect Friday, the state said hospitals can allow unvaccinated employees to keep working 30 days past the deadline in cases where firing them would compromise patient safety. The mandate is being challenged in court because it doesn't allow religious exemptions. In states that dont have mandates, some hospitals are imposing their own. Ginger Robertson, a registered nurse who works in a mental health clinic at a hospital in Bismarck, North Dakota, has requested a religious exemption from her hospitals vaccination requirement. She said she will look for other work if she doesnt get it. Weve asked a lot of you, and you have delivered. We will do everything to overcome the hurdles we have at the moment that should not hinder the enlargement process, von der Leyen said. I really want to bring this process forward so that we can start before the end of the year, she said. Von der Leyen said the EU is focused on mobilizing 9 billion euros ($10.5 billion) in projects and potentially raising investment of up to 20 billion euros ($23.5 billion) in 2021-2027 for the Western Balkans and the region's 18 million people. The bloc has secured half a billion euros ($585 million) this year for projects in the Western Balkans, and it is looking to find another 600 million euros ($700 million). One of Europes youngest nations, North Macedonia spent years in a dispute with Greece that prevented it from joining the European Union and NATO. The countrys path toward joining the club is now blocked by Bulgaria. The government in Sofia wants North Macedonia to formally recognize that its language has Bulgarian roots and to stamp out what it says is anti-Bulgarian rhetoric. Von der Leyen also traveled to North Macedonia on Tuesday and is scheduled to visit other Western Balkan countries later in the week. China released the two Canadians on bail after a diagnosis by professional medical institutions, and with the guarantee of the Canadian ambassador to China, Hua said. Hua did not answer questions from journalists about whether the prisoner releases were entirely unrelated and what the health reasons were. Canada has maintained that Kovrig and Spavor were innocent of any charges. We continue to oppose the way these two citizens were treated, Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau told the U.N. General Assembly meeting of world leaders Monday. He said Spavor and Kovrig paid a heavy price because their country "observed the rule of law in responding to the U.S. extradition request. Representatives for the two countries traded retorts later Monday on the assembly floor, with China rejecting Canada's take on the affair. Canada continued to insist Kovrig and Spavor were mistreated. Meng reached an agreement with U.S. federal prosecutors that will drop fraud charges against her next year. In return, she is accepting responsibility for misrepresenting the companys business dealings in Iran. Ethnic studies classes are nothing new on the many campuses of the California State University system, but they are about to become a graduation requirement for everyone expecting to get a CSU undergraduate degree. Those courses are increasingly under the sway of authors of the rejected version of Californias ethnic studies model curriculum for elementary and high school students. Some of those same authors are also writing and influencing the new ethnic studies programs being commissioned by local school districts, each able to adopt an individualized version of such programs, to be included in coursework of virtually every classes taught by those districts. 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! Its a form of guerrilla warfare, with the inaccurate version of ethnic studies rejected and rewritten before the state adopted its model curriculum figuring to sneak gradually through the back doors of thousands of classrooms and into the minds of millions of schoolchildren. To mention, for a few years I have continued to advocate to the city of Napa for music industry language to be added into the General Plan and the Downtown Specific Plan. No dice, there is certainly no harmony here. When I appear at City Hall, I look to my right then to my left and I see none of the musicians I know in the community being present. A local chapter however can politically lobby on our behalf. Hence my reason to do self-introspection in relation to what I am offering here for your contemplation. So I have asked myself, why do I, a lone wolf advocate to a music community that has essentially rejected my offerings and thoughts? Simply to myself I say, the reason I do it is because I love music art. I love it and will seek to find it, express it and give it to people that want to listen or need as medicine to the soul. And most importantly I say with conviction, I do not want to exploit something that I hold so dear in my heart with passion. ANCA calls on US Congress to investigate State Department failures related to Armenia, Artsakh Armenia opposition MP: Tatev bypass road will not resolve all our problems in current situation (PHOTOS) 1,202 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Opposition Armenia bloc challenges, at Constitutional Court, community enlargement law package Armenia Central Bank chief in Rome, meets with Italy PM Russia peacekeepers, philanthropists hand warm clothes to Artsakh families State Department: US, Russia do not want to allow Iran to have nuclear weapons Newspaper: Armenia state to no longer cover treatment expenses of patients not vaccinated against coronavirus? Newspaper: Armenia judicial system to be in volatile situation in short time UN Human Rights Council agrees to appoint special rapporteur on Afghanistan Russia citizen driver, 52, dies on the spot after his car crashes into truck in Armenia Launch of Armenian Studies Program announced during Armenia President's visit to Sapienza University Will Turks be able to enter 26 countries of Schengen Area without visas? Dinner served in honor of Armenia President and his wife in Italy Armenian parliamentary standing committee chairman meets with Russia Ambassador Armenia Ombudsman submits to Pope Francis reports on tortures of Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan Customs Attache: There hasn't been and there is no bias against Armenian drivers at Upper Lars checkpoint Greece-France defense agreement will allow them to help each other in case of third country's attack Turkish FM: Turkey's position on supporting Ukraine's "integrity and sovereignty" remains unchanged Russian peacekeeping forces, charitable organizations provide assistance to boarding school in Karabakh Zakharova: Moscow proceeds from priority to ensure geopolitical stability in South Caucasus Armenia President pays tribute at Altar of the Homeland monument at Venice Square in Rome Turkey, Iran to hold political consultations Karabakh FM expresses condolences over death of Vigen Chitechyan Armenia territorial administration and infrastructure minister has new deputy Armenia Deputy PM Mher Grigoryan receives US Ambassador Armenia Security Council Secretary, Netherlands Ambassador attach importance to fight against corruption Digest: Armenian POW returned from Azerbaijan, PACE speaks on mandatory COVID-19 vaccination risks Armenia and Italy are deepening cooperation in justice sector Apprehended ARF-D members are released Armenia high-tech industry minister receives Russia Ambassador Armenia Embassy in Russia hosts delegation led by Armenian parliamentary speaker 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 A year ago, the Azerbaijani army, supported by Turkish special forces and Syrian jihadists acting as Turkish mercenaries, carried out a surprise attack on Nagorno-Karabakh. Although Azerbaijan justified its actions by the fact that the international community recognized this territory as Azerbaijani, the situation was more complicated, writes Michael Rubin in the National Interest. From a legal point of view, at least from the point of view of Washington, the case of Azerbaijan is not as straightforward as its supporters claim. First, the United States continues to consider the Republic of Armenia an occupied country after Joseph Stalin violated its borders and incorporated it into the Soviet Union. Moreover, when Azerbaijan reaffirmed its independence in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, its parliament did so based on the borders of the first independent Azerbaijan Republic, and not on the territory of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. Thirdly, the population of the autonomous region voted to get out of the control of Azerbaijan, which was constitutionally legitimate. Baku, within the framework of the Minsk Group process, pledged to settle the territorial dispute through diplomatic means. While Azeri diplomats said progress was futile, this was a lie: there was a broad consensus in the Minsk Group on the dispatch of peacekeepers, probably from Scandinavian countries, and the possible return of Azeri regions by Armenia as confidence grew. However, six months before Azerbaijani dictator Ilham Aliyev ordered the attack, the State Department extended the suspension of Section 907 of the Freedom Support Act, which allowed the US to provide aid to Azerbaijan. The reason for the refusal was Azerbaijan's commitment to the diplomatic process. "That Azerbaijan surprised not only Armenians but also Americans remains an intelligence failure that both Congress and the broader U.S. intelligence community have so far failed to investigate. Nor can any honest analyst ignore the fact that the invasion coincided with the one-hundredth anniversary of the Ottoman invasion of independent Armenia against the backdrop of the Armenian genocide. This was not a coincidence but deliberate. Simply put, Azerbaijan and Turkeys move constituted an opening salvo in what both countries leaders hoped would amount to an Armenian Genocide version 2.0," he wrote. "In the aftermath of the invasion, the State Department under both Secretaries of State Mike Pompeo and then Antony Blinken recommitted the United States to diplomacy. Andrew Schofer, the Minsk Groups American co-chair, returned to the region to try to jumpstart diplomacy." Unfortunately, Blinken and President Joe Biden made a mistake. Biden was right to officially recognize the Armenian Genocide. However, the next day, Blinken again extended the suspension of amendment 907, effectively rewarding Azerbaijan for its aggression. Blinken's move violated US law, although Congress was too busy to prosecute him and force him to reverse the decision. While National Security Advisers Jake Sullivan and Blinken may have thought the olive bough was good for keeping Azerbaijan at the table, it ended up stripping America of everything and telegraphed to Aliyev about the weakness of the United States, he added. A brief review of the past six months shows that American passivity is contributing to the intensification of Azerbaijan's aggression. On March 25, 2021, Azerbaijani soldiers threw stones at Armenian civilian vehicles on the Sarushen-Karmir-Shuka road in the Askeran region of Artsakh. Three days later, Azerbaijani troops ambushed an Armenian vehicle carrying the bodies of Armenian soldiers killed in the 44-day war. Despite Azerbaijan's diplomatic promises to respect freedom of religion, on April 26, three Azerbaijani soldiers beat up an Armenian priest in the village of Aravus. Two days later, eight to ten Azerbaijanis in plain clothes infiltrated the buffer zone between the two sides before being driven out by Armenian forces. In fact, Azerbaijan's constant probing and attempts to infiltrate appear to be drawn from North Korea's policy towards South Korea. "In May 2021, such violations increased. Azerbaijan began a show trial for Lebanese Armenian Vicken Euljekjian, kidnapped by Azerbaijani forces after the November 9, 2020, ceasefire; he remains in prison. On May 12, 2021, Azerbaijani forces moved two miles into Armenian territory in the Syunik region to seize Sev Lich. Such unilateral border adjustments continued over subsequent days. On May 14, for example, Azerbaijani Armed Forces advanced another 300 to 400 meters toward Vardenis in Armenia proper. Azerbaijani forces have also continued to fire across the border at Armenian soldiers in Armenias Gegharkunik Province. A similar attack on Artsakhs Sos village injured a civilian. The lack of any serious American diplomatic pushback simply caused Aliyev to become more aggressive. At around 9:10 pm on May 20, several Azerbaijani soldiers entered Armenia. Armenian soldiers intercepted and, in the resulting brawl, almost a dozen were injured. Less than a week later, Azerbaijani forces killed Armenian Sergeant Gevorg Y. Khurshudyan near the village of Verin Shorzha, in Armenia proper. Two days later, Azerbaijan kidnapped six Armenian soldiers doing engineering work near the Gegharkunik border. Once again, Aliyev appeared to take a page from the North Korean playbook. And, once again, Blinken was silent. Up to 1,000 Azerbaijani troops remain in Armenia proper, according to Artak Davtyan, Armenias chief of the General Staff," he noted. According to the author, the absence of any serious diplomatic resistance from America made Aliyev more aggressive. In June, the aggression intensified again. Azerbaijani soldiers, possibly starving due to the appropriation of military equipment by Azerbaijani officials, began shooting at shepherds in Armenia and stealing their livestock. Armenian soldiers thwarted another attempt to steal horses from a shepherd in Gegharkunik. And the Armenians are not the only victims. In June 2021, Azerbaijani soldiers threatened to execute Spanish journalists reporting from the Armenian side of the border. As the Biden administration remained silent, Azerbaijan intensified its attacks. For example, small arms sniper fire turned into mortar fire across the border, and the ceasefire was short-lived. In August, Azerbaijani forces adopted Islamic State tactics in Iraq and Syria and began setting fire to Armenian crops and meadows. Both the Artsakh ombudsman's office and the Columbia University Institute for the Study of Human Rights have begun collecting evidence documenting such attacks. The Armenian Ministry of Defense also announces the deaths of its soldiers as they are committed. However, perhaps the biggest insult to Azerbaijan is the continued detention and torture of Armenian prisoners of war. While the State Department may call for them to return from time to time, Azerbaijani officials reject these calls as readily as the Taliban. After all, when Blinken waives sanctions on Azerbaijan by allowing American funding to flow to Baku, why should Aliyev take American claims seriously? Neither can Biden or Blinken expect Russia or Turkey to take them seriously when Blinken does not require Russia to publish its peacekeeping and monitoring reports, which, as a member of the Minsk Group, it is obligated to do. Biden has yet to take serious action against Turkey for using American components in unmanned aerial vehicles, which it uses against not only Armenians, but also Kurds and possibly even Christians in Tigray. "Biden and Blinken may not care about American prestige, but this is not the only thing at issue in the South Caucasus. Azerbaijan and Turkey launched their assault on Nagorno-Karabakh to continue the Ottoman project of more than a century ago. Silence encourages them and others. The precedent of ethnic cleansing that they undertakeand the lack of any serious response to itcould destabilize areas far beyond the South Caucasus. So too is American silence regarding the Turkish and Azerbaijani use of Syrian jihadis, some with previous service in the Islamic State and Al Qaeda. It behooves Biden and Blinken to show that this is a red line. Nor does it make sense to reward Azerbaijan financially when it is no longer the stable, tolerant ally Washington once believed it to be, but rather does increasing business with both Russia and Iran. It is time to sanction Azerbaijan until Aliyev returns the last Armenian POW, pays compensation for his aggression, and holds accountable every Azerbaijani soldier on video torturing Armenians or destroying cultural heritage," the author concluded. The Public Health Organization on Tuesday is holding a protest in front of the Ministry of Health of Armenia, and demanding that the health minister invalidate the order according to which as of October 1, all employees in the country must either be vaccinated against the coronavirus or take a PCR test twice a month. The president of this organization, Dr. Hovhannes Gevorgyan, stated that they were against the aforesaid order, as it was unconstitutional and violated human rights. He added that the Ministry of Health has closed the finances of all healthcare services in Armenia. At that moment, a police officer approached him and warned that if he violated public order, he would be apprehended. And a little while later, the doctor was apprehended. Subsequently, police apprehended several more people. The Human Rights Ombudsman of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) has published an updated version of the Report on the cases of the killing of civilians in Artsakh by the armed forces of Azerbaijan. The Report summarizes the data collected as a result of fact-finding work of the Artsakh Human Rights Ombudsmans staff from September 27, 2020 to September 27, 2021 on the civilian killings by Azerbaijani armed forces either by targeted strikes or after their invasion of the civilian settlements of Artsakh. Only the cases proved on indisputable grounds are presented. The report provides a brief description on the circumstances of the killing of each civilian. According to the data collected till September 27, 2021, the identities of 80 civilians killed by the Azerbaijani armed forces were revealed. 42 civilians were killed from long-range strikes by the Azerbaijani armed forces, including rocket-propelled grenades, shelling, bombardment, and sabotage by subversive groups. 38 civilians were killed in captivity or at least under the control of Azerbaijan from physical violence, stabbing, beheading, close-range shooting and other direct means. Out of 80 civilian victims, 68 are men and 12 are women. 52 civilians were killed at the place of residence, 15 at the public place, 11 at the place of work, 1 person in the Azerbaijani prison. The majority of civilian victims are people over 63 years old. The Human Rights Ombudsman also recorded the cases of 163 civilian injuries, most of which resulted from strikes that resulted in the deaths of others. The fate of two dozen civilians from the territories occupied by Azerbaijan remains unknown. The report was prepared in a closed and public version. The closed report adds many photos of the victims before and after their deaths. The public report was prepared without photos, taking into account the cruel and sensitive images in them. The closed version of the report has been sent to the relevant international organizations, but its public version is accessible here . Advocates Alexandr Kochubaev and Lusine Sahakyan will be the attorneys for former Deputy Prime Minister and current deputy of the opposition Armenia faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Armen Gevorgyan. This was announced during todays court hearing. As reported earlier, in early September, the court hearing was postponed for three weeks. Gevorgyans advocate Erik Aleksanyan had assessed Judge Anna Danibekyans line of conduct as her desire to not cooperate and declared that he was leaving. On September 14, Danibekyan participated in a training course, and September 21 was a non-working day. Advocate Kochubaev didnt attend todays court hearing. Advocate Sahakyan asked the judge to take into consideration the fact that she is an advocate during other court hearings (over the case of the events of March 1, 2008) and that this is why she will represent Gevorgyans interests within the scope of the existing charges so that there wont be conflict of interest. The prosecutors didnt object Sahakyans participation, but advocate Hayk Alumyan mentioned that Sahakyans participation might be problematic since its not clear what case is being considered. After discussions, the court allowed Sahakyan to participate. The judge postponed the court hearing for a week to allow the advocate to get acquainted with the case materials. ANCA calls on US Congress to investigate State Department failures related to Armenia, Artsakh Armenia opposition MP: Tatev bypass road will not resolve all our problems in current situation (PHOTOS) 1,202 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Opposition Armenia bloc challenges, at Constitutional Court, community enlargement law package Armenia Central Bank chief in Rome, meets with Italy PM Russia peacekeepers, philanthropists hand warm clothes to Artsakh families State Department: US, Russia do not want to allow Iran to have nuclear weapons Woody Harrelson hits photographer at Watergate Hotel? 2022 World Cup qualifiers: Armenia hold pre-match training in Reykjavik Newspaper: Armenia state to no longer cover treatment expenses of patients not vaccinated against coronavirus? Newspaper: Armenia judicial system to be in volatile situation in short time Iceland vs. Armenia: Bookmakers view 2022 World Cup qualifiers: Brazil win, Argentina score no goal against Paraguay UN Human Rights Council agrees to appoint special rapporteur on Afghanistan Russia citizen driver, 52, dies on the spot after his car crashes into truck in Armenia UEFA Nations League: France are in final Launch of Armenian Studies Program announced during Armenia President's visit to Sapienza University Will Turks be able to enter 26 countries of Schengen Area without visas? Dinner served in honor of Armenia President and his wife in Italy Joaquin Caparros on Vahan Bichakhchyan's absence Armenian parliamentary standing committee chairman meets with Russia Ambassador Zelarayan: I will seek to be on good terms with Mkhitaryan Joaquin Caparros and Lucas Zelarayan holding press conference (LIVE) Armenia Ombudsman submits to Pope Francis reports on tortures of Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan Customs Attache: There hasn't been and there is no bias against Armenian drivers at Upper Lars checkpoint Greece-France defense agreement will allow them to help each other in case of third country's attack Turkish FM: Turkey's position on supporting Ukraine's "integrity and sovereignty" remains unchanged Russian peacekeeping forces, charitable organizations provide assistance to boarding school in Karabakh Zakharova: Moscow proceeds from priority to ensure geopolitical stability in South Caucasus 2023 UEFA European Under-21 Championship: Armenia-Serbia: 1-4 Armenia President pays tribute at Altar of the Homeland monument at Venice Square in Rome Turkey, Iran to hold political consultations Karabakh FM expresses condolences over death of Vigen Chitechyan Armenia territorial administration and infrastructure minister has new deputy Armenia Deputy PM Mher Grigoryan receives US Ambassador Armenia Security Council Secretary, Netherlands Ambassador attach importance to fight against corruption Digest: Armenian POW returned from Azerbaijan, PACE speaks on mandatory COVID-19 vaccination risks Armenia and Italy are deepening cooperation in justice sector Apprehended ARF-D members are released Armenia high-tech industry minister receives Russia Ambassador Armenia Embassy in Russia hosts delegation led by Armenian parliamentary speaker 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) Draw for qualifying round of UEFA Euro 2024 to take place in Frankfurt 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 Kanye West helps Kim Kardashian launch a new show 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 Prince Philip doesn't include Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in his will PM: Armenia, Armenian people are grateful to Japan Leonardo Bonucci apologizes to fans for red card Armenia PM: We have made decision regarding local elections Armenia, Italy presidents farewell ceremony held in Rome (PHOTOS) Moderna vaccine against COVID-19 to be available Friday at Armenia polyclinics, dispensaries Tina Turner sells rights to her songs for tens of millions of dollars Health minister: 14% of Armenia population received first dose of coronavirus vaccine 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 Unknown burst into house of Will Smith's daughter 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 UEFA Nations League: Spain reach final 2022 World Cup qualifiers: Armenia head for Iceland Barca CEO: Club has been technically bankrupt since April Armenia health minister: Out of 2,446 hospital beds for coronavirus patients, 2,300 are occupied UEFA Nations League: Spain defeating Italy after first half (2-0) (PHOTOS) 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 Roma to offer team's defender a new contract Mattarella: Armenia and Italy can boast about their friendly relations Armenian News - NEWS.am presents the daily digest of Armenia-related top news as of 28.09.21: The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a report on the humanitarian consequences of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan during the autumn session of the PACE. The report was adopted with 47 in favor, 16 against and 3 votes of abstinence. The report was drafted by Irish parliamentarian Paul Gavan, who provided the information based on the results of his visits to Armenia and Azerbaijan. It mainly concerns the dead, the people who went missing and the wounded, POWs, the claims about crimes and war crimes and other illegal acts, mines and unexploded ordnance, displaced persons, border incidents, cultural heritage, and hate speech. Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of European and Eurasian Affairs Dereck Hogan and National Security Council Senior Director for Europe Amanda Sloat, met on September 27 with OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs as well as Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson in Office Andrzej Kasprzyk. The co-chairs discussed their successful facilitation of the first joint meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs since November 2020, held last week on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. Meanwhile, Russian FM Sergey Lavrov said that while in New York, the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs had reached an agreement with Armenia and Azerbaijan to resume their working trips to Nagorno Karabakh (Artsakh). Georgian PM Irakli Garibashvili said that Tbilisi can become a platform for talks between Baku and Yerevan. He recalled that in June, Georgia had facilitated the release of 15 captured Armenian soldiers in Azerbaijan, as well as the transfer of some Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) minefield maps to Azerbaijan. "To continue this process at a higher level, we propose our fraternal countries to start negotiations in Tbilisi, which can become a permanent platform," the PM added. Based on official data, 45 Armenian captives are detained in Baku, Siranush Sahakyan, an advocate of Armenian POWs in ECHR, told Armenian News - NEWS.am. Sahakyan noted that there are official and non-official data regarding the Armenian captives detained in Azerbaijan that are based on the results of fact-finding activities. Based on our data, there are another 80 Armenian captives detained in Azerbaijan, Sahakyan added. The staff of the Armenian Human Rights Defender has received reports that the Azerbaijani servicemen have been setting fires since Sunday near the Verin Shorzha and Nerkin Shorzha, Ayrk villages of Gegharkunik Province. It is mostly about the residents' grasslands and pastures which are being destroyed by fires, Ombudsman Arman Tatoyan reported on Monday. The checking of the reports show that these subversive crimes against the Armenian civilian population are committed intentionally. The Public Health Organization on Tuesday was holding a protest in front of the Armenian health ministry. They demanded that the health minister invalidate the order according to which as of October 1, all employees in the country must either be vaccinated or take a COVID-19 test twice a month. The Public Health Organization president Dr. Hovhannes Gevorgyan noted that the order violated human rights. Subsequently, the police apprehended the doctor and several others for violating the state order. As of Tuesday morning, 772 new cases of the coronavirus were confirmed in Armenia, and the total number of these cases has reached 259,779 in the country. Also, 13 more deaths from COVID-19 were registered, making the respective total 5,277 cases. Russia supports demarcation and delimitation of borders and decline of escalation in the region, and Armenias recognition of Artsakh as a part of Azerbaijan isnt in Moscows favor because, in this case, Baku will immediately raise the issue of withdrawal of Russian peacekeepers from Artsakh. This is what analyst Argishti Kiviryan said during Armenian News-NEWS.ams TALK TIME show. Kiviryan recalled that Russia has declared that the issue of status [of Nagorno-Karabakh] has yet to be discussed and that it would be better to discuss it later in order to avoid growth of escalation. Discussion on the issue of status also doesnt favor the Armenian side in this stage since nobody will take into consideration Armenias interests now. Armenias voice will be more significant, if it has a combat-ready army, the analyst added. As Kiviryan noted, there are no rehabilitative processes. The authorities arent taking any action to restore the army and eliminate the consequences of the war. They werent even able to build one alternative road, but the Azerbaijanis have already set up police stations on the Goris-Kapan motorway and are charging Iranian truck drivers. Later, the Azerbaijanis will charge Armenian drivers or might even close down the whole motorway. Armenia was supposed to empower the army in one year. The most serious crime that the authorities committed during the war was that they led the army to destruction as a military-political unit. The Azerbaijanis are behaving obscenely because they realize that their adversary doesnt have an army, Kiviryan said, adding that Armenia has given the keys to Russia to guarantee the security of Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). As far as the era of peace is concerned, the winner can open the era, not the defeated side. Azerbaijan could have done this, but it was also misled and is now under Turkeys full control. In these conditions, neither Armenia nor Azerbaijan can solve the issue of peace, he concluded. For the second time Tuesday, during the trial of Armenias second President Robert Kocharyan and several other former senior officials, the defendant and his attorney were not allowed to exercise their procedural rights. Last time, Judge Armen Danielyan had done this to the second president, and this time Judge Anna Danibekyan did it to former deputy prime minister Armen Gevorgyanwho is now an MP of the opposition Armenia Faction in the National Assembly. In the case before the Yerevan Court of First Instance, Gevorgyan wanted to make a statement about the court's decision not to allow him to leave the country, but presiding judge Danibekyan did not allow it, "considering that the mentioned issue cannot be a subject of discussion here." Armen Gevorgyan wanted to object to the judge's actions. The judge said that the objection had been registered, although Gevorgyan had not yet started presenting it. Lusine Sahakyan, a new lawyer of Armen Gevorgyan, asked the court to publish the content of Gevorgyan's objection. "I ask [the court] to allow my client to present his objection," the lawyer added, in particular. To note, Judge Anna Danibekyan had denied Armen Gevorgyan's request and not allowed him to leave Armenia to attend the PACE plenary session. After that, the court constantly hindered the attempts of the defense to file an objection, and did not allow lawyer Lusine Sahakyan to make a statement in that regard. Sahakyan said that in her impression, Judge Danibekyan wants to deprive Gevorgyan of the right to have a lawyer. To note, during the trial in this case, it has already become usual for the court to deprive the defenseespecially Armen Gevorgyan and his lawyersof the right to submit statements, motions or objections. This was also the reason why the defense attorney Erik Aleksanyan had decided to no longer represent Gevorgyan in the court sessions presided over by judge Anna Danibekyan. Moreover, it should be noted that this is happening in a country whose authorities have declared it a "bastion of democracy." Leader of the opposition With Honor faction of the National Assembly of Armenia Artur Vanetsyan today met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and North Ireland to Armenia John Gallagher, as reported the Public Relations and Communication Department of the National Assembly of Armenia. Greeting the Ambassador, Vanetsyan touched upon the severe consequences of the 44-day war that Azerbaijan unleashed against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), emphasized that Azerbaijan isnt returning the Armenian prisoners of war and other detainees and talked about the inhumane attitude towards the captives detained in Azerbaijan, as well as the sham trials against them. Vanetsyan expressed certainty that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict needs to be resolved within the framework of the Co-Chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group and in observance of the inviolable right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination and considered the Azerbaijani armys encroachments on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia inadmissible. In his turn, Ambassador Gallagher expressed support to the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the scope of the Co-Chairmanship of the OSCE Minsk Group and talked about the New Armenia Modern Parliametn program, which is also being carried out with the support of the UK government and is aimed at building the parliaments capacities. Deputy Hayk Mamijanyan touched upon the flaws in the process of negotiations over the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and talked about the criminal cases launched against opposition MPs. The parties also touched upon the agenda for possible cooperation between the authorities and the opposition in parliament. Story Highlights 55% of parents of kids under 12 say they would get them an available vaccine 53% of parents with kids 18 and under are worried child will get COVID-19 School mask policies in practice are stricter than K-12 parents prefer WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A steady 55% of parents in the U.S. with children under 12 say they would get their child vaccinated against the coronavirus if such a vaccine were available. The Sept. 13-19 update to Gallup's probability-based COVID-19 web panel survey ended one day before Pfizer and BioNTech announced they would seek emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for their COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11. Parents' readiness to have their child vaccinated varies based on their degree of worry about contracting the disease, their own vaccination status and their party identification. Parents who are "very worried" about their child getting COVID-19 are nearly unanimous in their willingness to have their child vaccinated. Those who are less worried about their child being infected are also less open to having their child receive the shot. Just 7% of parents who say they are "not worried at all" about their child contracting the virus say they would have them vaccinated. Another very strong predictor of parents' openness to immunizing their child under 12 is their own vaccination status. That is, 82% of parents who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 say they would vaccinate their child, but just 1% of parents who do not plan to get vaccinated themselves say the same. Throughout the pandemic, opinions of the seriousness of COVID-19, the threat it poses and behaviors associated with it have been highly correlated with political party. As such, 83% of parents of children under 12 who identify as Democrats say they would have their child inoculated, compared with 50% of independents and 21% of Republicans. Parents' Willingness to Get COVID-19 Vaccine for Child Under 12, by Subgroup If, in the future, a COVID-19 vaccine is approved for children under age 12, would you plan to have your children under age 12 receive a COVID-19 vaccine? Yes No % % All parents of children under 12 55 45 Party identification Democrat 83 17 Independent 50 50 Republican 21 79 Worry that child will get COVID-19 Very worried 90 10 Somewhat worried 72 28 Not too worried 45 55 Not worried at all 7 93 Vaccination status of parent Fully vaccinated 82 18 Do not plan to get vaccinated 1 99 GALLUP PANEL, Sept. 13-19, 2021 Since the pandemic began, more than 5.5 million children in the U.S. have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children's Hospital Association. Pediatric COVID-19 cases have been surging in recent months as the highly contagious delta variant has proven particularly transmissible among those who are not vaccinated. While there are vaccines currently available to children aged 12 and older, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds, if given emergency use authorization by the FDA, would allow an additional 9% of the U.S. population to be eligible for immunization. The survey data suggest that getting young children immunized may be a tougher challenge than getting parents and older children immunized. Gallup finds that 75% of U.S. adults, over half of those between the ages of 16 and 18, and less than half of 12- to 15-year-olds have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Majority of Parents Worry Child Will Get COVID-19 More than half of parents of minor children are very (21%) or somewhat (32%) worried that their child will contract COVID-19, while 47% are not too (24%) or not at all (23%) worried. Within that group, parents of children under 12 are more worried than those with children aged 12 to 18 -- 56% vs. 46%, respectively. This is likely due, at least in part, to the fact that the younger children cannot yet be vaccinated. Partisans' levels of concern about their children's COVID-19 vulnerability differ greatly. Whereas 82% of Democrats express worry, far fewer independents (44%) and Republicans (24%) do. Majority of Parents Worry That Child Will Get COVID-19 How worried are you that your child will get COVID-19? Very worried Somewhat worried Not too worried Not worried at all % % % % All parents of children 18 and under 21 32 24 23 Age of child Under 12 24 32 22 23 12 to 18 15 31 28 26 Party identification Democrat 38 44 13 5 Independent 16 28 28 27 Republican 5 19 32 44 GALLUP PANEL, Sept. 13-19, 2021 Parents' worry about their child getting COVID-19 is down eight points from the summer of 2020, when it was last measured. Mask Mandates in K-12 Schools Stricter Than Some Parents Prefer K-12 parents remain divided in their preferences for mask mandates in schools, as 47% say all students should be required to wear masks at school regardless of their vaccination status, which is the current guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the AAP. At the same time, 40% say no students should be required to do so. Another 12% of parents believe masks should only be required for unvaccinated students. Similarly, 49% of K-12 parents think all teachers and staff members should be required to wear masks, while 38% say no teachers or staff should be required to do so. Fourteen percent of parents think only those who are unvaccinated should have to wear masks. When asked about the actual policy at the school their oldest child attends, 63% of K-12 parents report that all students are required to wear masks, and 64% say all teachers and staff are. About one-third of parents each say no students or teachers are required to be masked. Few report mask mandates for only unvaccinated students or teachers. K-12 Parents' Support for Mask Mandates in School vs. Actual Situation Parents' preference for masks at school Actual mask policy at child's school % % Students All students 47 63 No students 40 35 Only unvaccinated students 12 2 Teachers and staff All teachers and staff 49 64 No teachers and staff 38 32 Only unvaccinated teachers and staff 14 4 Gallup Panel, Sept. 13-19, 2021 Bottom Line Pediatric infections now account for one in four COVID-19 cases in the U.S., and while more Americans are getting vaccinated each day, the national vaccination rate is still far from universal coverage and lags that of other nations. If the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for 5- to 11-year-olds receives FDA authorization, more than 28 million additional Americans will be eligible for immunization. Just as public officials have been attempting to convince those already eligible to be vaccinated, they will have a new segment of the population to target. Parents of these young children, however, may be the hardest to persuade. Without long-term safety data available, parents may be less inclined to subject their child to the vaccine. Additionally, the fact that most children infected with COVID-19 have mild infections or no symptoms and the hospitalization rate among children is far lower than that of adults may make parents think hard about whether vaccinating their child is the right decision. To stay up to date with the latest Gallup News insights and updates, follow us on Twitter. Learn more about how the Gallup Panel works. Both Alejandro Portes and Alex Horenstein highlighted the perennial and increasing income disparities between the prosperous U.S. and Canada and the Global South countries of the Americas, where desperate conditions and lack of opportunity have created the most recent border crisis involving some 14,000 immigrants, most of whom are Haitians tracking an unprecedented secondary migration up from South and Central America. Portes, a University of Miami law professor and Distinguished Scholar in the College of Arts and Sciences, further acknowledged that this newest episode is fueled by a calamitous driver: the collapse of governments in Haiti and Venezuela and with Honduras and Guatemala near to failing. Relative deprivationthe growing gap in life chances and job market opportunities between the rich countries and those of the global southhas increased and is one major force driving the crisis, said Portes, who added that social media has exacerbated misinformation about U.S. immigration policy. The second factorthe implosion of national statesis more immediate and triggering the current crisis, he said. Alejandro Portes Several countries in the hemisphere are essentially nonfunctional governments that are not capable of attending to the needs of their populations or providing opportunities for organized labor markets, said Portes, noting that Venezuela is the largest and that one-fourth of that countrys previous population has left seeking refuge in other Andean countries unwilling and not very welcoming recipients of the exodus. Haiti is another imploded, failed state. Following the earthquake in 2010 and a lot of other natural catastrophes, its not surprising that many people there escape and try to leave their country any way they can, the immigration scholar said. Most of the estimated 14,000 immigrants who camped near Del Rio, Texas, were Haitians who were granted humanitarian visas to leave Haiti and resettle in Brazil and Chile. Yet bias and lack of opportunities there prompted them to make their way up to the U.S./Mexican border in hopes of entering, according to Portes. He suggested that given the relatively low numbers, the U.S., with some help from regional nongovernment organizations (NGOs), would be able to effectively manage the situationwere it not for the fact that the previous U.S. administration eviscerated the Office of Refugee Resettlement, the very government agency that is meant to handle such a scenario and had done so previously by accommodating refugees from Southeast Asia and Cuba. This secondary migration is unprecedented and poses a great dilemma for the present administrationit doesnt want to appear racist, but, on the other hand, this is not something that can be allowed, Portes pointed out. Alex Horenstein Horenstein, a Latin American economic specialist and associate professor at the University of Miami Patti and Allan Herbert Business School, indicated that the pandemic and recent natural disasters have worsened an already dire situation. Crisis has hit many countries in the region, and people will always try to look for a better life for themselves and their familiesthe U.S. is the promised land in that regard, he said, pointing out that the US/Mexico border delineates one of the highest income differences in the world. He added that even better performing countries than Haiti and Venezuela, such as Mexico, are in difficult economic situations that have been exacerbated by the pandemic. Horenstein suggested that the U.S. could reduce trade barriers and open its markets, thereby generating jobs that would diminish the impetus of people to leave. Leaving your family and friends, your customs and culture to become illegal and a target of persecution in another countryno one wants to do that, he said. If we pay more attention to Latin American countries and increase our efforts to help them find the path to prosperity as we have done in Europe or East-Asia, we might help reduce the illegal immigration flow while we create a bigger market for our own goods. Helping Latin America to unlock its economic potential is a win-win scenario. While the economic situation is in some ways unavoidable because of the income disparities, both specialists highlighted the political aspect as a root cause of the crisis. For many people, immigrants are a scapegoat, and its easy for politicians to blame a group that is precarious and cant defend themselves, Horenstein explained. And they cant vote, so whats the harm of blaming them? This political scapegoating ignores the positive impact of immigration and precludes the possibility of remedying the crisis, according to Portes. There are 12 million undocumented immigrants already in the U.S.12 million living in the shadows without any possible path to resolve their statusand every attempt to bring about some process of regularization has been blocked in Congress by the far-right wing of the Republican Party over the past several administrations, including that of George Bush, he pointed out. He said several positive steps the U.S. have taken in the past decade include reopening the H-2 visaformerly mostly for West Indian workers for the Florida sugar cane harvest and similar to the Bracero program which operated from 1942-1964 for Mexicansand that grants temporary visas for agricultural and non-agricultural laborers. Basically, without much fuss, it has resolved the problem of massive Mexican undocumented immigration, legally allowing half-a-million workers annually into the country, Portes said. He noted, too, the H-1B visa program for highly qualified personnelengineers, math teachers, doctors, nurses, and others. Nearly half a million workers qualify annually, mostly from India, and fill an important void in the U.S. economy, according to Portes. These two legs of the immigration system to the U.S. have been put together fairly well and are working more or less, he concluded. Immigration is on balance highly positive to the American economy, Portes said. You can see this in these temporary visa programs for both professionals and manual workers that are bringing in over one million people because they are needed by the U.S. labor market, he added. And the other positive contribution of immigration is to prevent the implosion of the populationmost of the growth in U.S. population in the last 20 years has been due to immigrants and their children, Portes continued. If the U.S. doesnt want to follow Japan into demographic implosion, it might as well keep a relatively open system of immigration, which has been a good thing throughout the history of the nation and continues to be at present. Members of the state Veterans Affairs office visit OSU Media Contact: Mack Burke | Editorial Coordinator | 405-744-5540 | mack.burke_iv@okstate.edu On the battlefield, members of the armed forces rely on each other to get them through the fight. After their tour of duty is over and they return to normal life, they still rely on each other their fellow veterans. It is true in every part of their lives, including getting a college education. Places like Oklahoma State Universitys Office of Student Veteran Success provide the means for student veterans to succeed in their next phase of life. Monday morning, representatives of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs (ODVA) visited the OSU department. The special occasion was an informal event, giving students and faculty the chance to talk with the state officers about their concerns, their experiences or their ideas for the future. Joel Kintsel, director of the ODVA, said he always enjoys coming back to his alma mater to connect with veterans. I enjoy getting to interact with the staff and the students who are fellow veterans, Kintsel said. It is interesting to interact with people who have had that fellow experience. You just look at the world in a similar way because you have been through such an experience as them in some respects. Kintsel who graduated from OSU in 2000 with a journalism degree before enlisting in the Oklahoma Army National Guard said he loved listening to almost two dozen students and faculty members Monday. I got a good report today about the vocational rehab program that the federal VA has, and one of the students is using that program and has been very successful with it, Kintsel said. It is good to get that kind of feedback. It is also interesting to hear what students are studying and what their majors and life goals are. Dr. Norb Delatte, the head of OSUs School of Civil and Environmental Engineering who served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and Tom Joyce, an academic advisor for the College of Education and Human Sciences who served in the Army for nine years, were among the faculty members at the event. Honestly, the big thing about these visits is it shows they take time out of their day to see us, Joyce said. Obviously, they have a lot going on, so coming up here and making relationships and communicating with the students and faculty it means a lot for them to take that time to drive all the way up from Oklahoma City. From left: Sarah Lane, deputy director of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs; Cheryl Kleeman, director of Oklahoma State University's Department of Transfer and Student Veteran Success; Lisa Mussett, women veterans coordinator for the ODVA; Randall Coon, program coordinator for the ODVA; Joel Kintsel, director of the ODVA; and Vincent Rivera, coordinator of OSU's Office of Student Veteran Success. Dr. Doug Hallenbeck, vice president of student affairs, thanked the ODVA for the visit. I greatly appreciate the state VA leadership taking the time to come and visit campus and our students, Hallenbeck said. Student veterans are an important part of our campus, and we are committed to their success. We look forward to ways that we can partner with the state to improve the lives of veterans and their families. Others from the ODVA included Deputy Director Sarah Lane and Program Coordinators Lisa Mussett and Randall Coon. Lane, who spent 11 years in the National Guard as a JAG officer, said she loves to help veterans make that transition from active duty to college and eventually their careers. I love to hear their stories. I am always listening with an ear of what we could do to help and connect veterans with each other, with resources, how we can continue to adjust our programs to guide our students toward excellence. That way we can serve those who have served, she said. Just hearing where they are in their educational journey and trying to match that with educational opportunities not just within the educational structure but toward entrepreneurship or employment as well. We want to be able to support them as they continue to their next transition. Coon spoke about the Oklahoma Veteran Specific Transition and Education Program (OKSTEP). An Air Force veteran of 20 years, Coon said he wants student veterans to know what programs are available to them. My goal is that I want to be at every university, college and higher-learning institution to make sure they have the knowledge of transference, Coon said. What I mean by that is that you got a lot of individuals right now who are going to school and are either in the reserves or guard or whatever and are getting out of the service and dont know what is out there for them. That is the type of information that I want to be able to put in a veterans hands. I feel obligated that they need to know their options. These young men and women who are getting out are not prepared and dont have the knowledge of what is out there. So I want to make sure I can put that in their hands. Mussett works closely with Cheryl Kleeman, director of the Department of Transfer and Student Veteran Success, and Vincent Rivera, coordinator of the Office of Student Veteran Success. Mussett, who served in the Air Force, is the coordinator for women veterans and said OSU has hosted events that have helped her work. One of those events is the annual Women Veterans Symposium, which will be entering its seventh year and has continued to grow. Also during the week of Veterans Day in November, the ODVA will be putting on two projects: the Oklahoma Herstory Project and Walk a Mile in Her Boots. We have 30,000 women veterans in the state of Oklahoma, Mussett said. Historically, a lot of women veterans have served in times where perhaps their service wasnt recognized by the military or the government they served. So, part of my program is to do events such as the symposium, informational and outreach events. It is to educate not only the women themselves, but the public also about how women veterans have served. The two projects will be held in the basement of the Student Union, near the Department of Transfer and Student Veteran Success. Kleeman said the ODVA is a huge help to her departments efforts and is crucial to student veterans success at OSU. The partnership that the OSU Office of Student Veteran Success and Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs share is important to the successful transition of our veterans into the civilian world, Kleeman said. The simple fact that the leadership of the ODVA takes the time to visit with our students and hear their stories is indicative of the care that they have for our student veterans. The ODVA has been integral in helping to build the program at OSU and sponsors many of our events including Veterans Appreciation Week in November, the annual Women Veterans Symposium, which will be held in March, and many other efforts. Their support of OSU, the trust they place in us to serve our veterans, and their commitment to working with us is important as we continue to move forward and expand the services that we offer on our campus. OSU set to celebrate 20th annual Harvest Moon Festival Media Contact: Mack Burke | Editorial Coordinator | 8176802176 | mack.burke_iv@okstate.edu Oklahoma State University will host a milestone 20th anniversary celebration of the Harvest Moon Festival from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9 just north of the library on the International Mall. Oklahoma State Universitys Asian American Student Association and Vietnamese American Student Association will host the event, which celebrates one of the oldest and the most important traditional festivals in Asia. The Harvest Moon Festival dates back thousands of years and is most similar to Thanksgiving, said Joyce Crawford, coordinator of Asian American affairs. It is about harvest, families, children and moon viewing, as represented by the night of a full moon during the fall season. This holiday is traditionally celebrated on the 15th day of the eighth month according to the lunar calendar. It is celebrated in different Asian countries and communities. Some of these include China, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Malaysia as well as New York and San Francisco, where larger Asian populations reside. Attendees will get to experience games, performances and food from a variety of Asian cultures. The event is free and open to the public. Food is first-come, first-served. In the event of rain, the festival will relocate to the International Exhibit Hall at Wes Watkins Center. Crawford said the festival bears different names in some Asian countries the Tsukimi in Japan, Mid-Autumn Festival in China and Taiwan, Chuseok in Korea and Tet Trung Thu in Vietnam. Across cultures, families enjoy being together. There are lanterns, games, and of course, traditional food, such as mooncakes in Chinese traditions. In Vietnam, it is traditionally a childrens day that allows parents to spend more time with their children after the autumn harvest. Traditional lanterns in Vietnam resemble carp fish. In Korea, it is a three-day holiday where people wear traditional outfits called hanboks to visit temples and their ancestors tombs. In Japan, Tsukimi, the Moon-Viewing Festival, is celebrated with traditional food called dangos. Dangos are Japanese dumplings, made from rice flour mixed with uruchi rice flour and glutinous rice flour and served on a skewer. Crawford said the festivals impact goes beyond food and games. Student leaders and volunteers engage in meaningful diversity and inclusion work in the months leading up to the festival, which takes into consideration the diversity of cultures represented in the food and activities, she said. Student leaders also engage with community partners and sponsors for the event. The Harvest Moon Festival not only means a lot to the plethora of international Asian students who get to experience a slice of home through the event, but also the local Asian American community, Crawford said. Banquets can grow, but still only four people outside Up to 240 people can join banquets from Thursday as long as most are jabbed and all staff are vaccinated. Photo: RTHK Officials said on Tuesday that while most of Hong Kong's social distancing rules are to be kept in place for now, including mask requirements and a four-person public gathering limit, they are easing restrictions on banquets. From September 30, restaurants with fully vaccinated staff can increase the size of banquets from 180 to 240 people, as long as two-thirds or more of the guests have had at least one Covid jab. "It is worrying that the elderly will be subject to extremely high risks of getting seriously ill and death if there is a fifth wave of epidemic. In this regard, we need to maintain most of the social distancing measures currently in place," a statement said, adding that restaurants have "already taken stringent anti-epidemic measures". Health authorities reported 13 new imported coronavirus cases on Tuesday, involving people who flew in from Morocco, Kenya, Italy, India, the United Arab Emirates, the US, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan and the Philippines. Two of the new patients were found to have the N501Y mutant strain when they arrived in the SAR on Sunday. One was a 37-year-old man living in Jones Hive in Causeway Bay who returned from India, and the other a 39-year-old man living in Hankow Centre in Tsim Sha Tsui who flew in after spending time in India and the United Arab Emirates. The Centre for Health Protection said they were issuing compulsory testing orders to people who had been to places these two men had visited in the SAR. Authorities added that they have temporarily banned Qatar Airways passenger flights from Doha, after four passengers on one of the airlines flights were confirmed to have the virus when they arrived on Sunday. Meanwhile, health authorities said they were looking into what they called a non-locally confirmed case. This involved a fully vaccinated 37-year-old woman who travelled to Macau by bus via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai Macau Bridge on September 19. She tested positive in Macau a week later. WhatsApp's end-to-end encryption -- the hallmark of users' security -- may go for a toss if Facebook integrates the popular mobile messaging platform with not-that-secure Instagram and Messenger. According to a report in The Wired on Saturday, to universally preserve end-to-end encryption poses a whole additional set of critical challenges for Facebook. WhatsApp chats are currently end-to-end encrypted by default. Facebook Messenger offers the feature if you turn on "Secret Conversations." "Instagram does not currently offer any form of end-to-end encryption for its chats," the report said. "The big problem I see is that only WhatsApp has default end-to-end encryption. So if the goal is to allow cross-app traffic, and it's not required to be encrypted, then what happens? There are a whole range of outcomes here," Matthew Green, a cryptographer at the Johns Hopkins University, was quoted as saying. WhatsApp co-founder and CEO Jan Koum quit Facebook over difference of opinion with CEO Mark Zuckerberg when it comes to data privacy and encryption. Koum announced his exit "after clashing with its parent, Facebook, over the popular messaging service's strategy and Facebook's attempts to use its personal data and weaken its encryption". Brian Acton started WhatsApp with Koum. Facebook acquired the messaging service ago for $19 billion in 2014. Acton quit Facebook in 2017 and Koum left the company last April. The New York Times reported on Friday that Facebook has planned to integrate chats within WhatsApp, Messenger and Instagram. "Facebook is still in the early planning stages of homogenizing its messaging platforms, a move that could increase the ease and number of secured chats online by a staggering order of magnitude," said The Wired report. Read more news: Google created most positive buzz in India in 2018: Report I feel responsible: Karan Johar on Pandya, Rahul row wundervisuals / Getty Images You can probably think of a million things to do with $1 million -- buy your dream home, take a trip around the world or shop till you drop. But while riches can eliminate some of your day-to-day financial worries, theres a downside to wealth as well. Find Out: The Daily Costs of Living Like a Billionaire Related: 20 Hobbies of the Rich Only They Can Afford Whether its money, career or family, the super-rich have their own set of problems. And as Bryan Clayton, millionaire and CEO of Uber-for-lawncare company GreenPal says, anyone who wants riches should be careful what they wish for. Sometimes, youll deal with entirely new issues through no fault of your own. Being a millionaire isn't all it's cracked up to be. While money might improve quality of life, it doesn't bring happiness -- nor does it erase people's problems. Whether you think you might become a millionaire or just want to know how the 1 percent lives, check out the harsh realities of the luxury lifestyle. Last updated: Aug. 20, 2021 Elnur / Shutterstock.com You Might Be at a Greater Risk for Lawsuits You don't need to be rich to be sued by someone, but your odds of getting hit with lawsuits can increase once you become a millionaire. If its known that youre wealthy, some vindictive people might use any opportunity to get a piece of the pie -- even if it means filing baseless, frivolous lawsuits against you. Clayton understands this reality firsthand. He came from a blue-collar, working-class background and started his first company at the age of 18. The one thing that really surprised me was with wealth comes lawsuits," he said. "It was just amazing to me that because I had wealth and a prominent business that I was a magnet for lawsuits of all kinds. It's [not fun] for a stranger to pop out of the bushes and say you have been served. One of the perks of being a millionaire is that you can probably afford an attorney to fight frivolous -- as well as legitimate -- lawsuits against you. Even if youre an honest person, wealth makes you an easy target. Therefore, you should establish a relationship with an attorney to protect your assets. Story continues Crazy Court Cases: 13 Ridiculous Lawsuits and the Insane Payouts They Sought Pressmaster / Shutterstock.com You Cant Always Trust the People You Hire Whether you're a hard worker running an empire, or you came into wealth through an inheritance or other windfall, you might hire a team to help manage your money. It makes sense to have a financial advisor, accountant or money manager by your side. But sometimes, the people you trust can be anything but trustworthy. Chantay Bridges, a speaker, writer and realtor in Los Angeles, warns that if you hire a crook, you can be held responsible for his actions. You bring on teams of people from all walks of life, yet sometimes a bad apple slips through the cracks," she said. "They are up to no good, [and] depending on their role in your organization, it can make it look like you were an accomplice to their evil deeds." When adding to your team, you should seek the most qualified candidates, as well as those who have a reputation for being trustworthy. Dont rush the process. Do your research, which includes a background and criminal history check. You can also request references and speak to their past employers or clients. Most importantly, follow your instinct. If you have a bad feeling about someone, dont hire her. Learn More: Just How Rich Are Oprah, Bill Gates and Other Big Names? 4 PM production / Shutterstock.com You Attract Fake Friends You might be the type of person who looks for the good in everyone, and you want to believe everyone in your circle is a loyal friend. Some are, but once you become a millionaire, you cant afford to walk around with blinders on. Being a millionaire doesn't mean distrusting everyone who offers a smile, but you have to be on the lookout for fake friends -- people who only come around when they need something. Money, success and riches can cause people to flock to you, yet everyone's motives are not the same," said Bridges. "There are individuals that will come only for what they can get from you, not with a pure or true heart to be your friend." These moochers can include relatives, colleagues who live paycheck to paycheck and even your friends. Theyll stick around for as long as you have your wallet open, but disappear as soon as you cut them off. Whoa: These 15 Billionaires Got Richer During The Pandemic imtmphoto / Getty Images You Have to Deal With Unfair Haters On the other end of the spectrum, you might also deal with people who dislike you for the simple fact that youre a millionaire. It doesnt matter that youre a kind person who treats everyone with respect -- some people wont be able to get past their own insecurities and jealousy. You might be sensing their envy frequently -- a surprising number of people believe they will become millionaires. If they dont know how to become a millionaire -- or if theyre afraid to take risks -- your success infuriates them. Youll deal with their negative comments, and you might have to face negative stereotypes, such as some people perceiving you as greedy or ruthless. This could be the furthest thing from the truth, but it doesnt matter. Some people will dislike you just because they can. The best way to deal with haters is to ignore them and not retaliate. You dont have to apologize for your success. You cant please everyone, so theres no point in trying. Watch Out: These Billionaires Could Buy Your City Pressmaster / Shutterstock.com You Suffer From Money Guilt Dealing with feelings of money guilt is a downside of being a millionaire that can come as a shock. Even if you sympathize with the struggles faced by others, you might have trouble empathizing with them. Unlike some of your friends, you might no longer worry about the cost of healthcare or stress about how youll pay for your kids' college education. Because of this, you could feel a twinge of guilt and make it your aim to give large sums to your favorite charities and help those with a legitimate need. Theres nothing wrong with this. But just know that its not your responsibility to save everyone, and you shouldnt let others guilt you into giving away money. Once it becomes common knowledge that you are a person of means, everyone seems to come from out of the woodwork, said Bridges. From children starving in Africa, people enslaved in foreign countries, limited education for women, and the list goes on and on. You can only do so much; you cannot save or fix the entire world. pattarawat / Shutterstock.com You Owe More Taxes The more money you earn, the more youll owe in income taxes. Chances are you'll have an accountant crunching the numbers and determining how much you owe the federal and state governments, but you should mentally prepare for a higher tax bill -- it comes with the territory. Do your research to master the strategies that help rich people save money on taxes. Maksim Shmeljov / Shutterstock.com You Feel Pressure To Maintain a Certain Lifestyle Being wealthy can mean becoming accustomed to a certain way of life. This presents a new challenge -- the pressure to maintain this lifestyle. A 2015 survey by UBS Investor Watch found that millionaires are just as stressed as everyone else, but they have different worries. About 52 percent of those surveyed felt stuck on a treadmill and believed they couldnt get off without sacrificing their family's lifestyle. Some millionaires -- particularly millennial millionaires -- are also more insecure and conscious about how their wealth compares to that of peers, according to the survey, and they often feel pressure to work long hours and keep up with the Joneses, which can mean losing quality time with family. Additionally, the survey found that some millionaires -- despite having impressive net worths -- are never satisfied and continually strive for more riches. For these people, it isnt enough to have $1 million; they want $2 million, and those individuals with $2 million want $4 million. They have so much, yet its not enough because lifestyle expectations increase as net worths soar. [rock-component slug="more-from-gobankingrates"] This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 7 Harsh Realities of Being a Millionaire Sep. 27With the help from a large donation from Toledo Refining Company, The Ability Center announced Monday plans to pull resources together to make East Toledo a more accessible community for individuals with disabilities. In front of The Ability Center's Monroe Street location Monday, leadership of the nonprofit were presented a large check for $100,000 to use for the organization's Accessible Community Fund, a total which The Ability Center is matching in return. The funds donated from Toledo Refining Company will specifically go towards making East Toledo a more disability-friendly community, said Tim Harrington, The Ability Center's longtime executive director who is set to retire on Oct. 4. "It comes down to working with organizations like churches, playgrounds," Mr. Harrington told The Blade after a news conference to announce the award. "Places that want to make their buildings more accessible, that's the goal." Mr. Harrington, while speaking at the conference, said The Ability Center is committed to making Toledo and northwest Ohio the most disability-friendly community in the country, and said work is already being done to gather more partnerships such as the one accomplished with Toledo Refining Company, to do so. "We can leverage our own resources to bring about universal access throughout the community," he said. The funding from Toledo Refining Company was raised at the company's annual golf outing. Mike Gudgeon, manager of the refinery, said his company, which hosts the golf outing each year to raise money for charitable causes, decided using the funds to partner with The Ability Center to make the community specifically East Toledo more accessible, was the best use of the money. "We are a part of the East Toledo community," Mr. Gudgeon said. "We feel very strongly that if we're giving back to the community it should be benefiting that community right where we are." Story continues Mr. Gudgeon said the company is looking at investing more into East Toledo, specifically the Navarre Park area, and has partnerships with the East Toledo Family Center and the Boys and Girls Club. "We look at opportunities in all of East Toledo and continue to try to help those folks," he said. Mr. Harrington ended his address by challenging other businesses and organizations to partner with The Ability Center to make the community more accessible. "The Ability Center is putting our resources behind this as well," he said. "So we're matching whatever businesses put in. This is definitely going to make a difference. "This is the kickoff," he added. The donation is the first to go to The Ability Center's Accessible Community Fund. The fund will award up to 50 percent of the total project cost for community organizations to make improvements to public accessibility or to upgrade existing accessibility features, according to a news release. A grant application will become available beginning Oct. 1 at abilitycenter.org. First Published September 27, 2021, 4:42pm Top US military leaders acknowledged Tuesday that the Taliban's rapid takeover in Afghanistan took them by surprise and expressed concern the Islamic regime has not broken ties with Al-Qaeda. "We helped build a state, but we could not forge a nation," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing about the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and evacuation. "The fact that the Afghan army we and our partners trained simply melted away -- in many cases without firing a shot -- took us all by surprise," he said. "It would be dishonest to claim otherwise." Austin said the United States had provided the Afghan military "with equipment and aircraft and the skills to use them." "Over the years, they often fought bravely," he said. "Tens of thousands of Afghan soldiers and police officers died. But in the end, we couldn't provide them with the will to win. "At least not all of them." The Pentagon chief said the United States "did not fully comprehend the depth of corruption and poor leadership in their senior ranks." General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the United States did not have a "full wholesome assessment of leadership morale and will" of the Afghan armed forces. "We can count all the planes, trucks, and automobiles and cars and machine guns and everything else," Milley said. "But you can't measure the human heart with a machine." The general also said the Taliban "was and remains a terrorist organization and they still have not broken ties with Al-Qaeda. "I have no illusions who we are dealing with," he said. "It remains to be seen whether or not the Taliban can consolidate power or if the country will fracture into further civil war," Milley said. "But we must continue to protect the American people from terrorist attacks emanating from Afghanistan," he said. "A reconstituted Al Qaeda or ISIS with aspirations to attack the United States is a very real possibility." cl/ec Jeff Greenberg / Getty Images Authorities in Florida are searching for missing teen Miya Marcano, last seen on Friday in Orlando. A maintenance worker and person of interest was found dead from an apparent suicide on Monday. The worker is believed to have entered her apartment with a master key before she vanished, HuffPost reported. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Authorities in Orange County, Florida, announced on Monday that a person of interest in the case of missing Orlando teenager Miya Marcano was found dead. According to HuffPost, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said at a press conference on Monday that Armando Manuel Caballero, a maintenance worker at Marcano's apartment complex, was found dead in his apartment of an apparent suicide. -Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) September 25, 2021 Mina added that Caballero was deemed a person of interest after investigators learned that he used a master key to let himself into Marcano's apartment moments before she was last seen by family and friends on Friday. At the press conference, Mina said that Caballero had a romantic interest in Marcano and that he made advances and she "repeatedly rebuffed," him. -Orange County Sheriff's Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) September 27, 2021 The Orange County Sheriff's office also said that, "investigators suspect foul play." Marcano's family offered messages of hope and encouragement as authorities search for the missing teenager. "Miya, this message is for you," her aunt Pia Scarbriel Henry said at Monday's press conference. "I know you're alive. I know you're out there. We love you. You know we will not sleep one night until we get you home." Read the original article on Insider The Daily Beast Dallas County Sheriff's OfficeA bizarre saga in Missouri involving a missing woman who was seen being held captive in a cage has taken a baffling turn as the house where she was apparently kept burned to the groundimmediately after authorities discovered it had been boobytrapped.The Dallas County Sheriffs Office said the fire at the home in Windyville, an unincorporated Ozarks community about 160 miles from Kansas City, occurred Monday night, according to the Springfield News-Leader. Thats mo By Natalia Zinets and Matthias Williams (Reuters) -Belarusian security forces shot dead a 31-year-old man, identified by the pro-democracy opposition as an IT worker with U.S. company EPAM Systems, during a raid on Tuesday at an apartment block in the capital Minsk. The man had opened fire against the security forces, one of whom also died, the KGB security service said in a statement. It also said his wife had been arrested. The Investigative Committee of Belarus, which investigates major crimes, said a 31-year-old man was "liquidated with return fire" after resisting law enforcement officers. Reuters could not independently verify the statements or footage of the incident that was aired on Belarusian state television. EPAM declined to comment immediately. Forces loyal to President Alexander Lukashenko unleashed a violent crackdown on protests following a disputed election last year, including searches of apartment blocks where they believed protesters were hiding. In power since 1994, Lukashenko has defied Western sanctions and opposition calls to step down and described the protesters as criminals bent on violent uprising. The IT industry - mainly housed in a state-run technology park on the outskirts of Minsk - was a driving force behind the protests. EPAM's Belarusian founder was a signatory to an open letter calling for the release of prisoners and new elections. Local media and a senior adviser to exiled opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya identified the man killed as Andrei Zeltser, an IT worker with EPAM. A LinkedIn page of a man with the same name states he has worked at EPAM since 2016. "He was also reportedly a U.S. citizen. According to his friends, he supported democracy movement in Belarus. His wife is detained. Mother is shocked," Franak Viacorka, Tsikhanouskaya's adviser, wrote on Twitter. Tsikhanouskaya later added that the incident was "a result of lawlessness in Belarus. Our people don't feel safe anymore even in their homes. The autocrat holding onto the power with violence & terror creates a confrontation between Belarusians." Story continues Lukashenko's spokeswoman said the death of the KGB officer would "not remain unpunished". The U.S. Special Envoy for Belarus, Julie Fisher, said the United States was seeking additional information on whether the victim in the shooting was a U.S. citizen or not. "This incident appears to provide further evidence of the regime's disregard for human rights and its willingness to utilize extreme methods to threaten perceived political opponents a pattern which is regrettably well-established in Belarus," she said in an emailed statement. The official state news agency Belta reported the man was associated with the opposition movement, citing a lawmaker. The KGB did not identify the man by name or profession but said he was a "terrorist" - language it uses to describe protesters. "I can't say or think anything. I'm shocked, I don't understand what's going on," Belarusian media outlet Nasha Niva quoted Zeltser's mother-in-law as saying. "Andrei is a very good person, a wonderful son-in-law." "Do I consider Andrei a terrorist? Of course not," she said. Footage shown on state television showed plainclothes officers breaking down an apartment door and a man firing at them as they entered. "In response to the lawful demands of law enforcement officers, a 31-year-old resident of Minsk refused to open the door of the apartment and was locked inside it. For the subsequent so-called 'hype', he was filming," the Investigative Committee of Belarus said in a statement. "Given the nature of the violence used, armed resistance from a 31-year-old man, he was liquidated with return fire." (Reporting by Natalia Zinets, Matthias Williams and Pavel Polityuk in Kyiv; Editing by Grant McCool, Stephen Coates, Catherine Evans and Jonathan Oatis) In my last piece, I shared a number of thoughts regarding the lead analysis of The Economists September 4 issue titled The threat from the illiberal left. Here, the focus will be on central points the authors address in the subsequent briefing section where, though aware of charges of reaction and racism, the authors tackle such issues as fettered speech and safetyism, the raising of some groups over others in the name of social justice, a corporate diversity fetish, and an obeisance to identity politics. First, the writers describe and take aim at the most deleterious impacts of wokeism, stemming first from (mostly elite) universities and abetted by a huge increase in supine university administrators. (Outraged letters are sure to deluge the magazine on these issues.) Within the confines of this blog, here are a few of the most salient and biting points. There are several radical academic sources, including the 1960s leftish guru Herbert Marcuse, who championed the idea of repressive tolerance and argued that the liberal creed of free and equal discussion should be sacrificed to end oppression. On what the writers identify as the expansive universe of racism, they look at more recent theorists such as Ibram X. Kendi and Robin DiAngelo, who argue that all policies should be judged on their racial results and implications. The writers explain, In Mr. Kendis Manichaean worldview actions are either actively narrowing racial gaps, and are therefore anti-racist, or they are not, in which case they are racist. They then share Kendis conclusion, Capitalism is essentially racist; racism is essentially capitalist. Beyond the halls of academe, wokeism has infiltrated a generation of journalists, some of whom espouse replacing neutral objectivity with moral clarity unflinchingly judging right and wrong. Additionally, the authors chronicle the rise of wokeism in the Democratic Party with statistics on race-based policies (e.g., aid to Black farmers over others) and the growing support of reparations for the US Black population in recompense for slavery and other past injustices. Joe Biden, an avatar for Democratic consensus, won by taking positions far to the left of Mr. Obama, including on matters of identity politics, the piece states. Story continues Finally and with specific implications for technology policy the authors predict the corporate community will be a real test of wokeisms reach. Here, the picture is mixed. While many corporations including tech firms have introduced wide-scale diversity programs and even quotas, they still struggle to satisfy the demands of younger employees and social activists. Particularly with Big Tech, there are internal contradictions in that the companies espouse the vagaries of wokeism while ignoring the illiberal lefts adamant opposition to capitalism. In the words of AEIs Jenna and Benjamin Storey and The Wall Street Journal editorial-page writer Barton Swaim, Even corporate leaders who until yesterday could be counted on to champion patriotism and hard work eagerly recite the maxims of idiots. In the end, The Economist is only moderately optimistic, urging classical liberals to rediscover their fighting spirit and take on the bullies and cancelers. Still, the editors admit: Aspects of liberalism go against the grain of human nature. It requires you to defend your opponents right to speak, even when you know they are wrong. You must be willing to question your deepest beliefs. Businesses must not be sheltered from the gales of creative destruction. Your loved ones must advance on merit alone, even if all your instincts are to bend the rules for them. You must accept the victory of your enemies at the ballot box, even if you think they will bring the country to ruin. To be a genuine liberal, the piece concludes, is hard work. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: Think Tanks Original Author: Claude Barfield Original Location: Bravo to The Economist and classical liberalism, part II SAO PAULO (Reuters) -Brazil will provide COVID-19 vaccine booster shots to all its people over 60-years-old, Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga said on Tuesday. Queiroga said in a tweet that the decision comes in line with progress in the country's vaccination program. About 7 million Brazilians could get the booster shot under these conditions, he said. Brazil had already started giving booster shots to people over 70-years-old and healthcare workers. According to Health Ministry data, about 600,000 booster shots have been administered up to now. Roughly 52% of the country's adult population is fully vaccinated with two doses or a single-dose vaccine. Nearly 595,000 Brazilians have died from the coronavirus, according to World Health Organization figures. (Reporting by Gabriel Araujo, Editing by Angus MacSwan) The Chinese governments crackdown on entertainment continues with its most recent announcement of an upcoming ban on certain cartoons and other made-for-children programs. End to animation?: On Friday, Chinas National Radio and Television Administration released a statement on its website announcing the prohibition of childrens shows that contain any mention of violence, blood, vulgarity or pornography, reported CNN. TV producers are told to "resolutely resist bad plots" and create only "excellent cartoons with healthy content and promote truth, goodness and beauty." The agency highlighted that since young audiences are the main targets of such cartoons, broadcasters should develop TV channels that promote a good environment for "the healthy growth of young people." According to the announcement, the new regulation applies to animation content either shown on TV or streamed on the internet. Back in April, authorities in Jiangsu province also warned against 21 cartoons and TV shows that they said negatively affect children's development, including "Peppa Pig," "My Little Pony" and "Detective Conan," among others. First casualty: Japanese TV show "Ultraman Tiga," which gained a huge following in China after its debut in 1996, was removed from online streaming platforms on Friday, sparking immediate objections from fans on social media. The show, about a superhero who fights alien monsters, was reportedly removed due to its alleged violent plot, according to state-run media Global Times. Chinese fans have taken to social media to defend the long-running show, with many who grew up watching the program pointing out that the series promotes humanity and justice. Weibo users even drew a comparison to the Four Classic Novels written during the Ming and Qing dynasties: Journey to the West, Outlaws of the Marsh, Romance of the Three Kingdoms and Dream of the Red Chamber, which some say also use themes that the authorities now find problematic. The regulation on childrens shows is the latest in the Chinese governments continued entertainment industry censorship that has included prohibiting effeminate male stars, vulgar influencers and fan clubs, NextShark previously reported. Featured Image via ULTRAMAN OFFICIAL by TSUBURAYA PROD. Story continues Enjoy this content? Read more from NextShark! Pro Golfer Michelle Wie Wests Tie-Dye Hoodies Sold Out in 3 Hours Woman Claiming to Be a Wuhan Nurse Alleges Over 90,000 Are Infected With Coronavirus in Viral Video ER Doctor Fighting COVID-19 in NYC Reveals What's REALLY Happening Netflix Releases Trailer for True Crime Series on Elisa Lams Mysterious Death BEIJING (AP) China's top diplomat has held a virtual meeting with NATO's chief to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, amid longstanding disagreements between Beijing and the U.S.-led alliance over regional policies. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the discussions had been positive and constructive. Foreign Minister Wang Yi and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had spoken the previous day, according to the statement, focusing on issues of common concern. Chinese officials gave no further details of the talks. Beijing long opposed the presence of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan with which it shares a narrow border while benefiting from the relative stability that presence provided. It has been strongly critical of the shambolic U.S. withdrawal that paved the way for the Taliban sweeping to power, calling it hasty and irresponsible. Beijing said the two officials speaking Monday agreed to raise the standard of dialogue to advance practical cooperation between China and NATO on issues including counterterrorism, anti-piracy, cyber security and international peacekeeping. Stoltenberg told China's foreign minister that the alliance went into Afghanistan to ensure the country did not serve again as a platform for terrorists, according to NATO's press release Monday, adding that no attacks against China or alliance members had been organized from the country since 2001. Stoltenberg also stressed in the meeting the importance of a "coordinated international approach, including with countries from the region, to hold the Taliban accountable for their commitments on countering terrorism and upholding human rights, not least the rights of women. China has kept open its embassy in Kabul and maintained dialogue with the Taliban group, including hosting a delegation in July led by top leader Abdul Ghani Baradar. At that meeting, Wang referred to the Taliban as a pivotal military and political force in Afghanistan" that is expected to play an important role in the in process of peace, reconciliation and reconstruction." Story continues Beijing has also called on the Taliban to uphold its pledge to restrain militants seeking independence for the traditionally Muslim northwestern region of Xinjiang. Wang has urged the group to keep border crossings open, while offering $31 million in humanitarian assistance, along with 3 million doses of Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines. China has also previously signed deals for oil, gas and copper mining in Afghanistan, although those have long been dormant. Apart from calls to fight terrorism, China has said virtually nothing about the Taliban's approach to human and women's rights. It has condemned foreign intervention in the country and has shown little enthusiasm for establishing a major economic presence. While pledging cooperation with NATO, Wang criticized the dispatch of planes and ships from member states to areas near Chinas borders, saying the Asia-Pacific region does not need new military groups, nor should it involve a confrontation between great powers, even less a small circle designed to incite a new Cold War. Stoltenberg said the alliance does not see China as an adversary, but called on China to uphold its international commitments and act responsibly in the international system," the NATO news release said. He also raised NATOs concerns over Chinas coercive policies, expanding nuclear arsenal and lack of transparency on its military modernisation," the release added. In late January, soon after Joe Biden entered the White House, Chinese Vice-President Wang Qishan had a long conversation with an American guest in Beijing. John Thornton, a Wall Street veteran who had previously headed Goldman Sachs, is an old friend who had known Wang, President Xi Jinping's right-hand man, when he was still a mid-level official in the 1990s. The pair steered their conversation far beyond day-to-day politics and talked about Chinese and American history, the clash of civilisations and one of the most sensitive topics surrounding the two countries' relations: the legitimacy of the ruling Chinese Communist Party. Do you have questions about the biggest topics and trends from around the world? Get the answers with SCMP Knowledge, our new platform of curated content with explainers, FAQs, analyses and infographics brought to you by our award-winning team. Thornton, now the executive chairman of Barrick Gold, relayed the message of the new US administration's priorities: fighting the pandemic, reviving the economy and reuniting a divided America. He said the personal ties between Xi and Biden could help repair relations, and that there was space for the two nations to sit down and discuss trade. Thornton also had a conversation with China's top trade negotiator, Vice-Premier Liu He, and top diplomat Yang Jiechi during the trip, which paved the way for Liu's first video call with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai, in June. "Thornton is an old friend of some Chinese leaders and senior officials," said a person familiar with the details of the discussion. "As someone who understands China, he has helped convey messages between the two nations when the relationship has faced challenges. "Thornton has a role similar to that of [Henry] Kissinger some 50 years ago," said the person, who requested anonymity to discuss the matter. When Kissinger made his 1971 trip to China that culminated in the normalisation of ties between the two nations, he was then-president Richard Nixon's national security adviser. Story continues Thornton has not had any official government role, but he has worked with both Republican and Democratic administrations to serve as a backchannel - more so as ties have plunged to their lowest point in decades. Officials from the Donald Trump administration defined the US-China relationship in terms of a "clash of civilisations", and promoted a rhetorical separation of the Chinese state and its people from the ruling Communist Party - seen by officials in Beijing as highly provocative and an affront to its political legitimacy. Wang was keenly aware of the direction in which the Trump administration was pushing, and during the conversation with Thornton he accused the Trump administration of engineering a decoupling between the two nations and driving a wedge between the party and the people. "Wang shared with Thornton observations from the books he read about regime legitimacy," said the person familiar with the discussion. According to Wang, the party's legitimacy stemmed from its victory over the Kuomintang in the long civil war, China's course as a socialist country, 40 years of reform and opening-up policies, and the new era under Xi. China has long been criticised for not having democratic elections, but Wang argued that the party was "chosen" by the people and that they had given their backing to the regime. "To understand China and its history, present and future, America needs to first understand the Communist Party of China," Wang told Thornton. Wang also offered his view on American history. He said he saw US politics, ideology and culture as stemming mainly from its Anglo-Saxon and Protestant heritage, and tracing back to Mediterranean civilisation - all creating huge differences with Chinese civilisation. He indicated that he hoped the Biden administration would change the US' course, and that it should seek to understand China regardless of whether the two countries were friends or enemies - not continue decoupling. "The ball is now in the US' court" regarding relations, Wang said. Thornton said Biden's climate envoy John Kerry, who served as secretary of state under Barack Obama, would be a good choice for bringing the two countries together through climate cooperation. The conversation between Wang and Thornton offered a rare glimpse into the thinking of the Chinese leadership, in particular on how they saw the trajectory of China-US relations as Beijing prepared to deal with a new US government. The Biden administration has since continued much of Trump's tough approach to China. Biden officials have complained about a lack of communication and access to Xi's inner circle. Officials in Beijing have a distrust of younger American officials, whom they consider hostile to China and focused too much on ideological competition. They prefer to deal with trusted "old friends" such as Thornton, who is among very few to have maintained ties and access to some of China's most powerful officials. Thornton's connections to China go back to at least the mid-1990s, when he first met Wang, then the head of China Construction Bank. When Thornton oversaw Goldman's Asia businesses, the Wall Street bank won the initial public offering contract for China Telecom, one of the first international listings by a Chinese state-owned company. He left Goldman Sachs in 2003 and became a professor and director of the global leadership programme at Tsinghua University in Beijing. This article originally appeared in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the most authoritative voice reporting on China and Asia for more than a century. For more SCMP stories, please explore the SCMP app or visit the SCMP's Facebook and Twitter pages. Copyright 2021 South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright (c) 2021. South China Morning Post Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. As the executive director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center, one of my joys is leading people through our museum. Filled with historical artifacts and pictures, its a testimony to Gods faithfulness. One of my favorite pictures is of Billy Graham standing next to Martin Luther King Jr. I start by telling people how Graham took down segregation ropes for his meetings in the South. But the story doesnt stop there. Historian Grant Wacker notes that as the civil rights movement intensified, Graham distanced himself from King by attempting to chart a moderate path. Decades later, Graham himself would speak of his lack of engagement in the civil rights movement as one of his great regrets. This same story of engagement, retreat and regret has come to define an evangelical culture that is bigger than Billy Graham. For more than a century, the broader evangelical movement has been in a cycle of engagement when opportunities arise, retreat when pressures and obstacles intensify, and regret at the failure to achieve any lasting change. Worse, the burden of this regret too frequently falls on evangelicals of color, as they are left abandoned only to be greeted with new promises next cycle. The museum at the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center. In this context, the evangelical movement embarked on its newest episode recently when evangelist and writer Josh McDowell stepped away from his ministry after making comments about race on Sept. 18 at a meeting of the American Association of Christian Counselors. Ed Stetzer is a dean and professor at Wheaton College, where he also leads the Billy Graham Center. McDowell released a statement seeking to be honest about his comments and apologize for his error: "I want to begin by apologizing for my words and the implications they had. My statement started by saying 'I do not believe blacks, African Americans, and many other minorities have equal opportunity.' I do believe this. Racism has kept equality from being achieved within our nation. When I said that 'most (minorities) grew up in families where there is not a big emphasis on education and security,' I made a generalized statement that does not reflect reality. I apologize and reiterate my Christian love for all races, nationalities and people groups. My desire is that we as Christians would deal with both racism and inequality as the sins that they are in order to restore the unity and equality that God desires for all." Story continues Sally Kohn: Critical race theory and loving America are not mutually exclusive. My journey with CRT. In an age of denial, McDowells apology is an instructive model on owning the causality of our words and actions in other peoples harm. Yet the episode may be an instructive example of the broader and often cyclical challenge the evangelical movement faces in making lasting progress around issues of race. As this discussion intensifies, let me offer three reflections on what we can learn as we try to break out from this pattern: Altering power dynamics to learn Learning involves altering the dynamics of power. The murder of George Floyd last year by a Minneapolis police officer did more to ignite the conversation around systemic racism in America and in the evangelical movement than anything else in my lifetime. Suddenly, many evangelicals who had avoided issues of race were asking questions and looking for leaders to speak out. While many voices rose to the occasion, too often white evangelicals were often more eager to speak about race issues than to listen to those on the receiving end of racism. The ways this temptation reinforces and exacerbates the cycle within evangelical circles crystalized for me when several leading African American pastors in Chicago invited me to join them for a faith leaders march in the Bronzeville neighborhood. Following Floyds death, we marched and prayed for racial justice and for an end to the riots impacting that very neighborhood. Walking alongside these friends and partners in ministry, my aim was to simply be present in the midst of what was their event as they spoke up against racial injustice and the riots that had impacted their communities. I needed to learn from them about how Floyds murder was simultaneously climactic and emblematic of a lived reality that was far different than my own. Listening without empowering others to speak authoritatively will never produce real change. To truly learn requires that white evangelical leaders shift the dynamics of power existing within our networks, institutions and relationships so as to ensure brothers and sisters of color can speak into our lives. Its not enough to simply be quiet; we need to listen and learn. Internal obstacles to evangelicalism The greatest obstacles to evangelicalism are internal to the movement. In writing on the evangelical movement for nearly 20 years, a recurring truth is that its biggest problem is not from external subversion. To be sure, there are many non-Christian leaders or ideologies that threaten to co-opt the mission of the church. However, the greatest obstacles to the flourishing of the evangelical movement particularly in regards to substantively engaging our failings on race have arisen from within. Few events capture this truth as much as the debate around critical race theory. As with broader American society, recent evangelical discussions of race have been dominated by the specter of CRT. Efforts by some evangelicals to weaponize words like CRT and social justice as buzz words for dangerous ideology only fortify the barricades and cripple fruitful discussion among orthodox believers about the existence of systemic sin and injustice. Indeed, McDowells comments stem from his participation in this criticism. Antonia Hylton: Reporting for NBC's Southlake podcast on racial tensions revived my own childhood memories When church leaders reduce complex ideas to simplistic buzzwords, the end result is always irrational fear and suspicion rather than honest dialogue. There are legitimate concerns about CRT, and I and many others have been discussing CRTs challenges and shortcomings. Christians would be wise to reflect carefully on it as well as any academic tool and how it intersects or conflicts with their faith. But leaders need to recognize how this simplistic and excessive repeated attack has yet again thwarted any efforts to engage issues of race. And before you attack what I just said, make sure you read the next point. Biblical understandings of race A biblical understanding of race is not silent or neutral but celebratory. Where McDowell is correct, and where evangelicals can find unity, is in looking to Scripture as the lens for understanding race. As Christians, we believe Gods word is sufficient to teach us how to relate to one another, and our reconciliation with Christ is what opens the door for reconciliation with each other. However, it is important to recognize that Scripture does not flatten race into a homogenized culture. It is an enduring exegetical mistake of many evangelicals to depict Scripture as reinforcing a color-blind approach to race. Throughout Scripture, God consistently upends prejudice, particularly when it arises because of racial or ethnic biases. Yet beyond simply rejecting prejudice, Scripture presents a positive interpretation of race as holding a distinctive place within the kingdom of God. At Pentecost in Acts 2, the miraculous arrival of the Holy Spirit leads to understanding of diverse languages. This gathering then foreshadows Scriptures depiction of heaven where every tongue, tribe and nation make up the choir of eternal praise (Revelation 7:9). In both instances, Gods presence works through rather than collapses cultural diversity. Both our worship and our witness are made more perfect when we model Gospel-centered diversity. McDowells comments and apology have again ignited a debate that will not go away. Indeed, for many there is a perpetual feeling of deja vu in litigating every action and reaction. But we cant miss the moment. Breaking the cycle will require the humility to learn and repent as well as the courage to push past the obstacles and pressures that try to dissuade us. Let us, again, learn from the example of Mr. Graham. Past behavior predicts future behavior, but predictions dont have to come true. We can choose the road not taken, and thats the one that could make the difference. Ed Stetzer is a dean and professor at Wheaton College and the editor-in-chief of Outreach Magazine. You can read diverse opinions from our Board of Contributors and other writers on the Opinion front page, on Twitter @usatodayopinion and in our daily Opinion newsletter. To respond to a column, submit a comment to letters@usatoday.com. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bible says it all: Evangelicals have a special duty to fight racism (Bloomberg) -- Colombian coal production is bouncing back, just when the world needs it. Most Read from Bloomberg Latin Americas top supplier expects output to jump 40% to 50% this year, after an extended strike disrupted production in 2020, according to Mines and Energy Minister Diego Mesa. The world is clamoring for coal as natural gas shortfalls trigger a global energy squeeze. In the latest sign of market tightness, Colombia is planning to ship coal as soon as this week to ease a shortage in the Dominican Republic, Mesa said Tuesday. The timing couldnt be better. European thermal coal prices have doubled since June, validating Colombias bet that the dirtiest fossil fuel would continue to play a major role in its energy mix for the foreseeable future. Thats already boosting coal revenue for the country more than projected. Obviously we would like to take advantage of the coal prices that we see right now, Mesa said in an interview from Bloombergs New York headquarters. Even with that boost, output this year probably wont reach pre-pandemic levels of coal production. Colombia produced 48.4 million tons of coal in 2020, down from 85 million tons in 2019, according to government data. While its a major supplier to European power plants, the country is also working with the industry to better compete in Asian markets, Mesa said. Closely held Drummond Co. is expanding output in Colombia, while a local producer just acquired Colombian Natural Resources assets in the country with plans to restart some mines that had been closed. Mining giant Glencore Plc bought out its partners in the massive Cerrejon mine, but has relinquished some smaller licenses in Colombia. Story continues Mesa has said that the countrys mines can continue operating for decades, and is seeking buyers to take over the former Glencore license areas. Mesa said hes been working with authorities in the Dominican Republic to resolve thermal coal supply issues in the north of the island. A Dominican Republic delegation will be in Colombia Wednesday to seek long-term contracts, with Cerrejon the likely supplier, he said. A delayed 60,000-metric ton shipment from U.S. supplier Xcoal Energy & Resources led to reduced generation at a Dominican Republic power plant, according to documents from the state-owned power company. The global supply chain is taxed, leading to bottlenecks and delays for the entire industry, according to Xcoal Chief Executive Officer Ernie Thrasher. About 5% of the companys current shipments are running late. Its just taking longer to move stuff around the system, Thrasher said by phone Tuesday. The delays in the Dominican Republic are creating an opportunity for Colombia. There are collateral effects in markets that benefit Colombia, Mesa said. Even as Colombia is ramping up coal production, its also promoting clean energy. The country is targeting 12% of its energy mix to come from renewable sources by next year, up from 0.2% in 2018. Its also developing a hydrogen industry, with officials expected to outline the countrys plans on Thursday for both green and blue hydrogen, the minister said. (Updates with comment from coal supplier Xcoal in 10th paragraph.) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2021 Bloomberg L.P. By Luis Jaime Acosta BOGOTA (Reuters) - Thousands of Colombian protesters returned to the streets of major cities on Tuesday to once again demand that Congress approve union-backed social policies to benefit the poorest. The marchers - their numbers much reduced from a peak earlier this year - also demonstrated against a nearly $4 billion tax reform approved this month by Congress and passed into law. Unions say it does not do enough for the working class. The reform is meant to benefit 29 million people through emergency basic income payments to 4 million poor families, temporarily free tuition at public universities and technical schools for young people from poor and middle-income families and salary subsidies for businesses which hire women and youth. "The government has been helping families a little, it is insufficient aid," Francisco Maltes, the head of the Central Union of Workers (CUT) told Reuters. Lawmakers should approve a package of union-backed laws that will "fight hunger and inequality" he said. Those proposals would give a basic income of about $236 per month to 7.5 million families for 13 months, as well as free university for students and aid for small businesses. The bills have languished since Congress began its current session two months ago. Large protests between April and June led to the withdrawal of an initial version of the tax reform and prompted the resignation of the finance minister. At least 29 people were killed in connection with those protests- with many deaths blamed on excessive use of force by police -while road blockades led to shortages around the country. A separate group of mostly women marchers demonstrated to mark International Safe Abortion Day. Though Colombia allows abortion in cases of a threat to the health of the woman, rape and fatal fetal deformity, activists say the procedure is difficult to attain, especially for rural women. (Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Julia Symmes Cobb; Editing by Aurora Ellis) Reuters A former SS guard, now 100 years old, hobbled into a German courtroom on a walking frame on Thursday to face charges of helping to send more than 3,000 people to their deaths in a Nazi concentration camp during World War Two. Prosecutors say Josef S., a member of the Nazi party's paramilitary SS, contributed to the deaths of 3,518 people at the Sachsenhausen concentration camp by regularly standing guard in the watchtower between 1942 and 1945. Some people interned in Sachsenhausen were murdered with Zyklon-B, the poison gas also used in other extermination camps where millions of Jews were killed in the Holocaust. The new head of the N.C. Department of Public Safety, announced Tuesday by Gov. Roy Cooper, is a police chief whos recently been in the national spotlight. Eddie Buffaloe will replace Erik Hooks as head of DPS which oversees the prison system, State Bureau of Investigation, Highway Patrol and N.C. National Guard. In a news release, Buffaloe said he was humbled by the decision and noted that he has previously worked in several of the agencies he will now be commanding, including the National Guard and the prison system. As a former correctional officer, NC Guardsman, and current law enforcement executive I am excited to rejoin the DPS Correctional staff, members of the National Guard family, and other stakeholders along with our state law enforcement agencies in order to work and collaborate with our local law enforcement partners across the state to keep North Carolina safe, he said. Most recently, Buffaloe was the interim city manager and police chief in Elizabeth City where earlier this year a team of Pasquotank County sheriffs deputies killed Andrew Brown in a shooting that made national news. Although it was sheriffs deputies and not police officers who killed Brown, it was the police under Buffaloe who were then largely responsible for handling the ensuing wave of protests that lasted for days. Unlike protests in places like Raleigh and Charlotte after the George Floyd killing, which at times turned violent, the protests in Elizabeth City did not. The News & Observer reported at the time that city leaders credited Buffaloe for that, as a result of his building good community relations long before the protests ever began. Cooper referenced that on Tuesday, too. Eddie Buffaloes experience, vision, leadership, management skills and strong law enforcement credentials make him ready for this critically important role and Im grateful he is willing to take it on, he said. As an officer, he has walked the beat on our streets and in our prisons and as a Chief of Police his leadership has shown that he understands the importance of building trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Story continues Buffaloe was sworn in as chief in Elizabeth City in December 2012, after serving as police chief in the Halifax County town of Enfield. On taking the job, Buffaloe told the Daily Advance newspaper that he planned to take a unified approach to crime fighting, and said it was time to take back the keys to Elizabeth City from drug offenders, gang members and other criminals. Key to that, he said, would be cultivating the communitys trust. Buffaloes style was reflected in the way his officers handled nightly protests in the weeks after deputies shot and killed Brown in April while serving a warrant on drug charges. Protesters marched throughout the city night after night, escorted by officers from Buffaloes department and from other departments in the region he called in to help. Officers blocked traffic to allow protesters to move safely through the streets but generally kept their distance, avoiding clashes with the marchers. Coopers appointment of Buffaloe is subject to confirmation by the state Senate. Under the Dome On The News & Observer's Under the Dome podcast, were unpacking legislation and issues that matter, keeping you updated on whats happening in North Carolina politics twice a week on Monday and Friday mornings. Check us out here and sign up for our weekly Under the Dome newsletter for more political news. ZAGREB (Reuters) - Croatia will from next week require that all employees in the health and social care sectors be vaccinated or test negative for COVID-19, officials said on Tuesday. "Those who don't want to be vaccinated or tested and have not had the disease will not be allowed to come to their working place and will not be able to earn their salaries," state television quoted Health Minister Vili Beros as saying. He said that the COVID certificates will from Oct. 4 also be required from the patients who don't need urgent treatment. Croatia reported on Tuesday 1,061 new cases of COVID-19 and eight deaths from the disease. The number of infections has been rising in the last few weeks. Currently there are 7,100 active cases and 738 people are being treated in hospitals. (Reporting by Igor Ilic; Editing by Steve Orlofsky) Greg Serafin, a registered nurse at Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, N.Y., Sept. 26, 2021. (Malik Rainey/The New York Tiems) When New York state officials issued a sweeping coronavirus vaccine mandate for health care workers in August, they expressed confidence that it would pressure reluctant doctors, nurses and support staff to get the shot. On Monday, as the deadline for vaccinations for about 600,000 nursing home and hospital workers arrived, it seemed that bet had proved to be at least partially correct. With just days or even hours to spare, thousands of health care workers got inoculated, according to health officials across the state. And while thousands more workers remained unvaccinated, and thus in danger of being suspended or fired, the rush of last-minute vaccinations appeared to blunt the worst-case scenarios for staffing shortages that some institutions had feared. Sign up for The Morning newsletter from the New York Times In the New York City public hospital system, more than 8,000 workers were unvaccinated a week ago. But by Monday morning, that number had dropped to 5,000 or just over 10% of the workforce. Although those unvaccinated employees were not permitted to work, city officials said they felt they could manage the gaps. In Rochester, officials at Strong Memorial Hospital placed a two-week pause on scheduling elective procedures and warned patients to expect longer wait times for routine appointments as the deadline loomed last week. But Monday, they said that they had been able to bring up their staff vaccination rate to 95.5% from 92% last week. After staff with medical or religious exemptions are accounted for, fewer than 300 employees out of 16,000 will be fired if they do not relent. Some are still very scared, said Kathleen Parrinello, COO of the hospital. So they need hand-holding and reassurance. Other employees, she said, told her they were not convinced they should get vaccinated but did not want to lose their jobs. Opposition to the mandate remains strong, despite the 11th-hour vaccinations. At least eight lawsuits challenging the mandate have been filed, some based on First Amendment grounds and others arguing that the state should recognize immunity from prior infection as equivalent protection. In several federal cases, health care workers are demanding that the state allow religious exemptions and have won the right to keep working for now. Story continues Organized protests against the mandate also continue, including at Strong Memorial, where hundreds of people have rallied against it, most recently Monday. Carmen De Leon, president of Local 768, which represents respiratory therapists, social workers and many other workers at the citys public hospital system, noted that some of those who were opposed to getting vaccinated would likely be able to find new jobs in other states. You had people working through the whole pandemic and they did not get sick, and now youre telling them they have to get vaccinated and they dont know what the outcome is going to be, she said. Statewide, the vaccination rate for hospital employees rose by Monday night to 92% of workers receiving at least one dose, according to preliminary data from the governors office. The rate for nursing homes also jumped to 92% on Monday from 84% five days earlier. Still, many nursing homes were already facing serious staffing shortages before the mandate, making any new staff reductions potentially dangerous. At the Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo, 20% of staff at its affiliated nursing home, Terrace View, were placed on unpaid leave Monday for refusing vaccination, a spokesperson said. The hospital said it was doing its best to make up for the reduction by transferring in staff from other facilities, reducing beds at the nursing home and suspending some elective surgeries at the hospital. In the final hours, more than 100 people turned up for last-minute vaccines at the medical center, leaving 276 unvaccinated workers who were placed on leave. In the weeks before the mandate came into effect, the hospital already had 400 job vacancies and a record number of patients, in part because it could not discharge patients to nursing homes and rehab centers that were experiencing their own staff shortages. So although hospital officials expressed relief that many of their employees were getting vaccinated, they remained in crisis mode Monday. Across the nation, hospital officials are making similar bets that mandates will push staff to get vaccinated. At Methodist Hospital in Houston, one of the first hospitals to impose a vaccine requirement, 153 out of 25,000 employees were fired or resigned, and about 600 more received medical or religious exemptions. Henry Ford Health System in Detroit got its vaccination rate up to 98% after implementing a mandate, according to senior leaders at the organization. Were seeing in a lot of places that this is working; its effective, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary, said as she expressed President Joe Bidens support for New Yorks mandate at a press briefing Monday. In New York, workers who have applied for religious exemptions likely thousands of people are temporarily permitted to continue working until Oct. 12. The states emergency regulation requiring vaccination does not permit religious exemptions, but Judge David N. Hurd in Utica has prevented the state from enforcing that part of the mandate until he issues a ruling on the merits of a lawsuit filed by 17 medical workers. The latest job losses, even if they are less severe than feared, are coming amid a nationwide shortage in nurses and other positions that has further strained health care staffs already deeply stressed by 19 months of pandemic. As a result, hospitals in recent weeks have activated emergency staffing plans to reassign workers and bring in volunteers, retirees and other reinforcements. Late Monday, Gov. Kathy C. Hochul signed an executive order allowing her to use emergency powers to call in the National Guard and suspend licensing rules so that retired health care workers, and those from other states and countries, could fill staffing gaps. Hochul said the state was opening an operations center to coordinate the effort and said she had asked some hospitals with near-perfect vaccination rates if they can loan staff to health care centers facing shortages. My job No. 1 in this state is to keep people safe, she said at a news briefing. In the Bronx, Dr. Eric Appelbaum, chief medical officer at St. Barnabas Hospital, said that some unvaccinated employees who had been anxious about getting the shot had simply put the matter out of their minds until the mandate made it impossible to ignore any longer. As recently as Sept. 22, more than 20% of the hospitals roughly 3,000 staff members had yet to get their first dose. By late Monday morning, that number had plummeted to 6%, Appelbaum said. The last-minute rush largely took place out of view, Appelbaum said. Although some employees went to a hospital-run clinic for their vaccines, many of the holdouts got vaccinated at chain pharmacies. As of Monday morning, there were about 83 full-time employees and 150 part-time staff members who remained unvaccinated and they were being taken off the work schedule. If they did not get vaccinated within a week, Appelbaum said, they will be put into a category of having voluntarily resigned. Most of the unvaccinated staff were in support roles, such as housekeeping. I did not think it would be this good, he said of the hospitals vaccination rate, which he had worried would not reach 90%. Still he marveled that some employees who had worked through the height of New Yorks epidemic when a refrigerated trailer serving as a makeshift morgue was parked outside the hospital would forgo the vaccine. The human brain has a real ability to shut that stuff out, he said. 2021 The New York Times Company Sep. 28A woman believed by police to be the getaway driver in a July 13 shooting at a Southwest Decatur apartment complex was extradited from Texas on a capital murder charge Sunday night. Ayqueele Mickole Edmond, 26, of Fort Worth, was booked into the Morgan County Jail at 10:16 p.m. Rodney Maurice Fossett Jr., 21, was shot multiple times at his apartment at Summer Courtyard Apartments and died in Huntsville Hospital from the gunshot wounds Aug. 5. Keondrick Tyrek Boyd, 22, of Decatur, was arrested Aug. 6 in Tarrant County, Texas, for the slaying and robbery of Fossett and extradited to Morgan County. Boyd was located near Edmond's last known address. He also faces a capital murder charge and remains in Morgan County Jail. In an affidavit filed in court, Decatur police Detective Tony Vest provided details on the shooting as described by a witness who said the getaway vehicle had the word "Babyface" on the driver's side doors. "One witness stated the red sedan with 'Babyface' backed into a parking spot being driven by a Black female. A Black male wearing a blue (do)-rag exited and walked toward Fossett's apartment. Gunshots were heard then the male with the blue (do)-rag ran back to the red sedan along with a second Black male with dreads. The two males entered the red sedan and fled the scene," he wrote. Decatur Police Capt. Todd Pinion said there could be additional arrests in the case. "We've made some progress on (finding the other male), and we should have something on that case fairly soon," he said. Vest said Edmond was identified as the driver of the red sedan. Edmond has a red 2014 Kia Forte with a Texas tag, according to Vest. "Photos of Edmond's car were located on license plate readers showing 'Babyface' written on the driver side doors," the affidavit said. A cellphone belonging to Boyd was secured at the scene of the shooting, Vest's search warrant affidavit said. Story continues It said cellphone records obtained from the cell provider showed Edmond's and Boyd's cellphones traveling from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, to Decatur on July 13 prior to the shooting. "Additionally, the cellphone records show Edmond's phones leaving Decatur shortly after the shooting back north to Murfreesboro. Edmond's and Boyd's call records show communication prior to the shooting," according to a search warrant affidavit executed Aug. 17 and filed with the Morgan County Circuit Court on Aug. 26. In the affidavit, Vest wrote that Fossett told him from his hospital bed that he was unlocking his apartment when an unknown man shoved him into his apartment while holding a gun. "The Black male was hitting him in the head with the pistol while trying to take money from Fossett's pocket. Fossett started to fight back and slammed the suspect's head into the TV. The Black male hit Fossett again with the pistol and then shot Fossett twice in the abdomen area," the affidavit read. "I know (Edmond) was a target of an ongoing investigation," Morgan County District Attorney Scott Anderson said Monday. "Technically, they'll likely be indicted together and their counsel can file a motion for the cases to be severed." As of late Monday afternoon, Edmond did not have an attorney, according to court records. In 2021, Morgan County has recorded 23 homicides. mike.wetzel@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442. Twitter @DD_Wetzel. NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) The European Union could work out ways to stem the flow of migrants from Turkey to Cyprus and other EU nations when it holds high-level talks in Ankara next month, a top EU official said Tuesday. EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said its not impossible to find a way forward on preventing migrants from leaving Turkey to reach Cyprus because the number of migrants reaching Cyprus isnt very large relative to the huge number of refugees whom Turkey hosts. But she couldn't say what such a deal would look like. Johansson said she wanted to learn firsthand the difficulties faced by ethnically divided Cyprus, which she said has the most asylum applications among all EU nations relative to its population. She also visited a migrant reception center on the outskirts of the Cypriot capital of Nicosia. We have faced...a lot of challenges in our relations with Turkey. Now, we are in a situation where these relations are ... being better," Johansson said after talks with Cypriot Interior Minister Nicos Nouris. Nouris accused Turkey of systematically and on a daily basis encouraging migrants arriving at Cyprus breakaway Turkish Cypriot north to cross a United Nations buffer zone into the internationally recognized south, where they apply for asylum in an EU nation. Cypriot officials say about 80% of migrant arrivals to the south are channeled from the north Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence. Nouris said Cyprus is strengthening its marine police to prevent the arrivals of smuggling boats full of migrants and is stepping up patrols and electronic surveillance along the southern edges of the buffer zone. He said since the start of the year, 7,000 out of 8,500 asylum applications have been rejected but only 300 people have been repatriated because of an EU-wide policy weakness." Story continues Johansson said she has question marks" about an agreement Cyprus has with Lebanon to send back migrants aboard boats nearing the Cypriot coastline. She said EU regulations stipulate that people can seek asylum at the bloc's sea borders. Nouris has said the agreement with Lebanon stands and the return of migrants to that country will continue. ___ Follow all AP stories on global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration. By Robin Emmott BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union, fearing a political backlash in member states, can no longer agree to give a guarantee of future membership to the six Balkan countries once promised a place in the club, according to four diplomats and an internal document. An impasse over a declaration for a summit of EU and Balkan leaders on Oct. 6 is a low point in the EU's strategy to bring Serbia, Kosovo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Montenegro, Albania and North Macedonia into the bloc. It coincides with a flare-up of tension at the Kosovo-Serbia border https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/nato-increases-patrols-near-kosovo-serbia-border-blockage-2021-09-27. At the summit, the EU planned to restate its promise made 18 years ago to give "its unequivocal support for the European perspective of the Western Balkans," according to a draft summit declaration dated Sept. 11 seen by Reuters. That has undergone at least two rounds of talks with no agreement, diplomats said. EU states would not disclose their positions, but wealthy northern countries such as Denmark, France and the Netherlands fear a repeat of the rushed accession of Romania and Bulgaria in 2007 and the poorly managed migration of eastern European workers to Britain that turned many Britons against the EU. Bulgaria is against North Macedonia joining because of a language dispute. Even if some language is finally agreed, the malaise reflects paralysis in the EU's plan to build a "ring of friends" from Ukraine to Tunisia by offering closer ties, trade and aid. Instead, China https://www.reuters.com/article/us-china-silkroad-europe-montenegro-insi-idUSKBN1K60QX and Russia are encroaching with investments and influence. In January, Serbia was the first European country to receive Chinese COVID-19 vaccines for mass inoculation. The EU is also indirectly exacerbating tensions in the region of 20 million people, diplomats say, because Balkan citizens https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/eus-balkan-strategy-losing-local-support-internal-paper-warns-2021-05-12 dreamed of joining the EU after the ethnic wars of the 1990s as Yugoslavia disintegrated. Story continues NATO troops stepped up patrols in Kosovo on Monday near border crossings which have been blocked by local Serbs angered by a ban on cars with Serbian licence plates entering the country. Serbia does not recognise Kosovo's 2008 declaration of independence and has begun military manoeuvres near the border. "They have to misbehave to be noticed," said a senior EU diplomat in Brussels involved in Balkan policy. "There is deterioration in the Balkans that stems from the lost interest in EU capitals." The EU and the United States have appealed for calm and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen began a three-day trip to the six Balkan countries on Tuesday to show the EU executive's commitment to the region. "GOING NOWHERE" In her first stop in Albania, von der Leyen said she stood by the pledge that "Albania's future is in the EU." But the EU's credibility has been damaged, particularly after France and the Netherlands temporarily halted the enlargement process two years ago and Bulgaria is now blocking it. Kosovo and Serbia feel let down by the United States, after being invited to the White House a year ago by then President Donald Trump to seal a deal to normalise economic relations, only to see it fall through. The EU has not kept its promise to allow Kosovo visa-free travel. Pro-enlargement states, including Austria, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia and the Baltic countries, chide Germany and France for failing to press Bulgaria to lift its veto. Albania's progress has also been halted because it is tied to North Macedonia in the enlargement process. "As long as you have so many member states, for one reason or another, who believe that it is not right to extend the EU community further, then we are really going nowhere," said John O'Brennan, an expert on EU integration at Maynooth University in Ireland. (Reporting by Robin Emmott) Associated Press Donald Trump intends to assert executive privilege in a congressional investigation into the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol, a move that could prevent the testimony of onetime aides, according to a letter on behalf of the former president. The letter went to at least some witnesses who were subpoenaed by the House committee and it makes clear that Trump plans to invoke privileges meant to protect presidential communications from being shared with Congress. The substance of the letter from a lawyer for Trump was described Thursday by a person familiar with it who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Associated Press because the letter was not yet public. French flotilla surrounds St Helier, Jersey - Gary Grimshaw/Bailiwick Express/PA Wire A fresh Brexit fishing war threatened to break out on Tuesday night after the Government rejected three quarters of applications from small French boats to fish waters around Britain. Ministers announced that just 12 licences out of a total of 47 will be granted to French vessels under 12 metres applying to fish the UK's inshore waters. Jersey will also confirm on Wednesday that it is granting fewer licences than the 169 requested by France only months after a French flotilla surrounded St Helier, its main port, amid a row over access to its waters. On Tuesday night France's Europe minister threatened "retaliatory action", while fishing leaders called the move "a declaration of war on the water and on the land". It threatens to plunge personal relations between Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron, the French president, to new depths following tensions over the new Australia-UK-US (Aukus) defence pact. It also follows a summer that has seen London and Paris at odds over the record-breaking numbers of migrants crossing the Channel, with powers for Border Force to turn back boats to Calais expected to be used this week after the measure was signed off by Mr Johnson. The move comes ahead of the Conservative Party conference and amid the ongoing fuel crisis, and ministers may hope it shifts attention back onto Brexit. 'Retaliatory action' On Tuesday night the news was met with a furious response from Clement Beaune, the French Europe minister, who told the RTL radio station: "We will not hesitate to take retaliatory action, collectively. We understand and share the exasperation of our fishermen. We cannot co-operate in confidence with the UK while the deal is not respected." UK government officials said the licences had been granted based on the French vessels' historic links to the fishing grounds, with one adding that the UK had "bent over backwards to be as generous as we could be". Story continues But fishermen in north-west France have threatened to respond by preventing British goods destined for Europe from leaving ports. Olivier Le Nezet, the president of the Brittany fishermen's committee, called the figure of 12 out of 47 "a declaration of war on the water and on the land", adding that French fishermen would see to it that "not a single British product lands on French soil". Bertrand Sorre, the MP for the Manche departement or county of France opposite the Channel Islands, said: "It's an extreme provocation on the part of British officials, and very clearly France won't accept it and I want the EU to enter into a much firmer negotiation and use all the levers at its disposal." Michel Barnier, the former EU Brexit negotiator who is now running against Mr Macron for the French presidency, suggested the decision could have significant repercussions for UK-French relations. "There are too many points of disappointment from our side and I think it could be difficult," he told an audience in London. 'French fishing must not be held hostage' Annick Girardin, the French maritime minister, called it "a new British refusal to apply the conditions of the Brexit accord", adding: "French fishing must not be held hostage by the British for political ends." France's fisheries ministry has previously warned that its reaction would be "proportionate to the British offer", with officials said to be discussing a coordinated response with Brussels on Tuesday night. The French government previously threatened to cut off electricity supplies to Jersey over the so-called fish wars. "There will be actions that will go beyond what you can imagine, and I'm not just talking about cutting off electricity to Jersey," Mr Le Nezet told The Telegraph. "We will lead this battle against the UK." It comes just days after Mr Johnson sought to rebuild bridges with Mr Macron after Paris reacted furiously to the news that it had been excluded from the Aukus pact. It is also likely to have implications for efforts by Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, to get France to step up efforts to combat the record-breaking number of migrants crossing the Channel. The UK is braced for French retaliation, with Mr Macron's response expected to be particularly severe due to the potential implications on his electoral prospects ahead of the presidential election next April. However, Labour has accused the Government of planning to use Brexit during the Tory conference to distract from the fuel crisis. On Tuesday, Baroness Chapman, Labour's EU spokesman, suggested Mr Johnson was planning to override Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which would see the UK unilaterally suspend parts of the agreement with the EU. During previous clashes over fish, French fishermen stoppeed lorries carrying British-caught fish from disembarking at major French ports such as Bulougne-sur-mer key gateways to markets across Europe. After Jersey sought to impose new restrictions in May, French fishermen surrounded St Helier and threatened to blockade Calais, prompting the crown dependency to back down and issue temporary licences. Under the Trade and Co-operation Agreement signed in December, the UK is required to allocate licences to EU vessels which have historically fished in its waters. Earlier this year, it issued licences to over 1,600 boats seeking access to its wider 12 to 200 nautical mile zone, while a further 105 licences were issued to larger vessels in the six to 12 nautical mile zone, which is closer to shore. Almost 90 of these were to French boats. Justifying the decision to accept only 12 of 47 applications from smaller vessels which had applied to fish in the zone closer to UK shores, officials said many had failed to meet the requirements necessary to secure post-Brexit access. The assessment is based on positional data, with the French vessels needing to prove that they had spent a certain amount of time fishing in the six to 12-mile zone between 2012 and 2016. A further 35 are still believed to be awaiting a decision, with the UK asking for more data before making a final decision. On Tuesday night, a government spokesman said: "Our approach has been reasonable and fully in line with our commitments in the Trade and Co-operation Agreement. "As regards the six to 12-mile zone, as set out in the TCA EU vessels must provide evidence of a track record of fishing activity in those waters. We continue to work with the Commission and the French authorities and will consider any further evidence provided to support the remaining licence applications." Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark A. Milley takes questions Tuesday at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) The nation's top general testified Tuesday that the American war in Afghanistan ended in "strategic failure," a grim conclusion that acknowledged a long series of mistakes and miscalculations by the Pentagon's leaders. "The enemy is in charge in Kabul," Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark A. Milley said during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. "There's no other way to describe that." Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III and Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., who oversaw the most recent operations in Afghanistan, also testified at the hearing, which peeled back layer after layer of U.S. errors in judgment during the longest war in American history. U.S. military officials trained Afghan forces to be too dependent on advanced technology, did not appreciate the extent of corruption among local leaders, and didn't anticipate how badly the Afghan government would be demoralized by the U.S. withdrawal, the Pentagon's leaders told the committee. Taken together, they testified, such errors enabled the Taliban to swoop back into power far faster than U.S. officials had anticipated. Intelligence reports suggesting the Afghan forces could hold off longer were "a swing and a miss," Milley said. Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III testified during Tuesday's hearing. (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) The decision to pull out was originally made by President Trump, whose administration reached an agreement with the Taliban to withdraw U.S. troops by May 1, a little more than three months after he left office. President Biden decided to move forward with a withdrawal, believing that it was no longer worthwhile to prop up the Afghan government, but he extended the deadline to Aug. 31. Some of the testimony on Tuesday undermined Biden's claims that military leaders did not not recommend leaving some troops in Afghanistan. McKenzie said he supported keeping 2,500 service members there, a recommendation that was made by Army Gen. Austin "Scott" Miller, who had commanded U.S. forces there from 2018 until July. Story continues I was present when that discussion occurred, and I am confident that the president heard all the recommendations and listened to them very thoughtfully, he said. McKenzie also said it was his belief that pulling out all U.S. troops "would lead inevitably to the collapse of the Afghan military forces and eventually the Afghan government." It was an unusually public airing of divisions between the president and military leaders one that will probably reverberate throughout Washington as Biden continues to face political fallout over the chaotic and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan. Taliban fighters patrol Kabul's airport on Aug. 31 after the U.S. military finished its withdrawal. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, addressing reporters as the hearing was underway, said "there was a range of viewpoints" presented to Biden during internal debates. She also said it was clear that leaving troops in the country would eventually cause the conflict to escalate, drawing U.S. forces back into fighting with the Taliban. "The president was just not willing to make that decision," Psaki said. "He did not think it was in the interests of the American people or the interests of our troops." During Tuesday's hearing, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jack Reed (D-R.I.) said lawmakers should resist the "temptation to close the book on Afghanistan and simply move on." "We must capture the lessons of the last two decades to ensure that our future counter-terrorism efforts in Afghanistan and elsewhere continue to hold violent extremists at bay," he said. Such operations in Afghanistan will be much more challenging now that there are no U.S. forces on the ground, McKenzie testified. He said the military still has the ability to "look into Afghanistan," but in a more limited way. "It is very hard to do this," he said. "It is not impossible to do this." A reminder of how hard it can be to develop accurate intelligence came during the U.S. evacuation, which was bloodied by an Islamic State suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members and scores of Afghan civilians. Fearing a second attack, the U.S. launched a drone strike against a car they believed was connected to terrorist operations. "This time, tragically, we were wrong," McKenzie testified. The airstrike killed 10 civilians, including seven children. The committee's top Republican, Sen. James M. Inhofe of Oklahoma, blamed Biden for the messy pullout. "He failed to anticipate what all of us knew would happen," Inhofe said. "So in August, we all witnessed the horror of the president's own making." Caskets of the dead are carried at a mass funeral for civilians killed in a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan in August. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) Austin, however, described the flawed operation as ultimately successful. U.S. officials had expected to evacuate no more than 80,000 people, he said, but 124,000 were flown to safety. "Was it perfect? Of course not," the Defense secretary said, adding that it nevertheless "exceeded expectations." Afghanistan wasn't the only topic covered during the hearing. At one point, Milley defended his phone calls with his Chinese counterpart near the end of Trump's presidency, saying the conversations were his responsibility in order to prevent a potentially deadly misunderstanding between two superpowers. During the calls, which occurred before and after the November election, Milley assured Gen. Li Zuocheng, the top Chinese commander, that Trump was not planning a surprise attack. The discussions were revealed in "Peril," a new book by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. Trump has suggested that Milley committed treason, and Republicans have said he might have subverted the chain of command. But Milley testified that his calls with Li were far from secret. He said that he coordinated the discussions with Pentagon leadership and that afterward he briefed Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows. In addition, Milley testified that he wasn't undermining Trump because the president had no intention of attacking China. He said he was concerned that Chinese intelligence was mistakenly concerned that a strike was in the works. "My task at that time was to de-escalate," Milley said. "My message again was consistent 'Stay calm, steady, and de-escalate. We are not going to attack you.'" Milley also described a call with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) after the Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol. Pelosi expressed concerns that Trump was unstable, and she worried about his control of the country's nuclear weapons, according to "Peril." The general told lawmakers that as a military advisor, he's not in the "chain of command" for a nuclear strike, but he is in the "chain of communication." During his conversation with Pelosi, Milley testified, he said that "the president is the sole nuclear launch authority, and he doesn't launch them alone, and I am not qualified to determine the mental health of the president of the United States." This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times. American City Business Journals One of the largest employers in Kansas will require that its workers get the Covid-19 vaccine. Spirit AeroSystems Inc. notified employees by email on Wednesday that, because of its role on multiple defense programs, it has determined it must abide by the vaccine mandate of President Joe Biden as a federal contractor. In order to be fully vaccinated by the deadline, you must receive your first dose of the Moderna vaccine by October 27, 2021, your first dose of the Pfizer vaccine by November 3, 2021, and, if available, the Johnson and Johnson vaccine by November 24, 2021." The day after a Republican lawmaker came under fire for invoking George Floyds final words I cant breathe while debating COVID-19 mask mandates in Connecticut, another Republican compared vaccine mandates to slavery. Monday, Rep. Gale Mastrofrancesco, R-Wolcott, referenced the phrase in her remarks on the House floor before a vote on whether to extend Gov. Ned Lamonts emergency powers to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. The phrase I cant breathe, uttered by Floyd as a police officer knelt on his neck, has become the rallying cry of the Black Lives Matter movement. I remember when the governor issued a statement about the tragic death of George Floyd and in that, he was on a video, he spoke and after the video ended, it scrolled and he had a shirt on that says I cant breathe, Mastrofrancesco said. Our children cant breathe. They cannot breathe in school with these masks on. Immediately after her remarks, texts began flying among members of the legislatures Black and Puerto Rican Caucus, who were completely appalled, said Rep. Geraldo Reyes, a Democrat from Waterbury and the chairman of the caucus. The murder of an African American man is not to be confused with the inconvenience of wearing a mask, Reyes said. Rep. Vin Candelora, the Republican leader in the Connecticut House, said he agreed that Mastrofrancescos comparison was inappropriate. I think that comparison was insensitive, and I can understand why [members of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus] are upset, Candelora said. Candelora relayed his concerns directly to Mastrofrancesco in two conversations, his aide said. Mastrofrancesco, one of the most conservative members of the House of Representatives, could not be reached for comment. The backlash to Mastrofrancescos remarks comes at a time of heightened rhetoric over pandemic-related masking orders and vaccine mandates. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican congresswoman from Georgia, compared a supermarkets decision to allow employees to display their vaccination status on their badges to the yellow star Jews were forced to wear in Nazi Germany. Story continues The day after Mastrofrancescos comments touched off criticism, fellow Wolcott Republican Sen. Rob Sampson compared vaccination requirements to slavery as the Senate took up the debate over extending Lamonts executive powers. Vaccine or testing mandates are now in place for state employees, public school teachers and others across the state. Amid a deepening debate over how race is being taught in public schools, Sampson in June backed an amendment that sought to bar public schools from teaching divisive concepts. At the time, he said he grew alarmed when constituents told him students were being taught the Founding Fathers were were nothing but racist white men. The measure was defeated. If you dont have bodily autonomy, if you dont own your own body and are not free to make your own decisions on how to treat it, then you are a slave, Sampson said Tuesday. Rep. Bobby Gibson, a Democrat from Bloomfield, said analogies such as the one made by Mastrofrancesco show a lack of understanding of history. I am appalled at Rep. Mastrofrancescos cavalier example as it relates to one of the most racially motivated time periods in this nations history when it comes to social justice issues, said Gibson, vice chair of the Black and Puerto Rican Caucus. As an educator, I take offense to her insensitivity and lack of understanding of the sufferings of people of color in this country. Added Sen. Marilyn Moore, D-Bridgeport, to compare a cop assaulting a Black man with a knee on the Black mans neck that killed him to kids wearing masks that could save their lives is disgusting. By John Irish PARIS (Reuters) - Europe needs to stop being naive when it comes to defending its interests and build its own military capacity, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday after Greece sealed a deal for French frigates worth about 3 billion euros ($3.51 billion). France was plunged into an unprecedented diplomatic crisis with the United States, Australia and Britain earlier this month over a trilateral nuclear security deal which sank a multi-billion dollar French-designed submarine contract with Canberra. That has caused much soul searching in Paris over its traditional alliances. Speaking for the first time on the issue, Macron on Tuesday seized the opportunity to urge for more European autonomy as Washington increasingly reorientates its interests towards China and the Indo-Pacific. "The Europeans must stop being naive. When we are under pressure from powers, which at times harden (their stance) , we need to react and show that we have the power and capacity to defend ourselves. Not escalating things, but protecting ourselves," Macron told a news conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. "This isn't an alternative to the United States alliance. It's not a substitution, but to take responsibility of the European pillar within NATO and draw the conclusions that we are asked to take care of our own protection." Under Tuesday's agreement Athens agreed to buy three frigates with an option to buy a fourth for about 3 billion euros, a Greek government source told Reuters. The accord, part of a broader strategic military and defence cooperation pact, comes after Athens had already ordered some 24 Dassault-made Rafale fighter jets this year, making it the first European Union country to buy the fighter jet. "This will tie us for decades," Mitsotakis said. "This opens the door to the Europe of tomorrow that is strong and autonomous, capable of defending its interests." Story continues When asked whether this deal risked raising tensions in the eastern Mediterranean, Macron said the accord did not target a country specifically, but Greece, as the outer border of the European Union needed to be protected. "I don't get the feeling that in the summer of 2020 it was Greece that was bellicose in the eastern Mediterranean," Macron said, alluding to Turkish actions in the region. "As Europeans it is our duty to show solidarity with members states. It is legitimate that we commit to equipping it so it can ensure its territorial integrity is respected and that we commit to cooperating to protect it in case of intrusions, attacks or aggressions," he said. ($1 = 0.8537 euros) (Writing by John Irish; additional reporting by Angeliki Koutantou in Athens. Mathieu Protard and Sudip Kar-Gupta in Paris; Editing by Timothy Heritage and Raissa Kasolowsky) The Daily Beast Twitter/NBC DFWPolice have arrested an 18-year-old student after he allegedly got into a fight at a North Texas high school on Wednesday morning, then drew a gun and opened fire.The Arlington Police Department said that three students and one 25-year-old adult were injured in an incident that forced hundreds of students and staff at Mansfield Timberview High School into lockdown. A 15-year-old boy is in critical condition, while the other three are in good condition or have already been treated. By Sofia Menchu and Enrique Garcia GUATEMALA CITY (Reuters) - Guatemalan authorities will begin efforts on Tuesday to recover the bodies of dozens of Indigenous children believed to have been buried clandestinely at a former military garrison in the 1980s during the country's civil war. Excavations at the site will be led by the Guatemalan Forensic Anthropology Foundation and the Human Rights Prosecutor's Office - part of efforts to seek justice for the hundreds of thousands of victims of the armed conflict that lasted from 1960 to 1996. The massacre, one of many targeting Mayan communities during the civil war, occurred on May 21, 1988, in the remote Chiul Indigenous community. Witnesses say members of the armed forces captured hundreds of residents and took them to the military garrison, where they separated the children from their parents. According to Arnulfo Oxlaj, a survivor of the massacre, 116 children between the ages of two and 15 were tortured and thrown into what was then a well inside the facility, where they drowned. "Those children were thrown into that well with the worst violence and hatred simply because they were Mayans," he told a news conference on Monday. There is no official record of the number of victims nor clarity about the motivations behind the massacre. The Guatemalan military has been accused of conducting a genocide campaign against Indigenous peoples during the conflict. A Guatemalan Army spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. Hector Reyes, a renowned human rights lawyer who works with family members of the war's victims, said that once the bodies are recovered and identified, he will seek to bring the perpetrators to justice. So far, no one has been arrested in connection with the killings, he said. (Reporting by Sofia Menchu and Enrique Garcia in Guatemala; Writing by Laura Gottesdiener; Editing by Edwina Gibbs) The junta that seized power in the West African state of Guinea has unveiled a "transitional charter" that it says will steer the country back to civilian rule. The document, read out on national television late Monday, sets down a series of tasks, including the drafting of a new constitution and holding "free, democratic and transparent" elections, although it does not spell out how long the transition will last. Troops led by a special forces colonel, Mamady Doumbouya, on September 5 arrested 83-year-old President Alpha Conde, who had been battling a wave of unpopularity in one of Africa's poorest and most volatile countries. Conde became Guinea's first democratically elected president in 2010 and was re-elected in 2015. But last year he pushed through a controversial new constitution that allowed him to run for a third term in October 2020. The move sparked mass demonstrations in which dozens of protesters were killed. Conde won re-election but the political opposition maintained the poll was a sham. - Transition plan - The new charter identifies four institutions or figures that will be in charge of the transition. They are the National Rallying Committee for Development (CNRD) set up by the junta and headed by Doumbouya; the president of the transition, who will also serve as the head of the CNRD, head of state and armed forces chief; a government headed by a civilian prime minister; and a legislative body called the National Transition Council or CNT. No member of these institutions will be allowed to take part "in either national or local elections, which will be organised at the end of the transition period". The turbulence in the former French colony is deeply concerning for the regional Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The coup is the second to take place in the region, after Mali, in less than 13 months. ECOWAS is demanding that elections be held within six months, as well as Conde's release. Story continues Guinea's ambassador to the United Nations told the UN General Assembly on Monday that the electoral rolls would be revised and the new constitution drafted ahead of new elections. The CNT, comprising 81 members drawn from political parties, civil society, trade unions, employers, the security forces and other bodies, will be tasked with drawing up the new constitution. No members of Conde's government or the institutions of the former regime can be named to it. The FNDC coalition, which spearheaded the protests against Conde, on Friday called for 100 people to be excluded from the transition process, including former ministers, judges, governors and other politicians. - 'Fight against impunity' - Doumbouya visited the Bambeto cemetery in the suburbs of capital Conakry on Monday to pay respects to those killed during the crackdown on protests against Conde's third term. The FNDC said it hoped the visit "will be followed by the organisation of a fair and equitable trial so that those responsible for the violence can be held accountable for their actions, therefore putting an end to impunity" in Guinea. In another highly symbolic gesture, Doumbouya went to Conakry's main sports stadium where he asked one of his guards to lead prayers in memory of a 2009 massacre, an AFP correspondent saw. It came 12 years to the day after troops under former army strongman Moussa Dadis Camara killed at least 157 protesters and raped dozens of women. Pressure is mounting on the military to start the trial of those suspected of being behind the violence. Several humanitarian organisations, including local victims, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, said the families of those killed "should not have to wait any longer for justice". "As Guinea embarks on a political transition process... the opening of this trial would send a strong signal that the authorities are willing to put respect for human rights and the fight against impunity at the centre of their priorities," the groups said in a statement. str-sst/lal/gd/bp With shootings in New York City more than double and homicides 40% above their 2019 levels, the last thing we need is a new threat to cops ability to stanch the flow of illegal guns, which is directly proportional to the flow of blood on our sidewalks. There are two such threats racing toward us. The first is the availability of untraceable, serial-number-free ghost guns like the one used outside an uptown bar early Monday morning, when a man shot four patrons before an NYPD sergeant managed to disable him. Ghost guns are assembled from parts bought online or milled or printed and then built at home from plans found online. The NYPD says it recovered about 150 of them last year, more than triple the number it seized in 2019 and nine times 2018s total. So far in 2021, 135 have been recovered. Yikes. After the Trump administration went wobbly, a vital proposed federal rule by Joe Bidens Department of Justice would update the definition of a firearm for the first time since 1968 to prohibit the purchase of such kits without a background check and better enable their tracking by law enforcement. Hurry it along, and get the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives regulating these killers, as well as cracking down on interstate gun trafficking. Meantime, in early November, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. Corlett, a case in which gun-rights absolutists are aiming to take down New Yorks legitimately high hurdle for granting concealed-carry licenses. As New York City argued in a compelling brief filed with the high court last week, the proper cause requirement written into state law is necessary to keep New Yorkers safe, and fully consistent with the sane interpretation of the Second Amendment laid down over many generations. Deep-sixing it, and by judicial fiat establishing a national right to carry a concealed weapon, would be a radical and life-threatening move by a majority that claims to respect the Constitution, states rights and precedent. PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) Struggling with political turmoil and the aftermath of an earthquake, Haiti's prime minister said Tuesday that he plans to hold a referendum to modify the country's constitution by February, and he hopes to organize presidential and legislative elections early next year. In an interview with The Associated Press at his official residence, Ariel Henry dismissed opponents who accuse him of wanting to stay in power and said that mistrust is one of the biggest challenges he faces. The referendum is a priority, Henry said, because the current constitution is rejected by a majority of political figures and civil society leaders. He said an electoral council that will be responsible for setting dates has yet to be named after he recently dissolved the previous provisional council. The elections must be held as soon as possible, he said as he lamented the lack of trust among Haitians. People don't believe what is being said. Just hours after he spoke, members of the provisional council that Henry dissolved issued a statement saying they plan to contest the prime minister's actions and accused him of violating Haitian law because only a president has the power to dismiss them. The council added that it will continue to work on organizing the upcoming elections. After being postponed several times this year, presidential and legislative elections were scheduled to be held Nov. 7, along with the constitutional referendum. But the assassination of President Jovenel Moise at his private home on July 7 upended those plans. One proposed constitutional change would bar a president from serving more than two terms, although it does not specify whether those would be consecutive, as stated in the current constitution. Other changes include compulsory military service for those age 18, the creation of a vice presidential position to replace that of prime minister and the establishment of a unicameral legislature to replace the current Senate and Chamber of Deputies. Story continues Thousands protested in the streets when the referendum was first proposed, with many accusing Moise of a power grab. Henry still faces opposition to the referendum, as well as criticism from those who do not consider him a legitimate leader. As part of a political agreement with opponents, Moise selected Henry, a trained neurosurgeon, to become Haitis next prime minister shortly before his assassination. But the president was killed before Henry could be sworn in. The 71-year-old was finally ushered into power over the outgoing prime minister, Claude Joseph, after foreign diplomats belonging to the so-called Core Group endorsed his rule, giving rise to criticism that he was a pawn of the U.S. government with a long history of meddling in Haitis affairs. He's a puppet, said Monique Clesca, a Haitian writer, activist and former U.N. official. Bottom line, he has no legitimacy or credibility. Clesca and several leaders of Haiti's civil society are calling for a two-year transitional government with a president and prime minister chosen by political parties and civil society to stabilize the country before holding elections. We have wanted a Haitian solution," she said. It is time that the international community says to us, We are listening, rather than push down our throat somebody that they put there. Henry said he has always been a legitimate prime minister despite not being elected. He views his position as a mission to oversee a renaissance of Haitian society. Its not the first time Henry has assumed a caretaker role. In 2004, he was part of the so-called Council of Sages that, with U.S. backing, tried to stabilize Haiti in the aftermath of President Jean-Bertrand Aristides overthrow in a coup. He previously served as health minister and briefly as interior minister under former President Michel Martelly. In other comments, Henry criticized how the U.S. government recently treated Haitian migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border, where it expelled more than 2,300. He said that action was not suitable. We dont understand the way that our compatriots were treated, he said. Henrys remarks came just hours before the arrival in Port-au-Prince of Assistant Secretary of State Brian Nichols, the top U.S. diplomat to Latin America, who is seeking to contain the fallout from the abrupt resignation last week of the U.S. special envoy to Haiti. Daniel Foote, a career diplomat, quit the high-profile post over the deportations at the border, saying it was inhumane to return the migrants, many of whom fled the island following the devastating 2010 earthquake, to a country buffeted by gang violence, a collapsed economy and political turmoil. Foote, in his resignation letter, also criticized the U.S. for standing by what he considers a corrupt government with gang alliances instead of embracing a broad-based coalition of civil society groups that have come up with their own blueprint for stabilizing the country. Henry declined to comment on Footes resignation, saying it was a foreign affair, but he said he does not think the situation will affect the relationship between the U.S. and Haiti, which he said would continue and deepen. Henry added that the government is working on a draft of a potential program to help the thousands of migrants who have been expelled. He said one proposal is to give the migrants access to credit so they can launch their own small businesses. Were trying to do that immediately, he said. He acknowledged that Haiti is mired in a deep economic crisis and faces multiple other challenges, including a rise in gang-related violence and kidnappings and a housing crisis in the aftermath of a 7.2-magnitude earthquake. The Aug. 14 quake killed more than 2,200 people and damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of homes. Another priority is to find the masterminds behind Moises killing. Henry said he does not know why the president was slain. He also dismissed allegations made by a chief prosecutor whom he fired that there were two phone calls between him and a key suspect just hours after the assassination. Henry said he has no recollection of speaking with Joseph Badio, who was fired from the governments anti-corruption unit in May and remains a fugitive, according to police, who seek him on charges including murder. If that conversation took place, I do not remember it, he said. For me, that conversation never happened. Henry said he dismissed Port-au-Princes chief prosecutor, Bed-Ford Claude, and former Justice Minister Rockfeller Vincent, because they did not respect the law and tried to politicize the situation. They dont have any ethics, and they are not credible, he said. ___ Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Goodman reported from Washington. Amazon and Disney partnered to create "Hey, Disney!" the first custom-branded voice assistant using Alexa-technology, which will be free to use at Disney Resort hotels and available for purchase at home. A Mickey-inspired OtterBox Den Series stand for the Echo Show 5 will also be sold. Alexa is getting some company. Amazon and Disney have unveiled an "entirely new persona" called "Hey, Disney!" "It marks the first time that we're making another voice assistant available alongside Alexa on Echo devices," Aaron Rubenson, Amazon's vice president of Alexa Voice Service & Alexa Skills told USA TODAY ahead of Tuesday's announcement. "Hey, Disney!" will be available both in-room at Disney Resort hotels and on supported Amazon Echo devices at home. "It's going to give guests the ability to sort of interact with our beloved characters in entirely new ways" said Dan Soto, vice president of Technology and Digital for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. Amazon's newest devices: A flying Ring camera, a new Echo and more 'Alexa tips and tricks: How to make the most of your Amazon Echo What can 'Hey, Disney!' do? "Hey, Disney!" was designed to make the Alexa experience even more magical with things like jokes, interactive trivia with your family, personal greetings from our characters, soundscapes and more," Soto told USA TODAY. "It will absolutely include authentic character voices, original recordings, unique audio environments inspired by our films and our destinations around the world and over 1,000 magical interactions for our guests to discover." When will 'Hey, Disney!' debut? "Hey, Disney!" is expected to roll out next year. How much will 'Hey, Disney!' cost? "Hey, Disney!" will be free for guests to access on Amazon Echo devices in Disney Resort hotel rooms. It's not yet clear how much it will cost to buy on the Alexa Skills Store for use at home. Details will be released on amazon.com/heydisney. How do I use 'Hey, Disney!'? Like Alexa, the voice assistant has its own unique wake words: "Hey, Disney!" 10 ways to soak in the magic: From fairy tale weddings to Disney World's 50th anniversary Story continues Where can I use 'Hey, Disney!'? While the bulk of "Hey, Disney!" features will be available both at home and at Disney Resort hotels, hotel guests will have additional offering through Alexa for Hospitality. "You can ask 'Hey, Disney!' things like, 'What time is the park open? Where can I get Italian food? When's the next bus to Epcot leaving my resort?'" Soto said. "You can even do some functional things like order more blankets or towels to the room." "This is a solution that lets Disney deploy and manage devices at scale and also create unique experiences to enhance the experience for for guests," Rubenson said. Will 'Hey, Disney!' work with Disney Genie? This fall, Walt Disney World and Disneyland will launch a new, free trip-planning tool called Disney Genie. Soto said Disney is looking at ways to access things like itineraries and that other opportunities may follow down the line. Goodbye FastPass, MaxPass: Hello Disney Genie. Disney parks overhaul ride reservations What will 'Hey, Disney!' sound like? While users can hear from a host of beloved, familiar Disney characters through "Hey, Disney!," Soto and Rubenson said the voice assistant will be a "brand new, unique identity" that is "different than Alexa's voice." What about privacy concerns? "For both Disney and Amazon, protecting the security and privacy of our guests is paramount," Soto said, noting that guests will have to opt in, not opt out, to use "Hey, Disney!" Beyond having same privacy protections as other Amazon products and devices, Rubenson said: "The in-room experience in particular is designed with privacy in mind and so no audio is stored by default. Also just to be clear, customers don't log in with Amazon to use the experience, so no personal information, is transmitted about the guests at all when they interact with 'Hey, Disney!'" Privacy protection: 3 Amazon privacy settings you need to change right now He noted that Echo microphones in hotel rooms can also be manually turned off. At home Rubenson said, "if customers, for their own personal devices, choose to purchase the "Hey, Disney!" experience, that operates like our other child-directed experiences, so it requires verifiable parental consent before anybody can even use it, and ... as a customer, you have access to your voice recordings, you can delete them, you can choose to have them deleted automatically, all of the same, sort of privacy controls you expect are part of that experience." What's next? While "Hey Disney" is the first custom-branded and tailored voice assistant to be launched using Alexa Custom Assistant, Amazon has not hinted at what others could be coming down the line. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Amazon, Disney unveil new Alexa-like assistant, 'Hey, Disney!' Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's New York City trip was packed with hidden meaning. Gotham/Contributor/Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited New York City for the Global Citizen Live concert. They packed their weekend visit with public appearances - and subtle nods to the royal family. Insider rounded up all the hidden details you might have missed from their visit. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. The couple stayed at Princess Diana's favorite New York City hotel. Left: Diana Princess of Wales receives flowers from a well-wisher as she leaves the Carlyle Hotel in New York City on December 10, 1996. Right: Aerial view of the Carlyle Hotel. John Stillwell/PA Images/Getty Images; The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stayed at The Carlyle Hotel during their visit to New York City. The hotel is nicknamed the "Palace of Secrets" because of its extreme security. Princess Diana stayed at The Carlyle numerous times, even reportedly riding an elevator with Michael Jackson and Steve Jobs during one visit to the hotel, as Insider previously reported. During the visit, Markle also nodded to Princess Diana with a watch. Princess Diana and Meghan Markle had the same watch. PA Images / Contributor NDZ / Star Max / Contributor / Getty Images Princess Diana often wore statement watches, including a gold Cartier Francaise Tank piece, as Town & Country reported. Meghan Markle owns the same piece, and she was often seen wearing it before she became a member of the royal family. Although the watch predated her relationship with Prince Harry, Markle's choice to wear it to her first appearance since her daughter Lili's birth appeared to be a nod to her mother-in-law. Meghan Markle carried a bag that honored her late mother-in-law while she was in New York, too. Meghan Markle carried a purse inspired by Princess Diana. Tim Graham Photo Library/Gotham/GC Images/Getty Images On Saturday, Markle accessorized her $4,500 Valentino dress with a $4,669 Christian Dior Lady D-Lite handbag. The brand renamed the handbag after Princess Diana wore it in 1995, as Insider previously reported. Markle's bag was embroidered with "DSSOS," which stands for her royal title, Duchess of Sussex, a spokesperson for Dior confirmed to Insider. Markle wore the earrings she wore to her 2018 wedding during the visit. She wore her wedding earrings. Taylor Hill/WireImage/WPA Pool/Getty Images The Duchess of Sussex wore Cartier earrings on her 2018 wedding day, as Insider's Katie Warren reported. She wore the earrings again when she and Prince Harry visited the One World Observatory on Thursday. Story continues Prince Harry nodded to Archie during a meeting at the United Nations Plaza. The folio said "Archie's Papa." Taylor Hill / Contributor / Alexi Rosenfeld / Contributor / Getty Images Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were photographed leaving their meeting at the UN Plaza. Harry was carrying a folio that said "Archie's Papa" on it, honoring his son. Harry and Markle reportedly used Taylor Swift's security team during their New York visit. The couple reportedly used Taylor Swift's security team. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images The Daily Mail reported on Tuesday that the couple hired Swift's security team for their visit to New York, including her head of security, Jimmy. The Mail did not know if Swift personally lent the couple her security team or if they were hired from a private security company that Swift also happened to use. Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment on the matter. The couple were also reportedly recording their visit for an upcoming Netflix documentary. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle signed a deal with Netflix. Joe Pugliese/Harpo Productions On Sunday, Page Six reported that Markle and Harry brought a cameraman with them to New York City, who was seen capturing footage of them during their visit to One World Observatory. The outlet also reported that Prince Harry appeared to be wearing a microphone when he and Markle visited the Harlem restaurant Melba's on Friday. The cameraman was documenting their trip for an unannounced Netflix documentary, according to Page Six. Markle and Harry signed a production deal with Netflix in 2020. Read the original article on Insider The gap in racial disparities in COVID-19 vaccination rates is closing, according to new survey data released Tuesday. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey found 73% of Hispanic adults, 71% of white adults and 70% of Black adults in the U.S. had already received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The numbers were "very, very encouraging to see," Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, who is leading the White House's effort on health equity, said during a news conference. Earlier in the nation's vaccination efforts, data showed a much wider gap among vaccination rates between different racial and ethnic groups, driven by barriers to access and misconceptions, Nunez-Smith said. The new data is "the result of intentional work to address those barriers, to address those concerns," she said. The survey also found among those with the lowest vaccination rates were white, evangelical Christians, rural residents, Republicans and the uninsured under age 65. Among U.S. adults who received the vaccine more recently, fear of the delta variant and associated hospitalizations and deaths was the biggest motivating factor, the survey found. Vaccine mandates and FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine played a more minor role. Also in the news: Pfizer and BioNTech said Tuesday that they have submitted data from a clinical trial of their COVID-19 vaccine in children ages 5 to 11 to the Food and Drug Administration. The companies plan to submit a request for emergency use authorization of the vaccine in young children after data showed it is safe and effective at one-third the dose used in adolescents and adults. LeBron James' vaccination status is no longer a mystery. The four-time NBA MVP revealed Tuesday at the Los Angeles Lakers preseason media day that he has received the COVID-19 vaccine. Delaware Gov. John Carney on Tuesday announced all teachers and school staff in Delaware will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing. Story continues Wegmans pharmacies are now offering booster doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine by appointment only. The rising number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 has placed a new burden on northeast Ohio hospitals. Leaders from a number of hospitals in the area said they were facing a shortage of beds and lengthy wait times for emergency care. Rapid COVID-19 tests are in short supply across California, forcing some testing facilities to turn away those seeking a quick test, even workers who need the tests as part of regular screening mandates. A statewide eviction moratorium ends in California on Friday, but officials are rushing to make sure tenants with unpaid rent know they can still stay in their homes after that date if they've already applied for assistance from the state. French President Emmanuel Macron announced psychology appointments in France will be funded by the government starting next year, following a surge in depression amid the COVID-19 pandemic. State health care systems in Britain, Germany and some other countries already fund therapy sessions. Today's numbers: The U.S. has recorded more than 43 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 690,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. Global totals: More than 232 million cases and 4.7 million deaths. More than 183 million Americans 55% of the population have been fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. What we're reading: Monoclonal antibody treatment, while also safe and effective against COVID-19, provides protection that is temporary, less adaptable, harder to access and far more costly for taxpayers, and sometimes, patients themselves. So why do some people resist vaccines but embrace monoclonal antibodies? Read more here. Keep refreshing this page for the latest news. Want more? Sign up for USA TODAY's Coronavirus Watch newsletter to receive updates directly to your inbox and join our Facebook group. 400K Americans got booster shots last weekend More than 400,000 Americans got Pfizer booster shots last weekend through local pharmacies in the opening days of the U.S effort to provide more protection for vulnerable populations. White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients said an additional 1 million people have scheduled booster shots for the coming weeks. He added: "Were off to a very strong start with the booster campaign." As many as 25 million people qualify for the third dose of the Pfizer shot, which was authorized last week for those 65 or older, those with pre-existing conditions or facing an elevated risk at their workplace. U.S. officials say their primary focus is ensuring the roughly 25% of eligible Americans who have yet to get their first shot do so. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says a major priority is the vaccination rate among pregnant people, which stands at 30% nationally and at 15% among Black pregnant people. The Associated Press New York expands health care workforce amid COVID vaccine mandate Fearing a staff shortage at hospitals and nursing homes, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order late Monday to expand the pool of eligible workers as a mandate took effect to require COVID-19 vaccines for all health care employees. The executive order will allow retirees to more easily reenter the workforce and expands the pool of staff who can administer COVID-19 testing and vaccinations. The state will also set up a monitoring center headed by the Department of Health to address any specific staffing shortages, and Hochul said she is still contemplating bringing in the National Guard if need be to assist at facilities. While a small percentage of the 650,000 workers appear to have rejected the mandate, Hochul released data Tuesday that showed the mandate led to a surge in the vaccine rates at health care facilities. The percentage of nursing home staff receiving at least one vaccine dose jumped to 92% on Monday evening, up from 70% on Aug. 15, her office said. Meanwhile, 89% of adult care facilities staff had gotten at least one dose, up 76% on Aug. 15, and 84% of hospital staff was fully vaccinated as of Sept. 22 an increase from 77% in early August. Stephen Hanse, who represents nursing homes statewide as president of the New York State Health Facilities Association and the New York State Center for Assisted Living, said many employers are giving staff who chose not to get vaccinated an unpaid leave of absence. "Theres such a workforce crisis that the providers dont want to sever that relationship," Hanse said. Vaccine mandate deadlines were also taking effect this week in California, Rhode Island and Connecticut. Joseph Spector, New York State Team Ohio state employees could earn up to $1K for getting vaccine State employees could earn up to $1,000 for getting a COVID-19 shot because of a new "bonus" incentive Ohio officials announced this week. State employees have been eligible for $100 for getting an initial shot since late July. Now, employees will be eligible for an additional $300 if 65% of an agency's active employees where they work have received at least the first dose by Oct. 15. They'll get another $600 if 85% of active employees have received one dose by Nov. 15. DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney said "there's room for improvement" for vaccinating the state's workforce more than 50,500 employees. He noted that a number of state workers interact with the public. Read more here. Jackie Borchardt, The Columbus Dispatch Global vaccinations continue to fall Global vaccine administration has continued to fall, the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security warned in a newsletter Tuesday. Globally, some 44.7% of people are partially vaccinated and 32.9% are fully vaccinated. Africa is quite far behind the global vaccination rate, with about 4.2% of people fully vaccinated, the organization said. Reports of COVID-19 cases and deaths have also fallen substantially in the world in the last month, Johns Hopkins University data shows. Compared with the week ending Aug. 26, the week ending Monday has 30% fewer cases and 21.2% fewer deaths, a USA TODAY analysis shows. Mike Stucka $825M to be distributed to community mental health centers The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration announced Tuesday it was distributing $825 million in grants to 231 community mental health centers across the country as Americans continue to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic. The funding comes from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 and the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Act of 2021, SAMHSA said. From August 2020 through February 2021, the percentage of adults with recent symptoms of an anxiety or a depressive disorder increased from 36.4% to 41.5%, and the percentage of those reporting an unmet mental health care need increased from 9.2% to 11.7%, according to CDC data. "The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged our ability to ensure timely access to treatment services and recovery supports. This funding will help CMHCs address local needs, which have become even more urgent in the past year," Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, head of SAMHSA, said in a press release. At-home COVID-19 tests hard to find as Biden mandate looms The Biden administration will spend nearly $2 billion on coronavirus home tests in tandem with a vaccinate-or-test mandate for corporate America. But experts say the administrations purchase of 280 million non-laboratory tests wont be enough to meet testing needs as private employers, K-12 schools and a delta variant-driven testing surge make it harder to find timely tests. "Were hitting a crisis and the tests the president is going to be purchasing are not nearly sufficient," said Dr. Michael Mina, a Harvard epidemiologist who has advocated broader use of home tests as a public health measure. Read more here. Ken Alltucker Appeals panel says NYC teacher vaccine mandate can go ahead A three-judge federal panel ruled late Monday that New York City's COVID-19 vaccine requirement for its teachers can take effect. The ruling comes after a judge last week temporarily blocked the mandate from going into place Monday so that the group of teachers challenging the requirement could have their argument heard. The ruling from the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals allows the requirement to be put back into place, but lawyers for the teachers group said they will seek relief from the U.S. Supreme Court. Mayor Bill de Blasio had issued the requirement of the city's teachers and educational staff. Teachers have until the end of this week to get vaccinated, he said. California prison staff required to vaccinate, judge orders A federal judge on Monday ordered that all employees entering California prisons be vaccinated or have a religious or medical exemption, as he tries to head off an outbreak like the one that killed 28 inmates and a correctional officer at San Quentin State Prison last year. More than 50,000 California inmates have been infected and at least 240 have died since the start of the pandemic. "All agree that a mandatory staff vaccination policy would lower the risk of preventable death and serious medical consequences among incarcerated persons," wrote U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar. "And no one has identified any remedy that will produce anything close to the same benefit." New Boston Celtics coach starts tenure with COVID-19 This isnt exactly how Ime Udoka drew things up to kick off his tenure as the new head coach of the Boston Celtics. While the teams players were on hand for an in-person media day Monday, Udoka had to partake in the event virtually after contracting a breakthrough case of COVID-19. Udoka, who is vaccinated, said he was mostly asymptomatic aside from a slight headache at the outset of having the virus. Udoka was in his 10th day of isolation and he hopes to be with the Celtics on Tuesday when they begin training camp practices. "In general, its been a little bit of a whirlwind summer being gone a lot," said Udoka, who was an assistant on the U.S. mens basketball team for the Olympics. "Obviously to the Olympics for a while and then this happening within the last 10 or so days. Really relied on the staff and our previous relationship to hit the ground running." Read more here. Greg Dudek, The Brockton Enterprise Contributing: The Associated Press This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Racial disparity gap closing over COVID vaccines: Updates ROME (Reuters) - Hundreds of migrants have arrived by boat in the southern Italian island of Lampedusa, the interior ministry said on Tuesday. A large boat carried 686 people to the island overnight, local authorities said, while another 67 people later reached port on smaller vessels after being rescued by police. The ministry said the migrants will now be moved to another vessel for COVID-19 quarantine. Lampedusa is one of the main landing points for people trying to get into Europe and Italy has repeatedly urged other states to cooperate in order to better handle the issue. "International judicial cooperation is fundamental to contain irregular immigration and stem the unprecedented violence and tragic violations of the most basic human rights of the migrants," Luigi Patronaggio, chief prosecutor in the southern Sicilian city of Agrigento, told local media. Around 44,800 migrants landed on Italy's coasts from the start of 2021 to Sept. 27, up from 23,517 in the same period last year, interior ministry data shows. Overall numbers are still down from 2015, when hundreds of thousands of migrants made the perilous sea crossing to Europe, many fleeing poverty and conflict in Africa and the Middle East. (Reporting by Angelo Amante; Editing by Giles Elgood) DES MOINES, Iowa Hundreds of thousands of dollars are at stake for a suburban Iowa school district Friday if incensed parents follow through with a plan to artificially lower the district's enrollment numbers. Ankeny Community School District families angry over a new mask mandate are threatening to unenroll their children from school ahead of the state's Oct. 1 student count date. The number of students enrolled in a district on that date helps set funding levels for the next school year. As part of the plan, some parents would then re-enroll their children on Oct. 2, effectively forcing the district to educate their children with less money. The Ankeny School Board approved a mask mandate 5-2 last week that requires people to wear masks while inside school buildings. The move came after U.S. District Court Judge Robert Pratt issued a temporary restraining order on a state law that bans school districts from implementing mask mandates earlier this month. Emotions ran high at the Ankeny School Board meeting at Ankeny Centennial High School in Ankeny on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021, as the board voted to approve a mask mandate in Ankeny schools. Parent Jeff Fahrmann told the board he would unenroll his three children if the board passed the mandate. "I have personally confirmed 66 students that will be unenrolled through a personal survey, Fahrmann told the board. We unenrolled our kids last year due to the hybrid part-time instruction decision and plan to do this again if you mandate masks without reasonable exemptions. Related story: Federal judge temporarily blocks Iowa's ban on mask mandates in schools Students have the option of applying for medical and religious exemptions. Fahrmann also launched an online petition detailing his plan to defund the school district. If families actually go through with the threat, it could cost the district thousands. What happens if families pull their children from school before the count? What is a certified enrollment count? The certified enrollment count is taken on Oct. 1 every year or the following Monday if the first of the month falls on a weekend, said Heather Doe, Iowa Department of Education spokesperson. Story continues The certified enrollment count helps determine the school district's funding for the following school year, Doe said. Additional factors for determining aid include district programs and student services, according to the Department of Education's website. Districts collect enrollment data during the winter and spring, but only the Oct. 1 count impacts funding, Doe said. There is a separate count for students with disabilities on the last Friday in October. This counts goes toward funding for special education programs and services. What is the importance of the count? If a student withdraws or leaves the district prior to Oct. 1 count date, that student will not be included when aid for next school year is calculated, Doe said. If the district does see a significant amount of students leave and then come back it can appeal to the school budget review committee to increase its spending authority to cover educating those students," said Margaret Buckton, executive director of the Urban Education Network, an advocacy organization for the state's urban school districts. If approved by the committee, that money would be covered by local property taxes, Buckton said. 'Mask it or casket': Georgia college faculty, frustrated by lack of COVID-19 mandates, take a stand Count legislation discussed by Iowa lawmakers Iowa lawmakers have discussed changing the law surrounding Iowa's yearly enrollment count. The sweeping education bill Gov. Kim Reynolds introduced at the beginning of the legislative session would have added a second enrollment count on April 1. Iowas enrollment formula would have averaged that new spring count with the Oct. 1 count to create the districts actual enrollment a way to factor in changes in the districts enrollment during the course of an academic year. The Senate later amended the bill to remove the second count date. But that bill would have created an enrollment working group to study the issue. The bill did not have enough support to pass the House. The impact on schools is the loss of funds takes away resources for educating students, Roark Horn, executive director of School Administrators of Iowa, said. Buckton agrees with Horn that this is not a normal protest. I think, what it suggests is we are in extraordinary times and parents are feeling like they don't necessarily have control over decisions that (are) going to impact their children, Buckton said. Contributing: Ian Richardson Follow Samantha Hernandez on Twitter: @svhernandez. This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: COVID mask mandates cause Iowa families to threaten unenroll students PARIS (Reuters) - Iran must return to talks with world powers over its 2015 nuclear deal to avoid a diplomatic escalation that could jeopardize the negotiations, a French presidency official said on Tuesday The official also said Iran could not set new conditions before returning to the talks in Vienna as the terms on the table were clear. Indirect talks between Iran and the United States on reviving the accord aimed at keeping Iran from being able to develop a nuclear weapon stopped in June before Ebrahim Raisi took office as Iranian president last month. Western powers have urged Iran to return to negotiations and said time is running out as its nuclear programme is advancing well beyond the limits set by the deal, which Washington abandoned in 2018. "Nobody wants an escalation, but to avoid an escalation Iran must return to the negotiating table," the French presidency official told reporters. Tehran has signalled in recent weeks that negotiations would resume in a few weeks without giving a specific date, increasing frustration among the Western parties - Britain, France, Germany and the United States - to the 2015 accord. "The more that time passes, the harder it becomes to return to the negotiating table...and the key question of restoring a manageable and acceptable breakout time for us becomes complicated to resolve," the official said, referring to the time it takes to amass enough fissile material for a single nuclear weapon. The official said that world powers, including Russia and China, needed to remain united and that Beijing especially needed to "express itself and act in a more determined way". (Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Edmund Blair and Angus MacSwan) MILAN (Reuters) - Italy's health ministry said on Tuesday it had given the go-ahead for travel to six non-European tourist spots without the need for quarantine as a COVID-19 precaution either on arrival or return. Italians will be allowed to travel to the Maldives, Seychelles, Mauritius, Egypt (but only Sharm El Sheikh and Marsa Alam), Dominican Republic and Aruba on what the ministry called controlled tourist itineraries. These popular destinations for Italians seeking winter sunshine mark an exception from other places outside the European Union, which require quarantine on return to Italy. Everyone leaving for the selected countries must have a 'Green Pass' showing COVID immunity - either due to vaccination or previous infection - and must also present a negative swab at least 48 hours before departure, according to the order signed by Health Minister Roberto Speranza. Once back in Italy, people will not be required to undergo quarantine if they have presented another negative test, conducted not more than 48 hours before boarding their plane. These so-called COVID-free tourist corridors have been set up on an experimental basis, the health ministry said. (Reporting by Emilio Parodi, editing by Gavin Jones and Gareth Jones) By Kantaro Komiya and Antoni Slodkowski TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan will lift a coronavirus state of emergency in all regions on Thursday for the first time in nearly six months, as the number of new cases and deaths falls and the strain on the medical system eases, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said. Daily cases have fallen nationwide from more than 25,000 last month to 1,128 on Monday, but the opening will be gradual with some curbs on restaurants and large-scale events staying in place for about a month. The government will introduce a certification system whereby only approved restaurants can stay open until 9 p.m and a ban on serving alcohol will be lifted everywhere unless local governors object. "Thanks to progress in vaccination and administration of neutralising antibody drugs, we are entering a phase where medical services can be offered in a stable manner even if a certain degree of infections take place," Suga told a coronavirus task force meeting. Japan has largely avoided explosive outbreaks seen in countries like the United States and India although it fared poorly by East Asian standards with about 1.7 million cases and just over 17,500 deaths. The Delta variant sparked a fifth wave of infections in Japan that drove infections to record levels last month, putting so much strain on hospitals that some patients ended up dying at home without receiving care. To prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed, the government extended emergency restrictions covering about 80% of the population until the end of September, resulting in the Tokyo Olympics being held without spectators this summer. The emergency will be lifted shortly after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) picks its new chief, who will replace Suga as premier thanks to its parliamentary majority. Suga decided not to run in the election after his approval ratings tanked due to his handling of the pandemic. Initially criticised for its sluggish vaccination rollout, his administration in the last month has caught up with many developed economies. Now nearly 60% of the population is fully vaccinated and the government has said all those who want shots will have had them by November. Story continues Earlier in the day, Economy Minister Yasutoshi Nishimura explained the gradual approach to reopening, saying that "new cases will undoubtedly rise" after the emergency is lifted. "We need to continue with the necessary measures to prevent a rebound," he said. He added that if cases surged again, reinstatement of a more limited "quasi emergency" was also an option. (Reporting by Antoni Slodkowski, Kantaro Komiya, Kiyoshi Takenaka; Writing by Chang-Ran Kim and Antoni Slodkowski; Editing by Stephen Coates, Raju Gopalakrishnan and Nick Macfie) The Daily Beast Patrick Pleul/ReutersElon Musk announced during a shareholder meeting on Thursday that Tesla will move its headquarters from Silicon Valley to Texas, weeks after the governor boasted that the billionaire likes the states social policies.Texas last month enacted a restrictive new abortion law that bans the procedure in pregnancies that are more than six weeks and and deputizes private citizens to sue anyone who assists in providing one.In reaction to the law, another billionaire, Salesforces By Suleiman Al-Khalidi AMMAN (Reuters) -Jordan's state carrier, Royal Jordanian, will soon resume direct flights to Damascus for the first time in nearly a decade, in the latest step to restore extensive business ties with Syria hurt by conflict in the latter, government officials said on Tuesday. Flights have been suspended since the start of the decade-old conflict in Syria, even though other airlines continued to fly to Amman from Damascus. Indicating the government announcement was slightly premature, Royal Jordanian later on Tuesday said an Oct 3. date to resume flights announced by the government still awaited final approvals. The airline said it planned a shuttle service to transfer passengers from Amman to Damascus airport by land. The decision to resume flights was part of several taken at a two-day ministerial meeting that ended on Tuesday in Amman to boost bilateral trade, investment and transport ties. Jordan will fully reopen its main border crossing with Syria from Wednesday after imposing pandemic-related restrictions. Before the conflict in Syria, the Nasib-Jaber crossing was a transit route for hundreds of trucks a day, transporting billions of dollars of goods between Europe and Turkey and the Gulf. Although the Jaber crossing has been open since 2018 after the Syrian government drove rebels from southern Syria, bilateral trade has yet to recover to the $1 billion pre-war level. The kingdom hopes cross-border trade and renewed transport links will help boost its debt-ridden economy, which was hurt by a steep economic contraction last year amid the pandemic. "This is an important step to ease flow of goods between the two countries and Lebanon and the Gulf," said Daif Allah Abu Akula, chairman of the country's customs clearance companies association. Jordan, a staunch U.S. ally that supported mainstream rebels fighting against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's rule, has pushed for rapprochement with Damascus in recent months, officials said. Story continues Jordanian businessmen had largely shunned dealing with Syria after the 2019 Caesar Act - the toughest U.S. sanctions yet that prohibited foreign companies trading with Damascus. Jordanian officials say they have lobbied Washington to ease some of the tough sanctions placed on business dealings with Syria to help revive dealings with a main trading neighbour. Jordan also said it was hopeful Washington would allow Syria to benefit from a plan to supply Egyptian gas to Lebanon via an Arab pipeline that crosses through its territory to ease a crippling power crisis. Syria, which blames crippling Western sanctions on the plight of its economy, hopes wider business links with its southern neighbour will help it recover from the devastating impact of conflict and bring in much-needed foreign currency. (Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi; Editing by Steve Orlofsky and Bernadette Baum) NEW YORK (AP) Will a criminal conviction do to R. Kelly's music what years of ugly allegations couldn't? It's unlikely that Monday's moment of justice when a federal jury in New York found the 54-year-old R&B superstar guilty of all nine counts in a sex trafficking trial will mean much for his fans, given all the awful things they had learned already, some observers say. The lines have already been drawn," said Jem Aswad, deputy music editor for the trade publication Variety, who has been covering R. Kelly for 20 years. "The people that are going to listen to R. Kellys music are still listening to it. I dont think a guilty verdict is going to change their minds. Still, advocates hope the criminal conviction brings a moral reckoning. Tarana Burke, founder of the #MeToo movement, understands how irresistible the music of R. Kelly can be for people who grooved to songs like Ignition," but said, People should just have a second thought about the message that it sends. This generation is very clear about who R. Kelly is, right? These young people have come up with the information that this person is a perpetrator, right?" Burke said. "And if we cant push past our personal likes and desires to dance to a song for the sake of sending a message to these little girls and little boys, at some point Im just going to draw a line. I dont want to support somebody who will cause this kind of harm in my community. I just urge people to think about that, she continued. "Is it really worth it? Kelly had long managed to avoid professional consequences amid decades of reports of sexual abuse of young women and children, from his illegal marriage to R&B phenom Aaliyah in 1994, when she was just 15, to a 2002 arrest in which he was accused of recording himself sexually abusing and urinating on a 14-year-old girl. The #MeToo era and the 2019 docuseries Surviving R. Kelly " saw his music downgraded by streaming services and subjected to boycotts, and Kelly dropped by his label, but it still remains widely available and draws millions of weekly streams. Story continues The Grammy winner, once called the King of R&B, has had a dozen albums reach platinum or multiple platinum status. His biggest hits include I Believe I Can Fly and Bump N Grind. His songs ranged from explicit to romantic, popular both in the clubs and at weddings. The people he has worked with are a who's who of popular music, among them Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Quincy Jones, Toni Braxton and Janet Jackson. His popularity took a hit as allegations mounted in the past five years. His last three songs to chart on Billboards Hot 100 peaked in 2013, including a duet with Lady Gaga called Do What U Want and PYD with Justin Bieber. He hasnt had a hit reach the Hot 100 since then, despite releasing two albums and several singles. He has had more success on other charts. According to MRC Data, formerly Nielsen Music, a data provider that powers Billboards charts, Kellys airplay spins and audience dropped significantly between 2017 and 2021, and digital sales followed a similar pattern. However, his streaming on-demand numbers have remained about the same, averaging more than 6 million per week for most of 2021. A group of fans who continue to back him blasted his music outside the courthouse Monday, with one shouting, Were not giving up on R. Kelly! Neither Spotify nor Apple Music responded to questions Tuesday about whether they would modify their use of R. Kellys music on their platforms. Spotify has made such a move before but got pushback. In 2018, amid the momentum of the #MeToo movement and a campaign to #MuteRKelly, the service removed his music from playlists after establishing a new policy on hate content and hateful conduct. His music was still available, but Spotify stopped promoting it. Yet as many pointed out at the time, the history of pop, R&B and rock music is overloaded with artists who not only sexually abused underaged girls, but also celebrated it in their songs. And legendary producer Phil Spector, whose hands are on classic hits available everywhere, was a convicted murderer. These sort of lines of morality are hard to draw, and Spotify found that out very quickly, Aswad said. Youre looking at where you draw the line. If its going to be, Did someone get convicted? Convicted of what? A felony? What if someone stole a car?" But when Lifetime aired Surviving R. Kelly early in 2019, moves against him were inevitable. His RCA label dropped him, and Lady Gaga apologized for working with him and took their duet off streaming platforms. At the peak of Kelly's success, Aswad said, the fortune he amassed helped him fight the stories about him, and people who made money with him made them less likely to abandon him. But his finances appear to have been in serious decline. Crains Chicago Business reported that a $2.9 million foreclosure was filed on Kellys suburban Chicago mansion in 2011, and it was auctioned off in 2013 for $950,000. The Chicago Sun-Times reported at the time that he owed the IRS more than $4.8 million. He was evicted from two Atlanta-area homes over more than $31,000 in 2018, and the following year he told a judge he couldnt pay $161,000 in back child support. Kelly's audience is also aging, and he's unlikely to make any new music, with a long prison sentence a possibility and more prosecutions awaiting in other states. It could be that time alone may do what convictions, allegations and boycotts couldnt. I think as generations go on, it might get muted more because it will fade into the background," said Gail Mitchell, executive director, R&B/Hip-Hop at Billboard Magazine. As more generations, younger generations come up of age, therell be a separation. Itll be a bookmark that people can access. But the music probably will kind of fade away. ___ Dalton reported from Los Angeles. Hall reported from Nashville. ___ See the APs full coverage of the investigations into R. Kelly. LONDON (Reuters) - Opposition Labour leader Keir Starmer accused the government on Tuesday of leading Britain "from crisis to crisis", saying it should offer key workers priority at the petrol pumps to ease a fuel crisis ministers had failed to plan for. At his party's annual conference in the southern English seaside town of Brighton, Starmer told broadcasters he wanted to show where "the future of our country lies" by presenting an agenda he hopes will replicate some of the centre-left's successes elsewhere in Europe at the next election. Labour, which has narrowed its gap in the opinion polls with the governing Conservative Party, feels it needs to get its house in order before the next election, which some party officials say could be called earlier than the 2024 deadline. On Tuesday, Starmer used interviews with broadcasters to take aim at the government, which has failed so far to stop petrol pumps running dry after a shortage of truck drivers to deliver the fuel prompted many consumers in Britain to panic buy. "The government has reduced the country to chaos as we track from crisis to crisis and the government is not gripping this," he told BBC News. "What I would do is give priority to key workers this week." Starmer has been criticised by some in the party for concentrating on internal matters during the five-day conference, spending time and energy on changes to the rules to elect leaders rather than targeting the government. The government's appeals to drivers not to panic buy fuel have so far failed; dozens of forecourts were closed with signs saying they had no petrol or diesel and some people sat for hours in queues, Reuters reporters said, although the government said the situation appeared to be easing. Starmer said he would not only hand priority to medics, healthcare staff and other essential workers to fill their cars, but would also issue enough visas for lorry drivers from outside Britain for a long enough period to make a difference. Story continues The government on Sunday announced a plan to issue temporary visas for 5,000 foreign truck drivers. "The prime minister should take that action today, prioritise key workers and start issuing enough visas and for long enough," he said. (Reporting by Elizabeth Piper, Editing by Kylie MacLellan) Even when a business is losing money, it's possible for shareholders to make money if they buy a good business at the right price. For example, although software-as-a-service business Salesforce.com lost money for years while it grew recurring revenue, if you held shares since 2005, you'd have done very well indeed. But while the successes are well known, investors should not ignore the very many unprofitable companies that simply burn through all their cash and collapse. So, the natural question for LexaGene Holdings (CVE:LXG) shareholders is whether they should be concerned by its rate of cash burn. For the purpose of this article, we'll define cash burn as the amount of cash the company is spending each year to fund its growth (also called its negative free cash flow). Let's start with an examination of the business' cash, relative to its cash burn. Check out our latest analysis for LexaGene Holdings How Long Is LexaGene Holdings' 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 LexaGene Holdings last reported its balance sheet in May 2021, it had zero debt and cash worth US$6.8m. Importantly, its cash burn was US$10m over the trailing twelve months. That means it had a cash runway of around 8 months as of May 2021. Notably, one analyst forecasts that LexaGene Holdings will break even (at a free cash flow level) in about 3 years. That means unless the company reduces its cash burn quickly, it may well look to raise more cash. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time. How Is LexaGene Holdings' Cash Burn Changing Over Time? Whilst it's great to see that LexaGene Holdings has already begun generating revenue from operations, last year it only produced US$58k, so we don't think it is generating significant revenue, at this point. As a result, we think it's a bit early to focus on the revenue growth, so we'll limit ourselves to looking at how the cash burn is changing over time. Over the last year its cash burn actually increased by a very significant 69%. Oftentimes, increased cash burn simply means a company is accelerating its business development, but one should always be mindful that this causes the cash runway to shrink. Clearly, however, the crucial factor is whether the company will grow its business going forward. So you might want to take a peek at how much the company is expected to grow in the next few years. Story continues Can LexaGene Holdings Raise More Cash Easily? Since its cash burn is moving in the wrong direction, LexaGene Holdings shareholders may wish to think ahead to when the company may need to raise more cash. Issuing new shares, or taking on debt, are the most common ways for a listed company to raise more money for its business. Commonly, a business will sell new shares in itself to raise cash and drive growth. By looking at a company's cash burn relative to its market capitalisation, we gain insight on how much shareholders would be diluted if the company needed to raise enough cash to cover another year's cash burn. LexaGene Holdings has a market capitalisation of US$38m and burnt through US$10m last year, which is 27% of the company's market value. That's fairly notable cash burn, so if the company had to sell shares to cover the cost of another year's operations, shareholders would suffer some costly dilution. How Risky Is LexaGene Holdings' Cash Burn Situation? LexaGene Holdings is not in a great position when it comes to its cash burn situation. While its cash burn relative to its market cap wasn't too bad, its cash runway does leave us rather nervous. One real positive is that at least one analyst is forecasting that the company will reach breakeven. After looking at that range of measures, we think shareholders should be extremely attentive to how the company is using its cash, as the cash burn makes us uncomfortable. Separately, we looked at different risks affecting the company and spotted 6 warning signs for LexaGene Holdings (of which 3 are significant!) you should know about. Of course LexaGene Holdings 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. By Hyunjoo Jin CASA GRANDE, Ariz. (Reuters) - U.S. startup Lucid Group Inc said on Tuesday it will start delivering luxury electric sedans with a Tesla-beating driving range in late October, posing a major challenge to the market leader whose sales of premium models have stagnated. The California-based Lucid began production of its long-delayed Lucid Air cars at its Arizona factory on Tuesday, and said it aims to ramp plant's capacity up to 90,000 vehicles per annum in the next two years. The top-end Lucid Air Dream Edition will be available in late October, followed by less expensive models: Grand Touring, Touring and Air Pure. The company said it has received more than 13,000 reservations for Lucid Air models, and it has increased the planned total production of the Lucid Air Dream Edition to 520 vehicles. A version of the Lucid Air Dream Edition, priced at $169,000, received an official U.S. government rating of a 520-mile (837 km) driving range, over 100 miles more than its closest rival, Tesla's Model S, which is priced at $89,990. The higher range helped lead to a 23% jump in Lucid's shares this month. Speaking at the production site, Lucid Chief Executive Officer Peter Rawlinson, a former chief engineer on the Tesla Model S, said his company's cars have an advantage in battery technology and costs over the Model S. "We've ridden customers of the fear of range anxiety," he said. "The next big obstacle is cost effectiveness of electric cars. We've got to get the cost down." He said the Air Pure, the least expensive version with a price tag of $77,400, will go into production late next year. EXECUTION CHALLENGE The company, founded in 2007, received funding from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund in 2018 before going public via a shell company https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lucidmotors-m-a-churchill-cap-iv-excl/exclusive-lucid-motors-nears-spac-deal-as-klein-launches-financing-sources-idUSKBN2AG2D6 in July. Story continues "(20)17 and (20)18 were brutal. The company was in a parlous state. And then I've got to say, we met a perfect partner," he said. Rawlinson, who left Tesla in 2012, faces tasks similar to those of Tesla in its early days, including how to address manufacturing challenges and scale up production. "I think the big challenge for Lucid will be execution," said Sam Abuelsamid, a principal analyst at Guidehouse Insights. "I think that they have a very good car. It's very attractive." Tesla CEO Elon Musk said in June that Tesla has canceled its plan to launch a Model S Plaid+, with a target driving range of 520 miles, saying the Model S Plaid itself is "just so good" https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/tesla-launch-high-end-model-s-plaid-fend-off-mercedes-porsche-2021-06-10. Musk reiterated this month that "production is hard". "Production with positive cash flow is extremely hard," he said, citing carmakers' razor-thin margins. Tesla's combined sales of Model S and Model X luxury models stood at only 1,890 in the second quarter of this year, down from 22,300 during the same period three years ago. Tesla does not break out figures for the two high-end models. "The Model S doesn't look fundamentally different from a Model S nine years ago," Abuelsamid said. "In the premium market, customers are looking for the latest and greatest." Musk in October 2020 cut the price of its Model S, shortly after Lucid announced the pricing of its base model. "The gauntlet has been thrown down! The prophecy will be fulfilled," he tweeted at that time. Electric vehicle maker Rivian, backed by Amazon.com Inc and now preparing for a public stock listing, earlier this month started production of electric pickup trucks. That move came ahead of similar expected moves by Tesla, General Motors Co and Ford Motor Co. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin in Casa Grande, Ariz.; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Kenneth Maxwell) Greece will buy three French warships as part of a $3.5 billion defense deal announced Tuesday, AP reports. The big picture: The defense and security strategic partnership comes after a scrapped multi-billion dollar submarine deal with Australia thrust French President Emmanuel Macron into a diplomatic crisis this month. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free France was blindsided by the submarine deal involving the U.S., U.K. and Australia and accused the U.S. of a "stab in the back." Tuesday's announcement also aims to boost Greece's defense capacities in the Eastern Mediterranean against longtime adversary Turkey. Details: Greece will purchase three French frigates, with an option for the acquisition of a fourth. The frigates will be delivered in 2025 and 2026, per AP. What they're saying: Macron and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the partnership at a joint news conference in Paris, per AP. "The Europeans must stop being naive," Macron said. "When we are under pressure from powers, which at times harden [their stance], we need to react and show that we have the power and capacity to defend ourselves. Not escalating things, but protecting ourselves," he added, per Reuters. "This isn't an alternative to the United States alliance. It's not a substitution, but to take responsibility of the European pillar within NATO and draw the conclusions that we are asked to take care of our own protection." Mitsotakis said the partnership comes "out of national motivation to shield our country," but also has "a European motive as it strengthens our common defense industry." "This will tie us for decades," Mitsotakis said, per Reuters. "This opens the door to the Europe of tomorrow that is strong and autonomous, capable of defending its interests." More from Axios: Sign up to get the latest market trends with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free The Marine who went viral after speaking out against the leaders of the military for the flawed Afghan withdrawal is in the brig awaiting a hearing. Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller is currently in pretrial confinement in the Regional Brig for Marine Corps Installations East aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune pending an Article 32 preliminary hearing, Capt. Sam Stephenson, a spokesman for the Marine Corps Training and Education Command, told Task & Purpose. AIR FORCE AND RAYTHEON CONDUCT SUCCESSFUL HYPERSONIC MISSILE TEST The time, date, and location of the proceedings have not been determined," he added. "Lt. Col. Scheller will be afforded all due process. Scheller gained notoriety last month when he posted a video on social media calling for accountability from military leaders for the way the Afghan withdrawal occurred, including the ISIS-K terror attack that killed 13 U.S. service members and more than 170 Afghan nationals. "The reason people are so upset on social media right now is not because the Marine on the battlefield let someone down," he said in the first of his viral videos. "People are upset because their senior leaders let them down. And none of them are raising their hands and accepting accountability or saying, 'We messed up.'" Scheller's father, Stuart Scheller Sr., defended his son's comments, saying he was looking for "accountability." CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER All our son did is ask the questions that everybody was asking themselves, but they were too scared to speak out loud," he told Task & Purpose. He was asking for accountability. In fact, I think he even asked for an apology that we made mistakes, but they couldnt do that, which is mind-blowing. A day after Scheller published his first video, he posted an update notifying the public that he had been "relieved of duty" and "will probably do some jail time." Story continues Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Marines, Afghanistan, War in Afghanistan, Pentagon Original Author: Mike Brest Original Location: Marine who criticized military leadership for Afghan withdrawal in the brig During its 2020 session, the Missouri General Assembly considered expanding the powers of the office of the state attorney general. The proposed law would have allowed the attorney general to file criminal charges with original and concurrent jurisdiction in Missouris counties and would have subverted local control over the administration of justice. All 115 members of MAPA, the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, were unified in our opposition to the proposal. The Missouri House of Representatives passed the bill, but when the state Senate was given the opportunity to do likewise, its members declined. Instead, state senators affirmed the established principle that criminal prosecution in Missouri is best conducted by those of us elected in our communities to try the accused and pursue justice for victims. When absolute and irrefutable evidence of an obvious crime justifies prosecution, the job requires no specific legal talent. However, this is not always true. In every case, prosecutors must judiciously review the statutes and use their discretion to determine which violations of the law are most applicable to the facts and evidence available to them. They must support the investigations of police, prepare witnesses for court, select juries and present every single case in a way that jurors will best understand. To win a conviction and provide justice to victims requires local familiarity and a connection to the community. The constitutional authority to deprive a person of life and liberty is such an awesome power that not only must prosecutors handle it with great care, but the people themselves must decide which lawyers in their communities they trust to wield it. They vet us during our electoral campaigns. They gauge our commitment to maintaining the peace and the severity with which well pursue punishment for criminals who disturb it. They weigh our character up close and decide for themselves whether they trust us to do right by them. And if we fail them, they hold us accountable. Story continues In Cedar County, weve honored the faith the voters have placed in our office. We dont shy away from prosecuting those who commit crimes. Since I took office as prosecuting attorney, weve filed more than 5,500 criminal charges, with more than 700 in 2020. Weve won convictions that removed violent people from our community, including one who killed a police officer. Those who violate the safety and well-being of our community dont escape retribution. Nonetheless, we prosecutors cannot allow our zeal to overwhelm our discretion. We must be reasonably certain that an allegation of wrongdoing is supported by sufficient evidence and does in fact constitute a misdemeanor or a felonious act. Public opinion has a power of its own, and the moment prosecutors file a criminal complaint, we establish a record that will alter the reputation of the accused. Having been specifically chosen by our communities to serve their interest in justice, they often believe us when we call someone a criminal. It is unjust and dangerous to wittingly and casually brand a person with that label when we cannot prove it to be true beyond a reasonable doubt. Complex crimes are not a common occurrence in rural counties. As such, local budgets dont anticipate the level of funding necessary to prosecute them. Cases that present a large volume of evidence covering many years, having multiple witnesses or defendants, and with unusual circumstances may require additional staff to review the evidence in order to fully investigate the case. In instances when prosecutors believe more resources are needed than what is locally available, they may request the governors office to direct the office of the attorney general to assist in a case. The attorney generals office has funds to cover travel expenses for out-of-state victims and witnesses, as well as the costs of forensic experts. However, in no way does a request for the involvement of the attorney general in a local matter constitute an abdication of authority by the county prosecutors office. This principle was reiterated last year when the General Assembly rebuffed the latest attempts to undermine the independence of local prosecutors. The legislature affirmed, as it has done many times before, that for victims and their families the best hope for justice lies in the hands of local prosecutors. In Cedar County, every member of the prosecutors office will continue to fight for the safety and well-being of the community in which we live. We appreciate the assistance the attorney general has recently provided us in criminal matters that have tested the capacity of our own resources, but we will continue to respect the law and assert local control over the prosecution of all criminal charges filed in this jurisdiction. Ty Gaither is the prosecuting attorney for Cedar County, Missouri. He is currently serving his second term in office. A Hubble Space Telescope view of Jupiter, taken on June 27, 2019, shows the Great Red Spot in intense color. NASA, ESA, A. Simon (Goddard Space Flight Center) and M.H. Wong (University of California, Berkeley) NASA's most powerful space telescope, Hubble, has documented a mysterious change in Jupiter's Great Red Spot. The spot is a raging 10,000-mile-wide cyclone big enough to swallow Earth. It has been shrinking and becoming more circular since astronomers began observing it about 150 years ago. But nobody could track the speed of its spiral motion until Hubble turned its eye to the distant orange dot in 2009. Planetary scientists Michael Wong and Amy Simon recently analyzed a decade's worth of Hubble data on the Great Red Spot's wind speeds, which can exceed 400 miles per hour. NASA announced on Monday that their research suggests the cyclone's outer band is speeding up: Its wind speeds increased up to 8% from 2009 to 2020. At the same time, its inner region has significantly slowed down. Scientists animated this image of the Great Red Spot based on data from NASA's Juno spacecraft and models of the storm's winds. NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS/Gerald Eichstadt/Justin Cowart "When I initially saw the results, I asked, 'Does this make sense?' No one has ever seen this before," Wong, who works at the University of California, Berkeley, said in a press release. "But this is something only Hubble can do. Hubble's longevity and ongoing observations make this revelation possible." Overall, the spot's average wind speed is increasing, though only a tiny bit - less than 1.6 miles per hour per Earth year. Nobody knows yet what the changing winds tell us about the storm overall. The average wind speed within the boundaries of the Great Red Spot (the outer green circle) have increased, while winds in the innermost region (the inner green circle) are moving more slowly. NASA, ESA, Michael H. Wong (UC Berkeley) "That's hard to diagnose, since Hubble can't see the bottom of the storm very well. Anything below the cloud tops is invisible in the data," Wong said. "But it's an interesting piece of data that can help us understand what's fueling the Great Red Spot and how it's maintaining energy." Story continues Wong, Simon, and other researchers first published their findings in the journal Geophysical Research Letters last month. The Great Red Spot is a mystery Researchers still don't understand much about the Great Red Spot, including how long it will last. The storm has survived so long because it's wedged between two jet streams - bands of Jupiter's atmosphere - that are moving in different directions. Those are "feeding momentum into the vortex," NASA scientist Glenn Orton previously told Insider. Some scientists have suggested the storm will collapse and disappear in just a few decades due to its shrinking size. Others disagree. Philip Marcus, a UC Berkeley researcher who co-authored the new study with Wong and Simon, has argued that "the Great Red Spot is in no danger of disappearing." NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft captured this image of the Great Red Spot in 1979. NASA/JPL "To understand the health of the spot, planetary scientists need to study the health of its vortex and not its cloud; the cloud's shrinkage is not a harbinger of death," Marcus wrote on Astronomy.com in 2019. "Based on the spot's interactions with other vortices my Berkeley group found, there is no evidence that that vortex itself has changed its size or intensity." Meanwhile, other data is also revealing surprises - including that the Great Red Spot is getting taller as it shrinks. Then last year, images from Hubble and the ground-based Gemini Observatory revealed holes in the cyclone's cloud cover. Scientists also used those images, combined with data from NASA's Jupiter-orbiting Juno spacecraft, to map lightning strikes within the Great Red Spot. "Because we now routinely have these high-resolution views from a couple of different observatories and wavelengths, we are learning so much more about Jupiter's weather," Simon said in a NASA release about that finding last year. "This is our equivalent of a weather satellite. We can finally start looking at weather cycles." Read the original article on Business Insider The team behind hit indie game Oxenfree is joining Netflix, marking the first time the streaming giant has acquired a game developer. The company announced the purchase of Night School Studio on Tuesday. Netflix didnt share many details about what it plans for the Night School team, but at very least it sounds like the studio will continue work on Oxenfree II: Lost Signals , and that its previous games will be available through the streaming platform. Small team of story-loving game people joins big team of game-loving story people, @Netflix.https://t.co/xJvtYUJVNZ Night School Studio (@nightschoolers) September 28, 2021 Our explorations in narrative gameplay and Netflixs track record of supporting diverse storytellers was such a natural pairing, Sean Krankel, the founder of Night School Studio said . It felt like both teams came to this conclusion instinctively. The move comes as Netflix works on an expansion into the gaming space. It was only earlier today it added several Android titles to its streaming app in Spain and Italy. Over the next year, the company plans to offer more games in this way. The Daily Beast NewsmaxA noticeably uncomfortable Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) nervously chuckled on Wednesday night when he was asked about Stephanie Grishams claim that he cozied up to former President Donald Trump to mop up the freebies like there was no tomorrow.And in the end, Graham didnt deny the former Trump press secretarys accusation that hes Senator Freeloader.Towards the end of his Tuesday night interview with the South Carolina lawmaker, Newsmax anchor Rob Schmitt brought up the claims from G Former President Obama called for comprehensive immigration reform to fix a "dysfunctional" system as the Biden administration grapples with what he called a "heartbreaking" migrant crisis at the southern border. Obama, during an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America" that aired Tuesday, said reform to the U.S. immigration system is "something that is long overdue." He added that immigration is a "tough" issue because Americans want to be compassionate but that the U.S. having open borders is an "unsustainable" idea. Obama's comments come after more than 14,000 Haitian migrants camped under a bridge in Del Rio, Texas, after a surge in border crossings. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas admitted Sunday that the vast majority of Haitian migrants who crossed the southern U.S. border in recent weeks have already been released into the United States and it is possible that more will follow them. MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS OVER 200,000 AGAIN IN AUGUST, AS BORDER SURGE CONTINUES So far, approximately 12,400 of the people are having their cases heard by immigration judges, while another 5,000 are being processed by the Department of Homeland Security . Only 3,000 are in detention. Obama said the situation in Del Rio "is a painful reminder that we don't have this right yet and we've got more work to do." "As big-hearted as he is, nobody understands that better than Joe Biden," Obama said. "And the question is now: Are we gonna get serious about dealing with this problem in a systemic way, as opposed to these one-offs where we're constantly reacting to emergencies? And I think that that's something that every American should wanna put an end to." Obama added that "immigration is tough" and "always has been." "Immigration is tough. It always has been because, on the one hand, I think we are naturally a people that wants to help others," Obama said. "And we see tragedy and hardship and families that are desperately trying to get here so that their kids are safe, and they're in some cases fleeing violence or catastrophe." Story continues He added: "At the same time, we're a nation state. We have borders. The idea that we can just have open borders is something that ... as a practical matter, is unsustainable." The Biden administration has faced fierce criticism for its handling of the crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border, which Republican critics have blamed on the dramatic rollback of Trump-era policies, like border wall construction and the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) . It has also narrowed interior Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) priorities and pushed hard for legalization of illegal immigrants already in the country. It has also been releasing migrants into the interior, processing UACs to sponsors already in the country and releasing migrant families -- angering Republican governors and other lawmakers. MAYORKAS SAYS AS MANY AS 12K OUT OF 17K MIGRANTS HAVE BEEN RELEASED INTO US, AND IT COULD BE HIGHER There were more than 200,000 migrant encounters at the southern border in August, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) confirmed earlier this month, the second month in a row where the number has been over the 200,000 mark as migrants continue to attempt to enter the U.S. Fox News first reported that there were 208,887 encounters in August. While it marks the first decrease in migrant encounters seen under the Biden administration, where migrant encounters have been sharply rising for months, it is only a 2% drop over the more than 212,000 encounters in July. CRUZ BLAMES BIDEN FOR HAITIAN MIGRANT CRISIS, CITES 'CANCELED' DEPORTATION FLIGHTS The Biden administration has pushed back, blaming the Trump administration for sealing off legal pathways to asylum while emphasizing the role that root causes like poverty, violence and corruption in Central America play in encouraging migrants to travel north. Mayorkas said the administration intends to continue with its border strategy, which he said involves rebuilding "safe, legal and orderly pathways for migrants," improving processing, and going after smugglers. "We have a plan, we are executing our plan and that takes time," he said in August, when he announced the July border numbers. He also told border agents in audio leaked to Fox News that the situation is "unsustainable." Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report. File Image: In this 3 May 2017, file photo, former President Barack Obama points to a rendering for the former president's lakefront presidential center at a community event at the South Shore Cultural Center in Chicago (AP) Former president Barack Obama defended the decision to choose the Jackson Park neighbourhood of Chicago as a site for his legacy project Obama Presidential Centre ahead of the groundbreaking scheduled for Tuesday. The 44th presidential centre sits on the 19-acre of the Jackson Park and will include a museum, forum building, public plaza, athletic centre, play area and a branch of the Chicago Public Library. It had been mired in controversy over gentrification concerns along with those surrounding the damage to the environment. "The truth is, any time you do a big project, unless youre in the middle of a field somewhere, you know, and its on private property, theres always going to be some people who say, Well, but we dont want change. Were worried about it. We dont know how its going to turn out, Mr Obama told ABC News. Which is why weve gone through such an exhaustive process to encourage and elicit comments and concerns and criticism and suggestions from the community," he said. The construction of the project officially began last month along Lake Michigan, near the Obama family home where the former president started his political career. The place also holds special significance for Obamas as this is where the couple got married and raised their two daughters. It is likely to take about five years to complete. Mr Obama, who is slated to attend the groundbreaking ceremony along with former first lady Michelle Obama, said: "With your help, we can make this centre a catalyst for economic opportunity, a new world-class destination on the South Side and a platform for young people to drive change." The initial cost of the project was estimated to be at $500m but according to the recently released documents, the price is likely to go up by another $330m. Earlier last month, the federal appeals court denied an effort by preservationist group Protect Our Parks, who were seeking to block the construction of the project on the grounds that it will lead to the downing of hundreds of trees and harm the environment. Story continues The legal challenge came even as a four-year federal review concluded in February that the new Obama Centre would pose no significant impact to the human environment. The federal review, however, found that the centre would diminish Jackson Parks overall integrity by altering historic, internal spatial divisions that were designed as a single entity. The 551.5-acre park was designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted to host the 1893 Worlds Columbian Exposition and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. "When it came time to plan the Obama Presidential Centre, we wanted to give something back to the place that gave us so much," Michelle Obama said in a video announcement. Additional reporting from wires CHICAGO The Obama Presidential Center broke ground Tuesday after five years of continued pushback from park preservationists and community groups concerned that residents will be displaced by rising rent prices in the area. "This day has been a long time coming," former President Barack Obama said at a ceremony Tuesday afternoon on Chicago's South Side. Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama joined Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot in ceremoniously planting shovels at the site of the center in Jackson Park, along Lake Michigan. The center, designed by architects Todd Williams and Billie Tsien, will consist of a museum, forum, public library, plaza, playground and pedestrian and bicycle paths. The Obama Foundation initially estimated the project would cost $500 million, but officials have since said the total will likely be higher. Obama said the center wont just be an "exercise in nostalgia" but "the worlds premier institution" for developing the next generation of civic leaders. "I didnt start off as president," Obama said. "I started off right down the street. And the lessons I learned in these neighborhoods ended up shaping the rest of my life. The Obama Presidential Center is our way of showing young people everywhere that they can do the same." Former US President Barack Obama speaks during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center at Jackson Park on September 28, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. Opening of the center is scheduled for 2025. The site is near where Barack and Michelle Obama first met, settled down and had their daughters. It's close to the University of Chicago Law School, where Barack taught constitutional law. It's also a few miles from where Michelle grew up and several miles from where Barack worked as a community organizer. He represented the area in the Illinois Senate from 1997 until 2004. "No matter what Ive accomplished or who Ive met or where Ive gone, one of my greatest honors is being a proud Chicagoan, a daughter of the South Side," Michelle Obama said. "I still lead with that descriptor. I wear it boldly and proudly like a crown." Story continues The Obama Foundation said it hopes the center brings 700,000 people to the South Side every year. Michelle Obama said she hoped the center world draw people from around the world and down the street. She said the center will be a place where people can find work, where kids can grow and find opportunities, and where families can walk, ride bikes and go sledding. "To me, this doesnt so much feel like building something new. It feels like were helping to reveal what has always been here," she said. Obama: Obamas, Bushes, Clintons help launch organization to assist Afghan refugees Then-Illinois Democratic Senate candidate Barack Obama leaves with his wife Michelle, daughters Sasha, front left, and Malia after voting at Catholic Theological union polling place in Chicago on Nov. 2, 2004. President Joe Biden joined the ceremony virtually through a recorded video message. He reflected on election night in Chicago in 2008. "Its hard to believe it was almost 13 Novembers ago we gathered in Grant Park to take the first steps on an incredible journey," Biden said, adding, "I cant wait for the center to open and to share memories of our incredible journey together." The foundation announced the location of the center in 2016, but the project was delayed by a lengthy federal review process required because Jackson Park is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The park was designed by landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1871 and remodeled for the 1893 Worlds Columbian Exposition. The National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration concluded their four-year review in February. Former President Barack Obama, second from left, is joined by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, left, former first lady Michelle Obama, and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot during a groundbreaking ceremony for the Obama Presidential Center Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021, in Chicago. Mayor Lori Lightfoot spoke at the ceremony Tuesday and thanked the Obama Foundation for the "transformative investment" in the city's South Side. Lightfoot acknowledged the project "took many twists and turns" in the five years since the location was announced. But she called the groundbreaking a "momentous day." "This will not only send a ripple effect of economic development through the area but, really, our entire city will benefit from these investments," Lightfoot said. Lightfoot said it was a priority to ensure that residents "are fully able to participate in the economic development and future of this neighborhood and the community for generation to come." Several local groups, including park preservationists and a coalition of community organizations, have raised concerns about the project for years. Park preservationists have warned about the effects on the historic parkland and have proposed an alternative location for the center, in nearby Washington Park. Since 2018, the nonprofit Protect Our Parks has launched a series of lawsuits to try to prevent construction on the historic parkland. Last month, the group asked the U.S. Supreme Court to grant an application for an immediate injunction of the project pending an appeal. "The homecoming of the former President and the First Lady should be a moment of pride for Chicagoans. On this visit, though, we hope they will mourn the devastation of the initial clear-cutting of the mature trees and the destruction of the Womens Garden in Jackson Park, in addition to the long-term environmental and public health dangers that will ensue," a Protect Our Parks spokesperson said in a statement. City plans to pay reparations to Black homeowners: Will the practice expand to yours? The decision to build Barack Obama's presidential library in Chicago's lakefront Jackson Park rather than a nearby impoverished neighborhood has left some residents worried the museum will deliver less of a boost to the South Side. Some say Washington Park, a mile to the west, has greater needs because of poverty and population decline, and the location decision is a missed opportunity to spur development there. Meanwhile, a collection of community organizations under the banner of the Obama Community Benefits Agreement Coalition has also voiced concern that longtime residents surrounding the site are at risk of being priced out of their neighborhoods. Dixon Romeo, a member of the coalition, lives four blocks from the site in the South Shore neighborhood where Michelle Obama grew up. Romeo said he became involved with the coalition in 2017 and knocks on doors every weekend to speak with residents about the center. "Folks overwhelming are afraid of displacement. They know the neighborhood is going to change, but they want to make sure they can stay and see it," Romeo said. Area residents are predominantly renters, according to the 2017 report. Nearly half of renters have annual incomes less than $20,000, eviction rates are some of the highest in the city, and rent is rising in newly renovated and new construction units, which the majority of current renters cannot afford, according to the report. Climate change, heat waves affect heart: Here's why that puts people of color at higher risk A photo of Jackson Park in Chicago in May, 2015. The coalition launched a years-long campaign demanding a community benefits agreement to protect residents from displacement, and the city and Obama Foundation made a series of promises to address the coalition's concerns. Last year, the city adopted an ordinance for the Woodlawn neighborhood the neighborhood closest to where the center will be located that mandated affordability requirements on all rental and for-sale housing developed on city-owned residential land. It also appropriated about $4.5 million to help rehabilitate existing affordable housing. The ordinance also created a "Right of First Refusal Pilot Program" in the neighborhood that would require an owner of a building with 10 or more units to give tenants an exclusive opportunity to make an offer on the property prior to its sale. However, several other neighborhoods in the area such as Grand Crossing, South Shore and Hyde Park have not received similar provisions. "This should be a priority. Without that, its the start of a ticking clock of how much longer folks get to stay," Romeo said. For its part, the foundation committed to awarding 50% of the subcontracting packages for the center to businesses owned by minorities, women or veterans, with 35% of workers living on the South and West Sides. In March, the foundation created a "We Can Build It Consortium" to get more local residents involved in the building trades and committed $850,000 to train 400 apprentices from the South and West Sides. Romeo said he's concerned that, even for the residents who get the new jobs, the wages won't offset rising rent. "I think the center is something that, in another universe, I could be excited about. But the reality is, whatever good it does, whatever good it brings, because the city wont take action and put protections in place, those things will be overshadowed by what I see every day, which is pain." Barack Obama:Obama celebrates at 60th birthday bash after scaling back guest list because of COVID This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chicago Obama presidential center breaks ground in Jackson Park Matthew Eisman/Getty It seems as though posing as a YouTube executive to trick investors is not the only act of apparent deception OZYs management has attempted to pull off in recent months. As it turns out, the embattled media company has also seemingly engaged in misleading marketing tactics, including boasting that the Los Angeles Times called OZY founder and CEO Carlos Watsons YouTube show the most important show of 2020 when, in fact, the paper says it has no record of ever doing so. And thats not the only time OZY has boasted of outside media praise that appears to not exist. On Sunday, New York Times media columnist Ben Smith shed light on dubious tactics employed by OZY, a multimedia company that launched in 2013 as a millennial-focused outlet and whose resilience has perplexed observers in an unforgiving digital-media ecosystem that has challenged and sunk other more well-known publications. OZYs chief operating officer Samir Rao, Smith reported, posed as a YouTube executive during a crucial business meeting with Goldman Sachs officials, who were close to making a $40 million investment in the digital media company. The bank discovered the deception after growing suspicious of the presentation, in which Rao, posing as a YouTube programming boss, overinflated the performance metrics of the companys online videos. (The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday evening that OZY hired powerful law firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison LLP to conduct a review of the companys business activities.) Raos actions, which OZY claimed was the result of the executives struggles with mental health, appears to be just one of several times the media org has hyped itself up in ways that crumble under scrutiny. After the Times expose ran, Forbes contributor John Moreno shared on Twitter a series of what appeared to be exaggerated or misleading advertisements for OZY. Moreno cited one particular digital ad for CEO Watsons YouTube show, bearing the bold-font most important show declaration attributed to the Los Angeles Times. The reporter, however, could not find a single instance of the newspaper praising Watsons show. Story continues And in an email to The Daily Beast, Los Angeles Times spokesperson Hillary Manning confirmed that the paper could not find the quote in any published story over the last several years, nor could it find any mention of Watsons show at all. Its safe to say that quote is not from LA Times editorial coverage, Manning wrote. OZY and Watson did not respond to multiple emails and messages for comment on this story. And several other OZY advertisements touting outside media praise similarly fall apart upon closer inspection. The website for OZY Fest 2021, the companys annual live festival, for example, features supportive quotes from major news outlets, including Time Out New York allegedly likening the festival to TED meets Coachella. That label, however, did not come from Time Out at all: it was said by OZYs CEO himself during an interview with the New York Daily News. Time Out merely quoted that Watson interview in an article on the festival and OZY, in turn, attributed it to the popular magazine instead of its own founder. Another ad promoting Watsons YouTube show boasted of the Los Angeles Times saying it was what true discussions should look like, but as Times reporter Chris Megerian tweeted Tuesday, that quote actually came from OZYs own paid content that ran on the Times website. And a quote on the front page of an OZY promotional packet, titled OZY Magazine, touted Watson as the best interviewer on TVa quote attributed to Deadline, a prominent entertainment industry trade publication. But Vice News Tonight correspondent Michael Moynihan pointed out that the quote was actually made by Raothe OZY executive who impersonated a YouTube bossin an interview with Deadline, which OZY then attributed to the influential trade pub anyhow. Following the initial publication of this article, The Daily Beast learned of an OZY ad campaign that ran on the side of MTA buses in New York City, featuring an alleged Los Angeles Times quote labeling Watson as Anderson Cooper meets Oprah. As it turns out, that quote also appears to be from OZYs paid content on the Times website. Courtesy Additionally, officials confirmed to The Daily Beast on Tuesday evening that OZY Fest Miamiwhich was set to be held next month at Maurice A. Ferre Parkhas been postponed. OZY announced the festival back in July, and promised to release tickets and post headliners later this summer, but not acts were ever publicly announced. OZY did not return a request for comment on its festival, but after The Daily Beast reached out the company quietly scrubbed any mention of the Miami event from its festival website. Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here 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. Good Morning America COVID-19 vaccine shots for kids ages 5 to 11 may be available as soon as November after Pfizer and BioNTech submitted on Thursday an emergency use authorization to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA has scheduled a public hearing on Oct. 26th to examine the request. The companies' authorization request comes just weeks after they announced new clinical trial data showing the vaccine was "safe, well-tolerated and showed robust neutralizing antibody responses" in kids ages 5 to 11. MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) Police in Georgia shot and wounded a man Tuesday suspected of using a bow and arrow to carjack a woman in Atlanta before crashing the stolen car and pointing the weapon at police, authorities said. The suspect was taken to a hospital after he was shot by an officer during a standoff in Marietta, a suburb northwest of Atlanta, police said. He was conscious, alert and breathing, department spokesman Officer Chuck McPhilamy said. The events began unfolding early Tuesday morning when Atlanta police say the suspect shot an arrow through a woman's windshield while demanding she get out of a car. The woman complied, and the suspect fled in her vehicle, Atlanta police said. Police say a man matching the suspect's description had failed to carjack another vehicle. About an hour later, police located the stolen car in Marietta after it crashed into the side of a bridge. The suspect had loaded a compound bow with an arrow and pointed the weapon at police, police said. An officer opened fire, striking the suspect once, McPhilamy said. No officers were hurt. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the shooting, identified the suspect as Trent Andrew Emory, 29, of Canton, Georgia. It said Emory was hospitalized in stable condition. Marietta is a sprawling suburb about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northwest of downtown Atlanta. 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. It can be hard for customers to tell which products are PFAS-free Take a look around your home, at the many products that make daily life more convenient. Have you ever wondered why food doesn't stick to your favourite frying-pan, why grease doesn't soak through your bag of microwave popcorn, or why water doesn't soak into your jacket? The same class of synthetic chemicals, PFAS, is likely responsible for all of these functions. But those chemicals are now under the spotlight and, in some regions, are being phased out altogether. The group of chemicals known as PFAS (poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances) is enormous. There are over 4,700 of these fluorine-based compounds. Often dubbed "forever chemicals" for their extraordinary persistence, they've been detected in drinking water, dust and even the human bloodstream. You almost certainly have PFAS in your home and in your body. As depicted in the 2019 film Dark Waters, health problems can be especially severe in areas of land where PFAS are disposed of, or heavily used. PFAS were at the centre of the 2019 film Dark Waters starring Mark Ruffalo These chemicals, found in a dizzying array of products - from food-packaging, to cosmetics and furniture - have been linked to health problems including liver damage, kidney cancer and birth defects. Consumer pressure alone however, hasn't been enough to drive major movement away from PFAS. After all, deciphering labels and the names of chemical compounds is nearly impossible for the average person, notes Jonatan Kleimark, a senior chemicals and business advisor for ChemSec, a Swedish non-profit organisation advocating for safer use of chemicals. "If you're a regular consumer, it's a very complex subject, and it's something that's usually not communicated around," Dr Kleimark says. Not everyone has the time and motivation to write to manufacturers to ask if their products contain PFAS, which is what some government agencies advise. More Technology of Business Even some manufacturers may not realise that they're using PFAS in their products. Story continues "If you really want change, then you need regulation, because that's what companies will actually act upon," Dr Kleimark comments. "Even the thought of having a PFAS restriction makes companies understand that this is something that they have to really work with, to find alternatives." Those restrictions are limited so far. In July, the US state of Maine became the world's first jurisdiction to ban the sales of PFAS-containing products, effective from 2030. The exception is where use of PFAS is deemed unavoidable, which might apply to certain medical products. EU countries have restricted certain types and uses of PFAS. But environmental campaigners and certain European governments are calling for PFAS to be regulated as a group. The also want manufacturers to supply more information about what alternatives they're using. Taking a piecemeal approach is too slow and allows for too many harmful substitutions, they argue. "I definitely think that there will be some kind of restriction in the next five, six years," Dr Kleimark predicts. Members of the chemical industry are seeking further consultation and guidance in order to make this transition successfully. Cefic (The European Chemical Industry Council) also wants more clarity about what counts as essential use for PFAS. Ikea has eliminated all PFAS from its furniture Finding alternatives has been easier in some industries than others. "The textile industry has been in the forefront of finding alternatives," Dr Kleimark says. Yet some companies have been swapping out PFAS-containing materials for others that are better for human health but still harmful to the planet, such as plastic-based clothing. One innovator is OrganoClick, a Swedish company aiming for more sustainable use of chemicals. Their product OrganoTex is an alternative to PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene), a type of PFAS commonly used in water-repellent clothing. PTFE, better known as Teflon, has been a very useful chemical since DuPont patented it in 1941. PTFE is hydrophobic, so it repels water from fabric; it's also used in non-stick coatings because it can handle relatively high heat and has low friction. PTFE is so handy that NASA began applying it to space suits and heat shields in the 1960s. However, Marten Helberg, the president and CEO of OrganoClick, argues that we don't actually need this jack-of-all-trades chemical for specific uses like helping jackets withstand rain. Unlike astronauts, who might need their materials to resist water, oil and other substances, most consumers would generally "just be outdoors; you will not have oil rain", as Mr Helberg puts it. OrganoTex mimics the properties of lotus leaves, which are naturally water repellent OrganoTex mimics the properties of lotus leaves, which are naturally water-repellent. If you've ever seen droplets glide off the surface off a lily pad or a cicada's wing, you'll have seen this hydrophobicity in action. "We use naturally occurring water-repellent molecules" that easily biodegrade, Mr Helberg says, instead of synthetic chemicals that stick around forever. The OrganoTex line includes sprays, waxes and detergents that keep textiles water-repellent through 5-10 washes (if end consumers apply the treatment themselves), or 20 washes (in industrial products), according to Mr Helberg. PTFE is also found in non-stick cookware. According to the Ecology Center, a US environmental non-profit, a pan labelled PTFE-free probably won't contain PFAS. Yet, many products claiming to be both green and non-stick may be neither. Cast-iron, stainless steel and ceramic non-stick pans may be more expensive than some coated pans, but they're likely to last longer, as well as being safer. Greenpan is one of the companies specialising in PFAS-free pans "Part of the problem has been that the consumer needs to understand that they don't get exactly the same productit's a different technology, and maybe you need to treat this frying pan in a slightly different way than the regular Teflon pan that you used to have," Dr Kleimark says. This might involve learning a different method for cleaning, or seasoning a pan. "Even if it doesn't have to be that much harder or that much more work, but it's still challenging to get the consumers to buy in." We'll also have to learn how to handle alternatives to many other PFAS-containing items, such as firefighting foams. Non-PFAS products perform differently to PFAS-containing aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF) when fighting gas and oil fires, but non-PFAS foams are already used around the world. Shari Franjevic is the programme manager for GreenScreen, which certifies products as free of PFAS and other chemicals. "In countries where PFAS-free products are allowed, for use at airports, for example, the products are being purchased and users are satisfied with the performance, e.g. London Heathrow," Ms Franjevic says. "We understand that while PFAS-free products perform differently than PFAS-containing products, they are capable of meeting the performance needs in most, if not all, situations." From firefighting foams to outdoor clothing, because PFAS varieties are used in so many ways, a plethora of alternatives will be needed to replace them, Dr Kleimark says. "We need a lot of research for all the different uses." EXCLUSIVE: The Republican National Committee is suing two Vermont cities over new town charters that allow noncitizens to vote in municipal elections. "Democrats are trying to dismantle the integrity of our elections," RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said Monday. "In addition to attacking widely supported safeguards like voter ID, Democrats also want foreign citizens to vote in American elections. Republicans are fighting back on this far-left assault against election integrity -- unlike radical Democrats, we believe that our elections should be decided solely by American citizens. This is a matter of principle and we will fight in all 50 states to ensure this remains the case." The case centers around the Vermont cities of Montpelier and Winooski, who in May had changes to their charters approved by the state's Senate that allowed noncitizens to vote in their municipal elections. VERMONT LEGISLATURE OVERRIDES GOP GOVERNOR'S VETO OF BILL ALLOWING NONCITIZEN VOTING IN TWO CITIES "I believe if someone wishes to be able to vote they should be a citizen," Vermont state Sen. Brian Collamore told Fox News in an interview at the time. "The Montpelier bill allows what is defined as a legal resident of the United States to be able to vote in city elections. ... If someone is here on a permanent basis, why would he or she not want to participate in the process to become a citizen?" Republican Gov. Phil Scott vetoed the legislation in June, citing "inconsistency in election policy" across the state. "Allowing a highly variable town-by-town approach to municipal voting creates inconsistency in election policy, as well as separate and unequal classes of residents potentially eligible to vote on local issues," Scott said in a letter to legislators. But the governor's veto was overridden by the Senate in a 20-10 vote, with Democrats getting just enough votes to clear the two-thirds majority needed for a veto override. Now the RNC has promised to fight back, arguing the lawsuit is part of their "ongoing fight to secure the integrity of our elections in this specific instance, ensuring that American elections be solely decided by American citizens. "The suit also raises important concerns about how the laws will be implemented and whether non-citizens will end up on the same voter registration lists used for state-level and federal elections," the RNC said. Reuters WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Turkey has made a request to the U.S. to buy 40 Lockheed Martin-made F-16 fighter jets and nearly 80 modernization kits for its existing warplanes, as the NATO ally looks to modernize its Air Force after the purchase of F-35 jets fell through, sources familiar with the matter said. The deal, worth billions, is still working its way through the Foreign Military Sales process which is subject to approval by the U.S. State Department as well as the U.S. Congress which can block deals. "As a matter of policy, the Department does not confirm or comment on proposed defense sales or transfers until they have been formally notified to Congress," a spokesperson for the State Department said. South Dakota Gov Kristi Noem (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved) Kristi Noem has lashed out at the press, claiming media is trying to destroy my children after allegations emerged about her potential involvement in her daughters business affairs. The actions of South Dakotas governor were called into question in a report by The Associated Press, after she met with officials from an agency responsible for denying her daughters application to become a real estate appraiser. Weeks later, her daughters application was approved. Ms Noem summoned officials from the state Department of Labor and Regulation involved with the Appraiser Certification Program in July of 2020, the Associated Press reported on Monday. Those officials included her daughters direct supervisor. At the meeting, Ms Noem presented the director of the Appraiser Certification Program with a letter authored by a certified state residential appraiser who was supervising Ms Noems daughter as she undertook a bid to become an appraiser herself; the letter reportedly sharply criticised the state system as riddled with inefficiencies and complaining that Ms Noems daughters rejection had been unwarranted. The meeting took place at the governors mansion just days after the initial attempt by Ms Noems daughter to achieve her certification had been denied, according to the AP. The report went on to note that even after Ms Noems daughter was eventually approved for her certification, the director of the certification programme was forced out of her job later that year by the state Labor Secretary, a political appointee reappointed to the agency by Ms Noem in 2019. At the time, Ms Noems daughter was a paid policy analyst working in the governors office, a position she held since her mother took office in 2019. She would go on to leave that job just days later, however, at the end of July 2020. The governor denied any wrongdoing or conflict of interest in a statement posted on Twitter shortly after the APs investigation was published. Story continues Listen I get it. I signed up for this job. But now the media is trying to destroy my children. This story is just another example of the double standard that exists with the media ... going after conservatives and their kids while ignoring Liberals, she wrote. Her spokesman added to the AP that the news agency was disparaging the Governors daughter in order to attack the Governor politically, adding, no wonder Americans trust in the media is at an all-time low. A former ethics chief in the George W. Bush White House, Richard Painter, agreed however that the situation presented a conflict of interest for Ms Noem, given her daughters financial interest in the area of real estate certifications. Its clearly a conflict of interest and an abuse of power for the benefit of a family member, he told the AP in a statement regarding their findings. Its unclear if the governor or her daughter would face any consequences over the situation given Ms Noems daughter being a paid staffer in the governors mansion at the time of the meeting. However, the states Labor Secretary, Marcia Hultman, made sure to stress in a comment to the AP that the governors daughter went through the same process that others do, and asserted that her certification had never been denied. Kassidy Peters went through the same process as other appraisers. There was no denial, she told the AP. Mrs. Peters completed the requirements to become licensed, and she was subsequently certified in November. Read More Chile: Congress takes step toward abortion decriminalization Melania aide claims Trump exploded after first lady wore infamous I dont care jacket Lawmaker walks back claim R Kelly could be welcomed back in Chicago Trump said amid rape accusations that you just deny, ex-aide claims Trump called press secretary from Air Force One to defend his penis, new book claims Afghan pullout damaged US credibility with allies, says top US general Sep. 28A trooper assigned to the state police barracks in Belle Vernon was charged with aggravated assault following a disturbance call Monday morning in Claysville, Washington County. In addition to the second-degree felony assault charge, Trooper Dustin Schumacher, 30, of Claysville, is charged with misdemeanor counts of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. The charges were filed Monday by Sarah Teagarden, a state police officer also assigned to Belle Vernon. Details of the incident leading to Schumacher's arrest weren't immediately available. According to state police, he enlisted in the state police in April 2016 and was serving with the Belle Vernon patrol section. Schumacher was arraigned before District Judge Robert Redlinger and was placed in the Washington County Correctional Facility after failing to post $5,000 bond. He was suspended without pay pending resolution of the charges, state police said. According to court records, a preliminary hearing is set for Oct. 6. Schumacher is the third member of the state police in Western Pennsylvania to be criminally charged in recent weeks. Nickolas R. Elliott, 30, of Butler, a trooper assigned to the Troop D patrol section, was charged last week with harassment/physical contact, for allegedly pushing a 15-year-old boy from behind and subjecting him to physical contact on June 27, while the boy was seated in a vehicle on a short road leading from Route 422 to the Troop D police station. A summary trial for Elliott has been scheduled for Oct. 13 before District Judge James H. Owen. State Trooper Jamhal Simon, 35, of West Middlesex, Mercer County, was arrested Sept. 15 on charges of forgery and tampering with records, both first-degree misdemeanors. Simon is accused of falsifying his orders for military service with the Ohio Air National Guard. After allegedly submitting falsified documents to his state police superiors, Simon was excused from police service an extra four days when he was not on military duty, investigators charged. Simon faces an Oct. 13 hearing before District Judge D. Neil McEwen. Jeff Himler is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Jeff at 724-836-6622, jhimler@triblive.com or via Twitter . Afghan families walk by the aircrafts at the Kabul airport in Kabul on August 16, 2021, after a stunningly swift end to Afghanistan's 20-year war, as thousands of people mobbed the city's airport trying to flee the group's feared hardline brand of Islamist rule. WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images The Taliban is asking airlines to resume international service to and from Kabul, promising their "full cooperation." Foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhi said the suspension of flights left Afghans stranded abroad. Kabul Airport was damaged after thousands of people tried to evacuate Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. See more stories on Insider's business page. Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Sunday that the Taliban is asking airlines to resume commercial flights to Kabul, saying the battered airport is now "fully operational" and promising "full cooperation" with carriers, reported Reuters. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the Taliban's term for their new government, is calling on international carriers to return service in and out of Kabul, according to a Twitter thread from ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi. The move comes after the Islamic group seized power from the Western-backed government in August, forcing tens of thousands of evacuations from Kabul Airport in an attempt to flee extremist rule. "As the problems at Kabul International Airport have been resolved and the airport is fully operational for domestic and international flights, the IEA assures all airlines of its full cooperation," said foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Qahar Balkhihe on his Twitter account. Kabul Airport is fully open and has been repaired with help from Qatari and Turkish technical teams, according to CNBC, though flight prices are reportedly higher than normal. According to Turkish Airlines' website, tickets are on sale for commercial flights from Istanbul to Kabul starting October 16, with roundtrip fares starting at $787. Meanwhile, UAE-based Flydubai has nonstop service from Dubai to Kabul scheduled to begin January 1, according to its website. However, these flights are only scheduled at this time. "In line with directives issued by the authorities and due to the developing situation in the country, flydubai has temporarily suspended its operations to Kabul. We will continue to monitor the situation and revise our plans accordingly," a Flydubai spokesperson told Insider. Story continues When the Taliban took over Afghanistan in mid-August, thousands of people attempted to evacuate, with many grabbing onto moving aircraft and others storming the airfield to try to enter planes. The chaos left a mess at the airport, including broken equipment and a damaged runway, forcing it to close. In early September, Kabul Airport reopened for humanitarian aid and some domestic flights with the help of a Qatari technical team. The Taliban pledged to allow the flights to depart without incident, but shortly after opening the airport for operations, GOP lawmaker Rep. Michael McCaul told Fox News that the group would not allow six aircraft with American citizens onboard to leave. "We know the reason why is because the Taliban want something in exchange," he said. However, Taliban authorities have allowed some international services to operate without issue, including a Pakistan International Airlines flight in September, which, according to CNN, was handled by Kabul airport staff and posted on boards at the airport. The "special flight" was done to promote "goodwill" between the two nations and "strengthen humanitarian efforts," according to PIA spokesperson Abdullah Khan. On September 17, 28 Americans were permitted to leave Afghanistan on a chartered Qatar Airways flight and the Taliban was cooperative in its departure, according to State Department spokesperson Ned Price. The first large-scale operation out of Kabul occurred on September 9, reported AP, which signaled breakthrough coordination between the US and Afghanistan's new government. The flight carried over 200 foreigners, including Americans, from Kabul to Doha. Read the original article on Business Insider Tennessees attorney general is appealing the recent decisions of two federal judges related to Gov. Bill Lees executive order allowing parents to opt out of school mask mandates. Judges in Shelby, Knox and Williamson counties recently granted injunctions in lawsuits filed by parents of students with disabilities in each county. Attorney General Herbert Slaterys appeals will be in the Shelby County and Knox County cases. These orders have impeded the Governors executive authority during an emergency to direct the States public health response, which is why this Office will be appealing those decisions, Slaterys office said Monday in a news release. The rulings in the Knox and Williamson county cases came Friday, with the Williamson ruling to run through Oct. 5. The Knox and Shelby county injunctions will be in place until each case comes to its completion. Knox County schools were cancelled Monday to allow staff to prepare to enforce the new mask rules after a rally against the ruling was held over the weekend. Really concerning to me that an anti-mask group just met saying they need to bring Knox County Schools to a halt (to applause) and asked folks to block entrances to schools with their cars including not letting school buses in, state Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, said on social media. This is not a group that cares about kids. The parents who sued claim Lees executive order violated their students' rights to protection under the Americans with Disabilities Act because the order does not provide proper protection for their students, who have chronic lung disease, a rare brain disorder and a congenital heart defect, as was argued in the Knox County case. "An appointed federal judge has come into our county, in which our duly elected body has already made a ruling twice related to any kind of mask mandate that were not doing it. Were giving parents the ability to be parents and make the best decision for their children, Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville, said in a video message he tweeted on the topic. This foolishness only stops when we make it stop. Government derives its power from the consent of the governed. Story continues Zachary then encouraged parents to send kids to Knox County schools without a mask. We have to make our stand and this is where we make our stand, Zachary said. Zachary said in a video posted Monday that, after reflection, Tuesday would be a tense day in Knox County. We have to bring a level of humility and grace, Zachary said. But again, also a firmness and a resoluteness knowing what the consequences will be but knowing, for many of us, this is a stand that needs to be taken. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, Tennessee, State, Coronavirus Original Author: Jon Styf, The Center Square Original Location: Tennessee AG to appeal federal rulings in 2 mask mandate lawsuits By Sonali Paul MELBOURNE (Reuters) - A fire that damaged two Tesla Inc battery units at a huge energy storage project in Australia in July was caused by a coolant leak that went undetected during start-up tests, a state watchdog said in a report released on Tuesday. Safety regulators on Tuesday cleared the so-called Victoria Big Battery project, run by French renewables firm Neoen SA, to resume testing at the site near Melbourne. However the safety regulator Energy Safe Victoria said it will now determine whether there have been any breaches of the state's electricity safety rules and "if so, whether enforcement action is warranted". Neoen said it is working with Tesla to ensure the 450 megawatt hour energy storage project is ready for the Australian summer, which begins in December. Testing will resume on Wednesday. "We have taken the time to understand the cause of the incident and we have implemented actions to ensure it will not happen again," Neoen Australia Managing Director Louis de Sambucy said. The fire was first detected on July 30 when smoke was spotted coming out of one Megapack and then erupted into flames, which took several hours to subside. It took three day before fire authorities declared the site under control. Investigations by several Victoria state agencies found that the fire in the Megapack, a shipping container-sized battery unit, was triggered by short circuits in two locations likely caused by a coolant leak outside the battery compartment. The short circuits occurred when the Megapack had been switched off after initial testing, which removed fault protections. That meant the fault went undetected and the fire spread to an adjacent battery compartment. Actions have been taken to prevent that happening again at the Victoria site and across Tesla's global fleet of Megapacks, Neoen said. "Through these actions, Tesla has improved the detectability and associated fault protection against these types of rare events," Neoen said. Story continues The Victoria Big Battery is one of the world's largest and is seen as essential to preventing blackouts in a market that is increasingly reliant on solar and wind power, especially during heatwaves. Tesla has not commented on the fire. Energy Safe Victoria said it has required Tesla to provide the final results of its investigation into why the fire caused the loss of a second Megapack and what it will do to prevent that from happening again. ($1 = 1.3778 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Sonali Paul in Melbourne; Additional reporting by Tejaswi Marthi in Bengaluru; Editing by Michael Perry) Data: Texas Capitol Data Portal; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios Texas Republicans propose adding seats in Austin and Houston but no majority-Hispanic districts in new congressional district maps released Monday. Why it matters: Texas is a rapidly growing, diversifying and politically changing state. Census results mean it will get two additional House seats. While its changing demographics don't bode well for Republicans long term, they control how district lines are drawn for now. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. The takeaways: The two new seats proposed for Austin and Houston would favor a Democrat and Republican, respectively. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-Texas), a moderate, border Democrat, already faced a tough re-election fight last year and could be on the chopping block under the proposed maps. His district will turn red. The map would likely result in 25 Republican House seats, while maintaining 13 Democratic seats, according to the Cook Political Report's Dave Wasserman. What to watch: "Texas is now a Hispanic-plurality state, and this map doesnt include any additional Hispanic-majority districts," Abhi Rahman, a Texas Democratic strategist, told Axios. He labeled the maps "terrible," and their lines could be cause for litigation. The National Democratic Redistricting Committee also complained. The congressional map confirms what we knew Texas Republicans would do: decrease the number of competitive seats, ignore the growth and influence of communities of color and gerrymander for power," said President Kelly Ward Burton. At least nine Republicans would get a big boost from the proposed maps. They include Reps. Dan Crenshaw, Michael McCaul, Van Taylor and Jake Ellzey, according to Wasserman. Democratic Reps. Lizzie Fletcher and Rep. Colin Allred would also benefit, with their blue, city districts remaining extra-safe Democratic territory. Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free. Top Pentagon officials are set to appear on Capitol Hill, giving lawmakers the first opportunity to grill them for the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan and subsequent fallout, which saw 13 U.S. service members killed and a retaliatory airstrike kill multiple innocent victims. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, and U.S. Central Command Commander Gen. Frank McKenzie will testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday and the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday. The Biden administration withdrew all remaining U.S. forces from Afghanistan at the end of August, but the final weeks were mired with various crises. The U.S.-trained and funded Afghan military crumbled during a Taliban military offensive, and the Taliban were able to overthrow the government only two weeks before the impending withdrawal date. MEET THE FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR AND FORMER AFGHAN GOVERNMENT LAWYER WHO IS LUCKY SHE ESCAPED Once the Taliban's ascension to power was complete, the United States and various western countries launched an unprecedented evacuation effort for third-country nationals and Afghan allies who had helped the West during the war and were thought to be in danger under the new government. Military and administration officials were caught off guard by the Taliban's success, and lawmakers are expected to ask about various strategic decisions, such as the decision to desert Bagram Airfield to instead utilize Hamid Karzai International Airport. The evacuations, which resulted in the removal of more than 120,000 people during August, were a target for terrorist attacks by groups such as ISIS-K, the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan. Those concerns became a reality on Aug. 26, when a suicide bomber killed 13 U.S. service members and roughly 170 civilians at the gates outside the airport. The U.S. military subsequently launched two airstrikes on Aug. 27 and 29. The first one targeted and killed Kabir Aidi, an ISIS-K member who was "directly connected to the ISIS-K leaders that coordinated the August 26 attack," said Army Maj. John Rigsbee, a CENTCOM spokesman, while another low-level ISIS collaborator was also killed in the blast, according to a source familiar with the strike. Story continues The second strike, however, targeted and killed an aid worker and nine other civilians, including seven children. "We now assess that it is unlikely that the vehicle and those who died were associated with ISIS-K or were a direct threat to U.S. forces," McKenzie said at the Sept. 17 Pentagon press briefing. "I offer my profound condolences to the family and friends of those who were killed. This strike was taken in the earnest belief that it would prevent an imminent threat to our forces." There are now two separate investigations into the botched drone strike; Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall selected Lt. Gen. Sami Said to lead one, while the Office of Inspector General at the Department of Defense will also investigate the strike. There were hundreds of American citizens and thousands of Special Immigrant Visa holders left behind when the U.S. left Afghanistan. Many of them are now trapped there. Milley is also likely to face questions regarding his interactions with his Chinese counterpart Gen. Li Zuocheng, which became a source of public scrutiny following new reporting in the book Peril by Watergate journalist Bob Woodward and Washington Post reporter Robert Costa. In two calls, one right before the 2020 election and one after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, the chairman of the joint chiefs reportedly told Gen. Li that he would warn him if there was an impending attack from the U.S., and the book alleged that Milley initiated the conversation because he was concerned about President Donald Trump's stability toward the end of his presidency. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER Even though the book led to calls for his resignation and accusations of treason, the reporters clarified recently that Milley was "not going rogue" when he made those calls. He and his office have publicly downplayed the calls, saying they were "routine," while both Austin and President Joe Biden have said they still have confidence in him. Washington Examiner Videos Tags: News, House Armed Services Committee, Senate Armed Services Committee, Mark Milley, Lloyd Austin, War in Afghanistan, Afghanistan Original Author: Mike Brest Original Location: Top defense officials to be grilled by lawmakers on Afghanistan withdrawal (Bloomberg) -- Shares of an Australian luxury e-commerce firm thats surged nearly 680% this year thanks to stay-at-home shoppers could cool on supply concerns and as global lockdowns end, analysts said. Most Read from Bloomberg Cettire Ltd. is an online retailer that buys wholesale high-end goods like hand bags and heels from Europe and resells them at a big discount to shoppers in the U.S., Australia and elsewhere. Its brands include LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SEs Fendi and Kering SAs Gucci. That strategy has allowed the firm to top the S&P Global Luxury Index this year, beating the likes of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd. and Hugo Boss AG. Since listing in December, its shares have jumped more than sevenfold and are up 41% this month alone. However, some headwinds may be ahead. High-end firms are pivoting away from wholesale discounts, which could crimp the supply of luxury goods to so-called gray market firms like Cettire. Meanwhile, pandemic-linked curbs easing from the U.S. -- where the company gets the lions share of revenues -- and Australia could dampen sales. We know that the most important brands still exposed to wholesale are cutting their wholesale exposure to the bone. This will limit the growth prospects of gray market players and arbitrageurs, said Luca Solca, an analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein. I am not sure that Cettire may have a sustainable business model long-term. The company continues to see really strong momentum as parts of the world are opening up and has recently commenced direct brand partnerships, said Cettires Chief Financial Officer Tim Hume in an emailed reply to Bloomberg inquiries. Prada SpA said in July that wholesale revenues were down 37% versus the same period in 2019 on its selective approach to develop retail. Kering SA said that wholesale was down more than 40% in recent years, consistent with Guccis strategy to increase control of its distribution channel. Story continues Well-run retailers may be able to withstand cutbacks on wholesale, according to Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Deborah Aitken. She says that while Cettires shares may lose some momentum after the strong run, e-commerce sales remain resilient. Cettires gross revenue jumped 333% in its full-year results in August. Active customers, or those that have made a purchase in the last 12 months, increased 285% to 114,830, the company said. Aitken points out that Cettires U.S. peer, Farfetch Ltd., has already seen better days but is still up substantially from its pre-pandemic levels. Farfetchs shares surged 517% in 2020 but tumbled 36% this year, putting it near the bottom of the S&P Luxury gauge. Global pandemic-related curbs easing may also hit the firm. The U.S. will soon allow entry for most foreign air travelers, the latest in its reopening efforts. Meanwhile, Australias most-populous state is preparing to wind back stay-at-home while the country is aiming to open its international border by Christmas. The important question is whether the consumers that have migrated online during the pandemic will continue shopping online once stores reopen, said Chloe Stokes, an investment manager at Forager Funds Management Ltd. (Updates with company comments) Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek 2021 Bloomberg L.P. Former President Donald Trump thinks the country will end in three years time (Getty Images) Donald Trump was on board Air Force One when he felt compelled to deny claims from adult film star Stormy Daniels that his appendage was shaped like the mushroom character from Mario Kart, according to new reports. The former president called then press secretary Stephanie Grisham to assure her that his penis was, in fact, neither small nor bore a resemblance to a cartoon fungus. The claim was made in Ms Grishams upcoming book Ill Take Your Questions Now: What I Saw In The White House, preview copies of which were delivered to The Washington Post and The New York Times ahead of its release on 5 October. Uh, yes sir, Ms Grisham replied. While there was no readout of the call at the time, the former presidents apparent assurances did little to prevent the descriptive account of Ms Daniels alleged dalliance with Mr Trump. In multiple statements, Mr Trump said Ms Grishams untrue claims were the result of a disgruntled employee who didnt have what it takes after a break-up, in an apparent reference to her split with another White House official, Max Miller. She became very angry and bitter after her break up and as time went on she was seldom relied upon, or even thought about. She had big problems and we felt that she should work out those problems for herself, Mr Trump said. Now, like everyone else, she gets paid by a radical left-leaning publisher to say bad and untrue things. His spokeswoman, Liz Harrington, added that recently published photos raise serious questions about her conduct and judgement, seemingly in response to photos of the former press secretary on the floor of the White House with her legs up in the air on election night 2020. Publishers should be ashamed of themselves for preying on desperate people who see the short term gain in writing a book full of falsehoods, Ms Harrington said. The little substance of her book has if you can make it through the juvenile gossip flies in the face of reality and deserves no serious recognition. Story continues That juvenile gossip was first alleged by Ms Daniels, who claimed she had a 2007 affair with Mr Trump in her own tell-all memoir Full Disclosure, released in 2018. She said that Mr Trump had a smaller than average, but not freakishly small, penis and that that it was unusually shaped. I lay there, annoyed that I was getting f*cked by a guy with Yeti pubes and a d**k like the mushroom character in Mario Kart, she said. He knows he has an unusual penis, Ms Daniels added. It has a huge mushroom head. Like a toadstool. She later regretted thrusting Mr Trumps genitals into the publics consciousness, saying it amounted to body shaming. But the former president is no stranger to defending his manhood, with the little hands insult remaining a favourite of both his enemies and frenemies after almost 30 years. It dates backs almost to a description of Mr Trump as a short-fingered vulgarian by Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, who said he wrote the comment in 1988 just to drive him a little bit crazy. It was re-popularised during the Republican presidential primary by Marco Rubio, who responded to Mr Trumps Little Marco jibe with a more political version of I know you are but what am I. Hes always calling me little Marco, and Ill admit hes taller than me, hes like 6 2", which is why I dont understand why his hands are the size of someone who is 5 2", Mr Rubio joked. Have you seen his hands? And you know what they say about men with small hands [pause for effect as the crowd chortled] you cant trust them. The ribbing may have ended there if not for Mr Trump making it an ongoing issue during the Republican debates. During the Fox News debate in Ohio, Mr Trump said Mr Rubio hit his hands but that he guaranteed there is no problem. Nobody has ever hit my hands. I have never heard of this, Trump continued, neglecting to reveal his repeated mailings to Carter. Look at those hands, Trump said on the debate stage, holding up his hands to the audience. Are they small hands? And he referred to my hands if they are small, something else must be small. I guarantee you there is no problem. I guarantee you. Donald Trumps letter to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott demanding he pursue an audit of the 2020 election set off a mad dash in the governors office as aides sought to figure out just how serious the former president was, according to two sources familiar with the situation. In the letter, Trump called on Abbott to hold a Forensic Audit of the 2020 Election" and pass HB 16, a bill recently filed in the Third Special Session of the Texas legislature, which would allow for an Arizona-style audit of the presidential election. "Despite my big win in Texas, I hear Texans want an election audit!" Trump wrote in a public letter addressed to Abbott on Thursday. "Texas needs you to act now. Your Third Special Session is the perfect, and maybe last, opportunity to pass this audit bill. Time is running out." Just hours after Trump released the letter, a statement was put out by Sam Taylor, assistant secretary of state for communications, who said the office had already begun the process of reviewing 2020 votes in the states two largest Democrat and two largest Republican counties: Dallas, Harris, Tarrant and Collin. Trump only won Collin County, and Biden won Dallas, Harris and Tarrant counties in 2020. During an interview with Fox News Sunday, Abbott said that the audits began months ago a statement that echoed the claim made by the office of the secretary of state. State audits conducted by the Texas Secretary of States office have already been underway for months, Renae Eze, press secretary for the governor, said in a statement. Under federal law, county election officials only have to keep these materials for 22 months, and it is imperative that all aspects of elections conducted in 2020 are examined before the counties clear out these materials in September 2022. But in reports from both the Texas Tribune and CNN, local officials in counties targeted by the audit said they had not learned of the review until Thursdays statement from the secretary of states office. Story continues And behind the scenes, the Texas governors office was caught off guard by Trump, whose letter made no mention of audits already underway. There had not been contact between Trump and Abbott ahead of the release, and Abbotts office was uncertain if they could meet Trumps demands to pass HB16 without complicating the legislative agenda. One Texas political aide familiar with how the process played out said, The secretary of states decision to call for audits in the four largest counties in Texas was predicated on Trumps statement mentioning Gov. Abbott. There was a mad dash to determine if Trump was actually being serious with his statement and it was decided this was the best route to take without blowing up the special session, the aide said. The scramble among Abbotts team to placate the president illustrated the degree to which Trump and his election conspiracies continue to set the rules of engagement for virtually all other GOP elected officials. Trump won Texas by 6 percentage points over 600,000 votes in the 2020 election, which raises questions as to why he would want the result audited. Indeed, the decision by the secretary of states office (a position that has been vacant for months) prompted criticism about eroding public trust in elections and the use of taxpayer dollars. Ruth Ruggero Hughs stepped down as Texas secretary of state in May 2021 after the Texas Senate refused to confirm her position. Now, the governor is poised to pick the states next top elections officer, who will have new powers via the new Republican elections bill. Earlier this year, a deputy to Hughs told lawmakers that Texas had an election that was smooth and secure. In a statement, Taylor said he expected the state legislature to provide funds for the audit. In his Fox News interview, meanwhile, the governor defended the audits. Why do we audit everything in this world, but people raised their hands in concern when we audit elections, which is fundamental to our democracy? Abbott said on Fox News Sunday. We have a responsibility to ensure the integrity and confidence in the elections in the state of Texas. Trumps push for Texas to hold an audit came one day before a Republican-commissioned report was released in the state of Arizona concerning a so-called audit there. The effort was criticized extensively for being the purview of conspiracy theorists intent on finding a way to flip the state to Trump. But the final report reaffirmed President Joe Bidens victory and did not find evidence of widespread voter fraud. Democrats say they fear that the audits and voting restriction bills making their way through GOP statehouses are pretenses for Republicans led by Trump to challenge the election in 2024 should the party again lose the presidency. Daniel Lippman contributed to this report. Max Miller arrives at a rally with former President Donald Trump at the Lorain County Fairgrounds on June 26, 2021 in Wellington, Ohio (Getty Images) Former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham writes in her new book that the former president had a special aide play him show tunes to pull him back from his terrifying rage. Ms Grisham writes in Ill Take Your Questions Now that Donald Trump often scolded her and made impossible requests. When I began to see how his temper wasnt just for shock value or the cameras, I began to regret my decision to go to the West Wing, Ms Grisham writes in her new book that was obtained by The New York Times. Ms Grisham also served in the East Wing of the White House as press secretary and chief of staff to then-first lady Melania Trump. According to Ms Grisham, Mr Trumps handlers designated an unnamed White House official known as the Music Man to play Mr Trumps favourite show tunes, including Memory from the musical Cats, to improve his mood. The unnamed aide is later revealed to be Ms Grishams ex-boyfriend. She doesnt name him, but The New York Times reported that its Max Miller, whos now a congressional candidate backed by Mr Trump. Politico reported that Mr Miller has a history of allegedly threatening and violent behaviour, including slapping Ms Grisham, who chose not to speak to the outlet. Mr Miller allegedly pushed Ms Grisham against a wall and slapped her after she accused him of cheating, Politico writes. Mr Millers lawyer, Larry Zukerman, wrote a nine-page letter to the outlet, in which he denied that the episode had taken place. Mr Miller has never, ever assaulted Ms Grisham in any way whatsoever, Mr Zukerman wrote. The former Trump aide is now running for Congress in Ohio. Ms Grisham writes in her book that she never held a press briefing while serving as White House press secretary because she knew that sooner or later the president would want me to tell the public something that was not true or that would make me sound like a lunatic. The truth was that pretty much everyone eventually wore out their welcome with the president, Ms Grisham added. We were bottles of milk with expiration dates. ... I should have spoken up more. Story continues Politico reported on Tuesday that Mr Miller can be a cocky bully with a quick-trigger temper and that he has a record of speeding, underage drinking, and disorderly conduct. The Independent has reached out to the Miller campaign for comment. Read More He caved in minutes: Texas judge slams governor for agreeing to Trumps election audit Milley defends call to Chinese at end of Trump presidency Donald Trump pushing Microsoft to buy TikTok was the strangest thing Ive ever worked on, CEO Satya Nadella says Four Tunisian political parties on Tuesday urged President Kais Saied to reverse a recent power grab, warning that his controversial moves could stoke violence. At a press conference in Tunis, the four left-leaning parties accused Saied of violating the country's 2014 constitution, after he moved on July 25 to sack the government of Hichem Mechichi, suspend parliament, scrap MPs' immunity and seize control of the prosecution. The president last week suspended parts of the constitution and installed rule by decree, sparking angry weekend protests in the only democracy to have emerged from the 2011 Arab uprisings. "We believed the president had good intentions, (but) with the stroke of a pen he installed one-man rule," said Democratic Current chief Ghazi Chaouachi, whose party has 21 seats in the now-frozen parliament. Accusing Saied of "an attack on constitutional institutions", Chaouachi said the parties had united "to defend democracy and prevent one-man rule". Saied's moves followed years of political deadlock and economic crises exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, and he cited his constitutional powers to take "exceptional measures" when the state was in danger. But Chaouachi, whose party had backed Saied's July 25 moves, warned that unless the president changes course, the North African country "risks sliding into violence" or even "civil war". Chaouachi's party, along with Attakatol, Afek Tounes and Al Jomhouri, said they were coordinating to protect the country's democratic gains and to pressure Saied to reverse course. He said they would use "all legal and peaceful means of pressure and activism to defend democracy and the gains of the 2011 revolution". Fadhel Abdelkefi, an economist and former minister whose party Afek Tounes has two seats in the frozen assembly, warned that the latest crises could lead to disaster for Tunisia's already suffering economy. Story continues Issam Chebbi of the Al Jomhouri party accused Saied of "exploiting" Tunisia's multiple crises to "grab power". "We totally reject this and call on him to reverse his decisions," he said. kl/par/pjm In just nine days, the U.S. has expelled nearly 4,000 Haitian migrants, including hundreds of families with children, without allowing them to seek asylum as part of an ongoing deportation blitz to a country ravaged by natural and man-made calamities. The Biden administration has carried out the mass expulsions under an emergency pandemic-era policy known as Title 42 that was first enacted under former President Donald Trump, to the dismay of advocates for asylum-seekers and Democrats. The pace and scale of the expulsions to Haiti, a country where deportation flights were suspended last month because of a deadly earthquake, could make the operation one of the swiftest and largest U.S. deportation campaigns of migrants by air. Between September 19 and September 27, 37 U.S. expulsion flights landed in Haiti with 3,936 migrants on board, including 2,300 parents and children who entered U.S. border custody as families, according to Department of Homeland Security data. "Many, if not all" of those expelled in Haiti previously lived in Chile, Brazil and other South American nations and have not been in their homeland for years, exacerbating the disruption caused by the U.S. expulsions, said Giuseppe Loprete, the chief of mission for the Port-au-Prince-based chapter of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). About 44% of the deportees Haiti has received since September 19 are women and children, according to IOM. More than 210 of the deportees are children born in Chile, Brazil, Venezuela and Panama who were expelled with their Haitian-born parents, Loprete said. Loprete, whose organization has been assisting deportees at the Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien airports, said he has seen Haitian migrants expelled by the U.S. visibly frustrated and distraught after deplaning. "They're very distressed. They start crying the moment they arrive. I've seen young, strong guys some freak out," Loprete told CBS News. "Women cry. Kids cry because they see the women crying." Story continues Expelled migrants arrive on September 19, 2021 at the airport in Port-au-Prince. / Credit: RICHARD PIERRIN/AFP via Getty Images At the two airports, IOM has been distributing meals, hygiene kits, feminine products and a per-person stipend equivalent to $100 that deportees can use to pay for food, clothes, transportation, phone calls and other necessities, Loprete said. The organization also has one mental health counselor on-site. The deportees are tested for the coronavirus by Haiti's public health ministry at the airports, where Red Cross units have also been deployed. After their processing is completed, they are taken to a bus station, Loprete said. The deportees are then responsible for reaching their respective destinations in Haiti. The U.S. Agency for International Development said it is providing $5.5 million to IOM so it can serve deported Haitians. Despite the financial support from the U.S., some experts and officials, including a top American diplomat to Haiti who resigned this month over the expulsions, have questioned whether Haiti can adequately absorb thousands of deportees. Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, continues to be beset by rampant insecurity, gang violence and political turmoil that was exacerbated by the July assassination of its president. "I don't think Haiti can really absorb thousands of homeless people, many of whom don't have family or support networks in the country, in this short amount of time," Adam Isacson, an analyst for the Washington Office on Latin America who monitors migration issues, told CBS News. "It's probably going to work to the advantage of gangs and extortionists who pretty much run vast parts of Port-au-Prince. These people are going to be exploited." The Biden administration's treatment of Haitian migrants encountered along the southern border has garnered an intense and rare flurry of bipartisan criticism. U.S. officials last week cleared a massive camp that became the chaotic symbol of the rapid arrival of 30,000 migrants, many of them from Haiti, in Del Rio, Texas. But the issue has remained in the national spotlight, with Republicans blasting the administration for not expelling all the migrants and Democrats outraged that the expulsions are taking place in the first place. Roughly 13,000 of the migrants recently encountered in Del Rio were processed under U.S. immigration laws and allowed to have a hearing before a judge, including 3,000 who were sent to detention centers, according to DHS data. An estimated 8,000 returned to Mexico voluntarily, while another 4,000 remain in U.S. custody awaiting expulsion or release. Citing the dire conditions in Haiti, top Democratic lawmakers like Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer have urged the administration to stop the expulsion policy, which they have called a relic of President Trump's "inhumane" immigration agenda. In July, when it granted Temporary Protected Status, a humanitarian form of deportation relief, to certain Haitians already in the U.S., the Biden administration recognized that Haiti was "grappling with a deteriorating political crisis, violence, and a staggering increase in human rights abuses." Asked how that decision squared with the recent assessment that deportations to Haiti could continue, DHS Secretary Mayorkas said on Monday that the August earthquake was "geographically" limited. "Working with Haiti, we felt it possible to return people to Haiti," Mayorkas said during the annual Immigration Law and Policy conference, conceding that the assessment has not "achieved unanimity of opinion." The Biden administration has been using the Title 42 public health authority to expel Haitians, DHS officials told reporters last week, noting that some vulnerable migrants, like pregnant women, could be exempted from the policy on a case-by-case basis. The use of this Trump-era policy, however, is currently in legal jeopardy. The U.S. will be barred from processing migrant families with children under Title 42 starting Friday unless a federal judge's order from earlier this month is paused by an appeals court. On Monday, Mayorkas said the Biden administration would not "embrace" the Title 42 expulsions if they were part of an "immigration policy." He called the measure necessary to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in migrant holding facilities, citing "a rate of illness of approximately 20%" among migrants. In a court filing Monday defending the continued enforcement of Title 42, Justice Department lawyers called the expulsion policy "a significant deterrent to the entry of family units." "That the Title 42 expulsion policy is actually about immigration politics, and not about public health, is clear from the number of medical experts who have lined up to condemn it in the strongest possible terms," Lee Gelernt, the top American Civil Liberties Union attorney challenging the expulsions, told CBS News. R. Kelly found guilty of sex trafficking, racketeering President Biden joins nearly 3 million Americans in getting coronavirus booster shot Investigation underway following deadly Amtrak derailment in Montana By Marcelo Rochabrun LIMA (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday cleared the way for former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo to be extradited back to Peru on corruption charges, saying evidence of criminality presented in his case were "sufficient." Peruvian authorities allege that Toledo, while serving as president between 2001 and 2006, negotiated bribes with Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht SA. Final say on whether to extradite him now lies with the U.S. State Department. Peru has been trying to extradite Toledo since 2018. Toledo has denied the graft allegations against him. He lives in California, near the Stanford University campus, where he studied and later worked. He is currently under house arrest, although he also spent several months in jail during the earlier stages of the extradition case. Toledo is one of five former Peruvian presidents whom authorities allege have engaged in corrupt acts in recent decades. Toledo and two others are alleged to have had illegal entanglements with Odebrecht. The company has admitted that its vast construction empire in Latin America also doled out bribes in many nations. Key to the decision by U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixson in San Francisco were the testimonies of Jorge Barata, the former Odebrecht head in Peru, and that of Josef Maiman, an acquaintance of Toledo who has said he helped the former president receive bribe money. "Barata and Maiman's testimony, combined with Toledo's admissions in this extradition proceeding that he ultimately received approximately $500,000 in Odebrecht bribe money ... establish probable cause to believe that Toledo committed collusion and money laundering," the judge wrote in his decision. Still, Judge Hixson said "the case against Toledo is not airtight," adding that witnesses had on occasion contradicted themselves, issues that would have to be resolved in a Peruvian trial. The United States extradited former Panama President Ricardo Martinelli in 2018. (Reporting by Marcelo Rochabrun and Jonathan Stempel; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Sandra Maler) By Huw Jones LONDON (Reuters) -Social media firms face action if they do not do more to prevent ads for "dodgy financial promotions" that are fuelling a surge in fraud, Britain's Financial Conduct Authority said on Tuesday. Financial scams have rocketed in recent years, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, as more consumers shop online and try digital banking and investing. UK Finance, a lobby group representing banks, has described fraud as a "national security threat", with the FCA saying that consumers lost nearly 570 million pounds to investment scams in the 12 months to April. "We are putting them on notice that we expect them to be involved in this process of protecting the community," the FCA's head of enforcement Mark Steward told its annual meeting. The big tech firms have said they are investing in fraud prevention and collaborating with the government and regulators. Steward gave no specific examples of the adverts "feeding social media with dodgy financial promotions". Google this month prohibited investment ads that are not FCA-authorised, including for gold and cryptocurrencies. Steward said the FCA was pleased by this action, which he said added was "having an impact already in curtailing the increase in suspicious financial promotions on Google searches". "We are talking to all social media firms about this and it's important that all of them change their processes and procedures otherwise we will have to take action," he added. Steward said that it was too easy for perpetrators to hide their identity and be located anywhere in the world. "This is why the gateway through social media needs to be regulated," he said. The FCA has asked the government to include advertisements in its planned Online Harms Bill to help tackle scams. "There is something systemically and fundamentally that needs to be fixed in order to create a safer environment for consumers to operate," Steward said. (Reporting by Huw Jones; Editing by Catherine Evans, Alison Williams and Alexander Smith) New Kids on the Block's Jonathan Knight simply can't stay away from historic houses! The former teen heartthrob and star of HGTV's Farmhouse Fixer the first season of which premiered in March and followed Knight, 52, as he overhauled an 18th-century home in New Hampshire is set to make an appearance on a new HGTV series premiering this week, Houses with History. PEOPLE got an exclusive first look at the new show, which stars history buff Mike Lemieux, carpenter Rich Soares and designer Jen Macdonald as they team up to help save historic properties in Massachusetts. In Wednesday's premiere, Knight, who lives in Massachusetts, makes a cameo to check out their first major renovation: a single-family, Cape Cod-style home constructed in 1735. "That is an old house! So cool," Knight says in the clip, above, walking up to the finished property with his Farmhouse Fixer co-star, designer Kristina Crestin. "Old house lovers are a special breed," he says, with Crestin joking, "Oh, they're nuts!" Jonathan Knight on Houses with History HGTV RELATED: Jonathan Knight Has Been Renovating Homes Since NKOTB First Split in 1994: 'It's Not Just a Hobby' "I'd rather renovate an old house any day over building a new house," adds Knight, who has been renovating historic homes in and around his home state of Massachusetts since the New Kids first disbanded in 1994. (They have since reunited and put out new music). "There's an aura to old houses that is just so special." The group of five then go in to see how Lemieux, Soares and Macdonald brought the property to life for a local family, who will now call it home. jonathan knight Discovery Knight, who shot to fame in the late '80s with his New Kids on the Block bandmates younger brother Jordan, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg and Danny Wood chatted with PEOPLE about his passion for restoring old homes earlier this year, ahead of the premiere of Farmhouse Fixer. Story continues "I love seeing an old farmhouse brought back to life," he said, sharing that he got involved with home renovation after he left the band in 1994. "I came home to my 20-acre farm and woke up a couple days later, like, 'What am I going to do with the rest of my life?'" he recalls. "I was 25, 26 years old and I felt like my career was over." He started a home-flipping business soon after, and worked on properties up until the band got back together in 2008. Now, along with making music and touring, Knight is still working on home projects. RELATED VIDEO: Farmhouse Fixer on HGTV Sneak Peek Over the past 27 years, he has renovated more than 200 houses around New England, including a compound of 18th and 19th-century farmhouses for his mom and the home he shares with his fiance, personal trainer Harley Rodriguez, 48, whom he started dating in 2008. Jonathan Knight Farmhouse Fixer, HGTV HGTV "I'm so lucky to have two [passions] . . . I don't even call them jobs, because they're dreams," Knight said. HGTV confirmed to PEOPLE that more Farmhouse Fixer is on the horizon, but a premiere date has not yet been announced. Houses with History premieres Wednesday, Sept. 29 at 9 pm ET/PT on HGTV, and begins streaming the same day on discovery+. Cody McCormacks passion is blending and roasting coffee. Will Gorrys passion is brewing beer. The two men teamed up to create WeHa Brewing & Roasting Company, a brewhouse-coffee shop at 141 Shield St. in West Hartford that will open to the public on Oct. 8. Gorry presides over a bar at one end of the 1,800-square foot taproom, serving up kolsches, stouts, wheat beers, his Shield Street IPA and other beers he brews in the rear of the building. McCormack presides over the bar at the other end of the taproom, with a variety of blends and single-origin coffees he makes on site. Presiding over the center, where visitors will sit at the beer hall-style tables, will be Gorrys well-behaved Husky Mosaic and sometimes McCormacks terrier Logan. The two hounds even have a beer named after them, the Mo-and-Lo, a New England-style IPA made with Mosaic and Amarillo hops. Mosaic is my favorite kind of hops, Gorry said. The brewery-roaster is a lifelong dream for both of the men. Gorry brewed beer at Cold Creek Tavern in Ellington for 10 years, but has wanted his own place for longer than that. I left Cold Creek in 2018 hoping to pivot to my own brewery. Then I saw an ad that Cody was looking for a brewer, Gorry said. Gorry will bring his skill to a wide variety of beer styles. In the future, he said he hopes to add ciders as well as nonalcoholic and gluten-free beers to the mix. McCormack, who trained at Mill City Roasters in Minneapolis, has been blending and roasting coffees from his West Hartford home since early 2020. At his new tasting room, he named three blended coffees after areas in town: Blue Back, Center and Elmwood. He also will sell single-origin coffees from countries whose products captured his heart: Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Peru and others. Each origin nation has a distinct character, he said. Colombian coffee tends to be sweeter. Guatemala has more citrusy notes. Ethiopian is more fruit-forward, he said. Ethiopian coffee is so unique, not like any other coffee. The natural processing method has it bursting with berry flavors. Story continues McCormack called WeHa a more modern roaster than traditional roasters like Starbucks. At traditional roasters, everything is dark, everything is robust. My philosophy is if you make something too dark, you burn off all the flavor, he said. Modern roasters highlight the flavors of the origins. After the kitchen is built out, chef Andrew Brow will take over, making what McCormack calls upscale bar food similar to what he serves at his HighBrow restaurant in Northampton, Massachusetts. He makes these Asian sticky ribs that are just to die for. I go up to Northampton sometimes just to go to HighBrow and eat the ribs, said Gorry, who lives in Windsor Locks. Hes bringing them here. Until that happens, a rotating roster of food trucks will park outside at dinnertime and baked goods will be brought in to serve with the coffees. The men said local artists will show their work at the pub, and local bands will perform. The men also will choose local charities to donate a portion of their proceeds. McCormack will offer classes. If people want to come and roast with me, there will be an extraction class. We can try to make some blends, he said. If you learn how to make a better cup of coffee at your homes, you know more about quality coffee. Once the location gets up and running, it will be open daily from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for coffee. It also will be open Wednesday and Thursday from 3 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. for beer. Coffees also can be bought online at wehabrewing.com. Susan Dunne can be reached at sdunne@courant.com. The precarious state of Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon is leading Grand Junction officials to press the administration of Gov. Jared Polis to act swiftly on an alternative route. Why it matters: The possibility of mudslides continues to cause intermittent closures of the winding interstate when the forecast includes precipitation, disrupting a key connector for commerce on the Western Slope. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. State of play: The extended closure of I-70 this summer after landslides blocked the tiered road renewed conversations about an alternate route on Cottonwood Pass Road between Gypsum and south of Glenwood Springs. The 26-mile mountainous stretch is currently a curvy dirt road and the width of only one lane in some places. Colorado Department of Transportation officials studied the feasibility of an upgrade about 10 years ago and determined it would cost $50 million to $200 million depending on the environmental impact. What's happening: The talks about the alternative route need to move faster, Robin Brown, former executive director Grand Junction Economic Partnership, recently told Colorado Public Radio. "It's a big lift," she said, "but in my mind the answers are pretty obvious. It just needs to be funded and needs to be done." Brown suggested the state's transportation officials avoid getting "caught up in the bureaucracy of studies and trying to get communities on board." The other side: The road is owned by Garfield and Eagle counties, and the state's transportation chief engineer Steve Harelson told Axios Denver that the local communities "control what they want the solution to look like." Harelson noted leaders in Mesa County who are urging quick action probably wouldn't want the state to come take over a road in their community either. "It's not about Grand Junction, it's about other counties as well," he said. Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) When the Taliban seized power, the operator of the only womens shelter in a northern Afghan city ran away. Left abandoned were 20 women who had fled a variety of domestic horrors, some abused by husbands or family, others forced into early marriages with older men. Soon after, the Taliban arrived at the shelter in the city of Pul-e-Kumri. They gave the women two options: Return to their abusive families some of whom had threatened them with death for leaving or go with the Taliban, recalled one of the women, Salima, who asked only that her first name be used. Most of the women chose to return home, fearing the Taliban more than their families. Salima said she knew of at least one who was since killed, likely by an angry family member. But Salima decided to leave with the Taliban. She didnt know what they would do, but she had nowhere else to go, having fled her abusive, drug-addicted husband months earlier. Now she finds herself housed in a prison but protected and safe, she says. Whether under Taliban rule or not, women in Afghanistans deeply conservative and often tribal society are often subject to archaic codes of behavior that hold them responsible for the honor of their families. They can be killed for simply marrying a man of their choice. They are often married at puberty. Fleeing even an abusive husband is considered shameful. Hundreds of women are jailed for so-called morality crimes, including adultery or running away from home, even though they are not officially crimes under the Afghan penal code. Over the past two decades, activists set up dozens of womens shelters around Afghanistan. But even before the Taliban takeover, conservative Afghans, including government officials, viewed them with suspicion, as places that help women and girls defy their families or abet moral crimes. Related video: Afghan women shelters, in 2017, offered refuge to abuse victims Womens shelters are just one of a myriad of social changes that became more prevalent in the past 20 years or didnt even exist when the Taliban last took power in 1996 everything from social media and the internet to businesswomen and women judges. Now since overrunning Kabul and sweeping into power on Aug. 15, the hard-line militant group is wrestling with how to deal with the changes, with the Taliban leadership at times uncertain and fighters on the ground acting on their own. Story continues Salima was taken to Kabul, along with another woman, Razia, who had lived in the shelter nearly a year after fleeing a predatory brother-in-law. With nowhere to put them, the Taliban put them in the abandoned womens section of Afghanistans main prison, called Pul-e-Charkhi. The prison was empty because when the Taliban took over Kabul, they freed all the inmates, including thousands of men, 760 women and more than 100 children, according to the prisons new Taliban administrator, Mullah Abdullah Akhund. The Associated Press was given rare access to the women in the prison. Now there are only six women there, including Salima and Razia. A massive steel gate leads to the womens prison. Rolls of barbed wire are strung atop the 20-foot-high walls. Inside, the women move freely with their children. Salimas 5-year-old daughter Maria and son Mohammad, 6, spend most of their day in a main, large, carpeted room. There is no school and just a giant red teddy bear and a few small toys for their amusement. We mostly pray and read the Quran all day, said Salima. Salima said that she has no idea what the future holds, but for the present, with no money and no family, she said she feels safe here. But Mujdha, another woman in the prison, said she wants her freedom. She had been pregnant by a boyfriend but her family refused to let her marry him, and instead forced her to marry a relative. She ran away. I told them I would never stay with him she said. The family reported her to the Taliban, who arrested her and her boyfriend. Mujdha gave birth in prison to a baby daughter 15 days ago, soon after her arrest. She hasnt seen her boyfriend, jailed elsewhere in the prison, and he has yet to meet his infant daughter. I want to leave, but they say I cant, she said. Akhund said a court will decide whether to charge her, adding, It is wrong that she left her husband. She has no right. Since taking power, the Talibans response to womens shelters has varied. In the western city of Herat, several have been shut down, said Suraya Pakzad, a womens rights activist from Herat who opened several shelters. Pakzad said Friday in text messages from a place in hiding that she faces threats from all sides from the Taliban and from the families of the women who found refuge in her shelters. For the past several years, Pakzad and other women pressed for a voice in the negotiations between the U.S.-backed government of the time and the advancing Taliban. They hoped to ensure rights for women in any final arrangement. Now, in one fell swoop, they are scrambling for their own safety. Pakzad shared an arrest warrant for her and seven other activists and journalists from western Afghanistan, issued by the new Taliban police chief in Herat. The warrant accuses the eight of spreading propaganda against the Islamic Emirate and accuses Pakzad of involvement with Western countries to spread prostitution. But Mahboba Suraj, who runs a shelter for 30 women in Kabul, said the Taliban have come and investigated the shelter and let the women remain there unharmed. She said she was visited by various departments of the new Taliban government, including senior officials. The higher ups were absolutely the best. They want to protect us ... and understand that they have problems within their own people who may not be as supportive of womens shelters, she said. For now, they want to have protection for us, she said. Thank God, I do believe that. I honestly do. (Palm Beach County Sheriffs ) A Florida woman was arrested for allegedly firebombing a Buddhist temple. Authorities say Mei Cheung tossed four firebombs over the gate at the St Dad Buddhist Temple in Palm Gardens, and placed a fifth device in a mailbox. Cheung, 46, was allegedly captured on video carrying out the attack and fleeing the scene in a Toyota Sienna minivan with a distinctive front license plate. Palm Beach County Sheriffs deputies interview Ms Cheung and arrested her on Sunday night. She was booked and charged with five counts of using a fire bomb and one count of property damage at a religious facility, jail records show. She remained in the Palm Beach County Jail on a $100,000 bond on Monday, records show. Multiple items were found burning on the temples grounds, department officials said in a statement. These items were determined to be improvised incendiary devices. The firebombs were made out of glass bottles filled with citronella torch fuel and pieces of cloth used as wicks, investigators said. It is not known why she targeted the Buddhist temple but on 12 September she is also accused of spray-painting vulgarities on the temples front gate, police say. The sheriffs office said detectives are speaking with the State Attorneys Office on whether charges will be enhanced. The temple suffered no major damage in the bizarre incident. By Jonnelle Marte NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Federal Reserve Bank President John Williams on Monday warned of the potential negative market reaction if the United States failed to solve its debt-ceiling issue, but said market participants right now seemed to think the problem would be resolved. The U.S. Congress faces a pair of approaching deadlines to fund the government and address the nation's $28.4 trillion debt ceiling. It has a Sept. 30 deadline to avert the start of a shutdown of government services. Meanwhile, independent analysts warn that the U.S. Treasury Department is likely to exhaust its borrowing authority between Oct. 15 and Nov. 4, meaning the government faces the risk of a default if Congress does not act. Asked about the scale of possible market disruption in a scenario where the debt ceiling goes unresolved and there is a default, Williams said that situation could cause investors to "get out of things and that's when you see that kind of extreme kind of reactions in markets." "We're not seeing that, I'm not predicting that," Williams said during a video call with reporters on Monday afternoon. "I'm just saying that, you know, if you actually crossed that line and got into a place where the government wasn't paying off its obligations, I think it would create a very negative dynamic not only in the U.S. but around the world." Williams said there was some "market pricing" around U.S. Treasury bills that mature, "around the time that people expect" the true debt limit is hit. Still, he said that from everything he has heard, market participants expect "that this will be resolved." He added, however, that he does not think "you can look at market pricing really as an indicator of how big the risks are." In a research note published on Monday, Michael Purves, CEO at Tallbacken Capital Advisors in New York, wrote that there was some debt ceiling-related tension reflected in the Treasury bills market, shown in pricing of three-month bills which "presumably won't be burdened by default risk" compared with one-month bills, but that it has yet to reflect the more dramatic spikes in 2011, 2013 and 2015. (Reporting by Jonnelle Marte in New York; Writing by Megan Davies; Editing by Matthew Lewis) New York's undocumented residents affected by Hurricane Ida's remnants can from Monday apply for aid from the state's new $27 million relief fund. Why it matters: This policy would help fill the gap left by FEMA as many undocumented immigrants are ineligible for FEMA relief regarding the storm, which caused widespread flooding across the northeastern U.S. Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free. Details: New York state will donate $20 million and New York City will donate $7 million, per the New York Times. Fewer than 1,200 households are expected to receive aid and will receive around $72,000, the NYT notes. There are 500,000 undocumented immigrants in New York City, so the number of applicants is likely to be higher than 1,200, per the NYT. The application deadline is Nov. 26. What they're saying: Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement that the action meant officials could "close gaps in aid and help New Yorkers in need." Mayor Bill de Blasio added: "Regardless of documentation status, we will get support to the most recent victims of our climate crisis and are here to help every step of the way." Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday paid tribute to freedom fighter Bhagat Singh on his 114th birth anniversary and said that his courageous sacrifice ignited the spark of patriotism among countless people. Humble tribute to the great freedom fighter Shaheed Bhagat Singh on his birth anniversary. The brave Bhagat Singh lives in the heart of every Indian. His courageous sacrifice ignited the spark of patriotism among countless people. I bow to him on his Jayanti and recall his noble ideals, PM Modi tweeted. - The brave Bhagat Singh lives in the heart of every Indian. His courageous sacrifice ignited the spark of patriotism among countless people. I bow to him on his Jayanti and recall his noble ideals. pic.twitter.com/oN1tWvCg5u Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 28, 2021 Bhagat Singh was born in Banga village of Faisalabad district (previously called Lyallpur), now in Pakistans Punjab province, in 1907. The revolutionary freedom fighter was a charismatic Indian socialist revolutionary whose two acts of dramatic violence against the British in India and execution at the age of 23 made him a folk hero of the Indian Independence movement. Singh, who was hanged in the Lahore jail along with Shivaram Hari Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar on March 23, 1931, left a strong impact during his lifetime. 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. Photo: Demetrius Freeman/The New York Times/Redux Three years ago, Jumaane Williams came within seven points of beating Kathy Hochul in the Democratic primary for New York lieutenant governor. It was a much better performance than his running mate, the actress Cynthia Nixon, who went down against Andrew Cuomo by some 30 points. Now Hochul has the states top job and Williams, the citys public advocate, is sizing up a rematch, telling Intelligencer that he is seriously considering running for governor. Even as Williams insisted during a Sunday evening interview that hes not focused on a fight with Hochul, he suggested that she should share blame for the toxicity of the Cuomo years due to her time as his lieutenant governor. Were not considering running against someone right now, were considering running for something, he said. If youre going to renew and recover, you should remove that infrastructure that enabled someone like Cuomo to be around for so long, either by people explicitly supporting or enabling through silence. Williams believes both the culture and approach of the states government need a drastic change as New York strives to emerge from the pandemic. Weve got to make sure we dont return to normal because normal didnt work for a lot of folks, he said. Hochul isnt the only one Williams would have to worry about in a Democratic primary. Looming over both of them is Attorney General Letitia James, whose office commissioned the sexual-harassment report that ended Cuomos tenure. Williams and James have been close since they represented nearby council districts in Central Brooklyn. I have a great relationship with Tish. Im going to maintain that relationship. The attorney general is doing an awesome job as attorney general, Williams said of James. To my knowledge, she hasnt publicly said that she was running or considering a run. Again, what were doing is putting forward what we think we can be for and not really about [being] against anyone at this moment in time. Asked if she considered Williams a friend, James texted back: Yes. A younger brother. I wish him luck. She did not respond to questions about her own plans for future office. An ally of James, who requested anonymity to discuss the race, was far less reticent. I dont want to insult the guy, the ally said. Hes a nice guy, but this is Tishs race, so good luck. The public advocate plans to launch an exploratory committee in the coming days, the beginning of a process that will involve talking with advisers to build a policy platform and taking trips around the state, as he did in 2018. New York City candidates have a reputation of not faring well statewide, but Williams said thats an overstatement. Like theres this false upstate-downstate thing. Thats not real. The issues of transportation, the issues of education, the issue of gun violence, the issue of housing, is remarkably the same in these municipalities. In 2013, he sponsored legislation that established an inspector general for the NYPD and banned biased profiling. Two years later, Mayor Bill de Blasio, who campaigned as a staunch progressive, signed legislation from Williams that banned employers from asking about applicants criminal history and that regulated efforts to buy out tenants. Williams said many of his priorities fall under an expansive idea of public safety. When it comes to public safety, its really important to have someone who understands and knows that we cant keep the conversation just on policing. Thats too narrow of a conversation on public safety, so what we need to be doing is making sure that we understand that law enforcement has a role to play, Williams said. The problem has been, we have severely over-relied on law enforcement, especially in the Black and brown communities and it has not solved the problems. To hear Williams tell it, he was reluctant to consider the job, but watching Cuomo face a series of scandals over sexual harassment, ethics, and his handling of the pandemic made Williams feel Albany needed someone with a history of strident opposition to the status quo. There was a point that I said, You know, we have to have someone who has been pushing on these things consistently for a very long time or else we may make the mistake of reverting back very quickly, he explained. During the past decade in city politics, Williams has earned a reputation for pushing. Elected to the City Council in 2009, he became known as Occupy Wall Streets biggest fan two years later and spent extensive time at the protests, where he was arrested and shoved by police. Williams went on to get arrested at demonstrations for rent reform and against ICE detentions, among other things. During the Bloomberg administration, he was one of the most prominent critics of the NYPDs use of stop and frisk. Im amazed that Im a citywide elected official, he said. Its just surprised me every day I wake up, and to be considering a legitimate run for governor is just wild. Ive always been told I was too much of an activist. Williams, 45, is a Brooklyn native who was raised by two immigrants from Grenada. He speaks with a slight hitch due to Tourettes syndrome and has talked about how much it means to him to be a role model for others with the condition. He attended Brooklyn College where, according to Williams, he discovered his brand of progressive politics while researching Grenadas revolutionary Marxist-Leninist prime minister Maurice Bishop. My first introduction to democratic socialism is when I did a paper on Maurice Bishop in college, Williams said. I found that paper a couple years ago when I was discussing how much the ideals that he was talking about appealed to my sense of equity and justice. Williams doesnt see his own policies as radical and casts democratic socialism as a contrast to democratic capitalism, which can benefit a diverse cross-section of people from the farmer from upstate to the Black trans woman in New York City. Indeed, he believes much of the conflict between progressive and moderate Democrats has been overhyped. People try to pretend somehow the basics of our democracy would change, which is just not true, he said of democratic socialism. And Williams isnt concerned about upstate voters being hesitant to embrace a progressive agenda. Theres a kind of a false divide that people are setting up between progressives and non-progressives depending on the definition, Williams said. I believe if you ask most folks they will say they believe in quote, unquote progressive policies. Health care workers transport a patient from an ambulance to Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn. Photo: Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images On Tuesday morning, hours after New Yorks vaccine mandate for health-care workers went into effect, Deborah Conrad was pretty sure shed lost her job. The 46-year-old physicians assistant, who works at United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia, has refused to get the shot and was one of tens of thousands of unvaccinated New Yorkers whose employment hung in the balance after the states order went into effect at midnight. Conrads co-worker told her she was no longer on the schedule for next week and her email seemed to have been shut off. Im assuming I am no longer employed. Its my understanding that there is no notice or letter going out, said Conrad. A spokesperson from Rochester Regional Health, the system that operates Conrads hospital, said that 99 percent of its employees had complied with the mandate, but did not respond to questions about firings. Conrad said that she would not let the mandate influence her decision not to get the shot. A lot of people I work with felt forced into getting vaccinated. But Im not changing my mind. Im not better off than any of them, I just feel very strongly. On Wednesday, Governor Kathy Hochuls office indicated that a major crisis had been averted at hospitals, some of which prepared for a staff shortage. In a press release, the governors office said no facility has closed because of the requirement. Catholic Health system in Western New York postponed a number of elective surgeries on Monday while it assessed its staffing levels, but by the end of the day the system had achieved 100 percent compliance with the mandate, according to a spokesperson for the network, and dodged being short-staffed. On Thursday, Albany Medical Center told Spectrum News it closed two emergency urgent care centers temporarily in order to reallocate staff to its main campus. The states largest health care employer, Northwell Health, was the first to confirm that it had fired about two dozen managers on Monday for not getting the shot. While Northwell, which employs 76,000 people statewide, has begun the process of firing the rest of its unvaccinated staff, it would not provide numbers on just how many workers it would lose. Erie County Medical Center had suspended about five percent of its hospital workforce, or 176 employees, in addition to 100 staff members at its long-term care facility. The employees will have 30 days to comply with the mandate before they are fired, according to a spokesperson. Hochul has said that health care workers fired for refusing the vaccine will not be eligible for unemployment insurance without a valid accommodation signed by a doctor. Hochul had declared a state of emergency and said that she would deploy National Guard troops with medical training to help at hospitals across the state Monday night, if necessary. After a last-minute surge that inoculated 3,000 public hospital employees, Mayor Bill de Blasio said that roughly 10 percent of the citys public-hospital workforce, or about 5,000 people, remained unvaccinated and were not allowed to work. (On Monday, a federal appeals court ruled that the citys mandate for nearly all public-school employees can proceed. De Blasio gave them until the end of the day on Friday to get at least one dose of the vaccine or else they would be suspended without pay come next week.) The states mandate has seemed to push up vaccination rates. Statewide 87 percent of hospital workers have received at least one dose, up from 84 percent last week, but lower than the governors initial estimate of 92 percent. Nursing homes, however, did hit 92 percent compliance, up from 70 percent when the mandate was first announced in August. Staff at home care and hospice need to be vaccinated by October 7 or else they too will face termination. While most states have resisted implementing mandates, health-care workers in Rhode Island, Oregon, Maine, and Washington, D.C., are also now required to be vaccinated. On Monday, a hospital system in Delaware said that it had fired 150 people for not complying, according to the Times. Novant Health hospital system in North Carolina said that it had fired 175 employees, according to the Associated Press. New Yorks health-care mandate is facing at least eight lawsuits. Last week a federal judge in Utica issued a temporary restraining order that allowed health-care workers with religious exemptions to continue working until at least October 12. Jillian Dobrzenski, a 34-year-old nurse at Catholic Health, is among those who have a religious exemption, but said that her choice to remain unvaccinated was based on a range of factors, including that she had COVID last December. If the religious exemption isnt extended beyond October 12, Catholic Health said unvaccinated employees will be placed on unpaid leave for 30 days, after which their employment will be terminated. Im not ready to not be a nurse anymore and this would basically eliminate me from being a nurse in the entire state, Dobrzenski said. We would probably be okay on savings for at least a handful of months. After that, I already have an RN license to work in the state of Florida and it looks more and more each day like well probably end up selling our house and moving. Could ice melange be crucial to ice shelf collapses? (Getty) "Ice melange" is a slushy concoction of wind-blown snow, iceberg debris and frozen seawater and it could be key to understanding ice shelf collapse. As the world warms, collapsing ice shelves could drive sea level rises and the new findings about ice melange mean this could come sooner than expected. The researchers believe ice melange may be key to why the iceberg A-68 broke off Antarcticas Larsen C ice shelf after years of cracks spreading across the ice. Ice melange normally "heals" cracks but its thinning due to climate change. New research shows that thinning of layers of ice melange could be a major driver of ice shelf collapse, according to a paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Read more: Why economists worry that reversing climate change is hopeless "The thinning of the ice melange that glues together large segments of floating ice shelves is another way climate change can cause rapid retreat of Antarctica's ice shelves," said co-author Eric Rignot, UCI professor of Earth system science. "With this in mind, we may need to rethink our estimates about the timing and extent of sea level rise from polar ice loss i.e., it could come sooner and with a bigger bang than expected." The western edge of the famed iceberg A-68 calved from the Larsen C ice shelf(Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) Using Nasa's Ice-sheet and Sea-level System Model, observations from the agency's Operation IceBridge mission, and data from Nasa and European satellites, the researchers assessed hundreds of rifts in the Larsen C ice shelf to determine which were most vulnerable to breaking. They selected 11 top-to-bottom cracks for in-depth study, modelling to see which of three scenarios rendered them most likely to break: if the ice shelf thinned because of melting, if the ice melange grew thinner, or if both the ice shelf and the melange thinned. "A lot of people thought intuitively, 'If you thin the ice shelf, you're going to make it much more fragile, and it's going to break,'" said lead author Eric Larour, Nasa JPL research scientist and group supervisor. Story continues Read more: A 1988 warning about climate change was mostly right Instead, the model showed that a thinning ice shelf without any changes to the melange worked to heal the rifts, with average annual widening rates dropping from 259 to 72 feet. Thinning both the ice shelf and the melange also slowed rift widening but to a lesser extent. But when modelling only melange thinning, the scientists found a widening of rifts from an average annual rate of 249 to 367 feet. The difference, Larour explained, reflects the different natures of the substances. Larour said: "The melange is thinner than ice to begin with. When the melange is only 10 or 15 meters thick, it's akin to water, and the ice shelf rifts are released and start to crack." Read more: Melting snow in Himalayas drives growth of green sea slime visible from space Even in winter, warmer ocean water can reach the melange from below because rifts extend through the entire depth of an ice shelf. "The prevailing theory behind the increase in large iceberg calving events in the Antarctic Peninsula has been hydrofracturing, in which melt pools on the surface allow water to seep down through cracks in the ice shelf, which expand when the water freezes again," said Rignot, who is also a Nasa JPL senior research scientist. "But that theory fails to explain how iceberg A68 could break from the Larsen C ice shelf in the dead of the Antarctic winter when no melt pools were present." He said he and others in the cryosphere studies community have witnessed ice shelf collapse on the Antarctic Peninsula stemming from a retreat that began decades ago. Rignot said: "We have finally begun to seek an explanation as to why these ice shelves started retreating and coming into these configurations that became unstable decades before hydrofracturing could act on them. "While the thinning ice melange is not the only process that could explain it, it's sufficient to account for the deterioration that we've observed." Watch: The importance of ice shelves O compositor Toninho Geraes acredita que "Million Years Ago," de Adele, e plagio de "Mulheres," gravado por Martinho da Vila; entenda #RollingStone15Anoshttps://t.co/4XMtgRdlfR Rolling Stone Brasil (@rollingstoneBR) September 27, 2021 Ok so this news has been all over Brazilian news for weeks but somehow OP didn't see it anywhere in English language media?? So here's the gist:is the composer of the melody in the absolute CLASSICHe's accusing Adele and her producer Greg Kurstin of plagiarizing it in the songToninho has composed several samba and pagode hits in Brazil. "Million Years Ago" came out 6 years ago, but Toninho doesn't follow international pop music so he only heard it for the first time about a year ago, after a music producer talked to him about it.Geraes says he was shocked when he first heard the song, and has been trying since then to get in touch with her team without success.In 27th February of this year, his lawyer sent a notice to. They received a reply sayingIn the beginning of May, notices were sent to. No reply. Another notice was sent to the same parties on 20th May, also withToninho's legal team has hadAccording to the lawyer, they identified, and one of them was able to pinpoint techniques used to "cover up" the alleged plagiarism.and has even learned to play berimbau, an instrument originally played by enslaved Africans and Afro-Brazilians in capoeira. "Mulheres" is a huge, huge, huge classic in Brazil, was performed by legendary artist Martinho da Vila, so in all probability a scholar of Brazilian music would have heard it.Toninho's lawyer says Adele's version is very similar to a version sung by Brazilian artist Simone, who recorded "Mulheres" in a slower rythm as a pop ballad. According to him, Kurstin is familiar with the artist.After being unsuccessful in getting in touch with Adele's team and solve the matter amicably, the lawyer is currently preparing to file a suit against Adele and her producer.and someone did a remix lolsources 1 What comes to mind when there is a toxic chemical release? The most obvious responses involve evacuation or shelter in place of the people in the path of the plume. To predict the path, area, and severity of a plume impact, you need a dispersion model. The basic information required to initiate a dispersion model is weather data, identification of the chemical, and the rate of the chemical release. However, the Achille' heel of this information is the release rate specification: "How big is the hole?" SAFER Systems has developed and patented a unique scheme for estimating the release rate. The algorithm to implement the scheme is called Advanced Back Calculation (ABC). The idea basically involves reverse engineering a dispersion model. While we usually input the release rate to the dispersion model and obtain the concentration field for the plume-impacted area, in ABC we utilize the concentration field data to estimate the release rate. The energy squeeze in Europe has nothing to do with the continent's energy transition plans, the head of the International Energy Agency Fatih Birol told the European Parliament's energy and environment committees. "It is inaccurate and unfair to explain these high energy prices as a result of clean energy transition policies. This is wrong," Birol said, as quoted by Reuters. Further, he added that EU governments needed to keep their eyes on reducing global warming, even when times are volatile, referring to the sky-high gas prices in Europe. The official did not miss the chance to take a stab at Russia, either, saying, "Some major suppliers are reluctant to send additional gas in these difficult days to Europe and elsewhere, even though in my view it was an opportunity to underscore that they are a reliable supplier," echoing his own earlier remarks that urged Russia to send additional gas volumes to Europe. Gazprom has insisted that it has fulfilled its contractual obligations to European clients, and no one in Europe is disputing that. However, questions are being asked about Gazprom supplying less gas on the spot market and into its own storage facilities across Europe, which the state giant has explained with the prioritization of filling up its domestic storage. Meanwhile, European utilities are stocking up on coal in anticipation of lower renewable energy output volumes during the winter, Bloomberg reported, citing Citigroup commodity analysts. "A tight gas market should continue to pull EUA [EU carbon emission permits] prices higher," Citigroup analysts led by Edward Morse said. "Furthermore, coal use in Europe is expected to increase through winter, on lower renewables power generation and planned closures of some nuclear power generation capacity." What's more, Spain has warned the European Union that its energy transition plans may not survive the test of sky-high electricity prices. In a letter, Spain said the EU's efforts to keep emissions in check "may not stand a sustained period of abusive electricity prices." By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: While international policymakers and regulatory bodies have already been applying some degree of pressure on the energy industry to decarbonize for years now, the push for cleaning up the global energy sectors act has been supercharged by the most recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the United Nations (UN). The landmark 6th Assessment Report announced in no uncertain terms that we have reached a point of no return for the climate, having irreversibly altered weather patterns and unequivocally warmed the Earth due to human activity. However, there is still a small window of time to mitigate further damage and change the planets trajectory toward catastrophic climate change. This will require decarbonization at a massive scale and on an incredibly short timeline. The UN, not mincing words, has called it a code red for humanity. That being said, its simply not feasible for the global economy to quit fossil fuels cold turkey. Its going to take time, investment, infrastructure, and enormous effort to complete the clean energy transition, and in the meantime, the world still needs hundreds of billions of barrels of oil. This dynamic has made it hard to convince oil supermajors to set aside fossil fuels -- their stalwart cash cow -- when there is still so much money to be made before oil goes quietly into that goodnight, especially when brand new mass-scale clean energy enterprises probably wont turn a profit for years. Related: Europe Must Act To Avert An Energy Crisis This Winter Despite the bumps in the road, however, its clear which way the tide is turning. Fossil fuels arent irrelevant yet, but they have no place in the future if this planet is to have one. Already, some oil execs and fossil fuel industry defectors have decided to abandon ship and are positioning themselves at the helm of the clean energy revolution, bringing their oilfield know-how and innovative expertise with them. And now, at long last, some oil companies are reading the writing on the wall and deciding to bet big on renewables in order to establish a place at the front of the pack for the new energy era. One of the most notable cases is that of BP, which is changing course and liquidating huge portions of its fossil fuel holdings in a historic shift in strategy. BPs bold new Chief Executive Bernard Looney is trying to make sure that BP can beat its peers in a race toward clean energy dominance. He aims to slash BP's output by 40%, or about 1 million barrels per day, an amount equal to the UK's entire daily output in 2019, Reuters recently reported. This makes BP the very first major oil company CEO to announce intentional cuts in future oil production. At the same time, the report continued, BP would boost its capacity to generate electricity from renewable sources to 50 gigawatts, a 20-fold increase and equivalent to the power produced by 50 U.S. nuclear plants. Related: Crude Stocks At Cushing Have Dropped By 42% So Far This Year This plan will entail the selling off of $25 billion in fossil fuel assets over the next few years, representing about 13% of the companys total fixed assets. While BP is proving to be a trailblazer in the fossil fuel sectors adaptation to the clean energy revolution, the rest of European Big Oil isnt too far behind. For the last few years, European supermajors have been pivoting away from total dependence on fossil fuel markets, trying to make the transition from Big Oil to Big Energy. On the other side of the Atlantic, however, its a different story. Big Oil in the U.S. has been much slower to accept the inevitable and start to prepare for the coming sea change. While the Biden administration has been making a concerted effort to catch up to the rest of the global clean energy industry through the likes of legislation including the historic Infrastructure Bill, it will be hard for companies that have not already started to pivot toward renewables to stay competitive, and could even imperil the energy security of nations that fail to curb their dependence on oil, gas, and coal. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Oil prices rose early on Tuesday, with Brent Crude topping $80 a barrel for the first time in three years as the natural gas shortage and price spikes spill over into the crude oil futures market. As of 7:09 a.m. EDT, the international benchmark, Brent Crude, traded up by 0.62% at $80.02the highest level since October 2018. The U.S. benchmark, WTI Crude, was above $76 per barrel, rising by 0.87% at $76.14the highest level since early July. Energy commodities have rallied in recent days after the natural gas shortage in Europe went global with a ripple effect on gas, coal, and crude oil prices. The record-high natural gas and power prices in Europe are leading to additional demand for coal and oil in the power generation sector. Gas-to-oil switching could further accelerate as we go into the winter heating season in the northern hemisphere. Last week, liquefied natural gas (LNG) prices in Asia soared by 10 percent to at least $27 per metric million British thermal units (mmBtu), industry sources told Reuters. Despite the record prices for this time of the year, demand is strong in Asia as buyers have little choice amid tight natural gas supplies globally. The gas crunch in Europe and Asia is also pushing the U.S. benchmark gas price, Henry Hub, higher, at above $6/mmBtu on Tuesday to the highest in over seven years. Recovering oil demand and an underwhelming supply response, coupled with expected higher oil consumption in a gas-to-oil switch, are tightening the crude market and deepening the backwardation in the futures curvea sign that market participants believe supply will continue to be tight. Low stockpiles of most fuels and limited time left to replenish before the peak demand season has left consumers around the world increasingly exposed to a colder than normal winter, Saxo Bank said in a Tuesday note. The next focus is at what level demand will continue to suffer thereby helping to balance the market, the banks strategy team added. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Oil and gas pipeline opponents scored a win this week after PennEast Pipeline Co. said it would drop a gas pipeline project that would have shipped the commodity from Pennsylvania to New Jersey after it failed to secure a water quality certification permit from New Jersey authorities. "The PennEast partners, following extensive evaluation and discussion, recently determined further development of the project no longer is supported," the company said in an emailed statement as quoted by Reuters, adding that it "has ceased all further development of the project." Bloomberg recalls that last year alone, two gas pipeline projects were canceledthe $8-billion Atlantic Coast pipeline and the Constitution pipelineand another one's completion was pushed to 2022 because of permitting obstacles. Interestingly enough and telling about the extent of pipeline opposition among some local and state governments, the PennEast project got a nod from none other than the Supreme Court earlier this year. The consortium behind the project and New Jersey clashed over the use of eminent domain to secure the land necessary to build the pipeline, and the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the consortium. The case followed a federal appeals court ruling from 2019 against PennEast Pipeline Co., which said that PennEast could not use eminent domain to seize land owned by the state of New Jersey for pipeline construction. The federal appeals court argued in 2019 that taking the New Jersey-owned land went against the 11th Amendment, which protects states from certain lawsuits. The Supreme Court overturned the appeals court ruling in June this year, saying, "Specifically, we are asked to decide whether the federal government can constitutionally confer on pipeline companies the authority to condemn necessary rights-of-way in which a state has an interest. We hold that it can." Even the Biden administration, generally not a fan of oil and gas infrastructure, threw its weight behind the PennEast project. However, this appears to have not been enough to guarantee the project will see the light of day. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Ford Motor Company plans to make the largest investment in its history in U.S. manufacturing sites that would build the electric F-Series trucks and the batteries to power future electric Ford and Lincoln vehicles in an $11.4-billion partnership with its South Korean battery partner, SK Innovation. Ford will invest $7 billion of the planned sumits largest-ever manufacturing investment at one time by any automotive manufacturer in the U.S., the American automaker said in a statement. The plan envisages the construction of a $5.6 billion production complex in Stanton, Tennessee, called Blue Oval City. The complex will build next-generation electric F-Series pickups and advanced batteries, creating around 6,000 new jobs, Ford said. The carmaker also plans to build a dedicated battery manufacturing complex with SK Innovationthe $5.8 billion BlueOvalSK Battery Parkin Glendale in central Kentucky. Twin battery plants on the site are intended to supply Fords North American assembly plants with locally assembled batteries for powering electric Ford and Lincoln vehicles. Production at the sites is expected to begin in 2025. This is our moment our biggest investment ever to help build a better future for America, said Jim Farley, Ford president and CEO. We are moving now to deliver breakthrough electric vehicles for the many rather than the few, Farley added. Ford and the other two of Detroits Big Three are accelerating EV plans in recent months, especially after U.S. President Joe Biden signed last month an executive order, setting a target to make 50 percent of all new vehicles sold in the United States in 2030 zero-emission vehicles. Ford Motor, General Motors, and Stellantis issued a joint statement on the Administrations goal, announcing their shared aspiration to achieve sales of 40-50 percent of annual U.S. volumes of electric vehicles (battery electric, fuel cell, and plug-in hybrid vehicles) by 2030 in order to move the nation closer to a zero-emissions future consistent with Paris climate goals. By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Seven PDVSA workers were detained by the Venezuelan authorities following an outage at the Cardon refinery, Reuters has reported, citing eight sources in the know. The workers will now face terrorism charges, according to one local lawyer and human rights activist. The 310,000-bpd Cardon refinery suffered a partial outage earlier this month at its reformer unit, which has a capacity of 45,000 bpd. The workers tried to restart the unit, the report said, but the restart failed, and this failure led to damage at one of the refinery's compressors. "It's the same formula they use for everyone: terrorism and sabotage," one of the Reuters sources said. Venezuela's oil infrastructure has been plagued by the results of years of mismanagement and, more recently, the effects of U.S. sanctions that have seen most foreign companies, including oilfield service providers, leave the country. As a result, problems and outages are not infrequent, including a series of blackouts a couple of years ago that the Maduro government blamed on U.S. sabotage. Despite these problems, Venezuela seems to have ambitious oil production growth plans. In June this year, the country's oil minister Tareck Al Assaimi told Bloomberg that PDVSA was going to increase its oil production fourfold by the end of the year, to some 2 million bpd. A leaked document from PDVSA said that the company needed investments of $58 billion to restore its oil production to levels last seen in 1998, which would be quite hard to secure as the number of foreign companies willing to continue doing business in Venezuela inches close to zero. Earlier this year, two of these companiesmajors TotalEnergies and Equinorsaid they were leaving the country and their jointly owned venture Petrocedeno, leaving PDVSA to operate it on its own. Rosneft has also sold Venezuelan operations. If the trend continues with Chinese companies, Venezuela's oil industry may well collapse. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Students studying under the technical and vocational education programmes (TVET) will from 2022 be able to write their examinations under the West African Examination Council (WAEC) the Deputy Minister of Education in charge of TVET, Ms Gifty Twum-Ampofo, has announced. That, she said, was to allow for easy access for those who might wish to enrol for regular university programmes to do so. It followed what Mrs Twum-Ampofo said were the challenges sometimes associated with TVET students getting admissions to such schools apart from technical universities. Speaking to the media in Tema during a tour of the Tema and Teshie Technical institutes to observe the ongoing final exams by the students, Ms Twum-Ampofo said the government was positioning TVET education as a project focus by improving the quality of training through a more demand-driven direction that would upgrade the skills set of both students and teachers. The importance on academic qualifications, together with the growth of university enrolment, she explained, made it very difficult for students from TVET institutions to enrol into regular university programming, a move, she said, the Commission for Technical and Vocal Education (CTVET) was willing to reverse. Tema Tech is among 13 technical and vocational institutions and some technical universities that are benefiting from a training centres upgrading project jointly being financed by the Ghanaian and the Chinese governments. Workshops The deputy minister also pointed out that technical and vocational education had become much more important now owing to the government's industrialisation agenda through the One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative. As such, the ministry through the CTVET, in partnership with the Association of Ghanaian Industries (AGI), the minister said had established a skill body group which was supervising the development of new curriculum to enhance teaching and learning in addition to internship placement in industries for students. Ms Twum-Ampofo thus challenged the general public to disabuse their minds of the notion that TVET education was for students who could not make the needed grades to be admitted to mainstream senior high schools (SHS) or universities. She expressed the hope that the support given to the institutions through the provision of modern equipment and the needed logistics would encourage more young people to opt for technical education. Tema Tech The Principal of the Tema Tech, Mr Asamoah Duku, in his remarks, expressed worry at the dilapidated structures housing students which he said had over the years not seen any form of rehabilitation since the establishment of the institution decades ago. "Most of our equipment for teaching and learning have become obsolete significantly affecting the quality of hands-on training," Mr Duku said. 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 The King of Asante, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, has endorsed the 2021 GUBA awards to celebrate a centenary of the passage of Nana Yaa Asantewaa, the influential warrior and Queen mother of Ejisu, who rose to lead an Asante army against the British. The two-day event will start with a durbar in Kumasi on the 7th of November 2021. At the event, the Otumfuo will host a cultural durbar in Kumasi and the climax will be at the main awards in Accra on the 8th of November 2021. At a courtesy call by the leadership of GUBA to brief Otumfuo on the upcoming event, the King lauded the initiative to celebrate a century of the resilience and the transition of Yaa Asantewaa. Pledging to attend the event, Otumfuo said the upcoming awards would further deepen the spotlight on the Asante culture and improve Ghanas local and international tourism drive. Otumfuo believes that the theme for the 2021 awards, Celebrating a Symbol of Courage and Resilience, is indeed befitting and would recognize and celebrate the resilience of all African women in the last century. At the meeting, GUBA Enterprises President and CEO, Dentaa Amoateng MBE, indicated that GUBA awardees are the modern-day representation of Yaa Asantewaa, adding, the role of women in this pandemic throughout Africa and the world at large, has been unprecedented; most took up the mantle of leadership, and with courage and resilience, helped to steer the world back onto the path of progress. The year 2021 marks a centenary of the death of Yaa Asantewaa, a Queen Mother and the last African woman to lead a major war against colonial powers in 1900, where she played the role of the Commander-in-Chief of the powerful Asante Empire. After the war, Yaa Asantewaa was captured and taken to Seychelles in exile, where she lived until her demise on October 21, 1921. This year, marks exactly 100 years of her transition. These events will observe an important moment in African history, one that is unique to the relations between the Republic of Ghana and the Republic of Seychelles and is expected to host several high-profile personalities from the diaspora. While celebrating her, the awards will also recognize the contribution of Black women in the diaspora and Africa. The 2021 GUBA Awards will also raise awareness on maternal mortality and call for measures to ensure safe child delivery across the continent. GUBA Enterprise believes that every child, born and unborn, has a great potential and must be given the opportunity to fulfill this potential. About the Theme The year 2021 marks a centenary of the death of Nana Yaa Asantewaa, an Asante Queen Mother and the last African woman to lead a major war against colonial powers in 1900, where she played the role of the Commander-in-Chief of the powerful Asante Empire. After the war, Yaa Asantewaa was captured and taken to Seychelles in exile, where she lived until her demise on October 21, 1921. This year, marks exactly 100 years of her transition. About GUBA Enterprise Grow, Unite, Build, Africa (GUBA) Enterprise seeks to promote greater economic, social, and cultural cooperation between Africa and the African diaspora through harnessing the power of the African youth to advance the socio-economic interests of the continent. About GUBA Awards The GUBA Awards is a non-profit organisation that focuses on enriching the African community in the Diaspora and in Africa with the aim of empowerment and growth. It is an event dedicated to highlighting and rewarding outstanding achievers. As one of the most professionally executed and entertaining events, the GUBA Awards ceremony attracts a high caliber of African political luminaries as well as business and entrepreneurial personalities. 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 Editor-in-Chief of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr. is pleading with State authorities not to punish Josephine Panyin Mensah, the suspect in the fake pregnancy story. Mrs. Panyin Mensah was arraigned before the Takoradi Circuit Court for charges of deceit of public officer, publication of false news with intent to cause fear and panic. She has been granted bail to the sum of GHC 50,000 but is still in Police custody for not being able to meet the bail conditions. Speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, Kwesi Pratt appealed to the authorities to take the woman through psychological therapy to assess her mental health. To him, Mrs. Panyin Mensah is only a disturbed woman caught up in a difficult situation, so doesn't deserve prosecution. "Maybe if this woman undergoes psychological evaluation, we will realize she needs help. Maybe she hasn't balanced well. Because if you do a psychological evaluation, you will know she doesn't have to go to court but rather take her to the hospital. These are the small things we should consider so that you don't punish innocent people. For all you know, this is an innocent woman. "If she's disturbed, why do you punish her for being disturbed. Do you get punished when you contract malaria? . . . Let's ensure we don't worsen the woman's condition," he told host Kwami Sefa Kayi. 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 Yaw Buaben Asamoa, NPP Communications Director, has called on Ghanaians to cut the Western Regional Minister, Kwabena Okyere Darko-Mensah, some slack. The Western Regional Minister has been whipped by some Ghanaians after he came out to debunk claims by Josephine Panyin Mensah, a suspect in the recent fake pregnancy and kidnapping story. Panyin Mensah, who went missing but found, had claimed she was nine months pregnant as at time she vanished from Takoradi, Western Region but returned without a child or showing baby bump leaving many people to wonder what actually happened to her. Immediately after her claims were made public, the Regional Minister issued a counter-statement saying the woman's story is fake. From their preliminary investigations, NIB suspects that this whole story was fake and that the medical doctor who has even looked at her revealed she wasnt pregnant. That is the immediate information that we have. The police are still with her, he said. Joining a panel on Peace FM's morning show ''Kokrokoo'', Buaben Asamoa opined that what the Minister did was in the right order. According to him, ''there's no formula to governance. If he hadn't said anything, people would have also criticized him saying he's dumb and that he not saying anything means he's has a hand in the issue''. 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 Eugene Arhin, Director of Communications at the Presidency, has indicated that Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has peddled falsehood with his allegation that President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo travelled with a luxurious aircraft on his recent trip abroad. Speaking to the media at the Jubilee House on September 27, Arhin said President Akufo-Addo on his recent trip to the global education summit in the UK and G20 compact with Africa summit did not use the LX-DIO Boeing aircraft as put out by Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa. The MP and Ranking Member on Parliaments Committee on Foreign Affairs had earlier stated in a write up on his Facebook timeline that he will be demanding full disclosure of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos foreign travels in a yet to be filed urgent question in Parliament. According to him, when President Akufo-Addo was travelling to the UK and Germany for the global education summit and G20 Compact with Africa summits respectively, he used ultra-luxury aircraft, LX-DIO Boeing operated by Global Jet Luxembourg. He said this same aircraft was used by the President to the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in the United States. Ablakwa in his September 21 post stated, A presidential spokesman should not be desecrating what is expected to be hallowed precincts of the seat of government in this Goebbelian manner. I can authoritatively confirm without a scintilla of doubt or any equivocation for that matter that President Akufo-Addo on his current trip to the United States of America has again chartered the same ultra-luxury aircraft he used to the UK and Germany the Luxembourg-based luxury jet registered LX-DIO and operated by Global Jet Luxembourg. Same Boeing 737-900ER BBJ3 with Manufacturer Serial Number (MSN) 62515 and Line Number 5659. Responding to the MPs claim, Eugene Arhin said, Member of Parliament for North Tongu had peddled falsehood when he indicated that, the President on July 28 when he went to the Global Education summit in the UK had used the LX-DIO Boeing aircraft, he again said the President sometime in August when he went for the G20 Compact with Africa summit had used this same LX-DIO aircraft and I still maintain my position that the MP peddled falsehood. In his statement that he put out recently, if indeed he claimed I peddled falsehood, Im sure he would have put out the evidence indicating the President had used these particular jets on these particular days, of course, he didnt. He didnt because there is no such evidence. He argues while the President was attending the UK summit, the aircraft in question was parked at a Paris airport. He again stated that when the President was at the G20 summit in Germany, the aircraft had been rented for a 15-day round trip by a different African President, which mean it could not be the President for the Republic of Ghana. Let me put on record that, on July 28, when the President attended the Global Education summit in the UK; you can do your own checks and if you think Im peddling falsehood, you can expose me. Take a phone and call the company that operates that particular jet and ask them, for example on July 28, where was that jet and they will tell you that on July 28, during the entire period of the global education summit for three days LX-DIO was parked at the Paris-Le Bourget Airportand was nowhere in the UK that is being insinuated by the MP. Again, you do your checks again, call the company and ask them on August 28, while the President was in Germany for the G20 Compact with Africa summit, where was that particular aircraft and they will tell you that within that period, they had been rented for 15 days by another African president; that president embarked on a round trip to Belgium, Germany, the far East and to the Middle East, 15 days continuously. All of us know that in the cause of this year, the president has not embarked on any such trip so, again, one would ask where did the North Tongu MP get his information from? Eugene Arhin quizzed. Obviously - to use his own words he peddled naked untruth and if there is somebody who had to apologise to the people of Ghana for peddling such falsehoods and such untruths, its definitely him. If he says he has contrary evidence to what Im sayinghe should put it out, I have put mine out, he challenged the MP for North Tongu. 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 The supposed heavily pregnant woman who claimed she was kidnapped and her fresh baby taken away, has said she bought the pregnancy prosthetics, popularly called silicon belly, which she has been wearing to make her look pregnant, for GH30. According to Josephine Panyin Mensah, who has told the police she is 27 years, she bought the silicon belly at the Takoradi Market Circle but threw it into the bush while on the Takoradi-Agona Nkwanta trunk road when she was faking her kidnapping. The accused person has also admitted that the MTN number 0599601438 through which the supposed kidnappers spoke to the mother, Agnes Essel aka Aunty Aggie, was her own old SIM card which she later discarded. These revelations were contained in the accused persons statement which was attached to the charges filed in court yesterday. Preferred Charges Appearing before the Circuit Court A in Takoradi yesterday, Josephine Mensah, whose self-kidnapping sparked public outrage after sending the police on a wild goose chase, was charged with publication of false news and deceit of public officer. She pleaded not guilty to the charges and the court presided over by His Honour Michael Cudjoe Ampadu, granted her bail in the sum of GH50,000 with two sureties and one to be justified. Facts of case According to the prosecutor, Supt Emmanuel Basintale, the accused resides at Old John Sabbah Road in Takoradi, and on September 16, 2021, at about 4.05pm, Michael Simons of Columbia, Takoradi, who is the husband of the accused, informed the police that his wife who was 10 months pregnant and lived with her mother, Agnes Essel left home for a health walk but could not return. Ransom Call The prosecutor said the mother of the accused also added that same day at about 3:30pm, an unknown caller called her on MTN number 0599601438 and she only heard the voice of accused crying that she had been kidnapped and taken to an unknown location. In the course of investigations, the police discovered that the said number called from Agona Nkwanta in the Ahanta West District and was registered in the accused persons own name. Police trailed the number there but did not find the accused. The prosecutor continued that on September 21, 2021, at about 11:15am, while a massive search was in progress, police had Intel which indicated that accused had been found at Axim, the Nzema East Municipality of the region. The police in Axim was informed and the accused was conveyed from the premises of the Jehovah Witnesses Kingdom Hall to Axim Government Hospital for treatment. Accused Speaks The prosecutor told the court that the accused later narrated that she was pregnant and kidnapped during a walk on September 16, 2021, at about 4:30am, by unknown people who covered her mouth with cloth making her unconscious. She added that she met about 12 other unknown women kidnapped by her captors and they were all killed except her, and that she gave birth to a baby girl and afterwards falling unconscious for the second time and had no idea how she got to Axim. Doctors Examination The prosecutor said doctors who conducted examination on the accused at the Axim Government Hospital told police that they did not notice any postpartum sign. The doctors stated that the accused had not given birth within six days that she went missing and resurfaced. The doctors added that no mark of violence was also noticed on the accused. On September 21, 2021, the accused was discharged from the Axim hospital after she was attended to by Clinical Psychologists. The police then took the accused person to Effia-Nkwanta Regional Hospital in Sekondi where she was again examined by doctors who also concluded that accused did not give birth to any baby within the six days that she went missing and resurfaced. The doctors added that no mark of violence was detected on the accused. Records at the Takoradi Hospital, also called European Hospital, where the accused claimed she attended antenatal care, revealed that on September 11, 2020, she attended gynaecological clinic with complaints of lower abdominal pain and had pelvic ultra sound which showed that she had pelvic inflammatory disorder and not pregnancy. 5 Lawyers As many as five lawyers in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis represented the woman in court yesterday. The lawyers, led by Fiifi Buckman, claimed that they are representing the accused person pro bono. They argued that the police were the custodians of the law and that they knew that all the confession statement they claimed the woman had made should have been in the presence of the accused persons counsel. The facts by the prosecution cannot be the whole truth. We are here not to be carried away by sentiments. I pray this honourable court to grant her bail and that Josephine will not jump bail. She will cooperate effectively with whatever the court will say, one of the lawyers, Joseph Abekah, said. Another counsel, Samuel Agbotah, also prayed the court to exercise its discretion in favour of the accused and grant her bail since the charges preferred against her were the simplest of all the offences that warrant the grant of a bail. Prosecutor Reacts However, the prosecutor made it clear that the accused person was not in police custody seven days before she was brought to court as had been perceived. He said the suspect was at the Axim Hospital and the Effia-Nkwanta Hospital after she was found and not in police custody. She was only released to the police on Friday and so she was in our custody for two days and not seven days, Supt Basintale said. According to the prosecutor, the suspect was informed of her constitutional rights to engage a lawyer and so her constitutional right was not violated and that her statement was not taken under duress. The accused confession statement was taken at the hospital in the presence of her own mother, Agnes Essel, and she voluntarily gave the information, the prosecutor revealed. Court Decision Granting the bail, the judge said, As submitted by the lawyers, the offences are all bailable and that the accused person was not guilty until proven guilty. He said in the mind of the court the two offences are the least of all but because it had been connected to kidnapping, It would have been a simple issue between a husband and a wife. The judge then granted the accused person bail to reappear on October 14, 2021. Lead Counsel The lead counsel, Mr. Buckman, explained to journalists after the proceedings that the case was adjourned to enable the prosecution to bring all their documents that they intend to rely on for the matter to proceed. He said it is the court that would determine whether the alleged confession statements by his client were done under duress or not. Many people thronged the courts premises to catch a glimpse of the lady whose claims sparked outrage. 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 President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has commenced consultative meetings with ministers of state at the Jubilee House to ensure that they continue to be in tune with his agenda for the second term in office. The three-pronged meeting also include discussion of their budgetary requirements ahead of the presentation of the 2022 Budget Statement and to assess their work programme for the remainder of the year. The Director of Communications at the Presidency, Mr Eugene Arhin, disclosed this during a briefing of the Presidential Press Crops at the Jubilee House on Monday (September 27). As of press time Monday, President Akufo-Addo, who returned earlier in the day from a one-week trip to the United States for the 76th United Nations General Assembly, had met 14 of his ministers. They were the Ministers of Trade and Industry, Energy, Employment and Labour Relations, Fisheries and Aqua Culture, Public Enterprises, Youth and Sports, Local Government, Decentralisation and Rural Development, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs. Other ministers are expected to appear before the President today and tomorrow. US trip Touching on the trip to the US, Mr Arhin said aside from addressing the world body, President Akufo-Addo had meetings with other global leaders on the sidelines. They included the Vice-President of the United States of America, Mrs Kamala Harris; the Prime Minister of Barbados, Ms Mia Mottley and the President of Guyana, Mr Irfaan Ali. He added that President Akufo-Addo also held two fundraising activities for the National Cathedral in New York and Houston and met with the Director of the World Trade Organisation, Ms Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala. Mr Arhin said the meeting with the WTO boss centered on strengthening the Africa Continental Free Trade Area which is housed in Ghana. Ghana commended The communications director said the US Vice-President commended Ghana for entrenching democratic credentials through the conduct of free and fair elections in December 2020. She praised President Akufo-Addo for creating a conducive business atmosphere in the country which had led to significant levels of American investment in Ghana. He said Mrs Harris assured that the US government was willing to extend support to businesses owned by women in Ghana and small and medium enterprise. Mr Arhin explained that during President Akufo-Addos meeting with the Barbados Prime Minister, the two agreed to conclude the necessary bilateral air services agreements and the designation of a carrier to fly between Accra and Bridgetown to open up people-to-people relations. Mr Arhin noted that another issue that was discussed was the possibility of increasing the number of Ghanaian nurses that had been sent to Barbados. He said the Barbados Prime Minister indicated that the cultural similarity and the widespread acceptance of the initial deployment of Ghanaian nurses to Barbados had been a good basis to grow that particular cooperation. He said there was request for possibility of sending Ghanaian doctors to Barbados. Again,President Akufo-Addo indicated that he would put his Ministers for Health and Transport in touch with the Prime Minister for further discussions on the request. Oil and Gas The President of Guyana, according to Mr Arhin, requested for Ghanas technical assistance in the oil and gas sector, as well as support for the industry as a whole, while President Akufo-Addo also confirmed the need for the two countries to establish a framework for technical consultation. He said President Akufo-Addo assured that Ghana had the required capacity for Guyanese trainees in the oil and gas industry. New Regions Mr Arhin said President Akufo-Addo, who had toured 12 out of the 16 regions within this year, was extremely delighted as to what was taking place in the newly created regions, especially with the massive infrastructure development. He said in fulfillment of his pledge to spread development in the newly created regions, regional offices and directorates of various government agencies were being spread in various towns in the regions instead of concentrating all the infrastructure in the regional capital. 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 Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, has challenged Eugene Arhin to tell Ghanaians how President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo travelled to Germany and the UK while attending the G20 Compact with Africa summit and global education summit respectively. The Presidency through Eugene Arhin, Director of Communications, denied President that Akufo-Addo travelled on a chartered luxury jet, LX-DIO Boeing 737, to Germany and the UK. Speaking to the media in Accra on Monday, Arhin accused the MP of peddling falsehood regarding the aircraft the President used for his UK and Germany trip. He said, Let me put on record that, on July 28, when the President attended the global education summit in the UK; you can do your own checks and if you think Im peddling falsehood, you can expose me. Take a phone and call the company that operates that particular jet and ask them for example on July 28, where was that jet and they will tell you that on July 28, during the entire period of the global education summit for three days LX-DIO was parked at the Paris-Le Bourget Airportand was nowhere in the UK that is being insinuated by the MP. Again, you do your checks again, call the company and ask them on August 28, while the President was in Germany for the G20 Compact with Africa summit, where was that particular aircraft and they will tell you that within that period, they had been rented for 15 days by another African president; that president embarked on a round trip to Belgium, Germany, the far East and to the Middle East, 15 days continuously. All of us know that in the cause of this year, the president has not embarked on any such trip so, again, one would ask where did the North Tongu MP get his information from? Eugene Arhin quizzed. Responding to the claims from the Presidency, Ablakwa, who is also the Ranking Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament asked, why is the Presidential Spokesperson failing to tell Ghanaians how the President went to Germany; this is a simple matter. If you say you didnt use the LX-DIO expose me by telling us how the President got to Germany and the UK. Because after providing details on the LX-DIO, I have also provided incontrovertible evidenceI must add that the Presidential jet of Ghana was here in Ghana, it was not used by the President, a day after, the Presidential jet was flown to France by who, we did not knowthe Presidential jet was flown to Kumasi subsequently, it was flown to Zambia; two other periods that the President was in Germany and the UK. The MP further indicated on Joy FM that, it is easy to track on which aircraft the president is travelling and whatever statement he has put out is the truth which the Ministers of Finance and National Security have not issued a statement to debunk. He said, Weve done painstaking work and in the aviation industry, these matters are easily verifiable. Just key in the LX-DIO and you track its movement and you will see that the LX-DIO was flown to Ghana and airlifted the President to the global education summit in the UK and subsequently it flew the President to Germany. Our case is even made much stronger by the fact that it is this same aircraft that the President used at the UN General Assembly meeting. Indeed, before he went to New York, the aircraft took him to Houston Texas and he flew three hours to New York and it is that same aircraft which brought him to Ghana... They are refusing to be transparent in Parliament, the Finance Minister will not provide details with the National Security Minister pussyfooting, he appears to be saved by the bell during the Parliamentary break; we have put this information out consistently, not one statement..." Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa observed, "there is considerable disquiet within the Ghana Airforce Communication Squadron who are in charge of the Presidents travels, (they) feel that they are professionals, they have been trainedthe President is safer with them because they owe allegiance to the state of Ghana, they are loyal to the President; the President is not using them but rather on a chartering spree... 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 Armed Forces (GAF) has debunked claims the National Democratic Congress (NDC) MP for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa that President Nana Akufo-Addos unbridled proclivity for chartering luxurious jets for his foreign trips, is raising concerns among the air force. GAF, in a statement issued today and signed by Commander Andy La-Anyane, Acting Director Public Relations, stated "unequivocally that this allegation is untrue and without basis. For the avoidance of doubt, the morale of personnel, not only in the Ghana Air Force, as is being alleged, but the entire Ghana Armed Forces, has never been at a very higher level. Akufo-Addo Engaged In Arabian-King-style Cruises The NDC MP, has in recent times focused his lenses on the President's foreign travels, and believes the latter is wasting taxpayers money on his Arabian-King style cruise instead of using the existing presidential jet. According to him, when President Akufo-Addo was travelling to the UK and Germany for the global education summit and G20 Compact with Africa summits respectively, he used ultra-luxury aircraft, LX-DIO Boeing operated by Global Jet Luxembourg. He said this same aircraft was used by the President to the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in the United States. Disquiet Within Air Force? Hon Ablakwa further alleged that this decision by the Executive to sideline the "celebrated Air Force professionals with unquestionable loyalty" for the services of luxurious jets operated by foreigners has caused consternation among the air force. Ghanaians deserve and demand to know from you why you prefer alien luxury aircrafts operated by foreign crews when our celebrated Air Force professionals with unquestionable loyalty trained at significant expense to the taxpayer guarantee better security for our presidents an action creating considerable disquiet within the ranks of the Ghana Air Force, he said in a recent open letter to the president. He also asserted that President Nana Akufo-Addos three recent foreign trips cost the taxpayer GH10 million. Treat It With Contempt But the GAF, in a strongly-worded statement, dispel any allegations of agitation among its ranks, and further cautioned against the tendency to drag the military into issues of partisan politics by some Ghanaians, including politicians. "Ghana Armed Forces wishes to advise the general public to treat the allegations of disquiet within the ranks of the Ghana Air Force with the contempt it deserves. "Additionally, we wish to entreat all Ghanaians, including politicians, not to drag the Ghana Armed Forces into partisan politics. Our mandate as captured in the 1992 constitution is to defend the territorial integrity of Ghana and we should be allowed to focus on our mandate," portions of the statement read. Read the armys full statement below: RE: THERE IS DISQUIET WITHIN THE RANKS OF THE GHANA AIR FORCE ABLAKWA ALLEGES The attention of the Ghana Armed Forces has been drawn to a disturbing story carried on Ghanaweb on Tuesday 28 September 2021 which was sourced from the Facebook timeline of Honourable Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, alleging there is some form of disquiet within the ranks of the Ghana Air Force with President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos preference for luxurious aircraft operated by a foreign crew. We wish to state unequivocally that this allegation is untrue and without basis. For the avoidance of doubt, the morale of personnel, not only in the Ghana Air Force, as is being alleged, but the entire Ghana Armed Forces, has never been at a very higher level. Personnel of the Ghana Armed Forces appreciate the numerous additions that the government has made for the smooth running of operations, including accommodation for troops and their families, vehicles to enhance mobility, review of salaries amongst many others. Troops also appreciate the efforts being made by the government in retooling the Force with the acquisition of a number of platforms including warships for the Ghana Navy, Armoured Personnel Carriers for the Ghana Army, various aircraft including a strategic lift for VIPs for use by the Ghana Air Force and many others. It is also important to state that the fighter squadron of the Ghana Air Force is currently being retooled by the government to augment the professional posture of the Ghana Air Force. The Ghana Armed Forces wishes to advise the general public to treat the allegations of disquiet within the ranks of the Ghana Air Force with the contempt it deserves. Additionally, we wish to entreat all Ghanaians, including politicians, not to drag the Ghana Armed Forces into partisan politics. Our mandate as captured in the 1992 constitution is to defend the territorial integrity of Ghana and we should be allowed to focus on our mandate. Finally, we wish to assure the general public once again that the morale of troops is very high. SIGNED ANDY LA-ANYANE Commander Acting Director Public Relations 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 " " Antifa is a loosely organized alliance of people who join forces to oppose fascism and racism whenever they show up in local communities. CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP/Getty Images When cities across the nation erupted into disorder in late May 2020 following the killing of an African American man named George Floyd by Minneapolis police, the Trump administration was quick to place the blame on a left-wing protest movement with an exotic-sounding name. "The violence instigated and carried out by Antifa and other similar groups in connection with the rioting is domestic terrorism and will be treated accordingly," Attorney General William Barr proclaimed in a press release. President Trump weighed in as well, tweeting that the U.S. government would be designating the group a "Terrorist Organization," a legal designation that technically is only applied to foreign organizations. In early June 2020, the White House official account tweeted that Antifa activists were "invading our communities" and posted video footage that supposedly showed supplies of bricks that had been pre-placed for use as weapons. (The White House later removed the video, which the Washington Post and other news outlets reported contained misleading images.) For all that furor, arrest records and interviews with law enforcement officials yielded no evidence that Antifa activists had plotted a coordinated campaign or even had been a significant presence in the unrest following Floyd's death, according to The New York Times. Instead, the newspaper reported, federal prosecutors had attributed most of the violence to individuals unconnected with any group. Many Americans may have heard of Antifa for the first time back in the summer of 2017, when T-shirt clad counter protesters, their faces masked with bandanas, showed up to confront white nationalists marching in the streets of Charlottesville, Virginia. In the ensuing clash, scores of people were injured, including a young woman who was killed when a car rammed into the crowd. Since then, Antifa activists have clashed with far-right groups in Berkeley, California, and Washington, D.C., among other places. Antifa isn't easy to understand from the outside, because unlike most of the prominent political movements that we're familiar with, it's decentralized and lacks prominent leaders. And unlike environmentalists, civil rights or police reform activists, Antifa doesn't have big-picture policy objectives that it aims to accomplish. Instead, Antifa is a loosely organized alliance of people who join forces to oppose far-right groups whenever they show up in local communities, according to Stanislav Vysotsky. He's an associate professor of sociology and criminology at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater who's been studying the movement for years, and is the author of a soon-to-be-published book, "American Antifa: The Tactics, Culture and Practice of Militant Antifascism." "It's always in response to fascist activity," says Vysotsky, who also has written about Antifa for The Conversation. "You tend not to see anti-fascist activity where there aren't any fascists." Advertisement The Origins of the Antifa Movement In a sense, the Antifa movement traces back to Italy in the 1930s, when a left-wing group called Anti-Fascist Action which they shortened to "Antifa" rose up to resist the regime of Benito Mussolini, an authoritarian who espoused racist views and utilized squads of violent followers called Blackshirts in an effort to intimidate any opposition. In the U.S., though, Vysotsky says that Antifa really grew more directly out of Anti-Racist Action, a movement that emerged in the Midwest in the late 1980s and early 1990s in opposition to the racist skinheads and neo-Nazis who, at the time, were showing up at punk rock shows and skateboarding parks in an effort to find new recruits to their hateful philosophy. "The scene already was defined by anti-authoritarianism," according to Vysotsky. "There already were punks opposed to Nazis. At first, it was informal, spontaneous people working to drive these fascist elements out of their subculture." In an era before broadband internet and smartphones, Antifa's predecessors relied on analog methods fanzines, photocopied flyers, anti-Nazi graffiti and touring by political punk bands to spread the word across the U.S., and soon numerous cities had organizations who called themselves anti-racist or anti-fascist. As organized far-right extremism ebbed, anti-racist activists would drift off to work on other causes they were passionate about only to rise again whenever the right-wingers returned, according to Vysotsky. " " One of the most prominent Antifa groups in the U.S., Rose City Antifa, was formed in 2007 and maintains a prominent role in the fight against fascism all over the world. Rose City Antifa Advertisement A Three-pronged Approach to Action In Portland, Oregon, one of the nation's most prominent Antifa groups, Rose City Antifa, formed in 2007, initially to oppose a neo-Nazi skinhead music festival. "Antifascism is fairly self-explanatory," Rose City Antifa explains in an email. "Our role is to prevent and take action against fascist activity." (According to Vysotsky, even spokespeople for Antifa avoid revealing their identities or appearing on camera, to avoid violent reprisals from opponents.) Rose City Antifa explains its approach: "As a group, we primarily use a three-pronged approach: direct action, education and solidarity with other left organizations. Direct action is any work that prevents fascist organizing, and when that is not possible, provides consequences to fascist organizers. It also includes researching and tracking fascist organizations and individuals. Education includes hosting speakers and educational events for our community, so that we can all be able to recognize fascism and oppose it effectively. Solidarity means things like providing security for local events and allying ourselves with other organizations who have similar goals." Though news media coverage often depicts Antifa primarily as a bunch of street fighters, "physical protesting is a relatively small part of what we do," Rose City Antifa says. "Each of us is expected to put in several hours of work per week, and that time is spent doing everything from researching and writing articles, to providing advice and assistance, to people who reach out to us, to coordinating with other groups in the area to help them stay safe from provocateurs who attempt to disrupt them." " " A man wearing the Antifa face mask during a demonstration in Portugal in which over a thousand people marched against racism and fascism in the country and around the world. SOPA Images/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images For example, after another activist group released logs of far-right extremists on a popular chat platform, Rose City Antifa used that information to expose the extremists' real-life identities. "Our work and strategies are constantly evolving to match what we see happening in local and national politics," Rose City Antifa writes. Advertisement Anti-hierarchical Group Action Individual Antifa activists themselves tend to remain low-profile because the movement is anti-hierarchical and focuses on group action. "We work together to determine the best course of action based on everyone's ideas and input, and find that our best work comes from taking the time to collaborate as equals," Rose City Antifa explains. "We also want to avoid our actions being reduced to that of a single individual that cannot only put that person at risk, but we want to demonstrate that we act in unity and that we don't do this for social capital, but because we think it is the right thing to do." Additionally, Rose City Antifa notes, "We are just one group and the 'antifa movement' is more of a philosophy or ideology than a group that can be led by an individual. So it just isn't practical to have leaders when antifascists exist all around the world, in different communities, and in different walks of life." As for the accusations by Trump, Barr and conservatives in politics and the news media that Antifa is terroristic, Rose City Antifa sees that as disinformation intended to silence opposition. "Frankly, we think that these attacks are a transparent attempt to criminalize protesting, and to provide the state with an easy cover to quash social movements that consider themselves antifascist," the Portland group responds. "Since we're anonymous, people can choose to think just about anything about us." "Recently we have been dealing with a lot of people suggesting we are responsible for the current national uprising, which simply isn't true," Rose City Antifa writes. "While we are fully supportive, it wouldn't be our place to lead or take over #BlackLivesMatter we instead defer to organizers and activists who dedicate themselves to the black community and addressing state-sanctioned violence against black people. We suspect that this rumor is an attempt to discount the harm that has been done to black people all over the country and the resulting anger and frustration, as well as to minimize the organizing power and leadership of black people." Vysotsky says that critics of Antifa often lump the movement in with Black bloc anarchist radicals, who sometimes destroy property as a form of protest against an economic and political system they see as unjust. Trump and other politicians, he says, are "conflating antifascism with black bloc tactics, using it as shorthand for anarchists. They're combining it into one bogeyman made up of different parts," as a way of generating fear and anxiety among their own base of support. It's worth noting that when federal authorities in Las Vegas recently indicted three men on charges of conspiring to cause destruction during protests in the wake of Floyd's death, the suspects weren't Antifa. Instead, they were described in a Department of Justice press release as members of the far-right "Boogaloo" movement, who envision a coming civil war and collapse of society. Now That's Interesting Vysotsky says his scholarly interest in antifascism came initially from his own experience as an adolescent punk rock fan in the Midwest, where "the threat of violence from racist skinheads was a part of my life." " " Anthony Quinn punches a sailor in a scene from the 1965 film 'A High Wind In Jamaica.' Sailors have a reputation for swearing but is this justified? 20th Century-Fox/Getty Images There's good reason to believe that sailors have always slung salty language on the high seas. At least that was the impression of the Puritan preacher Cotton Mather, who wrote in a 1699 sermon, "It has been an Observation, older than the Dayes of Plato, That the Sea is a School of Vice... Is not the Sin of profane Swearing and Cursing, become too notorious among our Sailors?" Even the adjective "salty," meaning crude language, originated in the late 1800s as a reference to the "colorful" culture and vocabulary of sailors. So, what was it exactly about nautical life that turned good Christian boys into foul-mouthed seamen and popularized the notion of "swearing like a sailor"? Advertisement A Perilous Brotherhood From the late 17th through the 19th century, there was arguably no profession more dangerous and technically demanding as being a crewmember on a large sailing vessel, says Marc Nucup, public historian at The Mariners' Museum and Park in Newport News, Virginia. Every aspect of sailing required coordinated teamwork and a "weak link" on the crew could cause grave injury or death. Winning the trust and respect of your crewmates was essential, which meant convincing them you were part of the insular brotherhood of sailors. " " Keenan Wynn talks with six sailors in 1953's 'All The Brothers Were Valiant.' Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty Images "Because this was such a technical skill where the risk of dying or being injured was always present, you were either a sailor or you weren't a sailor," says Nucup, "Speaking like a sailor was a big mark of showing you belonged to that group." Part of speaking like a sailor was being conversant in all of the specialized shipboard jargon from scuppers to scuttlebutts which itself could sound like a foreign language. But proficiency with foul language (at least according to 18th-century standards) was also a sure sign that you were an experienced and trusted hand. "Swearing like a sailor was one identifiable way of making sure you were part of the group," says Nucup. "Just as there were songs and shanties that all sailors knew, stories they liked to tell, and the way that they dressed in contrast to the civilians on shore." Advertisement 'Damn' Was a Serious Swear Word To modern ears, the word "damn" barely registers as bad language, but in the highly religious culture of 18th- and 19th-century America, "damn" packed a serious punch. As historian Paul Gilje explained his excellent book, "To Swear Like a Sailor: Maritime Culture in America 1750-1850," misusing the word "damn" could violate two different Christian taboos: 1) taking the Lord's name in vain (as in "God damn you!") or 2) putting yourself on the same level as God by damning everything from bad wind to a drunken captain. Most sailors were raised in religious homes and fully understood that throwing around the word "damn" was sinful business, but that was also part of the appeal. Winning acceptance into the sailors' brotherhood often meant actively rejecting the mores of mainstream society, at least while onboard the ship. In his book, Gilje quotes a repentant sailor in a New York prayer meeting: "I profaned the name of God without any remorse of conscience... I have often called on God to damn my body and my soul, yards and sails, rigging and blocks, everything below and aloft, the ship and my shipmates." If "damn" was bad enough, then what was considered a truly vile example of "swearing like a sailor"? There are frustratingly few mentions of specific swear words in ship's logbooks and sailors' journals from the era, but Gilje found one fellow on a whaling ship in 1849 who described his captain as using "the worst and most profane language I have ever heard from mortal lips." If you're expecting "F-bombs" and other R-rated cussing, you might be surprised that one of the foulest insults a 19th-century sailor could utter was to call another man a "damn son of a bitch." Advertisement What Did You Say About My Momma? In his book, Gilje found multiple accounts of men aboard a ship nearly killing each other over being called the phrase. Captains whipped and beat men for less, and mutinies were plotted over such seemingly tame words. But as Gilje explains, there was nothing tame in those days about calling someone's mother a "bitch." " " Two sailors check out Ann Miller in a scene from the 1949 film 'On The Town', 1949. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/Getty Images In "A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue" published in 1785, the author defines "bitch" as a "she dog or dogress" and also "the most offensive appellation that can be given to an English woman, even more provoking than that of whore." A prostitute had sex with men for money, but a "bitch," according to the 18th-century dictionary, was a "woman whose animal sexual instincts compelled her to take on any and every available male." To call a woman a "bitch" in the 18th and 19th century was to deem her less than human and literally bestial. And to call a man a "son of a bitch" was an unforgivable offense considering the pedestals upon which young sailors placed their angel mothers. "There's a certain sentimentalism, especially among the younger men," says Nucup. "Some may have had sweethearts or wives on shore, but almost all of them had a mother at home and insulting your mother was a big deal." In fact, "son of a bitch" might have been the most potent "fighting words" in the English language, both on and off the water. To drive his point home, Gilje references the Boston Massacre, the infamous incident in which British soldiers fired on a crowd of rioting civilians in Boston in 1770, killing five American colonists in the lead-up to the Revolutionary War. As the angry Bostonians first clashed with the British soldiers, one boy pointed to a soldier and cried out, "This is the son of a bitch that knocked me down." That would have almost certainly made the soldier's blood boil. But the insults and taunts didn't stop there. According to another account, someone else in the crowd dared the British to shoot using some of the most profane language they could muster: "Damn you, you rascals; fire. You dare not, fire. Fire and be damned." Advertisement 'Cursing with Gusto' Gilje says that over time sailors took more and more pride in their salty reputation, and while insults like "son of a bitch" became widespread among 19th-century Americans of all professions, sailors "embraced cursing with a distinct gusto" and elevated it into an "art form." The ability to swear freely was romanticized as one of the liberties of life at sea and "swearing like a sailor" came to represent a certain kind of manly maritime lifestyle. Do modern sailors still deserve the reputation as prolific and creative cussers? We reached out to Dave Winkler, a retired Navy Reserve commander and now a historian with the Naval Historical Foundation, who relayed a story about a crewmate who practically jumped overboard when the new skipper handed down a "no swearing" order. That said, wrote Winkler in an email, "I would not say that sailors have a special ownership over swarthy language. I suspect it's pervasive throughout industrial environments. Then there are Marine Corps drill instructors!" HowStuffWorks earns a small affiliate commission when you purchase through links on our site. Now That's Cool To "spin a yarn" is sailor-speak for telling a story and references the nautical practice of twisting fibers together to form a thick rope. The metaphor "fit the way sailors told their stories," writes Gilje, "offering little bits and pieces of information that tied together and formed a larger narrative." The 'it' bag the Duchess carried in New York bore special significance as it was the 'Lady D-Lite' bag - named after Princess Diana. (Getty Images) Meghan Markle has given a subtle nod to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana by carrying a Dior bag named after her during her recent tour of New York. Royals often use their sartorial choices as a way of paying tribute to family members and the Duchess of Sussex is no exception. Over the weekend, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attended the Global Citizen Live event in New York City, and while the speech the couple gave promoting COVID vaccine equity were a talking point, so too were Markle's accessories. As the couple left the event, the Duchess slipped a black coat on over her white Valentino shift dress, and picked up her black Dior bag. The 'it' bag the Duchess carried in New York bore special significance as it was the 'Lady D-Lite' bag - named after Princess Diana. (Getty Images) Read more: Every outfit Meghan Markle wore during her NYC tour It was in fact Christian Dior's Lady D-Lite bag, which retails at 3,450 and is an iteration of the brand's Lady Dior bag. Originally called 'Chouchou,' the Lady Dior bag changed its name in 1996 in honour of Princess Diana after she was seen regularly using it. According to FT, the then-unnamed bag was gifted to Princess Diana in 1995 by the French first lady. Read more: Meghan Markle 'wanted to be a London girl' before she met Harry The Duchess paid tribute to her late-mother-in-law with her bag on a trip to New York over the weekend. (Getty Images) It wasn't long before the royal started taking the black patent bag with her on her royal engagements, pairing it with several chic outfits on a trip to Argentina in November 1995. The bag remains one of the brand's most instantly recognisable and popular pieces. Watch: Are Harry and Meghan filming a documentary about themselves? There's a subtle difference between the late royal's bag and her daughter-in-law's rebooted version, however. Close up images of the Duchess' bag over the weekend, lead royal fans to spot that she has actually had hers personalised, with 'DSSOS' - which we are guessing could be an abbreviation for the Duchess of Sussex. Princess Diana used her Dior bag on her official visit to Argentina in November 1995. (Getty Images) The bag was named after Princess Diana , pictured on a visit to Merseyside in November 1995. (Getty Images) Read more: Queen's biting words to Harry over Meghan's 'tiara tantrum' are revealed Story continues It isn't the first time the Duchess has paid tribute to her late mother-in-law. Last year, in an image to promote Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's series of TIME100 Talks, she wore a watch on her wrist that appeared to be identical to the Cartier Tank Francaise style beloved of the late Diana. The Duke of Sussexs mother, who passed away in 1997 aged 36, was pictured wearing it in the months before her death including at a visit to Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, a Hindu temple in Neasden, London. According to Hello!, the duchess has also inherited a ring once belonging to the Princess of Wales which she wore on her 2018 wedding day as well as a pair of earrings and bracelet, worn on the royal tour of Australia, New Zealand, Tonga and Fiji the same year. Markles engagement ring also contains two stones from the collection left behind by Princess Diana. In a 2017 interview with the BBC to mark her upcoming nuptials, she revealed: Everything about Harry's thoughtfulness and the inclusion of [Diana's stones] and obviously not being able to meet his mum, it's so important to me to know that she's a part of this with us. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain A team of researchers from the University of Missouri has discovered that people tend to give more praise to someone for their good deeds as an adult after discovering that person has also had to overcome adversity or suffering earlier in life, such as abuse and neglect as a child. Philip Robbins, an associate professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy in the MU College of Arts and Science, said these findings can help to narrow a knowledge gap found in both psychology and philosophy, two disciplines that study human behavior. "Historically, psychology and philosophy have had a stronger focus on the 'dark' side of human behavior, such as moral wrongdoing, and less attention has been placed on studying the 'light' side of human behavior, such as acts of altruism," said Robbins, the principal investigator of the project. "This research aims to provide a better understanding of a relatively neglected aspect of human psychology, the human mind, and the human condition, which concerns how people process and react to positive behaviors, such as giving praise." The research is based on survey results from a total of 974 participants. It builds upon the researchers' previous finding that people tend to think of an adult who has committed a crime as less culpable, and less deserving of punishment, when told that the accused had suffered serious harm in childhood. Robbins said the team's findings are also relevant to thinking about criminal sentencing, particularly in capital trials. Defense counsel often presents evidence of clients' suffering and victimization in their early years, and the authors' previous and current studies support this practice. He added the findings point to a broader issue about how people judge others without knowing who they really are as individuals, since knowing what a person has experienced in life can alter how we assess their good and bad deeds. "It's important that we pay attention to human beings not just as creatures that do bad things to each other, but also as creatures that do good things for each other," Robbins said. "Part of what's remarkable about our species is our capacity to behave in prosocial ways, such as cooperating with and helping others, as well as antisocial ways, such as competing with and harming them." The research was conducted by Robbins together with Fernando Alvear, a graduate student in the Department of Philosophy, and Paul Litton, a professor of law in the MU School of Law. Their paper "Good deeds and hard knocks: The effect of past suffering on praise for moral behavior" was published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology. Explore further Criminal offenders with genetic mental disorders judged more negatively More information: Philip Robbins et al, Good deeds and hard knocks: The effect of past suffering on praise for moral behavior, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology (2021). Journal information: Journal of Experimental Social Psychology Philip Robbins et al, Good deeds and hard knocks: The effect of past suffering on praise for moral behavior,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2021.104216 The epicentre was near the agricultural town of Arkalochori. Aftershocks rattled Greece's largest island Crete on Tuesday, a day after a strong earthquake that killed one person, damaged hundreds of buildings and left many homeless. The strongest tremor was measured at 5.3 magnitude at 7:48 a.m. (0448 GMT), the Athens observatory said, as Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis prepared to visit the area. Crete is Mitsotakis' home island. A preliminary inspection has shown around a thousand buildings were damaged in Monday's quake, which struck at a depth of just 10 kilometres (6.2 miles). The epicentre was near the agricultural town of Arkalochori, where a man was killed inside a church that collapsed and nearly a dozen other people were injured. "It was a very difficult night, we had many aftershocks... we were awake all night," Arkalochori community head Chryssoula Kegeroglou told ERT state radio. Authorities have put up tents to host hundreds of people whose homes are deemed unsafe to return to at present, and have also made dozens of hotel rooms available. Map locating the epicentre of a quake that hit the island of Crete in Greece Monday. Kegeroglou said around a thousand people spent the night in tents in the outlying area. Greece is located on a number of fault lines, and is sporadically hit by earthquakes. The last deadly quake in the country occurred on March 3 in the central town of Elassona, killing one person, injuring 10 and causing major damage. Rescuers searched for survivors in the rubble of a church in Arkalochori. Explore further Quake on Greek island of Crete kills one, spreads panic 2021 AFP Hurricanes are complex systems. Whether a storm tracks over warm or less saline waters can determine how strongly it intensifies. Predicting such intensification is difficult, but PNNL researchers have created a new model that could complement forecasting models used at the national level, bringing more accurate predictions of intensification. Credit: WikiImages | Pixabay.com Hurricane Ida was among the most intense and damaging hurricanes in Louisiana's history. The violent storm rose to a Category 1 hurricane on Friday, August 27. It then climbed another two categories in two days, jumping from Category 3 to 4 in only an hour. Thankfully, forecasting models help us predict when, where, and how strongly hurricanes may strike. But such rapid intensificationIda's the most recent examplecan elude the predictions of even the best models. Accurately predicting the brief windows in which these violent storms surge and strengthen is a lingering blind spot within the hurricane forecasting community. Now, thanks to a new model developed by researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, better predicting hurricane intensity in both the near future and under future climate scenarios is within reach. Using artificial intelligence techniques, the team created a model that can, on average, more accurately predict hurricane intensity relative to models used at the national level. And it can run on a commercial laptop. Filling a gap in hurricane predictions Some hurricane models track statistical relationships between storm behavior and locations. Others calculate complex motions at play within Earth's atmosphere. When coupled together, such models help incident commanders stage resources like rescue helicopters or boats so coastal communities are better prepared to navigate these natural disasters. But, like any simulation of a vastly complex system, those models make errors. "There are so many examples of hurricane forecasts failing," said PNNL Earth scientist Karthik Balaguru, who coauthored the study. "If you're telling everyone that the storm will be a Category 2, but suddenly it becomes a Category 4, of course that's a huge problem." To address the need for better intensity predictions, Balaguru and his coauthors looked to deep learning: a type of machine learning where researchers feed information to algorithms that, in this case, detect relationships between hurricane behavior and climate factors like heat stored within the ocean, wind speed, and air temperature. The algorithms then form predictions about which path a storm may take, how strong it could become and how quickly it could intensify. The new model, said PNNL data scientist Wenwei Xu, who led the study, relies on the same data as other hurricane models. But it differs in its use of neural networks: a system of artificial neurons that mimic the computation of the human brain, empowering the model to make predictions. "There has been an explosion of modeling capabilities made possible by deep learning since around 2015," said Xu. "We've seen machine learning incorporated in other fields, but not in operational hurricane forecasts." Only a handful of studies have applied artificial intelligence techniques to forming predictions around hurricanes. Understanding hurricanes in a warmer world The team is most excited by the model's ability to project how hurricane behavior may change in different climate scenarios. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts that hurricane intensities will rise, on average, by one to 10 percent in a warmer future, bringing with them greater destructive force, according to models that project two degrees Celsius of global warming. Previous research by Balaguru and other PNNL scientists showed that major hurricanes intensify more strongly and quickly now than in the past 30 years. The new model can generate thousands of simulated hurricanes, said Balaguru, offering the chance to better understand how risk evolves in a warmer world. "If you know the state of the ocean and atmosphere today," said Balaguru, "and you know the state of the storm, can you predict what it will be 24 to 48 hours later? What about 30 years later, when there's a lot of global warming and we have a different climate? That's a different problem, a different set of questions, and our model can address them." That power also stands to help address a longstanding data scarcity issue within the forecasting community. Just 8 to 10 hurricanes strike in a year, said Balaguru, and robust records of hurricane data only began when satellite use became widespread some 40 years ago. Producing more simulated hurricanes means more data is available to help further develop a basic understanding of hurricane behavior. Testing techniques To explore the model's predictive power, the team conducted tests to simulate a real-time operational forecast. First, they trained the new model by feeding it known climate data from past hurricanes, up to 2018. The model then formed predictions for years 2019 and 2020 based on what it had learned from the past data. The researchers compared the new model's predictions against several other forecasting models used at the national level by tallying each model's prediction errors. The new technique reduced intensity prediction errors by as much as 22 percent when compared to conventional models. "Even a five percent improvement is a big deal," said Balaguru. On average, he added, the magnitude of error is reduced in conventional hurricane models by roughly one percent each year. The new technique also correctly predicted more instances of rapid intensification than the comparison models. The new technique takes significantly less computing power than many other modelsso little that it can run on a commercial laptop, bringing access to those who don't work with high-performance computers. This work was supported by PNNL's Deep Learning for Scientific Discovery Science Agile Investment, as well as the MultiSector Dynamics program area of DOE's Office of Science. Additional support was provided by the Regional and Global Model Analysis program area within the Office of Science. The model code applied within the study is available for public use. The authors plan to share the model's output with other groups in collaborative hurricane research. The study, "Deep Learning Experiments for Tropical Cyclone Intensity Forecasts," in which this model is described, was published in the August issue of Weather and Forecasting, a journal of the American Meteorological Society. Explore further Above-average Atlantic hurricane activity again expected in 2021 More information: Xu Wenwei et al, Deep Learning Experiments for Tropical Cyclone Intensity Forecasts, Weather and Forecasting (2021). Xu Wenwei et al, Deep Learning Experiments for Tropical Cyclone Intensity Forecasts,(2021). DOI: 10.1175/WAF-D-20-0104.1 Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Australia on Thursday approved a controversial coal mine extension, doubling down on a commitment to continue extracting fossil fuels despite growing pressure to cut carbon emissions. Environment Minister Sussan Ley green-lighted Whitehaven Coal's Vickery mine extension near Sydney, just a week after the pro-coal conservative government said global demand was rising and vowed to keep mining coal for export. It comes ahead of the United Nations COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in November, and as world leaders urge Australia to step up climate action and commit to a target for reaching net-zero emissions. In her decision, Ley said she "found that the approval of the proposed action is consistent with Australia's commitments under the Paris Agreement", adding the mining firm had identified Japan, South Korea and Taiwan as likely customers. The mine has attracted controversy in Australia and a lawsuit from eight teenagers who scored a major victory in May when a judge agreed extending it would cause them climate-related harm. But while the federal judge ruled the government must take into account the damage the project would do to the group's health, wealth and wellbeing, he rejected their calls for an injunction to stop the project outright. "The minister has a duty to take reasonable care to avoid causing personal injury to the children when deciding... to approve or not approve the extension project," Justice Mordy Bromberg found. Ley has attached a number of conditions to the minewhich will produce a mix of coking coal used to make steel and thermal coal for electricity generationincluding that threatened species living in the area and nearby rivers are protected. However, Tim Buckley, from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, slammed the move as "ignoring the science of climate change and the rapidly escalating economic cost of inaction". "The Australian court system has ruled that our government has a duty of care to future generations, but our Federal government continues to ignore thisand increased stranded asset costs will be the direct result," he said. Australia is one of the world's largest producers of coal and natural gas, but has also suffered under increasingly extreme climate-fuelled droughts, floods and bushfires in recent years. A study published in the journal Nature last week found that 89 percent of global coal reservesand 95 percent of Australia's sharemust be left untouched to address the climate crisis. Explore further Australia vows to keep mining coal despite climate warning 2021 AFP A Kirtland's Warbler in Michigan. Credit: Nathan W. Cooper The trillions of bacteria living in our guts play a crucial role in our ability to digest food and fight off disease. All other animals also have communities of bacteria living inside them, that scientists call microbiomes, and learning about them can help scientists put together a more complete picture of how those animals interact with the world. In a new study in the journal Molecular Ecology, researchers used tiny radio trackers to follow the movements of birds that migrated between The Bahamas and Michigan, and they found that the same individual birds' gut bacteria were different in the two locations. And to figure that out, the scientists had to get up close and personal with a lot of bird poop. "We've seen in other animals that microbiomes can be influenced by the places their hosts live. Lots of birds migrate, and they experience different environments at different points of their migratory cycle. We didn't know how these different environments affected the birds' microbiomes," says Heather Skeen, a Ph.D. student at the Field Museum and the University of Chicago and the lead author of the Molecular Ecology study with the Field Museum's John Bates and Shannon Hackett, Nathan Cooper at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, and Peter Marra at Georgetown University. "This study shows how much we can learn about even foundational aspects of bird biology, such as migration, from the combination of new and old technologiesfieldwork and following birds in their breeding, migrating, and wintering habitats, to newer technologies of radiotelemetry and next-generation DNA sequencing," says Hackett, an associate curator at the Field Museum. While thousands of bird species migrate, Skeen and her colleagues honed in on just one for this study: Kirtland's Warbler, one of the rarest birds in the world. Kirtland's Warblers are tiny yellow-breasted songbirds that spend their winters in The Bahamas and migrate to northern Michigan in the spring, where they breed only in young jack pine forest. They nearly went extinct in the 20th century, falling to just 167 males left in the wild in 1987, but their populations have stabilized thanks to intense conservation efforts on the breeding grounds. A Kirtland's Warbler in its breeding habitat in Michigan. Credit: Please include credit to Nathan W. Cooper Still, they're a rarity in the bird world, and that rarity, paired with their extreme pickiness in breeding grounds, made them ideal subjects for this study. "We picked Kirtland's Warbler because there are very, very few species of birds where you would have been able to track individual birds from their non-breeding grounds and then capture them on their breeding grounds," says Skeen. Trying to follow individuals of extremely common, widely distributed birds like robins would have been like trying to find a needle in a haystack; with Kirtland's Warblers, there's a much smaller haystack to choose from, spread over a much smaller geographic area. The researchers started by doing fieldwork in The Bahamas, where they lured Kirtland's Warblers with recorded bird calls and fitted them with tiny radio tracking devices. The birds themselves are tiny, about half an ounce, so the geolocators weighed less than half a gram. (For context, a penny weighs about 2.5 grams.) After attaching the trackers, Skeen and her colleagues then put the birds inside of wax paper bags for a few minutes. The birds promptly turned the bags into their own private bathrooms. The warblers were then released, leaving Skeen to go into the bags and collect fecal samples. A few months later, when the birds migrated from The Bahamas to Michigan, Skeen and her colleagues used a large network of automated radio towers, known as the Motus Wildlife Tracking System, to locate the exact same individual birds that they'd sampled in The Bahamas. "There were 12 radio towers spread throughout the birds' breeding range in Michigan, and when one of our birds' trackers pinged near a tower, we would drive around the range using a handheld radio antenna, looking for the bird," says Skeen. "Once we picked up the signal, we got out of the car and walked around, trying to attract the birds using recordings of their songs." When the birds flew into the nets that the researchers set up, the scientists repeated the paper bag procedure before letting the birds go again. Researchers doing fieldwork, putting radio trackers on Kirtland's Warblers in The Bahamas. Credit: Adrienne Dale Armed with nearly two hundred samples of bird poop and samples from the same individual birds in both The Bahamas and Michigan, the researchers conducted genetic analyses of the bacteria present in the poop. They found that the bacteria present in the Michigan poop was different from the bacteria in The Bahamas poop. But, more importantly, the same individual birds had different bacteria in their digestive tracts depending on where they were when the poop was collected. "One of the most important parts about this study is that we were able to recapture birds at different portions of the annual cycle in different locations, and we have this one-to-one comparison of the same population and the same individuals and how their microbiomes changed," says Skeen. "If we'd tested different individual birds, we wouldn't have been able to say for sure if the changes we saw were due to location or if they were just differences between populations. Since we were looking at the exact same birds, these results are much more supported." A Kirtland's Warbler with a tiny radio tracking device on its back. Credit: Heather Skeen The study's findings that bird microbiomes vary from one location to another, even within the same individuals, can help scientists puzzle out how bird microbiomes work. "We know that birds' microbiomes are different from most mammals', but we don't know exactly how or why," says Skeen. In most mammals, the kinds of gut bacteria present are closely tied to the animal's species and evolutionary history, but with birds, those connections appear to be looser. Instead, previous studies have indicated that birds' gut microbiomes have more to do with where they live than what species they are. "In our study, we found that there are some groups of bacteria that are probably transient the birds acquire the bacteria from their food, they poop it out, and it's gone," says Skeen. "These bacteria don't colonize the bird, they go in and out." Skeen also notes that the climate crisis might make gut microbiomes especially important as animals attempt to survive in changing environments. "An animal's gut microbiome is an additional level of molecular diversity, and as global climate change alters ecosystems, the gut microbiome might be one of the avenues in which animals can adapt to the changing environment," says Skeen. "The gut microbiome has its own unique ecosystem, and it's ripe for discoveries." Explore further Tracing malaria's ecology using blood samples from birds More information: Repeated sampling of individuals reveals impact of tropical and temperate habitats on microbiota of a migratory bird, Molecular Ecology (2021). Journal information: Molecular Ecology Repeated sampling of individuals reveals impact of tropical and temperate habitats on microbiota of a migratory bird,(2021). The fire station, the car, the scene of the accident and the home are important places for the collaboration process. Credit: Yadid Lavy/norden.org In Europe, one-third of cities are affected by population decline, leading to financially demanding situations. How do municipalities ensure welfare and safety for citizens, at the same time as acting for more efficient use of municipal resources? A study analyzes a Swedish project for collaboration. In an article in the European Journal of Women's Studies, Ulrika Jansson, Ph.D. in Working Life Science and researcher at the National Secretariat for Gender Research, University of Gothenburg, and Lena Grip, Ph.D. in Human Geography at Karlstad University, contribute to this field by analyzing a collaboration that has been introduced in a number of Swedish municipalities. The collaborating partners in the project was the rescue service and the home-care service. The collaboration is intended to ensure welfare and safety for citizens, to guarantee a more efficient use of municipal resources, and to contribute to improved emergency management and civil protection. The research study was initiated by the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), with the aim to look into gendered obstacles and possibilities of collaboration between the rescue service and home-care service. Collaboration as a 'universal solution' "Even if collaboration is often delivered as a 'universal solution' for efficient use of resources, research shows that these processes are not always as easy as they sometimes seem in a project plan. A well-functioning collaboration can have great advantages, but the pain required to get there needs to be worth it. The processes are often difficult and complicated to implement in an efficient and satisfactory way" says Ulrika Jansson. Organizations need to be willing to change their ingrained and traditional working methods and forms of organization, in order to try new methods, forms of collaboration. Just like other implementation processes of organizational change, successful collaboration processes require good communication, clear distribution of tasks and responsibilities, a clear idea of the common goal and balanced power relations between the parties involved. Gender, place and work The fact that work is gender-coded is well-established in research. Different occupations, positions and work tasks are gendered and marked, assumed to be more or less suited for a certain gender. The labor market is likewise a part of creating and recreating gendered identities. In other words, the labor market is formed by perceptions of gender-specific 'suitable' tasks, but it is also a part of forming identities. Also within organizations notions on whether or not women or men are suited for a certain occupation or work tasks create segregation. By studying the structure and culture of an organization, conceptions of and presumptions about men's and women's positions and relations. To these well-established ideas, the article brings understandings of organizational place. However, these studies often lack a thorough gender perspective. Ulrika Jansson and Lena Grip therefore argue that more research is needed, which combines the three perspectives of gender, place and work. Places of co-operation The rescue service and the home-care service are two clearly gender-coded occupations that also operate on gender-coded workplaces and places of work. The empirical data of the study is presented and analyzed from four identified places: The fire station, the car, the scene of the accident and the home. All these four places are clearly gender-coded and are also important places for the collaboration process. The fire station is, for example, an obvious example of a gender-coded place that is filled with meaning even before the collaboration begins: "The nursing staff experience a higher status when they are based at the fire station. The also get access to a free gym at the workplace, and well-functioning buildings as their 'base'" says Ulrika Jansson. Co-localisation at the fire station does not mean that the two groups automatically interact, as was intended. Practically, the boundaries are often actively upheld at the fire station to separate the two categories of staff. This is done both spatially and through interaction. The homethe private place in the classical divide between public and private placesis another example of a gender-coded place that is filled with meaning already before the collaboration begins. While the collaboration processes might lead to a higher status for the nursing staff, the rescue service staff fear that the reverse would apply to them: that their occupation would assume a lower status by taking on too much of the nursing role and/or being associated with work tasks which to a great extent are performed by women and in private homes. In the article Ulrika Jansson and Lena Grip analyze the gender-coding, the obstacles and possibilities of all the four important places of collaboration. Gender coding work for effective collaboration The results show that collaboration processes between municipal services are complex and challenge ideals of the organization, content and responsibility of work as well as who should perform certain work tasks. In the analyzed cooperation it is the main structure and culture of the rescue service that is challenged, since it has the superior position and the preferential right of interpretation in the collaboration. The focus on the gender-coding of place and work highlights and problematizes the cooperating parties' organizational cultures and structures. Previous research show that it is important to even out the power relations between the parties involved in a collaboration process, in order to achieve sustainable collaboration. By the time of the study, this had not been addressed in the collaboration processes. "Notions of gender and gender differences are reproduced and create obstacles through the collaboration. In the long term it affects the efforts of municipalities to ensure welfare and safety for citizens. Therefore we stress the importance of analyzing structural preconditions, what obstacles might occur and having a plan to handle thembefore the collaboration begins." summarizes Ulrika Jansson. Explore further Connection between exposure and long-term sick leave More information: Lena Grip et al, 'The right man in the right place'the consequences of gender-coding of place and occupation in collaboration processes, European Journal of Women's Studies (2021). Lena Grip et al, 'The right man in the right place'the consequences of gender-coding of place and occupation in collaboration processes,(2021). DOI: 10.1177/13505068211042725 Credit: CC0 Public Domain The University of Western Australia's Institute of Agriculture has collaborated with international researchers to develop a roadmap to fast-forward breeding for accelerated crop improvement and rapid delivery systems, which will lead to a food-secure world. Two papers, recently published in Trends in Genetics and Nature Biotechnology, were the result of a Perth-based workshop organised by The UWA Institute of Agriculture and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), and attended by research institutions from Australia, India, Austria, China, Mexico and the United Kingdom. The current world population of 7.8 billion is predicted to reach 10 billion by 2057. Future access to affordable and healthy food will be challenging, with malnutrition already affecting one in three people worldwide. The papers recognized that global crop production systems need to expand their outputs sustainably to feed this rapidly growing human population. The fast-forward breeding framework provided a strategy for integrating advanced technology in crop genome sequencing, phenotyping and systems biology, together with efficient trait mapping procedures and genomic prediction (including machine learning and artificial intelligence). This would lead to establishing rapid delivery systems into global farming practices, which is required to achieve sustainable food security in the developing world. Hackett Professor Kadambot Siddique, the Director of UWA Institute of Agriculture, worked with ICRISAT's Accelerated Crop Improvement Research Program Director and Adjunct Professor from UWA and Murdoch University, Rajeev Varshney, to develop the strategy and opinion papers. "Realizing desired productivity gains in the field is imperative for securing an adequate future food supply for 10 billion people," Professor Siddique said. "We need to establish and deploy rapid delivery systems to ensure farmers can access high quality seeds and appropriate agronomy packages." Professor Varshney said increasing adoption of machine learning algorithms would provide valuable data about the genetic basis and molecular mechanisms of crops. "This improved understanding is crucial to develop varieties faster," he said. The fast-forward breeding framework demonstrated that emerging breeding approaches, such as optimal contribution selection (alone or in combination with genomic selection), would enhance the genetic base of breeding programs while accelerating genetic gains. "Integrating speed breeding with new-age genomic breeding technologies could relieve the long-standing bottleneck of lengthy crop breeding cycles and contribute sustainable food security," Professor Varshney said. Explore further Breeding a better chickpea Provided by International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) Credit: Asociacion RUVID A research team from the University of Valencia and the Jaume I University of Castellon shows an increase in the expression of 197 genes in mother mice, and a decrease of 99, when compared with virgin females in contact with offspring. These results demonstrate changes related to maternity that could be related to the maternal defense behavior of the offspring against males. This work opens the doors to new research focused on the role of these gene expression changes in the brain during motherhood. The article, published in The FASEB Journal, has studied the differences in gene expression between lactating mice and virgin females that coexisted with them and their youngcalled co-mothers , in the medial amygdala, a key brain area in the regulation of emotional responses and which is involved in the recognition of congeners through pheromones. "Our results open many questions about how the molecular changes that we have observed in the brain contribute to the physiological adaptations and behavioral changes that occur during such an important stage in the life of animals such as motherhood," explains researcher Carmen Agustin Pavon, from the Joint Research Unit in Functional Neuroanatomy of the Department of Cell Biology, Functional Biology and Physical Anthropology of the University of Valencia. Mice, a species with very complex maternal behavior, show in the case of females a radical change in behavior with respect to males depending on the phase of the reproductive cycle in which they are. When they are looking for a mate, the males attract them through their pheromones. On the contrary, when the females are lactating their young, the male pheromones unleash very aggressive responses towards the intruding males in the females, as previous work of the group has shown. This aggressive maternal behavior is an adaptive response in nature, as males are infanticidal. The new research has compared, using the RNA-Seq technique which allows a massive analysis of gene expression, the genes most expressed in the medial amygdala of lactating mothers with the genes most expressed in virgin females that had been in contact with the expectant mother and her offspring throughout pregnancy and the beginning of lactation. The co-mothers show behaviors of caring for the young, but never of aggression towards males. The research data show a significant increase in the expression of 197 genes in the mothers. Among the most overexpressed are genes that encode hormones such as prolactinin charge, among other things, of preparing the body for lactation during childbirth, growth hormone or follicle-stimulating hormonewhich stimulates the growth and development of ovarian follicles, among other functions. On the other hand, there are 99 genes that are expressed much more in co-mothers, such as inhibin hormonesregulating the release of the stimulating follicle, among other functionsor marker genes for neural activity. Finally, although no differences were found between the two groups of females, it has been discovered that genes encoding olfactory receptors are expressed in the medial amygdala, a finding that suggests the participation of their neurons in the chemoreception of internal metabolites. This research was carried out by Maria Abellan Alvaro, Carmen Agustin Pavon and Enrique Lanuza from the Department of Cell Biology, Functional Biology and Physical Anthropology of the University of Valencia, by Manuela Barneo and Fernando Martinez from the Predepartmental Unit of Medicine of the Jaume I University, all of them from the Joint Unit for Research in Functional Neuroanatomy. Guillermo Ayala, from the Department of Statistics and Operations Research of the Faculty of Mathematics of the University of Valencia, is also the author of the work. Massive sequencing techniques that reveal the presence and quantity of RNA in a reduced biological sample at a specific moment (RNASeq) have been used to carry out the study. In addition, the results on prolactin and growth hormone have been validated by quantitative PCR. Explore further Gene absence linked to male neural development More information: Maria AbellanAlvaro et al, Motherhoodinduced gene expression in the mouse medial amygdala: Changes induced by pregnancy and lactation but not by pup stimuli, The FASEB Journal (2021). Journal information: FASEB Journal Maria AbellanAlvaro et al, Motherhoodinduced gene expression in the mouse medial amygdala: Changes induced by pregnancy and lactation but not by pup stimuli,(2021). DOI: 10.1096/fj.202100163RR Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain A trio of researchers at the University of Oxford has found that studying the interrelationships between great tits, oak trees and caterpillars in Wytham Woods, in Oxfordshire, England, near Oxford, has revealed some of the complexities involved in studying changes wrought by global warming. In their paper published in the journal Nature Climate Change, Ella Cole, Charlotte Regan and Ben Sheldon describe their analysis of data obtained from 60 years of study focused on great tits in Britain. Great tits are a type of songbird found in western Europe and parts of eastern Asia. They are also a type of passenger bird and have a distinctive look with black heads and necks, white cheeks, olive upper parts and yellow underparts. The popular species has been the focus of study by groups in Britain for approximately 60 years. In this new effort, the researchers sought to learn more about how the birds are faring as the planet heats up due to global warming. To that end, they obtained data from multiple studies of the birds and discovered that temperatures in the area have increased by 2.6 degrees Celsius over the past 60 years and that has led to the great tits moving their mating and egg laying to earlier in the spring each year. The data showed that on average, the birds are currently laying their eggs approximately 16.2 days earlier than they did 60 years ago. But they also found that there was much more to the story. Great tits feed their nestlings, caterpillars, which they find living on oak tree leaves. Thus, their very existence depends on how the caterpillars and oak trees are faring as the planet warms. To learn more about the relationship between all three, the researchers looked deeper into the data from prior research efforts. They found that oak leaves in the area have been appearing earlier as spring has come earlier each year, and that caterpillars have begun appearing on the leaves earlier each year, as well. But they also found that the caterpillars and leaves were arriving slightly earlier than the tit nestlings, which suggested that they could soon be out of sync with them. Further study also showed that larvae populations were higher in areas where there was a healthier oak tree canopy, which led to more caterpillars on their leaves. Thus, if warmer temperatures lead to thinner canopies, there could be fewer caterpillars, and because of that, fewer great tits. The researchers suggest their study shows how delicate the balance can be in certain ecosystems, and how difficult it is to predict what impact global warming will have on any given system due to the number of variables involved. More information: Ella F. Cole et al, Spatial variation in avian phenological response to climate change linked to tree health, Nature Climate Change (2021). Journal information: Nature Climate Change Ella F. Cole et al, Spatial variation in avian phenological response to climate change linked to tree health,(2021). DOI: 10.1038/s41558-021-01140-4 2021 Science X Network A recent lidar analysis revealed that an area once assumed to be natural hills, center, near Tikal's Lost World complex, right, is actually an 1,800-year-old ruined citadel. Credit: Thomas Garrison/PACUNAM Scientists have been excavating the ruins of Tikal, an ancient Maya city in modern-day Guatemala, since the 1950sand thanks to those many decades spent documenting details of every structure and cataloguing each excavated item, Tikal has become one of the best understood and most thoroughly studied archaeological sites in the world. But a startling recent discovery by the Pacunam Lidar Initiative, a research consortium involving a Brown University anthropologist, has ancient Mesoamerican scholars across the globe wondering whether they know Tikal as well as they think. Using light detection and ranging software, or lidar, Stephen Houston, a professor of anthropology at Brown University, and Thomas Garrison, an assistant professor of geography at the University of Texas at Austin, discovered that what was long assumed to be an area of natural hills a short walk away from Tikal's center was actually a neighborhood of ruined buildings that had been designed to look like those in Teotihuacan, the largest and most powerful city in the ancient Americas. Houston said their lidar analysis, coupled with a subsequent excavation by a team of Guatemalan archaeologists led by Edwin Roman Ramirez, has prompted new insights on, and big questions about, Teotihuacan's influence on the Maya civilization. "What we had taken to be natural hills actually were shown to be modified and conformed to the shape of the citadelthe area that was possibly the imperial palaceat Teotihuacan," Houston said. "Regardless of who built this smaller-scale replica and why, it shows without a doubt that there was a different level of interaction between Tikal and Teotihuacan than previously believed." The results, including lidar images and a summary of excavation findings, were published on Tuesday, Sept. 28 in Antiquity. Tikal and Teotihuacan were radically different cities, Houston said. Tikal, a Maya city, was fairly populous but relatively small in scale"you could have walked from one end of the kingdom to the other in a day, maybe two"while Teotihuacan had all the marks of an empire. Though little is known about the people who founded and governed Teotihuacan, it's clear that, like the Romans, their influence extended far beyond their metropolitan center: Evidence shows they shaped and colonized countless communities hundreds of miles away. Houston said anthropologists have known for decades that inhabitants of the two cities were in contact and often traded with one another for centuries before Teotihuacan conquered Tikal around the year 378 A.D. There's also ample evidence suggesting that between the second and sixth centuries A.D., Maya elites and scribes lived in Teotihuacan, some bringing elements of the empire's culture and materialsincluding its unique funerary rituals, slope-and-panel architectural style and green obsidianback home to Tikal. Another Maya expert, David Stuart of U.T. Austin, has translated inscriptions that described the era when Teotihuacan generals, including one named Born from Fire, traveled to Tikal and unseated the local Maya king. But the research consortium's latest lidar findings and excavations prove that the imperial power in modern-day Mexico did more than just trade with and culturally influence the smaller city of Tikal before conquering it. "The architectural complex we found very much appears to have been built for people from Teotihuacan or those under their control," Houston said. "Perhaps it was something like an embassy complex, but when we combine previous research with our latest findings, it suggests something more heavy-handed, like occupation or surveillance. At the very least, it shows an attempt to implant part of a foreign city plan on Tikal." Houston said that excavations following the lidar work, led by Roman Ramirez, confirmed that some buildings were constructed with mud plaster rather than the traditional Maya limestone. The structures were designed to be smaller replicas of the buildings that make up Teotihuacan's citadel, down to the intricate cornices and terraces and the specific 15.5-degree east-of-north orientation of the complex's platforms. "It almost suggests that local builders were told to use an entirely non-local building technology while constructing this sprawling new building complex," Houston said. "We've rarely seen evidence of anything but two-way interaction between the two civilizations, but here, we seem to be looking at foreigners who are moving aggressively into the area." At an adjacent, newly uncovered complex of residential buildings, archaeologists found projectile points crafted with flint, a material commonly used by the Maya, and green obsidian, a material used by residents of Teotihuacanproviding seeming evidence of conflict. And near the replica citadel, archaeologists also recovered the remains of a body surrounded by carefully placed vessels, ceramic fragments, animal bones and projectile points. The site was dotted with charcoal, suggesting it had been set ablaze. Houston said the scene bears little resemblance to other burials or sacrifices at Tikal but is strikingly similar to the remains of warriors found years ago in Teotihuacan's center. "Excavations in the middle of the citadel at Teotihuacan have found the burials of many individuals dressed as warriors, and they appear to have been sacrificed and placed in mass graves," Houston said. "We have possibly found a vestige of one of those burials at Tikal itself." Houston and his international colleagues still have much more to uncover and analyze. Andrew Scherer, an associate professor of anthropology at Brown and a bone specialist, will study the human remains to determine their origins, potentially revealing more about Teotihuacan's relationship with Tikal. This summer, as COVID-19-related travel restrictions began to ease, Houston joined Garrison, Roman Ramirez and Morgan Clark, a Brown graduate student in anthropology, in Guatemala to uncover buildings, fortifications and storage tanks in related fortresses nearby. Excavations will resume this fall at Tikal, under the leadership of Roman Ramirez. The more they find out, Houston said, the more he hopes they understand about Teotihuacan's presence in Tikaland, more broadly, how its imperial power changed the diverse cultural and political landscape in Mesoamerica. "At this time, people are quite interested in the process of colonization and its aftermath, and in how our views of the world are informed or distorted by the expansion of economic and political systems around the globe," Houston said. "Before European colonization of the Americas, there were empires and kingdoms of disproportionate influence and strength interacting with smaller civilizations in a way that left a large impact. Exploring Teotihuacan's influence on Mesoamerica could be a way to explore the beginnings of colonialism and its oppressions and local collusions." Explore further Modern activities follow the contours of ancient Teotihuacan Credit: Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun Multitude of conspiracy theories people believe in all over the world is astonishing. They actually accompany each significant event: a catastrophe, assassination, death of a famous person or, currently, the COVID-19 pandemic. Because the formation of a distorted image of reality is so widespread this topic has been dealt with by numerous scientists. Various studies, articles and books using psychological, sociological, political science, or anthropological approaches have been published. However, the presumed conspiracy theories mechanism is still a matter of speculations because the problem is scarcely researched by specialists in natural science. Memes in the head Professor Wlodzislaw Duch from the Department of Informatics at the Faculty of Physics, Astronomy and Informatics, NCU, (Torun, Poland) is an exception. For years, his scientific interests have been focused on artificial intelligence, neural networks, informatics, quantum physics as well as cognitive science. 10 years ago, he wrote his first report on memetics, conspiracy theories, representation of memes as neural network attractor states in the brain, linking it with the formation of conspiracy theories. His article entitled "Memetics and Neural Models of Conspiracy Theories", has just been published in Patterns. "It is one of those long-lasting things in my professional life. I have tried to publish this work for so many years. Even though I indicated 10 potential reviewers, nobody felt competent enough to review it, and thus, journals rejected it," explains Prof. Duch. "The concept seemed too innovative. Moreover, it concerns the subtle processes taking place in the brain. Neuroscience experts prefer experiments on rats, so they have no chance to take a closer look at the subject of conspiracy theories. Computer models, in turn, are not concerned with subtle phenomena addressed by memetics." Richard Dawkins is the originator of memetics. He used the word meme to name bits of information "inserted into the head," those which are rapidly embedded in the neural connections structure in the brain, and whose behavior is similar to that of genes. "Memetics is thus the theory of human behavior and provides a common paradigm for cultural studies, religious studies, sociology and other fields of social studies which describe our mental space. The main challenge it faces is the identification of memes, studying how they are reproduced, spread, and developed," explains Prof. Duch, "but, what is the meme from the physical, neuroscientific point of view? It has not been described so far." Brain determinants Why do people believe in conspiracy theories? "Because this is how their brains function. We think the way our brains allow us to do," says Prof. Duch. "On the one hand, we are dealing with genetic determinism: human cognitive capacity and affective reactions are much varied and dependent on the presence of genes responsible for building individual brain structure, for example COMT, DARPP-32, DRD2the genes connected with dopamine, an important neurotransmitter. Hence, genes determine personality, predispositions, skills, but not particular decisions." On the other hand, genetic determinism only partially affects our neuronal determinism, namely, our brain formation resulting from our life experience, upbringing, culture, and religion. "We cannot think differently than our neuronal activity allows," says Prof. Duch."The whole history of a given individual, his/her experience starting in the fetal stage, may influence easy activation of certain neurons in the brain whereas other neurons require strong stimulation in order to be activated. It would be interesting to find out how certain bits of information we receive are turned into memes and reproduced while others remain unnoticed." The formation of biological and psychological mechanisms of false belief and thus conspiracy theories is obviously very complex. Accepting distorted images of reality can be a side effect of many different factors such as education or life experience, and this is why they are so difficult to study. "Moreover, accepting simple explanations can be satisfactory; it saves energy (and the brain consumes huge amounts of it), brings a pleasant sense of understanding. In contrast, complex explanations require much effort and time to be fully understood. A simple, but false, explanation is thus attractive: it is always better than no explanation at all," explains Prof. Duch. Sinks of false beliefs In his article, Prof. Duch presents one of the possible mechanisms of conspiracy theories formation in the brain. "Emotional excitement or uneasy situations induce temporarily higher neuroplasticity of the brain to make it memorize situations that affect us. After a traumatic situation a suddenly appearing explanationcan rapidly reduce the brain plasticity, 'freezing' false images," explains Prof. Duch. "All kinds of gossip becomes unambiguously associated with emotional experience. The flowing of new information is combined with the embedded traces of memory; it can self-organize to create memes attracting many accidental patterns of brain activation that represent memories and concepts. In neural networks such states are called attractors. On the mental level they appear as memes, with many accidental and false associations, destroying relationships between different states of memory. This model of formation of conspiracy beliefs can be called the rapid freezing of high neuroplasticity (RFHN)." "We can now imagine that such condensation of conceptual framework starts to cause the association of the same trace of memory with completely unrelated observations," continues prof. Duch. "It is the model I tried to present in computer simulations: there appear states so condensed with conceptual framework that practically everything merges into one place. In the terminology of dynamic systems many attractor states form a 'sink'." This is why struggling with conspiracy theories is so difficult. In the brains of those who believe in them (even if they hear an argument contradictory to what they think), memeplexes, i.e. complexes of memes related to a given topic, emerge. "And when it emerges, it is also reinforced," says Prof. Duch. "In the brain neural network each excitation of memory reinforces its pattern of activation, causing stronger associations of different, even most distant, information. Such memory trace creates a 'basin of attraction' in our conceptual framework, and more and more thoughts and observations fall into this basin. It is a physical process. It is something that cannot be changed by simple persuasion. And the physical change of brain's connections is difficult because it requires highly energy-consuming processes." Subtle processes Prof. Duch admits that in the near future he does not consider performing experiments involving the human brain. "Such experiments would be considered unethical because, to some extent, they would be based on confusing people's minds. It is also difficult to see subtle changes on the neuronal level with the current experimental techniques. Nevertheless, we have a range of sophisticated tools which may soon help us achieve more. The world is big and many good research teams continue their studies. I hope my work will inspire others to start investigations in this area," says Prof. Duch. As the researcher from Torun emphasizes, the simulations he presents should attract attention to the need of analyzing the types of distortions which commonly appear in the neural networks. More complex neural models will be necessary to enable predictions comparable to results given by neuroimaging and behavioral experiments. But even such simple models can be applied to illustrate the presumed processes responsible for the formation of different conspiracy theories. The next step will be to perform more sophisticated simulations. Explore further Disagreeable people found to be more prone to conspiracy theories More information: Wodzisaw Duch, Memetics and neural models of conspiracy theories, Patterns (2021). Wodzisaw Duch, Memetics and neural models of conspiracy theories,(2021). DOI: 10.1016/j.patter.2021.100353 Provided by Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun Jungle near the Palenque ruins, Chiapas, Mexico. Credit: Lawrence Murray/Flickr, CC BY The United Nations is preparing to host pivotal conferences in the coming months on two global crises: climate change and biodiversity loss. As experts have pointed out, these issues are fundamentally, inescapably intertwined. In both cases, human activities are harming nature and the support it provides to people. But that connection also is an opportunity. Protecting places that are both carbon- and species-rich can help slow climate change and biodiversity loss at the same time. For example, in a June 2021 report, U.N. biodiversity experts urged nations to establish strict protected areas and govern forests through "locally adjusted sustainable management practices." I study Mexican community forests, and believe they are the world's best model of local sustainable management. My research over 30 years has shown that when Indigenous and local communities control their forests for commercial timber production, both humans and the land benefit. As I write in my book, "Mexico's Community Forest Enterprises: Success on the Commons and the Seeds of a Good Anthropocene," these forests provide hope for a better future than the one now bearing down on us. Mexico's sustainability model Mexico is one of the most biodiverse countries in the world. Much of that life depends on its 165 million acres (65 million hectares) of forests, which cover about one-third of the nation's land area. This 2014 image, derived from ground-based and satellite images, shows the amount of organic carbon stored in the trunks, limbs and leaves of trees in Mexico. The darkest greens reveal the areas with the densest, tallest and most robust forest growth. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory Millions of monarch butterflies migrate from North America to forested hillsides in Mexico's Sierra Madre mountains every winter. Tropical forests in southern Mexico harbor jaguars, spider monkeys, crocodiles, anteaters and nearly 500 species of birds. As a result of the 19111917 Mexican Revolution, ownership of around 60% of the nation's forests, totaling some 104 million acres (42 million hectares), was transferred to local communities. Over the following decades, reformers subsidized equipment and provided training in logging and business for the people who took over these important resources. Community members seized the opportunity. This decades-long experiment, with government support and market incentives, has produced surprising results. Today Mexican community forest enterprises administer their common property woodlands at a scale and current maturity unparalleled anywhere else in the world. Cutting down trees may seem like a counterintuitive way to slow climate change and species loss, but in Mexico it works. Community forest businesses sell profitable products like timber and bottled spring water. Some 1,600 communities sustainably log over 17 million acres of forest. They carefully select only certain trees for harvesting so that forests will vigorously regrow. Measuring results Research shows that Mexico's model supports conservation. One study of 733 municipalities in eight states found that deforestation rates were lower in managed forests with high percentages of commonly owned land. Community forests in the tropical state of Quintana Roo have lower deforestation rates than public protected areas in southern Mexico, using logging practices that preserve habitat for wintering migratory birds. A worker measures logs harvested from community forests in Durango. Credit: David Bray, CC-BY-ND In the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca, 23 communities with a total area of over 500,000 acres have zoned their territory so that 78% of it is forested for sustainable production and conservation, leaving the remainder for agriculture and other uses. The Sierra Norte community of Pueblos Mancomunados manages its 78,000 acres mostly as a community park focused on ecotourism. Foresters cut trees only to control bark beetle outbreaks. Zapotec Indigenous people have lived here for over 1,000 years, and residents have practiced sustainable logging for decades. This region has some of the highest biodiversity in Mexico. New species are commonly discovered here, such as Charadrahyla esperancensis, a tree frog with a protruding snout. Community forests reduce poverty Over a 20-year period, from 1993 to 2013, the thickly forested landscape of Sierra Norte has also produced 3 million metric tons of timber and carbon, mostly stored in furniture and construction materials. By storing carbon in long-lasting products, sustainably managed forests actually capture more carbon than strictly conserved forests These operations also benefit local economies. In a 2019 study, Mexican researcher Juan Manuel Torres-Rojo and colleagues found that in a sample of over 5,000 Mexican forest communities, government support for forestry, particularly for investments in social and human capital, significantly reduced poverty. Charadrahyla esperancensis, a tree frog discovered in a cloud forest in Oaxaca in 2017. Credit: Canseco-Marquez, et al., 2017, CC BY-ND The most serious challenges confronting community forests are the impacts of organized crime. Gangs charge communities in several states protection money and reportedly have physically taken over community forest businesses in some northern states. Illegal logging is also a serious problem, but it is concentrated in communities that are not managing their forests. Mexican community forests are less vulnerable to stresses like the deforestation, fire and drought that threaten large swaths of the Amazon basin because neighboring communities depend on their forests for their livelihoods and constantly monitor them. Giving communities control helps land Governments of developing countries often have little money to manage protected land. Giving communities control over valuable forests and the resources to manage them is an affordable alternative. Mexico's community forests sustain themselves and generate profits. They do not depend on government subsidies, although they have received them over the years, as a pro-community forest public policy initiative. In my view, mobilizing community collective action around timbera product that, unlike most small farmer crops, virtually always has a good priceis a market-oriented way to stop deforestation and conserve biodiversity. However, many governments don't have the political will to give this kind of ownership, management authority, training and equipment to local communities. I believe that if the results achieved in Mexico were more widely known, they could help convince other governments that promoting community forestry can deliver political stability, poverty reduction and a more livable climate. Explore further New research shows community forest management reduces both deforestation and poverty This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Full TESS photometry for TOI-1201. Credit: Kossakowski et al., 2021. Using NASA's Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), an international team of astronomers has detected a new warm mini-Neptune alien world transiting a bright M-dwarf star. The newly found exoplanet, designated TOI-1201b, is estimated to be about six times more massive than the Earth. The finding is detailed in a paper published September 20 on arXiv.org. TESS is conducting a survey of about 200,000 of the brightest stars near the sun with the aim of searching for transiting exoplanets. So far, it has identified over 4,500 candidate exoplanets (TESS Objects of Interest, or TOI), of which 155 have been confirmed so far. Now, a group of astronomers led by Diana Kossakowski of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany, confirm another TOI monitored by TESS. While observing a bright M-dwarf designated TOI-1201 (also known as TIC-29960110), a transit signal was identified in the light curve of this star. The planetary nature of this signal was confirmed by follow-up photometric observations. "The planetary signature of TOI-1201b was detected in the Science Processing Operations Center (SPOC; Jenkins et al. 2016) transit search pipeline on January 16, 2019 and was issued as an alert by the TESS Science Oce (TSO) on January 31, 2019," the paper reads. According to the study, TOI-1201b has a mass of approximately 6.28 Earth masses and is about 2.41 times larger than the Earth; therefore, its density is around 2.45 g/cm3. The planet orbits its parent star every 2.49 days, at a distance of about 0.0287 AU from it. The equilibrium temperature of this object is estimated to be some 703 K. Hence, the astronomers classified TOI-1201b as a warm-Neptune. The host is a primary star of the binary system TOI-1201 located some 122.5 light years away, estimated to be around 600-800 million years old. The primary has a spectral type M2.0 and is about half the size and mass of the sun. The observations show that this M dwarf has an effective temperature of approximately 3,476 K and its rotational period was calculated to be between 19 and 23 days. The secondary star in this system is of spectral type M2.5 and turned out to be slightly smaller than the primary object. The astronomers suppose that there may be another planet orbiting the primary star of TOI-1201. This assumption is based on the radial velocity (RV) measurements that exhibited a long-term signal with a high semi-amplitude at about 102 days. It was noted that if this signal is of planetary nature, then the minimum mass of that object would be 27 Earth masses. However, additional studies of the TOI-1201 system are required in order to confirm this hypothesis. "Further RV measurements are, however, necessary to falsify or to prove a planetary origin of the signal, which could provide more insight into the architecture of multi-planetary systems," the researchers concluded. Explore further Astronomers detect new large sub-Neptune alien world More information: D. Kossakowski et al, TOI-1201 b: A mini-Neptune transiting a bright and moderately young M dwarf. arXiv:2109.09346v1 [astro-ph.EP], D. Kossakowski et al, TOI-1201 b: A mini-Neptune transiting a bright and moderately young M dwarf. arXiv:2109.09346v1 [astro-ph.EP], arxiv.org/abs/2109.09346 2021 Science X Network Laurel forest, La Gomera (Canary Islands). Credit: Sandra Nogue Research has shed new light on the impact of humans on islands' biodiversity. The findings show how human colonization altered forest across the islands of Macaronesia including the loss of landscape authenticity. Oceanic island ecosystems are unique and often contain species that are limited to specific islands or island groups. They are also vulnerable to disturbance. To provide a timeline of how humans changed these territories over the centuries, a team led by the University of Southampton, studied multiple indicators of landscape change buried in sediments deposited over periods of up to ten thousand years. The team examined samples including fossilized pollen, spores of dung-decomposing fungi that indicate the presence of sizable herbivores, fragments of charcoal indicating use of fires as well as the composition of the sediment itself. Their findings, published in the journal PNAS, showed that while forests on the islands changed naturally over thousands of years, human arrival on the Canary Islands, around 2000 years ago, and Cabo Verde, 500 years ago, led to an increase in fires and rates of soil erosion, the latter associated with the introduction of non-native livestock such as goats and pigs. One particular type of forest typical of Macaronesia, known as thermophilous forest, and characterized by iconic species such as the dragon tree, was most impacted. In Cabo Verde, data suggest that island vegetation is suffering a process of homogenisation due to human pressures and the uniqueness of individual island ecosystems is being lost. Fieldwork in Cabo Verde. Credit: Sandra Nogue The team also found that the first use of Canarian forests by aboriginal settlers appeared to have limited impact on the native vegetation, such as the laurel forest of the island of la Gomera. This is possibly due to smaller populations, typically interacting and trading with other nearby islands. By contrast, colonial era settlers who arrived in the 15th Century, adopted much more aggressive acts of deforestation, change in land use, and introduction of non-native species due to much wider trading networks which had a much greater affect. Dr. Sandra Nogue Bosch, Lecturer in Palaeoenvironmental Science at the University of Southampton said, "Contrasting the long-term history of different ecosystems, such as island forests, helps put in perspective the transformative force that humankind is unleashing all around the world." Prof Mary Edwards, Professor of Physical Geography at the University of Southampton said, "we hope that local and international institutions tackling environmental challenges in the region can use new knowledge about past ecosystem composition and variability to restore natural parks and other parts of island landscapes." Dr. Alvaro Castilla-Beltran, who completed his Ph.D. at the University of Southampton explained, "This evidence about past environments provides valuable evidence on how forests responded to human actions and how best to go about restoring these landscapes, which have in some cases suffered severe transformations and species loss." Alvaro Castilla-Beltran on fieldwork in Brava, Cabo Verde. Credit: Autylio Goncalvez The team plans to keep using cutting-edge methodologies to be able to answer these questions, unleashing the potential of geochemical tools and searching for ancient DNA preserved in in sediments. Having analyzed the consequences of human impacts on the Canary Islands and Cabo Verde, the team plan to continue their studies on other archipelagos to delve further into how island habitats have evolved. "Other important research questions remain open, for example, what was the role of a changing climate in these processes in the past, and how will global warming affect future ecosystems? What was the local impact of extreme natural phenomena such as volcanic eruptionslike the one currently active in La Palmaand how did island life change the cultures of those people that settled them? We will also keep up the work on other archipelagos to provide a new perspective of the human footprint in these fascinating territories," Dr. Nogue Bosch concluded. More information: Alvaro Castilla-Beltran et al, Anthropogenic transitions from forested to human-dominated landscapes in southern Macaronesia, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2021). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Alvaro Castilla-Beltran et al, Anthropogenic transitions from forested to human-dominated landscapes in southern Macaronesia,(2021). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022215118 An interior view of SOLARIS and the accelerator and detectors at the rear. Credit: Argonne National Laboratory How do the chemical elements, the building blocks of our universe, get built? This question has been at the core of nuclear physics for the better part of a century. At the beginning of the 20th century, scientists discovered that elements have a central core or nucleus. These nuclei consist of various numbers of protons and neutrons. Now, scientists at Michigan State University's Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) have built and tested a device that will allow pivotal insights into heavy elements, or elements with very large numbers of protons and neutrons. Ben Kay, physicist at the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, led this effort. FRIB is a DOE Office of Science User Facility. Kay and his team have completed their first experiment using the device, called SOLARIS, which stands for Solenoid Spectrometer Apparatus for Reaction Studies. Planned experiments will reveal information about nuclear reactions that create some of the heaviest elements in our world, ranging from iron to uranium. Also planned are experiments with exotic isotopes. Isotopes are elements that share the same number of protons but have different numbers of neutrons. Scientists refer to certain isotopes as exotic because their ratios of protons to neutrons differ from those of typically stable or long-lived isotopes that occur naturally on Earth. Some of these unstable isotopes play an essential role in astronomical events. "Exploding stars, the merger of giant collapsed stars, we are now learning details about the nuclear reactions at the heart of these events," said Kay. "With SOLARIS, we are able to recreate those reactions here, on Earth, to see them for ourselves." The new device follows in the footsteps of HELIOS, the Helical Orbit Spectrometer, at Argonne. Both use similarly repurposed superconducting magnets from a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine like that found in hospitals. In both, a beam of particles is shot at a target material inside of a vacuum chamber. When the particles collide with the target, transfer reactions occur. In such reactions, neutrons or protons are either removed or added from nuclei, depending on the particles, and their energies, used in the collision. "By recording the energy and angle of the various particles that are released or deflected from the collisions, we are able to gather information about the structure of the nuclei in these isotopes," said Kay. "The innovative SOLARIS design provides the necessary resolution to enhance our understanding of these exotic nuclei." What makes SOLARIS truly unique is it can function as a dual-mode spectrometer, meaning it can make measurements with either high or very low intensity beams. "SOLARIS can operate in these two modes," explained Kay. "One uses a traditional silicon detector array in a vacuum. The other uses the novel gas-filled target of the Active-Target Time-Projection Chamber at Michigan State, led by SOLARIS team member and FRIB senior physicist Daniel Bazin. This first experiment tested the AT-TPC." The AT-TPC enables scientists to use weaker beams and still collect results with the needed high accuracy. The AT-TPC is essentially a large chamber filled with a gas that serves as both the target for the beam and the detector medium. This differs from the traditional vacuum chamber that uses a silicon detector array and a separate, thin, solid target. "By filling the chamber with gas, you are ensuring that the fewer, larger particles from the low-intensity beam will make contact with the target material," said Kay. In that way, the scientists can then study the products from those collisions. The team's first experiment, led by research associate Clementine Santamaria of FRIB, examined the decay of oxygen-16 (the most common isotope of oxygen on our planet) into much smaller alpha particles. In particular, the eight protons and eight neutrons in oxygen-16 nuclei break up into a total of four alpha particles, each consisting of two protons and two neutrons. "By determining how oxygen-16 decays like this, comparisons can be made to that of the 'Hoyle state,' an excited state of a carbon isotope that we believe plays a key role in the production of carbon in stars," explained Kay. Kay and his team recorded over two million reaction events during this experiment and observed several instances of the decay of oxygen-16 into alpha particles. The dual functionality of SOLARIS will allow for an even broader range of nuclear reaction experiments than before, and give scientists new insights into some of the greatest mysteries of the cosmos. Explore further Learning what makes the nucleus tick Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain Because of financial barriers for clinical interventions, intensive educational interventions in school settings often are the primary resource for children with autism from lower-income families. Continuity of care in school settings can require coordination, referred to as social capital, between the "team-around-the-child" (TAC) the parents, school staff and community providers. However, inequality in access to social capital could adversely impact the ability of the TAC to provide continuity of care for children with autism from lower-resource families during disruptive schooling transitions. Researchers from the A.J. Drexel Autism Institute at Drexel University investigated if the TAC was associated with perceived successful transitions for children with autism from lower income families. "We found that engaging families in problem solving, promoting trust within teams and addressing any child problem behaviors promotes successful school transitions for children with autism following the transition," said Elizabeth McGhee Hassrick, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Autism Institute, and lead author. "These findings highlight the importance of providing the TAC with support and resources to build trust to address the complex needs of children with autism during these milestones." The study provides insight about how team dynamics shape success for children with autism from lower resourced families in public school settings. And findings suggest that TAC trust is significantly associated with successful outcomes of transition for children with autism immediately following the transition. Participants, which included key home, school and health care providers whom provided intervention support for children with autism, were recruited from participating public schools in three different states. Federal poverty levels were used to provide a standard threshold across the three states. Participants were from low resourced families, defined as having a household income that was 200% at or above the federal poverty threshold (adjusted for family size), and were experiencing a transition to a new school during a key developmental periodeither from prekindergarten to kindergarten or elementary to middle school or high school. The research team collected and analyzed data collected during the pre-transition period (six weeks before the end of the school year) and the post-transition period (three months following the beginning of the new school year). They investigated if two different types of TAC relationships are associated with perceived successful transitions. The two types were defined (1) as the level of trust among team members and (2) the degree of collaborative problem solving among team members. "A smooth, well-orchestrated transition for a child with autism to a new school requires many details, big and small, that are challenging to coordinate and accomplish," said McGhee Hassrick. "Special attention should be given to the social networks and teams around the children from lower income families to ensure a successful transition into their next stage of life." Researchers emphasized that problem behaviors negatively affect other areas of development, such as opportunities for socialization and learning. There is a need to address problem behaviors in order to ensure a smooth new school transition for children with autism. Because lower-income families with children with autism often rely on these teams, researchers hope this study shows the importance and impact of teams and quality of social relationships on the care given for the child. "We hope this study spurs future work which includes a longitudinal design with a robust enough sample to investigate the impact of team characteristics on new school transition success. Using a longitudinal design would allow follow up at critical time points of the transition and may reveal areas of opportunity for caregiving among team members," added McGhee Hassrick. According to the researchers there currently are no transition support interventions being developed that address the specific continuity of care needs of children with autism from lower resourced families. The study, "Disrupted Care Continuity: Testing Associations between Social Networks and Transition Success for Children with Autism" was recently published in Social Sciences. Explore further Measuring social networks of young adults with autism More information: Elizabeth McGhee Hassrick et al, Disrupted Care Continuity: Testing Associations between Social Networks and Transition Success for Children with Autism, Social Sciences (2021). Elizabeth McGhee Hassrick et al, Disrupted Care Continuity: Testing Associations between Social Networks and Transition Success for Children with Autism,(2021). DOI: 10.3390/socsci10070247 New startup Aglaia Therapeutics raises 4M in seed funding to overcome resistance in oncology targeted therapies Details Category: More News Published on Monday, 27 September 2021 18:21 Hits: 1069 Venture capital firm Advent France Biotechnology led fundraising, alongside Credit Mutuel Innovation and Pierre Fabre Co-founded by AFB and leading cancer institutes Gustave Roussy and Institut Curie, startup will use funding to prepare essential preclinical work to identify first oncology program to develop VILLEJUIF, France I September 27, 2021 I Aglaia Therapeutics, a biotechnology startup developing promising new therapies that can overcome resistance to current targeted therapies in cancer patients, today announces the successful completion of a 4M ($4.7M) seed funding round. Advent France Biotechnology (AFB) led the round, with the participation of Credit Mutuel Innovation and Pierre Fabre. AFB also acted as co-founder, with Alejo Chorny, current operating partner at AFB, now appointed chief operating officer (COO) of Aglaia Tx. Leading European cancer centers Institut Curie and Gustave Roussy participated in the creation of the company. The proceeds of the funding will be used to prepare the preclinical development program required to identify the first candidate. Aglaia Tx aims to develop promising new oncology therapies with the goal of delivering best- and first- in class drugs that can restore sensitivity to current targeted therapies in cancer patients that became resistant to these treatments. The company established a pipeline of small molecules in oncology targeting the initiation of mRNA translation. While targeted therapies have clearly improved cancer patient outcomes, global efficacy of these treatments decreases over time, with patients rapidly developing resistance to therapies. Moreover, even with therapies that lead to a complete response, small populations of cancer cells often survive treatments, driving cancer relapse, which remains one of the most challenging obstacles to effective treatments. Our goal is to dramatically improve the standard of care in cancer patients; by restoring sensitivity and avoiding resistance to current targeted therapies. We have assembled a strong team of drug developers, scientists and investors, said Alejo Chorny, COO of Aglaia Therapeutics. With this seed investment, Aglaia Therapeutics is extremely well positioned to advance its preclinical programs in the coming years and select its first innovative program. Aglaia Tx is a good example of our entrepreneur-investor approach and we firmly believe that its work opens up the possibility of tackling relapses, one of the main unmet medical needs in cancer treatment today, said Matthieu Coutet, managing partner at AFB. We are thrilled to bring together two leading European cancer institutes, Gustave Roussy and Institut Curie; to collaborate on this unique startup creation aimed at overcoming resistance in oncology targeted therapies. A collaboration between Aglaia Therapeutics, Gustave Roussy, Institut Curie and the University of Strasbourg, for the validation of targets involved in certain types of cancer, will allow the startup to keep working with the research and clinical teams of Pr Caroline Robert, Dr Stephan Vagner and Dr Laurent Desaubry. Aglaia Tx is founded on the basis of years of collaborative scientific work performed by Pr Caroline Robert, head of the dermatology department at Gustave Roussy Cancer Campus (France), Dr Stephan Vagner, head of the CNRS UMR3348 / Inserm U1278 Unit at Institut Curie (France) and Dr Laurent Desaubry, CNRS research director at the University of Strasbourg (France) who are co-founders of the startup. While Dr Vagner had been studying mRNA translation for many years, Pr Robert quickly identified the potential medical applications of such a theme. This initial work has shown that many pathways of resistance to current targeted therapies in cancer patients converge on the activation of mRNA translation by the eIF4F complex. EIF4FA, an RNA helicase, is one of the three proteins that compose the eIF4F complex, essential for the cap-dependent translation initiation of many oncogenic proteins. The abnormal activity of this complex, observed in many cancers, leads to the synthesis of proteins involved in tumor growth and metastasis. In addition, the selective translation of cellular mRNAs, controlled by the eIF4F complex, also contributes to the resistance to cancer treatments such as targeted therapies and checkpoint inhibitors. It is the identification of the importance of the mRNA translation regulation process in cancer progression and resistance to treatments that has led to the development of new therapies targeting this process in a cancer context. Advisors to Aglaia Therapeutics: Financial: McDermott Will & Emery Anthony Paronneau Advisors to Credit Mutuel Innovation: Legal: Duteil Avocats Benoit Lespinasse About Gustave Roussy Classed as the leading European Cancer Centre and the fifth on the world stage, Gustave Roussy is a centre with comprehensive expertise and is devoted entirely to patients suffering with cancer. The Institute is a founding member of the Paris Saclay Cancer Cluster. It is a source of diagnostic and therapeutic advances. It caters for almost 50,000 patients per year and its approach is one that integrates research, patient care and teaching. It is specialized in the treatment of rare cancers and complex tumors and it treats all cancers in patients of any age. Its care is personalized and combines the most advanced medical methods with an appreciation of the patients human requirements. In addition to the quality of treatment offered, the physical, psychological and social aspects of the patients life are respected. 3,200 health professionals work on its two campuses: Villejuif and Chevilly-Larue. Gustave Roussy brings together the skills which are essential for the highest quality research in oncology: a quarter of patients treated are included in clinical trials. www.gustaveroussy.fr/en About Institut Curie Institut Curie, Frances leading cancer center, combines an internationally-renowned research center with a cutting-edge hospital group that treats all types of cancer, including the rarest. Founded in 1909 by Marie Curie, Institut Curie employs 3,600 researchers, physicians, and health professionals across three sites (Paris, Saint-Cloud, and Orsay), working on its three missions: treatment, research, and teaching. A private foundation with public utility status, Institut Curie is authorized to receive donations and legacies, and thanks to the support of its donors, is able to make discoveries more quickly, improving treatments and quality of life for patients. www.curie.fr Since 2011, Institut Curie is certified Institut Carnot Curie Cancer. The Carnot label is a label of excellence granted to academic research structures with proven high quality and involvement in partnership research. Curie Cancer offers industrial partners the opportunity to set up research collaborations, benefiting from the expertise of Institut Curie teams, for the development of innovative therapeutic solutions against cancers from the therapeutic target to clinical validation. https://www.instituts-carnot.eu/en/carnot-institute/curie-cancer About Credit Mutuel Innovation Credit Mutuel Innovation is the evergreen venture capital entity of Credit Mutuel Equity (3.5 billion in capital). They invest 1-20M in life science, digital and deep tech companies from seed to growth stages. They support bold and ambitious entrepreneurs to develop their strong growth potential, with their worldwide enterprise ecosystem (ranging from their 350+ portfolio companies, their abroad subsidiaries, and 150+ largest global corporates and the best-in-class experts). They invest in their own equity and ensure durable partnerships with visionary leaders. Of the 350 companies, which Credit Mutuel have invested in, they have generated a cumulative annual turnover of 50bn, and created more than 250,000 jobs. www.creditmutuel-equity.eu/en/ About Pierre Fabre Pierre Fabre is a French health and beauty care company with 35 years of experience in innovation, development, manufacturing and commercialization in oncology. The company is the second largest dermo-cosmetics laboratory in the world, the second largest private French pharmaceutical group and the market leader in France for products sold over-the-counter in pharmacies. In 2020, Pierre Fabre generated 2.3 billion ($2.7bn) in revenue 65% of which came from international sales. Pierre Fabre is 86%-owned by the Pierre Fabre Foundation; a government-recognized public-interest foundation, and secondarily by its employees through an international employee stock ownership plan. The company has been established in the south-west of France since its creation. The group manufactures over 95% of its products in France and has about 10,000 employees worldwide. www.pierre-fabre.com About Advent France Biotechnology Advent France Biotechnology (AFB) is an AMF-regulated company that invests in a range of sectors within the life sciences specifically in therapeutics-oriented projects. AFBs unique strategy combines early-stage investments in promising enterprises and strong entrepreneurial support to strengthen the companys growth. Created in 2016 in Paris, France, AFB has a strong entrepreneurial spirit; from the inception of its first fund in 2017, it now maintains 15 European investments in France, Belgium, Spain and Ireland. AFB has developed strong relationships within the French innovation ecosystem; as a result, it has attracted international VC syndicates to its portfolio companies. The operational team is managed by Alain Huriez and Matthieu Coutet and has appointed a number of investment professionals with long-standing track records in entrepreneurial ventures, combined with strong scientific and medical expertise. www.adventfb.com About Aglaia Therapeutics Aglaia Therapeutics is a biotechnology startup developing promising new oncology therapies. The company aims at delivering best- and first- in class drugs that restore sensitivity to current targeted therapies in cancer patients that have become resistant to these treatments. Aglaia Therapeutics has established a pipeline of small molecules, targeting the initiation of mRNA translation, which the company acquired and developed through Pierre Fabre. Based in Villejuif, near Paris, France, Aglaia Therapeutics was co-founded in 2021 by Advent France Biotechnology (AFB), Institut Curie and Gustave Roussy. The company raised 4M ($4.7M) in seed funding from AFB, Credit Mutuel Innovation and Pierre Fabre to start its preclinical activities. SOURCE: Aglaia Therapeutics September 28, 2021 in Software (E) [prMac.com] Laguna Niguel, California - FormConnections, Inc. today is proud to announce the release of FormConnect Pro+, the company's form designer and form filler solution for macOS. FormConnect Pro+ was designed to make creating forms fast and easy by leveraging the power of the iPad, iPhone or Mac. Cloud-based syncing ensures that forms are always available no matter what device you're using and allows users to share and collaborate with other individuals. This updated version adds Mac support and many new advanced features for increased productivity. Advanced Features: * New Mac app that mirrors all the functionality included in the iPad and iPhone apps * Design once and deploy on multiple platforms (iPad, iPhone and Mac) * Share forms with an unlimited number of users * Sync your forms so they are accessible on all your devices * Collaborate with other users that need to work on the same form * Link fields so data entered into one field auto populates other fields * Take photos with your iPad or iPhone and include them on the form * Add images and annotate on them * Create signature boxes for capturing signatures * Add tables so fields are organized into rows and columns * Use spreadsheet like formulas to calculate totals * Add index tabs to help navigate between pages * Export data to cloud services such as Dropbox, Box, Google Drive, and OneDrive * Store forms and records in a database for quick access * Use the clipboard for storing text that can be copied and pasted into any text field * Create Siri Shortcuts for automating tasks * Add Widgets to your home page to launch one or more forms * Create multiple windows on your Mac or iPad to open more than one form at a time * Fill out forms when online or offline Who is FormConnect Pro+ for? FormConnect Pro+ is for anyone who needs to create professional looking forms on their iPhone, iPad, and Mac. These forms can be shared with other FormConnect users as needed and be designed and or filled out on all three devices. As businesses strive to save money and save the environment, going paperless is an appealing idea. FormConnect Pro+ helps make that a reality by creating the digital equivalent of a paper- based form and displaying them on Apple's mobile devices. "Our Form design apps are easy to use for creating, storing and sharing data," explained Steve Hoffman, president of FormConnections, Inc. "We designed them for both the technical and non technical users who want to create their own forms and share them with others. They are the ideal solution when using your iPad or iPhone in the field or when using your Mac in the office. Creating digital forms so businesses can go paperless has never been easier!" Pricing and Availability: FormConnect Pro+ can be purchased from the iOS or Mac App Store. A single license can be be purchased for $1.99/month or $17.99/year (USD) and includes the right to download the app on the iPad, iPhone and Mac. For more information, please contact Steve Hoffman. FormConnections is a software development company based in Laguna Niguel, California that develops Mac and iOS based apps. Their focus has been on creating apps for businesses to help them design business forms for their digital life. The company was conceived in response to Apple introducing the iPad, iPhone and Mac and the challenges that this would present as it relates to capturing data on touch screens and laptop computers. Copyright (C) 2021 FormConnections, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Apple, the Apple logo, macOS, iPhone, iPod and iPad are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. ### Ed Ponsi is the managing director of Barchetta Capital Management, an NFA-registered commodity trading advisory, and is also the president of FXEducator. An experienced professional trader, Ponsi has advised a variety of hedge funds and institutional traders. Ponsi has appeared on CNBC more than 50 times and has been profiled in magazines such as "Technical Analysis of Stocks and Commodities" and "The Traders Journal." He is the author of Selling America Short: The New World Order vs. the American Middle Class, released in Novermber 2011; Forex Patterns and Probabilities, a top-selling book on currency trading that has been translated for release in China; and The Ed Ponsi Forex Playbook, which was endorsed by Steve Hanke, professor of applied economics at The Johns Hopkins University. Three staff members at Maple High School, April Martin, Rebecca Ingrahm and Katherine Wallace received the highest honors for the 2020 academic year, and Superintendent Trevor McDonald was named Superintendent of the Year. Bundled in a coat and a pair of gloves splattered with paint, artist and Lompoc Mural Society curator Ann Thompson, held a thin paintbrush and carefully applied the last lines of black paint to the solar array panel of a small satellite depicted on the giant Landsat mural located on I Street and Ocean Avenue in downtown Lompoc. You have permission to edit this collection. Edit Close " " Two Nobel Prize winners (and one future winner) were captured in this 1904 photograph: Marie Curie, her husband Pierre Curie and their daughter Irene. AFP via Getty Images When Marie Curie and her husband Pierre won the Nobel Prize for physics in 1903, their older daughter Irene was just 6 years old. Little could they have imagined that not only would Marie go on to win a second Nobel in chemistry in 1911 the first person ever to receive the prize twice but Irene and her husband, Frederic Joliot, would take home their own Nobel in chemistry in 1936. And in 1965, their younger daughter Eve's husband, Henry Labouisse, would accept the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of UNICEF, the humanitarian organization he ran. Here's what you need to know about this family, which holds more Nobel Prizes than any other. Advertisement 1. Marie's Nobel Prizes Were Controversial She was the first woman to receive a Ph.D. in France. The first female professor at the Sorbonne. The first woman to win the Nobel Prize. The first person to win more than one Nobel Prize (and to this day, the only woman to win more than once). And the first person to win a Nobel in more than one scientific field. Yet, not everyone thought Marie deserved to share the scientific stage with her male colleagues. In 1903, the Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to Marie and her husband Pierre for their study of radiation, as well as to Henri Becquerel for his observation of spontaneous radiation in uranium. Yet members of the French Academy of Sciences nominated only Pierre and Becquerel for the prize. Marie was included only after Pierre Curie worked to persuade some on the Nobel committee that his wife deserved to share the honor, too. At the awards ceremony, the president of the Swedish Academy downplayed her contributions, quoting the Bible in his speech: "It is not good that man should be alone, I will make a helpmeet for him." Eight years later in 1911, Marie was the sole recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry, in recognition of her discovery of radium and polonium and her subsequent research into the nature of these elements. Even then, "there were some who believed that Marie Curie received the second Nobel essentially for the same work and didn't deserve it," says Naomi Pasachoff, author of "Marie Curie and the Science of Radioactivity." Advertisement 2. Pierre Was Marie's Great Love and Greatest Collaborator Marie, who was born Marya Sklodowska in 1867, met Pierre Curie in 1894 when she took a job in Pierre's lab. Pierre, then a 35-year-old physicist studying crystals and magnetism, quickly fell in love with the 27-year-old Marie. The next year, they were married. " " A rare photo of Marie Curie in her laboratory ca. 1905. Bettmann/Getty Images Though Pierre was several years her senior, it was Marie who steered their work into radiation. For her doctoral thesis, she began building on the work of Becquerel and German physicist Wilhelm Rontgen, who had recently discovered X-rays. Marie eventually hypothesized that the mysterious penetrating rays were a property of the element's atoms. Pierre shelved his work with crystals to help Marie further her discoveries. They set out to measure the strength of the rays by adapting an instrument developed by Pierre. Studying an ore containing uranium, Marie noted that it emitted much more radiation than one would expect from the element alone. While investigating the source of the rays, they discovered two new radioactive elements radium and polonium, which Marie named for Poland, the country of her birth. Polonium was 400 times more radioactive than uranium. The pair were deeply devoted to their work and to one another. Yet just three years after they won the Nobel Prize, their collaboration ended tragically when Pierre was run over by a horse-drawn cart. Marie was devastated. "From all accounts Marie loved her husband deeply and was overwhelmed with grief, so much so that she refused to talk about Pierre," says Shelley Emling, author of "Marie Curie and Her Daughters: The Private Lives of Science's First Family" in an email interview. In a biography of Pierre published by Marie in 1923, she wrote, "It is impossible for me to express the profoundness and importance of the crisis brought into my life by the loss of the one who had been my closest companion and best friend. Crushed by the blow, I did not feel able to face the future. I could not forget, however, what my husband used sometimes to say, that, even deprived of him, I ought to continue my work." Advertisement 3. The Nobel Prizes Made Marie a Big Celebrity More than 150 years after her birth, Marie Curie remains one of the most famous female scientists. But even during her life, the reserved Marie was a superstar. "She was a renowned scientist at a time when there were virtually no women in the field," says Pasachoff. "She was a heroine, she was an oddity. In some ways, she was famous for being famous." In 1921, Marie and her two daughters set off across the Atlantic Ocean on their first journey to America, where Marie was mobbed by fans and given a queen's welcome. In New York, Marie was toasted at the Waldorf Astoria, Carnegie Hall, and the American Museum of Natural History, which hosted an exhibit dedicated to her discovery of radium. Universities conferred honorary degrees on her, and President Warren G. Harding held an event in her honor at the White House. "Until that time, her daughters had no idea their mother was famous," says Emling. "Marie was nothing if not humble. But everywhere they went in America they were greeted by throngs of reporters and flashing cameras. People wanted Marie's autograph. The girls were stunned, as was Marie." Advertisement 4. A Teenaged Irene Taught Radiation Courses Marie was determined not to give up her scientific work after her daughter Irene was born in 1897. "But although she was relentless in her scientific pursuits, she also was devoted to her daughters," says Emling. "It's true that she wasn't able to spend an inordinate amount of time with her children which meant Marie's father-in-law and others often cared for them but she did lead by example," Emling adds. "And she was very involved in their upbringing," especially after the death of Pierre. For example, Marie enrolled her girls in a cooperative school in which the parents took turns teaching the children lessons in their areas of expertise. (Marie taught physical sciences.) " " Irene Curie and her husband Frederick Joliot shared the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 1935. The Joliot-Curies were also active in the antifascist movement in France. Bettman/Getty Images As the years went on, Irene took her father's place as Marie's colleague. During World War I, Marie chose a teenaged Irene to assist her in bringing X-rays to the battlefront to treat wounded soldiers. Irene worked alongside her mother running mobile X-ray units in field hospitals and specially outfitted vehicles, which the soldiers dubbed "petites Curies." "Marie felt so confident in her daughter's knowledge and abilities that she had Irene give courses in radiation to soldiers and nurses," says Pasachoff. "This was even before Irene had earned her university degree." Later, Irene became her mother's assistant at the Radium Institute while completing her studies. It's there that Irene met engineer Frederic Joliot, a trainee in Marie's lab, whom she married in 1926. In 1934, the couple made a bombshell discovery when they figured out a way to artificially create radioactive atoms in the lab. It earned them a shared Nobel in chemistry the following year, making Irene and her parents the only mother-daughter and father-daughter pairs ever to receive the prize. Like her mother, Irene died of prolonged exposure to radiation. Advertisement 5. Eve Was the Social Butterfly in the Family "Born seven years apart, Eve and her older sister Irene couldn't have been more different," says Emling. "Irene was quiet and studious, preferring to stay home and read a book to going out and socializing. Eve was, by all accounts, a true beauty who enjoyed a wide circle of friends." " " Eve Curie, a concert pianist and journalist, was also involved in humanitarian work. KEYSTONE-FRANCE/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images Rather than follow her parents into the sciences, Eve found success as a writer. Perhaps her best-known work was "Madame Curie," a biography of her mother that she wrote after Marie died in 1934. The book became a huge bestseller and earned Eve literary acclaim. Reviewing it in The New York Times, critic Charles Poore called "Madame Curie," a biography that stirs the heart and the mind by a fine counterpoint of sense and sensibility, a great story superbly told." "During World War II, Eve became a foreign correspondent, traveling tens of thousands of miles to wartime fronts that included Iran, Iraq, India, China, Burma and North Africa," says Emling. There, she gathered enough material for a second bestselling book, "Journey Among Warriors." "When Eve arrived for a book tour in the United States where her smiling face graced the cover of Time magazine in February 1940 she was greeted as a celebrity. She gave lectures and had dinner with Eleanor Roosevelt." After the war, Eve turned to humanitarian work. In 1952, she was appointed special adviser to the first secretary general of NATO. In 1954, she married an American diplomat, Henry Richardson Labouisse, who later became the executive director of UNICEF. "Eve travelled to dozens of developing countries on behalf of UNICEF, and her tireless efforts earned her the title of First Lady of UNICEF," says Emling. In 1965, when UNICEF was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, it was Labouisse who accepted the honor on the organization's behalf the fifth person in the Curies' extended family to receive the prize. Eve died in 2007 at the ripe old age of 102. HowStuffWorks may earn a small commission from affiliate links in this article. Now That's Interesting The distinguished scientific tradition of the Curie family still lives on. Helene Langevin-Joliot, the daughter of Irene and Frederic Joliot-Curie, is a well-respected nuclear physicist in France. Helene's husband, Michael Langevin, is also a nuclear physicist, and their son is an astrophysicist. Advertisement Originally Published: Mar 3, 2020 How can extreme prosecutorial power be checked? | Main | Intriguing article on fishy criminal registries September 28, 2007 Obama talking about serious sentencing reform As detailed in a number of posts below, I have been wondering about when some of the presidential candidates would start talking seriously about sentencing reform. According to this press release, which is entitled "Obama Outlines Plan to Address Disparities in America's Justice System," today is the day for Barack Obama. Obama is giving a speech at Howard University, and the press release details these notable feature's of Obama's plan for "ensuring that every citizen is afforded equal and fair justice under the law": "He will ensure that we have crime policy that is both tough and smart. This means if you are convicted of a crime involving drugs, you will be punished. However, the punishment for crack cocaine should not be that much more severe than the punishment for powder cocaine when the real difference between the two is the skin color of the people using them." "He will review mandatory minimum drug sentencing to see where we can be smarter on crime and reduce the blind and counterproductive warehousing of non-violent offenders. And he will give first-time, non-violent drug offenders a chance to serve their sentence, where appropriate, in the type of drug rehabilitation programs that have proven to work better than a prison term in changing bad behavior." With last week's Jena 6 march and next week's SCOTUS argument in Kimbrough, the timing for this speech seems just right. It will be especially interesting to see what sort of national reception it gets and whether these issues have any long-term traction. UPDATE : A lengthy 7-page official document from the Obama campaign covering a range of equal justice issues can be accessed at this link. September 28, 2007 at 11:10 AM | Permalink TrackBack TrackBack URL for this entry: https://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83451574769e200e54eebef2e8833 Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Obama talking about serious sentencing reform: Comments I will admit to not having kept up with this debate over the years, but I remember at least two points being brought up in favor of this sentencing disparity: (1) crack is far more addictive than cocaine, so an ounce-to-ounce comparison is invalid; (2) the difference between the two is not only the color of the dealers by the color of the addicts. When crack first appeared on the scene, if memory serves, it had an especially harmful effect in black communities (and there are people now who claim the CIA intentionally introduced the drug to decimate black communities). Perhaps one or both of these factors has changed over the years, but it seems that civil rights advocates would WANT to punish those who are doing the greatest harm to their constituency. Posted by: Greg May | Sep 28, 2007 11:26:28 AM So Obama is going to tout "the type of drug rehabilitation programs that have proven to work better than a prison term in changing bad behavior"? What "type" is that? The type that is imaginary I suspect since (as we've discussed before) there is no such "type". If we are going to give a very small percentage of drug offenders effective treatment why can't we be honest about the fact that we are doing it to help those few rather than perpetuate the lie that treatment is a silver bullet that it assuredly is not? Let's be honest about the lack of effectiveness. I suspect disingenuous politics, as always, and predict Obama has no real intention of moving on treatment on a larger scale since, unlike his braindead disciples, he is no dummy (and in fact, a traditional DC operator) and must know the numbers don't support treatment as a realistic option to end addiction or recidivism for the vast, overwhelming majority of offenders. Posted by: dweedle | Sep 28, 2007 11:40:02 AM Mr. May: As recently as last year the DOJ was half-heartedly touting the "crack is more dangerous" argument at public meetings regarding the disparity... but now even the DOJ has retreated to "we are interested in having a debate." When you are abandoned by the Bush DOJ in your tough sentencing argument you might want to reconsider your position. There is little evidence to suggest that crack is more associated with "violent street gangs" as the DOJ used to suggest. Crack doesn't fall from the sky, BTW, it's made from powder, and the same medium level dealers and distributors that manufacture crack must, by necessity, possess powder. So they're less dangerous if you catch them before they make the cut? Get real. The disparity was born out of a panic, and like all laws born out of a panic it was and is unjust and without basis. Posted by: dweedle | Sep 28, 2007 11:51:53 AM Mr. Dweedle--Please cite the studies you're referencing. I want to check them. Thank you. Posted by: Michael Connelly | Sep 28, 2007 11:55:22 AM There are pitiful *few* studies Michael, as was discussed here at length a few weeks ago. Purposefully few, I would suggest, as the results would expose the rehab industry to serious questions about effectiveness. NIDA (http://www.nida.nih.gov/) has some pre-crack numbers from 1986 that document 65% of treatment failing within 5 years. If you can find failure numbers from the '90's or '00's I'd be interested myself, mostly because I suspect that the rate now tops 80% or more with so many more cocaine and meth users in the population of addicts since '86. Meth in particular has proven to be a very tricky drug to quit. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the 5 year success rate on treatment is in the single digits. After all, addiction is not "cured" by treatment, as the rehab industry is quick to point out when challenged by the lack of supporting evidence. That being said, I do think therapy is a fine option for the individual that wants it, and I've put many clients into 30 day programs, country club camps, and "lookdown" facilities (that aren't really locked-down). The only large % who I have seen real effectiveness regarding rehab are kids who were using weed and drinking who, let's be honest, probably would have done just as well without rehab. There is a population sent to private rehab (mostly rich, young, and white) that aren't the type of offenders we are really talking about when these alternatives are touted as penal solutions. The excuse that is often given is "we don't have enough beds". It's a cop-out and the lack of bona fide numbers only reinforces my belief that the proponents are scared of the true figures, particularly regarding meth and cocaine relapse from currently operating programs. I'm sick of politicians like Obama using platitudes about drug treatment in debate as if it is a proven cure-all or equal substitution for incarceration. It ain't. Let's have some honesty about how ineffective it is and how recidivism is not significantly affected. And again, I'm not saying treatment isn't an option that works well for some individuals, I'm just saying lets be honest about it's usefulness as an alternative to incarceration for recidivist populations as a whole. If you can provide me numbers from those populations (not Bobby and Sue who got busted with a joint) that show effective treatment after 5 years for even a simple majority of that population I'll eat my words. Even the NIDA study showed 47% relapse within one short year -- all before crack and meth. Posted by: dweedle | Sep 28, 2007 12:41:18 PM From NIDA's website in its sections on meth and cocaine: Meth At this time, the most effective treatments for methamphetamine addiction are behavioral therapies such as cognitive behavioral and contingency management interventions. For example, the Matrix Model, a comprehensive behavioral treatment approach that combines behavioral therapy, family education, individual counseling, 12-Step support, drug testing, and encouragement for nondrug-related activities, has been shown to be effective in reducing methamphetamine abuse. Contingency management interventions, which provide tangible incentives in exchange for engaging in treatment and maintaining abstinence, have also been shown to be effective. Cocaine Many behavioral treatments have been found to be effective for cocaine addiction, including both residential and outpatient approaches. Indeed, behavioral therapies are often the only available, effective treatment approaches to many drug problems, including cocaine addiction, for which there is, as yet, no viable medication. However, integration of both types of treatments may ultimately prove to be the most effective approach for treating addiction. Disulfiram (a medication that has been used to treat alcoholism), in combination with behavioral treatment, has been shown, in clinical studies, to be effective in reducing cocaine abuse. It is important that patients receive services that match all of their treatment needs. For example, if a patient is un-employed, it may be helpful to provide vocational rehabilitation or career counseling. Similarly, if a patient has marital problems, it may be important to offer couples counseling. A behavioral therapy component that is showing positive results in many cocaine-addicted populations is contingency management. Contingency management may be particularly useful for helping patients achieve initial abstinence from cocaine. Some contingency management programs use a voucher-based system to give positive rewards for staying in treatment and remaining cocaine free. Based on drug-free urine tests, the patients earn points, which can be exchanged for items that encourage healthy living, such as joining a gym, or going to a movie and dinner. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, or Relapse Prevention, is another approach. Cognitive-behavioral treatment, for example, is a focused approach to helping cocaine-addicted individuals abstainand remain abstinentfrom cocaine and other substances. The underlying assumption is that learning processes play an important role in the development and continuation of cocaine abuse and dependence. The same learning processes can be employed to help individuals reduce drug use and successfully cope with relapse. This approach attempts to help patients recognize, avoid, and cope; i.e., recognize the situations in which they are most likely to use cocaine, avoid these situations when appropriate, and cope more effectively with a range of problems and problematic behaviors associated with drug abuse. This therapy is also noteworthy because of its compatibility with a range of other treatments patients may receive, such as pharmacotherapy. Therapeutic communities (TCs), or residential programs with planned lengths of stay of 6 to 12 months, offer another alternative to those in need of treatment for cocaine addiction. TCs focus on resocialization of the individual to society, and can include on-site vocational rehabilitation and other supportive services. Of course, there is variation in the types of therapeutic processes offered in TCs. Posted by: Michael Connelly | Sep 28, 2007 1:51:10 PM "Shown to effective"?? In what %? Over what time frame? Most drug treatment isn't even 100% effective while the addicts are IN the program! This is convincing to you? Take a look at the GAO's 1998 report that shows "benefits of treatment are overstated": http://www.gao.gov/archive/1998/he98072.pdf What the GAO found is, as I stated, reliable data regarding treatment effectiveness is hard to find. Most studies rely on dubious self-reported data or other hard to define criteria. Again, I want to state that I do not doubt there are a % of people that benefit from treatment, my complaint is the baseless assumption that treatment is a bona fide solution to recidivism and other penal issues. Facts would be a lot more convincing. Posted by: dweedle | Sep 28, 2007 2:27:05 PM Effective Investments in Public Safety: Drug Treatment 2/2/07 Posted by: George | Sep 28, 2007 3:25:16 PM George: Firstly, the studies mentioned suffer from the same issues the GAO had with the studies they reviewed in 1998: self reporting, indefinite criterion, and sample size. Second, a lot of these studies link treatment with "recidivism" without defining the terms and the length of study (i.e. the cite to NHS says 64% drop... for what time period?). Third, the link to recidivism itself is dubious and not usually well addressed. When you are dealing with specific populations (i.e. small) there are likely many factors that go into recidivism, such as education, economics, mental health, that are simply not addressed in these numbers. There is really only one way to measure treatment effectiveness: whether it takes. Those numbers are all over the map in these studies but *ALWAYS* over 60% or more have relapsed five years and beyond. That's the dirty little secret of treatment alternative proponents. The fact is that kicking drugs is very hard to do long term and the ultimate effect of sobriety on recidivism is not well documented or concretely studied. Again, lets just be honest here. The numbers do not bear out that an vastly expanded treatment regime will be more effective, long term, compared to incarceration. Are the few victories that a select, well-sifted population have had in the past going to translate to the much larger, less controlled population proponents suggest? Expanding treatment without asking these hard questions about the data makes us all feel really good about ourselves, and makes for a rah-rah progressive political slogan for Obama, but how realistic an option is it? Posted by: dweedle | Sep 28, 2007 3:54:59 PM dweedle, read the Washington study for yourself: EVIDENCE -BASED TREATMENT OF ALCOHOL, DRUG, AND MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS: POTENTIAL BENEFITS, COSTS, AND FISCAL IMPACTS FOR WASHINGTON STATE Conclusion: Findings 1. Evidence-based treatment works. We found that the average evidence-based treatment can achieve roughly a 15 to 22 percent reduction in the incidence or severity of these disordersat least in the short term. 2. The economics look attractive. We found that evidenced-based treatment of these disorders can achieve about $3.77 in benefits per dollar of treatment cost. This is equivalent to a 56 percent rate of return on investment. From a narrower taxpayers-only perspective, the ratio is roughly $2.05 in benefits per dollar of cost. 3. The potential is significant. We estimate that a reasonably aggressive implementation policy could generate $1.5 billion in net benefits for people in Washington ($416 million are net taxpayer benefits). The risk of losing money with an evidence-based treatment policy is small. Posted by: George | Sep 28, 2007 5:51:37 PM Not that I don't think all the information on treatment is important because it is EXTREMELY important but it is missing the point of sentencing reform. Not all people convicted of selling drugs are addicts!!!! I do not have research to back up my statement but what I do have is first hand experience working in an institution. The sentences handed out to first-time, non-violent offenders is appalling and the majority were not addicts and many did have previous criminal records! The growing prison population, the impact on tax payers, and the fact that eventually these first-time, non-violent offenders will be released back into society (after 20-30 years of incarceration) should be troubling for all of America! Sentencing reform is far overdue! Posted by: NLS | Sep 28, 2007 9:08:52 PM dweedle, I really don't get your response to my comments at all. The justifications I offered had nothing to do with street gangs. Justification number one was that crack is far more damaging to its users -- far more addictive. Also, isn't crack much cheaper, making its class of victims (users) much broader? Nothing you said offered any support for a valid ounce-to-ounce comparison of the two drugs. As for dealers being more dangerous once they have processed the powder cocaine into crack -- well, yes, they are, if crack is indeed more harmful. The owner of an AR-15 rifle is far less dangerous before he files down the sear pin to make the weapon fully automatic, after which he is much more dangerous. And again, why does everyone concentrate on the race of the dealers instead of the race of the users? Crackpots voice their theories that the CIA introduced crack to destroy the black community. Civil rights leaders either ignore or endorse these theories, so obviously they find the introduction of crack to be a very heinous act. Why is it any less so when perpetrated by drug dealers of any color? If you want parity, increase the penalties for powder, at least where possession with intent to process into crack can be proven. Then you can get the white guys that sell powder to the guys who make the crack -- if you have the proof. Posted by: Greg May | Sep 29, 2007 12:10:20 AM Greg: Reports are that the once stated THEORY that crack is more addictive than cocaine can not be substantiated, the crack laws were quickly enacted out of fear without the proof we now have. As for crack being cheaper I don't really see what that has to do with too harsh of penalities. (What about the growing meth problem?) As for crack dealers being more dangerous, you can not claim they are more dangerous simply because they deal in cheaper smaller amounts of a drug. (Again please remember studies conducted over the years are now disproving crack is more dangerous)I do not believe we have heard anyone push for violent, repeat offenders to get lighter sentences and you can not say that if you deal drug A your not dangerous but if you deal drug B you are less dangerous. That theory does not make sense. What if we put that same standard to alcohol? Over the legal limit is over the limit and dealing drugs is dealing drugs and a decade or more for a first time drug offense is absurd. Twenty years of these drug laws have done nothing to help America's drug problem! Posted by: NLS | Sep 29, 2007 4:31:22 PM Greg: Reports are that the once stated THEORY that crack is more addictive than cocaine can not be substantiated, the crack laws were quickly enacted out of fear without the proof we now have. As for crack being cheaper I don't really see what that has to do with too harsh of penalities. (What about the growing meth problem?) As for crack dealers being more dangerous, you can not claim they are more dangerous simply because they deal in cheaper smaller amounts of a drug. (Again please remember studies conducted over the years are now disproving crack is more dangerous)I do not believe we have heard anyone push for violent, repeat offenders to get lighter sentences and you can not say that if you deal drug A your not dangerous but if you deal drug B you are less dangerous. That theory does not make sense. What if we put that same standard to alcohol? Over the legal limit is over the limit and dealing drugs is dealing drugs and a decade or more for a first time drug offense is absurd. Twenty years of these drug laws have done nothing to help America's drug problem! Posted by: NLS | Sep 29, 2007 4:31:37 PM Greg: If we are going to gauge punishments on the "damage to users" then I guess we should ramp up the punishment for people who procure alcohol and cigarettes to minors since those two drugs are the deadliest of all drugs known to man, right? That being said there is no scientific evidence that crack is especially more harmful or more addictive than powder because, and I'll say this again since you seem to not get it yet, it's the same friggin' drug just delivered differently. Smoked cocaine (freebase or crack) just gets to those happy little receptors a little faster than up the ol' schnozz. That's why the disparity makes no sense except as a special punishment meted out to the poorer (blacker) users of cocaine. Posted by: dweedle | Oct 1, 2007 6:34:24 PM NLS, Thanks for addressing the point raised in my comments. Of course, I realize that if you disprove the premise that crack is more addictive and more dangerous to its users, then you eliminate one of the reaons for enhanced sentencing that I have heard advanced. At least, so long as you are talking about like amounts and not just the effect of the drug overall. I raise this because I have always heard complaints about the sentencing disparity made in terms of the amount of drug at issue. That is, harsher punishment for X grams of crack than for the same amount of powder cocaine. But if crack is distilled down from cocaine -- I have no idea what the actual ratios are, but suppose it tales 10 grams of poweder cocaine to create a 1 gram crack dose -- then isn't it fair that the sentence for 10 grams of powder should be the same as the sentence for 1 gram of crack? (I have no idea what the actual sentencing ratios are -- I am only setting forth a basic principle, here.) As for being more dangerous, I agree wholeheartedly that drugs of like danger need to be treated alike. And if you are correct that crack and powder cocaine are equally dangerous on a gram-for-gram basis, then I certainly agree that sentencing should be the same for both. My point about the drug being cheaper is that it makes for wider distribution, i.e., enlarges the customer pool, making it a bigger threat (in the abstract). People can argue about whether that justifies harsher sentencing, but it is a concrete difference. But I don't think your drunk driving analogy holds. The proper analogy in that context is that an intoxicated person driving a car is far more dangerous than an intoxicated person shuffling down the sidewalk. We punish the former more harshly than the latter, and justifiably so. You write that "you can not say that if you deal drug A you are more dangerous but if you deal drug B you are less dangerous." That is not true, at least in the abstract. Certainly, the dealer of drug A should be considered more dangerous than the dealer of drug B if drug A is likely to cause permanent brain damage to a person or is easy to overdose, while drug B is neither. Again, I'm not insisting that crack is any more dangerous than powder cocaine, because I don't keep up with these studies. I'm only saying that relative danger of drugs could justify disparities in ounce-for-ounce sentencing. Again, thanks for responding to my comments. Greg Posted by: Greg May | Oct 1, 2007 6:48:54 PM Greg: It's the other way around, crack is diluted from powder. In fact, a large part of the mass of a crack rock is the additives other than cocaine. Posted by: dweedle | Oct 2, 2007 5:41:32 PM Crack Myths Myth #1: Children whose mothers smoked crack during gestation are neurologically damaged. They don't develop emotionally or intellectually. Fact: The assertions claiming that children who have been exposed to crack cocaine before birth are permanently damaged are unsubstantiated. Numerous studies have shown that there is very little conclusive evidence to support the "crack baby" myth. The pervasive nature of this myth makes it extremely difficult for babies who have been exposed to crack to receive adequate medical attention. As a result, there has been a recent push in the medical community to combat the "crack baby" myth. ___________ Myth #2: Crack is purer than powder cocaine, and is more potent. Fact: There is no pharmacological difference between crack cocaine and powder cocaine. Crack cocaine is simply powder cocaine which has been converted into a solid "rock" form that may be smoked. The effects of smoking crack cocaine may be more intense, but this is a result of the mode of ingestion rather than the drug's purity. Regardless, it is difficult to rationalize the extreme sentencing disparity between crack and cocaine. Source: Hatsukami, D. and Fischman, M. Crack cocaine and cocaine hydrochloride: are the differences myths or reality?. Journal of the American Medical Association (November 1996). ___________ Myth #3: To use crack once can lead to instant addiction. Fact: While crack cocaine is addictive, it is extremely unlikely that one would become addicted after one use. 2004 statistics from the National Household Survey on Drug Use and Health shows that 7,840,000 (3.3%) of Americans have smoked crack cocaine during their lifetime. However, only 467,000 (.2%) of Americans reported smoking crack cocaine in the last 30 days. If crack was instantaneously addictive, the number of recent users would be much larger. Source: SAMHSA. Results from the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables. ___________ Myth #4: Crack is much more addictive than powder cocaine. Fact: There is very little evidence to support the claims that crack is more addictive than cocaine. According to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse in 2004 of Americans age 12 and older, 5.9% of individuals who had ever tried cocaine went on to be "current users" (reported use within the past 30 days). The same statistic for crack use was also 5.9%. These numbers show no statistical difference in the tendency towards the future use of cocaine and crack. Source: Reinerman, C. and Levine H., Crack in America. University of California Press (September 1997). 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: National Findings. ___________ Myth #5: Crack use is much more dangerous than powder and kills its users more often. Fact: The misuse of any drug (legal or illegal) may be detrimental to the health of an individual. However, it is erroneous to claim that the use of crack cocaine alone is a major cause of death. In fact, in 2000 the percentage of deaths attributed to ALL illegal drugs was .7%. In comparison, 435,000 deaths (18.1%) were caused by tobacco in the same year. Claims that crack use is a leading cause of death are, for the most part, unsubstantiated. Source: Actual Causes of Death in the United States, 2000. American Medical Association (2004). ___________ Myth #6: Crack is used almost exclusively by Blacks and is a special plague of the Black community. Fact: While often characterized as a drug of the Black community, 60% of individuals who have used crack in the last month are White. White crack users also account for 66% of individuals who have ever used crack in their lifetime. Simply stated, the majority of crack users are White. Despite this reality, 80% of people arrested for crack offenses in 2002 were Black. Consequently, a disproportionate number of Black crack offenders face the harsh mandatory minimums associated with crack convictions. Source: SAMHSA. Results from the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Detailed Tables. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Compendium of Federal Justice Statistics, 2003. Table 1.4. ___________ Myth #7: Crack use leads to violence much more than the use of other drugs. Fact: The claims that crack induces violence are grossly exaggerated. Research has shown that crack use does not necessarily result in violent behavior. Most of the violence related to crack is a result of the drug's status as an illegal substance. Violence is rarely a result of the pharmacological effects of the drug, and is most often attributed to the violent nature of the illegal drug market. Source: Reinerman, C. and Levine H., Crack in America. University of California Press (September 1997). Tel: 301-589-6020 Fax: 301-589-5056 8730 Georgia Avenue, Suite 400 Silver Spring, MD 20910-3649 Eric E. Sterling, J.D., President, CJPF 2006 This website is supported by the Criminal Justice Policy Foundation, a non-profit educational organization, that helps educate the nation about the problems of the criminal justice system. Posted by: Rita | Oct 3, 2007 3:07:35 PM does anyone out there know as of yet if the sentencing has been reduced to 65%??? Posted by: Laura | Mar 11, 2009 2:37:41 PM I was just curious as to wether congress had passed the bill to lower drug convictions to 65% or if they were going to?? MOTHER Posted by: Laura | Mar 11, 2009 2:39:37 PM Great post ! i've already subscribed to your feed. Thanks Posted by: ganhar dinheiro | Aug 17, 2009 9:24:55 AM It is a very controversial subject, congratulations for the post! Posted by: Ganhar Dinheiro | Nov 18, 2009 10:19:18 AM Very cool post! Posted by: Dinheiro | Nov 22, 2009 8:26:08 AM Well, I also HOPE they will be passing the bill to lower drug convictions to 65%! Nice post and good research there. Thanks much! Posted by: Judy Kingston-Smith | Nov 8, 2010 5:52:17 AM Excellent post, I liked a lot. Success! Posted by: Kleber Razorg | Dec 30, 2010 4:49:27 PM Very cool this post! Thanks Posted by: Como Ganhar Dinheiro | May 1, 2011 7:05:07 PM seeing this post and the date is going to 3 years that Barack Obama and the changes in power? __ http://administracaogestao.blogspot.com/ for those interested. Posted by: gestao e administracao | Dec 16, 2011 1:34:24 PM very nice tips Posted by: dinheirocomoganhar | Jan 24, 2012 9:35:15 PM Hi; Thks a lot for this post ! I live in Brazil and i love foregin wevsites. Thks Posted by: Como Ganhar Dinheiro Na Internet | Feb 8, 2012 3:18:39 PM obama talking Excellent post ! http://bit.ly/1n3SORR Posted by: serade | May 20, 2014 3:03:15 PM obama talking about retirement? again? Posted by: Sergio Serade | May 22, 2014 8:21:01 PM Decrease crimanalidade should always be the goal of a country Posted by: Como ganhar dinheiro | Feb 2, 2015 10:23:31 PM The punishments should always be strong for the crime. Posted by: Como ganhar dinheiro na internet | Feb 3, 2015 9:41:26 AM I agree, for me the punishments should be more rigid, not like in Brazil! Posted by: Aprender musica | Mar 21, 2016 8:18:49 AM It is a very controversial topic, a very informative article. Posted by: Como tocar violao | Dec 26, 2016 5:09:29 PM Greg: It's the other way around, crack is diluted from powder. In fact, a large part of the mass of a crack rock is the additives other than cocaine. Posted by: Marcelo Gross | Feb 10, 2017 7:17:48 AM Hello thank you, i am subscribe in your feed. Posted by: Carlos | Sep 18, 2017 8:42:28 PM I love, obama is of good president of america is patriot Posted by: Carlos | Sep 18, 2017 8:43:08 PM I love article Posted by: violino para iniciantes | Mar 4, 2018 10:38:39 AM Great point of view, it was good to know more about obama. Posted by: curso fabrica de lacos e tiaras | Aug 18, 2018 1:55:29 PM It was the one she was looking for. Beautiful post! Posted by: Medi | Feb 28, 2019 7:19:02 PM People need to think about these words... Posted by: Alberto Br02 | Mar 1, 2019 12:23:22 PM Post a comment Unusual porn case leads to unusual rejection of a federal plea deal | Main | Two SCOTUS losses for criminal defendants April 29, 2009 Watching the webcast of the Senate crack disparity hearing As detailed in this official notice, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs will hold a hearing at 10am this morning entitled "Restoring Fairness to Federal Sentencing: Addressing the Crack-Powder Disparity." Though I do not plan to live-blog the event, I do plan to try to watch the live webcast from this link. And I hope readers feel free to use the comments to provide real-time commentary or any notable moments from the event. Some recent related posts: UPDATE: As I am watching Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer testify via webcast, I received an e-mail from FAMM titled "Today is an historic day for sentencing reform!," and it starts this way: This morning, the U.S. Department of Justice is announcing that it supports replacing the controversial 100:1 sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine with an even 1:1 ratio. DOJ's announcement, included in testimony to be delivered on Capitol Hill by Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer, marks the first time the Justice Department has publicly endorsed equalization of the penalties between crack and powder cocaine.... FAMM member Cedric Parker is the final witness at the hearing. The significance of today's announcement cannot be overstated. For years, FAMM has argued that individualized and proportionate sentencing does not jeopardize public safety. Today, the U.S. Justice Department the nation's top law enforcement agency, the overseer of every federal prosecutor in the United States agreed with us. DOJ's new position on crack penalties acknowledges that we need not sacrifice safety for sentencing fairness. The nation's top cops say we can have both! And I just heard AAG Breuer state that DOJ now wants "this Congress to completely eliminate the crack/powder disparity." He also has says that AG Holder has created a working group on federal sentencing that will work toward a better sentencing structure for how to deal with these matters. MORE: Here are early reports on this hearing from the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal. April 29, 2009 at 09:57 AM | Permalink TrackBack TrackBack URL for this entry: https://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d83451574769e201156f66ce3a970c Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Watching the webcast of the Senate crack disparity hearing: Comments I find this DOJ position disingenuous. In the crack disparity litigation I am doing, the U.S. Attorney's Office is taking the position that my client is not entitled to retroactive application of the two point Amendment 706/711 reduction because he entered into an 11(c)(1)(C) agreement. The agreement, though, was based entirely on the guidelines and involved a sentencing range. I see prosecutors routinely fashioning new excuses for why my crack convicted client can't get what amounts to about 24 months off of a 15 year sentence. Maybe they will change, but I'm not seeing it yet. Posted by: Erika Cunliffe | May 5, 2009 3:39:07 PM Post a comment Another week with lots of federal sentence reductions from judges using 3582(c)(1)(A) ... dare I wonder about the racial breakdown? | Main | Justice Sotomayor flags due process concerns with how Eleventh Circuit considers inmate efforts to file second/successive habeas petition under AEDPA June 7, 2020 An initial list of federal sentencing reforms to advance greater equity and justice for congressional consideration According to this recent Hill article, headlined "Pelosi: Democrats to unveil sweeping criminal justice proposal Monday," a federal criminal justice bill is in the works that may go beyond police reforms. Here are the basics: Democrats on Monday will introduce wide-ranging legislation designed to combat racial inequities in the criminal justice system, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Thursday. The much awaited package, currently being crafted by members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), will feature provisions designed to eliminate racial profiling, rein in the excessive use of police force and repeal the so-called qualified immunity doctrine for law enforcers, which protects individual officers from lawsuits over actions they perform while on duty. "We will not relent until that is secured that justice is secured," Pelosi told reporters in the Capitol. Yet the package will go far beyond that, Pelosi suggested.... Aside from the criminal justice elements of the Democrats' legislation, Pelosi said the package would also include provisions designed to raise the status of African Americans outside of the criminal justice system as well. "It is about other injustices, too. It's about health disparities, it's about environmental injustice, it's about economic injustice, it's about educational injustice," Pelosi said. This Politico piece suggests the developing bill is primarily focused on police reforms. But if Congress has an interest, as I think it should, in broader criminal justice reforms to advance greater equity and justice, I have many suggestions. Let's get started with some basic federal sentencing reforms: Critically, these three suggestions are really just low-hanging fruit for criminal justice reforms in the sentencing space that would obviously and easily advance greater equity and justice for all. There are plenty of other important structural changes I would also like to see in the name of racial justice ranging from eliminating all felon disenfranchisement to decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana and lots more in between. Indeed, any kind of wise criminal justice reform is likely to serve as a kind of racial justice reform given the consistently biased operation of our justice systems. But for now, I will be content to advocate for these three reforms and encourage others to use the comments to indicate what they consider the most urgent forms of reform in this arena. June 7, 2020 at 08:20 PM | Permalink Comments Interesting that they don't address marijuana decriminalization. Depending on your source - there may be as many as 600,000 arrests for marijuana per year. These arrests are the low hanging fruit and frequently the first interaction of disadvantaged youth with the criminal justice system. Nonviolent marijuana offenders serving egregious sentences cannot fathom the continued acceptance of the cannabis industry. Posted by: beth curtis | Jun 7, 2020 8:42:42 PM How about addressing the unwarranted guideline disparity between ice meth and non-ice meth? Posted by: Meth | Jun 8, 2020 12:47:55 PM Your suggested reforms are constructive and rational. Those reforms are of absolutely no interest to Nancy Pelosi. She's too busy virtue signalling and race baiting. Posted by: restless94110 | Jun 8, 2020 2:32:05 PM My cousin got 2 lifetime plus 10 years for making meth. He has a non violent drug charge. Im a cousin of his as his parents and wife have passed away since he has been put in Federal prison almost 20 years ago. He is going to be 65 in February and had Covid and been exposed to Delta by staff. I have little computer skills and need help to get this message to the right person, or place. Jim Keith Eis 08544-030, Federal Correctional Institution, PO Box 33, Terre Haute, Indiana 47808 is his address and he has all the information needed. Im begging you for help and thankful for all that you do to help people. Thank you so much, Joy Posted by: Joy Firrell | Oct 4, 2021 10:45:25 AM Post a comment Discussing clemency activity by Prez Trump for six more weeks seems unavoidable, doesn't it? | Main | "Death Penalty Abolitionism From the Enlightenment to Modernity" December 6, 2020 Tangible example of continuing big sentence reductions in COVID era thanks to the FIRST STEP Act I have highlighted in some recent posts some important new circuit rulings about district courts' sentence reduction authority under 3582(c)(1)(A) after FIRST STEP Act (see here and here). These rulings reinforce that federal judges now have broad authority to consider any and all "extraordinary and compelling reasons" for a sentence reduction and need not just focus on medical reasons for granting compassionate release. But, of course, amidst the worldwide COVID pandemic, lots and lots of vulnerable inmates have lots and lots of medical reasons for requesting compassionate release, and many federal judges have been responsive to these requests. As of this writing, the BOP is now reporting at this FSA page that there have been "2,205 Approved" total "Compassionate Releases / Reduction in Sentences" since the passage of the FIRST STEP Act in December 2018. The US Sentencing Commission has previously reported, as noted here, that 145 of these motions were granted in "First Step Year One," which in turn suggests that over 2000(!) compassionate release motions have now been granted by federal district judges in the COVID era. These topics are on my mind because a helpful reader sent me a district court ruling granting a sentence modification last week that provides a tangible example of a defendant securing quite a significant sentence reduction. I sometimes get asked about examples of a defendant securing relief despite having served less than half of their initial sentence, and US v. Ferizi, No. 1:16-cr-42 (LMB) (ED Va. Dec. 3, 2020) (available for download below), is such a case. The defendant in Ferizi was initially sentenced to 240 months in prison, but that sentence was "reduced to time served" after he served just over 60 months. Here is an excerpt (cites removed): There is no dispute that defendant has a particularized susceptibility to the disease. Defendant has had a chronic cough since childhood, and was diagnosed with asthma in 2018. Defendant's obesity is yet another factor that places him at greater risk for severe illness the CDC has warned that having a body mass index greater than 30 is a risk factor, and defendant's BMI has fluctuated between 30 and 31 during his incarceration. Considering these multiple risk factors, the government has conceded that Ferizi is at elevated risk of contracting COVID-19, and as such has established 'extraordinary and compelling circumstances' to justify release for purposes of 18 U.S.C. 3582.... Defendant has also satisfactorily responded to the Court's concerns that it might be infeasible to release him if he could not then be promptly deported, either because he might be on a no-fly list or because Kosovo might refuse to accept him. The government has "confirmed with FBI and ICE" that, in spite of defendant's no-fly status, he would be able to board a specifically-designated deportation flight.... The government argues that even if that is the case, "the seriousness of [defendant's] offense and the danger he poses to the community make him an inappropriate candidate for compassionate release." There is no doubt that defendant committed a serious offense when he provided the personal information of U.S. government and military employees to ISIL, and as the victim impact letter attached to the Presentence Investigation Report demonstrates, his actions were harmful to the individuals whose names appeared on the list posted by ISIL. Nevertheless, even defendants who have committed very serious offenses can be appropriately released from custody or supervision where "[t]here is no indication that defendant poses a risk to the public, and reducing defendant's sentence to time served will not diminish the seriousness of his offense or respect for the law."... In this case, defendant's offense did not involve violence, and none of the individuals whose information he gave to ISIL suffered physical harm. Defendant has explained that he "totally and completely oppose[s] ISIL and all that it stands for," and that immaturity rather than ideology was the primary motivator of his conduct.... Defendant had no significant criminal history before his arrest for his present offenses, which he committed when he was only 19 years old. He has incurred only minor infractions while in BOP custody, all of which were more than two years ago. He has completed educational courses and drug treatment programs, and has been rated by BOP staff as a "low" risk for recidivism.... Given defendant's age; the more than five years he has spent in prison, including the particularly brutal months in the Malaysian prison; his health risks; and the conditions at Gilmer, defendant has established extraordinary and compelling grounds for release, which the 3552 [sic] factors do not outweigh. Download Ferizi Order Granting Compassionate Release A few of many prior related posts: December 6, 2020 at 03:26 PM | Permalink Comments Post a comment Can global capitalists bring an end to capital punishment around the globe? | Main | "Bottleneck: The Place of County Jails in Californias COVID-19 Correctional Crisis" Vice News has this effective and thorough new piece bringing together a lot of notable data on federal compassionate release in the COVID era under the full headline "Prisoners Keep Dying of COVID While Compassionate Releases Stall in Court: At least 54 federal prisoners have died from COVID-19 after having a compassionate release request denied or left pending." Though the headline is focused on prisoner deaths, the lengthy article covers a lot of ground is worth reading in full. Here are excerpts (with links from the original): Steven Brayfield was almost home. The 63-year-old from Springfield, Missouri, fought over six months for compassionate release, arguing in his emergency bid for freedom that hed be unlikely to survive a coronavirus outbreak in federal prison. In the end, he was proven right. Brayfield suffered from Type 2 diabetes, kidney problems, and obesity, among other health issues. He first asked his warden for compassionate release in July, when the dangers of COVID-19 in prison were already well documented but before the virus began to wreak havoc inside the minimum-security camp at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas. He had just under two years left to serve on a non-violent, meth-related drug conviction.... But by Jan. 3, he was running a fever and tested positive for COVID. As he was struggling to breathe, prison staff escorted him to the hospital, where he was handcuffed to the bed. The next day, Brayfields judge granted his compassionate release request, reducing his sentence to time served. But his condition worsened and doctors put him on a ventilator. His public defender asked the judge to reverse the ruling, telling the court that if Brayfield died a free man, his family would be unable to afford the medical bills. He hung on until Jan. 19, remaining a federal prisoner until his last gasps for air. You keep on thinking, my god, hes so close to coming home, said Shirley Marler, Brayfields 84-year-old mom. Well, he came home alright, but in a box. Brayfield is one of at least 54 federal prisoners to die from COVID-19 after having a compassionate release request denied or delayed without a final resolution, according to data provided to VICE News. The data, compiled by the University of Iowas College of Laws Federal Criminal Defense Clinic, shows how a deluge of compassionate release requests during the pandemic overwhelmed the recently reformed system, leading to vulnerable people dying behind bars when they were eligible for freedom. Additional analysis of over 4,000 cases, based on data compiled by a researcher at Georgetown Law School and shared with VICE News, highlights a lasting legacy of former President Donald Trump: Judges appointed by Republicans grant compassionate releases at lower rates than Democratic appointees. Trumps prolific stacking of the federal courts, where judges serve for life, will likely shape the way such cases are handled for many years to come. From 2020 to mid-January 2021, federal judges granted compassionate release to 2,271 prisoners, according to data provided to VICE News by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts in Washington, D.C. The rulings freed people who might have otherwise contributed to the tragic toll of COVID-19 (225 deaths and counting) inside the federal Bureau of Prisons. In years past, compassionate release was virtually impossible for federal prisoners to obtainan option made available only in life-or-death emergencies, at the discretion of prison officials. Between 2013 and 2017, the BOP approved just 6 percent of requests, letting out over 300 people, while 266 others died in prison custody after their requests were denied. The passage of the First Step Act in 2018 reformed the system, allowing federal prisoners under extraordinary and compelling circumstances to petition their sentencing judges directly for compassionate release. Prisoners still have to exhaust their options within the BOP, but after 30 days the request goes to the courts. Prosecutors typically argue against the person getting out, and defendants can submit evidence such as medical records or letters of support. But even with the changes, compassionate releases remained rare at first. In 2019, judges granted fewer than 100 total, according to the Administrative Office of the Courts. The pandemic changed everything. Coronavirus turned federal prisons into death traps, especially low-security institutions with dorm-style housing units. Suddenly the federal courts were flooded with compassionate release requests, with judges receiving more than 10,000 applications in just three months, from last March to May. Those who follow the courts closely have been frustrated by inconsistent applications of the law or lack of leniency by judges, especially ones appointed by Trump and George W. Bush. "Bottleneck: The Place of County Jails in Californias COVID-19 Correctional Crisis" | Main | SCOTUS appoints counsel (and delays argument) after new government position on crack sentencing retroactivity issue in Terry March 19, 2021 Small, and not quite steady, reform progress in a not quite new era for criminal justice reform An interesting set of new press pieces highlight ways in which the criminal justice times seem to be a-changing during the Biden era, but not yet quite as much or as fast as lots of advocates might be hoping or expecting. Here they are with a brief excerpt: From BuzzFeed News, "COVID-19 Has Torn Through Prisons. Advocates Want Biden To Act Now" Nearly all of the groups who spoke with BuzzFeed News said that theyve participated in briefings and have had conversations with White House staff to raise concerns about BOP policy, including compassionate release and underused policies to thin prison populations during the pandemic. Advocates have specifically pushed the administration to direct the BOP to use its expanded authority to grant home confinement under last years coronavirus relief plan. Advocates have had a mixed response to those conversations, with optimism about prospective change mingled with frustration about slow-moving progress. From Slate, "The Biden Administration Takes a Step Toward Undoing the Damage of the War on Drugs" In September, [Tarahrick] Terry petitioned the Supreme Court saying he qualified for a sentence reduction [of his 188-month sentence for possessing 3.9 grams of crack cocaine in 2008], because the First Step Act made 2010s Fair Sentencing Act retroactive. His case got a boost earlier this week, when President Bidens Justice Department informed the Supreme Court they believe that Terry, and others who were incarcerated for low-level crack cocaine offenses, should have their sentences reduced under the First Step Act. The court plans to hear the case later this year. From Vox, "The EQUAL Act would finally close the cocaine sentencing disparity" Reps. Don Bacon (R-NE) and Kelly Armstrong (R-ND) have already cosponsored [the EQUAL Act]. But in a statement to Vox, Bacon was less optimistic about the timeline, even as he said that eliminating the cocaine sentencing disparity is only one part of a broader justice reform push he wants to tackle. While I am optimistic it will be voted on in the House this Congress, I dont have a projected timeline for the bill at this stage and hope to gain more bipartisan support as it makes its way through the legislative process, he said. The Senate is where it will be more critical to find Republican support, considering the chambers 50-50 split. Thus far, only Sens. Cory Booker and Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) have signed on. Sen. Chuck Grassley, who worked with Durbin to introduce and shepherd the First Step Act through the Senate, would be a critical part of any bipartisan negotiation. In a statement to Vox, a spokesperson for Grassley said he was receptive to working with Democrats on the EQUAL Act, but that that process had not begun yet. March 19, 2021 at 11:25 PM | Permalink Comments Post a comment Split Indiana Supreme Court finally rules that forfeiture of Tyson Timbs' Land Rover driven to small drug deal was constitutionally excessive | Main | Senate Judiciary Committee advances three criminal justice and sentencing reform bills The Marshall Project has this new piece on federal compassionate release with a full title that captures its essential themes: "31,000 Prisoners Sought Compassionate Release During COVID-19. The Bureau of Prisons Approved 36. As the pandemic worsened inside federal prisons, officials granted fewer releases." Here are excerpts (with links from the original): Tens of thousands of federal prisoners applied for compassionate release after the virus began sweeping through lockups. But new Bureau of Prisons data shows officials approved fewer of those applications during the pandemic than they did the year before. While the BOP director greenlit 55 such requests in 2019, a new director who took over in early 2020 approved only 36 requests in the 13 months since the pandemic took hold in March 2020. The downturn in approvals came even as the number of people seeking compassionate release skyrocketed from 1,735 in 2019 to nearly 31,000 after the virus hit, according to the new figures. Federal judges have stepped in to release thousands of people in the face of BOP inaction. And the bureau continues to face intense scrutiny and several lawsuits over its handling of COVID-19. Since the first reported case last spring, more than 49,000 federal prisoners have fallen ill and 256 have died, according to corrections data tracked by The Marshall Project. Thirty-five of those who died were waiting for a decision on their release requests.... People in federal prisons seeking release during the pandemic have two main ways to get out early. One is home confinement, which allows low-risk prisoners to finish their sentences at home or in a halfway house. Theyre still considered in custody, and the decision to let them out is entirely up to the Bureau of Prisons. As COVID shutdowns began last March, Congress expanded the eligibility criteria and then-Attorney General Bill Barr ordered prison officials to let more people go. Since then, more than 23,700 people have been sent to home confinement though several thousand of them may have to return to prison once the pandemic ends. The other way to get out early is through compassionate release. If a warden endorses a prisoners request, the case goes to BOPs central office, which usually rejects it. But if a warden denies a request or 30 days pass with no response, then the incarcerated person can ask a judge to reduce the sentence to time served. The new data showed 3,221 people have been let out on compassionate release since the start of the pandemic but 99% of those releases were granted by judges over the bureaus objections. Last fall, The Marshall Project published data showing that the Bureau of Prisons rejected or ignored more than 98% of compassionate release requests during the first three months of the pandemic. Citing that reporting, federal lawmakers in December wrote to the agency to demand more data on both compassionate release and home confinement. The updated figures outlined in the agencys response to Congress in April showed that BOP wardens actually endorsed slightly fewer compassionate release requests as the pandemic progressed. In the first three months, wardens approved 1.4% of release applications. The central office rejected most of those, with Director Michael Carvajal ultimately approving just 0.1%. By the end of April more than a year into the pandemic, and after more than 200 prisoner deaths wardens had approved 1.2% of applications, and Carvajal again accepted just 0.1%. By comparison, federal judges approved 21% of compassionate release requests they considered in 2020, according to a recent report from the U.S. Sentencing Commission.... For the most part, the bureau has offered little insight into its reasons for denying compassionate release. According to the information BOP sent to Congress, wardens denied nearly 23,000 requests because the person does not meet criteria. Roughly 3,200 people were denied because their cases were not extraordinary and compelling, while a little over 1,200 were rejected for not providing enough information or documentation. Four people met the criteria but were denied due to correctional concerns, the agency said. Of the 374 prisoners that wardens recommended for compassionate release during the pandemic, the agencys central office rejected or did not respond to just over 90%, apparently without making any note as to why. The BOP does not track the specific reasons for approval or denial of a compassionate release request at the Central Office level, as there can be several reasons for a particular decision, wrote General Counsel Ken Hyle. Some of those reasons, he added, could be opposition from federal prosecutors, a lack of release plan or fear that letting someone out would minimize the severity of the inmates offense. Prison Policy Initiative highlights data showing "State prisons are increasingly deadly places" | Main | "Acquitted. Then Sentenced." In this new Fox News commentary, Arkansas Gov Asa Hutchinson makes a notable pitch for the EQUAL Act (discussed here). The piece is headlined "It's time to fix an old wrong and end the disparity between crack and cocaine offenses," and I recommend it in full. Here are excerpts: In America, the principles of fairness and equal treatment are fundamental to the rule of law. When we fall short of these principles, we lose confidence in our justice system and weaken the foundation of our country. Since 1986, there has been a substantial difference in prison sentences for crack and powdered cocaine offenses, a disparity that has not only encouraged a misapplication of limited law enforcement resources, but has also been the source of unequal punishment for basically identical crimes.... During my time in Congress in the 1990s, and as the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from 2001-2003, I saw first-hand the impact of this disparity, and found it was failing on three fronts. First, it rarely led to the prosecution of major drug traffickers and sellers. Instead, it led to increased prosecutions of small-time dealers and peripheral supporters, almost all of whom were replaced immediately. Second, it became clear that the disparity was built on a misunderstanding of crack cocaines chemical properties and effects of the body. Crack and powdered cocaine were chemically the same, and the violence that was linked to crack cocaine was not related to the properties of the drug. Instead, it was the general product of the drug trade and the historically violent trends in areas where crack is predominantly used and sold. Third, it undermined community confidence in the fairness of the criminal justice system. I talked with drug task force officers and front-line agents at the DEA who said this sense of injustice had a real impact in the fight against illegal drugs; it made it more difficult for agents to build trust and work with informants in the areas most impacted by the crack epidemic. The disparity in sentencing led to more harm than help in our federal anti-crime efforts. The bipartisan Fair Sentencing Act, sponsored by Sens. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., and Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., dramatically reduced the disparity, from 100:1 to 18:1. In 2018, the First Step Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump, made that reduced disparity retroactive. Those were important steps, but the new sentencing laws continue to cause disproportionate harm and decreased trust in communities of color. For example, in 2019, Black people accounted for 81% of all federal crack cocaine convictions. Those convictions led to prison terms 18 times longer than they would have been for equivalent amounts of chemically identical powdered cocaine. It is time for Congress to finish what it started, and finally and fully end the disparity between crack and cocaine offenses. The bipartisan Equal Act would bring federal sentencing law in line with most states that have eliminated, reduced or never instituted, these unjust disparities. That includes my home state of Arkansas, where possession of crack and powdered cocaine are treated the same under state law.... The strength of our justice system is totally dependent on the perception of fairness and the concept that punishments should fit the crimes. The clear and pernicious injustice of crack and powdered cocaine sentencing disparities harms our communities, limits law enforcement in their fight against illegal drugs, and weakens the foundation of our entire system of justice. Congress has the opportunity to fully and finally eliminate this injustice by passing the Equal Act. To get it done, lawmakers of all different backgrounds will need to put partisanship aside and work in the best interests of the American people. I cant think of a worthier cause than preserving our founding principle that all Americans are treated equally under the law. Perhaps more guns explains why we have more gun homicides and more gun crimes | Main | New plea deals sets possible new precedent for resolving low-level Capitol riot prosecutions with single misdemeanor with 6 month jail maximum June 14, 2021 More good coverage of the not-so-good (but still not-so-bad) realities of federal compassionate release realities As noted here, last Thursday the US Sentencing Commission released some fascinating (and bare bones) data on compassionate release motions in 2020 in this short data report. In this post, I flagged coverage by the Marshall Project lamenting that the Bureau of Prisons approved so very few compassionate release applications. I have since seen three more press piece noting ugly stories in the data: I am quite pleased to see a a series of articles based on the new USSC data that rightly assail the BOP for being so adverse to supporting sentence reduction 3582(c)(1)(a) motions and that highlights broad variations in how compassionate release is functioning in different federal judicial districts. But, those persistent problems notwithstanding, I hope nobody loses sight of what the FIRST STEP Act accomplished by allowing federal courts to directly reduce sentences without awaiting a motion by the BOP. As of this writing, BOP reports on this data page that nearly 3500 federal defendants have now received "Compassionate Releases / Reduction in Sentences" since the FIRST STEP Act became law. (For point of reference, that is more than the total number of prisoners in New Hampshire and Vermont combined.) I am eager for more details from the US Sentencing Commission about who is and is not receiving sentence reductions because there are surely some uneven (and likely ugly) patterns to be found in all the data. But the one pattern that is clear and should be appreciated is that judges are regularly using their new powers to reduce sentences that are excessive. As I suggested in this recent post, new legal rulings and all sorts of other developments can and should continue to provide sound reasons for federal judges to keep reconsidering extreme past federal sentences. I hope they continue to do so, and I hope we do not lose sight of a beautiful compassionate release forest even when we notice a some ugly trees. A few of many prior related posts: June 14, 2021 at 05:59 PM | Permalink Comments Post a comment "Can Criminal Justice Reform Survive a Wave of Violent Crime?" | Main | Strong extended coverage of modern drug war dynamics from NPR On the morning of Tuesday, June 22, 2021, the US Senate Judiciary Committee has a hearing set for 10am titled "Examining Federal Sentencing for Crack and Powder Cocaine." The hearing should be available to watch at this link, where this list of witnesses are set out: Notably, the Washington Post here reports on what Ms. Regina LaBelle will be saying in her testimony as well as some of the political context around this hearing. Here is part of the story: The Biden administration plans to endorse legislation that would end the disparity in sentences between crack and powder cocaine offenses that President Biden helped create decades ago, according to people with knowledge of the situation a step that highlights how Bidens attitudes on drug laws have shifted over his long tenure in elected office. At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday, Regina LaBelle, the acting director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, plans to express the administration's support for the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act, or Equal Act. The legislation, which sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) and Sens. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Rob Portman (R-Ohio), would eliminate the sentencing disparity and give people who were convicted or sentenced for a federal cocaine offense a resentencing. The current disparity is not based on evidence yet has caused significant harm for decades, particularly to individuals, families, and communities of color, LaBelle says in prepared written testimony obtained by The Washington Post in advance of the hearing. The continuation of this sentencing disparity is a significant injustice in our legal system, and it is past time for it to end. Therefore, the administration urges the swift passage of the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law Act. ... Outside coalitions backing Durbin and Bookers bill have focused particularly on shoring up conservative support as part of their larger criminal justice overhaul agenda. To that end, one of the witnesses testifying in favor of the bill Tuesday is Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas, a Republican who led the Drug Enforcement Administration under President George W. Bush. Although Congress has taken steps to reduce the disparity and provide some retroactive relief, any sentencing disparity between two substances that are chemically the same weakens the foundation of our system of justice, Hutchinson says in his prepared remarks, also obtained by The Post. Congress now has the opportunity to build on the bipartisan successes of the Fair Sentencing Act and the First Step Act by eliminating the sentencing disparity between crack cocaine and powder cocaine once and for all. The strength of our justice system is dependent on the perception of fundamental fairness. Russell Coleman, a former counsel to now-Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and former U. S. attorney for the Western District of Kentucky, will also promote the legislation at the hearing Tuesday morning. "The Limits of Retributivism" | Main | BJS releases new reports on "Correctional Populations in the United States, 2019" and "Probation and Parole in the United States, 2019" July 22, 2021 House Judiciary Committee votes 36 to 5 to advance the EQUAL Act to reduce federal crack sentences At a time of problematic and often ugly partisanship inside the Beltway, I have continued to believe and hope that a number of federal sentencing reforms could and should still be able to secure significant bipartisan support. This belief was reinforced yesterday when the House Judiciary Committee voted 36 to 5 to advance the Eliminating a Quantifiably Unjust Application of the Law (EQUAL) Act. Excitingly, not only does this bill reduce crack statutory sentences to the level of powder cocaine offenses, it also provides for all previously convicted crack offenders to obtain a resentencing. (Recall that neither the Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 nor the FIRST STEP Act of 2018 included full retroactivity for the sentencing reductions in those reform bills.) I want to believe that the overwhelming vote in support of the EQUAL Act in the House Judiciary Committee means that a vote a passage by the full House will be coming soon. I also want to believe that the bill, which also has bipartisan Senate support, could move efficiently through the upper chamber and become law this year. But, because the politics and ways of Congress are always mysterious, I am not assuming passage is a sure thing and I have no idea what the timeline for the bill's potential progress will be going forward. All I know is that it is now more than a quarter-century since the US Sentencing Commission first explained to Congress why a big crack/powder sentencing difference was unjustified and unjust, so the EQUAL Act cannot become law too soon and is way too late. But better late than never, I still hope. Notably, we are already approaching three years since passage of the FIRST STEP Act and there is yet to be a next step. Though I would like to see many more statutory sentencing reform steps from Congress that go far beyond the EQUAL Act, I still think reforms can and should be happy right now with even baby steps in the right direction from a divided Congress. And, critically, the EQUAL Act would be a consequential baby step: USSC data indicate that more than 8000 people are in federal prison for crack offenses now and that more than 100 people are sentenced on crack offenses each month. So literally thousands of people will be impacted if the EQUAL Act becomes law, and then, if/when this reform is finally achieved, we can work on correcting the next and the next and the next injustice baked into federal sentencing law and practice. A few prior related posts: July 22, 2021 at 10:17 AM | Permalink Comments Post a comment Interesting review of African (and global) trends in capital punishment abolition | Main | "Death Penalty Exceptionalism and Administrative Law" July 25, 2021 US Sentencing Commission releases more detailed "Compassionate Release Data Report" for 2020 As detailed in this post, last month the US Sentencing Commission released a short data report titled "Compassionate Release Data." That report provided notable but very basic numbers on the grants and denials of federal compassionate release motions nationwide for calendar year 2020. The report revealed, as further discussed in this follow-up post, that judges granted a good number of these motions once COVID hit, but that the Bureau of Prisons approved stunningly few compassionate release applications and that there were considerable disparities in grant rates in different judicial districts. I was quite pleased to see the USSC promulgate any compassionate release data, but I was eager for additional data beyond circuit and district breakdowns of these motions. In my prior post, I hoped we might at some point see "a lot more offender demographic information (e.g., race, gender, age of movant) and sentence modification information (e.g., primary sentenced offense and amount of sentence reduction)." Excitingly, the USSC has now released this updated expanded data report that provides a lot more details about compassionate release grants for calendar year 2020. Specifically, this latest report includes data on "Demographic Characteristics Of Offenders Receiving Compassionate Release" and on "Selected Sentencing Factors For Offenders Receiving Compassionate Release" and on "Type Of Crime For Offenders Receiving Compassionate Release" and on "Original Sentence Length For Offenders Receiving Compassionate Release." I am so very pleased to see this additional data, although the extent of sentence reductions is still a data point not covered which seems to me to be important to understand the full compassionate release story (e.g.,ten granted sentence reduction motions that reduce sentences by five months seem quite different than ten granted motions reducing sentences by five years.) Upon first glace, it is hard to see if there are any particularly distinctive or disturbing patterns in this enhanced USSC compassionate release data. Interestingly, looking at the demographics, I noticed that the percentage of black prisoners securing a sentence reduction in 2020 (which was 45.2% according to the USSC data) appears to be greater than the percentage of black prisoners in federal prison (which was 34.9% as of this USSC report with March 2021 data). Likewise, I was intrigued to see that the percentage of prisoners convicted of drug trafficking securing a sentence reduction in 2020 (which was 53% according to the USSC data) appears to be greater than the percentage of such prisoners in federal prison (which was 43% as of this same USSC report). I hope that the US Sentencing Commission not only continues to release more and more granular data about sentencing reduction grants. I also hope the USSC will (a) track recidivism rates for this population over time, and (b) learn about which guidelines might be seen to produce excessively long sentencing in retrospect as documented through these grants. The kind of second-look sentencing mechanism now operating the the federal system is not only valuable and important as a means to achieve better justice in individual cases, but also should serve as an important feedback loop providing a kind of on-going audit of the operation of the entire federal sentencing system. A few of many prior related posts: July 25, 2021 at 02:21 PM | Permalink Comments What is disturbing about the data - which is something I have long predicted - is the extent to which the scattershot approach to compassionate release is contributing to unwarranted sentencing disparities. For instance, defendants from the Northern District of Illinois have a 38.2% likelihood of compassionate release, those from Central Illinois a 21.3% chance, but those poor defendants in the Southern District of Illinois only a 10.3% chance. About 70% of compassionate release motions (67 of 96) were granted in Oregon. A shocking 1.5% (5 out of 337 requests) were granted in the Western District of North Carolina (Charlotte). Maybe Oregon was granting them arbitrarily, or Charlotte was denying them arbitrarily. But these deviations from the average suggest that similarly situated defendants were treated quite differently in different parts of the country. The last thing this system needs is more arbitrariness and chaos. Posted by: Tom Root | Jul 27, 2021 1:11:51 PM Post a comment "Managing the Pardon Power: Should the Justice Department Remain the Gatekeeper?" | Main | US Sentencing Commission releases updated "Compassionate Release Data Report" covering all of 2020 and first half of 2021 Yesterday, the US Supreme Court had its "long conference" to consider the thousands of cert petitions that were fully briefed over the summer recess. SCOTUSblog has a long list of "Petitions Were Watching" at this link, and here are just some of the sentencing-related ones that caught my eye: Louisiana v. Hill, No.20-1587 (1) Whether a state may require convicted sex offenders to obtain and carry a state identification bearing the words sex offender without facially violating the First Amendments prohibition on compelled speech; and (2) whether a convicted sex offender has a First Amendment right not to be prosecuted for fraudulently altering a state identification card after scratching off a statutorily required sex offender designation. Houston v. U.S., No. 20-1479 Whether a sentencing court must consider applicable sentencing factors codified in 18 U.S.C. 3553(a) when deciding whether to impose a reduced sentence under Section 404(b) of the First Step Act. Jackson v. Hudson, No. 21-347 Whether a federal prisoner is entitled to bring a habeas claim under the saving clause of 28 U.S.C. 2255(e) to challenge the unlawful application of a mandatory minimum sentence, and imposition of a sentence that exceeded the proper statutory maximum, when his challenge was previously precluded by binding circuit precedent that has since been overruled by the circuit sitting en banc on the basis of an intervening decision of the Supreme Court. Janis v. U.S., No. 21-68 (1) Whether Standard Condition 12 of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, codified in U.S.S.G. 5D1.3(c)(12), unconstitutionally delegates authority to the probation officer; and (2) whether Standard Condition 12 is unconstitutionally vague. Bryant v. U.S., No. 20-1732 Whether Section 1B1.13 of the United States Sentencing Guidelines is an applicable policy statement that binds a district court in considering a defendant-filed motion for compassionate release under 18 U.S.C. 3582(c)(1)(A), as amended by the First Step Act of 2018. Leontaritis v. U.S., No. 20-1614 (1) Whether, if a jury is instructed to determine a fact by indicating a unanimous finding beyond a reasonable doubt and does so, the resulting verdict indicates a finding beyond a reasonable doubt, as opposed to a mere failure to find; and (2) whether, if a jury verdict finds a fact beyond a reasonable doubt, a district courts sentencing decision must accept the jurys determination or instead may base the sentence on its own independent finding that contradicts the jurys. US Sentencing Commission releases updated "Compassionate Release Data Report" covering all of 2020 and first half of 2021 | Main | USSC releases interesting (but problematic?) new JSIN platform providing data on sentencing patterns September 28, 2021 US House votes 361-66 to pass today the EQUAL Act to end disparity between powder and crack cocaine sentences Based on data showing huge unfair disparities, the US Sentencing Commission in 1995 more than a quarter century ago! sent to Congress proposed guidelines changes to fix the 100:1 crack/powder cocaine disparity by adopting a 1:1 quantity ratio at the powder cocaine level. But Congress passed, and President Bill Clinton signed, legislation rejecting the USSCs proposed guideline changes (see basics here and here), thereby ushering in decades more disproportionately severe crack sentences and extreme racial inequities in federal cocaine offense punishments. Barack Obama at Howard University gave a 2007 campaign speech exactly 14 years ago today assailing the crack/powder disparity, and in 2009 the Obama Justice Department advocated for "Congress to completely eliminate the crack/powder disparity." Sadly, despite strong DOJ advocacy for a 1:1 ratio in April 2009, it still took Congress more than a year to enact any reform to the 100:1 crack/powder cocaine disparity, and then it only could muster a partial reduction in crack sentences rather than the parity advocated by the USSC in 1995 and by DOJ in 2009. Specifically, the Fair Sentencing Act enshrined a new 18:1 crack/powder quantity disparity ratio into federal drug sentencing statutes and guidelines, and even this modest reform did not become fully retroactive until eight years later with the FIRST STEP Act. But in early fall 2021, and despite the deep divisions on so many political issues, the vast majority of US Representatives spoke together today to say that federal law should no longer sentence crack and powder cocaine offense differently. This Hill article explains: The House passed legislation on Tuesday that would eliminate the federal disparity in prison sentences for crack and powder cocaine offenses, in an effort to enact criminal justice reform on a bipartisan basis. The bill, which lawmakers passed 361-66, is meant to address a gap that its proponents say has largely fallen on Black people and other people of color. The House passed the measure handily, but the vote divided Republicans. A majority of House Republicans voted for the bill with all Democrats, but the 66 votes in opposition all came from the GOP.... The Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1986, a law signed by then-President Reagan as part of the War on Drugs, established a five-year minimum sentence for possessing at least five grams of crack, while an individual would have to possess at least 500 grams of powder cocaine to receive the same sentence. A 2010 law called the Fair Sentencing Act reduced the cocaine sentencing disparity for pending and future cases, but did not fully eliminate it. And a criminal justice reform bill enacted in 2018 under former President Trump allowed people convicted prior to passage of the 2010 law to seek resentencing. Under the bill the House passed on Tuesday, defendants who were previously convicted for crack cocaine offenses would also be allowed to petition for sentence reductions. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas), a former judge, said the measure was a a great start toward getting the right thing done as he recalled dealing with cocaine cases. Something I thought Texas did right was have a up to 12 months substance abuse felony punishment facility. Some thought it was strange that a strong conservative like myself used that as much as I did. But I saw this is so addictive, it needs a length of time to help people to change their lives for such a time that they've got a better chance of making it out, understanding just how addictive those substances are, Gohmert said during House floor debate. The legislation now heads to the Senate, where at least 10 Republicans would have to join with all Democrats to advance it in the evenly divided chamber. A companion bill introduced by Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) currently has five cosponsors, including three Republicans: Sen. Rob Portman (Ohio), Rand Paul (Ky.) and Thom Tillis (N.C.). I lack knowledge about the ways and means for this kind of bill to get a vote in the Senate soon, but I feel pretty confident that it would get similarly strong support in that cambers if and whenever a vote goes forward. I hope such a vote goes forward soon, since we have all waited more than long enough for more sensible sentencing in this arena. A few prior recent related posts: September 28, 2021 at 03:33 PM | Permalink Comments My cousin got 2 lifetime plus 10 years for making meth. This was almost 20 years ago. He will be 65 in February. Please help point me to the right person for help. His name is Jim Keith Eis. 08544-030 Federal Correctional Institution, PO Box 33, Terre Haute, Indiana 47808. He has had Covid and exposed to Delta through staffing. His parents and wife have all passed away since he was locked up. His crime was making meth In Scott County, Davenport, Iowa. Im a first cousin and older than Jim with little to no computer skills and need help to get to the right person or place to help my cousin. Thank you so much for all your hard work! Joy Posted by: Joy Firrell | Oct 4, 2021 10:26:01 AM Post a comment ALEXANDRIA, Va., September 27, 2021--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After a COVID-19-related delay, Thomas Campbell has been selected to receive the prestigious 2020 American Inns of Court Professionalism Award for the Seventh Circuit. The pandemic has also forced the cancellation of this months Seventh Circuit Judicial Conference, where Campbell was to have received the award. From 2005 until his retirement in 2018, Campbell was senior counsel at Baker McKenzie LLP in Chicago. Specializing in the trial of antitrust actions and business disputes, Campbell had more than 30 years of experience trying cases in industries as diverse as natural gas, health care, and even the manufacture of grand pianos. He was previously a partner at the firm Gardner, Carton & Douglas LLP. "He was an excellent litigatorin many ways a lawyers lawyervery intelligent and insightful," says former colleague Roxane S. Busey, Esquire, who wrote in support of Campbells nomination for the award. "He loved the challenge of a trial and was often at his best before a judge or jury." Campbell also served as president and director of the Seventh Circuit Bar Association Foundationan organization formed at his urging in 2012. The foundation sponsors educational programs for the legal community and the public featuring respectful discourse on such difficult topics as climate change, the war on drugs, and immigration. "None of these programs would have happened but for the leadership of Tom Campbell," says Michael T. Brody, Esquire, of Jenner & Block LLP, who supported Campbells nomination for the award. "Tom envisioned a new role for the Seventh Circuit Bar Association as a sponsor of educational programs touching on topics of interest to an educated citizenry." Campbell is the author of Fighting Slavery in Chicago: Abolitionists, the Law of Slavery, and Lincoln, published by Ampersand, Inc., in 2009. The book tells the story of Chicago residents who formed a chapter of the Anti-Slavery Society and operated a station on the Underground Railroad, helping to free thousands of slaves and ensure Lincolns victory in the 1860 presidential election. He served as treasurer and member of the board of directors of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission Foundation. In 2014, Campbell was honored by the Abolition Institute, which works to end slavery in Mauritania. Story continues He has also been active with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Field Museum of Natural History. Campbell earned his undergraduate degree in economics from Dartmouth College in 1965 and his law degree from Cornell Law School in 1968. The American Inns of Court, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, inspires the legal community to advance the rule of law by achieving the highest level of professionalism through example, education, and mentoring. The organizations membership includes nearly 30,000 federal, state, and local judges; lawyers; law professors; and law students in nearly 370 chapters nationwide. More information is available at www.innsofcourt.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210927005021/en/ Contacts American Inns of Court Cindy Dennis Awards & Scholarships Coordinator (571) 319-4703 cdennis@innsofcourt.org North Korea fires 'missile', insists on right to weapons tests North Korea has carried out several missile tests in September 2021, including this launch of a new type of long-range cruise missile (AFP/STR) Nuclear-armed North Korea fired what appeared to be a short-range missile into the sea on Tuesday, the South's military said, as Pyongyang's UN ambassador insisted it had an undeniable right to test its weapons. The device was fired from the northern province of Jagang into waters off the east coast, according to the South's Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a Japanese defence ministry spokesman told AFP it "appears to be a ballistic missile". Less than an hour later, Pyongyang's United Nations ambassador Kim Song told the UN General Assembly in New York: "Nobody can deny the right to self-defence for the DPRK", the North's official name. It is the latest in a series of mixed messages from Pyongyang, coming days after leader Kim Jong Un's influential sister Kim Yo Jong, a key adviser to her brother, dangled the prospect of an inter-Korean summit. But she insisted that "impartiality" and mutual respect would be required, calling for the South to "stop spouting an impudent remark". She condemned as "double standards" South Korean and US criticism of the North's military developments, while the allies build up their own capacities. In recent days, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who has only months left in office, reiterated at the UN General Assembly his longstanding calls for a formal declaration of an end to the Korean War. The North invaded the South in 1950 and hostilities ceased three years later with an armistice rather than a peace treaty, leaving them technically still in a state of conflict. Pyongyang is under multiple sets of international sanctions over its banned programmes to develop nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles. In his own UN General Assembly speech, the North's Kim Song said the North had a right to "develop, test, manufacture and possess" weapons systems equivalent to those of the South and its US ally. "We are just building up our national defence in order to defend ourselves and reliably safeguard the security and peace of the country," he said. Story continues - 'Heinous human rights abuser' - Pyongyang has already carried out several missile launches this month, one involving long-range cruise missiles and another that the South's military said was of short-range ballistic missiles. Seoul also successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile for the first time, making it one of a handful of nations with the advanced technology. Talks between Pyongyang and Washington have been largely at a standstill since a 2019 summit in Hanoi between leader Kim and then-president Donald Trump collapsed over sanctions relief and what the North would be willing to give up in return. The North has since then repeatedly excoriated the South and its president Moon, and blown up a liaison office on its side of the border that Seoul had built. After an emergency meeting, the South's National Security Committee issued a statement Tuesday saying it "expressed regret for the launch at a time when political stability on the Korean Peninsula is very critical". Yang Moo-jin, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies, told AFP: "It looks like North Korea wants to see how genuine Seoul is when it comes to its willingness to improve inter-Korean ties -- and to officially end the Korean War." "Pyongyang will monitor and study Moon's reaction after today's launch and decide on what they want to do on things such as restoring the inter-Korean hotline," he added. Washington stations around 28,500 troops in the South to defend it against its neighbour and protect US interests in northeast Asia. The administration of US President Joe Biden has repeatedly said that it is willing to meet North Korean officials anywhere, at any time, without preconditions, in its efforts to seek denuclearisation. But the North has not shown any willingness to give up its arsenal, which it says it needs to defend itself against a US invasion. On Monday, the North's official Korean Central News Agency carried an article calling the United States "the most heinous human rights abuser in the world" for its sanctions policies on various countries. The North was also due to open a session of its rubber-stamp parliament, the Supreme People's Assembly, on Tuesday. cdl/slb/jah This article contains spoilers for Midnight Mass. Mike Flanagan has been thinking about Midnight Mass long enough that the main character of his 2016 movie Hush is writing a book with that title. If you look closely, you can even catch shards of the plot in her manuscript. But its fortuitous that its taken him this much time to get it made, both because, despite its long gestation, its uncannily in tune with the present moment, and because the Haunting of Hill House and its successor have earned Flanagan enough pull at Netflix to tell Midnight Masss seven-part story at its own methodical but highly effective pace. That can make for slow going, even by Netflix standards, in the early episodesit takes nearly three hours for the series to reveal its central premise. But the wait allows the genre beats to hit with greater force once they start landing, making the ending feel like the culmination not only of this story, but of a larger one that Flanagan has been telling for years. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Set in the isolated fishing village of Crockett Island, located 30 miles off the U.S. coast, the story of Midnight Mass centers on Riley Flynn (Zach Gilford), a fishermans son who left the island, made a bundle in finance, and has just been released from prison after killing a young woman while driving drunk. Although he was a former altar boy at St. Patricks, the Catholic church that is the islands only house of worship, Riley has emerged from prison as a devout atheist, spurning the higher powerdriven methods of Alcoholics Anonymous in favor of science-based rational recovery.* Nonetheless, he finds it difficult to stay out of St. Patricks, especially once the churchs pulpit is taken over by the charismatic but mysterious Father Paul (Hamish Linklater). Father Paul arrives on the island without fanfare, arriving at Sunday mass as an unannounced replacement for the churchs aged and infirm Monsignor Pruitt, but his impassioned, off-kilter sermons quickly energize the tiny communitys faithfuland besides, a dying fishing town doesnt offer much else to do on Sunday mornings. Advertisement [Read: How Scary Is Midnight Mass?] The novelty of Father Pauls arrival soon wears off, however, and it isnt until he starts performing what seem to be bona fide miracles that the pews are permanently packed. But Riley remains a skeptic, and he views what Father Pauls chief acolyte, the lay minister Bev Keane (Samantha Sloyan), enthusiastically calls a full-blown religious revival with increasing alarm. Even if you dont know Flanagan as a horror director, the glowing eyes that lurk in the dark and the line of cats strewn along the beach with their throats torn out are a fairly strong indicator that something other than the Lords mysterious ways are at work here. But what makes Midnight Mass work is that Father Paul is a true believer, misled by his own desperate needs and the enablers around him. In other words, hes an addict. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mike Flanagan used the directors statement for Midnight Mass to reveal that he recently marked his third year of sobriety, which casts the presence of addicts in The Haunting of Hill House and Doctor Sleep, his film version of Stephen Kings sequel to The Shining, in a different light. Both Hill Houses Luke (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and Doctor Sleeps Danny Torrance (Ewan McGregor) started using drugs as a means of deadening childhood trauma, Lukes from encounters with Hill Houses ghosts, Dannys a result ofwell, youve seen The Shining. Riley never talks about what drove him to drink, but when his estranged father, played by Henry Thomas, vaguely apologizes for whatever I did, Riley just glares into the distance as if he cant even imagine where to start. Advertisement [Read: How the Doctor Sleep Movie Compares to the Novel by Stephen King] Apart from the vodka bottle thats pulled from Rileys smashed car in the opening shot, the only drink that plays a meaningful role in Midnight Mass is communion wine, which flows in ever-greater quantities as Father Pauls congregation grows and the liturgical calendar approaches Easter Sunday. But the sacrament at St. Patricks doesnt need transubstantiation: From the day he arrives, Father Paul has been lacing it with bloodspecifically the blood of the undead angel he has smuggled onto the island. As the third episode, Proverbs, reveals, Father Paul is actually Crockett Islands missing Monsignor Pruitt, rejuvenated from his 80-year-old self by the blood of the centuries-old creature that attacked him during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land. (Not coy about its biblical allusions, Midnight Mass places Monsignor Pruitts conversion to Father Paul on a literal road to Damascus.) Hes been slipping that blood to the residents of Crockett Islandwith the exception of Riley, whos not taking communion, and the towns Muslim sheriff Hassan (Rahul Kohli)and its been slowly changing them as well, bringing them closer, as Father Paul sees it, to eternal life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The angel fills a void in Father Pauls life, returning not just his youth but his congregation, and the faith he spreads around Crockett Island fills a void as well. This isolated community has been gutted by economic hardship, its population dwindling to the low three digits, and what holds it together now is shared history and simmering resentment. The longtime residents are rarely hostile to Sheriff Hassans facein fact, they take overt pride in the idea that the crockpot is welcome to all comers, not that there have been many of them of late. But they drop the occasional slur behind his back or cluck their tongues that such a nice man is headed for eternal damnation. With the fish they catch dwindling due to environmental degradation and government regulation, the community has little reason to exist, but Father Paul provides one, and Bev harnesses it into a movement, hurtling forward with little thought to what might lie in its way. Advertisement Flanagans Netflix shows have always shown a fondness for monologues, but in Midnight Mass, theyre more frequent and less ornamental. Practically every episode features a sermon from Father Paul, or one of the lengthy exchanges between him and Riley that serve as the equivalent of AA meetings. (The town is too small to furnish more than one other recovering alcoholic, and he doesnt last long.) Flanagans actors, to be frank, have not always been up to the challenge, but Linklater in particular is such an engrossing and idiosyncratic presence that you could watch him talk for hours. (Dont worry, none of Father Pauls sermons lasts quite that long.) Hes an evangelist, but one who gives the sense that hes thinking as he speaks rather than unfurling some dusty spiel, animated by a spirit that may be holy or otherwise. Hes also quite literally high on his own supply, relying on the angels sacrament to keep himself young and to stave off the hunger pangs whose true nature he writes off as a minor barrier between the faithful and eternal life. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement [Read: How Mike Flanagan Repurposes Gothic Classics] As in The Haunting of Hill House and Doctor Sleep, theres no escape from addiction, at least not in this life. These arent horror stories in which demons are defeated, at least not without paying the highest of costs. For a happy ending, at least relatively speaking, you have to turn to the project Flanagan made amid these others, The Haunting of Bly Manor. That story ends with its protagonist dead, sacrificing herself to placate a vengeful spirit and save the lives of those around her. But her sacrifice is not in vain. The ghost is laid to rest, and the rest of Bly Manors residents are freed from its curse. There are happy endings in Flanagans world, but in order to get to them, someone has to die first. God, grant Mike Flanagans characters the serenity to accept the things they cannot change, the courage to change the things they can, and the wisdom to know the difference. Jenee Desmond-Harris is online weekly to chat live with readers. Heres an edited transcript of this weeks chat. Q. Masked but sad: A former high school classmate Becky attempted suicide and its partially my brother-in-laws (Bill) fault. Becky became locally famous in our small town for opposing mask mandates during school board meetings. Obviously, I disagree with Becky on this, but Bill doxxed her social media to uncover that she believed the QAnon theory that John F. Kennedy Jr. was still alive. Rather than focus on the mask issue, Bill and his allies tormented Becky at every turn over this conspiracy theory. They questioned her mental health, her intelligence, and her ability to parent because of it. When she spoke at school board meetings, Bill organized people to stand in the back of the auditorium holding signs that said JFK Jr. Died in 1999. Whenever she posted to Facebook community groups, someone would pop up and ask her about JFK Jr. Bill got the coffee shop on our main street to put up a sign that offered free drinks to anyone who could prove JFK Jr. was still alive. It was relentless. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Becky became a laughingstock and was humiliated. I really dont know what else was going on in her life (I knew her as a kid but we were never friends), but she overdosed on pills after all this went down. Thankfully she survived. Bill has no remorse or compassion. He told me the physical health of innocent kids is more important than the mental health of one bad adult. Im horrified by that attitude and I dont know if I can maintain a relationship with Bill and my sister (his wife) after witnessing this cruelty. What can I do? A: It goes without saying that if you find someone cruel, mean, or even just off-putting, you dont have to be around them, and you dont need anyones permission to cut them off. But since you asked, I would encourage you to think about this: How did you feel about Bills actions before Beckys overdose? If I were you, I would judge him and decide on my relationship with him based on what he did and how it lined up with my values, rather than on what the outcome was. If youre horrified that he made her a laughingstock for her beliefs about JFK Jr. and dont want to be around him anymore, thats fair. But if you werent upset about what he was doing until she took the pills, which was a pretty unpredictable outcome of the social media sparring, you might want to rethink your reaction. Advertisement How to Get Advice From Prudie: Send questions for publication here. (Questions may be edited.) Join the live chat Mondays at noon. Submit your questions and comments here before or during the discussion. Q. Hard waters: My boyfriend really enjoys surfing. Before we met, I had never surfed and wasnt really interested in doing so, but wasnt opposed either. I honestly just didnt think about it! I went a handful of times with my boyfriend and really didnt enjoy itI was very bad and (mildly) injured myself every time. He also isnt the greatest instructor and companion for a novice; he has a just dive in mentality that doesnt jibe well with the kind of learner I am and also meant I was exposed to some crazy waves before I could even consistently get standing. Advertisement Advertisement All that aside, it just doesnt seem like a hobby for me and I think thats fine, but my boyfriend is insistent I just need to try harder or get professional instruction. He says he wants to go on group trips where we all surf together. Im actively a fan of going on these trips (who would say no to Hawaii and Australia?), I just wouldnt want to actually surf. I could hang out on the beach and even prepare meals for the group (I am a talented and enthusiastic cook). He said that would be no fun for him and he really needs me to join him surfing for the trip to be fun. I dont see this as a major issue, but my boyfriend is so, so insistent. Am I really being a terrible killjoy by not learning to surf? Advertisement Advertisement A: I dont think youre a killjoy! But he might. And I guess hes entitled to his opinion. Dating is for finding out whether youre compatible, and Im sorry to say you two have reached an impasse (over a ridiculous issue) that proves youre not. Q. Busted budget: How do I get on the same page as my husband regarding finances? I have attempted more than a dozen times to create a budget for our household. My husband makes significantly more than me, with my take-home paycheck being less than half of what he brings home. He constantly complains that I ask him for money, but when I explain this to him (literally a breakdown of where my money is going), his responses are typically cruel and frankly make me question why I am with him. He has told me it is not his fault that he makes more than me and that that doesnt give me the right to spend all his money. Advertisement Advertisement I am not asking for us to travel or for lavish things; I am asking for home improvement money or for him to pay for the grocery trip that I cannot pay for. There are times that I go without to make sure our children have their needs met because I feel uncomfortable asking him for money. I know this isnt how it should be and I dont know how to get it better. What should I do? Advertisement A: The question is not How do I get on the same page as my husband regarding finances but How do I get out of a relationship that involves financial abuse? Please read the National Network to End Domestic Violences description of financial abuse, which includes the following: Advertisement Financial abuse is behavior that seeks to control a persons ability to acquire, use, or maintain economic resources, and threatens their self-sufficiency and financial autonomy. Examples of financial abuse include: forcing a partner to miss, leave or be late to work; harassing a partner at work; controlling how money is spent; withholding money or basic living resources; giving a partner an allowance That should sound familiar. Your husbands cruel responses when you ask for money and his refusal to provide enough money to buy groceries for the household are not OK, and you dont deserve to be treated this way or to go without so your children can survive. I realize this is an enormous, overwhelming task, but start thinking about an exit plan. Maybe this involves putting away a tiny bit of cash at a time, or thinking about whether you have friends and family who can help you out as you make the transition to living on your own. Even if you suddenly got a raise and didnt need help from him, you wouldnt want to be married to someone who had so little regard for your well-being. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Get Dear Prudence in Your Inbox 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. Q. Sad sister: I need advice about how to help my older sister who, after having been divorced for a few years, wants to start dating again. There are several barriers, though, and Im afraid to talk to her about them. I dont want to upset her, but it might be difficult to find a suitable partner. My sister (54) is very heavy (52 and well over 200 lbs) because of the medications she takes. These medications and their side effects have caused her to be disabled to the extent that she has trouble with daily tasks, like dishes, walking to the store, etc. She trembles sometimes because of a side effect of a medication shes been taking for almost 30 years. Advertisement Shes not a beauty, but she has pretty blue eyes and curly hair. Shes honestly the sweetest person youve ever met. She has multiple degrees, and is creative with a sharp intelligence. Shes very spiritual as a member of a church, but not religious. Shes full of compassion and concern for others. She cant stand to see others suffer and can be taken advantage of. The bottom line is she is desperately lonely, and I spend what time I have to spare with her. She calls me several times a day, which I welcome, and I sometimes spend the night with her, even though Im in an eight-year relationship and about to be engaged. My boyfriend likes her and understands. Im concerned for her for many reasons, but especially concerned about her loneliness because it could trigger more serious depression, and because it just sucks in general. Advertisement Advertisement Can anyone help? Where can she find someone suitable? Is it at all worth it for her to join a dating site like Our Time? Shes got a lot to offer someone, but at first glance, most people would turn away. Please, any advice you can offer, please rack your brains if you will. Advertisement A: I dont think I would want anyone who described me as not a beauty, felt sorry for me, and worried that my disabilities made me unappealing to have anything to do with my dating life. There are people in the worldmaybe your sisters friends from churchwho see all the good qualities in her that you do but dont pity her or think most people would turn away from her. So let them help her think about how to meet people. Or let her do it herself, by downloading an app, or smiling at people she finds attractive, or some other way. As much as you clearly love her and are loyal to her and want her to be happy, your attitude about her perceived shortcomings just isnt the energy she needs as she tries to get back out there. Your job is just to be her sister, and it sounds like youre a good one. Continue to talk to her and visit her and let her know shes loved, but dont start a matchmaking process thats primarily motivated by pity. Advertisement Advertisement Q. Outed and vilified: I kept the secret for almost 45 years that my best friends father made a pass (which included inappropriate touching) at me when I was 12 years old and then continued to sexually harass me until I was the ripe old age of 34. I decided I might get some insight into the situation if I could talk it over with my friends close cousin, to try and assess whether telling my friend about this might finally help me. I had always maintained that what she didnt know wouldnt hurt her, but it was suggested to me that continuing to keep that secret might be hurting me. Advertisement What I didnt expect was the cousin taking it upon herself to flip the email I wrote her and sending it to my friend. This shocked and appalled me. That was not my intention and she outed me without so much as a warning. Advertisement Now no one will speak to me. At first I couldnt believe it and I tried a few times to make contact with my friend, but it was made clear that she wouldnt speak to me. This has been confusing and hurtful and my question is: How is this my fault? Advertisement A: The answer is: Its not your fault at all. The man who sexually harassed and assaulted you is the person who should be ostracized, not you. Youre totally justified in feeling confused and hurt. Telling the truth about what happened to you and being punished for it is every survivors worst fear. I know this is much easier said than done, but forget your best friend and her cousin. I am sure your friend recognizes the truth in what you wroteshe grew up with her dad, after alland is pushing you away as a way of trying to ignore what Im sure is a very painful reality for her. But thats not your problem. You deserve to talk to someone who will listen to you (try a therapist or a survivors group or even a supportive online community) and tell you again and again that they believe you and it wasnt your fault. Advertisement Introducing the How to Do It podcast Your wildest sex advice questions are now being answered in your headphones. Listen to new episodes with Stoya and Rich every Sunday, with exclusive episodes for Slate Plus members on Mondays. Q. Re: Hard waters: I am a scuba diver, not a surfer, but also something of an extreme-ish water sport so its comparable. Your boyfriend is wrong to pressure you. Its a safety thingyou should only be doing it if you were into it. At the very least, he should be willing to make serious compromises, including surfing with you at your level some of the time and cheerfully saying OK when you want to sit the harder ones out. The fact that he doesnt want to make compromises is a big red flag. Not sure about surf culture but most divers would be grateful if their partner even is supportive of the sport, and one who would actually try it is the holy grail. If he keeps pushing, he is not being a good surfer or a good boyfriend. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement A: Totally agree. His inflexibility on this is weird and controlling. Q. Re: Busted budget: Have your husband take over more of the household management so that he has more insight into the true expenses involved. And get to marriage counseling! Otherwise a divorce attorney consultation may be in order. A: I dont feel super optimistic that someone who wont share money will share household management or be a good participant in counseling. It doesnt even seem like he sees himself as part of a partnership! But these ideas are good and definitely worth a try. Q. Re: Busted budget: Uhh, you cant get him on the same page unless he wants to be. You might want to check in with a marriage therapist as well. You can point out that if the two of you were to divorce, the court would have ordered him to pay for those things, as well as paying part of the cost of your separate abode. The idea of his money and my money is crazy. Youre a family. He needs to pay his share. Advertisement A: Thats a good point about how expensive divorce could be for him. But I dont know, does the letter writer want to be married to someone whos only giving her grocery money because its cheaper than separating? I wouldnt. Jenee Desmond-Harris: OK, thats all the time we have for today. Thanks for joining (and for correcting me!). Get your questions ready for next week. If you missed Part 1 of this weeks chat, click here to read it. Discuss this column on our Facebook page! From How to Do It My wife of 35 years and I have widely divergent feelings about her premarital sexual history: Im completely turned on by it and love hearing about her experiences, but shes fairly tight-lipped about discussing them with me. Shes a lovely, elegant, and intelligent woman with a charmingly offbeat personality who graduated from a very well-regarded college and then from law school, so she dated a lot of men and had sex with maybe five or six of thema few casual screws as well as a two-year-long engagement that she ultimately broke off. I, on the other hand, had a very limited sex life before I met her. She describes nearly all of her sexual encounters in pejorative terms: indiscretions or slip-ups or lack of restraint. Heres the heart of the matter: I love to hear down-and-dirty details about the sex she had with the other guys. This spring marks 10 years since the Syrian war began. Omar Alshogre, director of detainee affairs at the Syrian Emergency Task Force and a new student at Georgetown University, will not let you forget what that war actually means. Since the 2011, its estimated that more than 500,000 people have been killed or gone missing, millions have been internally displaced, and millions more have escaped to neighboring countries as refugees. Alshogre himself has lived many lives. A decade ago, he was a teenage protester in Syria during the Arab Spring. Then, he was a political prisoner. After that, a refugee, who escaped to Europe on a rubber boat. Hes lost so muchhis home, most of his familyand has testified in front of European war crimes investigators and briefed members of Congress on the crisis in his home country. Still, he remains hopeful. On Mondays episode of What Next, I spoke with Alshogre about his time in Syria and what we need to remember about Syria as it enters its 10th year of war. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Mary Harris: I wondered if you ever have any weird moments, now that youre in college, where youre in a class and the Middle East comes up and you hear the people around you weigh in, and then you weigh in and say, actually, Ive lived there, heres what I went through. Omar Alshogre: I get surprised, shocked when I hear people talking about Syria, like they actually dont understand whats going on: How was it when ISIS started killing the people? Its like there was no regime killing people for years before ISIS existed. Do you feel like its your job to help them understand? Yes. I want them to understand the brutality. So I will tell them brutal stories. But I always end it in a very hopeful way. Advertisement In 2011, the war startedor I wouldnt say the war started, I would say the revolution started in Syria. You were 15 years old when the people around you started taking to the streets, following the lead of protesters in Tunisia, Jordan, and Egypt. They protested with flowers in their hands. I didnt understand when I was there. I just joined the demonstration because my favorite cousin, the person I love the most, my cousin Bashir called me and said, Omar, come to the demonstration. I went there and there was thousands of people. I enjoyed being there. There was music and people dancing and jumping, saying freedom. Nothing sounds wrong at all until the intelligence services and the army attack and start killing people. In school they tell you that police protects you My father himself was an officer, retired in 200910. Id never seen the police killing anyone. But they started shooting people, people I knew were good. I started to get very confused and I froze in place, could not move. They arrested me and took me to prison. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement When they arrested the people, they were recording the entire massacre. They killed some people. They collected all the young people, all the men they found, tied our hands behind our backs and put us on the ground, jumping on our heads, forcing us to say God, Syria, and Bashar. And I used to say these words when the teachers would take us to streets. This time, enforced with guns and the militaryI knew they were wrong because I was forced to say them. Did you know what the protesters were asking for when you began going? The word that stuck in my head was freedom. I knew what freedom meant physically, never thought about freedom of speech until I was asked by the guard who was jumping on my head, Do you want freedom? Advertisement And what did you say? At 15 years old, I said yes, because who can say no to freedom? But the freedom to torture was what he gave me back when I said I want freedom. I learned that I should say, no, I dont want freedom. I was taken to prison and tortured for four days and I realized the value of freedom, physical freedom, but also the freedom of speech, which we had nothing of. And I started to understand my fathers words about the importance of not talking about it. Advertisement So you never considered not going back to the protests, even though you suffered for going? Suffering was way I understood freedom, I understood the need we have for change in Syria. So thats what empowered me the most. The first two days of torture I had was the thing that empowered me the most to continue fighting. And you learn how to escape when they attack because the first when they attack. Advertisement Advertisement Over the next year and a half, you were detained six more times. Youd find ways to evade authorities. Sometimes, your father would bribe guards to look the other way at the checkpoints that led to school. Your dad also started driving you to protests, since he could see this was important to you. My father believed in the Syrian revolution. He drove me to the first demonstration, but he told me, hide your face, they may kill 1 million people there. When I saw people dying all the time around me, I realized he meant what he said. I learned how to cover my face, to not be in the first line. Youve talked a couple of times about a girl you loved. Do you know what happened to her? Advertisement Advertisement I do. During my time in prison, in May of 2013, they attacked my village and the hometown and killed almost everybody they met. A bomb came on her house and she died. Im so sorry. You were arrested for the final time in November 2012. By then, you were 17. You were detained for nearly three years and spent time in one of the most notorious prisons in Syria, along with two of your cousins. One of those facilities was called Branch 215, run by military intelligence and known as the Branch of Death by many Syrians; another was called Saydnya, which Amnesty International calls the human slaughterhouse. It was unbelievable. I could not believe that Im still alive after that kind of torture, after that fear. My heart did not easily get used to the joy the guard was having while he was torturing me, while he was aware of me being innocent, minor, a kid in prison. The guard forced me to torture my cousin, who I loved the most, and they forced my cousin to torture methey gave him the gun and said, Youve got to shoot him. shoot me. At the same time they gave me a screwdriver and said, You can open a car on your cousins body. My cousin was crying in front of me. My legs were shaking so I could not stand, and my hands were shaking. I could not really carry that screwdriver. They would say to my cousin, If you dont shoot him we will kill him. I then decided, maybe its better if I do it. I make it as small as I can, as little pain as possible. But we took the decision they are to do not do it. Then they shot me and they opened his car in his body. We returned to our cell, I have a bullet in my hip and a scar that you cant believe. And we dont know whats going to happen tomorrow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Eventually, your cousins were killed in prison. How did you manage to escape? They pulled me out from my room, saying I will be taken to execution. Every single hour the guards would come and ask me, How do you want me to kill you? Be creative. Imagine hearing this question 48 times and you are forced to give creative answers, which do not include shoot me or slaughter me. They want a new way where they can enjoy killing you. They shot me and I felt like I died and felt no pain. When I went down, I saw my feet and the torture marks and the blood, and I was told that there will be no blood in the afterlife. So I realized I was still alive. That was one of the scariest moments of those three years. Advertisement I was in the middle of nowhere. As soon as I realized I was alive, I looked around me and saw a car stuck behind me. The driver said, jump in. At the last station I jumped off. There was a lot of people around me. I was in central Damascus and people were looking at me in a very, very weird way. Three guys came and said, Call your family. I said, Look, I dont remember anything. They tried to help me and one of them noticed my arm and said, What is this? I said, Thats a number. I always had it with me in prison. One time a small bird actually got to the torture chambers. A prisoner captured that bird, and I asked the prisoner who captured that bird, if you give me a feather, I will give you my food for two days, which was a potato. I took that feather and used it to write the phone number on my arm every day. That bird was my only hope and only chance to survive. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement So they called this phone number and were answered by a young girl who said to me, stay where you are. It took me many days before I knew who it was: my sister. Those people who picked him up werent some rescue team or humanitarian task force. They were random passersby who noticed you on the side of the road, starving, looking bewildered and lost. Then you learned your mother and sisters had managed to escape to Turkey and paid for your release. When you reunited with them, you weighed just 75 pounds and had tuberculosis. Your mother urged you to go to Europe to seek treatment and a chance at a better life. So you and your 10-year-old brother took the perilous journey, partly by boat, and ended up in Sweden. Its there you learned to tell people about what happened to you in Syria. Advertisement I had no emotions. I had no feeling. I was entirely empty. A mother of a detainee would call me and say: I heard you were just released, I had my kid who was maybe with you in the same prison. Can I send you a picture of him? Maybe you recognize him. I lost no memories from my time in prison. I remember still every single small detail. With some medication, I say, Yes, I saw your son. They slaughtered him. They took his eyes off his face and burned his body. Her kid called me the other day and said, Omar, my mom talked to you yesterday or two days ago, and shes in the emergency room in the hospital since then. What did you tell her? I felt like I was in a coma and I just woke up. What am I doing? Killing people by By telling the truth. By telling the truth but actually destroying lives, families, connections. So I get a turnaround, I take a different path. I started to to talk to others the way that makes them feel best. So: Have you seen my son? Yes, I saw him and he died with a smile on his face. He felt no pain. He slept and never woke up. Thats what I had to tell. But the reality was different. We were slaughtered. It was torture. I wonder whom you blame for what youve been through, or whether you even think about it in terms of blame. My father used to be very angry most of the time. What I remember most is that that was never useful or helpful, that never made me stop doing what I was doing. What I do is my part. I use what I count as my talent, public speaking. I know there is so many parts involved: the reason behind the war, the regime, Russia, the Iranian support. When I talk to people living their normal lives and not working on a daily basis on the Syrian case, those people need to hear something different. Im talking to young people, to university students, to businessmenthey feel hopeless when they hear about Syria. When I talk about it, I talk about it from a very personal level so people feel connected and feel they can act. I tell them about kids in Syria. I tell them about a woman whos being resilient in Syria, who created this and this, how to support this and this. The narrative that the Syrian regime is trying to build is that its too complex., that you cant involved, that you cant understand it, that you cant help. Thats what Im trying to break down. Do you want to go back to Syria? I would love to. Its beautiful, its green, and the places that have been destroyed can be rebuilt. The only thing we need to do to get rid of the regime and the corruption that exists. When the regime falls, Ill be taking the first flight. Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts Get more news from Mary Harris every weekday. Not quite one month after the last U.S. troops left Afghanistan, we are now entering the phase when our politicians ask, Whos to blame? It officially began on Tuesday, when the top three officials responsible for the warSecretary of Defense Lloyd Austin; Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; and Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, head of Central Commandappeared before the Senate Armed Services Committee. One of the most remarkable things about the hearing was that all three admitted that theres something worth blaming someone forthat the 20-year war, the longest in our history, was a rout. Or, as both generals put it in more delicate but still damning terms, a strategic failure. Advertisement The question posed throughout the daylong session was whether the decisive failure occurred just in the last few months or whether the seeds of the failure were planted in the wars beginnings. In other words, is President Joe Biden to blame, or should responsibility be spread across four presidents, 11 congresses, debilitating aspects of the way America trains client-states to fight wars, and the corruption endemic in the recently deposed Afghan government? Most of the panels Republicans took the former position, and most of the Democrats took the latter. The witnesses tried to avoid taking a stance but suggested that no one is blameless. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The hearing also opened up a potential rupture within the Biden administration. Asked whether the withdrawal and its poor execution had damaged U.S. credibility around the world, Austin replied, As I engage my counterparts, I think our credibility remains solid. However, Milley responded very differently, though hesitantly: I think our credibility with allies and partners around the globeand with adversariesis being intensely reviewed by them to see which way this is going to go. And damaged is one word that could be used, yes. 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. Austin, of course, was nominated for his job by Biden, mainly on the basis of the close professional relationship theyd formed during the Obama administration. Milley has avidly been trying to mold an image of himself as an independent, apolitical military adviserwhich is what the JCS chairman is supposed to beever since a Bible-toting President Donald Trump roped him into the infamous photo-op outside the church across from the White House during the massive street protests that followed the police killing of George Floyd.* Having spoken frankly of Trump in the final weeks of that presidency, Milley may feel doubly compelled to speak frankly of Biden as well. As a result, he probably emerged from the hearing with heightened credibility among lawmakers in both partiesand possibly diminished standing in the eyes of Biden, who, before the hearing, had expressed complete confidence in the general. Advertisement Advertisement Still, none of the witnesses came off as paragons of wisdom or high principle on the central issue of the Senate hearing (and of the Afghanistan war): why the Afghan army collapsed so quickly after two decades of intense American support. Milley shrewdly diagnosed the failure: The U.S., he said, trained the Afghan soldiers in a way that made them too dependent on our technology and our support. Take away that support, and collapse was inevitablethough, he added, he and the intelligence agencies thought the collapse would occur in months, not days. Beyond military considerations, he said, the Afghan leadership was corrupt, the police were parasitic, and the whole government never gained legitimacy in the eyes of the Afghan people. Advertisement Advertisement This analysis is true, but not remotely new. Senior officers spoke openly about these problems as potentially fatal to the mission as far back as 2009, when President Barack Obama weighed whether to escalate or wind down the war. (He chose to escalate, to his eventual regret; thenVice President Biden urged him to wind down, which helps explain his insistence on a total pullout now.) And Milley has held command positions in the Army for 20 years, including as the Army chief of staff, while McKenzie has held similar posts in the Marines, including several high-ranking assignments in Afghanistan. Why didnt they warn of these problems, or suggest solutions to them, back when he could have spoken and acted with on-the-ground authority? Advertisement Advertisement The Republicans on the committee have their credibility gaps as well. They howled in anger on Tuesday over Bidens mishandled evacuation, which went against the advice of military officers and civilian officials. But last year, when the GOP still controlled the Senate, they didnt hold a single hearing about the Doha agreement, which Trump signed with the Taliban. That accord, which was negotiated without the Afghan governments participation, mandated the total U.S. withdrawalwhich Republicans are criticizing now. Sen. Elizabeth Warren got in a pointed round of questions. By the time her turn came, others had already prompted the witnesses to acknowledge that theyd all recommended keeping 2,500 troops in Afghanistanthough Austin emphasized that, if those troops had stayed after the Aug. 30 deadline, the Taliban would have resumed fighting them, and Biden would have had to send in many more troops to stave them off. Milley and McKenzie agreed: The issue was not whether to leave or stayit was whether to leave or to escalate substantially. Advertisement Advertisement Warren focused on the evacuation, which many critics see as Bidens main mistake. Did Biden follow the militarys recommendations on the evacuation? Austin replied, Yes. Did he give you all the resources you needed? Yes. Did he reject any of your advice on the evacuation? No. So now whos to blameand for what? Sen. Joe Manchin, the West Virginia Democrat whose fiscal conservatism has obstructed some of Bidens most ambitious economic plans, seemed almost pained when asking his questions. Manchin, who is 74, said he well remembered Vietnam and couldnt understand why no lessons were learned from that disastrous war. How did we get into this and not get out? he asked. If wed set specific goals, would that have made a difference? Milley agreed that the Afghan war was a strategic failure the cumulative effect of 20 years, not 20 days. Advertisement That created an opening for Sen. Tammy Duckworth, Democrat of Illinois, who lost both of her legs as a helicopter pilot in the Iraq war. She said that she would soon introduce a bill creating an Afghanistan War Study Commission, a bipartisan panel to examine all these questions and more, looking not just at the final days under Biden but the entire span of the past 20 years and even earlier. Lets see what happens with Duckworths proposal. If the commission is really created, we might force a deep look into the abyssnot just of this war but of the entire American way of war. If her bill gets voted down, or if the commission is clearly a melange of partisan hacks, then the debate were seeingand are likely to keep seeing from now till Election Dayis nothing more than partisan theatrics. On this weeks Amicus, when Mark Joseph Stern joined Dahlia Lithwick for the Slate Plus segment, the two tried to answer the most common question theyve both been getting from readers this week: What exactly is going to happen next with SB 8? The infamous Texas abortion ban is now the center of several legal challenges. It prohibits abortion after six weeks, a clear violation of Roe v. Wadebut to evade judicial review, the law empowers private citizens to sue anyone who aids or abets an abortion for $10,000. So far, this scheme has prevented any court from blocking the law. Lithwick and Stern talk through the full list of suits trying to take down SB 8, alongside an assessment of how long each suit might take, and which, if any, we might expect to prevail. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dahlia Lithwick: I think the question you and I have probably received the most in the last two weeks is: How do I even watch SB 8 unfold? I think there was a collective sigh when Dr. Alan Braid admitted in the pages of the Washington Post that he had in fact performed an illegalunder SB 8termination of a pregnancy, inviting litigation. Two helpful litigants, both out of state, came forward to sue him. I think there are a lot of lanes here and folks are confused about timing. So lets walk through it: -Weve still got the ongoing challenge by the providers that the Supreme Court refused to enjoin. Thats going to be heard in December at the Fifth Circuit. Advertisement -We have the Biden Administrationthe Justice Department has brought a suit that has not resulted in immediate injunction. That is to be heard next week. -We have a new suit, filed Thursday night by the same group of providers who filed the Fifth Circuit case, saying theyre seeking this extraordinary relief, a petition for cert before judgment. -We have these two civil suits against Dr. Braid. -And then after all, we have Dobbs v. Jackson Womens Health Organization. Advertisement Mark, can you please draw a map of the world of SB8 and what is going to happen first, if you can, and what, if anything, is going to happen before Dobbs? Mark Joseph Stern: Sure. So lets start with the state lawsuits. Two different out-of-state lawyers have filed suits in Texas state court against Dr. Alan Braid, who wrote a piece in the Washington Post acknowledging that he performed an abortion after six weeks in Texas in violation of SB8. Those cases are now going to be litigated in Texas state courts, and the doctor is going to raise as a defense, among other things, the fact that Roe v. Wade is still the law of the land. And so it is just not constitutionally permissible for him to be punished for performing an abortion that is legal under binding Supreme Court precedent. Advertisement Advertisement Lets assume that both of these state courts are on the level and are going to acknowledge Roe as binding precedent. In that case, they will presumably throw out the lawsuits, but that doesnt mean that SB 8 is over or that its enjoined. Because the way this law is written, its essentially impossible for any Texas state court to block it across the state. It has to be litigated in each individual case. And so no matter the outcome of these particular Texas lawsuits, SB 8 will still be in effect. Advertisement This particular doctor may be off the hook because hell raise the constitutional right to an abortion as a defense, but everybody else in Texas will still be under the thumb of SB8. It will continue to work its way through the Texas court system, probably very slowly. Advertisement Then we have the Justice Department lawsuit. The Justice Department lawsuit, I think, is one of the stronger suits weve seen, because the Justice Department representing the United States can sue Texas directly. It can say We are filing suit against the state of Texas, including all of its agents, which would presumably encompass anyone who sued under SB8. Thats something a private plaintiff cant do. Only the United States gets to sue an individual state because the Supreme Court has said sovereign immunity is not a problem in this context. And so that case is currently sitting before a federal judge in Texas, and that judge will soon hold a hearing on whether or not to issue a preliminary injunction blocking SB 8 throughout the entire state of Texas by issuing a decision directly against Texas. But we have to sit on our hands and wait for that because the federal judge is not rushing it. The Justice Department asked him to rush it, but he said, No, Im going to take my time on this. And so were all waiting for early October, when that case will move forward. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Then we have the petition before the Supreme Court, which is really part of the same case that we all freaked out about in early September. This is the same lawsuit that was filed against state court judges and clerks in Texas. That was the first bite at the apple, the first effort by abortion providers to block SB8. As you recall, they went to a federal judge, the same judge whos hearing the DOJ suit, and they said, Please block this law. The Fifth Circuit swooped in before the judge could do anything and prevented him from doing anything. The providers went to the Supreme Court and by a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court threw up its hands and said, We cant do anything later. A couple weeks later, the Fifth Circuit issued a decision saying, Well, we really think you sued the wrong people. We dont think that you can sue state judges and state court clerks. And so we are going to hold onto this case and will decide this question formally in a couple of months. Advertisement So now, the providers have gone back up to the Supreme Court and said, Look, we get that you ruled against us last time and were not asking for ruling on the merits. Were not asking you to issue a shadow docket decision just saying up-or-down vote, whether SB8 can be blocked and should be blocked. All were saying, all were asking is for you to say that we sued the right people, that some of the folks we sued can be sued, and thus bring this case back down to the original federal judge who was hearing it in the first place and clear away all of these obstacles so that he can decide on the merits, whether to issue an injunction. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Thats the lay of the land for SB8 and all the while, weve got Dobbs in the background, which is a completely different case, not directly related to the Texas case at all. Thats a challenge to Mississippis 15 week abortion ban. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in that case on Dec. 1 and probably issue a decision in June of 2022. Lithwick: I think thats the lay of the land, and I think anybody who expects instant relief or clarity in the coming days is probably going to be disappointed. At minimum, what Im hearing you say is we may get an injunction in the Justice Department suit and the Supreme Court may act quickly on this second petition that came in on Thursday night. Advertisement Stern: Yes, thats right. And so if the court does act quickly and rules favorably for the providers here, that case will go back down to the federal judge who will then have two different lawsuits against SB 8 before him, the one filed by these abortion providers and the one filed by the Justice Department. And it seems like we can bet that this particular judge, Judge Pitman, an Obama appointee, a friend of reproductive rights, will issue an injunction eventually, probably in October blocking SB 8. The big question mark then is what does the Fifth Circuit do? Because the Fifth Circuit is extremely conservative. I think theres a chance that no matter what Judge Pittman does, some Trump appointees on the Fifth Circuit will find a way to reinstate SB8. Listen to the whole episode here: Virginia Republicans havent won a statewide election since 2009. No races for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, senator, or president. There are a couple of different ways to interpret this information. One is to assume that Virginia is a comfortably blue state, the once-supreme Virginia Republican Party irrevocably damaged by extreme candidates incapable of winning elections. The other interpretation is that Virginia Republicans are due for one. The only reason to be surprised that the governors race, between Democratic former Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Republican businessman Glenn Youngkin, is so close would be to have believed the first interpretation, which is false. Virginia Republicans may not be due anything on Nov. 2, but the fundamentals of the race point toward a tight contest. Advertisement The FiveThirtyEight public polling average shows McAuliffe with a 3.3 percentage point lead over Youngkin, one thats narrowed from higher single digits earlier this summer. Democratic groups working the race say that trend is roughly in line with their private polling. The Cook Political Report last week moved the race to toss-up status, while Sabatos Crystal Ball still has the race as Leans Democratic. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We havent seen any reason to change it yetand I emphasize yet, Larry Sabato, the eponymous publisher of Sabatos Crystal Ball and director of the UVA Center for Politics, told me late last week. Because the trends arent necessarily good for the Democrats, but the Republicans have to find the votes. 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. The Virginia governors race has, historically, been one of the easiest races to forecast: The candidate from the party not controlling the White House would win. For 36 years beginning in 1977, the party that had lost the presidential race in the previous year won the governors mansion. That streak broke in 2013, when McAuliffe defeated Ken Cuccinelli during Obamas second term in office, cementing the change in the commonwealths perceived political character. The fast-growing Northern Virginia suburbs had turned strongly blue, overwhelming the Republican shift in rural parts of the state. The Republican Party, finding itself on the losing side of these trends, panicked and turned further right, often nominating unpalatable hard-liners, like Cuccinelli in 2013 or Corey Stewart for Senate in 2018, who couldnt hold the center. Advertisement But how blue is this new blue Virginia? Joe Biden won Virginia by 10 percentage points. But that was with white, suburban, college-educated professionals, optimized to come out hard with Donald Trump on the ballot. Advertisement Virginias not California, Sabato told me. Its blue-ish So it doesnt take that much of a shift for Republicans to win. And the atmospherics are all there for Republicans to realize that shift. Youngkin is at least attempting to appeal to moderates, rather than speaking strictly to the base. Plus, President Bidens approval rating has tanked in the past couple of months, creating a downdraft that is hurting McAuliffe, Sabato said. Theres just no question about it. McAuliffes team, he added, cant grumble publicly, but theyre grumbling about it privately. Advertisement Advertisement Thats the difference in this race from now and two months ago, Tom Davis, a former Republican congressman from Virginia, told me. When Terry announced, the first thing he did was come out with Joe Biden. I dont think hes going to be doing that again. And then theres enthusiasm: So far, Republicans have it, and Democrats dont. Thats the traditional Virginia dynamic for when theres a Democrat in the White House. But Virginia Republicans arent just eager to express disapproval over Biden. They want the state back after eight long years, too. Advertisement Its kind of an iron rule of politics that the longer your coalition has been in power, the more difficult it is to sustain and continue it, Sabato said. If you look at this states history, its tough to get a third term. And the Republicans have lost everything for a decade. That causes them to be desperate and therefore intense, and show a kind of extreme enthusiasm. Democrats are sitting on their damn asses on the couch. Everyone knows it. Everyone feels it. The key thing Sabato is watching to determine whether he changes his forecast to a toss-up is whether Democratic enthusiasm improves. Advertisement McAuliffe isnt, personally, a candidate who draws mass enthusiasm; UVA students are not hanging posters of him in their dorm rooms. While he left office a relatively popular governor, hes still the embodiment of the Democratic establishment: a former governor, a party operative, a trusted ally of the Clintons, a fundraiser, and a former DNC chair. The center, though, can live just fine with him. McAuliffe is excellent at stoking Democratic fears about the other side, and he has a couple of wedge issues working well to his advantage. Mask and vaccine mandates poll quite well in Virginia, and McAuliffe has leaned into the issue; Youngkin, meanwhile, has spoken out against such mandates. The extreme Texas abortion law has thrust reproductive rights to the forefront of the campaign in Virginia, too, and Youngkin was caught on tape this summer saying he cant share his true views on the issue without alienating independents but could go on offense once in office. McAuliffes most potent wedge issue, though, may still be Donald Trump, whose support (and supporters) Youngkin wooed in the primary. His pivot to the general election has been predictably awkward, and Trump himself is keeping tabs on how much separation Youngkin tries to make between them. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement None of these wedge issues, though, will save the day if Democrats dont wake up and recognize that their blue-ish states governorship, as well as its Legislature, are up for grabs in a deteriorating environment. Some Virginia Democrats close to the race are a little irritated that the full national cavalry came in to support California Gov. Gavin Newsom, in a much bluer state, after one bad poll came out in his recall, but havent been similarly sounding the alarm in a race that was always going to be much, much closer. One national Democratic operative told me, Terry up 3 in this environment is actually pretty good for a Democrat in Virginia. Democrats, in Sabatos estimation, are being Democrats about this race. They tune out, its not the presidential, this isnt important enough for them. They dont see the stakes, theyre busy. Republicans think about this all the time, plus theyve been frustrated for an entire decade. They are dying to get back in. This story was originally published by the Guardian and has been republished here as part of the Climate Desk collaboration. Residents of Anchorage, Alaska, used to living alongside moose and bears, now face a threat from a more diminutive creature: the humble river otter. On Friday, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game alerted residents to a pack of aggressive otters that have attacked dogs, children, and adults, near creeks, rivers, and lakes. Humans are river otters only significant predator. Attacks the other way are not common, officials said. Nonetheless, a spate of reported incidents prompted the official warning. Because of the risk to public safety, efforts will be made to locate this group of river otters and remove them, authorities said. Care will be taken to only remove the animals exhibiting these unusual behaviors. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Last week, a woman was bitten while rescuing her dog from otters at a lake. The same day, in another part of the city, a group of otters attacked a dog. Earlier this month, a 9-year-old boy went to the emergency room after four otters chased him and his friends while they played near a duck pond in east Anchorage. The boys mother, Tiffany Fernandez, told the Anchorage Daily News: He has two fang marks on his back thigh and one on the front thigh on each leg. [He has] one puncture wound on his foot. Authorities said the otters would be tested for rabies, which could explain their aggression, though there had been no recent reports of rabid otters in the region. In July, a river otter tested positive for rabies more than 300 miles away in Dillingham, Alaska, which is reachable only by boat or plane. A wildlife biologist who inspected the otter, Bryan Reiley, told Alaska Public Media the otter was covered in porcupine quills. The two species rarely interact because they prefer water and land respectively. It is more common to see evidence of river otter activity than to see otters. Most often they live in groups, either mothers with pups or bachelor males banded together. Officials said they did not know the composition of the aggressive Anchorage pack. Disabled parking rules in Spain: UK blue disability badges are not allowed UK drivers need to request a Spanish disability licence for their car as the British one is not valid People with reduced mobility in the UK are used to being able to park their cars in special handicapped parking spaces thanks to their Blue Badge, but they may have a nasty surprise when they come to Spain . Post-Brexit, Spain is one of several EU countries that do not recognise the UK vehicle Blue Badge for disability. Since Great Britain split from the European Union, negotiations have been taking place with each European country about using UK Blue Badges and where they are formally recognised. Since September 2021, the gov.uk website has declared that UK disability parking badges are not recognised or valid anywhere in Spain. Those wishing to park on disabled spots in Spain must be in possession of a Spanish disability badge, which can be obtained from the regional government website where you will be based in Spain. However, these international guidelines are subject to change, so travellers to Spain and expats living in Spain are advised to check with the Spanish embassy or even the local authority where applicable. Image: Archive Life expectancy in Spain falls by almost a year and a half This decrease in life expectancy in Spain due to coronavirus is the highest since the Second World War A new study published by the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Sciences of the University of Oxford on Monday September 27 shows that life expectancy in Spain fell by an average of 1.41 years in 2020 compared with pre-pandemic 2019. In fact, in 27 of the 29 countries evaluated, which covered most of Europe, the United States and Chile, a drastic decline was observed last year. Published in the International Journal of Epidemiology, the research indicates that women from 15 countries and men from 10 countries actually had a lower life expectancy at birth than in 2015, a year in which the numbers were already down due to a particularly devastating flu season. Women fare worse than men in Spain, with the average female expected to live 1.442 fewer years compared to 1.383 for men, with the most affected age group being women under the age of 30 (1.53 years less than before Covid). Globally, the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in a catastrophic loss of life, but according to the co-author of the study, Jose Manuel Aburto, Western European countries such as Spain, England and Wales havent seen such as drastic drop in life expectancy in a single year since the Second World War. Interestingly, Mr Aburto pointed out that the large declines in life expectancy seen in the US can be explained in part by the dramatic increase in the mortality of people of working age during 2020, which was far higher than in most of Europe, where deaths in people aged over 60 contributed more significantly. While the experts agree that the most influential factor for the difference in the data across 2019 and 2020 is the official death toll caused by Covid , the team agrees that more detailed information is needed from a broader range of countries, particularly low- and middle-income nations, in order to better understand the true impact of the pandemic. Image: Archive Marriage breakdowns in Spain at lowest figure in history The lowest divorce, separation and annulment figures were recorded during the months of coronavirus lockdown in Spain Its difficult to see a bright side to the devastation associated with the coronavirus pandemic , but in Spain at least married couples appear to be experiencing some benefits. According to a report released by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), a total of 80,015 couples separated, divorced or requested annulments in 2020, the lowest figure since records began in 1998. Official marriage break-ups decreased by 16% compared to pre-pandemic 2019. It is perhaps unsurprising that the fewest proceedings were filed during the second quarter of the year when Spain was in coronavirus confinement (down by 63.5%), but there was also a decline of 17.4% in the first three months of 2020. However, with the arrival of summer and a relaxation of restrictions, divorces once again increased by 21.6% in the third quarter and 11.3% in the fourth. By type of breakup, there were 77,200 divorces in Spain last year, which fell by 15.8% compared to 2019; 2,775 separations, 22.7% fewer; and 40 annulments, 46.7% fewer. In addition, the statistics reveal that 1.4% of the divorces in 2020 were between same sex couples while legal separations accounted for 0.1% of the total. One out of every three divorces in Spain last year occurred after 20 or more years of marriage, and in the vast majority of cases (71.6%), both spouses filed. Interestingly, while Spaniards made up more than 80% of all proceedings, in 10.6% of divorces, separations and annulments in 2020 at least one of the spouses was a foreigner. Image: Archive Political party wants to ban vegan meatballs in Spain Vox has argued that labelling plant-based products with meat-based names confuses consumers in Spain Far-right political party Vox has presented a proposal to the Congress of Deputies which aims to tightly regulate the way in which vegetarian and imitation meat products are named, prohibiting items such as vegan meatballs and tofu sausages. The partys leader, Santiago Anascal, was quick to point out that he is not against these food items on principal, only the use of the words which indicate meat in the titles of products which are derived from plants. According to Vox, these vegan and vegetarian items are marketed under an inappropriate and erroneous name which has caused a conflict in the meat sector, and their leader has argued that although meat-free sausages, hamburgers etc do contain a significant amount of protein, they do not in any way present the same nutritional values as their carnivore counterparts. If they are a totally different product, their names also have to be totally different, Mr Abascal stressed. As dictated by European regulations, products labelled soy milk or tofu cheese can no longer be found in supermarkets, as names alluding to dairy products can only be attributed to items of animal origin. Enforcing the same rules to the meat market will avoid confusing the consumer and will eliminate any chance of misleading advertising, according to Vox. Image: Archive Slovakia has one of the quickest caseload increases in the world Most districts will follow stricter pandemic measures from next Monday. The impact of the third pandemic wave is already visible in Slovakia's Covid-19 statistics. Our paywall policy: The Slovak Spectator has decided to make all the articles on the special measures, statistics and basic information about the coronavirus available to everyone. If you appreciate our work and would like to support good journalism, please buy our subscription. We believe this is an issue where accurate and fact-based information is important for people to cope. Slovakia belongs to the countries with the quickest growth in new Covid cases in the world; it is also witnessing quite a big increase in the number of hospitalisations. The situation is worsening on the regional level as well, with only a few regions remaining in the best, green tier of the alert system, known as Covid automat. Bad situation in Roznava The 7-day incidence of cases (i.e. the number of cases during seven days per 100,000 inhabitants) rose by 113 percent compared to 49 percent last week. This means Slovakia has the second-fastest increase in daily caseload in the region, after Hungary, said Matej Misik, head of the Institute for Health Analyses, which runs under the Health Ministry. At the same time, the number of hospitalisations rose by 80 percent compared to the previous week. The highest increase was reported by hospitals in eastern Slovakia, where the vaccination rate remains low. As much as 91 percent of hospitalised patients there have not been fully vaccinated against Covid, Misik noted. The worsening situation prompted the crisis staff and the Regional Public Health Authority in Roznava (Kosice Region) to switch to the red tier on Thursday, September 9. Hygienists revealed two big hotspots there and many cases whose source could not be traced back. Only five cases were imported from abroad. The map of districts from September 13, 2021. (Source: Health Ministry) In the red tier, unvaccinated people who do not have a negative test result will not be allowed inside restaurants or on their terraces. As for mass events, organisers who have chosen to restrict entry to people with proof of vaccination, a negative test or proof they have recovered from Covid cannot have more than 25 percent of capacity or more than 150 participants. They must keep a list with attendees' names and contacts too. As of Monday, September 13, 10 districts will be in the red tier while 47 will be in the orange tier and 22 in the green tier. Tiers of districts starting September 13 Districts at Warning Level 1 (red) Bytca Kosice I-IV Krupina Poprad Roznava Skalica Trencin Districts at Alert Level (orange) Banovce nad Bebravou Banska Bystrica Banska Stiavnica Bardejov Brezno Cadca Detva Dolny Kubin Gelnica Ilava Kezmarok Kosice-okolie Kysucke Nove Mesto Levice Levoca Liptovsky Mikulas Lucenec Martin Michalovce Myjava Nitra Nove Mesto nad Vahom Partizanske Piestany Povazska Bystrica Presov Prievidza Revuca Rimavska Sobota Sabinov Sala Senica Snina Sobrance Spisska Nova Ves Stara Lubovna Svidnik Topolcany Trebisov Turcianske Teplice Tvrdosin Velky Krtis Vranov nad Toplou Zarnovica Ziar nad Hronom Zilina Zvolen Monitoring (green) Bratislava I-V Dunajska Streda Galanta Hlohovec Humenne Komarno Malacky Medzilaborce Namestovo Nove Zamky Pezinok Poltar Puchov Ruzomberok Senec Stropkov Trnava Zlate Moravce Read more about the coronavirus developments in Slovakia: 8. Sep 2021 at 17:16 | Compiled by Spectator staff Some politicians cannot be trusted to take the side of their own country against Russia. Font size: A - | A + Neither east nor west, but a bridge somewhere in between is how Slovaks often tend to see their country, as seen from opinion polls. This view still occurs frequently despite the fact that Slovakia has been a member of the EU and NATO, and thus integrated into the western world, for about two decades now. Yet part of the political scene, currently mostly some opposition parties, peddle pro-Russian narratives and advocate for a stronger and better relationship with Russia. They always find some sympathetic ears in Slovakia, where a positive attitude towards Russia is generally more widespread than in other parts of Central Europe. One reason is that Slovaks are prevailingly carefree about geopolitics and tend to overlook the risks of such an attitude, noted political analyst and director of the Institute for Public Affairs (IVO) non-governmental think tank, Grigorij Meseznikov. "These may then translate into insufficiently clear pro-Atlanticist attitudes in defence and security matters, and European attitudes in terms of belonging to democratic states," Meseznikov told The Slovak Spectator. "A significant part of Slovakia's population does not realise these risks." Another reason why pro-Russian sentiments are more widespread in Slovakia than in neighbouring countries is because of the concept of pan-Slavism, the idea that ethnic and language proximity can mean more in a relationship with other countries than political classification, Meseznikov explained. In Slovakia, this idea took root in the 19th century, when in the spring of nations some national revivalists promoted it as a way for Slovaks to emancipate themselves as a modern nation. Pan-Slavism has lingered in the collective consciousness ever since. IVO analysts have looked into these attitudes and identified the politicians who engage in this discourse in their publication Who is Playing Russian Roulette in Slovakia?, recently published in English. Extremists and Smer 13. Sep 2021 at 13:24 | Nina Hrabovska Francelova Slovakia will have its first ever representative on the WHO Executive Board Professor Jozef Suvada will represent Slovakia. The World Health Organisation (WHO) Committee for Europe confirmed that professor Jozef Suvada will represent Slovakia on WHO's Executive Board. The decision is confirmation of the expert qualities of this Slovak candidate and also the significant success of Slovak diplomacy, the press department of the Foreign Affairs Ministry wrote in a press release. Professor Suvada will begin his work on the WHO Executive Board after the organisation's May meeting. "This will be the historically first three-year mandate of the Slovak Republic in this important body," emphasised the Foreign Affairs Minister Ivan Korcok (nom. SaS). WHO's Executive Board is composed of 34 health professionals from around the world. Its main role is to implement the decisions and policies of WHO's highest body, the World Health Assembly, and it is also its main governing body between sessions. I believe that Slovakia, with the help of teamwork in its historical opportunity to be in this body, will help improve health, the social determinants of health, and the implementation and sustainability of innovations. It will also reduce inequalities, discrimination, stigma, improve patient safety, prevent trauma and disease, improve warnings in epidemic prevention, and ensure transparent and ethical approaches at the WHO level too, he wrote on social network. Global inspiration will perhaps also be our national path in improvement and development. 16. Sep 2021 at 17:08 | Compiled by Spectator staff Bratislava reminds me of Bangladesh, says exiled writer Ahmedur Rashid Chowdhury calls on the Slovak capital to help exiled writers and artists work through their trauma. Bangladeshi publisher Ahmedur Rashid Chowdhury can only recall part of the brutal attack by Islamic extremists which changed his life and work. Two young men burst into his Dhaka office in October 2015, brandishing machetes. He does not remember what happened next. He has been told that one of the men tried to shoot him, but he was saved by a colleague who kicked a chair at his would-be killer. The shot missed and Chowdhury, who had suspected he might be targeted by fundamentalists, survived just. A publisher of works by secular writers in a state ruled by an increasingly Islamic regime with very little tolerance for anything deemed anti-Islam, Chowdhury felt he had been in danger for a long time before the attack In February of that year, he had witnessed the murder of one of his friends, and other bloggers were killed in the months after as well. Soon after the attack, an opportunity to live and work in Skien, Norway, arose through the International Cities of Refuge Network (ICORN) - an organisation that provides a place of refuge for writers and artists living and working under threat. Related article: Related article: Sudanese cartoonist: Censorship not just something in some far away land Read more When I first got the invitation from ICORN after the attack, I didnt want to go because I knew if I left, I would no longer have a chance to do my work in Bangladesh, Chowdhury said. Despite his concerns over his work, activists and other writers convinced him to leave, fearing for his safety. Speaking at Milan Simecka Foundations multi-genre festival [fjuzn] earlier this month, he explained that the move did change his work, but not in the way he initially feared. His move to Norway in 2016, he said, allowed him to establish the online version of his Shuddhashar (Free Voice) magazine and share writing freely, and his readership currently spans 56 countries. Nevertheless, he still feels a pull to his home country. I always want to go back, said Chowdhury, who spoke about ICORN during the festival. A brutal attack 28. Sep 2021 at 6:55 | Anna Fay https://sputniknews.com/20210927/iom-looking-for-alternatives-for-haitians-at-us-border-brazil-being-1-option---sources-1089466076.html IOM Looking for Alternatives for Haitians at US Border, Brazil Being 1 Option - Sources IOM Looking for Alternatives for Haitians at US Border, Brazil Being 1 Option - Sources WASHINGTON (Sputnik), Ekaterina Chukaeva - The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is actively looking for alternative destinations for Haitians who... 27.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-27T23:43+0000 2021-09-27T23:43+0000 2021-09-27T23:43+0000 haiti us illegal immigrants us border patrol alejandro mayorkas /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/1b/1089465999_0:152:3021:1851_1920x0_80_0_0_b0a429b756fd58ca9c9a9d46146dee97.jpg Some 15,000 migrants, mostly from Haiti, arrived in the Texas town of Del Rio along the US-Mexico border over the recent weeks, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency and deploy border agents, including on horseback. Images shared on social media of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers corralling the migrants have prompted criticism by activists.The IOM is very concerned about the situation in which Haitian nationals found themselves in Mexico, and particularly at the border with the United States, the statement said.The IOM pointed out in the statement that the AVR program is implemented under specific conditions "and applies a strict protocol to ensure that conditions upon return do not put returnees or their families at risk."Following his speech at the UN General Assembly, US President Joe Biden vowed to get the migrant crisis at the US-Mexico border under control.Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced that the Biden administration conducted 17 flights to Haiti to transport about 2,000 migrants. Mayorkas also said US law enforcement agents involved in an incident involving alleged whipping of Haitian migrants were assigned to administrative duties and are no longer working with migrants. haiti us 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 haiti, us, illegal immigrants, us border patrol, alejandro mayorkas https://sputniknews.com/20210927/spd-leader-scholz-says-yet-to-hear-congratulations-from-cducsu-rival-1089465548.html SPD Leader Scholz Says Yet to Hear Congratulations From CDU/CSU Rival SPD Leader Scholz Says Yet to Hear Congratulations From CDU/CSU Rival BERLIN (Sputnik) - German chancellor candidate from the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Olaf Scholz said on Monday that he still has not received congratulations... 27.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-27T23:28+0000 2021-09-27T23:28+0000 2021-09-27T23:28+0000 election social-democratic party (sdp) armin laschet cdu olaf scholz german ruling party /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/1b/1089465315_0:0:3072:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_7abe5e6c280289ba8ea22476119b1576.jpg The German parliamentary elections took place on Sunday. The SDP outperformed outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling CDU/CSU bloc by 1.6 percentage points. The Greens and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) came in third and fourth, respectively.Earlier, SPD Secretary-General Lars Klingbeil criticized Laschet for this, noting that "good manners are expected from the Democrats, they congratulate each other." On Sunday, Laschet congratulated "all the participants in the election race on their results."In his interview with ZDF, Scholz also said that the SPD should form a coalition with the two other parties that showed good results in the elections - the Greens and the FDP.He further stressed that Germans had shown with their vote that they want the CDU/CSU to step down as the ruling party.However, the CDU/CSU does not agree with Scholz, noting that the SPD was only narrowly ahead of the conservative alliance and that negotiations on a coalition are needed. vot tak And he probably wont, zionists/nazis have this problem about losing, as do all aspie defects 1 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 election, social-democratic party (sdp), armin laschet, cdu, olaf scholz, german, ruling party https://sputniknews.com/20210927/taliban-say-norwegian-ngo-promises-to-ship-humanitarian-aid-to-afghanistan-this-winter-1089465346.html Taliban Say Norwegian NGO Promises to Ship Humanitarian Aid to Afghanistan This Winter Taliban Say Norwegian NGO Promises to Ship Humanitarian Aid to Afghanistan This Winter KABUL (Sputnik) - The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) humanitarian organization has promised to deliver humanitarian aid to Afghanistan this winter, Abdul... 27.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-27T23:22+0000 2021-09-27T23:22+0000 2021-09-27T23:22+0000 afghanistan afghanistan norway humanitarian aid foreign troops /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/1b/1089445054_0:42:2711:1568_1920x0_80_0_0_817696063d8b5b783677f6fb1ab70b54.jpg Earlier in the day, NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland met with acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The two emphasized the need to separate the issue of humanitarian aid from politics.A month ago, the Taliban entered Kabul. The last province to resist the group, Panjshir, surrendered on September 6. As international troops withdrew from the country and foreign evacuations were over, the Taliban unveiled the composition of the all-male interim cabinet, headed by Mohammad Hasan Akhund, a former foreign minister during the previous Taliban rule, who has been under UN sanctions since 2001.*A terrorist organization banned in Russia afghanistan norway 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 afghanistan, norway, humanitarian aid, foreign troops https://sputniknews.com/20210928/100-chinese-soldiers-reportedly-cross-border-damage-indian-bridge-1089473108.html 100+ Chinese Soldiers Reportedly Cross Border, Damage Indian Bridge 100+ Chinese Soldiers Reportedly Cross Border, Damage Indian Bridge The incident happened on 30 August in Barahoti, in the state of Uttarakhand, a region which has so far been relatively free of border tensions. This alleged... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T12:21+0000 2021-09-28T12:21+0000 2021-09-28T12:21+0000 pla uttarakhand wang yi ladakh region china subrahmanyam jaishankar indian army border tensions people's liberation army (pla) navy india /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/07/13/1083414639_0:146:3125:1904_1920x0_80_0_0_272e620d3e9d830d356f36c362a34114.jpg More than 100 Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers and 55 horses crossed into Indian Territory in the middle of the disputed 3,488km Line of Actual Control. Insiders among security personnel told Economic Times that the incident took place on 30 August as Chinese soldiers crossed the Tun Jun La and damaged a bridge which was left for the Indians to repair.Since the area is de-militarised, locals informed Indias border guard of the intrusion. New Delhi considers the Line of Actual Control to be 3,488km long, whereas Beijing believes it is only 2,000km. The middle sector the states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh is where there are the fewest tensions, with the two countries having come closer to a boundary agreement in 2018. The process, however, was stalled after India declared its northernmost state Ladakh as a separate Union Territory. On 23 September, Vikram Misri, Indias ambassador to China, urged Beijing to avoid moving the goalposts".Misri also pleaded with China to stop viewing bilateral relations through the prism of relations with other countries.Presently, the two sides have been carrying out talks at several levels to solve the situation in eastern Ladakh that has existed since April 2020. India's External Affairs Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and his counterpart, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, met in person in Moscow last year and on two separate occasions in Tajikistan's capital, Dushanbe, in July and September this year.Chinas Foreign Ministry statement quoted Wang saying, the recent communication between the two foreign affairs and military departments was earnest and effective, and the overall situation in the border area was gradually de-escalated. However, the two sides have not finalised the next date of talks at military commanders level, to discuss the border disengagement issue in areas such as the Depsang valley in eastern Ladakh. uttarakhand ladakh region china 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 pla, uttarakhand, wang yi, ladakh region, china, subrahmanyam jaishankar, indian army, border tensions, people's liberation army (pla) navy, india, china and india clash in new flare-up of border standoff https://sputniknews.com/20210928/as-old-faces-leave-congress-kanhaiya-jignesh-are-icons-of-hope-on-anti-modi-side-says-expert-1089476460.html As Old Faces Leave Congress, Kanhaiya, Jignesh Are 'Icons of Hope' on Anti-Modi Side, Says Expert As Old Faces Leave Congress, Kanhaiya, Jignesh Are 'Icons of Hope' on Anti-Modi Side, Says Expert Over the past two years, many young Congress members, including Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sushmita Dev, Jitin Prasada, Priyanka Chaturvedi, and Lalitesh Pati... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T13:22+0000 2021-09-28T13:22+0000 2021-09-28T13:22+0000 delhi bihar bharatiya janata party (bjp) world india gujarat indian national congress congress narendra modi rahul gandhi /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/1c/1089484646_27:0:1419:783_1920x0_80_0_0_56376b840da64d3f351a5e03e921f650.jpg Independent Gujarat state lawmaker, Jignesh Mevani, and Communist Party of India (CPI) member, Kanhaiya Kumar, have joined the main Indian opposition party, Congress, in the presence of senior leader Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi.Congress believes that the former activists who have become politicians and are aged below 40, can help to attract younger voters in the party's home states of Gujarat and Bihar.Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani burst into the limelight in 2016 after he led massive protests against the rising number of assaults committed by Hindu groups against Dalits in Gujarat. Since then, he has spearheaded several demonstrations supporting Dalits and minorities in Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's home state of Gujarat.A year later, in 2017, with the support of Congress, Mevani won the Vadgam constituency in Banaskantha district from BJP incumbent Vijaykumar Chakravarti, by almost 20,000 votes. He is likely to play a prominent role in 2022's assembly elections. BJP has governed the state since 1998. Narendra Modi served three terms as state chief from 2001 until 2014 when he resigned to take over as prime minister of India. In the 2017 Gujarat election, the BJP's share of the 182 assembly seats dropped below 100 for the first time since 1998.Kanhaiya Kumar, a 34-year-old youth leader, has been one of the dominant faces in the political sphere since 2016 despite the fact that he faces a charge of sedition, with the case pending. His charge is the result of his having allegedly permitted - while he was president of Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) Students' Union - unknown people to organise a programme on the campus which included anti-India slogans. He had denied all allegations.Known for his oratorical skills, Kumar joined the Communists in 2019 before the national election and he unsuccessfully ran for the Begusarai constituency in Bihar state against Giriraj Singh of BJP."[Jignesh Mevani and Kanhaiya Kumar] are icons of hope for anti-Modi politics which opposition parties failed to provide. They catered to millennials, not just in the cities but beyond, reaching out to Dalits, farmers, minorities, poor and backward castes," Abid Shah, a political analyst, told Sputnik. "How far they will take the party and how they evolve as a fulcrum of a new style of politics remains to be seen," Shah added.Over the past few years, prominent party members, including Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sushmita Dev, Jitin Prasada, Priyanka Chaturvedi Luizinho Faleiro, and Lalitesh Pati Tripathi, have left the Indian National Congress (INC).Their resignations have caused consternation within the party."In Indian politics, the election is a season of migratory birds. Leaders leave one party and join the others - it happens everywhere. In 1969, when Congress lost its first presidential election, the party split in two. Similarly, in 1977, after an emergency, more than two-thirds of Congress leaders left the party. Both times, angry, disgruntled leaders blamed Indira Gandhi [grandmother of the present Congress leader, Rahul] and left the party for better opportunities. Surprisingly, this didn't happen immediately after 2014, but, over time many senior members have left the party," Rasheed Kidwai, a political analyst, told Sputnik.Hence, the two politicians "joining Congress should be seen as as logical step" rather than "looking at this development in a very partisan manner". delhi bihar india gujarat Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.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 Deexa Khanduri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e4/0c/1e/1081607388_0:0:961:960_100x100_80_0_0_e9e931b8c1e18fb41f3074e2145d7a3a.jpg delhi, bihar, bharatiya janata party (bjp), world, india, gujarat, indian national congress, congress, narendra modi, rahul gandhi https://sputniknews.com/20210928/beard-check-afghan-barbers-banned-from-shaving-trimming-beards---reports-1089467211.html Beard-Check: Afghan Barbers Banned From Shaving, Trimming Beards - Reports Beard-Check: Afghan Barbers Banned From Shaving, Trimming Beards - Reports Afghan Men Banned From Shaving Their Beards, Reports Claim 2021-09-28T00:53+0000 2021-09-28T00:53+0000 2021-09-28T00:53+0000 afghanistan helmand beard sharia law barber shop /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/1b/1089467002_0:200:1920:1280_1920x0_80_0_0_7537de31cd17d67c59fc1bd61182f1a7.jpg The Taliban movement, which seized power in Afghanistan last month, introduced a ban on shaving and trimming the beards of Afghan men, in accordance with Sharia law, according to the newspaper Ettelaat.Local authorities reportedly said that the restrictions, initially imposed at the end of the last week in Helmand province, now apply to the rest of the country.Another owner of a barber chain claimed that he received a call from someone who introduced himself as an official and who told him not to follow American styles and to stop shaving and trimming beards.Afghan residents have reportedly complained that the rules have harmed their businesses as customers don't shave their beards, intending to blend in and look like Taliban members. Many barbers, according to BBC, now plan to close their shops.Earlier, local media reported that a large number of barbershops across the country have closed due to the new rules established by the Taliban.While a beard in Islam is viewed as a symbol of masculinity, the issue of growing and shaving beards is controversial within numerous Islamic movements. Some consider shaving beards to be a sin and growing them to be mandatory. Others view growing a beard as something desirable, and shaving as an action to be condemned, but not forbidden.*Taliban is a terrorist organization banned in Russia and many other countries Ahson What a shit-hole primitive religion no?.....Stsy away from hendu-pak dalit people Iran. Stop helping lower caste muzlim people. Let them starve and die. Hendu-pak are the trash of Islam. Thomas Turk A religion, Ahson? We're told Sharia Law is Koran based.. but in the Koran there's no mention of Hijab, Burka, Beard Length, nor the rule that in Indonesia ladies must NOT ride on motor bikes with legs wide open. The Koran's 6000+ verse are mainly self praise and threats sto all incl. death, (I live in a Muslim village in SE Asia, where the Koran is TV-ed all day) In any case we have been told that hundred of years ago, a non human, invisible, silent deity passed these verses to a messenger, Jibriel, also non human, invisible. (HOW)?. Jibriel taught them perfectly to an illiterate, and they were later written up. Any Muslim scholar clarify any of that. 3 helmand 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 helmand, beard, sharia law, barber shop https://sputniknews.com/20210928/biden-did-not-think-leaving-troops-in-afghanistan-was-in-interest-of-american-people-1089492988.html Psaki: Generals' Advice to Keep 2,500 Troops in Afghanistan 'Not a Long-Standing Recommendation' Psaki: Generals' Advice to Keep 2,500 Troops in Afghanistan 'Not a Long-Standing Recommendation' The White House was on the defensive on Tuesday after several top US generals testified before Congress that they had advised US President Joe Biden not to... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T18:19+0000 2021-09-28T18:19+0000 2021-09-28T19:55+0000 afghanistan news us white house us forces afghanistan /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/01/1083766032_0:159:3077:1890_1920x0_80_0_0_672da35a7d9bb32cf7e0c354af28236d.jpg White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki's daily press conference began on Tuesday with a sharply worded question by Associated Press journalist Zeke Miller: Did the president mislead the American public about the advice of his military advisers?The question was in reference to an August 19 interview with ABC journalist George Stephanopoulos in which Biden seemed to say his generals advised him against pulling all US troops out of Afghanistan, which the administration did on August 31.[Y]our top military advisors warned against withdrawing on this timeline. They wanted you to keep about 2,500 troops, Stephanopoulos asked Biden at the time.They didn't tell you that they wanted troops to stay? Stephanopoulos asked.No. Not at - not in terms of whether we were going to get out in a timeframe all troops. They didn't argue against that, Biden answered.So no one told - your military advisors did not tell you, No, we should just keep 2,500 troops. It's been a stable situation for the last several years. We can do that. We can continue to do that?" the ABC journalist asked again.No. No one said that to me that I can recall, Biden said.Psaki, after reading from the transcript, told the White House press corps how to interpret the exchange."It would also mean war with the Taliban, and it would also mean the potential loss of casualties. The president was just not willing to make that decision, he didnt think it was in the interest of the American people or the interest of our troops," Psaki added."Who in his military advisers told him it'd be fine to pull everybody out?" Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy later asked her.However, CBS reporter Weijia Jiang then asked a similar question about what Biden meant by his advice being "split," to which Psaki replied that "these conversations don't happen in black and white or like you're in the middle of a movie. These conversations are about a range of options, about what the risk assessments are about every decision, and of course there are individuals whom come forward with a range of recommendations on what the right path forward looks like ... Ultimately regardless of the advice, it's his decision, he's the commander-in-chief, he's the president, he makes decisions about what's in the national interest."Pentagon Leaders Say 'Input Was Received' by BidenNearly a month after the US withdrew its final soldiers and personnel from Afghanistan, US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley, and US Central Command (CENTCOM) Commander Gen. Kenneth McKenzie defended their decisions during the pullout before US lawmakers on Tuesday.Even worse: this was avoidable. Everything that happened was foreseeable. My colleagues on this committee and the commanders in charge - we saw it coming. So were here today to understand what happened and why that advice was ignored, he added.Milley described to the committee how in the fall of 2020, when Donald Trump was still US president and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, his analysis was that an accelerated withdrawal from Afghanistan risked losing the substantial gains they had made and could cause a complete collapse of the US-backed Afghan government.He recalled that on the day that Trump fired then-US Defense Secretary Mark Esper from his position - November 9, 2020 - Esper had recommended in a memo that the US keep 2,500 to 4,500 in Afghanistan until the Taliban met further conditions for reduction, such as ending its support for al-Qaeda.* He said that two days later, he received a signed order to withdraw all US forces by January 15, but after pushback on the risks that was reduced to a withdrawal to 2,500 troops, plus enabling forces.He said that from January through April, Biden conducted a thorough review of the situation and received advice from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the National Security Council, and others.McKenzie said that he recommended that we maintain 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. And I also recommended, earlier in the fall of 2020, that we maintain 4,500 at that time. Those are my personal views. I also have a view that the withdrawal of those forces would lead inevitably to the collapse of the Afghan military forces and eventually the Afghan government.Inhofe then commented that it was unclear if Millers recommendation actually got to Biden.When Austin was later asked by US Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AK) if what Biden told Stephanopoulos was true, the Pentagon chief replied: I know the president to be an honest and forthright man ... Their input was received by the president and considered by the president, for sure.In February 2020, Trump signed a ceasefire agreement with the Taliban* stipulating a conditions-based withdrawal of all US forces by May 1, 2021. However, just weeks before the deadline, Biden extended it until September 11, 2021 - the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks by al-Qaeda that led to the US invasion of Afghanistan. Amid the withdrawal, the Taliban mounted a stunning offensive that seized much of the country, culminating in the capture of Kabul on August 16 as US troops remained in the city. Over the following two weeks, the US evacuated more than 120,000 Afghan civilians from the airport, many of whom had collaborated with the US during the 20-year occupation.*terrorist groups banned in Russia and many other nations TruePatriot Total confusion in the WH just as there was in Afghanistan. Which, once again, leads to the question of just who is running this government and WH? 2 fluttershield mlp Incompetent Pentagon generals just worry about their money, not the men under their command. We should not have troops in the Middle East or anywhere overseas. Our generals should resign before starting needless wars but if you are a West Point war criminal, then all wars are justified. 1 3 us white house 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 news, us, white house, us forces afghanistan https://sputniknews.com/20210928/border-patrol-agents-disgruntled-over-bidens-attempts-to-throw-them-under-the-bus---report-1089461984.html Border Patrol Agents Disgruntled Over Biden's Attempts to Throw Them 'Under the Bus' - Report Border Patrol Agents Disgruntled Over Biden's Attempts to Throw Them 'Under the Bus' - Report Over the past weeks, tens of thousands of migrants have gathered beneath the Del Rio International Bridge, overwhelming the authorities at the border. Images... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T01:10+0000 2021-09-28T01:10+0000 2021-09-28T01:11+0000 joe biden us-mexico border us migrants border us customs and border protection (cbp) border controls migrant crisis biden administration /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/1c/1089467770_0:191:3000:1879_1920x0_80_0_0_0ec7a2186c4656d51b339d6564531536.jpg Border Patrol agents have complained that the agency's leadership is throwing them under the bus, Fox News reported on Monday, citing a prominent union representative in Del Rio, Texas."The agents feel like at all levels of management, from [Customs and Border Protection] to [the Department of Homeland Security] and to the White House that they've been thrown under the bus because no investigation has been completed, yet you're hearing the president say these people will pay," Jon Anfinsen, National Border Patrol Council Vice President is quoted as saying. "The secretary echoed those sentiments. And then Friday, of course, CBP's commissioner basically said the same thing."Last week, the Biden administration temporarily halted the use of horse patrols in the Del Rio sector of the border, with DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas claiming that the pictures "troubled him profoundly." And President Joe Biden along with Vice President Kamala Harris heavily criticized the incident, calling it an "embarrassment" while pledging that "those people will pay."The union official additionally stated that "those were reins, and no reins were used to whip anybody."Despite the fact that around 15,000 people were present, Anfinsen stated "DC was largely not paying attention" to what was going on in the bridge area.Border Patrol deploys horses in difficult-to-reach locations, according to the report. Anfinsen suggested that they may be used to transverse ranches where a 10-mile walk to a patrol location would be required.Furthermore, rather than fighting with agents, migrant groups are more likely to give up upon viewing the large animals, he reportedly said, adding that the use of horses "leads to fewer uses of force, which obviously we would all prefer."On Sunday, Mayorkas indicated that over 12,000 migrants who arrived in Del Rio were let into the US. And if the vast majority of the latest batch is released, Anfinsen believes that even more migrants will be encouraged to come.Anfinsen maintained in the interview that in order to make the border safer, Congress or the White House must reform the laws and policies.In recent weeks, a heavy influx of mostly Haitian illegal immigrants at the US-Mexico border caused the government to proclaim a state of emergency and deploy border agents, even on horseback, in order to contain the waves of those trying to break through to the other side.Mayorkas stated last week that the Biden administration flew 17 aircraft to Haiti to evacuate almost 2,000 migrants. He further stated that the US law enforcement officers who engaged in the alleged whipping of Haitian migrants have been assigned administrative jobs and are no longer working with migrants. vot tak The poor dears. The "bus driver" should reverse and forward a few times. 0 1 us 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 joe biden, us-mexico border, us, migrants, border, us customs and border protection (cbp), border controls, migrant crisis, biden administration https://sputniknews.com/20210928/brain-eating-amoeba-infection-claims-childs-life-in-texas-1089485822.html 'Brain-Eating Amoeba' Infection Claims Child's Life in Texas 'Brain-Eating Amoeba' Infection Claims Child's Life in Texas The microorganism that caused the infection that resulted in the childs death was discovered in water samples collected from one of Arlingtons public splash... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T14:24+0000 2021-09-28T14:24+0000 2021-09-28T14:24+0000 us texas death infection child brain /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107637/00/1076370062_141:0:1119:550_1920x0_80_0_0_47d733ca9ed3a0d94b947f55872b3776.jpg A boy in Texas perished after being hospitalised with a rare and often fatal infection called primary amoebic meningoencephalitis.According to AP, officials in the city of Arlington have announced that on 5 September the city and Tarrant County Public Health were notified about the childs hospitalisation. The boy, whose identity the officials did not reveal, died at the hospital on 11 September.Following an investigation launched after health officials learned of the boys condition, city officials said that the CDC had confirmed the presence of the naegleria fowleri a species of microorganism often referred to as a "brain-eating amoeba" in water samples from the Don Misenhimer Park splash pad.A review of inspection log at the Don Misenhimer Park splash pad revealed that water chlorination readings werent documented on two of the three dates that the now deceased child visited the venue in late August and early September, city officials said.City officials noted, however, that Arlington drinking water supply was not affected, and that the afflicted splash pad is equipped with a device designed to isolate the water there from the citys water distribution centre.The Naegleria fowleri infections occur when water that contains the microorganism enters the body through the nose, usually during swimming or diving. Such infections are rare, with only 34 cases reported in the United States between 2010 and 2019, AP points out, citing the CDC. https://sputniknews.com/20201217/killers-on-the-loose-brain-devouring-amoebas-travel-northward-in-us-1081494192.html Dang! Was it a Haitian border jumper?! AngelicPsalms If Tarrant County Public Health was concerned about brain rotting diseases, then they should stop forcing the ideological disease of idolatry on kids with the forced idolatrous worship pledge to American flag-idols in their schools. Their repulsive flag-idol propped up at every business and along almost every road is a symbol of brain rot flapping in the breeze. 3 texas Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Andrei Dergalin Andrei Dergalin 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 Andrei Dergalin us, texas, death, infection, child, brain https://sputniknews.com/20210928/brexit-to-blame-germanys-olaf-scholz-says-end-to-freedom-of-movement-fueled-uk-petrol-crisis-1089470578.html Brexit to Blame: Germany's Olaf Scholz Says 'End to Freedom of Movement' Fueled UK Petrol Crisis Brexit to Blame: Germany's Olaf Scholz Says 'End to Freedom of Movement' Fueled UK Petrol Crisis Government ministers and oil companies continue to stress that there is no petrol shortage in the UK, but rather a shortfall of lorry drivers. They have blamed... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T05:53+0000 2021-09-28T05:53+0000 2021-09-29T05:34+0000 boris johnson news world europe angela merkel social-democratic party (sdp) brexit post-brexit olaf scholz george eustice /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/1c/1089471895_0:0:3081:1733_1920x0_80_0_0_72d9a4836aaab776bc77ef69e1b416e4.jpg Olaf Scholz, the German Chancellor candidate to take over from outgoing Angela Merkel, has blamed post-Brexit fallout, such as the decision to end freedom of movement with Europe, for Britains current petrol crisis. Long queues have been forming at petrol stations across the UK in recent days amid a frenzy of panic buying. The government and oil companies have insisted there is no shortage, faulting the heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver shortfall for pressures at petrol stations and the spike in customer demand.Scholz, who secured a narrow election victory in the German parliamentary elections that took place on Sunday, outperforming Merkel's ruling CDU/CSU bloc by 1.6 percentage points, said he hoped UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson would be able to deal with the consequences of his countrys exit from the European bloc. The current German Finance Minister and Vice Chancellor, who is now seeking to form a coalition government, suggested the British government might need to consider levels of pay and conditions of employment in the trucking industry. Germany, like a number of other EU member states, is no stranger to HGV driver shortages. However, companies in the European bloc are able to rely on nationals from their neighbor-states to remedy the shortfalls and dodge panic-buying at petrol station forecourts like the UK has witnessed of late.Bad Brexit Deal Anna Soubry, a former Tory business minister, was cited by The Guardian as agreeing with Scholz.Shadow justice secretary, David Lammy, also blamed a bad Brexit deal for the fallout. Dismissing the claims that Brexit was to blame for the crisis, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said Europes driver shortage was no more evident than Britains. UK Petrol Crisis On Monday pump prices for fuel in Britain soared to their highest level in eight years amid the petrol crisis. The average price of a litre of petrol rose from 135.9p on Friday to 136.6p on Sunday as forecourts ran dry. The Petrol Retailers Association (PRA) said on Monday that as many as two-thirds of its nearly 5,500 independent outlets were now out of fuel. Others, warned the PRA, were "partly dry and running out soon". PRA chairman Brian Madderson blamed "panic buying, pure and simple" for the current situation. The same stance was echoed by UK government ministers and oil companies, such as Shell, ExxonMobil and Greenergy. The latter pointed to "temporary spikes in customer demand - not a national shortage of fuel". The primary cause of the current petrol crisis is a shortage of qualified lorry drivers. Panic had been triggered by oil firm BPs announcement last week that it would have to "temporarily" close several petrol stations because of a shortage of truckers. The shortfall is currently estimated at around 100,000 drivers in the UK. After Brexit, many European drivers went back to their home countries because of the additional border bureaucracy. The COVID-19 pandemic also wrought changes, forcing more foreign drivers to leave the UK. To compound the problem, while some older drivers have retired, they have not been replaced because of a reported backlog in HGV driver tests due to the pandemic. Army On Standby People across the UK have continued to queue at fuel stations in spite of warnings they were making the situation worse. While stopping short of immediately deploying troops to drive lorries, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered the army to remain on standby. According to Downing Street, army drivers would be ready to help deliver petrol and diesel to forecourts on a short-term basis. Cabinet ministers had assembled on Monday to consider measures to remedy the situation amid calls to provide ambulance drivers, healthcare staff and other essential workers priority access to fuel. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng underscored it was right for the UK government to take sensible, precautionary steps. Among other emergency measures, government ministers also extended specific HGV licences, the competition law between oil firms is to be temporarily suspended, and temporary visas will be offered to 5,000 foreign fuel tanker and food lorry drivers in the run-up to Christmas. A joint statement from the fuel industry, released by the government, said companies expect the situation to ease in the coming days. Oil companies said there was plenty of fuel at UK refineries and terminals, and as an industry we are working closely with the government to help ensure fuel is available to be delivered to stations across the country. Joseph1986 Is not Russian fault??? 8 TruePatriot Not one day into the job and he's proving to be a complete moron. 4 15 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, news, world, europe, angela merkel, social-democratic party (sdp), brexit, post-brexit, olaf scholz, george eustice, uk https://sputniknews.com/20210928/budapest-summons-kievs-ambassador-to-discuss-reaction-to-gas-deal-with-russia-reports-say-1089475200.html Budapest Summons Kiev's Ambassador to Discuss Reaction to Gas Deal With Russia, Reports Say Budapest Summons Kiev's Ambassador to Discuss Reaction to Gas Deal With Russia, Reports Say MOSCOW (Sputnik) - On Monday, the Hungarian government and Gazprom signed a contract for supplies of 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas annually until the end of... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T08:27+0000 2021-09-28T08:27+0000 2021-09-28T08:27+0000 europe gazprom hungary gas /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/1c/1089475115_0:67:1280:787_1920x0_80_0_0_32120d59bad3f63f34d127755b653495.jpg The Hungarian Foreign Ministry summoned the Ukrainian ambassador in light of Kiev's reaction to Budapest's decision to sign a long-term gas supplies contract with Russian gas giant Gazprom, Bloomberg news agency reported on Tuesday. In turn, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry summoned the Hungarian ambassador in order to explain Kiev's position on Budapest's long-term gas supply contract with Russian gas giant Gazprom, ministerial spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said on Tuesday. Gas supplies bypassing Ukraine undermine Ukraine's national security and the European energy security, and the deal wit Gazprom also undermines the Kiev-Budapest relations, the spokesman emphasized.Earlier, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expressed disappointment with the contract to supply gas in circumvention of Ukraine, saying this undermines positive trends in relations with Hungary. Kiev plans to appeal to the European Commission.Hungary and Gazprom signed a new contract on Monday, which envisages supplies of 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year to Hungary over the next 15 years. Of that, 3.5 billion cubic meters of gas will come through Serbia and 1 billion cubic meters via Austria.The agreement enters into force on 1 October. Terms can be changed after 10 years.The signing ceremony in Budapest was attended by Gazprom Export chief Elena Burmistrova and Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto. NoGo Smart move by Hungary and pres. Viktor Orban! 2 1 hungary 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 europe, gazprom, hungary, gas https://sputniknews.com/20210928/cia-assange-assassination-plot-revealed-spd-wins-in-germany-1089466278.html CIA Assange Assassination Plot Revealed; SPD Wins in Germany CIA Assange Assassination Plot Revealed; SPD Wins in Germany According to CIA sources, the Mike Pompeo-led CIA considered kidnapping and murdering Julian Assange, and seemed unconcerned about overt violations of law. 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T09:25+0000 2021-09-28T09:25+0000 2021-09-28T09:25+0000 mahmoud abbas julian assange nicaragua zimbabwe angela merkel mike pompeo the critical hour radio /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/1b/1089466223_14:0:626:344_1920x0_80_0_0_e53ff20c5416b580f37fd03e955887c0.png CIA Assange Assassination Plot Revealed; SPDU Wins in Germany According to CIA sources, the Mike Pompeo-led CIA considered kidnapping and murdering Julian Assange, and seemed unconcerned about overt violations of law. John Kiriakou, journalist, author and host of The Back Story, joins us to discuss Julian Assange. Numerous reports are surfacing about Mike Pompeo's fury towards Julian Assange and his apparent disregard for the law. According to CIA sources, the Mike Pompeo-led CIA considered kidnapping and murdering Julian Assange, and seemed unconcerned about overt violations of law.Michelle Witte, co-host of Political Misfits, joins us to discuss German election results. German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party lost to the Social Democrats in a German electoral close call. The leader of the Social Democrats has stated that a strong EU is his main priority.David Schultz, author and professor of political science and law at Hamline University, joins us to discuss US legal issues. Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin has filed an appeal arguing that his conviction was invalid due to many issues. Also, the conservative US Supreme Court is facing great scrutiny as divisive issues, such as gun rights and abortion, hit the docket for 2022.K. J. Noh, peace activist, writer, and teacher, joins us to discuss China. Huawei executive Weng Manzhou has been released from Canada and received a hero's welcome in Beijing upon her arrival. China is spinning this as a victory, and the US seems to be on radio silence about the issue. China also released a pair of Canadian businessmen, apparently as part of the agreement for dropping the charges against her.Robert Fantina, journalist and Palestinian activist, joins us to discuss Israel. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that he intends to take Israel to the International Criminal Court for illegal settlements. His move is a result of the one-year deadline that he presented in 2020 for Israel to abandon Jerusalem settlements and retreat to the 1967 borders.Obi Egbuna, activist, and US Rep for The Zimbabwean Newspapers, joins us to discuss Africa. The US empire has a long-running sanctions program in Africa including more countries than any other continent. International observers are calling for the empire to remove its African sanctions, beginning with Zimbabwe. The Zimbabwe sanctions have been ongoing for 20 years.Laith Marouf, broadcaster and journalist based in Beirut, joins us to discuss Syria. A recent count of casualties in Syria shows that a minimum of 350,000 persons have been killed since the US Empire and its allies attacked the country. Also, Russian airstrikes hit a rebel base near Afrin as Russian and Turkish leaders prepare to meet.Dan Kovalik, writer, author, and lawyer, joins us to discuss Nicaragua. Warhawks and imperialists in Congress are preparing another round of economic attacks on Nicaragua as the small Latin nation prepares for its elections. The US hawks refuse to allow political independence in the Global South, and this move comes as the leaders of these nations work to start a new group and overcome the constant attacks by the OAS and other US tools of regime change.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.com sharknbake21 Meng WanZhou HAD HER GOVERNMENT BEHIND HER PUSHING THE US REGIME ALL THE WAY. Assange has been thrown under the bus by Australia. hands off Assange. 1 sharknbake21 JULIAN ASSANGE , DOB; 03.07/1971, HMP BELMARSH, WESTERN WAY, LONDON SE28 0EB, UK 1 6 nicaragua zimbabwe 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 mahmoud abbas, julian assange, nicaragua, zimbabwe, angela merkel, mike pompeo, the critical hour, , radio https://sputniknews.com/20210928/could-report-on-cia-plot-to-kill-assange-help-wikileaks-founder-evade-extradition-to-us-1089493264.html Could Report on 'CIA Plot' to Kill Assange Help WikiLeaks Founder Evade Extradition to US? Could Report on 'CIA Plot' to Kill Assange Help WikiLeaks Founder Evade Extradition to US? A report claiming that the CIA plotted to kidnap or assassinate WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange sparked ire among his supporters. Retired UN Independent... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T18:51+0000 2021-09-28T18:51+0000 2021-09-28T18:51+0000 julian assange joe biden donald trump news world us opinion hillary clinton dnc mike pompeo /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107837/86/1078378619_0:151:1600:1051_1920x0_80_0_0_f9bf727772eb392e5cb8a6a3ebffe8a2.jpg Yahoo News journalists dropped a bombshell on 26 September alleging that CIA and Trump administration officials considered kidnapping or even killing WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange as he began his fifth year in Ecuadors UK Embassy in 2017.According to the journos, these discussions were triggered by WikiLeaks publication of highly sensitive CIA hacking tools, known as "Vault 7." Yahoo News referred to conversations with more than 30 former US intelligence and security officials to back the story. However, former President Donald Trump has denied that he considered assassinating Assange: "Its totally false, it never happened," he said. "In fact, I think hes been treated very badly."Sputnik: What's your take on the expose and its timing? Has it triggered new concerns about Assange's security in Belmarsh Prison?Alfred de Zayas: I am not surprised about the revelation. The CIA always has a plan B and plan C, and under Mike Pompeo it was surely a rogue organisation. One would hope that the exposure and timing of the revelation should help the case of Julian Assange before the UK courts. As we already know from UN Rapporteur on torture Professor Nils Melzer, the US will not stop at anything and the administration of justice in the US and UK has been thoroughly corrupted by politics. Sputnik: Don't you find it strange that then CIA chief Pompeo would seek to eliminate Assange given that the WikiLeaks founder could potentially reveal who gave him files implicating Hillary Clinton and the Democratic National Committee (DNC), and therefore vindicate Donald Trump? What's your take on Trump's statement that he never plotted to kill Assange?Alfred de Zayas: Whether Republican or Democrat, the US government wants Assange dead and silenced. There would have been short-term advantage with regard to the files implicating Hillary Clinton but the anti-Assange witch-hunt is a national crusade. Yes, I do believe Trump on this one I am persuaded that the CIA did not share its plans with him.Sputnik: The Yahoo report noted that the CIA could not prove that WikiLeaks was working at the behest of the Russian government and therefore the agency designated the organisation as "a non-state hostile intelligence service." Why did the CIA nonetheless try to link Assange to Moscow and supposedly prepared the plan to prevent him from "fleeing" to Russia?Alfred de Zayas: One thing is the intelligence that the CIA collects and the internal evaluation thereof. Another thing is the propagandistic value of linking Assange to Moscow. In hard ball politics, anything is allowed. That is why public CIA pronouncements lack credibility, but the mainstream media, which is an echo chamber of the deep state, use fake news from the CIA very ably to create a mood against whoever is to be targeted.Sputnik: Do you think the Biden administration launch an investigation into the matter?Alfred de Zayas: Probably not. There is a culture of impunity in my country, the United States. The mainstream media is also complicit in keeping it down and not demanding accountability from the CIA, from Pompeo, Trump or from Biden.Sputnik: Could Yahoo's bombshell serve as yet another argument in favour of rejecting Assange's extradition to the US?Alfred de Zayas: If the UK court had any commitment to the rule of justice, it would already had dismissed the extradition case as frivolous and vexatious. For anyone with eyes, the case is a political case, not a legal case. Moreover, the rule of non-refoulement is absolute. If anyone can demand the protection of the 1951 Refugee convention, it is Julian Assange, because he falls into the definition of a refugee a person who has a well-founded fear of persecution if extradited. Of course Assanges defence attorneys will use the argument, but the UK judiciary is not listening and has not been listening for a long time. The hijacking of the rule of law by politics is a done deal.Sputnik: What does the future hold in store for Assange? Could he be released from prison in the near future?Alfred de Zayas: If the mainstream media demanded Assanges release, if the major NGOs like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch demanded it, if the High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet demanded it Assange would be released tomorrow. Already the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention ruled in 2015 that his detention was arbitrary and contrary to Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political rights. They demanded his release in 2016 and have repeated their request several times. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Ekaterina Blinova Ekaterina Blinova 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 Ekaterina Blinova julian assange, joe biden, donald trump, news, world, us, opinion, hillary clinton, dnc, mike pompeo, wikileaks, cia, vault 7 https://sputniknews.com/20210928/florida-governor-ron-desantis-takes-aim-at-biden-administrations-catch-and-release-policy-1089495244.html Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Takes Aim at Biden Administrations Catch-and-Release' Policy Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Takes Aim at Biden Administrations Catch-and-Release' Policy The state of Florida is suing the Biden administration, claiming the administrations catch-and-release policy at the US southern border is illegal, harms the... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T19:20+0000 2021-09-28T19:20+0000 2021-09-28T19:20+0000 joe biden illegal immigrants ron desantis southern border /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/07/14/1083422519_0:161:3069:1887_1920x0_80_0_0_ab8accdf4ac6af2c0a5e098d01ffe7e9.jpg Florida Attorney General, Ashley Moody, filed the suit in the Pensacola Division of the Northern District of Florida and is not seeking a preliminary injunction. The defendants in the suit are the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), as well as top officials and component agencies.Florida not seeking a preliminary injunction is a pertinent detail. A preliminary injunction is a court order to stop the defendant from continuing his or her allegedly harmful actions. To be granted a preliminary injunction, it has to be shown that the party, Florida in this case, would suffer irreparable harm unless it is granted. A judge must consider the extent of the irreparable harm, each party's likelihood of prevailing at trial, and any other public or private interests implicated by the injunction.The suit claims that the governments immigration policy through its use of parole authority, which allows aliens into the interior immediately on a case by case basis, violates immigration law or is an abuse of its power. It further challenges the administrations claim that a lack of resources is the reason for their liberal use of parole authority.The lawsuit also alleges that the administrations catch and release policy will see illegal immigrants arrive in Florida, ... forcing it to incur millions of dollars in expenses." A study from 2018 found that of Floridas 732,000 illegal immigrants, 46% come from Central America and Mexico, who make up the bulk of entries at the southern border. Most experts do point to illegal immigrants costing states and the country as a whole money, but the exact cost is difficult, if not impossible to determine.Along with filing the suit, the state of Florida is suing the United States. The legal actions taken by Florida are in conjunction with executive orders by Governor Ron DeSantis to tackle illegal immigration.Executive Order 21-223 will prohibit all Florida agencies under the purview of the Governor from facilitating illegal immigration into Florida, unless otherwise required by federal or state law, and require the collection of information from state officials on the scope and costs of illegal immigration in Florida. 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 joe biden, illegal immigrants, ron desantis, southern border https://sputniknews.com/20210928/georgina-rodriguez-desperate-to-be-cristiano-ronaldos-wife-waiting-for-man-utd-star-to-propose-1089475860.html Georgina Rodriguez Desperate to Be Cristiano Ronaldo's Wife, Waiting for Man Utd Star to Propose Georgina Rodriguez Desperate to Be Cristiano Ronaldo's Wife, Waiting for Man Utd Star to Propose Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo and Spanish-Argentine lingerie model Rodriguez have been in a relationship since 2016 after meeting in a Madrid shop. The... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T10:44+0000 2021-09-28T10:44+0000 2021-09-28T10:44+0000 football football sport real madrid manchester united cristiano ronaldo model netflix sport football /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/106772/68/1067726856_0:271:1080:879_1920x0_80_0_0_3def5d2870687096d27e849f35f35078.jpg Cristiano Ronaldo's girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez says she's still waiting for the Manchester United ace to pop the question.The 27-year-old brunette confirmed in a new Netflix show that she's desperate to tie the knot with CR7 and would say "yes" in a heartbeat. Rodriguez posted a clip from the new doc about her life on Instagram, in which she expresses her marriage hopes. Despite the famous pair living their life in the limelight, this is the first time Rodriguez has gone public about her wish to marry Ronaldo. Last year, several media outlets declared that they had secretly married in Morocco after Rodriguez was seen flaunting a huge diamond ring on her wedding finger on social media. However, the pair denied the rumours. Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Pawan Atri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926219_0:0:358:358_100x100_80_0_0_aca1d9bdccc7af990e49b4511ee80344.png Pawan Atri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926219_0:0:358:358_100x100_80_0_0_aca1d9bdccc7af990e49b4511ee80344.png 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 Pawan Atri https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/05/12/1082926219_0:0:358:358_100x100_80_0_0_aca1d9bdccc7af990e49b4511ee80344.png football, football, sport, real madrid, manchester united, cristiano ronaldo, model, netflix, sport, football, sport, marriage, lingerie, fc real madrid, wedding, model, girlfriend, football, football legend, wedding ceremony, football star, netflix, georgina rodriguez https://sputniknews.com/20210928/german-chancellor-candidates-in-focus-as-tough-coalition-talks-loom-1089471529.html German Chancellor Candidates in Focus as Tough Coalition Talks Loom German Chancellor Candidates in Focus as Tough Coalition Talks Loom BERLIN (Sputnik) - As the dust settles after the general election in Germany, with an uncertain political future, all eyes are on the candidates for chancellor... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T06:13+0000 2021-09-28T06:13+0000 2021-09-28T06:13+0000 europe germany elections /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/105651/51/1056515160_0:0:3036:1708_1920x0_80_0_0_01f9ef5b487e88de382ffb7ebc9726ac.jpg While Germany's Social Democrats emerged as de facto winners of the election, their 25.7% of the vote is not enough to form a government on their own, requiring some coalition-building in order to ensure a majority in parliament.Meanwhile, Laschet has also vowed to form a CDU/CSU government, which is not impossible given that his party is just behind the SPD with 24.1%. At the same time, this is the conservative alliance's worst showing in history, as the CDU/CSU has never won less them 30% before not a good look for a party that played a pivotal role in the creation of post-WWII Germany.This puts the Greens in a kingmaker position, with decisions by their leader, Baerbock, capable of making or breaking a potential coalition.With this in mind, it is worth taking a closer look at the main players in the current political drama.Der ScholzomatA member of the Social Democratic Party since 1975, Scholz started his political career as a young radical writing about "overcoming the capitalist economy" and ended up as a finance minister in the conservative government of Angela Merkel.He was appointed the SPD's candidate last August earlier than his rivals from other parties and immediately announced that his goal was to win the election and, thus, send the CDU/CSU into opposition for the first time in sixteen years.The reaction to those lofty aspirations was quite ambivalent at the time, considering the conservatives' formerly high approval ratings and his own party's gradual decline in popularity since 2005.A year later, however, it proved to be not just an idle boast, as Scholz's handling of the economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as his reserved and terse manner of speaking which earned him the "Scholzomat" nickname in German media made him a more attractive candidate than his opponents.Failed SuccessorArmin Laschet was supposed to preserve the political dominance of the CDU/CSU achieved by his predecessor, Angela Merkel, but wound up presiding over a party in crisis and dodging questions about his possible resignation.His bid for chancellorship got off on the wrong foot from the very beginning as he had to fight for the CDU/CSU nomination with CSU leader Markus Soeder, who made some unflattering comments about his nominal ally throughout the election campaign and questioned his competence.His public appearances didn't do him any favours either, as Laschet found himself with a bullseye painted on his back after having been caught on camera joking and laughing with several people, while German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was expressing sympathy for victims during the July flooding in North Rhine-Westphalia. This, along with his admission of plagiarism in his 2009 book, did not help the electoral prospects of Laschet or his party.Laschet did manage to improve his standing in the polls somewhat ahead of the election by actively campaigning across the country and being more polemical in his statements. Nevertheless, he still trailed Scholz, his main rival, in personal ratings.Despite less-than-impressive election results, Laschet still has a chance to become the next German chancellor he "just" needs to convince the Greens and the Free Democratic Party to turn their backs on the Social Democrats and join forces with the CDU/CSU.First Green Candidate For ChancellorAnnalena Baerbock, a co-chair of the Greens, was her party's first candidate for the chancellorship and presided over its best election result in history 14.8%.While her campaign got off to a good start, Baerbock has been plagued by a series of scandals that undermined her reputation among the electorate and fellow party members, and almost cost her the candidacy.In May, Baerbock was said to have been late to report to the lower house about a bonus received from her party as a co-chair. She admitted to her mistake, saying she "did not have everything under control."This was followed by journalists questioning parts of her credentials disputing Baerbock's claim that she studied political science and public law at the University of Hamburg. The university stated that she had not finished the public law course. Baerbock later studied international law at the London School of Economics and then worked on an unfinished doctoral dissertation at the Free University of Berlin. However, after a painstaking investigation, German media announced their verdict: not a lawyer.This, along with other discrepancies in Baerbock's biography and a plagiarism scandal of her own, caused journalists to speculate that she would resign her candidacy in favour of her colleague, Robert Habeck.That didn't happen, and now Baerbock and her party are being courted by potential coalition partners after the election. https://sputniknews.com/20210414/germanys-cducsu-alliance-supports-markus-soeder-as-candidate-for-chancellor-reports-say-1082625812.html https://sputniknews.com/20210419/annalena-baerbock-germanys-greens-pick-first-ever-candidate-for-chancellor-1082672773.html germany 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 europe, germany, elections https://sputniknews.com/20210928/gop-furious-over-report-pentagon-asked-to-access-russian-central-asian-bases-to-monitor-afghanistan-1089483675.html GOP Furious Over Report Pentagon Asked to Access Russian Central Asian Bases to Monitor Afghanistan GOP Furious Over Report Pentagon Asked to Access Russian Central Asian Bases to Monitor Afghanistan The rapid collapse of the Afghan government in mid-August left the US scrambling to find military facilities nearby from which to carry out reconnaissance or... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T12:47+0000 2021-09-28T12:47+0000 2021-09-28T13:10+0000 central asia afghanistan senate armed services committee us house armed services committee mark milley /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/15535/21/155352105_0:631:2791:2201_1920x0_80_0_0_de273717636b68c0f368cb57ce170d57.jpg Republicans from the House and Senate armed services and foreign affairs committees are demanding answers from Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin and Secretary of State Antony Blinken over a report that the Biden administration is negotiating with Moscow on anti-terrorism cooperation and looking to access Russian military installations in Central Asia to keep an eye on the situation in Afghanistan.In a letter published on his website Monday, ranking Republican Senate Armed Services Committee Senator James Inhofe and his colleagues, Senator Jim Risch and Representatives Michael McCaul and Mike Rogers, said they were deeply troubled by the reports of Russia-US talks on counterterrorism cooperation and basing rights.Russia, Inhofe and his colleagues suggested, is more concerned with collecting intelligence on the US and our allies than it is sharing information on terrorist threats. The lawmakers went on to claim that Russia is not really fighting terrorism in Syria, and to repeat the (debunked) allegations that Moscow provided weapons and other support to the Taliban against the United States and NATO.The lawmakers asked the White House to provide them with an immediate briefing on any negotiations, agreements, arrangements, proposals or other coordination on counterterrorism in South and Central Asia involving the Biden administration as well as [the] Russian government and military, and its broader diplomatic and military engagement with Afghanistans neighbours regarding US counterterrorism goals.Officials speaking to the newspaper described Gerasimovs reaction to Milleys proposal as noncommittal, with Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declining to comment. A spokesperson for Gen. Milley also declined to comment.After his meeting with Gerasimov last week, Milley offered a series of conciliatory remarks related to Russia, suggesting that Washington should explore the possibility of expanding military-to-military contacts with Moscow, including the invitation of observers to one anothers drills. Milley also emphasized the need to put in place policies and procedures to make sure that we increase certainty, trust and stability in order to avoid miscalculation and reduce the possibility of great power war.Pentagon spokesman John Kirby poured cold water on Milleys comments on Friday, saying coordination between the US and Russian militaries was restricted as a matter of policy and law due to tensions over Ukraine.Milley is expected to face a grilling from lawmakers Tuesday and Wednesday over telephone calls he made to his Chinese counterpart, General Li Zuocheng, in the final months and weeks of the Trump presidency. In one of the calls, Milley assured Li that he would personally phone and warn him if Donald Trump ordered an attack against China. Trump and his fellow Republicans have accused Milley of treasonous behaviour for going behind the presidents back to make the calls. The general insists hes done nothing wrong, and President Joe Biden has defended him.US Bases in Central AsiaThe Biden administration began approaching officials in Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in May to discuss the possibility of deploying US forces in the country after their planned withdrawal from Afghanistan. In July, US Homeland Security officials traveled to Tashkent, Uzbekistan to discuss counterterrorism cooperation, while State and Pentagon officials met with the Uzbek and Tajik foreign ministers in Washington.Last month, US media reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin had told his US counterpart Joe Biden at their Geneva summit in June that Moscow would oppose the deployment of US forces in Central Asia. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov confirmed that Moscow does not see how any form of US military presence in Central Asia might enhance the security of the countries involved and/or of their neighbours, and stressed that such a deployment would definitely not be in the interests of Russia.The Pentagon expressed renewed interest in basing agreements in Central Asia after calculating that sending reconnaissance or strike drones to Afghanistan from US bases in the Persian Gulf would severely restrict their operational capabilities.Central Asian leaders have rejected US overtures for possible basing rights. On Tuesday, outgoing US Ambassador to Kazakhstan William Moser told reporters the US does not have any plans regarding the use of Russian military bases in Central Asia at the moment.US forces were briefly based in Tajikistan in 2001, and in Uzbekistan between 2001-2005. From 2001 and 2014, the US also had a major military facility at the Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan. Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan forced the US to close the bases after accusing Washington of interference in their domestic affairs.Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan are allied to Russia through the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), while Uzbekistan maintains a policy of neutrality barring any nation from permanently stationing troops on its territory. Russias military base in Dushanbe, Tajikistan is the largest Russian military facility abroad, hosting 7,000+ troops, hundreds of tanks, armoured personnel carriers, artillery, drones, S-300s and over a dozen aircraft. In July, Russian troops took part in joint drills with Tajik and Uzbek forces at training grounds near the countries borders with Afghanistan. https://sputniknews.com/20210416/pentagon-spokesman-refuses-to-apologize-for-afghan-bounties-allegations-against-russia-1082650733.html https://sputniknews.com/20210928/milley-preps-for-congressional-grilling-over-treasonous-phone-call-to-pla-head-behind-trumps-back-1089478308.html https://sputniknews.com/20210820/putin-reportedly-rebuffed-bidens-push-to-put-us-troops-in-central-asia-amid-afghan-withdrawal-1083672370.html Xtr3me_1 The Americans cannot be comfortable operating at a base with Russians because their intent has zero to do with monitoring. They would arm terrorist at the drop of a dime to create more upheaval. 3 NthrnNYker59 "The lawmakers letter comes in the wake of a report in the Wall Street Journal earlier Monday suggesting that Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley raised the subject of the possible use of Russian military bases in Central Asia by the US to respond to terror threats in Afghanistan" --- Don't let them in there, President Putin ...... Fascist amerika are like cockroaches ..... once the crawl into a place, it's almost impossible to be rid of them. 2 6 central asia afghanistan 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 central asia, afghanistan, senate armed services committee, us house armed services committee, mark milley https://sputniknews.com/20210928/haiti-accepts-us-decision-on-migrants-returns-ready-to-welcome-back-deported-citizens-1089486641.html Haiti Accepts US Decision on Migrants Returns, Ready to Welcome Back Deported Citizens Haiti Accepts US Decision on Migrants Returns, Ready to Welcome Back Deported Citizens MOSCOW (Sputnik) Haiti will not interfere in the US migration policy, and will receive back its nationals expelled from the United States, Haitian Prime... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T14:13+0000 2021-09-28T14:13+0000 2021-09-28T14:13+0000 haiti news world united states /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/19/1089407215_0:156:2999:1843_1920x0_80_0_0_a340f206d77df8abc54552e3a82f47d8.jpg In recent weeks, some 4,000 Haitian migrants detained by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in the Del Rio town, Texas along the US-Mexico border, were deported to their homeland, which is currently suffering various hardships, including the effects of natural disasters and political instability, US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told the media outlet on Sunday. He justified the decision by mentioning the prevalence of the coronavirus pandemic.Haiti has been beset by a set of major issues, including the deadly earthquake in August, which killed over 2,000 people; the political crisis, following the assassination of previous President Jovenel Moise on 7 July, which was exacerbated by the postponement of the general election and the constitutional referendum in the country.In a bid to escape from the quagmire of problems, thousands of Haitians rushed to Del Rio in recent weeks, prompting the government to declare a state of emergency and deploy border agents, including on horseback. Images shared on social media of CBP officers corralling the migrants have prompted criticism by activists. haiti 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 haiti, news, world, united states https://sputniknews.com/20210928/haiti-dismisses-highly-criticized-electoral-council-prime-ministers-office-says-1089475537.html Haiti Dismisses Highly-Criticized Electoral Council, Prime Ministers Office Says Haiti Dismisses Highly-Criticized Electoral Council, Prime Ministers Office Says MOSCOW (Sputnik) The Haitian government has suspended members of the heavily criticized Provisional Electoral Council (CEP), appointed in late 2020 by... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T08:36+0000 2021-09-28T08:36+0000 2021-09-28T08:36+0000 haiti world jovenel moise /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/07/1f/1083496162_0:161:3071:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_ad8e69e33da8d5da8a1b101ef040b99c.jpg The Government of the Republic, by order dated Monday, 27 September, released the members of the CEP from their links with the public administration. Thus, it was decided to cancel the decree of 18 September 2020 appointing them and setting the mandate of the electoral institution, the office tweeted.Nine CEP members were appointed by Moise in September 2020 to hold the elections and the constitutional referendum, but the Haitian Supreme Court opted not to swear them into office. The late president, however, proceeded with the installation of the body, which then faced strong criticism from the public and the opposition.Henry prepares to appoint a new electoral administration after the formation of a new cabinet in line with an accord for peaceful governance of the country, signed by the prime minister along with several dozens of political groups and parties on 11 September.In the meantime, the elections and the constitutional referendum, previously scheduled for 7 November, have been postponed indefinitely due to the CEP dismissal. haiti 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 haiti, world, jovenel moise https://sputniknews.com/20210928/iranian-official-says-us-has-no-right-to-comment-on-ties-between-tehran-iaea-1089484950.html Iranian Official Says US Has No Right to Comment on Ties Between Tehran, IAEA Iranian Official Says US Has No Right to Comment on Ties Between Tehran, IAEA MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Countries that have not condemned a sabotage attack against Iran's nuclear site in Karaj in June are not qualified to comment on Tehran... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T13:28+0000 2021-09-28T13:28+0000 2021-09-28T13:28+0000 iaea atomic energy organization of iran world iran /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/14/1089253764_0:147:3071:1874_1920x0_80_0_0_be6056d1ae07244a9f5f0a4ffc3f9dbf.jpg After the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported on Monday that its inspectors were denied access to the Karaj facility, Washington called on Tehran to stop denying the global nuclear watchdog access to its facilities, as it violates the September 12 agreement, which gave permission to the IAEA to service all surveillance equipment.The remark by the AEOI head came as Eslami is paying an official visit to Russia. The trip's agenda includes a meeting with the head of Russia's nuclear watchdog Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev, during which the sides will discuss the Iranian nuclear deal, as well as bilateral cooperation, IRNA added. TruePatriot What the US needs to do is to be talking to the IAEA on when they are going to thoroughly inspect Israel for atomic weapons and materials. 1 1 iran 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 iaea, atomic energy organization of iran, world, iran https://sputniknews.com/20210928/israeli-pm-reportedly-proposed-biden-reopen-consulate-in-palestinian-ramallah-but-us-refused-1089485393.html Israeli PM Reportedly Proposed Biden Reopen Consulate in Palestinian Ramallah But US Refused Israeli PM Reportedly Proposed Biden Reopen Consulate in Palestinian Ramallah But US Refused Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett informed settler leaders at a meeting on 9 September that he pushed back against US President Joe Biden on reopening the... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T15:06+0000 2021-09-28T15:06+0000 2021-09-28T15:06+0000 west bank joe biden golan heights donald trump naftali bennett news world us israel benjamin netanyahu /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/08/19/1083711321_0:140:3147:1910_1920x0_80_0_0_e874f2d49ca2e459a80cc40043a09815.jpg Israel's PM Bennett suggested to Biden that the American consulate should be reopened outside Jerusalem, reported The Times of Israel. However, the proposal to opt for a venue on the outskirts of Ramallah or in the West Bank town of Abu Dis failed to elicit interest, states the outlet. The administration of former President Donald Trump in its support for Israel's claim on Jerusalem as its capital moved the US embassy there from Tel Aviv, subsequently subsuming the consulate into a Palestinian Affairs Unit. However, in May the Biden administration announced plans to reopen the US consulate in Jerusalem to provide support for Palestinians living in the area. Tel Aviv reportedly blasted the idea, saying it could "destabilise" Bennett's new government. Washington apparently agreed to postpone reverting the Palestinian Affairs Unit back into a consulate to allow Bennetts government to pass a budget by November. Bennetts predecessor Benjamin Netanyahu also reportedly proposed reopening the mission outside of Jerusalem. New Chapter in Bilateral Relations After taking office in June, Bennett met with Biden on 26 August to discuss the Iranian nuclear programme and other issues as they touted a new chapter in bilateral relations. The US president has repeatedly insisted on a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as the only way to achieve peace in the region. Bennett boasted to leaders from the Yesha Council settlements umbrella group during a meeting on 9 September that he disagreed with Biden three times on key issues for Israel during the White House meeting, according to sources cited by Zman Yisrael, The Times of Israels Hebrew-language sister site. The three topics were related to Israel building new settlements in the West Bank, reopening the US consulate in Jerusalem, and a possible revival of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).Likud MK Nir Barkat the former mayor of Jerusalem was in Washington, DC earlier, lobbying US lawmakers against reopening a diplomatic mission for Palestinians in Jerusalem.Barkat argued the decision would be seen as signalling legitimacy for the Palestinian claim to East Jerusalem. Under ex-POTUS Trump, in a flurry of moves to support Israel, Washington recognised the countrys claims to the Golan Heights, which it seized from Syria in the 1967 Six-Day War, and moved the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Israel seized the eastern half of the city in the same conflict, declaring it to be its capital.The United Nations has long decried Israels annexation of East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights, as well as its colonisation of the West Bank. Israel has occupied the territory of the Gaza Strip since 1967, building numerous settlements for Jewish colonists and military outposts to defend them from Palestinians, many of whom have been evicted from their homes in order to make way for Jewish communities. Alba1970 Thanks to America's undying support Israel does what it wants and steal whatever land it wants ... Israel needs to be punished 1 Tytus Get back in your cage 3 west bank golan heights israel 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 west bank, joe biden, golan heights, donald trump, naftali bennett, news, world, us, israel, benjamin netanyahu, joint comprehensive plan of action (jcpoa), palestinians, six-day war, jcpoa https://sputniknews.com/20210928/man-who-threw-egg-at-macron-admitted-to-psychiatric-hospital-1089478232.html Man Who Threw Egg at Macron Admitted to Psychiatric Hospital Man Who Threw Egg at Macron Admitted to Psychiatric Hospital Macron has been busy attending a whole host of public events recently as April's presidential elections begin to loom large on the horizon. 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T11:05+0000 2021-09-28T11:05+0000 2021-09-28T11:05+0000 emmanuel macron news europe /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/1c/1089478204_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_5259acba104727d155d8e7c6702ada23.jpg A young man who threw an egg at French President Emmanuel Macron has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital, AP reported on Tuesday, citing prosecutors.The egg hit Macron on the shoulder and bounced off as he was visiting an international food fair in Lyon on Monday. The 19-year-old student, who was detained because of the incident, was not on any police watchlist. According to prosecutors, an investigation was opened for "assault on a person in a position of public authority". After the student underwent psychiatric evaluation, he was assessed to be lacking "discernment" and "needing hospitalisation".Macron has attended a number of public events recently as April's presidential elections approach. He hasn't yet announced his intention to run but he is expected to.In June, Macron was slapped in the face at a public event in the south-eastern Drome region on 8 June. His attacker was sentenced to 18 months in jail, 14 of them suspended. Manix La France, l'autre Dictature des Rothschilds!!! 1 Dicksonrp Did the young man miss his target in order to be sent to hospital? 2 Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Sofia Chegodaeva Sofia Chegodaeva 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 Sofia Chegodaeva emmanuel macron, news, europe https://sputniknews.com/20210928/messi-scores-his-first-goal-for-psg-in-champions-league-game-against-man-city-1089496469.html Messi Scores His First Goal for PSG in Champions League Game Against Man City Messi Scores His First Goal for PSG in Champions League Game Against Man City Lionel Messi combines with Kylian Mbappe against Manchester City to score his first Paris Saint-Germaine goal. 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T20:37+0000 2021-09-28T20:37+0000 2021-09-28T22:46+0000 sport manchester city paris saint-germain (psg) lionel messi /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/15/1089274958_0:110:2779:1673_1920x0_80_0_0_aa64b91987e1500e30bcb024d674c407.jpg The goal was a play of wondrous individual brilliance from the diminutive Argentine. As PSG countered on Manchester City, Messi received the ball wide-right near half-field. Messi broke at pace against the retreating City defense. As he approached the 18-yard box, he cut in on his left foot and played a lovely pass into Kylian Mbappe. The young Frenchman wasted no time and played the ball right back to Messi with a backheel. Messi struck the ball with accuracy, curve, and venom as he left City's keeper, Ederson, to helplessly watch. The goal gave PSG a 2-0 lead and control over the hotly contested tie. Messi's first PSG goal took him 264 minutes to muster. For a man who has scored a goal every 93 minutes throughout his professional career, the wait must have felt like an eternity. The goal came at a crucial time for PSG in their heavy-weight clash with Manchester City. PSG was clinging to a 1-0 lead and was a bit too happy to absorb City's pressure. Without the goal, it looked like the game was heading for a tie. Messi's goal made sure that PSG got all three points and gave him a signature goal against his former coach, Pep Guardiola. The goal also springs optimism that PSG's famed front-three of Neymar, Messi, and Mbappe can find a groove on their way to finding goal. Messi's first goal for PSG, won't be his last, and with the pressure to get number one gone, number two shouldn't take another 264 minutes. mandrake Just luck - ronaldo would have scored thrice at least! 1 1 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 sport, manchester city, paris saint-germain (psg), lionel messi https://sputniknews.com/20210928/new-court-order-gives-prince-andrew-oct-29-deadline-to-respond-to-giuffre-sex-abuse-case---report-1089495386.html New Court Order Gives Prince Andrew Oct. 29 Deadline to Respond to Giuffre Sex Abuse Case - Report New Court Order Gives Prince Andrew Oct. 29 Deadline to Respond to Giuffre Sex Abuse Case - Report The court will also reportedly consider Andrew to have been served with the lawsuit on September 21. After numerous attempts by the lawyers of the Duke of York... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T20:27+0000 2021-09-28T20:27+0000 2021-09-28T20:27+0000 us royal family prince andrew sex crime sex scandal uk royal family court case court trial us court virginia roberts giuffre /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/0c/1089001743_0:0:2800:1575_1920x0_80_0_0_5f4de5dd717d81ad2557f5dc107921ae.jpg A judge in New York gave UK's Prince Andrew until October 29 to answer a federal complaint filed against him by Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre, The New York Post reported on Tuesday.According to the report, US Federal Judge Lewis Kaplan approved a joint stipulation and order document prepared by lawyers for the Duke of York and Giuffre last week that outlined a timeline for how her case will proceed.An initial oral argument scheduled for October 13 will reportedly be canceled. Instead, Kaplan directed that a virtual conference in the matter be convened on November 3.Earlier, the Associated Press reported that Andrew has admitted that he has been served with a lawsuit through his counsel. Andrew's legal team had reportedly been contesting the lawsuit's admission until lawyers spoke by phone on September 21, according to court papers cited in the report. According to the order, an agreement was signed three days later.The complaint was filed in federal court in Manhattan in early August, but the deadlock reportedly caused Guiffre lawyer David Boies to accuse Andrew of playing a "game of a hide and seek behind palace walls."Giuffre claimed in her suit that she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times, at Epstein's Manhattan mansion, and on his secret Caribbean island after being sex trafficked by Epstein and his alleged madam Ghislaine Maxwell. Giuffre also said that if she did not obey Maxwell and Epstein's commands, she "feared death or physical injury to herself." Brit26 Andrew needs to tell the cheeky to Eff off and mind their own damn business and to bear in mind that Guifre was just a young prostitute out for the high life and has not suffered any bad effects WHATSOEVER AND IS JUST WHINING NOW, TO MAKE MONEY! 2 1 us 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, royal family, prince andrew, sex crime, sex scandal, uk royal family, court case, court trial, us court, virginia roberts giuffre https://sputniknews.com/20210928/not-a-stable-man-ousted-punjab-state-chief-slams-congress-party-leader-1089489461.html 'Not a Stable Man': Ousted Punjab State Chief Slams Congress Party Leader 'Not a Stable Man': Ousted Punjab State Chief Slams Congress Party Leader Congress, the party ruling Punjab state, has been trying for ages to put a lid on the bickering which exists among its senior members there. Former state... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T18:03+0000 2021-09-28T18:03+0000 2021-09-28T18:03+0000 punjab india india aam aadmi party indian national congress /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/08/1b/1083728089_0:263:1200:938_1920x0_80_0_0_17d4a45c9ffc803ac2c00bc354f6d23e.jpg Senior Congress member and former chief of India's north-western state Punjab, Captain Amarinder Singh, has unleashed a barrage of abuse against the state's Congress leader, Navjot Singh Sidhu, who quit his post on Tuesday only two months after taking charge.This is the latest move in a battle of one-upmanship in poll-bound Punjab between Sidhu and Singh who had to step down about 10 days ago to be succeeded by Charanjit Singh Channi. Sidhu's resignation, which he sent in a letter to Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, and in which he said "he could never compromise in Punjab's future", came unexpectedly, taking all by surprise in Punjab's political circles. Only a week ago he said he warmly supported the party's new choice as state chief, Channi. In his resignation letter he added that he would continue to serve Congress.Sidhu's resignation came minutes before Channi addressed a press conference in the state capital, Chandigarh, to express his support for the protesting farmers who are campaigning against three new controversial agriculture laws.Responding to a query from Sputnik, Channi said: "I am not aware of his quitting. He is a senior leader and we will work out whatever issues he might have. I am sure we will reach a middle path."The unceasing strife within Congress has been ridiculed by Opposition parties that have termed Sidhu's resignation as a "cruel joke with people of the state".Shortly after Sidhu's resignation, Raghav Chadha, a politician from opposition Aam Aadmi Party, claimed via a video link, that only his party could bring stability to Punjab and urged people to support them in the legislative assembly elections scheduled for early next year. punjab india Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Priya Yadav https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/01/1081944855_0:29:2048:2077_100x100_80_0_0_fcca548f1670eac15afebf8b8e336044.jpg Priya Yadav https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/01/1081944855_0:29:2048:2077_100x100_80_0_0_fcca548f1670eac15afebf8b8e336044.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 Priya Yadav https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/01/1081944855_0:29:2048:2077_100x100_80_0_0_fcca548f1670eac15afebf8b8e336044.jpg punjab, india, india, aam aadmi party, indian national congress https://sputniknews.com/20210928/police-chief-in-utah-takes-leave-of-absence-amid-gabby-petito-911-call-handling-probe-1089472804.html Police Chief in Utah Takes Leave of Absence Amid Gabby Petito 911 Call Handling Probe Police Chief in Utah Takes Leave of Absence Amid Gabby Petito 911 Call Handling Probe Rewards have been offered to help US law enforcement track down the late Gabby Petito's missing boyfriend as authorities believe the 22-year-old was murdered... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T07:56+0000 2021-09-28T07:56+0000 2021-09-28T07:57+0000 news us /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 The head of Utahs Moab Police Department is temporarily stepping down from his post in the wake of an announced probe into the handling of a 911 call linked to the Gabby Petito case, reported The Moab Times-Independent. Police Chief Bret Edge requested a leave of absence under the Family Medical Leave Act, according to the communications director for the City of Moab, cited by the outlet. There has not been any clarification regarding whether Edges leave of absence was related to recent controversy within the department linked to the case of the murdered Petito or whether he would return to his post. This news comes as on 23 September Moab city officials said they would conduct "a formal investigation" into the police department's handling of the mid-August 911 call involving Gabby Petito and her boyfriend, the currently missing Brian Laundrie. Brian Laundrie, 23, and his 22-year-old fiancee, Gabby Petito, set out on a cross-county road trip in a converted white Ford Transit van in mid-June. Cited law enforcement records reveal the couple got into a physical altercation during their stay in Moab, Utah on 12 August. In a 911 call placed at the time, a person is heard claiming to have witnessed "the gentleman slapping the girl", according to Fox News, which obtained the call in question.The individual described to the police dispatcher the white van Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie had been travelling in, complete with a license plate number and descriptions of both of them. According to the alleged witness, after the man slapped and hit the female, they both ran up and down the sidewalk until finally they got into the van and drove off. Not long afterwards, the couple were pulled over by a Moab officer and questioned. The young woman was described as showing signs of some sort of breakdown and crying in front of the officer. The young man was cited as saying they had just been arguing. One of the officers on the scene wrote that the incident could be "more accurately categorised as a mental/emotional health break than a domestic assault." According to Fox News, the official police account of the incident claimed "no one reported that the male struck the female. The couple were ordered to spend the night apart, as police closed out the call without filing charges or issuing citations. Gabby Petito Case Brian Laundrie, whose current whereabouts are unknown, had been named a person of interest in the disappearance of Gabby Petito. On 1 September Laundrie returned to the couples North Port home without Petito, according to officials. The young woman was reported missing on 11 September after her mother filed a police report in Suffolk County, N.Y. The FBI issued an arrest warrant for bank card fraud on 23 September as Laundrie reportedly used another individuals Capital One Bank card and personal identification number. Petito's body was discovered on 19 September near Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming, with her death classified as a homicide by the Teton County coroner. A search is underway for Laundrie by local, county and federal law enforcement, with rewards offered for help in tracking down the young man. Willyspit Police gave advice, 'Wait until you get home before slapping your bitch up". Wise words indeed. 1 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 news, us https://sputniknews.com/20210928/prince-andrew-slammed-journalists-who-poke-their-noses-everywhere-in-candid-verging-on-rude-rant-1089479190.html Prince Andrew Slammed Journalists Who Poke Their Noses Everywhere' in Candid Verging on Rude' Rant Prince Andrew Slammed Journalists Who Poke Their Noses Everywhere' in Candid Verging on Rude' Rant Embattled Prince Andrew is currently facing a civil lawsuit for battery and infliction of emotional distress filed by an alleged Jeffrey Epstein victim, who... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T11:37+0000 2021-09-28T11:37+0000 2021-09-28T11:37+0000 prince andrew wikileaks wikileaks uk /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/0c/1089001743_0:0:2800:1575_1920x0_80_0_0_5f4de5dd717d81ad2557f5dc107921ae.jpg Prince Andrew once offered some astonishingly candid" remarks bordering on the rude at an official engagement, according to US diplomatic cables revealed by WikiLeaks and cited by The Guardian. The American ambassador to the Central Asian state of Kyrgyzstan, Tatiana Gfoeller, was privy to some choice verbal soliloquy from the royal, who has since stepped away from public duties over the Epstein sex abuse scandal. Prince Andrew, who has to his credit a 22-year long military career and served as a helicopter pilot in the Falklands War, became an ambassador for British trade upon leaving the Navy, with military technology high on his list of priorities, writes the outlet. In late October 2008, the Duke of York attended a brunch with British and Canadian business people at a hotel in the Kyrgyzstan capital, Bishkek, where he served up some "rude language, according to the cable from the US embassy to Washington. According to the envoy, the Queens son was referencing an investigation by the Serious Fraud Office, subsequently closed, into alleged kickbacks a senior Saudi royal had received in exchange for the multi-year, lucrative BAE Systems contract to provide equipment and training to Saudi security forces".The dispatch stated that Prince Andrew went on to rant at these (expletive) journalists, especially from the National Guardian, who poke their noses everywhere, ostensibly rendering it more difficult for British businessmen to do business. The royal was described as being reportedly super-engaged, telling the US ambassador directly that Britain was back in the thick of playing the Great Game, adding tongue-in-cheek: And this time we aim to win! The Duke of York is currently facing a civil lawsuit in the United States amid Jeffrey Epsteins main accuser Virginia Giuffre's claims that she was sexually assaulted by the royal when she was still deemed underage in the US. Roberts Giuffre (nee Roberts) insists that she was forced to have sex with the British royal at least three times by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The tycoon was charged in July 2019 of running a sex trafficking network of minors. His alleged accomplice, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, has been charged with grooming and sex trafficking girls for the financier and is being held in the Metropolitan Detention Centre in Brooklyn pending her November trial. Epstein died in a New York jail cell in 2019, with his death officially ruled a suicide. The Queens second son has publicly denied all claims made by his accuser, saying that he cant remember ever meeting the woman, whom he has accused of lying. While the dukes legal team has been trying to dismiss the case over the past few weeks based on technical claims, reports have now emerged that security services fear the prince may be vulnerable to blackmail over his ties with the late billionaire pedophile Epstein. Security officials have ostensibly reviewed the security of Prince Andrew's internet and phone connections in case of bugging. General_Genius If Andrew hadn't poked his pud into an underaged girl, the media wouldn't be asking about it. Andrew belongs in prison, and he knows it. 5 Charlie McD Squeaky bum time for him lol 2 3 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 prince andrew, wikileaks, wikileaks, uk https://sputniknews.com/20210928/republicans-slam-dhs-chief-mayorkas-for-allowing-thousands-of-haitians-into-us-1089467973.html Republicans Slam DHS Chief Mayorkas for Allowing Thousands of Haitians Into US Republicans Slam DHS Chief Mayorkas for Allowing Thousands of Haitians Into US In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, the Homeland Security secretary said that about "10,000 or so - 12,000" largely Haitian migrants had been permitted... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T03:16+0000 2021-09-28T03:16+0000 2021-09-28T03:16+0000 us-mexico border us border republicans alejandro mayorkas department of homeland security (dhs) migrant crisis republican party us customs and border protection (cbp) border crossings /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/1c/1089468576_0:0:3070:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_889e6a94dae33409bdd41675cf29c609.jpg Republican lawmakers lambasted Alejandro Mayorkas after he eventually revealed that several thousand illegal immigrants from the makeshift camp in Del Rio, Texas, had actually been let into the United States, while also admitting that not all of them had been tested for COVID-19.Over the course of the weekend, many GOP politicians spoke out about the rather controversial statements of the head of the DHS, including Senator Lindsey Graham, who expressed the opinion that Mayorkas "needs to resign.""Hes completely incompetent. The border is not closed. Its been surrendered," Graham said in an interview with Fox News. "I think the most inhumane thing going on right now in America is the men and women of the Border Patrol have been completely abandoned, demagogued, scapegoated and treated like dirt by elected officials and the Democratic Party and this administration."Representative Lance Gooden of Texas has also chastised Mayorkas for his handling of the border situation in a series of tweets.Lauren Boebert, a Colorado Republican, also slammed Mayorkas, purportedly equating the release of untested Haitians to an instance in which a mother claimed her child was denied boarding on a flight from Colorado to New Jersey for not wearing a mask.The former senior adviser to President Trump, Stephen Miller, echoed the words of fellow Republicans, stating that Mayorkas "is truly, deeply sociopathic."The chair of the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel, commented on the part of the DHS chief's interview where he tried to downplay the scale of the crisis on the southern border, stating that migration is "nothing new" and that he would not categorize the recent arrivals as a "flood."In another tweet, she also added that it has been more than eight months since the influx erupted, and rhetorically asked: "Could this administration be any more incompetent?"At the same time, Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York blamed Joe Biden for the crisis on the border.In his turn, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas criticized what he called Biden's "Bizarro-world rules," referring to the vaccination issue with the migrants.In the same interview, Mayorkas was asked why the authorities eventually failed to stop the immigrants from entering the country, to which he replied that the officials "encountered them as they gathered they assembled in that one location in Del Rio, Texas," and then the administration "applied the laws."The DHS secretary was further confronted by the host, Chris Wallace, on why the US government did not build some sort of fencing across the border, the lack of which eventually made the situation look like "a highway that allows them to cross the Rio Grande."Earlier on Monday, Trump blasted the statements of the Homeland Security secretary, saying that the US is now "a Nation humiliated like never before," and that with "millions of people" not masked or vaccinated "pouring in," the nation "is being destroyed!In addition, the Biden administration's approach to the issue was criticized by a union spokesman for border patrol agents, saying that Biden "throws them under the bus" by pursuing them for allegedly using whips to disperse migrants.According to media reports, many Haitian migrants who have been camped out in South and Central American countries for long periods of time say they now believe it is time to make the journey to the US because they see President Biden's immigration policies as more favorable than former President Trump's.The repercussions over Mayorkas' remarks come as the flow of Haitian migrants trying to reach the US continues. Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, has been devastated by two massive earthquakes, one in 2010 and the other in August of this year, the latter killing over 2,000 people. Moreover, political instability has plagued the Caribbean nation, which was exacerbated when President Jovenal Moise was killed in July. https://sputniknews.com/20210928/border-patrol-agents-disgruntled-over-bidens-attempts-to-throw-them-under-the-bus---report-1089461984.html TruePatriot Mayorkas should be under arrest for threatening the national security of the US with the (lack of) actions he has taken at the US southern border. In fact, Ms. Giggles the VP ought to enjoy the same fate. 1 1 us 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-mexico border, us, border, republicans, alejandro mayorkas, department of homeland security (dhs), migrant crisis, republican party, us customs and border protection (cbp), border crossings https://sputniknews.com/20210928/russian-diplomat-praises-hungarys-optimal-choice-of-new-routes-for-russian-gas-supplies-1089483339.html Russian Diplomat Praises Hungary's 'Optimal' Choice of New Routes for Russian Gas Supplies Russian Diplomat Praises Hungary's 'Optimal' Choice of New Routes for Russian Gas Supplies MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Hungary's decision to choose new routes for Russian gas supplies was optimal, no one has the right to impose its will on Budapest, Russian... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T12:30+0000 2021-09-28T12:30+0000 2021-09-28T12:30+0000 news europe russia ukraine hungary gas /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/102230/72/1022307230_0:0:3000:1688_1920x0_80_0_0_df7247ce35c96940d8b135ee588e7501.jpg "Russian gas used to be supplied to Hungary through Ukraine, and now more technically advanced, convenient and economically profitable routes were chosen," Chizhov said on air of the Russia-24 broadcaster.The Russian diplomat described the solution as an optimal one, also noting it was dictated by Hungary's national security considerations, among other things."Neither Ukraine not anyone else has the right to dictate their will ... Including the European Commission. I am not aware of the technical details of this contract but I am sure that Budapest took into account the European Commission's requirements when making a decision to sign this big and serious long-term contract," Chizhov continued.On 27 September, Budapest and Russia's Gazprom signed a new contract on supplies of 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas per year to Hungary over the next 15 years. Of that, 3.5 billion cubic meters of gas will be delivered through Serbia and 1 billion cubic meters via Austria. The agreement comes into force on 1 October. Terms can be changed after 10 years. russia ukraine hungary 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, europe, russia, ukraine, hungary, gas https://sputniknews.com/20210928/spd-victory-in-germany-cia--assange-assassination-plans-derek-chauvin-appeal-1089465858.html SPD Victory in Germany; CIA & Assange Assassination Plans; Derek Chauvin Appeal SPD Victory in Germany; CIA & Assange Assassination Plans; Derek Chauvin Appeal Christian Democrats lose power in Germany as Social Democrats emerge victorious. How a center-left coalition could take shape in the country. 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T09:27+0000 2021-09-28T09:27+0000 2021-09-28T09:27+0000 assassination spd minnesota germany democrats cia elections merkel assange wikileaks /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/1b/1089465721_14:0:626:344_1920x0_80_0_0_d776cbeb541c9785005af7ae5492238d.png SPD Victory in Germany; CIA & Assange Assassination Plans; Derek Chauvin Appeal Christian Democrats lose power in Germany as Social Democrats emerge victorious. How a center-left coalition could take shape in the country. Michelle Witte, co-host of Political Misfits on Radio Sputnik, joins us to talk about the results of the federal elections in Germany, where the Social Democrats won a narrow victory, paving the way for a center-left coalition. We talk about what this coalition-building effort may look like, who will become kingmaker, and how the right-wing Alternative for Germany Party lost seats, but still came ahead of the leftist party Die Linke. We also talk about how the Greens have lost influence, and what lies ahead for the party.John Kiriakou, co-host of The Backstory on Radio Sputnik, talks to us about how CIA officials during the Trump administration had contemplated either abducting or even assassinating Julian Assange, with Mike Pompeo publicly describing Wikileaks in 2017 as a non-state hostile intelligence service. We talk about some of the proposals that, at times, took an outlandish quality, and whether they would have been able to pull any of these off.Dr. Sharon Anderson, attorney and business consultant, former law school professor and lecturer at Howard Law, and the CEO and Founder of KCG Consulting Services, joins us to talk about the Minnesota Supreme Court throwing out the third-degree murder conviction of a former Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot a woman who had called 911 to report a possible rape behind her home, whether this ruling could give former Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin grounds to appeal his own third-degree murder conviction, and the legal tools to hold police accountableRay Baker, political analyst and host of the podcast Public Agenda, joins us to talk about the ongoing fight over President Bidens $3.5 trillion infrastructure deal, how it has become a do-or-die fight that now includes the threat of a government closure if the debt ceiling is not expanded by September 30th. We also talk about how Biden, despite presenting himself as the great uniter of both the Democrats and Republicans, is now struggling to unite his own party, and how some profitable corporations may still pay no taxes under a Democratic proposal.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.com minnesota germany Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 Michelle Witte https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/11/1082103644_0:1:240:241_100x100_80_0_0_aa1e89cc3422c54bfdeb46decb112e73.jpg Michelle Witte https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/11/1082103644_0:1:240:241_100x100_80_0_0_aa1e89cc3422c54bfdeb46decb112e73.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 Michelle Witte https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/02/11/1082103644_0:1:240:241_100x100_80_0_0_aa1e89cc3422c54bfdeb46decb112e73.jpg assassination, spd, minnesota, germany, democrats, cia, elections, merkel, assange, wikileaks, pompeo, political misfits, george floyd, derek chauvin, , radio https://sputniknews.com/20210928/the-hague-city-council-member-suspected-of-plotting-to-kill-acting-prime-minister-report-says-1089491572.html The Hague City Council Member Suspected of Plotting to Kill Acting Prime Minister, Report Says The Hague City Council Member Suspected of Plotting to Kill Acting Prime Minister, Report Says PARIS (Sputnik) - A member of The Hague city council, Arnoud van Doorn, was arrested on suspicion of plotting an assassination attempt against Dutch caretaker... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T17:00+0000 2021-09-28T17:00+0000 2021-09-28T17:01+0000 netherlands mark rutte news europe /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/1c/1089491543_0:0:3181:1790_1920x0_80_0_0_f29facba9fb092991eea19e803cebc04.jpg Van Doorn was arrested on Sunday after officers of the Royal and Diplomatic Protection Service, who ensure Rutte's security, spotted the municipal official in the district where the acting prime minister was at that time. Van Doorn reportedly acted suspiciously.The city council member was released on Monday after questioning, the newspaper reported, adding that the probe will continue.De Telegraaf newspaper reported on Monday, citing informed sources, that the acting prime minister was given extra personal protection after the so-called spotters people hired by criminal organizations to prepare the ground for an attack or abduction supposedly affiliated with the Moroccan mafia were seen around Rutte. netherlands 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 netherlands, mark rutte, news, europe https://sputniknews.com/20210928/trump-administration-planned-to-kill-or-kidnap-julian-assange-1089464512.html Trump Administration Planned to Kill or Kidnap Julian Assange Trump Administration Planned to Kill or Kidnap Julian Assange On todays episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan and co-host John Kiriakou discussed current events, including reports that the CIA was ready to wage a... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T09:30+0000 2021-09-28T09:30+0000 2021-09-28T09:30+0000 haiti radio us chile germany shadow government wikileaks cognitive function daca isis-k /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/1b/1089464357_0:0:640:360_1920x0_80_0_0_b97d1c99bc20859a867ac80a88b0acd9.jpg Trump Administration Planned to Kill or Kidnap Julian Assange On todays episode of The Backstory, host Lee Stranahan and co-host John Kiriakou discussed current events, including reports that the CIA was ready to wage a gun battle in London to kill or kidnap Assange, and FBI probing reported assault of female US soldier by Afghan evacuees at New Mexico refugee camp. GUESTPeter Dale Scott - Poet, Academic, Author, and Former Diplomat | Deep Politics, COG, and American Foreign PolicySusan Pai - Immigration Attorney | Biden Administration Using Title 42, Experiences as an Immigration Lawyer, and DACAIn the first hour, Lee and John spoke with Peter Dale Scott about the political deep state, the U.S. defense budget, and shadow governments. Peter discussed his books and the importance of looking back in history, to understand the present-day American political situation. Peter talked about the events of 9/11 and how the Patriot Act has been used on American citizens.In the second hour, Lee and John spoke with Susan Pai about America's immigration system, employment for illegal immigrants, and asylum laws. Susan spoke on the business of immigration law and lawyers becoming more transactional with immigration clients. Susan talked about the length of time asylum cases take and the Biden administration's handling of Haitian migrants at the Texas border.We'd love to get your feedback at radio@sputniknews.com Rossco The greatest terrorist nation in the world knows no regard for humanity . It was always common knowledge the US wanted to kill him. But then thats what the US does is to kill people whenever and whereever they wish . They have done this for decades in Latin America , in Europe ,you name it. 1 Rossco Why do they do this ? Because someone has questioned their authority ,their power. And to stay on top the murder anyone who sniffs at challenging them. Iraq, Iran, China, Russia . The zionists are a large part of this and often the tail wagging thedog. But their day of reckoning is upon them and while the US slowly but surely crumbles under its own shit heap ( which it is) the rest of the world can sit quietly and watch the bully in the playground go down for good. 1 3 haiti us chile germany Sputnik International feedback@sputniknews.com +74956456601 MIA Rosiya Segodnya 252 60 2021 John Kiriakou https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107587/24/1075872494_475:-1:1818:1343_100x100_80_0_0_5f29aff18491914c2428c30eddaa3bae.jpg John Kiriakou https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107587/24/1075872494_475:-1:1818:1343_100x100_80_0_0_5f29aff18491914c2428c30eddaa3bae.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 John Kiriakou https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/107587/24/1075872494_475:-1:1818:1343_100x100_80_0_0_5f29aff18491914c2428c30eddaa3bae.jpg haiti, radio, us, chile, germany, shadow government, wikileaks, cognitive function, daca, isis-k, the backstory, https://sputniknews.com/20210928/trump-facing-possible-criminal-liability-for-sustained-assault-on-georgias-electoral-vote-count-1089476739.html Trump Facing Possible Criminal Liability For Sustained Assault on Georgias Electoral Vote Count Trump Facing Possible Criminal Liability For Sustained Assault on Georgias Electoral Vote Count During his phone call to Georgias Secretary of State, Brad Raffensperger, on 2 January, Donald Trump repeatedly insisted that he had won the state by... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T10:27+0000 2021-09-28T10:27+0000 2021-09-28T10:27+0000 donald trump news us georgia election fraud us elections /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/0b/1088969537_0:0:3073:1728_1920x0_80_0_0_8d9c45597ad28c8a038dacba2c2ce645.jpg Former president Donald Trump could potentially face multiple criminal charges for attempts to overturn his loss to Democratic rival Joe Biden in the state of Georgia during the 2020 presidential elections, says a new report published by The Brookings Institute.The 107-page report, assembled by multiple legal experts for The Washington Post, found that the Georgia electoral process and vote count was subjected to sustained assault by Trump and his allies in a bid to change the lawful outcome of the election. The report stated that the ex-POTUS and some of his allies, such as his former attorney Rudy Giuliani, could be charged with election fraud, intentional interference with an official's performance of poll-related duties, and conspiracy. The think-tanks analysis also suggests that Donald Trump violated the Georgia Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Fulton County's District Attorney, Fani T. Willis, has been leading a criminal investigation, focusing on the phone call Trump placed to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on 2 January in which he urged his fellow Republican to find the votes to reverse Joe Bidens win in the state. Raffensperger confirmed to the Daily Beast in early September that Fulton County investigators have asked us for documents, theyve talked to some of our folks, and well cooperate fully.In the aforementioned phone call Trump had argued that Raffensperger could change the certified results, saying:Georgias Secretary of State had firmly rejected Trumps demands. Biden claimed victory over Trump by a margin of 12,670 votes, according to the painstaking statewide audit ordered by Raffensperger amid accusations of election fraud from Republicans. The Brookings Institute report also cited instances when Donald Trump contacted other Georgia officials to help him overturn his election loss, including Governor Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr. Referring to Trumps repeated assertions that the presidential elections had been rigged to favour his opponent, the report stated: The document argues that Trump's actions were well outside the scope of his official duties, adding: The document conceded that it was based on publicly available evidence, acknowledged that it was not in possession of all the facts and that the investigation was pending. Georgia was the last state to be called in the 2020 presidential election, where Democrat Joe Biden won 2,473,633 votes against predecessor Trumps 2461,854 votes.As Bidens win was being certified officially by a joint session of Congress on 6 January 2021, the building was breached by a mob of Trump supporters. The Capitol Complex was locked down, with lawmakers and staff evacuated, while rioters wreaked mayhem for several hours.The incident claimed five lives, including that of a Capitol police officer. Donald Trump, accused by Democrats of instigating the riot with claims of voter fraud has vehemently denied any wrongdoing. House Democrats impeached him for a second time during his term, accusing him of inciting insurrection, but the Senate later acquitted him. anne00marie Play on words. What is fact is that the vote count does not tally. Why is that, whoever won or lost, why so many voting irregularities with nobody complaining? 1 1 georgia 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 donald trump, news, us, georgia, election fraud, us elections https://sputniknews.com/20210928/trump-reportedly-told-putin-hed-act-a-little-tougher-with-him-when-cameras-were-around-1089486798.html Trump Reportedly Told Putin Hed Act a Little Tougher With Him When Cameras Were Around Trump Reportedly Told Putin Hed Act a Little Tougher With Him When Cameras Were Around The former president spent over three years of his four-year term fending off debunked claims that he had "colluded" with the Kremlin to win the 2016 election... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T14:15+0000 2021-09-28T14:15+0000 2021-09-28T15:32+0000 donald trump book /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/1c/1089484388_0:104:2851:1709_1920x0_80_0_0_a04324efa1a03e6760ed070633dcc5d4.jpg Ex-POTUS Donald Trump reportedly once told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that he would be a little tougher around him while the cameras were rolling at the G20 Summit in Osaka, Japan in June 2019, according to a new book by former Trump White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham.In front of the cameras at the Osaka meeting, a jubilant Trump joked with Putin about looking forward to spending some very good time together and responded to a journalists request to tell Russia not to meddle in US elections by turning to Putin and quipping Dont meddle in the elections! while waging his finger and smirking.After journalists expressed reluctance to leave the room for the closed portion of the talks, Trump asked staff to get rid of them and told Putin that he probably didnt have this problem of fake news in Russia. We also have it. Its the same, Putin responded.Latest 'Insider Account' of Trump PresidencyGrisham served as Trumps press secretary between 2019 and 2020, and as chief of staff to First Lady Melania Trump from 2020-early 2021, resigning in the aftermath of the 6 January Capitol riots.Her book, set to be released next week, reportedly features a range of dirt on her former bosses from alleged leering by Trump at a female staffer, to sexually charged remarks by him against Grisham herself, to comparisons of Melania Trump to Marie Antoinette and Rapunzel over her alleged lack of empathy and tendency to hole herself up in the White House.Melania Trumps office has responded to the allegations made in Grishams book against the former first lady, accusing the ex-aide of trying to redeem herself after a poor performance as press secretary, failed personal relationships, and unprofessional behaviour in the White House. Through mistruth and betrayal, she seeks to gain relevance and money at the expense of Mrs. Trump.The former presidents office fired off its own statement over the new book, with a spokesperson calling it another pitiful attempt to cash in on the Presidents strength and sell lies about the Trump family and suggesting it was full of lies.During her time in office, Grisham was criticised by anti-Trump media for her refusal to hold regular press briefings, and an alleged preference to give interviews mostly to pro-Trump media.Her new book is one of nearly a dozen tell-all memoirs and insider accounts about the Trump White House published in the last few years. Other accounts, written by Trump's niece Mary Trump, former national security advisor John Bolton, former assistants Omarosa and Cliff Sims, and journalists Michael Wolff and Bob Woodward similarly feature a number of juicy "behind-the-scenes" insights into the Trump presidency, but their veracity is difficult to judge. Trump has dismissed most of the accounts, accusing their authors of profiting off his name and brand. Most of the exposes have become bestsellers thanks to liberal Americans addiction to dirt on the now former president, with books related to Trump far outselling accounts on the White House of his recent predecessors. According to a 2020 estimate by the New York Times, over 1,200 unique titles about Trump have been published since 2016, more than double the roughly 500 titles about former president Barack Obama during his first term. https://sputniknews.com/20210520/obama-dubbed-trump-that-fing-lunatic-as-well-as-racist-sexist-pig-new-book-claims-1082948763.html mandrake Look him up, gag him and do not ever let him out again. Hes a fully fledged maniac and dangerous for the future of mankind! Just as dangerous as the jews in Palestine are for the future of mankind! 5 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, book https://sputniknews.com/20210928/uk-condemns-north-koreas-short-range-missile-test-1089486450.html UK Condemns North Koreas Short-Range Missile Test UK Condemns North Koreas Short-Range Missile Test LONDON (Sputnik) The UK government on Tuesday condemned North Koreas decision to launch a short-range ballistic missile, arguing that the test violates the... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T14:01+0000 2021-09-28T14:01+0000 2021-09-28T14:43+0000 dprk asia ballistic missiles /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/105692/11/1056921109_0:182:3500:2151_1920x0_80_0_0_0a2950bc05dfd6164a4d79374f07c49e.jpg The UK remains committed to the goal of denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and commends the diplomatic efforts of the US and regional partners to seek peace on the Korean Peninsula and preserve regional stability. We urge North Korea to return to dialogue, a Foreign Office spokesperson was quoted as saying in the official statement.Tuesday's launch is the sixth in 2021 for Pyongyang. Before that, on September 15, North Korea fired two ballistic missiles in the direction of the Sea of Japan, and the rockets flew about 800 kilometers (497 miles) at the height of 60 kilometers (37 miles) and over. Several days before, the country tested long-range cruise missile, with rockets covering 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) range.Ballistic missile launches contradict the United Nations Security Council resolution. However, North Korea describes the launches as substantiated defense efforts and holds South Korea and the United States responsible for the tensions on the Korean peninsula. TruePatriot Pay no attention, It's just the US lapdog yapping again. 1 1 asia 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 dprk, asia, ballistic missiles https://sputniknews.com/20210928/us-court-deems-evidence-against-ex-peruvian-president-toledo-sufficient-for-extradition---report-1089497041.html US Court Deems Evidence Against Ex-Peruvian President Toledo 'Sufficient' for Extradition - Report US Court Deems Evidence Against Ex-Peruvian President Toledo 'Sufficient' for Extradition - Report The former president was apprehended in the US in the summer of 2019. His detention, according to recent statements from Peru, came in response to an... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T21:30+0000 2021-09-28T21:30+0000 2021-09-28T21:30+0000 peru president extradition alejandro toledo extradition proceedings us court /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/1c/1089497800_0:0:1200:676_1920x0_80_0_0_b2297e68f26815cede191ffb22bef7ff.jpg A US federal judge ruled that the evidence of criminality in the extradition case against former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo is "sufficient," effectively paving the way for his extradition on corruption allegations, Bloomberg reported on Tuesday.Toledo is accused of accepting $20 million in bribes from the Brazilian construction firm Odebrecht SA between 2001 and 2006, while in office. He denies all of the allegations and claims that they are politically motivated.US Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixson granted Peru's plea to return Toledo to his native country for trial. However, in extradition cases, the US State Department has the final authority.Peru had requested Toledo's extradition from the US State Department three years ago. The country has charged him with bribery, collusion, and money laundering in connection with a bribery scheme in exchange for preferential treatment in the bidding war for contracts to build the Peru-Brazil Southern Interoceanic Highway.According to the case materials, Toledo claimed in court that Odebrecht paid payments to Josef Maiman, an Israeli businessman who purported to be acting on his behalf. Toledo's lawyers have argued that he should not be extradited because there is no "probable cause" that he committed crimes.Toledo has been working as a visiting scholar at Stanford University, which is located near San Francisco, California. According to recent media reports, in 2019, he was arrested by US marshals at his residence in Menlo Park, California. During their search of the house, officials discovered a suitcase containing $40,000 in cash. NthrnNYker59 And why wasn't the jew arrested and detained ? 6 1 peru 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 peru, president, extradition, alejandro toledo, extradition proceedings, us court https://sputniknews.com/20210928/us-court-indicts-lawyer-for-perjury-in-2016-presidential-election-meddling-case-1089483954.html US Court Indicts Lawyer for Perjury in 2016 Presidential Election Meddling Case US Court Indicts Lawyer for Perjury in 2016 Presidential Election Meddling Case MOSCOW (Sputnik) - A federal grand jury in the US District Court for the District of Columbia has charged lawyer Michael Sussmann, who previously represented... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T12:52+0000 2021-09-28T12:52+0000 2021-09-28T12:52+0000 world us russia /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/03/1d/1082478035_0:178:1365:946_1920x0_80_0_0_7e517865612f3bc97d25d7e7342119fa.jpg The indictment, issued on 16 September, was published on Tuesday on popular Russian VK social network by Concord Company, owned by Russian businessman Yevgeny Prigozhin, who was also charged with the election meddling and faced sanctions.In the fall of 2016, Sussmann handed over to the FBI agents false materials prepared by Mrs. Clinton's campaign about the alleged Russian interference in the US presidential election. These materials also included a fake dossier by ex-MI6 employee underlying the illegal charges against Prigozhin of interference in 2016 US presidential election."All this confirms both the illegality of the accusation against Yevgeny Viktorovich Prigozhin of interfering in the election of the President of the United States, and the illegality of the sanctions imposed on him," Concord stated on its VK account.Prigozhin sent a statement to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) at the US Treasury over three months ago, demanding that all sanctions restrictions be lifted and the evidence on the basis of which he was included in this list should be disclosed. No response has been received from OFAC, Concord stated. The businessman and his lawyers are reportedly preparing an additional statement.Relations between the United States and Russia sank in 2014 under the administration of then-US President Barack Obama during the crisis in Ukraine, when Washington imposed sanctions on Moscow. Since then, the United States has expanded and tightened the sanctions regime following accusations of Russia's alleged meddling in the 2016 US presidential election. Moscow has repeatedly denied interfering in Ukraine and the US political system. 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 world, us, russia https://sputniknews.com/20210928/us-humiliated-like-never-before-trump-says-after-dhs-allowed-thousands-of-migrants-to-pour-in-1089468020.html US Humiliated Like Never Before, Trump Says, After DHS Allowed Thousands of Migrants to Pour in US Humiliated Like Never Before, Trump Says, After DHS Allowed Thousands of Migrants to Pour in Humiliated Like Never Before: Trump Comments on 12,000 Haitians, Reportedly Released Into US 2021-09-28T01:37+0000 2021-09-28T01:37+0000 2021-09-28T01:37+0000 donald trump us illegal immigrants migration crisis border crossings haitian /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/09/10/1089139899_0:195:3071:1922_1920x0_80_0_0_6e19eb4bfa6db3cc6e482acaf5b3e988.jpg Former US President Donald Trump, who has been a constant critic of the current administrations immigration policies, recalled the DHS chief's recent remarks, saying in a statement, cited by the New York Post on Monday, that the United States is a Nation humiliated like never before.Claiming that the Haitians were released with no vetting, checking, or even minimal understanding of who they are, he stressed that some of them may have extremely contagious diseases, even worse than the China Virus, apparently referring to the COVID-19 pandemic.The controversy over the difficult situation at the US southern border has intensified recently after Alejandro Mayorkas admitted in an interview with Fox News on Sunday that roughly 12,000 illegal immigrants from Haiti have been released into the US since 9 September.Thousands of immigrants, mostly from Haiti, who escaped political and economic crisis and the recent devastating earthquake, started to gather in Texas near theUS-Mexico border at the end of last month. They have made a makeshift camp under a bridge that connects Del Rio in Texas with Mexico's Ciudad Acuna. Border agents were said to have begun deporting Haitians from the camp on 19 September. mandrake He must be locked away and gagged since he is a dangerous fool that spells disaster if he ever is allowed near the white house again. 3 vot tak The israeli trump quisling humilliated america like never before with his pathetic subservience to israel. These constant trump adverts on sputnik are an insult to the readership. 2 4 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 donald trump, us, illegal immigrants, migration crisis, border crossings, haitian https://sputniknews.com/20210928/us-reportedly-didnt-tell-afghan-army-of-plans-to-slink-out-of-bagram-due-to-fear-of-taliban-attacks-1089494913.html US Reportedly Didnt Tell Afghan Army of Plans to Slink Out of Bagram Due to Fear of Taliban Attacks US Reportedly Didnt Tell Afghan Army of Plans to Slink Out of Bagram Due to Fear of Taliban Attacks US forces left Bagram Air Base in the dead of night on 1 July, handing the strategic facility over to Afghan forces, who soon lost it to the Taliban. At the... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T19:07+0000 2021-09-28T19:07+0000 2021-09-28T19:17+0000 afghanistan afghanistan war /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/08/12/1083646829_0:160:3073:1888_1920x0_80_0_0_214a258d5760d86919c585fd7b2d83e1.jpg The Pentagon made the decision to quietly retreat from Bagram Air Base along a timetable approved by the White House, and did so in secret, without telling Americas Afghan partners ahead of time, due to fears that the Taliban would launch attacks on the base if they found out its defenses were weakened, Politico reports, citing current and former officials.All of them made the same argument: Speed equals safety, one defence official present at the meeting said.They just decided they lost the argument, and OK fine lets get the heck out of dodge, a former senior defence official added, referring to a Pentagon plan to withdraw from the country in as little as 60 days, rather than the 11 September deadline originally presented by the White House in April.Austin Miller, commander of US Forces Afghanistan, was a key proponent of a rapid retreat from Bagram, hatching a plan to do so as far back as March, before Biden announced that US troops would be withdrawing, according to officials.General Miller made clear that speed mattered, and that if directed to withdraw, that his preference was to move as quickly as possible, one defence official said, pointing to the dangers of possible Taliban attacks if US forces failed to leave the country by the original 1 May deadline outlined by the Trump administration in its February 2020 peace deal with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar.In June, amid a Taliban advance across the country, the Pentagon reportedly briefly put the Bagram withdrawal on pause to inform senior civilian leaders on the strategic situation. The White House apparently wasnt convinced, and pushed the Pentagon to stick to its original deadlines. One defence official said that any changes to the withdrawal by that point would have effectively required a reversal of policy and the sending of more troops back into the country, with an estimate of thousands of additional troops reportedly thrown around.Afghan forces took control of Bagram shortly after US forces left on 1 July, but not before looters managed to make off with office equipment, gas canisters, and other items before troops could secure the facility. The Taliban praised the evacuation at the time, calling it a positive step in the interests of both Washington and Kabul in achieving peace and security. Now-former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani toured Bagram a week after the handover, with officials saying they were deeply impressed by the professionalism of the Afghan security forces that took charge, and praising their calm and discipline in handling this mammoth job.The Taliban captured Bagram on 15 August, the same day that Kabul collapsed and Ghani fled. Thousands of prisoners, including militants with suspected ties to al-Qaeda and Daesh (ISIS)*, were reportedly freed from the bases detention facility.Last month, sources close to the Biden administration told The Telegraph that the president ignored warnings regarding the speed of the withdrawal, with aides reportedly urging the stubborn-headed president to at least keep Bagram open due to its dual runways, but to no avail.Republican lawmakers including Senators Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham called the Bagram pullout a catastrophic decision and possibly the biggest mistake in [the Afghan] debacle.* Terrorist groups outlawed in Russia and many other countries. https://sputniknews.com/20210904/former-trump-un-envoy-haley-fears-china-poised-to-take-over-afghanistans-strategic-bagram-air-base-1083795259.html https://sputniknews.com/20210702/bagram-air-base-in-afghanistan-faces-looting-after-american-troop-withdrawal-1083295736.html https://sputniknews.com/20210822/bidens-aides-were-too-afraid-to-question-his-decisions-in-run-up-to-chaotic-afghan-exit-1083685714.html WhatTheFishIsThis Taliban missed the chance to kick your ass on the way out .. nananana ROFL 1 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 afghanistan war https://sputniknews.com/20210928/witness-who-claims-she-saw-prince-andrew-dancing-with-giuffre-at-club-to-testify-in-court---report-1089468894.html Witness Who Claims She Saw Prince Andrew Dancing With Giuffre at Club to Testify in Court - Report Witness Who Claims She Saw Prince Andrew Dancing With Giuffre at Club to Testify in Court - Report The 61-year-old prince has refuted the charges brought against him by Virginia Roberts Giuffre repeatedly and categorically. Despite the photographic evidence... 28.09.2021, Sputnik International 2021-09-28T04:03+0000 2021-09-28T04:03+0000 2021-09-28T04:03+0000 prince andrew sex scandal sexual abuse sexual scandal uk /html/head/meta[@name='og:title']/@content /html/head/meta[@name='og:description']/@content https://cdnn1.img.sputniknews.com/img/07e5/08/0d/1083595724_0:220:2863:1830_1920x0_80_0_0_22c18842a361b995991653d2c3c91854.jpg An eyewitness who claimed she saw Prince Andrew dancing with his alleged sex assault victim Virginia Giuffre in a nightclub in 2001 on the same night he said he was at Pizza Express has consented to testify in a pending civil suit in the United States.According to The Mirror's report, UK businesswoman Shukri Walker is expected to say that she saw the Duke of York at London's Tramp nightclub and has even handed over written testimony to the FBI.The woman reportedly distinctly recalled seeing Andrew with Giuffre, who was then 17 years old, after she apologized to him for treading on his foot while on the dance floor.Walker, who reportedly was 28 at the time of the event, claimed that she decided to speak up after the disastrous BBC Newsnight interview by Andrew, in which he claimed that he could not have been at the nightclub with Giuffre since he recalls taking his daughter Princess Beatrice to a birthday party at a restaurant in Woking, Surrey. Earlier, the prince reportedly also denied Giuffre's assertion that he was sweating heavily after dancing with her on the dancefloor, claiming that he could not sweat due to a medical ailment he developed after being shot while serving in the Falklands war. And Walker reportedly noted that she saw Andrew wiping the sweat off his face several times using the back of his hand.Quoting an undisclosed source with knowledge of the situation, the outlet notes that Walker is "totally convinced she saw Andrew that night and is prepared to stand up in court to say so."However, an anonymous "friend of the Duke's" reportedly told The Mirror that Shukri Walker "seems to be in a minority of one in her recollections."Also on Monday, The Times reported, citing a source within Prince Andrew's circle, that by filing the civil complaint, Giuffre "has actively invited legal scrutiny of her own version of events."Giuffre, now 38, is suing Andrew in New York, claiming he sexually assaulted her a total of three times both in New York and on the late convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's island in the Caribbean. Manix But lizards don't sweat, do they? 0 Agent.Smith in the UK you are innocent until proved guilty, as Virginia Giuffre has no proof it will be impossible for her to prove her claims, everything is based on a foto where she looks very pleased in meeting Prince Andrew...... 2 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 prince andrew, sex scandal, sexual abuse, sexual scandal, uk Rotorua Lakes Council appears to remain open-minded but sceptical when it comes to Three Waters reform. On Thursday at a full council meeting, Rotorua Lakes Council released its preliminary response, which stated it was "supportive and constructive" towards the proposed reform so long as it is "viable and sustainable". The preliminary position will be sent to Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta. The position was arrived at via elected member-only forums. In the meeting, council infrastructure and environmental solutions deputy chief executive Stavros Michael said the council supported the key objectives of the proposed Three Waters reform, but the question was how those objectives were achieved. He said at face value there appeared to be benefits of scale to the proposal, but with its benefits there were also risks, one of which being ensuring local voices remained within the structure. Under the proposal, Rotorua would fall into Water Entity B, one of four proposed entities across the country. Entity B would comprise of 22 territorial local authorities (TLAs), including Rotorua Lakes Council. TLAs would appoint five or six members to the regional representative group, as would mana whenua, with the maximum total board members for each entity to 12. The regional representative group would in turn appoint an independent selection panel, which itself would appoint and monitor the entitys governance board. The board would be accountable to the regional representative group. Michael said a question hanging over the governance structure was how representative the regional representative group could be for each TLA, with the councils preliminary position stating there could be a loss of the community voice in the clutter of a much larger population base served by [Entity B]. He said while the council agreed with the Government the cost of maintaining and renewing water assets would escalate, there was significant scepticism about the exact numbers associated with that escalation because they were impossible to pinpoint exactly. He said as to whether the council was opting in or out of the reforms, the current position was neither until more detail emerged and concerns were addressed. The information in our hands at the moment is simply not sufficient to allow us to make a decision. The Government needs to take some feedback from us and all the TLAs, go away, refine and review their proposals and come back with a refined proposal. He said at that point the council would likely put that proposal and whether the council would opt into it to public consultation. His presentation stated the council had a real concern the local voice would be lost in [the] much larger Entity B. Another concern was raised by council Te Arawa partnership deputy chief executive Gina Rangi. Rotorua Lakes Council Te Arawa partnership deputy chief executive Gina Rangi. Photo / Ben Fraser / Rotorua Daily Post. She said the Crown had identified it needed to engage with iwi and mana whenua was but this talking to the top layer and the council had valuable and mutually beneficial relationships with mana whenua at marae and hapu level which the bigger entity could struggle to replicate. It would be like talking to the regional council about district council affairs. The concern we have is that there has been a failure to recognise the complexity of day-to-day operational relationships that are crucial to the successful operation of infrastructure assets. "We are highly concerned [about] the lack of detail around how operational relationships are maintained. Yes, Entity B could replicate that [but] it would be extraordinarily expensive, they would be starting from scratch and we think it would fatally affect the costings and the assumed savings provision that have been built into the reform proposal. She said the concerns had been raised with the Department of Internal Affairs but she did not yet have confidence the proposal had the detail to address the concerns. Rangi also said the Crown had not yet clarified who or what was specifically meant by mana whenua or iwi. Council chief executive Geoff Williams clarified to the council they were faced with a feedback step, not a decision step, as the preliminary position statement did not necessarily opt the council into the reforms, but rather provided feedback on them. Deputy mayor Dave Donaldson said the paper served to alert the Government to the concerns the council had and emphasised its preliminary status. Councillor Merepeka Raukawa-Tait said she felt the Government had done councils a great disservice by putting out little information and then limiting feedback to TLAs and mana whenua. There could have been some very good assistance given to the Government in this initial stage. She said the farming communitys point of view was one example. Rotorua district councillor Merepeka Raukawa-Tait. Photo / Andrew Warner / Rotorua Daily Post. Thats the issue were seeing from people in our community who are quite concerned, like most of us weve got no idea, theyve got no idea, they think weve taken a position, which we havent. That, to me, is quite unfair. Councillor Reynold Macpherson said there was clear concern from the public, particularly around any loss of accountability. Its almost the equivalent of taxation without representation which started the American War of Independence. Outside the meeting, Department of Internal Affairs Three Waters reform programme executive director Allan Prangnell said the Government had invited feedback particularly on the governance and accountability arrangements of the reforms, and was aware alternative options had been proposed. The Government has indicated its willingness to consider alternatives if the current proposal can be improved on while keeping within the reforms bottom lines of good governance, balance sheet separation and partnership with mana whenua. There are possibilities that could be further explored including how representation in the governance model is determined, how board appointments are made, and how accountability can be strengthened. He said officials were working to progress the discussions. The council agreed to endorse the preliminary statement, noting the Department of Internal Affairs would announce timeframes for full public consultation in the coming months, with Macpherson against. The Government announced the $2.5 billion Three Waters reforms at the Local Government NZ conference in July. Three waters referred to drinking water, stormwater and wastewater. Councils' water assets would be transferred to the entities and the entities would be collectively owned by the councils they covered, with provisions in place intended to prevent any future privatisation. The Government expected the reforms would grow GDP by $9b over the next 30 years and create about 6000 to 9000 jobs. Rotorua Lakes Council established a three waters committee on July 5, with a co-governance model with mana whenua, to consider the reforms proposals. Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Alexa is getting some company. Amazon and Disney have unveiled an "entirely new persona" called "Hey, Disney!" "It marks the first time that we're making another voice assistant available alongside Alexa on Echo devices," Aaron Rubenson, Amazon's vice president of Alexa Voice Service & Alexa Skills told USA TODAY ahead of Tuesday's announcement. "Hey, Disney!" will be available both in room at Disney Resort hotels and on supported Amazon Echo devices at home. "It's going to give guests the ability to sort of interact with our beloved characters in entirely new ways" said Dan Soto, vice president of Technology and Digital for Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. What can 'Hey, Disney!' do? "Hey, Disney!" was designed to make the Alexa experience even more magical with things like jokes, interactive trivia with your family, personal greetings from our characters, soundscapes and more," Soto told USA TODAY. "It will absolutely include authentic character voices, original recordings, unique audio environments inspired by our films and our destinations around the world and over 1,000 magical interactions for our guests to discover." When will 'Hey, Disney!' debut? "Hey, Disney!" is expected to roll out next year. How much will 'Hey, Disney!' cost? "Hey, Disney!" will be free for guests to access on Amazon Echo devices in Disney Resort hotel rooms. It's not yet clear how much it will cost to buy on the Alexa Skills Store for use at home. Details will be released on amazon.com/heydisney. How do I use 'Hey, Disney!'? Like Alexa, the voice assistant has its own unique wake words: "Hey, Disney!" Where can I use 'Hey, Disney!'? While the bulk of "Hey, Disney!" features will be available both at home and at Disney Resort hotels, hotel guests will have additional offering through Alexa for Hospitality. "You can ask 'Hey, Disney!' things like, 'What time is the park open? Where can I get Italian food? When's the next bus to Epcot leaving my resort?'" Soto said. "You can even do some functional things like order more blankets or towels to the room." "This is a solution that lets Disney deploy and manage devices at scale and also create unique experiences to enhance the experience for for guests," Rubenson said. Will 'Hey, Disney!' work with Disney Genie? This fall, Walt Disney World and Disneyland will launch a new, free trip-planning tool called Disney Genie. Soto said Disney is looking at ways to access things like itineraries and that other opportunities may follow down the line. What will 'Hey, Disney!' sound like? While users can hear from a host of beloved, familiar Disney characters through "Hey, Disney!," Soto and Rubenson said the voice assistant will be a "brand new, unique identity" that is "different than Alexa's voice." What about privacy concerns? "For both Disney and Amazon, protecting the security and privacy of our guests is paramount," Soto said, noting that guests will have to opt in, not opt out, to use "Hey, Disney!" Beyond having same privacy protections as other Amazon products and devices, Rubenson said: "The in-room experience in particular is designed with privacy in mind and so no audio is stored by default. Also just to be clear, customers don't log in with Amazon to use the experience, so no personal information is transmitted about the guests at all when they interact with 'Hey, Disney!'" He noted that Echo microphones in hotel rooms can also be manually turned off. "At home," Rubenson said, "if customers, for their own personal devices, choose to purchase the 'Hey, Disney!' experience, that operates like our other child-directed experiences, so it requires verifiable parental consent before anybody can even use it, and ... as a customer, you have access to your voice recordings, you can delete them, you can choose to have them deleted automatically, all of the same, sort of privacy controls you expect are part of that experience." What's next? While "Hey Disney" is the first custom-branded and tailored voice assistant to be launched using Alexa Custom Assistant, Amazon has not hinted at what others could be coming down the line. 2021 USA Today. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. VW has already paid out 32 billion euros in damages, refunds and court fees in relation to the Dieselgate scandal. Brussels on Tuesday called on Volkswagen to pay out all European consumersand not just German onesaffected by the "Dieselgate" scandal in which the automaker tampered with vehicle emissions to cheat pollution tests. EU Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders said in a statement that VW "is not willing to work with consumer organisations to find appropriate solutions for consumers," noting that it so far is only making payouts to German and US purchasers of its vehicles. "All consumers need to be compensated," Reynders said. But a VW spokesperson curtly responded to the EU appeal by saying: "Our legal position is unchanged." In an interview with AFP, Reynders accused VW of "bad faith" by trying to exclude European customers outside Germany from compensation by drawing out legal processes. "I think it's up to us to let European consumers know that a company has chosen to run out the clock in a bid to avoid paying compensation even as convictions keep piling up," he said. BEUC, an EU-wide consumer organisation, welcomed Brussels's stance. "Such a statement is long overdue," it said, calling it "another clear signal that the tide is turning for Volkswagen". The German car giant has already paid out damages, refunds and court fees of around 32 billion euros ($37 billion) in relation to the scandal. Most has been disbursed in the United States, whose courts and regulators vigorously took up the matter. The company has agreed to pay 750 million euros to 235,000 car owners in Germany. But it is fending off thousands of individual and collective claims lodged in many territories, including in EU countries, which would greatly expand its financial exposure if they succeed. VW said in July it had won 95 percent of the cases against it, after a court in Italy ordered the company to pay 63,000 Italian customers a settlement worth more than 200 million euros. The tampering scandal has since ensnared other top European automakers, including BMW, Porsche, Daimler, Renault, Peugeot and Fiat-Chrysler. The crisis hit Volkswagen in 2015 when it was revealed it had installed devices in 11 million diesel vehicles worldwide that greatly reduce nitrogen oxide emissions when subjected to pollution testing. The company admitted to the trickery and pleaded guilty to fraud in the United States in 2017. 'Political pressure' The tampering scandal has since ensnared other top European automakers, including BMW, Porsche, Daimler, Renault, Peugeot and Fiat-Chrysler. Last month, four former VW managers went on trial in Germany on fraud charges related to "Dieselgate". The trial of former chief executive Martin Winterkorn, 74, was split off into separate proceedings to start at a yet-to-be-announced date because of ill health. It was the second significant criminal trial in relation to the scandal. Another, involving Rupert Stadler, the former boss of Volkswagen subsidiary Audi, began a year ago and is still ongoing. Judges are trying to nail down who in the company was aware of the emissions-cheating software used and who gave the green light to the plan. Reynders acknowledged to AFP that his appeal to VW constituted no more than "political pressure". But he pointed out the longer-term damage to its brand if it continues its strategy. "The risk Volkswagen runs in this case in reputational risk," he said. "It's really a trust question for consumers." He suggested that VW draw a line under the matter by extending pay-outs to all European customers who bought one of its altered diesel vehicles on the basis of the average compensation ordered by courts in Germany, Italy and the Netherlands. He said that that average sum came in around 3,000 euros per vehicle. He declined to estimate what that would amount to across the EU for the automaker. Reynders noted that the numbers of affected consumers included 150,000 in the Netherlands, 400,000 in Belgium and 900,000 in France. Explore further Four former VW managers go on trial over 'dieselgate' scandal 2021 AFP It took firefighters three days to bring the blaze under control after a fire broke out in a 13-tonne lithium 'Megapack' battery at the Geelong site. A three-day blaze that completely incinerated two giant Tesla batteries at a vast energy storage site in Australia was probably sparked by a coolant leak, safety regulators said Tuesday. The fire broke out on July 30 in a 13-tonne lithium "Megapack" battery, which is the size of a shipping container, and then spread to a second battery at the site near Geelong, in Victoria state southwest of Australia's second city Melbourne. It took firefighters three days to bring under control. No injuries were reported. "The most likely root cause of the incident was a leak within the Megapack cooling system that caused a short circuit that led to a fire in an electronic component," said a technical probe by the safety regulator Energy Safe Victoria. The fire spread within the first battery and then to the adjacent battery, it said in the review, which relied on a Tesla investigation, an examination of the scene, video footage and data from the incident. The battery siteone of the largest globallyis designed to store energy produced by renewables and send power to the grid. The state regulator said it had told Telsa that it had "no objection" to work resuming on commissioning the Victoria Big Battery project, built by French renewable energy firm Neoen using Tesla batteries. Following the technical review, Energy Safe Victoria said it would now determine if there were any safety breaches and, if so, decide on any enforcement action. The safety regulator said Tesla must provide the final results of its own investigation into why the fire spread to the second battery. It said both Tesla and Neoen had cooperated in the probe. The probe found that the first battery to catch fire was in service for 13 hours before being switched to an "offline" mode, which turned off its monitoring system and prevented alarms from being sounded. It recommended a series of changes to prevent a new fire including checking each battery's cooling system for leaks and improving the alarm and surveillance systems. Designers were working to "fully mitigate" the risk of fire spreading from one battery to another, it said. Explore further Australia Tesla battery blaze under control after three days 2021 AFP Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Google is building a feature for travelers to differentiate hotels and resorts that are eco-friendly and have sustainable practices. During a Google search for hotels, some on the list now will have a tag that says "Eco-certified" next to a green leaf. By clicking "Learn More," and then navigating to the hotel's "About" tab, there should be a "Sustainability" tab that describes what sustainable practices the hotel employs and what certifications it has received. Sustainable practices can range from conserving water by reusing towels to providing vegetarian meal options for guests. The Sustainability section information is self-reported by hotels and not independently verified by Google. However, to receive an eco-certified badge, hotels must contact a globally recognized and reputable agency to conduct an on-site audit of the hotel's sustainability practices. The evaluation must focus on environmental impact from at least four categories: energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction and sustainable sourcing. Google is partnering with organizations like Green Key or EarthCheck to perform these certification processes. EarthCheck is a scientific benchmarking certification and advisory group for travel and tourism, and it has certified hotels in more than 70 countries. Hotels are EarthCheck certified based upon standards set by the final report of the World Summit for Sustainable Development that was held in Johannesburg in 2002. GreenKey is a voluntary eco-label awarded to more than 3,200 hotels and other establishments in 65 countries. Hotels are assessed under a set of criteria in topics like staff involvement, washing and cleaning, waste, green areas and corporate social responsibility. Google, as part of its broader sustainability efforts, will be partnering with Travalyst to build models for calculating carbon emissions associated with travel. A year ago, Google CEO Sundar Pichai made a commitment towards completely operating on carbon-free energy by 2030. "A few years ago, flooding devastated Chennai, where I grew up. Seeing the images of the citywhich had experienced extreme drought for so many years of my lifecovered in flood waters, really made the impacts of climate change feel much closer to home. Last week, many of us woke up to orange skies in Northern California as wildfires continue to rage up and down the West Coast," wrote Pichai in a Google press release, "The world must act now if we're going to avert the worst consequences of climate change." Google reached carbon neutrality in 2007, and on Sep. 14, 2020, it removed all the carbon it emitted since its inception in 1998. Many other tech organizations, including Microsoft and Amazon, have made commitments to become carbon neutral or carbon negative, albeit at a slower pace than Google. In a press release by Microsoft, they set goals go be carbon negative by 2030, and by 2050, Microsoft said itwill remove from the environment all the carbon the company has emitted since 1975, thus eliminating its carbon legacy. Amazon pledged to reach carbon neutrality by 2040 and 100% renewable energy-based by 2025. Facebook has committed to reaching net zero emissions across its value chain by 2030. Explore further Google fined $1 million for misleading French hotel rankings 2021 USA Today Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Microsoft on Monday revealed new malware deployed by the hacking group behind the SolarWinds supply chain attack last December to deliver additional payloads and steal sensitive information from Active Directory Federation Services (AD FS) servers. The tech giant's Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC) codenamed the "passive and highly targeted backdoor" FoggyWeb, making it the threat actor tracked as Nobelium's latest tool in a long list of cyber weaponry such as Sunburst, Sunspot, Raindrop, Teardrop, GoldMax, GoldFinder, Sibot, Flipflop, NativeZone, EnvyScout, BoomBox, and VaporRage. "Once Nobelium obtains credentials and successfully compromises a server, the actor relies on that access to maintain persistence and deepen its infiltration using sophisticated malware and tools," MSTIC researchers said. "Nobelium uses FoggyWeb to remotely exfiltrate the configuration database of compromised AD FS servers, decrypted token-signing certificate, and token-decryption certificate, as well as to download and execute additional components." Microsoft said it observed FoggyWeb in the wild as early as April 2021, describing the implant as a "malicious memory-resident DLL." Nobelium is the moniker assigned by the company to the nation-state hacking group widely known as APT29, The Dukes, or Cozy Bear an advanced persistent threat that has been attributed to Russia's Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) and believed to have been behind the wide-ranging attack targeting SolarWinds that came to light in December 2020. The adversary behind this campaign is also being monitored under a variety of codenames like UNC2452 (FireEye), SolarStorm (Unit 42), StellarParticle (CrowdStrike), Dark Halo (Volexity), and Iron Ritual (Secureworks). FoggyWeb, installed using a loader by exploiting a technique called DLL search order hijacking, is capable of transmitting sensitive information from a compromised AD FS server as well as receive and execute additional malicious payloads retrieved from a remote attacker-controlled server. It's also engineered to monitor all incoming HTTP GET and POST requests sent to the server from the intranet (or internet) and intercept HTTP requests that are of interest to the actor. "Protecting AD FS servers is key to mitigating Nobelium attacks," the researchers said. "Detecting and blocking malware, attacker activity, and other malicious artifacts on AD FS servers can break critical steps in known Nobelium attack chains. Customers should review their AD FS Server configuration and implement changes to secure these systems from attacks." Policy & Funding Florida District Receives First Project SAFE Grant Alachua County Public Schools in Florida has received the first grant under the Biden administration's Project to Support America's Families and Educators (Project SAFE) program, which is designed to compensate schools that lose some portion of their funding as a result of COVID-19 policies that come into conflict with state policies. The award, totaling $147,719, was specifically given to the School Board of Alachua County to compensate school board members whose monthly compensation was deducted from state funds for the district's mask policy, which appears to have been in conflict with a state mandate. The district allows families to opt their student out of wearing masks with the approval of a doctor or nurse practitioner. The state mandate says parents can opt their students out of wearing a mask without such medical approval. It's unclear why Alachua has been so far the only recipient of a Project SAFE grant since the program was announced earlier this month. Alachua's grant was announced in a press release from the United States Department of Education six days after Alachua's application was filed. Alachua County is a district troubled by racial disparities. The district has a high rate of disciplinary actions and referrals of students to police for prosecution for offenses like classroom disruptions, fighting and petty vandalism, with the vast majority of those disciplinary actions targeting black students. In a report on school-to-prison pipelines, the Florida ACLU reported that while black students make up only 34% of the district's student population, they account for 73% of student arrests, 76% of police citations, 60% of expulsions and alternative placements and 72% of out-of-school suspensions in the 20172018 school year. Since the return to in-person instruction this year, disciplinary actions and police referrals appear to be continuing apace, with several expulsions and criminal charges already reported for vandalism potentially related to a TikTok challenge. Also in the last several days, the district has received a number of bomb threats (motivation unknown at this point), resulting in school closures. Further information on Project SAFE can be found on the ed.gov Project SAFE portal. 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. The older residents of Belmont and environs may remember back in the 1980s there used to be I appreciate the position taken by Mr Kevin Baldeosingh on the reasons why he will not get Vietnam will remain an attractive destination for foreign investors in the long run once the COVID-19 pandemic is put under control, said the leader of Samsung Vietnam at an online workshop on Monday. Choi Joo Ho, general director of Samsung Vietnam, made the comment at a seminar entitled COVID-19 and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI): Impacts and Prospects held virtually by the Vietnamese Government Portal. Assessing the prospect of FDI attraction in Vietnam in the coming time, Ho said that Samsung Vietnam is building a research and development (R&D) center worth over US$220 million in Hanoi. This center will research and develop 5G technology, large databases, and artificial intelligence in Vietnam, contributing to upgrading the Samsung complex here. If Vietnam can effectively contain the pandemic while maintaining circulation of goods and ensuring supply chain operations, FDI inflows in the Southeast Asian country will continue increasing in the long term, the Samsung leader said. Choi also affirmed that the South Korean conglomerate will not change its investment strategy in Vietnam even though the fourth wave of COVID-19 epidemic has been wreaking havoc on manufacturers in the country. Over the first six months of this year, Samsung Vietnam managed to sustain its manufacturing and export activities, and it will achieve this years export target if its factory based in Ho Chi Minh City resumes operation soon. In the coming time, Samsung will continue to expand production and invest in equipment at its six factories in this country, the general director said. Previously, Samsung mainly invested in manufacturing and assembling, but in the near future, the group will raise investment in the R&D segment to build Samsung Vietnam into a major global production base, Choi emphasized. Similarly, Binu Jacob, general director of Nestle Vietnam, which currently operates six factories in Vietnam, said the group will build a new factory in southern Dong Nai Province within the next two years at a cost of $132 million, thereby turning Vietnam into Nestle's production center in Asia and Oceania. From the beginning of this year to September 20, the total of newly and additionally registered FDI capital in Vietnam reached $22.15 billion, up 4.4 percent from a year earlier, according to the Ministry of Planning and Investment. This increase in FDI shows investors' confidence in the domestic investment environment in the long run, although the countrys economy has faced a lot of immediate difficulties caused by the pandemic, said Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, deputy minister of planning and investment. In the latest Vietnam Macro Monitoring report released on September 15, the World Bank Group reported that Vietnams FDI commitment in August amounted to $2.4 billion, marking a 65 percent rise compared to a month earlier. This figure suggests foreign investors sustained confidence in the Southeast Asian nations economic potential despite the raging epidemic, the WB said. Since the first COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020, Vietnam has documented 766,051 COVID-19 cases, including 538,454 recoveries and 18,758 deaths, the Ministry of Health reported on Monday. Except Cao Bang, the coronavirus has spread to 62 of the countrys 63 cities and provinces, with Ho Chi Minh City suffering the most with 376,314 infections and 14,501 fatalities, followed by its neighbors Binh Duong and Dong Nai Provinces. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in the northern Vietnamese province of Tuyen Quang said on Monday afternoon that they found a suicide note allegedly written by the father who had died with his three children in a local house fire earlier the same day. The fire broke out at the house of Nguyen Huu D., a 48-year-old resident of Ham Yen District in Tuyen Quang Province, at around 1:30 am on Monday, according to the police. D. died on the spot while his three daughters were severely burned. Local people rushed the three children to the Tuyen Quang General Hospital for emergency treatment, but they passed away at midday on Monday. As functional forces sealed off and examined the scene right after the fire to determine the cause of the incident, they discovered a suicide note written by D. at the site. Besides, D. beat his wife so severely that she was hospitalized on Sunday evening after they had had a quarrel that afternoon. The provincial police are investigating the case. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnams Ministry of Foreign Affairs received 2.6 million doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine donated by the German government at a ceremony on Monday. The ministrys reception ceremony in Hanoi on Monday was symbolic as the shipment had arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City a day before. The donation comes from German stockpiles and follows an offer made by German Chancellor Angela Merkel to Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh. This is the second delivery of vaccines to Vietnam from Germany within two weeks. Together with the COVAX shipment of 852,480 AstraZeneca vaccine shots on September 16, Germanys donation to Vietnam now totals 3.45 million doses of vaccine. This support is an expression of our solidarity with the people of Vietnam, said Germany Ambassador to Vietnam Guido Hildner. It also underscores our commitment to the strategic partnership with Vietnam, whose tenth anniversary we are celebrating this year. Germany stands with Vietnam in fighting and overcoming the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to vaccine donation, Germany and Vietnam have been working closely in disease prevention. In early 2020, the Vietnamese government supported Germany with more than 100,000 masks. In the summer of 2021, a number of German states gave Vietnam a total of one million antigen rapid test kits as well as masks, protective clothing and specialized refrigerators. It was also announced that Germany and Vietnam are cooperating in activities worth up to 104 million euros (US$121.65 million) in the areas of technical and vocational training, pandemic prevention, social security and digitalization. These include the establishment of a center for pandemic prevention together with the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and the provision of advisory services to combat illegal wildlife trade. To date, Vietnam has received 54 million doses through the COVAX Facility, foreign government aid, and purchase contract, of which 39,232,772 have been administered, with nearly 8.3 million fully vaccinated people, according to the Vietnam Government Portal. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Vietnams Ministry of Health has requested the countrys biggest city to explain the reason behind some 150,000 unreported positive coronavirus cases that were detected through mass testing since August 20. The request was made after health authorities of Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday asked the ministry to update to the national Covid-19 monitoring system the 150,000 positive cases found through rapid antigen tests, citing that the figure would cause significant changes to the citys overall pandemic situation. If the cases get recognized, the southern city currently the COVID-19 hotbed of the country would see its death rate fall sharply to some 2.8 percent versus more than 4 percent as calculated previously, they explained. Therefore, the citys Department of Health is required to explain the unrecognized COVID-19 cases and learn from its tardy consulting and reporting to the ministry, the health ministry said in its dispatch issued on Tuesday. The city earlier found the positive cases via rapid tests performed since August 20, but under the ministrys current procedures, virus carriers are recognized as patients only when their infections are confirmed by RT-PCR tests. All the 150,000 positive cases were monitored and received medication bags like confirmed COVID-19 patients, said a representative of the department. Meanwhile, the ministry asserted that its dispatch sent to the city last month states that people who have been placed under home quarantine after being found infected with COVID-19 through rapid testing are considered as COVID-19 patients. The dispatch also provides an instruction that daily numbers of positive cases include those found through rapid tests, the ministry said. If the ministry recognizes the 150,000 positive cases, they will send the citys COVID-19 caseload jumping to over 526,000 by Tuesday, up by about 40 percent. The city is continuing to speed up coronavirus testing, mainly in very high-risk areas to promptly identify positive cases and treat patients. It has also accelerated COVID-19 vaccination as part of the preparations for reopening social and economic activities under new normal conditions from October 1 after months of lockdown. To date, the city, whose population is over nine million, has administered some 6.82 million first vaccine doses and over 2.83 million second jabs for its residents aged 18 and over. Since the pandemic hit the country in early 2020, the city has registered 376,314 COVID-19 cases and 14,501 deaths, leading the country in both infection cases and death toll. Nationwide, the Southeast Asian country has documented 766,051 COVID-19 cases, including 538,454 recoveries and 18,758 deaths, the Ministry of Health reported on Monday. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Several hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City have resumed their normal functions as the southern city has obtained initial positive achievements in pushing back the COVID-19 pandemic. District 7 Hospital and Cu Chi General Hospital have been the first establishments to have their functions restored on Tuesday, after months being requisitioned as coronavirus quarantine and treatment facilities. According to the health ministry, a total of 95 hospitals in the city have been mobilized in the treatment of COVID-19 patients over the past five months. Aside from makeshift hospitals that were established exclusively for the COVID-19 treatment purpose, many infirmaries have been partially or totally transformed into COVID-19 treatment facilities. As cases and deaths show signs of slowing, it is necessary to restore the initial functions of the facilities so they could provide normal medical examination and treatment services. The citys health department has prepared a plan to gradually resume the regular functions of local hospitals, but they must always be ready to respond effectively when the pandemic situation worsens. Cu Chi General Hospital in Cu Chi District, Ho Chi Minh City is fumigated is this supplied photo. The hospitals must also meet certain requirements to ensure safe operations amid the pandemic. Each district in the city has to set aside a treatment facility for COVID-19 patients with symptoms. The health department has also prepared a roadmap to shut down makeshift COVID-19 hospitals that were established at local schools, student dormitories, and offices. Vietnam had documented 766,051 COVID-19 cases as of Tuesday afternoon, with 538,454 recoveries and 18,758 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health. The country has recorded 761,527 local infections in 62 out of 63 provinces and cities since the fourth wave began on April 27. Ho Chi Minh City is the hardest-hit with 375,794 cases. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Police in Ho Chi Minh City have arrested a man for allegedly murdering his neighbor before decapitating the victim due to a conflict. Officers in District 7 confirmed on Monday they had arrested Tran Huy, 34, who resides in an alley at 645 Tran Xuan Soan Street, for murder. The victim was H.U.V., 44, one of Huys neighbors. According to preliminary information, local residents reported the case at around 4:30 pm on Sunday after discovering a severed human head in the alley, while the victims body was inside a nearby house. They also saw Huy holding a bloody knife while standing in front of his house. The suspect did not cooperate when police officers arrived, locking his door and refusing to drop the weapon. A police officer examines the scene of the incident in this photo taken by a local resident. At around 5:30 pm the same day, officers managed to apprehend Huy and took him to the police station. The man claimed he had come to V.s house and killed him due to their conflict. He stabbed the victim to death with a knife before decapitating him. Huy then smashed the windows of some nearby houses before walking back to his home. At the police station, Huy tested negative for narcotics and was still in a panicked state. Further investigation is ongoing. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The island city Phu Quoc off the southern Kien Giang Province discovered 18 new coronavirus positive cases from Sunday to Monday, bringing the total caseload of an infection chain found a week ago to 158, the municipal Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control announced. Patients who are under treatment at the Phu Quoc City medical center, as well as a quarantine center in a military base on the island, are currently in good condition and show no grave symptoms, officials reported on Monday. They are all linked to a new COVID-19 cluster, which was first detected on Thursday last week and is the first to have emerged on the popular tourist island since the pandemic occurred in Vietnam early last year. The outbreak seems to have spread to five out of its nine wards and communes and possibly wider, a doctor at the Kien Giang Center for Disease Control commented. Currently, 293 people that came into direct contact with coronavirus patients are being isolated at two local centralized quarantine facilities. In preparation for the vaccination drive that has begun on Tuesday, Phu Quoc authorities have launched a second mass testing for COVID-19, which will be rolled out at 53,000 households across the locale. In addition, city leaders have allocated a land lot to build a 1,000-bed COVID-19 field hospital in Cua Can Commune. The island city will receive 247,628 doses of coronavirus vaccine as stated in a recent announcement from the Kien Giang Provincial Peoples Committee. A group of 177 medical practitioners will also be mobilized from other districts to support Phu Quocs fight against the virus, according to the Kien Giang steering committee for COVID-19 prevention. Kien Giang Province has recorded 5,340 local infections since a new virus wave hit Vietnam on April 27. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Filming on New Zealand soap Shortland Street has resumed after a five week pause due to the countrys level four lockdown. But the show has been screening for nearly 30 years came close to catching up to its own broadcast playout. Theres usually an eight or nine-week buffer, says actor Michael Galvin before the show runs out of episodes. Now were down to three weeks, theres no wiggle room, says Galvin. First of all we have to keep up with whats on TV and, as the levels go down, weve got to catch it back up again. Under level three filming guidelines, a one-way system has been introduced to the studios rabbit warren network of corridors, dressing rooms and sets. Actors arrive in the front door and head straight to their dressing room, get dressed in character and apply their own makeup. When actors finish scenes, they dont go back to their dressing rooms. You actually exit the studio, leave the building, go around and enter the front entrance again, says Galvin. The one-way flow continues so actors are kept safe, Shortland Street can keep filming, and fans can get their next fix. Characters cant hug, touch, or even hold the same items. Scenes can be shot and edited to make it appear as if characters are closer than they really are. I had confidence that I would have a job at the end of (lockdown), says Galvin. Im in a very privileged position to know that was the case. Shortland Street screens in Australia on SBS VICELAND. Source: The SpinOff Graham Norton will host Queen of the Universe, a new unscripted international drag queen singing competition, being produced for Paramount+. Produced by RuPauls Drag Race producers World of Wonder, the Eurovision-style series finds countries going head to head with their top drag queens putting their real singing voices to the test. Norton, who also judges on RuPauls Drag Race UK, will premiere the show on December 2 in the UK. It isnt clear if Courtney Act could represent Australia in the show, but she did have plans to travel to the UK several months ago. The show is yet to be confirmed for Paramount+ in Australia. Source: Variety Teri Rizvi 90 wanted to compile her personal essays for publication but could never find the time. When the pandemic went from months toward a year, she thought, If not now, when? Taking to heart the mantra of UDs Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop You can write! and its message of encouragement for writers to stop procrastinating, she fulfilled her dream of publishing a collection of essays. You can write! Since joining the University of Dayton in 1987, Rizvi has worked in a public relations capacity with three presidents, promoting the University through her writing. In 2000, she directed the first of what would become the biennial Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop an event honoring UD alumna Erma Fiste Bombeck 49 that has become so popular it sells out within hours. In addition to her work for the University, Rizvi has written essays and feature stories that have appeared in publications including USA Today, The Christian Science Monitor, The Guardian (London), University of Dayton Magazine and the Dayton Daily News. She recently released a compilation of personal essays in her debut book, One Heart with Courage. The title is inspired by the words of Martin Sheen when he received an honorary degree from the University of Dayton: Remember this above all: One heart with courage is a majority. In addition to the theme of courage, Rizvis stories include topics of spirituality, friendship and motherhood. Several of the essays evoke the theme of two cultures, two religions and one world. Rizvi, a Catholic American, is married to a Pakistani-American of the Muslim faith, and she shares stories of her visits to Pakistan with her husband who became an American citizen after they were married and their two boys. During her first visits, she says she looked at the country through a reporters point of view and even wrote a comprehensive story about the education system that was published locally in the Dayton Daily News Magazine and internationally in The Guardian. Gradually, I became really part of the family, Rizvi says. Then I was looking at it through a writers eyes but also a family members eyes. She notes the tone changes in some of the pieces from an outsiders view to a more intimate understanding of the people, emphasizing a shared humanity aspect of the stories. Teri Rizvi Rizvi also illustrates a sense of community and shared humanity in stories involving the University of Dayton. One such story involves her Muslim son living with an eclectic group in a Marianist house in UDs student neighborhood, where he attended Masses in the houses attic and participated in service projects with his roommates. She shares her own rich experience of being part of the University community in accounts of her friendships with people on campus, including former University president Brother Ray Fitz and the late Joe Belle 73, a longtime student development administrator. Included with the essays is an interview she conducted with Bombeck. Rizvi is donating all proceeds from the book to the Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop endowment fund. Braughler Books, publisher of One Heart with Courage, is also donating all the profits to the fund. Their combined efforts, Rizvi says, will help keep the workshop affordable for writers and ensure it continues to inspire writers at the University of Dayton and beyond. The book is available through online resellers worldwide except in Pakistan. Rizvi, who did an interview with the Pakistani news outlet BOL, says she is hoping a bookstore there will pick it up. So much goes into publishing a book that Rizvi marvels at how it all came together including giving back to the workshop: It was just kind of amazing. Rizvi says she hopes readers enjoy the stories and find the courage to say yes! to the dreams in their hearts. Among several European politicians, the situation in Afghanistan has raised fears of an imminent crisis. That is also the case for the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), an organisation that has been working in Afghanistan for more than 20 years. Sadly, however, the fear expressed by European politicians is neither about the alarming humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan nor the fact that recent political developments have increased internal displacement, leaving more than 18.4 million people half of the entire country's population in need of urgent humanitarian assistance and struggling with the consequences of deep poverty and instability, compounded by a nationwide drought and new waves of COVID-19. Instead, European politicians have had a disturbing focus on securing the EU's external borders and ensuring that Afghan refugees are being kept out of Europe. Disguised by arguments of security and avoiding a repeat of 2015, leading political figures seem to forget that the situation playing out in Afghanistan right now is a crisis for its people, not for Europe. As a very tangible example, the statement from the extraordinary EU Home Affairs Council on 1 September speaks of Afghans as "illegal" migrants and not as refugees seeking protection from human rights abuses and persecutions. In a situation where these same European countries have also facilitated mass evacuations of at-risk people from Afghanistan, it seems contradictory that those left behind and fleeing by their own means should be doing something "illegal." The fact is that protection needs do not end with evacuations. And seeking asylum is a basic human right not an illegal act. That ought to be the real focus. Neighbouring countries bear the brunt Looking beyond Europe, the vast majority of displaced people in Afghanistan and elsewhere never cross any borders at all. It is risky, difficult and costly to flee; it is often the last resort, and never a decision that is taken lightly. It is, therefore, a stark reality that due to conflict and violence 48 million people are internally displaced worldwide, meaning they have fled their homes and sought refuge within the borders of their own country. Those who see no alternative other than leaving their home country primarily seek asylum and protection in neighbouring countries, which host 73% of the worlds refugees. In total, 86% of all displaced people (internally displaced and refugees combined) are hosted by low-income countries. Story continues This is also the case for Afghanistan, where 40 years of conflict have forced millions to leave their homes, often multiple times. In a country with a population of 40.4 million, around 3.5 million are currently believed to be internally displaced and an estimated 9 out of every 10 Afghan refugees are hosted in neighbouring Iran and Pakistan countries that are also struggling with their own development challenges, but which have nonetheless shown great responsibility and hospitality over the years. These days, the Taliban controls Afghanistans borders with Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, and visas are extremely hard to obtain for Afghans wishing to leave. Thus, for many Afghans, it is not even possible to seek protection in neighbouring countries. In this light, the European discourse seems both disproportionate and disconnected from reality. Illegal pushbacks in Europe It is crucial that EU Member States ensure that Afghan refugees arriving at Europes borders are given rapid access to a fair asylum procedure. This is in line with obligations under EU and international law. Disappointingly, this is not always the case. In two reports released earlier this year, DRC and six civil society organisations documented that during the first half of 2021, authorities of EU member states illegally prevented 5,565 men, women, and children, many of whom are Afghans, from seeking protection within the European Union. These illegal expulsions, known as "pushback", were recorded at several border crossings in Italy, Greece, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, and Hungary. Many of the documented pushbacks involved rights violations such as denial of access to asylum procedures, physical abuse and assault, theft, extortion, and destruction of property at the hands of national border police and law enforcement officials. Most recently, our team in Bosnia and Herzegovina have collected testimonies at the Bosnia-Croatia border, documenting 60 cases of Croatian authorities pushing back Afghan asylum-seekers between 16 and 29 August, in the immediate aftermath of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan. According to the victims, the pushbacks included brutal and violent behaviour, degrading treatment and theft, and destruction of personal belongings. Half of the Afghans who were pushed back were children. It is extremely worrying to see that people continue to experience illegal pushbacks and border violence. It goes without saying that states must stop these violent and illegal practices and that perpetrators must be held accountable. Time to back up words with actions This December, three years will have passed since world leaders signed the Global Compact on Refugees (GCR), where they agreed to work collectively to ease the pressure on host countries and ensure a more equal sharing of the responsibility for managing growing numbers of refugees. When they put pen to paper, they agreed to enhance opportunities for refugee self-reliance, to expand access to third-country solutions, and to support countries of origin to facilitate safe, voluntary, and dignified returns. However, close to three years on, the case of Afghanistan is not a promising one when it comes to equitable responsibility-sharing. On the contrary, neighbouring countries are expected to host those seeking protection, while the EU is primarily preoccupied with securing its own borders. Developments in Afghanistan illustrate how acute and relevant the GCR is, and now it is time for the EU and its Member States to back up their words with concrete actions. Discouragingly, these commitments are far from being kept at the moment. If European leaders do not display any solidarity, how will they convince neighbouring countries to keep their doors open and offer protection and a dignified future for people fleeing persecution, violence, and conflict? The EU has no excuse not to take the lead when it comes to the protection of rights. And even more importantly, to support and protect Afghans and others fleeing war, conflict, and human rights violations. The EU must show solidarity, both by supporting neighbouring countries who take the largest responsibility for hosting refugees, and by also hosting a fair share of refugees who need protection. Building walls and fences and seeking to simply keep asylum seekers out is not, and can never be, a solution. The Second Karabakh War between Azerbaijan and Armenia that occurred on September 27 and ended on November 10, 2020 changed the geopolitical landscape of the South Caucasus. The long-lasting Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict was a major challenge to regional economic integration and security, Colin Stevens, EUreporter Chief Editor writes. The conflict has also caused the human tragedy and the suffering of the Azerbaijani and the Armenian people. Negotiation process under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group has failed because Yerevan abrogated the previously reached agreements and principles established during the decades of the negotiation process . Consequently, the brewing tensions and provocations finally boiled over into a large-scale military counteroffensive by the Azerbaijani army, which has gone down in history as the 44-Day War. The 44-day Second Karabakh War ended when Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Russia signed the trilateral ceasefire agreement on November 10, 2020. Under this deal, 1,960 armed troops, 90 armored vehicles, and 380 motor vehicles and special equipment units have been deployed to the Karabakh region. Moreover, a Joint RussianTurkish Center for Monitoring the Ceasefire was opened in the Agdam region to monitor the implementation of the ceasefire. The November deal became an important document that ended hostility and military operations. According to the document, Armenia pledged to return Agdam, Kalbajar, and Lachin districts to Azerbaijani control, while Azerbaijan guaranteed the security of the Lachin Corridor, to be used as a humanitarian connection between Armenia and Armenians living in Karabakh. September 27, 2021 is a noteworthy date for Azerbaijan as the country marks the first anniversary of the 44-Day War victory. Having restored its territorial integrity, Azerbaijan has played a central part in ushering in a new era in the South Caucasus: an era of opportunity for peace and development. Since the 44-Day Wat has ended the Karabakh conflict, during the post-war period, the key aim of the parties should be the support of the restoration of economic relations by opening transport links and the demarcation/delimitation of the state boundaries to build sustainable peace. Azerbaijan has already launched a large-scale program for the restoration of its liberated territories and development of all infrastructure in the region. Many international companies are taking part in this process. Those companies are working on the reconstruction of all necessary highways, railroads, and other infrastructure that are key elements in full economic integration. However, there are still challenges and difficulties in implementing all clauses of the November trilateral declaration, including Articles 4 and 9, which are important with regard to security and the future economic cooperation. It is worth noting that Article 9 of the November deal stipulates that all communications in the region will be unblocked, including between Azerbaijan and its Nakhchivan region. With this in mind, it is necessary to emphasize the importance of Syunik/Zangezur province. The Russian border guards, who are protecting the Armenian-Iranian border will guarantee the safety of transport links between Azerbaijans western regions and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan. The restoration of all roads and the establishment of the Zangezur corridor offer considerable advantages for Armenia. Reopening of transport links in the region will also solve one of the main economic problems of Yerevan, which is the absence of a land connection with the markets of the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union. It can also develop its economic relations with Iran. During the long-lasting conflict, Armenia has lost access to the railroad that used to connect the country to Iran via Azerbaijan. Therefore, restoration of this railroad will positively affect the bilateral relations between Yerevan and Tehran. Article 4 of the November declaration stipulates the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in parallel with the withdrawal of all Armenian armed forces. However, there are reports about this clause is repeatedly being breached. The continued transfer of Armenian military forces to Karabakh region through Lachin corridor is the major concern for Azerbaijan which could be the reason for further escalations in the region. Todays reality is the bloody war ended and economic opportunities are emerging in the South Caucasus. For Azerbaijan, the Karabakh war is over, and any negotiations over the future status of the Karabakh region are totally unacceptable. On the contrary, Armenia still insists on the future status of Karabakh, which shows that tensions between the parties would continue if there will no mutual respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty, the key principles of international law to ensure the stability and peace not only in the South Caucasus, but also in many other parts of our world. Natural gas that Turkey discovered in the Black Sea over the past year is set to provide nearly a third of its domestic needs once it reaches peak output capacity by 2027, the countrys energy and natural resources minister said Monday. Ankara earlier shared its aim to start pumping gas from the Sakarya field to its main grid in 2023, the centennial of the founding of modern Turkey, with sustained plateau production starting in 2027 or 2028, Daily Sabah writes. Unveiling a detailed timeline to bring the nations largest-ever natural gas find on stream, Fatih Donmez told Bloomberg News in an interview that Turkey may be able to start with an initial annual production capacity of 3.5 billion cubic meters (bcm) of gas in 2023. The eventual aim would be to lift the capacity to around 15 bcm annually within four years of the initial production, in what is said to be roughly one quarter of the European Unions output today. The nation in June announced it had discovered 135 bcm of additional natural gas in the Amasra-1 borehole in the northern Sakarya field, raising the total discovery in the region to 540 bcm. Last year, the Fatih drillship discovered 405 bcm of gas in the Tuna-1 well, some 170 kilometers (about 106 miles) off the Black Sea coast. Turkey consumes between 45 bcm and 50 bcm of natural gas each year, for which it pays between $12 billion and $15 billion. The peak output from the Sakarya field would account for over 31% of last years demand. Turkey imported 48.1 bcm of gas last year, up 6% from a year before, of which a third was from Russia. The gas discovery could alleviate much of the nations gas import dependence, most of which mainly comes from Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran via pipelines along with liquefied natural gas (LNG) from several countries, including Nigeria, Algeria and the U.S. Unusual gas demand Turkey is set to witness a significant rise in the gas demand this year, Deputy Energy and Natural Resources Minister Alparslan Bayraktar said last week, in remarks that came amid a record spike in gas prices around the world due to higher demand and lower stocks. Bayraktar said the demand would reach around 60 bcm by the end of the year, adding that soaring natural gas prices would be challenging. Donmez cited lower hydropower production amid dry weather and rising coal prices behind the surge. Bayraktar also said Turkey was discussing new contracts with several natural gas companies, including Russian gas giant Gazprom. The government and gas importers, according to Bloomberg, are said to be discussing a possible extension to a long-term supply contract for 8 bcm of gas before the deal expires in December. Lifting Turkeys gas imports from Russia by 2 bcm using spare capacity at TurkStream pipeline was one option under discussion, Donmez said. The pipeline stretching from Russia to Turkey across the Black Sea has delivered 20.3 bcm of gas to Turkey from Jan. 1 through Sept. 19, a record high, Gazprom said last week. No plans for international firms Turkey has already initiated production of the pipes that will comprise a pipeline beneath the Black Sea to bring the gas onshore. The seabed pipeline stretching around 169 kilometers (105 miles) is scheduled to be constructed in 2022 to connect the wells in the region to the main grid. The gas will be transported to the mainland in three phases. The first phase of designing the seabed natural gas production systems has been completed. The second phase will consist of an onshore natural gas processing facility at Filyos port in the northern Black Sea province of Zonguldak, for which the foundation has already been laid. The pipelines that are being produced comprise the final phase and will connect those two units together. State-run energy company Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) aims to drill some 40 wells over four phases in the Sakarya field. Ankara has so far insisted it will develop the gas field on its own and has been cool to foreign corporate interest. Donmez echoed the views, saying that TPAO has the technical capacity to do it alone and that the government had no plans to invite international oil companies to operate fields. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev granted an exclusive interview to FRANCE 24 from the capital Baku. Aliyev said Azerbaijan was ready to "work on a future peace agreement" with Armenia, but warned that any move by Yerevan to reclaim territory lost in last year's war would be met with a fierce response by his country. - Thank you very much Mr. President for being our guest on France 24. - Thank you for this opportunity to be able to talk to the French audience. - Mr. President we are exactly a year after the start of the war between Azerbaijan and Armenia which your country won after 44 days. Last week at the United Nations, for the first time since the end of the fighting, the Foreign Ministers of both countries Azerbaijan and Armenia met. Does this mean that dialogue is restarting between both sides and that theres hope for peace? - I want to hope that this is exactly the case because Azerbaijan already on several occasions publicly expressed its readiness to establish dialogue with Armenia. Not only establish dialogue but actually to start working on the future peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The war is over. The conflict has been resolved. So we need to engage in new activity in the region in order to make the region more predictable stable and safe. And the meeting of the Foreign Ministers of both countries is a good indicator of these endeavors. I hope that it will not be the only one meeting but it will be beginning of a new process, a process of normalization of relations between Azerbaijan and Armenia and a process that can give you a dimension to a broad cooperation in the region of the South Caucasus. - Right. Have you reached out to the leadership of Armenia, to the Prime Minister to try to restart a dialogue and go towards peace? - Since the war ended last November, we had only one opportunity to meet each other. That was during the trilateral meeting organized by President of Russia Vladimir Putin in Moscow this January. The aim of the meeting was to plan the postwar developments. We didnt have any other chance to see each other probably because of pandemic, probably because of some other reasons. But Azerbaijan has never, even during the war, during the occupation, never objected any kind of high-level contacts. On the contrary, we think that these communications may answer many questions which both sides may have. And also to be a starting point for a new development of the region. Our position is straightforward. We think that the conflict is resolved. There should be no return to the past. There should be no signs of revanchism in Armenia. We need to talk about future, we need to talk about peace and how to make our region more stable and safe. - Are you ready to call Prime Minister Pashinyan to tell him that precisely? - Probably not the way how you suggest. Usually as the contacts between the leaders of two countries were organized under the umbrella of the OSCE Minsk Group. It was them who proposed the agenda, it was them who organized the meeting. In my experience as President I have never had a telephone conversation with any leader Armenia. So probably its not a right way how to do it. But if Minsk Group co-chairs will suggest such a meeting, of course we will not be against it. - Mr. President, in the speech marking the onset of the war you said and Im quoting you: If we see Armenian fascism rising again, if we see new threat, we will crush Armenian fascism again without any hesitation. This doesnt really sound like an olive branch, does it? - You know that was the warding which reflects the situation in Armenia. With respect to our position about establishing peace in the region I made several public statements, probably if look in Internet, you will find them, particularly to start to work on delimitation and demarcation of the borders, to start preparing for comprehensive negotiations on peace agreement with Armenia all these gestures of good will. And none of them by the way was responded adequately by Armenian leadership. They either ignore them or they were saying that they are not ready. But the source of my statement was that the tendency which we observe in Armenia, the tendency of revanchism among certain part of political establishment not only opposition but also government, public statements, and more important practical steps in order to sick revenge, attempts to militarize Armenia, attempts to get access to new modern weapons for one purpose to restart it again, therefore, my words may seem rude but the main purpose of those words were to warn Armenian leadership and Armenian political establishment that any sign of revanchism, any sign of threat to our people and our statehood and our territorial integrity will be responded. And they know how we respond. And the Second Karabakh War showed that they have no chance in front of us. We dont want to start war, we dont need it. We had never needed it during the years of negotiations. But now I think its time to warn them to give up the efforts of revanchism and to look to the future. - Theres one issue. You considered that youve recovered all the territories, I mean youve made some statements in the past, for example, citing Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, as being historical territory. So youve won lands that you consider yours back last year but there are still some questions. Do you still have some territorial claims over territories that Armenia considers to be its territory. - No, in my statements you will never find any sign of territorial claims. What I was talking about I was talking about historical truth. It's a historical fact that in 1920 the Soviet government decided, and did it actually, they separated the integral part of Azerbaijan - Zangezur - and adjusted it to Armenia. It was 1920, 101 years ago. I'm talking about our historical lands, I didn't mean that we have territorial claims you will never find in any of my speech words like that. But at the same time we as every other nation should know it's history and our new generation should know it's history, ancient history, and which territories we were living on and how to go back. And I'm sure that we will go back but we will go back, as I said many times, not on tanks, we will go back by cars, by trains, by foot. When the situation is normalized, when the peace agreement is achieved, why shouldn't we go back? It's our legitimate right. But answering your question, I want to draw the attention of our spectators that Armenia has territorial claims against Azerbaijan. They still claim that Nagorno-Karabakh, as they call it, does not belong to us. They still claim that either it belongs to Armenia or it's kind of an independent entity, but there's no Nagorno-Karabakh on the political and geographic map of Azerbaijan. This kind of entity does not exist. And therefore Armenia in the first place should withdraw any territorial claims against Azerbaijan, behave itself as a good neighbor and we will respond adequately. - Are you ready to provide some autonomy to Karabakh? I mean Armenia has its claim but the Minsk Group you've called them, I mean the U.S. has always said the issue of Karabakh is still unresolved, you claim it is resolved, that its yours. But many countries moderating this conflict for years claim that's actually not the case. - My advice to those countries who say it is not resolved to think about how they can provide a place on their own territory to settle Armenians and to create a second Armenian state on their own territory. Why should they think that there should be a second Armenian state on the territory of Azerbaijan without any legal political and historical grounds? When I say the conflict is resolved, that's my position and I defend this position and the reality on the ground has shown that this position is correct. Therefore, any kind of statements that the conflict is not resolved is not only inappropriate but very dangerous. If it's not resolved than those who say that they should say how it should be resolved. What they understand when they say things like Nagorno-Karabakh? In which boundaries, in which area, in what form? There's not even a hint to answer those questions. Therefore saying that the conflict is not resolved is counterproductive and dangerous. It means that there should be other maybe hostile actions in order to resolve it. And coming to your question about the autonomy, the Minsk Group co-chairs know very well the position of Azerbaijan during the 28 years of useless negotiations that we were ready to provide Armenians in Azerbaijan with a certain level of self-governance but Armenians always rejected it. They always said no, only independence. But now when the conflict is over they start to talk about autonomy, which today is not on our agenda. Armenians who live today in Karabakh, in the area which is now under the responsibility of Russian peacekeepers are citizens of Azerbaijan like any other representatives of the country. - So they will not have any autonomy and it is now off the table? - Exactly, this is off the table. - I want to get to the position of France. I mean France has criticized your actions, even recently calling you to withdraw from some of Armenias lands. Do you consider France an honest broker? - You know we've been actively working with France on this issue and on many other issues of our bilateral relations during all years of our independence. France always was considered a friendly country in Azerbaijan. We had implemented a lot of economic and trade projects, infrastructure projects and relations developed very successfully. And we hope that as an honest broker, as a co-chair of the Minsk group France will be committed to this responsibility. If France was not a co-chair of Minsk Group, of course any kind of relations between any countries are up to them and we know about the historical ties between France and Armenia. We know about very active Armenian community in France, which to a certain degree may influence decision-makers. But during the war, frankly speaking, France was not behaving as an honest broker. France took side of Armenia, openly accusing Azerbaijan and in its statements and actions demonstrating one-sided approach. That was, of course, a matter of concern, and we raised this concern, because, once again, I would like to say, any country can have preferences, friends, not friends. It's up to them, I have nothing to say. But if a country has a mandate from the OSCE to be a mediator, in this case the country should be neutral. I don't want to go back to what happened during the war and right after. We received positive signals from Paris about our future relations and we positively responded to these signals. There have been contacts on different levels including the contact recently between Foreign Ministers of both countries. Azerbaijan has always been open to the cooperation. France is one of the leading countries in the world and we want to have normal relations. I think after one year passes since the beginning of the war, I think now its the time to have a realistic approach to the region. What do we want to achieve? I'm sure France wants peace, stability and security in the region. As we want. As, hopefully, Armenia wants. We need to work on that, we need to concentrate on that and not go back to what we were doing one year ago. As far as we are concerned, we are not going to exploit these very unpleasant developments. We want to turn the page. - We are reaching the end of the interview, I just have two more questions, Mr. President. Prisoners of war. Human Rights Watch has accused Azerbaijan of holding them and torturing them. What is your response and are you ready to exchange prisoners of war with Armenia as a sign of good will? - We, of course, reject these accusations. All prisoners of war, which were taken as prisoners during the war, have been returned to Armenia. Armenian government can confirm that. We returned them even before they returned our prisoners of war. Those people whom some NGOs are referring to, are those people, who were sent by Armenian military command two weeks after the war ended, after the November declaration was signed. They were sent to our positions and they committed crime - they killed four Azerbaijani servicemen. They were disarmed and captured. Many of them have already been returned - those, who didn't participate in crimes. Those, who participated in crimes, have been sentenced by our justice. - Armenia claims, that you hold prisoners of war, that you are not telling the truth. - No, those who we withhold, according to classification, according to all international conventions, cannot be considered as prisoners of war. Prisoners of war are those people who have been detained during the war. On November 10th the war stopped, at the beginning of December we find at the territory, which we liberated, 62 members of Armenian sabotage group, who have been sent there on November 26th. 16 days after the war ended. They cannot be considered prisoners of war. And we returned many of them already as a sign of good will, but the rest of those people, who are serving the sentence here, they committed crime and they must be brought to justice. They have been brought to justice. - Last question, Mr. President. The organization Reporters Without Borders have called on you to stop threats and violence against the man called Muhamman Mirzali, he's an Azerbaijani bloggers who's a refugee here in France. He has been badly stabbed in an attack here, on French soil, last March. The question is, according to Reporters Without Borders, you are sending people to silence those voices abroad. - First of all, we stopped any communication with Reporters Without Borders NGO many years ago, something like 15 years ago because of their very biased position and very unjust approach to Azerbaijan. Therefore, their report means nothing to me and to Azerbaijani people. There are hundreds of people living in Europe, in France, who do not like how we handle things in Azerbaijan. They live in France and in other countries and nobody touches them. If something happens to a person who suffers in your country, it's up to justice of your country to investigate it. It's not a matter of NGO to accuse Azerbaijan of that. - So you deny any responsibility in the attack? - Absolutely. One hundred percent I deny. Without any proof, without investigation, without a clear evidence of who committed a crime, all kinds of accusations are absolutely groundless and biased. Exactly a year ago, on September 27, 2020, Azerbaijan's Patriotic War began. On that day, Armenia's occupying forces subjected the positions of the armed forces of Azerbaijan along the front line and the adjacent populated areas in Azerbaijan to intensive fire with the use of large-calibre weapons, artillery and mortars. Baku decided to launch a counter-offensive operation to ensure the safety of the civilian population. Vestnik Kavkaza offers its readers to follow the events of the 44 days of Azerbaijan's Patriotic War as they were covered a year ago. On the war's second day, September 28, the fighting that had begun the day before continued throughout the night. U.S. presidential candidate Joe Biden called on the parties for urgent de-escalation, while incumbent President Donald Trump said he was closely following the situation. By two o'clock in the morning it became known that the occupying forces had lost over 500 people in the battles for the Talish village in the Tertar-Agdam direction. In Armenia, clinics have stopped scheduled admission of patients due to the influx of wounded from the occupation zone. The Azerbaijani Defense Ministry continued to publish videos showing the destruction of military equipment of the invaders, including tanks. In response, Armenian forces began shelling the town of Terter. By 9:00, the key heights around Talish were liberated, the defeat of the invaders in this sector of the front was inevitable. The Italian Senate condemned Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan; Turkey called on the whole world to do the same. Partial mobilization was announced against the backdrop of the growing scale of hostilities in Azerbaijan. At about 10:00, the first negotiations were held between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and French President Emmanuel Macron, who showed open support to the occupying force. The first action in support of the liberation operation of the Azerbaijani army was held in Istanbul. During adviser to President of Azerbaijan Hikmet Hajiyev's speech the words "Azerbaijan's Patriotic War" were heard for the first time. A number of airlines, including Aeroflot, canceled flights to Baku. By 12:00, it was revealed that Armenia has been using foreign mercenaries - ethnic Armenians from Syria and other countries of the Middle East. Due to the liberation of Murovdag Mountain, Armenia banned entry to the occupied Kalbajar region, since the only road was now under the control of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces. The continued shelling of the front-line Azerbaijani settlements lead to new casualties among the peaceful Azerbaijani population. One of the Azerbaijani bloggers demonstrated the permeability of the occupation infrastructure by infiltrating Khankendi. After 13:00, the Kremlin called on all parties to the conflict for maximum restraint, the Federation Council expressed fears of the expansion of hostilities beyond the borders of Azerbaijan and the use of the Karabakh war by the United States for its own purposes. At the same time, it became known about the mass desertion in the occupying forces of Armenia, the Armenian Ministry of Defense acknowledged the death of another 59 invaders. After 15:00, the occupying forces of Armenia began to retreat in the Terter-Agdam direction to Agdere. Yerevan began to work out a plan for the complete evacuation of the occupants, separatists and illegal settlers from the territories of Azerbaijan. Armenian President Armen Sarkissian for the first time proposed to stop the war. Joshua Kucera, a well-known American expert who specializes in security issues in the Caucasus and the Middle East, noted that Azerbaijan is righting a deep injustice. Saudi Arabia called for the implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions on the de-occupation of Azerbaijani land, and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation demanded that Armenia withdraw the occupation troops from Azerbaijan. By 17:00, the number of civilians killed in shelling attacks in Terter reached 26 people, an hour later two more local residents were killed there. Peaceful villages in the Goranboy region of Azerbaijan came under fire from the Armenian occupation army, infrastructure was damaged in a number of regions due to artillery strikes. After 19:00, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres fulfilled yesterday's promise and held talks with Ilham Aliyev, closer to midnight he phoned Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. The UN Security Council has begun preparations for a meeting on the Karabakh war. Ankara stressed that it will not send its military to the war zone. The Armenian Defense Ministry confirmed a large-scale counteroffensive by the Azerbaijani army along the Araz River in the south of the occupation zone and in the direction of Talish and Sugovushan villages in the northeast. Azerbaijan published a video confirmation of the proximity of the liberation of the Talish village and denied the fake news about the downed plane. In light of the difficult situation at the front, the Armenian government banned male citizens from leaving the republic; statements were also made about the insignificance of losses in strategic heights. At the end of the day, the representative of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei expressed hope that Azerbaijan will completely liberate its territories. Thus, on the second day of the war, the Azerbaijani army advanced along the Araz River deep into the occupied territories and came close to the villages of Talish and Sugovushan. The supply of the occupying troops along the main road through Kelbajar was completely blocked due to control over the Murovdag mountain. The shelling of peaceful Azerbaijani cities and villages in the front-line region has intensified. Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said if Georgias third president Mikheil Saakashvili will return for the October 2 municipal elections in Georgia, he will be arrested. "Today the state is powerful and Mikho (Mikheil Saakashvili) and his gang must understand it is not 2003 (when the United National Movement under Saakashvili overthrew Eduard Shevardnadzes government). Every provocation will be strictly responded by the state within the law. If Saakashvili, this coward, decides that there is no place for him (in Ukraine) and returns to Georgia, the law will be enforced and he will go to prison," Garibashvili said. Saakashvili, who currently chairs the Executive Committee of the Ukrainian National Reforms Council, has posted a photo of a reserved ticket from Ukraine to Georgia for the evening of the day of municipal elections in Georgia, Agenda.ge reported. Saakashvili who served as the countrys third president from 2004 to 2013 left Georgia back in 2013 after the Georgian Dream came to power in 2012. He faces several criminal charges such as the violent dispersal of anti-government mass protests on November 7, 2007, raiding of TV channel Imedi by riot police,illegal take-over of the property and other crimes. The visit of the Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili to Azerbaijan will take place on September 29, 2021, the Georgian Embassy in Azerbaijan said. Garibashvili will pay a one-day visit to Baku. According to the embassy, Garibashvili will take part in the meeting of the intergovernmental commission on economic issues. In addition, he is expected to meet with the President, Prime Minister, and Speaker of the Azerbaijani Parliament. Israel is gearing up to take part in Expo 2020 Dubai when the world fair opens Friday, a spokesman said, a year after the UAE and the Jewish state normalised ties. "We're very happy to be here," said Menachem Gantz, the spokesman of Israel's Pavilion at the six-month world fair. "This is the first time the expo is in the Middle East, and the first time Israel is participating in an event of such a large scale and importance (in an Arab country)". The Israeli pavilion, which includes a large illuminated sign saying "Towards Tomorrow" using both Arabic and Hebrew - will be open to all. Inside, pathways run between sand dunes made of a thin layer of concrete and sand-coloured rubber, AFP reported. On September 15 the United Arab Emirates marked one year since normalising ties with Israel, a move that leaders hope could reap a trillion dollars in trade and business. Previously, Egypt and Jordan were the only Arab states to have peace agreements under which they recognise Israel, and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas called the deal a "betrayal" of their cause. After the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan also agreed to normalise ties. The new long-term contract between Hungary and Russian company Gazprom for gas supplies to the country bypassing Ukraine does not violate anyone's rights, Kiev has no right to interfere in this aspect of bilateral relations between Moscow and Budapest, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday. "This is a long-term contract, which will guarantee reliable, predictable, regular gas supplies to Hungary along guaranteed and economically profitable routes. Nobody's rights are violated here. No international trade norms are violated here. Hardly any country, including Ukraine, has the right to interfere in this aspect of Russian-Hungarian relations," Peskov said. On Monday, Hungary signed a new long-term contract with Gazprom to supply gas bypassing Ukraine. Before the agreement was concluded, Kiev announced its disappointment with the deal and promised to apply to the European Commission for an assessment of the deals compliance with European energy legislation. Kiev pledges response to Budapests natural gas supplies deal with Moscow Ukraine will come up with a response to Hungary after Budapest signed a new contract on supplies of the Russian natural gas, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmitry Kuleba said. "This will not be a political step only as we ponder the cancellation of the commission [Joint Ukrainian-Hungarian Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation], which is our main body in charge of the bilateral relations," Kuleba said in an interview with the Ukrainian television news channel ICTV. "We will be resorting to further steps in order to protect national interests of Ukraine under the current situation," the Ukrainian top diplomat stated. Kuleba said that the recently-signed contract on the Russian natural gas supplies to Hungary bypassing the territory of Ukraine was a major blow dealt on his country. "Hungary dealt a blow to the Ukrainian-Hungarian relations by having excluded the Ukrainian gas pipeline from the system of Russias natural gas deliveries," the Ukrainian minister stated. "There can be no regrets or condolences expressed." Russian energy giant Gazprom signed on Monday a long-term contract on the annual supply of 4.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Hungary for the period of 15 years. According to the deal, the natural gas from Russia will be delivered straight to Hungary, bypassing Ukraine. Armenia needs to hand over all the mine maps of Azerbaijani liberated lands in its possession, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) rapporteur for the 'Humanitarian consequences of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan' Paul Gavan said during the Autumn Session of PACE. He pointed out that the issue of the landmines is an important one, since the zone, which has was under Armenian occupation is one of the most mined in the world. "The recent handover of the mine maps by the Armenia is welcome, but I want to be very clear: Armenia needs to hand over all the maps in its possession, Gavan said. U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited one of the eight military bases housing Afghan nationals evacuated during the U.S. military withdrawal. Austin's trip to Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey on Monday marks his first visit to one of the resettlement areas, and it comes one day before he is set to testify on Capitol Hill about the withdrawal. There are more than 9,000 Afghans at Joint Base McGuire-Dix, with full capacity set at 13,000. All eight bases used to house Afghan refugees will hold 50,000 once they're operating at full capacity, Washington Examiner reported. The United States has temporarily halted inbound flights of Afghan refugees at the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention after 16 cases of measles and four cases of mumps were reported. Afghans at the bases have gotten vaccinated for measles and COVID-19. Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan will meet in Sochi for talks on September 29. They will discuss trading-economic partnership and the situations in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and Transcaucasia, the Kremlin's press service said. "On September 29, there will be talks between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan," the news release runs. The Kremlin said that the two leaders would look at "various aspects of Russian-Turkish partnership in the political, trading and economic fields." "There will be a detailed exchange of opinion on crucial world issues, including the situations in Syria, Libya, Afghanistan and Transcaucasia," the presidential press service said. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov earlier told the media that during Erdogan's visit a very vast agenda might be touched upon - from bilateral relations to Syria and other regional conflicts. For his part, Erdogan said in August that during his forthcoming visit to Russia he hoped to discuss the details of purchasing a second regiment of air defense systems S-400. The two leaders held their latest face-to-face meeting in the Kremlin in March 2020, when Erdogan was in Russia on a working visit. Amid the world novel coronavirus pandemic all further talks between them were by telephone or video link in both bilateral and multilateral formats. A protest action of the local Armenian diaspora took place on Sunday in front of the Azerbaijani embassy in Paris. Its participants demanded that Baku extradite to Yerevan all the saboteurs arrested after the end of the Karabakh war, who entered the territory of Azerbaijan in the status of international terrorists in order to kill Azerbaijani military and civilians. It is noteworthy that supporters of international terrorism were among the protesters, according to the photos received by Vestnik Kavkaza. The photographs show a man and a woman wearing a T-shirt with the symbols of ASALA, a terrorist group of Armenian nationalists that killed 46 people and injured 299. ASALA symbols are still very popular among the most radical elements of the Armenian diaspora. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev noted yesterday that during the Patriotic War the Azerbaijani army "has not only restored our territorial integrity, we have not only expelled the enemy from our land, we have not only restored our national dignity, we have also smashed the head of Armenian fascism." At the same time, outside the Azerbaijan Republic, Armenian fascism hasn't gone anywhere, for example the French authorities do nothing to neutralize it. Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad called on the United States and Turkey to withdraw their troops from the Arab republic, and warned separatists in the country's north against seeking help from outside forces in his address to the UN General Assembly on Monday. Mekdad stressed that any foreign presence on Syrian soil without the consent of the Syrian government is illegal and is a flagrant violation of international law and the UN Charter. "[Presence of] Turkish and U.S. forces, which continue to occupy Syrian territories under false pretexts, and their looting of the national resources of the Syrian people should end immediately and without any preconditions," Sputnik cited the minister as saying.. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu announced that humanitarian aid will be sent to Afghanistan by land via Pakistan, as it is faster and less costly. Cavusoglu answered the questions of journalists after the presidential Cabinet meeting on Monday. When asked whether there was contact with the interim Taliban government in Afghanistan, Cavusoglu said: "There is a meeting at the ambassador level. We have not been there yet, they have not come. They need humanitarian aid, food, medicine and winter is coming. We are talking about these needs." When asked about the humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, Cavusoglu said: "We also advise everyone on this issue. The country should not collapse and its economy should not collapse. We held meetings with AFAD (Turkey's Disaster and Emergency Management Authority), Kzlay (Turkish Red Crescent) and other relevant institutions in the field. There was an agreement between us, especially about getting aid from Pakistan and sending aid there. It was also on the agenda at the Cabinet meeting." "We will send humanitarian aid. We will take most of it from Pakistan and send it by land. It is both faster and less costly. We will increase the amount of humanitarian aid in the coming days," Daily Sabah cited the diplomat as saying. U.S. Senators warned NATO ally Turkey that they would trigger new sanctions if it goes ahead with plans to purchase additional Russian missile defense systems. "We were crystal clear when we wrote the CAATSA law: Sanctions are mandated for any entity that does significant business with the Russian military or intelligence sectors. Any new purchases by Turkey must mean new sanctions," Senate Foreign Relations Committee wrote on Twitter. The office of Senate Foreign Relations Chair Robert Menendez responded by warning that sanctions were mandated by law for "any entity that does significant business with the Russian military or intelligence sectors." "Any new purchases by Turkey must mean new sanctions," he said on Twitter. The U.S. has already imposed penalties on Turkeys defense industry over the initial missile purchase, saying the Russian system could be used to gather intelligence on Lockheed Martin Corp.s F-35 stealth jet. It previously suspended Turkish defense contractors from the international program to help build the F-35. Turkey has so far refused to jettison the first S-400 battery it acquired in 2019. The United States and Russia will hold their second round of strategic talks later this week as the two sides attempt to resolve myriad differences ranging from nuclear weapons to cyberspace, the U.S. State Department said Monday. The department said the Biden administrations second-ranking diplomat would lead the U.S. delegation to the talks with Russia in Geneva, Switzerland on Thursday. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will head an interagency delegation to the gathering, which follows an initial meeting in July at which little progress was made. The first meeting took place after Presidents Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin agreed at a summit in June to restart talks, The AP reported. The State Department said the two side intended to have a deliberate and robust dialogue that will seek to lay the groundwork for future arms control and risk reduction measures. It gave no additional details but said Sherman would travel from Geneva to Bern and then to Uzbekistan and wrap her trip up in nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan. My motto is deploying necessary measures drastically narrow localization, quick tracing and large-scale testing, Hanoi Party Committee Secretary Dinh Tien Dung said. On August 24, Dung received a report on positive cases discovered in Van Chuong and Van Mieu Wards in Dong Da District. He immediately came to the site. When he arrived, the whole area was sealed off with checkpoints and fences set up on all streets where policemen, army officers and vigilantes were on duty. Dung and some officials quietly walked into alleys and residential quarters to check. When he came back, he was told that hundreds of policemen and army officers were mobilized to support local forces to guard at the checkpoints. At that moment, Hanoi discovered tens of infection cases in the community, while clusters of infections increased and threatened to spread, even though the city began applying the measures as stipulated in Prime Minister Directive 16 on July 24. This, plus the serious situation in HCM City, worried Hanoians. After hearing the report, Dung said: There should be only some watchmen on duty and let people manage themselves, while most of the regular force should leave, except some officers to supervise the situation. What will we do if there are five such hotspots and hundreds of officers are gathered for each spot? Following the instruction, the regular force left, while the district authorities took the responsibility of isolating two wards of Van Mieu and Van Chuong with 20,000 residents. The district has 367,000 people. My motto for isolation is applying measures drastically. First, the isolation must be as narrow as possible. Second, the tracing must be as quickly as possible. Third, testing must be as large as possible. The method proves to be effective, Dung said. The instruction by the Hanoi Party Committee Secretary in Van Chuong and Van Mieu Wards shows consistency in the viewpoint on fighting the pandemic throughout the fourth wave which broke out in late April. The appearance of the Delta variant, which is highly contagious, caused a clusters of infections with unclear transmission sources. There were clusters of infections in populous areas, and clusters related to traditional markets, offices and supply chains. From April 27 to September 15, Hanoi reported 4,116 cases, including 1,310 community transmitted cases, 1,795 in quarantine and 749 in isolated areas. Isolating red areas Director of the Hanoi Department of Health Tran Thi Nhi Ha said as instructed by Dung, the department decided that clusters of infections needed to be handled quickly, and isolation areas needed to be narrowed and strictly controlled to prevent hotbeds from spreading. All that effort aimed to avoid putting pressure on peoples lives and livelihoods, Ha said. According to Ha, Hanoi classified localities to every commune and ward in accordance with risk levels and narrowed the localities into red points to isolate. For example, Khuong Trung was a red isolation area, where people had to stay at home and service establishments were not allowed to open. Isolation areas were put under strict epidemiological supervision. Samples were taken every 2-3 days. Step by step, the red areas narrowed thanks to large-scale testing. Meanwhile, other areas in Thanh Xuan district experienced normal daily activities. This method of fighting against the pandemic has been applied consistently in all districts. Meanwhile, the city still carries out thorough tracing in the city. In a recent report to Prime Minister, Hanoi said it has carried out the vaccination and testing campaigns at lightning speed. My motto for isolation is applying measures drastically. First, the isolation must be as narrow as possible. Second, the tracing must be as quickly as possible. Third, testing must be as large as possible. The method proves to be effective, Hanoi Party Committee Secretary Dinh Tien Dung After one week of implementation, the city has 31 areas with high and very high risks. As many as 27 of 30 districts and towns are green or low risk zones; and only 3 are low risk or high risk districts. The number of clusters of infections fell to nine recently. The clusters have been controlled well and are getting smaller. Hanoi is among the group of localities with risks as classified by the Ministry of Health (MOH). But the pandemic is under control, Ha said. Small flames stamped out immediately wont flare up Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, at a working session with Hanois leaders on July 19, asked the municipal authorities to put the fight against the pandemic a top priority. Number 1 priority is not letting the situation in the capital city get worse. We are determined to protect the people's safety and security and set the goal of protecting and taking care of people's health as the first and foremost task, he said. At another meeting, he disagreed with the decision on isolating one commune and ward though positive cases were found only on one street. The entire district was isolated though cases were found in only one commune. The capital city has not followed this way. If Hanoi hurried to isolate large areas, it would have been easy for management agencies to control the situation, but enterprises would have faced difficulties and peoples livelihoods would have been threatened. Hanoi also doesnt force enterprises to apply three on-the-site production mode in an extreme way. Therefore, 5,500 enterprises and production workshops in 88 industrial zones and clusters of industrial production workshops did not suffer production disruption. When discovering infections, enterprises have to take responsibility to screen the staff, while maintaining operations. Tu Giang - Lan Anh Hanoi isolation and vaccination strategy helped curb spread of Covid-19 Hanoi's strategy of quickly isolating areas where positive cases were found and carrying out testing campaigns at "lightening speed" helped prevent the spread of the virus. To effectively reopen the economy, HCM City has asked the Government to allow the city to apply its own regulations and a cooperation mechanism among localities. HCM City Vice Mayor Duong Anh Duc reported that the strict social distancing campaign has brought positive effects. The traffic capacity decreased by 90 percent during the campaign. When more people were allowed to join traffic to serve peoples essential needs, the number of vehicles in traffic increased, but were still under strict control. Districts and Thu Duc City have grasped the Prime Minister and municipal authorities instructions and built every ward, commune and town, every agency, factory and enterprise into a fortress, and turned every citizen into a soldier in the fight against the pandemic. The reinforcements (army, police and medical staff) and the citys force have been deployed quickly so as to ensure the success of the anti-pandemic measures. HCM City has gathered strength on measures to control red zones and expand green zones in association with the self-governing green zone protection movement. Self-administered tests Since August 23, the city has been running a large-scale testing campaign. Five sampling rounds have been implemented, depending on the risk levels of areas. More than 1,500 sampling teams with 13,800 workers have been used. Each team can take 300-400 samples a day. The city allows residents to test themselves under the guidance and supervision of medical workers. Now most people can take samples for rapid tests. Following the Prime Minister instruction on September 19 on enhancing large-scale testing in the city and the Ministry of Health's telegram, the municipal authorities on September 20 released a dispatch on continuing testing until September 30. The number of positive cases discovered from testing campaigns is on the decrease in all risky areas, which shows that the screening testing campaign can effectively help discover and localize hotbeds and prevent the spread in the community. Achievements The city has used 9 million doses, including 6.8 million for the first shot (94 percent of people aged 18 and above) and 2.2 million second shots (30.5 percent). Of these, more than 1 million people aged over 65 and people with underlying health conditions have been vaccinated. Districts and Thu Duc City have grasped the Prime Minister and municipal authorities instructions and built every ward, commune and town, every agency, factory and enterprise into a fortress, and turned every citizen into a soldier in the fight against the pandemic. The vaccination has been organized under different modes, at different places, including concentrated immunization centers, local medical units or at home. The vaccination management system has been upgraded and vaccination data have been entered into the national system. Regarding treatment, the city has shifted to focusing on treatment at grassroots level and giving timely treatment to newly discovered positive cases. At the same time, the city has organized rapid testing rounds and delivers drugs to patients; and has given psychological consultancy and advice on treatment. The measures all have helped reduce the proportion of patients with severe progression as well as the mortality rate. This has eased overloading at concentrated quarantine facilities and field hospitals, and eased psychological trauma of patients, thus helping them recover quickly. Also, the monitoring of patients at home via Switchboard 1022 and mobile medical teams of medical schools has been strengthened. The city has established 531 mobile medical facilities, higher than the initially planned figure of 400; and improved the coordination of the treatment tower with three levels of care. To date, 1.93 million welfare bags have been delivered to people in the city during social distancing, and 14,300 gifts have been presented in emergency aid. The city has spent nearly VND5.5 trillion on aid packages and is preparing for the disbursement of the third aid campaign. Regarding goods supply, since August 23, organizations have bought essential goods for 1.8 million, satisfying 98.8 percent of households which have shopping demand. Continuing strategies The city continues to impose social distancing and implement measures to prevent and fight the pandemic strictly and effectively. It will urgently review and assess the results of pandemic control in districts and Thu Duc City in accordance with the national set of criteria; and establish 22 inspection delegations to review the assessment, which will serve as the basis for determining measures to be implemented. In the areas which have basically controlled the outbreak, the city will begin loosening social distancing, allowing people to go to market once a week; start the green card mechanism; and allow some sectors to resume operation if they can satisfy the criteria. Some service and production activities, including transport works, will be allowed to resume, while sport activities will be allowed in residential quarters in green zones. It will intensify large-scale testing in areas with high risks and very high risks to isolate infection sources. At the same time, the city needs to increase vaccination coverage before loosening social distancing and reopening the economy in accordance with the roadmap. HCM City Mayor Phan Van Mai has asked the Prime Minister to allow the city to apply specific regulations when reopening the economy. He has also asked to prioritize vaccines to HCM City and the southern key economic zone in order to obtain the expected vaccination coverage. Ho Van - Thu Anh HCM City sees sharp fall in numbers of COVID-19 deaths, hospitalised patients The fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in Ho Chi Minh City has seen higher efficiency as the numbers of new cases, severe patients and deaths have decreased while the number of discharged patients has increased rapidly, said a municipal official. Within two months, the National Assembly Chair Vuong Dinh Hue convened two urgent meetings of the National Assembly Standing Committee to release unprecedented resolutions to fight the pandemic. / National Assembly Chair Vuong Dinh Hue On September 24, the National Assembly Chair presided over an extraordinary meeting of the Standing Committee on a policy on using the Unemployment Insurance Fund to give support to workers and employers affected by Covid-19. This was the second extraordinary meeting convened by him in the last two months. The National Assembly Standing Committee and Government have issued specific policies different from current regulations, with an aim to support people and businesses. Some days ago, the committee approved a resolution on VND14.62 trillion for more pandemic prevention and control. The working group of the Standing Committee worked with the agencies of the National Assembly, Government, Vietnam Labor Federation and the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) to consider and discuss the Governments proposals on issuing policies to support laborers and employers affected by Covid-19, to be budgeted from the Unemployment Insurance Fund balance. The National Assemblys Party Delegation report asked for the Politburos opinions about the issue and the Standing Committee held an extraordinary meeting to discuss the issuance of the policy to quickly support businesses and workers. Later on the same day, Resolution 03 on the policies to support workers and employers affected by Covid-19 with money from the Unemployment Insurance Fund was released. Soon after that, the Government issued Resolution 116 on the policy to support workers and employers, which says workers who become redundant because of Covid-19 can receive VND1.8-3.3 million depending on the numbers of years they have had unemployment insurance. Meanwhile, employers can reduce the payment from 1 percent to zero percent of the monthly pay fund of the workers subject to unemployment insurance. On August 6, the National Assembly Chair convened an urgent meeting to discuss urgent measures to fight the pandemic. After the meeting which lasted two hours, the members of the Standing Committee agreed on four contents not found in the law that the Government asked for opinions about. Later on the same day, Hue signed Resolution 268 of the National Assembly Standing Committee on allowing the Government to promulgate resolutions with content different from the provisions of the current laws to fight the pandemic. Right after that, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed and promulgated Resolution 86 on urgent measures to prevent and control Covid-19 to implement the 15th National Assemblys Resolution No 30. Thu Hang NA Chairman concludes Europe tour, hands over donated vaccine and medical supplies to health ministry NA Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue arrived in Hanoi on Sunday, concluding his trip to Europe to attend the fifth World Conference of Speakers of Parliament (WCSP5) in Austria and to visit the European Parliament, Belgium and Finland from September 5-11. HCM Citys health department said there are about 150,000 positive COVID-19 cases detected through rapid antigen tests that have not been accounted for in the national tally. Doctors treating a seriously ill COVID-19 patient at Tan Binh District's COVID-19 field hospital. Explaining how these cases had not been granted an identification number in the health ministrys records, Nguyen Van Vinh Chau, deputy head of HCM Citys health department, on Monday said that the protocol was that only cases confirmed through RT-PCR diagnostics were officially considered positive cases. During the peak of the outbreak in HCM City, the country's COVID-19 epicentre, both rapid antigen tests and RT-PCR tests have been deployed throughout the city depending on the perceived risks of each area, and all positive cases found through antigen tests were considered as confirmed COVID-19 patients and got treated accordingly, instead of waiting for the confirmation from the much more time-consuming lab tests. All of them were quarantined either moved into centralised quarantine facilities or allowed to self-isolate at homes if conditions met, in which cases, local governments would bring medical packages to them. The citys health department already had these "unconfirmed" cases in its logs but had not yet submitted them to the health ministry, and it was proposing the ministry add the cases to the national database. If all these 150,000 cases are added to the national tally, Viet Nams official COVID-19 case count would surpass 900,000 (the country has logged 766,051 infections as of the end of Monday), almost 60 per cent of which detected are in HCM City with more than 525,000 cases. Chau said that the addition would also significantly bring down the countrys case-fatality ratio (CFR) to 2 per cent, instead of the currently 2.5 per cent which the health ministry in their daily reports have noted to be much higher than the global average of 2.1 per cent. On Tuesday, the health ministry has responded to the HCM Citys proposal, saying that on August 20, their special standing task force on COVID-19 to HCM City directed the Citys COVID-19 Prevention and Control Committee to register positive cases found through rapid antigen tests as confirmed cases if they are told to self-isolate at home. Confirmatory RT-PCR tests would be done on cases that are sent to centralised quarantine facilities, and the daily figures that the city sends to the health ministry for national tallying are supposed to include the positive rapid test cases. The health ministry also told HCM Citys health department to clarify the exact figures, the total positive rapid tests, the number of patients self-isolating at homes and the number of patients confirmed positive again through RT-PCR before they are sent to medical facilities/centralised quarantine facilities. The ministry asked HCM City's health department to have an explanation on the belatedness in asking for guidance from the ministry and issues in case reportage. Source: VNS The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force (NMUSAF) in Dayton, Ohio has sent their rare Bell P-63E Kingcobra to go on display at the Museum of Aviation in Warner Robins, Georgia. The Museum of Aviation serves as a satellite facility to the NMUSAF, the second largest within their system. The P-63, of course, emerged from the earlier Bell P-39 Airacobra, which it closely resembles. The U.S. Army Air Forces never used the P-63 in combat, although some were used for training purposes. It is perhaps for this reason that the aircraft is on the move from Dayton, as a number of other less prominent types in their collection have also been shifted off campus in recent months. The type did see some combat in WWII, however, with more than half of the roughly 3,300 P-63s built ending up as lend-lease exports; the Soviet Union received 2,456 Kingcobras while Free French forces obtained a further 300 examples. The aircraft in question, Bell P-63E-1-BE Kingcobra 42-11728, never saw combat, but has an interesting history none-the-less. She rolled off Bells production line in Buffalo, New York during 1945. Unlike many of her brethren, this Kingcobra did not end up in the Soviet Union as part of the Allied Lend Lease effort. Instead, the aircraft went back to its manufacturer under bailment for a variety of flight test initiatives. This actually saw Bell place the aircraft on the U.S. civil registry as N41964 in February, 1946. In June that year, Bell modified the Kingcobra to include a second cockpit behind the engine, although they removed this addition by 1948. The P-63E was quite a rare model of Kingcobra, with only 13 of the variant produced, but the U.S. Government supplied five examples (42-11727 through -11731) to Honduras in October, 1948. Alongside the handful of P-38 Lightnings which Honduras also received, these aircraft became the first high-performance fighters in the Fuerza Aerea Hondurena (Honduran Air Force). Interestingly, all five of these aircraft still survive in some form or another and 42-11727 is also on the books with the NMUSAF, albeit presently on loan to the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, Arizona. Unfortunately, 42-11728 suffered a landing accident upon arriving in Tegucigalpa, Honduras on October 15th, 1948, relegating the airframe immediately into serving as a spares source for the other four Honduran examples. 42-11728 remained in that nation until Bell Aircraft re-acquired her in 1957. They performed a rapid, though comprehensive restoration, placing her on the U.S. civil registry that year, again as N41964. As part of this work, Bell returned the aircraft to a bare-metal, polished aluminum scheme, with her old U.S. Army Air Forces serial number on the tail. They presented the Kingcobra to the NMUSAF as a gift in January, 1958. She remained in Dayton on display as such through the 1980s, but sometime before the new millennium, the NMUSAF repainted the fighter to resemble one of the bright orange RP-63s Flying Pinball Machines. With armament removed and armor plate installed, these aircraft served as flying targets to help train bomber crews in the art of aerial gunnery. Rather than real .30 cal bullets, the trainee gun-aimers aboard aboard a bomber would fire frangible rounds at the RP-63s, with bullet strikes causing a light to illuminate in the fighters nose (where the 37mm cannon used to be) hence the pinball moniker. In theory, these training rounds would break up upon hitting the fighter, rather than doing serious damage to the airframe, but it must have been a daunting experience for any pilot brave or crazy enough to fly the Kingcobra into such a situation! Theres a great article on the subject HERE. Other than the unusual paint scheme, the NMUSAF never fully converted their P-63 into a formal Flying Pinball Machine, so it lacked the modified armor plate and lighting, it was nice to see a representative of this unusual variant on display. The NMUSAF has recently been redistributing some of their lesser exhibits of late, however, and had moved the Kingcobra into storage in recent years. It is good to know that she wont be in hiding for much longer. The Museum of Aviation has expressed their intent to repaint the aircraft when they receive it, so it will be interesting to see what scheme they come up with once they make a decision. The P-63s fuselage left Dayton for Georgia last week, with the video below showing its departure. Another aircraft on the move from Dayton, Ohio to Warner Robins, Georgia is Beech C-45H Expeditor 52-10893, also part of the NMUSAF collection. According to the Museum of Aviation website, this airframe will likely be making the journey east via C-17. The images below show the aircraft, partly disassembled, in the NMUSAF restoration hangar. Ukraine has been really pissy (Re. arrogantly argumentative) lately about GAZ, GAS, you know that pipeline stuff Hungary has signed a new 15-year natural-gas supply deal with Russias state-controlled energy giant Gazprom in a move sharply criticized by Ukraine. The agreement was signed by Gazprom and Hungarian energy group MVM executives at the Foreign Ministry in Budapest on September 27, during a visit by the Russian companys chief Aleksei Miller. Source: Hungary Signs New Long-Term Gas Supply Deal With Russia When you follow the worlds biggest terrorist (USA).You are gonna get burned That is directed your way Ukraine I hope the US will pay up all the lost transit fees after all the EU changes their supply route to get away from the political and theft of Ukraine with pipeline gas? The USA is behind this whole mess But the US will just bite Ukraines hands off sooner than later WtR PS: Russia at on numerous occasions has expressed, that the rate structure and agreement to ship gas through Ukraine from Russia runs from 2020 to 2024 and that will not change, until the agreement expires 2024. Like any agreement on expiry, it may or may not be re-negotiated. That remains to be seen. It is basically up to the companies and countries negotiating the new contracts.Ukraine and its Bosses are just stirring the pot to cause more instability in the region AUD$12 Million Funding to Propel Growth Strategy Melbourne, Sep 27, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Nova Minerals Limited ( ASX:NVA ) ( FRA:QM3 ) ( OTCMKTS:NVAAF ) is pleased to advise that the Company has received firm commitments to raise up to $12 million (before costs) ("Placement"). Evolution Capital Advisors acted as Lead Manager to the Placement.Net proceeds of the offering will be used to ramp up development and resource growth as we continue on our path towards gold production whilst further unlocking the Estelle Gold District.- Strong interest from institutional and sophisticated investors priced at 15.4% discount to 30-day VWAP- Scaled down $12 million raising will add cash on hand and will be used to ramp up ongoing drilling programs with additional rigs in order to expedite Nova's 4.7Moz Korbel Deposit to PFS, continue resource development at RPM, as well as generate drill targets to advance numerous other prospects across the Estelle Gold District. Aggressive Infill and Extension drilling is ongoing at Korbel Main which is currently focused on the high grade SE feeder zone with the goal of substantially increasing the 4.7Moz Resource (ASX 7 April 2021, Table 1) and upgrading the resource in size and confidence to expedite Project Feasibility Studies.- RPM remains on track for a Maiden Resource by late 2021 with initial results now in fire assay stage at the lab- 4.7Moz Korbel Main remains on track for a Resource update by late 2021- Snow Lake Resources (majority owned lithium company) status update due shortly- The mineralisation remains open along strike to the North West and South East with a predicted strike length of over 3km of continuous gold mineralisation- Assay results pending for over 10,000m of drilling from both Korbel Main and RPM- Proceeds of Placement to fund:o Ongoing extension and definition drilling of the current 4.7Moz Korbel Main gold deposito Continuous drilling to expand the global resource inventory at Korbel Main throughout 2021 across the Korbel Valley (Block A and Block B), Block B South-Eastern extension, Blocks C and D, Cathedral, You Beauty, Isabella and Sweet Jennyo Further Resource Development drilling at RPM with a Maiden Resource expected in 2021o Regional exploration of advanced targets to unlock the wider Estelle Gold Districto Completion of the re-optimised scoping study on latest material drill results and early-stage project de-risking environmental studies leading to fast track the commencement of the PFS.NVA CEO, Mr. Christopher Gerteisen commented: "During 2021, Nova's intent and strategy is to continue on its aggressive and systematic resource development approach by focusing on increasing the current 4.7Moz resource at Korbel both in size and confidence, simultaneously progressing studies on Korbel to advance the project towards feasibility stage, whilst unlocking the wider Estelle Gold District. Additionally, the first phase of drilling at RPM is now complete and assays are pending with a Maiden resource to follow later this year.This capital raising came about due to interest from institutional investors, and the need to strike a delicate balance between finding the least dilutionary funding option, whilst ensuring the Company has sufficient capital to take it through to the next stage of its development. The company has multiple funding mandates and offers and this was the quickest and cleanest presented to us. As the market is aware, exploration is capital intensive, and we do not want to slow our momentum at the Estelle gold district. We will be drilling through the winter, and we have ramped up our test work, conducting environmental and metallurgical studies at PFS level, in line with our strategy to fast-track the Korbel Main deposit towards production whilst unlocking the greater Estelle Gold district. We believe that a minor dilutionary effect is far outweighed by the financial security this capital brings in guaranteeing continued exploration and development at Estelle unabated, from a risk management perspective.Quarter 4 is anticipated to be a transformational period for Nova and its shareholders. We are excited to secure this support from quality investors at this stage in the Company's development. Our company's strategy moving forward also involves unlocking value in the world class Thompson Brothers Lithium Project in Canada.Nova now holds enough cash and cash equivalents to take the Company to feasibility studies with access to additional funding facilities to ultimately take us to a decision to mine and construction. This puts the Company in an extremely strong position to achieve our goal of progressing the Tier 1 Gold asset at Korbel Main to production whilst simultaneously unlocking the greater Estelle Gold District, as we have demonstrated over the last week.In addition, our majority owned Snow Lake Resources is fast progressing, and we will provide further information at the appropriate time. Furthermore, our RotorX investment is shaping up to add significant value for Nova. RotorX is currently a cash generating business with a solid team of engineers to fast track their eVTOL roll out.We are truly just getting started at Nova and exciting times lie ahead for our shareholders."Use of Funds and FundingThe Company currently has three diamond rigs and one RC rig on site at Korbel and RPM. The new funds will allow extension and definition drilling to ramp up at the 4.7Moz Korbel Main prospect with an additional drill to be added shortly.The Korbel Main system remains open along strike and at depth (Figure1), with multiple rigs currently testing extensional targets going out North-West toward Isabella and the South-East extension feeder system, as well as infill drilling for data density for a higher category resource upgrade. As the recent field works at Korbel Main (Block A and Block B), Block B South-East Extension, Blocks C and D, Cathedral, You Beauty, Isabella and Sweet Jenny show, considerable scope exists in the immediate boundaries of the Korbel Prospect to further add to the deposit and the mineralisation footprint in the near term.The opportunity at the Estelle Gold Project continues to be a significant focus for the Company. Nova will allocate more resources to continue to advance resource development at the RPM deposit, as well as the recently discovered. Beyond the Korbel Main, the Greater Korbel valley area and RPM, there are several additional discoveries throughout our 324km2 contiguous land position, eg. Stoney Au-Ag-Cu prospect and the Train Au prospect areas, outlining a 30km mineralised strike that we have yet to drill test (Figure 2). There are further large, highly prospective areas and anomalous zones which require further recon exploration work to advance as well.Funding will be allocated to a range of additional areas, including:- Resource expansion and definition drilling on the 4.7Moz Korbel Main Gold Deposit (Table 1*) to increase tonnages and resources categories.- Drill testing the remainder of the Korbel Valley (Block A and Block B), Block B South-East Extension, Blocks C and D, Cathedral, You Beauty, Isabella and Sweet Jenny- Further RPM Drilling and regional exploration of advanced targets to unlock the wider Estelle Gold district;- Scoping Study, to be completed post the 4.7Moz Korbel Main Gold Deposit to increase tonnages and resources categories and the PFS to commence for Korbel Main, immediately afterwards;- Further early-stage project de-risking studies to fast track permitting and approvals which includes but not limited to environmental, social and economic assessments;- Improvements to site infrastructure including sample processing, accommodation, access, and communications to bring exploration costs down further;- General working capital.On-going resource growth & discovery drilling, Metallurgical Testing, Updated Resource Estimate & PFS and ESG Studies - $10m.General working capital & costs of the Offer - $2.0m.TOTAL $12.0mA total of A$12 million before costs was raised through the issue of 109,090,910 ordinary shares at an issue price of $0.11 per share. The Placement was priced at 15.4% discount to 30-day VWAP.Evolution Capital Advisors acted as Lead Manager to the Placement.New shares issued under the Placement will rank equally with the Company's existing ordinary shares on issue. The Placement will take place as a single tranche and will be undertaken using the Company's available Listing Rule 7.1 capacity and will not require shareholder approval.Settlement of the Placement shares is anticipated to occur on or about Wednesday 6 October 2021 and quotation on the ASX on Thursday 7 October 2021.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About Nova Minerals Limited Nova Minerals Limited (ASX:NVA) (FRA:QM3) (OTCMKTS:NVAAF) is a dynamic explorer and developer of its flagship Estelle Gold district in the Tintina gold belt. Nova's strategy is to substantially increase the current 4.7Moz resource on the Korbel prospect. Subsequently to continue to lock in value through moving Korbel towards production whilst increasing the resource base across the pipeline of targets within the Estelle gold district. Nova Minerals also holds strategic investments in Snow Lake Resources Ltd (Thompson Brothers Lithium Project), Torian Resources Ltd (ASX:TNR) and RotorX Aircraft Manufacturing Co. Full Year Statutory Accounts - 30 June 2021 Melbourne, Sep 27, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Nova Minerals Limited ( ASX:NVA ) ( FRA:QM3 ) ( OTCMKTS:NVAAF ) has increased the size of its Estelle Gold resource during the course of the 20/21 year.Currently standing at 4.7Moz, Estelle is being explored extensively, Four diamond drill rigs are operating on both the Korbel and RPM prospects.The Estelle Gold project, which is 85% owned by Nova Minerals, is located 185km northwest of Anchorage, and is currently accessible by helicopter and winter road from Nova's Whiskey Bravo Camp.Estelle Gold is situated within the Tintina Gold Province which spans portions of Alaska and Western Canada, containing some of the largest gold deposits in the world. Over the last 3 years, Nova has focused on developing the Korbel prospect at the northern end of the tenement. Drilling to date has revealed a convergence of the initially separate Blocks A-D, into Korbel Main.Nova's drilling at Korbel Main has revealed an extensive highgrade feeder zone in the Southeast portion of the deposit, which remains wide open. Step out drilling has uncovered extensive mineralisation, increasing the length of strike at Korbel Main to 3.3km. Concurrently, the Company has been conducting infill drilling to increase the confidence of the resource. During FY20/21 alone, Nova increased the size of the resource at Korbel Main from 2.5Moz to 4.7Moz. Drilling is ongoing, and the Company plans to release a resource update for Korbel Main in late 2021, accompanied by a maiden resource for the RPM prospect.During the year, Nova was able to complete the majority of its first scoping study for Korbel Main, from a technical perspective. Nova intends to release it alongside the resource upgrade in late 2021.To view the Annual Report, please visit:About Nova Minerals Limited Nova Minerals Limited (ASX:NVA) (FRA:QM3) (OTCMKTS:NVAAF) is a dynamic explorer and developer of its flagship Estelle Gold district in the Tintina gold belt. Nova's strategy is to substantially increase the current 4.7Moz resource on the Korbel prospect. Subsequently to continue to lock in value through moving Korbel towards production whilst increasing the resource base across the pipeline of targets within the Estelle gold district. Nova Minerals also holds strategic investments in Snow Lake Resources Ltd (Thompson Brothers Lithium Project), Torian Resources Ltd (ASX:TNR) and RotorX Aircraft Manufacturing Co. Spectacular High-Grade Zinc Drillhole Intersection, Alaska Ballarat, Sep 28, 2021 AEST (ABN Newswire) - White Rock Minerals Limited ( ASX:WRM ) ( OTCMKTS:WRMCF ) is pleased to announce drill hole assay results at the Company's 100% owned Red Mountain VMS project for the first of the down-dip drill holes completed at the Dry Creek VMS deposit in 2021.Drill hole DC21-97 tested the down-dip projection of the Fosters lens towards the western end of the deposit (Figure 1*). The drill hole intersected 1.4 metres of high-grade massive sulphide assaying 35% zinc, 12.2% lead, 237g/t silver, 2.9g/t gold & 0.3% copper. This high-grade polymetallic suite of metals can also be summarised as a 55.3% Zinc Equivalent grade (ZnEq) or alternatively a 2,555/t Silver Equivalent grade (AgEq).Key Highlights- Spectacular high-grade massive sulphide intersected at the Dry Creek deposit at the Red Mountain VMS project in Alaska.- Drill hole DC21-97 intersected 1.4 metres of massive sulphide grading 35% zinc, 12.2% lead, 237g/t silver, 2.9g/t gold & 0.3% copper, for 55.3% Zinc Equivalent grade (ZnEq), within a 5.8 metre zone of mineralisation grading 11.5% zinc, 3.4% lead, 69g/t silver, 0.8g/t gold & 0.1% copper.- DC21-97 is over 200 metres down-dip from the nearest drill hole intersection, which contained 4.3m @ 4.8% zinc, 2.3% lead, 1,435g/t silver, 2.2g/t gold and 0.5% copper for 43.2% ZnEq, as previously announced. This recent drill hole now doubles the known depth of the resource in this area of the deposit.- Three further drill holes have been completed at Dry Creek on nominal 200 metre spaced step-outs along strike from DC21-97 with assay results awaited.The massive sulphide zone is followed by a zone of laminated and banded sulphides in its footwall, hosted within a dark grey to brown meta-mudstone typical of the Fosters lens. The overall zone of mineralisation returned 5.8 metres at 11.5% zinc, 3.4% lead, 69g/t silver, 0.8g/t gold & 0.1% copper, for 17.2% ZnEq or 793g/t AgEq.The intersection is 200m down dip from the nearest drill hole, DC18-773, that was drilled in 2018 and which returned an intersection of 4.3m @ 4.8% zinc, 2.3% lead, 1,435g/t silver, 2.2g/t gold and 0.5% copper for 43.2% ZnEq or 1,994g/t AgEq.The 2021 Drill Hole Program at Dry Creek.White Rock completed four drill holes testing for depth extensions to the Dry Creek VMS deposit on 200m step-outs down-dip and along its one kilometre strike extent (Figure 2*). Assay results for the remaining three drill holes (DC21-100, DC21-102 and DC21-103) are awaited.As previously reported, the second drill hole (DC21-1004) targeted the western end of the down-dip projection of the Fosters lens and intersected a zone of banded pyrite in the host carbonaceous schist interpreted to be west along strike from the massive sulphide mineralisation intersected in DC21-97. No significant base metal sulphides were logged. Assay results are awaited.Also as previously reported, the third drillhole (DC21-1025) intersected a series of broad zones of sulphide mineralisation dominated by pyrite with lesser sphalerite (zinc), galena (lead) and chalcopyrite (copper). There are four zones interpreted to correlate with the Upper Fosters, Fosters, Copper Zone and Discovery lenses of the main Dry Creek VMS deposit (Figure 3*). Significant base metal sulphides are limited to narrow (10-30cm) bands in the Discovery horizon. Assay results are awaited.The fourth drill hole (DC21-103) successfully intersected both the Fosters and Discovery sulphide horizons over 200 metres down dip of previous drilling. A 5.5m thick interval of laminated sulphides dominated by pyrite with lesser sphalerite and rare chalcopyrite and galena was intersected on the Fosters horizon. A 4.0m thick interval of laminated to massive sulphide was intersected on the Discovery horizon. The Fosters sulphide horizon exhibits typical fine-grained laminated sulphides hosted in black carbonaceous phyllites while the Discovery sulphide horizon consists of mixed laminated, semi-massive, to massive sulphide with visible sphalerite hosted at the contact between meta-sediments and meta-volcanics. Semi-massive to massive sulphides with significant base metal sulphides are limited to 10-30cm bands for both the Fosters and Discovery intervals. Assay results are awaited.The Dry Creek and West Tundra Flats (WTF) deposits at the Red Mountain VMS project already deliver an Inferred Mineral Resource of 9.1 million tonnes @ 157g/t silver, 5.8% zinc, 2.6% lead and 0.9g/t gold for a grade of 13.2% ZnEq, or 609g/t AgEq. Of this total, the Dry Creek deposit contributes an Inferred Mineral Resource of 2.4 million tonnes @ 69g/t silver, 4.7% zinc, 1.9% lead and 0.4g/t gold for a grade of 8.8% ZnEq, or 406g/t AgEq.*To view tables and figures, please visit:About White Rock Minerals Ltd White Rock Minerals Ltd (ASX:WRM) (OTCMKTS:WRMCF) is a diversified explorer and near-stage producer, headquartered in Ballarat, Victoria. The Company's flagship exploration project is Red Mountain in central Alaska. At Red Mountain, there are already two high grade zinc - silver - gold - lead VMS deposits, with an Inferred Mineral Resource of 9.1 million tonnes @ 609g/t AgEq / 13% ZnEq. The Company is also exploring its recently discovered large intrusion related gold anomaly at Last Chance, also located in the Tintina gold belt of Alaska, home to multi-million gold ounce deposits like Pogo, Fort Knox and the Donlin Project. The Company also has the Mt Carrington project, located near Drake, in Northern NSW, which is a near-production precious metals asset with a resource of 341,000 ounces of gold and 23.2 million ounces of silver on an approved mining lease, and with a Gold First PFS and JORC Reserve. Frances Sissy Farenthold, a reform-minded liberal Democrat in the Texas House who was pushed for the partys 1972 vice-presidential nomination, has died at age 94, her family said Monday. Farenthold died Sunday at her Houston apartment after a long struggle with Parkinsons disease, her son, George Farenthold, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. She was six days shy of her 95th birthday, he said. Funeral arrangements were private, but a public memorial would be held at the University of Texas at Austin campus at a future date still to be scheduled, he said. Elected to the Texas House in 1968, Farenthold told AP in 2008 that she recalled shaking hands with a man the next day who said, I voted for your husband yesterday, and I said, It was I. He said, If I had known that, I wouldnt have. That was a comedown! She was the only woman in the chamber but attained prominence as one of the Dirty Thirty reform-minded House members who kept alive as a political issue the Sharpstown stock-fraud scandal of 1971-72 that implicated the states top elected leaders, all of them conservative Democrats. As a result, Sissy Farenthold defeated Gov. Preston Smith and Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes, both among those implicated, in the 1972 Democratic primary before losing in the runoff to Dolph Briscoe, who went on to be elected governor. That same year, Farentholds name was placed in nomination for vice president at the Democratic National Convention by feminist activist Gloria Steinem. Her nomination was seconded by Black civil rights activist Fannie Lou Hamer and former U.S. Rep. Allard Lowenstein, and tallied 420 votes before withdrawing in favor of U.S. Sen. Thomas Eagleton. An outspoken liberal, Farenthold earned a spot on President Richard Nixons Enemies List. which comprised some his major political opponents. In 1973, she was elected the first chair of the National Womens Political Caucus that recruited women to be political candidates. Farentholds activism included leading protests against South Africas apartheid and nuclear proliferation. The graduate of the University of Texas School of Law went on to teach law at the Texas Southern University and University of Houston law schools. And despite her advocacy of political power for women, she did not support Hillary Rodham Clintons presidential campaign because of Clintons Senate vote for the war in Iraq. I never thought that when the first strong woman showed up, I would not support her, Farenthold said. But she said she cant because I was so unalterably opposed to the war. DENVER A lawsuit filed by a suburban Denver police officer for his firing over a photo reenacting a chokehold like the one used on Elijah McClain before the 23-year-old Black man died in 2019 has been dismissed. The lawsuit filed against Auroras police chief and city manager was dismissed Wednesday. It alleged that former Aurora officer Jason Rosenblatt was denied his right to an independent review board before he was fired by Chief Vanessa Wilson. Judge Peter Michaelson approved an agreement by both sides to dismiss the case with prejudice, with each paying their own attorneys fees. Rosenblatt was fired along with two other officers last year over two photos taken in front of a memorial to McClain two months after his death. Three officers are shown smiling in one photo taken on Oct. 20, 2019, and in another one has his arm around anothers neck in a fake chokehold like the one used on McClain. One officer texted the photos to Rosenblatt who was one of the officers involved in McClains fatal arrest and he responded ha ha. Officers stopped McClain as he walked down the street after a 911 caller reported he looked suspicious. McClain was also injected with ketamine by paramedics. ISLAMABAD Pakistans planning minister says the government will begin a drive to vaccinate children aged 12 or above to protect them from coronavirus. The announcement on Tuesday by Asad Umar comes amid a steady decline in fatalities from coronavirus across the country. Umar in a tweet said Pakistan will launch a campaign soon to vaccinate children at schools. He did not say exactly when it will begin. Currently Pakistan is offering free jabs to teens and adults. The latest development comes hours after Pakistan reported 41 deaths from coronavirus and 1,400 new cases in the past 24 hours. It is the first time since July that Pakistan reported less than 1,500 single-day confirmed cases amid the fourth wave which authorities believe has subsided. ___ MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: U.S. has enough COVID-19 vaccines for boosters, kids shots Rowdy celebrations erupt in Norway as COVID restrictions end EXPLAINER: Whos eligible for Pfizer booster shots in US? ___ See all of APs pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: SYDNEY Australias Victoria state has recorded more coronavirus infections than New South Wales for the first time since an outbreak of the delta variant began in Sydney in June. Victoria is Australias second-most populous state and on Tuesday the state capital of Melbourne reported 867 new virus cases and four deaths from COVID-19 in the latest 24-hour period. It was the highest daily numbers of infections and deaths in Victoria for the latest outbreak. Victorias previous high infection count was 847 reported Saturday. New South Wales is the most populous state and home to Sydney, which reported 863 new infections Tuesday and seven deaths. The state has seen daily infections plateau as vaccinations have risen. Sydney has been in lockdown since June 26 and Melbourne since Aug. 5. ___ WELLINGTON, New Zealand New Zealand is relaxing travel restrictions in Auckland six weeks after the nations most populous city was locked down due to the coronavirus. People will be able to cross the city boundary beginning Monday night if they are permanently relocating, have shared caring-giving arrangements or are returning home. Those leaving Auckland on care-giving trips will have to be tested for the virus within a week of their departure. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says more flexibility is being given because the system of pandemic restrictions is currently doing its job. The city reported eight new infections Tuesday in the latest 24-hour period. Auckland was locked down Aug. 17 after the delta variant leaked from hotel quarantine from a New Zealander who had returned from Sydney. Pandemic restrictions elsewhere in New Zealand amount to little more than mandatory mask-wearing. ___ NEW YORK A federal appeals panel says New York City may require teachers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. The three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals acted late Monday to lift a temporary order issued Friday that blocked the mandate from taking effect so a challenge could be heard from a group of teachers. The mandate had been set to go into effect Monday for teachers and other employees of the citys schools. The appeals panels ruling put the mandate back in force. Lawyers for the teachers said they will now ask the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene. One attorney said: With thousands of teachers not vaccinated the city may regret what it wished for. Our children will be left with no teachers and no security in schools. ___ SACRAMENTO, Calif. A federal judge has ordered that all employees entering California prisons be vaccinated or have a religious or medical exemption. The order is aimed at heading off another coronavirus outbreak like the one that killed 28 inmates and a correctional officer at San Quentin State Prison last year. The order also requires that inmates who want in-person visits or who work outside prisons, including inmate firefighters, must also be fully vaccinated or have a religious or medical exemption. The prison guards union says it may appeal. More than 50,000 California inmates have been infected with the coronavirus and at least 240 have died of COVID-19. ___ CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa Faculty at Iowas public universities are demanding the right to require masks in their classrooms regardless of state law or policies against them. Biology professor Steve OKane Jr. has pushed a resolution among colleagues at the University of Northern Iowa saying faculty should be allowed to manage their classrooms. OKane told The Cedar Rapids Gazette that he has already imposed a mask mandate for his students and lowers their lab grades if they refuse to comply. Northern Iowa, the University of Iowa and Iowa State University sent petitions last month to the state Board of Regents signed by hundreds of faculty asking for the ability to require masks and vaccines. Board of Regents President Mike Richards in May barred administrators from requiring masks or vaccines. ___ HONOLULU New federal rules for international travelers are expected to help Hawaiis crippled tourism industry. The states international market has been nearly nonexistent since the pandemic largely shut down travel. Last week, the White House loosened rules that previously prohibited some foreign travelers from coming to the U.S. Now foreign visitors can come if they can show proof of vaccination and produce a negative COVID-19 test. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that the changes could bring back international travel to the islands. It is down 97% compared to before the pandemic. Hawaii currently only requires proof of vaccination or a single pre-flight COVID-19 test for mainland and some international travelers. Some see the new rules as more restrictive for Japanese travelers, a major component of Hawaiis tourism industry. Japan and other key markets for Hawaii tourism have high vaccination rates and officials expect that trend to continue in the coming months. ___ TOPEKA, Kan. Gov. Laura Kelly has ordered flags throughout the state to be flown at half-staff to honor COVID-19 victims as Kansas exceeded 6,000 reported deaths. Kellys order Monday applied immediately and directed that flags remain lowered until sunset Wednesday. The governor has issued such an order every time Kansas reports another 1,000 COVID-19 deaths. According to Kansas health department data, the state averaged 15 additional reported COVID-19 deaths a day for the seven days ending Monday. The number of reported deaths rose 43 since Friday, making the total 6,024. The state also reported an average of 1,012 new cases and 37 additional hospitalizations a day for the seven days ending Monday. ___ WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. A North Carolina-based hospital system announced Monday that more than 175 of its workers have been fired for failing to comply with its COVID-19 vaccination requirement. Last week, Novant Health announced 375 employees had been suspended and given five days to comply with the mandate. The deadline was Friday. Nearly 200 of those employees came into compliance, Spokesperson Megan Rivers said in an email Monday. Rivers didnt provide specific numbers on how many out of the 375 were in compliance and how many lost their jobs. More than 99% of Novant Healths 35,000-plus employees are now compliant with the vaccine mandate, including employees who have submitted an approved religious or medical vaccine exemption, according to a statement. The Winston-Salem-based system includes 15 hospitals, 800 clinics and hundreds of outpatient facilities. ___ MALDEN, Mass. State education officials on Monday extended Massachusetts public school indoor mask mandate an extra month. The mandate that applies to students, staff and faculty, was scheduled to expire on Oct. 1, but will now run through at least Nov. 1, state Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley said. Middle and high schools can apply for a waiver from the face covering rules if 80% of their students and staff have been vaccinated, he said. The original mandate was announced in August. It applies to students age 5 and over. Masks are not required outdoors or while eating, and a limited number of other indoor activities. About 2,220 students and more than 300 workers at Massachusetts public schools have tested positive for COVID-19 this school year, according to the latest information available from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. ___ HAVANA Cuba has begun commercial exports of its homegrown COVID-19 vaccines, sending shipments of the three-dose Abdala vaccine to Vietnam and Venezuela. President Miguel Diaz-Canel announced the arrival in Vietnam on his Twitter feed Sunday. Cubas Center of Genetic Immunology and Biotechnology also announced that initial shipments of the Abdala shots were sent to Venezuela over the weekend. Vietnams President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited Cuba last week and toured the laboratory that produces the vaccine, announcing an agreement to buy at least 5 million doses. Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuelas vice president, announced in June that the country had agreed to buy $12 million worth of the Cuban vaccine, though officials have declined to say how many doses were involved. Another Cuban-developed COVID-19 vaccine is being produced in Iran, which Cuba has asked the World Health Organization to approve in hopes to extend exports of its locally developed vaccines. Cuban scientists have said the vaccines are more than 90% effective against illness, though like all vaccines less so against mere infection. Cuba plans to fully vaccinate 90% of its population by the end of November a key step to reopening an economy heavily dependent on tourism. Cubas director of epidemiology, Francisco Duran, said Monday that the country of some 11 million people has registered 860,799 infections with COVID-19 and 7,279 deaths during the pandemic. ___ SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico A pharmacy owner in Puerto Rico has pleaded guilty to illegally vaccinating two dozen children against COVID-19 with shots that had not been approved as safe for that age group, federal authorities said Monday. The U.S. Attorneys Office said Liz Ann Banchs fully inoculated minors between the ages of 7 and 11 with the Pfizer vaccine from late May until late June. The vaccine is currently approved for those 12 years and older, though Pfizer announced last week that a version of its vaccine, with much-reduced doses, is safe and works for children ages 5 to 11 and that it will soon seek U.S. authorization for that age group. Authorities said the illegal vaccination occurred at Farmacia Gabriela, Inc. in the southern mountain town of Juana Diaz. They said Banchs faces up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. ___ BUENOS AIRES Argentinas government opened some of its border to tourists from Chile and Brazil on Monday for a four-day test run as cases of COVID-19 have declined. The measure applies to two crossings into the provinces of Mendoza, a wine-producing region that neighbors Chile, and Misiones, which borders Brazil hand has the famed Iguazu Falls. Prior to the pandemic, thousands of people crossed daily over those borders. Visitors will still need to show they have completed a full vaccine course at least 14 days before arriving, show a recent negative PCR test and accept a fast antigen test on arriving. They wont have to quarantine, but will required to have another PCR test if they stay beyond seven days and those who test positive would then have to quarantine. The announcement amounts to an early start on a gradual opening of land borders that already had been announced for citizens of neighboring countries that was to start on Friday. Fully vaccinated Argentines living abroad will no longer have to quarantine on arrival. The country of about 45 million people has seen steadily improving levels of infection and hospital bed occupation after being hit hard by the virus. Overall, it has recorded 5.2 infections and more than 114,000 deaths. LOS ANGELES Thousands of families sickened and forced from their Los Angeles homes after the nations largest-known natural gas leak have reached a settlement of up to $1.8 billion with a utility, attorneys said Monday. The settlement with Southern California Gas Co. and its parent company, Sempra Energy, will compensate 35,000 plaintiffs from the 2015 blowout that took nearly four months to control. The Aliso Canyon blowout led to the largest-known release of methane in U.S. history and was blamed for sickening thousands of residents who moved out of homes near the San Fernando Valley to escape a sulfurous stench and maladies including headaches, nausea and nose bleeds. The plaintiffs alleged personal injury for their illnesses and property damage to their homes. SoCalGas spent more than $1 billion on the the blowout with most going to temporarily relocate 8,000 families. The utility has faced more than 385 lawsuits on behalf of 48,000 people. Our goal has always been obtaining justice for the men, women and children who were failed by SoCalGas throughout every turn of this catastrophe, attorney Brian Panish said in a statement. Plaintiffs alleged they suffered personal injury and property damage after a natural gas storage well failed and uncontrollably released nearly 100,000 tons of methane and other substances into the atmosphere over 118 days. SoCalGas said it would record an after-tax charge of approximately $1.1 billion this month and expects total settlement payments of up to $1.85 billion. The agreement is subject to about 97% of plaintiffs accepting it and could be reduced if fewer agree. These agreements are an important milestone that will help the community and our company work toward putting this difficult chapter behind us, said Scott Drury, CEO of SoCalGas. Matt Pakucko, founder of Save Porter Ranch, issued a statement repeating his call for the permanent shutdown of the facility, where natural gas is stored beneath a mountain in vacant, old oil wells. You cant put a price tag on human suffering, he said. SoCalGas devastating blowout will never be behind us until the Aliso Canyon storage facility is shut down and the danger it poses to the community is permanently eliminated. We are nowhere near a resolution. State regulators found the gas company failed to investigate previous well failures at the storage site and didnt adequately assess its aging wells for disaster potential before the Oct. 23, 2015, blowout. SoCalGas previously reached a $120 million court settlement with the state attorney general and agreed to a $4 million settlement with Los Angeles County prosecutors after being convicted in Los Angeles Superior Court of failing to quickly report the leak to state authorities. A pair of New Mexicos largest hospitals are making headway on massive construction projects, which are expected to add a total of around 250 new hospital rooms in central Albuquerque. The cement frame of Presbyterians new $170 million, 11-story tower is mostly in place, and the tower remains on track to open by next winter, according to Dionne Cruz Miller, hospital chief executive for Presbyterian Healthcare Services. Once the tower and subsequent remodels to existing rooms are complete, Cruz Miller said the hospital will have more than 600 rooms, an uptick of around 25% over its current available space. When we see the growth in demand for health care, this provides that capacity, Cruz Miller said. About a mile northeast, University of New Mexico Hospital is preparing to break ground on a tower of its own. Mike Chicarelli, chief operating officer at UNMH, said the new building will add 96 inpatient beds and 18 operating rooms, allowing the hospital to consolidate and streamline its critical care operations in one building. Having the ability to unload your patient from the helicopter and take them directly down to the emergency department in an elevator thats designed specifically for that is incredibly efficient, and its good for patient care, Chicarelli said. Chicarelli said the new UNMH facility will be ready to serve its first patients in October 2024, and will free up the hospitals existing critical care space for a yet-to-be-determined purpose. Both administrators are optimistic that the expansions will help the hospitals better meet the growing demand for hospital space. A study produced by the Mid-Region Council of Governments notes that central New Mexico is expected to add 194,000 new residents by 2040. That growth, combined with an aging population, likely means a substantial uptick in hospital visits. Additionally, the COVID-19 pandemic has stressed hospitals at points over the last year and a half, forcing them to add temporary wards and divert resources to meet patients needs. We want to be able to provide care to New Mexicans in New Mexico, Chicarelli said. We know, based on our historical capacity, that somewhat is a challenge, because we are full a lot of the time. Cruz Miller added that the pandemic prompted the hospital to make a few changes to its design. The new tower will incorporate more natural light, with dedicated open spaces for medical staff to spend time together safely and recover from a challenging shift. People were so isolated during COVID, so fearful in terms of not wanting to congregate, she said. So we created these spaces where youre still able to congregate in natural settings. None of the new patient rooms in Presbyterians new facility will be shared, and Cruz Miller said the privacy will help caregivers communicate with patients more effectively. So when youre having those really crucial conversations, youre not in a shared space, she said. Both hospital projects also include expanded parking capacity. A new parking garage on Presbyterians campus is slated to open next month, and will result in a net increase of around 800 spaces. The first phase of UNMHs expansion a power station and parking garage with around 1,400 spots is underway and slated to be complete by the third quarter of 2022. The new parking replaces the hospitals existing structure, which sat where the new tower will be built and needed to be replaced, Chicarelli said. Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal September started out hot and dry. But two storm systems could bring cool temperatures and heavy rainfall to New Mexico this week. Alyssa Clements, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Albuquerque, said forecasters arent ruling out the chance for small hail and gusty winds. But were really focused on the heavy rain and flash-flooding risk, Clements said. On Tuesday, the below-average temperatures and higher rain chances will be focused across central and western New Mexico. Albuquerque is expected to reach a high of 75 degrees Tuesday, with a 30% chance of rain. Wednesday will be a quieter day between storm systems, Clements said. Albuquerque could hit 77 degrees. Statewide temperatures will begin to drop on Thursday as a cold front moves through, and rain chances will increase. Albuquerque has an 80% chance of rain Thursday and could reach 71 degrees. We are looking at some very light snow above 10,000 feet on Thursday night, where those coldest temperatures are going to be, Clements said. Friday will likely be the coldest day of the week. The forecast shows a high of 65 degrees for Albuquerque. Some areas of southeast New Mexico could see more than an inch of rain on Friday. As we head into this upcoming weekend, that storm system is going to exit, Clements said. Temperatures are going to remain cooler, but the moisture isnt really going anywhere, so were going to keep daily rounds of showers and thunderstorm activity. Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal. Youve just won the lottery and are rolling in so much dough you dont know how youre going to spend it all. Then, despite being flush with cash, the next thing you do is to tap into your 401(k) retirement account. Well, of course you wouldnt do that because it makes absolutely no sense. But thats exactly what Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and legislative Democrats are urging New Mexicans to do in November 2022 when they vote on a constitutional amendment that would tap the states Land Grant Permanent Fund for an extra $2 billion over 10 years to fund early childhood programs and k-12 education despite record revenue surpluses. If ever there was a good argument to siphon extra cash from the permanent fund fueled by oil and gas revenues and wisely established years ago looking toward a time when those resources that pay for a big chunk of the states operating expenses are significantly diminished and depleted its been washed away by a flood of new revenue. Theres going to be a lot more money than we know what to do with in the next few years, Sen. George Munoz, D-Gallup and vice chair of the state Legislative Finance Committee, said during a recent committee discussion on education. Munoz went on to note that dynamic wont last forever. One could argue that nothing does, but his point is yet another one on the wisdom of leaving the additional money in the permanent fund where it will continue to grow until we actually need it. A bit of context. Estimates released earlier this month by executive and legislative economists project New Mexico lawmakers will have a staggering $1.4 billion in projected revenue in excess of current spending levels a number that would boost the state budget from its current $7.4 billion to $8.8 billion. Thats billions with a b. That surge is fueled to a great extent by oil production New Mexico is now second only to Texas and natural gas. All this in a New Mexico economy that looks as anemic as the budget picture looks strong. On top of that, the projected revenue total doesnt include more than $1.5 billion expected to flow into relatively new rainy day and early childhood endowment funds over the next two years under changes enacted in 2017 and 2020 to set aside money in cash-flush years. Those funds will be so flush with cash that lawmakers are now talking about capping how much flows into them. And it doesnt include roughly $1.75 billion in federal COVID-relief funds that have only been partially earmarked by the Lujan Grisham administration. Some of that money, depending on either negotiations or the courts, could also be available for lawmakers to appropriate. But it will get spent, one way or another. Against this backdrop, voters will decide whether to increase the distribution of the Land Grand Permanent Fund from 5% a year money that largely funds schools and universities to 6.25%, generating an estimated $200 million a year in extra money for early childhood programs and other beneficiaries. Largely along party lines, legislators this year approved putting the constitutional amendment on the ballot in 2022. Not only do we have more money than we know what to do with, voters would do well to remember the state is already spending significant amounts on early childhood programs ranging from family visits to pre-K, programs that have been ramped up dramatically in recent years. Not to mention the point made by Sen. Bill Tallman, D-Albuquerque and a rare Democrat skeptic when it comes to tapping the fund, who wondered whether we could spend all the new money from the permanent fund effectively. And that was before the most recent revenue projections. By the time the election rolls around, there will be high-profile issues, campaigns and traditional mudslinging. A dollars-and-sense issue like this ballot question could easily get lost in the hoopla. It shouldnt. Drilling deeper into the fund isnt just unnecessary, its irresponsible. It is, in fact, a lot like tapping your retirement account after winning the lottery. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. I would like to thank Alka Chandna for her excellent op-ed (Americans deserve humane, scientific leadership at NIH) in the Journal on Sept. 10 criticizing the decision by Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institute of Health, to continue the use of experimentation on animals for medical research, notwithstanding clear, scientific evidence that animal studies seldom result in effective treatments and cures for human diseases. I have another, but related, gripe with Dr. Collins. In 2015 he declared that federally owned chimpanzees would no longer be used for scientific experimentation and that laboratory chimps would be retired to sanctuaries. However, Collins has refused to transfer 36 chimpanzees housed in a lab run by Charles River Laboratories (CRL) at Holloman Air Force Base in Alamogordo to Chimp Haven, the federal sanctuary located in Louisiana. The Alamogordo chimpanzees have suffered years of unnecessary invasive testing and been infected with human diseases and illnesses and subjected to painful procedures, including liver biopsies. Many have experienced solitary confinement. Females were bred and their offspring cruelly taken away at birth. These creatures, which are known to be highly intelligent, now remain warehoused at the lab for the rest of their lives. The sanctuary at Chimp Haven, on the other hand, is a 200-acre facility that was created specifically for chimpanzees previously used in biomedical research. It offers expert medical care, social housing appropriate to each chimps medical and behavioral condition, and the freedom for their residents to live as chimpanzees exploring the outdoors, participating in engaging enrichment activities and socializing with others. I once saw a compelling video of laboratory chimps as they were released outdoors after being transferred to Chimp Haven. They stood looking up at the sky as if in wonder and down at their feet, which were feeling the grass perhaps having these experiences for the very first time. The Alamogordo chimps deserve to spend their remaining days in this environment. CRL is a multibillion-dollar, global company dedicated to breeding, selling and experimenting on animals. It has an obvious financial interest in keeping the Alamogordo chimps at Holloman Air Force Base and at significant cost to taxpayers compared to the cost at Chimp Haven. Why does Collins continue NIHs relationship with this company that clearly does not have the chimps best interest in mind? I can only guess, but could the reason be, at least in part, because NIH wants to appease CRL and the animal research industry as pointed out by Chandna? NIH continues experimentation on animals other than chimpanzees which CRL can provide, house and subject to medical testing at taxpayers expense. If you find the plight of the Alamogordo chimps unacceptable, as I do, please contact your congressional representative and senators, make a complaint to the Department of Health and Human Services, which oversees the National Institute of Health, and keep expressing your displeasure wherever and as often as you can until these chimps are finally released to sanctuary. Editors note: This is the first in a series of profiles on Albuquerques mayoral candidates the Journal will publish this week. Future stories will cover such topics as crime and homelessness. Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal Eddy Aragon is a born salesman. The Albuquerque native spent about 13 years in the commercial real estate industry, starting on the IT side but later discovering with the aid of a personality test that he had the soul to sell, eventually brokering deals in the 2000s boom market of Las Vegas, Nevada. Its been more than a decade since the recession pummeled the industry, eventually setting Aragon on a different path. Back in Albuquerque, he bought a radio station and hosts a daily conservative talk show. But now the man behind The Rock of Talk is in sales mode again, working to convince a city with 75% more registered Democrats than Republicans that he the lone Republican on the 2021 mayoral ballot is the best man to guide it. Aragon has never held elected office before, a badge he wears proudly and said gives him something in common with former President Donald Trump, a man he said he admires. I dont need a job, Aragon told a news conference in August. Im not going to be running to become a professional politician. Im running to serve the people, the city and the state. Aragon, 46, arrived in the mayors race like a bolt of lightning during a summer monsoon. The campaign was shaping up as a two-man race between incumbent Tim Keller and Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales, both Democrats, when Aragon decided to mount a ballot-qualifying effort just weeks before the deadline. Within 14 days, the Republican made himself the races third contender by amassing enough signatures and then some to put his name on the ballot a feat he attributed partly to his reach as a radio host. The campaign encountered some early turbulence when a critic sought to disqualify him from the ballot, challenging his stated residency at the Southeast Albuquerque office building where he broadcasts. Aragon said he lives there showing a Journal reporter the small kitchen and even the futon where he sleeps in a room off his radio studio and that his residency is an allowable use of the property. He called the legal challenge a political hit job by those trying to thwart his campaign. A state judge dismissed the petition, upholding Aragons place on the ballot. His name will appear on the ballot without party affiliation because city elections are officially nonpartisan. But Aragon has vociferously promoted himself as the only Republican on the list. That may seem counterintuitive in a county where Joe Biden thumped Donald Trump in 2020 61% versus 37% but Aragon believes there is an appetite to recalibrate a local political landscape he argues leans too far to the left. I will do my best to continue to fight our fight so we can keep some level of balance, he said in a recent Journal interview. Anything thats great in this country has always been achieved through argument and conflict and confrontation, but also a certain level of compromise that comes out organically by people presenting their arguments or choices. Aragon actually joined the Republican Party after a deep affiliation with the other side. A University of New Mexico graduate with degrees in political science and economics, Aragon was once a college intern in former U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingamans Washington office and said he spent years of his young adulthood working to elect other Democrats. He said he worked on campaigns for Tom Udall and former state Rep. Raymond Sanchez. He still refers to Bernalillo County Commissioner Maggie Hart Stebbins, a Democrat who now serves as the states natural resources trustee, as the most intelligent politician in our state, bar none. But Aragon said his fracture with the Democratic Party happened during the 2004 presidential election cycle while he worked on Wesley Clarks bid for the Democratic nomination. High-profile Democrats treated Clark, a retired Army general, with open disdain, Aragon said. At that point, I was done with the party, he said. He essentially walked away from politics, diving deeper into his commercial real estate career. He worked for periods in Phoenix and Las Vegas, Nevada, riding the wave before the Great Recession decimated the Sin City economy. He returned to Albuquerque and became involved with KIVA radio (1600 AM), first as an operator. With the help of his father, a construction subcontractor who specializes in steel placing, Aragon acquired the station in 2014. Aragon said he began listening to more talk radio, and the tea party movement in particular resonated with him, driving his shift to the right. I felt myself more ideologically aligned with some of the things that we were talking about there certainly personal choice, freedom, liberty and seeing government as less and less as part of the solution, he said. In his quest for the Albuquerque Mayors Office, Aragon has made COVID-19 one of the five prongs of his platform namely challenging the state government-issued public health orders meant to curb the spread of a virus now linked to 4,764 deaths in New Mexico. He has protested the vaccine requirement for State Fair entry and dubbed Backstreet Grill valiant for the now-closed Old Town restaurants refusal to comply with mask mandates. He has said he is not vaccinated. While the courts have repeatedly upheld the authority of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams administration in such matters, Aragon said he would as mayor question them any way he could, saying that the states largest city should have some control. He opposes vaccine and mask mandates and said he would not require city workers to get shots. It should be a choice, he said. Aragon said hed like to hire a city-level epidemiologist, but as someone who has objected loudly to pandemic-related business closures, what would he as mayor do if the in-house epidemiologist recommended closing some due to virus risk? We would listen to the epidemiologists based upon the science, but I am not of the opinion of them making the final ultimate decision on behalf of the city, he said. Aragon contends the government response to the pandemic has robbed Albuquerque of its quality of life. Weve all got a certain level of crazy that has come along with COVID, and Im asking that that be subdued, he said. Although Aragon has never actually appeared on a ballot for elected office, he has flirted with politics before. He registered as a 2017 Albuquerque mayoral candidate but subsequently bowed out, and he pursued the Republican Partys nomination for this years 1st Congressional District special election, although the partys state central membership picked Mark Moores. A father of two young sons, Aragon said he does not want the title of mayor and would call himself city manager instead. This isnt about you or your political career; this is about getting a job done for the city of Albuquerque, he said. Aragon said he would enter office seeking deep-dive analyses of existing functions he talks about forensic audits to evaluate the efficiency of spending patterns in areas like public safety, homeless services and even public transportation. He would, for example, work to remove the $133 million Albuquerque Rapid Transit project from Central Avenue if it is economically feasible, although he is not sure what the feasible number is just yet. He also sees potential to improve morale within the Albuquerque Police Department, advocating for changes such as a no-settlement policy in lawsuits and an overtime system that spreads the workload and the extra pay more evenly throughout the department. He wants the city to think differently about employee hours, promoting varied work schedules something he said meets modern worker needs and has the added benefit of mitigating traffic. We try to talk about a smart city, but I think its pretty unintelligent how weve addressed some of the issues, he said. I think we can improve upon it if we assess what it is professionally. Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal The New Mexico Public Education Department isnt releasing statewide spring standardized test results after only 10% of public school students participated in testing last school year, the agency announced Monday. Citing low participation rates, inadequate access to broadband internet for students, and social and emotional impacts on students and teachers, department officials said it is impossible to make a valid interpretation of data from the spring testing. Designed by the education nonprofit Cognia, the New Mexico Measures of Student Success and Achievement, or NM-MSSA, is designed to measure English and math proficiency for students in third through eighth grade. It was originally slated to be administered in the spring of 2020 as a replacement to the PARCC exam. In the spring of 2020, testing was waived after March 13 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to PED. The announcement of the lack of data comes on the heels of a legislative report finding that the pandemic caused New Mexico public school students to lose an equivalent of 10 to 60 days of instruction time. Legislative analysts said this lost learning time could cause students to fall even further behind academically. Reliable statewide data concerning academic losses or improvements will likely not be available until 2023 due to pandemic related testing issues and the states move away from the PARCC test to the NM-MSSA, said Alexis Alvarez, PEDs director of accountability. Alvarez said metrics like growth require at least two points of time to be compared, which requires the test to be administered with high levels of participation at least twice something that wont happen until 2023 at the earliest. Before the pandemic, the state was required to have a 95% participation rate in yearly standardized assessments in order to meet federal requirements. This spring the state fell far short of that threshold, but it received a 2021 federal waiver allowing it to opt out of the accountability portion that sets the 95% participation rate requirement for public school students. This year, individual districts were allowed to decide whether to participate in testing. Most school districts, including Albuquerque Public Schools, Rio Rancho Public Schools and Las Cruces Public Schools, declined. Alvarez said that data gathered from the schools that did participate in testing might not be representative of the entire state; affluent districts may be overrepresented. The 95% participation rate required in normal years also served as a benchmark that allowed the state to accurately interpret data and make generalizations about the progress of subgroups of students like Native Americans, low income students and students with disabilities, according to Lynn Vasquez, PED director of assessments. With the lack of data on student educational outcomes, PED is now urging school districts to administer some form of standardized testing this fall in order for districts to gauge where students are academically. Our message is really that its not so much about the assessment of the past year or two, its about the assessment right now, NMPED Deputy Secretary Gwen Perea Warniment said. Right now is a critical space to push forward and understand where students are. The PED is not requiring districts to participate, but it will be tracking which districts opt in, PED spokeswoman Judy Robinson said. Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal San Juan County rancher Tommy Bolack knows that his 12,500-acre property is special. The B-Square Ranch near Farmington boasts riverside wetlands, archaeological sites and flocks of turkeys. Earlier this month, Bolack donated two conservation easements encompassing his entire ranch to the New Mexico Land Conservancy. The easements will prevent the largest privately owned property in San Juan County from ever being subdivided, or undergoing large-scale commercial or industrial development. This is attached in perpetuity to the land, and so it went hand in hand with exactly what Id like to see happen in the future, Bolack said. I want to keep this land like it is, not tear it up or commercialize it. The monumental agreement protects a huge, unique, undeveloped piece of open space, said Scott Wilber, executive director of the New Mexico Land Conservancy. Its still going to be a working farm and ranch. In this case, the farming operation really is pretty important for the wildlife conservation aspect of the property because it provides forage for waterfowl in the wintertime. Conservation easements are voluntary agreements between landowners and a land trust. Parties negotiate the deed terms to determine what activities and development should be restricted to protect natural resources or cultural sites. The NMLC will monitor the easements each year. Our role is not to manage the property, Wilber said. The easements are still in private ownership. With these kinds of projects, we want to keep large farms and ranches intact, not prevent them from making a living on the property. The ranchs alfalfa and cattle operations will not be affected by the easements. Bolack has converted several ranch buildings and homes into museums with a focus on wildlife and the history of electromechanics. The easements place a cap on how much additional construction can occur within those areas. Bolacks connection to local agriculture and multiple land uses dates back to 1957, when his father Tom picked out a poor piece of farmland and began planting crops on 80 acres. The elder Bolack served briefly as New Mexicos governor in the early 1960s. As the property has grown, Tommy Bolack has established and maintained ponds and wetlands near the San Juan River to provide habitat for migratory birds and native waterfowl. He raised and released 150 Rio Grande Turkey hatchlings to restore the bird to the area. The cattle ranch also boasts healthy populations of deer and bobcats. Hunting definitely has its place, as long as its managed, Bolack said. Several Ancestral Puebloan cultural sites can be found along the riverside property. Bolack works with San Juan College to fund an archaeological field school on his ranch. Ive worked very hard since I was very young to protect those sites from looting and pot hunting, he said. Theres a lot to be learned here. The easements allow for future archaeological research. The land parcels finalized as conservation easements are stitched together in the agreement. Those two parcels must remain together if the ranch is ever sold. The San Juan River plot includes riverside bosque habitat, wetlands and irrigated farm fields. A second Shannon Bluffs tract encompasses about 10,000 acres of cliffs and badlands. The donation comes amid a federal and state push to conserve 30% of all lands by 2030. The only way to accomplish that goal is to include private land conservation in the mix, Wilber said. Tommy donated this entire conservation easement, but the reality is we work with a lot of land-rich, cash-poor landowners across New Mexico. To do something with them, we need some resources, like state funding. In New Mexico, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams August announcement of the 3030 initiative was met with praise from local conservation groups and objections from some Republican leaders. Much of the criticism has come from residents who share Bolacks values: conservative, skeptical of big government and protective of property rights. But, for the San Juan County rancher, the conservation easements are a way to preserve his fathers and his own traditions of stewardship of the land and wildlife. Were caretakers of the resources while were here, Bolack said. We do as much as we can to make it a little bit better. Theresa Davis is a Report for America corps member covering water and the environment for the Albuquerque Journal. Copyright 2021 Albuquerque Journal The family of a passenger on a hot air balloon that crashed and killed five people on Albuquerques West Side in June has filed a lawsuit against the estate of the deceased pilot, who had drugs in his system, and the companies that operated the commercial balloon. The estate of Martin Andrew Martinez, 62, brought the case against Hot Air Balloonatics LLC, Sventato LLC, and the estate of the deceased pilot, Nicholas Meleski. Filed last week in 2nd Judicial District Court, the suit accuses Meleski of piloting the balloon in a reckless manner, and is seeking unspecified monetary, punitive and other damages. The lawsuit says that Meleski was an employee of Hot Air Balloonatics and one of the organizers of Sventato an Italian word meaning rash, reckless or scatterbrained which owned the Cameron Balloons US O-120 aircraft that crashed near Central and Unser on June 26. The balloon struck a power line, separating the envelope from the basket, which toppled about 100 feet onto the busy street and killed all five people on board, according to preliminary crash reports. Kari Biernacki is the registered agent of Hot Air Balloonatics. A person who answered the phone for the business Monday said shes very upset and doesnt have anything to say. Meleski and Mona Lamont are listed as the organizers of Sventato, according to the Secretary of States website. Court records show Martinezs heirs are his four sons: Martin Anthony, Mark, Marcus and Manuel. Dathan Weems, an attorney for the estate, could not be reached for comment on Monday. The court filing marks the first lawsuit brought in connection with the balloon crash, which was the deadliest such crash in the history of New Mexico, a state renowned for its ballooning and home to one of the worlds premier balloon festivals, which starts this weekend. Martinez was a former Albuquerque police officer who was working as an officer for Albuquerque Public Schools. The suit is seeking compensation not only for his lost earning potential, but also for emotional suffering during his final moments on the doomed balloon. Also killed in the crash were Martinezs wife, Mary Martinez, 59; Georgia OKeeffe Elementary School assistant principal Susan Montoya, 65; and her husband, John Montoya, 61. Teachers and co-workers had chipped in to purchase the balloon ride for Susan Montoya as a going-away gift because she planned to transfer to another school. A Federal Aviation Administration report made public last week says that Meleski, 62, had marijuana and cocaine in his blood and urine. The National Transportation Safety Board hasnt ruled on the cause of the June 26 crash. Meleskis family said in a statement Thursday that it wouldnt be commenting on the crash. But, earlier in the week, in response to the toxicology report, it issued a statement. Like you, we have just received the report and we are reviewing the information contained in the report to gain an understanding of the findings, the Meleski family said in a statement. We are awaiting the full results of the ongoing investigation into the accident. A soldier reported that she was assaulted by a small group of Afghan refugees at a shelter complex set up for the refugees in New Mexico, Fort Bliss officials said. A Fort Bliss statement said the assault happened Sept. 19 at the Fort Bliss Dona Ana County Range Complex about 40 miles north of El Paso, Texas. We take the allegation seriously and appropriately referred the matter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said a Fort Bliss statement. The soldier was reporting for her shift around midnight when three to four men attacked her, according to a U.S. Defense Department official. She had minor physical injuries and was able to get away. She was not sexually assaulted, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. The official said that soldiers on duty operate on a buddy system, but the female soldier was just arriving and had not yet linked up with her buddy for the shift. The official said that no one had yet been charged and that the FBI was investigating. It was unclear if law enforcement had identified the attackers. The Fort Bliss statement said the woman was immediately provided appropriate care, counseling and support, and that security measures at the complex were being strengthened. U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell, the Republican representing the district where the complex is situated, said her staff was also investigating. The U.S. government erected the complex in late August and early September to house thousands of Afghan refugees. According to the Fort Bliss statement, all Afghan nationals are subjected to a multi-layer screening and vetting process before being admitted to the United States. The process involves biometric and biographic screenings conducted by intelligence, law enforcement and counterterrorism professionals from the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, the National Counterterrorism Center and other intelligence community resources. HOUSTON A grand jury has declined to indict four Houston police officers who fatally shot a man more than 20 times while he was in the midst of a mental health crisis. The grand jury chose not to indict the officers, who had been fired after last years death of Nicolas Chavez, 27. At the time, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo who has since taken over as Miamis police chief said the officers did not follow departmental rules by failing to retreat and take cover when Chavez picked up a stun gun. The Harris County Civil Rights Division presented evidence over a four-day period and the grand jury chose not to indict on various charges, including criminally negligent homicide and murder, the Houston Chronicle reported. District Attorney Kim Ogg said Monday that the grand jury also considered the issue of defense, including self-defense and defense of a third person. Civil Rights Division prosecutors presented all the evidence to ensure grand jurors were fully informed prior to making a decision, Ogg said. Our heart goes out to the Chavez family over the loss of their loved one. We respect the grand jurys decision. Family members of Chavez and supporters have said that he was needlessly killed. Those fired were identified as: officers Patrick Rubio, Luis Alvarado and Omar Tapia, and Sgt. Benjamin LeBlanc. They have appealed their firings. Im happy the grand jury saw it the way it happened, Houston Police Officers Union president Doug Griffith said. These officers acted in the way they were trained, and Im looking forward to arbitration, so they can get their jobs back. The officers were responding to 911 calls that reported a man jumping fences and threatening bystanders. The officers opened fire when Chavez, who earlier told police that he was a patient at a mental health clinic, picked up a stun gun that one of the officers had dropped. He was shot more than 20 times, authorities have said. Augie Pinedo, District 18 director of the League of United Latin American Citizens, compared Chavezs killing to one by a firing squad. We feel for the family who has been waiting months and months for justice to be done only to suffer a serious blow to their attempts to obtain justice for their loved one and closure for the family, Pinedo said. We can say without equivocation that justice failed today. HUNTSVILLE, Texas A Texas inmate was executed Tuesday evening for fatally stabbing two Houston-area brothers during a robbery in their home more than 30 years ago. Rick Rhoades, 57, was executed by lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. He was condemned for the September 1991 killings of Charles Allen, 31, and Bradley Allen, 33. The brothers were killed less than a day after Rhoades had been released on parole after serving a sentence for burglary. Rhoades, strapped to the death chamber gurney, turned his head and looked briefly at relatives of his victims as they walked to a window in a witness area a few feet from him. Asked by the warden to make a final statement, he declined. Then as the lethal dose of the powerful sedative pentobarbital began flowing through needles in each of his arms, Rhoades took several deep breaths, gurgled twice and began snoring, each breath becoming less pronounced. Within about a minute, all movement stopped. He was pronounced dead at 6:29 p.m. CDT, 17 minutes after the lethal injection began. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to delay Rhoades execution over claims his constitutional right to due process was being violated because he was being prevented from pursuing allegations that some potential jurors at his trial might have been dismissed for racially discriminatory reasons. We hope the Allen family finds peace after nearly 30 years of waiting for justice for their loved ones, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, who attended the execution, said in a statement. The death penalty should be reserved for the worst of the worst, and a Harris County jury determined long ago that this defendant fits the bill. Let us honor the memory of the victims, Charles and Bradley Allen, and never forget that our focus has and always will be on the victims. Marley Allen Holt, Bradley Allens daughter who now lives in Brooklyn, N.Y., and who was born during Rhoades trial, said she attended Tuesdays punishment because Rhoades watched her father die and I wanted to watch him die. Its a weird feeling, Kevin Allen, whose two brothers were slain, said after witnessing the execution. I cant really describe what its like. Its the most solemn thing I think Ive ever been part of, if thats the word thats even appropriate. In July, Rhoades attorneys had filed a federal lawsuit against state District Judge Ana Martinez in Houston over a request they had made that the judge order prosecutors to release information related to allegations some jurors were dismissed based on racial discrimination. Martinez ruled she lacked jurisdiction to consider the request. The suit was dismissed earlier this month by a Houston federal judge, who also declined to stay the execution. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday upheld the suits dismissal and also declined to stay the execution. The appeals court in 2019 had previously denied a similar claim by Rhoades attorneys on allegations that two Black jurors were dismissed due to racial bias. Rhoades is white. Rhoades attorneys had previously unsuccessfully argued in other appeals: that his constitutional rights were violated when childhood photos depicting Rhoades in normal, happy activities and designed to show he was nonviolent and would do well in prison were excluded during his trials punishment phase; that a state investigator gave false testimony at his trial over whether Rhoades could receive an unaccompanied furlough if sentenced to life in prison; and that evolving standards of decency prohibit executions as a punishment for murder. A 2020 Gallup poll on Americans attitudes regarding capital punishment shows that public support for the death penalty is at its lowest in a half-century, with opposition higher than any time since 1996, David Dow and Jeffrey Newberry wrote in a court motion last month. Rhoades had a long criminal history, including convictions for burglary and auto theft in Florida, Iowa and Texas, when he broke into Charles Allens house in the Houston suburb of Pasadena. The home, located near where the siblings parents lived, had just been custom built for Charles Allen and he had invited his brother to temporarily live with him. The two brothers had recently gone through separate divorces. Charles Allen, who played the piano and had dreams of a musical career, worked as a chemical operator at a local refinery. Bradley Allen worked as a freelance artist. At trial, prosecutors told jurors the siblings were asleep when Rhoades broke into their home in the early morning hours and attacked Charles Allen as he was in his bed. Bradley Allen was killed when he came to his brothers defense. An arrest in the case wasnt made until about a month later when Rhoades was caught burglarizing an elementary school. While in custody, Rhoades confessed to killing the brothers. But he claimed it was done in self-defense after exchanging words with Charles Allen as Rhoades took a walk at 2:30 a.m. I was tired of running. I wanted to tell what happened, Rhoades said in his confession. Rhoades was the third inmate put to death this year in Texas and the sixth in the U.S. Four more executions are scheduled for later this year in Texas, the nations busiest capital punishment state. ___ Follow Juan A. Lozano on Twitter: https://twitter.com/juanlozano70 WASHINGTON Pressure mounting, President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress strained Tuesday to trim back his potentially historic $3.5 trillion government overhaul to win support from two key holdout senators ahead of make-or-break deadlines for votes. With Republicans solidly opposed and no votes to spare, Biden canceled a Wednesday trip to Chicago that was to focus on COVID-19 vaccinations so he could continue working on a deal, according to a White House official granted anonymity to discuss the planning. Democrats are poised to adjust the huge measures tax proposals and spending goals to meet the overall size demanded by party colleagues Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. The two say Bidens plan is too big but are publicly quiet about a number they can live with. The president met separately with them Tuesday at the White House, making apparent progress before a Thursday test vote. As the legislation comes into focus, the adjustments will follow child care subsidies could be offered for several years, or just a few. Funding to expand health care programs could start later or end sooner. Tax hikes on corporations and the wealthy may be adjusted. And provisions to fight climate change or curb prescription drug prices could change. Assuming nothing, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters at the Capitol, In the next day or so we hope to come to a place where we can all move forward. The stakes are as high as ever as Biden and his party try to accomplish a giant legislative lift, promising a vast rewrite of the nations tax priorities and spending goals with an oh-so-slim majority in Congress. Biden is under pressure to close the deal with centrist Sens. Manchin and Sinema who are seen as linchpins for the final package. Really good, honest, straightforward negotiations, Manchin told reporters back at the Capitol after his White House meeting with Biden. He said he did not give the president a new topline figure. Bidens problems with fellow Democrats arent just in the Senate. A small number of House Democrats also are bristling at the far-reaching scope of his domestic agenda and demanding changes. Were obviously at a very sensitive time, said White House press secretary Jen Psaki. The president, she said, is not going to tell anyone what to do. Hes going to have a discussion, have an engagement. The closed-door talks come after Republican senators for a second time blocked a bill to keep the government operating past Thursday and allow federal borrowing, risking a federal shutdown and devastating debt default though both seem highly unlikely. Democrats said they will try again before Thursdays deadline to pass a bill funding government operations past the Sept. 30 fiscal year-end, likely stripping out the more-heated debate over the debt limit for another day, closer to a separate October deadline. Taken together, its all putting the entire Biden agenda perilously closer to collapse, with consequences certain to shape his presidency and the lawmakers political futures. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Congress in a letter Tuesday that Oct. 18 is a critical date when the Treasury Department will likely exhaust all of its extraordinary measures being taken to avoid a default on the governments obligations. Yellen urged Congress to protect the full faith and credit of the United States by acting as soon as possible to either raise the debt limit or suspend it. Meanwhile, the behind the scenes action over the $3.5 trillion measure is testing Bidens grip on his party, as he seeks a once-in-a-generation reworking of the nations balance sheets. Applying pressure, progressives are unwavering so far in their refusal to go along with a vote expected Thursday on a companion bill, a $1 trillion public works measure that they say is too meager without Bidens bigger package assured. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said they have the votes to derail the smaller bill unless it comes with Bidens broader one tacit pressure on the holdouts to arrive at a deal. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., urged a no vote. It wont be the end of the world Thursday if we vote it down, said Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., a progressive caucus member. He said the House will just wait for the Senate to act on Bidens plan, and then well vote again. With all Republicans opposed to the big bill, Democratic leaders cant spare a single vote in the 50-50 Senate, relying on Vice President Kamala Harris to break a tie to pass the eventual package. Physically holding up the 2,000-plus page bill, Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming warned it was nothing but big government socialism. This bill represents Bernie Sanders socialist dream. It is a nightmare for American taxpayers, he said. Biden insists the price tag actually will be zero because the expansion of government programs would be largely paid for with higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy businesses earning more than $5 million a year, and individuals earning more than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples. To lower the price tag and win over centrist Democrats, its not necessary that any specific programs be get axed, those familiar with the process have said. Rather, lawmakers are eyeing ways to adjust the scope and duration of some of Bidens proposals. For example, instead of more immediately launching the massive expansion of the Medicare program for seniors by allowing them to qualify for vision, dental and hearing aid benefits, changes might be spaced out to save money. Or similarly, funding to expand Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act could have an end-date rather than continue on. The corporate tax hikes, proposed to spike from 21% to 26.5% under the Houses version of Bidens bill, could shift again in talks with the Senate Democrats. Failing to fund all the program expansions indefinitely could well be seen as a loss for Democrats. But some see the built-in deadlines as a chance to revisit the issues again likely during election years when both sides can argue their cases to voters. Tensions are flaring at the Capitol as the contours of Bidens big agenda come into focus at the same time as a Democrat-Republican standoff over normally routine votes to fund the government and prevent a federal debt default. For a second day on Tuesday, Senate Republicans rejected an effort to ease the nations debt limit to avoid a dangerous default on its payments for past bills. Republican leader Mitch McConnell grew testy with reporters when asked about Yellens warning that Congress must swiftly resolve the issue. Of course the debt ceiling has to be raised, he said. But he insisted Democrats shoulder the unpopular vote on their own. On Monday, Republicans had rejected the Democrats effort to link the debt ceiling vote to the must-pass funding bill to keep government running. An exasperated Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, It is clear insanity and disaster are now the Republican party line. ___ Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Zeke Miller, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Darlene Superville contributed to this report. WASHINGTON In his first congressional testimony on the tumultuous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday defended the militarys execution of a frantic airlift from Kabul and asserted it will be difficult but absolutely possible to contain future threats from Afghanistan without troops on the ground. Speaking alongside Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Austin also questioned decisions made over the 20-year course of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. In retrospect, he said, the American government may have put too much faith in its ability to build a viable Afghan government. We helped build a state, but we could not forge a nation, he told the Senate Armed Services Committee. The fact that the Afghan army we and our partners trained simply melted away in many cases without firing a shot took us all by surprise. It would be dishonest to claim otherwise. Austin acknowledged shortcomings in the final airlift from Hamid Karzai International Airport that began Aug. 14, such as an initial wave of violence at and near the airfield that led to multiple deaths of Afghan civilians. But he asserted that the airlift was a historic accomplishment that removed 124,000 people from Taliban rule. To be clear, those first two days were difficult, said Austin, who is a veteran of the war. We all watched with alarm the images of Afghans rushing the runway and our aircraft. We all remember the scenes of confusion outside the airport. But within 48 hours, our troops restored order, and process began to take hold. The Biden administration faces criticism on multiple fronts for its handling of the final months of the war. Sen. James Inhofe, the ranking Republican on the Armed Services panel, told Austin and Milley that the withdrawal and evacuation amounted to an avoidable disaster. Republicans in particular have intensified their attacks on President Joe Bidens decision to pull all troops out of Afghanistan by Aug. 30, saying it left the U.S. more vulnerable to terrorism. They are demanding more details on the suicide bombing in Kabul that killed 13 American service members in the final days of the withdrawal. Gen. Frank McKenzie, who as head of Central Command oversaw the withdrawal, testified alongside Austin and Milley. Inhofe has peppered the Pentagon with a lengthy list of questions about multiple aspects of the withdrawal, including the suicide bombing on Aug. 26 at Kabuls international airport that killed some 169 Afghans in addition to the American service members. He also is demanding information about decision making over the summer as it became apparent that the Taliban were overwhelming U.S.-backed Afghan forces. We need a full accounting of every factor and decision that led us to where we are today and a real plan for defending America moving forward, Inhofe wrote last week. The withdrawal ended the longest war in U.S. history. The Biden administration, and some Democrats in Congress, have argued that former President Donald Trump bears some of the blame for the war ending in a Taliban victory, since his administration signed a deal with the Taliban in 2020 that promised a full American withdrawal by May 2021. They also have pointed to a yearslong U.S. failure to build an Afghan military that could stand up to the Taliban. This is not a Democratic or a Republican problem. These failures have been manifesting over four presidential administrations of both political parties, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I, said the day after the Taliban took over Kabul on Aug. 15. Although Tuesdays hearing was scheduled to focus on Afghanistan, other topics were sure to come up, including Milleys actions during the final months of Trumps presidency. Some in Congress have accused Milley of disloyalty for what the book Peril, by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, reported as assurances to a Chinese general that the U.S. had no plan to attack China, and that if it did, Milley would warn him in advance. In the days following news accounts of the books reporting, Milley declined to comment in detail, instead telling reporters that he would lay out his answers directly to Congress. His only comments have been that the calls with the Chinese were routine and within the duties and responsibilities of his job. Both Milley and Austin have defended the U.S. militarys execution of an Afghanistan withdrawal that Biden ordered in April. The pullout was largely completed by early July, but several hundred troops were kept in Kabul, along with some defensive equipment, to protect a U.S. diplomatic presence in the capital. The State Department initially said the diplomats would remain after the military withdrawal was completed by Aug. 31, but when the Afghan forces collapsed and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, leaving the Taliban in charge, a frantic evacuation began. The Pentagon has defended its execution of an airlift from Kabul airport that transported more than 120,000 people, while acknowledging that it got off to a chaotic start and was under near-constant threat of terrorist attack. The Biden administrations avalanche of incompetence has damaged our international reputation and humiliated the United States on the world stage, Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, both Republicans, wrote in the Des Moines Register. Yet, our president and secretary of state continue to pretend that the withdrawal from Afghanistan was a historic success. Cotton and others have questioned the viability of U.S. plans to contain al-Qaida and the Islamic State groups Afghanistan affiliate by using intelligence-collection assets and attack planes based outside of Afghanistan. ORLANDO, Fla. Applying to be one of the first workers at Walt Disney World, high school graduate George Kalogridis made a split-second decision that set the course for his life: he picked a room where prospective hotel workers were being hired. Chuck Milam got a tip about a job opening from a transplanted Disney executive whose new house he was landscaping. Earliene Anderson jumped at the chance to take a job at the new Disney theme park in Florida, having fallen in love with the beauty of Disneyland in California during a trip two years earlier. At the time, the three were among the 6,000 employees who opened the Magic Kingdom at Disney World to the public for the first time on Oct. 1, 1971. Now, they are among two dozen from that first day still employed at the theme park resort as it celebrates its 50th anniversary on Friday. Over those decades, Disney World added three more theme parks, two dozen additional hotels and grew to have a workforce of 77,000 employees as it helped Orlando become the most visited place in the U.S. before the pandemic. What never changed was the original employees devotion to the pixie dust, the dream machine created by Walt Disney and his Imagineers. Disney has been my love, and it still is, Anderson said recently before starting her shift in merchandising at a Magic Kingdom hotel. I love Disney. The employees who make up the 50-year club say the theme park resort has allowed them to grow their careers and try on new hats. Kalogridis worked his way up to be president of Walt Disney World and Disneyland in California. Milam went from a warehouse worker to a buyer of spare parts for rides and shows. Forrest Bahruth joined the workforce at Disney World in January 1971 as a show director, responsible for staging and choreographing parades and shows. He was also given the opportunity to help open other Disney theme parks around the world over the past five decades. There are people all over the world who get up to go work. Theyre unhappy about it. They dont really like their jobs, Bahruth said. As you can tell from us, theres an enthusiasm. We are privileged to be at a place where we love what we do. There was no guarantee that Disney World was going to be a success 50 years ago. Walt Disney, the pioneering animator and entrepreneur whose name graces the Florida resort, had died in 1966, just a year after announcing plans for the East Coast Disneyland. The company had quietly acquired 27,000 acres (11,000 hectares) of scrub land outside Orlando for around $5 million via secret land purchases using fake names and shell companies. The job of shepherding the project to Opening Day fell to his brother, Roy Disney, who with other company officials convinced the Florida Legislature to create a quasi-governmental agency that would allow Disney to self-govern when it came to matters of infrastructure and planning. Roy died almost three months after Disney World opened. Just weeks before opening, construction at the Magic Kingdom was controlled chaos, and it seemed impossible that it would all come together in time. It was like an army of ants. Everything was under construction. Interiors were still being put in. Roofing was still being put on top, Bahruth said. There was painting, landscaping. Things were arriving by the moment. It was like trucks going everywhere. Bahruth rehearsed performers through parade choreography down Main Street, which cut through the center of the Magic Kingdom and resembled a turn-of-the-century small town from Walt Disneys childhood. Even though he was a busser, Kalogridis was drafted into laying down sod outside the hotel he was working in, hours before Disney Worlds grand opening. Two things have stuck in the memories of the longtime employees from that opening day. The first was the photo. It was an image of thousands of Disney World workers standing in front of the iconic Cinderella Castle with Mickey Mouse and other costumed characters holding hands in front. Two weeks later, it was featured on the cover of Life magazine. They brought all the characters up, staged them first, and then they tried to keep all the different workers together based on the color of their costumes, Milam said. If you were from Fantasyland and in yellow, you would go over there. The second was the parade. It featured a 1,076-member marching band conducted by Meredith Willson, the composer of the Broadway show, The Music Man. There were 4,000 Disney entertainers marching through the theme park, a mass choir and trumpeters from the United States Army Band. Hundreds of white doves were released into the air, and less environmentally friendly, so were thousands of multi-colored balloons. It was the biggest thing I had ever seen, Bahruth said. Only around 10,000 visitors showed up on that first day which at todays much larger Walt Disney World would represent about 90 minutes worth of visitors entering. It wouldnt be until Thanksgiving 1971, almost three months later, when Disney executives had an answer about whether their new resort would be a success; thats when cars trying to get into the Magic Kingdom stretched for miles down the interstate. It was very clear after that first Thanksgiving, that the public definitely liked what we were doing, Kalogridis said. That first Thanksgiving, that was the moment. ___ The spelling of Meredith Willsons last name has been corrected. ___ Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP CHESTER, Mont. Trevor Fossen was running late for a wedding Saturday afternoon when he turned onto a dusty, gravel road in rural Montana as a westbound train approached the crossing in front of him. The train never made it to the crossing. The next thing Fossen saw was a wall of dust fill the sky. I started looking at that, wondering what it was, and then I saw the train had tipped over and derailed, said Fossen, a 29-year-old farmer. It was an Amtrak Empire Builder en route from Chicago to Seattle that had derailed, killing three people and injuring dozens. Investigators still dont know what caused the crash. Fossen and at least nine other people called 911, setting off a chain reaction of help from residents in the nearby towns of Joplin and Chester as people jumped into action to get people off the train and care for injured passengers and those who were stunned and had suffered bumps, bruises and other less serious injuries. Volunteer emergency responders, firefighters, law enforcement, medical providers and regular citizens all worked together to help those whose trip was so suddenly and violently interrupted, embodying the spirit of a rural part of Montanas Hi-Line region near the Canadian border. Fossen said he started to help first responders get a handful of people out of a train car that was leaning, then moved back to three cars that were detached from the train and were lying on their sides. He and others helped get a badly injured woman out of a car. Others helped unload the baggage car near the front of the train. The three who didnt survive were identified as Donald Varnadoe, 74, and Marjorie Varnadoe, 72, a married couple from Georgia; and Zachariah Schneider, a 28-year-old from Illinois. All died at the scene, the Liberty County Sheriffs Office said. Dale Fossen, Trevors uncle, farms nearby and arrived at the scene shortly after the crash. The 75-year-old amateur photographer said he wasnt sure what he could do to help, but he observed the chaotic scene and took some pictures with his cellphone. Some passengers stood in the dust, looking bewildered, he said. Others tended to their wounds. I saw a small child, mother and father, sitting on the railroad tracks right behind the first car that I saw laying sideways, he said. The little girl was crying. Dale Fossen said he walked over a rise and saw the three cars on their sides. I could see people standing on top of the middle car and ladders and I saw them trying to cut a hole in the roof that was laying on the side, he said. The effort to cut into the rail car failed, even with the Jaws of Life equipment. He talked to one passenger who said he was in one of the cars when it started to tip sideways and a large spring went through the windshield by him. So he grabbed ahold of something as the car tipped over, Fossen said. He said the only thing that kept him from going underneath the train was him holding on. Meanwhile, Liberty Medical Center in the small community of Chester called in all of its staff including housekeeping and most responded, said Bev Halter, director of human resources. They triaged 31 patients Saturday evening. We may be a small Critical Access Hospital in a remote location, but we were able to show the size of our commitment to being here for those in need, Halter said in a statement. We are so thankful for this facility, our employees, and the community who pulled together to provide the best response and care possible. People who were seriously injured were taken by ambulance or flown to other hospitals in the region that had called and offered their help, said Sarah Robbin, the Disaster and Emergency Services coordinator for Liberty County. Six people remained hospitalized Tuesday. Those who were not seriously hurt were loaded onto school buses and the senior citizen bus and taken to a school gym and community center in Chester, where residents helped them charge their cellphones to call families and health care workers evaluated them. Some took showers, and the passengers were offered food. Ricky Maan, owner of the Chester Supermarket, said he provided water and ice, made some pizzas and allowed residents to take whatever else was needed for the passengers, including napkins, wipes and bandages. I told my cashier, dont charge them, said Maan, whose family bought the grocery store five years ago. We can help those people who already hurt. He added: We like to help all the time. This is our community. . . . We used to live in a big city, we never see like this. But in small town, everybody is like, once something happens, is all together. A religious group brought in ingredients to make sandwiches. Some people drove passengers to Great Falls or Kalispell that night to reunite them with hospitalized family members, and others took passengers to Great Falls to catch a flight home, officials said. Recordings of the 911 calls to the Liberty County sheriffs office included some breathless passengers asking for help, describing injuries to fellow passengers including two men with cuts on their heads and at least one Amtrak employee describing a co-workers injuries and saying there were more than 90 people on board. People who had been driving along the highway and saw the derailment also called to make sure it had been reported. Weve had a derailment. Its urgent, one passenger said. Get as many ambulances out there as you can. Robbin, the Disaster and Emergency Services coordinator, said the response across the Hi-Line was fantastic. We cant thank our partners enough, who came from everywhere and did what they needed to do, and its just going to be one of those things that I dont know that well ever be able to repay, but know that when they put out the call, we will be there for them, she said. The county is offering a counselor-led debriefing on Wednesday. This is for community members to discuss their experiences and for those that may be struggling to process the recent events in our community, the notice states. A counselor will be available on Thursday for individual discussions, as needed. Please reach out to your neighbors, friends and family members, to support them during this time, the notice says. The rail line was reopened to traffic early Tuesday, said Lena Kent, a BNSF Railway spokesperson. CHICAGO A historian devoted to keeping alive the stories of long-dead victims of racial violence along the Texas-Mexico border and a civil rights activist whose mission is to make sure people who leave prison are free to walk into the voting booth are among this years MacArthur fellows and recipients of genius grants. The Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation on Tuesday announced the 25 recipients, who will each receive $625,000. The historian and the activist are part of an eclectic group that includes scientists, economists, poets, and filmmakers. As in previous years, the work of several recipients involves topics that have been dominating the news from voting rights to how history is taught in schools. Race figures prominently in the work of about half of them, including that of Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to be an Antiracist and Stamped from the Beginning, which was a National Book Award winner for nonfiction. There is a generation of older and younger writers, thinkers and creators who are able to recognize the complexity of racism and clarify it for everyday people to see it and grasp it and be outraged by it, Kendi said. These generations have been hugely inspired by previous generations, added Kendi, who will contribute an essay to the forthcoming book The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story thats based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1619 Project that centers U.S. history around slavery. I think we built this movement to a point in which it is indeed a juggernaut with no way of stopping. The selection process for the MacArthur grants is shrouded in secrecy. Instead of applications, anonymous groups make nominations and recommendations to the foundations board of directors. Kendi, 39, said he had no knowledge he had been nominated. My first words were: Are you serious?' Kendi said Tuesday. Its one of the biggest, if not the biggest, honor Ive ever received. COVID-19 also was clearly on the minds of the foundations board of directors. It comes up in the work of no fewer than four recipients, including a computational biologist building tools to track and forecast viruses and a physician-economist working to better communicate the need for the COVID-19 vaccine to communities that distrust medical institutions. As we emerge from the shadows of the past two years, this class of 25 Fellows helps us re-imagine whats possible, said Cecilia Conrad, the foundations managing director of fellows. Much of what is going on, from the COVID-19 pandemic to efforts in the U.S. to alter the way elections are held and the way students are taught in school, added a sense of urgency to this years awards, some recipients said. This award is so timely for me, personally to remain committed to make sure the public has access to the truth, true history, even when it is troubling (and) especially when that history can help us build a better future, Monica Munoz Martinez, a historian at the University of Texas, Austin, pointing to efforts in some states to limit how teachers discuss racism. Martinez was recognized, in part because of her book The Injustice Never Leaves You: Anti-Mexican Violence in Texas, about a period a century ago when hundreds Mexicans and Mexican Americans were slaughtered by vigilantes as well as the Texas Rangers. Desmond Meade, who led a campaign that resulted in the passage of a measure in Florida that restored the voting rights of felons who have served their sentences, said the recognition and the money will help him continue his work to help former prison inmates. Meades effort had a setback last year when a federal appellate court upheld the position of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the GOP-led Legislature that Florida felons must pay all fines before regaining their right to vote. Meade noted that he struggled with drug addiction and homelessness and has served time in prison himself. The country needs to see stories of triumph and everyday regular people who are impacting their communities, he said. This (genius grant) means that each and every one in this country has the capacity to do something great. ___ Associated Press reporter Corey Williams contributed from West Bloomfield, Mich. PHOENIX A handful of school districts are prolonging mask mandates after a judge ruled Arizonas ban on them was unconstitutional. As of Tuesday, Scottsdale Unified School District, Paradise Valley Schools and Tucsons largest school district announced they would continue to enforce mask-wearing among students and faculty at campuses as well as district facilities. Tucson Unified School District, however, had planned to maintain a mask mandate regardless of the outcome in court, the Arizona Daily Star reported. Meanwhile, school districts in more conservative-leaning parts of the state like Bullhead City will continue to encourage, but not mandate, masks. In a ruling Monday, a Maricopa County Superior Court judge disagreed with the ban on school and local mask mandates being tucked inside budget legislation. Judge Katherine Cooper ruled the contents and measures of a bill must be reasonably related to its title. The ban would have taken effect Monday. In the meantime, at least 29 public school districts in Arizona enacted mask requirements before the start of school year in defiance of the law and Gov. Doug Duceys previous executive order. Meanwhile, Arizona on Tuesday reported 1,123 additional confirmed COVID-19 cases and 108 deaths. The number of new cases was lower because of a reporting problem, the state Department of Health Services said. The glitch has since been fixed but will likely mean higher case numbers for the next two days as the reporting catches up. Since the pandemic has started, Arizona has seen 1,087,451 confirmed cases and 19,920 deaths. According to Johns Hopkins University data, the seven-day rolling average of daily new cases dropped over the past two weeks, decreasing from 2,581 on Sept. 12 to 2,500 on Sunday. The rolling average of daily deaths rose from 26.9 to 42.7 during the same period. COVID-19-related hospitalizations, which have decreased slightly since mid-September, as of Monday were at 1,794 for second straight day, the states dashboard reported. A pair of international manufacturers are expanding to New Mexico, and are planning to add at least 10 jobs in the state. Ergomotion, Inc., the worlds largest manufacturer of bedding bases and The Tecma Group of Companies, which provides shelter services for manufacturers, have announced new facilities in Santa Teresa. Both manufacturers have established operations in Juarez, Mexico, and looked to the Santa Teresa area to provide advantages like quick access to national and international markets, and competitive training programs that complement their already established production facilities in Mexico, according to a news release from New Mexico Partnership. The New Mexico Economic Development Department will provide Tecma with a $100,000 grant from the states LEDA Job Creation Fund to support the project, according to the release. New Mexico has become key for many companies looking for ease of access to distribute products within the United States and to the rest of the world, said Alicia Keyes, cabinet secretary for EDD, in a prepared statement. This area, and New Mexico in general, offers unique logistical advantages for those looking to simplify their global supply chain. MAGALIA, Calif. The Community Action Agency (CAA) will distribute food to the public at a County Food Action Agency Expansion Program event, scheduled for Wednesday. It will be held in the parking lot of the Magalia Community Church, located at 13700 Skyway in Magalia. The giveaway will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or until supplies of food run out, the CAA said in a news release. The CAA North State Food Bank will give away boxes of healthy, shelf-stable and perishable food. The boxes will be weighing between 12 and 17 pounds. Food boxes will be put into the vehicles for people who drive through the line at the event. The drive-through method is intended to provide maximum protection to members of the public. SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. - A judge denied Recall Shasta's request to extend their petition deadline for three Shasta County Supervisors. Supervisors Joe Chimenti, Leonard Moty and Mary Rickert are the targets of the recall. Recall Shasta filed a lawsuit in court that claimed the group lost 34 days because of wildfire evacuations and unhealthy air quality. Action News Now spoke to Rickert about the judge's decision. I was really relieved and pleased with the judge's decision that did not feel that their case had enough merit for it to be approved, Rickert said. So I was really relieved. I think it's time that we as county try and get this recall behind us. Wednesday is the deadline for recall proponent to submit their petitions for all three districts. Recall Shasta provided the following statement below: "It is unfortunate that the voters who were prevented from signing due to evacuations or unhealthy air quality due to wildfires won't get the chance, but we are focused on completing the job and are confident we will submit enough signatures to recall Supervisor Moty." Shasta Forward provided the following statement to Action News Now: "Shasta Forward is pleased justice was served today when the Superior Court declined to grant Recall Shasta an extension of time to gather signatures." Highlighting the frivolous nature of the lawsuit, the judge noted none of the statements from Recall Shasta signature gatherers said that they had stopped gathering petitions due to recent fires. Recall Shasta has run out of time and filed this lawsuit to save their failing effort, said Shasta Forward spokesman Eric Eisenhammer. In fact, people dont want a costly $640,000 recall against three conservative supervisors, two of which were just elected and one that is already up for re-election in less than a year. Now its time to put this recall circus behind us and come together to focus on issues that matter to Shasta County. Shasta Forward was created to support our County Supervisors Rickert, Chimenti & Moty, and prevent the recall efforts. People are invited to learn more about Shasta Forward by visiting ShastaForward.org." SHASTA COUNTY, Calif. - Gov. Gavin Newsom has declared a state of emergency for Shasta County to help with the response to the Fawn Fire. Last week, the state acquired a Fire Management Assistance Grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to help provide resources to put out the Fawn Fire. RELATED: Fawn Fire containment increases to 50%, forward progress stopped Shasta County is the latest county to be placed into a state of emergency for fires burning in California. The Fawn Fire is 50% contained and the forward progress has been stopped as the fire has burned 8,559 acres. CAL FIRE has provided a damage assessment map as there have been 155 structures destroyed and 22 damaged since it broke out on Wednesday. There will be a community meeting for the Fawn Fire at 6 p.m. on Monday. The meeting is virtual and can be streamed on YouTube and Facebook. REDDING, Calif. - While forward progress stopped on the Fawn Fire, the Shasta County Board of Supervisors held a special meeting today because of it. The special meeting was held virtually. Supervisors got an update from both CAL FIRE and the Sheriffs office. The meeting focused on the ongoing firefighting and repopulation efforts. As you can imagine we can't let people back into their homes until we can ensure that all hazards have been mitigated and power has been restored, said Chief Bret Gouvea with CAL FIREs Shasta Trinity unit. We work really close with the [Shasta County Sheriffs Office], CHP, and in this case Redding Police. At the special meeting, CAL FIRE said a damage assessment map went live on Monday. The map allows people to see buildings in the fire zone. It also shows buildings that have been saved or destroyed. Damage assessment is ongoing. We're currently at 68% complete, that number even be a little bit higher now that Im speaking with you, said Gouvea. That was this morning's number. But Im anticipating about a day or day and a half to have that 100% complete. At the meeting, Sheriff Michael Johnson also addressed concerns about looters. With any of these incidents, where we have evacuations, looting is always the number one problem, said Sheriff Johnson. Interestingly enough on this incident, we had the biggest problem with looting outside of these areas that were actually evacuated. It was more of those buffer zones. In this age of digital marketing, social media campaigns are very important if you want to boost your brand reputation, awareness, or sales. A social media marketing campaign is a series of coordinated activities that are aimed at achieving a specific goal or target, usually increasing brand reputation or sales over a period of time that can be tracked and measured. Social media campaigns can be limited to a single platform or they can be run across multiple social platforms. If you are looking for inspiration for your next social media campaign then we have made a selection of the best social media campaigns in recent times so that you can know how it is done. 1. Coors Light #CouldUseABeer Last Year, the Coors Light marketing team came up with one of the cheekiest social media campaigns in which during the last year COVID restrictions, Coors Light took on Twitter and through their social media marketing campaign #CouldUseABeer, promised a six-pack to anyone who tweeted at the using the hashtag for a limited time period. This became very popular and they kept up the giveaway until they gave away as many as 500,000 beers to their customers. This was a very lit social media marketing campaign by CoorsLight since running a giveaway is always a good idea as it can boost brand awareness and everyone loves free stuff. Plus, if anyone has never tried your product then they can do so during the giveaway and if they like it then they will become a regular customer. This social media campaign was a very successful one and the company has been gaining wider recognition ever since. 2. Starbucks #WhatsYourName Starbucks combined TV advertisements with Social Media campaigns to promote themselves. Starbucks UK recently partnered up with Mermaids, an organization to support transgender and gender-diverse youth with their social media hashtag #WhatsYourName. Starbucks combined both TV advertising and social media engagement together and used a values-driven campaign that focused on the companys desire to be inclusive toward people of all genders. Starbucks is known for having customers names written on the side of the coffee cup and through this campaign, Starbucks wanted to clarify the point that it respects the name that customers want to be called. It was a heartwarming campaign that invited people from all over the world to use the #WhatsYourName Hashtag. And this was an award-winning campaign that made a real and emotional impact on society. 3. Hello BCs #ExploreBCLater Next up we have the Hello BCs #ExploreBCLater that they ran on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. During COVID times, the tourism industry was going through a rough patch and the inter-border traveling was also closed, resulting in people canceling their summer vacations plans. Across different social media platforms, Hello BC twisted off their branded hashtag #ExploreBC and changed it to #ExploreBCLater to share a message of social responsibility in the face of COVID, encouraging everyone from different parts of the world to be a socially responsible citizen and stay home. This hashtag was not only used by industry partners in their posts but it also encouraged the travelers to share their images and videos from their trips across the state along with the hashtag. The advantage of this campaign was that people from different parts of the world came to know about the beautiful and scenic locations in the province and the next time they would be looking for a vacation, BC would definitely be in their minds. 4. Spotify #2019Wrapped Spotify started sharing year-end data with its users starting from 2017, compiling the list of most-listened-to songs, albums, and artists in a Spotify Wrapped visualization. However, to make things exciting, the company went a step further and showed a summary of the past decade and it showed how the users listening habits and preferences evolved over the past decade. This summary snapshot was available for the users in the form of shareable image formats and they can easily share it on any platform, be it Omegle, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Chatroulette, or any other platform. Soon it became a trend and more & more users started to share their personalized data on their social media handles with the hashtag #SpotifyWrapped. Users love this idea of the company collecting their personalized data over the past decade and then sharing it with them in the form of fun and insightful data visualization. 5. Digiorno #DeliveryDigiorno Digiorno used Twitter to promote its brand during National Pizza Month 2019. Digiorno offered free pizza to everyone who tweeted #DeliverDigiorno. As mentioned, giveaways are always good and Digiorno took advantage of the situation, i.e National Pizza Month where customers would be tweeting about Pizza and combined organic interest and promoted tweets to create an authentic buzz. This giveaway although made the company give away free pizza to everyone who tweeted #DeliverDigiorno but it resulted in the company getting popular and creating brand awareness among the public. Creativity comes in many forms whether that be art, music, dance, photography or more. This creativity also plays a number of different roles in peoples lives to uplift spirits, to bring a sense of joy or purpose or even to share happiness and positivity. When we stir creativity, we know it also stirs a feeling in each of us. Over the past year and a half, creativity has been what many people relied on to overcome the challenges and stay hopeful during the pandemic. Recognizing the power that creativity can hold, Bombay Sapphire tapped into visionary creators, each from different backgrounds and industries, to share their personal stories of how indulging in their creativity helped them retain a sense of hope during a difficult time. The Stir Hope campaign aimed to inspire others to share their own creative expressions and feel more connected despite being socially distanced. Creativity makes us human, but we learn to suppress it, especially in hard times says Zeenah Vilcassim, Marketing Director of Bacardi India. However sometimes the simplest form of creativity, from a memory sketched on paper, to a beat played on a table can evoke feelings of optimism and inspire others to be creative. Bombay Sapphire originally introduced Stir Creativity years ago to inspire creative self-expression and today, we hope that creative expression can stir a little bit of hope as well. The creators bringing their personal stories to life are independent thinkers who used creativity and creative expression to stay hopeful and optimistic during the lockdown. Each have diverse creative abilities and passionate stories, ranging from using their free time to pursue more creative skillsets to leveraging their art with others to build a closer sense of community in an otherwise very lonely time. Each story narrates the vital role creativity played in their lives, inspiring others to explore and unlock their own creative potential. Follow #StirHope to see the inspiring stories from creators and how their creativity helped give them a sense of hope during the challenges of the last year and a half. Share your own stories of creativity and hope by using the hashtag #StirHope and tagging @BombaySapphire. Every year on September 27, World Tourism Day is commemorated to promote awareness about the importance of tourism and how it influences social, political, cultural, and economic values across the world. The purpose of the day is to emphasise the importance of tourism in promoting and conserving cultures and history across the world. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) approved its laws on September 27, 1970. These sculptures, considered a watershed moment in world tourism, laid the groundwork for the UNWTO to be founded five years later. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) commemorated the inaugural World Tourism Day on September 27, 1980, to commemorate the organization's founding. Since then, the day has been commemorated all around the world. World Tourist Day also recognises the importance of the tourism industry in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. For some countries, the industry accounts for more than a quarter of their GDP. In the midst of the epidemic, and with tourism being one of the worst-affected industries, 90 percent of global heritage sites were closed, putting millions of people out of work who relied on tourism for a living. The goal of World Tourism Day is to emphasise the relevance of tourism in our lives and to focus on the sector's inclusive growth. Here's a look at how some brands celebrated World Tourism Day: Vo Musafir jo chal pada Duniya Khojne NFTs k Lie This World Tourism Day, @WazirXNFT aims to bring light to all those vigorous travelers who show us the colors of India and its diversity through their NFTs. We salute your spirit!#WazirXNFT #TravelNFT #WorldTourismDay2021 pic.twitter.com/gkNf9sbEKX WazirX NFT Marketplace (@WazirXNFT) September 27, 2021 Believe us, Heaven On Earth is real! Whisk yourself away to some of the most of the most beautiful destinations with #SpiceJet this #WorldTourismDay and be blown away by the sheer beauty of the world. Book now on https://t.co/PykmFjYcix or download the mobile app. pic.twitter.com/STHp4cpGpA SpiceJet (@flyspicejet) September 27, 2021 Travel is driven by curiosity and then fueled by a passion to travel more but #TravelResponsibly Happy World Tourism Day! . .#IndiaKaTravelPlanner #WorldTourismDay2021 pic.twitter.com/RFtEKkDLri Yatra.com (@YatraOfficial) September 27, 2021 #WorldTourismDay2021 If being a tourist was a sitcom The One Where They Make An Itinerary Of 18 Pages, Front And Back The One Where They Try Seven, Seven, Seven Cuisines goibibo (@goibibo) September 27, 2021 Happy #WorldTourismDay2021: Tourism for Inclusive Growth'. It aims to help people associated with the tourism sector in every possible way. I am Sharing one of my SandArt at puri beach. pic.twitter.com/iCWVhnh5iJ Sudarsan Pattnaik (@sudarsansand) September 27, 2021 a moment of appreciation for all the beautiful destinations we've yet to visit. #WorldTourismDay pic.twitter.com/eeblFI2S9P Expedia (@Expedia) September 27, 2021 Credenc, an education lending fin-tech platform for higher education today, announced that it has acquired B2B New Age Digital Content Platform ObserveNow. Credence, which is a Capital India company, through this deal will further solidify relationships across all verticals of Credenc by consolidating ObserveNows extensive media network, brand partners and marketing experts. The association with ObserveNow will help in creating new business avenues for Credenc by reaching out to colleges and students across India through its market knowledge and strong network of partners. The deal is also a step towards achieving Credenc aims to build a loan book of Rs 3,000 crore by 2025 and enable more education loans. Although ObserveNow will continue to work as an independent digital content arm within the Credenc group, the deal marks Credencs entry into new verticals. Commenting on the acquisition Mr. Mayank Batheja, Co-Founder, Credenc said, Today marks a pivotal moment for Credenc as we welcome team ObserveNow on board. ObserveNow has done commendable work in the last two years in the education space and Human Resources. Their connection within this industry is of high value to Credenc. We are determined to raise the bar on providing financial assistance to students and working professionals across India. Dentsu Webchutney (A dentsuMB Company), the digital creative agency from the house of dentsu India, has won the creative and media duties for the menswear brand, Blackberrys. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch. Through this partnership, the agency aims to create a space of accessibility and style for the brand. The focus is to make mens occasion wear such as suits & jackets more holistic and approachable. Gautam Reghunath, CEO, Dentsu Webchutney said, Blackberrys is an iconic Indian brand that has been innovating in menswear for decades. A true homegrown giant in premium fashion. We want to bring the best of Dentsu Webchutneys unique brand of creativity while also staying true to the brand Blackberrys legacy and ethos. Nitin Mohan, Director, Mohan Clothing Company Pvt. Ltd. ( MCCPL ) commented, Blackberrys Menswear focuses on innovation, precision and a keen eye to detail. Our apparel leans heavily on being fashion forward and tailoring our clothes to the needs of our audiences. We are confident that Dentsu Webchutney shares our understanding of the brands ambitions and we truly believe this association will enable us help Blackberrys become Indias first and foremost FIT Expert as well as the most loved premium menswear brand, he further added. Duroflex, Indias leading sleep solutions brand, spreads the festive cheer along with the message of making a big change. The brands latest campaign for Diwali with national brand ambassador Alia Bhatt, puts the spotlight on Change your sleep, Change your life. Festive season especially Diwali, is an auspicious time for all Indians. It is marked by joyous celebrations, spending time with loved ones and treating oneself to big purchases that are harbingers of big lifestyle changes. Over the years, doing home renovations, upgrading durables, buying automobile have become the norm. This year Duroflex and Alia Bhatt are urging Indians to celebrate Diwali by making a meaningful lifestyle change- upgrading your sleep essentials that can enable deep healthy sleep for a better life. SCREENXX Awards 2021 - Digital Video Content and OTT Platform, Last Date for nomination extended - Thursday, September 23, 2021 - ENTRIES OPEN This important message is brought alive in the brands Diwali communication, where Alia Bhatt will be seen with her real-life best friend, Akansha Ranjan Kapoor, for the very first time on screen. In the film, Alia endearingly nudges Akansha who is considering a big change this Diwali to change her old mattress and invest in a doctor recommended Duroflex mattress. Alia emphasizes on what differentiates research-backed Duroflex mattresses from the rest. Duroflexs signature range of mattresses come with 50 years of trust, 5-zoned full-body support, and is doctor recommended by the National Health Academy. The film ends with Akansha sleeping peacefully on a Duroflex mattress and Alia bringing alive the message of Nothing Like Duroflex. Talking about the campaign, Smita Murarka, Chief Marketing Officer, Duroflex, said, Festivals in India are auspicious occasions for embracing changes that add value to ones life. Over the years, upgrading home durables, decor and lifestyle products have become customary to Diwali shopping. This year, we are inspiring to people to make the biggest change of all through our message Change Your Sleep, Change Your Life. Our campaign shows Alia Bhatt enlightening her best friend- Akansha who is seeking a big change, to upgrade her mattress and bring home a doctor recommended mattress by Duroflex. As a sleep solution brand with over 5 decades of expertise, we strongly believe that good sleep on a research backed mattress can deeply enrichen ones life. We have been leading this change with our innovative sleep product and communication over the years. The campaign has been conceived by Creativeland Asia, and the films have been directed by the eminent Bollywood director, Abhishek Varman. The brand has launched the campaign nationally through a multi-channel strategy. Insurance Dekho, Indias leading Insurtech start-up company, today announced its new integrated campaign to underline the significance of investing in various kinds of insurance health insurance, life insurance, motor insurance, etc. The company has on-boarded actor and OTT celebrity, Jitendra Kumar, as Brand Ambassador in the latest campaign. The campaign aims to create awareness about the availability of insurance products at optimum costs. It focuses on varied insurance plans for the consumer, especially on ease of buying and affordability of its products. The campaign will reach out to people in Tier 2 and 3 cities and also focus on onboarding new insurance advisors (POSP). The digital campaign has been launched on social platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn, etc. There are three films released under this campaign with different messages. The company will promote it through both paid and unpaid routes for maximum reach. ?autoplay=0&rel=0" frameborder="0"> YOUTUBE_gJ5uqfLKwx4# At the launch of the campaign, Mr. Ankit Agrawal, Co-Founder and CEO, Insurance Dekho, said: Our focus is on ensuring that insurance reaches people in Tier 2, 3 and beyond cities where we noted varying apprehensions about insurance. Educating the people on the importance of insurance and ease of investment is essential. At the same time, our campaign also encourages them to become insurance advisors (POSP) at zero cost to them. #YOUTUBE_JAFD7vfo0XA3 Actor Jitendra Kumar who is the companys brand ambassador and is featured in the campaign, said:I am delighted to be associated with InsuranceDekho for conveying the vital and thoughtful message of this campaign. As consumers, not many of us are aware of the insurance products available to us at optimal costs. The campaign showcases this in a simple and humorous manner. I enjoyed working with the team and hope the message reaches the desired audience. Jaideep Singh, Founder Offbeet Media Group, who conceptualised this campaign said We are thrilled to have been given the opportunity to develop this digital first campaign by Mr Ankit and his team. Our creative, production and talent management teams worked seamlessly to deliver a digital first campaign with a strong creative idea and Jitender Kumar has helped deliver it with such precision. The Kerala High Court has passed a judgment quashing the online Rummy ban notification, issued by the Kerala Government under Section 14A of the Kerala Gaming Act, 1960. According to the judgement, Kerala High Court denoted that the notification was arbitrary and violative of the right to trade, and commerce guaranteed under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution and the right to equality guaranteed under Article 14 of the Constitution. Welcoming the Kerala High Courts judgment, Dinker Vashisht, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, Games24x7, said, The judgment by Honorable Kerala High Court is yet another addition to the jurisprudence that has consistently held that games of skill are not akin to gambling and protected under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution. The decision comes shortly after the Madras High Court judgement, is a shot in the arm for the sunrise sector of gaming in India. SCREENXX Awards 2021 - Digital Video Content and OTT Platform, Last Date for nomination extended - Thursday, September 23, 2021 - ENTRIES OPEN Welcoming the Courts judgment, Roland Landers, CEO, All India Gaming Federation, said, The judgement passed by the Kerala High Court is reassuring for this sunrise sector in India, particularly coming in quick succession of the recent historic positive judgement for online skill gaming by the Madras HC. We believe that this development will give a major fillip to the industry by encouraging investments leading to technological advancements as well as generation of revenue and employment. Through the adoption of principles and the disciplinary process, the AIGF has built a self-regulatory community and facilitative ecosystem for the offer of online games of skill in a transparent and fair manner, with due regard for consumer and stakeholder interests. Landers further added, The All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) is a not for profit association and has most of stakeholders of the online gaming industry as its members. The AIGF has a robust self-regulation charter, overseen by the Skill Games Council, which is being followed by all its members, thereby in compliance with the extant laws of the land. Iterating the need for promoting skill-based gaming, Justice Vikramajit Sen, Member, Skill Games Council, former Judge of the Supreme Court & former Chief Justice of the Karnataka High Court, added,In the last few years, the interest in the online skill gaming has been growing exponentially in the country. The Supreme Court and multiple high courts have reiterated numerous times that online games of skill are protected under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution. We see the Kerala High Courts judgement as a positive move for the online gaming sector. The Indian online gaming industry is the cusp of transformation, looking at a growth trajectory over $3.9 billion in 2025, according to KPMG. With a singular objective of ensuring growth for the industry, while monitoring operational transparency and adherence to the strictest possible norms and protocols, AIGF recently announced the induction of former senior bureaucrat, Dr Sutanu Behuria, as President of Policy & Planning, Rummy Chapter. Commenting on the striking of the online rummy ban notification in Kerala, Behuria said, We laud the Kerala High Courts judgment quashing the online rummy ban notification. The Indian gaming industry over the years has been working to bring due attention to this sunrise sector and the judgement further motivates the industry to move forward. The online gaming industry is outstripping most other sections of our economy, growing in excess of 20 per cent annually and contributing significantly to tax revenues. Online gaming today has emerged as an important avenue due to a multitude of favourable factors such as young and tech-savvy population, affordable availability of feature-packed smartphones, better internet connectivity, increased awareness and development. Therefore, the domestic industry has the potential to scale quickly and become a meaningful contributor. A witty digital film campaign by DAVID Miami spoofing TV medical dramas marks the kickoff of the call for entries for The One Show 2022. Playing off the style of TV episode previews, complete with scenes of frenzied operating rooms, emotional interactions between doctors, moody music and cliffhangers, the film campaign titled Medicine Avenue pokes fun at the creative process by replacing medical terminology with dubbed dialogue of ad jargon commonly heard in agencies around the world. Each spot carries the tagline The 2022 One Show. It's worth all the drama." The campaign launches with Ambulance, one of three films in the campaign. Scenes include a weary doctor who says We just had to put the idea on life support. When a colleague encouragingly says Dont give up, it might still make it, he responds Its in legals hands now. "Advertising doesnt save lives, they say. Yet people in our industry tend to take their jobs a little too seriously - especially when it comes to awards, said Rafael Donato, CCO, DAVID Miami. So for this years One Show campaign, we created an actual drama series, Medicine Avenue, which spoofs all the drama we create for ourselves in our day-to-day. Its a little self-deprecation we hope everyone will identify with, and we sincerely appreciate The One Show for letting us poke fun at ourselves like this." The two other campaign videos will be rolled out in the coming months. Banners developed in-house by The One Club extend the campaign, using pop art imagery to continue the drama theme with humorous headlines. Entries can be submitted now, with fees increasing after each deadline period. Early entry deadline for the greatest savings is October 29, 2021, with the regular deadline December 31, 2021. The extended deadline is February 4, 2022, and final deadline March 4, 2022. The One Show 2022 juries will be announced shortly. Judging will be conducted online, no physical entries will be accepted this year. All entry media must be uploaded into the online entry system. Judging will start in March 2022, with finalists announced in May. The One Show 2022 Gold, Silver and Bronze Pencil winners will be announced during Creative Week in May 2022. Agencies, brands, production companies and individuals responsible for winning work each year are highlighted in The One Show Global Rankings, the ad industrys most respected global measure of creative success. Winners are ranked globally, regionally and by country. Revenue generated from The One Show entry fees goes back into the industry to fund programming under the nonprofit organizations four pillars: Education, Inclusion & Diversity, Gender Equality and Creative Development. CREDITS : Client: The One Club for Creativity for The One Show 2022 Campaign: Medicine Avenue Agency: DAVID Miami Global CCO & Partner: Pancho Cassis Global COO: Sylvia Panico Managing Director: Ricardo Honegger CCO: Rafael Donato Associate Creative Director: Sergio Takahata Associate Creative Director: Nellie Santee Senior Art Director: Joao Viegas Senior Copywriter: Vanessa de Beaumont Head of Account: Luiza Prata Carvalho Group Account Director: Mariana DAprile Management Supervisor: George Quiroz Senior Account Executive: Margarita Pena Executive Producer: Brenda Morrison Fell Senior Producer: Esteffania Najera Associate Producer: Margarita Castro Director of Business Affairs: Barbara Karalis Business Affairs Manager: Elizabeth Torriente PRODUCTION HOUSE: Primo Director: Santi Elias Executive Producer: Caro Cordini Producer: Gala Gonzalez Costes Head of Production Gabriel Ferrari Production Service Uruguay: Metanoia DOP: German Nocella AD: German Zecchi Production Designer: Mariana Rivero Stylist: Gabriela de Armas Post Production House: Primo Post Postproducer: Sebas Lopez Editor: Paula Baialardo Color Correction: Dani Carrizo AUDIO, MUSIC & VO: Pickle Music Music & Music Publisher: Pickle Music Sound Design, VO & Mix: Pickle Music Music Creative Director: Alexis Estiz Composer: Alexis Estiz, Sebastian Fucci, Dario Calequi, Producer: Lupita Alvarez As part of its latest brand initiative, TATA Tea Chakra Gold, the second largest tea brand in South India, today created a massive sand art installation celebrating Tamil Nadus iconic state pride elements at VGP Beach, Chennai. The effort is part of the brands commitment to celebrate Tamil Nadus regional pride and continue to be an integral part of the Tamil way of life. The state is synonymous with excellence and achievements across different spheres of life, and is underpinned by Tamilians unique code of conduct- being process-oriented and celebration of perfection. Tata Tea Chakra Gold too continues to strive and remain a hallmark of the perfect cup of tea. The new pack refresh campaign is based on this central insight, highlighting the brands Tea for Tamilians proposition. The sand installation, designed by renowned Indian Sand Artist Padma Shri Sudarsan Pattnaik, featured famous motifs and elements deeply rooted in Tamil Nadus culture. Some of these elements are also part of the new pack, like the intricate golden motifs from the Kanjeevaram saree designs, Kolam, gestures and poses from the Bharatnatyam dance form, and Tanjore dolls narrating legendary tamil stories, besides other emblems from the states capital. Elaborating on the new pack, Puneet Das, President, Packaged Beverages, India & South Asia, Tata Consumer Products Limited, states, In continuation of our journey to being one of Tamil Nadus most loved tea brand over the year, we have now refreshed our pack with elements celebrating Tamil pride and way of life to perfection. We feel that renowned sand artist Padma Shri. Sudarsan Pattnaik is the perfect artist to creatively bring alive the motifs of the state in an engaging manner in celebration of the Tamil way of Life Health authorities urge flu shots for ages 6 months and older FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Jeannie Gaines, Alabama Hospital Association (334) 651-3540 CONTACT: Mallory Camerio, Medical Association of the State of Alabama (334) 954-2500 CONTACT: Karen Landers, M.D., Alabama Department of Public Health (256) 383-1231 Getting the flu vaccination is as important as ever as Alabama and the rest of the nation continue to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. While both illnesses are caused by a virus, the viruses are different and require separate vaccines, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health, The Alabama Hospital Association and the Medical Association of the State of Alabama statewide organizations urging Alabamians to start getting their flu shots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that anyone 6 months of age and older get vaccinated for the flu, particularly those at high risk for flu complications. Those considered at high risk include people 65 years and older, young children and people with chronic conditions such as asthma or heart disease. Individuals who care for or live with these high-risk populations also should get vaccinated. Its good to get your flu shot in September or by the end of October at the latest in order to be ready for the upcoming flu season, said Dr. Scott Harris, State Health Officer. The good news is that this years vaccine protects against four different flu strains, so there is added protection. Flu season is typically a busy time for hospitals, so just as weve pushed for individuals to get vaccinated for COVID-19, were strongly encouraging Alabamians to get their flu shot too, said Dr. Don Williamson, president of the Alabama Hospital Association. Last year was an anomaly, and hospitals did not see the usual admissions associated with the flu because of social distancing, mask wearing and vaccination. With social distancing and mask wearing likely to be less common this winter, influenza vaccination becomes even more critical to avoid the health care system being overwhelmed from the combination of COVID and flu. There are two options for getting a flu vaccination, the traditional shot or the nasal spray vaccine. Mark Jackson, executive director of the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, stated that individuals should select the type of flu vaccination they get depending on factors such as their age, health status and relevant allergies, including egg allergies. He suggested that those with questions should visit the CDC website, cdc.gov/flu. Individuals can get their flu vaccinations from their healthcare provider, as well as many retail pharmacies. For more information, visit alabamapublichealth.gov/flu/myths. County health departments throughout Alabama provide a wide range of confidential and professional services. Contact your local county health department for additional information. Mission: To promote, protect, and improve Alabamas health Vision: Healthy People. Healthy Communities. Healthy Alabama. - 30 - 09/28/2021 ALABAMA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH RSA Tower 201 Monroe Street, Suite 910, Montgomery, AL 36104 Phone: (334) 206-5300 | Fax: (334) 206-5520 As the debate began nationally over mandatory masks and vaccinations for school-age children, many Mama and Papa Bears across the country focused attention on their local school board. It was generally assumed that each school board membership would predominately consist of parents or grandparents of students within that school district. It has been further assumed that those board members were committed to the long-term health effects of their children rather than a board that easily accepted the dictates of Big Pharma and its minions at the CDC, WHO, FDA, the local health department, or the once-altruistic Democratic Party. We now know that some of those idealistic visions have yielded to the reality that some of those school boards have been easily influenced to adopt more politically correct agendas such as Critical Race Theory rather than focus on increasing academic standards or a decrease in graduation dropout rates. There is no doubt that all these parents love their children, but there is something more going on here. How is it that some parents are more willing to accept the authority of the State when it comes to their own behavior as well as forcing that behavior on their children... without questioning why? Isnt there a general agreement that each parent has the inherent right to make decisions for their own children; without the State usurping that authority? When did that get lost? One such example is the 9R School District in the Rocky Mountain environs of Durango in southwest Colorado, at the end of what used to be called the Granola Belt of Colorado that began north of Boulder. Concerned parents began to question the need for mandatory masks for elementary school-age children who are admittedly not vulnerable to COVID infection, when it was discovered quite accidentally that the 9R School Board had already adopted a Resolution on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion apparently without a publicly noticed public hearing. According to its January 26, 2021 minutes, I say apparently because the minute's link reveals no record of a board discussion or debate taking place on the resolution. And since there is no secretary of the board, which, in itself, is highly unusual, there is no one person who has the responsibility to make sure that pertinent facts for the public interest are provided. There is no need for the board to provide voluminous information but that a basic level of content is reasonable to expect from any public entity dealing with 4,914 students and a $72 M budget. One can only assume that the resolution was the boards version of injecting Critical Race Theory into the 9R curriculum in the hopes of sliding it under the table without creating a furor that would have resulted if the board had conducted a bona fide public hearing. It is interesting to note that the demographics of 9R are 75% White, 15% Latino, 5% American Indian and 1% African American. While the resolution called for the district to form a committee to address systemic inequities within the district and to engage third-party subject matters experts specializing in diversity, equity and inclusion to identify systemic racism and injustice, there is no obvious way to track the status of whether either task has been accomplished. At the same time, the board has done away with the Pledge of Allegiance and replaced it with a Land Acknowledgement statement. The overall lack of appropriate meeting space includes amateur acoustics with a meeting/seating arrangement that shields each board member from revealing any personal cognitive awareness and distances the audience so as to discourage any real participation; all have a stifling effect on communication with the board. The lack of meaningful exchange between the board and audience was especially revealing during the August 12th meeting when the board approved the use of mandatory masks for its students. (Minutes and videos of past meetings can be found here.) By the end of August, with four board seats up for November 2 election, things became quickly befuddled when questions arose about whether one incumbent who had moved in August met the residency requirement. She was required to resign her seat from District D and is now running from District E in which she may or may not meet the 9R residency requirements. Adding to the kerfuffle, an announced candidate who filed nominating petitions and was accepted as a valid candidate in District D was unceremoniously edged out of the race. And yet that candidate is listed on the 9R website as if she is a current board member in District D. That same candidate was never a formal member of the board yet there is no explanation how she made the board member listing. It is all very curious and I have no intelligence to add although we can be certain there is more of a backstory. In addition, there is also the fact that the list of qualified board candidates did not include any of the four documents that each candidate was required to submit; including a copy of their nominating petition. Providing public copies of these documents might have provided answers to the above questions re eligibility requirements rather than leave the board open to charges of a lack of transparency. Multiple inquiries for clarification to 9Rs public information officer went unacknowledged as she is less inclined to provide the public with information as might be expected. My next call was to 9R attorney Darryl Farrington who operates out of Denver and is currently general counsel to thirty-five school districts throughout Colorado, which raises the question of whether they are all getting their monies worth. When I inquired as to the eligibility status of the two aforementioned candidates, he refused to answer for fear of violating his attorney-client privilege. A-C is frequently a way to avoid answering pesky questions. Most important of all, is the current board's reluctance to discuss its pre-COVID decline of 9Rs academic proficiency in math, science, and reading scores with almost 80% of all students below grade level and its abysmal 74% graduation rate; all of which are secondary to a board that is more focused on fulfilling the necessary politics of the day rather than address the districts failing academic standards. Renee Parsons served on the ACLUs Florida State Board of Directors and as president of the ACLU Treasure Coast Chapter. She has been an elected public official in Colorado, staff in the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender, an environmental lobbyist for Friends of the Earth, and a staff member of the US House of Representatives in Washington DC. She can be found at reneedove3@yahoo.com. Image: Timm Suess To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. I suspect there is not a driver anywhere who hasnt routinely exceeded the posted speed limit. I often find myself zipping along at 65 mph in a posted 55 mph zone. After all, who hasnt? Who doesnt? In fact, its not uncommon for a patrol car to whiz past me doing 70, clearly unconcerned about how fast I am driving. I would probably have to be going at least 75 to gain the troopers attention. Unelected bureaucrats set speeds in what they perceive to be the interests of public safety. No one expects those speed limits to be strictly enforced. This is called selective law enforcement. Its a growing American cultural norm. There are a number of these, some more obvious and serious than others, such as smoking marijuana or illegally crossing our southern border. At local levels, many Democrats who run cities have expanded these norms to the point where they no longer concern themselves with any sort of drug use, much less shoplifting, trespassing, urinating or defecating in public, minor violence such as muggings, and leftwing riots. Thereve been precious few reports about prosecuting hundreds of BLM and Antifa members who participated in the 2020 riots that cost billions in damages. This alarming lawless approach to governing by Democrats is adversely affecting multiple corners of our society. Creaky Joe Bidens taste for lawlessness surfaced immediately in his administration. Sean Higgens reported, One of Joe Bidens first acts as President of the United States, the removal of National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) general counsel Peter Robb, was probably unconstitutional. It was certainly highly unethical. Biden fired Robb despite the NLRB being an independent federal agency. In clear cases of illegal racial discrimination, Biden administration officials have been implementing programs only open to Black, Hispanic, or female Americans. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has been accepting applications for grants from the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund, designed to help those adversely affected by Covid. White males have been excluded from applying. In a similar move, Bidens Department of Agriculture began forgiving loans to farmers affected by the Covid crisis. You wont be surprised to learn White farmers and ranchers were excluded. In dealing with Covid, Bidens various mask and vaccination mandates have been a direct challenge to the very Constitution he is sworn to uphold. The New York Post reported, The national vaccine mandate that the president is poised to issue is unlawful. White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain made the obvious explicit by retweeting a progressive commentators observation that the ploy of imposing the vaccine requirement as a workplace-safety rule under OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) is the ultimate work-around. Translation: The president knows that an executive order mandating COVID vaccination would be shot down instantly, so hes trying to camouflage it in a maze of Labor Department regulations. On another front, Bidens CDC decided in early August to extend for two months a federal eviction moratorium on renters who are behind in payments to their landlords, although the Supreme Court had already indicated the CDC lacked legal authority to do so. The Washington Examiner reported that, When asked about the legal obstacles this policy would inevitably run into, President Joe Biden admitted that what his administration is doing is illegal, but he said he doesnt care.... [snip] ...Biden knows that the CDC is acting illegally but wants the agency to continue to act illegally until the courts can get around to stopping it. Litigation takes time, which means the moratorium could be in effect for weeks, maybe even months, before it is struck down. And even when it is declared unconstitutional, there is no way to go back and force renters to pay the money they owed when the moratorium was in place, even if the moratorium itself was illegal. This is such a flagrant violation of the law and the constitutional bounds of Bidens presidency that its a wonder no one outside of conservative circles seems to care. Bidens lawlessness is particularly acute and painful on our Southern border. Immediately after becoming president, old Joe halted Trumps border wall construction and, more or less openly, invited illegals to swarm in. As part of this, he halted congressionally approved spending on the wall. Some legal experts believe this broke the law. Andrea Widburg noted in an earlier American Thinker article, People may no longer realize that America has robust immigration laws. You can find them at 8 USC 1151 et seq. These laws govern all aspects of admitting non-citizens and non-legal residents into the United States. The laws are predicated on the idea that America has a border and that it has the right to control that border. Congress addressed not being a public charge, working illegally in the country, bringing in dangerous communicable disease, being mentally ill, and being a dangerous criminal or a drug-runner, and required visas, sponsors, and entering through appropriate checkpoints rather than sneaking in. Stuff like that. One of the first things Joe Biden did upon entering the Oval Office was sign executive orders that either make it harder for government employees to enforce these laws or require them not to enforce them at all. Thus, he stopped work on a wall that had as its sole purpose preventing illegal aliens from bypassing legal border checkpoints. That is, he made it easier for illegal aliens to sneak in. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who sued the Biden administration, said, President Bidens outright refusal to enforce the law is exacerbating an unprecedented border crisis. By failing to take custody of criminal aliens and giving no explanation for this reckless policy change, the Biden administration is demonstrating a blatant disregard for Texans and Americans safety. This is a highly troubling aspect of a disintegrating presidency that appears to run on the premise that if you dont like the law, evade it or ignore it. But what else could one expect from a man whose sleazy, drug-fueled, wannabe porn star son has apparently been peddling access to his father to the Chinese and other foreign interests? Fox News reported an email thread found on son Hunters laptop where Hunter appeared to outline a payout for the President in a deal with a Chinese energy firm. One email includes a discussion of remuneration packages for six people, including a 10% cut for Mr. Big, a likely reference to old Joe. Your gut tells you theres more. A lot more. A definition of a criminal is someone who breaks the law. Were not just talking here about cultural norms such as exceeding the speed limit or turning a blind eye to pot-smoking; were talking outright serious criminal behavior that should demand long stays in the federal prison system. A lawless society inspired and governed by blatant criminal behavior at the top is the signature of a Third World country. Its not a healthy situation, particularly when the so-called major media are ignoring or, even worse, covering up for a lawless administration. Its a direct legacy of the fundamental transformation of America enunciated by one Barack Hussein Obama. I have this fantasy about Peter Doocy asking Jen Psaki or, even better, old Joe himself if he believes laws should only be followed selectively. I would love to hear the answer. Frank Hawkins is a former U.S. Army intelligence officer, Associated Press foreign correspondent, international businessman, senior newspaper company executive, founder and owner of several marketing companies, and published novelist. Image: "Police arresting Biden" based on Baltimore Police Arrest by Keith Allison. CC BY-SA 2.0. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Whether one agrees with David French or not, he is a bright man. When he writes about alternative approaches to treating criminals, given the unprecedented rise in crime over the last year, perhaps it's worth paying attention. Or perhaps it's not. A brilliant Twitter thread exposes facts that French conveniently ignores. More than that, the thread reveals that soft-headed criminal justice reform is incredibly cruel to the communities most affected by crime. After a wordy introduction meant to prove his woke bona fides, French gets to the point: there's been a 29% increase in crime over the last year. French skips completely over the "why" of this increase (hint: "defund the police") because he wants to discuss a more Sunday sermon point, which is that the system has been riven in the past with injustice, and we now have the opportunity to change that. French accurately says there is no justice when criminals or police get away with violating the law. Under-policing is also a form of injustice, he says, although how he manages to say this and then takes eight paragraphs before mentioning the defund the police movement is beyond me. That's just a warm-up, though. The real point French wants to make is that "vengeance is unjust" and that "proportionality is an absolutely indispensable element of justice." May I quote my kids from their teenage years here? "Well, duh." And that's when French falls into the fallacies every leftist does, which is to point to the fact that lots of people in America are imprisoned for having committed crimes. And of course, he castigates Three Strikes laws, which are easy targets (although I'm betting a lot of people in Chicago who are preyed upon by people revolving through prison doors would love a little Three Strikes justice, or any justice, for that matter). And then it's all about over-incarceration, and the 2021 Brennan Center for Justice study, and, of course, "the vast racial disparities in both incarceration and sentencing." But you know what? According to Delano Squires, who, like French's adopted daughter, is Black, that's a gross over-simplification that leads to policies that harm people in those neighborhoods most affected by crime. Let me turn this post over to him and his powerful, fact-based, very polite tweets: As is often the case in this area, David never says WHY people in this country are incarcerated. Before I do that, it is helpful to know what the ecosystem of confinement looks like. There are about 630K ppl in local jails. Delano Squires (@DelanoSquires) September 26, 2021 The largest part of the confinement ecosystem is the state prison system. This is where over 1.2M people are incarcerated. If you let criminal justice reformers tell it, youd think most are there for low-level nonviolent drug crimes. But that is simply untrue. Delano Squires (@DelanoSquires) September 26, 2021 And lest you think there is some hidden racial disparity that explains this, please note that there is a higher % of whites (16%) in prison for drugs than blacks (13%). The unfortunate fact is that violent offenses are what drive the racial disparity in incarceration. Delano Squires (@DelanoSquires) September 26, 2021 All of the available data (CDC, FBI, local crime statistics) supports this claim. We never hear about it because the people who write about these issues are long on rhetoric about justice and mass incarceration but short on actual data. Delano Squires (@DelanoSquires) September 26, 2021 This inability or unwillingness to deal honestly with the data causes the second problemmisplaced sympathies. You hear it even in how the issues are framedCRIMINAL justice vs. PUBLIC safety. So French and others think America has an over incarceration problem. Delano Squires (@DelanoSquires) September 26, 2021 But what people who live FAR from belly of the beast fail to realize is that while it is amazing to see a person turn their life around in prison, the main point of removing ppl from society is to PROTECT the law-abiding and innocent from the law-breaking and guilty. Delano Squires (@DelanoSquires) September 26, 2021 Lastly, there is the issue of policy trade-offs. If reformers think that theft under $1000 should not be prosecuted, they should be prepared to speak honestly about the effects that decision will have on the victimswhether CVS or the mom-and-pop storeand the community at large. Delano Squires (@DelanoSquires) September 26, 2021 The truth is, given the right circumstances, we ALL desire vengeance. Prioritizing the guilty over the innocent is not a standard of justice I recognize, whether from the Bible or or any other source. Source data: https://t.co/Nwf4P3pxov Delano Squires (@DelanoSquires) September 26, 2021 When Dennis Prager played on my local radio station, I remember him saying, quite often, "Being kind to the cruel means being cruel to the kind." David French, like so many White liberals, has let his condescending biases and inaccurate facts get in the way of advancing policies that will genuinely help crime-ridden neighborhoods. His view will simply perpetuate a system in which well-meaning, racist, and uninformed Whites push for policies that are indescribably cruel to the poor people of all colors trapped in neighborhoods affected by those bad policies. Image: Prison. Public domain. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. "If I catch COVID, there is zero chance I will die." So I told my father a few weeks ago while discussing the never-ending government restrictions and my unwillingness to take the experimental COVID vaccine against a petty coronavirus. Then, earlier this month, I caught the trendy virus. Secretly, I had some angst that somehow karma would hit me and send me to the hospital, mostly dreading the "I told you so" scolding of the vaccine bullies. But just as I suspected, my sickness was easily managed, and the symptoms were those of a mild to moderate flu. For two days, all I wanted to do was sleep, and I barfed once a morning for two days. Beyond that, I had a headache one day and a queasy feeling, and a poor appetite for four days. My taste was out of whack for ten days, and my sense of smell remains slightly reduced after more than two weeks. I have lived through far, far worse flus in my life. Had my son not first tested positive for COVID at school, I never would have gotten tested myself. Had there been no orchestrated COVID hysteria, I would never even remember this illness. Working from home, I did not miss a day of work. All but one family member also caught the virus, some with worse symptoms, some milder. We all recovered with only the usual home flu remedies. We now have natural immunity against COVID. Common sense and experience tell us that our immunity will probably also serve us well against variants. Eventually, some other form of the virus may hit us in future years, but our bodies will be broadly prepared for an appropriate immune response, as they always are. Still, when I went to the local COVID testing center to confirm my infection, the snotty man registering symptomatic arrivals asked if I also wanted to get vaccinated at the same time. I looked at the idiot. "Why would I get vaccinated when I'm already sick with COVID?" He responded snarkily that I must think I had a strong immune system or something, eh? Taking an experimental mRNA vaccine in the midst of the very infection itself could only be harmful, if not downright dangerous. But this is what we are dealing with at the official level: mindless authoritarians with a one-track focus on vaccine compliance and a willful disdain for the actual health situation of real people. Meanwhile, reports from highly vaccinated Israel (where Pfizer has the COVID drug monopoly) indicate that, compared with fully vaccinated people, unvaccinated Israelis with prior COVID infections enjoy seven times better protection against COVID hospitalization. Israel is already moving along with booster shots, as daily cases hit an all-time high in August. It appears to me that these mRNA vaccines will prove to be like heroin, requiring more and more to get your "fix," while doing more and more harm with each episode. And as Microsoft has done with its software, Pfizer and Moderna are now happily achieving a subscription business model for their drugs. Millions or billions of people will be forced to become regular pharma customers, as government mandates guarantee a steady cash flow for the quasi-monopolies. By July 4 of this year, an estimated 50% of Americans were fully vaccinated against COVID, and deaths were at a pandemic low of around 200 per day. By September 20, the estimated vaccination coverage had risen to 60%, yet the seven-day average daily U.S. death count was seven times higher more than 1,500 per day. Notice the CDC chart below. Daily deaths are now as high as in late February, when fewer than 10% of Americans were vaccinated, and higher than most of 2020, when nobody at all was vaccinated. More vaccines, more deaths. You do the math. In this context, for Joe Biden to hiss at us to "get vaccinated," with total disregard for the more than 42 million Americans like me who already have natural immunity, is despicable. The demented Berater-in-Chief has openly declared war against a large minority of his subjects, calling this a "pandemic of the unvaccinated" and demanding forced vaccinations for the peasants. I have not had the mRNA vaccine. But I have far better protection against COVID than do the vaccinated. I'm probably also less likely to spread COVID than is a vaccinated person. I'm no health threat to anyone. I'm not taking the poke. And for putting my family's health and livelihood at risk over it, you, Joe Biden, are an evil ass. Martin Fuentes is a pen name. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. As Joe Biden was creating his border mess in Del Rio, Texas drawing in thousands of illegal migrants, releasing them scot-free into the interior of the country, and then blaming the Border Patrol for doing their jobs it wasn't just border town residents and U.S. citizens further inland who were watching the hideous spectacle on television. Turns out Mexico's cartels were watching, too, and have decided that Biden has handed them the perfect tool. According to independent journalist Lara Logan: BREAKING: Acc to law enfcmt in RGV Texas, BP agents advised latest Intel from cartels: after Biden response to horse patrol, cartels ordered their smugglers to force BP to react/appear to use excessive force & record. Cartels will push to media to force more agents off the line. Lara Logan (@laralogan) September 27, 2021 American Greatness and the Daily Wire both have good summaries of what is going on here. What we can conclude from this is that this crisis is not over. It's going to get bigger, actually, not just because tens of thousands of new migrants have joined the migrant pipelines, but because Joe Biden has demonstrated that creating a racial incident diversion to cut attention from the mass crisis itself, is just perfect for disarming their enemy the Border Patrol and taking it out of commission. Why use costly, unpredictable migrants to divert Border Patrol attention when the easier thing is to just attack them and call it a racial incident? In the past, it was about this. CBP says this has become more than a humanitarian crisis, now it's a national security crisis. Morgan says transnational criminal organizations took advantage when 50% of Border Patrol resources were diverted to help with large number of apprehensions. "They're using families and kids as a diversion to get the bad people and the drugs into our country and it's happening every single day. And those drugs and those criminals their finding their way into every town and city in this country," said Morgan. According to CBP, 750,000 pounds of hard narcotics were seized at the border in 2019. Their data also shows there were 16,000 criminal immigrants apprehended and almost 3,000 weapons. That number is only what was caught, Morgan said. Now they can see that it's a lot easier. They can see that Biden is ignorant about horse work in rough terrain, captive to the ravings of the left, and quick to issue verdict first, trial later, same as the Queen of Hearts. That's perfect. They can now focus on taking the Border Patrol out directly by setting up new racial incidents because Joe Biden is one of those craven leaders who has no intention of backing his own government enforcing the laws of the country. He's easily diverted by "racist" narratives. Border Patrol agents are now on their own, and cartels have noticed. The cartels would now like more racial incidents, the better to take the Border Patrol out and allow them to beef up profits. Any Border Patrol agent who sticks his neck out to protect the country from an illegal foreign invasion will be subject to a cartel-provoked incident framed as racism by the press and will then get the back of Joe's hand. As the old fool put it: "Those people will pay." So what better than to provoke more media incidents, which the lapdog press will be happy to promote for them, falsely painting the Border Patrol as new incarnations of Derek Chauvin? They can and will assault the Border Patrol, provoke a response, film the response, and fork it over to a willing and eager media in the States who will be happy to craft the "racism" narrative for them. Net result? Win-win Joe Biden wins on his open border / Democrat voter master plan, and they win huge profits from smuggling migrants as well as drugs and much worse (9/11, anyone?) over the U.S. border. Like the Taliban, they're set to profit big-time from Joe Biden's incompetence. And in many ways, they are not at all different from the Taliban, except that the Bidenites don't realize this. Like the Taliban, the cartels are utterly evil. They chop up human beings. They engage in violence porn through the press and social media to create terror. There's plenty of that on this site to get the idea. They serve as a tight-knit brotherhood of depravity, including sexual depravity. And like the Taliban, they seek absolute power, including political power. They are at war with Mexico as its number one national security threat, and more to the point, at war with the U.S. Now that they have seen the Taliban profit from Biden's incompetence, they too expect to profit. It's a horror in the making, and there's not a scintilla of recognition from the Bidenites that they're about to lose big again as the entire country suffers. Image: Pixabay, Pixabay License. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. There is no doubt that coal, along with oil, has been the bedrock for the industrial success of the 19th and 20th centuries. Amid the current century's growing concerns for climate change, many world leaders have hopped on an anti-coal bandwagon and are increasingly insisting on a transition to renewables. The big question is, will coal, a life-saving energy source, survive the onslaught of an anti-fossil brigade? The answer is a resounding yes. Big coal-consumers, especially in Asia, are beginning to soundproof their coal sector from renewable noises. It is well understood that India and China together constitute the biggest coal-consuming bloc and are also the world's biggest greenhouse gasemitters. As part of the Paris climate pact, both India and China were expected to progressively reduce their dependency on coal. Recent investments and energy strategies laid out in these countries portray a different picture. India, for example, explicitly stated this year that coal will play a significant role in its ambition to become a $5-trillion economy. That is according to India's home minister, a powerful figure in the government's decision-making process. To realize this vision, India has acted to increase production, improve coal technology, and modernize its coal plants. More than 70 percent of all electricity consumed by India's 1.3 billion people comes from coal. The state-run Coal India said it is increasing supply this year to meet unprecedented demand for coal in the power sector. Despite an increase in coal production and supply to power plants, "[o]n August 28, there was a massive power supply shortage of 77.7 million units (MU), compared to the shortage of 2.3 MU recorded on the same day in 2020 and a paucity of 18.9 MU shortage recorded on the corresponding day in 2019. As of last week, a majority of the country's 135 coal plants had just a week's supply of coal. "All efforts are being made in cooperation with railway authorities to enhance dispatch to meet the unprecedented growth in demand for coal-based power," the coal ministry said. This demand for coal is forecasted to grow consistently for the next few decades as India's energy needs will be among the highest in the world. The country knows that it needs not only a steady supply of coal, but also a higher number of coal plants to generate reliable and affordable electricity. Reuters noted that India is planning to build new coal plants, as they are still the cheapest electricity source capable of producing electricity in high-demand situations. One such new plant is Vedanta's 1.98-Gigawatt coal plant in India's Punjab, which is expected to be operational in 2021. India's coal plantoperators have insisted that India's domestic coal production must be complemented by importing high-quality coal. In addition, the country's massive steel industry requires high-grade coal from abroad. These demands suggest that India's purchases of Australian and Russian coal will increase in the future to make India a major driving force behind international coal demand. India's plans for new coal-fired plants are still minuscule in comparison to neighboring China. During the first half of this year alone, China approved the construction of 43 new coal-fired power plants. Time Magazine said, "China is leading the world in new coal power plants, building more than three times as much new coal power capacity as all other countries in the world combined in 2020." The Guardian reported, "Five Asian countries account for 80% of new coal power investment ... China, India, Indonesia, Japan, and Vietnam plan to build more than 600 coal power units." So statements that "coal is no longer the king" and "coal is dead" are nonsensical. Other than nuclear power and natural gas, coal is the only reliable and affordable source of electricity. Rather than contemplating coal's demise, Asian giants are ramping up coal production and imports and adopting strategic plans to modernize and enlarge their coal-plant fleets. Vijay Jayaraj is a research associate with the CO2 Coalition, Arlington, Va., and holds a masters degree in environmental sciences from the University of East Anglia, England. He resides in Bengaluru, India. Image: Coal burning plant in China. YouTube screen grab. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Angelo Codevilla, a man of "remarkable intellect and insights," passed away this month after a long and productive career. In his response to the pandemic, Codevilla might have saved the best for last. Born in Voghera, Italy, in 1943, Codevilla earned degrees at Rutgers, Notre Dame, and Claremont Graduate School (Ph.D.). Codevilla taught at Georgetown, Stanford, and Boston University, but he was more than an academic. He served in the U.S. Navy, as a foreign service officer, and as a staffer on the Senate Intelligence Committee. A keen student of Machiavelli, Codevilla was a critic of the "war on terror" as conducted by the administration of George W. Bush. The purpose of war, as one of Codevilla's books explained, is To Make and Keep Peace. By disregarding that principle, the author argued, Bush left the nation in even greater peril. See "Epitaph for the War on Terror," published on September 14, days before the car accident that claimed his life. Codevilla authored a number of books, including the highly regarded The Character of Nations. The book that gained the most acclaim, as it turned out, was his shortest. Codevilla wrote an essay on "America's Ruling Class" that so impressed radio host Rush Limbaugh that he read it on the air. Codevilla duly expanded the essay into The Ruling Class: How They Corrupted America and What We Can Do About It, with an introduction by Limbaugh. In recent years, Codevilla watched as the ruling class morphed into an all-out oligarchy. As he explained last May, "the exercise of coercive powers by and for self-selected elites who claim to know better and who validate one another is the very negation of the constitutional republic within which Americans have lived since 1776. It is oligarchy." Codevilla's experience with the "Intelligence Community" served him well as the oligarchy deployed against the people. White House medical adviser Dr. Anthony Fauci, a government bureaucrat since 1968, has headed the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) since 1984. The establishment media billed Fauci as the nation's leading infectious diseases expert, but for Codevilla, Fauci was a "deep state fraud." Codevilla knew that Fauci was a fraud "after listening to him for about 10 seconds" on the origin of the pandemic. Fauci, whose bio includes no advanced degrees in microbiology or molecular biology, had funded the Wuhan Institute of Virology through NIAID. Fauci "knew a lot" but remained evasive. As Codevilla observed, Fauci acted "as a politicized, partisan bureaucrat while pretending to be the disinterested authority of physicians and scientists." He reversed himself on many aspects of the pandemic and dismissed hydroxychloroquine even as peer-reviewed studies confirmed its usefulness. "This is not how scientists behave," Codevilla wrote. "Fauci, unfortunately, behaves as an ordinary creature of the Washington swamp." Few if any politicians were capable of such candor, and it wasn't just name-calling. As Codevilla broke it down, Fauci was treating COVID-19 as the plague, and his "pseudo-medical, pseudo-scientific pretense is the foremost pillar of that lie." Contrary to Fauci's prophecies, based on computer models, Codevilla compared the infection/fatality rates of actual plagues and found that COVID-19's IFR was "roughly that of the flu." The most important fact about COVID-19 was the true mortality rate, the number who die of the virus divided by the number infected by it. Fauci avoided that simple arithmetic. In "Doctors, Doctored Numbers and Democracy," Codevilla showed how changing definitions of the term "case" made it possible "to substitute the Oligarchy's agenda for COVID's reality in the minds of Americans." For months, Fauci and company "messed up millions of lives and commandeered trillions of dollars while scaring the hell out of people and watching curves based on meaningless numbers." "Who the hell do they think they are?" Codevilla wondered. "We belong to ourselves, not to them." In effect, Codevilla left the key at the back door. Know your rights, recognize the foes of freedom, and never hesitate to call out ruling-class frauds for what they are. That's how the "country class" can push back. Lloyd Billingsley is a policy fellow at the Independent Institute in Oakland, California. Image: Beaufort Books. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Last week, we had dinner with Mexican friends who said two things about the border crisis. First, they commented that Mexicans are sick and tired of foreigners walking through their country. Second, our friends are not the only ones asking how the Haitians got to the U.S. After all, it is a "long walk" to go from Guatemala to Del Rio, Texas. I've driven in the interior of Mexico, and the roads are adequate, but it's still a long distance. Mexican journalist Javier Garza-Ramos, from Coahuila, a border city, is reporting that many south of the border want to know how it happened: This is something the governor of Coahuila, Miguel Angel Riquelme, would like to know. "It's clear the federal government did not make an effort to contain them," he told me. "Because they were traveling for some time. How did they cross the country? How long were they traveling?" . To get to Acuna from Mexico City by land, a person must travel through five states. Even though the National Guard polices bus stations, has checkpoints in the highways of Coahuila and has surveillance in railroads, these migrants were not stopped. Over the past month, migrants came to Acuna and crossed to Del Rio, where the Border Patrol caught them and put them in a makeshift camp under the bridge. And yet people kept coming until more than 14,000 migrants were spread out under the bridge and in shelters in Acuna and surrounding towns. A camp of 14,000 people equals almost 10% the population of Acuna and almost half the population of Del Rio. Border agents sorted people, allowing some to apply for asylum and deporting others, eventually dispersing the camp. How did this happen in a country where "federales" search bus stations for Central Americans going north? To be fair, Mexicans enjoy a lot of freedom, but illegal aliens have always had a hard time evading the authorities. Just talk to any Central American who's had to endure the interviews and intimidation of Mexican authorities. Young women are especially scared to death of being seen at stores or bus depots. One young woman from El Salvador told me that women avoid talking to give away their accents. So how did 14,000 black Haitians walk through Mexico? They don't speak Spanish, and they sure look different. There aren't a lot of black Mexicans. Who helped them? Well, someone did, and my friends in Mexico fear that criminal elements are behind it all. They charge to move people and probably pay off a few authorities on the walk north. Some say Mexico let them go north for two reasons: they can't stay in Mexico, and Haiti won't take them back. Many of these Haitians came from South America, where they were apparently working, but those countries don't want them back, either. What does mean to us? Well, what we saw in Del Rio is likely to be repeated somewhere else. More are coming! PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk). Image: Haitians crossing into America. YouTube screen grab. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. So far, there is not even a hint of any accountability for the military leadership that handed over vital weapons and facilities, making the Taliban the best-armed terrorists in history. But for a brave Marine who criticized them, imprisonment has come quickly, reportedly. Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, USMC was just sent to the brig according to multiple news reports. Fox News: Marine Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, the officer who went viral for blasting the military's leadership amid the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, has been sent to the brig, according to a report. First a psych eval and now brig confinement. It appears the powers that be are out to make an example of him which he astutely predicted. On the psych eval, it was tragic that the Marine leadership went "full Soviet" on him. In other words, in one week, Scheller is the trusted commanding officer of a very, very prestigious command; the next week, after speaking out, demanding accountability, he is given a "Psych Eval." Trust me when I say that a psych eval is not a friendly move. It is obvious that Lt. Col. Scheller anticipated his commanding general's nasty move to have him confined to the brig. Photos via Facebook. Using the military justice system to silence him for his simple transgression of speaking truth to power and wanting to resign over the lack of Afghanistan war accountability by very senior officers is playing out exactly as he expected. And "good on him," as we say in the Marines, for his courageously walking point on demanding honesty and accountability. He is following in a rare but cherished breed of truly morally courageous military heroes who saw bad things occurring in combat and did something about it. In the military, physical courage is assumed and justly revered. But the moment when it takes profound intellectual, ethical, and moral courage to stand up and do what is right should be equally cherished. There are three brilliant examples of moral courage. First, a true hero in the darkness of the My Lai Massacre was finally acknowledged, thanks to a 60 Minutes reporter, the late Mike Wallace, and his insightful producer, Tom Anderson. Via CBS News: Hugh Thompson was a helicopter pilot in 1968, on a day American soldiers gunned down more than 500 unarmed civilians in a village called My Lai. The dead were women, old men and children. And even more of them would have died if Thompson had not confronted his fellow soldiers, stopped their murderous rampage and airlifted a number of civilians to safety. Correspondent Mike Wallace reports. For years, the U.S. military tried to cover up the My Lai massacre. And Hugh Thompson was treated not as a hero, but as a traitor. But this past March, all that changed for Thompson, at a special ceremony in Nashville, Tenn. It was a night Thompson never dreamed would happen. For years, he'd been treated as an outcast, a turncoat, because he had dared to question his fellow American GIs who said they were just following orders. But that began to change shortly after our story aired on 60 Minutes. To begin with, the military service academies started inviting him to visit and give lectures on military ethics to young soldiers He says he continues to lecture at West Point and the Naval Academy, trying to tell today's troops "to be a soldier and act like a soldier." A second example of the military leadership system covering up the truth this time in Afghanistan is what happened to Green Beret Sgt. 1st Class Charles Martland. Via the San Diego Union-Tribune: During the last Afghan civil war, rival strongmen fought military battles over boys they desired, wrecking neighborhoods and lives with their violent lust. Some of those warlords later became U.S. allies in the fight against the Taliban, making the custom of bacha bazi "boy play" their dirty secret of the international counterinsurgency campaign. Now, an American Green Beret who refused to look the other way is fighting to save his Army career. Sgt. 1st Class Charles Martland, a decorated special-operations soldier, beat an Afghan militiaman who kidnapped a 12-year-old boy and chained him to his bed as a sex slave. Martland, an 11-year veteran and a Bronze Star recipient for valor in combat, was formally reprimanded for assaulting the Afghan Local Police commander in 2011 in Kunduz province. Gen. Christopher Haas, then-commander of Combined Forces Special Operations Component Command Afghanistan, called Martland's behavior unprofessional and inexcusable. After an inquiry, the Army ruled that Martland would be involuntarily discharged from the Army no later than Nov. 1. A third example of individual moral courage again from Afghanistan is the case of then-Capt. Jason Brezler, a fellow Marine who was also invited to lecture at Annapolis. He also went up against military leaders who were turning a blind eye to the Afghan tribal customs of child rape. Via the Daily Beast: Marine Reserve Maj. Jason Brezler now also a firefighter with the elite Rescue 2 of the FDNY faces a forced exit from the Marine Corps as a result of an inconsequential security infraction he committed in his hurry to respond to an urgent email from Afghanistan that he received two years after he returned home. The July 25, 2012, email that popped up on Brezler's Yahoo account was sent to him from Helmand Province by a fellow Marine officer, and its subject line made its urgency unmistakable: "IMPORTANT: SARWAR JAN IS BACK!!!" Exclamation points by themselves in a message from Helmand meant it could very well be a matter of life and death. The name Sarwar Jan made it all the more so. Jan had been district police chief when Brezler served in the same town, Naw Zad, in 2010. Brezler had come to the conclusion that Jan was involved in narcotics and arms trafficking as well as facilitating attacks by the Taliban, even selling Afghan police uniforms to the enemy. Jan also was alleged to be what Brezler's lawyer would call "a systematic child rapist" who allegedly ran a child kidnapping ring and acquired "tea boys" with the help of U.S. taxpayer job development money. Marine Maj. Brian Donlon, noted that in his haste Brezler had sent what was technically a classified document via an insecure mode of communication. Brezler acknowledged the error and duly reported himself, in keeping with a code of honor befitting a graduate of the Naval Academy. "The Marines continued to provide Jan and his sex-abuse victims armed, unescorted access to their base," Brezler's attorney, Kevin Carroll, would later say[.] ... On August 10, 2012, just over two weeks after the warning that should have resulted in the police chief being banned from the base, one of Jan's teenage "tea boys" went into the FOB Delhi gym with what was apparently the police chief's AK-47. The tea boy, Aynoddin, proceeded to kill three unarmed Marines, Staff Sgt. Scott Dickinson, Cpl. Richard Rivera, and Lance Cpl. Greg Buckley Jr. A fourth, Staff Sgt. Cody Rhode, survived despite being shot five times. By the very nature of the rebellious founding of our country, we are an inquisitive lot of free people who often finally recognize that the truth is the truth. But it sometimes takes time for our American inner core of looking skeptically at any official version of the truth to challenge the elites at the top of our hierarchies. If and when the disinfectant effects of media sunlight and transparency are focused on what really occurred, individuals are more prone to act on what was said at Annapolis when I was a midshipman: "take the hard right over the easy wrong." Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, USMC has taken the "hard right," and I fully believe that history will be kind to him in recognizing his most important quest for senior officer accountability in a time of war in which he stood tall and unyielding. Ed Timperlake is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, served as captain, U.S. Marine Corps (196975), graduated from the senior officer "Top Gun" course, and was a carrier-qualified Marine fighter pilot before serving in several positions in the Legislative and Executive Branches of the federal government, including assistant secretary of veterans affairs. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. In the West, leftists, not traditional practitioners of Christianity or Judaism, are the real religious fanatics. The traditionalists ask only that society maintain the most fundamental core values (e.g., marriage between a man and a woman, two immutable sexes, the sanctity of life) and otherwise want to be left alone. The leftist zealots practice a more Islamic-inspired faith, one demanding full participation in the faith with dire consequences for those who refuse. The latest, and perhaps most creepy, example of this mindset is New York governor Kathy Hochul telling people God wants vaccinations and begging them to be her vaccination apostles. Leftists routinely climb aboard the religious bandwagon to make the point that Jesus and the Bible perfectly align with the Marxist demands. Until yesterday, the most recent example of that was Nancy Pelosi insisting that her Catholicism inspired her "yes" vote on a bill guaranteeing abortion on demand through a woman's labor ("I come to this as a Catholic mother..."). Biden, too, has always relied heavily on his Catholicism to justify his support for abortion. My favorite example, though, is a leftist who, in 2015, cherry-picked her way through the New Testament to prove that Jesus is a leftist (she used the word "liberal," but you know what she meant). By reading through the Sermon on the Mount unhindered by any understanding about Jesus's traditional Torah education or the deeper meaning of his words and acts, she turned him into someone who would have been at home in any college faculty lounge. In leftist world, Jesus enthusiastically supports the LGBT crowd, non-Christians, and anyone else who isn't a straight, White, Christian male. Jesus, who believed in rendering unto God that which is God and to Caesar that which is Caesar's and sought to have people give to charity because of the dictates of their conscience, suddenly becomes a huge proponent of taxing the rich, welfare, and modern environmentalism. Indeed, this blogger says, when Jesus freely performed such miracles as raising the dead or healing lepers, he was modeling the precursor to Obamacare. Likewise, when Jesus threw the money-changers out of the Temple, it wasn't because they were profaning a sacred space; it was because he hated capitalism. After reading the post, I had an epiphany: it isn't conservatives who are trying to turn America into a Christian theocracy; it's leftists who are doing that, except that they've remade Christ in their image. Enter New York governor Kathy Hochul, the woman who just fired all of New York's unvaccinated health care workers so she can bring in foreign workers and National Guard members to take over the state's health care. I kind of have my doubts that forcing hospital closures because of understaffing is a good way to deal with COVID cases and other health care needs in New York. But it's all good because Hochul is spreading the gospel of the Church of Vaccination. She's a high priestess (or even a god, given her call for people to be her apostles), and she's selling it hard: NY Gov. Kathy Hochul: All of you, yes, I know youre vaccinated. Youre the smart ones. But you know there are people out there that arent listening to God and what God wants... You know who they are. I need you to be my apostles. I need you to go out an talk about [the vax]. pic.twitter.com/mjuVfgPhyK Caldron Pool (@CaldronPool) September 28, 2021 Hochuls got her religious icon around her neck, and shes gunning for the non-believers. In the new state Church of Vaccination, the unvaccinated are going to be forced to convert, whether with fire or sword or in the case of New York in 2021, through unemployment and expulsion from any participation in normal life. Expect the auto-da-fe to be on the menu next year for any unvaccinated holdovers. And all this is for a virus with a greater than >99.8% survival rate for people under 70 (and imagine how much better the survival rate would be if doctors were allowed to prescribe ivermectin for early intervention). Religion when tempered with wisdom and humanity is a wonderful thing that has propelled the West, especially America, into becoming the freest, most innovative, most wealth-creating, most humanist society in the world. Religion when pushed through fanaticism and zealotry is a terrifying thing, as we saw on September 11, 2001 and as we're in seeing 2021 thanks to leftist zealotry, whether it runs through a Christian filter. I think you'll enjoy Tucker's take on Hochul's evangelism: Image: Kathy Hochul preaching the vaccine gospel (edited). Twitter screen grab. To comment, you can find the MeWe post for this article here. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Last year, just twelve months ago, we were spending our Easter in lockdown. It was an anxious and uncertain time. The days and months that followed were dark and tumultuous for many people both here and around the world. Now, just twelve months later, we have the extraordinary privilege again of spending an Easter in relative freedom. It is not the same for all nations. Many people have lost their lives to this virus. Many are still struggling with the effects of the pandemic. How blessed we are to be living in countries where the Covid response has been effective. This is due in no small part to the tireless and thankless work of our frontline health workers, our border and MIQ workers, our essential service workers, our volunteer and community workers, our elders, our ministers, our leaders and fellow servants. There can be no doubt that without them the pandemic in our countries would have been much, much worse. Those that have served and saved us deserve all our gratitude and thanks, our acknowledgement and support. Because of them the anxiety and uncertainty we felt can now be replaced with a little more hope and a lot more freedom. They have shown us what it truly means to love your neighbour. They are to us what love should look like. They are God's love made real. At the heart of the story of Easter is that same love. God's love, made real in Jesus Christ. In dark and tumultuous times Jesus responded by putting his faith in the greatest power that he knew: God's love made real. The story of Easter teaches us that we can respond the same way, with the same great power. Where others are cruel, we can be kind. Where others are hurtful, we can seek to heal. Where others choose to be bitter and resentful, we can choose to love. We can be God's love made real in deeds and action. As far as we have come, our pandemic journey is still not over. We need to be vigilant and continue to protect ourselves and others from Covid. We urge all of you to receive the Covid vaccine when it is available. Health professionals assure us that these vaccines are very safe and very effective. There will be vaccinations available for everyone. There is no need for you to miss out. Getting vaccinated is the best action you can take to protect yourself and others. Being kind is the best action that you can take to support others through the pandemic. And what is kindness if not love made real through action? We encourage you to have faith. But as the Bible says, faith without works is futile. You don't need prayer to remove dirt from your hands. You can use soap and water. You don't need a spiritual forcefield to help protect you from infection. You can wear a mask and maintain social distancing. You don't need to hide behind the Bible to find immunity from Covid. You can get a vaccination. That's what faith combined with works looks like. That's what love can look like when it's made real. This Easter, in this part of our pandemic journey, we hope that your faith will be renewed and that God's love will continue to be made real in your life. Made real through the good and kind deeds of others. Made real through your own compassionate actions. May God's love - real, and active, and caring, and kind - continue to sustain you and keep you through all the days ahead. Na matou nei, Archbishop Don Tamihere (Pihopa o Aotearoa) Archbishop Philip Richardson (Senior Bishop of the New Zealand Dioceses) Archbishop Fereimi Cama (Bishop of Polynesia) Posted on: April 12, 2021 9:20 AM The Archbishop of the West Indies, Howard Gregory used his Easter message to call for the Christian church in Jamaica to accept that some of its practices are used to justify violence against women. The Archbishop of the West Indies, Howard Gregory, has called on the Christian church in Jamaica to accept that some of its practices are used to justify violence against women. Archbishop Howard, who is also Bishop of Jamaica and the Cayman Islands, made his comments in an Easter sermon at Saint Andrews Parish Church in Kingston. He said: we must acknowledge, as a church, the way in which some of our attitudes and teachings within the Christian community have been used to undergird the negative and violent attitudes and behaviour with which our women must now contend. His sermon was based on the account of Jesus resurrection found in Johns gospel. He noted that Mary Magdalene was the first person to whom Jesus appeared. He said that the encounter was countercultural because it involved an event considered the most central to Christian belief the resurrection of Jesus being revealed first to a woman in a male-dominated society. He said that equality and equity for women in Christianity is still a problem. Even to this day, there are Christian traditions that assert that the womans place is to be silent in church and not occupy positions of leadership over men, or even over other women, who constitute the core of the church, he said. More than one in every four women in Jamaica have experienced intimate-partner violence in their lifetime. Posted on: April 20, 2021 6:11 PM Official report assesses racial makeup and perceptions of the churchs leadership and summarises race influences on church culture. [Episcopal News Service, by David Paulsen] The US-based Episcopal Church publicly released a report on Monday (19 April) that assesses the racial makeup and perceptions of a broad sampling of the churchs leadership and summarises how race influences internal church culture. The release of the 72-page report, nearly three years in the making, also sheds light on nine dominant patterns of racism that were identified during interviews with dozens of church leaders. The audit confirmed that the churchs leadership, like its membership, is overwhelmingly white, and it found that white leaders and leaders of colour tend to perceive discrimination differently. People of colour said they have often felt marginalised despite the churchs professed commitment to racial reconciliation. White Episcopalians, on the other hand, frequently werent aware of how race has shaped their lives and their church. The Racial Justice Audit of Episcopal Leadership was conducted on behalf of the church by the Massachusetts-based Mission Institute. More than 1,300 people completed a written survey offered to five leadership groups: the House of Bishops, the House of Deputies, Executive Council, church-wide staff members and leaders from 28 dioceses. Additional narrative interviews were conducted with 64 participants who had expressed a willingness to share personal stories and observations with the institutes researchers. This racial audit has attempted to magnify the voices of people of colour in the church, while also maintaining a spotlight on the systems and structures created and maintained by the white dominant culture, the Mission Institute said in unveiling its findings. By putting those findings into their historical context, the institute concluded that even though we have come far in addressing racism within the church, we still have a long way to go. Episcopal leaders see the audit as part of the churchs efforts to become more inclusive and to bridge racial divides in an increasingly diverse America. Since 2017, those efforts have centred on Becoming Beloved Community, the churchs cornerstone racial reconciliation initiative. It aims to deepen conversations about the churchs historic complicity with slavery, segregation and other racist systems while enlisting all Episcopalians in the work of racial healing. One of its four components is telling the truth about churches and race. This racial justice audit, I think for the first time, has given us a real picture of the dynamics and the reality of structural and institutional racism among us, Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said in a press release announcing the report. It has given us a baseline of where we are, to help us understand where we can, and must, by Gods grace, go. The report offers eight general recommendations for the church as it continues to engage at the parish and community level, from prioritising racial justice to providing financial support to communities still dealing with the effects of racial oppression. It recommends conducting follow-up audits of church leadership every five years, as well as expanding the audits to dioceses and congregations. It calls for a new system of accountability, ensuring the church steps up its racial justice work. And it cites the need to educate white Episcopalians about the churchs racial dynamics, including through promotion of the audits results. The results were first unveiled earlier this year to each participating group, starting with an Executive Council committee in January. About 200 diocesan leaders attended three online discussions of the results in March, and the Mission Institute presented the report to the House of Bishops on 12 March at the bishops online retreat. Similar online sessions were offered to the church-wide staff on 23 March and the House of Deputies on 15 April. Along with releasing the report to the wider church yesterday, Episcopal leaders have prepared resources to help all Episcopalians understand the significance of the audits findings while discerning how they can be a part of the churchs continued efforts to combat systemic racism. Three webinars will be offered, on 11 May, 1 June and 29 June. Racism exists in our church, and we can no longer ignore it or look the other way or pretend that its not there, the churchs racial reconciliation officer, Isaiah Shaneequa Brokenleg, told ENS. My hope is that we would recognise the racism in our church and change it. Posted on: April 9, 2021 4:17 PM The Bishop of Northern Philippines, Brent Alawas, has been elected as the next Primate of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines. The Episcopal Church in the Philippines 11th Synod have elected the Bishop of Northern Philippines as their next Prime Bishop and Primate. Bishop Brent Harry W Alawas will succeed Prime Bishop Joel Pachao, who will retire in June. The Synod met on 7 and 8 April in a hybrid format. Most delegates were physically gathered in diocesan venues, and were connected nationally through an online conference service. Bishop Brent, the only nominee, was elected on the first ballot. The theme of the Synod was Recovering our Prophetic Ministry. It approved a resolution expressing opposition to an anti-terror law. It also called for a more vigorous and compassionate approach to combat Covid-19. The synod also agreed that the Visayas Mission Area will be elevated into a missionary diocese within the next triennium. Posted on: May 10, 2021 10:27 AM The Tikanga Pakeha Ecumenical Group is inviting Anglican churches to host Iftar meals for their Muslim neighbours during Ramadan. The Tikanga Pakeha Ecumenical Group is inviting Anglican churches in Aotearoa New Zealand to host Iftar meals for their Muslim neighbours during Ramadan. They say that doing so will promote friendship between Anglicans and Muslims. The chair of the ecumenical group, Canon Michael Wallace, wrote to New Zealand dioceses to promote Ramadan hospitality in their church facilities. He said: the simple gesture of sharing a meal together builds solidarity and understanding between people of different faiths. Ramadan runs from 13 April to 12 May this year, and observers will be fasting during daylight hours for the whole month. During Ramadan, Muslims break their daily fast at sunset each night with a large meal called an Iftar. Tradition encourages them to share Iftar meals with their faith community and with others. Canon Wallace said: for a local parish or church group, stepping out of our comfort zone to invite our Muslim neighbours to an Iftar meal is a good first step in building the kind of natural links between Christian and Muslim faith communities that we need for peace. Following the deadly mosque attacks in Christchurch in 2019, government officials called meetings of different faith community leaders around the country in an attempt to build interfaith peace. However, they found that many local religious leaders already knew one another. They had already been collaborating, often on issues of peace and justice, as well as serving the wider community. Canon Wallace said that those kinds of connections did not happen by accident, but are the result of many bridge-building efforts over many years by the leaders of faith communities around Aotearoa New Zealand. Eating together gives us the chance to build understanding and friendships across the whole church and mosque families, not just between the Imams and priests. Posted on: May 7, 2021 2:54 PM Anglicans from around the world have added their names to an open letter written by faith leaders calling for an end to vaccine nationalism. Prominent Anglicans have added their names to a letter written by faith leaders from around the world calling for an increase in the production of Covid vaccines, and an end to vaccine nationalism. The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon, is amongst the prominent Anglicans to sign the letter, which has also been endorsed Dr Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury; Dr Thabo Makgoba, Archbishop of Cape Town; John Davies, Archbishop of Wales; John McDowell, Archbishop of Armagh; Archbishop Linda Nicholls, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada; Mark Strange, Primus of the Scottish Episcopal Church; and Dr Mouneer Anis, Archbishop of Alexandria. They are amongst almost 150 religious leaders who have signed the letter. They are asking leaders at next months G7 meeting for a commitment to take all the necessary steps to ensure a global programme of vaccination is undertaken as a global common good. The letter said: the access of people to life-saving Covid-19 vaccines cannot be dependent on peoples wealth, status, or nationality. We cannot abdicate our responsibilities to our sisters and brothers by imagining that the market can be left to resolve the crisis or pretend to ourselves that we have no obligation to others in our shared humanity. Every person is precious. We have a moral obligation to reach everyone, in every country. The call comes as part of action from the Peoples Vaccine Alliance, a coalition of organisations and activists campaigning for a peoples vaccine for Covid-19, which would be based on shared knowledge and freely available to everyone everywhere. Fionna Smyth, head of global advocacy and policy for the UK-based development agency Christian Aid, said: we know that our best chance of all staying safe is to ensure Covid-19 vaccines are available for all as a global common good as soon as possible. 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. We need a Peoples Vaccine, not a profit vaccine. In an article written for British newspaper The Guardian, Rowan Williams said that the G7 must act to end vaccine apartheid. He said: Future generations will look back with incredulity at our failure so far to do what is necessary for global public health in the course of this pandemic. The religious leaders concluded their letter by saying: this unprecedented public health crisis calls, above all, for global solidarity, for all people to stand together as brothers and sisters. The same spirit of unity and common purpose that has driven scientists to develop Covid-19 vaccines at breathtaking speed, that drives the care of those tending to the sick, must also inspire the leaders of government, civil society and the private sector to massively ramp up vaccine production so there are sufficient doses for every person in the world to be vaccinated. . . As religious leaders, we join our voices to the call for vaccines that are made available to all people as a global common good a Peoples Vaccine. This is the only way to end the pandemic. Posted on: May 21, 2021 3:07 PM ACSC will resource the whole Anglican Communion for courageous and confident spiritual leadership in issues involving science. A new Anglican Communion Science Commission (ACSC) is being formed to resource the whole Anglican Communion for courageous and confident spiritual leadership in issues involving science. The ACSC will be co-chaired by the Archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba; and the Bishop of Oxford, Stephen Croft. The ACSC will formally launch at the Lambeth Conference in Canterbury, England, in July and August next year; and will hold its first conference shortly afterwards. Scientists, theologians, and bishops from around the globe are being invited by the Anglican Communions Secretary General, Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon, to serve as Commissioners. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has asked Anglican Communion Primates to nominate a Bishop from their Church to serve as provincial representatives at conferences of the Commission. Science will be a significant feature at the 2022 Lambeth Conference. Today, organisers have posted a series of videos, exploring the relationship between science and faith, on the Lambeth Conference website. In an introductory video, the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, spoke of the importance of science, saying: it is scientific advance that has lifted so many people out of poverty. It is scientific advance that has enabled the world to feed itself. It is widespread science that has enabled us to produce vaccines at a speed that even five years ago a year ago would have been thought unimaginable. It is science that has begun to give us a big picture of our place in the world. It is science that has driven our consciousness of the danger to the world from climate change and what we can do about it in the future. In all these things, it is science which has been a gift to human beings. He continued: But the reaction of the Church has, for many years and many centuries one might say been very cautious about science and remains so today. Or there is fear. We talk about human beings playing at being God, we talk about loss of control; of changes to DNA. We talk about all kinds of things that lead to people being frightened. And particularly as we move and look forward over the next 10 or 20 years, if we think it has been quick so far, as President Reagan used to say: you aint seen nothing yet. That is a reason why Christians need to be both knowledgeable and able to ask questions and think about science. Among the scientists who have agreed to be Commissioners are Dr Derrick Aarons, the Chief Executive Officer at the Health Professions Authority in the Turks and Caicos Islands; Professor Kwamena Sagoe, Head of Virology at the University of Ghanas Department of Medical Microbiology and a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Clinical Virology; and Dr Heather Payne, a consultant paediatrician and Senior Medical Officer for the Welsh Government. Theologians serving as Commissioners include Professor Joseph Galgalo, formerVice Chancellor and Associate Professor of Theology at Saint Pauls University in Limuru, Kenya; Professor Jennifer Strawbridge, Associate Professor in New Testament Studies at the University of Oxford in the UK; and Professor Andrew Briggs, Professor of Nanomaterials at the University of Oxford, an expert in acoustic microscopy and materials for quantum technologies. Professor Briggs is also acting as convenor of the ACSC as it begins its work ahead of its formal launch at next years Lambeth Conference. The Anglican Communion Science Commission will have webpages on the Anglican Communion website. Posted on: May 20, 2021 11:53 AM International group of church leaders join forces in ecumenical effort to urge President Ivan Duque Marquez to end violence in Colombia. The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon, is one of 10 Christian leaders from different denominations who have joined forces to call on the President of Colombia to end the spiral of violence in the country. They have signed a joint calling on President Ivan Duque Marquez to stop the spiral of violence that is doing terrible harm to the civilian population in Colombia. While we acknowledge that the government is dealing with a very complex situation, we believe the focus now must not be on repressing popular protests, but rather to listen to the peoples voices with empathy and without resorting to violence, and to begin to seriously address the root causes of the mass mobilisation of the Colombian people, the church leaders say in their letter. Colombia has now entered a third week of national protests. More than 40 people have been killed, hundreds have gone missing, and thousands have been injured as a result of the security response. We believe that as head of government you will call the Colombian authorities to remember and fulfil their primary responsibility which is the protection of the Colombian people, the letter says. We pray that you will resist and reject the calls for more violence and greater use of force against activists. The signatories added that they will continue to monitor the situation in Colombia closely and with great concern, praying for a just and peaceful resolution to the current crisis, and remain committed to supporting dialogue between the different stakeholders as the only path to such a resolution. They end the letter by saying: we look forward to your response, and wish you grace and peace in the fulfilment of your responsibilities. In addition to Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearpn, the letter was signed by Dr Ioan Sauca, Acting General Secretary of the World Council of Churches; Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, General secretary and CEO of the ACT Alliance; Chris Ferguson, General secretary of the World Communion of Reformed Churches; Dr Martin Junge, General secretary of the Lutheran World Federation; Bishop Ivan M Abrahams, General secretary of the World Methodist Council; Monsignor Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte OFM, President of the Latin American Episcopal Council; Monsignor Jorge Eduardo Lozano, General secretary of the Latin American Episcopal Council; and Philip Lee, General secretary of the World Association for Christian Communication. Dr Idowu-Fearon signed the letter after consulting with the Anglican Bishop of Colombia, Bishop Francisco Jose Duque, and leaders in the US-based Episcopal Church, which the diocese is part of. Bishop Francisco has issued his own statement on the situation in the country, saying that his diocese expresses in a public and categorical way its solidarity with the suffering of the Colombian people and raises its voice of protest against all forms of abuse and all signs of death that hang over the most vulnerable of our country, especially in these times of social and health crisis. Bishop Francisco said: Our being as baptised moves us in a prophetic spirit, according to the teaching of Jesus, the Christ, to put ourselves on the side of the oppressed and violated, to demand the peace and justice necessary for a dignified and harmonious life. We demand of our leaders that the necessary actions be taken and conducive to the reestablishment of harmonious relations in the national territory; We urge you to comply with the mandate placed on your shoulders, with full justice and in accordance with the Constitution and Human Rights, to respect life, integrity and the right to protest, guaranteeing the safety and protection of each and every one who expresses their just claims. In the same way, we express our willingness to serve and declare our absolute availability to contribute to the country and to the citizens who need it most, wherever we are called to do good. Anglican and Roman Catholic leaders expressed concern over the situation in Northern France in joint statement for World Refugee Day. Anglican and Roman Catholic leaders working on both sides of the English Channel have expressed concern about the refugee situation in northern France. In a joint statement issued to mark World Refugee Day (20 June) they called for a climate of welcome and understanding. In 2020, there were approximately 80 million forcibly displaced people around the world. 26.3 million of these are refugees. Among these, an estimated 1,500 people, including unaccompanied children and women with new-born babies, are living in forests or makeshift shelters in northern France. A non-profit organisation Human Rights Observers said that there were 973 evictions by police in Calais in 2020 alone, not including the dismantling of hundreds of tents each month. In their join statement, a number of Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops said: we find it necessary to repeat calls for people to respond to the challenge of listening to the strangers amongst us who are exiled from their homelands. These are fellow humans who deserve to be helped to find places where they can live in dignity and contribute to civil society. We are heartened by those who generously offer financial and material support, time and skills, shelter and accommodation, whatever their religious conviction. They ignore the myths that lead to prejudice and fear that apparently prevent politicians from creating new and constructive policies that go beyond closing frontiers and employing more security staff. Their stories should be heard before decisions about their futures are announced. We urge all who gather in places of worship along the frontiers of European states to pray and gather information to support pleas for better treatment of all vulnerable men, women and children. The Church of Englands Bishop in Europe, Robert Innes, and the Bishop of Dover, Rose Hudson-Wilkin, were the two Anglican Bishops who signed the statement. They were joined by the Roman Catholics Bishop of Bruges, Lode Aerts, the Archbishop of Lille, Laurent Ulrich, the Bishop of Arras, Boulogne-sur-Mer & Saint-Omer, Olivier Leborgne, and the Archbishop of Southwark, John Wilson. Posted on: June 18, 2021 3:44 PM Christian leaders in South Sudan join forces in statement to mark the International Day for Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict. The Anglican Primate of South Sudan, Archbishop Justin Badi Arama, has joined other Christian leaders in the South Sudan Council of Churches to urge Christians in the country to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict on Saturday (19 June). According to the United Nations, the term conflict-related sexual violence is rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitutions, forced pregnancy, forced abortion, enforced sterilisation, forced marriage and any other form of sexual violence perpetrated against women, men, girls or boys that is directly or indirectly linked to conflict. They UN says: a consistent concern is that fear and cultural stigma converge to prevent the vast majority of survivors of conflict-related sexual violence from coming forward to report such violence. Practitioners in the field estimate that for each rape reported in connection with a conflict, 10 to 20 cases go undocumented. In March 2021, the UN Mission in South Sudan documented 193 cases of conflict-related sexual violence affecting 142 women, 46 girls and five men. Perpetrators included community-based militias, civil defence groups and other armed elements. Survivors ranged in age from three to 70, with 81 per cent subjected to rape, gang rape or attempted rape. Sexual violence was often committed during or on the margins of military operations and in the vicinity of military bases and training sites. Nursing mothers and pregnant women were not spared, and attacks were also reported against internally displaced persons and individuals with disabilities. Victims were often targeted on the basis of their actual or perceived ethnic or political affiliation, with some stripped naked in public as a form of humiliation. In a statement this week, the South Sudan Council of Churches asked all churches across the country to include messages about the elimination of sexual violence in conflict in any services being held over the weekend. The statement included suggested messages to include in these services. In one, they said that acts such as rape, sexual slavery and forced marriage are crimes under South Sudanese laws and are inconsistent with teachings and principles of Christian faiths. In another, they said that parties to the conflict in South Sudan made commitments to protect civilians, especially to prohibit their respective forces to commit, command or condone acts of sexual violence. Such commitments must be upheld. The statement also said: the Church commends survivors both men and women for their strength in speaking up against sexual violence defying a culture of stigma and fears of retaliation. . . There is no shame in being a victim of sexual violence; the shame must lie with those who perpetrate such heinous acts. Other messages made reference to the roles of families and communities and government institutions. The statement said that the role of religious leaders of all faiths is to promote social cohesion among their followers and dialogue initiative to peacefully address any disagreement. In addition to Archbishop Justin Badi Arama, the statement was signed by the Moderator of South Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church, James Par Tap Hon; the Catholic Metropolitan Archbishop of Juba, Stephen Ameyu Martin; the General Overseer of Sudan Pentecostal Church, Isaiah Majok Dau; the Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of South Sudan and Sudan, James Makuei Chuol; the Presiding Bishop Elect of the Africa Inland Church, James Lagos Alexander; and the General Secretary of South Sudan Council of Churches, James Oyet Latansio. Commenting on the statement, the Anglican Communions Project Director for Gender Justice, Mandy Marshall, said: it is so important that faith leaders have come together to state clearly that sexual violence is a crime and cannot be justified. This statement will be good news to survivors of sexual violence as faith leaders rightly state that the shame lays with the perpetrator of abuse and not the survivor, whilst challenge communities to not stigmatise survivors but support them. I welcome this statement and encourage it being acted on. Posted on: July 2, 2021 11:55 AM The Bishop of Polynesia, Archbishop Fereimi Cama, Primate of the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, has died. Archbishop Fereimi Cama, one of the three primates of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, has died. A communique today from the Diocese of Polynesia, which he served as Diocesan Bishop, said that Archbishop Fereimi died this morning at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital in Suva. He was 66. Archbishop Fereimi had served as Archbishop since March 2019, when he was consecrated Bishop of Polynesia, becoming the first Fijian to serve as an archbishop in the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. He has been a strong leader on climate justice advocacy and natural disaster preparedness. The Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia has a unique three-person Primacy, reflecting the three Tikangas, or cultural streams (Pakeha, Maori and Polynesia), within the Church. Archbishops Don Tamihere (Maori) Philip Richardson (Pakeha), paid tribute to their co-primate, saying: our hearts echo softly with the ancient laments of our people, sung for you Archbishop Fereimi; our shepherd who has departed from us, gone beyond the veil, taken to the place of eternal rest. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, also paid tribute, described Archbishop Fereimis death as a great shock to the whole Anglican Communion. Archbishop Justin said: on behalf of the whole Church of England and myself, deep condolences to Archbishop Fereimis family, to Archbishop Don and Archbishop Philip, and the Province of Polynesia, Aotearoa and New Zealand. Our prayers for you all. The Deputy Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, the Revd Dr William Adam, said: on behalf of the Anglican Consultative Council and the wider Anglican Communion, I send sincere condolences to the family and friends of Archbishop Fereimi Cama and to the Diocese of Polynesia and the Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. Archbishop Fereimi had a significant ministry that spread from Fiji, through the diocese and province to the whole Anglican Communion. He was a wise and pastoral bishop and primate; and he contributed to the life of the Anglican Communion both as a primate and as a member of the International Anglican Liturgical Consultation. May he rest in peace and rise in glory. Archbishop Fereimi began his career as a Methodist school teacher, before switching to the Anglican Church during the first Fijian coup in 1987. He was ordained as both deacon and priest in 1990. By 1997 he had gained a Bachelor of Theology degree and was appointed Assistant Priest at Holy Trinity Cathedral in Suva, where he later became dean and served until 2012. He then became priest in charge of the parish of St Matthews Samabula. In 2016, he was appointed Vicar of St Peters Lautoka, where he served until becoming Bishop of Polynesia and Primate of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. Archbishop Fereimi Cama is survived by his two daughters, two sons, and two grandchildren. His funeral will take place on Friday 9 July at Holy Trinity Cathedral Suva. The funeral will be livestreamed from the Diocese of Polynesia Facebook Page. Posted on: July 8, 2021 1:22 PM First round of six-month programme of Bishops Conversations a joy, says Lambeth Conference company Chief Executive Phil George. A series of organised Bishops Conversations are taking place over the next six months as part of the preparations for next years face-to-face Lambeth Conference of Anglican Bishops. The first round is takin place this week and have been described as a joy by the Chief Executive of the Lambeth Conference company, Phil George. After months of planning and preparations, we have been delighted to welcome so many people to the first of our online Bishops Conversations, he said. It was a joy to know that so many bishops from around the world were joining to take part. With around 500 bishops registered for these sessions, this is such an important opportunity for bishops to meet with one another and tune in to the conference themes before the face-to-face event planned for 2022. The first round of Bishops Conversations, Called Together, began on 6 July and more are taking place today (8 July). Groups of around 20 bishops are meeting using online conference software in groups of about 20. Bishop will remain in the same groups for the duration of the six-month programme. Through facilitated discussion, the bishops are taking part in Bible studies before discussing the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic in their own local contexts. Bishop Peter Stuart, of Newcastle in the Anglican Church of Australia, said: it was like a gathering of old and new friends who moved easily into conversation. We quickly learnt that we share a deep bond in speaking about the way of Jesus and bear a similar weight in the ministry of being a bishop. The conversations were humbling as we heard of the harsh political environments experienced by some of those present as well as the impact that many had experienced with Covid-19 pandemic. We moved comfortably to open and generous prayer for each other. The Assistant Bishop of Wellington, in the Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, Bishop Eleanor Sanderson, said: as we shared from our different contexts, I was deeply encouraged and humbled to know of the co-ordinated work of our Anglican family supporting those most vulnerable in the Covid-19 pandemic. . . Our conversations together increased my awareness in a way that will shape my prayers and will also inform how I can seek to partner with Jesus in mobilising the people within my own diocese to work against such inequality. Bishop Graham Usher, of Norwich in the Church of England, said: Im excited that through conversation, study and prayer as well as our experience of sharing the Gospel in our communities that I will learn, be encouraged and challenged, and so come to see more of the face of Christ. That image of Christ is illuminated for me by my sisters and brothers around the Anglican Communion and I am so grateful for the spiritual richness that I discover, often from places of material poverty and those on the frontline of the impact of Covid and climate change. All active bishops in the Anglican Communion were invited to take part in the conversations. In some parts of the world, accessing reliable internet connections can be more challenging. In such cases, the Lambeth Conference have made small bursaries available to support those with technical needs. Many Anglican bishops will often meet each other through different Anglican networks and initiatives, but these online sessions being held in advance of the Lambeth Conference provide an important opportunity for new connections and relationships to be formed, the Lambeth Conference company said in a statement. The sessions have been designed by a working group chaired by Bishop Emma Ineson, newly-appointed Bishop to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. Other members include Bishop Anthony Poggo, the Adviser to the Archbishop of Canterbury on Anglican Communion Affairs; Professor Joseph Galgalo, from the Anglican Church of Kenya; Bishop Pradeep Samantaroy, from the Diocese of Amritsar in the united Church of North India; Lord Stephen Green, Chair of the Lambeth Conference company trustees; and Matthew Frost, a member of the Archbishops Council of the Church of England. Posted on: August 18, 2021 12:33 PM The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has spoken about the ongoing situation in Afghanistan. Speaking in the House of Lords, the upper house of the UK parliament, he said: "I look forward today especially to hearing noble and gallant Lords, diplomats, and others with local knowledge in Afghanistan. We rightly remember the courage, suffering and sacrifice over the last 20 years, and the courage being shown by our ambassador and the service people in Afghanistan at the moment, together with their colleagues and reporters. When we look back, I remember a cathedral, full for the funeral of a soldier: family and many colleagues silent in dignity, some wounded, mourning their loss. "The failure we face today is not military or diplomatic: they did all they could. It is political. Recovery and hope will come to Afghanistan with us supporting commitment to the neediest and most desperate. We have proven capacities in soft as well as hard power. "We owe an absolute, lavishly generous moral covenant to all those who are at risk because they served with us in Afghanistan or took seriously our frequently professed commitment to its future, women and girls included. An Afghan refugee, now a UK citizen said to me this week, families in such times of trouble belong together. His words are not politics but humanity. This is about morals not numbers. Will the Government confirm that their policy will reflect moral obligation and not be controlled by numbers? "In Pakistan, a country facing huge pressure including from refugees, we must undertake dialogue and support, learning afresh the religious and cultural literacy which is essential to effective work. We must not put any groups there, or in Afghanistan, into a corner where they may be driven to greater extremes. The aid we offer must support dialogue, inspire hope and prepare reconciliation. And that aid must be genuinely additional, not a transfer from other places of need. Is that going to be the case, I ask the Government? "We must renew commitment to freedom of religion and belief everywhere, a point not much mentioned so far. That will count in Pakistan and Afghanistan for Christians and religious communities such as Shia, Hindus, Jains, Ahmadis and Sikhs. A WhatsApp, from a Christian in Afghanistan yesterday, asked for support there and in Pakistan. Memorably, it said, I am willing to die for Jesus, but I do not want to die forgotten. "My Lords, this is a very bad time, especially for so many in Afghanistan, and for those who served there. It is a time for prayerful humility and for us to display generosity, virtue, and courage. Rebuilding our reputation in such ways will give many others hope as well." Watch the Archbishop of Canterbury's full address here: Posted on: September 24, 2021 11:15 AM The Anglican Church of Ceylon, with support from the Anglican Communion Office at the United Nations, is calling on urgent action from the Human Rights Council. The Anglican Church of Ceylon is increasingly concerned by the deterioration of human rights in Sri Lanka. They have highlighted the polarisation of institutions and society, the politicisation of the vaccination efforts, the militarisation of politics and other institutions, and government crackdowns on peaceful protestors. Their case is being presented to the 48th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council by the Anglican Communions Permanent Representative to the UN, Jack Palmer-White. The Anglican Communion Office at the UN submitted a report to the Council with specific recommendations for the government of Sri Lanka based upon the concerns of the Church of Ceylon. The report looked at ethno-nationalistic sentiments that favour the majoritarian ethnicity and religion and calls out the politicisation of Covid vaccination efforts. The report said that: the government has done little to address the false accusations on social media that Muslims were deliberately spreading the virus and corresponding calls to boycott Muslim businesses. It recommended that the government continue the process of constitutional reforms, including consideration of a new Bill of Rights that will, amongst others, guarantee the right to life and the right to non-discrimination on any ground. It also highlighted concerns over military personnel continuing to be appointed to government posts, and the lack of accountability from the ruling party, particularly in the investigation of the Easter Sunday attacks of 2019. The report recommends an end military involvement in civilian functions. The report said: the cornerstone of any democracy must be the ability to entertain opposing views. The current approach of the government does not reflect values that contribute to a society built on universal equality and dignity. From the perspective of the Church, which is apolitical and aims to be a source of integration, this approach directly conflicts with its presence and ministry in this diverse country. The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system made up of 47 States. The Council is responsible for the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe. The 48th session of the Human Rights Council began on 13 September and continues to 8 October. Posted on: September 24, 2021 2:29 PM The Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon, will retire at the end of August 2022. Dr Idowu-Fearon, who will be 73 at the time, was appointed to his role in 2015 on a seven-year term. His formal notice of retirement was given to the Anglican Communions Standing Committee during a meeting last week. He told a press conference this week that he does not see it as retirement but resignation, as he will continue in Christian ministry. The Chair of the Anglican Consultative Council, the former Archbishop of Hong Kong, Paul Kwong, said: I would like to express my gratitude to Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon for being an outstanding Secretary General of the Anglican Communion. His fruitful ministry is marked by his commitment to making himself available always to connect or reconnect people and trying to bring them together in the Communion. He has been good to maintain positive and productive relationships and to engender cooperation among people with complex, diverse and sensitive relationships and persuasions. I thank him deeply for what he has done for the Communion, in particular, The Anglican Consultative Council. I wish him all the best for the next phase of his ministry. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said I am deeply grateful to Archbishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon for his leadership in the Anglican Communion as Secretary General of the Anglican Consultative Council. I first met Josiah in 2002 in a railway station cafe an appropriate place to meet a bishop who is constantly on the move and always seeking new places to share and live out the Gospel. In the following years I travelled often to his province in Nigeria, a country very dear to my heart that has long enriched my faith. When he began his tenure as Secretary General, Archbishop Josiah said his prayer was to be a bridge builder and over the last six years we have seen God answer that prayer. Josiahs work in this role has taken him around the Communion. He has ministered to us through a profound respect both for our difference and diversity, and with a vision for our unity in Jesus Christ. For his remarkable determination and courage in pursuing this calling, I praise God for the gift that Josiah has been to us. I am especially grateful to Josiah for his wisdom and work in the preparations for the Lambeth Conference, and I am glad he will still be in post when that takes place next year. I look forward to continuing in partnership in the Gospel with Josiah over his remaining time as Secretary General and in the future beyond that. In a statement announcing that he would be stepping back, Dr Idowu-Fearon said: when I was appointed to this post, I said that my prayer to God is very simple, that I would be able to be a bridge builder; to create the culture of respect for differences, a culture of accepting people as human beings and loving them for who they are in Christ. If within the Communion, we have this understanding, we can live together with our differences. Over the past six years we have seen this prayer come true. There are still divisions within the Anglican Communion; but there is very little of the bitterness and rancour that existed previously. In the early part of this century, the Instruments of Communion met to discuss our difference. Committees and groups were established to examine divisive issues. But agreement was hard to come by. Now, the Instruments meet to discuss what we agree on: the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how we play our part in the mission and ministry of His global Church. Much of the thanks for that must go to the way Archbishop Justin has prioritised the fostering of good relationships within the Communion; but thanks, too, must go to my colleagues in the Anglican Communion Office, the Anglican Communions Primates, and the many hundreds and thousands of Anglicans around the world who have, and who continue, to playing their role in building Gods Kingdom through the Anglican Communion. Prior to his appointment as Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Dr Idowu-Fearon served the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) as Bishop of Kaduna and Archbishop of the Province of Kaduna. Before that he was Bishop of Sokoto; Warden of St Francis of Assisi Theological College in Wusasa and Provost of St Michaels Cathedral in Kaduna. He continues to play a role in the region, serving as chair of the Kaduna State Peace Commission which is trying to bring about an end conflict between rival groups in that region of the country. Before ordination, he attended Nigerias military school before leaving the Army to train for the priesthood. After his studies in Nigeria, he went to the UK. There he attended St Johns College, Durham University, where he studied Theology. He then went to Birmingham University earning a Masters in Islamic Studies and Muslim-Christian Relations. It was then, he says, that he realised the Lord was calling me to be a bridge-builder. Subsequently he earned a PhD in Sociology and a Postgraduate diploma in Education from Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria. He has written and lectured extensively about Christian-Muslim relations and served on a number of inter-faith bodies. Dr Idowu-Fearon has been awarded the Officer of the Order of the Niger, the Archbishop of Canterbury's Cross of Saint Augustine's Award, and is a Canterbury Six Preacher. The Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion is working on a succession plan to recruit the next Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, and more details will be announced at a later date. Posted on: September 24, 2021 2:18 PM The Anglican Communion welcomes its newest province today (Friday 24 September) the Igreja Anglicana de Mocambique e Angola. The Anglican Communion welcomes its newest province today the Igreja Anglicana de Mocambique e Angola (IAMA) the Anglican Church of Mozambique and Angola. IAMA will become the 42nd member of the global Anglican Communion of Churches this afternoon at the conclusion of the Provincial Synod of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. Currently, the Anglican Church in the two countries are Portuguese-speaking dioceses of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. The new province will become the third Lusophone Church in the Anglican Communion, joining the Igreja Episcopal Anglicana do Brasil the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, which is a province, and the Portugal-based Lusitanian Church, which is an extra-provincial member of the Anglican Communion. Bishop Carlos Matsinhe of Lebombo has been chosen as the Acting Presiding Bishop of IAMA and Bishop Andre Soares of Angola as the Dean of the Province. In August, the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, Dr Josiah Idowu-Fearon, wrote to the Primate of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba of Cape Town, to confirm that the constitutional requirements for the approval of the new province had been completed. He said: all that remains is for me to celebrate with you in the birth of the new province, pray for its leaders and people, and for you and your staff as you prepare for the synods and inauguration. The first Anglican diocese in Lusophone Africa, Lebombo, was established in 1893 in Mozambique. Anglican missionary work in Angola began in the 1920s but it wasnt until 2003 that a missionary diocese was established as part of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. The church in Mozambique and Angola has grown rapidly in recent years. To the four founding dioceses of the new Province Lebombo, Niassa, Nampula and Angola-Good Shepherd are three new dioceses in Mozambique and one in Angola. Both countries will also have two new missionary dioceses. In Mozambique, there will be new dioceses of Maciene, Inhambane, and Pungue River; and missionary dioceses of Tete and Zambezia. In Angola there will be a new diocese of Christ the King-Uige; and missionary dioceses of the Divine Hope and of Central and South Angola. The elections of bishops for the new dioceses will take place between March and May of 2022. I am delighted for this journey of faith, planting another province within the Anglican Communion, Archbishop Thabo Makgoba said. We look forward to the Archbishop of Canterbury inaugurating the new province and welcoming the Acting Presiding Bishop. Since the vision for a new Portuguese-speaking province was first mentioned in my charge to our 2019 Provincial Synod, we have moved from four dioceses to nine. Although nothing replaces eyeball-to-eyeball contact, we have managed to conduct the process virtually. We are grateful that it has been possible to do it efficiently and cost-effectively. The Acting-Presiding Bishop-Elect, Carlos Matsinhe, said: When I look back right to the beginning of the entry of Anglicanism in Mozambique and Angola, I thank God that the seeds that were planted have grown, are flourishing, and bearing fruits. Throughout the history it was bishops, priests, and particularly lay people, from abroad and from every village where the Anglican Church has set its foot, that have worked for more than a century to bring about the growth that we can visibly see today. We are challenged to continue bearing fruits that can abide. He said that Mozambique and Angola have more in common than a shared language derived from their colonial past. After all the bad things of colonialism, it has also left good things. We have many areas and aspects that we share as Mozambicans and Angolans both in history, in our cooperation as brother and sister states, and members of SADC [Southern African Development Community] and Lusophone states. There is a lot that we share and that is a blessing for us. We want to deploy that to make the church grow more and more. He said that the approval of the new province was a recognition of the maturity of the Church in the two countries. As well as recognising our maturity you are challenging us to grow in maturity and to make a special contribution to the Anglican Communion in the world. We are excited about this and we look forward to it. We ask your prayers and support to do that. Speaking ahead of this afternoons inauguration, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said: I give thanks to God for the growth of the Church in southern Africa and the development of the new province the Igreja Anglicana de Mocambique e Angola. This new province is not just a Lusophone Church for Lusophone people; it is a reflection of the growth of the Church in Mozambique and Angola, and its faithful witness throughout its remarkable history. Please join me in praying for the people of Mozambique and Angola, and particularly those in Cabo Delgado who are suffering, displaced or grieving. We also pray for my brother Bishop Carlos Matsinhe, the Interim Primate of IAMA, who I look forward to working with as a fellow-Primate in our Anglican Communion, for Archbishop Thabo and the remaining Church of the Province of Southern Africa. Archbishop Justin continued: I invite all Anglicans throughout the world to celebrate the life and growth of Gods church, and to pray regularly for the new Province, that we may grow together in His perfect unity. Animals Asia joins experts and leaders to combat rabies in China 28 September 2021 Animals Asia has been raising awareness of cat and dog sentience and actively working to improve conditions for companion animals in Asia for almost 25 years. In that time we have developed strong relationships with local rescue groups, shelters and animal welfare volunteers across China, and supported government departments and officials as they work to strengthen animal welfare and related human health policies. Vaccinating stray, community and domestic dogs and cats against rabies is a big part of our China Cat and Dog Welfare programme. According to the World Health Organisation, rabies is a prevalent and devastating disease that kills tens of thousands of people and animals every year, with 95% of cases occurring in Africa and Asia. Of these cases, approximately 99% are acquired from the bite of an infected dog. Our collaborative, consistent and successful approach led us last year to become the only NGO to have a representative appointed as a member of the Rabies Prevention and Control Committee of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, whose aim is to eradicate rabies in the country by 2030. Animals Asias committee spokesperson, Suki Deng Suki Deng, Animals Asias Director of China Cat and Dog Welfare is our expert spokesperson and has the important role of updating the committee on Animals Asias achievements and progress in rabies prevention and control in the country. Suki joined Animals Asia in 2006 and has been a relentless force in improving conditions for cats and dogs and advocating for companion animal welfare in the country ever since. With a deep understanding of Chinese society, culture and traditions, Suki and her team have formulated sympathetic yet targeted strategies to increase public awareness of animal sentience and companion animal welfare. She said, I firmly believe that in the near future, the concept of caring for animals and treating sentient beings with kindness will become part of our daily lives and culture. Working together to end rabies in China Earlier this year, Suki attended and spoke at the Rabies Prevention and Control Conference in Beijing as a member of the Rabies Prevention and Control Committee. She worked with them to develop a framework for a future white paper for action across mainland China. Animals Asias contribution to the white paper will be on animal immunisation in stray animal shelters, as well as the formulation and implementation of dog ownership management regulations across the country. Suki also took part in the 2021 Annual Conference of Rabies of China and updated the leaders and committee members on Animals Asias progress in this field, and discussed how we will work together with the government to educate the public on rabies prevention and control. World Rabies Day activities For World Rabies Day and as part of our ongoing activities to prevent and control rabies, Suki and her team are running public events in Chengdu, Guangzhou and Nanning. The open events are an opportunity for the public to get free rabies vaccinations for their cats and dogs and learn more about companion animal welfare. Our team is on hand available to answer any questions the public may have about caring for an animal, how to understand its needs and what to do in the event of a rabies diagnosis. Changing hearts in China through kindness Animals Asias empathetic approach and collaborative way of working with the authorities, NGOs and local communities has yielded a remarkable shift in attitude towards our best animal friends in China. Animals Asia supports government departments and officials as they work to strengthen animal welfare policies and we host conferences for officials and volunteer groups to share information, expertise and best practice for improving conditions for companion animals. In addition to our campaign to improve the lives of animals in Asia, our successful Dr Dog and Professor Paws and Professor Paws Outreach programmes have won the hearts of people of all ages right across the country. Weve seen many communities truly embracing dogs as the wonderful friends and individuals they are. And with the removal of dogs (and by default, cats) from Chinas National Catalogue of Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources making their sale for consumption illegal, our hopes for the future of our canine and feline companions in China grows ever-more positive. Read more: Animals Asia becomes first NGO to join Rabies Prevention and Control Committee in China Starfire receives rabies vaccine in a new trial to improve bear health and welfare In UAE, stories of building materials from recycled waste Re-materialise, Sharjah Architecture Triennial on new frontier (ANSAmed) - NAPOLI, 28 SET - As part of its autumn programme, which launches in October, Sharjah Architecture Triennial will present a series of discussions focusing on using recycled materials in architecture and construction. The Triennial is a platform that looks at the evolution of architecture and urbanism across Asia and Africa, involving researchers, businesses and also the dissemination of information. Emirati daily The National said the cycle of discussions, titled "Re-materialise", will include experts and creatives who will present the use of recycled matter for creating raw materials. One of these creators is Ziad Abi Chaker, a Lebanese environmental engineer who collects materials in his city of Beit Mery, near Beirut, as well as the rest of the country, and recycles them into construction materials with his company Cedar Environmental, which he founded in 1996. Another is Ghassaf Afiouni, a chemist who founded Steel Wood, which uses previously disposed-of wood and recycles it throughout the UAE. Another is Nicolas Calvet, head of Seramic Materials Limited, a UAE startup and pioneer in recycled ceramics. The three businessmen will take part at the launch of the talks on 9 October. Many other leaders will participate in the panel discussions, including fashion designer Noorin Khamisani of the Dubai Institute for Design & Innovation (DIDI) and architect Mirko Daneluzzo, a DIDI professor and co-founder of the design company Nyxo. The inaugural Triennial series opened in 2019 and ended in February 2020, just before the Covid pandemic swept the globe. (ANSAmed). TEL AVIV - The Jordanian national airline Royal Jordanian will resume flights to Damascus starting 3 October, following a more than 10-year stop due to the war in Syria, said Jordanian Transport Minister Wajeeh Azayzeh, cited by Petra. Travellers coming from Syria will be required to have a negative Covid PCR test from accredited Syrian laboratories taken within 72 hours of arrival. Azayzeh said travellers will also have to take another test upon arrival at Queen Alia international airport in Amman. An official Syrian delegation is in Amman and met with Jordanian Prime Minister Bisher Khasawneh on the development of bilateral relations. ROME - Premier Mario Draghi said Tuesday that the government will put Rome forward to host the 2030 Universal Exposition or Expo. "It is without doubt a great opportunity for the development of the city," he said in a letter to mayoral candidates in the upcoming elections in the Italian capital. Draghi thanked the candidates for the unity they had shown "in favour of our capital". Mayor Virginia Raggi posted on Facebook, using Roman dialect "Daje (come on)!! Rome official candidate to host the Expo in 2030, one of the most important international events...a demonstration that you can do anything in Rome". Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said hosting Expo 2030 in Rome "would mean a restart for the whole of Italy, with fresh and remarkable opportunities for jobs and economic rebirth". He said "this is the starting point for a new path. It is another green challenge, of urban development and economic growth for our capital, and there is so much to be done. "They are going to be intense months and we will have to give our all to crown this bid", Di Maio stressed, urging all institutions to work together. ROME - Greta Thunberg said at the opening of the Youth4Climate meet in Milan Tuesday that "we want climate justice, and we want it now". The Swedish climate activist, 18, who launched the FridaysForFuture school strike protests three years ago to raise awareness of the climate crisis, said "we only hear words from world leaders, blah blah blah. "Emissions are continuing to rise. "We can reverse this trend, but drastic solutions will be needed. "And since we don't have technological solutions, we must change ourselves. "We can no longer let power decide what hope is. "Hope is not something passive, it isn't blah blah blah. "Hope means telling the truth, it means acting. And hope always comes to people." Thunberg said she expected "a lot of words" at the youth events linked to the PreCop26 session in the Lombard capital. "I'm well, and I have the same expectations as many other meetings, many words," she said. "The climate crisis is a symptom of a broader crisis, the social crisis of inequality, which comes from colonialism," Thunberg added. "A crisis that stems from the idea that some people are worth more than others". She said "we are moving fast in the wrong direction. Our leaders do not act voluntarily, and that is a betrayal. They can't say that they're doing it, because they continue to open coal mines and exploit deposits, without increasing funds for vulnerable countries. They select young people like us pretending to listen to us, but they don't. They have never listened to us". At the end of her speech, Thunberg swapped slogans with the crowd saying "what do we want", to the reply "climate justice!" and adding "when do we want it", spurring the response "now!". The Youth4Climate and Pre-COP26 event is set to last for five days and feature another young activist, Vanessa Nakate of Uganda, as well as Ecological Transition Minister Roberto Cingolani and Education MInister Patrizio Bianchi. Cingolani told the protesting youth Tuesday that "protests are useful but we must join forces". Nakate called for more aid to those who are being hit the hardest by climate change saying "Africa is suffering the biggest damage". Thunberg reiterated later: "We must find a transition without trauma, because there is no Plan B, there is no blah blah blah plan. We aren't talking here simply of a costly and politically correct green washing blah blah blah, green economy blah blah blah, net zero by 2050 blah blah blah. "That's all we hear from our leaders. Words, which seem great, but which have not led to any action. "Our hopes have been drowning in empty words for 30 years. Change is possible, but not if we go on like this". Turkish bombing in northern Syria kills four Including a minor in attack on Ain Issa (ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, SEPT 17 - At least 4 people including a minor were killed Friday morning after Turkey conducted a missile attack on an area in northern Syria controlled by the Syrian branch of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported on Friday. SOHR noted that the attack had occurred in the Debs area near Ain Issa, between Raqqa and the Turkish border. (ANSAmed). Earthquakes: Greece, thousands displaced on Crete PM Mitsotakis visiting the island (ANSAmed) - ROME, 28 SET - Aftershocks were felt on the island of Crete, the largest in Greece, following a strong earthquake that killed one person, damaged about a thousand buildings and left many without a home. The strongest aftershock had a magnitude of 5.3 and took place at 7:48 am local time (0448 GMT), just as Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was preparing for his visit to the island. The epicentre of Monday's earthquake was near the small town of Arkalochori, where one man was killed inside a church that collapsed and about a dozen people were injured. "It was a very difficult night," Arkalochori Mayor Chryssoula Kegeroglou told ERT state radio. "We had lots of aftershocks and we were awake all night," Kegeroglou said. Authorities have set up tents to host hundreds of people whose homes were declared unfit and also made dozens of hotel rooms available. Kegeroglou said about 1,000 people spent the night in a tent. (ANSAmed). Lebanon: Beirut explosion, investigation suspended After call for recusal of Judge Bitar (ANSAmed) - BEIRUT, 28 SET - The investigation into the devastating explosion at the port of Beirut on 4 August 2020, in which over 200 people were killed, was suspended on Tuesday after attorneys for one of the defendants, an MP and former minister, presented a recusal request against the judge leading the investigation, Tarek Bitar, who has repeatedly come under pressure by the ruling political class. Beirut media said the recusal request, presented by attorneys of former interior minister Nouhad Machnouk, is based on the presumed partiality of the work of Bitar, who took over the investigation in January after his predecessor was forced to leave following similar pressure by the political class. The investigation was previously suspended in December 2020 when Judge Fadi Sawwan, the prior head of the investigation, was removed. Bitar's investigation has thus far formally issued criminal charges against nine senior institutional and security officials for the explosion of 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored for seven years at the port of Beirut. By law, the Beirut court of appeals must now review the recusal request and the investigation is formally suspended. Lebanese judicial sources said the request presented by Machnouk's attorneys will in all likelihood be rejected. But they said nonetheless the request buys time for Machnouk, who will once again be protected by parliamentary immunity starting 19 October when parliament goes back into session. He is currently without parliamentary immunity due to the transition between the outgoing government and the incoming one. In addition to Machnouk, another former minister, Youssef Fenianos, for whom Judge Bitar issued an arrest warrant, presented a similar recusal request. Judicial sources confirmed by Lebanese media said Bitar was directly threatened by the pro-Iranian Shiite movement Hezbollah, which effectively leads the government coalition and the parliamentary majority in Lebanon. (ANSAmed). Tunisia: NGOs call for deadline ending state of emergency 'Concerned over total suspension of the Constitution' (ANSA) - TUNIS, 28 SET - Six Tunisian NGOs issued a joint statement on Tuesday rejecting any attempt by the current president to appropriate power without control mechanisms and without precise deadlines to restore the normal course of democracy and put an end to the state of emergency. The associations - the National Union of Tunisian Journalists, the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women, the Association of Tunisian Magistrates, the Tunisian Association for the Defense of Human Rights, the Association of Tunisian Women for Research on Development and Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights - called on the president to clarify the vagueness of the temporary organisation of powers on public and individual freedoms and the independent and constitutional organs. They showed concern over a total suspension of the Constitution and its results, which reflect decades of struggle. The NGOs also asked for the implementation of guarantees of participation, transparency and control as necessary mechanisms to ensure the continuation of the correctness of the democratic process. They expressed their support for the independence of the judiciary - the "true guarantor of democracy" - and the fight against any form of interference in the judicial system. They emphasised the need for respecting institutional independence and protecting freedom of the press. The attention paid at this moment to the political situation must not exclude the economic and social problems and the crisis which particularly affects the fragile classes of the population and which therefore allows them to be exploited. The NGOs called for the rapid formation of a government capable of building fair and effective public policies in all sectors according to a participatory approach that serves the interests of the Tunisian people. (ANSA). TIRANA - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen traveled on an official visit to Albania on Tuesday, the first stop on her tour of the Western Balkans, and said she is "truly determined to ensure that our first Intergovernmental Conference is held, so that we can start accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia before the end of the year". The European Commission proposed the start of talks with Tirana and Skopje last March, but the proposal was blocked by Bulgaria's veto against North Macedonia, which Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama called "absurd". Rama said he is "no longer betting on a date for the intergovernmental conference". "We did what was asked. Talks or no talks, chapters closed or not, this is a question for the European Council, or rather, a single country that wakes up angry with a candidate country, and then holds another hostage," he said. However, Rama said he was grateful to the European Union for the support offered to cope with the consequences of the devastating earthquake of November 26, 2019. And it was in the courtyard of a brand-new school built with European funds about 20 kilometers south of Tirana where he held his press conference with von der Leyen. Albania has also received EU support for overcoming the pandemic, with over 450,000 doses of vaccines and 230 million euros in grants and funding. "But now it is also important to look forward to the future. And we need to look at investments that will ensure a lasting recovery, a strong economy", said von der Leyen, speaking of the economic and investment plan for the Western Balkans, with nine billion euros on the table to finance large development projects. "We already started this year with 500 million euros available. And I am very pleased to announce that we will propose 600 million euros more for this year. So let's try to make this plan a success, a joint success with the right projects," she said. A British-built spacecraft is set to reach its destination planet Mercury on Friday for the first of six planned flybys. BepiColombo will swoop within just 124 miles of the smallest planet in the Solar System, taking photographs and collecting data for scientists on Earth. Launched on October 20 2018, the spacecraft needs nine gravity assist flybys one at Earth, two at Venus and six at Mercury before entering orbit around the planet in 2025. Two orbiters, the European Space Agencys (ESA) Mercury Planetary Orbiter and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency-led (JAXA) Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter, Mio, will help scientists to better understand the planets origin and its evolution as the closest to the sun. The last flyby look place around Venus on August 10, though a week later a correction nudge was needed to set the spacecraft in the right direction. It is because of our remarkable ground stations that we know where our spacecraft is with such precision, said Elsa Montagnon, spacecraft operations manager for the mission. With this information, the flight dynamics team at ESOC (European Space Operations Centre) know just how much we need to manoeuvre, to be in the right place for Mercurys gravitational assist. As is often the case, our missions path has been planned so meticulously that no further correction manoeuvres are expected for this upcoming flyby. BepiColombo is on track. Although the spacecraft will take photos, this time round they will not be high resolution as the main camera is blocked by a transfer module when in cruise mode. Three monitoring cameras, with the ability to take low resolution black and white snapshots, will instead get to work from about five minutes after the time of close approach and up to four hours later. As BepiColombo is arriving on the planets nightside, conditions are not ideal to take images directly at the closest approach, thus the closest image will be captured from a distance of about 620 miles. Were really looking forward to seeing the first results from measurements taken so close to Mercurys surface, said Johannes Benkhoff, ESAs BepiColombo project scientist. When I started working as project scientist on BepiColombo in January 2008, Nasas Messenger mission had its first flyby at Mercury. Now its our turn. Its a fantastic feeling. Daniel Craig received a royal send-off as he said farewell to James Bond at the star-studded No Time To Die premiere in London. The actor was joined by the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge at the glitzy event at the Royal Albert Hall. Craig, 53, appears as 007 for a final time in No Time To Die, leaving behind a career-defining role he first played in 2006s Casino Royale. He made a colourful arrival on his last red carpet as Bond, wearing a dark pink suede dinner jacket over a white shirt and black bow tie. Daniel Craig attended the premiere as he prepares to say goodbye to James Bond (Ian West/PA) Kate, 39, cut an elegant figure while accompanying William to the premiere. She glittered in a gold, beaded Jenny Packham gown, complete with cape. William, also 39, wore a dark tuxedo. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were also in attendance (Ian West/PA) Camilla, 74, wore a light blue dress with a delicate beaded overlay, while Charles, 72, was also in a tuxedo. Craig was pictured speaking with the royal guests at the premiere. His co-stars were also in attendance to celebrate his time as Bond. The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall arrived together (Ian West/PA) Lashana Lynch appears in No Time To Die as a secret agent who inherits the 007 title from Craigs character. The 33-year-old turned heads in a flowing yellow strapless gown. Lashana Lynch wowed in a yellow dress at the premiere (Ian West/PA) Lea Seydoux was another of the films stars at the premiere. The French actress who plays Madeleine Swann in the franchise wore a shimmering silver gown complete with a flowing cape. Lea Seydoux said the premiere was a bittersweet occasion (Ian West/PA) Cuban-Spanish star Ana de Armas is making her Bond debut in No Time To Die. The 33-year-old cut a typically glamorous figure in a dark dress with a plunging neckline and thigh-high slit. Ana de Armas joined he co-stars at the films premiere (Ian West/PA) Naomie Harris plays Moneypenny. She wore a low-cut gown for the premiere. Naomie Harris reprises the role of Moneypenny in No Time To Die (Ian West/PA) Dame Judi Dench played spy chief M in the Bond franchise, most recently in 2015s Spectre. The venerated actress, 86, joined her former co-stars on Tuesday, arriving in a glittering black jacket. Dame Judi Dench is a fan favourite in the James Bond franchise (Ian West/PA) Phoebe Waller-Bridge was drafted in to help with the No Time To Die script. The Fleabag star and creator wore a glittering black jumpsuit for the premiere. Phoebe Waller-Bridge glittered on the No Time To Die red carpet (Ian West/PA) Former Bond girl Britt Ekland, 78, was another star in attendance. The Swedish actress who appeared alongside Sir Roger Moore in 1974s The Man With The Golden Gun arrived in a dark outfit. Britt Ekland was another star of Bonds glorious past attending the No Time To Die premiere (Ian West/PA) Pop sensation Billie Eilish was also pictured in London. The 19-year-old Grammy winner performed the films title track. Campaigners hope to reintroduce wolves to Scotland. (Getty) Plans to reintroduce large predators such as wolves to Scotland could damage support for 'rewilding', a leading conservationist has warned. Francesca Osowska, chief executive of NatureScot, said that plans to rewild large areas of the countryside could alienate local people such as farmers. She told The Guardian: "We need to think about rewilding as a much broader concept. We need to think about restoring all of nature, not just large mammals. "And that goes from the pine hoverfly to ensuring that we've the right mix of forestry different land types to have that mosaic of habitats. "The vision I want is of a nature-rich future. Nature-rich means we're all touched by and living in harmony with nature and able to benefit from it." Watch: US Tribes Demand Emergency Protection For Wolves Read more: Melting snow in Himalayas drives growth of green sea slime visible from space Osowska added: "Some people have taken rewilding to mean, 'Let's put the clock back, let's turn back time and turn our landscapes back to how they were before people were part of it.' "And thats not our version of rewilding. Our version of rewilding is absolutely nature restoration has to be working with people, with communities." People in rural areas tended not to react well to the idea, due to an association with releasing apex predators or creating fenced-in nature reserves. Scotland has long-standing projects to reintroduce golden eagles, sea eagles and beavers. In recent years, plans to reintroduce larger predators have gained widespread support. Read more: A 1988 warning about climate change was mostly right Campaigners Wild Card said that Britain is among the most "nature-depleted" countries in the world. Around the world, 60% of animals are livestock, 36% are humans and just 4% are wild and the situation is thought to be worse in the UK. The campaigners are calling for the Queen to rewild her estates in Balmoral and Sandringham, suggesting beavers, lynx and even bison could roam the land. Chris Packham, Rowan Williams and Kate Humble signed an open letter to the Queen that urged her, as well as Prince Charles and Prince William, to consider rewilding their land as a "leaders of habitat restoration". A survey of 2,100 adults by Savanta ComRes also found that nearly half (47%) of people would think more positively of the Royal Family if they rewilded their land, while only 8% said they'd think more negatively of them for doing so. Read more: Why economists worry that reversing climate change is hopeless Professor James Bullock, of the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, told Yahoo News UK: "The vast landholdings owned by the Royals amounting to 1.4% of the UK have incredible opportunities for rewilding. "Much of Balmoral, and Dartmoor (owned by the Duchy of Cornwall), would naturally be covered in rare temperate rainforest. Today only tiny fragments remain. Today, Balmoral is run as a sporting estate for activities such as deer stalking and grouse shooting. "If rewilded, the Balmoral estate could see the re-introduction of lynx, beavers and wolves which would help stimulate the return of rich and diverse ecosystems. Bison or long horned cattle could also be released to take the ecological place of now extinct ancient aurochs. "At the Queens privately owned Sandringham, pine marten, storks, beavers and red deer could find a thriving habitat if the land was returned to nature "Meanwhile, in the Queens North Yorkshire moorlands estates like the Goathland estate majestic birds of prey such as the Golden Eagle would be perfect for re-introduction into a newly wilded landscape." Watch: Norfolk estate employs rewilding to help battle climate change Michel Barnier has said there is no way the European Union should consider renegotiating the Northern Ireland Protocol. The EUs former chief Brexit negotiator said there was room to work on operational solutions related to concerns over the implementation of the protocol, but said the bloc should not accept a renegotiation. Mr Barnier also said the British Government had made a mistake in its negotiating strategy with the EU by attempting to divide the member states. The protocol is not the problem, its the solution to the problems created by Brexit, Mr Barnier told RTEs Prime Time. Lord David Frost, Prime Minister Boris Johnson, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Michel Barnier in Brussels (Etienne Ansotte/PA) There is a room for working on pragmatic and operational solutions to address some concerns of the Brits. But there is no way, in my view, to accept any renegotiation of this protocol. The protocol was agreed by the UK and EU as a way to maintain a free-flowing land border on the island of Ireland after Brexit. The leaders of Northern Irelands four main unionist parties signed a joint declaration in opposition to the protocol on Tuesday. The declaration is signed by DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, UUP leader Doug Beattie, TUV leader Jim Allister and PUP leader Billy Hutchinson. In response, Irish premier Micheal Martin said: The government is remaining focused, calm and flexible, in solution-mode around the protocol and around the relationship between the European Union, and the United Kingdom. Unionists in Northern Ireland have been vehemently opposed to the terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol, which sees additional checks on goods arriving into the region from the rest of the UK. Mr Barnier said the EU must be clear and firm with the UK on the issue, but said there is some margin to address concerns over how it operates. Mr Barnier, responding to questions in his recent book My Secret Brexit Diary, also said the British had made mistakes in their approach to negotiations. He said: I think that the Brits made a mistake in their strategy, because they tried to divide us, or bypass my team to engage directly with the member states. It was a mistake. I was the negotiator that had been the negotiator of the commission, the member states and the (European) Parliament, and they didnt understand this triple mandate I received. Number two, we were bound on the European side by unanimity. He admitted that one of the options on the table to resolve the issue of the Irish border was for Ireland to be excluded from the EUs single market. However, Mr Barnier said he personally considered this option impossible. He said he had told the then-Irish premier Leo Varadkar in February 2019 that checks to protect the single market must be implemented somewhere, whether around the island or within it. He added: For me, its impossible to exclude one member state because of the Brexit from the single market. The single market is our common asset, including Ireland. Its the reason why we tried during three years enough to find a solution with the Brits and finally we found the solution with the Brits. Michel Barnier (Kirsty OConnor/PA) Mr Barnier said solutions had been found first with Theresa May, and then again with Boris Johnson and insisted the Prime Minister knew exactly what he had signed up to. He said: With Boris Johnson. Not without him, or against him. With him, with his team, a professional team. And Boris Johnson knows exactly what he signed. He also revealed there were concerns in the EU that other member states could follow the UK out of the bloc. There is always a risk but we have to understand the reasons, he said. Very British reasons, social anger, popular feeling, which is quite different from populism. We have to understand, to listen and to answer. I think the EU begin to answer by some change in some policy. External policy, trade policy, industrial policy, the policy of migration also. We have to continue to intensify change. Because Brexit was unlikely even for Farage and some others, but it happened. So we have to be very careful. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea fired a short-range missile into the sea early Tuesday, its neighboring countries said, in the latest weapon tests by North Korea that has raised questions about the sincerity of its recent offer for talks with South Korea. In an emergency National Security Council meeting, the South Korean government expressed regret over what it called a short-range missile launch by the North. South Koreas military earlier said the object fired from North Koreas mountainous northern Jagang province flew toward the waters off the Norths eastern coast. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement the launch doesnt pose an immediate threat to U.S. personnel or territory, or to our allies. But it said the missile launch highlights the destabilizing impact of (North Korea's) illicit weapons program and that the U.S. commitment to the defense of South Korea and Japan remains ironclad. Details of the launch were being analyzed by South Korean and U.S. authorities. But Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said North Korea fired what could be a ballistic missile and that his government stepped up its vigilance and surveillance. A ballistic missile launch would violate a U.N. Security Council ban on North Korean ballistic activities, but the council typically doesnt impose new sanctions on North Korea for launches of short-range weapons. Tests of ballistic and cruise missiles earlier this month were North Koreas first such launches in six months and displayed its ability to attack targets in South Korea and Japan, both key U.S. allies where a total of 80,000 American troops are stationed. But last Friday and Saturday, Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, reached out to Seoul, saying her country was open to resuming talks and reconciliatory steps if conditions are met. Some experts said North Korea wants South Korea to work to win it relief from U.S.-led sanctions. South Korea has called her statement meaningful but urged North Korea to restore communication channels before any talks between the rivals can be arranged. The communication lines have remained largely dormant for about 15 months, so restoring them could be a yardstick to asses how serious the North is about its offer for conditional talks. Seouls Unification Ministry said Tuesday North Korea remains unresponsive to South Koreas attempts to exchange messages over the channels. As the North's missile launch was detected by its rivals on Tuesday, the third round of such tests this month, North Korean Ambassador Kim Song used his speech on the last day of the U.N. General Assembly to justify his countrys development of a war deterrent to defend against U.S. threats. The possible outbreak of a new war on the Korean Peninsula is contained not because of the U.S.s mercy on the DPRK, it is because our state is growing a reliable deterrent that can control the hostile forces in an attempted military invasion, Kim said. DPRK refers to Democratic People's Republic of Korea, North Korea's official name. The Norths latest outreach came as a response to South Korean President Moon Jae-ins renewed calls for a declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War in a bid to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula. Seoul officials describe such a declaration as a political and symbolic step because a peace treaty is needed to be signed to formally end the Korean War, which ended with an armistice, leaving the peninsula in a technical state of war. The three-year conflict pitted South Korea and U.S.-led U.N. forces against North Korea and China, killed 1 million to 2 million people. In his speech at the U.N. last week, Moon proposed the end-of-the-war declaration be signed among the two Koreas, the U.S. and China. After the Norths launch Tuesday, Moon ordered officials to examine its latest weapons firing and previous outreach in a comprehensive manner before formulating countermeasures, according to Moons office. A U.S.-led diplomatic effort aimed at convincing North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons in return for economic and political benefits has been stalled 2 years. U.S. officials have repeatedly expressed hopes for further talks but have also made it clear the long-term sanctions imposed on North Korea will stay in place until the North takes concrete steps toward denuclearization. While North Korea has tested short-range weapons and vowed to continue building its nuclear arsenal, Kim Jong Un has maintained a moratorium on testing longer-range weapons capable of reaching the American homeland, an indication he wants to keep the chances for future diplomacy with the U.S. alive. ___ Associated Press writers Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report. Marysville, CA (95901) Today Some clouds in the morning will give way to mainly sunny skies for the afternoon. High near 70F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight A few clouds. Low 48F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The Embassy of Argentina in Armenia is launching the project of creating the first Argentine Chamber of Commerce in Yerevan. The new chambers goal is to become a new business platform offering important toolkit for trade promotion, contribute to business development and creation of favorable environment for new investment and trade flows, the embassy said. Ambassador of Argentina to Armenia Mariano Vergara said the chamber will initially be based on a virtual application, which will connect in real-time Argentine and Armenian companies and entrepreneurs. This new commercial tool will be at the disposal of the Armenian authorities, marking the 30th anniversary of Armenias independence. Special attention will be drawn on many young Argentine specialists who come to Armenia and seek to get integrated into the labor market. Converse Bank is our partner in this initiative, we expect that the bank will have active participation and role also in the work of the Armenian-Argentine Chamber of Commerce, the ambassador said. Albeit the modest trade turnover between Armenia and Argentina, there is big potential to enhance it and subsequently contribute to the development of various branches of the economy. For at least a decade, Argentina was among the five top investment flow countries in Armenia, mostly through the Argentine-Armenian community, and to this day Argentina has a leading place in Armenias foreign investments. The 1992 establishment of diplomatic relations between Argentina and Armenia was the reflection of the high level political dialogue and successful cooperation between our friendly countries. The significant Armenian Diaspora of Argentina, which is fully involved in Argentinas society since its formation, also has its invaluable contribution in the development of bilateral relations, the embassy said. Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. The National Interest has published an article about the 2020 war launched by Azerbaijan against Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh), the Turkish and Azerbaijani aggression, atrocities, the necessity of imposing sanctions on Azerbaijan, the urgency of the return of all Armenian prisoners of war from Azerbaijan, as well as about the silence of the international community. Azerbaijan and Turkey launched their assault on Nagorno Karabakh to continue the Ottoman project of more than a century ago. Silence encourages them and others, Michael Rubin, a resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI), starts his article. One year ago on September 27, the Azerbaijani army, backed by Turkish Special Forces and Syrian jihadis acting as Turkish mercenaries, launched a surprise attack on Nagorno Karabakh, he says. When in 1991, Azerbaijan re-asserted its independence upon the collapse of the Soviet Union, its parliament did so based on the borders of the first independent Republic of Azerbaijan and not upon the territory of the subsequent Soviet-created Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic. The population of the autonomous oblast voted to secede from Azerbaijani control, a move that was constitutionally valid. The article notes that Baku had committed as part of the Minsk Group process to resolve the territorial dispute diplomatically. While Azerbaijani diplomats might say the progress was going nowhere, that was a lie, Michael Rubin says. Biden was right to recognize officially the Armenian Genocide. However, the following day, Blinken quietly waived Section 907 again, effectively rewarding Azerbaijan for its aggression. By both the letter and the spirit of the Freedom Support Act, Blinkens move violated U.S. law, he says. The author of the article has also recalled the continuous aggression by Azerbaijan. On March 25, 2021, Azerbaijani soldiers threw stones at Armenian civilian cars on the Sarushen-Karmir Shuka road in Artsakhs Askeran region. Three days later, Azerbaijani troops ambushed an Armenian vehicle transporting the bodies of Armenian soldiers killed in the forty-four-day war. On April 20, Azerbaijani forces fired at an Armenian home on Vagharshyan Street in the Stepanakert, the capital of Artsakh, Michael Rubin says. Despite Azerbaijans diplomatic promises to respect religious freedom, on April 26, three Azerbaijani soldiers beat and dragged an Armenian pastor in Syuniks Aravus village. Two days later, between eight and ten Azerbaijanis in civilian dress infiltrated the buffer zone between the two sides, before being chased off by Armenian forces. In June, such aggression accelerated yet again. Azerbaijani soldiers, perhaps hungry as Azerbaijani officials embezzled military supplies, fired on shepherds in Armenia and stole their cattle. As the Biden administration remained silent, Azerbaijan increased the severity of attacks, the author of the article notes. Perhaps the biggest Azerbaijani affront, however, is the continued holding and torture of Armenian prisoners of war (POW). While the State Department might make occasional calls for their return, Azerbaijani authorities dismiss these as readily as the Taliban does Blinkens calls for diversity in the Taliban cabinet. After all, when Blinken waives sanctions on Azerbaijan to allow American funding to flow to Baku, why should Aliyev take American statements seriously? Azerbaijan and Turkey launched their assault on Nagorno Karabakh to continue the Ottoman project of more than a century ago. Silence encourages them and others. The precedent of ethnic cleansing that they undertakeand the lack of any serious response to itcould destabilize areas far beyond the South Caucasus. It is time to sanction Azerbaijan until Aliyev returns the last Armenian POW, pays compensation for his aggression, and holds accountable every Azerbaijani soldier on video torturing Armenians or destroying cultural heritage, Michael Rubin said in his article. YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 28, ARMENPRESS. Secretary of the Security Council of Armenia Armen Grigoryan received on September 28 Ambassador of the USA to Armenia Lynne Tracy. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the Office of the Security Council, the sides highly appreciated the efforts of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairs aimed at the political settlement of Nagorno Karabakh conflict. Secretary of the Security Council Armen Grigoryan noted that the unblocking of communication channels in the region can play an important role in establishing comprehensive, lasting peace in the region. The side also referred to the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. The parties also touched upon a number of areas of Armenian-American cooperation, reaffirming the intention to resume the bilateral strategic dialogue. In this context, Ambassador Tracy praised the efforts of the Government of Armenia in the field of judicial reform and the fight against corruption, noting the effectiveness of the ongoing cooperation between the two countries in the process of democratic reform. The Group of Ministers looking at rate rationalisation will review the goods and services that are exempted from taxes Chennai: The Ministry of Finance has constituted two groups of state finance ministers for rationalising GST rates and to address challenges related to IT and revenue mobilisation. The Group of Ministers looking at rate rationalisation will review the goods and services that are exempted from taxes in order to expand tax base and eliminate the breakage in input tax credit chain. It will eliminate instances of inverted duty structure and review the current tax slab rates. Under GST, the four-rate structure exempts a few essential products from taxes. For all other products, taxes range between 5 per cent and 28 per cent. The seven-member panel, which would submit a report in two months, would be headed by Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai and include West Bengal finance minister Amit Mitra, Kerala finance minister K. N. Balagopal, Bihar deputy chief minister Tarkishore Prasad. Another council will review the IT tools and interface available with tax officers to suggest ways to make the system effective and efficient, identify potential sources of tax evasion and plug revenue leakage. It will also identify possible use of data analysis towards better compliance and revenue augmentation, identify mechanism for better coordination between central and state administrations and suggest timelines for changes. The second council has eight members and is headed by Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and includes Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, Tamil Nadu finance minister Palanivel Thiaga Rajan and Chhattisgarh finance minister T. S. Singh Deo. "The GST Council has rightly set up the GoM to focus on enhancing revenue efficacy and plugging revenue leakage through data analytics and efficiency of GST administration," said Abhishek Jain, tax partner, EY. "The GoM on rate rationalisation will focus on simplifying rate structure, correcting inverted duty structure, reduce classification related disputes and enhance GST revenues. All these areas are quite critical, he added. Shah said the government's approach is to ensure zero loss of life during any disaster and it has been successful to a great extent Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the 17th Formation Day celebrations of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) in New Delhi, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. (PTI /Atul Yadav) New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that India has handled the COVID-19 pandemic in the best possible manner among all countries in the world despite limited resources. Addressing the 17th formation day of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) here, Shah also said that the Centre is planning to roll out the 'Aapda Mitra' (Friends in Disaster) project in 350 districts across the country by imparting training to citizens as first responders to any disaster. The home minister said despite limited resources and with such a large population of 130 crore, India has fought the COVID-19 pandemic in the best possible manner among all countries. If an analysis is done by any neutral agency, it will come to the conclusion that the country has done very well in fighting the pandemic and substantially reducing the death rate, he said. Many countries had a tough time in dealing with the pandemic (Pasina choot gaya tha bahut deshon ka), he noted. Shah also praised the NDMA for its commendable work during the pandemic. Referring to the cyclone that had hit some parts of the country during the pandemic, he said it was due to the excellent planning and preparations that not a single oxygen plant was damaged and there was no power cut to oxygen plants and hospitals in cyclone affected areas. "We have done excellent preparation under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership," he said. On the 'Aapda Mitra' scheme, he said a pilot scheme of the project has been successfully completed in 30 districts of 25 states in the country. Under the scheme, people will be given training on how to immediately respond to any disaster and how to help people in distress and rescue them, he said. Shah said those part of the project will be provided an insurance cover and agreements are being signed with 28 states in this regard. The home minister said the government's approach is to ensure zero loss of life during any disaster and it has been successful to a great extent. He said during the the super cyclone in Odisha in 1999, about 10,000 people lost their lives but this year, less that 50 people died in three cyclones so far. "Death of 50 people is also not good and we should target that there is no loss of any life in any disaster," he said. Shah said if an early warning system for disasters like lightning comes into effect, lives of a large number of people could be saved. The scheme for training of community volunteers in disaster response (Aapda Mitra) has been implementing by the NDMA with a focus on training of community volunteers in disaster response in selected 30 most flood prone districts of 25 states. The scheme aims to provide community volunteers with the skills that they would need to respond to their community's immediate needs in the aftermath of a disaster thereby enabling them to undertake basic relief and rescue tasks during emergency situations such as floods, flash-floods and urban flooding. Seven new ministers one Cabinet and six minister of state took oath of office in Lucknow New Delhi: With an eye on the upcoming crucial Assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP on Sunday tried to fine-tune its caste arithmetic and regional balance in the Yogi Adityanath-led government with a Cabinet expansion as the poll results will have an impact on the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and also the Assembly polls in several states before it. With less than five months remaining of the current state Assembly, the BJP top brass, which emphasises on the development plank for its electoral gains, had to adjust caste calculations to send a positive message to brahmins, non-Yadav OBCs and non-Jatav dalits, who have been backing the ruling party since 2014. The party had won three fourth of the total 403 Assembly seats in 2017, with the SP, BSP and Congress facing crushing defeat. Seven new ministers one Cabinet and six minister of state took oath of office in Lucknow, with former Union minister Jitin Prasada, once considered close to Congress former president Rahul Gandhi, getting the Cabinet berth in the Yogi Adityanath government. In UP, where brahmins, who are around 12 per cent of the total population and are perceived to be feeling neglected under Yogi Adityanath, the BJP top brass feels brahmin face Prasadas inclusion in the government will send a positive message to the community and will also help in placating them. With nearly 42-45 per cent OBCs, the BJPs main focus has been on non-Yadav, and non-Jatav dalits. Dalits account for 20-22 per cent of the total population. While Yadavs are considered SPs vote bank, Jatavs are Mayawati-led BSPs core vote bank. However, both the regional parties have been aggressively wooing the brahmins this time, knowing well that the BJP will play up the Ram Mandir issue during campaigning, which can sway the influential brahmins and the Hindu vote bank. Other than the brahmin leader, three OBC, two SC and one ST leader were included in the Yogi Adityanath team. Two new ministers Dharamvir Prajapati (OBC) and Dinesh Khatik (SC) are close to the RSS. Sanjiv Gond (ST), Chattrapal Ganvaar (OBC), Sangita Balwant Bind (OBC) and Paltu Ram(SC) were also administered oath of office by governor Anandiben Patel. The BJP top brass had been holding consultations and deliberations on whether or not to go in for Cabinet reshuffle since May this year and the CM had visited the national capital to meet the party top brass a couple of times. After forming the first BJP government in UP after 14 year on March 19, 2017, the first expansion had taken place on August 22, 2019 when six ministers with Independent charge were administered the oath of Cabinet. Populations where more people were previously infected and where vaccination coverage is high are expected to be less impacted by the virus New Delhi: Stressing that the Covid virus may continue to transmit for a very long time, senior WHO official Poonam Khetrapal Singh says the level of immunity in a community, through vaccination and previous infection, will determine whether it will become endemic in the long run. WHO's South-East Asia region regional director added that there is need to get to a situation where "we are fully in control of the virus, and not the virus in control of us". The endemic stage is when a population learns to live with a virus, very different from the epidemic stage when the virus overwhelms a population. Populations where more people were previously infected and where vaccination coverage is high are expected to be less impacted by the virus in the future than other populations, Singh told PTI in an interview. "The COVID-19 virus is expected to continue to transmit for a very long time. A multitude of factors will decide whether the virus will become endemic in the long run, chief among them is the level of immunity in a community, both through vaccination and previous infection, she said. On the granting of emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the indigenously developed Covaxin, she said Bharat Biotech's dossier seeking WHO's Emergency Use Listing (EUL) is being reviewed by technical experts and "we can expect a decision when the process is complete". Discussing the role of booster doses to tackle waning immunity, Singh pointed out that cases and deaths in all countries are predominantly being driven by unvaccinated people. Using vaccines for booster doses constricts supply to countries where millions are still waiting for their first dose, she said. "Hence, WHO has called for a time-limited moratorium on COVID-19 booster doses until the end of 2021. This is to allow for at least 40 per cent of the population of each country - including those most at risk and health workers - to be vaccinated. We must remember that no one is safe till everyone is safe." She said there is currently no conclusive evidence that COVID-19 vaccine efficacy against severe disease and death wanes significantly over time. The vaccines, the expert emphasised, have remained effective in preventing severe disease and death. "However, WHO has not ruled out that boosters for some population groups may be warranted in future. WHO's recommendations on boosters will be guided by the scientific evidence, which is still evolving," she said. "To make a recommendation on the use of booster doses for the general population, more data is needed on optimal timing, safety and dosage of booster doses, which may differ between vaccine products. More extensive research is needed to study the effect of booster doses in the body." According to Singh, eradication is unlikely but what we can do is to prevent or minimise deaths, hospitalisations, tragedy and social, economic and health loss due to this pandemic. Current evidence, she said, shows that protection levels around the world remain low and most people continue to be susceptible to the virus. "WHO continues to recommend a strong public health response based on risk assessment, and for people to continue to protect themselves by getting vaccinated, maintaining physical distance, wearing a mask, avoiding poorly ventilated spaces, cleaning hands and following respiratory hygiene." Referring to the probability of a third Covid wave, Singh said another surge and how intense it will be will depend on all of us. "If we together continue to adhere to public health and social measures and continue to vaccinate people as fast as possible, it will be hard for the virus to infect enough people to cause another wave," she said. "From experience globally, there is enough evidence that the public health and social measures work, even against the Variants of Concern that are spreading more rapidly, and these measures are critical to limiting transmission of COVID-19 and reducing deaths. For the public health and social measures to be effective, they must be implemented well and timely and must be tailored to local settings and conditions." On India's decision to restart exporting COVID-19 vaccines, Singh said there is need for equity of vaccination administration globally to ensure that the most vulnerable such as frontline workers and the elderly are fully vaccinated. "At the moment, several low and lower-middle-income countries are lagging behind in vaccinating their vulnerable populations. An equitable vaccine distribution will also help check the emergence of variants by halting the spread of the virus." Singh also noted that the pandemic has given "once-in-a-century opportunity" to strengthen the health system to build back better. "We must invest in strengthening health system resilience to ensure health security and achieve universal health coverage. It means allocation of more resources for health and its efficient governance," she said. Now is also the time for countries to take lessons from the pandemic to strengthen health systems in her view. "Strong health systems that are primary healthcare-oriented, and which leave no one behind, create populations that are healthier, more productive and financially secure. Resilient health systems are the bedrock of emergency preparedness and response, and ensure that when acute events occur, essential health services can be maintained," Singh said. Nearly 20 years ago John Howard, Australian Prime Minister from 1996 to 2007, described his country as Americas deputy sheriff Questioned about the anticipated American withdrawal from Asia -- which is what the much-hyped AUKUS (Australia-UK-US) alliance is all about -- Singapores Lee Kuan Yew had warned back in 1992: Nature does not like a vacuum. Considering the prospect of the Japanese, the Koreans and the Chinese muscling in, he asked (tongue-in-cheek?): Will India then come down to our seas with two aircraft carriers? Commentators in India who are gloating over what they call Prime Minister Narendra Modis bid for global leadership would undoubtedly be flattered and delighted if Mr Lee were indeed serious about an Indian role. No one can forget the childish elation at New Delhis highest levels when an American administration had promised to help India achieve its superpower ambitions. Last weeks meetings in Washington and New York, following the trilateral defence pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, gave a sudden spurt to New Delhis hopes of a permanent membership of the UN Security Council. But any realistic assessment of events confirms that a weakened Washington seeking to cut back on defence spending, reduce its foreign commitments and conserve resources after the colossal fiasco of the Afghanistan military pullout cannot see the mantle of Indo-Pacific leadership descend on a poverty-stricken, Covid-ravaged India that is squabbling with most of its neighbours while moving towards a mono-cultural identity. A serene, stable, secular and prosperous white (still!) Australia is a far safer bet from the Western and Nato points of view. Although with no taste for the boasting and bombast that are characteristic of the new India, Australians are not exactly coy about surrogating for America. Nearly 20 years ago John Howard, Australian Prime Minister from 1996 to 2007, described his country as Americas deputy sheriff. Former US President George W. Bush had gone a step further. He saw Australia not as a deputy sheriff but as a sheriff. Theres a difference. Equal partners, friends and allies. Theres nothing deputy about this relationship, he said. Its doubtful if the most sycophantic Indian leader would relish either role. Nor was Mr Modis Our four countries came together for the first time in 2004 to extend support to the Indo-Pacific region post the tsunami quite the whole truth. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogues strategic dimension was evident even then in Malabar 07, the 13th in the Indo-American series of naval exercises that was expanded to include Australia, Japan and Singapore. Things have changed since then. However, its AUKUS and not the Quad that merits Chinas barb of an Asian Nato. Senior BJP spokesmen like Sudhanshu Trivedi and Vijay Chauthaiwale might believe that the Quad has vanquished terrorism; more practical (and honest) observers know that AUKUSs emergence has exposed the Quads toothlessness. Its not a security meeting or a security apparatus, White House press secretary Jen Psaki admits of the Quad. It would have been able to achieve little without the potentially coercive force of AUKUS which is a response to the perceived Chinese aggression. Even the effects of this imaginary deterrent can be exaggerated. What impact would Australian nuclear-powered subs in the Indo-Pacific Ocean have on aggression in Ladakh? Would these subs attack Chinas Navy in the South China Sea to resolve Australias trade dispute with the Chinese? Or attempt a reverse Pearl Harbour to persuade Beijing to be more accommodating over tariffs? It is inconceivable that the US should want a military confrontation with a China whose holding of $1,068.3 billion of US government debt (14 per cent of the total) makes it the second largest holder of US government debt, after Japan. What the shift may indicate is that American military diplomacy is shifting from the specific defence of Taiwan to more general threats, real or imagined, across the entire Indo-Pacific region. This is seen as a step towards a new balance of power and a commitment by the United States and Britain to transfer some of their most sensitive technology to a third country over the next decade. The only parallel is the US handing over a nuclear submarine propulsion plant to the Royal Navy in 1958 to enable Britain to go nuclear at sea. Not only are nuclear-powered subs sensitive because of their range, speed and stealthiness, they are also dangerous because they are powered with the same stuff usually, uranium enriched so that it has a higher proportion of the most fissile isotope, U-235 that makes bombs so lethal. Yet, the US (or Britain, with its blessings) will build a fleet of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines for the new Sheriff of Asia under procedures to be worked out over the next 18 months. To be fair, this first-ever face-to-face meeting of the rulers of the US, India, Japan and Australia went beyond nuclear weapons. Cooperation also promises to embrace cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and more. Mr Bidens new Quad fellowship will take students from the three other Quad countries to the US to pursue advanced degrees in STEM programmes. It represents an investment in the leaders, innovators, and pioneers of tomorrow, according to the US President. Not that all imponderables receive similar serious attention. Frances diesel-powered submarines may be technologically inadequate but their summary rejection by Australias sudden cancellation of a $40 billion deal has left Paris understandably enraged. The small nations of the South Sea Islands are worried about nuclear proliferation. Indonesia is deeply concerned over the continuing arms race and power projection in the region. Iran sees no reason now to curb its own nuclear programme. Neither does North Korea. In fact, the NPT is a dead letter. What cannot be forgotten is that the relationship with China is not only military. China accounts for 20 per cent of pollution and must be an active participant in the forthcoming climate change conference to be held in Glasgow. China is a major buyer of all Australian produce. China is a major exporter to India. Many smaller economies might collapse if the Chinese call in all their debts. America has thrown down the gauntlet. The world is now waiting to see whether China picks it up. What Ive Been Getting Wrong About Sexual Stamina and My Partners Pleasure My Partner and I Were Making This Huge Mistake in Bed Are You? I thought she wanted me to keep going. She thought I wanted to keep going. Turns out neither of us particularly wanted to keep going. Do you see where this is going? For my partner, Kristen, and I, our sex generally happens in three main phases. First, foreplay. Second, she climaxes from manual stimulation. Third, we have intercourse until I climax. (Thats oversimplified, sure, but you get the point.) Recently, in a post-coital conversation, we discovered something crucial about phase three: it was lasting too long... for both of us. I was spending most of my energy trying not to climax, assuming she wanted it to last longer. Meanwhile, because Kristen doesnt orgasm from penetration, she was thinking, "This has been fun, but I wish hed kinda hurry up." RELATED: Prolong Your Pleasure With Our Handy Guide After dating for a full year, how did we fail to realize this foundational misunderstanding about our sex life? What influences have shaped my (often misguided) expectations about my partners pleasure and my own sexual performance? And how can partners improve their dialogue to maximize each others comfort and pleasure? How Insecurities Fueled My Sexual Expectations Kristen and I communicate really well about a lot of things, including sex. Still, my erroneous assumptions about endurance are so deeply ingrained, I never even considered discussing them (and neither did she). Since our conversation, Ive been exploring what these assumptions are, exactly where they come from, how theyve shaped my personal sexual identity, and how they manifest themselves in my intimate relationships. Some of my need to extend our intercourse was about my desire to pleasure my partner, and much of it, I realize, was also about grappling with my own anxieties. Yes, I have high standards for myself sexually because Kristen deserves the best in bed, and in all places; its about her. Its also about me: I tie my sexual performance specifically my ability to bring Kristen to climax, as well as my stamina during intercourse to my masculinity and overall self-esteem. I need to please her because I need to feel manly, to feel adequate. Turns out I was setting unrealistic standards for myself, all based on societal pressures and not on her pleasure or mine. Facts and Myths About Sexual Endurance Before reading on, try to guess what sex therapists say: How long would intervaginal sex need to last in order for it to be adequate or desirable? How long for sex to be considered too long or too short? Go ahead and guess. Ill wait Ok, times up. The answer, according to sex therapists in a 2008 study, is that intervaginal coitus among heterosexual couples not including foreplay lasts about 3 to 13 minutes. The therapists broadly deemed 1-2 minutes too short, 3-7 minutes adequate, 7-13 minutes desirable, and 10-30 minutes too long. More recently, in 2019, University of Florida professor Laurie Mintz, author of the book Becoming Cliterate: Why Orgasm Equality Matters And How to Get It, told NBC News that for the average heterosexual couple, penetration lasts 3-5 minutes. And yet, for many guys, including me, I felt pressure to last longer without checking to see if thats what my partner desired, too. Sources of Pressure to Last Longer in Bed If a man develops sexual perceptions and expectations from porn or movies, he may put unrealistic and undue pressure on himself, says Dr. Paulette Sherman, psychologist and host of The Love Psychologist podcast. He may ignore real-world cues from his current partner and fail to ask her what she desires and needs. Like many men, I derived much of my early sexual (mis)education from porn, including untrue lessons about endurance. I remember filling my parents computer with untold viruses by downloading hardcore scenes where men and women are having intercourse for over an hour, with the man having no problem lasting that long and the woman depicted as enjoying every moment of it, to the tune of multiple vaginal orgasms. Of course, it's now that I see those scenes as unrealistic, doctored, or otherwise distorted by movie magic and medical interventions. My 12-year-old self, however, when my notions about sexuality and pleasure were being formed and solidified, didnt. Even now, as an adult man with plenty of real-life sexual experience, Ive internalized a lot of those unrealistic and dangerous standards. Music, movies, and pop culture, too, reinforce norms about outsized sexual endurance in men. Ill admit I feel the heat of embarrassment when Missy Elliott says she doesn't want a one-minute man or when Saweetie looks to ride the dick all night. Perhaps all night is what Saweetie wants, but its not what all women want or what all men should be expected to provide. The penis moves in rhythms and tides, Sarah Byrden, a sex educator and speaker, said in a 2019 interview. It is not designed to be consistently erect as it is depicted in all kinds of media able to be erect inordinate amounts of time and that is where huge performance pressure comes." And if 10-30 minutes is too long for most women, all night could be veer towards boring and/or painful. Orgasm: The Real Key to Pleasure for Both Partners When we talk about pressure to perform in bed among men, we are often talking about sexual stamina during intercourse. And yet, while penetrative sex is important and desirable for most heterosexual couples, the female orgasm as opposed to the length of intercourse is, according a 2016 study, by far the most important single predictor of sexual satisfaction for women. The study also notes that female orgasms are important for heterosexual men, too, who feel as though they have the physical responsibility to stimulate their partner to climax and, as Ive experienced, tend to feel inadequate if their partner doesnt orgasm. Academics continue to document and understand the orgasm gap between the sexes: that 95% of heterosexual men report they usually or always orgasmed during sex, compared to 65% of heterosexual women, who were the least likely of all groups across gender identities and sexual orientations. There is much to be said here about the societal emphasis on mens pleasure and the devaluing of womens, but for the sake of this piece, the point is that, for most heterosexual women, achieving orgasm is more important than long-lasting intercourse, especially because most women wont climax from intervaginal coitus alone. In a 2015 study, 36% of women reported that clitoral stimulation helped them orgasm during intercourse, whereas only 18% orgasmed from intercourse alone. Like many women, Kristen requires clitoral stimulation sometimes in addition to penetration, but often without it in order to climax. What Im trying to fight against is the pervasive myth that orgasms from vaginal penetration including the g spot are better, more ideal, the right way, wrote Mintz, when in fact the vast majority of women need clitoral stimulation to orgasm. Scientists also note that physical factors like kissing, petting, and foreplay increase the likelihood of a womans orgasm. Even more important were mental and emotional factors, like emphasis on orgasm, sexual self-esteem, along with openness of sexual dialogue with partners. Additionally, the 2016 study reveals that a relationship that felt good and worked well emotionally, and where sex was approached openly and appreciatively, promoted orgasms. Better Communication And Better Sex Going Forward Couples miscommunicate about each others comfort, needs and desires in bed because they are afraid to bring it up, says Sherman. They write the script or story for their partner instead of asking them and listening. This can cause communication gaps, resentment, and awkwardness in bed. As with so many issues in a relationship, good sex is about finding out what each partner wants, what each partner can give and marrying the two. Its about communication, collaboration, and compromise. These days, after Kristen climaxes from manual stimulation and we begin intercourse, weve set clearer expectations and enter phase three with open dialogue. As for the general agreement we've landed on? Ill keep going until shes ready, and then shell tell me to finish, at which point Ill almost certainly be ready to climax (practically on command). It works well, because a) she gets to go for as long or short as she wants, b) I dont have to guess how long is long enough and put undue pressure on myself to keep going, and c) when she commands me to finish, its really hot. And sure, it doesnt always work out perfectly. If Im worried about climaxing before shes ready, I can pull out for a time and we can do, you know, other stuff. Or sometimes I do end up climaxing before she says to; its not perfect, but we talk about it, and its OK. Well try again next time. While Kristen and I have strong communication and great sex, both dimensions of our relationship and the intersection of the two are still a work in progress. In other words, were getting there, but were not finished yet. You Might Also Dig: SUV Now that Jeep is well versed in the Wrangler game and the Blue Oval is trying to recoup the lost time with the reinvented Bronco, Chevrolet again has nothing. But it turns out the K5 Blazer is one of the hottest classic SUVs out there on the used car market. So, it shouldnt come as a complete surprise that gorgeous examples can be had for an arm and a leg.After all, dealer markups are nothing new. Still, this 1970 Chevrolet K5 Blazer CST might warrant the cost. Which isnt small at all, mind you. Actually, with the kind of cash Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Garage Kept Motors is asking you could almost snatch a 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESC 4x4 Premium Luxury Platinum! And that one goes for $108,240 or $108,290, depending on the powertrain of choice: 3.0-liter Duramax or 6.2-liter V8.Before anyone has a heart attack, lets just say this classicis a tiny bit more affordable at $104,900 . If the price doesnt scare you away (we almost ran out of the office), then nothing will. And it only gets better from that point. For example, the K5 is dressed up in a stunning combination of orange and white on the outside.Inside the passenger compartment, theres a matching orange dress code for the bare metal pieces, doubled by a black vinyl with a premium embossed pattern for the seat upholstery. The SUV wants to get ample praise for the stock exterior looks , but also comes with a few upgrades for the cockpit, such as the Realistic audio unit. An important note should be made about the odometer, which reads a little over 36,600 miles (58,902 km).Meanwhile, under the hood resides a Chevy 350ci V8 engine which hasnt been upgraded at all. Clearly, by the looks of everything, the previous ownership valued historical correctness above anything else with this one. And that might be just what the doctor ordered for classic car collectors... DOHC Back in July, General Motors unleashed a short video teaser to entice aficionados about the falls release of its Z06 hero. The American-made FPC (flat-plane crank) V8 engine clearly sounded rad. Then, in August, Chevy further teased the first performance-oriented C8 iteration with a motorsport twist. And the announcement about the exact reveal date.But, as it turned out one day late September 2021, October 26th was just the premiere date, not the first time we got to see the 2023 Corvette Z06 peel off its camouflage. After so many spy shots and the cool one-month-like-clockwork teaser campaign, a silver-gray example shone brightly to impress everyone with its (known) widebody makeover.Naturally, as one of the hottest automotive commodities in the world, the C8 Corvette Z06 has already come to the attention of virtual artists . The pixel master behind the Monaco Auto Design (aka monacoautodesign) account on social media, was probably among the first. So, its only natural there wasnt much time for ample modifications.Instead, the teased 2023 Z06 was quickly dressed up in a potentially exclusive green color. And he also gave the game-changer model all the aero bits on offer, just for good measure. Right now, we have no idea if such a shade will even be up for grabs on the real thing. But it does provide ample contrast against the black aero bits, as well as draw attention to a possible (CGI) crowd.And thats probably all anyone can do. The rest will be up to the mighty technical specifications . Which, according to the rumor mill, include a new 5.5-liter LT6 V8 engine withand (a Voodoo V8-like) flat-plane crankshaft. All in all, superbly high revs are expected, along with 617 hp and some 500 pound-feet (678 Nm) of twisting torque. CVT SUV The current CR-V is a full hybrid (of the new e:HEV type ) on the Old Continent. But the American version can also be had as a conventional version instead of a traditional hybrid featuring a 2.0-liter Atkinson-cycle engine with an electric motor and an e-gearbox. And since the Japanese company is already hard at work testing the 2023 CR-V prototypes, we might have a glimmer of hope about the next iteration being even more sustainable.For now, all we have are the compact crossoverprototypes that were caught by our spy photographer collaborators on a couple of occasions this year. Although fully dressed in thick black-and-white camouflage, the new styling isnt hard to decipher, along with the possible expansion of its dimensions.And, just to put all that into the proper (though unofficial) perspective, the good folks over at motor.es have decided to get rid of the dizzying camouflage for a better look at the possible design of the new generation. And, by the looks of it, there is some great news for Honda aficionados.The Japanese carmaker is careful with the way it transforms the CR-V . After all, we are dealing with one of its best-selling vehicles around the world but especially in the United States. Because the latest batch of spy photos seem to depict the CR-V's final prototype form, we can easily imagine this rendering to be as accurate as possible.Sure, one always needs to have a look at it with a grain of salt, but at least the changes will go in the same general direction. And its a positive one, with the CR-V looking a tad more elegant and mature than ever before. Unfortunately, just a single front three-quarters perspective is currently provided, so we cant have a virtual look at the undressed rear end just yet.As far as the oily bits are concerned, European versions are expected to continue to carry the e:HEV badge. And perhaps its time we see the newly minted electrified powertrain make a sustainable appearance on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean as well. There are several companies working on futuristic pods that could revolutionize passenger transport and logistics, by traveling at unprecedented speeds. One of them is the Los-Angeles based Virgin Hyperloop, the developer of a magnetically levitating pod that travels through airless tubes. The company has been conducting tests since 2020, with the first passenger test for the XP-2 pod completed at the end of last year.Now, visitors at the Expo 2020 Dubai will have the opportunity to see the actual Virgin Hyperloop pod and find out more about its features. The company announced that it will debut its full-scale commercial pod at the DP World FLOW pavilion at the giant exhibition. Together with DP World, a logistics company, Virgin Hyperloop will unveil an almost 30-foot (10 meters) long commercial cargo pod replica.Visitors will also be able to admire a cutaway passenger pod that will reveal exactly what the future transport pod will look like, inside and out. Interactive displays, videos, and other models will provide additional information about the technology itself. The company claims to be the only one in the world that has successfully tested this type of hyperloop technology with passengers. This innovative pod is supposed to be not only fast and safe, but also more sustainable and affordable, compared to the current transport modes. Traveling with zero emissions and zero noise, the Virgin Hyperloop pod will be capable of reaching 670 mph (1,078 kph).Together with DP World, Virgin Hyperloop hopes to bring a commercial hyperloop system to the Gulf region in the near future.Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Expo hosted in the Middle East, Africa, and South Asia (MEASA) region, from October 1, 2021, through March 31, 2022. For its U.S. debut, the company chose its C4 electric model which is the only one available to American customers so far. The C4 comes in two versions, a step-over frame and a step-through one (C4 ST), with the latter being a first for the manufacturer. The C4 ST allows for an upright riding position. Customers can opt for one of the three color choices available with both variants: black, sand, and khaki.This dream machine, as Cowboy likes to call it, is not flashy in any way, in fact, it has rather a simple, minimalist design, but with elegance remaining one of the bikes main traits.Cowboy integrated the lights into the frame of the C4 as well as the cockpit and the new dedicated app acts as a reliable companion, tracking your bike s location, offering you riding stats, helping you plan the best routes, giving you battery range estimates, and charge reminders, to name just a few of its features.Thanks to the bikes embedded sensors, you can also use the app to track your speed, elevation, calories burned, and more. The sensors can also detect a fall and communicate to the app to alert your emergency contacts.Cowboys U.S. version of the C4 e-bike offers a top speed of 20 mph (32 kph), packing a 250W motor that produces 45 Nm of torque. As far as the range goes, the C4 puts in 43.5 miles (70 km) on a single charge. The C4 needs three hours and 20 minutes to fully charge.American customers can pre-order Cowboys C4 bike for $1,990, a price offer that the company claims will be available until October 31. Shipping will begin in February 2022. Jeff Bezos' space business announced on Monday the mission, its second with passengers onboard, will be taking off on October 12 from the usual Launch Site One in West Texas. It also named two of four people that will be on board for the ride.The first is Dr. Chris Boshuizen, a former NASA engineer who helped set the basis of Earth-imaging company Planet Labs. Accompanying him is Glen de Vries, Dassault Systemes' vice-chair for Life Sciences & Healthcare, and founder of clinical trials technology company Medidata.We said William Shatner is still in the cards for a trip to space because Blue Origin has not ruled him out just yet, and is also set to announce the names of the other two private astronauts. Were told their identities will be revealed over the coming days, so we'll keep you posted.If Shatner is on the list, he will become the oldest person to take a trip to space, albeit a very short one, not the kind a full civilian team took on board the Crew Dragon recently. At 90 years old, the actor will thus dethrone (and quite fast) aviation legend Wally Funk , who at 82 took the title back in July, when Blue Origin first took peopke up there.The Canadian could also become the first actor who played a spaceship captain to actually make it to space, and thats cooler that all other titles made possible by the trip. Ford and SK Innovation will invest $5.6 billion in Blue Oval City, which will also produce batteries and recycle them. The BlueOval SK cell plant is just one of the facilities that Ford will have for making batteries. The carmaker announced another two.They will be built in Glendale, Kentucky, thanks to a $5.8 billion investment made both by Ford and SK Innovation. In these two battery factories, the partners expect to employ 5,000 people and produce cells for future Ford and Lincoln electric cars. The three battery plants will deliver 129 GWh per year in components, 86 GWh of which will come from the twin Kentucky factories.Ford expects all factories to be operational by 2025. That means Blue Oval City will be in charge of presenting the second generation of the F-150 Lightning powered only by electrons. The new pickup truck will be built on a dedicated electric platform called TE1 that Ford said it would present in 2025. What a coincidence, right?The Kentucky cell plants will probably supply cells for the GE2 platform, another dedicated electric architecture that will underpin the second-generation Mustang Mach-E and possibly the first electric Mustang Coupe/Convertible. Ford will present this new platform by mid-2023.Built on a 3,600-acre campus, Fords Blue Oval City wants to be carbon-neutral and adopt zero-waste-to-landfill processes. That means all byproducts of manufacturing will either be recycled in the complex or sent somewhere that can do that. Local renewable energy sources are considered to help power operations.Apart from verticalizing production manufacturing many of the components it needs on its own Ford also wants suppliers to be in the complex, saving carbon emissions and making production more efficient. Abandoned cars are popping out everywhere if you know where and how to search them. If you bought a property and you find one there, then things are easier. They might be a little trickier if you find it somewhere else, i.e., a public place, a parking lot, in the woods, or on a field.The heat is there to stay, and you can cook some eggs, sunny side up, on an abandoned car left rotting on the side of the road. Just be sure that you'll do that only after you have the title for the car in your hands; otherwise, it is illegal to touch the vehicle.According to Arizona's state laws, any vehicle that needs license plates left unattended for more than 10 days is considered abandoned, but you have to prove that it sat there for that time. After that, you can either show pictures with a stamped date or talk to some neighbors and get statements from them. Then, call the local police department or some third-party companies that have contracts with Arizona's DOT (Department of Transportation) to report the vehicle.After the authorities inspect the vehicle, they will search for the owners and ask them to retrieve their abandoned vehicle. If no one is found in 30 days of searching, you can apply for a new title issued by AZMVD (Arizona Motor Vehicle Department). You must specify that you have the vehicle, and nobody showed any proof of ownership for it. You can move the car and start working on it only after the AZMVD issues a title on your name. Or bake eggs on its roof (if any). Ugh! By the way, you have to pay for the tow truck, storage, registration fees, and so on. At least, the metal was free.It seems to me that Arizona is one of the best places to get an abandoned vehicle into your possession. Not only that the procedures require less time, but the vehicles themselves are usually rust-free and look fair, provided they were not used for target practice Due to its moist air, Arkansas is not exactly the best place to get a relic. Yet, sometimes worth trying, especially if the vehicle's frame is solid. But you should know that, in that state, the law considers a car abandoned if the owner didn't manifest interest in it for more than 30 days. There is a little catch here; the Arkansas Code 27-50-1101 says,It might mean that you can move it into a different location if you see it left to rust for a longer time. But I strongly advise you to check with a local lawyer, because it seems kind of weird.Anyway, if you want that relic, call the cops and give them the VIN so they can run it through the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS) to find the owner. They will send notifications at the last known address and wait for an answer for 45 days. In the meantime, you have to post an announcement, once, in a generally circulating newspaper in the area where the vehicle was found, and wait for the same time.After that, request a lien release with the revenue office. They will also notify the previous owner but will wait only ten days for an answer. Again, if there is no reply, they will send a title to the new owner (that would be you, the finder). But just because you found it, it doesn't mean that your county revenue office will believe you. That's why it is vital to have all the papers in order, including the requests and the written answers from your local police. You should have no trouble with that, especially if the county revenue office tried and failed to contact the owner.Thus, in approximately 45 days, you can be the proud owner of a "new" relic that will sit in your garage, in your yard, or it will go through a restoration process This year, Porsche announced that it will launch the first-ever Porsche hotels, in cooperation with the German company Steigenberger Hotels & Resorts, which promise to seamlessly blend an exceptional customer service with the iconic carmakers design. Aston Martin has also almost completed its first real-estate project , a state-of-the-art skyscraper in Miami, boasting a 900-foot marina that offers direct access from the Atlantic for the residents private yachts.Roberto Cavalli is one of the latest brands to join the luxury real estate market. Hussain Sajwani, who purchased the Cavalli brand in 2019, is also the founder of DAMAC Properties. As part of a complex relaunch strategy for the Italian brand, the new owner has decided to develop a residential building called the Cavalli Tower.Right from the start, its obvious that this future building will be one of the most extravagant in the world, because its located in the sophisticated Dubai Marina, facing the beach. The 70-story tower features luxury, upper luxury, and super luxury sections. Apartments in the top categories come with their own private pool or jacuzzi. In addition, the super luxury category provides access to a cigar lounge and a private pavilion thats generous enough for lavish private parties.Of course, all interiors are infused with the Cavalli style , using precious materials. Another striking feature of the tower is an exterior Malibu Bay-inspired beach pool, which is supposed to actually feel like the beach it includes artificial sand, and its surrounded by greenery. Water features, such as a wall water fountain, are present throughout the building, for a spa-like atmosphere.With an estimated total cost of $545 million, the Cavalli Tower is due to be completed in four years, starting from 2022. Pricing for the Cavalli Tower apartments, where luxury is the entry-level category, starts at over $530,000. kW kWh The funding is set to include $14 million in convertible notes and a $46M financing round from investors such as pension fund AMF and several new investors who include shareholders like Creandum and Headline.The founder and CEO of CAKE, Stefan Ytterborn, says the funds will be used to help build a foundation for rapid growth for the company.Ytterbom adds that his company is in the process of implementing initiatives to scale the business, adding product platforms such as the compact Makka , expanding the user base and setting up manufacturing facilities in Europe, North America and Asia.He says CAKE is also setting up showrooms, retail and service spaces in major cities starting this fall.We knew we were entering a space with increasingly strong tailwinds when we got started back in 2016, but we couldnt dream of the pace in which things are now happening, for the good of people, planet and business, Ytterbom said.The Makka is CAKEs newest model and it was introduced in August.CAKE also offers high-powered electric motorcycles, but the Makka line comes with less performance and a lower price point. The Makka bikes do not require a motorcycle license to operate.The Makka line is designed for city riding and features a 3.6(4.8hp) motor.The Makka Flex the higher performance model of the two available in the Makka line is priced at $3,800 and its capable of reaching a top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h). That makes it a moped class vehicle in terms of U.S. regulations meant to target anyone with a basic drivers license.A single battery in the Makka is rated for 48V and 31Ah (1.5), powering the 132 lb (60 kg) bike for a maximum range per charge of 31 miles (50 km).As for other offerings, the CAKE Osa is available in two different models with varying speed and power output options.The Osa is capable of reaching a 63 mph (100 km/h) top speed and is powered by a 7 kW continuous, 10 kW peak motor. Transmission is accomplished using a Gates Carbon Belt Drive. Ytterbom says the Osa was built primarily for utility, while CAKEs electric dirt bikes (Kalk) were designed for recreational users and higher speeds. AMG As the Mercedes-Maybach brand continues to develop with models such as the electric "Concept EQS," the firm is also looking back with this, the "Edition 100" to mark its 100th anniversary. As per the name, the Edition 100 will feature a limited production run of just 100 units worldwide and be made available in the U.S. in the first half of 2022.Wilhelm Maybach was a good friend of Gottlieb Daimler and worked for Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft. Among the many innovations to his credit, Maybach developed the very first Mercedes which dominated Nice Race Week back in 1901. His success in that event earned him the honorarium "Roi des Constructeurs" - King of the Constructors.Maybach and his eldest son, Karl, were intent on combining technological progress with style and form."I think about it around the clock, a constant impulse: the perfection of the technology," Wilhelm once said.Their company, Maybach Motorenbau GmbH, presented the first mass-produced car at the Berlin Motor Show in September 1921, and their W 3 model was intended to be a moving work of art. It represented not only the first German production car with four-wheel brakes, it also featured an epicyclic gear system and an interior bedecked in the finest available materials.During the 1920s and 1930s, Maybach became the epitome of custom-made luxury vehicles and was favored by kings, industrialists and artists in search of stately limousines, coupes, cabriolets and roadsters. In fact, one Indian maharajah even had his limousine bejeweled with gold and rubies in 1928.Mercedes-Maybach has been a Mercedes-Benz sub-brand since 2014, and each of the marques models follows a tradition of creating "the best of the best" and is made in consultation with customers at the Center of Excellence in Sindelfingen near Stuttgart."It's about the passionate combination of every detail, no matter how small, that makes a luxury car a Maybach all in combination with state-of-the-art technology from Mercedes-Benz. Every Mercedes-Maybach stands for Sophisticated Luxury in all its facets for our customers who are looking for something very special," says Philipp Schiemer, Head of Top End Vehicle Group Mercedes-Benz AG and CEO Mercedes-GmbH.Now to celebrate the centennial of the brand, this Mercedes-Maybach S-Class with a V12 engine capable of producing 621hp continues the tradition. No two cars are alike and the classic engines are complemented with high-quality equipment and handcrafted bodies."We see ourselves as a creator brand," says Schiemer. "Every vehicle has always been configured and manufactured with veritable artistic ambition. Customers and producers have always been creative together we want to preserve this spirit and further strengthen it in the future."World-renowned artists such as writer Paulo Coelho, musician Quincy Jones and painter and director Julian Schnabel support the Maybach Foundation that aims to transport the legacy of the founders into the years to come."For the future, we will deepen the dialogue with outstanding personalities such as artists, architects and companies," adds Schiemer. "Just like them, we will not stop perfecting our products. The brand will reinvent itself once again after 100 years: sustainable, artistic, visionary. With more models and these will also be electric." Civis Analytics, a startup that could be key to next fall's Democratic Party campaigns, has raised $30.7 million in new funding, Axios has learned. Behind the scenes: The Chicago-based startup was founded by Dan Wagner, who led analytics for the Obama 2012 campaign, and was used by the Biden 2020 campaign to test audience messaging and to determine where to deploy advertising. Its first outside investor was former Google CEO Eric Schmidt. "Every organization, whether a government organization or a company, needs a data-driven campaign," argues Wagner, whose Obama team used analytics to determine everything from multi-million dollar marketing campaigns to where to land the campaign plane. Municipal customers include Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles, while federal government customers include the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Corporate users include Discovery. Wagner says that political campaigns are now a minority of his company's business, although he acknowledges that may fluctuate next fall. He adds that Civis doesn't work with Republican candidates. The biggest opportunity for Civis seems to be in expanding its federal client roster, as it's working toward certification for the FedRAMP procurement platform. If successful, it would be able to better compete with companies like Microsoft, Palantir and Oracle. They both have pledged to launch parliamentary inquiries focusing on the Armenian governments handling of the six-week war that resulted in sweeping Armenian territorial losses and at least 3,900 deaths. Civil Contracts Andranik Kocharian signaled the impending creation of a relevant parliament commission as the newly elected National Assembly began its work in early August. The commission has still not been set up. Kocharian, who heads the parliaments standing committee on defense and national security, on Tuesday declined to give any reasons for the apparent delay. We are moving forward, he said vaguely. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian stated later in August that the ad hoc commission should comprise not only representatives of the parliamentary forces but also political parties that failed to win any seats in the current legislature as well as representatives of the families of Armenian soldiers killed or missing in action. He held a series of meetings with the leaders of several such parties this month. The parliament statutes stipulate that only serving lawmakers can join such commissions. Reports in the Armenian press have said that the ruling party wants to amend the statutes accordingly. Kocharian said that the authorities are now discussing legal issues relating to the work of the commission. He did not elaborate. The idea of expanding the commission is rejected by the main opposition Hayastan alliance. One of its senior lawmakers, Artsvik Minasian, claimed on Tuesday that Pashinian simply wants to involve more of his political allies in the planned parliamentary inquiry to ensure that it covers up his mishandling of the war. They have said ... that the commission should be expanded, including through the involvement of representatives of extra-parliamentary political forces sympathetic to the authorities, Minasian told RFE/RLs Armenian Service. It is evident that they are not interested in solving apparent crimes committed on their watch. They are interested in the opposite: to cover up, to withhold and not to solve, he said. Hayastan and other major opposition groups blame Pashinian for Armenias defeat in the war with Azerbaijan. Minasian said that Hayastan will also press for the creation of a separate fact-finding body tasked with looking into the causes of the defeat. He said it should consist of an equal number of pro-government and opposition members as well as independent experts. Another opposition party, Bright Armenia, already called for the creation of such body early this year. Pashinians political team rejected the idea. Bakersfield, CA (93308) Today Showers in the morning, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. High 66F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.. Tonight Clear skies. Low near 50F. Winds NNW at 5 to 10 mph. Vaccinations keep people out of the hospitals. That was the message Thursday from Midland Health President/CEO Russell Meyers. Meyers pointed to what is taking place in El Paso, where 75.34 percent of residents 12 and older are fully vaccinated and 89.21 percent of those 65 and older are fully vaccinated, according to the Department of State Health Services. In Midland those numbers are 45.12 percent and 69.31 percent, respectively. Thirty percentage points more on our population is another 40,000 people that we need to get vaccinated, Meyers said. Midland Health has opened a mass vaccination/booster clinic from 2 to 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the F. Marie Hall Outpatient Center (formerly west campus). They can handle around 300 people each day, and walk-ins are welcome, Meyers said. Meyers said growing the number of vaccinated people will result in low utilization rates in hospitals. He said the latest state statistics show 6 percent of hospital beds in the El Paso are used on COVID patients. That percentage in the region that includes Midland and Odessa is consistently over 15 percent and has been as high as 30 percent recently. The San Antonio Express-News recently reported El Paso is the first city in Texas to reach herd immunity levels. Herd immunity for any disease, according to Johns Hopkins, is When most of a population is immune to an infectious disease, this provides indirect protectionalso called population immunity, herd immunity or herd protectionto those who are not immune to the disease. It is debatable whether any community can reach herd immunity during a COVID pandemic and what the needed level of vaccination actually is because of the differences between COVID and other infectious diseases, including the unwillingness of people to receive vaccinations. Still, Meyers said Thursday that what is being experienced in El Paso shows vaccination works and that there's more and more evidence all the time that it keeps people out of the hospital and keeps people from dying. Right here in Texas, we have a couple of communities El Paso being at the top of the list where that fact is being proven. Things to know A decade-old contractual disagreement between Jefferson County and the cities of Port Arthur and Beaumont could soon leave new prisoners without a place to be housed. The Jefferson County Commissioners today are set to consider ending a 35-year agreement with the City of Beaumont and 30-year agreement with Port Arthur that allows the cities to house prisoners in the county jail. The agreement with Beaumont was signed in 1986 and set to last until canceled. The day for that cancellation may have come, stemming from a disagreement regarding how the city will pay for housing prisoners. The City of Beaumont believes the county is treating other cities in area different than it and Port Arthur. Jefferson County was charging a higher rate per day per prisoner for Beaumont and Port Arthur, a Monday news release said. We felt this was unfair and wanted all cities to be treated the same. As the years have gone by, the cost of housing prisoners has increased, but the release says the increase hasnt been uniform. The county charged Nederland, Port Neches and Groves $55 per day and charged Beaumont and Port Arthur $75 per day, according to the release. But Jefferson County Auditor Patrick Swain says that isnt true. At a glance What: Jefferson County Commissioners meeting When: 10:30 a.m. today Where: Jefferson County Courthouse, 1149 Pearl St., Beaumont Details: The commissioners will vote on contracts between Jefferson County and the cities of Port Arthur and Beaumont to house prisoners. See More Collapse Weve tried to treat everyone evenly on what we charge, he said. Thats why were charging $55 a day. (Beaumonts) just only paying 35%. The way the county sees it, theyre only charging cities a fraction of the total cost of housing an inmate, which is $115 per day, Swain said. By the countys calculations, Beaumont owes $3.6 million as of Monday. All this comes in the middle of a global pandemic, when the cost of operating the jail have gone up to the tune of millions of dollars, according to Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick. The steep increase comes as a result of required overtime for staff members as well as the cost of personal protective equipment, medical treatments and an excess of prisoners as the state has delayed transporting inmates to state prisons after sentencing. The other issue comes from a disagreement on when a prisoner becomes a county responsibility. Beaumont believes a prisoner becomes the countys financial responsibility usually within 24 hours of an arrest. Jefferson County wants the cities in Jefferson County to pay for the prisoner until they are formally charged by the District Attorneys Office, the news release stated. We are not aware of another county in Texas, out of 254 counties, that does business this way. We believe this practice by Jefferson County is used to decrease their expenses and obligations under state law. Swain declined to comment on that statement and directed The Enterprise to the countys lawyers for a lawsuit regarding the dispute, which Beaumont expects will be heard in October 2021. Until then, the Jefferson County commissioners will handle the decision. I plan to vote to terminate the contract, Branick said Monday. Weve been dealing with this for 10 years, trying to work it out with the cities, and weve been unable to. Were tired of the cities not abiding by the contracts that they made with us. The contract is just a promise. And they made a promise to us about what they were gonna do. And they havent done it, or at least two of the cities have not done it. The other three have kept their word. Precinct 2 Commissioner Darrell Bush also plans to vote to end the contract. This is going on for what 10 years now? Bush asked. Its time to get some resolution to it. The judge ordered mediation. That was done a couple weeks ago. That didnt work out. I think its just a natural progression. Precinct 3 Commissioner Michael Shane Sinegal said he leans in favor of voting that the city either renegotiate the amount theyre paying or the county takes more drastic measures, but he is willing to wait for full information. As a former city council member in Port Arthur and now a county commissioner, he said he has seen both sides of the argument. I reserve that decision until I hear further discussion, he said. I know how I feel right now. We cant just keep floating that cost on the back of the county budget. But something may be said tomorrow that changes my mind. I doubt it, but Im just saying Ive learned not to jump the gun on this thing. Likewise, Precinct 1 Commissioner Vernon Pierce is reserving judgment until todays hearing, but he wants to do what is fair for all involved. Id like to not go in there and say I have a preconceived idea of what we should do, Pierce said. Now, if theres any discussion, Ill listen to it, you know. Its a public forum. If anybody else wants to have input, I definitely will listen to it, and then Ill try to make the best decision I can given the facts presented to me at that time. Commissioner Everette Bo Alfred could not be reached for comment. From the affected cities, only two officials would comment even sparsely. Im confident were going to come to a resolution that will be amenable to both sides, said Beaumont Mayor Robin Mouton. Hopefully we get to a very amicable resolution to the matter in the not too distant future, said Ron Burton, Port Arthur city manager. If we can find discrepancies on both sides, we need to take a team approach to resolve it. I think now is the time when we just sit down and put our heads together and do our best to to clean it all up. rachel.kersey@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/ontheREKord Cory Morse/AP DALLAS (AP) Former first daughter Barbara Bush has given birth to her first child, a baby girl. Cora Georgia Coyne was born Monday in Maine, not far from the familys Walker Point compound in Kennebunkport, former President George W. Bush said in a statement Tuesday. ISLAMABAD Pakistans planning minister says the government will begin a drive to vaccinate children aged 12 or above to protect them from coronavirus. The announcement on Tuesday by Asad Umar comes amid a steady decline in fatalities from coronavirus across the country. Umar in a tweet said Pakistan will launch a campaign soon to vaccinate children at schools. He did not say exactly when it will begin. Currently Pakistan is offering free jabs to teens and adults. The latest development comes hours after Pakistan reported 41 deaths from coronavirus and 1,400 new cases in the past 24 hours. It is the first time since July that Pakistan reported less than 1,500 single-day confirmed cases amid the fourth wave which authorities believe has subsided. ___ MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: U.S. has enough COVID-19 vaccines for boosters, kids' shots Rowdy celebrations erupt in Norway as COVID restrictions end EXPLAINER: Whos eligible for Pfizer booster shots in US? ___ See all of AP's pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: SYDNEY Australias Victoria state has recorded more coronavirus infections than New South Wales for the first time since an outbreak of the delta variant began in Sydney in June. Victoria is Australias second-most populous state and on Tuesday the state capital of Melbourne reported 867 new virus cases and four deaths from COVID-19 in the latest 24-hour period. It was the highest daily numbers of infections and deaths in Victoria for the latest outbreak. Victorias previous high infection count was 847 reported Saturday. New South Wales is the most populous state and home to Sydney, which reported 863 new infections Tuesday and seven deaths. The state has seen daily infections plateau as vaccinations have risen. Sydney has been in lockdown since June 26 and Melbourne since Aug. 5. ___ WELLINGTON, New Zealand New Zealand is relaxing travel restrictions in Auckland six weeks after the nations most populous city was locked down due to the coronavirus. People will be able to cross the city boundary beginning Monday night if they are permanently relocating, have shared caring-giving arrangements or are returning home. Those leaving Auckland on care-giving trips will have to be tested for the virus within a week of their departure. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says more flexibility is being given because the system of pandemic restrictions is currently doing its job. The city reported eight new infections Tuesday in the latest 24-hour period. Auckland was locked down Aug. 17 after the delta variant leaked from hotel quarantine from a New Zealander who had returned from Sydney. Pandemic restrictions elsewhere in New Zealand amount to little more than mandatory mask-wearing. ___ NEW YORK A federal appeals panel says New York City may require teachers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. The three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals acted late Monday to lift a temporary order issued Friday that blocked the mandate from taking effect so a challenge could be heard from a group of teachers. The mandate had been set to go into effect Monday for teachers and other employees of the citys schools. The appeals panels ruling put the mandate back in force. Lawyers for the teachers said they will now ask the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene. One attorney said: With thousands of teachers not vaccinated the city may regret what it wished for. Our children will be left with no teachers and no security in schools. ___ SACRAMENTO, Calif. A federal judge has ordered that all employees entering California prisons be vaccinated or have a religious or medical exemption. The order is aimed at heading off another coronavirus outbreak like the one that killed 28 inmates and a correctional officer at San Quentin State Prison last year. The order also requires that inmates who want in-person visits or who work outside prisons, including inmate firefighters, must also be fully vaccinated or have a religious or medical exemption. The prison guards union says it may appeal. More than 50,000 California inmates have been infected with the coronavirus and at least 240 have died of COVID-19. ___ CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa Faculty at Iowas public universities are demanding the right to require masks in their classrooms regardless of state law or policies against them. Biology professor Steve OKane Jr. has pushed a resolution among colleagues at the University of Northern Iowa saying faculty should be allowed to manage their classrooms. OKane told The Cedar Rapids Gazette that he has already imposed a mask mandate for his students and lowers their lab grades if they refuse to comply. Northern Iowa, the University of Iowa and Iowa State University sent petitions last month to the state Board of Regents signed by hundreds of faculty asking for the ability to require masks and vaccines. Board of Regents President Mike Richards in May barred administrators from requiring masks or vaccines. ___ HONOLULU New federal rules for international travelers are expected to help Hawaiis crippled tourism industry. The states international market has been nearly nonexistent since the pandemic largely shut down travel. Last week, the White House loosened rules that previously prohibited some foreign travelers from coming to the U.S. Now foreign visitors can come if they can show proof of vaccination and produce a negative COVID-19 test. The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that the changes could bring back international travel to the islands. It is down 97% compared to before the pandemic. Hawaii currently only requires proof of vaccination or a single pre-flight COVID-19 test for mainland and some international travelers. Some see the new rules as more restrictive for Japanese travelers, a major component of Hawaiis tourism industry. Japan and other key markets for Hawaii tourism have high vaccination rates and officials expect that trend to continue in the coming months. ___ TOPEKA, Kan. Gov. Laura Kelly has ordered flags throughout the state to be flown at half-staff to honor COVID-19 victims as Kansas exceeded 6,000 reported deaths. Kellys order Monday applied immediately and directed that flags remain lowered until sunset Wednesday. The governor has issued such an order every time Kansas reports another 1,000 COVID-19 deaths. According to Kansas health department data, the state averaged 15 additional reported COVID-19 deaths a day for the seven days ending Monday. The number of reported deaths rose 43 since Friday, making the total 6,024. The state also reported an average of 1,012 new cases and 37 additional hospitalizations a day for the seven days ending Monday. ___ WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. A North Carolina-based hospital system announced Monday that more than 175 of its workers have been fired for failing to comply with its COVID-19 vaccination requirement. Last week, Novant Health announced 375 employees had been suspended and given five days to comply with the mandate. The deadline was Friday. Nearly 200 of those employees came into compliance, Spokesperson Megan Rivers said in an email Monday. Rivers didnt provide specific numbers on how many out of the 375 were in compliance and how many lost their jobs. More than 99% of Novant Healths 35,000-plus employees are now compliant with the vaccine mandate, including employees who have submitted an approved religious or medical vaccine exemption, according to a statement. The Winston-Salem-based system includes 15 hospitals, 800 clinics and hundreds of outpatient facilities. ___ MALDEN, Mass. State education officials on Monday extended Massachusetts public school indoor mask mandate an extra month. The mandate that applies to students, staff and faculty, was scheduled to expire on Oct. 1, but will now run through at least Nov. 1, state Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley said. Middle and high schools can apply for a waiver from the face covering rules if 80% of their students and staff have been vaccinated, he said. The original mandate was announced in August. It applies to students age 5 and over. Masks are not required outdoors or while eating, and a limited number of other indoor activities. About 2,220 students and more than 300 workers at Massachusetts public schools have tested positive for COVID-19 this school year, according to the latest information available from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. ___ HAVANA Cuba has begun commercial exports of its homegrown COVID-19 vaccines, sending shipments of the three-dose Abdala vaccine to Vietnam and Venezuela. President Miguel Diaz-Canel announced the arrival in Vietnam on his Twitter feed Sunday. Cubas Center of Genetic Immunology and Biotechnology also announced that initial shipments of the Abdala shots were sent to Venezuela over the weekend. Vietnams President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited Cuba last week and toured the laboratory that produces the vaccine, announcing an agreement to buy at least 5 million doses. Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuelas vice president, announced in June that the country had agreed to buy $12 million worth of the Cuban vaccine, though officials have declined to say how many doses were involved. Another Cuban-developed COVID-19 vaccine is being produced in Iran, which Cuba has asked the World Health Organization to approve in hopes to extend exports of its locally developed vaccines. Cuban scientists have said the vaccines are more than 90% effective against illness, though like all vaccines less so against mere infection. Cuba plans to fully vaccinate 90% of its population by the end of November a key step to reopening an economy heavily dependent on tourism. Cubas director of epidemiology, Francisco Duran, said Monday that the country of some 11 million people has registered 860,799 infections with COVID-19 and 7,279 deaths during the pandemic. ___ SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico A pharmacy owner in Puerto Rico has pleaded guilty to illegally vaccinating two dozen children against COVID-19 with shots that had not been approved as safe for that age group, federal authorities said Monday. The U.S. Attorneys Office said Liz Ann Banchs fully inoculated minors between the ages of 7 and 11 with the Pfizer vaccine from late May until late June. The vaccine is currently approved for those 12 years and older, though Pfizer announced last week that a version of its vaccine, with much-reduced doses, is safe and works for children ages 5 to 11 and that it will soon seek U.S. authorization for that age group. Authorities said the illegal vaccination occurred at Farmacia Gabriela, Inc. in the southern mountain town of Juana Diaz. They said Banchs faces up to five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. ___ BUENOS AIRES Argentinas government opened some of its border to tourists from Chile and Brazil on Monday for a four-day test run as cases of COVID-19 have declined. The measure applies to two crossings into the provinces of Mendoza, a wine-producing region that neighbors Chile, and Misiones, which borders Brazil hand has the famed Iguazu Falls. Prior to the pandemic, thousands of people crossed daily over those borders. Visitors will still need to show they have completed a full vaccine course at least 14 days before arriving, show a recent negative PCR test and accept a fast antigen test on arriving. They wont have to quarantine, but will required to have another PCR test if they stay beyond seven days and those who test positive would then have to quarantine. The announcement amounts to an early start on a gradual opening of land borders that already had been announced for citizens of neighboring countries that was to start on Friday. Fully vaccinated Argentines living abroad will no longer have to quarantine on arrival. The country of about 45 million people has seen steadily improving levels of infection and hospital bed occupation after being hit hard by the virus. Overall, it has recorded 5.2 infections and more than 114,000 deaths. Dhaka Metropolitan Police on Tuesday arrested a controversial Islamic preacher who claimed on YouTube that he had interviewed the coronavirus in a dream, and asserted that the COVID-19 vaccine would turn girls into boys and vice versa. Police arrested Mufti Kazi Mohammad Ibrahim, 57, from his Mohammadpur residence and interrogated him for several hours about his COVID-19 claims before announcing that charges would be filed against him. A case will be filed under the Digital Security Act against Ibrahim on a charge of his involvement in spreading disinformation and controversial comments on COVID-19 vaccines and other issues that could seriously confuse people, Mohammad Faruk, the deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), told BenarNews. Ibrahim failed to give the proper answer about his comments on religiously provocative messages and disinformation on digital platforms, Faruk said without sharing details of the police case. Earlier in the day, Mohammad Harun-or-Rashid, a DMP joint commissioner, told reporters that immediately after COVID-19 vaccine distribution began globally, the preacher claimed that women were growing beards and men were developing feminine voices after taking the jabs. He [Ibrahim] said he dreamed about corona, he also knew how corona would come. He also said that if the Corona vaccine is given, boys will become girls and girls will become boys, Harun said, referring to COVID-19. He has been spreading such disinformation on social media sites for long. Once he claimed he had a dream about coronavirus and he knew in advance that COVID-19 would come. Separately, an individual filed a case late Tuesday against the preacher on charges of fraud and extortion, Mohammadpur police station duty officer Sahedul Islam confirmed to BenarNews. While Ibrahim was in custody on Tuesday, a group of his followers protested in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka, demanding his release. Ibrahim went live on Facebook early Tuesday claiming that plainclothes officers were outside his door to detain him. During the 20-minute broadcast, he claimed he became a target because of his remarks against India. A Facebook campaign has been launched by followers of Islamic preacher Mufti Kazi Mohammad Ibrahim who are demanding he be freed, Sept.28, 2021. [Sharif Khiam/BenarNews] 'Irrational' comments The Islamic preacher drew lots of attention last year when he claimed on YouTube that he had interviewed the coronavirus in a dream. Following that incident, lawyer M. Mahmudul Hasan appealed to the Religious Affairs, Education and Home ministries to take steps to prevent the spread of such statements. Harun said that Ibrahim, a teacher at the Jamea Quasemia Kamil Madrasa, also claimed that Indian foreign intelligence agency officers were active in Bangladesh. Detective Branch chief A.K.M. Hafiz Akter told reporters that the Islamic preacher was brought in for questioning because he had recently made severely aggressive and irrational comments on various issues, including the COVID-19 vaccine. Police decided to prosecute him because his explanation was not acceptable, Hafiz said without sharing details about the interrogation. In 2019, the Home Ministry named 15 Islamic preachers, including Ibrahim, who spread defamatory comments against democracy, cultural practices and womens empowerment. The preacher previously served as a principal of the Peace International School, which was shut down by the government in 2016 over controversial activities. The government closed 14 branches around the country, including in Dhaka, after accusing staff of anti-state acts such as encouraging and teaching militancy. Meanwhile, Md. Delwar Hussain, the principal of the institution where Ibrahim is a teacher, said the preachers arrest was part of a conspiracy. The Madrasa authority is observing the issue. We will provide legal support to Ibrahim because he is an experienced teacher, Delwar told BenarNews. A Bangladesh Medical Association doctor, however, said Ibrahim should face criminal charges. Legal action should have been taken against Ibrahim earlier to prevent the spread of unscientific theories, BMA secretary-general Ehteshamul Huq Chowdhury told BenarNews, adding that many people were misled by Ibrahims statements. Rumors affect society very badly in a pandemic situation. Thats why stopping such misinformation is a must. Royal Australian Navy vessels conduct exercises with the Philippine Navys FF151 frigate in the vicinity of Cabra Island in the Philippines, Sept. 27, 2021. Updated at 11:18 a.m. ET on 2021-09-29 Newly minted alliances among nations in the Indo-Pacific region have sidelined ASEAN, analysts say, with some arguing that the 10-nation grouping of Southeast Asian countries dug its own grave through its inaction on regional issues. Within a span of just seven months, two Washington-led Asia-Pacific groupings one ideological and one military have quietly circumvented the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in a bid to blunt Chinas growing dominance and militarization in the South China Sea. ASEAN has for long touted its centrality to the region, and powers such as the United States, China and Russia have described it as the anchor of the Indo-Pacific security landscape, but such words are starting to ring hollow, said James Chin, a professor at Tasmania University. [W]ith the Quad and AUKUS, they clearly bypassed ASEAN. They pay lip service to ASEAN, but they dont really care what ASEAN thinks, Chin told BenarNews. AUKUS is the new security alliance under which the United States and the United Kingdom will provide Australia the technology needed to build nuclear-powered submarines. It was preceded by the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), whose members the U.S., Japan, India and Australia said at the groups first summit in March that they are committed to an open, secure and coercion-free Indo-Pacific region. The White House statement on AUKUS and a statement subsequently issued by Australias ambassador to the regional bloc both nodded to ASEAN, but little else. And ASEAN is to blame for that, Chin said, an opinion echoed by other analysts. ASEAN itself is the cause of its own problem. The fact that it cannot resolve the South China Sea issue, cant even get China to agree to the Code of Conduct after 20 years, cant solve the Myanmar problem It shows that ASEAN cant be taken seriously based on its historical track record, Chin argued. For nearly two decades, China and ASEAN have been negotiating a Code of Conduct, to lay out guidelines for how nations with competing claims in the South China Sea must behave. In 2019 ASEAN agreed with China to finalize the code in three years, but there is no sign a COC will be ready by next year. After the Feb. 1 military coup in Myanmar, ASEAN struggled to come to a consensus on how to deal with its member state. The blocs nations in late April finally agreed to send an emissary to help resolve the post-coup crisis there, but it took ASEAN more than 100 days to name a special envoy. That envoy has not yet secured permission from the Burmese junta to talk to all stakeholders. Meanwhile, amid mounting violence against civilians in Myanmar, ASEAN successfully lobbied to block a U.N. call to suspend arms sales to the Burmese military, in the wake of the coup. Jeremy Maxie, an associate at Strategika Group Asia Pacific, a security consultancy in New Zealand, noted that ASEAN is often a hindrance in resolving regional issues. ASEAN has proven over the last several years that it is irrelevant, even counterproductive, in responding to regional security issues from Myanmar to SCS, Maxie said on Twitter. Some ASEAN members may complain about AUKUS, but it is a lesson for the regional bloc, said former Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa. It is a reminder of the cost of its dithering and indecision on the complex and fast-evolving geopolitical environment, Natalegawa told The Jakarta Post. A protester against Myanmar's junta holds a placard criticizing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in Mandalay, Myanmar, June 5, 2021. [Reuters] Picking up the slack Meanwhile, Derek J. Grossman, a senior defense analyst at the Rand Corporation, a U.S. think-tank, said ASEAN members should not have been surprised an alliance such as AUKUS was formed. [O]ne has to genuinely ask: what did ASEAN expect if it couldnt [or] wouldnt act vs Chinas growing military threats? Someone has to pick up their slack, Grossman said on Twitter. The governments of Southeast Asia face a dilemma in responding to Chinas assertion of its sweeping claims in the South China Sea, in large part because of their economic dependence on Beijing. Regional analyst Oh Ei Sun told BenarNews last week that Malaysia preferred to maintain a working strategic relationship with Beijing, despite Chinas frequent incursions into what Malaysia considers to be its territorial waters in the South China Sea. Moreover, to the shock of the countrys opposition parties, Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said he would seek Chinas views on AUKUS on a trip to Beijing. It was a little embarrassing for Malaysia to so publicly subcontract its foreign policy, said John Blaxland, professor at the Australian National University. Indonesia, meanwhile, recently downplayed the lingering presence of a Chinese survey ship working in Jakartas exclusive economic zone even after warning Chinese fishing boats and their Coast Guard escorts to get out of the Natuna Sea on multiple occasions. China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including waters within the EEZs of Taiwan, and of ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. While Indonesia does not regard itself as party to the South China Sea dispute, Beijing claims historic rights to parts of that sea overlapping Indonesias EEZ as well. Beijing has repeatedly rejected a 2016 international arbitral award that declared Chinas claim over most of the South China Sea baseless. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken sits next to Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi during a meeting with foreign ministers of ASEAN member countries on the sidelines of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Sept. 23, 2021. [Reuters] A polarized situation Though it famously operates by consensus, there is no common stance among ASEAN nations on AUKUS, said Rizal Sukma, a senior researcher at the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, who is a former Indonesian ambassador to Britain. Some are supportive, like Singapore, Vietnam and the Philippines. Some are opposed like Malaysia and there are those who are concerned including Indonesia. Others remain silent, such as Brunei and Laos, he told BenarNews. But, the question is really, does ASEAN have the capacity to be a place where great powers interests can be managed? I doubt it. ASEAN has even become more irrelevant. Still, Rizal said, the three AUKUS countries should recognize that the regions nations are worried about the escalation of tensions in Southeast Asia. The issue is not AUKUS, but the U.S.-China rivalry, which is the driving force for AUKUS cooperation and for the consolidation of the PRCs military position in the South China Sea, he said. It is better for ASEAN to focus on how to manage the rivalry if it wants to remain relevant." Former Malaysian deputy defense minister Liew Chin Tong concurred that there is still a role for ASEAN in the current geopolitical landscape if it can step up. I would like to see some of the ASEAN member states seeing the danger of a polarized situation come together to find a strong common position to hold back the great powers, Liew told BenarNews. ASEAN needs to be more dynamic, and AUKUS may well push it to be so, Nick Bisley, professor of International Relations at LaTrobe University in Australia, noted on Twitter. ASEAN never works as well as when it feels its centrality is at risk. Ronna Nirmala in Jakarta, and Hadi Azmi and Muzliza Mustafa in Kuala Lumpur, contributed to this report. CORRECTION: An earlier version misidentified Hishammuddin Hussein as Malaysia's foreign minister. The MT Strovolos, a Bahamas-flagged tanker, is seen in the waters off the Riau Islands in Indonesia, in this undated photo released Aug. 25, 2021. Indonesia, Cambodia and a Bahamas-flagged oil tanker are embroiled in a quarrel over nearly 300,000 barrels of crude oil that Phnom Penh alleges was stolen by the ships crew. Last week, an Indonesian court sentenced the captain of the M.T. Strovolos to 15 days in prison for anchoring his ship in local waters without permission. A few days later, Jakarta detained the tankers 19 other crew members for questioning on Batam Island, in response to an Interpol red notice issued by Cambodia. Harry Goldenhardt, spokesman for the Riau Islands provincial police, said a team from the National Central Bureau-Interpol had been questioning the tankers crew members since Saturday. Its based on the red notice by the Cambodian government and a letter sent by the Phnom Penh Court requesting assistance in the arrest and return of the ship and its crew, Harry told BenarNews. On Monday, the Singapore-based company that owns the ship said Cambodias claim that the oil cargo was transported illegally was without foundation, and urged Indonesia to reject Phnom Penhs request for assistance. On Sept. 22, when the Batam District Court convicted Sazzedeen S.M., the Bangladeshi captain of the Strovolos, it also fined him 100 million rupiah (U.S. $7,000), according to a court document of the ruling obtained by BenarNews. Defendant Sazzedeen S.M has been found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of committing a criminal act, the document said, adding that Sazzedeen must serve an additional month in prison if he failed to pay the fine. The defendant failed to comply with navigational procedures in Indonesian territorial waters and potentially endangered traffic in the waters, the court said. The Indonesian Navy said that the 600-foot Strovolos was illegally anchored off Sumatra, with its identification system turned off, when authorities seized it on July 27, three days after Phnom Penh issued the red notice about the alleged cargo theft. An Indonesian warship, the KRI John Lie-358, intercepted the tanker near the Anambas Islands, a chain located in Riau Islands province, after the Strovolos had sailed into Indonesian waters in the South China Sea without permission, the navy added. Cambodia has not provided any proof Meanwhile, Cambodia has requested that the oil be returned, but the Indonesian navy said it would be up to the judiciary to decide what to do with the cargo. The legal process is the authority of the prosecutors office and the court, said the spokesman for the Naval Fleet Command I, Lt. Col. Laode Muhammad. Batam chief prosecutor Polin Octavianus Sitanggang could not be reached for comment. World Tankers, which owns the Strovolos, said the Cambodian government had contracted the company that chartered the ship, KrisEnergy Group. The vessels owners understood that the chartering company was contracted by the Government of Cambodia as part of a commercial oil development projection and gave it the right to sell the oil subject to payment of royalties, World Tankers said in a statement issued Monday. The Government of Cambodia has not provided any proof to the owners to support its claim that it owns the cargo on board the vessel. World Tankers further said that the Strovolos crew are the innocent victims of wrongful conduct by the Government of Cambodia in violation of their human rights. The tanker, built in 1999, was chartered to oil exploration firm KrisEnergy (Apsara) Co. Ltd, which started producing oil from Cambodias first oil field in December 2020. During the charter, the KrisEnergy Group ran into financial troubles and filed for liquidation in June, but was unable to pay the tankers crew. The owners and the crew wanted the cargo to be offloaded by mutual agreement, and in the meantime, moved the vessel offshore of Batam, pending a crew change. There has never been any intention or suggestion that anything would be done with the oil on board other than to offload it as soon as its ownership is proved, and agreement is reached about payment to the owners of the money which they are owed, World Tankers said. The owners are concerned that there would not be a fair trial in Cambodia and that official statements saying the crew stole the cargo were inappropriate and contrary to the basic principle of justice, the company said. Indonesia does not need to interfere Siswanto Rusdi, an observer at the National Maritime Institute (Namarin), an independent think-tank, said Indonesian authorities should release the tankers crew. The red notice comes from Cambodia, which means you have to return [the cargo] to Cambodia, he told BenarNews. Even if there is a dispute behind it, Indonesia does not need to interfere. Indonesia has nothing to do with the tanker once the legal case against the violation of navigational rules has been decided, Siswanto said. Now, what is the basis for the detention? What business do we have? If not careful, Indonesia could be subjected to a lawsuit, he said. The current international law does not favor seafarers. In any dispute, no matter how small, the crew are the ones subjected to arrest, when in fact, they are only part of the process of moving goods, but dont necessarily know the agreement behind it, Siswanto said. Villagers carry the body of a farmer killed by suspected Eastern Indonesia Mujahideen (MIT) militants in Parigi Moutong regency, Indonesia, Sept. 14, 2015. Thai and Malaysian officials on Monday downplayed a Japanese warning of possible suicide bomb attacks in Southeast Asia, while Indonesias counter-terror police force said it would investigate. Japans warning to its citizens came on the heels of a report by U.S.-based Site Intelligence Group, which monitors extremist communications online, that a pro-Islamic State militant group in Afghanistan had declared it was time for war, specifically in six Southeast Asian nations. Normah Ishak, the chief of the Malaysian polices counter-terrorism branch, said Japans warning was a routine one. There is no credible information of an imminent threat on our side. Our Japanese counterpart said this is normal practice to issue a general reminder on the anniversary of 9/11 and also the developments in Afghanistan, Normah told BenarNews, referring to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in the United States. Malaysias security situation is under control and security forces remain vigilant. Malaysias foreign affair ministry said that Japans advisory had been shared with the relevant authorities in the country, as we take this matter very seriously. Japans embassies in Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok urged their citizens residing in these nations to strengthen their vigilance against terrorism and take precautions. There is information that there is an increasing possibility that a suicide bomb attack will occur in places where many people gather, such as worship halls, the advisory said. When it is unavoidable to visit a place that could be easily targeted by terrorism, pay attention to the surroundings, and if you detect anything suspicious, leave the place immediately. Routine warning Thailand confirmed that Japans foreign ministry had issued a warning to its citizens in the country. But Pol. Col. Krisana Pattanacharoen, a deputy spokesman for Thailands national police force, said there was no current intelligence about terror threats. Japans advisory could be a routine warning, but our security and special branch police said there is no sign of terrorist attacks yet, Krisana said, adding, We are staying alert. The Thai foreign ministry said that the Japanese embassy in Bangkok had no details about possible attacks. The Japanese MFA has not verified the source who fed it such information, while the embassy did not have more details, Tanee Sangkrat, the foreign ministry spokesman told reporters. The Japanese MFA sent emails to all Japanese in this region, not only in Thailand. Media reports said the advisory was sent to a total of six Southeast Asian nations, including Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Singapore. An official with Densus 88, Indonesias elite anti-terror police unit, said the agency would investigate Japans warning. We have not received an alert from any relevant institution. Were checking the information, Densus 88 head of operations Aswin Siregar told BenarNews. Threat report In an Aug. 30 travel advisory, the United States warned that terrorists in Indonesia may attack with little or no warning, targeting police stations, places of worship, hotels, bars, nightclubs, markets/shopping malls, and restaurants. And on Sept. 10, Site Intelligence Group said that a message in Malay posted on a pro-Islamic State (IS) platform urged lone wolves to attack non-Muslims and their religious gatherings and places of worship in East Asia. The message said fighters were ready to carry out suicide bombings in the region and in Afghanistan. Site Intelligence said the writer of the message had the same name as an alleged deputy of the East Asia Mujahideens unit leader in Khorasan, an IS province in Afghanistan. On Sept. 8, the writer had said on the same platform that it was time for war in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, the SITE report said. There are churches, temples, vihara [Buddhist temples], and Jewish community centers everywhere, and all of these can be blown up. All of those sites are [on] KAFIR soil. Kafir is an Arabic word that means infidel or a non-believer. BenarNews contacted SITE Intelligence to request more information but didnt immediately receive a reply. A group known as the Islamic State Khorasan Province claimed responsibility for a suicide bomb attack at Kabuls airport on Aug. 26 that killed about 170 civilians and 13 U.S. troops. Thirteen suspected foreign terrorist-fighters, who were charged in Malaysian courts for alleged links to the Islamic State group, are seen in a photo released by Malaysian police, Oct. 13, 2017. [Courtesy of Royal Malaysian Police] The Taliban factor A Malaysian security analyst said that Japans warning was likely influenced by recent events in Afghanistan. Developments in Afghanistan when the Taliban gained power and a fear that the Taliban victory would inspire extremist groups, especially in Southeast Asia, Ramli Dollah, an academic at Universiti Malaysia Sabah, told BenarNews. Indonesian, Malaysian and Philippine officials had told BenarNews last month that the Talibans return to power could energize terror cells in Southeast Asian countries. While pro-IS groups were significantly weakened, Southeast Asias al-Qaeda affiliate had gained ground in recent years, Zachary Abuza, a professor at the National War College in Washington, wrote in a recent column for BenarNews. [J]emaah Islamiyah is waiting to pick up the pieces. It certainly has the financial resources to do so, Abuza wrote. Even before the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, JI which was responsible for the 2002 Bali bombings was seeing a resurgence in Indonesia, Abuza told BenarNews last month. Afghanistan has always played a part in the development of terrorist networks in Southeast Asia. Nisha David in Kuala Lumpur, Tria Dianti in Jakarta and Marielle Lucenio in Manila contributed to this report. Philippine soldiers walk past a mosque that was destroyed during a battle in 2017 between government forces and Muslim militants, who had laid siege then to the southern Philippine city of Marawi, May 23, 2021. An explosion from a home-made bomb injured two utility workers and seven government soldiers at a state-owned electricity transmission tower in the southern Philippines on Tuesday, officials said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which took place in a remote area in Lanao del Sur province. Islamic militants and communist guerrillas, who are known to operate in the region, in the past have carried out similar attacks targeting the electrical grid. The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), a private firm that operates the state-owned transmission facilities, said the early-morning attack occurred when the powerline workers were inspecting two high-voltage lines that had tripped. Two NGCP linemen and seven military escorts were injured and are now being treated at a hospital, the company said in a statement. Two air force helicopters were dispatched to evacuate the wounded people, said Brig. Gen. Jose Maria Cuerpo, commanding general of the 103rd Infantry Brigade. The transmission tower did not topple in the blast, he said, adding that the improvised explosive device was designed to cause casualties. Usually, the bomb is attached to the tower and exploded to topple it down. This (was) different. The bomb was planted to injure people, he said. Cuerpo said the NGCP linemen and their escorts had hiked for two days to reach the facility in a mountainous area near the remote town of Buadiposo-Buntong. It was a regular checkup of the tower, and the two linemen were accompanied by the soldiers for their security, Cuerpo said. Initial military reports indicated that the people who planted the explosive left the pressure-activated landmine at the base of the transmission tower, and it may have detonated when the inspectors stepped on it, Cuerpo said. The 138-KV transmission tower connects the electricity from the Agus 1 hydroelectric plant to a relay station that distributes it to the rest of the grid on Mindanao Island. NGCP is fully cooperating with the local government unit and law enforcement agencies conducting the investigation, the service company said. NGCP continues its appeal to the local and national government, local community leaders, and the public, to help identify the perpetrators, and to negotiate with uncooperative landowners, to prevent longer power interruptions, it said. Thai investigators check the scene of a roadside bombing that flipped a police cruiser into a ditch in Chanae, a district of southern Thailands Narathiwat province, Sept. 28, 2022. At least three government personnel and a suspected insurgent were killed Tuesday in separate incidents in Narathiwat, government officials said, in the single bloodiest day in Thailands Deep South since separatist rebels renewed a call to arms in early September. Those killed included a soldier and a suspected separatist rebel who died during a shootout in Bacho district, while two policemen were killed in a roadside bombing that injured four other police officers in Chanae district, officials said. The first incident took place before noon as military and police forces were attempting to arrest suspected insurgents in Hutaelueyo village in Bacho after receiving a tip, the chief of Narathiwat provincial police said. As they arrived at the site, they clashed with five to six bandits for quite a while before returning to normal. [Officer] Wattachak Promniu was shot in the chest and lung and died at a hospital, police Maj. Gen. Narin Busaman told reporters. One bandit was also killed. Hours later in Chanae, an adjoining district, an improvised explosive device aimed at police patrol cars blew up, killing and injuring officers as they drove by, according to police and military officials who did not say how the device was detonated. Senior military officials blamed insurgents for the killings. The insurgents continued to find opportunities for attacks and there were more incidents, Col. Kiatisak Neewong, the spokesman for the militarys regional command (ISOC-4), told reporters. Eight members of a combat team were driving in two cars when the attackers set off a bomb, tipping one of the cars, killing two and injuring four. Tuesdays attacks were the deadliest since Sept. 6, when a message linked to Barisan Revolusi Nasional (the National Revolotionary Front or BRN), the largest of armed insurgent groups in the region known as the Thai Deep South, was posted on Facebook. It appeared to urge combatants to resume self-defense operations because, the message said, Siams security forces set up raids and conducted summary executions despite COVID difficulties. A combatant and analysts confirmed that the page was linked to the rebels. Despite the confirmations, Kiatisak questioned whether the page represented the militant group. I am not sure about the authenticity of the page which announced readiness to fight. It said something along those lines, he told BenarNews back on Sept. 7. Anyway, they always try to find an opportunity for violence including throwing pipe bombs, Kiatisak said then. He pointed out that the bombs had been coming from the same source but he did not release details. On Sept. 7, a civilian was killed and the administration office of a local village cluster (tambon) was torched. More recently, a soldier was killed and his comrade injured on Sept. 22 while a deputy village headman was killed and a former serviceman was severely injured on Sept. 24. In April 2020, the BRN had declared a unilateral ceasefire to allow Thai health workers to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, at least 14 insurgents were killed in clashes across the Deep South, beginning in October 2020, Kiatisak told BenarNews. The ceasefire was announced a month after face-to-face peace talks between the Thai government and BRN leaders stalled because of the pandemic. But both sides said they continued to meet online through technical-level panels, with neighboring Malaysia serving as facilitator. The last virtual meeting occurred in February, Abdul Rahim Noor, the Malaysian broker of the talks, confirmed to BenarNews at the time. Since the decades-old separatist insurgency reignited in January 2004, more than 7,000 people have been killed in the mainly Muslim and Malay-speaking border region, according to Deep South Watch, a think-tank based in Pattani, one of the provinces there. 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. Greg Sukiennik has worked at all three Vermont News & Media newspapers and was their managing editor from 2017-19. He previously worked for ESPN.com, for the AP in Boston, and at The Berkshire Eagle in Pittsfield, Mass. FILE South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem speaks during the Family Leadership Summit in this July 16, 2021, file photo in Des Moines, Iowa. Ethics officials are questioning whether Noem had a conflict of interest by meeting with her daughter and top state officials last year in the governor's office while her daughter was pursuing a real estate certification. Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission. Onstage What: Shirley Valentine by Willy Russell. Directed by Eric Hill Who: Berkshire Theatre Group Where: Unicorn Theatre, 6 East St., Stockbridge When: Oct. 1-24. 7:30 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays (no matinee Oct. 2) Tickets: $50 Reservations and information: 413-997-4444, berkshiretheatregroup.org COVID-19 safety protocols: Proof of COVID-19 vaccination is required. Masks are mandatory for all patrons regardless of age (unless eating or drinking in specified areas) STOCKBRIDGE Corinna May readily admits that Willy Russells Shirley Valentine was not on her bucket list. But when director Eric Hill approached her with the notion of working with him on a production for Berkshire Theatre Group, she couldnt resist. Im just so grateful to be doing a show, May said, referring to the 18-month pandemic-caused shutdown of theater, during a recent interview on the Unicorn Theatres patio, where she was joined by Hill. This is one of those iconic roles. Its wonderful to get a chance to take her on, she said. So, here May is, getting ready for the start of performances Friday, Oct. 1, at BTGs Unicorn Theatre, where the show is scheduled to run through Oct. 24. Its a daunting undertaking, playing this iconic 42-year-old working class Liverpool mother and housewife, Shirley, who breaks free of the rut her life has fallen into and says yes when a girlfriend invites her to join what turns out to be a liberating, consequential trip to Greece. May is onstage, alone, for nearly two hours, cooking, recreating conversations and episodes with the various people in her life, at home and in Greece, as she spins a narrative of her past and present to the walls of her kitchen and, in the second act, a patch of beach in Greece. Shes a great storyteller, May said. People from Liverpool are great storytellers. While shes been in shows that were mostly her, May has never done a play that was only her. There are a lot of lines to learn, May said. In addition, there are a lot of characters who are part of Shirleys story. Its not just a matter of finding Shirley but [also] all these characters who are seen through her prism and creating them. Berkshire Theatre Group's fall/winter season includes Berkshire Blues & Brews Festival, 'Shirley Valentine,' BonJourneyNY, 'White Christmas' The Berkshire Theatre Group will welcome audiences back into the Colonial Theatre this fall with beginning with the Berkshire Blues & Brews Fest in October. The theater group also will continue welcoming patrons inside the Unicorn Theatre in Stockbridge this fall for a production of "Shirley Valentine." And there is the distinctively Liverpudlian dialect. May also had to figure out the timing in the opening scene preparing her husbands evening meal, chips and egg, while spinning out her narrative, buoyed by a glass of wine now and again. Its a big mountain to climb, May said. Still, This is what we train for. The veteran actress credits her work on Shakespeares plays, primarily with Shakespeare & Company. All that experience with Shakespeare has helped, she said, especially when it comes to Russells text. The language is rich and emotional, May said, and the play (on the whole) requires physical stamina. It requires all my training, skill and experience. Language is among the reasons Hill was drawn to Shirley Valentine when he was approached by his wife, Kate Maguire, BTG artistic director/CEO, to choose and direct the companys fall production. Russell truly has an ability to define and develop character through language, Hill said. Language also gives rise to the comedy in the play; its built into the inflections of Russells words. Shes really funny, May said of Shirley, much funnier than I am. A more motivating factor than the plays language is Hills belief that Shirley Valentine has as much to say now, if not more, as it did when it premiered in Liverpools Everyman Theatre in 1986 or showed up in Londons West End two years later and on movie screens in 1989. The play is about escape and finding your true nature in the process, Hill said. I think thats something were all struggling with in these times. Shirleys true nature is free. Shes a regular woman with an extraordinary way to describe whats going on around her. We see a character who identifies herself with her words and the world around her. For May, Shirley is buoyant; free at her core; looking for the self she has tucked away. May feels that Shirley has been blown off course; that, like so many women, Shirley has been diminished by her husband, her family, the culture around her, people that tell you Dont change, who do you think you are? When does the noise die down enough to ask the question Am I living the life I have the birthright to live? Shirley doesnt want to be remarkable, May said, She just wants to be who she is. She is a remarkably fascinating woman from Beatles land, Hill said, with a laugh, of Russells title character and the city that was home to The Fab Four. And if there is buoyancy in Shirley, so too is there buoyancy in the professional relationship between May and Hill, who said the two have enjoyed a strong working collaboration. Corinna is a joy to work with and has made my fall a pleasure, Hill said. We have been on a fun journey together. We are so glad to be back to work, doing what we love to be doing. Business writer Tony Dobrowolski's main focus is on business reporting. He came to The Eagle in 1992 after previously working for newspapers in Connecticut and Montreal. He can be reached at tdobrowolski@berkshireeagle.com or 413-496-6224. Are you eligible for a COVID-19 booster shot? Here's how to get one. You are the owner of this article. Community News Editor / Librarian Jeannie Maschino is community news editor and librarian for The Berkshire Eagle. She has worked for the newspaper in various capacities since 1982 and joined the newsroom in 1989. Reporter Heather Bellow, a member of the investigations team, joined The Eagle in 2017. She is based in the South Berkshire County bureau in Great Barrington. Her work has appeared in newspapers across the U.S. GREAT BARRINGTON Preliminary talks about restricting short-term rentals in an effort to address rental housing scarcity again are meeting resistance from homeowners and others who make a living through renting. Members of the Planning Board and Select Board Housing Subcommittee caution that the concepts floated in an early draft of a short-term rental bylaw are an exploration in its infancy, of whether policies that include capping the numbers of days visitors can rent could somehow free up housing stock for local, long-term renters in a town where it has become almost impossible to find a long-term rental affordable or not. One subcommittee member says the rules in this draft might be too punitive and add too great a burden to the town, which then must police the situation. And several panel members said they arent yet sure if such a bylaw would do the trick. Others are certain that it wont. Those who rent their homes say the rules in this early draft do nothing to encourage them to switch from short-term to the financially riskier long-term renting. They also say such rules would harm them, and others from handymen to ski resorts who rely on visitors in a rural area where it is hard enough to carve out a living. The debate already mirrors one that burned through Nantucket last year. And there is a reason for that. Planning Board and housing subcommittee member Pedro Pachano drafted the proposed bylaw based on one proposed in that island town it failed to pass with voters in June and circulated it Sept. 20, at an afternoon subcommittee meeting that was cut short because of a Zoom bombing incident. The meeting has not yet been rescheduled. Quote People dont like going to a hotel anymore. Families have gotten used to traveling in this manner. They come, they sleep, they leave. And I can sleep at night knowing that Ill get a return on my investing. Tony Segalla, who saved up so he could start buying homes right out of college, renovate and rent them to visitors in the short term Pachano and the committee are acting on concerns that investors are scooping up homes, he said. And so the current draft would restrict rentals to 90 days a year for homeowners who are town residents, and 45 days a year for those who own rental properties but do not live in town. It calls for a seven-day minimum stay. There is a concern weve heard in the community about properties being snatched up and turned into business opportunities, Pachano told The Eagle. The bylaw also would require property owners to obtain a permit that must be renewed annually with fees $150 for locals and $500 for out-of-towners force them to submit a log of renters' names and other information to the town, and limit the number of people who stay in a rental. Town officials over the past few years have tossed around the idea of a short-term rental bylaw to combat anecdotal reports of neighborhoods overrun with Airbnb-style renting that, some worry, affects community cohesion, removes housing stock for locals, inflates prices, and hurts area hotels and bed-and-breakfasts. Also, the number of rental units has decreased by almost 200 since 2010, according to a 2020 Housing Needs Assessment study by the town in concert with the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission. The study identified 954 rental units in town. Pachano pointed to the study, which shows that, while affordable housing is needed badly, many renters in Great Barrington can afford rentals here they just cant find any. My mother-in-law just moved to town, and we were looking for a rental for her, and we couldnt find one, Pachano said. Afraid to rent The rental market trends database AirDNA, as of Wednesday, Sept. 22, shows 187 current active rentals in the 01230 ZIP code it primarily is Great Barrington 91 percent of which are rentals of entire homes through Airbnb or Vrbo. A 2020 state Department of Revenue report said the town has 178 short-term rentals, including hotels, bed-and-breakfasts and other lodging, according to the housing study. Leigh Davis, vice chair of the Select Board and a member of the subcommittee who also works for the affordable housing nonprofit Construct, said the panel wants community input so it can understand the range of circumstances facing property owners. She said that with 179 households on Construct's affordable housing waitlist, town officials are looking for a solution. She isn't sure if regulating rentals is the answer, but she wants to explore it. The main intent of a bylaw is to discourage investors, she said. And people who come to see this as an easy way to make a quick buck at the expense of the community, Davis added. Some investors say its far from easy. Ive worked so freaking hard to be where I am now, said Tony Segalla, who saved up so he could start buying homes right out of college, renovate and rent them to visitors in the short term. To have the town try to shut us down to this extent it would basically put us out of business. Segalla, 29, now owns several rental homes in town, as well as a long-term rental in nearby Connecticut. Segalla, a New Marlborough native who went to Monument Mountain Regional High School, also is a real estate agent. He said he wanted to return to town after college and raise a family here. He and his fiancee have a 2-year-old, and their business has allowed the family flexibility caring for the baby while still paying the bills. Segalla says a bylaw like the one proposed would repel visitors and harm other businesses, including those he hires to care for the properties. It also risks cutting into the 6 percent tax revenue on top of the states 5.7 percent the town charges short-term renters. People dont like going to a hotel anymore, he added. Families have gotten used to traveling in this manner. They come, they sleep, they leave. And I can sleep at night knowing that Ill get a return on my investing. And he said that until state laws change to protect landlords from nonpaying professional tenants who sometimes can take two years to evict, the town wont see people like him decide to switch business models. Another longtime rental property owner, who did not want her name used in this story because she is emerging from a lengthy legal battle to evict a tenant who she says was hoarding and abusive toward her, told The Eagle she has two other homes happily rented with long-term leases in Great Barrington and receives a federal voucher for one. One is a two-bedroom for $1,175 a month, and the other is a three-bedroom for a $1,200 monthly payment. She said that landlord vulnerability is making property owners leery of long-term renting. "There are good landlords out there that want to help," she said. "I have a viable apartment right now, but I'm afraid to rent it." With regulation comes policing Jonathan Hankin, a Planning Board and subcommittee member who also owns rental properties, said that before the coronavirus pandemic, there was a notable uptick in homes sold to limited liability companies, and that he believes many of these are turned into short-term rentals. Data about the intentions of homebuyers, he acknowledges, also is scarce, while housing anecdotes are plenty. Hankin said the regulations could be too burdensome to the town to police. He also wonders about privacy concerns for renters, and differing fees for resident or nonresident rental owners. To me, this seems cumbersome and fairly punitive, he said. If you could get this passed, Im not sure its going to have the desired effect. What Does It Mean to Give Thanks in All Circumstances/In All Things? As difficulties pile on, it can be easy to look around and see nothing good, sinking into despair, perpetual anger, and an inability to feel gratitude. The Bible does not pretend there is no suffering, with the Book of Ecclesiastes acknowledged there will be, a time to kill a time to break down a time to weep a time to mourn (Ecclesiastes 3:3-4). In order to be thankful at all times it is important to have sources of joy, something to always be grateful for, and reminders to turn to those sources of joy and good things when times are hard. What should be the Christians ultimate source of joy? To get through loss, suffering, and chaotic times, it would need to be something permanent and unchanging. Jesus prayed to His Father, But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves (John 17:13). He wants those who love Him to have His joy, and to be thankful for those things which bring joy. Jesus had joy when: - A sinner repented and became saved: Luke 15 - When the Fathers will is done: Luke 10:20-24 - When thinking about eternity together John 16:20-22 The Bible also encourages believers to be thankful for: - Jesus everlasting words: John 17:3 - Gods unchanging nature: Psalm 102:27 - Salvation through Jesus death and resurrection: 1 Corinthians 15:57 - The eternal home in Heaven: Hebrews 12:28 Ultimately, the Bible encourages believers to focus on eternal things. It is important to thank God for earthly blessings, but in order to always be thankful, there must be things to thank God for that do not rust, decay, or disappear. The way to always give thanks is to remember to thank God for His eternal gifts and promises. When the Bible says to give thanks in all things, it asks people to thank God for blessings both visible and invisible. When He blesses, thank Him, and thank Him for the things unseen in which Christians place their hope. Of course, the verse does not mean that every second of everyday Christians should be muttering thank you God under their breath. Instead, it encourages an attitude adjustment and a re-focusing of priorities. Thanking God for blessings through praise and prayer is the first step, and the second is by turning away from earthly wants and desires, and focusing on the future promises that will matter forever, that are guaranteed by the Word of God, so there is always something to thank Him for, even if current circumstances are difficult. To help you in thanking God, we created a 30 Days of Gratitude Prayer Guide HERE. Download and print this guide to keep with you as a reminder of God's love and promises. Photo credit: Getty Images/Jair Ferreira Belafacce The LDS (Mormon) church believes that a patriarchal blessing is given to a young person in order to provide inspired direction from God. At first, this sounds like a sweet passing on of encouragement from a specially chosen man. The patriarchal blessing is not supported by Scripture, therefore, God Himself does not encourage this act. The issue is a man-made rule has been created to give authority to a man in the religion who others perceive to be super holy. There are some major holes in this that we will uncover today. I pray that the revealing of the truth will give us the joy in knowing that we do not need to go to an earthly priest, but by the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus, we can go straight to God Himself. What Does the Patriarchal Blessing Mean in the LDS Church? To start, we need to define what is a patriarch. Websters Dictionary defines patriarch by three different definitions. 1. One of the scriptural fathers of the human race or of the Hebrew people. 2. The oldest member or representative of a group. 3. A Mormon of the Melchizedek priesthood empowered to perform the ordinances of the church and pronounce blessings within a stake or prescribed jurisdiction. Lets look at definition three as we study what God says in the Bible and test this theory. The Mormon religion believes that certain men can obtain the Melchizedek priesthood. There is nowhere in the Bible that supports this. In fact, Jesus was the only person who was a descendent of Melchizedek, so unless a person is Jesus, He is not eligible for this position. Got Questions shares, In biblical Christianity, the Melchizedek priesthood is an office that applies only to Christ. Melchizedek is introduced in Genesis 14:18 and is described as the king of Salem and priest of God. He goes on to shares Hebrews 7:26 calls this priest exalted and sinless. The first definition from Webster would be describing the Patriarchs from the Bible. They held these titles because God made a covenant with them on behalf of the Jewish people. Ultimately, the Abrahamic covenant was pointing to the coming Savior who was Jesus. Below are some Facts about the Patriarchal Blessing: This Is a Works-Based Blessing: A person who is Mormon has to be worthy to receive this blessing. However, as Christians, we know that there is none righteous, not even one (Romans 3:10). Yes, we may live righteous lives through the Holy Spirit, but this is a works-based practice. The LDS Will only Allow You to Receive This Blessing Once in Your Life: This works-based blessing is a one-shot opportunity for people in the Mormon religion. However, the Christian church teaches grace upon grace (John 1:16). The beauty of being a follower of Jesus is that we gain the spiritual blessing of the Father through Him. Ephesians 1:3 says, Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. In Christ, we are given every spiritual blessing, not because of what we do, but because of what Jesus already did. The Mormons Take the Abrahamic Covenant out of Context and Misapply a Direct Promise as Their Own: It is vital to understand the context of a promise. Not every promise in the Bible is for everyone who reads it. In the case of the Abrahamic covenant, that was made between God, Abraham, and Abrahams future descendants. We cannot take our names and insert them in a text to a guarantee that was never given to us directly. The Patriarchs Way around Being Held Accountable for the Blessing Is by Saying That the Promise May or May not Be Fulfilled in This Life. This should be very telling that you know a prophecy is true if it comes to be as it was told. Deuteronomy 18:22 clearly says, When a prophet speaks in the Lords name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the Lord has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him." Dr. Roger Barrier from Crosswalk says, I think it is correct to say that Mormonism is a 'works type of religion with 14 steps or activities which must be climbed or accomplished in order to reach the highest level of heaven Christianity, on the other hand, is not a works religion. Christianity is based on the concept of grace. Though we arent perfectweve sinned and missed Gods standards so many timesGod chose to provide a way for us to be made clean in his eyes. We can never do enough to earn or deserve our salvation, so Jesus died in our place, taking on the penalty for our sins. Thats grace. Heaven and eternal life are freely given by grace through faith to all who surrender their lives in repentance and humility to Jesus Christ. Was There a Patriarchal Blessing in the Bible? There were actual patriarchs in the Bible: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God the Father blessed Abraham who blessed Isaac, who was deceived, and blessed Jacob. This was the blessing of the firstborn. Michael Lawerence from Christianity shares, In the Abrahamic Covenant, the Lord repeated the covenant promise to three generations, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. All three were promised land, many descendants, and a blessing from the Lord Now, the fullness and how the blessing of how all the earth is going to be blessed through Abraham doesn't come about, in large measure, until Jesus Christ is born And once again, we see in the picture of revelation five and revelation seven, that the gospel of Jesus Christ will be successful, it will penetrate all nations, it will penetrate all language groups, it will penetrate all tribes, and a number of men, women, and children will be saved by the gospel of Jesus Christ. What Blessings Does God Give to Christians? What could be better than a patriarchal blessing from a sinful man who may or may not get it right? The blessing of the perfect God whose Word never fails. God gives the blessing for those who accept Jesus as Savior. Ephesians 1 shares many blessings that we receive through Christ. We are chosen, children of God, He loves us, we are redeemed, and we have the blessing of eternal life. He blesses us when we follow His ways. He blesses us just because He can. He blesses us with the community in the people of God. He blesses us with His presence through the promised Holy Spirit. He blesses us with the fruit of the Spirit and spirituals gifts to be used for His kingdom work. The list goes on and on, we receive blessings from the Lord every day. Why Should We Be Wary of Patriarchal Blessings? We should be wary of the Patriarchal blessing because it is not supported by the Bible. We are clearly called not to add or subtract from Scripture. This is the great danger of the Mormon religion. They have taken the truth of the Gospel and the Bible and added books and works that are not necessary to be a follower of Jesus. We must be careful of false teachers. In regard to why Mormonism is not Christianity, Andy Naseli from Crosswalk shares, The doctrine of God is different. The doctrine of Jesus is different. The doctrine of salvation is different. In all my debates and discussions with Mormons, it's really come down to one thing. That's the focus of authority, the center of authority. For Christians, for evangelicals, we go to the Bible alone. It's sola scriptura to only the scripture. The Mormons have not only the Bible. They have three other books: the book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. Plus, they have people, apostles, elders who are still giving revelations. Bible Verses about Not Adding or Taking Away from Gods Word: Deuteronomy 4:2 Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it. Proverbs 30:5-6 Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Do not add to his words, lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar. Ecclesiastes 3:14 I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. The dangerous concept of the patriarchal blessing is that people are placing false authority on a person instead of embracing the blessings we have through Jesus Christ. We can love others who are in the LDS church. I know Mormon people who are kind and fun to be around; however, we must stand for the truth of Scripture and realize that we are not serving the same God. We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8). The Bible is Gods Holy Word and we should not add or take from it. The only one who was in the line of Melchizedek was Jesus Himself. We are imperfect people, not gods. There is only one true God and Jesus is the only way back to Him (John 14:6). Photo credit: Getty Images/Lizzie Maher Emma Danzeys mission in life is to inspire young women to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. Emma is a North Carolina resident and green tea enthusiast! She is married to her husband Drew and they serve international college students. She enjoys singing, dancing, trying new recipes, and watching home makeover shows. During her ministry career, Emma recorded two worship EP albums, founded and led Polished Conference Ministries, ran the Refined Magazine, and served in music education for early childhood. Currently, she is in the editing stages of her first two writing projects: a Bible study on womanhood and a non-fiction book on singleness. You can visit her blog at emmadanzey.wordpress.com LEWISTON - It's the fastest five-minute fundraiser in Idaho! The Idaho Lottery's annual Public School fundraiser, Scratch For Schools, returns in-person Tuesday afternoon! The Idaho Lottery will host 35 schools from the Greater Clearwater Valley area for the event held at the Lewis-Clark State College Activity Center in Lewiston beginning at 4:00pm. Each of the schools will compete for the title of fastest scratching school and win cash for their classroom or school needs like playground equipment, books for their library or computer learning software. During the event, each participating school receives an entire pack of scratch tickets and five minutes to scratch as many tickets as possible. Nearly 100 administrators, teachers, PTO members and staff members simultaneously scratch thousands of lottery tickets for their schools. The fastest scratching schools will win additional prizes and advance to a 'final round.' During the event, schools are anticipated to scratch a combined 10,000 tickets. Statewide, the Lottery is hosting a total of 14 events (the most in Lottery history) with more than 400 schools registered to participate in the annual fundraising event to benefit public education. This is the 21st annual Scratch For Schools event, a program that has returned over $1.4 million to benefit public education in Idaho. Advocates for children with epilepsy are pushing to train Michigan school employees to recognize seizures and provide necessary first aid. The legislation would mandate education for all of the states school districts to help the 13,600 Michigan children with epilepsy and their families. Elizabeth Stout, an Albion College student and youth consultant with Childrens Special Health Care Services of Michigan, said thebill is a great step. Every patient is different when it comes to their epilepsy and how you treat it, said Stout, who has had epilepsy for the past 12 years. Its hard when people assume things about a health condition, and it would be a lot easier if there was more education The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Jack OMalley, R-Lake Ann, would make seizure action plans for students with epilepsy accessible for employees in contact with them. Using information from parents, the plans are specific to each students needs, including information on medication or first aid. The legislation would also mean each school would need have a full-time employee trained to administer emergency rescue medication in potentially life-threatening situations. Eleven other states have already passed seizure safe schools legislation. Most individuals we meet with, certainly on the legislative side, are surprised to know this training isnt already in the repertoire for teachers, said Brianna Romines, the president of the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan. The bill would require that all school employees be educated in seizure first aid and recognition. This one-hour training would be provided online for free, with in-person options as well. The training is also offered by the National Epilepsy Foundation, which allows broader access than the states chapter can provide, said Russ Derry, the Michigan Epilepsy Foundations director of education. Romines said epilepsy training is as important as other safety training teachers receive. One school counselor, who was trained yearly in the use of fire extinguishers, said she has never had to use one in over 15 years But the counselor has responded to between about five and 15 seizure emergencies each year. The lack of education is a problem because it stigmatizes epilepsy, said Sierra Cameron, the CEO of the Michigan chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. If a child goes into a seizure, it might not be as clinically bad as folks think it is, Cameron said. If you dont have any familiarity with seizures, it might really daunt you. One of the consequences is that school employees call 911 and have children diagnosed with epilepsy taken from class to the emergency room, Romines said. This leads to trauma for the children and needless costs for families from hospitals, ambulance rides and lost wages for those who leave work. So, there are economic and emotional impacts to this, Romines said. But all of that couldve been simply addressed with training. Another challenge is that school employees may be uncomfortable administering invasive rescue medication, Derry said. While nasal medication options are increasingly available, the primary rescue treatment for youth suffering seizures is administered rectally. Derry empathizes with these employees, but he said rescue medication training is just as important as learning to use epipens for students with serious allergies. While a school nurse would ideally be administering the medication, all employees allowed to administer medication would receive training. Derry said everyone should understand the needs of students with epilepsy as seizures can happen any time. In Michigan, we have one of the worst ratios of school nurses to students in the country, Derry said. We have about 4,200 students per school nurse. Stout said its also important to remember epilepsy is not just seizures with uncontrollable movements. Epilepsy can prompt staring spells that lead to students being disciplined for not paying attention, or to an assumption that they have attention deficit disorder, Romines said. Many effects of epilepsy and its medications are difficult to distinguish. Thats why were hopeful for this training, Romines said. Not only does it teach you seizure first aid, it teaches seizure recognition. The foundation says it hopes the House will hold hearings on the proposed Seizure Safety Act in October. Stout said repeatedly explaining your condition is exhausting. While she was lucky to have teachers that were open to that conversation, thats not always the case. If teachers and others within the education system understand epilepsy, then its easier for students to be honest about it, and share it, Stout said.For youth diagnosed with epilepsy, and their families, in need of more support she recommends the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigans Call and Connect Network. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea fired a short-range missile into the sea Tuesday at nearly the same moment its U.N. diplomat was decrying the U.S.'s hostile policy against it, in an apparent return to its pattern of mixing weapons displays with peace overtures to wrest outside concessions. The launch, its third round of weapons firings this month, came only three days after North Korea repeated its offer for conditional talks with South Korea. Some experts say the latest missile launch was likely meant to test how South Korea would respond as North Korea needs Seoul to persuade Washington to ease economic sanctions and make other concessions. In an emergency National Security Council meeting, the South Korean government expressed regret over what it called a short-range missile launch by the North. South Koreas military earlier said the object fired from North Koreas mountainous northern Jagang province flew toward the waters off the Norths eastern coast. Further details of the launch were being analyzed. The U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the launch didn't pose an immediate threat but highlighted "the destabilizing impact of (North Koreas) illicit weapons program. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said North Korea fired what could be a ballistic missile and that his government stepped up its vigilance and surveillance. A ballistic missile launch would violate a U.N. Security Council ban on North Korean ballistic activities, but the council typically doesnt impose new sanctions on North Korea for launches of short-range weapons. The launch came after Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, reached out to Seoul twice on Friday and Saturday, saying her country was open to resuming talks and reconciliatory steps if conditions are met. She criticized Seoul for calling Pyongyangs previous missile tests a provocation and demanded it abandon unfair double-dealing standards and hostile policies. Her overture followed the North's two previous rounds of missile launches this month the first one with a newly developed cruise missile and the other with a ballistic missile fired from a train, a new launch platform. Those launches demonstrated North Korea's ability to attack targets in South Korea and Japan, both key U.S. allies where a total of 80,000 American troops are stationed. Tuesdays launch was like testing the South Korean government to see if it would impose a double standard and call it a provocation, said analyst Shin Beomchul with the Seoul-based Korea Research Institute for National Strategy. He said North Koreas status as a nuclear state would be solidified if South Korea and others fail to respond strongly. Kim Dong-yub, a professor at the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul, said North Korea may have tested a new missile such as a hypersonic glide vehicle that was among an array of high-tech weapons Kim Jong Un has vowed to procure. South Korea has called Kim Yo Jong's openness to talks meaningful but urged North Korea to restore communication channels before any talks between the rivals can be arranged. The inter-Korean communication lines have remained largely dormant for about 15 months, so restoring them could be a yardstick to assess how serious the North is about its offer. Seouls Unification Ministry said Tuesday North Korea remains unresponsive to South Koreas attempts to exchange messages over the channels. At nearly the same time as Tuesday's launch, North Korean Ambassador Kim Song used his speech on the last day of the U.N. General Assemblys annual high-level meeting to justify his countrys development of a war deterrent to defend itself against U.S. threats. The possible outbreak of a new war on the Korean Peninsula is contained not because of the U.S.s mercy on the DPRK, it is because our state is growing a reliable deterrent that can control the hostile forces in an attempted military invasion, Kim said. DPRK refers to Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, North Koreas official name. Kim Yo Jongs offer of conditional talks was a response to South Korean President Moon Jae-ins renewed calls for a political declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended with an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula in a technical state of war. The three-year conflict pitted South Korea and U.S.-led U.N. forces against North Korea and China and killed 1 million to 2 million people. In his own speech at the U.N. last week, Moon proposed the end-of-the-war declaration be signed among the two Koreas, the U.S. and China. After the Norths launch Tuesday, Moon ordered officials to examine its latest weapons firing and previous outreach in a comprehensive manner before formulating countermeasures, according to Moons office. A U.S.-led diplomatic effort aimed at convincing North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons in return for economic and political benefits has been stalled 2 years. U.S. officials have repeatedly expressed hopes for further talks but have also made it clear the long-term sanctions imposed on North Korea will stay in place until the North takes concrete steps toward denuclearization. While North Korea has tested short-range weapons and vowed to continue building its nuclear arsenal, Kim Jong Un has maintained a moratorium on testing longer-range weapons capable of reaching the American homeland, an indication he wants to keep the chances for future diplomacy with the U.S. alive. ___ Associated Press writers Kim Tong-hyung in Seoul, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to this report. Plus, Bill's Message of the Day, the truth about the harms of marijuana. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices To develop new and skilled manpower in the areas of data science and artificial intelligence Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee is collaborating with the Mehta Family Foundation (MFF), USA, to establish the Mehta Family School of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two organisations was recently signed. Under this collaboration, the new School will offer Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral Degree programmes. The school will welcome its first cohort of Bachelor's degree students in September 2022. The objective of the school is to develop new and skilled manpower in the areas of data science and artificial intelligence along with an aim to empower existing manpower by offering focussed training and certifications in the fields. The school will be housed in a new dedicated building at the IIT Roorkee campus developed with the support provided by MFF. In addition to the infrastructure, renowned global experts in the field of AI iwill actively participate in designing the curriculum, faculty recruitment, monitoring and suggesting new research ideas to the Indian students of this school. Clockwork celebrates another seven wins after the announcement of the 9th annual Supersonic New Generation Awards 2021, held virtually on 23 September. Microsoft Xbox Hall Of Fame: Acer #Instaquest: Acer - #Instapitch: The New Gens are known for recognising achievements and winners on the forefront of South Africas digital communications, media and technologies and Clockwork is a formidable name in the advertising world, with strong digital campaigns having formed the backbone of the company for the past decade.Clockwork was awarded in the following categories:Gold Best Online Competition - CorporateGold Most Innovative Gamification Campaign CorporateBronze Best Use of Technical Innovation - AgencyBronze Best Online Competition - CorporateBronze Most Innovative Gamification Campaign CorporateSilver Best Online Competition - CorporateSilver Best Community engagement Corporate The Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit that operates Wikipedia, is launching a campaign in collaboration with the South African creative community in an effort to showcase the power of knowledge and everyone's right to access, create, and share it. Filling in the gaps Monde Gumede - a filmmaker who will create a short film about how misinformation fuels panic and social divide in a South African social and digital context, Zayaan Khan - multidisciplinary ecological thought leader who will provide a socio-political perspective on how we navigate natural environments, Kabelo Kungwane - storyteller behind The Sartists, who will develop a knowledge sharing series around culture and fashion in the country, Amogelang Maledu - art practitioner, interested in popular culture, who will share a video essay reflecting her work on sound cultures in Southern Africa and their influences, Khensani Mohlatlole - writer and video essayist who will unpack themes in South African popular culture, Ridhwaan Suliman - mathematician and Twitter influencer who will illustrate the importance of accurate information, and how information is distributed in a pandemic, Zandi Tisani - a filmmaker who will create a short film about the history of African film, and how we have come to consume or create content. Over the next four weeks, Wikimedia will release online multimedia content built by South African writers, filmmakers, fashion designers, artists and thought leaders, highlighting a variety of topics from popular culture to social politics to the evolution of African cinema. The campaign can be followed using #WikipediaByUs.The campaign will invite these content creators to explore Wikipedia as a place to share knowledge, and introduce them to its model of open collaboration, which allows anyone, anywhere to add well-sourced, neutral content to the site.Content creators will use their creativity to contribute to the knowledge ecosystem, emphasising that information can be conveyed in many ways, from writing and pictures to sound and music. Aligned with Wikimedias goal to break down the social, political and technical barriers preventing people from accessing and contributing to free knowledge, the campaign also aims to draw attention to the South African stories, contexts, history and experiences missing from Wikipedia.Khanyi Mpumlwana, Wikimedias creative director, said, Access to knowledge and information in South Africa has too often been limited by class barriers and divided along racial lines. Wikipedia opens an opportunity for anyone, anywhere to share and access knowledge. Through this campaign, we want to show all content creators across the country that knowledge can take various forms and that we can all play a part in its creation.Wikimedia is collaborating with the Bubblegum Club, a cultural intelligence agency to showcase writers, filmmakers, thought leaders and other influencers in South Africa as experts and knowledge producers in a variety of subject areas.Two directors, Zandi Tisani and Monde Gumede will create short films, with Zandi telling a story of African film history and Monde drawing attention to current challenges in knowledge dissemination, including the spread of misinformation.Other key influencers include Ridhwaan Suliman, a mathematician and Twitter influencer, who will illustrate the importance of storytelling through data, and Khensani Mohlatlole, a writer and video essayist focused on fashion and design and its historical impact, who will share a vlog underlying the importance of uncovering unique, untold stories.As one of the worlds top ten most visited websites, Wikipedia is a source of knowledge for billions of people across the world. Wikipedia is written by more than 280,000 global volunteer contributors, but currently, only 1.5% of these editors are based in Africa, and an even smaller percentage are South African. As a result, Wikipedia articles are missing perspectives from Africa; history written about South Africa and other countries is being documented by people in other regions of the world, making them less representative and leaving large content gaps.Anusha Alikhan, senior director of communications at Wikimedia, said, When more people from diverse backgrounds collaborate on Wikipedia, they move us closer to achieving our vision of ensuring our projects reflect the diversity of knowledge from people, cultures and languages around the world. South Africans have a role to play in shaping this global resource, telling their own histories, and creating content about South Africa by South Africans.South Africa has a history of societal inequality, which has created barriers to accessing knowledge. Initial data from research conducted by the Wikimedia Foundation illustrated that 91% of South Africans believe that knowledge is synonymous with freedom, whilst 94.5% of them believe that knowledge is true power.Currently, nine of South Africas 11 official languages are represented on Wikipedia. The top four most visited languages Wikipedias monthly in the country are English (81m page views), Afrikaans (3m page views), IsiZulu (95,000 pageviews), and IsiXhosa (49,000 pageviews), as of last month.Drawing from the South African context, the Wikimedia campaign aims to show South Africans an avenue to address inequities in accessing and sharing knowledge. It invites them to join the free knowledge movement and contribute to building the cultural and linguistic representation of South Africa on Wikipedia.Some of the creative collaborators participating in the campaign include:To learn more about Wikimedia Foundations efforts to increase knowledge equity in its projects, go here To learn how to get involved in the Wikimedia South Africa chapter, go here As the chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe Netherlands and Belgium, Eduardo Marques is the Live, PR & Out of Home and Integrated jury president for Loeries 2021. Eduardo Marques, chief creative officer at Publicis Groupe Netherlands and Belgium How do you feel about judging at this years Loeries? Tell us more about yourself and why you believe you were selected your judging experience and so on. Each country, each creative has their good fight to fight, in a different way. When you start to comprehend the different nuances, it can shape you as a better creative, as a better professional, as a better person. When you heard about being selected as a judge, how did you celebrate the news? What does this mean to you, personally? Which category will you be judging? What do you expect to experience as a judge? What specific criteria will you be looking for when judging? You have some major experience in the creative industry. Could you comment on the impact of Covid-19 on the industry? Share a few of your favourite Loeries-related moments over the years either from attending personally or agency winning work-related. Any predictions of trends that are likely to stand out at Loeries 2021? What do you believe SA creatives bring to the Loeries judging mix? Lastly, what are you most looking forward to from Loeries 2021? I feel privileged to be invited to the Loeries! I am learning a lot about the culture and its differences and growing a lot with our discussions.I am a Brazilian working in the Netherlands and Belgium, and I just came from Spain. Before that, I was in the US, in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Of course Ive worked in Brazil as well and had the chance to work in the Middle East too. The opportunity life gave me to be working with such different markets and cultures brought me a respectful way of seeing things coming from our industry.I am blessed to be here, to have my mind opened again.You always celebrate it with your people, with your team, with your agency. But you always take it as a huge responsibility too, especially when youre the president of a jury.As I mentioned before, this means learning, growing, and opening my mind to new ways of seeing our work.PR, Live and Integrated.I expect to see amazing work, to have awesome discussions and, of course, to make great friends.First of all, the originality of the idea, the brilliancy behind it and the way it responds to the challenge or if its attached to culture. Then, the execution, the craft of it, great ideas are even greater when beautifully made. And, absolutely, I wont forget the scale of it - and its impact.Budgets are cut, clients are afraid to take risks, and our minds were not in perfect control either, right? The whole industry suffered, on both sides. So imagine the challenge to be creative in the middle of all of that? Bravo to the ones who made it work!This is my first Loeries, so I am very curious to know the outcome, especially if we can be together again.I think cause-related work is getting bigger and bigger. Brands are starting to act more than just say or tell something. I heard a nice sentence this year: If the government is not changing the world, the brands will do.A lot of expertise and swag! SA creatives are pretty awesome, and they know how to do a lot with less thats how you see when a person is really really creative.Passionate people sharing their love for ideas. Low-cost carrier FlySafair is expanding its service beyond South African borders, and will soon launch its first international flights with a service to Mauritius. The new direct route launches on 11 December 2021, and the twice-weekly service will operate out of OR Tambo International Airport every Tuesday and Saturday. Departure times, airfare Boost for tourism The move follows the announcement on 10 September by the Mauritian government to re-open the island to South African travellers.In just about 7 years weve managed to gain a fairly strong footprint in the South African domestic market. Finally breaking beyond local borders is an exciting milestone for us, says Elmar Conradie, CEO of FlySafair.The airline was granted the rights to operate to Mauritius in December of 2020, but the second and third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic halted launch plans. Mauritius holds a special place in the hearts of South Africans, and were so looking forward to offering flights just in time for the December holiday season.On Saturdays and Tuesdays, flight FA800 will depart OR Tambo International Airport at 09h00 and arrive in Mauritius at 15h15 (local time). On return, flight FA801 will depart Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport at 16h15 and land at 18h30 (SA time). Total flight times will be approximately four hours, and flights will be direct with no stops.FlySafair will operate its existing Boeing 737-800 aircraft on the route. Were excited to take the same affordable, hassle-free and on-time model we use locally, and transfer that onto an international route, adds Conradie.Airfares on the new route start from R4,950 and will be available for sale across all booking platforms from today, 28 September 2021, with the first Mauritian-bound flight departing on 11 December 2021. Standard fares will include a 20kg checked-luggage allowance, and customers will have the option to upgrade their flight experiences with added extras like pre-selected seats, priority boarding, and extra luggage.The airline will also be selling tickets in its new Business Class solution where middle seats between aisle and window passengers are blocked for added comfort and privacy.Before closing its borders in early 2020 to stop the spread of Covid-19, Mauritius counted South Africa as one of its top five tourist markets. According to Statistics Mauritius , over 118,000 South Africans visited the island in 2019. Now, with travel restrictions having relaxed in stages and the island accepting South African tourists again, its once-thriving tourism industry will get a much-needed boost.The losses suffered by the airline industry have been great, but as the world continues to open up, it offers us hope that well be able to rebuild, says Conradie.Despite these challenges, the FlySafair team has remained resilient, innovative and strategic. Our conservative approach has served us well during the hardest parts of lockdown, but its our bullish nature that has helped us embrace new opportunities for the airline and bring new services to our customers.FlySafair most recently introduced a Business Class fare offering to its corporate passengers, launched a new route between Cape Town and Bloemfontein, built an app, and added a packaged holiday offering.Mauritius is one of the many new feathers in our cap over the last year and a half, explains Conradie. Well continue to make the right investments at the right time for our staff and customers to ensure our long-term sustainability as an airline in the South African market and beyond. South African brands dominate the Brand Finance Africa 150 2021 ranking once again, with the entire top ten hailing from the nation. In total, 81 South African brands feature with a cumulative brand value of $29bn, equating to 73% of the total brand value in the ranking - a 15% decrease from last year. Top African brands lose $5.5bn in brand value MTN peaks again Banking, telecoms, and insurance are Africas most valuable sectors Capitec Bank crowned Africas strongest brand MTN and Vodacom lead the way, with First National Bank (brand value $1.3bn), Old Mutual (brand value $1.3bn) and Standard Bank ($1.3bn) completing the top five. In total, there are only 19 of the continents 54 countries with brand representation in the ranking.Nigeria is South Africas closest competitor with 17 brands featuring, which account for 6% of the cumulative brand value in the ranking. 33 Export (down 8% to $292m) is Nigerias most valuable brand, sitting in 43rd in the overall ranking. This brand value decrease is in line with the trend seen for alcohol brands across the continent and the rest of the world with people going out and drinking less because of the pandemic.Morocco is the third most-represented nation in the ranking, with 10 brands featuring, which account for 6% of the total brand value. Claiming 13th spot is Maroc Telecom the highest-ranked brand from outside South Africa jumping five spots following a modest 1% rise in brand value to $761m. The telecoms brand was able to capitalize on the increased reliability of its services over the previous year and a half, with both work and social lives forced to turn online, managing to increase its customer base, seeing an uptick of 10% in broadband users.The total value of Africas top 150 most valuable brands has declined by $5.5bn (12%) from $45.5bn in 2020 to $40bn in 2021.The Covid-19 pandemic has played a key role in the downturn in the brand value of Africas top brands. Lockdown measures and travel bans were implemented throughout the year and across the continent, creating uncertainty and impacting brands ability to do business as usual.Jeremy Sampson, managing director, Brand Finance Africa, commented In a year that saw most African countries go into lockdown and significant unrest across the continent, a decline in total brand value for the top African brands is unsurprising. Following the pandemic, African brands will need to search for opportunities to make up lost ground. By embracing new technologies and collaboration, the continent can propel its recovery and bounce back from the extraordinary situation the world has found itself in.South Africas MTN has retained the title of Africas most valuable brand, despite recording a 19% drop in brand value to $2.7bn. The telecoms giant dominates on home soil too, this year holding onto its decade-long reign as South Africas most valuable brand, according to the Brand Finance South Africa 50 2021 report.It has been a turbulent year for MTN, however, with the brand facing several scandals from its money mobile services been hacked in Uganda, to being accused of price discrimination practices alongside telecoms rival and second-ranked Vodacom (brand value down 16% to $1.7bn). MTN has also begun to scale down its operations, announcing its exit from the Middle East, in order to focus and build further across Africa.Despite this, according to the Brand Finance Global Brand Equity Monitor, MTN is ranked 3rd among consumers for Popularity with friends and family, 4th for Cool and 4th for Accessible anywhere and anytime.With the recent appointment of Ralph Mupita to the helm as CEO, as well as the successful launch of its 5G network across major South African cities, MTN will hope to use these developments as a springboard to capture some of its lost brand value moving forward.Banking, telecoms, and insurance remain Africas most valuable sectors, but cumulative brand values across the sectors have taken a hit. The continents most valuable sector, banking, has 36 brands featured in the ranking, accounting for 27% of the total brand value, but has dropped 12% year-on-year. The economic impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic are difficult to ignore, and this drop in brand value is in line with the negative trend seen across the rest of the world.There are a few outliers, however, Kenya Commercial Bank (up 12% to $209m), Moroccos Bank of Africa (up 11% to $221m) and Nigerias Access Bank (up 8% to $262m) have all recorded solid brand value growth and are all their respective countrys fastest growing brands this year.In second is the telecoms sector, with 26 brands featured and accounting for 21% of the total brand value in the ranking. Despite the sector boasting the number one and two ranked brands in the overall ranking, the industry still lost 13% of cumulative brand value year-on-year, down to US$8.5 billion. As with all big telcos globally, these brands are being squeezed from all sides as OTT messaging apps like WhatsApp are impacting voice and SMS revenue, and challenger brands offer comparable data services at below-market rates, leading to fierce price competition and decreasing margins.The insurance sector fared slightly better than the other two, seeing only a 5% drop in total brand value to $3.6bn. Old Mutual retained its spot as the most valuable insurance brand in the ranking and moved up one spot to 4th, despite a 7% drop in brand value.However, the retail sector is rapidly catching up to insurance and held firm throughout the pandemic, only seeing a marginal drop in cumulative brand value, which now stands at $3.4bn. South Africas Shoprite saw a 1% drop in brand value to $777m but remains Africas most valuable retail brand, climbing five places to 11th.In addition to measuring brand value, Brand Finance also determines the relative strength of brands through a balanced scorecard of metrics evaluating marketing investment, stakeholder equity, and business performance. According to these criteria, Capitec Bank has overtaken Vodacom to be crowned Africas strongest brand, with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) score of 89.2 out of 100 and a corresponding AAA brand strength rating.According to the Brand Finance Global Brand Equity Monitor, Capitec is one of the five most reputable banking brands in the world. Reputation (and the main drivers of reputation) is highly correlated with brand consideration. Banks that outperform in reputation by excelling in meeting customer needs also outperform in brand consideration. Capitec scored extremely highly for both.Surpassing the 15 million client mark in December 2020, Capitec has more customers than any other South African bank, all of whom benefit from its excellent customer service and personalised banking experience. The pandemic increased the number of online shoppers to more than ever before - the banking brand responded by launching a virtual banking card, making online transactions easier and safer for its customers.View the full Brand Finance Africa 150 2021 report here The raging question for South Africa is not so much whether the government should consider a Covid-19 vaccine mandate, but rather whether they can. The short answer is yes. Vaccine mandates Leveraging the law: How to mandate vaccines How to incentivise mass vaccination To vax or not? The Constitution vs Covid-19: A balancing act of rights Responsibility and rights The South African government says it wont make Covid-19 vaccinations compulsory for its employees for now but that they wont stand in the way of private businesses that want to introduce mandatory vaccinations.According to Health Minister Joe Phaahla, the health department will issue vaccine certificates or passports to fully vaccinated people by the end of September, which businesses will be able to use to restrict access to venues based on peoples vaccination status.Yet hesitancy may be a significant barrier to the success of South Africas vaccine programme a survey by the Human Sciences Research Council in June and July this year showed that 28% of the 8,000 respondents were reluctant to be vaccinated.With the aim of getting 68% of the adult population fully vaccinated to adequately contain the pandemic, introducing official policies to allow for mandatory Covid-19 vaccination is one way of getting more people vaccinated. Such policies are called vaccine mandates.Countries such as Italy, France and Greece have, for instance, introduced mandatory vaccinations for health workers and certain government workers.In the US, President Joe Biden announced a plan that will require businesses with more than 100 employees to ensure their staff are fully vaccinated or show a negative Covid-19 test once a week before coming to work.The government could call on two laws that would allow them to make getting a Covid-19 vaccine compulsory, if it ever came to that.In 2020, Covid-19 became a notifiable condition under the Notifiable Medical Conditions Regulations, which have long been in place and are updated from time to time.A notifiable condition is a disease that poses a considerable public health risk because it can lead to outbreaks that are fatal or severely affect many people. Examples of notifiable diseases in South Africa are cholera, listeriosis and tuberculosis.Every doctor or nurse in the public and private health sectors who diagnoses a patient with a notifiable condition has to report it to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases failure to do so is a criminal offence.Under the Notifiable Medical Conditions Regulations, a healthcare provider would be allowed to administer a vaccine even if a person refuses to accept it.But this is not as totalitarian as it sounds: a court has to decide whether this would be a justified action.The process is complicated, because the head of the provincial department of health would have to apply for a court order and then the court must assess on a case-by-case basis whether compelling the person to take a vaccine without their consent is justified.Another route that could be used to justify mandatory vaccination is the regulations issued under the state of disaster declared in March 2020, which are used to regulate South Africas Covid-19 response.Under these regulations, a person can be compelled to undergo Covid-19 testing, isolate if infected and potentially also be vaccinated.It would still have to be a court order, but the process is slightly easier as such an application can be lodged by people from a wider range of sectors for example, healthcare workers, government officials or certain ranks of police officers and the order can be granted by a magistrates court.Both these avenues have been used in the past to institute mandatory isolation and quarantine or even to enforce treatment for conditions that pose a significant public health risk. But in the context of making Covid-19 vaccination compulsory, they are unlikely to be feasible options.When authorities look to introduce vaccine mandates, they generally try to incentivise people to get vaccinated. This means being vaccinated can be a requirement to do certain things, while non-adherence may result in some form of penalty.For example, US Federal Policy now requires that government workers either be vaccinated or submit to weekly testing.The City of New York also recently instituted the Key to NYC a pass granting people access to indoor activities such as restaurants, performances and gyms provided they have been vaccinated against Covid-19.The use of similar vaccination certificates has recently also been announced in Israel, the European Union and some provinces in Canada. The practice is not new, and South Africa already has some mandates in place to encourage specific vaccinations.For example, the Department of Basic Education requires parents to submit their childs immunisation card when applying for Grade 1 enrollment, to prove that the child has been vaccinated against vaccine-preventable childhood diseases such as measles, polio and whooping cough.Although admission currently cannot be refused if a child is not vaccinated, the department is in the process of introducing a policy that would prevent unvaccinated children from being admitted to public schools.Another example is the yellow fever vaccine passport, which was instituted in line with the World Health Organisations (WHO) International Health Regulations.Anyone who wants to travel to an area with a high risk of yellow fever must prove that they have been vaccinated against the disease before being allowed to enter that country or to re-enter South Africa.Those who do not want to be vaccinated are not forced to take a vaccine, but are prohibited from travelling.Internationally, a number of private companies are moving towards making Covid-19 vaccines mandatory for their employees, and South Africa is already following suit.On 2 September 2021, Discovery announced that Covid-19 vaccination will be mandatory for all staff from 1 January 2022.Adrian Gore, CEO of Discovery, explained that the decision was motivated by both a moral and legal obligation to provide a safe working environment for their employees.Since Discoverys announcement, a number of other organisations, including universities and private companies, have implemented similar policies, or are considering them.Most private companies introducing these policies are relying on the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which requires employers to provide a working environment that is safe and without a health risk.The department of labour also issued a directive that supports the introduction of workplace vaccine mandates for employees who are at high risk for developing severe Covid-19 or at a high risk to transmit SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19.Some legal commentary argues that making the Covid-19 vaccine compulsory would be a violation of constitutional rights, including the rights to bodily integrity, freedom of religion, and dignity.Although it is true that mandatory vaccination may limit these rights, it is important to recognise the flip side: no constitutional right is absolute. This means that any right in the bill of rights can be limited if justified under section 36 of the Constitution.For example, if the prosecution needs an accuseds blood as evidence to support their case, the persons right to bodily integrity can be limited and he or she can be compelled to have a blood sample drawn.What has also often been overlooked in citing individual rights in the argument against mandatory vaccination is that the courts have found far-reaching limitations to be justifiable during the Covid-19 pandemic.For example, the High Court in Pretoria found that closing mosques as part of lockdown measures was a justifiable limitation of the right to freedom of religion.The argument was that the measure would assist in controlling the pandemic, and the court specifically recognised the concept of ubuntu calling on citizens to make sacrifices to their individual rights for the greater good of curbing the pandemic.Similarly, the Supreme Court of Appeal recognised the trade-off between individual liberties and curbing the spread of Covid-19 in a judgment that found the regulations of the state of disaster to be largely constitutional.The ruling came down to the court saying that limiting individual liberties such as the right to freedom of movement and the right to dignity was justified because it protects the right to life of people who may otherwise have been vulnerable to dying from Covid-19.Although the law allows for potential mandatory Covid-19 vaccination in South Africa, what this looks like in practice will depend not only on the government but also on the private sector.Arguably, vaccines are more invasive than closing mosques or preventing the sale of alcohol.And as there are no specific cases testing the constitutionality of vaccine mandates, prior court rulings can provide only a guide to the approach. The complex, multilayered practicalities of enforcing Covid-19 vaccination mean that vaccine mandates will have to be developed responsibly.In some contexts, such as frontline healthcare, a hardline approach may be warranted and the limitation of individual rights could be justified.But it might not apply in all contexts. Some individuals may have valid, medical reasons for not being able to take a Covid-19 vaccine; others may be objecting on religious grounds or work in low-risk environments where their decision not to be vaccinated poses little risk to others.Outside of work environments, vaccine mandates could be used to incentivise rather than enforce vaccination, without significant incursions on individual rights.In the end, decisions about mandatory Covid-19 vaccination may ultimately be informed by our individual actions. Because with every right also comes a responsibility. Robert Kaplan, the president of the Dallas Fed, said Monday he would resign Oct. 8 to avoid becoming a "distraction" from the Fed's broader mission. The same day, Eric Rosengren, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, said he would step down this week, citing health reasons. Concerns about Kaplan and Rosengrens extensive stock trades, and whether they could have profited from the Fed's actions, emerged last year when the bank was spending trillions of dollars stabilizing financial markets and boosting the economy during the pandemic, according to the Associated Press. Their trades have also raised concerns about the Fed's rules on investments. Though Kaplan and Rosengrens investments were permitted under the banks rules, they raised at least the appearance of conflicts of interest, which Fed policy discourages. Fed Chair Jerome Powell will testify Tuesday before the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and will likely face questioning about the bank's ethics rules. Kaplan's trades were particularly scrutinized, considering he had been executing large-dollar trades in big-name companies such as Amazon, Apple and Delta Air Lines. Questions were raised because the Fed has conducted trillions of dollars in asset purchases aimed at helping markets function amid the pandemic, and has bought corporate bonds from such companies as Apple, according to CNBC. A man who pleaded guilty to assaulting a Staples employee during a theft from the store was fined and banned from going back there. Advertisement Advertise With Us A man who pleaded guilty to assaulting a Staples employee during a theft from the store was fined and banned from going back there. Derrick Leaver, 30, pleaded guilty in Brandon provincial court to assault in the April 28, 2021 incident. Crown attorney Brett Rach told the court police attended the south end store after a complaint about three people in the store. One of Leavers co-accused went into the store to steal things, Rach said, and the group was stopped by store employees on the way out. An employee was capturing the group on video using their cellphone, but Leaver hit the phone out of their hand, the Crown said. Police used security camera footage at the store to find out who was involved in the incident. Rach suggested an $800 fine for the crime given the early guilty plea and nature of the assault. "Mr. Leaver knows he ought to keep his hands to himself; I dont think probation is going to help him with that," Rach said. Defence lawyer Michael Nerbas said Leaver has Gladue factors and is from a Manitoba First Nation. He also had some involvement with Manitoba Child and Family Services while growing up. Leaver was going through a hard time on the date in question, he said. "He takes responsibility for what happened. At that time he was transient, he was couch surfing," Nerbas told the court, adding Leaver was also intoxicated at the time of the theft. "He made some unwise decisions on that day, hes here to take responsibility." The accused is now planning to move to another province in search of work, he said. Nerbas and Rach jointly recommended the fine for the crime. Speaking to the court by phone, Leaver said he knows what he did was wrong. "I just want to take full responsibility for my actions. Im sorry for hurting that girls phone and breaking it it probably cost a lot of money and I apologize for that," he said. Judge Shauna Hewitt-Michta said she was glad to hear Leaver has plans for the future and hopefully its the last time hes in court. She endorsed the joint recommendation and sentenced him to $800 in fines. She also placed him on an unsupervised probation order. dmay@brandonsun.com Twitter: @DrewMay_ OTTAWA - It wasn't until Tuesday morning, when Kamila Telendibaeva saw the footage and pictures of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor landing in Canada, that she started to picture her own reunion with her husband who has been in a Chinese prison for 15 years. OTTAWA - It wasn't until Tuesday morning, when Kamila Telendibaeva saw the footage and pictures of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor landing in Canada, that she started to picture her own reunion with her husband who has been in a Chinese prison for 15 years. As she watched the joyful scene, Telendibaeva said she was happy to see Spavor and Kovrig freed after a years-long ordeal, saying it was great for the two men and the country. Kamila Telendibaeva, wife of Huseyin Celil, a Canadian citizen being held in a prison and serving a life sentence in a Chinese prison holds news conference on behalf her husband, Thursday April 26, 2007 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand But thinking about a reunion with a husband she hasn't seen in years, and a father who has never met his youngest son, now a teenager, Telendibaeva raised her voice and raced over her words. "Honestly, my blood is boiling," she said, adding that she felt the Liberals are ignoring Huseyin Celil's case, and wants to see a harder push to secure his release. Telendibaeva believes winning his freedom is possible after seeing how Canadian officials worked with international counterparts, including the United States, to pressure the Chinese government to release Kovrig and Spavor. "They should sit at the table with (Chinese President) Xi Jinping or any Chinese authority, or a special envoy to bring him back," Telendibaeva said in an interview. "I'm not saying what kind of deal they're going to do for my husband's case, but they have to bring Huseyin back now." Celil has been detained in China since 2006, after he was arrested in Uzbekistan and sent to China after his long-standing advocacy for the human rights of his Muslim ethnic Uyghur minority. Telendibaeva said the family's overtures to Chinese officials to see Celil in-person have been unsuccessful. Their period visits to him in prison were cut off about five years ago when Beijing first cracked down on Muslim Uyghurs in China's Xinjiang province, rounding them up into prison camps, citing the need to fight terrorism. Telendibaeva added she hasn't heard much recently from Canadian officials about the state of her husband's case. Celil's supporters had hoped he would be part of a deal to free Kovrig and Spavor and ahead of election day called for the winning party to appoint a special envoy to win his freedom. Speaking Tuesday afternoon, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau thanked the public servants, diplomats and officials who "worked unbelievably hard" to secure the release of the two Michaels, and gave a nod to other countries who lined up to pressure the Chinese government. Among those nations was the United States. Days before their release, President Joe Biden pressed Xi in a phone call to release Spavor and Kovrig. Asked why the government hasn't been successful at securing Celil's release, Trudeau said Spavor and Kovrig were detained for political reasons, which galvanized public opinion in Canada and around the world. "We were able to demonstrate that we are a country of the rule of law, and we never flinched on applying the fundamental rules of our justice system," Trudeau said. "We will continue to advocate for people who are wrongly imprisoned around the world as we have for many years as we will continue to." Unlike Spavor and Kovrig, Canadian consular officials haven't been able to meet with Celil because China doesn't recognize his dual Canadian citizenship, obtained in 2005. Jeremy Paltiel, an expert on Canada-China relations from Carleton University in Ottawa, said Celil's case would be tougher to resolve because China isn't detaining him as a Canadian. Some Uyghur activists have been paroled from Chinese prisons, but subject to strict conditions, Paltiel said. The same could happen to Celil, he said, but it is unlikely he would be free to speak or even come home to Canada. "I'm not optimistic on that score, and in fact, we don't even know if he's alive," Paltiel said. "That's the sad tragedy." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2021. CHARLOTTETOWN - Rising COVID-19 cases in Atlantic Canada and elsewhere in the country are leading Prince Edward Island to increase testing as its points of entry, chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison said Tuesday. Dr. Heather Morrison, chief medical officer for Prince Edward Island, speaks to the media on Wednesday, Dec. 16, 2020, at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Charlottetown. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Brian McInnis CHARLOTTETOWN - Rising COVID-19 cases in Atlantic Canada and elsewhere in the country are leading Prince Edward Island to increase testing as its points of entry, chief public health officer Dr. Heather Morrison said Tuesday. Starting Thursday, anyone travelling to the province will be tested regardless of their vaccination status including Island residents returning home from travel, Morrison told reporters. "As P.E.I. and other jurisdictions struggle to manage the Delta variant and the fourth wave of this pandemic, we need to take steps to protect Islanders," she said. She also recommended that travellers 12 and older be tested again between the fourth and eighth day after they enter the province. School-aged children under 12 who return to P.E.I. from travelling will also be required to test negative for COVID-19 before they can go back to school, Morrison said. Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated travellers, she added, will need to isolate for eight days upon entry and then tested once again. The province's P.E.I. pass, which permits entry onto the Island, will now only be issued to people who can show they are at least two weeks removed from their second COVID-19 vaccine dose, she said. "The changes announced today are steps that will continue to help us limit importation, detect cases early and contain the transmission of COVID-19," Morrison said. Meanwhile, she reported two new cases of COVID-19 Tuesday, bringing the number of active cases in the province to nine. One case involved a close household contact of a previously reported infection tied to an outbreak at Charlottetown's West Royalty Elementary School, and the other case involved a person in their 50s who recently travelled outside Atlantic Canada. Morrison said that since August, 87 per cent of the Island's cases have been identified as the Delta variant, adding that about 98 per cent of infections identified in the country in the last week have been the Delta mutation. "The latest modelling from the Public Health Agency of Canada predicts we will continue to see a resurgence and spread of the Delta variant well into the fall," she said. At the same time last year, the province had recorded a total of 58 cases of COVID-19 since the onset of the pandemic, Morrison said. By contrast, she added, the Island has reported 63 cases in September 2021 alone. "As we have seen in the last month, and similar to other jurisdictions, COVID-19 continues to be a threat to P.E.I.," she said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2021. By Keith Doucette in Halifax. Payments giant Mastercard will launch new technology allowing banks around the world to offer buy now, pay later (BNPL) products, in a sign the instalment payments pioneered by Afterpay have well and truly entered the financial mainstream. The global card business on Tuesday night said strong demand for BNPL services had prompted it to develop infrastructure that will allow banks, fintechs and other lenders to deploy instalment loans across its vast network. Mastercards Richard Wormald: I see buy now, pay later as just an evolution of a lending offering. Credit:Getty It said growth in BNPL products continued to accelerate globally as digital commerce boomed, and banks and merchants wanted to offer shoppers new ways to pay. BNPL products are short-term, interest-free instalment loans that have surged in popularity, and are competing with Mastercards traditional business in credit cards. A broad mix of concerns over Chinas economy, rising inflation and the looming US debt ceiling sent the local market into a tailspin for the second day running as spooked investors abandoned equities. The S&P ASX 200 index ended Wednesdays session down 1.08 per cent at 7196 points, continuing a rout that has seen the market drop 3.1 per cent since Tuesday morning. The ASX followed Wall Streets worries on Wednesday. Credit:AP A weak lead from Wall St set the scene for todays fall, with global investors worried over the Federal Reserves signalling that it would start winding down its flurry of bond and mortgage purchases and look towards hiking interest rates, likely late next year.Americas debt ceiling - the point at which the country is unable to borrow any more money - was also a point of concern for investors, with Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen warning the government could run out of money to pay its bills by October 18 unless the two parties can come to an agreement over raising the limit. These worries came in an environment of already heightened macroeconomic tensions according to Anthony Doyle, global cross asset specialist for Fidelity International, who said the recent weakness in global markets was due to a culmination of issues, each one spooking investors. Theres a lot of straws piling up, and its like investors are waiting for the one that will break the camels back, he said. This includes concerns over the Evergrande property collapse in China, worries over global inflationary pressures, and the looming debt ceiling in the US and the associated debate over lifting it between Republicans and Democrats.Theres just a lot of risk aversion about at the moment, which makes it a really tricky time in markets, he said. Predictably, this has caused safe-haven assets such as gold rise, he said. Gold miner St Barbara was one of the ASXs best performers on Wednesday, posting a gain of 6.7 per cent to $1.36. Similarly, resource and energy stocks were also a rare bright spot on Wednesday, as demand from China and Europe has sent the price of coal, gas and oil skyrocketing.Blue chip stocks were some of the worst affected, with heavyweights like Commonwealth Bank (down 1.33 per cent), BHP (down 1.3 per cent) and CSL (down 2.6 per cent) all suffering falls. Mr Doyle doesnt expect the current uncertainty to disappear any time soon, especially as banks around the world start to prepare for interest rate hikes and the impasse over the US debt ceiling remains. Whilst this uncertainty exists, and until we have some certainty around the debt ceiling, I would suggest that investors, in the short term, will be on tenterhooks, he said. Theres a view that the good times, in terms of equity markets, are behind us. It will start to become a lot tougher to generate those investment outcomes that weve experienced over the last 18 months. Oscar Oberg, fund manager at Wilson Asset Management, told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald he was expecting todays sell-off to be worse than it was, however, he also warned investors to expect choppy times ahead. Youd want to be positioned on the cyclical side of things, like resources and financials. Its a very uncertain market at the moment and highly volatile. An aged care receptionist who was sacked for refusing to get a flu shot as required under a public health order plans to take her case to the Federal Court. The Fair Work Commission dismissed Jennifer Kimbers unfair dismissal application in April. A full bench majority rejected her application for an appeal of that decision on Monday. Nathan Andrew Buckley from G&B Lawyers in Sydney confirmed his client, who was sacked from a NSW South Coast aged care facility after she refused to get the flu vaccination, now planned to appeal the decision in the Federal Court. This is the third time Mr Buckley has acted in cases against mandatory vaccination and lost. Mr Buckleys law firm was admonished by the NSW Law Society in January last year for urging civil disobedience during Victorias winter lockdown and has been accused of spreading misinformation on social media with suggestions that COVID-19 vaccination does not work and testing is nonsense. G&B Lawyers is drumming up donations for a $10 million High Court challenge to mandatory vaccination. Mr Buckley is not associated with Nathan Buckley of Optic Lawyers. Britney Spears lawyer has taken Jamie Spears to task after new allegations of intrusive and possibly illegal surveillance. Attorney Mathew Rosengart brought down the hammer in an LA County Superior Court filing Monday after the recent release of the FX/Hulu documentary Controlling Britney Spears and a report by the New York Times published in concert with the film. Britney Spears and her father Jamie Spears. Credit:AP Mr Spears was, of course, never fit to serve, for all of the many compelling reasons already contained in the record, ranging from his lack of financial acumen, to his bankruptcy, to his reported alcoholism, to the trauma he caused his daughter since childhood, to the Domestic Violence Restraining Order recently issued against him, Rosengart wrote in a third supplement to a petition seeking removal of Jamie Spears as conservator of his daughters estate. But now, the chickens have truly come home to roost, he continued. The New York Times reported that Mr Spears engaged in horrifying and unconscionable invasions of his adult daughters privacy. Specifically, the Times reported that he and others ran an intense surveillance apparatus that monitored [Ms Spears] communications and also evidently captured attorney-client communications with her prior lawyer ... a sacrosanct part of the legal system. Im going to miss The Newsreader, which finished recently on the ABC. I cant remember the last time I watched such an addictive show the old-fashioned way, savouring the episodes on a weekly basis instead of scoffing them all at once. For me, part of the treat was personal. I grew up in the 1980s, and The Newsreader went to striking lengths to recreate the ambience of that garish decade. It was set in 1986, in the newsroom of a Melbourne TV station. The stories of the protagonists were interwoven with the real-life news events of the year: the Russell Street bombing, the Chernobyl disaster, Lindy Chamberlains release from prison. Anna Torv plays newsreader Helen Norville in The Newsreader. Credit:ABC This made for some resonant drama, but it must have given the shows makers one long logistical headache. For six hours, every object in every frame had to look as if it belonged in 1986. There were so many ways to go wrong. But there were also endless opportunities to get things deliciously right. In one scene a character opened his fridge, just long enough to let you glimpse some of its contents. Among them was a pair of milk bottles. I mean real milk bottles glass ones, with foil caps. With the swirl of media soundbites, the impression has been created that the Australian government has replaced a diesel/electric French designed submarine for a nuclear-powered American, or British, one. This is not the case. Australia now has no new submarine program at all. We have cancelled the one we had with France and have a statement of intent with Britain and the US to examine the prospect of acquiring nuclear powered submarines. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has signed an agreement with the US and Britain on nuclear-powered subs. Credit: Over the next 18 months there will be a review of the possibilities the biggest probably being whether the new submarine should be based on the British Astute submarine or the larger US Virginia class. The hyperbole around the new AUKUS partnership has been dialled up to 11. No three nations in the world already have closer security, intelligence and technology collaboration than Australia, the US and Britain. And it has been getting closer in recent years. As Canadas Justin Trudeau observed this is all about selling submarines to Australia. NSW has reported 863 new local coronavirus cases and seven deaths on Tuesday, as vaccination rates in the state continue to rise. Health Minister Brad Hazzard said 85.7 per cent of people aged 16 and over in the state had now received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and 60.4 per cent were fully vaccinated. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard at the daily COVID-19 briefing on Tuesday. Credit:Kate Geraghty Mr Hazzard said the operation of his states road map out of lockdown will mean the unvaccinated in some regional areas not currently in lockdown will re-enter stay-at-home orders. He urged anyone who was delaying vaccination to come forward for a shot immediately. Youre kidding yourself if you think you dont need to get vaccinated, because it may well be you that gets the virus and dies, or ends up in a hospital ICU, Mr Hazzard said. Two police officers and three security guards were injured during a brawl outside a hospital in Melbournes north that allegedly broke out after three men were refused entry to see a patient. A Victoria Police spokesman said about 15 people had gathered outside the Northern Hospital in Epping when the three men tried to go inside to see the patient in the early hours of Monday. Police and security guards were injured during a brawl outside the Northern Hospital in Epping. Credit:Eddie Jim The Age understands the patient was a man who had died with COVID-19. Police allege hospital staff asked the men to leave, and a fight then broke out. Two police officers and three security guards were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Almost a decade since the incident that changed her life forever, Perth burns survivor Dana Vulin is on a new mission to help others by healing their scars after surgery. The 35-year-old has completed a masters degree to become a qualified cosmetic nurse, now using her traumatic experience to improve lives. In 2012, Ms Vulin was doused in methylated spirits and set alight, suffering burns to 60 per cent of her body. With such extreme physical trauma, doctors told her she wouldnt even be able to hold a pen. Three COVID-19 threats have emerged in Western Australia after the arrival of a military plane with one positive case, a soon-to-arrive cargo ship with 11 infected crew members, and the arrests of Australians from virus-stricken Victoria. WA vaccine commander Chris Dawson revealed on Tuesday afternoon that one of two men arrested in Bunker Bay earlier that day after allegedly travelling to the state from Victoria via the Northern Territory for the AFL grand final, had returned an inconclusive COVID-19 test. WA Police Commissioner and vaccine commander Chris Dawson. Credit:Hamish Hastie The second man returned a negative test, as did a West Australian woman travelling with the pair from the NT, but Mr Dawson said the inconclusive test was likely to be a false positive. Both of the men ... attended the grand final, as well as subsequent locations, particularly through the South West of WA, he said. Australians will be able to start purchasing self-testing kits for COVID-19 from pharmacies, convenience stores or online in a matter of weeks after the medical regulator announced it would approve them for home use from November 1. But widespread use of the tests, which could cost $20 a pop, may take more time. States and territories are still working out how positive tests should be reported once people start using them in homes and workplaces. Rapid antigen tests are being conducted on-site by some big employers. Credit:Kate Geraghty Health Minister Greg Hunt said he was delighted to confirm the countrys medical regulator had approved rapid antigen tests for home use starting from November. This is an important additional protection for Australians, he said. My hope is [they will be available] as soon as possible after November 1. Bucharest, Romania: In a packed intensive care unit for coronavirus patients in Romanias capital, Bucharest, 55-year-old Adrian Pica sits on his bed receiving supplementary oxygen to help him breathe. I didnt want to get vaccinated because I was afraid, he said. Around 72 per cent of adults in the 27-nation European Union have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but a stubbornly low uptake of the shots in some eastern EU nations now risks overwhelming hospitals amid a surge of infections due to the more contagious Delta variant. A member of the medical staff adjusts her gloves at the COVID-19 ICU unit of the Marius Nasta National Pneumology Institute in Bucharest, Romania. Credit:AP Until now I didnt believe in COVID-19, said Pica, whose early symptoms left him sweating and feeling suffocated. I thought it was just like the flu. But now Im sick and hospitalised. I want to get a vaccine. Bulgaria and Romania are lagging dramatically behind as the EUs two least-vaccinated nations, with just 22 per cent and 33 per cent of their adult populations fully inoculated. Rapidly increasing new infections have forced authorities to tighten virus restrictions in the two countries, while other EU nations such as France, Spain, Denmark and Portugal have all exceeded 80 per cent vaccine coverage and eased restrictions. and South Koreas SK Innovation Co. plan to spend $11.4 billion to construct three battery factories and an assembly plant for electric F-Series pickup trucks in Tennessee and Kentucky, the biggest investment in the U.S. automakers history. The project will create two vast sites to produce and the batteries to power them, employing nearly 11,000 workers, the companies said Monday. Ford is spending $7 billion, while battery partner SK is kicking in $4.4 billion. They begin to come online in 2025. The projects are part of Fords plan to invest $30 billion in by 2025, become a player in a market dominated by Tesla Inc. and challenge General Motors Co.s image as leading the legacy automakers. Since becoming Fords boss a year ago, Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley has accelerated efforts to make the switch to an all-electric future, earning a plug from President Joe Biden on the electric F-150 and striking a battery joint venture with SK. The Tennessee site to be known as Blue Oval City will occupy six square miles, making it three times the size of the historic Rouge Complex Henry Ford built in Michigan a century ago. It will include a battery plant employing about 2,500 workers and an assembly plant with 3,300 employees that will produce an electric version of Fords larger F-Series pickup, its most profitable product. In Kentucky, where Ford already has truck and SUV factories, the automaker and SK will construct two battery plants employing about 5,000 workers. The three battery factories will have the capacity to churn out power sources for more than 1 million a year, Ford said. The big investment follows Fords move this month to double production at the Michigan factory building the electric F-150 Lightning pickup going on sale next year. The company says it already has 150,000 reservations for the plug-in pickup. Its battery powered Mustang Mach-E also has begun outselling the gasoline-fueled version of the pony car. The early results would say there is huge demand for electrified vehicles, Kumar Galhotra, Fords president of the Americas and international markets, said in an interview. The level of this investment demonstrates how confident we are. Since 1969 The Stanton, Tennessee, F-Series factory will be the first all-new assembly plant Ford has built since 1969, the company said. The United Auto Workers wont automatically represent the new workers and will have to organize employees of the assembly and battery plants in both states, which have right-to-work laws that labor groups have seen as hostile. The UAW has been concerned that the transition to electric vehicles could cost jobs. A study by AlixPartners found it takes 40% less labor to assemble an electric motor and battery compared with a traditional internal combustion engine. The UAW looks forward to continuing our long-time partnership with Ford as consumers transition to make electric vehicles in the right way, UAW President Ray Curry said in a statement. We look forward to reaching out and helping develop this new workforce. Galhotra said Ford has a fantastic relationship with the UAW, but it will be up to the new workers as to decide whether to join the union. We have to let the employees decide, he said. To land their two largest ever economic development projects, Tennessee and Kentucky provided incentives to Ford and SK. Tennessee is offering $500 million, pending a special session of the state legislature to approve the deal. Kentucky is providing a $250 million forgivable loan, $36 million in training funds, infrastructure improvements and a 1,551-acre site in Glendale, south of Louisville. Transformative Moment Farley, along with Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford and top executives of Seoul-based SK Innovation, will visit both states Tuesday for official announcements. This is a transformative moment where Ford will lead Americas transition to electric vehicles, Ford, the great grandson of Henry Ford, said in a statement. Since Farley announced plans in May to boost Fords EV spending by one third, the company has grown more optimistic about how quickly the market will develop for battery powered vehicles. Were building in more upside based on our experience with the Mach-E and the F-150 Lightning, Lisa Drake, Fords chief operating officer in North America, said in a briefing with reporters Monday. When Ford first announced the the SK partnership in May, the plan was to build two U.S. battery plants, but that has now increased to three. Those plants, along with a battery plant in Georgia that will supply the F-150 Lightning, give Ford 141 gigawatt hours of battery supply, Galhotra said. That meets Fords target for demand in North America for now, which is for 40% of its sales to be electric by 2030. Were in the early stages, Galhotra said. Well see how this develops. We might need more. and on Tuesday announced that they have entered into a codeshare agreement which allows the former to sell seats on the Indian carrier's flights operating on 29 routes. "The codeshare, which will require U.S. and Indian governments' approvals, is expected to begin in October, as American launches new service between New York (JFK) and Delhi on October 31 this year and between Seattle (SEA) and Bengaluru on January 4, 2022," the joint statement mentioned. The one-way codeshare agreement will place American's code on 29 of IndiGo's domestic routes, providing a convenient option for customers to travel within India after landing in Bengaluru or Delhi. This means that once the one-way codeshare agreement comes into force, American will be able sell seats -- on its distribution system -- of flights on the 29 selected routes. In a two-way codeshare agreement, each airline on its distribution system can sell seats of other's flights. Currently, has a two-way codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines and a one-way codeshare partnership with Qatar Airways. Vasu Raja, Chief Revenue Officer, American Airlines, said: "Whether our customers are traveling for business or pleasure, this new partnership makes it easy to reach all four corners of India." "Today we're adding 29 new routes to our map as a result of this agreement, providing customers with even more options around the globe," Raja mentioned. IndiGo is India's largest airline by number of passengers carried. With its fleet of 275+ aircraft, the airline operates more than 1,100 daily flights, connecting 70 domestic destinations and 24 international destinations. (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.) Capital Float, the buy-now-pay-later platform, on Tuesday said that it has raised $50 million in equity funding led by Lightrock India. Current investors Sequoia Capital India, Ribbit Capital, Creation Investments and Dinesh Hinduja family office also participated in the round, in addition to new investors David Velez, founder of Nubank, Kunal Shah, founder of Cred, and Amrish Rau, CEO of Pine Labs. The funds raised will be used to strengthen and scale Capital Floats BNPL platform and expand its partner ecosystem. The company has witnessed rapid growth over the past year, with 2.5 million customers now using its product to finance over Rs 2,000 crore of online purchases annually. has partnered with leading platforms such as Amazon (powering Amazon Paylater), MakeMyTrip, Unacademy, and BoAt to help consumers finance purchases across e-commerce, D2C brands, travel, edtech and healthcare. Recently it also launched a strategic partnership with Razorpay to expand BNPL to over 100,000 merchants across the country. We are now financing 2 million purchases every month across 14,000 pin codes, while maintaining NPAs (non performing assets) below 1.5 per cent, said co-founders Sashank Rishyasringa and Gaurav Hinduja. This positions us the market leader in BNPL in India today. We see an exponential growth opportunity ahead from this point on. By solving for affordability as well as convenience, in a fully-regulated format, the founders said that the companys BNPL approach can responsibly expand access to credit to over 100 million customers who are starting to transact online. We are privileged to have the support of our investors in pursuing this vision, and are excited to work in partnership to build out a world-class digital financial institution for India, said Rishyasringa and Hinduja. Saleem Asaria, partner at Lightrock India, said that in addition to its strong technology platform, has built a sophisticated underwriting and collections capability, along with an ethical lending playbook, that makes the model very compelling. We have also been consistently impressed with the tenacity and execution focus of the team through a full credit cycle, said Asaria. We are excited to work with the team to build a highly scalable, differentiated, and sustainable business that will positively impact the lives of millions of customers in India through digital credit and financial products. In addition to offering BNPL at checkouts across its merchant partners, the company also operates Walnut, a personal finance app with over 12 million lifetime downloads. Walnut offers a range of personal finance features such as expense tracking, budgeting, and bill reminders. It also provides instant small-ticket loans to salaried and self-employed individuals 24x7, and recently launched insurance options on the app as well. The Central government proposes to wrap up the divestment of by the middle of next month with the announcement of winning bid for the national carrier. Sources indicated that tentatively October 15 has been kept the date for announcing the winning bid for while the financial bids received for the carrier may be opened anytime this week. on September 15 received multiple financial bids for divestment of Accordingly, Tata Sons and industrialist Ajay Singh in his personal capacity are believed to have submitted financial bids for Air India. Sources indicated while Tatas are front runners to get hold of the carrier, all bids would be evaluated on various parameters and the winning bidder would be announced after approval of the group of ministers (GoM) headed by the home minister. Taking to Twitter, DIPAM Secretary, Tuhin Kanta Pandey had earlier said that the disinvestment process has moved to the concluding stage. "Financial bids for Air India disinvestment received by Transaction Adviser. Process now moves to the concluding stage," he had posted earlier this month. The Tatas bid was much-anticipated as its name had been doing the rounds for some time now. The government has of late taken several steps to fast-track the much-delayed of the national carrier. Recently, the government decided to waive taxes on the transfer of assets from the national carrier to Air India Assets Holding Ltd, a special purpose vehicle (SPV). During the Budget speech for FY22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that all the proposed process would be completed by the end of the fiscal, including the much-delayed strategic disinvestment of Air India. Earlier, few interested parties, including the Tatas were selected for the bidding round. This is the second attempt of the current Central government to divest its stake in the airline. In the pre-pandemic era, the airline, on a standalone basis, operated over 50 domestic and more than 40 international destinations. Besides, it operated over 120 aircraft prior to the Covid pandemic. During that period, the airline had over 9,000 permanent and 4,000 contractual employees.--IANS rv/sn/dpb (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.) Indian conglomerate Essar's arm, Essar Oil UK, on Tuesday said it has entered into a new "time to pay" agreement with the UK's tax authorities, aligned with the company's revenues. The company, which runs the Stanlow refinery at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire, north-west England, had hit some media headlines for overdue payments, threatening the future of the refinery. Essar had maintained that it was confident of reaching an agreement with the UK's HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). Essar Oil (UK) Limited (EOUK) confirms it has entered into a new time to pay agreement with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC). EOUK and HMRC have agreed a phased payment schedule, aligned with EOUK revenues, the company said in a statement. EOUK is therefore confident of closing the last mile financings in the coming months after having successfully raised USD 1.1 billion earlier in the year, it said. The HMRC said it cannot comment on identifiable taxpayers but noted that a time to pay arrangement enables businesses to pay everything that it owes through a payment plan and return to a stable financial footing. HMRC is working hard to support viable businesses with genuine short-term difficulties and will always work with taxpayers to find the best possible solution, based on their specific financial circumstances, an HMRC spokesperson said. Satish Vasooja, the Chief Financial Officer of EOUK, thanked the HMRC for its support and reaffirmed the company's plans for the market. With this time to pay arrangement, we now have a significant runway to stabilise our balance sheet which has been adversely impacted by the pandemic, said Vasooja. The improved environment around margins gives us the confidence to continue to serve as one of the UK key fuel suppliers with a 16 per cent market share. We will also progress our future energy transition programme whilst also supporting a large proportion of the UK's much needed fuel supply, he said. highlighted the work of its Stanlow refinery during the course of the coronavirus pandemic lockdown and its role in addressing the UK's ongoing supply crisis, with several petrol pumps witnessing long queues of vehicles. Throughout the pandemic, including during the period that fuel demand was at very low levels, EOUK continued to run its Stanlow refinery, instead of shutting it down, to ensure adequate fuel supply to its customers across the UK, the company said. More recently, in light of the ongoing supply issues, EOUK has reached out to its refinery customers and offered additional supply to ease the recent fuel constraints, it said. says it has increased vehicle shifts per day, which will increase even further by the end of October. It pointed out that though aviation volumes remain low, the road fuels market has started to return to more normal levels. The company's Stanlow Manufacturing Complex is dubbed one of the most advanced refineries in Europe, situated close to the major cities of Liverpool and Manchester and employing 800 workers. Since acquiring Stanlow in 2011, Essar says it has invested USD 1 billion in margin improvement and other efficiency initiatives to ensure the refinery remains competitive in a rapidly changing market. is a major supplier in the north west of the UK and beyond, counting among its customers major retail brands operated by international oil and supermarkets, Manchester Airport, leading commercial airlines and the region's trains and buses. (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.) Indias first and only (Infrastructure Investment Trust) Virescent Trust (VRET) has raised Rs 460 crore from foreign and domestic investors in its first round of funding. VRET was floated in February this year by Virescent Infrastructure, which was set up in 2020 and is backed by global investment firm We look forward to drawing on the global investment management expertise of our investors as we continue to acquire high-quality assets for achieving our initial growth targets. Our endeavour is to support the government in achieving its medium- and long-term objectives of 175 GW and 450 GW, respectively, Sanjay Grewal, CEO, Virescent Infrastructure, said. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget speech on February 1 allowed tax exemption on debt financing of InvITs by foreign portfolio investors. VRETs initial portfolio comprises nine operational solar projects, with an aggregated capacity of 395 MW. These projects are located in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Rajasthan. The company said it was in advanced discussions' to acquire a 55-MW portfolio from Focal Energy. The company had earlier said it will expand its portfolio by identifying investment opportunities that have stable cash flows stemming from long-term contracts with state and central government counterparties across India. Hardik Shah, managing director, Infrastructure, said, Virescent continues to be an important part of their infrastructure strategy in the Asia Pacific. We contribute purposefully to Indias ambitious targets in the renewables sector. Investing in VRET alongside AIMCo and other institutional investors will help us capitalise on this huge market opportunity, Shah said. Alberta Investment Management Corporation, one of Canadas largest institutional investment managers, led the transaction, said VRET in a statement. Ahmed Mubashir, director, Infrastructure & Renewable Resources at AIMCo, said, VRETs portfolio of operating renewable energy assets whose economics are underpinned by long-term power purchase agreements are well aligned with our clients investment objectives. We look forward to partnering with and Virescent to further grow the platform and provide renewable energy solutions to India in the coming years. AIMCo is one of Canadas largest institutional investment managers with more than CAD $123 billion of assets under management, as on June 30, 2021. 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 firm (Bundl Technologies) said it has decided to change its daily grocery delivery service Supr Dailys organisational structure to a Business Unit (BU) within Bundl. This will help Supr deal with with the unfair advantages that has access to and accelerate its journey. Over the last 15 months, CEO Sriharsha Majety said it has made some exciting progress on its business. Were now comfortably surpassing our pre-covid peak, while also being on the path to overall profitability, said Majety in a blog post. While continues to be the firms flagship category, Swiggy also made some great progress in realising its larger vision of elevating the quality of life by delivering unparalleled convenience. Weve done this on the back of strong traction in the grocery delivery business, said Majety. This business is 10x the size of the food services industry; I strongly believe that with the right investments and focus, we have the potential to build a category that is larger than our food delivery business. Swiggys foray into grocery delivery started with the acquisition of Supr Daily in 2018. Over the last three years, the business has grown by leaps and bounds. Supr Daily currently serves about 500,000 customers on a monthly basis and delivers around 200,000 daily orders across six cities. The category has immense potential and weve been thinking through the several structures that best set it up for success in the long term, said Majety. With the organisational change, the support functions of human resources, administration, legal, IT and finance from Supr will be integrated into the relevant functions with Swiggy. It would immediately start tapping into the resources and structures available at Swiggy. The company acquired Supr Daily in 2018. Swiggy co-founder Phani Kishan will take over the reins as the CEO of Supr Daily. Supr Daily will continue to have dedicated business teams to ensure the necessary focus and nimbleness to achieve their goals, said Majety. "Moments of change are moments of contemplation and after much reflection, the founding team of Supr Daily comprising Puneet (Kumar), Shreyas (Nagdawane) and Rohit (Jain) have decided to pursue new interests outside of Swiggy. I thank them for their contributions in helping Supr scale to where it is today and for building an amazing team, he said. Swiggy co-founder Phani Kishan will now be working full-time with the Supr Daily team to hit the firms ambitious goals. But Kishans involvement with Supr is not new - as part of the Supr board - he has been working closely with the leadership team on the strategy over the last three years. Hes also been engaged with the team over the last couple of months at an operational level. In July this year, Swiggy closed a $1.25-billion fundraise, marking the first investment in the category by SoftBank Vision Fund 2. This took the valuation of the Bengaluru-based startup up by more than 50 per cent to $5.5 billion from $3.6 billion earlier, according to industry sources. IT services major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been selected by NORD/LB, a leading German commercial bank, as its strategic partner for its IT transformation. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed. NORD/LB has embarked on a transformation journey that targets a new business model by 2024, and a leaner, more agile operating model. It has partnered with in this journey. As part of the five-year partnership, will work with the to simplify and transform its application estate across businessesfinancial markets, wholesale and retail banking, through application consolidation and automation. NORD/LB is transforming its business to adapt to the latest trends and we decided it was time for us to look at the next step of technology transformation, said Tobias Meiler, CIO, NORD/LB. He further added, After a thorough process, we selected as the partner for this journey as they demonstrated deep market and financial domain expertise, global delivery capability augmented with strong German delivery, customer focus and strong transformation capabilities. TCS will help NORD/LB adopt newer technologies to automate manual processes in the application management environment and enhance operational resilience. Leveraging its deep knowledge of local banking norms, TCS will also build new features and functionality to support NORD/LBs transformation goals. TCS is a strategic partner for multiple leading financial institutions across the region, and has been driving IT landscape transformation, business innovation and growth. TCS is delighted to partner with NORD/LB, one of Germanys largest commercial banks, said Uma Rijhwani, Business Unit Head, Financial Services Central Europe, TCS. Present in since 1991, TCS currently partners with over 100 leading German corporations in their growth and transformation journeys, including 20 of the DAX40. In January 2021, TCS acquired Postbank Systems AG, a full-range captive IT service provider, adding around 1,500 employees with deep banking expertise, to support its growth in SOSV, a Global VC Fund and Venture Catalysts, has announced its latest investment in The Money Club, a that has built an AI-based P2P group savings platform to enable the lower-middle-class population to save, borrow and invest digitally. The Pre-Series A round saw participation from other investors including Blume Founders Fund, LetsVenture, Keiretsu Forum, Rockstud Capital, Astarc Ventures, and LIV Advisors Ltd. Founded by IIT Kharagpur friends, Manuraj Jain and Surajit Ray, The Money Club leverages AI algorithms to effectively underwrite high frequency, micro pooling of funds by studying user behaviour. Acting as an artificially intelligent chit fund cashier in the form of an android app, the startup delivers a higher value proposition to savers, investors, as well as borrowers compared to all other available options in the market. With the fresh infusion of capital, The Money Club aims to disrupt Indias largely unorganized $50 billion chit fund sector and bring greater security and transparency. Manuraj Jain, founder and CEO of The Money Club, said, "Users have been pooling money for over 700 years and this market has been growing at 15 per cent CAGR for the past 10 years. High onboarding barriers and lack of innovation in savings products have driven 180 million in India to resort to pooling funds illegally in the form of committees, beesi, chitty and chit funds and expose themselves to fraud and loss of their hard earned money. Our vision is to make a Savings product that is relevant, lucrative, safe, secure and transparent for over 40 crore low middle income people of India." William Bao Bean, General Partner at SOSV, shares, "Money Club has been a pioneer in fostering economic empowerment through its solution, bringing trust and transparency to financial transactions for millions of people in India. Money Club's AI-enabled underwriting model is a game-changer that will streamline capital flows for the whole nation". The Money Club platform has acquired over 200,000 users and has grown 500% in the last 12 months. The users have pooled around Rs 40 Crores by forming 17,000 money clubs on the platform till date. The Money Club will use the funds to bolster its technology platform and operations. Peer-to-peer lending and money pooling clubs have been a part of society for generations now, albeit in a unorganised format prone to cheating and vulnerable to being influenced by certain powerful members. We believe Bharat is ready for this age-old practice to be available at their fingertips, said Sarita Raichura, Blume Founders Fund. We are very excited to be backing the Money Club team. They are bringing an age-old system of how people help each other with money for their needs into the digital age, with a model which works very well. We are truly excited to be a part of money clubs journey ahead and play our part in helping them achieve their vision, said Salil Musale, Managing Director, Astarc Ventures. Chit funds are one of the oldest forms of borrowing platforms for people who were excluded from the formal financial system. However, they are highly unorganized and are ripe for technological disruption. Money Club is at the forefront driving this change with the use of technology and making its services more transparent and reliable compared to traditional chit fund said Abhishek Agarwal, Managing Partner at Rockstud Capital. A 19-year-old Pakistani militant belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba was captured alive during an anti-infiltration operation along the Line of Control on Uri sector of in which one ultra was killed and three Indian soldiers sustained injuries, the Army said on Tuesday. The operation was launched on September 18 after the Army noticed suspicious movement along the LoC, GoC 19 Infantry Division, Major General Virender Vats told reporters at a briefing in Baramulla district. He said an encounter took place when the infiltrators -- believed to be six -- were challenged. While four of them were on the other side of the fence, two had come on our side of the territory. "The four terrorists, who were on the other side, took advantage of the dense foliage and retreated back into PoK.The remaining two sneaked in. "One of the infiltrators was killed in the encounter on the morning of 26th while another one pleaded that his life be spared.As is the ethos of the Indian Army, after taking due precautions, he was taken into custody alive," the official said. The apprehended infiltrator has given his identity as 19-year-old Ali Babar Parra, resident of Okara district in Pakistan's Punjab province. "He has admitted to be a member or Lashkar-e-Toiba and was trained in Muzaffarabad," he added. He has revealed that he was trained for three weeks at Khyber camp, Ghadiwala in Muzaffarabad in 2019, the officer said. He was recalled this year for some important task and was told by his handlers that he has to do drop supplies at Pattan. But when we went through the recoveries and modus operandi, it shows that they had come here for some kind of a strike which went beyond the drop of supplies, the official said. The Army official said the infiltration attempt was made along the Salamabad Nala, which was the same route used for the 2016 suicide attack on the Uri garrison. "The infiltrating column was supported by the Pakistani side with three porters bringing supplies till the LoC," he said. The official said movement of such large number of people cannot take place without active complicity of the Pakistan Army deployed on the other side. Major General Vats said there has been an increased movement at the launch pad across the LoC. "This shows the desperation of Pakistan that when they see peace in Kashmir, they send in terrorists to disturb peace by sensational strike.Seven terrorists have been neutralised in as many days while one has been nabbed alive," he added. (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 on Tuesday said is a big challenge not only for the farm sector but also for the entire ecosystem, and efforts needed to be stepped up to address the problem. Modi called for collective efforts and continuous intensive research to deal with the climate change, which is adversely impacting the output of agriculture and allied sectors, thereby causing huge losses to The prime minister was addressing and other stakeholders through video conferencing after launching 35 new crop varieties with special traits to address and malnutrition. In the last six-seven years, science and technology are being used on a priority basis to solve the challenges related to agriculture, he said, adding that the joint efforts of and scientists will give better results. Modi also said that modern technology and new farming tools are at the core of future farming and stressed on use of drones and sensors to collect high-quality farm data and real-time solutions. ALSO READ: Modi was first CM to recognise seriousness of climate change: Amit Shah During the virtual ceremony, Modi also inaugurated the newly-constructed campus of the Institute of Biotic Stress Tolerance, Raipur. He also distributed the 'Green Campus Award' to agricultural universities and interacted with five farmers who are using innovative methods. "Indian agriculture has always remained scientific. The synergy between agriculture and science should continue as it is important for India in 21st century," Modi said in his address. "Our focus is very high on more nutritious seeds, adaptable to new conditions, especially in changing climate,'' he said, adding that 35 new crop varieties will address the problem of and help in the government campaign to make India malnutrition free. Expressing concern over challenges of climate change, Modi said, "Not only agriculture, climate change is a big challenge to the entire ecosystem." Due to climate change, new types of pests, new diseases, epidemics are emerging. Because of which, there is a big threat to the health of humans and livestock and crops are also being affected, he said. ALSO READ: Climate change: Water risks highest in Asia, says Moody's report Further, climate change has an impact on fish production and animal health and output. As a result, farmers and fishermen have to bear the losses, he added. The prime minister recalled massive locust attacks in various states last year in the midst of the Corona pandemic and said the country tackled the locust attack by making a lot of efforts and saved farmers from incurring huge damages. "Everyone's efforts are needed to protect agriculture from the impact of climate change. ... Intensive research on these aspects is necessary continuously," Modi said. When science, government and society work together, the results will be better. Joint efforts of farmers and scientists will increase the strength of the country in dealing with new challenges, he said and added that the campaign launched to promote climate resilient crop varieties is apt now as there is a need to strike a balance between "back to basics'' (traditional farming) and 'march towards future.' He noted that India's traditional agriculture had all the protection to deal with the challenges faced currently. India agriculture was multi-cultured but gradually converted into monoculture as farmers started to harvest single crops because of various reasons, he said, and asserted, "We need to change this." Stating that modern technology and new farming tools are at the core of future farming, he said, "We need to keep modernising the ecosystem from seed to market currently being created by the government. ...Efforts to promote modern agricultural machines and equipment are showing results today." However, the use of drones and sensors has to be enhanced to get high quality farm data and real-time solutions, Modi said and added the new drone policy would help the agriculture sector. Modi further said that there is a need to take modern agri-science to every village and every household. Agri-research should be part of the syllabus of middle school, for which steps have been taken in the Education Policy. He also spoke about the role of start-ups in taking technology to villages. Stressing that the farm sector grows rapidly when farmers are given a safety net, the prime minister listed out schemes implemented in the last few years for the growth of the farm sector. More than 430 lakh tonnes of wheat has been procured in the 2020-21 Rabi marketing season and farmers have been paid more than Rs 85,000 crore, he said and added wheat procurement centres were increased more than three times during the pandemic. Under the PM-KISAN scheme, over Rs 1.5 lakh crore has been transferred directly into bank accounts of over 11 crore farmers. Kisan credit cards to over 2 crore farmers have been provided, he said. He also spoke about various changes made in crop insurance scheme PMFBY and said that claims of around Rs 1 lakh crore have been settled. Farmers are getting timely updates of weather information. Modi said that steps taken to create a seeds-to-market ecosystem will ensure the country's strong economic growth. "The works done in the last 6-7 years for the farmers and agriculture sector have laid a strong foundation for achieving goals for the next 25 years when India will celebrate 100 years of Independence." He also said that the government is making efforts to take farmers out of crop-based income and encourage them towards value-addition and other farming options. Modi stressed on the need to promote Indian millets at global level ahead of the International Year of Millets in 2023 declared by the UN. The demand for millets is rising. There is a need to raise awareness and further develop millets with solutions from science and research, he said and urged states to set up a task force to take Indian millers to the international market. Sharing works undertaken in the farm sector as Gujarat Chief Minister, Modi said he knew that agriculture is a state subject and tried to fulfill his responsibilities as CM then. "We all know that agriculture is a state subject. It is often being said that the centre should not do anything about it as it is a state subject..," he said, and highlighted the advancement Gujarat made in the agriculture sector when he was chief minister. Modi also interacted with five farmers from different states. They include: Saitoon Begum from Ganderabal district (Jammu and Kashmir), Darshan Pedenkar from Bardez (Goa) , Kulwant Singh from Bulandshahr (Uttar Pradesh), Thoiba Singh from Thouba (Manipur), besides Suresh Rana from Udham Singh Nagar (Uttarakhand). (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Stressing that the Covid virus may continue to transmit for a very long time, senior WHO official Poonam Khetrapal Singh says the level of immunity in a community, through vaccination and previous infection, will determine whether it will become endemic in the long run. WHO's South-East Asia region regional director added that there is need to get to a situation where "we are fully in control of the virus, and not the virus in control of us". The endemic stage is when a population learns to live with a virus, very different from the epidemic stage when the virus overwhelms a population. Populations where more people were previously infected and where vaccination coverage is high are expected to be less impacted by the virus in the future than other populations, Singh told PTI in an interview. "The COVID-19 virus is expected to continue to transmit for a very long time. A multitude of factors will decide whether the virus will become endemic in the long run, chief among them is the level of immunity in a community, both through vaccination and previous infection, she said. On the granting of emergency use authorisation (EUA) for the indigenously developed Covaxin, she said Bharat Biotech's dossier seeking WHO's Emergency Use Listing (EUL) is being reviewed by technical experts and "we can expect a decision when the process is complete". Discussing the role of booster doses to tackle waning immunity, Singh pointed out that cases and deaths in all countries are predominantly being driven by unvaccinated people. Using vaccines for booster doses constricts supply to countries where millions are still waiting for their first dose, she said. "Hence, WHO has called for a time-limited moratorium on COVID-19 booster doses until the end of 2021. This is to allow for at least 40 per cent of the population of each country - including those most at risk and health workers - to be vaccinated. We must remember that no one is safe till everyone is safe." She said there is currently no conclusive evidence that COVID-19 vaccine efficacy against severe disease and death wanes significantly over time. The vaccines, the expert emphasised, have remained effective in preventing severe disease and death. "However, WHO has not ruled out that boosters for some population groups may be warranted in future. WHO's recommendations on boosters will be guided by the scientific evidence, which is still evolving," she said. "To make a recommendation on the use of booster doses for the general population, more data is needed on optimal timing, safety and dosage of booster doses, which may differ between vaccine products. More extensive research is needed to study the effect of booster doses in the body." According to Singh, eradication is unlikely but what we can do is to prevent or minimise deaths, hospitalisations, tragedy and social, economic and health loss due to this pandemic. Current evidence, she said, shows that protection levels around the world remain low and most people continue to be susceptible to the virus. "WHO continues to recommend a strong public health response based on risk assessment, and for people to continue to protect themselves by getting vaccinated, maintaining physical distance, wearing a mask, avoiding poorly ventilated spaces, cleaning hands and following respiratory hygiene." Referring to the probability of a third Covid wave, Singh said another surge and how intense it will be will depend on all of us. "If we together continue to adhere to public health and social measures and continue to vaccinate people as fast as possible, it will be hard for the virus to infect enough people to cause another wave," she said. "From experience globally, there is enough evidence that the public health and social measures work, even against the Variants of Concern that are spreading more rapidly, and these measures are critical to limiting transmission of COVID-19 and reducing deaths. For the public health and social measures to be effective, they must be implemented well and timely and must be tailored to local settings and conditions." On India's decision to restart exporting COVID-19 vaccines, Singh said there is need for equity of vaccination administration globally to ensure that the most vulnerable such as frontline workers and the elderly are fully vaccinated. "At the moment, several low and lower-middle-income countries are lagging behind in vaccinating their vulnerable populations. An equitable vaccine distribution will also help check the emergence of variants by halting the spread of the virus." Singh also noted that the pandemic has given "once-in-a-century opportunity" to strengthen the health system to build back better. "We must invest in strengthening health system resilience to ensure health security and achieve universal health coverage. It means allocation of more resources for health and its efficient governance," she said. Now is also the time for countries to take lessons from the pandemic to strengthen health systems in her view. "Strong health systems that are primary healthcare-oriented, and which leave no one behind, create populations that are healthier, more productive and financially secure. Resilient health systems are the bedrock of emergency preparedness and response, and ensure that when acute events occur, essential health services can be maintained," Singh 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.) India's drug regulator on Tuesday allowed vaccine maker Serum Institute to enrol kids aged 7-11 years for its COVID-19 vaccine trial as the country prepares to protect children from the It has already administered more than 870 million doses to adults among its population of nearly 1.4 billion. "After detailed deliberation, the committee recommended for allowing enrolment of subjects of 7 to 11 years of age group as per the protocol," a subject expert panel of the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization said. Serum Institute is already conducting a trial of its COVID-19 vaccine, a domestically produced version of AstraZeneca's shot, in the 12-17 age group and has presented safety data for an initial 100 participants. So far, only drugmaker Zydus Cadila's DNA COVID-19 vaccine has received emergency use approval in India to be used in adults and children aged 12 years and above. (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 Delhi High Court Tuesday asked the police to file a status report on a plea seeking to ensure adequate security in district courts in the national capital in the wake of recent shootout inside the crowded Rohini courtroom here which left three people dead. Justice Rekha Palli issued notice to Delhi Police and Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) on a petition filed by a woman advocate and said the report be filed within five days. The court listed the matter for further hearing on October 11. The police informed the court that it was taking steps to ensure that the security in district courts is geared up adequately. The advocate said in her plea that she has been practising in various Delhi courts which have become unsafe and an easy terrain for gangsters to settle scores with each other, making courts unsafe for thousands of lawyers. The plea sought direction to Delhi Police and BCD to consider instructing all the police personnel at court entrances to ensure that they check the ID cards of every lawyer who enters the court premises. Jailed gangster Jitendra Gogi and his two assailants posing as lawyers were killed inside the Rohini courtroom on September 24 in a dramatic shootout that also saw the police fire bullets in retaliation, the officials had said. Video footage of the incident showed policemen and lawyers rushing out in panic as gunshots rang out inside courtroom number 207. The two gunmen dressed as lawyers are suspected to be members of rival Tillu gang, an official had said, adding that over 30 shots were fired. (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.) Despite the tone and the content of the remarks made by India and Pakistan against each other during the UN General Assembly, we always remain hopeful that dialogue can happen between the two nations, a spokesperson for UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has said. India slammed Pakistan at the UN after Prime Minister Imran Khan raked up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir in his address to the 76the UN General Assembly session on Friday. We heard the remarks, and I think, despite the tone and the content of the remarks, we always remain hopeful that dialogue can happen, maybe in a place that is not under the spotlights, Stphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, said at the daily press briefing on Monday. Dujarric was responding to a question that in the wake of the heated exchanges witnessed between India and Pakistan during the high level UN General Assembly session last week, is the UN concerned about peace in the region and if the Secretary General is planning to speak to leaders of the two countries. Exercising the Right of Reply, First Secretary Sneha Dubey said in the UN General Assembly that Pakistan, where terrorists enjoy free pass, is an "arsonist" disguising itself as a "fire-fighter", and the entire world has suffered as it nurtures dreaded terrorists like Osama bin Laden in its backyard. We exercise our Right of Reply to one more attempt by the leader of Pakistan to tarnish the image of this august Forum by bringing in matters internal to my country, and going so far as to spew falsehoods on the world stage, Dubey had said. While such statements deserve our collective contempt and sympathy for the mindset of the person who utters falsehood repeatedly, I am taking the floor to set the record straight, the young Indian diplomat said. Khan, in his address, had spoken about the August 5, 2019 decision of the Indian government on the abrogation of Article 370 as well as the death of pro-Pakistan leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Dubey strongly reiterated that the entire Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh "were, are and will always be an integral and inalienable part of India. This includes the areas that are under the illegal occupation of Pakistan. We call upon Pakistan to immediately vacate all areas under its illegal occupation. Pakistan too had then exercised its Right of Reply to the remarks made by Dubey. Khan and other Pakistani leaders and diplomats have consistently raked up the issue of Jammu and Kashmir and other internal matters of India in their addresses to the UN General Assembly and other forums of the world organisation. Pakistan's attempts to internationalise the Kashmir issue have gained no traction from the international community and the Member States, who maintain that Kashmir is a bilateral matter between the two countries. (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.) said on Tuesday that it has no choice but to take preventive measures like travel restrictions to contain COVID-19, as it reacted to a demonstration by stranded Indian students in front of its embassy in New Delhi. China's response came after reports from New Delhi said several Indian students, mostly studying medicine, held a demonstration in front of the Chinese embassy on Monday demanding Beijing to permit their return to re-join their studies. Asked for her reaction to the Indian students' demonstration in Delhi, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told a media briefing here: COVID-19 is still spreading in many parts of the world. So, in this context, the Chinese government has no choice but to take a lot of prevention and control measures, Hua said. Given the situation, is adjusting its measures in accordance with the evolving situation, in order to ensure the safe, healthy and orderly flow of Chinese and foreign travellers, she said. I want to stress that China's inbound prevention and control measures are applied to all inbound travellers, including its own citizens, she said. Last week, Indian ambassador to Vikram Misri criticised China's prolonged stringent travel restrictions, saying that: We are disappointed to see an unscientific approach with regard to several problems currently being faced by Indian students, businessmen, marine crew and exporters, to name a few." Besides over 23,000 Indian students studying in Chinese colleges, mostly medicine, hundreds of businessmen, employees, and their families have been stuck in India since last year. The curbs also resulted in several people either losing jobs, businesses, or separation of families. (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 government Tuesday said as directed by the Supreme Court, it will provide financial assistance of Rs 50,000 to the kin of each of those who died of COVID-19. This was informed by the chief of the Directorate of Medical Education and Training (DMET) Prof C B K Mohanty here. The amount will be paid from State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), according to norms. To implement the order of the Apex Court, the government will issue a special standard operating procedure (SOP), Mohanty said. The coastal state till September 28, 2021, has reported 8,187 COVID-19 deaths besides 53 fatalities in which the patients had different comorbidities. For re-audit of coronavirus-related deaths, a district-level committee will be formed very soon, he said. Apart from this, the next of kin of any COVID-19 patient, who died by suicide, and those who died in accidents, are also entitled to financial assistance, he said. Earlier the Centre in an affidavit filed before with the Supreme Court had said the funds will be paid by the state governments, sourced from their respective disaster response funds, and will be channelised through the Disaster Management Authority or the district administrations. The families concerned will submit their claims through a form issued by the state authorities along with specified documents, including those certifying the cause of death as COVID-19. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Home Affairs in a letter to the Chief Secretary, said: Rs 50,000 per deceased person, including those involved in relief operations or associated with preparedness activities, subject to the cause of death being certified as COVID-19 as per the guidelines jointly issued by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MH&FW) and Indian Council of Medical Research on 3rd September 2021 should be paid. The expenditure on this item will be incurred from SDRF only, in strict compliance with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) guidelines dated September 11, it said. The ex-gratia assistance will be applicable from the date of the first COVID-19 case reported in the country and will continue till de-notification of COVID-19 as a disaster or till further order, whichever is earlier, the letter 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.) Defence Minister on Tuesday urged private sector defence companies to invest in research and development, particularly in technologies relating to cyberspace. In an address at the annual session of the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, he said the rapid changes in global security scenario are expected to increase demand for military equipment and the Indian industry must focus on boosting production. Singh said the should take advantage of the policy reforms initiated by the government in the last few years to boost domestic defence manufacturing. "You are all aware that the global situation is changing very rapidly. There is no region in the world today that has not been affected by these changes," he said. "Its impact can be seen on trade, economy, communication, political equation and military power," Singh said, adding these changes are set to spur demand for military equipment. In this context, he urged the private sector to invest in research and development with a special focus on cyberspace. "We are providing a suitable growth environment to the private sector. Accordingly, we have opened up opportunities to build fighter jets, helicopters, submarines and tanks in India through the strategic partnership model," Singh said. The government has initiated a series of measures in the last couple of years to encourage the domestic defence industry. In August last year, Singh announced that India will stop the import of 101 weapons and military platforms like transport aircraft, light combat helicopters, conventional submarines, cruise missiles and sonar systems by 2024. A second negative list, putting import restrictions on 108 military weapons and systems such as next-generation corvettes, airborne early warning systems, tank engines and radars, was issued recently. In May last year, the government announced increasing the FDI limit from 49 per cent to 74 per cent under the automatic route in the defence sector. The government has been focusing on reducing dependence on imported military platforms and has decided to support domestic defence manufacturing. The defence ministry has set a goal of a turnover of USD 25 billion (Rs 1.75 lakh crore) in defence manufacturing by 2025 that included an export target of USD 5 billion (Rs 35,000 crore) worth of military hardware. (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.) Indias drug regulator on Tuesday allowed (SII) to conduct trials of the Novavax Covid-19 vaccine on children aged 7-11. Industry sources confirmed the development. The company had already started trials on 12-17-year-olds. The Subject Expert Committee (SEC), which is advising the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), allowed enrolling of candidates aged seven years and above. In July, the expert panel had recommended granting permission to SII for conducting phase 2 and 3 trials of Covovax, the Novavax candidate. The trials are to be conducted for children aged between two and 17 years, but the approvals for separate age groups would come in phases. The trials would roughly cover 920 children divided in multiple age groups. The next leg of trials would be on younger children aged two years and above. The blinded, randomised, placebo-controlled study is aimed at testing the immunogenicity, tolerability and safety of the Novavax candidate on a paediatric cohort. Covovax, the Novavax candidate, is said to have close to 90 per cent efficacy, but is yet to be approved for use anywhere. Adar Poonawalla, CEO of SII said a few days back that the company had started trials on the paediatric population, and three to four months is the minimum timeframe for the same. By January-February, there is a possibility that the Covovax (SII-manufactured Novavax vaccine) could be ready for approval for use among children. So far, Zydus Cadilas DNA Covid-19 vaccine has received emergency use approval in India for children aged 12 years and above. Meanwhile, its peer Bharat Biotech has completed trials on children. It is now analysing data before it can present it to the regulator. Covaxin trials have happened on children aged above two years. Bharat Biotech CMD Krishna Ella has claimed that Covaxin is safe for use among infants. Zydus Cadila is yet to launch its vaccine, which is already approved for adolescents aged 12 years and above. With schools slowly reopening across the country, and many states announcing the same after the upcoming festive season, the demand for paediatric vaccines is likely to increase in the weeks to come. New SPV to get powers to acquire and develop PSU land The new special purpose vehicle (SPV) for monetising assets of public sector enterprises may also get powers to acquire and develop land and other assets on a case-to-case basis, besides renting and leasing them out. There is little that Andreas Schmid, the Swiss-born chairman of Flughafen Zurich AG (Zurich Airport International AG), and Yogi Adityanath, chief minister of Uttar Pradesh (UP), could have in common. But Schmid, whose company is building the Noida airport in partnership with the UP government, finds himself on the same footing as the firebrand Hindutva leader who rules the state. Both hope the Rs 30,000-crore ($4 billion) project, hanging fire for 20 years, shows some progress when UP goes to the polls in 2022. Read more 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 emergency use authorisation (EUA) for Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin has once again been delayed by the World Health Organisation, said sources. The sources further said that the UN public health agency has asked for more data from Bharat Biotech for Covaxin. This delay will affect Indians especially students and who have international travel plans. The EUA is important because without it Covaxin will not be accepted by most countries. The Strategic Advisory Group of Expert on Immunization (SAGE) will be meeting on October 5 on EUA to Covaxin. "As a responsible manufacturer with past approvals for our other vaccines, we do not find it appropriate to speculate or comment on the regulatory approval process and its timelines. We are diligently working with the WHO to obtain EUL at the earliest," said Bharat Biotech in a statement. Earlier in an exclusive interview to ANI Dr Pravin Bharati Pawar, Minister of State for Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said, "There is the procedure of submitting the documents for approval. WHO's emergency use authorisation is expected soon." As a responsible manufacturer with past approvals for our other vaccines, we do not find it appropriate to speculate or comment on the regulatory approval process & its timelines. We are diligently working with the WHO to obtain EUL at the earliest: BharatBiotech pic.twitter.com/vuDXAp5wLq ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2021 Dr V K Paul, Member (Health), Niti Aayog also indicated in a press briefing that the WHO EUA is expected in the last week of September. According to Bharat Biotech Phase 3 clinical trials of Covaxin demonstrated an efficacy rate of 77.8 per cent. All the relevant trial data has been submitted to WHO, and all clarifications by the UN health agency have been responded to Bharat Biotech. "We have responded to any clarifications sought by WHO and are awaiting further feedback. As a responsible manufacturer with several prequalified vaccines, we do not find it appropriate to speculate or comment on the approval process and its timelines," the Hyderabad-based company said in a statement. The WHO has approved COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer -BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Johnson and Johnson, Moderna and Sinopharm. (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 notified tariff rate quota (TRQ) for certain items including pineapples, tunas, beer made from malt, rum and procedure for of those goods under India-Mauritius free trade agreement. The India-Mauritius Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement (CECPA), a kind of free-trade pact, came into effect from April 1. The pact covers 310 export items for India, including food and beverages, agricultural products, textile and textile articles, base metals, electricals and electronic items, plastics and chemicals, and wood. Mauritius benefits from preferential market access into India for its 615 products, including frozen fish, speciality sugar, biscuits, fresh fruits, juices, mineral water, beer, alcoholic drinks, soaps, bags, medical and surgical equipment, and apparel. "TRQ for items...on India-Mauritius CECPA and procedure for such is notified," the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a public notice. Items that are permitted under TRQ under the pact include pineapples (1,000 tonnes at 30 per cent duty), lichi (250 tonnes at 10 per cent duty), tunas (7,000 tonnes at zero duty), and beer made from malt (20 lakh litres at 25 per cent duty), rum (1.5 million litres at zero duty). The DGFT said all applications must accompany a pre-purchase agreement from one of the eligible exporters of specified items in Mauritius. "At the time of clearance of the import consignment, the importer in India must produce a certificate of origin issued by concerned authorities in Mauritius," it said adding that the year in respect of these will be from April to March 31. Allocation will be made equally among the eligible applicant subject to the quantity applied. (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 National Financial Regulatory Authority (NFRA) has asked the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) to conduct a regulatory impact assessment of its proposed revisions to the existing standards of companies. These standards are for companies that are not required to follow Indian Standards. Most of these companies would be private, small with very small net worth or turnover or indebtedness, according to NFRA. The regulatory authority has asked to reconsider the structure, form and contents of revised standards for such companies. It has asked that the standards should be aligned to the nature, size and complexity of these companies and their commercial needs, business size, capacity to comply with the prescribed standards, and relevance to their primary users. Public interest in the General Purpose Financial Statements (GPFSs) of these Companies would most likely be minimal. There are a number of Revised ASs which are very large and complex and may not be relevant and useful to the limited users of GPFSs of these companies, NFRA said in a statement. NFRA said that it wants to promote a regulatory environment conducive for the economic growth of such companies. The regulator said that the expected standard audit cost to perform reasonably good quality audit, performed in compliance with the letter and spirit of the Standards on Auditing (SAs) is significantly more than the presently reported audit fee range. A very large percentage of AS Companies have reported Payment to Auditors of less than Rs 25,000, NFRA said. The authority has asked to develop an approach paper in a transparent manner after extensive nation-wide consultation with the primary stakeholders including micro, small and medium companies and auditors. Comprehensive study and research should be undertaken on the costs to the Preparers of compliance with these Revised ASs and their technical resource capacity, which should be evaluated against the likely benefits to all the stakeholders of AS Companies, NFRA has told Ministry officials and representatives of rating agency Moody's on Tuesday discussed prospects, during which India pitched for an upgrade in its sovereign rating outlook. Sources said the meeting was attended by Chief Economic Advisor K V Subramanian and other officers from the Department of Economic Affairs and Moody's analyst. The meeting is a precursor to Moody's annual sovereign rating action. Moody's Investors Service had last year downgraded India's sovereign rating to 'Baa3' from 'Baa2', saying there will be challenges in the implementation of policies to mitigate risks of a sustained period of low growth and deteriorating fiscal position. The outlook on the sovereign rating is negative. During Tuesday's meeting, Ministry officials highlighted the upward trajectory of GDP growth seen in the June 2021 quarter and also the fiscal deficit and borrowing numbers. The Centre's fiscal deficit in the April-July 2021 period came in at only 21.3 per cent of full-year budget estimate (BE), mainly on account of curbs on expenditure and a rise in tax and non-tax revenue collection. In the same period last fiscal, the deficit was 103 per cent of the annual target. In line with its Budget estimates, the Centre has announced it would borrow Rs 5.03 lakh crore in the October-March period. The government had pegged its gross borrowing target for current fiscal at Rs 12.5 lakh crore in the 2021-22 Budget. The contracted 7.3 per cent in the 2020-21 fiscal. In the April-June quarter of current fiscal, the economy grew 20.1 per cent. Moody's has projected a 9.3 per cent growth in the current fiscal ending March 2022. For the calendar year 2021, Moody's has cut growth estimate sharply to 9.6 per cent. (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 Reserve Bank of Indias (RBI's) regulation around financial technology (fintech) should be more entity-based than activity-based, Deputy Governor T Rabi Sankar said on Tuesday. This is the first time a senior RBI official spoke on regulations around Big Tech after Google and Amazon announced their association in facilitating deposit products - a key focus of the banking regulator. During his speech, he mentioned why fintechs are not allowed in deposit products, but only as payment service providers. If a firm provides liquidity services, such as credit and deposit products, they should be regulated as strictly as other liquidity service providers, such as banks, he said. Big Tech and their regulations found mention several times in Sankars keynote address at the Global Fest 2021. As fintechs transform the financial landscape, the nature of regulation has to adjust, he said, adding the sheer diversity in the functioning of firms necessitated a widening of the regulatory perimeter. The approach to regulation also needs to adapt to the type of entity being regulated. While similar activities should attract uniform regulation in most cases, such activity-based regulation might be less effective than entity-based regulation when one is dealing with financial activities by Big Tech firms, said the deputy governor. While cybersecurity risks overshadow financial risks for all, systemic risks, operational risks, and risks affecting competition are of prime importance when dealing with large financial market infrastructure entities or Big Tech. With Big Tech in place, the differences between financial and non-financial firms are increasingly getting blurred and they no longer conform to boundaries. It is virtually impossible for legislation to catch up with the fast mutating fintech landscape, but in the interim, regulation must adapt, so that the financial system absorbs digital innovation in a non-disruptive manner. Regulation is sometimes defined as the process of slowing down change to give time for a system to adapt and evolve, said the deputy governor. There could be friction when a non-financial firm has to adhere to financial regulation, but slowing down the process of change is often the best way to ensure customer protection. Fintechs cannot be banks The RBI deputy governor also harped on the importance of banks in the financial intermediation process. A bank provides liquidity services to the economy by taking deposits and lending it out after some time, thus creating money. This temporal gap can be filled only by banks, and not by fintech players who can bridge the spatial gap through their reach. "It is easier to see why fintech, while it can improve the efficiency of intermediation, cannot replace the core nature of financial intermediation. It can bridge the spatial gap, but not the temporal gap," he said. Put another way, any fintech entity that provides such liquidity services is effectively functioning as a bank and therefore, should be subjected to the same legal/regulatory/supervisory regime that a bank is subjected to. This is one reason why in almost all countries, entities, other than banks, are not allowed to directly deal in deposit or deposit-like money," the RBI deputy governor said, without naming anyone. The ideal way is to identify fintech companies as enablers and partners. Competition to banks is not really from fintech firms but continues to be within banks that can leverage fintech, and those that cannot, he said. While India has one of the lowest digital frauds in the world, the focus should be on data storage, data safety and privacy, and customer protection from cybercrime. The RBIs initiatives, such as two-factor authentication and tokenisation, are often resisted by fintech providers, as resistance to change is couched in the guise of customer convenience. The deputy governor also said that cross-border payments remain a crucial area for the RBI, and here the central bank digital currency (CBDC) can play a role. Smooth cross-border payments remain stagnated, as issues like exchange rates, time zone differences, and varying regulations prevent such transfers. Fintechs and CBDCs can solve that problem. Particularly with CBDCs, payments can be almost instantaneous without needing any further settlements as they would be currencies maintained by central banks of two countries. The RBI recently tied up with the Monetary Authority of Singapore for one such cross-border payments service, on a reciprocal basis. PRI ESPL INT .SHEFFIELD FES10 ALZHEIMER-TREATMENT Alzheimer's disease: hyperbaric oxygen proposed as treatment in new study By Osman Shabir, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Sheffield Sheffield (UK), Sep 16 (The Conversation) Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of dementia, has long been associated with a build-up of plaques (clumps of protein) in the brain. Scientists in have shown that a type of oxygen therapy can stop new plaques forming and even remove existing plaques in mice with Alzheimer's. The scientists used a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease called 5xFAD. The genetically modified mice were treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy to see if they could halt or slow the disease progression. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurised chamber. In the chamber, the air pressure is increased two to three times higher than normal air pressure. It is commonly used to treat decompression sickness (a condition scuba divers can suffer from), carbon monoxide poisoning, and some forms of stroke or brain injury. It works by forcing increased oxygenation of tissues with low oxygen levels (hypoxia). And it could improve blood flow to the brain to nourish brain cells that are usually deprived of blood, and hence oxygen, in Alzheimer's disease. The scientists, from the University of Tel Aviv, treated 15 six-month-old mice (about 30 human years) with hyperbaric oxygen therapy for an hour a day, five days a week for four weeks. The therapy not only reduced the number and size of plaques in the brains of the mice, it also slowed the formation of new plaques, compared with a control group of mice who did not receive hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Blood flow to the brain is reduced in people with Alzheimer's. This study showed increased blood flow to the brain in the mice receiving oxygen therapy, which helps with the clearance of plaques from the brain, and reduces inflammation a hallmark of Alzheimer's. By improving blood flow to the brain, reducing plaque levels and reducing hypoxia, the mice undergoing daily oxygen therapy began to show improvements to their cognitive abilities, such as their spatial recognition memory as well as contextual memory the ability to remember emotional, social, spatial or temporal circumstances related to an event. Not just mice The researchers then used these findings to assess the effectiveness of oxygen therapy in six people over the age of 65 with cognitive decline. They found that 60 sessions of oxygen therapy, over 90 days, increased blood flow in certain areas of the brain and significantly improved the patients' cognitive abilities improved memory, attention and information processing speed. An earlier study found that oxygen therapy reduced plaques in the brain in another mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. And, before that, my colleagues and I published a study in Scientific Reports which showed that pure oxygen at normal atmospheric pressure can increase the blood volume in the brains of six-month-old mice with Alzheimer's disease, and this may be able to increase the clearance of plaques from the brain. Taken together, these findings suggest that oxygen therapy may be able to reduce cognitive decline associated with ageing and dementia in both mice and people. I don't think this can cure' Alzheimer's in humans, Professor Uri Ashery, lead author of the research, told The Times of Israel, but it may be able to significantly slow its progression and severity. However, it is important to note that the Israeli study was too small to draw any firm conclusions. Also, 60 sessions of pressurised oxygen therapy lasting an hour each is simply not feasible for most people. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy cannot yet be offered at home or in a care home, where most people with Alzheimer's will be based. And daily visits to a hospital or clinic is not a practical thing to do for most people with the disease. The chambers cost up to 100,000, with around an additional 1,500 on maintenance a year. And treatments cost between 40 and 250 per session. Given that there are close to a million people with dementia in the UK alone, it is clear that offering every patient hyperbaric oxygen therapy for 60 days is not currently workable or economically viable. And the results, while promising in mice, still need to be confirmed in people with Alzheimer's in large clinical trials. (The Conversation) NSA NSA 09161024 NNNN (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.) Australia's antitrust watchdog called for powers to curb Google's use of internet data to sell targeted ads, joining other regulators in saying the firm dominates the market to the point of hurting publishers, advertisers and consumers. The comments, in a report published on Tuesday, puts alongside Europe and Britain where regulators want to stop the Alphabet Inc unit trouncing rival advertisers by using the data it collects from people's online searches - including on maps and YouTube - to place marketing material. The U.S. justice department is meanwhile preparing an anti-monopoly lawsuit accusing of using its market muscle to hobble advertising rivals, according to media reports. "The Europeans and the U.K. are consulting on such laws at the moment and we're going to be trying to align with them over the next year," Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) Chair Rod Sims said in a Reuters interview. "I don't think we're far behind." Already this year said it was poised to withdraw core services from over a law - also recommended by the ACCC - forcing it to pay media for content that drives traffic to its search engine. It ultimately inked deals with most major outlets. said, following the report, that its advertising arm supported over 15,000 Australian jobs and contributed $2.45 billion to Australia's economy annually. "As one of the many advertising technology providers in Australia, we will continue to work collaboratively with industry and regulators to support a healthy ads ecosystem," a spokesperson said. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who commissioned the report, said the government would consider its findings and recommendations. 'BETTER INTERNET' While the U.S. justice department would likely use existing competition law against Google, the ACCC said in its 200-page report that Google's dominance of Australian was so entrenched that existing laws were insufficient to rein in any anticompetitive behaviour. More than 90% of clicks on Australian internet ads were at least partly the result of one of Google's offerings in 2020, the regulator said. The ACCC said the U.S. company benefited from vast amounts of internet user data from its search engine, mapping and YouTube video streaming services, and must be made to clarify publicly how it used that information to sell and display advertisements. It also wants special powers to address the imbalance of advertiser access to consumer data, such as introducing a rule that would stop a company from using data collected by one part of its business to sell targeted advertisements via another part without a rival company getting the same benefit. Sims said he expected the global push to increase regulation of Google's advertising business would raise the chances of cooperation between the U.S. internet giant and the regulator. "I just think they can see what's happening and it's in their interests that these rules are aligned (between countries) and it's in their interests that they're really well thought through," he said in the interview. "We don't want to stifle innovation, we don't want to have any negative effects, we just want to promote competition, reduce entry barriers, so that consumers get a better internet, better transparency about what's going on, and aren't paying too much." (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 senior White House official has said that she cannot "predict" when President would make a call to Prime Minister though there has been high-level engagements between the two countries. Prime Minister Khan during recent interviews to the American media has complained that a "busy" President Biden has not bothered to speak to him though Washington was seeking Pakistan's support in stabilising Afghanistan. Replying to a question during the daily briefing on Monday on whether there could be a call from Biden to Khan at some point soon, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said, "I don't have anything to predict at this point in time. If they do a call, we will of course read it out to all of you." The media, during the briefing, highlighted that as President Biden was meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, Khan took to the stage at the UN and delivered some "scathing criticism of the US' actions in Afghanistan and he lamented the lack of direct engagement between himself and President Biden. Responding to this, Psaki said that the US has been in touch at very high levels with leaders in from the State Department, from the Department of Defence, and from other key components of the Biden administration. "The President has not spoken with every foreign leader at this point in time; that is absolutely true. But he, of course, has a team an expert team deployed to do exactly that," she said. Psaki said that the US and were continuing to "work together and work on initiatives where we can, make clear where we have concern, but I wouldn't overread into a leader-to-leader call in that particular regard. "We have high-level engagement from the State Department, Defence Department, and others at this point." On Monday, the State Department announced that Deputy Secretary of State Wendy R Sherman will travel to Pakistan next month after her trip to India. Prime Minister Khan, while delivering his UNGA address on Friday, said that Pakistan has been blamed for the turn of events in Afghanistan, by politicians in the and some politicians in Europe. "I want them all to know, the country that suffered the most, apart from Afghanistan, was Pakistan, when we joined the US War on Terror after 9/11," he said. "Unfortunately, in trying to force a military solution is where the US went wrong," he said during his address. Khan had in the past expressed his disappointment over the US President's reluctance to talk to him since he came to office in January this year. "He is a busy man", Pakistan prime minister had said curtly about President Biden on September 15. Khan admitted that he had not spoken to Biden since the collapse of the Afghan government. When asked why Biden hadn't called him since coming into office in January, Khan curtly said: "He is a busy man" and later said Biden should be asked "why he is too busy to call". During an interaction with foreign journalists at his residence in August, he had said that he was not really "waiting" for a phone call from Biden. "I keep hearing that President Biden hasn't called me. It's his business. It's not like I am waiting for any phone call," he had said in response to a question. Khan, who had congratulated President Biden on his inauguration and expressed his desire to work with the new American administration to deepen bilateral ties, had said that Washington sees Pakistan as "useful" only for clearing the "mess" it has left behind in Afghanistan after 20 years of fighting and prefers India when it comes to forming a strategic partnership. (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.) touted its expanding military air power and hopes of capturing a growing share of its civil aviation market for domestic producers at a national air show inaugurated amid regional tensions over Taiwan and disruption from the pandemic. Typically held every other year in the southern resort of Zhuhai, Airshow opened on Tuesday after a year of delays caused by COVID-19, with a scaled-back foreign presence and a sharp focus on China's domestic and regional priorities. Flying demonstrations on a hot and hazy day that had crowds scrambling for shade included a smoke-trailing display by J-10 fighters from the Bayi aerobatic team. China's newer J-20 stealth fighter, which made its debut at Zhuhai in 2016, roared above dignitaries with domestic rather than Russian-made engines for the first time, state media said. On the ground, showcased a prototype of the CH-6 long-endurance drone, capable of reconnaissance and strike operations, and the WZ-7 high-altitude surveillance drone. Also capturing attention for the first time was the J-16D, an electronic attack version of China's J-16 fighter. "The scope and scale of high-end warfighting capability on display is definitely a step-up from previous shows," said Kelvin Wong, a Singapore-based defence editor at Janes. "The J-16D is a very important new addition to (China's) air force order of battle. It provides critical new electronic warfare elements designed to degrade an adversary's ability to attack and engage other People's Liberation Army air assets." Analysts said its show debut appeared to signal a push to counter Western and Taiwanese defences. "The J-16D is a special threat to Taiwan since it can attack anti-aircraft defences that Taiwan must rely on heavily in any Chinese attempt to forcibly take control of the island," said Bradley Perrett, a specialist on Asian aerospace and defence. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has stepped up military and political pressure to try and force the democratically ruled island to accept Chinese sovereignty. Speaking at an opening ceremony in Zhuhai, Chang Dingqiu, commander of China's air force, said its officers would "resolutely defend the reunification of the motherland". Taiwan this month proposed extra defence spending of almost $9 billion over the next five years, including on new missiles, in the face of what it called a "severe threat". CERTIFICATION WAIT Commercial planemakers, meanwhile, see strong post-pandemic prospects for the Chinese aviation market, with an increasing share of the spoils expected to go to domestic manufacturers. China is a key hunting ground for foreign aviation firms, thanks to the quick recovery in domestic travel, but the outlook is complicated by Beijing's desire to grow its own champions. The country's aviation regulator may be a stumbling block for foreign planemakers looking to boost sales in the world's biggest market for new planes. As Commercial Aircraft Corp of China (COMAC) ramps up production of the 90-seat ARJ21 regional jet, the regulator has not certified slightly larger offerings from Airbus and Brazil's Embraer. Franco-Italian turboprop maker ATR is also waiting for Chinese certification of its 42-600 model, it said last week. Airbus China CEO George Xu said it was in talks with China about certification, a crucial step to winning new orders. Outside China, the Airbus A220 entered service in 2016 and the Embraer E-Jet E2 family in 2018. China, however, has policies that favour its homegrown planes, such as offering them favourable airport slots, the Civil Aviation Administration of China said last year. Boeing is meanwhile waiting for approval of its 737 MAX after an almost two-year safety grounding. The ban, which has already been lifted in the West, could be eased around November after a successful test flight, people close to the matter said. COMAC on Tuesday forecast 20-year Chinese demand for 953 regional jets with 90 seats. Deputy marketing manager Yang Yang said there was enough room in the market for all players. "The aviation market is as vast as the Pacific Ocean, where we have our own competitive territories," he told reporters. COMAC expects local certification this year of its larger 160-seat C919, a rival to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families, though it will take time to ramp up production. (Reporting by David Kirton; additional reporting by Stella Qiu; writing by Jamie Freed, Tim Hepher; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Alex Richardson) (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.) Demand for transatlantic flights has jumped since the announced plans last week to reopen to fully vaccinated travellers from countries including most of Europe, German airline said on Tuesday. On some days last week, bookings for transatlantic flights were up threefold from the week before, with demand on some routes nearing pre-crisis levels, it said in a statement. The said last week it would reopen in November to air travellers from 33 countries including China, India, Brazil and most of Europe who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. For the large traditional European airline players, such as British Airways-owner IAG, and Air France-KLM, the decision represents a chance to recover the transatlantic routes that are key to their profits. said bookings for December flights to the reached pre-crisis levels last week. Both leisure and business travellers snapped up tickets for flights from Zurich and Frankfurt to New York and to Miami. Bookings last week for Premium Economy, Business and First Class flights to the United States was up compared with the same period in 2019. Lufthansa said it was launching additional flights to the United States to meet the jump in demand, offering three flights daily to Miami from November on carriers Lufthansa and SWISS. It is also considering adding more connections to New York, in addition to up to 55 weekly connections from its European hubs that it already has scheduled, to meet demand for pre-Christmas travel. As demand for flights to the United States soars, Lufthansa is also adding more feeder flights within Germany and to its European hubs in Austria, Belgium and Switzerland. (Reporting by Maria Sheahan, Editing by Louise Heavens) (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.) When Ludwig von Beethoven died in 1827, he was three years removed from the completion of his Ninth Symphony, a work heralded by many as his magnum opus. He had started work on his 10th Symphony but, due to deteriorating health, wasnt able to make much headway: All he left behind were some musical sketches. Ever since then, Beethoven fans and musicologists have puzzled and lamented over what could have been. His notes teased at some magnificent reward, albeit one that seemed forever out of reach. Now, thanks to the work of a team of historians, musicologists, composers and computer scientists, Beethovens vision will come to life. I presided over the side of the project, leading a group of scientists at the creative AI startup Playform AI that taught a machine both Beethovens entire body of work and his creative process. A full recording of Beethovens 10th Symphony is set to be released on Oct. 9, 2021, the same day as the world premiere performance scheduled to take place in Bonn, Germany the culmination of a two-year-plus effort. Past attempts hit a wall Around 1817, the Royal Philharmonic Society in London commissioned Beethoven to write his Ninth and 10th symphonies. Written for an orchestra, symphonies often contain four movements: the first is performed at a fast tempo, the second at a slower one, the third at a medium or fast tempo, and the last at a fast tempo. Beethoven completed his Ninth Symphony in 1824, which concludes with the timeless Ode to Joy. But when it came to the 10th Symphony, Beethoven didnt leave much behind, other than some musical notes and a handful of ideas he had jotted down. There have been some past attempts to reconstruct parts of Beethovens 10th Symphony. Most famously, in 1988, musicologist Barry Cooper ventured to complete the first and second movements. He wove together 250 bars of from the sketches to create what was, in his view, a production of the first movement that was faithful to Beethovens vision. Yet the sparseness of Beethovens sketches made it impossible for symphony experts to go beyond that first movement. Assembling the team In early 2019, Dr. Matthias Roder, the director of the Karajan Institute, an organization in Salzburg, Austria, that promotes music technology, contacted me. He explained that he was putting together a team to complete Beethovens 10th Symphony in celebration of the composers 250th birthday. Aware of my work on AI-generated art, he wanted to know if AI would be able to help fill in the blanks left by Beethoven. The challenge seemed daunting. To pull it off, AI would need to do something it had never done before. But I said I would give it a shot. Roder then compiled a team that included Austrian composer Walter Werzowa. Famous for writing Intels signature bong jingle, Werzowa was tasked with putting together a new kind of composition that would integrate what Beethoven left behind with what the AI would generate. Mark Gotham, a computational expert, led the effort to transcribe Beethovens sketches and process his entire body of work so the AI could be properly trained. The team also included Robert Levin, a musicologist at Harvard University who also happens to be an incredible pianist. Levin had previously finished a number of incomplete 18th-century works by Mozart and Johann Sebastian Bach. The project takes shape In June 2019, the group gathered for a two-day workshop at Harvards music library. In a large room with a piano, a blackboard and a stack of Beethovens sketchbooks spanning most of his known works, we talked about how fragments could be turned into a complete piece of music and how AI could help solve this puzzle, while still remaining faithful to Beethovens process and vision. The music experts in the room were eager to learn more about the sort of music AI had created in the past. I told them how AI had successfully generated music in the style of Bach. However, this was only a harmonization of an inputted melody that sounded like Bach. It didnt come close to what we needed to do: construct an entire symphony from a handful of phrases. Meanwhile, the scientists in the room myself included wanted to learn about what sort of materials were available, and how the experts envisioned using them to complete the symphony. The task at hand eventually crystallized. We would need to use notes and completed compositions from Beethovens entire body of work along with the available sketches from the 10th Symphony to create something that Beethoven himself might have written. This was a tremendous challenge. We didnt have a machine that we could feed sketches to, push a button and have it spit out a symphony. Most AI available at the time couldnt continue an uncompleted piece of music beyond a few additional seconds. We would need to push the boundaries of what creative AI could do by teaching the machine Beethovens creative process how he would take a few bars of music and painstakingly develop them into stirring symphonies, quartets and sonatas. Piecing together Beethovens creative process As the project progressed, the human side and the machine side of the collaboration evolved. Werzowa, Gotham, Levin, and Roder deciphered and transcribed the sketches from the 10th Symphony, trying to understand Beethovens intentions. Using his completed symphonies as a template, they attempted to piece together the puzzle of where the fragments of sketches should go which movement, which part of the movement. They had to make decisions, like determining whether a sketch indicated the starting point of a scherzo, which is a very lively part of the symphony, typically in the third movement. Or they might determine that a line of music was likely the basis of a fugue, which is a melody created by interweaving parts that all echo a central theme. The AI side of the project my side found itself grappling with a range of challenging tasks. First, and most fundamentally, we needed to figure out how to take a short phrase, or even just a motif, and use it to develop a longer, more complicated musical structure, just as Beethoven would have done. For example, the machine had to learn how Beethoven constructed the Fifth Symphony out of a basic four-note motif. Treasury Secretary has declined to return calls from the beleaguered head of the Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, since a scandal broke, indicating that the Biden administrations withholding of support for her goes beyond its public statements. Georgieva has made attempts to speak with Yellen but has failed to get through, people familiar with the matter said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. A bipartisan pair of top senators asked Yellen to ensure full accountability after an investigation found Georgieva improperly influenced a report in Chinas favour in her previous job at the World Bank. Given how critical it is that this data be and be seen as unimpeachable, these allegations are deeply disturbing, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez, a New Jersey Democrat, and ranking member Jim Risch of Idaho said in a September 22 letter seen by Bloomberg on Monday. The impact these allegations could have on the strength and reputation of out financial institutions and the Bretton Woods system are still unknown but surely they will not be good. The report from law firm WilmerHale, commissioned by the World Bank, alleged that Georgieva who took the helm of the in 2019 pressured bank staff to boost Chinas business-climate rating. Georgieva previously had easy access to Yellen, the people said, given the close nature of multilateral engagement between the and the Treasury. The pair spoke regularly earlier this year, Yellens calendars indicate, as the US and worked on initiatives including the funds planned $650 billion global reserves injection. The US is the largest shareholder in both the IMF and World Bank, and the Treasury Department manages those relationships. US Treasury spokeswoman Alexandra LaManna declined to comment on Yellens recent contact with Georgieva. An IMF spokesperson also declined to comment, as did a spokesperson for Georgieva. The credibility of the IMF is clearly being damaged, said Timothy Ash, a strategist at BlueBay Asset Management in London and a veteran analyst of emerging markets. He said Georgieva should step aside until the investigations are complete. A Treasury official said the department has reviewed the allegations of improper conduct and finds them to be concerning and serious. The department is awaiting the IMFs own assessment, the person said, speaking on the condition of anonymity. The IMF ethics committee is currently reviewing the findings of the World Bank-commissioned report. As we have made clear, Treasury believes the reports findings are serious and have warranted a full review by the IMF of the managing directors role in the Doing Business Report, Treasurys LaManna said, reiterating a statement made earlier this month. Oil demand will grow sharply in the next few years as economies recover from the pandemic, forecast on Tuesday, adding that the world needs to keep investing in production to avert a crunch despite an energy transition. The view from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries contrasts with that of the Energy Agency, which in a May report said investors should not fund new oil projects if the world wants to reach net zero emissions. Oil use will rise by 1.7 million barrels per day in 2023 to 101.6 million bpd, said its 2021 World Oil Outlook, adding to robust growth already predicted for 2021 and 2022 [OPEC/M], and pushing demand back above the pre-pandemic 2019 rate. "Energy and oil demand have picked up significantly in 2021 after the massive drop in 2020," Secretary General Mohammad Barkindo wrote in the foreword to the report. "Continued expansion is forecast for the longer term." With oil demand recovering, OPEC and its allies such as Russia - a grouping known as OPEC+ - are unwinding record supply cuts made last year. But there are signs some OPEC+ producers are unable to pump more due in part to a lack of investment, and that has boosted prices. OPEC also lowered its estimates for longer-term oil demand, citing changes to consumer behaviour brought about by the pandemic and competition from electric cars. Global demand is expected to plateau after 2035, the report said. Last year's report said world oil demand would exceed 2019's rate in 2022, not 2023. Now demand is expected to reach 106.6 million bpd in 2030, down 600,000 bpd from last year's figure and 11 million bpd lower than OPEC's view in 2007 of what 2030 demand would be. Assuming a faster take-up of existing technology, the Accelerated Policy and Technology Scenario, demand could be falling by the 2030s, according to an OPEC chart showing a more pronounced demand drop-off than a similar chart last year. "Tele/homeworking is becoming a norm for many companies as a result of the pandemic," OPEC said. "Long-term oil demand growth will be limited by growing penetration of electric vehicles." UNDERINVESTMENT Last year OPEC+ agreed record output cuts of 9.7 million bpd, the equivalent of 10% of global supply. With demand recovering, those barrels are being returned to the market but OPEC said it was essential to step up investment in supplies to avert a future crunch. Last year upstream oil capital spending dropped by nearly 30% to about $240 billion due to the pandemic. "It is clear that underinvestment remains one of the great challenges for the oil industry," Barkindo wrote. "Without the necessary investments, there is the potential for further volatility and a future energy shortfall." OPEC sees the demand for its oil rising in the next few years, but rising supply from the United States and other outside producers means OPEC output in 2026 will likely be 34.1 million bpd, below 2019's level, it said. The group shifted last year to acknowledging demand would peak one day, after predicting growth for years. This year's 2045 demand forecast was trimmed to 108.2 million bpd, down 900,000 bpd from last year. Still, OPEC is upbeat about its future prospects, seeing its market share rising in later decades as competition from non-OPEC producers will wane. OPEC expects U.S. tight oil output, another term for shale, to peak around 2030. "Oil is still expected to retain its number one position in the energy mix," Barkindo wrote. (Reporting by Alex Lawler; Editing by Susan Fenton and Alexander Smith) (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.) Electronics Co. is expected to report strong third-quarter earnings on the back of its semiconductor business and a weak won, analysts said. The South Korean tech giant was projected to log 16.3 trillion-won ($13.8 billion) in operating profit for the July-September period, up 31.9 per cent from a year earlier, while its sales were forecast to increase 12.2 per cent on-year to 75.1 trillion won over the period, according to the data from nine local brokerage houses compiled by Yonhap Infomax, reports Yonhap News Agency. Compared with the previous quarter, Samsung's third-quarter operating profit and sales were estimated to increase 29.7 per cent and 18 per cent, respectively. Samsung, the world's largest memory chip and smartphone producer, will announce its third-quarter earnings guidance next week. Analysts predict Samsung's semiconductor business once again anchored the company's performance in the third quarter thanks to price hikes in memory chips and enhanced yield rates. They expected Samsung's chip business to log around 10 trillion won in operating profit for the third quarter. Earlier this month, market researcher IC Insights predicted could log $22.32 billion in semiconductor sales in the third quarter and defend its status as the world's biggest chip seller. "For its chip business, profitability improvement through cost reductions played a big part," said Kim Kyung-min, an analyst at Hana Financial Investment. "That is possible due to enhanced yield of advanced nodes in the non-memory sector and cost reductions efforts in the 15-nanometer DRAM and 128-layer NAND flash products." With strong chip business, analysts said weak Korean won in the third quarter would have also contributed to Samsung's third quarter performance. Analysts also expected improved earnings from Samsung's display business due to seasonality and may post better than the second quarter when a one-time gain is reflected. They estimated the display unit to log around 1.5 trillion won in operating profit --IANS wh/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.) is dropping plans for its own mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine because of the dominant role of the BioNTech-Pfizer alliance as well as Moderna in the fight against the pandemic, the company said on Tuesday. The move highlights the challenges of competing in particular with pioneer BioNTech, which rose from obscurity through its alliance with pharma major Pfizer last year. The pair have delivered close to 1.5 billion doses so far, making them the western world's largest COVID-19 vaccine maker. French healthcare group will instead focus on efforts with British partner GlaxoSmithKline to bring another COVID-19 vaccine candidate to market based on the more conventional protein-based approach, where mass trials are ongoing. The decision to drop clinical development of the mRNA shot, acquired as part of its takeover of Translate Bio, came despite positive Phase I/II study interim results https://www. com/en/media-room/press-releases/2021/2021-09-28-08-00-00-2304069 announced on Tuesday where participants' blood readings showed a strong immune reaction. But Sanofi said the read-out encouraged it only to pursue the technology as a potential vaccine against influenza and other diseases, giving up on the area of COVID-19 because of the strong market presence of the two approved mRNA shots. "These results will clearly help inform the path forward for our mRNA development programs," said Jean-Francois Toussaint, global head of research and development at Sanofi Pasteur. The company said it started testing an mRNA shot against seasonal influenza in humans in June and will launch follow-on clinical studies next year. German biotech firm CureVac earlier this month also acknowledged rivals' dominance when it cancelled some of the contract manufacturing deals for its experimental mRNA COVID-19 vaccine with two prospective partners. CureVac's product is under review by the European Union's drugs regulator with an uncertain outcome after disappointing trial results. The mRNA vaccines trick the human body into producing proteins known as antigens that are found on the surface of the that causes COVID-19. That primes the immune system to quell future infections. Under the more traditional protein-based vaccine approach that Sanofi will now focus on, the antigen is bioengineered in labs and combined with an efficacy booster known as adjuvant, provided by GSK. Sanofi executive Thomas Triomphe told journalists in a briefing that the EU and Britain had ordered 75 million doses of this vaccine, banking on future regulatory approval. (Reporting by Ludwig Burger, Sarah White and Sudip Kar-Gupta, editing by Louise Heavens and 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.) Deadly terrorist attacks in have increased to the highest level in over four years as U.S. troops left and the took power, a sign of growing instability in the region that could hurt business and investments. has seen 35 attacks that left at least 52 civilians dead in August, the highest since February 2017, according to data compiled by the South Asia Terrorism Portal. Most of the violence has been attributed to Tehreek-e- Pakistan, an offshoot of the Afghan militant group that has been encouraged by developments next door. The Pakistani militant group has been emboldened further by what happened in Afghanistan, Umar Karim, a visiting fellow at the London-based Royal United Services Institute, said over the phone. The terrorist group had already been growing stronger much before the situation in with splinter groups merging over the past year or so. With the in control of Afghanistan, there are concerns in Islamabad that a spillover in terror activities could affect investments, including Chinas Belt and Road Initiative that has seen $25 billion poured into power plants and road projects. is already facing pressure from Beijing who called on the government to protect such projects after a bus explosion in July killed 12 workers, including nine Chinese citizens. Holding Back The growing instability and increased risk in the region have already prompted at least one foreign investor to hold back on acquiring a Pakistani company, according to two people familiar with the matter who asked not to be named, citing the private nature of the information. Pakistan is not talking about it openly, but its concerned about the re-emerging threat of the Pakistan Taliban, which had been crushed by a combination of U.S. drone strikes and domestic military operations, said Asfandyar Mir, a senior expert at the United States Institute of Peace. Pakistans state information minister Farrukh Habib did not respond to a request for a comment. Part of Pakistans worries stem from the fact that many militants wanted by its government have been freed from jails in when the Taliban swept to power. The Afghan militant group has assured Islamabad that their soil wont be used as a terror base but thats not been the case so far. Militants firing from Afghanistan killed two Pakistani soldiers last month in a clash which left many injured. Another seven soldiers died in September when the army attacked terrorists in South Waziristan, according to a statement sent by the armys media wing. US President Joe Biden's remarks to Prime Minister disparaging the US press and calling the Indian reporters "better behaved" has riled up the US media. As they sat down for their meeting on Friday and before reporters were ushed into the Oval Office, Biden was recorded on video telling Modi, "I think what we're going to do is bring in the press. The Indian press is much better behaved than the American press. I have to watch out." He added, "I think, with your permission, we could not answer questions because they won't ask any questions on point." Reporters raised the remarks on Monday with Biden's Spokesperson Jen Psaki, who defended her boss saying he didn't mean to be a hard on them. But she pointed out that the US reporters tend to ask questions unrelated to the topic he is talking about. Psaki said, "I think what he said is that they're not always 'on point.' Now, I know that isn't something that anyone wants to hear in here. But what I think he was conveying is, you know, today, he might want to talk about COVID vaccines; some of the questions were about that. He might want to talk about... and some of the questions are not always about the topic he's talking about on that day. I don't think it was meant to be a hard cut at the members of the media people he has taken questions from today and on Friday as well." Another reporter objected to the comparison between Indian and US media. She said, "The Indian press is ranked 142nd in the world, according to Reporters Without Borders, for press freedoms. How does he say that about the US press compared to the Indian press?" Psaki defended Biden's commitment to a free press globally and also mentioned the number of times he has spoken to the media as president. She said, "Having now worked for the President -- serving in this role for nine months, having seen that he's taking questions from the press more than 140 times, including today and Friday -- that he certainly respects the role of the press, the role of the freedom of free press." "We ensure that we have press with us, of course, when we travel; that we have press with us for sprays in foreign -- in foreign capitals; and we will continue to. And I think that should speak to his commitment to freedom of press around the world," she added. The France-based Reporters Without Borders index is often cited by some in the and by western organisations as an authoritative ranking. In fact, it is only an unscientific opinion poll of pre-selected persons that produces some bizarre rankings. The US is itself ranked at 44, below Burkina Faso, and Gabon. A more thorough study by Freedom House lists those two countries as "Not Free". Even western countries like Britain and Germany that are listed above the US have more restrictive media laws and censorship in some cases. Biden has criticised reporters as being "negative". After his meeting with Russian President Vladimit Putin in Geneva in June, he told US reporters, "Look, to be a good reporter, you've got to be negative. You've got to have a negative view of life, it seems to me," Biden told reporters. "You never ask a positive question." Modi does not hold open news conferences and face the media like Biden. Biden has a prepared list of reporters that he calls up at his news conferences and refers to notes as he answers, although he also sometimes calls up reporters spontaneously. He also has spontaneous encounters when he chooses to after making a statement or when he is going to someplace. A rotating group of reporters and other media staff put on a roster by the White House Correspondents Association always tails the president and shares its reports with the rest of the media. Biden's media crew tries to limit his media encounters to avoid any remarks that may go off the script and cause problems or embarrassment. Biden's media encounters are in sharp contrast to that of his predecessor Donald Trump who was more spontaneous -- but sometimes produced gaffes, dubious facts and muddled policy pronouncements. Trump had a very hostile relationship with most of the US media and this often erupted in personal attacks by both sides. Trump also gave the backhanded when he met with Modi in 2019. "You have great reporters, I wish I had reporters like this. You are doing better than anybody else. Where do you find these reporters? This is a great thing," he told Modi after Indian reporters shot several questions about Pakistan and terrorism. He appeared to consider their line of questioning supportive of Modi and patriotic, unlike the US media which was highly critical of him and his policies. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis) --IANS al/pgh (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.) Treasury Secretary is telling Congress that the Treasury Department will likely exhaust all of its extraordinary measures to avoid an unprecedented default on the government's obligations by October 18. Yellen warned Congress three weeks ago that the Treasury would run out of maneuvering room by mid-October. In a Tuesday letter, she said economists were able to issue a specific date based on the amount of revenue the US had received in September from corporate and private quarterly tax payments. Yellen's letter arrived the day after Senate Republicans blocked consideration of a bill to deal with the debt limit and approve a stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown Friday. We now expect that Treasury is likely to exhaust its extraordinary measures if Congress has not acted to raise or suspend the debt limit by October 18," Yellen said. At that point, we expect Treasury would be left with very limited resources that would be depleted quickly. Yellen said it was uncertain whether Treasury could meet all of the nation's commitments after that date. : guru and founder of Institute of (GLIM) here - Professor Bala V Balachandran died following a brief illness. He was not keeping well for some time and died in his sleep at 4 AM (local time) on September 27 in Chicago in the United States. He was 84 and is survived by wife, two sons and grandchildren, a press release from the institute said on Tuesday. "With profound grief, we inform you of the passing of Dr Bala V Balachandran, who was an inspiration to many. Although we will miss him dearly, we shall carry him in our hearts and live by the value system that he built for us," GLIM said of its chairman and dean (emeritus), a Padma Shri awardee. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin and India Cements Ltd Vice Chairman and Managing Director N Srinivasan were among those who extended their condolences to the bereaved family members. "I am pained to hear about the news of Bala V Balachandran who excelled in the field of and was also as an educationist," Stalin said. "I extend my deep condolences to his family members and the students of Institute of Management", he said in a official release. Srinivasan in his message, hailed professor Balachandran as an 'outstanding thought leader' and 'management guru'. "I am really saddened by the loss of my good friend Dr Bala Balachandran. I consider him as an outstanding thought leader and management guru. In the early 2000 when Chennai was emerging as a top investment destination, Bala made Chennai and Tamil Nadu proud by establishing the premier b school, Institute of Management...," Srinivasan said. Great Lakes Institute of Management has become a temple of learning not only for management students but also for the future leadership development programme of leading corporates, he said. "GLIM has firmly put Chennai on the international management education map. It will remain his landmark contribution to the city he loved the most," Srinivasan, also the Managing Director, India Cements Ltd, said. Born in Pudukottai district, Balachandran completed his studies at Annamalai University in Chidambaram. He had served in the Army briefly before moving to the United States to pursue his doctoral programme. Balachandran had played an instrumental role in establishing many management institutes in the country. He was honoured with the 'Padma Shri' award by the Centre for his contribution to education. In 2004, he set up the Great Lakes Institute of Management at Manamai, about 45 km from here, which is one of the popular business schools in the country now. An eminent scholar, Bala's life was filled with accomplishments and accolades of the finest kind, the release added. (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.) regulator on Tuesday decided on a framework for the social for fund raising by social enterprises. The framework for the Social (SSE) has been developed on the basis of the recommendations of a working group and technical group constituted by the regulator. After the board meeting on Tuesday, Chairman Ajay Tyagi said that SSE will be a separate segment of the existing stock exchanges. Social Enterprises (SEs) eligible to participate in the SSE should be entities -- Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs) and for-profit social enterprises -- having social intent and impact as their primary goal. Also, such an intent should be demonstrated through its focus on eligible social objectives for the underserved or less privileged populations or regions. The social enterprises will have to engage in a social activity out of the list of 15 broad activities approved by When asked about timeline for the SSE, Tyagi said that he can't specify the timeline for the exchange and will coordinate with government to take it ahead. With regard to fund raising, Sebi said eligible NPOs may raise funds through equity, zero-coupon zero principal bonds, mutual funds, social impact funds, and development impact bonds. NPOs desirous of raising funds on the SSE will required to be registered with the exchange. The regulator said that social venture funds under Sebi's Alternative Investment Funds norms will be rechristened as social impact funds. Also, the corpus requirements for such funds will be reduced from Rs 20 crore to Rs 5 crore. Further, the reference to "muted returns" will be removed. Sebi said it will make suitable amendments to its regulatory framework, towards mandating initial and continuous disclosures for social enterprises, covering aspects relating to governance, financial and social impact. It, further, said that social audit will be mandated for SEs raising funds or registered on SSE. To begin with only reputed firms/ institutions having expertise in the area of social audit will be allowed to carry out social audits employing social auditors who have qualified the certification course conducted by NISM. Further, a separate sustainability directorate under ICAI will function as an SRO for social auditors. The regulator said it will engage with NABARD, SIDBI and stock exchanges towards institution of a capacity building fund, with a corpus of Rs 100 crore. Operationalisation of the framework will require amendments to several norms and those will be taken up by Sebi, the regulator said. In May, a Sebi panel suggested that corporate foundations, political and religious organisations, among other entities should not be allowed to be on the SSE. The social is a novel concept in India and such a bourse is meant to serve private and non-profit sector providers by channelling greater capital to them. The idea of SSE was first floated by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget Speech 2019-20. (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.) Shares of state-owned electric utilities company registered a fresh 52-week high at Rs 132.10, up 4 per cent on the BSE in Tuesdays intra-day trade after the company confirmed the winning of 1.9 GW solar projects under Central Public Sector Undertaking (CPSU) scheme. The stock surpassed its previous high of Rs 127 hit on September 24, 2021. In past one month, the stock has rallied 16 per cent, as compared to 7 per cent rise in the S&P BSE Sensex. has won 1.9 GW in the auction of CPSU Scheme-II, Tranche-III of 5 GW. However, Company has no material information to add to above mentioned item which is in the normal course of business of the Company, said on clarification on report. Indian power sector is evolving at a fast pace and the power demand is increasing rapidly. India recently witnessed all-time high peak demand of 200.57 GW and energy met of 4508 MUs in a day on July 07, 2021. The country also registered a generation growth of 17.17 per cent in Q1FY2021-22. The growth in demand augurs well for your Company. These numbers coupled with Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative indicate that there is huge potential for growth in the power sector going forward, NTPC said in FY21 annual report. NTPC is a market leader in power generation, supplying around 23 per cent of the countrys electricity supply and thus plays a key role in Indias economic activity. Despite the COVID-19 threat, the company has been continuing with its long-term plan with a target to achieve total installed capacity of 130+ GW and a renewable energy (RE) capacity of 60 GW, by 2032. NTPC Renewable Energy Limited (NTPC REL), a wholly-owned subsidiary company of NTPC has been incorporated for a focused approach on green capacity addition. NTPC aims to transform itself to become a major energy player from currently a generation-only company. It has integrated The Brighter Plan 2032 into its core business strategy, which has 26 KPIs in seven business areas. NTPCs RE target of 60GW by CY32 looks achievable (the only hurdle may be related to demand for the power generated) and its seriousness is evident in the recent 450MW hybrid bid win at Rs 2.34/unit at SECI 1.2GW auction, and 325MW solar bid win at Rs 2.33/unit at RUMSL 450MW auction. We expect valuation rerating to happen as the percentage share of RE capacity increases over the years, which is also seen in the case global power utilities, analysts at ICICI Securities said in company update. Sebi's board on Tuesday cleared a proposal for setting up a gold exchange wherein the yellow metal will be traded in the form of electronic gold receipts and the bourse will help in having a transparent domestic spot price discovery mechanism. The instruments representing gold will be called Electronic Gold Receipts (EGRs) and will be notified as securities, Chairman Ajay Tyagi said at a press conference after the board meeting. "EGRs will have the trading, clearing and settlement features akin to any other securities," he said. Any recognised stock exchange, existing as well as new, can launch trading in EGRs in a separate segment. The denomination for trading of EGR and conversion of EGR into gold can be decided by the stock exchanges with the approval of The gold exchange, encompassing the entire ecosystem of trading of EGR and physical delivery of gold, is expected to create a vibrant gold ecosystem in India, said. According to the regulator, the exchange would be a national platform for buying and selling EGRs with underlying standardised gold in India and also create a national pricing structure for gold. "The gold exchange is expected to offer a host of benefits for the value chain participants as well as for the entire gold market ecosystem such as efficient and transparent price discovery, investment liquidity, assurance in the quality of gold etc," Sebi noted. The clearing corporation will settle the trades executed on the stock exchanges by way of transferring EGRs and funds to the buyer and seller respectively. The EGR holder can continue to hold the EGRs as long as intended since EGRs will have perpetual validity. Such holder at his discretion can also withdraw the underlying gold from the vaults upon surrender of EGRs. To lower the costs associated with withdrawal of gold from the vaults, Sebi said EGRs will be made "fungible" and "interoperability between vault managers" will be allowed. Spelling out the criteria for vault managers, Sebi said vault manager should be a body incorporated in India and should have a net worth of at least Rs 50 crore. The vault manager will be registered and regulated as a Sebi intermediary for providing vaulting services meant for gold deposited to create EGRs. The obligations of the vault manager include accepting deposits, storage and safekeeping of gold, creation as well as withdrawal of EGR, grievance redressal and periodic reconciliation of physical gold with the records of depository. Presenting the Budget for 2021-22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that Sebi will be the regulator for gold exchange and Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) will be strengthened to set up the commodity market ecosystem. Besides, the regulator has decided to relax eligibility requirements related to shares having superior voting rights, Tyagi said. On the social stock exchange, Tyagi said a proposal has been cleared for the creation of this exchange for fundraising by social enterprises. Tyagi further said he cannot specify the timeline for such exchange, and will coordinate with the government to take it ahead. "If there is any violation of regulations in Zee-Sony merger case, we will look into it," said Tyagi after the board meeting. The board also cleared a proposal to amend de-listing framework after an open offer and Investors Charter for securities market. Sebi also decided to relax eligibility requirements related to superior voting rights shares. Sebi board approved proposal to amend de-listing framework after open offer (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 initial public offer (IPO) by Aditya Birla Sun Life (ABAMC), among the fourth-largest asset management companies (AMC) in India, will open for subscription on Wednesday, September 29. The company, which is a joint venture between Aditya Birla Capital and Sun Life AMC, looks to raise Rs 2,768.3 crore through an offer for sale by its two promoters. Hence, the company will not receive any proceeds from the share sale. The is priced at Rs 695-712 per share and investors can bid for a minimum lot of 20 shares and in multiples thereof. Analysts recommend subscribing to the issue given the company's reasonable valuations, strong return on equity, diverse product portfolio and well recognised promoter group. Business Trends The company has a strong geographical presence and distribution network, comprising 194 branches in over 280 locations with over 66,000 distributors. Further, its asset under management (AUM) stood at Rs 2.9 lakh crore as of June 20, translating to a share of nearly 8.5 per cent of total industry AUM. The equity funds accounted for over 36 per cent of total AUM. AB Sun Life is looking to improve its equity-oriented scheme mix which can enhance its profitability, said analysts. That said, the share of SIP AUM increased to 41.7 per cent at the end of June 2021 from 25.7 per cent in March 2016. The figure was also higher than the industry share of 31.36 per cent as of June this fiscal. Further, the company has seen a consistent improvement in AUM share in Tier II and Tier III over the last three years. According to ICICI Direct a large part of industry growth is expected to come from these cities and AB Sun Life remains well placed to attract customers. Financial Snapshot The company's financial performance has not been impressive over the last two years. While the industrys average AUM clocked 14.5 per cent CAGR over FY19-FY21, ABAMCs AUM recorded a mere 3 per cent CAGR during the same period. However, consistent improvement in operating efficiency enabled the company to record a 9 per cent earnings CAGR over the same period, analysts at Reliance Securities noted. Cash flow generation remained strong, with cumulative OCF and FCF of Rs 1,320 crore and Rs 1,280 crore, respectively over FY19-FY21. Valuations The implied market cap of stands at 7.6 per cent of FY21 AUM, which is at a 40-55 per cent discount to peers HDFCAMC and Nippon Asset Management Company. Meanwhile, on a PE basis, it is valued at 39x of FY21 earnings, which also looks attractive compared to peers, analysts noted. Analyst Take Anand Rathi: Subscribe Given that the company is the largest non-bank affiliated AMC and among the four largest AMCs in India with well-recognised promoters, growing individual investor customer base, diverse product portfolio with high RoNW (return on net worth) of 30.87 per cent in FY21, we give this a Subscribe rating. Reliance Securities: Subscribe from long-term view The companys equity AUM exposure at 36 per cent is lower compared to peers. But it has been doing exceedingly well in improvising its operating efficiency over the years. Therefore, its RoE of 31 per cent in FY21 is superior to NAM and equivalent to that of Further, FCF yield at 2.4 per cent looks good. Sustained strong cash flow generation on the backdrop of continued rise in penetration level and improvement in equity AUM is likely to ensure healthy payout, going forward. We recommend Subscribe to the issue from long-term perspective. Religare Broking: Positive from long-term view ABSL AMC stands to benefit from strong industry prospects. It has a well-recognized and experienced promoter group that will support in building customer trust as well as improve SIP inflows. The company has seen a consistent improvement in AUM share and overall performance has been healthy. From the long-term perspective, we have a positive view of the company. Marwadi Shares and Finance: Subscribe We assign the Subscribe rating to this IPO as the company is the largest non-bank affiliated asset manager in India with a diverse product portfolio and geographically diversified pan-India distribution presence. Also, the company is available at a reasonable valuation as compared to its peers. Infosys announced the launch of the Leads and Proposals Solution as part of SAP's industry cloud portfolio for the professional services industry. This cloud-native business-to-business (B2B) solution, part of Infosys Cobalt, leverages predictive analytics, the SAP Analytics Cloud solution, and the SAP Conversational AI service, integrated with SAP S/4HANA Cloud to drive innovation in the professional services sector. Built on SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), the Leads and Proposals Solution is a modular industry-specific offering, designed to provide a lean yet intuitive way for enterprises to efficiently track leads, convert opportunities, enable lead nurturing, and manage pursuit cycles. This holistic solution comprises a configurable dashboard to enhance visibility into lead conversion, new clients, and the win/loss ratio. Infosys collaborated with SAP for its expertise and experience in SAP's industry cloud offering, advanced infrastructure, large resource pool, and a plethora of tools and accelerators developed for accelerating transformation programs. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jindal Steel & Power said that the credit rating agency ICRA upgraded its rating on the long-term bank facilities of the company to '[ICRA] A+' with 'Positive' outlook from '[ICRA] A' with 'Stable' outlook. The rating agency said has also upgraded its rating on the short-term bank facilities of JSPL to '[ICRA] A1+' from '[ICRA] A1'. Following the announcement, the scrip advanced 1.75% to currently trade at Rs 364.25 on the BSE. ICRA said that the rating upgrade factors in the company's sustained healthy and better-than-anticipated performance in recent quarters and a significant reduction in its debt levels, facilitating a material improvement in its credit metrics and liquidity profile. ICRA expects the company's consolidated Net Debt/ OPBDITA to decline to less than 1x by March 2022 from 4.60x in March 2020 and 1.54x in March 2021 (over expectations of less than 2.0 times for March 2021). Further, deleveraging and improvement in liquidity is estimated at an accelerated pace once the divestment of stake in its thermal power subsidiary, Jindal Power Limited (JPL), is concluded as per the revised terms of the deal. This remains a rating monitorable. The company has a capital expenditure plan in Angul (Odisha) under a wholly-owned subsidiary, Jindal Steel Odisha (JSOL), at an estimated outlay of Rs. 22,300 crore (gross of input tax credit). While this exposes the company to associated project risks, ICRA draws comfort from the company's established track record of over two decades in successful commissioning of greenfield/brownfield capacities and running its plants at healthy capacity utilisation. The 'Positive' outlook on JSPL's long-term rating reflects ICRA's expectation of a strong operating performance over the next 12 months in line with the improved operating environment in the domestic steel sector. Together with a material decline in the company's scheduled repayment obligations, this is expected to result in a further improvement in the company's debt coverage metrics. The ratings continue to draw strength from JSPL's established position as one of the leading steel producers in India with a sizeable presence in pelletisation, mining and captive power generation. JSPL is an industrial powerhouse with a dominant presence in steel, power, mining and infrastructure sectors. The company's consolidated net profit declined 73.5% to Rs 41.81 crore on a 62.8% rise in net sales to Rs 10,628.80 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 domestic equity barometers slumped in afternoon trade. Global cues were negative as investors fretted over China Evergrande Group's debt crisis and a widening power shortage in China. At 13:22 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was down 760.15 or 1.27% to 59,317.73. The Nifty 50 index traded 206.70 points or 1.16% lower at 17,648.40. Among the Nifty 50 stocks, Bharti Airtel (down 4.52%), Bajaj Finance (down 4.17%), Divis Lab (down 3.70%), Tech Mahindra (down 3.05%) and HCL Tech (down 2.77%) were the top index losers. Meanwhile, Power Grid Corporation of India (up 5.11%), Coal India (up 4.37%), IOC (up 3.33%), JSW Steel (up 2.24%) and ONGC (up 2.11%) bucked the trend. In broader market, the S&P BSE Mid-Cap index shed 0.93% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index fell 0.90%. The market breadth was negative. On the BSE, 1291 shares rose and 1876 shares fell. A total of 165 shares were unchanged. COVID-19 Update: Total COVID-19 confirmed cases worldwide stood at 232,316,272 with 4,756,251 deaths. India reported 292,206 active cases of COVID-19 infection and 447,373 deaths according to the data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. In the last 24 hours, India reported 18,795 new cases. The country posted less than 20,000 cases after 201 days. Active cases account for less than 1% of total cases, currently at 0.87%; Lowest since March 2020. India's Active caseload stands at 2,92,206; lowest in 192 days. Stocks in Spotlight: Websol Energy System jumped 8.34% to Rs 67.55 after the company said that the Websol Module has been approved by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE), Government of India. The company has also received approval of its module from Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and IEC 61215. The approvals have made Websol modules eligible to be sold in the domestic market for the project approved under the various schemes of the Government of India. The company further said that there are potential export opportunities as well. NTPC rose 4.57% to Rs 132.75 after the company won 1.9 gigawatt (GW) in the auction of CPSU Scheme-II, Tranche-III of 5 GW. Global Markets: Shares in Europe declined while Asian stocks were mixed on Monday, as global investors monitored a spike in U.S. bond yields and Chinese growth concerns. China is in the grip of a power crunch as a shortage of coal supplies, toughening emissions standards and strong demand from manufacturers and industry have pushed coal prices to record highs and triggered widespread curbs on usage. Meanwhile, investors are still waiting to find out what will happen to troubled Chinese conglomerate Evergrande and its enormous mountain of debt. European markets continued to digest the fallout of the German election on Tuesday after the vote on Sunday resulted in more uncertainty for the country. The center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) gained the largest share of the vote with 25.7% by a slim margin, with Angela Merkel's right-leaning bloc of the Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union gaining 24.1% of the vote. On the data front, German consumer morale for October has brightened unexpectedly, according to the GfK institute's consumer sentiment index, published Tuesday. The survey of around 2,000 Germans climbed to 0.3 points from a revised -1.1 points for September. US stocks closed mixed Friday as the market fell back under pressure amid concerns relating to China, COVID-19 and U.S. politics. Eyes will also be on U.S. fiscal policy with the House of Representatives due to vote on a $1 trillion infrastructure bill this week, while a September 30 deadline on funding federal agencies could force the second partial government shutdown in three years. 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 with steep losses on Tuesday, snapping their three-day rising streak. The Nifty managed to close near the 17,750 level after hitting an intraday low of 17,576.10 in mid afternoon trade. PSU banks rallied while IT shares corrected. As per the provisional closing data, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, declined 410.28 points or 0.68% to close at 59,667.60. The Nifty 50 index ended 106.5 points or 0.6% lower at 17,748.60. The sell off was wide spread. The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was down 0.71% while the S&P BSE Small-Cap index fell 0.62%. The market breadth was negative. On the BSE, 1512 shares rose and 1743 shares fell. A total of 170 shares were unchanged. COVID-19 Update: Total COVID-19 confirmed cases worldwide stood at 232,316,272 with 4,756,251 deaths. India reported 292,206 active cases of COVID-19 infection and 447,373 deaths according to the data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. In the last 24 hours, India reported 18,795 new cases. The country posted less than 20,000 cases after 201 days. Active cases account for less than 1% of total cases, currently at 0.87%; Lowest since March 2020. India's Active caseload stands at 2,92,206; lowest in 192 days. Stocks in Spotlight: Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals (GSFC) jumped 3.27% after the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) proposed anti-dumping duty for caprolactam. GSFC had filed an application before the designated authority in accordance with Customs Tariff Act, 1975 for initiation of anti-dumping investigation concerning imports of "caprolactam" originating in or exported from European Union, Korea RP, Russia and Thailand. The authority, on the basis of prima facie evidence submitted by GSFC, initiated the investigation and recommended an anti-dumping duty. Paisalo Digital gained 1.43% after the State Bank of India signed a service level agreement with the company for engagement as National Business Correspondent of the bank. Business correspondents are retail agents engaged by banks for providing banking services at various locations. They enable a bank to expand its outreach and offer range of banking services at low cost, as against setting up a brick and mortar branch which may not be viable in all cases. Websol Energy System jumped 8.34% after its solar module received MNRE approval. he approval has been granted under the list of "Approved Module Manufacturer (ALMM) issued by the Government of India". The company has also received approval of its module from Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and IEC 61215. Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) surged 6.85% after the company won an order from Goa Shipyard for supplying upgraded super rapid gun mount (SRGM). Anupam Rasayan India added nearly 1% after the company announced the signing of a Letter of Intent (LoI) worth Rs 145 crore with existing long-term European multinational customer. The European multinational firm is one of the top ten multinational company across the globe, the company said. The LoI is for supplying a new life science related active ingredient. The company will enter into a long-term contract for next three years to supply this life science related speciality chemical product. Whirlpool of India rose 0.9% after the company said it entered into agreements to acquire majority stake of Elica PB India. Whirlpool India initially acquired a 49% equity interest in Elica PB India in 2018. It will now acquire an additional 38% equity interest for $57 million to bring its total equity ownership to about 87%. NTPC rose 3.58% to Rs 131.5 after the company won 1.9 gigawatt (GW) in the auction of CPSU Scheme-II, Tranche-III of 5 GW. Sun Pharmaceutical Industries gained 3.4%. The drug company announced the launch of a novel formulation in cough management - Chericof 12 (dextromethorphan hydrobromide 30 mg and chlorpheniramine maleate 4 mg) in India. All cough syrups generally give relief for 6-8 hours, and hence a patient has to take it three to four times a day. Frequent dosing often leads to patient inconvenience and non-adherence to follow the regimen, which may compromise the efficacy of the medication. Global Markets: Shares in Europe declined while most Asian stocks closed lower on Tuesday, as global investors monitored a spike in U. S. bond yields and Chinese growth concerns. China is in the grip of a power crunch as a shortage of coal supplies, toughening emissions standards and strong demand from manufacturers and industry have pushed coal prices to record highs and triggered widespread curbs on usage. Meanwhile, investors are still waiting to find out what will happen to troubled Chinese conglomerate Evergrande and its enormous mountain of debt. European markets continued to digest the fallout of the German election on Tuesday after the vote on Sunday resulted in more uncertainty for the country. The center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD) gained the largest share of the vote with 25.7% by a slim margin, with Angela Merkel's right-leaning bloc of the Christian Democratic Union and Christian Social Union gaining 24.1% of the vote. On the data front, German consumer morale for October has brightened unexpectedly, according to the GfK institute's consumer sentiment index, published Tuesday. The survey of around 2,000 Germans climbed to 0.3 points from a revised -1.1 points for September. US stocks closed mixed Friday as the market fell back under pressure amid concerns relating to China, COVID-19 and U. S. politics. Eyes will also be on U. S. fiscal policy with the House of Representatives due to vote on a $1 trillion infrastructure bill this week, while a September 30 deadline on funding federal agencies could force the second partial government shutdown in three years. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Paisalo Digital jumped 4.74% to Rs 927.70 after the State Bank of India signed a service level agreement with the company for engagement as National Business Correspondent of the bank. Business correspondents are retail agents engaged by banks for providing banking services at various locations. They enable a bank to expand its outreach and offer range of banking services at low cost, as against setting up a brick and mortar branch which may not be viable in all cases. Accordingly, the company will be responsible for promoting financial inclusion by providing banking services through kiosks. Towards this objective of promoting financial inclusion and increasing the outreach, PaisaloDigital shall extend its services and reach to the vast under serviced segments of the market, especially in semi-urban and rural parts of India. As a national business correspondent for State Bank of India, the company will focus on building greater synergies and a more aggressive roll out of their already up and running fully digital small loan business under SBI-Paisalo Loan Co-origination. Santanu Agarwal, Deputy CEO, Paisalo Digital, shares, "Paisalo sees huge opportunity and is well positioned to capitalise on the huge Rs 8 lakh crore market of small ticket loans for our 365 million of under banked and under serviced population. This engagement will, besides promoting greater synergies and enabling a faster rollout of our joint digital lending products, also help increase Paisalo's fee and service income in future. Together with our fully digital SBI-Paisalo Loan Co-Origination Scheme, this is a big step forward in Paisalo's goal of creating the most competitive seamless banking solution for India's bottom of pyramid population. As on 30 June 2021, the State Bank of India and the SBI Life Insurance Company held 2.54% stake and 13.17% in the company, respectively. Separately, Paisalo Digital said that the operations and finance committee of the board has approved the allotment of fifteen unlisted, unsecured, unrated redeemable, non-convertible debentures (NCDs) of Rs 1 crore each on a private placement basis. The NCDs bear a coupon rate of 12% per annum. The instruments were allotted on 27 September 2021 and the tenure of the same is five years from the date of allotment. Paisalo Digital is a non-deposit taking NBFC registered with the Reserve Bank of India. The company primarily extends business loans to SME/corporates and income generation loans to individuals. The company's consolidated net profit rose 12.4% to Rs 16.94 crore on a 5.9% increase in total income to Rs 91.69 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.) Raymond rose 3.95% to Rs 465.50 after the company's board approved business consolidation to enable monetisation for value unlocking. The board of Raymond has approved a consolidation exercise, including the combination of its tools and hardware, and auto components businesses with its engineering business to improve synergies and explore monetisation options. In a regulatory filing on Monday (27 Sept), the company said its board has approved the consolidation of the tools and hardware, and auto components businesses into JK Files (India), a wholly-owned subsidiary. Further, the board has approved consolidation of its business-to-consumer (B2C) venture by transfer of its apparel business into Raymond. Meanwhile, the real estate business division will be turned into a wholly-owned subsidiary, Raymond said. In order to enable and execute the above decisions, the company has withdrawn the de-merger scheme of lifestyle business announced in November 2019. Commenting on this development, Gautam Hari Singhania, chairman & managing director said, "We are consolidating the business to explore all options available to us for monetization, which will enable deleveraging leading to value creation. Additionally, our Realty business has showcased performance since its launch and in order to realize its full potential it will now be a wholly owned subsidiary of Raymond. We continue to focus on our B2C business by bringing in operational efficiencies and synergies to strengthen our Lifestyle business." The company said its engineering business has achieved scale and improved market share in both domestic and global markets. These businesses have demonstrated growth in EBITDA margins, generated free cash flows and are debt free. The real estate business was launched in 2019 and started development of land in Thane. It is focused on delivering a value based offering. The real estate business will deliver around 3 million square feet of residential projects and has already achieved sales of over 70% of launched inventory of around 2 million square feet. The division plans to extend beyond Thane. On a consolidated basis, Raymond reported net loss of Rs 156.51 crore in Q1 June 2021 as against net loss of Rs 242.15 crore in Q1 June 2020. Net sales rose 406.07% to Rs 825.70 crore in Q1 June 2021 over Q1 June 2020. Raymond is India's largest integrated worsted suiting manufacturer that offers endtoend solutions for fabrics and garmenting. It has one of the largest exclusive retail networks in the country with around 1,500 stores in more than 600 towns. 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 Consultancy Services has been selected by NORD/LB, a leading German commercial bank, as its strategic partner for its IT transformation. NORD/LB has embarked on a transformation journey that targets a new business model by 2024, and a leaner, more agile operating model. It has partnered with TCS in this journey for the latter's extensive knowledge of Germany's banking and financial services as well as its proven track record of executing large transformation programs. As part of the five-year partnership, TCS will work with the bank to simplify and transform its application estate across multiple businesses - financial markets, wholesale and retail banking, through application consolidation and automation. TCS will help NORD/LB adopt newer technologies to automate manual processes in the application management environment and enhance operational resilience. Leveraging its deep knowledge of local banking norms, TCS will also build new features and functionality to support NORD/LBs transformation goals. 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 Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) stated yesterday that it has been decided, in consultation with the Government of India, that the limit for Ways and Means Advances (WMA) for the second half of the financial year 2021-22 (October 2021 to March 2022) be fixed at Rs 50000 crore. The Reserve Bank may trigger fresh floatation of market loans when the Government of India utilises 75 per cent of the WMA limit. The Reserve Bank retains the flexibility to revise the limit at any time, in consultation with the Government of India, taking into consideration the prevailing circumstances. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the sale of the national carrier enters its final phase, let me bring the readers interested in this saga up to speed. As the disinvestment secretary confirmed to the media, the Tata group and a consortium led by Ajay Singh have submitted bids for the enterprise value. By the end of next month, we will have some clarity on the technical and the financial bids. The two bids are believed to be competitive. (read not an Ajay Singh-style Rs 1 versus Rs 20,000 crore by the Tata group). But whatever the final numbers, most expect the national carrier to move into the Tata ... The told the on Tuesday that the plea by MP and his wife seeking quashing of its summons in a case, linked to an alleged coal scam in West Bengal, was premature and not maintainable. The ED argued that Banerjee and his wife Rujira are seeking quashing of the summons and not appearing before the probe agency for questioning and then claiming that they are not averse to the investigation and not coming in its way. It is like saying I am not getting married to a woman, I am only solemnising the marriage, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the ED, submitted before Justice Yogesh Khanna. The court was hearing a petition by Banerjee, nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, and his wife, challenging the September 10 summons issued to them and seeking to direct the ED not to summon them in Delhi as they are residents of West Bengal. The couple, asked by the agency to appear before it in person in Delhi on September 21 along with a voluminous set of documents, has contended that they are residents of Kolkata and should not be compelled to join the probe here. The 33-year-old MP represents the Diamond Harbour seat in Lok Sabha and is the national general secretary of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the Banerjee couple, said the ED was entitled to investigate under the Prevention of Act (PMLA) and there was no dispute in it. I don't know at this stage whether you wish to examine me as an accused or a witness. Under section 160 of the CrPC, you are obligated to interrogate me under the jurisdiction of police station where I am residing, he argued. Sibal countered the ED submission that the petition was premature as it is filed at the stage of issuance of summons, saying how can it be premature since Banerjee has challenged the legality of summons and raised a legal issue. It is a question of great ego on their part and not mine. The issue with them is how I can challenge government of India, he contended. Today they are calling and summoning the couple to Delhi, tomorrow they can ask it to come to Bombay or Kerala for questioning, Sibal said, adding, is there any law applicable in this country or not. Responding to this, Mehta said: "Your lordship reads newspaper and watches TV. Whenever law enforcement agencies go to Calcutta, your lordship knows what happens. They gherao' officials and stone pelting is resorted to. Their one line argument is that come to Calcutta if you can. Sibal strongly objected to this contention and said don't make political arguments here, don't talk of stones. Make legal submissions. Look at the way you have used law enforcing agencies. Mehta shot back that he was only making legal arguments and not political ones. The court listed the matter for further arguments on September 30. The high court had earlier refused to grant any interim relief to Banerjee and his wife in the matter. The ED has opposed the plea saying has national and trans-national ramifications and its investigation is not restricted to any police station or area. The petitioners' counsel had said he was not asking for any stay and he was only saying that they can do the questioning in West Bengal. He had claimed that before the summons reached Banerjee, it was leaked to the media and it seemed to be a mala fide and a completely fishing and roving enquiry and this is how the system is being used to denigrate us. Additional Solicitor General S V Raju and advocate Amit Mahajan, also representing the ED, had said under the PMLA, there is no territorial jurisdiction for carrying out investigation and there are no territorial limits unlike under the CrPC, where a police officer cannot go beyond his territorial jurisdiction. The plea has said a greater degree of protection is granted to a woman under Section 160 of the CrPC, which mandates that she shall not be required to attend any place other than where she resides. The ED lodged a case under the provisions of the PMLA on the basis of a November 2020 FIR registered by the CBI that alleged a multi-crore coal pilferage scam related to Eastern Coalfields Ltd mines in the state's Kunustoria and Kajora areas in and around Asansol. Local coal operative Anup Majhi alias Lala is alleged to be the prime suspect in the case. The ED had claimed that the MP was a beneficiary of funds obtained from this illegal trade. He has denied all charges. (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.) With likely to join the Congress party on Tuesday, Bihar state secretary Ram Naresh Pandey on Tuesday confirmed that some days ago Kanhaiya had taken out the AC installed by him in the CPI's state office in Patna. "I gave my consent because he had installed it at his own cost," Pandey said. Speaking to ANI Pandey said that he hopes that Kumar will take back his decision to join the Congress. Pandey said, "I still hope that will not join Congress because his mindset is communist and such people are strict with their ideology." Pandey also mentioned that Kumar participated in the Executive Council meeting of on September 4 and 5 in the capital, and added, "During the meeting, he never gave any intention of leaving the party, nor did he demand any specific party post." Former JNU students' union president and Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch (RDAM) MLA Jignesh Mewani from Gujarat are expected to join the Congress party on September 28. Currently, Kumar, a leader, is a member of the Executive Council, a top decision-making body of the party. Mewani is an independent MLA from the Vadgam constituency in Gujarat and convener of RDAM. In the 2017 Gujarat Assembly election, the Congress party did not field its candidate against Mewani in the Vadgam constituency. (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.) Congress leader Amarinder Singh on Tuesday headed to Delhi amid speculation about his future course of action, days after he quit as the chief minister. It is his first visit to the national capital after he resigned on September 18. Some media reports claimed he may meet some BJP leaders in Delhi after which Amarinder Singh's media adviser Raveen Thukral sought to clarify the reason for his visit. Thukral said he was on a personal visit to the national capital. "Too much being read into @capt_amarinder's visit to Delhi. He's on a personal visit, during which he'll meet some friends and also vacate Kapurthala house for the new CM. No need for any unnecessary speculation," tweeted Thukral. Later, at the Chandigarh airport, Amarinder said, "I have to go for some work which I am going for. I have to hand over the Kapurthala House." He said the media was "unnecessarily indulging in speculation". Just before the arrival of Amarinder Singh at the airport, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party leader Rahul Gandhi also reached the airport after returning from Himachal Pradesh. They were on their way to the national capital. Amarinder Singh had resigned amid a bitter power tussle with party leader Navjot Singh Sidhu. After resigning as chief minister, Amarinder Singh had said he felt "humiliated". Later, he had also called Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra "inexperienced". He had also dubbed Sidhu as "anti-national" and "dangerous", saying he would pit a strong candidate against the state party chief in the upcoming assembly polls. He had indicated he was still keeping his political options open, adding that he was talking to his friends before deciding on his future course of action. "You can be old at 40 and young at 80," he had said, making it clear that he did not see his age as a hurdle. (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 dismissed a petition on the by-election to the Bhabanipur assembly seat, ordering that polls will be held as scheduled on September 30. A division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice R Bharadwaj said it was inappropriate on the part of the chief secretary to have written such a letter in which he had appealed to the for holding the by-election at Bhabanipur. The court dismissed the PIL in which the language used to seek the by-poll was challenged. The chief secretary had in the letter said that a "constitutional crisis" would occur if the by-election to Bhabanipur was not held. Chief Minister is contesting from the Bhabanipur seat. (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 gave the go-ahead for the September 30 by-poll to Bhabanipur assembly seat, from where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting, saying it does not want to interfere with the Election Commission's decision at this stage. The court, however, severely berated H K Dwivedi, the state's chief secretary, for projecting himself "more as a servant of the political party in power than a public servant" by writing to the election panel seeking early by-poll in Bhabanipur to avoid a "constitutional crisis". Fayan Sinha, the petitioner, had filed a PIL for quashing the EC's decision to hold the by-poll on account of "misleading" submissions made by the chief secretary. Passing the order, a division bench presided over by Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal recorded its "strong reservation" about the conduct of the chief secretary in writing the letter to the EC. "As the process of election was initiated with the issuance of press note dated September 04, 2021 and the polling has to be held on September 30, 2021 we do not find it appropriate to interfere with the decision of the Commission to hold by-election to Bhabanipur Assembly Constituency at this stage," the high court said in its order. Taking exception to the letter, the bench, also comprising Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj, said the chief secretary is a public servant, who has to discharge his duties in terms of provisions of law, whosoever may be in power. The bench said a perusal of paragraph 6 of the press note issued by the EC shows that the information furnished by the chief secretary to the commission was contrary to facts. It said the EC was "misled" by the letter on the COVID-19 situation in the state being under control, as restrictions on account of the pandemic had been extended up to September 30. The EC was also misled about the flood situation as it is known to all that there had been excessive rains in the state, the court said. "Be that as it may, the most offensive part is the conduct of the Chief Secretary, who projected himself to be more as a servant of the political party in power than a public servant, whereby he stated that there would be constitutional crisis in case election to Bhabanipur Constituency is not held from where respondent No. 5 (Mamata Banerjee) wants to contest election," it said. "What constitutional crisis the Government could face with one person losing or winning election was not explained," the bench observed, and wondered "How the Chief Secretary knew that the respondent No. 5 was to contest election from Bhabanipur Assembly Constituency? He was not a party spokesman or a returning officer." The high court said the officer was not there to ensure that a particular person should come to power, and in the absence of that person, there would be a "constitutional crisis". The division bench said the petition will now be listed for hearing on November 17 for consideration of a host of "larger issues". The court had on September 24 said that an elected member (TMC's Sovandeb Chattopadhyay) from Bhabanipur constituency was made to resign so that the seat becomes available to enable Banerjee to contest the election. Noting that it costs crores of rupees to the public exchequer to hold elections, the court had said the decisions on such matters should not be left to the whims and fancies of people in power. The bench ordered the matter to be listed for hearing on November 17 to decide the larger issue as to who should bear the cost to be recurred by the state exchequer, if an elected candidate resigns from his constituency before completion of the term without there being any legal disability, to enable another person to contest the election from that constituency. (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.) Former JNU students' union president joined the on Tuesday in the presence of Rahul Gandhi, saying the "country cannot be saved" without "saving" the oldest party. Kumar addressed a press conference at the headquarters here along with independent Gujarat MLA and Dalit leader Jignesh Mevani who too extended his support to the ideology and said he would contest the next assembly polls on the Congress symbol. Asserting that it is detrimental to a country's interests if the Opposition is weakened as those in power become authoritarian, Kumar, who quit the Communist Party of India (CPI), described the Congress party as a "big ship" and said the small boats will survive only when the Congress is saved. "I have decided to join the country's oldest and most democratic party because I feel along with the lakhs of youths that if the Congress is not saved, the country will not be saved," he said. Both Kumar and Mevani earlier joined in garlanding the statue of freedom fighter Bhagat Singh near ITO to mark the martyr's birth anniversary. "In the kingdom of lies, revolution comes from the truth. The new and the old friends will have to participate in this Satyagraha together," Gandhi later tweeted using hashtag 'BhagatSingh'. Kumar, who was flanked at the press conference by Congress leaders K C Venugopal, Randeep Surjewala, Pawan Bansal and Hardik Patel, said the country is "in danger" and "we need the courage of Bhagat Singh, equality of Ambedkar and unity of Mahatma Gandhi". He also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing him as "Govinda of our times who changes his clothes often". "I joined the Congress party because I feel it is not only about some people but is an idea and the country needs to ponder over its present and future," he said. "This country has gone to pre-1947 days. I feel that one should not worry about saving one's bedroom when the entire area is on fire. There is a need to save the country. The Congress party is a party which would take forward the ideology of Mahatma Gandhi and Bhagat Singh," he said. Stressing that only Congress can lead this ideological battle that is being fought in this country., the former CPI leader said out of a total of 545 Lok Sabha seats there are at least 200 seats in the country where there is no alternative to the BJP except the Congress. "I feel the Congress is the biggest opposition party, if it is not saved, if the big ship is not saved, then small boats will also not survive. That is why I cannot move away from this historic responsibility given to me," he said. Kumar said one should understand the urgency of the nation and parties should set aside their differences to save the nation together. "This country belongs to all. This left and right is irrelevant as we have to fight the one who is the Govinda of our times, who keeps changing his dress. That is why the priority should be to save the Constitution and the country," he exhorted. Kumar also expressed his gratitude to the CPI, where he said he was born and brought up and received the strength to fight. "I was born in that party, but the manner in which it is putting up a fight, its speed needs to be enhanced," he said. "I exhort the crores of youths of the country that it is not the time to be a fence-sitter, but this is the time of urgency and in such times one should not think whether to go left or right," he said. If the Congress "is saved, then the aspirations of crores of youths will be saved, Gandhi's thinking, Bhagat Singh's dream of India and Ambedkar's India of equality will survive," Kumar told reporters. Kumar had joined the CPI ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election and had unsuccessfully contested from Begusarai in Bihar against Giriraj Singh of the BJP. Training his guns at the RSS, he said, "The Congress party is a democratic party....This family is not like the Sangh Parivaar. What kind of 'Parivaar' is that one which is formed by leaving one's own family." Mevani, who is currently a legislator in Gujarat and represents the Vadgam constituency, is the convener of the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch (RDAM). He said there is a sense of urgency to save the country and the youth should create an atmosphere in this regard. Mevani said he is not joining the Congress due to "technical reasons" as he is still an independent MLA, but announced that he will contest the next Gujarat election on the Congress symbol and will participate in all Congress activities and campaign for the 2022 Gujarat assembly polls. "My foremost responsibility is to save our Constitution, our democracy and our Idea of India, as they are all under attack today. I will fight with Congress symbol in 2022 and will participate in all Congress campaigns," he said. Mevani is a lawyer-activist and a former journalist. Mevani's entry into the Congress comes at a time when it is wooing the scheduled castes community after handpicking the first Dalit chief minister of Punjab. Charanjit Singh Channi succeeded Amarinder Singh as chief minister of Punjab, seen as a bold step by the party for wooing back the scheduled castes, traditionally considered the vote bank of the Congress. However, the party suffered a fresh setback in Punjab on Tuesday when state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned. Earlier, Surjewala praised and Mevani, saying they are struggling for the rights of the poor and downtrodden and have questioned the current dispensation. "They felt that their voice would be strengthened if they joined hands with the Congress part," he said. Venugopal said it is "one of the happiest moments" to welcome the two leaders into the party as he described Kumar as a symbol of the fight for freedom of expression in the country. "The way he fought against fundamentalism throughout his student days will enthuse the cadres of Congress party and the youth. We whole-heartedly welcome Kumar in the Congress party," he said. He said Mevani is also in the same fight as the Congress and believes in the Congress ideology of carrying everyone along. "We look forward to working with both in the coming days in defeating fundamentalists and fascist forces that are currently ruling India," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Chief Minister will embark on a two-day trip to during which he will make "big" announcements, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said on Tuesday. Kejriwal will visit Ludhiana on Wednesday and hold a meeting with traders there, the party said on Twitter. "Delhi Chief Minister will go on a two-day tour. He will visit Ludhiana tomorrow and meet traders. Kejriwal will hold a press conference on September 30. Will make big announcements in it," the AAP said in a tweet in Hindi. AAP's co-incharge Raghav Chadha also said that Kejriwal will make big announcements. "Chief Minister of Delhi @ArvindKejriwal will be on a two day visit to Punjab, starting tomorrow. Stay tuned for big announcements," he tweeted. The Punjab assembly elections are due early next year. (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 Tuesday asked the and others to respond to the government's appeal against the Calcutta High Court order directing court-monitored CBI probe into the cases of rape and murder during the post-poll violence in the state. A bench comprising Justices Vineet Saran and Aniruddha Bose, however, refused to direct the CBI that it should not register any more FIRs in such cases, saying no order should be passed without hearing the other side. You have made out the case for issuance of the notice, the bench told senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for the state government. The Mamata Banerjee-led state government is aggrieved by the high court verdict. A five-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court had ordered a CBI investigation into all the alleged cases of heinous crimes in after the assembly poll results this year, in which the ruling TMC came back to power, after accepting the recommendations of an NHRC panel. As regards other criminal cases related to post-poll violence, the high court had directed that they be investigated by a Special Investigation Team under the monitoring of the court. The high court verdict came on PILs which had alleged that people were subjected to assault, made to flee homes and properties were destroyed during the violence in the wake of the assembly elections and sought impartial probe into the incidents. (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 in will set up 100 war rooms to counter the RSS- propaganda. These war rooms will also be used to prevent party cadres from getting "lured" by the "regional parties" which have alienated from their primary ideologies for the sake of survival. A war room has been operations at the Committee (UPCC) headquarters in the state capital for the past six months. According to a senior party leader, General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who arrived in Lucknow on Monday evening, will formally begin meeting various groups in the party on Tuesday and also fine-tune the process for selection of candidates for the 2022 Assembly elections. "The Congress General Secretary is expected to discuss with party leaders, the finer points about the party's 'Pratigya Yatra' scheduled to be launched soon. The yatra will cover a distance of about 12,000 km to connect with people in all the major cities and Assembly constituencies of the state," said the leader. A party functionary said: "This is her second visit within a month and is expected to last for five days. Her mere presence has energised party workers who now feel that the party is determined to fight the enemy." Organisational leaders said that the Congress was working hard to position itself as the only chance against the "autocratic RSS and automated BJP". "The party will most likely roll out its poll campaign on the first day of Navratri. Besides holding yatras to spread the anti- message, Priyanka will also review the selection of candidates and meet the manifesto committee members besides her routine meetings," the functionary said. Sources said that Priyanka Gandhi Vadra may proceed to Varanasi from here to celebrate Gandhi Jayanti on Saturday. Meanwhile, the UPCC announced statewide demonstrations on Tuesday to demand a judicial probe into the incident and withdrawal of cases against the Congress leaders, the most recent being cases against former Congress MP Pramod Tiwari and Congress Legislature Party leader Aradhana Mishra in Pratapgarh. --IANS amita/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.) and on Tuesday announced a multibillion-euro defense deal, including Athens' decision to buy three French warships as part of a strategy to boost its defense capacities in the Eastern Mediterranean amid recurring tensions with longtime foe Turkey. President and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a defense and security strategic partnership in a joint news conference in Paris. This partnership expresses our will to increase and intensify our cooperation in the defense and security sector based on our mutual interests, Macron said. It will help protect the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity of both states." will purchase three French frigates to be built by defense contractor Naval Group in Lorient, in western The deal includes an option for the acquisition of a fourth frigate. Mitsotakis said it comes out of national motivation to shield our country, but also has a European motive as it strengthens our common defense industry." and are today taking a bold first step towards European strategic autonomy, he added, saying it's paving the way towards a Europe that ... will be able to defend (its interests) in the wider region, in the eastern Mediterranean, in the Middle East. The announcement comes at a key time for France after the loss this month of a USD 66 billion deal to sell diesel-electric submarines to Australia, which instead chose to acquire nuclear-powered submarines provided by the US. The three-way strategic defense alliance announced by Australia, the UK and the US came as a shock to French officials. Greece has already bought 18 French Rafale fighter jets and plans to purchase another six under a program to modernize its armed forces. Macron and Mitsotakis didn't immediately disclose further details of the deal. A top French official said the deal was worth several billion euros. Tensions between Greece and historic regional rival Turkey have increased in recent years over gas exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean and waters between the two countries. Both countries have been at loggerheads for decades over a long series of issues, including territorial rights in the Aegean Sea, maritime and aviation boundaries, and minority rights. (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.) TikTok said that its biggest markets are in the US, Europe, Brazil and Southeast Asia, even though its parent company ByteDance is headquartered in China. Short video-making platform has crossed one billion monthly active users around the world. The video-sharing platform, owned by ByteDance, said it had about 55 million global users by January 2018. That number grew to more than 271 million by December 2018 and 507 million by December 2019. "On behalf of the team, I want to say thank you," COO Vanessa Pappas said. "Wherever you are in the world, we definitely couldn't do this without you." Social media giant in comparison in the second quarter had 3.51 billion monthly users across its family of apps, up from 3.45 billion in the first quarter. Meanwhile, has over two billion monthly active users, having crossed the one billion mark in 2013, eight years after the company launched in 2005. TikTok said that its biggest markets are in the US, Europe, Brazil and Southeast Asia, even though its parent company is headquartered in China. In a latest development, TikTok is adding new warnings to its in-app search that will alert users when results may include "distressing content". The app has employed "sensitive content" warnings on individual videos since last year, but the updated alerts will appear in search results for terms that could include such content. In a blog post, TikTok uses the example of "scary makeup" as a search term that may prompt such a warning. Last year, the Indian government said it was banning 59 apps developed by Chinese firms, including ByteDance's TikTok over concerns that these apps were engaging in activities that threatened national security. --IANS wh/dpb (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.) Pune (Maharashtra) [India], September 28 (ANI/NewsVoir): ElasticRun on Tuesday announced the appointment of Shailendra Narang, as Director, Kredit Business. In this role, Shailendra will be responsible for building the rural credit business, bringing in solutions focused on improving the credit access for the underserved and unbanked rural kirana merchants. The largest and fastest-growing B2B e-commerce platform for rural India, ElasticRun is enabling businesses to expand their reach in deep rural India, hitherto untapped. With more than 100 top brands already benefitting through its deep rural store network, ElasticRun is now set to help rural business gain first time access to formal credit through banks and NBFCs. The company has already piloted the project with a few key players like RBL Bank, Loan Tap, Cash Kumar and Spice Money and now planning to expand the credit vertical, as a full-fledged business line. A well-respected industry veteran with over two decades of experience, Shailendra, comes to ElasticRun from Hero FinCorp, where he spearheaded the SME and Unsecured business. At ElasticRun, Shailendra will be leading Kredit business to develop strategic partnerships & alliances with financial institutions, digital and physical acquisition of stores and brands to drive consistent business growth, and identify critical advocates for the Kredit platform. Sandeep Deshmukh, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), ElasticRun, says, "I am pleased to welcome Shailendra as Director, Kredit platform. We believe that ElasticRun stands at the crossroads of exponential growth by using data and technology to tap into and service the needs of the deep rural markets across the country. 65% population lives in rural and is largely an under-serviced market as far as access to financial services is concerned. With our existing network capabilities, addition of Kredit business gives us a tremendous first movers advantage in the smaller markets." Upon joining ElasticRun, Shailendra Narang, Director, Kredit, remarked, "The hinterland of India consists of 650,000 villages inhabiting 850 million consumers. Rural FMCG is expanding at a CAGR of 18% and is anticipated to cross US$100 billion by 2025. More than 15 million rural merchants have been largely deprived of formal credit solutions. Rural kirana stores associated with ElasticRun are far more digital, engaged and connected. This unfolds the unprecedented opportunity to introduce Kredit to aid financial inclusion and fulfil the million dreams. I am thrilled to join ElasticRun and feel privileged to have the opportunity to influence the socio-economic system of rural India and beyond." Shailendra joins a slew of senior management hires at ElasticRun in the recent months. The company has been onboarding top talent across operations, human resources and business verticals. A performance-driven organisation, ElasticRun has been expanding business exponentially in the last few years. Set up on a state-of-the-art AI powered platform, it caters to industries across the board, including FMCG, Food, Manufacturing and E-commerce. By building the technology platforms for transactions, credit and data analytics, ElasticRun intends to become the de facto channel for Indian businesses to reach the under-serviced rural markets. Founded by Sandeep Deshmukh, Shitiz Bansal and Saurabh Nigam in 2016, ElasticRun has built a highly scalable national distribution network which gives large businesses instant access to the rural kirana shops. Through its tech enabled shared economy model, ElasticRun customers gain large scale and low-cost distribution to the traditionally untapped rural market, thereby significantly increasing their reach and access. India has over 12 million kirana shops across the country. Ten million of these are in rural markets, where sales are expected to grow to US$600 billion over the next few years. ElasticRun is a series D funded company, backed by Prosus Ventures, Avataar Venture Partners and Kalaari Capital. To know more, please visit: (https://elastic.run). This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 28 (ANI/BusinessWire India): (https://www.pando.ai/?utm_source=PR & amp;utm_medium=Newswire & amp;utm_campaign=Labelmaster-Pando) Pando, the leading provider of transportation management system for shippers, today announced the integration of its transportation management system (TMS) with the (https://www.labelmaster.com/software) Dangerous Goods Information System (DGIS) from Labelmaster. The partnership provides a seamless, integrated solution for planning and executing the shipment of dangerous goods (DG) and ensures compliance with global shipping regulations. Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, United States, (https://www.labelmaster.com) Labelmaster has been the go-to source for companies - big and small - to navigate and comply with the complex, ever-changing regulations that govern the transport of dangerous goods and hazardous materials. From hazmat labels and UN-certified packaging, hazmat placards and regulatory publications, to advanced technology and regulatory training, Labelmaster's comprehensive offering of industry-leading software, products, and services helps customers remain compliant with all dangerous goods regulations, mitigate risk, and maintain smooth, safe operations. Integrating DGIS into Pando's TMS offers a seamless process for managing the entire DG shipping process - from selecting packaging and labels to creating and printing documents. "Shippers around the world, are looking for out-of-the-box solutions for managing freight but, many of the transportation management systems lack the necessary DG management capabilities," said Ashok Vasan, President and Chief Revenue Officer, Pando. "By integrating DGIS with Pando's TMS, we can now give our customers access to best-in-class DG shipping software, on a single integrated interface." (https://www.pando.ai/?utm_source=PR & amp;utm_medium=Newswire & amp;utm_campaign=Labelmaster-Pando) Pando's TMS will now allow shippers to access up-to-date hazmat tables, compliant shipping papers and more. DGIS also validates all DG data against the latest rules and regulations, reducing the chance for a rejected shipment or fines due to noncompliance, and helping maintain a smooth supply chain. "Shipping dangerous goods involves complex rules and regulations but, unfortunately, the process is often highly manual, and can be cumbersome to manage and update and highly prone to errors," said Alan Schoen, president, Labelmaster. "Integrating the two systems enables organizations to automate and streamline their shipping processes by providing all of the necessary DG shipping forms and rules within the Pando TMS. Pando customers can be confident that their shipments are compliant with the latest regulations and reduce the risk on supply chain delays and expense." This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 28 (ANI): Ten organizations across India have been selected as grantees through the WomenConnect Challenge India, launched by Reliance Foundation and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). Through this initiative, over Rs 11 crores (over USD 1.5 million) has been invested to help close the gender digital divide and of this, Reliance Foundation has supported Rs 8.5 crore (over USD 1.1 million) in grants for projects for creating innovative solutions to address the issue. Over 3 lakh (300,000) women and girls across 17 states will benefit from initiatives to close the gender digital divide and increase women's economic empowerment through technology. Speaking on the announcement, Nita M Ambani, Founder-Chairperson, Reliance Foundation, said, "It has been our mission to enable and empower women in every walk of life. When we launched Jio, we envisioned a digital revolution that will be an equal opportunity revolution. Through Jio, we have been providing affordable connectivity across the length and breadth of our country." She further said, "Reliance Foundation has also been working in partnership with USAID towards bridging the gender digital divide in India. Technology is a powerful means to address and eliminate inequality. I congratulate and welcome on board the ten winners of our WomenConnect Challenge India on this journey of transformation." The 10 grantees are Anudip Foundation, Barefoot College International, Centre for Youth and Social Development, Friends of Women's World Banking, Naandi Foundation, Professional Assistance for Development Action, Society for Development Alternatives, Solidaridad Regional Expertise Centre, TNS India Foundation and ZMQ Development. The solutions address women farmers, entrepreneurs, members of Self-Help Groups to address social and cultural barriers to bridge the gender digital divide. The WomenConnect Challenge India was launched in August 2020. From a pool of over 180 applications, 10 organisations were selected with grants between INR 75 lakhs to 1 crore each (USD 100,000 - USD 135,000), for over a period of 12 to 15 months. In January 2021, USAID and Reliance Foundation jointly hosted a Solvers Symposium bringing together semi-finalists and external experts for capacity building while brainstorming on the gender digital divide in India. Mobile internet awareness has been increasing each year among women. While in 2017 only 19 per cent of women in India were aware of mobile internet; in 2020 this increased to 53 per cent. In terms of ownership, 67 per cent of women own a mobile phone compared to 79 per cent of men. Through the years, initiatives by Reliance Foundation have aimed to bridge the digital divide. Through Reliance Jio, over 1.3 billion Indians saw a pan-India digital revolution that transformed lives. Today, Jio is the largest digital services company in India, and the second-largest in the world, with 120 million women Jio users, and the number is growing rapidly to bridge the digital divide. The WomenConnect Challenge is a global call for solutions to improve women's participation in everyday life by meaningfully changing the ways women access and use technology. USAID has partnered with Reliance Foundation to support new approaches that close the gender digital divide in India and new grantees will focus on proven strategies from previous WomenConnect rounds to increase women's economic empowerment. (ANI) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], September 28 (ANI/PRNewswire): (https://www.sgsgroup.in) SGS expands its food testing capabilities with the launch of the (https://www.sgsgroup.in/en-gb/campaigns/advanced-centre-for-testing" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Advanced Centre of Testing (ACT) at its laboratory premises at Ambattur, Chennai. The ACT provides specialized services for targeted and non-targeted detection of various contaminants, digital sensory analysis, and DNA based molecular solutions. The advanced capabilities will help the agriculture and food industry combat fraud, ensure authenticity, enhance safety, and improve quality of food products to build consumer trust. As food products progress from farm to fork, they can be vulnerable to fraud and contamination at various points in the supply chain. This requires strict surveillance to ensure integrity and quality of the food products when delivered to the customer. The ACT deploys advanced scientific equipment to detect and identify compounds, characterize sensorial attributes, and identify organisms, with fast turn-around times and also allows retrospective data analytics. Advanced Centre of Testing capabilities: High-resolution accurate mass spectrometry for targeted and non-targeted screening of agro-chemical residues, pesticides, contaminants, antibiotics, veterinary drugs, steroids, nitrosamines, hormones etc. Electronic nose (e-nose) and Electronic tongue (e-tongue) for digital sensory evaluation with unbiased, precise organoleptic evaluation. Next Generation Sequencing technology (NGS) and Digital PCR to provide DNA-based and molecular-biology solutions for probiotic testing, halal testing, vegan testing, GMO testing, food adulteration, plant, meat and fish identification, allergens, and bacterial species identification. The ACT provides powerful solutions to the agriculture and food industry to take quality control to the next level and improve speed to market with fast, precise, and reliable results. The SGS laboratory at Ambattur, Chennai provides a comprehensive range of solutions towards quality testing of food and agricultural products. It is accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) for conformance to ISO 17025:2017, and is uniquely positioned to meet the growing needs of manufacturers in the agriculture, food as well as cosmetics industry by delivering a broad spectrum of quality, safety, authenticity, and sustainability services. Find out more about the Advanced Centre of Testing at our website: (https://www.sgsgroup.in/en-gb/campaigns/advanced-centre-for-testing) This story is provided by PRNewswire. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PRNewswire) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Indore (Madhya Pradesh)[India], September 28 (ANI/NewsVoir): Sri Aurobindo Institute of Pharmacy, Indore held Two days Online National Conference on the theme of Genetic Based Pharmaceutical formulations. It was sponsored by AICTE, New Delhi Despite many differences in body types and genetic disposition, everyone is likely to receive the same medical care for a given disease following a standard medical protocol during the sickness. Modern medicine has been using the "one-size-fits-all" approach to medication that has supported broad population averages but there has been a constant attempt to customise healthcare with medical decisions, treatments and practices based on the patient's genetics and body type. This approach called "Precision and Personalized Medicine" was the topic of this two day AICTE Sponsored Online National Conference on the theme of "Precision Medicine: Current Scenario and Future Aspects" held on 24th-25th September, 2021 by Sri Aurobindo Institute of Pharmacy (SAIP). The conference was inaugurated by the Chief Guest, Professor Shailendra Saraf (Vice President, Pharmacy Council of India, New Delhi), Guest of honour Professor Rajendra B. Kakade (Advisor, AICTE, New Delhi) and Dr. Rao V.S.V. Vadlamudi (President, Commonwealth Pharmacists Association). Chief Guest Professor Shailendra Saraf Vice President, Pharmacy Council of India, New Delhi enlightened the guests and delegates about the importance of Precision Medicine with the example of Charak Samhita which quoted, "Every individual is different from another and hence should be considered as a different entity" and also mentioned how concept of Precision Medicine (Genetic Based Pharmaceutical formulations) was already found in Ayurveda and Natural Medicine for 500 years in India and the same concept now lays foundation for Modern Pharmaceutical Research of the future." Guest of honour, Professor Rajendra B. Kakade (Advisor, AICTE, New Delhi) spoke about the contribution and importance of All India Technical Education in Pharmacy amongst the guests and participants. Guest of honour, Dr. Rao.VSV. Vadlamudi (President, Commonwealth Pharmacists Association) also shared his wisdom on the topic with the delegates and participants. The Chief Patron of the Conference Mr. Kinshuk Trivedi General Secretary, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Pharmacy said, "It has been a constant endeavour at SAIP to create an exceptional learning environment driven by research and innovation, and it is through conference and deliberations like these that has resulted in Sri Aurobindo Institute of Pharmacy emerging as the best pharmacy institute of Madhya Pradesh." Prof. Saraf (Vice President, PCI) also urged the delegates and speakers to produce a Conference White Paper on Precision Medicine which can be submitted to Pharmacy Council of India so that the subject can be included in the regular curriculum of pharmacy students. More than 450 participants from different states of the country participated in the conference and more than 150 participants in their poster presentations apprised all the delegates about the progress in precision medicine through research outcomes. Invited distinguished speakers from the pharmacy world like Prof. S. P. Vyas (Ex-Professor and Head, Dr. Harisingh Gour University, Sagar) Dr. Sarika Jalan Professor (Indian Institute of Technology, Indore) Dr. Vivekanandan Kalaselvan (Senior Principal Scientific Officer, Indian Pharmacopoeial Commission, New Delhi) Professor Sunil Dhaneshwar (Pro-Vice Chancellor, Amity University, Lucknow) Professor O. P. Katare (Professor, Punjab University, Chandigarh) Professor N.K. Jain (Ex-Professor and Head, Dr. Harisingh Gaur University, Sagar) Dr. Divya (Senior Application Scientist, Altem Technology Pvt. Ltd., Karnataka) were apprised about implementation of modern technology and therapies like nanomedicine, genomic variations, liposomes, artificial intelligence and materiovigilance in the field of Pharmacy. Prof. S. C. Chaturvedi (Director), Dr. Gaurav Kant Saraogi (Principal) and Dr. Sudha Vengurlekar (Dean Research, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Pharmacy, Indore) were also present in the inauguration programme. Mr. Sunil Dwivedi (Vice-Principal, Sri Aurobindo Institute of Pharmacy, Indore) gave the vote of thanks. This story is provided by NewsVoir. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/NewsVoir) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 28 (ANI/BusinessWire India): XECH, India's fastest growing startup and a leading technology innovation brand recently launched the 2021 edition of their iSoothe Eye Massager. iSoothe comes with 5 different massage modes that use a combination of warm heat compression; intelligent air pressure, rhythmic vibration & point massage technology to help relieve stress and fatigue. It also comes with an intelligently programmed 15-minute massage script that targets specific pressure points around the eyes to beat the exhaustion from constant screen time amid WFH. The past quarter has seen a phenomenal rise in the sales of the eye massager at XECH owing to its unique features and usability in the current times. "India is one of the leading emerging consumer markets and we are seeing a need for products that address sleep deprivation & stress majorly due to the eye strain arising from increased exposure to digital screens. XECH is a known innovator when it comes to designing products which helps enhance the lives of the everyday consumers. iSoothe has thus been designed specifically to massage & relax the muscles around the eyes to promote a healthy lifestyle. We are glad that iSoothe has received so much love from consumers across the country", Shares Pranay Punjabi, Founder & Director, XECH. XECH iSoothe Eye Massager comes with an in-built speaker and Bluetooth connectivity to allow users to play ambient music to enhance the massage therapy sessions allowing one to relax & sleep better. At the heart of the eye massager is an intelligent microchip that automatically controls and optimizes the intensity of massager. This innovative eye massager comes with multiple unique features like - Five Massage Modes to choose from: Automatic, Fresh, Smart, Lenses and Sleep Mode In-built Music Bluetooth Music Powerful Rechargeable Battery Snug Fit around the eye 180-degree foldable design XECH iSoothe has proven to be extremely efficient to help provide relief against: Eye strain due to excessive screen time, Tired Eyes, Dry Eyes, Headaches, Sleep issues etc. and even Sinusitis for some. The iSoothe eye massager box includes the eye massager machine, a USB charging cable, a comprehensive user manual, product authenticator & a warranty card. The XECH iSoothe Eye Massager is available across India on leading E-commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, TataCliq and at select retail chains like Croma, Reliance Digital and at (https://xech.com/). Website: (https://xech.com/products/xech-isoothe-eye-massager) This story is provided by BusinessWire India. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/BusinessWire India) DISCLAIMER (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Market participants will closely watch Sebi's board meeting scheduled today for the regulator's decision on a few important things. While private equity firms could be allowed to acquire or set up their own asset management companies, a decision on superior voting rights may give founders of new-age companies more flexibility to raise capital before going public. Also of interest will be whether will rethink a move to the T+1 settlement cycle from T+2 earlier, especially after a vehement opposition to the proposal by foreign portfolio investors. Though the proposal is yet to be implemented, the FPIs have warned of a reversal of gains by unforeseen consequences of moving to the new system. They have opposed the move citing several operational challenges like time zone difference, cumbersome information flow process and lack of supportive infrastructure. plans to unveil T+1 cycle from January 2022, and it remains to be seen if amid the pushback from FPIs, whether rethinks its decision. U R Bhat, co-founder and director of Alphaniti Fintech, said: "The regulator can reiterate its stance on the T+1 settlement without getting into too much detail. The infrastructure needs to fall into place before the T+1 settlement cycle is implemented." Further, Sebi may consider a proposal to ease mutual fund ownership rules in India. Private equity players may soon get more leeway to snap up or set up their own asset management companies. At present, PE firms are not banned from acting as MF sponsors, but the prerequisites act as a deterrent for them to take up the sponsorship of MFs. The capital market regulator may look to change this. The MF regulations say that if a sponsor changes, the investors have to be provided with an exit option. A PE fund may like to exit after a few years, but providing an exit to investors each time is not amenable to business generally. Sebi today might consider easing this rule, provided PE firms don't exit the business before 5-7 years. At today's meeting, Sebi can also discuss making M&A norms easier. The regulator at its board meeting could discuss a proposal on making it easier for companies to delist after an open offer by allowing the acquirer to launch both processes simultaneously. Apart from Sebi's board meeting, investors will also eye global cues, stock-specific flow, oil price movement, and FII trends today. On Monday, the benchmark indices gyrated between gains and losses before settling flat with a positive bias. The S&P BSE Sensex ended 29 points higher at a fresh closing peak of 60,078 while the broader Nifty50 index ended the day at 17,855, up 2 points over previous close. During the day, the BSE Sensex managed to log a fresh record high of 60,412. Automaker Geely says it is mass-producing commercial satellites for low earth orbit, putting more flesh on the bones of its autonomous vehicle strategy. Photo: Geely Welcome to Caixins Tech Insider, your twice-weekly wrap on the movers, shakers and deal-makers in Chinas tech scene. Geely looks to the skies Automaker Geely says it has started mass-producing commercial satellites for low earth orbit at a plant in Taizhou, a city in East Chinas Zhejiang province, putting more flesh on the bones of its autonomous vehicle strategy. The satellites are intended to avoid the need for base stations to support self-driving vehicles. They will deliver data at high speeds, and provide precise navigation and cloud support for Geelys future vehicles. The factory will be able to produce 500 satellites a year at full capacity, according to a statement from the firm on Monday, but it is unclear how many it intends to launch. Alibaba gets in on Singaporean logistics startup Ninja Van Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. last week joined the ranks of several investors participating in the $578 million series E funding round for Singapore-based logistics startup Ninja Van LLP, as the Jack Ma-founded giant enhances its e-commerce presence in Southeast Asia. In a statement, Kenny Ho, Alibabas head of investment for Southeast Asia, said the tie-up with Ninja Van will help his firm better serve Southeast Asian e-commerce participants. In 2016, Alibaba bought a controlling stake of Singapores Lazada Group, one of Ninja Vans clients. The seven-year-old company operates in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines, and delivers approximately 2 million parcels a day, according to its website. Meituan and IDG Capital help pump $155 million into industrial robotics firm Mech-Mind Chinese industrial robot maker Mech-Mind Robotics has raised 1 billion yuan ($155 million) in a series C funding round co-led by Meituan and IDG Capital, it said on Monday. Other investors in the round included Sequoia Capital China and Source Code Capital. Founded in 2016, Beijing and Shanghai-based Mech-Mind uses technologies like deep learning and 3D vision to develop robots for use in the automobile, home appliance, logistics and banking industries. The company has branches in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Changsha, Qingdao, Munich and Tokyo. Huawei sets up $46 million cloud firm Huawei has registered a new cloud computing technology company in Shenzhen, with Zhang Pingan, who is CEO of Huawei Cloud, serving as its legal representative, according to corporate information provider Tianyancha. With registered capital of 300 million yuan ($46 million), the new firm is wholly owned by Huawei Cloud. It will manufacture cloud computing equipment and develop machine learning and big data software. In the second quarter of 2021, Huawei Cloud was Chinas second-largest cloud services provider with a market share of 19.3%, following Alibaba Cloud, which controlled 33.8% of the market, according to consultancy Canalys. Alibaba makes push into autonomous logistics Damo Academy, research center established by Alibaba in 2017, is developing a light self-driving delivery truck for cities. The truck will run on Level 4 self-driving technology, which allows a car to drive itself in most conductions. Its designed to handle the final ten-mile portion of a delivery. A year ago, Alibaba unveiled an autonomous robot which it said would be deployed by its logistics affiliate Cainiao for last-mile delivery. The robot is able to plan delivery routes in crowded areas, identify obstacles, pedestrians intended movements and operate even when there is a patchy GPS signal, the firm claims. This Caixin Tech Insider was compiled by Ding Yi (yiding@caixin.com) and edited by Flynn Murphy (flynnmurphy@caixin.com). Send us your tips and feedback. Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter. Recently, many regions in China have imposed a new round of power rationing. Due to shortages, Guangdong province (Guangzhou) and the three provinces of Northeast China have intervened in power markets. Some regions have even rationed the supply of electricity, directly putting some lives at risk. Behind the power shortage are key precipitating factors: rising prices and tight supplies of thermal coal. According to a Sept. 27 statement from the Guangdong Provincial Development and Reform Commission, power shortages stem from coal price hikes, tight supplies, and the reduced willingness of thermal power plants to generate electricity. Recently, a worker at a local thermal power plant told Caixin that the current factory coal price is about 1,400 yuan ($216.9)/ton. Based on that, the electricity cost reaches 0.448 yuan/kWh. With all costs factored in, the thermal power plant is running at a deficit, the worker said. According to an employee with a private power plant in Guangdong, on Sept. 16, the coal inventory of the provincial key power plants was less than 2.4 million tons, down nearly 60% year on year. The situation in Guangdong, a major foreign trade province, epitomizes the severe nationwide coal supply-demand imbalance. Currently, the thermal coal inventory for Guangdong remains at a historically low level. In fact, since late February, after measures to guarantee winter coal supplies were withdrawn, signs of domestic coal supply-demand imbalances appeared and prices began to rise. A March 5 report by the China Electricity Council (CEC) showed the China Electricity Coal Index (coastal index) price for 5,500 kcal/kg thermal coal was 584 yuan/ton, which nearly doubled to 1,086 yuan/ton on Sept. 27. In the week of Sept. 16 to Sept. 23 alone, the index surged by 9.7% from the previous month, setting a new high since the launch of the index. On Sept. 27, a coal market analyst told Caixin that the spot price for 5,500 kcal/kg thermal coal at northern ports had risen to approximately 1,600 yuan/ton, 1.6 times above the same period last year. I have been in this business for more than ten years, and I have never seen anything like this, he added. Greater demand, less supply The biggest feature of this year is the extremely strong demand, said an industry expert close to policy-makers, who said fast growth in consumption is an important factor driving up the price of coal. According to the National Energy Administration (NEA), Chinese electricity consumption from January to August reached 5.47 trillion kWh, up 13.8% YoY; utilization hours of thermal power equipment were 2,988, up 9.53% YoY. Historically, such growth is very unusual. Compared with pre-pandemic levels, in the first eight months of 2019, electricity consumption in China increased by only 4.4% YoY, and utilization hours of thermal power equipment decreased by 3.64% YoY. A key factor behind the rapid growth of electricity consumption in China is the post-pandemic economic recovery, including the growth of overseas demand. However, coal supply has failed to match rapid demand growth. According to the China National Coal Association (CNCA), coal consumption was about 2.1 billion tons in the first half of the year, up 10.7% YoY. In the same period, raw coal output of enterprises above the designated size increased by only 6.4% YoY to 1.95 billion tons. Meanwhile, coal imports decreased by 19.7% YoY. In China, 90% of coal consumed comes from domestic coal producers. However, it is difficult to realize substantial growth in coal output to meet surging demand. Several market observers believe the slow supply response partly reflects stepped-up regulatory efforts to crack down on the illegal overproduction, or production exceeding specified limits. For safety reasons, mines legally-approved capacity generally falls below actual capacity. In the past, coal production exceeding approved levels has been common. From 2020, the coal-rich Inner Inner Mongolia autonomous region (Hohhot) launched a campaign against coal-related corruption. In May 2020, Inner Mongolia implemented a strict policy requiring mines to produce within approved limits. The policy had a big impact on illegal off-balance-sheet capacity, which in turn pushed down output in major coal-producing areas. In 2021, strict enforcement of capacity limits spread to other major coal-producing areas. According to new regulations in Amendment (XI) to the Criminal Law that took effect on March 1, anyone who engages in mining and other activities that involve work safety, without approval or permission, shall be sentenced to imprisonment of up to one year, criminal detention or control, if there are casualties, accidents or danger that causes serious consequences. Industry participants understand this regulation means any illegal overproduction will be met with criminal penalties. Another factor limiting production: the crackdown by safety and environmental protection authorities. For example, from the end of May to the beginning of June 2021, three coal mining accidents occurred in Henan. As a result, many coal mines were shut down for rectification. Under normal circumstances, these coal mines contribute about 20 million tons of production. Moreover, to achieve mandated targets for peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality, local governments have tightened regulations on high energy-consuming industries, which has also has hurt production of upstream coal. The Inner Mongolian city of Ordos is home to many high energy-consuming industries. According to local coal traders, coal mines in the city implemented power rationing measures at night in August. It is also worth noting that in 2021, as the global economy recovers and coal demand remains high, imported coal is in tight supply with prices up sharply in China. As of Sept. 23, the spot price of thermal coal at the Port of Newcastle was $188.72/ton, a 3.35% rise compared to a week earlier, and up 215% YoY. With the transportation cost taken into account, there is no price advantage for imported coal, said the analyst. Severe coal supply situation this winter Given the tight coal supply, related policies have been introduced to increase production and guarantee the supply of coal. However, industry participants expect the coal supply shortfall this winter to remain severe because coal inventories are too low. According to an employee of a thermal power plant in Liaoning province (Shenyang), given the low coal inventory of thermal power plants in northeast China, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) has allocated more than 10 million tons of coal to Liaonings power plants. Our power plant is expected to receive 200,000 tons of coal, but this can only sustain our power plant for 20 days. At present, our coal inventory can only sustain our power plant for two days in the case that the load factor just stays at 50% or so. He added that currently, their power plant loses 0.07 yuan per kilowatt-hour. From July 2021, the NDRC put a series of measures in place to guarantee coal supply, including providing reserve coal to the market, encouraging qualified coal mines to increase capacity and allowing some coal mines to extend their trial run period for one year. However, these measures have yet to deliver any good results. It is very hard to increase coal production and supply in a short time because complicated procedures need to be managed and the interests of related parties need to be coordinated. It is understood that Ordos has applied for permission to increase its coal production capacity by 150 million tons. However, the authority only allowed an increase of 40 million tons, and the production capacity has not been completely released, an analyst said. According to the analyst, there was no obvious increase in the daily coal output in September from August levels in Ordos. Realizing that the imbalance between coal supply and demand cannot be easily solved, related departments have prioritized the coal supply to the areas that affect livelihoods. According to a notice issued in the middle of September, the NDRC required coal companies, power generators, and heat supply companies to sign an additional medium- and long-term agreement, making sure the coal supply of these coal companies under such agreements completely meet the coal demand of their power generation and heat supply company partners. This move was intended to lower the procurement cost of power generation and heat supply companies given that the price specified in long-term agreements is lower than the spot price. On Sept. 25, the centralized signing of medium- and long-term agreements between coal companies and power generation and heat supply companies in northeast China came to an end. Northeast China is expected to experience the most severe coal supply challenges this winter. However, the centralized signing has yet to be completely finished nationwide. On Sept. 27, a senior manager of a state-owned power plant in Jiangsu told a Caixin reporter that because the market coal price is higher than the coal procurement price of coal companies, it is not easy for coal companies to procure enough coal. Currently, China Shenhua Energy Company Limited and some other coal companies find it hard to effectively implement medium-and-long term agreements. He expects that the current situation will last until the end of 2021. Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go. Get our weekly free Must-Read newsletter. Natural gas will be prohibited for new residential and commercial construction in Encinitas. The ordinance, which was passed 5-0 by the city council last week, also applies to accessory dwelling units or granny flats. Several dozen California cities have passed similar ordinances, but most of the cities are located up north. The Los Angeles Times describes Encinitas policy as the most comprehensive ordinance passed by a community in San Diego County. There are some exceptions for emergency buildings as well as restaurants that can show they need to cook with a flame, such as barbecue joints. Encinitas City Council Member Joe Mosca said the new policy will help the city cut down on pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Critics have said it wont make a dent in the global climate crisis and will only hurt local businesses. The California Restaurant Assn. has challenged similar natural gas bans because many professional cooks prefer to cook on gas stoves. Read more at the Los Angeles Times and the San Diego Tribune. It comes as a surprise to many that Pickup-based Passenger Vehicles or PPVs are now getting quite expensive. Although theyre loaded with mo... This lucky photographer had the close up experience of a lifetime with whale sharks in this incredible clip. Researchers took a guided tour to the waters off Isla Mujeres in Mexico to meet these gentle giants close up. Whale sharks are the largest sharks in the world, and even the largest fish. They are next ibn size only to a few whale species. They are not mammals, as they breath through oxygen exchange in their gills, as fish do. These magnificent animals come to these waters to feed on krill, plankton, tiny fish and fish eggs. They are filter feeders and they do not possess teeth. Although they reach a size of 50 feet and can weigh an estimated 100,000 lbs, they are harmless to humans. Photo: The Canadian Press Janet Yellen U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is telling Congress that the Treasury Department will likely exhaust all of its extraordinary measures to avoid an unprecedented default on the government's obligations by Oct. 18. Yellen warned Congress three weeks ago that the Treasury would run out of maneuvering room by mid-October. In a Tuesday letter, she said economists were able to issue a specific date based on the amount of revenue the U.S. had received in September from corporate and private quarterly tax payments. Yellens letter arrived the day after Senate Republicans blocked consideration of a bill to deal with the debt limit and approve a stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown Friday. We now expect that Treasury is likely to exhaust its extraordinary measures if Congress has not acted to raise or suspend the debt limit by Oct. 18," Yellen said. At that point, we expect Treasury would be left with very limited resources that would be depleted quickly. Yellen said it was uncertain whether Treasury could meet all of the nation's commitments after that date. Photo: The Canadian Press Senator Peter Harder. A group of senators is calling on the federal government to strike a grand economic plan with provinces, territories, businesses and civil society to drive growth coming out of the pandemic. The report includes calls to rethink how to deliver skills-training programs, to streamline the regulatory system to encourage entrepreneurs and for companies to invest in themselves. The document also says the federal government must come up with a more credible plan to manage the nation's burgeoning debt through new rules to guide budgetary decisions. Senators say the Trudeau Liberals must consider finding more new sources of revenue and suggest the government increase the value of federal sales tax. The report made public today is the culmination of work that started last November and included interviews with some 70 domestic and international experts about how Canada could avoid another era of low economic growth. Sen. Peter Harder, one of the 12 senators who worked on the report, says the group believes the country shouldn't wait until after the pandemic to rethink how to improve Canada's economic performance. Photo: The Canadian Press Pope Francis The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops is pledging to fundraise $30 million for projects to help residential school survivors heal from their trauma. President Raymond Poisson says it was made clear at a gathering last week that Catholic entities need to do more to address the historical wrongs done to Indigenous people through residential schools and the suffering former students experienced. Catholic leaders have been under pressure to properly compensate survivors under the Indian Residential School Survivor Agreement after it was reported less than $5 million had been raised out of a $25 million goal. The commitment of $30 million in funding comes after the Canadian bishops group issued an apology last week for the abuses committed by those in the church who ran the country's residential schools. Indigenous leaders are set to meet with Pope Francis in December at the Vatican to ask that he come to Canada to deliver an apology to survivors as called for by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. In a statement Tuesday, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs says it's conflicted by the apology, but acknowledged it as a first step the Catholic Church needs to take to provide reparations to First Nations. I am hesitant, as I am sure many others would feel, to fully accept the apology of the bishops on behalf of my family," Grand Chief Arlen Dumas said in a statement. "Perhaps if the apology was made in person by the bishops to the former students, then it may be more meaningful and be more sincere. As many others impacted by the legacy of (residential schools) would likely agree, I feel an in-person apology would help First Nations with achieving a lasting justice rather than a written statement delivered through the media. Photo: North Van Fire Rescue A fisherman had to be hoisted to safety from the Capilano River, Tuesday morning in North Vancouver. About 8:40 a.m., first responders were dispatched to the river when water levels started to rise, stranding a fisher on a sandbar below the Capilano River Bridge on Highway 1. It was determined that the best rescue was to do a pick-off off the bridge deck, said assistant fire chief David Dales. With West Vancouver Fire [& Rescue] doing downstream containment, as rescuers for the rescuers, the district deployed a technical rescue off the bridge, lowered a firefighter down and then secured the fisherperson and then brought him back up to the bridge deck. The subject was a man in his 50s and not from the area, Dales said. Conducting the rope rescue from the bridge required one lane of the highway to be closed. Crews got Metro Vancouver staff to close valves on the Cleveland Dam, which slows the water flow down below, although it does take some time. The Capilano has a habit of becoming swollen without warning. Dales said crews are called to the sandbar below the bridge about 15 times per year, almost all of them during the salmon season between September and November. We might be having three millimetres an hour of precipitation in North Van and we could be having 45 up river, he said. All of a sudden, very quickly, they're just trapped on the sandbar, and it's just their exit which has been eliminated. If you are operating in the North Vancouver environment, just be prepared for rapid weather change, and that includes water level. Photo: The Canadian Press The SNC-Lavalin headquarters is seen in Montreal. SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. says it is restructuring its business segments again as it looks to become cash-flow positive and return to an investment-grade credit rating. The Montreal-based engineering firm, which has been working to put several corruption scandals behind it, says the reorganization will help set the stage for growth after years of de-risking the business. The company is rolling its mining and infrastructure segments into its general engineering services business, while engineering as a whole and several other segments are now grouped under its SNCL services business. SNC says it is targeting organic revenue growth of four to six per cent annually for the next three years in the services segment, which excludes only some legacy transit projects in Canada and the company's capital segment. Speaking at an investor day Tuesday, company chief executive Ian Edwards said the company has sold its oil and gas business and is winding down its lump-sum turnkey contracts for transit projects that have been a drain on cash flow as it looks to simplify the business. He says the company will be focused on its core markets of Canada, the U.K. and the U.S., while also maintaining more targeted operations in other global markets. What were about here is permanently de-risking this business," said Edwards. "Reducing the business down to countries and geographies where we know we can succeed, we can get paid, and we can produce predictable results and predictable cashflows. While the company moves on, its name continues to come up related to past scandals. Just last week SNC and two former executives were charged in relation to a bridge contract in Quebec from around 20 years ago, while earlier this year the World Bank removed the company from a blacklist it had been added to because of its ties to corruption in contracts in Bangladesh and Cambodia. In 2019, the company settled criminal charges related to the work the company did in Libya. Photo: The Canadian Press Elizabeth May, right, Green candidate for Saanich-Gulf Islands, watches federal election results roll in during a gathering in Victoria, Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. Elizabeth May could return to the Greens as interim leader to stabilize the embattled party. The former leader of the Greens, who is one of two Green MPs in the House of Commons, is expected to be considered by the partys governing body as a caretaker until a full-time leader is elected. May has previously said she would not return as leader, but she has not ruled out returning as a caretaker until a permanent leader can be found. Annamie Paul announced her intention to resign as party leader on Monday after a disastrous showing at the polls. She will step down formally within "the coming weeks," the Green party confirmed, and its ruling federal council will then appoint a caretaker leader. A leadership race kicks off six months after an interim leader is selected. An expert says May would be the "obvious option" to take the helm during the party's "existential" crisis. Mark Winfield, who researches the Greens at York University, said May has the "moral authority" to keep the party, which has been beset by internal strife, afloat. Jo-Ann Roberts, a former broadcast journalist who served as interim leader after May stood down, is another figure the ruling council is expected to consider as a caretaker. Mike Morrice, who was elected in Kitchener Centre, has ruled himself out of the leadership race to concentrate on representing his constituents. Re: National Day for Truth and Reconciliation holiday The holiday is for Canadians to remember the deceased and to honour survivors of residential schools in Canada. If it was a holiday to remember our governments and churches failures over 100 years of neglect, sexual abuse, physical abuse and mental abuse, I'd be all for it. We have already had a truth and reconciliation commission and nothing was resolved or completed by any government. Truth and reconciliation starts in the heart, moves to the mind, and comes out as action, not reaction. In Canada, we have politicians behind microphones with the same feel-good story but no real action. Where are the shovels in the ground, people fixing drinking water, education and social problems? In (the United States) they have the Dr. Martin Luther King holiday. They also have more than 1,500 roadways named for him. Is the situation any better today for African Americans (there)? No. Kenneth Warren The top reasons why women do or dont get screened relate to what they know about cervical cancer risk and screening tests, and whether they have health insurance to pay for screening. Screening tests can help prevent cervical cancer or find it early, when treatment works best. Many women dont think they can get cervical cancer. But any woman who has a cervix can get cervical cancer. Screening tests can help prevent cervical cancer, but many women havent been screened as recommended. CDC scientists wanted to find out why many women dont get the cervical cancer screening tests they need. With this information, public health agencies can help more women get screened. The study tried to answer these questions Did women who were diagnosed with cervical cancer get screened during the 5 years before their diagnosis? (Screening tests are recommended at least every 5 years.) Why or why not? Did women with an abnormal screening test result go back to the doctor for follow-up care? Why or why not? Why did the women go to the doctor? Was it for a routine checkup or because they had symptoms? Gathering Information in Three Ways CDCs Case Investigation of Cervical Cancer (CICC) Study took a unique approach to looking at womens cervical cancer screening history. The scientists gathered information in three ways First, they asked the cancer registries in three states (Michigan, New Jersey, and Louisiana) for information about women who were 21 years old or older and diagnosed with cervical cancer from 2014 through 2016. Then they mailed a survey to these women. The survey asked when they were screened for cervical cancer (if ever), and why they did or didnt get screened. The survey also asked what their household income was, whether they had health insurance, and what their race and ethnicity were. They asked the women for permission to see their medical records. If the women agreed, specialists at each cancer registry collected medical record data for five years before they were diagnosed with cervical cancer. Later on (between September 2018 and January 2019), the same survey was offered to women in Cervivor,external icon a social network of cervical cancer survivors. Only women who were 21 years old or older and had been diagnosed with cervical cancer were asked to complete the survey. Characteristics of Women Who Were Not Screened Compared to Women Who Were Screened Of the 376 cervical cancer survivors in the CICC Study, 60% (228) had not been screened. 51% of unscreened women and 31% of screened women had household incomes of less than $30,000 per year. 39% of unscreened women and 26% of screened women were of races and ethnicities other than non-Hispanic White. 34% of unscreened women and 15% of screened women didnt have health insurance. 33% of unscreened women and 17% of screened women had a tubal ligation, a form of permanent birth control in which a womans fallopian tubes are cut or blocked to prevent pregnancy. Women who had not been screened were more likely to be older when their cancer was found. Also, their cancer was more often found at a later stage, when its harder to treat. 21% of unscreened women and 45% of screened women were younger than 40 when their cancer was found. 35% of unscreened women and 18% of screened women were 55 or older when their cancer was found. The cervical cancer was found in the earliest stage (stage 1), before it had spread to other parts of the body, in 43% of unscreened women and 64% of screened women. Reasons for Screening Test Use A survey was sent to two groups of women A survey was mailed to cervical cancer survivors found through cancer registries in Michigan, New Jersey, and Louisiana; 480 women completed the survey. An online survey was offered to women in Cervivor, external icon a social network of cervical cancer survivors; 148 women completed the survey. Women found through the social network were younger, had higher household incomes, had better access to health care, and were more likely to be non-Hispanic White than women found through the cancer registries. In spite of these differences, women in both groups had the same reasons for gettingor not gettingscreened for cervical cancer. Why Women Didnt Get Screened The top reason for not being screened was the same for women in both groups: they didnt think they would get cervical cancer. Other common reasons included They didnt have a family history of cervical cancer. They didnt have a regular health care provider. They didnt have health insurance. They were busy and didnt have time. They didnt have a family history of cancer. The screening test cost too much. They thought screening tests were only for women who had symptoms. They didnt know what a cervical cancer screening test was for. They forgot. Why Women Did Get Screened Women in both groups shared the same reasons for getting screened. The most common reasons included They wanted to take care of their bodies. They understood the importance of screening tests. They got screening tests with their annual exams. Health insurance paid for all or part of the cost of their screening tests. Why Women Didnt Follow-Up on Abnormal Test Results as Recommended The survey asked women if they had received an abnormal result on a cervical cancer screening test. If so, did they go back to the doctor for follow-up care? Why or why not? Women in both groups who didnt return for follow-up care had the same reasons They didnt know that an abnormal test could mean they had cervical cancer. They were scared to hear what an abnormal test result meant. They didnt have health insurance, or their health insurance wouldnt pay for follow-up care. They were busy and didnt have time. How to Help More Women Get Screened The top reasons why women do or dont get screened relate to what they know about cervical cancer risk and screening tests, and whether they have health insurance to pay for screening. This information can guide programs that try to increase cervical cancer screening. Educate Women About Cervical Cancer and the Importance of Screening The top reason why women dont get screened is because they dont think they will get cervical cancer, but all women who have a cervix are at risk. CDCs Inside Knowledge About Gynecologic Cancer educational campaign raises awareness about cervical and other gynecologic cancers. One of the campaigns key messages is, Getting screened regularly can help prevent cervical cancer or help find it early, when it is easiest to treat. Campaign materials are offered free of charge for wide distribution. Also, doctors should take every opportunity to encourage women to get screened, especially those who have had a tubal ligation. This study found that women who had a tubal ligation were about half as likely to be screened as women who hadnt. Women who dont need to go to a doctor to get birth control may not talk to any doctor about cervical cancer screening. Lower the Cost of Screening Like similar studies, this study found that screened women had higher incomes and were more likely to have health insurance than unscreened women. CDCs National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP) funds states, territories, and tribal organizations to help women who have low incomes and are uninsured get cervical cancer screening, diagnostic testing, and referral to treatment. Also, state and local public health organizations can encourage women to get screened through state Medicaid programs, community health centers, and community-based groups. Help Women with Abnormal Test Results Get the Care They Need This study found that more than one-third of women with abnormal test results did not get the right follow-up care. Doctors can explain to their patients why prompt follow-up care is important. Helping to cover the costs may increase timely follow-up. Citations Benard VB, Greek A, Jackson E, Senkomago V, Hsieh M, Crosbie A, Alverson G, Stroup AM, Richardson LC, Thomas CC. Overview of Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Case Investigation of Cervical Cancer study.external icon Journal of Womens Health 2019;28(7):890896. Bernard VB, Jackson JE, Greek A, Senkomago V, Huh WK, Thomas CC, Richardson LR. A population study of screening history and diagnostic outcomes of women with invasive cervical cancer.external icon Cancer Medicine 2021;10:41274137. Senkomago V, Greek A, Jackson JE, Thomas CC, Richardson LC, Benard V. Learning from cervical cancer survivors: an examination of barriers and facilitators to cervical cancer screening among women in the United States.external icon Journal of Primary Care & Community Health 2021;12: 110. Holcim completes bolt-on acquisitions in the US and Poland 28 September 2021 Holcim has closed the acquisition of the Utelite Corp in Coalville, Utah (US), a leading producer of lightweight aggregates. Utelite will join Holcims Mountain region, alongside operations in the Denver, Phoenix and Las Vegas metro areas. Founded in 1962, Utelites more than 40 employees serve customers across the western USA and western Canada. The operation has more than 60 years of proven and probable reserves. In addition, Holcim closed an agreement to buy Polcalc in Poland. Polcalc employs 78 people and is one of the countrys leading producers of granulated calcium carbonate. Jan Jenisch, Holcim CEO, said: We are pleased to welcome the employees of Utelite and Polcalc and look forward to their experience and capabilities. These two bolt-on acquisitions strengthen our presence in two important growth markets while contributing to Holcims overall strategy to expand our range of low-carbon products and solutions. Published under When seven people were shot two fatally in the College Hill area on Grove Street Saturday night, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly went robo-caller and dashed out a well-worn tape that said, Chattanooga communities experienced life-changing trauma from incidents of gun violence this weekend. This is absolutely unacceptable - the gunfire, the killing must end. We all experience conflict in our lives but resorting to violence - particularly with a firearm that, in an instant, can reap irrevocable grief and pain - is never the answer. His statement, so reminiscent of other Mayors vacant comments for the last 20-plus years, went on, I have full confidence in CPDs ability to conduct a thorough investigation that will bring those responsible to justice, while also providing support to the friends and family who mourn. Gun violence is a public safety and public health crisis that wreaks havoc on too many of our residents lives - we will address it head-on and with urgency. Saturday nights shooting included two females who were 19 and 14. Earlier on Saturday, Jailen Wofford, age 21, was shot and killed at 3410 Campbell St. in East Chattanooga. So, thats three people murdered over the weekend in what is believed to continue a rash of black-on-black shootings that keep Mayor Kellys city included in the 25 Most Dangerous Cities in America on a per capita basis. It is no secret, as the last two CPD Chiefs have lamented, the blacks-shooting-blacks crisis will continue until Chattanoogas black community rises up and partners with the CPD in a demonstrable and fearless way. But as Saturdays shooting melee was actually occurring the predominately black Chattanooga Clergy Association was holding a sparsely attended rally to bolster its racist attack on the Hamilton County Sheriffs Department. You cant make this up. Three black people were wantonly murdered on the same day, yet here we have the Chattanooga Clergy for Justice meeting at the Orchard Park Seventh-Day Adventist Church pounding the drum for local law enforcement reform. To begin, there is no racist evidence within the Hamilton County Sheriffs Department. Yes, there have been few - very few - altercations with unruly miscreants but that is universal, be it the Chattanooga Police Department, Highway Patrol, whatever. Its tough work. Again, the Chattanooga Clergy for Justice is a racial-minded group that includes no mainstream Chattanooga churches but is in a unique position to challenge the despair of black-on-black murders and shootings. To this date the black pastors group has been notoriously silent on the weekly murders and shootings, quite a stance on the biggest threat to Chattanoogas predominantly black neighborhoods. Face it, the shootings in America will only increase. The FBIs 2000 figures have just been released and there is a 30 percent increase in murders for 2020, the largest single increase from the year before in the 60 years the bureau has kept statistics. Thats a solid five percent increase in violent crime in one year. Murders are up 20 percent in 2020 from 2019. (Right now, homicides for 2021 are up 4,032 from 3,341 in 2020 at this point on the calendar.) According to the Gun Violence Archives, mass shooters are also on the rise. A Jan. 1-Sept. 15 look at this year shows a total of 14,516 have died from gunfire this year. Thats up about 1,300 since the same time frame last year. Mass shootings, defined as an incident where four people or more are shot, are up 15 percent over last year. Four people were killed in McMinn County last week and Saturdays College Hill slayings also are a mass shooting. That established, there have been over 500 mass shootings in the nation since Jan. 1, a 15 percent uptick over 2020. Some lay the blame on the fact there were 23 million firearms sold in 2020 - a 65 percent increase over 2019 - but police attribute the shootings in bad guns - illegally obtained guns bought on the street. This year - with 2.2 million guns bought in January - will be less than 2020 but still more than in any other year other than 2020. * * * From 6 p.m. on Friday until midnight on Sunday Chicago Police responded to 46 shooting incidents that resulted in 60 people shot, eight murdered. Thus far in September alone in Chicago, there have been 447 people shot and 78 killed. Year to date: 3,517 shot, 637 homicides. Race: 82.7 black, 13.5 Hispanic, 3.8 white/other. royexum@aol.com Tennesseans for Quality Early Education announced Tuesday that Chattanooga 2.0 has been selected to lead one of six inaugural partnerships of the Bright Start Tennessee Network (Bright Start TN) a new statewide initiative of TQEE to accelerate early learning outcomes and close achievement and opportunity gaps for Tennessee children birth through third grade. "Research has repeatedly shown that the first eight years of a childs life are a critical development period, and third grade is widely acknowledged as a benchmark year that determines future academic success," officials said. "Yet more than two-thirds of Tennessees third graders are not proficient in reading or in math. Our state is facing a crisis that the Bright Start TN Network will help fix." Bright Start TN is an important extension of the work TQEE does to advance smart state policies and practices that support young childrens success, said TQEE President and CEO Blair Taylor. But state policies are only as successful as their local implementation. Through Bright Start TN, well tap the power of local community members civic and business leaders, child care providers, nonprofits, schools, families and other stakeholders to create and implement local plans for early childhood success that leverage both state and community assets and resources. These teams will also inform TQEEs state policy agenda and expand our advocacy network. Chattanooga 2.0, the cradle-to-career collaborative of Chattanooga-Hamilton County, will coordinate the Bright Start TN Chattanooga partnership through the leadership of Director of Early Childhood Strategies Jennifer Andrews. Andrews will work alongside a steering committee of community leaders. The other inaugural Bright Start TN community partnerships are: Knoxville/Knox County, coordinated by United Way of Greater Knoxville; Nashville/Davidson County, coordinated by United Way of Greater Nashville' Memphis/Shelby County, coordinated by First 8 Memphis; Northeast Tennessee, coordinated by STRONG Accountable Care Community; and West Tennessee, coordinated by United Way of West Tennessee. Officials said, "The partnerships were chosen through a selective process that considered their commitment to address learning and opportunity gaps in early care and education birth through third grade and their capacity to assemble community teams to accomplish the initiatives goals. Each community will use data to better understand barriers to early learning, implement evidence-based and promising strategies, and share learnings with peer communities and state policymakers. The partnerships will create local plans by the summer of 2022, with implementation expected to be complete by 2025. "Bright Start TN builds on the foundational work that has already taken place as part of Chattanooga 2.0s Early Matters Hamilton Countys early childhood strategy action team that has been working to create a coordinated early childhood system for the last five years. Education leaders like Interim Superintendent of Hamilton County Schools Dr. Nakia Towns are excited to see how the partnership with Bright Start TN will accelerate outcomes." Early Matters efforts to champion early care and education from birth through third grade is impressive, and we are honored to be chosen as an inaugural Bright Start TN Network partner, said Dr. Towns. Im pleased to report that Hamilton County Schools actually saw a small increase in third graders reading at grade level during the pandemic. However, we still have a sense of urgency to increase our early literacy rates such that all children thrive and experience a future without limits. Though educators play an important role, our families and our community are critical partners toward ensuring that every child learns to read early and well. Alignment and coordination of child-serving organizations are integral to our community's success, and the Bright Start Tennessee Network will help accelerate this work in Hamilton County. "Bright Start TN partnerships are each awarded an initial $300,000 over three years from TQEE and matching grants, with philanthropic investment expected to grow. TQEE is providing significant in-kind technical assistance support through data analysis and state and national experts in early childhood care and education. State government leaders from departments of human services, education and health are also involved as critical partners to help ensure communities are optimizing existing state assets and resources," officials said. We know that skills and performance gaps take root long before third grade and are tied to opportunity gaps, said Jonathan Scoonover, TQEE vice president of community engagement and director of Bright Start TN. Unfortunately, a disjointed and insufficient patchwork of education and supports leaves many children vulnerable, resulting in poor academic outcomes for the children and our state. TQEEs Bright Start TN Network aims to change that, and were excited to work alongside Chattanooga 2.0 and the community partners theyve assembled in this urgent endeavor. Inman Coffee, a coffee shop and social ministry of the Cleveland Salvation Army, is celebrating a decade of community service, fellowship and coffee with an outdoor party called Phoenix Fest this Saturday from 5-11 p.m. at 437 Inman St. W. in Cleveland. The event will feature eight live bands, including Lee University graduate Clark Beckham who is best known for finishing as runner-up on American Idol and for his hit song, Hocus Pocus. The celebration will include specialty Inman Coffee drinks, fire pits, games, food trucks and performances from other local bands including Levi the Poet, Caleb Kopta, Katrina Barclay, Fresh Mind, Kari & the Grey Papers, Hot Gravy and The Groovement. "Inman Coffee, an extension of The Salvation Armys work in Cleveland, focuses on discipleship, job training programs and community development. The shop also offers a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere for students and other community members to work, spend time together and enjoy a variety of quality coffees and live music," officials said. The Ringgold City Council honored the volunteers who bi-annually raise over 1,900 American flags to recognize the service of Catoosas deceased veterans. Since 2002, we have been blessed with an amazing group of people who share their time to fill the streets with red, white and blue, instilling a patriotic scene that uplifts and inspires, said Councilmember Randall Franks, who sponsored the proclamation recognizing the volunteers. The 51-year-old tradition began in Ringgold when Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8153 posted 12 flags in 1970 and the display continues to grow each year as the countys servicemen and women die and their families honor their military service by adding their name and a flag to the display. Former Ringgold Mayor Joe Barger, who served both with the VFW effort and the past two decades with the current effort, continues participating with the group although he said he has turned most of the coordinating duties over to Gilbert Childers. The city agreed to take possession of the flags when our Ringgold VFW closed in 2002, the mayor said. I appreciate all the city does to support this effort to honor our veterans. Gilbert deserves much of the recognition for all he does. Mr. Childers said the display depends upon all the work completed by the volunteers, along with the many gifts made by businesses and individuals who assist with the program. Each display takes the volunteers working for weeks in advance to get new flags ready. Volunteers arrange for new spaces for older flags to be moved to as new ones are planned for placement at Ringgold City Hall, Mr. Childers said. We mark the 1,900 locations, then two weeks ahead of the date the flags are put up, and volunteers organize a list so family members can find the flag honoring their veteran. Then a few weeks later, they are all taken down and stored until the next display. In addition to the proclamation, the city council approved placing a granite marker at the center of the historic shopping district, honoring the volunteers who have made the program happen. I had a city resident, Steve Wofford, approach me and suggest that we consider creating a lasting reference to those who bring our community so much joy twice a year, Mr. Franks said. I thought that was an outstanding idea and a great way for us to pay homage and say thanks for all those giving their time over the past 20 years. Mr. Franks, who also serves as Downtown Development Authority chair, said the approximate $1,200 in funds for the marker will be raised from community civic clubs, local businesses or anyone who might wish to participate in honoring the volunteers. The Boynton Lions Club of Ringgold was the first to step forward to assist, I know others will also be willing to give to the effort, he said. Once completed, the stone will be placed in our downtown. Gifts for the stone may be sent to the City of Ringgold, 150 Tennessee St., Ringgold, Ga. 30736, designated for Volunteer Marker. Volunteers are needed for the bi-annual presentations on Veterans Day and Memorial Day. For more information, call Gilbert Childers at 865-300-7057 or Pete Pedigo at 706-866-9089. Applications are available at Ringgold City Hall for those wishing to add a Catoosa deceased military veteran to the bi-annual flag display. The cost is $65. For more information, call 706-935-3061. A Chattanooga man has been charged by federal authorities with receiving a package containing a large amount of drugs and later ramming the vehicle of a law enforcement officer. Edward Laster Moore, 42, was taken into custody on Thursday. Authorities said on July 22 postal inspectors intercepted a suspicious package from North Las Vegas, Nev. addressed to "Stacey Houston" at 1408 Fred Will Circle. It was opened and was found to contain 3,250 grams of suspected ice meth, 977 grams of suspected counterfeit oxycodone believed to likely contain fentanyl (about 10,000 pills), 989 grams of suspected MDMA pills, and 494 grams of marijuana. It was learned that Moore was associated with the 1408 Fred Will Circle address. On July 26, it was planned to have a controlled delivery of the parcel. The drugs were removed and the parcel was repackaged to its original condition. An agent used a marked Postal Service van to deliver the package. A black male was observed sitting at the back of a carport, but no one came to the door. A short time later, an agent observed Moore walk to the front porch, look over where an agent was in a car, then get in his car and drive away. He returned a short time later, and he then went to the front porch and retrieved the parcel. Moore then re-entered his car and pulled away. A state trooper nearby turned on his blue lights and blocked the road Moore was traveling. Moore rammed the patrol vehicle while the trooper was still inside. He almost hit another law enforcement vehicle as he fled at a high rate of speed. Moore was later apprehended. He has an extensive record of assaults, drugs, and traffic violations, including an assault on police in 2012. Its been a wild ride for fans of Netflixs hit series Stranger Things. The series had an unusually long time between release dates for each season but the wait for Stranger Things Season 4 has been longer than any of us expected. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic halted filming shortly after it began for the upcoming season, but now theres light at the end of the tunnel. The next episodes are set to premiere in 2022. Until then, wed like to make a note of some of the questions we have that we feel Stranger Things Season 4 really needs to answer. Heres what we have. Natalia Dyer | Netflix Is Hawkins the only place in America with access to the Upside Down? When we first learn about the Upside Down in Stranger Things Season 1, it seems like a shock to everyone involved. In fact, Eleven, played by Millie Bobby Brown, actually opens the rift to the Upside Down on accident. We do know that Dr. Brenner (Matthew Modine) specifically sends Eleven in to make contact with the Demogorgon in Stranger Things Season 1, Chapter 6 The Monster. Its never explained how he knows about the Demogorgon, but its clear that he does. Now we just need to figure out why they chose Hawkins, Indiana of all places to have a secret lab. Of course, the answer could be as simple as no one would ever expect a secret government lab in Hawkins, Indiana. Are there other portals outside of Hawkins or did the lab know that was the only place they could get to the monster? We just dont know. RELATED: Stranger Things Season 4: Everything We Know So Far Where are the rest of Dr. Brenners test subjects? Eleven got her nickname ultimately because of the 011 tattooed on her arm. It was a callous way for Brenner to keep track of his subjects at the lab. We met Kali in Stranger Things Season 2 with a 007 on her arm. She has similar powers to Eleven so we know the tattoos arent random. This means there are at least nine other people out there with some sort of powers. Did they just escape the lab like Eleven? That seems like poor security measures on Brenners part, but what do we know? There are a couple of fan theories floating around about the other subjects and we do know theyre mentioned in the Stranger Things comics. However, the comics came out after the series began. Jody Houser, one of the writers for the comics told Gizmodo she was given mostly free rein on what they could include the comics about the other patients, with the exception of Patient 001. They were told they couldnt do anything with that particular subject. Of course, this piques our curiosity even more. Who is Number 001 and when are we going to learn about them? RELATED: Stranger Things Fans React with Mixed Reviews to TUDUM Reveal Were Russians trying to train the Demogorgons in that mid-credits scene in Stranger Things Season 3? If wed written this way back at the beginning of 2020, our number one question would be whether or not Chief Hopper (David Harbour) is alive. But its not 2020 and we know for a fact that hes being held captive in Russia. Now that thats answered, we can turn our attention to the otherwise horrifying scene of Russian guards feeding a prisoner to a Demogorgon. First of all, how did they capture one? Did they find a baby Demogorgon like Dustin did in Stranger Things Season 2? Secondly, what exactly do they plan on doing with it? A Demogorgon doesnt seem like something you could train to listen, but what do we know? If thats the case, we have our suspicions that this all has something to do with the Russian military and we do not see it ending well. However, we wont get any of these answers until Stranger Things Season 4 appears in 2022. With the addition of new characters like Victor Creel and several new locations, theres a lot to fit into the upcoming season. Lets just hope we get some answers to these lingering questions. 90 Day Fiance star Evelin Villegas is taking Corey Rathgeber out on Instagram. After a shocking revelation regarding Coreys affair with Jenny from Peru, Evelin has him on full blast. Plus, Raul told Corey that if he doesnt get real with Evelin about what happened, Raul will instead. Meanwhile, fans have learned that Corey and Evelin are already married something both of the 90 Day Fiance stars have defended on Instagram. Corey Rathgeber had more than a fling with Jenny from Peru 90 Day Fiance couple Corey and Evelin are about to have a pretty serious discussion the results of which are spilling over onto Instagram. Corey Rathgeber recently admitted to Evelins former fling and his now-friend, Raul, that he hadnt told the whole story about Jenny. It was serious, you know, like, she introduced me to her family, he told Raul, before adding that the two were actually going to get a place together. I lied to Evelin when I told her I wasnt intimate with Jenny. I told Evelin that I did see a girl while I was in Peru. I didnt tell her just how serious it was, he went on to say. Corey added that he was convinced he and Evelin were finished. I believed that me and Evelin were 100 percent done. When I got back to get all my stuff, my surfboards, my everything that I have here, the pandemic hit. Due to quarantine, me and Evelin kind of started mending things back together, and I had stopped talking with Jenny, the 90 Day Fiance star explained. Corey dug his hole deeper by explaining that he just went ahead and ghosted Jenny entirely. Gross. I never actually, fully ended things with Jenny. I did cut communication. I was not talking to her for many months, and I just left it at that. I didnt reach out to her anymore once I realized that me and Evelin did have an opportunity to fix our relationship, he said. Raul told Corey that if he didnt fess up to Evelin, Raul would do it for him. Evelin Villegas blows up at 90 Day Fiance husband Corey and Evelin of 90 Day Fiance | TLC via YouTube 90 Day Fiance star Evelin Villegas took to Instagram to blow up at Corey Rathgeber over his reveal in his recent episode. Plus, she took a dig at Alinas boyfriend on the show, Steven. You can never trust man, even the ones that play to be good, pretend to be Mormon, talk about values. Be afraid of the devil dress as a sheep [sic], Evelin wrote on her story. Its hard watching this new episodes because it reveals to me how much this guy lied. He sweared to me that he meet her just for few days, he look in my eyes and swear upon his dad who passed away, he swear on his family on our pets. Im disgusted [sic], she added. I asked to get the divorce sign and he refused, how can he said he was sure things were over. If you go [through] his IG he was still posting pictures with me and love messages all the time, when he was with her even! Trash! she added. Corey and Evelin are already married 90 Day Fiance stars Corey and Evelin have been married for some time now, despite the fact that theyre pursuing marriage on their current season of the show. Fans were left feeling frustrated by this fact, but both stars defended their actions. Evelin wasnt ready for everyone to know so we kept it private. I respected her wishes until she was ready, Corey said on Instagram during a Q&A. The marriage lie, combined with the fact that Evelin posted a love-dovey happy birthday message to Corey just a week ago has some fans feeling confused. Clearly Evelin knows about Coreys relationship with Jenny by now, given that the show was filmed a while ago. Is her Instagram outrage just meant to stoke drama for viewership? RELATED: Evelin Villegas Calls Out 90 Day Fiance Instagram Critic 90 Day Fiance Season 7 stars Michael Jessen and Juliana Custodio face divorce rumors after posting a cryptic TikTok video. If they are divorcing, what is going to happen to Michaels money? It all depends on whether or not Michael and Juliana signed a prenuptial agreement or not. Juliana Custodio and Michael Jessen on 90 Day Fiance Season 7 |TLC Are Michael and Juliana getting a divorce? Since Juliana posted a cryptic TikTok talking about her marriage status, fans are convinced she and Michael are divorcing. In a now-deleted TikTok video, Juliana says, Everybody keep asking me if Im still married. She continues, This really is truly hard, and Im not ready to talk through yet. If you guys find out, you guys gonna hate me, forever. Everybodys gonna hate me. As of Sept. 24th, Juliana Custodio removed all photos of her husband, Michael, or anything that has to do with 90 Day Fiance from her Instagram. Just two years after their wedding, Juliana appears to be starting over. She has even revealed to fans that she is not even living in America anymore. Despite the hints, neither of the 90 Day Fiance stars have confirmed nor denied the divorce rumors. Did Juliana and Michael sign a prenuptial agreement? The majority of Juliana and Michaels storyline on 90 Day Fiance Season 7 revolved around whether or not to have a prenuptial agreement. Michaels ex-wife, Sarah, brought up the idea of Michaels sign a prenup to secure their children, Max and Ceces futures. Juliana was worried about her future in America. After some lengthy discussions with each other and a mediator, Michael finally caved and decided against signing one. Michael said to a happy Juliana, No prenup. It doesnt make sense. Its stupid. No matter what happens, youre going to be OK and the kids are going to be fine. Juliana was thrilled that Michael decided against signing a prenup agreement. He said, Thats not why were getting married to have a business transaction. How much money could Juliana gain from the divorce? Michael has not been shy about his wealth. The successful wine distributor, investor, and entrepreneur met the 20-year-old model at a yacht party of a mutual friend in Croatia. On 90 Day Fiance, Michael showered Juliana with lavish gifts and gave her access to his credit cards. They had an elegant wedding in the backyard of the $1.19 million home that he just bought. Fast forward two years, what if happens if they divorce? Michaels estimated net worth is over $1.5 million, meaning if they should divorce, Juliana will likely receive half of his assets. If his net worth estimation is correct, Juliana could be walking away from her 2-year marriage with around $750,000. What does this mean for Michael? Well, it appears that hes already dealing with some financial trouble, as his $1.19 million home is currently in foreclosure. While Michael and Julianas split remains unconfirmed, Juliana could come out nearly a million dollars richer due to the absence of a prenup agreement. RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: Why Evelin Cried After Marrying Corey And Not Happy Tears In 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way Season 3, Steven shocks fans with his cluelessness when he asks his girlfriend, Alina, if she wants a watermelon amid an important conversation about their future. 90 Day Fiance fans are perplexed by Steven attempting to distract Alina from being disappointed with some fruit, especially since he was the only one who wanted watermelon. Alina and Steven 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way Season 3 | TLC Steven tells Alina hes not as ready to commit to marriage as she is After visiting an immigration lawyer, Steven and Alina realize how extensive the process will be to marry in Turkey as an American and a Russian. Since they only have 90 days on their tourist visas, the lawyer advised them to begin the marriage process as soon as possible. On the ride home, Steven asks Alina about how shes feeling about rushing the marriage. Steven asks Alina, When do you think youd be ready to make that decision? Alina surprised Steven by saying that shes been ready to marry him. She said, Maybe I need just one more week. She said that the marriage would prove to her that Steven is serious about their relationship. He said that leaving his job and his family back in the United States was proof enough of his commitment. He said, Leaving all of that was kinda me saying to you that I am ready for a serious relationship. Steven interrupts the important marriage conversation with Alina to get watermelon Steven then told Alina about his hesitation to marry quickly. He said, Im not at the same level of readiness as you are. He hopes that he and Alina can take the wedding vows seriously because he believes it is the most significant decision of their lives. Alina gets quiet, and Steven asks her whats wrong. She said she was upset that Steven wasnt on the same page as her regarding marriage and commitment. The awkward car ride becomes even more awkward when Steven thinks its a good time to bring up food. He asks Alina, Do you want me to go to the store and buy you a watermelon? Alina shakes her head no. Then Steven says, I kinda want a watermelon. That sounds nice. 90 Day Fiance fans had a heyday on Reddit discussing how strange it was for Steven to bring up watermelon during such a meaningful conversation. One Reddit user wrote, What I took from this is that hes the kind of person who, if HE wants something, will present it to you as though its a thoughtful gift from him when really he just got it for himself. Swell guy. Another fan pointed out just how the watermelon comment proved just how clueless Steven could be. They wrote, Omg, when he asked her is she wanted a watermelon, I nearly died laughing? Yeah, I know I convinced you to move to Turkey so we could get married, and now Im second-guessing things after weve gotten here, but wanna watermelon like, goodness I wanted her to push him out that cab so bad. While Alina is well aware of how quirky Steven is, fans could tell that the comment was not only horrible timing, but it showed his selfishness. The watermelon comment made many 90 Day Fiance fans convinced that Steven isnt mature enough to be a good husband to Alina. It will be interesting to see how the rest of Alina and Stevens journey will play out on 90 Day Fiance: The Other Way Season 3. RELATED: 90 Day Fiance Fans Worried for Alinas Safety After Seeing the First Night With Steven Darcey Silva and Stacey Silva just began their twinsformation journey in Turkey, and already theres drama. During a recent Darcey & Stacey episode, Darcey and Georgi called it quits, with Darcey Silva putting the final nail in the coffin. Now, fans are largely siding with Georgi, who felt as if he was emotionally unheard by Darcey. Plus, there are signs that Darcey and Georgi are still together today. Darcey and Georgi split over the phone During Darcey Silvas trip to Turkey, she decided she needed to call up Georgi Rusev to clear the air and establish their status. The Darcey & Stacey star was not happy with how the interaction went. In fact, Darcey and Georgi split up over the phone, with Darcey making the final call to end it. I wasnt quite sure what kind of mood or demeanor you were gonna be in because the goodbye that you gave me when you left Connecticut wasnt very nice. It was very hurtful. Do you even love me, Georgi? Darcey asked. She went on to add that she feels as if they no longer share love in their relationship, and that she thinks Georgi treats her like he hates her. She went on to add that she is hurt by the fact that he reached out to Jesse Meester, despite the fact that she reached out to his ex first, and several times. Georgi explained that he felt unheard by Darcey Silva. Thats not right. Youre never trying to understand the things you do, how its affecting me, its always about you. So do you understand the things you say here thats how it affects me, how it hurt me, do you understand that? he asked. I dont want a relationship like this, I deserve more. I dont think you treat me like how a fiance should. And you have plenty of time in the apartment before I get back to figure things out, but I cant do this anymore, Darcey Silva replied. Darcey & Stacey fans side with Georgi Rusev Darcey Silva and Georgi Rusev argue on Darcey & Stacey | TLC via YouTube Darcey & Stacey fans arent exactly thrilled with Darcey Silva, who claimed the breakup saw her standing in her power. Instead, they seem to feel as if Georgi made a good point that Darcey is always discussing her own feelings and letting them crowd her relationship with Georgi, instead of looking at it two ways. Darcey is a walking cliche at this point. She says the same things over and over that they have no meaning because she doesnt even know the meanings of what shes saying. She also accuses Georgi anytime he tries to stand up for himself or he actually opens up of triggering her and always uses that to end the conversation so she wont have to take accountability, wrote one frustrated Redditor. Another user felt that Darcey Silva was the hypocrite amid the Darcey and Georgi breakup. I used to feel bad for her but not anymore. She is such a hypocrite. Always crying cause all men are so bad and shes just looking for love bla bla but she is the one who plays stupid games and is mean as f*ck. Cant stand her anymore. Poor Georgi, he looked really hurt, they wrote. I wasnt a huge fan of Georgi until the last two episodes and hes 100% right about Darcey just pushing him away while requiring the world. She has been hurt and is taking that out on all of her partners instead of working through her issues, wrote another Redditor in part. Are Darcey and Georgi still together? Despite their dramatic breakup on Darcey & Stacey, there are signs that Darcey and Georgi are still together. On August 2nd, 2021, Georgi Rusev posted a photo of himself smiling next to Darcey Silva on Facebook. The power of love is stronger than everything else, Georgi captioned the photo. Darcey Silva added five heart emojis in a comment. RELATED: Darcey & Stacey: Georgi Rusev Opens Up About Grandmothers Death Darcey & Stacey Season 2 saw Darcey and Stacey head to Turkey for plastic surgery and a relaxing vacation. Unfortunately, the vacation ended in drama, with Darcey and Georgi Rusev calling it quits over the phone. Now, it seems like Darcey Silva may need to go back on her seemingly perpetual hunt for love. That could mean seeing more of the Silva twins soon on TLC, which may be no surprise given how long their history with the channel is. How old are Darcey and Stacey Silva during Darceys love quest? How old are Darcey and Stacey Silva? Darcey Silva and Stacey Silva on Darcey & Stacey | TLC via YouTube Darcey & Stacey stars Darcey Silva and Stacey Silva have become TLC mainstays thanks to both 90 Day Fiance and Darcey & Stacey. So how old are Darcey and Stacey? The two are twins, so we only have to answer that question once. Both Silva sisters are 47, having recently celebrated their birthdays on September 23. What about their Darcey & Stacey beaus, however? How old are Florian Sukaj and Georgi Rusev? Actually, Florian is the younger of the two. Florian is about 15 years younger than Stacey Silva, per Screen Rant, which would mean hes roughly 32 years old, although the model hasnt explicitly stated his age. Florian started dating Stacey Silva when he was 25 years old. Meanwhile, Georgi Rusev is two years older at 34, per Soap Dirt. Both Darcey and Stacey prefer dating younger men something that has been apparent for Darcey since her time with Jesse Meester on 90 Day Fiance. That being said, both Georgi and Florian are older than Meester, who turns 29 at the end of 2021. When did Darcey Silva first appear on 90 Day Fiance? Darcey Silva and Stacey Silva of Darcey & Stacey | Brad Barket/Getty Images for Discovery, Inc. Darcey & Stacey may be Darcey Silvas latest focus, but she originally started out with TLC on 90 Day Fiance. How old was Darcey Silva when she started on the show? Darcey Silva first appeared on 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days Season 1 and Season 2. Season 1 first aired on August 6, 2017. At that time, Darcey Silva was 42 years old, and Jesse Meester was 24. Since then, Darcey has also appeared in 90 Day Fiance: Before the 90 Days Season 3 and Season 4, this time with Tom Brooks from the UK. Darcey Silva has also appeared on the 90 Day Fiance spinoffs Pillow Talk, B90 Strikes Back!, and Self Quarantined. Darcey and Georgi just called it quits on Darcey & Stacey Darcey & Stacey fans got to see some major drama go down during the twins trip to Turkey. Darcey Silva decided she needed to have a very serious chat with Georgi Rusev, one that resulted in her calling it quits with her Bulgarian beau. I wasnt quite sure what kind of mood or demeanor you were gonna be in because the goodbye that you gave me when you left Connecticut wasnt very nice. It was very hurtful. Do you even love me, Georgi? Darcey asked. When Darcey left for Turkey, Georgi was surly, to say the least. The two had been butting heads over Darcey contacting his ex-wife, Octavia, and Georgi decided to contact Darceys ex, Jesse. Darcey went on to add that she felt as if Georgi treats her as if he hates her. When Georgi protested that he feels as if Darcey rarely acknowledges how her actions affect his feelings, she decided she was finished. OK, you know what, Im gonna say my piece right now because I think I deserve much better than what Im getting, she told Georgi. I dont want a relationship like this, I deserve more. I dont think you treat me like how a fiance should. And you have plenty of time in the apartment before I get back to figure things out, but I cant do this anymore. RELATED: Darcey & Stacey Season 3: Get a First Look at the New Season Article Highlights: A Narcos scout was killed in 2017. Pablo Escobars brother warned Netflix to get security. Narcos: Mexico premieres in November. Narcos star Wagner Moura as Pablo Escobar | Netflix In 2017, Carlos Munoz Portal was shot and killed in a rural area outside Mexico City. Portal was shot while scouting locations for Narcos Season 4. According to El Pais, his vehicle was found with multiple gunshots. The location manager whod become known for scouting projects like Man on Fire and Spectre was reportedly alone at the time of his death. At the time, Netflix responded with a statement that reads: We are aware of the passing of Carlos Munoz Portal, a well-respected scout, and send our condolences to his family. The facts surrounding his death are still unknown as authorities continue to investigate. The fourth season overall came via Narcos: Mexico telling of the Juarez Cartel and aired for two seasons. Another is one that way in Nov. Heres what Pablo Escobars brother told Netflix When you have to wait until next year to see season 3. #Narcos pic.twitter.com/BscUGyTOti Narcos (@NarcosNetflix) September 15, 2016 After the death of Portal, Roberto De Jesus Escobar Gaviria Pablo Escobars brother gave a dire warning to the streaming network about protecting their cast and crew. You have to eliminate all threats. When I was walking in the jungle one day, I had a bag with $2 million in $100 bills. The army was searching for me and Pablo at this time. Suddenly, we are being shot at. Both me and Pablo, along with a few security people, start running toward a small channel of water; we swim away, he previously told The Hollywood Reporter. He continued: This was all done without guns. If you have the intellect, you dont need to use weapons. If not, you have to. In this case, Netflix should provide hitmen to their people as security. I dont want Netflix or any other film production company to film any movies in Medellin or Colombia that relate to me or my brother Pablo without authorization from Escobar Inc. It is very dangerous. Especially without our blessing. This is my country. Gaviria worked as Escobars lead accountant and became known as chief of the hitmen for the Medellin cartel. He previously served time in prison after a 1993 arrest. By 2014, he created Escobar, Inc. serving as successor-in-interest rights. He later requested $1billion from Netflix for unauthorized usage of the Escobar likeliness and name. Narcos: Mexico premieres in November The cage is open, and now the animals run free. The third and final season of Narcos: Mexico premieres November 5th on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/CR2ONCpmXG Narcos (@NarcosNetflix) September 13, 2021 RELATED: Narcos Star Pedro Pascal Refused to Return to the Series for This Chilling Reason Despite that dire warning from a real-life Escobar, another season of the Narcos iteration arrives in Nov. This will be the third for the Mexico spinoff and the sixth overall. Much of the cast will return except for Diego Luna. Narcos: Mexico Season 3 will be the last, and itll focus on what happened after Felix Gallardos (Luna) arrest. Former star Wagner Moura (who played Pablo Escobar in Narcos) will direct and Luisa Rubino will narrate. The official synopsis reads: As newly independent cartels struggle to survive political upheaval and escalating violence, a new generation of Mexican kingpins emerge. But in this war, truth is the first casualty and every arrest, murder, and take-done only pushes real victory further away. The Pioneer Womans corn rib recipe is Ree Drummonds answer to vegetarian ribs. The Food Network star has plenty of meat-free recipes Drummond even became a vegetarian for a few years in college and just because meat may not be on the menu doesnt mean ribs are off-limits. Drummonds Corn Ribs have all the flavorings of traditional ribs complete with a crazy and irresistible sauce. The Pioneer Womans Corn Ribs require a steady hand and a sharp knife Ree Drummond | Monica Schipper/Getty Images for The Pioneer Woman Magazine Drummonds Corn Ribs call for a sharp knife to make the cooking process as easy as possible. And, of course, to avoid injury. The recipe (Food Network has all the details), once featured on The Pioneer Woman, requires each ear of corn to be cut in half lengthwise. That means cutting through the tough center to expose the ribs. I like to go in the top [and] make a little cut, Drummond said as she made Corn Ribs from her home in Pawhuska, Oklahoma. You need a sharp knife, she added before demonstrating how she likes to rock the knife back and forth a little bit until its inside. Then once you get them cut in half you can turn them over to the cut side and use your leverage, Drummond continued, noting that this isnt a recipe for kids to try on their own. Ree Drummonds Corn Ribs are slathered in a 4-ingredient honey barbecue sauce RELATED: The Pioneer Woman: Saucy, Messy, and Wonderful Buffalo Chicken Meatballs Dont Take Long at All to Make, According to Ree Drummond Once the hard parts done Drummond gets to work on the sauce while the corn ribs bake. Theres no cooking involved, just a simple combination of four ingredients she stirs together in a dish. Its a mixture of mayonnaise, brown mustard, barbecue sauce, and honey which is kind of crazy and irresistible and mischievous, she said. After the Corn Ribs are done baking full disclosure, even Drummond admits they dont resemble ribs she brushes them with sauce. Finally, she sprinkles green onions and store-bought fried onions on top for garnish. And despite their decidedly un-rib-like appearance, when it comes down to taste theyre Pioneer Woman-approved. When the 52-year-old took a bite she described them as so fun and delicious. What reviewers have to say about this vegetarian Pioneer Woman recipe Ree Drummond | Bobby Bank/Getty Images RELATED: Pioneer Woman Ree Drummonds Gnocchi With Chorizo and Corn Is a 16-Minute Meal At the time of publication, Drummonds Corn Ribs average four stars on Food Networks website. Unlike her most popular Pioneer Woman recipes, this dish has only been reviewed a handful of times. The small number of reviews aside, most people who made the recipe at home enjoyed the corn ribs. This one is a WINNER!!!!!! one person wrote while another described them as delicious! Another reviewer adapted the recipe to make the corn ribs Mexican-style and loved the results. Others noted theyd rather skip the recipe because of how dangerous it is even for those with expert knife skills. Its official! Cynthia Bailey is moving on from The Real Housewives of Atlanta after being a peach holder for 11 seasons. The former model had been hinting at her exit throughout the summer and on numerous talk shows. Bailey finally confirmed she would not be returning to the Bravo reality series in an Instagram post after much thought and consideration. Cynthia Bailey | Tommy Garcia/Bravo RHOA star leaving Bravo franchise Bailey joined RHOA in season 3 of the franchise alongside a consolidated cast that included Nene Leakes, Sheree Whitfield, Kim Zolciak-Biermann, and Kandi Burruss. The star would go on for 11 seasons as a series regular but just confirmed she will not be appearing when the franchise returns for season 14. After much thought and consideration, I have made the very difficult and heartfelt decision not to return for the next season of Real Housewives of Atlanta, she posted on Instagram. Thank you NBC Universal, Bravo, and Truly Original for over a decade of partnership. I cant wait to see what we do next! Bailey thanked her RHOA co-stars for eleven of the most unbelievable years of her life and the most incredible & unforgettable memories. I am so grateful to have had this amazing journey, and I am anxiously waiting to embark on new adventures, she continued. Most importantly, THANK YOU to my fans! I could not have done it without your blessings, love, and support. Without the fans, none of this would be possible. I love and appreciate all of you. Its time to move on to my next chapter, and I look forward to sharing it with all of you. RELATED: RHOA Queen Porsha Williams Drops Bombshell Tease of New Family Show Spinoff Reactions to Cynthia Baileys RHOA exit Following Baileys announcement, the outpour of support came rushing in the comments with messages fortifying her decision to leave RHOA. In addition, her husband Mike Hill replied with a beautiful comment. Im so happy for you & excited for whats to come in your future, baby!! Im TELLING you the BEST YEARS OF YOUR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE are in front of you, Hill replied. You were a huge brand before RHOA & even though it helped put a spotlight on that brand, your name is only going to grow from here. We love you, Cynthia!!! Youve proven that you can do reality TV without compromising your dignity!! Such class and grace! We will miss you, a fan replied. You have gotten too classy and mature for those young acting girls. Last season and the bachelorette weekend let us know that, a follower added. Cynthia Bailey | Heidi Gutman/Bravo RELATED: RHOA Star Porsha Williams Announces Exit and Says Goodbye to Dish Nation I will miss you, Cynthia. Watched you on RHOA for so many years!! Glad you ended your run in a positive way, an Instagram user commented. Cheers to you beautiful! Cant wait to see what you do next! another fan mentioned. You Always served CLASSYand we love and appreciate you, another follower said. Aww, you will be missed. You brought classy and elegance to the show. You, Kenya and Kandi are my favorites, another Instagram user noted. Bravo is rumored to be starting production on RHOA Season 14 but has not confirmed which other housewives would be returning to the show. The Ghostbusters franchise is hotter than ever. So its a good time for a documentary starring original Ghostbusters II cast members including Dan Aykroyd and Sigourney Weaver. Too Hot to Handle: Remembering Ghostbusters II is back under production, and weve got the details. Ghostbusters II came at a time when filmmakers didnt really make sequels Sigourney Weaver and Ivan Reitman | Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images It took five years from the release of 1984s Ghostbusters to put together a sequel. The plot of Ghostbusters II had the original Ghostbusters reuniting to save the infant son of Peter Venkmans (Bill Muray) ex-girlfriend Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver). Ghosts have an eye on little Oscar, and Venkman still has a thing for Dana. Their vigilante mission gets them in trouble with New York City courts; theyre not supposed to be busting ghosts anymore. But when ghosts pursue the judge, the Ghostbusters are allowed to do what they do best, again. The first movie was a massive success. The classic 80s summer comedy directed by Ian Reitman seems like a shoo-in for a sequel, especially considering its all-star cast of power-comedians. But in a recent interview with ET Canada to discuss the upcoming release of Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Sigourney Weaver said a sequel was never really something they planned for. We just wanted to make a wonderful film, Weaver said. In those days, you didnt really make sequels. Which makes the existence of 1989s Ghostbusters II all the more remarkable. And totally worthy of a making-of documentary. According to producers, it will take fans behind the scenes for a look at how the movie evolved. And it has a different back-story from the first movie. The documentarys director said the movie has a huge following Per Deadline, the upcoming documentarys director commented on the film, saying it has a much larger fan base than people realize. Contrary to popular belief, Ghostbusters II has a huge following, said director Anthony Bueno. But its making-of has a very different story to tell, compared to its processor, which as a filmmaker presents new and exciting challenges with regards to our storytellingwe are working diligently to deliver a respectful, but honest account of the making of Ghostbusters II. The documentarys production stalled for several years. According to Deadline, its back in production. The doc will feature interviews with original cast members, including the late Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, and Ernie Hudson. In addition, Ivan Reiman and producers Michael C. Gross and Joe Medjuck will contribute commentary. The creator of Ghostbusters IIs original score will also create a score for the documentary Too Hot To Handle: Remembering Ghostbusters II Resumes Production https://t.co/belYj3lGzf Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) September 27, 2021 The behind-the-scenes documentary is produced by siblings Claire and Anthony Bueno through Bueno Productions. Laurence Gornall of Unannounced Films is the executive producer. A fun element of the documentary involves its music. Randy Edelman composed the score for Ghostbusters II back in 1989. In the same vein, Edelman will also create a score for the documentary. Edelman is a highly prolific composer who scored dozens of films. We couldnt be more honored to have Randy on board, Claire Bueno said. Hes a legend and we had such a lot of fun when we interviewed him for the doc. So, when he said yes, we couldnt believe our luck. He will truly be an asset and help us elevate Too Hot To Handle. RELATED: Sigourney Weaver Says Ghostbusters: Afterlife Is Glorious Insert the grinding bowl, start, finished: Get to know the fastest and safest Planetary Ball Mills on the market Planetary ball mill Up to 2200 rpm bowl speed Final fineness down to more Important information You are currently not logged in to my.chemeurope.com . Your changes will in fact be stored however can be lost at all times. Products from Hirschmann have been used in laboratories for 50 years in over 100 countries around the world. Our laboratory instruments, volumetric analysis glass instruments and precision capillaries are more than just sophisticated high-quality tools for laboratory specialists. They can be individually adapted to suit user requirements. We develop advanced problem solutions for our customers for daily work in medical laboratories, research and applications in industry. Examples of our innovations include the market launch of the world's first solar-powered digital burette in 2001 and individual coding of volumetric measuring devices in 2009. "Innovative thinking is the engine of progress" is a leitmotif of the Hirschmann corporate philosophy. The application of this fundamental idea is extremely versatile. Innovations originate in our thoughts. This makes Hirschmann employees our most important asset. Their qualification, modern working conditions and social benefits represent an investment that pays off. Our targeted promotion of up-and-coming talent is reflected in a training and education quota of about ten per cent. The innovative energy of our employees can also be seen in the meantime in the 26 registered brand ranges and 23 patent families which have been fully implemented in products. And Hirschmann laboratory instruments have not only made a name for themselves for their capability and cutting edge technology. A whole series of products have received accolades for design, ergonomics and environmental friendliness, receiving prizes such as the iF Design Award, the reddot Award, the Blue Angel (Der Blaue Engel) or German Design Award. The Registration Office is extending its closure of in-person services through October and will reopen to the public on Nov. 1 to allow staff to continue to focus on clearing a backlog of thousands of pending citizenship applications. Israels new prime minister told the United Nations Monday that the worlds countries face a moral choice between darkness and light as he contrasted the ideals of Israel and its allies with those of its enemies, including Iran. The modern world as we know it, he said, is at stake. Naftali Bennett, who was sworn in as the nations new prime minister this summer, made the remarks during a U.N. address in which he issued a warning about Irans nuclear programs and terrorism regime. He also urged the world not to support efforts such as the 2009 Durbin Review Conference, which was promoted as an anti-racism conference but was boycotted by the U.S. and others for promoting anti-Semitism. To those countries who chose to participate in this farce, I say: Attacking Israel doesnt make you morally superior, he said. Fighting the only democracy in the Middle East doesnt make you woke. Adopting cliches about Israel without bothering to learn the basic facts, well, thats just plain lazy. Every member state in this building has a choice. Its not a political choice but a moral one. Its a choice between darkness and light. This darkness, propagated by Iran, persecutes political prisoners, murders the innocent, abuses women and minorities, and seeks to end the modern world as we know it, Bennett said. The light, he added, pursues freedom, prosperity and opportunity. Israel, Bennett said, doesnt have the privilege of ignoring threats to democracy. Israel is, quite literally, surrounded by Hezbollah, Shia militias, Islamic Jihad and Hamas on our borders, he said. These terror groups seek to dominate the Middle East and spread radical Islam across the world. What do they all have in common? he asked. They all want to destroy my country. And theyre all backed by Iran. Bennett warned of a new terrorism capacity by Iran that seeks to fill the skies with thousands of deadly drones. The Iranian operation is called Shahed 136. Meanwhile, Irans nuclear program, Bennett said, has made a major leap forward and has hit a watershed moment. And so has our tolerance, he said. Words do not stop centrifuges from spinning. Still, he said, there are rays of hope in the Middle East, such as the 2020 signing of the Abraham Accords with several neighboring nations. Israel is a nation of great hope, a nation that has brought the heritage of the Torah to life in modern-day Israel, a nation of an unbreakable spirit, he said. A bit of light dispels much darkness. The lighthouse among the stormy seas stands tall, stands strong. And her light shines brighter than ever. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Pool Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Jemar Tisby is a historian, author, and leader seeking to make the house of God a more inclusive and welcoming place for everyone. He realizes its not an easy feat, but he believes in the power of hope and his faith in fellow Christians to make a more equitable future possible. In todays episode, we discuss Jemars own experience with discrimination simply because of the color of his skin, Americas ugly relationship with racism and its impact on the church in our country, and his book The Color of Compromise. We also talk about his time with Teach For America and how it further illustrated the importance of education as a solution to move forward in moments of change. Finally, our conversation ends on a hopeful note for the future, and a call, or plea, for Christians to be courageous to combat hate and inequality in the church. New Episodes Added Every Tuesday! Guest Biography Jemar Tisby is the author of the New York Times bestseller The Color of Compromise, president and co-founder of The Witness: A Black Christian Collective, and co-host of the podcast Pass The Mic. Jemar attended the University of Notre Dame and joined Teach For America at the Mississippi Delta Corps, where he taught sixth grade and became the principal. He received his MDiv from Reformed Theological Seminary and is currently working toward his Ph.D. in History at the University of Mississippi. Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Quote We can either shrink back and demonstrate complicity in the face of racism or we can demonstrate courageous Christianity and confront it rather than compromise with racism. 3D scans show boat-like formation matching 'biblical' description of Noahs Ark, archaelogists say Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Biblical archaeologists say they have discovered a boat-like formation matching the biblical description of Noah's Ark as they used a ground-penetrating radar at a rocky spot in eastern Turkey that some speculated to be the location of the original vessel. Archaeologists associated with a project named Noah's Ark Scans say they have discovered a "boat formation" on Mount Tendurek matching the "exact length" of the ark given in the Bible around 150 meters or 300 cubits in biblical terms The U.S. Sun reported Sunday. The Durupinar boat-shaped formation was discovered in 1959 by a Turkish army captain. The research interest in the site began in the 1970s through the mid-1990s due to the work of American explorer Ron Wyatt and others. According to the project's website, independent private geophysical surveys were conducted in 2014 and 2019 "showing layers and interesting angular structures below the ground." "The new GPR data shows parallel lines and angular structures 8 to 20 feet down," the project explains on its website. "These parallel lines and right angles below the surface are something you would not expect to see in a natural, geologic formation. Interestingly, the boat formation has also been confirmed to be the exact length of the ark given in the Bible (Genesis 6:15)." This year, a consortium of Turkish scientists and other supporters plan to do "the most complete geophysical survey and scientific study of this site to date using as many modern scientific methods as possible." "We have the support of key locals, we have interested scientists who have the permit to work in this area, and we have the media contacts to document the work," the website explains. Andrew Jones, who leads the project, told The Sun that the GPR data is "not what you would expect to see if this site is just a solid block of rock or an accumulation of random debris from a mudflow." "But these results are what you would expect to see if this is a man-made boat matching the Biblical requirements of Noah's Ark," he said. Some geologists, however, say the mountainous lump is an unusual rock formation. "I knew that the scientific consensus was that the Durupinar site is a geological oddity," Ryan Mauro, president of the Doubting Thomas Research Foundation, which is part of the project, told The Sun. "Before learning about these scans, it seemed like those who continued to argue in favor of the Durupinar site just couldn't accept the truth and let it go." "It's a whole new ballgame now," he continued. "Those judgments dismissing the site were made decades ago and based on limited data compared to what we have now. As I learned more, I became convinced that the project was worth my support and that it is vital that we determine the truth about the Durupinar site." In August, Jones and his team spent four days in the region surveying the ark site and meeting with archaeology professors who are also doing work in the area, such as Dr. Fethi Yuksel from Istanbul University. "With 4 days on the ground, the team was able to meet daily and see the different sites associated with the Noah's ark research project and meet key archaeologists doing other work in the region. One good news out of the trip was that Dr. Yuksel announced that a permit with his name on it as one of the team members was issued that covered the area of the Noah's ark site," Jones announced in an update last month. "This would speed up the process of doing the work. Once the funding comes in we can start the on-the-ground research with the professors and their assistants from the 3 Turkish universities!" He stated that there will be no excavation of the site until the "geophysical surveys, core drilling and geological studies are complete." "This summer's work is a necessary step and the most important one to reach our goal," he wrote. Jones said the goal "has always been to uncover as much evidence as possible for Noah's ark and to present it to the world." American Christians help raise funds to restore Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Correction Appended American Christians have helped in the raising of funds used to restore an ancient church in the West Bank believed to be the birth site of Jesus Christ that was once on a United Nations list for world heritage sites in danger. The Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is not only a popular tourist destination for Christian pilgrims visiting the Holy Land but was named a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 2012. It was previously listed on the UNESCO List of World Heritage in Danger due to a "poor state of conservation" before its removal in 2019. Completed around the year 565, the church has not been majorly renovated since 1480 and was in danger of collapsing. But in recent years, the church has undergone several restoration projects to its roof, facades, mosaics and doors thanks to contributions from donors worldwide. "The Church of the Nativity is a treasure of history and of faith," said Mazen Karam, managing director and CEO of the Bethlehem Development Foundation, in a statement sent to The Christian Post. "We've made great progress and look forward to completing the work to return this treasure back to the world." The BDF launched a nonprofit, nongovernmental organization called the American Friends of the Bethlehem Foundation (AFBDF) in 2018. Together, the groups have raised approximately $30 million that has been spent in the Bethlehem region. Restoration work on the church so far has cost $15 million, of which AFBDF and BDF raised $2.6 million, split equally. "Christians in the United States have an enthusiastic love for the Holy City of Bethlehem," said AFBDF President George Salem. "We are thrilled by the outpouring of support from our American friends and their commitment to help revitalize the Church of the Nativity." BDF and the AFBDF have helped fund restoration of the external facades, a wall mosaic, basilica doors, internal plaster, the last 11 columns of the central nave, the narthex, wooden architraves and installed lighting and smoke detection systems. The organizations have other plans to further the project, which include consolidating the church walls against seismic activity, tiling the floor with stone and marble, restoring the stone tiles in the front yard and installing firefighting and microclimatic systems. "We are committed to restoring the Nativity Church to its former glory," said Samer Khoury, chairman of BDF's board of trustees. "But our commitment to Bethlehem is so much more; we're targeting sustainable initiatives and community projects, hoping to restore some peace, love and joy to the people of Bethlehem." The continued restoration of the historic sacred space comes after a straining year for tourism in 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and travel restrictions that ensued, the tourism-dependent region suffered economically as both the church and Manger Square arguably the most popular attractions in Bethlehem saw zero international visitors during the Christmas season. In a normal year, approximately 1 million tourists come to Bethlehem to spend the holiday there. The ancient church was commissioned by Constantine the Great shortly after his mother Helena visited both Jerusalem and Bethlehem. The original building was likely constructed in the 330s and was formally dedicated in 339 A.D. Approximately 200 years later, it was destroyed by fire during the Samaritan revolts and subsequently rebuilt and built new additions by Byzantine Emperor Justinian. The site also features Latin, Greek Orthodox, Franciscan and Armenian convents and churches and a pilgrimage route. The main basilica of the church is maintained by the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem. Situated underneath the main altar in the church is an underground space called the Grotto of the Nativity and is believed to be the place of Jesus' birth. The precise spot where Jesus is said to have been born is encircled with a silver star set in the marble flooring. Correction: Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2021 A previous version of this article stated that BDF and AFBDF had combined to raise $30 million toward the restoration of the Church of the Nativity. The restoration work on the church so far has cost $15 million, of which AFBDF and BDF raised $2.6 million, split equally. The $30 million was spent on the whole Bethlehem region. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Debbie Dingell shout over whos a good Christian on Capitol steps Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Two congresswomen got into a heated debate over what it means to be a good Christian shortly after the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would codify the right to abortion into federal law. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., and Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., got into a heated shouting match on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Friday after the Democrat-controlled House voted 218-211 to approve the Women's Health Protection Act. The bill received the support of all but one House Democrat and was opposed by all congressional Republicans. Also known as H.R. 3755, the bill seeks to protect access to abortion nationwide and overrule laws and regulations like Texas' controversial Senate Bill 8, which bans most abortions in the state as early as six weeks gestation. The bill would also invalidate Texas' more recently passed Senate Bill 4, which prohibits a person "from providing an abortioninducing drug to a pregnant woman without satisfying the applicable informed consent requirements for abortions." A viral video of the shouting match, shared on Twitter, shows Greene heckling Democrats on the steps of the Capitol as they held a press conference about the Democrats' "Build Back Better for Women" campaign after approving the legislation. "You should all be ashamed. Killing a baby up until birth is a lack of civility. It's called murder!" Greene yelled. "You should practice the basic thing you're taught in church: respect your neighbors!" a visibly miffed Dingell replied. Greene did not take kindly to the questioning of her Christianity and she responded forcefully to Dingell. "Taught in church?" she shot back. "Are you kidding me? Try being a Christian and supporting life." Dingell furiously shouted back at Dingell: "You try being a Christian ... and try treating your colleagues decently!" Dingell almost slipped on the steps of the Capitol as she continued her back-and-forth with Greene. Republican Rep. @mtgreenee gets into a shouting match with Democrats, incl. @BettyMcCollum04 and @RepDebDingell at the Democrats Build Back Better for Women photo-op pic.twitter.com/S3AZX1zfJg bryan metzger (@metzgov) September 24, 2021 Tricia Flanagan, a Republican congressional candidate from New Jersey, expressed her belief that Greene reflects "REAL Christianity." Taking to Twitter Saturday, Flanagan asserted that "Debbie Dingell is demanding that Christians be lukewarm. Dingell says be nice, don't make waves, do what you're told." Debbie Dingell is demanding that Christians be lukewarm. Dingell says be nice, dont make waves, do what youre told. REAL Christianity fights back with Truth! REAL Christianity stands up for Life! REAL Christianity is ready to ROAR! Bravo @mtgreenee with you all the way. pic.twitter.com/tvucwngc6Y Tricia Flanagan (R-NJ) (@NewDayForNJ) September 25, 2021 "REAL Christianity fights back with Truth! REAL Christianity stands up for Life! REAL Christianity is ready to ROAR! Bravo @mtgreenee with you all the way," she added. Meanwhile, Ron Fournier, a Detroit-based communications consultant who formerly worked for The Associated Press and National Journal, suggested on Twitter that Greene did not reflect God's grace. "@RepDebDingell is classy, caring and kind, a woman filled with God's grace, a dedicated public servant who puts her country above party and power. @RepMTG is none of those things," Fournier contended. .?@RepDebDingell? is classy, caring and kind, a woman filled with Gods grace, a dedicated public servant who puts her country above party and power. ?@RepMTG? is none of those things. https://t.co/LWTf7J5Ret Ron Fournier (@ron_fournier) September 25, 2021 While the congresswomen and their supporters debate who's acting more in a Christ-like manner, a recent study from Arizona Christian University shows that of an estimated 176 million American adults who identify as Christian, only 6% actually subscribe to a biblical worldview. The study showed that most of America's self-identified Christians, including many who identify as evangelicals, believe that God is the all-powerful, all-knowing Creator of the universe. At the same time, more than half reject several biblical teachings and principles, including the existence of the Holy Spirit. Additionally, the study revealed that most Christians believe that all religious faiths are of equal value, that people are essentially good and that they can use acts of goodness to earn their way into Heaven. The study also concluded that most Christians don't believe in moral absolutes, cite feelings, experience or the input of friends and family as their most trusted sources of moral guidance and say that having faith matters more than which faith one chooses to practice. George Barna, the lead researcher at Arizona Christian University's Cultural Research Center, reacted to the results in a statement. "Too often, it seems, people who are simply religious, or regular churchgoers, or perhaps people who want a certain reputation or image embrace the label 'Christian,' regardless of their spiritual life and intentions," Barna said. "'Christian' has become somewhat of a generic term rather than a name that reflects a deep commitment to passionately pursuing and being like Jesus Christ," he added. Instagram pauses plans for kids app amid criticism from Democrat, Republican lawmakers Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Instagram has paused the development of a kid version of the app amid criticism from lawmakers and others after a report this month detailed how the Facebook-owned platform can exacerbate body-image issues among teen users. As Instagram doesnt allow users below the age of 13, the hope for the Instagram Kids platform was to create a social media app for children that would be free of advertisements and allow parents to be aware of their childrens activity. I still firmly believe that its a good thing to build a version of Instagram thats safe for tweens, but we want to take the time to talk to parents and researchers and safety experts and get to more consensus about how to move forward, said Instagram head Adam Mosseri in an appearance on NBCs Today show on Monday. According to a Wall Street Journal report, Facebook researchers conducted studies that confirm that 32% of teen girls said that when they felt bad about their bodies, Instagram made them feel worse because comparisons on Instagram can change how young women view and describe themselves. Multiple news outlets reported on Facebooks internal research findings in September. However, Facebooks Head of Research Pratiti Raychoudhury clarified the companys research findings in a blog posted on Sept. 26. Using Instagram helps [teens] when they are struggling with the kinds of hard moments and issues teenagers have always faced, she wrote. Even with the head of Facebook and Instagram pushing for a childrens rendition of the app, attorneys general from 44 states and territories pushed for Facebook to permanently halt plans to create the childrens Instagram app in May. The pushback, however, has not budged Mosseri from his stance that the app would do more helping than harming young people. [Its] the right thing to do, Mosseri wrote in a statement. Critics of Instagram Kids will see this as an acknowledgment that the project is a bad idea. Thats not the case, he added. Together, Mosseri and Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg have been outspoken about their viewpoints that if the childrens social-media app were created, youth could connect and bond in more ways while having adult supervision. Parents of kids of all ages are looking for more ways to supervise and control their kids experiences online, Mosseri rationalized. The controls could give parents the ability to approve whom their teenage children can message and follow. For various critics of the project, they said there are better ways for children to form connections with loved ones. Democratic Sens. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Connecticuts Richard Blumenthal have spoken out against the app idea. Facebook is heeding our calls to stop plowing ahead with plans to launch a version of Instagram for kids, Markey wrote on Twitter Monday. But a pause is insufficient. Facebook must completely abandon this project. This month, Sens. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., the chair and ranking member of the Senate Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security, launched a bipartisan investigation into the social media platforms impact on children. According to Raychoudhury, Facebooks Global Head of Safety Antigone Davis will appear before the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Thursday. John Piper denounces bedroom role-playing: Fantasized sin is sin Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Noted theologian and Bible teacher John Piper recently denounced the practice of some married couples to engage in role-playing in the bedroom, stating that fantasized sin is sin. On an episode of the podcast Ask Pastor John posted to the website Desiring God on Monday, Piper addressed multiple questions sent in by listeners whose spouses were interested in various types of sensual role-play. My husband likes to use role-playing in the bedroom, and various levels of bondage and dominance. He wants me to say things like I am your slave. He wants me to wear certain collars around my neck. To the far extreme, he likes to fantasize that he is raping me, said one unnamed listener. But hes a very nice person outside of the bedroom. He only asks if he can play out the fantasy in bed. What should I do? Another anonymous listener explained that a counselor had told her and her husband that role-playing was okay in the marriage bed with mutual consent. Piper, an author and chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota, responded by stating that fantasized sin is sin, no matter how many people agree on it." He added that playacted sin is sin, citing Jesus words in Matthew 5:2729 to justify this conclusion. You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell, reads the biblical passage. With the passage in mind, Piper said that Jesuss standard of holiness is not merely a standard of bodily deeds, but also of mental delights. If you need ever more kinky sex ever more bizarre, unconventional sexual acts at the expense of your spouses enjoyment you are elevating your appetite above his or her delights. Thats not the way of Christ, Piper continued. If you pursue a sexual act or an imagined sexual situation because it is more stimulating, scintillating, pleasurable, because it is forbidden, then you are living out the way of the fool, and you are embodying the principle of bondage. Piper went on to warn that if a sexual desire has become so prominent in the way you pursue satisfaction in life that you must push the limits of sexual conventions in order to be a joyful and contented person, your God and your purpose for living have become too small. In other words, we need a big, beautiful, glorious, transcendent, majestic vision of God and his purpose for our lives if sex is to stay in its pleasurable, small place, he added. Rather, you will have it by devoting 99 percent of your effort to love your wife well outside the bedroom, so that she finds you somebody she really desires. In 2016, University of Nebraska-Lincoln sociologist Kelsy Burke published a book analyzing the sexual practices of married evangelicals, as seen in studying the content of 36 websites where large numbers of Christians have sought sexual advice. In online blog comments and message boards, website users sometimes debate whether or not a particular sex act is 'OK, explained Burke in a 2016 interview with The Christian Post. But the prevailing attitude is that if a believer is in open communication with God and a spouse about his or her desires, then those desires are permissible. This is not the first time Piper has shared his thoughts on sensitive issues surrounding sexuality. In 2020, the theologian said God sometimes sends unwanted sexual dreams to terrify us with warnings in order to humble our pride and keep us back from sin. God really does use dreams to terrify us with warnings in order to humble our pride and keep us back from sin, Piper said. But if thats true, one way to look at sexually illicit dreams dreams when youre doing illicit things in the dream is that God is terrifying us in our dreams of the horror of this prospect in real life, so that we wont do it. He also previously explained that sexual attraction doesnt belong to the essence of marriage and sexual pleasure is not essential to marriage. The essence of marriage is the making and keeping of a covenant between a man and a woman to be husband and wife to each other as long as they both shall live, he said. That is the essence of a marriage: covenant making, covenant keeping to be a husband and a wife. And to be sure, that covenant includes the promise to give ones self to the other in sexual relations (1 Corinthians 7:3), he added. The husband should give his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife her husband. But there is nothing in the Bible that mandates any particular degree of physical pleasure in that relationship. Oklahoma man arrested for allegedly sending death threats to pro-life Texas lawmakers Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A 20-year-old man from Oklahoma was recently arrested for sending death threats to Texas legislators who supported the state's controversial fetal heartbeat abortion law. Austin Wendell Lund was booked last week by Payne County authorities and faces charges including instigating a terrorism hoax and threatening to perform an act of violence. Lund allegedly threatened 101 Texas lawmakers, stating on a series of Reddit posts that he was "filled with rage at the Texas abortion law passing." Senate Bill 8, also known as the Texas Heartbeat Act, bans most abortions after a baby's heartbeat is detected, usually around six weeks into pregnancy. "You are not people to me and if I get the chance I plan to play out my sickest fantasies with your bodies, I fully intend to," Lund allegedly posted, as reported by KOTV of Tulsa, Okla. Democratic state Rep. Ana Maria Ramos of Dallas, a Texas lawmaker who voted against the heartbeat abortion ban, denounced the death threats against her pro-life colleagues. "It's never OK," stated Ramos, as reported by local outlet CBS DFW last Friday. "And it's scary for all of us, because these are my colleagues." "These are human beings, that people on the House floor and in [the] legislature, people have also [been] sacrificing their time to fight for what they feel is best for our country. So, so it's never OK." Republican state Rep. Matt Shaheen of Plano, a legislator who supported the heartbeat law and was among those threatened, said that getting a death threat was not news, per se. "You're alarmed at first, but quite frankly, every once in a while, we receive these types of threats," continued Shaheen, as reported by CBS DFW. Shaheen also defended his support for Senate Bill 8. "It's really, really simple to me," he said. "If there's a little baby with a heartbeat, it deserves to live. The Declaration of Independence says we are endowed by our creator with certain unalienable rights and among those are life. So that little baby is a little life." Senate Bill 8 went into effect on Sept. 1, after the U.S. Supreme Court denied the request of abortion providers and advocacy groups to block the law's implementation. The new law allows private citizens to sue anyone who performs illegal abortions or helps a woman obtain an illegal abortion. The law has garnered much backlash, including a lawsuit by the Biden administration and the publication of a statement signed by more than 50 companies condemning the measure. Notable signatories include Lyft, Yelp and Ben & Jerry's. Although the law has received intense opposition from pro-abortion groups and the Biden administration, the American public is evenly divided in its views on Senate Bill 8. A Rasmussen poll conducted shortly after its passage found that a plurality of Americans (46%) support the law while 43% oppose it. At the same time, 46% of Americans said they approved of President Joe Biden's vow to launch a "whole-of-government effort ... to ensure that women in Texas have access to safe and legal abortions." The threats against the Texas lawmakers come after the pro-life group Texas Right to Life received a bomb threat at it's headquarters in the Houston suburb of Bellaire earlier this month. Police ordered the evacuation of the facility when a suspicious package was delivered. While the package ultimately did not include an explosive device, the Bellaire Police Department noted in a statement that it's investigating the incident as a "terroristic threat," which is punishable with a fine of up to $4,000 and up to one year in jail. Mom blasts school board for allowing books promoting pedophilia in school libraries Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment WARNING: The following article contains sexually explicit content A concerned mother has slammed one of the largest school districts in the United States for including sexually explicit books in their high school libraries, which she classified as pornography for their graphic descriptions of sex acts between men and boys. The parent of a student in Fairfax County Public Schools in Virginia read aloud sexually explicit material and shared graphic images featured in two books available in the districts high school libraries at a school board meeting on Thursday. A video of her addressing the board, uploaded by the advocacy group Do Better FCPS, has received more than 300,000 views. Stacy Langton explained, After seeing a September 9 school board meeting in Texas on pornography in the schools, I decided to check the titles at my childs school, Fairfax High School. Langton held up the two books singled out at the Texas school board meeting that are also available in several public high schools in Fairfax County. She said that both of these books include pedophilia, [and] sex between men and boys. Both books describe different acts, she added. One book describes a fourth-grade boy performing oral sex on an adult male. The other book has detailed illustrations of a man having sex with a boy. Langton added, The illustrations include fellatio, sex toys, masturbation and violent nudity. She read aloud from one of the books, Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe: I cant wait to have your c**k in my mouth. I am going to give you the b**w job of your life and then I want you inside me. She then read an excerpt from the other book, titled Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison: What if I told you I touched another guys d**k? What if I told you I sucked it? I was 10 years old but its true. I s**ked Doug Gobles d**k, the real estate guy, and he s**ked mine too. As Langton maintained that this is not an oversight at Fairfax High School, a school board member interrupted and told her that there are children in the audience here. In an article on Substack, Asra Normani, the vice president for strategy and investigations at the grassroots advocacy organization Parents Defending Education, who attended the meeting, disputed the assertion that children were present at the meeting. Langton, who didn't appreciate the board member's interruption of her time to speak, added: Do not interrupt my time. I will stand here until my time is restored and my time is finished. These books are in stock and available in the libraries of Robinson, Langley and Annandale High Schools. A school board member then suggested that teenagers' access to the books is OK because they're only available for high school students. However, the majority of high school students are younger than 18, which is the age of consent in Virginia. Before her time was up, Langton replied to the board member's assertion, saying, Pornography is offensive to all people; it is offensive to common decency. When Langtons time came to a close, the school board attempted to introduce the next speaker as many in the crowd gave the mother a round of applause. Langton remained at the podium as parents expressed their anger at the school board by chanting, Go to jail! As a security official tried to escort her away from the podium, Langton alleged that This board is in violation of the law of the state of Virginia called 18.2-376! This board should be charged accordingly! At last night's @FCPSNews school board meeting, brave mom Stacy Langton revealed porn + pedophilia in library books. The board cut her mic + fled but I was able to record Stacy. Parents yelled, "Shame!" at the board for turning the county into #Fairfaxxx. No rest for @defendingedpic.twitter.com/efbT6c79H2 Asra Q. Nomani (@AsraNomani) September 24, 2021 The law cited by Langton is one of Virginias Crimes Involving Morals and Decency. It declares that It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly prepare, print, publish, or circulate, or cause to be prepared, printed, published or circulated, any notice or advertisement of any obscene performance or exhibition. Another member of the audience remarked that this is child pornography and every one of you all should be arrested for allowing this bullcrap to be perpetrated in our schools and infecting the minds of these children. In response to the criticism, one member of the board, Karl Frisch, took to Twitter and implicitly defended the inclusion of the book in high school libraries: Its not every week the School Board receives two exorcisms during public comment. To be clear, nothing will disrupt our Boards commitment to LGBTQIA+ students, families, and staff. Nothing. It's not every week the School Board receives two exorcisms during public comment. To be clear, nothing will disrupt our Board's commitment to LGBTQIA+ students, families, and staff. Nothing. ?????????????????? Karl Frisch (@KarlFrischFCPS) September 24, 2021 Fairfax County Public Schools released a statement Friday announcing that The circulation of these books has been suspended, while a committee reviews and makes recommendations about the text. After outlining the process for the Request for Reconsideration of Library or Instructional Material, the statement indicated that two committees had been formed to determine whether to remove the books from the schools. VICTORY. BREAKING @fcpsnews was hammered with calls + emails today from angry parents. At 4:46 PM its public relations machine announces: "The circulation of these books has been suspended, while a committee reviews and makes recommendations about the text." It's still #Fairfaxxxpic.twitter.com/P60v8POYwE Asra Q. Nomani (@AsraNomani) September 24, 2021 Each committee will include two teachers, two parents, one school-based administrator, one member of the Equity and Cultural Responsiveness team, and two high school students. Each year, we identify potential committee members by working with our schools and regions. The committee members will be randomly selected from the list, though we will ensure that the students selected are 18 years of age given the concerns. The controversy is the latest example of school boards facing pushback over some of the material taught to children in public schools. In nearby Loudoun County, Virginia, parents read aloud similar literature their high school children were exposed to in a high school English class at a school board meeting this past spring. Earlier this month, Mayor Craig Shubert of Hudson, Ohio, called on the school board to resign or face criminal charges for allowing a book titled, 642 Things to Write About. The book features sexually explicit writing prompts intended for use in a college-level English class taught in the districts high school. Like Langton and parents in Loudoun County, parents of students in the Hudson City School District read some of the sexually explicit writing prompts that children taking the class were asked to write about to the board. Prompts students were asked to write about included instructions to explain a time when you wanted to orgasm but couldnt and write a sex scene you wouldnt show your mom. Concerns about the kind of material children are exposed to in public schools have led to the foundation of several advocacy organizations, including Parents Defending Education and the 1776 Project PAC, which seeks to get school board people in there who can actually start reversing it. Father batters pastor for allegedly touching son inappropriately Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Shocked leaders at an Oklahoma church are expected to hold a prayer vigil for a local pastor Tuesday after he was battered by a father who accused him of inappropriately touching his son, arrested and charged by police with lewd/indecent acts to a child. The boy's parents told police they caught Michael Coghill, 33, the recently fired discipleship minister at Lakehoma Church of Christ in Mustang, preying on their child as he waited for his school bus at a bus stop last Wednesday, according to News 9. "There's hardly any words that are camera appropriate," Lisa Ward, who witnessed the commotion, told the news outlet. "It's just sickening." The boy told his parents that Coghill, who lives in another community near the bus stop, had run by him several times and touched him in an uncomfortable way. "He knew the time he would be there every day," Ward explained. "That was the hardest part, the most disgusting part." On the day the pastor got beat up, the boy's father waited in his car to see if Coghill would return, and he did. "While he was watching the school bus stop, our suspect ran by him, ran past the bus stop where the children were waiting. Turned around, came back and stopped where he touched the child," Sgt. Dillon Quirk of the Oklahoma City Police Department said. And that's when the father jumped into action and tackled the pastor to the ground. When police arrived, the minister had visible injuries to his face. "He was in the cop car all bloody," Ward told News 9. After news of Coghill's arrest was made public, elders from Lakehoma Church of Christ revealed in a statement on Facebook that he was fired. "We were heartbroken to learn of the incident that occurred yesterday morning involving Mike Coghill, our discipleship minister," the statement said. "And we were shocked to learn this news through social media today. Mike has a clean background check, and we have received no reports or claims against him during his tenure at Lakehoma. We will be fully cooperating with law enforcement as needed." The church elders noted that they also determined "it was in the best interest of all parties for Mike to be relieved from all duties." "He will no longer be on staff at Lakehoma," the statement assured. Lakehoma Church of Christ leaders also urged prayers for the family of the victim. At Choctaw Church of Christ, where Coghill worked for five years before moving to Lakehoma Church of Christ, a shocked Pastor Marti Kessler and his team will be holding a prayer vigil for the battered minister at 9 p.m. on Tuesday. "Knowing his character and his work here, no way, how could this happen?" Kessler told News 9. "Like it was a sick joke of some kind. I couldn't believe it, thought somebody had doctored the picture." Police said the parent got video evidence of Coghill's alleged crime, but Kessler will be praying that there might be some evidence that can clear him. "We're having a prayer vigil, we'll call it, starting at 9 p.m. tonight going through 7 a.m. in the morning," Kessler said. "My hope is there's something, some kind of evidence that in the end will prove Mike's innocence." Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment America witnessed the greatest foreign policy disaster in modern times in August with the quick collapse of Afghanistan. A number of catastrophic decisions were made by the Biden administration and each contributed to the disaster: announcing the withdrawal at the start of the Taliban fighting season, abandoning Bagram Air Base and releasing 5,000 Taliban prisoners, providing no replacement for Theater Commander General Scott Miller, not warning American citizens and Afghan allies to leave in June and July, and leaving behind about $85 billion in U.S. weaponry. All those factors in the debacle have received publicity but one major factor has remained in the shadows: America engaged in progressive colonization against the will of the people of Afghanistan. The Biden administration continued the Obama agenda of pushing a progressive ideology in Afghanistan, which hurt the credibility of the Afghan government and made an opening for the Taliban. Progressive colonization is defined as attempts at pushing Western progressive values on a people with contrary conservative traditional values. To give a recent and overt example, on March 12, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III published a memorandum to senior Department of Defense leaders in which he directed them to promote the cause of advancing the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons around the world. Austin went on to further specify that DOD Components shall: Strengthen existing efforts to combat the criminalization by foreign governments of LGBTQI+ status or conduct and expand efforts to combat discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, and intolerance on the basis of LGBTQI+ status or conduct. Expand ongoing efforts to ensure regular DOD engagement with governments, citizens, civil society, and the private sector to promote respect for the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons. Austin further directed, By April 15, 2021, all DOD Components will..recommend additional opportunities and actions to advance the human rights of LGBTQI+ persons around the world. What Austin was ordering, in keeping with Bidens progressive agenda, was for combatant commanders to insist and demand foreign governments join the progressive movement with regards to homosexuality. This included in places like Afghanistan where progressive values are antithetical to the local religion and culture. In many nations of the world, people generally see homosexuality to be unnatural, sinful, and harmful to society. These same people are even more opposed to transsexuality and gender confusion fostered by the progressive movement. In traditional Christian, Islamic and Animistic cultures in Africa and Asia, homosexuality and transsexuality are viewed as contrary to the morality set forth in the holy books. As a result of Austins directive, June Pride Month was celebrated in Afghanistan in a very open and in your face manner not seen before 2021. The Pride flag was flown for the first time in Afghanistan as the Taliban was surging around the country criticizing it. The now-defunct U.S. Embassy in Kabul issued the following statement with the picture of the Pride flag flying in Kabul: The month of June is recognized as (LGTBTI) Pride Month. The United States respects the dignity and equality of LGBTI people & celebrates their contributions to society. We remain committed to supporting the civil rights of (LGBTI persons). Afghanistan was under Islamic (Sharia) law, which unfortunately included the death penalty for homosexuality. Thankfully, the Afghan government had not enforced laws against homosexuality since the Taliban fell from power in 2001, but this doesn't change the legal prohibition. Americas progressive push openly flouted the laws and Constitution of Afghanistan, while the Taliban reminded the people of the subversion of the law. The Taliban used the open support for homosexuality as an ideological issue in swaying people in Afghanistan from the Afghan government. And the support for LGBT rights in Afghanistan by the progressive Biden admin wasn't primarily an issue of human rights, or else they would have also spoken up about the death penalty for conversion from Islam to another religion. But the Biden admin made no effort to voice support for the rights of religious minorities in Afghanistan. Progressives hypocritically rail against any perceived colonization by traditional Western values but have themselves made the greatest attempt in modern times to colonize other nations with their progressive values. They have brought failure and embarrassment to the United States in foreign affairs as seen in Afghanistan. Its time to stop progressive colonization. Kenneth Copeland advises ministries to find other ways to travel to avoid airline vaccine mandates: 'Mark of the beast' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Correction Appended Televangelist Kenneth Copeland recently advocated for ministries to get their own "method of travel" to circumvent any airline-imposed vaccine mandates something he believes is the mark of the beast as described in the book of Revelation. The time has come for ministries, particularly traveling ministries, to have some other method of travel other than the airlines, Copeland, the 84-year-old head of Kenneth Copeland Ministries, said on Tuesday during a VICTORYthon fundraiser. You get into this situation, Were not going to let you fly unless youre vaccinated. Well, to me, thats the mark of the beast. Not the vaccination, Copeland later clarified. Im not taking the vaccination, but you can do what you wanna do. Kenneth Copeland argues that he needs a private jet because airlines are imposing vaccine requirements and "to me, that's the Mark of the Beast." https://t.co/pWZsRLY5PHpic.twitter.com/x0HaenznuY Right Wing Watch (@RightWingWatch) September 22, 2021 Copeland, who with his wife, Gloria, often promotes the prosperity gospel, reportedly already owns three jets and a private airport. In an interview with Inside Edition in 2019, the Texas-based televangelist said he needed a private jet so he wouldnt have to fly commercial with what he dubbed a bunch of demons. In August, Copeland thanked his supporters for helping him purchase Tyler Perry's Gulfstream V jet, petitioning them for even more donations and asking if they had named their "seed" to cover an additional $2.5 million in upgrades to the aircraft. Copeland has also previously made controversial claims about the coronavirus. In June of last year, the televangelist said that his faith in God would shield him from the virus and urged born-again Christians to put their angel to work by activating their faith against the disease. Im talking now to Holy Spirit born-again, Holy Spirit baptized, Holy Spirit speaking in other tongues, healing, believing Christians that dont watch anything but COVID-19 on the television. Your faith is idle and dumb, Copeland said at the time. He warned viewers that watching news reports about the pandemic instead of feeding their minds with faith-building content is leaving them vulnerable to attacks from the devil. Your angel has nothing to do because all youre listening to is the news broadcast, and youre exalting this creep that you have authority over, he said. I have my shield up, thank you very much. Glory to God! You couldnt give me that flu even if you tried. Copeland is not the only public figure to warn that the COVID-19 vaccine could be the mark of the beast as referenced in Revelation 13:18. Most notably, rapper Kanye West previously said that those behind the vaccine want to put chips inside of us, they want to do all kinds of things, to make it where we cant cross the gates of Heaven. Hank Hanegraaff, also known as the "Bible Answer Man," called Wests interpretation of Scripture as misleading as it is dangerous and completely indefensible. I say this because biblically, the mark of the beast is symbolic is quite obviously a parody of the mark of the lamb, he stressed. Biblical interpretation matters. If we interpret the Bible incorrectly, well think the Bible is a bunch of nonsense. The mark in Revelation 13 symbolizes identity with the beast. And as such, identifying with Satan's kingdom is what will keep you out of Heaven, not getting vaccinated, said Hanegraaff. As Kanye West must surely know, the forehead and the hands of people are Old Testament symbols of their beliefs and behavior. The multitudes who follow West should know taking on the mark of the beast is the intentional denial in thought, in word, in deed of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Rather than fearfully avoiding vaccinations, Christians should with fear and trembling resist the temptation to be conformed to the evil systems of this world, systems that play fast and loose with biblical monikers and traffic in the selling of sensationalism. An earlier version of this article dated Sept. 24 reported that Kenneth Copeland was asking supporters for donations to pay for a private jet. This article has been updated to clarify that Copeland was advising ministries to get their own "method of travel" to avoid airline-imposed vaccine mandates. Widow of unvaccinated pastor says his death from COVID-19 was will of the Lord Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The wife of an unvaccinated North Carolina pastor who died from COVID-19 Friday after spending 41 days in treatment at the WakeMed Hospital in Cary said his death was "the will of the Lord." Miracle King Wilson, whose late husband, Pastor Kermit Wilson Jr., led New Life Ministries of Greensboro, announced his death in a YouTube broadcast Wednesday. He was 43. "It has been the will of the Lord that our shepherd, my husband Pastor Kermit Wilson Jr., has transitioned to be with the Lord. He passed away on Friday due to COVID-19. We, his family, myself, his children, his church, his immediate family, his friends, his coworkers, his neighbors have been devastated," she said. "We are in a place of stillness and waiting at this point in time as we prepare to place [him] in his final resting place." An online obituary for the pastor said his widow, oldest sister and brother-in-law were "at his side praying him into Glory until his last heartbeat." Pastor Wilson, who was originally from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is the youngest child and only son of Tressie Osborne, who leads Messiah's Ministries in Hollywood, Florida, according to New Life Ministries' website. He leaves behind his wife, whom he married in December 2018, their three young children EJ, Eden Melody, Kindle Spirit and several other family members. "As we walk moment by moment, the same question keeps coming up. What happens next? What are you going to do next in every regard? I can say we had plans," his widow said. She said her husband left "huge shoes to fill in the natural and in the spirit." "At this point in time, what I feel is a stillness. I continue to feel the spirit say just to stand. To simply stand," she said. A memorial service for the late pastor is scheduled at New Life Ministries Church on Saturday at noon. It will also be broadcast online. "Due to COVID safety precautions to protect Kermit's family, the in-person celebration will be limited to ceremony participants," the church said in a statement. "Guests are welcome to WALK-THROUGH the sanctuary from 11-12 to view our beloved, however, seating for the 12pm celebration will be limited to invites. Masks and hand sanitizer will be handed out upon entering the vestibule." Average daily deaths from COVID-19 in the U.S. climbed above 2,000 for the first time in six months, data compiled by Johns Hopkins University showed Tuesday. While new infections from the virus have remained flat, the recent data on the seven-day average of deaths was 2,031 an increase of 13% over a week ago and a 43% jump since the start of September. A daily death toll above 2,000 has not been recorded since March 1, CNBC reported. COVID-19 officially became the deadliest pandemic in American history on Monday when it surpassed estimated U.S. fatalities from the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic. Nearly 685,000 people have died from COVID-19 in the U.S. as of Friday. 44% of PCUSA ministers say they aren't trained to handle mental health issues in church: survey Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A significant minority of ministers belonging to the Presbyterian Church (USA) say they are not trained to handle mental health issues in their churches, according to a recently released report. A PC(USA) minister survey on mental health issues found that 44% of the 4,507 pastors surveyed reported that they have not been trained to recognize mental health concerns or how to minister to those individuals and families who face them. Another 22% of clergy responded that their mental health training was on the job or learn as you go, while 18% reported getting training at a seminary or college. Sixteen percent reported receiving training as a part of continuing education. Among the respondents who said they had training on mental health issues, 61% said that the training improved their ability to respond to mental health issues in the church. Jashalund Royston and Susan Barnett of PC(USA) Research Services, who oversaw the report, wrote in an article published Monday that the surveyed clergy affirm their need for more training. A significant number of ministers have concerns about their abilities to recognize and respond appropriately when confronted with an issue related to mental health or substance abuse, wrote Royston and Barnett. Forty-four percent report that they have not been trained to recognize mental health concerns. Even more, 54%, view themselves less than capable to respond effectively to a colleague who shows signs of a mental health concern or substance abuse. The report drew from data taken from the PC(USA) Minister Survey, conducted from September to November of 2019, with a sample of about 4,500 ministers, representing 23% of all ministers in the mainline Protestant denomination. In recent years, as with other denominations and churches, PC(USA) has looked into ways to improve its approach to mental health issues among clergy and laity. In February 2020, the PC(USA) Presbyterian Mission Agencys Compassion, Peace & Justice Ministry released the findings of a survey of 6,000 members of the Presbyterian denomination regarding mental health and the Church. The 2020 survey found that while 54% of church leaders said their church was interested in learning more about mental health ministry, only 30% indicated that they were equipped to handle that kind of ministry. PC(USA) members, leaders, and ministers want to address the issues of mental health and mental illness in their communities and churches but do not know what to do, or what resources are available to them and, in general, are unprepared to act, reported the study. While a solid foundation has been laid with the recent launch of the mental health ministry grant program, website, and Presbyterian Mental Health Network (PMHN), this work is still nascent and in need of support. The findings come as most pastors and staff members at churches are not licensed mental health professionals trained on how to treat mental health problems within the congregation. Data from LifeWay Research, the polling and research division of the Southern Baptist Convention, has shown that just 10% of pastors say they hold a graduate degree in counseling or psychology, while 38% said they had taken graduate-level courses in counseling. LifeWay Research has also found that about 76% of pastors say they refer church members to a professional counselor if the help they seek requires more than two counseling sessions. A 2014 LifeWay survey found that about 14% of churches have a counselor trained in mental health on staff. Bethlehem 'has been devastated' by COVID-19 policies, charity says Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A major ecumenical charity is warning about the harmful impact COVID-19 policies are having on tourism to the birthplace of Jesus. The U.K.-based Friends of the Holy Land, which supports Christian families that live in the region, said the pandemic is causing hard times for Bethlehem. "[F]ar from there being no room at the inn, coronavirus has devastated livelihoods as bustling pilgrim hotspots are abandoned," the charity said in a recentupdate on its efforts helping Christians in need. The Church of the Nativity and Manger Square are but two popular sites in the ancient land where approximately 1 million pilgrims and foreign tourists come during the Christmas season. Due to the travel and other related virus restrictions, this year the number is zero. "It's a disaster for the people who live there a massive 80% of them rely on tourism for their income and have now been without any income since March," the charity noted. "Many are Christian families." Friends of the Holy Land CEO Brendan Metcalfe added, "Nobody could have predicted the 2020 pandemic, or that this total collapse of tourism would last so long. "The whole of the Holy Land is now suffering from a lack of visitors that is set to continue deep into 2021. Because of the high numbers of tourists annually, the tourism business seems like a stable means of income for many families, he noted. "Bethlehem churches who have also helped so far, are now running out of funds, and there is nothing forthcoming from the Palestinian Authority. There is no furlough scheme or other form of safety net, so people really need the aid we can give," Metcalfe said. The charity is now raising funds for the increasing number of families facing dire financial straits. Layoffs are expected across several sectors due to the crisis. We want to supply more emergency food and pay off urgent medical or utility bills that are plunging vulnerable families into debt. We think Bethlehem, of all places, should be able to enjoy Christmas, Metcalfe said. Friends of the Holy Land is a non-political Christian charity with the mission "to secure a resilient and enduring Christian community in the West Bank, Gaza, Israel and Jordan the part of the world that Christians call the Holy Land," according to its website, by providing practical help directly to the neediest and vulnerable Christian families. The charity supports Middle Eastern Christians from all denominations and is backed by church leaders in England, Wales and Scotland. California bans travel to Ohio over law protecting religious freedom of healthcare professionals Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment California's Attorney General has barred state employees from traveling to Ohio using taxpayer dollars over its enactment of a law that he characterized as "anti-LBGTQ+." California's Democrat Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Friday that beginning on Sept. 30, "California will restrict state-funded travel to Ohio as a result of new anti-LGBTQ+ legislation recently enacted in the state." In a statement, Bonta's office alleged that provisions in Ohio House Bill 110 "will allow medical providers in the state to deny care to LGBTQ+ Americans, including Californians traveling in Ohio." House Bill 110, the state's budget for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, contains the Medical Ethics and Diversity Act. The legislation, which Republican Gov. Mike DeWine signed into law earlier this year, includes a provision declaring that "a medical practitioner, health care institution, or health care payer has the freedom to decline to perform, participate in, or pay for any health care service which violates the practitioner's, institution's, or payer's conscience as informed by the moral, ethical, or religious beliefs or principles held by the practitioner, institution, or payer." The bill noted that the "exercise of the right of conscience is limited to conscience-based objections to a particular health care service." While House Bill 110 did not give specific examples of a "health care service" that might violate a medical practitioner's conscience, the Center for Christian Virtue, a socially conservative advocacy organization that supported the legislation, elaborated on its implications. In a blog post, the advocacy group contends that the law "ensures doctors and medical professionals cannot be forced to perform medical procedures that violate their conscience or religious beliefs." "This means, for instance, that doctors cannot be forced to perform abortions or prescribe dangerous puberty-blocking drugs to children for 'gender transitioning' if doing so goes against their conscience," the blog post states. "It also allows insurance companies to create insurance plans for organizations and businesses in line with their religious beliefs, resolving the issue an order of nuns called The Little Sisters of the Poor have faced for writing a plan that didn't include abortion coverage." While the Center for Christian Virtue praised the MED Act for protecting the "religious freedom of medical professionals," the law's approval did not sit well with California's top law enforcement official. "Blocking access to life-saving care is wrong. Period," Bonta said. "Whether it's denying a prescription for medication that prevents the spread of HIV, refusing to provide gender-affirming care, or undermining a woman's right to choose, HB 110 unnecessarily puts the health of Americans at risk." Bonta argues that House Bill 110 "runs afoul of Assembly Bill 1887," a California state law requiring the California Department of Justice to take action against states that "discriminate against LGBTQ+ Americans" by placing them on a "state-funded travel restrictions list." With Ohio as its latest addition, the Golden State has banned state-funded travel to 18 states because of "anti-LGBTQ+" legislation. The other states are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. In a statement, the Center for Christian Virtue described Bonta's ban on state-funded travel to Ohio as "great news" because the bill "is keeping California bureaucrats from coming to our great state!" The organization accused Bonta of "lying and fear-mongering about the bill" and concluded that "no matter the reason, I think most Ohioans would agree it's a net gain for our state for California bureaucrats to stay put." In some cases, healthcare providers have been forced to participate in procedures that violate their deeply held beliefs. A hospital in Vermont forced a Catholic nurse to participate in an abortion despite her opposition to the procedure and the availability of other nurses without such objections to assist with the abortion. The Trump administration filed a lawsuit against the hospital, which the Biden administration dropped. The Biden administration has interpreted the Affordable Care Act to require medical practitioners to perform gender-transition procedures regardless of any objections they may have. Several lawsuits soon followed, including one filed against the Department of Health and Human Services from two associations representing 3,000 medical professionals and an individual doctor. HHS is currently led by Xavier Becerra, who preceded Bonta as California Attorney General. In August, a federal judge appointed to the bench by former President George W. Bush struck down the so-called "transgender mandate" as unconstitutional, siding with a network of Catholic hospitals in Texas that filed a separate lawsuit. Ohio is not the only state to pass legislation designed to prevent medical practitioners from participating in procedures that violate their conscience. Arkansas passed similar legislation earlier this year. Church of the Nativity shuttered in Bethlehem after coronavirus infections Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Palestinian Authority announced Thursday that the Church of the Nativity, a site revered by Christians as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, as well as all other tourism and archaeological sites in the West Bank, have been closed after at least seven hotel workers in Bethlehem were infected with the coronavirus by a group of Greek tourists. Hours after the announcement, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas also declared a 30-day state of emergency. We have decided to declare a state of emergency in all Palestinian areas to confront the danger of the coronavirus and prevent it from spreading, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said, reading from a decree from the president, Reuters reported. Shtayyeh said he was given full authority to oversee implementation of the PAs coronavirus response and that a decision was also made to close all schools, colleges, and kindergartens as well as cancel foreign tourist reservations. According to The Times of Israel, the tourists who are from Greece were diagnosed with the virus on their return home. Israels Health Ministry said the tourists visited Israel and the West Bank between Feb. 19 and Feb. 27. At least 40 people, including 14 American citizens, as well as about 25 Palestinian guests and employees, are currently quarantined at The Angel Hotel, in mostly Christian Beit Jala, The Jerusalem Post reported. The seven infected people are the first known cases of coronavirus in the Palestinian Authority. The Americans left the hotel this morning, but the Palestinian Tourism Police brought them back because they could not secure [another lodging] place in the Bethlehem area, Maryana al-Arja, the manager of the hotel, noted in the report. The seven people who are infected or suspected of being infected are inside the hotel. Arja said PA health officials were making arrangements to get medical care for the guests at the hotel. The American [guests] are aware of the situation and are in contact with their country's embassy, Arja noted. Israeli authorities have asked that the Americans be quarantined for 14 days before being admitted to Israel. So far, no samples have been taken from the Americans. We call on health officials to inform us of their plan. In a rare move, Israel and the PA have also decided to work together to respond to the new coronavirus, Haaretz reported, including to cooperate on epidemiologic investigations, particularly those involving tourists who visited both Israel and the PA-controlled West Bank. On Friday, more than 100,000 cases of coronavirus infections as well as 3,408 resultant deaths were confirmed globally as countries struggle to keep the epidemic in check, The Wall Street Journal reported. The death toll in the U.S. jumped to 14, Friday from 233 cases in at least 18 states. President Donald Trump on Friday morning signed an $8.3 billion emergency spending package to combat the virus. Were doing well, but its an unforeseen problem, the president said as he signed the legislation in the White House's Diplomatic Reception Room, MSN News reported. He also noted that he did not think Americans were too worried about the potential effects of the coronavirus. "I don't think they're panicking," Trump said. "It'll go away." COVID-19 isolation led to massive spike in mental health struggles; churches must be on frontlines: Rock Recovery director Mental Health Awareness Month highlights healing power of making connections with others Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Mental health struggles exacerbated by the isolation brought on by lockdowns in response to COVID-19 led to a massive spike in the number of people seeking help for eating disorders, according to Christie Bettwy, executive director of Rock Recovery. Isolation is a huge piece of what allows mental health conditions to really thrive, Bettwy said in an interview with The Christian Post. Breaking isolation is a huge part of recovery, so thats one thing weve seen is a lot more people reaching out for help because of the isolation and the tough environments. Rock Recovery, a Christian nonprofit based in Arlington, Virginia, provides recovery programs and bridges gaps for those struggling with eating disorders. Bettwy said they saw a 400% increase in people reaching out for help when COVID-19 first began. The National Alliance on Mental Illness' message for Mental Health Awareness Month is You Are Not Alone. The slogan emphasizes the healing that comes from making connections with others. Millions of Americans struggle with mental health each year, and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have led to an increase in those struggles, especially with the isolating effects of lockdowns. Bettwy told CP that she struggled with an eating disorder for a decade, from age 13 to 23. Her journey to freedom began when she attended a six-week New ID recovery course for disordered eating offered by a church she visited. The church just needs to start the conversation about mental health," she said. "Even if its not done perfectly, I think its good to just open the door and say, theres no shame in struggling with things. If youre depressed, it doesnt necessarily mean youre not praying enough. Its not your fault." I think a lot of times with mental health, we equate it with being someones fault, like why cant they just be more joyful, why arent they praying more, when its just not at all how it works, she continued. I think there is some progress with people understanding how much the brain and how much the different biological factors affect us as humans. She said the church needs to normalize the conversation around mental health conditions and break the stigma that leads to people being misunderstood. We often equate behavior and belief with action. I think, with mental illness, its a brain disorder and it just sort of shows up in our behaviors. But its not a sin to be sick, she stressed. Since people deal with mental health conditions in every congregation everywhere, it needs to be discussed and the Church should be on the frontlines of those struggling with mental health, Bettwy said. I think, unfortunately, a lot of people dont talk about mental health from the pulpit or talk about it upfront, and we really think that the church is the frontlines for people who are struggling with mental health conditions, she said. And we know when people talk about mental health or their own struggles in their sermons, its hugely healing and helpful for people to ... normalize these issues because everybody struggles with something. Mental health is something that is super common for someone to struggle with, even in the church, she emphasized. Many people never seek help for eating disorders or mental health conditions because they don't know where to start, she added. The church is such a community of trust that when used well, it can really make a difference in helping people connect with the care that they need, Bettwy said. The church cant be all things to all people but the church can really help triage and connect people to care in appropriate ways. It was at church that Bettwy realized she had an eating disorder that needed treatment. Through her recovery process, Bettwy also came to faith in Jesus. The second I realized there is this grace for me and God made my body and actually cares about it, and theres something more to life and that my identity is not about my achievements or my appearance, that really shifted things for me , she said. Integrating faith into the recovery process is powerful and often leads to better outcomes, Bettwy shared. The clients who do both a clinical program and a faith support program, their outcomes are just above and beyond anything we typically see, she explained. Your identity and what its founded on, its so important to bring your faith into that process and its really hard to do that, she added. A lot of treatment and a lot of clinical care has become really secularized, and we find that for people of faith, integrating your faith into treatment is what makes all of the difference and is such a powerful, powerful thing. Bettwy said she had to tear down her false beliefs and rebuild them on the Rock. The name for Rock Recovery, which was founded in 2007 by Carylynn Kemp Larson, came from this idea of building your life on the Rock that is God. Recovery is a lot of different baby steps strung together, so just do the next right thing, Bettwy said. She encourages anyone dealing with a mental health problem or eating disorder to involve people in the journey, whether that's telling a loved one or pastor or calling a therapist. A virtual session of the New ID six-week recovery course for disordered eating by Rock Recovery begins on May 26. Pastor pledges to stop eating until Congress passes climate bill but hopes it wont take long Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment As Democrats in Congress push to pass President Joe Biden's climate plan in a $3.5 trillion budget bill that would direct billions of dollars to incentivize coal and natural gas-burning utilities to switch over to renewable energy, a Wisconsin pastor pledged to stop eating on Saturday until the legislation is approved or he reaches 6% body fat. The Rev. Jonathan Barker, a pastor at Grace Lutheran Church in Kenosha, revealed in a Facebook post that he had his last meal of "stir fry vegetables and rice" at 4:26 p.m. Saturday after he felt led by God to embark on a period of fasting and prayer for climate change. "I have to confess that I have been avoiding this fast. God has been trying to get my attention, but I've kept making excuses," he wrote in the post along with a photo of himself eating in a "Green New Deal" hat. "Like Jonah, I feel like I was running in the exact opposite way God wanted as I put off this fast. But this morning, like Jeremiah, when I woke up, God put a fire in my bones I could no longer ignore. So this afternoon as I made lunch, I told Rae what God was calling me to do, and she encouraged me to follow my heart." Barker, whose church is affiliated with the liberal Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, hoped his fast would end as early as Monday. But he will have to wait longer as a motion to move forward with the legislation failed in the U.S. Senate. Senate Democrats will try to pass a bill funding government operations past the yearend before the deadline on Thursday, according to the Associated Press. "The parameters of this fast are going to be a little different. I'm hoping the big climate bill will pass on Monday or early this week and then I'll be done. If that doesn't happen, I'm going to take this one week at a time and closely evaluate how I am feeling each week as I discern whether or not I can continue. Also, if I get to 6% body fat I will immediately stop fasting," Barker wrote. "I would appreciate your prayers for miraculous strength for this fast and quick action in passing this climate bill." The Kenosha pastor said government action on climate change this week is a "once-in-a-species moment to avoid catastrophic warming." "The path to limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees is to pass this big climate bill in the United States and then use that as leverage at COP 26 in Glasgow this fall to convince other countries to take strong climate action as well--they have been waiting for us to act," he wrote. "What happens this week, and the weeks to come, will be remembered in 500 years as either the moment humanity turned the corner on catastrophic climate change or the moment we missed our last opportunity to act, dooming future generations to intensified wildfires, heat waves, floods, hurricanes, and hundreds of millions of climate refugees," he argued. "I am praying and fasting that this love-your-neighbor-as-yourself bill passes. And, I call each Christian and person of good will to join me in prayer and fasting that this once-in-a-species bill passes. And as we pray and fast, we need to let our Members of Congress know we are praying and fasting for them to pass this bill." Christian leaders meet with White House in push for child tax credit, voting rights, family support Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A theologically diverse group of Christian leaders met with White House officials on Wednesday to advocate for the expanded child tax credit and other economic proposals as part of a discussion on anti-poverty initiatives. The faith-based coalition Circle of Protection had a meeting with Biden administration officials advocating for recent expansions to the child tax credit to be made permanent and passage of economic bills and voting rights legislation being considered by Congress this fall. The meeting included representatives for Catholic Charities, the National Association of Evangelicals, The Episcopal Church, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, National African American Clergy Network and the National Association of Latino Evangelicals. They met with White House Office of Public Engagement Director Cedric Richmond, White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Director Melissa Rogers and Deputy Director of the Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships Josh Dickson, who served as the head of faith engagement for the 2020 Biden campaign. Jim Wallis, the former president of the progressive evangelical social justice organization Sojourners and head of Georgetown University's Center on Faith and Justice, was present for the meeting. In an interview with The Christian Post, Wallis, a longtime evangelical justice advocate, said that he believed the meeting "went very well" with "everyone around the table" speaking "to why they were there." "We're there to bring what we said was 'the faith factor,'" explained Wallis. "Religious voices, which are trans-partisan. We don't serve one party or the other." "We're there because of who is going to be served by these bills, particularly lower-income families and children these things are good news to poor people." In addition to the White House meeting, the Circle of Protection also sent a letter to President Joe Biden and members of Congress advocating for the anti-poverty elements to be included in infrastructure and budget legislation, as well as voting rights legislation. As Congress negotiates a $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation package shaped by Biden's domestic agenda, the Circle of Protection is urging Congress not to "cut its anti-poverty provisions" and "tax high-income people and corporations to pay for them." "The Bible is clear in its opposition to the concentration of wealth amid neglected human need," the letter states. "Those who have benefited the most should contribute to the common good of society and invest in the most vulnerable." The letter argues that while the leaders "don't all agree on every aspect of these multifaceted pieces of legislation or on the legislative processes," many of the provisions in the bill will "protect human dignity, support families, and serve the common good of society." "We are all pro-family, and that entails support for economic policies that help families escape poverty and flourish," the letter assures. "And when it comes to voting rights, democracy and the moral character of the nation are at stake." The letter "fervently" endorses the "extension of recent improvements in the Child Tax Credit and the Earned Income Tax." "Making the full value of the Child Tax Credit available to the poorest households has substantially reduced child poverty, and we are all of one mind that this provision should be made permanent," the letter reads. "The improvements in the EITC are benefiting those low-income working adults who often see little or no other assistance. In view of America's affordable housing crisis, we also support a generous expansion of housing vouchers, because a place to live for families draws us all together." Wallis told CP that he believes that "there's no doubt that" the current administration is receptive to a more diverse range of faith-based advocacy than the previous administration. During the Trump years, the White House often invited conservative evangelical and Pentecostal leaders to high-profile events and policy briefings. "The last administration seemed to be listening to only a very small group of leaders. Even moderate evangelical leaders weren't listened to," Wallis contends. He said the Biden administration is "listening to us" and "paying attention." Pennsylvania university threatens disciplinary action against students who 'misuse' pronouns Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Point Park University in Pennsylvania sent an email to its students threatening that they will face disciplinary action if they don't use their classmates preferred gender pronouns. The Office of Equity and Inclusion would like to welcome in the 2021-2022 academic year with information on current policies that exist through our office and information regarding the Preferred Name Policy, instances of misgendering, pronoun misuse, and deadnaming (the use of a persons legal dead name instead of using the persons chosen or preferred name), as well as resources on microaggressions and additional training, the email reads, according to Campus Reform. The policy states that any individual who has been informed of another persons gender identity, pronouns, or chosen name is expected to respect that individual. The universitys Pronouns and Inclusive Language Guide says using gender inclusive language is needed to avoid causing trans and gender non-conforming folks to feel isolated. While the University recognizes the aspect of intent versus impact, we must recognize that regardless of the intent, if an individual is impacted in a harmful way, action could be taken if a complaint is filed, the email adds. Logan Dubil, a Campus Reform correspondent and a student at the university, told Fox News the policies go against many students belief systems, especially conservative students. Personally, I believe in the science. There are two sexes and two genders: male and female, Dubil said. The policies in question force me to go against my beliefs. The fact that I can be disciplined by failing to follow policies that violate my conscience is concerning. PPUs Student Government President Dennis McDermott was quoted as saying, I, of course, respect the beliefs of others and their right to express those beliefs, but those beliefs, no matter what they are, cannot impede or harm the rights of others, in this case the right of a student to be respected in their use of their preferred name and pronouns. However, Cherise Trump, executive director of Speech First, told Fox News, The university has prioritized students feelings over their rights and has turned some students into second-class citizens as a result. Caitlin Wiscombe, a student, told Campus Reform: I understand what the university is trying to do, to be more inclusive and make those people feel more involved and maybe less separated and more respected, but by asking me to do this instead of just allowing students to do it themselves is making me feel uncomfortable and making me feel like my choice isnt being respected. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In an oft-quoted passage from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus reveals the horrifying news some people will receive at the end of time. Unfortunately, these Bible verses get misapplied whenever Law and Gospel are not properly distinguished from one another. Jesus said, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of Heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in Heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers! (Matt. 7:21-23). These lost souls will point to their works as they plead their case to Jesus. Didnt we do this? Didnt we do that? Self-righteous people rely upon their deeds to get into Heaven. Sadly, they will be locked out for all eternity. Notice what these people will not say to the King when they stand before Him on Judgment Day. (2 Cor. 5:10). Didnt we trust in you for salvation?" "Didnt we believe the good news of the Gospel?" "Didnt we rely upon the blood you shed for us on the cross to wash away our sins? Some people rely upon their works to get into Heaven, while Christians rely upon Christs death on the cross. People who are lost rely upon the Law rather than the Gospel. All who rely on observing the Law are under a curseclearly no one is justified before God by the Law, because, 'The righteous will live by faith' (Galatians 3:10,11). Consider these 12 biblical facts: 1. Every Christian is saved, redeemed, born again, forgiven and justified on the front end of their relationship with God. 2. Christians will spend eternity in Heaven, in spite of their imperfections on Earth. 3. Lost people live for sin, and their greatest sin is unbelief. Saved people live for Christ, while nevertheless falling far short of perfection. 4. Some Christians demonstrate signs of spiritual immaturity, such as jealousy and quarreling (see 1 Cor. 3:1-4), but their immaturity does not disqualify them from entering Heaven. 5. Christians who doubt their salvation should be directed to the cross, rather than to their efforts, unless, of course, they are living in deliberate sin. In that case, they should be instructed to repent. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14). 6. No one under grace will hear these words from Jesus: Depart from me. No one under grace will be sent to Hell to suffer eternal punishment. 7. People under law do not rely upon Christs blood for the forgiveness of their sins. "Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). 8. Those who live in deliberate sin against God need to be presented with the Law. The Law was put in charge to lead us to Christ (Galatians 3:24). Jesus said the Holy Spirit will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin (John 15:8). 9. Those who are genuinely sorry and willing to turn away from sin are ready to receive and appreciate the Gospel. 10. The physical body of every Christian is "a temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19). The Holy Spirit does not dwell inside unbelievers. 11. Satan speaks words of condemnation to believers, whereas the Holy Spirit strengthens the faith of believers and assures them of their eternal home in Heaven. Thankfully, Jesus is the author of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), and not the author of our doubts. 12. In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus describes professing Christians" who are not justified. On Judgment Day, Jesus will tell these pretenders, I never knew you. Depart from me." Jesus declared in Matthew 7 that only those who do the will of His Father will enter the kingdom of Heaven. Does this mean that some followers of Christ are perfect in thought, word and deed? Of course not. The process of a Christian becoming more like Christ is called sanctification, whereas justification takes place at the moment of conversion. Justification is not a process. It is a fixed reality in the life of a believer, similar to the foundation of a house. It is a huge theological error to assume that a spiritually immature Christian is not born again and justified. God knows every heart. God knows who is saved, and who remains lost in their sin. The Law is designed to warn unbelievers, as well as professing Christians" who are pursuing sin. The comfort of the Gospel, on the other hand, is reserved for contrite believers, and for unbelievers who are willing to turn from sin. Matthew 7 should never be used as a sledgehammer to frighten spiritually immature believers, or in some misguided attempt to squeeze a little more juice out of the orange. Christians bear fruit when they are faithfully and consistently fed Gods Word. When believers are motivated by the Gospel and Scripture, they respond to Gods grace in faith and obedience. Christians do not grow up into spiritual maturity when their salvation is called into question simply because they are far from perfect. We will not be perfect until we get to Heaven. Scripture instructs believers: Aim for perfection (2 Cor. 13:11). How? By trusting in the Perfect One who died in our place on the cross, and seeking to please the Lord in everything we do. Justification occurs when the "righteousness from God covers your sins the moment you are forgiven through faith in Christ alone. (Romans 3:22). Sanctification involves seeking to live a righteous life as a believer, not in order to be justified, but because you have already been justified. So be encouraged my friend if you are a Christian. Follow the leading of the Holy Spirit as you meditate upon Scripture every day. And stand on Gods promises even in the midst of your current imperfections, as you look forward to the day when the King of Kings will welcome you into the glorious and magnificent splendor of Heaven. (Matthew 25:21,23). Courtesy KSAT 12 A new TV anchor is making her way to San Antonio. KSAT 12 announced Stephania Jimenez will join the ABC-affiliate next month. Jimenez will be part of The Nightbeat team alongside Steve Spriester, Adam Caskey and Greg Simmons. Jimenez steps in for Isis Romero who announced her departure from KSAT last July. Stephania and I met at a National Association of Hispanic Journalists conference years ago," said KSAT 12 News Director Bernice Kearney." And Ive followed her career from Corpus Christi to Philadelphia. Were thrilled to have her return to south Texas to helm our flagship newscast The Nightbeat. Jimenez most recently served as a morning show anchor for WCAU-TV, the NBC television affiliate in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hamp Team Real Estate Calling all die-hard Houston Astros fanatics: Former Astro George Springers house is about to hit the market and it could be yours, if you have a couple million dollars lying around. The Astros' 2017 World Series MVP recently listed his Missouri City home for $1.8 million, marking the final note of the outfielder's departure from Houston. After nearly seven seasons in the Bayou City, Springer signed a six-year, $150 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays in January 2021. A pledge by nine grantmakers to give $5 billion to conservation efforts that address threats to biodiversity and to help curb climate change is taking a different approach than philanthropy has embraced in the past one that may require those organizations to do things differently. The announcement made last week of what the grantmakers are calling the Protecting Our Planet Challenge was designed to help jump-start support for the global effort, dubbed 30x30, to protect 30% of the land and 30% of oceans by 2030, which 72 countries have already signed onto. It will be discussed as a possible global goal in the Convention on Biological Diversity, a United Nations treaty similar to climate agreements. Jeff Bezos announced last week that his new organization, the Bezos Earth Fund, will contribute $1 billion to this effort. He said previous conservation efforts had failed because they did not include local and Indigenous people. We wont make those same mistakes, he said. Well support a new generation of programs. Theyre led by the local communities that focus on livelihoods and incentives and offer better paths to prosperity. The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation expects to contribute $1 billion. The Rainforest Trust and Wyss Foundation each pledged $500 million. The other grant makers are Arcadia, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Nia Tero, Re:wild, and the Rob and Melani Walton Foundation. The groups have not announced which nonprofits will receive the funds, but the Earth Fund said that it will direct money to the Congo Basin, tropical Andes, and tropical Pacific Ocean. They have all pledged to work with Indigenous and local communities in their conservation efforts. Studies have found that natural places managed by Indigenous people contain healthy ecosystems and vast biodiversity. Today there are very few areas left where people dont live, says James Deutsch, CEO of the Rainforest Trust. Most of the protected areas that are created going forward will be all or partly owned and all or partly managed by local people or Indigenous people, which is a very positive development, he says. Supporting those groups in their effort to gain legal title to their lands and to enable them to manage and protect them in remote areas around the world is no simple task, particularly on such a scale. Some groups do not have legal entities required to receive grants. They may be hard to contact, and there may be cultural and language barriers. One answer is to work with organizations that already have ties to these places that can distribute funds to the most effective groups, says Brian ODonnell, director of the Campaign for Nature, which advocates for the 30x30 goal. The Wildlife Conservation Society, like many other big groups, has shifted its conservation efforts to those that include local and Indigenous residents, says the groups CEO, Cristian Samper. But even that level of expertise will not be enough given the scale of the effort, he says. New Indigenous organizations that know and understand local leaders and communities may be needed to help disburse that money effectively. The Earth Fund will be looking to work with groups like that. The most important things in the world that need doing cannot be done by large organizations, says Andrew Steer, CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund. They will be done by many, sometimes hundreds, sometimes even thousands of smaller groups. The Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, a contributor to this effort, has already been supporting indigenous communities in the Amazon. The areas managed by Indigenous communities fared better during the fires in the Amazon than other areas, says Aileen Lee, the program officer in charge of the foundations Environmental Conservation Program. The foundation funding not only helped conserve those areas so they continued to help absorb carbon and promote biodiversity, but they also were more resilient to the effects of climate change, she says. Bloomberg Philanthropies, another contributor to the $5 billion effort, already works closely with local governments and some Indigenous communities to help conserve ocean ecosystems, says Melissa Wright, who leads Bloombergs Vibrant Oceans Initiative. It collaborated with mayors and other local leaders in Brazil, Indonesia, Micronesia, the Philippines, and other places. The foundation helps with data tracking and scientific research and helps with policy development so these communities can establish marine protections. ODonnell says philanthropic groups may need to accept more risk because much of the worlds biodiversity is in places where there are wars or unstable or corrupt governments not ideal places to work. If we just took all of those places off the table, some of the most nature-rich places on the planet would be off-limits to philanthropy. And if that happened, we would lose some of the most incredible places on the planet, ODonnell says. Its going to take a culture shift within philanthropy. The Earth Fund plans to embrace some risk, says Steer. Philanthropy can and should take big, calculated risks because those will be necessary if were going to win the battle, he says. But there also needs to be accountability and a willingness to learn from failures. Despite the historic size of the announcement, much more funding is needed from government and philanthropy to meet this goal, says ODonnell. According to a study by Cambridge University researchers and Campaign for Nature, if 30 percent of the land and seas are conserved, it will cost $140 billion a year to effectively manage those areas. Right now governments spend about $24 billion managing protected areas, mostly in the United States and Canada, he says. Just last week the European Union announced that it would double its funding for biodiversity. In the few days since the announcement, the Earth Funds Steer says he has had conversations with government officials who are showing a new interest in conservation. The idea is to sort of create this tone of wow, actually, there are people that really care about this that are going out on a limb and are going the extra mile to put in serious resources, he says. And that can help push governments and corporations to commit funding. This is not the first big conservation pledge. In 2018 a group of foundations pledged $500 million, and others have come before that, says Leila Salazar-Lopez, executive director of Amazon Watch, which funds Indigenous communities in the Amazon Rainforest. But she says the organizations she works with did not receive funds from earlier announcements. And while the 30x30 goal is laudable, she says that the Coordinator of the Indigenous Organisations of the Amazon Basin, a federation of Indigenous people living in the Amazon, have called for 80% of the Amazon to be conserved by 2025. In October the International Union for Conservation of Nature also adopted this position, something the Wildlife Conservation Society supports. too. Salazar-Lopez agrees that philanthropy has recognized that many of its past conservation approaches have failed, and she hopes that change has arrived. It is time for direct investment in Indigenous peoples territories, in their land conservation, in their forest management, she says. I hope that this pledge of $5 billion for conservation will go to the places that need it most. And to the people that need it most. ___ This article was provided to The Associated Press by the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Jim Rendon is a senior writer at the Chronicle. Email: jim.rendon@philanthropy.com. The AP and the Chronicle receive support from the Lilly Endowment for coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. The AP and the Chronicle are solely responsible for all content. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy. Student arrested in Texas school shooting released from jail An 18-year-old student accused in a shooting at a Texas high school was released from jail... McConaughey calls politics a 'bag of rats,' weighs governor run The Lone Star State native wavered on whether he could affect real change as a politician. KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) Life in Kabul has changed in the six weeks since the Taliban swept into the Afghan capital just not all at once. Some things that remain the same: Traffic is back to a noisy, congested snarl. The young men still play cricket and watch traditional wrestling matches in the citys Chaman-e-Hozari Park. Under their previous rule, the Taliban banned many sports, but so far have not done so this time. Many women seemed to stay off the streets in the days after the Aug. 15 takeover, but in the weeks since, more and more are appearing back in public, some in longer coats and headscarves, some in the all-covering burqa, which has been worn traditionally by many in Afghanistan regardless of the Taliban. One woman on a recent day passed a row of beauty salons, where some ads on the windows had been defaced or covered to scratch out images of women, but some ads were untouched. Its emblematic of the in-between place where Kabul resides for the moment. Will the hard-line Taliban impose the harsh restrictions they did when they ruled in the 1990s, or will there be some margins of flexibility? Photos of all living things, even animals, were banned under their previous rule. So far that hasn't happened, but it is still unknown how far the Taliban themselves have decided to go. Women are already feeling restrictions. Female employees in the Kabul city government have mostly been told to stay home, and high school girls have not been allowed back to class. One subtler visual change: Fewer men are seen wearing Western dress. Government employees were the ones who most often wore Western-style clothes, and they have now switched over to the traditional shalwar-kameez combination of long shirt and baggy pants. The most blaring change is the presence of the Taliban themselves. Taliban fighters directing traffic or manning the many checkpoints have largely put on blue camouflage uniforms, giving them a more official air. But many other fighters wear the shalwar kameez. Most have never been to Kabul in their lives. On one evening, fighters sat guarding a building where Taliban are being housed. Behind them on the blast walls, an old mural depicted a woman behind barbed wire, originally painted to comment on the harshness of war. On another day, a group of Taliban, cradling their automatic weapons, enjoyed a day boating on a lake near Kabul, talking about how strange life was for them in this city. Other signs show the growing economic desperation. The economy was already deteriorating before the Taliban came, with more than 55% living below the poverty level. Now after the takeover, it is crumbling fast, with the U.N. warning 97% could be below the poverty level by the end of the year. Makeshift markets have appeared everywhere, stocked with furniture and household goods as people sell off what they can. At one, women picked around rugs for sale. Another on the fringes of Chaman-e-Hozari Park was poorer, with old men peddling piles of old clothes. Districts with upscale restaurants and shops are emptier. Everyone talks of leaving the country. At a camp of internally displaced people, food donations are distributed. Soot-covered men working at a brick factory say they are still producing, but fewer people are buying. As men line up for prayers on Friday, a little girl sits in front them, hoping to make some money shining shoes. As night fell, a woman crossed the street holding the hands of a little girl and boy, the lights of Kabul dotting across the hills behind them. ABU SNAN, Israel (AP) Arab citizens of Israel are seeking to raise awareness about the spiraling rate of violent crime in their communities under the hashtag Arab lives matter, but unlike a similar campaign in the United States, they are calling for more policing, not less. The Arab minority, which makes up around 20% of Israel's population, has been convulsed by violent crime in recent years, with a rate in killings that far exceeds its share of the population and is driven by criminal gangs and family disputes. Activists say Israeli authorities have historically ignored deadly crime among Arabs. Israeli officials have touted a number of initiatives in recent years, including larger budgets for law enforcement in Arab communities, but police say community leaders could do more to help them. At least 78 Arab citizens have been killed so far this year out of a total of 93 slayings nationwide, according to the Abraham Initiatives, an Israeli civil society organization fostering Jewish-Arab coexistence. Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett pledged last month that after years of neglect, his newly inaugurated government would combat violent crime plaguing Arab communities. That was one of the top demands of a small Arab party that made history by joining his narrow coalition. After another two people were killed in Arab towns last week, Arab blogger Sheren Falah Saab tweeted #Arab_lives_matter in Hebrew with the aim of opening a dialogue with Israel's Jewish majority. The inspiration is from the Black Lives Matter movement, but its important to note that the violence in Arab society in Israel is not brought on by the police or law enforcement, its between Arabs, she said. Its important to say theres neglect and lack of enforcement by the police, and lack of follow-up when murders are committed. Her statement went viral on social media. Lawmakers, activists and organizations joined in the chorus, as did the minister in charge of the police. Public Security Minister Omer Bar-lev blamed the problem on decades of neglect, disregard and fear of getting into the thick of the problems of the Arab sector and the prevailing assumption that as long as they kill each other, then this is their problem.' In the first 100 days since taking office, I did more than was done in last decades dealing with crime in the Arab sector. Yes, #Arab_Lives_Matter, he tweeted. Israel's Arab citizens have citizenship, including the right to vote, but face discrimination in housing and other sectors. Most speak fluent Hebrew, and they an have an outsized presence in universities and medicine, among other professions. They also have close family ties to the Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and largely identify with their cause, leading many Israeli Jews to view them with suspicion. Within the community there is widespread distrust of the mostly Jewish Israeli police but also growing calls for them to intervene more forcefully to combat violence. Last weekend, protesters gathered outside Bar-Lev's home to call for more policing. I want the police to do its job properly. Enough, said Muna Khalil, whose son was shot and killed in June. She criticized the police for not doing enough to find her sons killer and bring him to justice. They know who killed my son, but they are not doing the right thing. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) A Democrat running for attorney general in Arkansas, where health officials have struggled with resistance to the coronavirus vaccine, on Monday vowed if elected to take social media companies to court for spreading COVID-19 misinformation. Jesse Gibson focused on COVID-19 misinformation in his first 30-second ad, which he said began airing online and on cable stations over the weekend. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) Arkansas lawmakers are returning this week to redraw the boundaries of the state's four congressional districts, legislative leaders said Monday. House Speaker Matthew Shepherd and Senate President Jimmy Hickey issued a proclamation that called the Legislature to reconvene Wednesday morning primarily for congressional redistricting. The Legislature recessed in April with plans to return to take up redistricting. Several redistricting proposals have been filed, and the measures include some that would divide up Pulaski County, where Little Rock is located. The proclamation said the Legislature could also take up measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic and federal coronavirus relief funds. Republicans hold a majority in both chambers of the Legislature and hold all four congressional seats. The Board of Apportionment will take up redistricting for the state's House and Senate seats later this fall. The board is comprised of the governor, attorney general and secretary of state, all Republicans. ___ This story was first published Sept. 27. It was updated on Sept. 28 to correct that the name of the board in charge of state legislative redistricting is the Board of Apportionment, not the Board of Appropriation. DECATUR, Ga. (AP) The metro Atlanta city of Decatur is requiring its police officers, firefighters and other employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly tests to keep their jobs. Decatur City Manager Andrea Arnold announced the new policy during a city commission meeting on Monday night, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. At least one other Georgia city Brookhaven, also in metro Atlanta has issued a similar requirement, the newspaper said. FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) Ford's selection of Kentucky to build twin battery plants will vault the state into a global leadership role in the electric vehicle market, Gov. Andy Beshear said Tuesday in celebrating the state's single largest-ever economic development project. A day after the $5.8 billion Glendale project was unveiled, Beshear said the state already is hearing from prospective suppliers that could create more jobs in the state's burgeoning automotive sector. Beshear joined Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford and the automaker's CEO, Jim Farley, to celebrate the mega-project that will create 5,000 jobs. State lawmakers and other state officials gathered for the event in front of the Kentucky Capitol. We are humbled youve entrusted us with a big part of your great companys future," the Democratic governor told the Ford executives. "We will not let you down. The project outside the tiny Glendale community in Hardin County will be transformational, positioning Kentucky for global leadership in the fast-developing electric vehicle sector, Beshear said. The two Kentucky battery plants will be built on a 1,551-acre (627 hectare) site near Interstate 65. We know horsepower and its about to be generated in a whole new way, the governor said. Teaming with its battery partner, SK Innovation of South Korea, Ford announced Monday it will spend $5.6 billion in Stanton, Tennessee, where it will build a factory to produce electric F-Series pickups. A joint venture called BlueOvalSK will construct a battery factory on the same site near Memphis, plus the twin battery plants in Glendale. Farley on Tuesday called the investments a bold bet on the future that will jump-start a whole new industry in America -- high-tech battery production. The Kentucky and Tennessee plants will produce vehicle-ready batteries on a scale unimaginable just a few years ago, he said. Together, these facilities will have the capacity to build nearly twice as many batteries as are built in all of America today," Farley said. "Thats enough battery production to turn out a million vehicles a year. The factories will make batteries for the next generation of Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles that will be produced in North America. Combined, they mark the single largest manufacturing investment the 118-year-old company has ever made and are among the largest factory outlays in the world. Beshear praised the state's Republican-dominated legislature for recently approving an incentives package that the governor has credited with helping lure the massive battery project to Glendale. The governor, who has had a rocky relationship at times with the legislature, said: I think we proved that politics will never keep us from creating better jobs for our people." With the new spending, Ford is making a significant bet on a future that envisions most drivers eventually making the shift to battery power from internal combustion engines, which have powered vehicles in the United States for more than a century. Ford predicts 40% to 50% of its U.S. sales will be electric by 2030. For now, only about 1% of vehicles on Americas roads are powered by electricity. The new project builds on a more than century-long partnership between Kentucky and Ford. Kentucky workers rolled a Model T off a Ford assembly line in Louisville in 1913. The Louisville Assembly Plant and Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville directly employ about 13,000 workers. That foundational relationship was a big factor in Kentucky landing the battery plants, Farley said. There was no guess work," he told reporters after the event. "We know the proof is in the pudding here in Kentucky. ORANGE, Calif. (AP) A man suspected of sexually assaulting a woman at Southern California's Chapman University was arrested Tuesday after he was turned in by a family member, police said. The family member brought the 22-year-old man to the university Monday evening after seeing surveillance video of the suspect on TV, the Orange County Register reported. WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) All teachers and school staff in Delaware will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing, Gov. John Carney announced Tuesday. The requirement announced by Carney, the Division of Public Health and Department of Education will be formally issued by emergency regulation and takes effect Nov. 1. The requirement also applies to contractors and volunteers who work in K-12 public and private schools. BRIGHTON, Ala. (AP) Police have recovered a horse-drawn carriage that was stolen from a church parking lot near Birmingham ahead of a funeral. The carriage and the trailer it was on were found Monday behind a home about 20 miles (32 km) from the church in Brighton where it was taken, al.com reports. Brighton Police Chief Larry Woods told the news site multiple people are in custody in connection with the theft. BEIJING (AP) China's top diplomat has held a virtual meeting with NATO's chief to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, amid longstanding disagreements between Beijing and the U.S.-led alliance over regional policies. The Chinese Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that the discussions had been positive and constructive. Foreign Minister Wang Yi and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg had spoken the previous day, according to the statement, focusing on issues of common concern. Chinese officials gave no further details of the talks. Beijing long opposed the presence of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan with which it shares a narrow border while benefiting from the relative stability that presence provided. It has been strongly critical of the shambolic U.S. withdrawal that paved the way for the Taliban sweeping to power, calling it hasty and irresponsible. Beijing said the two officials speaking Monday agreed to raise the standard of dialogue to advance practical cooperation between China and NATO on issues including counterterrorism, anti-piracy, cyber security and international peacekeeping. Stoltenberg told China's foreign minister that the alliance went into Afghanistan to ensure the country did not serve again as a platform for terrorists, according to NATO's press release Monday, adding that no attacks against China or alliance members had been organized from the country since 2001. Stoltenberg also stressed in the meeting the importance of a "coordinated international approach, including with countries from the region, to hold the Taliban accountable for their commitments on countering terrorism and upholding human rights, not least the rights of women. China has kept open its embassy in Kabul and maintained dialogue with the Taliban group, including hosting a delegation in July led by top leader Abdul Ghani Baradar. At that meeting, Wang referred to the Taliban as a pivotal military and political force in Afghanistan" that is expected to play an important role in the in process of peace, reconciliation and reconstruction." Beijing has also called on the Taliban to uphold its pledge to restrain militants seeking independence for the traditionally Muslim northwestern region of Xinjiang. Wang has urged the group to keep border crossings open, while offering $31 million in humanitarian assistance, along with 3 million doses of Chinese-made COVID-19 vaccines. China has also previously signed deals for oil, gas and copper mining in Afghanistan, although those have long been dormant. Apart from calls to fight terrorism, China has said virtually nothing about the Taliban's approach to human and women's rights. It has condemned foreign intervention in the country and has shown little enthusiasm for establishing a major economic presence. While pledging cooperation with NATO, Wang criticized the dispatch of planes and ships from member states to areas near Chinas borders, saying the Asia-Pacific region does not need new military groups, nor should it involve a confrontation between great powers, even less a small circle designed to incite a new Cold War. Stoltenberg said the alliance does not see China as an adversary, but called on China to uphold its international commitments and act responsibly in the international system," the NATO news release said. He also raised NATOs concerns over Chinas coercive policies, expanding nuclear arsenal and lack of transparency on its military modernisation," the release added. BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) Gov. John Bel Edwards said Tuesday he's reupping Louisiana's indoor mask mandate for another month, crediting the face covering requirement with keeping students safe from COVID-19 and helping to combat the state's fourth surge of the coronavirus illness. The Democratic governor reinstated the mask mandate in August as Louisiana faced its worst spike in coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, with hospital leaders describing grim conditions caused by the influx of COVID-19 patients. People infected with the delta variant of the coronavirus filled up hospital beds and damaged access to inpatient health care services for people seeking treatment for non-coronavirus illnesses. But shortly after the face covering requirement was reenacted, hospitalizations of people battling COVID-19 peaked at more than 3,000 and then started to decline, falling below 1,000 this week for the first time since July. The number of new infections and the percentage of COVID-19 tests returning positive also have dropped sizably over the last six weeks. While the state is trending in the right direction, there's just still a ton of COVID in Louisiana, said Dr. Joe Kanter, the governor's chief public health adviser. We're nowhere close to being out of the woods yet. Louisiana has three times the number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 than it did at the start of July, and Edwards said the weekly rate of infection remains more than two times larger than what the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers a high level of transmission. Kanter highlighted two particular areas of concern, increases in severe pregnancy outcomes among unvaccinated women and in infection rates in children under the age of 18. Fourteen unvaccinated pregnant women infected by COVID-19 have been hospitalized since mid-July, Kanter said. Six of those women died, and 10 of their unborn babies died. That's more severe pregnancy-related cases than the state had seen in the pandemic's first 15 months, Kanter said. Meanwhile, seven children have died from COVID-19 in the latest surge, according to the health department. Kanter said children under the age of 18 have emerged as the largest category of new COVID-19 infections in recent weeks. Pointing to that data, Edwards said keeping the mask requirement is especially critical for schools, where many students are too young to be vaccinated and where people are crammed into packed classrooms for hours each day. The mask mandate includes all public indoor locations such as schools, colleges, restaurants, bars, gyms and retail stores. The requirement covers anyone age 5 and older and any kindergartners if they are under the age of 5, and it includes people who are vaccinated. The governor can only enact such public health emergency rules for a month at a time, so he must continue renewing the mask mandate monthly if he wants to keep it in place. The latest order will expire Oct. 27. The state, however, has not rolled out a strong enforcement effort of the mandate, hoping that most schools, businesses and residents will comply voluntarily. The Louisiana chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business called the extension of the mask mandate ridiculous. This governor asked for the biz community support to slow the spread and that has happened. Now here we are living under another extended order. Biz owners are finding it more and more difficult to implement this mandate, the organization wrote on Twitter. Louisiana's health department Tuesday reported 1,031 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours and 989 people hospitalized with the illness. More than 12,200 people across Louisiana have died of the coronavirus disease, and another 1,600 deaths are considered likely from COVID-19, according to department data. But the state no longer has the highest per capita COVID-19 growth in the nation as it did in early August when Edwards reinstated the masking requirement. Louisiana has fallen to among the lowest per capita rates among for new cases, according to the CDC. Louisiana continues to have one of the country's lowest vaccination rates. More than 45% of the state's 4.6 million people are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. ___ Follow APs coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic. ___ Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte. NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) The European Union could work out ways to stem the flow of migrants from Turkey to Cyprus and other EU nations when it holds high-level talks in Ankara next month, a top EU official said Tuesday. EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said its not impossible to find a way forward on preventing migrants from leaving Turkey to reach Cyprus because the number of migrants reaching Cyprus isnt very large relative to the huge number of refugees whom Turkey hosts. But she couldn't say what such a deal would look like. Johansson said she wanted to learn firsthand the difficulties faced by ethnically divided Cyprus, which she said has the most asylum applications among all EU nations relative to its population. She also visited a migrant reception center on the outskirts of the Cypriot capital of Nicosia. We have faced...a lot of challenges in our relations with Turkey. Now, we are in a situation where these relations are ... being better," Johansson said after talks with Cypriot Interior Minister Nicos Nouris. Nouris accused Turkey of systematically and on a daily basis encouraging migrants arriving at Cyprus breakaway Turkish Cypriot north to cross a United Nations buffer zone into the internationally recognized south, where they apply for asylum in an EU nation. Cypriot officials say about 80% of migrant arrivals to the south are channeled from the north Cyprus was split in 1974 when Turkey invaded following a coup by supporters of union with Greece. Only Turkey recognizes a Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence. Nouris said Cyprus is strengthening its marine police to prevent the arrivals of smuggling boats full of migrants and is stepping up patrols and electronic surveillance along the southern edges of the buffer zone. He said since the start of the year, 7,000 out of 8,500 asylum applications have been rejected but only 300 people have been repatriated because of an EU-wide policy weakness." Johansson said she has question marks" about an agreement Cyprus has with Lebanon to send back migrants aboard boats nearing the Cypriot coastline. She said EU regulations stipulate that people can seek asylum at the bloc's sea borders. Nouris has said the agreement with Lebanon stands and the return of migrants to that country will continue. ___ Follow all AP stories on global migration at https://apnews.com/hub/migration. MADISON, Wis. (AP) Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers on Tuesday blasted a Republican-ordered investigation into the 2020 presidential election as a $700,000 boondoggle and said election clerks should be lawyered up." After an election audit in Arizona confirmed President Joe Biden's win there, Republicans have focused their attention on Wisconsin, where Biden also won, and other states where they're pursuing reviews of last year's election. The investigation in Wisconsin is being led by retired conservative state Supreme Court Justice Michael Gableman. He said in a video last week that the burden will be on local election clerks to prove the election was run fairly. He also threatened to subpoena anyone who doesn't comply. You dont have to prove a negative in court, you dont have to prove a negative in any other place except Justice Gablemans court here," Evers said. The Democratic governor, who is up for reelection next year, called Gableman's comments a bit outrageous. If I was a clerk I'd be lawyered up and make sure that you're doing the right thing, Evers said during a news conference at the World Dairy Expo when asked if they should comply with Gableman's probe. I hate to see an inquisition like this, especially when you're being told you have to prove it was a good election. Everybody knows it was a good election. Everybody knows there was no fraud." Gableman did not immediately return a message seeking comment. Biden's win over former President Donald Trump by more than 20,000 votes has been upheld by numerous state and federal courts. Only four voters out of about 3 million people who cast ballots have been charged with election fraud to date. Evers said clerks have better things to do than deal with Gablemans investigation, which is costing taxpayers $680,000. Its a $700,000 boondoggle to prove something thats already been proven probably 100 times, Evers said. Gableman's first email to election clerks confused many, as it came from a Gmail address under the name John Delta and contained an attachment. Many counties flagged it as a potential scam and it landed in the junk email folder for others. Gableman emailed Milwaukee County Clerk George Christenson on Sept. 22 and asked to meet with him after Christenson raised concerns about the initial communication. The purpose of this investigation is to restore public confidence in Wisconsin's electoral system, Gableman wrote. Christenson, a Democrat in charge of elections in the state's most populated county, responded on Monday, saying he was "eager to assist you in gaining a more comprehensive understanding of election processes, tabulations, canvassing, etc. in Milwaukee County. He noted that Milwaukee and Dane counties, the state's two largest, underwent a recount ordered by Trump that did not reveal widespread fraud or abuse. Christenson suggested Gableman contact the Wisconsin Elections Commission, which oversees elections statewide. Meagan Wolfe, director of the elections commission, said Tuesday that Gableman had not contacted its office other than to request contact information for the state's 1,800-plus local election clerks. Wolfe said when the commission tried to email Gableman an updated list of clerk emails on Monday to his Gmail account, it bounced back as undeliverable. Gableman had emailed Christenson on a new account that ended in @wisspecialcounsel.org. Gableman told a group of Trump supporters in November that he thought the election was stolen. A former Trump official appears to be working on the investigation. Gableman has not said who he has hired or submitted any invoices seeking payment yet. His investigation has already drawn bipartisan criticism. Republican state Sen. Kathy Bernier, chair of the Senate elections committee, said earlier this month, There is not a reason to spread misinformation about this past election when we have all the evidence that shows otherwise. Republican Wisconsin Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, who ordered the investigation and hired Gableman, said Tuesday that he had confidence in his work, which he expected to be completed in late October or early November. I am supremely confident that at the end of the day Justice Gableman will produce a report that shows there were issues with the 2020 election, where potentially changes could be made to make it better," Vos said. The goal is not to do anything to overturn the election, its to make sure that we have every opportunity to have confidence that the results that occurred in 2020 were accurate. BOSTON (AP) A federal judge has dismissed two more charges faced by a disgraced former Massachusetts mayor and ordered him to repay more than $300,000 to investors in his smartphone app, according to court records. After throwing out two tax charges Monday, Judge Douglas Woodlock has now thrown out 10 of the 21 counts of which former Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia was convicted in May. He remains convicted of 11 counts for defrauding his investors and for extorting money from marijuana companies who wanted to do business in the city. BRUSSELS (AP) The Daily Stormer website advocates for the purity of the white race, posts hate-filled, conspiratorial screeds against Blacks, Jews and women and has helped inspire at least three racially motivated murders. It has also made its founder, Andrew Anglin, a millionaire. Anglin has tapped a worldwide network of supporters to take in at least 112 Bitcoin since January 2017 worth $4.8 million at todays exchange rate according to data shared with The Associated Press. Hes likely raised even more. Anglin is just one very public example of how radical right provocateurs are raising significant amounts of money from around the world through cryptocurrencies. Banned by traditional financial institutions, they have taken refuge in digital currencies, which they are using in ever more secretive ways to avoid the oversight of banks, regulators and courts, finds an AP analysis of legal documents, Telegram channels and blockchain data from Chainalysis, a cryptocurrency analytics firm. Anglin owes more than $18 million in legal judgments in the United States to people whom he and his followers harassed and threatened. And while online, he remains visible most days, dozens of stories on the Daily Stormer homepage carry his name in the real world, Anglin's a ghost. His victims have tried and failed to find him, searching at one Ohio address after another. Voting records place him in Russia in 2016 and his passport shows he was in Cambodia in 2017. After that, the public trail goes cold. He has no obvious bank accounts or real estate holdings in the U.S. For now, his Bitcoin fortune remains out of reach. ___ EDITORS NOTE: This story is part of a collaboration between The Associated Press and the PBS series FRONTLINE that examines challenges to the ideas and institutions of traditional U.S. and European democracy. ___ Beth Littrell, a lawyer for the Southern Poverty Law Center who is helping represent one of Anglins victims, says its grown harder to use the legal system to stamp out hate groups because now they operate with online networks and virtual money. We were able to sue the Ku Klux Klan, a terrorist organization, in essence out of existence, she said. Doing the same today is much harder, she said. "The law is evolving but lagging behind the harm. CURRENCY OF THE RADICAL RIGHT In August 2017, a week after the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Anglin received 14.88 Bitcoins, an amount chosen for its oblique references to a 14-word white supremacist slogan and the phrase Heil Hitler because H is the eighth letter of the alphabet. Worth around $60,000 at the time, it was his biggest Bitcoin donation ever and would be valued at over $641,000 at todays exchange rate. The source of the funds remains a mystery. Anglin now faces charges in U.S. court for conspiring to plan and promote the deadly march. By the time of Charlottesville, Anglin had been cut off by credit card processors and banned by PayPal so Bitcoin was his main source of funding. In his Retards Guide to Using Bitcoin, published in April 2020, he claimed to have funded the Daily Stormer exclusively through Bitcoin for four years. Ive got money now. Ive got money to pay for the site for the foreseeable future, he wrote in December 2020, as Bitcoins price surged. Anglins former lawyer, Marc Randazza, argued that political censorship by financial authorities drove Anglin to cryptocurrency by shutting him out of traditional banking, which he said is more Nazi-like than Andrew Anglin could ever hope to be. Dont create a black market and then be surprised theres a black market, Randazza added. While Anglin likely turned to Bitcoin for practical reasons, part of the appeal of cryptocurrency to the radical right is ideological. Bitcoin was developed in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis when distrust of the global financial system was running high. It offers an alternative that doesnt depend on banks. Instead, transactions are validated and recorded on a decentralized digital ledger called the blockchain, which derives its authority from crowdsourcing rather than a class of elite bankers. As one white nationalist cryptocurrency guide circulating on Telegram puts it: We all know the Jews and their minions control the global financial system. When you are caught having the wrong opinion, they will take it upon themselves to shut you out of this system making your life very difficult. One alternative to this system is cryptocurrency. Richard Spencer, an American white supremacist, has dubbed Bitcoin the currency of the alt-right. Its hard to tell how large a role cryptocurrency plays in overall financing for the far right. Merchandise sales, membership fees, donations in fiat currencies, concerts, fight clubs and other events, as well as criminal activity, are also common sources of revenue, government and academic research has shown. What is clear is that early adopters of Bitcoin, like Anglin, have profited handsomely from its increase in value over the years. Bitcoin prices are notoriously volatile. Since April, the currency has shed a third of its value against the U.S. dollar, then took a further drubbing last week when China declared cryptocurrency transactions illegal. Chainalysis collected data for a sample of 12 far-right entities in the U.S. and Europe that publicly called for Bitcoin donations and showed significant activity. Together, they took in 213 Bitcoin worth more than $9 million at todays value between January 2017 and April 2021. These groups embrace a range of ideologies and include white nationalists, white supremacists, neo-Nazis and self-described free-speech advocates. They are united by a shared desire to fight the perceived progressive takeover of culture and the state. These people have real assets. People with access to hundreds of thousands of dollars can start doing real damage, said John Bambenek, a cybersecurity expert who has been tracking the use of cryptocurrency by far-right actors since 2017. Andrew Weev Auernheimer, Anglins webmaster for the Daily Stormer, has raked in Bitcoin worth $2.2 million at todays values. The Nordic Resistance Movement, a Scandinavian neo-Nazi movement thats been banned in Finland, Counter-Currents, a U.S.-based white nationalist publishing house, and the recently banned French group Generation Identitaire have each received Bitcoin that's now worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, Chainalysis data shows. Two social media platforms that have been embraced by the far right, Gab and Bitchute, received a surge in Bitcoin funding in the lead up to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection. Since 2017, Bitchute has gotten Bitcoin worth nearly $500,000 at todays values, about a fifth of which rolled in during the month of December 2020. Gab has gotten more than $173,000; nearly 40% came in during December 2020 and January 2021, Chainalysis data shows. On Aug. 1, Gab announced it was stepping up its fight against financial censorship and creating its own alternative to PayPal to fight against the tyranny of the global elites. PRIVACY COIN While cryptocurrencies have a reputation for secrecy, Bitcoin was built for transparency. Every transaction is indelibly and publicly recorded on the blockchain, which enables companies like Chainalysis to monitor activity. Individuals can obscure their identities by not publicly linking them to their cryptocurrency accounts, but with Bitcoin they cannot hide the transactions themselves. Because of that public footprint, Anglin in November 2020 just as Donald Trump lost the U.S. presidential election abandoned Bitcoin and asked his supporters to send him money only in Monero, a privacy coin designed to enhance anonymity by hiding data about users and transactions. He published a new guide in February 2021 on how to use Monero, which included instructions for non-U.S. donors. Every Bitcoin transfer is visible publicly. Generally, your name is not attached to the address in a direct way, but spies from the various woke anti-freedom organizations have unlimited resources to try to link these transactions to real names. With Monero, the transactions are all hidden. Anglin wrote. Monero, Anglin advised, is really easy. Most importantly, it is safe. Others have reached the same conclusion. Thomas Sewell, an Australian neo-Nazi currently facing charges, is soliciting donations in Monero for his legal defense fund. Jaz Searby, a martial arts instructor who headed an Australian chapter of the Proud Boys, is seeking donations Monero only to help spread our message to a generation of young Aryan men that may feel alone or fail to understand the forces that are working against us. The Nordic Resistance Movement and Counter-Currents also solicit donations in other cryptocurrencies, including Monero, and NRM has experimented with letting supporters mine Monero directly on their behalf. Do you really think how we operate our economy is any of your business? Martin Saxlind, the editor of NRMs magazine, Nordfront, asked AP in an email. Swedish banks have abused their control of the economy to deny us and others regular banking accounts for political reasons. Thats why we use cryptocurrency ... you should investigate the corrupt banks instead of doing what I assume is some retarded hit piece on white dissidents. The Global Minority Initiative, which describes itself as a prison relief charity for American white nationalists also takes donations only in Monero or by postal money order. And Frances Democratie Participative, a racist, anti-Semitic, anti-LGBTQ website that was banned by French courts in 2018, also solicits donations in Monero only, warning supporters not to contribute via a mainstream cryptocurrency exchange. Money is the sinew of war, the site says on its fundraising page. Thanks to your support we can continue to prevent Jews and their allies from sleeping soundly. The AP reached out to all the groups and individuals named in this article. Most did not reply to requests for comment. A few were unreachable. Others replied anonymously, sending anti-Semitic and pornographic content. One email, for example, read: Stay the f--- out of our crypto you demonic k--- ... DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOING GLOBAL Shortly before his suicide, in December 2020, a French computer programmer named Laurent Bachelier sent 28.15 Bitcoins then worth over $520,000 to 22 far-right entities. The bulk went to Nick Fuentes, an American white nationalist influencer who would spend the coming weeks encouraging his tens of thousands of followers to lay siege to the U.S. Capitol. One bitcoin went to a Daily Stormer account. I care about what happens after my death, Bachelier wrote in his suicide note. Thats why I decided to leave my modest wealth to certain causes and people. I think and hope that they will make a better use of it. Since getting Bacheliers money, Fuentes has ramped up recruiting for his America First livestream and expanded the reach of his political nonprofit, the America First Foundation, which says in corporate registration documents it advocates for conservative values based on principles of American Nationalism, Christianity, and Traditionalism. The transactions only became public because of a tip to a journalist at Yahoo News and the fact that Bachelier happened to leave digital traces that linked his Bitcoin address with his email. The money trail offered clear evidence that domestic extremism isnt purely domestic and showed how wealthy donors can use cryptocurrency to fund extremists around the world with little scrutiny. Bacheliers money slipped quietly into the U.S., not triggering alerts it might have had it landed via traditional banking channels. Thats because much of it notably the Bitcoin donation to Fuentes, then worth $250,000 passed through accounts that were not hosted by regulated cryptocurrency exchanges, according to Chainalysis. Those exchanges, which can convert Bitcoin into U.S. dollars and other currencies, are generally regulated like banks, allowing authorities to get access to information or funds. But cryptocurrency wallets can also be unhosted, which means that users themselves control access. Unhosted wallets like Fuentes are akin to cash. They dont have to go through banks or exchanges that could flag suspicious transactions, verify a users identity or hand over money to satisfy a court judgment. Financial regulators around the world are waking up to the threat. The Financial Action Task Force, a Paris-based multilateral organization that sets global guidelines to protect against money laundering and terrorism financing, in June released its first report on far-right fundraising, which highlighted the groups use of cryptocurrencies and warned that transnational links among such actors are growing. The FATF also said there is a dearth of information about both cross-border fundraising and the scale of cryptocurrency use. Similar to their jihadist counterparts, many of these groups have used the internet and social media to share propaganda and recruit ideologically-aligned supporters from around the world. They also may be looking to forge financial links, the report said. This trend has posed a challenge for law enforcement or security services which are used to combating ERWT (extreme right-wing terrorism) as a domestic threat with few transnational links. As the COVID-19 pandemic sealed borders, white nationalists continued to gather in virtual communities that allowed them to connect with people from around the world. On Telegram, posts tagged with different flags stream together: Theres a burly White Boys Club in Kyiv, a group of nationalists in Minnesota and a cluster of men with pixelated faces in Greece, each posing around White Lives Matter banners. Images of people stomping on or burning colorful LGBTQ buttons and flags roll in from Poland, Slovakia, Russia, Croatia. Men with skull masks and rifles pose after tactical training in the woods in Poland. A person with a fascist flag stands in the rain in France, and a man draped with a swastika banner looks out from a high hill somewhere in the woods of America. The transnational links make people feel they are part of a much larger community, they can inspire each other and network, said Marilyn Mayo, a senior research fellow at the Anti-Defamation Leagues Center on Extremism. They can also raise money. Blockchain data shows that Andrew Anglins donors are part of a global community of believers who sent money to entities in multiple countries. Donors to Anglin since 2017 have also given Bitcoin to 32 other far-right groups and people in at least five different countries, according to Chainalysis data. The data also shows that money flowed into the sample of 12 far-right groups from cryptocurrency exchanges that serve customers all over the world, with Western and Eastern European-focused exchanges playing a growing role. Chainalysis uses web traffic data and economic activity patterns to estimate where the customers that use a given exchange are located. European groups like the Nordic Resistance Movement and Generation Identitaire also received donations from North America-focused exchanges. Similarly, U.S. entities like American Renaissance, Daily Stormer and WeAreChange got money via exchanges that serve customers in Western and Eastern Europe. Kimberly Grauer, Director of Research at Chainalysis, said the shift to using global exchanges certainly could be in order to obfuscate detection, but it could also be a sign that increasingly donations are coming in from all over the world. VIRTUAL JUSTICE While Andrew Anglin remains physically hidden and his money remains virtually untouchable, his debt grows. Each day that ticks by, he owes Tanya Gersh, a Jewish real estate agent in Montana, another $760.88, interest on a $14 million court judgment he has failed to pay. After Gersh got in a dispute with the mother of white supremacist Richard Spencer in 2016, Anglin published her contact information and used his website to whip up an army of trolls against her. She received death threats, threats against her as a Jew and threats against her child. Sometimes shed pick up the phone and hear a gunshot. Gershs hair started falling out. She had panic attacks, sought trauma counseling and seriously considered fleeing. The balm for all that came in 2019, when a federal court made clear that targeted anti-Semitic hate speech is not protected by the First Amendment. But since that fleeting moment of victory, nothing has happened. Gersh has yet to see a penny of her $14 million. She is not the only one. Anglin also owes Muslim comedian Dean Obeidallah $4 million, and hes supposed to pay Taylor Dumpson, the first Black student body president of American University, $725,000 all the results of civil litigation in U.S. courts over libel, invasion of privacy, inflicting emotional distress and intimidation on the Daily Stormer. Last September, Gershs legal team sent requests to six Ohio addresses and four emails demanding that he disclose his assets. Four were returned as undeliverable, one was refused. He didnt respond to the rest. The court then ordered Anglin to hand over information about his finances, but the April 1 deadline for that came and went. Her lawyers moved to hold him in contempt of court, which could lead to his arrest. Anglins Bitcoin is his most visible asset. Gershs lawyers can see Anglins virtual fortune but so far they haven't been able to touch it. He also keeps his cryptocurrency in unhosted wallets, according to Chainalysis, complicating collection efforts. Meanwhile, Gersh is running up legal bills at a rate of $980 an hour. The problem with an unhosted wallet is what is your pain point? said Amanda Wick, who served as a senior policy adviser for the Treasury Departments Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and as a federal prosecutor before joining Chainalysis as chief of legal affairs. The only thing we have is civil contempt or criminal conviction. If someone is willing to sit in jail and the money is theirs on the other side because no one can access it, thats a problem. The hunt for Anglin and his pain point continues. He may not be in the United States, but he is out there somewhere, Littrell said, and hes not untouchable. He will be held accountable, she said. We will get his cryptocurrency. ___ Contact APs global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org. SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) A federal judge on Monday ordered that all employees entering California prisons be vaccinated or have a religious or medical exemption, as he tries to head off another coronavirus outbreak like the one that killed 28 inmates and a correctional officer at San Quentin State Prison last year. Inmates who want in-person visits or who work outside prisons, including inmate firefighters, must also be fully vaccinated or have a religious or medical exemption. The prison guard's union said it may appeal the mandate. More than 50,000 California inmates have been infected and at least 240 have died since the start of the pandemic. All agree that a mandatory staff vaccination policy would lower the risk of preventable death and serious medical consequences among incarcerated persons, wrote U.S. District Judge Jon Tigar. And no one has identified any remedy that will produce anything close to the same benefit. He said state officials have taken many commendable steps but he is acting because they refuse to do what the undisputed evidence requires. Tigar has broad authority to direct medical care within California prisons under a long-running lawsuit over over poor health care. He accepted the recommendation of his federal receiver, J. Clark Kelso, who has operational control. Once the virus enters a facility, it is very difficult to contain, and the dominant route by which it enters a prison is through infected staff, the judge reasoned. As of Monday, there were 218 active inmate infections, 129 of them at North Kern State Prison near Bakersfield. Wasco State Prison in the same county had 32 infected inmates, but only one other prison has double-digit infections. Statewide, there were 357 active employee infections; 39 employees have died, including three this month. The California Correctional Peace Officers Association has said the mandate could create staff shortages if employees refuse to comply. Weve undertaken an aggressive, voluntary vaccination program and we still believe the voluntary approach is the best way forward. We are looking into our legal options to address this order, union President Glen Stailey said in a statement. Rita Lomio, an attorney with the nonprofit Prison Law Office that sought the order, said she doesn't see a plausible ground for the union to appeal the mandate because there is "such a clear factual and legal basis for it. We think its terrific. We think its needed," she said. Colorado, Illinois, Oregon, Massachusetts, Washington, Nevada, New Mexico and all federal prisons already have similar mandates, she said, but California was the first to force a court order. The move was opposed by the state's prison agency and Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose administration had ordered vaccinations or testing for all state employees, including correctional employees. Tigars order does away with the frequent testing option. The administration is evaluating the courts order at this time to determine next steps, corrections department spokeswoman Dana Simas said in an email. We respectfully disagree with the finding of deliberate indifference, as the department has long embraced (voluntary) vaccinations and was one of the first to provide them to vulnerable inmates and staff at the end of last year. Almost all of California's 99,000 inmates have been offered the vaccine and 76% are fully vaccinated, she said. Among employees, 57% are fully vaccinated. Tigar said that includes about 42% of correctional officers systemwide, but vaccination rates vary and is just 18% at one prison. At several prisons, rates among all employees are in the 30% range, he said. The judge gave Kelso and prison officials two weeks to say how they will comply with his order. He also told Kelso to consider other ways to increase the inmate vaccination rate, including a possible mandatory vaccination policy for all prisoners. NEW YORK (AP) The nation's largest school district can immediately impose a vaccine mandate on its teachers and other workers, after all, a federal appeals panel decided Monday, leading lawyers for teachers to say they'll ask the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene. The citys Department of Education said the mandate would now go into effect at the end of Friday, so that all teachers and staff would be vaccinated by Oct. 4, the following Monday. The three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan issued a brief order late in the day that lifted a block of the mandate that a single appeals judge had put in place on Friday. After an adverse ruling from a Brooklyn judge, a group of teachers had brought the case to the appeals court, which assigned a three-judge panel to hear oral arguments Wednesday. But the appeals panel issued its order Monday after written arguments were submitted by both sides. Attorney Mark Fonte, who brought the lawsuit on behalf of teachers and others, said in a statement that he and attorney Louis Gelormino were immediately petitioning the Supreme Court to intervene. As of this moment the mandate is in place, he said, adding that he and Gelormino were dismayed and disappointed by this turn of events. Fonte added: With thousands of teachers not vaccinated the City may regret what it wished for. Our children will be left with no teachers and no security in schools. The city's Department of Education said in its statement, Vaccinations are our strongest tool in the fight against COVID-19 this ruling is on the right side of the law and will protect our students and staff." Mayor Bill de Blasio announced in August that about 148,000 school employees would have to get at least a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination by Sept. 27. The policy covers teachers, along with other staffers, such as custodians and cafeteria workers. The practical effect of the mandate was that teachers and other employees would have been unable to work, beginning Tuesday, if they had failed to get vaccinated. As of Monday, 87% of all Department of Education employees have been vaccinated, including 90% of teachers, de Blasio said. But United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew said a survey of some of its members found that only a third thought their schools could open without disruption. The city has a lot of work before it to ensure that enough vaccinated staff will be available by the new deadline," he said in a statement. Lawyers for teachers argued Monday in papers submitted to the 2nd Circuit that teachers who are placed on unpaid leave because they have not complied with the order will be irreparably harmed if the appeals court failed to block the mandate. The lawyers wrote that the city's order will leave teachers and paraprofessionals without the resources to pay rent, utilities, and other essentials. The harm is imminent. They said the mandate would leave thousands of New York City children in the nation's largest school district without their teachers and other school workers. Imminent and irreparable harm exists, the lawyers insisted. On Sunday, the city submitted written arguments to the appeals court, saying the preference by some teachers to remain unvaccinated while teaching vulnerable schoolchildren is dwarfed by the publics interest in safely resuming full school operations for a million public school students and ensuring that caregivers citywide can send their children to school secure in the knowledge that sound safety protocols are in place. City lawyers said courts have long recognized that vaccination mandates do not spoil the constitutional rights to due process that workers enjoy and have rejected similar challenges for over a century. Put bluntly, plaintiffs do not have a substantive due process right to teach children without being vaccinated against a dangerous infectious disease, they wrote. The vaccination mandate is not just a rational public health measure, but a crucial one. ___ Associated Press writer Deepti Hajela contributed to this report. THREE RIVERS, Calif. (AP) California firefighters battled fast-growing forest fires threatening giant sequoias and small communities in the Sierra Nevada on Monday and worked to fully surround a suspected arson wildfire that destroyed homes last week. More than 2,000 firefighters were on the lines of the Windy Fire burning on the Tule River Indian Reservation and in Sequoia National Forest, including Giant Sequoia National Monument. The fire had scorched more than 133 square miles (344 square kilometers) after growing by nearly 11 square miles (28 square kilometers) in 24 hours, according to a Sequoia National Forest statement. Just 2% of the fire was contained. Numerous small communities were under evacuation orders or warnings to be prepared to leave. Some 2,000 residences and 100 commercial properties were threatened. Two commercial structures have been destroyed. To the north in Sequoia National Park, two fires that were ignited by lightning and then merged covered more than 73 square miles (189 square kilometers) after experiencing large growth during the weekend. The KNP Complex was 8% contained, according to a statement from Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, which have both been forced to close. On the fires northern perimeter, firefighters used controlled burns to clear vegetation from Muir Grove, a hidden group of giant sequoias found at the end of a trail. A week ago, the famous ancient trees of Sequoia National Parks Giant Forest were protected from the fire because of its history of prescribed burns. The bases of some trees were also wrapped in fire-resistant material. In the far north end of Californias Central Valley, the Fawn Fire was 60% contained after destroying 184 homes and other buildings in an unincorporated area north of the city of Redding. Firefighters were focusing on mopping up and patrolling to prevent further spread of the fire, said Josh Bischof, an operations section chief with the incident management team. A 30-year-old woman was arrested last week on suspicion of starting the Fawn Fire. A historic drought in the American West 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. WORCESTER, Mass. (AP) Massachusetts' first refugees from Afghanistan following the U.S. withdrawal and Taliban takeover of the country have arrived. A family of three that includes a husband, wife and young child landed at Boston's Logan International Airport on Friday, according to state officials and local refugee resettlement groups. A family of five, including a couple and their three children, arrived Sunday. PHOENIX (AP) Massive income tax cuts passed by the Arizona Legislature earlier this year and a series of election law changes could be put on hold until voters weigh in next year if opponents turn in enough signatures by a midnight Tuesday deadline. A coalition of education advocates believe they have gathered enough signatures to put at least one and possibly three new tax cut laws on hold. They were working Monday validating and double-checking petition sheets in advance of turning them into the Arizona secretary of state's office on Tuesday. Meanwhile, a group opposed to three new election laws were also going through their petition sheets, although they were less certain they had collected the 118,823 valid signatures they need. The tax cuts enacted by the Republican-controlled Legislature and signed by GOP Gov. Doug Ducey in late June would cut taxes by at nearly $2 billion a year by phasing in a flat tax. They also would shield high-earning taxpayers from a 3.5% additional levy voters approved last year through Proposition 208, and a separate tax cut bill would exempt small business owners from being liable for the new tax. Were turning in hundreds of thousands of signatures, said Beth Lewis, executive Director of Save Our Schools, Arizona, one of the pro-public education groups hoping to block the tax cuts. "And Im confident that were going to turn back the attacks on Prop. 208 and keep $1 billion in our classrooms every single year." Lewis and other proponents of blocking the new tax cuts say they will prevent the Legislature from boosting funding for schools and other important spending priorities. We know that Arizonas 49th in the country in education funding, and honestly, Im a teacher, we cant afford to lose a dollar from our classrooms much less $1 billion every year, she said. Ducey and Republican backers of the tax cuts say with the state running a surplus for the first time in a decade now is the time to cut taxes. The vast majority of the tax cuts go to high-earning Arizonans. A group called Arizona Deserves Better is trying to block three new election laws one requiring that voters who do not vote in two election cycles be removed from the list of people who automatically get mailed ballots, and a second blocking election officials from taking private grants. A third measure contains a host of what Republican backers call election security measures but that opponents say are designed to suppress the vote and compromise the privacy if the ballot. A judge on Monday blocked that law from taking effect as part of a larger lawsuit targeting provisions in several budget bills, including a ban on school mask requirements. Its possible we may not have enough signatures to file," said Alison Porter, a senior advisor to the group. No matter what happens, as things continue to play out today. Arizona Deserves Better well continue to work to protect democracy in Arizona. Porter said many voters are unaware of the election law changes and her group's effort to collect signatures succeeded in increasing awareness and interest in the Legislature's actions, even if they do not succeed in blocking the bills. Under the Arizona Constitution, the groups had 90 days after the Legislature adjourned for the year to collect the signatures required to put the big tax cuts on hold until voters can weigh in on November 2022. New laws take effect at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday. The coalition opposing the tax cuts includes the Arizona Education Association teachers union, Childrens Action Alliance, Center for Economic Progress and Arizona Interfaith Network and Stand With Children. Invest in Arizona Now, the renamed group that got Proposition 208 on the ballot, is also involved. Save Our Schools Arizona has experience in voter referendums it organized in early 2017 to oppose and successfully refer to the ballot a new universal school voucher law. Voters overwhelmingly rejected the voucher expansion the following year. NEW YORK (AP) Rudy Giulianis lawyers forced a much narrower review of his seized electronic devices after complaining that prosecutors looking for proof of a crime were going to see information going back to his early days as New York Citys mayor 26 years ago, court papers released Tuesday show. The lawyers complained in late August to a Manhattan federal judge that devices seized from ex-President Donald Trump's former personal attorney during late-April raids contained at least 26 years of data stretching from Feb. 24, 1995, to midway through this year. Giuliani was New York City's mayor from 1994 through 2001. The lawyers said the review of data on the devices should be limited to the time period specified in search warrants seeking information related to Giuliani's interactions with Ukrainian figures to see if he violated a law governing lobbying on behalf of foreign countries or entities. The papers related to whether the search of data should be narrowed were unsealed Tuesday by the order of a judge who concluded they were documents the public was entitled to see. Giuliani's lawyers said that prosecutors to the government's credit eventually agreed that they did not need to see documents and other materials created prior to 2018. Giuliani's lawyers said data prosecutors are seeking might include his interaction with Ukrainian individuals, then-Ambassador Maria Yovanovitch and the office of the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine; Giuliani's 2019 trip to Poland and issues involving Franklin Templeton, the U.S. financial firm. Two weeks ago, Manhattan Judge J. Paul Oetken ordered that an ongoing review to exclude from prosecutors' eyes any materials that are protected by privileges such as attorney-client privilege be limited to documents dated on or after Jan. 1, 2018. The materials are on 18 electronic devices seized from Giulianis residence and his firm, Giuliani Partners LLC. Some of the devices belong to employees of the law firm. Giuliani, a one-time presidential candidate, has not been charged with a crime. He has said his activities in Ukraine were conducted on Trump's behalf. At the time, Giuliani was leading a campaign to press Ukraine for an investigation into Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, before Biden was elected president. The privilege review is being carried out by a former Manhattan federal judge who Oetken appointed to the task at the request of prosecutors. A similar review was conducted after raids on Michael Cohen, who served as Trump's personal lawyer before his 2018 arrest. He eventually pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including campaign finance crimes, lying to Congress and tax evasion and was sentenced to three years in prison. After serving about a year behind bars, he was freed to home detention after the coronavirus hit. MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) Tennessee offered $500 million in incentives for the creation of a $5.6 billion campus where Ford Motor Co. plans to build electric F-Series pickup trucks at the Memphis Regional Megasite industrial complex, Gov. Bill Lee said Tuesday. The Republican governor spoke with reporters after Ford and South Korean battery maker SK Innovation formally announced the Blue Oval City project. The assembly plant will be built at the megasite about 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Memphis, near the small town of Stanton in rural Haywood County. Lee said the proposed incentive package would be split between the two companies based on the jobs each creates. Clawback provisions are included in the incentive package to make certain that that agreement holds for the years into the future. Lee plans to call a special legislative session soon to approve the incentive deal. We created what we thought was a very attractive incentive, Lee said. The project is expected to create about 5,800 new jobs at the West Tennessee megasite, which has seen millions of dollars in infrastructure investments but has failed to land a major tenant. Bob Rolfe, commissioner of the states Department of Economic and Community Development, said the Ford complex will also bring about 33,000 construction jobs with a payroll of about $1.8 billion. Once the plants are running, Rolfe said there will be about 27,000 direct and indirect jobs with another $1.8 billion per year of payroll. All in, the complex will add about $3.5 billion per year to Tennessees gross domestic product, a measure of its economic output. Lee also announced that the state and Ford would build a career and technical school to train auto workers on the 4,000-acre (1,620-hectare) site. The Tennessee College of Applied Technology will provide training focused on electric vehicle and battery manufacturing and repair, with the curriculum concentrating on engineering and auto mechanics, Lee said. Tennessee currently funds 27 applied technology colleges in the state. ___ AP Auto Writer Tom Krisher contributed to this report. PENDLETEON, Ore. (AP) Health officials in Umatilla County, Oregon, say they are starting to see COVID-19 cases linked to the Pendleton Round-Up. Umatilla County Public Health Director Joseph Fiumara told county commissioners Monday the countys case count last week was 550 cases of COVID-19, and Fiumara said he had 151 pending cases from the weekend. So far, there are 44 cases of the illness tied to the Pendleton Round-Up, most from Umatilla County and some from Wallowa County, and his staff will eventually parse out what parts of Round-Up yielded which cases of the virus, he said. The current number of cases associated with Round-Up includes those who got COVID-19 at the event and those who attended while already sick, he said. The Round-Up is a large, annual rodeo that concluded this year on Sept. 25. The rodeo and and festivaltypically attract large crowds to northeastern Oregon. The Walla Walla Union-Bulletin reports COVID-19 is widespread in Umatilla County. Authorities say a typical day at the public health department starts with 30 cases and ends up with 70 to 80. Hospitals in the county are still relatively at full capacity, public health officer Dr. Jonathan Hitzman reported, noting with the mandate that healthcare workers must be vaccinated, there is possibility some services within St. Anthony Hospital and Good Shepherd Medical Center will have to close for lack of staff. AP MIAMI (AP) Hurricane Sam strengthened again to a powerful Category 4 storm on Tuesday, centered well offshore in the Atlantic Ocean but still capable of sending dangerous swells and rip currents later this week to the Bahamas, Bermuda and eventually the northeastern U.S. coast. Sam is located about 610 miles (980 kilometers) east of the northern Leeward Islands and is traveling northwest at 9 mph (14 kph), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said in a morning advisory. Hurricane-force winds were extending outward 40 miles (65 kilometers) from its center. LOS ANGELES (AP) A Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy accidentally fired a gun inside a courtroom last month, potentially injuring a colleague and prompting an internal investigation, officials said. The Sheriffs Department confirmed in a statement that the shooting took place in the Van Nuys courthouse on Aug. 16, describing the incident as an unintentional discharge, the Los Angeles Times reported Monday. A department spokeswoman declined to detail the circumstances of the shooting or say if anyone was injured. Due to the active investigation we are unable to offer further comment at this time, but what we can say is based on the results of the investigation, proper administrative action will be taken if warranted, the statement read. A spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Superior Court system declined to answer questions from the Times about the incident, referring all queries to the Sheriffs Department. News of the shooting was first made public by Court Watch LA, an advocacy group seeking increased transparency in the countys court system. Rebecca Brown, a legal fellow with the National Lawyers Guild who runs the Court Watch account, said she was first notified of the shooting Saturday. An attorney sent a note to Court Watch saying the gun went off while the courtroom was filled with several attorneys and clients waiting to have their cases heard that morning. The attorney told Court Watch the bullet struck another deputys radio, and the other deputy appeared to be hurt. Details about the potential injury were not available. Brown said she was frustrated by the lack of transparency around the shooting, as it took nearly six weeks for any information to become public. I cant imagine if I worked in a courthouse, and I heard a gunshot go off and then theres no follow up after that, she told the Times. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Jaco J. Hamman, Vanderbilt University (THE CONVERSATION) After a cooped-up year, Americans are hungry to travel. Passport offices are overwhelmed with applications. In July, airlines scheduled and operated the highest number of flights since the pandemic began, according to the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. Record numbers of travelers visited the U.S. national parks this summer, after a nearly 28% drop due to the pandemic. But why do we travel in the first place? What is the allure of the open road? As a professor of religion, psychology and culture, I study experiences that lie at the intersection of all three. And in my research on travel, Im struck by its unsolvable paradoxes: Many of us seek to get away, in order to be present; we speed to destinations, in order to slow down; we may care about the environment, but still leave carbon footprints. Ultimately, many people hope to return transformed. Travel is often viewed as what anthropologists call a rite of passage: structured rituals in which individuals separate themselves from their familiar surroundings, undergo change and return rejuvenated or reborn. But travelers are not just concerned with themselves. The desire to explore may be a defining human trait, as I argue in my latest book, but the ability to do it is a privilege that can come at a cost to host communities. Increasingly, the tourism industry and scholars alike are interested in ethical travel, which minimizes visitors harm on the places and people they encounter. The media inundate tourists with advice and enticements about where to travel and what to do there. But in order to meet the deeper goals of transformative, ethical travel, the why and how demand deeper discernment. In writing Just Traveling: God, Leaving Home, and a Spirituality for the Road, I studied travel stories in sacred scriptures and researched findings from psychologists, sociologists, ethicists, economists and tourism scholars. I argue that meaningful travel is best understood not as a three-stage rite but as a six-phase practice, based on core human experiences. These phases can repeat and overlap within the same journey, just as adventures twist and turn. 1. Anticipating Traveling begins long before departure, as we research and plan. But anticipation is more than logistics. The Dutch aptly call it voorpret: literally, the pleasure before. How and what people anticipate in any given situation has the power to shape their experience, for better or worse even when it comes to prejudice. Psychology experiments, for example, have shown that when children anticipate greater cooperation between groups, it can reduce their bias in favor of their own group. But phenomenology, a branch of philosophy that studies human experience and consciousness, emphasizes that anticipation is also empty: our conscious intentions and expectations of whats to come could be fulfilled or dashed by a future moment. With that in mind, travelers should try to remain open to uncertainty and even disappointment. 2. Leaving Leaving can awaken deep emotions that are tied to our earliest experiences of separation. The attachment styles psychologists study in infants, which shape how secure people feel in their relationships, continue to shape us as adults. These experiences can also affect how comfortable people feel exploring new experiences and leaving home, which can affect how they travel. Some travelers leave with excitement, while others experience hesitation or guilt before the relief and excitement of departure. Mindfulness about the stages of travel can help people manage anxiety. 3. Surrendering Travelers cannot control their journey: A flight is canceled, or a vehicle breaks down; the weather report predicts sunshine, but it rains for days on end. To some extent, they have to surrender to the unknown. Modern Western cultures tend to see surrendering as something negative as hoisting a white flag. But as a therapeutic concept, surrendering helps people let go of inhibiting habits, discover a sense of wholeness and experience togetherness with others. The perfectionist learns that a changed itinerary doesnt mean a diminished travel experience and lets go of their fear of failure. The person with a strong sense of independence grows in vulnerability as they receive care from strangers. In fact, some psychological theories hold that the self longs for surrender, in the sense of liberation: letting down its defensive barriers and finding freedom from attempts to control ones surroundings. Embracing that view can help travelers cope with the reality that things may not go according to plan. 4. Meeting Meeting, travelings fourth phase, is the invitation to discover oneself and others anew. All cultures have unconscious rules of recognition, their own ingrained customs and ways of thinking, making it more difficult to forge cross-cultural connections. Carrying conscious and unconscious stereotypes, travelers may see some people and places as uneducated, dangerous, poor or sexual, while hosts may see travelers as rich, ignorant and exploitable. Going beyond such stereotypes requires that travelers be mindful of behaviors that can add tension to their interactions knowing conversational topics to avoid, for example, or following local dress codes. In many parts of the world, those challenges are intensified by the legacy of colonization, which makes it harder for people to meet in authentic ways. Colonial views still influence Western perceptions of nonwhite groups as exotic, dangerous and inferior. Starting to overcome these barriers demands an attitude known as cultural humility, which is deeper than cultural competence simply knowing about a different culture. Cultural humility helps travelers ask questions like, I dont know, Please help me understand or How should I 5. Caring Caring involves overcoming privileged irresponsibility: when a traveler does not recognize their own privilege and take responsibility for it, or does not recognize other peoples lack of privilege. [3 media outlets, 1 religion newsletter. Get stories from The Conversation, AP and RNS.] Travel becomes irresponsible when tourists ignore injustices and inequities they witness or the way their travels contribute to the unfolding climate crisis. Ethically, empathy is not enough; travelers must pursue solidarity, as an act of caring with. That might mean hiring local guides, eating in family-owned restaurants and being mindful of the resources like food and water that they use. 6. Returning Travels do end, and returning home can be a disorienting experience. Coming back can cause reverse culture shock if travelers struggle to readjust. But that shock can diminish as travelers share their experiences with others, stay connected to the places they visited, deepen their knowledge about the place and culture, anticipate a possible return trip or get involved in causes that they discovered on their trip. I believe that reflecting on these six phases can invite the kind of mindfulness needed for transformative, ethical travel. And amid a pandemic, the need for thoughtful travel that prioritizes host communities well-being is clear. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/looking-for-transformative-travel-keep-these-six-stages-in-mind-167687. SCHRIEVER, La. (AP) A 38-year-old Louisiana man is accused of killing a woman and wounding a man, then shooting at five state troopers who tried to stop his car an hour later, authorities said. One officer was treated for a minor head wound, but investigators don't know whether a bullet caused it, Louisiana State Police Trooper Ross Brennan said in an email Monday. Patrick Waddle of Schriever was arrested early Sunday on charges of first-degree murder of 51-year-old Lisa Eschete and attempted second-degree murder of a man who was with her Saturday night at a home in Schriever, news agencies reported. Both knew Waddle, investigators said. Waddle shot at the house from outside, then drove off in a Toyota Tundra, police said. Eschete died at a hospital. Sheriff Tim Soignet said the man, whose name was not released, remained in stable condition Monday, The Courier reported. Brennan said five counts of attempted first degree murder of a police officer were added Sunday night. The officers, in five squad cars, tried to stop Waddle as his pickup truck passed them going the other way shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday on the street where the earlier shooting had taken place, he said. He said one trooper fired back but missed. Waddle pulled into a driveway and ran into woods where he was found about 4 a.m. Sunday after a search involving seven police agencies, Brennan said. Waddle's bond, already at $4 million, was raised to $11.5 million after the additional charges were filed, The Courier reported. Soignt said the motive for Saturday's motive was not yet known. "Once we get everything else done we can look into why this took place and what transpired, he said. Eschete sued Waddle in 2009, asking for damages in the death of her 19-year-old son, Kerry Eschete, in 2008. The suit alleged that the young man was getting out of a pickup truck at a stoplight and was injured when Waddle drove off before he was entirely out. A judge dismissed that suit, and authorities never filed charges in connection with Kerry Eschetes death, the newspaper reported. TAPACHULA, Mexico (AP) Trying to ease a backlog in Mexicos asylum system and the resulting frustrations that drove thousands of applicants to head toward the U.S., Mexican officials opened a mammoth reception center outside a soccer stadium near the Guatemala border Tuesday. The Mexican Commission for Refugee Assistance, with the help of the National Guard and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, targeted those who had already made initial applications for protected status in Mexico but had waited months for an initial interview. The site outside Tapachulas Olympic Stadium could handle as many as 2,000 people daily, said Alma Delia Cruz Marquez, the commissions local delegate. Previously, huge crowds had packed the streets around the commissions downtown offices in Tapachula jostling for position. The commission receives 75% of all the applications for protective status through its offices in the southern state of Chiapas, Cruz said. Through August, Mexico had received nearly 80,000 asylum applications. The protection that we give is only for those people whose life, freedom or safety is at risk in their country of origin, Cruz said. It does not constitute any kind of travel permit or authorization. In early September, groups of hundreds of migrants set out walking from Tapachula, in many cases fed up with waiting for the overburdened asylum system to process their cases. Each time, Mexican authorities broke up the groups. More recently, some 15,000 mostly Haitian migrants appeared at the Mexico-U.S. border. Some of them also had open asylum cases in Mexico, but had grown tired of waiting. U.S. authorities spent a week clearing that camp in Del Rio, Texas, deporting some directly to Haiti and releasing others into the United States with the expectation they would appear before immigration officials at a later date. Some of those migrants who were detained by Mexican authorities in Ciudad Acuna were shipped back south to Tapachula. Some activists in Tapachula looked at the stadium effort skeptically, questioning whether the government is just trying to appear helpful while maintaining a policy of containing migrants in southern Mexico. Luis Garcia Villagran, of the Center for Human Dignity, said Mexican officials are trying to turn Tapachula into a migrant detention center it already hosts Latin Americas largest. These (reception centers) are stopgap measures. This is make-up that tries to show that the Mexican state with its institutions is resolving or doing something with the immigration phenomenon, he said. Fraindy Sainteme, a Haitian migrant, said he had been waiting three months for his asylum application to advance. On Tuesday, at the reception center they gave him an appointment to return Wednesday. I need my protocol and my definitive (document) to be here, he said. Ive been here a long time and they dont give me papers. He said he had spent five years in Chile before arriving in Mexico this year. Ultimately, he hopes to reunite with his wife and daughter in Miami, but meanwhile wants to have legal status in Mexico because now he lives in crowded conditions relying on support from relatives elsewhere and hasnt been able to find work in Mexico. Chenet, another Haitian migrant who declined to give his last name for security reasons, said that someone outside the commission offices in Tapachula had offered to facilitate the application for himself, his wife and their two children. The person charged him about $300, but he later learned it was scam. (They told me ) that Im not in the system, Chenet said. The (appointment) is false. An official from the UNHCR encouraged him to file a report with the local prosecutors office. ROSWELL, N.M. (AP) A manhunt for a Texas homicide suspect ended Tuesday in rural southeastern New Mexico when ranchers detained the man at gunpoint and handed him over to sheriff's deputies, a sheriff's official said. Kionne Devaughn Lewis, 29, of Midland was found about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Roswell in an area where officers had searched for Lewis late Monday after he abandoned his vehicle, officials said. PHOENIX (AP) Pulitzer Prize-winning Arizona photojournalist Nick Oza, who documented the lives of disaster victims and immigrants, has died after being hospitalized more than three weeks with serious injuries from a traffic accident. He was 57. Since 2006, Oza had worked for The Arizona Republic, where he was beloved by colleagues and known for his documentary-style photojournalism. Oza died early Monday after being hospitalized since Sept. 3. That morning, he was traveling on Loop 202 near the Vee Quiva Casino south of the Phoenix community of Laveen when the vehicle veered across all lanes of the highway and struck the center divider. Arizona Department of Public Safety officials have said Oza was the lone occupant and no other vehicles were involved. The cause of the accident has not been made public. Oza's work was included in The Republics 2017 project called The Wall that examined then-President Donald Trump's planned border wall. It won the Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting. Earlier in his career, Ozas images were part of the Biloxi Sun Heralds Pulitzer-winning coverage of Hurricane Katrina's devastation in Biloxi, Mississippi. At the time, Oza was working for sister newspaper The Telegraph of Macon, Georgia. Oza was born in Mumbai, India, and traveled as a young man to the U.S., where he became a citizen. He attended Columbia College in Chicago with plans of becoming a commercial photographer. His instructors steered him toward photojournalism when they saw his ability to immerse himself into his subjects' lives. Oza is survived by his wife, Jacquelyn, and daughter, Shanti, along with family in India. There was no immediate word on services. LAKE CHARLES, La. (AP) Five people were injured in an explosion at a Louisiana chemical plant, news outlets reported. The explosion at the Westlake petrochemical plant near Lake Charles was reported late Monday night, Louisiana State Police spokesman Derek Senegal said. He said five workers were taken to a hospital, but their conditions were not immediately known. A fire at the site is now out, and the cause of the blast is under investigation. KPLC-TV reports that the unit where the explosion occurred is used in the production of ethylene and was undergoing maintenance at the time. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) Animal rights groups on Tuesday welcomed the South Korean president's offer to look into banning consumption of dog meat. Dog meat is neither legal nor explicitly banned in South Korea. Restaurants that serve it are a dwindling business here as younger people find dog meat a less appetizing dining option. But some people oppose a ban as a surrender to Western pressure. During a meeting with his prime minister on Monday, President Moon Jae-in asked if its time to carefully consider a ban, according to his office. It's unclear when a review would take place and when or whether a ban would be realized. A few activists gathered in central Seoul on Tuesday to call for the government and parliament to work out steps to officially prohibit dog meat consumption. They placed a big placard on the street that reads Legislate law banning the slaughters of dogs and cats! We actively welcome President Moon Jae-ins comments instructing a review of the dog meat consumption ban and hope there would be substantial progress on that, animal rights organizations said in a joint statement. Activists later visited Moons presidential office and Parliament to convey their calls for swift action to ban dog meat consumption, said Lee Won Bok, head of the Korea Association of Animal Protection. A public survey in 2018 indicated about 80% of South Koreans had not eaten dog meat in the previous year. Lee said an estimated about 1 million dogs are still killed each year in South Korea for food. Some older people in South Korea believe that dog meat enhances sexual stamina. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Along with billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief money, South Carolina lawmakers have another large bonus pot of money to spend soon $525 million from the federal government over plutonium still sitting inside the state. The money is part of a 2020 settlement with the federal government which promised a plant at the Savannah River Site near Aiken that would turn plutonium from unneeded nuclear weapons into nuclear reactor fuel but instead left about 21,000 pounds (9,500 kilograms) of the highly radioactive material in storage in South Carolina. A state Senate subcommittee looking into how to spend COVID-19 relief money also has been given the task of spending the plutonium settlement. The two senators who represent the 310-square-mile (803-square-kilometer) federal site, where thousands were forced out of their homes in the early 1950s because the U.S. needed a place to build nuclear weapons during the Cold War, said the counties that lost land should get most of the money. "We're not asking for all the money, but were asking we get out fair share based on the history of this site," Sen. Brad Hutto said at Tuesday's meeting. The Democrat from Orangeburg said he thinks $425 million should go to counties affected, while $100 million should go for statewide projects. Hutto broke the county share down by saying Aiken, Barnwell and Allendale counties deserve the biggest share because that's where the site is. The ring of counties around those areas also deserve extra money because they lost jobs when the federal government ended the Mixed-Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility, or MOX program, that was supposed to create nuclear fuel before the facility was finished, said Sen. Tom Young, a Republican from Aiken. "The MOX project promised hundreds and hundred of jobs," Young said. Good paying jobs," replied Sen. Nikki Setzler, a Democrat from West Columbia. Young and Hutto said it would ultimately be up to senators and the South Carolina House to decide exactly how to spend the money. They have a list of possible projects from new high schools in rural areas to industrial park renovations and expansions to new programs at Aiken Technical College to expanding computer, internet and other access in North Augusta to partner with the Georgia Cyber Center across the Savannah River in Augusta, Georgia. Senators took no votes Tuesday as Hutto and Young promised to give them a full list of suggested items. Hutto said the counties closest to the site deserve the most money because they embraced their role of helping the U.S. beat the Soviet Union in the Cold War, but also suffered. He said a number of businesses, especially food service, skipped over the area because of the proximity of the dangerous radioactive material. "I dont know of a soul last year who decided not to go to Myrtle Beach because there is plutonium in Barnwell," Hutto said. South Carolina has long fought with the federal government over the plutonium with officials in the state worried that the radioactive material was sent before the MOX plant was running. The feds promised in 2002 to get rid of all the plutonium by 2017 and the settlement was brokered after the promise was broken. The 2020 settlement also requires the U.S. to get all the plutonium out by the end of 2036 or face more penalties that could total more than $1 billion. That possibility of more money almost two decades from now is another reason to be careful how this $525 million is spent, Young said. It will not be binding, but it will in some respects be instructive, Young said. The Savannah River Site once had nearly 26,000 workers in the early 1990s as it shifted from making nuclear weapons to finding ways to clean and store the radioactive byproducts of weapons and nuclear plants. Now, about 11,000 people work at the site. ___ Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Linda Charmaraman, Wellesley College (THE CONVERSATION) Teens today have grown up on the internet, and social media has served as a space where LGBTQ youth in particular can develop their identities. Scholarship about the online experiences of LGBTQ youth has traditionally focused on cyberbullying. But understanding both the risks and the benefits of online support is key to helping LGBTQ youth thrive, both on- and offline. I am a senior research scientist studying the benefits and challenges of teen social technology and digital media use. My colleagues, Rachel Hodes and Amanda Richer, and I recently conducted a study on the social media experiences of LGBTQ youth, and we found that online networks can provide critical resources for them to explore their identities and engage with others in the community. Beyond cyberbullying The increased risk of cyberbullying that LGBTQ youth face is well-documented. LGBTQ youth are almost three times more likely to be harassed online than their straight, cisgender peers. This can result in increased rates of depression and feelings of suicide: 56% of sexual minorities experience depression, and 35% experience suicidal thoughts as a direct result of cyberbullying. However, the digital landscape may be shifting. Our 2019 survey of 1,033 children ages 10 to 16 found no difference between the amount of cyberbullying reported by straight versus sexual minority youth residing in a relatively progressive part of the U.S. known for legalizing gay marriage. Some social media platforms like Tumblr are considered a safer haven for sexual minorities than others, especially during the COVID-19 lockdown. This is despite past censorship of LGBTQ content on certain platforms due to biases in the algorithm. LGBTQ youth tend to have smaller online social networks than their straight peers. We found that LGBTQ youth were significantly less likely than their straight peers to engage with their online friends. Conversely, LGBTQ youth are more likely to have friends they know only online, and to perceive these online friends as significantly more socially supportive than their in-person friends. The LGBTQ youth we surveyed in our study were more likely to join an online group in order to reduce social isolation or feelings of loneliness, suggesting that they were able to reach out to and engage with social media networks outside of their in-person peer circles in supportive and fortifying ways. Despite living in an area with higher levels of acceptance toward sexual minorities, our study participants felt a need to keep parts of their identities separate and hidden online. They were less likely than non-LGBTQ kids to be friends with family members online and more likely to join social media sites their parents would disapprove of. And about 39% said they had no one to talk to about their sexual orientation at all. Not just surviving, but thriving online Despite the risk of online harassment and isolation, social media can give LGBTQ youth space to explore their sexual identities and promote mental well-being. In 2007, Australian researchers conducted one of the earliest studies on how internet communities serve as safe spaces for LGBTQ youth who face hostile environments at home. Their surveys of 958 youth ages 14 to 21 found that the anonymity and lack of geographic boundaries in digital spaces provide an ideal practice ground for coming out, engaging with a communal gay culture, experimenting with nonheterosexual intimacy and socializing with other LGBTQ youth. The internet also provides critical resources about LGBTQ topics. LGBTQ youth may use online resources to educate themselves about sexual orientation and gender identity terminology, learn about gender transition and find LGBTQ spaces in their local community. The internet can also be a useful tool to identify LGBTQ-friendly physicians, therapists and other care providers. Finally, online platforms can serve as springboards for LGBTQ activism. A 2013 report by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network surveying 1,960 LGBTQ youth ages 13 to 18 found that 77% had taken part in an online community supporting a social cause. While 68% of LGBTQ youth also volunteered in-person, 22% said they only felt comfortable getting involved online or via text. This signals that online spaces may be critical resources to foster civic engagement. While social media is not without its dangers, it can often serve as a tool for LGBTQ youth to build stronger connections to both their local and virtual communities, and communicate about social issues important to them. [Insight, in your inbox each day. You can get it with The Conversations email newsletter.] This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/social-media-gives-support-to-lgbtq-youth-when-in-person-communities-are-lacking-166253. JACKSON, Miss. (AP) The state of Mississippi intends to appeal a federal judge's ruling that it come up with a plan detailing how it will work to prevent unnecessary institutionalization of people with mental illness. Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves told the state it had 120 days to submit a plan to the U.S. Justice Department and a mental health expert. He ordered that the final plan, incorporating their feedback, be completed in 180 days. Lawyers for the state asked in court documents filed Monday if the deadline could be postponed because the state intends to appeal Reeves' ruling. James Shelson, the state's lawyer, wrote that if the Department of Mental Health were required to complete its plan and other requirements of Reeves' order in the allocated time frame, Mississippi will suffer irreparable injuries from undue interference with its mental health system and a fundamental alteration of that system both in costs and structure." Aside from the plan, lawyers objected to Reeves' requirement that Mississippi implement peer support services at satellite community mental health centers by the end of the 2022 budget year. Another stipulation of Reeves order the state objected to requires Mississippi to fund an additional 250 CHOICE housing vouchers in the 2022 budget year, and 250 more during the 2023 budget year. The CHOICE housing voucher program provides support to people living with mental illness who need help paying rent and utilities. Lastly, the state opposed the requirement that it begin a clinical review process sampling 100 to 200 patients a year to assure that services are working as intended to address the needs of people with serious mental illness. Joy Hogge, executive Director of the mental health advocacy organization Families as Allies, said Monday that she found the states requests profoundly disappointing, but not surprising. For the last ten years, the Attorney Generals office and the Board and Department of Mental Health have wasted millions of tax dollars in court fighting this lawsuit rather than working with people receiving services, their families and others who care about mental health to fix the system, she said in a written statement. This is more of the same. The requirements the state faces are the result of a yearslong legal battle pertaining to how Mississippi cares for people with mental illness. The federal government issued a letter in 2011 saying Mississippi had done too little to provide mental health services outside mental hospitals. The Justice Department sued Mississippi in 2016, and Reeves ruled the state was in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Federal attorneys said during a 2019 trial that mentally ill people were being held in jails because crisis teams did not respond. They said people had been forced to live far from their families because mental health services were not available in their hometowns. They also said people made repeated trips to Mississippi mental hospitals because there was no effective planning for them to transition to community services, and the most intensive kinds of services were not being made available. During a July hearing, state attorneys said Mississippi has enacted programs that enable people to obtain treatment in their communities and avoid hospitalizations, such as mobile crisis teams, supportive housing and peer support services. Justice Department attorneys said those services need to be expanded and there need to be metrics to ensure they are working. In addition to the requirements the state objected to Monday, Reeves' September order made the state responsible for tracking a wide array of data, including state hospital admissions and the number of patients who remain in state hospitals more than 180 days; calls to mobile crisis teams and the number of people being placed in jail while waiting for a state hospital bed. State attorneys did not mention those requirements in the documents filed Monday. ___ Leah Willingham 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. NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Tennessee's Attorney General Herbert Slatery on Monday said his office would appeal the recent federal court decisions that blocked Gov. Bill Lee's order allowing families to opt out of school mask mandates. These orders have impeded the governors executive authority during an emergency to direct the states public health response, which is why this office will be appealing those decisions," Slatery, a Republican, said in a statement. Slatery said he would only appeal two out of the three lawsuits filed by families and advocates across the state opposed to the Republican governor's latest executive order. To date, federal judges have blocked the order from being implemented in Knox, Shelby and Williamson counties. All three lawsuits argued that Lees order violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits the exclusion of students with disabilities from public educational programs and activities. Children with certain disabilities are more vulnerable to serious illness or death if they get COVID-19, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said. Slatery said he was pursuing appeals in Shelby and Knox counties. While his office did not disclose why he only chose those counties, the judge overseeing the Williamson County case has only temporarily blocked Lees order from being enforced. The governor's order remains in effect until Oct. 5. He has not said if hell extend it. Lee issued the order in August after a handful of Republican lawmakers demanded the governor call a special session so the GOP-dominant General Assembly could halt mask mandates in schools and other COVID-19 safety measures. Many students have been attending classes without masks ever since as pediatric hospitalizations reached record highs. Masks are a key virus-prevention tool that are most effective when worn by a large number of people, public health experts say. The CDC has again recommended them for schools, saying they dont pose health risks for children older than toddler age. NEW YORK Pfizer has submitted research to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on the effectiveness of its COVID-19 vaccine in children as it moves closer to seeking approval for expanded use of the shots. The drugmaker and its partner, Germanys BioNTech, say they expect to request emergency use authorization of their vaccine in children ages 5 to 11 in the coming weeks. The companies also plan to submit data to the European Medicines Agency and other regulators. The two-shot Pfizer vaccine is currently available for those 12 and older. An estimated 100 million people in the U.S. have been fully vaccinated with it, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pfizer tested a lower dose of the shots in children. The drugmaker said last week that researchers found the vaccine developed coronavirus-fighting antibody levels in children that were just as strong as those found in teenagers and young adults getting regular-strength doses. Earlier this month, FDA chief Dr. Peter Marks told the AP 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. Another U.S. vaccine maker, Moderna, also is studying its shots in elementary school-aged children. Results are expected later in the year. ___ MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: Japan to lift all coronavirus emergency steps nationwide Vaccination situation in Europe a story of two regions World Bank cuts Asia growth outlook, calls for virus action Coronavirus deaths in Russia hit another record ___ See all of AP's pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: PARIS French drugmaker Sanofi says it is shelving plans for a COVID-19 vaccine based on messenger RNA but will develop a new flu vaccine. The Paris-based company says it will continue to develop another vaccine candidate already undergoing late-stage human trials. That vaccine, developed with Britains GlaxoSmithKline, is being tested as a COVID-19 booster. Sanofi recently expanded trials of that recombinant protein vaccine as a booster dose to extend immunity for people inoculated with a variety of other vaccines. Results from that study are expected later this year. Messenger RNA vaccines are currently made by Pfizer and Moderna. Sanofi officials say they decided it wasnt worth pursuing that technology for COVID-19 vaccines, given how those vaccines are widely available. They plan to use the mRNA technology to develop a new flu vaccine, with clinical studies expected to start next year, according to Jean-Francois Toussaint, global head of research and development at Sanofis vaccine unit. ___ TOKYO Japans government says the coronavirus state of emergency will end Thursday to help rejuvenate the economy as infections slow. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced virus restrictions will be eased gradually. Government officials are instituting other plans, such as vaccine passports and virus tests, Suga says. With the lifting, Japan will be free of emergency requirements for the first time in more than six months. The current state of emergency, declared in April, was repeatedly extended and expanded, especially during the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. Infections started to worsen in July and peaked in mid-August after the Olympics, surging above 5,000 daily cases in Tokyo alone and topping 25,000 nationwide. Thousands of patients unable to find hospital beds had to recover from the illness at home. Daily reported cases have fallen to around 2,000 nationwide. Health experts attributed the declining numbers to the progress of vaccinations 58% of the population is fully vaccinated increased social distancing efforts after alarm from full hospitals. There have been 1.69 million confirmed cases and 17,500 confirmed deaths from COVID-19 in Japan. ___ PHOENIX A judge has struck down Republican-passed Arizona laws that block schools from requiring masks and restrict the power of local governments to impose COVID-19 requirements. The ruling Monday could clear the way for cities and counties to enact mask requirements if it withstands a promised appeal. It comes as the fight over school masks and other COVID-19 restrictions has moved into courtrooms across the U.S. Lawsuits have been filed in at least 14 states either for or against masks in schools. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends mask-wearing in schools, and children 12 and under are not yet eligible for vaccines. The sweeping Arizona ruling also struck down several non-virus provisions slipped into the state budget and an entire measure that served as a vehicle for a conservative policy wish list. It included a required investigation of social media companies and stripping the Democratic secretary of state of her duty to defend election laws. ___ MOSCOW Coronavirus confirmed deaths in Russia hit another record at 852 on Tuesday. Russias state coronavirus task force reported the increase from the previous record of 828 on Friday. Daily coronavirus infections in Russia have fallen from more than 20,000 in late August to about 18,000 in mid-September. However, the numbers have started creeping up again. Since last Thursday, the state coronavirus task force has been reporting more than 21,000 new cases a day. On Tuesday, 21,559 new infections were registered. Despite the increase, there are few restrictions in place in Russia, which had one, six-week lockdown last spring. Vaccination rates have remained low, too, with only 32% of the countrys 146 million population having received at least one shot of a vaccine and only 28% fully vaccinated. Russian authorities have reported a total of about 7.4 million confirmed infections and more than 205,000 confirmed deaths. However, reports by the governments statistical service Rosstat indicates the tally of coronavirus-linked deaths retroactively reveal much higher mortality numbers. ___ LISBON, Portugal Portugal is winding up its military-led vaccine task force after almost reaching its target of fully inoculating 85% of the population against COVID-19. The task force, led for the past eight months by a senior naval officer from a NATO building near Lisbon, is to be replaced by three teams reporting to the Health Ministry. Portugals vaccination drive e rollout is the most advanced in the world, with 84.88% of the countrys 10.3 million people having received shots, according to Our World in Data. Portugal is scrapping most of its pandemic restrictions starting Friday. Prime Minister Antonio Costa said many people deserved credit for the countrys expeditious vaccine rollout, but he singled out Portugals acceptance of vaccinations as the prime reason for success. Portugal has no significant anti-vaccination movement and is one of the European Unions leading countries in terms of vaccine uptake for illnesses such as measles and influenza. ___ ISLAMABAD Pakistans planning minister says the government will begin a drive to vaccinate children ages 12 and above to protect them from the coronavirus. The announcement by Planning Minister Asad Umar came Tuesday amid a steady decline in COVID-19 deaths across the country. Umar said in a tweet that the government would soon launch a campaign soon to vaccinate children at schools. He did not give a precise date. Pakistan is currently offering free vaccine shots to teenagers and adults. The country on Tuesday reported 41 more COVID-19 deaths and 1,400 new cases in the past 24 hours. It was the first time since July that Pakistan confirmed fewer than 1,500 daily cases.. ___ SYDNEY Australias Victoria state has recorded more coronavirus infections than New South Wales for the first time since an outbreak of the delta variant began in Sydney in June. Victoria is Australias second-most populous state and on Tuesday the state capital of Melbourne reported 867 new virus cases and four deaths from COVID-19 in the latest 24-hour period. It was the highest daily numbers of infections and deaths in Victoria for the latest outbreak. Victorias previous high infection count was 847 reported Saturday. New South Wales is the most populous state and home to Sydney, which reported 863 new infections Tuesday and seven deaths. The state has seen daily infections plateau as vaccinations have risen. Sydney has been in lockdown since June 26 and Melbourne since Aug. 5. ___ WELLINGTON, New Zealand New Zealand is relaxing travel restrictions in Auckland six weeks after the nations most populous city was locked down due to the coronavirus. People will be able to cross the city boundary beginning Monday night if they are permanently relocating, have shared caring-giving arrangements or are returning home. Those leaving Auckland on care-giving trips will have to be tested for the virus within a week of their departure. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says more flexibility is being given because the system of pandemic restrictions is currently doing its job. The city reported eight new infections Tuesday in the latest 24-hour period. Auckland was locked down Aug. 17 after the delta variant leaked from hotel quarantine from a New Zealander who had returned from Sydney. Pandemic restrictions elsewhere in New Zealand amount to little more than mandatory mask-wearing. ___ NEW YORK A federal appeals panel says New York City may require teachers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus. The three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals acted late Monday to lift a temporary order issued Friday that blocked the mandate from taking effect so a challenge could be heard from a group of teachers. The mandate had been set to go into effect Monday for teachers and other employees of the citys schools. The appeals panels ruling put the mandate back in force. Lawyers for the teachers said they will now ask the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene. One attorney said: With thousands of teachers not vaccinated the city may regret what it wished for. Our children will be left with no teachers and no security in schools. ___ SACRAMENTO, Calif. A federal judge has ordered that all employees entering California prisons be vaccinated or have a religious or medical exemption. The order is aimed at heading off another coronavirus outbreak like the one that killed 28 inmates and a correctional officer at San Quentin State Prison last year. The order also requires that inmates who want in-person visits or who work outside prisons, including inmate firefighters, must also be fully vaccinated or have a religious or medical exemption. The prison guards union says it may appeal. More than 50,000 California inmates have been infected with the coronavirus and at least 240 have died of COVID-19. ___ MILAN (AP) Youth climate activists Vanessa Nakate and Greta Thunberg chastized global leaders Tuesday for failing to meet funding pledges to help poor nations adapt to a warming Earth and for delivering too much blah blah blah as climate change wreaks havoc around the world. They even cast doubt on the intentions behind a youth climate gathering where they were speaking in Milan. Four hundred climate activists from 180 countries were invited to Italys financial capital for a three-day Youth4Climate summit that will send its recommendations to a major United Nations climate summit in Glasgow, Scotland, that begins on Oct. 31. But participants are demanding more accountability from leaders and a bigger official role for young people. They invite cherry-picked young people to pretend they are listening to us,'' Thunberg said. But they are not. They are clearly not listening to us. Just look at the numbers. Emissions are still rising. The science doesnt lie. Leaders like to say, We can do it. They obviously dont mean it. But we do, the Swedish activist said. Nakate, a 24-year-old activist from Uganda, said pledges of 100 billion euros ($117 billion) a year to help countries particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change have not materialized, even as wildfires in California and Greece and floods in Germany and Belgium show that loss and damage is now possible everywhere. In fact, funds were promised by 2020, and we are still waiting, she said. No more empty conferences. Its time to show us the money. Its time, its time, its time." Nakate dramatically underlined how climate change is affecting Africa, which is ironic given that Africa is the lowest emitter of CO2 emissions of any continent except Antarctica." Just last week, she said she saw police taking away a body that had been washed away by violent storms in the Ugandan capital of Kampala, while others searched for more victims. Her mother told her that one man dragged off by the water had been trying to protect the goods he was selling. Nakate collapsed in tears after her emotional speech, getting comfort from Thunberg, who followed her to the podium, which was too tall for her small stature. Thunberg, who coalesced the global protest movement Fridays for Future, said it wasnt too late to reverse climate trends. But she has clearly heard enough from leaders, whom she said have been talking for 30 years while half of all carbon emissions have occurred since 1990, one-third since 2005. This is all we hear from our so-called leaders: words. Words that sound great but so far have led to no action. Our hopes and dreams drown in their empty words and promises. Of course we need constructive dialogue, but they have now had 30 years of blah, blah blah. And where has this led us? she said. Saoi OConnor, an Irish activist in the Fridays for Future movement, said the youth meeting in Milan was orchestrated by governments who chose the participants and drafted the document that the delegates will edit. As a result, she said, the closing document will not represent what the strikers want. They have people in the rooms who are watching what we say. The topics we have been split into have been decided for us, she said. The three-day Youth4Climate Summit will be followed by a two-day pre-COP meeting before Glasgow aimed at finding common ground on sticking points among countries, which range from the worlds big carbon emitters to developing nations that are lagging both economically and technologically. Hopes for a successful Glasgow summit have been boosted by announcements from the worlds two biggest economies and largest carbon polluters. Chinese President Xi Jinping said his country will no longer fund coal-fired plants abroad while U.S. President Joe Biden announced a plan to double financial aid for green growth to poorer nations. In addition, Turkey has said it would adhere to the Paris protocols and South Africa announced more ambitious emissions targets. These are good steps, said Italys minister for ecological transition, Roberto Cingolani, who is hosting the Milan meetings. They mean that they are moving in the right direction. ... I never expect quantum jumps in this gigantic operation on a world level. But the indicators are all good. Cingolani said he agreed with the criticism that many promises had been broken, including for financing climate change adaptions, but that he also saw a convergence in the sense of urgency. Its true, we have to work harder, he said. He also clarified a previous reference he made to radical chic activists, saying he was not referring to climate protesters but to those who will not make sacrifices to have renewable energy facilities in their neighborhoods. The youth delegates were trying to maintain realistic expectations for the meeting. What we can do is hope for the best,'' said 16-year-old Zainab Waheed of Pakistan, who is campaigning to include climate in the national school curriculum. But looking at the past, and relying on the science of deduction, and learning from history, we have seen even ministers from COP26 countries not keep their promises." Rose Kobusinge, a 27-year-old Ugandan with a masters degree in environmental change and management from the University of Oxford, said the Glasgow meeting needs to come up with concrete action if fighting climate change is to maintain any credibility. She also thinks the youth delegates should be invited as participants not just to send a message. Let it not stop from negotiations in Glasgow. If it stops, then I guess COP won't be necessary any more because what is it? Just coming and discussing and go back to your countries?" she said. __ This story corrects the spelling of Vanessa Nakate's last name in several paragraphs. ___ Follow all AP stories on climate change at https://apnews.com/hub/climate-change. NEW YORK (AP) If there was one broadly agreed takeaway from 2018s Venom, it was that when you let Tom Hardy run loose, good things happen. Not everything worked in the film, a darker, slimier spinoff adjacent to Sony Pictures Spider-verse Marvel world. But Venom, led by Hardy's Jekyll and Hyde act, managed to break free of some of the prescribed rhythms of superhero movies. In its most talked-about scene, journalist Eddie Brock (Hardy), is overcome by the alien symbiote living inside him: Venom, a slimy, sinister-looking alien hulk also voiced by Hardy. Venom has a ravenous appetite, so in a scene set at a seafood restaurant, Hardy improvised that Brock would, under Venom's control, leap into a lobster tank. What was supposed to be background set dressing was rebuilt to support Hardy, and thus spawned the defining moment for a weird and warped comic-book franchise. That tone was what everyone universally agreed was the epicenter of this world, says Andy Serkis, director of the sequel Venom: Let There Be Carnage. That is precisely the touchstone moment for where we started off with this. Venom: Let There Be Carnage, which Sony will release in theaters Friday after a years delay due to the pandemic, extends what may the oddest superhero series around. The dominant conflict is less about world saving and more about a very odd couple cohering in one body. And given that the two lead parts are played by the same actor, its the comic-book film most centered on an actors freewheeling performance. Whats thrilling is to be able to delve through the human psyche and the paradox of the human condition and play them in a farcical, superhero action thriller, says Hardy, speaking by phone from London. The masks of Eddie Brock and Venom are larger than life, but theyre ultimately two sides of the same coin. In the dependable realm of superhero movies, the first Venom was somewhat of a risk. Venom is a relatively marginal Marvel character; the movies, Serkis says, are swimming in the darker end of the Marvel pool. But even though reviews werent very good, the film was a hit, grossing $856 million worldwide. When it came out, critics didnt like it -- which is fair enough -- and the audience did like it. It did rather well, enough for Sony to make another one, says Hardy. We had to have a debrief and a wash up and say: What worked here? What didnt work? What can we do better? For the sequel, Hardy took firmer control. On the first Venom, the actor has said some 30 minutes of scenes were left on the cutting-room floor. This time, he sought out Serkis, the actor-director best known for his extensive work in motion capture performance, to follow the originals director, Ruben Fleischer. Hardy also took a hand in shaping the follow-up; he and Kelly Marcel (co-writer of Venom) are credited with the films story. Hardy is also a producer, a first for him on a feature film. Putting your hat in the ring is a logical step. We asked Sony, Kelly and I, if we could have a shot at pitching the second movie," says Hardy. "And they said Of course. Let There Be Carnage takes a gothic turn, bringing Brock into the orbit of a serial killer, Cletus Kasaday (Woody Harrelson). Kasaday attracts his own symbiote, Carnage, enabling his prison escape. The sequel is also about Brock and Venom undergoing what Serkis calls the seven-year-itch in their relationship, as both yearn for independence. In one scene set to Louis Prima, Venom makes breakfast for Hardy to cheer him up. On set, Hardy typically retreats to a corner to record his Venom lines, which are enhanced with a pitch-modulator. Then, while Hardy performs as Brock, Venoms lines are played through an earpiece. Serkis calls Hardys system mesmeric to watch. To Hardy, acting against himself has become a familiar process. Ive gotten used to seeing myself as a piece of meat and observing myself from outside as: What do I want to do with my vehicle? OK, Toms not working properly. Whats not working? says Hardy. It may seem schizophrenic and I do appreciate that I do look mad when Im doing it, adds Hardy. Hopefully you see it on screen as well the frenetic, manic nature of someone judging two personalities. For Serkis, who directed 2018's Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle," 2017's Breathe and is prepping an adaptation of George Orwell's Animal Farm for Netflix, its another twist in a shape-shifting career. Serkis, who revolutionized the use of motion capture in characters like Gollum in The Lord of the Rings and Caesar in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, has been increasingly drawn to the nexus of filmmaking and technology. What Im really interested in is the future of storytelling, and how that is going to change over the next 10, 20, 30 years, says Serkis. At the moment, were standing at a junction. Weve had a pandemic, which has forced people to watch things on a very small screen. But pretty sure were going to go back to what was beginning to burgeon before the pandemic. Let There Be Carnage, originally set for release last October, will be one of the bigger releases to launch only in theaters during the pandemic. After several delays, Sony moved up its release by a few weeks. Venom will effectively launch the fall movie season, with many carefully eyeing its performance. Now is definitely the time," says Serkis. "There really is a moment here, because there are some big films coming out, and theyre daring to put their heads above the parapets. ___ Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Jetson Leder-Luis, Boston University (THE CONVERSATION) The U.S. government may be on the verge of spending as much as US$4.5 trillion in what could be one of the biggest investments in infrastructure and the social safety net in decades. The House plans to vote on a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill on Sept. 30, 2021 which was already approved by the Senate and may soon follow that with up to $3.5 trillion in other investments. The measures passage and the total to be spent are still up in the air. But if either or both bills do become law, they would not only reflect massive new government spending that lawmakers see as investment, but also a serious target for fraud. Most government spending does reach the intended targets like mass transit, clean energy and broadband internet but some of the money will undoubtedly be lost to fraud. How much is impossible to predict, but I believe a reasonable estimate based on past spending would put it at around 5%, or $225 billion. Thats equivalent to the gross domestic product of Greece. I study the problem of fraud in public spending and what governments can do to fight it. Research shows there are measures that can effectively fight fraud in government spending, like increased government anti-fraud lawsuits. The problem is lawmakers dont always make preventing fraud a priority. What is fraud? At its most basic, fraud is the use of deception to achieve financial or personal gain. When it involves government spending, fraud occurs when someone diverts money from its intended public purpose. Common examples of government fraud include companies or bureaucrats rigging the awarding of lucrative government contracts, health care companies falsifying patient data to get higher payments from Medicare or Medicaid, and Defense Department contractors inflating the costs of services. While its common to hear claims that individual fraud in programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program is rampant, most fraud involves companies paid by the government to provide public services because there is so much more money on the line. About 15% of government spending goes directly to companies through contracting. Even more flows to Medicare and Medicaid providers, which are often private companies reimbursed for the services they deliver. Part of the problem driving fraud is what economists call information asymmetry. Thats what happens when the construction company or hospital doing work for the government has more information about what they are billing than bureaucrats do. Fraudsters can exploit what they know and the government does not to their benefit by charging more than they should. Costs of fraud It is difficult to measure the exact costs of fraud because those who commit fraud try to conceal it. One measure of how much the U.S. government loses to fraud is its improper payment rate a measure of the amount of money the government shouldnt have doled out, because of, for instance, duplicate payments or ineligible people receiving payments. Improper payments totaled $175 billion in 2019, or about 4% of all government spending. Different programs have different improper payment rates. Medicare, for example, has improper payments in the 5%-6% range, costing the government tens of billions of dollars per year. However, improper payments are not the most accurate measure of fraud. They include money improperly paid by accident rather than malice, but they fail to measure fraud that wasnt caught which may be substantial but is unknown. There is a constant cat and mouse game between anti-fraud enforcers and fraudsters exploiting new opportunities in the ever-changing regulatory landscape. For example, the Payment Protection Program which spent $792 billion helping small businesses endure the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may have lost $76 billion of that to fraud, according to a 2021 study. About 15% of the PPP loans given out are suspected of fraud. Thats based on certain red flags, such as filings that include unregistered or recently incorporated businesses, many of the same residential addresses or implausibly high employee salaries. Other recent stimulus programs have similarly garnered attention for fraud, including the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program, in which hundreds of thousands of people have had their identities used for fraudulent claims. Ohio alone estimates it lost $330 million to this kind of fraud. Like other forms of fraud, this problem was largely not due to individual abuse but rather criminal organizations exploiting weak government oversight. Infrastructure fraud is a particularly attractive target Information asymmetry is one reason infrastructure programs in particular tend to be targets of fraud. For example, the quality of construction projects is hard to verify. That gives contractors and builders opportunities to skimp on materials or inflate costs to earn higher profits. Bostons Big Dig, a $15 billion infrastructure megaproject from the early 1990s, resulted in some contractors being arrested for fraudulently providing substandard materials. A major contractor on the project was prosecuted for delivering adulterated concrete and paid a fine of $50 million. Furthermore, infrastructure projects are generally awarded to a single company through a bidding process, which can be susceptible to rigging. In June 2021, for example, an Ohio-based engineering company was ordered to pay $8.5 million in fines for rigging several drainage projects in North Carolina. The U.S. is sophisticated in its rules around bidding, contracting and audits, but cases like that still arise with some regularity. [Over 110,000 readers rely on The Conversations newsletter to understand the world. Sign up today.] Fighting fraud The federal government is not powerless to prevent and detect fraud. Its tools include criminal enforcement, whistleblowing and civil lawsuits, auditing, increased regulatory requirements for spending, and machine-learning tools for data mining and forensic analysis. Research has found that many anti-fraud efforts can successfully root out fraud . Indeed, the Department of Justice has found that every $1 spent on health care fraud in 2020 returned $4.30 an exceptionally good return on investment. Whistleblowing has proved to be particularly valuable. Under the False Claims Act, individuals who have information about fraud involving government programs can hire their own attorneys and sue on behalf of the government in federal civil court. These whistleblowers receive a share of any money they recover for the government. My research has found that this can be highly effective at deterring fraud. Under the act, the government has recently recovered more than $1 billion a year, and my research shows that it has saved tens of billions more by preventing fraud from occurring in the first place. But at least one of the two bills Congress is working on right now includes very little language aimed at fighting fraud. While the $1 billion package does include additional funding for Internal Revenue Service enforcement, this is about raising revenues, not combating graft, and a lawmakers recent effort to include stronger provisions for whistleblowing in the infrastructure bill failed. Other language in the bill instructs the government to deter waste and fraud but doesnt specify penalties or how it will be carried out. In fact, the word fraud only appears seven times in the 2,000-page bill. It is clear that in the current haste to spend federal money, not enough attention has been paid to make sure that it all goes to the proper places. The other, larger spending package is still primarily just a blueprint, with not a lot of legislative language behind it. Lawmakers would be wise, given how much they plan to spend over the coming years, to include more anti-fraud language in large spending bills. That would help ensure more of these trillions of dollars go to the people and places they say need the support and not to the fraudsters. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/trillions-in-infrastructure-spending-could-mean-hundreds-of-billions-in-fraud-166726. WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) Two people have been charged in the death of a woman whose body was found inside her home in North Carolina, police said. Winston-Salem police said in a news release on Monday that officers responded to a home that morning to check on Michele Ruth Lowder, 45, after she failed to show up for work. When officers arrived, they found Lowder dead inside. COVID-19 vaccines offer protection against life-threatening disease caused by the coronavirus to people with heart disease and stroke, and a booster dose could bolster that protection, health experts said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which sets policy on vaccine use, recommended Pfizer booster vaccines for several groups last week. People 65 and older; residents in long-term care settings; and people 50 and older with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster at least six months after their initial Pfizer vaccine doses, the CDC said. People 18 to 49 with underlying medical conditions and adults 18 to 64 at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of their jobs or where they reside, such as a homeless shelter, may receive a Pfizer booster at least six months after their initial Pfizer vaccine doses. CDC Director Dr. Rochelle P. Walensky issued the recommendations two days after the Food and Drug Administration authorized a Pfizer booster on Sept. 22. Her decision aligned with the FDA but allowed for broader use than a CDC advisory panel endorsed. The FDA and CDC actions apply only to the Pfizer vaccine. Regulators are reviewing the data from Moderna's request to authorize a booster, and Johnson & Johnson's booster is in advanced trials. In August, the FDA authorized a third dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines for immunocompromised people. That includes heart transplant recipients, who must take drugs that suppress their immune system. Data shows COVID-19 vaccines can become less effective at preventing infection over time. But the vaccines are still effective in preventing serious illness and death after infection. It's important to keep in mind that no vaccine is 100% effective, said Katherine E. Di Palo, a clinical pharmacy specialist and assistant professor of medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. "Certain viruses require vaccine boosters or annual shots, like the flu, to continue to provide protection and prevent serious complications." Vaccines work initially by safely provoking the body's immune response, which generates swarms of antibodies to attack an invading virus. Eventually, that antibody response calms down. But the body also has cells that remember what invading viruses looked like, said Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, president of the American Heart Association. "Those memory cells can rapidly ramp up the immune system if we're re-exposed to a virus or to a virus against which we've been vaccinated," said Lloyd-Jones, a cardiologist, epidemiologist and chair of preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago. The response from those memory cells is what helps protect against severe cases even if someone contracts the disease. A booster dose can help increase the number of those memory cells while also reviving levels of antibodies. In authorizing the Pfizer booster, the FDA reviewed data from Israel showing a third dose provided about 10 times the protection against confirmed infection and severe disease compared with people who had two doses. Side effects were similar to what was reported with the first two doses and included fatigue, headache and redness at the injection site. For now, Di Palo said, people getting a booster will need to stick with whatever brand of vaccine they initially received. "We currently do not have evidence that says it is OK to mix and match," she said. Federal regulators are continuing to monitor the COVID-19 vaccine's connection to rare cases of myocarditis or another type of heart inflammation called pericarditis. Those potential side effects should not dissuade people from getting vaccinated, Di Palo and Lloyd-Jones said. First, those cases are "extremely rare," Di Palo said. When they do occur, they tend to be mild and people often recover on their own or with minimal treatment. That contrasts with the effects of COVID-19. In the unvaccinated, the disease can require intensive care in a hospital and remains potentially fatal. That's why the most important advice for people with heart disease and stroke is simple. "If you are not yet vaccinated, you are at significant risk from the delta variant," Lloyd-Jones said. "Get vaccinated today. Do not wait." People with stroke and heart conditions such as coronary artery disease, heart failure or cardiomyopathy (inflammation of the heart muscle) are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Underlying factors that increase the risk for heart disease and stroke, such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and smoking, also can increase the risk for becoming severely ill from COVID-19, Lloyd-Jones said. The authorization of a Pfizer booster comes just ahead of flu season. The CDC says September and October are prime time for getting a flu shot and that getting one at the same time as a COVID-19 vaccine is safe. Flu shots have been shown to reduce the risk of death in people with heart disease. They could play an especially important role this year, Lloyd-Jones said. "It's an important part of people reconnecting with the health system, getting with their doctor, revisiting their numbers, making sure their blood pressure is under control, their diabetes is in control, they have a plan for getting rid of those pounds they gained during the pandemic," he said. The sometimes-shifting advice on vaccines can be difficult to follow, Lloyd-Jones acknowledged. "But in truth, this is the process of science." The latest reliable information can be found at cdc.gov or getvaccineanswers.org. And when the news gets confusing, personalized information is available from a patient's own doctor, nurse or other health care professional, Di Palo said. "With every headline that comes out, if you have questions, talk to your team," she said. The information is not "one-size-fits-all. So, talking to your doctors is really, really critical." Editor's note: Because of the rapidly evolving events surrounding the coronavirus, the facts and advice presented in this story may have changed since publication. Visit Heart.org for the latest coverage, and check with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials for the most recent guidance. If you have questions or comments about this story, please email editor@heart.org. Copyright is owned or held by the American Heart Association, Inc., and all rights are reserved. 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If you are in the United States and experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or call for emergency medical help immediately. WASHINGTON (AP) Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen is telling Congress that the Treasury Department will likely exhaust all of its extraordinary measures to avoid an unprecedented default on the government's obligations by Oct. 18. Yellen warned Congress three weeks ago that the Treasury would run out of maneuvering room by mid-October. In a Tuesday letter, she said economists were able to issue a specific date based on the amount of revenue the U.S. had received in September from corporate and private quarterly tax payments. Yellens letter arrived the day after Senate Republicans blocked consideration of a bill to deal with the debt limit and approve a stopgap funding bill to avert a government shutdown Friday. The expectation is that Democrats will remove the increase in the debt limit and just seek to pass the stop-gap spending bill to avoid a government shutdown. In her letter, Yellen said, We now expect that Treasury is likely to exhaust its extraordinary measures if Congress has not acted to raise or suspend the debt limit by Oct. 18. At that point, we expect Treasury would be left with very limited resources that would be depleted quickly. Yellen said it was uncertain whether Treasury could meet all of the nation's commitments after that date. As she has done in the past, Yellen urged Congress to protect the full faith and credit of the United States by acting as soon as posible to either raise the debt limit or suspend it. While the nation has never defaulted on its debts, Yellen said that waiting until the last minute to take action would not be wise. In a budget standoff between Republicans and the Obama administration in 2011, the credit rating agency Standard & Poor's downgraded a portion of Treasury's sterling AAA credit rating for the first time in history, citing the uncertainty caused by the standoff. We know from previous debt limit impasses that waiting until the last minute can cause serious harm to business and consumer confidence, raising borrowing costs for taxpayers and negatively impact the credit rating of the United States for years to come, Yellen said. Failure to act promptly could also result in substantial disruptions to financial markets, as heightened uncertainty can exacerbate volatility and erode investor confidence, Yellen said in her letter to Congressional leaders. Scott Eisen/CVS Health CVS Health is now offering Pfizer-BioNTech booster shots to eligible individuals at 495 locations across the state of Texas. Individuals who received Moderna or Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccines are not eligible for a booster at this time. Those who are eligible include: Brent Stirton, Staff / TNS A former Houston police officer pleaded guilty this week to charges related to the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Tam Pham, an 18-year veteran of the Houston Police Department, was charged with parading, demonstrating, or picketing in a Capitol building. He was initially arrested on Jan. 20 for knowingly entering a restricted building without lawful authority, and with violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds. Texas is set to carry out its third execution of the year Tuesday night, lethally injecting Rick Rhoades for killing two men in their Houston-area home 30 years ago. In a last-ditch effort, his attorneys are hoping to delay the execution while they explore whether racial bias during jury selection tainted his trial. Rhoades, now 57, was convicted of killing brothers Charles and Bradley Allen in September 1991, a day after his release on parole from a five-year sentence for car theft and home burglary, according to prison records. When Rhoades was arrested weeks later for allegedly burglarizing a school, he confessed to the murders, court records state. After he was released from prison, Rhoades told police he took a bus to Houston and began drinking while wandering around his old neighborhood into the early morning, according to court records. Eventually, Rhoades and Charles Allen got into an argument outside the Allens house in Pasadena, and Rhoades followed Allen inside because he thought Allen was getting a gun. Rhoades beat Allen with a metal bar and stabbed him with a knife Allen had grabbed during the attack, the records said. Bradley Allen came out and began to hit Rhoades, who stabbed the brother. Prosecutors said Rhoades took clean clothing and cash when he left the house. Rhoades told police he found out the brothers died from the news later that day. When he was spotted during a school burglary weeks later, Rhoades said he was tired of running and was bothered by the murders, the records state. Shortly after he was sentenced to death in 1992, Rhoades, who is white, began arguing in appeals that Harris County prosecutors eliminated potential jurors from his trial because they were Black. A Texas court said his attorneys argued the county had a history of trying to exclude Black people from jury trials. When choosing jurors for trials, defense attorneys and prosecutors are able to remove a limited number of people from the potential juror pool without giving a reason, as long as the reason is not because of the persons race. In the courtroom and in their appeals, Rhoades attorneys challenged two strikes as race-related, arguing that prosecutors probed the responses of two Black jurors more thoroughly than the white people on jury panels, as if looking for reasons to reject them. By 2019, state and federal courts of all levels had rejected Rhoades challenges, ultimately finding that prosecutors had reasonable grounds unrelated to race for striking the two Black people from the jury pool. Of their 14 strikes allowed without giving reason, the prosecutors had also struck 12 white people, an appeals court noted. Rhoades jury ultimately was made up of 10 white jurors, one Hispanic juror and one whose race was not clear from court records, the appeals court said. This year, Rhoades attorneys again sought missing information on the potential jurors. They argued that more information, like the racial breakdown of the entire jury pool, has not been disclosed, keeping Rhoades from presenting arguments that his trial was corrupted by racial bias. He has been prevented from developing and raising his claim because the State has denied him access to the materials provided for by state law materials which are necessary to conduct the comparative juror analysis, his attorneys wrote in a district court filing in July. The Harris County district attorneys office told Rhoades attorneys that there are more records on the jury pool available, but the trial court must order the release of the records. The trial court judge said she had no jurisdiction and wouldnt rule on the matter, the courts said, prompting Rhoades latest appeals to state and federal courts. It is clear and indeed the district attorney has not disputed that, under state law, the motion Counsel filed was precisely the correct vehicle by which to ask for access to the juror information, his attorneys argued in a filing last week. In a 5-4 ruling, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in July declined to order the trial court judge to rule on the matter, though dissenting judges said the judges refusal was inconsistent with court precedent and suggested the court should have asked the judge why she didnt think she had jurisdiction. A federal district court and appeals court also rejected Rhoades motions as of Monday. Rhoades attorneys said Monday they would file a last-resort appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Texas Attorney Generals Office argued in a filing this month that the courts have no justification to stop an execution after Rhoades attorneys failed to seek this information for decades. Josh Reiss, who leads the Harris County District Attorneys Post-Conviction Writs Division, said it was time. Its been 30 years, he said. When you kill two people less than 24 hours after youre released from parole, thats kind of a quintessential threat to society. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. A soldier reported that she was assaulted by a small group of Afghan refugees at a shelter complex set up for the refugees in New Mexico, Fort Bliss officials said. A Fort Bliss statement said the assault happened Sept. 19 at the Fort Bliss Dona Ana County Range Complex about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of El Paso, Texas. We take the allegation seriously and appropriately referred the matter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, said a Fort Bliss statement. The soldier was reporting for her shift around midnight when three to four men attacked her, according to a U.S. Defense Department official. She had minor physical injuries and was able to get away. She was not sexually assaulted, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. The official said that soldiers on duty operate with a buddy system, but the female soldier was just arriving and had not yet linked up with her buddy for the shift. The official said that no one had yet been charged and that the FBI was investigating. It was unclear if law enforcement had identified the attackers. The Fort Bliss statement said the woman was immediately provided appropriate care, counseling and support and that security measures at the complex were being strengthened. U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell, the New Mexico Republican representing the district where the complex is situated, said her staff was also investigating. The U.S. government erected the complex in late August and early September to house thousands of Afghan refugees from the Taliban. According to the Fort Bliss statement, all Afghan nationals are subjected to a multi-layer screening and vetting process" before being admitted to the United States. The process "involves biometric and biographic screenings conducted by intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism professionals from the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, the National Counterterrorism Center and other intelligence community resources. Texas is set to release nearly 250 migrants who were arrested under Gov. Greg Abbotts catch and jail border security policy and sat in prison for more than a month without being charged with crimes. A state district judge granted a motion to release the men on no-cost bonds Tuesday morning after defense attorneys challenged the continued imprisonment of hundreds of migrants, citing widespread violations of state law and constitutional rights to due process. Texas law requires criminal defendants be released from jail on no-cost or affordable bond if prosecutors delay cases by not filing charges quickly. For trespassing, the charge on which the vast majority of the migrants were arrested, that deadline is set at 15 or 30 days, depending on the charge level. Kristin Etter, an attorney with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, which represents the migrants, said at the hearing before state District Judge Roland Andrade that her organization had made an agreement with the Val Verde county attorney to release 75 defendants arrested there who had been jailed without charges filed for more than 15 days. Kinney County prosecutors agreed to the release of another 168 defendants who had not had a charge filed against them in 30 days or more. Im glad you all worked out most of these, and hopefully everything will be streamlined a little bit more, Andrade, a Republican, said at the end of the hearing. Its a learning experience for everybody, even the court here. Its unclear what will happen to the men when they are released from state custody. Federal immigration authorities may choose to take them into custody or deport them, or they may be released into the United States while awaiting their criminal and potential immigration proceedings. Etter argued that the men should be released from state custody after 15 days, as would apply to typical trespassing cases. When the legal aid groups petition was filed on Sept. 15, that included 55 men arrested in Val Verde County. By the time of the hearing, 75 men had surpassed the deadline agreed to by the prosecutor. Kinney County, however, countered that the disaster declaration Abbott has issued for the border enhances the cases to a higher level of misdemeanor, which would give officials 30 days to file charges. The judge agreed to Kinney Countys 30-day limit. The ordered releases are the latest stumble in Abbotts new state criminal justice system for migrants that has been fraught with problems since he initiated it in July. In that time, migrants have been wrongfully separated from their families during arrests, men whose criminal cases were dismissed have been released without any federal or state coordination into border towns without any documents, and the justice system has been in violation of state laws in its delays to file charges and appoint attorneys. So far, about 1,000 men, the majority Latino, have been arrested by Texas state police and accused of trespassing on private property under Abbotts order. As of Monday, more than 900 men were jailed in two Texas prisons converted into state immigration jails this summer. The governors new policy is aimed at arresting migrants accused of crossing the border illegally, but since state police and courts have no jurisdiction over federal immigration law, police arrest the migrants for state crimes, like trespassing. Abbott has ramped up his border security efforts this year and has blamed President Joe Bidens immigration policies for a surge in border crossings. But the influx in arrests has overwhelmed the local justice systems in the small border regions of Kinney and Val Verde counties, prompting the delays in court filings, lawyer appointments and even documenting the imprisonment of migrants. All but 11 migrants imprisoned as of Monday were arrested in the two counties. Just after the hearing brought by TRLA on Tuesday, Andrade also heard separate cases regarding two imprisoned individuals arrested in Kinney County that challenged Abbotts system and the arrests more broadly. In part, the attorneys argued that police were wrongly selective in their arrests on trespassing charges by only arresting men, who were almost exclusively Hispanic. Kimble County District Attorney Tonya Ahlschwede, who acted as an assistant county attorney for Kinney County Attorney Brent Smith, at first agreed to release the men on no-cost bonds, as had been decided in the other cases. But the defense challenged the underlying arrests of their clients, claiming the state illegally arrested and detained their them. Ultimately, when the judge opted not to delay the hearing, Ahlschwede offered to dismiss the criminal cases against the two men. Amanda Woog, executive director of the Texas Fair Defense Project, said after the hearing that the prosecution wasnt prepared to argue in support of the arrests and continued detention. She added the ruling should be a call to action for other defense attorneys with migrant clients. It shows what a sham these arrests and prosecutions are, she said. When theyre actually put to the test, they fold. The Texas Tribune is a nonpartisan, nonprofit media organization that informs Texans and engages with them about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues. Texas' new social media censorship law is supposed to target social media giants. But a California law professor says the new bill has an inadvertent consequence: more spam emails. House Bill 20, which passed on Sept. 9, prohibits email service providers from "impeding the transmission of email messages based on content." Eric Goldman, a professor at Santa Clara University of Law whose research and teaching focuses on internet, IP and advertising law topics, says this restricts efforts to control email spam. "The bill says you cannot 'impede' email based on its content, which is what every spam filter does, unless the email service provides a process for the spammer to contest the blocking," Goldman explains. "The nuance is email services aren't in the business of hearing billions of complaints from spammers saying 'you didn't have the right to block me.' Email services can't do that. It's not a scalable option for them." Goldman says he believes the goal of the bill was to make sure solicitation emails from former president Donald Trump's campaign did not end up in spam folders. The California law professor has been openly critical of the bill, sounding the alarm in his Technology and Marketing Law Blog, in which he calls the new law "purely performative." "Politicians say X got treated more favorably than Y, so that must prove bias," Goldman says. "Many of us know better than that. The concerns under the law about this anti-conservative bias are not provable. They're not scientifically defensible. The entire bill is built on an artifice." Since its passage, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter have sued Texas over the law, according to Jessica Guynn of USA Today. Gov. Greg Abbott recently released a Washington Post op-ed defending the law, saying its need "has been apparent for years." "Our country's public square has become increasingly controlled by a few powerful companies that have proved to be flawed arbiters of constructive dialogue," Abbott wrote. "Twitter, Facebook and other massive platforms aren't just any private companies. They are our modern-day public square, and effectively control the channels we use for discourse." Goldman argues the law is unconstitutional and says while it postures as a supposed fix to de-bias social media services, it is actually a form of censorship in and of itself. "The principle justification for other parts of the law is that internet services are allegedly biased against conservatives, which is the main reason why the bill is ultimately censorial," he says. "If an internet service wants to be biased against conservatives, the Constitution allows them to do that." A recent analysis, however, claims social media platforms aren't likely to show bias. Published in September by researchers Wen Chen, Diogo Pacheco, Kai-Cheng Yang and Filippo Menczer, a study titled "Neutral bots probe political bias on social media" found no evidence of bias by Twitter and instead found that political bias comes from individual users. "Our main finding that the information Twitter users see in their news feed depends strongly on the political leaning of their early connections has important societal implications," the study team writes. "The absence of strong or consistent evidence of political bias in the Twitter news feed could help inform the public debate about social media platform regulation, and claims that platforms censor political speech." A similar social media censorship law introduced by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in January was quickly struck down in federal court, and Goldman anticipates the same fate for Texas' new legislation, adding the law was not designed to survive judiciary scrutiny. "Bills like this are not designed to make good law," he said. "They are designed to send a message to those who want to tear down the fabric of our country that the legislature is working on it." An Austin-area developer wants to build apartments near Mission Espada and Mission San Juan on the South Side. But nearby residents dont want the project. Sabot Development is seeking to purchase about 20 acres in the 9400 block of Southeast Loop 410 for a garden-style complex. The acquisition is contingent on the propertys rezoning, representatives for the buyer and seller told the citys Planning Commission at meetings this month. Buildings would be three or four stories and Sabot wants to rent the apartments at more than $2 per square foot, said David Abrahams, a real estate agent representing the firm. Trails around an acequia there are also planned. Its unclear how many apartments the project would include. We have not designed a project layout/unit count yet, because we are still waiting for the constraints of the site to be made clear, Jim Young, who manages Sabot, said in an email. That said, we would develop something beautiful and appropriate to the sites location next to the acequia and views. The Villa Coronado Neighborhood Association is opposed to the development, which would be next to a church and single-family homes. The property was designated low density in the citys land use plan and should remain as such, and infrastructure to support the project is lacking, said Olga Martinez, the association president. This area is precious to us, she told the Planning Commission at a Sept. 22 meeting. We have the acequia right there. We have Espada across the highway. We have San Juan behind us. We need to preserve that. Were against it, Martinez added. This should take longer. This is huge. At a meeting Sept. 8, a representative for the neighborhood association and a nearby resident also said they did not have much information about Sabots plans and were concerned about traffic and the safety of schoolchildren in the area. The property owner is a South Side resident and retired insurance salesman who has owned multiple properties in the area, said Jose Gallegos, who is representing him. Gallegos said he has been communicating with the neighborhood association and asked to attend their meetings. The Planning and Zoning commissions make recommendations to City Council, which has the final say on land use and zoning changes. The Planning Commission approved a continuance at the Sept. 8 meeting to provide more time for communication between the property owner, developer and residents. At the next meeting, they recommended that the council approve changing the land use to high-density residential. Connie Gonzalez, a Planning Commission board member and director of strategy and community relations at Brooks, noted the sites proximity to Brooks and Texas A&M University-San Antonio. Both are considered regional centers for growth under the citys land use plan. We do need housing, Gonzalez said. We do need a variety of housing. The Zoning Commission is scheduled to hear a rezoning request in early October. The commissions recommendations would then go to the City Council for a vote. The project would be Sabot Developments second in San Antonio. The firm plans to build a mixed-use development across the San Antonio River from the Pearl on much of a block bounded by Euclid, Myrtle, Elmira and Locust streets. Plans call for more than 200 residential units, parking and retail. Another Rim transaction A Denver firm has purchased a luxury apartment complex at The Rim shopping center near the thriving intersection of Loop 1604 and Interstate 10. An entity linked to Treeline Multifamily Partners Ltd. bought the 308-unit Axis at the Rim complex at 18102 Talavera Ridge in early September from Chicago-based Sherman Residential, deed records show. The purchase price was unclear in the documents, but the Bexar Appraisal District valued the apartments at $47 million this year. Treeline did not respond to inquiries seeking more information. Sherman Residential typically holds onto apartments for three to five years and had purchased Axis at the Rim in 2017, said Senior Vice President Scott Gould. The company owns three complexes in San Antonio and another in New Braunfels. Were looking to continue to do more acquisitions, Gould said. We feel the market is growing dramatically right now San Antonio overall, the economy and we like the long-term prospects of owning and investing in San Antonio. The sale is the latest of several transactions at The Rim or near it. Charlotte, N.C.-based Big V Property Group purchased much of the popular shopping center last spring from a Hines affiliate for nearly $220 million. The acquisition included more than 1 million square feet of restaurant and retail space. Some stores are owned by the companies occupying them, such as Target and Lowes, and were not part of the deal. Aldon, a Washington, D.C.-area company, bought the 310-unit Infinity at the Rim apartments next to Axis this summer for $73 million. Amazon also recently bought nearly 70 acres off Loop 1604 and Lou Mell Drive. Across from The Rim, more apartments are slated to be built at the upscale Eilan community. Criterion Development Partners plans to start constructing a 293-unit complex in January on roughly 8 acres the Dallas firm purchased last year. madison.iszler@express-news.net We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form The FSWP is the main way for skilled immigrants to move to Canada. Here is how you can benefit from the FSWP. How to immigrate to Canada through the Federal Skilled Worker Program The FSWP is the main way for skilled immigrants to move to Canada. Here is how you can benefit from the FSWP. How to immigrate to Canada through the Federal Skilled Worker Program The FSWP is the main way for skilled immigrants to move to Canada. Here is how you can benefit from the FSWP. How to immigrate to Canada through the Federal Skilled Worker Program The FSWP is the main way for skilled immigrants to move to Canada. Here is how you can benefit from the FSWP. Daniel Levy Gabriel Dumitrascu Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A In 1967, Canada became the first country in the world to introduce an objective points system to welcome skilled immigrants. This was done through the launch of the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP). For much of Canadas history, immigrants were selected based on subjective factors such as their country of origin. Canada moved away from this approach in the 1960s, by instead focusing on objective factors such as age, education, language skills, and work experience when determining whether an immigrant was well-placed to succeed in the countrys labour market. The FSWP continues to be a huge success for many immigrants and Canada itself. Its success is also proven by the fact it has since been adopted by countries around the world such as Australia and New Zealand. Discover if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration Since 2015, Canada has managed the FSWP through its Express Entry application management system (Express Entry also manages three other skilled worker programs). Under its 2021-2023 Immigration Levels Plan, Canada aims to welcome over 400,000 new immigrants per year. Around 110,000 of these immigrants will arrive through Express Entry each year. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, about half of those who immigrated to Canada under Express Entry did so through the FSWP. This is guided by Canadian government research that shows FSWP immigrants tend to have highly successful careers in Canada. The process of immigrating to Canada through the FSWP is broken down below. Step-by-step guide on how to immigrate to Canada through the FSWP Step 1: The first step is to ensure you meet the FSWPs eligibility criteria (see below to learn more). You can also use CanadaVisas free eligibility tool. Step 2: Complete your Express Entry profile on IRCCs website. Once you complete your profile, you will receive a Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score. The CRS grades each Express Entry candidate based on factors such as their age, education, language skills, work experience, Canadian work and study experience, whether they have pre-arranged employment in Canada, and whether they have been nominated by a Canadian province. Step 3: Monitor Express Entry draws to see if you get an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. IRCC tends to hold draws every two weeks and usually issues ITAs to candidates with the highest CRS scores (although this policy has been interrupted during the coronavirus pandemic). Step 4: Submit your permanent residence application to IRCC if you get an ITA. You can move to Canada once IRCC finalizes your application. FSWP eligibility criteria To be eligible for the FSWP, you need to meet the minimum criteria for work experience, language ability, education, and get at least 67 out of 100 points: You will need at least one year of continuous full-time, paid work experience (or part-time equivalent hours) within the past 10 years. The work experience must be skilled and fall under the National Occupational Classification (NOC) skill level 0, A or B. NOC 0 jobs are managerial, NOC A typically require university education, and NOC B jobs are in the skilled trades. You will need to complete an English and/or French language test that is designated by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). The purpose of the testing is to assess your language skills objectively. In addition, you need to obtain an Educational Credential Assessment (ECA). The purpose of the ECA is to ensure that your foreign education is equivalent to Canadian standards. Finally, you need to get at least 67 out of 100 points on the FSWP grid. The grid is broken down as follows: Education (Up to 25 points) Language Skills (Up to 28 points) Work Experience (Up to 15 points) Age (Up to 12 points) Arranged Employment (Up to 10 points) Adaptability (Up to 10 points) Benefits of applying for immigration now You may wish to consider going ahead with the immigration process once you confirm you are eligible for FSWP or another skilled worker program. In the case of the FSWP, there are several benefits to starting the process sooner rather than later. First, you give yourself a chance to receive an ITA by being in the Express Entry pool. Put another way, your chance of getting an ITA when you are not in the pool is zero. Second, being in the pool gives you a chance to receive a provincial nomination which will give you 600 extra CRS points and will effectively guarantee you will receive an invitation for permanent residence. Third, being in the pool gives you added benefits in the Canadian governments Job Bank portal. These benefits can help you obtain pre-arranged employment, potentially resulting in up to 200 more CRS points, and an increased shot of landing a permanent residence invitation. A final consideration is your age. Depending on your age, it might be better to enter the pool without delay. You get maximum CRS points for age between the ages of 20-29. You start to see your points potential for age decline from 30 and onward. The FSWP has helped many immigrants fulfil their Canadian immigration dreams since 1967. You too can be among the many who immigrate to Canada via the FSWP in the years to come. Discover if Youre Eligible for Canadian Immigration CIC News All Rights Reserved. Visit CanadaVisa.com to discover your Canadian immigration options. The pandemic has made one IT function more critical than any other in the modern workplace: remote connectivity. In the aftermath of COVID-19 lockdowns and overnight work-from-home mandates, IT departments the world over have been scrambling to retain optimum employee connectivity, while maintaining previous levels of speed, security, and operational resilience. This means Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) is now a key objective in every large organization. If youre part of an enterprise IT department, your team is likely prioritizing complete work mobility for the whole organization. You need to start by redefining your enterprise mobility processes the set of technologies and policies that enable employees to make full use of devices that they choose (whether company- or self-owned) to meet business objectives. Youve got to give them the tools, applications, and resources that let them connect to the company network using the infrastructure available at their location, while ensuring that data security and compliance requirements are met at all times. Looking at the big picture, achieving total, on-demand enterprise mobility is a mini digital transformation in itself. While the variety of devices involved and security vulnerabilities are persistent and oft-discussed issues, the core challenges lie in: providing anywhere, anytime data access making diverse systems talk to each other delivering a consistent, intuitive user experience reducing TCO to achieve a reasonable ROI from the technology infrastructure Lets examine two critical roadblocks that prevent you from achieving seamless enterprise mobility, and the solutions available for overcoming them. Patchy data access COVID-19 has made work from home a universal and lasting reality in more verticals than ever, said Saahil Panikar, Principal Consultant at Project & Team, where he leads digital enterprise workshops. This only serves to drive home the promise of enterprise mobility access to all the apps, files, and data that employees need to maintain not just business continuity, but also sustained levels of productivity, he adds. There are two basic concerns on the user side: Connectivity: While this is the obvious one, mobile carrier networks and broadband services across the world have made sure there are few areas left unconnected by very good internet services. Devices: Users might not always have the best devices at home to access the applications that facilitate their role in the business. This problem is easily solved by providing them with machines with adequate processing power and input/output systems. In fact, most workers today are happy with BYOD practices in place at many organizations. The challenge at the enterprise end is more complex. You need to build an EMM solution consisting of diverse systems (more on this later) and make them work together to simplify device and app management, configuration, and operation, as well as enable better collaboration over the internet and company networks. In the context of remote work, this means enabling employees to access corporate workloads, apps, and resources seamlessly and, equally importantly, at full speed. The infrastructure solution for this is a modern End User Computing (EUC) system or more specifically, a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) implementation that allows large numbers of users to log in to enterprise data centers simultaneously from multiple locations and run the same set of OS and applications as they would within a company network. Today, Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) has emerged as VDI in the cloud, allowing end users to run any application in a browser. While the applications actually run on-premises or on a public or private cloud, they are packaged and delivered to the end user in the form of a desktop, saving enterprise IT teams the need to design, procure, deploy, and manage the hardware and software needed to keep operations going (and scale them). JM Finn, a UK-based wealth management firm, leveraged VDI and DaaS to the hilt when the pandemic hit in March 2020. Almost overnight, they shifted 400-odd employees (who needed access to heavy duty financial and stock trading apps) to work from home. Some of these employees were power users with high-end machines and up to eight screens, but the VDI over private cloud delivered instantaneous, secure and always-up connectivity. These are dealers and traders who require zero lag time and have zero tolerance for system downtime. But they are very impressed with the technology, said James Cosson, Head of IT at JM Finn. Its running like lightning! Poor system integration Remember those diverse components of an EMM solution I mentioned earlier? At the very least, they include mobile application management (MAM), mobile device management (MDM), mobile information management (MIM), identity and access management (IAM), and unified endpoint management (UEM) systems. And these are just part of the EMM platform we arent even counting the apps and frameworks that enable the core business workloads and functions. The modern enterprise needs a complex pool of systems and architectures, including ERP, CRM, GIS, and so forth over hybrid cloud environments, all needing to be interconnected, automated, and kept running smoothly at all times. Integrating the sheer number of endpoint devices with the entire stack of enterprise applications, and keeping them synchronized at all times, is a constant nightmare for IT teams, given the extent to which BYOD and remote work have increased fragmentation in the ecosystem. The explosion in SaaS apps in the last decade is both part of the solution and problem. A report from Blissfully found that the average enterprise has nearly 300 SaaS apps in use across various departments. The diversity of applications and platforms and differences in personal preferences of employees (which are accorded more respect in todays user-centric enterprise) only increase the complexity of system integration. Information silos quickly emerge in these gaps. A file residing in a desktop cant be ported to a smartphone here or a server wont send critical data to a mobile device there, and soon you have a breakdown in multiple workflows. Part of the solution is to build a cloud mediation layer that facilitates data exchange between disparate applications. These applications can talk to each other via a centralized cloud. Another step is to offload all processing and centralize it within the cloud. This makes the environment somewhat like the client-server model of yore, with the cloud serving as a mainframe and all connected devices simply act as dumb terminals hosting virtual sessions. Of course, the infrastructure needs to be supported by load balancing and caching systems to reduce latency. DaaS comes to the rescue here too. Creighton University implemented a DaaS solution that allowed students and professors to access lab applications and statistical modelling and analytics software without having to download it on their laptops. This resolved the perennial problem of students complaining about not being able to access or upload course materials. We have a uniform-level application layer that acts and handles the same for everybody. Professors no longer have to worry about what devices students are using or how to ensure everyone can download the needed software for their classes, said Robert Daniels, IT Support Specialist at Creighton. We took the professors out of the IT business. The reality of remote Remote work and mobile workplaces are here to stay. An Upwork study estimates that by 2025, 36 million Americans will work remotely, more than double the 16 million before the pandemic hit. Enterprises will need to solve the challenges in data access, collaboration, security, compliance, and UX sooner rather than later if they want any semblance of business-as-usual, Panikar stressed. The employee is already at the center of the modern workplace. The onus lies on IT to build and deploy technology that balances user needs with business needs. Mobility of work is no longer an add-on or perk it is one of the core values that define work-life balance today. If you can provide an intuitive and consistent user experience to your employees at all times, wherever they are, you can rest assured innovation and productivity will never cease in your organization. On Sunday, Zach Dorfman, Sean D. Naylor, and Michael Isikoff reported in an explosive, seven thousand-word story for Yahoo News that in 2017, Donald Trumps CIAthen under the directorship of Mike Pompeo, a future secretary of stateplotted to kidnap Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, from Ecuadors embassy in London, where he was then holed up, and that high-level Trump administration officials even discussed assassinating Assange and asked for options as to how to do it. Theres no indication that such plans were ever formally approved, and its unclear exactly how serious the assassination talk was, but a number of senior officials were so worried that they privately shared concerns with Congressional oversight panels. The story contends, in perhaps its most attention-grabbing claim, thatafter US intelligence agencies began to suspect Russia of a plan to spirit Assange to Moscow and harbor him therethey prepared a range of possible responses, including potential gun battles with Kremlin operatives on the streets of London, crashing a car into a Russian diplomatic vehicle transporting Assange and then grabbing him, and shooting out the tires of a Russian plane. Dorfman, Naylor, and Isikoff describe the frenzied CIA campaign against Assange and WikiLeaks as a response to the latter groups publication of details concerning top-secret CIA hacking tools, a document drop known as Vault 7Pompeo and top colleagues were reportedly embarrassed about the disclosures and, in the words of one former national-security official, saw blood. In April 2017, Pompeo publicly described WikiLeaks as a non-state hostile intelligence service; at the time, Isikoff (and others) viewed the remark as a grabby talking point, but a former official said that the phrase was chosen advisedly, and gave the administration a pretext to treat WikiLeaks as it would a state adversary, without jumping through legal hoops or informing Congressional leaders. Nor was Assange the sole target of this effort: under the rubric of offensive counterintelligence, American spooks reportedly surveilled other WikiLeaks associates and stole their electronic devices, while working to seed disharmony between them. According to Yahoo, CIA officials entertained the possibility of killing people who werent Assange but also had access to the Vault 7 cache. From the magazine: All of It Matters The Yahoo story is directly tied to the US governments ongoing efforts to extradite Assange from the UKwhere he is now in jail, having finally been kicked out of the embassy in 2019and prosecute him for his work with WikiLeaks; as Dorfman put it on Twitter, Trump administration officials were both worried about the legality of rendering Assange generally, and particularly concerned about kidnapping him absent an indictment, and so reportedly accelerated the drafting of charges against Assange so as to have something ready should he be brought onto US soil. Soon after British police dragged Assange from the embassy, US authorities indicted him only for computer fraud, which briefly assuaged the fears of press-freedom advocates who feared that the charges might criminalize the publication of secrets. Those fears were soon un-assuaged, however, as prosecutors added a bevy of charges under the Espionage Act that had a much more direct bearing on routine journalistic practice. Other claims in the Yahoo story also bear directly on press freedom, beyond those immediately concerning the charges; indeed, many of them predate Trumps time in office. As Dorfman, Naylor, and Isikoff report, the Obama administration, fearful of the consequences for press freedomand chastened by the blowback from its own aggressive leak hunts, initially limited investigations into Assange and WikiLeaks, only for its approach to become more aggressive over time, following the groups involvement in the Snowden leaks, in 2013, then again after its publication of hacked Democratic Party emails around the time of the 2016 election. In between times, intelligence officials reportedly lobbied Obama to bolster their investigative powers by classifying WikiLeaks as an information broker, and, troublingly, sought the same designation for Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras, two journalists at the heart of the Snowden story. (I am not the least bit surprised that the CIA, a longtime authoritarian and antidemocratic institution, plotted to find a way to criminalize journalism, Greenwald told Yahoo.) Trumps administration, of course, had fewer First Amendment qualms than its predecessor. Then came Vault 7. After Britain took Assange into custody, press-watchers debated old questions as to whether he can really be considered a journalist, and how much professional solidarity he deserves, especially in light of the historic rape claims against him and his links to Russia and its 2016 election-meddling. The espionage charges, by contrast, seemed to focus media minds to a greater extent, given their clear ramifications beyond Assanges very specific circumstances. Some press advocates have reacted similarly to the details in the Yahoo story. The American Civil Liberties Union shared the article and reiterated its past call for the US to drop the charges against Assange on press-freedom grounds. The Freedom of the Press Foundation described the story as shocking and disturbing, and the CIA as a disgrace; Jameel Jaffer, the director of Columbias Knight First Amendment Institute said that the story was mind-boggling, adding, the over-the-top headline actually manages to capture only a small fraction of the lunacy reported here. Many media-watchers shared the story on Twitter, and numerous major news outlets, at home and abroad, covered or at least noted it. Sign up for CJR 's daily email Still, since its publication on Sunday, the story has hardly attracted wall-to-wall attention from other outlets: as far as I can see, the New York Times has yet to even mention it; CNN discussed it a couple of times on air yesterday, but not in prime time. There are a number of potential factors at play here, and they arent mutually exclusive. Rival outlets national-security reporters may still be working to corroborate the story, which is more useful than aggregation and takes time. Stories about national security, in generaland Assange, in particularcan be gnarly, and have been challenged before; the Yahoo article has itself already elicited some pushback. That said, Yahoo claims to have spoken with thirty former officials, eight of whom described the kidnapping plot and three of whom spoke of the assassination discussions; perhaps more to the point, TV talk shows, in particular, frequently give splashy billing to Trump scandal stories that seem less consequential and less extensively sourced. (The relentless cable coverage of a recent slew of books about Trumps last days in office has often been a case in point.) Its more than conceivable thatas with past stories about AssangeYahoos claims havent yet gotten bigger billing because Assange is perceived to be an unsympathetic victim and because, unlike other examples of Trumpian demagoguery, the authoritarian state power at issue here has much deeper, broader roots than Trump himself, involving years of national-security policy under presidents of both parties. If Yahoos reporting holds up, its bottom line is that senior US officials entertained extreme, violent, and extrajudicial responses to the publication of sensitive information. You dont need to accept the probity of the publisher or the merits of the information to see the slippery slope here for press freedomyou need look, in fact, no farther than Greenwald and Poitras. The plans never came to fruition, but their high-level consideration would be bad enoughand the US government still very much is pursuing Assange on charges that could criminalize reporting, despite another recent change of administration; officials are currently appealing a British judges ruling that blocked the extradition of Assange on health grounds, and recently won the right to expand the terms of that appeal. The charges against Assange are as much a threat to press freedom under Biden as they were under Trump, yet for many media-watchers, they no longer seem close to front of mind. Below, more on Assange: Other notable stories: From the magazine: Retail Politics Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. ATHENS, Greece (AP) A strong, prolonged earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of at least 5.8 struck the Greek island of Crete on Monday, killing one person and injuring 20, while damaging homes and churches and causing rock slides near the countrys fourth-largest city. The quake sent people fleeing into the streets in the city of Heraklion, and schools were evacuated. Repeated aftershocks described by witnesses as feeling like small explosions rattled the area, adding to damage in villages near the epicenter. The earthquake was strong and was long in duration, Heraklion mayor Vassilis Lambrinos told private Antenna television. The Athens Geodynamic Institute, which gave the 5.8 magnitude, said the quake struck at 9:17 a.m. (0617 GMT), with an epicenter 246 kilometers (153 miles) south southeast of the Greek capital, Athens. Hospital officials said 20 people had been treated for injuries, ten of them receiving first aid. International and domestic flights to Heraklion airport werent affected by the quake, while the regions hoteliers association said there was no serious damage to any hotels in the area, which includes many popular holiday resorts. Municipal construction vehicles helped clear a path for the emergency services, scooping up rubble and knocking down a badly damaged apartment block balcony. This is not an event that occurred without warning. We have seen activity in this region for several months. This was a strong earthquake, it was not under sea but under land and affecting populated areas, seismologist Gerasimos Papadopoulos said on Greeces state broadcaster ERT. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center and the U.S. Geological Survey put the preliminary magnitude of 6.0, with an epicenter seven kilometers (four miles) north of the village of Thrapsano. It is common for different seismological institutes to give varying magnitudes for an earthquake. Greeces Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry said one man had been killed. He was pulled from the rubble of a partially collapsed church in the village of Arkalochori, very close to the epicenter, authorities said. Local media said the victim was a 65-year-old builder who had been working inside the church when the roof collapsed on him. Government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou said there were no reports of people missing or trapped under rubble. Seismologist Efthimios Lekkas, who heads Greeces Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization, said inspections of critical buildings such as schools and hospitals had already begun. We are urging people who live in damaged older buildings to remain outdoors. One aftershock can cause a collapse, Lekkas said from Crete. We are talking about structures built before 1970. Structures built after 1985 are built to a higher standard that can withstand the effect of an earthquake. Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides, who traveled to Crete, said a state of emergency was being declared in the area. Local media said hundreds of homes had been damaged, including more than half the houses in Arkalochori. Civil protection officials said tents were being set up for residents whose homes had been damaged, and there would be capacity for up to 2,500 people. The fire department said it was flying 30 members of its disaster response units with sniffer dogs and specialized rescue equipment to Crete, while all its disaster response units and the fire department services on Crete were placed on general alert. Numerous aftershocks struck the area, with the EMSC giving a preliminary magnitude of 4.6 for the two strongest. Greece lies in one of the most seismically active parts of the world, but strong quakes that cause extensive loss of life or widespread damage are rare. In 1999, an earthquake just outside Athens killed 143 people. About the photo: A firefighter inside a damaged house, gives a plastic bag with salvaged shoes to a man after an earthquake in Damasi village, central Greece, Thursday, March 4, 2021. Fearful of returning to their homes, many thousands of people in central Greece spent the night outdoors after a powerful earthquake Wednesday, felt across the region leaving many damaged homes and public buildings.(AP Photo/Vaggelis Kousioras) Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Sedgwick Buys Managed Care Advisors Sedgwick has acquired Managed Care Advisors, a Bethesda, Maryland-based firm that provides workers compensation and speciality health plan products to the federal government. MCA has provided claims management, disability and absence management, analytics and speciality health plan management services to the government since 2005. Sedgwick, headquartered in Memphis, Tenn., said in a press release that the acquisition will expand the breadth and depth of its offerings to the government. The claims management company employs 27,000 people in 65 countries. MCA will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Sedgwick Public Sector, a holding company that focuses on claims services to government agencies. True Flood Risk Awarded Patent True Flood Risk has been awarded a US patent for its system and method for detecting objects in images used to determine property-level structural elevation or first floor height. The company, headquartered in Bronxville, N.Y., said in a press release said that its product allows users to instantly count steps and estimate the structural height of commercial and residential structures using digital images as an alternative to property inspections. Historically, flood maps and models examined the horizontal plane of flooding but didnt factor in how different levels of flooding would impact a specific building, stated Shelly Klose, founder and chief executive officer of True Flood Risk. The company said it plans to integrate its technology throughout its property level flood risk assessment platform, flash flooding simulations and cost-benefit analysis tools. Xceedance Lauches TPA Xceedance, a Bermuda-domiciled insurance consulting business, has launched a third-party administration service. Xceedance said in a press release that the Xceedance Claims TPA is a key offering from its recently expanded claims division. The company said it hired James Maddiona to lead the new operation. He was formerly senior vice president of excess casualty claims for American International Group. Before then, he worked for Greater New York Mutual Insurance and Firemans Fund Insurance Co. Xceedance has offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Poland, India, and Australia. The company advises insurers in product launches, implementing technology and optimizing business processes. Federal or state court? How will attribution science impact climate litigation? The questions arent the only ones of interest to insurers and reinsurers wanting to understand the potential for mass climate liability claims in the years ahead. Another key question: Do liability insurance policies cover climate change litigation defendants? In September 2011, the Virginia Supreme Court ruled that Steadfast Insurance Co. had no duty to defend and indemnify its insured, energy company AES Corp., for claims arising from a global warming lawsuit under a commercial general liability coverage policy. Praedicat General Counsel Stephen Jones explained that AES was one of the defendants in an early climate change suit, Kivalina v. ExxonMobil, filed in 2008 by Native Alaskans whose village usually protected by sea ice had been subjected to flooding during winter storms now that the sea ice had melted. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined that the entire village of Kivalina needed to be relocated due to the effects of climate change. The insurance coverage case, he said, hinged on the definition of occurrence in the CGL, which would include an accident but not an intentional act. The Virginia court held that because climate change harms, and specifically the harms alleged in the Kivalina complaint were a natural or probable consequence of greenhouse gas emissions, it would not fall under the occurrence definition. Instead, it would be considered an intentional act, Jones explained. This is actually the only court thus far to find that theres foreseeabilitythat the harm is not too remote, he said, suggesting this might be an anomaly. When the Virginia Supreme Court denied coverage, there were legal commentators that basically said that under this definition of occurrence, CGL policies wouldnt cover any negligence actions at all, he said. Im not sure that that result will be repeated in other jurisdictions, although I assume that there will be further coverage disputes and some policies will cover and some policies wont, he concluded. TAMPA, Fla. (AP) In June 2014, an air monitor strapped to a worker inside a Tampa lead factory picked up an unmistakable red flag. The level of cadmium, a toxic metal known to cause cancer, had soared to more than 100 times the federal limit. It happened again the next winter, with the level reaching 75 times the limit. Both times, the amount of cadmium in the air far exceeded the capability of most workers protective equipment. The high readings should have prompted Gopher Resource to meticulously track and document the risk to employees. But records obtained by the Tampa Bay Times show no evidence of any tests for cadmium in the year that followed. It wasnt the only time. The documents, which the company provided to employees, show two other gaps in cadmium testing over the past decade, each lasting about two years. The federal government regulates worker exposure to cadmium, setting rules for how much is allowed in the air, how data must be recorded and disclosed, and how companies must evaluate the health of workers who are possibly exposed. For years, Gopher broke those rules, putting dozens of workers at risk of serious health consequences, the Times has found. A Times investigation earlier this year chronicled Gophers persistent problems with the neurotoxin lead and other poisonous chemicals. Cadmium has long been present inside the factory. But in the rare instances when regulators showed up, they focused mostly on lead or gases like sulfur dioxide. This story demonstrates for the first time how the company and government regulators mishandled another dangerous chemical inside Floridas only lead smelter. Reporters analyzed data measuring the factorys air quality and reviewed medical records for 26 employees who worked in various locations around the plant. The records depict a company that left workers in the dark about cadmium exposure, despite federal rules requiring they be given comprehensive data. The documents and interviews also show that Gophers contracted doctor repeatedly failed to follow up on lab tests designed to protect the health of workers. It is the same doctor who the Times found had cleared employees to work despite health problems that could be tied to lead. Gopher executives did not agree to an interview for this story and did not answer questions in writing. In a statement, Gopher said it believes the company is in compliance with federal rules on cadmium exposure and that the Times reporting appeared to be based on incomplete records. But Gopher told multiple employees in writing that the records reviewed by the Times represented all of its testing for cadmium. And when asked by reporters to provide additional information, Gopher declined. Company officials said they were busy working with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration on a review prompted by the Times earlier reporting. Gopher Resource is focused on cooperating with the ongoing OSHA investigation and addressing their inspectors questions and requests as they continue that effort, the company said in a statement. Cadmium is a naturally occurring metal that exists in zinc, copper and lead ore. People are mainly exposed by smoking cigarettes or eating certain foods grown in cadmium-contaminated soil. At Gopher, cadmium can be found in scrap metal and in the lead that workers extract from used batteries. The lead is liquefied in furnaces, purified in the refinery and forged into new blocks, which are sold to companies. Cadmium exposure occurs from inhaling metal fumes and dust. Cadmium can build in the body over time, and even low levels are considered dangerous. Chronic exposure can cause lung cancer and can damage the kidneys and bones. It has been associated with increased risk of prostate cancer and heart disease. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that companies keep air levels as low as possible and equip workers with the most protective respirators around any detectable level of the metal. OSHA has its own rules, which limit the amount of cadmium workers can have in their blood and urine. The rules require companies to measure the amount of a specific protein in workers urine to assess possible kidney damage. When elevated levels are detected, the company physician must provide a written medical opinion, clearly and carefully explain all results and follow up with more testing and exams. Gopher has a history of not providing that follow-up, the Times found. Anil Eglais worked at the plant for more than 25 years, mostly in the furnace and refining departments. He had poisonous metal in his blood for decades, his medical records show. For two straight years, he had enough of the protein in his urine to require additional medical care. He didnt get it _ despite having other company lab results indicating problems with his kidney function. The company-contracted physician, Dr. Bruce Bohnker, didnt mention signs of kidney damage in a letter to Eglais or in a separate medical opinion. The Times found at least four additional instances when the doctor didnt document other workers need for follow-up. The most recent example occurred in 2020. Bohnker did not respond to emails or letters from the Times sent to his office and home. Reporters also asked Gopher in February about the lack of follow-up provided to workers. The inquiries appeared to have prompted some change in practice. At least two workers with elevated protein levels, including furnace veteran Cliff Burnett, were called back to the office for further testing, they said. Bohnker wrote Burnett a letter indicating that he would receive more frequent medical care until his levels returned to normal. The doctor also referred Burnett to a kidney specialist under workers compensation. I was shocked, Burnett said. Because, Im thinking, he never did this before. `Astronomical levels Gophers problems with cadmium date back more than a decade, records show. Federal rules require companies to test the air for cadmium every six months when exposure reaches whats called an action level. The rules also set a worker exposure limit: 5 micrograms of cadmium per cubic meter of air averaged over a shift. A higher limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter applies in two of the more contaminated locations inside the factory: the furnace area and a place called the baghouse, where toxic gases and dust get routed through the ventilation system. Workers in both spots must wear respirators to lower their exposure. Companies are required to keep accurate data on cadmium exposure levels and maintain them for decades. Current and former employees can obtain the records from areas where they worked. The Times analysis is based on records obtained by employees and shared with reporters. In September 2010, Gopher recorded an air-cadmium level of 272 micrograms per cubic meter in the furnace department. The reading was several times above the federal limit and beyond what the standard company-issued respirators were equipped to handle. At the time, Gopher was building a new plant with an intricate ventilation system. Construction was completed in 2012. But almost immediately, mechanical issues arose that increased dust levels inside the factory. It is unclear how much cadmium was in the air. Data provided by Gopher to workers and reviewed by the Times show no testing in factory work areas for all of 2012 and 2013. Problems continued. In the baghouse, equipment breakdowns left workers doing dangerous manual labor that could increase their exposure. Workers described regularly shoveling mounds of contaminated dust that looked like sand dunes. Some spaces were so dusty, they looked like theyd been coated with a blanket of snow. In June 2014, records show, a baghouse worker was exposed to an air-cadmium concentration of 7,206 micrograms per cubic meter _ 144 times the federal limit and 29 times what the standard respirator could handle. More testing was done in March 2015. The concentration of cadmium in the air reached 3,839 micrograms per cubic meter in the baghouse. Mark Wilson, a toxicologist and director of the industrial hygiene program at Tulane University, called the levels astronomical. He and two other industrial hygiene experts said that cadmium levels shouldnt exceed the federal limit of 50 micrograms per cubic meter. In 2014 and 2015, 13 tests from the furnace had results that exceeded that limit, including two that also went beyond what the standard respirator could handle. It is unclear if Gopher tested for cadmium in 2016 and the first five months of 2017. Records provided to workers do not contain any results for cadmium tests during that period. In June 2017, elevated air-cadmium levels in the furnace prompted Gophers safety team to voluntarily review its procedures. The internal review found that Gopher should examine its manual labor methods, such as shoveling debris, because the practices contributed to higher exposure and were discouraged in OSHAs rules, a draft report shows. It also found Gopher should update worker training to include topics covered by cadmium regulations, such as the health effects of the metal and where and how prevalent it can be in the workplace. Whats more, the review determined the plant did not have signs to warn workers about cadmium. Under OSHAs rules, signs are supposed to be posted around certain work areas and include the following language: Danger Cadmium May cause cancer Causes damage to lungs and kidneys Wilson, the industrial hygienist, said communicating dangers to workers is a critical part in keeping them safe. Its just kind of a basic human right, Wilson said. The review further pointed out that Gopher needed to complete a written plan for reducing worker exposure to cadmium. The draft report referenced a Nov. 30, 2014 compliance plan that mentioned the metal, but didnt include any data about exposure levels in the plant. Gophers safety team concluded that the lack of data meant exposures likely were below the federal level requiring semi-annual testing. But an exposure level had actually reached more than 2,800 times that concentration earlier in 2014, an air-monitoring report obtained by the Times shows. Gopher decided it should fix the problems and measure the amount of cadmium in the air on the same quarterly schedule it used for detecting lead. But it is not clear how often the company tested _ or what the results showed _ in the two years that followed. In 2018, a mistake at the lab rendered all of that years cadmium air readings indiscernible, according to internal records. After that, air-monitoring reports dont show cadmium test results again until the end of 2019. `A problem While cadmium levels spiked and Gopher identified problems with its own procedures, the company and its contracted doctor failed to help some of the most vulnerable workers. OSHA requires annual tests to see whether workers have been exposed to cadmium. That includes blood and urine screens, as well as the test for the protein indicating kidney injury. Cadmium isnt the only reason someone might have a high level of the protein in his or her urine. Kidney damage from other causes like lead exposure, diabetes or blood cancers can also result in higher-than-normal levels. But company doctors are required to investigate, determine the likely cause and decide whether to reassign the worker to a position where he or she will not be exposed to cadmium. When a workers levels are elevated, OSHAs rules require the company to provide additional lab tests and a medical exam within 90 days. If the worker isnt reassigned, lab testing is required at least twice a year until the levels return to normal. The rules apply to all workers, including those who inhale cadmium through cigarette smoking. Sixteen of the 26 employees whose records were reviewed by the Times had cadmium in their blood or urine at least once during their time in the plant. Nine of those workers identified as current or former smokers. None of the workers had levels high enough to require being removed from the factory under OSHAs rules. But industrial hygiene and medical experts interviewed by the Times said no level is considered safe. Nine workers had signs of elevated protein in their urine. Seven had other lab results indicating possible kidney damage. At least six, including Burnett, required follow-up under OSHAs rules. But Bohnker, the companys contracted physician, did not note the requirement in medical opinions or letters to those workers before the Times started reporting on cadmium, records show. Burnetts test came back elevated in January 2020, according to his medical records. Parts of Bohnkers letter to Burnett were not easy to interpret or understand. The doctor used medical jargon, included unexplained test results and omitted the elevated protein level. You dont know what the hell that means, said Burnett, who left Gopher in August. You just see numbers. If something is wrong, he added, you trust that theyre going to help you. Instead, Burnett was allowed to keep working without documented warning from the doctor. Bohnker and Gopher missed other opportunities to alert workers. When Bohnker started contracting with Gopher in 2013, his medical opinions directly addressed whether a worker could be sick from cadmium _ or too at risk to be around the metal. But by fall 2014, after cadmium exposure inside the plant had reached its highest levels, medical opinions filled out by Bohnker and reviewed by the Times failed to mention cadmium at all. In addition, lab reports provided to workers from late 2014 through 2016 did not flag results indicating that the level of protein in their urine was above OSHAs threshold. Eglais, the longtime furnace and refining worker, regularly had measurable levels of cadmium in his blood or urine, a review of his medical records shows. He smoked cigarettes, but it is unclear how much of his exposure came from tobacco and how much was from work. Eglais was born in Haiti and grew up speaking Haitian Creole. He moved to Florida and started at the plant in the late 80s. At Gopher, he drove a forklift in the furnace, unloaded used car batteries from trucks and worked to purify lead inside the refinerys kettles. He described plenty of dust all over the place inside the plant. But on questionnaires for company medical exams asking about his exposure amount and duration, he left the answers blank or simply wrote he didnt know. Over his career, the amount of lead detected in his blood averaged more than six times what the Centers for Disease Control now considers elevated, putting him at risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and kidney damage. Based on OSHAs standards, Eglais had elevated levels of cadmium in his urine as early as 1998, when the plant had different owners. Over the next 10 years, the metal was detected in his urine two more times. By 2015, Eglais had enough protein in his urine to require additional testing and another exam. His lab results also showed he was anemic and had other signs of kidney injury. But the letter he received from Bohnker after his checkup that year did not mention any need for follow-up. The next year, Eglais had even more protein in his urine and continued signs of kidney dysfunction. His anemia worsened. Again, Eglais went in for a checkup. In a letter to Eglais, Bohnker acknowledged that the anemia merited attention and suggested Eglais follow up with a primary care doctor. But he gave no assessment of Eglais kidney function or protein level. He wrote nothing about follow-up required by OSHAs rules. Instead, he noted, I find no areas of concern from this physical examination related to occupational exposures with Gopher. Eglais himself, however, had serious concerns. Hed watched long-term colleagues and friends become ill and wondered when it would be his turn. All of us working at that place, said Eglais, you working there long, you aint gonna live long. A month after his 2016 exam, Eglais, then 58, collapsed inside his home from an infection-related heart failure. At the hospital, tests suggested he might have blood cancer. Doctors recommended he receive further testing from specialists after his discharge. Dr. Steven Markowitz, an occupational physician and professor at Queens College, City University of New York, said Bohnker couldnt have prevented Eglais from developing his illnesses. But had the doctor more thoroughly reported the abnormal findings to Eglais, Markowitz said, his prognosis might have been better. Bohnker, Markowitz said, should have explained in his written assessment that Eglais lab results indicated kidney damage. The doctor also should have acknowledged in writing that work exposure could contribute to Eglais problems or make them worse, Markowitz said. And he should have ordered follow-up tests as required by OSHAs cadmium rules, which Markowitz likened to a cookbook recipe because the mandatory steps are so clear. This is a problem, Markowitz said. Eglais left Gopher in July 2017. That same month, the company finished its cadmium review, finding itself substantially in compliance with the medical requirements outlined in OSHAs rules. In an email to the company describing some needed tweaks to worker exams, Bohnker wrote he believed they were basically okay. Eglais, meanwhile, watched his health decline. In 2020, he was diagnosed with severe kidney disease and an aggressive form of blood cancer called multiple myeloma. Not long after, Eglais began talking to the Times. He said his health problems snuck up on him. He felt good until he didnt, his body plagued by hidden changes. In recent months, a sense of impending death haunted him. He choked up talking about his outlook. Times reporters planned to do a final interview with Eglais in July. But he lost control of his pickup truck the night Tropical Storm Elsa rolled into Tampa. He died after crashing into oncoming traffic. He was 62. Warning signs missed When Gopher broke the rules on cadmium, it did so without consequence or notice from federal regulators. Occasionally, OSHA inspectors visited the plant to assess workers exposure to lead and other toxic chemicals. But inspectors missed that the company repeatedly far surpassed the limits for cadmium in the air. In December 2014, six months after cadmium was measured more than 100 times over the federal limit in one part of the factory, an OSHA inspector responded to a referral about lead exposure at Gopher. The inspector fastened monitors to workers uniforms to measure the amount of metals in the plants air, including cadmium. A test in the furnace area recorded a cadmium level slightly above the federal limit. But the inspector wrongly referred to the metal in her report as zinc oxide. The inspectors report doesnt say if she examined the companys own air-monitoring data for cadmium levels or whether workers were equipped with proper respirators. OSHA said the agency must have probable cause to broaden an inspection and examine conditions beyond those outlined in an original complaint. OSHA said the 2014 inspection did not include a record of the high air-cadmium level measured months before. But the level of cadmium the inspector measured in the air alone should have warranted that Gopher regularly conduct air monitoring and place signs around the plant warning workers of exposure to the carcinogen. Her report doesnt say whether the plant had the danger signs posted. OSHA didnt answer questions about why the inspectors findings didnt prompt a more thorough review. It is the agencys policy not to discuss determinations beyond what is included in the case file, OSHA said. Inspectors who visited the plant in 2015 and 2016 didnt address cadmium exposure or the contracted physicians shortcomings in their reports, either. The Times, in its initial investigation, reported that federal regulators had missed opportunities to hold the company accountable for breaking rules related to other toxic chemicals, including lead. In April, OSHA began inspecting the plant for the first time in five years. The inquiry is ongoing. Regulators have taken air samples and wiped surfaces to test for contaminated dust. Theyve interviewed workers and requested a years worth of medical records to examine. This time, OSHA said, it will evaluate Gophers compliance with the cadmium rules. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. JOPLIN, Mont. (AP) A team of investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board was at the site of an Amtrak derailment in north-central Montana that killed three people and left seven hospitalized Sunday, officials said. The westbound Empire Builder was en route from Chicago to Seattle when it left the tracks about 4 p.m. Saturday near Joplin, a town of about 200. Trevor Fossen was first on the scene. The Joplin resident was on a dirt road nearing the tracks Saturday when he saw a wall of dust about 300 feet high. I started looking at that, wondering what it was and then I saw the train had tipped over and derailed, said Fossen, who called 911 and started trying to get people out. He called his brother to bring ladders for people who couldnt get down after exiting through the windows of cars resting on their sides. The train was carrying about 141 passengers and 16 crew members and had two locomotives and 10 cars, eight of which derailed, Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams said. A 14-member team including investigators and specialists in railroad signals would look into the cause of the derailment on a BNSF Railway main track that involved no other trains or equipment, said NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss. Law enforcement said the officials from the NTSB, Amtrak and BNSF had arrived at the accident scene just west of Joplin, where the tracks cut through vast, golden brown wheat fields that were recently harvested. Several large cranes were brought to the tracks that run roughly parallel to U.S. Highway 2, along with a truckload of gravel and new railroad ties. Several rail cars could still be seen on their sides. The accident scene is about 150 miles (241 kilometers) northeast of Helena and about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the Canadian border. Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn expressed condolences to those who lost loved ones and said the company is working with the NTSB, Federal Railroad Administration and local law enforcement, sharing their sense of urgency to determine what happened. The NTSB will identify the cause or causes of this accident, and Amtrak commits to taking appropriate actions to prevent a similar accident in the future, Flynn said in the statement. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said BNSF was readying replacement track for when the NTSB gives the go-head. BNSF has assured me they can get the line up and running in short order, he said. Railroad safety expert David Clarke, director of the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Tennessee, said accident scene photos show the derailment occurred at or near a switch, which is where the railway goes from a single track to a double track. Clarke said the two locomotives and two cars at the front of the train reached the split and continued on the main track, but the remaining eight cars derailed. He said it was unclear if some of the last cars moved onto the second track. Did the switch play some role? It might have been that the front of the train hit the switch and it started fish-tailing and that flipped the back part of the train, Clarke said. Another possibility was a defect in the rail, Clarke said, noting that regular testing doesnt always catch such problems. He said speed was not a likely factor because trains on that line have systems that prevent excessive speeds and collisions. Matt Jones, a BNSF Railway spokesman said at a news conference that the track where the accident occurred was last inspected Thursday. Because of the derailment, Sundays westbound Empire Builder from Chicago will terminate in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the eastbound train will originate in Minnesota. Most of those on the train were treated and released for their injuries, but five who were more seriously hurt remained at the Benefis Health System hospital in Great Falls, Montana, said Sarah Robbin, Liberty County emergency services coordinator. Two were in the intensive care unit, a hospital spokeswoman said. Another two people were at Logan Health, a hospital in Kalispell, Montana, spokeswoman Melody Sharpton said. Robbin said emergency crews struggled without success to cut open cars with special tools, so they did have to manually carry out many of the passengers that could not walk. Liberty County Sheriff Nick Erickson said the names of the dead would not be released until relatives are notified. Robbin said nearby residents rushed to offer help when the derailment occurred. We are so fortunate to live where we do, where neighbors help neighbors, she said. The locals have been so amazing and accommodating, passenger Jacob Cordeiro said on Twitter. They provided us with food, drinks, and wonderful hospitality. Nothing like it when the best comes together after a tragedy. Cordeiro, who is from Rhode Island, just graduated from college and was traveling with his father to Seattle to celebrate. I was in one of the front cars and we got badly jostled, thrown from one side of the train to the other, he told MSNBC. He said the car left the tracks, but did not fall over. Im a pretty big guy and it picked me up from my chair and threw me into one wall and then threw me into the other wall, Cordeiro said. Chester Councilwoman Rachel Ghekiere said she and others helped about 50 to 60 passengers who were brought to a school.. A grocery store in Chester, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from the derailment, and a nearby religious community provided food, she said. Allan Zarembski, director of the University of Delawares Railway Engineering and Safety Program, said he didnt want to speculate but suspected the derailment stemmed from an issue with the train track, equipment, or both. Railways have virtually eliminated major derailments by human error after the implementation of positive train control nationwide, Zarembski said. He said NTSB findings could take months. Bob Chipkevich, who oversaw railroad crash investigations for several years at the NTSB, said the agency wont rule out human error or any other potential causes for now. There are still human performance issues examined by NTSB to be sure that people doing the work are qualified and rested and doing it properly, Chipkevich said. Chipkevich said track conditions have historically been a significant cause of train accidents and noted most of the track Amtrak uses is owned by freight railroads and must depend on those companies for safety maintenance. Bellisle reported from Seattle and Snow reported from Phoenix. Associated Press writers Tom Krisher in Detroit and Michelle Liu in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed reporting. About the photo: Workers stand on a train car on its side as front-loaders prop up another train car, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021, from an Amtrak train that derailed Saturday, just west of Joplin, Mont. The westbound Empire Builder was en route to Seattle from Chicago with two locomotives and 10 cars. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. REDDING, Calif. (AP) Firefighters were gaining the upper hand Sunday on a forest fire that displaced thousands of people and destroyed more than 100 buildings near Shasta Lake in Northern California. Lighter winds and cooler temperatures slowed the Fawn Fire as it moves toward the shores of Californias largest man-made lake and away from populated areas north of the city of Redding, allowing crews to increase containment to 35%, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a statement. The fire at one point threatened 9,000 buildings, but the number dropped to 2,340 on Sunday. Light rain was in the forecast for Monday. Fire officials said crews will begin taking advantage of the calmer weather to conduct back burns near the lake to expand the control lines, the Record Searchlight reported. Were going to hold it. Its going to be done this week, Bret Gouvea, chief of CalFires Shasta-Trinity unit, said at a community meeting Saturday night. Initial assessments found that 131 homes and other buildings had burned, CalFire said. That number was likely to change as teams go street by street surveying the destruction. Authorities have arrested a 30-year-old woman on suspicion of starting the blaze that erupted Wednesday and grew explosively in hot and gusty weather in the region about 200 miles (322 kilometers) northeast of San Francisco. Alexandra Souverneva, of Palo Alto, was charged Friday with felony arson to wildland with an enhancement because of a declared state of emergency in California, Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett said. Souverneva pleaded not guilty. She is also suspected of starting other fires in Shasta County and throughout the state, Bridgett said. It wasnt immediately known if she has an attorney who could speak on her behalf. The Fawn Fire has charred more than 13 square miles (34 square kilometers) of heavy timber. Its the latest destructive blaze to send Californians fleeing this year. Fires have burned more than 3,750 square miles (9,712 square kilometers) so far in 2021, destroying more than 3,200 homes, commercial properties and other structures. Those fires include a pair of big forest blazes burning for more than two weeks in the heart of giant sequoia country on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. More than 1,700 firefighters battled the KNP Complex Fires, which covered 70 square miles (181 square kilometers) by Sunday. Nearby, the Windy Fire grew significantly Saturday as it made uphill runs and winds blew embers that ignited spot fires. The blaze ignited by lightning on Sept. 9 has scorched 122 square miles (317 square kilometers) of trees and brush on the Tule River Indian Reservation and in Sequoia National Forest. Containment shrunk from 5% to 2% Sunday. A historic drought in the American West 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. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) The government is eyeing to grant amnesty to more than 12,000 members of rebel groups, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Carlito Galvez Jr. said Tuesday. Galvez spoke at the Senate National Defense Committee hearing on proposed resolutions concurring with President Rodrigo Duterte's amnesty proclamation for rebel groups.. The Senate is in the process of adopting House Concurrent Resolution Nos. 12 to 15. The resolutions grant amnesty to members of rebel groups, namely the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawang-Pilipinas/ Revolutionary Proletarian Army/ Alex Boncayo Brigade Tabara Paduano Group (RPM-P/RPA/ABB), and the Communist Party of the Philippines, its military arm the New People's Army, and the communist umbrella organization National Democratic Front. According to Galvez, once the resolutions are concurred by both houses of Congress the process of accepting applications for amnesty can already start. "It's a long process considering we need to make validations and adjudications of those who will be qualified," Galvez said, adding that the whole process can take up to one year. The House Resolution is a concurrence of Presidential Proclamation Nos. 1090 to 1093 which the President signed in February of this year. Under the resolutions, the amnesty will extinguish any and all criminal liability to those who will receive it. The civil and political rights of the individuals will be restored. "This is also an act of compassion and having some sort of strategic ramifications of a massive surrender" of communist rebels, Galvez added. The resolutions will be submitted by the Senate Committee on National Defense to plenary for further deliberations. One of the main issues currently being ironed out in the resolutions is the prospectivity of the amnesty grant -- whether rebel groups prosecuted as terrorists after the amnesty grants can still apply for amnesty. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) About 700 foreign soldiers and civilian personnel, mostly belonging to the Australian Defence Force, are in Manila for a three-day "contactless" port visit, as allied nations grapple to enhance defense ties to address evolving security threats amid the pandemic. The Australian maritime task group of HMA Ships CANBERRA III, Anzac and Sirius docked at Manila harbor on Sunday as part of Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2021 (IPE21), Australia's flagship regional engagement activity aimed at boosting partnerships, particularly in Southeast Asia. The annual activity was postposed last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. It resumed this year with modified engagements, including a range of virtual workshops and at-sea activities tackling important regional issues such as maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. While the ships are in Manila, the Australia-led multinational military contingent will not be disembarking, in compliance with local health protocols. "They will just stay aboard their ships," Philippine Navy spokesperson Commander Benjo Negranza told CNN Philippines. The port visit follows the conduct of Exercise Lumbas, a bilateral exercise focusing on high-end training, over the weekend. During exercise, Australian and Filipino vessels conducted a series of maneuvers at sea before sailing into Manila together. The exercise focused on high-end training and interoperability that will benefit both nations in increased maritime domain awareness and force generation. We value this opportunity to work with our friends and partners in the region to enhance our interoperability, improve our coordination, and reinforce our shared commitment to a stable region, said Commodore Mal Wise, IPE21 task group commander. Among the military personnel on board, Philippine Navy Captain Constancio Reyes is the task group's second in command. Australia is very pleased to have IPE21 in the Philippines, and welcome Philippine Navy Capt. Reyes as IPE21s Deputy Commander. This visit reflects the spirit of mateship and bayanihan during our 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations. It also demonstrates the increasing mutual trust and cooperation between the Australian Defence Force and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said Australian Ambassador Steven Robinson AO. Reyes is joined by Lieutenant Chester Ian Ramos and Ensign Stacy Kaye Villanueva. The Australian naval fleet also held bilateral exercises with Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei and Vietnam. It is part of our robust and longstanding engagement with the Philippines to promote a secure, open, prosperous, and resilient region, Robinson said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) Recent technical problems in the COVID-19 data gathering system did not affect the assessment of the new alert level system in Metro Manila, a Health official said Tuesday. "It had no impact in the assessment or the computation of metrics we use in assessing kung ano iyong (the) alert level classification for National Capital Region," Health department chief epidemiologist Alethea de Guzman said in an online media forum. The assessment is based on the number of cases and health care utilization rates, which are extracted from other storage systems, she said. Initial analysis showed Metro Manila should stay under Alert Level 4, De Guzman said. However, she added that any changes to the metrics to evaluate the capital region's alert status may have a bearing on the assessment. "Base sa metrics na una nating ginamit para i-classify kung ano iyong alert level ng NCR, nakikita natin na naiwan pa ang National Capital Region under Alert Level 4," de Guzman said in response to the preparedness of Metro Manila to downgrade the alert level. [Translation: Based on the metrics we used to classify NCR's alert level, we saw the region was left under Alert Level 4.] "We'll see kung mayroon man tayong pagbabago sa metricsIto ba'y magta-translate into a different alert level for the National Capital Region," she added. [Translation: We'll see if there will be changes to the metrics...if they will translate into a different alert level for the National Capital Region.] The alert system in Metro Manila focuses on granular lockdowns until Sept. 30. It aims to lift the economy battered by the health crisis. Meanwhile, the government still needs to improve its data gathering on key aspects of the pandemic response, namely, contact tracing, bed utilization, vaccination, and status of infected health workers, UP COVID-19 Response spokesperson Jomar Rabajante told CNN Philippines. CNN Philippines' Carolyn Bonquin contributed to this report Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Tuesday said they won't initiate an investigation into the admission of Pharmally personnel that they tampered with the expiration dates of medical-grade face shields sold to the government at the onset of the pandemic. This comes after Malacanang referred the issue to the DOJ. Guevarra said tampering with the expiry date of a product is a violation of Article 40(a) of the Consumer Act. He said he will only direct the National Bureau of Investigation to step in once a complaint is filed, but he will not order a motu proprio investigation. He added the NBI may help with the case build-up and eventually become the complainant. "If the evidence appears enough, the complainant may file directly with the prosecutors office," he told reporters. The DOJ previously gave snappy orders to the NBI to probe other pandemic-related issues such as selling of vaccine slots and hoarding of medical supplies. Pharmally corporate secretary Krizle Grace Mago and another alleged employee said they changed the expiration dates of face shields supplied to the government to a later date. Mago said it was done upon the instructions of the company's management, particularly Pharmally treasurer and secretary Mohit Dargani. Mago cannot be reached by senators since her revelation on Sept. 24. A statement purportedly written by Mago was sent to reporters by Pharmally Pharmaceutical's media communications arm on Tuesday. In the statement, Mago said she was safe, stressing no one from Pharmally threatened her following her admission. She added she will continue to cooperate with the Senate probe. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, in a separate briefing, justified the government's orders from Pharmally despite admission of tampering even as senators found that the face shield sold to the government were overpriced. "Kung hindi natin 'yan binili, mas marami sanang health workers na ang nasawi dahil sa COVID-19. Even one life saved for billions we spent was well worth it because the Filipino is worth spending for," he said. [Translation: If we didn't buy that, more health workers could've died due to COVID-19.] CNN Philippines justice correspondent Anjo Alimario contributed to this report. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) A Senate finance subcommittee on Tuesday deferred the approval of the Department of Trade and Industry's proposed 2022 budget as Minority Leader Franklin Drilon dismissed the presentation made by DTI Secretary Mon Lopez as unrealistic. Lopez gave updates on the agency's achievements as he defended their proposed 24.69 billion budget for next year. He said there are now around two million Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) - up from the 1.7 million registered businesses in 2020 and 1.5 million in 2019. The Trade chief explained that while 4% or 76,000 MSMEs were forced to shut down, more businesses have opened. Lopez, however, could not give an exact number of jobs lost, much to Drilon's dismay. "The way you presented it; we have no problems. The first thing that we should do in order to solve our problem is to recognize our problem," Drilon said. "I would like to hear the real score on the ground because if you keep on insisting na wala tayong problema, e, bakit natin kailangan ng budget (that we do not have a problem, then why is this budget needed)," the veteran lawmaker added. Lopez responded, "Your honor, hindi ko po sinasabing wala tayong problema (I'm not saying there's no problem)." "In fact, sa marami ring interview, pag tinatanong yung impact ng ECQ, MECQ, we cite problems also na may mga nagko-close, may mga nawalan ng trabaho, yung estimated jobs that were lost, it's about this 300,000 to 500,000... The problem lang po is the numbers can be bigger if we count the informal sector," he added. [Translation: In fact, in many of our interviews, when we're asked about the impact of ECQ, MECQ, we cite problems also that businesses are closing down, workers are displaced, and the estimated jobs that were lost is about 300,000 to 500,000. The only problem is the numbers can be bigger if we count the informal sector.] Drilon then quizzed Lopez on MSMEs in the exports industry that have taken a hit or ceased operations, as well as the number of job losses in that sector. Lopez gave data on the positive and negative growth rates of various exports, but Drilon was not satisfied. "It's quite obvious to me Mr. Secretary - I'm sorry to say this, but apparently you are not prepared to make this kind of - you are not prepared in so far as this data is concerned to give us a real picture of our economy and I must express my disappointment because you seem to gloss over the problems that our economy faces today," Drilon said. Drilon requested another hearing, saying senators need a "more realistic picture" to determine the budget needed by DTI. Senate Finance Committee chairman Sonny Angara agreed. He said he will send DTI a list of questions raised by Drilon so it can submit the data ahead of the next hearing. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the vaccination of the general public, including adolescents, against COVID-19 starting October, Malacanang confirmed on Tuesday. Ang good news po inaprubahan na po ni Presidente ang pagpapabakuna sa general population simula po ng buwan ng Oktubre, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque told a briefing. [Translation: The good news is the President has already approved the vaccination of the general population starting October.] With this development, Roque said that children can now be vaccinated against COVID-19. However, he did not specify the age range. Hinihikayat natin na magpa-masterlisting na po ang mga magulang ng mga kabataan para mapalistahan na sila pag nagsimula tayo, he said. [Translation: We are encouraging the parents to enlist their children in the masterlist so they will already have a slot once we started.] Several local governments have already opened pre-registration for COVID-19 vaccination of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years old after regulatory approvals of emergency use of some vaccine brands for that age bracket. Duterte on Monday said the government can use its police power to compel everyone to get vaccinated against COVID-19. He also warned government workers to get vaccinated or leave public service. However, Roque clarified that there must be a law first to make vaccination mandatory. Well, kinakailangan muna ng batas [] Pero this is without prejudice to Congress passing a law. Kasi ang ating jurisprudence upholds the validity of laws requiring, as being mandatory, yung pagbabakuna," he said. [Translation: Well, there should be a law first [] But this is without prejudice to Congress passing a law. Because our jurisprudence upholds the validity of laws requiring, as being mandatory, the vaccination.] The government has carried out the vaccination program based on priority sectors and subgroups identified by health experts. The vaccine rollout started with healthcare workers. Other priority groups include senior citizens, persons with comorbidities, frontline personnel in essential sectors and uniformed personnel, and indigent people. Roque noted that current priority groups will not lose their place in line, adding that they will have a designated lane. To date, 44.36 million vaccine doses have been administered. Over 20.58 million Filipinos are now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while more than 23.77 million have received their first dose, according to government data. Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez, Jr. said Tuesday that the country is expected to receive five to seven million more doses of COVID-19 vaccine this week. He added that the government is targeting to administer 55 million doses, or 500,000 to 800,000 daily shots, next month. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) The National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) said it will embark on a massive recruitment drive to tap at least 100,000 volunteer poll watchers for May 9, 2022. Namfrel Secretary General Eric Alvia said Tuesday that they will need up to 105,000 poll watchers so they can assign one volunteer per precinct, given the plan of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to open more voting centers to reduce crowding amid the COVID-19 crisis. "Were encouraging people also that besides turning out to vote, to watch the polls," Alvia said in a press briefing. Volunteers will monitor if voting started on time, if there were problems or security threats encountered, and if the vote counting machines (VCMs), ballots, and votes were properly stored and sent for canvassing. They would likewise be tapped in securing e-copies of voter transmission records, which can be retrieved if Comelec allows the printing of quick response or QR codes on election returns printed by vote counting machines by the end of voting hours. The poll watchdog also proposed a deal with Comelec for a public Open Election Data website, as well as a parallel vote tabulation that would serve as a more transparent server of tallied votes. Namfrel earlier asked the poll body if it can obtain the raw data transmitted by VCMs, rather than only an already clean or processed tally to transparency servers. RELATED: Comelec denies Namfrel's claim elections are vulnerable to attacks Alvia added that Namfrel prefers volunteers who are fully vaccinated and are below 60 years old to avoid undue COVID-19 exposure for the elderly. Allowances for transportation, meals and mobile phone load will be extended to volunteers, he said. "Anyone can be a volunteer as long as you are not partisan and you hold the integrity of being a volunteer," the Namfrel official said. "We do some background checks on the ground kung meron silang sinusuportahang kandidato [to find out if they are supporting any candidate]." Apart from inviting more Filipinos to cast their ballots next year, Namfrel also appealed for more candidates to join the 2022 race. "We also encourage everyone who have aspirations or even (those) who think may maganda silang katayuan ngayon na tumulong sa taumbayan [they are in a good position to help their fellowmen] to run for public office," Alvia added. "Sayang eh, ito 'yung pagkakataon na natin [It's such a waste, this is our chance] to choose leaders properly but if the choices are sparse or kakaunti lang." There were 861 candidates who ran unopposed in the 2019 polls, according to Comelec data. The bulk of these are municipal mayors, vice mayors, and councilors. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) Sally Jonson, mother of the late artist Bree Jonson, is asking Julian Ongpin - the last person seen with the painter before she died - to come out if he's not guilty of anything. "If you are clean, you are not guilty of anything with the death of my daughter, then come out. Save my daughter," she said in an interview with CNN Philippines' The Final Word. She also had a message for Julian's father, former Trade Secretary and prominent businessman Roberto Ongpin: "Help your son. Bring him out. That's the least that you can do to your son if you really love him." The 30-year-old painter was found dead on Sept. 18 in a La Union hostel, where police retrieved cocaine in the room she shared with the younger Ongpin, who is also supposedly her boyfriend. Police have filed drug complaints against Julian after he tested positive for cocaine use. However, the La Union Provincial Prosecutors' Office later ordered his release from detention. Jonson is questioning the way authorities are handling her daughter's case, noting how they appear to be acting in favor of the Ongpins. "I was just so surprised with the PNP (Philippine National Police), every time they make their statements it always favors the Ongpins. It's not really fair," she said. "To PNP, please be fair...It seems to me you are the legal counsel of the Ongpins," she added. Jonson also asked police to look into the possible illegal drugs case of Julian, emphasizing how the Duterte administration has always focused on ending illegal drugs in the country. The PNP earlier said the younger Jonson died of asphyxia or lack of oxygen due to strangulation. It has yet to conclude if someone strangled her or if it was self inflicted. It was reported that Julian told authorities that the artist took her own life. Jonson doubts her daughter could so such. "For a person who has so much plans, so excited to go to La Union to have her own artist residence there, would you take your own life?" Meanwhile, Jonson said the office of the President has yet to reach out to them after presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the chief executive has ordered authorities to look into the painter's death. Both President Rodrigo Duterte and Jonson are from Davao City. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday said it has rescheduled the Bar examinations this year to January and February in 2022. In a bulletin, the high court said it decided to move the exam dates from November 2021 to January 16, 23, 30, and February 6, 2022 after considering the COVID-19 situation in the country. "After considering the COVID-19 situation nationally and in all the testing sites, as well as receiving advice from various experts, the Supreme Court, after recommendation by the Bar Chairperson, with an abundance of caution and to assure the highest level of safety for all the bar applicants and personnel, decided to reset the Bar Examinations," read the document signed by Associate Justice and Bar chairperson Marvic Leonen. The application period, however, will not be reopened, the SC noted. All preparatory activities including selection of exam venues and downloading of the secure exam delivery program shall continue, the court added. "Treat this as an opportunity. Keep your momentum. Remember that you study not only to pass the Bar Examinations, but also so that you will best serve others. Study well, purposively, and with passion," Leonen advised the Bar takers. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) The Senate on Tuesday approved on second reading a bill which aims to ensure the safety of members of the judiciary and their families by creating a new security force under the supervision of the Supreme Court. If passed into law, Senate Bill No. 1947 would mandate the establishment of the Office of the Judiciary Marshals seen to help counter the continuing attacks on judges, lawyers, and other court personnel. Besides providing security, the judiciary marshals will be tasked to conduct threat assessments and launch investigations on crimes and other offenses committed against judiciary employees and court property. They may also undertake probes on allegations of irregularities, including graft and corruption, committed by members of the legal profession. Additionally, they may be asked to perform other related functions as the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice, or the Court Administrator may instruct. The proposed office would be headed by a Chief Marshal, who shall be appointed by the high court and assisted by three deputy marshals to be assigned in Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. An initial funding of 50 million would be needed for the enactment of the measure, the bill stated. This would cover, among others, the salaries and other expenses of personnel, as well as the purchase of necessary supplies and equipment. Over 60 lawyers nationwide have been killed under the Duterte administration, according to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. In an earlier statement, the group said this number shows an increase of "as much as 500%" compared to previous governments. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 28) The Commission on Elections will likely give voters more time to register for the May 2022 national and local polls, spokesman James Jimenez said on Tuesday. "After consultation with COMELEC officials, and in consideration of the public clamor, it is likely that an extension of the period of voter registration will be granted, he told reporters. The poll body last week said it can only give a one-week extension limited to new registrants and voter reactivation after the September 30 deadline. However, Senator Imee Marcos, the chairperson of the committee on electoral reforms, said a Comelec official informed her the registration will be extended until the end of October. "Director (Deputy Executive Director for Operations Teopisto) Elnas has just called me to inform us that the Commissioners en banc will pass a resolution tomorrow extending the registration to October 31," she said. Surigao del Norte Rep. Jose Francisco Matugas, who is sponsoring the poll body's 2022 budget during the House plenary debates, said separately that Comelec officials have given him assurance that the voter registration period by a month. Final details of how long the extension would last will be announced on Wednesday after the en banc meeting. The commission earlier rejected calls for an extension, saying that closing the registration period at a later date would delay other preparations for next years polls. Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate have filed bills that would mandate the poll body to extend the deadline to Oct. 31. The National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) said the looming extension is a welcome development. "I think that is sufficient already to handle the deluge of applicants to the various satellite voting centers and Comelec offices," Namfrel Secretary General Eric Alvia said in a Tuesday media briefing. "There are 12 million (people) that are eligible to vote but have not been registered yet. In the past few months, weve lost a number of registration days through the pandemic and also because of the series of lockdowns." Over 63 million Filipinos may vote in the May polls as of Sept. 21, according to Comelec data. Cole Finegan, the former Denver city attorney and chief of staff to former Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, is on a list of nine candidates for U.S. attorney. The White House announced President Joe Biden's picks Tuesday morning. Besides Colorado, the list of nominees would respectively be the chief federal prosecutors in Hawaii, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Ohio, Vermont and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Finegan, if confirmed, would succeed President Trump's choice, Jason Dunn. The Biden administration 93 prosecutorial positions to fill. So far, there are 25 nominees. Finegan told Colorado Politics Tuesday that he's "honored to be nominated by President Biden" and looks forward to the confirmation process. Since 2007, Finegan has been the managing partner for his private firm, Hogan Lovells in Denver. He has been involved in Denver civic affairs since 1987, including work on the redevelopment of the Stapleton Airport site, the former Gates Rubber Co. facility and Denver Union Station. His first law firm in Denver was Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber and Madden (now Brownstein, Hyatt, Farber & Schreck), where Finegan was recruited to join in 1987 by Tom Strickland, who later served as U.S. Attorney from 1999 to 2001. A well-known local lawyer in several capacities, Finegan was both city attorney and chief of staff to then-Mayor John Hickenlooper from 2003 to 2006. Under former Gov. Roy Romer, also a Democrat, Finegan also was the chief legal officer and the director of policy and initiatives for former Colorado Governor Roy Romer. He was recommended by two long-time allies, Colorado's U.S. senators, Hickenlooper and senior Sen. Michael Bennet, both prominent in Denver politics until they were elected to the Senate. Cole Finegan is a brilliant lawyer who understands the interface between government and the world it strives to serve as well as anyone I know. He will be fair, just, and dedicated, just as the U.S. Attorney in Colorado should be, Hickenlooper said in a statement Tuesday morning. Bennet also lauded Finegan's history of service as well as his legal acumen. Throughout his career, Cole has displayed tremendous judgement and integrity," Bennet stated. "All of those who have worked with him know he is compassionate, decent, and committed to the rule of law. I am confident that Cole will serve as U.S Attorney for Colorado with humility and independence, and I will work hard for his confirmation. Before landing in Colorado, Finegan was the chief of staff to the-U.S. Rep. James Jones, a Democrat from Oklahoma. Finegan is a native of Oklahoma. He earned a bachelor's degree in English from Notre Dame and while working for Jones, a law degree from Georgetown. In a joint release, Bennet and Hickenlooper cited Finegan's community involvement, including serving on the boards of the I Have a Dream Foundation. They also cited his work helping create Denvers Family Justice Center to address domestic violence. Finegan has received numerous commendations listing him as a top lawyer, including Lawyer of the Decade in 2011 and Lawyer of the Year in 2013, both by Law Week Colorado. Finegan also pens a weekly column about Denver issues for Colorado Politics news affiliate, The Denver Gazette. In February, Colorado Politics reported that Bennet and Hickenlooper were considering Finegan as a potential nominee to be a federal district judge in Colorado. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Colorado Politics' Marianne Goodland contributed to this story. After a lower court ruled that the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act compels her to create content for opposite-sex and same-sex couples, website designer Lorie Smith is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to consider whether the decision amounts to an unconstitutional burden on her religious exercise. Colorados independent congressional redistricting commissioners will either vote to adopt a redrawn map of the states U.S. House districts Tuesday, or else the most recent map drawn by their staff and released last week will be adopted by default. The commission held a lengthy meeting Monday to continue discussing the maps theyve considered in recent days, and plans for another Tuesday. The latest congressional map prepared by the commissions non-partisan staff, called the third staff plan draft map, is designed around a southern district concept that has kept momentum in the commissions recent map iterations. The concept represents an attempt to group together the states Hispanic population in order to empower them to influence elections. In the southern half of the state, Hispanic voters would make up about 26% of the proposed district. The Hispanic population north of the Denver would be kept together, comprising about 39% of the new, proposed 8th Congressional District, earned by Colorados booming population. The latest map proposal would create four likely Democratic districts and three likely Republican districts, including the redrawn 3rd Congressional District proposal, and the somewhat competitive, but slightly Democratic-leaning 8th Congressional District. Two independent "ensemble analyses" of the congressional redistricting commission's latest proposed map suggest that the partisanship breakdown falls within what should be expected, based on hundreds of thousands of algorithmically drawn map plans, based on many of the mapping criteria required in the constitution. Meanwhile, the states independent legislative redistricting commission, which, by design, lags behind the congressional commission by about two weeks, has released new potential state House and Senate maps as well, though they still have one more version of each to complete next week before they can begin to consider a final set of maps. The commissions nonpartisan staff recently released their second staff plan draft maps, which would maintain a majority enjoyed by Democrats in the state legislature. Democrats currently hold a 20-15 majority in the 35-member Senate, and a 41-24 majority in the 65-member House. The latest draft maps wouldn't result in dramatically different results. In the most recent Senate map proposal, using the two-party election results from a combination of 8 previous election results, Democrats would have won 17 seats by more than 5 percentage points, Republicans would have won 10 seats by more than 5 percentage points, and 8 seats would have been within 5 percentage points. In the most recent House map proposal, using the same previous election results data, Democrats would have won 37 seats by more than 5 percentage points, Republicans would have won 23 by more than 5 percentage points, and 5 seats would have been within 5 percentage points. 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! 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. 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 Mobile app use continues to climb in enterprises worldwide, and it wont be long before almost all employee/contractor communications take place over mobile devices. Thats why its such a threat to security and compliance that mobile apps have extensive access to everything on a device and few limitations on what those apps can share. Apple argues that its already doing something about this in iOS with its app tracking transparency push. But a report in The Washington Post last week undermines the companys promises. Why? Because Apple has been trusting app vendors to actually do what they agree to do. (No one could have foreseen that blowing up.) Before we dig into the latest Apple app-data-sharing developments, theres a bit of potentially good news coming for Google Android users. In a blog post this month, Android pledged to roll out new rules starting in December that would, by default, lock out any permissions for apps that havent been used in a while. This would basically protect users from old apps theyve forgotten, making sure that app access to sensitive device information is limited. This differs from Apples tack in that it doesnt appear to rely on vendor cooperation. In order to work, apps often need to request certain permissions, but with dozens of apps on any given device, it can be tough to keep up with the permissions youve previously granted especially if you havent used an app for an extended period of time, the blog post said. In Android 11, we introduced the permission auto-reset feature. This feature helps protect user privacy by automatically resetting an apps runtime permissions which are permissions that display a prompt to the user when requested if the app isnt used for a few months. Starting in December 2021, we are expanding this to billions more devices, the post continued. This feature will automatically be enabled on devices with Google Play services that are running Android 6.0 (API level 23) or higher. The feature will be enabled by default for apps targeting Android 11 (API level 30) or higher. However, users can enable permission auto-reset manually for apps targeting API levels 23 to 29. The blog also went into a bit more detail on timing. In December, the permission auto-reset feature will begin a gradual rollout across devices powered by Google Play Services that run a version between Android 6.0 and Android 10. On these devices, users can now go to the auto-reset settings page and enable/disable auto-reset for specific apps. The system will start to automatically reset the permissions of unused apps a few weeks after the feature launches on a device. By sometime in the first quarter of 2022, the permission auto-reset feature will reach all devices running a version between Android 6.0 and Android 10. The bad news: Android is offering no protection right away, which means app developers are rushing to download as much personal data as they can before the crackdown. In this context, personal data is sort of a misnomer. Dont get me wrong: those apps are absolutely grabbing lots of personal data. But from an IT perspective, its important to focus on the fact that the apps are also potentially accessing pallets of sensitive enterprise data as well. And as long as your employees/contractors continue to communicate with clients and partners and others with unencrypted communication methods, you have problems both with cybersecurity and with compliance. Still, mobile security advocate Ilia Kolochenko, founder of ImmuniWeb, argued that the Android move really is a positive step. This is a game-changer for many unwitting Android users who erroneously granted excessive permissions to mobile apps that dont need them or even to malware, Kolochenko said. Many millions of non-technical users are tricked to grant dangerous permissions to adware apps or even installing malicious applications and then grant all existing permissions that may lead to a full compromise of the device. The first line of defense for any mobile apps should be the OS vendor checking for problems. Of course, neither Google nor Apple have been willing to spend the money needed for the staff necessary to do that. Both companies believe a lack of app security is not a deal-killer for its customers, meaning they wont lose a lot of sales by doing the bare minimum. They may be right. And as long as iOS and Android overwhelmingly control the mobile space, there are pragmatically no options for enterprises other than to support one or both. Now, lets look at the latest in the Apple world of app protection, courtesy of The Washington Post. The headline nicely sums things up: When you Ask app not to track, some iPhone apps keep snooping anyway. Heres how the Post explains whats going on: Something curious happens after you ask not to be tracked, according to an investigation by researchers at privacy software maker Lockdown and The Washington Post. Subway Surfers starts sending an outside ad company called Chartboost 29 very specific data points about your iPhone, including your Internet address, your free storage, your current volume level (to 3 decimal points) and even your battery level (to 15 decimal points. Its the kind of unique data that could be used by advertisers to identify your iPhone, possibly letting them know what other apps you use or how to target you. In other words, its sidestepping your request to be left alone. You cant stop it. This is phone fingerprinting, which can be alarmingly effective. It enables vendors to recognize your device when it appears on their radar. What happens when your CEO is conducting supposedly secret negotiations with a potential takeover target, or if someone is testing a device that has yet to be released? Apple seems to fully appreciate and demand privacy for its product launches, and very much talks up its devotion to privacy. And yet its deeply cavalier about any other companys secrets. Apple told the Post it would look into the issue and work with app developers to make sure everythings on the up and up. But after several weeks, nothing changed. Google's Chrome and Microsoft's Edge began their every-four-weeks release cadence with the launch last week of version 94 of each browser. Google released Chrome 94 on Sept. 21, while Microsoft issued Edge 94 three days later, on Sept. 24. From those dates, Chrome and Edge will upgrade every four weeks. Chrome 95 and Edge 95, for example, will debut Oct. 19 and Oct. 21, respectively. There will be exceptions to that pace for holidays, however. For instance, Chrome 96, the final version of 2021, will release Nov. 16, and be followed by Chrome 97 on Jan. 4, 2022, a seven-week interval. Google announced the then-upcoming change to a more frequent release schedule in early March; Microsoft quickly followed with news of its own several days later. (Microsoft cannot divorce Edge's release schedule from Chrome's because both are powered by Chromium, the open-source project dominated by Google engineers.) The new release tempo for Chrome and Edge mimics that of Mozilla's Firefox, which switched to the same four-week schedule in September 2019. Concurrent with the release of Chrome 94 and Edge 94, Google and Microsoft each also debuted an enterprise-specific release cadence named "Extended Stable," which is upgraded every eight weeks rather than four. The additional time between releases is meant to give IT admins "a longer timeline to test and validate new browser versions." Extended Stable releases are issued for Chrome and Edge on their even-numbered versions. Thus, organizations that adopt the Extended Stable model with Chrome/Edge 94 will receive Chrome/Edge 96 in November but will skip October's v. 95. IT administrators can set users' copies of Chrome to the Extended Stable release through Windows' group policies, specifically the Target Channel override option, as outlined in the online support document. (Instructions for setting Chrome to Extended Stable on macOS can be found here.) These policies can be set on-premises by admins or alternately, using Chrome Browser Cloud Management. For Edge, the same Target Channel override policy can be invoked to shift that browser to Extended Stable's eight-week release tempo. (To stick to its own lingo, Microsoft calls this the Extended Stable Channel.) Admins can also trigger the longer release schedule using Configuration Manager or Intune. Security updates that contain only patches for newly-reported vulnerabilities will continue to be received by Extended Stable builds at the same time they're issued for the generic Stable versions of Chrome and Edge. COVID recovery, mental well-being in focus at 5th AYTA Yoga conference in Singapore The main conference of the fifth Asian Yoga Therapy Association concluded on Sunday evening in Singapore and brought together yoga practitioners, therapists, renowned doctors from across the world. The main conference started with the welcome address by Manoj Thakur, Managing Director, Vyasa Yoga Singapore (right), followed by the lamp-lighting ceremony by Charlie Ng, General Manager, Civil Service Club, Singapore (left) and HE P. Kumaran, High Commissioner of India to Singapore (2nd from left). Photo courtesy: AYTA Organised by Vyasa Yoga and Ayurveda, Singapore, Asian Yoga Therapy Association (AYTA), Vivekananda Health Global, Transitlounge and Singapore Tourism Board, the main objective of this global conference is to showcase different techniques of yoga, meditation and its relevance in the present pandemic scenario, and to spread awareness and guide the masses on how yoga can help in enhancing post-COVID recovery as complementary medical science. Richa Singh, technical manager, VYASA Singapore and Paresh Sharma hosted the event on Zoom. With the theme Yoga and Well-Being: the Present Pandemic Scenario, the interactive hybrid conference had over 600 participants from across 30 nations with another 40 attending it from the venue itself, considering the pandemic situation. The annual event is organised under three segments. The pre-conference started on September 19 and culminated on September 23, followed by the main conference on September 25 and 26 and finally the post-conference began today and will end on October 2. Around 70 speakers from various parts of the globe have delivered lectures including experts from India, USA, Australia, Italy, Indonesia, Korea, Romania, Sri Lanka, Japan, Brazil, Holland and many more in this comprehensive event. scientific sessions by experts in fields like clinical psychology, yoga, yoga therapy, rehabilitation and integrative medicine and so on were the major highlights. Photo Courtesy: AYTA Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent a letter praising the event, and said that Yoga was an integral part of the nations culture and heritage. I am sure that this conference will serve to popularise Yoga in different parts of the world and inspire a larger number of people to embrace Yoga as a daily habit, he added. The main conference started with the welcome address by Manoj Thakur, Managing Director, Vyasa Yoga Singapore, followed by the lamp-lighting ceremony by Charlie Ng, General Manager, Civil Service Club, Singapore. Dr HR Nagendra, president, Indian Yoga Association, Dr Kazuo Keishin Kimura, president of AYTA, Japan and the chief guest HE P Kumaran, High Commissioner of India to Singapore also addressed the event. The theme is very timely and relevant to contemporary conditions, said HCI Kumaran in a video message. Apart from lectures and sessions on yoga therapy techniques, the conference included Ganesh Vandhana and an Indian classical dance performance by Manasa Pavan, a Bharatanatyam expert, on the inaugural day. Photo courtesy: AYTA In the main conference, scientific sessions by experts in fields like clinical psychology, yoga, yoga therapy, rehabilitation and integrative medicine and so on were the major highlights. Sessions like Role of Yogic Lifestyle in Preventive Cardiology, How Yoga Promotes faster recovery in Cardiac rehabilitation Homeostasis through Yoga, Intermittent fasting and Genome health maintenance, 'The science behind emotions helped boost the events profile. Manoj Thakur, Managing Director, Vyasa Yoga Singapore. Photo courtesy: AYTA In his address to the participants, Dr HR Nagendra, founder of S-VYASA University, Padma Shri awardee shared his insights on scientific advancements in the field of yoga combined with wisdom in modern science. Other highlights included Mary Tan, a top distributor and accountant in Singapore, releasing the conference souvenir book of the year followed by a live instant relaxation technique by Dr Shraddha from India. Dr Indranil Basu Ray, Cardiac Electrophysiologist, USA and Dr Gautam Sharma, Director, CIMR, AIIMS, India spoke about the role of yogic lifestyle in preventing cardiac disorders and the core components of yoga and cardiac rehabilitation. Chief Guest HE P Kumaran, High Commissioner of India to Singapore also addressed the event. Photo courtesy: AYTA The pre and post-lunch sessions on both days were ended by a Q&A round from the attendees answered by the experts. Dr Shirley Telles, Director, Patanjali Yoga Research Foundation, India, shared her expertise of breathing techniques to maintain homeostasis with yogic breathing, while Dr Prakash Hande, Associate Professor, NUS, Singapore explained the scientific aspects of intermittent fasting and genome health maintenance. Dr Akshay Anand, a Professor at Neuroscience Research Lab, India, talked about translating yogic knowledge into modern medical practice. The first day showcased the PAN India program led by VYASA in promoting the Yogic protocols for the well-being of the people. The second and final day of the main conference began with Pranic Energisation Technique (PET) by Dr Kuldeep Kushwaha and ultimately went on to a session on spiritual health for mental stability. Dr Harshal Andhare, Singapore, presented the role of Yoga in augmenting post-COVID recovery. It was followed by a lecture on the efficacy of yoga therapy in epileptic patients by Dr TN Sathyaprabha, HOD, Neurophysiology, NIMHANS. The event culminated with the closing summary led by Abhishek Mehta, Director of AYTA, Singapore. Photo courtesy: AYTA Apart from lectures and sessions on yoga therapy techniques, the conference included Ganesh Vandhana and an Indian classical dance performance by Manasa Pavan, a Bharatanatyam expert, on the inaugural day. Another performance, a mix of yoga and Indian classical dance by sisters Akshara and Antara along with their mother Kavitha on the second day was lauded as well. Two brothers, five-year-old volunteeer Shreyas Karpe and 10-year-old Shiv Karpe stole the show with their interest and practice in of Yoga and Meditation. The event culminated with the closing summary by Abhishek Mehta, Director of AYTA, Singapore. Guest of honour Ramakrishna, Vice-chancellor, SVYASA University addressed and congratulated the entire AYTA community. Event summarised to the media by Singapore event MC and media coordinator, Shashikala Venkatappa, Yoga instructor, Vyasa Singapore. Photo courtesy: AYTA AYTA was founded in 2015 along with VYASA and has been organising such conferences since 2016 at different destinations globally. The first conference was held in July 2016 in Shanghai, China, followed by the second in July 2017 in South Korea. It went on with the third conference in Japan in July 2018 and the fourth was held in Bali, Indonesia, in September 2019. 09/28/2021 Photo (c) Cavan Images - Getty Images Coronavirus (COVID-19) tally as compiled by Johns Hopkins University. (Previous numbers in parentheses.) Total U.S. confirmed cases: 43,134,601 (42,936,899) Total U.S. deaths: 690,918 (688,106) Total global cases: 232,495,646 (231,962,768) Total global deaths: 4,759,699 (4,750,658) Pfizer reports positive data in tests on kids Pfizer and BioNTech, two drug companies that partnered on a COVID-19 vaccine, are reporting positive results in clinical trials involving children under 12. The companies said they are close to submitting a request to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Researchers reported a "robust" antibody response and "favorable" safety outcomes when the vaccine was administered to children between the ages of five and 11. In the trials, the children received two doses of the vaccine, the same as adults, but the doses were smaller. The companies say the data has been shared with the FDA for the agencys initial review. People with Moderna vaccination may not need booster Federal health officials have cleared the way for millions of Americans who received the Pfizer vaccine to receive a booster. There is no such approval yet for people vaccinated with Modernas vaccine, and some researchers say such a shot for that group may be unnecessary. An analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that people who got Moderna's vaccine are less likely to be hospitalized than those who received a Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson vaccine. A CDC study released in early September revealed similar results. It showed that people who got two shots of the Moderna vaccine reduced their chances of being admitted to a hospital by 92%. Pfizer tests vaccination alternative In addition to producing a vaccine, Pfizer says it may also have a solution for the millions of Americans who refuse to be vaccinated. The company is testing a pill that it believes will be effective in preventing and treating the virus. Pfizer said it has begun mid- to late-stage trials of a drug that is designed to be taken after someone has been exposed to someone with COVID-19 or tested positive for the virus. The drug, PF-07321332, is designed to block the main enzyme that the coronavirus needs to grow. If successful, we believe this therapy could help stop the virus early before it has had a chance to replicate extensively potentially preventing symptomatic disease in those who have been exposed and inhibiting the onset of infection in others, said Dr. Mikael Dolsten, Pfizers chief scientific officer. Around the nation Vermont: Vermont has seen its COVID-19 fortunes turned upside down. Through most of the pandemic, the states strict mitigation measures kept cases low. Now, all 14 counties in Vermont are identified by the CDC as having "high transmission" of the virus. Oregon: COVID-19 cases declined sharply last week in Oregon. State health officials report that new cases of the virus fell 14.3% from week-over-week, led by a double-digit decline in Lane County. Mississippi: Mississippi has reclaimed the lead in COVID-19 deaths per capita. An analysis by the Mississippi Free Press found that the state has surpassed New Jersey in deaths from the virus and is one of the deadliest areas of the world when it comes to COVID-19 fatalities. At the same time, new cases have declined from their record high. Ohio: State health officials are concerned about the rising number of illnesses affecting children. Dr. Amy Edwards, an infectious disease specialist at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Childrens Hospital, says a record number of kids are now being treated for the virus. The Ohio Hospital Association reports that 159 children were admitted over a six-day period. Viridor.sharepoint.com scored 40 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 1 Jul 2015, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The total number of people who shared the viridor.sharepoint homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the viridor.sharepoint homepage on Twitter + the total number of viridor.sharepoint followers (if viridor.sharepoint has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the viridor.sharepoint homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the viridor.sharepoint homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if viridor.sharepoint has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the viridor.sharepoint homepage on Delicious. Basic Information PAGE TITLE Sign in to Office 365 DESCRIPTION KEYWORDS OTHER KEYWORDS account, sign in, make sure you typed, make sure you, sure you typed, looks like, user id CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. Domain and Server DOCTYPE HTML 4.01 Strict CHARSET AND LANGUAGE UTF-8 DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Microsoft-IIS/8.5 (ASP.NET) OPERATIVE SYSTEM The language of viridor.sharepoint.com as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Operative System running on the server. Character set and language of the site. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Type of server and offered services. Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for viridor.sharepoint.com by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The type of Facebook page. The URL of the found Facebook page. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND WASHINGTON (AP) Homicides in the U.S. in 2020 increased nearly 30% over the previous year, the largest one-year jump since the FBI began keeping records, according to figures released Monday by the agency. Homicides and non-negligent manslaughters climbed an estimated 29.4% to 21,570, an increase of 4,901 over 2019, FBI data showed. It is the highest estimated total since the early 1990s, when homicides stayed above 23,000 a year as drug wars played out in many places in the U.S. Violent crimes in 2020 went up by a more moderate 5.6% over the previous year while property crimes continued a nearly two-decade decline, falling 7.8%. Robbery and rape dropped 9.3% and 12% respectively. James Alan Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University in Boston, said he considered 2020 a unique situation and not part of any sort of long-term trend. He attributed the dramatic uptick to a confluence of factors, including the coronavirus pandemic, conflicts over politics and race and people just generally having too much free time. I dont want to minimize whats happened. I just dont want people to believe that the sky is falling and that this is a permanent trend, Fox added. Even with the huge homicide rise, he noted, the number is still far lower than what the country endured during the crack cocaine epidemic 30 years ago. While the drops in other crime categories are positive news, homicides were the stunning trend one that has continued this year. A number of communities, rural and metropolitan, have experienced continued increases in homicides. The rising violence has become a political battleground in the year after protests over policing erupted in the aftermath of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis. Several candidates with law enforcement backgrounds are running or plan to run for various offices around the country. Gun control groups noted that firearms were the primary driver of the violence. This jump in murders is just the latest proof that we are experiencing a gun violence epidemic within the COVID pandemic, John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, said in a statement. This death spiral will continue until we stem the flow of illegal guns and invest in proven intervention programs. The Uniform Crime Report program is run by the FBI and collects data annually from law enforcement agencies in a number of categories, among them violent crimes, rape, robbery and aggravated assault as well as property crimes. The data is estimated because not all agencies submit information. The FBI said about 85% of the 18,619 law enforcement agencies eligible submitted data in 2020. As a result, the FBI cautions against using its report to rank cities. UNITED NATIONS (AP) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hosted a lunch Monday for the leaders of divided Cyprus, hoping to bring them back to negotiations to reunite the Mediterranean island nation talks that have been stalled since 2017. The United Nations didnt comment immediately on the discussion. Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades called the meeting creative, saying the divergence in the positions of the two sides had been noted by the U.N. chief. Cyprus was divided into a breakaway Turkish Cypriot north and an internationally recognized Greek Cypriot south in 1974 following a Turkish invasion that was triggered by a coup aimed at union with Greece. Numerous rounds of U.N. mediated talks have ended in failure, with the last push for a peace deal in July 2017 ending in acrimony. That meeting also led to a shift by Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots toward seeking a two-state deal. That would be instead of pursuing their earlier-stated aim of reunifying the country as a federation made up of Greek and Turkish speaking zones, which has been endorsed by the U.N. Security Council. Anastasiades, leader of the Greek Cypriot community, said Turkish Cypriot leader Ersin Tatar elaborated on his position on Turkish Cypriot sovereign equality and the two-state approach during the lunch. We discussed different ways through which we can overcome the stalemate, but also to create conditions for a resumption of a productive dialogue, Anastasiades said. He wouldn't go into details of the discussion but said Guterres is considering the appointment of a special envoy who would explore confidence-building measures and search for common ground for the possible resumption of talks in the future. Cypriot Foreign Minister Nikos Christodoulides said in an interview later Monday with The Associated Press that the lunch meeting was quite constructive" and also positive because it shows the interest of the secretary-general to the Cyprus problem. He said the Greek Cypriots expect the new special envoy that the secretary-general appoints to visit Cyprus and the three guarantors of the island nation's independence Turkey, Greece and the United Kingdom to see if it is possible to resume negotiations. He said Greek Cypriots are ready to resume negotiations even tomorrow based on Security Council resolutions, and hope that by the end of the year there will be an indication from the new envoy of whether new talks are possible. Without negotiations, we understand, the situation is getting more and more difficult, Christodoulides said. "The only way to solve the Cyprus problem is through negotiations. He said Greek Cypriots cannot even discuss the two-state deal Turkish Cypriots and Turkey want because its outside the framework of the Security Council resolutions and the Gutterres' mandate. The international community has also had a negative reaction to the proposal, he said. The only viable solution for Cyprus, Christodoulides said, is as a federation. ___ Associated Press journalist Menelaos Hadjicostis contributed to this report from Nicosia, Cyprus. Violent crime and property thefts remained at or near 10-year lows in several of Connecticuts Shoreline towns in 2020, despite a rise in the number of carjackings that has prompted some local calls for intervention, the FBI reported. The agency released its 2020 analysis Monday. In towns such as Guilford, Madison, Branford and Old Saybrook, only a handful of reported crimes last year fell under the federal tally of violent offenses, which includes murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Madison reported the fewest, with one, while Branford reported the most, at 21. While each town recorded a small bump in property crimes last year, overall reports of burglaries, arson and thefts remained well below historic highs. Motor vehicle thefts, which were up on the Shoreline and across Connecticut, are likely behind some of the increase in property crimes, experts said. Across Connecticut, the FBI data showed violent crime falling to its lowest point in a decade, though that success was overshadowed in part by an uptick in homicides. Nationally, the U.S. saw its largest one-year jump in murders since the FBI began compiling nationwide statistics in the 1960s. In Shoreline suburbs and small towns, where homicides remain rare, much attention has focused on the rising numbers of car thefts, which shot up by more than 42 percent across the state last year, according to the FBI. Michael Lawlor, a professor at the University of New Haven and former undersecretary of criminal justice policy in Gov. Dannel Malloys administration, said that trend was largely a suburban phenomenon. People who are into taking other peoples cars have realized you can go to the suburbs where a lot of people leave their cars unlocked, Lawlor said. In Branford, the number of car thefts nearly doubled to 67 last year, the highest in any single year of the last decade. Next door in Guilford, the increase was a more modest 35 percent, and the total of 19 reported car thefts was still well below the high of 70 the town recorded in 2010. Guilford Police Chief Warren Hyatt said his department is seeing what everybody else is seeing, with the rise in car thefts, adding that officers are attempting to tackle the problem by reminding residents to keep their cars locked. The simplest way to drive those numbers down is to take away the opportunity, by not leaving the keys in or near a car, Hyatt said. In Madison, concern over car thefts prompted Police Chief John Jack Drumm to request adding new police officers to his force last week. Drumm, who could not be reached for comment on Monday, had his department provide statistics showing that Madison is on pace to record around 30 motor vehicle thefts this year, around the same number as last year. The FBI statistics released Monday show a much smaller number of car thefts in Madison in 2020, with just four. The FBI reported a similar number of car thefts in Old Saybrook in 2020, eight, which represented a 60 percent increase over the previous year, as well as a decade-long high. In addition to local leaders, lawmakers in Hartford have also debated what action is necessary as a response to the rising number of car thefts. Republicans, spurred by the death of a jogger who was struck by a stolen vehicle in New Britain this summer, have called for tougher penalties particularly on younger and repeat offenders. Democrats have argued that Republicans are embellishing the issue, and have sought greater access to diversionary programs. Numbers included in the FBIs annual crime report are based on information submitted by individual law enforcement agencies. The 2020 report includes data from all 107 law enforcement agencies in Connecticut. EAST LYME The East Lyme Board of Education is ready to take the next steps in its diversity work after reviewing findings from a root cause equity analysis conducted by the Equity Institute, according to a discussion during Monday nights meeting. The findings were first presented to the board at its Sept. 13 meeting by Equity Institute CEO Karla Vigil and partners Kaitlin Moran and Katya Rodriguez, who made recommendations on how to move forward withn tackling overarching problems identified during their survey, focus groups, and interviews with district stakeholders. Issues the team discovered during research include students and staff experiencing stress when trying to succeed in a high-achieving district, a desire for trade and technical education classes, and a seemingly overidentification of students of color receiving special education services. Other problem areas cited are students with health impairments or financial hardships facing obstacles in the district, a lack of staff diversity, and female students feeling unsafe and harassed by sexist comments. Recommendations included prioritizing and investing in mental health supports, establishing school and community norms on respect and inclusion, auditing the curriculum to uncover inequitable tendencies and through lines, recruiting staff from outside of Eastern Connecticut, and more. There was a lot of good things. I think it really spoke to my focus, which is really about that sense of belonging for all kids this year, Superintendent Jeffrey Newton said, according to the meeting videorecording. After the Board of Education received these findings Sept. 13, the full report was brought to the boards diversity, equity and inclusion ad hoc committee a week later. Newton and committee members Barry Sheckley, Leigh Gianakos and Timothy Hagen discussed the steps forward. For now, their focus is on continuing a commitment to the goals and procedures outlined in their diversity, equity and inclusion policy. I certainly think it was, overall, very consistent with where our strategic plan was kind of aiming us, or pointing us, in the direction (of) the path we were taking, Hagen said at Mondays meeting. The strategic plan was approved by the board in April. Some items on the list have already been completed, including the Equity Institute audit. The action item in the strategic plan is to make curricular revisions, something the Equity Institute recommended when sharing its findings. East Lyme, and all school districts in Connecticut, were required to offer an elective course at the high school level that provides students with a better understanding of African-American, Black, Puerto Rican and Latino contributions to U.S. history, society, economy and culture by this fall. One course is not enough, according to East Lymes plan. Companion curricula refinements throughout all schools and at all grade levels would be necessary to target the dual nature of the problem the [East Lyme Public Schools] face, the plan reads. Another study recommendation was the addition of trade and technical education classes, something Newton said he is already thinking about. I kind of pulled forth some important focus points that I thought were of most value, he said. The fifth action item in the diversity, equity and inclusion strategic plan is hiring faculty and administrators committed to countering racism, advancing diversity, promoting equity and fostering inclusion. The plan refers to research that says there is a long-term impact of same-race teachers on academic achievement. Black students assigned to a Black teacher in grades K-3 are 13 percent more likely to graduate from high school and enroll in college than their peers who were not assigned a Black teacher, the plan reads. It also says that white students may also see negative biases shift while around staff of color. East Lyme Public Schools is a mostly white district, comprised of approximately nine percent Asian students, eight percent Hispanic/Latino(a), five percent of those identifying as two or more races, and two percent Black, according to the plan. To diversify the workforce, the district will develop and implement a minority educator recruitment plan, something the institute also recommended. All these recommendations will be used as a guide going forward, with some being instituted in the district, officials said. christine.derosa@hearstmediact.com ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) Applying to be one of the first workers at Walt Disney World, high school graduate George Kalogridis made a split-second decision that set the course for his life: he picked a room where prospective hotel workers were being hired. Chuck Milam got a tip about a job opening from a transplanted Disney executive whose new house he was landscaping. Earliene Anderson jumped at the chance to take a job at the new Disney theme park in Florida, having fallen in love with the beauty of Disneyland in California during a trip two years earlier. At the time, the three were among the 6,000 employees who opened the Magic Kingdom at Disney World to the public for the first time on Oct. 1, 1971. Now, they are among two dozen from that first day still employed at the theme park resort as it celebrates its 50th anniversary on Friday. Over those decades, Disney World added three more theme parks, two dozen additional hotels and grew to have a workforce of 77,000 employees as it helped Orlando become the most visited place in the U.S. before the pandemic. What never changed was the original employees' devotion to the pixie dust, the dream machine created by Walt Disney and his Imagineers. Disney has been my love, and it still is," Anderson said recently before starting her shift in merchandising at a Magic Kingdom hotel. I love Disney." The employees who make up the 50-year club say the theme park resort has allowed them to grow their careers and try on new hats. Kalogridis worked his way up to be president of Walt Disney World and Disneyland in California. Milam went from a warehouse worker to a buyer of spare parts for rides and shows. Forrest Bahruth joined the workforce at Disney World in January 1971 as a show director, responsible for staging and choreographing parades and shows. He was also given the opportunity to help open other Disney theme parks around the world over the past five decades. There are people all over the world who get up to go work. Theyre unhappy about it. They dont really like their jobs, Bahruth said. As you can tell from us, theres an enthusiasm. We are privileged to be at a place where we love what we do." There was no guarantee that Disney World was going to be a success 50 years ago. Walt Disney, the pioneering animator and entrepreneur whose name graces the Florida resort, had died in 1966, just a year after announcing plans for the East Coast Disneyland." The company had quietly acquired 27,000 acres (11,000 hectares) of scrub land outside Orlando for around $5 million via secret land purchases using fake names and shell companies. The job of shepherding the project to Opening Day fell to his brother, Roy Disney, who with other company officials convinced the Florida Legislature to create a quasi-governmental agency that would allow Disney to self-govern when it came to matters of infrastructure and planning. Roy died almost three months after Disney World opened. Just weeks before opening, construction at the Magic Kingdom was controlled chaos, and it seemed impossible that it would all come together in time. It was like an army of ants. Everything was under construction. Interiors were still being put in. Roofing was still being put on top," Bahruth said. There was painting, landscaping. Things were arriving by the moment. It was like trucks going everywhere." Bahruth rehearsed performers through parade choreography down Main Street, which cut through the center of the Magic Kingdom and resembled a turn-of-the-century small town from Walt Disney's childhood. Even though he was a busser, Kalogridis was drafted into laying down sod outside the hotel he was working in, hours before Disney World's grand opening. Two things have stuck in the memories of the longtime employees from that opening day. The first was the photo. It was an image of thousands of Disney World workers standing in front of the iconic Cinderella Castle with Mickey Mouse and other costumed characters holding hands in front. Two weeks later, it was featured on the cover of Life magazine. They brought all the characters up, staged them first, and then they tried to keep all the different workers together based on the color of their costumes, Milam said. If you were from Fantasyland and in yellow, you would go over there. The second was the parade. It featured a 1,076-member marching band conducted by Meredith Willson, the composer of the Broadway show, The Music Man." There were 4,000 Disney entertainers marching through the theme park, a mass choir and trumpeters from the United States Army Band. Hundreds of white doves were released into the air, and less environmentally friendly, so were thousands of multi-colored balloons. It was the biggest thing I had ever seen," Bahruth said. Only around 10,000 visitors showed up on that first day which at today's much larger Walt Disney World would represent about 90 minutes' worth of visitors entering. It wouldn't be until Thanksgiving 1971, almost three months later, when Disney executives had an answer about whether their new resort would be a success; that's when cars trying to get into the Magic Kingdom stretched for miles down the interstate. It was very clear after that first Thanksgiving, that the public definitely liked what we were doing," Kalogridis said. That first Thanksgiving, that was the moment." ___ The spelling of Meredith Willsons last name has been corrected. ___ Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP BRIDGEPORT Wanda Simmons, who defeated a veteran East End City Council member in the recent Democratic primary, is battling the coronavirus. Simmons in a text to Hearst Connecticut Media on Tuesday confirmed she was hospitalized, although she did not specify where. She wanted members of the community to know I love them and Im fighting with everything I got. Thanks for all the prayers and well wishes. Be safe, Simmons wrote. She declined to say whether or not she had been inoculated with one of the three available COVID-19 vaccines. Simmons, an East End activist, defeated Councilwoman Eneida Martinez in their Sept. 14 primary, 234 to 221 votes. The tally was close enough that an automatic recount was held last week, but the results did not change and Simmons will appear on Novembers general election ballot as both a Democrat and the Working Families third partys endorsed candidate. On Friday Simmons posted on Facebook that she was quarantining after being exposed to an unidentified individual who tested positive for COVID. On Saturday afternoon Simmons provided an update. She wrote that she was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and kindness. I cant talk much but Im going to beat this COVID, Simmons wrote. Approached by Hearst Connecticut Tuesday morning by text for a phone interview, Simmons confirmed she was in the hospital and unable to talk. Dr. Daniel Gottschall is vice president of medical affairs at Bridgeport-based St. Vincents Medical Center, part of the Hartford HealthCare network. Speaking generally about why someone with coronavirus would be hospitalized, Gottschall said, Theyre pretty sick. Because COVID primarily affects the lungs but it can affect multiple other organs theyre having trouble breathing and exchanging oxygen in their lungs, he said, of most COVID patients who are hospitalized. He said hospitalization could include being placed on a breathing machine, as well as efforts to boost a patients immune system and to prevent dangerous levels of blood coagulation. Simmons attended the primary recount held Sept. 21 at the downtown government center. Democratic Registrar of Voters Patricia Howard said she and her staff wore masks, were not near Simmons and the room was sanitized before and after the recount. But, Howard said, she would now notify people there about the potential exposure given the news about Simmons diagnosis. Keith Williams is head of the East End NRZ community organization. He said Tuesday that Simmons also attended that groups meeting last week. So far everybodys okay, Williams said. The Working Families third party and Martinezs council partner, incumbent Ernie Newton, wished Simmons well. We have Wanda in our thoughts and wish her a speedy recovery, the Working Families Party said in a statement Tuesday. This is a reminder of the challenges that many families have faced, every day, during this pandemic. Working Families believes everyone should get vaccinated to keep each other safe. Newton late last week on Facebook asked for prayers for Simmons. Even though it was a bitter primary, Im wishing her a speedy recovery, he said Tuesday. TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) Gov. Laura Kelly on Monday ordered flags throughout the state to be flown at half-staff to honor COVID-19 victims as Kansas exceeded 6,000 reported deaths. Kelly's order applied immediately and directed that flags remain lowered until sunset Wednesday. The governor has issued such an order every time Kansas reports another 1,000 COVID-19 deaths. BRIDGEPORT The attorney general is considering whether to investigate allegations that predatory financial practices are forcing the closure of two iconic East End churches. The allegations have been unsuccessfully argued in court by Rev. Kenneth Moales Jr., owner of the Prayer Tabernacle Church of God on Central Avenue and Cathedral of the Holy Spirit on Union Avenue. Last week, state Sens. Marilyn Moore and Dennis Bradley, who initially represented the Moales family in the foreclosure, and state reps. Andre Baker, Jr., Antonio Felipe, Jack Hennessy, Christopher Rosario, Steve Stafstrom and Charlie Stallworth penned a letter to Attorney General William Tong requesting that his office investigate the practices that took place over several years with the lender that contributed to the foreclosure. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., also called on Connecticuts attorney general to investigate allegations of discrimination and predatory practices in the case. My heart is with the congregation, Blumenthal said. It is unclear what evidence the legislators have to back up their request. Cathedral of the Holy Spirit has been an anchor in the Bridgeport community for decades. I am reviewing this information and thank the Bridgeport delegation for bringing this to my attention, Tong said. Kristin Mayhew, the local lawyer representing lender Foundation Capital Resources, declined comment on Moales allegations but forwarded numerous documents from the foreclosure case pending in federal court. Moales earlier this week appealed to state and city officials after being ordered evicted from his churches for owing more than $15 million on five properties in the city. Moales had urged city officials to take the properties being foreclosed on by eminent domain, contending that he then intended to buy the property back from the city with money he was getting from an unnamed developer. In court papers he claims he can afford to buy the properties back for $6 million in 60 days. City officials were cool to the idea. Robert McNamara, senior attorney for the Institute for Justice which intercedes in eminent domain cases across the country, said it was an unusual request. That is such a weird proposal, he said. It would make no sense for city officials to do that. Eminent domain is the right of a government to take private property for public use. During a Zoom meeting with city and state officials last week, Moales claimed the financial institution foreclosing on him, Foundation Capital, specifically preys on Black-owned churches, forcing them into foreclosure. The pastor did not provide evidence of that in the meeting. 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. In 2020, Meyer, following a bench trial, ruled Foundation Capital did not engage in unfair, immoral, unethical, oppressive, or unscrupulous conduct, or conduct that caused substantial injury to borrowers like the church. The judge ruled that Foundation Capital attempted to limit Moales debt and was frustrated in its efforts to do so by the Moales himself, because Moales sought to borrow more money than he could repay. 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. This is not pastors only legal problem. He is currently being sued in federal court by the owner of a home in Easton. The lawsuit claims Moales offered to purchase the house and then he and his wife moved in without the owners permission. Checks written on church accounts to purchase the house were returned for insufficient funds, the lawsuit states. The suit seeks to evict the couple from the house. The Moales lawyer in the case, Jonathan Klein, declined comment. SALISBURY, N.C. (AP) An assault rifle was used in the death of a 7-year-old girl in 2016 as she slept inside a home, a North Carolina police department said Monday. Ayanna Allen was shot and killed Dec. 4, 2016, as she slept in a bedroom she shared with her grandmother at the home in Salisbury, authorities said. HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) A retired judge who also has served as a prosecutor and public defender was picked Monday to become Connecticut's first inspector general, a position created to investigate any use of deadly force by police. Robert Devlin, 71, was chosen from among four finalists after interviews before the Connecticut Criminal Justice Commission. The commission voted 5-0 to appoint Devlin to the $180,000-a year position. Devlin told the commission that because of his age and experience, he would not be using the job as a stepping stone and plans to give everyone involved in each investigation a fair shake. There are people in our society who think the police can do no wrong and there are people in our society who think the police can do no right," Devlin told the commission. It's in that space in between that the inspector general has to work, and let the results speak for themselves. Devlin, who was appointed as a Superior Court judge in 1992, served as the state's chief administrative judge for that court from 2010 to 2017. He is currently the chairman of the Connecticut Sentencing Commission. As inspector general, Devlin will investigate whether an officers use of deadly force was justified and, if it was not, to prosecute the officer. He also is charged with recommending whether an officers state certification should be suspended or revoked. The position was created in a bill approved last year in response to the police-involved deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and other Black people. That law also limits circumstances in which deadly use of force including chokeholds can be justified, allows more civilian oversight of police departments and allows lawsuits against officers for violating peoples civil rights, in certain situations. For the Inspector General to make meaningful progress toward valuing Black lives by holding police accountable for violence, they must be independent from other prosecutors, their office must be fully funded, they must use their legal power to seek redress for people harmed by police, and they must advocate to eliminate the systems that have shielded police from accountability for decades," said Claudine Fox, the ACLU of Connecticut's public policy and advocacy director. "We hope the first inspector general will set the tone for all who follow by staunchly advocating for and defending each of these requirements for success." A couple weeks ago I was collaborating with a business development leader at a credit union about different ways to go about creating a financial wellness educational program that can be delivered live or through online workshops. They have been repeatedly asked by organizations and companies about their financial educational offerings. As we talked, a question surfaced about consistent messaging and culture. What if a member asks a front-line employee a question about something they learned in a credit union workshop? The answer: Put employees through the program. How confident are your employees about their finances? Just because we work in financial services doesnt mean were financially savvy in our personal lives. The pandemic exposed some real-life financial fault lines for consumers and employees alike. The PWC 2021 10th Annual Employee Financial Wellness Survey found that when it comes to personal finances, 87% of employees want help. Yet, one in five employees will wait to seek help until they experience a financial crisis related to debt, cash flow, unexpected expenses or job/income loss. Of employees who said their financial stress increased during the pandemic, 45% admitted their finances have been a distraction at work, 57% avoided having a medical issue addressed due to cost and 72% said they would be attracted to another company that cares more about their financial well being. Your employees can be a great resource in helping to create meaningful financial wellness programs that resonate with your members and SEGs while building employees financial confidence. Here are a few ideas to consider: Make financial wellness part of your culture: Start by making educating employees an ongoing initiative. Live the credit union difference by showing employees you recognize the need and are taking action. Not only will you be doing right by your employees, but it can also help set your organization apart in the search and retention of top talent. Walk the talk. The same stats listed above are utilized by business development team members to help share why partnering with a credit union makes sense. Its a win for the employee and the company. Think about this. If Im doing business development and out talking with a human resource professional at a large company about adding the credit union to their employee wellness program and they ask me if we provide the educational program to our own employees. The answer must be yes or we can lose credibility. Tap into your best resource your employees: Include all employees in the financial education design process. Create a survey to get a picture of their financial struggles. Chances are if it matters to them, it will resonate with members as well. Focus on delivering the right resources at the right time that address what employees need most and will have the biggest impact. If you already have a financial education program offering for members and SEGs in place, have every employee go through it. Not only will they benefit, but they can help provide valuable feedback and insight on everything from the name of the program to presentation style and content, resulting in shaping a more engaging program. In addition, having employees involved firsthand can go a long way in delivering a more consistent program experience for members. Educating your employees is not only the right thing to do, but it also helps your organization better serve members. If employees going through your financial wellness program make changes in their behavior that result in helping maximize their income, reduce debt and build their financial confidence, it can do the same for members. That is a win for everyone. As cooperatives, we learn from one another. How are you helping alleviate your employees financial stress through education? Imagine the buyers journey for a young renter in todays market shopping for a mortgage. Their first stop is Google and the search string best mortgage rates. Will your credit union top that list? In an increasingly digital industry, financial services are at risk of becoming commodities. But credit unions have a unique advantage over the competition, and those that build a brand that truly embraces the movement wont need to be at the top of this list. So what is this unique advantage over the big banks topping that list? Trust. A recent survey by Accenture found that only 29% of Americans trust their bank to look after their long-term financial wellbeing. This is down from 43% only two years earlier. Thats abysmal, and the result of stories like the Wells Fargo account fraud scandal hitting the news. Its critical that you open your communitys eyes to the credit union difference, and one way to do that is to drive relationship-building traffic into your branch. And were not talking about small talk while cashing checks, but rather conversations that add value to your members financial lives and establish relationships built on trust. Driving this type of traffic requires expressing your brand in a way that differentiates you, supporting dynamic problem-solving staff, moving from channel thinking to experiences, and getting creative with your spaces in a way that shifts the purpose from servicing transactions to supporting human connections. A brand isnt just a logo. To be authentic and truly differentiating, it should be a driving purpose. Think Volvo, known for engineering for safety. Their brand is practical, functional, and unique. Reflect on your credit unions brand in the eyes of the community. Does it really make you stand apart, is it authentic, and does it bring people in the door? Empower your staff. Rather than training them to complete tasks, train them on your brand, culture, and mission and give them the tools to solve problems on their own. This shifts interactions from transactional to relationship driven, as the person who a member meets when they walk through the door is a partner in their financial journey. Move from channels to experiences. Consumers dont think in terms of channel. They simply say, I need to go to the Credit Union and just assume its accessible from whatever channel they chose. This is an environment where every interaction is an opportunity to create connections with a member. An interaction that began digitally can be carried out in person and the experience feels familiar even if the member has never stepped foot in the branch. Get creative with your spaces. What really ties this all together is your physical branch spaces and the creative ways that you use them. Where you invest is an indication of your priorities, and its an opportunity to be seen as part of something bigger. And it also presents an opportunity to draw people in. Attributes that support your community in a brand-centric but non-banking related way can reinforce the reason members choose to bank with you. Many credit unions, such as Chrome or Armco, are investing in community spaces and business incubators open to the public. CBC came up with a brilliant solution: a partnership with Dunkin Donuts. The credit union downsized their branch, but instead of moving they took advantage of their large space by partnering with Dunkin and sharing a lobby and cafe area. Their branch is busting with activity and the partnership is bringing in new business. These strategies can bring people through your doors and expose them to experiences that give a human face to your credit union and shows them what makes you different. Building this trust will put you at the top of their list, even if your numbers dont top an online list. To learn more, watch our latest video Driving Branch Traffic in a Digital World. Candlestick patterns are important tools in technical trading. Understanding them allows traders to interpret possible market trends and form decisions from those inferences. There are various types of candlestick patterns which can signal bullish or bearish movements. This article will briefly touch upon what candlestick patterns are and introduce the top 10 formations all traders should know to trade the markets with ease. Try out our interactive trading quiz on forex patterns! What are candlestick patterns? A candlestick is a single bar which represents the price movement of a particular asset for a specific time period. The information it displays includes the open, high, low and close for that time period. Candlestick patterns take into account one or more candlesticks to assist technical traders in developing inferences about future movements and price patterns of the underlying asset. These are displayed graphically on a chart, which is utilized for market analysis. Our guide to reading candlestick charts is a great place to start to learn how to interpret candlesticks for trading. Candlestick Patterns can be Bullish or Bearish In order to recognize and apply the most commonly used candlestick patterns to a trading strategy, traders need to understand how the inclination of these patterns can affect the market direction (trend). The tables below summarize the two main categories of price movement that candlesticks can indicate. Many of these patterns are featured in our top 10 list below. Bullish Candlestick Patterns: Candlestick Pattern Direction Morning Star Bullish (Reversal) Bullish Engulfing Bullish (Reversal) Doji Bullish/Bearish (Indecision) Hammer Bullish (Reversal) Bullish Harami Bullish (Reversal) Piercing Pattern Bullish (Reversal) Inside Bars Bullish (Continuation) Long Wicks Bullish/Bearish (Reversal) Bearish Candlestick Patterns: Candlestick Pattern Direction Evening Star Bearish (Reversal) Bearish Engulfing Bearish (Reversal) Doji Bearish/Bullish (Indecision) Bearish Harami Bearish (Reversal) Dark Cloud Cover Bearish (Reversal) Inside Bars Bearish/Bullish (Continuation) Long Wicks Bearish/Bullish (Reversal) Shooting Star Bearish (Reversal) Top 10 Candlestick Patterns Traders Should Know 1 - EVENING STAR AND MORNING STAR The evening and morning star candlestick patterns occur at the end of upwards/downward trends respectively and tend to indicate reversal patterns. The names come from the star shaped formation of the arrangement. As you can see from the image below, the first candlestick is in the direction of the trend, followed by a bullish or bearish candle with a small body. The third candlestick is seen in the direction of the reversal, ideally closing passed the halfway point of the first candlestick. Trading this candlestick pattern will require a confirmation candle in the direction of the respective reversal for example, traders will look for a bearish candle after the evening star. 2 - BULLISH & BEARISH ENGULFING A bullish or bearish engulfing candlestick pattern may indicate reversal patterns. A bullish engulfing candlestick formation shows bulls outweigh bears. As the pattern below shows, the green body (bulls) covers completely the first candlestick (bears). A bearish engulfing candlestick pattern is small green (or bullish) candle followed by a larger red (bearish) candle immersing the small green candle. 3 DOJI The Doji candlestick chart pattern is associated with indecision in the market of the underlying asset. This could mean potential reversal of the current trend or consolidation. This pattern can occur at the top of an uptrend, bottom of a downtrend , or in the middle of a trend. The candlestick itself has an extremely small body centered between a long upper and lower wick. 4 HAMMER The Hammer candle is viewed as a bullish reversal usually occurring at the bottom of a downward trend. This candle formation includes a small body whereby the open, high, low and close are roughly the same. There is a long lower wick beneath the body which should be more than twice the length of the candle body. The body may be bullish or bearish, however bullish is considered more favorable. 5 BULLISH & BEARISH HARAMI A Bullish or Bearish Harami may indicate reversal patterns . The word Harami means pregnant in Japanese, and the name has been given to this candlestick pattern because it resembles a pregnant woman. The second candle in the pattern must be contained within the body of the first candle as seen in the images below. This holds true for both bullish and bearish Haramis. A downtrend precedes a bullish Harami and an uptrend precedes that of a bearish Harami. 6 DARK CLOUD COVER The Dark Cloud Cover pattern is seen as a bearish reversal pattern . This candlestick pattern must occur during an uptrend. As seen in the image below, the bullish candle is followed by a bearish candle. This bearish candle must confirm certain criteria to validate the Dark Cloud Cover pattern : 1. The opening price must by higher than the previous days close. 2. The closing price must close below the midpoint of the previous bullish candle. The Dark Cloud Cover pattern looks similar to that of the Bearish Engulfing pattern. The difference between the two relates to the second candlestick. Bearish Engulfing pattern has the second candlestick opening above the close of the first, whilst the Dark Cloud Cover opens above the high of the first candle and closes below the midpoint of the first candlestick body. 7 PIERCING PATTERN The Piercing Pattern is viewed as a bullish candlestick reversal pattern, at the end of a downtrend or during a pullback within an uptrend, or at the support. There are two components of a Piercing Pattern formation: 1. Bearish candle 2. Bullish candle A Piercing Pattern occurs when a bullish candle (second) closes above the middle of bearish candle (first) in a downward trending market. The open price of the second candle should gap down at market open and ensue by closing above the mid-point of the previous candle as indicated below. Both the Piercing and Dark Cloud Cover patterns have similar characteristics. The difference is that the piercing line is a bullish reversal pattern as mentioned above, whilst the Dark Cloud Cover pattern is a bearish reversal pattern. 8 INSIDE BARS The Inside Bar pattern is utilized in trending markets whereby the high and low of the Inside bar is within the parameters of the previous candle or mother bar. Inside Bars are traded within the direction of the trend if the market is in a downtrend, the trader would look to continue with a short position with the presence of an Inside Bar. The same principal is applied in an uptrend. Trading in the direction of the trend is not always a given as key levels of support/resistance can indicate a reversal. Classically, the entry points for traders is positioned above or below the high or low of the mother bar depending on the direction of the trade. An inside bar is also similar to a bullish or a bearish harami candlestick pattern. The main difference being that with an inside bar, the highs and lows are considered while the real body is ignored. 9 LONG WICKS Long Wicks candlestick patterns often indicate a reversal in the trend . Long Wicks occur when prices are tested and then rejected. The wick indicates rejected prices. Identifying the trend is important to interpret the significance of the Long Wick. Identifying key levels and price action is often used in conjunction with Long Wick patterns. 10 SHOOTING STAR A Shooting Star is a bearish candle with a long upper wick, little or no lower wick and a small real body near the day's low. It comes after an uptrend, and potentially indicates a trend reversal to the downside . The distance between the high and opening price of the candle must be more than twice as large as the Shooting Star's body. The distance between the lowest price for the day and the closing price must be very small or nonexistent. Further tips to trade using candlestick patterns You might have thought Labours most high-profile defector in a generation would get the VIP treatment when he made his first appearance at the party conference last night. But not a bit of it. If former Speaker John Bercow expected the red carpet, he was sorely disappointed. Despite predictable applause as he ripped into the Tories at a fringe event outside the main conference hall, there was no sign of leader Sir Keir Starmer to welcome him, no photographs with party big-wigs. Time has not been so kind to Bercow since he lost the trappings of his office as Speaker Diehard Remainer Bercow, who quit the Tories during the summer after more than 40 years complaining they had become populist, is the first Speaker in more than 200 years not to enter the House of Lords. He was widely thought to have demeaned the historic office in his political machinations to block Brexit. Worse still, he is the subject of toxic and unresolved bullying allegations: the former Commons Clerk made a formal complaint against him last January, as did a former Black Rod, the most senior official in the Commons. Time has not been so kind to Bercow since he lost the trappings of his office as Speaker. He looks older, his hair whiter and he has virtually sunk from public view beyond shouting his catchphrase Orderrrrrrr on the website Cameo for 83 a time. A source in Starmers camp tells me: We are keeping him at a distance because theres a lot of unresolved issues about Bercow. I-spy Mandelson, 67, has let it be known he would be happy to serve in a Starmer Cabinet but yesterday no one seemed to realise quite who he was Lord Mandelson, slippery architect of New Labour, wandering alone disconsolately in the conference centre. Mandelson, 67, has let it be known he would be happy to serve in a Starmer Cabinet but yesterday no one seemed to realise quite who he was. Labour MP Rupa Huq, speaking at a fringe event on what I wish Id known at 20 about money, points out there can be advantages to a fuel crisis. I was conceived during the three-day week when the lights were out, she reveals. In his autobiography Always Red, former Unite general secretary Len McCluskey writes how his firebrand Left-wing politics were forged in the Liverpool dock strikes and the 1968 Paris revolution. He wanted to join those who brought the Paris economy to a halt. But he admits he never got beyond London. He and a friend bashed each other with sticks to give themselves convincing barricade wounds. Well, thats one kind of strike his enemies approve of. Poppy Burnham pruned Last night Burnham was still the bookies favourite to succeed Starmer Another Labour man denied the joys of addressing a packed conference hall is Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, sidelined at fringe events. So why is he being contained so much? Its a case of tall poppy syndrome, one Labour member mutters to me. Starmer doesnt want to give a high-profile speaking spot to the man many of us think would be a better leader. Last night Burnham was still the bookies favourite to succeed Starmer. I had just arrived in Brighton and was on the lookout for a taxi. Luckily, I did not have to wait long. A car drew up, and a neat and tidy driver with an old-fashioned short-back-and-sides rolled down his window. I asked him if he could take me to the conference centre. This is the path we have chosen, he said. Let us be bold and take it together. Thanks, I said, and jumped in. The road ahead will be long, he continued, signalling left, then right, then left again. The journey will not always be simple. But the choices are clear. And the prize will be great. Personally, I prefer to travel in silence in taxis, but at the same time I didnt want to appear unfriendly. As the taxi driver sang along, I noticed something familiar about his unexpectedly high voice. Was I being given a lift by Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party? The weather seems a bit unsettled, I ventured. There may be dark clouds ahead, he said. But I know the people of this country. And I know that if we pull together, we can weather any storm. After rain and heavy showers, the sun will return. And frankly thats what fills me with hope. I was beginning to realise that I was being driven by a chatterbox. Over the summer I have been travelling up and down this country. And not only the length, but also the breadth. And people of all persuasions have come together, united in their shared belief that if autumn follows summer, and winter follows autumn, then spring will follow winter, and after spring comes summer. Not this summer. Not last summer. But next summer. It was hard to argue with his seasonal analysis. I muttered a few words of agreement. The taxi ground to a halt. We are at a crossroads, he said. And the choice facing us today is as stark as it has ever been. Well, I said, by all means take the quicker route. We cannot simply drive on, following the same old route. We must choose a different path. A new route, a new path. And that all points to one destination: the road ahead. By now, I had begun to look around, hoping the conference centre would loom into view. Are we nearly there? I asked. The road is long, he said, as he switched on Radio 2. A familiar song was playing. With many a winding turn. That leads us to who knows where, who knows where . . . As the taxi driver sang along, I noticed something familiar about his unexpectedly high voice. Was I being given a lift by Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour Party? We are now at a fork in the road, he continued. One direction will take us to one destination. And the other direction will take us to another. Yes, it is time to make up our minds. Do we follow the same old, tired old route, the route we have gone down countless times? Or do we take a faster, more modern route to something better, bolder and brighter? Looking out of the window, I noticed that the vehicle was going round and round the same roundabout. Meanwhile, Mr Starmers words were spinning around in my head Im sorry, I said, I didnt quite catch that first option. Could you repeat it, please? Do we follow the same old, tired old route, the route we have gone down countless times? he asked. Yes, that sounds perfect, I said, trying to be agreeable. And then perhaps you might drop me off at the corner. Do you take credit cards? People in Britain are crying out for real change, he said. Thats fair enough, I replied, dipping into my pocket. But that cannot mean dwelling on the past. No: we must look ahead to face the future. Because unless we face the future, we will not withstand the winds of change. Labour party delegates battle driving rain and wind outside the Brighton Centre during this week's party conference Looking out of the window, I noticed that the vehicle was going round and round the same roundabout. Meanwhile, Mr Starmers words were spinning around in my head. Ill tell you what matters most, he said. What matters most thats what matters most. Not only the challenges but also the opportunities. And the opportunities to tackle those challenges. Yes, that is our opportunity. Yes, that is our challenge. Because everyone has a story to tell. So lets head that tackle. Lets challenge that head. And lets potential that harness! I was starting to feel dizzy. At this point, Mr Starmer signalled to the path which led to the fork which led to the crossroads which led to the roundabout which led back to the fork. But, sadly, there was still no sign of the road ahead. The case of a dating app conman who posed as the son of a billionaire Israeli diamond merchant to swindle women out of thousands of dollars is to be the subject of a new Netflix true crime documentary, it has been announced. Israeli playboy Shimon Hayut, then in his late 20s, lured in trusting women by claiming he was Simon Leviev, the son of businessman Lev Leviev, who has an estimated $1billion net worth. He called himself the 'Prince of Diamonds'. In reality Hayut was a serial fraudster who used his charm to prey on unsuspecting singleton using online dating apps, earning him the moniker the 'Tinder swindler'. He convinced one victim to open a line of credit in her name so he could pay his expenses and protect himself from his 'enemies'. She eventually lost 200,000, leaving her so distraught she had to be admitted to a psychiatric hospital. Hayut was eventually arrested and imprisoned in December 2019 at Tel Aviv Magistrates Court, according to The Times Of Israel, but released the following May, after serving five months of his 15-month sentence. Israeli playboy Shimon Hayut, then in his late 20s, lured in trusting women by claiming he was Simon Leviev, the son of businessman Lev Leviev, who has an estimated $1billion net worth. He called himself the 'Prince of Diamonds'. He was arrested in July 2019 in Greece, above Cecilie Fjellhoy (left) said she loved 'Simon Leviev' and that was the hardest part of the 'evil' ordeal. Shimon Hayut (right) posed as Simon Leviev - the 'Prince of Diamonds' - son of the Jewish billionaire diamond mine owner Lev Leviev Now the extraordinary story of international deception will be told in The Tinder Swindler, which is due to be released in February 2022 and will be directed by Felicity Morris, who helmed the hit Netflix film 'Don't F*** With Cats', according to Variety. Teasing the documentary on Twitter, Netflix promised the film would tell the story of 'the women who set out to bring down' the conman. According to an investigative report by Norways Verdens Gang newspaper, Hayut conned women in Norway, Finland and Sweden out of hundreds of thousands of dollars using a Ponzi scheme. He would shower women he met on the dating app with lavish trips and gifts, using money he had taken from other women. He would then ask for more money under the guise of needing to protect his identity due to security concerns. Among Hayut's victims was Norwegian graduate Cecilie Fjellhoy, who was living in London when she matched with Leviev. Their first date involved a trip on a private plane to Bulgaria, and they would exchange love notes over text, videos and voice messages. The conman escaped arrest twice by fleeing to Europe before he was imprisoned in December 2019 and served five months of 15 month sentence before being released in May 2020 Hayut told Fjellhoy that he had to travel constantly for work and that it was hard for him to visit her in London due to threats from working in the diamond business, it has been reported. The conman first asked Fjellhoy to take out a line of credit for him in her name just four weeks into their relationship, claiming that it was a security measure due to threats against him. He spent the money on plane tickets, hotels and dinners that were booked under her name to throw off suspicious 'enemies'. 'One of the main reasons why he needed it was protectionhe needed my name as a cover, he said,' Fjellhoy told Nightline in 2019. 'I know it sounds crazy...[but] why would he have this giant guy with him if he didn't need the protection?,' she said, apparently referring to a bodyguard. Fjellhoy said Hayut promised to pay her back but, as the weeks rolled by, her balance went up and up. She claims that she filled out documents for an American Express platinum card per his instructions and he told her to file an income of 200,000. The alleged conman assured her no one was going to check it. Fjellhoy told Norwegian news site Verdens Gang that she took the handsome young Israeli at his word. She took out huge loans for the card and claim Hayut was soon maxing out the limit. Hayut spent two million Norwegian krone ($224,220) in just 54 days and was racking up bills on paying for his two assistants, his bodyguard and flights across the world. Her money was being spent on Louboutins in Bangkok, on Gucci in Barcelona, at the Ritz Carlton in Berlin and the Conservatory in Amsterdam. In July 2019, Hayut was arrested in Greece following a joint operation between Interpol and Israeli police. Israeli authorities requested his extradition to his home country, where he had been wanted on charges of theft, forgery and fraud since 2011 'I had to be put into a hospital. Psychiatric ward,' Fjellhoy told Nightline. 'Because of suicidal thoughts because I thought my life was over, like I didn't see a way out. You've lost your boyfriend but he didn't just dump you, he never existed, he was never your boyfriend.' A Finnish woman, identified by the initial, 'D', said Hayut had conned her out of 45,000 euros ($49,000). 'Im a single mom to a daughter and I gave him all the savings I had. Its a disgrace that they released him from prison. I hope he gets the coronavirus. I hope he dies. Thats better, so he wont hurt other women,' she told Channel 12. 'Hes a bad person, and I havent been able to rebuild my life because of him to this day. Myself and some other women filed lawsuits against him with the European Court of Justice and submitted complaints against him with Interpol.' Hayut was arrested in the summer of 2019 in Greece in a joint opreation between Interpol and Israel Police, according to The Times Of Israel. During in sentencing hearing, the conman told the court he was 'sorry about everything' and promised to 'pay my debt to society'. He was also ordered to pay his victims $43,289 and to pay a fine of $5,771 under the terms of a plea deal. Nadiya Hussain has revealed how winning GBBO in 2015 made her confident Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain has revealed how the show gave her confidence to grow in her own skin and release that 'brown in beautiful'. The baking champion, 36, from Luton, has also shared how praying five times a day and watching 'trashy TV' including Married at First Sight Australia helps her to focus in an interview with woman&home. One of the most successful stars to come out of the show, since winning in 2015 Nadiya has gone on to host several of her own documentaries and written 16 books. Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain has revealed how the show gave her confidence to grow in her own skin and release that 'brown in beautiful' 'Since winning the show, the biggest personal change has been a growth in confidence,' Nadiya, who is the daughter of Bangladeshi immigrants, said. 'The confidence to exist in my skin, to know that brown is beautiful, and to believe that I'm good at my job and not to constantly be in a state of gratitude. 'I am grateful for every opportunity, but I'm also very good at my job. It's taken a long time for me to say that. Despite her success, the mother-of-three still makes time for herself, her beliefs and her hobbies. The baking champion, 36, from Luton, has also shared how praying five times a day and watching 'trashy TV' including Married at First Sight Australia helps her to focus in an interview with woman&home One of the most successful stars to come out of the show, since winning in 2015 Nadiya has gone on to host several of her own documentaries and written 16 books. 'I pray five times a day. It's both mindfulness and meditation, and that spiritual focus really helps me. 'Apart from cooking, I love drawing, writing poetry, and trashy television, especially Married at First Sight Australia!' 'Had I not entered Bake Off, I'd probably be a social worker. At the time, I was finishing my degree and I wanted to do a job that was meaningful and that helped. The October issue of woman&home is on sale 30 September 2021 'I know there's a glamorous side to this job, but I do get to help. Being the minority representing people like myself is a big responsibility. Last year, the former Bake Off winner spoken of the horrific racism she faced when she used an apple in a Cornish pasty recipe. She explained that she was 'really affected' by the online hate she received for replacing the traditional swede with apple in a Cornish Pasty recipe in 2017. 'I got so much abuse on social media,' the mother-of-three told Radio Times. 'What I constantly read was, "What gives you the right to make a Cornish pasty?" And that really affected me. 'I've definitely experienced more racism in the last five years than I have in my whole life.' The October issue of woman&home is on sale 30 September 2021 Advertisement A photographer has captured the 'darker side' of Las Vegas in his gritty series of black and white pictures featuring a juxtaposition of hopeful tourists looking to hit it big at the casinos and destitute locals on the street. In an article published by Bored Panda, Kurtz Frausun wrote that he was on his honeymoon with his wife when he took the evocative pictures, saying he 'was able to find that hidden beauty in the urine-soaked streets.' The filmmaker and photographer from Dallas, Texas, explained that he wanted to explore the stark contrast between the 'Haves and Have-Nots' in Vegas as opposed to the glitz and glamour of the casinos and shows. 'Theres a desperation in everyone,' he said. The tourists wanting to strike it rich at the casinos, the hustlers making money off of them, and the destitute looking for scraps. I hate the "obvious" pictures people can take in a city like Vegas, the easy shots, the selfies while getting drunk. 'I wanted to photograph what other people tried not to see, the person crying about a broken heart, the man yelling for his mother, the couple hugging and not sure of their next direction.' Forget the glamour: Photographer Kurtz Frausun has captured the 'dark side' of Las Vegas in his gritty black and white picture series featuring both tourists and locals in Sin City The dark side: The filmmaker and photographer from Dallas, Texas, was on his honeymoon with his wife when he was inspired to capture the stark contrast between the 'Haves and Have-Nots' in Las Vegas Reality: Frausun explained that there is 'desperation in everyone' in Sin City, from the homeless people begging on the street to the hustlers preying on tourists who are looking to get rich quick Heartbreaking: Frausun said he found this man rambling outside of the Hard Rock Hotel, desperate to find his mother. He explained that the man only stopped when he took his photo Feeling hustled: Frausun admitted he had a hard time photographing people because they automatically assumed the was a scammer and would try to charge them money once he snapped their picture Juxtaposition: The pricey designer stores on the strip were offset by the people who were suffering and begging for scraps on the Las Vegas Strip Nothing's changed: Frausun said 'it was your usual time in Vegas' aside from people wearing masks, noting that it was 'packed' everywhere they went Ick factor: Frausun said he stepped in vomit while photographing this woman leaning against a wall and smoking a cigarette with her mask pulled down Awful: Frausun said this stranger was crying about having a broken heart when he walked by with his camera Suffering: The person was sitting in the shade on the side of a building while Frausun was snapping photos Hidden: One of Frausun's photos from the series shows someone lying on the ground below bright lights of the restaurants packed with patrons Feeling it out: Frausun said he never has a detailed plan when he has his camera. Instead, he likes to 'feel [his] environment' and 'study those around [him]' before taking pictures Memories: Frausun said he prefers to shoot in black and white because he was born colorblind, and while he eventually developed the ability to see color as a child, he remembers 'seeing the world that way' Caught on camera: Frausun captured one woman asleep in her wheelchair with an Eataly bag hanging off of the back Not his thing: The photographer explained that he had no interest in taking the 'obvious' pictures of people in Vegas taking drunk selfies while enjoying a night on the town Making music: One particularly moving photo shows a man playing the saxophone outside of the Sugar Factory restaurant as the crowds pass him by Consumption: Frausun's photos highlight the rampant consumerism in Vegas, where many tourists were seen carrying around shopping bags What happened? A woman in a mini dress was caught reacting to something on her cellphone, though her mask blocked most of her face Tourist attraction: Las Vegas is known for its glamorous shows, over-the-top casinos, and incredible night life, attracting tens of millions of visitors each year Taking a moment: Frausun photographed one couple embracing between two escalators near the pedestrian bridge on the Strip No trust: Frausun said he couldn't get anyone to talk to him and tell him their story because they feared he was trying to hustle them Destitute: One man was slumped over and sleeping on what appeared be a cardboard box while sprawled on the sidewalk A celebrity stylist has spotted a bargain version of this season's hottest designer shoe at an Australian discount store. Fashion veteran Donny Galella was browsing at Big W when he saw $20 slides that look almost identical to the double-buckle sandals worn by some of the world's biggest stars, including Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner. The slip-on style is sold by luxury fashion houses including Fendi and Alexander McQueen for as much as $1,190, but you can get the look for less on Big W's website. 'I personally can't justify these $1,000+ styles, but I know the $20 ones will sell out,' Donny told Daily Mail Australia. Big W's $20 slides (left) are almost identical to a $1,190 pair from Italian fashion house, Fendi (right) Luxe for less: The bargain shoes are similar to a style worn by some of the world's biggest stars, including Hailey Bieber (pictured) Celebrity stylist Donny Galella (pictured) And it seems thrifty fashionistas have already caught on - the budget-friendly sandal is no longer available for pick-up from major city stores in Sydney or Melbourne. Limited sizes can still be ordered direct to your door, but you'd better be quick because they're selling out fast. While Donny is a fan of the laidback look for summer, there's one twist he can't abide. 'Slides are back, but I really hope the slides with socks trend is dead, it's not a good look,' he said. The clothing guru has been busy sharing his styling tips and summer trend predictions as the weather warms up. In August, Donny rubbished claims the skinny jean trend is dead - but he says ripped denim can 'safely go to heaven'. While Gen Z influencers have been mocking the classic 'skinny' on TikTok for months, he says women should continue wearing them as long as they make them 'look and feel fabulous'. Supermodel Kendall Jenner (pictured) is also a fan of the slip-on look Donny insists skinny jeans can be just as flattering as more popular 'mum' or boyfriend jeans, skimming curves and accentuating bums with comfortable, stretchy material. But one thing he is certain of is that ripped jeans are out forever. 'A couple of very small distressed details are ok, but the overly ripped and distressed jeans can safely go to denim heaven,' he said. The great denim debate: Skinny jeans (left) may have fallen out of fashion, but Donny Galella says they can be just as flattering as straight leg 'mum' jeans (right) One thing Donny is certain of is that overly ripped jeans (pictured) are out forever Don't bin your skinny jeans just yet The classic skinny jean has seen its popularity plummet in favour of laidback styles of 'mum', straight leg and boyfriend jeans in recent years. Elle magazine's former Accessories Editor Donna Wallace said the birth of 'jeggings' was the death knell for skinny jeans, noting: 'As soon as they started putting in too much stretch, it became trashy.' But Donny disagrees, saying that while the silhouette may be off-trend, it's all about what suits your body shape. 'Ever since Gen Z declared skinny jeans should be banished, I've had lots of panicked women ask me if they can keep their skinny jeans,' he said. Donny's top picks for skinny jeans include this $30 pair from Big W, made from a soft, stretchy denim that moulds to the body, enhancing it in all the right places Donny said his reply is always the same: 'If your skinny jeans make you look and feel fabulous, then you keep your skinny jeans!' In vogue or not, skinny jeans will not disappear from stores overnight, and Donny says there's plenty of affordable styles from Australian brands that work with almost any outfit - without breaking the bank. His top picks include a $30 pair from Big W, made from a soft, stretchy denim that moulds to the body, enhancing it in all the right places. The jeans, which are available in light wash and a deeper indigo denim in sizes six to 18, have a high waistline that sculpts the stomach and offers support where women tend to need it most. Because it is a 'passing' trend, Donny says there is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on designer 'mum' jeans; he recommends this $89.99 pair from Lee Why the jury is still out on 'mum' jeans While sales of 'mum jeans have soared over the past year, Donny says it's important to remember that all fashion trends come and go. 'Mum jeans have a '90s nostalgia about them and all things '90s are trending right now,' he said. 'Most of Gen Z were not even born then, so for them these jeans and new and exciting.' Although they are a novelty for younger fashionistas, Donny says most 'mum' jeans are made from thick, stiff denim that is much bulkier and more shapeless than the skinny jean. This extra fabric adds weight to your body and can leave you looking bigger than you really are, he warns. Donny also loves these $109.95 'Becky' jeans from Decjuba, which are made from a stretchy denim that flatters both the bum and the legs Donny's favourite straight leg styles come from Aussie denim retailer, Just Jeans; he recommends these Super Vintage Sky Hi Straight Jeans, currently reduced to $76 Donny says the secret to styling 'mum' jeans is to pair them with a tight top or tailored jacket to balance the relaxed silhouette on the bottom with a structured look on top. 'Wear them with a fitted top or wear a T-shirt tucked or semi tucked in. Try to give your waist some definition with a belt or a tailored blazer and a low heel when you're going out,' he said. Because it is a 'passing' trend, Donny says there is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on designer 'mum' jeans. His top picks are an $89.99 pair from Lee and a $49.99 pair from Cotton On, which offer 'the best of both worlds'. 'They have the look of 'mum' jeans but a fit closer to a skinny jean,' he explained. What you can wear instead Donny says anyone undecided between skinny and 'mum' jeans should try a straight leg style, which is perhaps the easiest to pull off. 'Try to find straight leg jeans with some stretch so they mould nicely to your body,' he said. 'A lighter colour wash will help give you that vintage look of a 'mum' jean.' Donny's favourite straight leg styles come from Aussie denim retailer, Just Jeans. He recommends the Super Vintage Sky Hi Straight Jeans, which come in sizes six to 16 and are currently reduced from $109.95 to $76. Another straight leg style he suggests for women of all shapes and sizes is the $109.95 'Becky' jeans from Decjuba, which are made from a stretchy denim that flatters both the bum and the legs. Donny said there has also been 'phenomenal reviews' about a $119 pair of straight leg jeans from Everlane, specifically designed for curvy women. A group of recruitment experts have revealed the words job seekers should avoid using when writing a cover letter. Job seekers should never use popular buzzwords or cliches - such as 'people person, 'I believe' and 'incredible' - to describe their skills. Instead experts recommend using 'active words' and provide examples of how you have worked well to achieve something. A cover letter is an 'opportunity to set yourself apart' from other candidates, and so it's important to avoid using generic phrases. Job seekers should never use popular buzzwords or cliches - such as 'people person, 'I believe' and 'incredible' - to describe their skills 'I believe' Emma Harvey, Manager at recruitment agency Robert Walters in Melbourne, told Australian job searching company SEEK job hunters should always use strong terminology when writing a cover letter. 'Phrases like "I believe I'm a strong communicator" can give the impression that you are the only one who thinks this,' she said. Instead, Ms Harvey recommended using 'active language' and to give examples supporting your claims. For instance, you could write: 'I exceeded my budget by x per cent' or 'I managed a team of four'. 'Dependable' Ms Harvey said employers assume workers are dependable, and so there's no point in including this in a cover letter. As an alternative, job seekers can switch this generic quality to describe skills relevant to the job description. 'If the job ad mentions that you'll be part of a team, include an example of collaborative work and what was achieved,' she said. A cover letter is an 'opportunity to set yourself apart' from others, and so it's important to avoid using cliches or generic phrases 'Self-starter' and 'people person' Due to the repeated use of the cover letter terminology, other phrases such as 'self-starter' and 'people person' often lack depth and meaning. Mark Smith, Managing Director of recruitment agency people2people, told SEEKm these terms have become cliches and recruiters are 'tired of reading it'. 'Cliches provide very little value, so be specific about your qualities and achievements,' he said, adding: 'If you initiated a new business development program, for example, what was the result?' 'Salary' Job seekers should never mention the salary in the cover letter as this may limit negotiating opportunities. 'Don't mention your salary expectation, because it may not be aligned with the employer's budget,' Ms Harvey said. She suggested avoid writing 'salary negotiable' as you may be cutting yourself short. Due to the repeated use of the cover letter terminology, other phrases such as 'self-starter' and 'people person' often lack depth and meaning 'Incredible' Words such as 'incredible' risk sounding arrogant or self-congratulatory, experts have revealed. While it's important to be confident in your abilities, it's important to avoid using 'overreaching words and statements'. 'Let the results speak for themselves,' Mr Smith said. 'Talk about the fact that you generated half a million dollars in sales or a there was a 30 per cent increase while you were sales manager. This allows a recruiter to quantify your skills. It's hard to quantify a word like "incredible" or "fabulous".' Dessert lovers have been left drooling over an 'awesome' Woolworths cake which promises to cater to all tastes. The cake, which costs $30 from the Australian supermarket chain, comes cut into ten slices, which are all a different flavour. Dubbed the assorted celebration cake the 1.2kilogram dessert features tongue-tingling favourites like Black Forest cake, lemon and coconut cake and red velvet. Scroll down for video Dessert lovers have been left drooling over an 'awesome' Woolies cake which promises to cater for everyone's tastes Dubbed the assorted celebration cake the 1.2kilogram dessert features tongue-tingling favourites like Black Forest cake, lemon and coconut cake and red velvet There is also a hummingbird, matcha and coconut, chocolate and raspberry and banana and caramel slice. Videos of the epic dessert have gone viral on TikTok after Woolworths customer and 'places in Sydney foodie', Adrian Widjy posted the surprise find online. 'This looks perfect! especially if you can't guess what the birthday person wants,' one woman said, thrilled. Some people had shared their reviews of the cake in the comments. 'I have tried this, some flavours are yum, some are meh,' one woman said. 'I bought one of these for our family and it was great because noone felt left out,' another woman said admitting the pieces she didn't like were devoured by her kids. The cake, which costs $30 from the Australian supermarket chain, comes cut into ten slices, which are all a different flavour Another woman said the cake was a hit for her birthday, especially the passionfruit slice which she claimed immediately. Reviews on the supermarket's website are slightly less optimistic, with one woman complaining all of the flavours blend into one. Another three-star review said it was a good idea for work functions but 'not worth' $30. 'I bought it marked down for $12.80, I wouldn't pay $20 for it,' they said. A little-known island off the coast of Queensland has been dubbed Australia's answer to the Maldives. Sitting just a few kilometres from Hervey Bay, Pelican Banks is arguably one of the country's most spectacular sights, captivating tourists and fishermen with its pure white sand and crystal clear, turquoise water. The tiny stretch in the Great Sandy Straits has captured attention on Instagram, where travellers describe it as 'paradise' and 'heaven on Earth'. Bloggers Luke and Jess, who run the As We Wander travel page, said they were stunned to find the breathtaking island on a jet ski ride along the Fraser Coast. This little-known island off the coast of Queensland has been dubbed Australia's answer to the Maldives Sitting just a few kilometres from Hervey Bay, Pelican Banks pictured) is arguably one Australia's most spectacular sights Pelican Banks, off the coast of Hervey Bay, Queensland Photos of the beach sparked delighted responses, with many saying they would visit as soon as lockdown is lifted across New South Wales and Victoria. 'Wow, what a place! Will definitely be visiting soon!' one person wrote. Another added: 'Seriously need to get their somehow.' A post on the official account of the Fraser Coast urged followers to make the Banks their next bucket list destination. The island captivates tourists and fishermen with its pure white sand and crystal clear, turquoise water The tiny stretch in the Great Sandy Straits has captured attention on Instagram, where travellers describe it as 'paradise' and 'heaven on Earth' Photos of the beach sparked delighted responses, with many saying they would visit as soon as lockdown is lifted across New South Wales and Victoria 'Maldives schmaldives! Why would you want to go anywhere else when you have THIS in your backyard?' it said. It's the latest location in the Sunshine State to be compared to a tropical holiday spot. Seasoned travellers recently 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, inspiring visitors with rolling turquoise waves and long stretches of gleaming white sand. 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 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. 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. 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 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. Travellers have called the island their 'favourite place in Queensland' Van life bloggers Jimmy and Sarah, aka 'The Sandy Van', called it their 'favourite place in Queensland so far'. '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,' Sarah wrote in an Instagram post. 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.' A mother has revealed how her 'world was ripped apart' when what she thought was a scratch on her three-year-old daughter's eye turned out to be cancer. Evie Wedderburn, from Northumberland, was just one in January 2020 when she was diagnosed with retinoblastoma a rare type of eye cancer normally affecting children under five. Despite gruelling chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the toddler developed more tumours and was forced to have her to have her eye removed earlier this month. Mother-of-two Kara Wedderburn, 25, said she and husband Ryan, 28, were 'devastated' after the news of Evie's diagnosis, and want to make other parents aware of retinoblastoma symptoms. Evie Wedderburn, from Northumberland, was just one in January 2020 when she was diagnosed with retinoblastoma. Evie is pictured in January when she was diagnosed with retinoblastoma Despite gruelling chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the toddler developed more tumours and was forced to have her to have her eye surgically removed earlier this month. She is pictured at home following the procedure Mother-of-two Kara Wedderburn, 25, (right, with daughters Evie and Olivia) said she and husband Ryan, 28, (right) were 'devastated' after the news of Evie's diagnosis, and want to make other parents aware of retinoblastoma symptoms. Left, Evie in hospital having her eye removed 'Being told she had cancer was just devastating', said Kara. 'I was pregnant with Evie's sister, Olivia, when she was diagnosed, and we felt like our world had been ripped apart. 'Evie was absolutely fine in herself that was what was so frustrating. We had no idea what the signs were or what to be looking for, but we'd never even heard of retinoblastoma.' Former teaching assistant Kara first noticed a white glow to Evie's right eye in December 2019. She said: 'At a certain angle, there was a white coating on Evie's right eye. 'Our Labrador Callie had recently scratched her forehead accidentally and we thought she could have caught her eye on her paw.' Former teaching assistant Kara first noticed a white glow to Evie's right eye in December 2019. Evie is pictured at the Royal Victoria Infirmary where she was given her diagnosis Within days she was sent to Birmingham Children's Hospital where she began treatment. Left, Evie is pictured left after undergoing cryotherapy, right after having a central line fitted amid her treatment Evie began her first of six rounds of chemotherapy in January. She is pictured in hospital after undergoing her first round of the treatment When it failed to clear at the beginning of January, Kara took Evie to the GP, who quickly referred her to the Royal Victoria Infirmary, in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. Within days she was sent to Birmingham Children's Hospital. Kara said: 'We'd never heard of retinoblastoma and we were being told she was going to lose her eye because the tumour she had was that big. 'She was diagnosed at the RVI on January 13, and we were in Birmingham days later for her to be examined under anaesthetic on January 17. Evie is pictured left smiling in hospital during her treatment, right on the train on the way to her treatment In July, her parents were told the last two rounds had not worked and she needed intravitreal chemotherapy injected into her eye. Evie is pictured on her last day of chemotherapy 'Straightaway, we thought, "Well that's it, her eye's coming out", but they told us we could try and save it and that's the route we went down. 'It was just such a shock. I'd been Googling as any mother does and thought, 'It's not going to be something like that. Ryan and I were both just devastated. We couldn't believe it.' Evie began her first of six rounds of chemotherapy in January, but sadly, in July, her parents were told the last two rounds had not worked and she needed intravitreal chemotherapy injected into her eye. 'The main tumour was looking good but still wasn't dead,' Kara said. The rare form eye cancer common among under fives: What is retinoblastoma? Retinoblastoma is a rare type of eye cancer that usually affects children under the age of five. As it is usually caught early in the UK, 98 per cent of children with the disease are successfully treated. About 50 children develop the condition every year in Britain. It affects up to 300 youngsters annually in the US. Retinoblastoma is specifically a cancer of the retina, which is the light-sensitive lining at the back of the eye. It can affect one or both eyes. A fault gene is responsible in about 40 per cent of cases. This can be inherited from the sufferers parents or may occur spontaneously. The most common symptoms are the pupil looking like a cats eye and the child developing a squint. The cat eye look is most commonly seen in photos. Small tumours can usually be treated with laser or freezing treatment. Larger tumours may require chemotherapy or surgery. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement 'In November she had a radioactive plaque fitted to her eye and that worked really well. We were lucky that her tumour at the time was suited to that as it has to be in a certain place.' Caught completely off-guard by Evie's diagnosis, her parents had initially assumed chemotherapy would do the trick. Kara said: 'We didn't understand the full impact of her cancer. We just thought she'd have the chemotherapy and be done with it. 'You just don't know what it will be like until you're going through it.' Sadly, in March 2021, another tumour was detected close to Evie's optic nerve, which was discovered after Evie's retina detached. 'That was in a really bad place,' Kara said. 'She had to have an MRI scan and yet more treatment. 'They gave her intra-arterial chemotherapy which meant they put something in her groin, and it fed the drugs through a catheter into the eye to kill the tumour.' This was followed at the beginning of August by Evie developing eight smaller tumours further inside her eye, which were treated with more intravitreal chemotherapy. Unfortunately, Evie then started experiencing new and distressing symptoms. Kara said: 'She developed a slight squint which we didn't pick up on, but it turned out to be a sign of a new tumour being there. 'We went swimming every weekend and one Saturday her eye flared up and went really red. 'She was in such a lot of pain with it, I took her to the doctor.' Medics thought the little girl had chemical conjunctivitis or an allergic reaction, but none of the ointments or drops prescribed helped soothe her pain. Sent back to the hospital in September 2021, Kara and Ryan were told she had developed yet another tumour this time at the front of her eye. Kara said: 'The eye had made new blood vessels with this tumour, which is why she was in so much pain. 'Her cancer was very aggressive. Every retinoblastoma is unique, but hers is very hard to control. Her optic nerve tumour doubled in size just in one week. 'Even morphine wasn't helping her. It was awful. They said we could try and treat it but we were risking Evie's life if we tried as there was a chance it could spread. There was no other option. 'Evie's health was the priority. You do wonder are we torturing her, should we keep going, but now she's had the operation she's like a different child.' Evie had her eye removed on September 16, 2021, in a three-hour operation at Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Kara said the difference in her is remarkable. Evie is pictured with her mother in hospital in November after the removal of her right eye with a radioactive plaque fitted to her eye Evie is pictured seeing her sister Olivia again at home after four days in hospital having her right eye removed 'She was in so much pain and now that it's out she's like a different child,' she said. 'She's so much happier and back to the usual Evie. It makes you feel like you've done the right thing. 'She would play with her sister and say, "Oh my eye, my eye," before the operation, as she couldn't stand the pain. 'It was so hard for us to watch as we couldn't do anything but give her pain relief and it wasn't helping. Now she sleeps through the night and wakes up happy it's amazing.' Evie's eye has been sent to a microscopic lab for testing and the family are awaiting the results to find out whether she will need any further chemotherapy or treatment. Evie had her eye removed on September 16, 2021, in a three-hour operation at Birmingham Children's Hospital. She is pictured L-R at home with the family dog following her surgery Evie, pictured at home with sister Olivia, has a temporary prosthetic eye at the moment, and once her socket has healed will be fitted with a permanent replacement She has a temporary prosthetic eye at the moment, and once her socket has healed will be fitted with a permanent replacement. Kara said: 'Evie is such a special girl and deals with this journey so well. She is a truly extraordinary, amazing and inspiring girl and we are so, so proud of her. 'We would like to say a special thank you to Birmingham Children's Hospital. Our consultant has been amazing and reassuring and we can't thank him enough for everything. 'The staff are amazing with Evie and we wouldn't have got through apportionments without them, while the support from the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT) team has also been incredible. 'Thank you also to all our family and friends for their continuous support, and especially to my mum Debbie. I couldn't have got through it without her endless love and support. 'My advice to other people in this position is to go straight to your GP or local hospital if you suspect anything, as early diagnosis can mean a much quicker journey and a lot less invasive treatment for your child. Evie's eye has been sent to a microscopic lab for testing and the family are awaiting the results to find out whether she will need any further chemotherapy or treatment. She is pictured ahead of her first day of nursery this year Evie's parents, pictured with their children following Evie's surgery, said: 'My advice to other people in this position is to go straight to your GP or local hospital if you suspect anything, as early diagnosis can mean a much quicker journey and a lot less invasive treatment for your child' 'You have to act fast with retinoblastoma. We went from having no understanding to learning many things along the way.' This month, for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust (CHECT) is urging parents and healthcare professionals to be aware of the most common possible symptoms of eye cancer a white glow in the eye in a flash photo or other certain lighting conditions and a squint. Patrick Tonks, Chief Executive of the Childhood Eye Cancer Trust said: 'Retinoblastoma is rare, with around one baby or young child being diagnosed in the UK each week. 'Symptoms can be quite subtle and children often seem well in themselves, which can make it hard to diagnose. Sadly, in just under half of all cases, a child has to have an eye removed as part of their treatment. 'It is very important, as in Evie's case, that symptoms are recognised and that a healthcare practitioner makes an urgent referral.' Cbeebies' first presenter with Down's Syndrome George Webster charmed Good Morning Britain viewers as he appeared on the show to discuss his new role. George Webster, 21, from Leeds, made his debut in the CBeebies house last week, where he said he was 'brave and determined' and invited viewers to give him a chance. Speaking to Susanna Reid and Alastair Campbell on GMB this morning, George said his dream would be to take on the iconic role of Doctor Who. He was joined by his father Rob Webster who said people who work with his son and knew him 'don't stop at Down's syndrome' anymore, 'they just see George.' Viewers loved the positive moment and said George was a 'top lad' who 'injected positivity into their morning.' George Webster, 21, from Leeds, made his debut in the CBeebies house last week, where he said he was 'brave and determined' and invited viewers to give him a chance. His father Rob, right and him appeared on Good Morning Britain today Viewers couldn't get enough from George and said he was a wonderful person and offered a 'nice cheery moment' [sic] 'It does feel really really good,' George said of his CBeebies appointment. 'I'd like to say, dream big and live your life and hard work really pays off.' The determined presenter said he has never let anyone tell him how to live his life, telling Susanna and Alastair: 'You have to take any opportunity, it's always exciting and you have to live your own life and not let people tell you to live a different life.' George's dad Rob added his son's appointment was 'incredibly important'. 'We know a lot of people like us who have family with Down's syndrome and they all got talent and they're all individuals,' Rob said. 'When George was growing up, we always made clear, the important thing to see was George. George told viewers never to let other people dictate their lives, while his father, right, proudly said people don't just see George's condition when they talk to him, but 'just see George' 'And I think this is what happens with all the people that he knows at the park run or the people he works with in the cafe. they stopped seeing Down's Syndrome, they just see George, which is really what we need to happen.' George said he grew up watching Doctor Who, and that being the next Doctor would be 'amazing.' The show surprised the CBeebies presenter with a message from Doctor Who's first female Doctor, Jodie Whittaker. Proud: BBC bosses have made history by employing the first ever kids' TV presenter with Down's Syndrome, after George Webster, 21, made his debut on Monday Doctor Whos Jodie Whittaker, left, surprised George on the show and said she hoped they would one day meet 'My name is Jodie Whittaker and I play the Doctor in Doctor Who, and I'm currently in my Tardis,' Jodie, who was speaking from the set of the BBC show, said, adding: 'someone told me you're a Doctor Who fan and I'm so chuffed. 'I think you are absolutely smashing CBeebies, I'm so chuffed for you, I think you're doing an brilliant job. I just wanted to send you loads of love and a high five, and I hope one day we'll get to meet.' Cheeky George added he might want to show some fancy footwork on the Strictly stage next. Viewers loved the presenter's appearance on the show and said it infused some positivity in their morning. 'What a wonderful person George is,' one said. 'Well that a nice cheary moment with George for a change,' another said [sic]. 'Fantastic to see lovely George Webster on GMB. So happy about his new job presenting on CBeebies,' a third added. Viewers loved George and Rob's appearance on the show and they it infused positivity into their morning George first appeared on CBeebies to make a video busting the myths surrounding Down's syndrome, before he was recruited as a presenter. While he was initially pegged to star as a guest host, his appearance was so popular that fans called for him to be taken on full-time. He was scouted for the role through his work as a Mencap ambassador. The official Mencap Twitter page shared a tweet congratulating George on his news, with the message reading: 'We are so excited to see our fantastic ambassador George Webster become a presenter... 'Congratulations, George from everyone here at Mencap! You are a brilliant role model so it is great you will have the chance to introduce yourself to so many people.' A leading gynecologist has revealed the harassment she's faced online after trying to tackle misinformation about the Covid vaccination and fertility. Canadian physician Dr Jennifer Gunter, who penned best selling book The Vagina Bible, shared a blog post yesterday reassuring women who are afraid that receiving the jab will impact negatively on their ability to conceive in the future. Dr Gunter, 55, said that fertility experts have recommend vaccination against Covid and shared a deep dive into the ingredients in the jab, none of which are associated with infertility. However she was met with vile abuse online from trolls who told her that she should be 'ashamed' to be a doctor, and branded her 'toxic, immature and threatening' when she defended herself. Canadian physician Dr Jennifer Gunter (pictured) shared a blog post yesterday reassuring women who are afraid that receiving the jab will impact negatively on their ability to conceive in the future Sharing screenshots of an interaction on Twitter , she wrote: 'I am having a day. Not a good one. And on top of it my Instagram DMs are filled with this sh*t because I wrote about how the COVID-19 vaccine doesnt cause infertility' She was met with vile abuse online from trolls who told her that she should be 'ashamed' to be a doctor, and branded her 'toxic, immature and threatening' when she defended herself Sharing screenshots of an interaction on Twitter, she wrote: 'I am having a day. Not a good one. And on top of it my Instagram DMs are filled with this sh*t because I wrote about how the COVID-19 vaccine doesnt cause infertility.' In the exchange, the troll writes: 'You should be ashamed to be a doctor. Maybe work on your bedside manner.' Replying to the user, the doctor said: 'This is not my office and I am not your doctor. I suggest you invest in a course in boundaries and why you feel you should tone police people. Oh, and F*** off'. The troll then threatened to report Dr Gunter to the relevant medical board for her toxic, immature and threatening behaviour and told her she shouldnt be practicing medicine. Another troll on Facebook said that the doctor needed 'psychiatric help' after she analysed the science behind the vaccine and fertility Another troll on Facebook said that the doctor needed 'psychiatric help' after she analysed the science behind the vaccine and fertility. Jennifer was flooded with comments of support, with users calling the harassment 'unsettling' and hailing her a 'hero of social media' for sharing information about fertility and the vaccine. 'Sorry Jen - its insane', wrote one. 'The crazy part is youre not out there sliding into DMs of those spreading the misinformation, thats the difference. Thanks for all you do, the infertility piece is a big one and we need all the help we can get on communicating that one.' 'I'm sorry for this harassment, it's unsettling. For what it's worth you've been a hero to me on social media and I am so glad to understand more about my health because of what you write. It's been invaluable to someone who doesn't have the nerve to ask questions', said another. Jennifer was flooded with comments of support, with users calling the harassment 'unsettling' and hailing her a 'hero of social media' for sharing information about fertility and the vaccine In her blog, the gynecologist shared a deep insight into the scientific workings behind the vaccine, insisting that there were decades of work on the lipid particles used in the jab before trials began. She says no component of either mRNA vaccine (Pfizer and Moderna) has the ability to damage the immature eggs in the ovary and no vaccine ingredients are associated with infertility. Furthermore, the doctor says no fertility concerns were raised in animal studies of the vaccine and there has been no evidence raised about why the vaccine could cause infertility. She says that by now, there would be enough evidence to know if people vaccinated nine months ago were seeing an impact on their fertility, which have not materialised. University Challenge viewers were glued to their screens last night for a nail-biting episode that saw Dundee beat Royal Northern College of Music by just 10 points. The teams were neck and neck at the end of last night's episode on BBC2, hosted by Jeremy Paxman, after a rapid comeback from the Manchester students. But ultimately it was the University of Dundee that won and will be going through to the second round with a win of 145 points to 135. Viewers praised the winning team for their stellar performance on the show - but said it was a 'well fought' match between both universities. University Challenge viewers were glued to their screens after a nail-biting episode that saw Dundee beat Royal Northern College of Music by just 10 points How many Starter for Ten questions can YOU answer? Each of these questions are worth 10 points and must be answered by a single player without any consultation. The team who wins a Starter For Ten is then given three bonus questions, each worth five points. 1) Meanings of what four letter word include in pristine condition, the plant family also known as the dead nettle or sage that includes many culinary herbs, colloquially a large amount of money? 2) Through the direct male line the Duke of Cambridge's paternal great, great grandfather is George I, the king of what country until his death in 1913? 3) The father of George I of Greece, Christian the 9th was the king of what other European country? 4) Who was both the Duke of Cambridge's father's, father's mother's, mother's, mother's, mother and his father's mother's, father's, father's, father's mother? 5) The collaboration of the screenwriter Amy Jump and her husband the director Ben Wheatley include which film of 2015 based on a novel by J.G. Ballard and set in a luxury tower block? 6) Which British screenwriter is known for her work with the director Matthew Vaughn which includes Stardust, Kick Ass and the Kinsmen series? 7) Which British director frequently collaborates with his brother, a screenwriter, their films include The Prestige and Interstellar? 8) Amur, Siberian Brown and Norway are amongst the species of what small rodent of northern latitude? 9) The painting the Four Apostles completed in 1526 was the last major work of which artist of the German renaissance? 10) The death of Raphael in 1520 is sometimes given as the emerging point pf which style in European art? Advertisement 'Ooft, close one this week! Well played both teams! #UniversityChallenge', wrote one viewer. Another said: 'Thoroughly enjoyed that, two pleasant and well-matched teams; well played both! Well done Dundee, and hopefully RNCM will come back in the play-offs. #UniversityChallenge.' 'Wooohoo well done Dundee winning University Challenge tonight. Very proud of you', wrote a third. 'Well that was a close one, well fought both teams! #UniversityChallenge', penned another viewer. Viewers praised the winning team, who scored 145 points to RNCMs 135, for their stellar performance on the show - but said it was a 'well fought' match between both universities Both universities and Dundee principal and Vice Chancellor Iain Gillespie praised the team on Twitter Dundee principal and Vice Chancellor Iain Gillespie praised the team on Twitter, writing: 'So incredibly proud of our wonderful university challenge team @dundeeuni. Brilliant!' Meanwhile, the university tweeted: 'Amazing result! Well done to both teams - it was a close match but we're so excited for round two!' Their opponents graciously tweeted: It was a close race but congratulations @dundeeuni on your win! 'And congratulations to our own Team RNCM on their stellar performance, better luck next time.' The teams were neck and neck at the end of last night's episode on BBC2, hosted by Jeremy Paxman, after a rapid comeback from the Manchester students Ultimately it was Dundee that won and will be going through to the second round with 145 points to RNCM's 135 Dundee, who won the competition in 1983, were off to a great start on the show, gaining a strong early lead before a comeback from Royal Northern College of Music towards the end of the show. The team was led by captain Barnaby Stonier, 27, a PhD student from Winchester who previously studied at Cambridge. Making up the rest of the team was anatomy student Conor Philip, 20, medicine student Jacob Spurrell, 27, and the teams youngest member 19-year-old biomedical science first year Olivia Russell. Prince William has joined forces with former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to warn against 'environmental devastation' and urge 'decisive action' to tackle climate change. The Duke of Cambridge, 39, has co-authored a piece with the billionaire US politician, 79, for USA Today. Mr Bloomberg, one of the world's wealthiest men with a net worth estimated at more than 60 billion US dollars (46.3 billion), has joined William's ambitious environmental initiative as a global adviser to the Earthshot Prize winners. In the piece, he compared the current fight against climate change to the 1960s Space Race, writing: 'This time the question isn't whether we can reach the moon. It's whether we can save the Earth'. 'An hour of change and challenge is upon us again, but this time the question isn't whether we can reach the moon. It's whether we can save the Earth.' He also quotes John F. Kennedy saying 'we are behind but ready to catch up' adding it's 'our turn' to mimic the late President's generation and 'move ahead'. Prince William has co-authored an opinion piece with former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg for USA Today Mr Bloomberg, who founded the global provider of financial data Bloomberg LP, is the UN special envoy for climate ambition and solutions. Having won the New York City mayoral race as a Republican, he went on to begin a campaign for the Democratic presidential 2020 nomination. But he eventually dropped out and committed at least 100 million US dollars (77.2 million) to helping Joe Biden defeat Donald Trump. The 50 million Earthshot Prize was launched by William last autumn and aims to recognise solutions, ideas and technologies that 'repair the planet'. It takes inspiration from John F Kennedy's Moon Shot project, which advanced mankind's achievements. The royal has also explained how the race to put a man on the moon 'created new jobs, launched new companies and spurred technological innovations' and that the race to beat climate change will 'be no different' and 'improve lives all over the planet'. He writes: 'The environmental devastation we are witnessing including record-breaking temperatures across the world; wildfires in the American West, Turkey and Greece; historic flooding in Western Europe, the East Coast of the United States and Central China; and the drought-driven famines in East Africa is larger than what was feared possible even a year ago. Prince William and David Attenborough will present a new BBC show about the environment featuring pioneers who have been recognised for finding innovative solutions to the most pressing climate issues 'For so many, simply breathing air and drinking water is now a health hazard. Many others have seen their food supplies grow scarce and their livelihoods threatened by disruptions to the climate, including in the ocean. 'The science tells us that this is the decade to act and that waiting is not an option. Without bold and decisive action, future generations will look back and ask: How could they advance so far in space while leaving their own planet and their own communities so vulnerable?' What is the Earthshot prize? Every year from 2021 until the end of the decade, winners of the five Earthshots - protect and restore nature; clean our air; revive our oceans; build a waste-free world; and fix our climate - will each receive 1 million to be used for their ideas. Fifteen finalists were announced earlier this month, including a teenager from India who has designed a solar-powered ironing cart and the nation of Costa Rica, which has pioneered a project paying local citizens to restore natural ecosystems. This year's winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in London next month. Advertisement William's Earthshot prize takes its inspiration from the late US president John F. Kennedy's ambitious Moonshot lunar space programme of the 1960s, which helped advance mankind's technological achievements. In the new piece, William says we must match Kennedy's 'optimistic spirit' and praises the Bezos Earth Fund, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the Jack Ma Foundation and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation for their helping in sustaining and promoting the prize. He describes the Earthshot as: 'A new call to action to the world: to unleash and support a new generation of invention, innovation and entrepreneurship propelled by a shared sense of urgency to address the crisis at hand and optimism that humanity can achieve seemingly insurmountable goals'. The article comes just days after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met with NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, during a tour of New York. The couple also met with Patricia Harris, CEO of Bloomberg Philanthropy. On Saturday it was announced Prince William and David Attenborough will present a new BBC show about the environment featuring pioneers who have been recognised for finding innovative solutions to the most pressing climate issues. In a trailer introducing the documentary, The Earthshot Prize: Repairing Our Planet, The Duke of Cambridge tells viewers 'this is a moment for hope, not fear'. The Queen's grandson, who lives at Kensington Palace in London with his wife Kate Middleton and their three children, will speak with winners of The Earthshot Prize, a global competition he launched alongside The Royal Foundation in October 2020, in the five-part series. Launched by Prince William and the Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2020, and inspired by former US President Kennedy's 'Moonshot ', The Earthshot Prize is the most ambitious and prestigious award of its kind. It aims to discover and scale the best solutions to help repair our planet over the next 10 years. The royal is urging humanity 'not to give up' in the face of 'terrifying' and 'exponential' climate change. The future British king says he understands why people feel 'so despondent, so fearful and so powerless' in the face of a such a rapidly approaching 'tipping point'. Queen Letizia of Spain was the picture of elegance as she joined husband King Felipe to receive the president of Angola in Madrid. The royal couple hosted a luncheon at the Royal Palace for Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco and his wife Ana Afonso Dias Lourenco, who are on an official visit to the country. Looking typically polished, Letizia, 49, opted for a stylish fuchsia midi dress which featured a fitted waist, flared hem, french sleeves and box neckline paired with killer snakeskin heels. She initially debuted the dress on the seventh anniversary of the Proclamation of King Felipe VI at the Royal Palace of Madrid in June. Queen Letizia of Spain was the picture of elegance as she and her husband King Felipe received the Angolan President today Looking typically polished, the 49-year-old opted for a stylish fuchsia midi dress which featured a fitted waist, flared hem, french sleeves and box neckline The Spanish monarch hosted a luncheon at the Royal Palace in Madrid during an official visit from Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco and his wife Ana Afonso Dias Lourenco It was the first time the Spanish monarch wore a piece by the Madrid-based fashion designer, whose eponymous womenswear label was founded in 2011. The 390 (336) dress is from the designer's SS21 collection and is currently available to purchase online in navy and red. Letizia was effortlessly chic as she received the guests, keeping her look simple with some dainty teardrop earrings and no handbag. Her brown tresses were bouncy and loose around her shoulders while for her make-up look the mother-of-two opted for a subtle smokey eye, light eyeliner and touch of bronzer. Queen Letizia of Spain was seen chatting to her husband King Felipe before the official lunch with Angola's president at the Royal Palace today Letizia was effortlessly chic as she received the guests, keeping her look simple with some dainty teardrop earrings and no handbag. She appeared to be getting along swimmingly with First Lady Ana Afonso Dias as they chatted in the Royal Palace The Spanish monarch's are pictured meeting Angola's president Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco and his wife Ana Afonso Dias ahead of the lunch today Queen Letizia appeared in high spirits as she chatted with Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco ahead of the lunch this afternoon Putting safety first, the mother-of-two donned a plain white face mask as she greeted her guests. The First Lady of Angola opted for a blue satin tailored skirt with a matching jacket which featured elaborate floral detailing. She paired her look with a matching pair of blue court heels alongside a classic pearl necklace and wore a blue face covering throughout the event. King Felipe, 53, cut a handsome figure in a navy blue suit, paired with a white shirt and blue silk tie. He also wore a white face covering throughout the event. It's already been a busy week for Letizia, who yesterday attended the inauguration of the Botton-Champalimaud Pancreatic Cancer Centre. Putting safety first, both the mother-of-two and Angola's First Lady donned face coverings as they walked through the Royal Palace The First Lady of Angola opted for a blue satin tailored skirt with a matching jacket which featured elaborate floral detailing Letizia's brown tresses were bouncy and loose around her shoulders while for her make-up look the mother-of-two opted for a subtle smokey eye, light eyeliner and touch of bronzer Deputy Prime minister and Economy Minister Nadia Calvino is pictured greeting the Spanish monarchs ahead of the lunch this afternoon Accompanied by President of the Portuguese Republic Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the royal couple were presented with information about the new building and expressed their passion for the fight against cancer. The event comes less than a week after Queen Letizia attended a World Cancer Research Day event in Madrid. The mother-of-two's oldest daughter, Princess Leonor, who will inherit the throne from her father Felipe VI, has recently moved to Wales, where she will be studying at the UWC Atlantic College. Other pupils counts Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, also 15. Both girls have enrolled on a 67,000, two-year course to study for their International Baccalaureate diploma at UWC Atlantic College. King Felipe and Queen Letizia are pictured posing with their guests for a photograph ahead of the official lunch this afternoon King Felipe is pictured giving a speech at the event held at Madrid's Royal Palace this afternoon Queen Maxima of the Netherlands brought her signature flair for fashion to an event in Rotterdam today. The Dutch Queen, 50, travelled to Rotterdam's City Hall to mark the 40th anniversary of the Foundation Halt, a non-profit organisation tackling youth offences. The organisation puts together short-term interventions to prevent and combat petty crimes such as vandalism, shop-lifting and more, and is responsible for administering sentences. For the occasion, Maxima, a mother-of-three teenagers, sported an eye-catching leopard print dress with red accessories. Maxima of the Netherlands, 50, sported a leopard dress to attended the 40th anniversary of a non-profit agency tackling young offences today in Rotterdam The royal added some flair to her outfit of the day with some vibrant crimson velvet shoes, pictured She looked resplendent in the flowing midi dress which had a loose fit and was cinched at the waist. She gave the dress's modern print a kick by picking red accessories, sporting crimson velvet stilettos and a matching bag. She also picked red jewellery to complete the modern look, with a pair of maroon earrings. Her blonde locks were styled in a straight blow-dry, with some tresses elegantly resting on her shoulders. The stylish mother-of-three donned a bold red lip, pictured, and dark red dangle earrings to complete her look A dash of bronzer enhanced Maxima's healthy natural glow. Her blond locks were styled in a straight blow-dry, pictured She wore a daring red lip to complete the look, as well as a dash of bronzer and a smokey eye to highlight her healthy natural glow. Maxima, who injured her right wrist recently, was still wearing her splint, which was visible under the long sleeve of her dress. In spite of the injury, the Dutch monarch looked in great spirits today. The Halt foundation tackles minor offences committed by Dutch teens, such s school absenteeism, shop-lifting and vandalism. The non-profit agency aims to stop the unacceptable behavior of minors as early as possible. Apologizing to the victim and paying compensation may also be part of the alternative punishment. This usually also consists of work and learning assignments and conversations with the parents or guardians. 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 Last week, Maxima attended 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. Daniel Craig looked as dapper as ever when attending the world premiere of No Time To Die, which marks his final outing as James Bond. The British actor, 53, who has appeared in five 007 films over 15 years, oozed sophistication in a stunning pink velvet dinner jacket as he joined his co-stars at the Royal Albert Hall in London, this evening. His statement garment, which he paired with a black bow tie and crisp white shirt, appears to follow the latest trend, according to celebrity stylist Rochelle White, who told FEMAIL that a colourful blazer is a must-have for A-listers this season. Earlier this month, US actor Jason Sudeikis, 46, commanded attention in a blue Tom Ford velvet suit when attending the Emmys, while Canadian performer Seth Rogen attended the event in a scene-stealing orange tuxedo jacket. Elsewhere, The Crown's Josh O'Connor appeared dapper at the Met Gala in New York when wearing a baby blue blazer. Daniel Craig (pictured) looked as dapper as ever when attending the world premiere of No Time To Die, which marks his final outing as James Bond Earlier this month, US actor Jason Sudeikis (pictured), 46, commanded attention in a blue Tom Ford velvet suit when attending the Emmys Rory Kinnear attending the World Premiere of No Time To Die, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London Stylist to the stars Rochelle said: 'The colourful dinner jacket is making a comeback on red carpets and award shows this year due to the lack of these dazzling events in 2020. 'I feel that this piece of clothing is a great way for men to add a pop of colour to formal wear in a comfortable non-obvious way and it has brought back some life and vibrancy. 'It is a great way for actors to show their personalities and even maybe a change of style, it could be a way of them embracing their new found freedom and express it in this way.' She continued: 'I think it is a trend at the minute and one that will potentially be around into 2022. No one wants to be seen in black and white outfits and are looking to be more adventurous and daring.' It has been a long road to this evening's premiere after the film's release date was delayed several times due to the coronavirus pandemic. Elsewhere, The Crown's Josh O'Connor ~(pictured) appeared dapper at the Met Gala in New York when wearing a baby blue blazer Canadian performer Seth Rogen attended the Emmys in a scene-stealing orange tuxedo jacket Jake Gyllenhaal poses on the red carpet as he arrives for the 74th Annual Tony Awards in New York. Rather than just a colourful dinner jacket, he embraced a full pink suit The film, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, was originally scheduled for release in April 2020, but was pushed back to November before the release was changed once again to April 2021 in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The release date was finally settled for September 30 in the UK followed by October 8 in the US. Ahead of the release, Daniel and some of his fellow star cast members joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky to talk about the movie. Daniel told Chris: 'After the last one, I thought that was it. I thought, "I can't do any more of these". I got a bit of a rest and we kind of talked about what we wanted to do with this last movie and how big we wanted to go, and it felt right, and I just got really excited about it, and I can't wait for people to see it. Licence to thrill: Daniel (pictured centre) charmed in a dark pink velvet jacket as led the star-studded arrivals for the world premiere for No Time To Die at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Tuesday 'I saw a rough cut of it about a month after we finished, which is really rough, because there's no special effects or anything. When you see that version of it, you just hope and pray that it makes sense, and it did. 'Once you get the effects, and you get the music, Hans Zimmer's done the music, and it's just incredible. The story holds together. Everyone is just turning in brilliant performances, and I think it's quite special.' Speaking about the enforced delay to the film's release due to the pandemic, the actor said: 'It's odd enough with a movie, when you've finished it, and you put it out and you kind of go, 'Woah, I hope it's good.' 'But when there is a two-year gap between finishing it and putting it out, it just makes things even stranger.' Queen Letizia of Spain cut an elegant figure this evening as she attended the National Culture Awards in Madrid, alongside her husband King Felipe. The Spanish royal couple were at the Prado Museum to present the awards to those in the creative fields. Looking effortlessly stylish, mother-of-two Letizia, 49, opted for a blue wrap dress with contrasting burgundy heels for her ensemble. Queen Letizia of Spain (pictured) cut an elegant figure this evening as she attended the National Culture Awards in Madrid, alongside her husband King Felipe The Spanish royal couple (pictured) were at the Prado Museum to present the awards to those in the creative fields The mother-of-two completed her look by wearing her glossy brunette hair in a fashionable up-do. Meanwhile, King Felipe looked dapper in a black suit with a vibrant yellow tie. Putting safety first, the royal couple donned face masks as they met with award winners and guests. Letizia completed her sophisticated ensemble with a touch of makeup, opting for a radiant smokey eye look. Looking effortlessly stylish, mother-of-two Letizia (pictured with her husband), 49, opted for a blue wrap dress with contrasting burgundy heels for her ensemble The mother-of-two (pictured at the ceremony) completed her look by wearing her glossy brunette hair in a fashionable up-do It's been a busy day for Letizia, with the Spanish queen joining husband King Felipe to receive the president of Angola in Madrid, today. The royal couple hosted a luncheon at the Royal Palace for Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco and his wife Ana Afonso Dias Lourenco, who are on an official visit to the country. Looking typically polished, Letiziaopte d for a stylish fuchsia midi dress which featured a fitted waist, flared hem, french sleeves and box neckline paired with killer snakeskin heels. She initially debuted the dress on the seventh anniversary of the Proclamation of King Felipe VI at the Royal Palace of Madrid in June. Meanwhile, King Felipe (pictured with his wife) looked dapper in a black suit with a vibrant yellow tie Putting safety first, the royal couple (pictured) donned face masks as they met with award winners and guests Letizia (pictured) completed her sophisticated ensemble with a touch of makeup, opting for a radiant smokey eye look It was the first time the Spanish monarch wore a piece by the Madrid-based fashion designer, whose eponymous womenswear label was founded in 2011. The 390 (336) dress is from the designer's SS21 collection and is currently available to purchase online in navy and red. Letizia was effortlessly chic as she received the guests, keeping her look simple with some dainty teardrop earrings and no handbag. Her brown tresses were bouncy and loose around her shoulders while for her make-up look the mother-of-two opted for a subtle smokey eye, light eyeliner and touch of bronzer. It's been a busy day for Letizia, with the Spanish queen joining husband King Felipe to receive the president of Angola in Madrid, today Letizia (pictured) and Felipe presented those in the creative industry with awards during the event at Prado Museum The European royals appeared in good spirts as they greeted attendees at the prestigious National Culture Awards The First Lady of Angola opted for a blue satin tailored skirt with a matching jacket which featured elaborate floral detailing. She paired her look with a matching pair of blue court heels alongside a classic pearl necklace and wore a blue face covering throughout the event. King Felipe, 53, cut a handsome figure in a navy blue suit, paired with a white shirt and blue silk tie. He also wore a white face covering throughout the event. Queen Letizia teamed her wrap dress with oxblood court heels and minimal accessories for an effortlessly glamourous look Felipe and Letizia stood for socially distanced photographs during the awards ceremony in Madrid, Spain A customer's receipt from Nusr-Et Steakhouse has gone viral on social media after totalling a staggering 1,812.40 - with a single steak priced at 630 and just four Red Bulls costing 44. The eye-watering bill from 'Salt Bae's' newly opened restaurant in London's Knightsbridge also shows the table of eight customers had a 236.40 service charge added to their spend. Elsewhere, the customers paid 9 per glass of coke, 12 on four pieces of sweetcorn and 200 on a rack of lamb. People have taken to Twitter to admit the prices on the viral receipt have discouraged them from visiting the restaurant, despite the opening having been highly anticipated since Nusret Gokce, also known as Salt Bae, went viral in 2017. A customer's receipt (pictured) has gone viral on social media after Twitter users spotted the eye-watering cost of Red Bull in addition to the service charge Twitter users have been reacting to the prices of items on the menu at Nusret Gokce's (pictured) newly opened restaurant in London's Knightsbridge Twitter user Jamil Amin shared a picture of the receipt with the caption: '44 great British pounds for four Red Bulls having a laugh.' The post has since racked up almost 10,000 likes with many people admitting they are shocked by the staggeringly high prices on the menu. One person wrote: 'What the f*** is a golden burger? 100 is it the best burger in the world? And 630 for a steak? Lol I would have refused to pay and walked out... That's absolutely ridiculous 44 for Red Bull is also a nonsense' Another said: 'I hope the rest of the cow was given to you in a goody bag! 630 for a steak' A third added: '9 for a coke. Bet the glass was short and thin and filled with ice to the brim. Lol' 'Why is baklava 22 lmao! I need to see that portion phew,' another wrote. Rumours of Salt Bae's London branch have been circulating since 2017. He wrote on Instagram this week: 'I was waiting very long time but finally dream come true' A flood of responses to the receipt have questioned how the restaurant can justify charging 630 for a steak as well as 100 for a burger Others were quick to comment on the 236.40 service charge, with one saying: 'It's the fact they have the nerve to add service charge after serving food and drink at 3 x the average price' Another chimed in: 'Wow people are out here spending my entire bank balance in one night' A third said: 'The cheek to still charge service too! D*** that's a flight!' 'It's way cheaper to fly to Turkey and go to the original restaurant,' another joked. Salt Bae, real name Nusret Gokce, owns a chain of Nusr-Et restaurants and is known for his theatrical salt-sprinkling antics Twitter users have joked that it's cheaper to fly to Nusret's original restaurant in Turkey than to pay the 236.40 service charge Turkish butcher-turned-chef Nusret, has racked up over 38million followers on Instagram since he went viral on social media in 2017 for his way of seasoning meat. The 38-year-old, who has been nicknamed Salt Bae by fans, currently has 17 restaurants in his successful chain and has a legion of celebrity devotees including DJ Khaled, Leonardo DiCaprio and David Beckham. Nusret has been spotted slicing meat for customers at his newly opened London restaurant, where specials include a Golden Giant Tomahwak steak for 1,450, Golden Giant Striplion for 1,350 and Golden Kafes for 500. The opening of Nusr-Et Steakhouse was delayed due to Covid- 19, but has remained in demand with people eager to make reservations. Krispy Kreme Australia has teamed up with Cadbury Caramilk in a sweet collaboration to create two new decadent doughnuts. The doughnut makers ordered 16 tonnes of the fan favourite creamy caramelised chocolate to craft 'The Caramilk Shell' and 'The Caramilk Ring'. For the first time ever in Australia, Caramilk will officially feature in a sweet-baked treat - and will cost just $3.75 per doughnut. The Shell is filled with creme, dipped in Caramilk chocolate and covered in flakes. For those who have a soft spot for the iconic Original Glazed doughnuts, the Ring is for you. It's an Original Glazed doughnut, dipped in Caramilk chocolate, sprinkled in flakes and finished with a white truffle drizzle. Krispy Kreme Australia has teamed up with Cadbury Caramilk in a sweet collaboration to create two new decadent doughnuts 'The Caramilk craze didn't go unnoticed at Krispy Kreme, so we knew we had to give Aussies the chance to taste the two iconic flavours brought together in our delicious doughnuts,' Olivia Sutherland, marketing director at Krispy Kreme Australia, said. 'No one can resist Caramilk, and we love coming up with new flavours for our fans which we're sure will be an irresistibly tasty new addition to the range.' Made with creamy, caramelised white chocolate, Caramilk is now the fastest growing chocolate brand with $56 million of sales and growing 43 per cent in the past year alone. The doughnut makers ordered 16 tonnes of the fan favourite creamy caramelised chocolate to craft 'The Caramilk Shell' and 'The Caramilk Ring' 'Cadbury and Krispy Kreme continue to produce really unique and tasty co-branded products, which have been delivering the wow factor to consumers across the country,' Joanne Raven, co-branding manager ANZ at Mondelez International, said. 'The partnership between these great brands is a growing success and we're already collaborating on what the next taste sensation will be.' The freshly glazed Krispy Kreme Cadbury Caramilk doughnuts are available at more than 700 7-Eleven stores, as well as via 7-Eleven Delivery in participating areas from Tuesday, September 28. If the sell-out chocolate range is anything to go by, dough-not wait around to try it. Pfizer Inc and its German partner BioNTech SE have submitted initial data to U.S. regulators for their COVID-19 vaccine in children aged five to 11 - but approval may not come for many weeks. The companies sent data to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for review, and said they would make a formal request for emergency use authorization in the coming weeks after originally saying they would file by the end of September. This had led many to assume that elementary school kids could start receiving their shots as soon as late October. However, a person familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal that Pfizer and BioNTech may not complete their application until mid-October. That means the FDA may not decide to approve the vaccine until sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE submitted initial trial data for their COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 5 to 11 to U.S. regulators on Tuesday (file image) Recently released data showed that the vaccine induced a 'robust' immune response in younger kids, according to Pfizer. Pictured: Dr Erin Biro holds her son as he receives a shot in Pfizer's clinical trial in younger children On Sunday, Pfizer's CEO Albert Bourla said the company plans to ask the FDA for authorization of its vaccine in younger children 'in days.' In an appearance on ABC's This Week on Sunday, Bourla was asked when the country should expect the shots to be approved in kids between ages five and 11. 'I think we are going to submit this data pretty soon,' he told host George Stephanopoulos. 'It's a question of days, not weeks, and then it is up to FDA to be able to review the data and come to their conclusions and approve it or not.' According to clinicaltrials.gov, Pfizer's study in younger children worked similarly to the way it did in older children and adults. A total of 4,500 younger kids aged six months and older were enrolled at nearly 100 clinical trial sites in 26 U.S. states, Finland, Poland and Spain. Of those children, 2,268 were between ages five and 11. About half of those in the five-to-11 group were given two doses 21 days apart and the other half were given placebo shots. Pfizer Inc's CEO Albert Bourla told ABC's This Week on Sunday (above) that the company will submit its application for FDA approval of its Covid vaccine in children aged 5-11 'in days' The team then tested the safety, tolerability and immune response generated by the vaccine by measuring antibody levels in the young subjects. Pfizer said it had selected lower doses for COVID-19 vaccine trials in children than are given to teenagers and adults. Those aged 12 and older receive two 30 microgram (g) doses of the vaccine. However, children between ages five and 11 were given 10 g doses and kids from six months to four years old received three g doses. Bourla assured that Pfizer would be ready to ship these smaller doses across the country if the FDA authorizes the shot in younger children. 'If they approve it, we will be ready with our manufacturing to provide this new formulation of the vaccine,' he told This Week. 'Because the vaccine that the kids will receive...it's a different formulation. It's one-third of the dose we are giving to the rest of the population.' Unlike the larger clinical trial conducted in adults, the pediatric trial did not measure efficacy by comparing the number of COVID-19 cases among the vaccine group to the number in the placebo group. Instead, scientists looked at levels of neutralizing antibodies in young vaccine recipients and compared the levels to those seen in adults. The companies expect data on how well the vaccine works in children between ages two and five and between six months and two years of age by the end of the year. Recently, pediatric cases also increased from 71,726 per week at the beginning of August to more than 243,000 earlier this month, fueled by the Delta variant. However, they now appear to be trending downward with 206,000 reported last week, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. There have also been 480 pediatric deaths since the start of the pandemic, indicating children make up less than 0.1 percent of all deaths. A poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation that among parents of children aged five to 11, 19% said they only plan to vaccinate their children if their school requires it and another 19% said their child will definitely not be getting vaccinated Currently, no evidence suggests the Delta variant is more dangerous in kids than previous strains of the virus. Because of this low risk of severe illness, polls have shown that many parents are not inclined to vaccinate their children. In an April 2021 poll, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation, parents were asked if they would get their child immunized once a COVID-19 vaccine is authorized and available for their child's age group. Among parents of those between ages five and 11, 27 percent said they would get their child vaccinated 'right away' and 32 percent said they would wait and see how it's working. Nineteen percent said they only plan to vaccinate their children if their school requires it and an additional 19 percent said their child will definitely not be getting vaccinated. A July 2021 survey, conducted by CS Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health at Michigan Medicine found similar results. Among parents of children from ages three to 11, 49 percent said it was likely their kids would be getting a vaccine and 51 percent said it was unlikely. Air pollution may have contributed to almost 6million premature births and nearly 3million babies being born underweight around the world in 2019, a study claims. And it wasn't just pollution from traffic or power plants, which have commonly been thought to be the biggest source of toxic air. Indoor cooking stoves contributed to around two thirds of the cases, according to the research by the University of California in San Francisco. Researchers analysed how outdoor and indoor air pollution impacted pregnancy outcomes around the world. They found the global number of preterm births and underweight babies could be cut by 78 per cent if air pollution was minimised in Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. The authors said indoor pollution, from burning coal, dung, and wood inside homes, is common in these regions with preterm births rates also the highest in the world. But air pollution, and its subsequent impact on pregnancies, is not only a problem in the developing world. The study also found that outdoor air pollution contributed to an estimated 12,000 preterm births in the US in 2019. An estimate wasn't given for the UK. A growing number of studies have pointed to pollution as a factor leading to premature births and miscarriages. Previous research has suggested this is partly a result of women suffering inflammation and 'internal stress' from pollutants. New research has show a combination of outdoor and indoor air pollution was a likely contributor to almost 6 million premature births and nearly 3 million babies being born underweight around the world in 2019. The study authors say the findings should prompt nations to tackle the problem to save the lives of new born children The researchers do not detail how many of the 6million babies born prematurely as a result of air pollution in 2019 survived. However, they do note that preterm birth is leading cause of newborn mortality worldwide. The World Health Organization estimates that 1million babies die every year due to preterm birth complications. Children born prematurely, as well as all babies born with a low birth weight, are at increased risk of developing major illness throughout their lives. These can range from respiratory illnesses, bleeding in the brain and problems with heart and digestive system, and long term intellectual and developmental disabilities. Professor Rakesh Ghosh, the study's main author, said the global health impact of air pollution was immense. 'The air pollution-attributable burden is enormous, yet with sufficient effort, it could be largely mitigated,' he said. Professor Ghosh said the findings should be a wake up call for nations to tackle air pollution for the sake of the next generation. 'With this new, global and more rigorously generated evidence, air pollution should now be considered a major driver of infant morbidity and mortality, not just of chronic adult diseases,' he said. 'Our study suggests that taking measures to mitigate climate change and reduce air pollution levels will have significant health co-benefit for newborns.' The findings were published in the journal PLOS Medicine. Premature birth charity, Bliss, estimates that 60,000 babies are born prematurely in the UK every year, accounting for one out of every thirteen births. In the US, there are about 380,000 premature births a year, accounting for one in ten births according to pregnancy health campaign group March of Dimes. This latest study is the latest in a series of research linking air pollution and problems in pregnancy. Women exposed to air pollution before getting pregnant are nearly 20 per cent more likely to have babies with birth defects, research suggested in January 2018. Living within 3.1 miles (5km) of a highly-polluted area one month before conceiving makes women more likely to give birth to babies with defects such as cleft palates or lips, a study by University of Cincinnati found. For every 0.01mg/m3 increase in fine air particles, birth defects rise by 19 per cent, the research adds. Previous research suggests this causes birth defects as a result of women suffering inflammation and 'internal stress'. It comes just on the heels of an LA County study that found there is low Covid transmission at schools and few outbreaks Schools are not the main source of COVID-19 spread and do not cause a spike in cases, a new study suggests. Researchers from the Institute of Tropical Medicine and International Health in Berlin looked the results of Covid tests across dozens of classrooms across between February 2021 and March 2021. They found that just two students and one teacher tested positive, even as the Alpha variant that originated in the UK was gaining dominance in Germany. The team says the findings show that clusters of COVID-19 infections are not common in schools and that cases in classrooms are often isolated instances. The new study adds to the growing body of research that classrooms are not linked to frequent outbreaks and that students and teachers don't test positive more frequently than those in the general population. A new study looked at nearly 1,000 students, teachers and household contacts across 24 classrooms in Berlin, Germany, in March 2021. Pictured: Students attend school in Berlin, August 2021 A study found that six cases of COVID-19 were detected, of which two were among students, one among teachers and three among household members (above). The students and teacher who contracted the virus all attended different schools For the study, published on Tuesday in JAMA Network Open, the team looked at 24 school classes - 12 primary and 12 secondary - across Berlin. Of the 898 participants, 263 were students and 112 were teachers. The remaining 523 were household members of either pupils or staff. In Germany, after COVID-19 cases began rising in mid-February, the country imposed a lockdown and schools shut down. In March 2021, schools opened again for in-person instruction, but many adopted a split class-model, with half of the original class size in attendance on alternating weeks. Researchers looked at COVID-19 cases both during lockdown and two to three weeks after classes resumed. Few Covid cases were detected in schools even as daily infections spiked in Germany (above), which researchers say suggest there is a low level of infection at schools During lockdown, the team found that just one symptomatic adult household member tested positive for the virus. No students or teachers who were swabbed were confirmed to have the virus during this time. Four weeks later, in March 2021, pupils returned to schools but with mitigation measures in place including three feet between desks, increased ventilation and frequent mask wearing. Of the participants tested, there were six confirmed infections: two students, one teacher and three household members. What's more, the students and teacher who fell ill with COVID-19 attended different schools. New data from the LA County Department of Public Health found a total of 7,995 students out of 1.5 million, or 0.5%, and 1,193 staff out of 157,000, or 0.7%, have tested positive for COVID-19, which officials say is evidence that Covid transmission is low in schools The researchers say these cases were detected even as the Alpha variant was rapidly spreading across Germany, showing that schools are relatively safe even during surges. 'In early 2021, we detected only isolated SARS-CoV-2 infections, no clusters, and one school attendee with an infection,' the authors wrote. 'This low level of infection at schools confirms our previous data.... Our data support that school closures should be the last resort in controlling the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The study comes on the heels of a recent report from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LADPH), which found COVID-19 outbreaks in schools are not common with few students and teachers testing positive - and a very small number of close contacts contracting the virus. Data published online found that, between August 15 and September 13, a total of 7,995 students and 1,193 staff tested positive for COVID-19. With more than 1.5 million students in county schools and 175,000 staff, this means 0.5 percent of children and 0.7 percent workers have contracted the virus since schools reopened. Additionally, a very small percentage of children have tested positive after coming into contact with infected individuals. According to the LADPH, more than 30,000 students and staff were forced to quarantine for seven days after being in contact with a patient. However, just 63 of them went on to test positive themselves, equivalent to 0.2 percent. Health officials from the LADPH say COVID-19 protocols followed by the schools are likely cause for the low numbers, including indoor masking and universal testing by the Los Angeles Unified School District. More than one-third of adults who have recently been vaccinated against COVID-19 say fear of the Delta variant was their biggest motivator rather than incentives or mandates, a new poll finds. The latest wave of the survey, conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), looked at adults who received their first shots after June 1, 2021. Of this group, 39 percent said that the increase in cases due to Delta was a major reason they got vaccinated. By comparison, 19 percent said an employer mandate was a major reason. Meanwhile, booster shots have injected a shot of confusion into the vaccination effort with 71 percent of unvaccinated Americans saying that boosters are a sign that the vaccines don't work. The survey data suggest that public health leaders still have much work to do in promoting vaccination as Covid case numbers - and vaccination numbers - are now falling across the country in a potential end to the Delta surge. New data from KFF provide insights into why people have stepped up to get vaccinated during the Delta surge. Pictured: Vaccination at a clinic in New York City, September 2021 New data from KFF provide insights into why people have stepped up to get vaccinated during the Delta surge. Pictured: Tuesday Ward of West View in Pittsburgh receives a COVID-19 booster shot at Allegheny General Hospital, September 23 The Delta surge was a bigger motivator for vaccinations than employer mandates or other incentives, with 39 percent saying the Delta case increase was a 'major reason' for vaccination Just under three-quarters of American adults now report that they've received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, according new survey data from KFF. KFF found that 72 percent of American adults are now vaccinated, in a survey conducted between September 13 and 22, 2021. The survey included a nationally representative sample of 1,500 adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports a slightly higher vaccination rate: 77 percent of U.S. adults have received at least one dose as of September 27. About two-thirds of U.S. adults are fully vaccinated, according to the CDC. While vaccination rates vary wildly by state, KFF's survey suggests that vaccination gaps between race and ethnic groups have closed in recent months. Now, the vaccination rate is slightly higher for Hispanic adults (73 percent) compared to white adults (71 percent) and black adults (70 percent). Hispanic adults and young adults between ages 18 and 29 saw the biggest vaccination increases from July to September, KFF found. Still, a wide partisan gap remains. About 90 percent of Democrats report being vaccinated, compared to just 58 percent of Republicans. Uninsured adults under age 65 are the least likely to be vaccinated, at a rate of 54 percent compared to all other groups included in KFF's analysis. About 90 percent of Democrats report being vaccinated, compared to just 58 percent of Republicans, KFF's survey found White Evangelical Christians and rural Americans also have low vaccination rates, with 62 percent of both groups reporting that they've received at least one Covid shot. KFF asked those adults who were vaccinated after June 1, 2021 about why they chose to get the jabs. For those recently-vaccinated adults, the Delta surge was the biggest motivator. About 39 percent of those recently vaccinated cited the America'ss case increase as a major reason why they got vaccinated, while 38 percent cited reports of local hospitals becoming overwhelmed with Covid patients. Another significant group - 36 percent - said that they knew someone who got seriously ill or died from Covid during the summer surge. For 14 percent of those recently vaccinated, knowing someone who got seriously ill or died from Covid was the primary reason why they got vaccinated. In addition, KFF found that, in counties with high Covid caseloads, 24 percent had received their first shot after June 1 - compared to 15 percent in counties with low caseloads. Americans living in counties that saw high Covid case counts in summer 2021 were more likely to have received their first dose recently, compared to those living in low-case areas Vaccine requirements and social pressures motivated other groups of recently-vaccinated adults. About 35 percent said that a major reason for their vaccination was a desire to 'participate in certain activities that required vaccination, such as going to a gym, a concert or sporting event, or to travel.' Another 19 percent said that a vaccine requirement from their employer was a major reason why they got vaccinated. A similar number - 19 percent - said that 'social pressure from family and friends' was a major reason for their vaccination. And a smaller number - 15 percent - said that FDA approval was a major reason for vaccination, though just two percent said his was the primary reason they got vaccinated. KFF's findings align with research showing that vaccine incentives - such as Ohio's Vax-a-Million lottery - did not have a significant impact on vaccination rates. Americans who are already vaccinated are more likely to find booster shot information 'helpful' while unvaccinated Americans are more likely to find such information 'confusing' The majority of unvaccinated adults - 71 percent - said that booster news is 'a sign the vaccines aren't working as promised' In recent weeks, vaccine conversation among health experts and political leaders has focused on booster shots. Booster shot news has confused many Americans, KFF found. Just over half - 54 percent - of vaccinated adults said that information they've seen on booster shots has been 'helpful.' Only 24 percent of unvaccinated adults said the same. Democrats are much more likely to say they'll 'definitely' get a booster if recommended - 68 percent of Democrats, compared to 36 percent of Republicans. Among unvaccinated adults, 71 percent say the news about boosters is 'a sign the vaccines aren't working.' When KFF asked already-vaccinated survey respondents to elaborate on their reasons for refusing a booster shot, responses reflected lack of trust in the government and in scientists. 'I don't trust anything the government says anymore,' said one respondent, a 66-year-old black man. Most Americans - 78 percent - say that the federal government should require paid time off to get a Covid vaccine and recover from side effects Still, the majority of survey respondents - 58 percent - supported the Biden administration mandate for large employers to require vaccination or regular Covid testing. A much bigger majority - 78 percent - said the government should require employers to give workers paid time off, to get their shots and recover from side effects. In short, KFF's survey findings suggest that public health leaders at all levels - from the federal government to local health departments - have a lot of vaccine promotion work ahead of them. Daily vaccinations are now once again going down in the U.S. as the Delta surge appears to wane. The pace of COVID-19 vaccinations in the U.S. has continued dropping, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show. As of Wednesday, about 632,000 new doses are being administered per day, a figure not seen since late July. Additionally, under 200,000 Americans are getting their first doses each day - the lowest this number has been since the beginning of the Covid vaccine rollout in December 2020. States with low vaccination rates - such as Idaho and West Virginia - are facing overwhelmed hospitals, with unvaccinated patients taking up beds and preventing others from receiving care. The Delta variant drove an increase in vaccinations, but that inoculation bump appears to now be over as case counts drop across the country. Meanwhile, discussion of booster shots is causing further confusion about the need for vaccination, survey data suggest. The pace of Covid vaccinations has continued falling in the U.S., with fewer Americans getting their first doses. Pictured: An Israeli woman receives a booster vaccine in Jerusalem, September 2021 An average of 632,000 vaccine doses have been administered each day for the past week More than three-quarters of American adults have now received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine, according to the CDC. About 77 percent of over-18s have received at least one dose, and two-thirds of adults are fully vaccinated. Many Americans were motivated to get their shots in August and early September, as the highly-contagious Delta variant swept across the country. When the variant hit states like Florida, Louisiana and Texas, the vast majority of severe Covid cases and deaths occurred among unvaccinated Americans. Out of more than 180 million people who have been fully vaccinated, under 15,000 have had a Covid case requiring hospitalization, following their shots - and just 4,500 have died of Covid. Despite clear evidence that vaccination provides excellent protection against severe Covid, the pace of vaccinations is once again slowing in the U.S. as case numbers drop. The U.S. is now administering about 632,000 doses a day, according to the CDC. That's a drop of about one-third since late August, when the U.S. was administering almost one million doses a day. The pace of Americans getting their first vaccine doses has dropped even more starkly. Under 200,000 Americans are now getting their first doses each day. That's less than half the first dose rate of four weeks ago. In the month of August, more than 400,000 Americans got their first doses each day - sometimes even approaching 500,000 in one day. In fact, the U.S. has not reported under 200,000 first doses a day since December 2020, the very first month of the vaccine rollout. The U.S. is now reporting under 200,000 new first doses a day - the lowest number since December 2020, at the beginning of the vaccine rollout While the majority of Americans are now vaccinated, some states have much higher vaccination rates - and are thus much more protected against Delta - than others. Vermont, Connecticut and Maine are at the top of the rankings, with almost 70 percent of their populations fully vaccinated. Connecticut, one of those well-vaccinated states, recently moved from 'high transmission' status to 'substantial transmission' status, with under 100 new cases for every 100,000 people in the past week. It's the second state to pass this benchmark after California, another highly vaccinated state, did so last week. On the other side of the vaccination spectrum, just over 40 percent of West Virginia's population is fully vaccinated. West Virginia now has over 1,000 Covid patients in hospitals, a record for the state In Idaho - where just 41 percent of residents are fully vaccinated - hospitalization numbers continue climbing to new records West Virginia is currently facing packed hospitals, with more than 1,000 Covid patients undergoing treatment across the state. The Delta surge has been record-breaking for this state - during the peak of the winter surge, it saw about 800 Covid patients in hospitals. The vast majority of West Virginia Covid patients who require hospital care, intensive care, or ventilators are unvaccinated, the state has reported. Governor Jim Justice is encouraging residents to get their Covid shots - including booster shots if they're eligible. Idaho similarly has a low vaccination rate, with about 41 percent of residents fully vaccinated. About 800 Covid patients are currently hospitalized in Idaho. The state recently set a Covid hospitalization record for the third week in a row, and admissions don't appear to be slowing. In recent weeks, Idaho has instituted 'crisis standards of care' for hospitals - allowing healthcare workers to prioritize resources and staff for those patients who may be most likely to survive. As the pace of vaccination slows, news and information on booster shots is proving confusing for many Americans - especially those who aren't yet vaccinated. A recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 71 percent of unvaccinated adults said boosters were a sign that the vaccines do not work as promised. Booster shots, combined with falling case numbers, may cause some not-yet-vaccinated Americans to see less need for vaccination. The trend is worrying public health experts, particularly as colder weather brings the start of flu season. More than nine in ten hospital and nursing home staff in New York State are now vaccinated with at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. At least 60,000 hospital workers received their first doses in the last month, leading up to the state's vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, which took effect Monday. In both hospitals and nursing homes, 92 percent of staffers are now vaccinated, while 89 percent of staff in New York State's adult care facilities are vaccinated. But 36,000 hospital staff members - and thousands more employees in nursing home home and adult care facilities - may be out of work soon if they don't comply with the mandate. Governor Kathy Hochul has prepared for a potential staff shortage by expanding eligibility for providing Covid-related services in the state. The governor is prepared to call in the National Guard if needed, she said. More than 90% of hospital and nursing home staff in New York are now vaccinated. Pictured: Theresa Clarke, Nurse Manager at Mount Sinai South Nassau hospital, was the first staffer from her facility to get vaccinated on December 15, 2020 Governor Kathy Hochul is prepared to call in the National Guard if needed to address a healthcare staff shortage. Pictured: Hochul speaks to the press, September 2021 Healthcare workers in New York State now must be vaccinated to keep their jobs, according to a state-wide mandate. The mandate was announced by then-Governor Andrew Cuomo in August, and was upheld by Hochhul when she succeeded him. It was one of the first - and one of the largest - such mandates to be announced in the U.S. About 450,000 workers in hospitals are impacted by the requirement, along with thousands more nursing home and adult care facility staff. The mandate made a significant impact on vaccinations for these workers, Hochul announced Tuesday. More than nine in ten hospital workers and nursing home workers are vaccinated with at least one dose, according to a New York Department of Health survey conducted on September 27. About 92 percent of hospital workers are now vaccinated - up from 77 percent about one month ago, on August 24. That increase represents about 67,500 hospital workers who got their first shots after the vaccine mandate was announced. Similarly, 92 percent of nursing home staff are now vaccinated - up from 71 percent one month ago. The number is slightly lower for staff working in adult care facilities - 89 percent. 'This new information shows that holding firm on the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers is simply the right thing to do to protect our vulnerable family members and loved ones from Covid,' Hochul said. 'I am pleased to see that healthcare workers are getting vaccinated to keep New Yorkers safe, and I am continuing to monitor developments and ready to take action to alleviate potential staffing shortage situations in our health care systems,' she said. Vaccination rates for New York's healthcare workers greatly exceed vaccination rates in the overall population. Manhattan has the highest rate of any county, at 81.5 percent About 36,000 hospital workers remain unvaccinated - and now face potential job loss due to their vaccination status. A small number of those healthcare workers have protested the state mandate, along with some teachers and school staff. On Monday, Northwell Health announced that it had fired about two dozen 'unvaccinated leaders' who worked at management level in the hospital system. Northwell Health is the largest health provider in the state, with about 74,000 employees in total. Northwell said in a statement that, last week, it reached out to a 'few hundred' employees to remind them of the impending vaccination deadline. 'We are now beginning the process to exit the rest of our unvaccinated staff,' the statement read. People gathered for a rally against New York's Covid vaccine mandates on September 27, 2021, the day the state mandate for healthcare workers took effect Other hospitals are following this trend - firing unvaccinated staff in order to comply with the state requirement. In Buffalo, Erie County Medical Center was forced to suspend non-essential surgeries as it prepares to fire 'hundreds of unvaccinated employees,' a spokesman told Reuters. 'We had to make a decision as to where we could temporarily make some changes so that we could ensure other areas of services are as little affected as possible,' spokesman Peter Cutler said. Hochul is prepared to address a potential healthcare worker shortage by calling upon medically trained National Guard members and retirees, along with vaccinated workers from other states. The governor signed an Executive Order on Monday night, allowing more healthcare workers to provide Covid tests and vaccinations in New York. State leaders are monitoring staffing operations, and are ready to 'provide guidance to health care facilities and help troubleshoot acute situations with providers as necessary,' the governor's office said. Doctors have called for more studies into whether or not COVID-19 vaccines cause period changes after thousands of women have reported irregular menstrual cycles following the shots. Dr Victoria Male, a lecturer in reproductive immunology at Imperial College London, said last year's clinical trials should have looked for abnormal menstruation. At least 6,000 women in the U.S. report that their periods have come earlier than usual, felt heavier or just appeared irregular post-vaccination. Additionally, more than 35,000 women in Britain have complained of suffering irregular periods after being jabbed. Officials have yet to confirm there is a link between the shots and an irregular cycle, but Male said that the uterus has a lining with a high number of immune cells, which are likely activated by the vaccine and lead to irregular bleeding. She added that investigating such a link could help prepare women for the possibility of irregular cycles and increase confidence in the shots. 'Vaccine hesitancy among young women is largely driven by false claims that COVID-19 vaccines could harm their chances of future pregnancy,' Male wrote in The BMJ.. 'Failing to thoroughly investigate reports of menstrual changes after vaccination is likely to fuel these fears.' More than 6,000 women in the U.S. have reported heavier than normal or abnormal menstrual cycles to the CDC's reporting system post-Covid vaccination A doctor has called for more studies into the link between irregular periods and COVID-19 vaccines, saying investigations could calm fears that the vaccines are linked to infertility and increase confidence in the shots (file image) 'We're seeing an association but that's not necessarily causation...We have an opportunity here to study a women's health issue,' Dr Cynthia Brincat, chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Rush University Medical Center, in Chicago, Illinois, told DailyMail.com. 'We're looking at something that impact women's lives tremendously. We welcome anything opportunity to do that.' According to a DailyMail.com analysis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System, there have been at least 6,047 reports of U.S. women reporting abnormal menstrual cycles. However, this is likely a severe undercount because many women who experience abnormal periods will not report it to the CDC. The most common complaint is heavy menstrual bleeding with 2,571 women reporting this symptom as of Thursday. Other frequent reports include irregular menstruation, intermenstrual bleeding, menstruation delayed and abnormal uterine bleeding. However, some women have experienced less common symptoms including an anovulatory cycle, which is when the release of an egg from the ovaries does not occur or superovulation, which occurs when a woman releases more than one egg in a month. Previously, CDC officials have said that none of the reports warrant concern. 'At this time, CDC is not seeing any safety concerns that warrant additional surveillance of irregular menstrual symptoms reported to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System,' Martha Sharan, a public affairs officer for the CDC's Vaccine Task Force said in an email to the Chicago Tribune. She added that the the reports make up 'a very small number' of the more than 300 doses administered in the U.S. However, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded grants to five universities earlier this month to study whether or not there is a link between having abnormal periods and the COVID-19 vaccine. The five studies will likely recruit between 400,000 and 500,000 participants, including adolescents, transgender women and nonbinary people. According to the NIH, there are several factors by which Covid immunizations can cause temporary menstrual cycle changes. This includes stress related to the pandemic, lifestyle changes and even prior COVID-19 infection. The NIH also suggests that the immune system's response to the COVID-19 vaccine may briefly affect communication between immune cells and the uterus. Gynecologists have previously told DailyMail.com that cycle changes post-vaccination can occur - but that they are rare, typically resolve on their own within a month and without medication, and do not affect fertility. In the UK, more than 35,000 women have reported to the country's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency Yellow Card scheme that they have suffered irregular cycles after getting vaccinated. Dr Jackie Maybin, a consultant gynecologist and senior clinical researcher fellow a the University of Edinburgh, said other vaccines, such as the HPV vaccine, have been known to disrupt periods with no noticeable impact on fertility. 'At this stage, it is difficult to be certain regarding the mechanisms causing these effects. It may differ from person to person,' she said in a statement to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Maybin also suggested that stress is playing a role - explaining that when the body is stressed, it prevents pregnancy to conserve energy. Brincat also said that, historically, it's been show that stress impacts women's health with other medications such as chemotherapy 'We're also in a pandemic and there could be other changes such as loss of a job, supply chain issues that cause a change in the stress levels.' Maybin says the COVID-19 may cause a change in stress levels by stimulating immune cells. 'This brain-level effect may explain some of the changes in menstruation observed during the pandemic, with Covid or with vaccination,' she said. She added: 'The resulting inflammation may transiently affect the ovaries, altering their hormone production over one or two cycles, resulting in irregular or heavier menstrual bleeding. 'The inflammation may also temporarily alter how the womb lining breaks down and sheds, causing a heavier period. 'These effects could lead to temporary changes in menstrual symptoms that should spontaneously resolve.' Brincat said she and her colleagues have not had patients approach them complaining of abnormal periods post-vaccination. However, if a menstruating patient came to her telling her about irregular cycles after getting the shot, she would say the following: 'I would say first: "Congratulations on doing the best thing to your overall health by getting vaccinated." 'Second thing I would say is: "Let's look into this and do an investigation. You deserve an investigation."' Tories promise Dave a black eye if he bulldozes the Green Belt They were intended to get the economy moving, but radical proposals by David Cameron to build on the Green Belt are about to get his own MPs moving against him. Tory backbenchers, and some senior Ministers, are furious at suggestions that the Prime Minister is ready to reopen the emotive issue of whether new homes and businesses should be built in protected countryside, an issue they had thought was settled. Mr Cameron risks a dangerous Cabinet split over his apparent willingness to sacrifice the Green Belt, a move that has emerged as he casts around for fresh ideas to stimulate growth. David Cameron (right) held a crisis summit with Nick Clegg (left) and George Osborne (centre) to get the economy back on track In a bid to inject momentum, he held a crisis summit with Nick Clegg and George Osborne at which it was agreed the Coalition had to think the unthinkable to get the economy back on track. The lack of a growth strategy has been a constant criticism of the Government and Mr Osborne has been under increasing pressure over his lacklustre policies as the economy flatlines. The Chancellor apparently made clear he was keen to reopen the debate to make it easier for thousands of homes to be built, as well as shops, hotels and infrastructure projects that would boost the construction industry. He and Mr Cameron are trying to come up with ideas to put into an economic regeneration Bill, expected in the autumn. Mayor of London Boris Johnson told Cameron to 'stop pussyfooting around' The latest panic comes after Mayor of London Boris Johnson embarrassed the Prime Minister by telling the Coalition to stop pussyfooting around. Seen as a likely future leadership contender, he called for tax cuts and action on deregulation. But Mr Osborne has ruled out tax cuts while attempts to deregulate are mired in Lib Dem objections. Last weekend, it emerged Business Secretary Vince Cable opposed plans by Mr Cameron to extend Sunday trading hours. So Mr Cameron and Mr Osborne have reportedly alighted on the idea that laws governing Green Belt land might be relaxed. There is only one problem. The issue has just been the subject of a long and arduous process, culminating in a rule change trumpeted as protecting the countryside. Draft proposals, published last year, were amended to strengthen Green Belt safeguards after they were opposed by groups, including the National Trust, the Campaign to Protect Rural England and Friends of the Earth, which said they amounted to a developers charter. In March, Ministers published the new guidelines aimed at encouraging development on brownfield sites. A presumption in favour of sustainable development should be a key theme in planning decisions and local councils now get the final say on Green Belt decisions. The suggestion that the new rules might be scrapped so soon after implementation has ignited Tory anger. Cabinet Minister Eric Pickles is furious. The Communities Secretary, who in March pledged the countryside was safe under the new rules, is said to be determined to stick to his word. He is wise to do so. A U-turn could spark a bitter Tory rebellion. Mole Valley MP Sir Paul Beresford, said: If they try to do this, theyll have a fight on their hands. We are not going to allow it. At last, Vince and Cameron find something to agree on After his opposition to longer shopping hours on Sunday, Vince Cable has offered David Cameron an olive branch. Im told the Liberal Democrat Business Secretary has been working with the Tories to see what deregulation moves can be agreed, in a bid to launch a package to boost business in the autumn. But the devil is in the detail and it is proving hard for Ministers on both sides of the Coalition to agree on specific measures. Vince Cable (left) has offered David Cameron (right) an olive branch after his opposition to longer shopping hours on a Sunday After Mr Cable fought proposals to allow larger stores to stay open on Sunday, there were fears that he could continue that approach. One Tory Minister said: The Lib Dems want to make it look as if we are trying to put children up chimneys. They want to spend between now and the next Election blocking every deregulation proposal we unveil so that they can say to their voters, Look what the evil Tories tried to do, and we stopped it. One proposal that is gaining consensus, however, is to simplify the laws relating to money-laundering. At present, firms must carry out due diligence checks to make sure customers are who they say they are, especially when carrying out transactions in excess of 15,000 or when the customer is not physically present. Ministers are working on a streamlined system whereby anyone with a British, EU or US bank account is presumed to be clean and does not have to undergo checks. Said one insider: It makes sense to only require firms to do checks when someone turns up with a suitcase full of fivers. Cool Theresa's a hot favourite Keeping calm: Theresa May Once derided for her beige approach to politics, Theresa May has won mounting plaudits for her steady performance in government. Even her staunchest critics have had to alter their view. In fact, with Cameron, Clegg, Osborne and Hague now all on holiday, Tories are expressing relief that the seemingly unflappable Home Secretary has assumed control of the country. The statuesque former leadership hopeful she briefly considered a bid for the top job before backing Cameron is seen to have done particularly well in a brief that has claimed so many scalps. And with other Coalition Ministers lashing out under the strain, she is more than anything admired simply for her ability to keep cool and carry on. Or as one MP puts it: She knows how to get from A to B without knocking over the drinks trolley. As health service bosses begin the process of NHS reform, a strange memo has been leaked to me from St Georges Hospital in Tooting, South London. This is the hospital where 22-year-old Kane Gorny died of dehydration and whose nursing staff were accused of appalling negligence at his inquest. The memo from managers tells staff how to improve patient care by behaving like geese. Entitled Careful Focus; Transforming healthcare by putting people before process, it says that just as geese fly more efficiently in a V formation, people who share a common direction and sense of community can reach their destination quicker and easier, travelling on the thrust of each other. Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it immediately feels the drag, it explains. Lesson: Stay in formation. Sometimes the leading goose gets tired and another takes over. Lesson: Take turns and share in leadership. Geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up the speed. Lesson: Make sure your honking from behind is encouraging. Needless to say, there is nothing about making sure patients are given water. MY VIEW: Actors are as key to keeping a drama fresh as the scripts, says ROY MITCHELL, the co-creator of New Tricks A couple of minutes chat taken from an interview with three stars of New Tricks, the BBC1 police drama I helped create, recently caused a mini sensation in the Twittersphere. Amanda Redman, Alun Armstrong and Dennis Waterman were discussing the characters theyve played with aplomb for nearly ten years. They remarked that DS Sandra Pullman and retired coppers Brian Lane and Gerry Standing, who work in the Metropolitan Police cold case unit, had become stale. To a degree, they may be close to the mark. In Britain for an hour-long drama to carry on for so many years is very rare. Spooks went on for ten series, Hustle for eight, but these, like New Tricks, are highly unusual. The cast of New Tricks (from left) Dennis Waterman, Amanda Redman, James Bolam and Alun Armstrong The common factor in all three shows success has been a strong cast of characters the public really liked. The viewing figures for New Tricks show the audience is still in love with the show and its characters, who I think represent the policemen wed like to have. They may slightly bend the rules to get results, but without being remotely corrupt. Last year, New Tricks was the best-watched drama on BBC with audiences of nine million. The latest series, which started on Bank Holiday Monday, has eight million people watching. So, we must still be doing something right. How can writers keep a long-running drama fresh? In America, to sustain quality and avoid staleness, programmes like CSI and NCIS have a different process, with teams of writers working on episodes collectively. Actors are rarely involved in any way in their creation. Some say that to keep our long-running dramas exciting, we might have to adopt the American way of working. Amanda Redman as Detective Superintendent Sandra Pullman But I passionately believe the best-loved characters are a joint creation of the writers and cast. I write at least two episodes of each series, and as an actor can make or break a script, I like to involve them in developing their characters. Theyre invited to comment on drafts of the story, and once again at the read-through stage. The major problem of maintaining interest in principal characters over multiple series is theres only so much material to be mined before the character becomes repetitive or worse, cliched. One of the best ways to inject new life into a long-running drama is to create new main characters, with new back stories. Thats why, while Im sad to see James Bolam leave the series, Im relishing being able to create whole new storylines around the new member of the team, a Scottish detective played by Denis Lawson. His energy and enthusiasm should reinvigorate writers and cast alike. New Tricks, Mondays, 9pm, BBC1. From left: Jodhi May, Matthew Rhys (also far right), Alice Orr-Ewing and Sheridan Smith in The Scapegoat Pick of the week : The Scapegoat Daphne du Mauriers stories always adapt brilliantly to the screen (large or small), and this feature-length one-off is no exception. Even though it is very different from the original novel (which is set in France), it keeps the compelling central theme, of a man who gets the chance to swap lives with his double. Matthew Rhys (The Mystery Of Edwin Drood, Brothers And Sisters) plays John Standing, a sacked teacher setting off on a walking tour and his louche doppelganger, Johnny Spence, aristocratic landowner and failed businessman. When these two meet by chance, Johnny seizes the opportunity to disappear and John, reluctantly at first, enters Johnnys complicated world A dark, unsettling and utterly gripping story unfolds. Tomorrow, 9pm, ITV1. Nigel Andrew Steve Van Zandt as Silvio Dante in The Sopranos Box Set Release: Homeland Season 1 22 In this gripping thriller Claire Danes stars as a passionate CIA agent convinced that rescued US soldier Nicholas Brody (Damian Lewis) is connected to a terrorist plot on American soil. Out on Monday Comeback Corner Author Jonathan Dimbleby reviews The Cockleshell suicide mission by Paddy Ashdown A Brilliant Little Operation by Paddy Ashdown: Aurum 25 % 19.99 inc p&p The story of Operation Frankton, made famous by the 1955 film The Cockleshell Heroes, is highly susceptible to the Boys Own treatment: a handful of British commandos enter the jaws of Hitlers France in the winter of 1942 and paddle their way up the enemy-infested Gironde estuary to fix limpet mines to Nazi merchant ships in Bordeaux harbour. It is breathtaking stuff. When this story is told by a former Royal Marine, whose political reputation has been burnished by his action man image, the sceptic is bound to fear the worst. But Paddy Ashdown has not fallen for the obvious. Instead he has written a meticulously researched and truly shocking account of an operation that should never have been authorised. That it went ahead is bleak testimony to shameful inter-service rivalries, poor intelligence, inadequate planning and a casual attitude towards extreme risk by Lord Mountbatten who, as Head of Combined Operations, coined the phrase a brilliant little operation to describe what the author portrays convincingly as a not-so-brilliant cock-up. Paddy Ashdown, former Liberal Democrat leader, has told a gripping and important story The heroism of the 12 commandos who paddled into the Gironde can hardly be exaggerated, but it can only too easily be sentimentalised. Ashdown observes, however, that heroism has less to do with patriotic fervour than mutual survival. With the exception of their commander, Blondie Hasler, who emerges as an elusive oddball with a remorseless will, they were a military job-lot with no uniting cause except an appetite for adventure. Haslers plan was no less oddball. He badgered his superiors into believing a raid, under cover of darkness, by canoes laden with high explosive would be the most effective way of torpedoing the vital flow of Axis supplies to and from Bordeaux. But the risks clearly outweighed the potential gains as Haslers men would all too soon find out. From the moment their six canoes were launched from a submarine at the mouth of the Gironde, Haslers plans started to unravel. He was apparently unaware of the dangerous overfalls breaking seas kicked up by rip-tides that bedevil the estuary, forming a mortal hazard to any small boat, let alone a heavily laden cockleshell. Disaster was inevitable. And it was to get worse. Only two canoes and four men survived to paddle the 70 miles upriver, avoiding German patrols, to reach their target. In his account of this hair-raising, if not hare-brained, enterprise, Ashdown sustains an incisive narrative of great suspense, laced with a moral outrage that is all the more powerful for being both understated and underpinned by telling detail. The author is particularly incensed by the fact that no plans had been made for the commandos to escape after an operation from which, according to Ashdown, Mountbatten did not expect any of them to return in any case. That two of the original 12, Hasler and his paddling companion, managed to evade capture, torture and execution is down to incredible luck and the courage of French citizens who led them to the Resistance. Ashdowns devastating indictment of the whole enterprise is that Mountbatten would almost certainly have vetoed Haslers brilliant little operation if he had been aware of a parallel and far more promising raid being mounted against the same target by the Special Operations Executive. But such was the rivalry between the two services, and the shocking level of deceit, that neither knew what the other was up to. Ashdown has told a gripping and important story from which the Cockleshell heroes but almost no one else emerge with distinction. Jonathan Dimblebys new book, Destiny In The Desert, is published by Profile Books in October. A cherished church built on pinecones Most of us, if we think of pinecones, are more likely to be reminded of Christmas decorations than ancient fertility symbols. And when we picture a clever young woman, living with her sister in a large country house at the end of the 18th Century, we are more likely to conjure up a Jane Austenish character than someone interested in mythology and architecture. But in her richly surprising new book, Jenny Uglow tells the story of Sarah Losh and one of the strangest and most magical churches in Britain: St Marys at Wreay in Cumbria. Visionary: Sarah Losh, who designed St Marys, Wreay Sarahs exuberant imagination can be seen throughout the Byzantine-style church, which she built in 1842. It is filled with carvings that were considered extraordinary, even shocking at the time: poppies and butterflies, an arrow piercing a wall, fossils, a flying tortoise gargoyle, a pulpit which is shaped like a hollow tree and her signature pinecones symbols of fertility. Sarah was born in Cumbria in 1786 into a family of wealthy landowners. She grew up at Woodside, the big house at Wreay, but her mother died when she was only 13, and this brought her even closer to her younger sister, Katha-rine. The girls were much admired, but there seems never to have been any question of marriage. This book is packed with extraordinary characters: the great Scottish mathematician John Leslie, who dyed his hair purple; the future Duke of Norfolk, who never washed but was hosed down by his servants when drunk; and the famous geologist William Buckland, who dined on toasted fieldmice. But it is Uncle James Losh who inspired Sarah to share his love of radical politics and poetry. He is the hero of the tale and his diary, preserved in Carlisle library, is the vital source for it. After their fathers death in 1814 the sisters travelled widely in France and Italy, on their version of the Grand Tour. The buildings and carvings Sarah saw, especially in Rome, hugely influenced her: the Vatican collections include a Roman stone pinecone, the largest in the world. On her return, she and Katharine started work, first altering Woodside, then rebuilding the village school and adding a Pompeian cottage. When Katharine died in 1835, Sarah set about the church. She employed local craftsmen and learned from them how to carve and sculpt. At a time when there were no women architects, she even designed the new church herself, becoming, as Simon Jenkins puts it, a Charlotte Bronte of wood and stone. Uglow does no more than hint at the questions raised by the many non-Christian symbols. It is, however, difficult not to be aware of phallic or erotic imagery: the lotus-shaped candlesticks Sarah carved herself out of pink alabaster, the many pinecones and the arrow piercing the wall suggest an intense subconscious at work. Sarah died in 1853, but a version of Woodside still stands, as does the church. Its well worth a visit, all the more so once youve read this original and beautifully written book. The Pinecone by Jenny Uglow Faber 20 15.99 inc p&p Polish on parade. . . Spit and polish in the household has never been so glamorous. But this has nothing to do with cleaning the cutlery, its more about swords, buckles and armour. Here comes the Cavalry: Proceeds from Uniquely British will go to the Cavalry's charity The Household Cavalry always cut a dash as they clatter through the streets of London on Royal occasions. But their role is not just decorative, for the men of the Life Guards and the Blues And Royals, who make up the Household Cavalry, are regular soldiers who have seen action in Bosnia, Northern Ireland and Afghanistan. Nothing towers in Mumfords Babel The need for a personal hinterland, as Denis Healey memorably put it, applies not only to politicians but to pop musicians. Or at least, to those who would treat pop as a serious business. Which is why the annexing of British pop by the well-to-do matters. Its not that such individuals are lacking in talent, its that their collective dominance has a deadening effect on the prevailing culture. If your life has taken you from, say, nursery to private school, to Classics degree, to messing about with guitars, the results are liable to seem, well . . . unlived in. Thus with folk-rock band Mumford & Sons, although the millions who bought their first album, Sigh No More, would surely disagree. Either those listeners find in its strenuous, earnest insipidity a thrill that eludes me, or their requirement for a favourite album is quite different from mine, which is to be transported, one way or another. Sigh No More, to me, is like jogging on the spot for 50 minutes, while men in waistcoats whine and strum in my ear. Empty Smiles: Mumford & Sons have all the notes, but not the conviction (Left to right: Marcus Mumford, Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett and Country Winston) There is a trend here, and it extends far beyond a folk revival that has given us both big-selling West London pallor (Mumford, Noah & The Whale, Laura Marling) and cultishly treasured Scots vitality (King Creosote, Withered Hand). It seems that the most successful new British acts of any genre are so often those who offer the form of the thing without the spirit of it. Joss Stone did this with soul; The Vaccines are doing it with New Wave rock n roll. Folk music can be bloody or beautiful, raw or fragile; but in Mumfords hands it delivers, more than anything, tasteful, nostalgic solipsism. Its a hallmark of our time, and of our burgeoning market for those darling crafted things that are just so Me. That market will love Babel too, no doubt, with its Olde England meets-faux-bucolic sleeve; its vigorous tappy-toe tunes (theyve gone upbeat! Hoorah!) and its robust sonic embellishments. Iconic: Psychedelic pop group Pink Floyd found rich inspiration in English landscapes (L-R) Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Syd Barrett and Rick Wright It is very much an artefact, which would be dandy in a digital age, we could certainly use more of those were it not one woven, with diligent and sincere care, out of navel fluff. There is no doubting that these chaps put both their hearts and their elbows into it; that they mean each harmonised note and work each laborious stanza with every fibre of their being. But in the end, there is no life there. Nothing towers in Babel. No confusion of tongues clamours through it. Babel thrums and pounds and strives its way through its hearty songs and ambitious arrangements, and leaves you just the way it found you, in the very same place. That this place is England is not the problem. Bands as varied as Pink Floyd, Doves and The Clientele have found rich inspiration in English landscapes. Its true that the American West has a ready-made resonance, an aura of cinematic myth, but this alone cant explain why moving from the Mumford album to a Calexico gig takes us not merely across an ocean and a continent, but to a different world. The fusion of Western and Hispanic implicit in the bands name, taken from a town on the Mexican border, has become more intricate and exuberant with the emphasis on the touring outfits Mariachi horn players. Their latest, lovely album, Algiers, is on the low-key side, but in performance theyre on peak form, with a rare lightness and vivacity. They have songs that hang and drip like honeysuckle on desert air; that tread on cat-paws; that roll and sway with the haunted rattle of a freight train. And they underscore that what matters is not where you draw your music from, but whether you can illuminate it from the inside with your own spark. Youve either got it or you aint, and a wall full of gold records cant change that. Mumford & Sons, Babel Island, out tomorrow CDS RELEASED THIS WEEK DJ Shadow is a titanic figure in the world of sampling, having elevated to an art form the practice of splicing new music from old on 1996s Endtroducing....., his adored debut. The true measure of Shadow is the moody brilliance he has been able to conjure from his unlimited palette. Reconstructed maps two decades of this painstaking work over two CDs and its a cinematic trip, from the psychedelia of early singles High Noon and Organ Donor, via the lush soul-jazz of This Time (Im Gonna Try It My Way) to later collaborations with indie figures such as Radioheads Thom Yorke. DJ Shadow, Reconstructed The Best Of DJ Shadow Island, out tomorrow Silly hair: No Doubt in 2000. It has been eleven years since they last released an album No disrespect to the chaps with silly haircuts who account for three-quarters of Californian pop giants No Doubt, but its unlikely the 11-year gap between albums was at their insistence. In that time, Gwen Stefani has made two successful solo records, had two children and launched her own clothing line. Star quality, of which Stefani has more or less No Doubts full allowance, is something people will generally wait for. The band humbly protest that the Jamaican tint to their bouncy sound doesnt make them pioneers. But they are a stylish, consistent lot; songs such as first single Settle Down and Easy achieve a considered balance of exotic detail and chart-readiness. No Doubt, Push And Shove Polydor, out tomorrow From her Im Like A Bird debut via the dancefloor excursions of Maneater and Promiscuous, Canadian-Portuguese star Nelly Furtado has always sounded like herself, no small achievement in the homogenising pop factory. Thats partly because of her distinctively nasal voice. But her musical palette, mingling R&B, pop and hip-hop with vibrant Latin splashes, is her real stock-in-trade. If she had a divas vocal force, she might not take the trouble to root around for the remarkably effective car-horn accompaniment of Parking Lot, the ethnic strum of Bucket List or the raw, dark beats that bear aloft her paean to earrings, Big Hoops (Bigger The Better). Nelly Furtado The Spirit Indestructible Polydor, out tomorrow Theres only so long that three larky Californian punks, touching 40, can sing power ballads about teenage alienation, so Uno! finds Green Day thrashing about again, the twist being that two further albums, Dos! and Tre! after drummer Tre Cool are due in November and January. Green Day on their basic setting are straightforward every song is Ramones-indebted with sometimes a trace of gypsy-folk, a dash of the Beach Boys, a bit of new wave. Its all a bit juvenile, but they do it better than almost anyone, with an energy and panache that can usually enliven a formula that was old even before they adopted it. Green Day Uno! Sheridan Smith is a Hedda gabbler Hedda Gabler (The Old Vic, London) Rating: It is for her portrayal of ordinariness and likeability that Sheridan Smith has shone on the stage: as the blonde who wasnt so dumb in the musical Legally Blonde; and as the brassy ex-barmaid in Terence Rattigans Flare Path, awaiting news of her husband, missing in action. Theres nothing ordinary or likeable about Hedda Gabler, the original desperate housewife, in the Ibsen drama first staged in 1891. In giving Smith the challenging role of the generals daughter who is a crashing snob and consumed with boredom, director Anna Mackmin was obviously casting against type. She is also, presumably, hoping to draw a new audience for Ibsens great play of Smiths Gavin & Stacey fans. Henrik Ibsen's Hedda Gabler directed by Anna Mackmin at The Old Vic. Sheridan Smith as Hedda Gabler and Daniel Lapaine as Eilert Loevborg So, is Smith up to it? Not yet. Her voice is tight and locked on to one thin note, and she swallows the ends of her sentences: a gabbler more than a Gabler. For the first half she wears a fixed and oddly unreadable smile. Perhaps it is intended as a mask, for Hedda doesnt appear to be amusing herself by sneering at Aunt Ju-Jus lack of sophistication or in bullying the maid, Bertha, whom she deliberately miscalls Berna. Smith (also to be seen in the new film Hysteria) simply cant do chilly or beastly with real conviction. Nor grand. Nor layers of feeling. Fortunately, the smile drops off when Hedda begins to unravel and snivel, having realised that all her meddling in other peoples lives has spectacularly misfired. She becomes bleakly aware of herself as a waste of space. Brian Friels new version has lightened the mood of Ibsens sombre play. Heddas husband George (Adrian Scarborough) has become too much of a buffoon in the process: witness his absurd ritual of running to place a possessive arm around Heddas shoulders whenever a guest enters, and his ludicrous paean of praise to his embroidered slippers. Relatable: Sheridan Smith (seen here in TV drama Accused) appeals to the masses Darrell DSilva makes a revoltingly rakish judge and the marvellous Anne Reid is both cosy and frosty as dear old Aunt Ju-Ju. Only Smith is, as yet, too ordinary. Some superbly judged performances in the Hampstead Theatre revival of David Hares play The Judas Kiss make it much more persuasive, witty and absorbing than it appeared to be when it premiered in 1998. It explores the relationship between Oscar Wilde (Rupert Everett, bulked up to look bloated) and his young aristocrat lover, Lord Alfred Bosie Douglas (Freddie Fox, exquisitely pretty, pouting and petulant). Their disastrous liaison ultimately cost Wilde two years in jail. He lost his reputation, his health, his wealth and the company of his beloved children. Hare imagines two key episodes in which, on both occasions, the worthless Bosie abandons Wilde. In the first, in a luxurious hotel room draped in silk, Wilde decides to stay in London and go on trial for sodomy rather than flee to Ireland. In the second, after his release, Wilde has shacked up with Bosie in a meagre villa in Naples. They are no longer lovers. Wilde watches while Bosie is practising astronomy with a bronzed Italian fisherman named Galileo, a neat excuse for some Wildean wordplay: See stars, did you? he wonders, without apparent jealousy. Indeed, apathy and inertia would seem to be Wildes overriding emotions, whatever the situation, and Everett is excellent at affecting indifference. Action is something my mother brought me up to distrust, declares Wilde, and he boasts of once taking a taxi to a party three doors away. Hare portrays Wilde as a man who has cast himself in the tragic role of an exiled homosexual rather than the hypocrite living a lie. Bosie can betray him but Oscar will not betray himself. Here, evidently, lies the importance of being Oscar. Whether it is true or not, Hare and Everett make a fascinating case. Just too ordinary: Hedda Gabler starring Anne Reid and Adrian Scarborough Caryl Churchills astonishing new piece, Love And Information, is a blast of 58 playlets. Each is very short, witty and poignant, a tiny, detailed snapshot of two people talking and exploring the relationship between facts and feelings. In every playlet some no more than a fragmentary exchange of sentences a piece of information is dropped, like a stone into a pond, leaving the ripples to be imagined by the audience. A girl tells a boy that shes his mum, not his sister. A schizophrenic says a traffic light is telling her to hurt someone. A woman learns she has a ten per cent chance of being alive in three years. A savant can recall every detail of any particular day. A man insists hes in love with a computer-generated woman. Another man tells his girlfriend he is infertile. Churchills theme is how we feel about specific, unalterable truths, be it impersonal stuff such as climate change, or the profoundly personal, such as the death of a husband. James MacDonalds dazzling, playful production makes the piece a human experiment in which an outstanding cast bring each situation to vivid life inside a clinical white cube that is suggestive of a lab. The effect is similar to TV channel-hopping, as one catches a fleeting glimpse of dozens of different little dramas, each suggesting enough material for a ten-part series. This joyous, exhilarating example of less proving infinitely more is easily my play and production of the year. Stalins empire hadnt a prayer IRON CURTAIN: THE CRUSHING OF EASTERN EUROPE 1944-1956, by Anne Applebaum Allen Lane 12.99 10.99 inc p&p Rating: Stalin once confessed that imposing communism on Poland was as absurd as trying to saddle a cow. He was enough of a realist to know that, like much of Eastern Europe, Poland was too Catholic, too tied to its historical traditions, too freedom-loving and too anti-Russian to be comfortably Sovietised. Yet from the end of the Second World War, he imposed communism on the Poles and all the countries conquered by the Red Army, from the Baltic to the Black Sea. Stalin knew he didn't have a prayer of successfully introducing communism into Poland In 1946 Churchill warned of an iron curtain falling across Europe. Life behind it was obscured for decades. But with the opening of Soviet-era archives, the story can at last be told. Anne Applebaum is exceptionally well qualified to tell it. Her deep knowledge of the region, breadth of view and eye for human detail makes this as readable as her last book, on the Gulag. Applebaum rejects the common argument that the Soviets began with a moderate approach and imposed harsher policies only after 1948 in response to the Cold War. She shows that from the start, the Soviets undermined centre-Left elected governments while paying lip service to democracy. German communist Walter Ulbricht said: Its got to look democratic. But we must have everything in our control. He was one of the little Stalins trained in Moscow and flown into Eastern Europe after the Red Armys victory. Applebaum is good on these servile mediocrities, and on the grey policemen, also trained by Soviet masters, who took control of the interior ministries and used their power to discredit and arrest politicians standing in the way of communist hegemony. The collapse of the Soviet empire took almost everybody by surprise. But it had its roots in the life of Eastern Europe's nations The Soviets allowed elections only because they thought the communists would win. When voters turned against them, they rigged polling and stepped up arrests of centrist politicians and anyone accused of fascist sympathies. The communists were masters of this salami tactic (a phrase coined by Hungarian communist leader Matyas Rakosi). First they bullied centrists into slicing off Right-wing colleagues. Then they allied with socialists to slice off the centre. In the end, only communists remained in power. Applebaum is at her best exploring Sovietisations social impact. The Communist dictatorships crushed or subordinated churches, charities, societies and clubs. No independent body could be trusted: not even scouts or womens leagues. Some civic leaders collaborated to advance careers or protect followers. Others bravely resisted: especially priests who refused to compromise their faith. As Applebaum says, it was not always clear what was right, morally or tactically. Cardinal Mindszenty spoke out against communist attacks on the Hungarian church, but was arrested and subjected to a humiliating public trial in 1949. Yet his Polish counterpart, Cardinal Wyszynski, signed a document in 1950 compelling the clergy to support the communists. He was condemned by many Catholics, but had gained precious time for the Polish church to fight another day. The church was fundamental to the Polish resistance. Their national movement began with widespread strikes in 1956, which in turn encouraged the Hungarian uprising that year. This was Stalins worry when he spoke of saddling a cow: that the nations religion might preserve its freedom and help it to escape the Kremlins control. He was right. Polish resistance culminated in the Solidarity movement of the Eighties. It was based on a social vision of Catholicism backed by a Polish-born pope, John Paul II. As Applebaum tells us in the final passages of her magisterial history, most Western commentators had assumed the opposition movements would be worn down as communism worked its way into the souls of nations by indoctrinating their youth. They were wrong. The collapse of the Soviet empire took almost everybody by surprise. But it had its roots in the life of Eastern Europes nations, in a spirit the communists could not control. Vogue looks back in style Vogue magazine is the fashionistas bible, not only following trends but setting them. But now it is looking backwards, having raided its archives for a new sort of collection: a series of books devoted to the great designers of the 20th Century. Vogue looks backwards with a series of books devoted to the great designers of the 20th Century The books feature photographs, such as those here, the work of Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, Christian Dior and Alexander McQueen At The Mail on Sunday we take great pride in the quality of our journalism. All our journalists are required to observe the Editors Code of Practice and The Mail on Sunday is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), the new regulatory body for the Press set up in response to the Leveson Inquiry. We aim to correct any errors as promptly as possible. Last week we said the pay of James Vyvyan Robinson, managing director of Clearspring Ready Homes Ltd, which has Government contracts to house and transport asylum seekers, had risen from 200,470 in 2014 to 960,000 in 2015. In fact, his salary remained the same. The company chairman, Graham King, got 960,000, which included repayment of a loan he had made to the company. We apologise for the error. A picture caption referred to penguins in South Georgia, US. South Georgia, of course, is an island in the South Atlantic. On December 20, in two articles under the headings Bullying scandal: Another top Tory resigns and The Tatler Tory, the youth wing godfather and the bullying scandal poisoning Mrs Thatchers legacy, we said Donal Blaney had been forced to resign in disgrace as chairman of Conservative Way Forward (CWF) because of his links to the Tatler Tory scandal. We would like to make clear that Mr Blaney announced he was resigning because he needed to spend increasing time in the US to take care of his sick wife and his expanding legal business there. He says he was not forced to resign in disgrace. He has said he regrets having had any involvement with Mark Clarke which he ended some time ago. In addition, Mr Blaney points out that Lord Feldman played no role in his appointment at CWF; his auction purchase of 200,000 of Thatcher memorabilia was on behalf of a client; that he spent his own money to underwrite the Young Britons Foundation (YBF); and that the YBF conference in December was postponed, not cancelled. We are happy to make this clear and apologise to Mr Blaney for any misunderstanding. If you wish to report an inaccuracy, please email corrections@mailonsunday.co.uk. To make a formal complaint under IPSO rules please go to www.mailonsunday.co.uk/readerseditor where you will find an easy-to-use complaints form. At The Mail on Sunday we take great pride in the quality of our journalism. All our journalists are required to observe the Editors Code of Practice and The Mail on Sunday is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), the new regulatory body for the Press set up in response to the Leveson Inquiry. We aim to correct any errors as promptly as possible. An advertisement feature about UK travel showed a picture of Mont St Michel, in France, rather than St Michaels Mount, in Cornwall. A report of the Mental Health Taskforce that highlighted underinvestment and poor management was described as an audit of the UK. In fact, the report was by NHS England. Devolved health services in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were not covered. If you wish to report an inaccuracy, please email corrections@mailonsunday.co.uk. To make a formal complaint under IPSO rules please go to www.mailonsunday.co.uk/readerseditor where you will find an easy-to-use complaints form. At The Mail on Sunday we take great pride in the quality of our journalism. All our journalists are required to observe the Editors Code of Practice and The Mail on Sunday is a member of the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), the new regulatory body for the Press set up in response to the Leveson Inquiry. We aim to correct any errors as promptly as possible. On January 17, 2016, we suggested that, despite reaching an out-of-court settlement with her stepson, Viscount Hambleden, Lady Lesley Hambleden, had failed to pay all the money she owed to him. Lady Hambleden has pointed out that she did pay the full amount agreed. We are happy to make this clear and apologise for the error. If you wish to report an inaccuracy, please email corrections@mailonsunday.co.uk. To make a formal complaint under IPSO rules please go to www.mailonsunday.co.uk/readerseditor where you will find an easy-to-use complaints form. Online motor sales sites have tracked huge spikes in electric car interest in recent days, with panic buying of petrol potentially triggering the 'most influential switching event ever'. Hundreds of thousands of commuters unable to fill up on Monday were forced to work from home, while some taxi drivers were unable to hit the road as forecourts started to run out of petrol and diesel. Scenes of enormous tailbacks outside filling stations and motorists filling jerry cans have dominated the national media since Friday, when motorists began to rush to the pumps amidst concerns about the lack of HGV drivers to deliver supplies of fuel. For some, it could be the tipping point for their intentions to ditch their internal-combustion-engine cars and get behind the wheel of EVs. Has the last few days of petrol panic buying changed your mind about EVs? As an electric Tesla is photographed driving past a queue of cars waiting to fill up at a BP station in Peterborough, online retailers suggest the recent crisis could trigger many to switch to battery models now The bedlam witnessed in recent days has sparked a massive upsurge in demand for electric cars, with the UK's biggest automotive marketplace, Auto Trader, claiming that electric car advert views have skyrocketed as more Britons toy with the idea of making the switch well ahead of the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel models in 2030. 'We are all familiar with the idea of range anxiety, but the events of the past few days mean we are entering the age of fuel anxiety,' said Ian Plummer, commercial director, Auto Trader. 'We have seen a massive surge in consumer engagement for electric cars on our marketplace over the weekend. 'Not only did the number of advert views for new and used electric models increase a record 28 per cent and 61 per cent respectively versus the previous weekend, but we also saw a huge uplift in the number of people sending enquiries to retailers, with one sent every two minutes. 'This suggests that people aren't simply flirting with the idea of electric but have been encouraged to actively pursue a purchase.' For some, the last few days of fuel shortages at filling stations could be the tipping point for their intentions to ditch their internal-combustion-engine cars and switch to EVs, according to new and used vehicle retailers Auto Trader said advert views for second-hand electric models rose 61% over the weekend as more drivers appear tempted by the prospect of charging at home and avoiding petrol stations Motor sales platform carwow also claims to have experienced an 'unprecedented boom' in people looking to switch to electric vehicles, with online searches increasing by 28 per cent on Friday - when panic buying began - to 43 per cent on Saturday and as high as 56 per cent by Sunday. Sepi Arani, carwow's director of trade, said: 'The fuel supply crisis and the scenes of panic at the pumps could prove to be the most influential switching event ever, with more people than ever considering switching to electric. 'The levels of demand for EVs through carwow this weekend have been completely unprecedented and are genuine proof that more people want to make the switch,' he adds. 'After a weekend of queuing, frustration and hysteria, having the option to charge your vehicle from the comfort of your own home, or from a public charging point, seems like bliss for more and more people. 'What's more, with second-hand car prices rocketing, there's really never been a better time to sell your car and make the switch to electric you'll get a great price for your current vehicle, you'll be more than ready for the NetZero changes that are inevitably coming, and you'll never have to worry about a fuel shortage again. 'We've also seen a huge spike 94 per cent compared to last week of people researching EV ownership and reviewing our electric vehicles advice hub, researching the range of vehicles, finding out about home charging and searching for their local charging points.' Hundreds of thousands of commuters unable to fill up on Monday were forced to work from home while some taxi drivers were unable to hit the road as forecourts started to run out of petrol and diesel Sepi Arani, carwow's director of trade, said the fuel supply crisis and the scenes of panic at the pumps could end up becoming the 'most influential switching event ever' EVs and PHEVs outsell diesels in Europe in August Official figures collated from 26 European markets show that pure electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids outsold new diesel cars across the continent for the first time on record. A sharp uptick in demand last month saw these plug-in vehicles post their second highest ever monthly market share, making up 21% of all cars registered. They combined to outsell diesel vehicles by 10,100 units. Demand was particularly strong for the electric versions of the Fiat 500, Peugeot 208, Hyundai Kona, Opel Corsa and Kia Niro, in addition to the Volkswagen ID.3 Europes top-selling EV during the month. Additional research by the energy team at Uswitch claimed there had been a 91 per cent rise in searches for electric cars on Monday alone, with the biggest spikes recorded in Cheshire. Specialist website Electrifying.com claimed to have recorded a 75 per cent increase in searches on its website over the weekend. Further analysis of Google search data by Carguide.co.uk also claims that online searches for electric cars in the UK on Friday 'exploded' by 16 times the average daily volumes. It says an ongoing petrol station fuel shortage is likely to accelerate this trend of UK drivers considering an alternative to internal combustion engine-powered cars. 'This trend will likely continue, as more and more people become conscious of their viability, and almost every major manufacturer is committed to electrifying their vehicle portfolio - with the electric car ranges and capabilities increasing almost exponentially as new models come to market,' a spokesperson for the website told This is Money. Vehicle leasing firms also reported similar cases of rising demand for EVs in recent days, with interest clearly spiking as a result of the shortages of fuel at the pumps. LeaseLoco said that on its site in August, EVs represented 25 per cent of all searches online. However, in the last seven days - the majority of them mired by petrol panic buying - that tally has risen to 33 per cent. LeaseLoco said searches on its site during September showed a rise in EV demand in recent weeks as petrol cars seemed to become less attractive Auto Trader says the most-viewed car on its site over the weekend was this electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 Second in the list of most viewed motors was the Ford Mustang Mach-E EV (pictured) Auto Trader says that four of the five most searched for cars on its website on Saturday and Sunday were electric models, with Hyundai's new Ioniq 5 coming out top, followed by the Ford Mustang Mach-E electric SUV. While these reports might have eco activists rubbing their hands together in glee, Ian Plummer warned that significant EV hurdles might not translate directly from interest to purchases. 'Despite this boost in activity, it's unlikely to represent a major step towards the Government's Road to Zero ambitions. That's because electric cars are prohibitively expensive for the majority of people, and despite the significant increase in range performance among new models, capable of reaching around 250 miles on a single charge, concerns of an inadequate charging infrastructure remain,' he explains. 'To make them a genuinely viable option for mainstream buyers, we need more commitment to provide greater incentives to deal with the upfront cost, as well as more investment to improve the national infrastructure to support both those rare long journeys, and those without access to home charging. 'Concern about petrol availability won't end when the pumps start up again, and so this increased interest represents a unique opportunity to inform, to excite and to incentivise car owners to make the switch. 'If the Government is serious about reaching its 2030 targets, then it is one it can ill afford to miss.' When he stood before the UN last week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson decried Muppets character Kermit the Frog on two counts: being rude to Miss Piggy and his insistence that 'it's not easy being green.' Governments across the world certainly have their work cut out in leaving the planet in a better condition through measures such as renewable energy, ramping up electric vehicle production and protecting woodlands from deforestation. The day before Johnson's UN speech, the UK Government revealed it had raised 10billion from selling 'green gilts,' a record amount for a sovereign green bond. This bond sale forms a part of the UK's plan to become a net zero country by 2050, a programme which also includes investing in renewable technologies, creating green jobs and protecting Britain's biodiversity. Going green: Prime Minister Boris Johnson said this week that it was wrong for Muppets character Kermit the Frog (pictured with Miss Piggy) to say: 'It's not easy being green' Will the gilts help the UK decarbonise fast enough and prove a boon for investors? Well, the Climate Change Committee estimates that Britain needs to spend 50billion per year on low-carbon investment by 2030 to reach its net zero target. On top of other private and public investments, 10billion from selling green gilts is certainly putting the country in closer reach of its funding goals. Fund managers have noticed how strong investors' appetite was for the bonds. 'We were not surprised by the strong level of demand, but clearly, this was an exceptional outcome for the UK government,' said Quentin Fitzsimmons, portfolio manager of the T. Rowe Price Global Aggregate Bond Fund. 'The new bond appeared to us to be cheap to the curve and attractively priced against similar recent green sovereign issuance in Germany and Ireland, for example, where we have seen those bonds trade at lower yields than adjacent bonds on the yield curve.' Funding raise: The UK Government revealed it had raised 10billion from selling 'green gilts' last week, a record amount for a sovereign green bond The UK Government is also planning to raise another 5billion sometime later this year via another issue of green gilts and introduce the world's first green retail product: the Green Savings Bonds from National Savings & Investments (NS&I). As outlined in its Green Financing Framework published in June, it intends to put the money raised towards projects such as offshore wind, energy efficiency and household decarbonisation. David Katimbo-Mugwanya, a senior fund manager at Edentree, believes investors should back green gilts, because of the 'considerable amount of funding' that governments need to transition in time and reach their climate goals. He adds: 'Governments, with their ability to mobilise such vast amounts of funding and deploy proceeds at scale, will play a pivotal role.' Some environmentalists might be disappointed to read that no money raised will go towards nuclear energy, a low-carbon form of power that has helped countries like France and Sweden achieve deep cuts in emissions. For a country with one of the highest per capita emissions levels in Europe, the UK has also been relatively late to the party on green bonds. Eight other countries, including Germany and Italy, have already conducted their own sales. But now that it has done so, how can it ensure the money raised does not crowd out private investment and cause damaging unintended consequences? The Treasury does intend to use the gilt issuance to create what is called a green yield curve, which will display the bond's financial return against its maturity. 'The challenge,' says Fitzsimmons, is 'will be whether preferences mean that non-warranted green issuance becomes harder to draw investors and more expensive.' Clean spending: The UK Government intends to use the money raised from 'green gilts' towards projects such as offshore wind, energy efficiency and household decarbonisation But the issuance of green bonds can only be effective if governments and private business sharply cut their issuance of more environmentally damaging projects with regular bonds. Tariq Fancy, an ex-chief information officer for sustainable investing at Blackrock, pointed out in a recent blogpost that green bonds do not themselves stop companies and governments from funding less eco-friendly activities. 'It's not totally clear if they create much positive environmental impact that would not have occurred otherwise, since most companies have a few qualifying green initiatives that they can raise green bonds to specifically fund while not increasing or altering their overall plans.' Regardless of his concerns, green bonds have become a trillion-dollar market, with big corporations like Apple, Pepsi and Unilever getting in on the action. These three companies have a big carbon footprint, though, which could lead them to possible accusations of greenwashing regardless of what pledges they have made to decarbonise. However, there are some significant studies claiming that green bonds can help companies decarbonise and even boost the bottom line. One from Boston University's Caroline Flammer analysed 217 green bonds issued by public companies between 2013 and 2017 to determine their effect and found several positive results. Firms that issued these bonds saw their financial and environmental performance enhanced; they created more green products and services, they attracted more interest from long-term and green investors, and saw their stock prices uplifted. Another study from the EU's Joint Research Centre found that issuers of green bonds experienced declines in emissions that were 'more pronounced, significant and long-lasting' than if they issued conventional bonds. But even if these studies' authors are right and green bonds prove to be very effective, they will not themselves solve the climate crisis gripping the planet. Public and private bodies must work very hard to limit the environmental damage they cause. The UK Government cannot expect to have the full confidence of environmental campaigners if, for example, it does not ban oil and gas licensing and allows banks to fund fossil fuel projects overseas. As Laith Khalaf, the head of investment analysis at AJ Bell, has stated: 'These green products do at least provide an environmentally friendly option to savers and investors who want to do their bit, and would to like see their money put to good use.' Divorcees are facing hardship in retirement by picking property over pensions, experts warn today. Family law experts and financial advisers have told Money Mail that women are often too quick to accept the family home in a divorce settlement, overlooking the value of pension wealth. But advisers and solicitors also say an increasing number of women are now the family breadwinners, so must pay up in divorce. Hidden wealth: Family law experts and financial advisers say women are often too quick to accept the family home in a divorce settlement, overlooking the value of pension wealth The latest figures show there were 107,599 divorces between men and women in 2019 up 18.4 per cent from 90,871 the year before. The rise is partly down to a backlog of casework being cleared, the Office for National Statistics said. An academic study this month found that many married men have considerably more pension wealth than their wives. Lots of women sacrifice work to raise children and also spend money on childcare. But pensions are not always straightforward pots of money that can easily be divided. Instead, defined-benefit or final-salary schemes come with valuable guarantees and benefits that can be vital to a stable retirement. So how can you avoid being short-changed? Husbands tend to have more saved up Researchers from Manchester University and the Pensions Policy Institute analysed the pension wealth of nearly 30,000 people over 30. The study found that married men aged 45 to 54 had an average pension wealth of 86,000, compared with 40,000 for women, while men aged 55 to 64 had 185,000 and women the same age just 55,800. Yet married men aged 65 to 69 had pension money worth more than 260,000 on average, compared with just 28,000 for married women. The research also revealed that in half of couples with retirement savings, one partner has more than 90 per cent of the pension wealth. Less than 15 per cent of couples had roughly equal pensions. The researchers said better sharing of pensions in divorce cases could have a 'considerable positive impact' on women's finances in later life. Tim Pike, from the Pensions Policy Institute, says: 'All of these people could, in theory, distribute their pension assets in a fair way on divorce, yet the research found no evidence to suggest this was happening. 'Divorced women have very little pension and significantly less than married women.' Beth Kirkland, of the charity Law for Life, adds: 'Many divorcing couples leave out their pensions when they decide how to divide their money and property, particularly if they can't afford a solicitor. But this can be a huge mistake.' Married men aged 65 to 69 had pension money worth more than 260k on average, compared with just 28k for married women A bad deal can ruin retirement After illness, divorce is the second biggest cause of retirement plans going wrong, according to Interactive Investor. The investment firm's survey of 12,000 people found that less than half of divorced retirees had discussed pensions when they separated. Half of men said they discussed pensions, compared with fewer than one woman in three. Becky O'Connor, head of pensions and savings at Interactive Investor, says: 'There remains countless examples of divorce settlements that leave one partner, usually the woman, worse off in retirement. 'This is partly down to lack of understanding of the value of a pension, but also a lack of awareness of rights to a spouse's pension on divorce, as well as greater emotional attachment to the family home rather than the pension. 'We often hear of cases where women choose the property and let their husband keep the pension.' But she says this isn't likely to be the best decision especially as women don't typically have the same level of private pension wealth as men and also have fewer state pension qualifying years. Divorce cost me more than 1.5m Susan Riley* says she had to pay up more than 1.5 million when her 12-year marriage ended in divorce. The marketing professional was earning a six-figure salary and had a 1.5 million home in North London when she got married in 2004. But the judge ruled that, as well as her home, her former husband was entitled to half of the value of the office where she ran her advertising business, and a 1.5 million property she rented out to save for her pension. Susan says she stopped contributing to her private pension when she bought the investment property. She adds: We were just told to keep our pensions but that didnt include my pension property. The five-year divorce battle also ended up costing both her and her ex-husband some 700,000 in legal fees. Susan, who is in her 50s, has since had to move out of London to a smaller property. She says: It seems ridiculous that there is no legal protection for wealth you have accumulated before you met your spouse. * Name has been changed. Pension versus property? Maike Currie, director at Fidelity International, says: 'It's no surprise that in the middle of making custody arrangements and dividing up other assets, pensions can fall to the bottom of the list. 'But after property, the second largest financial asset for many households is often the pension fund and it is vital to ensuring that both parties have savings for later life.' She says it is common for the main pension-holder and breadwinner to retain most of this wealth, while the ex-spouse may receive a one-off lump sum or the matrimonial home. But she says: 'Substituting a regular pension income for a house may not be the wisest move, given the volatility of property prices and forgoing a pension income for life.' Amy Pethers, a financial planner at wealth manager Brewin Dolphin, says that as a house is not a liquid asset, women cannot rely on one as a source of income and a property can have high running costs. She points out that house prices are not certain to rise, while pensions are likely to benefit from steady growth and compound interest. She also says pensions are not considered part of a person's estate and so don't qualify for inheritance tax. If a divorcee were to keep the family home worth 600,000 while her ex-husband kept his pension worth 600,000, she might well have to sell up when she wanted to retire. His pension could pay an income of 20,000 a year with an annuity. But even if she managed to buy a home for 200,000, the remaining 400,000 would only buy an annuity paying 13,325 a year, at today's rates. If a divorcee were to keep the family home worth 600,000 while her ex-husband kept his pension worth 600,000, she might well have to sell up when she wanted to retire How best do you split up a pot? Gemma Hope, a specialist solicitor and director at Family Law Partners, says pensions are considered a joint asset by the courts. She explains: 'This is considered fair, as a spouse who has stayed at home to look after the children, enabling the other spouse to build up their career (and pension fund), will often have done so at the expense of their own career and ability to build up a pension.' Fidelity's Mrs Currie says there are two ways to divide a pension. 'Earmarking' means a proportion of the benefits are later paid directly to the former spouse. This means that you could have a guaranteed retirement income until you die but you will only get the money when the pension-holder decides to start taking it. So if they never take it, you will miss out. The second way is to value the pension and divide it. Ms Currie adds: 'This gives both parties a clean break, whereby each receives their share of the pot, without the need for further negotiations.' Former family solicitor Josephine Fay says that divorcing women could lose out if they don't take financial advice, especially about dividing pensions. Miss Fay, now head of professional services at Brewin Dolphin, says difficulties are likely to arise if the pensions involved are complicated, such as final-salary deals with valuable benefits attached. She adds: 'Historically, women have tended to invest less in pensions throughout their careers, so it is crucial that they obtain proper financial advice to understand the long-term implications of balancing pension assets with property and other assets.' Break-up ruined ruined my finances When Sarah Walker* and her former husband separated after 13 years of marriage, they were quick to agree on how they would share custody of their children. But the battle over their finances would take two years and cost hundreds of thousands of pounds in legal fees. Sarah, 47, says she sold her two-bedroom flat and contributed to repaying her ex-husbands mortgage on a four-bedroom family home in South-West London. Yet in the settlement, she received just 20 per cent of the value of the property, which is now worth more than 1 million. And she says her ex did not have a private pension, while hers was too small to worry about. Sarah, who works in advertising, says: The divorce has absolutely decimated my financial life and I was forced to spend my mothers inheritance on legal fees. It doesnt feel right to be awarded so little when my flat could have risen in value so much if I hadnt sold it. * Name has been changed. More female breadwinners Rising numbers of wealthy women are having to cough up in divorce settlements, advisers and lawyers have told Money Mail. Miss Pethers, of Brewin Dolphin, says she has seen more female clients having to pay their former husbands in divorce settlements. 'A client of mine had to give her house and all her liquid assets to her husband after a recent financial remedy court case,' she says. 'This is becoming more and more common.' Miss Pethers has also seen an increase in women who have more assets than their husbands: 'More women are building up solid asset bases before they get married, so they may have more at risk in divorce cases than they have in the past.' Alex Davies, head of family law at Cripps Pemberton Greenish, says more young, wealthy women are wanting prenuptial agreements. He says: 'We are seeing at least a 50 per cent rise in the number of prenuptial agreements we are asked to prepare for wealthy young women. Although much of that is inherited wealth, our clients seem to want to keep this for security against the effects of a costly divorce. 'It is common for them to actively manage their own inheritance, rather than rely on investment decisions made by their husband or wider family. They also often want to maintain their independence by pursuing their own careers.' Ms Currie, of Fidelity, says research from her firm showed that more than a third of women were now the main breadwinner in their household. The figure rises to 43 per cent in those aged 18 to 34. But she says: 'While more women may be bringing home a bigger proportion of the household income, this isn't always reflected in other assets, such as pensions or investments. 'Time spent out of the workforce or money diverted towards costs such as childcare or everyday living expenses could mean women have less saved overall. 'This is why it is incredibly important to be on top of all the assets couples hold, from salary and mortgage payments right through other assets including all pension savings.' Brewin Dolphin's Miss Pethers says that getting a prenuptial agreement in place, especially if you have a property that you owned independently before getting married, is the best way to protect your assets. She adds: 'It's obviously not foolproof but it's a step in the right direction.' Prenuptial agreements are not strictly legally binding in England and Wales. Yet a court will likely uphold one if it is not unfair to either party. Google's plans to block a web tracking tool called cookies should be investigated, an industry group has demanded. Movement for an Open Web (MOW), which represents advertisers, news groups and tech companies, has asked the EU Commission to rein in how the internet giant will tweak its search engine Google Chrome. Google, which is owned by Alphabet, intends to phase out cookies on the Chrome browser. Movement for an Open Web, which represents advertisers, news groups and tech companies, has asked the EU Commission to rein in how Google will tweak its search engine Chrome Cookies are used by third parties to collect information about internet users browsing habits. They are a crucial tool for advertising groups and for news publishers which offer free content online, because it means they can tailor ads more effectively to individuals. Google intends to phase them out because they pose major privacy concerns. But MOW insists that the proposed replacement called the Privacy Sandbox will hammer advertising and publishing groups while handing Google even more control over data. A similar complaint raised in the UK led the Competition and Markets Authority to intervene and Alphabet has offered concessions that would see the regulator work with the company to design the Privacy Sandbox. These plans have not yet been finalised, however. MOW director James Rosewell said: The internet was originally envisaged as an open environment outside the control of any single body. Google maintains it is making these changes to protect privacy but if not properly policed, the move threatens digital media, online privacy and innovation. Social care is a national issue at the moment, with a new tax planned to help fund care homes for those who need them. But on a personal level finding the right care home is a complicated process that lacks transparency - and even once people are in one, they or their family can become unhappy with it and be keen to switch. That comes despite the high cost of care, with figures showing an average of 672 per week for residential care, and in some areas such as London and the South East this can rise to 1,045 and 1,008, respectively. This conundrum led Chris Donnelly and his brother Will, to co-found health technology start-up Lottie online comparison website looking to shake-up the industry, which has won significant backing from Monzo bank founder Tom Blomfield. Chris Donnelly (left) and his brother Will Donnelly (right) are co-founders of health tech start-up Lottie which will eventually compare care homes across Britain Chris says: 'The need for this business was borne out of my brother working in care homes and the realisation after conversations with families that they were dissatisfied with the state of care in the country and didn't know what a good care home was.' Lottie has launched at a time where the cost of care has been at the top of the government agenda. A plan to invest in social care reform and the NHS will involve imposing a health and social care levy on workers who will initially National Insurance rates raised by 1.25 per cent and then a new health and social care levy introduced. While the hike in NI and new tax has received many mixed views, Chris is supportive of the move. He says: 'Irrespective of how the money is being raised, the Government announcements about social care reform and increased funding is incredibly positive news and a step in the right direction for the sector, following what has been an incredibly difficult 18-months period for care operators and staff. 'The country has waited nearly 30-years for social care reform and Boris Johnson is the first Prime Minister to actually take the first steps in delivering real change that be felt on the frontline.' As part of the move there will be an 86,000 cap introduced from 2023 on care costs and people wont have to run down their life savings or homes value after that. But crucially this wont include daily living costs, such as accommodation, food and heating, and that means the real capped cost to individuals could be much higher. These changes will take time to take effect and in the meantime, tens of thousands of families will end up looking for care homes for relatives. This isn't easy and sometimes people may decide they have made the wrong decision only after a relative is in a home. The brothers don't blame families and carers for making a poor care home choice. The duo say the wrong choice is often made after a family member's sudden illness, injury or loss of a carer followed by a pressured search to find the right care. When may the government pay for your care? You may be eligible for care funding from your local council if you have less than 23,250 in savings. According to nhs.uk, how much your council pays towards your care will depend on the type of care you need and how much you can afford to pay towards it. To find out what support you are eligible for you need to do a care needs assessment with your council, which will do a financial means test. The siblings' views on the complexity of finding the right care home is also backed up by their own nationwide research that they conducted this year, where 1,324 respondents took part. Chris says: 'The country was crying out for a platform like this and we put together a piece of research that found that 97 per cent would consider switching [care homes] and 44 per cent regretted their care home decisions. Chris adds that their mum also inspired the brothers to launch the comparison website. He says: 'She was very sociable and loved talking to everyone, but she viewed a care home like an end-of-life hospital. But a good care home has a good community environment and helps people get healthier. 'The dissatisfaction comes from complexity, not understanding choice, and a lot that are not up to standard. We only partner with those that offer a great standard.' As a result of this research and experience, the siblings created Lottie, a comparison website of care homes in the South East which launched in July, with the whole of Britain to follow in the coming months. Lottie has been backed by Monzo boss, Tom Blomfield as well as other investors who invested a total of 500k in a recent pre-seed investment round The average cost of care Lottie provides a vital comparison service at a time when the average weekly cost of conventional residential care costs more than double what it cost in the late 90s. In 2020 the average weekly residential care fee cost 672 and the average nursing care fee was 923 a week. Lottie figures show this was a mere 305 a week for residential care and 411 for nursing care a week back in 1998. If you're seeking premium private care that average weekly cost balloons to 868 for residential care and 1,165 for nursing care. The fee also depends on the location of your care home. For instance, privately funded residential care home fees are higher in London with average weekly 2021 fee prices sitting at 1,045, while the South East comes a close second averaging 1,008 on a weekly basis for this year. Meanwhile, the regions with the cheapest weekly fees for residential care in 2021 include Wales (744); Yorkshire (753) and North West England (760), see tables below. Average weekly residential care homes and nursing care home fees have more than doubled since the late 1980s. Chris says the main reason for the huge increases in the cost of care is because the industry is suffering from a shortage of skilled staff and because private funded care homes are offsetting public care home fees as local authorities don't get enough funding from government. If you're trying to save money, choosing the cheapest home isn't always the best. Chris says: 'Local authority care homes can be horribly run, especially those whose fees range from 500-600 a week. I would say reasonably managed ones start at 900 a week. But anything below that falls into the category of "how does anyone live here".' Privately funded care comes at an extra premium, especially if you need nursing care How does it work? Lottie enables the elderly, their family or carers to find the right care home with a good rating in the area of their choosing for free. Chris says the service is unique because it offers a concierge service and is selective about which facilities it has on its platform and helps with the admin too. He says: 'Most comparison sites seek to capture the whole market. Some homes do contact us and say "can we be on the platform?", and we say "no". 'We only work with the best homes. That's our USP. Most don't offer the concierge and the human touch element.' Other models allow care homes that can afford it to advertise themselves more effectively. This doesn't always result in the best facilities coming up tops in the search. Chris says: 'They allow care homes that can pay to reach more of an audience, so it's a bit like search engine advertising which isn't good.' My dad, 87, switched care homes James Piper, 52, from Surrey helped his 87 year-old father switch care homes. James says he came across Lottie following a recommendation from a family friend who made a saving of 15,000 in fees for the first year after using the service. James says: 'Lottie helped us find an excellent care home for my father. They suggested some good ones locally. It's very hard to judge from the internet and they also liaised with the homes, checking availability and arranging viewings. 'Amazingly, they negotiated a fee reduction which is so helpful considering how expensive good care is - and saved us 5,200 in the first-year fees. 'Lottie even helped book the local ambulance to collect my father from his existing care home to the new care home.' Choosing the right care Lottie users can choose the type of care required - for example residential care, nursing, dementia or respite, and their preferred move-in date. The website then suggests several care homes with a good CQC (Care Quality Commission) rating, highlights the weekly cost of care at the facilities, lists the contact details and displays a Google map of where they are located. Users can then book a time to review the care home. If it's one that meets their criteria, Lottie has a team of care experts that will support the move. The support includes admin tasks such as checking availability, arranging viewings and negotiating fee reductions. Chris says: 'On average, Lottie speeds up the care home search process by 400 per cent, with about 32 hours saved. 'This includes researching care homes, finding the best care homes, booking in viewings, support during health assessment process, negotiating fees and resident agreement, sourcing funding, and then helping arrange the move in day.' For now, the site only offers the ability to search the South East care locations. However, the business is expanding to include other areas from 2022. Users of the Lottie website can choose from a range of care homes in the South East but Lottie will offer searches nationally in 2022 Successes and failures Only time will tell if the venture becomes successful. Not all of Chris' previous entrepreneurial endeavours were a success. He cut his entrepreneurial teeth with his siblings when he was 18. Chris says: 'When we were young me and my older and younger brother started a business that helped students go to university similar to Lottie. It was drastically unsuccessful. On average, Lottie speeds up the care home search process by 400 per cent, with about 32 hours saved Chris Donnelly, co-founder, Lottie Chris Donnelly, co-founder, Lottie 'I was 18 and my older brother was 20 and younger was 16 and we had no idea how to build tech and get universities to pay us. 'It was fun though, it felt like we were going to university. The universities didn't take us seriously and we didn't know what hard work was - we were more ideas based.' But lessons were learned, and the brothers went on to have successful careers and businesses. Chris says Lottie is his brother's brainchild, while he brings his marketing nous and the entrepreneurial experience to the table as chief executive and founder of Verb Brands, a digital agency for luxury fashion, hospitality and lifestyle brands. While many brothers bicker Chris insists they get on, adding: 'If I met Will in another area of life, we'd be best friends.' The brothers offer a concierge service to help the elderly settle into care homes and also help to negotiate a reduction in fees Monzo founder's backing The business has the backing of Monzo founder Tom Blomfield who stumped up around a fifth of the 500,000 pre-seed investment round, after a pre-money valuation of 5million. Other investors include Victoria van Lennep, founder of Lendable, venture capital firm Accel, Jacob Haddad, founder of AccuRX, Dominic McGregor, founder of Social Chain and Jamie Bolding, founder of Jungle Creations. Chris admits he didn't promise investors a specific return but believes the business concept trying to change social care for the good was enough to get them on board. He adds that they did demonstrate to investors the potential of the care home market and how lucrative it can be. It's an industry the brothers are deeply passionate about, having worked in the sector for several years. Chris insists that this is a long term venture for him and his brother. He says 'We want to be in this for the long haul,' and jokingly adds: 'There are certainly easier ways to make money - we have quite slow phone calls with families about their elderly parents.' But it's not a job they do alone. He says that Monzo founder Tom can be hands on - he went to visit the Lottie offices and helped with incoming calls. They're also set to expand the Lottie team. So far, Lottie has successfully placed a dozen families into care homes, but Chris claims the business will start making money from the end of this month. Chris is optimistic about its prospects. 'We want to champion the customer, find the best care and offer bespoke proprietary data for the government and healthcare. We think it will be successful and the indications are there.' Social media has erupted with questions about how Gladys Berejiklian has managed to maintain a short, sleek bob through three long months of lockdown. While most Sydney residents have looked disheveled since the hairdresser shut, the Premier has impressed many NSW residents with a tidy hairstyle, free of greys. Several have speculated - without any evidence - that Ms Berejiklian must have a secret hairdresser working on her in the background tackling her regrowth. 'Has Gladys had a haircut & dye job? Just asking?' one said, in a common refrain. 'Hair is looking very fresh Gladys, no grey roots. Are hairdressers open in Sydney?' asked another. A third added: 'How has Gladys' hair not grown or changed the whole of lockdown?' While a spokeswoman for the NSW Premier refused to provide an explanation, a celebrity hairdresser praised the Premier's ability to maintain such a difficult hairstyle herself - and explained how she has managed. Premier Gladys Berejiklian's luscious locks have raised a few eyebrows, with some speculating that she may have a secret hairdresser on speed dial - but a celebrity hairdresser says it seems like she's just doing a good job Social media users have speculated - without evidence - that the NSW Premier is having her hair professionally cut and dyed Gladys Berejiklian has appeared during a Covid press conference on September 26 with her pristine iconic bob Celebrity hairstylist Anthony Nader, founder of Sydney salon Raw, said: 'If she so happens to have coloured her hair herself, I think she's done a damn fine job. 'Her ends look crisp and clean which is always a good sign for a good bob. 'And because she's so talented she could have gotten to the shears herself and watched a YouTube video,' he added. The Premier with her signature hairdo at a Covid press conference on July 29 Mr Nader examined four photos of Ms Berejiklian and said, while he had seen the Premier's hair looking more polished, she appeared to have made a good fist of a DIY lockdown job. 'It's not uncommon for a woman to pull out a round brush and a hair dryer to give herself a blow out. 'Women do know how to tackle and colour their hair during the pandemic.' Mr Nader said the Premier was welcome to book in for an appointment when his salon opens up on 'Freedom Day', October 11. Before lockdown, Ms Berejiklian was known to get a regular blow-dry from well-known hairdresser Pierre Haddad at his city salon. Anthony Nader (pictured) founder of Sydney salon Raw praised the Premier's ability to maintain such a pristine hairstyle 'Her ends look crisp and clean which is always a good sign for a good bob,' said Mr Nader The Premier's appearance comes after Victorian leader Dan Andrews debuted a DIY haircut at Sunday's daily Covid press conference. Mr Andrews began sporting a choppy hairdo on national television during his pandemic updates at the weekend. His noticeably short back and sides were mocked by Melburnians - his wife Catherine having made a point of publicising her hit and miss home haircuts. Hair salons in NSW will be restricted to a maximum of five customers once NSW hits 70 per cent vaccination. Customer caps will be removed for personal hairdressers at 80 per cent. In Victoria, hair salons will open up to five fully vaccinated patrons once the state hits the 70 per cent double dose threshold. From October 26, the capacity limit will increase to up to 150 vaccinated patrons. Premier Daniel Andrews debuted his choppy DIY haircut at Victoria's daily Covid press conference on Sunday (pictured) A Maryland man brutally assaulted his wife of three years after she FaceTimed him while having sex with another man inside a car parked near a Pennsylvania hotel. According to a felony complaint, 34-year-old William Atkinson received the series of explicit calls from his spouse on September 21, and immediately enlisted a friend to drive him to the hotel's parking lot to confront her. Upon arriving at the Best Western in Somerset, Atkinson found his 32-year-old wife and her alleged lover - both of whom were not named in the report - and proceeded to punch and kick her, police said. William Atkinson, 34, brutally assaulted his wife outside a Pennsylvania hotel after she sent him a series of explicit FaceTime calls of her engaging in sex acts with another man, cops said Atkinson struck the man as well, who then 'fled the scene,' according to the report. The beating left the woman - whom police described as 'extremely intoxicated' and uncooperative with officers upon their arrival at the scene - with severe bruising, and bleeding profusely from her face, nose, and mouth. What's more, she was described as 'struggling to breathe and crying for help.' The calls, according to Atkinson, were intended to 'egg him on' After being apprehended by police, an angry Atkinson explained that the pair had been 'egging him on' with the vulgar video calls. Atkinson then told investigators that he had only hit his wife with an open hand, and not with a closed fist or much less kicks - but a witness reported seeing him 'actively kicking' the woman in the face. Police recovered one of Atkinsons shoes from the scene - with one being soaked in blood, cops said. According to the official police report chronicling the September 21 incident, the beating left the woman - whom police described as 'extremely intoxicated' and uncooperative with officers upon their arrival at the scene - with severe bruising, and bleeding profusely from her face, nose, and mouth Police did not obtain a statement from the victim. According to the complaint, however, the person who initially reported the assault in a 911 call told officers that they had heard a gun go off amid the scuffle - though 'no witness saw who had a gun.' A pistol was recovered by police at the crime scene, from the vehicle that Atkinson arrived in - but no magazine or rounds were found in the weapon. Officers also found a knife and stun gun at the scene, which Atkinson alleged belonged to his spouse. Atkinson was charged with aggravated assault and reckless endangerment, a felony and a misdemeanor, respectively. However, another court filing for a case several years ago indicates that Atkinson's wife is the one with the alarming criminal past. In 2016, the unnamed woman was cuffed for attempted murder after an argument with a boyfriend ended in gunfire. The man was not hit in the attack, after she fired a single shot inside a residence in Cumberland, Maryland. Atkinson's wife later pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment and was sentenced to two years of probation. It is unclear whether Atkinson was the woman's boyfriend at the time. He is now being held in the county jail in lieu of $30,000 bail for his current case, and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Tuesday. A Los Angeles gas company has reached $1.8 billion settlement with 35,000 families who were sickened and forced to flee their homes by the largest methane blowout in US history. The 2015 Aliso Canyon blowout - the largest-known release of methane in US history - forced Porter Ranch residents to leave their homes and caused headaches, nausea and nose bleeds as a result. People living nearby had to move into temporary accommodation after the accidental blowout discharged 100,000 tons of methane into the air, and left it smelling like sulfur. The settlement with Southern California Gas Co. and its parent company, Sempra Energy, will compensate the 35,000 plaintiffs from the blowout six years on. The release of the methane was caused by a natural gas shortage at the company, and took almost four months to bring under control. The Southern California Gas Company reached a $1.8 billion settlement on Monday with 35,000 families who were affected by the 2015 Aliso Canyon blowout. The Aliso Canyon storage facility, where the methane escaped from, is pictured Residents were forced to evacuate following the leak which led to symptoms such as headaches, nausea and nosebleeds due to the exposure The plaintiffs alleged personal injury for their illnesses and property damage to their homes. SoCalGas spent more than $1 billion on the the blowout at the time, with most of that cash going to temporarily relocate 8,000 families, and has faced more than 385 lawsuits on behalf of 48,000 people. 'These agreements are an important milestone that will help the community and our company work toward putting this difficult chapter behind us,' SoCalGas CEO Scott Drury told NBC. 'In the years since the leak, SoCalGas has worked alongside regulators, technical experts and our neighbors to enhance safety at all our underground storage facilities and our engagement with the community. 'As a result, our storage facilities operate by what regulators and experts have called some of the most rigorous safety standards in the country.' Protestors are seen wearing gas masks at a hearing at the Southern California Gas Company's Aliso Canyon Shortage Facility in January 2016 Environmental groups chant in protest in front of the Southern California Gas Company's Ventura Compressor Station on July 19 Sempra and SoCalGas denied wrongdoing, attorneys for plaintiffs said. The firm and its lawyers - Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP - were fined an extra $5.7 million during the case in a discovery sanction - a penalty levied against a party to a legal action for failing to disclose all information required. It was revealed that they withheld 150,000 documents under discovery misconduct. They pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor count of failing to immediately report the gas leak in September 2016. 'Our goal has always been obtaining justice for the men, women and children who were failed by SoCalGas throughout every turn of this catastrophe,' attorney Brian Panish said in a statement. Residents of the Porter Ranch were evacuated following the 2015 Aliso Canyon gas leak 'This settlement, and the numerous discovery sanctions imposed by the court, hold Sempra and SoCalGas accountable for the Aliso Canyon blowout and their repeated misconduct throughout this litigation.' State regulators found the gas company failed to investigate previous well failures at the storage site and didnt adequately assess its aging wells for disaster potential before the Oct. 23, 2015, blowout. SoCalGas previously reached a $120 million court settlement with the state attorney general and agreed to a $4 million settlement with Los Angeles County prosecutors after being convicted in Los Angeles Superior Court of failing to quickly report the leak to state authorities. The settlement agreement mandated the installation of an infrared methane monitoring system, with employee watch and leak-detection systems, and new reporting policies for potential future leaks. The owner of a high-profile restaurant chain has refused to open his doors until December because he doesn't want to force his staff to police Covid vaccine passports. Rashays founder Rami Ykmour on Monday said he wouldn't re-open his NSW branches until December 1 - when Premier Gladys Berejiklian has vowed all residents will have the same freedoms regardless of their vaccination status. Mr Ykmour said he didn't want workers at his 27 restaurants across the state 'facing arguments at the front door' from October 11 when fully-vaccinated patrons are allowed to dine at his restaurants. Hungry Jack's boss Jack Cowin though has flagged he will fully re-open his stores as soon as he is allowed and predicted anti-vaxxers will 'cave in' once restrictions ease. A Covid-19 vaccination is administered on August 9. Premier Gladys Berejiklian has vowed all residents will have the same freedoms regardless of their vaccination status on December 1 'I'm happy small businesses can open up from October 11, including Rashays,' Mr Ykmour said in a TikTok video shared on Monday evening. 'But unfortunately we're taking a stance not to open up until December 1 because we are all about being inclusive. 'We are all about being inclusive. My staff have been trained for years to open everyone with open arms - I don't want them facing arguments at the door about who can come in because of double vaccine passports.' His stance follows NSW One Nation leader Mark Latham hitting out at the NSW government's vaccine passport scheme in a column for Daily Mail Australia on Monday. Rashays founder Rami Ykmour on Monday said he wouldn't re-open his NSW branches until December because he doesn't want his staff to police Covid vaccine passports 'The Berejiklian/ [NSW Labor leader] Minns policy sets up a scenario by which someone can turn up at a pub sneezing and spluttering, show their vaccine passport and gain entry, while an unvaxxed patron who has passed a rapid antigen test is turned away,' the politician wrote. 'The vaccinated have nothing to fear from unvaccinated people, as they have gone out and got their best protection. 'There is no reason for treating the unvaccinated as lepers, which is what vaccine passports do denying them access to shops and other venues.' The Hungry Jack's billionaire has by contrast actively encouraged his staff to get both jabs and incentivised them to get vaccinated through a cash prize and gift card giveaways. He said he tells unvaccinated people he knows: 'How are you going to get on a plane and go overseas or go to a restaurant or pub, how do you feel about that and how strong is your conviction?' 'The general answer is they will probably cave in, which will be the case once restrictions ease,' Mr Cowin told The Australian. Ms Berejiklian on Monday outlined the phased return of freedoms that will begin the Monday after the 70 per cent double-vaccination rate is reached; forecast to happen next week. Hungry Jack's billionaire Jack Cowin has actively encouraged his staff to get both jabs and incentivised them to get vaccinated. Pictured is a Hungry Jack's branch in Sydney's CBD From October 11, five people will be able to visit a home, pubs and restaurants will open for seated service only, retail stores can re-open, and hair and beauty salons to restart with a cap of five patrons - but all of those freedoms will be restricted to the double-vaccinated. About two weeks later, when 80 per cent are fully vaccinated, those restrictions will be further relaxed to allow 10 visitors to a home, community sport and drinking while standing in a pub. A one person per four square metre rule will be in place for indoor venues, and a one person per two square metre rule for outdoor areas. Personal services such as hairdressers, spa, nail, beauty, waxing, tattoo and massage venues will be uncapped but must obey the four square metre rule. Intra-state travel - previously slated to begin at the 70 per cent rate - has been pushed back to the 80 per cent mark due to growing Covid case numbers in regional areas. The 80 per cent threshold will also see the removal of the 50-person limit on fully vaccinated guests for weddings and funerals. On December 1 - regardless of the vaccination rate - just about all remaining restrictions will be removed, including for the unvaccinated. The density requirement drops to two square metres indoors, nightclubs will re-open and the 5,000 cap on stadiums will be removed. A plump wombat has shocked Australians by its enormous size and has even been placed on an exercise program to help her lose a few pounds. Safe Haven AACE uploaded an image to its Facebook page on Saturday of a smiling handler holding the gigantic marsupial. Miss Ruby, who calls Safe Haven sanctuary home, tips the scales at 35kg with Facebook users left flabbergasted by her monstrous size. A giant wombat weighing 35kg has shocked social media users by its enormous size (pictured) 'That things is bloody huge! What the heck,' wrote one person. 'Crikey,' commented another. 'Miss Ruby, you are enormous,' added a third. But others were captivated on how cuddlesome the plump wombat looked with one person commenting: 'Oh so cuddly.' 'So snuggly,' added another Facebook user. 'OMG! That is one huge bundle of love,' another person wrote. Southern Hairy Nosed Wombats usually weigh between 20 to 32 kilograms (pictured, stock photo) Miss Ruby is currently undergoing an exercise program, with wildlife volunteers taking the furry marsupial for walks to help her shed the extra pounds. Safe Haven sanctuary at Mount Larcom in Queensland is home to over 20 Southern Hairy Nosed Wombats that are part of a captive breeding program. The critically endangered species is threatened by Sarcoptic mange, a disease which has killed off up to 90 per cent of affected populations. Weighing between 20 to 32 kilograms, the herbivores feed on grass and woody shrubs. The marsupials are mostly found in shrub-land in the south-eastern corner of Western Australia, South Australia and even as far as south-west New South Wales. North Korea has fired what appears to be a short-range ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast, Japan and South Korea have said. A single 'unidentified projectile' was fired from its Mupyong-ri test site at 6.40am local time and flew 125 miles to the east, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The missile reached a maximum altitude of 20 miles - around half that of the train-launched ballistic missiles it tested two weeks ago - a South Korean military source said, classifying it as a 'low-intensity armed demonstration'. But the timing of the launch was provocative - coming as the North's UN ambassador gave a speech to the General Assembly, saying his country has the 'right' to develop and test weapons while calling on the US to end its 'hostile policies'. It also comes after Kim Yo Jong, sister of North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong Un, raised the prospect of talks with the South to bring an official end to the Korean War - which began in 1950 and ended in a stalemate, with no peace deal signed. North Korea has fired an 'unidentified projectile' into the sea off its east coast, the South's military said Tuesday (picture: File image, a previous launch) The significance of North Korea's latest missile test is unclear. South Korean military sources said the weapon fired Tuesday 'showed different features compared to previous missiles,' but did not expand further. The North frequently tests new types of weapons, but also new guidance systems, launchers, engines, and improvements to its old missiles - and it is near-impossible to tell exactly what was being tested until images of the test are released. The fact that only one missile was tested perhaps hints at a greater level of significance, since the North typically tests conventional rockets and missiles - i.e. non-nuclear ones - in larger numbers. In this context, the use of the Mupyong-ri test site could also be significant - since it has been the site of long-range nuclear missile (ICBM) tests in the past. However, the distance and height travelled by this particular missile suggest it is not an ICBM. It is possible that North Korea was testing a new kind of engine for its missiles, after satellite analysts detected what appeared to be a stationary test of an engine several days ago. Dave Schmerler, of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, said last week that he had detected what appeared to be a stationary test of a solid-fuel rocket engine based on burn marks left on the ground. Solid fuel rocket engines make nuclear missiles easier to transport and quicker to deploy, since they are more stable than liquid fuelled rockets. Mupyong-ri has also been used to test submarine-launched ballistic missiles in the past, and North Korea is known to be in the process of developing nuclear-capable submarines. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has a new slimline image - this official state picture was issued earlier this month The launch comes just days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's influential sister Kim Yo Jong (pictured), a key adviser to her brother, dangled the prospect of an inter-Korean summit The test also came as the North was due to open a session of its rubber-stamp parliament, the Supreme People's Assembly, on Tuesday. In recent days, South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who has only months left in office, has reiterated his longstanding calls for a declaration of an official end to the Korean War. The North invaded the South in 1950 and hostilities ceased three years later with an armistice rather than a peace treaty. Pyongyang is under multiple sets of international sanctions over its banned nuclear weapon and ballistic missile programmes. It has already carried out several missile tests this month, one involving a long-range cruise missile and another of short-range ballistic missiles, according to the South's military. Seoul also successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) for the first time, making it one of a handful of nations with the advanced technology. Talks between Pyongyang and Washington have been at a standstill since a 2019 summit in Hanoi between leader Kim and then-president Donald Trump collapsed over sanctions relief and what the North would be willing to give up in return. The North has subsequently repeatedly excoriated the South and its president Moon, and blown up a liaison office on its side of the border that Seoul had built. Bill Shorten has once again broken ranks from the Labor leadership by hoping state premiers open their borders in time for Christmas - the latest in a growing list of rogue comments. In his latest divergence from Anthony Albanese, Mr Shorten on Tuesday said he wanted interstate families to be reunited and slammed the Prime Minister for failing to get the states to agree to the national re-opening plan. Western Australia, Queensland and Tasmania have threatened to keep their borders closed even after 80 per cent are vaccinated despite agreeing to a plan that removes domestic restrictions at this threshold. 'The new leaders of Australia are the premiers. The Prime Minister is M.I.A,' Mr Shorten told the Today show on Tuesday morning. 'I feel like I live in the United Nations of Australia these days, and that's a failure from Canberra. In his latest divergence from Anthony Albanese, Mr Shorten (pictured with wife Chloe) on Tuesday said he wanted interstate families to be reunited He later said: 'Wouldn't it be good if we could just get an agreement led by Mr Morrison of the states that, as a reward for the last year and a half, families who are interstate can actually travel and Australia can be one country again, at least this Christmas.' Mr Shorten's hope that the states open up contrasts with Mr Albanese who has backed Labor premiers Mark McGowan and Annastacia Palaszczuk over their hard borders. 'Mark McGowan doesn't need my advice (on when to open up), Mark McGowan will make a decision in the interest of Western Australians,' the Labor leader said last month. A source close to Mr Shorten said he was not undermining Mr Albanese and was just speaking his mind in hoping that rules relax by Christmas. Mr Shorten - who led Labor from 2013 to 2019 and is now shadow minister for government services - has broken ranks with Mr Albanese several times this year, sparking rumours that he wants the top job back. The rumours are vigorously denied by those close to him who say he gets more media attention than other Labor politicians due to his high public profile. Earlier this month Mr Shorten slammed the Prime Minister for showing 'appalling judgement' by using a travel exemption to fly from Canberra to Sydney for the Fathers' Day weekend while normal families were split apart due to lockdowns. Mr Morrison defended the move saying he lives in Sydney but had to get back to Canberra for work and Mr Albanese also backed the Prime Minister. Mr Shorten also went rogue in late August when he said states should still end lockdowns when vaccination thresholds are met despite high case numbers in NSW. Pictured: Residents wear masks on Bondi Beach Bill Shorten's rogue outbursts this year January: Accused Mr Albanese of having a 'tiny' policy agenda August: Backed national re-opening plan before Mr Albanese Early September: Slammed PM over Fathers' Day trip which Mr Albanese supported. Other Labor MPs also criticised the PM about this Late September: Hoped premiers open borders for Christmas while Mr Albanese declines to pressure them Advertisement 'I've got a lot of criticisms of Scott Morrison but wanting to see his family is not one of them,' the Labor leader said. Mr Shorten also went rogue in late August when he said states should still end lockdowns when vaccination thresholds are met despite high case numbers in NSW. 'You've got to accept Covid in the community,' he said. Backbencher Joel Fitzgibbon also backed the national re-opening plan based on Doherty Institute modelling, saying 'we can't keep locking down forever'. Analysts said Mr Albanese was siding with cautious premiers who wanted to abandon the plan and request new modelling but his hand was forced by Mr Shorten and he finally endorsed it on August 25. In January, Mr Shorten even took a swipe at Mr Albanese, accusing him of having a 'tiny' policy agenda and not standing for anything. Launching a collection of essays by Labor's Right faction titled The Write Stuff, he said: 'I have learnt the lessons of defeat and I have learnt, and the party has learnt, the dangers of taking too large or too cluttered a policy agenda to the electorate. 'But the polar opposite of a tiny agenda is not the right way either. 'We must be an opposition that stands for something. We must be a party of Labor that stands for the real world concerns of working men and women.' Earlier this month Mr Shorten slammed the Prime Minister (pictured with his family) for showing 'appalling judgement' by using a travel exemption to fly from Canberra to Sydney for the Fathers' Day weekend while normal families were split apart due to lockdowns Mr Albanese dismissed Mr Shorten's concerns, saying: 'Bill Shorten launched a book. Labor Party people write books. 'Labor Party people launch books. We're the party of ideas.' By expressing his view so freely, Mr Shorten has stirred speculation that he wants to reclaim the Labor leadership at some point. The rumours came to a head in July when he described the vaccine rollout as a 's**t show' in a live ABC interview, a move that analysts said was deliberately crafted to grab attention. The Australian newspaper published an article quoting anonymous Labor sources who said Mr Shorten was still interested in leadership despite his two election losses. A federal colleague told the newspaper: 'He's floated the idea a number of times and everyone says ''no Bill, after two terms, and two losses, it's over''.' Another source said that Mr Shorten sees himself as 'two leaders off' reclaiming the top job. But Mr Shorten appeared on the ABC's Insiders the next day to dismiss the claims, saying: 'It's [an] unclear source, not a single person on the record.' A source close to Mr Shorten said he had no desire to run for leadership. 'It's just not happening,' the source said. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Mr Shorten for comment. Thousands of New York City public school teachers face the prospect of being fired by the end of Friday after a panel of federal judges allowed the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio to impose a vaccine mandate. A federal appeals panel on Monday gave the nation's largest school district the green light to require all employees of city public schools to get vaccinated - or lose their jobs. Lawyers for teachers who sued to stop the city's policy now say they'll ask the US Supreme Court to intervene. The New York Department of Education employs 148,000 school workers, including 75,000 teachers. Around 90 per cent of teachers have been vaccinated - meaning more than 7,500 have not. Vaccination rates among other school workers are currently running at 82 per cent, meaning thousands of support staff could also face the ax. The city's Department of Education said the mandate would now go into effect at the end of Friday, so that all teachers and staff would be vaccinated by October 4, the following Monday. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (seen above at Rikers Island correctional facility on Monday) claimed victory after a panel of three federal judges allowed his administration to move forward with a vaccine mandate requiring Department of Education employees to get the shot Lawyers for teachers who sued to stop the policy warn that it will lead to mass layoffs of thousands. The image above shows an anti-vaccine protest in New York's Foley Square on September 13 New York City Department of Education employees have until the end of Friday to get at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine - or face termination. The image above is a stock photo of a woman getting vaccinated The three-judge panel of the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan issued a brief order late in the day that lifted a block of the mandate that a single appeals judge had put in place on Friday. After an adverse ruling from a Brooklyn judge, a group of teachers had brought the case to the appeals court, which assigned a three-judge panel to hear oral arguments Wednesday. But the appeals panel issued its order Monday after written arguments were submitted by both sides. Attorney Mark Fonte, who brought the lawsuit on behalf of teachers and others, said in a statement that he and attorney Louis Gelormino were immediately petitioning the Supreme Court to intervene. 'As of this moment the mandate is in place,' he said, adding that he and Gelormino were 'dismayed and disappointed by this turn of events.' Fonte added: 'With thousands of teachers not vaccinated the City may regret what it wished for. Our children will be left with no teachers and no security in schools.' As of Monday, 87 percent of all Department of Education employees have been vaccinated, including 90 percent of teachers, de Blasio said The city's Department of Education said in its statement, 'Vaccinations are our strongest tool in the fight against COVID-19 - this ruling is on the right side of the law and will protect our students and staff.' Mayor de Blasio announced in August that about 148,000 school employees would have to get at least a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination by September 27. The policy covers teachers, along with other staffers, such as custodians and cafeteria workers. The practical effect of the mandate was that teachers and other employees would have been unable to work, beginning Tuesday, if they had failed to get vaccinated. As of Monday, 87 percent of all Department of Education employees have been vaccinated, including 90 percent of teachers, de Blasio said. But United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew said a survey of some of its members found that only a third thought their schools could open without disruption. Since the rollout of the COVID-19 vaccines, more than 11 million doses have been administered in New York City, according to public health data As of Monday, nearly 70 percent of city residents of all ages have received at least one dose De Blasio also touted his vaccine mandate, which appears to have spurred more New Yorkers to get inoculated. The latest data shows a considerable increase in the rate of vaccination since the mayor announced the mandate in August 'The city has a lot of work before it to ensure that enough vaccinated staff will be available by the new deadline,' he said in a statement. Lawyers for teachers argued Monday in papers submitted to the 2nd Circuit that teachers who are placed on unpaid leave because they have not complied with the order will be irreparably harmed if the appeals court failed to block the mandate. The lawyers wrote that the city's order will 'leave teachers and paraprofessionals without the resources to pay rent, utilities, and other essentials. The harm is imminent.' They said the mandate would leave thousands of New York City children in the nation's largest school district without their teachers and other school workers. 'Imminent and irreparable harm exists,' the lawyers insisted. On Sunday, the city submitted written arguments to the appeals court, saying the preference by some teachers 'to remain unvaccinated while teaching vulnerable schoolchildren is dwarfed by the public's interest in safely resuming full school operations for a million public school students and ensuring that caregivers citywide can send their children to school secure in the knowledge that sound safety protocols are in place.' City lawyers said courts have long recognized that vaccination mandates do not spoil the constitutional rights to due process that workers enjoy and have rejected similar challenges for over a century. 'Put bluntly, plaintiffs do not have a substantive due process right to teach children without being vaccinated against a dangerous infectious disease,' they wrote. The city has reported a seven-day average of fewer than 2,000 cases per day in recent weeks Deaths remain low thanks to the vaccination campaign, according to city health data Hospitalizations have also remained at a low level since the vaccines were introduced 'The vaccination mandate is not just a rational public health measure, but a crucial one.' The mayor on Monday reacted to the ruling on Twitter. 'Our school employee vaccination mandate protects kids, families, and the incredible New Yorkers working in our schools,' the mayor tweeted on Monday. 'This requirement has won in court repeatedly and in the meantime, @NYCSchools employees need to get vaccinated or get a weekly test.' De Blasio also touted his vaccine mandate, which appears to have spurred more New Yorkers to get inoculated. The latest data shows a considerable increase in the rate of vaccination since the mayor announced the mandate in August. According to the city's Department of Health, the average number of shots per day has increased 45 percent since the mayor announced his initiative. 'Critics and naysayers are loud but the numbers are louder: vaccines work,' the mayor tweeted on Monday. 'Our #COVID mandates have encouraged New Yorkers to do the right thing and put the health and safety of their city first.' New York's largest health provider says it has fired TWO DOZEN leaders for not getting COVID vaccine as state's shot mandate comes into effect: 72,000 hospital staff now face losing their jobs New York's largest health provider is the first hospital to announce it is firing employees for refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine ahead of the state's Monday deadline. Northwell Health announced that it had fired about two dozen 'unvaccinated leaders' at management level or above out of around 74,000 employees. With just 84 percent of 450,000 hospital staff in New York having received at least one dose of the vaccine, that means another 72,000 hospital workers could also be suspended or fired for refusing to be inoculated, according to state data. Severe shortages are expected and hospital administrators have prepared contingency plans that included cutting back on noncritical services and limiting admissions at nursing homes. Northwell Health (pictured) became the first hospital system in New York to announce that it had fired employees - about two dozen out of 74,000 - when the state's vaccine mandate came into effect on Monday About 84 percent of 450,000 workers have gotten a shot, meaning about 72,000 workers could be suspended or fired for refusing to do so. Pictured: Sandra Lindsay (left), a nurse at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, is inoculated with the COVID-19 vaccine by Dr Michelle Chester in New York City, December 2020 Hospital administrators are preparing contingency plans that included cutting back on noncritical services and limiting admissions at nursing homes. Pictured: Hundreds gather at Foley Square in New York City to protest vaccination mandates, September 2021 New York Gov Kathy Hochul said this weekend she was prepared to call in medically trained National Guard members and retirees, or vaccinated workers from outside the state, to fill any gaps. The governor has held firm on the mandate in the face of pleas to delay it and multiple lawsuits challenging its constitutionality. The mandate for healthcare workers was issued in August by former Gov Andrew Cuomo and supported by Hochul when she succeeded him. All health care workers in New York state at hospitals and nursing homes were required to get at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by Monday. Employees who refuse the shots face suspensions and termination. The rules apply not just to people such as doctors and nurses, but also to others who work in health care institutions, including food service workers, administrators and even cleaners. Northwell said in a statement that, last week, it reached out to a 'few hundred' employees to remind them of the impending Monday deadline. 'We are now beginning the process to exit the rest of our unvaccinated staff,' the statement read. New York Governor Kathy Hochul is considering sending in the National Guard to hospitals or signing an executive order allowing recent graduates and retirees to work to help deal with staffing shortages. Pictured: Hochul speaks after meeting Irish prime minister Micheal Martin, September 2021 'Northwell wants to reassure the public that during this time, there will be no impact to the quality of patient care at any of our facilities. We are proud that our workforce is already nearly 100 percent vaccinated.' When the mandate was first announced, the state said that health care workers would not be allowed to receive religious exemptions, only medical exemptions. However, a group of 17 workers sued New York for not allowing rejection of the vaccine on religious ground and a judge in Utica issued a temporary halt on requiring them to get the shot. A federal judge on October 12 will consider a legal challenge arguing that such exemptions are constitutionally required. The mandate comes as hospitals are already reeling from staff shortages fueled in part by workers retiring and employees seeking other jobs after 18 months of the pandemic. On Saturday, Hochul released a plan on how she is considering addressing the staffing shortage. One option is signing an executive order to declare a state of emergency that would allow healthcare care workers licensed in other states or countries to practice in New York as well a recent graduates and retirees. Another is deploying the National Guard to hospitals or asking the federal government to send Disaster Medical Assistance Teams. 'We are still in a battle against Covid to protect our loved ones, and we need to fight with every tool at our disposal,' she said in a statement. 'I am monitoring the staffing situation closely, and we have a plan to increase our health care workforce and help alleviate the burdens on our hospitals and other health care facilities.' Deborah Conrad (pictured), a physician assistant at United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia, is among the healthcare workers who said she is opposed to getting vaccinated The state's Department of Labor has issued guidance that workers fired due to refusal to get vaccinate will not qualify for unemployment insurance 'absent a valid doctor-approved request for medical accommodation.' In addition to hospital workers, staff at long-term care facilities have until October 7 to receive at least one dose. As of Monday, 89 percent of 145,000 have done so meaning 16,000 are currently at risk of termination. But thousands of healthcare workers say they would rather get fired than be required to get the vaccine. One of them is Deborah Conrad, a physician assistant at United Memorial Medical Center in Batavia - a small city between Buffalo and Rochester. Conrad told The New York Times that she has seen people report side effects from getting the COVID-19 vaccine that deterred her from getting the shot. 'We were all traumatized, vaccinated and unvaccinated,' she said. 'It's very hard that the same [colleagues] who elevated me to this level now look at me as a dangerous person.' A drug-abusing father who savagely beat his two-year-old daughter sent sick texts before and after hurting her so badly she will need 'lifelong care', a court has heard. The man from regional Victoria texted his partner that he felt like 'flogging' the toddler before a family member found the girl with disturbing injuries. Mildura County Court heard the man's attack on his own child left the little girl with a 'widespread brain injury' which will require lifelong care, The Herald Sun reported. The toddler's mum had arranged for the man, from Robinvale, to help her out by caring for the child because she needed support. The mother told Victorian Police the child was healthy when she left the home. This is one of the ominous messages a father reportedly sent his partner about his two-year-old daughter The man has pleaded guilty to charges of recklessly causing injury and possessing meth and cannabis, a Melbourne newspaper reported The court heard father was using methamphetamine and cannabis while looking after his daughter and became enraged when she stopped eating and smiling at him after a week with him. After the barbaric assault on the child, he was arrested and pleaded guilty in court to charges of recklessly causing injury, possessing methamphetamine and cannabis, the Herald Sun reported. The court heard the man admitted to an assault in a text message to his father while his child was in hospital Before the assault the man sent ominous messages to his partner, the court was told. In the message, the man said he would give the 'stupid' and 'dumb' child back and go to Melbourne because his mental state could lead him to hurting someone. The vile texts included calling his own daughter a 'dumb c***', complaining that she wouldn't eat and that he would 'fill her poxy mouth n hold [food] in there for hours'. Another text stated 'I feel like flog the s*** out of the c***.' He also claimed the child was 'a dead weight' and the messages indicated he was angry the child was happy with other people but not him. After the toddler was taken to hospital, the man reportedly texted his own father, admitting he had 'flogged' someone and 'wasn't in control', the court also heard. Mildura County Court heard the man is alleged to have beaten his own two-year-old girl so savagely that she suffered a 'widespread brain injury' The Robinvale man was arrested and pleaded guilty in court to charges of recklessly causing injury, possessing methamphetamine and cannabis The child was found unresponsive and pale by a family member and paramedics performed CPR on her for several minutes. The court reportedly heard from a forensic paediatrician, who outlined the graphic injuries the child suffered. Those included injuries to her spine and lacerations to her liver. A date was fixed for sentence and the names of the victim and her mother suppressed by the court. The arms trade is a shady and often unspoken area where royals, the secret services and the SAS come together. Sultans and sheiks from Bahrain to Brunei queued up to have their bodyguards advised by the men in black balaclavas from Hereford, while British Intelligence has long been used in support of British-based private commerce to provide information on the negotiating positions of rival manufacturers. The member of the Royal Family closest to this curious world was Prince Andrew. More than anyone else, he had enjoyed a serious military career of 22 years, serving as a helicopter pilot in the Falklands War. In late October 2008, the American ambassador to the Central Asian state of Kyrgyzstan was offered a surprising glimpse of his activities after a business brunch there which the Prince attended (pictured) This gave him an insight into military technology, including both advanced naval ships and aviation. When he left the Navy, he became an ambassador for British trade, with military technology always high on his list of priorities. In late October 2008, the American ambassador to the Central Asian state of Kyrgyzstan was offered a surprising glimpse of his activities after a business brunch there which the Prince attended. She reported back to Washington on Andrew's comments, which she found 'astonishingly candid', adding that the discussion at times verged on 'the rude'. As Andrew fielded questions, he was reportedly 'super-engaged' and then, addressing the ambassador directly, stated frankly that Britain was 'back in the thick of playing the Great Game'. Now rather animated, he added cheekily: 'And this time we aim to win!' Andrew next turned his fire on the Serious Fraud Office. He ripped into its investigators, who had had the 'idiocy' of almost scuttling the al-Yamamah arms deal with Saudi Arabia, reportedly worth some 40 billion. The ambassador explained to Washington that the Prince 'was referencing an investigation, subsequently closed, into alleged kick-backs a senior Saudi royal had received in exchange for the multi-year, lucrative BAE Systems contract to provide equipment and training to Saudi security forces'. More than anyone else, Prince Andrew (pictured) had enjoyed a serious military career of 22 years, serving as a helicopter pilot in the Falklands War. This gave him an insight into military technology, including both advanced naval ships and aviation Andrew's salty comments surfaced shortly afterwards when the ambassador's cable was released by WikiLeaks Andrew then went on to attack 'those [expletive] journalists', especially from the Guardian, 'who poke their noses everywhere' and made it harder for British businessmen to do business. Andrew's salty comments surfaced shortly afterwards when the ambassador's cable was released by WikiLeaks. But the security services' fears over him have now shifted to blackmail vulnerabilities over his friendship with the late billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. He strenuously denies knowledge of, or involvement in, Epstein's activities but his friendship has created a potential counter-intelligence risk, with fears apparently that Russia could link Andrew to the abuse, thereby creating a blackmail or 'leverage' possibility. Security officials have since reviewed the security of the Prince's internet and phone connections in case of bugging. Adapted from THE SECRET ROYALS: SPYING AND THE CROWN, FROM VICTORIA TO DIANA, by Richard Aldrich and Rory Cormac Gladys Berejiklian has warned vaccine-hesitant locals in towns like Byron Bay they will be shut out if they aren't jabbed when lockdown ends. The NSW premier told the famously alternative town with one of the lowest Covid vaccination rates in the state that it risked being left behind on October 11. Lockdown will end in 13 days after NSW is 70 per cent vaccinated, revoking stay-at-home orders and opening pubs, restaurants, and shops. However, residents will have to prove they are fully vaccinated to they will effectively still be in lockdown and banned from most public venues. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned regional areas such as Byron Bay (pictured) that have low vaccination rates will suffer the consequences once the state begins to open up 'Byron will be like that, absolutely, and that's because some people choose not to get the vaccine... but they have to live with those consequences,' Ms Berejiklian said on the Today show on Tuesday. Ms Berejiklian also warned shops that if they didn't get their staff to vaccinate, they would be banned from working - which would hurt their business. 'If you choose not to have vaccinated staff, well, that's on you. You won't be able to do anything,' she said. 'Even then airlines have said they're not going to take people that aren't vaccinated. A lot of businesses have said they're not going to welcome people that aren't vaccinated.' However, Ms Berejiklian insisted all of NSW would leave lockdown at the same time when the state vaccination average hit 70 per cent, even if some areas like Byron Bay were well below that. Country towns would also not be banned from accepting visitors when regional travel is allowed when the NSW average reaches 80 per cent. 'They'll all be opened but only for the vaccinated. From here on in it will be life for the vaccinated as opposed to the unvaccinated. That's why we want all of NSW to move forward,' she said. The Byron Bay Shire (pictured) has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the state, with only 34.9 per cent of the eligible population fully vaccinated Anti-lockdown protests have been held across Byron Bay, including one in early September 2021 when the region was not under lockdown restrictions (pictured 2020 lockdown protests in Byron Bay clashed with police) The NSW vaccination rate sits at 60.2 per cent fully vaccinated and 85.5 per cent first dose. The Byron Shire has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the state, with 60.9 per cent of eligible people receiving one dose and 34.9 per cent being fully vaccinated. Anti-lockdown protestors have previously flooded the streets of Byron Bay, including a rally in early September, 2021 when the region was not under lockdown restrictions. NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said police would not be routinely checking vaccination passports, but would be available to help business owners who refuse service to anyone. 'We will not be walking through restaurants and cafes and pubs checking if people are double vaccinated,' he told Sydney radio 2GB on Tuesday. 'We will certainly be assisting restaurant owners and shop owners if they are refusing entry to someone then we will certainly respond to assist those people. 'I think it's important that we keep calm out there,' he said. Despite low vaccination rates, the Premier has stated the entire state will open at the same time, on the Monday after NSW hits 70 per cent double vaccination targets Ms Berejiklian was also forced to defend her policy of allowing unvaccinated people to have the same freedom as everyone else on December 1 - just five weeks after the projected 80 per cent mark. 'We've been very conservative because many reports say that at 80 per cent double-dosed you should consider opening up to the unvaccinated and we've said no,' she said. 'You'll have to wait at least another month, four or five weeks in fact, before you can start integrating into society.' The premier said while those who are unvaccinated would be allowed these freedoms, many businesses would choose to bar unvaccinated residents from their services beyond December 1. Authorities have also commented that while police will not be checking vaccine passports, business owners are allowed to refuse service to people who are unvaccinated and officers are available to assist those refusing entry (pictured Byron Bay among the lowest vaccination rates in NSW) 'A lot of organisations already have mandatory vaccination programs in place,' she said on Sunrise. 'Even though the government is saying unvaccinated people might have other rights from December 1... a lot of businesses have said they will not accept anyone was unvaccinated. 'Life for the unvaccinated will be very difficult indefinitely.' Ms Berejiklian doubled down on this prediction on Today minutes later. 'Even though the government has said in our regulated environment, unvaccinated people will start forming part of society, a lot of private businesses have already said, "not for us, thank you", and unvaccinated people have to come to terms with that,' she said. Hospitals will be able to tackle record NHS waiting lists at a faster rate from today after health chiefs relaxed Covid infection guidelines. Fully jabbed patients can now take a lateral flow test rather than a PCR before admission and will not have to isolate for three days beforehand. An easing of the two-metre distancing rule to one metre also means managers can fit more beds on wards and conduct more scans and operations. Staff can drop enhanced cleaning measures in low-risk areas, reducing the time taken to decontaminate surfaces between patients. Hospitals will be able to tackle record NHS waiting lists at a faster rate from today after health chiefs relaxed Covid infection guidelines (file photo) Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the move is possible because of the phenomenal success of the UKs vaccination programme. Yesterday another 37,960 cases of coronavirus were recorded in the UK and 40 deaths within 28 days of a positive test. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) review of infection rules comes as NHS waiting lists stand at a record 5.61million almost one in every ten people in England. A separate study of infection prevention and control (IPC) measures in other settings such as GP surgeries is expected to finish next month. Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UKHSA, said: We have reviewed the existing Covid-19 IPC evidence-based guidance and made a series of initial pragmatic recommendations... This is a first step to help the NHS treat more patients more quickly, while ensuring their safety and balancing their different needs for care. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the move is possible because of the phenomenal success of the UKs vaccination programme Mr Javid said: We can now safely begin to relieve some of the most stringent infection control where they are no longer necessary to benefit patients and ease the burden on hard-working NHS staff. More than six million fewer patients than would usually be expected had non-urgent hospital treatment for the likes of hip and knee replacements between January 2020 and this July. The NHS postponed some operations to prioritise Covid patients and GPs made 7.5million fewer referrals. Mr Javid has warned waiting lists could soon soar to 13million as more now start to come forward. Patient groups and hospital bosses last night welcomed the move. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said: If our public health experts are clear that it is now safe to loosen some hospital precautions in this way, so that more in-patients can be treated more quickly, then this looks like a win-win so far as many older people are concerned. The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) has advised that hand hygiene is likely to be more effective than enhanced cleaning for reducing transmission via contaminated surfaces. But last night Dr Simon Clarke, associate professor in cellular microbiology at the University of Reading, warned relaxing the measures could lead to a rise in more hospital-acquired infections. Six adorable German Shepherd puppies have reported for duty at NSW police - and their unique names have been chosen by some of the 'bravest' people in the state. The Dog and Mounted Command Unit asked for help naming the newest recruits from young patients currently admitted at the Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick. The puppies, which were born on May 21, all have monikers starting with the letter C, with father Vegas and mother Bonnie giving birth to four females and two males. The male puppies have been dubbed Charger and Coops and the females go by Cody, Carrie, Carol and Cali. An eight-year-old girl named Alice, who unexpectedly had to spend hours in the emergency department, was excited to pick the names. 'I wanted to name the puppy Cody because my best friend's name is Cody, and dogs are her favourite animal,' Alice said. Nate, a four-year-old boy who required surgery, said he 'picked Charger because it sounded like a really good police dog name'. NSW Police have announced the arrival of six new German Shepherd puppies (pictured) The puppies were named by children in Sydney Children's Hospital, all starting with the letter C (pictured, one of six pups) Dog and Mounted Commander Superintendent Michael Rochester said that the children naming the new members of the Dog Unit will leave a lasting imprint on the squad. 'Unfortunately, this year the kids weren't able to meet the pups in person because of the pandemic, but we were very glad we could get them involved virtually,' Superintendent Rochester said. 'If these pups are successful through their training, they'll go on to help the community in many ways. 'Our dogs are used to find missing people, assist in pursuits, detect drugs, explosives and other paraphernalia, and have a variety of other specialist functions which make them an invaluable law enforcement capability.' The females puppies were named Carol, Cody, Carrie (pictured) and Cali by the children stuck in the Randwick hospital The males were named Charger and Cody (pictured) and are currently being exposed to new environments and experiences as a part of foundational training Andrea Fuller, patron of the Dog and Mounted Command, said allowing children to name the new pups was a fantastic choice. 'These are some of the strongest and bravest children in our community, so it seems natural for them to be given the opportunity to name our newest frontline heroes,' Mrs Fuller said. The pups are currently being exposed to new environments and experiences as they complete foundational training to become police canines. Minister for Police and Emergency Services David Elliott also said that these pups will be a part of the next generation of the police dog team, one of the most highly-trained and respected in the world. People in NSW are being urged to prepare for the looming storm season, with widespread heavy rain and possible flash flooding predicted. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast spring is likely to herald above-average rainfall for people living in the east of Australia, as well as cooler days and warmer nights, after the wettest winter since 2016. It is already forecasting storms on Tuesday in western NSW. The bad weather will extend eastward on Wednesday with more heavy rain and severe storms expected. The NSW storm season officially starts on Friday. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast spring is likely to herald above-average rainfall for people living in the east of Australia, as well as cooler days and warmer nights, after the wettest winter since 2016 State Emergency Service Commissioner Carlene York said there was an increased chance of strong winds and heavy rain, floods and flash floods State Emergency Service Commissioner Carlene York said there was an increased chance of strong winds and heavy rain, floods and flash floods. 'The difference between now and last year's flooding is our dams are pretty full,' she told Sydney radio 2GB on Tuesday. 'We've had a lot of rain over the winter so the ground is pretty saturated ... so it increases the risk of flash flooding.' NSW residents are being urged to prepare by cleaning gutters, downpipes and drains, removing blockages, trimming trees and fixing roofs. A married Michigan couple who were fully-vaccinated against COVID-19 both died of the virus just one minute apart. Cal Dunham, 59, and wife Linda, 66, gained their angel wings Sunday despite taking precautions against the virus and being inoculated against it, relatives said. The couple, who had undisclosed underlying health conditions, fell ill earlier this month during a family camping trip, the couple's grieving daughter Sarah Dunham said. [My dad] called me before our family camping trip and said he wasnt feeling good but he thinks its just like sinus, and [Linda] caught it and shes like, he gave me his cold, she told Fox17. The third day they woke me up and said, "Weve got to go because we dont feel well. So I packed them all up and they left.' Michigan couple Linda and Cal Dunham died within a minute of each other from COVID-19 The couple died within a minute of each other Sunday while holding hands, family said. The pair was hospitalized within days and placed on ventilators. Both suffered from pre-existing conditions. They died while holding hands; Cal passed away at 11:07 a.m., and his wife followed at 11:08 a.m. Cal Dunham updated his Facebook profile picture with a border May 15 to reflect getting his vaccine. When friends commented that they had also gotten the jab, he commended them as being awesome. Cal Dunham (left) celebrated getting the jab in a May Facebook post. It's not clear how long immunity to the coronavirus lasts once you've been fully inoculated against it. Kendra DeYoung, who launched a GoFundMe page for the family, described Linda Dunham as a second mom who helped her through her formative years. She was there for me during my first heartbreak, my first speeding ticket, decorating my first house, right by my side when I choose my wedding dress, my mistress of ceremony on my wedding day, DeYoung said in a Facebook tribute. Im just shattered by this incredible loss, not only for myself, but for the world! As she absolutely made the World a better place! Mom, you will be sooo missed but celebrated. Vaccines have been scientifically proven to reduce the risk of contracting COVID, and severely reduce the symptoms in inoculated people who do catch it. Unvaccinated people were more than 10 times more likely to be hospitalized, and 11 times more likely to die from COVID-19, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study. It's not yet known how long immunity against coronavirus lasts once vaccinated. The married couple started feeling unwell while on a family camping trip earlier this month People with moderately to severely compromised immune systems are especially vulnerable to COVID-19 and could be unable to build the same level of immunity even with two doses, the CDC said. It is recommending a third dose to bolster immunocompromised peoples response to the initial shots. Its not clear whether the couple received a third shot. Last week, a fully-vaccinated Oklahoma City school teacher who was hospitalized with the virus credited the third shot with saving his life. Ted Hartley, who had a liver transplant 10 years ago, urged others to get the jab as well. Get as many as you need, he told The Oklahoman. I needed three. His wife, Regina, credited the third dose with keeping him alive. Were just so grateful that he was able to get the booster shot in August because Im sure thats what saved him, she told the outlet. And thats why hes coming home this week. At least 65 per cent of Americans have now had at least one dose of a COVID vaccine, with 56 per cent of the US population fully-inoculated against the virus. These two Golden Retrievers love flying in small plane cockpits with their owner. Ever since Justin Coleman's two dogs Gus and Dora were 12 weeks old they have joined their owner in his RV-9A aircraft on scenic flights around Denver, Colorado. Adorable images show two-year-old Gus sat proudly next to 42-year-old Justin, watching intently out of the cockpit as they take off and looking down at the ground below. Unable to hide his enjoyment, Gus even tries to paw at passing planes thinking they are birds while sticking his tongue out. The engineer says he has even adjusted the plane for the dogs - removing the stick on the passenger side so that they cannot knock it when moving around in their seat. Dora the six-month-old Golden Retriever enjoying her time in the sky Ever since Justin Coleman's two dogs Gus and Dora were 12 weeks old they have joined their owner in his RV-9A aircraft on scenic flights around Denver, Colorado Mr Coleman doesn't have any specific equipment for his two dogs but has moved the passenger stick control to make extra room for Gus (pictured) who weighs more than five stone Ever since Justin Coleman's two dogs Gus and Dora were 12 weeks old they have joined their owner in his RV-9A aircraft on scenic flights around Denver, Colorado Mr Coleman said: 'Gus really enjoys flying and is at ease. I imagine he thinks it's similar to riding in the car. 'While taxiing the airplane, the canopy of the airplane can be open so he sticks his head out looking and smelling for squirrels and birds. 'Even when it's closed and we're thousands of feet up in the air, he's doing the same thing. 'Gus has shown an affinity for steep turns and momentary negative Gs so we do that occasionally. 'He has been up with me on a few formation flights and is intently focused on the airplane I'm flying next to, pawing at the window as he thinks it's a bird. 'If I ask Gus 'want to go to the airport' he runs out of the house and waits by the garage door for me. 'Dora is still too new to the experience for me to gauge her interest other than she seems happy to tag along. Winging it: Gus the Golden Retriever loves to fly with his owner Justin Coleman Mr Coleman doesn't have any specific equipment for his two dogs but has moved the passenger stick control to make extra room for Gus who weighs more than five stone Pictured: Gus as a puppy. Mr Coleman says he has even adjusted the plane for the dogs - removing the stick on the passenger side so that they cannot knock it when moving around in their seat 'There really are no restrictions on what I can do with them but I keep the flight profile pretty comfortable as I want them to enjoy it. 'Take off and landing are critical phases of flight where my mind needs to be 100% focused so I was hyper aware of their behaviour and any movements they made so it didn't impact what I was doing and I was prepared to abort if I sensed something wasn't right. 'It turned out that I had nothing to worry about and they acted more relaxed than most human passengers.' Mr Coleman doesn't have any specific equipment for his two dogs but has moved the passenger stick control to make extra room for Gus who weighs more than five stone. Mr Coleman said: 'I don't have any special equipment or arrangements for the dogs as they just sit in the seat next to me. 'Because Gus just got so big, I took the stick control out of the passenger side of the aircraft to give him more room to sit in the seat. 'Removing it also eliminates the risk of them accidently bumping into it if the flight is bumpy or as they're adjusting themselves in the seat during the flight. 'I think everyone is a little intrigued, some get excited, point, wave and smile when they see the dogs in the airplane. 'I'm just a general aviation pilot and have a real passion for flying. Having a dog as a co-pilot makes it more enjoyable. 'By the time both of them were flying with me, they had lots of exposure to riding along with my wife or I in a car so we knew they weren't prone to motion sickness. 'On their first flights, they both acted in a similar manner, very inquisitive, with lots of things to see and smell. 'They weren't quite able to see over the side of the cockpit unless they leaned up on their legs so after about 15 minutes they'd curl up on the seat and go to sleep. 'When I first started flying with Gus I was a little concerned about how it would turn out so I started with introducing them to it a little at a time. 'My wife, Kristen and I don't have kids, just the two dogs and expensive hobbies so we try to include them in just about everything we can.' The US State Department has condemned North Korea's latest missile launch and urged Pyongyang to engage in dialogue after the pariah state blasted the US and South Korea for their 'hostile policies'. North Korea fired off a short-range test missile Tuesday morning - the latest in a series of test launches this month which saw the missile land in the sea east of North Korea. It indicated the country is returning to its tried-and-true technique of mixing weapons demonstrations and peace offers to wrest concessions amid long-stalled negotiations over its nuclear weapons program. 'The United States condemns the DPRK's missile launch,' the department said in a statement on Tuesday. 'This launch is in violation of multiple UN Security Council Resolutions and poses a threat to the DPRK's neighbors and the international community. 'We remain committed to a diplomatic approach to the DPRK and call on them to engage in dialogue.' North Korea's neighbors said the weapon fired early Tuesday local time was a short-range missile and further details about the launch were being analyzed. It came hours after North Korea's Ambassador to the UN Kim Song justified North Koreas development of a 'war deterrent' as a necessity to defend against US threats, and also accused South Korea of betraying inter-Korean peace agreements by prioritizing its Western ally over 'national harmony.' He demanded that the United States 'permanently' stop its military exercises with South Korea, which the North has traditionally described as invasion rehearsals, and end the deployment of US strategic weapons if it wants to end the 1950-53 Korean War and 'is really desirous of peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula.' People watch a TV showing a file image of North Korea's missile launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea on Tuesday North Korea fired an 'unidentified projectile' into the sea off its east coast according to the South's military The test came hours after North Korean Ambassador to the UN Kim Song, pictured, attacked the US and South Korea over their hostile attitude to his country at the UN in NYC North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has a new slimline image - this official state picture was issued earlier this month 'The possible outbreak of a new war on the Korean Peninsula is contained not because of the USs mercy on the DPRK, it is because our state is growing a reliable deterrent that can control the hostile forces in an attempted military invasion,' Kim said, referring to North Korea by the abbreviation of its formal name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. Kim's comments on the last day of the UN General Assemblys annual high-level meeting came shortly after South Koreas military reported a North Korean firing into eastern waters. The Biden administration recently announced that it terminated the longest war in Afghanistan after 20 years, Kim said, 'but the US is still ignoring the reality that the Korean War has not ended for over 70 years.' Kim cited 'military threats and hostile acts' that the DPRK has faced from the US every day since it was founded in 1948. North Korea mainly uses the term 'hostile policy' to refer to US-led sanctions over its nuclear weapons program and the joint US-South Korea military drills. 'If (the United States) is really desirous of peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula, they should take the first step towards giving up its hostile policy against the DPRK by stopping permanently the joint military exercises and the deployment of all kinds of strategic weapons which are leveled at the DPRK in and around the Korean Peninsula,' Kim said. The United States keeps about 28,000 troops in South Korea to help deter potential aggression from North Korea. The allies say their drills are defensive in nature, but they have canceled or downsized them in recent years to create space for diplomacy or in pandemic response. Pedestrians walk past a screen displaying a map explaining North Korea's missile launch from the land of the country toward the Sea of Japan The launch comes just days after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's influential sister Kim Yo Jong (pictured), a key adviser to her brother, dangled the prospect of an inter-Korean summit North Korea fired a suspected ballistic missile into the sea, Seoul and Tokyo officials said North Koreas nuclear program has seemed to recede in attention at this years General Assembly in the face of new and broader challenges like COVID-19 and rising US-China tensions, and the meeting ended without meaningful new proposals to break the diplomatic stalemate. But North Korea usually hates being ignored. After months of relative quiet, the country this month tested new cruise missiles it eventually plans to arm with nuclear warheads and launched ballistic missiles from a train. It then offered to improve relations with South Korea if certain conditions are met. Analysts say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is using the Souths desire for inter-Korean engagement to pressure Seoul to extract concessions from the Biden administration on his behalf as he renews an attempt to leverage his nuclear weapons for badly needed economic and security benefits. In their speeches at the General Assembly last week, both President Joe Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed hopes to diplomatically resolve the standoff with North Korea while sidestepping the fresh tensions created by the Norths latest tests. South Korean army soldiers patrol along the barbed-wire fence in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea Biden, whose pullout from Afghanistan underscored a broader shift in US focus from counterterrorism and so-called rogue states like North Korea and Iran to confronting a rising authoritarian superpower in China, said his administration would seek 'serious and sustained diplomacy' to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. Moon, who wants North Korea to remain a priority in Washington, made a more ambitious push to break the diplomatic deadlock, calling for the leaders of the Koreas, the United States and China to declare an end to the Korean War. The conflict, in which North Korea and ally China faced off against South Korea and US-led UN forces, ended with an armistice, but there was never a peace treaty. North Korea rebuffed Moons offer last week, saying such a declaration would end up being a 'smokescreen' to cover up US hostility. But Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of the North Korean leader, said her country will take steps to repair ties with the South, and may even discuss another summit between their leaders - if Seoul drops its hostility and public criticism about North Korean military developments. A visitor watches the North Korea side from the Unification Observation Post in Paju, South Korea, near the border with North Korea Military guard posts of North Korea, rear, and South Korea, bottom, are seen in Paju, near the border with North Korea Nuclear negotiations have stalled since the collapse of a meeting between Kim Jong Un and former President Donald Trump in February 2019, when the Americans rejected the Norths demands for a major removal of US-led sanctions over its nuclear weapons program in exchange for dismantling an aging nuclear facility. Kim Jong Un in recent political speeches has vowed to bolster his nuclear deterrent in face of US pressure. His government has so far rejected the Biden administrations offer to resume talks without preconditions, saying that Washington must abandon its hostile policy first. In Mondays address, ambassador Kim said, 'I am convinced that a good prospect will be opened or the DPRK-US relations and the inter-Korean relations if the US refrains from threatening the DPRK and gives up its hostility towards it.' Dog the Bounty Hunter claimed on Monday that he had found a campsite that Brian Laundrie and his parents stayed at after he returned home without girlfriend Gabby Petito. Reality star Dog, real name Duane Chapman, claims camera footage showed the family at Fort De Soto Park near St Petersburg from September 1-3 and September 6-8 - and said that on the later visit only the parents were seen leaving. Laundrie's whereabouts have been the subject of intense interest ever since his girlfriend's body was found in Wyoming on September 19, with her death ruled to be a homicide. Laundrie had previously visited Fort De Soto Park with Petito before their road trip - with an Instagram picture showing him holding on to a barred window at the site's fort. Chapman told Fox News he received a tip on Monday that Laundrie's parents had spent the night at the site, 75 miles north of the family home in North Port. The family went with their son twice in early September, he claimed. The FBI, who is leading the search for Laundrie, has not commented on Chapman's allegations. Duane Chapman, better known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, (pictured at the weekend outside the Laundrie house in North Port, Florida) said on Monday that he had located a campsite where the Laundrie family stayed in September Laundrie had previously visited Fort De Soto Park with Petito before their roadtrip - with an Instagram picture showing him holding on to a barred window at the site's fort Chapman told Fox News he received a tip on Monday that Laundrie and his parents had spent the night at the site, 75 miles north of the family home in North Port. 'They were registered, went through the gate. They're on camera. They were here,' Chapman told Fox News. 'We think at least if he's not here right now, we are sure he was caught on camera as he went in the gate that he was here for sure. Not over in the swamp.' Search efforts have so far been concentrated at the Carlton Reserve - an alligator-infested 25,000 acre site 13 miles north of the Laundrie family home in North Port. 'Allegedly, what we're hearing, is two people left on the 8th,' said Chapman. 'Three people came in on the 6th, and two people left on the 8th. I think he's been here for sure.' A Fox News Digital reporter overheard a park worker say investigators had checked surveillance video on the grounds. On September 17, Laundrie - who returned to Florida alone on September 1 - was reported missing by his parents Chris and Roberta Laundrie. The FBI has taken over the search for Laundrie, and at the weekend Chapman joined in the hunt. He said he had received over 1,000 tips from members of the public. On Monday he said he had located a camp site where the Laundrie and his parents had stayed in early September, after he returned from his fateful cross-country trip with Gabby. Laundrie, 23, is the sole 'person of interest' in the homicide case of his girlfriend, Gabby Petito Chapman said that the Laundrie family stayed at this park campsite earlier this month The Laundrie family insisted on Monday they did not know where Brian Laundrie was. Steven Bertolino, the family lawyer, said in the statement: 'Chris and Roberta Laundrie do not know where Brian is. 'They are concerned about Brian and hope the FBI can locate him. 'The speculation by the public and some in the press that the parents assisted Brian in leaving the family home or in avoiding arrest on a warrant that was issued after Brian had already been missing for several days is just wrong.' Chapman's claim came after it was announced the all-out search in the Carlton Reserve will be scaled back as the FBI takes over the hunt. North Port Police spokesman Josh Taylor said: 'The FBI is now leading the search. 'I'm told it will be scaled back and targeted based on intelligence. The beach at the Fort De Soto park in Florida, where the Laundries stayed in early September Chapman is seen on Saturday arriving at the Laundrie family home. They called 911 on him 'Hopefully, water will lower in areas hard to currently access,' he told Fox News. The federal agency charged Laundrie with 'use of unauthorized access device' last Thursday, but said they will 'continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petito's homicide.' An extensive search for Laundrie, 23, has been underway since his parents reported him missing on September 17 - two days after he was named a person of interest in the homicide of Petito, whose remains were found on September 19. A group of 75 officers from more than 16 agencies joined the search last week, using drones, diver units, dogs and ATV vehicles to comb the 25,000-acre preserve since his parents reported that Laundrie might be there. Over 100 miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails are contained in the park, along with camping areas and rivers. Wildlife there includes alligators, bobcats, snakes and coyotes. Josh Taylor, a spokesman for the North Port Police, said on Monday that the all-out search for Gabby Petito's fiance Brian Laundrie (pictured) in Florida's swampy, alligator-infested Carlton Reserve was to scale back A fleet of 75 officers from over 16 agencies joined the search for Brian Laundrie last week Whether the avid hiker would have been able to survive in the 25,000-acre swamp-like Carlton Reserve (pictured) for weeks has been the subject of much speculation Drones, helicopters, diver units, dogs and ATV vehicles the 25,000-acre preserve meticulously since his parents suggested to authorities that Laundrie might be there on September 17 FBI agents paid another visit to the home of his parents to retrieve 'personal items' for DNA matching. Laundrie's mom Roberta, 55, was seen darting outside at 10am to leave an item in the screened porch of their North Port, Florida home Florida cattle rancher Alan McEwen, who lives outside the Carlton Reserve, has spent 30 years exploring the area and said it's not somewhere humans can easily live. He has been assisting police in their search for Laundrie. 'There's no surviving out here, I don't know how to say it,' he told Fox News. 'I've been in the woods in and out all my life. I have learned a lot in my life, and one thing I know is no one is gonna survive out there for two weeks on foot.' Chapman vowed to find him before his 24th birthday on November 18. Seattle's Boohoof Law offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to his capture. The couple had spent weeks traveling across the country in a van and recording their adventures online before Petito, 22, vanished. Gabby Petito disappeared while on a cross country road trip with Laundrie. Her remains were found on September 19 Florida cattle rancher Alan McEwen (pictured), who lives outside the Carlton Reserve (pictured), has spent 30 years exploring the area and said it's not somewhere humans can easily live The couple had spent weeks traveling across the country in a van and recording their adventures online before Petito, 22, vanished Laundrie's parents suggested he might have headed to the nature reserve, which he was known to visit and which is about 15 miles from his home. Whether the avid hiker would have been able to survive in the 25,000-acre swamp-like reserve for weeks has been the subject of much speculation. In the nearly two weeks since Laundrie is thought to have entered the reserve, heavy rainfall has flooded the area with waist-deep water. 'Unless he's got a butt like a duck and can float, he's not in there,' McEwen said. The rancher noted the dangers posed by alligators, mosquitos and other animals in the reserve, which is home to panthers, black bears, wild boar and lethal snakes. The terrain is also treacherous, according to McEwen, who said the thick brush makes it easy for even experienced outdoorsmen to accidentally step into a ditch or off a ledge. However, McEwen believes it's unlikely Laundrie would have died in the reserve, saying his body would have been found by now. 'Anything dead you find in the woods, you're gonna look up, you're gonna see buzzards flying like crazy,' he said. 'No buzzards, no body is my theory. And I haven't seen any buzzards flying.' Whether the avid hiker would have been able to survive in the 25,000-acre swamp-like reserve for weeks has been the subject of much speculation. Pictured: The reserve following heavy rainfall McEwen believes it's unlikely Laundrie would have died in the reserve, saying his body would have been found by now On Sunday, FBI agents paid another visit to the home of his parents to retrieve 'personal items' - for DNA matching. Laundrie's mom Roberta, 55, was seen darting outside at 10am to leave an item in the screened porch of their North Port, Florida home. An hour later two FBI agents with bulletproof vests, weapons and a clipboard walked up the drive, hovering at the front door before stooping to pick something up. When asked by a DailyMail.com reporter about the purpose of the visit neither agent responded but the family's lawyer, Steven Bertolino, said that agents wanted a sample of missing Brian's DNA. He cautioned that it was a 'routine' request rather that an indication that Laundrie had finally been found. Over the weekend, new dispatch audio emerged showing that Utah police were told Laundrie had hit Petito prior to being pulled over on August 12. The audio appears to contradict earlier reports that the responding officers in Moab City, Utah were unaware of a call from a witness who claimed to have seen Laundrie slapping Petito in their white Ford transit van before driving off. 'RP (reporting party) states seeing a male hit a female, domestic,' the dispatcher told police at around 4.38pm local time, according to the audio, first obtained by Fox 13. 'He got into a white Ford Transit van, has a black ladder on the back, Florida plate.' An officer asks for further information regarding the witness, and is again told that Petito had allegedly been hit. 'Phone number is [redacted], name's [redacted],' the dispatcher responds at 4:42 p.m. 'I'm not sure [inaudible], but the female who got hit, they both, the male and the female, both got into the van and headed north.' The new information comes as the Moab Police Department announced an independent probe on Thursday into the officers' handing of the alleged domestic dispute about a month before Petito was found dead. Neither police nor city officials have said whether the responding officers were aware they were dealing with a potential domestic violence incident when they pulled the couple over. But they treated Petito as the primary aggressor in bodycam footage of the August 12 incident, after Laundrie was seen to have wounds on his face. New dispatch audio indicates that the Moab City, Utah police officers who pulled over Gabby Petito (right) and her fiance Brian Laundrie on August 12 may have been aware that a witness had alleged seeing Laundrie slap Petito, but did not arrest neither. The police stop was recorded on the officers' body cameras (pictured) Utah law requires cops to make an arrest or issue a citation if they believe an incident of domestic violence has taken place. Neither Petito nor Laundrie were arrested. They were instead separated for the night in an attempt to calm the situation down, before being allowed to continue on their way. On Sunday, hundreds of mourners packed a Long Island funeral home to bid farewell to Petito. 'The entire planet knows this woman's name,' said her father Joe Petito, standing before a golden urn at the Moloney Holbrook Funeral Home. The standing-room only chapel was adorned with bouquets of flowers, and photo and video montages of his daughter. They showed her life growing up in Blue Point, Long Island, including a picture of Petito as a little girl with her small hand print on a piece of paper. Behind the urn was a more recent photo of her standing at the foot of a cave. 'She always wanted to go out and do stuff, whether it was scuba diving with my uncle, or myself, or hiking the Appalachian trail, surfing sand dunes in Colorado,' the father said. 'She had some wild experiences that I could only wish that I could experience. 'To see that type of joy that brought her, and the stones it took to do that at such a young age,' he continued. 'I would like you to take a look at these videos and I want you to be inspired by them.' At Sunday's visitation, Petito's father didn't discuss the circumstances of her death, but offered advice for people in bad relationships. 'I want you to take a look at these pictures, and I want you to be inspired by Gabby. If there's a trip you guys want to take, take it now. Do it now while you have the time.' 'If there is a relationship that you're in that might not be the best thing for you, leave it now. Take care of yourself first.' Mourners were seen hugging and crying as they consoled one another while attending Petito's public funeral service The editor of a leading medical journal has apologised for describing women as 'bodies with vaginas' on the front page of its latest edition. The Lancet was accused of sexism and dehumanising women after its editors used the term, which was written in an article titled 'Periods on Display', on the journal's front cover in an attempt to be inclusive to trans people. The medical journal's editor-in-chief Richard Horton has since apologised to readers who were offended. He told The Daily Telegraph: 'I apologise to our readers who were offended by the cove quote and the use of those same words in the review.' The article, which was published on September 1, examines an exhibition exploring the taboos and history of periods at the Vagina Museum in London and sees the writer use the word 'women' but also use the term 'bodies with vaginas'. The quote, which was then used on the journal's front page, read: 'Historically, the anatomy and physiology of bodies with vaginas have been neglected.' However the move to display the quote on the journal's front cover has been met with criticism, with some academics calling it 'insulting and abusive' and a 'misguided pursuit of woke points'. Meanwhile others said they had cancelled their subscriptions with the peer-reviewed medical journal - which was founded in 1823. It comes just months after critics lambasted Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust after it told staff to use terms like 'birthing parents' and 'human milk' rather than referring to 'mothers' and 'breast milk'. The Lancet used the term, which was written in an article titled 'Periods on Display', on the front cover of its latest edition Richard Horton, the editor of medical journal The Lancet has apologised for describing women as 'bodies with vaginas' on the front page of its latest edition Dr Madeleine Ni Dhalaigh, who works as a GP, wrote on Twitter: 'Naming women as 'bodies with vaginas' is a new low, all in the misguided pursuit of woke points. 'You can be inclusive without being insulting and abusive. How dare you dehumanise us with a statement like this?' While Prof David Curtis, honorary professor of genetics at University College London, said: 'Just wrote the Lancet to tell them to take me off their list of statistical reviewers and cancel my subscription and never contact me about anything ever again 'Absolutely inexcusable language to refer to women and girls.' Elsewhere feminist Claire Heuchan wrote: 'This framing makes it sound like a coincidence that 'bodies with vaginas' have been neglected by medicine, as if it were not the product of a discrimination and oppression specific to the female sex. 'Medical misogyny... exists - and refusing to acknowledge women perpetuates it. 'Until [the Lancet starts] writing about 'bodies with penises', dehumanising and neglecting research specific to men, I'm going to call this erasure out for what it is: sexism.' Apologising for the wording used on the cover, Mr Horton, who has been the editor-in-chief of the Lancet for over 25 years, wrote in a statement: 'I would like to thank all those who have responded to the words on this week's Lancet cover and understand the strength of feeling it has provoked. 'The Lancet strives for maximum inclusivity of all people in its vision for advancing health. 'In this instance, we have conveyed the impression that we have dehumanised and marginalised women. Those who read The Lancet regularly will understand that this would never have been our intention.' Mr Horton said the article was a 'compelling call to empower women' but he wanted to 'emphasise that transgender health is an important dimension of modern health care, but one that remains neglected'. Earlier this year critics lambasted Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust after it told staff to use terms like 'birthing parents' and 'human milk' rather than referring to 'mothers' and 'breast milk'. The hospital unveiled a blizzard of 'gender inclusive' phrases in a drive to stamp out 'mainstream transphobia'. Other changes included replacing the use of the word 'woman' with the phrase 'woman or person', and the term 'father' with 'parent', 'co-parent' or 'second biological parent', depending on the circumstances. Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals Trust was the first in the country to formally implement such a radical overhaul for its maternity services department - which will now be known as 'perinatal services'. Medical experts and activists accused The Lancet of sexism and dehumanising women after editors used the term Earlier this year critics lambasted Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust after it told staff to use terms like 'birthing parents' and 'human milk' Last year law firm Clifford Chance said it was removing all mention of 'she' and 'he' from its legal documents.(Stock image) But author and film writer Dougie Brimson and editor of the Jewish Chronicle, Stephen Pollard, was among critics to hit out at the new terminology. Mr Brimson tweeted: ''Chestfeeding' and 'human milk'.... Someone within this trust is no doubt being paid a fortune to come up with this kind of utter nonsense. 'Think about that the next time you're whining about the #NHS being underfunded.' Last year Tedx London, a volunteer-led organisation that holds regular events with TED-style talks, was left facing fierce criticism after replacing the word woman with 'womxn'. The organisation used the term on social media posts announcing its forthcoming programme of autumn events, and later said the word had been used because it's 'more inclusive and progressive'. However, the decision sparked a swathe of negative comments, with critics saying not using the term woman was 'misogynistic'. The phrase is thought to have been originally devised by radical feminists who wanted a term for women that wasn't defined by the word men. In more recent years, it's been used as a term that includes women who aren't cis-gender. In the same year law firm Clifford Chance said it was removing all mention of 'she' and 'he' from its legal documents in favour of 'they'. MailOnline has contacted The Lancet for comment. Legend has it that anyone who kills a white stag will be cursed for life. But police on Merseyside are clearly untroubled by folklore. A police sniper shot dead a majestic white stag after it strayed from the countryside and ran terrified through the streets of Bootle. The killing against advice from RSPCA officers who said it would make its own way back home sparked uproar. Lost: A police sniper shot dead a majestic white stag (pictured) after it strayed from the countryside and ran terrified through the streets of Bootle in Merseyside Residents had spotted the rare stag running through the town on Sunday morning. Police corralled it on an industrial estate and a vet was called. A police spokesman said officers sought expert help to recover the deer safely but unfortunately we were unable to get assistance and as the hours went by the deer became more distressed. There was no option to let the deer wander as it could be a danger to motorists and the public. The killing - against advice from RSPCA officers who said it would 'make its own way back home' - sparked uproar among residents had spotted the rare stag running through the town on Sunday morning As a result, a decision was made in the early evening to euthanise the deer. Liverpudlians reacted with fury. Jane Haigh wrote on Facebook: What an utter and complete waste of a beautiful animal. The stag could have been tranquilised and then removed to a safe place. But Charles Smith-Jones, of the British Deer Society, said: A large wild animal doesnt collapse on the spot when its darted its liable to run off which could have caused even more of a hazard. Labour may be forced to scrap all-women shortlists for parliamentary candidates as more than half its MPs are now female. Leaked papers from the partys national executive committee show it has formally decided to stop using the shortlists for the first time since 1997. That year, when Tony Blair entered Downing Street, 101 female Labour candidates dubbed Blairs babes were elected using all-women shortlists. Women now account for 51 per cent of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP). Under the Equality Act, all-women shortlists can only be used where females are under-represented. The leaked documents state: Legal advice suggests that now the PLP is majority women (in no small part because of the great success of all-women shortlists), it will not be possible to use positive action in favour of women for selections in the run-up to the next general election. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves and Angela Rayner, Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. The party may be forced to scrap all-women shortlists for parliamentary candidates as more than half its MPs are now female A Labour source said: We dont have any choice under the law as it stands. Well fight tooth and nail to advance womens rights, and if that means changing the law again, we will. The papers note that women could suffer a catastrophic fall in representation unless rules are passed preventing local members from challenging their MPs via trigger ballots. Labour frontbencher David Lammy praised the use of the shortlists to boost the numbers of women running for Parliament. However, he criticised the party for failing to do enough to ensure black men run as MPs. Praising the use of all-women shortlists, the Tottenham MP said: I do think we have to do a serious analysis about those barriers and removing those barriers... that does mean a degree of positive discrimination if you are to bring people forward. Mr Lammy, one of just three black men who are Labour MPs and the only black man in Sir Keirs shadow cabinet, said the party needs to do considerably more to fix the problem by removing barriers to entry. Labour frontbencher David Lammy (right) praised the use of the shortlists to boost the numbers of women running for Parliament. However, he criticised the party for failing to do enough to ensure black men run as MPs The partys justice spokesman said the party has been slow to realise the issue and called for some form of positive discrimination to resolve it. Speaking at a fringe event at the Labour Party conference in Brighton, he said: There are so many barriers to entry and when were talking about black men the barriers to entry are huge. And the party has been slow to pick that up and understand that and we need to do considerably more. I do think we have to do a serious analysis about those barriers and removing those barriers as that does mean a degree of positive discrimination if you are to bring people forward. Ben Fordham claims Gladys Berejiklian has thrown a legal 'hand grenade' to NSW's small businesses by allowing unvaccinated residents back into pubs and restaurants by the end of the year. The state leader on Monday announced all residents regardless of their Covid vaccination status will likely be able to visit pubs, restaurants and retail stores from December 1 - only seven weeks after the double-jabbed receive the same freedoms. From that date, it will be up to the business owners to decide if they want to ban the unvaccinated from entering. The 2GB radio host said hospitality venues would be exposed to a flood of legal challenges from anti-vaxxer customers when the rules are eased for everyone. All NSW residents - regardless of their vaccination status - will be allowed back into pubs and restaurants by the end of the year, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said on Monday 'The anti-vaxxers now have found an opening,' he said 'What's the point in incentivising people to get vaccinated?' 'If businesses decide to make the vaccine mandatory in their business - as they have the right to do - then they are exposing themselves to legal challenges from staff and customers. 'Freedom fighters will set up GoFundMe pages - there will be pro bono lawyers saying 'we'll represent you' but who is going to pay the legal fees of the little cafe owner?' He said owners also now face a wave of civil lawsuits and wrongful death claims if their business becomes the site of a superspreader event. 'It's in the health and safety act black and white - you have to provide a safe environment,' he said. 'What happens if an vaccinated staff member with underlying health conditions catches Covid from an unvaccinated customer - what if someone dies? Anti-vaxxer protesters march down George St in Sydney on July 24. Radio host Ben Fordham said 'freedom fighters will set up GoFundMe pages' if businesses bar them from entering come December 1 'Business owners are going to have to hire lawyers and prove they have taken risk assessments. The government is about to give them a hand grenade. They've pulled the pin, tossed it into the pub and walked away.' Popular restaurant chain Rashays, which has 27 stores in NSW, on Monday meanwhile announced it would not reopen until December 1 so its staff wouldn't have to police Covid vaccine passports. Mr Ykmour said he didn't want workers at his 27 restaurants across the state 'facing arguments at the front door' from October 11 when fully-vaccinated patrons are allowed to dine at his restaurants. 'I'm happy small businesses can open up from October 11, including Rashays,' Mr Ykmour said in a TikTok video shared on Monday evening. Fordham said hospitality venues would be exposed to a flood of legal challenges from anti-vaxxer customers when businesses are made to choose whether they ban the unvaccinated from entering 'But unfortunately we're taking a stance not to open up until December 1 because we are all about being inclusive. 'We are all about being inclusive. My staff have been trained for years to open everyone with open arms - I don't want them facing arguments at the door about who can come in because of double vaccine passports.' Ms Berejiklian on Monday outlined the phased return of freedoms that will begin the Monday after the 70 per cent double-vaccination rate is reached; forecast to happen next week. From October 11, five people will be able to visit a home, pubs and restaurants will open for seated service only, retail stores can re-open, and hair and beauty salons to restart with a cap of five patrons - but all of those freedoms will be restricted to the double-vaccinated. About two weeks later, when 80 per cent are fully vaccinated, those restrictions will be further relaxed to allow 10 visitors to a home, community sport and drinking while standing in a pub. A one person per four square metre rule will be in place for indoor venues, and a one person per two square metre rule for outdoor areas. Personal services such as hairdressers, spa, nail, beauty, waxing, tattoo and massage venues will be uncapped but must obey the four square metre rule. Intra-state travel - previously slated to begin at the 70 per cent rate - has been pushed back to the 80 per cent mark due to growing Covid case numbers in regional areas. The 80 per cent threshold will also see the removal of the 50-person limit on fully vaccinated guests for weddings and funerals. On December 1 - regardless of the vaccination rate - just about all remaining restrictions will be removed, including for the unvaccinated. The density requirement drops to two square metres indoors, nightclubs will re-open and the 5,000 cap on stadiums will be removed. The daily commute has long been a source of complaint, with overcrowded public transport and expensive travel costs making the experience feel like a slog. But a new study of 3,000 workers by the Rail Industry has found that travelling to and from the office each day actually has a positive impact on your mental health and helps you keep off the pounds. Neuroscientists at University College London - who analysed the results of the survey - said physically going to the office boosts wellbeing because it allows employees to separate work and home life. Human interaction also plays a vital role, they said. And the commute keeps people active and removes the temptation to snack on unhealthy food from the fridge. Half of those polled said being in an office put them in a better mindset for work. And 45 per cent of people in the study said they felt more productive in the office as they could share ideas with colleagues without having to schedule a call. Meanwhile 50 per cent admitted to snacking more while working from home and 43 per cent said they were more distracted - with household chores, deliveries and longer lunches being the biggest culprits. Working from home (WFH) guidance was finally dropped in July, more than a year after workers were sent home as part of the first lockdown. There has been fierce debate about whether employees were more or less productive at home and what effect it had on their mental health. Almost half of the 3,000 people surveyed by the study said being in an office put them in a better mindset for work (file photo of commuters in London) It comes after a study indicated that towns and villages across the UK could see a major financial boost thanks to the growth of hybrid working because of the pandemic (file photo) Lead author Joseph Devlin, professor of brain sciences at UCL, told the Times: 'The commute delineates boundaries between home and work life and can be used to switch one off and transition to the other, which can have a positive impact on cognitive performance, wellbeing and productivity. 'Just going to work generates more diverse experiences than working from home, especially through interactions with other people.' The Rail Industry/UCL study found that admiring the scenery by train was branded the 'best part' of heading into the office for 55 per cent of respondents. A quarter said it was the chance for some 'me time', including reading a book, listening to a podcast or catching up on emails. However, it's thought that spending too long on the daily commute can have the opposite effect on mental health. It comes after a study indicated that towns and villages across the UK could see a major financial boost thanks to the growth of hybrid working because of the pandemic. A graph showing the increase in the number bus and Tube journeys in London as the capital continues to open up A graph for the number of tap-ins at North Greenwich Tube station, showing usage is nearing pre-pandemic levels This graph shows the average congestion for days in 2021. It does not go up to the first day of this week Research by the International Work Place Group (IWG) and design company Arup found rural and suburban economies 'could generate up to an extra 327million a year' due to the forecasted expansion of flexible office and co-working spaces to meet the growing demand for hybrid work. Towns that have experienced major increases in demand for office space include Bromsgrove (153 per cent), Marlow (66 per cent) and Evesham (58 per cent), according to the research. The study also estimated that more than 4,000 new jobs can be created to support office workers who look to cut down on commuting and work from locations closer to where they live. IWG said its research suggested that almost 50 per cent of all office workers would 'quit their job' if they were asked to go back to their office on a permanent five-day basis. IWG predicts that the change will see dramatic changes to commuting times - which is currently on average around 58 minutes in the UK. Real Housewives of Orange County star Meghan King has revealed she has a new boyfriend - the nephew of President Joe Biden, Cuffe Biden Owens. King, 37, publicly announced she was dating the 'first nephew' in an Instagram post on Saturday. 'Trying my best to avoid any cheesy introductions like 'my main squeeze' so just meet my man,' the caption read under a picture of King hugging Owens. Her new beau, who is 42, works as a Los Angeles-based attorney and is the son of Biden's sister Valerie Owens. Meghan King, 37, posted a picture of her new boyfriend Cuffe Biden Owens, the nephew of Joe Biden, on Saturday Owens is the son of Biden's sister Valerie Owens, pictured next to President Biden in black and white dress in 2013 The couple was also seen together on King's Instagram story with her and Owens at a wine tasting. She went on to post a story on Monday for her birthday with flowers that Owens had given her. Despite King's social media presence, Owens seems to not have any current accounts and also has been known to stay out of the political spotlight. The reality star has had several other high-profile relationships in the past as well. King was first married to lawyer Brad McDill in July 2007 but formally separated in October 2011 because of irreconcilable differences. She was then married again to MLB player Jim Edmonds in October 2014 and had three children together including four-and-a-half year old Aspen and three-year-old twins Hart and Hayes. King's most highly publicized relationship was with MLB player Jim Edmonds who she divorced from in 2021 after he admitted he was unfaithful to her King had three children with her ex-husband Edmonds including four-and-a-half-year-old Aspen and three-year-old twins Hart and Hayes The couple, however, separated five years later after King accused Edmonds of sexting other women, and cheating on her with their nanny. He denied that infidelity claim. 'It feels good to put that behind me and just look to the future,' she told Us Weekly after the divorce. 'I want to spend my life with a partner. Im a loyal, monogamous individual. Ive been having a lot of fun dating, but Im really hoping to settle down and find that partner.' King began dating businessman and Life Uncharted host Christian Schauf in May before they broke up six months later but claimed they both split on good terms. The Real Housewives of Orange County star has had plenty of other highly publicized relationships in the past as well 'This is life, these things happen,' King told People Magazine. 'So I put on our big girl panties, take a deep breath, take a little time to mourn, take a lot of a time to reflect, and take forever to smile back on a beautiful experience of growth. 'And tomorrow the sun will rise again. So must all good things end? Nah, girl, I'm just getting started.' Her most recent relationship was with real estate broker Will Roos who she began dating in January of this year. It is unclear how long Roos and King lasted before she began dating Owens. Presenters have to be careful not to fall foul of the BBCs ban on using screen roles for promotional work. However, Gregg Wallace has been allowed to link up with fast food delivery giant Just Eat despite his job co-hosting MasterChef. BBC bosses decided the deal did not breach its rules. Wallace, 56, is not currently on air with MasterChef. Chef Michel Roux Jr, 61, left MasterChef: The Professionals in 2014 after appearing in adverts for a brand of potatoes. Tasty deal: MasterChef co-host Gregg Wallace, 56, (right) has been allowed to link up with Just Eat despite his BBC presenter job as BBC bosses decided the deal did not breach its rules This year DIY SOS host Nick Knowles used his link to the series in a cereal ad. He missed Children In Need as a result but has now returned to the show. Gregg Wallace wrote on Twitter: Brilliant being able to spend a couple of days in Birmingham with @JustEatUK! Im working with them to help restaurants and takeaways make some simple and sustainable changes to offer healthy options alongside their classic menu dishes. The food delivery company has launched a three-month trial in which Wallace and nutritionist Charlotte Radcliffe are helping restaurants in Birmingham to consider and offer more healthy takeaway food choices on their menu. Results from the trial will be used to create a programme in order to help the other independent restaurants Just Eat is partnered with. This year DIY SOS host Nick Knowles (pictured) used his link to the series in a cereal ad. He missed Children In Need as a result but has now returned to the show BBC editorial guidelines state: Actors and artists who perform in BBC output should not appear in promotional work, including advertisements, in a way which mimics or replicates their on-air roles for the BBC. Until recently, Wallace presented BBC show Eat Well For Less which did feature content on takeaways. He left the show in January last year after eight years. A BBC spokesman said: The BBC has clear guidelines around on air talent and promotional activity including commercial advertising and endorsements. A rare photo has emerged of One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and her little-seen lover Tony Nyquist after she revealed the pair have been kept apart by draconian border closures. 'For those people in Queensland who can't see their loved ones... I'm in that position,' Senator Hanson told Sky News on Monday, prior to the image of the pair surfacing. 'I can't see my partner who is in NSW and in lockdown there in Port Stephens and has been for the last couple of months. He's my partner of 13 years and he can't get across the border.' The image shows Ms Hanson standing beside four people - one of whom is Mr Nyquist wearing a button up shirt, vest and a cap. The pair are smiling widely for the photograph. Pauline Hanson (centre left) and her rarely seen partner Tony Nyquist (right) have been kept apart by the Queensland border closure Ms Hanson, who first entered politics as a member of the Ipswich City Council in 1994, admitted in June this year that she is in a long term relationship with Mr Nyquist, who is from NSW. But the pair are notoriously private and almost never consent to pictures being taken by the press. The 67-year-old One Nation leader, who has been married twice and has four children, told the Courier Mail at the time 'I've kept him very secret', adding that despite her marriage record, 'I can keep them longer than a couple of years.' One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has not seen her partner for months due to Queensland's border closure Mr Nyquist is understood to be a former property developer and real estate agent. The couple were initially spotted together in Nelson Bay in northern NSW more than a decade ago. Woman's Day magazine reported that the relationship was an open secret in the area, with one local saying 'they go out together'. 'I've seen them in the Salamander Bay Shopping Centre together seen them in Kmart. [Locals] accept her, they are happy to have her here. She's very welcome.' Ms Hanson lives 760km away on a large property in Beaudesert, Queensland. The senator, who has refused to get vaccinated against Covid-19, called for state borders to be opened up across the country. 'As the prime minister has said, when we get to 80 per cent double vaccination for people in Australia the borders should be opened up and there should be no border closures at all in the future,' she said. But Ms Hanson does not think that will happen. 'I don't hold that confidence for Queensland because I think that she (Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk) is preparing to keep the border shut again for another year to anyone outside Queensland.' Ms Hanson said that by Christmas it will have been two years since she has seen her daughter and grandchildren. 'And I can't get to see my new granddaughter who's 20 days old because she lives in NSW,' she told Sky. 'So this is ridiculous. You're keeping families apart and she (Ms Palaszczuk) has no consideration for this whatsoever.' Pauline Hanson says Annastacia Palaszczuk plans to keep Queensland's border closed for another year Ms Hanson said anti-vaxxers do not get enough air-time in the media. 'You hear from people who say "I'll get vaxxed" but you don't hear from the other side of the argument. 'People are protesting because you can't keep locking them away for months at a time in their homes. The mental illness is escalating. Kids are self-harming, suicide is on the increase. 'People are not getting the medical treatment that they need,' she said. Iceland briefly celebrated making history by electing Europes first female-majority parliament before a recount found it had just fallen short. The initial count had female candidates winning 33 seats in the countrys 63-seat parliament. But hours later, a recount in western Iceland found just 30 seats had been won, a tally previously reached in their 2016 election. Icelandic Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir talks to supporters of her Left Green Movement at a party event in Reykjavik on September 25, 2021 The result would have made it the first country in Europe to have more women than men in parliament. But at almost 48 per cent of the total, it is still the highest figure of female politicians in the continent. Only a handful of countries, none of them in Europe, have a majority of female lawmakers. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, Rwanda leads the world with women making up 61% of its Chamber of Deputies, with Cuba, Nicaragua and Mexico on or just over the 50% mark. The female victory remains the big story of these elections, politics professor Olafur Hardarson told local broadcaster RUV after the recount. The mistakes have not been entirely explained but are thought to be due to human error Iceland's voting system is divided into six regions and the recount in western Iceland was held after questions about the number of ballots cast. The mistakes have not been entirely explained but are thought to be due to human error. The three parties in the outgoing coalition government led by Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir won a total of 37 seats in Saturday's vote, two more than in the last election, and appeared likely to continue in power. Saving the world is usually at the heart of any James Bond mission. Now it looks like 007 will be the saviour of a cinema industry left reeling by the pandemic when the latest movie in the franchise is released on Thursday. No Time To Die, with Daniel Craig, 53, as Bond for the last time, is set to be the biggest opening for the cinema giant Odeon since The Lion King in summer 2019. The chain has sold more than 175,000 tickets in the two weeks since they went on sale 40 per cent of them to moviegoers visiting cinemas for the first time since they reopened in May. No Time To Die, with Daniel Craig, 53, (pictured) as Bond for the last time, is set to be the biggest opening for the cinema giant Odeon since The Lion King in summer 2019 The film has also attracted the strongest level of demand from an older audience for more than 18 months, with more than a third of tickets bought by those over 46. Odeon said attendance at its cinemas this month was set to be 10 per cent higher than in September 2019, boosted by demand for the 25th Bond film. Cineworld also reported that No Time To Die is now its highest pre-selling film since Avengers: End Game in April 2019. The new Bond outing will enjoy a star-studded world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in London tonight, attended by the cast and guests including the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. The chain has sold more than 175,000 tickets in two weeks since they went on sale - 40 per cent of them to moviegoers visiting cinemas for the first time since they reopened in May It was originally scheduled for release in April last year but was pushed back to November 12 and then to this month because of the pandemic. No Time To Die is the longest Bond film to date, running to two hours and 43 minutes. It is 15 minutes longer than the previous record-holder, Spectre, at 148 minutes. The film, co-written by Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge, will see the return of Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny and Ralph Fiennes as M. Police will not walk through parks, shops, and pubs in NSW demanding proof of vaccination after lockdown ends, the state's top cop confirms. Sydneysiders will flock to pubs, cafes and restaurants from October 11, the day the city's lockdown will finally end when NSW hits 70 per cent Covid vaccination. Patrons will need to show proof of their vaccination status to go inside, but it will primarily fall to businesses to kick the un-vaxxed out, not police. NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has confirmed officers won't be walking through businesses ensuring patrons are fully vaccinated come Freedom Day 'We will not be walking through restaurants and cafes and pubs checking if people are double vaccinated,' Police Commissioner Mick Fuller told 2GB radio on Tuesday. 'We will certainly be assisting restaurant owners and shop owners if they are refusing entry to someone then we will certainly respond to assist those people. 'The role for police going forward in terms of vaccination won't be stopping people asking to see their vaccination passport.' Commissioner Fuller urged everyone to 'keep calm' once restrictions are lifted as police anticipated some businesses will need help turning away patrons. 'We are anticipating there will be businesses calling us for assistance on the right to refuse someone entry to their premises,' he said. Residents will be required to either show a digital certificate on their phone or a printed out copy confirming they've had both jabs. The certificate is generated through the MyGov website or the Express Plus Medicare app, and is also expected to be integrated into the existing Service NSW app. As part of the vaccine passport, residents will be required to either show a digital certificate on their phone or a printed out copy confirming they've had both jabs (police speak to Sydney residents ahead of a planned protest earlier this month) A pilot two-week trial of the passport on the NSW app is expected to be rolled out in the state's regions on October 6. But without police enforcing the passports, there are fears small businesses or young employees may be in danger from irate patrons trying to break the rules. NSW Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello said policing the passports shouldn't be left to junior workers or smaller businesses. He warned jail time could be on the cards for those found showing fake or forged certificates. 'If people want to do the wrong thing, if they get found out, as I said, it could be jail time there,' he told the ABC. 'Businesses, particularly small businesses, should not be de facto police officers. If there is an escalation, please call authorities.' The certificate is generated through the MyGov website or the Express Plus Medicare app, while it is also expected to be integrated into the existing Service NSW app There is yet to be a public health order in place for the vaccination rule but it could work similar to other directives for businesses such as QR check ins where businesses are fined $55,000 for not complying. The vaccine passport may be redundant come December 1 with Premier Gladys Berejiklian announcing restrictions would be removed for the unvaccinated when the state hits 90 per cent doubled vaxxed. When asked about police checking vaccine passports at Tuesday's Covid press conference, Health Minister Brad Hazzard said he was 'quite confident' police would enforce the orders. However, it was not clear if he was contradicting Commissioner Fuller, or if he just meant they would assist when called upon by businesses. He added it was up to the business to decide if unvaccinated patrons could enter after December 1, when they are subject to the same restrictions as everyone else. 'Businesses will be able to make their own decision whether they want to have the risk of having people in their property when they're not vaccinated,' he said. Ms Berejiklian earlier defended her decision to allow freedoms for the unvaccinated when asked if opening up to all residents on December 1 was too early. 'Quite the contrary. We've been very conservative because many reports say that at 80 per cent double-dosed you should consider opening up to the unvaccinated and we've said no,' she told the Today show. 'We're likely to hit that 80 per cent figure in October. We're saying you won't be allowed to do anything then. You'll have to wait at least another month, four or five weeks in fact, before you can start integrating into society.' However, the premier added life would still be somewhat restricted for those choosing not to get the jab. Premier Gladys Berejiklian announced restrictions would be eased for the unvaccinated once the state hits 90 per cent doubled vaxxed 'A lot of organisations already have mandatory vaccination programs in place,' she told Sunrise. 'Even though the government is saying unvaccinated people might have other rights from December 1, a lot of airlines have said they will not carry anybody who is not vaccinated. A lot of businesses have said they will not accept anyone was unvaccinated. 'Life for the unvaccinated will be very difficult indefinitely.' She said she expected to be hit with criticism but reiterated she was taking a tougher stance than the recommended health advice. 'No matter what decision I announced yesterday, I would've been criticised,' Ms Berejiklian told ABC News Breakfast on Tuesday. 'The Doherty report recommended from 80 per cent that unvaccinated people participate in society. We said no, we're going harder and more conservative. 'I anticipate in a couple of weeks' time, we'll have at least 90 per cent of the adult population with a first dose. When you sign up for the first dose, you're going to sign up for the second one.' Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a bill making California the eighth state to make mail-in voting universal California on Monday became the eighth, and by far the largest, U.S. state to make universal distribution of vote-by-mail ballots permanent, a practice that became more widespread during the pandemic. The measure requiring mail-in ballots to be routinely sent to every active registered voter from now on was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on Monday night. Its enactment in one of the nation's most heavily Democratic states, and the most populous, contrasted sharply with a wave of new voting requirements passed this year by Republican-controlled legislatures in Texas and the battleground states of Georgia, Florida and Arizona. California has the largest number of registered voters in the country, has more than several other states combined and has voted for a Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 1992. In 2020, 63.5 percent of the state's voters backed Joe Biden to replace Donald Trump in the White House. More than 86 percent were cast using mail-in ballots. Republicans advocating such restrictions have cited a need for tighter election security to stamp out alleged fraud that Trump has claimed without evidence cost him the November election. California Republican Party Chairwoman Jessica Millan Patterson said in a statement: 'The California Republican Party is committed to ensuring elections are safe, fair and secure, giving voters the confidence they need to cast a ballot. 'Its no secret that Democrats have and will continue to try to manipulate election regulations for their political advantage. Republicans will hold them accountable through our election integrity operations including litigation, where appropriate and by recruiting and supporting candidates who will provide solutions to Californias numerous challenges.' Trump and others in his party have falsely singled out mail-in ballots, in particular, as being somehow vulnerable to tampering. Democrats, and some Republicans, have countered that those claims are unsubstantiated and that enhancing voter convenience through ballots that can be delivered by mail or at 'drop-box' collection sites only expands voter participation. California has the largest number of registered voters in the country, has more than several other states combined and has voted for a Democratic candidate in every presidential election since 1992 'When voters get a ballot in the mail, they vote,' California legislator Marc Berman, chief author of the vote-by-mail bill, said in a statement. 'We saw this in the 2020 general election when, in the middle of a global health pandemic, we had the highest voter turnout in California since Harry Truman was president.' 'Voters like having options for returning their ballot whether by mail, at a secure drop box, a voting center or at a traditional polling station. And the more people who participate in elections, the stronger our democracy and the more we have assurance that elections reflect the will of the people of California,' California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, a Democrat, said in a statement. Voters in California still have the option of casting their ballots at polling stations on Election Day if they prefer. The state's electorate as grown since laws were passed enabling automatic registration at the Department of Motor Vehicles and allowing residents to register up to election day. California was one of four states - along with Nevada, Vermont and Utah - to embrace universal mail-in ballots during the 2020 election cycle as an alternative to in-person voting in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Like Utah, California had already begun allowing mail-in voting on a county-by-county basis pre-pandemic but expanded it to all voters in 2020. The practice was extended statewide temporarily through 2021, including the recent gubernatorial recall election. By the Saturday before the election, a third of registered voters had cast their ballots after 22 million residents had them sent through the mail and 75% were cast remotely. The bill Newsom signed on Monday makes California the eighth state - along with Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Hawaii - to make that arrangement permanent, according to the election reform advocacy group RepresentUs. Utah is among a handful of states where Republican-majority legislatures have passed measures making it easier, not harder, to vote. Pictured: Skylah-Lee, age four The devastated mother of a four-year-old girl who was tragically killed by a car reveals her plans to decorate her daughter's tiny coffin with stickers. Skylah-Lee was in the car with her father Samuel on Cadbury Rd in Claremont, in Hobart's northern suburbs, on September 21 when their vehicle broke down. Samuel pulled over and buried his head under the bonnet to try and repair it, but he didn't see his little girl run on to the road and into the path of a white Ford Focus. On Thursday, the pre-schooler's family turned off the machines keeping her alive. Family friend Natima Abblitt set up a Go Fund Me campaign to help cover the costs of Skylah-Lee's funeral - which garnered a total of $4,600 in just three days. The four-year-old's mother Louise told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday that all the money they needed for her farewell had been raised, aside from coffin embellishments. 'Everything is covered and paid for, apart from the wake and stickers and that for bub's coffin,' the mother-of-three said. Ms Abblitt thanked everyone who reached into their pockets but they would not be accepting anymore donations. 'The money we have raised will now go to Skylah's family,' she wrote. Skylah-Lee (pictured) ran into incoming traffic while her father tried to fix their broken-down car Friends and family members flooded social media with gut-wrenching tributes to the little girl, including her aunt who was there in her final moments. 'Oh baby girl this worlds so unfair,' she wrote in a heartfelt post. 'You're so loved and going to be missed by so, so many people. 'I'm so glad I got to spend those last few moments with you and have so many memories I can keep forever.' She said their lives wouldn't be the same without Skylah-Lee's 'gorgeous, cheeky smile or sassy attitude'. Another family member wrote: 'Can't believe you have grown your wings already baby girl so young.' 'Going to miss you like crazy ... Fly high baby girl, RIP xxx.' Family and friends flooded social media with tributes to Skylah-Lee, who wil be remembered for her 'gorgeous, cheeky smile' After the accident last Tuesday, Shylah was rushed to Royal Hobart Hospital with life-threatening injuries. After multiple surgeries and scans, doctors said the damage to the youngster's body was too severe. 'It's a tragic set of circumstances. Children are unpredictable and we need to make sure as a driver ... and as a parent, we ensure we look after our children,' Tasmania Police Senior Sergeant Karl Krelles said on Tuesday. The driver of the other car, a woman in her 40s, has been offered support. Police say speed was not a factor in the accident. An off-duty doctor provided assistance to the girl before an ambulance arrived. Jacinda Ardern has been spotted taking a stroll in a striking yellow coat and a mask with her fiance as New Zealand emerges from lockdown. Two women filmed the Kiwi prime minister and Clarke Gayford walk by as they sat in their car eating takeaway burgers in Wellington. At first the masked-up couple were so incognito they were not recognised but soon cracked up laughing when they realised. Jacinda Ardern and her fiance Clarke Gayford (pictured) were spotted on a masked-up stroll around Wellington on Sunday 'So who are these security uncles looking after these two people,' one of the women asks in the video uploaded to TikTok. Her inquisitive facade cracks when she quickly realises who she is filming asking: 'Is that Jacinda?' She then exclaims 'it's Jacinda' before the two women crack up laughing together, not believing they didn't recognise their own prime minister. 'Oh Aunty Cindy,' the woman filming laughs as she walks past. The women filming the TikTok did not realise it was their Prime Minister until she got close to the car and they recognised who they were filming New Zealand is in level 2 Covid restrictions except for Auckland which is locked down in level 3. This means that those outside of Auckland are able to gather in groups of up to 100. Retails, shopping malls, cafes, restaurants, cinemas and public spaces including playgrounds and gyms have also been opened outside of Auckland, with children allowed back in schools. Face masks are encouraged to be worn any time a resident leaves their home but are only compulsory when taking public transport, when visiting a healthcare facility, and inside public venues. Social distances is also encouraged with QR scanning into facilities and services mandatory. The two women colloquially called Jacinda Ardern (pictured with her family) 'Aunty Cindy' as she walked past Viewers commented on the nickname New Zealanders call their Prime Minister (pictured), saying there's no where else that calls their PM 'aunty' Jacinda Ardern is aiming to make New Zealand one of the most vaccinated countries in the world, immunising 90 per cent of the population. She told The AM Show this goal could help eliminate the need for strict stay-at-home orders and see restrictions across the country eased. It could also lead to people self-isolating at home with shorter isolation periods and the opening on international borders from next year. New Zealand recorded 12 new cases of Covid on Tuesday A 93 year-old man who rode Harley Davidsons for 70 years was killed Sunday when his beloved hog crashed into an oncoming car. Leslie Cin was pronounced dead on the scene at Glenwood in Minnesota on Sunday, 35 miles east of his Donnelly home. A 62-year-old woman driving the Ford Escape Cin crashed into was taken to hospital with light injuries. Cin, a farmer, had loved Harley motorbikes since his early 20s, when he purchased his first. Leslie Cin, 93, was killed on Sunday while riding his Harley Davidson near his Minnesota home 'Les was always game for fun,' his obituary states. 'So many stories can be told of these episodes bringing so much laughter and joy. 'Les got his first Harley when he was in his early 20's and never lost the love of riding up until the day he passed.' He was wearing a helmet at the time. Cin, a father of six, was, with his late wife Lyla, devoted to his church and his community. The pair had married in 1953, and she died in February this year. Leslie Cin is pictured with his wife Lyla, who died in February. The couple married in 1953 Leslie and Lyla Cin are pictured together. The couple ran a farm in Donnelly, Minnesota 'This year has been absolute hell to say the least,' wrote his granddaughter, Britney Cin, on Facebook. 'We have lost more than an average person would in just one year. And I can't fathom we have now lost you in such a tragic way. 'But I know you were doing what you loved and are now with grandma. 'I'm just broken. We all are. I love you grandpa and I'm so glad ryker was able to have a couple memories with you. I'm just speechless.' The Cin family said the couple were active at the Alberta Church of the Nazarene, with Leslie Cin volunteering as a youth group leader and board member. He also became involved with the Gideons, delivering bibles throughout the region, including to prisons and jails. Cin was known for being active in his local community, particularly in the church 'In the community, he was well-known and over the years remained very active often visiting so many,' his obituary states. The couple were remembered fondly in their community. 'I remember Les and Lyla pulling the Onvoy float during Community Picnic one year,' wrote one woman, Bev, on the tribute page. 'Les made sure that the 50s tunes were cracked up. 'They both were such wonderful people!' A gang of shoplifters was filmed brazenly ransacking a Chicago beauty store as it was revealed three organized gangs of thieves are targeting the city's stores. The clip was shot at an UIta Beauty store in the Windy City's Norridge suburb over the weekend, and showed a gang of three hooded thieves emptying its shelves of expensive Christian Dior and Armani makeup into black trash bags. It was shared on social media Monday, with the shocked cameraman, who hasn't been named, saying: 'Look at this, this is insane,' as he films the theft unfolding before his eyes. An Ulta Beauty spokesman told Fox News they were aware of the incident, and had reported it to police. It came as a local outlet reported Chicago's stores have been targeted by three different organized crime gangs. One of those gangs has been targeting upmarket designer stores on the city's Magnificent Mile, whose businesses were hit by looting in summer 2020 during riots in the wake of George Floyd's murder. The second has targeted at least three Ulta Beauty stores - although it's currently unclear if that is the same gang filmed at the Norridge location. Meanwhile, the third gang has been raiding Walgreen's drug stores to steal cigarettes. A gang of three shoplifters were filmed emptying the shelves of a Chicago Ulta Beauty store on Saturday The trio targeted expensive Christian Dior and Giorgio Armani makeup, as the Windy City was hit by reports of three different organized shoplifting gangs targeting its businesses 35 handbags were reportedly stolen by a 12-man crew on Monday who then left in two separate cars after A crew of six men reportedly attempted to rob Salvatore Ferragamo on Saturday before being recognized for a similar crime in August by a security guard Burberry on the Magnificent Mile was also targeted by shoplifters Multiple stores in Chicago's Magnificent Mile, pictured, have been targeted just a year after it was hit by looting in the wake of George Floyd's murder The first shoplifting crew who have been stealing from high-end Chicago stores during the day between the Magnificent Mile and Rush Street, according to CWB Chicago. Twelve men were seen involved in a raid of 35 handbags at Bottega Veneta on Monday- which go for thousands of dollars each- and left in two separate cars, including a gray Honda CRV. That saw one man request to be let into the store, with 11 then following in his path and overwhelming its security staff. A similar incident happened on Saturday where nine handbags were stolen at Burberry by six men who pushed a security guard out of the way. The same crew allegedly attempted to steal from Salvatore Ferragamo an hour before but left after they were believed to be recognized by the store's security guard. They already reportedly stole $43,000 worth of the store's merchandise in August and injured the security guard during the theft. It is unclear if the men behind the Salvatore Ferragamo and Burberry thefts are also suspected of being linked to the Bottega Veneta raid. Cigarettes have also been reported stolen at Walgreens by a two-man crew Another crew of three men also raided a store called Intermix on Friday and got away in a gold BMW. Police are also warning Ulta Beauty stores about stolen perfumes as another group of shoplifters have been seen taking these products in garbage bags on both Friday and Saturday. These shoplifters are rumored to be selling Ulta Beauty products for discounted prices online. Weekend reports of cigarettes being stolen from Walgreens by a two-man crew who are said to drive a white four-door Buick. The city of Chicago has seen an increase of crimes related to theft since last year. A 12 percent increase was reported for regular theft with 7,919 cases in 2020 and 1,866 cases in 2021. For motor vehicle theft, a three percent increase was reported with 6,957 cases in 2020 and 7,195 cases in 2021. A decrease, however, has been reported for burglary with a 36 percent decline as 6,854 cases were reported in 2020 and 4,413 cases were reported in 2021. The spike in these areas of crime have led Mayor Lori Lightfoot to take action such as increase police spending, despite the liberal leader previously agreeing with calls to defund police department budgets. This was proposed by Lightfoot after a year of violent crime, which included the fatal shooting of Chicago PD officer Ella French on August 7. French, 29, was killed and her 39-year-old partner Carol Yanez Jr was critically wounded during a struggle after they stopped an SUV because of expired plates. Emonte Morgan, 21, and his brother Eric, 22, were in the vehicle at the time and were asked to step out by French, Yanez and another officer. Eric Morgan, who was driving, attempted to flee the scene while the third officer chased after him. Mayor Lori Lightfoot is increasing police funding after a violent year of Chicago crime Both French and Yanez were then shot in the back of the head by Emonte Morgan who in turn was shot by the third officer at the scene, wounding him. The Morgan brothers were both charged for their involvement in the shooting. Emonte was charged with first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder of a police officer and unlawful use of a weapon. He entered a not guilty plea on Monday. His brother Eric was charged with unlawful use of a weapon by a felon and one count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon with a prior connection. Members of the Chicago Police Department turned their backs on Lightfoot when she turned up at hospital to visit French's seriously-injured partner. 'In a time of tragedy, emotions run high and that is to be expected. The mayor spoke to a range of officers that tragic night and sensed the overwhelming sentiment was about concern for their fallen colleagues,' a statement from Lightfoot's office said. 'As the mayor stated now is not the time for divisive and toxic rhetoric or reporting. This is a time for us to come together as a city. We have a common enemy and it is the conditions that breed the violence and the manifestations of violence, namely illegal guns, and gangs.' The new proposal was seen as a change for Lightfoot who cut about $59 million or 3.3 percent from the budget last year and left 600 vacant positions open in the department. Its my expectation that the police department budget will increase, no question. We have to,' she said at a press conference last month. 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. Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx has been slammed for her 'soft' views on crime Other Chicago officials such as Cook County State Attorney Kim Foxx have been criticized as she has been considered 'soft' on the city's crimes. In the wake of a violent Chicago crime-filled summer, Foxx fought with Superintendent David Brown of the department in July over the rising rates. 'The violence we are experiencing is not the result of a slowed-down court system; it is a larger and more complex issue (both locally and nationally), that requires all of the criminal justice stakeholders to work together rather than engaging in deflection and blame-shifting,' Foxx tweeted. A woman who stabbed two men in separate attacks, using a blade to slice her name into the back of one victim and slitting his wrists to stage self-harm, could walk free from prison. On Tuesday, Theresa Ann Coss, 40, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding and committing a malicious act with intent in Brisbane Supreme Court. Her first attack was on her ex-boyfriend at their home after New Year's Eve celebrations in 2019 at Peregian Beach on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. On Tuesday, Theresa Ann Coss, 40, pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding and committing a malicious act with intent in Brisbane Supreme Court (pictured) The pair had separated but still shared a house when Coss followed her intoxicated former lover into the master bedroom. She teased him with her dressing gown cord, flicking his legs before binding him with it and rubbing his chest with baby oil. After her ex fell asleep, she used a knife to slice her name into his back, drawing blood from the wounds. She then tied his hands and cut his wrists with a knife, leaving 6cm long gashes. When he woke in pain, she claimed he had tried to self-harm and that she had saved him. 'Oh my God, oh my God, what have you done?' Coss told her victim. 'What have you done, darling? You tried to commit suicide again. I saved you. I saved your life.' Prosecutor David Meredith told the court the victim had no history of self-harm or suicidal thoughts, and police charged Coss with unlawful wounding. While still on bail for the first attack, Coss moved to the Kulangoor caravan park on Nambour Connection Rd where she attacked her neighbour three months later with two knives, a hammer and a broomstick. The man was stabbed multiple times to his head, torso and legs, and beaten in March 2019. During the prolonged assault, Coss warned her neighbour to stop fighting because 'no one would hear his cries for help', the court was told. 'You are going to go to another world. You are going to die,' Coss promised her victim. 'You are going to a better world than this one.' Coss then turned on the caravan's gas line before placed their mobile phones in a microwave to set the van alight before locking him inside as she escaped on foot. Nearby residents raised the alarm after hearing his frantic calls for help and took Coss in custody before authorities arrived. Defence barrister Laura Reece said Coss had a history of mental illness and used drugs before both attacks. Justice David Boddice described the attacks as 'bizarre and disturbing'. He accepted Coss had served two-and-a-half years in custody and suffered from serious mental health conditions combined with a troubled upbringing. 'You self-medicated with drugs and became a danger to those around you,' the judge said. Coss was handed an eight-year sentence with Justice Boddice ordering she be eligible for immediate parole. Lifeline 13 11 14 beyondblue 1300 22 4636 Ford and a partner company say they plan to build three major electric-vehicle battery factories and an auto assembly plant by 2025 - an $11.4 billion investment in the future of EV technology that will create an estimated 10,800 jobs and shift the automaker's future manufacturing footprint toward the South. The factories, to be built on sites in Kentucky and Tennessee, will make batteries for the next generation of Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles that will be produced in North America. Combined, they mark the single largest manufacturing investment the 118-year-old company has ever made and are among the largest factory outlays in the world. Notably, the new factories will provide a vast new supply of jobs that will likely pay solid wages. Most of the new jobs will be full time, with a relatively small percentage having temporary status to fill in for vacations and absent workers. Ford has announced it will bring electric vehicles with two new technologically advanced campuses in Tennessee and Kentucky. Pictured, an all-electric F-150 Lightning on display at the Motor Bella auto show in Pontiac, Michigan A 1,551-acre field, seen on Monday will become the site of of a joint venture with Ford Motor Company and SK Innovation to create the $5.8 billion BlueOvalSK Battery Park in Glendale, Kentucky A manufacturing complex U.S. automaker Ford Motor Co and its South Korean battery partner SK Innovation plan to build in Tennessee, opening in 2025, is seen in an artist's rendition Together with its battery partner, SK Innovation of South Korea, Ford says it will spend $5.6 billion in rural Stanton, Tennessee, where it will build a factory to produce electric F-Series pickups. A joint venture called BlueOvalSK will construct a battery factory on the same site near Memphis, plus twin battery plants in Glendale, Kentucky, near Louisville. Ford estimated the Kentucky investment at $5.8 billion and that the company's share of the total would be $7 billion. With the new spending, Ford is making a significant bet on a future that envisions most drivers eventually making the shift to battery power from internal combustion engines, which have powered vehicles in the United States for more than a century. Should that transition run into disruptions or delays, the gamble could hit the company's bottom line. Ford predicts 40% to 50% of its U.S. sales will be electric by 2030. For now, only about 1% of vehicles on America's roads are powered by electricity. The Ford Motor company unveiled the new all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck at an event outside the Ford World Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan in May A sign welcomes visitors to the tiny town of Glendale, Kentucky, the site of a joint venture with Ford Motor Company and SK Innovation to create the $5.8 billion BlueOvalSK Battery Park A truck drives down a rural road near a water tower marking the location of the Memphis Regional Megasite in Stanton, Tennessee. The industrial site in Stanton will be the location for a factory to produce electric F-Series pickups and a battery factory In an interview Monday, CEO Jim Farley said it would be up to the workers at the new plants to decide whether to be represented by the United Auto Workers union. That question could set up an epic battle with union leaders, who want employees of the future to join the union and earn top UAW production wages of around $32 per hour. It represents a high-stakes test for the UAW, which will need jobs for thousands of members who will lose work in the transition away engines and transmissions for petroleum-powered vehicles. Ford's move also could put the company at odds with President Joe Biden's quest to create 'good-paying union jobs' in a new, greener economy. Farley said it's too early to talk about pay or unionization at the new factories. He stressed that Ford will maintain a geographic manufacturing balance when the company's investments in Ohio and Michigan are included. Ford and General Motors have UAW-represented plants in Kentucky and Tennessee, states where it is common for political leaders to actively campaign against unionization. A1,551-acre field which will become the site of a new factory. The dedicated battery manufacturing complex is intended to supply Ford's North American assembly plants with locally assembled batteries Ford said it plans to invest $11.4 billion in electric vehicle production, building four new plants that will create 11,000 new jobs by 2025 'We love our UAW partners,' Farley said. 'They've been incredible on this journey of electrification so far. But it's up to the employees to decide.' Just four months ago, Ford said it would build two new battery plants in North America. But Farley said demand for the electric Mustang Mach E SUV and over 150,000 orders for the F-150 electric pickup convinced the company to increase battery output. Farley said Ford intends to lead the world in electric vehicles, a title now held by California-based upstart Tesla Inc., which is adding jobs at a third factory now under construction near Austin, Texas. Ford picked the Kentucky and Tennessee sites in part because of lower electricity costs, Farley said, as well being less exposed to flooding and hurricanes than other states. Battery factories use five times the electricity of a typical assembly plant to make cells and assemble them into packs, so energy costs were a big factor, Farley said. This photo provided by Ford Motor Co., shows the upcoming 2022 Ford F-150 Lightning, that is part of a new generation of emerging electric vehicles The company also needed huge tracts of land for the plants that weren't available in other states, Farley said. Both Southern states also have skilled labor forces and are willing to train workers for the new jobs, he said. 'These jobs are very different than the jobs we've had in the past,' Farley said. 'We want to work with states who are really excited about doing that training and giving you access to that low energy cost.' The Tennessee Valley Authority, which serves the Memphis-area site, sells industrial electricity at a price that's lower than 93% of competitors nationwide, said CEO Jeff Lyash. Rates have stayed flat for the past decade and are planned to stay flat for the next 10 years, he said. Combined, the three new battery plants will be able to supply enough batteries to power 1 million vehicles per year, about 129 gigawatts of power, Ford Chief Operating Officer Lisa Drake said. Shares of Ford Motor Co., which is based in Dearborn, Michigan, rose more than 4% in extended trading after the new factories were announced late Monday. Reaction from the union was tempered Monday, with officials seemingly optimistic about organizing the factories. A battery manufacturing complex U.S automaker Ford Motor Co and its South Korean battery partner SK Innovation plan to build in Kentucky, opening in 2025. The campus will include a plant to build the next generation of the F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck as well as a battery plant 'We look forward to reaching out and helping develop this new workforce to build these world-class vehicles and battery components,' union President Ray Curry said in a statement. Kristin Dziczek, a senior vice president at the Center for Automotive Research who follows labor issues, said the union's future depends largely on organizing the new plants. 'It's imperative that the UAW organize these if they're going to have a stake in the electrification of this industry,' she said. Union representation of the plants could become a contentious issue in the next round of national contract talks with the union in two years. When General Motors first announced joint venture battery factories over the past few years, its executives said workers would decide on unionization. UAW officials howled in protest. In May, GM said it would support union organizing at the plants. The Kentucky site is only about 50 miles (80 kilometers) south of Louisville, where Ford has plants that make SUVs and trucks now powered by internal combustion engines. Ford wouldn't comment on whether those plants eventually would make electric vehicles, but Dziczek said converting at least one would make sense. One plant makes the Ford Escape small SUV, in the most popular segment of the U.S market, she said. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said in an interview that Ford's 5,000 jobs at the Glendale battery plants is the largest single employment announcement in state history. And he said it will also bring jobs with suppliers that make components for the plants. Earlier this month state legislators approved $410 million worth of economic development incentives. Beshear said Ford would get a loan of up to $250 million to draw on through construction. It's forgivable if the company hits completion milestones. The package also includes the cost of the Glendale land, plus up to $36 million in training incentives, he said. Ford will formally announce the plants with ceremonies on Tuesday at both sites. In Glendale's one-block downtown on Monday evening, there were no signs of pending dramatic changes in the economy from the new jobs. All was quiet in the town where the primary businesses are antique shops and corn and soybean fields that stretch in all directions. The Tennessee assembly plant is to be built on a site about 50 miles east of Memphis that's almost six square miles. Combined, the assembly plant, to be run by Ford, and the battery factory, would employ about 5,800 workers. State officials have been trying to develop the site for years without success. Gov. Bill Lee said Tennessee offered Ford $500 million in incentives to win a contest with 15 other states. Lee said he is confident legislators will approve the spending. The ACT has recorded 13 new coronavirus cases as Chief Minister Andrew Barr foreshadows travel resuming between Canberra, NSW and Victoria. Of Tuesday's cases, a source could be found for 11 while the remainder were under investigation. At least seven were in the community for some of their infectious periods. One was in quarantine the whole time. Chief Minister Andrew Barr said he was confident the freedom to travel between the ACT, NSW and Victoria could resume in the coming months. 'We continue to work with the NSW government and the Victorian government on interstate travel requirements,' he told reporters on Tuesday. Chief Minister Andrew Barr said he was confident the freedom to travel between the ACT, NSW and Victoria could resume in the coming months But the chief minister expects the ACT to remain locked out of COVID-free jurisdictions like Western Australia for a while yet. From Friday, the ACT will relax coronavirus restrictions slightly. Two visitors will be allowed at a home and up to five people from different households will be able to gather outside for four hours. Canberra's lockdown is slated to lift at 11.59pm on October 14, when the household visitor limit will be capped at five. Outdoor gatherings will be limited to 25 people. Pubs, restaurants and places of worship will be able to reopen with a maximum of 25 people or one person per four square metres inside. Hairdressers and beauty services can have up to five clients at a time. The ACT expects to hit an 80 per cent vaccination target for its population aged 12 and older next month and plans to ease restrictions further from October 29. As states look to open their borders once the 80 per cent vaccination target is reached Australia-wide hopeful residents are gearing up to book their next interstate holiday. In a bid to decipher exactly where Aussies are planning on roaming to, Booking.com has released its Back to Travel report to prove that Queensland and Western Australia reign supreme when it comes to states we're wanting to travel to. The company's data shows that by the end of the year Aussies would prefer to be sunning themselves in either the Gold Coast or Perth when the nation reaches its 80 per cent vaccine threshold. Australia's most searched holidays locations have been announced with the Gold Coast and Perth taking out the top spots (pictured, Mooloolaba) These two locations are followed closely behind by Brisbane, Adelaide, Cairns, Noosa Heads and Darwin. To round out the list of domestic escapes, Airlie Beach, Hervey Bay and Mooloolaba ranked in the top 10 most searched for destinations over the past month. Australians are placing more importance than ever before on taking some much-needed time out with 61 per cent of travellers agreeing that the importance of holidays have increased. Meanwhile 67 per cent of those surveyed were willing to accept that they could only travel with proof of vaccination and 69 per cent were happy to wear a mask during their getaway. Australians are looking forward to some post-lockdown getaways, as the 80 per cent vaccination target gets closer every day (pictured, Perth) While some are looking to travel to domestic locations others are dreaming off far-off plans overseas, which may not be as far away as you think. The most searched global regions are again topped by Queensland and Western Australia, followed by NSW, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and the ACT. To finish the list, Greater London and in typical Aussie fashion, Bali, are the most searched international destinations for those optimistic enough to consider overseas travel. Booking.com Area Manager for Australia Melissa Ellison said Australians are becoming more optimistic that sooner rather than later they might be able to enjoy some post-lockdown relaxation. Brisbane and Adelaide (pictured) took 3rd and 4th spot on the list, followed by Cairns, Noosa Heads and Darwin 'Our data shows our exploratory appetite and desire to get back to travel as soon as possible remains strong and we're expecting a very busy travel period over Christmas and NYE,' Ms Ellison said. 'It's reassuring to see that after a year of unpredictable events, from outbreaks to earthquakes, Aussies have high hopes to return to not just domestic but international travel soon too.' According to covidlive.com.au data 76.7 per cent of Australians over the age of 16 have had their first dose of a vaccine and 52.6 per cent have received two jabs. The most searched global regions was also revealed, with Queensland and Western Australia again taking the top spots (pictured, Airlie Beach in Queensland) Being the most sought after travel destination Australians are sweating on the reopening of Queensland's borders. The Queensland deputy premier on Monday hinted the state's borders could be opened before Christmas. 'No-one has ever suggested that the border should be closed at Christmas, but what we have said is that it should be opened at the right time and we don't yet have the information that tells us what that right time is,' Steven Miles told reporters in Townsville. 'Let's focus on what we can do today and tomorrow and next week and that is the best way to make sure that we are open by Christmas, maybe even before Christmas.' Being the most sought after travel destination, Australians are sweating on the reopening of Queensland's borders (pictured, the Gold Coast) TOP 10 MOST SEARCHED TRAVEL DESTINATIONS Top 10 most searched domestic destinations: 1. Gold Coast 2. Perth 3. Brisbane 4. Adelaide 5. Cairns 6. Noosa Heads 7. Darwin 8. Airlie Beach 9. Hervey Bay 10. Mooloolaba Top 10 most searched global regions: 1. Queensland 2. Western Australia 3. NSW 4. Victoria 5. South Australia 6. Tasmania 7. Northern Territory 8. ACT 9. Greater London 10. Bali Data from Booking.com's Back to Travel report Advertisement The prime minister on Sunday demanded state leaders meet their commitments under the national cabinet plan to reopen borders when vaccination rates hit 80 per cent, allowing families to reunite at Christmas. Mr Miles hit back hours later where he accused Mr Morrison of giving people false hope before backpedalling on his comments on Monday morning, where he conceded 'a lot can change' in 90 days. 'The point I was trying to make is that's it's 90 days away. The only information and modelling we have at the moment pre-dates the Sydney outbreak,' Mr Miles said. 'Sydney has been in lockdown for 13, approaching 14 weeks and the modelling we currently have is before that outbreak. 'Christmas is still 90 days away. A lot can change in that period of time.' While Western Australia's borders look to remain shut even after vaccination targets are reached by zero-Covid-zealot Mark McGowan (pictured, Perth) Western Australia, the second most popular travel destination, has similarly taken a hardball stance to border re-openings. Premier Mark McGowan admitted on September 22 his plans were due to locals slow vaccination rates, but insisted that NSW and Victoria will not be allowed to enter the state until at least two months after it hits 85-90 per cent. 'I'm not going to set an artificial deadline of Christmas,' the premier told Sunrise. 'We have plans in place but I'm not going to deliberately allow for Covid to come in before such time as we have very high levels [of vaccination]. 'I know some people over in the eastern states are demanding we do it, I don't really get that, I don't understand why we would deliberately infect ourselves with Covid before we get to very high levels of vaccine.' Australians returning from overseas will be required to take selfies at home as part of an ambitious plan to phase out the hotel quarantine program. Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley on Tuesday said those taking part in the state's home quarantine trial would be asked to take photos of themselves and upload it to a smartphone app to prove they are self-isolating. Residents need to send the selfie within five minutes of being prompted to prevent follow-up calls from health authorities or a knock at the door from police. NSW and South Australia are also running small-scale home quarantine trials using location technology and facial recognition to monitor compliance. A passenger wearing a face mask is seen checking in at Melbourne Airport. Victorians returning from overseas will be required to take selfies at home as part of a new home quarantine trial Mr Foley said the trial will run for four weeks and be open to residents over the age of 18 who have access to a smartphone. 'This app uses a downloaded picture from a smartphone, a selfie, to check in where you are meant to be and when you are meant to be there,' he said. 'It links back to location-based technology to confirm both the place you are, and your identity at the time of the alert. 'This will assist Victorians coming back from both overseas and internationally sooner rather than later as part of the national plan.' The announcement comes amid reports the international border will be flung open to fully-vaccinated Australians by Christmas, with home quarantine only required for seven days. There will likely be no travel bubbles imposed, with double-jabbed residents free to fly to any country anywhere in the world, 9News reported. NSW Tourism Minister Stuart Ayres earlier this month announced a similar trial in his state from the end of September to allow a limited number of resident to quarantine at home. A return traveler prepares to board a quarantine bus at Sydney International Airport on September 8. NSW and South Australia are also running small-scale home quarantine trials using location technology and facial recognition to monitor compliance Two residents are seen walking along the Tan in Melbourne as lockdown in the city continues Thirty participants a week will be chosen by NSW Health to take part in the trial. Participants must have received both doses of a Covid-19 vaccine accredited by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and will be pre-selected for home quarantine before their flight. Qantas air crew will take part in the trial, which the minister said was a 'logical' decision given flight staff work on tight turnaround times. South Australia's trial requires arrivals to provide a negative test result 72 hours before their flight departs for Australia, another when they land and then further tests on days three, five, seven, nine and 13. They were also subject to random location check-ins using live facial verification three times a day, while police will conduct at least one random physical compliance check each night. A Texas inmate faces execution Tuesday evening for fatally stabbing two Houston-area brothers during a robbery in their home more than 30 years ago. Rick Rhoades, 57, was condemned for the September 1991 killings of Charles Allen, 31, and Bradley Allen, 33. The brothers were killed less than a day after Rhoades had been released on parole after serving a sentence for burglary. He is set to be executed by lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville. 'We hope the Allen family finds peace after nearly 30 years of waiting for justice for their loved ones. The death penalty should be reserved for the worse of the worst, and a Harris County jury determined long ago that this defendant fits the bill. Rock Rhoades, 57, is set to be executed by lethal injection at the state penitentiary in Huntsville for the 1991 murders of Charles and Bradley Allen Let us honor the memory of the victims, Charles and Bradley Allen, and never forget that our focus has and always will be on the victims,' Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said in a statement. Rhoades' attorneys have asked the U.S. Supreme Court to stop his execution, arguing his constitutional right to due process is being violated because he is being prevented from pursuing claims that some potential jurors at his trial might have been dismissed for racially discriminatory reasons. In July, Rhoades attorneys filed a federal lawsuit against state District Judge Ana Martinez in Houston over a request they had made that the judge order prosecutors to release information related to allegations some jurors were dismissed based on racial discrimination. The Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville, where Rick Rhaodes is expected to be executed Tuesday evening The gurney in Huntsville, Texas, where Texas' condemned are strapped down to receive a lethal dose of drugs is shown Martinez ruled she lacked jurisdiction to consider the request. The suit was dismissed earlier this month by a Houston federal judge, who also declined to stay the execution. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday upheld the suit's dismissal and also declined to stay the execution. The appeals court in 2019 had previously denied a similar claim by Rhoades' attorneys on allegations that two Black jurors were dismissed due to racial bias. Rhoades is white. Rhoades attorneys have previously unsuccessfully argued in other appeals: that his constitutional rights were violated when childhood photos depicting Rhoades in normal, happy activities and designed to show he was nonviolent and would do well in prison were excluded during his trials punishment phase; that a state investigator gave false testimony at his trial over whether Rhoades could receive a unaccompanied furlough if sentenced to life in prison; and that 'evolving standards of decency' prohibit executions as a punishment for murder. In July, Rhoades attorneys filed a federal lawsuit against state District Judge Ana Martinez in Houston over a request they had made that the judge order prosecutors to release information related to allegations some jurors were dismissed based on racial discrimination In the suit, Martinez ruled she lacked jurisdiction to consider the request. The suit was dismissed earlier this month by a Houston federal judge, who also declined to stay the execution 'A 2020 Gallup poll on Americans attitudes regarding capital punishment shows that public support for the death penalty is at its lowest in a half-century, with opposition higher than any time since 1996,' David Dow and Jeffrey Newberry wrote in a court motion last month. Rhoades, had a long criminal history, including convictions for burglary and auto theft in Florida, Iowa and Texas when he broke into Charles Allens house in the Houston suburb of Pasadena. The home, located near where the siblings parents lived, had just been custom built for Charles Allen and he had invited his brother to temporarily live with him. The two brothers had recently gone through separate divorces. Charles Allen, who played the piano and had dreams of a musical career, worked as a chemical operator at a local refinery. Bradley Allen worked as a freelance artist. At trial, prosecutors told jurors the siblings were asleep when Rhoades broke into their home in the early morning hours and attacked Charles Allen as he was in his bed. Bradley Allen was killed when he came to his brothers defense. Authorities found bloody footprints but no usable fingerprints at the scene and were still looking for a suspect until Rhoades' arrest on a different charge the next month. After being caught for a burglary and VCR theft at a Pasadena elementary school, Rhoades told police he had information on a double homicide and was 'tired of running,' the Houston Chronicle reported. While in custody, Rhoades confessed to killing the brothers. But he claimed it was done in self-defense after exchanging words with Charles Allen as Rhoades took a walk at 2:30 a.m. 'I was tired of running. I wanted to tell what happened,' Rhoades said in his confession. If Rhoades is executed, he would be the third inmate put to death this year in Texas and the sixth in the U.S. Residents in New South Wales could be due a share of a jackpot $467million treasure chest just waiting to be claimed. The bumper cash haul is forgotten money held by Revenue NSW from abandoned share dividends, trust accounts, refunds, commissions and deceased estates. And it's all just a few clicks away, with an easy online search engine immediately telling you if you're in the money or not. Now NSW Finance and Small Business Minister Damien Tudehope has encouraged NSW locals to take a peek to see if they've got a windfall waiting for them. Residents in New South Wales could be due a share of a jackpot $467million treasure chest just waiting to be claimed. (Pictured, couples celebrate with champagne) The bumper cash haul is forgotten money held by Revenue NSW from abandoned share dividends, trust accounts, refunds, commissions and deceased estates. (Pictured, stock image of cash being handed over) 'We know many people are doing it tough, especially during the pandemic, with most households having to keep a close eye on their budget,' he said on Tuesday. 'You could have hundreds or thousands of dollars that you didn't know about.' He added: 'The largest single amount on the unclaimed money register is more than $1 million from a deceased estate in Cabramatta. 'There are 10 amounts of more than $500,000 each, waiting to be collected by the rightful owners.' As well as the big money payouts awaiting an owner, there are also more than 255,000 unpresented cheques worth $108 million looking for the right account. The unclaimed cash is just a few clicks away, with an easy online search engine immediately telling you if you're in the money or not. (Pictured, a stock image of a woman at her laptop) A staggering $14million-plus is awaiting around 23,000 people in the City of Sydney LGA alone, with almost $2m to be shared by 4,429 people in North Sydney. Randwick has $1.78m looking for 3,563 rightful owners, and similar amounts in Chatswood, Cabramatta, Parramatta, Mosman and Bexley. Outside the city, there are riches in regional NSW with $742,000 waiting to be shared by 2,386 in Wollongong, and similar cash sums lying dormant for locals in Newcastle, Orange, Newcastle and Goulburn. 'Anyone can search for unclaimed money on the Revenue NSW website,' said Mr Tudehope. NSW Finance and Small Business Minister Damien Tudehope (pictured) has encouraged NSW locals to take a peek to see if they've got a windfall waiting for them A staggering $14million-plus is awaiting around 23,000 people in the City of Sydney LGA alone, with almost $2m to be shared by 4,429 people in North Sydney. ((Pictured, stock image of Australian bank notes) 'It is a free service offered by the NSW Government to get money back into the hands of its owners.' The unclaimed money register holds money that has not made it to the correct owner for any number of reasons, including a change of address or name, misplaced paperwork or has simply been forgotten. Revenue NSW periodically undertakes data matching activities and attempts to contact potential owners of new items received from enterprises. The unclaimed money register can be found here. Four Houston police officers who were fired over their involvement in the fatal shooting of a suicidal man suffering from mental illness who reached for a Taser will not be criminally charged. A Harris County grand jury declined Monday to indict the four former officers - Patrick Rubio, Omar Tapia, Luis Alvarado, and Benjamin LeBlanc - who confronted 27-year-old Nicolas Chavez on April 21 of last year. They said there was no probable cause to bring criminal charges against them, amid claims Chavez wanted to commit 'suicide by cop'. Police video shows Chavez on his knees while reaching for his stun gun before he was killed by a barrage of two dozen bullets. Union leaders denounced the firings as 'unjust and deplorable,' saying the officers followed their training and tried to de-escalate the situation but were forced to shoot Chavez when he pointed a stun gun at them. 'It was clear...these officers did not want to shoot Mr. Chavez and did everything in their power not to,' said union president Joe Gamaldi, who argued that Chavez's death was a case of 'suicide by cop.' Last year, then-Police Chief Art Acevedo and Mayor Sylvester Turner released body camera footage capturing the incident from different angles. Speaking of the numbers of shots fired at Chavez, Acevedo said: 'I cannot defend that.' Shocking bystander video from April 21, 2020 shows Nicolas Chavez, 27, being shot by Houston police during a confrontation Four of the officers who were involved in the shooting were fired from the force. A grand jury declined to bring criminal charges against the former officers Chavez was a married father of three with a history of mental illness (pictured right with his wife and child). Police union officials argued that he committed 'suicide by cop' In the graphic video, officers try to calm Chavez down but he slashes himself with a piece of metal, hurls profanities at the officers and repeatedly tells them he wants to die. The shooting on April 21 of last year followed a 15-minute confrontation with police. Officers were responding to a call about a possibly suicidal man who was running in and out of traffic outside 800 Gazin Street. Chavez's family have said the married father-of-three had a history of mental illness. Disturbing cellphone video taken by a bystander appears to show Chavez on his knees just before officers unleash a barrage of bullets, causing him the collapse. 'Was that necessary? Was that necessary?' the person recording the video says. 'Oh, he's dead, he's bleeding. They just shot him to death. They killed him.' Body camera footage released by the police last year shows that officers spent 15 minutes trying to calm Chavez down Video shows Chavez reaching for the wires of a stun gun that an officers had dropped Then-Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo excoriated his officers for firing on Chavez 21 times after he was already struck by gunfire and incapacitated Gamaldi said officers had used every non-lethal option available to them, including a stun gun and bean bag rounds, to subdue Chavez, but that he refused to surrender. Police said Chavez also had a piece of rebar in his hand and had picked up a stun gun that an officer had dropped and pointed it at officers just before he was killed. Body camera video released by the police this afternoon shows Chavez pulling the wires of the Taser. An officer orders him to stop and stay on the ground, but he does not obey the command. Moments later the cops open fire, discharging a total of 24 rounds and inflicting 29 wounds on Chavez, including entry and exit wounds, and injuries from bullet fragments bouncing off the ground. Acevedo told reporters that he considers the final barrage consisting of 21 bullets fired at Chavez after the initial three shots to not be objectionably reasonable, adding that he cannot defend his officers' actions. 'And I believe that anyone that watches this tape, that see this, would see that that they had a lot of opportunities and a lot of options readily available to them that as long as I'm the police chief in this city, I'll expect my officers to take,' Acevedo stated. 'You don't get to shoot somebody 21 times because at that time when we discharge those 21 rounds Mr Chavez was at this greatest level of incapacitation.' 'These officers were distraught over having to take a life out there,' said Doug Griffith, the union's first vice president, prior to the release of the body camera footage. The shooting was found to be justified by the city's independent police oversight board, Griffith said. Officers opened fire on Chavez after her refused their command to get on the ground Chavez sustained 29 gunshot wounds, including entry and exit wounds, and injuries from bullet fragments Chavez is survived by his wife, Jessica, and his three children The shooting took place a month earlier after the police-involved death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd died after Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into his neck for more than nine minutes. Chauvin was convicted earlier this year of manslaughter and second-degree murder. He was sentenced to more than 22 years behind bars. Floyd's death sparked protests worldwide, including in Floyd's hometown of Houston, against racial injustice and police brutality. The police union suggested the firings were the result of political pressure following the marches for police reform. Activists in Houston called on Acevedo to release body camera footage from Chavez's shooting. Chavez's father also called for any footage related to the shooting to be released, but his widow, Jessica, urged that it remain under wraps, saying the bystander's video was too explicit. An Australian CEO has recalled how he was told to 'go back to China' after his dog kicked sand on another beachgoer. Tim Fung, the 38-year-old founder of tech start-up Airtasker, was at a dog-friendly beach with his wife on Friday when his pet Harvey started 'mucking around'. Mr Fung said he and his wife felt 'a little embarrassed' for the mess the dog made and apologised to the woman - who then yelled out the racist remark. 'I could see that getting sand flicked on me would have been super annoying and that we'd sort of stuffed up her beach day,' Mr Fung wrote on LinkedIn. 'The woman then started muttering a number of racist remarks and as she packed up her stuff to leave the beach yelled at us: ''go back to China''.' Tim Fung, the CEO of Airtasker was shockingly told to 'go back to China' after his dog flicked sand onto a woman nearby To make matters worse, the Airtasker founder had dubbed Friday a 'recharge day' for all his employees to have the day off and focus on their wellbeing. The businessman shared the encounter to his LinkedIn page and asked for feedback on what he could have done to handle the situation better. 'On one hand, the woman seemed really angry and it feels like calling her out for being racist would likely result in an escalating confrontation which would probably lead to very little impact (or something worse eg. violence),' he said. 'On the other hand, Asian folks in many countries have recently been experiencing increasingly racist behaviour, including violence (exacerbated by a Covid/China narrative) and not calling her out seems somewhat irresponsible.' The post was flooded with hundreds of comments from many other CEOs and high profile businessmen and women, divided on what the right thing to do was. Christina Chun, co-chair of SECNA said she felt she needed to say something if she was in a similar position in order to show her children how people should be treated. TIM FUNG'S RACIST ENCOUNTER I'd like to get some advice on how to deal with racism based on an experience I had today with my family. Today at Airtasker was a recharge day - a day for the people of Airtasker to get away from their screens and focus on wellbeing. So together with my wife and our dog Harvey, we decided to head down to a dog friendly beach. Whilst we were playing on the beach, Harvey's mucking around flicked some sand on to a nearby beachgoer. Self conscious and a little embarrassed, my wife and I apologised to the woman. I could see that getting sand flicked on me would have been super annoying and that we'd sort of stuffed up her beach day. The woman then started muttering a number of racist remarks and as she packed up her stuff to leave the beach yelled at us: go back to China. I'd like to hear any advice on what the right thing to do is here On one hand, the woman seemed really angry and it feels like calling her out for being racist would likely result in an escalating confrontation which would probably lead to very little impact (or something worse eg. violence). On the other hand, Asian folks in many countries have recently been experiencing increasingly racist behaviour, including violence (exacerbated by a Covid/China narrative) and not calling her out seems somewhat irresponsible. Is there a 'right' way to handle situations like this? Advertisement 'We've been much more conscious in calling it out (but in a calm manner) because we've got two little girls watching our behaviour as parents / how we respond to things most of the time now,' she said. Solicitor Johnathan Pham said victims of racial abuse should stand up for themselves. Mr Fung said he and his wife apologised to the woman but she rudely replied with a racist remark 'In today's world it's not enough to simply be a 'non-racist', we need to be 'anti-racist',' he commented. 'Not saying you had to confront her, but when someone sinks to racism, they need to be made to feel uncomfortable. Calling them out is not meant to cause some big cathartic moment, but it lets them know that their behaviour is simply not acceptable.' Melissa Ran, head of community at Airtree Ventures said she had been in similar situations and just 'let it go'. 'I do it because I don't think me confronting them will change their opinion - it's not like people don't know they are being racist,' she said. 'I also think: this person in front of me is in a lot of pain. I live a wonderfully privileged life surrounded by people who love me, I can be the bigger person here.' Mr Fung's case is just one of many racist incidents in Australia within recent months, with the Covid-19 pandemic seemingly adding to the tension. The businessman shared his encounter on LinkedIn and asked what he could have done in the situation Earlier this month a man was filmed tearing down a suburban sign that said the virus was 'made in China'. The video shared on TikTok next to the caption 'say no to racism' showed the man cutting the metal sign in half before smashing it to pieces with a hammer in Glen Waverley in Melbourne's east. The sign read 'Made in China - Covid-19' - a reference to the pandemic's origin in the Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. The video drew widespread support on the viral video site, with commenters praising the man for standing up to discrimination. 'Can't believe this is happening in 2021. Hope the cowards responsible for this are held accountable,' another said. 'No matter where [the virus] is from, it shouldn't lead to racism - that's never forgivable,' one commented. The author of the 1619 Project has condemned a black author for his campaign to get a white woman fired following an altercation he claimed was racist in a Brooklyn dog park, noting: 'Thisdoesn't feel right.' Nikole Hannah-Jones, one of the most influential anti-racism voices in the U.S., reacted on Monday evening to Frederick Joseph getting a woman fired. 'This didn't sit right with me and does not seem like an ethical use of one's platform,' the New York Times Magazine journalist said. The woman, Emma Sarley, who is white, was fired from her job at a software company after she was accused of telling Joseph and his fiance - who are black - 'stay in [their] hood' at the Williamsburg dog park. Footage posted on Twitter by Joseph, an author and high-profile campaigner for Elizabeth Warren, showed the incident in McCarren Park on Sunday. Frederick Joseph, an author and supporter of Elizabeth Warren, tracked down via crowd sourcing the woman who he argued with, and petitioned her boss to fire her. He did She cannot be heard making the 'stay in [their] hood' comment. Joseph began a campaign to get the woman identified and fired. On Monday night he defended his actions, after he was accused of going too far in his attempts to track down and punish Sarley. Others have also questioned the accuracy of his version of events, although a third eyewitness in the park was filmed confirming them at Joseph's request. 'While it's unfortunate that she had to lose her job, I do think that this brings up an important conversation about accountability, especially in a country where black and brown people, marginalized people as a whole, have seen so little of it,' he said. 'I hope Emma learns from this. I hope other people learn from this who engage in abusive, racist and destructive behavior. Because ultimately, whether Emma lost her job or not, doesn't take away the trauma that my fiance and I have. 'It doesn't take away the feeling of feeling like anything racist can happen anywhere.' He said on Monday that he had been receiving death threats. 'If she respected us or Black people as a whole, not only would she not have done as she did - she would have attempted to apologize,' he wrote on Twitter. 'People should consider within themselves why there is such normalization of racist behavior.' The controversy began when Joseph - who has previously complained that his Airbnb in upstate New York had 'satanic' decoration - tweeted a video of the incident. Joseph posted the footage online tweeting: 'At the dog park in Brooklyn with my fiance and this white woman was threatening to call police and told us to 'stay in our hood' because she had our dog confused with another dog who had been barking loudly. 'So, I started recording and she tried to slap the phone out my hand.' In the footage Joseph can be heard saying: 'You just left the dog park to tell us to stay in our hood?' Joseph can be heard saying 'stay in our hood' towards the woman, insinuating he was repeating what had already been said. Video shows the woman giving the camera the middle finger before pushing the phone away. The woman then appears to clutch her chest and says: 'Oh my God, did you just say that to me? S**t.' Joseph then asks a bystander: 'I'm sorry, you were right here watching this entire thing. Did she not just stand here and tell us to stay in our hood?'. He responds 'she did'. The woman then turns and leaves the dog park. Software company Bevy has confirmed someone was fired over the incident, but did not name the person. However in a second tweet Joseph named the alleged perpetrator as Emma Sarley. DailyMail.com could not reach Sarley for comment. The NYPD have said they are looking into the incident but have not confirmed whether a report was filed. A white woman has been fired from her job at a software company after she was accused of telling a black couple to 'stay in [their] hood' at a Brooklyn dog park. Footage posted online showed the woman after the alleged exchange In the footage Joseph can be heard saying: 'You just left the dog park to tell us to stay in our hood?'. The woman then appears to clutch her chest and says: 'Oh my God, did you just say that to me? S**t' Derek Andersen, the cofounder and CEO of Bevy, wrote on Twitter: '@BevyHQ has zero tolerance for discriminatory behavior of any kind. 'Yesterday an employee engaged in behavior contrary to our values and has been terminated. We apologize deeply to all involved, 'I personally hope some type of resolution can happen between the two parties beyond this and will help if I can.' A post on the company's Facebook page announced the hiring of Sarley as an Account Executive on August 24. A LinkedIn page, which has since been deactivated, also identified Sarley as an Enterprise Account Executive at Bevy. Bevy did not immediately response to DailyMail.com's request for comment. Two NSW towns have been plunged back into lockdown for seven days after health officials discovered new Covid-19 cases in regional parts of the state. Stay-at-home orders will be reintroduced in Port Macquarie on the state's mid-north coast and Muswellbrook in the Upper Hunter region, NSW Health announced on Tuesday afternoon. Anyone living in those local government areas must stay home from 6pm on Tuesday evening unless they have an essential reason. Port Macquarie and Muswellbrook in regional NSW have been plunged back into lockdown (pictured is the Eatons Hotel in Muswellbrook) Pictured: The Port Macquarie coastal walk. The mid-north coast town will go back into lockdown from 6pm on Tuesday The seven-day lockdown though in the mid-north coast Kempsey LGA will be lifted at midnight on Tuesday night. NSW Health has urged anyone living in Port Macquarie and Muswellbrook to come forward for testing to help authorities determine the extent of the regional outbreaks. 'A strong response to testing will be a key factor in determining if these stay-at-home orders are extended beyond one week,' the department said in a statement. NSW Health Minister Brad Hazzard earlier on Tuesday warned the lockdown in the Port Macquarie area could be extended after two-locally acquired cases were detected over the weekend. 'These decisions are not made lightly,' he said. 'My strong advice to all of the residents in those areas is to be very cautious where you are moving around at the moment, and to certainly go out and get vaccinated.' NSW recorded 863 new infections and seven deaths on Tuesday. The Victorian Department of Health earlier in the day confirmed 867 local cases of the virus. It marks the first time Victoria has reported more Covid-19 cases than NSW since the Delta crisis began. NSW recorded 863 new infections and seven deaths on Tuesday. Pictured are pedestrians in Darling Harbour in Sydney's CBD on September 24 NSW has recorded seven deaths - including two residents in their 80s, two in their 70s and one each in their 40s, 50s and 90s The seven deaths in NSW included two residents in their 80s, two in their 70s and one each in their 40s, 50s and 90s. Mr Hazzard said the state's single-dose vaccination rate had hit 85.7 per cent - while 60.4 per cent are fully-vaccinated. NSW as a whole is preparing to emerge from lockdown in a fortnight after almost four months of stay-at-home orders for large swathes of the state. Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Monday declared the beginning of the 'COVID-normal' era from December, with the phasing out of statewide or region-wide lockdowns to begin within two weeks. A traveler has recounted what he claims was a disturbing encounter with Brian Laundrie a day before his girlfriend Gabby Petito was last seen alive. Hunter Mannies, 44, from Louisiana, has said he believes he saw Laundrie wearing a hoodie and having a drink by himself in Bullwinkle's Saloon in West Yellowstone, Montana on August 26. But he claims that Laudrie was giving off an 'uncomfortable vibe' during the time he was in the bar, before insulting southerners and Republican voters. 'He was just mad at the world it seemed like. I didn't pay attention to him other than that he and this other couple were the only ones in there,' Mannies told The New York Post. Hunter Mannies, 44, believes he had an encounter with Brian Laundrie, 23, in a bar one day before Gabby Petito, 22, went missing Laundrie was sitting alone at Bullwinkle's Saloon in West Yellowstone August 26 Towards the end of the evening, Mannies together with a doctor friend began chatting with the another couple who was also a doctor together with her partner. 'The convo got into hunting and guns and politics,' Mannies explained, when suddenly Laundrie got involved without being invited to join. 'The guy just looked mad and then at some lull in the conversation, he said, 'Stupid southerners and f***ing Republicans.'' The other couple quickly responded: 'Stupid southerners? She and I both have 'Dr.' in front of our names. Do you?' they said. 'I kind of laughed and said, 'Well, where are you from?' and he said, 'New York,' Mannies explained. 'And I said, 'Okay, New York' and he said, 'I have a name, it's Brian.'' Gabby Petitio's body was found in the Spread Creek campsite in Wyoming on Sunday and the next day her death was ruled a homicide. She is pictured during a police stop in August Laundrie was last seen more than a week ago and his whereabouts remain unknown. He is pictured during a police stop last month 'I said, 'Let me ask you this, New York. What did you expect to find in a small mountain town in the middle of nowhere Montana? Did you expect to find a bunch of Democrats?'' The conversation appeared to end there with Mannies returning to his conversation with the other couple, however he claims that Laundrie was giving off a 'weird vibe' with his friend even claiming 'he had that serial killer look.' 'He was overly invested in our conversation. We felt watched,' Mannies told the Post. 'He wasn't talking to the bartenders. He was there alone. It just stood out as odd.' No further thought was given to the encounter until Petito's disappearance was in the news. Mannies' friend called to tell him how she recognized Petito's boyfriend: 'She said that's the crazy guy from the bar.' Mannie said. Brian Laundrie, 23, who was reported missing last week, remains a person of interest in the disappearance and death of fiancee Gabby Petito Mannies later told the FBI about the encounter and spoke with an agent for around 45 minutes. 'How many people named Brian from New York who look exactly like him are in the middle nowhere at the bar?' he said. Meanwhile, it was revealed Monday that Moab Police Chief Bret Edge has requested time off amid an outcry over his department's handling of a call-out which saw them come face-to-face with Laundrie and Petito on August 12. The Utah Police Department has launched an independent investigation after its officers separated the couple for the night, but did not arrest Laundrie, after pulling them over. They are said to have been told by a dispatcher that an eyewitness who called 911 had seen Laundrie hit Petito. Utah law stipulates cops must arrest or cite people they have probable cause to believe carried out an act of domestic violence. Moab Police Chief Bret Edge, pictured, has taken leave after his department came under scrutiny over its handling of an encounter with Laundrie and Petito Edge requested time off through the state's Family Medical Leave Act, and it is unclear if his departure is related to the scandal surrounding Laundrie and Petito. No information has been given on how long he will be off work, and who will stand in for him. Petito was last seen alive a day later at a restaurant in Jackson Hole, Wyoming 120 miles away. Last week, her remains were discovered in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest. An autopsy has ruled her death a homicide. Laundrie returned home to the couple's home in Florida without Petito. He has since disappeared having refused to cooperate with police over her disappearance. 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 man behind the Atlanta spa shootings has pleaded not guilty to killing four victims, after getting life in prison in July for admitting to shooting dead another four victims at a different spa in Cherokee County. Robert Aaron Long, 22, appeared briefly Tuesday in Fulton County Superior Court, where he waived arraignment and entered a not guilty plea on charges including domestic terrorism, murder and felony murder. He is also being charged with assault with a deadly weapon, and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. The unexpected plea seems to be an attempt by his legal team to gain time and put off a trial in which, if convicted, Long will most likely be sentenced to the death penalty. His lawyers have requested additional time to file motions. Robert Aaron Long, 22, appeared briefly Tuesday in Fulton County Superior Court, where he waived arraignment and entered a not guilty plea on charges including domestic terrorism, murder and felony murder. He is pictured in court today THE FOUR WOMEN LONG DENIES KILLING: Chung Park (left) and Suncha Kim (right) were killed in Atlanta at Gold Spa after Long traveled from Cherokee county THE FOUR WOMEN LONG DENIES KILLING: Hyun Jung Grant (left ) and Yong Yue (right) were also killed when Long opened fire at the Atlanta salon In July, Long pleaded guilty in Cherokee County to charges including including malice murder, felony murder, attempt to commit murder and aggravated assault. He received four sentences of life without parole plus an additional 35 years. On March 16, Long went on a shooting spree in two separate counties, which is why charges were brought separately. After killing four at Young's Asian Massage in Cherokee county, Long drove about 30 miles south to Atlanta, where he shot three women at Gold Spa and one woman across the street at Aromatherapy Spa, police have said. In addition to seeking the death penalty, District Attorney Fani Willis is also pursuing a sentencing enhancement under Georgias new hate crimes law. Those killed in Cherokee County were: Paul Michels, 54; Xiaojie 'Emily' Tan, 49; Daoyou Feng, 44; and Delaina Yaun, 33. The Atlanta victims were: Suncha Kim, 69; Soon Chung Park, 74; Hyun Jung Grant, 51; and Yong Ae Yue, 63. Bodies are wheeled out of Gold Spa in Atlanta where Long opened fire on March 16 After killing four at Young's Asian Massage in Cherokee county, Long drove about 30 miles south to Atlanta, where he shot three women at Gold Spa and one woman across the street at Aromatherapy Spa. Six of the dead women were of Asian descent THE FOUR VICTIMS LONG ADMITS KILLING: Delaina Yaun, 34, (left) was a married mom-of-two who had arranged a spa day with her husband to relax from taking care of their new baby. She was killed but her husband escaped alive. Paul Michels, 54, (right) was an Army veteran who was installing a security system at Young's Asian Massage Parlor in Cherokee County when he was shot dead THE FOUR VICTIMS LONG ADMITS KILLING: Xiaojie Tan, 49 (right) and Daoyou Feng, 44 (left) were also killed in the March 16 mass shooting Tuesday was the second time Long appeared before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville. The hearing lasted a few minutes. Glanville asked the defense if they wanted to waive indictment and plead not guilty, and defense attorney Jerilyn Bell said yes. Long did not address the judge. Glanville set the next hearing in the case for Nov. 23. During a brief appearance last month, Glanville asked Long's defense attorneys - court-appointed lawyers from the Georgia capital defender's office - about their qualifications to handle a death penalty case and went through a checklist specific to capital cases. When the killings happened in March, Asian Americans were already experiencing an uptick in hostility related to the coronavirus pandemic. The fact that a majority of the slain victims were women of Asian descent exacerbated existing feelings of fear and anger. Many have been upset by Long's assertions that he was motivated by the shame he felt from sexual urges, rather than by racial bias. Robert Aaron Long, 21, told police that he has a sex addiction and viewed the parlors as an 'outlet' and 'temptation' that he wanted to remove. Cherokee County District Attorney Shannon Wallace said during a hearing in July that investigators found no evidence of racial bias motivating the killings Robert Aaron Long, center, enters the courtroom for an arraignment in Fulton County Superior Court on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021, in Atlanta Robert Long was captured by surveillance video pulling up to Young's Asian Massage around 4:50pm on March 16 , just minutes before the shooting In addition to seeking the death penalty, District Attorney Fani Willis is also pursuing a sentencing enhancement under Georgias new hate crimes law Cherokee County District Attorney Shannon Wallace said during the hearing in July that investigators found no evidence of racial bias motivating the killings. She said that had that case gone to trial, she was prepared to seek the death penalty and would have argued Long was motivated by gender bias. Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, said last month that she believes race and gender played a role in Long's motivation. Georgias hate crimes law does not provide for a stand-alone hate crime. After a person is convicted of an underlying crime, a jury must determine whether it was motivated by bias, which carries an additional penalty. He then headed south on the interstate, and authorities have said he intended to carry out similar attacks in Florida. But his parents had called police after recognizing their son in images from security video posted online by authorities in Cherokee County. His parents were already tracking his movements through an application on his phone, which allowed authorities to find him and take him into custody on a south Georgia interstate. A late Dowager Countess who tried to close the Royals' favourite polo club was being 'bloody-minded', her stepson has claimed. Dowager Countess Bathurst Gloria Clarry attempted to revoke the licence of Cirencester Park Polo Club after her husband died in 2011. She owned 3,000 acres of land that included the polo park clubhouse and an access road and threatened to end over a hundred years of sport there. It was only after the trustees of the 8th Earl Bathurst's estate overruled her that the club's future was secured. Cirencester Park Polo Club was beloved by Princess Diana as well Prince Charles and their sons William and Harry. Until now it had been thought the countess had relented on the licence herself. The late Dowager Countess Bathurst Gloria Clarry tried to shut Cirencester Park Club in 2011 Cirencester Park Polo Club is a Royal favourite and frequented by William and Harry Tatler speaks with Earl Bathurst and Lord Apsely of Cirencester Park in which they discuss the much talked about feud with the Earl's stepmother. See the full feature in the November issue of Tatler available via digital download and newsstands on Thursday 30 September. Speaking to Tatler magazine, her stepson the 9th Earl Bathurst Allen Bathurst, 60, said: 'To be honest, she was just bloody-minded. 'The club was on a licence from year to year. Then, a month after my father died, she was theoretically in charge and she said, 'No, there will be no licence.' I'm not even sure why. 'Luckily, we had managed to get a lot of my father's land into a trust and the trustees said, 'Why on earth aren't you letting this go ahead?' and forced her hand, and that annoyed her even more. 'We have been able to take the reins off, as it were, so the clubhouse has undergone a huge transformation, and with so much buzz and excitement around it, it's somewhere you want to be.' Lord Bathurst (left) 8th Earl Bathurst Henry Allen died in 2011, which sparked the club chaos. Allen Bathurst (right) who is the current Earl, said he and his stepmother 'did not see eye to eye' The trustees of the 8th Earl Bathurst's estate overruled her and the club was reinstated again A club fit for royalty The Polo Club was founded back in 1894 by the Seventh Earl Bathurst. The Prince of Wales, later Edward VIII, was the first member of the Royal Family to play Polo at Cirencester Park in the 1920s. It has ten match grounds, whose names include Ivy Lodge, Peddington, Meadows, Sweethills, Coombe Farm, Savannah, Soushi and Upper Field. Advertisement The Dowager Countess died in 2018, aged 90, which sparked a Christie's auction of heirlooms that fetched some 1.8million. When the dispute over the club first emerged a former chairman of it claimed her opposition to it was over the commercialisation of the sport. She apparently wanted it to become somewhere where 'gentlemen's weekend' matches were held. It was not the first incident of the countess rubbing people up the wrong way. The local hospital car park also fell foul of her after she refused to renew the lease there as well. When she died she left 33million of money she had inherited to two of her friends. The Earl added to the magazine of the club: 'It has not made money for a great number of years. 'My father in particular, the farming didn't work for him, which is one of the reasons I came back and took over the farms. Prince Harry and Prince Charles, Prince of Wales take part in the Ronnie Wallace Memorial Trophy charity polo match for the Hunt Staff Benefit Society at Cirencester Park Polo Club Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing a white blouse, kiss during a polo match at Cirencester Park Polo Club back in June 1985 Tatlers November issue. Tatler speaks with Earl Bathurst and Lord Apsely of Cirencester Park in which they discuss the much talked about feud with the Earl's stepmother 'We had crippling death duties following the war - it devastated things for us. 'It sounds like a long time ago, but actually 60 years in the history of an estate like this is nothing, and we were really struggling. 'Bits have been sold off, bits have been added, there is much more of a commercial attitude being taken now than previously.' See the full feature in the November issue of Tatler available via digital download and newsstands on Thursday 30 September. Advertisement What has Southeastern done wrong and what happens next? The Department for Transport has decided to take over running services on Southeastern from October 17. The decision announced today was taken after the operator failed to declare more than 25million of historic taxpayer funding since October 2014 which should have been returned to the Government. The DfT called this a 'significant breach of the franchise agreement, undermining trust', and it could now impose financial penalties under the Railways Act 1993. The problem is thought to be focused on 'variable track access charges'. These relate to the High Speed 1 tracks - on which it operates services in and out of St Pancras - which are owned by a group of private investors. Southeastern's agreement with the Government meant the DfT would pay the operator a fee, which it was then supposed to pay to HS1 and any excess would be returned to the DfT. But it appears this did not happen. The issues are thought to have emerged during talks between the operator and the DfT over a new contract. Advertisement One of Britain's biggest train operators was today taken over by the Government in an extraordinary intervention after failing to declare more than 25million of taxpayer funding in a 'serious breach' of its franchise agreement. Southeastern is now facing a Serious Fraud Office investigation and Elodie Brian, the chief financial officer of transport firm Go-Ahead - the majority owner of the rail firm's parent company Govia - has already resigned. From October 17, the Department for Transport will take over running services on Southeastern's lines - a major network in and out of London across South East England, covering Kent, East Sussex and the High Speed 1 line. The dramatic move announced at 7am today makes Southeastern the third UK rail franchise to be placed under Government control, alongside London North Eastern Railway since June 2018 and Northern since January 2020. Next year, ScotRail will become the fourth rail franchise to be run by the Government from March 2022 after Dutch firm Abellio had its contract ended early following criticism over performance levels and cancellation rates. It comes after the Government unveiled major reforms of the UK railway network in May, launching a new public body called Great British Railways, as Ministers continue to take greater control of the train sector. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said a DfT probe identified evidence that since October 2014 Southeastern has not declared more than 25million of historic taxpayer funding, which should have been returned. Further investigations are being conducted and Ministers will consider options for more action, including financial penalties. Conservative MP Huw Merriman said he understands that the Serious Fraud Office 'will be involved'. A source with knowledge of the probe told the Financial Times today that Southeastern had referred itself to the SFO over the missing money, and investigators are now considering whether to pursue the matter further. Reacting to the news, Labour MP Rupa Huq said: 'Another Labour policy adopted as Southeastern nationalised!' Southeastern was today taken over by the Government after failing to declare more than 25million of taxpayer funding Elodie Brian, chief financial officer of Go-Ahead - the majority owner of Southeastern's parent company Govia - has resigned Mr Shapps said: 'There is clear, compelling and serious evidence that LSER (London & South Eastern Railway) have breached the trust that is absolutely fundamental to the success of our railways. 'When trust is broken, we will act decisively. The decision to take control of services makes unequivocally clear that we will not accept anything less from the private sector than a total commitment to their passengers and absolute transparency with taxpayer support. UK rail franchises under Government control Southeastern's services will be be run from October 17 by the Government Operator of Last Resort, which already oversees London North Eastern Railway and Northern. Here is why the other two franchises ended up in the control of the Department for Transport: LONDON NORTH EASTERN RAILWAY (LNER) The Government's Operator of Last Resort has run services on the East Coast Main Line as London North Eastern Railway since June 2018, following the failure of the Virgin Trains East Coast franchise. Trains on the route were brought back under public control with the London North Eastern Railway (LNER) brand being resurrected from the 1940s. The East Coast route connects London King's Cross to stations in the North and Scotland including York, Leeds, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness. VTEC, a joint venture between Stagecoach (90 per cent) and Virgin (10 per cent), began operating in March 2015. The firms agreed to pay the Government 3.3billion to run trains until 2023, but the contract was ended prematurely after they failed to achieve revenue targets. Stagecoach lost around 200million over the course of the contract. VTEC was the third private operator to fail to complete the full length of a contract to run East Coast services. GNER was stripped of the route in 2007 after its parent company suffered financial difficulties, while National Express withdrew in 2009. Trains were run by the DfT for six years up to VTEC taking over. NORTHERN Rail services on the Northern rail network were taken under public control on March 1, 2020 following years of poor performance. Arriva-owned Northern had received the lowest overall score of all train companies in a major survey by watchdog Transport Focus, with just 72 per cent of passengers were satisfied with their journey. And Office of Rail and Road figures showed only 55 per cent of Northern trains arrived at stations within one minute of the timetable in the 12 months to February 1, compared with the average across Britain of 65 per cent. The chaotic introduction of new timetables in May 2018 saw hundreds of Northern trains cancelled each day. Northern was Britain's fifth-biggest rail operator based on passenger journeys. It began operating in April 2016 and was awarded the franchise until March 2025, but Grant Shapps announced in January that its contract would be ended five years early. Problems faced by the firm included cancelled infrastructure projects, delays in the delivery of new trains and prolonged industrial action. Advertisement 'Under the new operator, we will prioritise the punctual, reliable services passengers deserve, rebuild trust in this network, and the delivery of the reforms set out in our Plan for Rail - to build a modern railway that meets the needs of a nation.' Southeastern's services will be run by the Government Operator of Last Resort, which already oversees London North Eastern Railway and Northern. The DfT said this will have 'no impact' on Southeastern's staff. Mr Merriman, who chairs the Transport Select Committee, said a need for 'confidence in our railways' likely led the Government to take action. Asked about the situation on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said: 'This has just been announced at 7 o'clock and I understand the Serious Fraud Office will be involved in this, so there is a limit to what I can say.' He added: 'If there appears to be evidence of wrongdoing, then it is right to sweep away.' A brief statement on Southeastern's website said: 'Our passengers will see no change in our day-to-day operations. All tickets will remain valid after transfer and new tickets can continue to be purchased in the usual way.' Southeastern has been running services since 2006, operating one of the busiest networks in the country including the UK's first domestic high-speed service with Javelin trains. It employs 4,000 workers and serves 180 stations using a fleet of almost 400 trains. According to the firm's website, 640,000 passengers use 2,016 services every weekday. It also runs 1,755 train services on Saturdays and 967 on Sundays. Southeastern's latest contract started in April 2020, running until October 16, with the option to extend at the DfT's discretion until March 2022. Go-Ahead shares fell more than 22 per cent in morning trading. The firm's chairwoman Clare Hollingsworth said: 'We recognise that mistakes have been made and we sincerely apologise to the DfT. We are working constructively with the DfT towards a settlement of this matter.' The company named Gordon Boyd as interim chief financial officer. Current chief executive David Brown is due to retire in November and be replaced by Christian Schreyer. The group said the release of its results for the year ended July 3, 2021, scheduled for September 30, has been postponed. Govia, a joint venture between Go-Ahead (65 per cent) and Keolis (35 per cent), also runs Govia Thameslink Railway, which operates Thameslink, Southern, Great Northern and Gatwick Express trains. Rail, Maritime and Transport union General Secretary Mick Lynch said: 'There now needs to be a forensic examination of all the private rail contracts. 'It defies belief that even after this scandal was exposed that Govia are still running UK rail services. 'They should be kicked out and the whole network should be brought into public ownership.' Shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon said: 'This is yet another example of the complete failure of the franchise model, which prioritises private company profits over passengers and service. 'Labour has long argued that public ownership of the rail network will provide better value for the taxpayer. Ministers have the opportunity to bring all the rail franchises back in house over the next six months. 'They must acknowledge their previous approach just hasn't worked.' Southeastern's network runs across South East England, covering London, Kent, East Sussex and the High Speed 1 line This graphic by Project Mapping shows the UK rail network split by operator. Only LNER and Northern are operated by the Government, but Southeastern is set to join them next month on October 17 and ScotRail in March 2022 And TSSA leader Manuel Cortes said: 'What the case of Southeastern tells us is the days of rail franchising must now be well and truly over. Time and time again we see the private sector fail and taxpayers ride to the rescue. Who is the Go Ahead boss who resigned today? Elodie Brian, who resigned today, was the chief financial officer of transport firm Go-Ahead - the majority owner of the Southeastern's parent company Govia. Ms Brian took on the role in June 2019 after holding it on an interim basis since December 2018. The 41-year-old previously worked for ten years at Southeastern, where she was finance and contracts director after being financial planning manager. She also did the same job for Renault Financial Services. She is understood to live in a 3.3million house in West London Ms Brian has a degree in English and Spanish from Paris Nanterre University, and a business degree at HEC Paris. She is understood to live in a 3.3million six-bedroom house in West London. Advertisement 'We need the Government to dump the failed franchise system, end the profiteering of the train operating companies and take over the whole thing, lock stock and rails. 'It's a total scandal that Govia is now being investigated by the serious fraud office over millions of pounds of public money and yet they are still running Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) - the government must immediately bring GTR services into public ownership. 'Taxpayers must be reassured that public money is not being squandered and that they have zero tolerance of fraud.' It comes after the Government in May unveiled long-awaited reforms of the country's fragmented railway network, including a new centralised price and reservations system. By launching a new public body, Great British Railways, whose name has echoes of nationalised British Rail in the previous century, Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government has already begun to take greater control of the sector. But it insists that the new route taken is not equivalent to renationalisation of the railways - a sector that continues to be hit hard by the pandemic depressing passenger numbers. Britain's rail tracks are already in state hands but the trains are run by mostly private companies enjoying large government subsidies. And since privatisation of the sector in the mid-1990s, the taxpayer has been forced to take control of financially-struggling franchises. Should the government eventually hand the running of Southeastern back to a private company, it will meanwhile not be under the franchise system, which was scrapped a year ago for new contracts. Private rail operators are still paid management fees for running services but now face tougher scrutiny and greater state involvement. New South Wales and Victoria have been given a grim warning ahead of next month's long-awaited Covid reopening, with a leading infectious disease expert in Singapore urging Australia to prepare 'more hospital beds'. The southeast Asian financial hub surpassed an 80 per cent vaccination rate in August prompting the country to open its doors allowing citizens back into pubs, restaurants, retails stores and gyms. But just one month later the daily infection rate has soared to new record highs leaving policymakers with no choice but to reintroduce some capacity restrictions on venues as health authorities scramble to ease the burden on 'overwhelmed' hospitals. In mid August, the city-state's seven-day rolling average was below 100 but now daily case numbers have hovered just below 2,000 this week, with an all-time high of 1939 infections on Monday. But with the over 82 per cent of the nation now double-dosed the seven day moving average of deaths remains at just three - however there are fears that number could increase sharply. Covid cases in Singapore (pictured) have soared after the financial hub reopened last month Over 80 per cent of Singapore are vaccinated against Covid yet infection rates are still soaring. Pictured: A Covid testing clinic in Singapore Professor Dale Fisher, an Australian who chairs the WHO's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network in Singapore said the same thing is likely to happen Down Under when NSW and Victoria start to ease restrictions next month. 'We went from 100 to a 1000 in a very short space of time and that messaging wasn't I guess uniformly received. Suddenly the hospitals were overwhelmed with people that didn't need to be there for health reasons,' the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine-based physician told the Sydney Morning Herald. Teo Yik-Ying of the Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health explained the number of severely ill on the island remains low as the 'vast majority' are protected by the vaccines, however due to the speed of the unprecedented surge in cases the hospital system now needs 'breathing space'. 'Hospital beds are filling up because of the country's very cautious approach, and not because that many people need acute medical care,' Teo told CNBC. Professor Dale Fisher, an Australian who chairs the WHO's Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network in Singapore said cases are likely to shoot up in Australia after the reopen as they have done in Singapore (pictured) The daily infection rate graph shows the surge in cases that Singapore have experienced since the August reopen Professor Dale Fisher (pictured) getting vaccinated against Covid-19 has warned Australia to learn the lessons of Singapore Government data shows 194 patients currently require oxygen in hospital with 30 others in intensive care. Officials expect case numbers to soar beyond 3,000 in weeks to come and are taking steps to secure a further 300 ICU beds. 'If there is a lesson for NSW and Victoria, [it is] could this be a problem for you as numbers continue to increase as you ease restrictions?' Mr Fisher said. 'Do you need these extra facilities? If there are suddenly a number of nursing home people [infected], do you have a facility or do you have capacity to look after them? If people aren't that sick but need to be kept away from the home while they're contagious... do you need these facilities? If so, do them now because your numbers are going to go up.' Professor Fisher said Australia must learn the lessons of Singapore. Pictured: The Marina Bay Sands Hotel NSW this week revealed a three-stage roadmap out of lockdown that will see freedoms gradually restored from October 11 and life largely return to normal on December 1. Premier Gladys Berejiklian outlined the phased return of freedoms that will begin on the Monday after the 70 per cent double-vaccination rate will be reached; forecast to happen next week. From October 11, five people will be able to visit a home, pubs and restaurants will open for seated service only, retail stores can re-open, and hair and beauty salons to restart with a cap of five patrons - but all of those freedoms will be restricted to the double vaccinated. About two weeks later, when 80 per cent are fully vaccinated, those restrictions will be further relaxed to allow 10 visitors to a home, community sport and drinking while standing in a pub. A one person per four square metre rule will be in place for indoor venues, and a one person per two square metre rule for outdoor areas. Personal services such as hairdressers, spa, nail, beauty, waxing, tattoo and massage venues will be uncapped but must obey the four square metre rule. Freedoms will gradually be restored from October 11 in NSW with life largely return to normal on December 1. Pictured: Fully vaccinated Sydneysiders enjoy a picnic under the state's new rules On December 1 - regardless of the vaccination rate - just about all remaining restrictions will be removed, including for the unvaccinated. Pictured: A locked down Sydneysider in Bondi Intra-state travel - previously slated to begin at the 70 per cent rate - has been pushed back to the 80 per cent mark due to growing Covid case numbers in regional areas. The 80 per cent threshold will also see the removal of the 50-person limit on fully vaccinated guests for weddings and funerals. On December 1 - regardless of the vaccination rate - just about all remaining restrictions will be removed, including for the unvaccinated. Victorians will finally be released from lockdown on October 26 when the state is predicted to hit 70 per cent double vaccination. Premier Daniel Andrews announced there will no longer be any restrictions on leaving home, the 9pm-5am curfew will be scrapped and the travel distance extended to 25km. Victorians will finally be released from lockdown on October 26 when the state is predicted to hit 70 per cent double vaccination. Pictured: Albert lake in Melbourne Students in Year 12 will return to on-site learning as early as the first week of October with all pupils to return to classrooms at least part-time. Fully-vaccinated residents will be allowed to gather outdoors in groups of 10, with pubs, clubs and restaurants to open for 50 double-dosed people outdoors. Weddings and funerals will resume with a cap on 50 vaccinated guests with hairdressing and personal care services to restart for five vaccinated clients. Mr Andrews promised Christmas Day would be as normal as possible with 30 visitors to be allowed inside homes once 80 per cent of the population is fully vaccinated. The shiny gold bars Loucas Louca was selling on eBay were stamped with the name of a genuine gold supplier and packaged in a black velvet drawstring bag. They looked how a person buying one ounce of gold bars would expect them to look. The Melbourne pensioner passed them off as 99.9 per cent pure but they were only gold enamel - zinc and copper with just 1.6 per cent gold plating. Spending an insurance payout after losing his home in the Mallacoota bushfire, a Victorian man thought he was getting the real deal. Melbourne Pensioner Loucas Louca pleaded guilty to charges including obtaining and attempting to obtain financial advantage by deception (stock) Instead he forked out a fortune for 52 gold bars that were worth just $20 each. Louca, 64, pleaded guilty in Victoria's County Court to charges including obtaining and attempting to obtain financial advantage by deception. Prosecutor Alexander Albert told a pre-sentence hearing on Tuesday that Louca had three victims, including the Mallacoota man, scamming $129,952.40 from them. The disability pensioner sold the counterfeit bullion on eBay using a false seller name and providing false account holder details. Payment was made to bank accounts he also established in false names. The 64-year-old man scammed $129,952.40 out of three victims, selling fake gold bars made of zinc and copper (stock) Among the victims was a man who spent his whole insurance payout on the fake bullions, after losing his home in the Black Summer bushfires (pictured, the 2020 fires across East Gippsland) His first two victims bought four gold bars but after discovering they were counterfeit bought three more without paying in the hope it would help police track Louca. The Mallacoota man also saw the bullion advertised on eBay and explained he was investing in gold because he had lost his house and possessions in the Mallacoota fires and had recently received a payout. The man purchased 20 gold bars and was told by Louca that because he'd been a 'good customer' he could have another 32 bars for $73,000. He accepted but that package was intercepted by police. County Court Judge Daniel Holding said it was an odd case in that Louca had not spent the money. He has repaid all but $9000. The man purchased 20 gold bars and was informed by Louca he could have another 32 bars for a total of $73,000 because he had been a good customer (pictured, the entrance of Mallacoota) Louca has a history of dishonesty offences, including taking nearly $400,000 from banks. 'He's a fellow who embarks upon one type of dishonest activity, he gets caught, he gets punished, and he comes out and then he thinks 'well here's another form of dishonest activity where I won't get caught',' Judge Holding said. His lawyer Emily Austin said Louca had a stroke in February and as a result he is paralysed on the left side of his body. He uses a wheelchair and fears dying in custody. Judge Holding described Louca as 'the author of his own misfortune', continuing to commit offences as an older man. Louca will return to court next month. Advertisement Foreign lorry drivers say they will refuse the 4,000-a-month pay packet being offered if they return to the UK to drive tankers and trucks unless they are allowed to work in Britain for at least a year. Jakub Borzykowski, who was born in Poland but lives in Germany, said that Boris Johnson's offer of a three-month visa would not give him or other HGV drivers the security they need to move. Other EU-based lorry drivers have also said they are turning 2,000-a-month more than they earn now while yesterday a left-wing Dutch HGV union boss said his members won't go to Britain to clear up the 's**t they created themselves' - a nod to the decision to leave the EU. The Government announced over the weekend that 5,000 temporary visas will be made available to foreign HGV drivers to drive in the UK until Christmas Eve - but even backbench Tories have said it is not the answer, saying that ministers must improve conditions and the 'standing in society' of truckers. Petrol pumps have run dry and supermarket chains and restaurants have been hit by the shortage of HGV drivers. The Road Haulage Association says it is short of 100,000 drivers and believes around 20,000 have left because of Brexit. Covid has also seen huge numbers return home. Mr Borzykowski told ITV News: 'I don't want to work on a temporary visa because I think of the future. If the government offers a 12-month visa, I could plan for my life, but three months is not an option. I'd collect about 12,000 for three months. What next?' French HGV driver Samuel Henri said: 'When you see what happened with Covid, when people were stuck at border crossings with the UK for days on end - I've got no interest in that. I've got a family and there's just too many complications', adding: 'I'm fine to go to Switzerland, to Germany, but the UK? No way'. Andrzej Dobrowolski, a 44-year-old Pole who owns a construction and transportation firm in Britain, said many drivers would scoff at such a proposal. 'Boris Johnson is inviting the drivers back and they are laughing,' Dobrowolski said. 'They are saying: why should they quit their companies in Poland or Bulgaria or Romania or anywhere in the EU for four months? What the British don't understand is that it's not just the money that's important,' he said. 'Their offer is at least three years out of date.' Jakub Borzykowski, who was born in Poland but lives in Germany, said that Boris Johnson's offer of a three-month visa would not give him or other HGV drivers the security they need to move. Edwin Atema, Head of enforcement and research at the Dutch-based FNV union, dismissed the idea his members would go back The shortage of drivers saw petrol pumps run dry as motorists panic buy fuel worried that they will not be able to run cars Tomasz Orynski, another Polish truck driver, told the FT: 'Why would you want to go to Britain, jump all these hoops, face all this hostile environment, if you could go to Ireland or Holland and earn more, be respected, drive on nicer motorways with nice truck stops, and be a free European citizen, not a second-class citizen?' Portuguese trucker Rui Rodrigues drives his lorry from Spain to Belgium, and said: 'England isn't easy. It's complicated... lots of problems. No parking for trucks'. Lorry drivers from the EU are refusing to come to the UK - because they believe problems plaguing the supply chain are Britain's own fault. Former lorry driver Jim Titheridge, from Canterbury, Kent, said hauiiers were treated as 'lepers of society' so left the industry The Government has approved plans to bring in 5,000 foreign HGV operators to deal with the shortage, which has been blamed on a number of factors including the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit. But promises of special visas and attractive pay - with some firms offering as much as 78,000 a year - have fallen on deaf ears, with one union boss declaring they 'will not go to the UK for a short term visa to help UK out of the s**t they created themselves'. And lorry drivers in this country are as equally disillusioned, with one who gave up the job after 30 years, likening they way they are treated 'to being the lepers of society'. Edwin Atema, Head of enforcement and research at the Dutch-based FNV union, which represents drivers across the EU and Europe said the UK had an enormous battle on its hands to woo foreign drivers back. He said: 'Pay is an important area but not the only area. People in Europe and across Europe have completely lost trust in this industry. 'Before the coronavirus crisis and Brexit this industry was sick already. Plagued by expectation, by irresponsible multinationals who drag down prices, which ended up with drivers voting with their feet and leaving the industry. 'The EU workers that we speak to will not go to the UK for a short term visa to help UK out of the s**t they created themselves.' The shortages have seen chaos on the streets as motorists block them queuing to try and fill their tanks with petrol. The shortages and painful queues for the pumps are expected to last for the rest of the week but one of Boris Johnson's most senior ministers today insisted that the Army would not be brought in to ease the crisis. The move to mobilise the army comes after a widespread shortage of truck drivers, which has led to serious supply problems for retailers and restaurants in the past few months, has meant plentiful stocks of fuel have not reached filling stations (pictured: Army tanker in 2000 amid a previous crisis) A driver pulled a knife on a motorist and was then run over in 'Wild West' scenes at the pumps as Britain's fuel crisis shows no sign of abating today as drivers again queued through the night outside petrol stations. Motorists reported queues at 11pm, 3am and 5.30am across the UK as the Government was accused of being 'asleep at the wheel' and critics questioned claims within Whitehall that the crisis will be over within two to three days. Amid widespread scenes of enormous queueing across Britain's forecourts, footage emerged of a man holding what appears to be a knife shouting at a driver outside a petrol station in Welling, south east London. The video then shows the car ramming into the alleged knifeman, who is then carried for several yards on the bonnet. Met Police say officers had been called at 2.37pm on Monday to a disturbance in Bellegrove Road, Welling, but 'no trace' of either vehicle was found. No injuries were reported and no suspects have been identified. And it is proving so difficult to get fuel, thieves have been siphoning it from cars, sometimes drilling into the petrol tank, Shadrack Olaloko, from Birmingham, said: 'What these guys did was they came and drained out all my fuel in the tank'. Such is the panic at the pumps, hundreds more people than usual have been filling up on the wrong fuel. Around 250 flustered drivers have had to be rescued by the AA's specialist 'fuel assist' team on Saturday and Sunday - compared to around 20 in normal circumstances. The Government is putting the military on standby after a widespread shortage of truck drivers, which has led to serious supply problems for retailers and restaurants in the past few months, meaning plentiful stocks of fuel have not reached filling stations. But critics have said Boris Johnson has known for months that there is a lack of HGV drivers but ministers have had had their 'heads in the sand'. The Prime Minister has 150 soldiers ready to drive tankers but they will not be brought in yet with one Government source telling The Times: 'We believe that the crisis will recede in the next few days'. Danny Altmann, professor of immunology at Imperial College London, said Britain's petrol stations had becoming the 'Wild West' after he queued for fuel only for it to sell out before everyone got to the pumps. He said: 'Man behind me was furious and started punching the guard', adding it 'became a melee of 8-10 men on the ground, punching and kicking'. A driver pulled a knife on a motorist and was then run over in a Welling petrol station yesterday (pictured) Ascot high street is blocked with cars quitting to get petrol at one of the only fuel stations in the area. Customers are limited to 30 per car The high street in Ascot was blocked in rush hour this morning after one petrol station in the area got a delivery of fuel The queues at 3am in London for fuel as the crisis continues across the UK as Boris Johnson kept soldiers on standby to drive tankers Residents of Romford have said they have had non-stop queues for the past 5 days but Government sources have insisted the crisis will ease this week Queues in London this morning at 5.30am as fights break out at the pumps as petrol stations run dry Cars were queuing in all directions for fuel at this petrol station in Brent this morning Under an emergency government plan, key workers could be given 'priority access' to a number of petrol stations. The plan involves capping the amount of fuel drivers can buy and letting critical workers have 'priority access' to pumps, The Telegraph reports. Another option, the designated filling station scheme, could see 'emergency and critical service vehicles' having priority access. This was done by Tony Blair's government during the 2000 fuel crisis. Some areas have already seen bin collections cancelled, and teaching unions have warned that schools could need to go back to online learning if teachers cannot drive to work. After a dizzying 24 hours of dithering over the use of soldiers to plug the HGV driver gap, ministers agreed to put the Army on standby. It is hoped that panic-buying will ease this week to reduce pressure on fuel supplies. But if the crisis does not abate, ministers will trigger 'Operation Escalin'. About 150 military tanker drivers were put into a state of readiness under the operation, sources said. Some of them will receive further training in the next few days to be able to deliver fuel if required. The operation, originally conceived in case of a no-deal Brexit, could potentially see hundreds of troops brought in to help. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps last night announced that army tanker drivers were being put on standby. He tweeted: 'Today we're asking army tanker drivers to be ready to deploy. And extending licences for fuel transporters to keep on road. As joint statement by 10 fuel suppliers says, if everyone buys fuel as normal petrol stations will revert to normal service.' Chairman of the British Medical Association council, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, told The Times that 'everyone will have their own reasons for needing to fill up, but as pumps run dry there is a real risk that NHS staff won't be able to do their jobs and provide vital services and care to people who urgently need it'. National officer of the GMB union, Rachel Harrison, told The Mirror: 'During this completely avoidable crisis, petrol must be prioritised for those key workers who save lives and keep the country moving.' A tradie who threw a sickie by pretending to test positive to Covid has been punished for the hoax which threw several construction sites into total chaos. Jamie Pitman-Muir, 23, pleaded guilty to one charge of conveying false information suggesting a person or property was in danger at Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday. The Illawarra man texted his boss at 4.15am on August 2 claiming he'd tested positive for coronavirus and wouldn't be coming to work that day. His desire for a day off forced his bosses to shut down construction at a Newcastle building site with 25 of his workmates ordered into isolation. Jamie Pitman-Muir, 23, (pictured) texted his boss at 4.15am on August 2 falsely claiming he'd tested positive for coronavirus and wouldn't be coming to work NSW Police confirmed several of the worksites were subjected to entirely unnecessary deep cleaning. Nearby lunch venues were also forced to close over the Covid scare with employees urged to get tested and enter isolation. Later that day, Mr Pitman-Muir is said to have backtracked on the lie and texted his boss back to say he'd now tested negative. But NSW Health officials revealed they had no record of the man being tested at all and called in police. 'His co-workers were stood down and self-isolated while awaiting their test results, and several locations near his place of employment required deep cleaning,' NSW Police said at the time. After police announced they were investigating, the man handed himself in and was charged with conveying false information suggesting a person or property was in danger. The Illawarra man's bid for a day off caused his bosses to shut down construction at a Newcastle building site and forced 25 workmates into isolation (pictured, workers at a Sydney worksite) Mr Pitman-Muir (pictured) pleaded guilty to one charge of conveying false information suggesting a person or property was in danger in Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday 'There's a financial cost to it,' said Acting Superintendent Brad Ainsworth at the time. 'There's a personal cost to their employees. They got the grief that they were laid off for two or three days.' Mr Pitman-Muir could have faced up to five years in jail but was handed a lesser punishment of a Community Corrections Order in at Wollongong Local Court on Tuesday. He also received a criminal conviction and was ordered to pay a $1,500 fine. The tradesman must not commit any offence while subject to the 12 month order and will be required to face court if called to do so during the next year. Acting Superintendent Brad Ainsworth (pictured) said there were financial and personal costs involved in the Covid hoax Twenty people have been injured in a suspected bomb blast at an apartment block in Sweden. The explosion reverberated through downtown Gothenburg at 5am, sending terrified residents fleeing to the exits as others clambered onto the balconies of neighbouring flats to escape the smoke pouring through their front doors. Police initially expressed scepticism that the blast was the result of an accident, ruling out a gas leak, and the bomb squad remained on hand as firefighters spent hours extinguishing the resulting blaze. Detectives have since said that they believe that an explosive device could have been used at the building, although no bomb has yet been found. A police officer who recently testified in a major gang trial in Sweden's second city lives in the building, newspaper Goteborgs Posten reported. 'Obviously we will look into this,' the officer, whose name was not disclosed, told the paper. Three women, aged between 60 and 80, and a man, were among the most seriously wounded. Smoke pours out of apartment windows after an explosion struck the apartment block in the city of Gothenburg at around 5am Smoke billows out of windows after the explosion in the Annedal area of central Gothenburg Firefighters appear to be trying to gain access to a nearby building this morning Paramedics take an injured person away on a stretcher. As many as 25 have been hospitalised Smoke pours from the building as a fire engine cherry picker helps to extinguish the blaze Interior Minister Mikael told a joint press conference with Prime Minister Stefan Lofven: 'It's obvious that a crime cannot be excluded.' Lofven, whose government has been criticised in recent years for failing to rein in rising gang crime, told reporters he did not want to 'speculate' on the origin of the explosion. 'Everyone should know that society is always stronger than crime,' the PM told the press conference. The blast triggered a fire which took firefighters several hours to extinguish. 'The site has been closed off and rescue operations are underway,' western regional police spokesman Hans-Jorgen Ostler said. 'As soon as the site is secured, we will begin a technical investigation to determine the cause of the fire and explosion,' he added. Anja Almen, who lives in the building, said she heard a commotion from the street just after 5am, around 15 minutes after the explosion. 'I went out on the balcony and I was shocked. There was smoke everywhere, from every stairwell,' she said by phone from a nearby church to which she and other tenants were evacuated. 'Fire trucks with ladders were pulling people from apartments.' Rescue operation chief John Pile told AFP that while an investigation was needed 'an explosion in a housing area, or an explosion in general, is not usually from natural causes.' Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg's largest, took in 16 people with injuries related to the blast and subsequent fire, press officer Ingrid Fredriksson said. 'But it's not certain there won't be more, as this is an ongoing event,' she told AFP. Four of the people, three women and one man, were seriously injured, Fredriksson added. Theodor Oreus, 24, who recently moved in, described how the shockwave reverberated all the way up to his apartment on the fifth floor. 'The front door of the apartment was slammed shut by the wave of pressure and smoke billowed into the apartment,' he told newspaper Aftonbladet. Smoke billows from the rooftop of the block of flats in downtown Gothenburg on Tuesday morning Firefighters at the scene stand beside glass windows on the ground floor from which smoke billows 'Because the stairwell was full of smoke, we couldn't get out. Instead, we had to go onto the balcony and climb over to the flat next door.' 'When we came down to the courtyard, people were fainting on the ground. Some have been picked up by ambulance,' Mr Oreus added. Evacuees, some wearing only their dressing gowns, are being cared for across different sites, including the Saron Church nearby the the apartment block. Around 40 have gone to the church, several of them are in shock, according to local social services official Ulla-Carin Moberg. 'We have blankets, coffee, coffee, and clothes. Some have not even brought any clothes with them,' Ms Moberg told Aftonbladet. Many injured have been taken to Molndal Hospital, which is part of Sahlgrenska University Hospital. 'At the hospital we have also set up a room for crisis support where people who have lost their homes can talk and get practical help,' Ms Moberg added. Sweden has for years struggled to counter a rise in crime tied to gangs, with a spike in fatal shootings and bombings in an otherwise peaceful country. In 2020, police recorded 107 detonations in the country of 10.3 million inhabitants, with another 102 recorded incidents involving attempted blasts or preparations. A Russian military historian and acclaimed Napoleon expert has lost his appeal against a 12-year jail sentence for murdering and butchering his student lover. Professor Oleg Sokolov, 65, shot and beheaded Anastasia Yeschenko, 24, throwing her severed body parts in the Moika River in St Petersburg. Appealing for clemency, Sokolov told the court he repented and asked Yeschenko's parents for 'partial' forgiveness. He claimed the PhD student had angered him by 'insulting' his daughters from a previous relationship, causing him to 'lose his head'. But Yeschenko's parent's lawyers accused Sokolov of shifting the blame to the victim and called for his sentence to stay the same. A judge upheld the 12-year year term. Professor Oleg Sokolov, 65, (pictured in court during his appeal) has lost his appeal against a 12-year jail sentence for murdering and butchering his student lover Sokolov shot and beheaded Anastasia Yeschenko, 24, throwing her severed body parts in the Moika River in St Petersburg Sokolov told the appeals court the student had angered him by 'insulting' his daughters from a previous relationship, causing him to 'lose his head' and kill her Before being led away to a grim penal colony, the emotional Napoleon expert appeared to be in tears and told the court: 'I deeply and sincerely repent. 'I don't know how to prove it. Can't you see it? For me, this is the worst pain, what I have done. 'For me, the only excuse is that I lost my head. I appeal to Anastasia's parents so that they at least partially forgive me. 'I sincerely and endlessly repent. And the court, if it is fair, why not take this into account?' But the parents' lawyer Alexandra Baksheeva had told the court: 'We expect the sentence to stay the same, with his appeal not granted.' She accused Sokolov of 'shifting the blame to his victim and third parties'. Before being led away to a grim penal colony, an emotional Sokolov (pictured in the court of appeal in September) appeared to be in tears and told the court: 'I deeply and sincerely repent [killing Yeschenko]' Yeschenko's parent's lawyers accused Sokolov of shifting the blame to the victim and called for his sentence to stay the same. A judge upheld the 12-year year term His victim's severed head was found wrapped in an IKEA plastic bag in his plush apartment, while her dismembered torso and legs were all dredged from the river. The once distinguished Russian academic - who had lectured at the Sorbonne and held France's distinguished Legion of Honour - killed Yeschenko with whom he regularly took part in Napoleonic reconstructions in full historic regalia. After shooting dead the student and before butchering her body, he held a cognac party with friends as her corpse was stashed under a bed in the next room. An 'exhausted' Sokolov suspected her of cheating on him, and became violent when she told him she intended to go to a friend's birthday party, according to evidence in the trial. He was caught when he was found in the icy water of the Moika River trying to dispose of his lover's arms - chopped off at the shoulder - which were in his backpack. He was caught on CCTV (pictured) trying to dispose of his lover's arms - chopped off at the shoulder - which were in his backpack, in the Moika River Rothwell, gave himself up and admitted to drinking alcohol and snorting cocaine in but tested under the drink drive and drug limit A callous hit-and-run driver told an onlooker, 'b*****ks to her, we've got to go' as he was urged to help a young woman left badly injured after a high-speed 4.30am road smash. Businessman Luke Rothwell, 25, from Stockport escaped uninjured when he crashed a BMW packed with six people into a wall after drinking alcohol and snorting cocaine. He ignored pleas to tend to front-seat passenger Niamh Gara, 20, who suffered a fractured elbow and facial injuries. Rothwell fled the scene on foot as another seriously injured woman from the car was carried from the wreckage by a friend. Niamh and Molly Ferncombe, also 20 who had been out with Rothwell at a casino in Didsbury, Greater Manchester, were later taken to hospital by ambulance. Niamh's elbow was placed in a cast but Molly was left scarred for life after suffering a laceration to her forehead. She also sustained a spinal wedge fracture which hospitalised her for a month. The incident occurred on February 28, last year, after a night of partying in Manchester city centre and a visit to a casino in Didsbury. Rothwell gave himself up and admitted to drinking alcohol and snorting cocaine in but tested under the drink-drive and drug limit. At Minshull Street Crown Court, Manchester, Luke was jailed for 27 months for causing serious injury by dangerous driving. Miss Alexandra Sutton prosecuting said: 'By the early hours of the morning, he had five passengers in the car, three females and two males. Niamh was in the front passenger seat and Molly was one of those in the rear seat. Niamh (pictured) had her elbow placed in a cast but fellow passenger Molly was left scarred for life after suffering a laceration to her forehead Niamh Gara was in the front passenger seat of the car after a night of partying in Manchester city centre and a visit to a casino in Didsbury A passenger in a taxi saw a black BMW overtake it going onto the opposite side of the road and through the red traffic light at approximately 80mph and described it as 'absolutely tanking it'. A short time later they saw the BMW had crashed into a wall. Sutton continued: 'The passenger got out of the taxi and saw two males with Molly who had blood all over her face and looking to leave the scene. He heard one of them say 'we've got to go, get out of here'. When the taxi passenger pointed to Niamh who was on the floor injured the defendant replied 'b...locks to her, we've got to go, call her an ambulance'. Rothwell, gave himself up and admitted to drinking alcohol and snorting cocaine in but tested under the drink drive and drug limit. 'The defendant and the other male left the scene along with Molly who was carried by one of the males. Police later arrived at the scene to find Niamh sat at the side of the car, screaming in pain. Molly was found in a nearby side street. Rothwell surrendered on the day of the incident and was interviewed later. Rothwell has a previous conviction for careless driving from 2017 following an incident when he trying to avoid being stopped by police. Rothwell has a previous conviction for careless driving from 2017 following an incident when he trying to avoid being stopped by police Sentencing Rothwell, Judge Tina Landale told him: 'Having consumed cocaine earlier in the day and then alcohol, you drove your friends late at night. You were not over the limit for either alcohol or drugs, but you were driving a high-powered BMW that was unfamiliar to you. 'That car was overcrowded. There were five passengers, and you knew at least one was unrestrained with a seat belt. 'You drove at high speeds, increased your speed and drove extremely fast through a red light and went the wrong side of the carriageway. Ultimately, you crashed into a wall. 'Two women were seriously injured yet your only concern, despite the injuries of your friends, was for yourself.' Rothwell was also banned from driving for 40 months which will start when he is freed from jail. Loose Women star Denise Welch has said she is 'relieved' after a man pleaded guilty to a 'terrifying' stalking campaign that saw him set her house on fire. The television personality said her ordeal at the hands of Toraq Wyngard, 53, had been an 'incredibly stressful time'. Wyngard admitted stalking the Hollyoaks actress, causing serious alarm or distress, between September 18 last year and February 11, ahead of a trial at Chester Crown Court on Monday, a spokesman for Cheshire Police said. He also pleaded guilty to charges of possession of a knife, criminal damage, and arson, after setting fire to a skip in the driveway of the Cheshire home Welch shares with husband Lincoln Townley, 48, the force said. Welch, 63, said: 'Lincoln and I are very relieved that Toraq Wyngard, otherwise known as Todd, has pleaded guilty. 'This has been an incredibly terrifying and stressful time for me and our family. Loose Women star Denise Welch said it had been stressful time for her and husband Lincoln Toraq Wyngard, 53, admitted stalking and causing serious alarm or distress in court 'We are grateful to the fire service for their prompt action saving our house and to the police for their amazing vigilance and support. 'Special thanks go to the Harm Reduction Unit assigned to us who have guided us through this horrible time every step of the way.' Wyngard, of Cannon Street in Salford, Greater Manchester, was found near to the star's home on September 19 last year when police were called to the fire, which spread from the skip to the garage attached to the property, police said. When officers searched him, a knife was found in his backpack. Denise, 63, is known as an actress as well as her role on the panel on ITV's Loose Women Detective Sergeant Dave Thomason said: 'Wyngard's actions were causing Denise great distress and a trial would have further impacted on her, so I'm pleased that he has now pleaded guilty. 'I'd like to thank Denise for her bravery in coming forward and I hope this reassures other victims that we do listen and take action against those who carry out such distressing crimes in our communities. 'Our Specialist Victim Advocates in the Harm Reduction Unit have been supporting Denise and her husband throughout - providing practical support, safety planning and advocacy. 'The Specialist Victims' Advocates are currently providing direct support to a number of stalking victims across Cheshire in highly complex stalking cases, and I hope seeing this outcome will give others going through a similar ordeal the confidence to come forward and get the support and advice they need to end their nightmare. 'We will listen and we will help you get the right support in your case, just as we have done with Denise. Don't suffer in silence, call us on 101 or report it via our website.' Wyngard is due to be sentenced on October 26 after the case was adjourned for psychiatric reports. Welch, 63, who played Natalie Barnes in Coronation Street, is a regular panellist on Loose Women and has also appeared on Waterloo Road and as a contestant on Dancing On Ice. This is the adorable moment a rescue dog raised her paw and waved at shoppers visiting a supermarket in Brazil. Footage captured in Catanduva, Sao Paulo, shows the friendly dog named Agusta patiently sitting outside the store and greeting customers as they enter or exit. The dog eagerly waits for people to approach before raising her paw and waving it in their direction. Some shoppers stop to give the dog a gentle stroke on the head. Owner Jeferson Alexandre Rodrigues, 53, said he adopted Agusta in 2019 after reading about the animal on social media. The canine had been found by a rescue group bruised, unable to walk and trembling with fear before she was hospitalised for a week. The friendly dog named Agusta raises her paw and waves at shoppers outside a supermarket in Catanduva, Sao Paulo, Brazil The canine patiently waits for customers to enter or exit the store before offering them a wave Now, two years later, the friendly animal joins her owner at his motorcycle workshop where she is considered 'the workshop's chief employee'. Mr Rodrigues told G1 News: 'She was still afraid of people when she came to my workshop, but over time, she built confidence and became this thing we see in the video. She has been the workshop's chief employee since 2019.' The dog's owner, who named his dog after the motorcycle brand Agusta, said the pooch 'waves her paw to everyone who leaves the supermarket' and was a 'real character'. He continued: 'Agusta learned to give the paw. She welcomes everyone that way and ends up getting affection.' Meanwhile beautician Leticia Americo, 24, who filmed the scenes, said she found the canine 'very cute' and was 'in love' with the dog. Following the heartwarming scenes, viewers took to social media users to praise the dog. One wrote: 'I absolutely cannot handle this I'm nearly crying right now.' Another added: 'Aw bless how bloody rad (sic) are dogs.' The dog offers a wave in the direction of a shopper before she offers the dog a gently stroke Customers watch in awe as the little dog greets them outside the store in Brazil Social media users shared their praise for the canine, with some saying she 'needs to get paid' A third said: 'We don't deserve dogs.' Meanwhile another viewer joked: 'He needs to get paid!' According to experts, a dog's paw lift can be a signal of anticipation, curiosity or uncertainty about a situation. Canines may attempt to lift their paws and wave if they anticipate a treat may be given or that something good may follow the gesture. In some circumstances the gesture may also be accompanied by a tail wag and could be a sign that the dog wishes to attract the attention of others. The lifting of a front paw can also be a sign of stress, fear or uncertainty about a situation and can be used by dogs if they feel insecure or threatened. Men could be asked by police to stay off their local streets if a murderer is on the loose, the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales has suggested. Dame Vera Baird QC said there was a 'real vacuum of police action in the fight against violence against women' following the murder of Sabina Nessa, 28. Primary school teacher Miss Nessa was killed in a park in Kidbrooke, South East London, on September 17 and her body was found covered in leaves the next day. Dame Vera has been critical of the police response following the murder and spoke about it during a fringe event at the Labour Party conference in Brighton on Sunday. She said the Reclaim The Streets movement started in the 1970s at the time of the Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, when women rejected advice to stay indoors. Former Labour MP Dame Vera Baird QC is the Victims' Commissioner for England and Wales Primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, 36, was killed in a park in Kidbrooke, South East London, on September 17 and her body was found covered in leaves the next day According to The Times, Dame Vera said: 'If you remember that Reclaim the Streets started when the Yorkshire Ripper was at large in the late Seventies 'The point of that was because the police told women in the North to keep off the streets to be safe from him - when, of course, we thought they should have been telling men to keep off the streets so what he was doing might be a bit more visible. Dame Vera said the Reclaim The Streets movement started at the time of the Yorkshire Ripper, Peter Sutcliffe, in the 1970s 'It strikes me that very little has changed.' The killing of Miss Nessa has triggered an outpouring of anger and grief as MPs and campaigners have demanded that the streets be made safer for women. Pizza delivery driver Koci Selamaj will appear in court today accused of murdering her 200 yards from her home, after he was charged last night. Dame Vera attended a vigil to Miss Nessa in Wood Green on Friday night. Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme on Saturday, the former Labour MP said there needs to be more onus on police to protect the public than on women to take precautions. She said: 'Apparently the police have been giving out rape alarms to women and giving leaflets out saying how to stay safe in a public place. 'It is less, isn't it, about giving women leaflets on keeping themselves safe in dangerous places and more about the police making the streets safe for women?' The thirteen victims of Peter Sutcliffe. Top row (left to right) Wilma McCann, Emily Jackson, Irene Richardson, Patricia Atkinson, Jayne McDonald and Jean Jordan. Bottom row: Yvonne Pearson, Helen Rytka, Vera Millward, Josephine Whitaker, Barbara Leach and Jacqueline Hill Hundreds of mourners, including Miss Nessa's sister Jebina Yasmin Islam, attended an emotional candlelit vigil last Friday at Pegler Square in Kidbrooke, South East London Dame Vera has been critical of the police response following the murder and spoke about it during a fringe event at the Labour Party conference in Brighton on Sunday (pictured) When it was put to her that there needed to be societal change along with police intervention, Dame Vera replied: 'It certainly isn't just a job for the police but, look, the police do have a very key role here.' Sarah Everard, 33, was kidnapped and murdered by a police officer in March She added: 'Three-quarters of women over 16 have been harassed in a public place and don't feel safe. They need to know that the police understand that and will use all the powers they have got to keep the streets safe.' Hundreds of mourners, including Miss Nessa's sister Jebina Yasmin Islam, attended an emotional candlelit vigil last Friday at Pegler Square in Kidbrooke. A separate rally earlier in the evening at East London Mosque heard powerful testimony from other members of Miss Nessa's family. The murder has reignited concerns about women's safety after Sarah Everard, 33, was kidnapped and murdered by police officer Wayne Couzens in South London in March. It has also prompted more discussion about the fatal stabbing of sisters Nicole Smallman, 27, and Bibaa Henry, 46, in a park in Wembley, North West London, last June. A woman who allegedly bit off and ate two of her female flatmate's fingers and tried to disembowel her in front of her six-year-old daughter, has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder. Spanish police say the 45-year-old from Kenya allegedly attacked her 48-year-old victim from the Congo at a flat in the southern city of Seville because she believed she was 'possessed.' Officers found the suspected aggressor on top of the other woman after rushing to the apartment following calls from concerned neighbours. The alleged attacker's own six-year-old daughter is said to have been in the flat in an area of Seville called Poligono Norte when she went beserk. The alleged attacker's own six-year-old daughter is said to have been in the flat in an area of Seville called Poligono Norte (pictured) when she went beserk The alarm was raised around 6.15am on September 18, although details of the incident have only just been made public. Local reports said police think the fight began as a verbal argument because one of the women threw a bottle of water with salt in it over the other. Respected local daily Diario de Sevilla said things got physical amid accusations of witchcraft, with the alleged attacker believing the other woman was 'possessed' and launching into a violent assault. She is said to have smashed the older woman round the head with a large stone before throwing her on the floor and biting off two of her fingers. Police sources said the unnamed Kenyan was trying to disembowel her alleged victim when they entered the apartment, using the stone she had previously attacked her with by forcing it up her anus. The injured woman was rushed to hospital for an emergency op. The detainee was admitted to the psychiatric wing of another hospital but is expected to be sent to prison after being released. Her schoolgirl daughter has been taken into local council care. It was not immediately clear today whether the operation to save the injured woman's fingers was successful and how well she was recovering from her ordeal. It is not known either when the suspect will appear in front of a judge in a closed court hearing. There has not yet been any official comment from police in Seville. A Labour government would scrap Boris Johnson's 250million 'vanity yacht' project and use the cash to tackle the UK's 'epidemic' of anti-social behaviour. Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said the Government is 'wasting' the money on the successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia. He said that if he takes over from Priti Patel at the Home Office he will 'redirect' the money to the policing frontline. Mr Thomas-Symonds said there had been two million incidents of anti-social behaviour in the past year as he accused the Tories of having 'decimated neighbourhood policing'. The Labour frontbencher delivered his big speech to the party's annual conference in Brighton this afternoon. He echoed Tony Blair's New Labour pledge to be 'tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime' by accusing the Conservatives of being 'soft on crime and soft on causes of crime'. Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said the Government is 'wasting' 283million on the successor to the Royal Yacht Britannia Labour would scrap the new yacht and use the cash to fund a crackdown on anti-social behaviour Labour view crime as a key battleground ahead of the next general election and Mr Thomas-Symonds will today try to bolster the party's credentials. He has pledged to increase the police presence in communities through a national rollout of 'Police Hubs', each with a 'Neighbourhood Prevention Team'. The hubs would be located in 'visible and accessible places in communities' so that people can easily fine a police officer to talk to. Labour has also pledged to undertake a 'major recruitment drive' to boost the number of Special Constables after a fall over the last decade. However, the party has faced criticism over the final pledge because Special Constables are unpaid. It was suggested to Mr Thomas-Symonds this morning that Labour wants to make the police appear better resourced without actually providing a major funding increase. He told the BBC: 'Not at all. We will be taking a choice that the 283million that is being wasted by the Prime Minister on a vanity yacht will be redirected to spending it on anti-social behaviour. 'This is an absolutely crucial thing. There has been two million incidents of anti-social behaviour over the past year. 'People's lives are being blighted by it and this Conservative government has made the situation worse, it has not tackled the causes of crime, it has decimated preventative services, it has decimated neighbourhood policing.' Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said back in July this year that the new 'national flagship' could cost as much as 250million. He said his aim is to commission the new yacht, which the Government has said will be used for trade missions, 'for between 200 and 250million on a firm price'. Labour's figure of 283million consists of the yacht's price tag of at least 200million and the estimated 83million in running costs over the course of a parliament. Mr Thomas-Symonds used his speech today to say that people 'will see officers on the beat' if he becomes home secretary. Sir Keir Starmer and Mr Thomas-Symonds are echoing Tony Blair's New Labour pledge to be 'tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime' by accusing the Conservatives of being 'soft on crime and soft on causes of crime' He said: 'In every community where people are frightened and afraid there will be a new police hub, and new neighbourhood prevention teams which bring together police, community support officers, youth workers and local authority staff to tackle anti-social behaviour at source.' Blasting the Tories, he said: 'This Home Secretary likes to talk tough but she never delivers. She says she backs our frontline police officers, and staff but then insults them with a pay freeze. It's no surprise that she has lost the confidence of 130,000 rank and file officers represented by the Police Federation. 'The Conservatives are the party of crime and disorder. They are soft on crime and soft on the causes of crime.' Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden hit back and said: 'Labour have shown time and time again that they are weak on crime and weak on the causes of crime. 'They voted against tougher sentences for the most serious offenders, refused to back giving our frontline officers greater powers, and it was revealed this week that they would issue warnings to Class A drug users instead of prosecuting them.' Ex-MI6 chief Sir Alex Younger gifted his personal green ink pen to the set of No Time to Die during a top secret visit to the upcoming Bond film, it has been revealed. The 58-year-old made an appearance at the Pinewood Studios in Buckinghamshire before leaving the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS) - also known as the MI6 - in September last year. He is said to have highly anticipated seeing the office of his fictional counterpart 'M', who is being portrayed by actor Ralph Fiennes following Dame Judi Dench's departure after her character's death in 2012's Skyfall. Sir Alex is understood to have contributed his own pen containing green ink - which spy chiefs traditionally use to sign their letters - to add some authenticity to the movie, reports The Telegraph. After his act of generosity, the former spy is thought to have considered making a cameo appearance in the film but eventually declined the offer. Sir Alex led the MI6 from October 2014 to September 2020 and was the longest serving 'C' in 50 years. In that time he oversaw the response to the Salisbury poisoning of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia. His tour of the backdrops used in No Time to Die has come to light ahead of the film finally being released across the UK on Thursday. Bond star Daniel Craig has said he hopes it will provide a shot in the arm for cinemas following long closures due to the pandemic. The movie will have a world premiere at the Royal Albert Hall in London today with Sir Alex, the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in attendance. Sir Alex Younger (pictured), 58, is understood to have contributed his own pen containing green ink, which spy chiefs traditionally use to sign their letters, to the movie's set He is said to have highly anticipated seeing the office of his fictional counterpart 'M', who is being portrayed by actor Ralph Fiennes (pictured above) following Dame Judi Dench's departure after her character's death in 2012's Skyfall Sir Alex spoke with members of the cast including Daniel Craig and Fiennes during his visit. Everyone on set was requested to keep his presence a secret. It was recently disclosed that he had joined Goldman Sachs as a regional adviser, providing strategic advice to the banking giant using his expertise. He will assist the firm in geopolitics, international risk and cyber security. In August, a spokesman for the bank told MailOnline that those given the role 'provide strategic advice to Goldman Sachs'. They added: 'Drawing on their experience, they provide independent advice on matters pertaining to their respective country, industry or area of expertise.' Sir Alex, who was born in Westminster and read economics at St Andrews, was the longest serving 'C' - the initial used within Whitehall to denote the head of MI6 - for a generation. But it did not mean he was the longest serving in history due to Sir Dick White, who was head of MI6 for 12 years between 1956-1968 at the height of the Cold War. He took over from Sir John Sawers, and had been overseeing MI6's global spy network for the two years previous. The new James Bond film starring Daniel Craig, 53, and Fiennes (pictured above). The movie, which will be Craig's final outing as 007, was initially due for release in April 2020 A man dressed as Britain's most famous secret service agent, James Bond, hangs from a pod on the London Eye, ahead of today's world premiere Why do MI6 chiefs use green ink? Sir George Mansfield Smith-Cumming The tradition of using green ink to write and sign letters originated from the MI6's founder, Sir George Mansfield Smith-Cumming. His practice is continued by the current chief up to this very day. While 'C' signified his surname, the title has since been used to denote 'Chief' ever since. The MI6 says: 'Mansfield Cumming left a legacy that still exists in SIS today. 'He called intelligence reports 'CX reports' the name still employed by the Service. 'He established SIS as a truly worldwide service.' In 2009, then-chief Sir John Scarlett revealed he still used green ink to complete his paperwork. Advertisement It is unusual for someone in the 'C' role to stay on for more than five years, with Sir John Sawers, Sir John Scarlett and Sir Richard Dearlove all leaving within that period. But Sir Alex was asked to continue in his job - rather than retire as planned in November 2019 - because No 10 wanted to maintain stability amid Brexit turmoil. Ex-PM Theresa May said he would continue in his position on the recommendation of her National Security Advisor and the then Cabinet Secretary Sir Mark Sedwill. He has had overseas postings in Europe and the Middle East and was the senior MI6 officer in Afghanistan. Sir Alex has filled a range of operational roles in London, including leading the Service's work on counter terrorism in the three years running up to the Olympic Games. Outside of SIS, Sir Alex is said to enjoy music, sailing and mountaineering. Although he is appearing at tonight's No Time To Die premiere, the ex-MI6 chief has previously expressed his doubts over Bond as a character and the film's portrayal of Britain's foreign intelligence service. He said in 2016: 'I'm conflicted about Bond. He has created a powerful brand for MI6: as C, the real-life version of M, there are few people who will not come to lunch if I invite them. 'Many of our counterparts envy the sheer global recognition of our acronym.' But he added: 'The real-life 'Q' would want me to say that we too enjoy - and, indeed, need - a deep grasp of gadgetry. 'But that's pretty much where the similarity ends. 'And, were Bond to apply to join MI6 now, he would have to change his ways.' The tradition of using green ink to write and sign letters originated from the MI6's founder, Sir George Mansfield Smith-Cumming (pictured above) Meanwhile, cinemas will be hoping it is the allure of Bond that will draw back hesitant crowds who are yet to venture back inside to sit in front of a screen. The latest Bond movie, which will be Craig's final outing as 007, was initially due for release in April 2020. As concerns about the coronavirus pandemic grew, the release was pushed to November 2020 and has been moved several times since then, in continued blows for the cinema business. When it was announced the film was being pushed back to April 2021, Cineworld announced it would close 127 Cineworld and Picturehouse sites. No Time To Die, with Craig (pictured) as Bond for the last time, is set to be the biggest opening for the cinema giant Odeon since The Lion King in summer 2019 Cinemas will be hoping it is the allure of Bond that will draw back hesitant crowds who are yet to venture back inside to sit in front of a screen Multiplexes have started to see the return of crowds for franchise favourites such as Fast & Furious 9 and Marvel properties Black Widow and Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings, which posted the biggest three-day opening in the pandemic era in the UK with 5.8million. However, cinemas will be hoping it is the allure of Bond that will draw back hesitant crowds who are yet to venture back inside to sit in front of a screen. Craig said: 'There's a great deal of expectation surrounding this film. 'I believe in cinema, it's the job I do and having this film come out right now and try and hopefully to give the industry some sort of boost. 'Cinema is here to stay as far as I'm concerned and if we can help in some way, I'll be very happy.' A sexism row has erupted in Italy after former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte unveiled an 'offensive and humiliating' bronze statue of a scantily clad woman to honour a 19th century poem. The statue, of a peasant woman in a transparent dress that clings to her body, was revealed on Saturday in Sapri, southern Italy. It apparently honours La Spigolatrice di Sapri (The Gleaner of Sapri), a poem written by Luigi Mercantini in 1858 about an ill-fated invasion of the Kingdom of Naples. The poem is written from the point of view of a woman working in the fields in Sapri who catches sight of the approaching boat of Carlo Pisacane and his 300 men. She meets Pisacane and they fall in love. She then joins the troops, following them into the combat and narrating their helpless massacre. But the statue, by Emanuele Stifano, has been branded 'offensive and humiliating' in an outcry online - and a group of female politicians have called for it to be ripped down. Meanwhile others said they could not see the connection between Mercantini's poem and the statue, pointing out the piece should be a tribute to the 300 men who died in the botched invasion. A sexism row has erupted in Italy after former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte unveiled an 'offensive and humiliating' bronze statue of a scantily clad woman to honour a 19th century poem Former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte unveiled the statue in Sapri on Saturday The women, from the Democratic partys unit in Palermo, slammed the 'deeply sexist' representation of the female figure and said it had nothing to do with Mercantini's poem. 'Once again, we have to suffer the humiliation of seeing ourselves represented in the form of a sexualised body, devoid of soul and without any connection with the social and political issues of the story,' the group said in a statement. Meanwhile Laura Boldrini, a deputy for the centre-left Democratic party, blasted the statue as an 'offence to women the history it should celebrate'. 'But how can even the institutions accept the representation of a woman as a sexualised body?', she wrote on Twitter. Pictures from the unveiling showed a bemused Conte surrounded by a largely male entourage as he revealed the statue. Others said they could not see the connection between the statue and the poem. 'I like both [the poem and the statue], but can't see the connection', one user wrote. Another said: 'Only in Italy a statue of an agrarian laborer, in memory of a massacre of 300 ppl, could take this form. 2021 in #Sapri.' The statue apparently honours La Spigolatrice di Sapri (The Gleaner of Sapri), a poem written by Luigi Mercantini in 1858 about an ill-fated invasion of the Kingdom of Naples, though many people online said they could not see the connection Sculptor Stifano defended his piece saying in a statement on Facebook that he 'always tends to cover the human body as little as possible, regardless of gender'. He said he wished the statue could have been 'completely naked... because I am a lover of the human body' and that he was inspired by the sea wind to create a dress that appeared to be billowing in the breeze. He added the transparent design was approved by the local authority and that it was intended to 'represent an ideal of a woman, evoke her pride, the awakening of a consciousness.' And in an apparent jab at critics he said it was 'useless' to try to explain the statue to people who 'only want to see depravity'. He provided no further explanation for why the poem, known for the line 'they were three hundred, they were young and strong, and they are dead', inspired a statue of a scantily clad woman. A fourth person has been charged over his alleged role in the sexual and physical assault of a teenage girl over more than two years. Detectives arrested a 61-year-old man at about 4pm on Monday at a Muswellbrook home in the New South Wales Hunter Valley region. They allege the crimes occurred between April 2016 and December 2018. Two other men - aged 38 and 43 - and a 60-year-old woman have already been charged over their alleged roles and remain before the courts. A fourth person has been charged over his alleged role in the sexual and physical assault of a teenage girl over more than two years (stock image) The 61-year-old man was taken to Waratah Police Station following his arrest and was charged with 16 sexual and physical violence-related offences. They include indecent assault of a person under 16 years of age, cause a child older than 14 and below 18 to do an act of child prostitution and two counts of having sexual intercourse with a person older than 14 and younger than 16. Police will allege the man repeatedly sexually and physically assaulted the girl when she was between 13 and 16 years old. He was refused bail and was due to appear at Newcastle Local Court on Tuesday September 28. Investigations are continuing under Strike Force Baria, established by the State Crime Commands Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad to investigate the alleged crimes. Anyone with concerns about suspected child abuse or exploitation should call Crime Stoppers or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page. Political turncoat John Bercow shamelessly hailed his new Labour 'comrades' last night - but insisted he had not quit the Tories in search of a safe Commons seat. The former right wing Tory MP made his debut at the opposition party's conference in Brighton by offering advice on how to defeat the 'worst Government of his lifetime' at a fringe meeting. Mr Bercow attracted the ire of Brexiteers as he stretched the neutrality of the Speaker's role over the timing and manner of the UK's withdrawal from the EU. But at the event in Brighton he claimed he was not after a cushy return to the green benches - and what would surely be a hostile reception - telling a fringe event he had no plan to return to parliament. But he claimed he 'absolutely' planned to join a trade union - and suggested people should not get too upset by Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner calling his former Tory friends 'scum'. The former right wing Tory MP made his debut at the opposition party's conference in Brighton by offering advice on how to defeat the 'worst Government of his lifetime'. Mr Bercow attracted the ire of Brexiteers as he stretched the neutrality of the Speaker's role over the timing and manner of the UK's withdrawal from the EU. He insisted Labour has got to 'excite' people and come forward at the next general election with a 'limited number' of 'very clear' policies. He said: 'The Conservative Party always used to be said to be ''cruel but efficient''. 'Now, if they do not lose their reputation for being cruel, and there is no imminent likelihood of that loss, they have acquired a reputation for being inefficient, incompetent and incompetent on an industrial scale. 'The task of the political craftsmanship of the Labour Party is to expose those errors clinically, repeatedly, persistently.' Mr Bercow then noted that, as former prime minister Margaret Thatcher discovered, big majorities can lead to 'arrogance and dismissiveness and carelessness'. He went on: 'And I think that this Government, with its very large majority, will fall victim to that arrogance, that presumption.' On what the party should do next, he said: 'The Labour Party has got to excite people. It has got to excite people. It is not good enough to just have a good set of good policies. 'In fact, I would go as far as to say, that my feeling is that the Labour Party in the next election doesn't need to have a a vastly, detailed, lengthy manifesto with dozens and dozens of commitments.' The former Commons Speaker added: 'The Labour Party has got to thrust to the fore alongside Keir who is a formidable prosecutor, a formidable advocate, and other personalities part of the leadership team, which can reach out to people and persuade people that they are different from and preferable to this shower, which frankly represents the worst government of my lifetime.' On Sir Keir Starmer, Mr Bercow said he is a 'good guy' but that the Labour Party has got to develop a 'narrative' and clear policies'. When asked about Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner, who recently described senior Tories as 'scum', Mr Bercow said he would have not chosen that term but insisted people should not get on their 'moral high horses' about it. When asked about Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner, who recently described senior Tories as 'scum', Mr Bercow said he would have not chosen that term but insisted people should not get on their 'moral high horses' about it. He said: 'I wouldn't have used that term, but I think that people are passionate. 'I know Angela well and she's a passionate person and she believes in her values and she feels very, very angry about what is being done to this country by a Conservative Government. 'Do I think Angela Rayner, should be damned to perdition for that one comment? 'Absolutely not. I think Angela Rayner is a damn good person, she has got strong and good values. 'I wouldn't have used that expression but I don't think we should get on our moral high horses about it.' The former Conservative MP for Buckingham, who repeatedly addressed the audience as 'comrades', revealed he had no interest in a career in the Labour Party and did not intend to stand for Parliament again. However, he said he 'absolutely' wanted to join a trade union in the near future but had not done so yet. Corrupt recruitment firm boss David Handy, 54, was the only British member of the human trafficking gang to be charged Three kingpins of the largest human trafficking ring ever busted in the UK have been jailed for more than 15 years after forcing hundreds of Polish slaves to live and work in appalling conditions. Corrupt recruitment firm boss David Handy, 54, and accomplices Mateus Natkowski, 29, and Lukasz Wywrinsk, 38, were members of a gang who forced Poles into slave labour while paying them just 50p an hour. The trio made millions trafficking 400 workers into Britain with false promises of wealth and a better life before being made to live in squalor. They were forced to reside in dirty bedsits across the West Midlands while working for a pittance and were beaten or threatened if they refused to work or complained. One man was paid just 10 for working up to 13 hours a day for three weeks, while their exploiters kept the rest of their hard-earned wages. The gang were convicted following three trials in the UK's largest ever modern slavery prosecution and what is believed to be the biggest of its type in Europe. Handy made almost 1 million supplying slave labour to parcels firm XDP sent to him by their Polish gang masters. He worked with Lukasz Wywrinsk, 38, (left) and Mateus Natkowski, 29, (right) to force Poles into slave labour while paying them just 50p an hour The boss of recruitment firm ASAP 24/7 Ltd skimmed off some of his victims' earnings before paying wages directly into their exploiters' bank accounts. He also received back-handers from the traffickers for agreeing to find work placements for victims who were under their control. Handy, of Stoke-on-Trent, paid off his mortgage and other debts after raking in over half a million pounds and was also able to amass savings of around 400,000. He was jailed for seven years at Birmingham Crown Court on Friday after being found guilty of conspiracy to force people into forced labour, conspiracy to traffic people for the purpose of exploitation and money laundering. Natkowski and Wywrinsk, who lived on James Turner Street, made famous by the Channel 4 documentary Benefits Street, were described as 'trusted enforcers'. They made 2 million while using violence and threats to intimidate victims and keep them in line with both verbal and physical abuse. Wyrwinski, who was known as 'Diable' - Polish for Devil - admitted conspiracy to force people into forced labour, conspiracy to traffic people for the purpose of exploitation and money laundering. Natkowski was found guilty of the same charges following a trial and they were both jailed for more than four years on Friday. Shane Lloyd, 47, was also imprisoned alongside the trio after he began to launder money for Handy in a bid to prevent his illicit gains from being discovered. The workers were forced to reside in dirty bedsits across the West Midlands while working for a pittance and were beaten or threatened if they refused to work or complained Nearly 140,000 was paid into Lloyd's bank account, which he then cashed and passed back to Handy. Lloyd, of Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs., pleaded guilty to two counts of money laundering. He was handed a 20 month jail sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to do 200 hours of unpaid work. The Polish gang masters behind the operation were jailed for a total of 55 years in July 2019 following the biggest slavery and trafficking investigation ever in the UK. Detectives found victims had their documents seized, fed out-of-date food and forced to scavenge for dumped mattresses to sleep on. At some properties there were no working toilets, heating, furniture or hot water and some victims told how they were forced to wash in canals. Handy - the only British member of the conspiracy to be charged - was introduced to the gang masters in 2015 and later supplied workers to XDP in Sutton Coldfield. One of the the gang's victims, Pawel, says he hopes to help authorities catch more traffickers in the future. Pawel said: 'All I remember is the journey across the English Channel, after that I don't remember anything... 'I don't ever want to go back to those living conditions, they were an insult to human dignity. 'I wouldn't want anyone to ever experience what I did. 'What I went through in the past five years is past me, I don't want to dwell on it. I just want to surround myself with love and good.' Detective Chief Inspector Nick Dale, of West Midlands Police, said: 'Handy was an integral part of the crime gang, finding work for the victims and maximising their exploitation. The gang were convicted following three trials in the UK's largest ever modern slavery prosecution. Pictured is one of the filthy bedsits 'He made far more money than any legitimate employment agent would have been able to - and there was evidence the gang also gave him 20 for each victim he employed. 'Handy made a significant amount of money while the victims - aged from 17 to a man in his 60s - effectively worked for just 50 pence an hour. 'He also went to considerable effort to protect himself, creating worthless contracts and filming himself informing workers of their rights, when in reality he was instrumental in taking away those rights.' An investigation was launched in 2015 when two victims bravely broke free from their captors and disclosed offences to slavery charity Hope for Justice. Paul McAnulty, UK & Europe Programme Director at Hope for Justice, said: 'Human traffickers profit from the misery and desperation of others, exploiting vulnerabilities in good people. 'This exploitation is often perpetuated by a network of others who choose to look the other way, fail to live up to their responsibilities or, worse, are actively complicit in these crimes. 'Employers, retailers, labour providers, landlords, banks, consumers, all of us owe a duty of care - we must collectively look to shine a light on the abhorrent and reprehensible crime of modern slavery. 'Hope for Justice is proud of our role in working alongside West Midlands Police and partners to bring an end to this particular gang's activities, and in assisting the survivors to freedom and supporting them towards their preferred futures.' Neil Fielding, specialist prosecutor from CPS West Midlands, said: 'The extent to which this gang callously exploited and deprived their victims of basic human rights is truly appalling. 'The scale of the suffering they inflicted on huge numbers of mainly vulnerable people is difficult to comprehend. 'I would like to take the opportunity to thank the many witnesses who gave evidence in this series of trials for their bravery in coming forwards and for continuing to support the case. 'I would also like to thank the Polish authorities for their assistance in this case.' An aggressive male magpie has been killed after a slew of swooping attacks in Sydney's lower north shore left several injured residents covered in blood. Lane Cove Council was earlier this month granted approval for a 'licence to harm' a male and female magpie terrorising residents on leafy Johnston Crescent, in Lane Cove North. On Tuesday, the council announced it had actioned the permit issued by NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service to cull the male magpie to prevent further attacks. 'On the morning of the cull, the bird was seen to be aggressive on a number of occasions, confirming the behaviour reported by residents in recent years,' the council said in a statement. A male magpie has been killed for persistently terrorising residents in Sydney's lower north shore (stock) 'Whilst a nest has been seen nearby, this bird has not been observed attending this nest.' Last year, a raft of 'extra protection' measures - including signage with QR codes to the Magpie Alert website to report incidents and umbrellas - were rolled out in response to 'heightened attacks'. Despite the tactics, residents injuries continued into the 2021 swooping season, prompting authorities to apply for a cull permit. News of the application sparked public outcry, with more than 15,000 people signing a petition calling for the continued use of preventative measures, such as avoiding nesting areas. The council said it received a range of suggestions about how to relocate the magpie, which has always been its preference, but NPWS do not allow the relocation of native birds as there is a low chance of survival if they are moved. 'It is our understanding that NPWS have received several requests to review their policy with examples given of alternate options in other states,' the council said. Several residents have been left covered in blood after being pecked by the aggressive birds ( one pictured) 'Rest assured this solution has not set a precedent in Lane Cove and was only sought as a last resort following an increasing number of injuries to residents where the birds aggression has drawn blood. 'Council appreciates the wide-ranging empathy and passion to protect our native wildlife and welcomes any updates the NPWS has to its policy and processes.' Poll SHOULD MAGPIES BE CULLED? NO YES SHOULD MAGPIES BE CULLED? NO 113 votes YES 137 votes Now share your opinion In August, at least eight residents reported being left with cuts or bruises on Magpie Alert after run-ins with rogue birds. 'Magpie came and swooped me. I didnt see it coming from behind and it scratched my head. I now have three bleeding scratches. I felt like a shoe hit my head and the pain lasted three days,' one person wrote. Another said they endured terrifying encounters almost every day and came close to being pecked in the eye. 'I was swooped from behind and was hit on the side of the head,' they said. 'If I had turned slightly it would have been my eye.' Lane Cove Council (pictured) said its preference had always been to move the bird, but relocation is not permitted under NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) rules Someone else said they were placed on antibiotics and given a three-day doctor certificate after copping a blow to their head. 'A strong hit to the right side of my head and continued to swoop,' they wrote. 'Feeling very shaken and bleeding heavily from the wound. GP took it very seriously and explained it was a hematoma which is a good thing as it means no skull fracture which is not uncommon.' A fourth added: 'Magpie swooped and pierced the back of my head whilst I walking up the street. I had blood, now bruise, headache and a very sore head. Very scared to walk this way again without protection. The council said there were a number of similar attacks which did not result in injury. A white woman who was fired from her job after telling a black couple to 'stay in [their] hood' has apologized but denied her comments had 'racial undertones'. Emma Sarley was filmed by author Frederick Joseph after an altercation at a Brooklyn dog park on Sunday. In a statement to the press, Sarley said she 'had not intended racial undertones in my comments whatsoever' when she confronted Joseph and his fiance at McCarren Park in Williamsburg. Her comments came after Joseph was criticised for using his platform unethically in an attempt to identify Sarley and secure punishment. Nikole Hannah-Jones, one of the most influential anti-racism voices in the U.S., wrote on Twitter: 'This... doesn't feel right.' 'This didn't sit right with me and does not seem like an ethical use of one's platform,' the New York Times Magazine journalist said. Johnson later defended his actions, saying it was 'unfortunate' that Sarley lost her job but that the incident brought up 'an important conversation about accountability'. A white woman who was fired from her job after telling a black couple to 'stay in [their] hood' has apologized but denied her comments had 'racial undertones'. Emma Sarley was filmed by author Frederick Joseph after an altercation at a Brooklyn dog park on Sunday In the footage Joseph can be heard saying: 'You just left the dog park to tell us to stay in our hood?'. Sarley then appears to clutch her chest and says: 'Oh my God, did you just say that to me? S**t' In her statement, Sarley said she 'absolutely' accepted responsibility for 'how I could have handled things differently' but wanted to share her version of events. Sarley claimed she had seen a dog at her local park getting into 'several aggressive altercations with other dogs'. 'As the owners of this dog were leaving, I suggested that they keep a handle on their dog while visiting this particular park. 'My reference to "back to your hood" only referred to another dog park outside of this neighborhood park,' Sarley claimed. Emma Sarley's statement in full 'I am still processing everything that has happened over the last couple days, and thought it was important to share what I saw and experienced. I absolutely accept responsibility for how I could have handled things differently in that moment. 'On Saturday evening, I watched a dog get into several aggressive altercations with other dogs at my local park, and as the owners of this dog were leaving, I suggested that they keep a handle on their dog while visiting this particular park. My reference to "back to your hood" only referred to another dog park outside of this neighborhood park. 'I was frustrated and upset, but to be clear I had no intended racial undertones in my comments whatsoever. I said it because it's an unstated rule at our local park that when a dog is being aggressive, owners immediately remove them so it can be a calm, welcoming environment for everyone else. 'However, I fully understand how my words could've been interpreted and I deeply wish I had chosen them more carefully. A brief and thoughtless moment in my life has now led to nationwide outrage and hurt. For that, I am sorry. 'I want to clarify that I never threatened to call the police. I never went on a tirade. As the dog owners followed me down the street with the phone camera on, I was filled with some panic because I've never been in an altercation like this and reacted in an inappropriate way. That's what you witnessed on that tape. 'I've lived in New York City for a decade, my Brooklyn neighborhood and dog park is extremely diverse, something I truly love about this city, and I never meant for my words to contribute to pain for anyone. I truly hope we can find understanding and a peaceful resolution to this, for everyone involved.' Advertisement 'I had no intended racial undertones in my comments whatsoever,' Sarley said in her statement, adding that it was a 'unstated rule' at that particular park that owners should take their dogs away if they're acting aggressively. 'I fully understand how my words could've been interpreted and I deeply wish I had chosen them more carefully. A brief and thoughtless moment in my life has now led to nationwide outrage and hurt. For that, I am sorry.' Sarley went on to say that she 'reacted in an inappropriate way' when Johnson followed her filming on his phone. 'As the dog owners followed me down the street with the phone camera on, I was filled with some panic because I've never been in an altercation like this and reacted in an inappropriate way. That's what you witnessed on that tape.' In the tape, Sarley can be seen giving the middle finger to the camera and apparently trying to knock it out of Johnson's hand. Further insisting her comments were not intended to be racist, Sarley said: 'I've lived in New York City for a decade, my Brooklyn neighborhood and dog park is extremely diverse, something I truly love about this city, and I never meant for my words to contribute to pain for anyone. I truly hope we can find understanding and a peaceful resolution to this, for everyone involved.' On Monday, it emerged that Sarley had been fired from her job at a software company following the furore over the incident. She did not comment on this in her statement. The incident in the dog park came to light after Johnson posted footage of its aftermath to Twitter. The post sparked an online campaign to identify the woman and calls for her to lose her job. But Johnson also met with criticism. On Monday night, Johnson defended his actions, after he was accused of going too far. 'While it's unfortunate that she had to lose her job, I do think that this brings up an important conversation about accountability, especially in a country where black and brown people, marginalized people as a whole, have seen so little of it,' he said. 'I hope Emma learns from this. I hope other people learn from this who engage in abusive, racist and destructive behavior. Because ultimately, whether Emma lost her job or not, doesn't take away the trauma that my fiance and I have. 'It doesn't take away the feeling of feeling like anything racist can happen anywhere.' He said on Monday that he had been receiving death threats. 'If she respected us or Black people as a whole, not only would she not have done as she did - she would have attempted to apologize,' he wrote on Twitter prior to the release of Sarley's statement. 'People should consider within themselves why there is such normalization of racist behavior.' The incident in the dog park came to light after Johnson posted footage of its aftermath to Twitter In his original post featuring the video, Joseph tweeted: 'At the dog park in Brooklyn with my fiance and this white woman was threatening to call police and told us to "stay in our hood" because she had our dog confused with another dog who had been barking loudly. 'So, I started recording and she tried to slap the phone out my hand.' In the footage Joseph can be heard saying: "You just left the dog park to tell us to stay in our hood?" Video shows Sarley giving the camera the middle finger before pushing the phone away. She then appears to clutch her chest and says: "Oh my God, did you just say that to me? S**t." Joseph then asks a bystander: "I'm sorry, you were right here watching this entire thing. Did she not just stand here and tell us to stay in our hood?". The bystander responds: "she did". Sarley then turns and leaves the dog park. Software company Bevy has confirmed someone was fired over the incident, but did not name Sarley. Derek Andersen, the cofounder and CEO of Bevy, wrote on Twitter: '@BevyHQ has zero tolerance for discriminatory behavior of any kind. 'Yesterday an employee engaged in behavior contrary to our values and has been terminated. We apologize deeply to all involved, 'I personally hope some type of resolution can happen between the two parties beyond this and will help if I can.' A post on the company's Facebook page announced the hiring of Sarley as an Account Executive on August 24. A LinkedIn page, which has since been deactivated, also identified Sarley as an Enterprise Account Executive at Bevy. Bevy did not immediately response to DailyMail.com's request for comment. The NYPD have said they are looking into the incident but have not confirmed whether a report was filed. Advertisement Surrey Council is considering declaring a 'major incident' to give critical public workers exclusive access to certain petrol stations under a government plan to control the fuel crisis. Under the Designated Filling Station Scheme, only marked emergency service or NHS vehicles would be allowed to use the designated filling sites. Any vital public staff without a marked car could get a sticker through what officials call the Temporary Logo Scheme. Other measures in Cabinet Office emergency planning documents have already been enacted, including suspending competition law so fuel distributors can share data to prioritise sites most at need, and allowing drivers to work longer hours. Officials have also begun training soldiers to drive tankers. Surrey County Council is considering prioritising emergency workers independently of central government by declaring a 'major incident'. This is defined as an event that is 'beyond the scope of business-as-usual operations, and is likely to involve serious harm, damage, disruption or risk to human life or welfare, essential services, the environment or national security'. Declaring a major incident leads to the creation of a local Strategic Coordinating Group - which temporary brings police, fire and NHS services under a single command structure to allow emergency services to coordinate and make quicker decisions. Drivers pack into Wisley South Services in Surrey this morning beside a near deserted A3. The government are still considering bringing in the army to help with the HGV driver shortage problem Surrey County Council is considering prioritising emergency workers independently of central government by declaring a 'major incident' Last night, Surrey County Council's Conservative leader Tim Oliver said the option of announcing a major incident was being considered by the local resilience forum, which includes the local NHS and police. Today, he announced officials had not yet decided to take the emergency measure. 'Surrey has not declared a major incident but like the rest of the country is facing significant disruption to fuel supplies,' he said. 'In keeping with its business continuity arrangements, the Surrey Local Resilience Forum on Monday to discuss the ongoing fuel supply challenges across the County. This is a significant incident that requires coordination with all our partners. 'We continue to monitor the situation closely and will work together to ensure vital public services can continue to be delivered. 'We would ask that residents please remain calm and resist any urge to stockpile fuel. When purchasing fuel, please consider not filling your tank but instead limiting how much you purchase, and of course wherever possible leave your car at home at walk, cycle or use public transport.' Teaching unions are demanding their members are also prioritised for fuel under any emergency plan. Cars queue for a Tesco petrol station to reopen in Camberley, Surrey, after it was refueled over the weekend Transport Secretary Grant Shapps last night announced that army tanker drivers were being put on standby Dr Patrick Roach, general secretary of NASUWT, said fuel shortages are expected to cause 'serious difficulties' for education provision. He said: 'Following many months of disruption, it is now of the utmost priority that the Government takes steps to ensure that schools and colleges remain open and that teachers and education support staff are able to get to work. 'For many teachers, the use of public transport is simply not an option, with many schools in areas that are not easily accessible other than by using private vehicles. 'The Government must urgently consider making teachers a priority group for access to locally available petrol and diesel fuel supplies. 'Without such intervention, many teachers will struggle to get to their places of work on time, adding to the daily uncertainty and disruption faced by children and young people.' After a dizzying 24 hours of dithering over the use of soldiers to plug the HGV driver gap, ministers have agreed to put the Army on standby. It is hoped that panic-buying will ease this week to reduce pressure on fuel supplies. But if the crisis does not abate, ministers will trigger 'Operation Escalin'. About 150 military tanker drivers were put into a state of readiness under the operation, sources said. Some of them will receive further training in the next few days to be able to deliver fuel if required. The operation, originally conceived in case of a no-deal Brexit, could potentially see hundreds of troops brought in to help. Closed pumps at a Shell Petrol Station in Farnham, Surrey, after the site ran out of fuel on the weekend following panic buying Transport Secretary Grant Shapps last night announced that army tanker drivers were being put on standby. He tweeted: 'Today we're asking army tanker drivers to be ready to deploy. And extending licences for fuel transporters to keep on road. As joint statement by 10 fuel suppliers says, if everyone buys fuel as normal petrol stations will revert to normal service.' The requirement for HGV drivers to take refresher courses to keep their licences has also been temporarily suspended. Tobias Ellwood, chair of Parliament's Defence Committee, has said the army should be mobilised, not just put on standby, to 'regain public confidence' and stop the fuel crisis. The Conservative MP told Sky News: 'The country wants to see the Government is in command and it has a clear cross-Whitehall plan. 'We have gone from 1% fuel pump shortages to 90% so altering people's buying behaviour to prevent the panic buying and going back to previous purchasing patterns requires regaining the confidence of the nation. 'I believe the army should not just be put on standby but in fact mobilised, be seen to be used. That will help ease the pressure on shortages of course, it will return public confidence, and then on top of that there is the bigger issue about articulating a clear strategy to alleviate the chronic shortage of lorry drivers.' Moves to mobilise the army comes after a widespread shortage of truck drivers, which has led to serious supply problems for retailers and restaurants in the past few months, has meant plentiful stocks of fuel have not reached filling stations (pictured: Army tanker in 2000 amid a previous crisis) Such is the panic at the pumps, hundreds more people than usual have been filling up on the wrong fuel. Around 250 flustered drivers have had to be rescued by the AA's specialist 'fuel assist' team on Saturday and Sunday - compared to around 20 in normal circumstances. One tanker driver told LBC that even they are struggling to get fuel. Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay chaired cross-government talks on Monday afternoon to discuss the situation as industry leaders continued to insist there is 'plenty' of fuel at UK refineries and terminals. Leading suppliers, including BP, Esso and Shell, said demand for petrol should return to normal levels in 'the coming days'. 'As an industry we are working closely with the Government to help ensure fuel is available to be delivered to stations across the country,' they said in a joint statement last night. A senior British Airways stewardess has won almost 40,000 after the airline refused to let her work part time after she had a baby, claiming it would hurt staff morale. Bosses denied Chloe Daly's application to reduce her hours by 25 per cent and to work on set days following the birth of her first child. BA argued that agreeing to the move could mean extra work for her colleagues. But an employment tribunal found the airline guilty of sex discrimination and awarded Mrs Daly 38,741,55 after concluding BA was 'resistant' to flexible working to accommodate childcare responsibilities. British Airways refused to allow flight manager Chloe Daly, of Thundersley, Essex, to work part-time after her maternity leave Five BA colleagues also worked at London City Airport in the same role but none had children Mrs Daly told the hearing that BA 'was overall very resistant to granting flexibility'. She said that most cabin crew who took maternity leave either left immediately upon their return to work or soon afterwards. The tribunal heard Mrs Daly had worked for the airline for almost 10 years and was based at London City Airport as an in-flight business manager for BA Cityflyer. The hearing was told there were five IBMs based there including her - three women and two men - and none had children. On average, she was required to fly as cabin crew two days a week, although she sometimes flew more if they were short of crew, or less if IBMs were needed in the office. Mrs Daly, from Thundersley, Essex, had refused flexible work requests as a manager Mrs Daly, from Thundersley, Essex, became pregnant in late 2016, and was due to go on maternity leave in August 2017. After a certain point, she was grounded in accordance with the airline's policy and later permitted to work from home part of the time. The tribunal in east London heard no evidence that these changes to her normal duties had a negative impact on her performance. BA did not employ extra staff cover until Mrs Daly started her maternity leave. In July 2017, Mrs Daly's daughter was born six weeks early, and she went on maternity leave immediately. The baby had serious health problems and this was a stressful time for her and her husband. The tribunal heard she was due to return from maternity leave in August 2018 and had tried to find childcare but 'affordable, alternative childcare arrangements would not have been available, if Mrs Daly worked the flexible shift pattern required by BA, full-time'. Mrs Daly told the hearing that in her managerial role, she had herself turned down flexible working requests from other staff. However, she still applied for flexible working in June 2017 - asking for a 25 per cent reduction of hours with set days off during the week - so she could arrange childcare for days she was working in advance. The tribunal heard she also proposed a six-month trial period 'to see if it works for both the company and myself'. Her bosses rejected the request in August 2017, stating 'There may be a negative impact on morale within the team if they had to manage situations that may arise in your absence in addition to their current workload'. In May 2018 - several months before she was due to return to work - Mrs Daly found out she was pregnant with her second child. She resigned the same month. In her resignation letter she wrote: 'Due to my flexible working request and appeal application being denied by the company, it would make it extremely hard for me to return to my current role full-time... 'With no flexibility offered from the company to assist me on my return from maternity leave, it is with great sadness that after giving BACF flexibility, hard work and dedication for ten years that I feel I have been given no option but to resign from my loved role as IBM at London City.' Finding the airline guilty of indirect sex discrimination, the tribunal said it had no evidence granting Mrs Daly's request would affect staff morale. BA was also unable to provide any evidence that any other staff returning from maternity leave had ever been allowed to work part time. The judge found the refusal of flexible working amounted to indirect sex discrimination and the full time requirements 'put Mrs Daly at a particular disadvantage' Employment Judge David Massarella said: 'BA was open to flexible working requests when they arose out of medical circumstances, but resistant when they arose by reason of childcare responsibilities. 'The tribunal was not satisfied that BA has shown that Mrs Daly's request would have a detrimental impact on morale.' The judge found the refusal of flexible working amounted to indirect sex discrimination because 'part-time working, and a more predictable working pattern, are often of particular benefit to women'. They added the full time requirements 'put Mrs Daly at a particular disadvantage'. 'She would not be able to care for her daughter in the way that she considered appropriate, and would not be able to put in place affordable childcare arrangements around the full-time shift pattern required of her by [BA], including the refusal to agree to set days off each week, which made it more difficult for her to book childcare in advance.' The panel noted, however, that BA's decision would not have come as a 'great surprise' to Ms Daly. 'We accept that she was very upset and disappointed when her flexible request was refused, although we observe that, given that her own evidence was that she knew that the general approach of (BA) was to refuse such requests and she had herself done so (in a managerial capacity) in the past,' it said. Following the hearing, BA CityFlyer stated: 'We respect the tribunals judgment and are sorry that on this occasion we didnt make the right decisions at every point. 'However, at BA CityFlyer we aim to ensure that all colleagues are treated fairly, and offer a range of flexible working arrangements.' Rishi Sunak is on a collision course with education bosses after reports he will announce a 1billion funding boost for coronavirus catch-up programmes - far below the 5.8billion which has been asked for. The Chancellor will set out the results of his spending review on October 27 and sources said the Department for Education will be one of the hardest hit in Whitehall. The Times reported that the department is likely to only receive a 'minimal' cash injection as Mr Sunak looks to rein in public spending after the pandemic. Rishi Sunak is on a collision course with education bosses after reports he will announce a 1billion funding boost for coronavirus catch-up programmes - far below the 5.8billion which has been asked for The Chancellor will set out the results of his spending review on November 27 and sources said the Department for Education will be one of the hardest hit in Whitehall Mr Sunak is expected to tighten the Government's belt in a number of policy areas after more money was made available for the NHS and social care. The spending review will set the Government's spending plans for the next three years. Ministers have already pledged a total of 3.1billion for coronavirus catch-up programmes to help pupils recover from the pandemic. Sources told The Times that the Department for Education is likely to receive an extra 1billion to 2billion at the spending review. However, education chiefs have said they need an extra 5.8billion to fund a proper Covid recovery plan. The Government's education tsar, Sir Kevan Collins, quit the role earlier this year after ministers rejected his recommendation for a 15billion education recovery package. Sources said the Department for Education is likely facing one of the toughest settlements of any Whitehall department. Two government sources told the newspaper that the Department for Education did not submit a formal bid for extra cash which prompted 'incredulity' in the Treasury. A department source insisted a bid was submitted. Nadhim Zahawi replaced Gavin Williamson as Education Secretary at the Cabinet reshuffle earlier this month The deadline for submissions was two weeks ago, two days before the Cabinet reshuffle which saw Nadhim Zahawi replace Gavin Williamson as Education Secretary. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, urged the Government to listen to the call for an additional 5.8billion in catch up funding. He said: 'Choosing not to invest in the future of young people at this critical point will only lead to greater problems in the future.' The 'shameful' comments of Queensland's top doctor have come back to haunt her with anti-vaxxers using her remarks to make disinformation posters. Chief health officer Jeannette Young has been quick to slam the flyers pinned up across Melbourne calling them 'nonsense'. However the black-and-white image accurately quote her remarks in June where she discouraged young people from getting vaccinated with the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine. The 'shameful' comments of Chief health officer Jeannette Young have come back to haunt her with anti-vaxxers using her remarks to make disinformation posters (pictured) 'I don't want an 18-year-old in Queensland dying from a clotting illness who, if they got COVID, probably wouldn't die,' the poster says with a picture of Dr Young. She made the comments after the federal government announced anyone over 18 could immediately request the British jab. Australian health authorities had previously restricted its use for those aged under 50 after it was linked to extremely rare blood clots. Dr Young at the time went on to say: 'We've had very few deaths due to COVID-19 in Australia in people under the age of 50. 'Wouldn't it be terrible that our first 18-year-old in Queensland who dies related to this pandemic died because of the vaccine?' But with fatal blood clots occurring at a rate of about one in 1 million in Australia and largely affecting those with underlying health conditions, her comments provoked outrage in the medical community. Many said her 'fear-mongering' position on AstraZeneca risked derailing the nation's already lagging vaccine progress. Dr Jeannette Young (pictured getting vaccinated) called the anti-vaxxer posters 'nonsense' Federal Finance Minister Simon Birmingham in the aftermath slammed Dr Young and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk labelling their stance 'shameful' and 'deeply unhelpful' as the government tries to combat hesitancy. 'The politicisation of the vaccine rollout that has been attempted by some, particularly by some state politicians in Queensland, is shameful,' he told Sunrise. 'It is the case that Australians who are young who contract Covid can go to intensive care units and do have a risk of dying from Covid. 'That risk is higher than the risk of the clotting complications from the AstraZeneca vaccine.' But Queensland's Department of Health on Tuesday fired back at the anti-vaxxer movement, calling the posters a misrepresentation of her statements. Federal Finance Minister Simon Birmingham in the aftermath slammed Dr Young and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (pictured together) labelling their stance 'shameful' and 'deeply unhelpful' as the government tries to combat hesitancy Government experts did modelling (above) to show the risk of getting a blood clot from the Astrazeneca vaccine for each age group, compared with the benefits of getting the jab 'The comment has been taken completely out of context,' a Queensland Health spokesman said. 'We urge the community to disregard this anti-vaccination nonsense the Queensland chief health officer strongly advocates for vaccination every day. 'To try to use a strong vaccination advocate in an anti-vaccination rally is absurd and contradictory in itself.' The health from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation on the AstraZeneca vaccine has varied several times during the pandemic sowing hesitancy and confusion amongst the population. When the jab was linked to an extremely rare, but in some cases fatal blood clotting condition called TTS in April, ATAGI recommended it only be administered to those aged over 50 as young people are more susceptible. Queensland Health spokesman said the Melbourne posters take Dr Young's statements 'completely out of context' The health from the Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation on the AstraZeneca vaccine has varied several times during the pandemic sowing hesitancy and confusion amongst the population What are the chances of dying from a blood clot after AstraZeneca? One in 1.9million people have died from a blood clot after AstraZeneca. By comparison, Aussies have a one in 33 chance of dying if they catch Covid-19, a one in 12,000 chance of being struck by lightning and a one in 55 chance of winning the Oz Lotto. Advertisement That advice was then changed to those above 60 before an expert panel later insisted anyone aged over 18 living in a Covid hotspot should 'strongly consider' getting the jab if they do not have access to the Pfizer vaccine. AstraZenica has been linked to eight TTS deaths in Australia and one ITP fatality - another extremely rare blood disease. This represents a less than a one in 1 million chance of death after getting the jab. In contrast, the risk of dying if you catch Covid-19 is 42,000 in 1 million. Melbourne, which has endured the world's longest accumulative lockdown, has been a hotbed of anti-vaccination sentiment during the pandemic with wild protests breaking out in the city last week. A heroic policeman scaled down a high-rise building to rescue a four-year-old girl from a balcony ledge before bringing her safety. Nail-biting footage captured in Yuhang, Hangzhou, shows brave officer Tang Wenjie rush to the aid of the young girl as she clings onto the balcony railing on the 11th-floor. The policeman uses a makeshift harness to lower himself onto the ledge from an apartment above before hoisting the girl back over the balcony. Police officer Tang Wenjie lowers himself from an apartment to rescue a four-year-old girl from a balcony ledge in Yuhang, Hangzhou, China The officer manages to move down the high-rise building and climbs onto the balcony on the 11th floor The child's mother had left the flat for around 15 minutes to drop her other child to school when she was called by a neigbour who informed her the four-year-old had clambered over the balcony, according to local reports. When the mother returned she realised that the flat was locked from the inside and could not be opened with her key. Emergency teams feared it would take too long to break down the door to the flat and so they went to the apartment above and got permission for officer Tang Wenjie to scale down to the girl. During the clip, which was filmed on September 23, the police officer climbs down from an apartment above to reach the young girl who is perched on the ledge. As he lowers himself down, other police officers and residents on the ground start to lay down bed sheets in case of a fall. He then grabs hold of the young girl who is stood on the ledge and hoists her over the balcony The officer manages to work his way down to the 11th-floor ledge before climbing onto the balcony. He then hoists the girl over the balcony railing and brings her to safety. Local reports said the crowds applauded when the girl was rescued by the officer. Advertisement Weekly Covid deaths in the UK breached 1,000 in mid-September for the first time since March, official figures revealed today. An Office for National Statistics (ONS) report shows the coronavirus contributed to 1,049 fatalities in the seven days leading up to September 17, up 5 per cent on the previous week. This was the highest weekly toll since the week ending March 12 (1,637), when the devastating second wave was beginning to recede. The figure includes any fatalities with Covid mentioned on the death certificate, including cases where it was not the main cause of death. Meanwhile, official data also revealed more than 70,000 extra deaths have occurred at home in both England and Wales since pandemic began. Despite the slight uptick in Covid deaths for the UK as a whole, the number of fatalities registered dipped slightly in England and Wales (851). But this was skewed by last week's count (857), which was higher than usual due to a lag in registering deaths on the August bank holiday, which fell in the previous seven-day spell. The UK-wide rise was fuelled by Scotland, which saw the number of deaths rise by 80 per cent. It suffered an explosion of Covid cases following the return of schools in mid-August. Deaths lag behind cases by several weeks because of the time it takes for someone to become seriously unwell after they catch the virus. The rest of the UK didn't send pupils back until the start of September. But separate data now suggests that the reopening of classrooms in England may have finally triggered another Covid wave. Department of Health shows infection rates have been rising among youngsters for a fortnight, fuelled by children returning to classrooms at the start of the month. But rates are trending upwards in 35 to 39-year-olds, 40 to 44-year-olds and 45 to 50-year-olds, suggesting that children may have taken the virus home to their parents. SAGE, the Government's scientific advisers had always warned a fourth wave was inevitable, but when the country will see a peak in infections, hospitalisations and deaths and how high the numbers will go is unclear. But the success of the vaccine rollout is expected to suppress a fresh wave, with experts insisting that the UK is in a much better position than it was last winter. Ministers have vowed not to implement tougher restrictions such as the return of face masks indoors and work from home guidance unless the NHS comes under unmanageable pressure. Weekly Covid deaths in the UK breached 1,000 for the first time since March, data from the Office for National Statistics shows. The virus contributed to 1,049 across the four nations in the seven days leading up to September 17, the highest number in six months and 5.3 per cent more than last week Department of Health bosses recorded 37,960 positive tests, compared to 36,100 last Monday. It marks the tenth day in-a-row that infections have risen week-on-week Another 40 deaths were also posted, down slightly from the 49 lab-confirmed victims registered the week before More than 70,000 extra deaths at home in England and Wales since pandemic began More than 70,000 extra deaths have taken place in private homes in England and Wales since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, new analysis shows. Extra deaths known as 'excess deaths' are the number of deaths above the average for the corresponding period in the non-pandemic years of 2015-19. A total of 70,602 excess deaths in homes in England and Wales were registered between March 7 2020 and September 17 2021, according to PA news agency analysis of data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Of this number, just 8,423 or 12 per cent were deaths that involved Covid. The figures show there are still many more people than normal who are dying in their own homes. Deaths in private homes have been consistently well above the 2015-19 average since April 2020. Even during recent months, when almost all lockdown restrictions have been eased across the country, excess deaths in homes have typically been running at between 700 and 900 a week. More than 8,200 excess deaths in private homes have been registered in England and Wales since the start of July. This compares with around 2,300 excess deaths in hospitals and nearly 1,000 in care homes over the same period. Advertisement The UK-wide figure from the ONS is the first time Covid deaths have breached 1,000 since the week ending March 19, when the virus was mentioned on 1,046 death certificates, accounting for nine per cent of all deaths. One week before the most recent figures, in the seven days up to September 10, medics linked 996 of the UK's 12,527 deaths with the virus (eight per cent). The data shows Covid deaths recorded in the UK have increased for the 14th consecutive week, after dropping to 93 in the seven days up to June 11. But the proportion of death certificates that mentioned Covid was the lowest in England at 7.6 per cent (783 Covid deaths). Meanwhile, 9.9 per cent of all deaths in Wales were lined with the virus (66 deaths), while the figure was highest in Northern Ireland, at 16.8 per cent (63 deaths), and Scotland (10.7 per cent, 135 deaths). The vast majority of coronavirus deaths occurred in the over-65s (80.6 per cent), and fewer than 30 were recorded among under-45s. Scotland experienced record-high infection rates earlier this month after schools returned. Cases peaked at 7,523 on September 2, but have fallen sharply since then. The most recent complete daily data for September 22 show the country recorded just 3,486 infections less than half the levels seen at the beginning of the month. And 70,602 extra deaths occurred at home in England and Wales since the pandemic began, ONS data revealed. Of this number, just 8,423 or 12 per cent were deaths that involved Covid. Even during recent months, when almost all lockdown restrictions have been eased across the country, excess deaths in homes have typically been running at between 700 and 900 a week. It comes after MailOnline analysis yesterday revealed a fourth wave may be underway, as Covid-infected school-aged children begin to transmit the virus on to their parents. Some 136,208 people have died within 28 days of a positive test, according to Department of Health data. But weekly deaths are still well below levels seen at the peak of the first and second waves. Experts had always warned of a fresh wave after the return of schools, where the majority are not vaccinated. In the worst-hit parts of the country, up to one in 24 children tested positive last week alone. Scientists said the rise in adults might also be the result of millions more Britons returning to offices this month, following the end of work from home guidance. Professor Kevin McConway, emeritus professor of applied statistics at The Open University, noted that the 'picture isn't consistent across the whole UK' and trends look 'rather worse in Scotland'. The graphs show the number of deaths registered in England and Wales each week from December 28 to September 27 (dark blue line) compared to the five year average (dotted light blue line) The graphic shows the total weekly deaths from all causes in England and Wales from December 28 to September 17. The green bars are deaths that did not involve Covid, while the blue bars are deaths linked with the virus The above graph shows Covid infection rates in different age groups per 100,000 people. They are calculated as rates per week to allow for comparisons. Data showed 10 to 14-year-olds (yellow) had the highest infection rate over the week to September 21, the latest available, followed by 15 to 19-year-olds (green) and 5 to 9-year-olds (red) The above graph shows the week-on-week percentage change in Covid infection rates by age group. It reveals that cases are spiralling fastest among 10 to 14-year-olds (yellow) and 15 to 19-year-olds (red). Cases have also risen by 13 per cent in a week among 40 to 44-year-olds (yellow), 45 to 49-year-olds (green) and 15 to 19-year-olds (dark green). There was a slight rise in cases week-on-week among 0 to 4-year-olds (black) and 5 to 9-year-olds (light red) He said: 'In Scotland, the number of Covid-related registrations in the latest week was 135, which is considerably more than the previous week's figure of 78 an increase of 73 per cent, or 57 death registrations, in a week. 'So trends do look rather worse in Scotland, on these registration figures, than in the other UK countries. 'However, the actual level of deaths involving Covid, compared to deaths from other causes, is more concerning in Northern Ireland than in Scotland.' In Northern Ireland, around one in six death registrations mentioned Covid, which is 'quite a lot more' than comparable figures for the other nations - one in nine in Scotland, one in 10 in Wales and one in 13 in England. But official daily figures show 'signs of a slow decrease in numbers of deaths since the latest week in the death registration figures, in all four UK countries', which is 'good news', he said. 'But we'll have to wait to see whether that matches the death registration trends in later weeks,' he added. Advertisement Greta Thunberg's barbs at Boris Johnson and other world leaders in speech Greta: 'There is no Planet B, there is no planet blah' 'There is no Planet B' - French president Emmanuel Macron, speaking to US Congress in April 2018 Greta: 'This is not about some expensive politically- correct green act, bunny hugging, or blah blah blah' 'This is not all about some expensive politically-correct green act of bunny-hugging' - Boris Johnson, speaking to the Leaders Summit on Climate in April 2021 Greta: 'Build back better, blah blah blah' 'We can build back better from this pandemic by building back greener.' - Boris Johnson, speaking to the Leaders Summit on Climate in April 2021 Greta: 'Net Zero by 2050, blah blah blah' 'My Ten Point Plan will create, support and protect hundreds of thousands of green jobs, whilst making strides towards Net Zero by 2050' - Boris Johnson, in a Downing Street statement in November 2020 Advertisement Greta Thunberg mocked Boris Johnson today as she opened a youth climate summit in Italy - accusing the Prime Minister and other world leaders of making 'empty promises' over global warming. The teenage campaigner poked fun at a speech by Mr Johnson in April in which he referred to 'bunny hugging', and also criticised eco-friendly buzzwords used by politicians in recent weeks such as 'no Planet B', 'green economy', 'Net Zero' and 'climate neutral'. Miss Thunberg, 18, told delegates: 'There is no Planet B, there is no planet blah - blah, blah, blah; blah, blah, blah. This is not about some expensive politically- correct green act, bunny hugging, or blah blah blah. 'Build back better, blah blah blah; green economy, blah blah blah; Net Zero by 25... 2050, blah blah blah. Net Zero by 2050, blah blah blah. Net Zero, blah blah blah. Climate neutral, blah blah blah.' The activist, who rose to fame thanks to her 'school strike for climate' protests in her native Sweden, added: 'This is all we hear from our so-called leaders: words, words that sound great but so far has led to no action. 'Our hopes and dreams drowned in their empty words and promises. Of course we need constructive dialogue, but they have now had 30 years of blah, blah blah. And where has that led us? Speaking at the Youth4Climate pre-COP26 conference in Milan, she attacked governments for 'shamelessly congratulating themselves' while making insufficient pledges to cut emissions, and claimed politicians 'invite cherry-picked young people to meetings like this to pretend that they are listening to us, but they are not'. But Conservative MP Steve Baker was unimpressed by her comments, telling MailOnline today: 'I would encourage Greta Thunberg to stand for election in Wycombe and explain to the public in Wycombe, many of whom are hard pressed working people, what it would actually mean to implement her policies. 'It is increasingly clear that the cost of Net Zero includes dramatically unaffordable changes to all our lives. It is thanks to environmental extremism that we are not using the shale resources in our own country and as a result our gas prices are soaring.' Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg speaks during the Youth4Climate pre-COP26 conference in Milan today Rnvironmental activist Greta Thumberg attends the Youth4climate conference today as she lambasts world leaders Ugandan climate activist Vanessa Nakate (right) is comforted by Miss Thunberg as she is overcome by emotion after speaking at the summit in Milan today (From left) Greta Thunberg; Ugandan activist Vanessa Nakate; Italian Minister for Ecological Transition Roberto Cingolani; Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change; and Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala Meanwhile, Tory MP, Craig Mackinlay, told MailOnline that he was not prepared to 'cast life back to the stone-age to reduce the UK's carbon footprint, claiming Greta's family would not 'struggle to make ends meet' under her demands. He continued: 'I always admire activism and Ms Thunberg never fails to impress on that score. However, if the new world order were to go ahead under her manifesto I doubt it would be her or her family struggling to make ends meet. 'The real world of life for many in my South Thanet constituency is somewhat different where fuel poverty is real. 'Additional costs added to the basic needs of heating and travel will make life colder and poorer for many. 'There are many sensible ways of reducing the UK's carbon footprint but I'm not prepared to cast life back to the stone-age to achieve it.' Mr Johnson made the 'bunny hugger' remark during a virtual climate summit in April this year, when he also used the phrase 'build back better'. He said at the time: 'What I'm driving at is this is about growth and jobs... 'We can build back better from this pandemic by building back greener.' 'There is no planet blah': What Greta Thunberg told youth climate summit 'There is no Planet B, there is no planet blah - blah, blah, blah; blah, blah, blah. This is not about some expensive politically correct green act, bunny hugging, or blah blah blah. Build back better, blah blah blah; green economy, blah blah blah; Net Zero by 25, 2050, blah blah blah. Net Zero by 2050, blah blah blah. Net Zero, blah blah blah. Climate neutral, blah blah blah. 'This is all we hear from our so-called leaders: words, words that sound great but so far has led to no action - our hopes and dreams drowned in their empty words and promises. Of course we need constructive dialogue, but they have now had 30 years of blah, blah blah. And where has that led us? Over 50 per cent of all our CO2 emissions have occurred since 1990, and a third since 2005. 'All this while the media is reporting on what the leaders say they are going to do, instead of what they are actually doing. And then not holding leaders accountable for their action, or rather inaction. Don't get me wrong, we can still do this. Change is not only possible but urgently necessary.' 'Right now, we are still very much speeding in the wrong direction. 2021 is currently projected to experience the second highest emission rise ever. Only about 2 per cent of government recovery spendings have been allocated to clean energy measures, and according to a new report by the UN, global emissions are expected to rise by 16 per cent by 2030 compared to 2010 levels. 'Our leaders' intentional lack of action is a betrayal towards all present and future generations. The people in power cannot claim that they are trying because they are clearly not. If this is what they consider to be climate action, then we don't want it. 'They invite cherry-picked young people to meetings like this to pretend that they are listening to us, but they are not they are clearly not listening to us and they never have. Just look at the numbers. Look at the statistics. The emissions are still rising - the science doesn't lie. 'But of course we can still turn this around. It is entirely possible. It will take drastic annual emission cuts unlike anything the world has ever seen. And as we don't have the technological solutions that alone can deliver anything close to that, that means we will have to change. 'We can no longer let the people in power decide what is politically possible or not. We can no longer let the people in power decide what hope is. Hope is not passive. Hope is not blah, blah, blah. Hope is telling the truth. Hope is taking action. And hope always comes from the people.' Advertisement It is not the first time that Miss Thunberg has picked up on the remark, changing her Twitter status to 'bunny hugger' just a day later in response. Her latest remarks were made at the summit in Milan - a three-day event attended by 400 young representatives from 190 nations which will be used to develop climate policies. Miss Thunberg also said: 'Right now, we are still very much speeding in the wrong direction. 2021 is currently projected to experience the second highest emission rise ever. 'Only about 2 per cent of government recovery spendings have been allocated to clean energy measures, and according to a new report by the UN, global emissions are expected to rise by 16 per cent by 2030 compared to 2010 levels. 'Our leaders' intentional lack of action is a betrayal towards all present and future generations. The people in power cannot claim that they are trying because they are clearly not. If this is what they consider to be climate action, then we don't want it. 'They invite cherry-picked young people to meetings like this to pretend that they are listening to us, but they are not they are clearly not listening to us and they never have. Just look at the numbers. Look at the statistics. The emissions are still rising - the science doesn't lie. 'But of course we can still turn this around. It is entirely possible. It will take drastic annual emission cuts unlike anything the world has ever seen. And as we don't have the technological solutions that alone can deliver anything close to that, that means we will have to change. 'We can no longer let the people in power decide what is politically possible or not. We can no longer let the people in power decide what hope is. 'Hope is not passive. Hope is not blah, blah, blah. Hope is telling the truth. Hope is taking action. And hope always comes from the people.' Ugandan youth activist Vanessa Nakate echoed Miss Thunberg's exasperation at leaders' lack of urgency. 'How long must children sleep hungry because their farms have been washed away, because their crops have been dried up because of the extreme weather conditions?' she asked attendees. 'How long are we to watch them die of thirst and gasp for air in the floods? World leaders watch this happen and allow this to continue.' She continued: 'It's time for our leaders to stop talking and start acting, it's time for the polluters to pay, it's time to keep promises. 'No more empty promises, no more empty summits, no more empty conferences. It's time to show us the money.' The summit runs until September 30, and marks the first days of the Pre-COP conference - a summit of energy and climate ministers from around the world in preparation for the full COP26 meeting in Glasgow later this year. On the final day of the youth summit, the young representatives will present their policies to ministers - with the best taken to Glasgow for discussion by world leaders. Listening to Miss Thunberg's opening statement in Milan today was Alok Sharma, president of the COP26 summit Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg is surrounded by journalist as she arrives in Milan today for the Youth4Climate event Miss Thunberg is mobbed by press after she arrived in Milan following a seven-hour train journey from Germany Miss Thunberg arrived at the summit after a seven-hour train journey from Frankfurt - where she has been pressuring Germany's election candidates over climate change. What have Boris Johnson and Greta Thunberg said about each other? January 10: Greta Thunberg rubbishes Boris Johnson's promises of a 'green revolution' after the government approved the use of a bee killing pesticide and a new coal mine April 22: Boris Johnson describes 'the politically correct green act of bunny hugging' without mentioning Greta Thunberg by name April 23: Greta Thunberg changes her Twitter biography to describe herself as a 'bunny hugger'. August 20: Greta Thunberg accuses the UK of using 'creative carbon accounting' and brands Boris Johnson's claims that the UK is a 'climate leader' as a 'lie' Advertisement She was swarmed by reporters at the station, while she waited to take a mandatory Covid test. When asked what she was expecting from the talks, Miss Thunberg gave a typically-downbeat assessment - replying 'not a lot' before adding that it will be 'just like any other meeting, with lots of talking.' Miss Thunberg was addressing the Youth4Climate portion of the Pre-COP conference, which is the last formal meeting between climate energy ministers from around 50 nations ahead of the main COP26 summit in November. The aim of Pre-COP is to lay the groundwork for high-level deals to be struck at COP26 itself, when it is hoped major economies will commit to drastic cuts in carbon emissions with the aim of reaching 'net-neutral' by 2050. Pre-COP runs from September 30 to October 2, with the Youth4Climate summit taking place just before - from September 28 to 30. During the youth event, some 400 young delegates from 190 countries will hold round-table discussions and workshops to develop climate policies that will be presented to ministers on the final day of the meeting. The best will be taken to the COP26 summit itself, to be discussed by world leaders and their teams. Events were originally scheduled to take place in 2020, but have been delayed by a year due to the Covid pandemic. Also addressing the event was Alok Sharma, the UK minister serving as president of COP26, who said the time has come for bolder commitments from world leaders to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Boris Johnson, speaking at the virtual global Leaders Summit on Climate from Downing Street, urged the world's richest nations to embrace climate action Greta Thunberg poked fun at Prime Minister Boris Johnson in April, changing her Twitter profile to 'Bunny hugger' Sharma said the response of world leaders to the climate change crisis to-date has not come anywhere close to the scale of the challenge. 'Build back better': Where the phrase comes from Build back better is a political slogan that dates back at least as far as the 2004 Indonesian tsunami when it was used to describe rebuilding efforts that aimed to correct long-standing problems in communities devastated by the disaster. It was then incorporated into a 2015 UN report designed to reduce the risks from natural disasters, which stated that one of the aims of disaster recovery should be to 'build back better'. The phrase then gained new prominence this year when the US and UK announced their Covid recovery plans, both of which were named 'Build Back Better'. In March, UK chancellor Rishi Sunak presented a plan called 'Build Back Better: our plan for growth' to parliament while Joe Biden has also been pushing his own 'Build Back Better Agenda' in the States. The British plan incorporates the so-called 'levelling-up' agenda to promote economic growth across the country, Boris's vision of a 'global Britain' and a pledge to hit 'net zero' carbon emissions by 2050. Joe Biden's plan includes a pledge to create clean energy jobs alongside tax cuts for electric vehicles and new energy emissions standards. Advertisement The U.N. COP26 conference in Glasgow in November aims to secure more ambitious climate action from the nearly 200 countries who signed the 2015 Paris Agreement. At that summit, world leaders had agreed to try to limit human-caused global warming to 1.5C - a target the UN has since warned is likely to be missed. In a report published in August this year, UN experts said humans are 'unequivocally' to blame for climate change and that irreversible damage has already been caused. It also laid out a grim vision of what will happen in the years ahead even if drastic action to cut emissions is taken immediately, calling it a 'code red for humanity', But, the report was keen to point out, there is no 'cliff-edge' for climate change - a point at which the situation becomes hopeless and action is not worth taking. Every degree the planet warms will make life harder - including more frequent droughts, forest fires, flooding, hurricanes and extremes of temperature - while every action to limit the damage will make things easier. Mr Johnson has vowed to make the UK a world leader in reducing emissions with ambitious plans to replace gas boilers with hydrogen and a ban on the construction of fossil-fuelled cars including hybrids from 2033. However, he has been facing pressure to explain exactly who will end up footing the bill - with some estimating the measures could end up costing the average household 28,000. Russian TV has mocked 'panic-ridden' Britain over its petrol crisis and likened the clamber for fuel to the infamous sausage queues of the Soviet Union. Major pro-Kremlin channel NTV reported the UK was in 'true panic... in the grip of a fuel crisis' and suffering with food shortages. The channel is owned by the media arm of energy behemoth Gazprom, which has been accused of cutting gas supplies to Europe threatening a winter of misery. 'Great Britain is in the grip of a fuel crisis, following a food crisis,' explained the NTV presenter Lilia Gildeeva before crossing to a correspondent in the UK. 'The few petrol stations that still have fuel are under siege as car owners are ready to fight for their lives for every litre of fuel. Queues at petrol stations are like sausage shortages in the Soviet Union.' Russian TV has mocked 'panic-ridden' Britain over its petrol crisis and likened the clamber for fuel to the infamous sausage queues of the Soviet Union Pro-Kremlin channel NTV reported the UK was in 'true panic... in the grip of a fuel crisis' and suffering with food shortages (pictured, people queueing for petrol at a Tesco in Rochdale) NTV's UK correspondent told the show's host: 'Queues at petrol stations are like sausage shortages in the Soviet Union' Viewers of the pro-Vladimir Putin channel were told: 'It's true panic. Earlier it was reported that Misty Albion [Britain] has a drastic shortage of lorry drivers to deliver fuel to petrol stations. 'This is why people are stock buying, which makes it look even more like the times of Soviet shortages.' The NTV report said it was 'unclear how long it will last' and claimed Boris Johnson's government appeared out of its depth. 'It's unclear how long it will last,' said the presenter on the Segodnya news bulletin. 'The army got involved, but it's pretty obvious the island's authorities have no clear rescue plan.' The Communist-led Soviet Union - which collapsed three decades ago in December 1991 - was notorious for queues of sausage meat, bread and consumer goods A queue as staff at the BP direct motorists to a vacant fuel pump at the Boreham Interchange on the A12 near Chelmsford The NTV host said Brits were stockpiling fuel making it look 'even more like the times of Soviet shortages' The Morrisons supermarket petrol station at Bridport in Dorset is out of fuel amid panic buying by motorists The correspondent in Britain Liza Gerson told viewers across Russia's 11 time zones: 'For a week there were worries of hunger, then several gas companies went bankrupt and residents were scared they would freeze in winter. 'Now it looks like they won't be able to stay warm and fed, and even inside the car.' She spoke to an Uber driver who said he would be hit by petrol shortages. Meanwhile, a Telegram channel highlighted footage showing a man holding a knife and fighting in the British petrol queues. 'Englishmen have firmly learned the new phrase, the Petrol War,' reported Pool N.3 channel. 'Fights at petrol stations, people are resorting to knives.' The Communist-led Soviet Union - which collapsed three decades ago in December 1991 - was notorious for queues of sausage meat, bread and consumer goods. A US marine who was relieved of his duties and later resigned after he publicly criticized the US' chaotic pull out from Afghanistan last month is being held in military prison, according to his father. Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller gained notoriety in August when he released a public video ripping into the hasty withdrawal of US troops and personnel from Afghanistan, leaving the country to fall to the Taliban. After several of his videos went viral, his superiors banned him from posting on social media, but the marine continued to do so before handing in a letter of resignation on August 31 - the final day of US occupation of Afghanistan. On Monday, his father revealed that the former Lieutenant Colonel has been sent to military prison, known as 'the brig', where he is being held as he awaits a military hearing for breaking the gag order set by his superior officers. The Marine Corps later issued a statement confirming Stuart Scheller Sr's claims that his son had been imprisoned awaiting a military hearing and did not confirm how long he has been held, but insisted he would receive a fair trial. Now, speaking exclusively with DailyMail.com, Scheller Sr discusses his son's plight, blasts the Marine Corps' handling of the situation, and hits out against his son's detractors. 'It's outrageous. Our son is a warrior. He has been a marine for the past 17 years, highly decorated and perhaps considered in the top 1% of Marine Corps officers. 'He could not stand by and could not fathom the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan. He was asking for accountability, honest answers, and confessions of mistakes that were made. 'They have turned their backs on him. They have tried to shut him up with a gag order, and when that didn't work, they have put him in jail. It's shameful!' US Marine Lieutenant Colonel Stuart Scheller, pictured with mother Catherine and father Stuart Sr. Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller gained notoriety in August when he released a public video ripping into the hasty withdrawal of US troops and personnel from Afghanistan, leaving the country to fall to the Taliban Scheller Sr went on to tell DailyMail.com that the pressure applied to his son by the USMC goes against the military outfit's code by which marines are expected to abide, and declared the Corps could've handled his case a drastically different fashion. 'The question is: Is the treatment by the administration and military leadership towards our son justified? 'They didn't like what he has said or what he is asking for, and so they locked him up. Pressuring, intimidating, shaming, and imprisoning our son is not justified. 'The USMC expect him to be honest, intelligent, courageous, and to fight for his fellow service members. That is what he's doing. 'This is expected of him and his fellow Marine officers and enlisted men, and he was asking for the same from his leaders. 'But all he has received in the last 30 days for asking for accountability is pressure from the United States Marine Corps leadership. 'They do not like being held accountable, and therefore they have silenced him and put him in jail. 'The leadership could have answered Stuart's call for accountability in the first 24 hours vs. essentially firing him. They could have met with him to reach common ground and made public statements regarding the Afghanistan exit.' 'I've had Vietnam veterans contacting me applauding him for his courage because they too want to know: Was it all worth it?' On Monday, Capt. Sam Stephenson, a spokesman for Training and Education Command, issued a statement on Scheller's imprisonment. 'Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller Jr. is currently in pre-trial confinement in the Regional Brig for Marine Corps Installations East aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune pending an Article 32 preliminary hearing. 'The time, date, and location of the proceedings have not been determined. Lt. Col. Scheller will be afforded all due process.' The hearing is expected to take place on Thursday. Meanwhile, Scheller Sr told DailyMail.com that he is extremely proud of his son for standing up for what he believes in and questioned the stance of detractors who believe his son should have simply followed orders. 'Stuart inspires us. We have raised four exemplary children who are all leaders in their own right! 'But the question is, is America proud of him? Will Americans stand for the treatment he has received? I pray to God that Americans stand up for Stuart. 'What should I say to people who say he should have kept his mouth shut and never expressed his opinion about the wrongs that are happening in this great country? 'Well, that absolutely would have been the 'politically correct' and 'polite society' approach. And that would have made life for Stuart and our family a lot easier. 'But that is not who we are. We believe our son was hand-picked and destined for this assignment and journey, as were we. He is a proud American and he will continue to fight for the American people. 'God Bless America!' The question is: Is the treatment by the administration and military leadership towards our son justified? They do not like being held accountable, and therefore they have silenced him and put him in jail. Scheller's first video, published across social media on August 26, criticized Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley for leaving Bagram Air Base before all Americans and their allies had the chance to be evacuated from Afghanistan. 'People are upset because their senior leaders let them down, and none of them are raising their hands and accepting accountability or saying, ''We messed this up'',' Scheller said in the video, which he posted on the same day that an ISIS-K suicide bomber detonated his explosive device outside the gates of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, killing over a hundred people including 11 US marines. The next day, Scheller posted on Facebook saying that he had been relieved from his post a battalion commander for Advanced Infantry Training Battalion at School of Infantry East at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where he is now being held in the brig. Four days later, Scheller submitted his resignation, addressed to Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Torro and citing 'a lack of trust and confidence in your ability to lead.' 'We the people seek change. We the people seek leadership. We the people seek accountability. We the people WILL take it,' wrote Scheller in a LinkedIn post along with the letter. 'Every generation needs a revolution.' Scheller publicly shared his resignation letter, addressing it to Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Torro and citing 'a lack of trust and confidence in your ability to lead' Scheller also posted on social media saying 'Every generation needs a revolution' The wording of Scheller's resignation letter echoed a statement given by Maj. Jim Stenger, a Marine Corps spokesperson, to DailyMail.com, saying that Scheller was relieved of command after criticizing leadership 'due to a loss of trust and confidence in his ability to command.' 'This is obviously an emotional time for a lot of Marines, and we encourage anyone struggling right now to seek counseling or talk to a fellow Marine. There is a forum in which Marine leaders can address their disagreements with the chain of command, but it's not social media,' Maj. Stenger said. Scheller also made a Facebook post in which he revealed that his commanding officer had ordered him to undergo a mental health evaluation after he posted the first video. The marine said he understood why his commanding officer sent him for a mental health evaluation, but also said that 'excusing the action of service members because of 'PTSD' does more damage to service members than any trauma in combat' and that he is stronger because of his involvement in 'very traumatic situations.' He continued: 'Accountability from senior leaders would alleviate feelings of guilt or shame in service members more than individual counseling.' 'If you're worried about someone you should reach out and check on them. But never excuse a service member's actions with a wave of the hand to PTSD. 'You are crippling them by failing to hold them accountable.' The Scheller family have appealed for donations to help their son's cause and have called for locals to contact their local government and military representatives to build support for the case. A school headteacher has been sentenced to death by hanging in Pakistan for blaspheming against the Prophet Muhammad. Salma Tanveer, who owned her own private school, was found guilty of distributing texts in which she denied Muhammad and claimed that she was Allah's true apostle. The judge in Lahore threw out arguments by her defence that she had 'lost her mental balance' at the time she made the writings. People who are deemed mentally ill cannot be executed in Pakistan. But Judge Mansoor Qureshi ruled that Tanveer's 'abnormality falls short of legal insanity.' Salma Tanveer, who owns her own private school, was found guilty of distributing texts in which she denied Muhammad and claimed that she was the true apostle of Allah. She faces death by hanging (file photo) This despite evidence from the Punjab Institute of Mental Health (PIMH) in Lahore which declared she was 'suffering from Schizoaffecctive Disorder' and 'unfit to stand trial at present.' That report was submitted in 2014, a year after the blasphemy was reported. The trial was postponed in 2015 and a later report by the same board in 2019 declared Tanveer was fit to stand trial. The case dates back to 2013 when a complaint was lodged by a local cleric against Tanveer. It was alleged that she had 'denied khatam-e-nubuwat of the Holy Prophet.' Khatam-e-nubuwat is the belief that the Prophet Muhammad is the last apostle sent by Allah and that there shall be no more prophets after him. The complaint said that Tanveer used derogatory remarks and claimed 'her own nubuwat (apostlehood).' Tanveer, of Lahore, was remanded in custody and faces death by hanging. The death sentence must however still be confirmed by the Lahore High Court. Tanveer has seven days to file an appeal before the High Court. Under Pakistani law, using derogatory remarks towards the Prophet Muhammad is punishable by death. the Pakistan Penal Code states: 'Whoever by words, either spoken or written, or by visible representation or by any imputation, innuendo, or insinuation, directly or indirectly, defiles the sacred name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shall be punished with death, or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine.' But nobody has ever been executed under the blasphemy laws in Pakistan as higher courts have overruled or commuted the sentences. The head of the Moab Police Department in Utah has taken a leave of absence from his post just days after the city announced an investigation into officers' handling of a possible domestic violence case last month involving Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie. Bret Edge chose to step away from his position as Moab Police Department Chief on Monday, requesting a leave of absence under the Family Medical Leave Act according to communications director for the City of Moab Lisa Church. His decision was announced just one week after the city declared the launch of an independent investigation into their officers' handling of a domestic dispute between Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito, just over a month before she was found dead. They spoke out two days after a body found on September 19 in Grand Teton National Park was confirmed to be Petito, with a coroner ruling her death a homicide. It was not made clear who will take up the position of police chief in Edge's absence, nor when he would return to his post. Neither Chief Edge nor Moab Mayor Emily Niehaus has yet responded to a request for comment, while communications director Lisa Church declined to answer further questions regarding the reason for Edges absence. Bret Edge chose to step away from his position as Moab Police Department Chief on Monday, requesting a leave of absence under the Family Medical Leave Act Moab City Police Department and the City of Moab have launched an investigation into officers' handling of a domestic dispute between Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito a month before she was found dead in Wyoming Police bodycam footage revealed the moment Utah cops asked missing 'van-life' woman Gabby Petito why she slapped her boyfriend Brian Laundrie in a dramatic incident 13 days before she disappeared on their cross-country trip 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' City officials released a statement Thursday which said they were 'unaware of any breach of Police Department policy.' They noted that 'individuals can view the same situation in very different ways' and 'recognize how the death of Ms. Petito more than two weeks later in Wyoming might lead to speculation, in hindsight, about actions taken during the incident in Moab.' That statement noted that their 'police officers have been both praised and criticized for their response and their resolution of the incident.' Cops were filmed discussing what had happened with Petito and Laundrie after being called out by onlookers who reported seeing him hit her. They found Laundrie with scratches to his face, with Petito claiming she'd hit him with a phone while battling her OCD. Officers deemed her to be the 'primary aggressor' and separated the couple for the night to try and defuse the tension between them, but neither were arrested. That has subsequently triggered allegations that investigating the incident more deeply might have saved Petito's life, although other's have countered by hailing the cops' calm handling of the couple. Moab City Police Chief Bret Edge explained in a statement provided to Fox News on Thursday that a request for an investigation into the department's handling of the incident was requested by an outside party. He said the department will 'identify an unaffiliated law enforcement agency to conduct the formal investigation on our behalf.' 'Should the investigation identify areas for improvement we will take that information to heart, learn from it, and make changes if needed to ensure we are providing the best response and service to our community,' Edge added. The recorded encounter began after a chilling 911 audio captured a caller in Utah reporting a domestic abuse incident involving Petito and Laundrie that claimed Laundrie slapped her. 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. When an officer asks Petito if her boyfriend hit her, she replies 'I guess' and gestures to her chin. Petito admits he 'pushed her' during the altercation Moab police officers separated the couple for the night after responding to the 911 call. The City of Moab said they are 'unaware of any breach of Police Department policy' in their handling of Petito and Laundrie's domestic dispute Shortly after the call at 4:30 pm, Petito and Laundrie were filmed in police bodycam footage when they were stopped by Moab Police. The bodycam footage shows an officer reporting that the driver of a vehicle ahead is showing 'obscure driving', driving 45mph in a 15mph road, and is 'possibly intoxicated.' He says the vehicle has bumped a curb and puts the sirens on. Petito later told officers that the couple didn't drink. The officer then gets out the vehicle and approaches the couple's white camper van, which they have pulled over. The officer asks Petito to step out of the vehicle and takes her down the road, separating the couple to ask her what happened. In the video, an emotional Petito tells officers with tears streaming down her face that 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. The officer tells Petito she is 'not in any trouble' and escorts her to the back of the cop car so she can 'take a breath' and have 'a few minutes.' 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. 'I am separating you two tonight, okay?' the officer is heard telling Petito. The 22-year-old nods through tears in response and mouths 'okay.' 'I want you guys both to be tonight, away from each other,' the officer says. 'Relax, breathe, because there's no need to be crying now,' he tells Petito. Petito nods and wipes tears from her eyes. 'I understand that this can feel like a nightmare,' the officer says. 'But you have come out as the golden flower on top.' According to the document, cops were called to a local business in Moab, Utah on August 12, after a witness reported seeing the couple 'arguing over a phone' outside their van The couple had been traveling around the country in their camper van since early July to start a blog and were visiting Moab when they got into an altercation, an incident report reveals. The report, released by the Moab Police Department on Wednesday, documented that the couple admitted they had been going through 'issues' over the last couple days. According to the police incident report, a witness, identified only as Christopher, had reported seeing the pair 'arguing over a phone.' In his account, one of the responding officers Eric Pratt, wrote that 'all three individuals' - Petito, Laundrie, and the witness - gave 'a similar and consistent story, consisting of the basic idea that the driver of the van, a male, had some sort of argument with the female.' Pratt said both Petito and Laundrie said 'they are in love and engaged to be married and desperately didn't wish to see anyone charged with a crime.' A Utah park ranger later revealed she warned Petito her relationship with Laundrie seemed 'toxic' after responding to the call. Melissa Hulls, the visitor and resource protection supervisor at Arches National Park in Moab, said she was 'imploring with [Petito] to reevaluate the relationship' but that the 22-year-old didn't understand 'how big a deal this was.' Park ranger Melissa Hulls (pictured) branded Gabby Petito's relationship with Brian Laundrie 'toxic'. Gabby is pictured, right, on August 12 - the day she chatted with Hulls 'I can still hear her voice. She wasn't just a face on the milk carton, she was real to me,' she said. She said she can remember Petito sobbing in the back of the police cruiser. Cops had already arrived at the scene by the time Hulls got there. She said that as a female ranger, she has been trained to chat with women during suspected domestic abuse call outs to try and get them to relax and open up. 'I was probably more candid with her than I should've been,' Hulls said. She told Petito that her and Laundrie's relationship had the markings of a 'toxic' one. '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 added. An autopsy confirmed on Tuesday that the remains found near Grand Teton National Park last week belong to Petito. Her death was ruled a homicide but her cause of death is still under investigation. Laundrie was named a person of interest in the case and has since been reported missing. FBI and North Point police continued the search for Laundrie in the Carlton Wildlife Reserve for the fifth day on Thursday. His parents spent most of the day meeting with their attorney in Orlando. Advertisement A former Domino's pizza delivery driver will deny murdering primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, a court was told this morning. Koci Selamaj, 36, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, was remanded in custody today ahead of an appearance at the Old Bailey on Thursday. Selamaj, who was arrested in the seaside town in the early hours of Sunday, appeared before Willesden Magistrates' Court after being driven in by prison van this morning. Ms Nessa was killed as she walked through Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south-east London, on her way to meet a friend on September 17. Looking straight ahead during the brief hearing, Selamaj, who is understood to have been working as a food delivery driver and is originally from Albania, appeared calm as he stood in the glass dock, wearing a grey prison-issue tracksuit and blue facemask. Accompanied by two guards, he did not remove his mask. He spoke only to confirm his name, address and date of birth during the hearing, which lasted for about two minutes in front of a packed press bench and public gallery. An interpreter had been on standby for the the three minute hearing, but the court was told his English was good enough to understand the proceedings. Prosecutor Umaima Peracha said: 'The charge against the defendant is that of murder at a park in Kidbrooke. This is an indictable only offence, and I would ask you to send this to the Central Criminal Court (the Old Bailey).' Selamaj was not asked to formally enter a plea to a single charge of murder, which states: 'On September 17 2021 at Cator Park, Greenwich, London you murdered Miss Sabina Nessa contrary to common law.' But asked by District Judge Denis Brennan for an indication of his plea, Selamaj's lawyer Aidan Harvey, said: 'I have indicated on the form it will be a not-guilty plea.' Artists impression of Koci Selamaj appearing at Willesden Magistrates' Court, this morning. The 36-year-old will deny murdering Sabina Nessa, the court heard Selamaj was accompanied by two guards, he did not remove his mask, but his lawyer said he would be pleading not guilty Sabina Nessa, 28, originally from Bedfordshire. Ms Nessa was killed as she walked through Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south-east London, on her way to meet a friend on September 17 Mr Harvey earlier told the court that although an Albanian interpreter was in the building, his client's English was 'sufficient for today's purposes'. The judge told Selamaj: 'We will of course have an interpreter booked for you at the Crown Court but today I send you to the Central Criminal Court. 'Your first hearing there will be, in fact, a bail hearing on September 30 with the plea and trial preparation hearing being on October 26.' He added: 'I will remand you in custody until that appearance on September 30 at the Central Criminal Court.' Selamaj, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, was arrested in the seaside town in the early hours of Sunday and charged on Monday. A light-coloured Nissan Micra was seized in a leafy residential street about half a mile away. On Friday, hundreds of people gathered for a candlelit vigil organised in Pegler Square, Kidbrooke, in memory of Ms Nessa. Koci Selamaj (left), from Eastbourne, East Sussex, was arrested in the seaside town in the early hours of Sunday. Sabina Nessa (right) was killed as she walked through Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south-east London, on her way to meet a friend on September 17 Jebina Yasmin Islam, Ms Nessa's sister, broke down as she addressed the crowd. She said: 'Words cannot describe how we are feeling, this feels like we are stuck in a bad dream and can't get out of it - our world is shattered, we are simply lost for words. 'No family should go through what we are going through.' Until recently Selamaj had been living with his Romanian girlfriend in the flat behind a burger takeaway in the centre of Eastbourne, but the couple recently split up. A worker in a newsagents near the flat where Selamaj was living said he would come in to the shop to top up his phone or energy key, but would not make conversation. A police van being driven through the gates of Willesden Magistrates Court ahead of the hearing this morning The suspect is understood to have been working as a Domino's delivery driver in Eastbourne and is thought to be originally from eastern Europe Koci Selamaj, from Eastbourne, East Sussex, was arrested in the seaside town in the early hours of Sunday (pictured: Police in Eastbourne on Sunday) A light-coloured Nissan Micra was seized in a residential street 'He was so quiet, he didn't say anything, just came to top up and left,' the member of shop staff said. Ms Nessa taught a year one class at Rushey Green Primary School in Catford, also south-east London. On Friday, hundreds of people - including her sister - gathered for a candlelit vigil organised in Pegler Square, Kidbrooke, in her memory. Jebina Yasmin Islam, Ms Nessa's sister, broke down as she addressed crowds. She said: 'Words cannot describe how we are feeling, this feels like we are stuck in a bad dream and can't get out of it - our world is shattered, we are simply lost for words. 'No family should go through what we are going through.' Pictured: Police and forensics believed to be investigating the death of Sabina Nessa are pictured at a flat in Eastbourne The sister of primary school teacher Sabina Nessa, Jebina Yasmin Islam, is embraced by well-wishers in Cator Park, Kidbrooke Parents and teachers have been warned about a hoax Covid vaccine consent form being circulated in schools and online. The letter, which includes a fake NHS logo, contains a 'consent checklist' and makes a number of false assertions about the jab. They include bogus claims that the vaccine can cause miscarriages and blindness and that it's still deemed 'experimental'. Parents revealed they had been sent the form via email and told to give it to their children before their vaccination appointment. Some head teachers also reportedly received the letter and were asked to share it with their students. An NHS England boss took to Twitter last night to denounce the letter as illegitimate. The UK started vaccinating healthy 12 to 15-year-olds with a single dose of Pfizer's vaccine for the first time last week. It did so despite originally not getting the blessing from No10's vaccines advisory panel, which said the health benefit to youngsters was 'marginal'. FAKE CONSENT FORM: Parents and teachers have been warned about a hoax Covid vaccine consent form being circulated in schools and online. The letter, which includes a fake NHS logo, contains a 'consent checklist' and a number of false assertions about the jab REAL CONSENT FORM: The legitimate version available on the NHS England website 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 it could prevent hundreds of thousands of school absences. Parent Ruth Moss, from Merseyside, posted a picture of one of the fake consent checklists on Twitter. NHS England medical director for Covid immunisation Dr Jonathan Leach replied: 'Just to confirm that this is not a legitimate NHS form.' It comes after the biggest survey of its kind suggested just half of children in England want a Covid vaccine. Researchers surveyed more than 27,000 nine to 18-year-olds across the country earlier this year ahead of the move to jab healthy secondary school pupils. Younger children were less willing to get vaccinated than older teenagers, of whom the majority said they would accept a jab. Youngsters who had previously tested positive or believe that they had Covid already were more likely to decline a vaccine Researchers surveyed more than 27,000 nine to 18-year-olds across the country earlier this year ahead of the controversial plans to jab healthy school pupils. Exactly 50 per cent were willing to have the vaccine, while a third (37 per cent) were undecided and 13 per cent wanted to opt out Fourteen-year-old Jack Lane became one of the first to benefit from the extension of Britain's jab rollout to children last week at Belfairs Academy in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex Teachers should phone police to deal with anti-vaxxers at school, official guidance Teachers have been told not to hesitate in phoning police to deal with anti-Covid vaccine campaigners amid fears of protests at school gates during the jab rollout in schools. Pfizer's jab was approved for 12 to 15-year-olds earlier this month, and within hours of the announcement pressure groups had already threatened action. National guidance says if headteachers catch wind that a protest is being staged on school grounds they should 'alert the local authority and police'. Previous anti-lockdown and vaccine protests have seen streets shut in London's city centre and projectiles launched at the Houses of Parliament. Jabs are being administered by School Age Immunisation Service (SAIS) teams that already carry out routine vaccine programmes for things like flu. Schools will be used as a site for administering the vaccines and distributing consent and information forms to pupils and guardians. Advertisement Exactly 50 per cent were willing to have the vaccine, while a third (37 per cent) were undecided and 13 per cent wanted to opt out. Younger children were less willing to get vaccinated than older teenagers, of whom the majority said they would accept a jab. Youngsters who had previously tested positive or believed that they had survived Covid already were more likely to decline a vaccine. The research was carried out by the University of Oxford, University College London (UCL) and the Cambridge University. Among the main authors were UCL's Professor Russell Viner and Professor Sir Andrew Pollard of Oxford, who sit on influential panels advising No10. Overall, more than a million under-18s have been jabbed so far, including children who were prioritised earlier on in the vaccine drive because they have underlying conditions. The latest survey was carried out in schools across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Merseyside between May and July this year. Students who were more hesitant about getting the jab were also more likely to spend longer on social media, attend schools in deprived areas, and feel as though they did not identify with their school community, the study found. Researchers are calling for more resources and information about the benefits and risks of vaccination to be provided to children to help inform their decision. They said they were open to the idea of collaborating with social media platforms like TikTok and using influencers to get the messaging across. Sir Andrew, director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said: 'Given the huge disruption that has happened in education and for children, I think this study is really important because it's highlighting that we've actually missed this really important group in making sure they have access to information. 'And of course they don't access their information by reading the newspaper or watching broadcast news. A lot of it is through social media.' He added: 'We have some work to do in order to improve that.' Dr Mina Fazel, an expert in child and adolescent psychiatry at Oxford, said: 'The young people we've spoken to are saying that we need to use social media channels. 'Maybe celebrities getting involved might be a route that they would listen to more.' She added: 'I'm also very interested in how to use TikTok. We open the door to any kind of influencers major influencers, minor influencers who want to learn more about these findings in order to provide information in their medium.' India blocked the internet for 25 million people on Sunday in an effort to prevent cheating by trainee teachers in a mass exam. Authorities shut off access to the web on mobiles but kept broadband open in ten regions in Rajasthan as students took the Teacher Eligibility Test (REET). The exam is for a coveted qualification which allows trainee teachers to get jobs in primary or secondary government-run schools - positions that come with generous benefits. Around 1.6 million students were preparing to take the exam on Sunday, the first time the test has been held in Rajasthan since 2018, sparking concerns over potential cheating which has been rampant in the past. Cheating is rife in India's highly competitive government, university and even school examinations and authorities have struggled with ever-more sophisticated methods to help people pass. These include professionals who earn a living impersonating others and taking exams in their place, to gangs stealing or illegally procuring exam papers and then selling them. India blocked the internet for 25 million people on Sunday in an effort to prevent cheating by trainee teachers in a mass exam (pictured, candidates wait to take the exam in Jaipur) As part of further efforts to prevent cheating, authorities installed CCTV cameras at thousands of test sites set up across the state and candidates were asked to swap the face mask they arrived in for one provided by the centre. A document tweeted by Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot also revealed officials videoed the production of the exam papers - including the printing, transporting, and distribution of the tests. Workers involved in the process were told they would immediately be fired if they were found to have a hand in leaking the test paper. But despite the stringent measures, at least ten people were arrested for attempting to cheat using Bluetooth devices concealed in their flip-flops. The group hid devices in the soles of their flip-flops that could receive ordinary calls which would be transmitted wirelessly to tiny receivers hidden in their ears. As part of further efforts to prevent cheating, authorities installed CCTV cameras at thousands of test sites set up across the state and candidates were asked to swap the face mask they arrived in for one provided by the centre (pictured) The plan was for accomplices outside to call the hidden contraptions and dictate the correct answers to the exams, said Priti Chandra, a police official in the western city of Bikaner. But the group of would-be teachers were arrested acting suspiciously outside the examination hall on the evening before the exams and the devices in their footwear were discovered. 'We were aware of the possibility of cheating but we thought it would be a question paper leak or someone would use the internet, which is why it was restricted in many cities,' Chandra told AFP. 'But this was a totally new modus operandi. (They) are getting so tech savvy.' Investigations revealed that at least 25 students had bought these flip-flops from a gang for 600,000 rupees ($8,100) per pair. The information was shared with several other districts in time for the exams and many centres asked the students to remove their footwear outside the examination hall. 'In one case we caught a student after the exam and had to take him to a doctor to identify and remove the Bluetooth device from his ear,' Chandra said. It the latest in a string of well-known efforts to cheat in public exams across the country. In March 2015, dozens of people scaled the walls of a school test centre in Bihar state to pass notes to relatives sitting the exam In March 2015, dozens of people scaled the walls of a school test centre in Bihar state to pass notes to relatives sitting the exam. Images circulated online at the time showing people clinging to the windows of the four-storey building where thousands of teenagers were sitting their exams. The students sitting the school tests face tremendous pressure because they must pass the exams to continue their education. But measures to prevent cheating in public exams have become more stringent in recent years after several dubious efforts made headlines. In October 2019 a school in Haveri, Karnataka state, came under fire for forcing students to wear cardboard boxes over their heads to prevent them cheating. Shocking images circulated on social media show the students at Bhagat Pre-University College sitting in rows with the boxes over their heads, cut open at one side. The college was criticized for the unorthodox measure to prevent students from copying their neighbour's work. In October 2019 a school in Haveri, Karnataka state, came under fire for forcing students to wear cardboard boxes over their heads to prevent them cheating An app designer who is accused of murdering a mother and her two-year-old daughter faces a further charge of raping a seven-year-old girl. Andrew Innes, 51, is alleged to have killed 25-year-old Bennylyn Burke and her child Jellica at a house on Troon Avenue in Dundee, Scotland. Prosecutors claim he hid their bodies under the kitchen floor and further accuse him of assaulting, raping and attempting to rape another child. Innes today faced the charges as he appeared via video-link at the High Court in Glasgow. No plea was entered at the hearing. Andrew Innes, 51, is alleged to have killed 25-year-old Bennylyn Burke and her two-year-old daughter Jellica (both pictured above) at a house on Troon Avenue in Dundee, Scotland Ms Burke, pictured above. Innes today faced the charges as he appeared via video-link at the High Court in Glasgow. No plea was entered at the hearing The alleged murders are said to have occurred between February 20 and March 5 this year. It is claimed Innes stabbed Bennylyn on the body with a knife as well as repeatedly striking her on the head with a hammer and the handle of the blade. The indictment alleges Innes murdered Jellica and that he did 'asphyxiate her by means unknown'. Innes also faces a charge of attempting to defeat the ends of justice. This includes a claim that he wrapped Ms Burke's body in a bin bag, blanket and tarpaulin and then concealed the corpse in concrete under the kitchen floor. Jellica's body is also said to have been hidden there. Prosecutors say Innes told police investigating Ms Burke's whereabouts that he had driven her, Jellica and another child to the Old Inns Cafe in Cumbernauld, Lanarkshire on February 28. He told the officers that he left them with an 'unknown male' and had no contact with them afterwards, the court heard. An undated handout photo issued by Police Scotland of Jellica. The alleged murders are said to have occurred between February 20 and March 5 this year Police outside the house on Troon Avenue in Dundee on March 8. Prosecutors further accuse Innes of assaulting, raping and attempting to rape another child Innes also allegedly pretended to a young girl that Bennylyn was in hospital and Jellica was in Bristol. He is separately accused of assaulting, raping and attempting to rape a child as well as detaining her against her will at a house in Dundee. These further alleged offences are also said to have occurred between February 20 and March 5 this year. Innes had no lawyer acting for him in court. The nature of the charges means he must get legal representation for any possible trial. Prosecutor Alex Prentice QC told the court: 'I understand that he [Innes] has made an application for legal aid and that was refused. Forensic officers outside the property in Dundee. Innes had no lawyer acting for him in court. The nature of the charges means he must get legal representation for any possible trial Forensic tents pictured outside the property in Scotland on March 9. It is claimed Innes stabbed Bennylyn on the body with a knife as well as repeatedly striking her on the head with a hammer and the handle of the blade Flowers and a teddy bear left at the entrance to Troon Avenue on March 9. The case was adjourned until a further hearing in December 'He has instructed an Edinburgh solicitor [Stephen Knowles] on a very limited mandate. 'I have been in touch with the solicitor in person today and he has knowledge of the case. 'My understanding is [Innes] does not intend to instruct legal representation for further hearings. The Crown then moves that Mr Knowles is appointed by the court.' Lord Armstrong confirmed with Innes that Mr Prentice's statements were correct. The judge continued: 'Given the nature of the case, I am going to formally appoint a solicitor. You have no difficulty with that?' Innes replied: 'That is correct.' The case was adjourned until a further hearing in December. Emmanuel Macron has said that Europe must boost its defence and end its 'naivety' in his first remarks since Australia snubbed their submarine deal in favour of a new security pact with the US and the UK. The French president was speaking as he announced a multi-billion euro deal to sell three of the country's state-of-the-art Belharra frigates to Greece. 'Europeans must come out of their naivety,' Macron said at a news conference on Tuesday alongside Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Elysee Palace. 'When we are under pressure, ... showing that we also have power and the capacity to defend ourselves ... is simply making ourselves be respected.' As part of the Aukus alliance, Australia shredded a $65billion-deal to buy diesel-electric submarines from France, in favour of nuclear submarine technology provided by Britain and America. 'Europeans must come out of their naivety,' Macron said at a news conference on Tuesday alongside Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Elysee Palace 'Today is a historic day for Greece and France. We have decided to upgrade our bilateral defensive cooperation,' Mitsotakis said. An artists impression of France's new warship, the Belharra. First steel was cut in October 2019 and the lead ship is projected to be laid down in November 2021 An incandescent Macron recalled his ambassadors to both Canberra and Washington as a furious reaction to the pact. Ambassador Philippe Etienne will go back to Washington on Wednesday with a 'clear mandate,' Macron said. Macron stressed that he and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed last week in a phone call to open in-depth consultations aimed at creating the conditions for ensuring confidence between the longtime allies. Macron said he is to talk again with Biden in mid-October, before a scheduled in-person meeting at the end of next month in Europe. The U.S. are 'great historical friends and allies in terms of values, but we must see that for more than 10 years the Americans first focus on themselves and have strategic interests reoriented toward China and the Pacific,' Macron said. 'We must, as Europeans, take our part in our own protection,' he added. 'It is not an alternative to the alliance with the U.S. nor a substitute for it,' he stressed, adding that European defence plans should come in addition to NATO. The French deal with Greece was inked less than two weeks after Macron was left reeling by the Aukus announcement. He called Athens' decision to buy the Belharra ships 'a sign of confidence' in France's defence industry, against competition notably from the American group Lockheed Martin, according to press reports. The deal marks 'an audacious first step towards European strategic autonomy', Macron said. 'It contributes to European security and the reinforcement of Europe's strategic autonomy and sovereignty, and therefore to international peace and security,' Macron said. The French leader has long insisted that Europe needs to develop its own defence capabilities and no longer be so reliant on the United States, even warning that NATO was undergoing 'brain death'. An incandescent Macron had recalled his ambassadors to both Canberra and Washington (Biden pictured left) as a result of the news. Boris Johnson (right) had his blushes spared on that occasion 'Today is a historic day for Greece and France. We have decided to upgrade our bilateral defensive cooperation,' Mitsotakis said. He said the agreement involves 'mutual support' and 'joint action at all levels,' as well as an option to purchase a fourth frigate. No financial details were provided on the value of the deal, but the ships are set to be delivered starting in 2024. An artists impression of the new state-of-the-art French frigate the Belharra The accord did not include the sale of any French Gowind corvettes, a possibility that had been evoked in Greek media reports. 'The construction by France of this state-of-the-art equipment contributes to an ambitious European defence,' said French Defence Minister Florence Parly. Mitsotakis added that the French deal would not affect talks on extending a longstanding defence cooperation agreement between Greece and Washington, despite the tensions sparked between the EU and Washington after the Australia submarines row. The agreement is 'not antagonistic' to the Greek-US relationship, he said, citing how 'France stood by us during difficult times in the summer of 2020', a reference to Turkey's challenging of Greek territorial rights in the Aegean Sea. Macron added that the frigate sale was not meant to be seen as a threat against Ankara, but a means to jointly ensure security in the Mediterranean as well as in North Africa, the Middle East and the Balkans. Greece and France had already roused Ankara's ire in January, when they signed a 2.5-billion-euro ($3 billion) deal for 18 Rafale jets - 12 used and six new - as part of a burgeoning arms programme to counter Turkish ambitions. A French Rafale fighter jet performs during an airshow at Tanagra air base, north of Athens, on Saturday, September 4 A French Rafale fighter jet performs during an airshow at Tanagra air base, north of Athens, on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021. The performance is part of an annual airshow, known as Athens Flying Week, which hosts aerobatic teams from several countries Earlier this month, Mitsotakis surprised many observers with plans to buy an additional six Rafale jets, bringing the total order to 24. 'It's not directed against anyone,' Macron said. 'It allows more efficient and coordinated action for peace, cooperation and stability, in an international order founded on the rule of law and the full respect of commitments.' Macron also vowed that the US-Australia pact would not impact France's strategy for the Indo-Pacific region, where China has made no secret of its desire to exercise significant military sway. 'We have one million fellow citizens who live in this region, and over 8,000 soldiers deployed there,' Macron said, referring to France's presence through several overseas territories in the region. He added, however, that 'Europeans must stop being naive' regarding geopolitical competition, while confirming that France's ambassador to Washington, called home in the wake of the subs crisis, would return on Wednesday. A leading epidemiologist has admitted she's 'worried' about Queensland's new Covid outbreak, fearing that after several near-misses in the Sunshine State the virus may finally start to spiral out-of-control as it has in New South Wales and Victoria. Professor Nancy Baxter told The Project what makes Tuesday's four new cases so alarming is that they have all emerged from three different clusters suggesting there may be more infections spreading in the community. The Delta variant, more contagious than the version of coronavirus detected in Wuhan at the start of the pandemic, is the predominant strain in Australia - which makes it even more difficult to keep outbreaks under control. The state's contact tracers are now racing against time to try and stop the virus in time for Sunday's first-ever NRL Grand Final played in Queensland, with more than 50,000 spectators are set to pack into Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium. Professor Baxter warned if other case stop popping up, showing the virus has spread among the community, health chiefs will be left with no choice but to lockdown the city - putting the game in jeopardy. The state's contact tracers are now racing against time to try and stop the virus in time for Sunday's first-ever NRL Grand Final played in Queensland - where over 50,000 spectators are set to pack into Brisbane 's Suncorp Stadium. Pictured: Penrith Panthers supporters at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on September 25, 2021 'I'm quite worried,' the University of Melbourne Professor told the program. 'There are actually three different clusters in the community. One was related to hotel quarantine, but the other two have been in the community while infectious. 'There was someone who worked in the airline industry and may have been in contact with pilots and there was also a truck driver. 'The truck driver was at a number of shared accommodations and there are lots of people there that could have been exposed and could have gone on to spread it further.' The fully-vaccinated aviation training worker from Brisbane, along with his wife, are both mystery cases who have been infectious in the community for at least three days. An unvaccinated truck driver staying in accommodation with shared kitchen and bathroom facilities is thought to have been infectious in the community for eight days. The other case is a man who returned a positive test after emerging from hotel quarantine. Authorities are most concerned about the truck driver who stayed at The Royal Albert and The Metropolitan and the Adalong Guesthouse in South Brisbane. Adalong Guest House in South Brisbane (pictured) is across the road from a school and adjacent to a major hospital Police tape is seen outside the Adalong Guest House in South Brisbane on Tuesday after it was named a high-risk Covid site Queensland has remained relatively free from coronavirus with harsh interstate border measures in place for most of the pandemic. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has opted to call immediate lockdowns at the first sign of any cases in the past but at this stage the government are holding off on a stay-at-home declaration. Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said there is a 'reasonable level of concern' about the emerging cases. 'We will be keeping a very, very close eye on what happens over the next 24 to 48 hours to see if we need additional restrictions,' she said. 'At this stage I do not think a lockdown is warranted. That could change,' she said. Professor Baxter (left) said the next few days will be critical for Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's government (right) Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said there is a 'reasonable level of concern' about the emerging cases in Queensland but at this stage they are holding off declaring stay-at-home orders Professor Baxter said the next few days will be critical, particularly with the Penrith Panthers set to take on the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the rugby-league mad state's first NRL decider. 'They will learn a lot of information over the next 24 hours,' she said. 'Hopefully they won't regret that they didn't go into lockdown sooner, but we need to know a little bit about how things have spread before you make a decision like that.' She suspects a decision about whether the Grand Final will go ahead with be made by Thursday with an alternative venue in Townsville a possibility. 'I think they can make that decision quickly, but there will be a number of disappointed fans, because it is not as big a venue,' Professor Baxter said. 'Either they will be lucky and there won't have been transmission or they will be unlucky and there will have been transmission. 'If there has been (transmission) a lockdown is on the cards and at minimum they're not going to allow a stadium full of 50,000 screaming fans.' Spectators are seen during the NRL Preliminary Final match between Melbourne Storm and Penrith Panthers at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane, Saturday, September 25, 2021 Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, will testify before the Senate Armed Service Committee Tuesday, marking their first public testimony since the U.S. completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan. The two leaders will then testify before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday. Gen. Frank McKenzie, who as head of Central Command oversaw the withdrawal, will testify as well. The leaders are expected to face sharp questions from lawmakers about the chaotic pullout and whether they anticipated the Taliban's rapid takeover of the country - in advance of the U.S.'s August 30 withdrawal date. Republicans in particular have intensified their attacks on President Joe Bidens decision to pull all troops out of Afghanistan by the end of last month, saying it left the U.S. more vulnerable to terrorism. They are demanding more details on the suicide bombing in Kabul that killed 13 American service members in the final days of the withdrawal. Although Tuesday's hearing was scheduled to focus on Afghanistan, other topics will likely come up, including Milley's actions during the final months of Trump's presidency. Some in Congress have accused Milley of disloyalty for what the book 'Peril,' by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, reported as assurances to a Chinese general that the U.S. had no plan to attack China, and that if it did, Milley would warn him in advance. Milley took a series of extraordinary actions after the Jan. 6th Capitol riot because he was concerned an 'unstable' Trump might undertake military action in a desperate bid to stay in office, the book claims. The efforts included Milley as the top ranking military officer meeting with top military officials in the Pentagon two days after the MAGA riot and telling them to keep him in the process for all military actions, including the use of nuclear weapons. It also involved outreach to Milley's counterpart in the Chinese military to provide reassurances the US would not strike its rival, according to the book. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (left) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley (right) are appearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, along with Gen. Frank McKenzie Gen. Frank McKenzie (pictured), who as head of Central Command, oversaw the withdrawal as well as an Aug. 29 drone strike that he later called a tragic mistake The Senate committee's ranking Republican, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, has peppered the Pentagon with a lengthy list of questions about multiple aspects of the withdrawal, including the suicide bombing on Aug. 26 at Kabul's international airport that killed 169 Afghans in addition to the American service members. He also is demanding information about decision-making over the summer as it became apparent that the Taliban were overwhelming U.S.-backed Afghan forces. 'We need a full accounting of every factor and decision that led us to where we are today and a real plan for defending America moving forward,' Inhofe wrote last week. The withdrawal ended the longest war in U.S. history. The Biden administration, and some Democrats in Congress, have argued that former President Donald Trump bears some of the blame for the war ending in a Taliban victory, since his administration signed a deal with the Taliban in 2020 that promised a full American withdrawal by May 2021. They also have pointed to a yearslong U.S. failure to build an Afghan military that could stand up to the Taliban. 'This is not a Democratic or a Republican problem. These failures have been manifesting over four presidential administrations of both political parties,' Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, said the day after the Taliban took over Kabul on Aug. 15. Afghan refugees are packed onto a C-19 Globemaster III military aircraft during last month's messy withdrawal from Afghanistan This image from August 26 shows the chaotic scene outside Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport In the days following news accounts of the book's reporting, Milley declined to comment in detail, instead telling reporters that he would lay out his answers directly to Congress. His only comments have been that the calls with the Chinese were routine and within the duties and responsibilities of his job. Both Milley and Austin have defended the U.S. military's execution of an Afghanistan withdrawal that Biden ordered in April. The pullout was largely completed by early July, but several hundred troops were kept in Kabul, along with some defensive equipment, to protect a U.S. diplomatic presence in the capital. The State Department initially said the diplomats would remain after the military withdrawal was completed by Aug. 31, but when the Afghan forces collapsed and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, leaving the Taliban in charge, a frantic evacuation began. The Pentagon has defended its execution of an airlift from Kabul airport that transported more than 120,000 people, while acknowledging that it got off to a chaotic start and was under near-constant threat of terrorist attack. 'The Biden administrations avalanche of incompetence has damaged our international reputation and humiliated the United States on the world stage,' Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, both Republicans, wrote in the Des Moines Register. 'Yet, our president and secretary of state continue to pretend that the withdrawal from Afghanistan was a historic success.' Cotton and others have questioned the viability of U.S. plans to contain al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate by using intelligence-collection assets and attack planes based outside of Afghanistan. Russia has reported its highest one-day Covid death toll of the whole pandemic as cases of the virus also spike. The country saw 852 Covid deaths on Tuesday, the government said, which comes after more than two months of reporting around 770 deaths per day amid widespread suspicion the figures were being massaged. Russia's Covid cases, which had been in decline since mid-July according to official statistics, have also been rising sharply in the last two weeks and on Tuesday hit 21,559, up from to 18,796 a week before. The rise in both cases and deaths come a little over a week after elections were held - which Putin's party won amid claims of 'unprecedented' fraud. Russia has been reporting around 770 Covid deaths a day for more than two months (pictured), but on Tuesday suddenly reported that the death toll had shot up to 852 After almost two months of decline, Covid cases have also started rising sharply in recent weeks - coinciding with the dates of the Russian parliamentary elections Dmitry Peskov, Putin's spokesman, has denied plans to reintroduce lockdowns to combat cases - saying only that the situation is being watched 'closely'. But Mozhem Obyasnit, an investigative newspaper that has been banned in Russia in the past, recently reported that at least six of the country's 85 regions have begun reimposing restrictions to bring case totals down. Lockdown measures including closing shops and forcing children to learn from home were put in place 'immediately' after the elections took place, the paper said. The newspaper also quoted a source close to state government who said 'the return of quarantine was discussed back in August, but these measures, at the request of the Kremlin, had to be postponed until the end of the elections to the State Duma.' Russia has long been suspected of massaging its Covid figures and uses a particularly strict definition of what constitutes a Covid death - requiring a full autopsy to be carried out. But eyebrows were raised further than usual when, in mid-July after a month of soaring deaths, Russia's official count suddenly plateaued around 770 deaths a day. Despite developing one of the world's first Covid vaccines, Russia has fully jabbed less than a third of its population - with half saying they won't get jabbed at all That is despite the fact that Rosstat, the national statistics agency, continued publishing data that showed Covid deaths were double the official tolls. Similar plateaus have been seen before in data published in Moscow, where they are referred to as Soybanins Shelf - after Moscow mayor Sergey Sobyanin. Alexey Raksha, a data analyst who used to work for Rosstat, told ABC that such plateaus are 'just impossible' when it comes to natural data. Based on excess mortality data published by Rosstat - which hoovers up all deaths above seasonal averages - Raksha estimated Russia's true Covid death toll was nearing 500,000 by early August. By the end of September, he said, the country's toll will be 'at least 700,0000.' Russia has been hit particularly hard by the Delta variant of Covid because, despite developing the world's first vaccine for the disease which tests show is effective, it has fully vaccinated less than a third of its population. Polls show Russians are hugely vaccine-skeptic, with more than half saying they will not get inoculated against the disease. The Kremlin initially set a goal of fully inoculating 60 percent of Russia's population by September, but later dropped that target even though free jabs have been available since early December. Putin has been forced to deny rumours about his own health after several members of his inner circle got sick, with the Kremlin releasing images of him on a camping trip this week (pictured) in an apparent attempt to reassure people As of Tuesday, only 28 per cent of the population had been fully vaccinated, according to the Gogov website, which tallies Covid data from the regions. Putin himself has been affected, with the Kremlin forced to deny he is having heath troubles after several members of his inner circle got infected. The Russian president abandoned a scheduled trip to Tajikistan earlier this month after going into self-isolation and did not campaign in person during the parliamentary elections. But spokesman Peskov flatly denied that Putin himself had been ill, saying he was fully vaccinated with Russia's Sputnik V jab back in April. Asked if Putin tested negative for the virus, Peskov said: 'Of course, yes.' He did not say who among Putin's contacts were infected, saying only that there were 'several' cases. Just last week, the Kremlin released photos which they said showed Putin during a camping trip to Siberia earlier this month - apparently an attempt to allay health fears which bolstering his strongman image. They showed him trekking through a remote area of Siberia, as well as fishing and hunting with defence minister Sergei Shoigu. A British Army Sergeant sexually assaulted his colleague's girlfriend as the couple slept in a bed together, a court martial has heard. Sergeant Deswarao Gunputh is accused of groping the young woman from the end of her and her soldier boyfriend's bed following a drunken night out. The woman, a civilian in her early 20s, told a court martial she was 'shocked' as she woke up at 2am and felt someone molesting her but saw her boyfriend asleep next to her. She also said she felt her alleged attacker's 'stiff' hair which had 'too much product' as he crouched down at the end of the bed. Lieutenant Colonel Dave Cotton, prosecuting, said it was Sgt Gunputh's 'spiky' hair that she felt and that his DNA was found on the woman. Sgt Gunputh denies assaulting the woman, insisting she was 'flirting' with him on the night out and claiming that his DNA was transferred to her as they 'held hands'. Sgt Gunputh, of 1 Regiment Army Air Corps, denies sexual assault by penetration following the alleged incident at Wattisham Airfield, Suffolk. Bulford Military Court, Wilts, heard Sgt Gunputh met his colleague and his girlfriend at an onsite bar at the airfield for an Army night out. Sgt Gunputh denies assaulting the woman, insisting she was 'flirting' with him earlier on They drank tequila shots before heading to Ipswich, Suffolk, for drinks and later got an Uber back to the base - with the 'very intoxicated' woman falling asleep in the car next to her boyfriend. She told the court: 'We got an Uber back at half past midnight. We had been out for around four hours. 'Me and [my boyfriend] went back to his block... I don't remember going to bed because I had been drinking. 'I was woken up by the feeling of someone touching me. It was uncomfortable, strange and worrying... I was not fully awake and I woke up in a haze. 'I realised [my boyfriend] was next to me, so it must have been a third person in the room. I had my hand out searching and I touched their hair. '[The hair felt] like when someone uses too much product... it was almost stiff, like hay. [The room] was really dark - I opened my eyes but couldn't see anything. Bulford Military Court where the court martial into the alleged sexual assault is being heard 'I was shocked because I knew it couldn't be [my boyfriend] and there shouldn't have been anyone else in the room. 'They jumped back and left the room and I heard a door shut. After the person left I was really confused. 'I was trying to wake [my boyfriend] up to talk to me and help - but he was in a deep sleep.' The victim told the court she then realised her 'pants were only on one leg', and went to check the corridor before locking the door to the room. 'I went into the bathroom and all I remember is sitting on the floor and crying,' she said. 'I didn't want anybody to know. Me and [my boyfriend] were meant to be moving there and I didn't want people to treat me differently. 'I didn't want people to think I was making it all up... I didn't want my family to know. I still haven't told my family.' Her boyfriend reported the alleged sexual assault the following morning. Prosecutor Lt Col Cotton said: '[The victim] paid Sgt Gunputh no more attention [on the night out] than you would expect - she was there with her boyfriend. 'Sgt Gunputh says she was flirting with him, including physical contact. Forensics show a DNA profile matching Sgt Gunputh was present. 'He chose to believe that [the victim] fancied him. She didn't get a good look at [the person in the room, but] it was Sgt Gunputh's spiky hair she felt.' The trial, which is expected to last a week, continues. A painkiller prescribed to millions of unsuspecting patients is ruining the lives of young Australians and tearing their heartbroken families apart. A box of the highly-addictive painkiller Lyrica, manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, can be purchased from chemists across Australia for as little as $6. While millions of scripts for the cheap and accessible drug continue to be filled by doctors, Lyrica has left a growing number of Australians wishing they had never popped their first pill. A box of the painkiller Lyrica, manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Pfizer, can be purchased from chemists around Australia for as little as $6 (pictured, a box of Lyrica) Christalla Andreadis, 52, was first introduced to Lyrica after she suffered severe spinal injuries in a horror car crash back in 2017. The finance broker used the drug in an attempt to numb her chronic pain and said doctors continued to increase her dosage until she was taking 450mg a day. Ms Andreadis told A Current Affair if she had known what she does today about the dangerous pills she would never have taken it. It's taken two years to wean herself off the high dosage but the broker admits she still takes a small amount to feed her debilitating addiction. 'It has taken every ounce, every fibre of my being to try and come off it,' she said. 'Where does this end. I can't see light at the end of the tunnel, I really can't.' Christalla Andreadis, 52, (right) was first introduced to the painkiller after she suffered severe spinal injuries in a car crash in 2017 and said the drug 'digs its claws into your soul' The finance broker (right) used Lyrica in an attempt to numb her chronic pain and said doctors continued to increase her dosage until she was taking 450mg a day WHAT IS LYRICA? *Lyrica is a pain medication prescribed to patients to control epileptic seizures or treat nerve pain *It is also known as Pregabalin and is manufactured by Pfizer *It was first introduced to Australian doctors as a pain medication in 2013 *The medication is not recommended for use in children aged under 18 years *The usual dose range is 150 mg per day to 600 mg per day given in two divided doses *Stopping the drug suddenly can cause withdrawal symptoms *These can include sleeplessness, headache, nausea and anxiety Source: NPS MedicineWise Advertisement It was the same heartbreaking reality for Gayle Wilson's daughter Anita who before being prescribed with Lyrica was described as a bright and bubbly young woman. The 33-year-old started taking the drug after she had her wisdom teeth removed in 2017 but soon became addicted to to the pills and began to self-medicate. Gayle said her daughter was taking a lethal combination of opioids and 350mg of Lyrica a day, leaving her completely exhausted and barely able to function. Her concerned mother began filming Anita falling asleep while standing up or face-down at a table, in hopes the confronting footage would shake her awake. Gayle said she went to her daughter's GP in hopes he could find a solution but left the appointment feeling disillusioned. 'He gave her exactly what she wanted because of her addiction. As many tablets as she could possibly get, and he gave it to her,' she said. Anita died of an overdose last year leaving her bereft mother convinced she could have done more to save her. 'I feel as though I failed her,' an emotional Gayle said as she held back tears. 'I couldn't find anything else to do to keep her alive.' It was the same heartbreaking reality for Gayle Wilson's daughter Anita who before being prescribed with Lyrica was described as a bright and bubbly young woman Gayle's 33-year-old daughter Anita (pictured) started taking the drug after she had her wisdom teeth removed in 2017, but soon became addicted to the painkiller and began to self-medicate Lyrica, also known as Pregabalin, was originally prescribed to treat patients with epilepsy and nerve pain but has since been used to treat other conditions. The drug was added to Australia's pharmaceutical benefits scheme in 2013, with Pfizer forking out millions to market the drug to GP's across the nation. Scripts for the drug have grown from 36,000 in 2012 to four million in 2018. Lyrica survivors claim they were given no warning of the potential side effects when they were first prescribed the addictive painkiller. Several patients who attempted to wean themselves off the drug said they experienced dark suicidal thoughts that left them unable to get out of bed. Lyrica was added to Australia's pharmaceutical benefits scheme in 2013, with Pfizer forking out millions to market the drug to GP's across the nation (stock image of a box of Lyrica) Others said the withdrawal symptoms were comparable to those of a heroin addict. Sydney Psychiatrist Dr Tanveer Ahmed compared the drug to 'Santa Claus in a pill'. Dr Ahmed said the restrictions placed on other pain medications like codeines and opioids had left a gap in the market for a cheap and accessible pill like Lyrica. 'There really is very little restriction, you can go and get a repeat at a pharmacy without question, you can go to doctors and there is very little monitoring,' he said. He said those addicted to the painkillers required a multi-disciplinary team of experts that had to be resourced by health authorities. The restrictions placed on other pain medications like codeines and opioids in Australia had left a gap in the market for a cheap and accessible drug like Lyrica (pictured) The psychiatrist said access to this kind of holistic team support required a waiting list and was particularly hard to get in outer-metropolitan and regional areas. 'We as a medical community, but also the broader community didn't think it was addictive, didn't think it was that dangerous,' he said. 'We now get taught if you give someone Lyrica almost expect them to take double the amount you've given them.' When contacted by A Current Affair, Pfizer directed questions to Viatris, a company that emerged late last year after Pfizer division joined forces with another pharmaceutical company. However, Pfizer's branding is still printed on the packaging of Lyrica boxes. Jenny Chapman said she believes it is increasingly likely the UK Government will trigger a Brexit bust up with the EU Keir Starmer's Brexit chief has predicted the Government will trigger a major bust up with the European Union in an attempt to distract from the fuel crisis. Jenny Chapman, the shadow minister for the Cabinet Office, said ministers are in a 'sticky situation' and they will not be 'enjoying the headlines or the sight of people queuing at petrol stations'. Ms Chapman said that makes it 'more likely' that her counterpart, Lord Frost, will opt to unilaterally suspend some of the post-Brexit border checks in Northern Ireland. The Government has repeatedly threatened to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol and tear up parts of the agreement amid an ongoing stalemate with the bloc over how to smooth the implementation of the new arrangements. Ms Chapman said she believes ministers 'will like the drama' of the move which would prompt a furious response from the EU. The protocol, agreed as part of the Brexit divorce deal, requires checks on goods travelling from GB to Northern Ireland to be carried out at ports in order to avoid the return of a land border with the Republic. But it has caused disruption to trade and angered unionists who have demanded the rules be scrapped, arguing they create a barrier between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. The UK wants to renegotiate the terms of the protocol but the EU is only willing to make tweaks. Ms Chapman said that makes it 'more likely' that her counterpart, Lord Frost, will opt to unilaterally suspend some of the post-Brexit border checks in Northern Ireland. The Northern Ireland Protocol, agreed as part of the Brexit divorce deal, requires checks on goods travelling from GB to Northern Ireland to be carried out at ports in order to avoid the return of a land border with the Republic Boris Johnson has repeatedly threatened to trigger Article 16 of the protocol to unilaterally ditch some of the rules if the two sides cannot agree a way forward. Lord Frost said earlier this month that the EU would be making a 'significant mistake' if it believes Britain is not willing to trigger the mechanism. Ms Chapman told a fringe event at Labour's annual conference in Brighton that she believes ministers could escalate the row with Brussels to ease pressure over domestic problems. She said: I have become quite cynical about the way the Government handles these things, it may shock you to know. But I do think the Government is really in a sticky situation at the moment, they are not enjoying the headlines or the sight of people queuing at petrol stations. They will not enjoy the fact that the Labour Party, against everyones predictions, is actually having quite a good conference, the atmosphere is good, Keir will give a great speech tomorrow and it will be well received and they wont like it. And the polls are tightening as a result and I think that, I am ashamed to to say this about our government, but I think that makes it more likely that they will want to trigger Article 16 when actually they could take other routes. But they will like the drama of it and they will seek to use that to further their own party political advantage and that should shock nobody in this room because that is exactly how they have managed these negotiations for a very long time. Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy told the same event that she believes triggering Article 16 would be 'deeply unhelpful'. Ms Nandy said the 'constant stream of threats' from ministers to tear up parts of the Brexit deal 'is really starting to damage trust and our reputation around the world'. A majority of Americans have little to no trust in President Joe Biden to provide accurate information on the coronavirus or the pandemic, a new poll released Tuesday finds. The September installment of the Ipsos/Axios poll marks the first time Biden is grappling with a trust deficit among US voters in his presidency. Some 53 percent of Americans say they have 'not very much' trust or 'none at all' in Biden to provide accurate COVID-19 information. Just 45 percent say they have a 'great deal' or a 'fair amount' of trust in him. The president sat down in front of cameras yesterday to get his COVID-19 booster shot in a bid to encourage Americans over age 65 and others who qualify to get inoculated again. He's spent much of his eight months in office working to convince unvaccinated Americans to get the shot, but took a firmer hand early in September when he announced a sweeping vaccination order affecting roughly 100 million Americans. It came after a summer COVID surge that coincided with a slowdown in new vaccinations. Biden faces a trust deficit among Americans on COVID-19 information for the first time during his presidency, according to an Ipsos/Axios poll Biden got his COVID-19 booster shot on live television on Monday afternoon Fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant, largely-unvaccinated areas of the country once again saw record-high hospitalizations and infections that strained healthcare systems to near-breaking points. Tuesday's poll, taken from September 24 to September 27, shows Biden taking a 13-point hit since January when he promised as commander-in-chief to steer the nation out of the pandemic. Just after he was inaugurated, a significant 58 percent of Americans trusted Biden to provide accurate COVID information. Only 42 percent had little to no trust. The drop-off from the beginning of Biden's honeymoon phase is most significant among Independent voters. Fifty-nine percent of Independents trusted Biden on COVID when he first came into office. Now just 42 percent do. But the slide occurred across all parties. In January 92 percent of Democrats trusted Biden to provide accurate COVID pandemic information, compared to 81 percent in September. Republicans experienced a similar loss of trust in Biden from 21 percent to 11 percent. Biden saw a 13-point drop in trust from his highest point in January when he first took office But Americans' issues don't end with Biden - just 49 percent trust the federal government as a whole to relay accurate pandemic information, down from 54 percent two weeks prior. In regards to dealing with the pandemic themselves, the survey found that more people are beginning to feel bolder about going out to restaurants and taking mass transit. A poll from mid-September even reflected Americans getting behind Biden's announcement that all federal workers must be vaccinated and businesses with 100 or more employees have to enact vaccine mandates or weekly testing. Sixty percent of Americans backed the federal mandate. Slightly less but still a majority, 57 percent, of employed Americans supported their own employers requiring vaccines in the office. The disparity between Americans' enthusiasm for vaccines and returning to normal and their trust in Biden as a messenger is more significant as the pandemic continues. 'Delta and other issues have really undermined the public's perception' of how much they can trust Biden when he says the end is in sight, according to Ipsos US public affairs president Cliff Young told Axios. The US saw a summer COVID surge fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant Deaths also began increasing in parts of the US with largely unvaccinated populations The rise in cases coincided with a late spring to early summer decline in vaccinations 'He won on COVID, he surfed the first six months on COVID, but he's being challenged by it now because there's not a clear resolution in sight.' Young explained, 'People have adapted. They have countermeasures they trust. But we're still in the middle of it. It hasn't gone away. You have to wear masks everywhere. It's doable, but it makes you frustrated.' Americans are growing more disappointed with Biden's job in the White House in general. Poll aggregation site FiveThirtyEight puts the president's disapproval rating more than three points higher than his approval, at 48.8 percent disapproving to just 45.3 percent approving. His approval crossed below his disapproval in late August amid the US's chaotic military withdrawal from Afghanistan and has been growing ever since. Biden's disapproval rating at this point in his term is lower than that of any past president since Harry Truman when the data tracking began, except for Donald Trump. Only Trump and Gerald Ford had lower approval ratings at this point in their tenures. An alliance of tech businesses, advertisers and publishers has lodged a formal complaint with the European Union over Google's next generation of its controversial digital advertising system. The group, Movement for an Open Web (MOW), claims the new system, which will be an overhaul of how adverts work on the Chrome browser, is hugely anti-competitive. Google is planning to replace so-called third party cookies with a new 'Privacy Sandbox'. It means that instead of these traditional cookies, where advertisers can track individuals across the websites they visit, users will be split into cohorts. But MOW claims this would restrict open web competition by reducing the amount of information other tech, advertising and publishing firms can gather on users. MOW said the Privacy Sandbox will impair independent analytics, advertising, fraud detection, data services, performance optimisation and other open web features. It said the California firm will also increase the value of data it gets from sources uniquely available to it through integrated services such as search functions. Google is planning to replace so-called third party cookies with a new 'Privacy Sandbox'. The company's headquarters at Mountain View in California are pictured MOW's complaint, which was filed last week, follows another it made in November 2020 to the UK's Competition and Markets Authority. This saw Google respond in June this year by offering a series of 'commitments' which placed the development of the Privacy Sandbox under the CMA's supervision. What are the remedies offered by MOW to the European Commission? Movement for an Open Web has provided the European Commission with a series of potential remedies relating to Googles technology changes. These remedies are: 'Google providing the EU with oversight of Google's planned browser changes enabling privacy and competition assessments to be made by the EU and data protection authorities in line with Google's proposed remedy to the UK's Competition and Market Authority and Information Commissioner's Office' 'Obligation on Google to notify the EU in advance of all anticompetitive browser changes and similar measures' 'Google to introduce a certified compliance programme similar to that required of public corporations in the United States under the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation which requires regular independent audit and personal verification by Google management of compliance' 'Regular qualitative reviews by the EU in parallel with the CMA and market testing of the competitive impact of proposed changes' 'Oversight by data protection authorities is also needed to examine and satisfy themselves that privacy is being protected, and not merely being asserted by Google' Advertisement Today, MOW said it has provided the European Commission with evidence of Google's technology changes and how they impact choice and competition. MOW added that it has outlined potential remedies and wants the EU to promote independent data management to allow increased privacy and diversity. These remedies include Google providing the EU with oversight of its planned browser changes, and an obligation to notify the EU in advance of all 'anti-competitive browser changes'. It also wants Google to introduce a certified compliance programme requiring regular independent audit and personal verification of compliance by Google management. Two other remedies are regular qualitative reviews by the EU in parallel with the CMA, and oversight by data protection authorities to satisfy themselves that privacy is being protected. James Rosewell, director of MOW, said today: 'The internet was originally envisaged as an open environment outside the control of any single body. 'Google maintains it is making these changes to protect privacy but if not properly policed, the move threatens digital media, online privacy and innovation. Solutions aligned to laws - not self-serving misuse of the web architecture by the members of Big Tech such as Google - are needed. 'More people, surrendering more personal data to fewer companies doesn't improve anyone's privacy while stifling competition and boosting their huge profits even further.' Tim Cowen, chair of the antitrust practice at law firm Preiskel & Co in London and a legal advisor to MOW, added: 'We're asking that the EU Commission create a level playing field for all digital businesses, to maintain and protect an open web. Google says they're strengthening 'privacy' for end users but they're not - what they're really proposing is a creepy data mining party.' MOW, previously called Marketers for an Open Web, is an alliance of leading tech, advertising, and publishing firms campaigning to maintain open web competition. The new system will be a major overhaul of how ads work on Google's Chrome browser Separately, Google's lawyers are this week fighting a 3.7billion anti-trust EU fine following deals it made with Android phone makers regarding search functionality. Google has not yet responded to a request for comment by MailOnline today, but did make a series of commitments to the CMA in June. At the time, Google committed to develop and implement the new changes in a way that does not distort competition or imposes unfair terms on users of Chrome. The company has also promised increased transparency on how and when it will implement its new proposals and how it will assess them. It said there would be no data advantage for Google advertising products under its proposals, and its products or own sites would not have preferential treatment. Advertisement At least five employees were injured after an explosion at a petrochemical plant near the Louisiana-Texas border Monday night sent thick bands of toxic smoke into the sky. The blast happened at Westlake Chemicals Petro Complex 2 Unit in the small city of Sulphur at around 11pm, state police say. There have been no reports of fatalities as of Tuesday morning and it is unclear what caused the blast. A company spokesman told Lake Charles station KPLC that the complex was undergoing maintenance at the time and that the explosion caused a flash fire with no sustained flames. It's unknown how many firefighters responded. A Facebook video posted by user Shawn Carter at 12.27am, an hour and a half after authorities say the explosion took place, shows thick smoke rising from the plant as first responders surround the scene. One person commented: 'It shook my whole house. scared me.' A 'flash fire' took place after an explosion at a chemical plant that makes ethylene in Sulphur, Louisiana late Monday night Five 'contract employees' were taken to the hospital, state police says. It is unclear what caused the explosion as of Tuesday The facility makes ethylene, a hydrocarbon used in textiles and plastics that may cause harm when inhaled, officials say The EPA has found that ethylene oxide, believed to be made at the plant above on Highway 108, is carcinogenic when inhaled Sulphur is home to 20,000 people. It's just 9 mi west of Lake Charles and about 24 mi east of the Louisiana border with Texas 'I'm working in here i felt it in my chest,' someone else added. The facility makes ethylene, which the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers calls the 'world's most important chemical.' It's made by heating up oil or natural gas with steam to 'crack apart' molecular bonds, which sends ethylene rising up, the group says on its website. The hydrocarbon is then used to make plastics as in polyethylene, polyester and synthetic rubber. The Environmental Protection Agency has found that ethylene oxide, used for antifreeze, textiles and detergents, is carcinogenic to humans when inhaled. The New Jersey Department of Health has found that ethylene can 'affect you when breathed in,' causing headaches, dizziness and confusion, but that it hasn't been studied for the possibility of causing cancer or chronic illness in humans. Westlake Chemical and the Louisiana State Police did not immediately respond to requests for comment from DailyMail.com. Earlier reports said six people were injured, but the number has not yet been confirmed. The city of Sulphur is home to 20,000. It's located just 9 miles west of the larger city of Lake Charles and about 24 miles from the border with Texas. A Melbourne duo has been charged over accusations they used fake Northern Territory driver's licences to enter Western Australia for the AFL Grand Final. Prahran bar owner Hayden Burbank, 49, and finance firm managing director Mark Babbage, 38, are alleged to have flown into Perth on September 22 after arriving in Darwin from Melbourne on September 14. They were pictured posing inside the Optus Stadium change rooms on Saturday with Melbourne player Alex Neal-Bullen after the side's drought-breaking premiership win. Melbourne duo Hayden Burbank and Mark Babbage have been charged after they allegedly used fake Northern Territory driver's licences to enter Western Australia for the AFL Grand Final The photo was posted on the AFL's official Instagram account. WA Police Commissioner Chris Dawson said they received an anonymous public tip-off the men had been in Victoria 14 days before arriving in the state. The pair were arrested at Bunker Bay in the state's southwest on Tuesday morning after police issued a public appeal to track them down. They will spend the night at the Perth Watch House before facing court on Wednesday morning charged with breaching the Emergency Management Act, which can attract fines of up to $50,000 and a maximum jail term of 12 months. Burbank (pictured left) was photographed celebrating the win beside Melbourne player Alex Neal-Bullen by an AFL photographer and it was uploaded on their official Instagram page 'We are alleging that they falsified documentation on the G2G applications, including driver's licenses to gain access to Western Australia,' Mr Dawson told reporters on Tuesday. 'So to say that this is disappointing is an understatement. How people could knowingly put others at risk in these times is selfish and contemptible.' One of the men has tested negative for COVID-19 and the other's result was inconclusive. He will be re-tested, with confirmation of the result expected overnight. Police had said they believed the pair toured the state's south west in a black Audi (pictured) Mr Dawson said health authorities believed the initial result was a false positive. 'We've had that situation from some of our country testing because the testing equipment is not the same as what we'll run through tonight,' he said. A woman, believed to be a WA resident, who was with Mr Burbank and Mr Babbage when they were arrested in the Margaret River region has also tested negative. She is unlikely to be charged. Two other Victorian men also entered WA via South Australia for the AFL Grand Final. One has returned home to Melbourne, while the other has been arrested and faced Perth Magistrates Court on Tuesday. He also returned a negative COVID-19 test result and will remain in custody until October 8. Will Smith said he disagrees with defunding the police 'because then people who help you won't' and instead, he would rather say 'defund the bad police' - just as he wishes people would call critical race theory 'truth theory'. 'This is a difficult area to discuss,' Smith said when talking about the Black Lives Matter movement. 'Anybody who tries to debate Black Lives Matter looks ridiculous,' he added. The 53-year-old Hollywood star told GQ that the slogan, which gained national attention in May of last year after George Floyd was murdered while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 'gets it done'. 'I feel like the simplicity of Black Lives Matter was perfect,' he said. However, he didn't express the same feelings towards the 'defund the police' movement that followed, and noted that changing the marketing would get more people to support the campaign. "'Defund the police" doesn't get it done, no matter how good the ideas are,' he told GQ. Will Smith said he disagrees with defunding the police 'because then people who help you won't' and instead, he would rather say 'defund the bad police' - just as he wishes people would call critical race theory 'truth theory' Smith expressed caution about the movement's goals. The movie star graced the November 2021 issue of the men's magazine and used it as a platform to 'speak his truth'. He said: "'Defund the police' doesn't get it done, no matter how good the ideas are. I'm not saying we shouldn't defund the police. I'm saying, just don't say that, because then people who would help you won't.' Smith also noted that as a Black American, he wants 'us to change our marketing for the new position we're in'. 'I would love if we would just say, "Defund the bad police,"' he said. 'So "critical race theory," just call it "truth theory,"' he added. He feels the change would 'capitalize on the moment or the future of Black Americans without discounting the difficulty and the pain and the emotion'. Smith noted, now that he's in his so-called 'f***-it 50s,' he feels he's reached a turning point in his 35-year career. Up until now, he recalled how he prioritized being an entertainer over being a spokesperson. 'In the early part of my career...I wanted to be a superhero,' he said, adding: 'I wanted to depict Black excellence alongside my white counterparts. I wanted to play roles that you would give Tom Cruise.' In an interview with GQ Smith said he's spent decades seeing himself as a coward and 'always avoided making films about slavery'. 'In the early part of my career...I wanted to be a superhero. I wanted to depict Black excellence alongside my white counterparts. I wanted to play roles that you would give Tom Cruise' He told GQ that for decades, he's seen himself as a coward. 'I've always avoided making films about slavery,' Smith said in the candid interview. 'I didn't want to show Black people in that light.' He said in the interview published Monday that's why he turned down the title role in Django Unchained, which then went to Jamie Foxx. Yet Smith is starring in the AppleTV+ film Emancipation, which tells the story of 'Whipped Peter,' the Black man whose scarred back is shown in one of the most famous photos of an enslaved American. Instead of seeing such a film as a 'slavery movie,' he said that 'it's also about perseverance'. 'This...was about love and the power of Black love, and that was something I could rock with,' he added. The 53-year-old Hollywood star told GQ that the 'Black Lives Matter' slogan, which gained national attention in May of last year after George Floyd was murdered while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 'gets it done' Democrats could drop a provision to raise the debt ceiling from a short term spending bill in order to avoid a government shutdown this week as the party weights its next steps during a crucial time for Joe Biden's presidency. 'It's among our plans,' Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters in the Capitol on Tuesday morning even as she declined to offer specifics on the next steps. 'We have a number of things on with the debt ceiling, keep government open. 'We have to do those imminently,' she noted. Democratic leaders are regrouping after Republicans on Monday blocked their short term spending bill because of the language to raise the debt limit. They hoped to knock out government funding and raising the government's $28.4 trillion borrowing cap - which expires in mid October - in one punch. But now have to come up with a Plan B. Additionally, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Pelosi are trying to move forward Biden's economic agenda: his $1.1 trillion infrastructure plan and his $3.5 trillion budget package filled with social programs at the same time. With the clock ticking down to a government shutdown Friday at midnight, the debt ceiling language may have to go - Republicans said they would vote for a 'clean' funding package that didn't have it. Adding to the pressure, Democrats Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen wrote to Congressional leaders on Tuesday morning to warn the government would run out of 'cash and extraordinary measures' in the next few weeks. 'We now estimate that Treasury is likely to exhaust its extraordinary measures if Congress has not acted to raise or suspend the debt limit by October 18,' she wrote. Schumer essentially dared Republicans to block Democrats from raising the debt limit when he announced Tuesday he will ask for unanimous consent to have a debt limit increase at a majority threshold - 50 votes - instead of the usual 60 vote margin to move legislation forward. "If Republicans really want to see the debt ceiling raised without providing a single vote, I'm prepared to have that vote,' Schumer said. "I can't imagine the Republican leader will object to his own request,' he added. But unanimous consent means there can be zero objections and some Republican senators - including Ted Cruz of Texas - have said they would object to Democrats trying to go around the usual legislative process. Schumer plans to make his move Tuesday afternoon. Cruz later said he would object, stopping Schumer's move from the start. 'There is no universe in which I am going to consent to lower the three threshold and make it easier for him to do so he's playing games. He knows he's playing games. The games aren't going to work,' the Texas Republican told reporters on Capitol Hill. The debt limit has become a major point of contention between the two parties. Democrats point out it was last raised with the help of Republicans under President Donald Trump and argue most of the debt came from the former president's tax cuts. Republicans counter that Democrats spent too much government money with their trillion packages containing various COVID relief measures. The U.S. has never defaulted on its debts in the modern era. Democrats have the votes to pass raising the debt limit on their own but are pressuring Republicans to get on board by attaching the provision to government funding measures. Speaker Nancy Pelosi said removing the debt ceiling from a short term measure funding the government remained an option as Democrats try to avoid a shutdown Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said government would run out of 'cash and extraordinary measures' on October 18 Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), head of the House Appropriations Committee, said Monday night that Democrats will have another government spending measure this week without language to raise the debt ceiling, Politico reported. 'I'm sure there are very, very smart, clever people to figure out how you deal with the debt,' DeLauro said. 'Our first order of business is to keep the government open, which we are going to do.' Such a move would require Democrats to pass a separate measure raising the debt ceiling. Biden discussed with Schumer and Pelosi of raising it via budget reconciliation in a phone call on Monday night, Politico reported but no final decision has been made. The GOP presented united front against pairing the two items. 'The Democrats have known is a nonstarter for more than two months,' Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell said of the debt limit provision shortly before the vote. He argued instead for a 'clean CR' - a continuing resolution to fund the government without raising the debt ceiling. We 'have a clean CR that could pass today,' McConnell noted. 'It would keep the government open.' Senators were voting on a procedural motion to advance the short term budget to a final vote. Sixty votes were needed to make that happen. Democrats needed the support of 10 Republicans in the 50-50 Senate. The vote failed 48 to 50. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer voted 'no' as a procedural move so he can change his vote later to bring the legislation back up. He took to the Senate floor after the vote to slam Republicans for their votes. 'The Republican Party has now become the party of default, the party that says America doesn't pay its debts,' Schumer said. He said he would bring up the vote again this week but didn't offer a timeline. 'Keeping the government open and preventing a default is vital to our country's future. And we'll be taking further action to prevent this from happening this week,' he said. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell led his party in a united front in voting down a short term government funding resolution because Democrats tied in raising the debt ceiling Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he would try again later this week The House passed the government funding measure last week. It extends government funding through December 3 and suspends the debt limit through December 16, 2022. It also includes $28.6 billion for natural disaster recovery and $6.3 billion for Afghan refugees. This is just the start of a series of contentious votes on Capitol Hill this week that will encompass Biden's entire agenda, which faces a derailment due to an internecine battle among Democrats. Speaker Nancy Pelosi postponed a vote on Biden's infrastructure package until Thursday as Democrats work to shore up support among moderates for Biden's $3.5 trillion budget filled with social programs. Additionally, lawmakers are arguing about raising the debt ceiling, which could find the U.S. government faulting on its debt around mid-October if it's not raised. And the clock is ticking on a government shutdown with funding running out on Friday night at midnight. Biden said on Monday that 'victory' is at stake ahead of a tough series of votes this week on Capitol Hill as White House press secretary Jen Psaki warned 'nothing is guaranteed.' 'Victory is what's at stake,' Biden said. President Joe Biden said that 'victory is what's at stake' ahead of a tough series of votes this week on Capitol Hill White House press secretary Jen Psaki warned 'nothing is guaranteed as Democrats face an intra-party war over President Biden's agenda And the president conceded it may all not be done this week. 'It may not be by the end of the week. I hope it's by the end of the week. But as long as we're still alive,' he noted, 'we got three things to do: the debt ceiling, the continuing resolution, and the two pieces of legislation. If we do that, the country is going to be in great shape.' Democratic leaders also are dealing with drama within their own party. Moderate Democratic Senators Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema have said they don't want to vote for the $3.5 trillion budget package- citing its high price tag - but the White House wouldn't say if they've given Biden a number they can support. Liberals in the House, however, have said they won't vote for the infrastructure plan until the Senate passes the $3.5 trillion budget. Originally, scheduled to be voted on Monday, Pelosi announced Sunday night she is pushing the infrastructure vote back to Thursday to give Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer more time to negotiate among the party's warring factions. In the 50-50 evenly divided Senate, Democrats cannot lose a single vote. And Pelosi only has a four-seat majority in the House. Pelosi is holding a meeting for House Democrats on Monday night as leaders try to rally their party into a unified front. The House Budget Committee passed their version of the $3.5 trillion budget package on Saturday. The intention was to prove to progressives that leadership was serious about moving it along with the infrastructure bill to reassure them it won't be left behind due to moderate demands. The move didn't work. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, the head of the progressive caucus, said they want to see the Senate pass it first - or at least get reassurances from Manchin and Sinema of their support of it. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer arrives at the Capitol on Monday for the start of a busy week of votes on President Biden's agenda Speaker Nancy Pelosi postponed a vote on Biden's infrastructure plan to Thursday to buy Democrats more time in negotiations Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Speaker Nancy Pelosi are scrambling to unite moderates and progressives on Biden's $3.5 trillion budget of social programs Biden, meanwhile, has kept an open schedule for the week as Democratic leaders struggle to get a stop-gap budget solution passed by Friday. 'The president knows that nothing is guaranteed,' Psaki said at her daily press briefing. 'He's going to work this afternoon tonight, tomorrow, to do everything he can to engage with Democrats.' She acknowledged the disagreements among Democrats even as she expressed optimism the legislation can pass. 'He's not naive about how challenging this is he's been through a few of these rodeos before. And so what we're focused on right now is working in lockstep with leadership to move the agenda forward and get it over the finish line,' Psaki said. She noted Biden is 'not a wallflower' and is heavily involved. Biden served in the Senate for over 30 years and prides himself on his relationships with lawmakers. The president held separate meetings last week with congressional leadership, progressives and moderates. More meetings could be on tap for this week. 'Things are constantly changing every day and certainly even every hour and we are evaluating. The president has some space in his schedule to make calls, to bring people down here - we're not that far from the hill - so we will keep you abreast as these details are finalized,' Psaki said. 'He is not a wallflower. He is engaging in conversations. He's having discussions with leaders,' she said. Brian Laundrie's parents insist they don't know where their son is - 11 days after he mysteriously vanished while being investigated by police. Laundrie disappeared September 17, after he was named as a 'person of interest' in the homicide case of his girlfriend, Gabby Petito. Laundrie's parents, Chris and Roberta, reported him missing on that day. On Monday, their attorney released a statement dismissing innuendo that they may have helped their son go on the run. 'The speculation by the public and some in the press that the parents assisted Brian in leaving the family home or in avoiding arrest... is just wrong,' attorney Steve Bertolino stated. 'They do not know where Brian is. They are concerned about Brian and hope the FBI can locate him.' The statement was released on the same day that it was revealed Roberta called cops on Duane 'Dog The Bounty Hunter' Chapman after showed up outside her North Port, Florida home on Saturday. Chapman, who hunted fugitives on his hit A&E reality show, recently announced he was joining in the search for Laundrie. Brian Laundrie's mother reportedly called cops on Dog The Bounty Hunter after the the reality star showed up outside her home over the weekend Chris and Roberta Laundrie are seen outside their home in North Port, Florida last week. Media has been camped outside their home Brian Laundrie and Gabby Petito had been on a cross-country camping trip when Petito went missing in late August Audio obtained by Fox News on Monday reveals a female dispatcher received a 911 call from Roberta on Saturday. The actual call has not yet been made public. 'The female, Roberta, called in on 911,' the dispatcher is heard in the audio telling a male police officer. 'She referenced a situation with a male [Chapman]'. 'The occupants are requesting us to come up, to go to the house and assist, to keep the peace,' the officer then replies. Chapman's presence outside Laundrie's parents' home attracted much attention on Saturday, given that media has been camped outside the property for the past two weeks. Chapman is hoping that he can help locate Laundrie, who was initially thought to be in the Carlton Reserve - a park 13 miles from his parents' North Port home. He said he had received over 1,000 tips from members of the public. Laundrie was initially thought to be in the Carlton Reserve - a park 13 miles from his parents' North Port home Gabby Petito disappeared while on a cross country road trip with Laundrie. Her remains were found on September 19 On Monday - two days after he was seen outside Laundrie's parents' home - Chapman claimed he had found a campsite that Laundrie and his parents stayed at after he returned home without girlfriend Petito on September 1. Laundrie and Petito had been on a cross-country camping trip. Petito's family last heard from her on August 30. Laundrie arrived home in Florida on September 1. Petito's family reported her missing on September 11 after not being able to get in touch with her. Between September 1 and September 11, Laundrie twice went to stay at another Florida park with his parents, according to Chapman. Laundrie, 23, is the sole 'person of interest' in the homicide case of his girlfriend, Gabby Petito Chapman said that the Laundrie family stayed at this park campsite earlier this month 'They were registered, went through the gate. They're on camera. They were here,' he told Fox News. 'We think at least if he's not here right now, we are sure he was caught on camera as he went in the gate that he was here for sure. Not over in the swamp.' Search efforts have so far been concentrated at the Carlton Reserve - an alligator-infested watery 25,000 acre site north of the Laundrie family home. 'Allegedly, what we're hearing, is two people left on the 8th,' said Chapman. 'Three people came in on the 6th, and two people left on the 8th. I think he's been here for sure.' A Fox News Digital reporter overheard a park worker say investigators had checked surveillance video on the grounds. The FBI has not commented. The beach at the Fort De Soto park in Florida, where the Laundries stayed in early September Dog the Bounty Hunter is seen on Saturday arriving at the Laundrie family home. They called 911 on him The Laundrie family insisted on Monday they did not know where Brian Laundrie was. Steven Bertolino, the family lawyer, said in the statement: 'Chris and Roberta Laundrie do not know where Brian is. 'They are concerned about Brian and hope the FBI can locate him. 'The speculation by the public and some in the press that the parents assisted Brian in leaving the family home or in avoiding arrest on a warrant that was issued after Brian had already been missing for several days is just wrong.' Chapman's claim came after it was announced the all-out search in the Carlton Reserve will be scaled back as the FBI takes over the hunt. North Port Police spokesman Josh Taylor said: 'The FBI is now leading the search. 'I'm told it will be scaled back and targeted based on intelligence. 'Hopefully, water will lower in areas hard to currently access,' he told Fox News. The federal agency charged Laundrie with 'use of unauthorized access device' last Thursday, but said they will 'continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petito's homicide.' An extensive search for Laundrie, 23, has been underway since his parents reported him missing on September 17 - two days after he was named a person of interest in the homicide of Petito, whose remains were found on September 19. A group of 75 officers from more than 16 agencies joined the search last week, using drones, diver units, dogs and ATV vehicles to comb the 25,000-acre preserve since his parents reported that Laundrie might be there. Over 100 miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails are contained in the park, along with camping areas and rivers. Wildlife there includes alligators, bobcats, snakes and coyotes. Josh Taylor, a spokesman for the North Port Police, said on Monday that the all-out search for Gabby Petito's fiance Brian Laundrie (pictured) in Florida's swampy, alligator-infested Carlton Reserve was to scale back A fleet of 75 officers from over 16 agencies joined the search for Brian Laundrie last week Whether the avid hiker would have been able to survive in the 25,000-acre swamp-like Carlton Reserve (pictured) for weeks has been the subject of much speculation Drones, helicopters, diver units, dogs and ATV vehicles the 25,000-acre preserve meticulously since his parents suggested to authorities that Laundrie might be there on September 17 FBI agents paid another visit to the home of his parents to retrieve 'personal items' for DNA matching. Laundrie's mom Roberta, 55, was seen darting outside at 10am to leave an item in the screened porch of their North Port, Florida home Florida cattle rancher Alan McEwen, who lives outside the Carlton Reserve, has spent 30 years exploring the area and said it's not somewhere humans can easily live. He has been assisting police in their search for Laundrie. 'There's no surviving out here, I don't know how to say it,' he told Fox News. 'I've been in the woods in and out all my life. I have learned a lot in my life, and one thing I know is no one is gonna survive out there for two weeks on foot.' Chapman vowed to find him before his 24th birthday on November 18. Seattle's Boohoof Law offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to his capture. The couple had spent weeks traveling across the country in a van and recording their adventures online before Petito, 22, vanished. Florida cattle rancher Alan McEwen (pictured), who lives outside the Carlton Reserve (pictured), has spent 30 years exploring the area and said it's not somewhere humans can easily live Laundrie's parents suggested he might have headed to the nature reserve, which he was known to visit and which is about 15 miles from his home. Whether the avid hiker would have been able to survive in the 25,000-acre swamp-like reserve for weeks has been the subject of much speculation. In the nearly two weeks since Laundrie is thought to have entered the reserve, heavy rainfall has flooded the area with waist-deep water. 'Unless he's got a butt like a duck and can float, he's not in there,' McEwen said. The rancher noted the dangers posed by alligators, mosquitos and other animals in the reserve, which is home to panthers, black bears, wild boar and lethal snakes. The terrain is also treacherous, according to McEwen, who said the thick brush makes it easy for even experienced outdoorsmen to accidentally step into a ditch or off a ledge. However, McEwen believes it's unlikely Laundrie would have died in the reserve, saying his body would have been found by now. 'Anything dead you find in the woods, you're gonna look up, you're gonna see buzzards flying like crazy,' he said. 'No buzzards, no body is my theory. And I haven't seen any buzzards flying.' Whether the avid hiker would have been able to survive in the 25,000-acre swamp-like reserve for weeks has been the subject of much speculation. Pictured: The reserve following heavy rainfall McEwen believes it's unlikely Laundrie would have died in the reserve, saying his body would have been found by now On Sunday, FBI agents paid another visit to the home of his parents to retrieve 'personal items' - for DNA matching. Laundrie's mom Roberta, 55, was seen darting outside at 10am to leave an item in the screened porch of their North Port, Florida home. An hour later two FBI agents with bulletproof vests, weapons and a clipboard walked up the drive, hovering at the front door before stooping to pick something up. When asked by a DailyMail.com reporter about the purpose of the visit neither agent responded but the family's lawyer, Steven Bertolino, said that agents wanted a sample of missing Brian's DNA. He cautioned that it was a 'routine' request rather that an indication that Laundrie had finally been found. Over the weekend, new dispatch audio emerged showing that Utah police were told Laundrie had hit Petito prior to being pulled over on August 12. The audio appears to contradict earlier reports that the responding officers in Moab City, Utah were unaware of a call from a witness who claimed to have seen Laundrie slapping Petito in their white Ford transit van before driving off. 'RP (reporting party) states seeing a male hit a female, domestic,' the dispatcher told police at around 4.38pm local time, according to the audio, first obtained by Fox 13. 'He got into a white Ford Transit van, has a black ladder on the back, Florida plate.' An officer asks for further information regarding the witness, and is again told that Petito had allegedly been hit. 'Phone number is [redacted], name's [redacted],' the dispatcher responds at 4:42 p.m. 'I'm not sure [inaudible], but the female who got hit, they both, the male and the female, both got into the van and headed north.' The new information comes as the Moab Police Department announced an independent probe on Thursday into the officers' handing of the alleged domestic dispute about a month before Petito was found dead. Neither police nor city officials have said whether the responding officers were aware they were dealing with a potential domestic violence incident when they pulled the couple over. But they treated Petito as the primary aggressor in bodycam footage of the August 12 incident, after Laundrie was seen to have wounds on his face. New dispatch audio indicates that the Moab City, Utah police officers who pulled over Gabby Petito (right) and her fiance Brian Laundrie on August 12 may have been aware that a witness had alleged seeing Laundrie slap Petito, but did not arrest neither. The police stop was recorded on the officers' body cameras (pictured) Utah law requires cops to make an arrest or issue a citation if they believe an incident of domestic violence has taken place. Neither Petito nor Laundrie were arrested. They were instead separated for the night in an attempt to calm the situation down, before being allowed to continue on their way. On Sunday, hundreds of mourners packed a Long Island funeral home to bid farewell to Petito. 'The entire planet knows this woman's name,' said her father Joe Petito, standing before a golden urn at the Moloney Holbrook Funeral Home. The standing-room only chapel was adorned with bouquets of flowers, and photo and video montages of his daughter. They showed her life growing up in Blue Point, Long Island, including a picture of Petito as a little girl with her small hand print on a piece of paper. Behind the urn was a more recent photo of her standing at the foot of a cave. 'She always wanted to go out and do stuff, whether it was scuba diving with my uncle, or myself, or hiking the Appalachian trail, surfing sand dunes in Colorado,' the father said. 'She had some wild experiences that I could only wish that I could experience. 'To see that type of joy that brought her, and the stones it took to do that at such a young age,' he continued. 'I would like you to take a look at these videos and I want you to be inspired by them.' At Sunday's visitation, Petito's father didn't discuss the circumstances of her death, but offered advice for people in bad relationships. 'I want you to take a look at these pictures, and I want you to be inspired by Gabby. If there's a trip you guys want to take, take it now. Do it now while you have the time.' 'If there is a relationship that you're in that might not be the best thing for you, leave it now. Take care of yourself first.' Mourners were seen hugging and crying as they consoled one another while attending Petito's public funeral service Four of 39 miners are trapped one mile underground after a scoop bucket that brings them to the surface detached and blocked a Canadian mine shaft early Sunday morning. The trapped workers in Vale's Totten mine in Sudbury, Ontario, went to refuge stations - as part of protocol - where there is food and water and the ability to contact loved ones, the company Vale said in a statement on Monday. By Tuesday evening, only four miners remained underground. One of the first miners out told CTV News that he was higher up than others so his trek up the ladder to safety was shorter. The miner, who wasn't named, said he was at the 1,850-foot level when he began to climb and it took him about two hours and 50 minutes, with breaks about every 40 feet and take a breather on one of the landing areas. 'It's a trek. It's hard on the arms,' he told CTV News. 'It wasn't like a cave-in or anything like that. Nobody was in harm's way. It was just long, but we stayed positive. 'We cracked jokes and stuff like that. We have a telephone so we can contact our loved ones so it made it a lot easier.' Scroll down for video. The Totten Mine near Sudbury, Ontario, which is pictured here, produces copper, nickel and previous metals General concept of the trek miners had to climb to get out of the mine shaft that extends about two feet down It's unclear how long food and water would last, but one of the miner's wives - Sharon Domik - was concerned about her husband. She told CTV News that Vale's statements that they were being fed were exaggerated. 'The truth of the matter is the fact they received a bag of chocolate bars, energy bars,' Domik said in a message to CTV News. 'That is not a healthy, well-balanced meal to provide energy to those men who have to climb up 3,100 feet to safety. I am very concerned.' The rescue operation have been underway and already successfully retrieved 33 of the miners without injuries, Vale said in a company statement Tuesday afternoon. Vale spokesperson Danica Pagnutti told the Canadian news outlet CBC that the ladder system that has multiple resting stations along the way. In total, 39 miners were trapped under in a Canadian mine on Sunday Since Sunday, 19 of the 39 miners have be successfully retrieved without injury Miners who are unable to climb make the long ladder ascent or reach exhaustion will be pulled up using ropes. 'We're going to haul them out using ropes,' Shawn Rideout, of Ontario Mine Rescue, told CTV News. 'So that's something that we train for all the time in Ontario Mine Rescue. It's the safest possible way to make sure all 39 come to surface in as good a shape as they were when they went down Sunday morning.' Vale's Senior Specialist and Media Relations Jeffrey Lewis told mywesinipissingnow.com that he expects all the minors to reach safety by Tuesday night. The Totten Mine opened in 2014, in Worthington, Ontario, and produces copper, nickel and precious metals. It employs about 200 people. In the first six months of 2021, Totten mine produced 3,600 tons of finished nickel, according to Vale. Anne Castle, 74, and William Bryan, 71, found dead in Bethnal Green flat in 1993 A 64-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to the double murder of a brother and sister who were found dead following an alleged botched burglary at their home. Anne Castle, 74, and 71-year-old William Bryan were found dead in their flat in Bethnal Green, east London, in 1993. A post-mortem showed war veteran Mr Bryan died from suffocation and ischaemic heart disease, while his sister died from the same heart condition. Today, Danville Neil, 64, appeared before the Old Bailey after being charged with their murders in July this year, some 28 years later. The defendant, of Lewisham, south-east London, pleaded not guilty to the charges. Today, Danville Neil, 64, appeared before the Old Bailey (file photo above) after being charged with their murders in July this year, some 28 years later Police said at the time of the discovery of the siblings' bodies that they were found sitting side-by-side in chairs. Both were found by a neighbour who became suspicious when they did not answer the door and the lights were left on. Scotland Yard put out appeals for information at the time, but no one was charged until this year. Neil was arrested in October last year after existing evidence was re-examined, police said. In July, a spokesman for the Met said: 'A man has been charged with the murder of a man and a woman in 1993. 'Danville Neil appeared in custody at Bromley Magistrates' Court today having been charged with the murders of Ann Castle and her brother William Bryan who died at an address in Clare Street in August 1993.' Anne Castle, 74, and 71-year-old William Bryan were found dead in their flat on Clare Street in Bethnal Green, east London, in 1993. Pictured: Street view of Clare Street They added: 'He was arrested in October 2020 after existing evidence was re-submitted for further examination. 'A post-mortem examination held at Poplar Mortuary in 1993 gave Mrs Castle's cause of death as ischaemic heart disease. Mr Bryan died from asphyxia and ischaemic heart disease.' During the hearing, a trial of up to four weeks before a High Court judge was set for November 7 next year. The defendant was remanded into custody. A petrol station boss has revealed how she was taken to hospital with a concussion after being brutally attacked and racially abused on a forecourt by a raging moped thug demanding fuel. Nerali Patel, 38, works at a BP petrol station in Belsize Park, north London and was attacked with a petrol nozzle by the helmet-wearing thug on Sunday at 2pm. Shocking CCTV footage from the scene shows the mother-of-two being knocked to the ground by the man, who then had to be held back as he repeatedly tried to attack her after she fell. Ms Patel said the man had demanded fuel and called her a 'p**i' when she said there was none left. Police arrived later to arrest the man, with Ms Patel saying she suffered a concussion in the assault. News of the shocking attack comes as more fighting broke out on Britain's 'Wild West' petrol forecourts today as drivers threw punches and even pulled knives. An hour before she was attacked, Ms Patel said she had to break up several brawls between motorists, including one which saw a moped rider launch a flying kick at another man. Nerali Patel, 38, (pictured here with David Beckham) was attacked at a BP petrol station in Belsize Park, north London, on Sunday at 2pm Ms Patel told MailOnline: 'We had a fair few on Sunday, moped guys grabbing each other, punching each other and kicking each other. An hour later I was assaulted 'We have had a lot of verbal abuse thrown at us. I think it's going to get worse. We're only getting a few hours kip. Some of the staff are sleeping in their vehicles on the forecourt. I don't know how much longer we can keep going like this. 'I've never seen it like this ever. They're panic-buying. We had a delivery last night as expected. We have no issues with deliveries. 'We had a full tanker last night but we'll run out in a day and a half. If you don't need the fuel don't queue up. Don't follow like sheep. Fill up as normal. Use your common sense. If they carried on as normal, then we wouldn't be in this situation.' Describing the attack on her, she said: 'By Sunday afternoon we were running out of unleaded so we'd already put a cap on certain vehicles. 'I made a decision to stop serving new customers and we put up signs that said we only had diesel. 'We had two moped guys waiting 30/40 minutes so they went to fill up. When they did, these other two moped guys suddenly just drove through the bollards that we'd put up blocking the petrol station. 'I had already put the bags on the nozzles to show they haven't got petrol left. One started to demand fuel from the pumps. He started shouted and swearing 'I've come for the petrol so I'm gonna get the petrol'. 'He called me a f***ing p**i and said 'I know that you are lying and you have got fuel, you're a f***ing scumbag'. 'He grabbed the nozzle and I tried to get it back. I told him there's no point, that there was no fuel in it. He didn't listen and then whacked me with the nozzle and pushed me over. He struck me twice and I'd fallen over so people came to the scene and tried to restrain him. 'He kept trying to go for me. Usually it's just words, no one really pays attention, but everyone came to restrain him when he knocked me down.' Nerali Patel, 38, tried to close empty fuel pumps at her petrol station when she was accosted by a moped thug The mother-of-two was brutally attacked with a petrol nozzle and knocked to the ground Passers-by rushed to her aid as the moped thug continued to abuse her and threaten her Ms Patel, a mother to twin five-year-old boy and girl, added: 'The police were there within five to 10 minutes.' She spoke today as it emerged that key workers could be given access to fuel. However, the petrol station boss warned it would be difficult to monitor who was a key worker and who was not. She said: 'People try it on. We aren't able to check if they're actually key workers. They're all flashing their badges but they're in private vehicles. The priority for us would be an ambulance or a fire brigade. 'We had a guy come this morning saying he was from BT, and he asked if he could get some fuel. I had to tell him no. 'We have to judge people individually but it's hard for us. You don't know who's telling the truth and who's not. 'We had a 30 cap but people ignored it. They said they lived in Sheffield or somewhere else and 30 wouldn't get them out of London. They'll say whatever works.' A Met Police spokesman said: 'Police were called at 13:48hrs on Sunday, 26 September following reports that a man had been assaulted at a petrol station on Haverstock Hill, NW3. Officers attended. 'No injuries were reported. 'One man was arrested on suspicion of assault and a racially aggravated public order offence. He has been released under investigation. 'Enquiries into the circumstances are ongoing.' A driver pulled a knife on a motorist and was then run over outside a Welling petrol station yesterday (pictured) Ascot high street is blocked with cars quitting to get petrol at one of the only fuel stations in the area. Customers are limited to 30 per car The high street in Ascot was blocked in rush hour this morning after one petrol station in the area got a delivery of fuel Drivers threw punches and even pulled knives as violent rows broke out in the long queues for fuel across the UK today - but Grant Shapps has insisted there are 'tentative' signs the crisis will ease this week as long as panic-buying subsides. Boris Johnson has been urged to stop 'hiding away' and address the nation as his own MPs slammed his decision not to bring in soldiers to deliver fuel immediately to 'regain public confidence' as petrol stations started rationing fuel sales at 30. With no sign of the Prime Minister, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps today claimed the pressure on filling stations is beginning to ease and insisted the Army would remain on standby despite admitting the queues will not disappear yet. However, Britain's fuel crisis showed no sign of abating today as drivers again queued through the night and new video has emerged of two men punching and kicking each other across a London Shell station in a row about whose turn it was to fill up. Two women yelling 'what the f*** are you doing' broke up the punch-up as one of the fighters pointed at his foe and yelled: 'He stole my place'. Amid widespread scenes of enormous queueing across Britain's forecourts, footage emerged of a man holding what appears to be a knife shouting at a driver outside a petrol station in Welling, south east London. The video then shows the car ramming into the alleged knifeman, who is then carried for several yards on the bonnet. The brawls broke out as motorists reported queues at 11pm, 3am and 5.30am across the UK as the Government was accused of being 'asleep at the wheel' and critics questioned claims within Whitehall that the crisis will be over within two to three days. Russian President Vladimir Putin brought an 'attractive' translator with him to distract former President Donald Trump at their 2019 meeting - and Trump told Putin he would act tough in front of the cameras and then play nice privately, former White House official Stephanie Grisham reveals in her forthcoming tell-all. 'OK, I'm going to act a little tougher with you for a few minutes. But it's for the cameras, and after they leave, we'll talk. You understand,' Trump had told Putin when they met in June 2019 in Japan at the G20, Grisham recounted. Copies of Grisham's book - I'll Take Your Questions Now, What I Saw at Trump White House - were obtained by The Washington Post and The New York Times. It hits bookshelves on October 5. Stehanie Grisham wrote that she was told by Russia expert Fiona Hill that Russian President Vladimir Putin (center) had brought along an 'attractive' translator (left) to distract President Donald Trump (right) during their 2019 meeting President Vladimir Putin's translator follows him into a meeting with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan in 2019 Grisham was a 2016 campaign aide who became First Lady Melania Trump's spokeswoman, before being elevated to White House press secretary and communications director from July 2019 to April 2020. She then returned to the East Wing to serve as the first lady's spokesperson, again, and chief of staff. The new book fills in some blanks about some of the most memorable moments from Trump's one term. I'll Take Your Questions Now: What I saw at the Trump White House by Stephanie Grisham comes out on October 5 The Putin meeting in question came 11 months after the infamous Helsinki summit where Trump seemed to side with the Russian president over American intelligence agencies on whether Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. At the July 2018 meeting, Trump said Putin offered an 'extremely strong and powerful' denial. At their 2019 meeting in Japan, Trump playfully scolded and wagged a finger at Putin in front of the cameras telling the Russian leader, 'don't meddle in the election,' before they met behind closed doors for 90 minutes without journalists present. According to The Times, Grisham conversed with Fiona Hill - the administration's Russia expert turned impeachment 1.0 witness - who explained what Putin was doing to throw Trump off. 'As the meeting began, Fiona Hill leaned over and asked me if I had noticed Putin's translator, who was a very attractive brunette woman with long hair, a pretty face, and a wonderful figure,' Grisham wrote. 'She proceeded to tell me that she suspected the woman had been selected by Putin specifically to distract our president.' A brunette woman with a blue dress can be seen following Putin into the room as the Russian leader greets the American delegation in Osaka. Trump, upon hearing the Stormy Daniels description of his penis, called his press secretary from Air Force one to assure her his penis was neither small nor shaped like a toadstool, Grisham, in her new salacious tell-all 'I'll Take Your Questions Now' Stephanie Grisham's (left) ex-boyfriend Max Miller (right) was dubbed the 'music man' and would play showtunes like Memories from Cats to calm Trump down, Grisham wrote in her forthcoming book Max Miller, Trump's 'music man,' is now running for a House seat in Ohio and was endorsed by Trump at the ex-president's first 2021 rally outside of Cleveland in June Trump told Stephanie Grisham he didn't have a 'toad-shaped penis' during Melania's campaign of revenge over Stormy Daniels affair The ex-press secretary also recalled how Trump insisted his penis was not shaped like a toadstool - responding to comments made by porn star Stormy Daniels. Daniels wrote in a 2018 book on her affair with the former president: 'I lay there, annoyed that I was getting f***ed by a guy with Yeti pubes and a d*** like the mushroom character in Mario Kart.' Trump, upon hearing the allegation, called his press secretary from Air Force one to assure her his penis was neither small nor shaped like a toadstool, Grisham said. Grisham also wrote that the former president once asked her former boyfriend, Miller, if she was good in bed. The Daniels affair, Grisham wrote, 'unleashed' Melania's vengeance as she began trying to contradict her husband in public. The first lady told Grisham she didn't believe her husband's denials. When Grisham drafted a tweet requesting privacy at the time of the affair, saying that Melania would focus on being a first lady, wife and mother, the first lady asked Grisham to scrub the tweet of the word 'wife.' And at the 2018 State of the Union, Melania Trump broke protocol and took her own motorcade to the Capitol Building - largely seen as a dig at her husband. At the time, Grisham told DailyMail.com and CNN that Mrs. Trump was 'honoring her guests for the true heroes they are,' referring to those seated in the first lady's box at the presidential speech. 'In addition to holding a White House reception and photo opportunity for them and their friends and family, she is accompanying them to the Capitol,' Grisham said. In the book, Grisham said Melania Trump's moves were by design, as the first lady walked arm-in-arm with a handsome military aide hand-selected by Grisham because the floors of the Capitol were 'slippery.' 'I laughed to myself because I'd seen the woman navigate dirt roads in her heels,' Grisham wrote. As coverage of Trump's romp with Daniels wore on, Grisham said 'This is Donalds problem. He got himself into this mess. He can fix it by himself,' Melania Trump said, according to Grisham. Daniels wrote in a 2018 book on her affair with the former president: 'I lay there, annoyed that I was getting f***ed by a guy with Yeti pubes and a d*** like the mushroom character in Mario Kart Trump would cut his hair with giant scissors and tunes from his favorite musicals would calm him down Grisham's includes bizarre details about Trump's behavior. For instance, she claims he cuts his hair with a 'huge pair of scissors that could probably cut a ribbon at an opening of one of his properties.' She also writes that one of Trump's aides - later revealed to be Grisham's ex-boyfriend Max Miller, who is running for an Ohio Congressional seat and has been endorsed by Trump - would play him his favorite show tunes, including 'Memory' from Cats, to calm him down during tantrums. Grisham described Trump's temper as 'terrifying. Trump takes interest in a young press aide Trump continued the womanizing behavior he was known for as a brash Manhattan real estate tycoon at the White House, Grisham revealed, writing that he repeatedly invited a young press aide to his Air Force One cabin - one time to look at her behind. 'A couple of times I came close to telling Mrs. Trump about the president's behavior. I thought that if she would say one little word to him about it, she could make it stop. But I could never bring myself to say anything,' Grisham wrote. Ultimately, she was too 'chickens***' to tell the then-first lady or 'maybe it wasn't my place or any of my business,' she noted. And she reveals Melania Trump may still not know about the former president's behavior. Grisham revealed in her book that the former president took 'an unusual interest in a young, highly attractive press wrangler on my team.' She details what she called inappropriate behavior by Trump and noted she tried to protect the staffer, who she doesn't name. Grisham writes Trump would tell her to put the staffer 'on TV. Keep her happy, promote her.' Trump, a former reality TV star, consider being on TV a great compliment and hired some of his staff and lawyers based on their appearances on Fox News. Grisham also reveals that on one Air Force One trip Trump asked that the staffer be brought to his cabin, saying: 'Let's bring her up here and look at her ass.' She said after that she tried to keep the staffer off trips: 'I needed to protect her and, frankly, the president as well.' Stephanie Grisham wrote that she hand-picked a handsome military aide to walk arm-and-arm with First Lady Melania Trump into the 2018 State of the Union as part of a campaign of revenge against President Donald Trump for his alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels Melania's 'I Really Dont Care, Do U?' jacket remains shrouded in mystery Later that year, Melania Trump would seemingly go rogue again when she wore a 'I Really Dont Care, Do U?' Zara jacket on a trip to tour a Texas Health and Human Services facility where migrant children were being housed. A handful of the children at the McAllen facility had been separated from their families due to the controversial Trump immigration policy. Grisham said the first lady had purchased the $39 jacket herself - and Melania Trump never gave a solid explanation as to why she wore it. She told Grisham that it was just a jacket, when they were trying to figure out damage control on the plane. Upon arrival at the White House, the president told an aide that the first lady needed to come to the Oval Office. Grisham said it was the first time she'd seen the president summon the first lady that way in front of staff. He yelled and asked 'what the [expletive] they thought they were doing, The Post said. Trump then devised a plan and tweeted out that the message was meant for the 'Fake News.' The first lady continued to repeat that story in interviews - but the real reason she wore the jacket remains unknown. Melania Trump bought the $39 'I Really Dont Care, Do U?' jacket from Zara and wore it on a trip to see facilities that housed migrant children in June 2018. Grisham said it was the president who came up with the narrative that the message was meant for the 'fake news' media Trump wanted Grisham to evict the press and reenact his perfect phone call During her time serving as White House press secretary, Trump asked Grisham to find a way to remove the press from the White House premises. He also wanted her to re-enact his 'perfect' phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for them. She revealed that a trip to North Korea inspired Trump to ask her to find ways he could evict the White House press corps from the James Brady briefing room - a place he frequently held news conferences and bantered with reporters. 'I researched different places we could put them other than the press briefing room. Each time the president asked me about my progress on the matter, I let him know I was still working on options,' Grisham wrote. Grisham, who was notable for never holding a press briefing as White House press secretary, explains she didn't do so out of fears of what Trump would ask her to say at the podium. Trump's first press secretary, Sean Spicer, famously argued Trump's inauguration crowd was 'the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration' - claim that did not match side-by-side photos of Trump's inauguration with Barack Obama's and destroyed his credibility. 'I knew that sooner or later the president would want me to tell the public something that was not true or that would make me sound like a lunatic,' she noted. She also detailed one of Trump's more outlandish requests - that she appear before the press corps and reenact his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which led to his first impeachment. She managed to avoid doing it. Trump, himself, famously like to reenact the call by reliving what he and Zelensky said, using different tones of voices to make his point. Trump's mysterious medical procedure at Walter Reed was likely a colonoscopy While Grisham didn't name the procedure, the former Trump aide strongly hinted that what Trump went to Walter Reed for in November 2019 was a colonoscopy - without anesthesia. In the book, Grisham described it as a 'very common procedure' where 'a patient is sometimes put under.' The reason for the secrecy, Grisham explained, was that Trump didn't want to hand over power to Vice President Mike Pence, even for a short amount of time, because it would be 'showing weakness.' He also didn't want to be 'the butt of the joke,' she wrote, on late-night TV. On the day of Trump's Walter Reed trip, Grisham as press secretary told reporters that Trump had traveled to the Bethesda, Maryland facility for a physical. 'Anticipating a very busy 2020, the President is taking advantage of a free weekend here in Washington, D.C., to begin portions of his routine annual physical exam at Walter Reed,' Grisham said. Grisham expressed that the concealment was regrettable. She noted in the book that Trump could have used his influence to demystify colonoscopies - and thus save lives. 'But as with COVID, he was too wrapped up in his own ego and his own delusions about his invincibility,' Grisham said. White House staff called Ivanka 'the princess' and she and Jared tried to push their way into a meeting with the Queen Ivanka Trump (second right) and Jared Kushner (R) looks out of the window at Buckingham Palace during the visit of US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on June 03, 2019 in London, England White House aides called Ivanka Trump 'the princess,' writes former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham in her new book. She terms Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner (c) the 'Slim Reaper' Aides to former President Donald Trump referred to his daughter Ivanka as 'the princess,' Grisham said. Grisham wrote that Melania Trump also referred to Ivanka by the name. Ivanka, who served as an unpaid senior advisor to the president, regularly referred to him as 'my father' in meetings, she writes. Ivanka sometimes used the term in public. Grisham terms her husband, former White House aide Jared Kushner, 'the Slim Reaper' for getting involved in projects designated for others, she wrote. Grisham also wrote that the power couple tried to get themselves into a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II during Trump's visit to the UK in 2019. Only the president and first lady attended. It would have been a 'wild breach of protocol,' according to The Post. Kushner and Ivanka Trump did attend a state dinner. Grisham writes that the situation was resolved when they couldn't fit into a presidential helicopter. Team Trump claims book is another 'pitiful attempt to cash in on his strength' 'This book is another pitiful attempt to cash in on the Presidents strength and sell lies about the Trump family, said Trump spokeswoman Liz Harrington. Harrington termed Grisham a 'a disgruntled former employee' a term has applied in the past to aides who have written tell-alls. She said the book's publishers 'should be ashamed of themselves for preying on desperate people who see the short term gain in writing a book full of falsehoods.' Publisher Harper Collins calls the book 'The most frank and intimate portrait of the Trump White House yet.' Grisham was among the flurry of Trump officials who resigned from their posts on January 6, in the aftermath of the Capitol riot. Trump went after Grisham personally in a statement released Tuesday morning. 'Stephanie didnt have what it takes and that was obvious from the beginning,' Trump said. 'She had big problems and we felt that she should work out those problems for herself. Now, like everyone else, she gets paid by a radical left-leaning publisher to say bad and untrue things.' 'We and the MAGA movement are totally used to it. And someday in the not too distant future we will have our voice back and be treated fairly by the press,' the ex-president added. Aides to former President Donald Trump referred to his daughter Ivanka as 'the princess,' according to a new tell-all book which also describes her efforts to get a meeting with the Queen in 2019. Former White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham includes the detail in her new book, Ill Take Your Questions Now a title that references her failure to hold a press briefing during her tenure. Grisham, who went on to serve as first lady Melania Trump's top aide, writes that Melania also referred to Ivanka by the name. Ivanka Trump, who served as an unpaid senior advisor to the president, regularly referred to him as 'my father' in meetings, she writes. Ivanka sometimes used the term in public. Grisham terms her husband, former White House aide Jared Kushner, 'the Slim Reaper' for getting involved in projects designated for others, she writes, according to a copy of the book obtained by the Washington Post. Ivanka Trump (second right) and Jared Kushner (R) looks out of the window at Buckingham Palace during the visit of US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on June 03, 2019 in London, England White House aides called Ivanka Trump 'the princess,' writes former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham in her new book. She terms Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner (c) the 'Slim Reaper' Grisham also writes that the power couple tried to get themselves into a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II during Trump's visit to the UK in 2019. Only Trump and the first lady attended. It would have been a 'wild breach of protocol,' according to the post. Jared and Ivanka did attend a state dinner. Grisham writes that the situation was resolved when they couldn't fit into a presidential helicopter. 'I finally figured out what was going on, according to Grisham. 'Jared and Ivanka thought they were the royal family of the United States.' Former President Trump, who was in close contact during his 2016 campaign, torched her in a statement through his spokeswoman. 'This book is another pitiful attempt to cash in on the Presidents strength and sell lies about the Trump family, said Trump spokeswoman Liz Harrington. Javanka tried to get themselves into Trump's meeting with the Queen during Trump's 2019 trip to the UK White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham picks apart the former First Family in her new book Grisham writes about Jared and Ivanka's plan to join a meeting with the Queen Harrington termed Grisham a 'a disgruntled former employee' a term has applied in the past to aides who have written tell-alls. She said the book's publishers 'should be ashamed of themselves for preying on desperate people who see the short term gain in writing a book full of falsehoods.' Publisher Harper Collins calls the book 'The most frank and intimate portrait of the Trump White House yet.' Grisham resigned from her post on Jan. 6th, the day of the Capitol riot. Trump went after Grisham personally in a statement to the New York Times. 'Stephanie didnt have what it takes and that was obvious from the beginning,' Trump said. 'She had big problems and we felt that she should work out those problems for herself. Now, like everyone else, she gets paid by a radical left-leaning publisher to say bad and untrue things.' Grisham also made a number of other allegations in her book, including: Trump called Grisham to insist his penis was 'not shaped like a toadstool' The ex-press secretary also recalled how Trump insisted his penis was not shaped like a toadstool - responding to comments made by porn star Stormy Daniels. Daniels wrote in a 2018 book on her affair with the former president: 'I lay there, annoyed that I was getting f***ed by a guy with Yeti pubes and a d*** like the mushroom character in Mario Kart.' Trump, upon hearing the allegation, called his press secretary from Air Force one to assure her his penis was neither small nor shaped like a toadstool, Grisham said. Grisham also wrote that the former president once asked her former boyfriend, Miller, if she was good in bed. Trump would cut his hair with giant scissors and tunes from his favorite musicals would calm him down Grisham's includes bizarre details about Trump's behavior. For instance, she claims he cuts his hair with a 'huge pair of scissors that could probably cut a ribbon at an opening of one of his properties.' She also writes that one of Trump's aides - later revealed to be Grisham's ex-boyfriend Max Miller, who is running for an Ohio Congressional seat and has been endorsed by Trump - would play him his favorite show tunes, including 'Memory' from Cats, to calm him down during tantrums. Grisham described Trump's temper as 'terrifying. Trump continued the womanizing behavior he was known for as a brash Manhattan real estate tycoon at the White House, Grisham revealed, writing that he repeatedly invited a young press aide to his Air Force One cabin - one time to look at her behind. Grisham described the woman as a 'a young, highly attractive press wrangler on my team.' Trump instructed Grisham to 'keep her happy.' Grisham tried to keep the staffer away from the president, she wrote. Melania's campaign of revenge on Trump over his 'affair' with Stormy Daniels The Daniels affair, Grisham wrote, 'unleashed' Melania's vengeance as she began trying to contradict her husband in public. The first lady told Grisham she didn't believe her husband's denials. When Grisham drafted a tweet requesting privacy at the time of the affair, saying that Melania would focus on being a first lady, wife and mother, the first lady asked Grisham to scrub the tweet of the word 'wife.' And at the 2018 State of the Union, Melania Trump broke protocol and took her own motorcade to the Capitol Building - largely seen as a dig at her husband. At the time, Grisham told DailyMail.com and CNN that Mrs. Trump was 'honoring her guests for the true heroes they are,' referring to those seated in the first lady's box at the presidential speech. 'In addition to holding a White House reception and photo opportunity for them and their friends and family, she is accompanying them to the Capitol,' Grisham said. In the book, Grisham said Melania Trump's moves were by design, as the first lady walked arm-in-arm with a handsome military aide hand-slected by Grisham because the floors of the Capitol were 'slippery.' 'I laughed to myself because I'd seen the woman navigate dirt roads in her heels,' Grisham wrote. As coverage of Trump's romp with Daniels wore on, Grisham said 'This is Donalds problem. He got himself into this mess. He can fix it by himself,' Melania Trump said, according to Grisham. Trump wanted Grisham to evict the press and reenact his perfect phone call During her time serving as White House press secretary, Trump asked Grisham to find a way to remove the press from the White House premises. He also wanted her to re-enact his 'perfect' phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for them. She revealed that a trip to North Korea inspired Trump to ask her to find ways he could evict the White House press corps from the James Brady briefing room - a place he frequently held news conferences and bantered with reporters. 'I researched different places we could put them other than the press briefing room. Each time the president asked me about my progress on the matter, I let him know I was still working on options,' Grisham wrote. Grisham, who was notable for never holding a press briefing as White House press secretary, explains she didn't do so out of fears of what Trump would ask her to say at the podium. Trump's first press secretary, Sean Spicer, famously argued Trump's inauguration crowd was 'the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration' - claim that did not match side-by-side photos of Trump's inauguration with Barack Obama's and destroyed his credibility. 'I knew that sooner or later the president would want me to tell the public something that was not true or that would make me sound like a lunatic,' she noted. She also detailed one of Trump's more outlandish requests - that she appear before the press corps and reenact his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which led to his first impeachment. She managed to avoid doing it. Trump, himself, famously like to reenact the call by reliving what he and Zelensky said, using different tones of voices to make his point. Trump's mysterious medical procedure at Walter Reed was likely a colonoscopy While Grisham didn't name the procedure, the former Trump aide strongly hinted that what Trump went to Walter Reed for in November 2019 was a colonoscopy - without anesthesia. In the book, Grisham described it as a 'very common procedure' where 'a patient is sometimes put under.' The reason for the secrecy, Grisham explained, was that Trump didn't want to hand over power to Vice President Mike Pence, even for a short amount of time, because it would be 'showing weakness.' He also didn't want to be 'the butt of the joke,' she wrote, on late-night TV. At the time, Grisham told reporters that Trump had traveled to the Bethesda, Maryland facility to 'begin portions of his routine annual physical exam.' Grisham expressed that the concealment was regrettable. She noted in the book that Trump could have used his influence to demystify colonoscopies - and thus save lives. 'But as with COVID, he was too wrapped up in his own ego and his own delusions about his invincibility,' Grisham said. Former President Trump was not happy when porn star Stormy Daniels scarred the nation by detailing the shape of his genitals, and immediately called his press secretary Stephanie Grisham to insist his penis was not shaped like a toadstool. Daniels wrote in a 2018 book on her affair with the former president: 'I lay there, annoyed that I was getting f***ed by a guy with Yeti pubes and a d*** like the mushroom character in Mario Kart.' Trump, upon hearing the allegation, called his press secretary from Air Force one to assure her his penis was neither small nor shaped like a toadstool, Grisham, in her new salacious tell-all 'I'll Take Your Questions Now,' obtained by the Washington Post. Trump even once called Grisham to demand the presence of an unnamed press aide on Air Force One so he could 'look at her [behind].' Trump, upon hearing the Stormy Daniels description of his penis, called his press secretary from Air Force one to assure her his penis was neither small nor shaped like a toadstool, Grisham, in her new salacious tell-all 'I'll Take Your Questions Now' Daniels wrote in a 2018 book on her affair with the former president: 'I lay there, annoyed that I was getting f***ed by a guy with Yeti pubes and a d*** like the mushroom character in Mario Kart Grisham also writes that the former president once asked her former boyfriend Max Miller, also a Trump aide, if she was good in bed. The Stormy Daniels affair, Grisham writes, 'unleashed' Melania's vengeance as she began trying to contradict her husband in public. When Grisham drafted a tweet requesting privacy at the time of the affair, saying that Melania would focus on being on her roles as first lady, wife and mother, Melania had her scrub the tweet of the word 'wife.' And during the State of the Union address, she walked in arm-in-arm with a handsome military aide hand-selected by Grisham because the floors of the Capitol were 'slippery.' 'I laughed to myself because I'd seen the woman navigate dirt roads in her heels,' Grisham writes. Grisham, 45, served as press secretary to Trump from July 2019 to April 2020, wherein those 12 months she never once held a press conference. She then returned to her previous role as press secretary to First Lady Melania from April 2020 until January 2021. She resigned from the position on Jan. 6 in light of the Capitol riot. Grisham also recounts a meeting between Trump and Vladimir Putin in Japan in 2019 where Trump smooth talked the Russian president and told him he was only talking tough in front of the cameras. 'I'm going to act a little tougher with you for a few minutes. But it's for the cameras, and after they leave, we'll talk. You understand.' The rest of the 90-minute conversation is shrouded in secrecy as press was ushered out of the room. Grisham alleged that the administration was shrouded in a culture of lies. 'Casual dishonesty filtered through the White House as if it were in the air conditioning system,' she said. And Trump's staffers were lying right back. When George H.W. Bush died, the staff arranged for the former president's family to use Air Force One for the funeral. The casket, Bush's service dog Sully and the first family flew in the plane to get to the service. They left Trump in the dark on most of the details, knowing how he feared death. Then-White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham arrives with boyfriend Max Miller for a State Dinner in September 2019 'We knew he wouldn't be okay with that, even for a brief trip,' Grisham writes. 'Dead bodies, death, sickness those things really seemed to creep him out.' He was not a fan of the Bushes, either, and they were no fans of his. And during 2019 when Trump would not disclose the nature of a visit to Walter Reed Medical Center, Grisham strongly hints that he was getting a colonoscopy, but didn't want to make it public and become the 'butt of a joke' on late night TV. Trump could have used his office to draw attention to the preventative procedure and save lives but 'As with COVID, he was too wrapped up in his own ego and his own delusions about his invincibility,' she writes. Both the former president's and first lady's offices trashed the allegations in the book. 'This book is another pitiful attempt to cash in on the President's strength and sell lies about the Trump family,' Trump spokesperson Liz Harrington told the Washington Post about the allegations. She said Grisham was a 'disgruntled former employee' and publishers 'should be ashamed of themselves for preying on desperate people who see the short term gain in writing a book full of falsehoods.' 'The intent behind this book is obvious,' Melania Trump's office said in response to the book earlier this month. 'It is an attempt to redeem herself after a poor performance as press secretary, failed personal relationships, and unprofessional behavior in the White House. Through mistruth and betrayal, she seeks to gain relevance and money at the expense of Mrs. Trump.' 'Failed personal relationships' appeared to be a reference to Grisham's relationship with Trump aide Max Miller, one that reportedly ended when he pushed her up against a wall and slapped her in the face when she accused him of cheating on her. The book will be released publicly on Oct. 5. Grisham has also made a number of other allegations in her book, including: Trump would cut his hair with giant scissors and tunes from his favorite musicals would calm him down Grisham's includes bizarre details about Trump's behavior. For instance, she claims he cuts his hair with a 'huge pair of scissors that could probably cut a ribbon at an opening of one of his properties.' She also writes that one of Trump's aides - later revealed to be Grisham's ex-boyfriend Max Miller, who is running for an Ohio Congressional seat and has been endorsed by Trump - would play him his favorite show tunes, including 'Memory' from Cats, to calm him down during tantrums. Grisham described Trump's temper as 'terrifying. Trump continued the womanizing behavior he was known for as a brash Manhattan real estate tycoon at the White House, Grisham revealed, writing that he repeatedly invited a young press aide to his Air Force One cabin - one time to look at her behind. Grisham described the woman as a 'a young, highly attractive press wrangler on my team.' Trump instructed Grisham to 'keep her happy.' Grisham tried to keep the staffer away from the president, she wrote. Melania's campaign of revenge on Trump over his 'affair' with Stormy Daniels The Daniels affair, Grisham wrote, 'unleashed' Melania's vengeance as she began trying to contradict her husband in public. The first lady told Grisham she didn't believe her husband's denials. When Grisham drafted a tweet requesting privacy at the time of the affair, saying that Melania would focus on being a first lady, wife and mother, the first lady asked Grisham to scrub the tweet of the word 'wife.' And at the 2018 State of the Union, Melania Trump broke protocol and took her own motorcade to the Capitol Building - largely seen as a dig at her husband. At the time, Grisham told DailyMail.com and CNN that Mrs. Trump was 'honoring her guests for the true heroes they are,' referring to those seated in the first lady's box at the presidential speech. 'In addition to holding a White House reception and photo opportunity for them and their friends and family, she is accompanying them to the Capitol,' Grisham said. In the book, Grisham said Melania Trump's moves were by design, as the first lady walked arm-in-arm with a handsome military aide hand-selected by Grisham because the floors of the Capitol were 'slippery.' 'I laughed to myself because I'd seen the woman navigate dirt roads in her heels,' Grisham wrote. As coverage of Trump's romp with Daniels wore on, Grisham said 'This is Donalds problem. He got himself into this mess. He can fix it by himself,' Melania Trump said, according to Grisham. Trump wanted Grisham to evict the press and reenact his perfect phone call During her time serving as White House press secretary, Trump asked Grisham to find a way to remove the press from the White House premises. He also wanted her to re-enact his 'perfect' phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for them. She revealed that a trip to North Korea inspired Trump to ask her to find ways he could evict the White House press corps from the James Brady briefing room - a place he frequently held news conferences and bantered with reporters. 'I researched different places we could put them other than the press briefing room. Each time the president asked me about my progress on the matter, I let him know I was still working on options,' Grisham wrote. Grisham, who was notable for never holding a press briefing as White House press secretary, explains she didn't do so out of fears of what Trump would ask her to say at the podium. Trump's first press secretary, Sean Spicer, famously argued Trump's inauguration crowd was 'the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration' - claim that did not match side-by-side photos of Trump's inauguration with Barack Obama's and destroyed his credibility. 'I knew that sooner or later the president would want me to tell the public something that was not true or that would make me sound like a lunatic,' she noted. She also detailed one of Trump's more outlandish requests - that she appear before the press corps and reenact his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which led to his first impeachment. She managed to avoid doing it. Trump, himself, famously like to reenact the call by reliving what he and Zelensky said, using different tones of voices to make his point. Trump's mysterious medical procedure at Walter Reed was likely a colonoscopy While Grisham didn't name the procedure, the former Trump aide strongly hinted that what Trump went to Walter Reed for in November 2019 was a colonoscopy - without anesthesia. In the book, Grisham described it as a 'very common procedure' where 'a patient is sometimes put under.' The reason for the secrecy, Grisham explained, was that Trump didn't want to hand over power to Vice President Mike Pence, even for a short amount of time, because it would be 'showing weakness.' He also didn't want to be 'the butt of the joke,' she wrote, on late-night TV. At the time, Grisham told reporters that Trump had traveled to the Bethesda, Maryland facility to 'begin portions of his routine annual physical exam.' Grisham expressed that the concealment was regrettable. She noted in the book that Trump could have used his influence to demystify colonoscopies - and thus save lives. 'But as with COVID, he was too wrapped up in his own ego and his own delusions about his invincibility,' Grisham said. The Taliban has barred women from attending classes or working at Kabul University 'until an Islamic environment is created'. Taliban-appointed university chancellor Mohammad Ashraf Ghairat announced the news on Twitter today, in the latest move threatening women's rights in Afghanistan. 'I give you my words as chancellor of Kabul University,' Ghairat wrote. 'As long as a real Islamic environment is not provided for all, women will not be allowed to come to universities or work. Islam first.' Around 9,460 women study at Kabul University, making up 43 per cent of the student body. Women had been allowed to continue their university education following the Taliban takeover on August 15, provided they learned in segregated classrooms and covered themselves according the group's interpretation of Sharia law. But female students were not ordered back to secondary schools when boys were sent back earlier this month, despite already returning to primary school. The Taliban has barred women from attending classes or working at Kabul University 'until an Islamic environment is created' (pictured, women attend a pro-Taliban program at Kabul University on September 11) Taliban-appointed university chancellor Mohammad Ashraf Ghairat announced (pictured) the news on Twitter today, in the latest move from the new government to threaten women's rights The announcement came a day after Ghairat said the university was trying to find a way for male teachers to educate women students because of a 'shortage of female teachers'. He said male professors would need to teach female students from behind a screens in a classroom to keep 'an Islamic learning environment for woman'. Meanwhile today Ghairat said the university, ranked 8,213rd globally, would aim to become 'a hub for all real Muslims around the world to gather, research, study and islamicize the modern science.' 'I am here to announce that we will be welcoming pro-Muslim scholars and students to benefit from a real Islamic environment at KU under the IEA.' It is the latest sign the Taliban have no intention of imposing a softer brand of rule than the repressive reign in the 1990s, despite promising to do so in front of the international community last month. Under the Taliban regime in the 1990s women were mostly banned from education and work and were not allowed to leave the house unless accompanied by a male relative. Since a US-led invasion ousted the Taliban in 2001, significant progress has been made in girls' education, with the number of schools tripling and female literacy nearly doubling to 30 per cent, though the change was largely limited to the cities. The United Nations has said it is 'deeply worried' for the future of girls' schooling following the Islamist's takeover of Afghanistan and called on the group to allow female students and teachers to resume education. Since a US-led invasion ousted the Taliban in 2001, significant progress has been made in girls' education, with the number of schools tripling and female literacy nearly doubling to 30 per cent though the change was largely limited to the cities The announcement the latest sign the Taliban have no intention of imposing a softer brand of rule than the repressive reign in the 1990s, despite promising to do so in front of the international community last month Although still marginalised, Afghan women have fought for and gained basic rights in the past 20 years, becoming lawmakers, judges, pilots and police officers. Hundreds of thousands have entered the workforce - a necessity in some cases as many women were widowed or now support invalid husbands as a result of decades of conflict. The Taliban have shown little inclination to honour those rights - no women have been included in the government and many have been stopped from returning to work. Earlier this month the Taliban ordered male students back to secondary schools and universities - primary schools had already reopened for girls and boys - but made no mention of women returning. The Islamists also closed the Ministry of Women's Affairs, repurposing the building as the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice - known as the infamous morality police. Hundreds of women have taken to the streets to protest the Taliban crackdown on their rights but the demonstrations have been violently quashed by militants who have beaten female activists and fired shots in the air at rallies. The group also sought to ban demonstrations without permission 'for the time being' after footage emerged online of women continuing to defy the group's orders to stay home. Earlier this month the Taliban ordered male students back to secondary schools and universities - primary schools had already reopened for girls and boys - but made no mention of women returning Meanwhile the Taliban today said they will temporarily adopt a 1964 constitution that granted women the right to vote but eliminate any elements they disagree with. The Taliban's acting justice minister issued a statement saying the Islamists planned to introduce a constitution used during Afghanistan's short-lived golden age of democracy, but only briefly and with amendments. 'The Islamic Emirate will adopt the constitution of the former King Mohammad Zahir Shah's time for a temporary period,' Mawlavi Abdul Hakim Sharaee said. But anything in the text found to conflict with Sharia law and the principles of the Islamic Emirate would be discarded, he added. Nearly six decades ago, before the world's superpowers intervened in the country, Afghanistan enjoyed a brief period of constitutional monarchy during the reign of King Mohammad Zahir Shah. The king ratified the constitution a year after coming to power in 1963, ushering in nearly a decade of parliamentary democracy before he was overthrown in 1973. The 1964 constitution, which gave women the right to vote for the first time and opened the doors for their increased participation in politics, would appear an awkward fit with the Taliban's hardline views. Brazilian authorities are searching for a driver who was captured on video deliberately slamming his vehicle into a man and his five-year-old son. Surveillance video footage shows the the motorist attempting to make a right turn in Belem, Para, but having to stop because the boy is riding his bike in the middle of the street. The driver confronted the child's father and complained about the boy riding his bicycle, G1 reported WARNING GRAPHIC CONTENT A man in Belem, Brazil, stands next to his five-year-old who was riding a bicycle moments before the driver of the vehicle deliberately ran over them Sunday night. The child suffered a cut to the head and received three stitches. Both him and his dad, who was also injured, are now home recovering Glauxi Teixeira told Brazilian news outlet G1 that her husband (pictured behind the car) acknowledged that he made the mistake of tossing his glass cup at the car following the heated exchange with the vehicle driver before he and his son were run over by the upset motorist The father appears to move his son to the side, allowing the driver to go down the street before hurling a cup at the vehicle. The driver slams on the brakes and puts his car in reverse, plowing into the parent and the child. Another man who was standing behind them was also knocked to the ground from the impact. The boy was taken to a local hospital and received three stitches for a cut he suffered after hit the sidewalk. His father was also injured. Both were recovering at home. The driver and the family did not know each other, G1 reported. A driver speeds away after he was captured on camera plowing his vehicle into a man and his five-year-old son, who had been blocking the street while he rode his bicycle Sunday night in Para, Brazil. The motorist has not been arrested Glauxi Teixeira recognized her husband was at fault for escalating the argument. 'My husband got angry and threw the glass at the driver. He admits he made a mistake,' Teixeira said. 'But if a person had the courage to run over (them), we know not to do that again. If he were armed, it could be worse.' The Civil Police is leading the investigation into the incident. The driver has not been arrested as of Tuesday. 'Diligence is being carried out to investigate all the elements of the case as well as the identification of the vehicle's driver,' police said. Advertisement Joe Biden should fire his joint chief of staff and Secretary of Defense if they do not resign, a senator has said, for their failure to take responsibility for the chaotic scenes in Afghanistan. Josh Hawley, a Republican senator for Missouri, said on Tuesday night that General Mark Milley and Secretary Lloyd Austin must face the ax over their unrepentant appearances before a Senate committee Tuesday. Earlier in the day the country heard for the first time that the top generals advised the commander-in-chief to leave 2,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan to prevent a Taliban takeover. Republicans accused President Biden of lying to the American people, because he repeatedly said that he was not recommended to keep troops in the country. Hawley, speaking to Fox News's Sean Hannity along with Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, said he was dismayed by the accounts of Milley and Austin. 'Gen. Milley doesn't want any responsibility, Austin doesn't want responsibility, and most of all, Joe Biden doesn't want to take any responsibility, but it's time that they did, which is why all those guys should resign,' said Hawley. 'Milley needs to resign, Austin needs to resign.' Josh Hawley, Republican senator for Missouri, on Tuesday evening called on Biden to fire his Defense Secretary and his military chief if they did not resign, following the Afghanistan debacle Sen. Josh Hawley on Afghanistan: [Milley] needs to resign, Austin needs to resign, the President should fire them. pic.twitter.com/ShJHlLLiZp Inty News (@inty_news) September 29, 2021 Hawley said he was particularly angered by Milley's admission on Tuesday that he spoke to journalist Bob Woodward, for his new book telling the story of the final stretch of the Trump administration. 'I mean Milley, he's sitting here trading gossip with Bob Woodward while Afghanistan literally burns, literally burns,' said Hawley. 'Accountability needs to start right there. He needs to resign, Austin needs to resign, the President should fire him.' Cotton said that Biden had been 'lying' about the advice the generals gave him, and said he was doing it to 'cover up his tracks' in the aftermath of the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. 'That's what we've heard today, that President Biden repeatedly rejected the advice of his military commanders and that's what led to this disaster and now he's been lying about it,' said Cotton. 'I think the very simple question is covering up his tracks in the middle of an ongoing fiasco.' Tom Cotton (pictured left), senator for Arkansas, accused Biden of trying to 'cover his tracks' by insisting that he was never given the option by the generals of keeping 2,500 troops in Afghanistan as a stabilization force General Mark Milley on Tuesday gave the first full public account of the withdrawal from Afghanistan Hawley said that Milley (pictured, far left) and Austin (right) should resign, or else be fired by Biden Testimony provided earlier on Tuesday by the country's defense secretary and two senior generals contradicted Biden's claims he was never warned by military advisers that bringing home American soldiers risked the collapse of a fragile government in Kabul. The result was a slew of furious accusations that Biden ignored advice and then lied to the country. Hawley said during the hearing: 'Here's what I've learned so far: Number one, the president of the United States lied to the American people about the advice that you gave to him, about the military judgement that you provided for him. 'I think you've all testified to that effect now repeatedly.' Biden has been under intense pressure to defend his handling of the withdrawal. The Taliban moved rapidly across the country ahead of his August 31 deadline to get Americans out of Afghanistan, seizing the capital Kabul on August 15. Biden and his officials have insisted the speed of their advance and the collapse of Afghan security forces took them by surprise. In an August 18 interview with George Stephanopoulos, the president even denied that he withdrew troops against the recommendation of his senior military advisers. But McKenzie, head of US Central Command and who oversaw the final days of the war in Afghanistan, said he repeatedly argued that a small presence of U.S. troops was essential for stability. 'I stated consistently that my position was, if you go below 2500 you're going to look at a collapse of the Afghan military,' he told the Senate Armed Services Committee. 'I didn't I did not foresee it to be days ... I thought it would take months.' In response, the White House tried to play down the testimony and the idea that Biden had ignored the advice of senior military advisers. Press Secretary Jen Psaki tweeted that Biden had told Stephanopoulos that his advisers were divided, and later said that he was entitled to choose between a range of recommendations. 'Hes the commander in chief,' she said during the daily briefing. 'Hes the president. 'He makes decisions about that whats in the national interest, and he believed we should end the war.' Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told senators on Tuesday that U.S. standing had been damaged by President Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin appeared before the Senate Armed Service Committee on Tuesday to defend the Biden administration's handling of the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and the subsequent civilian evacuation Republican Senator Josh Hawley (l) accused President Biden of lying to the American people after hearing from General Frank McKenzie, head of US Central Command, that he recommended keeping 2500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan He made his comments at the start of two days of intense scrutiny of the Biden administration's Afghan strategy, sitting alongside Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Milley also said his view had been that leaving the country, without meeting specific conditions, would likely lead to the collapse of the Afghan armed forces and government. He told lawmakers: 'In the fall of 2020, my analysis was that an accelerated withdrawal without meeting specific and necessary conditions risks losing the substantial gains made in Afghanistan, damaging US worldwide credibility, and could precipitate a general collapse of the Afghan government, resulting in a complete Taliban takeover or general civil war. 'That was a year ago, my assessment remained consistent throughout.' Some 3500 U.S. troops were in the country when President Biden was inaugurated. Milley declined to say exactly what he advised the president, but that it was his personal view that 2500 American troops were needed to prevent collapse. His words triggered immediate scrutiny of Biden's comments defending his actions in August at the height of the crisis. During an interview with ABC News, he denied that his military advisers warned him against bringing home all troops or that at least 2500 were needed to prevent a Taliban takeover. Republicans were quick to accuse President Biden of lying to the American public over the advice he got on withdrawing all U.S. troops from Afghanistan White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said the new testimony did not contradict Biden's ABC News interview 'No one said that to me that I can recall,' he told interviewer Stephanopoulos. Sen. Tom Cotton brought up the interview during the hearing, asking Austin whether Biden was telling the truth when he said that no senior military adviser told him to leave a small military presence. After saying that Biden was an 'honest and forthright man,' Austin admitted: 'Their input was received by the president and considered by the president, for sure. 'In terms of what they specifically recommended senator, as they just said, they're not going to provide what they recommended in confidence.' The testimony triggered a wave of condemnation. Republican Senator Ben Sasse, a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, said: 'President Biden lied when he told the American people that nobody urged him to keep 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. 'Today, under oath, General McKenzie flatly contradicted the president. This is the worst American foreign policy disaster in a generation and the President is trying to cover his ass with political spin.' Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn, who sits on the armed services committee, said: 'From what we are hearing, President Biden rejected military advice to keep 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, and then lied about it to the American people.' Mark Meadows, chief of staff in the Trump White House said: 'If it wasnt already obvious, todays Senate hearing confirmed: Joe Biden lied to the America people about his Afghanistan withdrawal plan.' The president was entitled to reject the generals' advice, said Leon Panetta, who was secretary of defense under President Obama. 'But I do think it needs to be clear that the advice was given, and the advice was rejected,' he told CNN. The episode has severely tested Biden's claim to be a foreign policy expert. His approval ratings collapsed amid images of Afghans clinging to U.S. transport planes as they desperately sought to escape their new Taliban rulers. A suicide blast killed 13 U.S. service personnel and 169 Afghans in the last days of the chaotic evacuation. Days later a drone strike killed 10 civilians despite U.S. claims the missile targeted terrorists in the final stages of launching an attack. Gen. Milley and the others defended the drawdown but admitted the operation did not go smoothly. 'It was a logistical success but a strategic failure,' he said. Impact on U.S. credibility The speed of the withdrawal also triggered anger from U.S. allies, such as Britain, where ministers said they were blindsided by the rapid departure and the launch of a chaotic, frantic evacuation of foreign nationals. Milley said the episode had a damaging impact on U.S. standing in the world. 'I think that our credibility with allies and partners around the world, and with adversaries, is being intensely reviewed by them to see which way this is going to go,' he said. 'And I think that damage is one word that could be used.' It was left to Austin to defend the administration. 'I think our credibility remained solid ...' he said. 'Clearly there will be people who question things going forward.' Senators on the Armed Services Committee also heard warnings that the country could still present a terrorist threat to American soil. Officials have said all along that the rapid collapse of Afghanistan in 11 days, as the Taliban advanced rapidly across the country, took them by surprise. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Afghanistan, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on September 28, 2021 Afghan refugees are packed onto a C-19 Globemaster III military aircraft during last month's messy withdrawal from Afghanistan Afghan army's rapid collapse For his part, Austin defended the military's execution of the chaotic Kabul airlift but blamed the fall of Kabul on the Afghan army's sudden collapse. 'To be clear, those first two days were difficult,' he said. 'We all watched with alarm the images of Afghans rushing the runway and our aircraft. 'We all remember the scenes of confusion outside the airport. But within 48 hours, our troops restored order, and process began to take hold.' Despite 20 years of U.S. presence in the country, he admitted that Washington failed to 'forge a nation' that could stand on its own feet. 'The fact that the Afghan army - that we and our partners trained - simply melted away - in many cases without firing a shot, took us all by surprise and it would be dishonest to claim otherwise,' he said. 'We need to consider some uncomfortable truths that we didn't fully comprehend: The depth of corruption and poor leadership in the senior ranks that we didn't grasp; the damaging effect of the frequent and unexplained rotations by President Ghani of his commanders; that we didn't anticipate the snowball effect caused by the deals that the Taliban commanders struck with local leaders in the wake of the Doha agreement; and that the Doha agreement itself had a demoralising effect on Afghan soldiers.' Role of Bagram air base Abandoning Bagram air base before withdrawing American civilians and Afghan allies was a major tactical mistake, according to critics, leaving U.S. forces reliant on a civilian airport, with a single runway in the heart of a city controlled by the Taliban Austin also tried to head off questions about whether the evacuation operation would have been more successful if the military had not shot down Bagram air base. 'Retaining Bagram would have required putting as many as 5000 US troops in harm's way just to operate and defend it, and it would have contributed little to the mission that we've been assigned, and that was to protect and defend the embassy which was some 30 miles away. 'That distance from Kabul also rendered Bagram of little value in the evacuation.' McKenzie also defended the closure under questioning from Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen. 'I can tell you that once we went below 2500 people in Afghanistan, we lost the ability to hold Bagram Airbase,' he said. 'And it was inevitable that we were going to have to come out of Bagram because we ended up in late June, early July, with 650 Marines and soldiers in the country. 'It was not feasible to hold Bagram under those circumstances.' Terrorist threat against U.S. soil Biden has repeatedly declared that the degradation of Al Qaeda meant the original mission of U.S. troops in Afghanistan had been completed. But senators were told that the Taliban remained a terrorist organization and had never broken its ties with Al Qaeda. 'I have no illusions who we are dealing with, said Milley during his opening statement. 'It remains to be seen whether or not the Taliban can consolidate power or if the country will further fracture into civil war. But we must continue to protect the United States of America and it people from terrorist attacks coming from Afghanistan. 'A reconstituted Al Qaeda or ISIS with aspirations to attack the United States is a very real possibility.' McKenzie later addressed the question of whether the U.S. was in a position to counter such a threat. 'I think we're still seeing how Al Qaeda and ISIS are configuring themselves against the Taliban,' he said. 'We're still seeing whether the Taliban is going to do, so I think I would not say I'm confident that that's going to be on the ground yet.' Taliban members set checkpoints around Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghan capital Kabul after the last U.S. troops left. Some 100 U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents who want to leave the country are still stuck in Afghanistan, according to the State Department Milley defends China calls Although the hearing was intended to dissect the Biden administration's stance on Afghanistan, Milley used his opening statements to answer claims he made 'secret' calls to his Chinese counterpart and offered to warn him of any impending U.S. attack in the final days of the Trump presidency. The allegations were made in 'Peril,' a new book by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. It cited Beijing's fears that Trump was looking to start a war with China as his potential election loss loomed. Milley confirmed the broad premise of the book but denied that the calls were secret. He said they were part of the usual business of being chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and explained that the calls had been coordinated with the U.S. government. 'I know, I am certain, President Trump did not intend on attacking the Chinese and it is my directed responsibility to convey presidential orders and intent,' he said. 'My message again was consistent: calm, steady, de-escalate. "We are not going to attack you."' Impact of the Doha agreement The two senior commanders said the Doha agreement - signed under President Trump after negotiations with the Taliban in the Qatari capital - had a negative impact on the morale and performance of the Afghan security forces. It essentially set a deadline for the U.S. withdrawal in return for the Taliban agreeing not to attack American forces. As senators probed whether the Biden administration should have had a clearer idea of the fragile nature of the Afghan military, McKenzie and Milley pointed to the agreement and its damaging fallout. McKenzie said: 'Its my judgement that the Doha agreement did negatively affect the performance of the Afghan forces, in particular by some of the actions the government of Afghanistan was required to take as part of that agreement.' The deal required Kabul to release 5000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for 1000 Afghan government troops, as well as starting the withdrawal of thousands of American contractors who had supported local forces. Milley added that in his assessment the Doha deal 'did affect the morale of the Afghan security forces.' Drone strike investigation Gen Frank McKenzie said the intelligence behind a drone strike that killed 10 civilians on August 29 in Kabul was 'tragically wrong' The three witnesses faced questions about the August 29 drone strike that killed 10 civilians but said they might better be answered during an afternoon session behind closed doors. Austin said he had not yet been in touch with the aircrew responsible for the strike. 'I've directed a three-star review of this incident,' he said. 'Gen. McKenzie did an initial investigation, and I directed a three-star review and so I won't make any comments.' The issue came up again later during the hearing when Gen. McKenzie was asked whether it was possible to adequately assess targets without intelligence assets on the ground. He said he took full responsibility for the strike. 'The matter is under investigation, but what I can tell you broadly, and to restate some things that I've said earlier, I am responsible for that,' he said. 'It happened in my area of responsibility, so I'm the responsible officer for that strike.' And he said on this occasion the intelligence was 'tragically wrong.' 'I was under no pressure, and no one in my chain of command below me, was under any pressure to take that strike, we acted based on the intelligence read that we saw on the ground,' he said. Republicans in particular have intensified their attacks on President Joe Bidens decision to pull all troops out of Afghanistan by the end of last month, saying it left the U.S. more vulnerable to terrorism. They are also demanding more details on the suicide bombing in Kabul that killed 13 American service members in the final days of the withdrawal. In an early hostile salvo, Sen Jim Inhofe, the top Republican on the committee, offered a withering analysis of the administration's withdrawal and future strategy for Afghanistan. 'There is no plan. We have no reliable partners on the ground. We have no bases nearby,' he said in his opening statement. 'The Afghan government is now led by terrorists with long ties to Al Qaeda. And were at the mercy of the Pakistan government to get into Afghanistan airspace. 'Even if we can get there, we cant strike Al Qaeda in Afghanistan because were worried about what the Taliban will do to the Americans still there.' The mother of student Libby Squire has said 'we can't accept our girls being murdered on the streets' following the death of primary school teacher Sabina Nessa. Lisa Squire said 'women have the right to be out whenever they like', adding: 'There are monsters out there.' Married father-of-two Pawel Relowicz dumped Libby's body in the River Hull after raping her on a playing field in the early hours of February 1 2019. The 26-year-old Polish butcher was convicted of raping and murdering the 21-year-old when he chanced upon her after she had been out with friends. Following the deaths of Ms Nessa and Sarah Everard, the Hull University philosophy student's mother said 'Women have the right to be out whenever they like. 'The only way to stop this is to look out for one another - to teach our children, our sons, how to look out for their sisters and girlfriends. Lisa Squire said more had to be done to make sure women could be safe on the streets Libby Squire was murdered by Married father-of-two Pawel Relowicz and dumped in a river Teacher Sabina Nessa, 28, was found dead last week in a park after she left her home 'I can't believe that now another family is going through the unbelievable pain we are all still living with. 'We can't accept our girls being murdered on the streets. We can't accept it, because it is simply -unacceptable. Something has to -happen, or it will be another month and another girl will be dead,' she added tp The Sun. Pc Wayne Couzens could spend the rest of his life behind bars for the kidnap, rape and murder of Ms Everard, who he snatched as she walked home alone from a friend's house in Clapham, south London, on the evening of March 3. Ms Nessa was killed as she walked through Cator Park in Kidbrooke, south-east London on September 17 while on her way to meet a friend. Ms Squire, a 51-year-old maternity ward nurse, continued: 'The night that Libby was murdered 18 people came across her. The 19th killed her. 'People say they can't believe these women are being killed in built-up areas. But predators come to built-up areas to prey on them. Murderers and rapists Wayne Couzens and Pawel Relowicz have both killed women 'She wasn't 'vulnerable'. People say that, but she wasn't. She had every right to be out and having a drink that night. What made her vulnerable was the fact there are monsters out there. 'I hold baby girls at work and I look at them and I am terrified. I want the streets to be safe for them when they are 21. But I don't believe they will be.' Speaking about the deaths of Ms Nessa and Ms Everard, Libby's mother continued: 'It is the same with Sabina and Sarah. Saying they are vulnerable because they are alone on the street is victim blaming. Women have the right to be out on our streets whenever they like. 'Historically women are always the ones at risk. We're at risk from taxi drivers, at risk to walk alone at night. We have to look after each other. 'It is the worst possible pain. And I would say go with however you feel at the time. Sometimes I wanted to sit down and not speak. Other times I wanted to lie on the floor and scream. You have to go with however you feel. 'They will be going through the 'I can't believe this has happened to us' stage. I'd love to say that goes away, but it doesn't.' Ms Squire continued: 'I would say try not to think about him [the killer]. I don't give Libby's killer any space in my head. I have a continuing bond with Libby, I don't have room in my mind for him. 'If someone had called 999 the night Libby was killed, if there was some protocol to follow, then she could have been saved. Make the call, don't spend your life regretting not helping another person. 'He will be about the same age as I am now when he gets out. We are serving the true life sentence.' Advertisement This is an exclusive first look inside the secluded waterfront campsite where Dog the Bounty Hunter claims Brian Laundrie is hiding out as it's revealed that Brian and Gabby went there before. Two months ago the pair uploaded a series of photos to a hiking website that show them relaxing on the beach and exploring the Fort De Soto campground in Pinellas County, Florida, close to St Petersburg. Reality star Dog, who joined the hunt for missing Brian over the weekend, says a tipster alerted him to several recent trips the Laundries made to the remote spot, 75 miles north of the family home in North Port. A spokesman for the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office told DailyMail.com that there is no search underway and the only activity at the 1,130-acre site Tuesday was a handful of media helicopters circling overhead. A spokeswoman for the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said: 'We are not conducting an investigation at Ft. DeSoto. We are unaware of any confirmed sightings of Brian.' But former bail bondsman Dog real name Duane Chapman continues to push the idea that Laundrie, 23, could be there, hopping from island to island in a canoe to evade detection. Dog the Bounty Hunter said Monday night that Brian Laundrie's parents spent the night in Fort De Soto from September 1 to 3, staying in spot number 1. The camping site is seen in exclusive DailyMail.com photos Two months ago Laundrie and Gabby Petitio visited the same spot and posted photos hiking and showing them relaxing on the beach. They also posted this photo behind bars The campsite is located at the Fort De Soto campground in Pinellas County, Florida, close to St Petersburg Dog believes that Laundrie, 23, could be in this area, hopping from island to island in a canoe to evade detection Based around a fort built in 1900, De Soto contains more than seven miles of waterfront, eleven floating docks and multiple places to launch kayaks and canoes Duane Chapman, better known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, (pictured at the weekend outside the Laundrie house in North Port, Florida) said on Monday that he had located a campsite where the Laundrie family stayed in September and where he believes Brian Laundrie is hiding out Dog told TV reporter Brian Entin Monday night that Laundrie's parents spent the night in Fort De Soto from September 1 to 3, staying in spot number 1. They returned again with Brian to stay on spot 15 from September 6 to 8, he further claims. Christopher, 62, and Roberta, 55, have yet to talk publicly about Brian's disappearance or the slaying of his fiancee Gabby Petito, 22, who was found dead in Wyoming after he returned from their cross-country 'van life' trip without her on September 1. The Laundries maintained their silence Tuesday when they were seen leaving home mid-morning to buy groceries at Walmart. Gabby and Brian also visited the De Soto campground together according to their review on The Dyrt, which was posted two months ago. In one photo Laundrie and Gabby are seen peering through the bars of a jail cell at an old fort. In more snaps Gabby is seen reading a true crime novel book on the beach, exploring the dunes and holding a starfish in the palm of her hand. 'Really nice campground, beautiful area with many hikes and easy walks, the beach, historic sites, really nice camp store and well maintained sites!' the couple said in a review. Based around a fort built in 1900, De Soto contains more than seven miles of waterfront, eleven floating docks and multiple places to launch kayaks and canoes. Christopher, 62, and Roberta, 55, have yet to talk publicly about Brian's disappearance or the slaying of his fiancee Gabby Petito, 22, who was found dead in Wyoming after he returned from their cross-country 'van life' trip without her on September 1 The Laundries maintained their silence Tuesday when they were seen leaving home mid-morning to buy groceries at Walmart. The Laundrie family insisted on Monday they do not know where their son Brian Laundrie is Exclusive DailyMail.com photos offer the first look inside the secluded waterfront campsite where Dog believes Laundrie is hiding. A 'wanted' poster is seen on the same street as the Laundrie home Dog is adamant that Brian Laundrie could be hopping from island to island in a kayak or canoe at the Fort De Soto camping site Gabby and Brian visited the De Soto campground together according to their review on The Dyrt Search efforts have so far been concentrated at the Carlton Reserve - an alligator-infested watery 25,000 acre site 13 miles north of the Laundrie family home in North Port. 'Allegedly, what we're hearing, is two people left on the 8th,' said Chapman. 'Three people came in on the 6th, and two people left on the 8th. I think he's been here for sure.' A Fox News Digital reporter overheard a park worker say investigators had checked surveillance video on the grounds. The FBI has not commented. The Laundrie family insisted on Monday they do not know where Brian Laundrie is. Steven Bertolino, the family lawyer, said in the statement: 'Chris and Roberta Laundrie do not know where Brian is. 'They are concerned about Brian and hope the FBI can locate him. 'The speculation by the public and some in the press that the parents assisted Brian in leaving the family home or in avoiding arrest on a warrant that was issued after Brian had already been missing for several days is just wrong.' Chapman's claim came after it was announced the all-out search in the Carlton Reserve will be scaled back as the FBI takes over the hunt. North Port Police spokesman Josh Taylor said: 'The FBI is now leading the search. 'I'm told it will be scaled back and targeted based on intelligence. 'Hopefully, water will lower in areas hard to currently access,' he told Fox News. 'Really nice campground, beautiful area with many hikes and easy walks, the beach, historic sites, really nice camp store and well maintained sites!' Gabby and Brian said in a review of the campsite during their visit two months ago (pictured) In more snaps Gabby is seen reading a true crime novel book on the beach, exploring the dunes and holding a starfish in the palm of her hand An extensive search for Laundrie has been underway since his parents reported him missing on September 17 - two days after he was named a person of interest in the homicide of Petito, whose remains were found on September 19 The federal agency charged Laundrie with 'use of unauthorized access device' last Thursday, but said they will 'continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petito's homicide.' An extensive search for Laundrie has been underway since his parents reported him missing on September 17 - two days after he was named a person of interest in the homicide of Petito, whose remains were found on September 19. A group of 75 officers from more than 16 agencies joined the search last week, using drones, diver units, dogs and ATV vehicles to comb the 25,000-acre preserve since his parents reported that Laundrie might be there. Over 100 miles of hiking, biking and horseback riding trails are contained in the park, along with camping areas and rivers. Wildlife there includes alligators, bobcats, snakes and coyotes. Florida cattle rancher Alan McEwen, who lives outside the Carlton Reserve, has spent 30 years exploring the area and said it's not somewhere humans can easily live. He has been assisting police in their search for Laundrie. 'There's no surviving out here, I don't know how to say it,' he told Fox News. 'I've been in the woods in and out all my life. I have learned a lot in my life, and one thing I know is no one is gonna survive out there for two weeks on foot.' Dog vowed to find him before his 24th birthday on November 18. Seattle's Boohoof Law offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to his capture. Australia is on track to overtake the United States' Covid-19 vaccination rate despite an initially slow rollout - with NSW already claiming the lead. While Americans have had free and ample vaccine supplies for the majority of the year, the jab program Down Under has been plagued by delivery delays and complications. But despite the disparity, the two nation's vaccine progress is virtually on par - with around 63.5 per cent of Americans having received one dose compared to around 62 per cent of Australians. A graph collated by Our World in Data shows Aussies are steaming ahead after receiving much-needed Pfizer shipments in the past couple of months - and are now set to outstrip the US's first jab pace this week. Australia is close to eclipsing the United States' first-dose vaccination rate after a troubled start to the vaccine program Down Under (pictured, healthcare workers administer jabs at a Sydney vaccination clinic) A graph by Our World in Data shows Australia (in red) racing to catch up to the United States' vaccination rates despite - the US having a two month head start However, it may take a little longer to surpass the United States' double-dose rate, which stands at 54.6 per cent to Australia's 41 per cent. All Americans have had free access to vaccines like Pfizer and Moderna since April, with those eligible in earlier phases rolling up their sleeves as early as December. But while Australia's vaccination efforts have ramped up, the US's have started to flatline - rising from a 61 per cent first-dose rate to just 63 percent between September 1 and 26. During the same period, Australia's single-jab figure climbed from 48 per cent to 62 per cent, as residents in locked-down Victoria and NSW flocked to hubs in a bid to speed up jab targets. The two states' efforts have been vital in helping the nation's rollout catch up to other countries - with NSW already having charged ahead of the US on both single and double dose figures. As of Tuesday, 86.2 per cent of NSW residents have received one shot of a Covid vaccine, and 61.7 per cent are fully-vaccinated. Overall jab rates are higher among adult groups - the primary targets of nations' vaccine programs - but varying age classifications between the US and Australia make the rollouts difficult to compare. In the United States, 77.1 per cent of those aged 18 and over have received one dose, while 66.6 are fully-vaccinated, according to the US Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Meanwhile, in Australia, which reports rates among those 16 and older, the single-shot rate sits at 76 per cent, while 52.57 have received both doses. The impressive gain on has seen Australia - which was placed 102th in the world for vaccine rollouts in April - rapidly ascend the ranks, however, it still near the bottom of 38 OCED nations (sitting at 28) for percentage of residents with first doses. Vaccination rates in the US have slumped over the past month, crawling just 2 per cent from September 1 to 26 (pictured, healthcare workers put a Covid patient on a ventilator in a Californian hospital) The astonishing comparison comes as it was announced Australia is on track to hit the crucial milestone of 80 per cent coronavirus vaccination coverage in mid-November and could reach 90 per cent just weeks after that. Vaccine rollout co-ordinator John Frewen revealed the latest government projections for people aged 16 and over at a Senate hearing on Tuesday. 'The variable in there is about whether people continue to come forward so I offer these estimates in the spirit of 'the numbers can change',' he said. The end of October is shaping as the likely time 70 per cent double-dose coverage will be reached nationally, before 80 per cent is achieved around mid-November. Lieutenant General Frewen said it would be possible to hit 90 per cent in late November or early December if people continued to roll up their sleeves. 'That's a best case,' he said. Locked-down states and territories are on track to reach the goals before Covid-free jurisdictions - Western Australia, Queensland, South Australia and Tasmania. A graph shows how countries compare on Covid vaccination rates, with Portugal and the United Emirates leading the world NSW is projected to reach 70 per cent in one week's time, 80 per cent in mid to late October and 90 per cent in the first two weeks of November. Victoria is expected to reach the targets in line with national forecasts. The ACT could reach 70 per cent within a fortnight, 80 per cent in mid to late October and potentially at 90 per cent at the start of November. A nationwide Essential poll of 1094 people found seven per cent would never agree to being vaccinated, while 10 per cent intended to but had not yet booked. Nine per cent said they had booked in for a first dose. All states and territories have committed to easing restrictions when 70 and 80 per cent double-dose coverage is achieved both nationally and across all jurisdictions. Victoria recorded 867 new cases and four deaths on Tuesday, while NSW reported 863 infections and seven fatalities. There were 13 new infections in the ACT. Unions from Southwest and American Airlines are warning that holiday travel could be disrupted if pilots have to comply with President Joe Biden's pending vaccine mandate. On Friday, the Allied Pilots Association, which represents 14,000 pilots at American, sent a letter to White House and Congressional leaders warning carriers will be forced to 'offer unpaid leaves of absence or, worse, implement mass terminations of unvaccinated pilots,' in response to Biden's new vaccine mandate. 'As labor in the airline industry, we now find ourselves at another critical juncture with President Biden's Executive Orders mandating COVID-19 vaccination for employees of federal contractors and companies with more than 100 workers. 'While it is not yet certain which Executive Order will apply to America's airlines, it is apparent that we will be subject to a vaccine mandate in either instance,' the letter, drafted by APA's President Eric Ferguson read. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association said: 'SWAPAs stance is that it is each pilots right to choose whether or not to get the vaccine. 'We are also concerned that the Executive Orders anticipated 60-day implementation period for mandatory vaccinations could result in labor shortages and create serious operational problems for Southwest Airlines and its peers.' Unions from Southwest and American Airlines are warning that holiday travel could be impeded if pilots have to comply with President Joe Biden's pending vaccine mandate Both Southwest and American issued incentives for pilots and other employees to get vaccinated, including free vacation days and bonus pay. However, neither airline has required vaccinations To avoid mass termination of unvaccinated pilots, the APA asked that an 'alternate means of compliance with the Executive Order be made available for professional pilots.' Both Southwest and American issued incentives for pilots and other employees to get vaccinated, including free vacation days and bonus pay. However, neither airline has required vaccinations. Southwest currently has a workforce of 54,448 employees, with 8,500 active pilots as of December 31, 2020. American has a workforce of 133,700 employees, with 673 active pilots as of August. The Fort-Worth airline hopes to hire as many as 1,350 pilots by the end of 2022 to satisfy increasing demand. Southwest currently has a workforce of 54,448 employees, with 8,500 active pilots as of December 31, 2020 On Friday, the Allied Pilots Association, which represents 14,000 pilots at American, sent a letter to White House and Congressional leaders warning carriers will be forced to 'offer unpaid leaves of absence or, worse, implement mass terminations of unvaccinated pilots,' in response to Biden's new vaccine mandate To avoid mass termination of unvaccinated pilots, the APA asked that an ' alternate means of compliance with the Executive Order be made available for professional pilots' United, Frontier and Hawaiian Airlines all required employees to be vaccinated, with United saying 97% of its 67,000 workforce were vaccinated even before its deadline took effect. Delta Air Lines stopped short of requiring vaccination but said that starting in November, unvaccinated workers on the company health plan will pay a $200 monthly surcharge. Deltas chief health officer, Dr. Henry Ting said that about 20,000 employees weren't vaccinated when the company announced plans for the surcharge. In the past month, nearly 9,000 of them received at least one shot. About 82.5% of Deltas 75,000 employees are fully vaccinated. Fewer than five workers have sought a medical exemption and no one has asked for a religious one, Ting said. 'The first 20,000 were very eager, and we got to about 70% (vaccinated) rather quickly,' Ting said, but the remaining unvaccinated employees 'are a very different group.' 'We're playing for real here. This isn't a game,' Biden told his GOP critics, a day after announcing new vaccine mandates Earlier this month, The Labor Department issued an emergency, temporary order to require all businesses with 100 or more employees to ensure every worker is either fully vaccinated or gets tested at least once a week. The order covers over 80 million employees and it will require employers with 100 or more employees to give employees paid time off to get vaccinated. The Biden administration has said that companies will face $13,600 fines per violation and mandatory weekly testing will be the alternative to being vaccinated. The question of whether employers or the government will pay for mandatory tests has yet to be answered. Regulations from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, the office charged with implementing the mandate, will be drafted over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases are surging in the U.S. The seven-day average COVID-19 deaths climbed above the 2,000 threshold last week for the first time since March. And this week, a number of state deadlines arrive for health care workers to get vaccinated, raising fears of worsening staff shortages in hospitals and nursing homes if some opt to quit or get fired or suspended. The APA adds that forcing pilots to get vaccinated poses a threat to an industry still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic. Ferguson said he's hopeful pilots' contributions throughout the pandemic are recognized as the Biden administration considers 'our request for approval of a permanent alternate means of compliance and an operationally feasible implementation period.' A total of 13 men suspected of running an organised crime ring trafficking Romanians to work as builders in the UK have been arrested in London and Romania. Officers from the Metropolitan Police and the Romanian police arrested the men in simultaneous early morning raids on Tuesday. A total of 54 men and a boy were found sleeping in 'extremely cramped conditions' and have now been taken into care, the Met said. The Met Police issued this image showing some of the cash seized during the four early morning raids in north London The alleged victims were found housed in multi-occupancy addresses with mattresses covering the floor. Police said Romanian adult nationals had been recruited and trafficked to the Kingsbury area of north London to work on building sites as unskilled labourers. Those arrested are between 22 and 49 years old. Four warrants were executed in Harrow and Brent, and cash and a firearm were also seized. Eight men were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking and taken to a north London police station. Five men were arrested in Romania, where gold and an estimated 250,000 euros were seized. They have been arrested on suspicion of various offences, including causing another to complete forced or compulsory labour and human trafficking contrary to the Modern Slavery Act 2015. Cash and firearms were recovered during the four warrants in Harrow and Brent, while gold and an estimated 250,000 euros were seized in Romania Detective Constable Dec Wilson, from the Met's Central Specialist Crime, said: 'These arrests in the UK and abroad are the result of working closely with our partners in Romania for the past 18 months, to identify those involved in the human trafficking and labour exploitation. 'We need the public's help as they have an important role to play in recognising and reporting modern slavery. 'If you suspect someone may be a victim of modern slavery, report it. You will always be taken seriously, and protection and support is available. 'Often those affected do not see themselves as potential victims of labour exploitation and many will have been coerced into this life to make money for an organised crime network. 'We believe there are victims of modern slavery in every borough across London and the public may encounter them every day, possibly without realising. 'As well as being exploited for labour, victims have been found working in construction, domestic servitude, agriculture, cannabis factories and in places you use yourself, such as car washes, barbers and nail bars. 'Victims are often told the police and authorities in the UK are not to be trusted and with limited English the victims are unable to seek help, even if they want to.' William Lyle Johnson (pictured) and his former soldier buddies Jacob Mazeika and Justin Causey will be extradited to the Netherlands to stand trial in the murder of Thomas Schwarz A former US Army Ranger and his two ex-soldier buddies accused of acting as a hitmen in the brutal slaying of a German businessman in the Netherlands will be extradited to face the charges against them. The US District Court of Connecticut ordered that Jacob Mazeika, 38, be sent overseas to stand trial in the 2019 murder of Thomas Schwarz, according to court records dated September 20. Mazeika, who served two tours in Afghanistan and a tour in Iraq, signed off on an affidavit consenting to the extradition the same day. He faces 19 charges in the Netherlands including murder, aggravated manslaughter and extortion resulting in death. Mazeika was arrested in Connecticut last April and has remained in custody ever since. Justin Causey, of Colorado, and William Lyle Johnson, a former Mississippi sheriff's deputy, have also been approved for extradition in connection with the case. Johnson was arrested in the US at the end of April and was held without bail. His extradition to the Netherlands was granted on September 15. Causey's extradition was granted on September 7. It remains unclear exactly when the extraditions will take place. Former US Army Ranger Jacob Mazeika signed off on an affidavit on September 20, 2021 consenting to his extradition to the Netherlands Mazeika, of Connecticut, and two other soldiers - - were reportedly hired by a Swiss businessman to kill Schwarz, a struggling farmer who allegedly owed money to Lukas Fecker. Schwarz was found dead at his home in Bergen on November 26, 2019. His hands and feet had been tied with wire. Dutch police were called to his residence after receiving reports that Schwarz's front door was open and the 'handle stained with blood'. According to court documents, Schwarz had suffered several deep stab wounds, serious injuries to his back, broken ribs and his throat had been slashed. Neighbors reported hearing a loud bang and seeing 'one person bent over, holding a sheet or blanket, as well as a woman'. It is unclear who the woman is. Two men in hats were later seen going into the home. William Lyle Johnson is seen leaving the William M. Colmer Federal Courthouse in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Tuesday, July 20, 2021, following a status hearing for an extradition request by authorities in the Netherlands The victim is said to have owed money to Lukas Fecker (pictured) They also recalled seeing a Volkswagen Polo, rented by Causey and Fecker, outside Schwarz's home on the morning of November 26. When Causey went to return the rental car he left out to floor mats, stating 'he had cleaned the floor mats but had forgotten to put them back in the car before returning it'. Police said the car had 'trace amounts' of Schwarz's blood on it. Additionally, Mazeika and Johnson are then said to have joined Causey at a hotel close to Schwarz's home in the November, days before the killing. The pair then returned home to the US two days after Schwarz's death. Investigators also found 'numerous' encrypted telephone exchanges between Causey, Mazeika and Johnson. In one conversation where the men were trying to determine how hard it would be to 'grab' Schwarz, Causey wrote: '' fat, not strong. If the door closes and the street is clear, we take the key and open. Brachial stun makes one quiet.' 'Oh we can prevent sound I was asking in the sense of if he goes down on the hit how heavy is he,' Mazeika responded, noting that using the front door would make it 'easier to bum rush' an entry and 'shove him back in fast.' Court documents reveal that the US District Court of Connecticut has ordered that Mazeika be sent to the Netherlands to stand trial in the 2019 murder of Thomas Schwarz The day after the murder, Causey allegedly texted his girlfriend that he didn't 'feel good about this last job' but was returning to the US with more than $200,000. '$230,000 in 2 months,' he wrote. 'The work, though . Lord. Lessons learned on my side. Big lessons on [Lukas Fecker's] side. Flawless execution of the plan Jacob is good as gold. I wish Will didn't come attached. He's a good guy, but you know' Johnson claimed he was paid $10,000. It is unclear how much money Mazeika received or what his role in the plot was. However, according to a court filing by US prosecutors, 'Mazeika was integral to the planning and execution of the operation, not a minimal participant.' A Bangladeshi man in his 80s has been reunited with his nearly 100-year-old mother after 70 years after making a plea on social media. 'This is the happiest day of my life,' Abdul Kuddus Munsi, 82, told AFP news agency from Brahmanbaria, the eastern border district where he was born in 1939. At age 10, Kuddus was sent to live with his uncle, but lost touch with his family after running away and being adopted by two sisters. In April a businessman posted a video of Kuddus on Facebook, appealing for help finding his parents. All Kuddus could remember about his first decade was the name of his parents and his village. Abdul Kuddus Munsi (left) described the reunion with his mother, Mongola Nessa, as 'the happiest day of my life' A distant relative in the village spotted the post and informed Kuddus that his mother, Mongola Nessa, thought to be in her late 90s, was still alive. Kuddus - himself a father to three grown-up sons and five daughters - travelled about 350 kilometres (220 miles) from the western city of Rajshahi, to end the decades of estrangement. Over the weekend he was finally reunited with his mother, who identified him by a tear-mark on his hand, as well as his sister. 'My mother is very old and she can't speak properly,' he added. 'She was crying after seeing me and holding my hands. 'I told her that your son is back and you don't have to worry about anything from now.' 'They held each other's hands and cried for a long time as they were reunited,' Kuddus's nephew Shafiqul Islam told AFP. 'Hundreds of villagers who came to see this remarkable scene also had tears in their eyes.' A Danish artist has pocketed the cash that he received from a museum to incorporate into an artwork and changed the name of the installation to 'Take the Money And Run.' Jens Haaning, a 56-year-old artist living in Copenhagen, was given 534,000 kroner (equivalent to 61,980) in cash by the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg, for use as part of one of his exhibits. The museum thought the artist planned to include the bank notes in an installation they had commissioned him to create. But when the artwork was revealed for the first time, museum staff were horrified to find nothing but a big, empty frame. The artwork has since been given a new name by Haaning - 'Take the Money and Run' - while the artist openly declared he intended to take the cash. 'It's not theft. It is a breach of contract, and breach of contract is part of the work,' he said. 'The work is that I have taken their money.' The museum thought the artist planned to include the bank notes in an installation they had commissioned him to create. But when the artwork was revealed for the first time, museum staff were horrified to find nothing but a big, empty frame The museum has nonetheless decided to display the empty frames, admitting that Haaning had created an 'interesting artwork', but confirmed it would take legal action if the artist did not return the money by the contracted date of January 16, 2022. Jens Haaning, a 56-year-old artist living in Copenhagen, was given 534,000 kroner (equivalent to 61,980) in cash by the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aalborg for use as part of an artwork, but he instead sent the museum empty frames and took the cash Haaning, who was born in Hoersholm in 1965, gained popularity in the 1990s for his art which focuses on power structures and differences between social groups, and had previously created artwork in which he used banknotes to represent workers' annual salaries. The museum expected Haaning to use the 61,980 it lent him to recreate his previous artwork by arranging the bank notes into two picture frames, which would visualise the average annual income of a person in Denmark and Austria and form part of the 'Work It Out' exhibit. Running from Sept. 28 to Jan. 16, the exhibit features new and existing works from about 20 artists and occupies the majority of the museum. But just as the installation was set to open for the first time, the museum received an email from Haaning who confirmed he had taken the money and would not pay it back. 'The curator received an email in which Jens Haaning wrote that he had made the work and the work title into 'Take the Money and Run',' a museum spokesperson told EuroNews. 'Subsequently, we could ascertain that the money had not been put into the work.' For his part, Haaning said that he took the money in response to his poor working conditions, alleging that the museum's paltry pay meant he would've had to sacrifice are 2,850 of his own money to complete the installation. '[Returning the money] is not going to happen. The work is that I have taken their money,' he told Danish broadcaster DR. 'I encourage other people who have working conditions as miserable as mine to do the same. 'If they're sitting in some sh***y job and not getting paid, and are actually being asked to pay money to go to work, then grab what you can and beat it,' he said. The Kunsten Museum of Modern Art in Aarlborg, northern Denmark, plays host to Haaning's artwork as part of the installation 'Work it Out' Take the Money and Run' by Danish artist Jens Haaning, in on display at the museum Kunsten in Aalborg, Sweden, 28 September 2021. The frame should have been filled with around 550.000 Danish kroner in cash, which is supposed to match the average annual salary in respectively Austria and Denmark Kunsten director Lasse Andersen told DR that he agreed Haaning had created an interesting artwork and that the museum will continue to display the empty frames, but would take legal action if the artist did not return the money by the contracted date of January 16, 2022. 'I would agree with Jens that a work in its own right has been created, which actually comments on the exhibition we have. But that's not the agreement we had,' he said. 'Right now we wait and see. If the money is not returned on January 16 as agreed, we will of course take the necessary steps to ensure that Jens Haaning complies with his contract.' Andersen claimed the artist's contract with the museum included a display fee for his work of around 1,340, but that the museum would cover any expenses up to 6,000. Haaning meanwhile has insisted that he would not return the money, as he believes it has not been stolen outright, and said that his decision to display the frames without the bank notes is simply a commentary on his own situation with the museum. 'No, it's not theft. It's a breach of contract, and a breach of contract is part of the work,' he said. 'Why do I not make a work that is about my own work situation?' A former teacher who had sex with a female pupil at a 30,000-a-year boarding school has been jailed for two years. Aaron Gardner, 32, coerced the student, who was 17 at the time, into sexual activity and abused his position of trust, police said. He committed a string of sex offences against the vulnerable girl while teaching at independent school Hurstpierpoint College in West Sussex. The public school, where TV presenter Jamie Theakston and film critic Barry Norman once studied, has fees for full boarders of more than 10,000 a term. Gardner, who now lives in Malvern, Worcestershire, committed the abuse more than seven years ago, according to Sussex Police. Gardner offended teaching at independent school Hurstpierpoint College in West Sussex At Hove Crown Court, Gardner was jailed for six counts of abusing his role of being in a position of trust to incite the girl aged under 18 to engage in sexual activity. He admitted the charges at a previous hearing and was banned from working with children indefinitely. A judge also ordered Gardner to be a registered sex offender for ten years and was given a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for the same amount of time. Detective Constable Kirstie Prentice of the West Sussex Safeguarding Investigations Unit said there was no evidence any other pupils were victims of Gardner. At Hove Crown Court, Gardner was jailed for six counts of abusing his role as a teacher She said in a statement today: 'The victim reported the offending to us two years ago when she became aware that Gardner was still teaching, although by then he was at another school outside Sussex. 'We found that he had abused his position over a period of time when she was vulnerable, and took advantage of this for his own gratification until she left the college. 'We had full co-operation from the college management throughout the investigation and there is no evidence that any other students were at risk from Gardner, who had left the college some years ago and no longer works in teaching. 'We always encourage victims of sexual offending to contact us, whatever the circumstances, so that we can investigate and can also give access to sources of specialist advice and support.' Advertisement Friends have expressed their fears for Katie Price's health after she was arrested for smashing her BMW allegedly on the way to pick up more drugs after an all-night drink and cocaine binge. The former glamour model, 43, who is currently serving a six-month driving ban, was said to be in a 'bad way' when police arrived and allegedly arrested her at the crash site on a rural lane in Sussex. MailOnline understands she had been up all night taking drink and cocaine before leaving her property at 5am to pick up more. A source said: 'Katie is on a downward spiral. After an all-night bender. It's a new low, even by her standards.' Another source told The Mirror: 'Katie is a total mess at the moment. Her partying is out of control and has really ramped up over the last few weeks.' And close friend Michelle Heaton is said to have begged mother-of-five Katie to get professional help and return to rehab. A picture - tweeted by a police officer - showed a damaged BMW lying on its side across a lane near the scene of the incident at just before 8am. Its mangled front is wedged into the bushes and an ambulance can be seen on the road behind. In a series of Instagram statements released on Ms Price's Instagram, her family say they have 'for some time been concerned about Kate's wellbeing and overall mental health', adding: 'Today our worst fears nearly came true'. And Ms Price's fiance Carl Woods posted a statement on his Instagram on Tuesday, saying 'Katie is a rough diamond, she has her imperfections, however they make her perfect to me'. It has been claimed that the former glamour model had been driving in a car that was given to her as a gift by Mr Woods several weeks before the crash, The Sun reports. A source said: 'Katie was only given the car by Carl a month or so ago. She'll be gutted it's now written off. But the important thing is that she's OK. It's just a car.' Ms Price has been experiencing a turbulent year, and was recently seen with bruising to her face after an alleged assault at her home in Essex. She could face jail time following the accident because she is still serving a six month driving ban after refusing to tell police who was driving her pink Range Rover following a crash in Bexley, south east London in November 2018. The celebrity was disqualified in October 2019 for 18 months and was due to return to the wheel in April this year, but an administrative error resulted in the ban being extended for a further six months. A police officer tweeted this photo of a crashed BMW near West Grinstead around the same time of this morning's incident In April, Ms Price mocked her ban by sitting in the driving seat and pretending to drive - noting that she was on her own land In a series of Instagram statements released on Ms Price's Instagram, her family say they have 'for some time been concerned about Kate's wellbeing and overall mental health', adding: 'Today our worst fears nearly came true' Katie Price's fiance Carl Woods posted a statement on his Instagram on Tuesday, saying 'Katie is a rough diamond, she has her imperfections, however they make her perfect to me' Pictured: The road at Partridge Green, Sussex, where the incident involving Katie Price took place this morning Pictured: Some debris in Partrige Green, Sussex - the scene of the crash involving former glamour model Katie Price today Katie Price: Her six bans (including one for drink-driving) October 3, 2003 Escaped a speeding charge on a technicality after cops failed to arrest her within 12 weeks. Her Range Rover was allegedly clocked at 70mph in a 40mph zone. June 5, 2008 Given three penalty points, fined 200 and ordered to pay 80 costs at Feltham magistrates' court for talking on her mobile phone while driving on April 18. January 7, 2009 Let off on a legal technicality by Brighton magistrates after allegedly breaking a 30mph limit and not providing the identity of the driver to police. July 7, 2010 Convicted in her absence by Crawley magistrates after cameras caught her speeding at 99 mph on September 16, 2009. Her lawyer argued she was only speeding because she was being hounded by the paparazzi, but police said there were no other speeding vehicles around. She was fined 250, ordered to pay 500 prosecution costs and given four points on her licence. September 28, 2010 Convicted at Mid-Sussex Magistrates' Court for failing to be in proper control of her 7.5-ton lurid pink horsebox after veering into another lane in Sussex on February 19. She was fined 1,000, ordered to pay 650 court costs and a 15 victim surcharge and given three points on her licence, taking her tally to 10. December 1, 2010 Banned from driving ban for six months after she was caught on speed camera travelling at 83mph in a 70mph zone on the A23 in Pyecombe, West Sussex on 10 December 2009. Ms Price, who did not attend the hearing, pleaded guilty to the charge. In her absence, she was fined 1,000 and given three penalty points on her license (taking her total at that time to 13 points). This took her over the 12-point limit and brought an automatic six-month driving ban and so she was disqualified from driving for six months. August 31, 2012 Barred from driving on the roads for 12 months, after failing to respond to two speeding tickets. She had been caught speeding in London on September 5 and September 6 2011. The glamour model argued that all of her post was dealt with by her mother and she had never seen the prosecution warnings. Ms Price, who already had six points on her licence at the time, was given six more and banned for 12 months. She was also fined 400. February 16, 2018 Banned from driving for six months after doing 60mph on the 50mph A24. She already had points on her license. Following the incident in Dial Post, West Sussex in 2017, Ms Price failed to tell police when the speeding ticket arrived and was charged with failing to provide details about the person driving. She failed to show up at magistrates' court and was given a six-month ban and a 750 fine. July 28, 2018 In July she was was questioned by police after photographs emerged of her getting behind the wheel of her car while still banned from the road. Pictures revealed Ms Price driving her grey Ford Fiesta home from Gatwick with her youngest kids Jett, aged four, and Bunny, aged three. She handed herself into police and took to Instagram to insist that she thought the ban was over - but as soon as she realised it wasn't, confessed her wrongdoing to authorities to avoid a 'guilty conscience.' The former glamour model said at the time: 'After driving to Harvey's Hospital appointment I have NOW found out that I don't get my licence back until 8th August.' September 26, 2018 Crashed her 63,000 Ranger Rover on September 26, while allegedly on her mobile phone. The crash was reported to the police. Marketing executive Katie Pugh, 23, told MailOnline that the troubled star rear-ended her Mercedes as they were stuck in traffic on the A3 in Roehampton, Surrey. Pugh said she looked up into her rear-view mirror and noticed Ms Price appearing to be looking at her phone moments before the collision at around 5.30PM on September 26. October 10, 2018 Arrested on suspicion of drink-driving in the earlier hours of the morning on October 10, after being found by police in her garish pink Range Rover in Woolwich, East London. Ms Price had allegedly been partying with ex-boyfriend Kris Boyson helping him celebrate his 30th birthday when her car ended up hitting a parked car. She took a roadside breath test and was taken to Plumstead Police station where she was released after a night in the cells. Ms Price was then photographed driving her car without wearing her seatbelt, just 36 hours after her drink driving arrest - an infraction that carries a 100 fine. December 2018 Charged by postal requisition over her drink-driving charge January 2019 Caught driving while disqualified, and was given another three months. February 2019 Served a further three month ban after being convicted of drink-driving in October 2018. Autumn 2019 Issued with her sixth ban - a two-year disqualification - which she appealed. It was reduced to 18 months. March 2021 Gets behind the wheel of boyfriend Carl Wood's Range Rover weeks before her 18-month ban is lifted. Questioned by police over the matter September 28 : Ms Price is allegedly hospitalised and arrested for drink-driving after being involved in an early hours crash. : Ms Price is allegedly hospitalised and arrested for drink-driving after being involved in an early hours crash. Advertisement She spent five weeks at the Priory last October and vowed this year to take regular drugs tests if anyone challenged her sobriety. She said she had previously used cocaine to 'block things out' as she 'couldnt see the light at the end of the tunnel' due to her mental health issues. The source added: 'Sadly, things have got worse since then and in many respects, something like this happening was inevitable.' A witness told The Sun: 'Katie rolled her car and was in a bad way when police arrived. She's in hospital now and everyone is desperately worried about her and why she was driving.' It came just hours after Ms Price told Good Morning Britain of her pain that being disqualified from driving meant she could not visit her oldest son Harvey at his residential college when he calls to say he misses her. Asked by Susanna Reid how Harvey, 19, was doing, she replied: 'Harvey's in Cheltenham now, he keeps ringing me saying, 'Mummy I miss you, I need your kisses and cuddles', so it is quite hard. 'Because obviously I don't get my licence back until December, so I can't just whizz in the car down there and it's not close.' A second source told MailOnline today: 'No other vehicle was involved in the accident but the car turned onto its side and partially left the road. The driver did not suffer serious injury but was taken to hospital.' Although she currently does not live there, Ms Price still owns her 11-bedroom Sussex mansion in nearby Dial Post - four miles away - which she bought for 1.3million in 2014. The property, which boasts a swimming pool, tennis court and horse stables, was nicknamed the 'mucky mansion' after it was ransacked by intruders last year. They left the taps running causing tens of thousands of pounds worth of damage to property and Katie was forced to leave and moved in with her boyfriend Carl Woods in Essex. The house is currently undergoing a major renovation which is the subject of a Channel 4 documentary and the glamour model has been seen filming in the area. A resident said: 'Luckily no other vehicles were involved in the crash and it happened away from houses. It sounds like the person behind the wheel is going to be okay.' Sussex Police said today: 'Police responded to reports of a single-vehicle collision on the B2135 near Partridge Green around 6.20am on Tuesday (September 28). 'A woman, 43, was arrested on suspicion of driving while above the legal limit for alcohol and drugs, and has been taken to hospital to be checked over. 'The road was blocked temporarily while recovery of the vehicle was arranged.' The mother-of-five has a long history of problems behind the wheel and has been disqualified from driving six times since her first ban back in 2010 for six months. During her current ban alone, she was caught driving while disqualified in January 2019, and had another three months added to her sentence. The day before, Ms Price was seen driving her boyfriend Carl's Land Rover on a public road in Hertfordshire. A witness said: 'They were heading in the direction of the M11. Katie looked anxious. 'She seemed to be biting her nails. How can she be so stupid when she's only got a few weeks of the ban left to go?' The ban was issued to Ms Price after her famous pink Range Rover was involved in a crash in November 2018, after which Ms Price refused to tell police who had actually been behind the wheel. Driving while disqualified can lead to an unlimited fine and jail time of six months. Ms Price was first slapped with a driving ban in 2010 for six months. This was for speeding - 83mph in a 70mph zone in West Sussex. She was then disqualified for a year in 2012, after failing to respond to two speeding tickets. Ms Price reportedly failed to inform police when she received the ticket for breaking the speeding limit in a 50mph limit on the A24 in Dial Post, West Sussex in 2017. She claimed that she failed to see a pair of speeding tickets because her mother takes care of the mail. The former model was ordered to pay a total of 75 and she was slapped with the 12-month driving ban. In 2018, she was banned for another six months, totting up 12 penalty points on her driver's licence. During this ban, she was caught driving while disqualified in January 2019, and was given another three months. A further three months were added to this ban a month after this, when she was convicted of drink-driving the previous October. Ms Price was released by police pending further investigation on October 10 2018 following an alleged five-day bender that ended up with her being arrested for drink-driving after turning up uninvited to her on-off boyfriend's birthday party. At the time, she was receiving treatment at The Priory and meant to be abstaining from alcohol, but it has since been claimed that she went on a five day bender prior to her drink-drive arrest. She had reportedly been enjoying Strawberry Daquiris with ex-boyfriend Alex Adderson after fearing the 25-year-old would think she is a 'boring granny' if she didn't let her hair down. Ms Price famously handed herself into police the previous July for driving while on a six-month ban, explaining at the time that she thought her ban was over. It comes just hours after Ms Price told Good Morning Britain of her pain that being disqualified from driving meant she could not visit her oldest son Harvey at his residential college when he calls to say he misses her Ms Price was recently pictured with bruising to her face after allegedly being assaulted at her home in Essex Ms Price was banned after her famous pink Range Rover (pictured) was involved in a crash in November 2018, after which Ms Price refused to tell police who had actually been behind the wheel Taking to Instagram, the former glamour model admitted that she thought the ban was done - but as soon as she realised it wasn't confessed her wrongdoing to authorities to avoid a 'guilty conscience.' She said at the time: 'Been on such an emotional rollercoaster the last 6 months and my head has been all over the place, so much so, that I thought my driving ban was up. 'After driving to [son] Harvey's hospital appointment I have NOW found out that I don't get my licence back until 8th August. 'With this on my conscience I called police and reported myself. 'I've come such a long way and just want easy life now. 'I have got out of a hole and am finally happy and looking forward to being my old independent self.' The reality star received a 750 fine as well as 200 in costs and a 75 surcharge following her conviction, according to reports. A South East Ambulance Service spokesman said today: 'I can confirm we were called at approximately 6.30am to reports of an RTC on the B2135 at Partridge Green. 'One ambulance crew attended the scene and one person was assessed and treated before being taken to hospital.' THE PENALTIES FOR DRINK DRIVING AND DRIVING WHILE DISQUALIFIED What is the penalty for drink driving? If someone is convicted of drink driving they face being banned from driving, fined or even imprisoned. A magistrates' court decides the sentence, which will vary depending on the severity of the incident. The maximum sentence for excess alcohol (drive/attempt to drive) is an unlimited fine and/or six months in custody, sentencing guidelines show. The driver will also lose their license for at least a year if the offence was driving or attempting to drive. Attending a drink-drive rehabilitation scheme course could mean a reduced ban. If the offence was excess alcohol (in charge), the maximum sentence is a fine of up to 2,500 and/or three months in custody. The driver could also lose their licence or receive 10 points. What is the penalty for driving while disqualified? An offender could face up to six months in prison and a period of disqualification for driving while disqualified. If it is the first offence then alternatives to prison - including a community order, unpaid work or an electronic tag - will likely be considered. A previous conviction for disqualified driving increases the likelihood of going to prison. Like with drink driving, the sentence will depend on the severity of the offence, taking aggravating and mitigating factors into account. How would a potential sentence be decided? Sentencing guidelines advise that all courts should pass a total sentence which 'reflects all the offending behaviour before it and is just and proportionate'. There is no definite rule dictating whether sentences should be structured as concurrent or consecutive components. If a defendant were given two six-month prison sentences - one for drink driving and another for driving while disqualified - these could be served at the same time, one after the other, or a mixture. This means the offender could face six months in prison if the sentences are ordered to be concurrent, or twelve months if they are consecutive. Concurrent sentences are normally appropriate where multiple offences relate to the same incident, or are of a similar kind. Consecutive sentences are appropriate when offences arise out of 'unrelated facts or incidents', or in cases where the offences are of the same kind but 'the overall criminality will not sufficiently be reflected by concurrent sentences'. Advertisement Katie Price's family rally round the troubled star as she is arrested for drink-and-drug driving after road crash Katie Price's family has put out an emotional statement rallying around the troubled star, saying they are 'concerned' for her wellbeing following her arrest for smashing her BMW during an alleged drink and cocaine binge. The mother-of-five, who remains in hospital following the horror crash, now faces jail after six previous disqualifications. In a post on Ms Price's Instagram, her family put out a statement, saying she needs help and treatment for her mental health issues. They wrote: 'As a family we have for some time been concerned about Kate's wellbeing and overall mental health. In a post on Ms Price's Instagram, her family put out a statement, saying she needs help and treatment for her mental health issues 'Today our worst fears nearly came true. As a family we have been and will continue to help Kate get the help she needs. 'We hope that she will realise that she cannot battle her issues alone.' It is not clear who put out the statement, with the post signed off by 'the Price family'. The former I'm A Celebrity star has five children with three former partners. Her eldest child, Harvey, 19, was born to Price and footballer Dwight Yorke, who has played no role in his son's upbringing, despite the teenager's severe disabilities. Katie then had a relationship with singer Peter Andre after their romance blossomed during filming of I'm A Celebrity in 2002. They married in 2005 and Katie gave birth later that year to Junior, and the couple also share a daughter, Princess. Katie's eldest child, Harvey, 19, was born to Price and footballer Dwight Yorke (right), who has played no role in his son's upbringing Katie and Peter Andre, who met on I'm A Celebrity, share a son and daughter together, Junior and Princess Katie revealed she later suffered a miscarriage before the couple divorced, and they both continued to raise their two children. She later married MMA fighter Alex Reid before splitting in 2011, before marrying her third husband Kieran Hayler in 2013. Kieran and Katie share a son and a daughter, Jett, born in 2013, and Bunny, born a year later. She has since dated personal trainer Kris Boyson and Carl Woods, her current fiance. It is understood that Junior, Princess, Bunny and Jett are staying with their fathers Peter Andre and Kieran Hayler. Meanwhile Harvey will stay at his residential college in Cheltenham. Katie previously revealed her children threatened to disown her if she took up drugs again. She told The Sun earlier this year: 'All the kids say I am so much better now, but they say, "Mum if you ever get back to how you were, we are never going to speak to you again. I tell them they never have to worry because I wouldnt go back there."' The family statement continued: 'We are concerned and worried about her deeply, we know she lives her life publicly and to many she is fair game, but as a family we hope she can find her path privately moving forward during this very difficult period in her life. 'We are not asking for sympathy - just that it is recognised that Kate is unwell. Katie revealed she later suffered a miscarriage with Peter before the couple divorced, and they both continued to raise their two children Kieran Hayler and Katie share a son and a daughter, Jett, born in 2013, and Bunny (pictured), born a year later Katie's fiance Carl also posted a statement on his Instagram saying the reality star is 'perfect' to him 'We take great comfort in reading the messages of support and love for Kate that we will pass on to her, in the hope that these positive messages will help spur her on. 'It takes great strength for one to acknowledge they need help, we hope the door is now open for Kate to learn to love herself and to be happy within. Mental illness is not a personal failure.' Katie's fiance Carl also posted a statement on his Instagram, saying: 'Relationships are tested. People test each other - but when you love someone like I love Katie, you enjoy the highs and good times together. 'And that bond is tested during the low and difficult times together. 'Katie is a rough diamond. She has her imperfections. However, they make her perfect to me. 'She just needs that extra help to be polished. The sunlight will shine through her once again and the sparkles that she brings to everyone will return. I love you Katie 100 per cent. My dolly. Always here. Always will be.' The sons of the housekeeper who died following a 'trip and fall' accident at Alex Murdaugh's remote hunting lodge have filed a court petition to have him arrested for his role in allegedly defrauding them out of a $4.3million life insurance settlement, DailyMail.com can reveal. The filing, obtained by DailyMail.com and filed in Hampton County Court Monday, is designed to compel Murdaugh to come before a judge and answer questions over his handling of the settlement of which Gloria Satterfield's sons never saw a dime. It is the latest move in Brian Harriot and Michael 'Tony' Satterfield's bid to recover money they claim was misappropriated by the disgraced legal scion after he counseled them to bring a wrongful death suit against him following the 57-year-old housekeeper's death in February 2018. Attorneys for Satterfield's sons filed their initial complaint against Murdaugh, Chad Westendorf, a banker with Palmetto State Bank, Corey Fleming the attorney who represented them in the wrongful death suit and others on September 15. The sons of Murdaugh family housekeeper Gloria Satterfield (left) have filed a court petition calling for Alex Murdaugh's arrest claiming he helped defraud them out of a $4.3M life insurance settlement Murdaugh, who comes from a lineage of men who held the top prosecutor post in several South Carolina counties, was arrested and charged with arranging his own death by hiring a hitman to kill him on September 4. He has been released from jail and is currently in an out-of-state drug rehab facility That complaint alleges that Murdaugh told the boys to bring a wrongful death suit against him and steered them towards the services of attorney Corey Fleming as the person best suited to take care of their interests. He did not inform them that Fleming was his former University of South Carolina roommate, nor that he was his best friend and godfather to Paul. According to that initial complaint Murdaugh, Fleming and banker Westendorf then conspired to defraud the sons. Now, the latest documents filed in court yesterday provide new and shocking details of the scheme, alleging that, unbeknownst to Satterfield's sons, an initial settlement of $505,000 had already been reached when they were advised to surrender their legal status as representatives of their mother's estate. According to Satterfield and Harriot's attorneys, 'Gloria and her family viewed themselves as an extension of the Murdaugh family.' 'Tony and Brian trusted Murdaugh and had no reason not to.' Murdaugh introduced the young men to Fleming, and, in the fall of 2018, it was Fleming who, the papers state, 'advised Tony and Brian that they would be better served if Tony ceased his role as Personal Representative of his mother's Estate and if that role were entrusted to the Vice President of Palmetto State Bank, Chad Westendorf, as there would be 'business issues' arising that were beyond Tony's experience.' Satterfield's sons duly renounced their right. At the time neither had been told of any 'meaningful developments' in connection with the claim. On December 18, 2018, Westendorf was appointed by the Hampton County Probate Court as the personal representative of the Estate of Gloria Satterfield. Paul and Maggie Murdaugh (together left) were shot dead on June 7. Alex Murdaugh has since been accused of (center) orchestrating a separate shooting to kill himself with the help of a hitman, in a scheme to deliver a $1 million life insurance payout to his other son Buster (right) as the elder Murdaugh faced investigation over misallocated funds The Moselle Hunting Lodge where Maggie and Paul Murdaugh were gunned down June 7. The family's housekeeper Gloria Satterfield, 57, also died at the lodge under mysterious circumstances in February 2018 One day later, on December 19, 2018, Fleming filed a petition to approve a settlement of $505,000. The men went onto negotiate a much higher sum - $4.3million - $2.76million of which should have been paid to the sons but was, in fact, paid into a business account controlled entirely by Murdaugh. According to the petition the settlement was approved by a judge despite never being officially filed on record. Instead, it was processed on the judge's belief that assurances she had been given that the sons were fully informed were true. South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) has since opened a new investigation into Satterfield's death on the request of Hampton County Coroner, Angie Topper. No autopsy was conducted into the housekeeper's death which was found to be of 'natural causes' a finding that, according to Topper, was inconsistent with a 'trip and fall.' Murdaugh's life has imploded, and his reputation been left in tatters since the brutal shooting of his youngest son Paul, 22, and wife Maggie, 52, on June 7. Paul was awaiting trial on felony charges in connection with the death of 19-year-old Mallory Beach killed in a boating accident in February 2019 at the time of his own death. He was reportedly drunk, belligerent and at the wheel on the night of the accident. If convicted, he faced up to 25 years in prison. According to the complaint, Satterfield's sons claim Murdaugh and attorney Corey Fleming conspired against them by urging them to surrender their roles as representatives of their mother's estate and then defrauding them of a multimillion-dollar settlement It was Murdaugh who called 911 to report the grisly discovery of Paul and Maggie's bodies near kennels on the family's 1700-acre hunting estate of Moselle, just outside the town of Hampton. In the weeks since that shocking event Murdaugh's life has spiraled at a dizzying rate. He has been charged with embezzling millions from Peters Murdaugh Parker Elztroth & Detrick, the family law firm of which he was a partner. Murdaugh issued an apology of sorts, told of his regret for decisions he had made and revealed himself to be an opioid addict before announcing that he was going into rehab for his problem. Within a day of his ousting from PMPED which has consistently sought to distance itself from him Murdaugh was caught up in a bizarre incident in which he claimed to be the victim of a roadside shooting. His story quickly unraveled and he admitted to SLED that he himself had orchestrated the shooting, calling former client and distant cousin, Curtis 'Eddie' Smith, and asking him to shoot him in the head so that his surviving son, 'Buster,' 25, could claim his $10million life insurance. Both Smith and Murdaugh have been charged in relation to the incident with Murdaugh facing three charges; insurance fraud, conspiracy to commit insurance fraud and filing a false police report. In a bond hearing during which saw him bonded out on $20,000, Murdaugh's attorney Dick Harpootlian described his client's position as 'financially ruinous.' Murdaugh's life has spiraled since his arrest. He later issued an apology of sorts, told of his regret for decisions he had made and revealed himself to be an opioid addict before announcing that he was going into rehab for his problem Alex Murdaugh and wife Maggie. Satterfield's family sued Murdaugh Wednesday claiming he had not paid out 'one single dime' of the settlement reached for her 'wrongful death' At the time of his arrest, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed, that Murdaugh was involved in an ongoing court battle against his insurance company's refusal to pay out in relation to the wrongful death suit with which he and son, Buster, had been hit following Mallory Beach's death. The suit was brought by Mallory's mother, Renee, against Murdaugh as the owner of the boat who allegedly knew that his son had been drinking and Buster whose ID Paul illegally, and allegedly habitually, used to buy alcohol. Philadelphia Indemnity's refusal to indemnify or cover Murdaugh, nullifying policies totaling up to $6million has since been ratified in federal court. The Murdaugh family once dominated this patch of South Carolina with a legacy of influence borne of three generations during which a Murdaugh held the role of 14th Circuit Solicitor, charged with prosecuting criminal cases across several counties. Alex's father, Randolph Murdaugh III was the last family head to hold the role serving between 1985 and 2005. Now Murdaugh has been barred from practicing law anywhere in the circuit his forebearers once ran, and police statements suggest that the enquiries into criminal activity sparked by Maggie and Paul's death grow more wide-ranging by the day. A criminal investigation into the suspicious death of local teen Stephen Smith has also been reopened. Case records obtained by DailyMail.com revealed that Buster Murdaugh's name came up multiple times in the investigation into the death that was ruled a hit and run after his body was found in the middle of a country road. Records show that investigators followed up on tips seeking to know more about Buster's relationship with Smith. Greta Thunberg slammed Joe Biden's infrastructure and climate proposal as insufficient as she opened a conference in Italy today - accusing him and other leaders of making 'empty promises' over global warming. 'Build back better, blah blah blah. Green economy, blah blah blah,' the Swedish activist said at the Youth4Climate summit. 'Net zero by 2050, blah blah blah. 'This is all we hear from our so-called leaders. Words. Words that sound great but so far have led to no action.' Thunberg was referring to President Joe Biden's proposal to 'Build Back Better,' a wide-ranging White House plan to lower child care, drug and housing costs; cut taxes on the middle class and subsidize clean energy like wind and solar. On September 13, Democrats in Congress laid out a series of proposals to meet the White House's goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. The proposals are part of the $3.5 trillion budget bill under negotiation, but some argue that the strict measures may cost average Americans more money in bills. They include the first-ever federal fee for climate pollution by power plants, a fee on methane emissions by oil and gas producers and billions of dollars for homeowners and governments to invest in energy efficiency, according to Yahoo News. Greta Thunberg mocked world leaders and their 'empty promises' on climate change when she addressed a youth summit in Milan today The 18-year-old activist took aim at President Joe Biden' campaign slogan and White House plan to 'build back better' from the COVID-19 pandemic Biden and Democrats have proposed a number of measures to cut CO2 emissions in half by 2030, including penalties for power companies that don't increase clean energy production Thunberg was opening the Youth4Climate summit in Milan today which encourages youth delegates from 190 countries to come up with climate policies that can be discussed at COP26 Power companies that increase solar, wind or other clean energy production by four percent a year would get a grant. Critics have called it 'corporate welfare,' though companies that fall short of the goal will have to pay a penalty. Thunberg said the US and other countries' plans amount to little in the face of rising emissions while speaking at the Youth4Climate summit, hosted by the Italian government in Milan on Tuesday. 'If this is what they consider to be climate action, then we don't want it,' the 18-year-old said. 'They invite cherry-picked young people to meetings like this to pretend that they are listening to us, but they are not, they are clearly not listening to us and they never have.' In an address to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, Biden pledged to double the United States' financial contributions to help developing nations fight, and adapt to climate change. In a report published in August this year, UN experts said humans are 'unequivocally' to blame for climate change and that irreversible damage has already been caused. It also laid out a grim vision of what will happen in the years ahead even if drastic action to cut emissions is taken immediately, calling it a 'code red for humanity', But, the report was keen to point out, there is no 'cliff-edge' for climate change - a point at which the situation becomes hopeless and action is not worth taking. Every degree the planet warms will make life harder - including more frequent droughts, forest fires, flooding, hurricanes and extremes of temperature - while every action to limit the damage will make things easier. Biden's proposal sets aside $27.5 billion in grants for governments and nonprofits that want to upgrade their infrastructure to low or zero-emission technology. It would also include $9 billion in rebates to homeowners for eco-friendly renovations. Before plan specifics were unveiled, experts cautioned that lower emissions requirements could mean Americans paying more money for gas and green technologies. Thunberg was mobbed by press as she arrived in Milan on a seven-hour train from Germany, telling reporters that her expectations for the talks are: 'Not a lot' Former President Donald Trump, above at the White House in February 2019, has accused Greta Thunberg of having 'anger management' issues and criticized her grim predictions David Williams, president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, told DailyMail.com that Biden's plan is just a 'multi-trillion dollar corporate welfare giveaway'. 'Strict climate mandates/targets will disproportionately hurt lower and middle income citizens who will be forced to pay higher electricity bills,' he said. Bjorn Lomborg, a visiting fellow at Stanford University, told the OC Register that the plan to lower emissions will likely cost taxpayers about $3,500 per year. 'While more than two-thirds of the US population finds that climate is a crisis or major problem, less than half are willing to spend even $24 a year to fight it, according to a 2019 survey by The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation.' Thunberg clashed with former President Donald Trump numerous times. In 2019, after Trump accused her of having anger management issues, she quoted him in her Twitter bio: 'A teenager working on her anger management problem. Currently chilling and watching a good old fashioned movie with a friend.' That same year, the 75-year-old sarcastically called the teenager, 'a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future,' replying to a video of Thunbergs speech at the United Nations climate action summit. Thunberg's criticism comes weeks before world leaders including Biden are set to meet in Glasgow, England for the UN Climate Chane Conference at the end of October. Thunberg has yet to say whether she'll go, according to Yahoo News. 'Our hopes and dreams drown in their empty words and promises,' she said Tuesday. 'Of course we need constructive dialogue, but they've had 30 years of blah blah blah and where has that led us?' 'Build back better': Where does the phrase come from? Build back better is a political slogan that dates back at least as far as the 2004 Indonesian tsunami when it was used to describe rebuilding efforts that aimed to correct long-standing problems in communities devastated by the disaster. It was then incorporated into a 2015 UN report designed to reduce the risks from natural disasters, which stated that one of the aims of disaster recovery should be to 'build back better'. The phrase then gained new prominence this year when the US and UK announced their Covid recovery plans, both of which were named 'Build Back Better'. In March, UK chancellor Rishi Sunak presented a plan called 'Build Back Better: our plan for growth' to parliament while Joe Biden has also been pushing his own 'Build Back Better Agenda' in the States. The British plan incorporates the so-called 'levelling-up' agenda to promote economic growth across the country, Boris's vision of a 'global Britain' and a pledge to hit 'net zero' carbon emissions by 2050. Biden's plan includes a pledge to create clean energy jobs alongside tax cuts for electric vehicles and new energy emissions standards. Advertisement She cited research showing that 50 percent of all CO2 emission have happened since 1990, and a third happened since 2005. She echoed findings by the International Energy Agency, which says that only two percent of post-COVID economic recovery spending worldwide has been allocated to clean energy measures. At a rally in Berlin on Friday, Thunberg also took aim at Biden's slogan, which is used by the British government for a similar post-pandemic plan. 'When you look at what we are actually investing the money in - the money that is supposed to be building back better - it shows the hypocrisy of our leaders,' she said Friday. Quoting a speech that UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave back in April, she said: 'This is not about some expensive politically correct dream of bunny hugging.' Thunberg, who rose to fame thanks to her 'school strike for climate' protests in her native Sweden, also attacked governments for 'shamelessly congratulating themselves' while making insufficient pledges to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Johnson made the 'bunny hugger' remark during a virtual climate summit in April this year, when he also used the phrase 'build back better'. 'What I'm driving at is this is about growth and jobs...' he told world leaders. 'We can build back better from this pandemic by building back greener.' It is not the first time that Greta has picked up on the remark, changing her Twitter status to 'bunny hugger' just a day later in response. Her latest remarks were made at the Youth4Climate summit in Milan - a three-day event attended by 400 young representatives from 190 nations which will be used to develop climate policies. It runs until September 30, which is the first days of the Pre-COP conference - a summit of energy and climate ministers from around the world in preparation for the full COP26 meeting in Glasgow later this year. On the final day of the youth summit, the young representatives will present their policies to ministers - with the best taken to Glasgow for discussion by world leaders. Greta arrived at the summit after a seven-hour train journey from Frankfurt - where she has been pressuring Germany's election candidates over climate change. She was swarmed by reporters at the station, while she waited to take a mandatory Covid test. Listening to Greta's opening statement was Alok Sharma, president of the COP26 summit, who urged world leaders to make bolder commitments to cut greenhouse gas emissions When asked what she was expecting from the talks, Greta gave a typically-downbeat assessment - replying 'not a lot' before adding that it will be 'just like any other meeting, with lots of talking.' Thunberg was addressing the Youth4Climate portion of the Pre-COP conference, which is the last formal meeting between climate energy ministers from around 50 nations ahead of the main COP26 summit in November. The aim of Pre-COP is to lay the groundwork for high-level deals to be struck at COP26 itself, when it is hoped major economies will commit to drastic cuts in carbon emissions with the aim of reaching 'net-neutral' by 2050. Pre-COP runs from September 30 to October 2, with the Youth4Climate summit taking place just before - from September 28 to 30. During the youth event, some 400 young delegates from 190 countries will hold round-table discussions and workshops to develop climate policies that will be presented to ministers on the final day of the meeting. Thunberg has poked fun at Prime Minister Boris Johnson, changing her Twitter bio to 'Bunny hugger' after he used the phrase in his speech at a Climate Summit The best will be taken to the COP26 summit itself, to be discussed by world leaders and their teams. Events were originally scheduled to take place in 2020, but have been delayed by a year due to the Covid pandemic. Also addressing the event was Alok Sharma, the UK minister serving as president of COP26, who said the time has come for bolder commitments from world leaders to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Sharma said the response of world leaders to the climate change crisis to-date has not come anywhere close to the scale of the challenge. The U.N. COP26 conference in Glasgow in November aims to secure more ambitious climate action from the nearly 200 countries who signed the 2015 Paris Agreement. At that summit, world leaders had agreed to try to limit human-caused global warming to 1.5C - a target the UN has since warned is likely to be missed. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to make the UK a world leader in reducing emissions with ambitious plans to replace gas boilers with hydrogen and a ban on the construction of fossil-fuelled cars including hybrids from 2033. However, he has been facing pressure to explain exactly who will end up footing the bill - with some estimating the measures could end up costing the average household 28,000, or nearly $38,000. More than 50 people arrested in connection with the latest Insulate Britain protest on the M25 have already been released by police despite the threat of an injunction Priti Patel and Grant Shapps said would put them behind bars. Officers made a total of 53 arrests following the demonstration at Junction 14, near Heathrow, on Monday morning - the sixth blockage in a fortnight - including the owner of a multi-million pound property empire and a Extinction Rebellion-activist CofE vicar. Some protesters glued themselves to each other, to barriers and the carriageway, and blue paint was sprayed onto the road, but all have been released. A total of 115 people have been involved in Insulate Britain's campaign of disruptive actions over the last two weeks, with most being arrested multiple times, the group says. The total arrest tally has now reached 438. Only two people from Insulate Britain have so far been remanded in custody. Activists, who have blocked the M25 six times in just over two weeks, continued their campaign despite a High Court injunction which could see them imprisoned, fined heavily, or have their assets seized. But with only two people in custody, the group has vowed to continue the protests infuriating rush hour drivers. Usual suspects: Property tycoon Joshua Smith and vicar Tim Hewes have been arrested at multiple protests for Insulate Britain Four officers carry away a woman who was blocking the roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport yesterday - as all 50-plus protesters held on the motorway were released today Police officers detain protesters from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway. The Met says it can't comment on the injunction, saying it is a civil not a criminal matter The group, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, is calling on the Government to insulate all homes across the UK by 2030 to help cut carbon emissions. Arrested for a SIXTH time after being repeatedly let go: Eco-hypocrite property tycoon among repeated offenders laughing at the law Joshua Smith has now been arrested six times. He was branded a hypocrite after it emerged he owned a multi-million pound property empire - but the homes had poor insulation, an issue at the heart of the group's agenda. The 28-year-old is heir to a 2million property empire and also has a seven-figure portfolio of his own. However, at least six homes owned by his Oldham-based company have efficiency ratings of E or F, according to the Sun. This means the properties boast little or no insulation and also produce large quantities of extra carbon dioxide. Smith was pictured being held by police by the side of the M25 today before being led off in a police van. Joshua Smith at yesterday's protest Reverend Hewes, who once sewed up his lips in protest at the influence of media mogul Rupert Murdoch, was part of the mob blocking the M25 today despite already being arrested numerous times. The activist 'permission to officiate' in the Diocese of Oxford although he does not have a parish. Asked about Rev Hewes last week, a spokesman for the diocese said: 'The actions of Rev Hewes and others, while arguably well-intentioned, have frustrated many people and we're unclear how the actions have been productive in encouraging the urgent change required.' Rev Hewes, a retired dentist, previously said the Bishop of Dorchester, Gavin Collins, who comes under the Diocese of Oxford, had told him 'he does support issues regarding climate change and the environment but not about breaking the law'. Reverend Hewes at yesterday's blockade Advertisement As well as targeting the London ring road, protesters have blocked other major routes including the A1(M) and A20 near the Port of Dover. The campaign, which entered its third week on Monday, has seen well over 300 arrests. But the Met Police have confirmed all those taken into custody on Monday have been released under investigation. Kent Police revealed one person was charged in connection with an earlier Insulate Britain protest, among 96 arrests made by the force. In an open Letter to Home Secretary Priti Patel, Insulate Britain vowed to continue their campaign in the face of arrests and injunctions. They said: 'We are more fearful of the loss of our country than we are of you. 'You can throw as many injunctions at us as you like, but we are going nowhere. 'You can raid our savings. 'You can confiscate our property. 'You can deny us our liberty and put us behind bars. 'But shooting the messenger can never destroy the message: that this country is going to hell unless you take emergency action to stop putting carbon into the air.' National Highways, which was granted the injunction, and the Department for Transport, have been contacted for comment. Insulate Britain is planning to fill prisons with hundreds of ecoactivists over the next month in an attempt to create a 'political crisis' for Boris Johnson. The radical group again brought misery to motorists on the M25 yesterday - in clear violation of an injunction which carries with it a maximum sentence of two years in jail. Some of those involved in the latest protest at Junction 14, near Heathrow, have been arrested up to seven times over the past fortnight, but are yet to be charged. A further 53 arrests were made yesterday morning. Scotland Yard is 'making inquiries to understand whether those activists are in breach of the High Court injunction'. But Insulate Britain spokesman Liam Norton said: 'Throw as many injunctions at us as you like, we're going nowhere... You can deny us our liberty and put us behind bars. But that is only shooting the messenger. The truth is that this country is going to hell unless you take emergency action to stop putting carbon into the air.' Activist Shel MacDonagh claimed that 300 people would need to be jailed in the lead-up to November's UN Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow to 'create a political crisis' big enough for the group to be granted concessions. She added: 'No one is claiming that forcing the Government to start on [insulation] installation is going to sort out the climate crisis. The point is to get a win to galvanise the movement.' Reverend Tim Hewes, 71, was again among the protesters yesterday. He was joined by another 'rebel reverend', Mark Coleman, a former dean of Rochdale. Insulate Britain, an offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, is calling for the Government to insulate homes to help cut carbon emissions. A Home Office spokesman said last night: 'The more Insulate Britain break the injunction, the more the courts will agree to tougher and broader injunctions and impose tougher sentences. These people are not martyrs. They're idiots gluing their hands to roads.' Joshua Smith at yesterday's protest (left) on what is now his sixth arrest. Mr Smith (seen right at an earlier demonstration) was branded a hypocrite after it emerged he owned a multi-million pound housing empire - but the homes had poor insulation, an issue at the heart of the group's agenda Vicar Tim Hewes (left) was among the eco-rabble yesterday after being spotted at earlier blockade (right) A spokesman for the group said in a video released Monday that it wasn't 'scared' by the court intervention, adding that its members were 'prepared' to continue being arrested. The injunction was designed to act as a deterrent after weeks of blockades on both the M25 and A20 near Dover infuriated motorists and large portions of the British public. But news that the eco-warriors are still being released without conditions, reported by LBC, raises fears that they will continue to wreak havoc and put drivers' lives at risk. It comes as spokesman for the group Liam Norton - who became a laughing stock last week when it was revealed his own home hadn't been insulated - warned in a video recorded at the weekend and released today: 'You can't scare us with these injunctions'. Donning a black t-shirt and standing in front a bare white wall, he said: 'I'm going to sit in the roads and directly oppose the injunction handed out by the Home Secretary and the Transport Secretary. 'Our message to the Government is that you can't scare us with these injunctions. 'You can send us to prison, and what that will show is the Government's cowardice, because they're actually standing up for powerful interests rather than looking after the interests of the vast majority of the British people.' He added: 'We just want the Government to get on with the job of protecting the people's future in Britain and also to stop the needless deaths of thousands of our elderly who freeze to death in their homes each year because they have to make that awful decision between heating and eating. 'So our message to the Government is this; You can decide to put us in prison, and we're prepared for that, but what would be better for the country maybe would be to give us a meaningful statement that you are going to get on with the job, so come on Boris, show some leadership, do what you need to do.' The Metropolitan Police told the Mail Online it could not comment on the breaking of the injunction because it was a 'civil issue'. The Home Office has been contacted for comment. Armando Manuel Caballero, 27, was found dead by apparent suicide on Monday morning. He was a 'person of interest' in the disappearance of Miya Marcano and allegedly broke into her apartment just before she vanished Family and friends of missing Florida college student Miya Marcano have been searching the woods behind the Seminole County apartment complex where a person of interest in her disappearance had died by suicide on Monday and dashed their hopes of getting answers. Marcano, 19, lives and works at the Arden Villas apartment complex in Orlando, Florida and was last seen finishing her shift there at around 5pm on Friday before she vanished and left behind signs of a violent struggle, including bloodstains on a pillow, police said. About a half hour earlier, Armando Manuel Caballero, 27, a maintenance worker at the building, allegedly broke into her room and police were set to arrest him on suspected burglary charges when they found his body. He was also infatuated with Marcano but she had repeatedly let him know she wasnt interested in him, family members said. 'He killed himself. So he was our lead to Miya and he killed himself. Miyas still missing, Semone Westmaas, Marcanos aunt, told reporters near Cabelleros apartment during the search effort. Miya Marcano's family searched for her in the woods outside his apartment complex on Tuesday. Marcano's uncle Marc was above briefing a group before they set out to search for her Semone Westmaas, Marcanos aunt, told reporters that Caballero's death leaves them grasping for answers Marcano's cousin Caili Sue said that Caballero had an infatuation with Marcano, which she repeatedly turned down Westmaas was seen in footage from the Orlando Sentinel briefing members of the search party, in which she said, Keep Miya in your prayers. Dont give up on Miya. I believe that she is alive and were gonna find her. She added, We have more family coming, we have friends coming, we have strangers who are driving from all over Florida who are meeting us in Orlando. Theyre popping up, theyre introducing ourselves, theyre ready to start a search team. Like I said, were leaving here with Miya alive. Shortly after her disappearance, Westmaas had an unsettling encounter with Caballero outside Marcanos apartment complex. He was trying to leave, his lights were off, and he said are you looking for Miya. I said who are you and he said Im the maintenance guy, I heard you were looking for me. I didnt know who this guy was at the time, she told local news outlet WKMG News 6. But Marcanos cousin, Caili Sue, knew who Caballero was and that he had an intense obsession with the missing woman. He was infatuated with her, he was in love with her. I dont know the very specifics of it, but he was constantly texting her and then had left her alone and then went back to texting her again, she told Fox 32 Orlando. Marc Marcano, her uncle, prepared a group to go door to door around Caballeros apartment complex searching for his niece in the case that she was being held hostage. Where is Miya? Authorities in Florida are searching for 19-year-old Florida college student Miya Marcano. She was last seen at her apartment complex in Orlando on Friday Caballero also had a romantic interest in Marcano, which she repeatedly rebuffed, police said Speaking to a group looking for her, he said, Think about if you were kidnapped, what would you want to do? If youre handcuffed or tied to something in a room, youre not going to be right next to the window, so you gotta listen for the faintest sounds. Say her name. Knock on the door and say her name. Caballero's body was found by police on Monday around noon, but he had been dead 'for quite some time' by the time they arrived, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said at a press conference Monday. Caballeros car, a silver Ford Fusion, was found outside his apartment in Seminole County and has been taken by police as part of their investigation. Mina added, Her disappearance is suspicious and our detectives and the family members suspect foul play.' Marcano, who attends Valencia College, was scheduled to catch a flight to Fort Lauderdale that night, but she never made it to the airport, her family said. Detectives first interviewed Cabellero for tips as he worked in the same apartment complex as Marcano. He told police that he last saw Marcano at 3pm on Friday. However, Mina said that he had a maintenance-issued master key fob, which was used to enter Marcanos apartment at 4.30pm a half hour before her shift ended and she disappeared. Marcanos aunt Pia spoke directly to her niece at a press conference Monday and said, Miya this message is for you. I know youre alive. I know youre out there.' Orange County Sheriff John Mina said that Marcano's disappearance is 'suspicious' and detectives 'suspect foul play' On making that discovery, police issued a warrant for Caballeros arrest on suspected burglary as he was believed to have gone into her apartment without permission or reason. Mina added that police found a few items that were considered to be suspicious, but would not elaborate on what they were or if they included the blood-stained pillow. Police were going to Caballero's apartment to arrest him on Monday morning when they found his body inside the Camden Club Apartments in unincorporated Longwood, a suburb of Orlando. Our detectives and deputies have been working around the clock on this case and pouring a lot of resources into finding Miya, Mina said. We have at least 30 detectives who are working just this case to try and track down every single lead. Marcano's family said it is unlike her to go a long period of time without texting or calling any of them. Nevertheless, they still have hopes that she is still alive. Marcanos aunt Pia spoke directly to her niece at the press conference Monday and said, Miya this message is for you. I know youre alive. I know youre out there. We love you. You know our family is strong. You know our family is big. You know we will never sleep one night until we get you home. We miss you.' Marcano lives at the Arden Villas apartments in Orlando and also works in the leasing office The Arden Villas apartments posted a message about Marcanos disappearance on its Facebook page Monday morning, writing that she had last been seen in jeans, a black hoodie and a red T-shirt with a logo for Preiss Co., a company that manages student housing, including at the Arden Villas. We also ask that you continue to keep Miyas friends and [family] in your thoughts and prayers as they continue to navigate this difficult situation, the Facebook post read. When deputies searched Miya's apartment, they found that someone had blocked the door to her bedroom, reported Fox 35. The window in the bedroom was unlocked, and the room was disarray. A bloodstain was discovered on the missing woman's pillow, raising concerns for Marcano's safety. Miya's father, local DJ Marlon Marcano, posted on social media: 'there were signs of struggle in her apartment and she may be in danger.' The sheriff's office has not said whether Marcano's disappearance is being treated as a criminal matter. On Sunday, deputies scoured a wooded area near the apartment building in search for the missing woman Deputies were said to have found signs of struggle inside Marcano's unit, including blood on her pillow Marcano's loved ones on Sunday held a prayer village outside the apartment building Neighbor Anastasia Holland described Miya to News4Jax as shy and friendly, but 'on the quiet side.' On Sunday, Miya's family and friends held a prayer vigil outside her apartment building and begged for her safe return. 'All we ask you is help us bring Miya home,' said Joysue Thompson, Marcanos grandmother. 'Bring her home safe. Drop her off. Let us know where she is. We will pick her up. Just bring her home.' Deputies on Sunday searched a wooded area near the apartment complex and also used a helicopter to look for clues from the air. Marcano is a student at Valencia College in Orlando. She is pictured above on her 18th birthday Marcano, pictured left with her father, Marlon, was set to fly out to Fort Lauderdale on Friday, but she never made it. Her dad wrote online 'she may be in danger' Marcano, pictured on the day of her high school graduation last year, is 5 feet tall and weighing 130lbs, with brown hair and green eyes Marcano's father on Sunday posted on his Instagram page an impassioned plea addressed directly to his daughter: 'Mimi, my heart is aching. I havent slept or eaten in days. Where are you baby??? Your whole family is here looking for you. We will not stop until youre back home. Im slowly losing my mind over here. Never have we ever gone so long without even a text message to each other. If your able to read this message, please know that your Daddy and the entire world loves you. Please dont lose faith. We will find you. I love you always and forever!' Marcano is described as 5 feet tall and weighing 130lbs, with brown hair and green eyes. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is being asked to call at 407-836-4357. Advertisement It was the floating pirate radio station whose mission to was to transmit rock 'n' roll to the masses. Radio Caroline first began broadcasting in March 1964 from a 702-ton former Danish passenger ferry, the Fredericia, in international waters off the coast of Felixstowe. Within months, the unlicensed operation had merged with another station broadcasting from a separate boat near the Isle of Man. From its two vantage points, Radio Caroline's presenters who included future BBC stalwart Tony Blackburn and Tory MP Roger Gale regaled Britons with pop songs which they could only hear on conventional stations for a few hours a week. By September 28, 1964 just six months after launching the station's then-manager boasted in the Daily Mail of having an audience bigger than the all-powerful and well-established BBC. The 'amateurs' were said to be reaching 39million listeners with 15million in the South of England and the rest in the North. It was the floating pirate radio station whose mission to was to transmit rock 'n' roll to the masses. Radio Caroline first began broadcasting in March 1964 from a 702-ton former Danish passenger ferry, the Fredericia, in international waters off the coast of Felixstowe. Above: The boat in 1967 Within months, the unlicensed operation had merged with another station broadcasting from a separate boat near the Isle of Man. From its two vantage points, Radio Caroline's presenters who included future BBC stalwart Tony Blackburn (second from right) regaled Britons with pop songs which they could only hear on conventional stations for a few hours a week Radio Caroline was founded by Irish businessman Ronan O'Rahilly and George Drummond. The pair's aim was to circumvent big record companies' control of the broadcast of popular music, as well as the stranglehold which the BBC then had on the airwaves. O'Rahilly and Drummond were inspired by the Danish Radio Mercur, which in 1952 became the first station in the world to broadcast commercial radio from a vessel in international waters without permission from the authorities in the country that it broadcast to. In February 1964, O'Rahilly obtained the Fredericia and converted it into a radio ship at the Irish port of Greenore, which was owned by his father. Backed by wealthy investors which included Jocelyn Stevens of the popular Queen Magazine, the station was bizarrely named after Caroline Kennedy the daughter of assassinated US President John F Kennedy. While on a trip to America, O'Rahilly had seen a picture of Ms Kennedy laughing and smiling as she sat in the footwell of her father's desk in the White House's Oval Office. By September 28, 1964 just six months after launching the station's then-manager boasted in the Daily Mail of having an audience bigger than the all-powerful and well-established BBC. The 'amateurs' were said to be reaching 39million listeners with 15million in the South of England and the rest in the North Radio Caroline was founded by Irish businessman Ronan O'Rahilly and George Drummond. The pair's aim was to circumvent big record companies' control of the broadcast of popular music, as well as the stranglehold which the BBC then had on the airwaves. Above: O'Rahilly aboard the Fredericia in 1965 The station was backed by wealthy investors which included Jocelyn Stevens of the popular Queen Magazine. Above: A Radio Caroline DJ at work in the 1970s Former presenter Johnnie Walker said in an interview on NPR last year that O'Rahilly thought it was a 'wonderful image' of 'happiness and laughter disrupting the works of government'. 'He said that's the name for my radio station,' he added. After the Fredericia was renamed the MV Caroline, it sailed from Felixstowe to the Isle of Man and laid down its anchor in open water around three miles from land. O'Rahilly had initially competed with another pirate station broadcasting from the MV Mi Amigo. However, in July 1964, the owners of the two stations opted to merge the operations. When the MV Caroline left for the Isle of Man, the Mi Amigo remained in Felixstowe. Between them, the stations were covering most of the British Isles. As its popularity began to blossom, the British Government looked at ways to curtail the station's influence. Ronan O'Rahilly, Jerry Leighton, Lee Harrison and Tony Prince, of Radio Caroline, in August 1967 When the MV Caroline left for the Isle of Man, the Mi Amigo remained in Felixstowe. Between them, the stations were covering most of the British Isles. Above: The MV Caroline near the Isle of Man in August 1967 The Radio Caroline name was used to broadcast from international waters, using five different ships of three different owners, from 1964 to 1990, and via satellite from 1998 to 2013 (pictured: Radio Caroline DJ Simon Dee on April 15, 1964) Radio Caroline's DJs take a break from broadcasting in 1978. The station launched the careers of many successful broadcasters Disc jockeys and crewmen of the pirate radio station Radio Caroline North, pictured aboard their vessel anchored four miles off the coast of the Isle of Man in 1967 Whilst they were ultimately unable to stop it broadcasting because of the fact it was broadcasting from international waters the 1967 Marine, &c., Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967 made it illegal for British subjects to associate with it. The Government argued that the pirate operation was a danger because of the possibility of the radio frequency interfering with emergency shipping channels. The pirates were also not paying any royalty to artists, composers or record companies. Shortly after the law was enacted, the station was renamed as Radio Caroline International. In a sign of Radio Caroline's enormous influence on popular culture, the BBC launched Radio 1 in September 1967 in an effort to respond to its success, as well as that of the rival Radio London. The Mi Amigo sank in high seas in March 1980 after losing its anchor. Above: The ship's radio antenna poking out of the water he station re-started for a second time in August 1983 from new ship the MV Ross Revenge. The operation then continued, despite disagreements between O'Rahilly and some of its DJs over what the station should be playing Shrewdly, the BBC also employed many of the one-time pirate DJs who had helped to make Radio Caroline a success. They included Blackburn, who became the first to broadcast on Radio 1. In March 1968, the very existence of Radio Caroline was threatened when both the MV Caroline and Mi Amigo were boarded and seized before being towed to Amsterdam by a salvage company to secure unpaid bills owed to a Dutch firm. The MV Caroline was then broken up for scrap in 1972 the same year that the Mi Amigo was rescued, allowing Radio Caroline to re-start its broadcasts. However, the ship sank in a storm in March 1980 after losing its anchor. The station re-started for a second time in August 1983 from new ship the MV Ross Revenge. The operation then continued, despite disagreements between O'Rahilly and some of its DJs over what the station should be playing. Radio Caroline finally stopped broadcasting from open waters in 1991 when the MV Ross Revenge lots its anchor in a storm and the crew had to be rescued by helicopter. However, the station has since moved online and continues to broadcast 24 hours a day. In 2017, Ofcom awarded Radio Caroline its first AM licence, allowing it to broadcast to audiences in parts of Suffolk and north Essex. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley denied any wrongdoing in making two phone calls to China during Trump's presidency, after Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) grilled him on the subject during an Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday. Milley and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin are testifying before the Senate Armed Service Committee Tuesday, marking their first public testimony since the U.S. completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan. It's also the first time Milley is under oath since bombshell reports from new Trump book 'Peril' claim he went behind the Trump administration's back to reach China in fears the ex-president would take rogue action to stay in office, promising his counterpart a heads-up in the event of an imminent attack from the U.S. During the second half of the contentious hearing, Sullivan confronted Milley on those calls after he already denied wrongdoing in a lengthy opening statement. 'General Milley, if you think the Chinese Communist Party decided to invade Taiwan, would their military leadership call and give you a heads up?' Sullivan asked. Milley said there would likely be a 'period of increased tension' followed by 'an exchange of various communications at all levels.' Sullivan cut him off, asking again if the general thought the head of China's military would warn him of an attack on Taiwan. 'I would call him and ask him outright,' Milley answered. Senator Dan Sullivan grilled Joint Chiefs of Staff Chair Gen. Mark Milley on allegations he called his Chinese counterparts behind Trump's back He added, 'I think an invasion of Taiwan would be a fairly obvious thing to pick up on, and there would be a lot of communication back and forth.' The Alaska lawmaker countered, 'I think the answer to that is no.' He continued, 'I think if the head of the [Chinese military] called you and said "Hey, we're getting ready to invade Taiwan" and Xi Jinping found out about it, he'd be shot.' The chairman also denied giving China a 'heads up' because he claimed to be 'certain' Trump wouldn't attack. 'I was communicating to my Chinese counterpart - on instructions, by the way - to deescalate the situation. And I told him that we are not going to attack. President Trump has no intent to attack, and I told him that repeatedly, and I told him if there was going to be an attack, there will be plenty of communications going back and forth, your Intel system will pick it up. 'I said, I'll probably call you. Everybody will call you. We're not going to attack you, just settle down, it is not going to happen. I did it twice, in October and January.' Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) also asked Milley about the calls. Milley told her he never discussed them with former President Trump himself. The GOP lawmaker accused Milley of leaking information to Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, the two authors of 'Peril.' Milley acknowledged speaking to Bob Woodward before it was published, but denied he 'leaked' anything. Some U.S. lawmakers have said Milley overstepped his authority, and they have called for President Joe Biden to fire him. Trump blasted Milley as treasonous, called him 'a complete nutjob' and said Milley 'never told me about calls being made to China.' General Mark Milley is speaking before a Senate panel on Tuesday for the first time since allegations from 'Peril' claimed he called China behind Trump's back Milley denies wrongdoing in opening statement In his opening statement, Milley claimed people within the ex-president's inner circle were made aware of the call near-immediately after. The embattled general acknowledged he spoke to General Li Zuocheng in Beijing on October 30 and January 8. 'With respect to the Chinese calls, I routinely communicated with my counterpart General Li with the knowledge and coordination of civilian oversight,' Milley said. He said the calls are part of his job and that such military-to-military communications are critical to prevent war between great powers that possess nuclear weapons. 'The calls on 30 October and 8 January were coordinated before and after with Secretary Esper and Acting Secretary Miller's staffs and the interagency. The specific purpose of the October and January calls were generated by concerning intelligence, which caused us to believe the Chinese were worried about an attack on them by the United States,' Milley said. 'I know, I am certain that President Trump did not intend to attack the Chinese, and it is my directed responsibility and it is my directed responsibility - and it was my directed responsibility by the secretary - to convey that intent to the Chinese.' He added, 'My task at that time was to de-escalate.' Milley said he told as much to Beijing during both calls. 'My message again, was consistent: Stay calm, steady and de-escalate. We are not going to attack you,' he said. Milley said the first call, days before the 2020 election, was made at then-Defense Secretary Esper's direction. Eight people sat in on the call on Milley's side and he said he 'read out the call within 30 minutes of the call ending.' China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Li Zuocheng (L) and US Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley (C) review an honour guard during a welcome ceremony at the Bayi Building in Beijing 'On 31 December, the Chinese requested another call with me,' Milley said. He claimed the call was coordinated by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Asia-Pacific Policy. Milley also said he informed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows after the call took place. 'Soon after that, I attended a meeting with Acting Secretary Miller and briefed him on the call,' the general said. Milley admitted to making the calls in a statement earlier this month but claimed they were 'routine' and done with the Pentagon's knowledge. However, Miller told Fox News soon after that he wasn't aware of the calls. Miller's Chief of Staff Kash Patel said then that Milley broke the chain of command - which Milley's Tuesday statement contradicts. Milley disputes agreed with Pelosi that Trump is 'crazy' 'Later that same day on 8 January, Speaker of the House Pelosi called me to inquire about the president's ability to launch nuclear weapons,' Milley continued, referencing another allegation made in 'Peril.' Citing a call transcript, authors Bob Woodward and Robert Costa claimed Pelosi told Milley, 'He's crazy. You know he's crazy. He's been crazy for a long time. So don't say you don't know what his state of mind is.' Milley responded, according to the book: ' Madam Speaker. I agree with you on everything.' Trump lambasted Milley after the allegations in 'Peril' surfaced and accused the general of committing treason According to the transcript, she asked him 'what precautions are available to prevent an unstable president from initiating military hostilities or from accessing the launch codes and ordering a nuclear strike?' On Tuesday, however, Milley gave a slightly different account. 'I sought to assure her that nuclear launch is governed by a very specific and deliberate process. She was concerned and made various personal references characterizing the president,' he told Senators. 'I explained to her that the president is the sole nuclear launch authority and he doesn't launch them alone. And that I am not qualified to determine the mental health of the President of the United States. 'I repeatedly assured her there was no chance of an illegal, unauthorized or accidental launch.' He said that after the call was over, he had a short meeting with staff to go over the process. He also said he informed Miller of the call at the time. 'At no time was I attempting to change or influence the process, usurp authority, or insert myself in the chain of command,' Milley said under oath. He offered up relevant phone logs, witnesses, emails or other information he said Senators need to 'understand these events.' He and Austin are scheduled to next testify before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday in a second and likely tumultuous hearing on the U.S. Afghanistan withdrawal. Gen. Frank McKenzie, who as head of Central Command oversaw the withdrawal, is testifying as well. Biden's credibility 'damaged' by Afghanistan exit Speaking to senators on the crisis in the conflict-ridden country, Milley told them the country's credibility was 'damaged' by President Biden's chaotic exit. Milley said his view had long been that leaving the country, without meeting specific conditions, would likely lead to the collapse of the Afghan armed forces and government. He told lawmakers: 'In the fall of 2020, my analysis was that an accelerated withdrawal without meeting specific and necessary conditions risks losing the substantial gains made in Afghanistan, damaging US worldwide credibility, and could precipitate a general collapse of the Afghan government, resulting in a complete Taliban takeover or general civil war. 'That was a year ago, my assessment remained consistent throughout.' Some 3,500 U.S. troops were in the country when President Biden was inaugurated. Milley is testifying under oath alongside Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and U.S. Central Command chief Gen. Frank McKenzie 'I think that our credibility with allies and partners around the world, and with adversaries, is being intensely reviewed by them to see which way this is going to go,' said Milley. 'And I think that damage is one word that could be used, Senators on the Armed Services Committee also heard warnings that the country could still present a terrorist threat to American soil. McKenzie said he recommended keeping 4,500 troops in Afghanistan over fears the government in Kabul would not survive. 'And I also recommended earlier in the fall of 2020 that we will maintain 4500 of that time, those are my personal views,' he said. 'I also have a view that the withdrawal of those forces would lead inevitably to the collapse of the Afghan military forces, and eventually the Afghan government.' Austin says Afghan army 'melted away' against Taliban For his part, Austin defended the military's execution of the chaotic Kabul airlift but blamed the fall of Kabul on the Afghan army's sudden collapse. 'To be clear, those first two days were difficult,' he said. 'We all watched with alarm the images of Afghans rushing the runway and our aircraft. 'We all remember the scenes of confusion outside the airport. But within 48 hours, our troops restored order, and process began to take hold.' Despite 20 years of U.S. presence in the country, he admitted that Washington failed to 'forge a nation' that could stand on its own feet. 'The fact that the Afghan army - that we and our partners trained - simply melted away - in many cases without firing a shot, took us all by surprise and it would be dishonest to claim otherwise,' he said. 'We need to consider some uncomfortable truths that we didn't fully comprehend: The depth of corruption and poor leadership in the senior ranks that we didn't grasp; the damaging effect of the frequent and unexplained rotations by President Ghani of his commanders; that we didn't anticipate the snowball effect caused by the deals that the Taliban commanders struck with local leaders in the wake of the Doha agreement; and that the Doha agreement itself had a demoralizing effect on Afghan soldiers.' Austin defended the military's execution of the chaotic Kabul airlift but blamed the fall of Kabul on the Afghan army's sudden collapse Terrorist threat against U.S. soil Biden has repeatedly declared that the degradation of Al Qaeda meant the original mission of U.S. troops in Afghanistan had been completed. But senators were told that the Taliban remained a terrorist organization and had never broken its ties with Al Qaeda. 'I have no illusions who we are dealing with, said Milley during his opening statement. 'It remains to be seen whether or not the Taliban can consolidate power or if the country will further fracture into civil war. But we must continue to protect the United States of America and it people from terrorist attacks coming from Afghanistan. 'A reconstituted Al Qaeda or ISIS with aspirations to attack the United States is a very real possibility.' Milley calls Afghanistan withdrawal a 'strategic failure' The Biden administration has gone to great lengths to tout its military withdrawal from Afghanistan as an 'extraordinary success' despite bipartisan criticism over the hasty exit. 'It was a logistical success, but a strategic failure,' Milley said. 'And I think those are two different terms.' At another point in the hearing he repeated the same criticism to Senator Joe Manchin, but added that the outcome wasn't determined 'in the last five days or the last 20 days or the last year' of a U.S. presence in Kabul. 'Outcomes in a war like this, an outcome that is a strategic failure - the enemy is in charge in Kabul, there is no way else to describe that - that outcome is a cumulative effect of 20 years, not 20 days. And there are a huge amount of strategic, operational and tactical lessons that need to be learned from this,' Milley said. One of the areas that need to be examined, he explained, is the two decades spent building up Afghanistan's military. 'Another is the intel. How did we miss the collapse of an army and government that big, that fast, in only 11 days? That needs to be pulled apart. 'And there are other factors that are not strictly military. Things like legitimacy of the government, corruption, the parasitic nature of the police forces. There's a whole series of 10 or 20 I wrote down just a week or two that need to be looked at.' Milley, Austin and McKenzie face Senate grilling The leaders are expected to face sharp questions from lawmakers about the chaotic pullout and whether they anticipated the Taliban's rapid takeover of the country - in advance of the U.S.'s August 30 withdrawal date. Republicans in particular have intensified their attacks on President Joe Bidens decision to pull all troops out of Afghanistan by the end of last month, saying it left the U.S. more vulnerable to terrorism. They are demanding more details on the suicide bombing in Kabul that killed 13 American service members in the final days of the withdrawal. Although Tuesday's hearing was scheduled to focus on Afghanistan, other topics will likely come up, including Milley's actions during the final months of Trump's presidency. Some in Congress have accused Milley of disloyalty for what the book 'Peril,' by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, reported as assurances to a Chinese general that the U.S. had no plan to attack China, and that if it did, Milley would warn him in advance. Milley took a series of extraordinary actions after the Jan. 6th Capitol riot because he was concerned an 'unstable' Trump might undertake military action in a desperate bid to stay in office, the book claims. The efforts included Milley as the top ranking military officer meeting with top military officials in the Pentagon two days after the MAGA riot and telling them to keep him in the process for all military actions, including the use of nuclear weapons. It also involved outreach to Milley's counterpart in the Chinese military to provide reassurances the US would not strike its rival, according to the book. Gen. Frank McKenzie (pictured), who as head of Central Command, oversaw the withdrawal as well as an Aug. 29 drone strike that he later called a tragic mistake The Senate committee's ranking Republican, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, has peppered the Pentagon with a lengthy list of questions about multiple aspects of the withdrawal, including the suicide bombing on Aug. 26 at Kabul's international airport that killed 169 Afghans in addition to the American service members. He also is demanding information about decision-making over the summer as it became apparent that the Taliban were overwhelming U.S.-backed Afghan forces. 'We need a full accounting of every factor and decision that led us to where we are today and a real plan for defending America moving forward,' Inhofe wrote last week. The withdrawal ended the longest war in U.S. history. The Biden administration, and some Democrats in Congress, have argued that former President Donald Trump bears some of the blame for the war ending in a Taliban victory, since his administration signed a deal with the Taliban in 2020 that promised a full American withdrawal by May 2021. They also have pointed to a yearslong U.S. failure to build an Afghan military that could stand up to the Taliban. 'This is not a Democratic or a Republican problem. These failures have been manifesting over four presidential administrations of both political parties,' Sen. Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat, said the day after the Taliban took over Kabul on Aug. 15. Afghan refugees are packed onto a C-19 Globemaster III military aircraft during last month's messy withdrawal from Afghanistan This image from August 26 shows the chaotic scene outside Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport In the days following news accounts of the book's reporting, Milley declined to comment in detail, instead telling reporters that he would lay out his answers directly to Congress. His only comments have been that the calls with the Chinese were routine and within the duties and responsibilities of his job. Both Milley and Austin have defended the U.S. military's execution of an Afghanistan withdrawal that Biden ordered in April. The pullout was largely completed by early July, but several hundred troops were kept in Kabul, along with some defensive equipment, to protect a U.S. diplomatic presence in the capital. The State Department initially said the diplomats would remain after the military withdrawal was completed by Aug. 31, but when the Afghan forces collapsed and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, leaving the Taliban in charge, a frantic evacuation began. The Pentagon has defended its execution of an airlift from Kabul airport that transported more than 120,000 people, while acknowledging that it got off to a chaotic start and was under near-constant threat of terrorist attack. 'The Biden administrations avalanche of incompetence has damaged our international reputation and humiliated the United States on the world stage,' Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, both Republicans, wrote in the Des Moines Register. 'Yet, our president and secretary of state continue to pretend that the withdrawal from Afghanistan was a historic success.' Cotton and others have questioned the viability of U.S. plans to contain al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate by using intelligence-collection assets and attack planes based outside of Afghanistan. France's traditional 'la bise' greeting - a kiss on each cheek - is slowing make a comeback as the coronavirus recedes. Bestowed on family, friends, or anyone else in an informal setting, 'la bise' was de facto banned at the height of the pandemic. But with more than 70 per cent of the population fully vaccinated, people can once more be seen planting what are usually just air kisses by a kissing sound on each other's cheeks. 'We had stopped in order to respect social distancing, but it's a ritual I really like,' civil servant Vincent Seznec said, beer in hand, after greeting friends with a 'bise.' As he is vaccinated, he could see no reason not to do it anymore. 'It's best to be vaccinated and kiss each other than not be vaccinated and not kiss each other,' he said. Pictured: President Emmanuel Macron (left) and then-Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte in February 2020 Pictured: Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy greets German Chancellor Angela Merkle in 2011 Pictured: First Lady of France Brigitte Macron (centre) kisses former U.S. President Donald Trump on the cheek in 2019 Parisians Anna and Carmela, after embracing and kissing each other's cheeks, said they could not agree more. 'It's a great sign of affection and welcoming the other,' Anna said. 'It means togetherness.' Carmela dearly missed 'la bise' - especially when her 32-year old daughter stopped kissing her for fear of transmitting COVID-19. 'Ohhhhhhhhh, it was so sad,' Carmela said. Even President Emmanuel Macron, who had recommended people do not kiss or shake hands to help reduce contagion risks, can now occasionally be seen 'faire la bise'. However, several Parisians said things will never be quite the same. Pictured: Then-French Prime Minister and Mayor of Paris Jacques Chirac embraces pop star Madonna during an event in 1987 For one thing, people are more selective - and it has become easier to say you do not want to kiss someone on the cheeks. 'I'm doing 'la bise' again but only to loved ones, not people I don't really know well,' Natalie Bitar said. Elisa Mayor, a student, said that in her generation, 'la bise' was already not that popular, even before COVID-19. 'We rather tend to say hi from afar,' she said. But for Paris-based British comedian Paul Taylor, who shot to fame years ago with a sketch on 'la bise,' which he called 'one of the things that annoys me most about living here,' there is no doubt the comeback has started and it's here to stay. 'Of course it's back,' he said. 'When I do my show I ask the audience by way of applause who's done la bise since Covid, the whole room applauds.' Alexei Navalny is facing fresh prosecution for directing an 'extremist network' that could put him behind bars for 10 more years. The 45-year-old Vladimir Putin critic is already serving two-and-a-half years for 'parole violations' which have torpedoed his political ambitions. The Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes in Russia, said in a statement that by 2014 Navalny had 'created an extremist network and directed it' with the aim of 'changing the foundations of the constitutional system in the Russian Federation'. Investigators accuse Navalny and his top allies, including Leonid Volkov and Ivan Zhdanov, of setting up a number of social media accounts and the website of Navalny's banned Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) 'in order to promote criminal activity.' Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny stands in the dock at the Babuskinsky District Court in Moscow on February 2021. The 45-year-old Vladimir Putin critic is already serving two-and-a-half years on trumped up charges for 'parole violations' which have torpedoed his political ambitions. Putin and the Kremlin do not tolerate political opposition. The West views the Russian state as responsible for Navalny's nerve agent poisoning last year 'The illegal activities of the extremist network were aimed at discrediting state authorities and their policies,' investigators said. The activities were also aimed at 'destabilising the situation in the regions', they added, and 'shaping public opinion about the need for a violent change of power'. Investigators also said calls for 'extremist and terrorist activities' were common at regular street protests organised by Navalny and his allies. Zhdanov, who headed the FBK before it disbanded, described the retroactive case covering 'all of our past activities' as 'complete insanity' and 'lawlessness' in a post on Instagram. If convicted, Navalny, Volkov and Zhdanov could face six to 10 years in prison, while Lyubov Sobol and the other activists risk two to six years behind bars. 'This is the answer to the question of who Putin fears and who he considers his greatest enemy,' Sobol tweeted. 'Freedom for Navalny and Russia!' Navalny, Putin's most vocal domestic critic, was detained in January after returning to Russia from Germany where he was recovering from a Novichok attack he blames on the Kremlin. Moscow rejected the allegations and the experts' findings - which prompted a fresh wave of sanctions against Russia - and accused the West of a smear campaign against it. Navalny was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in a penal colony in February and saw his nationwide network of political offices and FBK declared 'extremist' and banned in June. In recent months, the opposition leader and his allies have become targets of numerous probes that they and their supporters describe as the Kremlin's revenge for challenging Putin's two-decade-long rule. Most of his top allies, including Volkov and Zhdanov, have fled the country. Participants hold placards and toilet brushes during an opposition rally to protest against the results of a parliamentary election in Moscow, Russia on September 25. A placard refers to jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny and reads: 'Freedom to Alexei Navalny' Russian special police units detain a protester during an unauthorised protest in support of Russian opposition leader and blogger Alexei Navalny, in Moscow, on January 23 The latest probe comes after Putin's deeply unpopular ruling United Russia party won a sweeping majority in the lower house State Duma earlier this month. Anyone associated with Navalny's banned groups was kept from running in the elections, while his allies called for opposition supporters to back other candidates who could potentially defeat United Russia. Russia's opposition accused the authorities of mass voter fraud in the election and in a message from prison last week Navalny said the polls had been 'stolen'. He also called on his supporters to keep up the fight. 'We have one country no matter where we live,' he wrote on his Instagram account, which is being run by his team. 'The fight for it is not a sprint but a long and hard marathon.' supply chain issues have hit the Pentagon after Lockheed Martin said it will deliver fewer F-35 fighter jets next year. The billion dollar defense company based in Maryland said that it has revised its delivery schedule due to pandemic-related production constraints. According to the Pentagon's F-35 program office, seen by Bloomberg, the company was scheduled to deliver between 158 to 163 of the fighter jets in 2022. However, in a new released distributed on Monday, the company has projected it will deliver between 151 to 153 jets next year, and a further 156 in 2023 and each year thereafter 'for the foreseeable future'. Lockheed Martin's statement said that the production revision for lots 12 to 14 'ensures predictability and stability in the production process while recovering the aircraft shortfall realized over the last year during the COVID-19 pandemic.' According to the announcement, the largest U.S. defence contractor is expected to deliver between 133 to 139 aircraft this year. Supply chain issues have hit the Pentagon after Lockheed Martin said it will deliver fewer F-35 fighter jets (pictured, file photo) next year Next month, the U.S. Defense Department is expected to decide on a new schedule for a major milestone in the $398 billion acquisition program - the Pentagon's most expensive - as it is meant to carry out a one-month stimulation exercise. The exercise is set to test the F-35 against most advanced air defences and aircraft in the possession of foreign advisories, and is a step required to make a decision on full-rate production, Bloomberg reported. Richard Aboulafia, aviation analyst with Teal Group, told the business news outlet in an email that the revised schedule: 'shows the production constraints and supply chain disruptions resulting from the pandemic, and probably other causes. 'Stalling out at 156 per year' (after 2022) 'isn't terrible, but it isn't the 170-plus we were expecting in the next few years.' In a July report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) on F-35 support a maintenance said that the program planned to deliver 158 aircract deliveries in 2021, as of April. But the report added that almost all of the F-35s delivered by Lockheed Martin had been late, and noted that the company 'is not projected to deliver all 158 aircraft, according to program officials.' Despite this, 'the F-35 program expects to produce a high number of aircraft in 2022,' the GAO said at the time. 'The most aircraft the contractors have delivered in one year has been 134, which they accomplished in 2019, before many of the supply chain challenges were present,' it added. Pictured: U.S. Air Force Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning stealth fighter flies over the San Francisco Bay in San Francisco, California on October 13, 2019 At one point, the program had planned to deliver 167 F-35s in 2022, 'which is more than the contractors have ever delivered and 47 more aircraft, and 39% greater, than it delivered in 2020,' the watchdog said in the report. As recently as this month, the Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin annualized contracts worth up to $6.6 billion to support operations and sustainment of the global F-35 fleet, its F-35 Joint Program Office announced on September 13. The new air vehicle sustainment contract is for fiscal year 2021, with options for years 2022 and 2023, and is intended to reduce sustainment costs, the office said. Pictured: CEO of Lockheed Martin, Jim Taiclet. The company is by far the U.S. government's largest contractor Separately, Lockheed said that the contract would include supporting base and depot maintenance, pilot and maintainer training while also covering supply chain management for part repair and replenishment. 'These contracts represent more than a 30% reduction in cost per flying hour from the 2020 annualized contract, and exemplify the trusted partnership and commitment we share to reduce sustainment costs and increase availability for this unrivaled 5th generation weapon system,' Bridget Lauderdale, Lockheed Martin vice president, said. In the list of the top 100 Contractors of the U.S. federal government, released in 2020, Lockheed Martin was by far-and-away the most awarded company, with more than double the amount of dollars obligated than the company second in the list. The company was obligated $76 billion dollars in 2020, making up almost 13.5% of total amount obligated by the U.S. Federal Government. In 2019, the U.S. Government was responsible for almost 70 percent of the company's revenue. In terms of aircraft, in addition to the F-35 jet, the company provides C-130 Hercules, F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-22 Raptor to the Pentagon. It also supplies missiles, including the Hellfire missile, as well as helicopters such as the Black Hawk and Seahawk helicopters and space weapons. It is unclear whether other weapons systems or military hardware delivered by Lockheed Martin will be delayed as a result of supply chain issues. Dozens of police descended on Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida Tuesday morning after an active shooter drill was mistaken for the real thing. Patrol cars, firetrucks, and ambulances swarmed the military base, located in Panama City, shortly before 10:30am local time. Tyndall Air Force Base Spokesman Scott Johnson said the situation was a mix-up after local law enforcement didn't realize that a practice drill was taking place. Base officials further explained on Twitter: 'This morning Tyndall AFB was conducting an active shooter exercise. These exercises are conducted regularly to test our response to ongoing threats.' They continued: 'During the exercise, a real world 911 call was made from an adjacent building that resulted in a response. 'Local enforcement and first responders also responded. First responders have cleared the building, ensured there was no threat, and the all clear was issued. We have resumed normal operations at this time.' Dozens of police descended on Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida Tuesday morning after an active shooter drill was mistaken for the real thing Police are rushing to Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida following reports of an active shooter. Base officials shared details of the mix-up on their official Twitter account There were no injuries. DailyMail.com has reached out to Tyndall officials for further information. It is still unclear who exactly called police, and why law enforcement officials were not notified that an active shooter drill was taking place. On social media, audio surfaced of a 911 call featuring a frantic dispatcher repeatedly stating 'This is not a test'. WMBB shared footage showing several police cars on the scene with their sirens flashing. Normal operations have now resumed at the base. The base, which has a resident population of approximately 3,000, first opened in 1941. DailyMail.com has reached out to Tyndall officials for further information Demetrius Stevenson was shot in the head in a drive-by shooting in front of his home at 5p.m. on Monday An eight-year-old boy was shot dead while playing on the porch of his home in a gang-related shooting in a Chicago suburb as crime in the city skyrockets. Demetrius D. Stevenson was shot in the head on 15724 Homan Avenue after a vehicle pulled up and shots were fired at his 18-year-old brother the main target local authorities said. The shooting was reported at approximately 5pm and happened in front of the two relatives' residence. Shots were heard, and gunfire was returned toward the car, city officials said. Stevenson was then pronounced dead at 5.28p.m. at a local hospital, according to the Cook County medical examiner's office. His brother was not injured. Markham City coordinator Michael Taylor said Stevenson's older brother is a well-known gang member who lives in the house and he was the target. Local police are going door-to-door to get more details on fatal incident, as they try to identify the shooter as well as the make and model of car he or she drove at the time of the shooting Police said eight-year-old Demetrius Stevenson was shot in the head on the the porch of his home (pictured) after a vehicle pulled up and shots were fired at his 18-year-old brother 'For some reason, a group of individuals made their way down to the address, coming from the city of Chicago, trying to harm this ... 18-year-old older brother. They see him and they started to shoot,' Taylor said. He added that authorities are trying to figure out the make and model of the vehicle the shooter was in. Police 'went door-to-door, meticulously trying to find out anything' about the vehicle or shooter and that it remains unknown as to how many people were in the car when shots were fired. Stevenson's family told Legal Help Firm that Demetrius loved school and was in the third grade. 'I've been here 33 years and never seen nothing like this,' neighbor Ed Winston said. An active warrant for the arrest of the 18-year-old was already issued before the fatal incident, Taylor. The teen, whose identity remains unknown, was taken into custody by Markham police. Taylor said he was unsure what the warrant was in connection to or where it had been issued. The shooting comes as crime skyrockets in the city. Shooting incidents in Chicago are up 10 percent since September 19, with 2,596 incidents this year as compared to the 2,351 in the same period last year. In Chicago, 261 kids were shot, a larger total than the amount of kids who have died of COVID-19 across the US this year, which is a total of 214, according to Fox News. Overall local crime has dipped five percent in the same period with 3,1522 crimes reported this year compared to 3,3211 crimes reported last year. Robbery cases are also down, by seven percent, but criminal sexual assault, theft and murders are all up by 28 percent, 11 percent and four percent, respectively. Shooting incidents in Chicago are up 10 percent in the week leading up to September 19, with 2,596 incidents this year as compared to the 2,351 in the same period last year According to the CBS Chicago, at least nine people were killed in citywide shootings over the weekend, including a female high school wrestling champ, 18. Melissa 'Azul' de la Garza, 18, was coming back from a day of shopping for Halloween costumes and had just finished a Facetime call with her sister when an unidentified man approached her car and shot her multiple times in the torso before fleeing, according to the Chicago Police Department. Another 59 people were wounded including a police officer and a 15-year old boy. Police were responding to gunfire that hospitalized the 15-year old boy and killed an 18-year old man in Chicago's South Side on Friday night when a shooter opened fire and struck a female officer in the leg, police said. Officers arrested Aaron Jenkins, 26, in connection with the shooting and he faces two counts of attempted murder in the first degree and felony aggravated battery of a peace officer/discharge of a firearm. After the shooting, the officer drove herself to University of Chicago Medical Center and has since been treated and released. Former President Donald Trump wanted his press secretary Stephanie Grisham to evict the press corps from the White House, she reveals in her new book. He also wanted her to re-enact his 'perfect' phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for them. Excerpts from Grisham's forthcoming book 'I'll Take Your Questions Now' appeared in The New York Times and Washington Post ahead of its Oct. 5 publication date. In her book, Grisham reveals behind-the-scenes details of working in the White House, including Trump's temper, how Melania Trump distanced herself from her husband after the Stormy Daniels affair was revealed, and how Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump became a powerful duo on the West Wing. Grisham kept the fact she was writing a memoir on the downlow and her book is expected to be highly critical of the former first family. Early excerpts have proven that out. She reveals that a trip to North Korea inspired Trump to ask her to find ways he could evict the White House press corps from the James Brady briefing room - a place he frequently held news conferences and bantered with reporters. 'I researched different places we could put them other than the press briefing room. Each time the president asked me about my progress on the matter, I let him know I was still working on options,' Grisham writes. Donald Trump wanted his press secretary Stephanie Grisham to evict the press corps from the White House, she reveals in her new book Donald Trump asked Stephanie Grisham to re-enact his 'perfect' phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the White House press corps Grisham, who was notable for never holding a press briefing as White House press secretary, explains she didn't do so out of fears of what Trump would ask her to say at the podium. Trump's first press secretary, Sean Spicer, famously argued Trump's inauguration crowd was 'the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration' - claim that did not match side-by-side photos of Trump's inauguration with Barack Obama's and destroyed his credibility. 'I knew that sooner or later the president would want me to tell the public something that was not true or that would make me sound like a lunatic,' she notes. She also details one of Trump's more outlandish requests - that she appear before the press corps and re-enact his phone call with Zelensky, which led to his first impeachment. She managed to avoid doing it. Trump, himself, famously like to re-enact the call by reliving what he and Zelensky said, using different tones of voices to make his point. The former president slammed Grisham in a statement to the Times. 'Stephanie didn't have what it takes and that was obvious from the beginning,' Trump said. He said she had become 'very angry and bitter' after a breakup. 'She had big problems and we felt that she should work out those problems for herself. Now, like everyone else, she gets paid by a radical left-leaning publisher to say bad and untrue things.' I'll Take Your Questions Now: What I saw at the Trump White House by Stephanie Grisham comes out on October 5 Her 352-page book also includes bizarre details about Trump's behavior. For instance, she claims he cuts his hair with a 'huge pair of scissors that could probably cut a ribbon at an opening of one of his properties.' She also writes that one of Trump's aides - later revealed to be Grisham's ex-boyfriend Max Miler, who is running for an Ohio Congressional seat and has been endorsed by Trump - would play him his favorite show tunes, including 'Memory' from Cats, to calm him down during tantrums. Trump staff nicknamed Miller the 'Music Man.' Grisham described Trump's temper as 'terrifying. But she also filled in some blanks about some of the most memorable moments of Trump's one term: that Russian President Vladimir Putin brought an 'attractive' translator with him to distract Trump at their 2019 meeting - and Trump told Putin he would act tough in front of the cameras and then play nice privately, former White House official Stephanie Grisham reveals in her forthcoming tell-all. 'OK, I'm going to act a little tougher with you for a few minutes. But it's for the cameras, and after they leave, we'll talk. You understand,' Trump had told Putin when they met in June 2019 in Japan at the G20, Grisham recounted. The meeting came 11 months after the infamous Helsinki summit where Trump seemed to side with the Russian president over American intelligence agencies on whether Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. At the July 2018 meeting, Trump said Putin offered an 'extremely strong and powerful' denial. At their 2019 meeting in Japan, Trump playfully scolded and wagged a finger at Putin in front of the cameras telling the Russian leader, 'don't meddle in the election,' before they met behind closed doors for 90 minutes without journalists present. Grisham conversed with Fiona Hill - the administration's Russia expert turned impeachment 1.0 witness - who explained what Putin was doing to throw Trump off. 'As the meeting began, Fiona Hill leaned over and asked me if I had noticed Putin's translator, who was a very attractive brunette woman with long hair, a pretty face, and a wonderful figure,' Grisham wrote. 'She proceeded to tell me that she suspected the woman had been selected by Putin specifically to distract our president.' A brunette woman with a blue dress can be seen following Putin into the room as the Russian leader greets the American delegation in Osaka. President Donald Trump (right) meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan in June 2019. Stephanie Grisham's forthcoming book sheds more light on this meeting Trump continued the womanizing behavior he was known for as a brash Manhattan real estate tycoon at the White House, Grisham revealed, writing that he repeatedly invited a young press aide to his Air Force One cabin - one time to look at her behind. Trump instructed Grisham to 'keep her happy.' Grisham tried to keep the staffer away from the president, she wrote. The ex-press secretary, who went on to become Melania Trump's chief of staff before quitting in the aftermath of the January 6 insurrection also recalled how Trump insisted his penis was not shaped like a toadstool - responding to comments made by porn star Stormy Daniels. Daniels wrote in a 2018 book on her affair with the former president: 'I lay there, annoyed that I was getting f***ed by a guy with Yeti pubes and a d*** like the mushroom character in Mario Kart.' Trump, upon hearing the allegation, called his press secretary from Air Force one to assure her his penis was neither small nor shaped like a toadstool. Trump, upon hearing the Stormy Daniels description of his penis, called his press secretary from Air Force one to assure her his penis was neither small nor shaped like a toadstool, Grisham wrote in her new salacious tell-all 'I'll Take Your Questions Now' Grisham also wrote that the former president once asked her former boyfriend, Miller, if she was good in bed. The Daniels affair, Grisham wrote, 'unleashed' Melania's vengeance as she began trying to contradict her husband in public. When Grisham drafted a tweet requesting privacy at the time of the affair, saying that Melania would focus on being on her roles as first lady, wife and mother, Melania had her scrub the tweet of the word 'wife.' And during the State of the Union address, she walked in arm-in-arm with a handsome military aide hand-selected by Grisham because the floors of the Capitol were 'slippery.' 'I laughed to myself because I'd seen the woman navigate dirt roads in her heels,' Grisham writes. Grisham, 45, served as press secretary to Trump from July 2019 to April 2020. She then returned to her previous role as press secretary to First Lady Melania from April 2020 until January 2021. 'This book is another pitiful attempt to cash in on the Presidents strength and sell lies about the Trump family, said Trump spokeswoman Liz Harrington. Harrington termed Grisham a 'a disgruntled former employee' a term has applied in the past to aides who have written tell-alls. She said the book's publishers 'should be ashamed of themselves for preying on desperate people who see the short term gain in writing a book full of falsehoods.' Publisher Harper Collins calls the book 'The most frank and intimate portrait of the Trump White House yet.' Grisham resigned from her post on Jan. 6th, the day of the Capitol riot. Keir Starmer took aim at his Labour critics today saying he was more interested in winning an election than keeping them happy. The party leader lashed out at figures from the hard Left who have vocally criticised the direction he is taking the opposition during its annual conference in Brighton. Sir Keir is facing a major revolt over whether to back plans for a 15-per-hour minimum wage and was rocked by the resignation of a shadow minister last night over the issue. Andy McDonald stepped down after being told to speaks against the plans, and was supported by former leader Jeremy Corbyn and associates including ex-shadow chancellor John McDonnell. But speaking to the BBC tonight, Mr Starmer was asked what was most important to him, unity within the party or winning. He replied: 'Winning. Winning a general election. And in a swipe at the speed at which his critics leap onto social media, he added: 'I didn't come into politics to vote, over and over again in Parliament and lose, and then tweet about it. 'I came into politics, to go into government to change millions of lives for the better.' The party leader lashed out at figures from the hard Left who have vocally criticised the direction he is taking the opposition during its annual conference in Brighton. Andy McDonald stepped down after being told to speaks against the plans, and was supported by former leader Jeremy Corbyn and associates including ex-shadow chancellor John McDonnell And McDonald said his position had been made 'untenable' by Sir Keir's refusal to support the dramatic hike. Sir Keir risked further damaging relations with the left of the party by opposing a 15-an-hour minimum wage - one key reason Mr McDonald cited in his resignation. He said he would not back a motion brought by the Unite union at the party conference in Brighton calling for a raise, instead sticking by plans to raise it to 10. Sir Keir was also refusing to reinstate the party whip to Mr Corbyn until he apologises for his controversial remarks in response to a report on antisemitism within the party. The leader denied he was happy to see the departure of Mr McDonald, the last ally of the former leader in his top team, and insisted he was incorrect to claim 'our movement is more divided than ever'. Speaking to BBC News in Brighton, Sir Keir said: 'He is wrong about that, but my focus is on how we get Labour into position to win a general election.' He defended the 'tough decisions to change our party', which included changing the rules to mean any future leadership contender would need greater support from Labour MPs, in a move seen as an attempt to shut out radical challengers. Sir Keir accepted 'there will be some people who don't agree with those changes' but urged critics to 'abide by them'. Labour sources have suggested there was no sense of sadness in the leader's office to see Mr McDonald go. Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell tweeted: 'Andy McDonald has been a terrific Shadow Secretary of State for Employment Rights' But Sir Keir told Sky News: 'I'm not happy to see him go, I thanked him.' Allies of the Labour leader had earlier hit out at 'planned sabotage' by the hard-Left as Mr McDonald dodged an event with Jeremy Corbyn in the wake of his resignation. The former shadow minister had been due to feature at a fringe event alongside the former leader after his dramatic departure as shadow employment secretary. However, he opted to return to London rather than be seen to 'grandstand' over his protest at Sir Keir refusing to back hiking the minimum wage to 15 an hour - from under 9 currently. Mr Corbyn denied that there was a 'Machiavellian plot' to oust Sir Keir, and urged activists to vote for the policy when it comes to the conference floor this afternoon. The leadership is hoping to ignore the motion table by unions, which is not binding. But angry left-wingers look determined to use it as an opportunity to vent their fury at Sir Keir after bitter rows over nationalisation and internal rule reforms. Shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray said that his colleagues were 'angry and frustrated' about the row and accused Mr McDonald of resigning for effect rather than out of principle. Advertisement Petrol stations face disruption for up to a month even if panic buying stops, industry figures have warned as the Army is set to start driving fuel tankers to petrol stations this week - despite Boris Johnson's claim petrol panick-buying is 'stabilising'. The Prime Minister was accused of a 'half-baked' response to the fuel crisis earlier tonight as he dismissed calls for key workers to get priority at petrol stations. Industry sources have told The Times that disruption could carry on for weeks, even if panic buying dies down, due to the time it would take to restock petrol stations. One source said they expected BP to keep tackling issues throughout next month. Johnson tried to calm the chaos by urging the public to 'fill up in the normal way when you really need it', although he also warned that the government is working on 'getting through to Christmas and beyond'. But Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has now signed off the request for military assistance, with up to 300 troops able to be deployed if required. Sources said 150 drivers and 150 drivers' mates could be made available under Operation Escalin. Government sources confirmed the military assistance to the civil authorities (Maca) request had been approved. All military drivers are qualified to be behind the wheel of HGVs but they may need three days' training to learn how to fill petrol stations with fuel. Risking infuriating motorists who have been facing extraordinary carnage across the country, Johnson earlier laid the blame on a 'slightly misleading' account of the shortages of lorry drivers causing an 'understandable surge in public demand'. 'I would really urge everybody to go about their business in the normal way and fill up in the normal way when you really need it,' he said. 'What we want to do is to make sure we have all the preparations needed to get through to Christmas and beyond, not just in supply for petrol stations but all parts of the supply chain.' The PM tried to calm the chaos by urging the public to 'fill up in the normal way when you really need it' as he stressed that there is no need for panic buying All military drivers are qualified to be behind the wheel of HGVs but they may need three days' training to learn how to fill petrol stations with fuel. Pictured, British Army tankers on the move on the A1 near Ripon in North Yorkshire in 2000 In a round of interviews from Labour conference in Brighton today, Keir Starmer said the issues over drivers had been 'entirely predictable' and the government's response far too slow Two men brawling at a London petrol station after one accused the other of jumping the queue for fuel Fuel crisis 'could drive up Covid cases' Britain's petrol crisis could drive up Covid cases if commuters rush back onto buses and trains, experts said today amid fears the country is on the cusp of a fourth wave. Professor Paul Hunter, an epidemiologist at the University of East Anglia, claimed there could 'certainly' be a spike as a result of the fuel shortage. Other scientists said it was 'plausible'. Hundreds of forecourts across the country have already been run dry by panic buyers, which it's thought may lead to a sudden clamour for public transport. Shocking footage showed drivers throwing punches and even brandishing knives during chaotic scenes at petrol stations on Monday. Doctors and nurses have demanded they are given priority for fuel, saying they need to be able to get to hospitals to treat patients. Professor Hunter told MailOnline: 'The move to public transport could certainly increase transmission. And, if the majority of people are not wearing face coverings, then that would make that transmission worse.' SAGE has previously warned that if commuter levels suddenly return to pre-pandemic levels then it could fuel a fresh wave. Advertisement Pressed on whether he would be calling it a crisis if anyone else was in No10, Mr Johnson said: 'What we have is a recovery after a global pandemic.' The intervention, in a statement from Downing Street, came as the Labour leader weighed in, saying the issues over drivers had been 'entirely predictable' and the government's limp response had resulted in 'chaos'. In a round of interviews from his party conference in Brighton, Sir Keir called for the length of emergency visas for foreign HGV drivers to be doubled to six months. But he refused to say that Brexit was 'to blame', instead arguing that it was an inevitable consequence of the decision that was taken. Aides said the PM's brief chat with broadcasters exposed that there was still 'no plan' and the government was complacent. The comments came as more fighting broke out on Britain's 'Wild West' petrol forecourts today, with drivers throwing punches and even pulling knives as violent rows broke out in the long queues. However, minister insist there are 'tentative' signs the crisis will ease this week. Mr Johnson was making his own position clear for the first time, as MPs slammed his decision not to bring in soldiers to deliver fuel immediately to 'regain public confidence' and petrol stations started rationing fuel sales at 30. Mr Johnson said: 'I want to say, first of all, how much I sympathise with people who've been worried about their journeys, worried about whether they'll be able to use their cars in the normal way, to see their loved ones or whatever it is, and I know how frustrating, infuriating it must have been to worry about shortage of petrol or fuel. 'We now are starting to see the situation improve; we're hearing from (the) industry that supplies are coming back on to the forecourt in the normal way. 'I would just stress that on the forecourts the situation is stabilising and people should be confident and just go back to their business in the normal way.' Asked whether he agreed that key workers needed priority at the pumps, Mr Johnson said he 'understands why people say that' but suggested that instead the situation should 'stabilise in a normal way'. On the wider issues, the premier repeated his mantra that wages and training must improve for Britons, rather than bringing in more foreign labour. 'The actual number of lorry drivers that we're short in that particular sector isn't very big. But generally there is a shortage in that profession around the world,' he said. 'And what we want to see is an emphasis on high wage, a high-skill, a high-productivity approach to our economy. 'What I don't think people in this country want to do is fix all our problems with uncontrolled immigration. Again, we tried that for a long time 20 years or so, perhaps longer. 'And in the end, people could see that it was leading to a low-wage, low-skill approach without enough investment in people or in equipment, in capital. And that's not the way we want the UK to develop and grow.' Speaking to BBC News in Brighton, the Labour leader said: 'The Government has reduced the country to chaos as we track from crisis to crisis and the Government is not gripping this. 'I spoke to the haulage sector this morning to the businesses that are absolutely in the middle of this, and they are beyond frustrated and these were their words, they said it's a Government that is denying there's a problem, then blaming somebody else, and then coming up with a half-baked plan. What I would do is give priority to key workers this week. A fuel tanker is seen at a petrol and diesel filling station at Begelly in Pembrokeshire, Wales on Tuesday evening A fuel tanker was pictured filling up a station in Begelly, Pembrokeshire, on Tuesday evening 'And I would issue enough visas for lorry drivers for long enough. At the moment there was some talk this morning on the discussion that the pieces may not even begin until November. And we have to take action today. 'The Prime Minister should take that action today, prioritise key workers and start issuing enough visas and for long enough. The strong view this morning was that three months visas won't work, they've got to be six months visas. 'But this problem was predictable and predicted and the Government has absolutely failed to plan.' Sir Keir resisted blaming Brexit for the shortage of HGV drivers but accepted it was partly a consequence of leaving the European Union. Speaking to Channel 5 News, the Labour leader said: 'I wouldn't say that Brexit is to blame. What I would say is that it was inevitable as we exited the EU that we needed a plan to deal with drivers. That is obvious whether you voted Remain or voted Leave, and we took that decision years ago. 'And here we are with a shortage of drivers which was completely predictable and predicted - and the Government hasn't got a plan.' But later speaking to Sky News, Sir Keir said: 'What is the sole cause of this problem? The Government has known for some time that there are consequences of us leaving the EU, one of which is lorry drivers.' Earlier, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps claimed the pressure on filling stations is beginning to ease and insisted the Army would remain on standby despite admitting the queues will not disappear yet. 'There are now the first very tentative signs of stabilisation in forecourt storage which won't be reflected in the queues as yet,' he said in a pooled TV clip. 'But it is the first time that we have seen more petrol actually in the petrol stations. The sooner we can all return to our normal buying habits, the sooner the situation will return to normal.' Drivers pack into Wisley South Services in Surrey this morning beside a near deserted A3 Government's emergency fuel plan suggests rationing and priority pumps for NHS and police are on the way Rationing of fuel and filling stations just for emergency workers are the likely next steps in the crisis, Government documents reveal. Under an emergency government plan (pictured), key workers could be given 'priority access' to a number of petrol stations. The plan involves capping the amount of fuel drivers can buy and letting critical workers have 'priority access' to pumps. Another option, the designated filling station scheme, could see 'emergency and critical service vehicles' having priority access. This was done by Tony Blair's government during the 2000 fuel crisis. The document, published last year, reveals the Government's next steps are: Designated Filling Station scheme: Emergency and critical service vehicles would be given priority access to road fuel from filling stations Bulk Distribution Scheme: Oil companies and fuel distributors can be directed to prioritise the delivery of bulk petroleum products to critical services such as emergency services, utilities and public transport. Commercial Distribution Scheme: Oil companies and fuel distributors can be directed to prioritise the supply of road diesel to the commercial vehicles sector to support the operation of key supply chains, such as food and health. Maximum Purchase Scheme (rationing): This restricts the sale of road fuels at retail filling stations to the public to a maximum amount per visit to ensure that all motorists have access to some fuel. The scheme can also limit the hours in which road fuels can be sold. Crude Oil and Imported Product Allocation Scheme: Government can formally allocate crude oil and other imported oil products within the UK. Advertisement As one driver was seen filling mineral water bottles with petrol, he said: 'No more water bottles at petrol stations: it's dangerous and not helpful'. New video has emerged of two men punching and kicking each other across a London Shell station in a row about whose turn it was to fill up. Two women yelling 'what the f*** are you doing' broke up the punch-up as one of the fighters pointed at his foe and yelled: 'He stole my place'. Amid widespread scenes of enormous queueing across Britain's forecourts, footage emerged of a man holding what appears to be a knife shouting at a driver outside a petrol station in Welling, south east London. The video then shows the car ramming into the alleged knifeman, who is then carried for several yards on the bonnet. And it is proving so difficult to get fuel, thieves have been siphoning it from cars, sometimes drilling into the petrol tank, Shadrack Olaloko, from Birmingham, said: 'What these guys did was they came and drained out all my fuel in the tank'. The brawls broke out as motorists reported queues at 11pm, 3am and 5.30am across the UK as the Government was accused of being 'asleep at the wheel' and critics questioned claims within Whitehall that the crisis will be over within two to three days. Mike Granatt, former head of Britain's civil contingencies secretariat, the section of the Cabinet Office responsible for emergency planning in the UK, said today that the Prime Minister should give a TV press conference on the fuel crisis, as Tony Blair did in 2000. He said: 'It's called leadership. And we need some. Someone needs to stand up and say this to people rather than hide away'. Tobias Ellwood, chair of Parliament's Defence Committee, has said the army should be mobilised, not just put on standby, to 'regain public confidence' and stop the fuel crisis. The Conservative MP told Sky News: 'The country wants to see the Government is in command and it has a clear cross-Whitehall plan. 'We have gone from 1 per cent fuel pump shortages to 90 per cent so altering people's buying behaviour to prevent the panic buying and going back to previous purchasing patterns requires regaining the confidence of the nation. 'I believe the army should not just be put on standby but in fact mobilised, be seen to be used. That will help ease the pressure on shortages of course, it will return public confidence, and then on top of that there is the bigger issue about articulating a clear strategy to alleviate the chronic shortage of lorry drivers.' Such is the panic at the pumps, hundreds more people than usual have been filling up on the wrong fuel. Around 250 flustered drivers have had to be rescued by the AA's specialist 'fuel assist' team on Saturday and Sunday - compared to around 20 in normal circumstances. One tanker driver told LBC that even they are struggling for fuel because they are spending so much time in queues with drivers also blocking access to HGV pumps. An industry source said while the claim could be 'credible', it is likely to be an isolated incident. Danny Altmann, professor of immunology at Imperial College London, said Britain's petrol stations had becoming the 'Wild West' after he queued for fuel only for it to sell out before everyone got to the pumps. He said: 'Man behind me was furious and started punching the guard', adding it 'became a melee of 8-10 men on the ground, punching and kicking'. A driver pulled a knife on a motorist and was then run over outside a Welling petrol station yesterday (pictured) A member of staff directing the queues at Tesco petrol station at Bar Hill near Cambridge this afternoon in a rain storm Ascot high street is blocked with cars quitting to get petrol at one of the only fuel stations in the area. Customers are limited to 30 per car The high street in Ascot was blocked in rush hour this morning after one petrol station in the area got a delivery of fuel Fuel shortages escalate due to panic buying, as the Shell petrol station near Clapham South has run out Drivers queue for fuel at an Esso petrol station in Bournville, Birmingham A closed petrol station in Manchester, as the Government insisted the tide is now turning in the crisis There is a driver shortage across Europe - with the largest deficit found in Poland followed by Britain and Germany The Government is putting the military on standby after a widespread shortage of truck drivers, which has led to serious supply problems for retailers and restaurants in the past few months, meaning plentiful stocks of fuel have not reached filling stations. But critics have said Boris Johnson has known for months that there is a lack of HGV drivers but ministers have had had their 'heads in the sand'. The Prime Minister has 150 soldiers ready to drive tankers but they will not be brought in yet with one Government source telling The Times: 'We believe that the crisis will recede in the next few days'. Grant Shapps has rejected criticism that the Government has been too slow to mobilise the Army to help deal with the fuel crisis. Ministers announced on Monday they were putting troops on standby to deliver supplies as filling stations continued to run dry. In a pool clip for broadcasters, Mr Shapps said: 'There is a series of escalations that you go through in a crisis like this. 'We have already put 18 different steps in place which stretch right the way back to the spring. 'The system was just about coping until last weekend and it would have been capable of continuing to do so. 'Unfortunately, as we have seen with toilet rolls and other things, once people start to pursue a particular item, it can quickly escalate. 'But there is only so much petrol you can transfer into tanks. That is starting to work its way through.' He said that Brexit has been a 'factor' in the current fuel crisis. Mr Shapps said the primary cause of the shortages had been the cancellation of HGV driver testing last year due to the pandemic. However, he added: 'Brexit I hear mentioned a lot and it no doubt will have been a factor. 'On the other hand, it has actually helped us to change rules to be able to test more drivers more quickly. 'So, it has actually worked in both ways.' Mr Shapps condemned motorists who tried to fill up plastic water bottles with petrol as the panic buying continued. 'It is dangerous and extremely unhelpful,' he said. Under an emergency government plan, key workers could be given 'priority access' to a number of petrol stations. The plan involves capping the amount of fuel drivers can buy and letting critical workers have 'priority access' to pumps, The Telegraph reports. Another option, the designated filling station scheme, could see 'emergency and critical service vehicles' having priority access. This was done by Tony Blair's government during the 2000 fuel crisis. Some areas have already seen bin collections cancelled, and teaching unions have warned that schools could need to go back to online learning if teachers cannot drive to work. A 49-year-old woman, whose parents both have terminal cancer, fears she will be unable to reach the hospital in an emergency after her car ran out of fuel. The woman from Wilmslow, Cheshire - who did not wish to give her name - said she had to abandon her vehicle in a car park with a message in the window. 'In a nutshell, if I get a call to hospital I'd not have the diesel to make the journey - very stressful and upsetting, to be honest,' she told the PA news agency. 'I've had to abandon my car at three miles... (I) left it in the car park with a message in the window explaining why the car has been left and walked home. I just have to hope the car is safe overnight. 'I won't be able to see my dad or, in an emergency, (won't be) able to go to the hospital.' Volunteers who deliver vital blood products to hospitals for the NHS in Kent have been hit by 'frustrating' fuel shortages, a charity says. Johan Pieterse, secretary and trustee for SERV Kent, said: 'We have had a drop-off of about 50 per cent of our members who can't go on rota because they can't get fuel since Friday night. 'It's frustrating because we don't see the need for the panic buying and all it's doing is it's affecting all emergency services, not just us. 'God forbid someone is in hospital needing a blood product or someone is at home and they can't get it because we are stuck in queues of traffic.' Mr Pieterse said that while the charity has managed to cover all its pick-ups and deliveries, some had been delayed and they had been unable to access their headquarters because of queuing traffic. Pressure on filling stations is starting to ease although demand for fuel remains 'well above the norm', the chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association has said. Brian Madderson said there were indications of 'a move towards equilibrium' later in the week. 'The extreme demand levels witnessed over the weekend have eased somewhat,' he told Sky News. 'There are still demand levels well above the norm and as a result many of our members have sites dry. Many of the big groups are down to around 50% of their sites. 'There is still a problem out there. There is still a bit of panic buying, there is still queuing, but we are hopeful that we are seeing the first signs of a move towards equilibrium later in the week.' Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth has said health and care workers should be given priority at petrol pumps to prevent 'people losing their lives'. After a dizzying 24 hours of dithering over the use of soldiers to plug the HGV driver gap, ministers agreed to put the Army on standby. It is hoped that panic-buying will ease this week to reduce pressure on fuel supplies. But if the crisis does not abate, ministers will trigger 'Operation Escalin'. About 150 military tanker drivers were put into a state of readiness under the operation, sources said. Some of them will receive further training in the next few days to be able to deliver fuel if required. The operation, originally conceived in case of a no-deal Brexit, could potentially see hundreds of troops brought in to help. Chairman of the British Medical Association council, Dr Chaand Nagpaul, told The Times that 'everyone will have their own reasons for needing to fill up, but as pumps run dry there is a real risk that NHS staff won't be able to do their jobs and provide vital services and care to people who urgently need it'. Andrew Cuomo enjoyed a day out on the water with his Siberian Shepherd mix 'Captain' after reports that he allegedly tried to give the difficult dog away and left him behind before moving out of the governor's mansion last month. The 63-year-old disgraced governor posted a photo of himself rubbing noses with the dog on Instagram Tuesday morning along with the caption, 'The fall bass run is coming & Captain is ready.' Cuomo was likely referring to the prime fishing season for bass, which feed near shallow waters in the fall ahead of the colder winter months. The lovey-dovey display comes a month after a report surfaced alleging that Cuomo left the dog behind after he moved to his sister's house and asked his staffers if anyone wanted to keep him. Cuomo announced his resignation on August 10, a week after a report by Attorney General Letitia James recounted 11 instances of sexual harassment against women. His term ended on August 23. He was succeeded by his lieutenant Kathy Hochul. Andrew Cuomo, 63, enjoyed a day out on the boat with his Shepherd mix 'Captain' on Tuesday The pair seem to be repairing their relationship after the disgraced governor reportedly tried to get rid of him while moving out of the governor's mansion last month The governor and his spokesman have categorically denied the abandonment claims, with the latter telling the Times Union that Cuomo only asked if someone would take the dog while he transitions out of the mansion and goes on vacation. 'I can't believe this is what I'm dealing with right now, when I'm dealing with a major storm,' spokesman Richard Azzopardi told the Albany newspaper, referring to Tropical Storm Henri. Captain is a 'high-strung mix of shepherd - Siberian and Malamute,' according to the Times Union. The governor first introduced the then-14-week-old dog to a delegation from the state Conference of Mayors when they visited the Executive Mansion in 2018. 'He will only urinate indoors,' Cuomo said three years ago. 'He has some kind of climate sensitivity that overpowers his bowel movements.' Captain was seen being walked by a staffer after Cuomo left him behind at the executive mansion on August 22 Cuomo denied claims that he had abandoned his dog Captain in a tweet featuring an old photo taken for a magazine article Cuomo adopted the dog as a puppy in 2018, but it was apparently known to 'nip' at staffers A State Police source alleged he tried to give the dog away to an employee. 'Apparently (the employee) took the dog home and it didn't work - the dog walks him, he don't walk the dog.' The source also told the paper that the dog had nipped at 'several State Police members' as well as staff members 'and the governor would just laugh.' Cuomo himself turned to Twitter to deny the claims less than two hours before his term as governor ended. 'Some people just can't get the facts straight,' he wrote along with an old picture of the pair and Cuomo's family originally taken for a magazine article. 'Yes, I was downstate monitoring storm response for a few days, but Captain and I are a man and his dog.' The state police source disagreed, saying: 'He planned on keeping that dog as much as he planned on living over his big sister's garage at (age) 63.' The family of Kelly Brewster (pictured) who was murdered in the Manchester Arena bombing thanked police officers who had desperately tried to save her life, a public inquiry heard The family of a young woman murdered in the Manchester Arena bombing thanked police officers who had desperately tried to save her life, a public inquiry heard. Kelly Brewster, 32, from Sheffield, was injured along with her sister, Claire Booth, and her niece Hollie Booth, in the terror attack at the end of an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena. Ms Brewster was the happiest she had ever been in life, her family said, having travelled the world and been ready to settle down and start a family. She had just that day had an offer accepted on a house with her fiance. Miss Brewster entered the City Room, the foyer of the Arena, just seven seconds before suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated his home-made rucksack bomb at 10.31pm on May 22, 2017. Packed with thousands of nuts and bolts, Ms Brewster was standing just nine metres away and suffered un-survivable injuries to her abdomen and head, one of 22 fatalities in the City Room. Her sister, who herself was hurt in the blast, was left in the 'impossible position' of trying to tend for both her injured daughter and her dying sister, the inquiry heard. Off-duty officer Police Constable Michael Buckley, who was there to collect his daughter from the show, ran to the scene and, with British Transport Police officer Danielle Ayers, began tending to Miss Brewster. Police Sergeant Kam Hare told her: 'Hang in there sweetheart, deep breaths,' as PC Buckley and Danielle Ayers began work on her. They worked in tandem, giving chest compressions, and a minute later PC Ayers put her hand on Miss Brewster and detected signs of life, saying, 'Yes! Yes! Yes! Come on, stay with us now.' PC Buckley told the hearing: 'We had been doing chest compressions, asking her, begging her, pleading with her to take a breath. 'Then she would stop again and her pulse would disappear so we would start chest compressions again.' PC Buckley told the hearing 'we got her back three times', but CPR was abandoned after North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) paramedic Patrick Ennis intervened to say it was futile. PC Ayers was giving chest compressions again when she felt the hand of Mr Ennis on her shoulder. He told her: 'You need to stop. I have seen you have done everything you could. You need to let her go and help someone else.' Miss Brewster (left) entered the City Room, the foyer of the Arena, just seven seconds before suicide bomber Salman Abedi detonated his home-made rucksack bomb at 10.31pm on May 22, 2017 A tearful PC Ayers told the inquiry: 'I left the room for a minute, got a bit upset, because I just wanted to help her and get her out.' Mr Ennis told the inquiry there were no signs of life and Miss Brewster had died. John Cooper QC, representing the Brewster family, thanked PC Buckley for his 'heroic efforts' and told BTP officer Ayers: 'The family think you are a star. You did everything you could.' Sir John Saunders, chairman of the inquiry, added: 'From the further medical evidence there was, in fact, nothing you could have done. You did everything you could have done in the circumstances.' A post mortem examination gave the cause of Miss Brewster's death as severe head and abdomen wounds and concluded she would have been rendered rapidly unconscious from loss of blood. Bomb blast wave and pathology experts concluded Ms Brewster may have survived for a brief period after being injured but, even with immediate medical attention her injuries were not survivable. Mr Cooper read out a statement from Miss Brewster's family on their behalf. It said: 'Our family would like to thank everyone who tried so hard to save Kelly that night and to those who provided her with dignity at the end. 'We would also like to thank everyone who came to Claire and Hollie's aid. You will be forever in our thoughts.' The hearing, sitting in Manchester, continues. It comes after a court that ruled the jobs were comparable in case against Asda A tribunal ruled shop floor and warehouse roles should be considered as similar Mostly female shop staff said they should be paid the same as male depot staff Thousands of Morrisons workers have won a key legal battle in their fight for equal pay after a tribunal ruled shop floor and warehouse positions should be considered as similar. A group of mostly female Morrisons' retail staff have been fighting for similar wages to those of mostly male workers in distribution centres, claiming they have been 'unfairly underpaid' by the supermarket. And in a key victory for the workers, Judge Davies at the Leeds Employment Tribunal ruled that Morrisons' shop floor workers can rely on the supermarket's warehouse staff as comparators in their claims for equal pay. The ruling adds to a body of case law supporting accusations of pay discrimination against other supermarkets, with shop floor workers typically earning 1 to 2 less than staff in depots. Mostly female Morrisons' retail staff have been fighting for similar wages to mostly male workers in distribution centres, claiming they have been 'unfairly underpaid' (stock image) It comes after a Supreme Court ruling against Asda in March, when judges said the two jobs could be considered as comparable. Morrisons argued the tribunal should find that retail staff cannot be compared to warehouse workers because each of its distribution centres has individual, collectively bargained terms and conditions. The supermarket said this means the employment terms of distribution centre workers are not common across all sites, so retail workers cannot be compared to them as a group. They also argued that individual negotiations of terms means distribution and retail workers are not employed by the same source. But the judge has ruled in favour of the workers in a key victory for the shop floor workers amid their equal pay fight, which sees them claiming up to 100million in missed pay. Further hearings in the case will look at whether store worker and distribution roles are of equal value, and whether there is a reason, other than sex discrimination, for the two jobs not to be paid equally. Judge Davies at the Leeds Employment Tribunal ruled that Morrisons' retail workers can rely on the supermarket's warehouse staff as comparators in their claims for equal pay (stock image) Ellie Pinnells, a partner and group litigation specialist at Roscoe Reid, representing the staff, said: 'We are hugely encouraged by this decision which, following the Supreme Court's ruling in the Asda case, gives hope to thousands of mostly female workers who have been unfairly underpaid by their employer. 'As employment Judge Davies noted, "Responsibility for any inequality, and for putting it right, remains with the board". 'I would urge the board of Morrisons, and any party interested in a takeover of Morrisons, to put right a wrong that has persisted since the Equal Pay Act 1974.' More than 40,000 equal pay claims have been made by employees against supermarkets, with payouts reportedly reaching millions due to unfair treatment of staff. In March, Asda store workers won a Supreme Court fight with bosses after bringing equal pay claims over complaints that staff in distribution depots unfairly got more money. More than 40,000 Asda store workers, about two-thirds of whom are women, said staff working in distribution depots, most of whom are men, unfairly get more cash. Bosses at Leeds-based Asda said store jobs were not comparable to distribution centre jobs, but justices at the Supreme Court in London today ruled against them. The judges decided that store workers, who had made sex-discrimination claims, were entitled to compare themselves to distribution staff for equal pay purposes. The Asda store workers said they have historically got less because most store workers are women, and most distribution depot staff are men. It comes after Asda store workers won a court fight with bosses after bringing equal pay claims over complaints that staff in depots unfairly got more money (stock image) Supreme Court justices were asked to consider whether Asda store workers are entitled to compare themselves to distribution staff for equal pay purposes. Judges considered arguments at a hearing in July - and lawyers said that if Asda store workers win all further stages of their fight they could be entitled to several years' back pay. They said this will have implications across the retail industry and suggested victory might lead to supermarkets paying out around 8billion. The litigation began some years ago. In 2016, an employment tribunal decided that store workers were entitled to compare themselves to distribution staff. That decision was upheld by Court of Appeal judges in 2019. Asda bosses then appealed to the Supreme Court. Five Supreme Court judges dismissed Asda's appeal and unanimously ruled in favour of the store workers. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's daughter-in-law and 11-month-old granddaughter have tested positive for COVID-19. Heloisa Bolsonaro, who is married to Sao Paulo Congressman, Eduardo Bolsonaro, broke the disheartening news to her Instagram followers Monday, four days after her husband revealed he had been infected. Heloisa Bolsonaro shared that her daughter, Georgia Bolsonaro, only experienced mild symptoms, including a fever and runny nose. 'On the first day we felt bad, now, thank God, we're fine,' she wrote. 'And thanks to a drug that I just took and I got better right away. Impressive.' 'Thank God she hasn't had a fever anymore and is super willing, eating and playing,' Heloisa Bolsonaro added. 'The treatment for her is symptomatic. Novalgina for fever, an anti-allergic to relieve the runny nose and secretion and a lot of nasal washing.' It's second time that the president's daughter-in-law has caught the viral bug. Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro's 11-month-old granddaughter, Georgia Bolsonaro, is infected with COVID-19. Her mother said she was experiencing mild symptoms, including a runny nose and fever Heloisa Bolsonaro, wife of Brazilian Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro, in infected with the coronavirus. It's the second time she contracts the viral bug. The couple's daughter, Georgia Bolsonaro, also has COVID-19. Eduardo Bolsonaro contracted the virus following his return to Brazil after he had been in New York as part of the delegation who accompanied his father, President Jair Bolsonaro, to the U.N, General Assembly Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro developed symptoms following his return home after joining President Jair Bolsonaro's traveling delegation to New York for the United National General Assembly. Bolsonaro, who broke the news Friday morning on Twitter, contracted COVID-19 after Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga received a positive test last Tuesday after his meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Queiroga is currently in New York under quarantine. Pedro Guimaraes, the CEO of state lender Caixa Economica Federal, also tested positive Sunday. He also traveled to New York and had been in isolation since last Wednesday upon his return to Brazil. Brazilian Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro with his daughter, former United States President Donald Trump, and Heloisa Bolsonaro, his wife Brazilian Congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro with wife, Heloisa Bolsonaro, and daughter, Georgia Bolsonaro Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga is still in New York and quarantining after he tested positive for COVID-19 last Tuesday. He learned he had contracted the virus after meeting with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson President Bolsonaro, who was infected with the virus in July 8, 2020 and required hospitalization, did not show any positive symptoms and tested negative Sunday. Unlike the far-right leader, First Lady Michelle Bolsonaro, who tested positive on July 30, 2020, got vaccinated during her recent visit to New York. His oldest son, Flavio Bolsonaro, was contracted the virus in 2020, and received his first dose of the AstraZeneca immunization shot on July 20, 2021. President Bolsonaro, who compared COVID-19 to "a little flu" and has criticized lockdown measures, said in April that he would only vaccinate himself when 'the last Brazilian' has done so. According to data published by John Hopkins University on Tuesday, Brazil ranked second in the world behind the United States with 594,653 coronavirus deaths. The South American nation is third with 21,366,395 cases. Gen. Mark Milley said Tuesday that the threat of al-Qaeda flourishing in Afghanistan and attempting to attack the US in the wake of its withdrawal is a 'very real possibility' as he reiterated that the Taliban 'remains a terrorist organization.' 'We must remember that the Taliban was and remains a terrorist organization and they still have not broken ties with Al-Qaeda,' the nation's top military commander told lawmakers in his first congressional testimony on the withdrawal. 'A reconstituted Al-Qaeda or ISIS with aspirations to attack the United States is a very real possibility,' he said, adding that opportunities for attack 'could present themselves in the next 12-36 months.' Asked if President Biden was being truthful when he said that al-Qaeda was no longer in Afghanistan, both Milley and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that al-Qaeda has been and continues to be in Afghanistan, in a diminished state. While President Biden's reasoning for the hasty withdrawal has often been a Trump-era peace deal with the Taliban, Milley said that the Islamist group had not even been holding up their end of the deal. 'There were 7 conditions applicable to the Taliban & 8 conditions applicable to U.S. While Taliban did not attack U.S. forces, which was 1 of the conditions, it failed to fully honor any any other condition under Doha agreement.' Meanwhile, Milley and head of US Central Command Gen. Frank McKenzie said that they had advised Biden to leave a small number of troops in Afghanistan to stave off Taliban control, but the commander-in-chief insisted all needed to be removed. McKenzie said he recommended 2,500 troops remain in Afghanistan. He said he's confident Biden heard his advice, after the president told ABC's George Stephanopoulos he couldn't recall anyone advising him to leave troops in the country. 'I recommended that we maintain 2,500 troops in Afghanistan .... I also have a view that the withdrawal of those forces would lead inevitably to the collapse of the Afghan military forces, and eventually the Afghan government.' Milley and head of US Central Command Gen. Frank McKenzie said that they had advised Biden to leave a small number of troops in Afghanistan to stave off Taliban control, but the commander-in-chief insisted all needed to be removed Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Mark Milley and Sec. Lloyd Austin testified on Capitol Hill Tuesday 'I was present when that discussion occurred and I'm confident that the president heard all the recommendations and listened to them very thoughtfully.' But Austin said he believed leaving those last 2,500 would have led to a fight with the Taliban that would lead to a greater surge in troops. 'If you stayed there at a posture of 2,500 certainly you'd be in a fight with the Taliban and you'd have to reinforce yourself.' Milley said that his 'assessment was, back in the fall of [2020], and remained consistent throughout, that we should keep a steady state of 2,500 [troops], and it could bounce up to, to 3,500 maybe, something like that, in order to move to a negotiated gated solution.' 'My analysis was that an accelerated withdrawal without meeting specific and necessary conditions risks losing the substantial gains made in Afghanistan, damaging U.S. worldwide credibility and could precipitate a general collapse of the Afghan government, resulting in a complete Taliban takeover or general civil war,' Milley said. He declined to say exactly what he told the president. But, he added, by Aug. 25, 10 days after Kabul fell to the Taliban when Biden ordered a reassessment of military strategy, top commanders were in agreement by that point on the need to move forward with the withdrawal to avoid war. Asked by Sen. Tom Cotton why he didn't resign in protest of the withdrawal, Milley replied that such an act of 'political defiance' is a 'serious thing,' as he said that 'My job is to provide advice ... the president doesn't have to agree with that advice.' 'My advice is, don't put specific dates' on withdrawals, Milley said, noting that two presidents had made the devastating mistake. 'Make things conditions-based.' President Biden set a deadline of August 31 for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, extending Trump's former May deadline. The announcement triggered a whirlwind advance by the Taliban who claimed the capital Kabul on August 14, and a terrorist attack shortly thereafter took the lives of 180 people, including 13 US service members. Austin also tried to head off questions about whether the evacuation operation would have been more successful if the military had not shot down Bagram air base. 'Retaining Bagram would have required putting as many as 5000 US troops in harm's way just to operate and defend it, and it would have contributed contributed little to the mission that we've been assigned, and that was to protect and defend the embassy which was some 30 miles away. 'That distance from Kabul also rendered Bagram of little value in the evacuation.' Advertisement The grieving family of Gabby Petito have unveiled new tattoos honoring their slain daughter, as they called on missing boyfriend Brian Laundrie to turn himself in. Gabby's mother and stepfather, Nichole and Jim Schmidt, and father and stepmother, Joe and Tara Petito, were joined by their lawyer on Long Island on Tuesday as they spoke to the media for the first time since the 22-year-old's body was found in Wyoming. Family attorney Richard Stafford renewed calls for Laundrie to surrender to authorities and slammed his parents for failing to cooperate in the search that turned up Gabby's remains. 'The Laundries did not help us find Gabby. They sure aren't going to help us find Brian,' Stafford said during the briefing. 'For Brian, we're asking you to turn yourself in to the FBI or the nearest law enforcement organization.' Laundrie, 23, who is considered a person of interest in Gabby's disappearance and death, remains at large after being reported missing on September 17. Cash rewards for information leading to his location have now hit $30,000. In a statement released by their attorney on Monday, the Laundries dismissed claims that they may have helped him flee and said they are 'concerned' for their son. Gabby Petito's family on Tuesday revealed they got new tattoos in her honor, including one she had on her forearm saying 'Let it be' Mom Nichole Schmidt showed off her new ink alongside her husband Jim Schmidt, and revealed the tattoos were based off Gabby's designs Schmidt's tattoo was inspired by her daughter's own 'Let it be' tattoo on her right forearm Gabby's body was found on September 19 at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming - marking the end of an eight-day search. Her death has been ruled a homicide. On Tuesday, the family refused to comment on Laundrie or his potential whereabouts, citing the ongoing FBI investigation. 'Our focus is still on mourning Gabby and honoring Gabby. The FBI is doing everything they can and we have our full faith in them,' stepfather Jim Schmidt said. The parents, each wearing a blue ribbon on their chest in honor of their daughter, also revealed they got new tattoos in Gabby's memory. Nichole, Joe, and Jim showed off 'Let it be' tattoos on their forearms - inspired by the one Gabby had - while Tara showed off a tattoo saying 'Believe.' The parents said they got the tattoos together on Monday night and that each are based on Gabby's mantra and designs. 'I wanted to have her with me at all times. I feel this helps that,' mom Nichole said tearfully as she displayed the new ink. The press conference marked the bereaved mother's first public statements since her daughter's body was found. The parents took turns speaking and thanking the public for bringing attention to Gabby's disappearance, while also announcing a new foundation created in her name, aimed at helping families of missing persons. Gabby's mother and stepfather, Nichole and Jim Schmidt, and father and stepmother, Joe and Tara Petito, were joined by their attorney Richard Stafford on Long Island as they demanded Laundrie surrender to authorities The press conference marked the bereaved mother's first public statements since her daughter's body was found. Each family member wore a blue ribbon in memory of Gabby Brian Laundrie, who is considered a person of interest in her Gabby's disappearance and death, remains at large after being reported missing on September 17 Father Joe Petito thanked the news media and social media for spotlighting his daughter, but said all missing persons deserved the same attention. 'I want to ask everyone to help all the people that are missing and need help. It's on all of you, everyone that's in this room to do that,' he said, pointing to reporters and cameras in front of him. 'And if you don't do that for other people that are missing, that's a shame, because it's not just Gabby that deserves it.' The search for Laundrie has also generated a frenzy, with TV personalities like Dog the Bounty Hunter and America's Most Wanted host John Walsh working to track him down. Stafford said Gabby's family welcomed everybody's help in finding Laundrie and encouraged people with information on his whereabouts to contact the FBI or local police. 'We need positive stuff to come from the tragedy that happened. We can't let her name be taken in vain. We need positive stuff,' Joe Petito added. 'Anything that we can do to bring that up and help people - that's what we want to do.' Stafford described the 22-year-old as a 'bright light in everyone's life that knew her' and said the family now hopes to bring good from the tragedy with the Gabby Petito Foundation. 'We've received letters, emails, cards, from all over the world. From Australia, from Europe; we had people from Italy,' Stafford said. 'We had people at the funeral that came from as far away as Texas, as Florida, as California. People from across the country have sent their well wishes.' Stepfather Jim Schmidt, who had traveled to Wyoming to assist in the search, revealed the family is yet to receive Gabby's remains from the coroner. 'We want to make sure that no matter what, we do not impede on their investigation in any way. We wanted her home immediately, but we understand their position and we know that she's safe with them,' he said. 'It was a very tough decision to have to make to come home, but we felt it was important to come home so we can mourn her and celebrate her life and be with our family and friends. 'When they're ready to release her, we will be bringing her home.' Gabby's family also announced they have a created a new foundation in her name that aims to help families of missing persons Petito and Laundrie are seen on July 4 in Utah. They had set out two days previously on a road trip, planning to document their journey on social media Christopher Laundrie, 62, and wife Roberta, 55, were seen leaving their North Port, Florida home during a rare foray into town last week On Sunday, hundreds of mourners including Gabby's family and friends as well as many strangers who were personally moved by her story, packed a funeral home on Long Island to grieve the 22-year-old whose life of adventure was tragically cut short. 'The entire planet knows this woman's name,' her father Joe Petito said, standing before a golden urn at the Moloney Holbrook Funeral Home. The standing-room only chapel was adorned with bouquets of flowers, and photo and video montages of his daughter. They showed her life growing up in Blue Point, Long Island, including a picture of Gabby as a little girl with her small hand print on a piece of paper. Behind the urn was a more recent photo of her standing at the foot of a cave. Gabby's body was found September 19 in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, and her death has been ruled a homicide. Her fiance Brian Laundrie, 23, is considered a person of interest in the case but remains at large after he returned from their cross country roadtrip without her on September 1. A warrant was issued for his arrest on Thursday for his alleged 'use of unauthorized access device.' He is accused of using a credit card that is not his to obtain items totaling $1,000 between August 30 and September 1 - after Gabby was last heard from. A statement released by the Bureau's Denver desk reads, 'While this warrant allows law enforcement to arrest Mr. Laundrie, the FBI and our partners across the country continue to investigate the facts and circumstances of Ms. Petito's homicide.' Joe Petito, (left) spoke at his daughter's memorial service standing next to Schmidt (right) surrounded by photos of Petito throughout her life A long line of people was seen outside the Long Island funeral home to pay their respects to Petito, whose story captivated the nation Three children wearing 'Rest in Peace Gabby' t-shirts picturing Petito were seen leaving her memorial service Steve Bertolino, Laundrie's attorney, issued a statement Thursday evening after the FBI's arrest warrant for his fugitive client was made public, emphasizing that the warrant was not for Petito's death but for related activities that took place after her she died. 'It is my understanding that the arrest warrant for Brian Laundrie is related to activities occurring after the death of Gabby Petito and not related to her actual demise,' Bertolino told Dailymail.com. 'The FBI is focusing on locating Brian and when that occurs the specifics of the charges covered under the indictment will be addressed in the proper forum.' Authorities have been scouring the alligator-infested swampland in the Carlton Nature Reserve near North Port, Florida, Laundrie's alleged last known location. People who knew Gabby have partnered with law enforcement to increase the reward for tips about Laundrie's whereabouts to $30,000. Jerry Torres, a neighbor of the Petito family, first offered $5,000 for information that could help authorities find Laundrie. The reward, however, was raised to $10,000 after Steve Moyer, the former deputy chief of police for Sarasota, Florida offered more cash, telling CNN affiliate WZVN on Friday, 'Money gets people to talk.' Boohoff Law, a personal injury law firm, also announced last week that it was adding another $20,000 for information, according to a statement published in the Sun North Port. 'The authorized reward will remain open for two months starting from the receipt of the tip by the investigating law enforcement,' the statement said. At Sunday's visitation, Gabby's father didn't discuss the circumstances of her death, but offered advice for people in bad relationships. 'I want you to take a look at these pictures, and I want you to be inspired by Gabby. If there's a trip you guys want to take, take it now. Do it now while you have the time.' 'If there is a relationship that you're in that might not be the best thing for you, leave it now. Take care of yourself first.' 'Gabby is the most amazing person I've ever met,' he said, choking back tears. 'So if you're going to leave here today, I'm asking you guys to be inspired by the way she treated people, all people .... She genuinely loved people.' A day before the funeral, Joe Petito announced he is launching the Gabby Petito Foundation to help families and parents of missing children. 'No one should have to find their child on their own,' the bereaved father wrote in a social media statement Saturday. 'We are creating this foundation to give resources and guidance on bringing their children home. 'We are looking to help people in similar situations as Gabby.' Mohamed Jarboui (pictured), 51, has been accused of trying to abduct a toddler A 51-year-old man tried to snatch a toddler from her pram while her mother walked her in the park, a court has heard. The child's 27-year-old mother had to fight off the stranger 'with her bare hands' after he allegedly tried to run off with toddler's pram in Eastrop Park, Basingstoke. Mohamed Jarboui has been accused of trying to pick the girl up under her armpits before grabbing at her buggy. The child's mother said she started feeling 'sick' as the Libyan allegedly harassed her before she claims he tried to abduct her child. She said she was terrified because 'there was nobody around' in the park. Jurors were told the toddler has 'significant health issues' and Jarboui tried to pick the girl up under her armpits but failed to rip her out as she was strapped in. The alleged attempted abduction happened just after 3.30pm on February 4 and the mother of the child, who can't be named for legal reasons, said: 'I was shaking, I was sweating, I couldn't breathe, I felt sick to my stomach.' At Winchester Crown Court, Hants, prosecutor Edward Elton said Jarboui was caught three days later after police scoured CCTV. He said Jarboui claimed he was 'playing' with the child. The child's 27-year-old mother had to fight off the stranger 'with her bare hands' after he allegedly tried to run off with toddler's pram in Eastrop Park (pictured), Basingstoke The court heard how the mother noticed Jarboui several times as she walked through Basingstoke before he walked over, knelt down and made 'cooing noises' to the child. She said: 'He came up the right hand side of the pram and kneeled down at my daughter and started making all these cooing, babbling noises. 'He had his left hand on the latch... that's when the sick feeling started. 'He touched her face and I said "please don't touch her" because obviously my daughter is of a high risk. He said sorry and I thought he was going from that point.' She saw Jarboui grab the handles of the pram before he left them alone, the court heard. She said: 'I started to have a really sick feeling. I started to look around and I was thinking there's no one around me, the businesses are all shut.' He returned, spoke Arabic to the child, then grabbed the child's arm as he tried to abduct her, it was heard. At Winchester Crown Court (pictured), prosecutor Edward Elton said Jarboui was caught three days later after police scoured CCTV. He said Jarboui claimed he was 'playing' with the child The woman, from Basingstoke, said: 'He stood over the pram and he stopped us. He started grabbing my daughter's right arm. I told him to stop dragging her like that and the next minute he put his hands under her arm pits. 'I just hit him, I think I had my left hand on the left hand side of the pram... I screamed at him saying "let go of my daughter". 'He just dropped her, she was still in the pram, he couldn't get her out, then he came up to her right hand side... pushing me with his hip to get me away. 'He was working out different ways to get her out of the pram and then when he couldn't he just tried taking the whole pram and me with it. 'I was going through all these emotions... I was shaking, I was sweating, I couldn't breathe, I felt sick to my stomach.' Mr Elton said Jarboui claimed he wasn't trying to take the child. Mr Elton said: 'He said he had been interacting with the child in what was a perfectly acceptable way in his culture. '[He said] he had no intention of taking the child away from her mother... he said he was playing with the child in a normal way.' The mother, who called her husband after the incident, told police when she first saw Jarboui he 'seemed very proud of himself... like he was getting himself ready for something'. Jarboui, from Basingstoke, denies attempted child abduction. The trial continues. The CIA evacuated an intelligence officer from Serbia who was suffering from symptoms associated with 'Havana Syndrome' as more cases of this mysterious neurological attack continue to affect American spies and diplomats. This incident in the Balkans - which hasn't been previously reported - happened within recent weeks and continues a troubling uptick in attacks, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. About a week ago, a CIA agent fell ill with suspected Havana syndrome while on a work trip to India with CIA director William Burns and another agent experienced the same symptoms about a month ago in Vietnam. All the unidentified officers reported same symptoms associated with the unexplained syndrome, which include headaches, pain, nausea or vertigo brought on by sounds, pressure or heat. There have been 200 reported cases of the yet-unexplained illness, which has been 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. As of August, the illness had reportedly affected American personnel stationed on every continent excluding Antarctica, including a baby in one case. There have been 200 reported cases of the yet-unexplained illness, which has been colloquially named for its first reported case in 2016 at the US Embassy in Havana, Cuba, and affected American personnel on nearly every continent except Antarctica 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 An unidentified CIA officer was evacuated from Serbia after suffering from symptoms associated with the unexplained Havana syndrome. The report comes a week after a second CIA officer travelling to India earlier this month with CIA director William Burns (pictured) suffered the same symptoms The circumstances surrounding incidents are being investigating, including if the agent in India was targeted because of his proximity to Burns. 'In the past 60 to 90 days, there have been a number of other reported cases' on U.S. soil and globally, Dr. James Giordano, a Georgetown University professor of neurology who is advising the U.S. government on the issue, told The Wall Street Journal. 'They are seen as valid reports with verified health indicators.' What's causing Havana Syndrome remains a mystery. Some theorize that the symptoms are caused inadvertently by surveillance equipment; while others believe incidents are caused by a mysterious sonic weapon. Dr. Giordano told The Wall Street Journal that cause could be some form of ultrasonic or acoustic device; a rapidly-pulsed microwave; or a laser-based system. He told the newspaper that the intent is unclear but it could be employing an electronic surveillance system with unusual side effects, or 'a discrete form of disruptive instrument,. 'Thats a nice way of saying this is a weapon,' he said. On September 15, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin issued a memo to DoD employees to report any symptoms of the so-called Havana Syndrome in an effort to get to the bottom of 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. 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) 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 200 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 The request came amid a stepped-up investigation by the US government into the causes of the illness, and to discover who or what might be responsible. '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 New York Times reported. 'This is a serious issue. Its real, its affecting our officers, its affecting others around their community and in government.' In August, Vice President Kamala Harris' trip to Vietnam 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. 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. Norway's Minister of Culture was seen dancing the night away at a nightclub in Oslo as he joined in the celebrations following the country's lifting of all lockdown restrictions after 561 days. Video footage shows Abid Raja singing and dancing with a friend and other party-goers at the Kulturhuset nightclub in the capital on Saturday night. It comes after the Norwegian government abruptly announced on Friday it was going to lift the remaining social distancing requirements on Saturday at 4pm, meaning that nightclubs could open and restaurants and bars could fill to capacity. The end of the lockdown restrictions sparked rowdy celebrations, with mass brawls and revellers passing out in nightclub queues. Mr Raja was among those who was seen celebrating the return of a sense of normality at the nightclub, as he was filmed busting some moves as he danced with party-goers in footage obtained by Norwegian TV channel NRK. Norway's Minister of Culture was seen dancing the night away at a nightclub in Oslo as he joined in the celebrations following the country's lifting of all lockdown restrictions after 561 days Video footage shows Abid Raja singing and dancing with a friend and other party-goers at the Kulturhuset nightclub in the capital on Saturday night Mr Raja was among those who was seen celebrating the return of a sense of normality at the nightclub, as he was filmed busting some moves as he danced with party-goers Many of the revellers were seen trying to take selfies with the Culture Minister as they all danced together. On his way to the nightclub, Mr Raja told NRK: 'This is absolutely fantastic. Now the whole of Norway has been waiting this for 18 months. 'We are ready to dance and take back the culture and everyday life. I encourage everyone to go to the theatre, cinema, concerts and nightlife and use the offers we have.' Announcing the easing of restrictions, Prime Minister Erna Solberg said: 'It has been 561 days since we introduced the toughest measures in Norway in peacetime. 'Now the time has come to return to a normal daily life.' Many of the revellers were seen trying to take selfies with the Culture Minister as they all danced together Mr Raja was seen dancing and singing at the nightclub in Oslo on Saturday night after the restrictions were lifted The PM's unexpected unlocking kicked off boozy celebrations the following afternoon which lasted late into Saturday night, with an impromptu rave in Stavanger, a mass brawl in Tnsberg and no less than 50 fights reported to police in Oslo. Neither vaccination status nor a negative test result was required for any venue, leading to blockbusting queues outside nightclubs and restaurants packed with dinner reservations as people returned to their favourite hangouts in droves. Queues for the clubs in Trondheim were so long that several people fainted while waiting to get inside. Police in the city reported a generally good-natured atmosphere, with revellers singing the national anthem in the streets. In Tnsberg, police were called after a group of around ten young men started scrapping outside a nightclub near the pier. Fortunately nobody was seriously injured and the police arrested a 20-year-old man. In Tnsberg, police were called after a group of around ten young men (pictured) started scrapping outside a nightclub near the pier. Fortunately nobody was seriously injured and the police arrested a 20-year-old man Fireworks during a street party in Stavanger on Saturday evening. Thousands of people across the country went out after the government announced an end to social distancing, meaning nightclubs could open and bars and restaurants could fill to capacity for the first time in more than 500 days People out on the streets to celebrate the end of the COVID-19 restrictions, in Oslo, on Saturday. Police in Oslo received no less than 190 reports of disturbances, slightly less than they might expect to deal with on New Year's Eve. The chaos on the streets provoked an angry response from some, including nightclub manager Johan Hoeeg Haanes in Oslo, who said the prime minister have given more warning. 'That's exactly what I predicted would happen,' he told the VG newspaper. 'It was a life-threatening situation in the city because they (government) didn't give us at least a few days advance notice. This was a dangerous situation, as police said all places were packed.' However, others were grateful to be getting back to business despite the challenges for staff. 'It was a bit of an evening, but I'm very happy that we got to open. We are very happy with the evening in general,' said general manager at Heidi's Bier Bar in Oslo, Adrian Sneen. 'It was a bit abrupt - more than a bit - but it went well. It's just a matter of adapting and we expected that the whole of Norway would be out!' Ms Solberg responded to criticism of the sudden move to reopen society by saying that Norwegian health experts had supported the measure. 'We shall not have strict (coronavirus) measures unless they are professionally justified. People must be allowed to live as they wish,' she said late Saturday. Norway is the second country in Nordic region to lift COVID-19 restrictions after Denmark did so on September 10. More than 76 per cent of Norway's population have received one vaccine dose, and nearly 70 per cent have had both shots, according to official figures. PM Solberg said: 'Even though everyday life is now back to normal for most people, the pandemic is not over. People will still get sick and therefore it is important that everyone gets vaccinated.' She warned, however, that those who do contract COVID-19 must still go into isolation to avoid spreading the virus. Travel restrictions will also be relaxed, and the government will no longer advise against travelling outside of Europe. Some restrictions will still apply to those arriving from countries considered to have a high rate of infections, the government said. Solberg thanked the different government agencies involved in the response as well as the general public. 'I want to say: Thank you very much, Norway,' she said. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley got into a heated exchange with Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) over the advice he gave President Biden on troop levels in Afghanistan with Milley rejecting the idea he should resign over policy differences. Milley, who holds degrees from Princeton, Columbia, and the Navy War College, and who commanded international forces in Afghanistan, bristled at the idea even as he essentially confirmed he advised Biden against a withdrawal of all US troops from the country. 'I understand that you're the principle military advisor. That you advise. You don't decide, the president decides. But if this is all true, Gen. Milley, why haven't you resigned?' asked Cotton, who was deployed as an Army officer in Afghanistan during his military career. 'My dad didn't get a choice to resign at Iwo Jima, and those kids there at Abbey Gate, they don't get a choice to resign,' Milley told him, referring to the troops guarding the Kabul airport during the evacuation last month even after a terror attack killed 13 US troops. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, testified that the president doesn't have to agree with his advice, as he rejected the idea that he should have resigned over US troop levels in Afghanistan when President Biden rejected a continuation of a 2,500 troop presence 'And I'm not going to turn my back on them ... so I'm not going to resign, there's no way." As Milley told Cotton during a tense hearing on the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan and US policy failures there over two decades: 'Senator, as a senior military officer, resigning is a really serious thing, and it's a political act if i'm resigning in protest.' 'My job is to provide advice. My statutory responsibility is to provide legal advice, my best military advice to the president. And that's my legal requirement. That's what the law is. The president doesn't have to agree with my advice. He doesn't have to make those decisions, just because we're generals,' he continued. 'And it would be an incredible act of political defiance for a commissioned officer to just resign because my advice is not taken. This country doesn't want generals figuring out what orders we're going to accept and do, or not. It's not our job. The principle of civilian control of the military is absolute. It's critical to this republic. Earlier, Milley had told Cotton it was his 'assessment' that 'we should keep a steady state' of about 2,500 U.S. troops in Afghanistan, although he held back on saying explicitly that is what he told Biden. Milley's description of his role came at a hearing where he also pushed back at characterizations of his actions in the final days of the Trump administration including reviewing with top staff the procedures for the use of nuclear weapons as being outside the chain of command. He recounted a conversation with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, described in Bob Woodward's new book, Peril, where according to a Woodward transcript the Speaker told him then-President Trump was crazy. 'I explained to her that the president is the sole nuclear launch authority,' he said. 'I am not qualified to determine the mental health of the president of the United States,' he said. 'By law, I'm not in the chain of command, and I know that,' he said, noting his role as the president's primary military advisor. Milley has previously described his father Alexander's experience at Iwo Jima during World War II. The exchange came at a hearing that revealed the president opted to keep to his commitment to pull forces out of Afghanistan despite advice he was getting from top military leaders. Cotton also quizzed Defense Secretary Austin on Biden's comment to ABC's George Stephanopoulos that no military leader advised him to leave a small troop presence in Afghanistan in apparent contradiction to Tuesday's testimony. 'No one said that to me that I can recall,' Biden told the host. 'I know the president to be an honest and forthright man,' replied Austin. 'Is that true or not?' Austin pressed him. 'Their input was received by the president and considered by the president for sure,' said Austin. Two of the nation's top military commanders said on Tuesday they both believed at least 2,500 U.S. troops were needed in Afghanistan to prevent a Taliban takeover. In his first congressional testimony on the withdrawal, Milley said his view had long been that leaving the country, without meeting specific conditions, would likely lead to the collapse of the Afghan armed forces and government. Milley was speaking alongside the secretary of defense and the top U.S. commander in the region at the start of two days of intense questioning about the tumultuous withdrawal. Their testimony will raise fresh questions about how much President Biden knew when he pressed ahead with the withdrawal and whether he was truthful when he said military advisers had not urged him to keep troops in the country. Milley told lawmakers: 'In the fall of 2020, my analysis was that an accelerated withdrawal without meeting specific and necessary conditions risks losing the substantial gains made in Afghanistan, damaging US worldwide credibility, and could precipitate a general collapse of the Afghan government, resulting in a complete Taliban takeover or general civil war. 'That was a year ago, my assessment remained consistent throughout.' Some 3500 U.S. troops were in the country when President Biden was inaugurated. Milley declined to say exactly what he advised the president, but that it was his personal view that 2500 American troops were needed to prevent collapse. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin appeared before the Senate Armed Service Committee on Tuesday in a hearing on Afghanistan Austin defended the handling of the U.S. withdrawal but admitted watching 'with alarm' the images of Afghans running alongside transport planes trying to take off from Kabul In an August interview with ABC News, Biden denied that his military advisers told him 2500 troops were needed in Afghanistan to prevent a Taliban takeover His words will trigger renewed scrutiny of Biden's comments defending his actions in August at the height of the crisis. During an interview with ABC News, he denied that his military advisers warned him against bringing home all troops or that at least 2500 were needed to prevent a Taliban takeover. 'No one said that to me that I can recall,' he told interviewer George Stephanopoulos. But he appeared to be contradicted by Milley's opinion was backed by Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of US Central Command, who said that his recommendation he had recommended keeping 2500 troops in the country for fear that the Kabul government could not survive. 'I stated consistently that my position was, if you go below 2500 you're going to look at a collapse of the Afghan military,' he said. 'I didn't I did not foresee it to be days ... I thought it would take months.' President Biden set a deadline of August 31 for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan. The announcement triggered a whirlwind advance by the Taliban who claimed the capital Kabul on August 14. Impact on U.S. credibility The result was anger from U.S. allies, such as Britain, where ministers said they were blindsided by the rapid departure and the launch of a chaotic, frantic evacuation of foreign nationals. Milley said the episode had a damaging impact on U.S. standing in the world. 'I think that our credibility with allies and partners around the world, and with adversaries, is being intensely reviewed by them to see which way this is going to go,' he said. 'And I think that damage is one word that could be used.' It was left to Austin to defend the administration. 'I think our credibility remained solid ...' he said. 'Clearly there will be people who question things going forward.' Senators on the Armed Services Committee also heard warnings that the country could still present a terrorist threat to American soil. Officials have said all along that the rapid collapse of Afghanistan in 11 days, as the Taliban advanced rapidly across the country, took them by surprise. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley testifies before the Senate Armed Services Committee on Afghanistan, in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on September 28, 2021 Afghan refugees are packed onto a C-19 Globemaster III military aircraft during last month's messy withdrawal from Afghanistan Afghan army's rapid collapse For his part, Austin defended the military's execution of the chaotic Kabul airlift but blamed the fall of Kabul on the Afghan army's sudden collapse. 'To be clear, those first two days were difficult,' he said. 'We all watched with alarm the images of Afghans rushing the runway and our aircraft. 'We all remember the scenes of confusion outside the airport. But within 48 hours, our troops restored order, and process began to take hold.' Despite 20 years of U.S. presence in the country, he admitted that Washington failed to 'forge a nation' that could stand on its own feet. 'The fact that the Afghan army - that we and our partners trained - simply melted away - in many cases without firing a shot, took us all by surprise and it would be dishonest to claim otherwise,' he said. 'We need to consider some uncomfortable truths that we didn't fully comprehend: The depth of corruption and poor leadership in the senior ranks that we didn't grasp; the damaging effect of the frequent and unexplained rotations by President Ghani of his commanders; that we didn't anticipate the snowball effect caused by the deals that the Taliban commanders struck with local leaders in the wake of the Doha agreement; and that the Doha agreement itself had a demoralising effect on Afghan soldiers.' Role of Bagram air base Abandoning Bagram air base before withdrawing American civilians and Afghan allies was a major tactical mistake, according to critics, leaving U.S. forces reliant on a civilian airport, with a single runway in the heart of a city controlled by the Taliban Bagram was once the hub for the entire U.S. and NATO operation in Afghanistan. An hour's drive from the Afghan capital it was the epicenter of Operation Enduring Freedom Austin also tried to head off questions about whether the evacuation operation would have been more successful if the military had not shot down Bagram air base. 'Retaining Bagram would have required putting as many as 5000 US troops in harm's way just to operate and defend it, and it would have contributed contributed little to the mission that we've been assigned, and that was to protect and defend the embassy which was some 30 miles away. 'That distance from Kabul also rendered Bagram of little value in the evacuation.' Milley testified later in the hearing that staying in Afghanistan could have required between 15,000 and 20,000 troops, along with requiring regaining control of Bagram. Had the US stayed, 'We would have been at war with the Taliban again,' Milley said. Terrorist threat against U.S. soil Biden has repeatedly declared that the degradation of Al Qaeda meant the original mission of U.S. troops in Afghanistan had been completed. But senators were told that the Taliban remained a terrorist organization and had never broken its ties with Al Qaeda. 'I have no illusions who we are dealing with, said Milley during his opening statement. 'It remains to be seen whether or not the Taliban can consolidate power or if the country will further fracture into civil war. But we must continue to protect the United States of America and it people from terrorist attacks coming from Afghanistan. 'A reconstituted Al Qaeda or ISIS with aspirations to attack the United States is a very real possibility.' McKenzie later addressed the question of whether the U.S. was in a position to counter such a threat. 'I think we're still seeing how Al Qaeda and ISIS are configuring themselves against the Taliban,' he said. 'We're still seeing whether the Taliban is going to do, so I think I would not say I'm confident that that's going to be on the ground yet.' Taliban members set checkpoints around Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghan capital Kabul after the last U.S. troops left. Some 100 U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents who want to leave the country are still stuck in Afghanistan, according to the State Department Impact of the Doha agreement The two senior commanders said the Doha agreement - signed under President Trump after negotiations with the Taliban in the Qatari capital - had a negative impact on the morale and performance of the Afghan security forces. It essentially set a deadline for the U.S. withdrawal in return for the Taliban agreeing not to attack American forces. As senators probed whether the Biden administration should have had a clearer idea of the fragile nature of the Afghan military, McKenzie and Milley pointed to the agreement and its impact. McKenzie said: 'Its my judgement that the Doha agreement did negatively affect the performance of the Afghan forces, in particular by some of the actions the government of Afghanistan was required to take as part of that agreement.' The deal required Kabul to release 5000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for 1000 Afghan government troops, as well as starting the withdrawal of thousands of American contractors who had supported local forces. Milley added that in his assessment the Doha deal 'did affect the morale of the Afghan security forces.' Drone strike investigation Gen Frank McKenzie said the intelligence behind a drone strike that killed 10 civilians on August 29 in Kabul was 'tragically wrong' The three witnesses faced questions about the August 29 drone strike that killed 10 civilians but said they might better be answered during an afternoon session behind closed doors. Austin said he had not yet been in touch with the aircrew responsible for the strike. 'I've directed a three-star review of this incident,' he said. 'Gen. McKenzie did an initial investigation, and I directed a three-star review and so I won't make any comments.' The issue came up again later during the hearing when Gen. McKenzie was asked whether it was possible to adequately assess targets without intelligence assets on the ground. He said he took full responsibility for the strike. 'The matter is under investigation, but what I can tell you broadly, and to restate some things that I've said earlier, I am responsible for that,' he said. 'It happened in my area of responsibility, so I'm the responsible officer for that strike.' And he said on this occasion the intelligence was 'tragically wrong.' 'I was under no pressure, and no one in my chain of command below me, was under any pressure to take that strike, we acted based on the intelligence read that we saw on the ground,' he said. Republicans in particular have intensified their attacks on President Joe Bidens decision to pull all troops out of Afghanistan by the end of last month, saying it left the U.S. more vulnerable to terrorism. They are also demanding more details on the suicide bombing in Kabul that killed 13 American service members in the final days of the withdrawal. In an early hostile salvo, Sen Jim Inhofe, the top Republican on the committee, offered a withering analysis of the administration's withdrawal and future strategy for Afghanistan. 'There is no plan. We have no reliable partners on the ground. We have no bases nearby,' he said in his opening statement. 'The Afghan government is now led by terrorists with long ties to Al Qaeda. And were at the mercy of the Pakistan government to get into Afghanistan airspace. 'Even if we can get there, we cant strike Al Qaeda in Afghanistan because were worried about what the Taliban will do to the Americans still there.' The World Health Organization chief has apologised after a panel found more than 80 aid workers, including 21 employed by the UN health agency, took part in sexual abuse during their response to the Ebola crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the panel's report made for 'harrowing reading' and apologised to the victims of the abuse, which included a 14-year-old girl who alleged she was raped in a hotel by a member of the WHO. The probe was prompted by an investigation last year by the Thomson Reuters Foundation and The New Humanitarian in which more than 50 women accused aid workers from the WHO and other charities of demanding sex in exchange for jobs between 2018-2020. In its long-awaited report, the independent commission found that some 21 of 83 alleged perpetrators were employed by the WHO, and that the abuses, which included nine allegations of rape, were committed by both national and international staff. 'The review team has established that the presumed victims were promised jobs in exchange for sexual relations or in order to keep their jobs,' commission member Malick Coulibaly told a press briefing. Many of the male perpetrators refused to use a condom and 29 of the women became pregnant and some were forced to later abort by their abusers, he added. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the report made for 'harrowing reading' and apologised to the victims of the abuse, which included a 14-year-old girl who alleged she was raped in a hotel by a member of the WHO The probe was prompted by an investigation last year by the Thomson Reuters Foundation and The New Humanitarian in which more than 50 women accused aid workers from the WHO and other charities of demanding sex in exchange for jobs between 2018-2020. Pictured: A health worker sprays a room during a funeral of an Ebola victim in the DRC in 2018 The panel released its findings months after an Associated Press investigation found senior WHO management was informed of multiple abuse claims in 2019 but failed to stop the harassment - and even promoted one of the managers involved. WHO chief Ghebreyesus, who has pledged zero tolerance on sexual abuse and is said to be seeking a second term at the United Nations health body, said the report made 'harrowing reading' and apologised to the victims. 'What happened to you should never happen to anyone. It is inexcusable. It is my top priority to ensure that the perpetrators are not excused but are held to account,' he said, promising further steps. Regional director Matshidiso Moeti said the health body was 'humbled, horrified and heartbroken' by the findings. The known perpetrators have been banned from future WHO employment while the contracts of the four remaining people employed by the body have been terminated, officials said. The report exposes the most widescale sexual wrongdoing linked to a UN institution in years, harkening back to the dark years when blue-helmeted peacekeepers were regularly accused of misusing their positions for sexual misconduct. It described how 'Jolianne' - said to be the youngest of the alleged victims at aged just 14 - recounted that a WHO driver had stopped to offer her a ride home as she sold phone cards on a roadside in April 2019. Instead, he took her to a hotel where she says he raped her and she later gave birth to his child. Shekinah, a young Congolese woman who claimed she accepted an offer to have sex with WHO doctor Boubacar Diallo in exchange for a job, said she hoped he would be sanctioned by the UN health agency and barred from working for it again. 'I would like him and other doctors who will be charged to be punished severely so that it will serve as a lesson to other untouchable doctors of the WHO,' said Shekinah, who declined to give her last name for fear of retribution. 'He has no place at WHO.' Others said disciplining the WHO employees involved would go a long way toward ending violence against women. 'I have been waiting for this big moment for more than a month to see how WHO will sanction these (doctors),' said Anifa, another woman who alleged she received a similar sex-for-jobs offer from Diallo. 'We would like to see justice done.' Shekinah, a young Congolese woman who claimed she accepted an offer to have sex with WHO doctor Boubacar Diallo in exchange for a job, said she hoped he would be sanctioned by the UN health agency and barred from working for it again 'I have been waiting for this big moment for more than a month to see how WHO will sanction these (doctors),' said Anifa, another woman who alleged she received a similar sex-for-jobs offer from Diallo. 'We would like to see justice done.' Anifa holds her phone displaying a photo of former World Health Organization doctor Boubacar Diallo (file image) Some women, who indicated that they were already employed, told the review team that they continued to be sexually harassed by men in supervisory positions who forced them to have sex to keep their jobs, get paid or get a better paid position. Some said they had been dismissed for refusing to have sex while others did not get the jobs they wanted even after having sexual relations. Alleged victims 'were not provided with the necessary support and assistance required for such degrading experiences', the report said. The AP published evidence in May showing that Dr Michel Yao, a senior WHO official overseeing the Congo outbreak response, was informed in writing of multiple sex abuse allegations. Dr Yao was later promoted and recently headed the WHO's response to the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, which ended in June. WHO doctor Jean-Paul Ngandu and two other agency officials also signed a contract promising to buy land for a young woman Dr Ngandu allegedly impregnated. Dr Ngandu said he was pressured to do so to protect the WHO's reputation. The panel said that during its interview with Dr Tedros, he said he was made aware of the sex abuse allegations when they were revealed in the press, and had not heard of the incident involving Dr Ngandu until the AP published its story. Some of the women who say they were victimised by WHO officials said they hoped those involved would be severely punished. Dr Tedros made 14 trips to DR Congo during the last outbreak and publicly commended Dr Diallo's work. The AP spoke with three women who alleged Dr Diallo offered them jobs in exchange for sex. Dr Tedros made 14 trips to DR Congo during the last outbreak and publicly commended Dr Diallo's work (file image) The independent panel's report criticised belated training for staffers to prevent sexual abuse or exploitation, a refusal from managers to consider cases that were only provided verbally and not in writing, and other breakdowns and managerial shortcomings in handling the alleged misdeeds in nine separate cities or villages in the region. Julie Londo, a member of the Congolese Union of Media Women (UCOFEM), an organisation that works to counter rape and sexual abuse of women in the DRC, applauded the WHO for punishing staff involved in the abuse allegations, but said more needed to be done. 'WHO must also think about reparation for the women who were traumatised by the rapes and the dozens of children who were born with unwanted pregnancies as a result of the rapes,' she said. 'There are a dozen girls in Butembo and Beni who had children with doctors during the Ebola epidemic, but today others are sent back by their families because they had children with foreigners. 'We will continue our fight to end these abuses.' In June last year Congo's government announced the end of the two-year outbreak that killed more than 2,200 people - the second-largest Ebola outbreak since the virus was identified in 1976. Congo and other aid agencies have also pledged investigations into the incidents of sex abuse. Congo's minister of human rights did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Advertisement The world-famous Playboy Mansion has undergone an overhaul and renovation after a total rebuild lasting two years. New aerial photos reveal a brand new roof, huge extensions either side and Hugh Hefner's infamous sex-party grotto has been completely filled in. The 29-room Holmby Hills mansion, in Los Angeles, was sold to billionaire Daren Metropoulos in 2016 for $100million but its former owner, Playboy founder and editor-in-chief Hugh Hefner, was allowed to stay in the house until he died in 2017. When the Playboy mansion was sold, it was also agreed that the main structure of the residence would be maintained and not torn down. While the new owner appears to have stuck to that agreement, the building's floorplan and facade have been completely reworked during the intensive renovations. Renovations on the former Playboy Mansion began in 2019 when Metropoulos filed permits to begin working on the property. Slide me BEFORE AND AFTER RENOVATIONS: Pictured in 2012, left, and after a major face lift, today, right Slide me BEFORE AND AFTER RENOVATIONS: The 29-room Holmby Hills mansion (left in 2003 and right now) , in Los Angeles , was sold to billionaire Daren Metropoulos in 2016 for $100million but its former owner, Playboy founder and editor-in-chief Hugh Hefner, was allowed to stay in the house until he died in 2017 Construction crews are hard at work as they enter the second year of renovations of the massive five-acre property The 29-room Holmby Hills mansion, which was owned by Playboy Enterprises, was sold to billionaire Daren Metropoulos in 2016 for $100million but Hefner was allowed to stay in the house until he died in 2017 Pictures taken last year show the work underway on the renovation of the iconic building Aerial view of the massive, five-acre property the Playboy Mansion sits on in Holmby Hills, California as renovations carry on Scaffolding surrounds a structure being built on the massive five-acre property that was purchased by Daren Metropoulos for $100 million in 2016 Overhead views of the world-famous Playboy mansion show just how far along renovations have come two years later The famous grotto, which was the epicenter of Hefner's legendary parties, appears to have been drained New images show just how much progress has been made in the last few months, including completed roofing and most of the scaffolding surrounding the mansion gone. Just last month aerial images taken at the back of the property showed new foundations being dug behind the mansion and the roof being in the process of being installed. The Playboy Mansion was built in 1927 and bought by Playboy Enterprises for $1 million in 1971. Construction continued even through the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when California was under a strict lockdown and all non-essential businesses were ordered to shut. The famous residence was emblematic of Hollywood's excess, hosting parties with lingerie-only dress code for the female guests who cavorted in the caved grotto. Pictured: Hefner with Playboy bunnies Sheila Levell and Holly Madison The 29-room Holmby Hills mansion belonged to Playboy Enterprises before being sold in 2016. Pictured: Hugh Hefner and wife Crystal Hefner in 2014 Manual laborers were able to keep working if they were able to 'provide services to maintain the safety, sanitation and essential operation to properties and other essential businesses'. The famous residence was emblematic of Hollywood's excess, hosting parties with lingerie-only dress code for the female guests who cavorted in the caved grotto. Elvis reportedly slept with eight Playmates at once at the home, while John Lennon once burned a Matisse original with a cigarette. Donald Trump even filmed an episode of The Apprentice at the mansion where contestants got to meet Hefner and his girlfriends. Hugh Hefner poses with some of his playmates as Playboy Magazine searched for the 50th Anniversary Playmate at the mansion in 2003 Hugh Hefner and his girlfriend Barbi Benton visited his Playboy Club in London in 1969. Hefner called himself a 'very romantic person' The famous grotto of Playboy Magazine publisher Hugh Hefner is seen 11 January 2007 The exterior of the Playboy Mansion (pictured in 2004) was just as iconic and recognizable as the interior The home was built in 1927 for Arthur Letts Jr who was the son of a department store magnate. Pictured in 2004 Who is billionaire Daren Metropoulos who owns the Playboy mansion? Billionaire Daren Metropoulos is a principal at private-equity firm Metropoulos and Co. The company co-owns Hostess Brands, the maker of Twinkies, an iconic American snack. Metropoulos bought the Playboy mansion from Playboy Enterprises in 2016 for $100 million. Hefner was able to live in the house until he died. After Hefner's death, Daren said: 'Hugh Hefner was a visionary in business, a giant in media and an iconic figure of pop culture whose legacy will leave a lasting impact. Billionaire Daren Metropoulos is a principal at private-equity firm Metropoulos and Co. 'I was fortunate to know him as a neighbor and friend and I extend my deepest sympathies to his family.' He previously said he intended to connect the two estates into a combined 7.3-acre compound after Hefner's death, according to the Wall Street Journal. Metropoulos said the mansion's heritage 'transcends its celebrity' and that 'to have the opportunity to serve as its steward would be a true privilege.' Advertisement The mansion also has a sinister past after getting caught up in the Bill Cosby sex abuse allegations. Judy Huth claimed Cosby assaulted her when she was 15 at Hugh Hefner's home. Chloe Goins claimed she was assaulted by Crosby at the mansion, but criminal charges in this case were ruled out. It also had a reputation of being dirty after multiple former Playboy bunnies spoke out about the dilapidated building and floors strewn with dog feces and urine. In 2011, health officials confirmed that the bacteria that causes Legionnaires' disease was found in a whirlpool spa at the Playboy Mansion where more than 100 people fell ill. The Los Angeles County Health Department presented its findings at an annual conference at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. The legionella bacteria also causes a milder illness called Pontiac fever. Symptoms, which include fever and headache, are the same as those suffered by the Playboy Mansion partygoers. Hefner decided not to leave the mansion to his widow Crystal after his death but chose to sell it while he was still alive - with the condition he was allowed to stay there until his death. However he did leave her $5million and a 5,900 square foot house in Beverly Hills. Most of his fortune was split between his four children and various charities. Crystal, 31, was the third of his wives, having married him in 2012. He had previously been married to Mildred Williams from 1949-1959, with whom he had two children, and Kimberley Conrad - 1989's 27-year-old Playmate of the Year - from 1989-2010. Cooper, Hefner and Conrad's elder son, said that he and brother Marston grew up with a framed photo of his mom's nude centerfold in the home. 'Yeah, that was weird,' he admitted. 'It was like the elephant in the room.' Hefner also had a bevvy of 'girlfriends' who lived with him - usually several at a time - at his famed Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. Despite declaring that he had slept with more than a thousand women, Hefner spent much of his life 'looking for love in all the wrong places,' as he tearfully told The New York Times in 1992. Hefner married Crystal - and took up a life of monogamy - in 2012 after briefly calling off the engagement. 'Maybe I should be single,' he said a few months later. 'But I do know that I need an ongoing romantic relationship. In other words, I am essentially a very romantic person, and all I really was looking for, quite frankly, with the notion of marriage was continuity and something to let the girl know that I really cared.' The year before their marriage, he had mused: 'I never really found my soulmate.' Authorities have said now-27-year-old Dylann Roof opened fire during the closing prayer of a Bible study at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, raining down dozens of bullets on those assembled. He was 21 at the time Convicted killer Dylann Roof, 27, who faces the death penalty after slaying nine members of a black South Carolina Congregation in 2015, lost his most recent appeal for a new hearing to challenge his sentence. In an order issued Monday, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals wrote that it was denying Roof's request for a hearing before a full appellate court or for a court of substitute judges from other circuits to consider his case. Authorities have said Roof opened fire during the closing prayer of a Bible study at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, raining down dozens of bullets on those assembled. He was 21 at the time. In documents filed last Thursday, Sept. 23, federal prosecutors stated that the court correctly ruled last month that the government had proved its case against Roof. 'The Courts rulings were correct, and there is no reason to revisit them,' federal prosecutors wrote. All of the judges from the 4th Circuit, which covers South Carolina, have recused themselves from Roof's case, adding another wrinkle to the process - Judge Jay Richardson, one of their own, prosecuted Roof's case as a US attorney. Richardson led the case against Roof in 2017, when he became the first person in the U.S. sentenced to death for a federal hate crime. In an order issued Monday, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals wrote that it was denying Roof's request for a hearing before a full appellate court or for a court of substitute judges from other circuits to consider his case. Here, Roof is pictured at the Cleveland County Courthouse in 2015 Pictured are police interviewing witnesses to the 2015 shooting. A panel of judges wrote that 'Dylann Roof murdered African Americans at their church, during their Bible-study and worship. They had welcomed him. He slaughtered them. 'He did so with the express intent of terrorizing not just his immediate victims at the historically important Mother Emanuel Church, but as many similar people as would hear of the mass murder' In May, a panel composed of judges from other appellate circuits heard Roof's case. Three months later, those judges rendered their decision, unanimously upholding his conviction and death sentence and issuing a scathing rebuke of Roofs crimes. The court stood by its initial assertion that Roof was 'mentally competent when he killed the nine churchgoers, despite the argument from his counsel that the convicted killer was wrongly allowed to represent himself during sentencing. Judges rejected Roof's attorneys' request to be ruled incompetent, claiming his legal record does not capture the 'full horror' of what he did The panel wrote: 'Dylann Roof murdered African Americans at their church, during their Bible-study and worship. They had welcomed him. He slaughtered them. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, Tywanza Sanders, Myrah Thompson, Ethel Lance, Susie Jackson, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, Daniel Simmons, Clementa Pinckney and Cynthia Hurd were all killed by Roof on June 17, 2015 The court stood by its initial assertion that Roof was 'mentally competent when he killed the nine churchgoers, despite the argument from his counsel that the convicted killer was wrongly allowed to represent himself during sentencing A panel of judges wrote: 'Dylann Roof murdered African Americans at their church (pictured), during their Bible-study and worship. They had welcomed him. He slaughtered them' 'He did so with the express intent of terrorizing not just his immediate victims at the historically important Mother Emanuel Church, but as many similar people as would hear of the mass murder.' Roof's defense argued that he had successfully prevented jurors from hearing evidence about his mental health, 'under the delusion,' his attorneys wrote, that 'he would be rescued from prison by white-nationalists - but only, bizarrely, if he kept his mental-impairments out of the public record.' 'No cold record or careful parsing of statutes and precedents can capture the full horror of what Roof did,' the judges of the May panel wrote. 'His crimes qualify him for the harshest penalty that a just society can impose.' Roof's lawyers argued that it was wrong that the government's argued a combination of factors - including Roof's use of the internet to post his views and research the church - constituted 'interstate commerce.' The panel's decision amounted to 'an amorphous, unprecedented, and all-encompassing standard for federal Commerce Clause jurisdiction over local crime, effectively nullifying states' traditional police power in that arena.' If unsuccessful in his direct appeal, Roof could file whats known as a 2255 appeal, or a request that the trial court review the constitutionality of his sentence. He could also petition the U.S. Supreme Court or seek a presidential pardon. Josh Duggar, who has been charged receiving and possessing child sexual abuse images, previously went to a Christian treatment center for addiction Josh Duggar may be heading to prison for allegedly receiving and possessing child sexual abuse images, but when he confessed to having a pornography 'addiction' in 2015, he addressed the problem privately by checking into a Christian treatment center for addiction. Now 33, Josh had just welcomed his fourth child when he publicly admitted to 'a secret addiction' of 'viewing pornography on the Internet' which, at the time, was presumed to involve only adult imagery and was promptly flown to the Reformers Unanimous residential treatment center in Rockford, Illinois. Josh spent six months in a shared room at the $7,500-per-month facility with no access to email or cell phones, and passed his time in prayer, reading the Bible, and attending mandatory church services and meetings. But though the program aims to help people nurture 'the relationship with Christ necessary to enjoy their freedom from the power of sin,' one of its own former counselors, Pastor Jack Allen Schaap, had pleaded guilty to one felony count of criminal sexual assault stemming from the statutory rape of an underage girl on multiple occasions. Josh checked into the treatment center in August of 2015 after a leak of user information for the cheating website Ashley Madison was found to include Josh's name. At the time, he admitted to being unfaithful and watching pornography, saying he was 'ashamed' of his 'double life' and 'personal failings.' Confession: Josh publicly admitted to 'a secret pornography addiction' in 2015 and was flown to the Reformers Unanimous residential treatment center in Rockford, Illinois Days later, his parents released a statement saying that Josh had 'checked himself into a long-term treatment center.' 'For him it will be a long journey toward wholeness and recovery. We pray that in this he comes to complete repentance and sincere change,' they wrote. While they didn't confirm the name of the facility, Gawker reported that a plane owned by Duggar Aviation which was usually flown by younger brother John David Duggar had landed at Chicago Rockford International Airport on August 25, 2015, and he was believed to have gone to the nearby Reformers Unanimous center. According to the center's website, the residential recover program which it describes as a 'discipleship' provides 'a reconstructive learning atmosphere where the non-functioning person can be trained in a supportive environment of discipleship consisting of study, mentoring, Bible education, and workplace training.' Long road: He spent six months in a shared room at the $7,500-per-month facility, where he had to sleep in bunkbeds, and was banned from using email or a cell phone Schedule: During his time there, Duggar (see in February 2015) was woken early and had to go to sleep at 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends Out: Duggar, now 33, was released on bail on Thursday afternoon after being arrested on child pornography charges 'This atmosphere can be referred to as a 'greenhouse' effect. We help get the student rooted firmly, so they are able to withstand all that life brings to them,' they said. While Reformers also would not confirm Josh's attendance, Tony Richardson, director of development with the center, spoke about the program with People. 'It is not a country club,' he said. 'It is like going to college, but I don't know if it is as nice as that.' The center, which sits on 1.5 acres, was once a nursing home and treats up to 40 men at a time, with two men to a room sleeping in bunk beds. The men are woken up early and must go to sleep at 10 p.m. on weekdays and 11 p.m. on weekends. They are not allowed to email or use cell phones, and can only watched approved television on weekends or enjoy free time in a game room. The center monitors communication that patients have with their families, but they are allowed to go out with family members on weekends after 60 days inside. Anyone can choose to leave the program at any time. Anna and some of Josh's other family members flew up for a visit on Christmas. 'Everyone just had fun and seemed to be high spirits, including Anna,' a source told People magazine of the visit. Everyone is expected to work while in treatment, with jobs including cook, mechanic, and groundskeeper. 'We deal with everything from a sin standpoint,' Richardson said. 'We call it to the school of discipleship. The closer you get to the Lord, the further you get from what brought you here. In addition to the inpatient treatment program, Reformers also goes to prisons to help convicts. For inpatients, prices are as high as $7,500 for six months though it's possible that the Duggars were given a deal because Jim Bob and Michelle have a relationship with the center. 'They are an incredible Christian based drug/alcohol addiction program,' the Duggars said. Prayer: They are also required to go to church and all communication with family is monitored Connection: I n 2014, Jim Bob and Michelle were keynote speakers at a conference at the Rockford center and shared pictures from the event on Facebook In 2014, Jim Bob and Michelle were keynote speakers at a conference at the Rockford center and shared pictures from the event on Facebook, and Richardson said that he believed they had referred some people to the program in the past. 'I am not sure how they heard about us but we are grateful they have,' he said. Soon after Josh checked into the facility, it was reported that it had links to a former pastor who groomed an underage girl for sex. Home: In March of 2016, the Duggars announced that Josh had completed the program. 'It was a crucial first step in recovery and healing for Josh,' they said RadarOnline.com reported that Pastor Jack Allen Schaap, 63, had pleaded guilty to one felony count of criminal sexual assault in a deal with prosecutors, related to an 'inappropriate relationship' in 2012 with an 'underage parishioner' referred to as Jane Doe, according to United States District Court documents. 'The relationship started when [Schaap] was counselling Doe,' documents seen by RadarOnline.com state, adding that the married pastor's assistant discovered sexual photos of the young girl on his iPhone. Schaap, who is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence, is said to have told his victim that God approved of their behavior when she asked if it was wrong to kiss. Chicago Magazine claimed that he had sex with her in his office during a church conference, at his cabin in Michigan, and in an Illinois forest. While Schaap didn't work at the treatment center that house Josh, he did bring the Reformers Unanimous program to his own parish, the First Baptist Church in Hammond, Indiana. When Josh sought treatment, though, a sermon by Schaap remained on a list recommended 'heartily' by Reformers Unanimous to its students. Josh also set off some alarm bells at the start of his treatment when there was speculation that he wasn't taking part in all of the requirements, including attending church. RadarOnline reported about a week into his stay that worshippers at North Love Baptist Church, which is affiliated with the rehab facility, saw no sign of Josh. The men enrolled in the treatment program are required to attend church twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays, as well as go to a program chapter meeting held at the church every Friday. They are driven to the church in a white school bus and must enter via a basement door. But an eyewitness claimed Josh 'definitely wasn't there' the first Friday he was in treatment. Trouble: A pastor affiliated with the recovery program, Jack Allen Schaap, pleaded guilty to a felony count of criminal sexual assault stemming from the statutory rape of an underage girl Disgusting: Schaap, who is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence, is said to have told his victim that God approved of their behavior when she asked if it was wrong to kiss Finally, in March of 2016, the Duggars announced on their family website that Josh had completed the program. 'It was a crucial first step in recovery and healing for Josh. Josh has now returned to Arkansas, where he will continue professional counseling and focus on rebuilding relationships with his family,' they said. Josh had also gone to a different faith-based rehab facility in Little Rock, Arkansas in 2003 after his parents learned that he had molested four of his little sisters. He spent three months in the facility, which was owned by the Institute in Basic Life Principles (IBLP), a Christian ministry and training program founded by Bill Gothard, a Duggar family friend. While little has been revealed about the program, people associated with IBLP have claimed that Josh was required to do manual labor and was not allowed to speak during that time. He was also allegedly required to shave his head the results of which can be seen in the Duggars' first TV special on Discovery Health, 14 Children and Pregnant Again. 'If people look back to when Josh was bald on the show, it was because he was being 'rehabilitated,'' a tipster told Gawker in 2015. 'The head-shaving was part of the shaming process.' The source added: 'When Josh returned from his 'porn rehab' he was brought before the church. After Josh gave his 'testimony,' his sisters came up and hugged him and I remember seeing huge, confused tears streaming down their faces.' A disturbing statue of a young girl drowning has sparked concern since it appeared unannounced in a Bilbao river last week. Mexican hyperrealist artist Ruben Orozco created the enigmatic figure, entitled 'Bihar' ('Tomorrow' in Basque) for a campaign by the BBK Foundation - the charitable arm of Spanish lender Kutxabank - to encourage debate around sustainability. The goal is for people to be aware that 'their actions can sink us or keep us afloat', the artist told Spanish news website Nius. A disturbing statue of a young girl drowning has sparked concern since it appeared unannounced in a Bilbao river last week Mexican hyperrealist artist Ruben Orozco created the enigmatic figure, entitled 'Bihar' ('Tomorrow' in Basque) It was made for a campaign by the BBK Foundation - the charitable arm of Spanish lender Kutxabank - to encourage debate around sustainability As the tides of the River Nervion rise and fall, the 120kg fibreglass figure is submerged and uncovered each day, which BBK said was a reflection on what could happen 'if we continue to bet on unsustainable models' such as those that contribute to climate change. Bilbao residents awoke to the installation last Thursday after it was taken by boat and lowered into the river near the city centre at the dead of night. 'At first it gave me a feeling of stress, when more of the face was out of the water, but now to me she communicates sadness, a lot of sadness,' said visitor Triana Gil. 'She doesn't even look worried, it's as if she is letting herself drown.' The goal is for people to be aware that 'their actions can sink us or keep us afloat', the artist told Spanish news website Nius As the tides rise and fall, the 120kg fibreglass figure is submerged and uncovered each day Another onlooker, who gave her name as Maria, initially thought the sculpture was a memorial to a tragic past event. 'I learnt today that's not what it's about, but I think people can each give their own meaning to it,' she said. 'Bihar' is not the first Orozco work to surprise and move Bilbao. Two years ago his life-size statue of a lone woman sitting on a park bench, 'Invisible Soledad,' sparked a debate about the isolated lives of the elderly. BBK said it was a reflection on what could happen 'if we continue to bet on unsustainable models' such as those that contribute to climate change Pernell Anthony Jones Jr., 31, of Kenner, Louisiana, faces up to 20 years in prison for yielding $300,000 over five years through 180 fake lost luggage claims, according to court documents A Louisiana man faces up to 20 years in prison for making $300,000 over five years by submitting 180 fake claims about lost luggage to a number of different U.S. airlines. Pernell Anthony Jones Jr., 31, of Kenner, Louisiana, requested a total of $550,000 in reimbursements since 2015 from American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue Airlines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines, according to court documents from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana. He carried out the scheme by booking commercial flights in or out of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport using fake IDs that included his photo with a fictitious name. Jones would pay for the flights with preloaded gift cards to avoid having the purchases traced back to him. When he made lost luggage claims, Jones provided the addresses of at least seven different friends or associates for the airlines to send the reimbursement checks. Police identified one of those friends as Donmonick Martin, 29, of Chalmette, Louisiana, who accepted reimbursements checks on at least four occasions. Martin also allowed Jones to use his PayPal account to accept payments from JetBlue, the documents alleged. He faces up to five years in prison for his role in the scheme. On one occasion, in January 2020, Martin tried Joness scheme himself by going to Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport and claiming that American Airlines lost his luggage, according to the court documents. It is not clear if his fake claim was successful. He carried out the scheme by booking commercial flights in or out of Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport using fake IDs that included his photo with a fictitious name When he made lost luggage claims, Jones provided the addresses of at least seven different friends or associates for the airlines to send the reimbursement checks When Jones made his claims, he would give airlines a list of expensive items he said were in his lost luggage bags and ensured that the prices would reach $3,500 the maximum amount airlines are legally allowed to reimburse for lost luggage. Prosecutors said that Jones was so brash about his scheme that sometimes he wouldnt even bring a bag to the airport, yet still obtained a ticket for a checked item and make the fake claims. He was arrested on March 19, 2020, and on the same day, he had 22 fake drivers licenses shipped from China to Martins home. Its not clear why he was sending the IDs to Martin from China or if this is what led to his arrest that day. Jones is being charged with mail fraud and conspiracy to commit mail fraud. He faces a $250,000 fine in addition to at most 20 years in prison Martin was charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and faces up to five years in prison if convicted. The court documents do not reveal how airlines became suspicious of the two mens actions or what led to their arrests. U.S. airlines mishandled about four bags for every 1,000 checked in 2020, according to the Department of Transportations Travel Consumer Report. Of the 209 million bags checked the same year, only five percent were never returned to their owners. Former President Donald Trump's mysterious visit to Walter Reed in November 2019 was to get a colonoscopy without anesthesia, former White House aide Stephanie Grisham's forthcoming book revealed. The reason for the secrecy, Grisham explained, was that Trump didn't want to hand over power to Vice President Mike Pence, even for a short amount of time, because it would be 'showing weakness.' He also didn't want to be 'the butt of the joke,' she wrote, on late-night TV. President Donald Trump's motorcade arrives at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland on November 16, 2019. At the time, press secretary Stephanie Grisham said he was starting his annual physical Stephanie Grisham, Melania Trump's spokeswoman and chief of staff, as well as White House press secretary, indicated that Trump went to Walter Reed for a colonoscopy when he took a mysterious trip to the Maryland medical facility in November 2019 Trump (left), photographed the day before the procedure, didn't want to be put under, according to Grisham, because he didn't want Vice President Mike Pence (right), to take over for him - even briefly I'll Take Your Questions Now: What I saw at the Trump White House by Stephanie Grisham comes out on October 5 Copies of Grisham's book - I'll Take Your Questions Now, What I Saw at Trump White House - were obtained by The Washington Post and The New York Times. It hits bookshelves on October 5. Grisham was a 2016 campaign aide who became First Lady Melania Trump's spokeswoman, before being elevated to White House press secretary and communications director from July 2019 to April 2020. She then returned to the East Wing to serve as the first lady's spokesperson, again, and chief of staff. On the day of Trump's Walter Reed trip, Grisham as press secretary told reporters that Trump had traveled to the Bethesda, Maryland facility for a physical. 'Anticipating a very busy 2020, the President is taking advantage of a free weekend here in Washington, D.C., to begin portions of his routine annual physical exam at Walter Reed,' Grisham said. Grisham expressed that the concealment was regrettable. She noted in the book that Trump could have used his influence to demystify colonoscopies - and thus save lives. 'But as with COVID, he was too wrapped up in his own ego and his own delusions about his invincibility,' Grisham said. Trump tells Vladimir Putin he would act 'tougher with you for a few minutes,' but then added 'it's for the cameras' President Donald Trump (right) meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan in June 2019. Stephanie Grisham's forthcoming book sheds more light on this meeting Stehanie Grisham wrote that she was told by Russia expert Fiona Hill that Russian President Vladimir Putin (center) had brought along an 'attractive' translator (left) to distract President Donald Trump (right) during their 2019 meeting President Vladimir Putin's translator follows him into a meeting with President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan in 2019 Russian President Vladimir Putin brought an 'attractive' translator with him to distract Trump at their 2019 meeting - and Trump told Putin he would act tough in front of the cameras and then play nice privately, former White House official Stephanie Grisham reveals in her forthcoming tell-all. 'OK, I'm going to act a little tougher with you for a few minutes. But it's for the cameras, and after they leave, we'll talk. You understand,' Trump had told Putin when they met in June 2019 in Japan at the G20, Grisham recounted. The Putin meeting in question came 11 months after the infamous Helsinki summit where Trump seemed to side with the Russian president over American intelligence agencies on whether Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. At the July 2018 meeting, Trump said Putin offered an 'extremely strong and powerful' denial. At their 2019 meeting in Japan, Trump playfully scolded and wagged a finger at Putin in front of the cameras telling the Russian leader, 'don't meddle in the election,' before they met behind closed doors for 90 minutes without journalists present. According to The Times, Grisham conversed with Fiona Hill - the administration's Russia expert turned impeachment 1.0 witness - who explained what Putin was doing to throw Trump off. 'As the meeting began, Fiona Hill leaned over and asked me if I had noticed Putin's translator, who was a very attractive brunette woman with long hair, a pretty face, and a wonderful figure,' Grisham wrote. 'She proceeded to tell me that she suspected the woman had been selected by Putin specifically to distract our president.' A brunette woman with a blue dress can be seen following Putin into the room as the Russian leader greets the American delegation in Osaka. Trump, upon hearing the Stormy Daniels description of his penis, called his press secretary from Air Force one to assure her his penis was neither small nor shaped like a toadstool, Grisham, in her new salacious tell-all 'I'll Take Your Questions Now' Stephanie Grisham's (left) ex-boyfriend Max Miller (right) was dubbed the 'music man' and would play showtunes like Memories from Cats to calm Trump down, Grisham wrote in her forthcoming book Max Miller, Trump's 'music man,' is now running for a House seat in Ohio and was endorsed by Trump at the ex-president's first 2021 rally outside of Cleveland in June Trump would cut his hair with giant scissors and tunes from his favorite musicals would calm him down Grisham's includes bizarre details about Trump's behavior. For instance, she claims he cuts his hair with a 'huge pair of scissors that could probably cut a ribbon at an opening of one of his properties.' She also writes that one of Trump's aides - later revealed to be Grisham's ex-boyfriend Max Miller, who is running for an Ohio Congressional seat and has been endorsed by Trump - would play him his favorite show tunes, including 'Memory' from Cats, to calm him down during tantrums. Grisham described Trump's temper as 'terrifying. Trump takes interest in a young press aide Trump continued the womanizing behavior he was known for as a brash Manhattan real estate tycoon at the White House, Grisham revealed, writing that he repeatedly invited a young press aide to his Air Force One cabin - one time to look at her behind. 'A couple of times I came close to telling Mrs. Trump about the president's behavior. I thought that if she would say one little word to him about it, she could make it stop. But I could never bring myself to say anything,' Grisham wrote. Ultimately, she was too 'chickens***' to tell the then-first lady or 'maybe it wasn't my place or any of my business,' she noted. And she reveals Melania Trump may still not know about the former president's behavior. Grisham revealed in her book that the former president took 'an unusual interest in a young, highly attractive press wrangler on my team.' She details what she called inappropriate behavior by Trump and noted she tried to protect the staffer, who she doesn't name. Grisham writes Trump would tell her to put the staffer 'on TV. Keep her happy, promote her.' Trump, a former reality TV star, consider being on TV a great compliment and hired some of his staff and lawyers based on their appearances on Fox News. Grisham also reveals that on one Air Force One trip Trump asked that the staffer be brought to his cabin, saying: 'Let's bring her up here and look at her ass.' She said after that she tried to keep the staffer off trips: 'I needed to protect her and, frankly, the president as well.' Stephanie Grisham said she received a call from Trump and he insisted that his penis was not shaped like a toadstool, as porn star Stormy Daniels (pictured) had written in her 2018 book Daniels wrote in a 2018 book on her affair with the former president: 'I lay there, annoyed that I was getting f***ed by a guy with Yeti pubes and a d*** like the mushroom character in Mario Kart Grisham gets a call about Stormy Daniels The ex-press secretary also recalled how Trump insisted his penis was not shaped like a toadstool - responding to comments made by porn star Stormy Daniels. Daniels wrote in a 2018 book on her affair with the former president: 'I lay there, annoyed that I was getting f***ed by a guy with Yeti pubes and a d*** like the mushroom character in Mario Kart.' Trump, upon hearing the allegation, called his press secretary from Air Force one to assure her his penis was neither small nor shaped like a toadstool, Grisham said. Grisham also wrote that the former president once asked her former boyfriend, Miller, if she was good in bed. Stephanie Grisham wrote that she hand-picked a handsome military aide to walk arm-and-arm with First Lady Melania Trump into the 2018 State of the Union as part of a campaign of revenge against President Donald Trump for his alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels Melania's campaign of revenge on Trump over his 'affair' with Stormy Daniels The Daniels affair, Grisham wrote, 'unleashed' Melania's vengeance as she began trying to contradict her husband in public. The first lady told Grisham she didn't believe her husband's denials. When Grisham drafted a tweet requesting privacy at the time of the affair, saying that Melania would focus on being a first lady, wife and mother, the first lady asked Grisham to scrub the tweet of the word 'wife.' And at the 2018 State of the Union, Melania Trump broke protocol and took her own motorcade to the Capitol Building - largely seen as a dig at her husband. At the time, Grisham told DailyMail.com and CNN that Mrs. Trump was 'honoring her guests for the true heroes they are,' referring to those seated in the first lady's box at the presidential speech. 'In addition to holding a White House reception and photo opportunity for them and their friends and family, she is accompanying them to the Capitol,' Grisham said. In the book, Grisham said Melania Trump's moves were by design, as the first lady walked arm-in-arm with a handsome military aide hand-slected by Grisham because the floors of the Capitol were 'slippery.' 'I laughed to myself because I'd seen the woman navigate dirt roads in her heels,' Grisham wrote. As coverage of Trump's romp with Daniels wore on, Grisham said 'This is Donalds problem. He got himself into this mess. He can fix it by himself,' Melania Trump said, according to Grisham. Melania Trump bought the $39 'I Really Dont Care, Do U?' jacket from Zara and wore it on a trip to see facilities that housed migrant children in June 2018. Grisham said it was the president who came up with the narrative that the message was meant for the 'fake news' media Melania's 'I Really Dont Care, Do U?' jacket remains shrouded in mystery Later that year, Melania Trump would seemingly go rogue again when she wore a 'I Really Dont Care, Do U?' Zara jacket on a trip to tour a Texas Health and Human Services facility where migrant children were being housed. A handful of the children at the McAllen facility had been separated from their families due to the controversial Trump immigration policy. Grisham said the first lady had purchased the $39 jacket herself - and Melania Trump never gave a solid explanation as to why she wore it. She told Grisham that it was just a jacket, when they were trying to figure out damage control on the plane. Upon arrival at the White House, the president told an aide that the first lady needed to come to the Oval Office. Grisham said it was the first time she'd seen the president summon the first lady that way in front of staff. He yelled and asked 'what the [expletive] they thought they were doing, The Post said. Trump then devised a plan and tweeted out that the message was meant for the 'Fake News.' The first lady continued to repeat that story in interviews - but the real reason she wore the jacket remains unknown. Trump wanted Grisham to evict the press and reenact his perfect phone call During her time serving as White House press secretary, Trump asked Grisham to find a way to remove the press from the White House premises. He also wanted her to re-enact his 'perfect' phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for them. She revealed that a trip to North Korea inspired Trump to ask her to find ways he could evict the White House press corps from the James Brady briefing room - a place he frequently held news conferences and bantered with reporters. 'I researched different places we could put them other than the press briefing room. Each time the president asked me about my progress on the matter, I let him know I was still working on options,' Grisham wrote. Grisham, who was notable for never holding a press briefing as White House press secretary, explains she didn't do so out of fears of what Trump would ask her to say at the podium. Trump's first press secretary, Sean Spicer, famously argued Trump's inauguration crowd was 'the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration' - claim that did not match side-by-side photos of Trump's inauguration with Barack Obama's and destroyed his credibility. 'I knew that sooner or later the president would want me to tell the public something that was not true or that would make me sound like a lunatic,' she noted. She also detailed one of Trump's more outlandish requests - that she appear before the press corps and reenact his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which led to his first impeachment. She managed to avoid doing it. Trump, himself, famously like to reenact the call by reliving what he and Zelensky said, using different tones of voices to make his point. White House staff called Ivanka 'the princess' and she and Jared tried to push their way into a meeting with the Queen Ivanka Trump (second right) and Jared Kushner (R) looks out of the window at Buckingham Palace during the visit of US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on June 03, 2019 in London, England White House aides called Ivanka Trump 'the princess,' writes former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham in her new book. She terms Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner (c) the 'Slim Reaper' Aides to former President Donald Trump referred to his daughter Ivanka as 'the princess,' Grisham said. Grisham wrote that Melania Trump also referred to Ivanka by the name. Ivanka, who served as an unpaid senior advisor to the president, regularly referred to him as 'my father' in meetings, she writes. Ivanka sometimes used the term in public. Grisham terms her husband, former White House aide Jared Kushner, 'the Slim Reaper' for getting involved in projects designated for others, she wrote. Grisham also wrote that the power couple tried to get themselves into a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II during Trump's visit to the UK in 2019. Only the president and first lady attended. It would have been a 'wild breach of protocol,' according to The Post. Kushner and Ivanka Trump did attend a state dinner. Grisham writes that the situation was resolved when they couldn't fit into a presidential helicopter. Team Trump claims book is another 'pitiful attempt to cash in on his strength' 'This book is another pitiful attempt to cash in on the Presidents strength and sell lies about the Trump family, said Trump spokeswoman Liz Harrington. Harrington termed Grisham a 'a disgruntled former employee' a term has applied in the past to aides who have written tell-alls. She said the book's publishers 'should be ashamed of themselves for preying on desperate people who see the short term gain in writing a book full of falsehoods.' Publisher Harper Collins calls the book 'The most frank and intimate portrait of the Trump White House yet.' Grisham was among the flurry of Trump officials who resigned from their posts on January 6, in the aftermath of the Capitol riot. Trump went after Grisham personally in a statement released Tuesday morning. 'Stephanie didnt have what it takes and that was obvious from the beginning,' Trump said. 'She had big problems and we felt that she should work out those problems for herself. Now, like everyone else, she gets paid by a radical left-leaning publisher to say bad and untrue things.' 'We and the MAGA movement are totally used to it. And someday in the not too distant future we will have our voice back and be treated fairly by the press,' the ex-president added. The trial is underway for a former Northwestern University microbiology professor who prosecutors said stabbed his boyfriend to death with the help of a stranger as part of a sexual fantasy. A jury was selected in Cook County, Illinois on Monday for the trial of Wyndham Lathem, 47, in the 2017 death of his boyfriend, Trenton Cornell-Duranleau, a 26-year-old hairdresser from Michigan. Lathem is accused of enlisting Andrew Warren, an Oxford University financial officer, to fly from England to Chicago to help him kill Cornell-Duranleau, the Chicago Sun Times reported. The prosecution, during opening statements Monday, argued that Lathem a wealthy and powerful academic known for his work on the bubonic plague took advantage of a 'young man just trying to make his way in Chicago.' However, Lathem's attorney painted a different picture, saying that Warren, who has pleaded guilty in Cornell-Duranleau's murder, committed a crime against both the defendant and the deceased. 'This was nothing more than a crime of opportunity that had two victims,' defense attorney Kenneth Wine. 'Andrew Warren took the life of Trenton Cornell and ruined the life of Dr. Lathem.' Trial is underway for Wyndham Lathem (left), a former Northwestern University microbiology professor who prosecutors said stabbed his boyfriend to death with the help of a Andrew Warren (right), an Oxford University financial officer, as part of a sexual fantasy Trenton Cornell-Duranleau (pictured), a 26-year-old hairdresser from Michigan, was stabbed 78 times while he slept in Lathem's Chicago high-rise condominium on July 27, 2017 Cornell-Duranleau was stabbed 78 times while he slept in Lathem's Chicago high-rise condominium on July 27, 2017. After the killing, Warren and Lathem led police on an eight-day manhunt before they were arrested in Northern California. Wine, declining to comment on pending litigation, provided a copy of his opening statement to DailyMail.com. In the statement, he explained that Lathem and Cornell-Duranleau had a sexual relationship that often involved 'three way sex with people they met online,' as well as 'bondage and submission and other sex toys, including knife play'. The attorney claims the men 'had sexual fantasies involving involving fetish, restraints, leather bondage, and a variety of sex toys,' noting that they would use meth or knife play during sex 'to heighten the pleasure'. Wine claims that Warren joined the couple in their bedroom the night of the murder and attacked them. Lathem allegedly went to the bathroom after having been stabbed by Warren and 'heard fighting going on' in the bedroom. 'Andrew Warren will get on the stand and admit he smashed Trent Cornell over the head with metal bedroom lamp. The evidence will show that Andrew Warren viciously stabbed Trent Cornell to death with two knives,' Wine said. The defense claims that Warren joined the couple in their bedroom at the Grand Plaza Apartments in Chicago (pictured) the night of the murder and attacked them 'Dr. Lathem was shocked to discovery his lover's dead body. He was at a loss as to what to do. He felt responsible for putting Trent Cornell in harm's way. He believed and still believes to this day he bears responsibility for Trent's death. It was Dr. Lathem, after all, who brought Andrew Warren into their lives.' Wine continued, saying that Warren killed Cornell-Duranleau because he was jealous of the couple's relationship. 'The evidence will show that Andrew Warren told Dr. Lathem that he Andrew Warren killed Trent Cornell so they could be together,' he said. Wine argues the 'evidence will show that Andrew Warren viciously stabbed Trent Cornell (pictured) to death with two knives' because he was jealous of the 26-year-old's relationship with Lathem However, the prosecution argues that the evidence that Lathem (pictured) orchestrated and took the lead in the murder is 'clear and overwhelming' 'Andrew Warren, who had just been told by Dr. Lathem the night before that Dr. Lathem had no romantic interest in him, killed Trent Cornell out of the most common of human emotions - jealousy, but it was more than mere jealousy, it was a jealous rage of a murderous psychopath. Andrew Warren had a motive and a perfect alibi. Dr. Lathem had no motive.' However, Assistant State's Attorney Matthew Thrun argued that Lathem and Warren devised the murder plan together as part of a fantasy that was supposed to end with them killing each other. 'This defendant may have shown one face to the world respectable, prestigious doctor, but Trenton saw another face,' Thrun said in court on Monday, according to WTTW. The prosecutor continued, arguing that the evidence that Lathem orchestrated and took the lead in the murder is 'clear and overwhelming'. Lathem's trial is expected to last two weeks, with Warren (pictured) serving as a key witness. Warren pleaded guilty to murder in 2019 and was sentenced to 45 years in prison as part of a plea agreement that calls for him to testify against Lathem 'He provided the crime location. And when he was on the run, he was behind the wheel... he decided where to go,' he said. Thrun also argued that Lathem's blood was found in the condo and on two knives. He also allegedly confessed to the crime on video. 'He's going to tell you, "I killed him, I did do it, it wasn't an accident, it was a mistake and I will regret it with every fiber of my being,"' Thrun said, quoting the footage. Lathem's trial resumed Tuesday and is expected to last two weeks. Warren, who pleaded guilty to murder in 2019 and was sentenced to 45 years in prison as part of a plea agreement that calls for him to testify against Lathem, will likely be a key witness in the case. Lathem has been in Cook County Jail since he was extradited from California. Last year, he tried unsuccessfully to persuade a judge to release him on $1 million bail so that his research skills as a microbiologist could be used to battle COVID-19. He is the highest profile defendant to stand trial in a Chicago courtroom since in-person jury trials resumed in March following a break because of the pandemic. DailyMail.com also contacted the Cook County State's Attorney for comment on the case. A public relations consultant who raised millions for former Prime Minister Tony Blair has been embroiled in a fight with his ex-wife over money. Austrian princess Marie-Therese Hohenberg Bailey accused Anthony Bailey, 51, of being in contempt of court and said he should be sent to prison. Judge Mr Justice Holman heard how Mr Bailey and his ex-wife, the great granddaughter of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, had been involved in a fight over 2million at private hearings in the Central Family Court in London. Ms Hohenberg Bailey says Mr Bailey has breached orders made as a result of that litigation and should be committed to prison. Mr Bailey disputes the allegations made against him. The couple married in 2007 during a grand ceremony in front of 600 guests at the Abbey of St Peter's in Salzburg, followed by a reception at Salzburg Festival Hall, in a wedding which reportedly cost 1million. Anthony Bailey (left) has been embroiled in a fight over money with his ex-wife Austrian princess Marie-Therese Hohenberg Bailey (right) who has accused him of being in contempt of court and said he should be committed to prison The couple married in 2007 during a grand ceremony in front of 600 guests at the Abbey of St Peter's in Salzburg, followed by a reception at Salzburg Festival Hall, in a wedding which reportedly cost 1million A one-time Tory supporter, Mr Bailey helped raise funds for both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and donated 50,000 to David Miliband's run for the Labour leadership. Mr Justice Holman today considered Ms Hohenberg Bailey's application at a hearing in the Family Division of the High Court in London on Tuesday. A family court judge had ruled that Ms Hohenberg Bailey should walk away with more than 2million. Mr Justice Holman heard that she had not got 'her money'. He made decisions on preliminary issues at Tuesday's hearing and further hearings are expected in coming months. Mr Bailey, who lived in London, was not at Tuesday's hearing. His lawyers told Mr Justice Holman that he was in Portugal and not well enough to travel to England. 'I am very sympathetic to the situation of the wife here,' said Mr Justice Holman. 'The judge made an order. It has not been appealed. She is supposed to be getting a substantial amount of money. 'She believes he is living the life of Riley.' He said the family court judge had made 'very, very trenchant findings' against Mr Bailey. Mr Bailey, a former pizza parlour worker turned PR guru, was a one-time Tory supporter before he helped raise funds for both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and donated 50,000 to David Miliband's run for the Labour leadership Ms Hohenberg Bailey had run up around 800,000 in legal bills, he was told. Mr Justice Holman added: 'I am incredibly sympathetic. She has got her order from the court and all she wants is her money.' Lawyers representing Mr Bailey asked Mr Justice Holman to bar reporters from naming him in reports of the hearing, but Mr Justice Holman refused their application. He said the hearing was being staged in public, in line with rules governing contempt applications, and Mr Bailey and his ex-wife could be named in reports of the case. Julian Ribet, partner at Ribet Myles LLP and the solicitor instructed by Ms Hohenberg Bailey said: 'No parent involved in a financial case on divorce wants to have to bring an application for the committal of the other parent to prison. 'But in certain, rare cases, when there is blatant, repeated and wilful non-compliance with Court orders then it may be necessary to ensure that justice is done and a fair outcome is achieved as envisaged by the court. 'Sadly for Ms Hohenberg Bailey this is such a case. Having been involved in litigation with Mr Bailey for over 5 years and given the approach that he has chosen to adopt she has no option but to ask the court to intervene to compel Mr Bailey to do that which he has already been ordered to do by the court. She has not taken this step lightly. 'It is right that in these rare circumstances the family courts should make the kind of order we are seeking litigants need to know that they must comply with court orders and that the system will ensure that there is compliance with orders that have been made. 'Justice must be done, not just seem to be done, for those who put their faith in the system.' Ms Hohenberg Bailey is the great granddaughter of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination sparked the First World War. With Mr Bailey she had a son who was named after her grandfather Maximilian, the son of Franz Ferdinand Ms Hohenberg Bailey is the great granddaughter of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, whose assassination sparked the First World War. With Mr Bailey she had a son who was named after her grandfather Maximilian, the son of Franz Ferdinand. Mr Bailey, a former pizza parlour worker turned public relations guru, donated 50,000 to Mr Miliband in 2010, five years after Labours then treasurer, Lord Levy, rejected Mr Baileys money over fears he was acting on behalf of businessmen from abroad. Mr Bailey went on to start his own firm, Eligo International, which counts foreign banks and international statesmen on its books, offering them a discreet service. He has also worked with BAE, the arms manufacturer, which had its relationship with Saudi Arabia scrutinised by the Serious Fraud Office. Mr Bailey was given an OBE for his interfaith services in 2008 and counts Prince Charles as a friend. He was also close to the late Pope, John Paul II and is a devout Catholic. Lloyd Austin said Afghanistan's fighters are to blame for disappearing when the Taliban took over, saying the Biden administration 'failed to grasp' how quickly the Islamic militant group would overcome the Afghan government and military. 'The fact that the Afghan Army that we and our partners trained simply melted away, in many cases without firing a shot, took all of us by surprise and it would be dishonest to claim otherwise,' the Defense secretary said during a hearing on Capitol Hill on Tuesday. 'Did we have the right strategy? Did we have too many strategies? Did we put too much faith in our ability to build effective Afghan institutions an army, an air force, a police force and government ministries?' Lloyd questioned in his opening statement. He added: 'We helped build a state, Mr. Chairman, but we could not forge a nation.' Chairman of the Joint Chiefs General Mark Milley and Austin appeared at a hearing before the Senate Armed Service Committee Tuesday focused on the events surrounding the bungled troops withdrawal from Afghanistan last month. Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday during a Capitol Hill hearing on the Afghanistan withdrawal that the Biden administration 'failed to grasp' how quickly the country would fall to the Taliban Austin maintained that keeping a presence in Afghanistan into September would have 'greatly imperiled our people and our mission' after Biden set a deadline of August 31. 'The Taliban made clear that their cooperation would end on September 1 and, as you know, we face grave and growing threats from ISIS-K,' Austin said on Tuesday. 'Staying longer than we did would have made it more dangerous for our people and would not have significantly changed the number of evacuees we could have got out,' he continued. Austin defended the Biden administration's decision to pull out and their handling of the situation, insead blaming the Afghan military and former President Ashraf Ghani for their failures to keep the Taliban from taking over. He then said Biden's leaders at the Pentagon now 'need to consider some uncomfortable truths' related to the 20-year mission in Afghanistan. 'We didn't fully comprehend the depth of corruption and poor leadership in the senior ranks,' Austin explained. 'That we didn't grasp the damaging effect of frequent and unexplained rotations by President Ghani of his commanders. That we didn't anticipate the snowball effect caused by the deals that the Taliban commander struck with local leaders in the wake of Doha agreement. And that the Doha agreement itself had a demoralizing effect on Afghan soldiers.' Austin also said Defense officials would be lying if they said they weren't 'surprised' that the Afghan military they helped build 'simply melted away, in many cases without firing a shot'. Above: Taliban fighters patrol Kabul on Tuesday 'And finally, that we failed to grasp that there was only so much for which, and for whom, many of the Afghan forces would fight,' he concluded. Biden's handling of the troop withdrawal from Afghanistan was widely criticized by Democrats and Republicans. In the midst of the chaos of those trying to evacuate from the Kabul last month, 13 U.S. service members were killed in an ISIS-K suicide bombing near the airport, which is where the evacuation flights were departing. After the last troop stepped foot off of Afghan soil, news began emerging that hundreds of U.S. citizens and their families and potentially thousands of Afghan allies were left behind. U.S. officials say they are still aware of around 100 American citizens and legal permanent residents who are stranded in Afghanistan and ready to evacuate nearly a month after the withdrawal. A senior State Department official told reporters that work continued to rescue them. Veteran-led groups leading private rescue efforts for Americans and Afghan allies question the State Department figures, claiming they believe many more than 100 U.S. citizens have been left behind more like 400-500. British academic Helen Pluckrose helps people avoid succumbing to the pressures of woke-ism through her firm Counterweight An academic who specializes in liberal ethics has set up a 'support group for the unwoke' that is helping to push back against social-justice culture in the workplace. Helen Pluckrose, founder of the social justice ideology advice firm Counterweight, said she helps about 100 clients a month, mostly people who are being forced out of their jobs for defying social justice dogma in schools and the workplace. Pluckrose, who previously researched medieval religious writing, set up Counterweight last year, after the brutal police killing of George Floyd inspired Americans to combat racism and social injustice. She said Floyds murder triggered a flood of emails from people who were suddenly ordered to comply with new workplace social justice standards that forbade them from having independent thoughts on racism, gender norms, and sexism. She says her clients have included a black man who didnt want to be told what black people think and feel constantly, and a Muslim woman who failed a course on Islamic attitudes toward woman because she doesnt think theyre that great. And an academic who was bullied for using the term mother to describe someone who gave birth. People want a way to say I dont believe what youre trying to get me to pretend I believe, Pluckrose who lives in London told Dailymail.com. I want to be able to be able to oppose racism, or homophobia, or sexism from my own moral values and not from these particular America-central theoretical ones. The brutal 2020 police killing of George Floyd reignited social and racial tensions in the US Pluckrose said 99 percent of her clients are at risk of losing their jobs or volunteer positions for refusing to acquiesce to their employers social justice guidelines. Most of her clients are in Britain and the US, with others scattered mainly in Canada, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, and France. Counterweight is based in the UK. Through Counterweight, the married mother of one helps people facing problems related to critical social justice by providing them with resources, supporting them, and connecting them with others who are experiencing similar challenges. The organization also educates people, and helps employers build liberal policies that dont interfere with freedom of thought or belief. We are a liberal humanist organization and then we define that broadly so that we're there for anybody who believes that it's important to fight racism and other forms of discrimination but doesn't want to be compelled to do so using what we call critical social justice theories, which are colloquially known as woke-ism, Pluckrose said. Someone, for example, who believes racism is wrong might believe it's wrong because they're a Liberal, and they think people should be treated as individuals, or because they're Conservatives who believe that individual responsibility is important, or because they're a Muslim who believes were all children of God. They shouldn't have to pretend to believe that racism is a particular system of power and privilege that manifests in whiteness which permeates all levels of society through people's unconscious brains and then needs to be dug out using a particular theory developed in America. Pluckrose also edits the online magazine Areo, which contains articles on enlightenment liberalism, humanism, secularism and freedom of expression. Shes co-author of Cynical Theories: How Activist Scholarship Made Everything about Race, Gender, and Identity And Why This Harms Everybody. The graduated from the University of East London with a literature degree, and received her master's in early modern studies at Queen Mary University in London. The woke-ism trend is beginning to temper in the US, but doesnt appear to be seeing much improvement across the pond. Pluckrose has written a template for Black and South Asian Brits who want a list of assurances they wont be racialized by an employer before accepting a new job. The primary problem, she said, is that people are being called upon to pretend to believe things they dont. Robin DiAngelo, an anti-racist author who wrote a NYT bestseller 'White Fragility' She referenced the approach of academic and author Robin DiAngelo, whose work suggests white people are inherently racist, and that all Black people have common experiences of racism. DiAngelo believes that people must recognize and dismantle their inner racism, but Pluckrose takes issue with that position. She likened it to making all employees recite the Apostles' Creed every morning, regardless of their religion. This goes against beliefs in freewill, essentially, the liberal belief in free will that people can choose to have or reject racist ideas is being denied, she said. If you're forced to say, yes I am racist, or you're forced to say, yes, I am experiencing this very theoretically specific form of racism, when you don't think that you are, it's not acceptable on the grounds of freedom of belief, or viewpoint diversity Pluckrose said shes hopeful more people start to push back against woke-ism, and said its harming those its meant to protect. Its getting increasingly hard for people even on the liberal left to say that this is OK, she said. I think it will get pushed back. My concern is that I don't want to see it get pushed back by reactionary right-wing forces. I would rather it got pushed back by ethical conservatives and liberals on the left, who are still genuinely caring about racism, sexism and homophobia. I'm worried about the rising support for things on the right who want to kind of ban all of these theories and push back at it in a way that would genuinely affect genuine liberal attempts to improve racism and other forms of prejudice. Pluckrose does not take a salary for her Counterweight work, though some of her colleagues are compensated through crowdfunding donations. Outside of her work helping those suffering from woke-ism, she edits the non-partisan online magazine Areo, which contains articles on enlightenment liberalism, humanism, secularism and freedom of expression. She's also known for some hilarious shenanigans. Together with academics James Lindsay and Peter Boghossian, Pluckrose helped write phony studies on over-the-top themes, including rape culture among dogs. Academics James A. Lindsay (left) Helen Pluckrose (center) and Peter Boghossian (right) wrote papers on over-the-top topics as an experiment into the objectiveness of humanities The pranksters drummed up a paper called ' Human Reactions to Rape Culture and Queer Performativity at Urban Dog Parks in Portland, Ore.', and claimed the intent was to observe dog owners' reactions to their pets having sex. The paper indicated that people usually intervened in male-on-male situations, but for the most part did not interrupt when a male dog was mating with a female. It said, 'Because of my own situatedness as a human, rather than as a dog, I recognize my limitations in being able to determine when an incidence of dog humping qualifies as rape.' The authors submitted the bogus paper - and others - to peer-reviewed journals, and some accepted the research as accurate. Pluckrose was part of a team who successfully submitted parody articles about 'dog rape culture', 'a conceptual penis' and the 'fat-exclusionary' nature of bodybuilding to show how easily morally fashionable political ideas are published The pranks appeared to be an effort to prove humanities journals will publish work that's considered morally fashionable. 'Something has gone wrong in the university - especially in certain fields within the humanities,' the authors wrote in an online post following the experiment. 'Scholarship based less upon finding truth and more upon attending to social grievances has become firmly established, if not fully dominant, within these fields, and their scholars increasingly bully students, administrators, and other departments into adhering to their worldview. 'This worldview is not scientific, and it is not rigorous.' Pluckrose coauthored the acclaimed novel 'Cynical Theories: How Active Scholarship Made Everything About Race, Gender and Identity - And Why This Harms Everybody' The team previously published a paper called 'The Conceptual Penis as a Social Construct' in the journal Cogent Social Sciences. Their scribblings included the phrases 'gender-performative, high fluid social construct', 'exclusionary to disenfranchised communities', and 'isomorphic to performative toxic masculinity'. They even associated male anatomy with climate change. Another paper published in the journal Fat Studies claimed that body building is 'fat-exclusionary'. Floyd's death prompted anti-racism education campaigns in schools and workplaces It might come as no surprise that Pluckrose is the daughter of a comedian. But that doesn't mean she doesn't take her work seriously. Pluckrose, a culture and political writer, describes herself as a 'liberal humanist.' The cosmetics company owner said she is terrified to be sent back to Malaysia She was arrested by Thai immigration authorities for entering country illegally Sajat faces charge of dressing as woman at religious event, which she denies A transgender beauty entrepreneur who fled Malaysia after being charged with insulting Islam by wearing a dress is fighting extradition from Thailand. Nur Sajat, 35, as she prefers to be known, fled Malaysia after she was charged with dressing as a woman at a religious event and insulting Islam, which she pleaded not guilty to, in an Islamic court in January. The cosmetics company owner was arrested by Thai immigration authorities on September 8 on the grounds that she allegedly entered the country illegally. In Malaysia, she faces up to three years in jail - most likely in a men's facility - and a fine for allegedly dressing as a woman at a religious event in 2018, according to reports. But the beauty magnate told her 312,000 Instagram followers that she is terrified of being sent back to Malaysia because she has received countless death threats. Human rights activists claimed she will be in 'danger' and face 'mistreatment and abuse' if she is deported to Malaysia and are supporting her bid for asylum, potentially to Australia. Nur Sajat (pictured), 35, as she prefers to be known, fled Malaysia after she was charged in an Islamic court for allegedly dressing as a woman at a religious event, which she denies In February, an arrest warrant was issued for her after she failed to turn up to a hearing at the Syariah High Court on charges of insulting Islam by dressing as a woman at a religious ceremony. She was arrested by Thai immigration authorities on September 8 after allegedly entering the country illegally from Malaysia, and her deportation is said to be 'underway'. Thai immigration officials reportedly released her on bail, but Malaysian authorities cancelled her passport and are negotiating to have her extradited. Sajat's deportation is underway but could take time, and many factors will be taken into consideration, Thai deputy police spokesman Kissana Phathanacharoen said. Thai Foreign Ministry spokesman Tanee Sangrat added that the government was 'considering this matter based on the law and Thailand's humanitarian principles'. Last week, Malaysian Criminal Investigation Department director Abd Jalil Hassan said police, the foreign ministry and the attorney general's office were making efforts to bring Sajat back. In a news conference, during which he referred to Sajat by her formal name, the director said Malaysia recommended Sajat 'returns to the country in a good way to face the cases'. Malaysia has also charged Sajat on separate charges of obstructing and threatening a public servant. Malaysia has a duel-track legal system, with Islamic criminal and family laws applicable to Muslims alongside civil laws. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has received an application from Sajat for refugee status in Australia, according to The Harian Metro. Sajat (pictutred) was arrested by Thai immigration authorities on September 8 on the grounds that she entered the country illegally, but she said is terrified to be sent back to Malaysia According to The Star, Thai authorities said: 'A check found that Nur Sajat received a UNHCR card issued by its headquarters in Bangkok.' The UNHCR identity document gives 'a level of protection which may reduce the risk of arrest' but has no formal legal value in Malaysia and is not a passport, according to the UNHCR website. Earlier this year, Sajat posted a video on Instagram saying: '(Anti-trans people) made me want to quit the religion. Because we didn't do anything wrong but people harshly blame us for being bad.' Her case has raised concern about what human rights groups claim is a worsening climate for LGBTQI+ people in Malaysia, a country that outlaws same-sex acts. In June, a Malaysian government task force proposed amending Islamic law to allow action to be taken against social media users who were insulting Islam and 'promoting the LGBT lifestyle'. Sunai Phasuk, a senior Thailand researcher at the NGO 'Human Rights Watch', said: 'The prosecution in Malaysia is based on her gender identity so there is already sufficient ground for her protection under international standards.' Justice for Sisters, a Malaysian transgender rights group, said calls for restrictive measures against LGBTQ+ people have been on the rise and anti-gay sentiments have increased since Sajat was arrested, according to The Washington Post. According to Human Rights Watch, transgender people in Malaysia 'face arbitrary arrest, physical and sexual assault, imprisonment, discriminatory denial of health care and employment, and other abuses'. No further updates on the status of Sajat's asylum application have been released. The body of a partially-clothed woman was discovered by construction workers at an abandoned residence in Florida, which was in the process of being demolished. At around 8 a.m. Monday morning, Tampa police were called to the 1800 block of Sligh Avenue, where the body of the unidentified woman was discovered by a foreman with JVS Contracting. According to police, the woman appeared to have suffered upper body trauma and is believed to be between the ages of 28 and 40. The body of a partially-clothed woman was discovered by construction workers at an abandoned residence in Florida, which was in the process of being demolished Tampa police were immediately called to 1800 block of Sligh Avenue, where the body of the unidentified woman was discovered by a foreman with JVS Contracting Because the home was in the process of being demolished, the foreman did a walkthrough of the property to make sure no one was inside, Matthew Boggs, Supervisor of Safety and Compliance at JVS, told Creative Loafing. Boggs said the foreman discovered the woman when he crossed through the property's kitchen on his way toward a bedroom. Initially the foreman thought the woman was asleep, but eventually realized that was not the case when she wouldn't open her eyes after several attempts to wake her. The foreman immediately called Boggs, who then called police. Because the situation is still being investigated, police are unable to provide and additional details at the moment. White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Tuesday declined to say whether any military official urged President Biden to keep 2,500 troops Afghanistan, just hours after the Pentagon's top brass told Congress they advised him against withdrawing all forces. She said the president was presented with a 'range of options,' but 'ultimately, regardless of the advice, its his decision.' 'Hes the commander in chief. Hes the president. He makes decisions about that whats in the national interest, and he believed we should end the war.' Both Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Mark Milley and head of US Central Command Frank McKenzie said that they had voiced an opinion to keep a small number of troops in Afghanistan to stave off Taliban control. Psaki had tried to defend the president against the admissions even before her daily briefing. 'As @POTUS told ABC, ending the war in Afghanistan was in our national interest. He said advice was split, but consensus of top military advisors was 2500 troops staying meant escalation due to deal by the previous admin., the Chairman, and GEN McKenzie all reiterated,' she wrote on Twitter. Pressed on what she meant by 'split' during the news briefing, Psaki said: 'there are individuals who come forward with a range of recommendations on what the right path forward looks like. Im not going to detail those from here. Theyre private conversations and advice to the President of the United States.' McKenzie said he recommended 2,500 troops remain in Afghanistan. He said he's confident Biden heard his advice, after the president told ABC's George Stephanopoulos he couldn't recall anyone advising him to leave troops in the country. 'I recommended that we maintain 2,500 troops in Afghanistan .... I also have a view that the withdrawal of those forces would lead inevitably to the collapse of the Afghan military forces, and eventually the Afghan government.' White House press secretary Jen Psaki declined to say whether any military official advised President Biden that some 2,500 troops should be left in Afghanistan in a briefing Tuesday Both Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Mark Milley and head of US Central Command Frank McKenzie said that they had voiced an opinion to keep a small number of troops in Afghanistan to stave off Taliban control 'I was present when that discussion occurred and I'm confident that the president heard all the recommendations and listened to them very thoughtfully.' 'I stated consistently that my position was, if you go below 2500 you're going to look at a collapse of the Afghan military,' he told the Senate Armed Services Committee. 'I did not foresee it to be days ... I thought it would take months.' Milley said that his 'assessment was, back in the fall of [2020], and remained consistent throughout, that we should keep a steady state of 2,500 [troops], and it could bounce up to, to 3,500 maybe, something like that, in order to move to a negotiated gated solution.' 'My analysis was that an accelerated withdrawal without meeting specific and necessary conditions risks losing the substantial gains made in Afghanistan, damaging U.S. worldwide credibility and could precipitate a general collapse of the Afghan government, resulting in a complete Taliban takeover or general civil war,' Milley said. 'That was a year ago, my assessment remained consistent throughout.' He declined to say exactly what he told the president. Some 3500 U.S. troops were in the country when President Biden was inaugurated. Republican Senator Josh Hawley said: 'Here's what I've learned so far: Number one, the president of the United States lied to the American people about the advice that you gave to him, about the military judgement that you provided for him. 'I think you've all testified to that effect now repeatedly.' ABC interview ABC's George Stephanopoulos pressed the president on reports his top commanders had warned him against a full withdrawal during a sit down with the president on Aug. 19, four days after Kabul fell to the Taliban. 'Your top military advisers warned against withdrawing on this timeline they wanted you to keep about 2,500 troops,' Stephanopoulos said to Biden. 'No, they didn't,' the president pushed back. 'It was split. That wasn't true. That wasn't true.' 'No, they didn't,' the president pushed back. 'It was split. That wasn't true. That wasn't true.' 'They didn't tell you they wanted troops to stay?' Stephanopoulos asked. 'No, not in terms of whether we were going to get out in a time frame all troops, they didn't argue against that,' Biden reiterated. Republicans tore into the Biden administration and accused the President of lying to the American people after the Pentagon top brass contradicted his claims that he couldn't recall being advised to keep troops on the ground. Sen. Tom Cotton brought up the interview during the hearing, asking Austin whether Biden was telling the truth when he said that no senior military adviser told him to leave a small military presence. After saying that Biden was an 'honest and forthright man', he admitted: 'Their input was received by the president and considered by the president, for sure. 'In terms of what they specifically recommended senator, as they just said, they're not going to provide what they recommended in confidence.' But Austin said he believed leaving those last 2,500 would have led to a fight with the Taliban that would lead to a greater surge in troops. 'If you stayed there at a posture of 2,500 certainly you'd be in a fight with the Taliban and you'd have to reinforce yourself.' Terrorist threat against U.S. soil Meanwhile, Biden has repeatedly declared that the degradation of Al Qaeda meant the original mission of U.S. troops in Afghanistan had been completed. But senators were told that the Taliban remained a terrorist organization and had never broken its ties with Al Qaeda. 'I have no illusions who we are dealing with,' said Milley during his opening statement. 'It remains to be seen whether or not the Taliban can consolidate power or if the country will further fracture into civil war. But we must continue to protect the United States of America and it people from terrorist attacks coming from Afghanistan. 'We must remember that the Taliban was and remains a terrorist organization and they still have not broken ties with Al-Qaeda,' Milley told lawmakers. 'A reconstituted Al-Qaeda or ISIS with aspirations to attack the United States is a very real possibility,' he said, adding that opportunities for attack 'could present themselves in the next 12-36 months.' Asked if President Biden was being truthful when he said that al-Qaeda was no longer in Afghanistan, both Milley and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said that al-Qaeda has been and continues to be in Afghanistan, in a diminished state. While President Biden's reasoning for the hasty withdrawal has often been a Trump-era peace deal with the Taliban, Milley said that the Islamist group had not even been holding up their end of the deal. Asked by Sen. Tom Cotton why he didn't resign in protest of the withdrawal, Milley replied that such an act of 'political defiance' is a 'serious thing,' as he said that 'My job is to provide advice ... the president doesn't have to agree with that advice.' 'My advice is, don't put specific dates' on withdrawals, Milley said, noting that two presidents had made the devastating mistake. 'Make things conditions-based.' President Biden set a deadline of August 31 for the withdrawal of all U.S. troops from Afghanistan, extending Trump's former May deadline. The announcement triggered a whirlwind advance by the Taliban who claimed the capital Kabul on August 14, and a terrorist attack shortly thereafter took the lives of 180 people, including 13 US service members. Impact of the Doha agreement The two senior commanders also said the Doha agreement - signed under President Trump after negotiations with the Taliban in the Qatari capital - had a negative impact on the morale and performance of the Afghan security forces. It essentially set a deadline for the U.S. withdrawal in return for the Taliban agreeing not to attack American forces. As senators probed whether the Biden administration should have had a clearer idea of the fragile nature of the Afghan military, McKenzie and Milley pointed to the agreement and its damaging fallout. McKenzie said: 'Its my judgement that the Doha agreement did negatively affect the performance of the Afghan forces, in particular by some of the actions the government of Afghanistan was required to take as part of that agreement.' The deal required Kabul to release 5000 Taliban prisoners in exchange for 1000 Afghan government troops, as well as starting the withdrawal of thousands of American contractors who had supported local forces. Milley added that in his assessment the Doha deal 'did affect the morale of the Afghan security forces.' Drone strike investigation The three witnesses faced questions about the August 29 drone strike that killed 10 civilians but said they might better be answered during an afternoon session behind closed doors. Austin said he had not yet been in touch with the aircrew responsible for the strike. 'I've directed a three-star review of this incident,' he said. 'Gen. McKenzie did an initial investigation, and I directed a three-star review and so I won't make any comments.' The issue came up again later during the hearing when Gen. McKenzie was asked whether it was possible to adequately assess targets without intelligence assets on the ground. He said he took full responsibility for the strike. 'The matter is under investigation, but what I can tell you broadly, and to restate some things that I've said earlier, I am responsible for that,' he said. 'It happened in my area of responsibility, so I'm the responsible officer for that strike.' And he said on this occasion the intelligence was 'tragically wrong.' 'I was under no pressure, and no one in my chain of command below me, was under any pressure to take that strike, we acted based on the intelligence read that we saw on the ground,' he said. Goodrich died at the scene while Barajas was taken to a nearby hospital and died five days later after being placed on life support here Jimenez said he's diagnosed with schizophrenia and the voices in his head told him his friends and family were going to be killed He shot Rylee Goodrich, 18, and Anthony Barajas, 19, in the head while they were watching a screening of The Forever Purge at a movie theater in Corona A man accused of fatally shooting two young people inside a Southern California movie theater last July has pleaded not guilty, and not guilty by reason of insanity, to two counts of murder. Joseph Jimenez, 20, did not speak during Mondays hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice, letting his attorney enter the pleas, the Press-Enterprise reported. The two different not-guilty pleas were necessary, said John Hall, a spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorneys Office, because there would be two phases if the case goes to trial: a guilt phase, and a phase to determine whether Jimenez was insane. Attorneys are scheduled to return to court on October 22 to discuss an appointment of a defense psychiatrist, the newspaper said. TikTok star Anthony Barajas, 19, and his girlfriend Rylee Goodrich, 18, were shot in the head on July 26 at a theater at the Regal Edwards cinema in the city of Corona, California. They were found by an employee after a 9.35pm screening of The Forever Purge. Scroll down for video Joseph Jimenez, 20, blamed voices in his head that he said had tormented him for months after he pleaded not guilty by insanity for fatally shooting two people at a Southern California movie theater last July Police have said the suspect acted alone, and there's no indication he knew the victims or that Barajas's role as a TikTok influencer played a role in the crime. Pictured in court today Rylee Goodrich, 18, (left) and Anthony Barajas, 19, (right) were shot in the head while watching The Forever Purge at a nearly empty Corona, California, theater July 26. They were found by an employee after 9.35pm screening. Pictured: Goodrich, a marketing major, who died at the scene Goodrich died at the scene, while Barajas, a budding social media star, died at a hospital five days later after being put on life support. Barajas, known online as itsanthonymichael, had nearly 1 million followers on TikTok and more on other platforms. The suspect acted alone, and there was no indication he knew the victims or that Barajas role as a TikTok influencer played a role in the crime, police said shortly after the shooting. Rather, Jimenez is blaming voices in his head that he said had tormented him for months in an interview with the Riverside Press-Enterprise. 'The voices said my friends and family were going to be killed,' Jimenez said last month at a Riverside County jail in Banning, where he is being held. Jimenez did not elaborate how killing people would save his loved ones. Instead, he said he was diagnosed with schizophrenia about eight months ago and had recently stopped taking his prescribed medication. 'I ran out and didn't get it refilled,' Jimenez said. He said that voices had haunted him for eight months, sometimes threatening to steal his car and television. In the interview, he also gave a blow-by-blow description of the shooting but offered his condolences to the families of the victims, saying: 'I wish I didn't do it.' Jimenez was accused of murdering Barajas and Goodrich at the Regal Edwards Corona movie theater in Corona, California, during a late screening of of The accused gunman, his friends and the two victims were the only people who attended the film as the only six tickets had been purchased for the screening, police said. However, police have said the suspect acted alone, and there's no indication he knew the victims or that Barajas's role as a TikTok influencer played a role in the crime. Jimenez had been to the theater with three friends, who told detectives he was acting so strangely that they snuck out of the movie house, records obtained by the Orange County Register show, but they didn't warn anyone. The unidentified pals later saw Jimenez run out of Regal Edwards Cinema and speed away in his car, according to a police sworn declaration filed in court. It remains unclear whether the inaction by the three friends amounts to a crime. Their names are not listed in county jail records. This is the booking photo of Joseph Jimenez, charged with the shooting of TikTok star Anthony Barajas David Goodrich, Rylee's father, revealed that she was texting her mother just moments before the fatal shooting. He said: 'She texted my wife how boring and stupid it was, how she didn't like the movie. That was the last we heard from her. It had to be right then.' The 43-year-old father said police told him they believe it was a random attack, and that Jimenez intended to steal from the young couple. Goodrich was majoring in marketing and had a full academic scholarship to Grand Canyon University. Jimenez was arrested last Tuesday and charged with murder and attempted murder, but the second count was expected to be upgraded to murder by the time Jimenez appeared in court today for his arraignment, said John Hall, a spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney's Office. Police seized a handgun of the same caliber as the one believed to have been used in the shooting and recovered Goodrich's wallet and other possessions from Jimenez's home less than 24 hours after the shooting. The allegations filed against Jimenez include sentencing enhancements of personal use of a firearm causing death, personally inflicting great bodily injury and personal use of a firearm causing great bodily injury. Prosecutors also filed a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait, which makes him eligible to receive the death penalty. Kelsey Leigh Ann Wilson, 30, turned herself in on August 18 after months of the FBI have evidence she was inside A Missouri school teacher, 30, who turned herself in her involvement in the January 6 riot, and her husband pleaded guilty in federal court on Monday. Kelsey Leigh Ann Wilson and her husband Zachary, 32, both admitted to one misdemeanor charge in connection to the January 6 riot. They face a $5,000 fine, as well as a maximum sentence of six months in prison. They are also required to pay $500 in restitution for the damage done to the Capitol building. Zachary was arrested and charged back in February, while his Kelsey only turned herself in last month, despite the FBI having footage of her inside the building. Months before, photos and video of her wearing a black, white, and gold beanie with a 'Keep America Great Again' flag wrapped around her shoulder surfaced after a coworker turned into evidence to the FBI. On January 22, Kelsey's coworker was interviewed by agents. It is reported that the coworker went to Washington DC with the couple, however, she/he stayed outside while the couple reportedly breached the Capitol for roughly 30 minutes. Wilson turned herself in on August 18. Wilson could be seen wearing a black, white, and gold beanie with a 'Keep America Great Again' flag wrapped around her shoulders. Alongside her husband, who was charged and arrested in February. Both pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor in connection to the riot on Monday The couple originally faced charges for knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building, according to newly unsealed court documents. However, the plea deal with the government dropped their charges to a single count. Her charges came months after her husband Zachary's faced the same fate. An anonymous tip to the FBI exposed her husband inside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office. In a now-deleted Facebook post, Zachary was seen replying to a comment that he was in the US Capitol building. In the post, his friend asked: 'Did you go inside the capital building?' Her husband Zachary was arrested after an anonymous tip turned in a now-deleted Facebook where he tagged his wife and claimed to be the 'first ones' inside the Capitol building The post garnered an interview with the FBI. Zachary would have an additional interview two days after the couple was visited by the FBI in their Springfield, Missouri, home Kelsey is a first-grade teacher who said she believed she would lose her job once her arrest was made public, court documents said. The school has since confirmed she is no longer employed Zachary had replied: 'First ones in!!!! First thing we found was Pelosi's office.' The FBI interviewed the couple in their home on January 18, documents report. Zachary had a second interview with agents two days later, where he claimed his wife was not with him, according to the Kansas City Star. The FBI later received surveillance footage on January 23 and Zachary was charged and arrested at his home on February 12. The court documents said the FBI received further surveillance footage of the couple on the grounds on February 22, however, Kelsey didn't turn herself in until six months later. The charging documents do not indicate why the FBI took so long to charge Kelsey. But the mother-of-two believes her job as a First-Grade teacher will be terminated after her arrest, according to the Kansas City Star. She just recently started at the school in July. 'The defendant advised she is a first-grade teacher,' court documents state, 'and believes her employment will be terminated following her arrest. The January 6 riot saw an overwhelming crowd of people climbing the walls of the Capitol building and holding Trump signs Defendants now face charges. Kelsey faces knowingly entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds without lawful authority; disorderly and disruptive conduct in a restricted building or grounds; disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building, according to court documents A rioter carried a confederate flag through the Capitol on January 6. Recently a 'Justice for J6' rally took place in DC, where a few hundred rioters gathered to protest the defendants being in jail The school confirmed she is no longer employed, according to the Daily Beast. Recently, a 'Justice for J6' rally took place outside the Capitol. Nearly 700 people were anticipated to attend the rally. Instead there appeared to be a few hundred people. The sparsely-attended 'Justice for J6' rally on Saturday featured more police officers and press than protesters as a few hundred demonstrators gathered in the shadow of the Capitol building to show support for the January 6th rioters who stormed it. A heavy police presence - officers in riot gear, plainclothes police, law enforcement on bikes and horses - awaited the crowd. Also there were counter-protesters, who carried homemade signs - one read 'loser' which was a reference to Donald Trump, its carrier said - and 'Black Lives Matter' flags. One small group stood on a street corner, blaring the song 'FTD (F*** Donald Trump).' Police broke up shouting matches between the two groups, moving people apart before fights could break out. There were no reports of violence amid fears the day could turn into another insurrection. One man with a knife was arrested on a weapons violation charge, with three others also taken into police custody over the course of the day. The rally was meant to protest for the defendants who those in jail who participated in the January 6 riot. Authorities have arrested 650 people in connection to the riot and 70 and have pleaded guilty so far. Federal judge Edgardo Ramos presided over a lawsuit between an Exxon Mobil unit and TIG Insurance Co. over a pollution concern - while owning between $15,001 and $50,000 of Exxon stock. He ruled in the gas company's favor An investigation found that 131 federal judges violated US law by overseeing cases involving companies in which they or their family held direct stock, The Wall Street Journal reported. The judges failed to recuse themselves from 685 cases across the nation in which they held financial interest since 2010, the investigation revealed. What's more, when the judges participated in these cases, roughly two-thirds of their rulings ended up being in favor of their or their family's financial interests. While there are no laws that prohibit judges from owning stocks, the federal jurists' code of conduct demands judges recuse themselves in the event that they hold any semblance of financial interest in a case - or, the 'ownership of a legal or equitable interest, however small,' as the set of regulations defines it. The cases in question were all held between the years 2010 and 2020 - and of the two-thirds of federal judges who disclosed individual stock holdings, roughly a fifth of them presided over at least one case that involved their stock, the investigation showed. After the Journal notified the judges of the findings of their sprawling study, 56 of the lawmen began to alert parties involved in 329 of the lawsuits, of their conflict of interest. Judges offered multiple explanations for their infringements when confronted by the paper. Most deflected the blame, citing administrative errors and arguing yjay their recusal lists contained misspellings that caused cases to slip through the cracks of their conflict-screening software. Other judges called attention to rulings they made that resulted in their own financial losses. With that said, the majority of jurists named in the study benefited greatly from the inside information. In New York, for instance, Judge Edgardo Ramos presided over a lawsuit between an Exxon Mobil Corp. unit and TIG Insurance Co. over a pollution concern - while owning between $15,001 and $50,000 of Exxon stock. Ramos eventually ruled that TIG should pay Exxon $25 million, and even added $8 million of interest to the judgment. An federal court official argued that Ramos was unaware of the legal infracting he committed taking the case, as his 'recusal list' included only the parent company Exxon, and not the unit - and therefore was overlooked by court conflict-screening software, which worked only through exact matches. Judge Lewis Babcock oversaw a case in Colorado where a couple alleged that Comcast workers had been harassing their family, frightening their 10-year-old daughter, and even physically harming the family dog while on their property. Meanwhile, Babcock held thousands of dollars of the cable company's stock. He ruled in Comcast's favor The unit, however, had previously informed the court at the outset of the case that it was a subsidiary of Exxon, so that Ramos - who was appointed by Barack Obama -could 'evaluate possible disqualification or recusal,' court filings indicated. In Colorado, Judge Lewis Babcock oversaw particularly troubling proceedings involving a Comcast Corp. subsidiary, in which he ruled in the telecommunications company's favor after several of their employees were accused of harassing a family in Colorado. In the case, a couple accused the telephone service company's employees of threatening them, intimidating their 10-year-old daughter, and physically injuring their dog. The pair asked Babcock to issue a judicial order barring the company from accessing their property to install fiber-optic cables. Babcock - who was appointed by Ronald Reagan - ruled that the couple had 'continually blocked Comcast's access to the easement,' and sent the case back to state court, which was what Comcast wanted. All the while, the judge or his family reportedly held between $15,001 and $50,000 in Comcast stock, the report revealed. 'I dropped the ball,' Babcock attested when asked about his conflict of interest in the case. The jurist went on to blame the infraction on internal administrative mishaps, and thanked the Journal for 'helping me stay on my toes the way I'm supposed to.' Meanwhile, at an Ohio-based appeals court, Judge Julia Smith Gibbons authored an opinion that favored Ford Motor Co. in one particular court proceeding in 2014 - while her husband, Bill Gibbons, owned stock in the automaker. Prior to Gibbons' ruling, her husband's financial advisor promptly purchased even more Ford stock, for his retirement account. Gibbons - appointed by George W. Bush - claimed she had mistakenly assumed that a holding in her husband's retirement account did not constitute a conflict of interest, and therefore require her recusal. 'I regret my misunderstanding, but I assure you it was an honest one,' Gibbons attested. Judge Julia Smith Gibbons authored an opinion that favored Ford Motor Co. in an important 2014 court proceeding, while her husband owned stock in the automaker. Prior to her ruling, her husband's financial advisor purchased more Ford stock A slew of judges who failed to disqualify themselves from cases that could potentially benefit them financially were named in the bombshell report - with jurists being appointed by presidents spanning seven decades, from Lyndon Johnson to Donald Trump. The Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts responded to the Journal's expose Tuesday, stating, 'The Wall Street Journal's report on instances where conflicts inadvertently were not identified before a case was resolved or transferred is troubling, and the Administrative Office is carefully reviewing the matter.' The office added that the federal judiciary branch of the US government 'takes very seriously its obligations to preclude any financial conflicts of interest,' and has since enacted measures - such as more advanced conflict-screening software and vigorous ethics training - to prevent such violations in the future. 'We have in place a number of safeguards,' the office insisted, 'and are looking for ways to improve.' A North Carolina-based hospital system fired about 175 workers in one of the largest-ever mass terminations for failing to comply with the vaccine mandate as state hospitals remain inundated with COVID-19 cases. Novant Health, which has more than 35,000 employees in 15 hospitals and 800 clinics, mandated that its employees get vaccinated late July. They had until September 15 to comply. Last week, about 375 employees were suspended for not being vaccinated, but 200 received the jab before Monday's deadline, Spokesperson Megan Rivers said. 'We are thrilled vast majority of team members gave Novant Health patients and visitors, as well as our team members, better protection regardless of where they are in our health system,' Rivers tweeted. 'Less than 1% opted not to comply. We're proud of the 35,000+ team members who chose to participate in the vaccine mandate program with patient safety at forefront.' North Carolina-based Novant Health announced that it fired about 175 healthcare workers for not getting the mandated COVID-19 vaccine Megan Rivers, spokesperson for Novant Health, issued these statements on Twitter on Tuesday Rivers didn't say how many workers were granted exemptions, but Novant Health acknowledged that some were and required them to undergo weekly coronavirus testing. Novant Health's mass firings come at a time when the state is averaging more than 5,130 new daily COVID-19 cases over the last week, and more than 3,200 people are hospitalized and 932 are in intensive care units, according to the Washington Post. They also must wear N95 respirator masks or other personal protective equipment and eyewear protection while working in Novant Health facilities. 'We agree with the North Carolina Healthcare Association, the Infectious Diseases Society of America, and many other health care systems in the region that a mandatory vaccine program is in the best interest of public health, the health system said in a July press release announcing the mandate 'Simply put, it is essential to ensure the safety of our patients, team members and communities.' The large wave of terminations follows the Delaware-based healthcare system ChristianaCare fired 150 employees earlier this week for not getting vaccinated. In June, the Texas-based healthcare system Houston Methodist fired more than 150 health-care workers. Novant Health mandated that its employees get vaccinated late July, and they had until September 15 to comply On Monday, New York's largest health provider - Northwell Health - fired about two dozen 'unvaccinated leaders' at or above management level. Another 72,000 hospital workers could also be suspended or fired for refusing to get the vaccine, which was mandated for healthcare workers in August by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and supported by Gov. Kathy Hochul when she succeeded him. The large waves of terminations come at a time when health-care workers continue to protest employers' vaccination mandates after President Joe Biden ordered all businesses with more than 100 employees to require workers to be vaccinated or be tested weekly. In New York, Gov. Hochul is preparing for a health-care worker shortage by signing an executive order that would allow healthcare care workers licensed in other states or countries to practice in New York as well a recent graduates and retirees or deploying the National Guard to hospitals. Advertisement A family was told by an online travel agency to 'have a great day' after informing them their luxury staycation had fallen through - before offering an alternate hotel 250 miles away. Ian Tomlinson and his family had booked a luxury stay at the five-star Retallack Resort near Newquay, Cornwall, six months in advance. However, after a four-hour drive, he was told by the hotel that there was no record of the booking they had made through Booking.com, according to The Guardian. Even more distressingly, Mr Tomlinson was told that there was also no chance that his family could be fitted in at the resort. After being unable to contact a Booking.com representative over the phone or by email, the Tomlinsons were forced to return home. Ian Tomlinson and his family had booked a luxury stay at the five-star Retallack Resort (pictured) near Newquay, Cornwall There was no record of the booking at the Retallack Resort (above) that the family had made through Booking.com Mr Tomlinson was told to 'have a great day' after being told his holiday at the Retallack Resort (above) had fallen through Some 11 days later, the website sent an email response to the family offering an alternative stay at a hotel in Uxbridge, a London suburb near Slough which is 250 miles away from Cornwall. The online travel agency also said in its email to the family it hoped they were having a great day. The new hotel was Denham Grove, which has an 18-metre swimming pool and sauna on site. Speaking to The Guardian, Mr Tomlinson said: 'I had two very tired, upset children who were looking forward to all the resort's attractions including a FlowRider wave machine for surfing, and my wife was in tears. We were not having a great day.' He added that it was lucky for them that they had not yet paid for their stay at the resort, but had wasted money on the petrol for the journey and on tickets for the Eden Project. Booking.com later explained to the family that their five-star hotel had overbooked and would consider refunding Ian's expenses, while the hotel itself blamed Booking.com. The 'similar' alternative in Uxbridge was the Denham Grove hotel which has an 18-metre swimming pool and a sauna The agency said in its email to the family after suggesting Denham Grove (above) that it hoped they were having a great day The website sent an email response to the family offering an alternative stay at the hotel in Uxbridge The online travel agency refunded the family's expenses and paid them 700 in compensation. A spokesman for Booking.com said: 'In exceptional circumstances where a property is unable to accommodate a guest, we always seek to rectify that immediately and will be working with this partner to ensure all future guests have a good experience.' MailOnline has approached Booking.com for additional comment. It comes as holiday firms are turning the screw on struggling families with sky high charges that make British breaks hundreds of pounds more expensive than foreign trips. The average costs for private holiday accommodation in the UK have increased by 41 per cent on average since 2019, according to research by Which? Typically, trips to British destinations currently cost much more than travelling to popular European resort destinations - such as Italy , Spain , France - even when the airfare is factored in Typically, trips to British destinations currently cost much more than travelling to popular European resort destinations - such as Italy, Spain, France - even when the airfare is factored in. In August 2019, booking private accommodation in Brighton would have typically cost an average of 109 per night, but in August this year that cost has increased by 89 per cent to 206 per night. Experts at Which? said it is 'hard to avoid the conclusion that some unscrupulous accommodation providers are charging over the odds'. The chaos around the constantly changing rules on foreign travel, coupled with a failing and expensive coronavirus testing regime for travellers, means millions of people are holidaying at home. Prince Andrew has officially recognised that he has been served with a lawsuit by Virginia Giuffre, clearing a hurdle that had stalled legal proceedings for several weeks. The acknowledgment was confirmed in a joint agreement signed by a lawyer for the Duke of York, approved by a Manhattan federal judge and entered into the public court record today. The court papers said Andrew had been challenging acceptance of the lawsuit until lawyers spoke by phone on September 21. An agreement was signed three days later, according to the order signed by Judge Lewis A. Kaplan. MailOnline had previously reported that Andrew's legal team accepted that he had been correctly served with legal papers by his sex accuser. This has now been entered in the official public record. In the lawsuit, Virginia Giuffre claims Andrew abused her on multiple occasions in 2001 when she was under 18. His lawyer has called the allegations 'baseless.' Ms Giuffre's lawyer, David Boies, had previously said 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 to it. The prince must now file responses to the lawsuit's claims by October 29. A conference was scheduled for November 3. Prince Andrew, pictured at Balmoral earlier this month, has officially recognised that he has been served with a lawsuit by Virginia Giuffre Pictured: The Duke of York with Virginia Roberts, then 17, and Ghislaine Maxwell in London Delivering a lawsuit to a defendant is usually a routine matter but can be more complicated when a defendant resides outside the United States. A judge must be satisfied that a defendant has been properly notified of the allegations and has a reasonable period of time to respond to them. Lawyers for Giuffre had told the judge that they'd delivered the lawsuit to Andrew in numerous ways, though never directly into his hands. At one point, Britain's high court accepted a request from Giuffre's lawyers to formally contact Andrew about the lawsuit. Los Angeles attorney Andrew Brettler, who signed the papers on Andrew's behalf acknowledging the prince was aware of the lawsuit, had argued at a hearing this month that Giuffre's claim was 'baseless, nonviable and potentially unlawful.' In late 2019, Andrew told the BBC 'Newsnight' program that he never had sex with Giuffre, saying, 'It didn't happen.' Brettler has said that Andrew cannot be sued because an earlier lawsuit in the United States that was settled 'absolves our client from any and all liability.' That 2009 settlement document, however, remains sealed. The court papers said Andrew had been challenging acceptance of the lawsuit until lawyers spoke by phone on September 21. An agreement was signed three days later, according to the order signed by Judge Lewis A. Kaplan Ms Giuffre is suing the Queen's son for allegedly sexually assaulting her on multiple occasions. Ms Giuffre claims she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with Andrew when she was aged 17 and a minor under US law. Epstein was found dead in his cell at a Manhattan federal jail in August 2019 while he awaited a sex trafficking trial. The death was ruled to be suicide. Ms Giuffre is seeking unspecified damages, but there is speculation the sum could be in the millions of dollars. Court documents show that lawyers for both sides spoke on September 21 and the time for the duke to respond was extended. This latest point in the legal process is so a judge can be satisfied that proper notification of the allegations has been delivered to the defendant and they have enough time to respond. In a previous legal hearing Mr Brettler said that Ms Giuffre had previously entered into a 'settlement agreement' with Epstein in 2009 that would nullify her case. The 2009 settlement is currently sealed. Senator Elizabeth Warren unleashed on Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, calling him a 'dangerous man' and announcing she'll oppose a second term during a Senate Banking Committee hearing on the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic Tuesday. Powell, who was nominated by former President Trump, will see his term expire in February. President Biden has indicated that he'd reappoint Powell, earning pushback from progressives like Warren and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York. Warren argued that Powell weakened the US banking system by rolling back financial regulations that were enacted after the 2008 financial crisis. 'I came to Washington after the 2008 crash to make sure that nothing like that would ever happen again. Your record gives me grave concern,' the Massachusetts lawmaker said. 'Over and over, you have acted to make our banking system less safe, and that makes you a dangerous man to head up the Fed, and it's why I will oppose your re-nomination.' Senator Elizabeth Warren confronted Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on regulations he's eased since the 2008 financial crisis In 2019, the Fed weakened rules that ensure that firms have adequate cash to meet their obligations by lowering liquidity requirements for banks. The guidelines were put in place after the 2008 crisis. Under Powell's watch in March 2020, the Fed intervened in the US economy to mitigate repercussions from COVID-19 within financial markets, including up to $2.3 trillion in lending to support households, employers, and state and local governments. Since his tenure began Powell has also rolled back or loosened a number of other financial crisis-era regulations in a bid to spur economic growth. 'I know that some argue that your deregulatory actions are mostly harmless. I disagree. I think they've put taxpayers at risk for hundreds of billions of dollars,' Warren said. She said nominating him for the job again would put the US economy at risk. Warren told Powell that re-nominating him is an economic risk that isn't worth taking 'Re-nominating you means gambling that for the next five years, a Republican majority of the Federal Reserve with a Republican chair, who has regularly voted to deregulate Wall Street, won't drive this economy over a financial cliff again,' Warren said. 'And with so many qualified candidates for this job, I just don't think that's a risk worth taking.' The White House has not yet announced a decision on whether to reappoint Powell or choose an alternative. Last month, a group of progressives led by Ocasio-Cortez and fellow Squad members Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley released a statement demanding that Biden not reappoint Powell. 'Under his leadership the Federal Reserve has taken very little action to mitigate the risk climate change poses to our financial system,' the write, later adding: 'Secondly, under Chair Powell the Federal Reserve has substantially weakened many of the reforms enacted in the wake of the Great Recession.' That pits them against Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who is among the most prominent members of Biden's economic team who favor reappointing Powell, according to the Wall Street Journal. Yellen, who testified alongside Powell today, is reportedly supportive of him possibly serving as Fed chair again Yellen was also testifying at the Tuesday hearing alongside Powell, where she delivered a sharp warning that the US will run out of cash for the first time in history around October 18 if urgent action isn't taken to raise or suspend the debt ceiling. 'It would be disastrous for the American economy, for global financial markets, and for millions of families and workers,' Yellen warned a day after Senate Republicans blocked a Democratic effort to suspend the debt limit. Tuesday's hearing came a day after two regional Fed presidents under ethics reviews for their investment trades announced their retirements. Powell was forced to defend the Fed's image and impartiality, particularly when Senator Raphael Warnock called the scandal a 'blow' to the Central Bank. Warnock asked Powell about what steps he is taking to protect the 'impartiality' of the Fed. This followed some criticisms shared at the start of the hearing, when Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown, the head of the Banking Committee, said he plans to introduce legislation that would ban Fed officials from owning individual stocks. Powell, who earlier this month ordered a review of the Fed's ethics rules, added that the central bank is also examining the trades done by regional Fed presidents to make sure they were legal and in compliance with current ethics guidelines. 'Even if it appears to be the case that these trades were in compliance with existing rules, that just tells you the problem is the rules and the practices and the disclosure needs to be improved,' Powell said in response to a question. 'We will rise to this moment and address this.' A two-year-old boy who suffered a cocaine overdose while at his mother's apartment has been taken off a respirator and declared dead five days on. Kendriel Hernandez-Canela was ruled brain dead at 2pm Monday, after his mother, Mari Perla Canela-England, rushed him to Teacher's Hospital in Hato Rey last Wednesday. The toddler was transferred to Pediatric Hospital in San Juan, where he had been under observation. A toxicology exam showed he had cocaine in his system, although it is still unclear how or where he ingested the drug. Two-year-old Kendriel Hernandez-Canela (first from left) was intoxicated with cocaine last Wednesday at his mother's home in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. He was disconnected from a respirator and pronounced dead Monday. Puerto Rico National Police captain Luis Diaz told DailyMail.com that Kendriel Hernandez-Canela (first from left) was playing and then fallen asleep before his maternal grandmother found him unresponsive at her daughter's home in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. His mother, Mari Perla Canela England (right), lost custody of her five-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son Puerto Rico National Police captain Luis Diaz told DailyMail.com on Tuesday that authorities were still investigating the incident and had not made any arrests. According to Diaz, Hernandez-Canela was reportedly playing and fell asleep at his mother's home at the Ernesto Ramos Antonini public housing project in Rio Piedras last Wednesday evening. His maternal grandmother checked on him, and noticed that his lips had turned pale and that he was unresponsive. 'They took him to the hospital. He arrived without any vital signals,' Diaz said. 'They resuscitated him and then he was transferred to Pediatric Hospital. 'There were no signs that showed that he had been physically beaten.' Institute of Forensic Sciences concluded an autopsy Tuesday, but did not provided a cause of death for Kendriel Hernandez-Canela Diaz added that police investigators have spoken to Canela-England, her mother, her mother's boyfriend as well as her brother, his wife and the children. Diaz declined to reveal details of the ongoing investigation, but did say that the family refused to say how the Hernandez-Canela came into contact with substance. Diaz confirmed that the Department of Family had stripped Canela-England of her parental right of her five-year-old daughter and seven-year-old son. He did point out that it was the first time that Canela-England had been involved in a child abuse investigation. Institute of Forensic Sciences spokeswoman Betsy Rivera told DailyMail.com that while an autopsy had been concluded Tuesday, the doctor overseeing the study had not provided a cause of death. Surveillance footage captured the moment a random man pulled up to a San Jose father's driveway and began harassing him over his son's dinosaur flag hung in front of his home. Thien Ly captured the bizarre encounter from last Wednesday on surveillance footage that begins when an unidentified man driving down the street suddenly stops in front of his home and asks 'what flag is that?' Ly, who was outside his home about to take his two young sons to the park, misheard the man and thought he was asking about his bicycle that includes a child seat and replied 'it's a Taga' Scroll Down For Video: Police are saying that the crime does not seem to be hate motivated, but Thien Ly (pictured) says he cant help but think he was targeted because he was Asian The man is captured hurling insults like 'you're a weirdo dog, you're a creep, man' before chanting 'pedophile creep' at Ly repeatedly 'In my mind he's asking about the bike which is a Taga bike,' he told ABC 7 News. It's at that point things take a turn for the bizarre and the man, still in his car, asks 'is that a Filipino thing?' most likely mistaking Ly's answer for 'Tagalog,' the widely spoken language in the Asian country. The man does not seem satisfied with Ly's response and tells him 'is that your answer, really?' before asking unrelated questions like 'what's your favorite charity, homie?' At one point the man, who appears to be recording Ly, exits his vehicle and confronts the father in his driveway while his small child is sitting on a toy car a few feet away. The random man pulled up to a San Jose father's driveway and began harassing him over his son's dinosaur flag hung in front of his home (pictured) San Jose police said the man returned to the home hours later to smash two of Ly's cars windows in with 2 1/2 pound weights The man is captured saying random things to Ly such as 'I'm sure your marriage is going so well,' and begins hurling insults like 'you're a weirdo dog, you're a creep, man' before chanting 'pedophile creep' at him repeatedly. Upset with Ly's lack of reaction the man begins to curse 'why can you not answer my simple fu**ing question?' to which Ly calmly responds 'Hey, don't say that, use that word in front of my kids.' The man then threatens Ly and tells him he is gonna come back to his home later to talk to his wife. San Jose police told ABC 7 that he did return to the home hours later to smash two of Ly's cars windows in with 2 1/2 pound weights. While he is not seen, surveillance footage captures his car pulling up and the sound of the car glass shattering while he yells 'Fu**ing pedophile!' Police are saying that the crime does not seem to be hate motivated, but Ly told ABC 7 he cant help but think he was targeted because he was Asian. 'At first he thought I was Filipino because I can pass for Filipino but I'm actually Vietnamese,' Ly said. The father of two is speaking out about the incident so the man can be brought into custody. 'Whoever this person is I hope they get caught so this doesn't happen to anyone else,' he told ABC 7. 'I want to shine light on this and make sure it's safe for everyone and safe for my kids growing up in this neighborhood.' A cafe has been inundated with online threats by vile anti-vax trolls over a kind-hearted gesture to raise funds for police. Ben Williamson, owner of the Battle cafe in Melbourne's east decided to organise a fundraiser for Victoria Police after 10 officers were injured at an anti-lockdown protest on September 18. One dollar from every coffee sold has been donated to the Blue Ribbon Foundation as a thank to police who have faced great difficulties in keeping Victorians safe during six lockdowns in the last 18 months due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Customers have thrown their support behind initiative to raise $600, which has overshadowed by online threats, abuse and negative reviews. Battle cafe owner Ben Williamson (pictured right) has called out online trolls who have targeted his business Some online threats were so serious police have been called to patrol the popular cafe in Blackburn North. 'We've received some threats, received screenshots of protest rally groups threatening to visit the cafe with bricks or a Molotov,' Mr Williamson told nine.com.au. 'To even think that people could say these things about my business whether they were going to follow through or not, it was enough to frighten us a bit.' He understands the frustrations of anti-lockdown protesters but said they're going about the wrong way. 'I can understand and really sympathise with their frustrations but directing that and turning it into violence, I don't think it's a reflection of the entire society,' he said. Staff have been left shaken by the online threats and abuse. 'There was some pretty devastating stuff that we had seen and it was just our way of wanting to support the team in blue,' Mr Williamson told the ABC. Police have been patrolling the cafe in the wake of recent online threats and abuse The cafe owner organised a fundraiser after 10 police officers were injured in the September 18 anti-lockdown protests in Melbourne (pictured) The online abuse won't stop Mr Williamson to continue raising funds on Wednesday, which coincides with Blue Ribbon Day. He has been 'absolutely overwhelmed' by the community spirit in recent days. 'The point in amongst all of this is that violence is not the answer,' he posted on Tuesday. 'I am not one to throw my weight around and whether it's a star sign thing I personally will always put myself in someone else's shoes, with that, understanding of freedom of choice aside - as a small business we never needed this untoward nonsense directed at us given what we've all been through in the past two years.' He was left emotional by a heartwarming phone call from an elderly gentleman from regional Victoria who apologised for being unable to pledge his support in person. 'We'll be at it again to raise money and awareness for the lives lost or damaged on the Police Force but also what this charity does for our local hospitals and community - something we all share an appreciation for and I'm sure as hell forget!' Mr Williamson added. Jeremy Corbyn will only get the party whip back if he issues an apology for past comments about Labour's anti-Semitism crisis, Sir Keir Starmer said yesterday. The hard-Left former leader was suspended last year after saying the scale of the problem had been 'dramatically overstated for political reasons' by opponents and the media. He was later let back in as a party member, but he is still suspended from the Labour whip and sits in the Commons as an independent. Yesterday, Mr Corbyn refused to rule out standing against his own party in his Islington North seat at the next election. And he denied being part of a 'Machiavellian plot' to stage a shadow cabinet resignation to overshadow the Labour conference. Jeremy Corbyn will only get the party whip back if he issues an apology for past comments about Labour's anti-Semitism crisis, Sir Keir Starmer (pictured) said Mr Corbyn's ally Andy McDonald quit on Monday prompting allies of Sir Keir to accuse the hard-Left of 'sabotage'. Speaking to the BBC, Sir Keir said it was up to Mr Corbyn to apologise. He said the issue is 'between Jeremy and the chief whip'. 'It has been going on for months and the ball is in Jeremy's court. Jeremy was asked to apologise to take down the post that caused the problem the first place and to work with us.' Speaking at a fringe event in Brighton yesterday, Mr Corbyn again declined to apologise. Asked if he might stand as an independent at the next election, he said: 'Let's not go into hypotheticals here. As far as I'm concerned I was proud to be elected as a Labour MP in December 2019. 'I have been elected ten times in my constituency since 1983. I love the area and do my best to represent all of the people in my community.' Mr Corbyn admitted he had several conversations with Mr McDonald, the shadow employment rights spokesman, on the same day but said that did not constitute a plot. 'I was there to give Andy support in whatever decision he decided to make,' he said. 'If it had been a deep-laid Machiavellian plot to announce a resignation ... it would've leaked out weeks ago.' Jeremy Corbyn (pictured) was suspended after saying the scale of Labour's anti-Semitism problem had been 'dramatically overstated for political reasons' by opponents and the media Mr McDonald resigned, saying the leadership told him to argue against a rise in the minimum wage to 15 an hour. Ian Murray, the moderate shadow Scottish secretary, said it looked like 'planned sabotage'. He said: 'This was a policy, don't forget, that ... [Mr McDonald] launched with much acclaim in the conference hall 48 hours before he resigned.' Mr McDonald had been due to appear at the same fringe event as Mr Corbyn, but Labour MP Barry Gardiner told the audience he had chosen to return to London instead. He said: 'If [resigning] had been something he had wanted to cause disruption by rather than simply a personal decision... then he would've been here, he would have been grandstanding. I really think it is wrong to try and say he was being manipulative.' An ex-juvenile court judge from Wisconsin faces 10 years in jail after he admitted uploading child porn depicting young boys being abused to a social media app. Brett Blomme, 39, of Cottage Grove, was a former children's court judge who had uploaded child pornography on the Kik app 27 times between October and November in 2020. Blomme is likely to be sentenced to five years for each of the two counts of child pornography distribution he admitted at a federal court hearing on Tuesday. But those sentences could end up being served consecutively, because they're for the same crime, meaning Blomme could be freed in 2026. He will still face seven counts for child porn possession with the Dane County Circuit Court and his next sentencing is scheduled for December 22. But the federal court hearing also resolves any state charges relating to the same case, so he will not face further punishment at that hearing. Ex-juvenile court judge Brett Blomme plead guilty to two counts of child pornography possession on Tuesday The Dane County Courthouse revealed that Blomme uploaded child pornography on Kik 27 times between October and November 2020 'He wants people to forgive him, which isnt easy,' Blomme's attorney Chris Van Wagner said last month after negotiating a plea deal with prosecutors. 'He just asks that people remember that nobody is as bad as their worst decision or as good as their greatest victory.' Blomme was charged in March after an investigation was launched by the Department of Justice a month before. The Department of Justice said they found Blomme's possession of child porn after they had received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in January. Blomme had been using the screen name 'DomMasterBB' which was said to be attached to his email account and included the disturbing content. It was shared to an instant messaging service called Kik. Blomme at a swearing-in ceremony on August 16 2020 with his husband and children Blomme lived with his husband Christopher Verhaeghe and children in Cottage Grove before he was arrested in March Following a search warrant, it was revealed that he had been sharing content at his home in Cottage Grove and at his office in the Milwaukee County government building. He lived at his Cottage Grove home with his husband Christopher Verhaeghe and children who were said not to be involved in the content that Blomme was sharing. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chad Elgersma said that the identity of the children involved in the content were discovered through hash values of files. An additional search was launched in the Children's Court where Blomme had worked which State Courts Director Randy Koschnick said 'left an indelible stain on that institution and the people who work there.' Blomme, who earned almost $150,000-a-year as a judge, was suspended from his position in court and officially resigned on September 1. He has been in custody since May after he was indicted by a federal grand jury. Blomme resigned from his role as a children court's judge at the Milwaukee County Courthouse on September 1 In a letter provided to the Journal, Koschnick had wrote that the state court system should be considered a victim in the case after Blomme refused to resign from his position for a lengthy period of time. 'By refusing to resign from his judicial position, Mr. Blomme has placed his self-interest ahead of the interests of the children, families and community that he was originally elected to serve,' Koschnick wrote. 'In addition, media reports about a children's court judge uploading child pornography from within the courthouse have tarnished the reputation of the judiciary and the sanctity of the court system.' A pretrial conference for Blomme will take place on Thursday. A woman was battered to death, chopped into pieces and dumped into a wheelie bin by her sadistic boyfriend, an inquest has heard. Kirby Simone Noden, 32, was murdered by her partner Dean Lowe in their bedroom in Marazion, west Cornwall. Lowe was sentenced to life with a minimum 28 years imprisonment at Truro Crown Court in May 2018 for the horrifying acts of violence. An inquest has now heard how Ms Noden was murdered between January 11 and 14 in 2017 at a courtyard flat in Marazion, and her body was then cut up and dumped in wheelie bins containing rubbish before being incinerated. Lowe killed her by smashing her with a rock from a beach and a metal pole in their bedroom. At the hearing on Monday, Detective Sergeant Christopher Rooney explained the chilling circumstances that led to Ms Noden's tragic death. Kirby Simone Noden (left), 32, was murdered by her partner Dean Lowe (right) in an act of brutality that shook the small community of Marazion near Penzance in Cornwall He said Kirby and Lowe moved to the South West of England and settled down in Torquay before moving to Marazion. Kirby was originally from Cheshire, but lost touch with her family, after her controlling boyfriend gave her an ultimatum, it was him or them. The inquest heard she had children but they had been removed from her care on account of her drug problems, an addiction she shared with killer Lowe. The couple lived in a small basement flat in Marazion, which would later become the place of her murder. DS Rooney said Devon and Cornwall Police were alerted to a call from Merseyside Police on Thursday, May 18, 2017 at 1.12am. He said: 'Merseyside Police was called by Toni-Anne Barlow to say her cousin Dean Lowe had sent her Facebook messages stating he put his girlfriend in a wheelie bin. 'The message contained a photograph of what appeared to be blood-splattered walls.' Police built a case against Lowe based on the amount of blood found in the flat and on his lover's jumper PC Neal, a local officer, was then dispatched to the couple's flat. DS Rooney told how the officer found Lowe crouched down behind the front door of the premises. He informed PC Neal that he killed Kirby and later disposed of her body parts in a wheelie bin. He said he wasn't sure of the details but could see the images in his head. DS Rooney said Lowe then took PC Neal down into the basement flat, where he showed the officer the blood-covered murder scene. PC Neal was told by Lowe that the blood belonged to his girlfriend and he had cut her body up before disposing of it in a wheelie bin. He was then arrested on suspicion of murder. A crime scene investigation team attended and confirmed that the blood belonged to Kirby. Lowe was then charged and prosecuted for the brutal murder. The coroner, Andrew Cox, said: 'It strikes me that the scene and what that poor officer was presented with was nothing short of horrific.' However, despite the evidence against him, Lowe decided to plead not guilty. DS Rooney explained he claimed he didn't murder Ms Noden, who was living in South Africa with a man called Dan Entwhistle and living off his income. The couple lived in a small basement flat in Marazion, which would later become the place of her murder. Pictured: The bed the couple shared But after a trial in May 2018, Judge Justice May sentenced Lowe to life imprisonment for murdering Kirby with a minimum of 28 years behind bars. DS Rooney said it's likely that Kirby was murdered sometime between 11 and 14 January 2017 and she had been struck over the head by a rock and the end of a metal pole. As there was no body found, the coroner had to make an application to the chief coroner for an order to open an inquest in the absence of a body. Typically it is the discovery of a body which results in an inquest being opened. The family of Kirby were made aware of the inquest but felt it wasn't necessary, according to the coroner's officer and wanted to move forward and remember her as she was. Mr Cox said when there is a criminal trial involved like in this case, normally there isn't any need for an inquest, but because the application to hold an inquest was granted after the criminal trial, it needed to be concluded. Mr Cox said: 'We don't have a body and it follows we don't have a medical cause of death, but ensuring I'm consistent with the 'findings of fact' made in the crown court, I'm proposing to put as the medical cause of death; blunt force trauma to the head, on the basis the judge found as a matter of fact Kirby was struck over the head by a rock and metal pole.' He said between 11 and 14 January 2017, Kirby was murdered in a courtyard flat in North Street in Marazion. Her body was then cut up and dumped in wheelie bins containing rubbish before being incinerated. Mr Cox said his powers to write a prevention of future deaths report following the brutal domestic homicide, where not necessary because following the court case a domestic homicide review was commissioned. A domestic homicide review is carried out when someone has died at the hands of their partner and authorities review whether the incident could have been avoided. He added: 'It's a legal requirement the inquest conclusion must be consistent with the outcome of the criminal prosecution, here we know Dean Lowe was convicted of murder, it makes it inevitable the only conclusion I will consider was that Kirby was unlawfully killed that will be the conclusion I will record.' The state of Florida filed suit against the Biden administration over its catch and release border policy on Tuesday, arguing it is illegal because it harms the Sunshine State by forcing it to 'incur millions of dollars in expenses.' Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody filed the suit on Tuesday, as part of a joint effort with Gov. Ron DeSantis. 'Many of the aliens illegally released by the Biden administration are arriving, or will arrive in Florida, harming the state's quasi-sovereign interests and forcing it to incur millions of dollars in expenses,' the suit reads. 'While some arriving migrants have legitimate asylum claims, many do not. Some are gang members and drug traffickers exploiting the crisis at the border, as evidenced by the skyrocketing amount of Fentanyl seized at the border this year,' the suit says. US code requires immigrants to be detained until a decision is made on whether they'll be allowed into the country, but under US Code 1225, the federal government has an exception in what is known as 'parole authority,' where it can release some migrants into the interior on a 'case by case basis' when there are 'urgent humanitarian reasons or significant public benefit.' Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, left, filed the suit on Tuesday, as part of a joint effort with Gov. Ron DeSantis, right The suit alleges Biden has abused this authority. 'The government is not free to ignore the clear commands of Congress. It has claimed that it lacks the resources and detention capacity to process the surge of migrants arriving at the border.' The suit argues that the Biden administrations is saying is saying its catch and release policy is due to lack of resources and an overwhelmed border, but at the same time it has 'actively sought to eliminate measures that increase its resources and detention capacity.' The suit claims that Border Patrol has released 225,000 unlawful migrants apprehended at the southern border since Biden took office, costing Florida's state prison system $100 million per year to incarcerate undocumented immigrants who commit crimes. On Sunday, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said that 12,400 migrants, mostly from Haiti, who had been camped out under the Del Rio bridge in recent weeks had been released into the interior of the US. He said that number could go up as 5,000 other cases are still being processed and 3,000 are in detention. A total of 4,000 had been expelled back to Haiti of the roughly 30,000 that have crossed into Del Rio, Texas since Sept. 9. The suit also noted costs of education, where the state spends $8,000 per year educating every student regardless of immigration status, and emergency medical services. The suit alleges Biden has abused his 'parole authority' and must detain more of the illegal migrants it catches On Sunday, DHS said that 12,400 migrants, mostly from Haiti, who had been camped out under the Del Rio bridge in recent weeks had been released into the interior of the US Florida is asking a judge to 'hold unlawful and set aside' the Biden policy of 'releasing arriving aliens subject to mandatory detention, of paroling aliens without engaging in case-by-case adjudication or abiding by the other limits on that authority, and of failing to serve charging documents or initiate removal proceedings against plainly inadmissible aliens who are being released into the interior of the United States.' It is seeking permanent injunctive relief and to award Florida costs and reasonable attorney's fees. Meanwhile, DeSantis signed an order authorizing Florida's Department of Law Enforcement and Highway Patrol 'to detain any aircraft, bus, or other vehicle within the State of Florida reasonably believed to be transporting illegal aliens to Florida from the Southwest Border.' He also sent Florida law enforcement officers to Texas to help border officials with the surge in illegal crossings. Last month, DeSantis wrote to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asking them not to resettle illegal immigrants in Florida, and to instead deport them or send them to states that support 'flouting of our immigration laws.' 'I ask that DHS immediately cease any further resettlement of illegal aliens in Florida and that the aliens instead be removed from the United States or resettled in states that support the administration's continued flouting of our immigration laws,' he said. 'Floridians welcome responsible immigration that serves the interests of Florida and the American people, but we cannot abide the lawlessness that your department is aiding and abetting on the southwest border,' he wrote. Former President Donald Trump has lost a legal effort where he sought to hold former senior White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman to a non-disclosure agreement after she wrote a tell-all book that called him a racist. And he blasted his one-time aide in a stinging statement that did not mention the legal status of his suit, following a report that a New York arbitrator ruled against Trump's claim and ordered him to pay Omarosa's legal fees. 'I gave Omarosa three attempts at The Apprentice and she failed. At her desperate request I gave her an attempt at the White House and she failed there too, people truly hated her. At least now I dont have to let her fail anymore,' Trump said in a statement provided to DailyMail.com. 'Nobody in her life has done more for Omarosa than a man named Donald Trump. Unfortunately, like certain others, she forgot all about that which is fine with me!' 'I gave Omarosa three attempts at The Apprentice and she failed,' former President Donald Trump said in a statement after a New York arbitrator ruled in favor of Omarosa Manigault Newman after Trump sued to try to enforce an NDA The defeat at arbitration comes after Trump sued to enforce an NDA with the former 'Apprentice' contested who rose to become a senior White House aide, only to pen a book bashing her former boss. In the book, Omarosa claimed Trump had been recorded using the N-word while at NBC, although she writes she failed to uncover the tapes, and claimed he was 'mentally declined.' But her litany of accusations about the president she once served did not fall within the scope of the agreement she signed, a New York arbitrator found. Her lawyer, John Phillips, shared the conclusions of the arbitrator, Andrew Brown, with the New York Times. 'The statements do not disclose hard data such as internal polling results or donor financial information,' wrote Brown. 'Rather, they are for the most part simply expressions of unflattering opinions, which are deemed "confidential information" based solely upon the designation of Mr. Trump. This is exactly the kind of indefiniteness which New York courts do not allow to form the terms of a binding contract.' Trump sued in 2018 to try to enforce the NDA. He called her 'disgusting' in 2019 tweets, and wrote: 'Yes, I am currently suing various people for violating their confidentiality agreements. Disgusting and foul mouthed Omarosa is one. He wrote: 'I gave her every break, despite the fact that she was despised by everyone, and she went for some cheap money from a book. Numerous others also!' 'At her desperate request I gave her an attempt at the White House and she failed there too, people truly hated her,' Trump said, attacking Omarosa's White House tenure The setback comes as another former aide, former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, penned her own tell-all Flashback: Trump tweeted in 2019: 'Yes, I am currently suing various people for violating their confidentiality agreements. Disgusting and foul mouthed Omarosa is one. I gave her every break, despite the fact that she was despised by everyone, and she went for some cheap money from a book. Numerous others also!' In the book, Omarosa, who was a contestant on The Apprentice and later served as a senior adviser to the president, painted a picture of Trump as scattered, self-absorbed, misogynistic and insecure Omarosa told the Times: 'Donald has used this type of vexatious litigation to intimidate, harass and bully for years. Finally the bully has met his match!' Her book cast Trump as a bigot. 'I didn't want to believe it,' she wrote. 'I rejected what other people said about him because they didn't know him like I did. 'I had to go through the pain of witnessing his racism with my own eyes, and hearing it with my own ears, many times, until I couldn't deny it any longer.' Trump's setback came at a time when yet another former aide, former White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham, was torching Trump and Trump family members in her own new tell-all, which is out next week. She wrote that Russian President Vladimir Putin brought an attractive translator to a meeting to distract Trump, that Trump concealed what was likely a colonoscopy when he was taken to Walter Reed, that White House aides called Ivanka Trump 'the princess,' and that Trump wanted Grisham to re-enact his 'perfect' phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for the press, among other disclosures. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' wife Tanya (pictured) confronted protesters outside their DC home on Monday Alejandro Mayorkas' wife had a run in with protesters outside their D.C. home on Monday as they hung a 30-foot banner and chanted accusations that the Biden administration is carrying out Trump immigrations policies. 'We talked briefly to the wife of DHS Secretary Mayorkas,' Never Again Action, a Jewish anti-Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) organization posted on Twitter. 'She was very angry, and told us that this was her family home.' 'And we really do understand that,' they continued in a Monday Twitter thread. 'But again, there are families being torn apart every day. There are people being deported from their home forever, every day.' They included a video of Tanya Mayorkas walking away with her dog on a leash along with what appears to be a plain-clothes security guard. 'We know that doing an action at someone's house can make things personal & bring families into the equation,' Never Again tweeted. 'But our first responsibility is to the personal trauma and the families torn apart by Trump's policies, that the Biden administration continues to use against immigrants.' The group was protesting the recent deportation efforts at the southern border by covering Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas' DC residence in a banner reading: 'Biden President Trump Policy.' 'We just covered his [Mayorkas'] house with a 30-foot emergency blanket banner, speaking the truth: on immigration, the Biden presidency is a continuation of Trump policy,' the group wrote on Twitter. Along with the post was an image of the silver banner with red lettering that included the hashtag '#KeepYourPromises'. Never Again Action, a Jewish anti-ICE group, hung a 30-foot silver banner on DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' home on Monday in protest of the Biden administration's recent string of deportations of illegal Haitian immigrants Tanya Mayorkas, the secretary's wife, (pictured with her dog above) had a run in with the protesters, who claim she was 'angry' over the protest outside her and her husband's personal DC residence Tanya (left) and Alejandro Mayorkas (right) have two daughters, Giselle and Amelia Never Again Action said Mayorkas' wife said she was 'angry' that they were protesting at her 'family home' when they ran in to her The protests come in direct response of the images from the southern border as Homeland Security ramps up its deportation efforts after a group of mostly Haitian migrants set up camp near the Del Rio International Bridge in Texas. Here Haitian migrants wait in a shelter in Monterrey, Mexico on Monday as they await their case to be heard in the U.S. They said their goal in the banner and chanting outside his home is to make the deportation of illegal immigrants 'impossible to ignore.' They also admitted that they doxxed Mayorkas by revealing to some of his neighbors that the man in charge of ICE and Border Patrol lived there. Never Again Action protests around the country with the goal of the total abolition of ICE. The group derives its name from the slogan 'never again,' which is most often used in reference to the Holocaust. 'Biden promised to dismantle Trump's cruel immigration system, and replace it with one that's 'fair and humane.' Instead, his admin is doubling down on Trump's policies and tactics of fear. It's exactly what we all voted against,' the organization wrote on Twitter. The protest is in direct response to the images coming from the border as DHS ramps up its deportation of illegal immigrants and asylum-seekers. A group of around 15,000 of mostly Haitian migrants set up an encampment near the Del Rio International Bridge in Texas this month that led to the Biden administration's ramped up removal efforts. Several deportation flights have gone from the U.S. to Haiti since last Sunday. But what has most people upset is the images of Border Patrol agents on horseback appearing to use the reins as whips on migrants. The agents insist they were only using the split reins to direct their horses and wrangle the migrants, but not to whip them. When Secret Service showed up, the group said it was their goal to make noise and ensure they make the 'deportation crisis... impossible to ignore' In one video from outside the secretary's home on Monday, a member of the group could be heard behind the camera saying they are holding Biden and Mayorkas accountable for the promises they are breaking at the border. 'Secretary Mayorkas has the power to do two things,' they continued is their thread. '1. Cancel Trump's border policy 2. Cancel Trump's ICE contracts'. In upsetting Mrs. Mayorkas and causing a ruckus the group said that was the goal of the protest. 'Secret Service everywhere at the house of DHS Secretary Mayorkas,' they wrote. 'This was our goal: to make the deportation crisis, at the border & in our communities, impossible to ignore.' The group claims that the Biden administration is not keeping its promise to dismantle Trump's immigration policies and instead is doubling down on them They linked to a petition to get Mayorkas to cancel the use of 'Title 42' for deportations and to end ICE contracts with local law enforcement The tweet added: 'If Biden's admin thinks they can keep Trump's policies AND keep it quiet they're very very wrong.' 'We've been talking to lots of neighbors, who didn't realize they live next to the man in charge of ICE & Border Patrol,' they added. 'Most of them have been really supportive, saying things like 'this isn't what I voted for.' One man was really angry. He kept repeating 'but it's his home.' A link in the Twitter thread leads to a page titled 'Cancel Trump's Immigration Policies' that prompts people to sign the petition. 'Joe Biden promised his administration would end Trump's reign of terror against immigrants. He promised to make the immigration system 'fair and humane.' The scarring images we saw last week showed the truth about these broken promises,' a message attached to the petition reads. 'From violently deporting refugees at the border to keeping ICE in our communities, Biden's presidency has been a continuation of Trump's policy on immigration,' they added. 'It has to stop. We have to stop it.' 'DHS Secretary Mayorkas oversees Border Patrol and ICE. He's the one with the power to reverse these Trump policies, and stop enforcing Trump's immigration agenda,' Never Again Action claimed. 'So we're calling on Mayorkas to keep the promises that were made, and do two things: cancel Trump's border policy, and cancel Trump's ICE contracts.' They explained that canceling the Trump order policies would entail ending 'Title 42', which is a tool used by the the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during public health emergencies and is currently being used to allow for more streamlined deportation to prevent furtherance of the coronavirus pandemic by way of migration to the southern border. By canceling ICE contracts, the Never Again Action is seeking to stop cooperation between the immigration enforcement agency along with local police departments, which can lead to increased deportations when illegal status is reported. Brisbane residents are bracing for the potential imposition of lockdown measures after the discovery of four coronavirus cases. Concerned health officials released a series of new exposure sites after state recorded its first mystery case in 50 days on Tuesday. Two McDonalds restaurants, a Woolworths supermarket, a cafe, Domino's pizza store, childcare centre, and inner-city guesthouse are among the venues exposed to the virus which have plunged hundreds into isolation. The latest virus outbreak has already triggered the return of mandatory mask wearing indoors across the Brisbane and Moreton Bay local government areas. It has also cast doubt over whether Sunday night's NRL grand final can proceed at Suncorp Stadium, or if it will be moved north to Townsville. Brisbane is on high alert after four new cases (pictured Brisbane residents in the CBD on Tuesday A Brisbane man in his 30s who works in the aviation industry tested positive on Tuesday. He had no recent history of international or domestic travel. He was infectious in the community for three days and had only been vaccinated a week prior, meaning he was not fully protected. His wife has also tested positive. The third case is that of a woman who returned three negative tests during two weeks in hotel quarantine before testing positive five days after her release. Infectious diseases expert Dr Paul Griffin described the next 24-48 hours as critical and wouldn't be surprised to see more cases in the coming days. 'There are high-risk features particularly associated with one of the four cases we had announced yesterday,' he told the Today show on Wednesday. Queensland has two clusters with the biggest concern for a truck driver who was infectious in the community for eight days and stayed at two hotels and a inner-city boarding house. 'We know household contacts are potentially some of the highest risk contacts,' Dr Griffin said. An infectious diseases expert wouldn't be surprised if Brisbane goes back into lockdown (pictured in Brisbane CBD) 'This person had three addresses during the time they were infectious. While most were in single rooms, I understand there were shared facilities there - that sort of environment means there's a relatively high-risk associated with that person.' He wouldn't be surprised if Brisbane goes into lockdown in desperate effort to avoid a repeat of the horror outbreaks currently experienced in NSW and Victoria. 'This does have the hallmarks of something very significant,' Dr Griffin said. 'We know this virus is coming. Whether it's today, or whether it's a few weeks or maybe a small number of months.' 'We know the virus will come in Queensland. We've been falsely reassured by the success we've had so far. There's been an element of complacency.' Adalong Guest House in South Brisbane (pictured) at the centre of the new scare is across the road from a school and adjacent to a major hospital Five of the exposure sites announced on Tuesday were close contact sites, so anyone who was at the venues at the listed times must get tested and self-isolate for 14 days, regardless of the result. They include Hill Station Restaurant and Cafe and Brands Pharmacy in Spring Hill, Seats 'R' Us in Rocklea, Adalong Student Guesthouse and McDonald's Southbank. A host of casual contact venues were also announced, with attendees ordered to test tested and self-isolate until they received a negative result. They include Dominos Pizza in Spring Hill, Mother Duck Childcare and Kindergarten in Eatons Hil, Woolworths Southpoint Metro, Freedom Furniture in Aspley and Mater Public Hospital's emergency department. McDonald's drive-thru in Albany Creek was listed as a low-risk venue between 5.05am and 5.10am on September 24. Anyone there at that time should be on alert for symptoms and get tested if they develop. Queensland Police are also on high alert. 'One of those (cases) was as a result of a truck driver coming into the state and out in the community for considerable period of time,' Commissioner Katarina Carroll told the Today show. 'I haven't had the latest numbers in this morning but our contact tracers will be very, very busy in the next few days.' The Queensland government has moved to mandate truck drivers entering Queensland have had at least one jab, with seven infected drivers having come into the state since August 24 and then being active in the community. Freight drivers must receive their first jab by by October 15, and two jabs by November 15. The latest outbreak has prompted police to ramp up checks on truck drivers entering the state. McDonalds Southbank in Brisbane has been listed as a close contact exposure site 'We are all supportive of freight moving around the country but when the evidence is there and the risk is there we really need to do something about it,' Commissioner Carroll said. We have very good relationships with that industry, so we will negotiate what needs to be done ahead of time. 'But certainly we have seen the dramas across the country. We ask that truck driver, whilst they might want to protest and demonstrate, that we all try to do the right thing here. Because ultimately it's about everyone's safety.' The four cases reported on Tuesday have brought a cloud over the NRL grand final plans, just days before 50,000 people are expected to descend on Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on Sunday. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said there had been no discussions with the NRL over a potential plan to move the event. 'When my phone rings I'll be updating people, but there is no concern at the moment,' she said on Tuesday. Queensland administered 18,482 vaccinations in the reporting period until Tuesday, with 64.1 per cent of the eligible population having received their first dose. There are fears more cases could emerge in Brisbane (pictured) in the coming days A rebellion has erupted at National Highways after the chief executive tried to play down the Mails undercover investigation into death trap smart motorways. Nick Harris emailed hundreds of staff on Monday to complain about this newspapers bombshell revelations without identifying any errors. One employee hit back by listing a catalogue of failures they were desperately trying to resolve. The staff member urged Mr Harris to fix safety equipment on a section of the M4, claiming the combination of faulty cameras, SOS boxes and signals was a perfect storm. This is just one example, please get it sorted, the worker said. The reply copied to everyone who had received Mr Harriss email told the chief executive: I dont think your message was very helpful. A rebellion has erupted at National Highways after the chief executive tried to play down the Mails undercover investigation into death trap smart motorways. Pictured: National Highways East Regional Operations Centre based in South Mimms Several more members of staff have contacted the Mail since our investigation was published on Monday. It revealed that one in ten cameras vital to the safe operation of the network was broken, misted up or facing the wrong way during an audit on September 17. Faulty and outdated computer hardware dating back to 2004 was in use and software went down several times in the six weeks an undercover reporter worked at one of six National Highways control centres. Boris Johnson has ordered a thorough investigation into the Mails shocking findings. Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, admitted he was deeply concerned and has demanded an update from the agency within days. Campaigners claim smart motorways where the hard shoulder is a running lane have caused a string of deaths. Mr Harris, who is paid hundreds of thousands of pounds a year, sent the email to all employees working at or with the control centre where the Mail reporter was based. He wrote: I understand all too well how many of us will feel about the tone and content of the story especially our people at South Mimms. He claimed he didnt recognise many of the serious allegations made in our expose but said we must look into them. National Highways chief executive Nick Harris Mr Harris seemed just as concerned at how the Mails reporter had managed to secure a job with National Highways. He wrote: Our recruitment processes are constantly under review and well make any changes to our screening methods that are necessary as a result of this incident. Its important to remember, though, that undercover journalists are intelligent, determined and resourceful people who are very good at disguising themselves. The incensed staff member who replied to Mr Harris included in his email a screenshot of an elevated section of the M4 with a row of red camera icons, saying: Six cameras in a row are not working. The worker said that there was also a faulty SOS phone that rings in many times each shift but cannot be checked due to the lack of cameras. Highlighting that there had been no response to any of the warnings, the employee asked Mr Harris: Would you like me to forward you the emails? Oh, I forgot to mention some of the signals arent working there either. So an elevated motorway with no hard shoulder, no camera coverage, faulty signals and a faulty SOS phone? A perfect storm. Another whistleblower said our investigation had caused a spike in staff speaking up. Weve all known this has been happening for a long time, he added. The employee, who works as a traffic officer patrolling roads and dealing with incidents, said: My life is at risk every time I go to work. He criticised the uniform, saying officers often arrive at accidents before police and have to try to calm aggressive drivers while wearing silly trousers that make you look like a bin man. Accusing the agency of incompetence, he said traffic patrols were expected to reach breakdowns and accidents quickly but lacked blue emergency lights and could not drive on the hard shoulder or break the speed limit. He also highlighted a not-fit-for-purpose vehicle service plan which leaves us without patrol cars for weeks and sometimes months for simple repairs. A former employee, who worked at the agency for several years, said: Maladministration, faulty hardware and National Highways culture of never admitting liability means motorists are being set up to fail. Mr Harris said: Safety remains our top priority and our motorways are the safest type of road in the country. Data shows fatalities are less likely on smart motorways than on conventional ones, but we recognise concerns continue to be raised. We are determined to do all we can to help drivers feel safe and be safer on all our roads and we are investigating these allegations as a matter of urgency. National Highways suggested that the faulty M4 cameras were obsolete and would be removed. Death trap lanes left open too long Motorists are being left without crucial refuge points on death trap smart motorways because of highways staff failings, the Mail can reveal. Perilous dynamic motorways work by opening the hard shoulder as a live lane for short stints during periods of heavy traffic to reduce congestion. But in a damning internal email, managers told staff they were leaving the refuge area open when we really shouldnt, adding: We dont just open the hard shoulder and leave it for eight hours. It means the hard shoulder operates as a driving lane for much longer than it should and there is no escape for motorists who break down. Staff at each Regional Operations Centre (ROC) should monitor the dynamic motorways which operate on 67 miles of the road network on parts of the M1, M4, M5, M6, M42 and M62 and record their observations. Dev Naran, eight, (right) died instantly in 2018 after a lorry ploughed into his grandfathers stationary Toyota Yaris which was stopped on the hard shoulder while it was operating as a live lane on the M6 At least six people have been killed on the horror roads, with coroners warning the confusing motorways are a danger. Dev Naran, eight, died instantly in 2018 after a lorry ploughed into his grandfathers stationary Toyota Yaris which was stopped on the hard shoulder while it was operating as a live lane on the M6. Writing to staff at the South Mimms control room in Hertfordshire last month, a team manager admitted operators were not recording the information properly. The East ROC is responsible for a stretch of dynamic motorway between Junctions 10 to 13 of the M1, which starts near Luton and ends before Milton Keynes. She wrote: I have been passed some figures that show we are leaving the MM [managed motorway] open when we really shouldnt. I have noticed too many that just get scheduled for an entire shift without any updates going in it as to whether congestion has cleared and we are able to close links. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps last year vowed to scrap confusing dynamic motorways by converting them into All Lane Running where the hard shoulder is permanently used as a fourth lane by March 2025. Advertisement Case for the hard shoulder is now beyond all doubt Commentary by Nick Lyes, Head of roads policy at the RAC Back in 2019, some 67 per cent of drivers told the RAC that they believed that safety had been compromised as a result of removing the hard shoulder on Britains motorways. By this year alone, that figure had leapt to a stunning 84 per cent. And after the Mails damning reports on smart motorways this week, I would not be surprised if that number was now very close to 100 per cent. The case for abolishing so-called All Lane Running smart motorways, which remove the hard shoulder entirely but can allow for lane closure in the event of a car breaking down or in certain other circumstances, is now overwhelming. I was horrified when I read in this newspaper of the litany of problems and technical failures that are putting peoples lives at risk on smart motorways: from cameras breaking down, obscured by leaves or condensation or pointing the wrong way, to outdated equipment and staff failing to monitor the network properly. Back in 2019, some 67 per cent of drivers told the RAC that they believed that safety had been compromised as a result of removing the hard shoulder on Britains motorways (stock image) But my horror was not matched by surprise. At the RAC, we have been warning for years about these dangers. Weve given key evidence to Government committees citing our grave concerns about the unreliable technology. Weve told of drivers suffering blown-out tyres or engine problems and being forced to stop and wait in the far-left lane of the motorway and initially not realising that they remain helpless in the path of speeding traffic behind them. Weve told of these peoples terror as they wait for our patrols to assist them and, in some cases, how others have even been killed or seriously injured. When I joined the RAC in 2015 as Head of Roads Policy, there was already growing disquiet about the All Lane Running (ALR) system that the Government had introduced the year before. Under ALR, the hard shoulder is permanently converted into a running lane unless it needs to be closed following an accident or some other reason. The case for abolishing so-called All Lane Running smart motorways, which remove the hard shoulder entirely but can allow for lane closure in the event of a car breaking down or in certain other circumstances, is now overwhelming (stock image) Even back then, with the scheme still in its relative infancy, it was clear to us from our patrols and from emails sent to our headquarters that drivers did not feel safe in them. Yet, desperate to find a long-term, cheaper way of easing mounting congestion on the countrys road network, successive governments have seemed ever more determined to plough ahead with ALR motorways despite the mounting strength of feeling against them and the evidence that they can, when things go wrong, be fatal to drivers. That applies doubly if you or one of your passengers is disabled as, for example, my father is. If you have mobility issues, it is not always possible to act on the advice of National Highways to get out of your vehicle if it is safe to do so. I would worry terribly if my parents had to undertake a motorway journey these days. Even when the technology works, it isnt foolproof: we know that almost 1 in 4 people have admitted to ignoring a lane-closed sign telling them there is a blockage or incident ahead. Such lapses can kill. Behind all the statistics of deaths on smart motorways (53 people were killed on them in the four years to 2019) there is a terrible human cost wives, husbands, sons and daughters lost. Of course, hard shoulders are not a panacea: people get injured and killed on them, too. But, if your car has broken down, they are undoubtedly a safer place to be than in a live lane with traffic coming up behind you at 70mph. So, given that traffic levels are likely to continue to increase exponentially in years to come, what is to be done? An obvious solution is more lanes but that means money and time. Smart motorways cost as little as 5 million per mile compared to 79 million per mile for a whole new lane. The fact is, though, that smart motorways can work but only if there are plentiful refuge areas and if the technology makes the system work faultlessly. Alas, as the Mail has so chillingly illustrated, the problem is that in too many cases it doesnt. We at the RAC believe the solution is already there in a return to so-called dynamic hard shoulder motorways, which retain the hard shoulder, clearly marked, but which allow this to be opened up to traffic when needed for example at times of severe congestion. Stringent speed limits, frequent refuge areas and close monitoring by the relevant agencies must all apply. This, we believe, is a sensible halfway house between the risky madness of ALR and the hard shoulder we all used to know. It has a good safety record, yet last year the Government made a commitment to scrap the dynamic hard shoulder altogether. It is now high time that they reconsidered and avoided more terrible tragedies on Britains roads. A postcode lottery of GP surgeries means some patients are five times less likely to see a doctor in person than others, a Daily Mail investigation reveals today. Analysis of NHS figures shows a huge variation in access, with one practice conducting fewer than one in six appointments with doctors in the same room, while at others the figure is nine in ten. The Mail is campaigning for GPs to get back to seeing patients in person, amid fears the rise in phone and video consultations has led to serious illnesses such as cancer being missed. The proportion of face-to-face appointments has plummeted from 80 per cent before the Covid pandemic to just 57 per cent this July. A key part of our five-point manifesto is an end to the postcode lottery so anybody can be seen in person, regardless of where they live. Patient groups described the Mail's findings as 'shocking' last night and said they show some practices have effectively banned face-to-face care. A postcode lottery of GP surgeries means some patients are five times less likely to see a doctor in person than others, a Daily Mail investigation reveals today (file image) Grandad's brain tumour death after 26 calls David Rowarth died from a malignant brain tumour after trying to see a GP at his surgery for six months. A total of 26 calls were made after the grandfather's health began deteriorating in June last year. He collapsed at home in Etching Hill, Staffordshire, in November. David Rowarth died from a malignant brain tumour after trying to see a GP at his surgery for six months Neurosurgeons then found a tumour 'the size of an orange' but said 74-year-old Mr Rowarth was too weak for an operation and he died at home in January. A family member said the grandfather might have been offered treatment that would have given him more time with his family. The relative said the retired sales manager for an agricultural firm was 'always triaged to either a pharmacist, nurse or GP to call back'. Video meetings were allegedly denied and one doctor who rang even suggested the problem might be snoring. And a GP who rang with results of a blood test was told about the tumour and replied 'bless', said the relative. Advertisement The NHS GP Survey, which was completed by 850,000 patients, shows a huge variation in the chances of getting seen by a doctor. Some 90 per cent of appointments at Thaxted Surgery, near Saffron Walden in Essex, and Ingleton Avenue Surgery in Welling, south-east London, were face to face. But at Maple View Medical Practice in Redditch, Worcestershire, the figure was just 18 per cent. Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK, said the variation is 'unacceptably high'. She added: 'It would be reasonable for an older person to assume they have a broadly similar chance of accessing their GP or practice nurse face to face, regardless of where they live. 'We do, after all, have a 'National' Health Service and equality of access is part of its DNA.' And Dennis Reed, of over-60s campaign group Silver Voices, said: 'It is not right that a person's access to healthcare is determined by where they live. It is shocking. 'We often hear from our members that they find it almost impossible to be seen by a doctor in person. This investigation shows some surgeries have effectively implemented a near blanket ban on face-to-face care.' Analysis of NHS figures shows a huge variation in access, with one practice conducting fewer than one in six appointments with doctors in the same room, while at others the figure is nine in ten. Pictured: a woman waits for an appointment The NHS survey questioned patients on their experience of primary care from January to March this year, and it includes data on appointment types for 6,585 surgeries. It found 147 practices conducted fewer than one in three of their appointments face to face. And just 18 achieved rates of 80 per cent or above. By region, patients in the South West were most likely to get an in-person consultation, with this being the case 55.1 per cent of the time. Londoners fared worst, with a figure of just 47.8 per cent. Patients at some of the worst practices for face-to-face appointments yesterday bemoaned the hurdles they had to clear before seeing their GP. Noel Lawrence, 62, said it was 'very, very hard' to get an appointment at Maple View Medical Practice in Redditch. 'Every time you phone, there are 30 people in a queue,' he added. 'When you do get through, there are no appointments for that day.' Patients at Edenfield Road Surgery in Rochdale, where 25 per cent of those surveyed were seen face to face, said it was a struggle to get an appointment. Mark Gaydon, 63, claimed the surgery refused to see him when his leg swelled to twice its normal size. 'It was a blood clot and it could have killed me,' he said. 'I was saved because I went to a walk-in centre up the road and they diagnosed me.' Mr Gaydon said he now contacts the surgery 'reluctantly'. He added: 'The prevailing attitude seems to be, 'How dare you come here?' Professor Martin Marshall, of the Royal College of GPs, said: 'Different areas will have different patient demographics and patients will have different health needs and individual practices will deliver their care in a way that meets these best. 'It's also the case that under-investment in general practice by successive governments... will be affecting some areas and practices more than others.' St Stephens Partnership, which runs Maple View practice, said staff had worked 'tirelessly' through the pandemic and had been operating under national guidance in the survey period. 'Where clinically necessary, face-to-face appointments have been available throughout the pandemic,' it added. Former first lady Melania Trump found ways to jab back at former President Donald Trump after stunning disclosures surfaced claiming he had an affair with porn star Stormy Daniels before he took office, according to a new tell-all. Although the first lady kept her composure in public, she found ways to get back subtly, her former press aide and chief of staff Stephanie Grisham writes in her new book. Her tactics included taking a separate motorcade to the Capitol for Trump's State of the Union address. And when she made her entrance walking across the Capitol under the glare of cameras and lights for the made-for-TV moment Grisham selected a 'handsome' military aide, to accompany her. Grisham writes that she selected the aide to help her boss, a former model, make it through the Capitol's slick marble floors. 'I laughed to myself because Id seen the woman navigate dirt roads in her heels,' she writes. And when Trump tried to deny the affair, she was dismissive, in comments reported by Grisham, who also served as White House press secretary, although she never held a press briefing during her tenure. 'Oh, please, are you kidding me?' she said, according to Grisham. 'I dont believe any of that,' she said, using an expletive. Stephanie Grisham wrote that she hand-picked a handsome military aide to walk arm-and-arm with First Lady Melania Trump into the 2018 State of the Union as part of a campaign of revenge against President Donald Trump for his alleged affair with porn star Stormy Daniels A Marine escorts Melania Trump to the the steps of the Capitol for her husband's inauguration on January 20, 2017. Grisham also claims in her book that Melania didn't believe any of her husband's denials over the affair with Daniels Grisham writes that Melania was angered when the stunning affair came to light in a Wall Street Journal story that first revealed Trump paid $130,000 in hush money payments. Trump has repeatedly denied having an affair with Daniels, whose real name is Stephanie Clifford. 'I felt that Mrs. Trump was basically unleashed,' Grisham wrote. On another occasion, Grisham helped write a statement for the first lady requesting privacy for her and her family. It was to say she intended to concentrate on being a mother, wife and first lady. According to Grisham, she had her aide remove the word 'wife.' In another of the book's claims, this one with international intrigue, Russian President Vladimir Putin brought an 'attractive' translator with him to distract former President Donald Trump at their 2019 meeting - and Trump told Putin he would act tough in front of the cameras and then play nice privately, Grisham writes. 'OK, I'm going to act a little tougher with you for a few minutes. But it's for the cameras, and after they leave, we'll talk. You understand,' Trump had told Putin when they met in June 2019 in Japan at the G20, Grisham recounted. Copies of Grisham's book - I'll Take Your Questions Now, What I Saw at Trump White House - were obtained by The Washington Post and The New York Times. It hits bookshelves on October 5. Melania poses with an airman during a tour of Joint Base Langley in Hampton, Virginia, on December 12, 2018 Daniels wrote in a 2018 book on her affair with the former president: 'I lay there, annoyed that I was getting f***ed by a guy with Yeti pubes and a d*** like the mushroom character in Mario Kart Stehanie Grisham wrote that she was told by Russia expert Fiona Hill that Russian President Vladimir Putin (center) had brought along an 'attractive' translator (left) to distract President Donald Trump (right) during their 2019 meeting Grisham was a 2016 campaign aide who became First Lady Melania Trump's spokeswoman, before being elevated to White House press secretary and communications director from July 2019 to April 2020. She then returned to the East Wing to serve as the first lady's spokesperson, again, and chief of staff. The new book fills in some blanks about some of the most memorable moments from Trump's one term. I'll Take Your Questions Now: What I saw at the Trump White House by Stephanie Grisham comes out on October 5 The Putin meeting in question came 11 months after the infamous Helsinki summit where Trump seemed to side with the Russian president over American intelligence agencies on whether Russia interfered in the 2016 presidential election. At the July 2018 meeting, Trump said Putin offered an 'extremely strong and powerful' denial. At their 2019 meeting in Japan, Trump playfully scolded and wagged a finger at Putin in front of the cameras telling the Russian leader, 'don't meddle in the election,' before they met behind closed doors for 90 minutes without journalists present. According to The Times, Grisham conversed with Fiona Hill - the administration's Russia expert turned impeachment 1.0 witness - who explained what Putin was doing to throw Trump off. 'As the meeting began, Fiona Hill leaned over and asked me if I had noticed Putin's translator, who was a very attractive brunette woman with long hair, a pretty face, and a wonderful figure,' Grisham wrote. 'She proceeded to tell me that she suspected the woman had been selected by Putin specifically to distract our president.' A brunette woman with a blue dress can be seen following Putin into the room as the Russian leader greets the American delegation in Osaka. Stephanie Grisham's (left) ex-boyfriend Max Miller (right) was dubbed the 'music man' and would play showtunes like Memories from Cats to calm Trump down, Grisham wrote in her forthcoming book Trump told Stephanie Grisham he didn't have a 'toad-shaped penis' during Melania's campaign of revenge over Stormy Daniels affair The ex-press secretary also recalled how Trump insisted his penis was not shaped like a toadstool - responding to comments made by porn star Stormy Daniels. Daniels wrote in a 2018 book on her affair with the former president: 'I lay there, annoyed that I was getting f***ed by a guy with Yeti pubes and a d*** like the mushroom character in Mario Kart.' Trump, upon hearing the allegation, called his press secretary from Air Force one to assure her his penis was neither small nor shaped like a toadstool, Grisham said. Grisham also wrote that the former president once asked her former boyfriend, Miller, if she was good in bed. The Daniels affair, Grisham wrote, 'unleashed' Melania's vengeance as she began trying to contradict her husband in public. The first lady told Grisham she didn't believe her husband's denials. When Grisham drafted a tweet requesting privacy at the time of the affair, saying that Melania would focus on being a first lady, wife and mother, the first lady asked Grisham to scrub the tweet of the word 'wife.' Trump would cut his hair with giant scissors and tunes from his favorite musicals would calm him down Grisham's includes bizarre details about Trump's behavior. For instance, she claims he cuts his hair with a 'huge pair of scissors that could probably cut a ribbon at an opening of one of his properties.' She also writes that one of Trump's aides - later revealed to be Grisham's ex-boyfriend Max Miller, who is running for an Ohio Congressional seat and has been endorsed by Trump - would play him his favorite show tunes, including 'Memory' from Cats, to calm him down during tantrums. Grisham described Trump's temper as 'terrifying. Trump takes interest in a young press aide Trump continued the womanizing behavior he was known for as a brash Manhattan real estate tycoon at the White House, Grisham revealed, writing that he repeatedly invited a young press aide to his Air Force One cabin - one time to look at her behind. 'A couple of times I came close to telling Mrs. Trump about the president's behavior. I thought that if she would say one little word to him about it, she could make it stop. But I could never bring myself to say anything,' Grisham wrote. Ultimately, she was too 'chickens***' to tell the then-first lady or 'maybe it wasn't my place or any of my business,' she noted. And she reveals Melania Trump may still not know about the former president's behavior. Grisham revealed in her book that the former president took 'an unusual interest in a young, highly attractive press wrangler on my team.' She details what she called inappropriate behavior by Trump and noted she tried to protect the staffer, who she doesn't name. Grisham writes Trump would tell her to put the staffer 'on TV. Keep her happy, promote her.' Trump, a former reality TV star, consider being on TV a great compliment and hired some of his staff and lawyers based on their appearances on Fox News. Grisham also reveals that on one Air Force One trip Trump asked that the staffer be brought to his cabin, saying: 'Let's bring her up here and look at her ass.' She said after that she tried to keep the staffer off trips: 'I needed to protect her and, frankly, the president as well.' Melania's 'I Really Dont Care, Do U?' jacket remains shrouded in mystery Later that year, Melania Trump would seemingly go rogue again when she wore a 'I Really Dont Care, Do U?' Zara jacket on a trip to tour a Texas Health and Human Services facility where migrant children were being housed. A handful of the children at the McAllen facility had been separated from their families due to the controversial Trump immigration policy. Grisham said the first lady had purchased the $39 jacket herself - and Melania Trump never gave a solid explanation as to why she wore it. She told Grisham that it was just a jacket, when they were trying to figure out damage control on the plane. Upon arrival at the White House, the president told an aide that the first lady needed to come to the Oval Office. Grisham said it was the first time she'd seen the president summon the first lady that way in front of staff. He yelled and asked 'what the [expletive] they thought they were doing, The Post said. Trump then devised a plan and tweeted out that the message was meant for the 'Fake News.' The first lady continued to repeat that story in interviews - but the real reason she wore the jacket remains unknown. Melania Trump bought the $39 'I Really Dont Care, Do U?' jacket from Zara and wore it on a trip to see facilities that housed migrant children in June 2018. Grisham said it was the president who came up with the narrative that the message was meant for the 'fake news' media Trump wanted Grisham to evict the press and reenact his perfect phone call During her time serving as White House press secretary, Trump asked Grisham to find a way to remove the press from the White House premises. He also wanted her to re-enact his 'perfect' phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for them. She revealed that a trip to North Korea inspired Trump to ask her to find ways he could evict the White House press corps from the James Brady briefing room - a place he frequently held news conferences and bantered with reporters. 'I researched different places we could put them other than the press briefing room. Each time the president asked me about my progress on the matter, I let him know I was still working on options,' Grisham wrote. Grisham, who was notable for never holding a press briefing as White House press secretary, explains she didn't do so out of fears of what Trump would ask her to say at the podium. Trump's first press secretary, Sean Spicer, famously argued Trump's inauguration crowd was 'the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration' - claim that did not match side-by-side photos of Trump's inauguration with Barack Obama's and destroyed his credibility. 'I knew that sooner or later the president would want me to tell the public something that was not true or that would make me sound like a lunatic,' she noted. She also detailed one of Trump's more outlandish requests - that she appear before the press corps and reenact his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which led to his first impeachment. She managed to avoid doing it. Trump, himself, famously like to reenact the call by reliving what he and Zelensky said, using different tones of voices to make his point. Trump's mysterious medical procedure at Walter Reed was likely a colonoscopy While Grisham didn't name the procedure, the former Trump aide strongly hinted that what Trump went to Walter Reed for in November 2019 was a colonoscopy - without anesthesia. In the book, Grisham described it as a 'very common procedure' where 'a patient is sometimes put under.' The reason for the secrecy, Grisham explained, was that Trump didn't want to hand over power to Vice President Mike Pence, even for a short amount of time, because it would be 'showing weakness.' He also didn't want to be 'the butt of the joke,' she wrote, on late-night TV. On the day of Trump's Walter Reed trip, Grisham as press secretary told reporters that Trump had traveled to the Bethesda, Maryland facility for a physical. 'Anticipating a very busy 2020, the President is taking advantage of a free weekend here in Washington, D.C., to begin portions of his routine annual physical exam at Walter Reed,' Grisham said. Grisham expressed that the concealment was regrettable. She noted in the book that Trump could have used his influence to demystify colonoscopies - and thus save lives. 'But as with COVID, he was too wrapped up in his own ego and his own delusions about his invincibility,' Grisham said. White House staff called Ivanka 'the princess' and she and Jared tried to push their way into a meeting with the Queen Ivanka Trump (second right) and Jared Kushner (R) looks out of the window at Buckingham Palace during the visit of US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on June 03, 2019 in London, England Aides to former President Donald Trump referred to his daughter Ivanka as 'the princess,' Grisham said. Grisham wrote that Melania Trump also referred to Ivanka by the name. Ivanka, who served as an unpaid senior advisor to the president, regularly referred to him as 'my father' in meetings, she writes. Ivanka sometimes used the term in public. Grisham terms her husband, former White House aide Jared Kushner, 'the Slim Reaper' for getting involved in projects designated for others, she wrote. Grisham also wrote that the power couple tried to get themselves into a meeting with Queen Elizabeth II during Trump's visit to the UK in 2019. Only the president and first lady attended. It would have been a 'wild breach of protocol,' according to The Post. Kushner and Ivanka Trump did attend a state dinner. Grisham writes that the situation was resolved when they couldn't fit into a presidential helicopter. Team Trump claims book is another 'pitiful attempt to cash in on his strength' 'This book is another pitiful attempt to cash in on the Presidents strength and sell lies about the Trump family, said Trump spokeswoman Liz Harrington. Harrington termed Grisham a 'a disgruntled former employee' a term has applied in the past to aides who have written tell-alls. She said the book's publishers 'should be ashamed of themselves for preying on desperate people who see the short term gain in writing a book full of falsehoods.' Publisher Harper Collins calls the book 'The most frank and intimate portrait of the Trump White House yet.' Grisham was among the flurry of Trump officials who resigned from their posts on January 6, in the aftermath of the Capitol riot. Trump went after Grisham personally in a statement released Tuesday morning. 'Stephanie didnt have what it takes and that was obvious from the beginning,' Trump said. 'She had big problems and we felt that she should work out those problems for herself. Now, like everyone else, she gets paid by a radical left-leaning publisher to say bad and untrue things.' 'We and the MAGA movement are totally used to it. And someday in the not too distant future we will have our voice back and be treated fairly by the press,' the ex-president added. Harvey Proctor has lashed out at Scotland Yard's 'cover-up' culture after a heavily-censored report cleared officers of wrongdoing over the Operation Midland scandal. The ex-Tory MP, falsely accused of child sex abuse and serial murder in the fiasco, issued a damning statement after a 'whitewash' inquiry exonerated officers. Swathes of the report by Merseyside Police on behalf of the Met were redacted, meaning the rationale for controversial decisions at the end of Operation Midland remain secret. Last night Mr Proctor said it was an 'exquisite example of cover-up and further attempts to ensure no police officer is personally held responsible' for Scotland Yard's inquiry into a so-called VIP paedophile ring. He revealed he has lodged formal complaints against the Metropolitan Police, its head of professional standards assistant commissioner Helen Ball and Merseyside Police over their handling of the case. Harvey Proctor has lashed out at Scotland Yard's 'cover-up' culture after a heavily-censored report cleared officers of wrongdoing over the Operation Midland scandal Abuse fantasist Carl Beech The former MP has also demanded that ex-deputy assistant commissioner Steve Rodhouse is properly investigated over his failure in 2016 to investigate two 'deliberate liars', known as witnesses A and B who made false allegations of abuse in support of fantasist Carl Beech. Mr Proctor had asked the Independent Office for Police Conduct to investigate Mr Rodhouse. This was referred to Merseyside Police to carry out an 'independent' probe. Yet Scotland Yard set the terms of reference and chose not to address the ex-MP's complaint against Mr Rodhouse and instead looked at subsequent decision-making concerning witnesses A and B. Mr Proctor again accused the Met of a cover-up by using so-called legal professional privilege (LPP) to redact almost the entire report. The Met Police said: 'Following the conclusion of this investigation, the complainant made a number of further complaints to the IOPC. 'The IOPC has referred these to the Met which is currently considering the appropriate next steps.' Spending on immigration enforcement fell more than 40million in the past three years despite soaring numbers of illegal entries to Britain, according to a report. Migration Watch UK said analysis of Home Office budgets showed expenditure of 420million in 2020-21 was down from 462million in 2018-19. The number of enforcement agency staff, who deal with illegal entrants, fell by 266 to 4,855 during the same period. The number of people arriving illegally surged from 13,000 in 2018 to 16,500 in 2020. Analysis of Home Office budgets showed spending of 420million in 2020-21 was down from 462million in 2018-19. Pictured: Group of migrants arriving in Dover, Kent, on September 26 This year's total will be even higher, with more than 17,000 arriving by boat across the Channel alone since January, against 8,410 last year. Meanwhile, spending on UK Border Force rose by 140million to 705million, the report said. Migration Watch chairman Alp Mehmet said the figures showed the Government's priorities had become 'skewed' and sparked concerns 'that the Channel crisis has led to direction of resources away from other vital enforcement tasks'. A Home Office spokesman said: 'The Government is fully committed to tackling illegal immigration... Our New Plan for Immigration provides the only long-term solution to fix the broken asylum system.' The drop in spending comes despite the number of people arriving illegally surging from 13,000 in 2018 to 16,500 in 2020. Pictured: Border Force collect migrants on July 22 Mr Mehmet said: 'Even as illegal entries rose from year to year, there has been a drop in spending and staffing numbers for the very department tasked with enforcing the law. 'Especially in light of the worsening chaos in the Channel, there needs to be a huge boost in resources for this task.' A Migration Watch spokesman added: 'While the boost in Border Force resources is welcome, the independent borders watchdog reported in late 2020 that Border Force staff believed they were being misused as a 'taxi service' into the UK by those attempting to cross in small boats and the people smugglers that organise such trips. 'The fall in immigration enforcement spending is concerning given that it forms a major part of the government's new plan - currently before Parliament - to tackle problems such as absconding and increase the removals of those who may pose a risk to the public.' He added: 'There are concerns that the worsening Channel crisis has led to direction of resources away from other vital enforcement tasks.' An Australian father-of-three faces spending Christmas away from his family after flying to Indonesia to help fight the country's bushfires only to be left stranded by Covid-19 border restrictions. Tom Henderson - who has three children aged four, two and 11 months - travelled to Indonesia in June but has struggled to find a flight home after Australia further limited international arrivals in July to ease pressure on hotel quarantine. After both flights he booked in August were cancelled, the Victorian firefighter has now been told the earliest trip home available is January 11 - almost four months away. His wife Ashley broke down on national television on Wednesday as she told of the emotional toll the separation has taken on her and the couple's children. Tom Henderson has been stranded in Indonesia away from his three children because of the ongoing international arrival caps imposed by the Australian government 'It's tough - my son said to me the other day, "Daddy's never coming home",' she told the Today show as she wiped tears from her face. 'When you are away from your family like that that's the worst thing you can hear from your child, isn't it?' Mr Henderson said securing a seat on a flight home was nearly impossible as airlines appeared to be continually reselling tickets to the highest bidder. The firefighter said airlines had 'essentially taken control of hotel quarantine spots' after the federal government cut international arrival caps in half on July 14. 'Seats are booked and rebooked, sold and resold, until close to your flight date and then, I guess, the highest bidder takes the ticket,' he said. The firefighter said he has tried getting home via New Zealand as he has Kiwi descendants but has found it impossible to get documents sent to him from Australia. The father-of-three pictured with his wife and three children. He faces spending Christmas away from his family because of repeated flight cancellations 'Australia Post has shut down all of the outbound mail to numerous countries, including Indonesia,' he said. 'Just getting documents here to facilitate something like that, you know - it's near impossible.' Mrs Henderson earlier told how her husband had little option but to take on the work overseas as work had dried up domestically. His wife Ashley broke down on national television on Wednesday as she told of the emotional toll the uncertainty has taken on her and the couple's children Mrs Henderson said her husband had to take on the deployment to Indonesia because work in Australia had dried up 'He didn't have any other choice but to go. There wasn't really any other option for work for him,' she told ABC Goulburn Murray. 'We knew that risk before he left.' 'But when he left things were looking better, people were getting vaccinated and the government was telling us things were starting to open up.' A makeshift boat packed with 13 Cuban migrants landed in the Florida Keys before they were arrested by US Border Patrol - the latest desperate refugees in a growing wave who risk their lives to flee the economically-ravaged country. The group filled the boat with supplies they used to survive the 90-mile voyage from Cuba to a Key West beach before they were detained by customs agents on Tuesday. Agents responded to Higgs Beach at about 6:45 a.m. to find a dozen men and one woman who said they had left Cuba the day before, Adam Hoffner, the agencys spokesman, told the Miami Herald. He expects the migrants to be deported back to Cuba, where they can face jail or even harsher punishment from the Communist regime. Their detention marks the second time in four days that Cubans have made it to the shore of the Florida Keys, the Herald reports, as migration attempts skyrocket across the island nation. The migrants traveled from Cuba to the Florida Keys in a makeshift boat filled with supplies they needed for the trek Border Patrol Chief Agent Thomas G. Martin announced on Twitter on Tuesday that 13 Cuban migrants who arrived in the Florida Keys have been detained On Saturday, the Coast Guard said, a good Samaritan spotted a man floating on a raft near Fowkey Rocks, a few miles from Key Biscayne. The man said he had been adrift for 10 days after he left Cuba with three other people who died on the journey, and needed immediate medical help. And on Friday, another 14 immigrants made it to the Upper Keys in a rustic wooden boat, and told officials they were at sea for six days. Federal officials say there has been a spike in migration from Cuba, which has been wracked by street protests not seen since before former leader Fidel Castro came into power. The United States Coast Guard has stopped 648 Cubans in Florida's waters - more than the previous three years combined - since last October 1. The Coast Guard stopped just 49 migrants from Cuba in the fiscal year that ended in September 2020. In 2019, they stopped 313 and in 2018 they stopped 259. The number of Cubans making the dangerous journey across the Florida Straits fell significantly after former President Barack Obama ended the so-called 'wet foot, dry foot' policy in early 2017, according to federal data obtained by the Herald. The policy allowed Cuban migrants who set foot on United States land above the high-water mark to stay in the country and apply for permanent residency, but in turn required those caught at sea to be returned to Cuba. Before it was overturned, the Herald reports, immigration authorities in South Florida were dealing with multiple landings or attempted landings each week. In 2016, there were 5,396 migrants stopped in the waters, compared with just 1,486 the year after. The rule change has forced many Cuban migrants to find a different path for asylum into the United States, not unlike the large numbers of Venezuelans and Central Americans crossing the US-Mexico border. Customs and Border Protection data obtained by the Washington Post shows that Cubans have made 26,000 attempts to cross the land border this fiscal year, up from 14,000 all of last year. Javier Fernandez, a former Democratic state representative from Miami, said the rise of the progressive wing in his party may be at play for turning away Cubans coming by sea instead of land. 'There's a concern by some in the party that if we condemn what happens in Cuba, that we're somehow making a moral judgment on the most progressive elements of our party who have described themselves as Democratic Socialists,' he told Politico. 'That concern ... is a false equivalence that only hurts Democrats here in the United States and in South Florida in particular.' This undated photo from 2004 shows two Cubans off the coast of Key West, Florida who tried to sail into the United States in a truck converted into a pontoon boat The Mariela Boatlift in May 1980 brought more than 100,000 Cubans to the US Havana, Cuba is about 90 miles southwest of Key West But now, more and more Cubans are once again attempting to flee to the United States by boat amid an economic crisis exacerbated by COVID-related mandates, increased sanctions from the former Trump administration and cutbacks in aid from Venezuela, according to WINK. United States officials are now worried Cubans could flee from the island en masse creating a crisis akin to the 1980 Mariel Boatlift, when Fidel Castro opened the port at Mariel for people who wanted to leave. More than 100,000 Cubans rushed into the United States at the time, setting off a political crisis for the government of U.S. President Jimmy Carter. Cuban officials are now saying there are 'symptoms' of a possible migratory crisis, but say it could be stopped if President Joe Biden undoes his predecessors sanctions. 'The situation we have now is the result of a number of negative factors,' Jesus Perz Calderon of the United States Department at Cuba's Foreign Ministry told WINK. 'In the first place, the deterioration of the economy as a result of COVID-19 ... but at the same time the resurgence of an economic war of blockades against Cuba by the US.' The combination led to widespread protests across the island nation last month, with many calling for 'libertad,' as others tried to flee the country. Cuban migrants blocked the border crossing bridge last December demanding they be allowed to cross into the United States and claim asylum A man is arrested during a demonstration against the government of President Miguel Diaz-Canel in Havana last month The head of Biden's Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, who was born in Havana, has warned Cubans away from US shores. 'Let me be clear: If you take to the sea, you will not come to the United States,' Mayorkas said. 'Any migrant intercepted at sea, regardless of their nationality, will not be permitted to enter the United States. This risk is not worth taking.' He said 20 people died in recent weeks during their boat trips, and noted: 'Our priority is to preserve and save lives.' An immaculately dressed, petite 44-year-old woman approaches what looks like an ice cream van and whispers a personal code number through a hatch. Inside, a server prepares her daily heroin substitute, ensuring it is the correct strength, before passing it out in a small paper cup. She knocks it back in one and says: 'Obrigada', or thank you and well she might. 'This is what saved my life,' she says. 'Without this van, these kind people, I'd be dead.' Behind Dulcineia Mendes Correia, other addicts turn up for their dose of the synthetic drug methadone. They come from all walks of life. One is a smart businessman. Another, who appears a little bedraggled, requests a clean needle kit to inject heroin. A third politely asks for free tin foil on which to burn the drug, a method known as 'chasing the dragon'. Anything, the experts will tell you, is better than injecting with dirty needles. This is the sharp end of what Portugal calls its integrated drug strategy, a programme launched 20 years ago with decriminalisation of narcotics at its heart, but with important add-ons, such as harm-reduction, treatment, education and re-integration. Dulcineia Mendes Correia approaches what looks like an ice cream van and whispers a personal code number through a hatch. Inside, a server prepares her daily heroin substitute, ensuring it is the correct strength, before passing it out in a small paper cup And last month, in the wake of an Office For National Statistics report that revealed there were 4,561 drug fatalities in the UK last year the highest total since records began in 1993 an unlikely advocate of the Portuguese approach called for it to be adopted by the UK. Former leader of the Conservative Party, William Hague, wrote an article in The Times headlined 'Decriminalising drugs is the only way forward'. 'Many Tories are reluctant, as I was two decades ago, to abandon a 'tough' law-and-order approach,' said Mr Hague, pointing out that politicians are fearful of even raising the issue because it is such a political hot potato. 'Yet two truths about this issue seem clear. The first is that it has become a massive social problem. The annual deaths represent tens of thousands more people trapped in addiction and heading for the same fate. The victims match closely with child poverty and areas of deprivation. 'The second truth, awkward though it may be for those of us who always wanted to get tougher, is we will never suppress the supply of drugs while the demand goes on.' A parliamentary report by Dame Carol Black last year found that the cost to society of illegal drugs was about 20billion a year in England and Wales but that we were spending only 600million on treatment and prevention. An unlikely advocate of the Portuguese approach called for it to be adopted by the UK. Former leader of the Conservative Party, William Hague, wrote an article in The Times headlined 'Decriminalising drugs is the only way forward' Since 2012, deaths from heroin had doubled and those from cocaine increased five-fold while 27,000 young people now identified as being gang members, many drawn into drug dealing and violence. This was enough to persuade the Commons Health and Social Care Committee to recommend in 2019 'that the Government should consult on the decriminalisation of drug possession for personal use from a criminal offence to a civil matter'. 'After decriminalisation [in Portugal], all major indicators in a variety of studies improved,' Mr Hague said. 'Including an 18 per cent fall in the total costs to society. Might this not be worth a try?' In a bid to establish exactly how successful Portugal's bold move has been, the Mail travelled to Lisbon. What I discovered will shock some readers and surprise others who quite understandably have an instinctive aversion to any weakening of laws banning the possession of the sort of drugs that wreck so many young lives. First, though, it is important to explain what Portugal's approach is, how it came about and to understand that decriminalisation is not the same as legalisation. In the 1990s, the country found itself in the grip of a heroin epidemic. The roots of the problem lay in Portugal's opening up to the outside world after the Carnation Revolution of 1974 ended the longest dictatorship in Europe. Portugal was suddenly exposed to new markets and influences and when, first marijuana then heroin, began flooding in, a country which the Swinging Sixties had passed by was utterly unprepared. By the late 90s, one per cent of the population was hooked on heroin. Almost half were injecting and, with few opportunities for acquiring new needles on a regular basis, addicts shared them, resulting in an incredible 56 per cent becoming HIV-positive. By 2001, Portugal accounted for 50 per cent of new needle-related HIV cases in the EU, despite having just 2 per cent of its population. 'It was desperate,' says Hugo Faria from Ares do Pinhal, the organisation that runs the van from which Dulcineia has just received her methadone. We are in Casal Ventoso, a once rundown and dangerous gathering place for addicts. 'There were incredibly high levels of criminality, with addicts using heroin everywhere. People were dying in the streets,' recalls Hugo. Since 2012, deaths from heroin had doubled and those from cocaine increased five-fold while 27,000 young people now identified as being gang members, many drawn into drug dealing and violence In the late 1990s, 70 per cent of all Portuguese crime was drug-related, with more than 40 per cent of the prison population in for offences related to drugs. 'Everyone, be it a family from a poorer district, or from the wealthiest areas or even elected politicians knew someone who had died from drug abuse or HIV,' says Dr Manuel Cardoso, Deputy General-Director of SICAD, Portugal's drug dependency agency. 'It was the number one concern at the time and we all knew something different had to be done.' The then prime minster, Antonio Guterres now Secretary-General of the United Nations put together a panel of experts who, in 1999, reported back with 'The National Strategy for the Fight Against Drugs'. Introduced in 2001, it involved a combination of better treatment facilities, reducing harm (by, for example, providing clean needles), better education for the public and offering free and safer drug substitutes, such as methadone. The biggest change involved the decriminalisation of personal possession of small amounts of drugs, focusing instead on support to manage or get clear of drug use. Possession was no longer a criminal offence but regarded as an administrative one no more serious than a speeding fine. However, trafficking, dealing and possessing more than enough for one's own personal consumption for 10 days remain illegal and are punished firmly by the courts. When a person is caught in possession of a small amount of a drug, their supply is confiscated and they are ordered to appear before district panels called Commissions for the Dissuasion of Drug Addiction, comprising health, legal and social work professionals. I went to see one in action near Praca de Espanha on the edge of central Lisbon. A nervous-looking 20-year-old man had been caught with 3.08 grams of hashish. He was being interviewed by a social worker for an initial assessment. 'We are never judgmental and the atmosphere is relaxed,' says Nuno Capaz, vice-president of the Commission for Dissuasion of Drug Addiction, which administers the panels. 'We will usually explore why the person is using drugs, ask them whether they could use less, maybe try with none at all for a while, but we never tell them what to do. That would be counter-productive. I went to see one in action near Praca de Espanha on the edge of central Lisbon. A nervous-looking 20-year-old man had been caught with 3.08 grams of hashish (file image) 'If it's their first offence the case will be suspended and no more action taken as it has been with this young man. However, for second and subsequent offences, they will be fined or asked to perform community service.' Fines are usually in the region of 35 to 40 euros, but in very rare cases, can be as much as 665 euros. 'Where there are signs of addiction, we can offer people treatment, counselling and harm-reduction medicine such as methadone,' continues Capaz. 'But they are not forced to do this. That won't work. They have to want treatment for it to be effective.' When chef Tiago Filipe, 32, was caught with 7.45 grams of cannabis at the age of 19, he was told he faced jail five grams is usually the limit allowed as 'personal' but his case was suspended on condition he agreed to receive help from one of the commission's counsellors. Tiago is now head chef at Lisbon's Lince Brewery Kitchen and he credits the more relaxed approach to possession with saving his career. It left him without a criminal record and enabled him to move on to senior positions in the UK at The Savoy, Annabel's members' club and Hawksmoor steak restaurant. 'God knows what would have happened to me if I'd simply been thrown into prison,' he tells me. 'I didn't have a drug problem I just smoked a bit of weed recreationally but the counsellor made me ask myself why. It changed my behaviour and probably saved my career. It's a more humane system that tries to support people and help them change rather than simply punish them.' But doesn't this mean that more people will take drugs? Surely if there's nothing to fear, then there's nothing to deter? 'That's what we were worried about at the beginning it was seen as a gamble that could backfire,' says SICAD's Dr Cardoso. 'We had to be brave, and it paid off.' New cases of HIV the problem that prompted reform fell from 1,287 in 2001 to just 16 by 2019. In the same year, the number of drug deaths fell to just six per million about 50 times lower than the current rate in Scotland, which is still rising. Levels of drug use fell, too. According to the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, Portugal now has some of the lowest rates of drug use among 15 to 34-year-olds in the EU. And, as a consequence of decriminalising small consumers of drugs, the profile of the prison population has changed dramatically. In 2001, more than 40 per cent of inmates were there for drug offences. That is now around 15 per cent. Yet spending per head of population on prevention and treatment is less than in England and Wales 65million euros (55million) in Portugal for a population of 10 million, compared with 600million in England and Wales for a population pushing 60million. The police, who were resistant to change at first, also came round when they began to see results. Commissioner Rui Cruz of Lisbon's Criminal Investigation Department, says: 'Drug users were seen as criminals before the law changed. There were many impoverished neighbourhoods where lots of people consumed on the streets. We dealt with consuming as a crime and that criminalised whole neighbourhoods. 'When the law changed, we were able to apply more resources to trafficking. When we reduce the supply, we reduce the demand.' Some critics believe admissions to hospital for cannabis-related psychological problems in Portugal a 29-fold increase from 20 to 588 between 2000 and 2015, according a group of Portuguese psychologists could be related to relaxing attitudes to possession. But this might well have been caused by its once-high numbers of heroin users moving to cannabis. And the strength of cannabis has increased considerably over the past 20 years. In England, numbers of cannabis-related hospitalisations have risen by 50 per cent to 31,130 since 2013. Not everyone believes that a relaxation of drug laws is the answer. In a 2018 report on the legalisation of cannabis, the centre-right think tank, The Centre for Social Justice, predicted that removing legal constraints in the UK would result in a million more users and 100,000 new addicts. Andy Cook, its chief executive, said it would 'open the floodgates to hundreds of thousands of new users, many of whom will be young and vulnerable.' In America, sales have boomed as laws have been relaxed. There, 48 of the 50 states allow the sale of medical marijuana and 16 states have legalised it recreationally, including New York and the entire West Coast. In December last year, the cannabis-focused Leafly reported that Americans had purchased $18.3billion in cannabis products, up 71 per cent on the previous year, based on marijuana state tax and revenue records. It is figures such as these that give many British politicians pause. The last time Boris Johnson was asked about relaxing laws on drug use when London Mayor Sadiq Khan suggested reviewing the legality of cannabis his then spokesperson Allegra Stratton, said: 'The Prime Minister has spoken about this on many occasions illicit drugs destroy lives and he has absolutely no intention of legalising cannabis, which is a harmful substance.' Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has also expressed opposition to decriminalisation. In an interview this year, he said: 'When I was Director of Public Prosecutions, I prosecuted many cases involving drugs and drug gangs and the criminality that sits behind, and it causes huge issues to vulnerable people across the country.' Advocates of the Portuguese system say they are not arguing that simply decriminalising personal possession works treatment, harm-reduction and re-integration policies must be in place, too. These have all been made possible in Portugal because of SICAD, which oversees dozens of charities, NGOs and associations that work on the ground to help addicts. Each is funded in full or part by the government. At one such association, IN-Mouraria, run by the Group of Activists on HIV Treatments (GAT), I meet Patricia Pestana, 49, and Pedro Carvalho, 46. They share similar stories of having tried heroin with their friends when they were teenagers. 'We smoked it,' says Patricia. 'There was no information about the drug back then. We had no idea how bad it could get. We heard of people having problems from injecting but thought that wouldn't be us.' Each, in their own way, found IN-Mouraria, where they were given health checks, counselling and clinically administered methadone in order to wean them off heroin. The organisation also helps to treat Hepatitis C a big problem for drug addicts. Patricia is now clean of heroin and works for GAT as a peer counsellor advising other drug users. Pedro, who has been living in a subterranean dwelling he dug in a forest on the outskirts of town for the past two years, has just been told he is to be given a rental home of his own. 'After that, I'm going to study to become an archaeologist,' he tells me. 'I have an ambition to find Atlantis.' Across town, I visit CRESCER, a program that provides help, advice and harm-reduction for homeless addicts. Its director, Andreia Alves, tells me proudly that they also provide homes for more than 100 addicts every one of whom has gone on to either reduce their drug consumption or get clean. Out on the street, CRESCER psychologist Ary Teixeira and social worker Mariana Gomes find Carlos Figueiredo, 49, chasing the dragon. They give him some clean tin foil and ask how they can help. Before saying goodbye, they have arranged a meeting with a homeless charity to try to get him off the street. Around the corner, Dulcineia is just receiving her 'ice cream van' delivery of methadone, a substance that does not get her 'high' but simply stabilises her and removes cravings for heroin. 'My mother died of a heroin overdose by injection,' she tells me. 'So, I never injected, but I should never have started at all. I was 19 and thought smoking it wouldn't get me addicted, but it did. 'At the worst of my addiction, I was stealing things from shops and supermarkets to pay for my habit. You get desperate. I was so desperate that I would agree to have sex with men and ask for the money first then run away with it. One night, a man locked me in a house and I had to escape through the bathroom window. 'Then I heard about this van and walked up one day and said, 'Please help me'. And they did blood tests, finding out I was HIV positive, and I was given help and treatment and methadone to get me away from heroin. That was seven years ago.' Dulcineia, who unlike some addicts does not wear the ravages of heroin use on her face, adds: 'Now I live a normal life and I have a job cleaning for two nice old ladies, who each have given me a key to their homes knowing I would never take anything from them. 'But most important of all, I have two children of my own, a boy and a girl, and they will never have to experience their mother dying from a heroin overdose.' Three former U.S. intelligence and military operatives have admitted providing sophisticated computer hacking technology to the United Arab Emirates and agreed to pay nearly $1.7 million to resolve criminal charges in an agreement that the Justice Department described Tuesday as the first of its kind. The defendants - Marc Baier, Ryan Adams and Daniel Gericke - are accused of working as senior managers at a UAE-based company that conducted hacking operations on behalf of the government. Prosecutors say the men provided hacking and intelligence-gathering systems that were used to break into computers in the United State and elsewhere in the world. The case, in federal court in Washington, accuses the former U.S. officials of violating American laws related to export control and computer fraud. It appears to be part of a growing trend highlighted just months ago by the CIA of foreign governments hiring former U.S. intelligence operatives to bolster their own spycraft - a practice officials have said risks exposing information about U.S. secrets. Three former U.S. intelligence and military operatives agreed to pay a fine of nearly $2 million and admitted they gave hacking technology to the United Arab Emirates The charges were filed under a deferred prosecution agreement that, in addition to requiring a $1.68 million payment, will also force the men to cooperate with the Justice Department's investigation and to sever any ties with any UAE intelligence or law enforcement agencies. If they comply with those terms for three years, the Justice Department will not move forward with any prosecution. As part of the agreement, the three men did not dispute any of the facts alleged by prosecutors. The Justice Department described it as the 'first-of-its-kind resolution of an investigation into two distinct types of criminal activity,' including providing unlicensed technology for hacking. 'Hackers-for-hire and those who otherwise support such activities in violation of U.S. law should fully expect to be prosecuted for their criminal conduct,' Mark Lesko, acting assistant attorney general of the Justice Department's national security division, said in a statement. 'This agreement is the first-of-its-kind resolution of an investigation into two distinct types of criminal activity: providing unlicensed export-controlled defense services in support of computer network exploitation, and a commercial company creating, supporting and operating systems specifically designed to allow others to access data without authorization from computers worldwide, including in the United States,' said Lesko. Prosecutors said the trio left a U.S.-based company that was operating in the UAE to joined an Emerati company that would give them 'significant increases' in their salaries. Lori Stroud, a former National Security Agency employee, said she worked with the three men in the UAE at U.S.-based CyberPoint and then for UAE-owned DarkMatter The trio did work in Abu Dhabi for the United Arab Emirates, after spending years learning about hacking technology in the US The companies arent named in charging documents, but Lori Stroud, a former National Security Agency employee, said she worked with the three men in the UAE at U.S.-based CyberPoint and then for UAE-owned DarkMatter. The companys founder and CEO, Faisal al-Bannai, told The Associated Press in 2018 that DarkMatter takes part in no hacking, although he acknowledged the firms close business ties to the Emirati government, as well as its hiring of former CIA and NSA analysts. Stroud said in a Reuters investigation the group ended up 'targeting US persons.' 'I am working for a foreign intelligence agency who is targeting U.S. persons,' she said. 'I am officially the bad kind of spy. Prosecutors said that between January 2016 and November 2019, the defendants 'expanded the breadth and increased the sophistication' of operations being providing to the UAE government. They bought exploits to break into computers and mobile devices from companies around the world, including those based in the U.S, according to the Justice Department. According to the government release, the trio got preapproval for their original work. However, 'between January 2016 and November 2019, the defendants and other ... employees expanded the breadth and increased the sophistication of the ... operations that CIO was providing to the U.A.E. government. For example, over an 18-month period, CIO employees, with defendants support, direction and supervision, created two similar zero-click computer hacking and intelligence gathering systems that leveraged servers in the United States belonging to a U.S. technology company (U.S. Company Two) to obtain remote, unauthorized access to any of the tens of millions of smartphones and mobile devices utilizing a U.S. Company Two-provided operating system.' That includes one so-called 'zero-click' exploit - which can break into mobile devices without any user interaction - that Baier bought from an unnamed U.S. company in 2016. Lawyers for Adams and Gericke did not immediately return messages seeking comment, and a lawyer for Baier declined to comment. The Justice Department described each of them as former U.S. intelligence or military personnel, and said their work for the UAE-based company began after they had left the government. Baier is identified in a 2019 Reuters news story as previously having worked in an elite hacking unit of the NSA. The CIA warned in a letter earlier this year about 'an uptick in the number of former officers who have disclosed sensitive information about CIA activities, personnel, and tradecraft.' The letter sent to former CIA officials was signed by Sheetal Patel, the agencys assistant director for counterintelligence. It described as a 'detrimental trend' a practice of foreign governments hiring former intelligence officers 'to build up their spying capabilities.' Some listed examples included using access to CIA information or contacts for business opportunities as well as 'working for state-sponsored intelligence related companies in non-fraternization countries.' 'We ask that you protect yourself and the CIA by safeguarding the classified tradecraft that underpins your enterprise,' Patel wrote. Home and Away star Lincoln Lewis refused to help a woman who had been duped into believing they had been dating because he was worried about his own image, a court has heard. Lewis endured a scathing grilling on Tuesday in his second day in the witness box over the appeal by Melbourne woman Lydia Abdelmalek over her sentence for pretending to be him. Appearing in County Court Of Victoria via videolink, the Aussie soap star was forced to defend his actions after being asked by Abdelmalek's victim in 2011 to go to police to report his identity had been stolen. Home and Away star Lincoln Lewis was more worried about negative press than helping a woman who would later suicide because she was duped by a person pretending to be him, a court has heard Lydia Abdelmalek (right), and her father leave the County Court of Victoria last year The court heard it took Lewis six long years before he finally made a statement to police. The woman, whom he had known personally, would tragically suicide before her tormentor was brought to justice. Abdelmalek was sentenced in June 2019 to a two-year, eight-month prison term for six counts of stalking, employing what one victim called 'sick mind games', impersonating Lewis. She immediately appealed the sentence and has remained practically free in the community ever since. Lewis had spent most of Monday giving evidence on behalf of the prosecution in the appeal trial. On Tuesday, Abdelmalek's barrister Richard Edney launched into an extraordinary attack on him, which at one point saw prosecutors intervene. Lewis had been trying to explain how his voice message had got on what police allege was Abdelmalek's phone as part of her cruel hoax. But Mr Edney just wanted him to answer his specific questions. 'Have you finished your speech?' the barrister barked. Mr Edney took Lewis to the dead woman's statement to police in which she claimed the pair 'ceased being friends' in June 2011. Abdelmalek had pretended to be Lewis and used other aliases to stalk seven people for about four years from May that year. The court heard the woman told police Lewis had agreed to meet up with her at Bondi to discuss the situation, but pulled out at the last minute. The former Home and Away (pictured) star explained how powerless the catfishing left him Lincoln Lewis in a recent Instagram shot. He was grilled in the virtual witness box on Tuesday 'Lincoln Lewis did not meet up with me and he later told me that he wanted nothing to do with making a complaint to the police because of his reputation and his job as an actor,' the woman told police. 'He did not want his work prospects in the future to be affected by making such a complaint. He was worried the story would be made known to the media and he did not want that to occur.' Lewis denied the accusation. 'I remember saying to [her] that being that someone is pretending to be me and not actually being me, the person doing this, I don't really know what to do and so I told her she needed to talk to the police.' The court heard the woman told police she had been 'shocked' by Lewis' initial response to her request for assistance back in 2011. 'I was shocked he would not support me making a complaint to police ... because of his lack in interest in doing so, we ceased communication shortly after. He would not return my calls. Lincoln Lewis did not provide a statement.' Lewis said he recalled her asking him to make a witness statement and he had agreed. 'I did agree to make a statement. I don't agree,' he said. Mr Edney told Lewis his statement came in June 2017. 'And that was only after Victoria Police were involved. You hadn't made a statement before then,' he said. Lewis said he gave his statement when he became aware it was 'crucial' that he made one - albeit some six years later. 'I remember saying to [her] that she needed to go to the police because there wasn't much to be gained by me having no knowledge of anything and making a statement about someone pretending to be me when I haven't done anything,' he said. Home and Away star Lincoln Lewis is expected to be called to court to give evidence against a cruel catfisher The hunter becomes the hunted: Lydia Abdelmalek leaves court in February last year with her barrister as reporters hit her with a barrage of questions Tight lipped: Lydia Abdelmalek had nothing to say as she tried to escape a media pack that chased her and her father along Lonsdale Street outside the County Court of Victoria in February last year 'Eventually when she said it was crucial that I needed to (go to police), that's when myself and (a friend) both went to the police station to make our statements.' 'Six years later,' Mr Edney quipped. Mr Edney told the court Lewis had wrongly portrayed himself to the court as doing his utmost to help the victim. '[She] had made it quite clear that was not the case,' he said. Abdelmalek, who is also appearing in court via videolink, watched on as Lewis was put under the microscope by her barrister. She had held an A4-sized photo of Lewis as her victims read out their impact statements during her original trial. On Monday, Lewis told of the woman's stress and panic after being told their supposed relationship was a fraud. 'Please tell me you're lying,' the woman pleaded with Lewis. Lewis told the court the woman believed they had been dating for the last couple of months. Using doctored images and a voice message from his own phone, police allege Abdelmalek had cruelly convinced her she had been dating Lewis. Lewis said Abdelmalek's alleged victim became suspicious when face-to-face meetings supposedly with him would be cancelled. 'She was suspicious we wouldn't see each other in person,' he said. Lydia Abdelmalek has remained free in the community on appeal bail Soap star Lincoln Lewis explained how powerless the catfishing left him, telling the court at an earlier appearance he felt powerless One of Abdelmalek's (pictured) victims took her own life last year, but wrote a statement beforehand outlining the trauma of being duped into believing the TV star was in love with her The woman had sent intimate videos and pictures to a number she believed to be him. 'I asked if she was okay. Her answer was a big, fat No,' Lewis told the court. Lewis spoke to the frantic woman multiple times as more chilling information was revealed about Abdelmalek's ruse. 'It freaked her out,' Lewis said. 'She was confused as to how it had happened.' Since her release on appeal bail, Abdelmalek has been accused of attempting to bust up a married man's relationship after becoming infatuated with him. She spent a short stint in jail after being locked up on April 22 amid fresh allegations she was again tormenting strangers. Abdelmalek faces a substantially longer term in jail should she be convicted again of her catfishing scam. Her appeal, which has already been running for weeks, was expected to take anywhere up to six weeks to reach its conclusion. Lifeline 13 11 14 Beyond Blue 1300 22 4636 Structures in an ancient Mayan city thought to be natural hills are actually the ruins of buildings designed to look like those found in the powerful city of Teotihuacen. The newly discovered structures provide 'game-changing evidence' that the imperial power of Teotihuacan exerted considerable influence on Tikal, an ancient Maya capital, the team from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island explained. The scientists have been excavating the ruins of Tikal since the 1950s, documenting details of every structure and cataloguing each item removed from the ground. Thanks to these efforts, Tikal has become one of the best understood and most thoroughly studied archaeological sites in the world. This is why it came as a shock to the researchers to discover entire previously unknown neighbourhoods, that were thought to be natural hills. Using light detection and ranging software, or lidar, they found that the 'natural hills' were actually were buildings that had been modified to the shape of the citadel in Teotihuacan, the largest and most powerful city in the ancient Americas. Filtered lidar highlighting the structures and quarrying. Structures in an ancient Mayan city thought to be natural hills are actually the ruins of buildings designed to look like those found in the powerful city of Teotihuacen TEOTIHUACAN: 'THE PLACE WHERE MEN BECOME GODS' Teotihuacan means 'the place where men become gods'. The site is thought to be a burial ground. The Teotihuacan people worshipped eight gods, and were known to carry out human sacrifices. The ancient city was founded 2,500 years ago and was once one of the biggest cities on Earth with over 100,000 residents - Earth at this time only house 200 million people. The city was totally abandoned in 700 AD and very little is know about the civilisation, or what caused the mass exodus. Advertisement Stephen Houston, a professor of anthropology at Brown University, and Thomas Garrison, an assistant professor of geography at the University of Texas at Austin, made the startling discovery. The area of natural hills is a short walk away from Tikal's centre, and was actually a neighbourhood of ruined buildings rather than a natural area. The lidar analysis, coupled with a subsequent excavation by a team of Guatemalan archaeologists led by Edwin Roman Ramirez, has prompted new insights on, and big questions about, Teotihuacan's influence on the Maya civilisation. 'What we had taken to be natural hills actually were shown to be modified and conformed to the shape of the citadel the area that was possibly the imperial palace at Teotihuacan,' Houston said. 'Regardless of who built this smaller-scale replica and why, it shows without a doubt that there was a different level of interaction between Tikal and Teotihuacan than previously believed.' The cities of Tikal and Teotihuacan were radically different areas, Houston added. Tikal, a Maya city, was fairly populous but relatively small in scale 'you could have walked from one end of the kingdom to the other in a day, maybe two' while Teotihuacan had all the marks of an empire. Archaeologists explore the area around the site. The newly discovered structures provide 'game-changing evidence' that the imperial power of Teotihuacan exerted considerable influence on Tikal, an ancient Maya capital, the team from Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island explained Though little is known about the people who founded and governed Teotihuacan, it's clear that, like the Romans, their influence extended far beyond their centre. Evidence shows they shaped and colonised countless communities hundreds of miles away - through architecture and practices. Houston said anthropologists have known for decades that inhabitants of the two cities were in contact and often traded with one another for centuries before Teotihuacan conquered Tikal around the year 378 CE. There's also ample evidence suggesting that between the second and sixth centuries CE, Maya elites and scribes lived in Teotihuacan. Some would bring elements of the empire's culture and materials including its unique funerary rituals, slope- and-panel architectural style and green obsidian back home to Tikal. Overview of the Mayan city. The scientists have been excavating the ruins of Tikal since the 1950s, documenting details of every structure and cataloguing each item removed from the ground Another Maya expert, David Stuart of UT Austin, has translated inscriptions that described the era when Teotihuacan generals, including one named Born from Fire, traveled to Tikal and unseated the local Maya king. But the research consortium's latest lidar findings and excavations prove that the imperial power in modern-day Mexico did more than just trade with and culturally influence the smaller city of Tikal before conquering it. 'The architectural complex we found very much appears to have been built for people from Teotihuacan or those under their control,' Houston said. 'Perhaps it was something like an embassy complex, but when we combine previous research with our latest findings, it suggests something more heavy-handed, like occupation or surveillance. 'At the very least, it shows an attempt to implant part of a foreign city plan on Tikal.' Temple IV in Tikal, which has become one of the best understood and most thoroughly studied archaeological sites in the world Houston said that excavations following the lidar work, led by Roman Ramirez, confirmed that some buildings were constructed with mud plaster rather than the traditional Maya limestone. The structures were designed to be smaller replicas of the buildings that make up Teotihuacan's citadel, down to the intricate cornices and terraces and the specific 15.5-degree east-of-north orientation of the complex's platforms. 'It almost suggests that local builders were told to use an entirely non-local building technology while constructing this sprawling new building complex,' Houston said. 'We've rarely seen evidence of anything but two-way interaction between the two civilisations, but here, we seem to be looking at foreigners who are moving aggressively into the area.' Stephen Houston, a professor of anthropology at Brown University, and Thomas Garrison, an assistant professor of geography at the University of Texas at Austin, made the startling discovery At an adjacent, newly uncovered complex of residential buildings, archaeologists found projectile points crafted with flint, a material commonly used by the Maya, and green obsidian, a material used by residents of Teotihuacan providing seeming evidence of conflict. And near the replica citadel, archaeologists also recovered the remains of a body surrounded by carefully placed vessels, ceramic fragments, animal bones and projectile points. The site was dotted with charcoal, suggesting it had been set ablaze. Houston said the scene bears little resemblance to other burials or sacrifices at Tikal but is strikingly similar to the remains of warriors found years ago in Teotihuacan's centre. 'Excavations in the middle of the citadel at Teotihuacan have found the burials of many individuals dressed as warriors, and they appear to have been sacrificed and placed in mass graves,' Houston said. The area of natural hills is a short walk away from Tikal's centre, and was actually a neighbourhood of ruined buildings rather than a natural area 'We have possibly found a vestige of one of those burials at Tikal itself.' The more they find out, Houston said, the more he hopes they understand about Teotihuacan's presence in Tikal and, more broadly, how its imperial power changed the diverse cultural and political landscape in Mesoamerica. 'At this time, people are quite interested in the process of colonisation and its aftermath, and in how our views of the world are informed or distorted by the expansion of economic and political systems around the globe,' Houston said. 'Before European colonisation of the Americas, there were empires and kingdoms of disproportionate influence and strength interacting with smaller civilisations in a way that left a large impact. Exploring Teotihuacan's influence on Mesoamerica could be a way to explore the beginnings of colonialism and its oppressions and local collusions.' The findings have been published in the journal Antiquity. Drug takers at Glastonbury Festival are responsible for poisoning local wildlife, a new study shows. Traces of illegal drugs ecstasy (MDMA) and cocaine in urine of drug-taking festival goers has leaked into a river on site, according to the authors at Bangor University. The problem stems from drug takers relieving themselves against a tree or bush or on the grass at the site, rather than using the festival toilets. For the study, samples were taken from the Whitelake River both upstream and downstream of the festival site before, during and after the last Glastonbury Festival in 2019. They found ecstasy concentrations quadrupled the week after the festival, but traces of the drug are present in the river all the year round, suggesting that it has built up in soil around the site. Cocaine concentrations, meanwhile, rose to levels known to affect the lifecycle of the rare European eel (Anguilla anguilla), a protected species. Researchers discovered that during the festival, levels of MDMA and cocaine in the water were so high it could be harming wildlife further downstream, including rare populations of eels. The last Glastonbury Festival was held in 2019 - but it's set to return in 2022 Dan Aberg, a masters student in the School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, worked with Dr Daniel Chaplin from the Centre for Environmental Biotechnology (CEB) to gather the samples. GLASTONBURY: 'PLEASE DON'T PEE ON THE LAND' Glastonbury Festival itself has already warned visitors to refrain from urinating on the ground at the site prior to its past events. 'Peeing on the ground at Glastonbury causes toxic pollution of the water table,' it says on the official festival website. 'The ground water runs into the central Whitelake River and down the valley for miles around. Wildlife and fish are affected if 135,000 revellers pee everywhere. 'The Environment Agency tests the water regularly, and has the power to close down the site if too many people have urinated and polluted the site. 'There are thousands of toilets on site, and we urge you to use them. Environmental health students check the toilets twice a day and cleaners and other staff are on hand, 24/7, to help keep them functional.' Advertisement 'Illicit drug contamination from public urination happens at every music festival,' said Aberg. 'The level of release is unknown, but festivals undoubtedly are an annual source of illicit drug release. 'Unfortunately, Glastonbury Festival's close proximity to a river results in any drugs released by festival attendees having little time to degrade in the soil before entering the fragile freshwater ecosystem.' Aberg did say there is no way to definitely trace the drugs found back to festival attendees, although the spike in traces post-festival leave little doubt. 'The river catchment for the Whitelake river is dominated by the festival site so it serves as the most likely source,' Aberg said. The cocaine concentrations found, at levels shown to cause endocrine disruption in European eels, can delay sexual maturation reducing breeding rates, he added. Ecstasy, meanwhile, was found at concentrations that cause severe environmental damage. 'The ecological analysis I did basically showed that concentrations are high enough to cause 50 per cent inhibition of a function, such as growth rate in Daphnia,' said Aberg. 'Daphnia are model organisms so serve as an example of the impacts of a pollutant, so if it affects daphnia, it likely affects other organisms in the ecosystem.' Glastonbury Festival had already advised its visitors against urinating on the ground in 2019, in the form of signs dotted around the site but the new study suggests these were largely ignored. Samples were taken from the Whitelake River, which cuts through the Glastonbury Festival site A spokesman for Glastonbury Festival said: 'Protecting our local streams and wildlife is of paramount importance to us at Glastonbury Festival and we have a thorough and successful waterways sampling regime in place during each Festival, as agreed with the Environment Agency. 'There were no concerns raised by the Environment Agency following Glastonbury 2019.' 'We are aware that the biggest threat to our waterways and the wildlife for which they provide a habitat comes from festivalgoers urinating on the land. 'This is something we have worked hard to reduce in recent years through a number of campaigns, with measurable success. 'Peeing on the land is something we will continue to strongly discourage at future festivals. We also do not condone the use of illegal drugs at Glastonbury.' In 2020, the festival was cancelled due to coronavirus, and this year it was held as an online-only live-streamed event. However, revellers are set to be allowed back on the site for Glastonbury Festival 2022, set to be held from June 22 to 26. Pictured, a sign at Glastonbury Festival 2019, advising attendees not to urinate on the ground Both the study authors and the festival organisers are now urging people to use the proper toilets. The researchers also suggest environmentally friendly methods of treating human waste, such as constructed treatment wetlands (CTWs). CTWs are artificially created wetlands specifically designed for the treatment of wastewaters. Information on the harmful effects of public urination should continue to be provided to festival attendees to reduce the contamination of natural resources, the team add. 'Our main concern is the environmental impact,' said study author Dr Christian Dunn at Bangor University. 'This study identifies that drugs are being released at levels high enough to disrupt the lifecycle of the European eel, potentially derailing conservation efforts to protect this endangered species. 'Education is essential for environmental issues, just as people have been made aware of the problems of plastic pollution. 'Glastonbury have made great efforts to become plastic-free, [but] we also need to raise awareness around drug and pharmaceutical waste it is a hidden, worryingly-understudied yet potentially devastating pollutant.' Scientists have developed a tiny 3D-printed microneedle vaccine patch that could offer a pain-free alternative to needles. In trials on mice, it offered a 10-fold greater immune response and a 50-fold greater T-cell and antigen-specific antibody response compared with a needle in the arm. The polymer patch, which is smaller than a 5p coin, needs lower doses and could be mailed to people's homes and self-administered, eliminating the need for trained medical personnel. It also offers an 'anxiety-free' vaccination option for people who have a 'needle phobia', also known as trypanophobia, which is putting some off getting their Covid jabs. The researchers are yet to conduct clinical trials of the patch on humans, which could pave the way for a new way of administering vaccines in the future. Researchers from Carolina and Stanford University have developed a microneedle vaccine patch that outperforms a needle jab to boost immunity. It also doesn't need to reach as deep as a needle, researchers claim HOW DOES THE VACCINE PATCH WORK? The polymer microneedle vaccine patches are printed using a CLIP prototype 3D printer. The microneedles are coated with the vaccine fluid, such as the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines. Upon entry to the dermis layer of the skin, the vaccine fluid dissolves. A vaccine needle goes as deep as the muscle, past the skin layers. The microneedles don't go as deep - only to the dermis layer of the skin - but this layer is rich in immune cells. Advertisement The new vaccine patch has been developed by researchers at Stanford University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 'In developing this technology, we hope to set the foundation for even more rapid global development of vaccines, at lower doses, in a pain- and anxiety-free manner,' said lead study author Joseph M. DeSimone, a professor of chemical engineering at Stanford University. The microneedle patches were 3D printed using a CLIP prototype 3D printer that DeSimone invented and is produced by CARBON, a Silicon Valley company co-founded by Professor DeSimone. 3D-printing uses software to create a three dimensional design before being printed by robotic equipment. Automated robotic arms have a nozzle at the end that emit the printing substance in this case polymer layer by layer. Thanks to the flexibility of 3D printing, the microneedles can be easily customised to develop various vaccine patches for flu, measles, hepatitis or Covid-19 vaccines. While vaccines are typically administered as injections under the skin, there is increasing interest in what's known as intradermal injections - more shallow injections that only reach the dermis of the skin, which is located between the epidermis and the hypodermis. Beyond the hypodermis is the fat and muscle that a traditional vaccine needle usually penetrates. Intradermal injections are suitable for vaccinations as human skin is rich in immune cells (Langerhans cells and dermal dendritic cells), the researchers point out. In trials conducted with animals, the patch gave an immune response that was 10 times greater than a vaccine delivered into an arm muscle with a needle jab NEEDLE PHOBIA COULD BE THE CAUSE OF 10% OF UK COVID VACCINE HESITANCY Needle phobia could be the cause of 10 per cent of Covid vaccine hesitancy in the UK, recent research suggests. University of Oxford researchers asked 15,014 UK adults to rate their anxieties about needles and blood, and their willingness to receive a Covid vaccine. In total, 3,927 (26.2 per cent) screened positive for blood-injection-injury phobia. Individuals screening positive (22.0 per cent) were more likely to report Covid vaccine hesitancy than those screening negative (11.5 per cent). Blood-injection-injury fears may explain approximately 10 per cent of cases of Covid vaccine hesitancy, the researchers said. 'If we could wave a magic wand and rid people of their injection anxiety, just over 10 per cent of instances of vaccine hesitancy might disappear,' said study author Daniel Freeman for the Conversation. Other reasons for not getting jabbed include safety of the vaccines and scepticism about Covid's seriousness. Advertisement The current coronavirus pandemic has been a stark reminder of the difference made with timely vaccination, according to the researchers but getting a vaccine typically requires a visit to a clinic, hospital or vaccine centre. There, a healthcare provider obtains a vaccine from a refrigerator, fills a syringe with the liquid vaccine formulation and injects it into the arm. Although this process seems simple, there are issues that can hinder mass vaccination from cold storage of vaccines to needing trained professionals who can give the shots. The vaccine patch, on the other hand, could be shipped anywhere in the world without special handling, letting people apply the patch themselves, a bit like at-home Covid testing. The patch's microneedles would be coated in the vaccine fluid, which would be painlessly applied to the skin. The microneedles could be fabricated using 3D-printing from a range of materials solid metal and silicon, for example, as well as polymers. It's generally a challenge to adapt microneedles to different vaccine types, said lead study author Shaomin Tian, a researcher in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the UNC School of Medicine. 'These issues, coupled with manufacturing challenges, have arguably held back the field of microneedles for vaccine delivery,' she said. Most microneedle vaccines are fabricated with master templates to make molds. However, the molding of microneedles is not very versatile, and drawbacks include reduced needle sharpness during replication. The 3D-printed microneedle vaccine patch offers an 'anxiety-free' vaccination option for people who have a 'needle phobia' (stock image) 3D-printing offers microneedles of controlled geometries, which is difficult to achieve using traditional methods. The ease of using the vaccine patch may lead to higher vaccination rates and avoid vaccine hesitancy during future pandemics. The team of microbiologists and chemical engineers are continuing to innovate by formulating RNA vaccines, like the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines, into microneedle patches for future testing. The study has been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. From chickens to ducks, most of the birds raised by humans today aren't exactly very ferocious. But a new analysis of egg shells suggests that ancient humans living in New Guinea 18,000 years ago bravely raised a rather more terrifying type of bird the cassowary. Researchers from Pennsylvania State University studied ancient eggshells, and found that some younger eggs were burnt and eaten by ancient humans, but other eggs were likely left to fully develop and hatch. These cassowary chicks were raised to adulthood before they were killed for their feathers and meat, which is still eaten in some parts of New Guinea as a delicacy. At the time, humans on the island may have gone to great efforts to collect eggs of the cassowary, despite the bird being capable of causing fatal injuries. Often compared with dinosaurs in appearance, cassowaries are similar to emus and stand up to six feet tall and weigh up to 130 pounds (59 kilograms). They're the world's most dangerous bird, according to San Diego Zoo, with a four-inch, dagger-like claw on each foot that can cut open predators including humans. Cassowaries are described as the world's most dangerous bird by San Diego Zoo. They're capable of severe injury to humans and other animals. Despite this, they were raised by humans until they were adults, researchers in Pennsylvania report Often compared with dinosaurs in appearance, cassowaries are similar to emus and stand up to six feet tall and weigh up to 130 pounds (59kg) THE WORLD'S MOST DANGEROUS BIRD: WHAT ARE CASSOWARIES? Pictured, the vibrant green egg of the southern cassowary Cassowaries are similar to emus and stand up to six feet tall and weigh up to 130 pounds (59kg). The San Diego Zoo's website calls them the world's most dangerous bird with a four-inch, dagger-like claw on each foot that can cut open people or predators. They can also jump seven feet straight up and can swim, according to the San Diego Zoo. There are three living cassowary species - the southern cassowary, the northern cassowary and the dwarf cassowary. Advertisement A Florida man was killed by one of the creatures in 2019, yet, amazingly, cassowary chicks are still traded as a commodity in New Guinea, according to the researchers, who studied ancient eggshells found on the island to determine the developmental stage of cassowary embryos when the eggs cracked. Rainforests on the island 18,000 years ago may 'present the earliest known evidence of human management of avian [bird] breeding', the authors report. 'This behaviour that we are seeing is coming thousands of years before domestication of the chicken,' said Professor Kristina Douglass at Penn State University. 'And this is not some small fowl, it is a huge, ornery, flightless bird that can eviscerate you.' Cassowaries are flightless birds and bear more resemblance to velociraptors than today's domesticated birds. Despite the danger they present to people, cassowary chicks imprint readily to humans and 'are easy to maintain and raise up to adult size', the researchers report. Imprinting occurs when a newly hatched bird decides that the first thing it sees is its mother. If that first glance happens to catch sight of a human, the bird will follow the human. For the study, the researchers developed a new method to determine how old a chick embryo was when an egg was harvested, based on analysis of eggshells. 'I've worked on eggshells from archaeological sites for many years,' said Professor Douglass. 'I discovered research on turkey eggshells that showed changes in the eggshells over the course of development that were an indication of age. I decided this would be a useful approach.' First, the researchers studied the eggshells of living birds, including turkeys, emus and ostriches. By inspecting the inside of these eggs, the researchers created a statistical assessment of what the eggs looked like during different stages of incubation. Pictured, a modern-day cassowary chick. These chicks were likely reared to adulthood by humans as early as 18,000 years ago A pair of endangered southern cassowaries are pictured on a gravel path in Queensland, Australia The insides of the eggshells change through development, with pits appearing in the middle of development. The researchers then turned to historical shell collections from two sites in New Guinea Yuku and Kiowa. They applied their approach to more than 1,000 fragments of ancient eggs, the age of which ranged from 18,000 to 6,000 years. 'What we found was that a large majority of the eggshells were harvested during late stages,' said Professor Douglass. 'The eggshells look very late; the pattern is not random.' (A) Male southern cassowary sitting on the forest floor; (B) Male southern cassowary and two juveniles; and (C) young cassowary chick (Casuarius spp.) Images from the research paper, rendered through high-resolution laser microscopy scanning, show the cassowary eggshell interior surfaces Ancient humans were either 'into eating baluts' nearly developed embryos boiled and eaten as street food in parts of Asia today or were hatching chicks when they were fully developed. 'We also looked at burning on the eggshells,' said Professor Douglass. 'There are enough samples of late stage eggshells that do not show burning that we can say they were hatching and not eating them.' To successfully hatch and raise cassowary chicks, the ancient people would need to have known where the nests were and when the eggs were laid. They would also have needed to remove them from the nest just before hatching, which may have resulted in some very intense encounters with protective cassowary parents. Eggshells are part of the assemblage of many archeological sites, but according to Douglass, archaeologists do not often study them. The study, published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, shows their worth in revealing historical human habits. River otters are mysteriously attacking people and pets in Anchorage, Alaska prompting wildlife officials to warn the public to keep their distance. According to the state's Department of Fish and Game, a group of troublesome otters have attacked people in outdoor areas, such as lakes. It's not clear what has prompted the unusual behavior but diseases such as rabies could be to blame. Earlier this month, a nine-year-old boy, Ayden, was attacked by a group of four river otters near Dowling and Lake Otis. His mother, Tiffany Fernandez, could not believe otters were responsible for the bite marks on her son's legs, she told the Anchorage Daily News. Ayden, his 13-year-old brother and two friends were on a bike ride in East Anchorage. The group stopped at a pond on Carriage Drive when they noticed the otters but remained at a distance, Fernandez said. River otters are mysteriously attacking people and pets in Anchorage, Alaska A 9-year-old boy was taken to the hospital for a rabies shot after he was bit several times near a duck pond Nine -year-old Ayden was taken to an emergency room for a rabies shot after being bitten several times near a duck pond on Carriage Drive. His mother is believed to have shared pictured of his injuries here 'Around 7 p.m. my oldest son called me, and I thought he was joking when he said, 'Mom, Ayden got bit by an otter,' the mother said. 'And I said, 'What do you mean, an otter?' Fernandez said her eldest son stopped to take a video of the otters, when one of them charged at his younger brother. 'He has two fang marks on his back thigh, and one on the front thigh on each leg,' she told the outlet. 'One puncture wound on his foot. He ended up falling as he was running away and the otter got him on his back.' Fernandez shared the pictures of her son's bite scars on Nextdoor. The boy was taken to an emergency room for a rabies shot after being bitten several times near a duck pond. Other recent attacks include a woman who was bit while rescuing her dog from a pack of river otters near University Lake, as well as a another dog which was attacked on a different part of the lake. There were two reported otter attacks at a similar time last year at University lake. In October, a husky almost drowned after it was attacked by otters while swimming. The attacks have occurred at popular outdoor areas, such as lakes. One woman was bit while rescuing her dog from a pack of river otters near University Lake, as well as a another dog which was attacked on a different part of the lake 'First it was just the one otter on her, and then it seemed like three more,' the owner, Kenny Brewer, told Alaska Public. 'They started dragging her down, basically. In November, a Labradoodle was pulled under the water twice by what its owner believed were otters or beavers. 'The group composition of river otters responsible for the recent attacks is unknown,' the government agency wrote in a statement. 'River otters may travel long distances over land or by utilizing interconnected waterways, and it is possible that the same group of river otters were responsible for the attacks at both locations. 'River otters have not been reported at the site of the September 1 incident since that time.' According to PAWS, river otters are considered 'social' animals that are both very intelligent and highly curious. They have been known to occasionally attack humans, according to a 2007 study from Yale University, but interactions are considered 'rare' due to low population numbers. 'Aggressive encounters' are even less frequent, the study added. Citing the risk to public safety, Alaska's Department of Fish and Game said 'efforts will be made to locate this group of river otters and remove them.' 'Care will be taken to only remove the animals exhibiting these unusual behaviors,' the department added. 'Due to their aggressive behavior toward people and pets, it is likely they would continue those actions in any new environment, making relocation problematic as it would simply move the dangerous behavior to another location.' Two other incidents in which otters attacked and almost drowned dogs were reported at a similar time last year Alaska's Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang said that any otters that have to be killed will be tested for rabies due to their 'unusually aggressive behavior.' 'There has not been a reported case of rabies in river otters in southcentral Alaska in recent years, however the possibility of disease concern remains. River otter attacks do happen, but are not considered commonplace, Fish and Game said. Its not known if the attacks came from the same group of otters, which can range over large swaths of land. 'Because of the risk to public safety, efforts will be made to locate this group of river otters and remove them,' Fish and Game said. 'Care will be taken to only remove the animals exhibiting these unusual behaviors.' Ninety percent of the world's sea otters live in coastal Alaska to U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. China, in the midst of a significant upgrade of its military forces and purported arms race with the U.S., showed off a new drone that has a wingspan of nearly 70 feet and can fly continuously for almost a full day. Known as the CH-6 drone, it is 'aimed at high-end arms and dual-use markets,' according to Chinese news outlet, Global Times. The drone - built by CH UAV - can fly continuously for 20 hours and reach speeds of 435 miles per hour, the news outlet added. It can also reach heights of almost 50,000 feet. It is the latest step in a growing arms race between China and the US, as the Chinese seek to overhaul their military. The ruling Communist Party is pouring billions of dollars into developing fighter jets, stealth technology, drones and other hardware for its military wing, the Peoples Liberation Army, as it presses claims to disputed seas and other territory. The country has set a 2035 deadline to retool its military for modern warfare. China still lags the U.S. in terms of tech and investment in its war machine, but experts say it is narrowing the gap, while a US intelligence report this year flagged China's growing influence as one of America's biggest threats. China showed off a new drone that has a wingspan of nearly 70 feet and can fly continuously for almost 24 hours. The CH-6 drone can reach altitudes as high as 15,000 meters (50,000 feet) According to a March analysis by Bloomberg, Chinese suppliers have delivered 220 drones to 16 different countries over the past decade. By comparison, U.S.-based suppliers have delivered less than 10, sparking concerns of an arms race. 'Operationally, these platforms .... would be employed alongside China's other drone and autonomous systems, as well as piloted aircraft, to provide a reconnaissance and attack capability against U.S. and allied forces operating in the Indo-Pacific region,' Australian Strategic Policy Institute Malcom Davis said in an interview with the South China Morning Post. China's CH-6 drone compares to the MQ-9A 'Reaper' drone, both in size and operational capabilities. China's CH-6 drone compares to the U.S.A.'s MQ-9A 'Reaper' drone, both in size and operational capabilities The unveiling of the new military hardware comes months after the U.S. has unveiled several new military drones. In June, the U.S. Air Force said it was working on creating microdrones that are capable of flapping their wings like birds or insects to surveil warzones. The Air Force Research Laboratory is working with Airion Health LLC and using a 2014 patent to create a micro air vehicle (MAV) that can alter its speed and achieve 'insect-like maneuverability' for 21st century battlefields. 'Controllable forces would be generated by the wings based on position and velocity profiles, resulting in time-varying wing upstrokes and downstrokes, which, at times, may be asymmetrical,' a statement reads. One month later, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems showed off images of a new missile-carrying air-to-air combat drone that can drop bombs in a war zone. Earlier this month, a mysterious aircraft was spotted flying over the Philippines that some believe could be the U.S.'s ultra-secret RQ-180 stealth drone. This MAV can alter its speed and achieve 'insect-like maneuverability' and it could be used for in-the-open surveillance, aerial swarm operations and battlefield situational awareness. A working MAV prototype will be developed within 15 months of the agreement Northrop Grumman is also working on the long-awaited MQ-4C Triton drone, which has been plagued by setbacks. This drone can spend more than 30 hours in the air continuously at 55,000 ft with a top speed of 380 mph Northrop Grumman is also working on the long-awaited MQ-4C Triton drone, which has been plagued by setbacks. This drone can spend more than 30 hours in the air continuously at 55,000 ft with a top speed of 380 mph. It also boasts a 360-degree field of view, capable of surveilling 2.7 million square miles in under 24 hours. In July, the MQ-4C took its first flight in a multi-intelligence operation from the U.S. Navy and Royal Australian Air Force. The CH-6, with its long range, could be used for a number of military and civilian missions, the South China Morning Post reported. It may also be used for anti-submarine missions, maritime patrols, early warning missions and close-range air support, the Global Times added. The drone was unveiled at the 2021 Airshow China, which started on Tuesday. The CH-6, with its long range, could be used for a number of military and civilian missions The CH-6 is capable of flying for 20 hours because it has two, small-to medium-sized turbofan engines. If one engine fails, the other is powerful enough to bring it back to a base, Global Times reported. In addition to its impressive size, it uses a modularization design, allowing for certain parts, such as engines or wings, to easily be switched out. This makes it easier to maintain and support, Shi Wen, chief engineer and designer of the CH drone series, told the Global Times. In addition to the CH-6, CH UAV showed off another drone, the CH-817 mini-attack drone. The CH-817 has a weight of just 800 grams and is capable of flying approximately 15 minutes. The new drone was unveiled at the 2021 Airshow China, which started on Tuesday Another drone, the WZ-7 (pictured), known as the 'Guizhou Soar Dragon,' was also displayed at the air show. 'We can call it a flying grenade,' Wen was quoted as saying. Another drone, the WZ-7, known as the 'Guizhou Soar Dragon,' was also put on display at the air show. Built by state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), it has a wingspan of 78 feet (24 meters) and is approximately 45 feet (14 meters) in length. At this size, it is one of the largest drones developed in the country, the South China Morning Post added. The new drones could significantly boost China's strike ability, especially in the South China Sea, experts said. Drones built by AVIC have significant selling points over competitors: they're cheaper than those built by the U.S. or Israel, at $1 million or $2 million, compared to around $15 million for an U.S.-made drone. Secondly, China does not care how they're used, Ulrike Franke, policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told Bloomberg. 'China is willing to export armed drones to almost anyone,' she explained. Despite the significant increase in drone deliveries to countries around the world, China says it is not starting an arms race, but rather empowering its customers. 'We are prudent and responsible in exporting arms,' Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said during a February press briefing. 'This is totally different from what the United States does.' Politicians focused on tackling climate change are being urged to not forget the world is in the midst of a global marine plastic pollution crisis. Researchers from the Zoological Society London (ZSL) and Bangor University analysed data on global climate change and marine plastic pollution, finding that they act to exacerbate one another, creating a larger overall problem for the planet. The impact of climate change on ocean ecosystems is widely studied, as is the impact of plastic pollution, but this is the first to look at how they act together. Plastic manufacturing adds greenhouse gas emissions, they said, and in turn extreme weather events caused by climate change further spread plastic pollution. They say so much energy is being spent on policies to reach net zero and to minimise carbon dioxide emissions, that the plastic problem risks being ignored. Instead, the experts say governments should treat both issues at the same time. Politicians focused on tackling climate change are being urged to not forget the world is in the midst of a global marine plastic pollution crisis Interactions between plastic and climate. Plastic will affect climate change through the contribution of greenhouse gases and interact with the impacts of climate change in the natural environment. Coloured shapes indicate how each component is connected to both plastic pollution and climate change KEY FINDINGS Plastic pollution and climate change crises compete for public and policy attention These issues are linked, with some marine species and ecosystems vulnerable to both The root cause of both crises is the same, the overconsumption of finite resources Engagement in solving plastic pollution can increase action against climate change Integrated approaches include conserving blue carbon and a circular economy Advertisement As part of the study, the team identified three significant ways that the climate crisis and plastic pollution are connected. The first is how plastic contributes to global greenhouse gases throughout its life cycle, from production through to disposal. The second demonstrates how extreme weather, like floods and typhoons associated with climate change will disperse and worsen plastic pollution. Finally, the third examines the marine species and ecosystems that are particularly vulnerable to both climate change and plastic pollution. While climate change is a major headline issue, plastic pollution is having a devastating impact on marine biodiversity, the researchers warned. From individual animals mistakenly ingesting plastic bags to entire habitats polluted with microplastics, it is a problem that seems to be getting worse. Mainly sourced from fossil fuels, and with global demand set to rise, production of plastic from 2015 to 2020 was responsible for emitting 56 billion megatons of CO2. While the figure isn't finalised, based on estimates, the ZSL team say it accounts for between 10 and 13 per cent of the entire global carbon budget. The Plastic Lifecycle. Diagram representing the estimated amounts of greenhouse gases released in CO2 equivelant at each stage of the plastic life cycle. The amount stored during use and released when plastic ends up in the natural environment is largely unknown Researchers from the Zoological Society London (ZSL) and Bangor University analysed data on global climate change and marine plastic pollution, finding that they act to exacerbate one another, creating a larger overall problem for the planet Climate change is already causing more extreme weather events including storms and flooding, increasing the dispersal of waste between land and sea, the team said. In addition, sea ice is a major trap for microplastics which will be released into the ocean as the ice melts due to warming, potentially entering global food chains. Awareness and coverage of both issues has risen exponentially over the years, but studies show that they are often approached as separate, even competing issues. Professor Heather Koldewey, Senior Technical Specialist at ZSL, a director at #OneLess, and the senior author on the paper says that integrated solutions to mitigate against both crises are possible and must be considered. 'Climate change is undoubtedly one of the most critical global threats of our time,' Professor Koldewey explained. Differences and biodegradability of different types of plastics. The impact of climate change on ocean ecosystems is widely studied, as is the impact of plastic pollution, but this is the first to look at how they act together They say so much energy is being spent on policies to reach net zero, and to minimise carbon dioxide emissions, that the plastic problem risks being ignored, and instead, governments should treat both issues at the same time PARIS AGREEMENT: AN ACCORD TO LIMIT TEMPERATURE RISES The Paris Agreement, first signed in 2015, is an international agreement to control and limit climate change. It hopes to hold the increase in the global average temperature to below 2C (3.6F) 'and to pursue efforts to limit the increase to 1.5C (2.7F)'. It seems the more ambitious goal of restricting global warming to 1.5C (2.7F) may be more important than ever, and increasingly difficult. According to previous research, 25 per cent of the world could see a significant increase in drier conditions if temperatures rise by 1.5C (2.7F). The Paris Agreement on Climate Change has four main goals with regards to reducing emissions: A long-term goal of keeping the increase in global average temperature to well below 2C above pre-industrial levels To aim to limit the increase to 1.5C, since this would significantly reduce risks and the impacts of climate change Governments agreed on the need for global emissions to peak as soon as possible, recognising that this will take longer for developing countries To undertake rapid reductions thereafter in accordance with the best available science Source: European Commission Advertisement 'Plastic pollution is also having a global impact; from the top of Mount Everest to the deepest parts of our ocean. 'Both are having a detrimental effect on ocean biodiversity; with climate change heating ocean temperatures and bleaching coral reefs, to plastic damaging habitats and causing fatalities among marine species. 'The compounding impact of both crises just exacerbates the problem. It's not a case of debating which issue is most important, it's recognising that the two crises are interconnected and require joint solutions.' The study demonstrates how vulnerable species and habitats which are impacted by climate change are also threatened by plastic pollution. It says that further research is needed to determine these links, their roles in our natural environment, and how both issues interact to negatively impact ecosystems. Professor Koldewey said: 'The biggest shift will be moving away from wasteful single-use plastic and from a linear to circular economy that reduces the demand for damaging fossil fuels.' Helen Ford, PhD researcher at Bangor University who led the study and focuses her research on coral reefs, said she sees daily how vulnerable marine ecosystems are to a changing climate. 'I have seen how even the most remote coral reefs are experiencing widespread coral death through global warming-caused mass bleaching. Plastic pollution is yet another threat to these stressed ecosystems,' she said. 'Our study shows that changes are already occurring from both plastic pollution and climate change that are affecting marine organisms across marine ecosystems and food webs, from the smallest plankton to the largest whale. 'We need to understand how these threats to ocean life will interact as they build and encourage policy-makers to act to address these global threats.' The recognition that global environmental crises are intrinsically linked is increasing, according to the ZSL team, who found in a study last year that climate change and the biodiversity crisis must also be tackled in unison. ZSL is urging world governments and policy makers to put nature at the heart of all decision making in order to jointly tackle the combined global threats of climate change, marine plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. The findings have been published in the journal Science of the Total Environment. As marijuana continues to become legal across the U.S., a burgeoning industry is popping up that will let customers figure out the right strain and dose via their DNA to stave off bad trips and help with ailments. Companies such as Endocanna Health have created saliva kits that look for genetic traits, akin to 23andMe, but for marijuana. Endocanna's test looks at 57 genetic traits to see how a person responds to marijuana. Companies are creating at-home tests to let customers figure out the right strain and dose of marijuana to buy via their DNA Endocanna's $199 at-home test looks at 57 genetic traits to see how a person responds to marijuana The $199 kit looks for 57 different traits in 12 different categories, offering a 'personalized wellness plan' and and 'EndoAligned cannabinoid formulation suggestions,' according to the company's website. Once users register on the mydna.live website, they can spit their saliva onto a swab they then return in a prepaid mailer that comes with the DNA kit. The company then analyzes the swab and uploads a personalized report that offers a formula suggestion for the right strain and dose of marijuana. Just over 31% of U.S. adults suffer from anxiety and 90% percent of people with general anxiety disorder have symptoms of another mental health problem 'Your DNA is your blueprint,' Endocanna Health CEO Len May said in an interview with Bloomberg. 'It gives you a GPS that can guide you to an experience that is more optimal and helps you avoid sharp corners.' The 18 locales (17 states and the District of Columbia) in black have fully legalized marijuana. In total, 43 states and the District of Columbia have varying degrees of legalization of cannabis In total, 43 states and the District of Columbia have varying degrees of legalization of cannabis. Just over 31 percent of U.S. adults suffer from anxiety and 90 percent of people with general anxiety disorder have symptoms of another mental health problem, according to data from the National Institute of Mental Health. A study published in May found that 9 out of 10 patients that took MDMA, also known as 'molly,' saw a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms after three therapy sessions, compared to 6 in 10 that used a placebo THE PSYCHEDELIC DRUGS BEING STUDIED FOR THEIR MENTAL HEALTH BENEFITS In recent years, scientists have increasingly looked to psychedelic drugs as promising therapies for treatment-resistant mental illness. Currently, such mind-altering drugs are largely illegal in the US. But ongoing clinical trials suggest that drugs once beloved by hippies and club kids might have medical benefits, too. Scientists are investigating: KETAMINE The club drug and tranquilizer has been in tests for treating depression for several years. In March 2019, the US Food and Drug Administration approved the first nasal spray version of the drug. Ketamine works much more quickly than traditional antidepressants, and scientists believe it encourages new neural connections that can help overwrite unhealthy, depressive thought patterns. PSILOCYBIN The active ingredient in 'magic mushrooms,' psilocybin is a powerful hallucinogen. It, too, acts far more quickly than traditional drugs and is being analyzed for use in patients with both depression and PTSD. Psilocybin helps encourage neuroplasticity and is thought to quiet down the 'default mode network' in the brain, and activate the 'salience network' that is involved in medication. In August, the FDA cleared the largest clinical trial for psilocybin to-date. MDMA The club drug MDMA - sometimes called 'Molly' - is currently in trials to treat PTSD. MDMA appears to quiet activity in the amygdala and hippocampus, regions of the brain involved in emotional processing and fear responses, which are over-active in those with PTSD. Patients participating in MDMA trials take a dose of the drug, and remain in an eight-hour session with two therapists who guide their experience. Advertisement In May, researchers at UC Santa Cruz found that a non-hallucinogenic psychedelic similar to the psychoactive substance ibogaine drastically lowers the levels of stress in mice. A separate study - also published in May - found that 9 out of 10 patients that took MDMA, also known as 'molly,' saw a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms after three therapy sessions, compared to 6 in 10 that used a placebo. Companies are trying to figure out how people will react to cannabis and other psychedelic drugs, such as psilocybin, MDMA, DMT and ketamine. Entheon Biomedical sells a mail-order $89 saliva test for people for people considering psychedelic drugs. The company started out of CEO Timothy Ko's wish to help his brother, who became addicted to opioids and had tried traditional treatments for mental ailments without success. Ko's brother died in 2019. 'Some of the difficulty that we faced as a family was that there was a lot of uncertainty as to what he was actual suffering from and what medications might be given to him,' Ko told Bloomberg. These companies are trying to figure out how to give 'microdoses' of psychedelic drugs or marijuana in order to ease anxiety and cut the number of bad trips, or long-lasting psychosis for people who seek alternative therapies to ailments such as depression, chronic pain and other issues. Berlin-based Atai Life Sciences is looking at psychedelics drugs to cure ailments, while MindMedicine is using health data - including step counters, pulse rate sensors and sleep patterns - to help figure out what drugs to take and what the right dosage is. MindMed CEO Rob Barrow said that at-home DNA tests may not be a panacea, telling Bloomberg: 'Genomic testing can be confusing even for people who know what they're doing, like physicians.' New York-based MindMed is currently going through clinical trials for LSD microdosing to see if it helps with adult attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Just over 31 percent of U.S. adults suffer from anxiety and 90 percent of people with general anxiety disorder have symptoms of another mental health problem, according to data from the National Institute of Mental Health. A study published in April found that psilocybin, a compound that naturally occurs in some mushrooms, worked at least as effective as a leading antidepressant. In July, a separate group of researchers also found psilocybin could work as an antidepressant and increase the long-lasting connections between neurons in the brain by 10 percent, DailyMail.com reported. Advertisement Qatar Airways has got being the world's best airline down to a fine art. Yet again for the sixth year in a row it has been named the No.1 carrier on the planet out of 350 airlines at the 'Oscars of Aviation', the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2021. In second place is Singapore Airlines, with British Airways 11th worldwide, up from No.19 in 2019 and No.31 in 2018. The top carrier in America is named as Delta Air Lines (30th worldwide), with Qantas top in Australia/Pacific (eighth worldwide). Qatar Airways has been named as the No.1 carrier on the planet out of 350 airlines at the 'Oscars of Aviation'. Above is a first-class cabin on one of the carrier's A380s Groaning trophy cabinet: Qatar Airways scoops the gong for World's Best Business Class (pictured above) Edward Plaisted of Skytrax commented that for Qatar Airways to win for the sixth time in a row is a 'remarkable achievement'. What's more, the airline adds the following gongs from this year's awards to its groaning trophy cabinet - World's Best Business Class, World's Best Business Class Seat, World's Best Business Class Airline Lounge and Best Business Class Onboard Catering. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr Akbar Al Baker, said: 'This award is the result of the incredible work by the Qatar Airways team and I want to thank our valued passengers for their loyalty and appreciation for all we have offered during the most challenging and uncertain times, without compromising on the service and excellence that the airline is renowned for throughout the world. SKYTRAX GLOBAL AWARD-WINNERS FOR 2021 The Worlds Top 40 Airlines of 2021 1. Qatar Airways 2. Singapore Airlines 3. ANA All Nippon Airways 4. Emirates 5. Japan Airlines 6. Cathay Pacific 7. EVA Air 8. Qantas Airways 9. Hainan Airlines 10. Air France 11. British Airways 12. China Southern 13. Lufthansa 14. Aeroflot Russian Airlines 15. Garuda Indonesia 16. KLM 17. Turkish Airlines 18. Swiss Int'l Air Lines 19. Bangkok Airways 20. Air New Zealand 21. Etihad Airways 22. Korean Air 23. Thai Airways 24. Virgin Atlantic 25. Asiana Airlines 26. Saudi Arabian Airlines 27. Austrian 28. Vistara 29. AirAsia 30. Delta Air Lines 31. Finnair 32. jetBlue Airways 33. Air Canada 34. Virgin Australia 35. Iberia 36. Aegean Airlines 37. Ethiopian Airlines 38. China Airlines 39. Southwest Airlines 40. Scoot Worlds Best Cabin Crew 2021 1. Singapore Airlines 2. ANA All Nippon Airways 3. Thai Airways 4. Garuda Indonesia 5. Japan Airlines 6. Hainan Airlines 7. EVA Air 8. Asiana Airlines 9. Cathay Pacific Airways 10. Qatar Airways Worlds Best Low-Cost Airlines 2021 1. AirAsia 2. Southwest Airlines 3. Scoot 4. Vueling Airlines 5. IndiGo 6. EasyJet 7. Jetstar Airways 8. Ryanair 9. Jetstar Asia 10. Flynas The Worlds Cleanest Airlines 2021 1. ANA All Nippon Airways 2. Singapore Airlines 3. Japan Airlines 4. Qatar Airways 5. EVA Air 6. Cathay Pacific Airways 7. Asiana Airlines 8. Korean Air 9. Hainan Airlines 10. Swiss International Air Lines Source: Skytrax Advertisement British Airways is 11th worldwide, up from No.19 in 2019 and No.31 in 2018. Pictured above is a first-class BA Dreamliner cabin In second place is Singapore Airlines, which is also honoured with awards for the World's Best First Class and the World's Best First Class Seat. Pictured above is one of the airline's 'suite class' seats 'We never abandoned our loyal customers when they needed us the most. We continued flying to get people home and implemented stringent biosafety measures to provide strong reassurance for travellers, all while continuing to innovate to ensure we remain the airline of choice for millions of passengers across the globe.' Other noteworthy successes at this year's airline awards include easyJet scooping Best Low-Cost Airline in the UK (sixth worldwide, ahead of Ryanair in eighth); ANA All Nippon Airways claiming the top prize in the World's Cleanest Airlines of 2021 category and Singapore Airlines receiving the gold medal for World's Best Cabin Crew. Singapore Airlines is also honoured with awards for the World's Best First Class and the World's Best First Class Seat. Qantas is top in Australia/Pacific and eighth worldwide. Pictured above is a Qantas A380 taxiing at Sydney Airport Delta Airlines is 30th worldwide in the 2021 Skytrax awards - and named as the No.1 airline in America Air Canada wins Best Airline Staff in North America, Air France is named Best Airline in Europe and BA also gets the Best Premium Economy Onboard Catering award and wins the Best Airline Staff in Europe category. The winners of the Skytrax World Airline Awards are decided by a huge passenger satisfaction survey. This year over 100 customer nationalities participated in it, with the 2021 Awards based on 13.42million eligible survey entries (88 per cent of these were registered up to March 2020). The online survey operated from September 2019 to July 2021. For more information visit www.worldairlineawards.com. Advertisement If you're looking for a place to get away from it all then this renovated shepherd's hut in France could be the tonic. Buron de la Chambe is nestled 4,265 feet (1,300m) up in the Auvergne Volcanoes National Park close to the charming town of Aurillac. There is no Wi-Fi and there are no electric lights. But there are stunning interiors, as these pictures reveal, with cosy bedrooms, log-burners and a functioning kitchen - all the result of a painstaking eight-year restoration project. Great escape: Buron de la Chambe is nestled 4,265 feet (1,300m) up in the Auvergne Volcanoes National Park There is no Wi-Fi and there are no electric lights. But there are stunning interiors, as pictures reveal, with cosy bedrooms, log-burners and a functioning kitchen - all the result of a painstaking eight-year restoration project Owner Nancy Tate told MailOnline Travel that when she and her husband Martin purchased the hut, there was 'grass growing through the roof and soil filling most of the rooms'. Pictured, the cosy dining area The abode is lit solely by candlelight but there is a solar panel that provides enough electricity to charge electronics via a power outlet Owner Nancy Tate told MailOnline Travel that when she and her husband Martin purchased the hut, there was 'grass growing through the roof and soil filling most of the rooms'. Explaining its original purpose, she said: 'During the summer the shepherds would come up here to make cheese with milk from their cattle. 'That is why the hut is half underground as it needed to be humid and cold to make the cheese. There was another place nearby where they would put the cattle and they would sleep above in a wooden hut.' While the hut, or buron as it is traditionally known, was left to ruin, Nancy and Martin could see potential and they went about purchasing it in 2005. To restore the structure to its former glory, with a few mod cons, they employed local tradesmen, with work beginning in 2009. Nancy said it was a 'painfully long project' with each stone individually picked and as there is no road, supplies had to be carried in. Explaining the hut's original purpose, Nancy said: 'During the summer the shepherds would come up here to make cheese with milk from their cattle While the hut, or buron as it is traditionally known, was left to ruin, Nancy and Martin could see potential and they went about purchasing it in 2005. Pictured, the kitchen area Local tradesmen were employed to restore the hut to its former glory, with a few mod cons added such as log burners One of the bedrooms in the buron, with two single beds separated by a wooden beam The hut can accommodate up to 10 people for a minimum of two nights between the months of May and October. Prices start from 1,250 (1,077) for two nights with the third free or 2,200 (1,900) for seven nights But thanks to the couple's hard work, the buron is now a luxurious lair, which Nancy describes as the 'ultimate love nest'. And just getting to Buron de la Chambe is an adventure in itself. The journey involves a 30-minute hike up a gravel track, with luggage dropped off by a 4x4. There are two bedrooms, a living room, dining area, kitchen, toilet and bathroom complete with a tub in an old stone trough. Nancy said a particular highlight is an outdoor shower with 'the best view in the world towards the mountains and beyond'. The abode is lit solely by candlelight - but there is a solar panel that provides enough electricity to charge electronics via a power outlet. In terms of supplies, there is a base kitchen in the buron with the likes of salt, olive oil and coffee, but extra supplies can be ordered in Owner Nancy describes her holiday rental as 'ultimate love nest' A peek at the bathroom complete with a tub in an old stone trough (left), and the dining area with a rustic chandelier (right) In terms of supplies, there is a base kitchen in the buron with the likes of salt, olive oil and coffee, but extra supplies can be ordered in. There is a well outside with drinkable water or bottled water can also be provided. Describing the type of guests they have welcomed since they started running their rental in 2017, Nancy says: 'We've had all kinds of people from everywhere. 'Some come as a family and some as couples. We have had three marriage proposals, which I have helped to arrange, so that's fun! We have also had many creatives who want to come and write here and be isolated.' Nancy, who is originally from the U.S, recommends that guests stay a minimum of three days so they can 'fully benefit from the isolation'. She concludes: 'In terms of when to visit, I particularly love the fall [autumn]. 'The summer is also fantastic though and there are so many incredible hikes you can do. There is a little forest next to the cabin, which is not to be missed. It's like the Forbidden Forest in Harry Potter.' The hut can accommodate up to 10 people for a minimum of two nights between the months of May and October. Prices start from 1,250 (1,077) for two nights with the third free or 2,200 (1,900) for seven nights. Visit www.burondelachambe.com. Nancy said a particular highlight is an outdoor shower with 'the best view in the world towards the mountains and beyond' Owner Nancy recommends visiting the little forest next to the cabin, which is 'like the Forbidden Forest in Harry Potter' Describing the type of guests they have welcomed over the past few years, Nancy says: 'We've had all kinds of people from everywhere. Some come as a family and some as couples. We have had three marriage proposals, which I have helped to arrange, so that's fun! We have also had many creatives who want to come and write here and be isolated' Natalie Zea is starring as Eve Harris in NBC's massive new disaster series La Brea, which kicks off Tuesday evening. It's a big change for the blonde beauty who was last on the black comedy TBS series The Detour with Jason Jones. But the Texas native is happy about the new pace, even if it was physically exhausting. 'I made sure to get as good a shape as I could before I left for the shoot, knowing I would have to run a lot,' Zea told DailyMail.com. New gig: Natalie Zea is starring as Eve Harris in NBC's massive new disaster series La Brea, which kicks off Tuesday evening. It's a big change for the blonde beauty who was last on the black comedy TBS series The Detour with Jason Jones. But the Texas native is happy about the new pace, even if it was physically exhausting On the run! Demanding role: 'I made sure to get as good a shape as I could before I left for the shoot, knowing I would have to run a lot,' Zea told DailyMail.com. See with Zyra Gorecki who plays her daughter 'I did a lot of running, I mean a lot!' she added of the shoot in Melbourne, Australia earlier this year. 'I had to be in great shape.' The former model is a fan of Pilates, yoga and weight lifting, she has said in the past. On the first episode she had to run from the sinkhole under the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles. And once she landed in a primeval time, she had to run from aggressive animals like dire wolves and saber tooth cats. The synopsis: A massive sinkhole opens up in the middle of Los Angeles, separating a family between two worlds. The mother and son fall into an unexplainable primeval land alongside a group of strangers trying to figure out where they are, and how to get back home. She stays in top shape: The former model is a fan of Pilates, yoga and weight lifting, she has said in the past Tough role: 'I did a lot of running, I mean a lot!' she added of the shoot in Melbourne, Australia earlier this year. Seen with costar Jack Martin who plays her son Josh Harris 'Left above is a daughter, who barely manages to survive the disaster, and the father, whose troubled past and hallucinations make him an unlikely choice to help solve the mystery - and reunite the family. But when he realizes his visions might just be the key to finding their loved ones, time will be the only thing that stands in their way.' The wife of Scrubs vet Travis Schuldt told DailyMail.com that going from The Detour to La Brea was like 'apples to oranges.' The red carpet fixture added: 'I couldnt apply any of the skills I acquired on The Detour for this show. Which, in a sense, is why I took the project.' In the wild: 'I did a lot of running, I mean a lot!' she added of the shoot in Melbourne, Australia earlier this year. The former model is a fan of Pilates, yoga and weight lifting, she has said in the past. Seen with Jon Seda as Dr Valez and Chike Okonkwo as Ty Coleman Zea added, 'Im always looking to do something completely different from the thing I did before, so mission accomplished!' She sure does: After she starred with Donald Sutherland on the high class evening soap opera Dirty Sexy Money she starred on Hung, about a gigolo. And after she was the lead with Kevin Bacon on serial killer show The Following, Natalie played Winona Hawkins to Timothy Olyphant's Raylan Givens on the Western themed Justified. La Brea is the biggest series she has even worked on and this time she is the lead, carrying it on her back. She wanted a challenge: The wife of Scrubs vet Travis Schuldt told DailyMail.com that going from The Detour to La Brea was like 'apples to oranges.' The red carpet fixture added: 'I couldnt apply any of the skills I acquired on The Detour for this show. Which, in a sense, is why I took the project' The job also required her to learn about the primeval era she falls into. 'Not only did I not learn about what animals were around at that time, at one point I mistakenly thought wed be encountering Dinosaurs. Spoiler: we will not,' Natalie said. But there are plenty of scary things that lurk around in the dark during this era. When asked what time period she would like to time travel to, Zea had a quick response: 'Paris in the 1910s, New York in the 1920's, Los Angeles in the 1940s.' The promotion for La Brea has been massive, with her face all over TV and on hundreds of billboards, but Zea has yet to take in her new fame. So new: 'I have not seen a single billboard or commercial for the show as I was in Melbourne still up until a week ago and have been in semi-quarantine since being back. But Ive seen plenty of photos!' she shared. Here she is seen standing on a rock with Martin Take me to Paris y'all! When asked what time period she would like to time travel to, Zea had a quick response: 'Paris in the 1910s, New York in the 1920's, Los Angeles in the 1940s.' 'I have not seen a single billboard or commercial for the show as I was in Melbourne still up until a week ago and have been in semi-quarantine since being back. But Ive seen plenty of photos!' she shared. As far as her legendary chemistry with Timothy Olyphant on Justified, she says she is happy that people enjoyed it. 'I love how beloved that show has become over the years, it warms my heart knowing how many are still discovering it,' said the mother of one. 'Ive been very lucky to work with some of the kindest, most talented leading men in the business. Tim is no exception. And if somebody wanted to pay me money to work alongside him again, that would be an immediate yes.' La Brea debuts on NBC on Tuesday, September 28. Sheridan Smith revealed on Saturday that her son Billy's middle name is a tribute to her late brother who tragically died at the age of 18. The actress, 40, took to Instagram on what would have been older brother Julian's birthday to reveal the news, 16 months after welcoming her first child. She wrote: 'Today wouldve been my big brother Julians 50th birthday, so I celebrated him with his beautiful nephew Billy Julian' Homage: Sheridan Smith, 40, has revealed that her son's middle name Julian is a tribute to her late brother who tragically died aged 18 from cancer Sad: The actress took to Instagram on what would have been his 50th birthday and penned the heartfelt caption: 'Today wouldve been my big brother Julians 50th birthday, so I celebrated him with his beautiful nephew Billy Julian' The message was alongside an old photo of her brother climbing a tree, as well as a picture of Billy. Julian died when Sheridan was just eight years old of cancer, and she told the Radio Times back in 2016 that his death makes her 'value life, cherish my loved ones and be grateful for every day I have with them.' Sheridan shares Billy with her ex Jamie horn, who she ended her engagement with back in July following a three-year relationship. Both parties shared a statement addressing their break up to The Sun which read: 'It is with great sadness that we have decided to have some time apart.' Memory: The message was alongside an old photo of her brother climbing a tree Only child: The actress welcomed her son Billy back in May 2020 'We both remain completely committed to raising our beautiful boy Billy together. We ask that you respect our privacy during this difficult time. Thank you.' A source told OK! at the time: 'Sheridan is struggling to get through the split. She put him out there for everyone to see and she really thought he was The One.' Sheridan confirmed her split from long-term partner Jamie little more than a year after they welcomed their son Billy together, the couple's only child. Jamie proposed to Sheridan in May 2018 and the couple were living together in a rented property in North London. He later appeared onscreen alongside her in a one-off documentary, titled Sheridan Smith: Becoming Mum, filmed for ITV. It was released in 2020 and followed her pregnancy as a first time parent. Daniel Craig's James Bond co-star Darwin Shaw has revealed how the 007 actor was packed with adrenaline on his first day on set that he punched Shaw with a clenched fist to the skull and sent him staggering back into a toiletry cubicle. In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Shaw said Craig was so enthusiastic when they filmed Casino Royale that his kicks and punches during fight scenes were real. Shaw, cast as terrorist Fisher - Bond's first kill, praised Craigs intensity, steel, focus and 18 hour work day ethic while also being 'kind, caring and cool' to his cast mates and crew. Looking back: Daniel Craig's James Bond co-star Darwin Shaw has revealed how the 007 actor was packed with adrenaline on his first day on set that he punched Shaw with a clenched fist to the skull Recalling how Craig punched straight on the forehead during their ferocious fight scene as they pushed for the fight to look authentic, he laughed: 'The first takes went well, but they were pushing to make it look more real. 'So we shot one where Daniel would throw the punch closer to my face and be more violent. It happened in a millisecond and as his fist came forward, Daniel clocked me straight on the forehead. 'We carried on, because it was all part of the rough and tumble. And nobody really noticed, just Daniel and I. He came over and patted me on the shoulder 'sorry about that mate'. It was a nice gesture, but fans know my reaction is real. 'It was not his fault, my body was probably out of the correct position by ten degrees which allowed that contact. Stunts like that must be totally in sync, but with the adrenaline I didnt feel anything.' The real deal: In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, Shaw said Craig was so enthusiastic when they filmed Casino Royale that his kicks and punches during fight scenes were real Craigs adrenaline was running high too as a karate kick through a plastic trash can saw Shaws stunt double Glenn Foster take a boot to the face. 'That's about Daniels power and the energy levels. it stayed in the final cut. It was pretty vicious, but to an athlete like Glenn it didnt look like he even felt it.' As the fight sequence intensified with Bond striking Fisher down onto a urinal, Shaw was inspired by physicality and excitement on set. 'We'd rehearsed, but it was difficult to pull off. It was a three second shot, which still feels like yesterday, where I thought Ive got to do this even if it f***ing hurts. Fond memories: Shaw, cast as terrorist Fisher - Bond's first kill, praised Craigs intensity, steel, focus and 18 hour work day ethic while also being 'kind, caring and cool' to his cast mates and crew 'Daniel twisted his arm appearing to strike me, as I launched myself back hard I thrust my elbow down smashing the urinal in pieces crumbling alongside me on the floor. 'There was a huge cheer that erupted from behind the camera. And I was like "I have done something right!"' Fishers fate was then sealed with Bond grasping his collar and drowning him in a water filled basin. Shaw insists Craig, famous for showing off his chiseled physique in blue swim shorts in the film, was very strong. 'When you are working with someone who is that ripped and strong, you feel his power. 'He was a lot bigger than me and in incredible shape. It was not about looking like Arnie, but him creating a reality of being a killing machine.' Craig was a world away from his character off set. Here he comes: Craig will return as Bond for a fifth and final time in No Time To Die 'I left a bottle of wine with a note in his trailer on my final day. As I was driving away from the set, I suddenly saw someone running up to the car in the wing mirror - it was Daniel. 'He was shouting "stop, stop, stop," I was so gobsmacked and he wife something like "hey thanks so much. I want to give you this." And he handed me this beautiful bottle of Czech wine and a card. 'Hed written: "No hard feelings Daniel."' 'It was a lesson in how to be a leader, and that everybody counts, and in Bonds case it takes a town to make that production. 'To have the time and thoughtfulness to make that gesture for a young actor, just tells you everything about who Daniel is as a human being.' Muscular: Shaw insists Craig, famous for showing off his chiseled physique in blue swim shorts in the film, was very strong Shaw, who departs the franchise with No Time To Die, never had a doubt the 'blonde haired Bond' would become the greatest ever actor in the role. He often bumps into old Bond connections, but shared one amusing encounter with Daniel at the Golden Globes three years ago 'I walked into the loo and standing next to me taking a pee was Daniel. It was first time I had seen him, and said: "Alright Daniel." 'It took him a minute to place me, because this was so out of context. He laughed about being back in a toilet, he said: "We have got to stop doing this."' One of the best: Shaw, who departs the franchise with No Time To Die, never had a doubt the 'blonde haired Bond' would become the greatest ever actor in the role Shaw broke away from his latest project The Anti Viral Film Project - a global anthology of 24 stories which will be woven together to produce three feature films. He says the AVFP movies 'will track the course through the pandemic from isolation to connection to emergence. Each story represents a different world community set on the background of the pandemic, but not about the pandemic. 'There will be a cause linked to each story which highlights one of the problems of this community. Our Watch To Give initiative means film sales will benefit charities associated with that film. The other fifty per cent goes towards paying for the next film - so each community pays forward. Our aim is to provide mentorship and collaborations in countries.' From the 100 submissions for AVFB, 24 were picked with the first film Carl And The Janitor completed and The Last Ranger just finished in South Africa. Producer Shaws The Last Ranger, shot over 5 days in the Amakhala wildlife reserve, is a 'poignant' half hour film, with potential to be developed into a full feature. Dame Sheila Hancock is also on board for a short film Oasis, alongside Gonzalo Ramos, which will be filmed once finances are secured. Carl And The Janitor is available on bingeable.net/msf and six-feet-films.com. A former My Kitchen Rules contestant is suing Channel Seven in the NSW District Court. Patricia Senteleky, 64, claims she suffered 'physical and psychological trauma' while filming the 2018 season of the now-defunct cooking show, reports The Australian. Among Senteleky's claims is that she suffered a fall during filming that left her with a suspected broken ankle. Legal action: Former MKR star Patricia Senteleky is suing Channel Seven in the NSW District Court. Pictured (left to right): Pete Evans, Patricia and Louisa Senteleky, and Manu Feildel Patricia's barrister, Rob Taylor, said his client 'suffered physical injuries primarily to her low back, neck, left knee and left ankle' after slipping on 'leaves or needles' while outside at the show's Kenthurst shoot. He added that as a result Patricia 'frequently' needed to use a wheelchair. Patricia additionally claims her injuries resulted in 'emotional and psychological' damage, while daughter Louisa, 34, with whom she appeared on the show, added that medical assistance was not offered by producers. Claims: The 64-year-old claims she suffered 'physical and psychological trauma' while filming the 2018 season of the now-defunct cooking show 'I would message and ask for a doctor, and they just said I had to find it. They said "Oh, you can give us a receipt",' said teacher Louisa, who along with her mother was eliminated from the cooking show in week two. Patricia is seeking 'unspecified damages' from the court, which has a $750,000 jurisdictional limit plus costs. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Seven for comment. Injuries: Patricia's barrister, Rob Taylor, said his client 'suffered physical injuries primarily to her low back, neck, left knee and left ankle' after slipping on 'leaves or needles' News of the litigation comes months after the network was ordered to pay a former MKR contestant compensation following her appearance on the show back in 2019. The network was told to pay Piper O'Neill more than $22,000 a year in ongoing payments after she claimed she suffered 'psychological injury' on the show, news.com.au reported in April. Piper, 37, appeared on the cooking series alongside her best friend Veronica Cristovao, with the two women labelled the show's resident 'beauty queens'. Legal battle: Channel Seven was ordered in April to pay a former MKR contestant ongoing compensation following her appearance on the show back in 2019. Pictured" Veronica Cristovao (left) and Piper O'Neill (right) She first lodged a workers compensation claim against Seven in August last year, asking for a payment of almost $1,000 in weekly benefits. Piper had initially asked that the payments be dated from December 24, 2018. During her stint on the show, it was revealed that Piper was involved in a 'secret' relationship with fellow contestant Victor Aeberli. Speaking to news.com.au at the time, Veronica said her friend had been treated unfairly by the show's 'sex scandal' edit. Compensation: The network was told to pay Piper more than $22,000 a year after she claimed she suffered 'psychological injury' on the show. Pictured with former judge Pete Evans Cooking contestants: Piper, 37, appeared on the cooking series alongside her best friend Veronica, with the two women labelled the show's resident 'beauty queens' Piper later claimed workers compensation and alleged she'd suffered psychological injury 'due to vilification and bullying from producers and the network'. She also alleged her actions and words were 'distorted' through editing. Seven disputed many of her claims, including whether she was considered an employee at the network, had sustained injury and become incapacitated. Taking action: She first lodged a workers compensation claim against Seven in August last year, asking for a payment of almost $1,000 in weekly benefits They also disputed whether her employment could be considered a substantial contributing factor. The network additionally argued that her complaint hadn't been filed within the acceptable timeframe, and questioned whether she had 'misperceived events', according to a published decision from the Personal Injury Commission of NSW. The case was first heard via telephone conference in December 2020, during which Piper agreed to an independent medical examination as organised by Seven. Moving forward: The case was first heard via telephone conference in December 2020, during which Piper agreed to an independent medical examination as organised by Seven A second telephone conference took place in February, with both Piper and Seven advising the commission that 'the matter was settled'. The rate of compensation and the date of commencement was decided at a later date. Injured workers who are rendered unable to work are entitled to 95 per cent of their base rate of pay. Making claims: Piper later claimed workers compensation and alleged she had suffered psychological injury 'due to vilification and bullying from producers and the network' Seven was ordered to pay Piper weekly compensation of $475 for the 13 weeks between December 24, 2018 and March 25, 2019, totalling $6175. Her compensation would then continue at $425 per week from March 26, 2019 onwards, amounting to $22,100 per year. It was announced last May that MKR would be cancelled after 11 years on the air. Abbie Chatfield been a very vocal advocate for the Covid vaccine. And on Monday, The Bachelor star questioned NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian's decision to lift restrictions for the unvaccinated on December 1. The 26-year-old shared her thoughts when asked by a fan about the government's roadmap out of lockdown. Unconvinced: Abbie Chatfield been a very vocal advocate for the Covid vaccine. And on Monday, The Bachelor star questioned NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian's decision to lift restrictions for the unvaccinated on December 1 'Thoughts on December 1 restrictions in NSW? 'f*** being around the unvaxxed tbh' the fan wrote. The reality TV star answered: 'Yeah not keen. It's actually quite scary.' 'But you know what, if the health authorities are saying it'll be okay then...' she added. 'They're saying 90 per cent fully vaxxed right?' seemingly unsure by the decision. 'I don't know, I don't know.' 'Yeah not keen. It's actually quite scary': The 26-year-old shared her thoughts when asked by a fan about the government's roadmap out of lockdown 'But you know what, if the health authorities are saying it'll be okay then...' she added. 'They're saying 90 per cent fully vaxxed right?' seemingly unsure by the decision. 'I don't know, I don't know' Abbie recently returned to social media after taking a break due to anti-vaxxer trolls. She posted a short boomerang video in which she posed in a racy red bra as she showed off her incredible figure. Messing up her hair as she shot the camera a sultry look the blonde beauty looked relaxed and happy, along with the caption: 'Hot girls go to therapy'. She's back! Abbie recently returned to social media after taking a break due to anti-vaxxer trolls. The former Bachelor star posted a short boomerang video in which she posed in a racy red bra as she showed off her incredible figure Just before taking her short social media sabbatical, Abbie lashed out at anti-vaxxers who had been bombarded with vile messages on Instagram. In a series of impassioned posts on Instagram Stories, she named and shamed the people attacking her with nasty messages. 'There's thousands. It's endless. You want attention? You wanna feel like your comment matters? You wanna feel like you're seen?' she began, before calling them out individually. Time off: Just before to taking her short social media sabbatical, Abbie lashed out at anti-vaxxers who had been bombarded with vile messages on Instagram, before going on to name and shame them An unapologetic Abbie said she had no regrets about singling about people who had attacked her online and confessed she was starting to feel 'a bit triggered back to Bachelor days' by all the abuse she was copping. 'People are f**king psycho. I'm sorry that you're wrong and I'm sorry that you don't have a personality. But, like, no need to get angry at me,' she cried. 'But seriously though, I think I'm gonna try and just have tomorrow at least off Instagram because I'm getting really triggered. It just feels like it did after Bachelor. 'So, uh, yeah, there's just a lot of threats of violence... So probably talk to you guys in a day or two.' Emotional: Abbie told her followers she was going to take a day off social media, saying: 'I'm getting really triggered. It just feels like it did after Bachelor' Before signing off, she added: 'If you know me personally, don't bother calling, I'm going to sleep. Love you.' 'But seriously though, I think I'm gonna try and just have tomorrow at least off Instagram because I'm getting really triggered. It just feels like it did after Bachelor. 'So, uh, yeah, there's just a lot of threats of violence... So probably talk to you guys in a day or two.' Before signing off, she added: 'If you know me personally, don't bother calling, I'm going to sleep. Love you.' John Whaite and his professional partner Johannes Radebe received a standing ovation on Saturday's Strictly Come Dancing after becoming the first male same-sex couple in the show's history to grace the stage. And Great British Bake Off winner John, 32, sweetly hailed his fiance Paul Atkins - who was in the audience - as his 'rock' after his and 34-year-old Johannes' steamy 80s-inspired Tango to New Order's Blue Monday. While John is famed for his impressive baking skills, the TV personality's private life is kept underwraps, meaning not much is known about Paul, to whom John has been engaged since 2017. Ahead of John's next performance, MailOnline takes a closer look at his proud husband-to-be. Fiance: John Whaite and his pro partner Johannes Radebe received a standing ovation on Saturday's Strictly, but who is John's fiance Paul Atkins, who watched from the audience? Hailing Paul as his 'true love' when speaking to Attitude magazine shortly after announcing their engagement, Paul revealed that he met John on Facebook when they were both living in Manchester. He also shared that they had been in a relationship for eight years prior to him popping the question - which means as of 2021 they've been an item for an impressive twelve years. The loved-up couple also spoke to Attitude in 2014, three years before getting engaged. At the time, John said they would like a 'low-key wedding' and mentioned that his mother has 'an old manor house up north' which he hinted would be an ideal venue as he and Paul would like an 'English country bumpkin' wedding'. Making history: John, 32, and Johannes, 34, become the first male same-sex couple in the show's history to grace the stage Underwraps: John's private life is kept underwraps, meaning not much is known about Paul, to whom John has been engaged since 2017 (John and Paul pictured together) Impressed: John and Johannes left the Strictly judges impressed after they performed an 80s-inspired Tango to New Order's Blue Monday Audience: Paul (left) was joined by chef John Gregory-Smith in the Strictly audience on Saturday, with both cheering on John Announcing his engagement to Paul - who is a graphic designer - on Instagram in 2017, John wrote: 'My true love. We've decided to get married. We've fought for these rights and we shall use them.' John and Paul are thought to live together in Leeds and despite the former announcing their engagement on social media, he otherwise rarely posts about his other half. Paul himself does have an Instagram account, however it is private and he has not used Twitter since 2015. John and Paul are thought to be enjoying a long engagement, with neither having announced they are married. Paul was joined by chef John Gregory-Smith in the Strictly audience on Saturday, with both cheering on John. Announcement: Announcing his engagement to Paul on Instagram in 2017, John wrote: 'My true love. We've decided to get married. We've fought for these rights and we shall use them' John made sure to give his partner a shout-out after Strictly co-host Claudia Winkleman said after his dance: 'We should mention your partner Paul, because he has supported you throughout. He's been amazing, he's in the audience.' John was quick to gush: 'He's sat there with my friend John. He's been drying my sweat, he's been feeding me, he's been putting me to bed. 'He's just been an absolute rock for me. So thank you Paul for being here.' Sydney's elite social set has been rocked by rumours that former best friends Nadia Fairfax and Kristin Fisher have fallen out. Fairfax, an influential fashion blogger, and Fisher, a Double Bay eyebrow artist, were once joined at the hip, but the pair seem to have cut ties in the wake of Fisher's recent cocaine scandal. Fisher was allegedly caught buying cocaine on July 17, after her drug dealer was pulled over by police for driving erratically in Bondi. Socialites at war: Sydney's elite social set has been rocked by rumours that former best friends Nadia Fairfax (right) and Kristin Fisher (left) have fallen out The cocaine drama went unnoticed by the media for months, before suddenly making headlines last week. Fisher, 36, and Fairfax, 32, unfollowed each other on Instagram at about this time, but it's unclear why. When Daily Mail Australia contacted the women for comment on Tuesday, they quietly refollowed each other on the social media app. However, Fisher is still not following Fairfax's private account 'partywithnardy' which she reserves for her closest friends. Scandal: Fisher (left, with Fairfax) was allegedly caught buying cocaine on July 17, after her drug dealer was pulled over by police for driving erratically in Bondi Fairfax also insisted she hadn't fallen out with Fisher - despite rumours of their rift being the talk of the eastern suburbs. 'What you're speculating is factually incorrect,' she said. 'Kristin and I have had a wonderful friendship over the years and I continue to wish her well throughout her current situation, and no doubt you'll hear the same from Kristin. 'I had no prior knowledge of the [cocaine] incident, and found out just like everyone else through the media.' Controversial: The cocaine drama went unnoticed by the media for months, before suddenly making headlines last week. Fisher is pictured in a recent Instagram photo What happened? Fisher and Fairfax unfollowed each other on Instagram at about this time, but it's unclear why. Pictured: screenshots demonstrating the women don't follow each other Delisted: When Daily Mail Australia contacted the women for comment on Tuesday, they quietly refollowed each other on the social media app. However, Fisher is still not following Fairfax's private account 'partywithnardy' which she reserves for her closest friends (pictured) In March, months before the cocaine scandal broke, Fisher had served as a bridesmaid at Fairfax's multimillion-dollar wedding to financier Michael Wayne. Fisher's daughter, Lila, was a flower girl at the ritzy nuptials, which were held at a heritage-listed mansion in Sydney's Darling Point. Documenting the occasion at the time, Fisher uploaded images of herself celebrating with Fairfax, adding the caption: 'Our best friends' wedding.' By her side: In March, months before the cocaine scandal broke, Fisher (left) had served as a bridesmaid at Fairfax's (right) multimillion-dollar wedding to financier Michael Wayne But in the weeks since the cocaine saga, Fairfax and Fisher have been untagged in each other's Instagram photos from the wedding. On the evening of July 17, Fisher was allegedly caught buying cocaine after her drug dealer was pulled over by police for driving erratically. Police found her in the backseat of the dealer's Kia Rio in Bondi. Pals: Fisher is seen in the middle row, second from right, sipping champagne. Fairfax is in the middle lying on the couch. This photo was taken as the bridal party prepared for the wedding Exclusive: Fairfax's wedding to Michael Wayne was one of the society events of the year. The warring socialites are pictured in the centre of this photo, with Fisher in the lilac dress Here comes the bride: Fairfax is pictured on her wedding day on March 25 The car was initially pulled over for allegedly illegally overtaking another vehicle, but police say Fisher's suspicious behaviour prompted them to investigate further. Officers allegedly found two bags of cocaine at the mother of two's feet, claiming she was 'frantic' and tried to leave the car through the opposite side door. Court documents claim she attempted 'to leave the vehicle and evade police interaction'. They go way back: Social media photos reveal Fisher (second from left) and Fairfax (right) had been friends for many years before their recent rift Police: On the evening of July 17, Fisher was allegedly caught buying cocaine after her drug dealer was pulled over by police for driving her Kia Rio erratically in Bondi When police asked the driver how she knew Fisher, they allege the dealer was unable to give any details or even tell officers her name. The beautician allegedly told officers she'd been picked up from her Double Bay home to purchase the drugs but claimed she hadn't handed over any cash. Fisher was convicted and fined $550 after she failed to appear in Waverley Court last Tuesday charged with possessing a prohibited drug and failing to comply with public health orders. Charged: Fisher was convicted and fined $550 after she failed to appear in court last Tuesday charged with possessing a prohibited drug and failing to comply with public health orders However, Fisher has since started proceedings to have her conviction overturned. Her solicitor, Michael Bowe, hopes to have her conviction annulled when the matter returns to Waverley Court on October 6. Fisher insisted she wasn't aware of the September 21 court date and would have been present if she had known, Mr Bowe said. Jesy Nelson has revealed that she left Little Mix after ten years of feeling 'trapped.' The 30-year-old pop star detailed how the 'constant comparison' that came with being part of one of Britain's most successful girl bands took a toll on her mental health. Speaking on the latest episode of Reign With Josh Smith, Jesy, who has now embarked on a solo career, told presenter and journalist Josh how it was the little things that left her feeling trapped. Honest conversations: Jesy Nelson revealed she left Little Mix after feeling 'trapped' - and drew on the heartbreak that inspired her debut single 'When it came to little things, like if we had to do a video and everyone had to wear bikinis and I didn't want to wear a bikini because I felt like sh*t, I couldn't not,' she explained. 'It's just the little things like that, that would make me feel trapped. And it was just the constant comparison every single day that was hard and that eventually, after 10 years, takes a massive toll on your mental health.' The Essex native initially auditioned as a solo act on 2011's X Factor and was brought back following her elimination to form Little Mix, alongside Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards and Leigh-Anne Pinnock. Tough times: The 30-year-old pop star detailed how the 'constant comparison' that came with being part of one of Britain's most successful girl bands took a toll on her mental health (pictured with Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie Edwards and Jade Thirlwall in 2019) And despite acknowledging that she had incredible moments with her former bandmates - who she branded as being 'like sisters' to her - Jesy was firm in the fact that she had to do what would make her happy. Of her departure from the group last December, she insisted: 'I really didn't want to upset people and I didn't want people to think that about me, but I don't care anymore - because it was ten years of my life that I was very unhappy with and I needed to take myself out of that.' Experiencing panic attacks was another trigger for Jesy to remove herself from the situation she'd found herself in, and it was her mum, who has remained firmly by her side, that told her she needed to start looking after herself. From four to three: The Essex native initially auditioned as a solo act on 2011's X Factor and was brought back following her elimination to form Little Mix, alongside Jade Thirlwall, Perrie Edwards and Leigh-Anne Pinnock (from R-L) [the band pictured in 2020] 'My mum was like, 'Why are you doing this? You live once. This isn't you. This isn't the Jesy that I know. You've become someone I don't even recognize anymore,'' the star said. Since making the life-changing decision last year, the songstress has found her voice within her solo song writing. Jesy candidly told Josh how a heartbreak inspired her lead single Boyz. Solo career: Jesy candidly told Josh how a heartbreak inspired her lead single Boyz Interview: Jesy spoke on the Reign with Josh Smith podcast 'In a nutshell, I went through a breakup and it was probably the first time I've ever been heartbroken in my life. It was f**king horrendous, and I was laying in bed and was like, 'Why is it that when I've been with really, really nice boys, that I get bored? And as soon as I get with someone that's bad, I'm obsessed with them?' 'And I thought, I need to write a song about this,' she recalled. Jesy's newfound ability to 'take control' of everything, from music videos to styling, has left her feeling like a weight has been lifted from her shoulders. 'It's the first time I've ever got to really explain how I truly feel in my songs, which is really refreshing,' she concluded. Watch the full episode of Reign With Josh Smith on LiveNow.com. Sir Paul McCartney needed a Ticket To Ride this week after making an unlikely appearance at a bus-stop in his native Liverpool. The former Beatle, 79, surprised locals after returning to Merseyside for a homecoming visit, during which he gave socialite wife Nancy Shevell a sightseeing tour of his old haunts. McCartney's daughters, photographer Mary, 52, and fashion designer Stella, 50, made up the Fab Four as they toured the city's famous Lime Street station before queuing up for a trip to Nowhere, Man at a bus stop in Heswell, on the Wirrall. Ticket to Toxteth? Sir Paul McCartney needed a Ticket To Ride this week after making an unlikely appearance at a bus-stop in his native Liverpool Bemused resident Colin Newitt managed to engage the billionaire star - who grew up in Liverpool suburb Allerton - in an unexpected conversation after his wife immediately recognised him. He told the Liverpool Echo: 'So we had been to Parkgate for a meal with our son Mason when I heard my wife shouting "look there's Paul." 'He had just got out of a car and we had stopped at the lights. I wound the window down and shouted "Paul." Hey Paul! The star also delighted onlookers at Liverpool's Lime Street Station as he strolled past with glamorous wife Nancy Shevell, 61 There he is: The former Beatle surprised locals after returning to Merseyside for a homecoming visit on Saturday There he is: The music legend looked delighted to be be back in his home city as he walked with Nancy and daughter Mary, 52 (back left) Famous family: Paul's fashion designer daughter Stella, 50, also joined the group (end left) He shouted back "You alright." 'I then told him that I went to the same school as him. He asked me which one and I said Liverpool Institute. He asked me who was my teacher and said I can't remember but that Mr Parker was the head. 'The lights then changed and we had to go. I shouted "See ya" and he waved goodbye. He had just got out of a car with his daughter Stella.' Reflecting: Sir Paul's appearance comes after he paid tribute to Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts after his death aged 80 in August Sir Paul's appearance comes after he paid tribute to Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts after his death aged 80 in August. Sharing a video on Twitter, Sir Paul addressed his followers in the candid clip, hailing Charlie as 'a rock' and 'fantastic drummer' before revealing: 'I knew he was ill, but I didn't know he was this ill.' Charlie's death was confirmed shortly before Beatles rocker Paul released his clip, with a statement confirming he had 'passed away peacefully in hospital surrounded by his family'. He moved to Australia from the UK in 2019 with his model wife Erin McNaught and their two sons. And on Thursday, British rapper Example, real name Elliot Gleave, recalled the extraordinary moment former beauty queen Erin bravely picked up a huge huntsman at their Gold Coast home and casually threw it over the fence. Speaking to Happy Hour Podcast, Example explained that Erin has a penchant for protecting local wildlife as she previously worked for Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in Queensland. Brave: On Thursday, British rapper Example, real name Elliot Gleave, recalled the extraordinary moment his wife Erin McNaught bravely picked up a huge huntsman at their Gold Coast home and casually threw it over the fence The DJ told the hosts to search for images of a 'huntsman spider' and explained that they 'are in every Australian house, pretty much on the eastern seaboard, all year round'. He said he saw quiet a large Huntsman spider, which can bite and be venomous, on the ceiling of their home. 'My wife picked it up, picked up it's body, with its arms and threw it over the fence to the neighbours,' he proudly recalled to the shocked hosts. 'Cheers neighbours,' Example joked. She's a real Australian! 'My wife picked it up, picked up it's body, with its arms and threw it over the fence to the neighbours,' he proudly recalled to the shocked hosts The Kickstarts hitmaker is currently in the UK for work commitments. He also received his Degree of Doctor of Music from the Royal Holloway University of London earlier this month. He shared the special occasion on Instagram and wrote in the caption: 'Obviously I'm extremely proud and honoured but the main thing was seeing my parents faces and reactions on a zoom call from Australia.' Proud moment: The Kickstarts hitmaker is currently in the UK for work commitments. He also received his Degree of Doctor of Music from the Royal Holloway University of London earlier this month Doctor's wife: Erin praised her husband and shared images from his special day along with the caption: 'Well this is a bit cool, isn't it!' Erin praised her husband, sharing images from his special day along with the caption: 'Well this is a bit cool, isn't it!' 'What's the bet he makes me refer to him as Dr Gleave now,' she joked. The couple, who married in 2013, are proud parents to two sons: Evander, six, and and Ennio, four. The BBC has released the first still of the upcoming Call The Midwife Christmas special. Images show Helen George's nurse Trixie Franklin and Miriam Margolyes' Mother Mildred spreading Christmas cheer in London. It was announced on Friday that Nurse Trixie and the rest of Nonnatus House would return for a festive instalment of the much-loved BBC show. Exciting: The BBC has released the first stills of the upcoming Call The Midwife Christmas special, with Helen George's nurse Trixie Franklin seen spreading festive cheer She's back! Miriam Margolyes' character Mother Mildred was seen putting on an animated display in new stills Also pictured was Cliff Parisi's Fred Buckle, who is the caretaker of Nonnatus House. Leonie Elliott's Lucille Anderson was pictured wrapped up warm in one photo. Fan favourite Reggie Jackson (Daniel Laurie) was also seen in one particularly festive image. Dressed in his pyjamas and proudly pointing at a snowman he built, Reggie is in his element amongst the capital's snow-covered streets. Caretaker: Also pictured was Cliff Parisi's jolly Fred Buckle, who is the caretaker of Nonnatus House Keeping warm: Leonie Elliott's Lucille Anderson was also seen wrapped up warm in one photo, clutching a large snowball in her arms Fan favourite: Fan favourite Reggie Jackson (Daniel Laurie) was also seen in one particularly festive picture The latter two photographs were initially released on Call The Midwife's official Instagram page on Friday. An accompanying caption read: 'Hello all! Today we got our hands on the very first sneak-peek pictures of the new Call the Midwife Christmas Special - featuring Daniel Laurie (Reggie) And Leonie Elliott (Lucille)! We have questions 'Reggie....are those pyjamas you're wearing....in snow?? Does that snowman have pointy ears? How adorable is Lucille in green!! We're back: The official Call The Midwife Instagram page shared this message while posting the official poster for the show on Friday 'Of course, we're not going to tell you what happens in this episode, except to say that our own lovely Lucille has a LOT to prepare for... We are all very proud of this year's Christmas episode, and just can't WAIT for you to see it!' Production for series 11 is well underway and UK fans can expect its return in January 2022, shortly after the airing of the Christmas special. Back in April, Stephen McGann shared an update on filming with his followers. We're back: Production for series 11 is well underway and UK fans can expect its return in January 2022, shortly after the airing of the Christmas special In the clip posted on social media, Stephen, who plays Dr Turner, says: 'Can you believe it? Back on set again and we're filming the series...' Before being interrupted by co-star Cliff, who wore a Santa costume. He said: 'And it's Christmas! Merry Christmas everyone!' Chatting to the camera, Laura Main added: 'We're back! We're filming series 11'. 'Series 10 has just aired so it's an unusual situation, we're not normally airing and filming at the same time but what a boost... ' 'All of the comments we've seen, it's just wonderful to read.' Streaming giant Netflix has announced its racy hit Sex/Life starring Aussie actor Adam Demos has been renewed for season two. Netflix thrilled fans when they accounted the news on Monday. The show helped put Wollongong born and bred Demos, 36, on the map after his full frontal nude scene in the show went viral. It's back! Streaming giant Netflix has announced its racy hit Sex/Life starring Aussie actor Adam Demos has been renewed for season two Netflix shared a teaser to announce the news, captioning it: 'Are you ready for more? Sex/Life will return for a season 2, coming soon.' In the clip, some fans are seen giving their reactions to scenes from season one. Underneath, they couldn't get enough, with one excitedly writing: 'Best news I've heard all day. Can't wait!!!' Steamy: Netflix shared a teaser to announce the news, captioning it: 'Are you ready for more? Sex/Life will return for a season 2, coming soon' Another added: 'OMG! I cannot wait!' Production is due to begin filming soon in Toronto, Canada, and will see the stars of season one return, Demos as Brad Simon, Sarah Shahi (Billie Connelly), Mike Vogel (Cooper Connelly) and Margaret Odette (Sasha Snow). Netflix revealed this week that season one was watched by 67 Million households in its first four weeks after premiering on June 25. Thrilled: Underneath, fans couldn't get enough, with one excitedly writing: 'Best news I've heard all day. Can't wait!!!' Executive producer and writer Stacy Rukeyser said in a statement that the show is a 'dream come true'. 'To create a show about empowered female sexuality that has entranced so many millions of viewers is not only immensely fun but also incredibly gratifying,' Rukeyser said. She added: 'I'm thrilled and grateful for the opportunity to continue telling this story for Billie, and for all of us.' The show follows the story of married mother Billie, who can't help reminiscing about her romance with ex Brad and their wild sex life. Storyline: The show follows the story of married mother Billie, who can't help reminiscing about her romance with ex Brad and their wild sex life (played by Demos and Shahi) Sending fans into a frenzy: Earlier this year, Adam's full frontal shower scene from the show went viral. What followed was plenty of speculation about whether Adam used a prosthetic or CGI to enhance the size of his manhood during the scene The show's lead actors Adam and Sarah, who play Brad and Billie, are actually dating in real life. Earlier this year, Adam's full frontal shower scene from the show went viral. What followed was plenty of speculation about whether Adam used a prosthetic or CGI to enhance the size of his manhood during the scene. Australian radio personality Em Rusciano recently offered 'proof' the actor's package is the real deal. She posted some private DMs she'd received on Instagram from women who grew up in the same town as Adam, which seemed to confirm his size is authentic. 'Hey Em, I grew up in the same town as Adam Demos (a year below me at school) and I can guarantee you there were no special effects. He is a big boy!' one read. Another of Em's followers wrote: 'My family grew up in Dapto with Adam Demos. My sister asked his bestie if it was his penis and it is.' She loves flaunting her famous curves in skintight attire. And Aussie rapper Iggy Azalea did not disappoint her fans on Sunday when she pranced around on stage in a figure-hugging bright bodysuit while performing in Mountain View, California. The 31-year-old, who is traveling across America for Pitbull's I Feel Good tour, drew attention to her derriere by adding a checkerboard bustier that cinched in at the waist. Bootylicious babe! Iggy Azalea showed off her famous backside in a skintight spandex bodysuit as she joined Pitbull on the Californian leg of his I Feel Good tour on Sunday The Fancy hitmaker opted for a glamorous makeup look, sporting a smoky eye and bronzer swept across her cheekbones. Iggy swept her her peroxide blonde hair off her face as it was pinned back half-up, half-down style. She was in her element as she performed, and sent fans wild when she turned around and twerked for the cheering crowd. It's a cinch! The 31-year-old, who is traveling across America for Pitbull's I Feel Good tour, drew attention to her derriere by adding a checkerboard bustier that cinched in at the waist Iggy has been touring with Pitbull since August as apart of his I Feel Good Tour. The duo are set to finish the concert series in mid October. Tour mates: Iggy has been touring with Pitbull since August as apart of his I Feel Good Tour The showman: Pictured, Pitbull on stage in California alongside his two dancers on Sunday night Last month, she spoke 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'. 'It's been literally three hours a night of sleep for over a year. But worth it,' she tweeted. Struggle: Iggy, who shares 16-month-old son Onyx (pictured) with ex-boyfriend Playboi Carti, recently told a fan on Twitter she'd been sleep deprived for 'over a year' 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. The Today show's Tim Davies was left red-faced after asking a child a series of rather difficult questions during his Tim's Trivia segment on Tuesday. The weatherman asked 12-year-old Aiden several head-scratchers that many adults wouldn't know the answers to. The challenging Q&A prompted co-anchors Allison Langdon and Karl Stefanovic to say Tim could have chosen some easier questions for the boy. Too hard? Today show weatherman Tim Davies was scolded on Tuesday for asking a child 'difficult' questions during a trivia segment. Pictured (left to right): Tim Davies, Karl Stefanovic, Allison Langdon and Alex Cullen 'Name the two teams that played the AFL Grand Final?' Tim began, with the sports-loving youngster offering the correct answer. Tim then asked what colour the 'M' in the McDonald's logo is, and the kid got it right. But the softball questions abruptly ended there, with Tim then asking: 'True or false? The sea between Australia and New Zealand is the Arafura Sea.' Age appropriate? After two softball questions tp start with, Tim then asked 12-year-old Aiden: 'True or false? The sea between Australia and New Zealand is the Arafura Sea' Karl thought the geography question went a little far, saying: 'What?' Allison stepped in answered for the boy: 'False.' 'What country did the Olympic Games begin?' Tim asked for his final question 'Oh, that's a hard one!' Allison interjected, giving Aiden his prize of a $100 Mastercard gift voucher. Come on, Tim: Karl thought the geography question went a little far, saying: 'What?' Allison stepped in answered for the boy: 'False' Allison and Karl both acknowledged afterwards the latter questions had been tricky. 'I personally thought one or two of these questions were difficult,' Allison said. She then joked that Tim most likely had to Google the answers himself. She's known for getting pulses racing with her sizzling Instagram posts. And Zara McDermott turned up the heat on Monday when she worked her best angles wearing a chic black-and-white push-up bikini top and matching briefs. Working her best angles while flashing her followers a sultry glare, former Love Islander Zara, 24, put on an eye-popping display. Wow: Zara McDermott, 24, turned up the heat on Monday when she worked her best angles wearing a chic black-and-white push-up bikini top and matching briefs on Instagram Looking good: Working her best angles while flashing her followers a sultry glare, former Love Islander Zara put on an eye-popping display The TV personality's long blonde hair cascaded past her shoulders and Zara's floaty white shirt hung off her toned frame. She accessorised with a delicate necklace and opted for pretty, barely-there glam. Beautiful blue skies loomed above Zara. It comes after Zara's boyfriend Sam Thompson shared his relief that she's finally returned from her Greece trip - writing a gushy post about her return on Thursday. Made In Chelsea star Sam, 29, took to Instagram to say: 'I missed you', alongside a sweet photo of the pair cuddling up together. 'I missed you': Sam Thompson gushed over his girlfriend Zara on Instagram on Thursday after she returned from three-week holiday to Greece Sam captioned the sweet image: 'Got this one back after 3 weeks apartsafe to say I missed you'. Zara then responded in the comments: 'Missed you so much' along with a string of red love heart emojis. The former Love Island contestant channelled cowgirl chic with her look, wearing a light wash denim jacket and light brown heeled cowboy boots. Reunion: Their reunion comes as he recently revealed he wants a baby with his girlfriend in the near future She styled her dark blonde locks in a straight style, and modelled a natural makeup look for their reunion. Sam looked ever-so handsome, sporting a navy blue V-neck jumper and light grey skinny jeans. Their reunion comes as he recently revealed he wants a baby with his girlfriend in the near future. 'Closer together': Sam told MailOnline that Zara cheating on him had actually brought them 'closer together' and he didn't want to be a 'really old dad' so wasn't far off starting a family Sam told MailOnline that Zara cheating on him had actually brought them 'closer together' and he didn't want to be a 'really old dad' so wasn't far off starting a family. The reality star gushed that Zara was the girl of his dreams and they were nearly ready to become parents but he did 'need to grow up a bit first'. He said: 'I've hit a stage where I'm doing my house up at the moment, I want to make it into a really nice adult home, I'm nearly 30 and I'm with the girl of my dreams.' 'Not in the next year... but not in the too distant future. I don't want to be a really old dad. But I do need to grow up a little bit first.' The Made In Chelsea star's relationship was thrown into turmoil last year when Zara confessed to being unfaithful. But Sam quickly rekindled their romance and even made a lighthearted spoof of the Made In Chelsea scene where Zara begged for his forgiveness. The identity of Kayla Itsines rumoured new boyfriend has been unveiled after she recently debuted their romance weeks after splitting from her ex Mitch 'G'. Daily Mail Australia can reveal that the man spotted cheekily tapping the 30-year-old fitness guru on the bottom last Thursday is hunky gym buff, Jae Woodroffe. Prior to his new romance, Jae was dating long-term girlfriend Lauren Belotti up until earlier this year - and she is believed to be one of Kayla's friends. New romance! The identity of Kayla Itsines rumoured new boyfriend has been unveiled as Jae Woodroffe, after the fitness guru debuted their romance on Thursday in Adelaide (pictured) Little is known about Jae, who is one of the 732 people that Kayla follows on her 13.4 million-follower strong Instagram page. He appears to love travelling and motorbikes if his Facebook page is anything to go by, yet has kept his Instagram account completely private. However, he has been tagged in multiple posts by his ex-girlfriend Lauren on Instagram. Lauren has posted an several loved-up photos with Jae since their romance blossomed in 2016, sharing their first photo together while celebrating Christmas that year. Followers: Little is known about Jae, who is one of the 732 people that Kayla follows on her 13.4million-follower strong Instagram page (pictured) Twist: Prior to his new romance, Jae was dating long-term girlfriend Lauren Belotti up until earlier this year - and she is believed to be one of Kayla's friends. The last photo she posted of the couple back in May attracted a comment by an Instagram page believed to be Kayla's private account - @kaylajamie Friends: The comment was liked by both Lauren and Jae, appearing to confirm their friendship at the time However, the final photo Lauren uploaded of her with Jae was on May 23 this year, which could have been close to the time that they broke up. The image showed the duo holding hands, which Lauren captioned: 'Dinner in the Valley for our last night in Queensland.' Interestingly, an Instagram page believed to be Kayla's private account - @kaylajamie_ - commented 'excellent photo' under the post, followed by two flame emojis. Spotted: Kayla and Jae were pictured together on July 10, while she was out shopping for a new Mercedes with a group of friends The comment was liked by both Lauren and Jae, appearing to confirm their friendship at the time. In October 2020, Lauren shared another photo alongside Jae, with @kaylajamie_ commenting with two love-hearts underneath. In March, the account also commented 'Good photo!! excellent photo' under an image of the couple at a fairground. Again, Lauren gave the comment a 'like'. Another one: In October 2020, Lauren shared another photo alongside Jae, with @kaylajamie_ commenting two love-hearts underneath Pals: In March, the account also commented: 'Good photo!! excellent photo' under an image of the couple at a fairground. Again, Lauren gave the comment a 'like' Over: Lauren still follows Kayla's public Instagram page - however, she does not follow Jae's (pictured) account or Kayla's private account Love: Lauren would regularly post sweet messages about Jae, after the pair went Instagram official in 2016 Lauren still follows Kayla's public Instagram page - however, she does not follow Jae's account or Kayla's private account. Daily Mail Australia are not suggesting any party has ever been unfaithful, and have contacted Lauren, Jae and a representative for Kayla for further comment. Kayla, who is believed to have split from videographer Mitch in August, was spotted out and about for the first time with Jae on Thursday in Adelaide. The pair were seen leaving a kebab restaurant when Kayla's new man cheekily patted her on the bottom. Clearly enjoying the tactile display, Kayla was seen smiling as the pair made their way through the parking lot arm-in-arm. First outing: Kayla, who is believed to have split from videographer Mitch in August, was spotted out and about for the first time with Jae (pictured) on Thursday in Adelaide Not present for the outing was Kayla's two-year-old daughter Arna, who she shares with her former fiance, Tobi Pearce. The sighting comes just weeks after photos surfaced of Kayla's ex-boyfriend, who is known as 'Mitch G', packing personal belongings into a moving van outside of her home earlier this month. At the time the photos surfaced, it was unclear whether Mitch was in fact moving out following a breakup. However Kayla's loved-up display on Thursday now confirms she and Mitch did indeed part ways. Further, Mitch has recently deleted the initials 'KI' from his Instagram page - another indication that the pair have called it quits. Mitch and Kayla reportedly dated for several months this year, and were last photographed together on July 3. Past romance: Kayla and her ex-boyfriend Mitch reportedly dated for several months this year, and were last photographed together on July 3 It was Kayla's first known romance since her split from fiance Tobi in August last year. 'After eight years together, Tobi and I have come to the difficult decision to separate as a couple. We will always be family, and remain good friends and devoted parents to Arna,' she said at the time. The former couple co-founded the Bikini Body Training Company after meeting in late 2012. They were later named joint fifth on the Australian Financial Review's Young Rich List for 2018, making them the wealthiest self-made twenty-somethings in Australia. That year, Forbes estimated the then-couple's shared net worth to be $696million. In May this year, Kayla announced she'd found love again in an interview with Australian Women's Health. 'It's early days, so I won't share too much. But I'm super happy. We have a strong sense of family and a love for fitness [in common],' she said at the time. While Kayla stopped short of revealing the mystery man's identity, it is believed the man to whom she was referring was Mitch. It's certainly on trend in Hollywood to be friends with your ex. But Drew Barrymore is going that extra mile, after saying that she 'worships' her ex-husband Will Kopelman's new wife, Alexandra Michler. Barrymore, 46, split with Kopelman, 43, in 2016 after four years together, and two children, Olive, nine, and Frankie, seven. 'I won the lottery with her': Drew Barrymore says she 'worships' ex-husband Will Kopelman's new wife Alexandra Michler Last month, art consultant Kopelman married Vogue director Michler, 33, in Massachusetts, and Olive and Frankie served as flower girls at the wedding. 'He just got remarried actually last week to this most amazing woman,' Barrymore said on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast on Monday. 'This incredible woman Allie, and I just feel like I won the lottery with her, like, I really did. I feel like I'm lucky that there's this new beautiful soul that came into our lives.' Wedding bells: Drew Barrymore's ex husband Will Kopelman wed Vogue director Alexandra Michler in a beautiful Massachusetts ceremony last month Exes: Barrymore, 46, split with Kopelman, 43, in 2016 after four years together, and two children, Olive, nine, and Frankie, seven (pictured above in 2014) While the E.T. star she doesn't 'try to be her best friend' she said Michler 'knows that I absolutely worship the ground she walks on, and I'm her biggest cheerleader.' However, she keeps her distance, saying: 'But I give them space. We hang out. We do dinners with all the kids, birthdays. We might take a trip together, we're finding our way in a beautiful, slow, respectful manner.' Barrymore continued: 'I'm just so lucky because she came into Will's life and got to know my daughters very well and very real, saw all the warts and all the hearts, everything in between.' 'Literally was like, "I choose you." It's a miracle, and I know miracles exist because I was so devastated that our relationship didn't work out because I wanted this.' 'I really did not take divorce well': Divorce was the 'last thing' Drew wanted for their six-year-old daughter Frankie (L) and eight-year-old daughter Olive (R) because she did 'not grow up with any family whatsoever' (pictured in 2018) Will announced his and Alexandra's engagement in January, taking to his private Instagram account to share the news with a black and white snap, writing: 'Love you love you love you love 1/30/2021.' Will and Drew wed in Montecito in 2012 and amicably ended their four-year marriage in 2016. Divorce was the 'last thing' Drew wanted for their kids because she did 'not grow up with any family whatsoever,' the screen star admitted in October. Speaking on Sunday Today with Willie Geist, the doting mother confessed: 'I really did not take divorce well. I took it really hard. Past marriages: Barrymore previously divorced Canadian comedian Tom Green (L) in 2002 after 15 months of marriage, and British bar owner Jeremy Thomas (R) in 1995 after less than two months of marriage 'I was, like, ''Oh, the ultimate promise I wanted to make with you and for you was to have this amazing family. And I found them. And there's something not working that isn't livable. How tragic is that?''' And while the former child star said she was 'scared to find love again,' she has since joined a dating app - most likely the exclusive celebrity favourite, Raya. 'It's true. I got back on a dating app [while binge-watching Netflix's] Bridgerton,' Drew confessed on the January 15th episode of her syndicated daytime talk show. 'I was like, ''I'm not dead, I'm not dead!'' For me, that was a big step.' Barrymore previously divorced Canadian comedian Tom Green in 2002 after 15 months of marriage, and British bar owner Jeremy Thomas in 1995 after less than two months of marriage. The Bachelor's Alex Nation has announced her engagement to boyfriend Carson Jory, one month after welcoming their first child together. The 30-year-old reality star, who famously won Richie Strahan's season of The Bachelor in 2016, shared the news on Tuesday by debuting her new engagement ring in a series of Instagram videos and photos. 'Morning coffee forever with you, 01.09.21, #MrsJory,' Alex wrote in her caption, indicating that the couple have been secretly engaged since September 1. It's official! The Bachelor's Alex Nation, 30, (right) is ENGAGED to boyfriend Carson Jory (left) - one month after welcoming their first child together The former radio star gave fans a close look at her elegant, oval-cut ring in the post, sharing a photo of her hand stretched out towards the sky in front of a rural-looking backdrop. She also shared a heartwarming photo of her newborn son Maxwell sleeping in his bassinet, with her newly-bejewelled left hand strategically placed on his chest. Congratulatory messages immediately poured in from Alex's famous friends, including fellow former Bachelor winner Laura Byrne who wrote: 'Congratulations beautiful'. Ring-a-ding-ding! The former radio star gave fans a close look at her elegant, oval-cut ring in the post, sharing a photo of her hand stretched out towards the sky in front of a rural-looking backdrop Adorable: She also shared a heartwarming photo of her newborn son Maxwell sleeping in his bassinet, with newly-bejewelled left hand strategically placed on his chest Over the moon: Congratulatory messages immediately poured in from Alex's famous friends, including fellow former Bachelor winner Laura Byrne who wrote: 'Congratulations beautiful' 'Congrats my girl,' Bachelor In Paradise star Kiki Morris wrote, while sexologist Chantelle Otten added: 'Congrats baby'. Alex and tradesman Carson announced their relationship in December last year, weeks before revealing they were expecting their first child. Sharing their baby joy via to Instagram on January 31, Alex uploaded a photo of her bump, alongside the caption: 'I wonder if you'll have your father's eyes? Will you be stubborn like your mother? See you soon, little darling.' New love: Alex and tradesman Carson announced their relationship in December last year, weeks before revealing they were expecting their first child Congratulations! Alex and Carson welcomed Maxwell on August 20 and announced the happy arrival on Instagram three days later Growing brood: Maxwell is Alex's second child. She shares son Elijah, 11 (pictured), with her ex-husband Joel Porter The new baby is Alex's second child - she shares a 11-year-old son named Elijah with her ex-husband Joel Porter. Alex and Carson welcomed Maxwell on August 20 and announced the happy arrival on Instagram three days later. '20.08.21. 3.20pm. Maxwell Keegan Jory. His entrance was intense and it was beautiful. We are so in love,' she wrote on Instagram alongside a photo of herself and Carson cradling the tiny newborn. Roller coaster: They quietly broke up in 2017, after filming the show the previous year. Alex and Richie are pictured during The Bachelor season four finale, which aired in September 2016 Fans of The Bachelor will remember Alex as the winner of the fourth season, but her romance with rope-access technician Richie didn't last. They quietly broke up in 2017, after filming the show the previous year. Alex later came out as pansexual and revealed she was dating a woman, Maegan Luxa, from her local Melbourne footy team. Brief romance: Alex later came out as pansexual and revealed she was engaged to a woman named Maegan Luxa (left), but this relationship didn't last either They got engaged in December 2017, but split the following April. They remain friends. Alex kept her dating life under wraps after breaking off her engagement to Maegan. She did, however, make an appearance on last year's season of Bachelor in Paradise. Friendly exes: Before her rise to fame, Alex became pregnant as a teenager to her boyfriend Joel Porter, to whom she was later briefly married. Their son, Elijah, is now 10 years old. Pictured: Alex and Maegan pose with Elijah, Joel and his girlfriend, Ashy, at the airport While on the Fiji-based dating show, she and Richie candidly discussed the circumstances of their break-up two years earlier. Alex implied their relationship ended after she had an abortion and Richie wasn't there to support her because they were living in different states. She later had a guest role on Drunk History Australia, but has vowed to never appear on a dating show again. Before her rise to fame, Alex became pregnant as a teenager to her then-boyfriend Joel Porter, to whom she was later briefly married. Last week, former The Biggest Loser star Ajay Rochester revealed she was ready to start her own journey towards a healthier lifestyle. And it appears the 52-year-old is sticking to her guns as she documented her first gruelling workout on Monday. In a series of makeup free selfies posted to her Instagram, the mother-of-one appeared to be in high spirits after an intense cardio session on a bike. Fighting fit! Former Biggest Loser host Ajay Rochester has posted a series of makeup free selfies following a gruelling workout after revealing her 'year of health' 'Thanks to all the messages of support! And so it begins! It doesn't have to be pretty or perfect. You don't have to be fit or even the fittest. You just need to take that first step!' she wrote in her caption. Ajay also took it upon herself to share a message of inspiration for fellow fans who were struggling to get motivated with their fitness regimens. 'Did a holiday ride with @onepeloton because spin is my happy place. Just have to fake it till I make it! I've done this before and I will do it again. If you've been saying the same then come on the ride with me!' she added. Another photo showed Ajay posing with her thumb up, letting fans know she had accomplished her workout. Done and dusted: Another photo showed Ajay posing with her thumb up, letting fans know she had accomplished her workout Ajay's positive post comes after she revealed she is planning to follow in Rebel Wilson's footsteps and declared her 'year of health'. Earlier this month, she said she wanted 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?' Ajay's positive post comes after she revealed she is planning to follow in Rebel Wilson 's footsteps and declared her 'year of health' 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: Earlier this month, she said she wanted 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 '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. Ajay is best known for having hosted The Biggest Loser from 2006 to 2009. Her most recent TV appearance was on I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here! in 2019, but she now mostly works behind the scenes as a casting agent. SAS Australia star Koby Abberton has admitted he's an anti-vaxxer in a new interview. Speaking to Fitzy & Wippa on Tuesday, the former Bra Boy likened the deadly virus, which has so far claimed more than 4.5 million lives worldwide, to 'a tropical flu'. Speaking of his adopted homeland of Bali, Abberton said: 'There's definitely the elements of people being sick, but it's you know, it's like that with the normal flu.' Not a doctor: SAS Australia star and former Bra Boy Koby Abberton has admitted he's an anti-vaxxer in a new interview He then commended fellow SAS competitor Jana Pittman, before slamming her stance on vaccines. 'If there's going to be a woman leader in Australia that's our woman,' he said, before adding, 'as soon as she changes stances on mandatory vaccines which is absolute f***ing garbage.' 'As soon as she changes that she's our PM that chick, she's a legend.' Vaccines have been proven effective at seriously reducing the chances of serious illness and death related to Covid, with billions of doses already having been administered worldwide. At odds: He commended his SAS competitor Jana Pittman (pictured left), before slamming her stance on vaccines The interview comes after Abberton delved deep into his past during an interrogation on Monday night's episode of SAS Australia. The 42-year-old, who is one of the founding members of the notorious Bra Boys gang, recalled how he 'lost everything' when he was found guilty of perverting the course of justice in 2005 following an incident involving his brother Jai. Jai had shot dead standover man Tony Hines in 2003, but was found not guilty of murder two years later on the grounds of self-defence. Speaking out: On SAS Australia, Abberton revealed he 'lost everything' when he was found guilty of perverting the course of justice in 2005 following an incident involving his brother Jai Telling his story to the directing staff, Koby began: 'This man, Tony Hines, who was one of the Bra Boys, he believed my brother had done something to his girlfriend. 'He thought my brother was with his girl. As it happened, they got into an altercation in a car and Tony was shot. 'What ended up happening [was] they went and threw the body over the cliff, and drove back to my house. My brother comes back covered in blood.' Koby explained that his brothers coming home with blood on them was a 'regular occurrence', so he didn't think to ask questions at the time. Incident: Jai had shot dead Tony Hines in 2003, but was found not guilty of murder two years later on the grounds of self-defence. Koby was found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to the same matter, and given a nine-month suspended sentence 'I told him, "Go and have a shower and shut the f**k up. Ma [his grandmother Mavis] is asleep, and I don't want you to wake her." I woke up the next morning and didn't see [Jai] the next day. I had nothing to do with the situation,' he said. Koby continued: 'The police come in and ask me about the blood. I said, "He always comes home like that." I didn't know anything about the situation to give them the answers they wanted. 'They said I knew more; I said I didn't. I got charged with perverting the course of justice in a serious offence, which is murder.' In 2005, Jai was found not guilty of murder on the grounds of self-defence, successfully claiming Hines was going to rape a woman and kill him. But Koby was found guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice in relation to the same matter, and given a nine-month suspended sentence. 'My brother, it had come out that it was self-defence,' Koby added. 'In the end of the story, I was the only one who was found guilty. I didn't do anything. 'Due to that, $700,000 of my money I spent on lawyers fees. I lost all my properties, and I lost my sponsorship that was paying me $500,000 at that time. Back to square one. Nothing.' Family: Koby (left) is the brother of fellow Bra Boys members Sunny (centre) and Jai (right) He said the the situation 'broke' his beloved grandmother Mavis, also known as Ma, who had looked after the brothers throughout her life. Ma died one month after Koby avoided a jail sentence. 'After seeing all her kids and the people she took care of her whole life were not in jail, she died. She stayed alive for me. It does leave me sour. I lost everything,' Koby added. These days, Koby is happily married to wife Olya Nechiporenko, a Ukrainian model, psychologist and accountant whom he met in Bali. The couple share a son, Makua, who was born in July 2015. 'I'm not a victim. I live a simple life in Bali. I've got a beautiful son and wife, and I've never been happier,' Koby concluded. When asked earlier in the episode why he decided to leave Sydney for Bali, Koby said: 'I'm terrible with authority. I don't like police. I don't like judges. 'I like to live my own life - if I want to go out for a beer, and drive my motorbike to the beach with my son on my bike I will do that. 'I live in Indonesia because there's no fines. There's no authority. If you're not doing the wrong thing, they leave you alone.' SAS Australia continues Tuesday at 7:30pm on Channel Seven Jett Kenny couldn't fight his emotions as he discussed the death of his sister Jaimi on Tuesday night's episode of SAS Australia. The 27-year-old model told his fellow recruits he 'regretted not being there for Jaimi 'more' amid her struggles, after she tragically died at age 33 last September. Jaimi had battled alcoholism and an eating disorder before she passed away at a Sunshine Coast hospital surrounded by her family - including Jett. Loss: SAS Australia star Jett Kenny couldn't fight his emotions as he discussed the tragic death of his sister Jaimi on Tuesday night's episode Addressing his fellow recruits as part of a challenge, Jett said: 'The biggest thing in my life is never feeling good enough. I set my standards very high, but if I don't get them then I put it all back on myself and I let that effect me heaps. 'I guess a way I kind of became like that was with my sister. She battled with mental health for 15 years, but for me it was kind of just like, "why are you doing this to yourself?" I never fully understood it.' He told the camera: 'My sister did struggle with mental health. We did everything we could as a family and for Jaimi to try and bring her out of it. But unfortunately, that wasn't the case. 'She got told she wasn't going to make it until 30. She got to 33.' Loss: The 27-year-old model and lifeguard (left) told his fellow recruits he 'regrets not being there for [my sister] more', after Jaimi (right) tragically died at age 33 last September Jett, who is the son of Olympian Lisa Curry and ironman Grant Kenny, began to tear up as he recalled a moment that he told his sister a 'harsh reality' when she asked him a question before her death. 'I guess... there was one thing I said at her funeral. I'm not going to say it, as it was very personal. But I remember saying it to her the night that she asked me this question...' he said. Without revealing the question, he added: 'I gave her the honest truth. I was hoping that was the harsh reality that she needed, hearing it from her younger brother. But she's gone now. I kind of regret not being there for her more.' Devastated: Without revealing the question, he added: 'I gave her the honest truth. I was hoping that was the harsh reality that she needed, hearing it from her younger brother. But she's gone now. I kind of regret not being there for her more' Speaking to the camera, Jett added: 'To me it was like - you have the will power to change your life, and turn things around. But that's me. I can't speak for someone who is going through mental health issues because I've never been there. 'Everyone wants to do the best they can for the people that they love. But when you can't it makes you question yourself. Like, was I good enough brother? 'It takes a lot to get me to cry, but I cried at Jaimi's funeral and the night she passed away. That's my older sister. Of course I'm going to miss her.' The Kenny-Curry family announced Jaimi's death on social media on September 15 last year, one day after her passing. 'Our beautiful daughter Jaimi has lost her battle with a long-term illness and passed away peacefully in hospital yesterday morning with her loving family by her side,' Jaimi's mother Lisa Curry wrote at the time. The Kenny-Curry family announced Jaimi's death on social media on September 15 last year, one day after her passing. 'It takes a lot to get me to cry, but I cried at Jaimi's funeral and the night she passed away. That's my older sister. Of course I'm going to miss her,' Jett said 'Our beautiful daughter Jaimi has lost her battle with a long-term illness and passed away peacefully in hospital yesterday morning with her loving family by her side,' Jaimi's mother Lisa Curry wrote at the time. 'We thank the incredible team at the Sunshine Coast University Hospital for their tireless commitment to making her better and giving us the extra time we were able to spend with her. 'It goes without saying that this is a very difficult time for family and friends and we trust we will all be allowed to grieve in privacy.' It was later reported that Jaimi had battled alcoholism and an eating disorder before her death at a Sunshine Coast hospital. SAS Australia continues Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel Seven For free and confidential support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Butterfly Foundation for eating disorder concerns on 1800 ED HOPE Vanessa Lachey stars as Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant on CBS' new series NCIS: Hawai'i, which aired last Monday. While promoting the crime drama during an interview at ABC studios over the weekend New York City, the actress, 40, rocked a flirty yellow minidress and a pair of nude heels, which showed off her classic red pedicure. She styled her blonde ombre locks in a low ponytail and accessorized with a gold necklace and matching hoop earrings. Looking good: While promoting her new series during an interview over the weekend, Vanessa Lachey rocked a flirty yellow minidress This branch of smash hit franchise is the first to be led by a woman. Her character, who is the first female in charge of the NCIS Pearl Harbor division, will juggle balancing her high-powered job with motherhood. In addition to Lachey, the cast includes Minority Report actor Jason Antoon and The Originals actress Yasmine Al-Bustami. New gig: The 40-year-old actress stars as Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant on CBS' new series NCIS: Hawai'i, which aired last Monday Jason will support Lachey as cyber intelligence expert Ernie whilst Yasmine portrays a plucky and determined junior agent called Lucy. Speaking of her new gig, the former Miss Teen USA gushed about her husband Nick Lachey's supportive reaction to her landing the role. 'He said the most supportive thing he could have said, and I just gave him the biggest hug,' she recalled to People. New gig: The 40-year-old actress stars as Special Agent in Charge Jane Tennant on CBS' new series NCIS: Hawai'i, which aired last Monday Vanessa said Nick told her: 'This is your time. And I will do whatever I need to do to support you in that. I've seen you work so hard. This is your time. Let's go [to Hawaii, where NCIS: Hawaii was shot].' They share their three kids Camden John, nine, Brooklyn Elisabeth, six, and four-year-old Phoenix Robert. In July, the couple, who started dating after his high-profile relationship with Jessica Simpson ended, celebrated their tenth wedding anniversary. Impressive: Her character, who is the first female in charge of the NCIS Pearl Harbor division, juggles balancing her high-powered job and being a mom Married At First Sight star Stacey Hampton is certainly not shy of using a glam filter while sharing her looks on Instagram. But the mother of two opted for a more natural look while sharing an earthy shot with her son on Monday. Stacey, who tries to offer a real bond with her near 200K followers, said she wanted to share a candid photo. Sweet: MAFS' Stacey Hampton went filter free in a selfie on Monday and sweetly encouraged her followers to remember everyone is 'perfect in their own way' 'I wanted to post a photo of us - no filter, no edit no nothing,' the law graduate said. 'Candid - enjoying pasta! Instagram isn't reality - you're all perfect in your own way.' It comes after a source revealed Stacey turned down an offer to appear on Ex On The Beach, which was filmed in Colombia. Glamazon: 'I wanted to post a photo of us - no filter, no edit no nothing,' the law graduate said. 'Candid - enjoying pasta! Instagram isn't reality - you're all perfect in your own way' Ex Married At First Sight star Michael Goonan is set to star on the show. 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,' they said. Family ties: The law graduate and mother of two, 28, had agreed to take part in the new series of Ex On The Beach alongside her MAFS ex-'husband' Michael Goonan, but after thinking it over decided to give the show a miss. Pictured with her sons Kosta and Kruz Stacey is understood to have pulled out of Ex on the Beach because she realised she 'didn't need the money' after making a fortune from OnlyFans. Law graduate Stacey has been open about her use of cosmetic enhancements, but spoke of opting for a more natural look last year. Stacey, who was paired with Michael Goonan on MAFS last year, got her lip fillers dissolved at a cosmetic clinic in March that same year. Bikini: Stacey, who was paired with Michael Goonan on MAFS last year, got her lip fillers dissolved at a cosmetic clinic in March that same year In October, however, Stacey admitted to Daily Mail Australia that she did have 1ml of filler added to her lips in April, 'so it's naturally plump, and not too much.' She insisted everything else was completely natural. 'It's literally just the Instagram filter that makes everyone's lips look massive!' she said, explaining her larger-than-life features. Stacey added that she wouldn't go down the filler route again, and also shared an unfiltered photo with Daily Mail Australia to prove that she really does have natural-looking lips. Qualifications: Stacey is an admitted solicitor after gaining a law degree She previously told Daily Mail Australia she feared her face was starting to 'look ridiculous' as her lips fluctuated in size daily, prompting her decision. 'I've been getting filler since I was about 18. I've reached a point where I haven't had any in a year and a half and I've been wanting my lips to dissolve naturally on their own - which they haven't,' Stacey explained at the time. 'Some days they look massive, depending on my water intake or the weather, there are so many contributing factors. So I'm getting them dissolved today.' Simon Baker looked happy and relaxed as he enjoyed a day at the beach with his son Claude Blue Baker on Sunday. The Mentalist star, 52, showed off his abs as he went for a swim at Sydney's Bronte Beach. After a refreshing dip in the ocean, Simon went shirtless as he enjoyed a stroll along the sand with his 22-year-old son. Like a fine wine! Simon Baker, 52, showed off his abs as his relaxed with son Claude Blue Baker at Bronte Beach after selling his home for $17million on Sunday Looking good! The Mentalist star showed off his abs as he went for a swim at Sydney's Bronte Beach The actor wore black boardshorts, a white hat and sunglasses as he sat on the sand, and chatted to Claude. He then wrapped a towel around his muscular build as he relaxed in the sun. Simon shares his sons Claude and Harry, 19, as well as daughter Stella, 27, with his ex-wife Rebecca Rigg. Fun in the sun! After a refreshing dip in the ocean, Simon went shirtless as he enjoyed a stroll along the sand with his 22-year-old son Relaxing: The actor wore black boardshorts, a white hat and sunglasses as he sat on the sand, and chatted to Claude Keeping warm: He then wrapped a towel around his muscular build as he relaxed in the sun Parenthood: Simon shares his sons Claude and Harry, 19, as well as daughter Stella, 27, with his ex-wife Rebecca Rigg The former Hollywood couple recently sold their three-bedroom home in Bronte for almost $17 million. According to Domain, the couple shocked property watchers with the lucrative sale, especially given they purchased the home for just $6.5 million back in 2015. The former couple were reportedly 'quietly shopping' the property before it was confirmed a buyer was found for the home. It's a deal: The former Hollywood couple recently sold their three-bedroom home in Bronte for almost $17 million Sold: According to Domain, the couple shocked property watchers with the lucrative sale, especially given they purchased the home for for just $6.5 million back in 2015 Off the market: The former couple were reportedly 'quietly shopping' the property before it was confirmed a buyer was found for the home Stunning: Boasting sweeping ocean views and located in one of Sydney's most sought-after suburbs - the former Baker residence offers the ultimate in coastal living The pair, who announced their separation in January after 29 years of marriage, had a number of buyer's agents come through the property. Boasting sweeping ocean views and located in one of Sydney's most sought-after suburbs - the former Baker residence offers the ultimate in coastal living. A number of images were listed by CoreLogic following the sale in 2015, with reports revealing the pair made no major improvements on the property after acquiring it. Simon is now in a relationship with Byron Bay fashion designer Laura May Gibbs, 36. Over: Simon and Rebecca announced their separation in January after 29 years of marriage Koby Abberton told his fellow campmates an amusing tale from his life in the limelight on Tuesday night's episode of SAS Australia. The former professional surfer - who was a member of the surf gang the Bra Boys - revealed that he got a series of calls from someone claiming to be actor Russell Crowe - but he didn't believe it was him. 'I started getting this bloke calling me, "[saying] it's Russell Crowe". I'm like mate, just f**k off alright,' he said. Funny guy: On Tuesday's episode of SAS Australia, Koby Abberton (pictured) told his fellow campmates an amusing tale from his life in the limelight 'I don't know who this is, I know it's one of the boys, leave me alone!' he added, before eventually working out it really was the Unhinged star. Once the confusion was cleared up, Koby received an invitation to visit Russell at his home. 'I went to his house, and I took my manager there. My manager doesn't drink or smoke,' he explained. Laughs: The former professional surfer - who was a member of the surf gang the Bra Boys - revealed that he got a series of calls from someone claiming to be actor Russell Crowe (pictured) - but he didn't believe it was him Visit: Once the confusion was cleared up, Koby received an invitation to visit Russell at his home 'Next thing I look across at him and he's smoking joints and drinking beers.' He added that Russell amused the pair by wearing the mask from his 2000 film Gladiator. 'Russell comes out in a gladiator mask. We start wrestling and s**t. Having the best time ever,' Koby said. Good film: He added that Russell amused the pair by wearing the mask from his 2000 film Gladiator (pictured). 'Russell comes out in a gladiator mask. We start wrestling and s**t. Having the best time ever,' Koby said Oh no! 'And my manager just starts laughing his head off, then starts projectile vomiting all over Russell's house,' he added 'And my manager just starts laughing his head off, then starts projectile vomiting all over Russell's house,' he added, causing Sam Burgess to laugh heartily. 'Russell runs back in his room, and I was like [to my manager], "There's spew on your shirt right now!" He was tucking his shirt in and [throwing up down it]. 'I was wiping it and trying to hide it. Russell walks in and says, "Mate I have video cameras everywhere!"' Not amused: 'I was wiping it and trying to hide it. Russell walks in and says, "Mate I have video cameras everywhere!'' Koby said The story left the campmates laughing helplessly, amused by Koby and his manager's hijinks. The former surf gang member from Maroubra Beach in Sydney now resides in Bali. He lives in the popular tourist destination with his Ukrainian model wife Olya Nechiporenko and their six-year-old son, Makua. SAS Australia continues Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel Seven Pregnant Helen Skelton revealed her due date is New Years Eve as she discussed her third pregnancy on Tuesday's Lorraine. The Countryfile presenter, 38, told how her husband is hoping she doesn't give birth early like she did with her two previous children as he would miss Christmas. She already shares sons Ernie, six, and Louis, four, with England national rugby league team player Richie Myler, 31. Expecting: Pregnant Helen Skelton revealed her due date is New Years Eve as she discussed her third pregnancy on Tuesday's Lorraine When asked by Lorraine on the show when her due date is she replied: 'New Years Eve. The other two were early and my husband keeps saying can we not do Christmas because he missed the last one. 'I said that's fine you do the dinner then I'll sit there with my feet up!' Helen has previously revealed she gave birth to her second child on the kitchen floor in France while her husband was away for work. Candid: When asked by Lorraine on the show when her due date is she replied: 'New Years Eve. The other two were early My husband keeps saying can we not do Christmas because he missed the last one!' Oh dear! The Countryfile presenter, 38, told how her husband Richie is hoping she doesn't give birth early like she did with her two previous children as he would miss Christmas Discussing whether she had spoken to her son Louis about it, she said: 'I know god bless him. I can't decided if he's proud of embarrassed. 'He says was I born in the kitchen? And I go yeah. It wasn't what I intended. No one wants a gorgeous French fireman around their feet while they're giving birth which is what I had. 'They'd never done that before and were so excited I just said get back around my head please.' Elsewhere in the interview she talked about how she was 'independent' during her first pregnancy but now she really 'milks' the extra attention she gets while she is expecting. Honest: Elsewhere in the interview she talked about how she was 'independent' during her first pregnancy but now she really 'milks' the extra attention she gets while she is expecting Family: She already shares sons Ernie, six, and Louis, four, with England national rugby league team player Richie Myler, 31 She explained: With the first one I was like 'I'm independent I don't need a chair I don't need extra treatment'. Now, when I'm at the farm I'm rinsing it. Has anyone got a chair? Has anyone got any chocolate? It's my last one, so I'm really milking it.' Helen also revealed she had bene given some advice from Judy Murray, 62, - who has two sons Andy and Jamie - on how to raise boys. She said: 'She was like find something you can do with the boys and I never understood what she meant because my boys are boys boys they played in the rain all day Sunday and they were up a tree. 'They're physical, they're obsessed with my husband because of his rugby and that's why I started to play gold and it's brilliant and now they say to me 'wow mummy you can whack stuff!' So I've got cool points from them.' She also discussed filming This Week On The Farm which follows UK farms as they welcome new arrivals and navigate daily life in the agricultural industry. She said: 'People say never work with kids and animals but that's all I've ever done! The great thing about that farm is Rob and Dave had the same childhood I had. My kids swan into the farm and go 'oh my mummy works here we can do what we want' and I go no you can't! Work: She also discussed filming This Week On The Farm which follows UK farms as they welcome new arrivals and navigate daily life in the agricultural industry 'But whether I'm getting spat at by an alpaca or a llama it's family viewing, it's a good laugh but we have a lot of tongue in cheek humor.' Earlier this month Helen confirmed she was expecting her third child with rugby league star husband Richie in a sweet Instagram post. She told fans she was 'grateful' as she debuted her baby bump in blue dungarees, while surrounded by the couple's two sons. In the pregnancy announcement, Helen looked radiant as she placed one hand on her blossoming baby bump alongside her two young sons. She teamed her chic attire with platform sandals and cat eye sunglasses, and allowed her blonde locks to fall loosely around her face and shoulders. Helen simply captioned the post with the hashtag 'grateful' and emojis including a baby and baby bottle emoji. Richie, 31, also shared the post to his Instagram Stories, captioning it: 'Ding ding Round 3.' It came after the family had just returned from a sun-soaked getaway to Malta. He's been busy promoting No Time To Die ahead of its long-awaited release on Thursday. And Rami Malek made time for a romantic date night with his girlfriend Lucy Boynton as they stepped out for a candlelit dinner in Mayfair on Monday. The 40-year-old Oscar-winning actor and his 27-year-old girlfriend, who have been dating since 2018, cosied up in a booth at the upmarket eatery Isabel. Loved-up: Rami Malek made time in for a romantic date night with his actress girlfriend Lucy Boynton as they stepped out for a candlelit dinner at Isabel in London on Monday Lucy looked effortlessly cool for the romantic dinner as she headed out in a fuchsia jacket and jeans. The Bohemian Rhapsody actress cut a casual figure in loose-fitting mom jeans and a pair of black boots. The blonde beauty completed her look with an enviable Chanel shoulder bag and wore her shoulder-length tresses in a sleek straight style. Lucy put safety first kept her face covered in a black protective face mask as she accentuated her eyes with lashings of black mascara. Snug: The 40-year-old Oscar-winning actor and his 27-year-old girlfriend, who have been dating since 2018, cosied up in a booth at the upmarket eatery Isabel Stylish: Lucy looked effortlessly cool for the romantic dinner as she headed out in a fuchsia jacket and jeans Stunning: The blonde beauty completed her look with an enviable Chanel shoulder bag and wore her shoulder-length tresses in a sleek straight style Meanwhile, Rami cut a dapper figure in a longline black coat and matching tailored trousers. He layered the outerwear over a forest green jumper and stepped out in a pair of chunky lace-up brogues. The outing comes after Rami reportedly moved Lucy into his Los Angeles home last week. Taking things to the next level: The outing comes after Rami reportedly moved Lucy into his Los Angeles home last week An insider told the Mirror: 'Things are going well for Rami and Lucy. The pandemic meant they spent a lot of time together and solidified their relationship. 'Hes over the moon and all their friends are saying they are soulmates,' they added. Professionally, it's an exciting time for Rami who plays the villain Lyutsifer Safin in the upcoming Bond flick No Time To Die - the premiere is taking place at London's Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday. Happy couple: 'Things are going well for Rami and Lucy. The pandemic meant they spent a lot of time together and solidified their relationship,' an insider said In No Time To Die, Bond - played for the final time by Daniel Craig - has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. Bond has two new allies in the film, in the form of agents Paloma and Nomi. A video released last week introduces fans to 'cocky' Nomi [Lashana Lynch] and 'intense' Cuban agent Paloma [Ana De Armas] ahead of the No Time To Die release. Co-stars: Rami has been dating the Bohemian Rhapsody actress since 2018 after they met while filming the Queen blockbuster During the final trailer for No Time To Die - which was released last month - Craig is seen coming face-to-face with captured nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld, played by Christoph Waltz. It appears that the old foes may even be forced to form an uneasy alliance. 'James, fate draws us back together. Now your enemy is my enemy,' says Blofeld. 'How did that happen?' Bond replies with his trademark smirk: 'Well, you live long enough.' 'Soul mates': Friends of the couple have reported that Rami is 'over the moon' with the relationship Secrecy also surrounds 007's love interest Madeleine Swann, played by Lea Seydoux, after the couple escaped together at the end of 2015's Spectre. Holding a mysterious folder, she warns Bond: 'You don't know what this is?' and he looks uncharacteristically nervous. Bond is later seen burning a note reading 'forgive me'. Fittingly for a production delayed by the Covid pandemic, the tone seems grim and apocalyptic. 'If we don't do this,' Bond growls at the end of the trailer, 'there will be nothing left to save.' Fans only have to wait until the end of this month to see if their hero as is traditional saves the world and gets the girl. In for a treat! In No Time To Die, Bond - played for the final time by Daniel Craig - has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help She keeps listeners clued in between 6:30 and 10am every morning during the week on Heart Breakfast. And Amanda Holden managed to stay stylish whilst doing it, too, as she doubled-up on green with a jumper and longline blazer jacket on Monday as she headed to Global Radio Studios, Leicester Square. The media personality, 50, looked typically chic in the bright ensemble, which she teamed with 70s themed flare jeans by Victoria Beckham. Stylish: Amanda Holden doubled-up on green with a jumper and longline blazer jacket on Monday as she headed to Global Radio Studios, Leicester Square The Britain's Got Talent judge looked radiant as she headed off to work in the morning, carrying her essentials in a large brown bag with a chain-detail. She further accessorized with a sparkly gold watch, while she added a pair of huge dark sunglasses to her look. The blonde beauty beamed as she was pictured heading to work, smiling as she arrived. Beauty: The blonde stunner beamed as she was pictured heading to work with a big smile on her face Typically chic: The media personality looked typically chic in the bright ensemble, which she teamed with 70s themed flare jeans by Victoria Beckham Her outing comes as Amanda Holden recently told The Daily Mail she refuses to apologise for living her life. She told the newspaper: 'I'm not apologising for living any more. I want my life back. I keep hearing people going: "I'm sorry, I'm so lucky to go on holiday." I'm like: "No! It's your right to be entertained, your right to go on holiday!"' At 50, she has inadvertently made it her mission to show that women of any age can be as flamboyant as they please, not least when it comes to their outfits. Radiant: The Britain's Got Talent judge looked radiant as she headed off to work in the morning, carrying her essentials in a large brown bag with a chain-detail Sorry, not sorry: Her outing comes as Amanda Holden recently told The Daily Mail she refuses to apologise for living her life 'I dress for other women and for myself. I don't dress for men and I dress absolutely how I want to. When I'm told I can't, it makes me do it more,' she said. For example, when Ofcom received 235 complaints about the low-cut Amanda Wakeley dress she wore to judge Britain's Got Talent, Amanda was delighted. 'I thought: '"Amazing!" Now for every show they want to know what I'm going to be wearing in advance, and I'm like: "I'm going to wear a polo-neck . . . surprise!"' Sure enough, the week after the complaints, she selected a gown that was doubly revealing. 'I don't know what people are complaining about,' she says. 'They sexualise things that are just . . . there. [Fellow BGT judge] Simon [Cowell] can have all his shirt buttons open down to here and his man boobs out and no one bats an eyelid!' The famous dress: When Ofcom received 235 complaints about the low-cut Amanda Wakeley dress she wore to judge Britain's Got Talent, Amanda was delighted. Pictured in 2020 Advertisement She's made a career for herself as a television personality and business woman since rising to fame on Geordie Shore in 2011. And Charlotte Crosby, 31, took to YouTube on Sunday to show her fans the fruits of her labour as she showcased her beautiful home renovation. The reality star splashed an incredible 1million on doing up her pad, creating the perfect property for herself. Stunning: Charlotte Crosby showcasesd her 1million renovation of her lavish mansion as she gave fans tour of home which included an indoor pool, bar and cinema In the clip, the former Celebrity Big Brother winner welcomes her viewer though her double dark wood doors and into her marble floored lobby. Moving over the the sweeping staircase, which would fit perfectly into a Kardashian home, Charlotte showed off her artwork, explaining she had the hallway wall painted by Belfast-based commercial mural artist Danny Simpson. She explained: This was just a plain wall, very plain actually, and there wasn't much going on with it if I'm honest an I thought it needed that little bit of extra umph but not a wallpaper.' Keeping up: Moving over the the sweeping staircase, which would fit perfectly into a Kardashian home, Charlotte showed off her artwork, explaining she had the hallway wall painted by Belfast-based commercial mural artist Danny Simpson All change: While the staircase remains, the star's hallway was much darker before and the wall was plain in this picture taken in 2018 before the renovation Charlotte took the opportunity to hit out at trolls who had slammed the design online, saying their comments 'could not be any further from the truth'. Moving through the lounge and into the open plan main living area, Charlotte sat on her L-shaped sofa. She explained how she had turned the living area into an open space to let a lot more light in, saying it was more of a hallway before. Relax: Charlotte explained how she had turned the living area into an open space to let a lot more light in, saying it was more of a hallway before Funky: While Charlotte had some interesting decor and a stand-out chandelier, the living area was not as open and light as it is today after the renovation She gave fans a glimpse at her expansive kitchen with a huge marble-fronted island which took 'centre stage.' The top was adorned with white flowers to bring a touch of nature to the room and three lights could be seen hanging down above to brighten up the area. The off white floors looked spotless and she had a shelving unit to the right with plates and storage baskets on with nothing out of place. Ready, steady, cook: She gave fans a glimpse at her expansive kitchen with a huge marble-fronted island which took 'centre stage' Flower power: The top was adorned with white flowers to bring a touch of nature to the room and three lights could be seen hanging down above to brighten up the area Bon appetite: Charlotte showed off her no-expense-spared black and beige dining table with plenty of space for guests when she entertains Charlotte showed off her no-expense-spared black and beige dining table with plenty of space for guests when she entertains. She opted for minimalist chic with a few ornaments placed in spaces in the wall behind the table with a door to the right leading outside. The star then moved into the room she describes as the 'Crosby manor social club', which she says is 'very well used'. Playtime: The star then moved into the room she describes as the 'Crosby manor social club', which she says is 'very well used' by her and her friends Take a sip: The room features a pool table and bar which she serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks from for her friends when they visit Experienced: Speaking to the camera, she reminisced about a time she worked at a bar, saying it was a 'much simpler time' and how she'd be happy to go back, as she stood next a large book with 'memories' written along the spine Lighting things up: On the wall, she had a red neon sign of the words 'let's get weird' with a surrounding of green plants, which hung just above the bottles The room features a pool table and bar which she serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks from for her friends. Speaking to the camera, she reminisced about a time she worked at a bar, saying it was a 'much simpler time' and how she'd be happy to go back, as she stood next a large book with 'memories' written along the spine. On the wall, she had a red neon sign of the words 'let's get weird' with a surrounding of green plants. Messy: Charlotte moved on to her bedroom, joking that she had no idea who had been in and strewn clothes all over the room, before showing off her bed Laugh a minute: Asking her mother to come and tidy up for her, she pointed out her round bed with a white rainbow shape over the top Hollywood glamour: Sitting on her bed, Charlotte demonstrated the cinema screen which descends from the ceiling of her bedroom, joking: 'This is where the magic happens.' Charlotte moved on to her bedroom, joking that she had no idea who had been in and strewn clothes all over the room. Asking her mother to come and tidy up for her, she pointed out her round bed with a white rainbow shape over the top. She could be seen standing on stylish herringbone flooring with her window out onto a balcony in the background. Sitting on her bed, Charlotte demonstrated the cinema screen which descends from the ceiling of her bedroom, joking: 'This is where the magic happens.' Fashion first: The star moved into her walk in wardrobe, admitting it was too expensive to have replaced, so she had the doors and handles brightened up to give it a new look From dark to light: The furniture in Charlotte's dressing room was previously black but she has now changed fronts to brighten the room up The star moved into her walk in wardrobe, admitting it was too expensive to have replaced, so she had the doors and handles brightened up to give it a new look. The star then moved into her pool room which has not had done yet but says needs updating due to moisture not being extracted properly. She excitedly explained how she wanted people to 'feel as if you're in Mykonos' once the room is done. Charlotte has created an Instagram account for her home to keep her fans update with her progress along the way. She is also the CEO of her own Naked Lane homeware brand which she created in 2019. Strictly Come Dancing star Tilly Ramsay and her professional partner Nikita Kuzmin appeared to getting along well as he put his arm around her after a hard day's work on Monday night. The 19-year-old daughter of chef Gordon Ramsay left filming for the daily Strictly behind-the-scenes show It Takes 2 with Nikita's arm wrapped around her. Nikita protectively embraced Tilly as they left the studio before grabbing her by the hand as she walked down the stairs. Supportive: Strictly Come Dancing star Tilly Ramsay and her professional partner Nikita Kuzmin enjoyed a friendly chat after a hard day's work on Monday night Keeping her close: Nikita protectively placed his arm around Tilly's shoulders as they left the BBC studio The Strictly pro caringly offered Tilly support as she walked down the steps with her arms filled with multiple heavy bags. Tilly stepped out in a pair of chunky black Dr Martens and tights as she matched Nikita in an all-black ensemble. Nikita - who sported an effortlessly cool biker jacket - was tactile with Tilly as he affectionately rubbed her arm. The 19-year-old kept warm in a black velour padded jacket for the outing, which she shrugged on over a floral thigh-skimming dress. Good friends: The 19-year-old daughter of chef Gordon Ramsay left It Takes Two with Nikita's arm wrapped around her Helping hand: The Strictly pro then offered Tilly support as he grabbed her hand as she walked down the stairs Watch your step! Nikita caringly offered Tilly his hand as she walked with her arms filled with multiple heavy bags The Strictly couple put safety first as they headed home with their faces covered in protective masks. Tilly looked back to Nikita for reassurance as they walked along the street side by side after a long day of dancing and filming. Hours earlier, Tilly and Nikita cut low key figures as they arrived for rehearsals in the same car with their hoods up. In sync: Tilly stepped out in a pair of chunky black Dr Martens as she matched Nikita in an all-black ensemble Pals: Nikita was tactile with Tilly as he affectionately rubbed her arm as she kept warm in a black velour padded jacket Hunk: Nikita looked effortlessly cool in a black leather biker jacket and a very low cut black shirt as he stuck close to Tilly for the outing Careful: The Strictly couple put safety first as they headed home with their faces covered in protective masks Tilly shot a sideways glance at onlookers as she made her way to filming in a cosy hoody and flared patterned trousers. Meanwhile, Nikita layered up in a yellow hooded jumper and a maroon beanie hat as he strode to the studio. The pair appeared to be getting on very well as they smiled and chatted as they prepared for the day ahead. Strictly couple: Tilly looked back to Nikita for reassurance as they walked along the street side by side after a long day or dancing and filming Joint journey: Hours earlier, Tilly and Nikita cut low key figures as they arrived for rehearsals in the same car with their hoods up Time for work: Tilly shot a sideways glance at onlookers as she made her way to filming in a cosy hoody and flared patterned trousers Upbeat: The pair appeared to be getting on very well as they smiled and chatted as they prepared for the day ahead Nikita has been in a relationship with dancer Nicole Wirt since 2016. And Nicole, who lives in Germany, has shown heartfelt support for her boyfriend and Tilly since the start of this year's Strictly competition. Taking to Instagram on Saturday, she described their romantic waltz as 'mesmerising' and gushed that she was 'cheering for my favs'. Loved-up: Nikita has been in a relationship with dancer Nicole Wirt since 2016 'Cheering for my favs': Nicole has shown heartfelt support for her boyfriend and Tilly since the start of this year's Strictly competition It comes after Tilly couldn't contain her giggles as she got covered in water during a hilarious challenge with her professional partner. In a video posted on Nikita's Instagram page Tilly, and Nikita attempted to hide their laughter while they held water in their mouths as part of a social media challenge. An amused Nikita, who showed off his huge water bottle in the video, cracked first and ended up spilling water out of his mouth which he tried to catch in his hand. 'I wet myself!' It comes after Tilly couldn't contain her giggles as she got covered in water during a hilarious challenge with Nikita on his Instagram page The dancer ended up spitting out his mouth of water, and Tilly followed just seconds later, with water seeming to leak from her nose as she tried not to open her mouth. It spilled onto her leggings, leaving her with an unfortunate wet patch on her legs, and as she stood up Tilly squealed hysterically: 'I wet myself.' TikTok star Tilly added: 'I love how we find ourselves so funny.' Hilarious: In a video posted on Nikita's Instagram page Tilly, the daughter of chef Gordon Ramsay, and Nikita attempted to hide their laughter while they held water in their mouths Playful: An amused Nikita, who showed off his huge water bottle in the video, cracked first and ended up spilling water out of his mouth which he tried to catch in his hand And her mum Tana even commented: 'Tilly did that come out your nose?' Tilly and Nikita were seen at the student's London flat on Thursday evening. 'Nikita was first and waited outside before Tilly arrived a few minutes later. They were grinning from ear-to-ear, chatting and laughing,' an onlooker told The Sun. 'They looked very comfortable in each other's company, quite flirty. 'There is a clear physical chemistry. After strolling to the door they headed inside and stayed all evening.' Oh dear! The dancer ended up spitting out his mouth of water, and Tilly followed just seconds later, with water seeming to leak from her nose as she tried not to open her mouth Awkward! It spilled onto her leggings, leaving her with an unfortunate wet patch on her legs, and as she stood up Tilly squealed hysterically: 'I wet myself' Friendly: It comes after Tilly and Nikita were seen at the student's London flat on Thursday evening Another show insider said: 'It's no secret that Tilly and Nikita have hit it off really well. A lot of the older cast and crew think they're really cute. 'They want to stay in the competition as long as possible so its important that they get on and have a close relationship.' The pair left Tilly's mother Tana in tears on Saturday. She was spotted wiping her eyes after watching her daughter dance, while her husband Gordon wished Tilly 'good luck' on Instagram. She's the popular television presenter who co-hosts the Today show. And Allison Langdon has been chosen to host Channel Nine's anticipated new series Parental Guidance alongside Australian parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson. The 42-year-old will helm the reality-based show which will see 10 sets of parents with different parenting styles put their methods to the test. Coming soon: Allison Langdon is set to front Channel Nine's 'confronting' new series Parental Guidance with Australian parenting expert Dr Justin Coulson In a trailer released by TV Blackbox, Ally says: 'If you haven't seen this before, I do need to warn you it is confronting.' She then asks all the parents, 'A moment of honesty from everyone in the room. Put your hand up if you have ever smacked your child.' A voice-over then says, 'It's the biggest responsibility in our lives, raising a child. But how do you know you're doing it right?' New show: The 42-year-old will helm the reality-based show which will see 10 sets of parents with different parenting styles put their methods to the test 'In the most challenging year parents have ever faced, different parenting styles will face off. They will judge each other to expose the parenting secrets that will divide the nation.' Allison and Justin can then be seen getting emotional. 'This is going to change the conversation about parenting in this country,' Justin says. Coming soon: In a trailer for the series, Ally says, 'If you haven't seen this before, I do need to warn you it is confronting' Parental Guidance will look at how helicopter and routine parenting styles to free-range parents raise their families. The show was first announced during Channel Nine's 2020 Upfront and was called The Parent Jury featuring Super Nanny Jo Frost. But due to the Covid pandemic, the show's host and launch date had to be changed. Advertisement Tom Hardy has been spotted filming the thrilling drama Havoc for the first time, as the streets of Cardiff were transformed into a dingy American alley. The actor, 43, cut a brooding figure to film scenes outside a train station on Bute Street in the Welsh capital on Tuesday. Tom is set to star in the Netflix thriller as a detective who ventures into the criminal underworld to rescue the estranged son of a politician, and the film is currently set for release in 2022. Dramatic: Tom Hardy, 43, has been spotted filming the thrilling drama Havoc for the first time, as the streets of Cardiff were transformed into a dingy American alley Tom displayed a pensive expression as he filmed scenes of his character heading down the street towards a train station. The pavements were specifically covered with snow for the winter scenes with American-style road signs and the exterior of a subway entrance also built for filming. The street was also lined with US police cars, as well as a heavily-guarded SWAT van. Heart-stopping: The actor cut a brooding figure to film scenes outside a train station on Bute Street in the Welsh capital on Tuesday Thrilling: Tom is set to star in the Netflix thriller as a detective who ventures into the criminal underworld to rescue the estranged son of a politician In the dark: Tom displayed a pensive expression as he filmed scenes of his character heading down the street towards a train station Feel like Christmas? The pavements were specifically covered with snow for the winter scenes with American-style road signs and the exterior of a subway entrance also built for filming Locals were informed that Bute Street would be closed from 4pm each day, so that the street could be prepared for filming after dark. Tom could be seen emerging from a car and strolling down the street, hinting his character may have a new lead in his investigation. Havoc tells the story of a drug deal gone wrong and a detective who has to battle his way through the criminal underworld to rescue the estranged son of a leading politician. What's going on? In the first glimpse at Tom's character on the film, he was seen filming a moment which saw him striding down the dark street Dramatically different: For the filming American signs were put up to transport the street to the US and the pavements were covered with fake snow Plans: Locals were informed that Bute Street would be closed from 4pm each day, so that the street could be prepared for filming after dark That's not TfW! A fake version of the exterior of a subway station was also erected for the scenes Coming soon: Havoc tells the story of a drug deal gone wrong and a detective who has to battle his way through the criminal underworld to rescue the son of a leading politician It is being directed by Welsh filmmaker Gareth Evans who is behind films such as The Raid and Raid 2, the Michael Sheen horror Apostle and Sky Atlantic's Gangs of London. The film also stars Forest Whitaker and Timothy Olyphant, and the actors have been spotted exploring Wales during their breaks from the set. Tom's appearance on set comes as No Time To Die star Naomi Harris named the star as her pick to be the next James Bond. Speaking on ITV's Lorraine show on Tuesday the Moonlight actress 45, admitted that she'd 'never worked with Tom before' but is clearly a huge fan. Anticipated: The street was also lined with US police cars, as well as a heavily-guarded SWAT van Coming soon: It is being directed by Welsh filmmaker Gareth Evans who is behind films such as The Raid and Raid 2 Star-studded: The film also stars Forest Whitaker and Timothy Olyphant, and the actors have been spotted exploring Wales during their breaks from the set She added: 'I think what he does is so special and technically difficult. He would make a great Bond but they always pick someone we don't expect and is up and coming'. 'I reckon it will be someone totally unexpected and their name isn't even in the mix'. But I do think Tom would be amazing and if I could pick I would choose Tom'. Bridgerton star Rege-Jean Page is currently hot favourite to replace Craig as Bond when Daniel Craig's 15-year run as 007 ends after No Time to Die is released in September. In July Tom also paid a visit to Barry Island Pleasure Park in Wales, a resort made famous by the BBC comedy Gavin and Stacey. A picture of the star was shared on the Barry Island Pleasure Park Facebook page of him stood next to local business man Henry Danter. The caption read: 'Thanks to the legend Tom Hardy for visiting us today and loving Barry Island as much as we do.' Next star? Tom's appearance on set comes as No Time To Die star Naomi Harris named the star as her pick to be the next James Bond Choose him! Speaking on ITV's Lorraine show on Tuesday the Moonlight actress 45, admitted that she'd 'never worked with Tom before' but is clearly a huge fan In the coming weeks Tom is set to reprise his Eddie Brock in the upcoming movie Venom: Let There Be Carnage, after preview screenings took place in London earlier this month. The Andy Serkis-directed superhero film is intended to be the second entry in the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters, which serves as a counterpart to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Venom: Let There Be Carnage is set to make its debut on October 1, after it was pushed back from an original October 2020 release date. The forthcoming feature will serve as a sequel to the original 2018 film, which also kicked off the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters. As opposed to producing stories centered around a wide range of superheroes in the vein of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the media franchise will be focused on characters that are associated with Spider-Man. Next part: In the coming weeks Tom is set to reprise his Eddie Brock in the upcoming movie Venom: Let There Be Carnage Incoming: The Andy Serkis-directed superhero film is intended to be the second entry in the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters Another one? Hardy has also confirmed that he will be starring in a third Venom film, although the upcoming feature's release date is currently not known Although executives from both studios intensely negotiated over the rights to the web-slinger, they eventually came to an agreement that allowed both to use the property. The next scheduled film from the Sony Pictures Universe of Marvel Characters is set to be centered around Morbius the Living Vampire, who will be portrayed by Jared Leto, and will make its debut in 2022. Other projects that are currently in development include features centered around characters such as Kraven The Hunter and Madame Web. Hardy has also confirmed that he will be starring in a third Venom film, although the upcoming feature's release date is currently not known. Gigi Hadid wore a striking all-green ensemble when she was pictured leaving the Royal Monceau hotel in Paris on Tuesday. Heading out for fashion week, the supermodel, 26, looked typically stylish in her blazer, turtleneck and trousers - all in varying shades of green. The star's sartorial jacket boasted emerald fabric, whilst her flared trousers boasted more of a khaki hue, and the turtleneck detracted attention with its olive colouring. Green with envy: Gigi Hadid wore a stylish all-green blazer and trousers as she left the Royal Monceau hotel in Paris during fashion week on Tuesday She stepped out of the five-star hotel in a pair of patent leather black boots, carrying her items in a small cheetah-print bag. The new redhead slicked her tresses back into a sleek up-do, whilst she further accessorized with black sunglasses and a pair of swanky gold snake drop earrings. When she's not making an appearance at the coveted worldwide Fashion Weeks and attending various other events, Gigi is working hard to raise her first child, a daughter. Sartorial: The star's sartorial jacket boasted emerald fabric, whilst her flared trousers boasted more of a khaki hue, and the turtleneck detracted attention with its olive colouring Stepping out: She stepped out of the five-star hotel in a pair of patent leather black boots, carrying her items in a small cheetah-print bag Last week, the doting mother gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at her baby Khai's first birthday extravaganza on her Instagram Stories. She shares the tot with her former One Direction band member boyfriend Zayn Malik. The party was attended by Hadid's entire family, including sister Bella and mother Yolanda, and held at her luxury apartment in New York City. Up-do: The new redhead slicked her tresses back into a sleek updo, whilst she further accessorized with black sunglasses and a pair of swanky gold snake drop earrings Working mum: When she's not making an appearance at the coveted worldwide Fashion Weeks and attending various other events, Gigi is working hard to raise her first child, a daughter Chic: Gigi wowed in her stylish ensemble as she strutted down the street Off she goes; The star was ready for the runway in her green hued look Shopping: She headed to a jewellery store as she enjoyed some leisure time Sparkle: The star was seen chatting with a jeweller inside the store Gigi's Instagram post showed off the elaborate decorations setup on the patio of her apartment, including four large, gold balloons spelling out Khai's name. The balloon creations came in the form of a panda bear from the popular children's animated show Word Party, which appeared to be the party's dominant theme. Some less impressive balloon displays, including a large number one to signify Khai's first birthday, were scattered around the space. Birthday party: Last week, the doting mother gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at her baby Khai's first birthday extravaganza on her Instagram Stories Resting in the middle of the patio was a baby-safe enclosure that would allow the little one to hang out outdoors without getting into mischief. The enclosure featured a small pale pink slide, an adorable hippo figurine, and blocks for Khai to play with as her guests mingled. There was also a mini inflatable jumper with an attached ball pit for Khai to play in. 'My baby turned one this weekend,' captioned the runway maven on one of her posts. Margaret Qualley says she supports FKA twigs on her lawsuit against Shia LaBeouf, stating that she believes her allegations of mental and physical abuse against the actor. Qualley, 26, spoke to Harper's Bazaar about the unsavoury accusations aimed at LaBeouf, who she once dated, as she covered their October issue, claiming: 'It was important to me for her to know that I believe her.' The interview comes as FKA (stage name of Tahliah Debrett Barnett), 33, sued LaBeouf, who Margaret previously dated, for sexual battery, assault and the infliction of emotional distress in December. Sharing her support: Margaret Qualley has revealed to Harper's Bazaar in their October issue that she supports FKA twigs on her lawsuit against Shia LaBeouf, stating that she believes her Despite never making any allegations against their mutual ex herself, The Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood star said to the publication: 'It was important to me for her to know that I believe herand its as simple as that.' The up-and-coming actress has been preparing herself to portray the fallout of emotional abuse of her character in the upcoming series Maid. 'Unfortunately, its so common. And its true that more than half of people experience some level of psychological threat within a relationship in their lifetime,' she said. 'I believe her': The Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood star said to the publication: 'It was important to me for her to know that I believe herand its as simple as that' 'I just did my best to read the script and experience Alexs reality as much as possible within the scenes.' The former ballerina is playing this emotionally vulnerable role alongside her actual mother on-screen - an experience she found to be a genuine one. 'When you walk into a room and your mom is there, that does something to you. Not only do you have permission to touch her like family, but rolling your eyes is a built-in response in the same way that tearing up from a well-timed hug is.' Preparing herself: The performer has been preparing herself to portray the fallout of emotional abuse of her character in the upcoming series Maid The relationship she forged with child-star Rylea Nevaeh Whittet, four, who plays her daughter on the show, was also a touching experience. 'Besides acting with my mom, the relationship with Rylea really hit me the hardest. When shes asleep in my arms, that was happening for real.' 'Having a little four-year-old cling on to you and need you is such a wild and special experience' - an experience she hopes to have one day with children of her own, she told the publication. Vulnerable: The former ballerina is playing this emotionally vulnerable role alongside her actual mother on-screen - an experience she found to be a genuine one 'Ive always dreamt of getting married. Theres a girly-girl part of me thats thought about what my wedding would be like. And Ive dreamt of having kids. Im a real romantic in that way.' Her cover-shoot comes as Margaret previously broke her silence about the abuse allegations brought against her recent ex. Taking to Instagram to offer her gratitude to FKA after she spoke publicly about her allegedly abusive relationship, the Emmy nominee posted an image of the Magdalene artist's March cover of Elle, simply captioning the post: 'Thank you.' Breaking silence: Margaret previously broke her silence about her recent ex - taking to Instagram to offer gratitude to FKA after she spoke about her allegedly abusive relationship Margaret was first romantically linked to LaBeouf, 34, in December, around the time FKA first made the allegations. She and the former Disney Channel star met when they starred together in the NSFW music video for Love Me Like You Hate Me by Rainsford, also known as Margaret's big sister Rainey Qualley, 30. They subsequently called it quits weeks later in early January, when a source told People: 'They're just in different places in their lives.' First linked together: Margaret was first romantically linked to LaBeouf in December, around the time FKA first made the allegations. Pictured together on set of Love Me Like You Hate Me, 2020 Another insider said Qualley was aware of the 'backlash' she received, after she continued dating LaBeouf, amid the accusations of sexual and physical assault. According to Us Weekly, her Golden Globe-winning mother Andie MacDowell, 62, was 'keeping an extremely close watch on the situation,' as a source said: 'If Shia so much as puts a foot out of line, she'll come down on him like a ton of bricks.' It comes after LaBeouf denied 'each and every allegation' in FKA's lawsuit, issuing a statement to The New York Times, before seeking long-term inpatient treatment. Allegations: FKA (stage name of Tahliah Debrett Barnett) sued LaBeouf, who Margaret previously dated, for sexual battery, assault and the infliction of emotional distress in December. Pictured in 2018 He continued: 'I'm not in any position to tell anyone how my behavior made them feel. I have no excuses for my alcoholism or aggression, only rationalizations. 'I have been abusive to myself and everyone around me for years. I have a history of hurting the people closest to me. I'm ashamed of that history and am sorry to those I hurt. There is nothing else I can really say.' The actor, who has 'denied each and every allegation', is said to have signed on to play the lead in Abel Ferrara's next feature film, despite his ongoing legal woes. Ferrara told Variety the Shia-starring film will 'center on the younger years of Italian Saint Padre Pio,' with the actor portraying the Padre in his youth. The full interview with Margaret hits newsstands in Harper's Bazaar on October 5th. After a COVID-19 delay that shuttered the restaurant business in Los Angeles, the SURvers on Vanderpump Rules are back it for an all-new, long-awaited season nine. Lisa Vanderpump, the matriarch mogul of the show, exclusively sat down with DailyMailTV with a teaser about all the 'naughty and unpredictable' things in store for the new season. Plus, the former Real Housewives of Beverly Hills OG reveals what it would take for her to consider returning to the Bravo franchise she helped put on the map. All new! Lisa Vanderpump, star of Vanderpump Rules, exclusively sat down with DailyMailTV with a teaser about all the 'naughty and unpredictable' things in store for the new season 'It's been a struggle,' Lisa said. 'But, you know, we're back and the restaurants are booming. TomTom and Vegas are busy, which is really good - and the show is as naughty and unpredictable as always.' Vanderpump Rules is returning after a nearly 18-month hiatus and a massive cast shake-up following the end of season eight which saw the likes of Jax Taylor departing. The new season will see LVP at the helm once more alongside the Toms (Sandoval and Schwartz), Katie Maloney-Schwartz, Scheana Shay and newcomer fiance Brock Davies, Ariana Madix, Lala Kent, James Kennedy, Raquel Leviss and Charli Burnett. 'You could definitely tell that they've been locked up for a while and it was like opening the cage and letting wild animals out,' Lisa laughed. 'It's been a struggle,' Lisa said. 'But, you know, we're back and the restaurants are booming. TomTom and Vegas are busy, which is really good - and the show is as naughty and unpredictable as always.' 'You could definitely tell that they've been locked up for a while and it was like opening the cage and letting wild animals out,' Lisa laughed. 'It's definitely is a different season. I mean, they've evolved and some of them have matured, some of them not so much,' she explained. 'But they're our businesses and I'm more of a mentor in some respects to some of them. Babies being born and people have got married - you know, it's definitely progressed.' The Tom's have decide to branch out on their own and will be working on opening a space outside from under the Vanderpump umbrella this season. Finger on the pulse, Lisa had already heard the rumors that Sandoval and Schwartz were going to go it alone before they'd even told her and she couldn't be happier for them. 'Look, I'm not competitive with other women. I'm not competitive with other business owners because I think there's room for everybody to be your best self, give it your best shot,' she told DailyMailTV. 'So for me, I want them to do well.' 'It's definitely is a different season. I mean, they've evolved and some of them have matured, some of them not so much,' she explained. 'But they're our businesses and I'm more of a mentor in some respects to some of them. Babies being born and people have got married - you know, it's definitely progressed.' 'There's a lot that goes into opening a restaurant. I'm just not sure they were prepared for it,' she laughed of the Toms opening their own space. 'Those two are something. I've never seen a relationship like this before. They are unique for sure.' 'James is a very complicated guy. It's not just about the drink. You're going to see that,' Lisa said Lisa did have to chuckle at the harsh reality the pair are facing now that they're manning the ship themselves. With only a small stake in TomTom, Lisa explained that their gig is more about coming in and partying while she and husband Ken Todd run the day-to-day. 'There's a lot that goes into opening a restaurant. I'm just not sure they were prepared for it,' she laughed. 'Those two are something. I've never seen a relationship like this before. They are unique for sure.' RHOBH: Beverly Hills Housewife Garcelle Beauvais recently said she wished Lisa would return to the franchise following her departure two seasons ago Meanwhile, there are changes for several longtime members of the cast like Lala and Scheana becoming moms and pot-stirrer James Kennedy celebrating two years of sobriety. Lisa promises that the changes, however, won't leave this season short on drama. 'I don't think they will ever change because they are very vocal as young women and they have no problem expressing themselves, that's for sure,' she said of the first-time moms, adding of James Kennedy: 'James is a very complicated guy. It's not just about the drink. You're going to see that.' While Vanderpump Rules is thriving, the restaurateur is still dearly missed by fans and current Housewives alike on RHOBH, despite leaving the franchise after season nine. Current RHOBH star Garcelle Beauvais recently suggested that she'd love the Vanderpump Dog's philanthropist to return to the series and, upon hearing that, LVP said she was touched. That said, she will not soon forget how things ended for her on the series and that makes her unlikely to ever wish to rejoin the cast. 'It was not a nice experience the way they treated me when I left and it wasn't a good time in my life,' Lisa said. 'So, I'm happy I walked away and I have no regrets.' She added that she hasn't watched the two seasons that have passed since her departure, but from what she's read and seen on social media not much has changed amongst the women she was originally with on the show. 'It was not a nice experience the way they treated me when I left and it wasn't a good time in my life,' Lisa said. 'So, I'm happy I walked away and I have no regrets.' 'If the cast was the same, there's no way. There's no room for me in that group,' Lisa said of the potential of going back. 'If the cast was the same, there's no way. There's no room for me in that group,' Lisa said of the potential of going back. While Lisa has no plans to return, she did say that she had been friends with Kathy Hilton for much longer than she worked with her sister, Kyle Richards, and that from everything she hears, Garcelle and Sutton seem like nice women. Former pal Kyle Richards was famously tossed from Lisa's Beverly Hills home by Ken during their last blowout fight on the show. On Monday, Lisa reluctantly revealed to DailyMailTV that it was Kyle who was the original source of rumors about castmate Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi's troubles way back in 2019. On Monday, Lisa reluctantly revealed to DailyMailTV that it was Kyle who was the original source of rumors about castmate Erika Jayne: 'It didn't surprise me when Camille [Grammer] told me that it was Kyle that had told her the gossip about her supposed friend Erika Jayne,' Lisa admitted. 'That's how Kyle works.' 'It didn't surprise me when Camille [Grammer] told me that it was Kyle that had told her the gossip about her supposed friend Erika Jayne,' Lisa admitted. 'That's how Kyle works.' Lisa, as always, has several other projects up in the air including putting the finishing touches on her upcoming book and working on opening a new restaurant in Las Vegas, Vanderpump a Paris. But, the thing LVP is the most excited for is becoming a grandmother. Lisa's daughter Pandora Vanderpump Sabo exclusively revealed to DailyMail.com in August that she's pregnant with her first child with husband Jason Sabo. 'I'm going to take a breath because I'm going to become a grandmother soon and that's going to be the most important thing in my life,' Lisa gushed. Tune into an all new season of Vanderpump Rules which premieres Tuesday night on Bravo. Insecure creator and star Issa Rae struck a pose in a CongTri mini-dress featuring dramatic shoulder detail for a new spread shot by Andy Jackson. The bridal white shade was fitting for the 36-year-old newlywed's SELF cover considering she tied the knot with Senegalese businessman Louis Diame in July in France. 'I'm extremely happy,' Issa said of married life, but she's still not sure about having children. Wings: Insecure creator and star Issa Rae struck a pose in a CongTri mini-dress featuring dramatic shoulder detail for a new spread shot by Andy Jackson 'I like my life, I like this selfishness, and I know that I have a window...I want to do as much as I can while I still can. I know it's not the proper mentality to think that kids will slow you down, but I do feel that way.' For the mag, Rae also donned daring designs from Denimcractic and Christian Dior selected by her stylist Jason Rembert. Hairstylist Felicia Leatherwood braided the six-time Emmy nominee's cornrows and make-up artist Joanna Simkin let her dewy natural beauty shine through. Issa was happy to stay behind the camera to oversee production in Miami on her upcoming eight-episode, half-hour comedy series Rap S*** for HBO Max. Just married! The bridal white shade was fitting for the 36-year-old newlywed's SELF cover considering she tied the knot with Senegalese businessman Louis Diame in July in France Issa is still not sure about having children, but she said of married life: 'I'm extremely happy. I like my life, I like this selfishness, and I know that I have a window' Rae admitted: 'I want to do as much as I can while I still can. I know it's not the proper mentality to think that kids will slow you down, but I do feel that way' 'Shooting Rap S*** is the most relaxed I've ever been because I don't have to be up early for hair and make-up. That was so new to me,' Rae gushed. 'I was like, "Oh, I'm just here to give notes, to make sure that it goes well, the story gets told the way it's supposed to." It was just a new, crazy revelation for me. I've never been more well-rested than shooting that pilot.' Instead Aida Osman, KaMillion, Jonica Booth, Devon Terrell, and RJ Cyler star in the show about two estranged high school friends who come back together to form a rap group. On June 11, the South LA-born, Maryland-raised star concluded her role as Issa Dee in the fifth and final season of Insecure, which premieres October 24 on HBO Max. Model citizen: For the mag, the six-time Emmy nominee also donned daring designs from Denimcractic (pictured) and Christian Dior selected by her stylist Jason Rembert Ready for her close-up! Hairstylist Felicia Leatherwood braided Issa's cornrows and make-up artist Joanna Simkin let her dewy natural beauty shine through It was based on Issa's (born Jo-Issa Rae Diop) YouTube series Awkward Black Girl. Sometimes Rae's nonstop workaholic nature keeps her from having time to 'just chill and be with me' not to mention her husband and friends. 'It's really disheartening to realize, "Oh, we have to really, really make an effort to see one another,"' the Stanford University grad admitted. 'I just reached out to my group chat of friends to be like, "Can we at least have a standing brunch or dinner once a month?" and everybody was down, and then I was like, "Oh, s***, I'm going to be out of town. I'm going to be gone." That's so f***ing whack.' 'I've never been more well-rested!' Rae was happy to stay behind the camera to oversee production in Miami on her upcoming eight-episode, half-hour comedy series Rap S*** for HBO Max (pictured Monday) The South LA-born, Maryland-raised star gushed: 'Shooting Rap S*** is the most relaxed I've ever been because I don't have to be up early for hair and make-up. That was so new to me' Lori Loughlin is set to make her acting comeback following her release from prison for her role in the college admissions scandal. According to a report from Deadline on Tuesday, the 57-year-old actress will reprise her character Abigail Stanton from The Hallmark Channel show When Calls The Heart on the second season of spinoff series When Hope Calls. Lori will make her first appearance on December 18 in the two-part season premiere When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, which will air on new network GAC Family. Return: Lori Loughlin is set to make her acting comeback following her release from prison for her role in the college admissions scandal. Seen in 2019 The former Full House star left When Calls The Heart in May 2019 after she was charged, along with her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli, 58, in the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal. After initially claiming to be innocent, Lori eventually pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and served two months in prison from October to December 2020. Mossimo also entered a guilty plea and was convicted on conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud. He was sentenced to a five-month prison sentence which he completed in April 2020. Comeback: According to a report from Deadline on Tuesday, the 57-year-old actress will reprise her character Abigail Stanton from The Hallmark Channel show When Calls The Heart on the second season of spinoff series When Hope Calls. Loughlin, who remains on probation, indicated that she was returning to acting last week when she requested 'expedited' permission to travel to Canada from a federal judge in Boston. As reported by The Mercury News, a statement from Lori's probation states that 'Ms. Loughlin anticipates she will be traveling for about one week and 'being offered a filming production project.' When Calls The Heart has aired on The Hallmark Channel since 2014. The Western period piece follows high-society teacher Elizabeth Thatcher (Erin Krakow) as she adjusts to life in a Canadian coal mining town. Scandal: The former Full House star left When Calls The Heart in May 2019 after she was charged, along with her fashion designer husband Mossimo Giannulli, 58, in the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal. Seen in 2019 Lori played the role of Abigail, a widow and close friend of Elizabeth, from season one through six, before leaving the show after she was charged in connection with the admissions scandal. Loughlin's character was written out of the show. In a two-part special that aired in May 2019, Elizabeth revealed in a letter that Abigail had rushed back east to take care of her ailing mother. 'It's been a week since Abigail got word that her mother had taken ill back east. True to her nature, Abigail wasted no time in rushing off to care for her,' Elizabeth said. 'Abigail is much more than a friend, she's family. I will miss her and Cody deeply we all will, but we must get by as best we can. Written out: In a two-part special that aired in May 2019, Elizabeth revealed in a letter that Abigail had rushed back east to take care of her ailing mother 'In her absence, we must soldier on and we will. We are a community, we are strong, we are Hope Valley.' Spinoff series When Hope Calls premiered in August 2019 on The Hallmark Channel. The show centers on two sisters Lillian Walsh (Morgan Kohan) and Grace Bennett (Jocelyn Hudon) who open an orphanage in the western Canadian town of Brookfield. Kohan and Hudon's characters were first introduced in When Calls the Heart: The Greatest Christmas Blessing. Departure: Lori played the role of Abigail, a widow and close friend of Elizabeth, from season one through six, before leaving the show after she was charged in connection with the admissions scandal The Operation Varsity Blues scheme involved wealthy parents who paid large sums of money to bribe their children's ways into prestigious universities. During the investigation, it emerged that Lori and Giannulli had paid $500,000 to falsely pass their daughters Isabella, now 23, and Olivia, now 22, off as potential college rowers on University of Southern California's rowing team in order to secure their admission. Olivia has already made her return to the public eye as she is competing on the current season of Dancing With The Stars. Naomie Harris looked stunning when she stepped onto the No Time to Die red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday. Slipping into a low-cut gown that boasted show-stopping cut-out detailing, the actress, 45, was every inch the starlet as she posed for photographers. Naomie - who stars in the upcoming blockbuster as Miss Moneypenny - adorned her raven tresses with beautiful chain headwear and added height to her frame in open-toe heels. Wow: Naomie Harris looked stunning when she stepped onto the No Time To Die red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday Low-cut: Slipping into a low-cut gown that boasted show-stopping cut-out detailing, the actress, 45, was every inch the starlet as she posed for photographers Opting for natural-look glam using several products by Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, Naomie beamed as she celebrated one of the year's most anticipated films She was seen minutes earlier being escorted down the steps of the Corinthia Hotel. Naomie hopped into a waiting car and was whisked to the event. Ahead of the red carpet event, fans gathered at the Royal Albert Hall to catch a glimpse of James Bond's Astin Martin as it made its way to the red carpet. Headwear: Naomie - who stars in the upcoming blockbuster as Miss Moneypenny - adorned her raven tresses with beautiful chain headwear and added height to her frame in open-toe heels Beaming: Opting for natural-look glam using several products by Charlotte Tilbury Beauty, Naomie beamed as she celebrated one of the year's most anticipated films Crew members brought the luxury vehicle to the venue in a truck where it was rolled out hours before the star-studded event began. The car had bullet holes in the glass and scratches across the sides following Bond's adventures. Event: Ahead of the red carpet event, fans gathered at the Royal Albert Hall to catch a glimpse of James Bond's Astin Martin as it made its way to the red carpet It has been a long road to the premiere after the film's release was delayed several times due to the coronavirus pandemic. The film, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, was originally scheduled for release in April 2020, but was pushed back to November before the release was changed once again to April 2021 in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The release date was finally settled for September 30 in the UK followed by October 8 in the US. Ahead of the release, Daniel and some of his fellow star cast members joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky to talk about the movie. Fans: Crew members brought the luxury vehicle to the venue in a truck where it was rolled out hours before the star-studded event began Daniel, who has appeared in five Bond films over 15 years, told Chris: 'After the last one, I thought that was it. I thought, 'I can't do any more of these'. 'I got a bit of a rest and we kind of talked about what we wanted to do with this last movie and how big we wanted to go, and it felt right, and I just got really excited about it, and I can't wait for people to see it. 'I saw a rough cut of it about a month after we finished, which is really rough, because there's no special effects or anything. When you see that version of it, you just hope and pray that it makes sense, and it did. 'Once you get the effects, and you get the music, Hans Zimmer's done the music, and it's just incredible. The story holds together.' 'Everyone is just turning in brilliant performances, and I think it's quite special.' Action: The car had bullet holes in the glass and scratches across the sides following Bond's adventures Speaking about the enforced delay to the film's release due to the pandemic, the actor said: 'It's odd enough with a movie, when you've finished it, and you put it out and you kind of go, 'Woah, I hope it's good.' 'But when there is a two-year gap between finishing it and putting it out, it just makes things even stranger.' On where he was when he first found out he had got the role of Bond: 'I was in Baltimore doing a movie. And I was in Whole Foods, doing my weekly shop, wandering around with a trolley with food in it, and (producer) Barbara Broccoli was on the phone, and she just went, 'Over to you kiddo.' 'So I got my trolley and I pushed it quietly down an aisle, walked into the booze section and bought a bottle of vodka and a bottle of vermouth, a glass and a shaker, took it home and drank it, and then went out and sat in a bar and drank about three more vodka martinis. 'It's really sad, actually, when you think about it. But, I must have had a sort of look on my face, because the barman kept asking me what was going on, and I said, 'I can't tell you!' Release: The release date was finally settled for September 30 in the UK followed by October 8 in the US Daniel recently addressed the outdated James Bond plotlines of past films in the franchise - such as the idea of glamorous disposable so-called Bond girls. Speaking to Lorraine Kelly, he said of the spy series - which sees latest movie No Time To Die released this week - that 'you've got to adapt' with the times. 'Certainly a lot of what went on in the earlier movies is sort of questionable now... different times, but we didn't want to lose the essence [in the new film]. It's still a Bond movie. 'I've been given free range to put my influence on it, but I've never forgotten that. We can have all key elements and things people have loved over the years, but you adapt. On the franchise, Daniel said: 'Certainly a lot of what went on in the earlier movies is sort of questionable now... different times, but we didn't want to lose the essence [in the new film]. It's still a Bond movie' 'One of my biggest things is all the characters, especially the women, have to be brilliant and believable.' Daniel also told Lorraine about becoming overcome with emotion when he shot his final scene as Bond. 'Everybody turned up - all the heads of department came down, and I thought 'Oh God, I have to make a speech, this is my worst nightmare.' It all just came out, I tried to keep it together. 'All of those people I go to work with every day, particularly on this movie, the collective effort was so huge and meant so much to me that everyone put that hard work in - that's what I'll miss so much.' Changes: The movie was previously supposed to come out on April 2, however its original release was supposed to be in April 2020 (pictured Daniel Craig) No Time To Die is the 25th film in the franchise, and finds Bond after he has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica when his old friend Felix Leiter, played by Jeffrey Wright, from the CIA turns up asking for help. Leaving his seemingly happy life with Madeleine (Lea Seydoux), Bond returns to the field to face Safin (Rami Malek) who is armed with a new dangerous technology that could impact the world. Producer Barbara Broccoli has already teased what fans can expect and said that the movie will deliver a satisfying ending for Daniel's Bond. Speaking on the official James Bond podcast, she said: 'It's a culmination of everything that his portrayal of the character has been through and it ties up all the storylines. It's a pretty epic film, I have to say.' Daniel took over the role of Bond from Pierce Brosnan in Casino Royale in 2006 and went onto appear in Quantum of Solace in 2008, Skyfall in 2012 and Spectre in 2015. Kimberley Garner risked a very awkward wardrobe malfunction as she arrived for the world premiere of No Time to Die at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Tuesday. The swimwear designer, 30, put on a very racy display in a daring white cut out gown as she walked the red carpet for the star-studded screening for Daniel Craig's final outing as James Bond. And Kimberley ensured she herself had a licence to thrill as she flashed plenty of leg and a hint of side-boob as she posed up a storm for the cameras. Dare to bare: Kimberley Garner risked a very awkward wardrobe malfunction as she arrived for the world premiere of No Time To Die at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Tuesday The beauty oozed confidence as she strutted her stuff in the risque number which was slashed at the bust and featured a perilously high split which almost revealed more than Kimberley intended. Kimberley boosted her height with pointed perspex heels with a diamante strap and accessorised her show-stopping look with a dazzling silver cuff. The stunner let her outfit do all the talking by leaving her blonde tresses in a loose style, while she highlighted her features with a light palette of make-up. Kimberley made the most of her time on the red carpet as she was also seen posing next to an impressive motorbike, with the star ensuring her legs were on full display. Careful! The swimwear designer, 30, put on a very racy display in a daring white cut out gown as she walked the red carpet for the star-studded screening for Daniel Craig's final outing as James Bond Former Made In Chelsea star Kimberley was in good company at the event as Bond star himself Daniel Craig was also at the premiere, alongside Bond girls Lashana Lynch, Lea Seydoux and Ana De Armas. Ahead of the red carpet event, fans gathered at the Royal Albert Hall to catch a glimpse of James Bond's Aston Martin as it made its way to the red carpet. Crew members brought the luxury vehicle to the venue in a truck where it was rolled out hours before the star-studded event began. Wow: The beauty oozed confidence as she strutted her stuff in the risque number which was slashed at the bust and featured a perilously high split which almost revealed more than Kimberley intended Fashionista: Kimberley boosted her height with pointed perspex heels with a diamante strap and accessorised her show-stopping look with a dazzling silver cuff Stunner: Kimberley was sure to turn heads in her very racy ensemble The car had bullet holes in the glass and scratches across the sides following Bond's adventures. It has been a long road to the premiere after the film's release was delayed several times due to the coronavirus pandemic. The film, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, was originally scheduled for release in April 2020, but was pushed back to November before the release was changed once again to April 2021 in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Poser: Kimberley made the most of her time on the red carpet as she was also seen posing next to an impressive motorbike, with the star ensuring her legs were on full display Stars: Former Made In Chelsea star Kimberley was in good company at the event as Bond star himself Daniel Craig was also at the premiere, alongside Bond girls Lashana Lynch, Lea Seydoux and Ana De Armas The release date was finally settled for September 30 in the UK followed by October 8 in the US. Ahead of the release, Daniel and some of his fellow star cast members joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky to talk about the movie. Daniel, who has appeared in five Bond films over 15 years, told Chris: 'After the last one, I thought that was it. I thought, 'I can't do any more of these'. Event: Ahead of the red carpet event, fans gathered at the Royal Albert Hall to catch a glimpse of James Bond's Aston Martin as it made its way to the red carpet Fans: Crew members brought the luxury vehicle to the venue in a truck where it was rolled out hours before the star-studded event began 'I got a bit of a rest and we kind of talked about what we wanted to do with this last movie and how big we wanted to go, and it felt right, and I just got really excited about it, and I can't wait for people to see it. 'I saw a rough cut of it about a month after we finished, which is really rough, because there's no special effects or anything. When you see that version of it, you just hope and pray that it makes sense, and it did. 'Once you get the effects, and you get the music, Hans Zimmer's done the music, and it's just incredible. The story holds together.' 'Everyone is just turning in brilliant performances, and I think it's quite special.' Action: The car had bullet holes in the glass and scratches across the sides following Bond's adventures Speaking about the enforced delay to the film's release due to the pandemic, the actor said: 'It's odd enough with a movie, when you've finished it, and you put it out and you kind of go, 'Woah, I hope it's good.' 'But when there is a two-year gap between finishing it and putting it out, it just makes things even stranger.' On where he was when he first found out he had got the role of Bond: 'I was in Baltimore doing a movie. And I was in Whole Foods, doing my weekly shop, wandering around with a trolley with food in it, and (producer) Barbara Broccoli was on the phone, and she just went, 'Over to you kiddo.' 'So I got my trolley and I pushed it quietly down an aisle, walked into the booze section and bought a bottle of vodka and a bottle of vermouth, a glass and a shaker, took it home and drank it, and then went out and sat in a bar and drank about three more vodka martinis. 'It's really sad, actually, when you think about it. But, I must have had a sort of look on my face, because the barman kept asking me what was going on, and I said, 'I can't tell you!' Release: The release date was finally settled for September 30 in the UK followed by October 8 in the US Daniel recently addressed the outdated James Bond plotlines of past films in the franchise - such as the idea of glamorous disposable so-called Bond girls. Speaking to Lorraine Kelly, he said of the spy series - which sees latest movie No Time To Die released this week - that 'you've got to adapt' with the times. 'Certainly a lot of what went on in the earlier movies is sort of questionable now... different times, but we didn't want to lose the essence [in the new film]. It's still a Bond movie. 'I've been given free range to put my influence on it, but I've never forgotten that. We can have all key elements and things people have loved over the years, but you adapt. On the franchise, Daniel said: 'Certainly a lot of what went on in the earlier movies is sort of questionable now... different times, but we didn't want to lose the essence [in the new film]. It's still a Bond movie' 'One of my biggest things is all the characters, especially the women, have to be brilliant and believable.' Daniel also told Lorraine about becoming overcome with emotion when he shot his final scene as Bond. 'Everybody turned up - all the heads of department came down, and I thought 'Oh God, I have to make a speech, this is my worst nightmare.' It all just came out, I tried to keep it together. 'All of those people I go to work with every day, particularly on this movie, the collective effort was so huge and meant so much to me that everyone put that hard work in - that's what I'll miss so much.' Changes: The movie was previously supposed to come out on April 2, however its original release was supposed to be in April 2020 (pictured Daniel Craig) No Time To Die is the 25th film in the franchise, and finds Bond after he has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica when his old friend Felix Leiter, played by Jeffrey Wright, from the CIA turns up asking for help. Leaving his seemingly happy life with Madeleine (Lea Seydoux), Bond returns to the field to face Safin (Rami Malek) who is armed with a new dangerous technology that could impact the world. Producer Barbara Broccoli has already teased what fans can expect and said that the movie will deliver a satisfying ending for Daniel's Bond. Speaking on the official James Bond podcast, she said: 'It's a culmination of everything that his portrayal of the character has been through and it ties up all the storylines. It's a pretty epic film, I have to say.' Daniel took over the role of Bond from Pierce Brosnan in Casino Royale in 2006 and went onto appear in Quantum of Solace in 2008, Skyfall in 2012 and Spectre in 2015. The Sopranos alum Steven Van Zandt 'developed a temporary addiction to menages a trois' in the Seventies when he was a guitarist for E Street Band. 'It was a real sexually-liberated time,' the 70-year-old rocker told Page Six on Tuesday. 'The seventies, there's never been anything quite like it, honestly. It was just a wild, wild time, and women were truly, truly liberated there for a minute. I mean, it was a really wonderful time to be alive. So, you know, menages a trois [were] not that unusual.' Ooh la la! The Sopranos alum Steven Van Zandt 'developed a temporary addiction to menages a trois' in the Seventies when he was a guitarist for E Street Band That is, until Little Richard officiated Steven's wedding to Maureen Santoro on New Year's Eve in 1982, and they're still going strong. Van Zandt (born Lento) discusses his sex life, marriage, and more in his 416-page memoir Unrequited Infatuations, which was published Tuesday. The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer enjoyed a career renaissance in 1999 when he made his acting debut as consigliere Silvio Dante in HBO's The Sopranos. Creator David Chase originally wanted Steven to star as mob boss Tony Soprano, but he recommended they cast James Gandolfini instead. The 70-year-old rocker (pictured in 1969) told Page Six on Tuesday: 'It was a real sexually-liberated time. The seventies, there's never been anything quite like it, honestly. It was just a wild, wild time, and women were truly, truly liberated there for a minute. I mean, it was a really wonderful time to be alive. So, you know, menages a trois [were] not that unusual' Still going strong! That is, until Little Richard officiated Steven's wedding to Maureen Santoro (pictured last Wednesday) on New Year's Eve in 1982 Tell all: Van Zandt (born Lento) discusses his sex life, marriage, and more in his 416-page memoir Unrequited Infatuations, which was published Tuesday 'I'd seen [Gandolfini] in a few movies, and I thought he was fantastic. True Romance and Get Shorty, you know, I'd seen him, and he stood out to me,' Van Zandt said. 'Eventually, the right thing happened. Thank goodness.' The Massachusetts-born, New Jersey-raised musician won two SAG Awards for best ensemble in a drama series during his six seasons on the hit show. 'Little' Steven went on to score acting roles in The Irishman, The Christmas Chronicles, and Lilyhammer. 'Very few people make the transition from music to acting': The Rock and Roll Hall of Famer enjoyed a career renaissance in 1999 when he made his acting debut as consigliere Silvio Dante (2-L) in HBO's The Sopranos 'Eventually, the right thing happened': Creator David Chase originally wanted Steven to star as mob boss Tony Soprano, but he recommended they cast James Gandolfini (M) instead Van Zandt (pictured August 22) said: 'It's a bit annoying to be more famous than you are rich. I don't want to be. I'm not a complainer. I'm not whining. There's nothing worse than a whining rock star' 'Very few people make the transition from music to acting, and I was just completely accepted by that world, which was really, really encouraging,' Van Zandt noted. 'It's a bit annoying to be more famous than you are rich. I don't want to be. I'm not a complainer. I'm not whining. There's nothing worse than a whining rock star. But, you know, people think, like, when trying to raise money for various causes, they look at me, like, you know, "Why don't you pay for it? What are you asking me for money for?"' The Underground Garage host will next be interviewed by his lifelong BFF and 'Boss' Bruce Springsteen about the tell-all in a livestream starting Tuesday night at 8pm EST. Steven will also host signings this Wednesday in Manhattan, Thursday online, Friday in Los Angeles, and Sunday in New Jersey. $35-$45 tickets include the book: The Underground Garage host will next be interviewed by his lifelong BFF and 'Boss' Bruce Springsteen about the tell-all in a livestream starting Tuesday night at 8pm EST Geri Horner and her husband Christian looked put on a loved-up display at the No Time To Die premiere on Tuesday in London. The Spice Girl bandmember was a vision in an asymmetrical white maxi dress by Toni Maticevski, having tied her ginger locks into a smart bun. Her racing car driver beau put on a dapper display in a black suit and bow tie, which he completed with a shiny pair of onyx leather shoes. What a pair! Geri Horner looked sensational in a white asymmetrical maxi dress as she put on a loved-up display with her husband Christian at the No Time To Die premiere on Tuesday in London Suave: Her racing car driver beau put on a dapper display in a black suit and bow tie, which he completed with a shiny pair of onyx leather shoes Earlier in the evening, the couple appeared to be in high spirits while getting ready for the star-studded event. The Wannabe hitmaker flashed a beaming smile while lovingly placing her hand on Christian's shoulder. Ahead of the red carpet event, fans gathered at the Royal Albert Hall to catch a glimpse of James Bond's Astin Martin as it made its way to the red carpet. Happy: Earlier in the evening, the couple appeared to be in high spirits while getting ready for the star-studded event Adorable: The Wannabe hitmaker flashed a beaming smile while lovingly placing her hand on Christian's shoulder Crew members brought the luxury vehicle to the venue in a truck where it was rolled out hours before the star-studded event began. The car had bullet holes in the glass and scratches across the sides following Bond's adventures. It has been a long road to the premiere after the film's release was delayed several times due to the coronavirus pandemic. Event: Ahead of the red carpet event, fans gathered at the Royal Albert Hall to catch a glimpse of James Bond's Astin Martin as it made its way to the red carpet The film, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, was originally scheduled for release in April 2020, but was pushed back to November before the release was changed once again to April 2021 in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The release date was finally settled for September 30 in the UK followed by October 8 in the US. Ahead of the release, Daniel and some of his fellow star cast members joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky to talk about the movie. Fans: Crew members brought the luxury vehicle to the venue in a truck where it was rolled out hours before the star-studded event began Daniel, who has appeared in five Bond films over 15 years, told Chris: 'After the last one, I thought that was it. I thought, 'I can't do any more of these'. 'I got a bit of a rest and we kind of talked about what we wanted to do with this last movie and how big we wanted to go, and it felt right, and I just got really excited about it, and I can't wait for people to see it. 'I saw a rough cut of it about a month after we finished, which is really rough, because there's no special effects or anything. When you see that version of it, you just hope and pray that it makes sense, and it did. 'Once you get the effects, and you get the music, Hans Zimmer's done the music, and it's just incredible. The story holds together.' 'Everyone is just turning in brilliant performances, and I think it's quite special.' Action: The car had bullet holes in the glass and scratches across the sides following Bond's adventures Speaking about the enforced delay to the film's release due to the pandemic, the actor said: 'It's odd enough with a movie, when you've finished it, and you put it out and you kind of go, 'Woah, I hope it's good.' 'But when there is a two-year gap between finishing it and putting it out, it just makes things even stranger.' On where he was when he first found out he had got the role of Bond: 'I was in Baltimore doing a movie. And I was in Whole Foods, doing my weekly shop, wandering around with a trolley with food in it, and (producer) Barbara Broccoli was on the phone, and she just went, 'Over to you kiddo.' 'So I got my trolley and I pushed it quietly down an aisle, walked into the booze section and bought a bottle of vodka and a bottle of vermouth, a glass and a shaker, took it home and drank it, and then went out and sat in a bar and drank about three more vodka martinis. 'It's really sad, actually, when you think about it. But, I must have had a sort of look on my face, because the barman kept asking me what was going on, and I said, 'I can't tell you!' Release: The release date was finally settled for September 30 in the UK followed by October 8 in the US Daniel recently addressed the outdated James Bond plotlines of past films in the franchise - such as the idea of glamorous disposable so-called Bond girls. Speaking to Lorraine Kelly, he said of the spy series - which sees latest movie No Time To Die released this week - that 'you've got to adapt' with the times. 'Certainly a lot of what went on in the earlier movies is sort of questionable now... different times, but we didn't want to lose the essence [in the new film]. It's still a Bond movie. 'I've been given free range to put my influence on it, but I've never forgotten that. We can have all key elements and things people have loved over the years, but you adapt. On the franchise, Daniel said: 'Certainly a lot of what went on in the earlier movies is sort of questionable now... different times, but we didn't want to lose the essence [in the new film]. It's still a Bond movie' 'One of my biggest things is all the characters, especially the women, have to be brilliant and believable.' Daniel also told Lorraine about becoming overcome with emotion when he shot his final scene as Bond. 'Everybody turned up - all the heads of department came down, and I thought 'Oh God, I have to make a speech, this is my worst nightmare.' It all just came out, I tried to keep it together. 'All of those people I go to work with every day, particularly on this movie, the collective effort was so huge and meant so much to me that everyone put that hard work in - that's what I'll miss so much.' Changes: The movie was previously supposed to come out on April 2, however its original release was supposed to be in April 2020 (pictured Daniel Craig) No Time To Die is the 25th film in the franchise, and finds Bond after he has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica when his old friend Felix Leiter, played by Jeffrey Wright, from the CIA turns up asking for help. Leaving his seemingly happy life with Madeleine (Lea Seydoux), Bond returns to the field to face Safin (Rami Malek) who is armed with a new dangerous technology that could impact the world. Producer Barbara Broccoli has already teased what fans can expect and said that the movie will deliver a satisfying ending for Daniel's Bond. Speaking on the official James Bond podcast, she said: 'It's a culmination of everything that his portrayal of the character has been through and it ties up all the storylines. It's a pretty epic film, I have to say.' Daniel took over the role of Bond from Pierce Brosnan in Casino Royale in 2006 and went onto appear in Quantum of Solace in 2008, Skyfall in 2012 and Spectre in 2015. Nicola Adams cut a sharp figure as she attended the world premiere of No Time To Die with glamorous girlfriend Ella Baig at London's Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday. The boxer, 38, looked dapper in a black suede blazer and smart black trousers as she posed alongside model Ella, 23, who wowed in a shimmering semi-sheer gown. The couple were all smiles as they posed for cameras at the star-studded event amid Daniel Craig's final outing as James Bond. Looking good: Nicola Adams cut a sharp figure as she attended the world premiere of No Time To Die with glamorous girlfriend Ella Baig at London's Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday Former Strictly star Nicola teamed her jacket and trousers combo with a crisp white shirt and patent black brogues. While Ella turned heads in a one-shouldered, white embellished gown which gave a glimpse of her toned figure beneath. The stunner boosted her height with black heels and further accessorised her look with Lark & Berry Flora earrings and necklace with purple sapphire detachable drops. The blonde beauty wore her locks in a sleek style and added pop of colour with bold red lips and golden eyeshadow. Dressed up: The boxer, 38, looked dapper in a black suede blazer and smart black trousers as she posed alongside model Ella, 23, who wowed in a shimmering semi-sheer gown Ahead of the red carpet event, fans gathered at the Royal Albert Hall to catch a glimpse of James Bond's Aston Martin as it made its way to the red carpet. Crew members brought the luxury vehicle to the venue in a truck where it was rolled out hours before the star-studded event began. The car had bullet holes in the glass and scratches across the sides following Bond's adventures. It has been a long road to the premiere after the film's release was delayed several times due to the coronavirus pandemic. Dressed o impress: Former Strictly star Nicola teamed her jacket and trousers combo with a crisp white shirt and patent black brogues as well as Lark & Berry jewels The film, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, was originally scheduled for release in April 2020, but was pushed back to November before the release was changed once again to April 2021 in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The release date was finally settled for September 30 in the UK followed by October 8 in the US. Ahead of the release, Daniel and some of his fellow star cast members joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky to talk about the movie. Daniel, who has appeared in five Bond films over 15 years, told Chris: 'After the last one, I thought that was it. I thought, 'I can't do any more of these'. Event: Ahead of the red carpet event, fans gathered at the Royal Albert Hall to catch a glimpse of James Bond's Aston Martin as it made its way to the red carpet Fans: Crew members brought the luxury vehicle to the venue in a truck where it was rolled out hours before the star-studded event began 'I got a bit of a rest and we kind of talked about what we wanted to do with this last movie and how big we wanted to go, and it felt right, and I just got really excited about it, and I can't wait for people to see it. 'I saw a rough cut of it about a month after we finished, which is really rough, because there's no special effects or anything. When you see that version of it, you just hope and pray that it makes sense, and it did. 'Once you get the effects, and you get the music, Hans Zimmer's done the music, and it's just incredible. The story holds together.' 'Everyone is just turning in brilliant performances, and I think it's quite special.' Action: The car had bullet holes in the glass and scratches across the sides following Bond's adventures Speaking about the enforced delay to the film's release due to the pandemic, the actor said: 'It's odd enough with a movie, when you've finished it, and you put it out and you kind of go, 'Woah, I hope it's good.' 'But when there is a two-year gap between finishing it and putting it out, it just makes things even stranger.' On where he was when he first found out he had got the role of Bond: 'I was in Baltimore doing a movie. And I was in Whole Foods, doing my weekly shop, wandering around with a trolley with food in it, and (producer) Barbara Broccoli was on the phone, and she just went, 'Over to you kiddo.' 'So I got my trolley and I pushed it quietly down an aisle, walked into the booze section and bought a bottle of vodka and a bottle of vermouth, a glass and a shaker, took it home and drank it, and then went out and sat in a bar and drank about three more vodka martinis. 'It's really sad, actually, when you think about it. But, I must have had a sort of look on my face, because the barman kept asking me what was going on, and I said, 'I can't tell you!' Release: The release date was finally settled for September 30 in the UK followed by October 8 in the US Daniel recently addressed the outdated James Bond plotlines of past films in the franchise - such as the idea of glamorous disposable so-called Bond girls. Speaking to Lorraine Kelly, he said of the spy series - which sees latest movie No Time To Die released this week - that 'you've got to adapt' with the times. 'Certainly a lot of what went on in the earlier movies is sort of questionable now... different times, but we didn't want to lose the essence [in the new film]. It's still a Bond movie. 'I've been given free range to put my influence on it, but I've never forgotten that. We can have all key elements and things people have loved over the years, but you adapt. On the franchise, Daniel said: 'Certainly a lot of what went on in the earlier movies is sort of questionable now... different times, but we didn't want to lose the essence [in the new film]. It's still a Bond movie' 'One of my biggest things is all the characters, especially the women, have to be brilliant and believable.' Daniel also told Lorraine about becoming overcome with emotion when he shot his final scene as Bond. 'Everybody turned up - all the heads of department came down, and I thought 'Oh God, I have to make a speech, this is my worst nightmare.' It all just came out, I tried to keep it together. 'All of those people I go to work with every day, particularly on this movie, the collective effort was so huge and meant so much to me that everyone put that hard work in - that's what I'll miss so much.' Changes: The movie was previously supposed to come out on April 2, however its original release was supposed to be in April 2020 (pictured Daniel Craig) No Time To Die is the 25th film in the franchise, and finds Bond after he has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica when his old friend Felix Leiter, played by Jeffrey Wright, from the CIA turns up asking for help. Leaving his seemingly happy life with Madeleine (Lea Seydoux), Bond returns to the field to face Safin (Rami Malek) who is armed with a new dangerous technology that could impact the world. Producer Barbara Broccoli has already teased what fans can expect and said that the movie will deliver a satisfying ending for Daniel's Bond. Speaking on the official James Bond podcast, she said: 'It's a culmination of everything that his portrayal of the character has been through and it ties up all the storylines. It's a pretty epic film, I have to say.' Daniel took over the role of Bond from Pierce Brosnan in Casino Royale in 2006 and went onto appear in Quantum of Solace in 2008, Skyfall in 2012 and Spectre in 2015. Seven-time Grammy winner Billie Eilish suited up for the world premiere of No Time To Die at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Tuesday. The 19-year-old pop star donned a black sparkly jacket over a matching blouse and baggy pants with Gucci peep-toe platform heels on the red carpet. Billie's wavy platinum-blonde locks, bleached by hairstylist Lissa Renn, keep getting shorter and shorter at every public appearance. Menswear: Seven-time Grammy winner Billie Eilish suited up for the world premiere of No Time To Die at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Tuesday Eilish (born O'Connell) wore minimal make-up in order to let her natural beauty shine through. The Highland Park native couldn't wait to see the opening titled of No Time To Die because she and her brother Finneas, who wore a Giorgio Armani tuxedo for the cinematic event, created the theme song. 'It's going to be crazy,' Billie - who 'loves Daniel Craig' - told the BBC. 'Oh my god, I'm gonna pee myself.' Glam moment: The 19-year-old pop star donned a black sparkly jacket over a matching blouse and baggy pants with Gucci peep-toe platform heels on the red carpet Fringed bob: Billie's wavy platinum-blonde locks, bleached by hairstylist Lissa Renn, keep getting shorter and shorter at every public appearance Ocean eyes: Eilish (born O'Connell) wore minimal make-up in order to let her natural beauty shine through The Highland Park native couldn't wait to see the opening titled of No Time To Die because she and her brother Finneas (L) , who wore a Giorgio Armani tux, created the theme song It only took the sibling musical duo three days to write and record No Time To Die on a tour bus in Texas. 'We still wanted to have a big moment because it's a Bond song,' Eilish noted. 'And as much as I'm known for singing quietly, I guess, I was just like, "I'm gonna prove I can do this other stuff too."' The Nike collaborator and her 24-year-old big brother made sure to pose with Rami Malek, screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge, director Cary Joji Fukunaga, Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch, and Naomie Harris during the premiere. Billie - who 'loves Daniel Craig' (R) - told the BBC: 'It's going to be crazy. Oh my god, I'm gonna pee myself' Fast work: It only took the sibling musical duo three days to write and record No Time To Die on a tour bus in Texas Eilish noted: 'We still wanted to have a big moment because it's a Bond song. And as much as I'm known for singing quietly, I guess, I was just like, "I'm gonna prove I can do this other stuff too"' Cast and crew: The Nike collaborator and her 24-year-old big brother made sure to pose with (from L-R) Rami Malek, screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge, director Cary Joji Fukunaga, Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch, and Naomie Harris during the premiere Meeting the royals! Billie beamed as she shook the hand of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, clad in a gold sequin Jenny Packham gown Chit chat: Eilish also traded words with Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, ahead of the James Bond movie premiere Billie beamed as she shook the hand of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, clad in a gold sequin Jenny Packham gown. Eilish also traded words with Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, ahead of the James Bond movie premiere. Missing from the homeschooled vegan's side was her boyfriend Matthew Tyler Vorce who, like her, apologized for offensive social media posts unearthed back in June. Skipped the red carpet: Missing from the homeschooled vegan's side was her boyfriend Matthew Tyler Vorce (pictured last Tuesday) who, like her, apologized for offensive social media posts unearthed back in June Sold out! Billie will next put her whispery soprano pipes to use at the Austin City Limits Music Festival on October 2 and 9 in Zilker Park Billie had mouthed the word 'ch**k' and mocked Chinese accents while the 29-year-old actor previously used slurs for Asians, black people, and gay people. The inseparable couple - who were first pictured canoodling on April 15 - flew from JFK Airport in New York to England together on Sunday. Eilish will next put her whispery soprano pipes to use at the sold out Austin City Limits Music Festival on October 2 and 9 in Zilker Park. He stars as Bond villain Safin in the latest installment of the 007 franchise. And Rami Malek cut a jovial figure as he walked the red carpet at the world premiere of No Time To Die at London's Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday. The actor, 40, dressed to impress in a dapper black tuxedo as he posed for cameras at the glitzy star-studded event. Looking good: Rami Malek cut a jovial figure as he walked the red carpet at the world premiere of No Time To Die at London's Royal Albert Hall on Tuesday The movie star teamed his outfit with a crisp white shirt and a black bow tie, rounding off his smart look with shiny black shoes. Rami looked quite the suave figure as he posed this way and that for the cameras at the screening. The Bohemian Rhapsody star was on fine form as he larked about with the press and pulled off a number of fun poses on the red carpet. And Rami proved he was a gentleman too as he wrapped a reassuring arm around his mother Nelly, who accompanied him to the premiere. Nice! The actor, 40, dressed to impress in a dapper black tuxedo as he posed for cameras at the glitzy star-studded event He also posed alongside some of his his co-stars including Bond girls Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch and Naomie Harris. Ahead of the red carpet event, fans gathered at the Royal Albert Hall to catch a glimpse of James Bond's Aston Martin as it made its way to the red carpet. Crew members brought the luxury vehicle to the venue in a truck where it was rolled out hours before the star-studded event began. The car had bullet holes in the glass and scratches across the sides following Bond's adventures. Dapper: The movie star teamed his outfit with a crisp white shirt and a black bow tie, rounding off his smart look with shiny black shoes Fix up, look sharp: Rami certainly caught the eye on the red carpet as he posed in his smart black outfit Walk this way: Rami looked quite the suave figure as he posed this way and that for the cameras at the screening Fun times: The Bohemian Rhapsody star was on fine form as he larked about with the press and pulled off a number of fun poses on the red carpet Look at him go: Rami was all smiles as he walked the star-studded red carpet It has been a long road to the premiere after the film's release was delayed several times due to the coronavirus pandemic. The film, directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, was originally scheduled for release in April 2020, but was pushed back to November before the release was changed once again to April 2021 in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The release date was finally settled for September 30 in the UK followed by October 8 in the US. There he is: Rami took the chance to pose in front of Bond's Aston Martin Sweet: Rami proved he was a gentleman too as he wrapped a reassuring arm around his mother Nelly, who accompanied him to the premiere Stars of the show: He also posed alongside some of his his co-stars including Bond girls Ana de Armas, Lashana Lynch and Naomie Harris All together now: Billie Eilish, who sings the latest Bond theme song, stood next to Rami as they smiled for a group photo Ahead of the release, Daniel and some of his fellow star cast members joined the Chris Evans Breakfast Show with Sky to talk about the movie. Daniel, who has appeared in five Bond films over 15 years, told Chris: 'After the last one, I thought that was it. I thought, 'I can't do any more of these'. 'I got a bit of a rest and we kind of talked about what we wanted to do with this last movie and how big we wanted to go, and it felt right, and I just got really excited about it, and I can't wait for people to see it. Event: Ahead of the red carpet event, fans gathered at the Royal Albert Hall to catch a glimpse of James Bond's Aston Martin as it made its way to the red carpet Fans: Crew members brought the luxury vehicle to the venue in a truck where it was rolled out hours before the star-studded event began 'I saw a rough cut of it about a month after we finished, which is really rough, because there's no special effects or anything. When you see that version of it, you just hope and pray that it makes sense, and it did. 'Once you get the effects, and you get the music, Hans Zimmer's done the music, and it's just incredible. The story holds together.' 'Everyone is just turning in brilliant performances, and I think it's quite special.' Speaking about the enforced delay to the film's release due to the pandemic, the actor said: 'It's odd enough with a movie, when you've finished it, and you put it out and you kind of go, 'Woah, I hope it's good.' Action: The car had bullet holes in the glass and scratches across the sides following Bond's adventures 'But when there is a two-year gap between finishing it and putting it out, it just makes things even stranger.' On where he was when he first found out he had got the role of Bond: 'I was in Baltimore doing a movie. And I was in Whole Foods, doing my weekly shop, wandering around with a trolley with food in it, and (producer) Barbara Broccoli was on the phone, and she just went, 'Over to you kiddo.' 'So I got my trolley and I pushed it quietly down an aisle, walked into the booze section and bought a bottle of vodka and a bottle of vermouth, a glass and a shaker, took it home and drank it, and then went out and sat in a bar and drank about three more vodka martinis. 'It's really sad, actually, when you think about it. But, I must have had a sort of look on my face, because the barman kept asking me what was going on, and I said, 'I can't tell you!' Release: The release date was finally settled for September 30 in the UK followed by October 8 in the US Daniel recently addressed the outdated James Bond plotlines of past films in the franchise - such as the idea of glamorous disposable so-called Bond girls. Speaking to Lorraine Kelly, he said of the spy series - which sees latest movie No Time To Die released this week - that 'you've got to adapt' with the times. 'Certainly a lot of what went on in the earlier movies is sort of questionable now... different times, but we didn't want to lose the essence [in the new film]. It's still a Bond movie. 'I've been given free range to put my influence on it, but I've never forgotten that. We can have all key elements and things people have loved over the years, but you adapt. On the franchise, Daniel said: 'Certainly a lot of what went on in the earlier movies is sort of questionable now... different times, but we didn't want to lose the essence [in the new film]. It's still a Bond movie' 'One of my biggest things is all the characters, especially the women, have to be brilliant and believable.' Daniel also told Lorraine about becoming overcome with emotion when he shot his final scene as Bond. 'Everybody turned up - all the heads of department came down, and I thought 'Oh God, I have to make a speech, this is my worst nightmare.' It all just came out, I tried to keep it together. 'All of those people I go to work with every day, particularly on this movie, the collective effort was so huge and meant so much to me that everyone put that hard work in - that's what I'll miss so much.' Changes: The movie was previously supposed to come out on April 2, however its original release was supposed to be in April 2020 (pictured Daniel Craig) No Time To Die is the 25th film in the franchise, and finds Bond after he has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica when his old friend Felix Leiter, played by Jeffrey Wright, from the CIA turns up asking for help. Leaving his seemingly happy life with Madeleine (Lea Seydoux), Bond returns to the field to face Safin (Rami Malek) who is armed with a new dangerous technology that could impact the world. Producer Barbara Broccoli has already teased what fans can expect and said that the movie will deliver a satisfying ending for Daniel's Bond. Speaking on the official James Bond podcast, she said: 'It's a culmination of everything that his portrayal of the character has been through and it ties up all the storylines. It's a pretty epic film, I have to say.' Daniel took over the role of Bond from Pierce Brosnan in Casino Royale in 2006 and went onto appear in Quantum of Solace in 2008, Skyfall in 2012 and Spectre in 2015. Vicki Gunvalson and Steve Lodge broke off their two-year engagement. The 59-year-old reality television veteran officially called it quits nearly five years into their relationship, which was documented through the years on Real Housewives of Orange County. Sources told E! News that the couple initially split in June before reconciling, but couldn't make things work as they were 'living separately' for some time. Over: Vicki Gunvalson and Steve Lodge broke off their two-year engagement; seen in 2017 Multiple sources confirmed the end of their relationship, noting that 'Steve ended things' with the Real OG of the OC. 'Steve and Vicki had been living separately for much of the pandemic,' a source said before noting that 'Steve had been living like he was a single man in Puerto Vallarta, while Vicki was in the U.S.' The pair first met in 2016 at a Boys & Girls Club charity event in Anaheim, Calif. which was filmed for Bravo cameras. He later popped the question in April 2019 and they celebrated with a cowboy-themed party at the Coto Valley Country Club just east of Laguna Beach. In the past: The pair first met in 2016 at a Boys & Girls Club charity event in Anaheim, Calif. which was filmed for Bravo cameras; seen in 2019 Back in the day: Vicki Gunvalson celebrated her engagement to fiance Steve Lodge with a cowboy-themed party at the Coto Valley Country Club just east of Laguna Beach 'Sometimes, I think you just have to find out for yourself what's right,' Vicki said at the time. 'I'm at a good place but I like being married. I'm a marriage girl.' The RHOC matriarch served as the longest running castmember of the franchise since it premiered on Bravo in 2006, but was demoted to a friend role for season 14 before ultimately leaving the show. Her 20-year marriage and subsequent divorce to Don Gunvalson was a major storyline through the years. During an appearance on the Behind The Velvet Rope with David Yontef podcast earlier this year, Vicki blamed her divorce on reality television. Bride-to-be: The RHOC matriarch served as the longest running castmember of the franchise since it premiered on Bravo in 2006, but was demoted to a friend role for season 14 before ultimately leaving the show 'I did everything right, except falling prey to divorce,' she said. 'I mean, I think that hindsight, um, I know for a fact that if I wasn't on a reality show, I wouldn't have been divorced.' Following her divorce with Donn, she dated Brooks Ayers, who she filed a lawsuit against in 2019 accusing him of not paying her back money she loaned him in 2011. She said on the podcast: 'Then I got taken for a ride by Brooks and he owes me over $300,000. And then I was in a block of lawsuits.' Gunvalson caught major controversy from the women beginning in Season 10 while dating Brooks Ayers who lied about having cancer and later admitted to forging medical documents. Jamie Foxx was spotted holding hands with a mystery woman outside West Hollywood nightclub Poppy. On Monday night, the Oscar winner was seen with the mystery lady, who beamed as he escorted her into the club. Also with the 53-year-old A-Lister were four other female companions that all came out of the same mini van Foxx was in. New romance? Jamie Foxx was spotted holding hands with a mystery woman outside West Hollywood nightclub Poppy Jamie was casually clad in an orange, cream and beige fleece jacket that he paired with beige pants. Foxx sported retro-style color-block sneakers and covered his face with a black mask that had the wording 'he from Terrell.' The Django Unchained star, who was born Eric Marlon Bishop, hails from Terrell, Texas, a city located 32 miles outside Dallas. Color-coordinated: Here for the party: On Monday night, the 53-year-old A-Lister arrived at the hotspot in a minivan along with five female companions. Jamie's mystery date appeared to have coordinated her attire to match the star The Gold Digger hitmaker clutched a wad of cash in one hand as he walked away from the minivan. Jamie's mystery date appeared to have coordinated her attire to match the star, donning a long-sleeved burnt orange bodycon dress. She wore her cropped black hair slicked to the side and accessorized with pearl stud earrings. A lot of ones: The Gold Digger hitmaker clutched a wad of cash in one hand as he walked away from the minivan Foxx's pal carried a quilted coral purse that hung from a gold chain strap along with her iPhone. She showed off gold stiletto heels as she stepped into the venue. Jamie dated Katie Holmes from 2013 to August 2019 but the pair kept their relationship mostly out of the spotlight. The former couple made their first red carpet appearance together at the Met Gala in May 2019 before splitting a few months later. Holmes, 42, went on to date 33-year-old chef Emilio Vitolo Jr. but their eight-month romance ended in May 2021. Private lives: Jamie dated Katie Holmes from 2013 to August 2019 but the pair kept their relationship mostly out of the spotlight. The former couple made their first red carpet appearance together at the Met Gala in May 2019 before splitting a few months later Foxx, who has never been married, has daughters Corinne, 27, and Annalise, 12, from two previous relationships. In a September 2021 interview with Men's Health before the release of his memoir Act Like You Got Some Sense, Jamie shared his thoughts on marriage. 'Some people can want to be married their whole lives, and then some people can not want to be,' he said. 'I don't think that puts us in any different air. I just never thought marriage was for me. I used to tell some of my friends, 'You belong to the universe.'' The Ali actor explained that experiencing the pain of heartbreak dissuaded him from pursuing long-term commitment. 'When I felt heartbreak for the first time, I was like, "Oh, what's this sh*t? What's this in my chest?" You know that motherf***er right there will make you lose your f***ing appetite,' Foxx said. 'It's too much. And maybe I'm a Sagcommitted to being not committed. But . . . weirdly, though, if I'm in a relationship that I really dig . . . I'm good.' On Tuesday, HBO unveiled the first teaser for the highly-anticipated 10-episode 11th season of Curb Your Enthusiasm, which premieres on October 24. In the 45-second preview, a narrator announces that 'the world has changed' while featuring the Earth in space. Then Earth slowly transforms into creator and star Larry David's bald head with the caption: 'He hasn't.' Premieres on October 24! On Tuesday, HBO unveiled the first teaser for the highly-anticipated 10-episode 11th season of Curb Your Enthusiasm The 74-year-old godfather of cringe comedy portrays a thinly-veiled version of himself in the (mostly) improvised show, which wrapped season 11 back in March. On March 3, Larry was spotted on the Los Angeles set of Curb using a garment bag to avoid getting soaked in an artificial downpour. Whenever David appears in public - whether plugging his ears front row at a NYFW show or calling Alan Dershowitz 'disgusting' in Martha's Vineyard - it seems like a future episode of Curb. On Monday, JB Smoove - who portrays Larry's former roommate Leon Black - said what he could about season 11 while appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty good! In the 45-second preview, a narrator announces that 'the world has changed' while featuring the Earth in space Then Earth slowly transforms into creator and star Larry David's bald head with the caption: 'He hasn't' Official poster: The 74-year-old godfather of cringe comedy portrays a thinly-veiled version of himself in the (mostly) improvised show, which wrapped season 11 back in March BTS: On March 3, Larry was spotted on the Los Angeles set of Curb using a garment bag to avoid getting soaked in an artificial downpour Life imitating art: Whenever David appears in public - whether plugging his ears front row at a NYFW show (pictured September 12) or calling Alan Dershowitz 'disgusting' in Martha's Vineyard - it seems like a future episode of Curb 'My lips are sealed man. And that's the fun thing about Curb,' the 55-year-old Emmy winner smiled. 'Larry has this unique ability to take what's happening in the world and then regurgitating it for our laughter, you know? Sometimes cringe-worthy laughter.' Back in June, Jeff Garlin - who co-executive produces and stars as David's manager Jeff Greene - told The Tim Dillion Show they'll probably only 'do one more season.' 'You know, Larry is in his 70s. Don't get me wrong, he's in good shape,' the 59-year-old Emmy nominee said. 'My lips are sealed man': On Monday, JB Smoove (L) - who portrays Larry's former roommate Leon Black - said what he could about season 11 while appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live! The 55-year-old Emmy winner said: 'Larry has this unique ability to take what's happening in the world and then regurgitating it for our laughter, you know? Sometimes cringe-worthy laughter' 'You know, Larry is in his 70s': Back in June, Jeff Garlin (R) - who co-executive produces and stars as David's manager Jeff Greene - told The Tim Dillion Show they'll probably only 'do one more season' The 59-year-old Emmy nominee (R) said: 'He's in every scene, working every day, having to be there at 6:30 in the morning. I don't know if physically he can do more than, let's say, another season. I think he could do another. I don't know if he has two in him' 'He's in every scene, working every day, having to be there at 6:30 in the morning. I don't know if physically he can do more than, let's say, another season. I think he could do another. I don't know if he has two in him.' Showrunner Jeff Schaffer told In Creative Company last year that the 11th season will definitely address the coronavirus pandemic. 'We figured out a way that we are definitely living in a reality where the pandemic has happened,' the 51-year-old Emmy nominee confessed. 'And we're addressing the pandemic, and we're doing stories about it, but not exactly the way you'd expect.' 'But not exactly the way you'd expect': Showrunner Jeff Schaffer (R) told In Creative Company last year that the 11th season will definitely address the coronavirus pandemic Yay! Fans can also expect the return of Curb regulars Susie Essman (L), Richard Lewis, and Cheryl Hines His nemesis Mocha Joe (L): In season 10, Larry dealt with his own #MeToo scandal, had affairs with Cheryl and her sister Becky (Kaitlin Olson), and opened a 'spite store' called Latte Larry's Fans can also expect the return of Curb regulars Susie Essman, Richard Lewis, and Cheryl Hines. In season 10, Larry dealt with his own #MeToo scandal, had affairs with Cheryl and her sister Becky (Kaitlin Olson), and opened a 'spite store' called Latte Larry's. The two-time Emmy winner's alleged $900M fortune grew exponentially thanks to Netflix's $500M purchase of all 180 episodes of his NBC sitcom Seinfeld, which starts streaming this Friday. Alessandra Ambrosio put her supermodel figure on display on Tuesday when she attended the opening of the Thierry Mugler: Couturissime exhibition in Paris wearing a semi-sheer blue dress. The brunette beauty, 40, layered the striking piece beneath a chic coat in a matching colour and slipped into a pair of statement-making tights. Adding height to her frame in wraparound heels, Alessandra looked every inch the runway star while working her best angles for photographers. Wow: Alessandra Ambrosio, 40, put her supermodel figure on display on Tuesday when she attended the opening of the Thierry Mugler exhibition in Paris wearing a semi-sheer blue dress Chic: The brunette beauty layered the striking piece beneath a chic coat in a matching colour and slipped into a pair of statement-making tights With her hair styled into a sleek half-up, half-down do, Alessandra accessorised with a glitzy diamond choker. She toted her belongings in an equally sparkly silver handbag. Showing off her striking outfit from the back, Alessandra threw cameras one last sultry glare before being whisked back to her hotel in a waiting car. It comes after Alessandra and her beau Richard Lee enjoyed a trip to Zion National Park after she stormed New York Fashion Week runways. Off she goes: Showing off her striking outfit from the back, Alessandra threw cameras one last sultry glare before being whisked back to her hotel in a waiting car Standing tall: Adding height to her frame in wraparound heels, Alessandra looked every inch the runway star while working her best angles for photographers All in the details: With her hair styled into a sleek half-up, half-down do, Alessandra accessorised with a glitzy diamond choker The loved-up couple shared plenty of fun snaps from the trip on Instagram. Fellow model Richard has accompanied his girlfriend on numerous trips over the course of the summer. Meanwhile, Ambrosio shares son Noah, nine, and daughter Anja, 13, with ex-fiance Jamie Mazur. The former pair were together from 2005 until their split in 2018. Prior to taking things to a romantic level with her current boyfriend Richard, Alessandra dated Italian businessman Nicolo Oddi. Getaway: It comes after Alessandra and her beau Richard Lee enjoyed a trip to Zion National Park after she stormed New York Fashion Week runways Night Nurse, the classic album by Reggae legend Gregory Isaacs, is now Brit Certified Silver in the United Kingdom almost 40 years after its release. This is the first UK certification for the five-time Grammy nominee, who was known as The Cool Ruler because of his crooning vocals and laidback delivery, and another album of the same name. According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), the 8-track Night Nurse album was issued the Silver Award on September 24, 2021, after it sold over 60,000 copies in the UK, as measured by The Official Charts Company. First released in 1982 by Island Records under their Mango imprint, Night Nurse is the most well-known of the hundreds of albums that Isaacs created during his 40-year career. The album peaked at No. 32 on the UK Albums Chart, while its title track Night Nursea highly seductive lovers rock balladreceived heavy play on the radio and in the clubs. The song, produced by Flabba Holt, has become Isaacs most-streamed title on Spotify, while one popular upload of the audio has over 66 million views on YouTube. Meanwhile, Sly and Robbies cover version with English band Simply Red peaked at No. 13 on the UK Singles Chart when it was released in 1997. Night Nurse also featured another big hit, Cool Down The Pace, as well the ageless classics Hot Stepper, Stranger In Town, Objection Overruled, Material Man, Not the Way and Sad to Know (Youre Leaving). Born in Denham Town, West Kingston, Gregory Isaacs made his debut in 1968 as Winston Sinclair, with the song Another Heartache. In the 40 years that followed, Isaacs created an enviable legacy of lovers rock music, but also one smeared by his battle with drug abuse, which he often addressed candidly. Altogether, Isaacs released a reported 500 albums (including compilations) in Jamaica, the United Kingdom, and the United States. But his quick turnaround wasnt just inspired by his love for music, but also a need to finance his deleterious drug habit. Attempts to get him clean were exhausted by Gregorys wife June Wyndham and his mother, but as the Cool Ruler famously put it in a 2007 interview the Telegraph, his use of cocaine was, the greatest college Ive ever been, but the most expensive school fee Ive ever paid. The couple ultimately separated because of the toll of his addiction on their marriage, and Isaacs later relocated to London where he died of lung cancer in October 2010 at the age of 60. Since 2017, June has staged an annual concert in his honour, dubbed Red Rose for Gregory, the proceeds for which go to the Patricia House drug rehabilitation center in Kingston. In 2016, the Jamaican Government posthumously awarded Isaacs the Order of Distinction (Officer Class) for his contribution to the islands music. Stream Night Nurse below. Following the detailed physical description that Tanya Stephens gave last week of the Reggae/Dancehall artist whom she accused of sexually assaulting her three decades ago, speculations have been rife on social media about who the culprit could be. Some of the names of the artists being bandied about, however, are so far-fetched that they defy all logic. In fact, several of the artists whose names are being called would have been in primary school when the incident with Tanya Stephens took place. Others are very skinny and fall way outside the description of the hefty, muscular man, now Christian-inclined man that Stephens pinpointed. In 2016, Stephens first revealed in a social media post that she had been beaten and raped at age 17, by one of Jamaicas biggest artists who was, according to her, third in line to Shabba Ranks and Patra at the time. She said he was mentoring her in the music business and was telling everyone she was his little sister. However, in an Instagram Live session with Shannon Mack a few days ago, the Rebelution artist recounted her experience and provided details of the physical description of her aggressor, whom she says is highly revered by many of Jamaicas politicians and high-ranking police officers. Jamaica has one famous predator whom I met when I was a teenager, Stephens, now 48 told Shannon, as she segued from speaking about sexual exploitation of young people in Jamaica. He is famous; like everybody knows he is a predator and they speak about him behind his back and when I speak about him people ask why dont you report him? And I am like: to who? she explained. I have been in his presence in political circles high ranking police officers were there and high-ranking politicians were there. And they were his friends. Who do I tell on this guy? Contending again that there is a rape culture in Jamaica, Stephens said that the island is projected as the last bastion of morality which is not the case, as what the countrys nationals have is false pride with cover-ups and hush-hushes for rape being the order of the day. This was somebody I trusted. It wasnt stranger, she said. As she did in 2016, Stephens explained that at age 16, she had moved from St Mary to Kingston to live with her sister and attended fashion school between babysitting her niece. She decided to find a studio to accommodate her as she had wanted to enter the music business and found one, which she said, was at the top of Maxfield Avenue in Kingston, near Castro Brown studio. At the time there were three big artistes really huge artistes in Jamaica. Shabba Ranks was the king. Patra was the queen she was next to Shabba. And there was another guy next in line. And he became my mentor and he used to call me his little sister and I believed it. I really believed it, she recounted. The St. Mary native recalled that when she was about to celebrate her 17th birthday, her sister upon realizing that she was a minor and not 20 as she thought, forbade her from going back to the studio. Devastated, she went to the studio and told the operators, including her mentor, that she could not return due to her sisters concerns. He my mentor said: No man. Yuh want mi come talk to har. And I am like you would? Now, my sister, my auntie every woman inna my family loved him. So she was excited at the prospect, she said. Her future aggressor, she said, drove her home that evening and sat and spoke with her sister and took responsibility for her allaying her sisters fears that it was unsafe for a girl her age to be out. He took responsibility and she trusted him. And she gave me permission based on his taking responsibility, he said. First of all, he never made an advance. He only spoke of me as his little sister. He never made an advance. Not once. And I say that many times to reinforce the fact that there is no indication that the thought of that was in his mind, Stephens added. She said things came to a head one fateful day when her abuser was moving house, when he committed the act that turned her life upside-down. Like hes done many times before, he offered me a ride home. So on the ride home, then he said he had to drop by his new place that he is setting up. Everybody knew he was moving and he said he wanted to stop by his place real quick and drop off something. Now if had known the geography of Kingston, I would have known something was wrong because my home was on the way to his new place, she said in describing his first act of deceit. She said he started running toward the building and then stopped and came back and urged her to come look at his place and give him some ideas on how to set it up. She said they passed about four people, including a woman on the landing next to her aggressors apartment doorway. Upon entering he immediately locked the door, which she found slightly odd, but immediately brushed it off as him securing the place as Kingston was known to have had a lot of criminals. So he locked the door, and then he started to show me around. Girl, when we reached the bedroom, is a full on assault. Full assault, Stephens said. When I see this man speak enuh, and when I see Jamaica big him up sometimes and they act like he is such an upstanding citizen who is a Christian man and a nice guy, I go bonkers. Because no matter what anybody tells me, I know my experience. I was there; he was there we know what happened, she added. Stephens said when she tried to stave off the artiste, he rained blows on her, mercilessly, in order to get her to submit. It was at this point that she gave the description of her aggressor, which has made people begin to narrow down on the possible perpetrator, with whom she noted years ago, she shares one significant characteristic. Child, mi defend myself. I was about 85 pounds. Is a big diesel man. Thick. So-so muscle; no body fat. And when him start beat mi, mi decide awrite, arite, awrite mi give up, she said. Mi a bawl fi help enuh. I scream fi help; mi bawl fi rape. People deh outside di door. Yuh si when mi scream and bawl fi rape, and mi nuh hear nobaddy a answer, mi jus stop. Because wha mi a do? Wait until him kill mi? Mi a get real licks. Suh mi stop fight, the now mother of one said. She said the artist continued his violation of her body over and over until he had satisfied himself, then washed away the evidence himself. And that continued for hours. I was locked into his new place that he moved into, and violated for hours. And when him done, him hold mi and lead mi to di bathroom; put mi inna di shower himself and bade mi, she said sardonically. Nuh evidence nuh lef. Mi get a proper scrub. Proper, proper scrub. This is a man who is adored by the 14 parishes and the Diaspora. Who mi a report him to. Yuh hear wha den she bout di girl dem weh go near Bill Cosby? Her fear of reporting the matter to anyone then, she said, was compounded by a conversation she had heard between one of her sisters and a co-worker, who said her magistrate father had told her that if she or her sister ever got raped they should report it to him and not the police as the system would rape them again. In continuing to relay her ordeal Stephens said that after the man completed the act, guilt and shame descended on her like a guillotine. Mi bawl until no tears naw come and he asked if I wanted to go home and I said no because mi neva waan leave out until night. Mi neva want nobaddy si mi face. I felt dirty. I felt ashamed; I felt guilty. I felt like shit. And I knew people were there when I went in and I was hoping that they couldnt remember my face. And if I came out in the darkness maybe they wouldnt be there. And nobody would see me and I could just go home in anonymity, she said. When I went home, I went to the shower again. And I showered. And I showered. Mi nuh have no evidence. Who mi a guh to? Mi poor. And I went voluntarily, she mused. She said knowing how judgmental her sister and rest of her family were, and the fact that they had advised against her venturing into music and go to college instead, she did not tell anyone about her ordeal. I couldnt tell them that I went to the studio and got raped, could I? How would I broach that conversation with people who already said that was what was waiting for me at the studio? she said. And the studio didnt do anything to me. One man did. One monster did, the Its a Pity artist said. Toyota Yaris was expected to garner volumes in the segment dominated by the Honda City, Maruti Ciaz and Hyundai Verna. (Photo: PTI/File) Pune: Toyota Kirloskar on Monday said it has pulled the plug on the Yaris mid-size sedan following poor demand. It was launched a little over three years back in the country. The discontinuation of Yaris has brought down one of the worlds biggest carmaker's offerings to just six models in India. Introduced in April 2018, Toyota Yaris was expected to garner volumes in the segment dominated by the Honda City, Maruti Ciaz and Hyundai Verna. But SUVs were more in demand than the sedans with buyers preferring SUVs like Kia Seltos and Hyundai Creta, which were priced in the same band (Rs 10 lakh-13 lakh) as the Yaris. The share of mid-size sedans has gone down to under 3 per cent of the total passenger vehicle sales of India as of FY21. Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) announces the discontinuation of Yaris in India with effect from September 27, 2021. We would like to continue to serve customers with other current offerings. Preparations are underway to launch new Toyota models in 2022, the company said. At present Toyota sells six models, two of which are not built by the company. Suzuki Motor Corporation supplies rebadged Vitara Brezza and Baleno to be sold as Toyota Urban Cruiser and Toyota Glanza. In the previous trade, the precious metal had settled at Rs 45,134 per 10 gram. (PTI Photo) New Delhi: Gold prices declined by Rs 54 to Rs 45,080 per 10 gram in the national capital on Tuesday in line with weak global cues, according to HDFC Securities. In the previous trade, the precious metal had settled at Rs 45,134 per 10 gram. Silver prices declined sharply by Rs 573 to Rs 58,961 per kg from Rs 59,534 per kg in the previous trade. In the international market, gold was trading lower at USD 1,743 per ounce and silver was flat at USD 22.37 per ounce. "The rise in US bond yields have pressured gold prices to trade weak," according to HDFC Securities, Senior Analyst (Commodities), Tapan Patel. Navneet Damani, VP Commodities Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services said, "Gold prices eased, hurt by a stronger dollar and a sharp uptick in US Treasury yields, while investors awaited more cues from Federal Reserve officials on the central bank's monetary policy shift." Nellore: Ministers Botsa Satyanarayana, Perni Venkatramaiah (Nani), and Dr Anilkumar Yadav came down heavily against actor-politician Pawan Kalyan for his utterances against Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and the YSR Congress. The Jana Sena chief speaking at a pre-release function of Sai Dharma Teja film Republic in Hyderabad on Saturday night alleged that the state government has been troubling cinema theatres in Andhra Pradesh on the issue of online tickets. It came in for sharp criticism from I&PR minister Venkatramaiah, who, on Sunday, said in Vijayawada that on the contrary it was the film industry that has been asking the government for online ticketing since 2003. Nani added that Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce secretary Damodar Prasad had given a representation to them seeking online ticketing on December 24, 2016, and again on December 1, 2018. Later, Chiranjeevi and other Tollywood representatives met the Chief Minister in June 2020 and submitted a representation under the name of Narayanadas Kishan Das Narang seeking the same. He said the film industry bigwigs had met him on September 20 this year seeking online ticketing. The minister asserted that the state government had okayed online ticketing only after considering the requests of the film industry. He clarified that the state government would only run the online portal and theatre staff will sell tickets online. The amount collected through the portal will be transferred to the theatre owners through the RBI gateway the next day. He slammed Pawan Kalyan for having no knowledge of the issue. Disputing Pawan Kalyans remarks on ticket prices, he said that it was Jagan Mohan Reddy who had given a 40 per cent hike to movie tickets after eight years. He was not crushing Tollywood, Nani said. He asked the actor-politician to instead question the Prime Minister over GST and taxes on movies. In Vizianagaram, Botsa Satyanarayana questioned the rationale behind Pawans outburst. He also warned the actor against using derogatory remarks against the Chief Minister. In Nellore, water resources minister Dr Yadav alleged that Pawan Kalyan is making comments against YSRC only for his political survival. He said there were no chances of improving Jana Sena's position in Andhra Pradesh and it would be in the fitness of things if the actor winds it up. Dr Yadav explained that they had brought an online movie ticket portal to ensure transparency and there was no distinction in ticket prices of films of star heroes and others like Sampoornesh Babu. In a spontaneous reaction to the statement, Sampoornesh Babu thanked the minister for comparing him with a good-hearted person like Pawan Kalyan. Meanwhile, using his Twitter platform, popular actor Nani said keeping aside the political differences between Pawan Kalyan sir and AP government, the film industry issues addressed are genuine and needs immediate attention. Another actor Karthikeya said he is not supporting or being against any political party but the issue addressed by Pawan with respect to the Telugu film industry makes sense. Telugu film chamber thanks Jagan for support Meanwhile, Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce and several actors posted tweets on the issue. The chamber, in a release on Saturday, said that they were grateful to Andhra Pradesh government and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for patiently understanding and positively responding to their concerns. President of the forum, Narayanadas Kishandas Narang said the film industry has suffered the onslaught of the division of the state, the pandemic, and other issues. Our industry is in the worst possible situation. Various individuals have expressed their views, opinions, and anguish on different platforms. These are not the voices of the industry as a whole. We wish to reiterate that the apex body of our industry is the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce in both Telugu states. While reacting to Pawan Kalyan's call for his intervention, veteran actor Mohan Babu thanked him for pulling him into the issue. In a tweet, he said his son is contesting for the president post of Movie Artists Association and he would reply to the points raised by Pawan after the election. Writing through your writers block might seem counterintuitive but it can actually help you to become a better writer. You have to become aggressive and use your willpower to push through and not just wait for inspiration to strike you. By arrangement From columnists to novelists, every writer must have found themselves struggling to find the right words to express their thoughts at some point in life. The inability to write something new or being unable to proceed writing for hours, days or even weeks might be due to a phenomenon known as writers block. The overwhelming feeling of being stuck in the writing process is awful, especially for writers who have a commitment to fulfil or are expected to maintain a high output of content. Overcoming writers block is a delicate process as it is highly subjective and depends on the mental state of the particular individual. Generally, the writers block can stem from lack of motivation, excessively harsh criticism, fear of comparison, or simply the lack of desire to tell a story. But no matter what causes writers block, the writer has to conquer his/her self-doubt to be able to get into the creative space and write. Here are some of the ways one can overcome their writers block and become an established writer. Take a break Rather than feeling miserable about your inability to write something fresh, take a break and restart. You must give your brain the much-needed break from whatever caused it to wear down. A break can help you unwind, give a new perspective about the subject, and juice up your dried imaginations. While taking a break, make sure to do something that you feel passionate about or just sit down and relax. You might go for long walks, jog a little, or take a hike to exercise your brain cells, reduce stress levels, and feel motivated to curate. Do Your Research When the writing gets too tough, it might mean the research is inadequate or the writer has little to no knowledge about the matter they are addressing. In that case, you must go back to the archives and do the required pre-work. Gaining more knowledge about the subject adds confidence to your creativity and makes your writing rich. Write through your writers block Writing through your writers block might seem counterintuitive but it can actually help you to become a better writer. You have to become aggressive and use your willpower to push through and not just wait for inspiration to strike you with its magical power. Develop a writing habit by disciplining yourself to start creative writing on a regular schedule as best creativity is a result of good work habits. Start daydreaming Letting your mind wander is the easiest way to pass time but writers can take full advantage of daydreaming to express their creativity with a wonderful imagination. Daydreaming can help to unclog the pathways where ideas once came and give you the ability to think without inhibition and prejudice that can take your writing to the next level. Practice free-writing Free-writing is good for any kind of writer, fictional or non-fictional. Writing without caring about sentence structure, grammar, or spelling is an effective way to push through the block. Do not try to make sense of your writing and let the creative juices flow for a pre-set amount of time. The goal of free-writing is to write without second-guessing, free from apathy or doubt, which contributes to the writers block. Pick the right surroundings, avoid any distractions, and practice free-writing the old-fashioned way (with pen and paper!). Make your writing process more visual When words fail to express your thoughts, try a more visual approach. Create mind maps, lego structures, drawings, diagrams, etc. to easily move your ideas as you wish. Develop a deeper visualisation of characters and settings with coloured pens and paints to bring new dimensions to your writing. Using the picture as a tool adds details to your story and provides the leverage to get your imagination moving. Read more Books are handheld sources of wisdom and reading is ammunition behind the writing. Reading books from any era grants access to brilliant thinkers, storytellers, historians, and philosophers who act as personal mentors to fuel our ingenuity. Especially those who have started writing must read a lot to imbue themselves with diction, sentence structure, examine frameworks for themes and characters. So, next time you want to break the chains of writers block, pick up a book and replenish your writing tank. Disclaimer: No Deccan Chronicle journalist was involved in creating this content. The group also takes no responsibility for this content. However, the High Court said it did not want to opine on the question whether Eflu had properly provided reservation to the Other Backward Classes in the process of recruitment. (Wikimedia Commons) Hyderabad: In a relief to English and Foreign Languages University (Eflu), the Telangana High Court on Tuesday gave a green signal to complete the process of recruitment of professors, associate professors and assistant professors in various departments vide notifications issued in 2019 and 2020. The process has been withheld since February 2021 due to the orders of National Commission for Backward Classes (NCBC), on the grounds that the university was not providing the declared quota for backward classes in the appointment of teaching staff. The court made it clear that the orders issued by the NCBC on February 2 and 5 with regard to recruitment to various posts being carried out by Eflu were not within its jurisdiction and were apt to be set aside. A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao and Justice T. Vinod Kumar on Tuesday pronounced the judgement in a petition filed by the Eflu, aggrieved by the orders of the NCBC. The university sought a relief from the High Court to declare Rule 3.2.7 of the Rules of Procedure of the NCBC framed on January 23, 2020, as ultra vires, as per Article 338-B of the Constitution of India, and to quash or set aside the same by declaring it as unconstitutional. The NCBC issued injunction orders to the university to withhold the recruitment process based on the complaint of senior Congress party leader Dasoju Sravan Kumar, who complained that the Eflu was not adhering to the reservation meant for Other Backward Classes while conducting recruitments for teaching posts. Eflu contended that the NCBC had been constituted under Article 338-B of the Constitution of India with power to investigate, monitor and report matters relating to the safeguards provided for socially and educationally backward classes and the role envisaged was advisory only. It cannot pass any injunction or prohibition orders like civil court, it said. After perusing several judgments of the Supreme Court, the division bench held that the NCBC was not conferred with any power under Article 338B of the Constitution to grant orders in the nature of injunctions, temporary or permanent, prohibitory or mandatory, put on hold or stop orders of any nature. However, the High Court said it did not want to opine on the question whether Eflu had properly provided reservation to the Other Backward Classes in the process of recruitment and it was left open for consideration in an appropriate proceeding already initiated or to be initiated by the aggrieved parties. Quoting several government orders, the minister said that as per them, the government had given the options either to withdraw the grant-in-aid or hand over their assets to the state government or run them with their own funds. (DC Image) Vijayawada: Education minister Adimulapu Suresh has said no government aided educational institution would be closed or trouble caused to the staff and the students. The minister told the media here on Monday that the state government was initiating reforms to streamline the functioning of aided schools, junior colleges and degree colleges and advised the stakeholders not to get panicked over such developments. The state government would not take any decision that would adversely affect them. Listing out a series of welfare schemes like the Nadu-Neetu, Jaganna Vidya Kanaka etc, the minister said though the state government was providing crores of rupees as grant-in-aid to aided educational institutions, there was no perceptible change in their functioning. He expressed concern over the declining trend in educational standards in these institutions. Quoting several government orders, the minister said that as per them, the government had given the options either to withdraw the grant-in-aid or hand over their assets to the state government or run them with their own funds. Accordingly, 1,276 institutions agreed for withdrawal of grant-in-aid out of 137 aided degree colleges, 125 out of 122 aided junior colleges and 103 out of 2,000 aided schools. The minister said that five to seven degree colleges, five junior colleges and 100 aided schools had also expressed their interest to hand them over to the government along with their assets. Based on their directions, several teaching and non-teaching staff working in these educational institutions had reported to the concerned officials, he said, adding their details were being put on a web portal to provide them postings in a transparent manner. Several of them sought postings in municipal areas where they were currently working, and justice would be done to the extent possible in this respect. Maintaining that 700 lecturers in degree colleges and nearly 4,000 lecturers in junior colleges were working on contract basis for nearly 20 years, the minister promised that they would be provided job security. Though a working committee was appointed, there was some delay due to Covid19. He promised that all efforts would be made to expedite the efforts and ensure justice to them. Earlier, a delegation of leaders from the unions of contract lecturers working in degree and junior colleges met the minister, who in turn assured them that their pending issues would be resolved expeditiously. He advised them to call off their proposed stir. In a recent blog post titled, Virtual Reality Gave Me My Brain Back, celebrity entrepreneur Mark Cuban shared his vestibular experience of how virtual reality (VR) helped him get back to balance. Mark had been side-lined by vestibular disorder for months, suffering dizziness, brain fog and an unnerving feeling that something was wrong inside his head. Welcome to a new wave of psychological research VR content thats primarily designed to aid exposure therapy. Exposure therapy is a treatment for anxiety disorders, exposing patients to anxiety-inducing stimuli in a safe, controlled environment. During VR therapy, one straps on a headset, sinks into the past, faces ones fears albeit in a controlled manner and overcome the disorders in real life. It aims at making patients eventually learn that the threats they perceive are not actually very dangerous. So many mental battles to fight Post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), anxiety attacks and different phobias are battles many fight within themselves. The pandemic has even contributed to worsening these disorders in some. Fear, anger, worry, frustration, etc. keep many on the edge even as they desperately look for solutions to control their mind from going berserk. VR therapy appears to shine a new ray of hope in ending these mental health issues or helping in controlling the mind from coming unmoored. Doctors across the globe are increasingly suggesting VR therapy to diagnose and treat medical conditions. The technology, which immerses a patient in a 3D environment mimicking a traumatic memory or other mental health issues, is catching up in India as well and showing promising results. VR: the next big thing for mental health Dr Jaydip Chaudhuri, Senior Neuro Physician at Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad, explains how VR and augmented reality (AR), which use computer-generated situations, help mental health patients. Patients with anxiety and mental disorders perceive these computer-generated situations using special high-end goggles. It appears to be a potential diagnostic and therapeutic tool for treatment of Alzheimers disease (AD) and other dementias, he says, adding that studies have shown that VR therapy to definitely benefit patients with dementia and help their care-givers and families to a significant extent. Patients with dementia were found to have reduced aggression and interacted better with their caregivers when they were treated and exposed to VR therapy. For one, the virtual maze navigation test can identify people with AD quite early and almost identify those subjects who carry the AD suggestibility gene. People carrying the AD susceptibility gene do the virtual maze navigation test differently and with difficulty as compared to normal age-matched controls. Dr Jaydip adds that while VR in therapy is still nascent it has a potential in making a difference in the lives of patients with dementia. Standardising the treatment algorithm and making this modality of treatment available in many more centres will make this therapeutic strategy play a bigger role in the future, he adds. How it works Taking us through the intervention technique, Dr Nirali Bhatia, Cyber Psychologist & Psychotherapist, provides an example of a client who has a fear of height What they normally do is to use an intervention technique, called guided imagery, in which clients are asked to visualise the scenario and stimulate that whole experience. They are then guided to work towards it while their bodily changes are closely watched. This process requires the client to be able to cognitively get into that trance. At every level, the clients feelings are monitored, Dr Nirali says, adding that VRs easy and life-like simulation can be applied to every client irrespective of the barriers of language or cognitivity. The doctor further describes the process. VR therapy applies a stimulus environment where the client is slowly asked to move to the next floor. At every level, the clients made to notice their feelings, regarding how they were feeling previously and whether theyre feeling better, says the doctor. At that point, if anxiety or palpitations show up in the client or their body movements, we immediately intervene and guide them on how to handle it. Then, we slowly move on to the next level. VR applications work with a controlled exposure, which eventually make clients well prepared to handle those scenarios in real life. What lies ahead in VR therapy Doctors describe VR therapy as a major breakthrough in treating mental health disorders, calling it the next big thing in the medical field though its yet to fully enter the mainstream. Experts, however, clarify that some clients would need several simulations sittings to get better results. For some, each session could feel as if they were in a fantasy novel. Dr Krishna Sahiti, consultant psychiatrist in Apollo Hospital, Jubilee Hills, says they use audio and visual aids to slowly increase the intensity of the stimulus in VR. Physical symptoms and psychological reaction are assessed slowly. Clients who avoid and are fearful about the stimulus will experience the stimulus with the help of a psychiatrist and in a protected environment, which is hassle-free, the doctor informs. In further sessions the intensity of stimulus is slowly increased so that we can help the patient experience the stimulus without symptoms while helping them. BOX: Dr Jayadip Chaudhuri, Senior Neuro Physician at Yashoda Hospitals, Hyderabad: VR-simulated protocols are already being used in treatment of AD in some centres and insightful data have been generated. Creating virtual environments that remind AD patients about their childhood or early adult days (as we know that remote memories are relatively better, preserved in them), using photographs, music relevant to them, etc. may be magical in some patients. Dr I Bharat Kumar Reddy, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist, Apollo Hospitals: The technique of cognitive behavioural therapy exposure and response prevention is used to help patients with anxiety disorders. Virtual reality based techniques are used to help patients with post-traumatic stress disorder, like rape victims, accident victims and war veterans. Its use is slowly getting expanded to help patients with personality disorders, for especially who have childhood trauma. The bench further said that the Karnataka government has the necessary leverage to issue circulars, taking into account the situations prevailing in the neighbouring states of Kerala and Maharashtra. (PTI Photo) Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed two pleas challenging Karnataka government's decision to restrict entry from here at borders of Kasaragod and Mangalore only to those having a negative RT-PCR report, saying the neighbouring state was well within its powers to issue such directions. The high court said it was an admitted fact there was no blockade of the roads from Kerala to Karnataka and the restrictions, like a negative RT-PCR certificate, were imposed within that state in view of the unprecedented surge of COVID-19 pandemic prevalent in Kerala. "Therefore, going by the guidelines issued by the central government, it is clear that under any such circumstances, the states are given the power and responsibility to impose reasonable restrictions, so as to combat the disease. "Therefore, state of Karnataka was well within its powers to issue circulars, orders or guidelines under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, in consonance with various guidelines issued by the central government," a bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly said and dismissed the two PILs, one by A K M Ashraf, the IUML MLA from Manjeshwar and the other by Jayananda K R, the Secretary of Rastrakavi Manjeshwara Govinda Pai Smaraka Samithi. The bench further said that the Karnataka government has the necessary leverage to issue circulars, taking into account the situations prevailing in the neighbouring states of Kerala and Maharashtra. "Viewed from that angle, it can never be said that a part of cause of action for the writ petitions has arisen within the state of Kerala. This is more so when there is no absolute prohibition for the citizens of Kerala to travel to Karnataka by any means, but we can only view it as restrictions imposed by the state of Karnataka. "Whether the restrictions imposed within the State of Karnataka are reasonable or not, is a matter to be considered and decided by the jurisdictional High Court," the bench said in its 100-page judgement. It further said that a "wholesome appreciation of the facts and circumstances" would show that no part of the cause of action, as regards the circulars issued by Karnataka government or its officials, would arise in Kerala. "Therefore, we have no hesitation to hold that the petitioners have failed to establish territorial jurisdiction of this court in interfering with the circulars issued by the state of Karnataka dated July 31 and accordingly, we decline the reliefs sought for by the petitioners in the background of the circulars so issued. In the result, the writ petitions are dismissed for want of territorial jurisdiction," the bench said. The petitioners had contended that the travel restrictions had resulted in people from Kerala being unable to enter Karnataka for any emergent situations and therefore, it was totally illegal and violative of the fundamental rights of citizens. The blockade was also causing disruption in trade, supply of food and other essential items and interfering with the rights of the citizens to move freely throughout the territory of India, the two PILs -- one of them filed by advocate P V Anoop -- had claimed. The pleas had also claimed that people of Manjeshwar rely entirely upon the medical facilities at Dakshin Kannada district/Mangalore city and its adjacent areas, since it is the nearest medical hub available. The Karnataka government had opposed the two pleas on the ground that the entire cause of action arises within that state, and the petitioners should challenge the circulars before the High Court of Karnataka. Visakhapatnam: Will the remnants of Cyclone Gulab, which emerged in the Bay of Bengal, help a storm grow in the Arabian Sea along the west coast in the first week of October? Going by the latest track of the weakened Gulab after landfall at Kalingapatnam on the Andhra Pradesh coast on Sunday, its leftover winds and moisture may join the cyclonic circulation winds over the Arabian Sea in a few days. If the conditions favour it, the winds may get the strength required to turn into a storm. Confirming the chances of a storm in the Arabian Sea, India Meteorological Department (IMD), Hyderabad Centre director Dr K. Nagaratna told Deccan Chronicle that the remnants of Gulab had moved like a depression two levels below a cyclone at a speed of 33 kmph towards the west coast via Telangana and Chhattisgarh on Monday. While moving towards west-northwestwards, the system will weaken into a well-marked low pressure by Tuesday. Then, the existing cyclonic circulation winds over the northeast Arabian Sea may join the remnants of Gulab. If conditions favour, there will be chances of a storm in the Arabian Sea, but it is too early to predict, Dr Nagaratna said. On the other hand, IMD-New Delhi cautioned of squally weather with wind speeds of 40-50 kmph to a maximum of 60 kmph along and off the Gujarat-north Maharastra coasts on October 1. "Fishermen along the west coast have also been advised not to venture into the Arabian Sea till further instructions from the government," the IMD said. Addressing a Rajaka Atmeeya Sammelanam in Huzurabad on Sunday, Harish Rao pointed out that in his 18 years of political career, Rajendar has not given even a cent of land to people of Rajaka community. (DC File Image) Karimnagar: Finance minister T. Harish Rao maintained that there is nothing former minister Etala Rajendar, who has joined the BJP, will do for Huzurabad in Karimnagar district, as he had not done anything for the constituency despite being a minister in the TRS government. Addressing a Rajaka Atmeeya Sammelanam in Huzurabad on Sunday, Harish Rao pointed out that in his 18 years of political career, Rajendar has not given even a cent of land to people of Rajaka community. But the state government, under the leadership of Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, had allotted Rs 250 crore for people of Rajaka community in the budget. The finance minister underlined that the state government had allotted 4,000 double bedroom houses to Huzurabad constituency. Despite being a minister, Rajendar did not allot even a single house to any beneficiary. Then, how will he benefit people if they vote for him; now that he is in opposition BJP, he asked. It is my responsibility that 5,000 double bedroom houses are constructed and distributed to beneficiaries after completion of Huzurabad byelections, Harish Rao declared at the gathering. He pointed out that already, three acres of land has been allotted to Rajaka community in Hyderabad, in addition to Rs 5 crore being sanctioned for the community. The finance minister announced that if TRS candidate Gellu Srinivas Yadav wins Huzurabad bypolls, state government will construct Chakali Ilamma buildings at the headquarters of all five mandals in Huzurabad constituency. He maintained that the BJP, instead of inviting Union ministers for campaigning in Huzurabad, must first tell people what it is going to do for people of the constituency. People must choose between BJP, which is imposing taxes on people throughout the country, or TRS, which is already working for the benefit of people in Telangana, he said. BC welfare minister Gangula Kamalakar, MLA Rasamayee Balakishan, MLC Basawaraju Saraiah, SC Corporation chairman Banda Srinivas, BC Corporation chairman V. Krishna Mohan, TRS candidate Srinivas Yadav and Padi Koushik Reddy were among those present at the meeting. He released Rs 2,000 crore for the scheme and the amount was already credited in the bank accounts of around 16,000 Dalit families so far. (DC File Image) Hyderabad: Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao returned to Hyderabad after a five-day Delhi visit, within hours of the Election Commission (EC) announcing Huzurabad bypoll schedule on Tuesday. Rao, who arrived by a special flight at Begumpet airport, proceeded straight to Pragathi Bhavan. He held a meeting with ministers and party MLAs who are made party in-charges for Huzurabad bypoll and discussed poll schedule and poll strategy. Party sources said in the meeting Rao expressed his willingness to address two public meetings in Huzurabad, one prior to Dasara and one after. Rao already addressed a public meeting once in Huzurabad on August 16 when he launched Dalit Bandhu to extend Rs 10 lakh financial assistance to all Dalit families numbering over 20,000 in the constituency. He released Rs 2,000 crore for the scheme and the amount was already credited in the bank accounts of around 16,000 Dalit families so far. The Chief Minister left for Delhi on a three-day visit on September 24, the second time this month. First he visited Delhi on September 2 and stayed until September 10. However, he extended his trip by two more days where he met union home minister Amit Shah thrice generating heat in political circles as the CMO maintained complete secrecy over the purpose of his meetings. When Rao was in Delhi on September 4, the EC issued bypoll notification for three Assembly seats in West Bengal and one in Odisha but kept Huzurabad bypoll on hold. Incidentally, the EC released bypoll schedule for Huzurabad when Rao was in Delhi on Tuesday. Hyderabad: AICC spokesperson Dr Dasoju Sravan demanded Telangana Legislative Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy to take action and disqualify the Congress MLAs who defected to TRS party. Brazenly violating Constitutional laws and blatantly disregarding democratic traditions. He came up with this demand citing Calcutta HIgh Court's direction to West Bengal Speaker on Tuesday to decide on the disqualification petition against Mukul Roy, who defected from BJP to Trinamool Congress (TMC). Terming the Calcutta HC's decision as a slap on the face of Telangana Assembly Speaker, Dasoju Sravan expressed hope that the Speaker will at least now act on the Congress MLAs who defected to ruling TRS, taking a cue from West Bengal developments. "Calcutta High Court directed West Bengal Assembly Speaker to decide on the disqualification petition against Mukul Roy, who defected from BJP to Trinamool Congress by October 7. This should be an eye opener for Telangana Assembly Speaker Pocharam Srinivas Reddy who has been intentionally turning a blind eye to the disqualification petitions against Congress MLAs who defected to ruling TRS. It is unfortunate that Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao has been blatantly encouraging defections and Pocharam Srinivas Reddy, who is in a highly revered Constitutional post, has been acting hand in glove with KCR, in pursuing the immoral and dirty act of political defections in Telangana. Telangana Assembly Speaker should at least now take a look at Calcutta High Court's direction and decide on disqualification petitions against Congress MLAs pending here in Telangana," said AICC spokesperson Dr Dasoju Sravan in a media statement on Tuesday. About 12 MLAs who have won from Congress party in 2018 General Elections have defected to ruling TRS in Telangana, betraying people's mandate and much to the ire of party cadres. Though Congress party has been fighting against these defections and raising voice against the immoral political practices of TRS, Telangana Assembly Speaker has not taken any action on the turncoat MLAs. "Telangana CM and TRS chief KCR has crushed all the democratic practices and has absolutely no regard for the Constitution. He has turned politics into a game of 'cheating' and 'looting' and brazenly promoting corruption. He has even turned elected MLAs into a laughing stock by buying them with 'money' and enticing them with 'contracts.' All the 12 Congress MLAs who defected to TRS sold themselves just for money with no regard towards any ideology or self respect. Congress party would have no complaints if these MLAS resigned from their MLA posts, won on a Congress ticket, and sought their re-election as TRS candidates. Instead, they have betrayed voters and Congress workers for selfish gains. Telangana Assembly Speaker instead of encouraging such immoral and shameless politics, should disqualify turncoat MLAs and reinstate faith of voters in the electoral process and democracy," demanded Dr Dasoju Sravan. Of late, MPTCs and ZPTCs are venting ire saying that under the TRS government, they neither get funds nor respect. DC file photo HYDERABAD: Nizamabad MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha's maiden speech in the Legislative Council created a flutter in political circles on Monday. Kavitha took up the problems faced by MPTCs and ZPTCs due to lack of funds and respect for them. She pointed out that there were no permanent offices for mandal parishad presidents in the newly-formed mandals. MPTCs, who were elected along with sarpanches in gram panchayats, have no place to sit and discharge their duties because of which they are feeling humiliated. She urged the panchayat raj minister to treat MPTCs with respect and provide them with a seat while discharging their duties. She also sought opportunities for MPTCs and ZPTCs to hoist the National Flag either on Independence Day or Republic Day during official functions in gram panchayats as a measure of showing respect to them. Although the 15th Finance Commission had imposed a cut in funds to gram panchayats to the tune of Rs 500 crore, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao compensated this by sanctioning an additional Rs 500 crore, which was hailed by ZPTCs and MPTCS. Her comments are being seen in political circles as an attempt to take up issues of those representatives, who elected her as an MLC. Of late, MPTCs and ZPTCs are venting ire saying that under the TRS government, they neither get funds nor respect. A woman MPTC recently posted a video which went viral on social media platforms lashing out at finance minister T. Harish Rao alleging that he threatened to abolish the MPTC/ ZPTC system in Telangana when she sought funds and duties for MPTCs for development works in their villages. Responding to Kavitha's comments, minister for panchayat raj Errabelli Dayakar Rao assured to look into all the issues raised by her and resolve them at the earliest. He said that the state government is releasing funds to gram panchayats every month adding that Rs 227 crore was released every month since April. He stated that from April to September, Rs 1,365 crore was released to gram panchayats. Kadapa: The Election Commission of India (ECI) released the schedule for by-election to Badvel Assembly constituency in Kadapa district on Tuesday. The seat fell vacant following the death of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) legislator Gunthoti Venkatasubbaiah in March last. The ECI decided to hold elections to Badvel Assembly constituency in Andhra Pradesh on October 30, along with other Assembly and Parliamentary seats lying vacant across the country. The notification for the by-election will be released on October 1. Nominations can be submitted till October 8. Nominations will be verified on October 11. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 13 and polling will be held on October 30. The votes will be counted on November 2 and the results will be announced. As soon as the ECI released the schedules, the ruling YSRCP and the Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) officially announced their candidates. The YSRCP declared Dr Dasari Sudha, wife of the late Dr Venkata Subbaiah, who served as an MLA earlier here, as its candidate. Government adviser Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy made the announcement in Vijayawada on Tuesday morning. The TDP decided to field Dr. Obulapuram Rajasekhar, who contested in the 2019 elections, as its candidate in the current elections as well. At a recent Kadapa district review meeting, the party's national president Chandrababu Naidu announced his name. Party state president Kinjarapu Achennaidu on Tuesday issued an official statement to this effect. There are seven mandals in Badvel constituency - Badvel, Kalasapadu, Avadhoota Kasinayana, B Kodur, Porumamilla, Gopavaram and Atlur. This constituency has been reserved for Scheduled Castes since 2009 general elections. When it was reserved for the SC, the first legislator P. M. Kamalamma was elected from Indian National Congress. Then, in 2014, the YSRCP candidate Tiruvidhula Jayaramulu was elected. He later joined the TDP and later the BJP. In the 2019 elections, Dr. Gunthoti Venkata Subbaiah was elected as MLA from YSRCP but he passed away in March. Total number of voters in this constituency are 2,04,618, among them male voters are 1,02,811 and female voters are 1,01,786. In the recent local body elections, Gopavaram mandal ZPTC and MPP were captured by the TDP. Remaining all six mandals were bagged by the ruling YSRCP. In view of elections, Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy visited Badvel on July 9 as part of his visit to Kadapa. He assured that Badvel, one of the backward constituencies in the state, was set for all round development. He laid foundation stones for development works worth about Rs 500 crore in this region. He announced that, at the request of local leaders and the public, a revenue divisional office would be set up in Badvel. Now, the revenue divisional headquarter is in Rajampet, which is 130 km away from Kashinayana and Kalasapadu mandals in the constituency. This is also an important requirement of the public in this constituency. Questioned about the anticipated American withdrawal from Asia -- which is what the much-hyped AUKUS (Australia-UK-US) alliance is all about -- Singapores Lee Kuan Yew had warned back in 1992: Nature does not like a vacuum. Considering the prospect of the Japanese, the Koreans and the Chinese muscling in, he asked (tongue-in-cheek?): Will India then come down to our seas with two aircraft carriers? Commentators in India who are gloating over what they call Prime Minister Narendra Modis bid for global leadership would undoubtedly be flattered and delighted if Mr Lee were indeed serious about an Indian role. No one can forget the childish elation at New Delhis highest levels when an American administration had promised to help India achieve its superpower ambitions. Last weeks meetings in Washington and New York, following the trilateral defence pact between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, gave a sudden spurt to New Delhis hopes of a permanent membership of the UN Security Council. But any realistic assessment of events confirms that a weakened Washington seeking to cut back on defence spending, reduce its foreign commitments and conserve resources after the colossal fiasco of the Afghanistan military pullout cannot see the mantle of Indo-Pacific leadership descend on a poverty-stricken, Covid-ravaged India that is squabbling with most of its neighbours while moving towards a mono-cultural identity. A serene, stable, secular and prosperous white (still!) Australia is a far safer bet from the Western and Nato points of view. Although with no taste for the boasting and bombast that are characteristic of the new India, Australians are not exactly coy about surrogating for America. Nearly 20 years ago John Howard, Australian Prime Minister from 1996 to 2007, described his country as Americas deputy sheriff. Former US President George W. Bush had gone a step further. He saw Australia not as a deputy sheriff but as a sheriff. Theres a difference. Equal partners, friends and allies. Theres nothing deputy about this relationship, he said. Its doubtful if the most sycophantic Indian leader would relish either role. Nor was Mr Modis Our four countries came together for the first time in 2004 to extend support to the Indo-Pacific region post the tsunami quite the whole truth. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogues strategic dimension was evident even then in Malabar 07, the 13th in the Indo-American series of naval exercises that was expanded to include Australia, Japan and Singapore. Things have changed since then. However, its AUKUS and not the Quad that merits Chinas barb of an Asian Nato. Senior BJP spokesmen like Sudhanshu Trivedi and Vijay Chauthaiwale might believe that the Quad has vanquished terrorism; more practical (and honest) observers know that AUKUSs emergence has exposed the Quads toothlessness. Its not a security meeting or a security apparatus, White House press secretary Jen Psaki admits of the Quad. It would have been able to achieve little without the potentially coercive force of AUKUS which is a response to the perceived Chinese aggression. Even the effects of this imaginary deterrent can be exaggerated. What impact would Australian nuclear-powered subs in the Indo-Pacific Ocean have on aggression in Ladakh? Would these subs attack Chinas Navy in the South China Sea to resolve Australias trade dispute with the Chinese? Or attempt a reverse Pearl Harbour to persuade Beijing to be more accommodating over tariffs? It is inconceivable that the US should want a military confrontation with a China whose holding of $1,068.3 billion of US government debt (14 per cent of the total) makes it the second largest holder of US government debt, after Japan. What the shift may indicate is that American military diplomacy is shifting from the specific defence of Taiwan to more general threats, real or imagined, across the entire Indo-Pacific region. This is seen as a step towards a new balance of power and a commitment by the United States and Britain to transfer some of their most sensitive technology to a third country over the next decade. The only parallel is the US handing over a nuclear submarine propulsion plant to the Royal Navy in 1958 to enable Britain to go nuclear at sea. Not only are nuclear-powered subs sensitive because of their range, speed and stealthiness, they are also dangerous because they are powered with the same stuff usually, uranium enriched so that it has a higher proportion of the most fissile isotope, U-235 that makes bombs so lethal. Yet, the US (or Britain, with its blessings) will build a fleet of at least eight nuclear-powered submarines for the new Sheriff of Asia under procedures to be worked out over the next 18 months. To be fair, this first-ever face-to-face meeting of the rulers of the US, India, Japan and Australia went beyond nuclear weapons. Cooperation also promises to embrace cyber capabilities, artificial intelligence, quantum computing and more. Mr Bidens new Quad fellowship will take students from the three other Quad countries to the US to pursue advanced degrees in STEM programmes. It represents an investment in the leaders, innovators, and pioneers of tomorrow, according to the US President. Not that all imponderables receive similar serious attention. Frances diesel-powered submarines may be technologically inadequate but their summary rejection by Australias sudden cancellation of a $40 billion deal has left Paris understandably enraged. The small nations of the South Sea Islands are worried about nuclear proliferation. Indonesia is deeply concerned over the continuing arms race and power projection in the region. Iran sees no reason now to curb its own nuclear programme. Neither does North Korea. In fact, the NPT is a dead letter. What cannot be forgotten is that the relationship with China is not only military. China accounts for 20 per cent of pollution and must be an active participant in the forthcoming climate change conference to be held in Glasgow. China is a major buyer of all Australian produce. China is a major exporter to India. Many smaller economies might collapse if the Chinese call in all their debts. America has thrown down the gauntlet. The world is now waiting to see whether China picks it up. Conglomerate Reliance Industries might invest around $250-$300 million to buy a stake in InMobi's mobile content platform Glance, sources said. However, an email sent to RIL did not elicit any response. The speculative development assumes significance since the platform will be able to provide curated content for the company's upcoming mobile phone which has been developed with Google. Notably, the content platform is backed by Google Inc's subsidiary Alphabet Inc. Also Read | HDFC plans to raise Rs 6,000 crore via bonds The platform provides curated content including news and short videos on the phone's locked screens. As per sources, the transaction is expected to be completed within few weeks. In July 2020, Reliance Jio and Google announced their partnership to develop an affordable smartphone. Subsequently, Jio Platforms and Google entered into a commercial agreement to jointly develop the entry-level affordable smartphone with optimisations to the Android operating system and the Play Store. At that time, Google announced to invest Rs 33,737 crore ($4.5 billion) in Jio Platforms for an equity stake of 7.73 per cent. The smartphone is expected to hit the market around Diwali time. Check out the latest videos from DH: Netflix Inc is not looking to buy a movie theatre chain, Co-Chief Executive Ted Sarandos said on Monday, a rejection of speculation that swirled after the world's largest streaming service bought two cinemas. The company owns one theatre in New York, purchased in 2019, and one in Los Angeles, which it bought in 2020. Netflix uses the cinemas to hold movie premieres and to showcase some of its original films. Asked at Vox Media's Code Conference if Netflix might next buy a theatre chain, Sarandos said "no." He also said he expected theatres to survive the rise of at-home streaming but that audiences would make fewer trips to their local cinema when they can watch so much programming at home. Also read: Netflix TUDUM: Check all films, shows unveiled here "I think (moviegoing) will be less frequent, maybe more expensive," he said. "Using it as an event to get out of the house, people are still going to be looking for that." Sarandos also said that the recently released Korean horror series "Squid Game" was on its way to becoming Netflix's biggest non-English title so far and could turn into its most popular show yet around the world. "We did not see that coming, in terms of its global popularity," Sarandos said. The current most-watched show, measured by total viewing hours, is romantic drama "Bridgerton", Sarandos said. The most popular film to date is Sandra Bullock thriller "Bird Box." Theres been a big jump in dengue cases across Bengaluru after two months of rainfall. The city reported 697 cases of dengue in August, a four-fold increase from 155 in March. In the first two weeks of September, the city reported more than 200 cases. The spread of the disease is uniform across wards, officials said. Dengue is a viral disease spread by mosquitoes and causes sudden fever and acute joint pain. The rise in dengue cases comes at a time when the health authorities are focused on containing Covid-19 to avert a possible third wave. Dr Vijendra B K, Chief Health Officer, BBMP, described the spurt in dengue cases as a seasonal phenomenon seen during the August-October period. We see a spike in dengue cases during these months. But given this big rise in cases in just one month, we are closely monitoring the situation, he said but maintained that the situation is under control. The BBMP says it is focusing on measures such as source reduction to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes. It has also taken up IEC (Information, Education and Communication) activities in all the zones, said Randeep D, Special Commissioner (Health), BBMP. In July, the civic body launched a household survey to identify and clear larva-breeding spots. The surveyors have so far visited 1,17,036 households, of which 20% reported larva-breeding spots. The survey is still in progress. We are trying to focus on slums and other places where there is a high possibility of larva breeding, said Dr Surendra Kumar, Health Officer, Mahadevapura Zone. He asked residents to not store water for long and clean homes regularly since stagnant water breeds larvae. Check out latest videos from DH: International expos, or world fairs, draw millions of visitors to a chosen city every few years. Over two centuries these mega-events have introduced the world to tomato ketchup, colour television and mobile phones and have left us the Eiffel Tower, Seattle's Space Needle and Shanghai's enormous China Pavilion. This year it is the turn of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, which had to postpone the 2020 expo because of the pandemic. We look at the history and the organisation of these major international gatherings. The first universal exposition took place in Paris in 1798 to show off French industrial know-how at the dawn of the industrial revolution. Similar events took place in the French capital sporadically until 1849. Imperial Britain then took up the challenge, inviting industrialists and inventors from around the world to London in 1851, marking the birth of genuinely universal exhibitions. An immense glass "Crystal Palace" was built to host nearly 14,000 exhibitors from 40 countries in Hyde Park. Later reassembled in the south London suburb that still bears its name, the building was destroyed by a fire in 1936. Among the six million visitors to the Crystal Palace was Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, the future Napoleon III, who decided to create a universal exposition in the French capital. In 1855 the expo was held in an enormous building called the Palace of Industry and Fine Arts near the Champs Elysees, which was demolished at the end of the 19th century to make way for an even bigger expo. From then on they became major global events with 32 million people attending the Paris expo of 1889 to see the latest inventions and gadgets, and 51 million coming in 1900. The record is held by the Chinese city of Shanghai, which drew 73 million visitors in 2010. As well as symbolising the triumph of modernity, the fairs have often been used for propaganda. The Paris expo of 1867 celebrated the victories of Napoleon III -- three years before his ignominious downfall. And the expo of 1937 saw a titanic ideological clash between the German Third Reich and the Soviet Union, whose pavilions faced each other near the Eiffel Tower. Meanwhile, the Spanish pavilion showed "Guernica", Pablo Picasso's immense canvas denouncing fascist violence, during the country's civil war that dictator General Francisco Franco would later win. The expos have also created some of the world's most famous monuments, not least the Eiffel Tower, the centrepiece of the 1889 Paris expo. The city's Grand and Petit Palais, and its Chaillot and Tokyo palaces of culture, were also inherited from expos. Seattle's Space Needle became the emblem of the US city after it was built for the 1962 world fair, just as the huge steel spheres of the Atomium sculpture had helped put Brussels on the map five years earlier. Since 1928 the Paris-based International Exhibitions Bureau has run the expos. Some 170 countries are members and the host city is chosen by a vote of its general assembly. Since 2000 international expos have taken place every five years, with a hiatus in 2020 due to the pandemic. The 2025 expo is planned for Osaka in Japan. A universal expo is expected to both mirror and predicts the needs of contemporary society. The event is meant to improve knowledge, respond to human and social aspirations and promote progress. In Milan, in 2015 the theme was "Feeding the planet, energy for life!" after Shanghai in 2010 organised under the banner of "Better city, better life" and Aichi in Japan centred on the idea of "Nature's wisdom" in 2005. Check out the latest videos from DH: The Chinese governments move to reduce the rate of abortions needed for "non-medical reasons" has resulted in public backlash, with many seeing this as an intrusive measure meant to raise the countrys sagging birthrate as part of its three-child policy, according to a media report. Chinas central Cabinet, called the State Council, on Monday said it will reduce the rate of abortions needed for non-medical reasons, as part of its efforts to improve womens health, according to a series of new guidelines addressing issues related to women and children in the world's most populous nation. Though lowering the high abortion rate largely driven by a preference for boys over girls has been the government policy for decades, the Council's statement drew public attention immediately and was seen by many as restricting womens rights amid an official drive to boost population growth to address the countrys ageing population. The policy was criticised by the public as a new form of government interference in peoples private family life, after the notorious forced abortions during the implementation of the decades-old one-child policy, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday. Also Read | China says will reduce the number of abortions for 'non-medical purposes' Its so funny that when they didnt want so many people, they said fewer kids make you happy for the entire life, and when they wanted it, they said women should consider their health and avoid abortions. In the past, there were women who carried a second child being forced to get abortions, and now are they forcing people to get pregnant? a user of Weibo (akin to Chinese Twitter) commented. Last month, Chinas national legislature, the National Peoples Congress (NPC) formally endorsed the three-child policy mooted by the ruling Communist Party, in a major policy shift to prevent a steep decline in birth rates in the country, which has a population of over 1.4 billion. The revised Population and Family Planning Law, which allows Chinese couples to have three children, was passed by the NPC in an apparent attempt to address the reluctance of the Chinese couples to have more children due to mounting costs. The amended law has also passed more social and economic supportive measures to address the concerns. In May this year, the Communist Party approved a relaxation of its strict two-child policy to allow all couples to have up to three children. China permitted all couples to have two children in 2016, scrapping the decades-old one-child policy which policymakers blame for the demographic crisis in the country. Chinese officials claim the one-child policy implemented for over three decades has prevented over 400 million births. Li Ying, a Beijing-based womens rights lawyer, said amid the authorities diametric shift in family planning, its natural for women to worry that the authorities may now be imposing restrictions on access to abortions. The public backlash shows female citizens today have a better awareness of their rights. They want to make their own choices in terms of having babies, not be restricted by a law or regulation, Li told the South China Morning Post, adding that they have the freedom to raise children, and the freedom not to as well. The decision to permit the third child came after a new census this year showed that China's population grew at the slowest pace to 1.412 billion amid official projections that the decline may begin as early as next year. The new census figures revealed that the demographic crisis China faced was expected to deepen as the population above 60 years grew to 264 million, up by 18.7 per cent last year. As the calls for the government to do away with the family planning restrictions grew louder due to concerns that the declining population in the country could result in serious labour shortage, negatively impacting the world's second-largest economy, the ruling Communist Party of China, (CPC) has decided to permit a third child while declining to completely scrap the family planning policy. "Data shows the ageing of the Chinese population has further deepened, and we will continue to face the pressure to achieve a long-term balanced population development," Ning Jizhe, head of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said in May this year. The two-child policy failed to enthuse couples to have a second child as fewer opted for the second child, citing heavy expenditure in raising the children. The poor response made Liang Jianzhang, professor at Peking University's School of Economics, suggest to the government to offer parents 1 million yuan ($156,000) for each newborn child to shore up the country's declining birth rate. Check out latest DH videos here For a moment, it felt like he was already chancellor. As Olaf Scholz stood on the stage surrounded by euphoric followers chanting his name and celebrating him as if he were the next leader of Germany, he was the clear winner of the night. Scholz had just done the unthinkable carry his long moribund centre-left Social Democrats to victory, however narrow, in elections Sunday that were the most volatile in a generation. But if winning wasnt hard enough, the hardest part may be yet to come. Scholz, an affable but disciplined politician, most recently served as the vice chancellor and finance minister in the outgoing government of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Although he leads the party opposing her conservative Christian Democratic Union, he came out on top by persuading voters that he was not so much an agent of change as one of stability and continuity. In a race without an incumbent, he ran as one. It is a balancing act that may be hard to sustain for a one-time socialist who today is firmly rooted in the centre of a fast-changing political landscape. Also read: New German govt expected to continue strong ties with India, says German envoy Its not that Germans have suddenly shifted left. In fact, 3 in 4 Germans did not vote for his party at all, and Scholz campaigned on raising the minimum wage, strengthening German industry and fighting climate change all mainstream positions. Despite earning the most votes, Scholz is not yet assured of becoming chancellor. And if he does, he risks being absorbed in wrangling among multiple coalition partners, not to speak of rebellious factions within his own party. On Monday, as his conservative rival continued to insist that he would work to form a government, the momentum seemed to swing behind Scholz as it became increasingly evident that he had the strongest hand to play in coalition talks involving two other parties. The voters have spoken, he told reporters confidently. Still, his task will not be an easy one. Scholz has been a familiar face in German politics for more than two decades and served in several governments. But even now, its hard to know what kind of a chancellor he would be. A fiery young socialist in the 1970s, he gradually mellowed into a post-ideological centrist. Today, he is to the right of significant parts of his party not unlike US President Joe Biden, to whom he is sometimes compared. He lost his partys leadership contest two years ago to two leftists. His partys surprise revival in the election rested heavily on his own personal popularity. But many warn that Scholzs appeal does not solve the deeper problems and divisions that have plagued the Social Democrats, known by their German initialism SPD. None of the claims of staleness or political irrelevance levelled at the SPD over the past few years have gone away, the newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung wrote Monday. Or as Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff of the German Marshall Fund put it: Social Democrats arent offering a new package, theyre offering a centrist who makes you forget the party behind it. Like many of its sister parties elsewhere in Europe, Germanys Social Democrats have been in crisis for years, losing traditional working-class voters to the extremes on the left and right and young urban voters to the Greens. Now, Scholz will not only have to satisfy his own leftist party base, but he must also deal with a wholly new political landscape. Instead of two dominant parties competing to go into coalition with one partner, four midsize parties are now jockeying for a place in government. For the first time since the 1950s, the next chancellor will have to get at least three different parties behind a governing deal thats how Scholzs conservative runner-up, Armin Laschet, could theoretically still beat him to the top job. A new era in politics has officially begun in Germany and it looks messy. Germanys political landscape, long a place of sleepy stability where several chancellors stayed on for more than a decade, has fractured into multiple parties that no longer differ all that much in size. There is a structural shift going on that I dont think we have understood yet, said Kleine-Brockhoff. We are confronted with a change in the party system that we didnt see coming just weeks ago. A multidimensional chess game has opened. Scholz is walking into a fiendishly complicated process where the power to decide who will become the next leader lies almost more with the two smaller parties that will be part of any future administration: the progressive Greens, who at 14.8% had the best result in their history; and the pro-business Free Democrats, with 11.5%. Together, these two kingmakers are now stronger than either of the two main parties. In another first, the Free Democrats signalled they would hold talks with the Greens first before turning to the larger parties. The Free Democrats have never been shy about their preference to govern with the conservatives. The Greens are a much more natural fit with the Social Democrats, but might see advantages in negotiating with a weaker candidate. On the state level they have co-governed successfully with the Christian Democrats for years. Meanwhile, Laschet, whose unpopularity and campaign blunders sent his party crashing 9 percentage points to its lowest election result ever, said he would not concede on moral grounds, ignoring a growing number of calls from his own camp to accept defeat. No one should behave as if they alone can build a government, Laschet told reporters Monday. You become chancellor if you can build a majority. It would not be the first time that someone who lost the popular vote became chancellor. In 1969, 1976 and 1980, Willy Brandt and Helmut Schmidt, both centre-left chancellors, formed coalition governments having lost the popular vote. But both got upward of 40% of the vote and did not face the complex multiparty negotiations now getting underway in Germany. Several conservatives urged Laschet to concede Monday. Also read: Germany's Scholz says SDP to seek coalition with Greens, FDP It was a defeat, said Volker Bouffier, governor of the state of Hesse, adding that others were now called upon to form a government. Ellen Demuth, another conservative lawmaker, warned Laschet that his refusal to concede was hurting his party further. You have lost, Demuth tweeted. Please recognize that. Avoid further hurting the CDU and resign. The state leader of the conservative youth wing was equally adamant. We need a true renewal, said Marcus Mundlein and that, he said, could be successful only if Laschet bears the consequences of this loss in trust and steps down. An opinion poll released after the election showed that more than half of Germans preferred a coalition led by Scholz, compared with a third who said they wanted Laschet at the helm. Asked who they preferred as chancellor, 62% opted for Scholz, compared with 16% for Laschet. Some argued that a Scholz-led government would present his party with an opportunity to revive its declining fortunes. Its a momentous moment for German social democracy which was on the verge of eternal decline, Kleine-Brockhoff said. Mr. Scholz will have a very powerful position because he alone is the reason his party won. Japan's government says the coronavirus state of emergency will end Thursday so the economy can be reactivated as infections slow. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga announced Tuesday that virus restrictions will be eased gradually. With the lifting, Japan will be entirely free of emergency requirements for the first time in more than six months. Japan's current state of emergency, declared in April, was repeatedly extended and expanded. Despite public weariness and frustration over the measures, Japan has managed to avoid the more restrictive lockdowns imposed elsewhere while recording about 1.69 million cases and 17,500 deaths from Covid-19. Watch latest videos by DH here: Tightening the Talibans restrictions on women, the groups new chancellor for Kabul University announced Monday that women would be indefinitely barred from the institution either as instructors or students. I give you my words as chancellor of Kabul University, Mohammad Ashraf Ghairat said on Twitter on Monday. As long as a real Islamic environment is not provided for all, women will not be allowed to come to universities or work. Islam first. The new university policy echoes the Talibans first time in power, in the 1990s, when women were only allowed in public if accompanied by a male relative and would be beaten for disobeying, and were kept from school entirely. Some female staff members, who have worked in relative freedom over the past two decades, pushed back against the new decree, questioning the idea that the Taliban had a monopoly on defining the Islamic faith. In this holy place, there was nothing un-Islamic, one female lecturer said, speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of reprisal, as did several others interviewed by The New York Times. Presidents, teachers, engineers and even mullahs are trained here and gifted to society, she said. Kabul University is the home to the nation of Afghanistan. Also read: Afghan saffron boss Shafiqeh Attai says Taliban will not silence her In the days after the Taliban seized power in August, officials went to pains to insist that this time would be better for women, who would be allowed to study, work and even participate in government. But none of that has happened. Taliban leaders recently named an all-male cabinet. The new government has also prohibited women from returning to the workplace, citing security concerns, though officials have described that as temporary. (The original Taliban movement did that as well in its early days in 1990s, but never followed up.) Two weeks ago, the Taliban replaced the president of Kabul University, the countrys premier college, with Ghairat, a 34-year-old devotee of the movement who has referred to the countrys schools as centres for prostitution. It was another grave blow to an Afghan higher education system that had been buoyed for years by hundreds of millions of dollars in foreign aid, but has been reeling since the groups return to power. There is no hope, the entire higher education system is collapsing, said Hamid Obaidi, a former spokesperson for the Ministry of Higher Education who was also a lecturer at the Journalism School of Kabul University. Everything was ruined. Tens of thousands of public university students are staying home because their schools are closed. The American University in Afghanistan, in which the US invested more than $100 million, has been abandoned completely and taken over by the Taliban. Also read: Taliban bans hairdressers from shaving, trimming beards Professors and lecturers from across the country, many of whom were educated overseas, have fled their posts in anticipation of more stringent regulations from the Taliban. In their wake, the government is appointing religious purists, many of whom have minimal academic experience, to head the institutions. In a symbolic act of resistance, the teachers union of Afghanistan last week sent a letter to the government demanding that it rescind Ghairats appointment. The young chancellor was also criticised on social media for his lack of academic experience. Reached by the Times, some of his classmates described him as an isolated student with extremist views who had problems with female classmates and lecturers. I havent even started the job yet, Ghairat said, rejecting concerns about his appointment in an interview with the Times. How do they know if I am qualified or not? Let time be the judge, he said, adding that his 15 years working on cultural affairs for the Taliban made him a perfect candidate for the job. The Talibans chief spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, tried to soften Ghairats announcement that women could not return to Kabul University, telling the Times, It might be his own personal view. But he would not give any assurances as to when the ban on women would be rescinded, saying that until then, the Taliban were working to devise a safer transportation system and an environment where female students are protected. Although some women have returned to class at private universities, the countrys public universities remain closed. Even if they reopen, it appears that women will be required to attend segregated classes, with only women as instructors. But with so few female teachers available and many of them still publicly restricted from working many women will almost certainly have no classes to attend. During the countrys civil war in the early 1990s, universities mostly remained closed. When the Taliban took power, in 1996, they brought the civil war mostly to an end but did little to revive their higher education system. Women and girls were prohibited from attending school altogether. After the American invasion in 2001, the United States poured more than a billion dollars into expanding and strengthening Afghanistans colleges and universities. Americas allies, as well as international institutions such as the World Bank, spent heavily as well. By 2021, there were more than 150 institutions of higher education, which educated nearly a half-million students approximately one-third of whom were women. Read | Taliban Defence Minister issues 'killjoy order' Foreign aid for higher education came to an abrupt halt after the Taliban takeover in August. Money from the United States and its NATO allies ended, as did funding from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. That effectively deprived thousands of government workers and teachers of their salaries. According to estimates by lecturers who spoke with the Times, more than half of the countrys professors have left their jobs. Kabul University has lost a quarter of its faculty, one of the universitys board members said, adding that in some departments, including Spanish and French language, there are no teachers left. Kabul University is facing a brain drain, said Sami Mahdi, a journalist and former lecturer at Kabul University School of Public Policy, who spoke over the phone from Ankara, Turkey. He flew out of the country the day before Kabul fell to the Taliban, he said, but has kept in touch with his students back home. They are disheartened especially the girls, because they know that they wont be able to go back, he said. The exodus of intellectual capital is not limited to Kabul University. At the University of Herat, in western Afghanistan, only six out of 15 professors remain in the journalism faculty. Three who fled are hoping to enter the United States from other countries; and six of the absent lecturers were studying abroad before the Taliban returned to power and say that they wont return. Similar concerns have been reported at Balkh University, in northern Afghanistan, as well. The Taliban replaced school leadership at all those institutions. Hundreds of professors or students are still trying to get out of Afghanistan. Many have been contacting foreign organisations they were associated with in the past and pleading for sponsorship so they can be evacuated. In Washington, a senior State Department official signalled increasing irritation with the Taliban on Monday over concerns that people who are deemed at high threat of retaliation including women who have partnered with American officials or training programs have not been allowed to freely travel or leave the country. The official said that included about 100 American citizens and legal US residents who have indicated they want to leave, and are waiting in Kabul for a flight out. Also read: Social media campaign highlights colorful Afghan clothing to protest Taliban dress code The trauma facing Afghanistans students was encapsulated in the experience of a 22-year-old Kabul University student who spoke to the Times last week. In November, with the capital still in the hands of its pro-Western government, gunmen from the Islamic State group walked into a classroom in Kabul University and opened fire, killing 22 of her classmates. After escaping through a window to save her life, she was shot in the hand while running from the building. She was left traumatised and with chronic pain, but she still continued to attend classes. By August, when Taliban soldiers entered Kabul, she was only months away from receiving her degree. But now the Taliban decree appears to have rendered her dream impossible. All the hard work I have done so far looks like it is gone, she said. I find myself wishing I had died in that attack with my classmates instead of living to see this. Check out latest videos from DH: In the nearly nine months since Jan. 6, federal agents have tracked down and arrested more than 600 people across the United States believed to have joined in the riot at the US Capitol. Getting those cases swiftly to trial is turning out to be an even more difficult task. Investigators have collected a mountain of evidence in the attack and are working to organise it and share it with defense attorneys. And that mountain keeps growing with new arrests still happening practically every week. Washington's federal court, meanwhile, is clogged with Jan. 6 cases, which more than double the total number of new criminal cases filed there all of last year. Further complicating things are limitations the court has put on trials because of the coronavirus pandemic. Also Read | Capitol Police officer who shot Trump supporter Ashli Babbitt says it was 'last resort' The court delays are dragging out a process already called into question by some right-wing lawmakers, who argue it's a waste of time and money to prosecute people accused of low-level crimes. As the court cases continue to stall, so do answers to what happened that day and the possibility for consequences from the most violent assault at the Capitol in a generation. Meanwhile, Democrats in the House are subpoenaing former President Donald Trump's aides and have requested a trove of documents as a select committee also probes the insurrection. While it's not unusual for federal cases to take a year or more to work through the system, some defense lawyers and judges are raising concerns that defendants with a right to a speedy trial may end up waiting a long time before getting their day in court. The reason for the delay has not changed or become even remotely concrete. It remains as amorphous today as it was months ago, an attorney wrote in court documents opposing prosecutors' request to cancel the scheduled November trial for Timothy Hale-Cusanelli, an ex-Army reservist described by co-workers as a known Nazi sympathiser. So far, only about 80 cases have been resolved by guilty pleas largely by those who were charged only with misdemeanor offenses. Scores of others face serious felony charges including conspiracy, assaulting officers and obstructing of an official proceeding that call for lengthy sentences behind bars. The Justice Department has called it the largest investigation in American history, with probes open in 55 out of 56 FBI field offices. Evidence collected in the attack includes thousands of hours of video footage, hundreds of thousands of tips from the public and more than 1 million Parler posts, replies and data. The Justice Department is building massive databases to share all evidence stemming from the attack with defense attorneys. In the most high-profile case brought so far, involving more than a dozen members and associates of the far-right extremist group the Oath Keepers, prosecutors recently told a judge that a January trial date for the first set of defendants is looking increasingly unrealistic given how much evidence they still need to get into defense attorneys' hands. US District Judge Amit Mehta said if they have to wait until prosecutors turn over every single scrap of evidence they've collected in the Jan. 6 investigation rather than just that which relates to a specific defendant there won't be trials in any of these cases before 2023. And three of the Oath Keepers defendants, accused of conspiring to block the certification of Joe Biden's presidential election victory over Trump, are behind bars. I have to keep their interests in a speedy trial in mind here, Mehta said. I am concerned about a lengthy pretrial detention period, he added. He didn't immediately rule but signaled that the first Oath Keepers trial would likely be pushed to April, with the second scheduled for July. At least one of those roughly 70 defendants who are locked up pretrial has already pointed to the delays in an effort to get out of jail. Kelly Meggs, described by authorities as the leader of the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers, said in an unsuccessful motion for release that with a January trial looking unlikely, he's effectively being held in indefinite pre-trial detention which, under the circumstances, is tantamount to a human rights violation. Prosecutors say they are working as quickly as possible under unprecedented challenges to share all evidence that could potentially help the defense and keep the cases moving forward. But new evidence is still being unearthed with each new arrest or as analysis is completed on the thousands of hours of video taken during that chaotic day. In the case of Robert Reeder, armchair detectives who call themselves Sedition Hunters unearthed new evidence just before he was supposed to be sentenced last month with a recommendation of probation. The video appears to shows Reeder scuffling with a police officer, running counter to his assertion that he had not been part of any violence that day. Reeder's attorney called the clip problematic. A new sentencing is set for Oct. 8. The coronavirus is only making matters worse. Cases were already backed up because of the pandemic, and the court has said no more than three trials can be held at once at least until the end of October to allow for social distancing. A judge in one case recently warned attorneys there's no guarantee they will be going to trial as planned in February if Covid-19 numbers tick up. The pandemic has also made it harder for defendants held behind bars to safely work with their lawyers a problem that's plagued the entire criminal justice system. The defense attorneys just aren't really able to consistently meet with their clients, aren't able to consistently share data or prepare defense with them in an engaged, consistent way, said Jon Lewis, a research fellow who's been following the Jan. 6 cases for the Program on Extremism at George Washington University. It's a very real issue. Some defendants, like Hale-Cusanelli, say they don't want to wait any longer for their chance to defend themselves in court. Hale-Cusanelli is scheduled for trial on Nov. 9, but prosecutors say there's no way that's possible. A judge has set a hearing for next week to decide whether to keep that date in place. A lawyer for the former Army reservist accused prosecutors of seeking more time only to further cement their case" against his client, despite having allegedly sufficient evidence to indict him. Prosecutors called that assertion wholly without foundation. "The government has presented eminently reasonable explanations for the delay: its strenuous efforts to meet the challenges imposed by the enormous amount of relevant evidence that it must review, process, categorise, and organise into a format that will make it accessible and useful to the defense," they wrote in court documents. Prosecutors say Hale-Cusanelli, who worked as a security contractor at a Navy base, used his military training to avoid the effects of pepper spray and tactical hand signals to urge fellow rioters forward on Jan. 6. He later described the day as exhilarating to a tipster, praising the the adrenaline, the rush, the purpose he felt, according to court documents. Hale-Cusanelli's attorney has noted that he is not accused of hurting anyone that day. The defense has called him an opinionated individual who fully exercised his right to speak freely before being imprisoned." Check out latest DH videos here France is seeking to water down a planned joint EU-US declaration on technology cooperation, against the wishes of other EU countries, EU diplomats said on Tuesday. Senior US and European Union officials aim to discuss semiconductor shortages, artificial intelligence and tech competition issues at the inaugural meeting of the Trade and Technology Council (TTC) on Wednesday. However, EU diplomats said that France wanted to strike out a reference to a second meeting in spring 2022, when the French presidential election will take place. It also sought to remove language on a proposed semiconductor supply chain partnership that said the EU and the United States were mutually dependent, diplomats said. Also Read | EU chief Charles Michel denounces 'lack of loyalty' by US "There is a consensus minus one," one EU diplomat said. Another EU diplomat said the French view was that security of supply went beyond just a short-term semiconductor issue, including for example vaccines, and that the United States itself did not want to be dependent on the European Union. France, the diplomat said, had stressed that the approach should be more cautious, with transatlantic trust also needing to be rebuilt. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, US Trade Representative Katherine Tai will host European Commission vice presidents Valdis Dombrovskis and Margrethe Vestager in a forum also designed to set tech standards. It was not clear how the EU members would reach agreement in time for Wednesday's TTC meeting, although the European Commission was talking with France and other EU countries, diplomats said. The six-hour time difference between Brussels and Washington was adding a further layer of complication. The TTC meeting had been in doubt last week because of French anger over Australia's scrapping of a $40 billion submarine contract and decision to opt instead for a deal with the United States and Britain to buy nuclear-powered vessels. Check out latest DH videos A 19-year-old Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist from Pakistan was captured by the army along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri sector of north Kashmirs Baramulla district while seven militants were killed in a nine-day operation in the same area. The army said the infiltrators were planning a major strike and Ali Babar Patra, son of late Mohammad Lateef resident of Dipalpur district Okara of Punjab, Pakistan, had claimed that he had to drop arms in Baramulla. Addressing a presser at Uri, General Officer Commanding (GoC) of 19 Division, Lt General Virendra Vats, said the operation started on September 18 when alert troops detected the infiltration movement following which an encounter broke out and more reinforcement was mobilised. The infiltrating group comprised of six terrorists and two of them managed to sneak into Indian side while four others went back, taking advantage of darkness. The duo was holed up in a nallah at Salamabad and the contact was established again on September 25 and one of them was killed next day, while another one (Ali Babar Patra) surrendered, he said. Also Read | Kashmiris need not worry about situation along LoC: Army officer Patra, the GOC said, has admitted that he was a member of the LeT and he underwent a three-week course in 2019 at Khyber camp in Muzaffarabad. Subsequently after training, he was sent home and thereafter he was recalled for some important task this year, he said. The false and fake narratives of Islam being in danger and perceived killing including the atrocities being committed against the Muslims in Kashmir was the main theme of indoctrination during the training. Possibly, the Pakistan national who surrendered was coerced and lured into joining the terrorists' ranks due to his poor financial condition, Lt General Vats said. The arrested terrorist has revealed to the army that he was supposed to drop weapons in Pattan area. But when we saw the recoveries that were made, it is quite possible that these infiltrators had come here for some kind of strike, which went beyond the supply drop. This infiltration attempt was made in the area of Salamabad nallah, this is the same area through which we have had a history of infiltration in 2016 that is when a suicide attack on Uri Garrison took place, Lt General Vats said. The GOC added that in the last nine days seven militants have been neutralised and one has been apprehended and five of these neutralizations have taken place near the LoC. The major recoveries that have taken place include seven AK rifles, nine pistols and revolvers and more than 80 different kinds of grenades and some Pakistani and Indian currency, he added. Check out latest DH videos here Around 25 inmates lodged in prison number 11 of the Mandoli Jail sustained minor injuries, which they inflicted on themselves, after two of them were not allowed to go out of their ward, officials said on Tuesday. The incident took place on Monday evening, they added. All the inmates sustained minor injuries, which were self-inflicted, the jail officials said, adding that one of them was sent to the hospital, but he is back in the jail after treatment. "Two inmates wanted to go out of the ward without any reason. On not being permitted, they caused injuries to themselves and also instigated some others to self-inflict injuries," Director General (Delhi Prisons) Sandeep Goel said. All of them sustained minor injuries, he added. Check out DH's latest videos China has put in place new modular container-based accommodations for its troops in several high-altitude forward areas on its side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh in response to Indian deployment in the region, people familiar with the developments said on Monday. The shelters were installed in locations near Tashigong, Manza, Hot Springs and Churup among others, in reflection of simmering tensions between the two sides in the region, they said. The people cited above said Chinas People Liberation Army (PLA) has been feeling the heat of the Indian response to its misadventure in the region last year and that the Chinese military has been forced to go for long deployments and boost infrastructure in the region. They said the Indian response to the Chinese actions last year, particularly after the Galwan Valley clashes, surprised the neighbouring country and that it deployed troops in areas where it never used to earlier. Our strategy is hurting them. They are reacting to our response. We have forced PLA to go for forward deployment and boost infrastructure, said one of the people. They said the new deployments are appearing to be affecting the morale of the Chinese troops as they were not used to operate in such difficult terrain. The new container-based accommodations were built in addition to the additional military camps that the Chinese military had set up following the escalation in tension between the two sides last year. The people said India is also ramping up construction of tunnels, bridges roads and other critical infrastructure in eastern Ladakh and other areas along the nearly 3,500-km LAC. They said China is also significantly enhancing its airbases and air defence units near the LAC in eastern Ladakh. The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5, last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area. Vaccine maker Bharat Biotech said that it would not speculate on the WHO regulatory approval process and its timeline, after it emerged that the international health body had sought more details to list Covaxin for global emergency use acceptance. WHOs Emergency Use Listing (EUL) is a green light for a vaccine's roll-out globally. It also allows countries to expedite their own regulatory approval to import and administer Covid-19 or other vaccines. The Hyderabad-based firm had in May this year applied to the World Health Organization for Covaxin's EUL and expected to get approval by July-September. In mid-July, Bharat Biotech International Limited CMD Dr Krishna Ella announced that all documents required for EUL of Covaxin have been submitted to WHO. Also Read | Shortage of staff, production crunch: Why Covaxin couldnt lead Indias vaccination efforts Around the same time, WHO's chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan said that a decision on Covaxin's EUL is likely to be taken in four to six weeks. However, WHO has now reportedly asked Bharat Biotech for more data on its Covid-19 vaccine, which could further delay the global acceptance tag for the homegrown vaccine. As a responsible manufacturer with past approvals for our other vaccines, we do not find it appropriate to speculate or comment on the regulatory approval process and its timelines, Bharat Biotech stated on Tuesday, adding that it is diligently working with the WHO to obtain EUL at the earliest. While not disclosing what sort of information was sought by WHO, Bharat Biotech said that it will make announcements to indicate the availability of regulatory approvals, at appropriate times. Also read | Paediatric Covaxin: Bharat Biotech completes phase 2/3 trials The EUL assesses the quality, safety and efficacy of Covid-19 vaccines, as well as risk management plans and programmatic suitability, such as cold chain requirements. WHO says that its EUL is a risk-based procedure for assessing and listing unlicensed vaccines, therapeutics and in vitro diagnostics with the ultimate aim of expediting the availability of these products to people affected by a public health emergency. Serum Institute of India's Covishield, a version of the AstraZeneca/Oxford University Covid-19 vaccine, had received WHO emergency listing in February. Both Covishiled and Covaxin are part of the ongoing Covid-19 immunisation programme in the country. Covaxin, jointly developed by the ICMR, National Institute of Virology and Bharat Biotech last year was approved for emergency use in the country in January. The final Phase-3 trial results of the vaccine's safety and efficacy came out six months later. In July, the firm claimed that Covaxin was showing an overall efficiency of 77.8 per cent against the coronavirus and is 93.4 per cent effective in severe cases of Covid-19 infection. The indigenous Covid-19 vaccine is offering 63.6 per cent immunity in asymptomatic cases, and is also demonstrating 65.2 per cent protection against the Delta variant infection, Bharat Biotech had announced in a joint statement with Indian Council of Medical Research. Check out latest DH videos here The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday stated said that the Bhabanipur Assembly by-election can be held as per schedule. However, it sternly criticised West Bengal Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi stating that by writing to the Election Commission (EC) that by-poll at Bhabanipur has to be held to avoid a constitutional crisis, he acted more like a servant of a political party in power than a public servant. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting from Bhabanipur. As the process of election was initiated with the issuance of press note dated September 4, 2021 and the polling has to be held on September 30,2021, we do not find it appropriate to interfere with the decision of the Commission to hold by-election to Bhabanipur Assembly constituency at this stage, stated the order. The order was issued following a PIL for quashing the EC's decision to hold the by-poll based on the "misleading" submission made by the Chief Secretary. The division bench comprising of Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Rajarshi Bharadwaj stated in the order that they have strong reservation about the conduct of the Chief Secretary for writing to EC that there would be a constitutional crisis if the by-poll at Bhabanipur was not held. It further stated that regardless of who is in power, the Chief Secretary being a public servant has to discharge his duty as per law. He is not to ensure that any particular person should come in power and in the absence there would be constitutional crisis stated the order. The Division Bench pointed out that the Chief Secretary in his letter to the EC did not explain what constitutional crisis the Government could face with one person winning or losing an election. It asked how the Chief Secretary knew that the respondent No 5 was going to contest the by-poll in Bhabanipur Assembly constituency. He was not a party spokesman or a returning officer, the Division Bench stated in its order. Referring to the Chief Secretarys letter to the EC wherein he stated that the Covid-19 situation in the state was under control, the Division Bench further stated that the information furnished to the EC by the Chief Secretary was contrary to facts as restrictions regarding the pandemic has been extended in the state up to September 30. It further stated that the EC was misled regarding the flood situation in the state as there had been excessive rain. Check out the latest DH videos here: Young leader Kanhaiya Kumar joined the Congress after quitting the CPI on Tuesday while Gujarat independent MLA Jignesh Mevani promised to fight the next Gujarat Assembly elections under the party's symbol, on a day the main Opposition party stumbled into another political crisis after its Punjab state president resigned from the post. Just before officially joining the Congress, Kanhaiya along with Mevani accompanied former Congress president Rahul Gandhi to Shaheed Bhagat Singh Park in the national capital to celebrate the birth anniversary of the iconic freedom fighter. Back at the Congress headquarters, Kanhaiya, who shot to limelight after a sedition case was registered against him when he was Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union President in 2016, filled in the form to join the party while Mevani did not officially join the party as law makes it clear that an independent MLA stands disqualified if he or she joins a political party. However, Mevani made it clear that he would fight the Gujarat elections as a Congress candidate. "I could not join the Congress formally due to technical reasons. I am an independent MLA and if I join a party, I cannot continue as an MLA...I am part of the Congress ideologically, and will fight the upcoming Gujarat polls from the Congress symbol," he said. At a press conference at the Congress headquarters, Kanhaiya said, "I am joining Congress because I feel that an (BJP-RSS) ideology is trying to ruin the values, culture, history and future of this country...if Congress is not saved, the country cannot be saved...Congress fights the BJP directly in 200 seats and it is a big party. If a big ship is not saved, we cannot save the smaller ones." The press meet was attended by Mevani, Congress General Secretaries K C Venugopal and Randeep Surjewala, Treasurer Pawan Bansal, Congress' Bihar in-charge Bhakta Charan Das and Gujarat Working President Hardik Patel. CPI General Secretary D Raja described Kanhaiya's move as "sheer betrayal of the party and communist ideology" as he did not have the commitment to work for the downtrodden and said he was guided by "personal ambition and personal motive". He said Kanhaiya had recently attended the National Executive of the party in Delhi but never raised any ideological issues within the party or with leaders. "Kumar expelled himself from the party...I and some other leaders spoke to him but he told us that all talk about leaving the party was rumour. He was not straightforward and truthful to the party," Raja told reporters. Hours before quitting the party, Kanhaiya emailed Raja his resignation at 1:19 PM. "In the current circumstances, there is a need for a strong and active communist party in the country. I hope that our party will fulfill this. Sadly, but I want to be relieved from the organisational responsibilities of the party. I wish to fulfil the political and ideological responsibilities through other means. I request you to relieve me from all fora of the party," Kanhaiya said in the email in Hindi. Kanhaiya defended his decision of joining Congress saying that he believes in people's aspirations, Mahatma Gandhi's oneness, Bhagat Singh's courage and B R Ambedkar's idea of equality and the Congress will protect it. "I am joining Congress because it is not just a party, it is an idea. It is the country's oldest and most democratic party and I am emphasising on democratic...Not just me, many think that country cannot survive without Congress," he said. Mevani said to save democracy and the idea of India, he had to be with a party that led the Independence struggle and dragged the British out of the country. Venugopal said, "we look forward to working with these young leaders, Kumar & Mevani, to defeat the fascist forces ruling this country...Kanhaiya Kumar is a symbol of the fight for freedom of expression in this country. He fought against fundamentalism as a student leader. The joining of a dynamic personality will fill the entire cadre of Congress with enthusiasm." Check out DH's latest videos: The "Bharat Bandh" called by the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, an umbrella body of 40 farm unions on Monday, seeking the repeal of the three contentious farm laws, threw road and railway traffic out of gear in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana while evoking mixed and lukewarm responses in different other places. The 10-hour long protest during which farmers blocked national highways and squatted on railway tracks, affecting the movement of more than two dozen trains including Shatabdi kicked up a political row between the ruling BJP and the Opposition. In the war of right and wrong, you cannot afford to be neutral!! We urge every Congress worker to fight with all their might against the three Unconstitutional Black Laws!!" Punjab state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu tweeted. Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee firmly stands by Farmer Unions demand for Bharat Bandh on 27 Sept 2021. In the war of right and wrong you can not afford to be neutral !! We urge every Congress worker to fight with all their might against the three Unconstitutional Black Laws !! Navjot Singh Sidhu (@sherryontopp) September 26, 2021 Two Opposition Chief Ministers -- Charanjit Singh Channi of Congress-ruled Punjab and Arvind Kejriwal of AAP-ruled Delhi said the demands of farmers were legitimate and asked the Centre to repeal the farm laws. "Farmers' non-violent satyagraha is resolute even today, but the exploitative government does not like this and that's why it is Bharat Bandh today," former Congress President Rahul Gandhi said. Also read: OPINION | Revisit farm laws, build trust Taking it further, his party colleague, Pawan Khera told Prime Minister Narendra Modi, "You cannot be arrogant when you are the prime minister. You have to listen to your country and when 60 per cent of your country speaks, please speak to them." While Khera called for the need to "stand unitedly with the farmers otherwise the future of our nation is dark,", Union Minister from BJP Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi alleged that the few political parties have "hijacked" the farmer protest doing the "criminal conspiracy" of "fanning" the protest for their "political gains". Reminding the Prime Minister of his remarks in January that the government is still a phone call away and is ready to talk to farmers any moment to resolve the politics, Congress took a dig saying, "the farmers are still waiting for that phone call." BJP dismissed the charge, claiming the Modi government has repeatedly reached out to farmer unions and had also offered a moratorium on the implementation of the three laws -- the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020, which were passed by Parliament in September last year. Also read: Bharat Bandh against farm laws disrupts lives in pockets, highway blockades and train 'rokos' in places The attempts to break the logjam between the government and protesting farmer unions have failed even after 11 rounds of talks and there has been a communication break between the government and the farmers since January 26 after tractor rally violence. Meanwhile, BKU leader Rakesh Tikait thanked people for the "nationwide success of the peaceful Bharat Bandh" and said it was a "slap" on the face of those, who described the farmer agitation as an event limited to just three states. "Thousands of farmers expressed their anger coming out in streets in the whole country, which was supported by traders, labourers, employees and trade unions. Political parties also supported the Bandh. The government should not live under the misconception that the farmers will return home empty-handed. Farmers are unflinching on their resolve to get the contentious farm laws withdrawn," Tikait said. Swaraj India leader Yogendra Yadav said the bandh was "extraordinarily successful". A statement of Samyukta Kisan Morcha said claimed that the bandh was successful at hundreds of locations from Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Kerala, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Pondicherry, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal. While the blockade of Delhi-Haryana borders led to a standstill for hours during peak traffic hours, more than two dozen inbound and outbound trains passing through Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab -- Delhi-Amritsar Shan-e-Punjab, New Delhi-Moga Express, Old Delhi-Pathankot Express, Vande Bharat Express from New Delhi to Katra, and Amritsar Shatabdi--- were affected due to blockades and sit-ins at 20 major railway stations. In Punjab, there was also a total shutdown with vehicles off the roads and commercial establishments shut. The national highways in Amritsar, Rupnagar, Jalandhar, Pathankot, Sangrur, Mohali, Ludhiana, Ferozepur, Bathinda, were blocked by the protesters. The bandh impact was felt in BJP-ruled Haryana as well, as protesting farmers blocked the national highways in Sirsa, Fatehabad, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Hisar, Charkhi Dadri, Karnal, Kaithal, Rohtak, Jhajjar and Panchkula districts. The SKM had exempted all emergency establishments and essential services, including hospitals, medical stores, relief-and-rescue work and people attending to personal emergencies from the bandh call. Keeping the past protest in mind, the Delhi police kept the roads around the historic Red Fort as well as the dual carriageway at the Ghazipur border out of bounds for traffic. Check out latest videos from DH: Hours before former JNU student Union President and CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumar and young Dalit leader and Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani are to join Congress, BJP on Tuesday revived the 'tukde tukde' attack on the main Opposition party saying "joining hands with 'Breaking India' forces is now Congresss raison d'etre." "On the anniversary of surgical strike, Congress to admit Kanhaiya Kumar and Jignesh Mevani of Bharat tere tukde honge fame. This cant be a mere coincidence," BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya said as indications emerged that both Kumar and Mevani will be joining the Congress on Tuesday evening in presence of Rahul Gandhi. On the anniversary of surgical strike, Congress to admit Kanhaiya Kumar and Jignesh Mewani of Bharat tere tukde honge fame. This cant be a mere coincidence. Joining hands with Breaking India forces is now Congresss raison d'etre. Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) September 28, 2021 Kumar and Mevani will also go to a memorial park in the city to garland the statue of Bhagat Singh, the iconic freedom fighter, whose legacy has been claimed with equal enthusiasm by the Congress, the BJP and the Left. Rahul Gandhi too will be attending the garlanding, followed by a briefing by KC Venugopal, Randeep S Surjewala and Bhakta Charan Das at the AICC HQ. Their joining is good news for Congress, which has seen a spate of desertions of its important leaders including three this month. While Sushmita Dev, Mahila Congress chief quit Congress and became a Rajya Sabha MP from Trinamool Congress, party veteran and former Goa Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro is also set to join Mamata Banerjee's party after having resigned on Monday. Jitin Prasada, Congress' young Brahmin face in UP and once a close associate of Rahul Gandhi, became a minister in Yogi Adityanath government on Sunday, three months after he had resigned from Congress in June. Read more | Cong leaders keen to embrace BJP: Minister The joining of Kumar and Mevani is expected to strengthen the party's organisation in in Bihar and poll-bound Gujarat. It will also sharpen the party's social outreach nationally as Mevani is prominent young Dalit face, who is joining Congress days after the party gave Punjab its first Dalit Chief Minister in Charanjit Singh Channi. Mevani, a first-time MLA from the Vadgam Assembly constituency in Banaskantha district of Gujarat, which he had won in 2017 with the backing of Congress, had shot to fame with educational politics after the Dalit flogging case of Una in 2016. Gujarat is the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. In 2017, Congress with the help of Patidar leader Hardik Patel, Dalit leader Mevani and OBC leader Alpesh Thakor had given a tough fight to the BJP, which could win just 99 in the 182-member state Assembly in 2017. Thakor later joined the BJP while Patel became Working President in Congress. Mevani could also be given a key role, keeping in mind the state polls months away. Also Read | Functioning style of Congress leadership in Kerala triggers criticism In Bihar's case, Kumar is expected to enthuse some fresh energy in the moribund veins of Congress, which even after piggy-riding Tejashwi Yadav-led RJD, has not been able to emerge as a force. Moreover, Congress has never been easy with RJD as an ally and the party was always divided on this. Youth face Kanhaiya could help the party's independent outreach to people. Kanhiaya Kumar got into political limelight after being booked in a sedition case when he was JNUSU President, which was alluded by BJP's Malviya in the tweet to attack Congress. BJP had in past targeted Rahul Gandhi for his visit to JNU to express solidarity with the students then. Kumar, who later contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls from CPI against Union Minister Giriraj Singh of BJP from Begusarai was the runner-up, having got 2.68 lakh votes in his maiden Parliamentary election. RJD had declined to back his candidature and fielded its own candidate. Also Read | Congress an irrelevant, rotting puddle: TMC mouthpiece These joinings are in sync with recent openness in Congress to the lateral entry of leaders from other streams, who are aggressive and not hesitant to take on the BJP and the RSS like Nana Patole in Maharashtra and Revanth Reddy in Telangana. Addressing social media volunteers of the party, Rahul Gandhi had said, "There are many people who are not in Congress, but are very fearless in speaking the truth. Such people should be inducted into the party while those who are in the party but are scared to speak the truth should go away." Check out the latest DH videos here: The Delhi High Court Tuesday said the issue of security in district courts of the national capital is urgent as lawyers too may become victims of incidents such as the Rohini court shootout which left three people dead. The high court asked the police to file a status report on a plea seeking to ensure adequate security in district courts here in the wake of recent shootout inside the crowded Rohini courtroom. Justice Rekha Palli issued notice to Delhi Police and Bar Council of Delhi (BCD) on the petition filed by a woman advocate and said the report be filed within five days. This is something urgent. We dont want to lose lives. Lawyers could also become victims of incidents like this one. We dont want that, the court said and listed the matter for further hearing on October 11. Read | Rohini court shootout: HC asks police to file status report on plea to enhance security in district courts The police informed the court that it was taking steps to ensure that the security in district courts is geared up adequately. Advocate Robin Raju, appearing for petitioner Deepa Joseph, said the woman advocate was relatively new to the profession and soon after the firing incident, videos and photos were circulated on social media which had a jolting impact. Advocate Ajayinder Sangwan, representing the BCD, informed the court that they had a detailed meeting with senior police officers and it was agreed that the security at district courts would be upgraded to be at par with that at the Supreme Court. Delhi government standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi assured the court that the police has been taking steps to ensure adequate security at district courts. The petitioner-advocate said in her plea that she has been practising in various Delhi courts which have become unsafe and an easy terrain for gangsters to settle scores with each other, making courts unsafe for thousands of lawyers. Also Read | Rohini court shootout: Assailants had planned to surrender after killing gangster, say sources It is also painful that a young legal professional has also got severely injured in the scary incident. This shootout inside the court again puts a big question mark on the safety and security of judges, lawyers and litigants inside the district courts in Delhi, the plea said. It sought direction to Delhi Police and BCD to consider instructing all police personnel at court entrances to ensure that they check the ID cards of every lawyer who enters the premises. It also sought that Delhi Police make the level of security and frisking of lawyers at par with the Supreme Court and Delhi High Court and to take disciplinary action against the officers who fail to implement this direction with utmost diligence and seriousness. The plea, moved through lawyer Blessan Mathews, said the BCD be asked to issue an advisory to all the District Bar Associations in Delhi to recommend members of their bar to cooperate with police personnel at the main entrance of courts. Jailed gangster Jitendra Gogi and his two assailants posing as lawyers were killed inside the Rohini courtroom on September 24 in a dramatic shootout that also saw the police fire bullets in retaliation, the officials had said. Video footage of the incident showed policemen and lawyers rushing out in panic as gunshots rang out inside courtroom number 207. The two gunmen dressed as lawyers are suspected to be members of rival Tillu gang, an official had said, adding that over 30 shots were fired. On September 24, Chief Justice of India N V Ramana expressed deep concern over the shootout inside the crowded Rohini courtroom and spoke to the Delhi High Court Chief Justice and advised him to talk to both police and the Bar to ensure that the functioning of the court is not affected. Witnesses had said a law intern has also sustained bullet injury in her leg and some also claimed that the gang members pumped 10 bullets into Gogi, one of Delhi's most wanted criminals. Sources had said Gogi received about seven bullet injuries, even as there was no official confirmation from police on this. Check out latest DH videos here The Aam Aadmi Party on Tuesday claimed that Punjab Congress president Navjot Singh Sidhu quit from his post as he 'could not bear" that a Dalit has been made the chief minister of the state. Sidhu on Tuesday resigned as the chief of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee ahead of the Assembly elections in the state early next year. In a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Sidhu, however, said he will continue to serve the party. He had taken over as the state party chief in July this year. "This shows that Navjot Singh Sidhu is against Dalits. One poor son was made the chief minister... this, Sidhu could not bear. It is very sad," AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj told reporters. The AAP is the main opposition in Punjab. In his letter to Sonia Gandhi, Sidhu wrote, "The collapse of a man's character stems from the compromise corner, I can never compromise on Punjab's future and the agenda for the welfare of Punjab," he wrote in the letter. "Therefore, I hereby resign as the president of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. Will continue to serve the Congress," he further wrote. It is immediately not known what prompted Sidhu to leave the post of the Punjab Congress chief. Check out the latest videos from DH: Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh took a dig at Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu who resigned as Punjab Congress chief earlier today, saying "I told you so". In a tweet, Singh said, "Told you so. He is not a stable man and not fit for the border state of Punjab." I told you sohe is not a stable man and not fit for the border state of punjab. Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) September 28, 2021 Putting Punjab Congress back in a turmoil, Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned as the Punjab Congress chief on Tuesday, saying he cannot compromise on the future of his home state. In a letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, he said, "the collapse of a man's character stems from the compromise corner, I can never compromise on Punjab's future and the agenda for the welfare of Punjab." Check out DH's latest videos The acquaintance of Kerala PCC president K Sudhakaran with a fake antique merchant seems to have come as a shot in the arm for the Congress leaders opposed to him. While a section in the Congress started taking up the issue, the party is also unable to attack the left-front government in Kerala over the nexus of many police officers with the fraudster. Congress MP from Kerala Benny Behnan said on Tuesday that political party leaders should be more cautions while dealing with such person. The links of Sudhakaran with fake antique seller Monson Chacko alias Monson Mavingal came out at a time when the Congress party in Kerala is witnessing resentment against Sudhakaran's leadership. Incidentally, AICC general secretary in charge of Kerala Tariq Anwar was also in the state when the links of Sudhakaran with the cheating case accused came out. Many senior Congress leaders had openly expressed their resentment against the style of function of the party's new state leadership comprising Sudhakaran and leader of opposition V D Satheesan. But the main resentment was learnt to be against Sudhakaran. Sudhakaran not only denied allegation of a cheated person that Mavungal collected money from him in the presence of Sudhakaran, but also put up a political defensive by alleging that Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan could be playing a role in the allegations against him. With the picture of Sudhakaran with Mavungal coming out, he had to admit his acquaintance with the fraudster, but maintained that he was unaware of his shady dealings. Congress sources said that the party was now in a dilemma as it could not raise the Mavungal issue against the government even as his nexus with many senior police officers and the picture of a minister with Mavungal came out. There were also allegations of nexus of some other ministers with Mavungal. With Congress leader Rahul Gandhi coming down to Wayanad for a one-day visit to his constituency Wayanad on Wednesday the chances of the anti-Sudhakaran camps raising the issue overtly and covertly was very high. Check out the latest videos from DH: The Kerala High Court on Tuesday dismissed two pleas challenging Karnataka government's decision to restrict entry from here at borders of Kasaragod and Mangalore only to those having a negative RT-PCR report, saying the neighbouring state was well within its powers to issue such directions. The high court said it was an admitted fact there was no blockade of the roads from Kerala to Karnataka and the restrictions, like a negative RT-PCR certificate, were imposed within that state in view of the unprecedented surge of Covid-19 pandemic prevalent in Kerala. "Therefore, going by the guidelines issued by the central government, it is clear that under any such circumstances, the states are given the power and responsibility to impose reasonable restrictions, so as to combat the disease. "Therefore, state of Karnataka was well within its powers to issue circulars, orders or guidelines under the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, in consonance with various guidelines issued by the central government," a bench of Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly said and dismissed the two PILs, one by A K M Ashraf, the IUML MLA from Manjeshwar and the other by Jayananda K R, the Secretary of Rastrakavi Manjeshwara Govinda Pai Smaraka Samithi. The bench further said that the Karnataka government has the necessary leverage to issue circulars, taking into account the situations prevailing in the neighbouring states of Kerala and Maharashtra. "Viewed from that angle, it can never be said that a part of cause of action for the writ petitions has arisen within the state of Kerala. This is more so when there is no absolute prohibition for the citizens of Kerala to travel to Karnataka by any means, but we can only view it as restrictions imposed by the state of Karnataka. "Whether the restrictions imposed within the State of Karnataka are reasonable or not, is a matter to be considered and decided by the jurisdictional High Court," the bench said in its 100-page judgement. It further said that a "wholesome appreciation of the facts and circumstances" would show that no part of the cause of action, as regards the circulars issued by Karnataka government or its officials, would arise in Kerala. "Therefore, we have no hesitation to hold that the petitioners have failed to establish territorial jurisdiction of this court in interfering with the circulars issued by the state of Karnataka dated July 31 and accordingly, we decline the reliefs sought for by the petitioners in the background of the circulars so issued. In the result, the writ petitions are dismissed for want of territorial jurisdiction," the bench said. The petitioners had contended that the travel restrictions had resulted in people from Kerala being unable to enter Karnataka for any emergent situations and therefore, it was totally illegal and violative of the fundamental rights of citizens. The blockade was also causing disruption in trade, supply of food and other essential items and interfering with the rights of the citizens to move freely throughout the territory of India, the two PILs -- one of them filed by advocate P V Anoop -- had claimed. The pleas had also claimed that people of Manjeshwar rely entirely upon the medical facilities at Dakshin Kannada district/Mangalore city and its adjacent areas, since it is the nearest medical hub available. The Karnataka government had opposed the two pleas on the ground that the entire cause of action arises within that state, and the petitioners should challenge the circulars before the High Court of Karnataka. Check out the latest videos from DH: At a time when the state police have been facing flak over atrocities against women, Kerala State Women's Commission chairperson designate P Satheedevi on Tuesday said not just the police but even judiciary needs effective gender sensitisation training to deal with women issues. Police seemed to be discouraging women from going ahead with complaints and advised them for settlement in several cases while many court observations in connection with women issues were not found to be in accordance with the changing society and the mindset of the young generation, she noted. "This shows that gender sensitivity training is inevitable. We have to impart our police force an effective training for gender sensitisation. Not just police, our judiciary also needs such training to address women's issues," she told PTI in an interview. Suggestions would be drawn up through coordinated consultation with all concerned persons and outfits and submitted before the government to make changes in this regard and impart necessary training for everyone dealing with the women related issues, the CPI-M leader said. Satheedevi would take charge as the seventh chairperson of the state Women's Commission on October 1. Read | Shout with anger and demand 50% representation in judiciary: CJI Ramana tells women lawyers The former Lok Sabha MP said there is no point in lamenting after a woman has suffered harassment. "What we need is to prevent such incidents in the society. We have to change the mindset of the society and instill confidence among women to make that a reality. I believe that a grassroot level mission, involving local self government bodies, can make effective changes in this regard," she said. Detailing her plan, Satheedevi said vigilant committees would be strengthened at the ward level to make effective interventions at the micro level and a house-centered interference in each locality would be possible through this. Whenever a case of molestation or harassment is reported in the locality, the vigilant committee can come to know of it and the service of a lawyer, medical expert and a public servant can be made available to the victim at the earliest, she said. "A great change can be possible through the vigilant committees under the LSGD institutions, especially in cases like dowry harassment. The ward members and such grassroot level workers can come across such issues in their locality easily," the leader explained. Noting that a vigilant society and a confident women community are essential to weed out all kinds of atrocities against women, Satheedevi said effective interventions can be made through the educational institutions to instill confidence among women and create awareness among them about their rights. The practice of viewing girl students as second grade persons inside classrooms should end, she said, adding that not the absence of stringent laws but the lack of it's effective implementation is the core reason for the recurring incidents of violence against women. "Laws are always strong. But, a system with a strong resolve to implement it is the need of the hour. If we could implement the laws in a stringent way, atrocities would not have recurred," Satheedevi, also the state secretary of the CPI(M)'s women wing, All India Democratic Women's Association, said. Unfortunately our women do not make use of the strength of such laws, she pointed out. Women are forced not to go ahead with the complaint due to the lack of support from the family, society and even law enforcers. Also Read | CAG flags Karnataka's gender budget as a 'mere allocation exercise' "Here comes the significance of gender sensitivity training. Our police force should get necessary training to address women's issues in a gender sensitive manner, she said. The approach of the judiciary should also be changed according to the changes in the mindset of the society, especially the young generation. "Some comments coming from the judiciary are not acceptable to the young generation. So, the judiciary also needs to get gender sensitivity training," the Marxist leader added. Asked about the recent criticism by CPI leader Annie Raja against Kerala police regarding atrocities against women, Satheedevi said her concerns were relevant as a "pro-women" approach was lacking from the side of the law enforcers on many occasions. "But, we cannot generalise this.. these are isolated incidents only," she added. Putting the Left government in a fix, Raja, who is also general secretary of the National Federation of Indian Women, had alleged that inaction of police was the reason for the increased incidents of atrocities against women in the southern state. Satheedevi also stressed the need for all women outfits to stand united, setting aside their political differences to protest denial of rights to women. "I would like to take together all those striving for the cause of women above politics. An effective change can be made in the society through this," she added. Satheedevi succeeded M C Josephine as the new chief of Kerala State Women's Commission. The post had remained vacant for the last three months since Josephine had resigned on June 25. Josephine, a central committee member of the ruling CPI(M), had to quit the post after a controversy erupted in the state after she spoke harshly to a woman complainant of domestic violence during a live television programme of a Malayalam channel, causing embarrassment to the Marxist party. Check out the latest DH videos here: Rains pounded several parts of Telangana on Monday, even as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warned that heavy rains are expected at isolated places in different districts of the state over the next 48 hours. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao took stock of the situation with Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar. Rao directed the Chief Secretary to take necessary precautions against any loss of life or property due to heavy rains forecast across the State for another two days due to the impact of cyclone 'Gulab', an official press release said. The Chief Minister said all government offices, including schools, colleges and educational institutions in the State, would remain closed on Tuesday due to heavy rains. Examinations of engineering and degree courses scheduled for September 28 and 29 were also postponed in view of the heavy rains. The Chief Secretary said the departments of Revenue, Police, Fire Services, Municipal, Panchayati Raj, Irrigation, Roads and Buildings should be on emergency duty to ensure that no property or lives are lost due to heavy rains, the release added. Also read: Cyclone Gulab: Telangana announces holiday for schools, colleges and offices on Tuesday The IMD, which issued a red alert to 14 districts of the State, warned of heavy to very heavy rain with extremely heavy rain that are very likely to occur at isolated places in Nirmal, Nizamabad, Jagityal, Rajanna Sircilla, Karimnagar, Peddapally, Bhadradri Kothagudem, Khammam, Mahabubabad, Warangal (Rural), Warangal (Urban), Janagaon, Siddipet, Kamareddy districts today. The rains would result in massive water-pooling on roads and low-lying areas in most places and agriculture land submerge/crop damage, it said, adding, thunderstorm accompanied by lightning with wind speed 30-40 kmph is very likely to occur at isolated places in all the districts. Bachodu in Khammam district received highest rainfall of 151.5 mm followed by Wyra (141.5 mm) till 3 PM today. Similarly, several parts of Hyderabad also witnessed rains since this morning. The downpour caused waterlogging on some roads and low-lying areas. The IMD further warned of heavy rain that is very likely to occur at isolated places in Adilabad, Nirmal, Nizamabad, Jagityal, Rajanna Sircilla, Vikarabad, Sangareddy, Medak and Kamareddy districts of Telangana between 0830 hours of September 28 and 0830 hours of September 29. Thunderstorm accompanied with lightning is very likely to occur at places in all the districts of Telangana. Meanwhile, Somesh Kumar once again held a teleconference with District Collectors in the wake of heavy rains. Kumar said Collectors have been directed to remain vigilant in the wake of warnings from the Meteorological Department that there will be heavy rains for another two days across the State. He said the Revenue, Police, Panchayati Raj, Irrigation and Fire departments in the district should work in tandem. If necessary, services of NDRF teams in Hyderabad, Kothagudem and Warangal should be utilised, he said, adding separate control room should be set up in each District Collectorate office and information should be provided to the control room set up in the Secretariat. The Chief Secretary further said the situation should be reviewed by appointing Special Officers at problematic areas such as inland areas, ponds, ditches and bridges. Telangana Director General of Police M Mahender Reddy said he had directed the Police Commissioners and Superintendents of Police to work in coordination with the District Collectors. The police advised citizens to stay indoors unless needed. "Do not cross overflowing streams. Remain indoors in view of heavy rainfall. Dial 100 in case of emergency," they said. The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday arrested an alleged aide of Shiv Sena MP Bhavana Gawali in connection with a money laundering investigation, officials said. Saeed Khan was placed under arrest under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and will be produced before a local court here for further custody by the agency. The arrest pertains to a case of money laundering related to alleged financial irregularities in certain trusts linked to Gawali, a Member of Parliament from the Yavatmal-Washim Lok Sabha seat. The agency had last month conducted searches at multiple premises in Yavatmal, Washim and Mumbai in this case. The ED case is based on a Maharashtra police FIR against some accused related to a Rs 18 alleged crore fraud and some linked irregularities. Check out latest DH videos here: On a day of quick developments in Goa, former Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro, who quit the Congress on Monday left for Kolkata, where he is likely to be inducted into the Trinamool Congress soon. Faleiro, who resigned as a Congress MLA from Navelim and his primary membership of the Congress on Monday, left for Kolkata with two now-former office bearers of the state Congress, and some other supporters, who were welcomed by the members of the West Bengal unit of the Mamata Banerjee-led party. Asked whether he was offered the position of the head of TMC Goa, Faleiro said: "I have not decided. I have just resigned yesterday. I am working out my fight against the BJP". Also Read | TMC in Goa looks like 'Modi-Shah' model and not 'Mamata' model, says Congress Asked if he was scheduled to join the TMC in Kolkata, Faleiro said told reporters at Goa's Dabolim international airport: "I will let you know". Meanwhile, a day after Faleiro's resignation from the Congress, the party on Tuesday inducted Faleiro's arch political rival in the Navelim assembly constituency, Avertano Furtado. "Navelim will never forgive him for this. People realise that supporting him for four and a half years was useless. They now say, that if he (Faleiro) thinks of coming back, we will teach him a lesson," Furtado said. Check out latest DH videos here In a setback to Adani Gas, the Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected its plea for authorised distribution for supply of natural gas to commercial and industrial units in the areas of Sanand, Bavla and Dholka of Ahmedabad district of Gujarat. A bench of Justices U U Lalit, S Ravindra Bhat and Hrishikesh Roy upheld the Gujarat High Courts September 2018 judgment allowing supply of natural gas as a clean and green fuel in the three areas of outer Ahmedabad region by state-run gas distributor Gujarat Gas. The state company had complained to the regulator accusing Adani of unauthorised expansion of its gas distribution network in these locations. The top court said that the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board is entrusted with the power to frame appropriate regulations and also bring about fairness in the marketplace. For it, the central government alone was competent under Article 73 of the Constitution to issue such licenses or authorisations, it added. The court also said the role of the state in granting NoC is only supportive or collaborative, in terms of the central governments policy of 2006, and cannot confer any advantage to any entity, which has to seek and be granted specific authorisation in terms of the PNGRB Act on the merits of its application. Rejecting a contention by Adani, the court held that Regulation 18 of the PNGRB (Authorising Entities To Lay, Build, Operate or Expand City or Local Natural gas Distribution Networks) Regulations, 2008 is neither arbitrary, nor ultra vires Article 14, 19 (i)(g) of the Constitution of India and Section 16 of the PNGRB Act. While imposing a cost of Rs 10 lakh on Adani, payable to the central government, the bench also held that Adanis claim was precluded by the principle of approbate-reprobate, as it accepted authorisation granted by PNGRB (including exclusion of disputed areas), furnished the performance bond and even participated in the auction for the excluded areas, and only thereafter challenged authorisation when its bid was unsuccessful. Check out the latest videos from DH: The World Health Organisation's long-awaited approval for India's indigenous coronavirus shot Covaxin could take longer. The Bharat Biotech-manufactured vaccine's approval has been delayed reportedly over technical data 'by a few weeks'. The global health body has sent a set of technical queries to the Hyderabad-based company, multiple media reports said. The WHO nod is especially crucial for travellers, jobseekers and students who are looking to go abroad. WHO experts' group was supposed to take a call on emergency use listing for Covaxin on October 6, according to PTI. Bharat Biotech's Covaxin and AstraZeneca and Oxford University's Covishield are the two widely used vaccines in India. Read | Shortage of staff, production crunch: Why Covaxin couldnt lead Indias vaccination efforts Bharat Biotech recently said it submitted all data pertaining to Covaxin to the WHO for EUL and is awaiting feedback from the global health watchdog. The WHO website shows that it is currently reviewing the data and the date for a decision on the jab is yet "to be confirmed". Covaxin is an inactivated vaccine, developed using the Whole-Viron Inactivated Vero Cell-derived platform technology. Inactive vaccines are the toughest to produce in the world, Bharat Biotech chief Krishna Ella said in an interview. Bharat Biotech did not comment on the delay but said that it did not want to 'speculate or comment' on these reports. "We are diligently working with the WHO to obtain EUL at the earliest," the vaccine maker said, adding that it would announce the availability of regulatory approvals appropriately. (With agency inputs) Check out the latest DH videos here: The controversial comments of a Kerala bishop claiming that Muslims are targeting Christians to convert them using love jihad and narcotics jihad is an un-Christian abuse of religion that can cause communal disharmony and polarisation. Syro-Malabar Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt of the Pala diocese in Kerala, while addressing the laity recently, alleged that the Catholic Church is losing our young women and anyone who denies this is being blind to reality. The bishop, who presides over the largest concentration of Syro-Malabar Catholics in Kerala, went on to say that because in a democratic country like India it is not easy to use weapons to destroy people of other faiths, jihadis are using means that are not easily identifiable. Two such widely discussed means today are love jihad and narcotics jihad (luring non-Muslims to the use and sale of drugs). Predictably, the bishops controversial allegations, not backed by evidence, have drawn sharp reactions from a cross-section of society, including Muslims and Christians. Muslim organisations have slammed the bishops claims, saying it was intended to isolate Muslims, create a phobia against them, and stir up communal hatred. They will ask the government to charge the bishop for his remarks if he does not withdraw them. Also read: Karat accuses BJP of whipping up Islamophobia in Kerala over 'narcotic jihad' row However, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who initially said people holding responsible positions shouldnt cause religious divisions, later said the government will not initiate legal action against the bishop. Many have criticised the doublespeak of Vijayan as well as the CPI(M)s soft stance on the bishops hate speech. Christians, a sizable vote bank, account for around 20% of Keralas population, whereas they form just 2.3% of Indias population. Christian thinkers and intellectuals have hit out against the bishop for his ill-founded allegations. Stating that Christianity is a religion of love and not of hate, Valson Thampu, a Christian Theologian and former principal of St. Stephens College, Delhi, told this writer: It is an un-Christian abuse of religion to infect the congregation concerned and the Catholic community beyond, with communal virus. The bishop has also belittled Catholics as an imbecile herd that cannot distinguish between right and wrong; only if that were the case can others threaten them with strategies like love jihad or narcotics jihad. Prominent Catholic women from across India have written to the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI) expressing deep concern over Kallarangatts remarks. Many nuns, too, in Kerala have spoken out against the open Islamophobia. Some are of the view that the bishops false alarm has nothing to do with protecting Catholic youth from narcotics or love jihad but has more to do with the desperate need that the Church faces to divert the attention of its members from its own internal disarray induced by corruption and crime in high places. One can cite several cases but suffice to mention a few that have captured national and international attention recently -- The Cardinal Mar George Alancherry financial misconduct case, the rape-accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal case, the murder of Sr. Abhaya, the Sr. Lucy case, etc -- all in Kerala. Many Christians in Kerala are a discontented lot with these scandalous happenings and the attempts of the Church to cover up or protect the accused. But Fr. Babu Joseph, the former spokesman of the CBCI, noted that Kallarangatts comments cannot be construed as having communal overtones since he is addressing a social issue raised by some other responsible people, too. In a multi-religious society like Kerala, it is but natural that some incidents of interreligious marriages take place, and it has been happening on a voluntary basis, Fr. Babu Joseph told Crux, a Catholic news portal. While no other bishop in any other Christian denomination has such allegations or complaints, the Kerala Catholic Church Council and several other dioceses have supported Kallarangatts claims, according to media reports. Also, it must be pointed out that the governments at the Centre and the state have denied any love jihad in Kerala. Yet, the Church and the Sangh Parivar have often brought up this thorny issue. The Church hierarchy is under duress to dance to the tune of the Sangh Parivar, which strategises its political conquest of Kerala via improvising communal strife between Muslims and Christians, says Valson Thampu. Despite the BJPs determined efforts to garner Christian votes any which way, even raising the love jihad issue, it lost miserably in the Kerala Assembly elections this year, failing even to save the lone seat it had won in 2016. It is imperative for an independent body to conduct a proper investigation into the bishops claims and make public the findings. While those in responsible positions must be cautious about what they say so as not to create conflict between religions, priests too should refrain from using the pulpit for polemics and stoking societal divisions. (The writer is a Bengaluru-based independent journalist.) Former Karnataka Chief Minister SM Krishna will inaugurate the Mysuru Dasara festivities this year. The decision was following a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai in Bengaluru, on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters, Bommai said that Krishna was a senior leader and will inaugurate Dasara celebrations, which start on October 7. "He was not only CM, but is also a senior leader who has contributed immensely for the development of this (old Mysuru) region. Therefore, we have decided to invite him to inaugurate Dasara," he said. Also Read | Happy to be part of evolution of Mysuru Dasara, says chief priest of Chamundeshwari Devi temple Krishna had served as Union External Affairs Minister in the UPA regime from 2009 to 2012 and was Governor of Maharastra from 2004 to 2008. He was also Union Minister of State for Industry and Finance in the past. He had joined the BJP in 2017. Co-operation and Mysuru district-in-charge minister ST Somashekar, in a statement, welcomed the decision and hailed Krishna's contributions for transforming Bengaluru as an IT hub. Check out latest DH videos here 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. A local council is to proceed with the handover of a County Derry town hall following a confidential meeting held this evening. The meeting, held privately in committee, discussed legal advice given to the council over a Notice to Quit served on Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council in 2019 regarding Portstewart Town Hall. The Council had taken a 60-year lease on the building in the 1930s, which had subsequently expired, and the buildings owners, the Montagu Estate, who will now resume control of the building. A local community group had launched a petition urging the Council to pause legal proceedings on the handover, but Mayor of Causeway Coast and Glens, Cllr Richard Holmes, said they were free to negotiate with the Montagu Estate over its use. The ownership of Portstewart Town Hall has been under detailed consideration by Council for over two years, he said. In March 2021, the Council made a decision which was not challenged using any of the normal channels, either call-in or rescinding motion. That decision was to acknowledge the Montagu Estates Notice to Quit and the nub of the issue here is the ownership of the building. While the council is progressing with the hand back of the building, the community is free to negotiate with the Montagu Estate. Preliminary work to establish the need for community space in Portstewart has already begun as proposed by council members. The town is also served by Flowerfield Arts Centre, the Warren and numerous other community spaces. Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council said they would continue to consult with local residents and interested stakeholders about the potential future use of these as viable alternatives. Sinn Fein's Ciara Ferguson has said the Bedroom Tax must be binned to protect workers, families and the most vulnerable. The Foyle MLA said the protection given by implementing this measure would help give certainty to workers, families and the most vulnerable. Under the bedroom tax, or spare room subsidy, people who receive welfare payments would have had their housing benefit reduced if they had one or more spare bedrooms. Back in March 2021, Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey introduced temporary additional support to help soften the impact of welfare reform which would be made permanent. The support would be in place to help people throughout the north of Ireland who would otherwise have faced cuts in the amount they receive to help with their housing costs due to the bedroom tax. However, Ms Ferguson has called on the Assembly at Stormont to back Ms Hargey to ditch the tax altogether so that new legislation to help those in need can be put in place. She said: Legislation to bin the Bedroom Tax and extend welfare protections must be extended without any more delays. These protections help give certainty to workers, families and the most vulnerable. Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has made it clear that the legislation is ready, and the money is there to pay for it. Its time to remove the cliff-edge facing ordinary people by binning the Bedroom Tax and progressing this legislation. Sinn Fein Councillor, Christopher Jackson, is to table a motion this week calling for a four-day working week. Cllr Jackson, who represents the Waterside ward, will present this when Derry & Strabane Council hold their next sitting on Thursday. If the motion is passed, both the Council and the Department for Economy will be formally requested to support pilot programmes for the four-day week. Cllr Jackson said there is growing evidence that a reduction in working days actually increases productivity. The Republic of Ireland are set to trial a four-day work week scheme for six months, starting January 2022. Scotland is to follow suit as will New Zealand and Spain. Iceland recently completed a four-year trial and said it was a success as workers reported feeling less stressed and at risk of burnout, and said their health and work-life balance had improved. They also reported having more time to spend with their families, do hobbies and complete household chores. The trials in Iceland led to unions renegotiating working patterns, and now 86 per cent of that nation's workforce have either moved to shorter hours for the same pay, or will gain the right to. Cllr. Jackson said: Its already obvious that a lack of work-life balance contributes to work related stress, low productivity and burnout amongst workers so I believe there is an onus on all public bodies to explore new and better ways of working. There is a growing body of international evidence showing that moving to a four-day working week, without a reduction in income, enhances productivity and happiness amongst workers. It has already been trialled by major international companies who found that it had positive impacts both for business and workers. Therefore, my motion will call on the Council and Department for Economy to establish working groups and pilot programmes that support employers to trial the concept of a four-day working week amongst their workforce. The pandemic and the working from home revolution has shown that major changes in the way we work are possible. So I would urge all parties to back this proposal and help create another huge shift in the working week that will bring massive benefits to workers and their families. Sinn Fein councillor, Michaela Boyle says a major reform of the Western Trust's social care system must take place to ensure it is fit for purpose. The representative for the Sperrin ward was commenting ahead of Thursday's meeting of Derry & Strabane Council where Sinn Fein intend to table a motion calling for social care reform. Ms Boyle said that staff shortages and the need for fairer wages that cover travel costs and a lack of pathways for career progression were putting additional pressure on staff and patients. Cllr. Boyle said: No one doubts there are massive pressures and challenges facing our social care system which is impacting on the ability to deliver high quality domiciliary care within the community. That was true before the pandemic but has been greatly exacerbated over the past 18 months. There are major problems over a lack of workforce planning, leading to staff shortages and high vacancy rates which in turn puts additional pressure on staff, service users and their families. There is a clear need to improve the terms and conditions of domiciliary care staff, including rates of pay, covering travel costs, and providing career progression pathways. All that is vital if we are to ensure that the social care system is fit for purpose now and into the future so that those who need care are properly looked after and staff are properly valued. To that end, I hope that all parties can support my motion at the full council meeting as it will call on the Western Health and Social Care Trust to provide us with a detailed briefing on the current position regarding social care. We are also calling on the Minister of Health to outline his plans to reform adult social care, including a detailed report into the true cost of delivering all aspects of the necessary changes. In response, Health Minister Robin Swann confirmed his intention to launch a public consultation on reforming adult social care. The consultation will begin later this year. The Minister stated: I am on record as describing Northern Irelands social care system as not fit for purpose. This was also a central conclusion of the independent Power to People review commissioned by the Department of Health and published in late 2017. We need to increase the quantity of social care to meet growing demand, we need to improve the quality of social care so that people can live with dignity and independence and we need a fair and equitable answer to the questions of who pays and what and when they pay. We also need to do right by those hard working and dedicated people who work in this sector, often for minimum wage and in some cases, in real terms, even less than minimum wage. These are not new challenges though the need to address them becomes more pressing with every day. Solving them will not be easy or cheap which is why they have unfortunately been kicked down the road time after time. That has to stop. I will be launching a public consultation on reforming social care in Northern Ireland later this year. Options to be addressed in this consultation will include introducing a cap on care costs incurred by individuals, but this cannot be looked at in isolation from the need to significantly increase investment. Reforming social care is one of the biggest and most important issues facing Government. I am looking forward to a wide ranging and informed public discussion on how best to get it right. Sara Canning, partner of murdered journalist Lyra McKee, has paid tribute to Martin O'Hagan in a vigil held at Derry's Guildhall Square today. The vigil marked the 20th anniversary of Martin's murder in Lurgan as he walked home with his wife only to be shot dead by a gunman from Loyalist terrorist group, the Red Hand Defenders. Sara's partner Lyra McKee was also shot dead while covering a riot in the Creggan area of Derry. As with Martin O'Hagan's murder, no one has been convicted for her killing. In her tribute to O'Hagan, Ms Canning said that freedom of the press was a necessity for a fair society. She said: Northern Ireland is one of the most dangerous places on earth to be a journalist. Journalists are truth seekers, light bringers who shine torches into our most hidden and awful corners, we need an impartial and Uncompromised press. Martin OHagan was the epitome of this, a man who turned his life around and sought to shed light on all of the worst parts of this society, to seek justice and to put in the hard work. As someone who has loved and shared a life with an investigative journalist I know the fear of knowing your partner is meeting some shady figure on a mission to uncover truth. Twenty years is too long to wait for justice. Martins murderers are known. Why are they allowed to walk the streets? Exclusive: Radhika Madan is more like Sunny Kaushals Shiddat character Jaggi; says Kartika is very cerebral Radhika Madan and Sunny Kaushal starrer Shiddat is all set to premiere on OTT platform Disney+ Hotstar this Friday and fans cant wait to see how their intense love story turns out! By the looks of the trailer and songs that have been shared on the internet so far, Sunny aka Jaggi is a hardcore romantic who has fallen hard for Kartika, played by Radhika. Our heroine, on the other hand, has a more practical approach to love as well as life. In fact, she is engaged to get married to someone else when she meets Jaggi for the first time! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sunny Kaushal (@sunsunnykhez) Well, in an exclusive interview with Desimartini, the two actors opened up about how much they are like their characters in real life. We referred to Jaggi as a Punjabi munda, which is what Sunny seems to be in real. The actor agreed as he replied, That was a little easy for me to pull off because I just had to kind of pull out my Punjabiyat from inside and just put it in Jaggi, you know. So thats pretty similar from me. When asked if Radhika also relates to her character Kartika, she revealed, I am more of a Jaggi, Im not at all like Kartika. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sunny Kaushal (@sunsunnykhez) Radhika explained, Kartika is very cerebral. She compartmentalizes everything in her life, even love. So, I couldnt connect to Kartika at all when I read Kartika, I was like Problem kya hai isko itni saari, over complications. But I think that was the fun of it, I wanted to understand her, I wanted to know what shes went through and why is she like this. So that was really really fun for me. I hope people see that and connect to it somewhere. Super excited for this one! Arent you? Heropanti 2 gets a new release date; Tiger Shroff and Tara Sutaria unveil latters first look in new poster One of the much-anticipated movies of the year Heropanti 2 starring Tiger Shroff and Tara Sutaria in lead roles has gotten a new release date, and makers have announced the news by sharing a new fierce poster. Tiger and Tara updated movie buffs with the new release date through their Instagram handles. The movie will be coming to the theatres on Eid, next year. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tiger Shroff (@tigerjackieshroff) Sharing a new poster, Tiger wrote, "Happy to announce that our film #Heropanti2 will be releasing in theatres near you on Eid 2022! Agli Eid bitayenge aapke saath." While Tara wrote, "Thrilled to announce HEROPANTI2 will be in cinemas on Eid.. April 29, 2022." The new poster of the action-packed film unveiled Tara's look for the first time. The actors could be seen dressed in black and appears like secret agents. While Tiger looks sauve as always in black coat pants and a white shirt underneath, Tara looks alluring in a black off-shoulder bodycon dress. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tiger Shroff (@tigerjackieshroff) For the unversed, apart from Tiger and Tara, Nawazuddin Siddiqui is also a part of the film. The film is the sequel of Tiger and Kriti Sanon's 2014 debut film Heropanti. The first look poster of Heropanti 2 was unveiled in February 2020. The movie will be directed by Ahmed Khan, who also directed Tiger's last release, Baaghi 3. The movie was earlier slated to release on December 3 this year, then the makers postponed the date to May 6, 2022, after the Maharashtra government announced that all theatres and cinema halls will be allowed to reopen from October 22. In the latest development, the makers have fixed the final release date and preponed it to April 22, next year. Pathan: Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone will head to Mallorca to shoot a visually extravagant song soon Aditya Chopra and Siddharth Anand gave a visual feast like never before to audiences in WAR and looks like the producer-director combo is going to create a new benchmark in visual extravaganza with their next offering, Pathan! We hear that the stage is set for the superstars of Pathan Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone to shoot one of the most electrifying songs set in one of the most expensive and exquisite travel destinations of Europe, Mallorca! View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) The aim is to make Pathan a visual spectacle that no one has seen before and Sid Anand and YRF is leaving no stone unturned to achieve this ambitious goal! Pathan team heads to Spain where they will be shooting in a grand destination like Mallorca, Cadiz (a stunning port city) and Vejer De La Frontera (one of the most picturesque hilltop towns in Europe). The team will be in Spain from October 10th to the 31st, informs a trade source. No other Bollywood film has ever shot in these places so audiences, who havent been to these expensive and exquisite places, will see them for the first time! Visually these settings will add grandeur and lavishness to the film, adds a trade source. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) SRK and Deepika will be presented in a never seen before manner in this big scale song. Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika will also shoot a massive song in Mallorca! It will present the two in their never seen before avatars and it will be the biggest song that people have ever seen in terms of scale and mounting, says the source. When you have two of the biggest superstars of the country, you have to create a visual extravaganza like never before and the makers want to do justice to the pairing they have in Pathan. It will be a sensational shoot to say the least, adds the trade source. Prithviraj Sukumaran even avoided watching songs of Ayushmann's Andhdhun to keep his act in Bhramam original South star Prithviraj Sukumaran says his upcoming Malayalam crime thriller "Bhramam" is an "intelligent" adaptation of the Bollywood hit "Andhadhun". Helmed by cinematographer-turned-director Ravi K Chandran, the film is gearing up for a digital release on Amazon Prime Video on October 7. "Bhramam" chronicles the dualities of a pianist named Ray, played by Prithviraj, who pretends to be blind. The role was originally essayed by Ayushmann Khurrana in the 2018 film. In an interview with PTI, Prithviraj said it was important to make "Bhramam" in a way that it elevates the movie-watching experience even for those who had seen and loved "Andhadhun". "When one is attempting a remake, they need to acknowledge and respect the original. It is important that one remains faithful to the core of the film. From there, it is crucial to sit down and adapt it intelligently. It's important, especially for a cult film like 'Andhadhun', that one presents an engaging viewing experience to somebody who has seen the original." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Prithviraj Sukumaran (@therealprithvi) The actor said he is assured that those who have not seen "Andhadhun" will enjoy his upcoming crime thriller, but is keen to find out how the audience of the Sriram Raghavan-directed movie reacts to the Malayalam adaptation. "As an original material, 'Andhadhun', lends itself beautifully to the Malayalam milieu. Having said that, it still needs to have its own little quirks and surprises, which 'Brahmam' has. "For me, who has seen both, maybe I relate more to the Malayalam language, 'Bhramam' is funnier, in fact, it is more wicked. That makes it an engaging watch," he added. The 38-year-old actor said he had first heard about "Andhadhun" -- which also starred Tabu and Radhika Apte -- while he was filming for his directorial debut "Lucifer". Actor Vivek Oberoi, who starred in the 2019 Malayalam actioner "Lucifer", not only recommended Prithviraj to watch the film but also suggested him to adapt it. Much later, when the "Ayyappanum Koshiyum" star saw the film, he was in awe of how Raghavan and the team turned a "gruesome" thriller into a wildly entertaining film. Prithviraj said he had even reached out to the makers of "Andhadhun" back then, but things didn't work out. "I tried getting in touch with the makers to somehow acquire the rights but it did not come through. I am glad that when it happened, AP International and Viacom18 came back to me." Prithviraj revealed he had earlier also tried to contact Raghavan to buy the rights to his acclaimed 2007 thriller "Johnny Gaddar". The film featured Neil Nitin Mukesh, Dharmendra, Zakir Hussain, Rimi Sen and Vinay Pathak among others. "But even that didn't happen. It would still make for a great Malayalam film though," he added. From the moment the actor was on board for "Bhramam", Prithviraj said he treated it like an original film. To ensure that he doesn't consciously draw from the performance of Khurrana, which had bagged him his maiden National Award, Prithviraj even stopped watching songs from "Andhadhun". "It was important for me to not base my performance on Ayushmann's interpretation of the character. I wanted to base it on the Malayalam text that was in my hands. "At the end of my interpretation, if what I have done is similar to what Ayushmann has done, so be it. But I still wanted to go through that exercise. I hope it does justice to the original and we match up to that piece of cinema," he added. "Bhramam" also stars Unni Mukundan, Raashi Khanna, Sudheer Karamana and Mamta Mohandas in key roles. Governor Tony Evers and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) urge Wisconsinites to get vaccinated by Sunday, September 19 in order to qualify for the $100 COVID-19 Vaccine Reward Program. The program opened August 20 and is available to anyone ages 12 and up in Wisconsin who gets their first dose of COVID-19 by Sunday. Between August 20 and September 13, more than 114,900 Wisconsinites have received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, and its the best tool we have to make sure we continue our economic recovery and put this pandemic behind us, said Gov. Evers. There are just a few days left for folks to take advantage of our vaccine reward program, and I encourage every eligible Wisconsinite to get their shot so they can get $100. In order to receive the $100 reward, Wisconsin residents will need to fill out the form available at 100.wisconsin.gov or call 844-684-1064 to register over the phone. Information submitted will be used to verify that individuals have a valid first COVID-19 vaccine dose reported to the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR) between August 20 and September 19. Rewards cards will be mailed to the individuals Wisconsin address and may take six to eight weeks to be mailed to participants. Registration for the program will remain open until September 30, 2021, but only those who receive their first COVID-19 vaccine dose between August 20 and September 19 are eligible for the $100 reward. Proof of insurance, ID, or citizenship are not required. For more information on the reward program, visit the DHS $100 reward webpage or call 844-684-1064. Language assistance is available. To find a COVID-19 vaccine location in your community, visit Vaccines.gov or call 211 or 877-947-2211. We also know that many Wisconsinites do want to get the vaccine, but may experience a number of barriers to vaccination - such as a lack of childcare, transportation, or ability to miss work, said DHS Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake. We hope that this $100 COVID-19 Vaccine Reward Program may help provide some additional support to folks to help them to overcome those barriers so they can protect themselves, their loved ones, and their communities. The $100 COVID-19 Vaccine Reward Program is part of the ongoing effort to stop the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant by encouraging Wisconsinites to get vaccinated. Wisconsin continues to experience an increase of COVID-19 cases, driven by the Delta variant. The Delta variant is much more contagious than the original strain of COVID-19. While vaccination is the most important layer of protection against COVID-19, with the high-level of disease transmission in Wisconsin, DHS is urging everyone to add additional layers of protection including masking up indoors, staying home when feeling sick, and avoiding large gatherings. DHS has also updated their COVID-19 Illness After Vaccination data page. Data reflects rates of COVID-19 infection, hospitalization, and death for people by vaccination status. According to data from August 2021, the age-adjusted rate of COVID-19 cases among people who are not fully vaccinated is four times higher than the rate among those who are fully vaccinated. Additionally, the age-adjusted rates of COVID-19 hospitalization and death are nine times and 11 times higher, respectively, among people who are not fully vaccinated compared to those who are fully vaccinated. For up-to-date information about Wisconsins COVID-19 response, visit the DHS COVID-19 webpage and subscribe to the DHS COVID-19 Weekly Newsletter. You can also follow @DHSWI on Facebook, Twitter, or dhs.wi on Instagram for more information on COVID-19. The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) supports the recommendation that certain populations who have increased risk of exposure to or transmission of COVID-19 receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTechs (Pfizer) COVID-19 vaccine at least six months after having received their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Our nations leading medical experts reviewed the available data and recommended COVID-19 vaccine booster doses be provided to some people who have received the Pfizer vaccine, said DHS Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake. Booster doses are another tool at our disposal to stop the spread of the highly transmissible Delta variant and slow the spread of COVID-19 in communities throughout Wisconsin. DHS recommends that the following populations SHOULD receive a booster dose of Pfizer at least 6 months after receiving their second dose of Pfizer in order to further strengthen their immunity: People 65 years and older All residents in long-term care People ages 5064 years with certain underlying medical conditions: Cancer Chronic kidney disease Chronic lung diseases, including COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma (moderate-to-severe), interstitial lung disease, cystic fibrosis, and pulmonary hypertension Dementia or other neurological conditions Diabetes (type 1 or type 2) Down syndrome Heart conditions (such as heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies or hypertension) HIV infection Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) Liver disease Overweight and obesity Pregnancy Sickle cell disease or thalassemia Smoking, current or former Solid organ or blood stem cell transplant Stroke or cerebrovascular disease, which affects blood flow to the brain Substance use disorders DHS recommends that the following populations MAY receive a booster dose of Pfizer at least six months after receiving their second dose of Pfizer vaccine, after considering their individual risks and benefits: People ages 1849 years with certain underlying medical conditions (see above) People ages 1864 years who are at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of their job or institutional settings. Occupations at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission include front line essential workers and health care workers: First responders (health care workers, firefighters, police, staff at congregate care facilities) Education staff (teachers, support staff, childcare workers) Food and agriculture workers Manufacturing workers Corrections workers U.S. Postal Service workers Public transit workers Grocery store workers This list could be updated in the future At this time, the Pfizer booster authorization only applies to people whose primary series was Pfizer vaccine. People in the recommended groups who got the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine will likely need a booster shot in the near future. More data on the effectiveness and safety of Moderna and Johnson & Johnson booster shots are expected soon. Booster doses are intended to help people who are vaccinated maintain the highest possible level of immune system protection for as long as possible, said Dr. Ryan Westergaard, Chief Medical Officer for the DHS Bureau of Communicable Diseases. Its important to remember that all the authorized COVID-19 vaccines offer strong protection after the primary series. Getting every eligible person vaccinated continues to be our most important strategy for preventing severe illness, hospitalization, and death. A booster dose serves a different purpose than the additional dose recommended in early August for certain immunocompromised people. The additional doses are for people with certain medical conditions or who are receiving certain treatments leaving them moderately or severely immunocompromised and who may not have built a strong enough immune response after their initial vaccine. In contrast, a "booster dose" refers to another dose of a vaccine that is given to someone who built enough protection after their initial vaccination, but then that protection decreased over time also referred to as waning immunity. Evidence suggests that immunity is waning over time for some people who were initially well-protected by the vaccine. For those people, a booster dose will strengthen and extend their protection against infection, serious illness, hospitalization, and death from COVID-19. With the high-level of disease transmission in Wisconsin, DHS continues to urge everyone who is not vaccinated to get the COVID-19 vaccine, and for all people to add additional layers of protection including masking up indoors, staying home when feeling sick, and avoiding large indoor gatherings. For additional information about booster doses, additional doses, and help accessing your COVID-19 vaccine record to determine when you may be recommended for a booster, visit the DHS Additional Doses and Booster Doses webpage. To find a COVID-19 vaccine provider in your community, visit vaccines.gov, or call 211 or 877-947-2211. For up-to-date information about Wisconsins COVID-19 response, visit the DHS COVID-19 webpage. You can also follow @DHSWI on Facebook, Twitter, or dhs.wi on Instagram for more information on COVID-19. The Prime Ministers office launched the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission via videoconferencing, stating that this is a new and extraordinary phase that the country is entering today. As the largest health initiative in India, the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is aimed at benefiting the low-income and middle class sections of society primarily, along with all other citizens in India. What is the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission? The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is a healthcare initiative that was announced last year on Independence day, and deployed in six union territories as a pilot run. The mission includes ensuring the availability of a health identity card for every citizen, a healthcare professionals registry, and healthcare facilities registries. The idea is to dispel challenges within the healthcare system to enable all citizens to access the medical facilities they need. How will Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission change India PM Modi praised the scheme, saying that it enabled the country to hit the 900 million vaccination mark, a feat that most developed nations have not yet achieved. He also said that the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission will revolutionise the field of medicine and healthcare in INdia. It will bring all stakeholders in the field of health on a single platform and also help a patient connect with a doctor who speaks the same language, he said. Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission to help with tourism? He also talked about how better health and tourism are connected. Today is World Tourism Day as well. You must be wondering what is the connection between health and tourism. But there is. Tell me, will tourists like to visit a place which does not have emergency health services? he asked. This indicated that he sees this not just as a health initiative, but also as an economic one that should help boost the economy. Also Read: Intel Accelerated - 10nm to 18A, RibbonFET, PowerVia and more Johnstone Supply Johnstone Supply's members approved a conversion agreement with Redwood Capital Investments that will provide the capital for Johnstone to convert its business structure from an Oregon cooperative into a Delaware limited liability company operating under the name Johnstone Supply LLC. Johnstone Supply will continue to operate as a wholesale distributor based in Portland, providing products and services to the former members of the Johnstone Cooperative. The 90-plus individual Johnstone business owners are expected to execute exclusive territory distribution agreements with Johnstone Supply, and will remain significant equity holders in the new entity. The conversion agreement is subject to regulatory approval and the deal is expected to close later this year. Wells Fargo Securities served as financial advisor to Johnstone, with K&L Gates as the legal advisor. Kirkland & Ellis was the legal counsel to Redwood. Johnstone Supply Cooperative is a North American HVACR brand with over $3 billion in annual sales generated by over 450 independently owned stores across the U.S. and Canada. Subscriber content preview SEATTLE (AP) Authorities in Washington state said Monday that COVID-19 hospital admission rates look better but hospitalizations still remain high. Cassie Sauer, CEO of the Washington State Hospital Association, said during a weekly news briefing that deaths continue to rise an expected trend that often comes two to four weeks after a surge of hospitalizations. She said about 30 people in the state are dying of the coronavirus each day. . . . Subscriber content preview HONOLULU New federal rules for international travelers are expected to help Hawaii's crippled tourism industry. The state's international market has been nearly nonexistent since the pandemic largely shut down travel. . . . Subscriber content preview PennEast Pipeline Co. said New Jersey failed to provide certain permits for the line. By MIKE CATALINI Associated Press TRENTON, N.J. Construction of a nearly 120-mile-long proposed natural gas pipeline from northeastern Pennsylvania to central New Jersey will not go forward, the group behind the project said Monday. PennEast Pipeline Co., which won a recent legal battle against New Jersey at the Supreme Court, nonetheless said the state has failed to provide certain permits and is putting the project on ice. . . . Subscriber content preview JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (AP) Authorities say a western Pennsylvania contractor has acknowledged violating a federal regulation following the electrocution death of a worker at the site of a sewer line installation in Johnstown more than three years ago. The U.S. attorney's office said Insight Pipe Contracting pleaded guilty Friday to one count of violation of an Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulation requiring equipment to have 10 feet of clearance near energized power lines. . . . State-news Draft of Mississippi medical marijuana bill reveals details to grow legal pot COURTESY PHOTO VIA MISSISSIPPI TODAY Workers harvest marijuana plants at the Solar Therapeutics facility in Massachusetts. The Supreme Courts elimination of the Mississippi medical marijuana program has halted millions of dollars worth of planned in-state spending and job creation, leaving many business owners with little to show for their months of investment and efforts. TUPELO Mississippians wanting to grow or process medical marijuana will have a variety of licensing options available to them, according to the draft of the medical marijuana bill that lawmakers have agreed to pass. The draft, which was obtained by the Daily Journal, lists a tiered licensing structure for medical cannabis growing facilities that can be as small as a micro cultivation facility at 2,000 feet and as large as a 100,000-square-foot facility. Each tier of the licensing structure contains its own registration and licensing fees that the applicant will have to put up to legally grow the product. Licensing fees were a major topic of discussions this past summer when lawmakers convened three hearings to discuss medical marijuana legislation. Legislators expressed a desire for striking a balance that would not unduly deter state residents from entering into the market while also adequately taxing the products. Licensing and fees for cultivation facilities Cannabis cultivation facilities are entities that can legally grow the plant and sell it to processors. Cultivation facilities are set to be overseen and regulated by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. All growing must be legally done indoors. The licensing and registration structure for micro cultivation facilities is as follows: Tier 1: A facility with canopy of 1,000 square feet or less shall be subject to a one-time nonrefundable license application fee of $1,500. The annual license fee shall be a nonrefundable fee of $2,000. Tier 2: A facility with a canopy of more than 1,000 square feet but less than 2,000 square feet shall be subject to a one-time nonrefundable license application fee of $2,500. The annual license fee shall be a nonrefundable fee of $3,500. Medical Marijuana Bill Draft Only people who have lived in Mississippi for three years or businesses that have all of their equity interest owned by Mississippians that have lived in the state for three years will be able to open micro cultivation facilities. The licensing and registration structure for larger cultivation facilities is as follows: Tier 1: A facility with a canopy of not less than 2,000 square feet but less than 5,000 square feet shall be subject to a one-time nonrefundable license application fee of $5,000. The annual license fee shall be a nonrefundable fee of $15,000. Tier 2: A facility with a canopy of not less than 5,000 square feet but less than 15,000 square feet shall be subject to a one-time nonrefundable license application fee of $10,000. The annual license fee shall be a nonrefundable fee of $25,000. Tier 3: A cannabis cultivation facility with a canopy of not less than 15,000 square feet but less than 30,000 square feet shall be subject to a one-time nonrefundable license application fee of $20,000. The annual license fee shall be a nonrefundable fee of $50,000. Tier 4: A facility with a canopy of not less than 30,000 square feet but not less than 60,000 square feet shall be subject to a one-time non refundable license application fee of $30,000. The annual license fee shall be a nonrefundable fee of $75,000. Tier 5: A cannabis cultivation facility with a canopy of not less than 60,000 square feet but less than 100,000 square feet shall be subject to a one-time nonrefundable license application fee of $40,000. The annual license fee shall be a nonrefundable fee of $100,000. During the first year after the bill is passed, only Mississippi residents that have lived in the state for three years and entities where 35% of the business equity is held by Mississippi residents can apply for a cultivation and processing license. That portion of the law will be repealed after Dec. 31, 2022. Dr. Matt Wesson, a retired ophthalmologist from Tupelo who is a proponent of medical marijuana, believes the licensing and registration fees are exorbitant and the excise tax is an insult to patients who need the medical marijuana for treatment. The excise tax is an insult, Wesson said. This is a pharmaceutical for hurting and dying people. Theyre taxing it like a sin tax. Licensing and fees for processing facilities Cannabis processing facilities are entities where the cannabis plant is obtained from a growing facility and manufactured into medicine. These facilities are also overseen and regulated by the Mississippi Department of Agriculture and Commerce. The tiers for microprocessors are as follows: Tier 1: A facility that processes less than 2,000 pounds of dried biomass cannabis materials annually shall be subject to a one-time non refundable fee of $2,000 The annual fee shall be a nonrefundable fee $3,500. Tier 2: More than 2,000 but less than 3,500 pounds of dried biomass cannabis material shall be subject to a one time non refundable fee of $2,500. The annual fee shall be a nonrefundable fee of $5,000. Only people who have lived in Mississippi for three years or businesses that have all of their equity interest held by Mississippians that have lived in the state for three years will be able to open a micro cultivation facility. There is only one tier for a larger processing facility. A main facility is one that processes not less than 3,000 pounds of biomass cannabis material annually. This type of facility will be subject to a one-time nonrefundable license application fee of $15,000 and an annual license fee of $20,000. During the first year after the bill is passed, only Mississippi residents who have lived in the state for three years and entities where 35% of the business equity is owned by Mississippi residents can apply for a processing license. Cannabis facilities will also pay state taxes on top of their respective licensing and registration fees. Cultivation and processing facilities will be subject to a $15 an ounce excise tax on all cannabis flower and trim products. A 7% sales tax will also be added to purchases from marijuana dispensaries. The bill states that no person or entity may have a financial interest in more than one processing facility, one cultivation facility and five dispensaries at any given time. Reeves now reviewing proposed legislation The draft bill features no tiers for dispensing, transportation, research, testing or disposal facilities. Each has their own registration and annual license fees. All of the fines, fees and taxes collected from the medical marijuana program will be remitted into the states general fund. The draft of the legislation has been delivered to Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, who is the only person in state government that can call lawmakers back into a special session and set the agenda for such a session. Reeves has said in a previous interview that he is still receptive to calling a special session to deal with medical marijuana but has so far not commented on how he feels about the draft of the bill. We are looking forward to reviewing the Legislatures work and working together on getting this done, Bailey Martin, Reeves spokeswoman, previously said in a statement. On Monday, in response to a question by the Associated Press about the governors plans for a special election, Martin said, Nothing today. Kori House was appointed Assistant Deputy Secretary for Elections and Commissions on Sept. 7, 2021. Prior to her appointment, Kori managed voter registration and elections administration for the North Carolina State Board of Elections. House collaborated with North Carolinas 100 counties and the information technology divisions of various state agencies -- including the North Carolina Departments of Health and Human Services, Justice, and Motor Vehicles to ensure they were compliant with state and federal election and voter registration regulations. In addition, House developed, implemented, and maintained online voter registration application services for the state. She also managed implementation of key legislation, court orders, and state and federal mandates for the Board of Elections. Houses tenure in public administration began more than 15 years ago as she served in various administrative capacities in local law enforcement, including Crime Analyst for Hope Mills Police Department in Cumberland County, North Carolina, where she was awarded the agencys Non-Sworn Employee of the Year Award for two consecutive years. She also served as the Executive Director of a non-profit organization that provides support to the homeless community in North Carolina. House has a bachelors degree in political science, with a concentration in public administration, from Fayetteville State University and a masters degree in public administration, with a concentration in nonprofit management and leadership, from Walden University. She has undergone training in geographic information systems, crime and intelligence analysis, and elections registration administration. She is a recipient of Think Smarts 40 under 40 Award. House enjoys spending time with her family and friends, participating in community service activities with her sorority, and learning about home organization and design, fashion, and culture. House lives in Dauphin County with her family. NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading energy buyers, suppliers, solutions providers and governments announced today the formal launch of the 24/7 Carbon-free Energy Compact in partnership with Sustainable Energy for All and the UN Energy. The Compact represents a new global effort to accelerate the transition to a carbon-free electricity sector to mitigate the worst impacts of climate change. SEforALL and Google made the announcement today during the United Nations High level Dialogue on Energy in New York. In addition to Google, founding signatories of the Compact include The AES Corporation, Orsted, EDP, the city of Des Moines, Iowa, the government of Iceland, and others. A carbon-free electricity sector is the foundation for creating a net-zero emissions global economy. Electricity generates 25% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, and is key to decarbonizing other sectors of the economy, including buildings, transport, and industry. Meeting this challenge will require a rapid acceleration in the pace of clean energy deployment, the development of advanced carbon-free energy technologies, and significant policy changes. SEforALL and Google are calling on companies, governments, and other stakeholders to join the Compact in the lead up to November's COP26 Conference in Glasgow and commit to advancing policies, procurement practices, tools, and data that are critical to fully decarbonizing the world's electricity systems. The Compact lays out a set of principles and actions that actors can take to adopt, enable, and advance 24/7 Carbon-free Energy, focusing on hourly decarbonization of local and regional electricity grids. "The world is at a crossroads. We can either continue with business as usual or embrace change that leads to a more sustainable and equitable future. This starts with making the important link between energy and climate. The Energy Compacts that have been put forward as part of this historic UN High-Level Dialogue on Energy have resulted in ambitious commitments and actions that will help address energy poverty while working towards decarbonization. The 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact represents a critical partnership across business, countries, cities and others that will propel us closer to our 2030 Global Energy Goals," said SEforALL CEO & Special Representative to the UN Secretary-General Damilola Ogunbiyi. "Tackling climate change requires government and business to work together with urgency and focus. The Compact is the first collective action group to bring together companies, national and local governments, and other stakeholders to drive innovation and investment in 24/7 carbon-free electricity grids, and we are hopeful that it will facilitate significant progress. Time is not on our side-- we need to act now-- and we look forward to others joining with Google in our efforts," said Google CFO Ruth Porat. Founding signatories of the Compact include: 8 Rivers Capital, The AES Corporation, ClearTrace, the city of Des Moines, Iowa, EDP, Energy Tag, Fervo Energy, FlexiDAO, Google, the government of Iceland, Iron Mountain, the city of Ithaca, New York, LevelTen Energy, M-RETS, Orsted, Power Ledger, Statkraft, Tomorrow, and X. Signatories of the Compact commit to advance the procurement practices, market mechanisms, policies, technologies, and energy data transparency needed to enable the rapid and cost-effective achievement of 24/7 carbon-free energy for all. "As a developer of cutting-edge clean energy solutions, 8 Rivers is excited to work with Google and the world-class partners in this Compact to accelerate the global energy transition to a 24/7 carbon-free power system, so anyone can access reliable clean electricity any hour of the day," said 8 Rivers Capital Chief Executive Officer Cam Hosie. "Taking action against climate change is the most important and urgent issue facing us today, and AES is proud to join the 24/7 Carbon-free Energy Compact. Together, we're co-creating new solutions, such as the first-of-its-kind agreement to supply 24/7 carbon-free energy to Google's data centers in Virginia, that will accelerate a smarter, greener energy future," said AES President and Chief Executive Officer Andres Gluski. "As we strive for a net zero future, it's clear that corporations who are among the largest energy consumers need solutions to help them accurately manage and track power-related emissions. We are proud to support and enable the transition to a carbon-free energy future," said ClearTrace Chief Executive Officer Lincoln Payton. "I want to commend and thank the many global partners who join me in supporting the transformation of electric grids to 'absolute zero' - or full decarbonization - by adopting, enabling, and advancing the 24/7 CFE Compact Statement. Our commitment as a City to decarbonized energy systems supports a future for clean energy and ensures that all residents have access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy," said Mayor of Des Moines, Iowa, Frank Cownie. "EDP is thrilled to join the Global Compact for 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy. We are proud to be at the forefront of the development of new technologies to accelerate the decarbonization of electricity systems and promote the globalization of access to clean energy," said EDP Chief Executive Officer Miguel Stilwell Andrade. "24/7 carbon-free energy is a critical development in energy procurement practices and EnergyTag is delighted to be a signatory of this Compact. EnergyTag is an industry-led, non-profit initiative to define and build a market for granular energy certificates, which enable consumers to verify the source of their electricity consumption on an hourly basis and harness consumer demand for 24/7 carbon-free energy to drive investments," said EnergyTag Founder Dr. Toby Ferenczi. "24/7 carbon-free energy is the next step in advancing progress to address climate change. Fervo Energy is excited to sign on to this important effort and to continue driving forward geothermal innovations to create a truly carbon free grid," said Fervo Energy Chief Executive Officer Tim Latimer. "At FlexiDAO, we provide software solutions and advisory to help companies achieve their net-zero goals and become true leaders of the energy transition. For this reason, we are extremely excited to partner with Google and to join the 24/7 Carbon-free Energy Compact," said FlexiDAO Chief Executive Officer Simone Accornero. "Iron Mountain recognizes both the urgent need to decarbonize our energy grid and the opportunity we have as an energy buyer to make a meaningful impact. We support the ultimate ambition of meeting each kilowatt needed every hour with generation from a local carbon free source and have made this a cornerstone of how we buy and consume power," said Iron Mountain Director of Energy and Sustainability Chris Pennington. "Carbon free electricity is essential to achieve full decarbonization. By joining the 24/7 Carbon-free Energy Compact, the City of Ithaca, N.Y., reiterates its commitment to expanding access to carbon free electricity as a pathway to a clean energy future," said Director of Sustainability for the City of Ithaca, New York, Dr. Luis Aguirre-Torres. "Matching every kilowatt-hour of electricity consumption with carbon-free electricity sources requires a transformative approach to energy procurement, and LevelTen is committed to building the software solutions required to give more organizations this opportunity. Together, with our network of energy and sustainability advisors, we look forward to helping more energy buyers achieve their 24/7 carbon-free goals," said LevelTen Energy Chief Executive Officer Bryce Smith. "M-RETS is excited to participate in this initiative as the first registry to support an hourly REC claim in partnership with Google. This initiative is an important step in facilitating a data driven renewable energy market," said M-RETS President and Chief Executive Officer Ben Gerber. "rsted's vision is to create a world running entirely on green energy, and this includes meeting demand every hour of every day. We already know the solutions to get a long part of the way towards 24/7 renewable energy and we're committed to facilitating the last difficult stretch of the journey together with our partners," said rsted Senior Vice President - Region Continental Europe Rasmus Errboe. "The movement to 24/7 renewables with hourly matching through PPAs and RECs is the best solution to scale renewable energy because it puts a price signal on when and where power is needed and supports an energy system that is stable, low cost and low carbon. The Powerledger platform can stamp the time and location data from clean energy production onto renewable energy certificates and other commodities, enabling energy retailers like eKwateur and RE100 companies on registries like M-RETS to seamlessly trade, match and manage their portfolios on an hourly basis," said Powerledger Chairman & Co-Founder Dr. Jemma Green. "With the increased penetration of renewable energy on the grid, it becomes even more crucial to measure emissions at a high resolution. At electricityMap we're very excited to see this initiative come to fruition, and we hope that it will help bring the measurement of emissions closer to the physical reality," said Founder and CEO of Tomorrow Olivier Corradi. "We are proud to join this crucial Compact. At X, we recognize that the complexity of decarbonising the grid in the time required to tackle climate change requires commitment and collaboration of governments and businesses throughout the value chain and across the world to the actions necessary to design and operate a decarbonized power grid. Our moonshot is to work with partners to develop and apply advanced computing to support the design and operation of a decarbonized, affordable, reliable and resilient power system," said X Vice President Audrey Zibelman. Each signatory will capture their specific commitments in their own Energy Compact, an innovation introduced by SEforALL and backed by UN-Energy as a key outcome of the UN High-level Dialogue on Energy. The Energy Compacts are public and trackable commitments, with specific actions, made by governments, companies and others to achieve energy transition goals by 2030 including universal access to affordable and clean energy. For more on the Energy Compacts registry, visit https://www.un.org/en/energycompacts/page/registry. For more on the 24/7 Carbon-Free Energy Compact, visit https://www.un.org/en/energy-compacts/page/compact-247-carbon-free-energy. Stakeholders across the energy ecosystem are invited to sign on to the 24/7 Carbon-free Energy Compact, and can do so by contacting Sustainable Energy for All at energycompact@seforall.org. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________About Sustainable Energy for All Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) is an international organization that works in partnership with the United Nations and leaders in government, the private sector, financial institutions, civil society and philanthropies to drive faster action towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all by 2030 in line with the Paris Agreement on climate. SEforALL works to ensure a clean energy transition that leaves no one behind and brings new opportunities for everyone to fulfill their potential. SEforALL is led by Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Sustainable Energy for All and Co-Chair of UN-Energy. Follow her on Twitter @DamilolaSDG7. For more information, follow @SEforALLorg. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1633951/SEforALL_Logo.jpg For further details on the reports or any interview requests, please contact: Sherry Kennedy Sustainable Energy for All sherry.kennedy@seforall.org media@seforall.org +43 676 846 727 237 Louth CervicalCheck campaigner Eileen Rushe passed away this morning. Eileen, who was from Termonfeckin, sadly passed away early this morning surrounded by family. The mum-of-one died from terminal cancer after Louth County Hospital in Dundalk failed to properly investigate and treat her condition in 2017. Eileen previously told the Democrat her smear test in 2017 was read correctly as abnormal but the Dundalk hospital failed to properly treat her with a certain procedure which would have given her a 90% chance of being cured. She was diagnosed with Stage Three cervical cancer in December 2018, and took a case to the High Court against the HSE, which was settled earlier this year in March. A letter read in court, by the general manager of Louth County Hospital, apologised for their failings while Eileen was under their care. While she beat cancer originally after being diagnosed with Stage Three cancer in 2018, the cancer later returned and spread aggressively in 2019. She was an excellent advocate for the HPV vaccine, with Eileen urging parents just two weeks ago to allow their children receive the HPV vaccine. The sad news of Eileens passing was confirmed on RIP.ie earlier today. Tributes to Eileen have begun to pour in, with the Irish Cancer Society saying that she was an incredible advocate for women living with cervical cancer. Despite often experiencing setbacks over the course of her journey, Eileen never relented in her efforts to spread her own important and powerful cancer prevention message, said the Irish Cancer Society. Eileen was a truly wonderful person who left a profound impression on all who had the privilege to know or deal with her, and her enduring legacy will be the many people her words helped influence to protect themselves and their loved ones against avoidable cancer diagnoses in future. Eileen is survived by her son Seamus, parents Jim and Mary, her siblings, her extended family and friends. The pandemic exposed a decade of neglect in primary and special schools and as we move to recover from Covid19, its imperative we do better. Budget 2022 needs to deliver for primary education. Irish primary class sizes remain the largest in the European Union. Too many pupils still learn in a classroom of 30 or more pupils, with one in five pupils nationally learning in such crowded environments. At the height of the pandemic, Ireland was the only EU country that had to plan for social distancing in supersized classes of thirty or more. Research shows that smaller classes enable teachers to give adequate and necessary time to each child in the classroom, which has a positive impact on learning outcomes. Principals must be supported in their efforts to lead teaching and learning in our schools whilst they simultaneously carry out the range of administrative tasks assigned to the role. No school in the country would have been able to open during the pandemic without the incredibly hard work of school leaders. Middle management posts allow schools to coordinate curriculum and school development and to facilitate a range of initiatives that provide a holistic education, including leading wellbeing initiatives in school, supporting special education and inclusion, coordinating digital learning and delivering environmental and physical education programmes. Teaching principals essentially do two jobs. They teach their class and must manage their entire school. Its a very difficult juggling act. During the pandemic, the government finally listened to calls from this union and provided for one day a week release from teaching duties to enable these principals to lead and manage their schools. Its 2021, and primary schools still have to fundraise to cover basic expenses. It is simply not good enough that the parents of Ireland have to contribute nearly 50 million every year to keep primary schools afloat. As we move out of the pandemic, we need to invest in our primary schools as they play their role in the great national effort supporting their pupils, some of whom have sadly fallen behind. Read more about the INTO's Budget 2022 campaign HERE. PORTALES - A Portales man is in jail, accused of fatally stabbing his cousin Saturday night. Jesse Lujan, 33, is in the Roosevelt County Detention Center with a first-degree murder charge in the death of Roy Courtney Lujan, 41. Jesse Lujan also faces two charges of tampering with evidence for allegedly discarding the knife used in the stabbing and clothing he was wearing at the time of the attack. The suspect made his first appearance Monday afternoon in Roosevelt County Magistrate Court. He is being held without bond pending a pretrial detention hearing in district court, where his charges were transferred. His case was assigned to the public defender's office, but court records had no specific attorney assigned to the case. Deputy District Attorney Quentin Ray told The News it was his understanding Roy Courtney was visiting his cousin, aunt and uncle when the incident occurred. According to an affidavit filed Monday in the magistrate court: n Portales police responded to an apartment in the 1100 block of West Fir at 9:56 p.m. and discovered Roy Courtney Lujan outside of the apartment front door with an apparent chest wound. He was transported to Roosevelt General Hospital, where he died from six stab wounds - including one to his heart. n The suspect's mother told investigators that Jesse said Roy was making fun of him, and told his mom to tell Roy to "get ... out of here or I am going to kill him." She said Jesse then went outside to where Roy Courtney was, attacked him as he was sitting in a chair and took off. The suspect's father said Jesse started running south across the street after attacking Roy Courtney. n Law enforcement found a steak knife they believed to be the weapon used in the stabbing near the apartment, and located Jesse on the 500 block of Avenue K just south of the apartment complex. Western Balkans households invested 45 million in energy-saving technologies CO 2 emissions reduced by more than 12,000 tonnes per year Regional Western Balkans GEFF facility continues, with 135 million in funding In less than four years, more than 9,000 households in the Western Balkans have invested around 45 million in energy-saving technologies such as insulation, heat pumps, new windows or solar panels, thanks to the regional Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF) programme. These improvements have led to a reduction of CO 2 emissions by more than 12,000 tonnes per year, equivalent to removing 7,700 cars from the roads. The Western Balkans GEFF was established by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) with the support of donors and provides specialised credit lines to individuals, together with incentives funded by the European Union (EU), for investments in energy efficiency. The programme is co-financed by the EU, the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance, and bilateral donors to the Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF). It is part of the Regional Energy Efficiency Programme (REEP) for the Western Balkans and implemented in partnership with the Energy Community Secretariat. Following the successful regional roll-out of the programme most recently extended to Montenegro in March 2021 as well as the growing interest in energy efficiency financing, the GEFF was increased from 85 million to 135 million, with plans to expand the programme further in 2022.The funding will be channelled through local financial institutions and will allow even more households in the region to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Aleksandra Vukosavljevic, EBRD Director, Financial Institutions, Western Balkans and Eastern Europe, said: We are enthusiastic that our support has helped so many households in the Western Balkans to invest in energy-saving improvements, leading to lower emissions and electricity costs. Combating air pollution and decreasing energy intensity are top priorities in the region and we will continue to provide support, with the GEFF as one of our key pillars for the residential sector. Households interested in investing in energy efficiency can apply for specialised credit lines at local partner financial institutions. Upon successful completion of their investment, they also receive a grant incentive worth up to 20 per cent of the loan amount and funded by the EU. So far, the EU has contributed 27 million to the programme, to support households that have invested in energy-efficient technologies in the Western Balkans, making those investments more affordable. Richard Masa, Head of Sector, Western Balkans Investment Framework, European Commission, said: The European Commission is ready to support the implementation of the Green Agenda for the Western Balkans. Under IPA III funding, it has programmed the allocation of 500 million specifically for this purpose. The WBIF will facilitate the implementation of the Green Agenda by greening past and future investments across all its sectors as well as by prioritising investments in technologies that may accelerate the green transition. Leander Treppel, EBRD Board Director for Austria, said: Austria strongly supports the GEFF in the Western Balkans in order to promote household investments in energy efficiency and allow individuals, as well as poorer households, to understand and benefit from such investments while contributing to sustainable, environmentally friendly improvements and tackling climate change. The programme also provided an opportunity for cooperation with more than 4,000 producers and sellers of highly efficient green technologies in the Western Balkans. Vendors are presented in the Technology Selector, an online catalogue of pre-approved energy-efficient equipment obtainable on the six Western Balkans markets. The catalogue is available through the GEFF websites (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia) and includes items such as thermal insulation, double-glazed windows, high-efficiency boilers, heat pumps, solar collectors or solar water heaters, and photovoltaic systems. The Technology Selector enables an easy search for technologies and services and lists matching retailers. An online event was organised to celebrate the GEFF achievements and award contributing partner financial institutions and vendors. It included a panel discussion about further greening of the regions economies, in line with the EU Green Agenda and the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans. Violeta Kogalniceanu, Head of the Infrastructure and Energy Efficiency Unit, Energy Community Secretariat, said: The success of GEFF in the Western Balkans is proof that energy efficiency investments in households pay for themselves through the savings they achieve. It also demonstrates that a good programme that wisely combines policy dialogue, technical assistance, the EBRDs availability to lend to partner financial institutions, and EU grants in the form of incentives, can make a significant impact on the market. In recognition of the joint efforts of GEFF donors, partner financial institutions, and producers and vendors of green technologies, the EBRD made a donation of 1,000 trees which will be planted in the region during autumn 2021. This green award honours in particular the 18 partner financial institutions that joined the first phase of the programme and the 32 most active and committed vendors. A new litter picking programme for Cork city's primary schools has been launched by the Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Colm Kelleher. Picker Pals run by environmental NGO VOICE (Voice of Irish Concern for the Environment) and supported by Cork City Councils Waste Enforcement section, motivates and equips children with 'Picker Packs', containing everything children need to go litter-picking. The lord mayor visited Greenmount National School, and Ms Kingston, second class teacher, said: My class loved it. Anytime the kids took the pack home their parents sent me pictures, which I printed and stuck on the Picker Pals cardboard poster. It was so lovely to see all of the family getting involved in the project. Using upcycled and fully reusable packaging, Picker Pals provides classrooms with bespoke story and activity books in both Irish and English, and picker-uppers which are taken home by a different child every week. Each child goes on a litter-picking adventure in their local area with their family and reports back to their classmates on their activity. Lord Mayor Cllr Colm Kelleher praised the initiative, saying: The key to successfully tackling the mounting litter problem we face is creating behaviour change. Picker Pals success lies in inspiring a positive mindset in children and families around the issue of litter and their own power to make a difference. "Its vital that we encourage a sense of environmental stewardship and civic pride in children at an early age. Id love to see all schools in Cork City get involved in the Picker Pals programme. Since the start of the pandemic there has been a marked increase in the amount of litter in towns and cities with a recent IBAL survey showing only 50% of Irish towns are now deemed to be clean. Picker Pals plans to have over 1,200 classrooms across the country involved in the programme this year. Primary schools in Cork City can now get involved in this unique, fun and free programme. Cork City Council encourages interested schools to get in contact with Picker Pals pickerpals@voiceireland.org or to register their interest on the Picker Pals website www.pickerpalsword.org. Places are limited so early registration is advised. Ireland's only childrens hospice, LauraLynn has announced it plans to establish an on-the-ground presence in Cork, bringing services closer to home for children with palliative care needs and their families in the Munster region. The announcement came as the charity celebrated a Decade of Care yesterday, marking 10 years in existence. LauraLynn said it is working with stakeholders providing palliative care in the Cork area and the objective is to collaborate with an established service to ensure that the extension of LauraLynns care is delivered "most effectively and utilising existing networks and professionals". The charity said it aims to begin administering some care and supports to families in Cork and surrounding areas this side of Christmas, with the view to being fully operational in early 2022. Thank you @DonnellyStephen for coming in and helping us celebrate our 10th birthday with our staff, families and children. We are grateful for your continued support. #TeamLauraLynn #MomentsThatMatter #LauraLynn10 https://t.co/7MK2D2LqFn LauraLynn, Ireland's Children's Hospice (@LauraLynnHouse) September 27, 2021 Speaking at LauraLynn, Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly described the news of the expansion plans, which also include increasing care provided from LauraLynn's existing facility in Dublin, as "hugely significant". "Access to specialised hospice care and support for children with life-limiting conditions and their families is absolutely vital. "LauraLynn have been the leaders in providing childrens hospice care in Ireland for a decade now and their commitment to reach even more children is highly admirable. "Palliative care is an extremely important type of care which ensures the greatest quality of life for both the patient and their families and todays announcement is very welcomed." LauraLynn currently provides care to more than 220 families every year but the charitys aim is to double that to reach 400 families by 2024. In addition, LauraLynn will continue to support more than 200 bereaved families annually. LauraLynn CEO, Kerry McLaverty said the charity's ambition has always been to be there for every child and family who needs them and that yesterday's announcement marks "one step closer to achieving that goal". "The opening of a satellite service in Cork will bring services closer to children across the Munster region and will enable families to get the care and support they need closer to home which is something that we know is extremely important." Ill always owe Cork a lot, Kevin Blake replies, when asked what it means for him to be playing a gig back here in 2021? It was the formative musical era in my life. I had just finished school, moved to Cork, spent seven or eight years there, started the club night, got to know so many great people there. That was where it began for me really. So, to be able to go back there to play a gig at a festival, especially now, its just a very fortunate position to be in. The Limerick native may feel he owes Cork but it would equally be true to say Cork would be very much in his debt. Not long after his arrival he founded Electric Underground, an underground club night dedicated to more adventurous electronic sounds. As a weekly clubnight, it was phenomenal, delivering live electronic sets from such luminaries as Warp Records, Clark and Altern-8 Mark Archer. Providing an alternative to the house groove, which dominated the city, Electric Underground created the conditions for such D.I.Y. local live electronic nights as Ctrl-Alt-Delete and Modulation and paved the way for the arrival of the Rise-Up! dubstep night, creating something of a golden age from 2007 to the early 00s. Kevin Blake managed to release one solo EP, 2009s You Are What You Hear. After this he channelled his musical energies into the underappreciated post-punk outfit, Private Underground Residents. Things may have gotten quite after they called it a day almost a decade ago. But at the beginning of this decade that band has spawned two of the most exciting artists in this country, TheDiscoParticipationMatrix and Kevin Blake, himself. Kevin Blake is happy to back performing in Cork. Blakes recently released long-player Rough With the Smooth is the sort of glorious, euphoric celebration few saw coming. Speaking on the title, Blake says: it signifies that youre going to have these barren periods or tough periods really that things arent going to be happening for you but if you really have that belief under it all that you can push through those periods, then its worth doing and it will generally end up positively for you. Ive just been tipping away quietly the whole time, well most of the time really, there was a few times I kind of stopped and went back to it, but I always knew under it all that I probably had an album in me somewhere. The pandemic gave me the time and space to get it done. The album was originally going to be titled Love is the Cure after the opening track, but then Kevin found out that it shared a title with Elton Johns memoir. I went off that title as well, he elaborates. It felt a small bit cheesy, for want of a better word. That came about in the last couple of months, quick instinctive decisions, just change it, and remind me more than anyone, that there is going to be peaks and troughs. I dont use this word, but someone describes it as slick. But there is also some kind of rough production on it as well, some kind of more slightly distorted saturated tracks on it. It is a mixture of production styles as well. Whatever about the notion of cheesiness, there is an open-heartedness and unabashed embrace of positivity on the album, that in other hands could be syrupy, but in Blakes is affirming. Enthused by this appraisal, Blake reveals that his debut album could easily have been a techno release, were it not for recent circumstances. It was quite dark for the most part, he shares. Then the pandemic struck and it seemed like life was bleak enough without another techno album being thrown into the mix. Life was sci-fi-ish enough at that time. I finished the track Love is the Cure at the very start of the first lockdown and I really felt that we were at a bit of a low point in humanity, and it just felt like I had an uplifting piece of work in me. That Love is the Cure track was a springboard to go in a similar direction. It just felt like we needed a bit of positivity. I was feeling a lot more positive myself than what I had in years gone by, so I was channelling that through the album as well. Looking back on his debut EP, Blake feels proud of a couple of the tracks. But I guess my craft wasnt fully developed at that stage, he adds. It was a great achievement to put it out at a young age, but Ive moved away from it and put it behind me. And I havent wanted to put it up on the internet or anything either. So theres probably 50 copies going around on CD somewhere. I dont know if Ill ever put it up on the internet. Maybe at some stage, but Ive moved away. Very much of its time, the EP is a mere sketchwork. Being such a definitive statement, the existence of Rough with the Smooth obliterates any need to put the EP online. However, its DNA can be heard in the chimey, harp-like sounds on tracks like Sailing the Skies and Heartsines. I suppose Ive carried a bit of that, he acknowledges. With Rough With The Smooth, I wasnt sure if it would work because there are a number of different styles and influences on that, but I just kept tweaking it and switching out songs until it actually felt right and the songs could relate to each other even though a lot of them are quite different. Kevin Blake plays a live audio-visual set at It Takes A Village Rough with the Smooth is out now on Throwin' Shapes Records. https://kevinblakemusic.bandcamp.com/releases Get to the Village As restrictions wind down, It Takes A Village is perfectly poised to welcome ravenous festival-goers to its well-ordered enclosure at Trabolgan Holiday Village in East Cork. Having in its previous two editions taken place in spring, It Takes A Village is nothing if not serendipitous in its timing. Running over the weekend, the festival is assured to deliver a cornucopia of musical and comedic stylings, covering a variety of genres. Among the headlining acts are local house heroes, Fish Go Deep; Sligos Those Nervous Animals, who will be best known to an older generation for their cult 1980s single The Business Enterprise (My Friend John), and are familiar to a new audience through the track Hyperspace, which was on the 2017 crate-diggers handbook Quare Groove Vol. 1; the much lauded new folk artist, John Francis Flynn; and Aoife Nessa Francis, who never got to properly capitalise on her acclaimed 2020 Land of No Junction album. All roads lead East. A good time is guaranteed, and, yes, you can use the pool! Reuters Irish retail sales volumes returned to month-on-month growth in August. This comes after a brief dip in July, rising 3.5% even as no further COVID-19 restrictions were eased, with bar and department store sales increasing sharply. Volumes were 6.0% higher than in the same month a year ago, when the economy was between lockdowns, and 14.8% up on pre-pandemic levels in August 2019, continuing the trend of the last two months, the Central Statistics Office said on Tuesday. Separate credit and debit card usage compiled by the central bank has shown spending up to September 20th was up 14% year-on-year. Theatres and cinemas reopened at limited capacity with workers encouraged to return to the office from last week. Reuters Padma Shri awardee and management guru Dr Bala V Balachandran passed away in the wee hours of Tuesday, September 28. At 84, Bala was the Professor Emeritus of Accounting Information & Management at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and Founder, Chairman of the board and Dean Emeritus of Great Lakes Institute of Management in Chennai, India. Born in Tamil Nadu's Pudukkotai, he breathed his last in Chicago. Bala's death will be a great loss to the management education circle in the country. A couple of months prior to his demise, Prof Balachandran kickstarted an entrepreneurship incubator called the Atal Great Lakes Balachandran Incubator (AGBI), supported by the Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog and Great Lakes Institute of Management. A keen promoter of entrepreneurship and new ideas, on July 1, he said, "Entrepreneurship education has been proven to aid in the economic prosperity of our country. Through the launch of a unique program like B-Plan for You, the AGBI team looks forward to presenting and equipping the young entrepreneurs with intrapreneurship skills for an accelerated career at organisations that value innovation." In the 1960s, Bala began his career as a faculty member of Annamalai University. Post this, he pursued his MS/PhD from Ohio's University of Dayton, with a fully-funded scholarship. He then had a teaching career at Dayton, Carnegie Mellon and then at the Kellogg School of Management. In one of his past interviews with Business Standard, Bala recalls how a near-to-death experience in 2002, at the age of 65 was what prompted him to open GLIM, in a one-acre campus in the outskirts of Chennai. After a multiple bypass surgery, in 2004, Bala opened GLIM, which offered year-long MBA programmes to people READ ALSO: N R Narayana Murthy: IITs do not know much research "Life is a series of ups and downs. Life has the irritating and unnerving habit of throwing at you an 'unexpected' surprise and you are of course 'expected' to deal with it, resolve it and move on. I like to look at these ups and downs as experiences, which are necessary simply to widen your perspective, infuse a certain maturity of thought into your system and finally, through all these experiences propel you to take on initiatives that give you the most satisfaction and enrichment," Bala says in his message to the students of GLIM. And even though his mortal life on earth has just ended, his legacy will surely live on. Willaston School evacuated due to 'ongoing incident' Police are dealing with an ongoing incident at Willaston School. This has required the full evacuation of the school. All children have been evacuated to the Isle of Man College. All Children are safe and well. Police are asking parents to attend Isle of Man College where they can collect their children from the school staff. The area surrounding the school is cordoned off and access to the Isle of Man College cannot be gained via School Road. Apple is rolling out updates to its iWork suite of Keynote, Pages and Numbers on iPhone, iPad and Mac. The next time you deliver a presentation with Keynote, you'll be able to include live video feeds directly in the slides. You can resize the video feed and change the look with masks, frames, drop shadows and reflections. With the Mac version of Keynote, you can add feeds from multiple external cameras, and share a connected iPhone or iPad screen, which could prove useful for interactive demos. There are more collaboration features too. A new multi-presenter function lets anyone control a shared slideshow and advance slides remotely using a Mac, iPhone or iPad. This could come in handy for group presentations. The changes to Pages are largely iPhone-focused. The Screen View feature arranges text, images and other aspects of the document into a single-column view. Apple has increased the text size, while images are sized to fit your phone's screen. You can also view tables by scrolling left and right. Users will still be able to edit documents as usual when Screen View is active. You don't need to do anything to set up the feature, and it works with all word processing documents. Apple says you can toggle off Screen View so you can see the proper layout before you're ready to share or print the document. As for Numbers, you can now get to grips with pivot tables across Apple devices. You'll be able to summarize, group and rearrange data to spot and study trends and patterns. There are options to visualize the pivot tables with charts and to share pivot data without disclosing the source data. You can also import pivot tables from and export them to Microsoft Excel. Elsewhere, there's a new chart type called radar charts. Apple says this "makes it easy to visually compare multiple variables with similarities shown as overlapping areas, allowing differences and outliers to really stand out." There are new filters you can use to highlight unique entries or duplicate data. All three apps now support Apple's new translation tools on iOS 15, iPadOS 15 and macOS Monterey. The latest versions of Keynote, Pages and Numbers are now available on the App Store and Mac App Store. 2Africa, a subsea cable project funded by Facebook and several telcos, will become the longest subsea cable system ever deployed by the time it's finished. The social network has announced that the consortium of companies behind the initiative has decided to add a new segment to the structure called 2Africa Pearls, which will connect Africa, Europe and Asia. When Facebook first announced the project, it said 2Africa will lay down 37,000 km (22,990 miles) of cables on the ocean floor. Last month, the company also announced that the consortium is extending the cable's reach to four more branches in Seychelles, the Comoros Islands, Angola and the south-eastern part of Nigeria. This new segment would bring its total length to over 45,000 km or 28,000 miles. As its name implies, the 2Africa initiative's goal is to provide internet connectivity to people living in Africa, which is currently the least connected continent. This extension adds landing sites in India (Mumbai), Pakistan (Karachi), Oman (Salalah and Barakah), UAE (Kalba and Abu Dhabi), Qatar (Doha), Bahrain (Manamah), Iraq (AlFaw), Kuwait (Kuwait) and in Saudi Arabia (Khobar). 2Africa In Facebook's announcement, Kevin Salvadori, the company's VP of networking infrastructure, said the full structure would serve more people than the consortium first intended. While the original 2Africa project was only meant to provide connectivity to 1.2 billion people, the addition of Pearls would allow the cable to serve a total of 3 billion people. He wrote: Google Meet's latest beta feature could help make video conferences with foreign clients, partners, students and employees go more smoothly. The tech giant has started testing live translated captions for the program, which is a step up from Meet's standard live captions. It will initially support meetings conducted in English that it can translate into Spanish, French, Portuguese and German. In addition, the feature's current iteration is only available for meetings organized by Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus and Teaching & Learning Upgrade users. Interested administrators will have to apply for access before the feature appears in their meetings. To enable it, users will have to switch on Captions in Settings and set it to English before toggling on Translated Captions underneath. They can then choose one of the translated language options. Google "Translated captions helps Google Meet video calls to be more global, inclusive and effective by removing language ability as a barrier to collaboration. By helping users consume the content in a preferred language, you can help equalize information sharing, learning, and collaboration, and make sure your meetings are as effective as possible," Google wrote in its announcement. The tech giant didn't say whether it's working on providing translations for meetings conducted in Spanish, French, Portuguese and German instead. It also didn't mention a timeline for when the feature will become more widely available we'll just have to wait for more announcements in the future. This time last year, ByteDance was trying to save its TikTok app in the US and elsewhere after Donald Trump's administration threatened to ban it. One potential savior was Microsoft, which had negotiated to acquire the app in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, but lost its bid to Oracle. At the Code conference, CEO Satya Nadella offered new details on the negotiation, telling journalist Kara Swisher it was "the strangest thing I've ever worked on," Geekwire reports. It was a chaotic series of events that started when Trump threatened to force Chinese company ByteDance to sell TikTok to a US owner, citing privacy and security concerns. Microsoft stepped in as a potential buyer, though the company in the end struck a deal with Oracle and Walmart that was scrapped by President Joe Biden's administration in February 2021. TikTok originally came to Microsoft, Nadella emphasized, seeking a cloud and security partner to help it pilot the delicate political landscape between China and the US. "That's kind of how it started," he said. "But I was pretty intrigued. I must say, it's a great property. Obviously, everyone has seen that growth and what have you, and I guess the rest is history." In fact, just yesterday, TikTok reached a billion users and did so in less than four years. For perspective, it took Instagram almost eight years after its initial release and nearly six years after it was acquired by Facebook in 2012 to pass the one-billion user threshold. President Trump, I think had sort of a particular point of view on what he was trying to get done there, and then just dropped off, he said. I mean, it was interesting. There was a period of time when I felt that the [administration] had some particular set of requirements, and then they just disappeared. Swisher persisted with the subject, asking Nadella about Microsoft's negotiations with Trump. President Trump, I think had sort of a particular point of view on what he was trying to get done there, and then just dropped off, he said. I mean, it was interesting. There was a period of time when I felt that the [administration] had some particular set of requirements, and then they just disappeared. In fact, Microsoft was in the middle of negotiations with ByteDance when Trump dropped a bomb, telling reporters that he'd rather ban the app than allow it to be sold to a US company, according to a book by Microsoft President Brad Smith. That "threw into disarray the careful negotiations we had pursued with ByteDance to buy TikToks business in the U.S. and the three other countries, he wrote. Trump only relented and allowed a deal to happen after Nadella called him personally. After Oracle's winning bid, ByteDance said that Trump had "ghosted" the site, effectively going silent after ordering the company to divest its US TikTok assets. Though it came away empty-handed, Microsoft did learn a few things about complex foreign negotiations around tech. "Its possible to run a foreign technology service in a domestic data center with strict security, privacy, and digital safety controls in a manner that provides appropriate transparency to local government officials," said Smith. Samsung wants you to increase your freezer's temperature to lower our collective carbon footprint, and it has enlisted Vanilla Ice's help to convince you. The rapper has re-released his 1990 hit song Ice Ice Baby as Reduce Your Ice, Ice Baby, both to call on everyone to adjust their freezer's temp and to promote its new Bespoke Refrigerator range. "Turn down the freeze, and I'll glow. Jus' one degree, I raise the temp like a vandal, climate friendly, wax a chump like a candle," Vanilla Ice raps in the song. Based on a study the tech giant conducted using European Commission data, if every household in Europe alone increases its freezer's temperature by one degree Celsius, it could lower humanity's carbon emissions by over a million tons annually. The company says that's equivalent to the amount of carbon dioxide emitting by over 217,000 passenger vehicles being driven for an entire year. That's also equivalent to the yearly energy usage of over 120,000 homes combined. While it's hoping to convince you to adjust your freezer's temperature a bit, it does have a recommended minimum setting of -17 degrees Celsius or 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit. As for the fridge Samsung is promoting, the new Bespoke Refrigerator has a modular design with interchangeable panels in 14 different colors and a range of finishes. The company says it could help reduce waste, because you'll be able to upgrade the fridge in the future instead of replacing it completely. You can see the fridge in Vanilla Ice's '90s style music video for Reduce Your Ice, Ice Baby below. Nintendo has confirmed that it will expand its Super Nintendo World theme park at Universal Studios Japan with a new Donkey Kong section. The new zone, which is reportedly already under construction, is set to open sometime in 2024 and will expand the park size by 70 percent, Nintendo said. "The area will feature a roller coaster, interactive experiences and themed merchandise and food," Nintendo wrote in a press release. "Guests will be able to take a walk on the wild side through the lush jungles where Donkey Kong and his friends live." We posted the news release SUPER NINTENDO WORLD EXPANSION. WORLDS FIRST DONKEY KONG THEMED AREA SET TO OPEN IN 2024 https://t.co/adAmko6FfX IR (@NintendoCoLtd) September 28, 2021 Super Nintendo World opened in March of 2021 after a delay due to COVID-19, with mask-wearing, temperature checks and hand sanitizer requirements in place. However, a surge in the pandemic prompted a temporary closure a month later. As it stands now, travel to Japan is banned for tourists and other travelers. Nintendo plans similar attractions at the Orlando, Hollywood and Singapore Universal Studios parks. Key attractions at the Japan park are the Mario Kart: Kuppa's Challenge rollercoaster and Yoshi Adventure. Guests also get a "Power-up Band" that lets them collect coins and have other interactive experiences. "I am very happy to be able to make the world of Donkey Kong a reality following the world of Mario," said Nintendo Donkey Kong creator Shigeru Miyamoto. "I am looking forward to creating a thrilling Donkey Kong experience with the amazing team at Universal. It will take some time until it is completed, but it will be a unique area for not only people who are familiar with Donkey Kong games, but for all guests." The Nintendo Switch OLED is due to hit store shelves on October 8th, and weve been able to get some face-to-face time with the new hardware. Our Kris Naudus says the new machine is beautiful in a way previous pieces of Nintendo hardware have never been. Obviously the biggest feature worth discussing is that gorgeous new 7-inch OLED display, which is brighter, crisper and lovelier than its predecessor. Then theres the new kickstand that stretches across the back of the device for better balance, reliability and adjustability. Nintendo At the same time, Naudus got to play Metroid Dread , a de-facto launch title for the refreshed console. The 2D-side scroller is heavy on horror, and one of the best tactics the main character, Samus Aran, can employ to survive is to just run the hell away from whatever unspeakable monster attacks. To get on, Samus uses some new tech, including a spider magnet that lets her cling to ceilings. Oh, and shes now packing a cloaking device so she can sneak past those unquenchable horrors but she can only use it in short bursts. Dan Cooper For all the obvious reasons. Facebook is pausing work on Instagram Kids to consult with parents, experts and policymakers. The project, which politicians on both sides of the aisle agree is a terrible idea, has come under sustained criticism since its existence was revealed. Instagram head Adam Mosseri said the pause really is a pause, since Facebook knows there is a real problem of tweens lying about their age to access the full-fat version of the app. This will not, however, placate critics of the company and the effects its platforms have on younger children. The volume of which has intensified after WSJ reported Facebooks own internal research said Instagram had a toxic effect on kids mental health. (Facebook claims the data, while true, has been misrepresented and has pledged to release more of its own internal research to counter.) Continue Reading. Corporate wrangling over cash makes cord-cutting so relaxing. NBC Universal and YouTube are now publicly fighting about how much cash NBC gets from YouTube TVs service fees. The pair are recruiting users to aid their causes, with NBC saying YouTube TV users risk losing NBC, USA, Bravo, CNBC and Telemundo (among others) if the Google-owned video service doesnt pay up. YouTube, meanwhile, has told users itll cut the monthly price by $10 a month if those channels do wind up going. Continue Reading. This is an analog synth worth checking out. Terrence O'Brien IK Multimedias first Uno Synth was a surprise, coming as it did from a company with a pedigree in MIDI controllers rather than synthesizers. It didnt get it entirely right the first time, but there was enough promise in IKs premise for it to justify a second go. Managing Editor Terrence OBrien has spent some time with the improved Uno Synth Pro Desktop , a $400 replacement for the original model. Theres plenty of detail in his full review, but it seems that while IK hasnt buffed out all of the originals faults, the sounds are so good, you wont care. Continue Reading. Series creator J. Michael Straczynski is back, too. Warner Bros. / Babylonian Productions The CW has started work on a potential reboot of seminal 90s TV series Babylon 5 with original creator J. Michael Straczynski back running the show. Originally airing between 1993 and 1999, Babylon 5 helped build the world of Peak TV as it exists today. If you thought Game of Thrones invented long-running plot lines, tireless internet speculation and a lengthy, novelistic series of plot arcs, think again. And Babylon 5 managed to do this on a budget that would have made the makers of General Hospital reconsider if it was worth getting out of bed in the morning. Of course, you might argue some of B5s plot lines were a little bit fantastical, even for a sci-fi series. One of the biggest story arcs the series ran was the takeover of the Earth government by a xenophobic and paranoid president who was aided by a shadowy foreign power. Escapism! This may also go some way to redressing the way (parent company) Warner Bros treated B5 both during its original run and in its digital second life , which Ive covered pretty extensively over the last few years . Continue Reading. The biggest news stories you might have missed Solid-state silicon batteries could last longer and charge faster Google created illustrations you can use as profile pictures Apple details 3D maps rollout plan for iOS 15 Beyond Meat's plant-based 'chicken' tenders are coming to grocery stores It was recently reported that the former WWE Superstar Ryan Sakoda passed away on September 2. As of writing, the Wrestling Society X star's cause of death is yet to be confirmed, according to reports. The source also added that he has recently been working at Disney's Grand California Hotel. Ryan Sakoda was born in Japan and migrated to California. He was an All-League Linebacker for Glen A. Wilson High School and began training for pro wrestling under Billy Anderson and Jesse Hernandez. He was only 46 years old. Remembering, Former WWE Superstar PWInsider further reported that he was initially named Keiji Sakoda in 2000 and became a regular for Rick Bassman's UPW in California. The former Wrestler used to team up and wrestled with John Cena, Samoa Joe, Frankie Kazarian, Mike Knox, and Donovan Morgan. In 2003, Sakoda started to pick up more bookings as an enhancement talent for WWE in the Southwest, and by the fall of that year. After WWE and WSX, according to Cagematch via Comic Book, his last match took place in 2007, where he went against Frankie Kazarian. In 2015, Sakoda filed a lawsuit alongside fellow former WWE wrestlers against the show. These athletes include Billy Jack, Big Russ, Luther Reigns, and the wife of the late Nelson "Viscera" Frazier, also known as Big Daddy V, alleging they were severely injured while working for the company. READ ALSO: Jean Hale Coleman Dead at 82: 'Batman' Actress Cause of Death Revealed They accused the WWE of knowing the risks of head injuries but not warning its players. The suit filed by Sakoda stated that WWE was operated by "intimidation and abuse." Sources also mentioned how the Wrestling company disregarded the athlete's health and safety. Sakoda fought with other co-wrestlers who were "forced to wrestle injured or you lost your job," and their injuries were not discussed or treated. During that time he fought in 2003, Sakoda suffered a concussion after being knocked out, and he claimed that WWE medical staff never let him sleep or else he might die. In the suit, Sakoda alleged that he suffered from "numerous symptoms including but not limited to headaches, severe migraines, memory loss and severe depression." According to their lawyer, the source also stated that Snuka and Fujiwara were diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy and died. Other plaintiffs suffered from having dementia and other illnesses, too. Sakoda's case was moved to the State of Connecticut and later dismissed. Several similar cases revolved around CTE-related allegations against WWE that were all combined into one, which got denied as well. READ MORE: Gabe Salazar's Tragic Cause Of Death: Texan TikToker GabeNotBabe Passed Away At 19 Transforming landscapes BCP (also known as BioCarbon Partners) manages the largest REDD+ Project in Africa by size, with over one million hectares of forest protected as part of the Luangwa Community Forests Project (LCFP) in Zambia. After topping two of the categories in this year's Voluntary Carbon Rankings, Environmental Finance spoke to BCP's CEO, Dr Hassan Sachedina, about what makes a successful carbon offset project Environmental Finance: Why did you decide to launch BCP? Hassan Sachedina: I'm a career conservationist. BCP was set up to address two key problems: the first was how to fund conservation separate to aid or tourism, and the second was how to incentivise people to protect ecosystems at scale. I saw an opportunity to focus on just one forest type: African dryland forests. Our goal is to focus on the overlap of these forests with the last great areas on earth for certain types of wildlife. Being born in Kenya, it was important to me to establish a fully African company as Africa is often underrepresented in the global carbon markets and receives less than 3% of global climate finance. EF: What makes a successful carbon offset project? HS: For us, it's the co-benefits. Emissions reductions are obviously important, but transformational environmental and social impacts are what we strive for. Through our community and Government partnerships, we calculate that the project benefits 217,000 people (36,000 households). If we're not meaningfully creating value for people at a household level, what incentive do they have to keep that forest intact and to tolerate an increase in wildlife? As a company, we hold our carbon offsets and ourselves to the highest possible standards. Beyond annual Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) audits, we obtain a Climate, Community & Biodiversity Alliance (CCBA) triple gold certification for our projects. BCP is also a certified B Corporation where we score in the top 0.5% out of around 4,000 global companies. This recognises our social and environmental impacts and how we care for our staff. We are relentless about impact monitoring in order to make sure we are continually improving. EF: How do you also ensure positive biodiversity impacts in the LCFP project? HS: As a mission-driven conservation company, our purpose is to make the conservation of wildlife habitat valuable to people. By creating valuable partnerships with communities and Government to build resource protection capacity, we are starting to see increases of wildlife in some areas. We have also begun investing in wildlife translocations to accelerate wildlife restoration in the Luangwa Valley. Our vision is for the whole Luangwa Valley, one of the last great wildlife landscapes left on the planet, to be at carrying capacity populations in the next decade. EF: How do you approach impact reporting and data collection? HS: Our goal is for Africa to be known for high-quality carbon projects. This requires having impact monitoring as part of our DNA. In order to improve, you need to seek under-performance and face bad news. We have invested in an in depth digital impact monitoring system. We measure KPIs, management indicators, household income and hundreds of other metrics. EF: What trends are you seeing in the demand for voluntary carbon offsets? HS: There has been a huge surge in the past two years. We started the LCFP in 2014 and we didn't know if we were going to sell a single credit. Even though there wasn't much of a market to speak of, deep down we knew this must work, or else humanity would fail in the climate change fight. The supply/demand curve is now rapidly shifting. The Covid-19 pandemic, the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report and the lead up to COP26 have contributed to this shift. The pandemic, in particular, has shown that our relationship with the natural world is fragile. EF: What are your thoughts on the aims and recommendations of the Taskforce for Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets? HS: There is always room for methodological evolution as technology improves, however, I think the market is getting distracted by credibility concerns. Over the last decade, the voluntary carbon standards have continued to evolve. It's concerning to hear people say REDD+ projects lack credibility when we are seeing household incomes and wildlife increase, and emissions and deforestation decrease with our project. A possible catalytic role for the Taskforce is to drive higher prices for nature-based solutions. Price is a fundamental driver of future conservation and livelihood transformation for REDD+ projects working in areas with high poverty. EF: What impact would that have on early-stage projects or projects that struggle to secure financing? HS: At a higher price, it will incentive more communities and stakeholders to adapt land use to store and remove more carbon. It will drive the supply of projects and greatly reduce market and financing risks for nature-based carbon projects. EF: What else are you hoping to achieve at BCP going forward? HS: By 2030, our goal is to have signed co-management agreements across 30 million acres and to benefit three million people in the landscapes we operate in. We currently work across around three million acres, so this is a 10-fold expansion in nine years. These goals are ambitious but the scale of the problem is so huge we have to be. 2021-09-28 Maeci Today the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Luigi Di Maio, and the Minister of Commerce of the People's Republic of China, Wang Wentao, have co-chaired by video conference the 14th session of the Joint Italy/China Economic Committee. Minister Di Maio has expressed satisfaction for the positive trend of bilateral trade and Italian exports to China, which are up in the first half of this year by 20.3% and by 48.3% year-over-year (+2.6 billion Euros from January to June 2021, compared to the same period last year). An even higher percentage growth has been recorded for exports in the agri-food sector, up by 50% from January to July and totaling 415 million Euros, based on which figures Italy now ranks third among the top suppliers of wine to the Chinese market this year. In view of further supporting Italian exports, the Foreign Minister has announced the opening of a new ICE agency office in Chengdu and, together with Minister Wang, has launched ad hoc working groups for agri-food products and the promotion of e-commerce. These measures will contribute to achieving the goal, mentioned by Minister Di Maio, of ensuring an increasingly balanced flow of goods and services between the two countries, thereby contributing to rebalance the trade balance. Minister Di Maio has also highlighted the importance of resuming direct flights between the two countries, an essential move towards revitalising the economy and tourism. The Foreign Minister has also emphasised the establishment of green corridors to facilitate the participation of foreign economic operators in trade fairs in Italy. Finally, the two Ministers have discussed the issue of protecting intellectual property and the importance of ensuring the full implementation of the EU-China Agreement on Geographical Indications. 2021-09-28 Maeci Recently, The Italian Ambassador to the Azerbaijan Republic, Claudio Taffuri, along with his British counterpart James Sharp, has recently met the Azerbaijani youth taking part in the "Youth4Climate: Driving Ambition event scheduled in Milan from 28 to 30 September 2021. As part of the partnership agreement between Italy and the United Kingdom for the COP26 Presidency, Italy has organised an event entirely dedicated to the youth, entitled: "Youth4Climate: Driving Ambition". This event will give youth from around the world the opportunity to discuss and formulate concrete proposals on climate change issues. The event is expected to be attended by 400 young people aged 15 to 29, identified on the basis of geographical and gender equality criteria. The selection rewarded activism on climate change and sustainable development issues. Based on replies to a questionnaire, those who were chosen demonstrated abilities for strategic thinking, leadership, and motivation. Youth4Climate: Driving Ambition will be held in Milan from 28 to 30 September 2021 at the MiCo Milano Convention Centre. The first two days will be dedicated to working groups, whereas the third day will feature a discussion between the young delegates and the Ministers attending the Pre-COP26. The proposals put forward by the young participants will be made available at subsequent international negotiations on the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development, and at debates within ECOSOC and UNFCCC. New York Governor Kathy Hochul is considering employing the National Guard to fill hospital staffing shortages with tens of thousands of workers possibly losing their jobs for not meeting a Monday deadline for mandated COVID-19 vaccination. The exchange4media group hosted the Virtual Edition 3.0 of the Pitch CMO Summit on Friday, 24th September 2021. The theme of this edition was Future-Proofing Brands and the summit witnessed the gathering of industry leaders across sectors to decode the future of brands. While smartphone and gadget brands rely on Amazon and Flipkart to push sales, e-commerce sites are multi-brand, and can't favour one brand overtly. So how does a brand then ensure that they are leading the e-commerce market and also making themselves future-proof? To discuss more on the topic Acing The Online Shopping Research Experience To Boost Brand Salience, Nitin Mathur, CEO, 91mobiles chaired a panel comprising Prashant Jain, Director - Marketing, HP India Market; Roshni Das, Marketing Director - India, Intel; Sooraj Balakrishnan, Head Marketing - India and Bangladesh, Acer; and Utsav Malhotra, COO, Noise. Mathur kicked off the discussion by asking the panellists to share the strategies adopted by their brands during the 2-3 week decision-making consumer-research period for e-commerce purchases. Jain shared: Few things that have changed over the last 14 months. We have seen a shrink in this duration from the earlier three-week time given that PCs have become so essential for working and learning from home. People are now closing their research in less than ten days. The challenge, therefore, has become very acute because now you have to influence that purchase in a very short time. We have to grab the consumer attention when they are entering the market, not when they have already begun their research. Our content strategy remains that we want to put out content that the consumer wants to see, not what we want to put out. Balakrishnan added The offline piece to this journey is also important. Consumers go and check out the product offline as well, see the touch and feel, so that is also important in the consumer journey. Another important factor that drives conversion is one-day delivery. It is all about the omnichannel experience. The consumer can buy from anywhere but they would like to have a unified brand experience. For traditional brands like us, the D2C has really evolved over the last 14 months and we have scaled and pivot accordingly. Overall, both D2C and a unified experience are important and that is what we are focussed on. Bringing the ingredient brand side of content strategy, Das said We are dealing with a more digitally savvy consumer. Our position is that we dont want to interrupt and want to hasten the consumer journey as quick as possible. Most of the time, our campaigns land on the e-comm because if the person is already in the shopping stage, wed rather give them what they are looking for. That being said, about 40% of people land up on these sites after doing their research. According to stats, tech reviewers on Youtube have grown by 5X while tech writers and their engagement has gone up by 4X, a lot of work, therefore, is to intersperse with these people to tell our story and demystify. PC performance is something that we really focus on. Sharing the strategy behind maintaining the positioning of a tech-lifestyle brand like Noise through influencers, Malhotra shared When it comes to accessories, people are using TWS devices for about 10-12 hours a day, while smartwatches are worn almost the entire time apart from when they are charging once in 10 days. For us, with influencers, the bucket is divided, there is a shift towards micro tier 2 and 3 influencers because they do a lot of active work for us post-purchase. Our journey doesnt end at product purchase, 50% of it is the experience on the app post that. We have these content creators who do a lot of content highlighting that. Thats a large part of the brand experience that gets delivered that otherwise on the surface doesnt seem to exist." Read more news about (internet advertising India, internet advertising, advertising India, digital advertising India, media advertising India) The musicians of the San Antonio Symphony are making plans for picket lines after calling a strike in response to the implementation of a contract that slashes jobs and pay and reduces the number of concerts in the 2021-22 season. The musicians will be filing unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board, said Mary Ellen Goree, chair of the symphony musicians negotiating committee and principal second violin. They also plan to ask the American Federation of Musicians, the union to which they belong, to place the orchestra on the unfair list. Professional musicians are urged not to work for organizations on that list. The Symphony Society, the nonprofit that runs the 83-year-old symphony, voted last week to unilaterally impose the new contract, which it had described as its final, best and last offer. The society notified the musicians late Sunday of its decision, and the contract went into effect Monday. The contract cuts the orchestra from 72 full-time positions to 42 and makes up the difference with part-time positions. That is known as an A/B orchestra, in which some musicians are full time, some are part time and the contract terms are different for each group. The 26 part-time musicians would be paid per service, meaning for each rehearsal or performance. The part-timers also would not have health insurance. In addition, the contract cuts the full-time musicians base pay from $35,774 to $24,000. And it reduces the next season from 31 weeks to 24 weeks, mostly by cutting out community concerts and other events that dont produce revenue. Thats a pretty impossible pill to swallow, said Richard Oppenheim, president of Local 23, the chapter of the American Federation of Musicians to which the symphony musicians belong. Kathleen Weir Vale, the chairwoman of the symphonys board of directors, said the Symphony Society is working to shore up the orchestras perpetually shaky finances once and for all. We just have to stabilize the symphony for the future, for the present and the future, and were going to hold strong to spending only what we can afford, Vale said. Were committed to continuing negotiating with the symphony musicians until we reach a mutually agreeable contract. In an editorial board meeting with the San Antonio Express-News, board members and Symphony Executive Director Corey Cowart said that in the last full season before the pandemic, the symphony brought in $6 million and had expenses of $8 million. The board is projecting $5 million in revenue for the 2021-22 season. The musicians current three-year contract dates to 2019. It was reopened last year after the 2020-21 season had to be curtailed because of the pandemic. The musicians agreed to an 80 percent pay cut for that season. The symphony was dark for nearly a year starting in March 2020. It resumed in-person performances in February with limited audiences and a cap of 35 musicians onstage at a time to allow for social distancing. The Symphony Society asked to reopen the contract a second time this year for the 2021-22 season, citing uncertainties related to the ongoing pandemic, and the negotiations began in March. The musicians voted on the proposed contract Sept. 15, unanimously rejecting the terms. There had been no further word from the Symphony Society after that, Goree said, until the musicians received an email late Sunday night notifying them that the contract was being imposed. It seems to the musicians that we could not possibly propose anything to them that they were going to accept based on how draconian their offers to us were, Goree said. The musicians do not believe the symphony board has been negotiating in good faith, Oppenheim said. Theyre basically shoving these changes down everybodys throat with no intention to bargain in good faith, he said. The whole pretext for opening up the third year of the collective bargaining agreement was that it had to do with pandemic-related hardships, and it turns out that apparently what they really want to address is a long-standing desire to turn the orchestra into an A/B orchestra, (which) has nothing to do with the pandemic. And also to try and correct financial problems theyve had in the past before the pandemic arose. Cowart said the board has been negotiating in good faith throughout the process. He said the next step is for both sides to resume negotiations. The way we get to the other side of this is for us to return to the table and continue to negotiate, Cowart said. The musicians next performance commitment is Opera San Antonios staging of Don Giovanni, slated for Oct. 7 and 9. Cowart has been in touch with the opera, he said, to try to determine what the options might be if the strike continues. If the musicians are still on strike at the end of the month, when the classical season is slated to begin, concerts may have to be canceled or postponed. We dont play if theyre on strike, Vale said. We hope it is resolved quickly. Plans are being made for picket lines, Oppenheim said, though those details are still being worked out. Other unions have expressed support, he said, and likely would picket as well. What I would like to see happen is that we are able to hammer out an agreement that keeps 72 musicians on stage, keeps us compensated at a living wage, keeps the artistic integrity of the San Antonio Symphony, Goree said. But as far as what I think will happen, honestly, your guess is as good as mine. dlmartin@express-news.net | Twitter: @DeborahMartinEN For fans of the eclectic Restaurant Gwendolyn on the River Walk downtown and the ramen shop Kimura around the corner, its time to pay your respects. Chef and owner Michael Sohocki is closing both restaurants in December and moving them to the former 5 Points Local restaurant building, where he plans to reopen in January. Kimura will stay on course with ramen and Japanese specialties, but Sohocki plans to change Gwendolyns name and its pre-industrial ethos, which shunned electrical appliances and offered only food that could be sourced within 150 miles. In addition, hell add a third concept at the new site, a bar and lounge area he plans to call Dash, in the buildings loft space. Healthy snacks, smoothies, salads and coffee are now part of the lineup at the Pearls Bottling Department food hall. Kineapple, a concept from Neesha and Robby Grubbs, the husband-and-wife team who started the Local Coffee Founders coffee shop at the Pearl, is now open. The name comes from their youngest sons charming way of pronouncing pineapple with a k, and the menu will include customizable smoothies, a kale salad, a free-range chicken salad sandwich, golden overnight oats, a housemade protein bar and coffee. FREDERICKSBURG Texans will be able to get a first-hand look at the new House Beautiful concept house well, houses actually. The Craftsman-style farmhouse complex features a newly built two-bedroom main home and a two-bedroom guesthouse in the Hidden Springs subdivision here. It will be open to the public Thursdays through Sundays from Oct. 2-23. The complex has multiple personalities not in a Sybil sort of way, but in the way of eight different designers each decorating one room. Yet, somehow, it all works, the individual parts mostly melding to create something both exciting and unique. Finished in August following a five-month build, the project will be featured as the 2021 House Beautiful Whole Home Concept House on the cover of the October/November issue of the magazine. That is also the 125th anniversary issue of the publication which, like the Express-News, is owned by Hearst. The property also will be featured on Blank Slate, House Beautifuls new home renovation series on YouTube. House Beautiful 2021 Whole Home Concept House Tour The home, located at 120 Fabelhaft Circle, Fredericksburg, will be open to the public Thursdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. October 2-23. Tickets, $25, can be purchased through Eventbrite.com (search "2021 Whole Home Concept House"). See More Collapse Each year the magazine selects a different market in which to build a Whole Home Concept House. The Fredericksburg project was constructed by Johnson City-based Agave Custom Homes and is already under contract for $2.2 million without the furnishings. For Agave owner Tyler OBrien, coordinating the efforts of eight different designers was at times a trial. All the designers cared about was their one room, because they were all competing to get the magazine editors to choose their room for the cover, he said. But I was building the house, so I had to take all their designs, lay them out and see if the result was going to be consistent and flow right. That sometimes meant telling them no. On ExpressNews.com: Tired 90s-era Helotes kitchen gets $68K renovation with French country elements and a blend of materials that modernize it One designer, for example, wanted to do a pink ceiling. But the house already had so much color, OBrien said, he vetoed the idea. Ultimately, he had to be able to sell the house and he didnt want to turn off any potential buyers by having it look like a bag of Skittles. Stephen Karlisch / House Beautiful Visitors enter the home to a narrow foyer with a cement floor. I hate how in a lot of houses you walk through the front door and youre right there in the family room, OBrien said. So we built this small foyer separated by a cased opening to give you a point of entry into the rest of the house. The entry was designed by by Emilie Munroe of Studio Munroe in San Francisco, who also designed the living room, with a 22-foot-high vaulted ceiling of cedar and pine and a wall of glass doors looking out to the rolling hills beyond. One end of the room is dominated by a massive brick fireplace painted an inky black and flanked by custom-made wallpaper depicting clouds at sunrise. The rooms palette is further expanded via pops of color from rich blue walls, purple side tables and a yellow coffee table. The master bedroom, by Virginia Toledo and Jessica Geller of Toledo Geller in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, is surprisingly calming, with a mustard-colored linen-and-paper wallcovering that contains subtle hints of brown, cream and pink and a vaulted ceiling of lightly whitewashed shiplap with darker beams for contrast. People want vaulted ceilings for the drama and because it makes a smaller room seem larger, OBrien said. This master bedroom is only about 15 by 15, but the high ceiling makes it feel bigger and gives it that wow factor. In the Toledo Geller-designed master bathroom, the striking flooring is made up of large black, white and Carrara marble squares. The vanity was built to look like a piece of furniture, with white oak cabinetry, inset doors, a quartz countertop and wall-mounted faucets. Down a short hallway is the owners den, a room that can also serve as a spare bedroom because of the en suite. The room, by New York designer Mikel Welch, has another vaulted ceiling, this one about 14 feet high, a brick accent wall and custom grass cloth wallpaper in plaid. In the kitchen, Stephanie Sabbe of Sabbe Interior Design in Nashville, eschewed the traditional stone-topped island for a large wooden table that seats six. The room has an English countryhouse vibe with brick flooring, yellow leaf-patterned wallpaper, blue-green cabinets and pine beams running perpendicular to a bead board ceiling. On ExpressNews.com: Fredericksburg winery owners built a $650K house with million-dollar views Between the main house, the three-car garage and the guesthouse, what was planned as a simple breezeway was reconceived by Jean Liu of Dallas-based Jean Liu Design as an outdoor dining area with a view of the nearby hills. Motorized retractable screens at both ends can be lowered easily to keep bothersome bugs out while allowing the prevailing breeze to pass through. Stephen Karlisch / House Beautiful Liu also designed the small lounge area that opens to the media room and office in the guesthouse. It has a comfortable banquette and a custom wine cabinet made of brass dowels and burgundy leather for displaying almost 24 bottles. Behind the cabinet hides a small laundry closet. The office, which graces the magazines cover, is by Baltimore designer Laura Hodges of Laura Hodges Studio. It is the ultimate in flex space, with a desk that can be easily transformed into aerobic steps for working out. The vision for this room was functionality, OBrien said. You can use it to work and then relieve stress by working out, meditating, whatever. The room also has a vaulted ceiling and large windows flanked by built-in shelving. The other room, decorated to be a media room by Heather and Matt French of French & French Interiors in Santa Fe, features deep green, high-gloss walls and ceilings and bold patterns and textures, such as the latticework-fronted cabinets. Theres even a curtained trundle bed for when the room needs to be used for overnight guests. Out back, the pool area provides a whole other living space. The 30-by-14-foot pool has a tanning ledge with bubblers. The well-equipped outdoor kitchen, by Los Angeles designer Linda Hayslett of LH.Designs, has a gas grill, a sink, a double freezer, a Kegerator, beverage and wine refrigerators and beer cooler. From the party persona of the pool area to the restful retreat of the master suite, theres a room for every mood. rmarini@express-news.net | Twitter: @RichardMarini Authorities in South Carolina continued their investigation Monday into the death of Sheridan Wahl, a 21-year Florida college student whose body was found 10 miles (16 kilometers) from her torched car. According to the Florence County Sheriff's Office, Wahl's body was found Tuesday behind a training tower at the Hannah-Salem-Friendfield Fire Department in Pamplico, a town of about 1,200 in northeastern South Carolina. Wahl, a student at the University of South Florida, had traveled to Myrtle Beach to visit her father, according to the woman's mother, who reported her missing on Sept. 19. According to a police report, Wahl's mother called authorities just before midnight after not hearing from her daughter since earlier that day. Telling authorities that Wahl didn't go to her father's house, the woman's mother said Wahl used FaceTime that afternoon to contact her from a Myrtle Beach scooter rental business, where she was denied service for not wearing shoes. The woman said she told her daughter to stay in Myrtle Beach that night, then drive back to Florida the next day. After Wahl's father and a friend drove around looking for her but found no trace, the mother called police, according to the report. The same day that Wahl was reported missing, authorities in Florence County were alerted to the discovery of her car, a burgundy Toyota sedan, in a cornfield in Scranton, about 55 miles (90 kilometers) from the business where she had used FaceTime with her mother. According to a report, the license plate had been removed, the VIN was not legible, and the car had been set on fire. Before I arrived information was given over the radio that the female could possibly be a missing female from Florida, the responding officer wrote. The State Law Enforcement Division has taken over the investigation, according to agency spokesman Tommy Crosby, who declined to give details on the case. On Wednesday, Myrtle Beach police posted on their official Facebook page that Wahl had left the department's jurisdiction safely, without adding details, and noted they had handed the case off to SLED. On his Facebook page, Wahl's father sought donations in her memory for an organization that said its aim was reducing the stigma associated with mental health and behavioral conditions. Give your kids a hug, then hug them harder for five more seconds ... he added. An autopsy of Wahls body was planned for last week at the Medical University of South Carolina, according to Florence County Coroner Keith von Lutcken, who did not immediately return an email message Monday from The Associated Press. ___ Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP. Joseph Ball's reign of terror ended when he shot and killed himself 83 years ago last week to avoid arrest, according to stories about the suspected San Antonio-area serial killer. Ball, who is known as "The Butcher of Elmedorf," was accused of killing possibly up to 20 women in the 1930s. The saloon owner would romance the women and then kill them and mutilate their bodies, a 1981 story in the San Antonio Light said. Authorities never knew how many victims there were. It was rumored that Ball may have fed some of the woman to the alligators he kept on his property. On ExpressNews.com: 12 years ago a woman beheaded her baby. She said it was to 'prevent an apocalypse' When Bexar County Sheriff's deputies knocked on his saloon door on Sept. 24, 1938, he killed himself. In the 1930s, the World War I veteran owned the Sociable Inn, a tavern just outside of the San Antonio city limits. He was said to be good looking, rich and came from a well-known family. His father was said to have built Elmendorf, a city in southeast Bexar County, and one of his brothers was later the mayor, according to Texas Monthly. One of Ball's first known victims was 22-year-old Minnie Gotthardt, who ran the bar with him. In September 1937, Gotthardt disappeared, and Ball later admitted to his barmaid-turned-wife Dolores Buddy Goodwin that he killed her because she did not get along with Goodwin. In 1938, just months after Gotthardt went missing, Goodwin also disappeared. It was later discovered after Ball's death that she ran away to San Diego. By then, Ball had started dating another one of his barmaids, Hazel Brown, who also mysteriously disappeared after only a few months. A number of women who worked for Ball disappeared without a trace, according to reports. The day before Ball killed himself, a man told deputies that there was a "foul-smelling barrel covered in flies that Joe Ball had left behind his sisters barn," the Texas Monthly story said. Ball had moved the barrel by the time deputies arrived on Sept. 24, but his sister confirmed the tipster's story. Deputies told Ball he would have to travel to San Antonio for questioning. On ExpressNews.com: San Antonio TikTok star Gabriel Salazar died in a car accident, friends and family say According to the story, the deputies agreed to allow Ball to close down the saloon and have a drink before leaving to be questioned. After a few sips of beer, he pulled out a firearm from the register and shot himself, the Texas Monthly article said. Ball's handyman Clifton Wheeler later admitted to authorities that he was forced to help Ball dispose of the bodies of Gotthardt and Brown. Authorities found the dismembered body of Brown buried about 3 miles outside of Elmendorf. Her head had been burned in a fire and only a jawbone, some teeth and some pieces of her skull were found. Gotthardt was found in a shallow grave near Ingleside. Officials also later found a packet of letters and a scrapbook with photos of dozens of women whom Ball had issues with and ended up missing. There was, however, not enough evidence to link him to their disappearances. taylor.pettaway@express-news.net San Antonio Police Department News 4 San Antonio has identified a man found stabbed to death outside his South Side home on Sept. 25 as a former employee. San Antonio police said they found 40-year-old Chris Olivarez near the front steps of the home in the 300 block of Kirk Place and had "visible trauma." Ken Branca Two men died after they were hit by vehicles in separate incidents overnight, San Antonio police said. Police said a man in his 30s was hit by a dark-colored Dodge while walking diagonally across a downtown intersection around 9:30 p.m. on Monday in the 500 block of Navarro Street near the River Walk. The man was taken to the hospital, where he later died. An Oklahoma man accused of threatening more than 100 Texas lawmakers on social media over the state's controversial abortion law was arrested on Sept. 22 at an Oklahoma State University apartment. Austin Wendell Lund, 20, is charged with using a computer system to threaten physical harm or death on an individual. According to an arrest affidavit, Lund used Reddit on Sept. 3 to name the 83 members of the House of Representatives and 18 members of the Texas State Senate who supported Senate Bill 8 that makes it illegal to have an abortion in Texas once a heartbeat is detected. He then said he was "preparing to end" each one of the them, the affidavit continued. On ExpressNews.com: Suspected local serial killer who may have fed his victims to alligators killed himself 83 years ago In an additional post on Sept. 17, Lund said he would rape every woman who voted to support the bill, the affidavit said. Reddit provided the FBI with Lund's information, which allowed authorities to track the IP address to an apartment on the Oklahoma State campus. School officials told Enid News & Eagle that Lund is not a student but lives in married-student housing. Lund admitted to FBI agents to making the threats but said he did not intend to carry them out, the affidavit said. Lund's bail was set at $25,000. taylor.pettaway@express-news.net CCARHUACC LICAPA, Peru (AP) Leila Ccaico walked slowly to the front of her class in a rural village in the Andes. Reluctantly, she faced her classmates, obeyed her teachers orders and started to sing softly in Quechua. This is the first year that the sixth grader has been taking reading and writing lessons in the Indigenous language she learned from her parents, one that has survived despite centuries of laws and discrimination that discouraged its use. Halting efforts to revive and promote the language hit the spotlight last month when Perus newly appointed prime minister surprised the nation by delivering a speech in Quechua to Congress for the first time in Perus history. Translation into Spanish was unavailable, angering politicians who couldnt understand the speech a fact that illustrated Quechuas status as a second-class language in the South American country. But the incident also raised hopes among Quechua speakers that Perus new government, led by a rural schoolteacher from an Indigenous region, will give their language more visibility and increase funding for bilingual education in villages where children are often reluctant to speak the ancient tongue. I feel strange speaking Quechua; it(s embarrassing said 11-year-old Ccaico, whose name is pronounced something like Hai-Ko in English. Talking in Spanish, she said that children who speak Quechua at her school get bullied, and added that parents in her village dont want children to learn the tongue because they think it will not help children when they move to the cities for work. Ccaico, whose parents are alpaca herders, said she stopped speaking Quechua fluently at the age of 6. She said she she was visiting a city and started to speak in Quechua, but her older sister told her to stop because passersby would make fun of them. Its a situation commonly faced by Quechua speakers in South America, even though the language is used by an estimated 10 million people in the region largely in Peru,. Ecuador and Bolivia, all of which have made it an official language in recent decades. Five hundred years ago, Quechua was the lingua franca of the Inca Empire, which stretched from what is now southern Colombia to central Chile. But the languages status began to decline following the Spanish conquest of Peru. Though Spanish authorities initially tolerated Quechua, they banned it following an Indigenous rebellion in 1781. In 1975, a nationalist military government turned Quechua into an official language in Peru, along with Spanish. But legal recognition did not stop discrimination against Quechua speakers, who come mostly from poor and rural areas. During the conflict between Perus government and the Shining Path guerrilla group in the 1980s and 1990s, some Indigenous people were tortured by the military and accused of being rebel collaborators merely for speaking Quechua, a truth commission found. Thousands of Quechua speaking women were enrolled in forced sterilization campaigns in Peru during the 1990-2000 government of Alberto Fujimori and were denied medical attention in their native language. We have suffered for 500 years. We walked slowly through hills and snowy peaks to arrive here in Congress, and have our voice heard Prime Minister Guido Bellido said during his Quechua language speech on Aug 26. Bellido, a native Quechua speaker who is also fluent in Spanish, was attending his confirmation hearing after being named prime minister by Pedro Castillo, the nations newly elected president. Three minutes after starting, Bellido was ordered to stop his speech by congressional president Maria Alva, who told him to immediately translate what he had said. Translators were not available despite Quechua's official status. Its time to change. Its time for all of our countrys residents to look at each other as equals, without discrimination Bellido told the chamber in Quechua. Later, as the lawmakers debated his nomination, he seemingly casually pulled out a small bag of coca leaves, dipped his facemask and began to chew a few. The practice is common among Indigenous people across the Andes who use the herb as a tonic but previously unheard of in the legislative chambers. Leila Ccaicos mother, Maribel Licapa said she watched the speech and agreed with the prime minister that more needs to be done to accommodate non-Spanish speakers. Licapa said that she was barred from speaking her native language when she worked at a plantation on Peru's coast and as a cleaner in the homes of wealthy families closer to her village. You have to speak in Spanish. I don't understand, one employer told her. For 500 years Spanish has been imposed in a way that reflects the racist and classist values of Peruvian society said Carmen Cazorla, an anthropologist who teaches Quechua at the Catholic University of Peru. This society underappreciates those who speak Indigenous languages and some even suspect that speakers of these languages are using them to offend others Cazorla said. Cazorla is directing a bilingual project at Leila Ccaicos school, where children are taught to collect medicinal plants and jot down their Quechua names. Leila said that it was the first time that she had heard positive comments about Quechua at school. Our teacher told us that Quechua was a very good language, and that we should speak it as well as we speak Spanish because otherwise it will disappear Ccaico said. Despite the difficulties Quechua faces, it has made advances. Perus government-owned television channel has broadcast a daily news show in Quechua since 2016, and dozens of folkloric bands are producing videos in the Indigenous tongue. Some rock bands have also experimented with songs in Quechua. Currently, more than 1.2 million children receive bilingual education in Spanish and Indigenous languages across Peru a nation of about 32 million people and new Education Minister Juan Cadillo says the government aims to increase the number of bilingual teachers in public schools from 54,000 to around 60,000 next year. Ccaicos school began to teach Quechua for the first time in April, when bilingual teacher Alicia Cisneros was transferred to the village. Cisneros, 50, comes to class wearing a brown bowler hat with a red flower a style common among Indigenous women in the region to show pride in her heritage. The teacher said that shes been asked to take the hat off at banks, at a restaurant, at a university in Perus capital and at the Ministry of Education. I resisted and did not take it off she said. There are moments when you will be trampled on because of your origin. But you need to have guts and resist. The initial Republican proposal for redrawing Texas congressional maps calls for Bexar County to again be split into five congressional districts, but minor alterations would protect the regions threatened GOP incumbents. Under the plan, the boundaries for most districts in the San Antonio region would stay largely the same, though more Republican voters would be added to districts represented by Republican Reps. Chip Roy and Tony Gonzales. The most dramatic changes would be felt in other major metro areas across the state, as Dallas districts would be significantly altered and Houston and Austin both would gain a congressional district. The proposal, released Monday by the state Senate, is the first indication of GOP lawmakers priorities heading into the redistricting process, a once-a-decade endeavor to redraw the states political maps. State legislators are reshaping 36 districts and adding two new ones to reflect the population shifts identified by the census. Texas has gained 4 million residents since 2010, a surge driven almost exclusively by people of color, especially Hispanics. But the proposed congressional map does not create any new majority-Latino or majority-Black districts. NEW MAP: Click here to view and explore the proposed Texas congressional map Instead, Republicans are proposing to pack hundreds of thousands of Democratic voters into two districts in the Houston and Dallas areas that they lost in 2018. Those changes steer clear of San Antonio, where the GOP has instead attempted to add to its majority in two currently competitive districts. Statewide, the proposed map lays the groundwork for Republicans to protect incumbents in 2022 while adding two new members to the Texas GOP caucus in the U.S. House. Most of the existing districts are probably safer than they were, said Lloyd Potter, a demographer at the University of Texas at San Antonio. Redistricting analysts, in early assessments of the draft map Monday, said the proposal shores up GOP-led districts, protects sitting lawmakers and packs heavily Democratic areas to give Republicans an advantage elsewhere. The Princeton Gerrymandering Project gave the proposed map an F grade for its fairness, concluding that the districts give a significant advantage to Republicans. In most cases, Republicans focused on protecting the seats they already control, shielding them from the rapidly growing areas of Texas that are shifting in favor of Democrats, said GOP strategist Brendan Steinhauser. The Republicans did really well in the 2020 election, Steinhauser said. And I think the Republican Party kind of believes that its more important to lock in the gains over the next 10 years than to try and be too aggressive. Civil rights groups Monday called the maps a clear example of gerrymandering, promising to take Republican lawmakers to court as they have for decades if they do not adjust their plans. Domingo Garcia, the national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, blasted the plan as an unfair attempt to strip Latinos of their voting power, especially in North Texas. Instead of using the two new congressional districts to create representation for the communities that drove the states population growth, Republicans pack and crack our community, he said. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox He said LULAC will testify against the proposal during a state Senate hearing Thursday and perhaps will suggest its own map. He also threatened a lawsuit if legislators dont alter the map, invoking the promises of the Pledge of Allegiance. They say with liberty and justice for all there is no justice for all if your last name is Garcia or Rodriguez, Lopez or Sanchez in this redistricting plan, Garcia said. In fact, they totally exclude us. Gary Bledsoe, the president of the Texas NAACP, also lamented the addition of no new majority-minority districts, adding that Republicans have excluded Black Texans from the process of drawing maps. The proposed map vastly diminishes the voting strength of minorities all around the state by either packing them into districts already electing minority candidates of choice or cracking them by pushing them into districts dominated by conservative white voters, he said in a statement. As the state has garnered two new congressional seats on the backs of its minority population, it has sought to put forth a proposed congressional map that is clearly retrogressive. Division and dilution On San Antonios Northwest Side, tens of thousands of people from Helotes to Guilbeau Road would no longer be represented by Rep. Joaquin Castro, a Democrat. Instead, they would shift into the 23rd Congressional District, presently held by Gonzales, a San Antonio Republican elected in 2020. The district stretches to El Paso County. Castros 20th Congressional District would also lose Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland and the neighborhoods around it to Gonzales. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people on the East Side would no longer be represented by Austin Democrat Lloyd Doggett. Instead, those voters would shift into the 28th Congressional District represented now by Laredo Democrat Henry Cuellar. For Cuellar, the shifting lines mean adding more than 50,000 Bexar County residents who had been in Doggetts or Gonzales districts. And thousands of homes from Loop 1604 to Nacogdoches Road on the Northeast Side would shift from Doggetts district to that of Roy, an Austin Republican. Doggett said in a statement Monday that Texas GOP lawmakers engaged in extreme gerrymandering to break up neighborhoods in Travis, Hays and Bexar counties, all included in his district. With lines shaped like snakes, tentacles and dragons, parts of both Travis and Bexar are included in five different districts, he said. San Antonio and Austin are connected by a sliver only slightly wider than I-35. Since this is only the initial Senate draft, which can be altered in both the Senate and House, whats clearly demanded is more unity, more democracy and less division and dilution. The addition of a congressional seat in Austin will somewhat affect San Antonio-area representatives. More than 200,000 people in Austin who had been making Roys 21st Congressional District more vulnerable for the GOP would be shifted into a newly drawn 37th Congressional District. That leaves Roys district, which includes Alamo Heights, Castle Hills and Hollywood Park, far safer for Republicans to hold. Former President Donald Trump would have won the new district easily, instead of by the 3 percentage points he did last year, according to an analysis from Dave Wasserman of the Cook Political Report in Washington, D.C. Wasserman said Roy is one of the big winners in the draft map, essentially gaining a safe GOP seat after two tight races. He hypothesized that Republicans were most focused on protecting GOP incumbents in suburban areas that had been shifting toward Democrats. Gonzales also would benefit from the shift. Instead of representing a district that Trump won by just 2 percentage points, the new 23rd Congressional District would have allowed him to win by more than 5 percentage points. Its a change also reflected in the districts demographics. The 23rd is a majority-Hispanic district, with Latinos currently making up about 66 percent of the areas voting-age population. The proposal would lower that to 60 percent. A man who was arrested after his family told police he beat his girlfriend to death has been charged with murder after authorities found her body in Comal County. Francisco Javier Garcia Ventura, 29, was charged Tuesday in the death of Crystal Iris Garcia, according to court records. She was 32. Venturas family members called San Antonio police on Sept. 19 and said he told them he had beaten Garcia on Sept. 17 until she stopped breathing and disposed of her body near San Marcos, according to the affidavit supporting Venturas arrest warrant. In a separate incident report, police said two of Venturas family members reported that he told them that he and Garcia got into an argument that escalated. His family also told police that he asked them to drive him to a bus stop on the South Side. Police arrested Ventura there on municipal warrants before he could board a bus bound for Mexico City. An Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer was also placed on Ventura, though his immigration status was not immediately known. Such detainers notify local law enforcement that ICE has an interest in a person in police custody if and when that person is due to be released. A police report released Tuesday notes that Ventura had a backpack with all his legal documents and $700 in cash. On Sept. 22, detectives received a tip that Ventura had been near Interstate 35 North and York Creek Road in the early morning of Sept. 19. The area is between New Braunfels and San Marcos in Northeast Comal County, investigators said. New Braunfels police and Comal County deputies began searching areas Ventura had reportedly been to, court records state. On the evening of Sept. 22, investigators found a black plastic Husky toolbox, according to the affidavit. The box contained a corpse, investigators said, which was later identified as Garcia. Garcias death was ruled a homicide after Lockhart-based Central Texas Autopsy performed an autopsy and confirmed the bodys identity. San Antonio police did not specify the cause of death. Garcias mother told police she had not spoken to her daughter since the day before the alleged assault and that Garcia had not picked up her children the day after. She asked police to perform a welfare check. According to court records, officers went to Garcias apartment in the 3700 block of Wurzbach Road, which is in a gated complex, and found all the lights on with no one inside. After homicide detectives began following the tip that Garcia was killed, they searched her apartment and found blood in her bedroom. A security camera had also been ripped from a kitchen wall, police said. Crime scene investigators discovered that even more blood had been cleaned off throughout the apartment. Detectives also found security camera footage from a nearby apartment showing Ventura leaving with a heavy-duty garbage bag on the day of the alleged attack. Ventura remains in the Bexar County Jail. His bail totals $550,000 for the murder charge and a charge of tampering with physical evidence. A gofundme account has been established to raise money for Garcias funeral expenses. Garcias cousin Luis Reta said on the fundraising website that Garcia was a mother of four. She was attending school and had hopes to make a better life for her four children, he said. While the arrest affidavit describes Garcia as Venturas girlfriend, members of her family said they were no longer together. jbeltran@express-news.net A San Antonio man arrested last year has been sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of possession of child pornography, the Bexar County District Attorneys Office said Tuesday. Jose Villarreal, 34, was sentenced Monday by state District Judge Velia Meza. He was arrested in November after authorities received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which reported that someone had uploaded materials depicting child sex abuse to another user through Microsoft Skype, a communications application. Authorities said Villarreal used an alias while online, and confessed to downloading and sharing the material with users he met through Reddit, a website where registered members share and discuss content on numerous forums. The mans email account, phone number and IP address were used to link him to sharing the contraband material, the DAs Office said. These predators are using legal digital platforms to meet each other and then to commit these horrible crimes, Bexar County District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales said, according to a news release. We must never forget that each of these images or videos shared depicts a child being abused and then shared online where it likely lives on long after people like this defendant have been caught and sentenced. Assistant district attorneys Christian Neumann and Oscar Salinas of the DAs Public Integrity and Cyber Crime Division prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Child Exploitation Unit of the Texas Attorney Generals Office Southern Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 Joe Biden, once again, disappointed many of the same Black voters who were his strongest supporters. How much of this can or should Black people stand? I always have to start columns like this with an upfront stipulation: Having Biden in the White House is exponentially better than having four more years of Donald Trump, and in a two-party system, you must support one of the two parties candidates. Protest abstentions are suicidal. Democrats who at least talk a more racially inclusive game are head and shoulders above Republicans who either court or abide open racists. Its not that Biden hasnt advanced policies that benefit the African American community, efforts that the White House is quick to laud as it should when he faces criticism. With that out of the way, there is still an appraisal of Biden at this point in his presidency specifically as it relates to Black voters that isnt kind. The latest offense was the administrations disastrous mishandling of the Haitian migrant crisis at the southern border. Yes, there were the outrageous images of agents on horseback herding the migrants like cattle, and there was also the administration aggressively deporting the migrants back to Haiti. When I see those Black bodies at the border, I am unable to separate them from myself, or my family, or my friends. They are us. There is a collective consciousness in blackness, born of the white supremacist erasure of our individuality. Your accomplishment is never your own but a credit to the race. Your sins are never your own but a stain on the race. In America, and throughout the diaspora, all Black people are linked together like a chain of paper dolls. So it has been incredibly painful to witness the treatment of the Haitians, and it has been impossible not to recoil in disgust or burn with outrage. And to think, This is happening on Joe Bidens watch. When it was reported that then-President Trump called Haiti a shithole country, Biden responded on Twitter saying: Its not how a president should speak. Its not how a president should behave. Most of all, its not what a president should believe. Were better than this. But deporting these Haitians is worse, not better. The Biden administration and Democrats in general always seem to say the right things on racial issues, but too often their deeds come up short when measured against their talk. As a justification for many of the deportations, the Biden administration invoked Title 42, which is a law that allows deportations based on supposed health risks. Whats more, these particular migrants were being deported to a country many havent been to in years. Many of them didnt leave Haiti in 2021; they left it years ago. And they were being deported into danger. Haiti has recently been devastated by an earthquake, flooding from a hurricane and the assassination of the president. The administrations own special envoy to Haiti resigned Thursday, refusing to be part of the administrations inhumane expulsions regime, citing the fact that Haiti is so dangerous right now that even American officials are confined to secure compounds because of the danger posed by armed gangs to daily life. And yet the Biden administration refused to give any indication that it would stop invoking Title 42, the Washington Post reported Friday. It seems to me that Biden tried to simultaneously eliminate the horrible optics the migrants present, and to do so as quickly as possible, and at the same time blunt the already loud criticism from Republicans that he is mishandling immigration and has an open-borders policy. But those Republicans cannot be appeased. No matter what direction Biden takes, they will condemn it. So why not take the moral path, the righteous path, the ethical path? The Haitian migrant crisis came as negotiations over federal police reform have collapsed and a law guaranteeing federal voting protections is still bogged down in Congress. At a certain point, words ring hollow, even when they are the right words. At a certain point, success in one area fails to cover deficiencies in another. The Biden administrations handling of the Haitians was just wrong. It was also heartbreaking and disgusting. No White House fact sheet about other policies that benefited Black people can cover that stain. These Black people were treated like animals because Biden was afraid of a Washington full of monsters. As is too often the case, Black people become the political pawn, a weight around the ankle or a weapon in the hand. Our humanity is reduced to a calculation or a cause. We can be chased down by horseback-riding agents or flown out by weak-kneed presidents. After Biden was declared the winner of the 2020 election, the Rev. Al Sharpton recalled for the Washington Post last week, he said, Black America, you had my back, Ill have yours. Sharpton continued: Well, were being stabbed in the back, Mr. President. We need you to stop the stabbing from Haiti to Harlem. Today, National Voter Registration Day, is a time to galvanize those who have not yet been brought into the electoral process. The right to vote is the foundation of democracy. American democracy is at risk. Engaged citizens are democracys best defense. Voter registration drives are taking place in Texas against the backdrop of the extremist anti-voter bill SB 1 that was signed into law earlier this month. The law, passed under the guise of election integrity, aims to restrict political participation, disproportionately targeting marginalized voters. At the signing of the bill, Gov. Greg Abbott said this will make it harder for cheaters to cast an illegal ballot. The Brennan Center for Justice pointed out, His (Governor Abbotts) own attorney general spent 22,000 hours looking for fraud. What did he find? Sixteen cases of false addresses on registration forms in a pool of nearly 17 million registered voters. The secretary of states office told Republican lawmakers what they didnt want to hear: Texas had an election that was smooth and secure. Voter fraud needs to be suppressed if it exists, but not voter participation. Appalling, discriminatory, simply undemocratic is this law. The list below summarizes some of the major concerns the League of Women Voters, along with other nonpartisan groups, has regarding this law: Threatens election officials with criminal prosecution for enacting procedures to meet local community needs and increase voter freedom. Threatens advocacy groups and individuals with felony prosecution for providing needed assistance to voters at polling locations and with mail ballots. Limits the ability of election judges to remove disruptive or intimidating partisan poll watchers. Allows partisan poll watchers to take election officials to court over perceived obstruction. Requires voters using mail ballots to include the ID number contained in their registration records when applying for or returning mail ballots. Requires audits disproportionately targeting more populous counties that are duplicative of audits required by legislation passed during the regular session. Prohibits outdoor voting even in situations involving natural disasters, and prohibits drive-thru voting locations and mail ballot drop boxes. Requires new procedures for purging lists of registered voters and threatens local officials with loss of employment and civil penalties for failing to maintain voter lists to the satisfaction of the secretary of state. These new restrictions will have a detrimental impact on voter turnout. Proven voting initiatives implemented successfully by Harris County during the November 2020 election, for example, that encouraged voters of color to get to the polls are being rolled back. These include bans on drive-thru voting, 24-hour voting, distribution of mail-in ballot applications and much more. This law will be effective for the March primaries, and it has the potential of being an administrative nightmare, with election judges more difficult to find because of the new legal risks they confront. Imagine being an election judge facing possible criminal prosecution for trying to stop partisan poll watchers from disrupting the process. Voting should be a positive experience for all, not an intimidating and hostile one. The league envisions a democracy where every person has the desire, right, knowledge and the confidence to participate in the election process. Celebrate National Voter Registration Day by making sure you are registered to vote ahead of the Oct. 4 voter registration deadline for the Nov. 2 election. Eight propositions, approved by the Legislature, will appear on Texas ballots this year. Visit Vote411.org to read arguments for and against each of the proposed constitutional amendment and make informed choices. Democracy works best when we all participate. Madhu Sridhar is president of the nonpartisan League of Women Voters of the San Antonio Area. They call it the Remain in Mexico policy, but it might as well be Remain in Purgatory (or worse). The U.S. Supreme Court recently reinstated the draconian Trump-era immigration program, which President Joe Biden rightfully ended in the opening days of his administration. Of all the draconian measures instituted by former President Donald Trump, this was among the worst right up there with separating kids from their parents. The program forced asylum-seekers to return to Mexico, where they lived in tents along the border, until their court dates in the United States. The upshot was both cruel and inexplicable, consigning the immigrants who chose to remain in Mexico to the same fate they had sought to escape poverty, violence, kidnappings. Now, the immigrants are back where they were in 2019, when the program was instituted, trapped in a bureaucratic limbo that may take months, if not years, to resolve. Forcing vulnerable families and children to wait in provisional camps in Mexico puts their lives at risk, while also making it nearly impossible for them to access the asylum process, Kate Melloy Goettel, legal director of litigation for the American Immigration Council, said in a statement. In its 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled the Biden administration may have violated federal law by dismantling the program, officially known as the Migrant Protection Protocols, although it did not specify what made the suspension illegal. When Biden halted the policy following his inauguration, Texas sued the federal government, claiming the suspension placed a burden on local governments to provide services for immigrants waiting to be processed in the U.S. A federal judge in Texas later ordered the program reinstated, and after the high court ruling, indicted Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton tweeted that the policy must be reinstated now! In its ruling, the high court denied a stay of that order requested by the Biden administration. We have a president who looked at federal law and said, I dont have to follow federal law. Im the president. I do what I want, Paxton told Fox News. This is a curious argument, considering Trump did much the same thing when he rescinded DACA in 2017; the high court restored the law three years later. Immigration advocates are urging the administration to appeal the ruling, but since the high court deemed the suspension of the policy capricious, the Department of Homeland Security may be able to solve the problem by fashioning a clearer statement about its intentions. The Biden administration may appeal, but in the meantime, the Department of Homeland Security said it would take steps to comply with the decision. But how? The court ruling was confusing, and federal officials are not sure how to proceed. The only thing beyond dispute is that the lives of the immigrants remain in as much flux and danger as ever. In a report released last week, Human Rights First said it had tracked more than 800 reports of murder, torture, rape, kidnapping and other violent attacks against asylum-seekers and migrants returned to Mexico under the policy. The fear you cant be out here freely in the streets, an asylum-seeker who fled El Salvador told NBC News. As disheartening as the violence is the lack of support the immigrants receive. Of the almost 60,000 migrants under the program, only 2,765 have legal representation, according to data released by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. Only 20 percent of asylum-seekers receive approval. Such a shameful program should be left to the ash bin of history. Its now incumbent on the Biden administration to reword its request for a stay of the order. Asylum-seekers deserve fair hearings and assurances of safety that honor their humanity, not subjugation to indefinite danger in a third country. That the year 2021 finds the United States in need of a bill called the Freedom to Vote Act is a sad and bewildering fall from the heights of 1965 and passage of the Voting Rights Act. That was the mountaintop moment for the civil rights movement, the culmination of a long climb to the genuine and full democracy in which the federal government protected American citizens right to vote, removing barriers to the ballot box. Over the past decade, U.S. Supreme Court rulings have weakened federal protection of voting rights as Republican-led statehouses have placed new barriers in the paths of voters. Fueled by the accelerant of the Big Lie that the 2020 presidential election was stolen, a slew of voter suppression bills have taken effect across the nation in 2021, with the most restrictive right here in Texas. We are experiencing the nations greatest retreat from voting rights since Reconstruction. The Freedom to Vote Act may be the last defense against this anti-democratic wave of voter suppression, the final opportunity for Senate Democrats to prevent Republican extremists from usurping American democracy. The legislation is a pared-down version of the For the People Act, which Republicans filibustered in June. The filibuster wasnt about passage of the bill; it was a refusal to even allow the bill to be debated on the Senate floor. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia was the only Democrat to oppose the bill, although he did support allowing it to be debated. Hes one of at least two Democratic senators the other is Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona who opposes doing away with the filibuster, which requires 60 senators to vote for advancing legislation to a final vote. What makes the Freedom to Vote Act, introduced by Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., so tantalizingly promising is that it has the support of Manchin, a co-sponsor. What makes it so frustrating is that Manchin, a supporter of the filibuster, is one of the biggest obstacles to its passage. The bill would not only invalidate this years flurry of voter suppression laws passed by state legislatures, but it would set national standards, making voting more accessible and strengthening safeguards. It would make Election Day a national holiday; guarantee 15 days of early voting; set a floor on the number of absentee ballot drop boxes; make absentee voting universal; allow for usage of wider forms of ID; require states to ensure that lines to vote last no longer than 30 minutes; ban partisan gerrymandering; restore provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act, such as preclearance, which were gutted by the Supreme Court; and make it a felony to communicate election lies and to interfere with citizens access to the polls. Were it not for the filibuster, a Senate procedure not mentioned in the Constitution, the Freedom to Vote Act would become law with the support of all 50 Democratic senators and Vice President Kamala Harris. But to make it filibuster-proof requires the support of 10 Republicans. Manchin, who has been willing to sacrifice protection of voting rights in pursuit of a bipartisanship that does not exist, has been tasked to finding that support. He wont find them and almost certainly wont relent in his opposition to abolishing the filibuster. The only way for the Freedom to Vote Act to pass is for Manchin to agree to a carve-out for voting rights legislation, which would lower the number of votes needed for passage from 60 to a simple majority. This is what Senate Republicans did in the confirmation of Supreme Court nominees in 2017 when they controlled the Senate. In 2021, the fate of such critical legislation shouldnt depend on whether one senator is more interested in preserving a procedure than in preserving the integrity and accessibility of voting for Americans. But this is, now, where we stand. Its a tenuous moment for democracy in the United States. Texas new abortion ban makes no exceptions for pregnancies that result from rape or incest. Nearly a month after it was enacted, state health officials still wont say whether that includes Texans on Medicaid, a small but critical population that they are required to help access the procedure. Under federal Medicaid rules, states are obligated to cover abortions in rare circumstances, including for victims of sexual abuse. The new Texas law prohibits abortions after six weeks of pregnancy and allows nearly anyone to sue those who defy the restrictions. It is at least temporarily in place while state and federal courts review whether it is constitutional. The law appears to have forced the state Health and Human Services Commission into a predicament: either it flouts the state ban or it violates the longstanding federal guidelines. The agency has not said how it is complying with either directive; a spokeswoman declined to comment, citing the pending litigation. In its Medicaid handbook, the agency still provides instructions for submitting abortion claims for reimbursement. The Department of Justice pointed to the Medicaid impact in a lawsuit it filed earlier this month against the Texas ban. A hearing on that suit is scheduled for Friday. The statute arbitrarily denies Medicaid beneficiaries coverage of a procedure for which Medicaid coverage is mandatory, lawyers for the department wrote in their complaint. IN-DEPTH: Anti-abortion laws used to exempt cases of rape and incest. Not anymore in Texas. Abortion providers say they have not received clarification since the law took effect on Sept. 1. Some said the reimbursement process was already so cumbersome that they had taken to finding other funding sources for eligible abortions or writing off the procedures as charity care. Earlier this year, a federal appeals court allowed state leaders to kick Planned Parenthood out of the Medicaid program altogether. There is no hard data on the number of Medicaid recipients in Texas that obtained abortions. The safety net program covers more than 4 million low-income Texans, most of them under age 21. The state is one of a dozen that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. As of June, there were 324,000 pregnant women enrolled in Medicaid, more than double the number before the start of the coronavirus pandemic. The federal government has temporarily prohibited states from kicking Medicaid recipients from their rosters as part of its public health response. Groups that support abortion access say Senate Bill 8 will most directly harm low-income and minority Texans, many of whom lack the time and resources to travel to a state where the procedure is still legal. Abortion clinics in Oklahoma and other surrounding states have reported huge increases in demand from Texas residents this month. Nicole Huberfeld, a law professor who specializes in Medicaid at Boston University, said even if the state is no longer complying, the federal government may choose not to intervene. RELATED: Biden administration boosting access to emergency contraception in Texas in wake of strict abortion law The biggest tool, obviously, is withholding funding, she said. And the law allows the federal government to withhold all Medicaid funding if a state is non-compliant. But that has never happened because, as you might imagine, that actually would be harmful to Medicaid beneficiaries. But Huberfeld said the Biden administration has arguably bigger battles to wage with Texas, including over the states refusal to expand Medicaid. The Biden White House also wants to roll back the 1977 provision that bans federal funding for most abortions, known as the Hyde Amendment. A spokesman for the Biden administration did not respond to a request for comment. South Dakota is the one state that openly violates Medicaids rape and incest provisions. A 2019 report by the U.S. Government Accountability Office found it had not been complying with the rules for 25 years, and that federal health officials had been unaware. Neither the Trump administration nor the Biden administration has taken steps to bring South Dakota into compliance. In Texas, most of the Medicaid claims are handled by private companies known as managed care organizations. Under Senate Bill 8, they could be liable to private litigation if they were to reimburse providers for a covered Medicaid abortion. Several of the biggest companies either did not respond to requests for comment on how theyre proceeding or referred questions to the state health agency. jeremy.blackman@chron.com Air Serbia has seen its charter operations exceed pre-pandemic levels this year, with the airline operating over 1.000 leisure flights as Serbian holidaymakers head to Egypt, Turkey, Greece and Tunisia. This years demand for charters has seen the airline run up to eight daily rotations to places such as Hurghada and Antalya. However, interest in far-away destinations has also been growing with tour operators significantly diversifying their travel packages over the past five years to offer holidays to Thailand, Bali, the Seychelles and India prior to the pandemic. Since Covid-19, demand has surged for places such as Zanzibar, the Maldives and Mexico where there are few travel restrictions in place. Air Serbia has seen its charter operations exceed pre-pandemic levels this year, with the airline operating over 1.000 leisure flights as Serbian holidaymakers head to Egypt, Turkey, Greece and Tunisia. This years demand for charters has seen the airline run up to eight daily rotations to places such as Hurghada and Antalya. However, interest in far-away destinations has also been growing with tour operators significantly diversifying their travel packages over the past five years to offer holidays to Thailand, Bali, the Seychelles and India prior to the pandemic. Since Covid-19, demand has surged for places such as Zanzibar, the Maldives and Mexico where there are few travel restrictions in place. In 2016 Air Serbia considered introducing long haul leisure flights in order to better utilise its sole Airbus A330-200 aircraft over the winter months when it maintains fewer frequencies on its scheduled New York service. This August, the carriers A330-200 has operated a total of 44 scheduled movements, while the figure will stand at just sixteen in November. The National Association of Travel Agencies of Serbia (YUTA) told EX-YU Aviation News that the Serbian carrier was exploring long haul charters, in partnership with YUTA, several years ago. Keeping in mind that YUTA is one of Air Serbia's biggest partners in charter travel through our members, Air Serbia suggested a meeting with tour operators where we would discuss possible charters to far-off destinations. At the time, tour operators were interested in long haul charter flights to Thailand and Cuba during the winter months, as there is sufficient demand for those markets. The realisation of these charters was to be carried out during the winter season, YUTA said. Ultimately, the idea never came to fruition. Air Serbia said at the time that the figures didnt add up. There are very few destinations where you can fly the A330 that are going to be appealing to tour operators. Serbia is a price sensitive market and when we gauged interest for charters to Thailand - which is further to fly to than New York - the economics required to make it breakeven were too large. Another option we considered was the Caribbean, but that also can't be sustained from a market such as Serbia, the national carrier previously told EX-YU Aviation News. Several years later, data indicates that there is a sufficient number of passengers originating from Belgrade to potential leisure hotspots. The Serbian government has inked a number of Air Service Agreements and Memorandums over the past few years with countries which could be of interest for potential long haul charter operations including the Dominican Republic and Sri Lanka. These agreements set the legal framework for air operations between the two sides. Two-way indirect traffic between Belgrade and select destinations in 2019 Croatia Airlines is considering expanding its flight offering on the Macedonian market following this weeks talks with the operator of the countrys airports TAV Macedonia, as well as the Macedonian Chamber for Tourism, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, and the Croatian National Tourist Board. The carriers CEO, Jasmin Bajic, said, If there is interest from Macedonian tour operators and partners, we are ready to expand our cooperation onto routes other than Zagreb and Skopje, like perhaps Ohrid and Split. Mr Bajic also noted that talks with Slovenian authorities could result in better connectivity between Skopje and Ljubljana as well. Croatia Airlines is considering expanding its flight offering on the Macedonian market following this weeks talks with the operator of the countrys airports TAV Macedonia, as well as the Macedonian Chamber for Tourism, the Croatian Chamber of Commerce, and the Croatian National Tourist Board. The carriers CEO, Jasmin Bajic, said, If there is interest from Macedonian tour operators and partners, we are ready to expand our cooperation onto routes other than Zagreb and Skopje, like perhaps Ohrid and Split. Mr Bajic also noted that talks with Slovenian authorities could result in better connectivity between Skopje and Ljubljana as well. TAV Macedonias Marketing and Revenue Manager, as well as the President of the Macedonian Chamber of Tourism, Vladimir Gramatikov, noted that talks with their Croatian counterparts began several months ago with the aim of improving connectivity between the two countries. Road connectivity is not satisfactory, which is why new airline routes would be a big step forward. I believe flights between Ohrid and Split would be of interest to tourists, so they could visit both countries within a few days in one go. Based on OAG data, over 3.000 passengers flew indirectly between Skopje and Split in the pre-pandemic 2019. The route was briefly served by Croatia Airlines in 2015 but was ultimately cancelled. Croatia Airlines had a strong presence in Skopje up until the coronavirus pandemic and was the dominant carrier from the former Yugoslavia serving the Macedonian market. Contributing to its high passenger count and growth was capacity, a consistent product and Star Alliance membership. The carrier handled 74.590 passengers between Zagreb and Skopje in 2019, operating a total of 996 flights (both directions included). It deployed all aircraft types in its fleet on the route, including the Airbus A319 and A320, the Dash 8 turboprop and the Mitsubishi CRJ1000 jet, which it was wet-leasing at the time. Zagreb - Skopje - Zagreb passenger performance The Croatian carrier sees a notable number of transfer traffic on the route, primarily to and from destinations such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Brussels and Zurich. Its Star Alliance membership also provides benefits for passengers connecting through Zagreb onto Germany for long haul flights. It is the Star Alliance membership that also saw a number of travellers migrate from Adria to Croatia Airlines following the Slovenian carriers collapse in late 2019. Passenger volumes decreased significantly in 2020 due to the pandemic, as well as Skopje Airports subsequent closure for commercial traffic and an entry ban into the European Union for the majority of Macedonian nationals. The airline was later forced to temporarily suspend operations to the Macedonian capital in the winter of 2020/2021 due to low demand, however, it remained a popular choice for transfer passengers once operations were restored this spring. The carrier currently plans on operating between two and three weekly flights between the two capital cities for the majority of the winter season, which begins on October 31, with all aircraft types in its fleet to be deployed. NEW YORK (AP) Businesses that have announced vaccine mandates say some workers who had been on the fence have since gotten inoculated against COVID-19. But many holdouts remain a likely sign of what is to come once a federal mandate goes into effect. Even before President Joe Biden's Sept. 9 announcement that companies with more than 100 workers would have to require vaccinations, dozens of companies, including Amtrak, Microsoft, United Airlines and Disney issued ultimatums to most workers. And smaller companies in New York, San Francisco and New Orleans have been required to implement mandates for customers and workers. Some mandates seem to have converted hesitant workers, but employers are still dealing with holdouts. United said late Tuesday it will begin terminating 593 employees over the next few days for refusing to get vaccinated. Other companies are offering alternatives, including weekly testing or working remotely or away from other staff. The federal mandate will cover as many as 100 million Americans private-sector employees as well as health care workers and federal contractors. It is a high-stakes gambit by the president to boost the vaccination rate in the U.S. About 77% of American adults have had one dose of the vaccine, according to the CDC. In August, San Francisco became the first major city in the nation to require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 for people dining inside restaurants, with employees having until Oct. 13 to get the shot. Akash Kapoor, founder of the Curry Up Now Indian restaurant chain, said more than 90% of his employees in his downtown San Francisco location are now vaccinated, with one or two per store refusing. Hes making unvaccinated workers get tested twice a week. It lets the employees who are vaccinated feel safe, he said. Alejandra Segura, 28, a senior learning and development coordinator at Curry Up Now, said she was worried about having a bad reaction to the vaccine, so she held off. But the vaccination mandate spurred her into action, and she received her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine on Sept. 20. It's a good thing we're required to get the vaccine, to ensure people's safety, Segura said. The experience says these mandates do move the needle quite a bit on employees willingness to get vaccinated, said Laura Boudreau, an assistant professor at Columbia University who studies labor issues. She said she believes that only a tiny fraction of employees will quit likely those already close to retirement and who strongly distrust vaccines. The Biden administration has said that companies will face $13,600 fines per violation and mandatory weekly testing will be the alternative to being vaccinated. The question of whether employers or the government will pay for mandatory tests has yet to be answered. Regulations from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, the office charged with implementing the mandate, will be drafted over the next few weeks. Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases are surging in the U.S. The seven-day average COVID-19 deaths climbed above the 2,000 threshold last week for the first time since March. And this week, a number of state deadlines arrive for health care workers to get vaccinated, raising fears of worsening staff shortages in hospitals and nursing homes if some opt to quit or get fired or suspended. A poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that about 59% of remote workers favor vaccine requirements in their own workplaces, compared with 47% of those who are currently working in person. About one-quarter of workers in person and remote were opposed. United Airlines officials say their mandate has worked. About 96% of the airlines 67,000 U.S. employees have been vaccinated and another 3% are seeking an exemption, which could result in being placed on unpaid leave. Fewer than 1% will be fired, which officials said would not affect airline operations. Pilot unions at American and Southwest are asking the Biden administration and Congress to have the option of weekly testing or showing immunity by previously contracting COVID-19. The president of the American Airlines union warned that mass terminations of unvaccinated pilots could cause a shortage of pilots during the December holidays. Neither American nor Southwest has said whether they will require vaccination or offer testing as an alternative. Delta Air Lines stopped short of requiring vaccination but said that starting in November, unvaccinated workers on the company health plan will pay a $200 monthly surcharge. Deltas chief health officer, Dr. Henry Ting said that about 20,000 employees werent vaccinated when the company announced plans for the surcharge. In the past month, nearly 9,000 of them received at least one shot. About 82.5% of Deltas 75,000 employees are fully vaccinated. Fewer than five workers have sought a medical exemption and no one has asked for a religious one, Ting said. The first 20,000 were very eager, and we got to about 70% (vaccinated) rather quickly, Ting said, but the remaining unvaccinated employees are a very different group. Ting said the holdouts are more likely to be Black, brown or younger than the first group. Many of them are not anti-vaxxers, he said. They were on the fence, theyre scared, they want to make their own decision on their own timeline. Some other big companies who have announced rules requiring in-office workers be vaccinated now or in coming weeks include Google, McDonald's (U.S.-based office workers), Microsoft, and Goldman Sachs, among others. Amtrak last week pushed back its deadline for all workers to be vaccinated by three weeks to Nov. 22. Currently about 60% of its workers have had at least one shot. Meatpacking giant Tyson Foods, whose workforce has been hit hard by the coronavirus, is requiring all of its workers to be vaccinated by Nov. 1. About 80% of Tyson's more than 100,000 workers have received at least one dose of the vaccine, up from 50% when it announced the mandate on Aug. 3. The company has introduced incentives for workers to get the vaccine. It's poultry division is running a lottery, once a week for five weeks, for $10,000 each week for workers who have received at least one dose of the vaccine. New York began enforcing a vaccine mandate for certain businesses on Sept. 13. Art Depol said that about 16 of his 24 staffers at Mooyah Burgers, Fries & Shakes in Times Square were already vaccinated, three got the vaccine when it was required, and five refused. Depol is working on setting up weekly testing for the unvaccinated workers so he can keep them on the schedule. It's so difficult to find good people right now, I dont want to lose the good people I have over this." - Koenig reported from Dallas. AP Writer Dee-Ann Durbin in Detroit contributed to this report. Jeremy Segrott // Flickr PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) Three former Washington State University fraternity members have been sentenced to eight months of probation after they pleaded guilty to supplying liquor to a minor on the same night a 19-year-old freshman died of alcohol poisoning at an initiation event. Maxwell Rovegno, Cameron Thomas and Nolan Valcik were sentenced Friday after pleading guilty to one count of furnishing liquor to a minor, according to sentencing documents from the Whitman County District Court. ATLANTA (AP) A man already sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to fatally shooting four people at a massage business outside Atlanta pleaded not guilty to shooting four others on the same day at two spas inside the city. Robert Aaron Long, 22, appeared briefly Tuesday in Fulton County Superior Court, where he waived arraignment and entered a not guilty plea on charges including murder, aggravated assault and domestic terrorism. District Attorney Fani Willis is seeking the death penalty, as well as a sentencing enhancement under Georgias new hate crimes law. In July, Long pleaded guilty in Cherokee County to charges including four counts of murder. He received four sentences of life without parole plus an additional 35 years. Those killed in Cherokee County were: Paul Michels, 54; Xiaojie Emily Tan, 49; Daoyou Feng, 44; and Delaina Yaun, 33. The Atlanta victims were: Suncha Kim, 69; Soon Chung Park, 74; Hyun Jung Grant, 51; and Yong Ae Yue, 63. Tuesday was the second time Long appeared before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville. The hearing lasted a few minutes. Glanville asked the defense if they wanted to waive indictment and plead not guilty, and defense attorney Jerilyn Bell said yes. Long did not address the judge. Glanville set the next hearing in the case for Nov. 23. During a brief appearance last month, Glanville asked Long's defense attorneys court-appointed lawyers from the Georgia capital defender's office about their qualifications to handle a death penalty case and went through a checklist specific to capital cases. When the killings happened in March, Asian Americans were already experiencing an uptick in hostility related to the coronavirus pandemic. The fact that a majority of the slain victims were women of Asian descent exacerbated existing feelings of fear and anger. Many have been upset by Long's assertions that he was motivated by the shame he felt from sexual urges, rather than by racial bias. Cherokee County District Attorney Shannon Wallace said during the hearing in July that investigators found no evidence of racial bias motivating the killings. She said that had that case gone to trial, she was prepared to seek the death penalty and would have argued Long was motivated by gender bias. Wallace said she spoke to the Cherokee County survivors and families of victims before agreeing to a plea deal and made that decision in the interest of getting justice quickly and avoiding a drawn out trial and appeals process. Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, said last month that she believes race and gender played a role in Long's motivation. Georgias hate crimes law does not provide for a stand-alone hate crime. After a person is convicted of an underlying crime, a jury must determine whether it was motivated by bias, which carries an additional penalty. Willis has said the families of the Atlanta victims have told her they understand it may be a long road but they're in favor of seeking the death penalty. BJay Pak, a lawyer who represents the families of Yue and Kim, said they believe a lengthy judicial process is a small price to pay to get justice for their loved ones. They're ready and they have the resolve to do it, Pak said. He noted that the family members try to come to court for the hearings to seek closure and justice and to remind the judge and others involved of what's been lost. After shooting five people at Youngs Asian Massage in Cherokee County, Long drove about 30 miles (48 kilometers) south to Atlanta, where he shot three women at Gold Spa and one woman across the street at Aromatherapy Spa, police have said. He then headed south on the interstate, and authorities have said he intended to carry out similar attacks in Florida. But his parents had called police after recognizing their son in images from security video posted online by authorities in Cherokee County. His parents were already tracking his movements through an application on his phone, which allowed authorities to find him and take him into custody on a south Georgia interstate. Connecticut leaders selected the states first inspector general on Monday, jumpstarting a new office that will be responsible for investigating highly publicized police shootings and deciding whether to prosecute officers for their use of force. The states Criminal Justice Commission voted unanimously to appoint Robert Devlin, a former judge and prosecutor, to the position, which will also be responsible for scrutinizing deaths in the state prisons. Devlin, who currently chairs the Connecticut Sentencing Commission, beat out three other candidates for the job, attorneys Moira Buckley, Ryan McGuigan and Liam Brennan. Ive seen a lot. Ive learned a lot, Devlin said of his long career. I think Ive gained some discernment and judgment. The vote was 5-0. Chief States Attorney Richard Colangelo Jr., who sits on the commission, was ineligible to vote for the candidates, and fellow commissioner Dwayne Betts was not able to attend the hearing. The hiring decision is more than a year in the making and is part of a larger push by state leaders to increase trust in the states criminal justice system, especially among Connecticuts minority communities. The state legislature created the inspector general position as part of a sprawling police accountability bill that was passed in 2020 following the high-profile killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. This wasnt the first group of candidates the Criminal Justice Commission reviewed for the job, which pays roughly $167,000 annually. They also interviewed two career prosecutors last year but deadlocked during that vote. In response, the legislature voted earlier this year to expand the pool of candidates and cast a wider net for the position. The job is likely to be controversial, as several people noted during the hearing Monday. One member of the commission said the position is likely to be a thankless one, but it is also meant to usher in a new era in Connecticut. In the past, it was up to Connecticuts 13 states attorney offices the local prosecutors to review cases in which officers shot someone or oversaw the death of someone in their custody. But that setup has come under fire across the country in recent years because of the close relationship that often exists between police officers and prosecutors, who need to work together to investigate other crimes. Over the past two decades, there have been at least 76 investigations into police shootings or deaths at the hands of police in Connecticut. Only one of those investigations led to charges against a police officer, and in that single case, the officer was not convicted. Community advocates hope that record will change once the inspector generals office is up and running. The job was meant to inspire public trust in the process of investigating police shootings and provide a degree of separation between state and local police and the person who are tasked with holding them accountable. Corey Betts, the chair of the criminal justice committee for the Connecticut chapter of the NAACP, said the inspector general was needed to add a major piece of accountability to the states criminal justice system. Betts and other members of the public who spoke on Monday want to see the inspector general shake up the status quo, as the legislature intended, they said. We have to get this right, Betts told the commission. The person you choose will reflect how serious you are about reform. The questions that members of the Criminal Justice Commission asked the candidates during the hearing Monday showcased the importance they placed in the new role. It also highlighted the tightrope the new office will need to walk in the coming years. Several commissioners emphasized the apprehensions that members of the public and police have about the new office and its duties. Scott Murphy, a retired states attorney who also sits on the commission, asked each candidate how they would deal with the fear among police who believe the inspector general will be pressured to issue charges against officers, even if the evidence is questionable. By contrast, other commissioners asked the candidates all of whom are white how they would deal with outreach to communities of color and help convince those portions of the public to trust in the system. I would not even say it is to restore faith, because some people have never had any faith in the criminal justice system, said Andrew McDonald, a Supreme Court justice and commissioner. In response to those questions, most of the candidates emphasized the separation they would place between themselves and police and their refusal to make decisions based on public pressure or political influence. During his interview, Devlin simply pointed out the rift that exists in American society when it comes to policing and trust in law enforcement. Some members of the public, he said, believe police can do no wrong. Others believe police do nothing right. The inspector generals office, he said, needs to operate in the middle of those two camps dispensing justice based on the facts of each case. Its all about evidence, he said. Completely avoiding public pressure will be difficult, however, for a position that everyone understands will be the focus of intense public interest. Thats why the commissioners also asked each candidate specifically about when and how they would release videos and other evidence from police shootings, like autopsy reports. The commission also questioned the candidates about whether they would hold press conferences and speak with community members and victims family members following police shootings. All of the candidates voiced support for public transparency but said they would only release information if it would not inhibit their job as a prosecutor. Everyone at the selection hearing also seemed to recognize the power and influence that the first inspector general will hold. As the first person to fill the position, Devlin will set the tone for the office and will get to test its powers and push its limits, if he chooses. The inspector general, for instance, will be the only state prosecutor in Connecticut to have subpoena power, which could be used to force officers to testify about a police shooting they observed. Most of the candidates agreed with the use of that power and said they would hold officers and other witnesses accountable if they refused to comply with a subpoena. One serious question that divided the candidates, however, was whether the inspector general should have the power to reopen older cases involving police shootings and bring charges against those who avoided indictments during previous investigations. Buckley, who is a defense attorney, and McGuigan, who is a principal attorney at Rome McGuigan, P.C., both suggested that could be a possibility, had they been chosen for the job. But Devlin said he was unsure that reopening older cases was within the power of the inspector generals office. EASTON A proposed pedestrian pathway along Sport Hill Road was the only referendum item out of five proposals to be rejected by voters last week. The other items, $550,000 for a partial roof replacement at 660 Morehouse Road, adopting a new land use ordinance, a tax-exemption for handicap vehicles and a new ethics ordinance, all passed easily. First Selectman Dave Bindelglass said that while overall he is happy how the vote turned out, theres still a need to make the pathway along Sport Hill Road safer. I was in favor of the path among this town leadership team and prior town leadership teams, Bindelglass said. We were in lockstep about the need to do this and we thought doing this would have been better for the town, but apparently a lot of people dont think so. Bindelglass said he remained hopeful that the town could find a way to increase safety for people walking along Sport Hill Road. Well look into that shortly, he added. The referendum item appropriating $80,000 for the initial design of the proposed pedestrian pathway, was rejected by am 865 to 555 margin. Bindelglass said while he understands the decision the residents made he is particularly saddened by the fact that the town will have to give back the $1 million dollars that it had received from the state for the project. The $1 million comes from a grant in which the previous selectman applied for to use for the project. The original concept plan for pathway was expected to cost $1.25 million. The grant would have paid for 80 percent of that project. We have so much trouble raising revenue in town because all we really have is property taxes and so its a little bit painful to me to have to return a million dollars that the state was going to give us, but we went through the process. That was the vote and we move forward, Bindelglass said. In March, Easton held an advisory referendum on the topic of the pathway. As Bindelglass puts it, the administration was checking the temperature of the town to see if residents really wanted it. At the time, residents voted in favor of the pathway, but voters appeared to have a change of heart. Bindelglass said a social media campaign against the pathway may have swayed some voters, or drummed up turnout among those who opposed the motion. As for how the town will move forward in addressing the issue of safety along the pathway, Bindelglass said he has not given the topic much though, but improving the safety of pedestrians along Sport Hill Road remains a priority. Of the other referendum results, Bindelglass said the Land Use Ordnance is historic because it is something the town has never had. It gives residents the right to decide through the town meeting whether to buy, sell or lease land. That brings to all of us a truly awesome responsibility to participate in the decision-making process, Bindelglass said. The most precious thing that most of us have in Easton is land and this gives the town a greater say. Passing the Tax-Exempt Handicap Vehicle Ordinance was simply the right thing to do, Bindelglass said. For those who require special modifications to their vehicles in order to get around, the town has exempted those vehicles from auto taxes. We are talking about vans with lifts and things like that which are extremely expensive. This was implicitly the right thing to do, Bindelglass said. The ethics update speaks for itself, Bindelglass said. We had an old ethics ordinance that was mostly inadequate and this brings us up to date and gives us mechanisms to deal much better with any future ethics issues, he said. Bindelglass said the old ordinance was very general and devoid of any provision for town officials to disclose their interests so that potential conflicts could be identified. The new ordinance is also more specific about penalties, he said. PHOENIX (AP) A judge on Monday struck down Republican-passed Arizona laws that block schools from requiring masks and restrict the power of local governments to impose COVID-19 requirements, the latest turn in a nationwide legal battle over pandemic rules. If it withstands a promised appeal, the ruling by Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper could clear the way for Arizona cities and counties to enact mask requirements. At least 29 public school districts had defied the laws and enacted their own mask requirements. Cooper's sweeping ruling also struck down a number of non-virus provisions that were slipped into the state budget and an entire budget measure that had served as a vehicle for a conservative policy wish list. They included a required investigation of social media companies and stripping the Democratic secretary of state of her duty to defend election laws. The ruling comes as the fight over school masks and other COVID-19 restrictions has moved into courtrooms across the U.S. Lawsuits have been filed in at least 14 states either for or against masks in schools. They directly challenge either state rules banning masks or local school board policies mandating them. In Texas, dozens of school districts have defied Republican Gov. Greg Abbotts mask mandate ban, but the states highest court sided with him last month. In Florida, an appeals court overruled a lower court this month and allowed Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' ban on school mask mandates to go back into effect. The case has ping-ponged between federal and state courts. A federal judge in Iowa blocked a state law that bans school masks. Parents are split, with some scared that their children could be exposed to the coronavirus without a mask mandate and others saying their children are at little risk and that mask requirements harm their kids. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends mask-wearing in schools, and children 12 and under are not yet eligible for vaccines. In Arizona, a coalition of educators and allies had sued to challenge laws prohibiting public school districts from imposing mask requirements, colleges from requiring vaccinations for students, and communities from establishing vaccine passports for entry into large events, businesses and other places. It also challenged a broad invalidation of any other local virus measure. The coalition argued a large number of Arizona children would get sick with COVID-19 if the new laws weren't blocked. The restrictions had been written into state budget measures that were passed near the end of the legislative session with only support from majority Republicans. The judge said the laws violate constitutional requirements that the content of legislation is described in its title and is confined to a single subject. State attorneys argued that all the provisions had something to do with spending for education or health and that the Legislature didnt need to be more specific. That is not correct, Cooper wrote. The Legislature has discretion to title a bill but, having picked a title, it must confine the contents to measures that reasonably relate to the title and to each other to form one general subject. A spokesman for Republican Gov. Doug Ducey called the ruling clearly an example of judicial overreach and vowed an appeal. Arizonas state government operates with three branches, and its the duty and authority of only the legislative branch to organize itself and to make laws, C.J. Karamargin said in a statement. Unfortunately, todays decision is the result of a rogue judge interfering with the authority and processes of another branch of government. The law barring mask mandates at public schools was scheduled to take effect Wednesday. The ruling was a relief for the districts that required masks, accounting for more than 334,000 students and nearly 500 schools. The court action has far-reaching ramifications for the Legislature, which has long ignored the constitutional requirement that budget bills only deal with spending items. Lawmakers have packed with them policy items, and this year majority Republicans were especially aggressive. An entire budget measure that served as a catch-all for a wish list of conservative policies was found to be unconstitutional Monday as well other laws unrelated to COVID-19 prevention efforts. One prohibits the use of state money for teaching critical race theory, a way of thinking about Americas history that centers on the idea that racism is systemic in the nations institutions and they function to maintain the dominance of white people. The judge pointed to the single-subject rule to overturn SB1898, the bill filled with GOP policy wishes. It included what she called multiple, unrelated subjects" like dog racing, the governors emergency powers, local COVID-19 measures and much more. None of these subjects have any logical connection to each other nor fall under some one general idea, Cooper wrote. Other parts of that law would have let the state Game and Fish Department to register voters and would have set up a special legislative committee to review the results of the Arizona Senates partisan audit of the 2020 election. An attorney representing the state said the Constitution does not require lawmakers to specify each item they include in budget bills that direct spending and that a ruling agreeing the Legislature violated the Constitution could upend years of budget measures that added unrelated policy items. Getting to school as a boy in Singapore in the 1970s could be soggy affair. Tropical downpours overwhelmed drainage systems, leaving parts of the island impassable. Students braved the rains and rising waters, turning up bedraggled, if they made it at all. Thankfully, this became a thing of the past by the late 1980s. Massive flood alleviation caused this story to recede from front pages, as a modern city-state emerged. Yet, decades on, we seem to be heading back to the future. Severe storms are now becoming more frequent. Last month, pictures of Singapore inundated with water hit the headlines again. A minister warned that as intense rainfall was becoming more common with global warming, people might have to get used to flash floods from time to time. Rising sea levels are an existential issue for my low-lying island, about a third of which is less than 5 meters above the mean sea level. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has estimated that more than $100 billion (Singapore dollars) might be needed over the next decades to tackle the rising tides caused by warming seas and melting ice sheets. But Singapore is not alone. New York City declared a flash flood emergency earlier this month in the wake of Hurricane Ida. More than 300 people were killed in Chinas Henan province in August, when a years worth of rain fell in three days, leaving many trapped in underground train carriages and road tunnels. Devastating floods in Germany and Belgium; droughts in Brazil; heatwaves in India, Australia and the Pacific Northwest of the United States; wildfires in California, Canada and across the Mediterranean and Amazon regions such extreme weather events, once the stuff of movies, have been playing out across the planet this year. Get used to it, say the climate scientists, for these are signs of whats to come. U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Chairman Hoesung Lee summed up the grim scenario: It is indisputable that human activities are causing climate change and making extreme weather more frequent and severe. Yet who can blame a weary world for being distracted, with so many countries still in the grip of a rampaging virus that refuses to yield? But as Lee rightly notes, the COVID-19 pandemic is a foretaste of what climate change could do to our society, to nature and our lives. Lamentably, while the worlds scientists were quick to step up to the COVID-19 challenge, delivering effective vaccines, efforts to curb the outbreak have been hampered by populist politicians, global inequalities and a pandemic of misinformation. The virus has continued to spread, mutate and unleash new waves of infections. The COVID-19 experience has made plain how difficult it will be to forge a global consensus on tackling the climate crisis. Here too, politics, inequality and misinformation confound concerted action. This is where professional newsrooms have an important role to play. And it is why todays World News Day focuses on the climate crisis. Some 300 newsrooms from around the world are coming together to tell the story of how climate change is already impacting the lives and livelihoods of communities, and how they are grappling with it. Newsrooms, with resources and expertise, are best placed to tell these stories in clear and credible ways. One of the best examples is the BBC documentary The Truth about Climate Change. In it, environmentalist David Attenborough sums up the facts. We are causing the world to heat up, he says. If we continue to behave as we are doing, our children and grandchildren will have to deal with potentially catastrophic changes. The vast forests of the Amazon could wither and burn. The oceans could turn acid, destroying much of the life they presently contain. The Arctic could be transformed. Its ice could melt, and its most famous animals vanish forever. Rising tides could cast millions of people adrift. Many of our coastal cities could be flooded and drowned. There is still time to act if the world is to minimize these changes, he adds. But time, that most non-renewable of resources, is running out. Now is the time to hear him, and heed. Warren Fernandez is editor-in-chief of The Straits Times, the leading English language news title in Singapore, and president of the World Editors Forum. GREENWICH Police are investigating a fatal car crash in the east end of town Saturday night. The Office of the State Medical Examiner confirmed Monday that Jordan Martinez, of Stamford, had been classified as an accidental death. Were still investigating, interviewing witnesses, trying to find out the cause, Greenwich Police Capt. Mark Zuccerella said Monday. He said officers had heard reports about a Honda racing with another car, but the case was in the preliminary stages and it was too soon to draw conclusions. The Traffic Reconstruction Unit is investigating. Greenwich police said officers responded to the east end of Greenwich near the Stamford city line about a major accident around 11:30 p.m. Saturday, in the area of 1700 E. Putnam Ave., near the Hyatt Regency Hotel, after a 911 call. Medics and fire units also responded. Police said a Honda slammed into a pole and the driver, the sole occupant of the car that crashed, died from injuries suffered in the collision. A nearby neighbor who lives in the area, Tony Rinaldi, said the sound of the collision was startling. Loud, very loud, he said Monday. Rinaldi said soon after the crash firefighters worked to free the driver from the wreckage of the silver Honda. They had to tear the whole car apart, it was really bad. Very sad, Rinaldi said. Debris still littered the sidewalk Monday afternoon near where friends of Martinez gathered to mourn his loss and light candles at an impromptu memorial on East Putnam Avenue. He was the best, I never knew anybody like him, said Martinezs friend, Katherine Garcia, brushing away tears. The 18-year-old said she and Martinez spent many hours together with friends this summer. This is so shocking, heartbreaking, she said. rmarchant@greenwichtime.com Fairfield, MT (59436) Today Some sun this morning with increasing clouds this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High 62F. Winds S at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Showers early, then cloudy overnight. Low 42F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%. The government has been urged to extend its offer of short-term visas to butchery workers to help avert the collapse of the British pig sector. On Sunday, Defra announced that up to 5,500 poultry workers will be able to work in the UK ahead of Christmas, delivered through the Temporary Workers route. This followed the Department for Transports announcement that up to 5,000 drivers will be able to come to the UK to transport food and fuel in the run up to Christmas. But there were no measures for the pig sector, despite repeated requests from processors and the industry for short-term visas, as a welfare cull on farms looms ever larger due to a chronic shortage of butchers in pork plants. The backlog is now well over 100,000 pigs with some farmers having run out of space and many more at or close to the limit, the National Pig Association (NPA) has warned. While some processors are working with the industry to reduce the backlog, preparations are being made for a welfare cull, which the NPA said was now more likely to to happen on farms. The body's chief executive Zoe Davies said: We desperately need those visas, even for a short period of time to help us get rid of the backlog. "This is not just about saving Christmas, which seems to be the governments sole focus, but about protecting pig welfare and averting an environmental disaster. If we dont get the help we need, it is true that consumers will be denied their Christmas favourites, like pigs in blankets. "But we are also facing the long-term decline of British pig production and we need the government to wake up to this now. With British pig producers facing financial crisis due to record costs of production, the NPA also warned of a significant contraction of UK pork production, thereby increasing the UK's reliance on EU imports. A number of pig farmers have left the industry in recent months, with many more reducing their herd size, according to the trade body. Supermarkets and retailers could play their part in helping alleviate the issue by prioritising British product over imported, it said. There is a lot the retailers can do to help ease the backlog, and we believe that they have a responsibility to do so given their commitments to British pork, Dr Davies added. We urge them to prioritise British produce in processing plants rather than relying increasingly on imports, as this will get more pigs moving through the chain. "We believe our loyal British customers would be supportive of this." The Fauquier Times is honored to serve as your community companion. To say thank you, we are excited to offer 4 weeks FREE Digital & Print access to all subscribers new and returning alike. We are dedicated to continuing providing reliable, high quality journalism. This is possible with the trust and support of our subscribers in the community we are proud to serve. The 23rd of April is a unique and a very special international celebration. The founder of the Turkish Republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, dedicated this day to the children of the country to emphasize that they are the future of the new nation. National Sovereignty and Childrens Day (Ulusal Egemenlik ve Cocuk Bayram) commemorates the inauguration of the Grand National Assembly of Turkey in Ankara on 23 April 1920. In 1921, to mark the event, 23 April was proclaimed a national holiday. In 1979 the day started to be called International Childrens Day and since its first year, Turkey has hosted thousands of children from 150 different countries over 40 years. Celebrations in Fethiye To mark National Sovereignty and Childrens Day, the children of Fethiye took part in celebrations, organised by FETAV, held at the town square, Beskaza. Fethiye Times went along to enjoy the celebrations and capture some of the moments from the day. Wreath setting and a parade The celebrations started with a wreath-setting ceremony in front of the Ataturk monument in Beskaza Square. Fethiye Mayor, Alim Karaca, children and parents, accompanied by the Fethiye Municipality Band, then marched from Ozgecan Park, along the kordon, to Beskaza Meydan (Fethiye Town Square). On reaching Beskaza, there were activities by children and for children In photos: A celebration of children The FETAV Cocuk Korusu (FETAV Childrens Choir) led the National Anthem, Istiklal Mars The FETAV Cocuk Korusu (FETAV Childrens Choir) led the National Anthem, Istiklal Mars Fethiye Mayor, Alim Karaca and the Dalaman Governor were among the Protokol who attended the celebration We hope you enjoyed Childrens Day, whatever were doing A final word from Mustafa Kemal Ataturk Little ladies, little gentlemen, You are all the roses, the stars and the sparkling joy of our future, the ones who will elevate the nation. Always be aware of your value and significance! And work hard We have great expectations from you. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 27, 2021) - Quaterra Resources Inc. (TSXV: QTA) (OTCQB: QTRRF) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has completed an oversubscribed second tranche of its previously announced non-brokered private placement (the "Private Placement"). Stephen Goodman, President states that, "The Company appreciates the support of existing shareholders and insiders, and welcomes our new investors." Proceeds will be used to advance the company's assets, primarily its MacArthur copper oxide project in Nevada, and general working capital. Pursuant to the closing of the second tranche, the Company has issued 12,863,669 units ("Units") at a price of US$0.06 (C$0.075) per Unit for gross proceeds of US$771,820 (C$964,775). Combined with the first tranche, the Company has raised US$2,338,170 (C$2,922,713) in the Private Placement. Due to strong demand the Company is also increasing the total offering to up to an aggregate US$2.7 million in gross proceeds, and will seek to complete a third tranche closing shortly on the same offering terms. Each Unit consists of one common share of the Company and one share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each Warrant entitles the holder to acquire one additional common share of the Company at an exercise price of US$0.10 per share for a period of three years from the date of closing. The Warrants contain a forced exercise provision if the daily volume weighted average trading price of the common shares of the Company on the TSX Venture Exchange (the "Exchange") is equal to or greater than US$0.30 for a period of 10 consecutive trading days. The securities issued pursuant to the second tranche will be subject to a hold period expiring on January 28, 2022 in accordance with applicable securities laws. In connection with the completion of the second tranche of the Private Placement, the Company paid a total of US$17,354 and issued 289,240 finder's warrants as finder's fees to PI Financial Corp. and Haywood Securities Inc. The finder's warrants will be exercisable at US$0.10 per share for a period of 3 years from the date of closing. In connection with this closing of the Offering, the Company issued Units to two directors of the Company. As a result, this tranche of the Private Placement constituted a related party transaction pursuant to TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9 and Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101"). The Company has determined that exemptions from the various requirements of TSX Venture Exchange Policy 5.9 and MI 61-101 are available for the issuance of the Units to related parties. The Company is relying on section 5.5(a) of MI 61-101 for an exemption from the formal valuation requirement and section 5.7(1)(a) of MI 61-101 for an exemption from the minority shareholder approval requirement on the basis that the fair market value of insider participation is not more than 25% of the Company's market capitalization. In addition, the Company announces that it has granted incentive stock options pursuant to its stock option plan to various directors and officers of the Company, to purchase up to an aggregate of 4,500,000 common shares of the Company. The stock options are exercisable at a price of $0.11 per share and expire five years from the date of grant. The securities offered have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or applicable exemption from the registration requirements. Mr. Travis Naugle, CEO, states that, "the advancement of the MacArthur copper oxide project has the potential to make a significant positive impact in local community and to provide the critical resources in the battle to combat climate change. We look forward to keeping our stakeholders apprised as we continue to advance this important project." On behalf of the Board of Directors, Stephen Goodman President For more information please contact: Karen Robertson Corporate Communications 778-898-0057 Email: info@quaterra.com Website: www.quaterra.com This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities referred to herein have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97818 Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - September 27, 2021) - Trican Well Service Ltd. (TSX: TCW) ("Trican" or the "Company") intends to release its Third Quarter 2021 results on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 after the close of the market. The company will host a conference call on Wednesday, October 27, 2021 at 10:00 a.m. MT (12:00 p.m. ET) to discuss the Company's results for the 2021 Third Quarter. To listen to the webcast of the conference call, please enter the following URL in your web browser: https://www.gowebcasting.com/11191. You can also visit the Investors section of our website at www.tricanwellservice.com/investors and click on "Reports". To participate in the Q&A session, please call the conference call operator at 1-800-319-4610 (North America) or 1-403-351-0324 (outside North America) 10 minutes prior to the call's start time and ask for the "Trican Well Service Ltd. Third Quarter 2021 Earnings Results Conference Call." The conference call will be archived on Trican's website at www.tricanwellservice.com/investors. ABOUT TRICAN Headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, Trican provides a comprehensive array of specialized products, equipment and services that are used during the exploration and development of oil and gas reserves. Requests for further information should be directed to: Brad Fedora President and Chief Executive Officer Scott Matson Chief Financial Officer Phone: (403) 266-0202 2900, 645 - 7th Avenue S.W. Calgary, Alberta T2P 4G8 Please visit our website at www.tricanwellservice.com. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97836 Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 27, 2021) - Tudor Gold Corp. (TSXV: TUD) (FSE: TUC) (the "Company" or "Tudor Gold") is pleased to present the third set of results for the 2021 resource expansion and definition drilling program for the Goldstorm Deposit at their flagship property, Treaty Creek. The project is located in the heart of the Golden Triangle of northwestern British Columbia and is on-trend from Seabridge's KSM Project located five kilometers southwest of the Goldstorm Deposit. Results from four diamond drill holes have recently been received from MSA Labs. Exploration at Treaty Creek is ongoing at Goldstorm and Eureka Zones. Treaty Creek, Drilling Highlights include: Extended the DS-5 Domain 100 meters north of GS-21-112 (core zone of 2.08 g/t AuEq over 79.5 m within 219.0 m containing 1.29 g/t AuEq) with step-out hole GS-21-119 with a strong, consistent mineralized core zone intercept of 196.5 m containing 1.76 g/t AuEq within a broader zone of 564.0 m containing 1.09 g/t AuEq. Confirmed consistent mineralization in GS-21-116 over a long interval of 1092.0 m grading 0.75 g/t AuEq that includes the 300H and CS-600 domains. Near-surface mineralization encountered at Eureka Zone in EK-21-01 with 67.5 m of 1.13 g/t AuEq within 217.5 m averaging 0.76 g/t AuEq. Eureka Zone remains open in all directions and at depth. Goldstorm Deposit remains open in all directions and at depth as drilling continues. The complete list of composited drill hole results as well as the drill hole data including hole location, elevation, depth, dip and azimuth are provided in Table 1 and Table 2, respectively. Please click on the following link to view: Plan Map and Cross Sections for the drill holes reported in this news release. Tudor Gold's Vice President of Exploration and Project Development, Ken Konkin, P.Geo., states: "We are extremely pleased with our continued success with our step-out drilling at the Goldstorm Deposit. Due to the success of hole GS-21-119 we plan to step-out further to the northeast before the end of this year's drilling. This program demonstrates the emergence of higher-grade pulses of gold mineralization within the 300 Horizon and a distinct central enriched gold zone within the DS-5 domain. Similar enriched zones of copper mineralization within the CS-600 domain are also apparent. These are "zones within zones" that give our domains a new common dynamic characteristic. Continued drilling is required to better define and potentially expand these enriched pulses within our broad mineralized domains." Moreover, Ken Konkin also commented on the drill hole EK-21-01 at the Eureka target: "In addition, we confirmed that a significant gold system exists at the Eureka Zone with mineralization occurring near surface, which terminates in a regional thrust fault at depth. An interesting aspect of the Eureka system is that the gold mineralization ends in what may be the same thrust fault that truncates the DS-5 system at Goldstorm. The attached drill section shows the spatial relationship between the Goldstorm Deposit and the Eureka Zone (Regional Section - Goldstorm to Eureka). The current geological interpretation is that the DS-5 domain may connect to the Eureka Zone which adds another dimension to the potential size of the Goldstorm Deposit. Eureka drill hole EK-21-01 contains an enriched central zone averaging 1.13 g/t AuEq over 67.5 meters that lies within 217.5 meters grading 0.76 g/t AuEq. Similarly, in drill hole GS-21-119, the DS-5 contains an enriched central core of gold mineralization that yields an impressive 1.76 g/t AuEq over 196.5 meters within the overall intercept of 1.09 g/t AuEq over 564.0 meters. Due to the success of the step-out exploration drilling at the Goldstorm Deposit, the Eureka drill was dispatched to continue the step-out drilling to the northeast at Goldstorm. "Our primary goal remains to find the limits to the Goldstorm Deposit and to constrain the resources from our Initial Mineral Resource Estimate of 19.41 million ounces of Measured and Indicated and 7.9 million ounces of Inferred gold-equivalent ounces. We continue to intercept exceptional mineralization within the defined domains and consistently identify extensions to these domains particularly to the northeast and northwest, as well as at depth. Clearly, more drilling is required to further define the Goldstorm, Eureka and Perfect Storm Zones for 2022." Walter Storm, President and CEO, stated: "We are very excited to see the continuing expansion of the Goldstorm Deposit to the northeast with the release of these exceptional drill results. The geological potential of the Treaty Creek Project is growing with each new drill hole. All drill holes that have reached their targeted depths have encountered significant precious metal mineralization. One very important aspect about the furthest step-out drill hole GS-21-119, is that this vertical hole ended in gold mineralization at 1290 meters. This hole had to be abandoned as the ice pad became too hazardous to continue drilling and worker safety is always our number one priority. The Goldstorm Deposit remains open in all directions and at depth. In addition to this, our exploration team continues to encounter significant gold mineralization in other zones, such as the Eureka Zone. With the news of yet another positive result from Tudor's first hole at the Eureka Zone (EK-21-01), the geological potential of this zone has been up-graded to a priority near surface gold target. This drill hole was started with the largest diameter core possible (PQ), then sized-down to HQ diameter core as the hole progressed. Our drill crews were able to get excellent core recoveries in very fractured ground. We congratulate our drillers for a successful campaign during these difficult times and look forward to releasing additional positive news in the coming weeks as drilling continues to progress extremely well." About the Eureka drill target: The Eureka zone is located approximately 1000 meters southeast of the Goldstorm Deposit along the western edge of an extensive, bright yellow-orange gossan zone covering over one square kilometer of clay, sericite, quartz and pyrite alteration. Alteration overprints several different rock units, including volcanic flows and breccias, plagioclase-porphyry intrusions, and minor sedimentary rocks. Alteration mineralogy suggests a shallow magmatic hydrothermal or epithermal environment of formation, with the potential to host gold-silver bearing veins and pervasive lower grade disseminated gold-silver mineralization. At the Eureka showing, outcrops are cut by veins infilled with fine to coarse-grained quartz, calcite, and pyrite. Veins have steep dips with variable orientations and form weakly sheeted to stockwork zones. In the Eureka zone and surrounding area about 20 holes have been drilled on various targets by previous operators with poor core recoveries. Several long intervals of weakly elevated gold grades were returned, such as 0.46 g/t Au over 169.2 m (DH 97-1) and 0.69 g/t Au, 2.9 g/t Ag over 75.5 m (TC07-02). Additional drilling is required to better define the mineralized areas. Table l: Results Goldstorm Zone and Eureka Zone Press Release September 27, 2021 Section Hole Zone From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) Cu ppm AuEQ (g/t) 111+00 NE EK-21-01 Eureka 12.50 230.00 217.50 0.68 3.85 279 0.76 89.00 228.50 139.50 0.82 3.80 390 0.91 95.00 162.50 67.50 1.01 5.60 467 1.13 114+50 NE GS-21-114* 300H 203.00 214.00 11.00 1.51 1.33 99 1.53 114+50 NE GS-21-116 300H+CS600 296.00 1388.00 1092.00 0.52 2.84 1653 0.75 including 300H 318.50 534.50 216.00 0.72 3.97 352 0.81 with 477.50 534.50 57.00 1.18 6.79 501 1.32 and 636.50 707.00 70.50 0.91 3.58 303 0.99 CS6000 1040.00 1388.00 348.00 0.62 3.42 4379 1.18 including 1080.50 1341.50 261.00 0.70 2.99 5521 1.39 116+50 NE GS-21-119 DS5 726.00 1290.00 564.00 0.96 8.45 244 1.09 including 861.00 1057.50 196.50 1.62 10.31 153 1.76 * Hole shut down due to extreme deviation and redrilled as GS-21-116 All assay values are uncut and intervals reflect drilled intercept lengths. HQ and NQ2 diameter core samples were sawn in half and typically sampled at standard 1.5m intervals The following metal prices were used to calculate the Au Eq metal content: Gold $1625/oz, Ag: $19/oz, Cu: $2.8/lb. Calculations used the formula Au Eq g/t = (Au g/t) + (Ag g/t x 0.01169) + (Cu% x 1.1815). All metals are reported in USD and calculations do not consider metal recoveries. True widths have not been determined as the mineralized body remains open in all directions. Further drilling is required to determine the mineralized body orientation and true widths. Table 2: Drill data for holes in Press Release September 27, 2021 Section Hole ID UTM E NAD 83 UTM N NAD 83 Elevation (m) Azi (o) Dip (o) Depth (m) 111+00 NE EK-21-01 429775.9 6272171.8 1380.5 312 -50 299 114+50 NE GS-21-114 428656.9 6273199.7 1370.9 292 -65 215.8 114+50 NE GS-21-116 428656.9 6273199.7 1370.9 295 -64 1529 116+50 NE GS-21-119 429068.6 6273270.3 1222.1 295 -85 1290 Tudor Gold Corp. and our associated service companies have taken extreme measures to maintain the highest professional standards while working within COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Only essential personnel are permitted to enter the camp and staging areas. Of those workers who are at the project site and staging site, we have strict daily monitoring of the workers temperatures and general health conditions. We have a certified paramedic at the staging area to examine all in-coming and out-going Tudor personnel and all service providers. Qualified Person The Qualified Person for this news release for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 is the Company's Vice President of Exploration and Project Development, Ken Konkin, P.Geo. He has read and approved the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for the disclosure contained in this news release. QA/QC Drill core samples were prepared at MSA Labs' Preparation Laboratory in Terrace, BC and assayed at MSA Labs' Geochemical Laboratory in Langley, BC. Analytical accuracy and precision are monitored by the submission of blanks, certified standards and duplicate samples inserted at regular intervals into the sample stream by Tudor Gold personnel. MSA Laboratories quality system complies with the requirements for the International Standards ISO 17025 and ISO 9001. MSA Labs is independent of the Company. About Tudor Gold TUDOR GOLD Corp. is a precious and base metals exploration and development company with properties in British Columbia's Golden Triangle (Canada), an area that hosts producing and past-producing mines and several large deposits that are approaching potential development. The 17,913 hectare Treaty Creek project (in which TUDOR GOLD has a 60% interest) borders Seabridge Gold Inc.'s KSM property to the southwest and borders Pretium Resources Inc.'s Brucejack property to the southeast. In April 2021 Tudor published their 43-101 technical report, "Technical Report and Initial Mineral Resource Estimate of the Treaty Creek Gold Property, Skeena Mining Division, British Columbia Canada" dated March 1, 2021 on the Company's Sedar profile. The Company also has a 100% interest in the Crown project and a 100% interest in the Eskay North project, all located in the Golden Triangle area. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF TUDOR GOLD CORP. "Walter Storm" Walter Storm President and Chief Executive Officer For further information, please visit the Company's website at www.tudor-gold.com or contact: Chris Curran Head of Corporate Development and Communications Phone: (604) 559 8092 E-Mail: chris.curran@tudor-gold.com or Carsten Ringler Head of Investor Relations and Communications Phone: +49 151 55362000 E-Mail: carsten.ringler@tudor-gold.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. Cautionary Statements regarding Forward-Looking Information This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. "Forward-looking information" includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future, including the completion and anticipated results of planned exploration activities. Generally, but not always, forward-looking information and statements can be identified by the use of words such as "plans", "expects", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "believes" or the negative connotation thereof or 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" or the negative connation thereof. Such forward-looking information and statements are based on numerous assumptions, including among others, that the Company's planned exploration activities will be completed in a timely manner. Although the assumptions made by the Company in providing forward-looking information or making forward-looking statements are considered reasonable by management at the time, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be accurate. 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 plans or expectations include risks relating to the actual results of current exploration activities, fluctuating gold prices, possibility of equipment breakdowns and delays, exploration cost overruns, availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions, regulatory changes, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking information or implied by forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information and statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Goldstorm and Copper Belle Deposits, Eureka Zone - Plan View To view an enhanced version of this map, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4494/97827_tudorfig1.jpg Goldstorm Deposit Section 116+50 NE View 030 +/- 75m To view an enhanced version of this map, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4494/97827_tudorfig2.jpg Goldstorm Deposit Section 114+50 NE View 030 +/- 100m To view an enhanced version of this map, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4494/97827_tudorfig3.jpg Eureka Zone Section 111+00 NE View 030, +/- 50m To view an enhanced version of this map, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4494/97827_tudorfig4.jpg Regional Section - Goldstorm to Eureka View 030 +/- 200m To view an enhanced version of this map, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/4494/97827_tudorfig5.jpg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97827 Full-scale cargo exterior, cutaway passenger interior, and interactive content will be on display Exhibit runs October 2021 through March 2022 in Dubai DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Virgin Hyperloop revealed that they will be showcasing a full-scale hyperloop cargo pod and a cutaway passenger pod as part of DP World's FLOW pavilion at Expo 2020. "The constant flow of goods has historically driven innovation in the transportation sector and now more than ever, we must continue to future-proof the industry," said Sultan bin Sulayem, Chairman of DP World and Virgin Hyperloop. "Hyperloop is poised to revolutionize the global on-demand logistics market, and we are excited to share our vision for the technology in the DP World FLOW pavilion at Expo 2020." Upon arrival to the FLOW pavilion, visitors will see a full-scale commercial cargo pod replica, which measures nearly 10 meters long. Once in the pavilion, guests will be able to sit inside a cutaway passenger pod complete with production intent finishes to see what a future journey on hyperloop will feel like. Surrounding the pod, visitors will learn more about the technology and its future impact through interactive displays, videos, and models. "World Expos have been debuting the most cutting-edge innovations for centuries, so we are honored to showcase hyperloop technology on this global stage with DP World," said Josh Giegel, CEO and Co-Founder of Virgin Hyperloop. "I hope that visitors will be able to imagine the not-too-distant future in which they are passengers on a commercial hyperloop system in the Gulf region and beyond." The pavilion opens as part of Expo 2020 on 1 October 2021 and runs through 31 March 2022. The exhibit is open to the public daily starting at 10am. Tickets can be purchased here . Media Assets Behind the scenes photos of Virgin Hyperloop's installation in the DP World FLOW Pavilion can be found here . General media assets can be downloaded here . About Virgin Hyperloop Virgin Hyperloop is the only company in the world that has successfully tested hyperloop technology with passengers, launching the first new mode of mass transportation in over 100 years. The company successfully operated a full-scale hyperloop vehicle using electric propulsion and electromagnetic levitation under near-vacuum conditions, realizing a fundamentally new form of transportation that is faster, safer, cheaper, and more sustainable than existing modes. The company is now working with governments, partners, and investors around the world to make hyperloop a reality in years, not decades. Learn more about Virgin Hyperloop's technology, vision, and ongoing projects here . About DP World We are the leading provider of worldwide smart end-to-end supply chain logistics, enabling the flow of trade across the globe. Our comprehensive range of products and services covers every link of the integrated supply chain - from maritime and inland terminals to marine services and industrial parks as well as technology-driven customer solutions. We deliver these services through an interconnected global network of 128 business units in 60 countries across six continents, with a significant presence both in high-growth and mature markets. Wherever we operate, we integrate sustainability and responsible corporate citizenship into our activities, striving for a positive contribution to the economies and communities where we live and work. Our dedicated, diverse, and professional team of more than 53,000 employees from 131 countries are committed to delivering unrivalled value to our customers and partners. We do this by focusing on mutually beneficial relationships - with governments, shippers, traders, and other stakeholders along the global supply chain - relationships built on a foundation of mutual trust and enduring partnership. We think ahead, anticipate change, and deploy industry-leading technology to further broaden our digital vision to disrupt world trade and create the smartest, most efficient, and innovative solutions, while ensuring a positive and sustainable impact on economies, societies and our planet. About Expo 2020 World Expos are one of the oldest and largest international events on the planet, taking place every five years and lasting six months. It is a festival for all, where everyone can experience, explore, innovate and have fun by sharing ideas and working together. Expo 2020 Dubai will be the first World Expo ever hosted in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MEASA) region. Through our theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, we aim to host a World Expo that inspires people by showcasing the best examples of collaboration, innovation and cooperation from around the world. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a4c29940-525b-41da-893e-b0645b6b515c https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/24da57ad-daa0-406f-943a-c643752f8328 Parents and educators can help kids reduce digital eyestrain and promote healthy sleep with ZAGG and Eyesafe blue light blocking products. MINNEAPOLIS and SHANNON, Ireland and PARIS, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Students have returned to school, marking the beginning of a year filled with possibility, learning and connection. For many, it's a return to normalcy that was not possible last year due to COVID-19. 2020 marked a year of transition, with shifts from distance learning to hybrid learning, then back again. Millions of digital devices were purchased and screen time doubled for kids of all age groups.1 In a recent survey, 93% of parents and 96% of educators said they are concerned about the impact of digital device screen time on children's eyes.2 Besides playing outside, the most popular activities for children are playing on a digital device (23%) and watching TV (20%).3 Students are dialed into digital devices. The problem is that digital devices, from smartphones to laptops and televisions, emit high-energy blue light, which has the potential to damage eyes over time.4 Children are extremely vulnerable, as their eyes don't filter blue light as effectively as an adult5, allowing as much as 45% more toxic blue light to reach the back of the eye. Excess screen time and blue light can contribute to digital eye strain, tired eyes, blurry vision and sleep disruption. The latter is of particular concern, since chronic sleep deprivation may impact attention span, recall, and social-emotional learning.6 Teachers, parents and students can reduce the blue light on their phones and tablets with ZAGG InvisibleShield VisionGuard. VisionGuard is a line of screen protectors with Eyesafe technology that not only protects your phone from scratches and impacts, but also filters out potentially harmful blue light. For larger screens, like Chromebooks and monitors, Eyesafe Blue Light Screen Filters provide an advanced blue light shield developed with optometrists and ophthalmologists to help reduce potential risks of blue light exposure. Screen time is a reality - it's how we work, play, connect. Limiting screen time isn't always realistic, and many common solutions reduce blue light by turning your screen yellow. ZAGG InvisibleShield VisionGuard screen protectors and Eyesafe Blue Light Screen filters maintain natural color and meet the highest requirements for efficacy and performance, as certified by TUV Rheinland. VisionGuard screen protection for smartphones and tablets is available at ZAGG.com and at the world's largest wireless carriers and retailers. Eyesafe Blue Light Screen Filters are available online at https://shop.eyesafe.com. About Eyesafe Eyesafe provides industry-leading technology to reduce high-energy blue light in consumer electronics, helping to re-design displays for human health. Eyesafe technology and standards were developed by a world-class team of eye doctors, engineers and scientists, with decades of experience in electronics, display materials, and light management. Learn more: https://eyesafe.com. About ZAGG As a global leader and innovator for screen protection, protective cases, tablet keyboards, and power management solutions, ZAGG mobile accessories are available worldwide and can be found at leading retailers including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Best Buy, Walmart, Target, Currys, and Mediamarkt. Learn more: ZAGG.com. Media Inquiries: Bospar, Kimberly Barnes, prforeyesafe@bospar.com 1 Statistica 2021, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1189204/us-teens-children-screen-time-daily-coronavirus-before-during/ 2 Screentime Survey 2020 by UnitedHealthcare Vision and Eyesafe, https://eyesafe.com/uhc 3 The Vision Council, https://www.thevisioncouncil.org/blog/vision-council-shines-light-protecting-sight-and-health-multi-screen-era 4 International Journal of Ophthalmology, 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6288536 5 Behar-Cohen F, et al. Light-emitting diodes (LED) for domestic lighting: any risks for the eye? Progress in Retinal and Eye Research. 2011 Jul;30(4):239-57. 6 Adolescent Sleep and the Impact of Technology Use Before Sleep on Daytime Function. A.E.E. Johansson et al, Journal of Pediatric Nursing: Nursing Care of Children and Families, 2016. 31(5): p. 498-504 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1488345/Eyesafe_RGB_ID_4dc6e183a031_Logo.jpg Guangzhou, China--(Newsfile Corp. - September 27, 2021) - On the afternoon of September 18, the Organizing Committee of China International SME Fair held a press conference, releasing the achievements of the 17th China International SME Fair and the 1st SME International Cooperation Summit and answering reporters' questions. The 17th China International SME Fair and the 1st SME International Cooperation Summit According to Mrs. Wu Hong, deputy director-general of Department of Industry and Information Technology of Guangdong Province, during the 17th China International SME Fair and the 1st SME International Cooperation Summit, the "Release the Procurement Information" was launched to organize large Chinese and foreign enterprises to release product and service procurement information to small and medium-sized enterprises, so that the small and medium-sized enterprises can more directly understand the procurement needs of large enterprises, and use their own high-quality products and services to meet the needs of large enterprises and further expand the market. The 17th China International SME Fair and the 1st SME International Cooperation Summit She said that large enterprises actively responded to the national call and vigorously purchased products and services from small and medium-sized enterprises. This time, 11 enterprises released a total procurement demand of 826.3 billion yuan, of which Jingdong Group released a procurement demand of 500 billion yuan, Xiaomi Group released a procurement demand of 153.9 billion yuan, and 9 other enterprises also released a procurement demand of billions and tens of billions of yuan. Contact: The China International SME Fair Affairs Bureau Miss Ou 510890241(at)qq(dot)com http://www.cismef.com.cn/ To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97857 TOKYO, Sept 28, 2021 - (JCN Newswire) - Eisai Co., Ltd. and Biogen Inc. today announced that Eisai has initiated a rolling submission to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of a Biologics License Application (BLA) for lecanemab (BAN2401), the company's investigational anti-amyloid beta (Abeta) protofibril antibody, for the treatment of early Alzheimer's disease (early AD). The BLA is being submitted under the accelerated approval pathway and is primarily based on clinical, biomarker and safety data from the Phase 2b clinical trial (Study 201) in people with early AD and confirmed amyloid pathology. The lecanemab Phase 2b trial results demonstrated a high degree of Abeta plaque lowering and consistent reduction of clinical decline across several clinical endpoints. The correlation between the extent of Abeta plaque reduction and effect on clinical endpoints in Study 201 further supports Abeta as a surrogate endpoint that is reasonably likely to predict clinical benefit. AD is a serious, progressive and devastating disease with few treatment options. Eisai is utilizing the accelerated approval pathway after discussion with the FDA and aims to bring a new treatment option to people living with early AD, their families and healthcare professionals.In June, 2021, lecanemab was granted Breakthrough Therapy designation, which is an FDA program intended to expedite the development and review of medicines for serious or life threatening conditions. Eisai has an agreement with the FDA to submit the BLA for lecanemab as a rolling submission. This agreement allows completed portions of the application to be submitted to the FDA for review on an ongoing basis. After all portions are submitted to the FDA and the agency accepts the BLA, the Prescription Drug User Fee Act (PDUFA) action date (target date for completion of examination) will be set.The BLA submission for lecanemab is primarily based on the results of the proof-of-concept Study 201 in 856 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to AD and mild AD (collectively known as early AD) with confirmed presence of amyloid pathology. The results were published in a peer-reviewed journal in April 2021.1 Study 201 explored the impact of treatment with lecanemab on reducing brain Abeta and clinical decline. At 18 months of treatment, 10 mg/kg biweekly lecanemab reduced brain amyloid by 0.306 SUVr units (from a baseline mean of 1.37), and over 80% of subjects became amyloid negative by visual read. Furthermore, the extent of reduction in amyloid was correlated with slower clinical decline on ADCOMS (Alzheimer's Disease Composite Score), CDR-SB (Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum-of-Boxes), and ADAS-cog (Alzheimer Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale) at the treatment group and patient level. The rate of amyloid-related imaging abnormalities-edema/effusion (ARIA-E), an adverse event associated with amyloid targeted therapies, for the 10 mg/kg biweekly dosing was 9.9%.After completion of the Core period and a Gap period off treatment (average of 24 months), all 180 patients in the Study 201 open-label extension study received 10 mg/kg biweekly lecanemab dosing. The data confirmed lecanemab produces reductions of amyloid PET SUVr, with significant reduction occurring as early as 3 months, and >80% of subjects achieved amyloid negative status by visual read in as early as 12 months [https://www.eisai.co.jp/ir/library/presentations/pdf/e4523_210730.pdf]. Significant amyloid reduction relative to placebo in those exposed to lecanemab in the Core period was maintained while off-treatment over the Gap period. The rate of ARIA-E was consistent with the Core study at around 10%.The lecanemab Clarity AD Phase 3 clinical trial in early AD is ongoing and completed enrollment in March 2021 with 1,795 patients. The U.S. FDA has agreed that the results of Clarity AD, when completed, can serve as the confirmatory study to verify the clinical benefit of lecanemab. Blinded safety data from Clarity AD will be included to support the BLA."With the worldwide population growing and aging, the number of people living with AD is on the rise. AD imposes an enormous burden on not only people living with AD and their families but also for society. We recognize the strong and urgent expectations from stakeholders to further advance a treatment system for this disease. For many years, Eisai has endeavored to understand the anxieties of people living with AD and has been conducting research and development of novel therapies," said Haruo Naito, Chief Executive Officer at Eisai Co., Ltd. "The lecanemab rolling BLA submission marks a new milestone toward the advancement of a treatment system for AD. As part of our human health care mission, we are committed to bringing new medicines to people living with AD and their families as early as possible.""The Alzheimer's community welcomes scientific innovation that creates more treatment options for people living with this terrible neurodegenerative disease," said Jeffrey Cummings, M.D., ScD, lecanemab manuscript author and director at the Chambers-Grundy Center for Transformative Neuroscience, University of Nevada Las Vegas. "Based on the efficacy and safety results of the Phase 2b study and preliminary results from the open-label extension study, I am optimistic about the potential lecanemab may have as a treatment choice for patients with early Alzheimer's to ameliorate the otherwise inevitable decline they face.""It is our vision that patients and their families have choice and access to multiple treatment options for Alzheimer's disease. The rolling submission of lecanemab for FDA review under the accelerated pathway is a positive step toward that goal," said Michel Vounatsos, Chief Executive Officer at Biogen. "We believe that treatments directed at amyloid beta reduction in the brain have the potential to transform diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. We look forward to continuing to work with Eisai to pioneer science, advance knowledge, and serve the needs of Alzheimer's patients."MEDIA CONTACT:Eisai Co., Ltd.Public Relations DepartmentTEL: +81-(0)3-3817-5120Eisai Inc. (U.S.)Libby Holman+1-201-753-1945Libby_Holman@eisai.comINVESTOR CONTACT:Eisai Co., Ltd.Investor Relations DepartmentTEL: +81-(0)70-8688-9685MEDIA CONTACT:Biogen Inc.Allison Parks+1-781-464-3260public.affairs@biogen.comINVESTOR CONTACT:Biogen Inc.Mike Hencke+1-781-464-2442IR@biogen.comFor more information, visit https://www.eisai.com/news/2021/pdf/enews202177pdf.pdf.Source: EisaiCopyright 2021 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. On September 6, the film Splendid Land was shown globally on the online platform of the Venice International Film Festival, attracted a large number of audiences, media reporters and film curators. The enthusiastic and beautiful scene of Xinjiang was unfolding in the homes of all the on-demand film viewers from all over the world. People call the film "an amazing welfare brought by the first online event of the Venice Film Festival." The China-Greece co-production documentary Splendid Land, directed by Eleni Vlassi Jin Huaqing, have won the Best International Short Documentary Award and the Audience Award, in the International Documentary Festival of Ierapetra Awards, which took place in Crete from 7 till 21 August 2021. This film presents the wonderful land of Xinjiang, China and its ancient customs through an musician pursuing the Mukam music and the spectacular landscape. During the Venice Film Festival, several European film festival curators immediately offered inviatation to Splendid Land after watching it. The film will participate in international film festivals such as the 12th Amorgos Tourism Film Festival, Euro Vision Film Festival in Palermo. Online and onsite screenings are touring in many countries, and European audiences can watch the beautiful Xinjiang behind the mysterious veil on the big screen or even at home. Famous French director Benoit Lelievre said:" It's a relaxing and lovely film indeed. Director knows how to capture beautiful images, and the scenery and landscapes of the Xinjiang are breathtaking. I didn't expected Kashgar to be that typical and unique either! It broke my previous cognition. Now, I really want to go there to visit!" And the co-director of Splendid Land, Eleni Vlassi commented:" This film shows a place that is internationally well-known, but the real Xinjiang, in fact, foreigners don't know much about it. I believe that after viewing this film, you will have a better understanding of this mysterious and vast land, through the crossroads of history with contemporary life. I have been to China before and I was deeply attracted and so decided to shoot documentaries in China. This film is the achievement of my first cooperation with Chinese director Jin Huaqing but surely not the last. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210927005891/en/ Contacts: Media Contact: Koula Company Name: Star International Culture and Media kouladocff@gmail.com https://festivalierapetra.gr/index.php/en/news/interviews-for-the-movie-splendid-land.html Guests have the chance to step aboard Bombardier's two most renowned aircraft, which offer an unparalleled combination of cabin experience and performance Showcase includes stops in Germany, Spain and Sweden As part of Bombardier's long-standing commitment to sustainability, jets are touring using Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) MONTREAL, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bombardier is pleased to announce that two of its leading business jets, the industry flagship Global 7500 aircraft and the super mid-size market leader Challenger 350 aircraft, are on a tour of several European countries. The showcase has begun in Germany and will include stops in the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain and Denmark before wrapping up in Sweden on October 5. "As interest in business aviation grows in Europe and all over the world, it's important for customers to see first-hand how the cabins and attention to detail aboard Bombardier jets set themselves apart," said Emmanuel Bornand, Regional Vice President of Sales, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Bombardier. "We're so pleased to create this distinctive experience for our guests." The Global 7500 aircraftcreated a new space at the upper end of the business jet spectrum since its entry-into-service, with the 100th aircraft already being manufactured. This unparalleled business jet offers four true living areas, including a master suite with a full-size bed, and Bombardier's patented Nuage seating collection for the ultimate comfort on long flights. Its industry-leading range of 7,700 nautical miles (14,260 kilometres) means passengers can fly nonstop from Western Europe to virtually anywhere on the planet, including Bali, Tokyo and Honolulu. The Global 7500 aircraft's steep approach capabilities allow it to access London City and a variety of challenging airfields - and to fly out of these airports with excellent range. The Challenger 350 aircraftis the industry's best-selling super mid-size jet for seven years running, thanks to its performance, reliability and advantageous operating costs, not to mention its best-in-class cabin experience and smooth ride. This tour will provide an occasion for guests to learn more about the future of this renowned business jet, which will soon be evolving into the Challenger 3500 aircraft, entering service in the second half of 2022. This aircraft will have a brand-new interior and a host of innovations and was proudly designed through a sustainable lens. Bombardier's commitment to sustainability is also on display during this tour, as the Challenger 350 and Global 7500 aircraft are travelling through Europe on Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), refined by Neste. Bombardier is a longtime proponent of the widespread adoption and availability of this fuel as an effective tool toward the industry's goal to minimize its carbon footprint. Visits to the aircraft are by appointment, and guests are required to follow COVID-19 protocols in place. About Bombardier Bombardier is a global leader in aviation, creating innovative and game-changing planes. Our products and services provide world-class experiences that set new standards in passenger comfort, energy efficiency, reliability and safety. Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Bombardier is present in more than 12 countries including its production/engineering sites and its customer support network. The Corporation supports a worldwide fleet of more than 4,900 aircraft in service with a wide variety of multinational corporations, charter and fractional ownership providers, governments and private individuals. News and information is available at bombardier.comor follow us on Twitter @Bombardier. For more information about our industry-leading business jets, visit the Bombardier Business Aircraft website. Bombardier, Challenger 350, Challenger 3500, Global,Global 7500 and Nuage are registered or unregistered trademarks of Bombardier Inc. or its subsidiaries. For Information Louise Solomita Bombardier 514-855-5001, ext. 25148 Louise.Solomita@aero.bombardier.com Regulatory News: Largo (FR0013308582 ALLGO) (Paris:ALLGO), an eco-responsible French industrial player and an expert in the refurbishment of high-tech products, announces: The appointment of Benjamin Larose as Production Manager in order to support the ramping up of Largo's industrial tool The optimisation of its refurbishment process to achieve 13,000 refurbished products per month by the end of 2021 Benjamin Larose is joining Largo as Production Manager following over 20 years of experience in the refurbishment sector, including over a decade as Production Manager Benjamin Larose will oversee, in this respect, all of the Company's refurbishment activities and quality department: planning, organisation and monitoring of production, organisation and steering of the teams and defining of the optimisation plan for the Company's industrial tool. He will play a pivotal role in supporting the scaling up of the refurbishment process. Before joining Largo, Benjamin LAROSE spent more than 20 years in the refurbishment sector at Itancia, first as head of production and then as Production and Technical Manager. "I am very happy to be joining a company like Largo. The Company's human project and ambitious strategic plan immediately appealed to me. I am very excited about the idea of being a part of this new chapter by contributing my expertise", said Benjamin Larose, Largo's new Production Manager Christophe Brunot and Frederic Gandon, Co-founders of Largo, added: "We are delighted about Benjamin Larose's arrival at Largo. His expertise and his experience will be decisive assets in our Company's new expansion phase. One of his first strategic accomplishments has been to improve our refurbishment process, enabling us to increase our productivity and our refurbishment capacity in order to be in a position to meet the growing demand for our refurbished products (smartphones, tablets, laptops) An improved process in order to increase the refurbishment capacity to 13,000 products a month by the end of 2021 To cope with growing demand, Largo has decided to optimiser its refurbishment industrial tool. Following an in-house audit, the Company has decided to redefine the key stages and professions of the refurbishment process and to physically reorganise its workshop in order to optimise the flow of goods and increase productivity. Simultaneously to this optimisation work, Largo has put in place a quality unit responsible for undertaking controls at every stage of the refurbishment process. These controls ensure the impeccable quality of the refurbishing and minimise any disruptions to the value chain. The aim of these various projects is to expand the Company's refurbishment capacity to around 13,000 products per month by the end of 2021, vs. 7,000 at the end of June and a target of more than 25,000 by the end of 2022. At the same time, Largo is initiating the implementation of ISO 9001 certifications regarding quality management. Guarantees of quality both internally and for Largo's partners, these certifications will boost Largo's standing within the mobile device circular economy ecosystem. About LARGO: Created in 2016, Largo is a group fundamentally involved in the circular economy. With close to 40 staff based in Nantes, Western France, Largo refurbishes Smartphones, tablets and laptops. Positioned along the entire value chain, from sourcing to refurbishment and distribution, Largo wants to become a benchmark player in the field of responsible refurbishment. A pioneer in terms of transparency, in 2018 Largo invested in a sophisticated production tool enabling it to optimise its processes and the quality of its products. Entirely internalised in France, the refurbishment site offers full control of each key stage: reception, testing, reparation, quality control and after-sales service. Since the Company's creation, Largo has already refurbished more than 170,000 Smartphones, and generated revenue of almost 10.3 million in 2020. For further information, please go to www.largo.fr View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210927005765/en/ Contacts: Largo Finance finances@largo-france.fr NewCap Investor Relations Thomas Grojean/Quentin Masse largo@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 NewCap Media Relations Nicolas Merigeau largo@newcap.eu +33 (0)1 44 71 94 98 Press contacts Agence Proches Samantha Duron +33 (0)7 64 01 74 35 samantha.duron@agenceproches.com Kelly Martin +33 (0)6 63 52 94 74 kelly.martin@agenceproches.com Core strategy based on environmental and social impact goals Geographic focus on Europe, North America and emerging markets Core investment areas will be green solutions, sustainable agricultural technologies and financial services Target return of 12 to 14 per cent net IRR planned Golding Capital Partners is driving the strategic expansion of its impact investing division and launching its first institutional impact fund of funds. With "Golding Impact 2021" the Munich-based asset manager is pursuing a global private equity impact strategy based on environmental and social sustainability targets that are ambitious, quantifiable and integrated. The new fund will focus on companies in Europe, North America and emerging markets with transformative business models in the areas of green solutions (35 per cent), sustainable agricultural technology (35 per cent), and financial services and other sustainable sectors (30 per cent). Golding is aiming for a net IRR of 12 to 14 per cent and plans to raise 300m for the fund. The Munich-based asset manager has initially classified its new impact fund conservatively under Article 8+ ("light green plus") of the Sustainable Finance Disclosure Regulation (SDFR), but in the long term it is aiming for an Article 9 classification ("dark green"). "Impact investing is not just the future; it already offers great opportunities for institutional investors today. Our investment decisions can bring about real, sustainable change in a global transformation process, and at the same time add a huge amount of value and so generate reasonable returns. The biggest challenge in fact is to gain access to the best target fund managers and to ensure adequate diversification at the same time. We believe that on the basis of our long track record in impact investing and with the support of our investors we can make a key contribution to achieving the UN development goals", said Dr Andreas Nilsson, Managing Director and Head of Impact at Golding. "We will be putting together a hand-picked portfolio of funds for our investors, made up of investments in companies with environmental or social characteristics as well as a record of sustainable growth. These investments must meet agreed impact targets from day one. As we put great emphasis on ensuring that the reporting from portfolio companies outside Europe complies 100 per cent with SDFR standards, we are starting conservatively under Article 8+ and consider ourselves to be "light green plus". Together with our target funds we will work actively to standardise data collection and regular reporting in order to achieve Article 9 status", adds Hubertus Theile-Ochel, Managing Partner of Golding Capital Partners. Jeremy Golding, Founder and Managing Partner of Golding Capital Partners, commented: "This first impact fund is a logical development of our long-standing sustainability philosophy and a means of putting it into practice. We have been signatories of the UN PRI since 2013 and the Operating Principles of Impact Management will follow soon. It is just one step of the many that we still have ahead of us as a company on our way to becoming a sustainable asset manager. At the corporate level we have committed to becoming carbon-neutral by 2025, for example. So this will certainly not be our only impact investing product." Minimising risk by means of broad diversification and rigorous due diligence The strategy for "Golding Impact 2021" is to build a broadly diversified portfolio across sectors, regions and development stages. Investments are planned in around 15 target funds, with a smaller allocation for selected co-investments. Golding applies a rigorous due diligence process before making its investment decisions, and has developed a sophisticated impact management system that explicitly defines the measurable impact objectives of each investment and so makes it possible to evaluate their performance. The portfolio companies for Golding Impact 2021 will operate largely in three sectors, Green Solutions, Food and Ag-Tech Solutions and Financial Inclusion Solutions. Green solutions comprise technologies and business models that contribute to decarbonising economic processes or adapting to climate change. In mature target markets this mainly relates to energy efficiency, the modernisation of energy storage and grid infrastructure, and more sustainable transport networks. In emerging economies the main aim is to decouple economic growth from the consumption of resources. Affordability and broad social access to these technologies play a vital role in the selection of investments, as with solar-hybrid mini grids, for instance. Food and ag-tech solutions are innovative methods aimed at creating a more sustainable agriculture, forestry and food industry. They include the long-term maintenance of soil and water quality and the use of higher yielding, more resilient crops. Digitalisation can also help to make organisational structures in the agriculture industry more efficient, by enabling the shared use of capital-intensive machinery, for example, or modernising supply chain management. Financial inclusion solutions include ways of radically simplifying access to financial services and making them available to more people in emerging markets. A lack of access to traditional banking services holds back the overall economic development of many developing countries, but on an individual level it often also makes it difficult for people to save money to tide them over in times of need. Fintech companies offer digital alternatives for areas such as insurance, mobile payments and lending. "Golding Impact 2021" is structured as a Luxembourg SCS SICAV-FIAR and is open to institutional investors making a minimum commitment of 5 million. About Golding Capital Partners GmbH Golding Capital Partners GmbH is one of Europe's leading independent asset managers for alternative investments, focusing on the asset classes infrastructure, private debt, private equity and impact. With a team of more over 130 professionals at its offices in Munich, London, Luxembourg, New York, Tokyo and Zurich, Golding Capital Partners helps institutional and professional investors to develop their investment strategy and manages some 11 billion in assets. Its more than 200 investors include pension funds, insurance companies, foundations, family offices and ecclesiastical institutions, as well as banks, savings banks and cooperative banks. Golding became a signatory of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI) in 2013 and has been a member of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) since 2021. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210927005705/en/ Contacts: Further information Golding Capital Partners GmbH Susanne Stolzenburg Manager Marketing Communication T +49 (0)-89-419-997-553 stolzenburg@goldingcapital.com PB3C GmbH Johannes Braun PR Director Real Assets T +49-(0)-30-726276-1544 braun@pb3c.com VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2021 / Cielo WasteSolutions Corp. (TSXV:CMC)(OTCQB:CWSFF) ("Cielo" or the "Company") intends to file its financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for fiscal Q1 2022 on SEDAR after markets close on Tuesday, September 28, 2021. The Company will host a conference call on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 at 8:00 a.m. MT (10:00 a.m. ET), during which Cielo's Board Chair and President, Don Allan, CEO and COO, Gregg Gegunde, CFO, Stephanie Li, and Corporate Secretary and General Counsel, Chris Sabat, will discuss the Company's financial and operating results followed by a question and answer session. A live audio webcast of this call is available by entering the following URL into your web browser: https://produceredition.webcasts.com/starthere.jsp?ei=1500890&tp_key=1767e5afbd Conference Call Details: Date: Wednesday, September 29, 2021 Time: 8:00 a.m. MT / 10:00 a.m. ET Dial In: North America: 1-888-664-6392 Dial In: Toronto Local / International: 416-764-8659 Replay: North America: 1-888-390-0541 Replay: Toronto Local / International: 416-764-8677 Replay Passcode: 200946 # The conference call replay will be available until October 6, 2021 and the webcast will be available until December 29, 2021. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Gregg Gegunde" Gregg Gegunde, CEO and COO Company Contact: Chris Sabat Email: csabat@cielows.com Telephone: 1-(403)-348-2972 Website: www.cielows.com For further information please contact: Investor Cubed Inc. (Canada): Neil Simon, CEO Email: info@investor3.ca Telephone: 1-(647) 258-3310 RB Milestone Group LLC (USA): Trevor Brucato, Managing Director Email: cielo@rbmilestone.com New York, NY & Stamford, CT About Cielo Waste Solutions Corp. Cielo is a publicly traded company with a proprietary technology that transforms certain types of landfill garbage into high-grade diesel, kerosene (aviation jet and marine fuel) and naphtha. Cielo's proven and patented technology is currently being deployed in the Company's Aldersyde, Alberta facility, where wood waste is currently being converted into renewable fuels. Cielo's experienced management team is well positioned with strategic partners in place to expand aggressively across Canada, into the US and then globally. The waste/feedstock that will be used in the Company's green facilities is the world's widely available and inexpensive feedstock, including household, commercial, construction garbage, used tires, railway ties, telephone poles, as well as all types of plastic, some of which currently cannot be recycled or deposited into landfills. Cielo's goal is to manufacture waste to fuel while ridding the world of unwanted and problematic garbage. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements This News Release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "achieve", "could", "believe", "plan", "intend", "objective", "continuous", "ongoing", "estimate", "outlook", "expect", "may", "will", "project", "should" or similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes. Forward-looking statements are subject to both known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Cielo is making forward-looking statements with respect to, and not limited to: the filing of the financial statements and management's discussion and analysis for the three-months ended July 31, 2021, and the timing thereof; the webinar to be held on September 29, 2021, including the subject matter there as well as speakers; and the posting of the webcast thereafter, including the duration thereof. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some of which are described herein. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause the Company's actual performance and results to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, neither the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such statements to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise. The TSX Venture Exchange, OTCQB and, WKN, have not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this News Release. SOURCE: Cielo Waste Solutions Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665853/Cielo-Announces-Fiscal-Q1-2022-Conference-Call-and-Webcast Regulatory News: This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005457/en/ TotalEnergies (Paris:TTE) (LSE:TTE) (NYSE:TTE) and China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG, through its two affiliates CTG Capital and CTG Electric Energy) have signed an agreement to establish a Joint Venture in electric mobility in China. This equally owned company will develop Electric Vehicle (EV) high power charging infrastructure and services within the Hubei Province, through the installation and operation of more than 11,000 high power charge points by 2025. This JV will build on TotalEnergies' worldwide expertise in electric mobility and CTG strong capability in green energy production and supply. The two companies intend to develop co-branded high power charging hubs and standalone stations, open to the general public, equipped with 60 kW to 120 kW power charge points and with an average hosting capacity ranging between 20 to 50 vehicles each. The partners will also build dedicated charging stations on the premises of B2B customers, to meet their needs. Finally, in line with the partners' respective ambitions to carbon neutrality, the electricity used to power this new network will be produced mostly from renewable sources. The JV's growth perspectives are supported by China's ambition to be carbon net neutral by 2060. In a context of a fast-growing energy demand for mobility, the EV penetration rate is expected to increase dramatically over the coming years, requiring a rapid expansion of the existing fast-charging network. "We share common and important visions with China Three Gorges the ambition to reach carbon neutrality, the undeniable willingness to push for renewable power and the enthusiasm to develop electric mobility," declared Alexis Vovk, President Marketing Services at TotalEnergies. "Hubei province is a natural ground to launch this cooperation, as both our companies are established there, and to contribute to the development of sustainable mobility in China and to accompany the ongoing growth of Electric Vehicles in the country. This partnership with CTG opens new doors to TotalEnergies for a long term and widened cooperation with a leader of China's electric energy." "We are very proud to work with the world leading energy group, TotalEnergies, as we share the common mission of providing clean energies to the world," said Dr Jin Heping, Chief Information Officer of CTG Group, responsible for Technology and Innovation. "New energy vehicles' charging is an important part of new infrastructures' construction. It has a broad development prospect, with a strong demand for technological iteration. There is such demand for technological innovation in the fields of big data platforms, equipment system integration and solar energy storage and charging microgrids. Through the cooperation with TotalEnergies, we would like to extend our upstream expertise in clean power generation and power supply to the downstream retail and mobility services business, while creating at the same time a model of technological innovation in the field of new energy vehicle charging. We are looking forward to learn from each other, and to establish a long-term relationship with TotalEnergies in other energy sectors in China and worldwide." CTG Corporation, operator of the Three Gorges Dam, is China's largest clean energy corporation and the world largest hydro-power producer. It has developed more than 30 GW of hydro, wind and solar power generation capacities in China and overseas namely in Europe over the past five years. TotalEnergies has been present in Wuhan and in Hubei province since 1995, notably through its network of branded fuel service-stations, its lubricant business and its affiliate Hutchinson. With this announcement, TotalEnergies pursues its development in electric mobility in major cities throughout the world, with a large portfolio of EV charge points currently in operation or in the process of being installed: Amsterdam and its region (22,000), Antwerp (3,000), Paris (2,300), London (1,700). This is also the second development in Asia in recent months, following the acquisition of Singapore largest EV charge network (1,500) in July 2021. About TotalEnergies TotalEnergies is a broad energy company that produces and markets energies on a global scale: oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewables and electricity. Our 105,000 employees are committed to energy that is ever more affordable, clean, reliable and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainable development in all its dimensions at the heart of its projects and operations to contribute to the well-being of people. @TotalEnergiesTotalEnergiesTotalEnergiesTotalEnergies About China Three Gorges Corporation China Three Gorges Project Corporation was founded on September 27, 2009. CTG positions itself as a clean energy group focusing on large-scale hydropower development and operation, development of wind power and solar energy among other renewable energies. By the end of 2020, CTG's total installed capacity had reached 140 GW, including already commissioned or under construction capacities and those owned on a minority-equity basis. More specifically, renewable clean energy accounts for 94.7% of the total mix. CTG's overseas investment and contracting business has expanded to over 40 countries and regions in Europe, America, Africa and Southeast Asia, with a total installed capacity over 17 GW. Overseas business has offered a major impetus for the sustainable growth of CTG. Cautionary Note This press release, from which no legal consequences may be drawn, is for information purposes only. The entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. TotalEnergies SE has no liability for their acts or omissions. The terms "Company" or "TotalEnergies company" refer collectively to the company TotalEnergies SE and the companies it controls directly or indirectly. Such terms are used solely for the sake of convenience for purposes of the present communication. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005457/en/ Contacts: TotalEnergies Contacts Media Relations: +33 1 47 44 46 99 l presse@totalenergies.com l @TotalEnergiesPR Investor Relations: +44 (0)207 719 7962 l ir@totalenergies.com VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2021 / Pampa Metals Corp. ("Pampa Metals" or the "Company") (CSE:PM)(FSE:FIRA)(OTCQX:PMMCF) is pleased to provide an update regarding its 6,600-hectare Redondo-Veronica Project in northern Chile, where the Company has received assay results from the seven-hole drill program focused on three separate target areas as previously reported (see news releases dated July 29; July 7; June 29; and June 16, 2021 for further technical information and updates). Summary & Highlights Seven, wide spaced, reverse circulation ("RC") drill holes totalling 1,956 metres ("m") were completed by Pampa Metals at the Company's Redondo-Veronica project in June and July 2021, with final assay results received in September 2021. Results point towards potentially deep porphyry copper mineralisation across two of the three target areas that were tested, at Cerro Redondo North and Redondo Southwest: Assay results from the upper portions of the Cerro Redondo North target include copper up to 0.16% Cu together with anomalous arsenic values indicative of the upper parts of a porphyry system. The Redondo Southwest target is characterised by multiple deep geophysical anomalies including a deep induced polarisation anomaly, with drilling only reaching the upper outer margins of the anomaly to date. Four, wide-spaced drill holes show hydrothermal alteration and mineralisation indicative of the outer margins of a deep porphyry copper system. Follow up deeper diamond drilling on these two targets is being evaluated and prioritised against other opportunities within Pampa Metal's exciting portfolio of projects. Results from the wide-spaced reverse circulation drill program together with geological, geochemical, and geophysical information, are consistently pointing to deep mineralisation at the Cerro Redondo North and Redondo Southwest targets, while Redondo Extreme North has been downgraded to second priority. Drill testing at Cerro Redondo Norte returned the best geochemical results, at relatively shallow levels, but deeper drilling is required to properly test the indicative source porphyry. A large, deep, 3D- Vector Induced Polarization (VIP) phase anomaly, coincident with a deep magnetic low and resistivity feature, suggests deep porphyry potential remains beneath the level of current drilling at Redondo Southwest. This is supported by the geological and geochemical results from the recent drilling, which appears to have cut the upper portions of a large, porphyry-related hydrothermal system. Pampa Metals is continuing the process of integrating all the data collected from the project. Further 3D modelling of the geophysical data, with integrated drill data, is considered essential as a next step. The first pass of RC drilling has been very successful in showing that the Redondo-Veronica project has the potential to host deep porphyry copper style mineralisation, which will require diamond drill follow-up due to the limitations that the less-expensive RC drilling technique has faced with depth. About Redondo-Veronica Redondo-Veronica is situated approximately 40 Km north-northeast of the giant La Escondida - Zaldivar copper mining district, which is the world's largest single copper mining district centred on a series of porphyry copper deposits, with annual production of well over 1 million tonnes of fine copper. The project is also located approximately 55 Km south-southwest of the Gaby Sur copper mine. Redondo-Veronica and the copper mines mentioned all occur within the general north-south trending mid-Tertiary porphyry copper belt of northern Chile, known as the Domeyko Belt, the world's single most productive copper belt. Work carried out by Pampa Metals at Redondo-Veronica includes reconnaissance-scale geological mapping and minor geochemical sampling, together with a state-of-the-art geophysical program consisting of drone-flown magnetics coverage and 3D Vector Induced Polarization (VIP) and Magneto-Telluric (MT) measurements. Porphyry type quartz veinlets and phyllic alteration outcrop at the Cerro Redondo North target area and several other porphyry-related hydrothermal alteration zones were identified within the property boundary by Pampa Metals, including Redondo Southwest centred some 3 Km to 4 Km southwest of Cerro Redondo Norte. Technical Details from Redondo-Veronica Drill Program Pampa Metals drilled seven, wide-spaced reverse circulation (RC) holes at its Redondo-Veronica project totaling 1,956m during June and July 2021. Two drill holes (RV-01 and 02) were drilled at Cerro Redondo North, while another four were drilled at Redondo Southwest (RV-03, 04, 05 and 07). One hole was drilled at Redondo Extreme North (RV-06). RV-05 at Redondo Southwest was inclined at 60 to the west, while all other holes were vertical. All the drill holes cut hydrothermally altered Paleozoic volcanic and intrusive rocks, but did not intersect mineralised inter-mineral porphyry bodies that are proposed to be the source of the porphyry-style hydrothermal alteration observed at surface and in drill holes. Brief summaries of the drill holes follow (also see accompanying maps): Cerro Redondo North RV-01 (320m) cut 12m of gravel cover, 68m of goethite-hematite leached capping, and pervasive phyllic alteration with tourmaline and fine and coarse pyrite disseminations in granitic rocks. The hole was stopped before reaching target depth due to drilling problems. Assay results show copper contents in the range of 100s ppm to a maximum of 0.16% between 100m and 330m depth, which correlate with anomalies in arsenic and halos with anomalous values in lead and zinc. The anomalous geochemistry occurs in the zone of pervasive quartz-sericite (phyllic) alteration associated with what is interpreted to be an epithermal, high sulfidation environment above a potential porphyry target. RV-02 (308m), located approximately 1.5 Km northeast of RV-01, directly entered felsic volcanic rocks with intermediate argillic alteration, weak sericite (phyllic) alteration, low pyrite content (from 116m), and partially preserved magnetite. A resistive geophysical target was considered adequately tested. Assay results reveal lower-tenor copper-arsenic anomalies than RV-01, with sporadic spikes in molybdenum-antimony-lead-zinc values, and the hole is interpreted to be peripheral to the potential target. Redondo Southwest RV-03 (276m) cut 30m of gravel cover and entered felsic volcanic rocks with intermediate argillic alteration, weak disseminated pyrite (from 120m), some evidence of quartz veinlets and well-preserved magnetite at the end of the hole (from 220m). The hole was interpreted as being peripheral to the target and drilling was stopped. Assay results confirm the peripheral location of the drill hole, with modest arsenic and antimony anomalies, and sporadic, low-grade copper and gold values. RV-04 (202m), located about 2 Km west-southwest of RV-03, directly entered a coarse-grained granitoid with weak phyllic alteration and wide-spaced "D"-type quartz veinlets, weak fine and coarse disseminated pyrite (from 58m), and weakly preserved magnetite. The hole failed to demonstrate consistent phyllic alteration at depth, and was stopped. Assay results confirm the peripheral location of the drill hole, with modest copper-gold-lead-zinc anomalies in the first 20m, and low-tenor arsenic-antimony anomalies along the length of the hole. RV-05 (378m), located about 1 Km northwest of RV-03, directly entered Paleozoic granitoids with intermediate argillic alteration, weak phyllic alteration with wide-spaced "D"-type quartz veinlets, minor, fine "A"-type quartz veinlets, low pyrite content (from 82m), and weakly preserved magnetite (from 138m). The last 50m (from 328m) of the hole cut a hydrothermal-magmatic tourmaline breccia. The hole was abandoned due to technical problems without reaching target depth. Assay results show anomalous arsenic-antimony values along the length of the hole, with a higher frequency of anomalous copper values from 300m, which show a certain correlation with anomalies in molybdenum, zinc, and gold. Values up to 117.5 ppm Mo in this borehole are considered indicators of a fertile porphyry system. RV-07 (198m), located 1 Km south of RV-03, cut 30m of gravel cover and entered a Paleozoic granitoid with intermediate argillic alteration, metasomatic magnetite in veins, and irregular disseminations of fine-and coarse pyrite. Some increase in pyrite was observed with depth. This hole was considered peripheral to the target, and drilling was stopped. Assay results show low-tenor anomalous values in copper, zinc and lead that increase with depth. Redondo Extreme North RV-06 (264m) directly entered volcanic rocks with predominant intermediate argillic alteration, weak phyllic alteration with wide-spaced "D"-type quartz veinlets and weak pyrite (from 170m). A Paleozoic granitoid predominates from 218m, affected by intermediate argillic with weak preserved magnetite and minor presence of pyrite. This distinct geological domain was instrumental in deciding to stop the drill hole. Modest copper-arsenic anomalies occur along the length of the drill hole, but are concentrated in the top 200m. Interpretation Drilling of two holes at Cerro Redondo North has confirmed the presence of relatively shallow copper mineralisation, particularly in RV-01. RV-02 appears to have been drilled on the northeastern periphery of the hydrothermal system. Hole RV-01 confirms the reason for the presence of a cluster of relatively shallow historic drill holes at this location, the results of which are unknown to Pampa Metals. The results in RV-01 also ratify that deeper drilling is required to cut any potentially mineralised porphyry body that is causing the hydrothermal alteration and mineralisation observed at shallower levels. Drilling of four holes at Redondo Southwest has confirmed a large hydrothermal alteration zone with porphyry characteristics, as recognised from earlier surface geological mapping. Drill hole RV-05 shows anomalous geochemistry with increasing base metals values with depth. Quartz veinlets and copper oxides occur at surface close to the location of the RV-05 collar. Drill holes RV-03, 04 and 07 all show anomalous geochemistry but appear to be more peripheral to the centre of the system. The hydrothermal alteration and anomalous geochemistry coincide with a consistent zone with loss of magnetic properties (magnetite destruction) below the 1500m elevation level according to the 3D magnetic inversion model (Figure 1), which extends for about 2 Km north-south and more than 2.5 Km east-west, and extends to depth. 3D inversion modelling of the 3D VIP survey along section 7.357.100 N is illustrative of a significant IP phase (chargeability) anomaly at depth beneath drill holes RV-05 and RV-03, with RV-05 being more central (Figures 2, 3, 4 & 5). This coincides with a resistivity anomaly as well as the large, low magnetic anomaly. Together, the geophysical anomalies and the hydrothermal alteration associated in parts with anomalous geochemistry including elevated copper intersections, represent, and provide vectors towards, a potential sulphide-rich centre at depth related to a deep porphyry copper system. Results are encouraging and drilling to date only penetrates the upper edges of the IP anomaly. This consequently represents a significant target that merits follow-up with deep diamond core drilling. Drilling of one hole at Redondo Extreme North, although confirming the continuation of hydrothermal alteration observed at surface to depth, does not show the consistent phyllic alteration required to encourage deeper drilling. This target has consequently been downgraded. QA/QC Pampa Metals employs rigorous sampling and analytical protocols to meet industry standards. 927 drill cutting samples from 2m sampling of the drill holes, together with 117 control samples comprising analytical standard samples, analytical blank samples, and duplicate samples, were prepared (PREP 31B) and analysed by Au-fire-assay (Au AA23) and 4-acid multielement packages (MEMS61) at ALS Patagonia S.A. QA/QC analysis of the results indicates good compliance for standards according to the deviations proposed by the manufacturer, and acceptable differences for duplicates. Qualified Person Technical information in this news release has been approved by Mario Orrego G, Geologist and a Registered Member of the Chilean Mining Commission and a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Orrego is a consultant to the Company. Note: The reader is cautioned that the Redondo-Veronica Project is an early-stage exploration property and reference to existing mines and deposits, or mineralization hosted on adjacent and nearby properties, is not necessarily indicative of any mineralization hosted on the Redondo-Veronica Project. COVID-19 The global outbreak of COVID-19 has led governments worldwide to enact emergency measures to combat the spread of the virus. Such measures may result in a period of business disruption including reduced operations, which could have a material adverse impact on the Company's results of operations, financial condition and the market and trading price of the Company's securities. As of the date of this news release, the duration and immediate and eventual impact of the COVID-19 pandemic remain unknown. It is not possible to reliably estimate the length and severity of these developments and the impact on the financial results and condition of the Company. The outbreak of COVID-19 has not caused significant disruptions to the Company's business to date, with field activities being conducted by Chile-based specialists and consultants, although international travel to Chile for management has not been possible to date. Important business communication is largely reliant on digital media. Notwithstanding progress to date, the COVID-19 outbreak may yet cause disruptions to the Company's business and operational plans. ABOUT PAMPA METALS Pampa Metals is a Canadian company listed on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE: PM) as well as the Frankfurt (FSE: FIRA) and OTC (OTCQB: PMMCF) exchanges. Pampa Metals owns a highly prospective 59,000-hectare portfolio of eight projects for copper and gold located along proven mineral belts in Chile, one of the world's top mining jurisdictions. The Company has a vision to create value for shareholders and all other stakeholders by making a major copper discovery along the prime mineral belts of Chile, using the best geological and technological methods. For more information, please visit Pampa Metals' website www.pampametals.com . ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD Julian Bavin | Chief Executive Officer INVESTOR CONTACT Ioannis (Yannis) Tsitos | Director investors@pampametals.com www.pampametals.com Neither the CSE nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events or developments that Pampa Metals expects 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", "indicate" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Pampa Metals believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guaranteeing of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Figure 1: Redondo-Veronica - Drone Magnetics - MVI @ 1,500m Elevation Showing Surface Locations of RC Drill Holes Figure 2: Redondo-Veronica - 3D Vector IP - Average Vector Phase Showing Surface Locations of RC Drill Holes Figure 3: Redondo-Veronica - 3D Vector IP - 3D Inverted Phase @ 750m Depth Showing Surface Locations of RC Drill Holes Figure 4: Redondo-Veronica - MT Resistivity @ 1,000m Depth Showing Surface Locations of RC Drill Holes Figure 5: Redondo-Veronica - Interpretive Section 7.357.100 with Drill Holes RV-03, RV-05 - 3D Inversion Model of VIP Survey - Showing MVI Magnetics, Geology, IP Phase (Chargeability) and IP Resistivity SOURCE: Pampa Metals Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665762/Pampa-Metals-Reports-Drilling-Results-from-its-Redondo-Veronica-Project-in-Chile-With-Indications-of-Deep-Porphyry-Systems DGAP-News: DEBx Medical B.V. / Key word(s): Conference DEBx Medical presents case studies on DEBRICHEM and discusses removal of biofilm 28.09.2021 / 10:00 The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. Press Release DEBx Medical presents case studies on their recently introduced wound debridement product and discusses removal of biofilm in current scientific congresses More than 80 % of hard-to-heal wounds are infected with biofilms, [1] irrespective of the wound's etiology, while biofilm removal is a necessary precondition for the onset of healing of chronic wounds irrespective of the wound's etiology, while biofilm removal is a necessary precondition for the onset of healing of chronic wounds The new debriding agent Debrichem may provide a new and effective treatment option, as supported by case studies presented by Prof. Gregory Schultz and Dr. Bert Quint Clinical experience from almost 3,000 cases of infected, chronic wounds shows a fast onset of healing after only one treatment with Debrichem DEBx Medical to participate in upcoming scientific conferences in Europe and the US Rotterdam, The Netherlands, September 28, 2021 - DEBx Medical, the Dutch medical technology company revolutionizing the management of chronic wounds, announced today that the Company has presented case studies on treatment of chronic wounds during scientific congresses in Portugal and Poland. The case studies documented the deployment of DEBx Medical's innovative treatment, Debrichem(R), that initiates healing of chronic wounds by removing the biofilm. At the conference of the Portuguese Society of Reconstructive Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery (Soceidade Portuguesa de Cirurgia Plastica Reconstrutiva e Estetica)[I], held from Sept 16-18th in Lisbon, Portugal, DEBx Medical's CEO Dr. Bert Quint gave a scientific talk on the Eradication of chronic wound infection within 60 seconds. From September 21-24, the Polish Wound Society hosted The 2nd online Wound Treatment Conference.[II] In a dedicated biofilm session moderated by Dr. hab. n. med. Beate Mrozikiewics-Raikowska, DEBx Medical contributed three talks, by Prof. Gregory Schultz (Biofilm Wounds: Key Regulators in wound Inflammation) together with Bert Quint, PhD (Novel Disruptive Method eliminating biofilm and infection in a single step of 60 seconds, strongly limiting surgical debridement). The experts agreed that health care professionals should no longer accept when wounds do not heal with a new treatment option at hand: "It is time to redefine wound healing with Debrichem. Once a wound becomes chronic and contains a biofilm, thorough debridement is the first step in the treatment plan. The biofilm and its embedded infection need to be completely removed to allow the healing process to start again," said Gregory Schultz, PhD, Professor Emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Florida, USA. "Debrichem is an effective novel agent and an alternative for surgical debridement, allowing for most wounds to start healing after only one treatment. Debridement with Debrichem is based on desiccation of the proteins and pathogens in the wound bed, which is a new and very promising solution to simplify the treatment of chronic wounds." All cases presented during the conferences demonstrated the onset of the healing process, emphasizing the effectiveness of Debrichem. The debriding agent has been shown to effectively remove the biofilm in vitro.[2] So far, there has been clinical experience of almost 3,000 wounds that have been treated with Debrichem. Most wounds started healing after only one treatment with Debrichem, irrespective of the size or condition of the wound, provided that there is restored perfusion present in and around the wound. Chronic wounds have a prevalence of up to 2 % in the general population.[3] The outcome depends on the wound etiology, with arterial ulcers and venous leg ulcers having especially low healing rates.[4] To no surprise, general quality of life is impaired in patients with chronic wounds.[5] Wounds are called chronic if they have not healed, at least in part, within 4 to 12 weeks.[5] In the physiological healing process, granulation is considered the first step.[6] Biofilm has been identified in 80 % of non-healing wounds, caused by different bacterial strains.[1] The presence of a bacterial biofilm makes antibiotics less effective.[1] The current gold standard treatment is surgical debridement to disrupt the biofilm, requires the sterile environment of an operational theater. Surgical debridement does not, however, reliably initiate healing of the wound and is often part of an extensive wound management program requiring patients to repeatedly come to the hospital. The economic burden of chronic wounds is substantial, exacerbated by amputations especially for diabetic foot ulcers of up to 34 % (pre-Covid-19 pandemic).[4] In the UK alone, chronic wounds generated costs of GBP 5.6 bn in 2018.[7] The total wound care costs in the UK increased annually by 8 to 9 % with chronic wounds accounting for the largest share.[7] Increasing evidence points to the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a serious delay in treatment of chronic wounds, leading to a 'pandemic within the pandemic'.[8] DEBx Medical plans to participate in upcoming scientific congresses EWMA (European Wound Management Association) virtual conference [III] October 26 - 27, 2021 October 26 - 27, 2021 SAWC Fall (Symposium on Advanced Wound Care) [IV] October 29 - 31, 2021, Las Vegas, USA October 29 - 31, 2021, Las Vegas, USA Wounds UK Annual Conference 2021 [V] November 8 - 10, 2021, Harrogate, UK November 8 - 10, 2021, Harrogate, UK XVI Congresso Nazionale AIUC [VI] November 17 - 20, 2021, Rome, Italy November 17 - 20, 2021, Rome, Italy Nurnberger Wundkongress[VII] December 2 - 3, Nuremberg, GER More details on talks, abstracts and attending company representatives can be obtained online and on LinkedIn. Please follow us, and we are looking forward to meeting you at the congresses. About DEBx Medical DEBx Medical B.V. is a Dutch medical technology company dedicated to revolutionizing the management of chronic wounds by enabling their healing, thereby improving the outcomes for millions of patients. DEBx Medical aims to support doctors and their patients from diagnosis through treatment, follow-up care and maintenance of a healthy wound bed. The Company focuses its pipeline on targeting pathogens that corrupt wound healing, aiming to deliver affordable and effective treatment approaches that can easily be applied and implemented in daily clinical practice. DEBx Medical is commercializing Debrichem(R) through a worldwide network of distributors, with the first market launches in Italy, Portugal and Poland. Contact: DEBx Medical B.V. Anne Marieke Ezendam, Strategic Communications ezendam@debx-medical.com Media Relations: MC Services AG Eva Bauer / Dr. Brigitte Keller phone: +49 89 210 228 80 debx-medical@mc-services.eu References [I]https://spcpre.pt [II] https://www.termedia.pl/Konferencja-II-Miedzynarodowa-Konferencja-Polskiego-Towarzystwa-Intro,1438,12784.html [III]https://ewma.org/ewma-conferences/conference-information [IV]https://www.sawcfall.com/ [V]https://live.wounds-uk.com/wounds-annual-2021/ [VI]http://www.aiuc.it/pagina/764/xvi+congresso+nazionale+aiuc [VI]https://www.wuko2021.de/ [1] Malone M et al., J Wound Care 2017;26(1):20-25. https://doi.org/10.12968/jowc.2017.26.1.20 [2] Schwarzer S et al., Int J Mol Sci 2021;22:9471. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22179471 [3] Martinengo L et al., Ann Epidemiol 2019;29:8-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2018.10.005 [4] McCosker L et al., Int Wound J 2019;16:84-95. https://doi.org/10.1111/iwj.12996 [5] Olsen M et al., Wound Repair Regen 2019;27(1):114-125. https://doi.org/10.1111/wrr.12683 [6]http://www.shieldhealthcare.com/community/popular/2015/12/18/how-wounds-heal-the-4-main-phases-of-wound-healing/ [7] Guest JF et al., BMJ Open 2020;10:e045253. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2020-045253 [8] Armstrong DG, AJMC Sep 21; https://www.ajmc.com/view/managing-the-surge-delayed-chronic-wound-care-during-covid-19 28.09.2021 Dissemination of a Corporate News, transmitted by DGAP - a service of EQS Group AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. The DGAP Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements, Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases. Archive at www.dgap.de PARIS (dpa-AFX) - French food company Danone SA (DANOY.PK) Tuesday announced that Bertrand Austruy, Chief Human Resources Officer and General Secretary, will step down from his roles at Danone. He plans to pursue different professional opportunities. The company appointed Laurent Sacchi to succeed Austruy as General Secretary with effect on October 1 and will join Danone Executive Committee. He will maintain his duties as Secretary to the Board of Directors. Chief Human Resources Officer succession will be announced in due course. Austruy will remain CHRO and an Executive Committee member until his successor is in place. Austruy has been with Danone for more than 20 years, of which the last 7 on the Executive Committee. 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. 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. At the IAAPA Expo Europe, the leading event for the leisure and amusement park industry, which will be held in Barcelona from 28 to 30 September 2021, MND is presenting its new rail sled, the first model of which has been in operation since this summer in the village resort of Bosco Gurin in Switzerland. Called "Fun Coaster", this new activity is based on monorail technology for a unique riding experience that guarantees maximum thrills. A new type of monorail sled combining design and comfort Developed to optimize sensations and comfort, the "Fun Coaster" integrates specially designed two-seater vehicles with a raised seat - a unique model - to guarantee a true downhill and speed experience. The aerodynamic design of the sleds takes into account the ergonomic constraints to guarantee comfort, from boarding to arrival, and safety thanks to the belts. Designed to adapt to all types of environments and destinations, each customer can customize the body of the sled according to his/her wishes thanks to the many options offered by MND LEISURE. Whether solo or in tandem, the sleds can reach speeds of up to 40 km/h and are controlled by the user "driver" with a manual brake. The safety? of the passengers is ensured by belts, bumpers, as well as an automatic braking system in case of release of the brake handles by the user. Each sled is equipped with a folding backrest allowing easier storage of the vehicles by the operator. A strategic 4-season attraction for the Bosco Gurin resort To support its 4-season development, the Bosco Gurin resort has chosen the French manufacturer MND, a specialist in the infrastructure of sensational leisure activities, to equip its destination with a new activity. "Today, diversification both in summer and winter is very important, which is why we chose the Fun Coaster developed by MND to give our customers more thrills and make our destination more attractive," said Giovanni FRAPOLLI, owner of the Bosco Gurin resort. Inaugurated this summer, the 900-meter long track with an average downhill slope of 14% was built on a ski slope whose natural terrain was suitable for the installation of the monorail, elevated in its design to be used in winter. Bosco Gurin's "Fun Coaster" aims to attract an average of 100,000 users per year for a ride lasting an average of 5 minutes per sled. It is accessible to the whole family since children from 3 years old (accompanied) can board. "We are proud to have successfully completed this first order of our "Fun Coaster" monorail sled. Design, comfort and safety were at the heart of its development, with the added commitment to deliver a Made in France product. Other resorts in France and Europe have already expressed their keen interest in this new product, which meets a current demand in the mountain tourism market. MND LEISURE is one of the leaders in the sensational leisure market for the mountains with giant zip lines, but also for the urban leisure market, as illustrated by our recent realization of adventure courses in the heart of the vertiginous Canton Tower in China," commented Xavier Gallot-Lavallee, CEO of MND. About MND MND is a French industrial group specialised in ropeway mobility, snowmaking systems, mountain safety and thrill-making leisure facilities. With over 3,000 customers in 49 countries, MND contributes every day through its four core businesses to mobility, leisure activities and the safety of all, while offering proven and lasting solutions based on its experience in mountain activities. Based in Savoie, MND is staffed by 300 employees and relies on seven international distribution subsidiaries and 28 distributors to develop its business activities around the world. MND is listed on the Euronext Growth market in Paris (FR0011584549 - ALMND). Contacts Press Relations Alexandre Berard +33 (0)6 45 42 95 46 - alex@alternativemedia.fr Financial Press Relations Serena Boni +33 (0)4 72 1804 92 - sboni@actus.fr Investor Relations Mathieu Omnes +33 (0)1 53 67 36 92 - momnes@actus.fr ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: nW9yZJZqk26anmtrk5hrmGFrmW1ox5PGZWPKmpRtl5/JmJqRm2xnmJ2YZnBil2Zm - 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-0-71210-mndnews_lancementluge_en_28092021.pdf LONDON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tesselate Africa, a subsidiary of Tesselate Group, and Finastra, the largest pure-play software vendor that serves the entire financial services industry, today announced their partnership. Tesselate Africa is now certified as a distributor of Finastra's Fusion Invest solution, bringing a comprehensive front-to-back experience for asset managers to Morocco. "With Finastra's global presence and proven technology, combined with Tesselate's local expertise, this move enables asset managers to access our agile, open and collaborative solution to streamline operations and boost transparency. Fusion Invest accelerates investment processes seamlessly with predictable deployment and world-class product support," said Younes Guemouri, Senior Vice President and Managing Director Fusion Invest, Finastra. In today's uncertain market conditions, asset management firms must balance the needs of their local clients with the requirements of international regulations, increasing pressures on fees and the adoption of new technologies. In Morocco, the focus has been on portfolio management and risk management solutions that can both streamline a controlled investment process and ensure transparency of risk and performance analysis. "Through this partnership and our Moroccan Centers of Excellence, Tesselate Africa aims to contribute to strengthening Morocco's position as a dynamic financial center in Africa and to consolidate its regional position as a financial hub," added Said Guida, Managing Partner of Tesselate Africa. "We are excited to work with Finastra to bring its proven technology to the region in support of our ambitions here." With Fusion Invest, asset managers can implement new portfolio strategies seamlessly, at speed and with greater efficiency. Robust models monitor portfolio and balance risk management throughout the investment decision process. Tesselate has more than a decade of experience in consulting and managing technology projects dedicated to the financial sector, with expertise in corporate banking, risk management, capital markets and asset management. It has deep experience in managing complex projects, helping financial institutions to meet organizational and operational changes to support business growth. For further information please contact: Caroline Duff Global Head of PR T +44 (0)7917 613586 Ecaroline.duff@finastra.com About Finastra Finastra is building an open platform that accelerates collaboration and innovation in financial services, creating better experiences for people, businesses and communities. Supported by the broadest and deepest portfolio of financial services software, Finastra delivers this vitally important technology to financial institutions of all sizes across the globe, including 90 of the world's top 100 banks. Our open architecture approach brings together a number of partners and innovators. Together we are leading the way in which applications are written, deployed and consumed in financial services to evolve with the changing needs of customers. Learn more at finastra.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/967510/Finastra_Logo.jpg Yesterday the 76th session of the UN General Assembly ended and while world leaders met in New York, children from most of the world held their own general assembly in Billund, Denmark. The children's message to world leaders was clear. Children should have more say in the challenges our planet is facing. According to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, now they will. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005516/en/ Photo of the submission of the children's manifesto. Photo: Emil Jakobsen Roughly 60% of the world's young people feel betrayed by world leaders. In recognition of children's lack of influence on the world's great challenges, 13-year-old Dicte . Christensen invited children from all over the world to hold their own general assembly in Billund. The Children's General Assembly in Billund took place at the same time as the UN General Assembly last week. More than 500 children from more than 40 nations met physically and digitally. From Billund, Capital of Children, the children presented their ideas for a better future to world leaders. In their manifesto, the children stress the grave global problems their generation will face in the future. "One billion children live in poverty and without access to basic necessities. 617 million children will never receive a proper education. Children make up two thirds of the world's refugees. One in seven children has mental health problems. And all children are affected by the consequences of climate change," explained 15-year-old Mankgara Maime from South Africa in her speech in Billund. The children's manifesto focuses on climate change, education for all and poverty, and calls for world leaders to spend more time and money on education than on defence. They also request more investment in green energy and technology than in economic growth. The manifesto was received by official representatives from Canada, South Africa, the Netherlands, France and Denmark. "As adults, we often think about how we teach children democratic values and processes. However, after listening to the children in Billund today, I think we can learn as much from them as they can from us," says Mogens Lykketoft, former Chairman of the UN General Assembly, who moderated the discussions with the children. Following the Children's Summit, the UN Secretary-General gave a speech to the UN General Assembly, in which he promised children and young people more say: "Some 60% of young people feel betrayed by their governments. Young people need a seat at the table. The contributions of young people will be central to these summits in the future." The children from the Children's Summit welcome the initiative of Antonio Guterres and look forward to tangible action on the part of world leaders. However, the children's work has only just begun. Not only have they requested more action on the part of politicians; they have also promised to follow up on the pledges they have been given. Consequently, next year's Children's General Assembly will set the stage for evaluating how far we have actually proceeded. That is the message from the Children's General Assembly in Billund. Watch the film of the children's manifesto as presented in Billund. Read more about the Children's General Assembly at https://capitalofchildren.com/da/bornenes-topmode/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005516/en/ Contacts: Charlotte Sahl-Madsen, CEO of CoC Playful Minds csm@cocplayfulminds.org +45 51 50 46 97 Invaluable, the world's leading online marketplace for fine art and collectibles auctions, positions itself for continued growth in 2021 and beyond with key hires. World leader Invaluable announces four new executives to the online marketplace and auction solution provider's leadership team. Stepping in as Chief Technology Officer is Caesar Naples, a CTO veteran with a demonstrated history of success building, managing, and growing high-performance software teams for companies both large and small. Most recently the CTO at Catalant Technologies, Naples has an impressive roster of brands under his belt, including Tripadvisor and GSN Games. Kevin Maloney takes charge as Senior Vice President of North American Sales. With 25 years of sales leadership experience across online media and marketplace leaders, including Tripadvisor, Reed Elsevier, and Ziff Davis, Maloney will spearhead major investments in sales and customer success at Invaluable. Tony Haenn joins the Invaluable team as Vice President of Product, Supply. This role was created as an investment in the solutions provided to auction house partners, a key area of focus for Invaluable to better service the needs of auction houses across the globe. Having spearheaded a massive product expansion of Lola.com's software in his prior role as VP of Product Management, Haenn brings vast experience building small businesses solutions as well as enterprise systems at Wayfair and Tripadvisor. Louis Danastorg becomes the new Director of Compliance and Legal Affairs, utilizing his law and business degrees to oversee fraud, compliance, and legal matters. With experience at major financial firms Citizens Bank and PwC, Danastorg brings additional focus to trust and safety for the Invaluable marketplace. "In the last twelve months, Invaluable expanded its reach to over 235,000 buyers and $900 million of online demand; and during their lifetimes, these buyers purchased more than $1.2 billion on the Invaluable marketplace," says CEO Adam Kirsch. "We are thrilled to welcome Caesar, Kevin, Tony, and Louis to our hard-working and talented team. Each will play a crucial role in accelerating the growth of our marketplace and auction house solutions." About Invaluable Headquartered in Boston, with offices in U.K., France and Australia, Invaluable is the world's leading online marketplace for estate, fine and decorative arts and collectibles auctions. Invaluable enables more than 4 million collectors around the globe to discover and acquire the objects they love, with confidence and convenience, from over 5,000 of the world's premier traditional auction houses. Invaluable solutions help auction houses manage and market their auctions online. For more than twenty years, its innovations have addressed the technology, marketing and research needs of some of the most successful brands in the global auction industry, including Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams, Artcurial and Tajan, to name a few of the thousands of auction houses served. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005082/en/ Contacts: Neal Glazier EVP Marketing, Invaluable NGlazier[at]invaluable.com Report from Motorola Solutions, conducted by Dr. Chris Brauer, Goldsmiths, University of London, identifies a new safety movement driving public safety and enterprise innovation Motorola Solutions (NYSE: MSI), in partnership with a leading academic, independent research team directed by Dr. Chris Brauer at Goldsmiths, University of London, has conducted an expansive global study that uncovers how expectations for safety and security are changing while fueling public safety and enterprise innovation. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005218/en/ A global research study from Motorola Solutions, conducted by Goldsmiths, University of London, found that COVID-19 has accelerated changes in public perspectives related to safety and the acceptance and adoption of new technologies. (Photo: Motorola Solutions) The Consensus for Changereport surveyed 12,000 citizens and interviewed 50 public safety agencies, commercial organizations and industry experts across 10 geographic markets (Australia, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, Nordics, Singapore, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom, United States). It analyzes how the global COVID-19 pandemic heightened awareness of the need for technology to enhance public safety while accelerating innovation and technology adoption for emergency services and enterprises around the world. "The pandemic fueled the need to use technologies in different ways to address new challenges within a rapidly evolving environment," said Mahesh Saptharishi, senior vice president and chief technology officer of Motorola Solutions. "We also saw an accelerated adoption and modernization of technologies with significantly compressed implementation timelines. This research profiles the extraordinary ways that public safety and enterprise organizations continue to adapt to changing policies and needs." The study finds that an overwhelming 88% of citizens globally want to see public safety transformed through the use of advanced technology. Other major findings include: 71% say more specifically that advanced technologies, such as video cameras, data analytics, cybersecurity and the cloud, are needed to address challenges of the modern world. say more specifically that advanced technologies, such as video cameras, data analytics, cybersecurity and the cloud, are needed to address challenges of the modern world. 70% say emergency services should be able to predict risk, a task that can be supported by advanced technologies. say emergency services should be able to predict risk, a task that can be supported by advanced technologies. 75% say that they are willing to trust the organizations that hold their information so long as they use it appropriately. The research identifies three major trends that demonstrate an inflection point in how citizens and organizations are thinking about technology and safety. The Pandemic Redefined Expectations For Safety Dr. Brauer said that conducting the study against the backdrop of the global pandemic uncovered unique insights into public expectations and attitudes for safety. "Citizens all over the world are coming to terms with what it means to live with COVID-19 and how it impacts their safety," Dr. Brauer said. "Our shared experience of the pandemic has made us realize that technology can play a far greater role in keeping us safe and has increased our understanding of why public safety and enterprise organizations need it to respond to new threats." The Pandemic Accelerated Technology Innovation Consensus for Change highlights how the pandemic sparked high-velocity innovation for public safety agencies and businesses, especially in the areas of cloud adoption, video security and interoperability between disparate organizations and systems, while reconfirming the need for reliable and resilient mission-critical communications. Technology Must be Used in Fair, Transparent and Inclusive Ways The Consensus for Changereport also reinforces the need for transparency and trust to increase public support for technology deployments. Citizens want the benefits of technology to be easily understood and for it to be used in ways that are transparent, fair and inclusive. The research also identifies that more public education is needed to increase understanding of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI). "As technology continues to quickly evolve, it is critical for organizations to ensure that their advancements are built, and understood, to be human-centric," Saptharishi said. "For example, artificial intelligence should be designed in a way that respects human decision making and considers the public's input and needs, while allowing users to make better informed decisions and respond to complex threats. By designing advanced technologies to be assistive, we ensure that the decision-making remains the sole responsibility of humans." The Consensus for Change report is an essential resource for public safety agencies and enterprises to understand and apply lessons from the pandemic. The pandemic has highlighted the need to look at things and respond differently from assessing risks and better predicting areas of operational disruption, to evaluating and integrating the right technologies to support business continuity. It has also reinforced the need for better communication and collaboration with communities and among stakeholders to secure support for the expanded use of advanced technologies. As communities across the globe continue to respond to wide-reaching threats to our safety, these insights emphasize the steps they can take today to assure greater safety for the future. To read the executive summary or the full report, visit www.motorolasolutions.com/consensusforchange. About Motorola Solutions Motorola Solutions is a global leader in public safety and enterprise security. Our solutions in land mobile radio mission-critical communications, video security access control and command center software, bolstered by managed support services, create the most integrated technology ecosystem to make communities safer and help businesses stay productive and secure. At Motorola Solutions, we're ushering in a new era in public safety and security. Learn more at www.motorolasolutions.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005218/en/ Contacts: Media Contacts Brittany Kelly Mobile: +1 (224)246-3914 Brittany.Kelly@motorolasolutions.com North America media inquiries Elvan Lindberg Mobile: +46 707 44 8893 Elvan.Lindberg@motorolasolutions.com International media inquiries SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global plant-based beverages market size is anticipated to reach USD 66.53 billion by 2028, registering a CAGR of 14.3% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Major manufacturers are introducing new plant-based beverages and other products to cater to the increasing consumer demand. For instance, in January 2020, The Hershey Company launched a new digital film in the Indian market for 'Sofit' to encourage consumers to live their passions and an active lifestyle. Moreover, the dairy industry is known to have an adverse impact on the environment, which is compelling more and more consumers to switch to non-dairy alternatives like vegan foods and beverages. Key Insights & Findings: The almond-based segment accounted for the largest volume share of over 30% in 2020 and is expected to expand at a steady CAGR over the forecast period Asia Pacific accounted for the largest revenue share in 2020 and is projected to expand further at a steady CAGR retaining the leading position from 2021 to 2028 As the product is gradually gaining popularity among all age groups, there are a number of opportunities, which manufacturers can harness to boost their market share Consumers are increasingly opting for organic foods & low- or no-sugar drinks. Moreover, during the pandemic, the demand for immunity-boosting beverages has increased significantly Hence, plant-based manufacturers have an edge over-carbonated beverage manufacturers as they can promote their drinks as a healthy alternative In addition, with an increasing number of shoppers visiting convenience stores, these stores and other similar smaller establishments are likely to focus on the consumer demand for fresh food products These consumer trends are anticipated to drive the overall market over the forecast period Read 166 page market research report, "Plant-based Beverages Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Type (Soy-based, Oats-based), By Product (Plain, Flavored), By Region (Europe, Asia Pacific), And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028", by Grand View Research According to the World Wildlife Fund, millions of farmers worldwide tend approximately 270 million dairy cows to produce milk. Dairy cows and their manure produce Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions, which contribute to climate change. Poor handling of manure and fertilizers can degrade local water resources and unsustainable dairy farming & feed production can lead to the loss of ecologically important areas, such as prairies, wetlands, and forests. On the other hand, the ever-growing population poses a serious threat to agriculture. Thus, in the future, the total area of agricultural land currently used globally will not be enough to provide a sufficient food supply for everyone in the world. This drawback is expected to restrict the market growth. Grand View Research has segmented the global plant-based beverages market on the basis of type, product, and region: Plant-based Beverages Type Outlook (Volume, Million Liters; Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028) Soy-based Coconut-based Almond-based Rice-based Oats-based Hemp-based Hazelnut-based Cashew-based Flax-based Plant-based Beverages Product Outlook (Volume, Million Liters; Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028) Plain Flavored Plant-based Beverages Regional Outlook (Volume, Million Liters; Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2028) North America U.S. Canada Mexico Europe Germany U.K. France Italy Russia Switzerland Spain Asia Pacific China India Thailand South Korea Taiwan Australia Japan Central & South America Brazil Argentina Middle East & Africa & South Africa UAE Saudi Arabia List of Key Players of Plant-based Beverages Market Danone S.A Pacific Foods of Oregon , LLC , LLC LBlue Diamond Growers, Inc. SunOpta The Hain Celestial Group, Inc. Freedom Foods Group Ltd. Califia Farms Harmless Harvest Koia Vitasoy International Holdings Ltd. Check out more studies on types of beverages, conducted by Grand View Research: Carbonated Beverages Market - The global carbonated beverages market size was valued at USD 406.89 billion in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1% from 2020 to 2027. Strong popularity of soda drinks among the generation X and generation Y age groups is expected to play a crucial role in expanding the market size. - The global carbonated beverages market size was valued at in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5.1% from 2020 to 2027. Strong popularity of soda drinks among the generation X and generation Y age groups is expected to play a crucial role in expanding the market size. Organic Tea Market - The global organic tea market size was valued at USD 334.6 million in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.2% from 2020 to 2027. The rising importance of flavonoid-based food and beverages, which have antioxidant properties, is expected to expand the market scope over the next few years. - The global organic tea market size was valued at in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.2% from 2020 to 2027. The rising importance of flavonoid-based food and beverages, which have antioxidant properties, is expected to expand the market scope over the next few years. Spirulina Beverages Market - The global spirulina beverages market size was valued at USD 15.5 million in 2019 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.6% from 2020 to 2027. Growing trend of veganism among the consumers for a healthy lifestyle is the key factor for market expansion. Browse through Grand View Research's coverage of the Global Consumer F&B Industry Gain access to Grand View Compass, our BI enabled intuitive market research database of 10,000+ reports About Grand View Research Grand View Research, U.S.-based market research and consulting company, provides syndicated as well as customized research reports and consulting services. Registered in California and headquartered in San Francisco, the company comprises over 425 analysts and consultants, adding more than 1200 market research reports to its vast database each year. These reports offer in-depth analysis on 46 industries across 25 major countries worldwide. With the help of an interactive market intelligence platform, Grand View Research helps Fortune 500 companies and renowned academic institutes understand the global and regional business environment and gauge the opportunities that lie ahead. Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc. Phone: 1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Web: https://www.grandviewresearch.com Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/661327/Grand_View_Research_Logo.jpg The pandemic outbreak in 2020 made FKI face a stern ordeal Created an online delivery with a reverse inspection Tainan, Taiwan--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2021) - Fong Kee International Machinery Co., Ltd., (hereinafter referred to as "FKI") the largest manufacturer of plastic extrusion equipment in Taiwan, received an order of US$5 million for the extrusion lamination machines from an American customer, but unfortunately, due to traffic interruptions caused by lockdowns, the customer side could not dispatch any technicians to come to Taiwan to do the pre-delivery inspection. To solve the problem, FKI mobilized all the personnel in the factory, and installed 30 video cameras around the whole set of 30-meter-long equipment. After synchronizing time difference, an online virtual delivery via videos began. FKI technicians demonstrated complicated operations from checking the specifications to feeding raw materials, and finally to running production. An unprecedented online delivery with a reverse inspection was successfully made. To facilitate such an online delivery, FKI provided this customer with a digital file which contained comprehensive assembling instructions, complete knowledge of the machines, as well as drawings, texts of the production process. The customer could assemble the whole equipment without resorting to any extra assistance. Having spent half a month communicating with each other, both sides were satisfied with the completed delivery in such a way. Applied high-end technologies to manufacturing processes FKI's CEO, Charles Wei, pointed out, "The sudden outbreak of the pandemic really caught us unprepared. From the beginning, we could only cope with the difficulties by using videos. The pandemic has brought us challenges, but also opportunities. Now we have used more advanced AR technologies to make our deliveries." Charles Wei found out that AR technologies could help save plenty of travel expenses, and most importantly, the delivery inspection conducted via AR has an effect as comparable as the physical inspection. Because of this understanding, FKI began applying high technologies in all aspects, such as high-end IT design, big data, smart technology systems, and reinforced Industry 4.0. All these will make maintenance easier at the customer side. To follow the global trends of environmental protection, FKI is now upgrading all facilities, for example replacing polluting oil hydraulic systems with all-electric equipment. There will be more environment friendly manufacturing processes to be used in the future to reduce Co2 emissions. While expecting to reach total pollution-free manufacturing processes, FKI is determined to take wider social responsibility. FKI was founded by Mr. C.C. Wei 60 years ago. The initial purposes were to focus on exports, especially to Southeast Asia countries such as Vietnam and the Philippines. Later, FKI was engaged in manufacturing plastic extrusion equipment of medium-high levels. Their product line includes all-electric extrusion blow molding machines and extrusion lamination machines of which the former accounts for more than 50% revenue. The extrusion blow molding machines are widely used for producing various containers with a capacity as small as 200cc shampoo bottles, and as large as 2,000-litertanks. At present, FKI's exports have accounted for 95% of its total revenue, covering five continents, over120 countries. Serves customers sincerely; satisfies customers' needs According to Charles Wei, because of the coronavirus pandemic, last year all industries were hit hard and were still suffering, while FKI had a remarkable growth. Thanks to those longtime customers, who continued to support FKI despite the impact of the pandemic. This has reflected customers' affirmation of FKI's excellent services and quality products. In the post-pandemic future, besides serving the customers on the pyramid tip, FKI is planning to expand their production lines, and develop medium-priced products in hopes that more customers in the world may have a chance to enjoy FKI's quality products at reasonable prices. "From my father's generation to my generation, Father has always said that the golden rule of running a business is trust and sincerity. It has always been in my mind that to treat every customer as our long-term cooperating partner," Charles Wei said. With accumulation of 60 years' high credibility, valuable export experience, and extensive R&D, plus customized products to serve customers sincerely, FKI has long obtained customers' confidence. Charles Wei added, "The key to manufacture high-quality equipment lies in its sturdiness and durability. An instant response to customers' needs will certainly make customers evaluate his investment positively. When our customers are to replace their equipment, we expect that their first image to appear in their mind is FKI's logo." Having experienced in this industry for 60 years, FKI continues to develop new technologies, and provide customers with products to their satisfaction, as well as excellent after-services. While working hard with their slogan in mind, "Quality goes first; R&D keeps abreast," FKI will certainly obtain more support from their customers. 400mpm PE/PP co-extrusion lamaintion machine for flexible packaging film To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7987/97871_2ca76429345059e2_001full.jpg Fong kee International Machinery Co., Ltd. based in Tainan ,Taiwan To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7987/97871_2ca76429345059e2_002full.jpg To know more about FKI, please watch the YouTube below: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noWMBpIw1sQ Media Contact Company Name: Fong Kee International Machinery Co, Ltd. Contact: Susan wei / Sales director Email: sales@fki.com Phone: +886-6-2532157 Website: www.fki.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97871 LUXEMBOURG (dpa-AFX) - ArcelorMittal (MT) said it has signed a letter of intent with the Governments of Belgium and Flanders to support decarbonisation technologies at its site in Gent. Under a 1.1 billion euros project, ArcelorMittal Belgium will reduce CO2 emissions by 3.9 million tonnes per year by 2030, by building a 2.5 million-tonne direct reduced iron plant and two electric furnaces at the Gent site. The direct reduced iron or DRI plant will operate alongside Gent's blast furnace B, which restarted production in March 2021. The company noted that a DRI plant uses natural gas, and potentially hydrogen, instead of coal to reduce iron ore, resulting in a large reduction in CO2 emissions compared with blast furnace ironmaking. After moving production from blast furnace A, to the DRI and electric furnaces, the blast furnace A will be closed as it reaches the end of its life. 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/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - German stocks fell notably on Tuesday, with a surge in government bond yields and weak industrial profits data from China denting sentiment. China's industrial profit growth decelerated to 10.1 percent in August from a year earlier, the slowest pace since last September as high commodity prices pushed up costs while constraints including virus outbreaks and a chip shortage curbed production, official data showed earlier today. That compared with a 16.4 percent increase in the previous month. Closer home, German consumer confidence is set to improve in October, survey results from the market research group GfK showed. The forward-looking consumer confidence index rose to +0.3 points from -1.1 in September. The score was forecast to fall further to -1.5. GfK said the consumer climate has reached its highest level in almost a year and a half. The benchmark DAX fell 138 points, or 0.9 percent, to 15,435 after rising 0.3 percent in the previous session. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2021 / Kingfisher Metals Corp. (TSXV:KFR)(FSE:970)(OTCQB:KGFMF) ("Kingfisher" or the "Company") is pleased to provide an update on regional exploration at the Goldrange Project. Goldrange is located approximately 25 km south of the town of Tatla Lake in Southwest British Columbia. Ridge and spur talus and soil sampling was completed over several regions within the 367 km2 Goldrange Project. Rock sampling and backpack drilling was completed within newly identified grassroots targets in addition to confirmation sampling at historical zones of mineralization. Highlights Rock sampling up to 89 g/t Au at the Lori Zone, up to 43 g/t Au at the Lost Fiddle Zone, and up to 38 g/t Au at the Lotus Zone Regional grassroots talus sampling up to 2.75 g/t Au and >100 g/t Ag Regional grassroots rock sampling up to 4.01 g/t Au, 463 g/t Ag, and >1% Sb Dustin Perry, CEO of Kingfisher states "Regional work at Goldrange continues to demonstrate the discovery potential across the Goldrange Project. Confirmation sampling at historical zones has increased the grade and size of these targets. Grassroots exploration has identified multiple new areas of anomalous precious metals." The Goldrange Project covers a significant deformation zone with numerous precious metal veins across the project. Mineralization at Goldrange occurs within the orogenic Yalakom Gold Belt, which is also host to the Bridge River District that includes the past producing Bralorne Mine. Several areas of historical hand mining are located within the project and date back to the 1930s. Regional Exploration Summary Regional exploration across the Goldrange Project has been focused on advancing several targets to the drill ready stage in addition to covering areas proximal to the Cloud Drifter Trend as well as the northern end of the project which was previously unexplored. A total of 214 rock samples were collected of which 55 are reported in this release. A total of 2,604 soil and talus fine samples were collected of which 649 are included within this release. Backpack drilling of shallow holes was completed at the Lori, Langara, Lost Fiddle, and Lotus Zones. Geological mapping was completed along ridge and spur traverses in addition to select targets. The areas of work included within this release are denoted on Figures 1 and 2, which include all sampling completed to date by Kingfisher in addition to samples digitized from historical work programs. Figure 1: Goldrange Regional Soil Samples Figure 2: Goldrange Regional Rock Samples Lori Zone The Lori Zone (Figure 3) is situated in the center of the Goldrange Project at the headwaters of Ottarasko Creek. Recent glacial melting has revealed several hundred meters of new bedrock exposure. The bulk of work carried out on this historical target was completed in the mid 1980s by Homestake Resources and resulted in a peak value of 20.36 g/t Au from quartz-arsenopyrite veins. Kingfisher collected 45 rock samples ranging from below detection limit to a maximum value of 88.35 g/t Au. Additionally, rock sampling returned highly anomalous grades for bismuth and tellurium with values up to 626 ppm Bi and 578.1 ppm Te. Geological mapping has revealed a similar setting to the Cloud Drifter Trend with sedimentary rocks intruded by a more competent intrusive. Veining occurs proximal to and within this intrusive. Additionally, mafic dykes occur near this contact and appear to have some effect on gold deposition. Ductile textures were identified in the field, placing the Lori Zone at a deeper depth than the Cloud Drifter Trend. Backpack drilling was completed over 3 shallow holes (0.1 m to 0.74 m) with results including: 10.9 g/t Au over 0.54 m, 3.14 g/t Au over 0.74 m, and 2.72 g/t Au over 0.1 m. Figure 3: Lori Zone Lotus Zone The Lotus Zone (Figure 4) is located at the southwestern end of the Goldrange Project. The showing was originally discovered in 1990 by a prospector. Historical sampling recorded a peak value of 22.76 g/t Au over 1 m. Mineralization is defined by a 1.5-3 m quartz-pyrite shear vein that can be traced for approximately 25 m before disappearing under cover in both directions. The vein occurs near a triple junction contact between volcanic, sedimentary, and intrusive rocks. Work by Kingfisher was designed to confirm historic grades as well as extend sampling along strike from the historical outcrop. Kingfisher took 16 rock samples of which 6 are included within this release and range from 0.14 g/t Au to a maximum value of 38.4 g/t Au. Additionally, backpack drilling was completed over several shallow holes (assays pending) and a soil survey (assays pending) was completed across the strike of the projection of this showing with the hopes of identifying extensions under cover. Figure 4: Lotus Zone Lost Fiddle Zone The Lost Fiddle Zone (Figure 5) has limited historically documented work and no historical assays. The zone is approximately 3 km northeast of the Cloud Drifter Trend. Kingfisher geologists prospected the area of the historical showing and outlined an area of blast trenching with quartz-sulfide breccias. Mineralization is defined by sulfide-cemented quartz breccias that contain primarily arsenopyrite in addition to chalcopyrite, sphalerite, and other unidentifiable dark grey sulfides. A total of 26 rock samples were taken of which 6 are included within this release. Gold values returned so far range from 1.1 g/t Au to 42.8 g/t Au. Rock sampling revealed a complex mineral system with highly anomalous grades for several other elements. Sampling returned values up to 1,097 g/t Ag, 4.5% Cu, 0.95% Pb, 1.56% Bi, and 0.32% Co. Backpack drilling was completed over several shallow holes (assays pending) in this area in addition to a tightly spaced soil survey (assays pending). Future work on this target should include an IP survey given the high sulfide content of mineralization. Figure 5: Lost Fiddle Zone Grassroots Exploration Prospecting and ridge and spur soil sampling were completed across the project area. Included within this release are portions of the northern end of the Goldrange Project in addition to areas immediately north of the Cloud Drifter Trend. The CD North Zone (Figure 6) revealed an area of hornfels sedimentary rocks and intrusives with anomalous ridge and spur talus fine sampling up to 0.23 g/t Au and rock sample values up to 0.37 g/t Au. Additionally, rock sampling returned anomalous antimony values up to 0.39% Sb. Although limited work was completed on this target in 2021, the initial signs are promising for the formation of auriferous veins. Figure 6: CD North Zone Ridge and spur soil and talus fine sampling was completed across much of the northern portion of the Goldrange Project (Figure 7). This area has not seen any historical exploration. Several areas of anomalous gold emerged from this survey with grades up to 2.75 g/t Au in talus fines and up to 4.07 g/t Au in rock sampling. Four ridgeline traverses revealed anomalous mineralization with two ridge lines appearing to highlight a northwest trend (Razorback Zone). Rock sampling at the Razorback Zone (Figure 8) revealed high-level textures with anomalous silver (up to 463 g/t Ag) and antimony (up to >1% Sb) indicating an epizonal nature to the mineralization. Several areas of arsenic anomalism were identified in the field with a portable XRF* device (Figure 7). These areas were followed up with detailed geochemical surveys for which results are pending. Given the lack of historical exploration in this area and the limited time spent generating these targets in 2021, Kingfisher is very excited with these initial results. The remainder of the results from the 2021 regional exploration program at the Goldrange Project will be released as they become available. Figure 7: Goldrange North Regional Sampling Figure 8: Razorback Zone Qualified Person Dustin Perry, P.Geo., Kingfisher's CEO, is the Company's Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, and has prepared the technical information presented in this release. About Kingfisher Metals Corp. Kingfisher Metals Corp. (https://kingfishermetals.com/) is a Canadian based exploration company focused on underexplored district-scale projects in British Columbia. Kingfisher has three 100% owned district-scale projects that offer potential exposure to high-grade gold, copper, silver, and zinc. The Company currently has 80,633,300 shares outstanding. For further information, please contact: Dustin Perry, P.Geo. CEO and Director Phone: +1 236 358 0054 E-Mail: info@kingfishermetals.com Neither the TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements or information. Forward-looking statements or information in this news release relate to, among other things: formulation of plans for drill testing; and the success related to any future exploration or development programs. 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; success of the Company's projects; prices for gold remaining as estimated; currency exchange rates remaining as estimated; availability of funds for the Company's projects; capital, decommissioning and reclamation estimates; prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); no labour- related disruptions; no unplanned delays or interruptions in scheduled construction and production; all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals are received in a timely manner; and the ability to comply with environmental, health and safety laws. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive. The Company cautions the reader that forward-looking statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release and the Company has made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic; fluctuations in gold prices; fluctuations in prices for energy inputs, labour, materials, supplies and services (including transportation); fluctuations in currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar); operational risks and hazards inherent with the business of mineral exploration; inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance, to cover these risks and hazards; our ability to obtain all necessary permits, licenses and regulatory approvals in a timely manner; changes in laws, regulations and government practices, including environmental, export and import laws and regulations; legal restrictions relating to mineral exploration; increased competition in the mining industry for equipment and qualified personnel; the availability of additional capital; title matters and the additional risks identified in our filings with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR in Canada (available at www.sedar.com). 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. Investors are cautioned against undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. *Readers are cautioned that portable XRF (X-Ray Fluorescence) spot analyses are not equivalent to laboratory assays; they simply give an indication of the presence of certain metal elements in the drill core. Spot analyses referenced here were collected using an Olympus Vanta XRF Analyzer, which cannot reliably detect Gold, but does detect the geochemical pathfinder elements such as Arsenic, Bismuth, Copper, Antimony, Molybdenum, Lead, and Zinc that are commonly associated with Gold. Assay results are pending. SOURCE: Kingfisher Metals Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665797/Kingfisher-Provides-Update-on-Regional-Exploration-at-the-Goldrange-Project BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - French stocks fell sharply on Tuesday as a climb in Treasury yields, rising oil prices and weak industrial profits data from China stoked worries about the economic recovery. Closer home, French consumer confidence improved to a three-month high in September, survey results from the statistical office Insee showed earlier in the day. The consumer sentiment index rose more-than-expected to 102 in September from 99 in August. The reading was forecast to rise to 100. The latest score was the highest since May. The benchmark CAC 40 tumbled 82 points, or 1.2 percent, to 6,568 after closing 0.2 percent higher the previous day. Sanofi rose more than 1 percent. The drug major announced positive interim results from a Phase 1/2 study of its mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate. Food company Danone SA dropped half a percent after announcing that Bertrand Austruy, Chief Human Resources Officer and General Secretary, will step down from his roles at Danone. 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. The strategic alliance will meet the expected high demand for streamlined, customized and risk-free SAP S/4HANA migrations across the EMEA and LATAM market. HACKENSACK, New Jersey, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Panaya, the pioneer in the Change Intelligence and Test Management for packaged applications, today announced signing a strategic agreement with Inetum, European leader in digital services and solutions. The collaboration will provide Inetum's customers with streamlined, risk-free, and tailored migration to the latest version of the SAP ERP, S/4HANA. The agreement is particularly well timed, as the demand for S/4HANA migrations is expected to rise rapidly with the vendor's impending end-of-support for previous solutions of the enterprise resource planning software. Inetum, with its extensive experience managing such projects, will leverage Panaya's unique SaaS-based Change Intelligence technology to save their customers time and resources, while reducing business continuity risks. Panaya's Change Intelligence platform, including extensive automation and granular analysis, will be integral to Inetum's SAP S/4HANA conversion strategy. Therefore, Panaya's rich solutions portfolio will become one of the key pieces in the Inetum's conversion to SAP S/4HANA strategy, together with its own GO2S4 package, certified by SAP, and the 'Inetum makes your SAP systems run' initiative, which includes the 'Move to SAP S/4HANA', outsourcing operations and infrastructure management services both in on-prem and in any cloud flavor. "We decided to go with Panaya after having tested their tools for SAP S/4HANA migration across the entire process cycle for a range of projects," explained David Bayon, SAP Strategic Business Development Director at Inetum in Spain. "We achieved very good results across the board, both in terms of efficiency and customer satisfaction." The latest collaboration between Panaya and Inetum is not their first. The companies have been working together since June 2019 to minimize risk and the use of resources in pre-deployment functionality testing with the test platform, Test Dynamix. The developing relationship has expanded Panaya's European footprint, as well, with access to Inetum's customer base and extensive commercial network. Pablo Iglesias, Director Sales of Panaya Spain, called the alliance "a perfect fit," saying, "Inetum is an innovative distributor, providing great added value, deep knowledge and extensive experience in SAP solutions." Inetum, which has been a SAP Gold Partner for more than 25 years, is "committed to the collaboration," according to Ignacio Artiaga, Director of the SAP Business Line for Spain and LATAM at Inetum, "because it improves our value offer and is an important step in being prepared to accompany all our clients in their digitization processes, guaranteeing they are able to successfully make the transition to SAP S/4HANA within established deadlines." Shabi Levi, Director of Channels and Alliances at Panaya, commented, "We are delighted to partner with Inetum to provide secure and reliable SAP S/4HANA migration. The S/4Convert solution makes it possible to design migration projects tailored to each customer's needs and at a speed previously unattainable, while drastically minimizing go-Live risks." About Panaya Panaya enables organizations to accelerate application change and continuously deliver innovation with its Change Intelligence Platform. Panaya, a SAP certified partner, provides cloud-based application delivery and testing solutions that ensure collaboration between Business and IT. Enabling enterprise agility with faster release velocity and uncompromising quality, Panaya delivers an optimized user experience with end-to-end visibility of the application lifecycle. Since 2008, 3,000 companies in 62 countries, including a third of the Fortune 500, have been using Panaya to deliver quick quality change to enterprise ERP and CRM applications. For more information, contact Panaya at marketing@panaya.com or visit www.panaya.com. For media inquiries, contact Dana Averbouch, daverbouch@panaya.com. LinkedIn | Twitter@Panaya | YouTube | Facebook About Inetum, Positive Digital Flow Inetum is an agile IT services company that provides digital services and solutions, and a global group that helps companies and institutions to get the most out of digital flow. In a context of perpetual movement, where needs and usages are constantly being reinvented, the Inetum group is committed to all these players to innovate, continue to adapt, and stay ahead. With its multi-expert profile, Inetum offers its clients a unique combination of proximity, a breakdown by sector, and state of the art solutions. Operating in more than 26 countries, the Group has nearly 27,000 employees and in 2020 generated revenues of 1.966 billion. For more information visit www.inetum.com. For media inquiries, contact Inetum Press Relations at press@inetum.world / comunicacion-es@inetum.world or contact Sol Gozalo at Tel + 34 699 872 886. Facebook / Twitter / LinkedIn / YouTube / Instagram Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1636386/panaya_Logo.jpg Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1636387/Inetum_Logo.jpg MEXICO CITY, MEXICO / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2021 / For over a decade now, Bitcoin has fascinated both regular people and investors pursuing the next big thing on the market. Yet, despite commanding headlines, the original cryptocurrency and all the digital coins inspired by it have remained in somewhat of a gray zone, barely scratching the surface of their perceived potential. "While individual investors have helped sustain interest in Bitcoin, the cryptocurrency market has slim chances of becoming a staple of investment portfolios without the support of institutional investors," comments leading forex broker Pablo Soria de Lachica."For most of the past decade, most of these investors have been sitting on the sidelines, reluctant to put money into an extremely volatile and barely regulated market. However, they appear to have started changing their position and getting more involved with Bitcoin, which is having a positive impact on the value of the cryptocurrency." In a paradoxical development, acceptance of digital assets is growing alongside increased action from regulators. Pablo Soria de Lachica says, "Bitcoin began as a rebellion against the traditional system, its self-proclaimed mission being to decentralize and democratize finance. While many dismiss the cryptocurrency as a fad and a speculative asset, there is also a rising number of market players who see it as a viable alternative to traditional money and pin great hopes on the underlying technology, blockchain. Regulation may be perceived as the enemy of cryptocurrencies, but it is the very thing that instills confidence in the market and can, therefore, spur into action all the investors currently sitting on the fence." The stock market plunge caused by the pandemic led to a surge in Bitcoin buying, pushing the price of the cryptocurrency beyond $63,000 in April 2021 to mark a new record high. However, much of the gains were lost quickly, and it took an announcement from Tesla to give Bitcoin's value a fresh boost. The US-based electric cars maker disclosed in February a $1.5 billion investment in the cryptocurrency, which played a substantial role in the subsequent price boom. It was also Tesla that triggered a significant value decline in May, when the company said it would stop accepting payments in Bitcoin. Then Elon Musk, the co-founder and CEO of Tesla, provided another solid boost to the price after his company reconsidered and reintroduced Bitcoin payments. "The Tesla example illustrates that whether proponents of the Bitcoin idea like it or not, the cryptocurrency is as affected by the actions of institutional players as any other asset class," Pablo Soria de Lachica notes. "Whenever the market learns of an investment or another supportive move by a large company, especially a prominent financial services group, the price of Bitcoin starts going up and vice versa. The most noteworthy recent developments are the stock market listing of Coinbase, the largest US cryptocurrency exchange, and the new tax provisions included in the $1 trillion infrastructure plan of the current US administration. Targeting digital assets, the proposed legislation is expected to raise $28 billion over the next decade to support various infrastructure investments." The Coinbase listing in April was viewed as a landmark event for the cryptocurrency market, one that is widely expected to lend greater legitimacy to digital assets and attract a large number of new investors. The tax provisions, on the other hand, initially spooked the market since they significantly increase the burden of reporting on virtually all parties involved in the transfer of digital assets, Pablo Soria de Lachica explains. However, these proposed new requirements seem to be sitting well with institutional investors, who apparently welcome the prospect of far greater regulatory certainty and enforcement. According to an analysis by Glassnode, large-value transactions by institutional investors rose 10% in the first week of August, pushing up the price of Bitcoin over this period by almost 20%. Pablo Soria de Lachica specialized in international trading after obtaining an MBA from the Universidad Tecnologico de Mexico (UNITEC), going on to become one of the most prominent forex experts in the world. In addition to helping his clients maximize their investment returns, he also develops and publishes a large volume of educational content, sharing his experience and insights through webinars, newsletters, and blog posts. At present, Pablo Soria de Lachica is working in partnership with Kartoshka, a company advancing the latest technological applications in sales, telemarketing, and customer support. Pablo Soria de Lachica - Foreign Exchange Specialist: http://PabloSoriaDeLachicaNews.com Pablo Soria de Lachica Comments on the Possibility of a New Financial Crisis due to Oil Collapse: https://news.yahoo.com/pablo-soria-lachica-comments-possibility-200000177.html Contact Information: Pablo Soria de Lachica Kartoshka http://kartoshka.global Pablo@kartoshka.global (800) 588-3618 SOURCE: Pablo Soria de Lachica View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665862/Pablo-Soria-de-Lachica-on-Bitcoins-Price-Response-to-the-Growing-Involvement-of-Large-and-Institutional-Investors Mango Wellness Co., Ltd. and My Cardia Thailand Co., Ltd. to begin new remote cardiac monitoring service through pharmacies and clinics in the greater Bangkok market. ESCONDIDO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2021 / CB Scientific. Inc. (OTC PINK:CBSC) ("CBSC" or the "Company"), a provider of remote ECG cardiac monitoring products and services (my-Cam monitor and my-Cardia cloud-based software portal), both domestically and internationally, today announces the official launch of the "Heart Wellness Check-Up" program in Bangkok, Thailand through their authorized distributor Mango Wellness and My Cardia Thailand. This new B2C remote program is being offered to consumers in partnership with 26 participating pharmacies and medical clinics in the greater Bangkok area. Using CBSC's proprietary my-Cam remote cardiac event monitor and its unique features will help customers deal with heart-related issues and their well-being while dealing with Covid 19 and the quarantine requirements in Thailand. The "Heart Wellness Check-Up" program offers a hassle-free 10-day monitoring period that is delivered directly to the consumers' home, remotely, without the need to make multiple trips to hospitals or clinics for evaluation or screening. ECG heart rhythm episodes can be transmitted directly to the My Cardia propriety cloud-based software portal, anywhere, and at any time using the My Cardia smartphone app on the customer's iOS or Android phone or tablet through a cellular or Wi-Fi connection. Several Tier 1 private and public hospitals have teamed up with Mango Wellness and My Cardia Thailand on this new direct-to-consumer wellness program. They include Banpakok9, Ramkhamhaeng, Petcharavej, Vibhavadi, and Phyathai Nawamin, all major hospital centers in the greater Bangkok district. In addition, the Central Chest Institute of Thailand, a Tier 1 Government hospital, participates in the program. Cardiologists from these facilities will review and interpret any significant irregular ECG heart rhythm event and consult directly with Mango Wellness and My Cardia Thailand customers, offering them a choice of either a direct appointment at the hospitals or one through a telemedicine video call option. Mango Wellness has already started an aggressive digital marketing campaign to promote awareness and the benefits of the "Heart Wellness Check-Up" program. Charles Martin, CBSC CEO, stated, "the current pandemic and quarantine has forced our distributors to create a new path for patients to engage their physicians and hospitals in dealing with cardiac issues while they stay at home. The program offered by Mango Wellness and My Cardia Thailand now places CBSC's remote cardiac event monitor services into the direct-to-consumer market in Bangkok, Thailand. This alternative approach, together with the upcoming re-start of Mango Wellness and My Cardia Thailand's B2B hospital model after the lockdowns from the current pandemic have ended, will go a long way towards helping this distributor establish a solid foundation in both the Remote Cardiac Monitoring and Direct-to-Consumer markets in Thailand. CBSC also looks forward to the upcoming launch of cardiac service models in Malaysia, Singapore, and hopefully toward regulatory certification approval in mainland China." CB Scientific Inc. - Company Contact Information: 340 State Place Escondido, CA 92029 Telephone Number: (888) 225-0870 Emails: General Inquiries: info@cbscientificinc.com Investor Inquiries: Robert Hesse - dorchco.bh@gmail.com Company Website and Social Media Outlets: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Newsletter Mango Wellness Co., Ltd. / MyCardia Thailand Co., Ltd. Company Contact Information: Mango Wellness Co., Ltd. MyCardia Thailand Co., Ltd. 190 Sutthisan Road, Intersection 1, Suite A2 Ratchadaphisek, Dindaeng Bangkok, Thailand 10400 Telephone number: +66 (0) 21015576 - Mango Wellness +66 (0) 971566481 - MyCardia Thailand Emails: General Inquiries: info@mangowellnessthailand.com General Inquiries: info@mycardiathailand.com Company Website and Social Media Outlets: Mango Wellness Thailand, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube MyCardia Thailand, Facebook, and YouTube This information disclosure may contain forward-looking statements covered within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, plans and timing for the introduction or enhancement of our services and products, statements about future market conditions, supply and demand conditions, and other expectations, intentions, and plans contained in this press release that are not historical fact and involve risks and uncertainties. Our expectations regarding future revenues depend upon our ability to develop and supply products and services that we may not produce today and that meet defined specifications. When used in this press release, the words "plan," "expect," "believe," and similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current expectations. They are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, changes in technology and changes in pervasive markets. This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 27E of the Securities Act of 1934. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Actual performance and results may differ materially from that projected or suggested herein due to certain risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, the ability to obtain financing and regulatory and shareholder approval for anticipated actions. SOURCE: CB Scientific, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665822/CB-Scientific-Inc-CBSC-Announces-the-Launch-of-Direct-to-Consumer-Heart-Wellness-Check-Up-Program-in-Bangkok-Thailand Tridion's translation capabilities and architectural framework cited as key differentiators, according to global market intelligence firm RWS, the world's leading provider of technology-enabled language, content management and intellectual property services, announces that it has been named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Content Management Systems for Authenticated Digital Workspaces 2021 Vendor Assessment. The analyst firm's latest report evaluates content management platforms and their ability to support next-generation digital workplace environments. Vendors are evaluated against their strategy and capabilities, and placed within a Participants, Contenders, Major Players or Leaders Category. "An effective global workforce depends on the ability to collaborate, communicate and access company information in their own language and the ability to securely share it externally," explains Thomas Labarthe, President of RWS's Language Services and Technology division. "That's where our intelligent content platform Tridion stands out. Our technology handles the most complex content environments and the IDC MarketScape's recognition is testament to our continued investment and innovation." The IDC MarketScape recognizes Tridion's BluePrinting and Baselining technology and its ability to help multinational organizations "handle complex multilingual, multi region, multi brand, multi-channel projects." Tridion, connects people, processes, and information through the most complete portfolio of collaborative content management, knowledge management and headless delivery technologies. Companies can securely streamline communication to employees, prospects, customers, partners, influencers, investors, and other stakeholders globally. Click here to download the IDC MarketScape: Content Management Systems for Authenticated Digital Workspaces 2021 Vendor Assessment (doc US47412921, September 2021). Notes to editors: According to IDC, companies should "consider Tridion when they are a multi-national organization that has complex content structures that would benefit from a componentized architecture and automated machine translation capabilities to dynamically assemble authenticated and personalized digital experiences." Tridion's strengths highlighted in the report include: Localization and translation: Tridion benefits from RWS's own machine translation technology to automate localization of content and imagery based on language selection. Tridion's atomic design of content creation and management is well suited for real-time translation and dynamic delivery. Authoring environment: Content authors can use the site building wizard with a headless design extension to provide a consistent single view of the customer and employee content. Tridion provides a knowledge graph for content visualization, user interface for conversational internet-of-things content (e.g. Alexa simulator) and insight to content voice and tone. Architecture framework: Tridion offers rigorous content modeling, content component inheritance and reuse across any combination of sites, regions, brands and channels. For customers, employees and partners that work in China, Tridion provides a publishing process that helps reduce latency for the user experience. - Ends - About RWS RWS Holdings plc is the world's leading provider of technology-enabled language, content management and intellectual property services. We help our customers to connect with and bring new ideas to people globally by communicating business critical content at scale and enabling the protection and realization of their innovations. Our vision is to help organizations interact effectively with people anywhere in the world by solving their language, content and market access challenges through our collective global intelligence, deep expertise and smart technology. Customers include 90 of the globe's top 100 brands, the top 10 pharmaceutical companies and approximately half of the top 20 patent filers worldwide. Our client base spans Europe, Asia Pacific, and North and South America across the technology, pharmaceutical, medical, legal, chemical, automotive, government and telecommunications sectors, which we serve from offices across five continents. Founded in 1958, RWS is headquartered in the UK and publicly listed on AIM, the London Stock Exchange regulated market (RWS.L). For further information, please visit: www.rws.com About IDC MarketScape IDC MarketScape vendor assessment model is designed to provide an overview of the competitive fitness of ICT (information and communications technology) suppliers in a given market. The research methodology utilizes a rigorous scoring methodology based on both qualitative and quantitative criteria that results in a single graphical illustration of each vendor's position within a given market. IDC MarketScape provides a clear framework in which the product and service offerings, capabilities and strategies, and current and future market success factors of IT and telecommunications vendors can be meaningfully compared. The framework also provides technology buyers with a 360-degree assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of current and prospective vendors. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005563/en/ Contacts: RWS Denis Davies Corporate Communications ddavies@rws.com +44 1628 410105 NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The global graphene market revenue is predicted to witness a 30.2% CAGR between 2020 and 2030, to reach $1,188.8 million by 2030 from $84.7 million in 2020. The demand for this form of carbon is booming due to: Rising Consumption in Electrical & Electronics Sector: The high strength and good electrical conductivity of graphene make it ideal for printed circuits, transistors, and microchips. Further, graphene is used in flexible electronics as it allows such devices to be folded and rolled. Hence, with the growing electrical & electronics industry owing to people's rising purchasing power, the consumption of graphene will boom. New Applications in Medical Sector: The growing medical sector is another key reason for the advance of the graphene market as many new healthcare-related applications for this material have been developed in recent years. Due to its high strength and low thickness, graphene is increasingly being used to manufacture bioelectric sensors, such as those that monitor the hemoglobin, cholesterol, and glucose levels. Other emerging applications of this material in the medical sector include dental implants, prostheses, therapeutic tools, and even oncology. The COVID-19 pandemic has somewhat boosted the graphene market because of the usage of this material in the coating of facemasks, the sales of which skyrocketed last year and still continue to be high. Further, graphene nanomaterials are being experimented upon for usage in combination with medications, nano-adjuvants, vaccine carriers, and other molecules, to improve the biocompatibility of such materials. Hence, with the rising production of vaccines during the pandemic, the demand for graphene has surged. Get the sample pages of this report at: https://www.psmarketresearch.com/market-analysis/graphene-market/report-sample The fastest growth in the graphene market, based on form, will be seen in the powder category in the coming years. Powdered graphene is widely consumed during the production of storage batteries and sensors and in printing technologies. Further, the material is easier to handle as a powder than as flakes or dispersion, which makes this form popular. The electrical & electronics category dominated the application segment of the graphene market in the past. On account of its high mechanical strength and appreciable electrical conductivity, graphene is being used for flexible displays, touchscreen coatings, precise sensors, and many other products. Browse detailed report on Global Graphene Market Size and Growth Forecast Report 2030 Asia-Pacific (APAC) is the largest graphene market presently, and it will also witness the highest CAGR in the coming years. China accounts for a high-volume consumption of this carbon form, especially in its electrical & electronics, energy, and medical sectors. Further, graphene is finding application in the main body frames of lightweight aircraft and automobiles, majorly in China and India. The most-significant global graphene market players are The Sixth Element (Changzhou) Materials Technology Co. Ltd., Deyangene Carbon Technology Co. Ltd., Angstron Materials Inc., Ningbo Moxi Technology Co. Ltd., XG Sciences Inc., Xiamen Knano Graphene Technology Co. Ltd., Applied Graphene Materials plc, Graphenea S.A., 2-DTech Graphene, ACS Material LLC, Thomas Swan & Co. Ltd., NanoXplore Inc., and Vorbeck Materials. Browse Other Reports Self-Healing Materials Market Report - The self-healing materials market is advancing on account of the increasing demand for such products in the consumer electronics and automotive industries and rising number of technical advancements in them. As a result, the market value is expected to boom massively during 2021-2030 (forecast period), from $1.1 billion in 2020. Chlorobenzene Market Report - Geographically, Asia-Pacific accounted for the largest share in the chlorobenzene market during the historical period (2015-2020), and it is expected to retain its dominance throughout the forecast period. Methanol Market Report - Globally, the Asia-Pacific (APAC) methanol market is expected to generate the highest revenue during the forecast period, primarily on account of the escalating demand for petrochemicals in the region. The petrochemical industry uses methanol in the production of acetic acid, formaldehyde, and DME. About P&S Intelligence P&S Intelligence is a provider of market research and consulting services catering to the market information needs of burgeoning industries across the world. Providing the plinth of market intelligence, P&S as an enterprising research and consulting company, believes in providing thorough landscape analyses on the ever-changing market scenario, to empower companies to make informed decisions and base their business strategies with astuteness. Contact: Prajneesh Kumar P&S Intelligence Phone: +1-347-960-6455 Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.psmarketresearch.com Follow Us: LinkedIn Twitter Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1224988/P_and_S_Intelligence_Logo.jpg BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks hovered near one-week lows on Tuesday, as a climb in Treasury yields, surging oil prices and weak industrial profits data from China stoked worries about the economic recovery. Goldman Sachs has cut its forecasts for China's economic growth in 2021 as constraints on energy consumption added to headwinds facing the world's second-largest economy. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was down 1.1 percent at 457.33, extending losses for a third session on concerns over the impact from the debt crisis at China Evergrande Group and Federal Reserve tapering. A surge in government bond yields knocked high-growth technology shares. ASML Holding slumped 5 percent, Logitech plunged 7 percent and ASM International tumbled 4 percent. Swedish real estate company Castellum AB declined 2.2 percent on news it is selling 16 properties to Oscar Properties for sale price of around 1.7 billion Swedish kronor. Finnish national flag carrier Finnair lost 2.2 percent after announcing it has finalized a sale and leaseback arrangement for four of its Airbus A350 aircraft. TotalEnergies rose over 1 percent, BP Plc rallied 2.1 percent and Royal Dutch Shell jumped 2.8 percent as oil prices climbed for the sixth day running on supply concerns. Utility National Grid dropped 1.3 percent after it filed a three-year rate proposal for its upstate New York electric and natural gas distribution business. Merchant banking group Close Brothers declined 1.7 percent despite reporting a rise in fiscal 2021 net profit. Sanofi rose about 1 percent in Paris. The drug major announced positive interim results from a Phase 1/2 study of its mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate. In economic releases, Germany's forward-looking consumer confidence index rose to +0.3 points from -1.1 in September, survey results from the market research group GfK showed. The score was forecast to fall further to -1.5. GfK said the consumer climate has reached its highest level in almost a year and a half. French consumer sentiment index rose more-than-expected to 102 in September from 99 in August, survey results from the statistical office Insee revealed. The reading was forecast to rise to 100. The latest score was the highest since May. 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. Digital Artwork Management Solution Enables Users to Organize, Store and Reuse Approved Content PORTSMOUTH, N.H., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Loftware, Inc., the global leader in Enterprise Labeling and Artwork Management Solutions has launched a new release of its automated artwork management software, Loftware Smartflow 26.2. This new release, which introduces Master Datasheets, strengthens users' ability to enforce consistency and control content used in packaging, labels, and other documents. Using one central location for packaging content, Smartflow 26.2 enables users to curate, review and approve content for product lines or product portfolios and provides pre-approved content that can be used to create multiple new artwork projects to speed time to market. Smartflow 26.2's new Master Datasheets makes it easier to view content over an entire product line or range of product lines, allowing users to better understand and manage the impact of regulatory changes or legal updates on their artwork content. Smartflow 26.2's version control ensures that only approved content is used in packaging projects; content that is not approved is locked and cannot be uploaded into new projects. Additionally, Master Datasheets increases flexibility with a workflow managed review and approval process that tracks all comments, rejections, approvals, and changes. It also eliminates the need to search through multiple locations for images or files, so users can quickly and accurately manage bulk changes. "Smartflow's biggest benefits lie in its ability to facilitate collaboration and increase speed to market," said Loftware Director of Product Management, Glen Bradlee. "This release builds upon that value by allowing product packaging teams to work together using a controlled process. It also enables users to curate content for all of their products in one central location, which they can easily locate, manage, use and reuse as much as needed," he added. Other enhancements include the ability to configure the time and date stamp to a specific time zone, making it easier for companies with global operations to understand when changes were made relative to geography. Additionally, Smartflow 26.2 includes support for the Microsoft Edge browser, which is Microsoft's replacement for its legacy Internet Explorer browser. For more information on Loftware Smartflow, contact one of our packaging artwork professionals at www.loftware.com. About Loftware Loftware and NiceLabel combined under the Loftware umbrella to offer customers and partners an expanded choice of Enterprise Labeling & Artwork Management solutions, providing enhanced labeling capabilities and the benefits of greater investment in cloud-based solutions for companies of all sizes. Maintaining a global presence with offices in US, UK, Germany, Slovenia, China, Japan and Singapore, the union combines over 60 years of expertise in solving labeling challenges and helping companies?improve the quality, speed, and efficiency of their labeling, while reducing cost. Together, as the leading global provider of Enterprise Labeling and Artwork Management solutions, Loftware enables supply chain agility, supports evolving regulations, and optimizes business operations for a wide range of industries including life sciences, manufacturing, food & beverage, retail, automotive, consumer products and apparel. For more information, please visit www.loftware.com and www.nicelabel.com. Press contacts: Maureen Perroni, Loftware Director of Content & Communications, mperroni@loftware.com, +1-603-502-3901 Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/892088/loftware_Logo.jpg Fig. 1: Comparison of conventional collision risk prediction with new technology Fig. 2: Screen comparison image of collision risk prediction TOKYO, Sept 28, 2021 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu Limited today announced the introduction of a highly-accurate AI technology to predict vessel collision risks on complex sea routes including bay areas. Field trials were conducted between November 2020 and September 2021 under an outsourcing contract with the Japan Coast Guard to demonstrate the usefulness of the new technology.Fujitsu previously leveraged AI technology to calculate and predict vessel collision risks based on the current position, speed and direction of the ship. Now, an additional algorithm has been added to this technology in order to calculate the degree to which the vessel is following its course, enabling more accurate risk prevention.This new feature makes it possible to only provide alerts in situations with a high risk of collision - changes of the course along a route will thus no longer be falsely detected as dangerous steering.Field trials of the technology were conducted at the Tokyo Wan Vessel Traffic Service Center under an outsourcing contract with the Japan Coast Guard, which manages maritime traffic control services. Results of the trial demonstrated that this technology can reduce unnecessary alerts by about 90% on all sea routes, especially on curved sections where alerts frequently occurred.This improved technology enables the early recognition of vessels prone to risks and a speedy initial response in order to prevent collisions, while also contributing to improving maritime traffic safety by reducing excessive traffic control operations as well as human errors.Based on the results of the field trials, Fujitsu plans to provide safe navigation support services beginning in March 2022 for players in the maritime industry globally. Through this service, Fujitsu aims to ensure both the safety of maritime traffic control as well as vessel operation and will support the construction of resilient maritime traffic systems.BackgroundMore than 99% of Japan's imports and exports are conducted through seaborne trade. However, the recent impact of COVID-19 has greatly restricted people's movement, making logistics more important than ever. At the same time, recent serious maritime accidents around the world have drawn increased attention to the importance of ensuring the safety of maritime traffic. This not only includes direct damage to the ship hull and cargo, but also indirect damage caused by lost opportunities due to inoperable ships, as well as serious damage to human life and the environment.Many maritime accidents are said to be caused by human error. Particularly in busy sea lanes near ports and in bays, there is a need for technology that helps operators to understand the movements of vessels and provide them with information to avoid risks.However, most of the methods to predict vessel collision risks currently in practical use take into account that vessels navigate along straight lines starting from their current positions. As a result, unnecessary alerts frequently occur when a vessel navigates on curved sections of sea routes, officially defined by laws and regulations like the Maritime Traffic Safety Act. Therefore, the correct timing of risk notifications to vessels depends on the experience and skill of the operation controller.In fiscal 2019, under an outsourcing contract with the Japan Coast Guard, which operates a navigation support system that combines radar and the Automatic Identification System (AIS)(1) to analyze movements of vessels in order to provide them with relevant information to improve the safety of navigation, Fujitsu leveraged AI technology to predict vessel collision risks in the Tokyo Bay area and to detect other areas where collision risks are highly concentrated. Fujitsu has confirmed the effectiveness of this method for early detection of collision risks.Fujitsu additionally conducted joint field trials with the Japan Coast Guard in order to improve maritime traffic safety and to establish a technology that can support the operations of the Japan Coast Guard.About the newly developed technologyUntil now, predictions of vessel collision risks had been calculated based on the current position, speed and direction of the ship. Fujitsu has now developed a new, additional algorithm to calculate if a ship follows a specified route (patent pending).With conventional technology, excessive alerts had occurred in cases where two vessels were judged to travelling straight along their current course in the vicinity of curved sections of sea routes - by utilizing the new algorithm described above, collision risks will now be categorized as low when the two vessels follow a specified route in a curvilinear manner.This new algorithm thus reduces unnecessary alerts and makes it possible to more accurately determine the risks of collision between vessels (patent pending).Joint Field Trials with the Japan Coast Guard1. Date and TimeNovember 17, 2020 (Tuesday) to September 2, 2021 (Thursday)2. LocationTokyo Wan Vessel Traffic Service Center (Place: Naka-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture)3. Contents and results of the field trialsIn cooperation with the Japan Coast Guard, Fujitsu conducted statistical and quantitative evaluations in the Tokyo Bay area of the effectiveness of its collision risk detection technology by comparing cases where the new technology has been applied with cases where it had not been applied.After a fixed evaluation period, Fujitsu confirmed that unnecessary alerts could be reduced by approximately 90% in comparison to conventional technology for all sea routes including sea routes with curved sections.In addition, Fujitsu conducted a collation analysis of the operational records for the actual maritime traffic control operations of the Tokyo Wan Vessel Traffic Service Center which manages maritime traffic control services. This analysis was based on records of the operations performed by the operation controller, including the provision of information to vessels, as well as information drawn from interviews with the operation controller, and the alerts detected by the newly established technology.As a result, about 95% of the high risk events (2) for which the Operator issued warnings or recommendations were correctly judged as high risk, and it was confirmed that this technology is close to the Operator's judgment and useful for operational support.Future PlansBy upgrading the conventional collision risk prediction technology with this new algorithm, Fujitsu aims to provide a safe navigation support service that can detect collision risks with high accuracy even in curved sections of sea routes by March 2022 to players in the maritime industry globally.Fujitsu also aims to provide a service equipped with an algorithm currently under development that quantitatively evaluates whether a vessel is following a route by analyzing the characteristics of the vessel, such as its size and type, as well as data from past navigation performance by September 2023. In this way Fujitsu will be able to ensure both the safety of maritime traffic control and vessel navigation and to contribute to the construction of a resilient maritime traffic system.(1) Automatic Identification System (AIS):system that collects and provides information of the position, speed and course of vessels using radio waves(2) Correct judgement of about 95% of high risk events:53 out of 64 cases were correctly evaluated as high risk events exceeding the threshold limit value, 8 further cases were correctly judged as high risks events close to exceeding the threshold limit valueAbout FujitsuFujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Approximately 126,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.6 trillion yen (US$34 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com.Source: Fujitsu LtdCopyright 2021 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2021) - Heliostar Metals Limited (TSXV: HSTR) (OTCQX: HSTXF) (FSE: RGG1) ("Heliostar" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a successful sampling and mapping program at its 100% owned Cumaro Project in northern Sonora State, Mexico. Program Highlights Multiple high grade gold and silver samples from three closely spaced veins along the Verde Vein Corridor Veins define a large target area of 530 metres by 200 metres Veins trend from SilverCrest Metals' El Picacho property onto Heliostars Cumaro claim Project has all permits in place and is drill ready Sample Highlights 12.6 g/t AuEq (10.3 g/t gold and 168 g/t silver) over 5.0 metres 13.1 g/t AuEq (11.5 g/t gold and 125 g/t silver) over 1.75 metres 9.57 g/t AuEq (8.35 g/t gold and 92 g/t silver) over 2.1 metres 5.49 g/t AuEq (4.68 g/t gold and 61 g/t silver) over 3.0 metres 13.6 g/t AuEq (11.9 g/t gold and 130 g/t silver over 1.65 metres 4.05 g/t AuEq (2.65 g/t gold and 105 g/t silver over 5.9 metres Twenty-one channel samples returned a grade multiplied by vein thickness greater than 5 g/t metres Heliostar CEO, Charles Funk, commented: "Heliostar considers each of its projects in Mexico to be a potential company maker and these results from Cumaro are a significant step towards this goal. These veins trend from a historic mine on SilverCrest Metals' claims to the west and extend onto Heliostar's ground, where they have never been drilled. Returning so many high-grade hits on surface over a broad area is very positive. The company continues detailed sampling in the eastern half of the claims to finalize a maiden drill program at Cumaro." Cumaro Detail The Cumaro project is a five square kilometre inset claim within the El Picacho district. It hosts the extensions of the El Salto, Dos Amigos, Basaitegui and Verde Veins (Figure 1). The current geological model indicates that a fault divides the Picacho-Cumaro district into western and eastern halves. West of the fault, where these results have been collected, veining and mineralization are exposed at surface. On the eastern side of the fault host rocks are interpreted as down-dropped, exposing only the weakly altered upper portions of the veins and thereby preserving the mineralized vein system at depth. The robust gold assays reported in this release resulted from a detailed sampling and mapping program that was undertaken to define drill targets in the westernmost part of the Cumaro claim (Figure 1). Despite the presence of historical mine workings, the veins in the western part of the Cumaro claim have never been drill tested. Figure 1: Cumaro Sampling and Mapping. (1 - SilverCrest Metals Inc. news release dated February 24, 2021) To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7729/97863_1b0e6f99f42bda99_003full.jpg Figure 1: Cumaro Sampling and Mapping. (1 - SilverCrest Metals Inc. news release dated February 24, 2021) Detailed mapping and sampling delineated three mineralized structures in the Verde Vein Corridor (Figure 2): The Verde Vein The Orilla Vein The Shaft Area The Verde and Orilla Veins are sub-parallel northwest striking, steeply dipping epithermal veins, separated by about 60 metres that dip towards each other. Banded quartz and calcite with areas of green quartz make up most of the vein's geology. Similar green quartz occurs within the high-grade areas of many mineralized systems in northern Sonora and this relationship holds true at Cumaro. Select samples from the green quartz returned values up to 41.2 g/t gold and 364 g/t silver. Gold and silver values spike at vein bends and intersections within the vein corridor. The Verde Vein can be traced as a single vein over a length of 500 metres at surface with numerous exposures of high-grade gold and silver. Vein width ranges from 0.5 metres to greater than 2 metres. There is an 85 metre long historic tunnel on a single level that is accessible and underground exposures of the vein returned values including 1.75 metres at 11.5 g/t gold and 125 g/t silver and 1.65 metres at 11.9 g/t gold and 130 g/t silver at the eastern end of the drift. Grades increase to the east where underground access ends. Strong up-dip surface results such as 3 metres at 4.68 g/t gold and 60.8 g/t silver demonstrate good continuity of mineralization and makes this vein an excellent drill target. Figure 2: Detailed sampling and mapping from the Verde Vein Corridor with selected samples highlighted To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7729/97863_1b0e6f99f42bda99_004full.jpg The Orilla Vein can be traced as multiple sub-parallel veins over a strike length of more than 750 metres. Surface exposures of this vein return values such as 0.8 metres at 11.3 g/t gold and 146 g/t silver and 2.25 metres at 3.57 g/t gold and 29.9 g/t silver. The junction of the Verde and Orilla Veins presents a compelling target in the form of a dilational zone and ore shoot. Since the vein interpretation shows them dipping towards each other, this ore shoot may be shallowly plunging and this intersection is another excellent drill target. The Shaft Area is a high-grade zone of stockwork green quartz veining hosted within a porphyritic rhyolite dyke. The dyke strikes east-west and the exposure runs over 300 metres long and up to 20 metres wide. The pre-mineral dyke hosts several strongly mineralized intervals including 5.0 metres at 2.79 g/t gold and 39.9 g/t silver, 2.1 metres at 8.35 g/t gold and 91.8 g/t silver and 5.9 metres at 2.65 g/t gold and 104.7 g/t silver. Exploration within the Verde Vein Corridor is on-going to expand on current outcropping mineralization and define additional drill targets ahead of the maiden drill program at Cumaro. Furthermore, several other veins are present on the western side of Cumaro that will be mapped and sampled in detail in the coming weeks. Priorities include the extensions of the Dos Amigos Vein from the neighbouring El Picacho property. Additionally, detailed sampling and mapping will be conducted on the main vein trends identified on the eastern half of Cumaro in earlier programs. On the eastern side, the veining and mineralization is only partially exposed by erosion. The full vertical extent of the precious metals system could be preserved at depth. No drilling has occurred within the Cumaro claim. Previous Heliostar programs completed at eastern Cumaro defined surface alteration corridors of clay and silica-clay alteration. These assemblages support the interpreted shallow level of erosion. Sampling from that program returned 390 g/t silver from a 1.0 metre channel which demonstrates the potential for high grade mineralization. Additionally, a greater than 1 g/t silver anomaly over a 500 by 600 metre area may also define another mineralized system at depth. Heliostar's exploration at Cumaro prioritizes these locations. The company plans to identify additional drill targets through ongoing geologic mapping and sampling. We look forward to announcing further results. Figure 3: Location of Heliostar's projects in northern Sonora State, Mexico To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/7729/97863_1b0e6f99f42bda99_005full.jpg Table of Significant intercepts Vein Name Channel ID True Width Gold Silver AuEq (meters) (g/t) (g/t) (g/t) Verde U/G Tunnel L1 1.1 1.77 24.6 2.09 including 0.6 3.20 42.4 3.77 L3 1.25 1.08 16.5 1.30 L4 1.2 0.61 11.1 0.75 L8 1.3 1.02 4.8 1.08 L10 1.0 2.48 28.4 2.86 L11 1.2 2.62 14.2 2.81 L14 1.2 0.46 18.9 0.71 L18 1.3 1.69 8.1 1.80 L22 1.7 0.98 15.7 1.19 including 1.2 1.34 21.6 1.63 L23 0.9 6.19 41.5 6.75 including 0.55 9.89 59.8 10.7 L25 1.45 2.63 73.6 3.61 L26 1.4 3.77 89.2 4.96 L27 1.65 3.66 111.0 5.14 L28 1.65 5.34 88.4 6.52 L29 2.0 4.00 112.0 5.49 L30 1.75 11.5 125.0 13.1 L31 1.65 11.9 130.0 13.6 L32 1.4 4.29 116.0 5.84 L33 1.6 2.08 46.6 2.70 Verde Vein L36 2.8 3.61 29.9 4.00 L38 5.8 1.47 30.9 1.88 including 1.0 4.59 66.7 5.48 L40 3.0 4.68 60.8 5.49 including 1.0 13.4 118.0 15.0 L41 3.0 2.72 48.4 3.36 including 1.5 5.31 80.4 6.38 L42 2.0 1.30 28.9 1.69 L43 2.0 1.43 24.2 1.75 Shaft Area L44 5.0 2.79 39.9 3.32 including 1.0 10.3 73.3 11.2 L45 5.9 2.65 104.7 4.05 including 1.9 6.33 200.0 9.00 L47 2.1 8.35 91.8 9.57 including 0.6 17.4 115.0 18.9 Verde Vein L51 1.0 3.48 70.1 4.42 Orilla vein L53 0.7 1.57 2.8 1.61 L60 3.0 0.78 26.9 1.14 including 2.0 1.16 39.9 1.69 L61 2.25 3.57 29.9 3.97 including 0.6 6.42 30.2 6.82 L63 0.9 5.45 23.5 5.76 L64 0.7 2.60 93.0 3.84 L65 0.7 2.32 85.0 3.45 L66 0.8 1.58 69.5 2.51 L67 0.8 11.3 146.0 13.2 L68 1.1 1.40 30.0 1.80 including 0.4 3.5 75.1 4.54 Shaft Area L74 5.0 10.3 167.5 12.6 Table 1: Table of significant channel sample intersections from Cumaro. Widths are true thicknesses and gold equivalent is calculated with a gold:silver ratio of 1:75. Quality Assurance / Quality Control Rock samples were shipped to ALS Limited in Hermosillo, Sonora for sample preparation and for analysis at the ALS laboratory in North Vancouver. The ALS Hermosillo and North Vancouver facilities are ISO/IEC 17025 certified. Silver and base metals were analyzed using a four-acid digestion with an ICP finish and gold was assayed by 30-gram fire assay with atomic absorption ("AA") spectroscopy finish and overlimits were analyzed by 50g fire assay with gravimetric finish. Control samples comprising certified reference samples and blank samples were systematically inserted into the sample stream and analyzed as part of the Company's quality assurance / quality control protocol. Qualified Person The Company's disclosure of technical or scientific information in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Stewart Harris, P.Geo., Exploration Manager for the Company. Mr. Harris is a Qualified Person as defined under the terms of National Instrument 43-101. About Heliostar Metals Ltd. Heliostar is a well-financed junior exploration and development company with a portfolio of high-grade gold projects in Alaska and Mexico. The company's flagship asset is the 100% controlled Unga Gold Project on Unga and Popof Islands in Alaska. The project hosts an intermediate sulfidation epithermal gold deposit, located within the district-scale property that encompasses 240 km2 across the two islands. Additional targets on the property include porphyry copper-gold targets, high sulphidation targets and intermediate sulphidation epithermal veins. On Unga Island, priority targets include: the SH-1 and Aquila, both on the Shumagin Trend, the former Apollo-Sitka mine, which was Alaska's first underground gold mine, and the Zachary Bay porphyry gold-copper prospect. Gold mineralization at the Centennial Zone is located on neighbouring Popof Island within four kilometres of infrastructure and services at Sand Point. In Mexico, the company owns 100% of three early-stage epithermal projects in Sonora that are highly prospective for gold and silver. Cumaro forms part of the El Picacho district, while the Oso Negro and La Lola projects are early-stage projects considered prospective for epithermal gold-silver mineralization. For additional information please contact: Charles FunkRob Grey Chief Executive Officer Investor Relations Manager Heliostar Metals Limited Heliostar Metals Limited Email: charles.funk@heliostarmetals.com Phone: +1 778 357 1313 Email: rob.grey@heliostarmetals.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. Forward-Looking Information. This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "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 "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Forward-looking statements in this press release include Heliostar's plans to continue aggressive exploration at Unga in 2021 and its goal of defining a resource in excess of one million ounces, its plan to continue infill drilling to expand to depth where the system remains open, and its belief that the SH-1 prospect has considerable potential for expansion. Although Heliostar believes that the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not a guarantee 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, weather, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable 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. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97863 EASTLEIGH, ENGLAND / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2021 / i3 Energy plc ("i3", "i3 Energy", or the "Company") (LSE:I3E) (TSX:ITE), an independent oil and gas company with assets and operations in the UK and Canada, posted its H1 2021 Interim Report and Dividends Declaration for the Six Months Ended 30 June 2021 on the Reports and Presentations section of its website at https://i3.energy/investor-relations/reports-and-presentations/. As was announced previously, on Monday, 27 September 2021 at 3:00 pm BST the Company live streamed a webcast to discuss the Company's H1 2021 Interim Report and Dividend Declaration and to answer questions. The webcast is now available for replay on the Company's website at https://i3.energy/videos/. Enquiries: i3 Energy plc Majid Shafiq (CEO) / Graham Heath (CFO) c/o Camarco Tel: +44 (0) 203 781 8331 WH Ireland Limited (Nomad and Joint Broker) James Joyce, Darshan Patel Tel: +44 (0) 207 220 1666 Canaccord Genuity Limited (Joint Broker) Henry Fitzgerald- O'Connor, James Asensio Tel: +44 (0) 207 523 8000 Tennyson Securities (Joint Broker) Peter Krens Tel: +44 (0) 207 186 9030 Camarco Owen Roberts, James Crothers, Violet Wilson Tel: +44 (0) 203 781 8331 Notes to Editors: i3 Energy is an oil and gas Company with a low cost, diversified, growing production base in Canada's most prolific hydrocarbon region, the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin and appraisal assets in the North Sea with significant upside. The Company is well positioned to deliver future growth through the optimisation of its existing 100% owned asset base and the acquisition of long life, low decline conventional production assets. i3 is dedicated to responsible corporate practices and the environment, and places high value on adhering to strong Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") practices. i3 is proud of its performance to date as a responsible steward of the environment, people, and capital management. The Company is committed to maintaining an ESG strategy, which has broader implications to long-term value creation, as these benefits extend beyond regulatory requirements. i3 Energy is listed on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange under the symbol I3E and on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol ITE. For further information on i3 Energy please visit https://i3.energy/ The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014. This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution of this information may apply. For further information, please contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com. SOURCE: i3 Energy PLC View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665865/i3-Energy-PLC-Announces-H1-2021-Earnings-Webcast Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2021) - Genesis Metals Corp. (TSXV: GIS) ("Genesis" or the "Company") today reports it has entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with two First Nations regarding exploration activities on its 100% owned October Gold project in the Swayze greenstone belt, Ontario. In addition, it has further expanded the size of the property by an additional 46 claims and 1,000 hectares; the October Gold project now totals 1,276 claims covering 26,430 hectares (264.3 square kilometres). The Company has signed MOU's with both the Flying Post First Nation, part of the Wabun Tribal Council, and the Chapleau Cree First Nation. The MOU sets out a framework to facilitate Genesis Metals' exploration activities on the October Gold project. As a part of these agreements the Company has issued a total of 100,000 units consisting of 100,000 common shares and 100,000 common share purchase warrants which allow the holder to acquire an additional common share for $0.30 for a period of two years. "We are very pleased to have this opportunity to establish a strong working relationship with the Flying Post and Chapleau Cree First Nations. Their support will be a key factor in being able to advance our exploration priorities on the October Gold project for the benefit of all stakeholders," stated David Terry, CEO. Genesis has acquired by staking an additional 46 claims covering 1,000 hectares along the properties southwestern boundary to cover an area with outcropping quartz-carbonate veining and stockwork hosted by highly strained mafic volcanic rocks. This brings the project to 1,276 claims covering 26,430 hectares, or 264 square kilometres. This recent expansion of the October Gold project is in addition to the claims acquired along the projects northern boundary that was announced on June 30, 2021 that included an additional 81 claims; 1,758 hectares. In addition, the Company has now successfully consolidated title to all (100%) of the claims comprising the property. The October Gold project is located in the southern Swayze greenstone belt in eastern Ontario which represents the southwestern extension of the Abitibi greenstone belt, considered to be one of the most well-endowed mineral belts in the world for precious and base metal deposits. Despite being underexplored, the property has prospective geology, structural setting, and is located in a belt with significant regional gold endowment. The property covers an ~15 kilometre extent of the Ridout deformation zone (RDZ), a major structural break believed to represent the western extension of the renowned Kirkland Lake break. The RDZ is associated with the Cote Gold and Jerome gold deposits, 35 and 8 kilometres to the southeast of October Gold, respectively, owned by IAMGOLD Corporation and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co. Ltd. The Company will be carrying out a multifaceted exploration program over the remainder of 2021 and into 2022 to refine and identify prospective gold targets on the large strategically located property. The Company will continue to monitor the evolving COVID-19 situation and intends to comply with all government directives. Genesis Metals Corp. has enacted protocols designed to inhibit the spread of the COVID-19 virus to safeguard the health and safety of local communities and its workforce. Qualified Person The Qualified Person for this news release for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 is Andre Liboiron, P. Geo., Exploration Manager. He has read and approved the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for the disclosure contained in this news release. About Genesis Genesis Metals Corp. is a member of the Discovery Group of Companies, an alliance of public companies focused on the advancement of mineral exploration and mining projects with a proven track record of generating shareholder value through responsible, sustainable, and innovative development. Discovery Group companies have generated over $500 million in direct and indirect expenditures resulting in over a billion dollars in M&A activity, with notable recent successes being the sale of Northern Empire Resources Corp. to Coeur Mining Inc. and the sale of Kaminak Gold Corp. to Goldcorp Inc. Current Discovery Group member companies include: Great Bear Resources Ltd., Bluestone Resources Inc., ValOre Metals Corp., Ethos Gold Corp., Fireweed Zinc Ltd., Kodiak Copper Corp., and K2 Gold Corporation. Genesis Metals Corp. is a gold exploration company focused on advancing its Chevrier Gold Project in the prolific Abitibi region of Quebec, Canada. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "David A. Terry" President, CEO, and Director Suite 1020, 800 West Pender Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 2V6 Telephone: 604-646-8356 Email: js@genesismetalscorp.com Website: www.genesismetalscorp.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. Certain disclosure in this release, including statements regarding the anticipated timing for receipt of survey and till results; the Company's exploration plans; constitute forward-looking information or statements (collectively, "forward-looking statements") for the purpose of applicable securities laws. In making the forward-looking statements, the Company has applied certain factors and assumptions that are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company, including that the Company is able to obtain any government or other regulatory approvals required to complete the Company's planned exploration and development activities; that the Company is able to procure personnel, equipment and supplies required for its exploration and development activities in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis; that actual results of exploration activities are consistent with management's expectations; that the current price and demand for gold will be sustained or will improve; that general business and economic conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner; Although the Company considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to it, they may prove to be incorrect, and the forward-looking statements in this release are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, among others, the risks related to the inability to obtain required regulatory approvals on a timely basis or at all, that the risk that actual results of the Company's exploration activities may be different than those expected by management; delays in receiving survey and till results or obtaining any required government or other regulatory approvals; inability to procure required equipment and supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis; the nature of mineral exploration and mining and the uncertain commercial viability of certain mineral deposits; the Company's lack of operating revenues and risks related to dependence on key personnel. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company does not intend, and expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to, update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97858 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2021) - Bluesky Digital Assets Corp. (CSE: BTC) (CSE: BTC.PR.A) (OTCQB: BTCWF) ("Bluesky" or the "Corporation") announced today that the Corporation has entered into a securities purchase agreement with institutional investors for a private placement for gross proceeds of approximately $3,250,000 CDN (the "Private Placement"). Pursuant to the Private Placement, the Corporation will issue 10,077,519 common shares (each, a "Share") in the capital of the Corporation and Common Share Purchase Warrants (each, a "Warrant"), with each Warrant entitling the holder thereof to purchase an equal number of Shares at an exercise price of $0.43 CDN per Share for a period of 60 months from the closing of the Private Placement, at a purchase price of $0.3225 per Share and associated Warrant. H.C. Wainwright & Co. is acting as the exclusive placement agent for the Private Placement. Net proceeds from the financing will be primarily used for purchasing additional digital asset mining equipment with the purpose of expanding the Corporation's existing digital asset mining operations and for general working capital purposes. No securities were offered or sold to Canadian residents in the Private Placement. The Private Placement is expected to close on or about September 30, 2021, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities , nor shall there be any sale of the 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. The securities referred in this news release have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any U.S. state securities laws, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States or to any U.S. person (as defined in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act) absent registration under U.S. federal and state securities laws or an applicable exemption from such U.S. registration requirements. About Bluesky Digital Assets Corp. Bluesky Digital Assets Corp, is building a high value digital currency enterprise. Bluesky mines digital currencies, such as Bitcoin and Ether, and is developing value-added technology services for the digital currency market, such as proprietary technology solutions. Offering a complete ecosystem of value-creation, Bluesky is targeting reinvesting appropriate portions of its digital currency mining profits back into its operations. A percentage of the profit will be invested in the development of a proprietary Artificial Intelligence based technology. Overall, Bluesky takes an approach that enables the Corporation to scale, and respond to changing conditions, within the still-emerging Blockchain industry. The Corporation is poised to capture value in successive phases as this industry continues to scale. For more information please visit Bluesky at: https://www.blueskydigitalassets.com For further information please contact: Mr. Ben Gelfand CEO & Director Bluesky Digital Assets Corp. T: (416) 363-3833 E: ben.gelfand@blueskydigitalassets.com Mr. Frank Kordy Secretary & Director Bluesky Digital Assets Corp. T: (647) 466-4037 E: frank.kordy@blueskydigitalassets.com Cautionary Statement Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein. Neither CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation that is based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the date of this news release. "Forward-looking information" in this news release includes information about the Private Placement, including expectations concerning the closing of the Private Placement and the use of net proceeds from the Private Placement, potential further improvements to profitability and efficiency across mining operations, potential for the Company's long-term growth, and the business goals and objectives of the Company. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: market and other conditions (including volatility in the market price of cryptocurrency), continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic may have a material adverse effect on the Company's performance as supply chains are disrupted and prevent the Company from operating its assets; a decrease in cryptocurrency pricing, volume of transaction activity or generally, the profitability of cryptocurrency mining; further improvements to profitability and efficiency may not be realized; the digital currency market; the Company's ability to successfully mine digital currency on the cloud; the Company may not be able to profitably liquidate its current digital currency inventory, or at all; a decline in digital currency prices may have a significant negative impact on the Company's operations; the volatility of digital currency prices; the availability of electricity at prevailing rates and on a continuous basis; and, other related risks as more fully set out in the documents disclosed under the Company's filings at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking information in this news release reflects the current expectations, assumptions and/or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to the Company. In connection with the forward-looking information contained in this news release, the Company has made assumptions about: the current profitability in mining cryptocurrency (including pricing and volume of current transaction activity); profitable use of the Company's assets going forward; the Company's ability to profitably liquidate its digital currency inventory as required; historical prices of digital currencies and the ability of the Company to mine digital currencies on the cloud will be consistent with historical prices; the pricing of electricity at historical rates; the adequacy and security of custody for coins maintained in inventory; and, there will be no regulation or law that will prevent the Company from operating its business. The Company has also assumed that no significant events occur outside of the Company's normal course of business. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance, and, accordingly, undue reliance should not be put on such information due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97864 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2021 / Talisker Resources Ltd. ("Talisker" or the "Company") (TSX:TSK)(OTCQX:TSKFF) is pleased to announce high grade results from drill hole SB-2021-043 at its 100% owned flagship Bralorne Gold Project. Five diamond drill rigs are currently drilling at Bralorne. A total of 58,950 metres consisting of 101 holes of a planned and fully funded 100,000 metres has been drilled at the project this year with a total of 81,130 m (137 holes) since Talisker initiated drilling at the project in February 2020. There are currently 26 holes consisting of 11,987 samples at the assay laboratory and are expected to be received by the Company shortly. Key Points: Successful intercept targeting the 55HW Vein returning 19.73 g/t gold over 1.0m within 6.29 g/t gold over 4.65m, including 28.70 g/t over 0.5m. Previous intercepts in the 55HW Vein are highlighted by hole SB-2020-012 (15.11g/t over 1.0m) and SB-2021-020 (14.66g/t over 1.5m). This hole increases the number of intercepts for the 55HW Vein to 27 with a remaining 11 yet to be drilled this year to complete the resource drillout for this vein. Hole SB-2021-023, SB-2021-046 and SB-2021-058 also intersected the 55HW vein and results are expected shortly. SB-2021-043 Hole Description: Bralorne West Block Complete preliminary results have been received for this hole. The 55 Hanging Wall Vein intercept is hosted within a Felsic Dyke intruding the Bralorne Diorite. The 55 Hanging Wall Vein exhibits the classic crack and seal textures seen throughout the Bralorne deposit hosting high grade gold. Crack and seal fractures within this intercept contain parallel bands of fine-grained pyrite, arsenopyrite and visible gold. Disseminated pyrite and arsenopyrite are also hosted within the wall rock as vein halo mineralization proximal to the 55 hanging wall. Hydrothermal alteration proximal to the vein intercept includes pervasive silica and moderate sericite. This hole drilled to a final depth of 449.50m on May 24, 2021. Table 1: Bralorne Gold Project - Drill Hole SB-2021-043 Diamond Drill Hole Name From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Au (g/t) Zone Method Reported SB-2021-043 330.95 331.45 0.5 0.51 55 HW Au-SCR24 SB-2021-043 331.45 331.95 0.5 13.80 Au-SCR24 SB-2021-043 331.95 332.5 0.55 0.83 Au-AA26 SB-2021-043 332.5 333 0.5 1.60 Au-SCR24 SB-2021-043 333 333.5 0.5 1.45 Au-SCR24 SB-2021-043 333.5 334 0.5 0.05 Au-AA26 SB-2021-043 334 334.6 0.6 0.61 Au-AA26 SB-2021-043 334.6 335.1 0.5 28.70 Au-SCR24 SB-2021-043 335.1 335.6 0.5 10.75 Au-SCR24 Notes: Diamond drill hole SB-2021-043 has collar orientation of Azimuth 202; Dip -56. True widths are estimated at 40 - 90% of intercept lengths and are based on oriented core measurements where available. Method Reported includes the most up to date information as of the date of this press release. Qualified Person The technical information contained in this news release relating to the drill results at the Bralorne Gold Project has been approved by Leonardo de Souza (BSc, AusIMM (CP) Membership 224827), Talisker's Vice President, Exploration and Resource Development, who is a "qualified person" within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. About Talisker Resources Ltd. Talisker (taliskerresources.com ) is a junior resource company involved in the exploration of gold projects in British Columbia, Canada. Talisker's projects include two advanced stage projects, the Bralorne Gold Complex and the Ladner Gold Project, both advanced stage projects with significant exploration potential from historical high-grade producing gold mines, as well as its Spences Bridge Project where the Company holds ~85% of the emerging Spences Bridge Gold Belt and several other early-stage Greenfields projects. With its properties comprising 296,983 hectares over 346 claims, three leases and 198 crown grant claims, Talisker is a dominant exploration player in the south-central British Columbia. The Company is well funded to advance its aggressive systematic exploration program at its projects. For further information, please contact: Terry Harbort President & CEO Terry.harbort@talliskerresources.com +1 416 361 2808 Related Links https://taliskerresources.com/ Sample Preparation and QAQC Drill core at the Bralorne project is drilled in HQ to NQ size ranges (63.5mm and 47.6mm respectively). Drill core samples are minimum 50 cm and maximum 160 cm long along the core axis. Samples are focused on an interval of interest such as a vein or zone of mineralization. Shoulder samples bracket the interval of interest such that a total sampled core length of not less than 3m both above and below the interval of interest must be assigned. Sample QAQC measures of unmarked certified reference materials (CRMs), blanks, and duplicates are inserted into the sample sequence and make up 9% of the samples submitted to the lab for holes reported in this release. Sample preparation and analyses is carried out by ALS Global in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and SGS Canada in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada. Drill core sample preparation includes drying in an oven at a maximum temperature of 60C, fine crushing of the sample to at least 70% passing less than 2 mm, sample splitting using a riffle splitter, and pulverizing a 250 g split to at least 85% passing 75 microns (ALS code PREP-31 / SGS code PRP89). Gold in diamond drill core is analysed by fire assay and atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) of a 50g sample (ALS code Au-AA26 / SGS code GO_FAA50V10), while multi-element chemistry is analysed by 4- Acid digestion of a 0.25 g sample split with detection by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) for 48 elements (Ag, Al, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Ca, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge, Hf, In, K, La, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Re, S, Sb, Sc, Se, Sn, Sr, Ta, Te, Th, Ti, Tl, U, V, W, Y, Zn, Zr). Gold assay technique (ALS code Au-AA26 / SGS code FAA50V10) has an upper detection limit of 100 ppm. Any sample that produces an over-limit gold value via the gold assay technique is sent for gravimetric finish (ALS method Au-GRA22 / SGS method GO_FAG50V) which has an upper detection limit of 1,000 ppm Au. Samples where visible gold was observed are sent directly to screen metallics analysis and all samples that fire assay above 1 ppm Au are re-analysed with method (ALS code Au-SCR24 / SGS code - 6 - GO_FAS50M) which employs a 1kg pulp screened to 100 microns with assay of the entire oversize fraction and duplicate 50g assays on the undersize fraction. Where possible all samples initially sent to screen metallics processing will also be re-run through the fire assay with gravimetric finish provided there is enough material left for further processing Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. 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 Talisker's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, this release contains forward-looking information relating to, among other things, effective time of the rights provided to New Gold under the Investor Rights Agreement, the completion of New Gold's strategic investment; the completion of the Offering, the use of proceeds, the operations of the Company and the timing which could be affected by the current global COVID-19 pandemic. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to Talisker. Although such statements are based on reasonable assumptions of Talisker's management, there can be no assurance that any conclusions or forecasts will prove to be accurate. While Talisker considers these statements to be reasonable based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information. Such factors include market risks and the demand for securities of the Company, risks inherent in the exploration and development of mineral deposits, including risks relating to changes in project parameters as plans continue to be redefined, risks relating to variations in grade or recovery rates, risks relating to changes in mineral prices and the worldwide demand for and supply of minerals, risks related to increased competition and current global financial conditions and the COVID-19 pandemic, access and supply risks, reliance on key personnel, operational risks, and regulatory risks, including risks relating to the acquisition of the necessary licenses and permits, financing, capitalization and liquidity risks. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is made as of the date hereof, and Talisker 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. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. Figure 1: SB-2021-043 hole location within the Bralorne West Block. Figure 2: SB-2021-043 cross section intersecting the 55HW vein hosted within Diorite. Figure 3: -2021-043 core photo showing the 55HW vein with typical crack seal vein textures and strong sericite/silica alteration. The interval of 330.95m-335.6m (4.65m) averages 6.29g/t Au. SOURCE: Talisker Resources Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665841/Talisker-Intersects-1973-gt-Au-Over-10-Metre-Within-629-gt-Au-Over-465-Metres-at-Bralorne Record performance with 521% YoY increase in Revenue 20,454 Vehicles Sold in H1 Cazoo Group Ltd. (NYSE: CZOO) ("Cazoo" or "the Company"), Europe's leading online car retailer, which makes buying and selling a car as simple as ordering any other product online, has announced its financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2021. Summary Results H1 2021 (unaudited) H1 2020 (unaudited) Change Vehicles Sold 20,454 4,084 +401% Retail 16,557 3,234 +412% Wholesale 3,897 850 +358% Revenue (m)1 248 40 +521% Retail (m) 208 37 +464% Wholesale (m) 13 2 +409% Other (m) 27 1 +5,047% Retail GPU ()2 315 (355) +670 Gross Profit (m) 11 (1) 12 Gross Margin (%) 5% (4%) +9%pts Adj. EBITDA (m)3 (69) (27) (42) Adj. EBITDA Margin (%)3 (28%) (69%) +41%pts Net Income (m) (102) (31) (71) 1 'Retail revenue' excludes 7 million of income where Cazoo sold vehicles as an agent for third parties and only the net commission received from those sales is recorded within 'Retail revenue'. 'Other revenue' includes ancillary products, subscription, remarketing and servicing income. 2 Retail GPU (Gross Profit per Unit) is derived from retail and ancillary product revenues, divided by retail units sold (net of returns). 3 Adjusted EBITDA is defined as loss for the period adjusted for tax credits, finance income/expense, depreciation and amortization, share based payment expense and exceptional costs. H1 2021 Financial highlights Revenue increased 521% to 248 million in H1, driven by strong retail sales growth Vehicles sold up 401% to 20,454 in H1 as strong demand for proposition continues Retail GPU at 315 in H1, up by 670 YoY due to continued operational efficiencies Gross profit at 11 million and gross margin up 9%pts YoY due to increased scale H1 2021 Strategic highlights Successfully completed 3 acquisitions during H1 to accelerate growth strategy Brought UK reconditioning in-house giving full control of refurbishment operations Scaled buying and operations in Germany France ahead of launch later this year Launched car subscription service in UK offering all-inclusive single monthly payment Since the end of the period Completed business combination with Ajax I and listing on New York Stock Exchange Successfully launched 'car buying' service, purchasing vehicles directly from consumers Acquired leading automotive data insights platform, Cazana, enhancing data capabilities Acquired SMH, one of the UK's leading vehicle preparation, logistics storage businesses Alex Chesterman OBE, Founder CEO of Cazoo, commented, "We achieved record results in H1 with continued strong growth in revenue and gross profit per unit. Consumers continue to embrace the selection, transparency and convenience of buying cars entirely online, generating record revenue of 248 million during the half, up 521% year on year. Our gross profit per unit grew substantially during the first half, up 670 year on year, as a result of continued operational improvements. We expect operational efficiencies to continue to drive further gross margin improvement and we remain on track to achieve revenue approaching $1 billion in 2021. "Following our acquisition of SFS in Q1 we brought vehicle reconditioning fully in-house in the UK in Q2 and recently expanded our capabilities with the acquisition of SMH earlier this month. The biggest constraint we face is being able to recondition vehicles in the volumes required to meet consumer demand and this latest strategic acquisition will de-risk our future growth by doubling our capacity and significantly enhancing our team of vehicle preparation and logistics staff, giving us the ability to meet our growth aspirations over the next two years." "Since the end of the period we completed our listing on the NYSE, raising proceeds of approximately $836 million, net of fees to further accelerate our growth. In July, we launched our 'car buying' service, now offering consumers a better digital experience when selling their car as well as buying a car. We expect this to change our buying mix significantly over time, helping to further improve future margins. This month we also acquired Cazana, a leading automotive data insights platform, enhancing our data team and capabilities which will enable us to further optimise our purchasing and pricing of vehicles across the UK and Europe." About Cazoo www.cazoo.co.uk Our mission is to transform the car buying and selling experience across the UK Europe by providing better selection, value, transparency, convenience and peace of mind. Our aim is to make buying or selling a car no different to ordering any other product online, where consumers can simply and seamlessly buy, sell, finance or subscribe to a car entirely online for delivery or collection in as little as 72 hours. Cazoo was founded in 2018 by serial entrepreneur Alex Chesterman OBE, is backed some of the leading technology investors globally and is publicly traded (NYSE: CZOO). Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbour" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The expectations, estimates, and projections of the business of Cazoo may differ from its actual results and, consequently, you should not rely on forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "project," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: (1) realizing the benefits expected from the business combination with Ajax I (the "Business Combination"); (2) achieving the expected revenue growth and effectively managing growth; (3) executing Cazoo's expansion strategy in Europe; (4) acquiring and integrating other companies; (5) achieving and maintaining profitability in the future; (6) having access to suitable and sufficient vehicle inventory for resale to customers and for Cazoo's subscription offering and refurbishing and selling inventory expeditiously and efficiently; (7) expanding Cazoo's subscription offering; (8) increasing Cazoo's service offerings and price optimization; (9) effectively promoting Cazoo's brand and increasing brand awareness; (10) expanding Cazoo's product offerings and introducing additional products and services; (11) enhancing future operating and financial results; (12) acquiring and protecting intellectual property; (13) attracting, training and retaining key personnel; (14) complying with laws and regulations applicable to Cazoo's business; (15) successfully deploying the proceeds from the Business Combination; and (16) other risks and uncertainties set forth in the sections entitled "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" in the registration statement on Form F-4 and the proxy statement/prospectus included therein filed by Cazoo Group Ltd (f/k/a Capri Listco). The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the disclosure included in other documents filed by Cazoo from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Cazoo assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Cazoo gives no assurance that it will achieve its expectations. Non-IFRS Financial Measures In addition to Cazoo's results determined in accordance with IFRS, the Company believe that Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information for management and investors to assess the underlying performance of the business as it removes the effect of certain non-cash items and certain charges that are not indicative of Cazoo's core operating performance or results of operations. Cazoo believes that non-IFRS financial information, when taken collectively with financial measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, may be helpful to investors because it provides an additional tool for investors to use in evaluating Cazoo's ongoing operating results and trends and because it provides consistency and comparability with past financial performance. However, Cazoo's management does not consider non-IFRS measures in isolation or as an alternative to financial measures determined in accordance with IFRS. Adjusted EBITDA is presented for supplemental informational purposes only, has limitations as an analytical tool and should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, the analysis of other IFRS financial measures, such as net loss. Some of the limitations of Adjusted EBITDA include that it does not reflect the impact of working capital requirements or capital expenditures and other companies in Cazoo's industry may calculate Adjusted EBITDA differently, or use a different accounting standard such as U.S. GAAP, which limits its usefulness as a comparative measure. Cazoo urges investors to review the reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to loss for the period included below, and not to rely on any single financial measure to evaluate its business. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as loss for the period adjusted for tax credits, finance income/expense, depreciation and amortization, share based payment expense and exceptional costs. UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF PROFIT OR LOSS AND OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME For the six months ended: Jun-21 'm Jun-20 'm Change ('m) Revenue1 248 40 208 Cost of sales (237) (41) (196) Gross profit/(loss) 11 (1) 12 Marketing expenses (29) (10) (19) Selling and distribution expenses (20) (5) (15) Administrative expenses (70) (14) (56) Loss from operations (108) (30) (78) Net finance expense (1) (1) Loss before tax (109) (31) (78) Tax credit 7 7 Loss for the period (102) (31) (71) 1 Revenue excludes 7 million of income where Cazoo sold vehicles as an agent for third parties and only the net commission received from those sales is recorded within revenue. UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL POSITION As at: Jun-21 'm Dec-20 'm Assets Non-current assets Property, plant and equipment 183 86 Intangible assets 155 26 Trade and other receivables 9 7 347 119 Current assets Inventory 127 115 Trade and other receivables 39 29 Cash and cash equivalents 60 244 226 388 Total assets 573 507 Liabilities Current liabilities Trade and other payables 77 35 Loans, borrowings and warrants 137 95 214 130 Non-current liabilities Provisions 4 3 Loans and borrowings 49 44 53 47 Total liabilities 267 177 Net assets 306 330 Equity Share capital Share premium 331 266 Merger reserve 181 181 Retained earnings (206) (117) Total equity 306 330 UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF CASH FLOWS For the six months ended: Jun-21 'm Jun-20 'm Cash flows from operating activities Loss for the period (102) (31) Adjustments for: Depreciation and amortization 15 3 Net finance expense 1 1 Share-based payment expense 13 Tax credit (7) (80) (27) Working capital movements 25 (4) Net cash used in operating activities (55) (31) Cash flows from investing activities Purchases of property, plant and equipment (35) (1) Purchases and development of intangible fixed assets (5) (1) Acquisition of subsidiaries, net of cash acquired (80) Net cash used in investing activities (120) (2) Cash flows from financing activities Proceeds from issue of shares 125 Proceeds from stocking loans 217 49 Repayment of stocking loans (218) (49) Repayment of mortgages and lease payments (6) (3) Interest paid (2) (1) Net cash used in financing activities (9) 121 Net cash increase/(decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (184) 88 Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period 244 35 Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period 60 123 EBITDA RECONCILIATION Reconciliation of loss for the period to adjusted EBITDA Jun-21 'm Jun-20 'm Loss for the period (102) (31) Adjustments: Tax credit (7) Net finance expense 1 1 Depreciation and amortization 15 3 Share-based payment expense 13 Exceptional costs 11 Total adjustments 33 4 Adjusted EBITDA (69) (27) View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005597/en/ Contacts: Investor Relations: Cazoo: Robert Berg, Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Finance, investors@cazoo.co.uk ICR: cazoo@icrinc.com Media: Cazoo: Lawrence Hall, Group Communications Director, lawrence.hall@cazoo.co.uk Brunswick: Chris Blundell/Simone Selzer +44 20 7404 5959 cazoo@brunswickgroup.com TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2021 / ITOCO INC. (OTC PINK:ITMC) is pleased to have received final signatures on an additional 436 hectares of Nopal Cactus Plantations in State of Mexico and Hidalgo State, Mexico from 125 additional farmers. As before, ITOCO has applied to "Verra Standard (VCS)" for the certification of approximately US $750k in Carbon Credits based on the extractive properties of the Nopal Cactus plant vis a vis Carbon on this first land package. ITOCO's expectation is to be in receipt of funds upon final verification by Verra. Carbon Credit numbers above are based on the lowest values per ton received on similar packages. The Government of Mexico has strongly endorsed the Paris Agreement that was adopted at the twenty first session of the Conference of the Parties ("COP") to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) to mitigate Green House Gas ("GHG") emissions. ITOCO is now on track to get final signatures on about 60,000 hectares of Nopal Cactus Plantations in Mexico. The land package represents the farming activities of about 11,000 individual farmers in Mexico. ITOCO is in advanced negotiations on substantial additional Nopal Cactus Plantation acreage as well as suitable raw land both in Mexico and Internationally. ITOCO estimates that its current land package alone will yield up to USD $45 million annually in Carbon Credits, using a 40% discount to current Carbon prices. ITOCO has the ability to produce an ever-increasing number and value of Carbon Credits. As an early entrant to this Market, ITOCO stands to benefit from increasing Carbon prices. As background, The Kyoto Protocol of 1997 and the Paris Agreement of 2015 are international accords that lay out international CO2 emissions guidelines. The Paris Agreement was ratified by virtually all countries thus giving rise to worldwide emissions limits and regulations backing them. As a result, there is increasing pressure on firms and countries to find ways to reduce their carbon emissions (footprint). Today's solutions generally involve 'Carbon Markets' that have turned Carbon into a commodity with a price, and into a market that is continuously and rapidly growing. Thus, we have 'Carbon Credits' and/or 'Carbon Offsets' that can both be bought and sold on a carbon market. Purchasing Carbon Credits allows one to emit Carbon as part of whatever business one has; producing Carbon Offsets by reducing carbon in approved ways allows one to meet the demand for Carbon Credits. Carbon markets are a simple yet effective solution to incentivizing and measuring Carbon emissions and reductions internationally. About ITOCO Inc.: ITOCO's mission is to be a global leader in developing, distributing, and producing Bio Tech related technologies and methodologies in a compliant environmentally friendly manner. ITOCO Inc. trades on the OTC Markets, symbol: ITMC. ITOCO is a 14-year-old publicly quoted specialty Bio Tech development, production and distribution company based in Toronto Canada and Nevada USA. ITOCO seeks to partner with outstanding individuals and companies within this field to joint venture, research, and co-develop Bio Tech related products and technologies to the market. www.ITOCO.net Forward-Looking Statements This release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, without limitation, may contain the words believes, expects, anticipates, estimates, potential, intends, plans, hopes, or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. They involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions and actual results could differ materially from those anticipated. Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. CONTACT: Michael Paul, C.E.T. President & CEO ITOCO INC ir@itoco.net +1-800-805-1521 www.itoco.net SOURCE: ITOCO Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665798/ITOCO-Enhances-Its-Carbon-Credit-Potential-by-Increasing-Nopal-Cactus-Plantation-Land-Areas-Under-Contract-by-40-to-a-Total-of-1450-Hectares Compared to traditional processes, patented technology from Lyras reduces energy use by 90% and water use by more than 60%; results in better quality, more uptime and higher efficiency U.S. dairy processors can soon pasteurize milk and other non-transparent liquids with patented ultraviolet (UV) light technology that uses 90% less energy and more than 60% less water than traditional heat/cool pasteurization processes. Introduced to the U.S. market today by Lyras, Inc., the safe and sustainable cold pasteurization solution inactivates bacteria without heating the liquid, preserving its natural flavor and extending its shelf life, all while reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, the need for water and expensive cleaning chemicals and equipment. With Lyras' technology, dairy processors quickly experience lower operating costs, higher product quality, more uptime and stronger compliance with environmentally friendly initiatives. "Our claims might sound grand, but our studies show that if the global dairy industry switches to our patent protected UV light pasteurization process, we could-each year-save at least 40 million barrels of crude oil and enough drinking water to meet the needs of 45 million people," said Rasmus Mortensen, CEO and founder of Lyras. "That doesn't include all of the pipes, tanks and cleaners that would no longer be needed. If you add the use of this technology on juices, wine, beer and other liquids, there's potential for even greater environmental savings." UV Light "As Effective As Heat," Research Shows Traditional pasteurization processes throughout much of the United States and other countries heat milk up to 162 degrees Farenheit for at least 15 seconds or 150 degrees Farenheit for 30 minutes before it is then rapidly cooled. Both temperature shifts require significant energy and water resources. To eliminate waste and expedite the overall pasteurization process without reducing quality, Lyras looked to UV light, a reliable and stable method used to eliminate bacteria, spores, viruses, and other microorganisms in drinking water for more than 100 years. Until recently, however, UV light has been incapable of treating less transparent liquids such as milk to a satisfactory level. Tatiana Koutchma, PhD, a research scientist for Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, has studied UV light for low UV transparent (UVT) liquids and beverages for nearly 20 years and has worked with manufacturers aiming to develop nonthermal methods to process both liquid and solid food products. "We've long known that UV light can disinfect water, but as we're learning, with the right methods, UV light is also capable of preserving and improving safety of other less transparent liquids such as milk and juice products. UV is as effective as heat against food borne pathogen and spoilage organisms, but it requires less energy and water, has no effect on taste and flavor, and actually extends the shelf-life of the liquids." Lyras has devoted the last six years to extending the capabilities of UV light with a patent-protected light filter. This filter lets through only the precise UV wavelengths needed to remove microorganisms in milk without heating or cooling it and inactivate even the most hardy thermoresistant bacteria and spores without compromising product quality. "Our goal is to make a real difference in the worldwide dairy industry by creating significant CO2 savings," said Mortensen, who has won a series of awards for Lyras such as the Climate Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 and a regional EY Entrepreneur of The Year, "We'll know we're successful when we see our customers have greatly reduced their energy, water and chemical consumption with our safe and energy-saving technology. The more we grow, the greater green transformation we can help create. That is our true motivation and the future of pasteurization." About Lyras Founded in Denmark in 2017, Lyras is based on the premise that sustainable pasteurization is possible thanks to ultraviolet light and cold pasteurization. While UV light is a long-proven method for sanitizing water, the process has not been possible for milk and other non-transparent liquids. Lyras' cold pasteurization technology is built on extensive research and consultation with stakeholders that include individuals from the dairy and juice industry, academia, public health experts and other specialists. With its patented technology, Lyras can now treat most liquid products regardless of transparency and product type. For more information, visit http://www.lyras.dk. Press photos and video: Watch a video on Lyras' pasteurization technology here and find photos of the Lyras solution and CEO Rasmus Mortensen here. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005406/en/ Contacts: Company details: Marianne Andersen Lyras MAA@lyras.dk +45 2030 7447 US press: Kelly Wanlass HCI Marketing and Communications, Inc. kelly@hci-marketing.com 801-602-4723 Latest Version of Flexible, Open-Source CMS Offers Web Developers and Agencies Higher Performance, More Scalability and Compatibility with macOS, Linux, Microsoft Umbraco today launched Umbraco 9, the latest version of the user-friendly, flexible, fully customizable and robust content management system behind sites for leading brands such as NFL, J.P. Morgan, Rubbermaid and the State of New York. Umbraco 9 features a complete update of the CMS' technology stack, with a move from .NET Framework to now running completely on .NET 5 (previously known as .NET Core). This unique transformation offers better performance and scalability, a cleaner architecture, and compatibility with macOS, Linux and Microsoft Windows, opening up Umbraco to a larger pool of web developers. "Moving Umbraco completely to the latest version of .NET future proofs the platform, providing a robust CMS on the most relevant and modern technology familiar to-and expected from-today's web developers," said Kim Sneum Madsen, CEO, Umbraco. "Making Umbraco cross platform as well means web agencies struggling to find developers will have even more options as Linux and macOS developers-and not just those working on Windows-recognize the benefits Umbraco offers." Founded in 2005, Umbraco's CMS family includes the flagship, open-source Umbraco CMS; Umbraco Heartcore, a headless CMS; Umbraco Cloud; and Umbraco Uno, a one-stop platform for non-technical marketers and creative agencies. With help from its active community of more than 220,000 members, including a large "best-of-breed" partner network that offers customized solutions that integrate with Umbraco, the company now counts more than 700,000 websites worldwide-the majority in Europe and the U.S.-running live on its solutions. Testers Tout Performance, Clear Upgrade Plan for Up-to-Date CMS The launch of Umbraco 9 also kicks off a steady release cadence for new major versions of Umbraco. This new cadence is aligned with Microsoft .NET Long Term Support (LTS) releases, which means users can be confident that future Umbraco LTS versions are always updated to the latest Microsoft technology. "With Umbraco now on .NET 5, not only do we get some significant baseline improvements from the framework, but we can finally take advantage of some of the huge performance gains available in these latest .NET releases," said Benjamin Carleski, senior developer, ProWorks Corporation. "Umbraco 9 brings the latest advances to the CMS, such as string and Regex optimizations, and is fully compatible with .NET 6, with its round of further enhancements, when it releases later this year. Umbraco developers will also get access to an improved config system, Lucene.NET 4 enhancements, better member/user integrations, and so much more that has been added to Umbraco in v9." With help from long-time users such as Carleski, and thousands of other members of Umbraco's open-source community, Umbraco 9 is "clearly ready for global use," Madsen added. "Developers and their web agencies can be confident using Umbraco 9 for new projects today and long into the future, all without worrying about multiple frameworks or running multiple versions in tandem," he said. "They get a user-friendly and up-to-date CMS on modern and secure technology with a clear upgrade plan, making it even easier to create new digital experiences for themselves and their clients." About Umbraco Umbraco, a content management system (CMS) built on the Microsoft .NET 5 platform, was founded in 2005 with the vision of making the complex simpler. The company offers a user-friendly best-of-breed platform for content management based on open-source technology. With more than 700,000 installations, Umbraco is one of the most deployed Web Content Management Systems on the Microsoft stack. Its success lies in the open-source model, a unique community of more than 220,000 developers and users, and a well-established partner network of digital agencies. Acquired by Swedish software growth investor Monterro in August 2021, Umbraco has 100 employees and is headquartered in Odense, Denmark, with a branch office in Charlotte, North Carolina. For more information, visit www.umbraco.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005448/en/ Contacts: Press: Kelly Wanlass kelly@hci-marketing.com HCI Marketing and Communications, Inc. 1+(801) 602-4723 Despite significant medical advances, European morbidity and mortality rates in the 30-days after high-risk surgery are too high To address this urgent and serious problem a group of experts came together as the ImPrOve Think Tank. A common complication of high-risk surgery, highlighted as a priority for ImPrOve, is haemodynamic instability, manifested as intraoperative hypotension (IOH) A European report, outlining calls to action on how the perioperative process can be improved, including the need for advanced digital monitoring, was launched by the Think Tank to ensure the reduction of haemodynamic instability 18 months after the pandemic, hospitals in Europe are under pressure, suffering from lack of resources and requiring innovative digital technologies that can help improve patient safety The Improving Patient Outcomes (ImPrOve) Think Tank, a group of anaesthetists, surgeons and patient representatives, today launched its European Report to address a serious public health issue death and serious complication rates in the 30-days after high-risk surgery remain high.i In an effort to improve patient safety and outcomes, the Report calls for better physician training on the latest guidelines, funding for modern digital monitoring, greater use of data from modern technologies in health policies and the right for patients to be involved in dialogue about the management of their procedure. In Europe, 2.4 million patients undergo high-risk surgery every year.ii,iii Evidence from the UK suggests that 80% of postoperative deaths occur in a 10% sub-population of high-risk patients. If this trend continued at a European level, potentially 192,000 will die in the 30-day period after surgery.i While there are many challenges in high-risk surgery, the most alarming complication for the ImPrOve Think Tank is haemodynamic instability, manifested as drops in blood pressure, and known as IOH.i During high-risk surgery it is vital that blood continues to flow to organs. IOH is common during surgery under general anaesthesia, occurring in up to 99% of patients.i It has the potential to cause tissue damage in any vital organ, but the heart and kidneys are most affected. Recent studies show associations between IOH and increased risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) and myocardial injury iv,v- the leading cause of post-operative mortality. Postsurgical patients with AKI and myocardial injury stay longer in hospital, have higher readmission rates, and cost more to care for.iv The subsequent financial impact of this also has a significant impact on European healthcare systems. However, if haemodynamic instability is effectively monitored and prevented, these serious complications can be avoided, and patient outcomes can be significantly improved. "Our mission is to work collaboratively with patient representatives, clinicians and policy makers to improve perioperative patient safety and experience with the help of advanced haemodynamic monitoring technologies", commented Professor Olivier Huet, ImPrOve Chair and Professor of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Medicine. "Major gaps still exist in reducing the risk of complications after high-risk surgery across European hospitals, working together is therefore imperative. All stakeholders need to be onboard so that we can create change and address the calls to action." By 2050, it is predicted that 1 in 4 people could be over 65.vi With haemodynamic instability reported as high as 83% in more senior patients,vii the ImPrOve Think Tank believe it will be a likely cause of a significant proportion of modifiable postoperative mortality and morbidity in Europe. "Patients are often unaware of the risks of not receiving innovative digital monitoring technology, so they may not ask for the best perioperative management", said Ms Luciana Valente, International Relations Manager at SIHA, Italy, and member of the Think Tank. "It is essential that patients are better informed of the key risks associated with their procedure and aware that the use of innovative digital monitoring, and other actions will be taken to mitigate these risks. The more a patient is invested in a procedure, the better the outcomes will be." For further information and to download 'Improving patient safety: why perioperative care and effective monitoring matters" please visit www.improvethinktank.org References i Pearse RM, Moreno RP, Bauer P, Pelosi P, Metnitz P, Spies C et al. Mortality after surgery in Europe: a 7-day cohort study. Lancet. 2021; Sep 22;380(9847):1059-65. Available at: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(12)61148-9/fulltext [accessed July 2021]. ii Preoperative Score to Predict Postoperative Mortality POSPOM Edward's Presentation iii Ghaferi, et al. Variation in Hospital Mortality Associated with Inpatient Surgery. N Engl J Med, 2009. iv Keuffel EL, Rizzo J, Stevens M, Gunnarsson C, Maheshwari K. Hospital costs associated with intraoperative hypotension among non-cardiac surgical patients in the US: a simulation model. J Med Econ. 2019 Jul;22(7):645-651. Available at: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13696998.2019.1591147 [accessed July 2021] v Wesselink EM, Kappen TH, Torn HM, Slooter AJC, van Klei WA. Intraoperative hypotension and the risk of postoperative adverse outcomes: a systematic review. Br J Anaesth. 2018 Oct;121(4):706-721. Available at: https://bjanaesthesia.org/article/S0007-0912(18)30376-3/fulltext. [accessed July 2021]. vi United Nations. Ageing. 2019. Available at: https://www.un.org/en/sections/issues-depth/ageing/ [accessed July 2021] vii Wickham A, Highton D, Martin D, The Pan London Perioperative Audit and Research Network. Care of elderly patients: a prospective audit of the prevalence of hypotension and the use of BIS intraoperatively in 25 hospitals in London. Perioper Med (Lond). 2016; 5: 12. Available at: (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4882849/) [accessed July 2021]. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005621/en/ Contacts: Laura McKinlay Havas SO ImPrOve secretariat improve@havasso.com Tel: +44 (0) 7376 802 980 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Gas utility Southern California Gas Co. or SoCalGas and its parent company Sempra Energy announced agreements to resolve substantially all material civil litigation related to the 2015 Aliso Canyon natural gas storage facility leak. SoCalGas, which operates the storage facility, will record an after-tax charge of approximately $1.1 billion this month. The settlement, reportedly of up to $1.8 billion, was made with more than 35,000 clients affected by methane gas leak from a failing well in the Aliso Canyon facility near the Porter Ranch suburb of Los Angeles. The expected SoCalGas charge will be consolidated in Sempra's third-quarter results, due to which Sempra was forced to cut its fiscal 2021 earnings view to $3.83-$4.43 from $7.41-$8.01. Meanwhile, the company also guided to the upper end of the range for its full-year 2021 adjusted earnings per share guidance of $7.75-$8.35, and reaffirmed its full-year 2022 earnings per share guidance range of $8.10 to $8.70. Beginning October 2015, the faulty well at the Aliso Canyon gas storage facility leaked more than 4 billion cubic feet of natural gas into the atmosphere, sickening thousands with headaches, nosebleeds and nausea. The leak continued for 112 days until it was sealed in February 2016. During the incident, enough gas to supply about 20 million U.S. homes for a day was leaked, forcing more than 8,000 households and two schools to relocate. The utility was later cleared to resume storing natural gas at the Aliso Canyon facility in July 2017. An investigation report in 2019, which was commissioned by two state regulatory agencies, found the leak was caused by a corroded pipe casing, and that the California utility failed to adhere to best safety practices. In a statement, Sempra now noted that the net after-tax cash outflows for SoCalGas are expected to ultimately be up to approximately $895 million, after considering the remaining insurance receivable and other adjustments. According to the company, the agreements to resolve the referenced claims are subject to obtaining about 97% participation levels among the plaintiffs and court approval of the settlement allocation process, among other conditions. SoCalGas has previously too settled many cases related to the gas leak brought by local and state government agencies. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX SEMPRA-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de Award recognizes influential work on applied spectroscopy, and supports the development of infrared quantum cascade laser applications for biopharma Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced Professor Bernhard Lendl has been selected to receive a prestigious Agilent Thought Leader Award. Highly renowned in the field of vibrational spectroscopy, Dr. Lendl is a professor at the TU Wien (Vienna) and head of the working group on Process Analysis Vibrational Spectroscopy at the institution. Professor Lendl's work focuses on adapting powerful spectroscopic techniques and unique combinations of those techniques to improve methods for examining samples in challenging environments. The research supported by this award will help generate important novel applications for the spectroscopic analysis of pharmaceutically relevant biomolecules in aqueous environments a process made particularly difficult for IR spectroscopy due to strong interference from water. These new approaches will enable analytical tools that more easily fit into biochemistry workflows, allowing for rapid assessment of proteins, viral vectors, and other biomolecules that show therapeutic promise. "In recent years, semiconductor-based mid-IR lasers have developed into reliable sources which can now be used as key components for building advanced sensors for liquids and gases as well as for chemical imaging on the micro-and nanoscale. By exploiting the unique properties of these sources, fundamentally new sensing schemes can be realized," said Bernhard Lendl. "For us at TU Wien it is most exciting to actively contribute to this technological revolution and to learn that our work has already attracted the interest of Agilent, as one of the leading analytical instrumentation companies." "We're pleased to recognize and support Professor Lendl and his team and their work in the important area of applied vibrational spectroscopy," said Phil Binns, vice president, and general manager of Agilent's Spectroscopy Division. "It will be exciting to see how the award will help progress the generation of novel new applications of infrared quantum cascade laser to eliminate current bottlenecks in biopharma workflows." The Agilent Thought Leader Award program promotes fundamental scientific advances by contributing financial support, products, and expertise to the research of influential thought leaders in the life sciences, diagnostics, and chemical analysis space. To learn more, visit the Agilent Thought Leader Award website. About Agilent Technologies Agilent is a leader in life sciences, diagnostics, and applied chemical markets, delivering innovative technology solutions that provide trusted answers to researchers' most challenging scientific questions. The company generated revenue of $5.34 billion in fiscal year 2020 and employs 16,400 people worldwide. Information about Agilent is available at www.agilent.com. To receive the latest Agilent news, please subscribe to the Agilent Newsroom. Follow Agilent on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005302/en/ Contacts: Media Contact Naomi Goumillout Agilent Technologies +1.781.266.2819 naomi.goumillout@agilent.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2021) - Sun Summit Minerals Corp. (TSXV: SMN) (OTCQB: SMREF) ("Sun Summit" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has commenced a new phase of drilling at its 100% controlled Buck Property, central British Columbia. Two drill rigs are currently on site, and another rig may be added later, dependent on availability. Highlights Build on high-grade gold discovery : Sun Summit will systematically investigate the structural controls and spatial distribution of high-grade gold intersected in multiple holes in early 2021, stepping out around the Trench Zone area (e.g., 31.6 grams per tonne (g/t) gold over 4.0 metres including 246 g/t gold over 0.5 metres; BK21-020, see SMN news release dated May 11 th , 2021). : Sun Summit will systematically investigate the structural controls and spatial distribution of high-grade gold intersected in multiple holes in early 2021, stepping out around the Trench Zone area (e.g., 31.6 grams per tonne (g/t) gold over 4.0 metres including 246 g/t gold over 0.5 metres; BK21-020, see SMN news release dated May 11 , 2021). Expand footprint of near-surface, bulk tonnage-style gold: Sun Summit will also focus on delineating and expanding the size and trend of bulk tonnage-style gold mineralization intersected in numerous holes in 2020 and early 2021 in the Horseshoe Zone area (e.g., 1.07 g/t gold over 109 metres including 7.17 g/t gold over 5.2 metres; BK21-017, see SMN news release dated May 11 th , 2021). Sun Summit will also focus on delineating and expanding the size and trend of bulk tonnage-style gold mineralization intersected in numerous holes in 2020 and early 2021 in the Horseshoe Zone area (e.g., 1.07 g/t gold over 109 metres including 7.17 g/t gold over 5.2 metres; BK21-017, see SMN news release dated May 11 , 2021). Over 30 drill holes are planned in this initial phase of drilling: Two diamond drill rigs are on site; one initially focused on the Trench Zone and one initially focused on the Horseshoe Zone. Two diamond drill rigs are on site; one initially focused on the Trench Zone and one initially focused on the Horseshoe Zone. Test new targets: Numerous additional targets within and outside of the open-ended, 900 metre by 950 metre mineralized system (see SMN news release dated July 6th, 2021) will also be tested. Holes drilled in these targets will be in addition to the 30 plus holes to be drilled in the Trench and Horseshoe zones. Bob Willis, Sun Summit's CEO, stated, "We are excited to commence this significant phase of drilling at our Buck property. Based on encouraging results from earlier this year we have gained considerable insight into property-scale structural controls on widespread gold and silver mineralization at Buck." "This next phase of drilling will test these new structural models by focusing on local controls considered to be important for the distribution of high-grade gold mineralization. We have designed a series of drill holes to systematically test the extent and potential of the Trench and Horseshoe zones. These holes, as well as possible wider step-out holes, could exceed 12,000 metres of drilling. This drill phase is open ended and can be expanded based on ongoing results." Drill Program Over 30 drill holes are planned within a footprint of approximately 600 metres by 300 metres. The drill program has three primary objectives: 1)Investigate the extent and continuity of high-grade gold mineralization characteristic of the Trench Zone. All previous Trench Zone holes (e.g., 31.6 g/t gold over 4.0 metres including 246 g/t gold over 0.5 metres; BK21-020, see SMN news release dated May 11th, 2021) were designed based on results from discovery hole BK20-012 (5.86 g/t gold over 17 metres including 23.05 g/t gold over 3.0 metres; see SMN news release dated January 5th, 2021). Updated modelling has defined broad northwest trends to high-grade gold mineralization within the target area. New drill holes, all with northeast oriented azimuths, are designed to systematically test these trends for continuity of mineralization. Tightly-spaced step-out holes peripheral to areas of known mineralization together with wider-spaced step-out holes along and across trends will be completed. Twenty four drill holes are initially designed for the Trench Zone. 2)Investigate the strike-extent of near surface, bulk-tonnage gold mineralization characteristic of the Horseshoe Zone. All previous holes in the Horseshoe Zone hit near-continuous, broad zones of breccia-hosted and disseminated gold mineralization (e.g., 1.13 g/t gold equivalent over 87 metres within 0.52 g/t gold equivalent over 409 metres; BK21-033; see SMN news release dated July 6th, 2021). The zones are unconstrained, and modelling suggests further drilling is warranted to define the extent of bulk-tonnage mineralization. All new drill holes are designed to test the extent of, and the structural relationship between the two key styles of gold mineralization observed within the Horseshoe Zone, being (1) sphalerite-rich sulfide-cemented hydrothermal 'mosaic' breccias (e.g., 1.04 g/t gold over 46 metres including 3.76 g/t gold over 5.7 metres; BK20-006; see SMN news release dated January 5th, 2021) and, (2) disseminated throughout volcanic breccias (e.g., 0.58 g/t gold over 127.2 metres; BK20-001; see SMN news release dated May 12th, 2020). Seven holes are initially planned in the Horseshoe Zone. 3)Investigate the limits of the mineralized hydrothermal footprint. Epithermal-related alteration and mineralization has been intersected in drill holes covering a footprint of approximately 900 metres by 950 metres, including below post-mineralization basalts (see SMN news release dated July 6th, 2021). The true extent of this footprint is unknown. Additional holes are designed to explore for new mineralized centres within, and outside of the known footprint. Exploration update Property-wide exploration is ongoing (see SMN news release dated August 4th, 2021). Numerous soil-geochemical grids and long property-scale soil transects have been completed totalling over 2,600 samples. Over 220 systematic rock-chip samples have also been collected from newly identified areas of widespread hydrothermal alteration as well as targets identified from a thorough compilation of all available historic exploration data. Soil and rock samples are currently in the lab and results will be released once all data are received and have been interpreted. Management believes this work will yield additional priority drill targets outside the Trench-Horseshoe area. Buck Property The ~33,000 hectare property is located approximately 12 kilometres south of Houston, British Columbia, has excellent nearby infrastructure and allows for year-round road-accessible exploration. National Instrument 43-101 Disclosure This news release has been approved by Sun Summit's CEO, Robert D. Willis, P. Eng. a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects of the Canadian Securities Administrators. He has also verified the data disclosed, including sampling, analytical and test data, underlying the technical information in this news release. Community Engagement Sun Summit is engaging with First Nations on whose territory the Buck Property is located and is discussing their interests and identifying contract and work opportunities, as well as opportunities to support community initiatives. The Company looks forward to continuing to work with local and regional First Nations as the project continues. Health and Safety The Company's exploration programs are being carried out in full compliance with federal, provincial, and municipal guidelines established in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Sun Summit has a rigorous infection prevention and control protocol in place to protect the health of employees and contractors, as well as surrounding communities in which the Company works. About Sun Summit Sun Summit Minerals is an exploration company focused on expanding its epithermal gold discovery at its flagship Buck Project located in north-central British Columbia. The Company is exploring multiple high priority gold and silver targets through methodical, well-funded exploration campaigns with year round drilling access. The Project has high-grade and bulk-tonnage gold and silver potential and is located in a mining-established region that includes many former operating mines and current exploration projects. Sun Summit is committed to environmental and social responsibility with a focus on responsible development to generate positive outcomes for all stakeholders. Further details are available at www.sunsummitminerals.com For further information, contact: Sharyn Alexander, M.Sc. VP Technical Services Nancy Curry Corporate Communications info@sunsummitminerals.com Tel. 778-588-9606 Forward-Looking Information Statements contained in this news release that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements, which involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause such differences, without limiting the generality of the following, include: risks inherent in exploration activities; volatility and sensitivity to market prices; volatility and sensitivity to capital market fluctuations; the impact of exploration competition; the ability to raise funds through private or public equity financings; environmental and safety risks including increased regulatory burdens; unexpected geological or hydrological conditions; changes in government regulations and policies, including trade laws and policies; failure to obtain necessary permits and approvals from government authorities; weather and other natural phenomena; and other exploration, development, operating, financial market and regulatory risks. Except as required by applicable securities laws and regulation, Sun Summit Minerals Corp. (SMN) disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada 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/97768 Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2021) - Leveljump Healthcare Corp. (TSXV: JUMP) (OTCQB: JMPHF) (FSE: 75J) ("Leveljump" or the "Company"), a Canadian leader in B2B telehealth solutions, is pleased to announce that it has signed definitive agreements to acquire three diagnostic imaging clinics, also known as independent healthcare facilities, ("IHFs"), from a private Ontario vendor. The purchase price is an all-cash deal of $4.3 million of which $250,000 has been paid as a deposit. The transaction is targeted to close in the first half of December and is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, required regulatory approval, satisfactory due diligence and securing an institutional credit facility to fund the balance of the purchase price. In the event the transaction does not close, the deposit will be refunded to the Company less a $25,000 break fee payable to the vendor. Through a total of nine modality imaging licenses, these IHFs offer medical imaging including x-ray, ultrasound, and mammography scans. Two of the IHFs have serviced their regions for 15 and 20 years respectively. The third IHF was opened within the last two years and presents a growth opportunity in an underserviced community. The IHFs are all located in Ontario. Combined, the two mature IHF's are currently reporting revenue of approximately $1.4 million with EBITDA of over $400,000. The third IHF has revenues of approximately $200,000 and negative EBITDA of approximately $100,000. "Today is a milestone for the company," said Mitch Geisler, CEO. "We are now executing on the next phase of our business plan with the acquisition of these three imaging clinics. We will be increasing the revenues of our subsidiary Canadian Teleradiology Services to approximately $8 million annually with approximately $1 million in EBITDA. We look forward to increasing patient scan volumes and expanding the new clinics. Additionally, we will hope to have synergies and cost efficiencies with our current operations, allowing for increased profitability." About Leveljump Healthcare Leveljump Healthcare Corp., (TSXV: JUMP) (OTCQB: JMPHF) (FSE: 75J) is building a national medical diagnostic imaging company and brand, primarily by providing teleradiology (remote radiology) services to its client hospitals and imaging centers. Additionally, JUMP plans to expand through the acquisition of independent healthcare facilities focused on diagnostic imaging as well as acquiring new disruptive imaging technologies. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF LEVELJUMP HEALTHCARE CORP. Mitchell Geisler, Chief Executive Officer info@leveljumphealthcare.com (833) 840-2020 CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the Company's business plans and the outlook of the Company's industry. Although the Company believes, in light of the experience of its officers and directors, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors that have been considered appropriate, 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. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release and the Company assumes no responsibility to update them or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances other than as required by applicable securities laws. The Company undertakes no obligation to comment on analyses, expectations or statements made by third parties in respect of the Company, Canadian Teleradiology Services, Inc., their securities, or their respective financial or operating results (as applicable). Neither the 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 release. The securities being offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, United States persons absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor in any other jurisdiction. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97859 WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Jacobs (J) announced Tuesday that it has won seven awards on the General Services Administration's (GSA) ASTRO contract. The multiple-award, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract has no defined ceiling value but is anticipated to have a multi-billion-dollar budget over its potential 10-year ordering period. Sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD), the ASTRO program will be managed by GSA's Federal Systems Integration and Management Center (FEDSIM). The program focuses on providing the DoD innovative, future technology, products, solutions and capabilities across all domains as the Department operationalizes convergence. ASTRO's scope includes the full lifecycle of development, integration, operation and maintenance for manned, unmanned and optionally-manned systems, robotics, sensors, vehicles and platforms. The scope also covers the services that support those systems as well as the analysis and visualization of data they collect. Jacobs was selected for all seven pools on which the company submitted proposals, including: data operations, mission operations, space, ground, development/systems integration, research and training. The GSA ASTRO awards position Jacobs to continue to innovate and scale digital solutions and builds on Jacobs' longstanding commitment to supporting DoD's mission. 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. WEST MELBOURNE, FL / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2021 / BK Technologies Corporation (NYSE American:BKTI) today announced that its longtime customer, the Nevada Bureau of Land Management ("BLM Nevada") has chosen the Company's BKR 5000 for purchase and as it conducts a lifecycle replacement program for its fire and land management portable communications technology. 67% of Nevada, or 48 million acres, are public lands. With extensive public involvement, BLM Nevada applies the highest quality information and cutting-edge technology and techniques to protect, use, restore and enhance public lands for current and future generations in support of the state's multiple-use and sustained yield mandate. BLM Nevada is a longstanding customer of BK Technologies, using its portable communications technology as it implements its Resource Management plans, which are a blueprint for keeping public landscapes safe, healthy, and productive. Tim Vitou, President of BK Technologies commented, "We're pleased to continue our work with our longstanding partner, BLM Nevada, as they upgrade their portable communications technology to our BKR 5000. Given the enormous amount of territory BLM Nevada is responsible for maintaining and protecting, it is critical that the agency employs the highest level of dependable communications technology, as provided by our BKR 5000. BLM Nevada has always recognized the importance of utilizing leading edge technology to support its field operations and personnel and we believe their selection of the BKR 5000, as they update their portable communications equipment, speaks to the high quality and reliability of our radios." The BKR 5000 comes in three tiers allowing maximum flexibility and customization for the user's mission-critical needs and has been designed to meet the requirements of today's tough Public Safety communications environment. The BKR 5000 was designed and developed by the BK Technologies engineering team with extensive input from customers to incorporate the features and options needed by first responders. A full line of accessories is available including intelligent battery and charging solutions, IP68 remote speaker microphones, and the popular BK wildland fire alkaline battery "clamshell". The new BKR 5000 is expected to be a platform that enhances BK's ability to address significant new vertical markets leading to expanded growth and market share. About BK Technologies BK Technologies Corporation is an American holding company deeply rooted in the public safety communications industry, with its operating subsidiary manufacturing high-specification, American-made communications equipment of unsurpassed reliability and value for use by public safety professionals and government agencies. BK Technologies is honored to serve our public safety heroes with reliable equipment when every moment counts. The Company's common stock trades on the NYSE American market under the symbol "BKTI". Maintaining its headquarters in West Melbourne, Florida, BK Technologies can be contacted through its website at www.bktechnologies.com or directly at 1-800-821-2900. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the "Safe Harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements concern the Company's operations, economic performance, and financial condition and are based largely on the Company's beliefs and expectations. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks, some of which have been, and may further be, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, include, among others, the following: changes or advances in technology; the success of our land mobile radio product line; successful introduction of new products and technologies, including our ability to successfully develop and sell our anticipated new multiband product and other related products in the planned new BKR Series product line; competition in the land mobile radio industry; general economic and business conditions, including federal, state and local government budget deficits and spending limitations, any impact from a prolonged shutdown of the U.S. Government, and the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; the availability, terms and deployment of capital; reliance on contract manufacturers and suppliers; risks associated with fixed-price contracts; heavy reliance on sales to agencies of the U.S. Government and our ability to comply with the requirements of contracts, laws and regulations related to such sales; allocations by government agencies among multiple approved suppliers under existing agreements; our ability to comply with U.S. tax laws and utilize deferred tax assets; our ability to attract and retain executive officers, skilled workers and key personnel; our ability to manage our growth; our ability to identify potential candidates for, and consummate, acquisition, disposition or investment transactions, and risks incumbent to being a noncontrolling interest stockholder in a corporation; impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the companies in which the Company holds investments; impact of our capital allocation strategy; risks related to maintaining our brand and reputation; impact of government regulation; rising health care costs; our business with manufacturers located in other countries, including changes in the U.S. Government and foreign governments' trade and tariff policies, as well as any further impact resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic; our inventory and debt levels; protection of our intellectual property rights; fluctuation in our operating results and stock price; acts of war or terrorism, natural disasters and other catastrophic events, such as the COVID-19 pandemic; any infringement claims; data security breaches, cyber-attacks and other factors impacting our technology systems; availability of adequate insurance coverage; maintenance of our NYSE American listing; risks related to being a holding company; and the effect on our stock price and ability to raise equity capital of future sales of shares of our common stock. Certain of these factors and risks, as well as other risks and uncertainties, are stated in more detail in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, and in the Company's subsequent filings with the SEC. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press 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. # # # Company Contact: IMS Investor Relations John Nesbett/Jennifer Belodeau bktechnologies@imsinvestorrelations.com (203) 972-9200 SOURCE: BK Technologies Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665659/Nevada-Bureau-of-Land-Management-to-Deploy-BK-Technologies-BKR-5000 TAIPEI, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The 12th Golden Comic Awards hosted by the Ministry of Culture announced the finalists a few days ago. The 25 outstanding Taiwan comics shortlisted works will compete for the Best New Talent, Best Cross-media Application, Best Editor, Government Comic Award, Comic of the Year, and GCA Grand Prize, and senior comic artist Ren Zhenghua won the Special Contribution Award. From October 22nd, the GCA CONNECTION+ online series will be launched. Online themed special exhibitions will select nearly 100 original Taiwanese comics. People are welcome to visit the immersive interactive website to experience the vitality of Taiwan's original comics. This year's Golden Comic Awards was enthusiastically registered. The Ministry of Culture stated that a total of 226 works were registered for the competition, an increase of 17% over last year. After reviews, a total of 25 works were shortlisted, and Ren Zhenghua won the Special Contribution Award. Ren Zhenghua came into prominence in the 1980s with girly comics. Her representative works include "Sea of Devil", "Ren Rou Bao Zi", "Drawn to Life", "Drawn to Life 2", etc.. Her works are full of insights into humanity and entertaining, being a model for young generations to learn. In terms of other awards, the jury stated that the finalists of this year's Best New Talent award are amazing, including their styles and selection of materials; the finalists of the Best Editor show how editors explore the market with their own unique vision. They led creators to clarify the core of the work from the beginning of the project to the final completion. The works shortlisted for the Best Cross-media Application use peripheral products and integrated media to enrich the worldview of the original work. Shortlisted works of the Comic of the Year are diverse, showing multiple styles. Since the government has promoted comics and has contributed in data translation, the Government Comic Award has been added this year to encourage creators and private organizations to cooperate with government agencies to develop original comics with Taiwanese characteristics. The jury stated that the finalists for this award broke the old stereotype. These works are imaginative, creative and eye-catching. According to the Ministry of Culture, there will be 6 winners of the Comic of the Year award this year, and each award will have a winner. One more winner of the GCA Grand Prize will be selected from the winners of the Comic of the Year. The total prize money is NTD 2.45 million, and the list of winners will be announced at the award ceremony on October 28th. From October 22nd, the Golden Comic Awards online series will be launched. For more information, please follow the GCA facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GoldenComic/. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1637118/The_12th_Golden_Comic_Awards_main_visual_photo_credit_TTV.jpg Ottawa, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2021) - KWESST Micro Systems Inc. (OTCQB: KWEMF) ("KWESST" or "the Company"), a publicly-traded company listed on the OTCQB Markets (symbol: KWEMF) and the TSX Venture Exchange (symbol: KWE) today announced that it has engaged Stryk Group USA, ("Stryk Group"), headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, as the Company's strategic partner for commercialization of KWESST's Low Energy Cartridge ("LEC") non-lethal products in the U.S. "This is a crucial step in our roadmap to bring LEC products to market in the U.S., with an official hard launch at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas, January 18-21, 2022," said David Luxton, Executive Chairman of KWESST. "Like others in the industry, we are well acquainted with the standout capabilities of the team at Stryk Group to build major brands in the shooting and outdoor trade." He added, "From previous work with them in other ventures, they are hands-down the go-to specialists in this field for me. Their marquee client list speaks for itself, and we are very pleased that they share our confidence in the transformative potential of the LEC." KWESST's proprietary LEC technology solves the twin problems of high-energy "less lethal" cartridge-based munitions that can sometimes be lethal, and the problem of air-powered alternatives that lack the reliability of a cartridge-based system. The LEC is a novel, patent-pending system comprising: a specialized, low-cost firing platform, and a "munition" having a cartridge case with a low-energy "actuator" that propels and stabilizes a polymer projectile. Projectiles can be solid polymer for "pain compliance" or target practice; or a bullet-shaped hollow "plug" containing a bright marking agent for realistic training; or, a high-potency irritant powder for temporary incapacitation for use in self defense, law enforcement or animal control, plus an inert powder variant for practice. Jeff Edwards, Managing Partner at Stryk Group said, "We are very familiar with David Luxton's track record in developing world-leading non-lethal products. We view this latest invention, the LEC, as a real breakthrough, with the potential to transform all segments of the non-lethal market so that 'everyone goes home alive'. We are excited to be a part of bringing it to market and believe it will have broad application across all segments of the non-lethal user community including personal defense and law enforcement, force-on-force training, and the related market of high-end gaming." Under the terms of the engagement, Stryk Group will provide KWESST with expert advice on market positioning and branding, and the development of a web site with social media and e-commerce modules. "By the end of this year customers will be able to pre-order the product right from our website, to be created by Stryk Group," said Luxton. The project will also leverage Stryk Group's proprietary data bases and sophisticated digital platforms for highly targeted promotion to qualified audiences at scale, augmented by strategic physical sales channel development, plus order taking and fulfillment across the U.S. "We are confident that by working with Stryk Group this way, including their proven digital strategies, we will accelerate our time to market and the ramp-up of sales," said Luxton. About the non-lethal market and the Low Energy Cartridge System The market for non-lethal products is a recurring multi-billion-dollar opportunity. Customers continue to seek better solutions as many legacy systems can be lethal, and frequently are unreliable. Thousands of fatalities have been recorded from existing cartridge-bases systems, including conducted energy devices such as Taser. Other legacy products that are "less" lethal typically fire from air guns, which are inherently unreliable as they are affected by ambient temperature and involve high-maintenance including as a result of air seals and "O" rings drying out and bursting, causing catastrophic failures. Air-based systems also entail a long logistics tail of compressors, air tanks and spare parts. The LEC systems solves these problems with the proven reliability of a cartridge-based system in a low-cost firing platform that fires only LEC cartridges. The firing platforms are offered in various patterns that replicate the look of a real firearm, or avoid the appearance of a firearm altogether, at the user's choice. The proprietary LEC cartridge automatically stabilizes the projectile for accuracy and distance, with an energetic actuator that controls velocity and muzzle energy well below lethal levels, and with no need for gunpowder or conventional propellant. The system's soft frangible projectiles come with various payloads, including coloured marking agent, inert powder or a safe but powerful irritant powder that temporarily incapacitates subjects. The Company also announced that it has signed a shares for debt agreement with one of its law firm to settle $18,000 of legal fees through the issuance of 10,000 common shares. About Stryk Group Stryk Group USA leverages over 40 years of industry relationships for high-impact consulting to the world's leading hunting, camping fishing and firearms brands. For more information, please visit https://strykgroup.com/. About KWESST KWESST develops and commercializes breakthrough next-generation tactical systems that meet the requirements of security forces and personal defense for overmatch capability against adversaries. The company's current portfolio of unique proprietary offerings include its unique non-lethal Low Energy Cartridge (LEC) system with application across all segments of the non-lethal market, including law enforcement and personal defence. KWESST is also involved in the digitization of tactical forces for shared situational awareness and targeting with its signature TASCSTM (Tactical Awareness and Situational Control System) for real-time awareness and targeting information from any source (including drones) streamed directly to users' smart devices and weapons. Other KWESST products include counter-measures against threats such as drones, lasers and electronic detection. These include the autonomous GreyGhostTM soldier-portable micro drone missile system that defends against small hostile drones including swarms using high-speed kinetic impact; a Ground Laser Defence system to counter the emerging threat of weaponized lasers against personnel and the PhantomTM electronic battlefield decoy system to mask the electromagnetic signature of friendly forces with decoy signatures at false locations to deceive and confuse adversaries. These systems can operate stand-alone or integrate seamlessly with OEM products and battlefield management systems. The Company is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, with representative offices in Washington, DC, London, UK and Abu Dhabi, UAE. KWESST trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol KWE and on the U.S. OTCQB under the symbol KWEMF. Contact: Jason Frame, Investor Relations: frame@kwesst.com For more information, please visit https://kwesst.com/. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. 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. 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. KWESST 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. 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 news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97799 Vaughan, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2021) - Spyder Cannabis Inc. (TSXV: SPDR) ("Spyder" or the "Company"), an established Canadian cannabis and vape retailer, announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Spyder Cannabis Subco Inc. ("Spyder Subco"), has received Retail Store Authorization ("RSA") from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario ("AGCO") for its proposed cannabis dispensary located at 767 Taunton Road in Oshawa, Ontario. Furthermore, Spyder Subco has successfully passed a pre-authorization inspection with the AGCO and has now been placed in the queue to receive RSA on its second proposed cannabis dispensary in Niagara Falls, Ontario located at 5719 Victoria Avenue. Both retail premises will continue to operate as vape stores under the 180 Smoke banner name until the Company has finalized its new cannabis dispensary brand and banner name, which is expected to be finalized and announced in the coming weeks. The Company is exploring additional opportunities to convert other 180 Smoke retail locations - leveraging the brand's current customer base of over 230,000 registered accounts - continuing to build and expand on Spyder's footprint and presence in Ontario. "We expect to apply for three additional RSAs in Hamilton, Ottawa and The Blue Mountains for premises within our existing lease portfolio which would increase our dispensary footprint to a total of seven locations in Ontario," said Dan Pelchovitz, CEO of Spyder Subco. He continued, "We are targeting all of these conversions and buildouts to commence before the end of 2021." Spyder acquired 180 Smoke in March 2021, outlining plans to leverage 180 Smoke's platform to further the Company's cannabis operations. "Our cannabis and vape retail focused business has performed very well and we are very excited about the progress we have made to date," stated Cameron Wickham, Executive Vice Chair and CEO of Spyder Cannabis. "We are close to finalizing our new dispensary banner name and consumer experience which we will announce in the coming weeks." About Spyder Cannabis Inc. Spyder is an established cannabis and vape retailer that owns and operates two licensed dispensaries under the brand SPDR Cannabis in Ontario and 28 vape retail locations across Ontario under the retail brands 180 Smoke and Spyder Vapes. 180 Smoke is a leading omni-channel Canadian vape retailer with a strong e-commerce presence and over 230,000 registered customers across its B2C channel. Cautionary Statements Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or future performance of the Company. The use of any of the words "could", "intend", "expect", "believe", "will", "may", "projected", "estimated" and similar expressions, and negatives thereto, and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Company's current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. Various assumptions or factors are typically applied in drawing conclusions or making the forecasts or projections set out in forward-looking information. Those assumptions and factors are based on information currently available to the parties. Forward-looking information necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information contained in this release is made as of the date hereof and the parties are 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. Because of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions contained herein, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The foregoing statements expressly qualify any forward-looking information contained herein. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information, please contact: Spyder Cannabis Inc. Cameron Wickham Executive Vice-Chair and Chief Executive Officer T: (905) 330-1602 E: corporate@spydercannabis.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97713 DIGIMAX AND DELPHI TO CO-OWN CAYMAN AND US BASED COMMODITY HEDGE FUNDS BASED ON COMMODITY-HAWK SIGNALS TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2021 / DigiMax Global Inc. (the "Company" or "DigiMax") (CSE:DIGI)(OTC PINK:DBKSF), a company that provides artificial intelligence ("AI") and cryptocurrency technology solutions, is pleased to announce it has entered an agreement with Delphi AI Systems Inc ("AI") to utilize their previously developed, and currently enhanced artificial intelligence tools to track 10 separate commodities to predict price direction. In a service that is similar to the CryptoHawk Price Trend Watch, CommodityHawk will be offered to institutional traders and commodity producers seeking to hedge inventory positions or profit from trading. The service will be available before the end of 2021 and will be priced at $US 1,000 per month for 4 commodities and $500 per month for each additional commodity up to a maximum of $3,500 per month. Since direct trials commenced at the beginning of 2021, CommodityHawk has demonstrated an ability to beat buy-and-hold strategies by a significant margin. Accordingly, this prediction tool provides an excellent return on the monthly cost for anyone trading $100,000 or more on average. Commodity Hawk will be 100% owned by DigiMax but affiliate fees of up to 20% will be shared with Delphi dependent on the number of users they attract to the service. Both DigiMax and Delphi will use their growing global investor channels to share this highly valuable service with users. DigiMax and Delphi will also commence work immediately on creating sister hedge funds (trading will be simultaneous in each) domiciled in Cayman Islands and in the US. The Cayman fund will likely be available first as it will be registered as a related fund to its Crypto Hedge Fund whereas the US fund will require new registration. At least one of the funds is expected to be operational on or before the end of 2021. These funds will be owned on an equal basis between Delphi and DigiMax and will be enabled to trade all commodities on behalf of unit holders of the fund. About Delphi Delphi Analytics is a decade-old technology company that utilizes a variety of data analytics, models and machine learning to generate algorithms to increase predictability and outcomes in trading and corporate financial risk management. Delphi constructs proprietary algorithms and indices (termed AiCi's = Artificial Intelligence Confidence Indices) as well as develops AiCi's for specific/custom use. About DigiMax DigiMax is an Artificial Intelligence technology company committed to unlocking the potential of disruptive technologies by providing advanced financial, predictive, and cryptocurrency solutions across various verticals. DigiMax is an official IBM Watson partner, and the Company's engineering team has extensive experience in Machine Learning, Neural Language Processing, AI, Big Data and Cryptocurrency technology. To learn more, visit our website:https://digimaxglobal.com/ Contact: Damon Stone Fund Investor Communications 647-465-0148 dstone@digimax-global.com Chris Carl President & CEO 416-312-9698 ccarl@digimax-global.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements or information". Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: anticipate, intend, plan, goal, seek, believe, project, estimate, expect, strategy, future, likely, may, should, will and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements in this press release include, among others, statements about the Company and Kirobo Inc.'s future plans, expectations and objectives. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. The Company may not actually achieve its plans, projections, or expectations. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company, including expectations and assumptions concerning the future plans of Kirobo Inc. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: the adequacy of our cash flow and earnings, the benefits and uses of our software, the pricing and availability of our software, the availability of future financing and/or credit, and other conditions which may affect our ability to expand the platforms and software described herein, the level of demand and financial performance of the cryptocurrency industry, developments and changes in laws and regulations, including increased regulation of the cryptocurrency industry through legislative action and revised rules and standards applied by the Canadian Securities Administrators, Ontario Securities Commission, and/or other similar regulatory bodies in other jurisdictions, disruptions to our technology network including computer systems, software and cloud data, or other disruptions of our operating systems, structures or equipment, the impact of Covid-19 or other viruses and diseases on the Company's ability to operate, consumer sentiment towards the Company's products and services, failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations, government regulations, competition, loss of key employees and consultants, and general economic, market or business conditions, the impact of technology changes on the products and industry, the ability for Kirobo Inc. to complete its business objectives, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in disclosure documents filed by the Company with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise. SOURCE: DigiMax Global Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665880/DigiMax-to-Launch-CommodityHawk--AI-Driven-Commodity-Price-Trend-Prediction-Tool-for-Institutional-Investors Pharmaceutical Assets Include Company's Non-Opioid Anti-inflammatory Compound KLS-13019 to Treat Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy (CIPN) Company's Strategy is to Utilize the Phase 2 Study Grant Funds to Complete Preclinical Studies in CIPN and Ready the Company to Begin FDA Phase 1 Human Clinical Trials DOYLESTOWN, PA / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2021 / Neuropathix, Inc. ("Neuropathix" or the "Company") (OTCQB:NPTX), a socially responsible pain management life sciences company, today announces that its wholly owned subsidiary, Kannalife Sciences, Inc. has received a notice of award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a $2.97 million Phase 2 STTR Study Grant. The three-year STTR Study Grant is funded through the NIH HEAL Initiative (Helping End Addiction Long-term) for Development of Therapies and Technologies Directed at Enhanced Pain Management and will provide funding specifically in the Development of KLS-13019 for Neuropathic Pain. The Notice of Award R42NS120548 sets forth the funding allocation of $977,054 in year 1, $991,944 in year 2 and $1,001,774 in year 3. Of significant collateral importance is the current epidemic of opioid addiction and abuse by patients in the United States and around the globe. In 2015, abuse liability statistics for opioid misusers who obtained opioids from the prescribed patient was as high as 54%. Adding to the equation is the off-label use of opioids and gabapentinoids for chronic and neuropathic pain as a result of the unmet medical need and no FDA approved non-opioid drug to treat chronic and neuropathic pain, specifically Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). "With this generous support from the NIH, the hope of an effective treatment to patients suffering from neuropathic pain is provided by the discovery of a substantial and promising drug candidate. While our early studies in animals have shown evidence for an unprecedented reversal of pain associated with chemotherapy, our future studies will be used to ensure safe dosing and further details on the novel anti-neuroinflammatory mechanisms that help to understand how our new drug candidate works," said Douglas Brenneman, PhD, Chief Pharmacologist of Neuropathix. "I am thrilled to be able to continue this exciting collaboration with the scientists at Neuropathix. It is truly a researcher's dream to be able to witness early ideas and years of discovery at the bench bring us this close to making an impact on human health and disease. My laboratory is ready and eager to embark on this new stage of investigation with KLS-13019 into its therapeutic potential as an anti-neuropathic agent," said Sara Jane Ward, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology at the Katz School of Medicine. "Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a real problem worldwide and a window into what real unmet needs are in treating chronic and neuropathic pain, as well as reducing the use of opioids in CIPN and many other inflammatory pain related diseases and disorders. We are extremely grateful to the entire NIH-NINDS, the HEAL Initiative committee, the dedicated scientists at the NINDS' Preclinical Screening Program for Pain (PSPP) within HEAL; and the HEAL Initiative scientific study group for recognizing the importance of furthering our discovery and selecting our application for funding under the HEAL Initiative. These critical resources will allow us to do the necessary research for a potential future IND filing with the U.S. FDA. God has blessed us with a wonderful team of scientists in Doylestown, namely Drs. Doug Brenneman, Bill Kinney and Mark McDonnell, all of whom are selfless, dedicated and extraordinarily talented scientists that share a common goal of helping people in need with novel medicines. We are also very grateful to the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, Dr. Sara Jane Ward and her research team at Temple University for their invaluable contribution to life sciences, the cannabinoid-based therapeutics space, and belief in the potential of KLS-13019. We are on this road to the clinic together," said Dean Petkanas, CEO of Neuropathix. Neuropathix is located in the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC), which is managed by the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute and located in Doylestown, Pa. Blumberg Institute staff assisted with the application for this NIH grant. Dr. Sara J. Ward is Assistant Professor, Center for Substance Abuse Research and Assistant Professor, Neural Sciences at Temple University's Lewis Katz School of Medicine. Kannalife (a Neuropathix subsidiary) provides testing compounds and funds research activities at Temple University's Center for Substance Abuse Research under the direction of Dr. Ward. Dr. Ward also serves as a member of Kannalife's Advisory Board. These activities have been reviewed according to Temple University's Conflict of Interest (COI) policies, and questions regarding Temple University may be directed to coisom@temple.edu Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke (NINDS) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under Award Number R42NS120548. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. About KLS-13019 KLS-13019 is Neuropathix patented lead clinical target for the potential treatment of a range of neurodegenerative and neuropathic pain disorders, beginning with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). KLS-13019 is a monotherapeutic non-opioid cannabinoid derivative that has been shown to prevent and reverse neuropathic pain in pre-clinical animal studies. KLS-13019 has not been reviewed or approved for patient use by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or any other healthcare authority in the world. Its safety and efficacy have not been confirmed by FDA-approved research. About CIPN and the Global Neuropathic Pain Market Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is the most common side effect of chemotherapy drugs and is defined as a progressive, enduring and often irreversible condition featuring neuropathic pain, numbness, tingling, and sensitivity to cold in the hands and feet, sometimes progressing to the arms and legs. The global neuropathic pain market is forecast to reach $9.8 billion USD by 2027 at a CAGR of 5.6% between 2020 and 2027. Increasing prevalence of cancer is expected to propel growth of the global neuropathic pain market over the forecast period. About the Global Opioids Drug Market The global opioids drug market is expected to reach $33.78 billion USD by 2028, at a CAGR of 2.56% from the forecast period 2019-2028. Opioids are mainly used in cancer pain management and end-stage diseases in which painkilling care is required. The rising prevalence of cancer, high demand for pain therapeutics in the treatment of chronic pain, regulatory approvals and launches of innovative drug formulations, and increasing approval rate of abuse-deterrent formulations of opioid drugs are major driving factors of the global opioids drug market. The arrival of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has provided an unanticipated haven for the already formidable opioid epidemic. About the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC): The PABC is a nonprofit life sciences incubator-accelerator, offering state-of-the-art laboratory and office space to early stage biotech companies, as well as the Hepatitis B Foundation and Blumberg Institute. Managed by the Institute and led by a board appointed by the Foundation, PABC has nearly 80 member companies, mostly small to mid-size science, research and pharmaceutical companies. Close to 50 of those companies have on-site operations. The center uses a highly successful services-based approach to nurture and guide its member companies to success, advancing biotechnology, maximizing synergies among nonprofit scientists and their commercial colleagues, and launching new ideas and discoveries that will make a difference. PABC is just outside of Doylestown, the Bucks County seat, in the heart of the Philadelphia-New Jersey pharma belt. The PABC website provides details about PABC membership options and upcoming events. To make a donation to the PABC, click here. About Neuropathix, Inc. Neuropathix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the research and development of a pipeline of next generation, socially responsible pain management and neuroprotective therapeutics to treat patients with significant unmet medical needs. Over the past ten years, Neuropathix has discovered, developed, and patented a global intellectual property estate, led by its lead clinical target, KLS-13019, as novel, new therapeutic agents designed to prevent and reverse neuropathic pain, reduce oxidative stress, and act as anti-inflammatory neuroprotectants. The Company's family of patented monotherapeutic molecules focuses on treating oxidative stress-related diseases, chronic pain management, and neurodegenerative disorders. The therapeutic targets include chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), a chronic neuropathy caused by toxic chemotherapeutic agents; hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a neurotoxic brain-liver disorder caused by excessive concentrations of ammonia and ethanol in the brain; mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), a disorder associated with single and repetitive impact injuries; and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a disease associated with highly repetitive impact injuries in professional and amateur sports. Neuropathix conducts its research and development efforts at the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center of Bucks County in Doylestown, PA. For more information about Neuropathix, visit www.neuropathix.com and the Company's Twitter page at @neuropathix. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements and information, as defined 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 press release contains statements about expected future events, the Company's business plan, plan of operations, the viability of the Company's drug candidates, the targeted beneficial effects of KLS-13019, the Company's position, and/or financial results that are forward-looking in nature and subject to risks and uncertainties. Such forward-looking statements, by definition, involve risks and uncertainties. The Company does not sell or distribute any products that are in violation of the United States Controlled Substances Act. CONTACTS: Media Relations: Thoma Kikis Chief Communications Officer P: 917-652-2479 E: thoma@neuropathix.com www.neuropathix.com Investor Relations: Louie Toma Managing Director CORE IR P: 516-222-2560 E: louie@coreir.com www.coreir.com SOURCE: Neuropathix, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665678/Neuropathix-Inc-Wholly-Owned-Subsidiary-Kannalife-Sciences-Inc-Awarded-297-Million-Phase-2-Study-Grant-from-National-Institute-of-Neurological-Disorders-and-Stroke-NINDS CHANGCHUN, China, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The 13th China-Northeast Asia Expo kicked off on Thursday in northeast China'sJilin Province, according to China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Jilin Committee. The five-day event in Changchun, the capital city of Jilin, is the first international expo held in Northeast Asia since the global COVID-19 pandemic. Over a thousand enterprises from some 40 countries and regions have registered in the expo. Data shows that China's trade with the Northeast Asian countries totaled about 417.9 billion U.S. dollars in the first half of this year, up 26 percent year on year. The cumulative two-way transaction value exceeded 250 billion U.S. dollars. China has been deepening cooperation on infrastructure construction, energy, manufacturing and agriculture with these countries. In the first eight months of this year, the trade volume between Russia and China was nearly 90 billion U.S. dollars, up by a third year on year, said Andrey Denison, Russian Ambassador to China. During the expo, the participants reached a consensus that the pandemic has highlighted the necessity of accelerating regional economic integration, and Northeast Asian countries are embracing new opportunities for regional economic and trade cooperation. Now, China and Northeast Asian countries are having dialogues and cooperation under various regional economic cooperation frameworks such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). In addition, all countries have seen more chance for cooperation in areas such as the innovation and development of the digital economy and the joint efforts in face of global climate change. Nagasaka Yasumasa, State Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of Japan, said the fast implementation of the RCEP will further expand the cooperation in Northeast Asia. He noted that many Japanese companies have businesses in China's northeastern region. Now, Japan has reached agreements on collaborations in the fields of hydrogen energy applications and low-carbon city construction with Jilin Province and other regions. Politicians and businessmen believe that the integration of the development strategies of Northeast Asian countries with those of China will help the competitive industries of these countries better keep pace with the global development. S. Amarsaikhan, Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia, said the country has been actively promoting the construction of Mongolia-Russia-China Economic Corridor and the integration of its domestic projects with the Belt and Road Initiative. The participants have reached an agreement to strengthen collaborations on marine economy, promote the liberalization and facilitation of trade, and intensify regional cooperation. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2021) - TransCanna Holdings Inc. (CSE: TCAN) (FSE: TH8) ("TransCanna" or "the Company") is pleased to announce that it is partnering with Loud Buddha Trimming to provide processing services to 3rd party growers out of its Daly Facility in Modesto, California. TransCanna subsidiary Lyfted Farms has signed a Letter of Intent with Loud Buddha Trimming to jointly offer processing services like drying, hand trimming, curing, manicuring, machine trimming, bulk and retail packaging, pre-roll production and packaging, and storage of fresh-frozen biomass for concentrate production. "Loud Buddha has built an outstanding reputation for high-quality custom harvesting solutions, and soon they will be offering those solutions in partnership with us and out of our Facility," said Bob Blink, TransCanna CEO. "It's a win-win solution that will see cannabis grown all over the State of California funnelling through our Daly Facility." Several clients with over 1,000 lbs of cannabis to process having already reserved spots for the service which will launch in early October. Typical clients are indoor growers, greenhouse growers, and full season farms that need to process their crops before they can sell them. "This service is part of our overall vision to provide a centralized hub for growers and for their flower to flow through our facility for all their processing, manufacturing, packaging, storage and distribution needs," said Mr. Blink. About TransCanna TransCanna Holdings Inc. is a California-based, Canadian-listed company building cannabis-focused brands for the California lifestyle, through its wholly-owned California subsidiaries. TransCanna's wholly owned subsidiary Lyfted Farms is California's authentic cannabis brand whose pioneering spirit has been continuously providing the finest cannabis flower genetics and cultivation methods since 1984. The Lyfted Farms brand of exclusive cannabis flower is sold at premium retailers throughout the state. With its new cultivation facility in Daly, California, the company is now poised to become one of the largest and most efficient vertically integrated cannabis companies in the California market. Visit the TransCanna website today at transcanna.com. For updated information with respect to our company, please see our filings on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on the CSE at www.thecse.com, or visit the Company's website at www.transcanna.com. To contact the Company, please email info@transcanna.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors Bob Blink, CEO Corporate Communications: info@transcanna.com 604-200-8853 FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: Certain information in this release may contain forward-looking statements, such as statements regarding future expansions and cost savings and plans regarding production increases and financings. This information is based on current expectations and assumptions, including assumptions concerning the completion of the expansion of the Daly Facility, government approval of pro-cannabis policies, greater access to financial services and increased cultivation capacity, that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. Risks that could cause results to differ from those stated in the forward-looking statements in this release include unexpected increases in operating costs, a continued strain on farmers due to fires and the Coronavirus pandemic and competition from other retailers. All forward-looking statements, including any financial outlook or future-oriented financial information, contained in this release are made as of the date of this release and are included for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to the Company. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the Company's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES OR FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER OF THE SECURITIES DESCRIBED HEREIN To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97769 Growing need for customer analytics in enhancing customer experience and loyalty, through predictive analysis as well as personalizing marketing on the past data of the potential customers is driving the market growth. JERSEY CITY, N.J., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Verified Market Research recently published a report, "Customer Analytics Market" By Component (Solution and Service), By Deployment (On-Premises Deployment and Cloud Deployment), By End-User (BFSI, Wholesale and Retail, Telecommunication and IT, Utilities), and By Geography. According to Verified Market Research, the Global Customer Analytics Market size was valued at USD 5.24 Billion in 2020 and is projected to reach USD 20.82 Billion by 2028, growing at a CAGR of 19.30% from 2021 to 2028. Download PDF Brochure: https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/download-sample/?rid=33678 Browse in-depth TOC on "Customer Analytics Market" 202 - Pages 126 - Tables 37 - Figures Global Customer Analytics Market Overview The growth of the global customer analytics market is accounted due to the rising demand for improved customer satisfaction, the market studied is growing faster. Customer Analytics is highly used in the retail industry for the development of personalized communications and marketing programs. Growth in social media concern is a key driver for the market studied. Social media analytics combines monitoring, measurement, and analysis tools to uncover user sentiments and businesses with customers through social media platforms by associating their product list with e-commerce sites, which helps in monitoring people and fostering relationships. Prominent retailers, such as Amazon and Walmart, have successfully managed to harness the benefits offered by different social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter. Key Developments in Customer Analytics Market In March 2020 , Google Cloud signed a partnership with ThoughtSpot, a leader in search and AI-driven analytics to empower enterprises with cloud analytics. Under this partnership, the companies would launch Embrace for Google Cloud, which allows enterprises to run search and AI-driven analytics directly in Google BigQuery, without moving or caching any data. , Google Cloud signed a partnership with ThoughtSpot, a leader in search and AI-driven analytics to empower enterprises with cloud analytics. Under this partnership, the companies would launch Embrace for Google Cloud, which allows enterprises to run search and AI-driven analytics directly in Google BigQuery, without moving or caching any data. In June 2019 , Salesforce acquired Tableau, a leading provider of analytical data, which would strengthen the Salesforce Customer 360 platform, enabling customers to make smarter decisions. The major players in the market are Pitney Bowes Inc., Oracle Corporation, International Business Machine, Fair Isaac Corporation, Angoss Software Corporation, Actuate Software Corporation, SAP AG, SAS Institute Inc., Teoco Corporation, and Verint System Inc. Verified Market Research has segmented the Global Customer Analytics Market On the basis of Component, Deployment, End-user, and Geography. Customer Analytics Market, By Component Solution Service Customer Analytics Market, By Deployment On-Premises Cloud Customer Analytics Market, By End-User BFSI Wholesale and Retail Telecommunication and IT Utilities Healthcare Travel and Hospitality Others Customer Analytics Market by Geography North America U.S Canada Mexico Europe Germany France U.K. Rest of Europe Asia Pacific China Japan India Rest of Asia Pacific ROW Middle East & Africa & Latin America Browse Related Reports: Spend Analytics Market By Analytics Type (Descriptive, Predictive, and Prescriptive), By Business Function (Information Technology, Finance, Procurement), By Organization Size (Large Enterprises and Small and Medium Organizations), By Component (Software and Services), By Deployment Mode (Cloud-based and On-premises), By Application (Financial Management, Demand and Supply Forecasting), By Vertical (Healthcare, Government and Defense, IT and Telecom), By Geography, Forecast, 2020-2027 Supply Chain Big Data Analytics Market By Solution Outlook (Logistics Analytics, Manufacturing Analytics, Planning and Procurement), By Service Outlook (Professional & Support and Maintenance), By End User (Retail, Transportation and Logistics, Manufacturing), By Geography, Forecast, 2020-2027 Healthcare Fraud Analytics Market By Solution Type (Descriptive Analytics, Predictive Analytics, & Prescriptive Analytics), By Application (Insurance Claims Review, Pharmacy Billing Misuse, Payment Integrity), By Geography, Forecast, 2020-2027 Process Analytics Market By Process Mining Type (Process conformance, Process discovery, and Process enhancement), By Application (Business process, Customer interaction, and Information technology process), By Geography, Forecast, 2020-2027 5 best video analytics companies: Epitome of 21st century espionage technology Visualize Customer Analytics Market using Verified Market Intelligence:-: Verified Market Intelligence is our BI Enabled Platform for narrative storytelling of this market. VMI offers in-depth forecasted trends and accurate Insights on over 20,000+ emerging & niche markets, helping you make critical revenue impacting decisions for a brilliant future. VMI provides a holistic overview and global competitive landscape with respect to Region, Country, and Segment, and Key players of your market. Present your Market Report & findings with an inbuilt presentation feature saving over 70% of your time and resources for Investor, Sales & Marketing, R&D, and Product Development pitches. VMI enables data delivery In Excel and Interactive PDF formats with over 15+ Key Market Indicators for your market. About Us Verified Market Research is a leading Global Research and Consulting firm servicing over 5000+ customers. Verified Market Research provides advanced analytical research solutions while offering information enriched research studies. We offer insight into strategic and growth analyses, Data necessary to achieve corporate goals and critical revenue decisions. Our 250 Analysts and SME's offer a high level of expertise in data collection and governance use industrial techniques to collect and analyze data on more than 15,000 high impact and niche markets. Our analysts are trained to combine modern data collection techniques, superior research methodology, expertise and years of collective experience to produce informative and accurate research. We study 14+ categories from Semiconductor & Electronics, Chemicals, Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Energy & Power, Healthcare, Pharmaceuticals, Automotive & Transportation, Information & Communication Technology, Software & Services, Information Security, Mining, Minerals & Metals, Building & construction, Agriculture industry and Medical Devices from over 100 countries. Contact Us Mr. Edwyne Fernandes Verified Market Research US: +1 (650)-781-4080 UK: +44 (753)-715-0008 APAC: +61 (488)-85-9400 US Toll Free: +1 (800)-782-1768 Email: sales@verifiedmarketresearch.com Web: https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/ Follow Us: LinkedIn | Twitter Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1315349/Verified_Market_Research_Logo.jpg Initiative aims to overcome universal personal finance challenges with digital solutions HELSINKI, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Digital Finance and Security Innovation Lab (FinSec), a centre in which the common challenges in personal finance can be addressed through collaboration and product development, was launched today. The ambitious initiative driven by Huawei, will facilitate and support the financial services sector to develop technology to improve the financial health of customers, enhance their experiences and encourage loyalty. Huawei and its R&D centre in Finland will work with researchers from Aalto University and University of Helsinki, as well as fifteen Lab participants - banks and fintechs from across Europe. At the launch financial services brands including, Raiffeisen Digital from Austria, BLIK, a leading mobile payment system in Poland, and Neonomics, an open banking services pioneer from Norway, provided unique insight into the challenges of delivering digital solutions for customers. "Huawei's objective is to deliver a seamless AI life experience for consumers and this means easy, convenient access to financial services," said Derek Yu, President of Central Eastern Europe, Nordic and Canada Region, Huawei Consumer Business Group. "The Digital Finance and Security Innovation Lab reinforces our commitment to facilitating new ideas that deliver solutions to the consumer needs of today. We are excited about opening doors for future technology and services and driving innovation. " Factors behind digital transformation The aims of FinSec focus on three key areas driving digital transformation: mobile technology, to enhance payment process and improve access in any location, circumstance or scenario; innovations that make the experience simpler and more convenient; and partnerships which bring together business, banking, academic and technology expertise to help develop universal solutions. "As a global leader in industrial R&D with a long term strategy for investment in research, Huawei is well placed to launch and steer the FinSec initiative," commented Wang Aimeng, President of Huawei Finland Research Center. "The digitalization of economies can succeed where research, education, and industry players are working together on common R&D collaborative projects." Notes to Editors Brands to have declared their intention to participate and co-operate in FinSec are Copenhagen Fintech, SOK, Intesa Sanpaolo, PAYSERA, VIA BILL, Smart ID, Neonomics, icard, Virtual Cards S.R.L, Sirumobile, Phyre, BLIK, Raiffeisen Digital, Fidesmo. About HUAWEI Consumer BG Huawei's products and services are available in more than 170 countries and are used by a third of the world's population. Fourteen R&D centres have been set up in Germany, Sweden, Russia, India and China. HUAWEI Consumer BG is one of HUAWEI's three business units and covers smartphones, PC and tablets, wearables and cloud services, etc. HUAWEI's global network is built on almost 30 years of expertise in the telecom industry and is dedicated to delivering the latest technological advances to consumers around the world. For more information, please visit https://www.huawei.com/en Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1637485/image.jpg More than 150 Guests Lauded the Successful Launch of the Blockchain and Its Stable Performance Round the Year. DUBAI, UAE / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2021 / Recently, Mineplex has celebrated its maiden year at Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) in Dubai. The unprecedented CrossFi Mineplex placed the feather of success in its cap by launching and operating the blockchain by indicating stability in its PLEX token during the hard hit days of the crypto market. Attended by a retinue of experts and leaders of the crypto & banking industry, Mineplex unveiled Mineplex 2.0 at the event. The new project and product will surely determine the development of the crypto industry. The experts discussed creating new projects paradigm and the needs for educational products of the market. The ongoing project will ensure firm belief and faith in the crypto industry leading to the popularity of crypto currency and putting forth silver bullet solution to the recurrent issues of digital banking industry. A fruitful discussion on how Blockchain brings revolutionary changes into the banking sector and Mineplex's entry into new markets was fruit bearing. The honorable guests observed the launch of the Mineplex 2.0 corporate style and presentation of the Mineplex crypto card and its function. New revolutionary products of the project were unveiled and the signing of Mineplex cooperation agreement with Dzing Finance Ltd. This partnership will allow to create a powerful payment product under the brand of MinePlex, which will provide an opportunity to have both physical and virtual accounts in as many as 37 currencies within the digital payment wallet. Additionally, it will become possible to perform any payment operations in PLEX tokens, bypassing intermediaries. Besides, countdown to the start of the unique MinePlex mobile application with access to all wallets and products in one click was envisaged. Since its inception, the company has established a trusted relationship with its users. Consequently, the number of users increases by 25% every month leading to an unwritten trust agreement between the users and the Mineplex. Also it testifies to the efficient services provided by the CrossFi Mineplex. With a team of over 60 specialist members, Mineplex proudly confirms its member's presence in more than 10 countries including Uruguay, Russia, Singapore, Dubai, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, etc while the project is set to be presented in more than 72 countries of the world. Mineplex tokens soar high and are listed on six leading international exchanges that involve Azbit, Bibox, BitMart, Ataix, STEX and BitZexchange. Mineplex was seen at the apex, ranking among the Top3 of the leading Blockchain projects, at the end of the year, according to International Business Times. Besides, it also received high marks from users and experts of renowned rating platforms like Foundico. Aleksandr Mamasidikov Co-founder of MinePlex Banking: "We are entering a new era of development not only of the project, but also of the market as a whole. The banking system in its current form cannot cover the needs of consumers. We have developed CrossFi technology and a number of financial instruments in order to change the industry and make blockchain and cryptocurrency a part of every client's daily reality". Adding fame to the name of the Mineplex, CoinGecko initiates the capitalization of Mineplex making it the most influential digital financial service. Market Capitalization earned PLEX 351st place in the rating and it achieved the top 200th position in just a few days, exceeding the capitalization of $172 million. Currently, this indicator has crossed $345 million, indicating such a huge leap in just a month span. About Mineplex Mineplex, established in September 2020, is a digital banking company that intends to combine the stability and liquidity of traditional financial instruments with the security and transparency of blockchain technology. The company works out its own Blockchain and CrossFi Technology to serve dual financial services; traditional banking system and the adeptness of Blockchain Technology. Mineplex is one of the leading companies that drew the attention of the largest crypto platform to the uniqueness and prospects of CrossFi technology. Social Links Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mineplexio Twitter: https://twitter.com/mineplexio Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mineplexio/ Media Contact Brand: Mineplex Contact: Aleksandr Mamasidikov, CMO E-mail: info@mineplex.io Website: https://mineplex.io SOURCE: Mineplex View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665897/Mineplex-Marks-Its-First-Anniversary-in-Dubai WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company (RRD) said its Board expects to evaluate additional board candidates in the near term in an effort to execute smooth transitions upon upcoming retirements. The Board has informed Chatham Asset Management that they would consider all qualified candidates Chatham wanted to put forward. On Monday, Chatham sent a letter to RRD's Board threatening to commence a proxy contest if the Board does not proactively respond to Chatham's suggestions, including by appointing a new Chairman and adding new directors, terminating the poison pill, and forming a strategic review and finance committee. Chatham Asset Management, LLC is the largest stockholder and bondholder of R.R. Donnelley & Sons Company, beneficially owning approximately 14.9% of the outstanding common stock and 40.9% of the outstanding bonds. The Board of R.R. Donnelley stated that it will continue to review potential divestitures of additional non-core assets on terms favorable to the company as part of its continuing strategic review of the RRD portfolio. Shares of R.R. Donnelley & Sons were down 3% in pre-market trade on Tuesday. 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. CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In 2020, due to the outbreak of COVID-19, the demand for data centers grew considerably. During the initial outbreak, data center operators faced several challenges to operate facilities. In a few locations across the globe, the development of data centers came to a halt that lasted for up to a month. COVID-19 will have a higher impact on the market, with many on-premises data center operators migrating their infrastructure to colocation and cloud platforms. The data center infrastructure market witnessed considerable growth, with new and innovative designs for rack solutions. Observing these rapid and drastic changes in demand and supply patterns encouraged the industry analysts at Arizton to publish exhaustive and data-driven insights on these current trends in the industry. Arizton has a dedicated vertical that focuses on data centre knowledge base across geographies. These market research reports cover a detailed analysis of the COVID-19-induced supply chain disruptions, innovations in technology, equipment financing, economic impact, and a detailed study of the competitive landscape. Check out our portfolio: https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/category/data-center-knowledge-base Data Center UPS Market - Global Outlook and Forecast 2021-2026 The data center UPS market is expected to reach USD 6.36 billion in 2026 growing at a CAGR of 4.81%. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for data center services has significantly increased, which has driven the need for power infrastructures such as UPS systems. UPS systems are likely to account for a market share of around 40% of the global market. The procurement of lithium-ion UPS systems is observing a surge in the data center electrical infrastructure market. Equinix, GPX Global, and EdgeCore are a few data center operators that have adopted lithium-ion Systems UPS systems in their facilities. There are many innovations happening in UPS data center market; such as in June 2020, ZincFive released the BC series product that supports up to 1 MW of UPS power capacity. In 2020, Latin America witnessed investment in over 15 data center projects, adding 172 MW of power capacity. Brazil added power capacity of around 70 MW. In 2020, Western Europe observed investments in over 80 data center projects, which added 930 MW power capacity. The decreasing cost of lithium-ion UPS batteries is reducing the adoption of VRLA batteries., thereby aiding the market growth. Also, the introduction of nickel-zinc and Prussian sodium-ion batteries in the market has provided the reduced total cost of ownership (TCO) for data center. Read more now: https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/data-center-ups-market-2025 Data Center Generator Market - Global Outlook and Forecast 2021-2026 The data center generator market is expected to reach USD 5841.2 million in 2026 growing at a CAGR of 3.99%. The global data center generator market is likely to witness significant growth due to the presence of colocation, cloud, and enterprise service providers in the APAC, Europe, and North America regions. Diesel generators dominate the segment, accounting for over 80% of the revenue. The investment in Tier III and Tier IV facilities is likely to grow as the number of Tier I and Tier II facilities will decrease during the forecast period. The generator redundancy equipped will also grow from N+N to 2N or 2N+1 during the forecast period. The North American data leads growth in the data center generator market. In 2020, SpaceX partnered with Microsoft for the development of a modular data center facility. In 2020, Huawei launched AI powered modular data center. In 2020, the Australian Department of Defence gave contracts to modular data center manufacturer DataPod to deliver four modular facilities over the next two years. Infrastructure vendors' partnerships with these data center providers would lead to the market's revenue growth during the forecast period. Read more now: https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/global-data-center-generator-market-2025 Subscribe to our data center knowledge base profile to gain real-time insights and competitive advantage Read some of the top-selling reports: Data Center Rack Market - Global Outlook and Forecast 2021-2026 South Africa Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 Mexico Data Center Market - Investment Analysis and Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 Vietnam Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 About Arizton: Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovation and quality-driven firm, which offers innovative research solutions to clients across the world. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services. We offer comprehensive market research reports on industries such as consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, and life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals, and materials, IT and media, logistics and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts. Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports. Mail: enquiry@arizton.com Call: +1-312-235-2040 +1 302 469 0707 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/818553/Arizton_Logo.jpg CUPERTINO (dpa-AFX) - Apple has updated its Apple Maps with the release of iOS 15 to now provide new ways to explore major cities through a new 3D view. Maps users on the new iOS in London, Los Angeles, New York City, and the San Francisco Bay Area can experience a three-dimensional city view of these major cities. 'With this update, we are pushing Maps even further, providing more ways for users to discover the natural beauty of the world and explore cities through a new 3D view,' said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Services. The Apple Maps update provides a city experience that offers rich details, driving routes with better navigation, immersive walking directions shown in augmented reality, and much more. The visually stunning 3D map offers unprecedented detail for neighborhoods, commercial districts, marinas, buildings, and more. Map users can now see elevation details across a city, new road labels, and hundreds of custom-designed landmarks like Coit Tower in San Francisco, Dodger Stadium in LA, the Statue of Liberty in NYC, and the Royal Albert Hall in London, with more to come. The technology giant plans to add 3D view support for Philadelphia, San Diego, and Washington, D.C. later this year and for additional cities, including Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver, next year. With the new update, Apple Maps users can now get even more road details to help drivers navigate through cities more easily and safely. The turn lanes, medians, bus and taxi lanes, and crosswalks are clearly displayed for navigating busy intersections, and highways with overlapping complex interchanges are rendered in a road-level 3D view. The new navigation features will be available through CarPlay later this year. Additionally, Apple Maps in iOS 15 offers a rich and interactive three-dimensional globe that introduces a whole new way of looking at the world, showing Earth's natural beauty with amazing textures and contours. Users can see vibrant details of mountain ranges, deserts, rainforests, oceans, and more. Other features on Apple Maps include a Look Around feature that gives users a way to explore parts of the world through an interactive 3D street-level experience and a smooth, seamless 360-degree view. Users can explore places like Dublin, Edinburgh, London, Los Angeles, New York City, Tokyo, Toronto, and the Italian countryside. Another major feature is the Speed camera that lets users know when approaching speed and red light cameras along a route, with the added ability to see where cameras are located on the map. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX APPLE-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2021) - Atradius CyC and Red Rock Insurance Services, Ltd have partnered in an effort to grow market share throughout North America and provide improved services to existing brokers and clients. "This is a tremendous opportunity for Red Rock Insurance Services to be aligned with one of the premier global trade credit insurance providers committed to growing their market share in North America while allowing us to maintain our entrepreneurial identity. We are excited by what we believe we can achieve together, and we look forward to working with Atradius CyC," said Peter Graham, president of Red Rock Insurance Services. The partnership will allow Atradius and Red Rock to continue growing their local business alongside each other by offering their portfolio of products to a larger market in North America. The arrangement will allow both companies to build out their competitive advantages and offer a higher capacity level across their services and a higher risk tolerance - driven by local expertise and existing scale, increased flexibility on wording considerations, as well as a potential hybrid product offering. "This strategic partnership provides a welcome addition to Atradius' suite of product offerings. This unique and dynamic agreement will utilize the strengths of each organization to provide exceptional service to new and existing brokers and clients," said Chris Short, country manager for Canada at Atradius CyC. ### Atradius Logo Cannot view this logo? Visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8335/97831_d622f1abf4fdea19_001full.jpg Red Rock Logo Cannot view this logo? Visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/8335/97831_redrocklogo.jpg About Red Rock Red Rock Insurance Services Limited is a North American insurance specialist offering non-cancelable trade credit solutions. Founded in 2013, Red Rock has operated as a Managing General Agent offering insurance coverage backed by some of the world's largest insurance groups. Red Rock has built a reputation as a valuable long-term partner to its insureds, brokers, and insurance partners. About Atradius Atradius is a global provider of credit insurance, bonding and surety, collections and information services, with a strategic presence in over 50 countries. The products offered by Atradius protect companies around the world against the default risks associated with selling goods and services on credit. Atradius is a member of Grupo Catalana Occidente (GCO.MC), one of the largest insurers in Spain and one of the largest credit insurers in the world. You can find more information online at https://atradius.ca For more information, contact: Chris Short, Country Manager Atradius CyC chris.short@atradius.com 905-804-4225 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97831 First of initial 48 sites goes live in Cameroon Appointment of David Parsons as CTO QUEBEC, QC / ACCESSWIRE / September 28, 2021 / NuRAN Wireless Inc. ("NuRAN" or the "Company") (CSE:NUR)(OTC PINK: NRRWF)(FSE:1RN) is pleased to announce that its first site has gone live in Cameroon. The first site went live on the weekend and has already begun to generate significant traffic. NuRAN will report on the site economics including subscription rates when the information becomes available. "Although there have been some small delays with respect to shipping and logistics, we are extremely pleased to have finally announced our first live site. We expect that the following sites will be rolled out as previously communicated to our shareholders. The deployment of these sites will demonstrate our ability to execute on the NAAS business model and highlight the effectiveness and profitability of this model. We are also pleased to be at the center of bringing connectivity to these regions globally where no connectivity currently exists. The ability to do remote banking, access health care information and communicate widely will translate into very significant economic and social benefits for the population of the areas we cover." commented Francis Letourneau, CEO of NuRAN. The initial 48 of 242 sites are currently planned to be completed shortly. Eutelsat, our satellite partner for the current 122 sites batch in Cameroon, is prepared to ensure that the sites go live upon committed planned roll out. NuRAN has signed an agreement with Eutelsat (ETL.PA) for the Satellite backhaul managed services. Eutelsat has a fleet of 39 satellites serving broadcasters, video service providers, telecom operators, ISPs and government agencies operating across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Americas. Eutelsat is one of the leading operators in the commercial satellite business. The Cameroon site is part of the Network as a Service ("NAAS") contracts with Orange S.A. (NYSE:ORAN) and its affiliates previously announced February 8, 2021 and March 11, 2021 for the build out of networking sites in Cameroon (242 sites total) and Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) (2000 sites total). Each site consists of towers and related equipment to be installed by NuRAN with a particular focus on rural communities in Cameroon and DRC. The towers fall into one of four categories depending on population density and coverage requirements. NuRAN's technology uses a carrier-grade GSM base station powered by solar as part of a small-footprint (3 meters x 3 meters x 10 to 30 meters tall) remote tower. The Cameroon revenue projections shall also likely be increased as the selected sites are showing more population or better ARPU ('Average Revenue Per User') than the initial projected business case analysis. Site economics were based on a 25% subscription rate per site. As an example, NuRAN deployed 7 sites with Vodafone in Ghana in partnership with GSMA in December 2020. The subscription rate was approximately 51% in the first 30 days of going live. Appointment of CTO NuRAN is pleased to announce that David Parsons has been appointed Chief Technical Officer (CTO). Mr. Parsons previously held the position of VP Solutions Engineering at NuRAN. Mr. Parsons has over 20 years' experience in the telecom industry across the Caribbean and Latin America and an extensive telecom knowledge and experience. About NuRAN Wireless NuRAN Wireless is a leading supplier of mobile and broadband wireless infrastructure solutions. Its innovative radio access network (RAN), core network, and backhaul products dramatically drop the total cost of ownership, thereby creating new opportunities for established, as well as emerging mobile network operators. Indoor coverage, isolated rural communities, offshore platforms and ships, NuRAN Wireless helps its customers reach everyone, everywhere. Additional Information For further information about NuRAN Wireless: www.nuranwireless.com Francis Letourneau, Director and CEO info@nuranwireless.com Tel: (418) 264-1337 Frank Candido Investor relations Frank.candido@nuranwireless.com Tel: (514) 969-5530 Cautionary Statement: Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward Looking Statements: This news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as, "expects", "is expected", "anticipates", "intends", "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements include those relating to agreements with Orange Cameroon SA and the Company's guarantees of the build out of network sites project with GSMA in Ghana. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results projected, expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements, such as the uncertainties regarding the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak, and measures to prevent its spread, on NuRAN's business and the economy generally; NuRAN's ability to obtain financing for the proposed site build out under the agreement with Orange DRC, the loss of one or more significant suppliers or a reduction in significant volume from such suppliers; NuRAN's ability to meet or exceed customers' demand and expectations; significant current competition and the introduction of new competitors or other disruptive entrants in the Company's industry; compliance with local laws and regulations and ability to obtain permits for our operations in Cameroon, access to the credit and capital markets, changes in applicable telecommunications laws or regulations or changes in license and regulatory fees, downturns in customers' business cycles; and insurance prices and insurance coverage availability, the Company's ability to effectively maintain or update information and technology systems; our ability to implement and maintain measures to protect against cyberattacks and comply with applicable privacy and data security requirements; the Company's ability to successfully implement its business strategies or realize expected cost savings and revenue enhancements; business development activities, including acquisitions and integration of acquired businesses; the Company's expansion into markets outside of Canada and the operational, competitive and regulatory risks facing the Company's non-Canadian based operations. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward looking information. Other factors which could materially affect such forward-looking information are described in the risk factors in the Company's most recent annual management's discussion and analysis that is available on the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. SOURCE: NuRAN Wireless Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/665908/NuRAN-Announces-First-Site-Live-in-Cameroon TigerWit, a leading financial services provider, announces plans to open offices in Southern Africa in the Republic of Botswana. TigerWit plans to open its sales and customer service centre in the Republic of Botswana to expand its presence and education in the region due to the growing demand. The company is planning to expand its presence to Southern Africa region through the company's new Botswana office and a solid partnership with Cejay FX Trading Company, a local company that has offered online trading educational services for more than 5 years in the region. Commenting on the recent announcement, Edmond Chukwujioke, Regional Director of TigerWit East Africa, said: "I am so proud of our TigerWit team for their hard work to bring financial knowledge experience to the Southern African region. The opening of our offices in Botswana will be a milestone for the company and a great opportunity to be closer to our African clients and deliver an even higher quality of service while working side by side with our partners". TigerWit is currently offering its clients instant access to financial instruments including oil, shares and gold through the trading app on iOS and Android. Through the recent opening, TigerWit aims to accelerate its expansion in the Southern Africa region. Mr Chukwujioke added: "Our trading technology is based on blockchain and rare within the region. This along with the innovative and advanced platforms and services we provide puts TigerWit well ahead of the curve, in line with the transparency we're known for globally. I'm immensely excited about this new challenge, and I look forward to witnessing what we can achieve in the region and being able to greet clients to provide a personal touch". Statement from the CEO Gillian Lao Redding: "We are delighted to have partnered with a world class Broker TigerWit, that has been a front runner in innovation, excellent customer service and transparency in the Online Trading industry. TigerWit's copy trading platform has indeed made trading very easy for clients. We look forward to this strategic partnership and our doors are wide open to welcome to all our clients". TigerWit offers Forex, Stock and Oil trading to global clients via its award-winning app. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005827/en/ Contacts: Alice Wang alice.wang@tigerwit.com The latest FMI study on chlorophyll color market provides insights into drivers, restraints, and opportunities affecting the growth of the market. The report also highlights recent trends facilitating the demand outlook across leading market segments in terms of nature and application during the assessment period, from 2021 to 2031. DUBAI, U.A.E, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As per a study by FMI, the global chlorophyll color market is poised to total US$ 126 Mn by 2021. Rising application of chlorophyll colors across the candy & confectionery and beverage industries is set to drive growth in the market at an impressive CAGR of 9.6%. This will also enable the market to surpass a valuation of US$ 316.2 Mn by 2031. Sales of chlorophyll color are expected to increase by year-on-year (YoY) growth of 9.1% in 2021, driven by the rising adoption of naturally sourced food colors for food products such as snacks & cereals, beverages, dairy, bakery, and others. In addition to this, increasing consumer inclination towards organic and natural food products is expected to fuel the demand for chlorophyll color by 2.5X between 2021 and 2031. Request a report sample to gain comprehensive insights at https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-13946 A number of leading manufacturers are focusing on expanding their production capacity to meet the demand for chlorophyll color from various end-use industries. For instance, in April 2018, Chr. Hansen, a global bioscience company based in Denmark, announced purchasing Banker Wire manufacturing facility in Wisconsin to expand its natural color production facility in North America. Such developments are expected to drive the market through 2031. As per FMI, the conventional chlorophyll colors segment is expected to hold a lion's share in the global market, accounting for nearly 92% of the sales by 2021. Driven by to its low cost, ample availability, and increasing use across ready-to-drink beverages, demand for conventional chlorophyll color is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 9.4% through 2031. "With the rising trend of veganism and surging demand for plant-based and clean-label food ingredients, leading food manufacturers are shifting their focus towards using naturally sourced food colors such as chlorophyll colors. This is expected to propel growth in the market in the coming year," says the FMI analyst. Key Takeaways from Chlorophyll Color Market Survey The U.S. is estimated to lead the North America chlorophyll color market, accounting for more than 85% of the sales by the end of 2021. chlorophyll color market, accounting for more than 85% of the sales by the end of 2021. Germany is forecast to emerge as the most lucrative market in Europe , Middle East , Africa , and India (EMEAI), holding a market share of over 20% in 2021. is forecast to emerge as the most lucrative market in , , , and (EMEAI), holding a market share of over 20% in 2021. Favored by the rising demand for organic and clean-label food products, the market in Japan is likely to expand at a robust CAGR of 9% during the assessment period. is likely to expand at a robust CAGR of 9% during the assessment period. The China market is anticipated to contribute maximum revenue in Asia Pacific excluding India , accounting for above 35% of the sales in 2021. market is anticipated to contribute maximum revenue in excluding , accounting for above 35% of the sales in 2021. In terms of application type, the beverages segment is projected to remain a dominant segment, growing a CAGR of 9.2% through 2031. Key Drivers Increasing usage of chlorophyll color in bakery products and the rising number of bakeries across regions such as North America and Europe are driving the market. and are driving the market. Growing awareness regarding the health benefits of organic food products is fuelling the demand for chlorophyll colors. For information on the Research Approach used in the Report, Request Methodology@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ask-question/rep-gb-13946 Competitive Landscape As per FMI, leading players in the market are increasingly adopting strategies such as product promotion, merger and acquisition with other industry players to expand their network and increase their consumer's base. For instance, In 2019, DDW Inc., a leading manufacturer of edible food flavors headquartered in the U.S., announced acquiring DuPont Natural Colors. The acquisition will assist DDW Inc. to expand its production capacity and sales across food and beverage industries. In January 2016 , Shahmeer International, one of the leading marketer and distributors of specialty chemicals and culinary ingredients in Pakistan , announced becoming a new channel partner by Kalsec, to promote its product portfolio. Some of the key players operating in the chlorophyll color market profiled by FMI are: DDW The Color House Archer Daniels Midland Company McCormick & Company Chr.Hansen A/S Naturex S.A. Riken Vitamin Co., Ltd. Dohler Group Kalsec Inc. Sensient Colors LLC BioconColors Others More Valuable Insights on Chlorophyll Color Market FMI, in its new report, offers an unbiased analysis of the global chlorophyll color market, analyzing forecast statistics through 2021 and beyond. The survey reveals growth projections on in chlorophyll color market with detailed segmentation: By Nature: Organic Conventional By Application: Beverage Bakery, Snacks, & Cereal Candy / Confectionery Dairy Fruit Preparations / Fillings Meat, Poultry, Fish, & Eggs Potatoes, Pasta, & Rice Sauces, Soups, & Dressings Seasonings Pet Food By Region: North America Latin America EMEAI Asia Pacific excluding India We Offer tailor-made Solutions to fit Your Requirements, Request Customization@ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/customization-available/rep-gb-13946 Key Questions Covered in the Report The report offers insight into chlorophyll color market demand outlook for the forecast period 2021-2031 The market study also highlights projected sales growth for chlorophyll color market between 2021 and 2031 Chlorophyll color market survey identifies key growth drivers, restraints, and other forces impacting prevailing trends and evaluation of current market size and forecast and technological advancements within the industry Chlorophyll color market share analysis, covering key companies within the industry and coverage of strategies such as mergers & acquisitions, joint ventures, collaborations or partnerships, and others Explore FMI's Extensive Coverage on Food and Beverage Domain Plant-based shrimp market: The global plant-based shrimp market report by FMI gives an in-depth insight on the future expansion prospects, trends and challenges that market is likely to face in the upcoming decade. Key statistics regarding key segments have been presented across prominent geographies, along with a detailed assessment of the market's competitive landscape. Plant-based fish market: Future Market Insights gives a detailed segmentation on the global plant-based fish market with upcoming market trends, challenges and future growth dynamics across key geographies and prominent segments. The report provides a holistic approach, mapping the competitive landscape with detailed analysis on established players, new entrants, and opportunities likely to prevail across the 2021-2031 decade. Fish protein market: The fish protein market study published by FMI offers a comprehensive analysis and focused views on major trends expected to provide shape to future growth prospects. The report provides detailed analysis of the significant drivers, trends, challenges and opportunities prevailing for the forth coming decade across key geographies along with competitive landscape of the upcoming decade. About Future Market Insights (FMI) Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in Dubai, and has delivery centers in the UK, U.S. and India. FMI's latest market research reports and industry analysis help businesses navigate challenges and make critical decisions with confidence and clarity amidst breakneck competition. Our customized and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. A team of expert-led analysts at FMI continuously tracks emerging trends and events in a broad range of industries to ensure that our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers. Contact: Future Market Insights, 1602-6 Jumeirah Bay X2 Tower, Plot No: JLT-PH2-X2A, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai, United Arab Emirates For Sales Enquiries: sales@futuremarketinsights.com For Media Enquiries: press@futuremarketinsights.com Website: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/ Report: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/chlorophyll-color-market Press Release Source: https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/press-release/chlorophyll-color-market Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1197648/FMI_Logo.jpg CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- India is a developing data center market in the APAC region. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a strong market enabler for digital transformation initiatives across private and public sector enterprises in India. Over USD 10 billion will be invested in core & shell development and support infrastructure procurement for data centers across India during 2021-2026. In India, state governments are attracting data center investments through MoUs and tax incentives. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Telangana have announced incentives for data center development in the last two years. Arizton's research reports on the data center knowledge base offer an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market insights. Observing these rapid and drastic changes in demand and supply patterns encouraged the industry analysts at Arizton to publish exhaustive and data-driven insights on these recent trends in the industry. Here's a sneak peek of the trendiest reports: 1.India Data Center Market - Investment Analysis and Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 India data center market size will witness investments of USD 8 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 12% during 2021-2026. Arizton has identified about 79 unique data center facilities and 23 upcoming facilities in India. Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, India has witnessed a growth of over 30% in internet usage consumption. The demand for data centers has gone up due to increase in access to internet-related services by organizations across various sectors. In 2020, in India, the top three states cumulatively added more than a million square feet of data center space. Maharashtra is adding the highest area, followed by Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Key Highlights: In Q3 2020, the data center market witnessed a strong spike in announcements related to new projects across India . The major demand for data center capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic ensued from cloud-service providers. . The major demand for data center capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic ensued from cloud-service providers. Adani Group has planned to set up the hyperscale facility Adani Chennai-1 with the investment of around USD 340 million in Chennai . in . According to Ericsson, in India , the total 5G connections will be around USD 350 million by 2026. , the total 5G connections will be around by 2026. In 2020, the Tamil Nadu data center market witnessed investments from colocation service providers, telecom operators, and government entities. Chennai is the leading submarine cable landing station in Southern India , which attracts a higher number of data center investors. is the leading submarine cable landing station in , which attracts a higher number of data center investors. ST Telemedia Global Data Centres India has planned to construct a greenfield data center campus in Noida with an investment of over USD 150 million . Get more insights now! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/india-data-center-market 2.Vietnam Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 Vietnam data center market size will witness investments of USD 673 million by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 8.18% during 2021-2026. Arizton has identified about 21 unique data center facilities and 3 upcoming facilities in Vietnam. In Vietnam, major telecommunication providers such as FPT Telecom, HTC International Telecommunication (HTC-ITC), VNPT, and Viettel Networks are investing in data center facilities. In 2020, Vietnam received an investment of around USD 420 million in data center facilities by FPT Telecom, across Da Nang, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh cities, along with other enterprise and on-premises investments. Key Highlights: In Vietnam , the cloud computing market is led by both local and global companies such as FPT Corporation, Viettel-CHT, CMC Corporation, IBM Vietnam, Microsoft Vietnam, AWS Vietnam, Mat Bao Corporation, NTC Cloud Computing, SAP Asia ( Vietnam ), HPT Vietnam, and Google. , the cloud computing market is led by both local and global companies such as FPT Corporation, Viettel-CHT, CMC Corporation, IBM Vietnam, Microsoft Vietnam, AWS Vietnam, Mat Bao Corporation, NTC Cloud Computing, SAP Asia ( ), HPT Vietnam, and Google. In Vietnam , the banking industry is moving towards the adoption of Big Data and cloud computing solutions to provide a wider range of customized services more efficiently and cost-effectively to clients. , the banking industry is moving towards the adoption of Big Data and cloud computing solutions to provide a wider range of customized services more efficiently and cost-effectively to clients. In Vietnam , most facilities are built according to Tier III standards, with a minimum redundancy of N+1 for generators. , most facilities are built according to Tier III standards, with a minimum redundancy of N+1 for generators. 5G networks will boost the adoption of digital platforms in the country and heighten the demand for high bandwidth networking infrastructure. Vietnam is aiming to generate around 30% of its electricity via renewable sources and reduce its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 8% by 2030. By 2045, renewable energy is expected to contribute to over 50% of the overall capacity of data centers in Vietnam . Get more insights now! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/vietnam-data-center-market-investment-analysis 3.Indonesia Data Center Market - Investment Analysis and Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 Indonesia data center market size will witness investments of USD 2275 million by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 6% during 2021-2026. Arizton has identified about 40 unique data center and 5 upcoming facilities in Indonesia. Indonesia attracted most of the investment from colocation service providers such as Keppel Data Centres and Salim Group, NTT, Space DC, DTP, Biznet Data Center, and DCI Indonesia. In Indonesia, wholesale colocation contributes around 8% of the market share and retail colocation was 92%. Key Highlights: The IoT market in Indonesia is estimated to reach around USD 110 billion by 2025. Per the Indonesian IoT Association, the country has installed over 450 million sensor devices. is estimated to reach around by 2025. Per the Indonesian IoT Association, the country has installed over 450 million sensor devices. DCI Indonesia and Space DC are major investors involved in the construction of Tier IV facilities. and Space DC are major investors involved in the construction of Tier IV facilities. Indonesian data centers are a major adopter of DRUS systems, with generators mostly used in N+1 redundant configuration. The Indonesian government program 'Making Indonesia 4.0' is applicable to all industry verticals and will enable IoT as a link for all equipment to be connected to the internet. Microsoft announced its first data center in Indonesia , while Alibaba planned to launch its third cloud data center in Indonesia , which is expected to be operational in 2021. , while Alibaba planned to launch its third cloud data center in , which is expected to be operational in 2021. In 2021, Batam Sarawak Internet Cable System (BaSICS) will connect Malaysia and Indonesia . It will be ready for service by January 2021 and would enhance the connectivity between the two countries. The development of new data centers increases with the better submarine cable deployment YoY. Get more insights now! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/indonesia-crawler-excavator-market-opportunities-assessment-forecast Subscribe to our data center knowledge base portfolio to access the latest research reports at competitive pricing. Read some of the top-selling reports: Philippines Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 South Korea Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 Thailand Data Center Market - Investment Analysis and Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 Malaysia Data Center Market - Investment Analysis and Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 About Arizton: Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovation and quality-driven firm, which offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients across the world. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services. We offer comprehensive market research reports on industries such as consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, and life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals, and materials, IT and media, logistics and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts. Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports. Mail: enquiry@arizton.com Call: +1-312-235-2040 +1 302 469 0707 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/818553/Arizton_Logo.jpg ALULA, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) announces the birth of an Arabian leopard cub, offering hope for the revival of her critically endangered species. The female cub was born on April 23. Her gender identification and first health check occurred on July 13. The cub is now one of 16 born in a captive-breeding programme at the Arabian Leopard Breeding Center in Taif, Saudi Arabia as part of a campaign to bring the animal back from near extinction. Her species numbers fewer than 200 in the wild after centuries of habitat loss and poaching. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says the species is "critically endangered," which means it is considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. The leopard's habitat, which formerly spanned the Arabian Peninsula and reached into the Levant, is now restricted to three countries: Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen. The breeding centre is operated by RCU, the agency regenerating a 22,561km swath of north-west Saudi Arabia as a global destination for natural and cultural heritage. Motivation in Arabia to save the leopard is strong. For the region's inhabitants the Arabian leopard - known in Arabic as An Nimr Al "Arabi" - has long represented beauty, tranquillity, physical strength, fearlessness and freedom. The animal has occupied a special place in the imagination for millennia and is found in ancient rock art, stories and even everyday expressions. For this reason the birth of the cub represents a gain for Saudi cultural heritage as well as natural heritage. The species will eventually be reintroduced into the wilderness in the mountains of AlUla, by restoring the population through the breeding programme and the preparation of a suitable habitat in which the leopards can thrive. The campaign includes the following initiatives: Expansion of the captive-breeding programme with the opening of a state-of-the-art breeding centre to open by early 2024 as part of Sharaan Nature Reserve, AlUla. Establishment of the Arabian Leopard Fund, towards which RCU has allocated USD 25 million . . Extension of partnerships with relevant conservation entities such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Panthera. Conversion of 80% of the AlUla project's land into nature reserves, in line with the Saudi Green Initiative. The Sharaan Nature Reserve, for example, will restore and conserve the ecosystem, including indigenous flora and fauna, across 1560 square kilometres. Reintroduction of prey species such as Nubian Ibex and Idmi Gazelles. Training of AlUla residents as park rangers to safeguard the reserves. Dr Ahmed Almalki, Nature Reserves Director, said: "This birth is significant because it is one step further toward reviving the Arabian leopard. We believe that saving endangered species such as the Arabian Leopard is critical to the protection of our planet and the natural balance of our ecosystem. Our goal at RCU is nothing less than to restore the power of nature's balance." To learn more, visit https://www.rcu.gov.sa/en/meetourcub. About AlUla Located 1,100km from Riyadh in north-west Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km, includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years. The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and is comprised of nearly 100 well-preserved tombs with elaborate facades cut into sandstone outcrops. Current research suggests Hegra was the most southern outpost of the Romans after conquering the Nabataeans in 106 CE. In addition to Hegra, AlUla is home to a series of fascinating historical and archaeological sites such as: an Old Town surrounded by an ancient oasis; Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms, which is considered one of the most developed 1st-millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula; thousands of ancient rock art sites and inscriptions in Jabal Ikmah; and Hijaz Railway stations. Note to editors It is always AlUla / not Al-Ula. About the Royal Commission for AlUla The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was established by royal decree in July 2017 to preserve and develop AlUla, a region of outstanding natural and cultural significance in north-west Saudi Arabia. RCU's long-term plan outlines a responsible, sustainable, and sensitive approach to urban and economic development, that preserves the area's natural and historic heritage, while establishing AlUla as a desirable location to live, work, and visit. This encompasses a broad range of initiatives across archaeology, tourism, culture, education, and the arts, reflecting a commitment to meeting the economic diversification, local community empowerment, and heritage preservation priorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 programme. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1637336/RCU_Arabian_Leopard_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1637337/RCU_Arabian_Leopard_2.jpg WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - A report released by the Conference Board on Tuesday unexpectedly showed a continued deterioration in U.S. consumer confidence in the month of September. The Conference Board said its consumer confidence index tumbled to 109.3 in September from an upwardly revised 115.2 in August. The decrease surprised economists, who had expected the index to inch up to 114.8 from the 113.8 originally reported for the previous month. Lynn Franco, Senior Director of Economic Indicators at The Conference Board, said the unexpected drop in consumer confidence came as the spread of the Delta variant continued to dampen optimism. 'Consumer confidence is still high by historical levels-enough to support further growth in the near-term-but the Index has now fallen 19.6 points from the recent peak of 128.9 reached in June,' Franco said. She added, 'These back-to-back declines suggest consumers have grown more cautious and are likely to curtail spending going forward.' The unexpected decrease by the headline index came as the present situation index slid to 143.4 in September from 148.9 in August. The expectations index also fell to 86.6 in September from 92.8 in August, as consumers' optimism about the short-term business conditions outlook eroded further. On Friday, the University of Michigan is scheduled to release its revised reading on U.S. consumer sentiment in September. The consumer sentiment index for September is expected to be unrevised from the preliminary reading of 71.0, which was up from 70.3 in August. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de GLOBAL BIOENERGIES PUBLISHES HALF-YEAR FINANCIAL RESULTS Group net loss of 7.6m in H1 2021 Gross cash position of 12.1m at 30 June 2021 Pierre Monsan joins the Board of Directors Evry, 28 September 2021: Global Bioenergies' Board of Directors met yesterday and approved the H1 2021 financial statements, which have been audited by the Statutory Auditor. Global Bioenergies also announces the appointment of a new independent director, Pierre Monsan, a pioneer in French industrial biology. The first half 2021 report is available for download from the Global Bioenergies website under "Investors/Regulated Information". Samuel Dubruque, Chief Financial Officer of Global Bioenergies, said: "The first half kicked off with the release of the first batch of cosmetic-grade natural origin isododecane produced using the process developed by Global Bioenergies . The period culminated in two major events in June: launch of the LAST home-developed make-up brand based on Global Bioenergies' bio-based isododecane, making it the first brand in the world to offer over 90% naturalness while maintaining longwear performance, water resistance and low transfer; flight of an aircraft between Sarrebruck (Germany) and Reims (France) powered by 97% renewable aviation fuel derived from isobutene produced by Global Bioenergies. The financial statements reflect the Group's commitment to industrialisation and commercialisation: increased spending on isobutene and derivatives production, new expenditure items on the design and manufacture of finished products, booking of the value of the corresponding inventories, etc. The demonstration that the green isododecane produced by the Company can be used in cosmetics is now achieved thanks to the launch of the LAST brand. Our aim is now to focus on generating revenues from the sale of isododecane to big names of the industry." Marc Delcourt, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of Global Bioenergies, explained: "At a technical level, H1 2021 was dedicated to developing our historical process towards a two-step variation. This alternative allows us to use tollers for the first step by taking advantage of large-scale fermenters already installed: a test on a 180 m fermenter - 36 times larger than our Leuna fermenter - was successfully carried out in spring. The second step must always be conducted in a specific fermenter as designed by Global Bioenergies. Given that this step is very productive, a small fermenter corresponding to a limited investment can be used. This process variation will allow us to accelerate the scale-up of our production volume in order to reach the cosmetics market before reaching the materials and aviation biofuel markets." Group Profit & Loss Account thousands from 01/01/2021 from 01/01/2020 from 01/01/2019 Consolidated financial statements to 30/06/2021 to 30/06/2020 to 30/06/2019 Operating income 1,903 1,728 1,427 Operating expenses 9,455 8,603 8,974 Operating profit (loss) (7,552) (6,876) (7,546) EBITDA (6,515) (5,300) (5,718) Financial profit (loss) (79) (128) (154) Exceptional profit (loss) 10 67 119 Income tax (CIR) NA* NA* NA* Net profit (loss) (7,621) (6,937) (7,580) * Note: by convention, the Group does not record a research tax credit in its half-year financial statements at the end of June. Operating income primarily consists of: revenues from the five ongoing projects that the Group is involved in and receives European subsidies for (1,331k); valuation of finished product inventories (527k including 372k of LAST products); first revenues from the LAST brand launched on 14 June 2021 (3k). Operating expenses reflect a sharp rise in "Industrialisation/Commercialisation" costs (by 1.75x, including the rise in the inventory of isobutene IBN and its derivatives isododecane IDD and isohexadecane IHD) and a reduction by around 15% in other expenditure items. thousands - Group H1 2021 H1 2020 H1 2019 Breakdown of operating expenses Personnel costs 2,079 2,223 2,715 Industrialisation/Commercialisation 4,792 2,420 1,967 Change in IBN & derivatives inventories* 520 - - Laboratory 416 585 681 Rent and maintenance 413 511 519 IP 326 270 305 Depreciation and amortisation 1,038 1,576 1,828 Other 911 1,018 958 Total 9,455 8,603 8,974 Breaking down the "Industrialisation/Commercialisation" item shows the changing nature of expenses between H1 2019 and H1 2021. First half 2021 saw an increase in isobutene production expenditure due to the scale-up of the "two-step" process (see below under "Highlights of the period"). Part of the increase is also due to the downstream production chain to convert isobutene into cosmetic-grade isododecane, which began to incur expenditure from the second half of 2020. Lastly, expenditure on rolling out the LAST brand is also included in this item: product design and manufacture, technical and regulatory studies, communication and marketing, etc. thousands - Group H1 2021 H1 2020 H1 2019 Breakdown of "Industrialisation/Commercialisation" Pomacle/Leuna production runs 2,378 1,609 1,761 Conversion of isobutene into cosmetic-grade IDD/IHD 747 - - Scale-up development 332 695 200 Testing and production of cosmetics finished products 345 116 7 LAST brand development 990 - - Total 4,792 2,420 1,967 Group Balance Sheet Assets ( thousands) 30/06/21 31/12/20 Liabilities ( thousands) 30/06/21 31/12/20 Intangible assets 928 980 Capital 555 507 Tangible assets 889 1,565 Share premium 14,562 96,022 Assets under construction 875 129 Retained earnings (4,565) (81,292) Financial assets 1,219 1,211 Profit (loss) (7,621) (11 148) Equipment subsidies - 43 NON-CURRENT ASSETS 3,912 3,885 EQUITY 2,931 4,132 Inventories of IBN, derivatives and finished products 2,368 1,314 PROVISIONS 172 183 R&D consumables inventories 319 653 Receivables 3,610 4,812 Conditional advances and loans 13,377 13,172 Cash 12,090 14,491 Trade payables 3,861 2,698 Marketable securities 362 360 Tax and social security liabilities 576 1,360 Prepaid expenses 288 283 Other debts and deferred income 2,032 4,253 CURRENT ASSETS 19,037 21,913 PAYABLES & PRE-PAID INCOME 19,846 21,483 TOTAL ASSETS 22,949 25 798 TOTAL LIABILITIES 22,949 25 798 Assets: assets under construction increased due to the decision announced in May to transfer the Leuna demonstrator's main units to the Pomacle site. Inventories of isobutene, derivatives and finished products increased due to the increased production rate, the introduction of the two-step process and the launch of the LAST brand on 14 June. Gross cash decreased by 2.4 million between 31/12/2020 and 30/06/2021. Liabilities: the negative retained earnings balance was allocated to additional paid-in capital by resolution of the General Meeting of Shareholders on 18 June 2021. This accounting manoeuvre, which has no impact on equity, clarifies the presentation of the accounts and facilitates access to public financing. Other payables and deferred income were reduced by the transfer of intercompany payables (between Global Bioenergies SA and Global Bioenergies GmbH) to Global Bioenergies GmbH's current account and the recognition of income from grants, which reduced the amount of deferred income. Highlights of the period and recent events Release of the first batch of cosmetic-gradeisododecane 2021 kicked off with the release of the very first batch of cosmetic-grade natural origin isododecane produced using the process developed by Global Bioenergies. Isododecane is a derivative of isobutene. The molecule is no stranger to the cosmetics industry; it is valued for its emollient properties and technical characteristics, in particular (i) its excellent ability to dissolve the ingredients of a given formulation and (ii) its volatility, which offers an ideal ratio between application and drying times. Widely used for skincare and haircare products, isododecane is also the flagship molecule for "longwear" make-up. This make-up segment combines waterproof effect, longwear and low-transfer performance. The corresponding market is around one billion units sold per year, i.e. a quarter of the global make-up market. Isododecane can represent up to 50% of the total volume of ingredients used in these products. The prospect of replacing synthetic isododecane with natural origin isododecane is an unexpected opportunity for the cosmetics industry, which is more deeply committed than ever to seeking naturalness in its products. Launch of home make-up brand: LAST To illustrate its innovative offer, the Company has decided to focus on this "longwear" make-up specificity and its special dependence on isododecane. The fact that isododecane is the main ingredient in longwear formulations has until now prevented the segment from achieving a high naturalness. Global Bioenergies aimed to bring to market the first longwear make-up brand to combine naturalness of over 90% with the unique technical performance of isododecane. Through this claim, the Company intends to trigger a trend among the sector's big manufacturers to switch to its natural origin isododecane. In other words, Global Bioenergies could use its home brand to drive the industry toward a new standard. The Company has put together an experienced team with the skills to successfully launch the new brand, including expertise in marketing and communication, formulation, regulations, packaging, production and logistics, e-commerce, etc., all designed to minimise the carbon footprint of products manufactured in France. An initial range of 18 mascara, eyebrow mascara and eye shadow products has been developed in record time, spurred by the ambition of achieving "naturalness without sacrificing performance". Blind consumer trials carried out prior to market launch confirmed the products meet this aim: without knowing the degree of naturalness of the products they were testing, 64% of the women in the trial groups thought the eye shadow products were better than the ones they usually use. Following these results, on 14 June 2021 the LAST brand was launched via a dedicated e-commerce website: www.colors-that-last.com. In September, the eyecare range was expanded to include 14 lipstick products offering the same degree of naturalness and technical features. This brand acts as a showcase for the Company's technology extolling the merits of the isobutene bioproduction process developed over the years by Global Bioenergies. LAST is therefore not an end but a beginning: the aim now is to spread the technology to the sector's other players. Changes in the isododecane production process The Company has therefore worked to increase its short-term production capacity through changes in its process. By splitting it in two successive steps, it is possible to use existing fermentation capacity for the first step and therefore run non-specific fermenters at full-scale fermentation volumes. This improvement makes the manufacturing process more flexible. The second step still requires the use of a specific fermenter like those already designed by Global Bioenergies in Leuna and Pomacle. As this step is highly productive, it only requires a reduced reaction volume compared to the first stage. An initial first-step trial on a full-scale fermenter - 180 m3, , i.e. 36 times bigger than the 5 m3 Leuna demonstrator - was run in May 2021 at the Pomacle ARD facility. This represented a historical turning point: until now, it was assumed only a new plant built around specific fermenters could be used for large-scale production. This latest development means we will be able to use tollers for the first stage of fermentation. It was subsequently decided that the 5 m3 fermenter used in the Leuna demonstrator in Germany would be transferred to Pomacle by the end of the year, so that the entire two-step process could be carried out at a single site by a single team. First international flight by an aircraft powered by over 97% renewable fuel One of the Company's ambitions is to give the world an additional solution in the area of biofuels. Badly hit by the COVID-19 crisis, the aviation sector must now meet another major challenge: limiting its carbon footprint. As the solutions implemented in the automotive industry are not suitable for air transport, innovation is the only way forward. Global Bioenergies has achieved in June 2021 a world first by fuelling a piston-engine aircraft that flew from Sarrebruck, Germany, to Reims, France, with over 97% renewable fuel prepared from isobutene produced by Global Bioenergies using its innovative process. Ordinary General Meeting held on Monday 27 September 2021 Following yesterday's Ordinary General Meeting, Global Bioenergies welcomes a new independent director, Pierre Monsan, a pioneer in French industrial biology. BIOGRAPHY of Pierre Monsan Through his career, Pierre Monsan has developed expertise in catalysis and enzymatic molecular engineering, publishing over 250 scientific publications, three books and 65 patents. After co-founding BioEurope (Solabia group) (1984), BioTrade (1996) and Genibio (1998), in 2012 he created the Toulouse White Biotechnology (TWB) pre-industrial demonstrator. Pierre Monsan acts as adviser to a number of major groups in the food industry, chemicals and cosmetics. He is a member of a number of associations and organisations such as the Academie des Technologies, the National Academy of Agriculture, the College of Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering and Honorary President of the French Biotechnology Federation. He is also an professor emeritus at INSA Toulouse and a former professor at the Ecole des Mines ParisTech. Finally, Pierre Monsan is a Knight of the French OrdreduMerite and Legion d'Honneur and an Officer of the PalmesAcademiques. Corinne Granger, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Global Bioenergies, said: "Pierre Monsan's scientific and industrial experience will be a decisive advantage in the roll-out of Global Bioenergies' bioproduction units over the coming years." Pierre Monsan made the following comments: "I have been following the Global Bioenergies project closely since its inception. The Company has created a truly unique technology that borrows from biology as well as from petrochemicals, which clearly deserves its qualification of "Deep Tech". My role will be to help develop this technology, first of all, in cosmetics, and then biofuels, particularly sustainable aviation fuels, so that it fulfils its promise to significantly impact the environment by reducing our CO 2 emissions." Marc Delcourt, Chief Executive Officer of Global Bioenergies, explained: "Pierre Monsan has written several chapters of the history of global industrial biology. We are lucky to have him on board to help us write our next chapter, which will push back the boundaries of the field. Also, a big thank-you to Nicolas Cordier for his commitment to preparing for the launch of the LAST brand. Mission accomplished!" Nicolas Cordier, who leaves the Board, made the following comments: "Thank you for this enriching adventure at Global Bioenergies and this uplifting stage of the commercial launch of the LAST brand. I wish the Group the best of success in the upcoming phases of its development, which I shall not fail to follow closely." About GLOBAL BIOENERGIES Global Bioenergies has developed a process to convert plant-derived resources into a key family of ingredients used in the cosmetics industry. The process was first developed in a laboratory, where the Company is further enhancing performance. It now operates as a pilot and a demo plant, with the capacity to start breaking into the market, initially through the Company's longwear home make-up brand, launched in 2021. The Company is gradually expanding its production capacities and is looking to improve the environmental footprint of not only the cosmetics industry but also that of other areas such as transportation and materials. Global Bioenergies is listed on Euronext Growth Paris (FR0011052257 - ALGBE) Receive information about Global Bioenergies directly by subscribing to our news feed onwww.global-bioenergies.com Follow us on Twitter: @GlobalBioenergi Contact GLOBAL BIOENERGIES Pauline Bayec Head of Investor Relations & Corporate Communication Tel.: +33 (0)1 64 98 20 50 invest@global-bioenergies.com Attachment Regulatory News: FOCUS HOME INTERACTIVE (Paris:ALFOC) (FR0012419307 ALFOC), a leading European publisher and developer of video games, has appointed Laure d'Hauteville as Group Chief Financial Officer and member of the Executive Committee. Laure has extensive experience in the world of finance. She started her career as a financial analyst in the video game industry, then spent ten years in a large international Group (Areva) as a financial controller where she worked both at a local level in the United States and at Group level. She joined Focus after seven years at Gameloft a mobile game developer where she was Deputy CFO and member of the Executive Committee. Throughout her career, Laure has demonstrated her talent for innovating, inspiring and growing the teams under her responsibility. At Gameloft, she was able to define and implement a robust and efficient financial organization to support the strategy and the transformation of both the company and its subsidiaries. Laure d'Hauteville succeeds Jean-Francois Busnel, who is stepping down as Group Chief Financial Officer after having actively participated in the implementation of financing and in the first acquisitions of development studios. Jean-Francois Busnel will ensure an effective transition period with Laure d'Hauteville "I am absolutely delighted to be joining the Focus talent pool and to be able to bring all my experience and energy to serve the long-term strategy to which Focus is committed," said Laure d'Hauteville CFO of Focus Home Interactive. "Focus' ambition to build a strong Group and to offer unique experiences for gamers implies values of high standards, creativity, innovation and quality. I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with the teams in place, and actively participating in the achievement of Focus' objectives "Laure's arrival marks a new step in our efforts to build an ambitious Group," said Christophe Nobileau, CEO of Focus Home Interactive. "We are delighted to welcome Laure, who will be able to bring all her experience to organize and define an increasingly effective financial strategy. I am very confident in her ability to support the growth and transformation of Focus and thus maximize value creation. She will bring to the table her knowledge of the video game industry, as well as her experience in the financial markets. On behalf of Focus Home Interactive, I would like to thank Jean-Francois Busnel who has contributed since the beginning of 2020 to the financial structuring of the group. The entire team joins me in wishing him the best in his future activities. A propos de Focus Home Interactive FOCUS HOME INTERACTIVE is one of Europe's leading video game publishers and developers. Its vocation is to support leading international studios in the development, production monitoring, marketing, sales and financing of their projects. As a publisher of strong brands such as The Surge, Vampyr, and A Plague Tale: Innocence, the Group generated revenues of 171 million in 2020/21, up 20% compared to the previous comparable period. FOCUS HOME INTERACTIVE generates 95% of its sales internationally. For additional information, visit www.focus-entmt.com For more information follow us on: Twitter LinkedIn YouTube Facebook View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005927/en/ Contacts: Investor Relations FTI Consulting Cosme Julien-Madoni Tel: 33 (0) 1 47 03 68 10 Mail: fhi@fticonsulting.com Press Relations FTI Consulting Emily Oliver: Tel: 33 (0) 6 28 73 45 15 Mail: fhi@fticonsulting.com CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the last 5-7 years, the market has grown significantly, with increase in the development of hyperscale data centers. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a strong driver for digital transformation initiatives in private and public sector enterprises across data centers. The trend of greenfield development is increasing across all regions, which is expected to fuel the growth of the global data center market. Data center knowledge base portfolio consist of a wide range of data center market research reports. The reports cover overall insights of several growth factors, new technologies, trends, and competitive landscape to grow your business. Arizton is also coming up with more customized and insightful reports related to data center industry. Here's a sneak peek of the trendiest reports: 1.Spain Data Center Market - Investment Analysis and Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 Spain data center market size will witness investments of USD 1.97 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 5.85% during 2021-2026. Arizton has identified about 42 unique data center facilities in Spain and 4 facilities are upcoming in the future. Around 35 colocation facilities are in Spain, with Madrid leading the market and accounting for over 20 data centers, followed by Barcelona with 7 facilities. In Spain, with an increase in the adoption of cloud-based services, the enterprise digitalization drive, involving migration to on-premises facility, is likely to drive the colocation services market during 2021-2026. Key Highlights: In 2020, with over 85% people's participation, WhatsApp was the most used social media in Spain , followed by Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. , followed by Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Rapid investments and the deployment of 5G technology have led to the growth of internet users, thereby boosting the demand for data centers Spain . . Sherpa Red Points , Source{d}, vLex, Artificial Solutions, Inbenta are a few prominent AI companies in Spain . , Source{d}, vLex, Artificial Solutions, Inbenta are a few prominent AI companies in . Most data center facilities in Spain adopting medium-to low-voltage switchgears for power distribution across data centers. adopting medium-to low-voltage switchgears for power distribution across data centers. About 10 data center facilities in Spain are certified as Tier IV by the Uptime Institute. Get your free sample! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/spain-data-center-market-investment-analysis-report 2.Sweden Data Center Market - Investment Analysis and Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 Sweden data center market size to reach USD 3.77 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 7.82% during the forecast period. Arizton has identified about 31 unique data center facilities in Sweden and 1 facility are upcoming in the future. Sweden expects to add around 5 million square feet of data center space during 2021-2026. Most underdeveloped colocation data center facilities span over 10,000 square feet of the net rentable space. The Swedish data center market expects to witness investments from cloud service providers such as Microsoft and Google as well as colocation service providers during the forecast period. Key Highlights: Sweden hosts key cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft. Increase in data volumes in Sweden witnessed businesses adopting cloud-based services. hosts key cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft. Increase in data volumes in witnessed businesses adopting cloud-based services. Microsoft has invested around USD 1.25 million in Sweden in partnering with 13 organizations to advance the STEM program focused on upskilling youth in Sweden . in in partnering with 13 organizations to advance the STEM program focused on upskilling youth in . Increased investments in data centers and the implementation of GDPR have fueled the growth of the server market in Sweden over the last two years. over the last two years. Tax incentives from the Swedish government also have a major effect on the market, with several local and global data center providers investing in Sweden . Get your free sample now!https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/sweden-data-center-market 3.Ireland Data Center Market - Investment Analysis and Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 Ireland data center market will witness investments of USD 3.84 billion by 2026, growing at a CARG of 5.47% during the period 2021-2026. Arizton has identified about 24 unique data center facilities in Sweden and 12 facilities are upcoming in the future. Core & shell development services in Ireland are likely to witness a cumulative investment of over USD 7 billion during 2021-2026. Equinix, Digital Realty, Keppel Data Centres, and EdgeConneX are the major colocation service providers in Ireland. In Ireland, the contribution of renewable energy sources stood at over 40% in 2020 and expects to reach 70% by 2030 across data center facilities. Key Highlights: AWS and Facebook have announced to offer over 1,000 new constructions across data centers in Ireland over the next few years. over the next few years. In 2020, TikTok announced its plans to build a USD 500 million data center facility in Ireland , which is expected to be operational by 2022. data center facility in , which is expected to be operational by 2022. Echelon Data Centres, a new market entrant in the Ireland market, expands its wholesale colocation spaces through its Clondalkin Data Center. The company is also involved in the development of the Arklow Data Center Phase I in Dublin . market, expands its wholesale colocation spaces through its Clondalkin Data Center. The company is also involved in the development of the Arklow Data Center Phase I in . Free cooling systems is dominating the data center market in Ireland . Get your free sample now! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/ireland-data-center-market-2025 Subscribe to our data center knowledge base portfolio to access the latest research reports at competitive pricing. Read some of the top-selling reports: Mexico Data Center Market - Investment Analysis and Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 US Hyperscale Data Center Market - Industry Outlook & Forecast 2021-2026 Philippines Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 Singapore Data Center Market - Investment Analysis and Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 About Arizton: Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovation and quality-driven firm, which offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients across the world. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services. We offer comprehensive market research reports on industries such as consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, and life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals, and materials, IT and media, logistics and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts. Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports. Mail: enquiry@arizton.com Call: +1-312-235-2040 +1 302 469 0707 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/818553/Arizton_Logo.jpg Ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 LR Steinhausen, 28 September 2021 - The Board of Directors of Schweiter Technologies AG has appointed Roman Sonderegger as the new CEO of the Schweiter Technologies Group. The 45-year-old Swiss citizen is currently Head of Business Unit Wheat & Rye at the Buhler Group and will take up his new position on 1 May 2022, succeeding Heinz Baumgartner, who will continue to lead the Group until his departure as previously announced. Heinz Baumgartner has been with Schweiter Technologies since 1996 and CEO of the Group since 2008. Under his leadership, the company has adopted a new strategic focus on the composites business and continued to develop through organic growth and acquisitions. In connection with the planned change in senior management, he will leave his role as CEO, at his own request, in 2022 once the familiarization period of his successor has been completed, but will remain a member of the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors would like to thank him for his outstanding record and accomplishments throughout his association with the Schweiter Technologies Group over more than twenty-five years. Roman Sonderegger will take up his new post from 1 May 2022 and assume the duties and role of his predecessor after an introductory period. He has a master's degree in Industrial Management and Manufacturing from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich and a bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from the same institute. After occupying a number of management positions in supply chain management and working as a consultant at the Boston Consulting Group, he has been employed in various roles at the Buhler Group since 2010, including as Head of Sales & Service Operations Group and Managing Director of Buhler Southern Africa. Since 2019, he has been Head of Business Unit Wheat & Rye and Customer Service Milling Solutions. Roman Sonderegger has an excellent track record in corporate management. His in-depth knowledge of supply chain management, markets, sales and product innovation will be a particularly valuable contribution. In Mr Sonderegger the Board of Directors is delighted to have found a CEO who is eminently suited to Schweiter Technologies on a personal as well as a professional level. For further information please contact: Martin Kloti, CFO Tel. +41 41 757 77 00, Fax +41 41 757 70 01, martin.kloeti@schweiter.com Please find the Media release in the PDF attached: Media release ONTARIO CA, Sept 29, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - DigiMax Global Inc. (the "Company" or "DigiMax") (CSE:DIGI)(OTC:DBKSF), a company that provides artificial intelligence ("AI") and cryptocurrency technology solutions, is pleased to announce it has entered an agreement with Delphi AI Systems Inc ("AI") to utilize their previously developed, and currently enhanced artificial intelligence tools to track 10 separate commodities to predict price direction.In a service that is similar to the CryptoHawk Price Trend Watch, CommodityHawk will be offered to institutional traders and commodity producers seeking to hedge inventory positions or profit from trading. The service will be available before the end of 2021 and will be priced at $US 1,000 per month for 4 commodities and $500 per month for each additional commodity up to a maximum of $3,500 per month. Since direct trials commenced at the beginning of 2021, CommodityHawk has demonstrated an ability to beat buy-and-hold strategies by a significant margin. Accordingly, this prediction tool provides an excellent return on the monthly cost for anyone trading $100,000 or more on average.Commodity Hawk will be 100% owned by DigiMax but affiliate fees of up to 20% will be shared with Delphi dependent on the number of users they attract to the service. Both DigiMax and Delphi will use their growing global investor channels to share this highly valuable service with users.DigiMax and Delphi will also commence work immediately on creating sister hedge funds (trading will be simultaneous in each) domiciled in Cayman Islands and in the US. The Cayman fund will likely be available first as it will be registered as a related fund to its Crypto Hedge Fund whereas the US fund will require new registration. At least one of the funds is expected to be operational on or before the end of 2021. These funds will be owned on an equal basis between Delphi and DigiMax and will be enabled to trade all commodities on behalf of unit holders of the fund.About DelphiDelphi Analytics is a decade-old technology company that utilizes a variety of data analytics, models and machine learning to generate algorithms to increase predictability and outcomes in trading and corporate financial risk management. Delphi constructs proprietary algorithms and indices (termed AiCi's = Artificial Intelligence Confidence Indices) as well as develops AiCi's for specific/custom use.About DigiMaxDigiMax is an Artificial Intelligence technology company committed to unlocking the potential of disruptive technologies by providing advanced financial, predictive, and cryptocurrency solutions across various verticals. DigiMax is an official IBM Watson partner, and the Company's engineering team has extensive experience in Machine Learning, Neural Language Processing, AI, Big Data and Cryptocurrency technology.To learn more, visit our website: https://digimaxglobal.com/Contact:Damon StoneFund Investor Communications647-465-0148dstone@digimax-global.comChris CarlPresident & CEO416-312-9698ccarl@digimax-global.comCautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking StatementsThis press release contains "forward-looking statements or information". Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as: anticipate, intend, plan, goal, seek, believe, project, estimate, expect, strategy, future, likely, may, should, will and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements in this press release include, among others, statements about the Company and Kirobo Inc.'s future plans, expectations and objectives.Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on our current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of our business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of our control. Our actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, you should not rely on any of these forward-looking statements. The Company may not actually achieve its plans, projections, or expectations. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company, including expectations and assumptions concerning the future plans of Kirobo Inc. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements include, among others, the following: the adequacy of our cash flow and earnings, the benefits and uses of our software, the pricing and availability of our software, the availability of future financing and/or credit, and other conditions which may affect our ability to expand the platforms and software described herein, the level of demand and financial performance of the cryptocurrency industry, developments and changes in laws and regulations, including increased regulation of the cryptocurrency industry through legislative action and revised rules and standards applied by the Canadian Securities Administrators, Ontario Securities Commission, and/or other similar regulatory bodies in other jurisdictions, disruptions to our technology network including computer systems, software and cloud data, or other disruptions of our operating systems, structures or equipment, the impact of Covid-19 or other viruses and diseases on the Company's ability to operate, consumer sentiment towards the Company's products and services, failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations, government regulations, competition, loss of key employees and consultants, and general economic, market or business conditions, the impact of technology changes on the products and industry, the ability for Kirobo Inc. to complete its business objectives, as well as those risk factors discussed or referred to in disclosure documents filed by the Company with the securities regulatory authorities in certain provinces of Canada and available at www.sedar.com. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.Any forward-looking statement made by us in this press release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, we undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.Source: DigiMax Global IncCopyright 2021 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. - HeidelbergCement announces minority investment in Command Alkon, the global leader in comprehensive supply chain technology solutions for heavy building materials - Leading software investment firm Thoma Bravo will retain the majority ownership of Command Alkon with plans to further accelerate its growth - Combining Command Alkon's strong and innovative product offerings, Thoma Bravo's extensive software and operational expertise, and HeidelbergCement's deep domain knowledge and global footprint expected to drive digital advancement for the Heavy Building Materials industry - Investment and partnership to benefit all Command Alkon customers by accelerating the company's ability to scale its best-in-class, cloud-based solutions across the heavy building supply chain HEIDELBERG, Germany, BIRMINGHAM, Ala. and SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- HeidelbergCement, one of the world's largest integrated manufacturers of building materials and solutions, and Command Alkon, the global leader in comprehensive supply chain technology solutions for heavy building materials, announced today that as part of a new partnership with Thoma Bravo, a leading software investment firm, HeidelbergCement has signed an agreement to make a minority investment to acquire 45% in Command Alkon. Thoma Bravo will retain the majority ownership of Command Alkon. Since acquiring Command Alkon in 2020, Thoma Bravo has helped guide the company to expand its solutions portfolio as well as modernized and centralized its systems and organizational structure to enhance the customer experience. As a group, Thoma Bravo, HeidelbergCement and Command Alkon expect to continue to accelerate Command Alkon's strategy to deliver best-in-class, cloud-based solutions to better serve its customers. The addition of HeidelbergCement's global reach and product adoption will further enable Command Alkon to scale its solutions and drive growth. HeidelbergCement and Command Alkon believe through each company's efforts, as well as continued collaboration with stakeholders globally, they can help advance digital transformation within the heavy building materials supply chain sector, including more transparent industry standards for seamless connectivity, improved solutions to customers' everyday pain points (e.g., digital ticketing or Telematics), a generally increased pace in innovation, and an acceleration to customers' sustainability efforts. HeidelbergCement will continue to autonomously own and develop HConnect, its proprietary digital product suite with more than 18,000 customers. "As part of our strategy "Beyond 2020", our clear goal is to become the first industrial tech company in our sector," said Dr. Dominik von Achten, Chairman of the Managing Board of HeidelbergCement. "We have made significant progress in our independently developed HConnect digital customer experience since its development in 2018. The investment in Command Alkon and the partnership with Thoma Bravo now allows us to monetize the hidden potential of our assets and translate it into a new growth path for HeidelbergCement. Together, we will build the digital ecosystem of the future for the Heavy Building Materials industry." "This partnership is a unique opportunity to accelerate digital change across the heavy building materials supply chain," said Phil Ramsey, CEO at Command Alkon. "HeidelbergCement is a leading industry player, and their investment is a validation of our strategy, solutions and the outstanding customer experience we offer. This transaction will better position Command Alkon to enhance our support to all customers, expand our geographic footprint and execute our transition to the cloud. We look forward to continuing to benefit from our partnership with HeidelbergCement and Thoma Bravo as we continue to provide automation and business process technologies that deliver value to our customers and stakeholders across the construction industry." "We are so excited to partner with HeidelbergCement, who is the clear industry leader in terms of digital transformation, to further support Command Alkon's growth strategy and transform the heavy building materials industry," said A.J. Rohde, a Senior Partner at Thoma Bravo. "This is our most significant partnership with a global industrial company, and one that we believe will have a lasting positive impact on the sustainability and ease of doing business within the heavy building material sector. The goal when we acquired Command Alkon was to modernize the company's platform, build a digital ecosystem from production to consumption, and expand its global footprint. This investment and industry-changing partnership from HeidelbergCement will help accelerate all of those initiatives even faster for the benefit of all Command Alkon customers." Command Alkon has the largest installed software base in the heavy building materials supply chain sector with more than 2,500 customers globally. Its comprehensive product portfolio includes software and technology for plant and site automation, materials ordering and scheduling, inventory and mix management, trucking logistics and fleet optimization, office and field operations, reporting, and analytics. More than 1,000 companies use Command Alkon's CONNEX platform connecting all participants across the heavy building materials supply chain - suppliers, haulers, and buyers - to empower sharing of data and digital workflows across all parties at cloud scale and make it simpler and easier for customers to do business, improve stakeholder efficiencies, and encourage greater sustainability. The purchase agreement is subject to customary regulatory approvals, which are expected to be obtained by the end of 2021. About HeidelbergCement HeidelbergCement is one of the world's largest integrated manufacturers of building materials and solutions, with leading market positions in aggregates, cement, and ready-mixed concrete. Around 53,000 employees at more than 3,000 locations in over 50 countries deliver long-term financial performance through operational excellence and openness for change. At the center of actions lies the responsibility for the environment. As forerunner on the path to carbon neutrality, HeidelbergCement crafts material solutions for the future. For more information, visit www.heidelbergcement.com. About Command Alkon Command Alkon offers technologies that automate and streamline all aspects of the heavy building materials supply chain for materials suppliers, haulers, and buyers. A comprehensive suite of industry-specific solutions combined with employees invested in the success of heavy materials operations and construction projects differentiates Command Alkon as an industry leader and go-to partner. CONNEX, a supply chain platform built for the industry, enables business partners to digitize and integrate workflows for materials and trucking management and capture powerful insights that drive performance. Command Alkon is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama and has offices in locations around the globe. For more information, visit www.commandalkon.com. About Thoma Bravo Thoma Bravo is one of the largest private equity firms in the world, with more than $83 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2021. The firm invests in growth-oriented, innovative companies operating in the software and technology sectors. Leveraging the firm's deep sector expertise and proven strategic and operational capabilities, Thoma Bravo collaborates with its portfolio companies to implement operating best practices, drive growth initiatives and make accretive acquisitions intended to accelerate revenue and earnings. Over the past 20 years, the firm has acquired more than 325 companies representing over $100 billion in enterprise value. The firm has offices in Chicago, Miami and San Francisco. For more information, visit thomabravo.com. Contacts: HeidelbergCement Christoph Beumelburg Group Spokesman, Director Group Communication & Investor Relations +49 (0) 6221 481 13249 info@heidelbergcement.com Command Alkon Karli Langer Command Alkon (205) 879-3282 x 3968 klangner@commandalkon.com Dan Moore / Tim Ragones Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher (212) 355-4449 Thoma Bravo Megan Frank Thoma Bravo Communications (212) 731-4778 mfrank@thomabravo.com or Joe Berg Finsbury Glover Hering (203) 984-2771 joe.berg@fgh.com Singapore, Singapore--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2021) - Following the launch of its mobile app in July 2021, BitDATA Exchange (BitEx) Singapore, a homegrown regulated digital assets exchange, continues to unfold milestones with the expansion of business operations in Singapore. Located at the heart of Singapore's Central Business District, BitEx has set up its first Over The Counter (OTC) service desk at GB Building, along Cecil Street on 26 September 2021. The OTC desk welcomes all walk-in queries and offers fuss-free account creation on the spot. As an MAS regulated entity, Know-Your-Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) are mandatory protocols and all these can be completed over the counter where customers can start trading after authentication is done. "We are very excited about the launch of our OTC desk at such a prominent spot in Singapore. We finally established in Singapore in 2019 and we are very thankful to be granted an exemption by the MAS from holding a license under the Payment Services Act ("PS Act") for providing digital payment token service. Our company goes by 3 core values which are - Secure, Regulated and Professional. We strive to provide the utmost quality service to all our customers who place their trust in us," said Ken Wong, founder and CEO of BitEx. Fuss-Free FIAT-Crypto Trading with BitEx Trained account servicing personnel will walk customers through the onboarding process thoroughly and customers can start trading in 4 easy steps: 1) Provide required documents for identity verification a) Identity card, Proof of Residency, Bank Statement, Proof of Income/Funds 2) Pricing quotation will be provided upon confirming customers' preferred trade 3) Transaction will then be completed by wire transfer of funds (FIAT) from the customer's bank account 4) Customers will receive their crypto assets in their wallets Greater Convenience with FAST Deposit & Withdrawal of Funds The latest update to the mobile app includes FAST deposit & withdrawal of funds with a nominal fee imposed and customers can tie their accounts to their debit or credit card in Singapore currency (SGD) to complete the top-up request. With many other exciting chapters to unfold in 2022, BitEx is in talks with partners from the lifestyle industry, ranging from electronic mobile devices to networking sessions at F&B chains, the anticipation of many other unprecedented upshift advancements goes on. Operation details: Opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9.00am to 12.00pm; 1.30pm to 6.00pm. Address: 143 Cecil Street, GB Building, Level 1 (Next to Huggs cafe) About BitDATA Exchange (BitEx) Your Trusted Portal for The Crypto-Asset World Proudly founded in Singapore, BitDATA Exchange (BitEx) is built to provide an institutional-grade experience for our clients to trade crypto assets, including Bitcoin, Ethereum & Litecoin. BitEx's purpose is to be a portal that brings together the world of crypto assets and finance for investors, traders, and crypto-enthusiasts. The crypto company is backed by cutting-edge technology to facilitate efficient high trading volume. We pay special attention to our clients by providing a user-centric portal with state-of-the-art security and a streamlined user experience. We are granted an exemption from holding a license under the Payment Services Act ("PS Act") for providing digital payment token service by The Monetary Authority of Singapore. (MAS). BitEx is also a member of the Singapore Fintech Association (SFA), the Association of Cryptocurrency Enterprises and Start-ups Singapore (ACCESS), and the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI). For more information, visit www.bitex.sg. Media Contact Media Contact Edmund Chan Business Growth Strategist Email: edmund(at)bitex(dot)sg To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97875 Beeple's "REBIRTH" 19/100 NFT is up on the auction block with proceeds directly impacting the next generation of digital artists. CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CharityStars presents a work of art by visionary NFT "non-fungible token" artist Mike Winkelmann, AKA, Beeple, in their premiere NFT online auction with a portion of proceeds supporting Adopt the Arts Foundation. The auction will be available for global bidding now through October 19, 2021. Visit www.charitystars.com/beeple to place your bid and learn more. "Beeple | The First 5000 Days" single lot sale of purely digital work of art, NFT, sold for $69 million. What if a portion of that could help to create the next generation of digital landscape artists and game-changers? CharityStars is making just that possible. A portion of the winning bid will go directly back into school systems to ensure that students are consistently receiving art classes regardless of where they live or go to school. This NFT includes a physical token that can be registered on beeple-collect.com and will allow the collector the option to provide additional off chain info. "We are honored that CharityStars asked us to be a beneficiary of the auction of a Beeple NFT. The worlds of art and charity are changing before our eyes. As an organization that supports the arts and up-and-coming artists of all genres we are excited to be a part of this new frontier!"- Abby Berman, Adopt the Arts Foundation Executive Director "We are excited to share CharityStars first NFT auction and entrance into the digital blockchain art industry. With the development and rapid rise of this hot-topic marketplace, we can continue to push forward a new era of fundraising for our charity partners." - Shanna Zullo, CharityStars Managing Director CharityStars CharityStars is an online fundraising platform whose goal is to make giving fun and rewarding, so charities can spend less time fundraising and more time creating positive change. With offices in Charlotte, London and Milan, they are customer-centric, delivering services and opportunities to charity partners while appealing to global donors with versatile inventory and more ways to give to the charities they love. With over +1,000 non-profits served, they have raised over $35 million dollars for causes around the world. They believe that together we can stand strong, dream big and create greater change for causes worldwide. www.charitystars.com Adopt the Arts Adopt The Arts was co-founded in 2010 by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee and Grammy Award-Winning Musician, Matt Sorum (Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver, Deadland Ritual), Activist and Entrepreneur, Abby Berman, and Founding Board Member, Golden Globe Award and Emmy Award-Winning Actor, Jane Lynch, in response to major budget cuts to the arts education budget in LAUSD Elementary schools. To this date, most students in elementary schools are not receiving art and music classes on a consistent basis. ATA officially launched in the fall of 2012 by adopting a Title One elementary school and donating 1000 instruments to LAUSD schools. Adopt The Arts is dedicate to providing art and music classes to K-5th grade students during the school day, raising awareness about the funding for art education across the country, and building partnerships to ensure that all students have a well-rounded education regardless of where they live or go to school. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1637595/CharityStars_rebirth.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1637594/cs_logo_secondary_Logo.jpg WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Popular vegetarian meat makers, Beyond Meat, Inc (BYND) said that their plant-based chicken substitutes will be available in prominent grocery chains across Canada. The company's Beyond Chicken Tenders will also be available in the United States from October. Beyond meat first introduced its chicken strips in the US more than two years back, exclusively for certain KFC outlets, and in an attempt to focus on their other product, Beyond Burger, the company discontinued its product. In July, the meat-alternative makers launched its new Beyond Meat Nuggets and it became a huge hit with the consumers. Panda Express ran out of Beyond The Original Orange Chicken within two weeks of their introduction in chosen Californian outlets while more than 1000 A&W outlets in Canada ran out of Beyond Meat Nuggets. This new variant of chicken substitute is made of faba beans. The company said that the products will be available in the frozen food sections in selected grocery outlets. 'Following the success of our plant-based chicken in restaurants, fans were eager to get their hands on a retail product that's readily accessible and can be cooked at home anytime. We're thrilled to be answering consumer demand by launching Beyond Chicken Tenders at prominent retailers nationwide, continuing our momentum in the plant-based poultry category,' said Deanna Jurgens, Chief Growth Officer, Beyond Meat. Ethan Brown, the CEO of the company explained the requirement of serving the consumers with different kinds of proteins. He said, 'We think it's important to continue offering the consumer a diversity of proteins. You'll see, in the coming years, we'll come out with products that have different proteins altogether.' The company claims that their product comes with half the amount of fat as regular meat, and the products contain no GMO, antibiotics, or hormones making them the healthier choice for the consumers. While the pandemic did stunt the growth of the company for a couple of years, Brown expects a strong recovery. 'It's kind of a less clear landscape than it was when the pandemic first hit, but our products continue to do really well in retail, and so we expect this one to be really well received,' said Brown. The products will be available for $4.99 per retail package in places like Walmart, Jewel-Osco, Safeway NorCal, Harris Teeter, Giant Foods, and Shoprite. Walmart is also looking to add more shops to sell other prominent Beyond products. Beyond said, 'Walmart plans to increase the number of stores offering Beyond Breakfast Sausage Classic Patties by more than 1,500 stores and Beyond Breakfast Sausage Spicy Patties by more than 1,300 stores.' The company is aiming to reach as many people as possible but at a steady pace to make everyone aware of both the health benefits and also the rich taste of their meat alternatives. Brown added, 'If you look at Beyond Meat's strategy, beginning back in 2009, we have never been about the high-end restaurants. While we appreciate that and understand it's important for our culture, we have always been about providing consumers the food that they love, where they are shopping, and for the mainstream. And there's nothing that's more representative of that than Walmart.' Beyond was recognized by the National Restaurant Association with the fifth consecutive Food and Beverage (FABI) Award earlier this year. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX BEYOND MEAT-Aktie komplett kostenlos handeln - auf Smartbroker.de Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - September 28, 2021) - Bengal Energy Ltd. (TSX: BNG) (" Bengal ") is pleased to announce that the nominees listed in the information circular - proxy statement dated August 24, 2021 were elected as directors of Bengal. The detailed results of the vote for the election of directors held at its annual meeting of shareholders on September 28, 2021 in Calgary, Alberta are set out below. 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. Partnership Provides Long Term Financing to Dermaskin Ltd., as Ethos Asset Management INC completes its first deal in Wales, United Kingdom ETHOS ASSET MANAGEMENT INC USA announced a new long-term financing partnership with Dermaskin Ltd., with a significant capital infusion of 4 Million GBP, that will continue for several years. This will enable the Cardiff-based property development company to deliver 17 Apartments with associated parking. This project offers a proposed development located on the corner of Cathedral Road and Sophia Close, a tree-lined street leading to the Sport Wales National Centre and Bute Park. The development is situated in what is one of Cardiff's most sought-after residential areas. The site is in a designated conservation area a short walk from Cardiff City Centre with excellent public transport links, all close by. Carlos Santos, President and CEO of Ethos, stated, "We are thrilled to partner with Dermaskin Ltd. and its founder Dr. Sid Gautam, who apart from being a successful medical Doctor and Cosmetic Surgeon, has operated a very successful property development business for the last fourteen years. The project is very well placed to be a sell-out success with 50% of the properties projected to be sold off plan alone. Ethos is proud to be part of such a unique and prestigious project and especially delighted to have completed our first deal in Wales as we continue our commitment to investing in European markets." Dr. Sid Gautam, Founder and CEO, Dermaskin Ltd., said, "We are delighted to be associated with Ethos and look forward to forging a long-term relationship with Carlos and his whole team. Over the next five years, our group objectives are to bring upwards of 50 million pounds of prime, high-quality real estate projects to the UK market with the valued assistance of Ethos, our preferred partner." About Ethos Asset Management: Ethos Asset Management (Ethos) is an independent, US-based company with a global reach in resource mobilization and project financing. Providing financing to government and privately promoted projects in every continent and every sector, Ethos has developed a unique risk modulation model which allows them to provide financing in terms not available anywhere in traditional financial markets. Additionally, Ethos provides advice to structure projects and restructure debt. Ethos supports and develops their clients to navigate changing market environments to achieve their long-term goals with confidence. You can hear from Carlos Santos, Ethos CEO, in Dubai where he is Guest Speaker and Panellist at The Leaders Without Borders Leadership Summit and International Honours, the #1 gathering of high-achieving level professionals from all across the world, at the Habtoor Palace, Dubai, on 29th 30th September, 2021. For more information about Ethos, please visit: https://www.ethosasset.com/ About Dermaskin Ltd: "Founded as a general medical and specialist medical powerhouse in Wales and the South West, the group has diversified into real estate developments of the highest calibre. The vision of the founder, Dr. Gautam is 'Luxury, Integrity and Distinction' and it is with this motto that the group has forged its vision for the future." For more information about Dermaskin Ltd, please visit: http://www.dermaskin.co.uk/property View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928006170/en/ Contacts: Dr. Sid Gautam, Dermaskin Ltd., Contact: sid@dermaskin.co.uk Ethos UK Contact: Mr. Craig Freeman, Ethos Associate; craig@freemansaccountancy.com Ethos USA Contact: Attributed Holdings International, Ethos Associate; info@attributedholdings.com "Conscience is like a beautiful and fragrant flower. When in blossom, the fragrance will enliven the world and be smelled by all." ~ Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2021in Los Angeles celebrated its 21st birthday on September 26, 2021. Because the Delta variant of COVID-19 is rapidly spreading, the anniversary celebration was conducted virtually , and everyone was invited to participate in the wonderful event by watching it online. For the past 21 years, under the leadership of Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze, the Academy has held various life wisdom and health symposiums as well as cultural exchange activities, and it has engaged in numerous international events to promote a culture of conscience, love, and peace, with the goal of improving global citizens' physical, mental, and spiritual health. In recent years, Tai Ji Men has been promoting the " Movement of An Era of Conscience " and the " International Day of Conscience " to awaken the conscience in the people of the world. During the SARS outbreak in 2002 and during the COVID-19 pandemic, which started in the end of 2019, Tai Ji Men produced videos featuring epidemic prevention guidelines, including Three Don'ts, Five Do's, and Six Tips as well as a trilogy on COVID-19 prevention measures: Antiviral Combat , The War Against Virus , and Anti Pandemic Battle . It has been sharing these videos with global citizens, hoping that everyone will stay safe, healthy, and happy and that the pandemic will end soon. Many community leaders offered certificates of recognition or delivered congratulatory video messages in honor of the Academy's 21st anniversary, acknowledging the contributions of the leader and members of Tai Ji Men for the community, the United States, and the world as Tai Ji Men has been widely promoting the culture of qigong and martial arts as well as a culture of love, peace, and conscience. U.S. Congresswoman Young Kim said, "For 21 years, Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy has served as a home and a center for self-improvement for many of our community members through martial arts and qigong. I want to thank you for fostering our future leaders, physically, mentally and spiritually." California State Senator Josh Newman presented a California Senate Certificate of Recognition to the Academy and stated in his video message, "Despite the pandemic, your academy has continued to thrive, serving as a vital pillar to our community by reaffirming the spirit of universal brotherhood, etiquette, and conscience during a time when such an example is vitally needed across our state and across our country as a whole." California Assemblyman Phillip Chen said, "I really appreciate all they've done for our community and also for the state of California," commending Tai Ji Men for improving people's wellness and health through martial arts and qigong. He also honored Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy and Dr. Hong, Tao-Tze with a California Legislature Assembly Resolution respectively in recognition of their contributions. Diamond Bar City Council Member Andrew Chou said that the pandemic has been hard on everybody and that Tai Ji Men's work is very important in maintaining people's physical and mental health. "I understand that throughout the pandemic, you have been actively hosting virtual events both locally and internationally. And also throughout social media, you have continued to share preventive measures to overcome anxiety and stress caused by the pandemic. So thank you again for all you do and congratulations on your 21st anniversary," he added. Walnut Valley Unified School District Board President Layla Abou-Taleb said, "I want to congratulate the Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy for 21 years of service to the community. You play an important role and we really, truly appreciate it and wishing you a better year, this coming year for all our students and our community." In addition to the aforementioned video messages and certificates of recognition, Tai Ji Men also received certificates of recognition from other leaders and entities, including California State Senator Connie M. Leyva, Mayor Eric Ching of the City of Walnut, Arcadia Mayor Sho Tay, and the City Council of Montclair. Jason Wang, a Tai Ji Men member who immigrated to the U.S. with his parents 20 years ago and grew up with the Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy in Los Angeles, had a lot to say about the Academy's 21st birthday. Since he is 6-foot-3 and in good shape, it's difficult to imagine that he had serious health issues as a child and had to go to the doctor frequently for asthma and allergies. He said, "There was one time I was jumping on a bed with my cousin, and I ended up having to go to the hospital because of the asthma attack." "After joining Tai Ji Men , my health has improved tremendously. I no longer was getting any asthma attack," he said. Last year, he was blessed with a new baby. He was already very busy with his work, and the new addition to his family made him even busier. He gained a better understanding of the reminder from his Shifu (master) at Tai Ji Men: "Those who use their time wisely can find time to accomplish a lot." He has learned to manage his time well so that he can balance life and work. He also learned to think positively. He shared a piece of advice from his master by saying, "You can live a day happy, or you can live a day sad or angry. So why would you want to live your day in anger or in sadness?" Jason said that practicing Tai Ji Men Qigong helps him replenish his energy, and he expressed his gratitude for Dr. Hong: "Shifu has taught me a lot. So from his teaching, I'm able to utilize that in my personal life and my work life. And he has just helped me become a better person." Munni Irone, founder of the Art 4 Peace Awards, met Tai Ji Men members at an international conference many years ago and decided to join to practice qigong and cultivate her heart. She shared some of the benefits of practicing Tai Ji Men Qigong: "It kept me very centered. It kept me from having stress. I work long hours without any stress because it allows me to do that. Tai Ji Men Qigong has numerous different benefits, not only just health benefits. There is a social benefit, emotional, and spiritual benefit." She continued by saying, "Your skin is better. You have more energy. You are also very successful in business because people trust someone that has good energy. So you create your Qi; you create your energy to be successful." She said that she used to suffer from back problems, but that she is now in much better shape. She said, "Shifu is a very kind and very influential and compassionate human being, who is also helpful in creating this beautiful family of love and peace." "In Tai Ji Men you can be in any faith and religion. It really doesn't matter because this is something on a different level for mental, spiritual, and physical spirituality, so I'm very blessed to be part of this beautiful family. I'm very thankful for Dr. Hong, for creating this wonderful family where you can center so many people," she added. Tai Ji Men Qigong has benefited not only many adults but also children. A group of children who practice Tai Ji Men Qigong revealed some of the most important lessons they've learned at Tai Ji Men, and it's clear from their sharing that the concepts of love, peace, and conscience have been imprinted in their hearts to extend their horizons in life. Nathan, 12, said, "Shifu taught me to be kind, nice, and happy." Mayra, 10, said, "Shifu has taught me to always love myself and follow my conscience and do the right thing." Avery, 10, said, "I love Tai Ji Men because it taught me that if I don't know what's right or wrong, I follow my conscience. It also taught me qigong to bring peace to the world and to love myself and others, no matter what." Cameron, 8, said, "Shifu told me that practicing qigong will help me calm myself down, and he also told me that love and peace can make the world a better place." Aaron, 11, said, "Shifu taught me qigong and life lessons that would improve my life and my quality of life, that makes me not depressed and not too emotional at hard times." Rylan, 9, said, "Shifu taught me qigong to be brave and to know what is right and what is wrong." Leon, 10, said, "Shifu taught me to do qigong to improve my health, and he also taught me to control my anger." Tai Ji Men invites everyone to read the uplifting stories of Tai Ji Men members from all walks of life on its website at www.taijimen.org , to replenish positive energy. Tai Ji Men encourages people to listen to their conscience, think positively, do good deeds, and collaborate to bring the pandemic to an end as soon as possible! Tai Ji Men Qigong Academy : Tai Ji Men is an ancient menpaiin 1966, and since then it has grown to 15 academies worldwide. In 2016, it commemorated its 50th anniversary, a major milestone in its history, with big celebrations and spectacular cultural performances in Los Angeles, San Francisco , and Taiwan . Dr. Hong teaches his dizi (similar to disciples) methods to achieve physical, mental, and spiritual balance, and tens of thousands of families have benefited from his teaching. At Tai Ji Men, martial arts and wisdom have been passed down from the shifu (master) to his dizi. Through this time-honored tradition, the shifu and dizi promote the Tai Ji Men culture and martial arts around the world while embodying what is true, good, and beautiful as well as spreading the ideas of conscience, love, and peace. Over the past half-century, the shifu and dizi have self-funded trips to over 300 cities in 101 nations to conduct more than 3,000 cultural performances and exchanges and have been recognized as "International Ambassadors of Peace and Goodwill." Media Contact: Lily Chen Representative info@taijimenla.org 626-202-5268 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3ff274db-6012-4b58-bf66-64d620ced1fc Coinrule, a London, UK-based fintech startup which provides individual and retail cryptocurrency investors an automated crypto trading platform for their assets, raised $2.2m in seed funding. Backers included Fitbit founder James Park, Twitch founder Kevin Lin and a fund in which Naval Ravikant is an investor among others, including Matteo Franceschettis Superfund (Founder of Eight Sleeps), Zilliqa Capital (a blockchain crypto fund), YC Alums Fund, Urban Innovation Fund (a Silicon Valley fund), NZVC, Startup Leadership Program (SLP Angels), CV VC, Kube VC, NV Ventures, Christophe Lassuyt, Robin Bade, Justin Hamilton, Stelios Gerogiannakis and Dan Scarfe. The company, which has also joined the YCombinator S21 cohort, intends to use the dunds to expand operations and its business reach. Founded in 2018, by Gabriele Musella, Oleg Giberstein and Zdenek Hofler, Coinrule enables cryptocurrency investors to create and test automated trading strategies for their assets to benefit from market opportunities but also to protect them against adverse events. In effect, it provides algorithmic trading without having to learn a single line of code and has already integrated the offering with global crypto exchanges including Coinbase, Binance, Kraken, Bitstamp among others. Users can access one of 4 plans: one is free, the others charge a tiered fee for Hobbyist, Trader and Pro plans. Coinrule now has over 13,000 users trading assets worth 100m every month. Ends Note to Editors For further information please contact the Coinrule press office: Bilal Mahmood on [email protected] or +44 (0) 20 3640 7759 and +44 (0) 771 400 7257. About Coinrule Coinrule enables retail investors with crypto assets to automate their investments across multiple platforms to protect your funds and catch the next great market opportunity algorithmic trading without having to learn a single line of code. Coinrule was founded by Gabriele, Oleg and Zdenek in 2018 to help more people take control of their cryptocurrency assets. In doing so, this will inspire normal people to learn more about investing and access trading tools that are currently only available to professional traders. To explore Coinrule, please visit: www.coinrule.com or follow on LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. Also, you can watch our videos on YouTube. All best, Bilal. Bilal Mahmood Stockwood Strategy Tel: +44 (0) 20 3640 7759 Mob: +44 (0) 771 400 7257 Twitter | LinkedIn Kytopen Corp., a Cambridge, Mass.-based biotechnology company spun out of MIT offering a scalable technology for engineered cell therapies, raised $30m in Series A funding. The round was led by Northpond Ventures, with participation from current investors The Engine, Horizon Ventures, and Mass Ventures, as well as Aldevron Co-Founders Michael Chambers and John Ballantyne and Alexandria Venture Investments. Adam Wieschhaus, Ph.D., CFA, Director at Northpond Ventures, will join the Kytopen board of directors along with Kytopen Co-Founders Paulo Garcia and Cullen Buie and Theresa Tribble, Venture Partner at The Engine. The company intends to use new capital to commercialize its Flowfect Tx for cGMP-compliant cell therapy manufacturing and move towards treating the first human patient with Flowfect engineered cells. Led by Paulo Garcia, Ph.D., CEO and Co-Founder, Kytopenis advancing the Flowfect platform, which eliminates the complexity of gene editing and integrates discovery, development, and manufacturing in one flexible and scalable non-viral delivery solution. The Flowfect technology utilizes electro-mechanical energy to introduce genetic material such as RNA, DNA, or CRISPR/Cas RNP, to a wide variety of hard-to-transfect primary human cells. The technology enables cell engineering in minutes for target discovery and process development optimization. FinSMEs 28/09/2021 Landzo Technology Co., Ltd., a Shenzhen, China-based provider of educational robots and STEAM education toys, raised $29.23M in Series A funding. The round was led by GeniLink Capital, CTV Golden Bridge and Nanjing Municipal Government Fund. The company intends to use the funds to continue advancing STEAM education in China and expand operations. Founded in 2011, Landzo focuses on the development of AI teaching tools and toys in STEAM education. Landzo has always been committed to advancing the development of STEAM education in China by providing STEAM educational models and solutions, including intelligence and innovation labs for universities and colleges, and a full range of quality-oriented education solutions for primary and secondary schools. In 2019, the company came up with the concept of combining playing and learning as a model for the future of education, and began to develop toys and teaching tools for quality-oriented education, integrating its proprietary products with online interactive courses. During the same year, the company obtained $15.46m in financing, formally entering the family consumption market. In early 2020, Landzo started developing and manufacturing AI educational robots for children. The company created Quincy, an AI-enabled consumer robot featuring mechanical arms and movement interactions. Its plan is to provide children with AI educational robots that make learning more fun, delivering a complete education solution to parents. Landzo also rolled out Landzo Planet voiced stories and comics in July of this year, in addition to proprietary card-based educational games, stimulating childrens motivation to learn with educational toys. The company, which has received $46.38m in financing to date, remains committed to innovation and practices in STEAM education. Currently Landzo boasts 5 brands: Landzo Electronic, Landzo AI and Robotics, Landzo Planet, Landzo STEAM Institute, and Landzo Education. FinSMEs 27/09/2021 Merama, an acquirer and builder of direct-to-consumer businesses in Latin America, raised an additional US$225m in Series B funding at a valuation of approximately US$850m. The equity round was co-led by Advent International and SoftBank Group with participation from new investor Globo Ventures, and existing investors Monashees, Valor Capital, Balderton Capital and MAYA Capital. In conjunction with the Series B financing, Wilson Rosa, Head of Retail and Consumer Investing for Advent in Latin America, and Paulo Passoni, Managing Partner of SoftBank Latin America, will join Meramas board of directors. Alex Szapiro, Operating Partner and Head of Brazil for SoftBank Latin America and former General Manager of Amazon Brazil, will join the board as an observer. The company intends to use the funds to continue to expand operations and its business reach in Latin America. Founded in December 2020 with dual headquarters in Mexico City and Sao Paulo, Merama invests in and helps operate and grow online brands originating in Latin America. The company typically acquires a majority stake, allowing the founders to retain ownership and continue operating the businesses while supporting them with its team of e-commerce experts and working capital funding. Merama expands the brands across Latin America and the U.S. and promotes each brand individually to enhance their direct-to-consumer capabilities. It is also building a suite of technology tools to power and automate the brands. To date, Merama has acquired stakes in more than 20 brands operating in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Colombia and the U.S. Together these businesses are expected to generate over US$250 million of revenue in 2021 and are profitable. The company has dozens of additional brands in its pipeline. Co-founded by CEO Sujay Tyle, co-founder and former CEO of Frontier Car Group (sold to Naspers for approximately US$700 million); Felipe Delgado, previously CEO of Beetmann Energy; Olivier Scialom, co-founder and former COO of Petsy (sold to Maskota); Renato Andrade, previously Associate Partner at McKinsey; and Guilherme Nosralla, former Head of Marketing at Wildlife Studios, Merama has more than 100 employees in Mexico City and Sao Paulo. FinSMEs 28/09/2021 Rear as is third row, or rear as in middle? Neck rests become head rests when you adjust them to restrain the head whiplash as intended... Head rests' primary purpose is to keep you from snapping your neck in a collision, not really a comfort feature although that is a secondary purpose. Go look in the Excursion Forum Tech Folder sticky up top if you want to add to the third row. There's several thread links in there that'll have you covered. Most any larger Ford SUV (or Ford owned company like Lincoln) will have headrests that should swap over. The ones out of the same production MY Navigator swap in with minimal effort and are a little more robust, getting away from the donut-bar look. Eric Morse, the owner of The Sauer Kraut Grill, stares out the window of his restaurant in Richmond. He is among business owners in Fort Bend County who have been having issues finding workers to fill staffing vacancies. (Photo by Matt deGrood) A Legend is Born in Brazilian Perfumery: Discover Natura Columns I imagine everyone was looking forward to another chapter on the evolution of Brazilian perfumery over the years, but today you will learn more about the history of one of the most famous Brazilian perfumery brands that over time has become present in most homes throughout Brazil, writing in our history a true legend of quality, respect for the environment, and Brazilian biodiversity. We went through the period of the Brazil empire and the beginning of the Brazilian republic where we had brands such as Granado and Phebo taking the first steps within the Brazilian market with regard to perfumery and personal care items. In this historical process we were led up to the launch of the first typically Brazilian perfume in the early 1960s with the Rastro brand. At this time in history, we will now go to the late 1960s and early 1970s when Natura was created. This whole story began in 1969 during a period of free love and artistic and musical effervescence, but in Brazil, unfortunately, we lived in one of the darkest periods of our history. It was marked by the takeover of power by the military, where censorship and repression of any thought that was considered subversive posed a supposed danger to the country's sovereignty. In 1969, Luiz Seabra, the founder of Natura, opened a personal care store on Oscar Freire Street, one of the most famous and sophisticated commercial addresses in the city of Sao Paulo. In the early 1970s, Luiz Seabra dared and bet on selling in the American format of Avon, and then direct sales emerged as a way to present unique products from many voices to millions of Brazilians. Seeing Natura's potential growth, a few years later, Guilherme Leal and Pedro Passos joined Luiz Seabra on this journey and quickly expanded their network of relationships and further strengthened the business. The Oscar Freire store was closed, and a network of Natura Beauty Consultants began to be built, which today in 2021 totals more than 1.7 million people. Another important decision took place in 1975, when we started prioritizing plant ingredients in the formulas for the cosmetics we developed. Currently, in general, more than 80% of the components of our products are of vegetable origin. In 1979, we created the line of men's items Sr. N, a novelty at the time, which brought Brazilians closer to the fougere family of fragrances and became an immediate sales success, being one of the best-selling perfumery lines to this day by Natura. Natura advanced throughout Brazil and crossed borders, extending to several countries in Latin America in the 1980s. In the 1990s, it strongly incorporated the theme of sustainable development and the sustainable use of biodiversity as an instrument of innovation in cosmetics and awareness about the preservation of the Amazon. During the 1990s materialized the dream of being able to contribute to improving education with a line of non-cosmetic products whose profits were reverted to collective projects that would help children with fewer resources and opportunities throughout the country. In the 2000s, the most symbolic space was inaugurated: Natura's headquarters in Cajamar, a city in the metropolitan region of Sao Paulo. Everything changed quickly, with the IPO, the end of animal testing, and the commitment to the climate expressed in reducing carbon emissions. In that decade, with the arrival of Aesop and The Body Shop, Natura's history was marked by the formation of a global group engaged in a new perspective of preservation and sustainability, and over these 50 years, Natura has become the fourth largest cosmetics company in the world. Also in 2000, the Ekos line was created, in which the commitment to extracting components of biodiversity in a sustainable manner and with the least possible impact on the Amazon forest was established. At the same time that perfumes and cosmetics were launched based on actives from Brazilian biodiversity, the care taken with these biomes and with the populations in these places became redoubled in order to avoid damage to the environment. And so, over half a century of existence, Natura has become a true legend on the national perfumery scene, bringing innovative perfumes and cosmetics with actives from Brazilian biodiversity and making perfumes like Ekos Alma and the Essencial line, while Luna become synonymous with luxury and prestige, not only in Brazil but throughout the world for its high quality and commitment to the preservation of the Amazon forest. Dr. Martin Mac Cheever, a physician-scientist who was a pioneer in the development of lifesaving immunotherapies, is being mourned by friends and colleagues at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, where he began his career in the earliest days of the Seattle institution. Cheever died on Sept. 23 from complications following heart surgery. He was 77. Beloved for his calm demeanor, generosity and wit, the oncologist is respected for his work as one of the first bone marrow transplant physicians at Fred Hutch and for his laboratory studies in the late 1970s that convincingly showed the immune system might be harnessed to stop cancer. He is also renowned for his years of dedication in building a nationwide system of clinical trials to prove these new therapies are safe and effective for cancer patients. Throughout his career, Cheever advanced understanding in a new field that eventually led to therapies such as checkpoint inhibitors, which boost the bodys natural immune response to cancer, and CAR T cells, which are immune cells genetically engineered to target tumors. His work on tumor-related proteins that trigger immune responses also informed ongoing development of cancer vaccines. Although his early research focused on blood cancers, he gradually shifted his emphasis to solid tumors, such as those of the lung, skin, kidney and pancreas. An international clinical trials network In 2007, with grants from the National Cancer Institute, he established the Hutch-headquartered Cancer Immunotherapy Trials Network, or CITN, for which he served, until his recent illness, as director and principal investigator. The network brings together academic experts in immunology and helps coordinate and analyze early clinical trials at more than 40 of the top universities and cancer centers in the United States and Canada. CITN is currently testing 25 potential immunotherapies against a wide variety of cancers in children and adults, helping to gather data that can take potential therapies from experimental stages to widespread use. Dr. Fred Appelbaum, executive vice president and deputy director of Fred Hutch, said Cheever was his longtime collaborator in clinical research and also a good friend. "Mac was witty, a little bemused by life. He was very modest about his accomplishments. He had a very pragmatic view and would not get carried away by heated arguments he was usually a moderating voice, Appelbaum said. The early promise of immunotherapy Cheever came to Seattle as a medical intern and resident at the University of Washington, where he trained as an oncologist and remained a professor throughout his career. His connection to the Hutch began with a research fellowship, and he was appointed an assistant member of the faculty in 1976. Like Appelbaum, he was an early recruit of the Hutchs Dr. E. Donnall Thomas, who developed bone marrow transplantation as a cure for leukemia. For that work, in 1990 Thomas shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology. A transplant team that included Appelebaum, Cheever, Hutch immunologist Dr. Philip Greenberg and researcher Dr. Alex Fefer formed a tight bond. "I've had a long, close personal relationship with Mac," Appelbaum said. "When we first moved to Seattle, the Cheevers, Greenbergs and Fefers all became close friends." He recalls that research by Cheever, Greenberg and Fefer began to draw wide attention in the field in 1977. The three began publishing, with Cheever as lead author, a succession of papers showing that mice with leukemia could be cured by a transfer of white blood cells from another mouse that had developed an immune response to a grafted tumor. It demonstrated the ability to transfer tumor immunity from one animal to another, said Appelbaum, who is holder of the Metcalfe Family/Frederick Appelbaum Endowed Chair in Cancer Research. He called that early work with mice a big step toward the development of cellular therapies for humans, taking immune cells from the blood of a cancer patients and manipulating them outside the body so they could be returned, with heightened capacity, to wipe out that patients tumors. Today we have a whole industry of T-cell therapies for tumors, Appelbaum said. Cheever has earned numerous honors for his research, including the first ever Distinguished Service Award in 2019 from the International Society for Biologic Therapy of Cancer, which had earlier conferred a Lifetime Achievement Award for team science to Cheever, Greenberg and Fefer. He was also an entrepreneur, eager to find ways to bring scientific advances from the laboratory to the bedside. In 1994, he left the Hutch to be a cofounder of Seattle biotechnology start-up Corixa Corp. to develop therapeutic cancer vaccines. The company successfully developed Bexxar, an FDA-approved radioimmunotherapy for lymphoma. He remained there as a vice president of clinical research until 2005, when it was acquired by GlaxoSmithKline. Cheever returned to Hutch that year, where his industry-honed expertise in clinical trials design launched him on the path to creating CITN. A valued friend and colleague Its hard to imagine a career in cancer immunotherapy without Mac, Greenberg said. We grew up in the lab together, depending on each other to solve different aspects of the larger problem. I was more of a basic sciences guy, but he was fully committed to making immunotherapies that could be translated to the clinic, something that would help patients. His eye was always on the patient. Greenberg added that Cheevers focus on translating research to benefit patients often guided their work together and the questions they tried to address. Mac retained that focus throughout his career, much to the benefit of patients, he said. Greenberg noted that Cheevers friendly, conscientious personality reflected his Michigan roots. He was very Midwestern, Greenberg said. A gentle soul. He was generous, collaborative and helpful. We worked together for many years, and Mac was a master of being able to disagree without ever being disagreeable. Cheever was a backer of environmental causes and an avid electric bike rider. He supported developing the 285-mile Palouse to Cascades Trail and had ridden most of it. He had planned to complete the remaining link to Idaho, south of Spokane, after recovering from surgery. He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Linda, of Mercer Island, Washington; his sons Alexander, of Mercer Island, and Paul, of Seattle; his brother Carl, of Seattle; and his sister Martha Richardson, of Lincoln, Nebraska. A memorial celebration of his life for family members and friends is tentatively planned for spring 2022. His family suggests donations in his name be made to Fred Hutch, the Medic One Foundation or the Palouse to Cascades Trail Coalition. External Affairs staff in the Mountain-Prairie Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides support to the regional office and field stations to communicate and facilitate information about the Service's programs to the public, media, Congress, Tribes, partners, and other stakeholders in the 8-state region. Law enforcement is essential to virtually every aspect of wildlife conservation. The Office of Law Enforcement contributes to Service efforts to manage ecosystems, save endangered species, conserve migratory birds, preserve wildlife habitat, restore fisheries, combat invasive species, and promote international wildlife conservation. The U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Fish and Aquatic Conservation Program in the Mountain-Prairie Region helps conserve, protect, and enhance aquatic resources and provides economically valuable recreational fishing to anglers across the country. The program comprises 12 National Fish Hatcheries. Providing leadership in the conservation of migratory bird habitat through partnerships, grants, and outreach for present and future generations. The Migratory Bird Program is responsible for maintaining healthy migratory bird populations for the benefit of the American people. The Mountain-Prairie Region's Office of Ecological Services (ES) works to restore and protect healthy populations of fish, wildlife, and plants and the environments upon which they depend. Using the best available science, ES personnel work with Federal, State, Tribal, local, and non-profit stakeholders, as well as private land owners, to avoid, minimize, and mitigate threats to our Nation's natural resources. Created in 1903 by President Theodore Roosevelt, today's National Wildlife Refuge System protects habitats and wildlife across the country, from the Alaskan tundra to subtropical wetlands. Managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Refuge System's 560-plus refuges cover more than 150 million acres and protect nearly 1,400 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. While national wildlife refuges were created to protect wildlife, they are for people too. Refuges are ideal places for people of all ages to explore and connect with the natural world. We invite you to learn more about and visit the national wildlife refuges and wetland management districts in Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has a long tradition of scientific excellence and always uses the best-available science to inform its work to conserve fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitat for the benefit of the American public. The Mountain-Prairie Region consists of 8 states in the heart of the American west including Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. News Release Joint Investigation of Juvenile Grizzly Bear Shot Along Dupuyer Creek For Immediate Release September 28, 2021 VALIER The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks are investigating the death of a grizzly bear found on Aug. 23. The year-old male bear was shot on Aug. 22 while in a chokecherry patch along Dupuyer Creek between Valier and Dupuyer. There were no known or reported human-bear conflicts in the vicinity where the bear was found, and this is being investigated as a poaching incident. Investigators are seeking information about the suspected poaching of this year-old grizzly bear. Photos courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a reward of up to $1,500 for information contributing significantly to the investigation into the death of this grizzly bear. Anyone with information is encouraged to call 1-800-TIP-MONT (1-800-847-6668), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services special agent at 307-250-1715 or email lawenforcement@fws.gov. Callers may remain anonymous and could be eligible for an additional cash reward through the TIP-MONT program. Grizzly bears in Montana and the lower 48 states are currently protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. For bear safety tips when living in or visiting grizzly bear country, visit: http://igbconline.org/bear-safety or https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/species/bear. The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen in the West, visit our website, or connect with us through any of these social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, and Instagram. FWS DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Sept. 07, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In line with the UAE's latest initiative ''Operation 300 Billion. Make it in the UAE'', BioD has announced the commissioning of a biodiesel refinery here in Dubai, Jebel-Ali Free Zone. Says Mr. Shiva Vig, the founder and CEO of BioD Technologies FZE. The 30,000 Mt per annum capacity refinery here is the second plant of the BioD group. The first, similar operation, started in Northern India in early 2019. The technology is of 2nd generation bio-refining, where FAME Biodiesel can be produced based on Waste and Residues, rather than Vegetable oils only. Biodiesel produced by BioD is based on the "waste to energy" concept, where the feedstock (raw materials) used are 100% non-human consumption residues, such as UCO (Used Cooking Oil), Animal Tallow (slaughterhouse waste products), POME (Palm Oil Mill Effluent Waste) and Acid Oils, such as Grease Tap collection. To reduce the carbon footprint in logistics, the aim is to source the raw materials as close to the plant as possible. The operation meets stringent quality standards to ensure that the final product, biodiesel, meets the global carbon reduction requirements. BioD Technologies is ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) Certified, audited by SGS, to meet RED (Renewable Energy Directive) of the European Union. Mr. Vig explains the industrial logic behind these investments: "BioD is at the helm of the energy mix revolution in transportation. Hydrocarbon-based conventional Diesel consumption is prone to be dramatically reduced in the coming decades, driven by the ambitious carbon emission and sustainability targets globally. Electrification, gas and hydrogen for the transportation sector are still further down the road to have a major impact, but the natural, and already implemented strategy, is to replace conventional fuels with biofuels. In Europe alone, renewable diesel demand is expected to exceed 14 million tons by 2030, from today's figure of 6 million tons. Similar development takes place in North America and the developing world. BioD Technologies is riding at the crest of this global demand wave, and will invest into larger capacity, as the current refineries are in full operation." Press Contact: Jarmo Salonen Email Address: jarmo.salonen@biodtechnology.com Phone Number: +971501444063 Related Images The Largest 2nd-Gen BioDiesel Plant in MENA BioD Technology FZE - Leading the Green Revolution in the Middle East This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ameriwest Lithium Inc. (Ameriwest or the Company) (CSE: AWLI) (OTC: AWLIF) (FSE: 5HV0), a North American lithium exploration and development company, is pleased to announce it has it has been awarded seven exploration permits by the Arizona State Land Department to allow the Company to explore for prospective lithium-bearing clays located on lands in west-central Arizona. The property totals nearly 2,859 acres (1,157 hectares) in Yavapai County. Ameriwest refers to the prospect as the Thompson Valley Hectorite Deposit (Thompson Valley or the Property). David Watkinson, President and CEO of Ameriwest stated, We are pleased to make this, the fourth of a series of lithium exploration properties recently staked by the Company in the United States. This deposit represents prospective lithium sedimentary mineralization with surface or near-surface exposure of lithium-bearing clays, with historic grades reported as comparable to those found in similar sedimentary deposits found in Clayton Valley, NV. Ameriwests technical team has put together a series of high-quality exploration properties in an extremely short period of time and each of these properties holds promise for the discovery of lithium and, with exploration success, the potential delineation of mineral resources. Surface clay deposits were initially discovered in the area in the mid-1950s by Joseph Lyles and became known as the White Hills deposits. The deposits contain bentonite (montmorillonite) and hectorite clays. The deposits have also been sampled historically and are known to contain lithium. Exploration data from the 1960s shows lithium content of the bentonite ranges from 0.3 to 0.5% Li2O (1,400 to 2,300 ppm Li), which is similar to the lithium contents for other lithium-clay projects located further north in Arizona (Source: Lithium Bearing Bentonite Deposit, Yavapai County, Arizona, J. J. Norton, Geology Survey Research, 1965). Note that these are historic samples taken prior to the implementation of National Instrument 43-101 (NI 43-101), QA/QC procedures are unknown, and Ameriwests geologists cannot verify the results. The results do indicate the presence of lithium and warrant the need for additional exploration to evaluate the deposits. Mining operations in the area began in 1985 at the adjacent Lyles Hectorite Mine and it was reported that a few truckloads of the white clay were shipped per year for limited use as a viscosifier for cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. The mine is currently owned and operated by Vanderbilt Minerals, LLC, a subsidiary of R.T. Vanderbilt Holding Company, a private industrial minerals and chemical company that has operated since 1916 and produces and sells industrial minerals and chemicals on a world-wide basis. The Lyles Mine is located on a State mineral lease adjacent to Ameriwests lithiums mineral leases and exploration permits. The deposits are shallow, occurring at or near surface, perhaps under a sandy or hard caliche layer. It has been reported that the overall clay sequence is 70 feet (21 m) thick, containing a hectorite bed with a thickness ranging from 8 to 35 feet (2.4 to 11 m). This is supported by an older reference that indicates a thickness of over 40 feet (12 m) as a relatively uniform deposit over the area. Note that the vicinity of Ameriwests Property adjacent to the Lyles Mine does not guarantee exploration success or that mineral resources or reserves will be defined. No mineral resources or reserves have yet been delineated on the Property. Ameriwest will be moving towards a field exploration program of geologic mapping and surface sampling to better define the extent and grade of the deposit. The location has good access and is not far from State Highway 93. A county road passes directly through the prospect in an area known as Thompson Valley. The lands are 120 miles (190 km) north of Phoenix, and a large copper mine is found near Bagdad, AZ 35 miles (56 km) to the northwest. Greg Bell, P.E. (Arizona), a qualified person under the NI 43-101 instrument, has reviewed and approved the technical content of this release. Ameriwest invites interested stakeholders and shareholders alike to contact our investor relations team or visit our website and sign-up for regular news alerts which will help provide timely updates of ongoing activities. Company management believes strongly in regular communications, updates, and reports from the field, as an important aspect of developing informative and useful engagement as the Company continues to help explore and develop the exciting and rapidly evolving lithium sector. On Behalf of the Board of Directors, David Watkinson President and Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Invictus Investor Relations Tel: +1 (604) 343-8661 info@ameriwestlithium.com https://ameriwestlithium.com/ About Ameriwest Lithium Inc. (CSE: AWLI) (OTC: AWLIF) (FSE: 5HV0) Ameriwest Lithium Inc. is a Canadian-based exploration company with a focus on identifying strategic lithium mineral resource projects for exploration and development. The Company is currently focused on exploring Nevadas Deer Musk East property, located in the prolific Clayton Valley, totalling 5,600 acres, the Railroad Valley property, totalling 6,200 acres and Edwards Creek Valley totalling 16,940 acres. Additionally, Ameriwests current resource portfolio includes the ESN Project, located in White Pine County, Nevada, and the Koster Dam property, located in the Clinton Mining Division of British Columbia, in which Ameriwest has a 45% interest. For more information visit: https://ameriwestlithium.com/. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forwardlooking information. Forwardlooking information is often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as anticipate, plan, estimate, expect, may, will, intend, should, and similar expressions. Forwardlooking information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forwardlooking information. The Companys actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in this forwardlooking information as a result of regulatory decisions, competitive factors in the industries in which the Company operates, prevailing economic conditions, changes to the Companys strategic growth plans, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forwardlooking information are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct and such forwardlooking information should not be unduly relied upon. Any forwardlooking information contained in this news release represents the Companys expectations as of the date hereof and is subject to change after such date. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forwardlooking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities legislation. The Canadian Securities Exchange has not in any way passed upon the merits of the matters referenced herein and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. KANSAS CITY, Missouri, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vytelle, a precision livestock company, is pleased to announce the closure of an oversubscribed Series A funding worth USD $13.2MM. Private equity firm Open Prairie, through the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, and Kansas-based Ag-tech VC, Fulcrum Global Capital co-led the round. The financing also included participation from new Midwest investors Serra Ventures, Innovation In Motion, and KCRise, as well as existing investor, UK-based Wheatsheaf Group. Vytelle's integrated technology platform combines Vytelle ADVANCE, a breakthrough in vitro fertilization (IVF) technology, with Vytelle SENSE, an animal performance data capture system, and Vytelle INSIGHT, an artificial intelligence based genetic analytics engine. The platform provides progressive cattle producers the technology to multiply the impact of elite livestock productivity and profitability, sustainably delivering more protein with fewer inputs. Vytelles integrated platform has seen rapid growth since its launch in 2020, currently serving cattle producers in 21 countries. "We are impressed with Vytelles track record of success in the IVF sector and look forward to implementing initiatives to further accelerate genetic progress with Vytelles data platforms for the benefit of ranchers and cattle operations throughout rural America, said Open Prairies founder and managing partner, Jim Schultz. Duane Cantrell, CEO of Fulcrum Global Capital added, Vytelles ability to scale globally is a game changer for the cattle industry to produce a more efficient and sustainable global cattle herd. The funding reflects the aggressive expansion strategy of the Kansas City-based company. The strategy includes propelling the IVF offering of Vytelle ADVANCE to strategic markets worldwide and investment in new ways to create more predictable genetic selections for global cattle operations. Weve been searching for another AgTech investment in the KC region with a large addressable market, proven traction, seasoned agriculture investors and experienced team. Kerryann and her team, board and investors exceed every measure and we are excited that our KC-based investors will be a part of this global/local growth story. Darcy Howe, founder, managing director, KCRise Fund. Our mission is clear, and we are grateful for the support of our investors who join us on our journey to ensure meat and milk are viable food choices for future generations. said Kerryann Kocher, CEO of Vytelle. About Vytelle Vytelle is a precision livestock company reshaping how cattle producers worldwide optimize their herds. Through Vytelles integrated technology platform, generations of genetic gains can be made in just a few years. This allows producers to sustainably deliver more protein with fewer inputs, helping to ensure meat and milk are viable, competitive food choices for future generations. For more information about Vytelle, please visit www.vytelle.com. About Open Prairie Based in the heartland of America with headquarters in Effingham, Illinois, Open Prairie is a multi-faceted private equity fund management firm with deep roots in rural America. For more than twenty years, Open Prairie has consistently focused on facilitating capital accessibility in underserved markets. The Open Prairie team has managed funds ranging from technology-based venture capital to farmland portfolios. Through its expertise across all functional business disciplines and an extensive network of professionals, Open Prairie collaborates with its portfolio companies to accelerate growth while providing top tier returns to its investors. For more information about Open Prairie, please visit www.openprairie.com. About the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund The Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund is an $81 million private equity fund licensed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) as a Rural Business Investment Company (RBIC). With a collaborative partnership comprised of investors from Farm Credit institutions, commercial and community banks, strategics, family offices, and high net worth individuals committed to advancing rural America, the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund is focused on providing debt and equity capital of $2 - $10 million to growth companies in food and agriculture. For more information on the Open Prairie Rural Opportunities Fund, please visit www.openprairie.com. About Fulcrum Global Capital Fulcrum Global Capital (FGC) is an early-stage venture capital fund investing in companies and entrepreneurs disrupting the global food production industry through the agriculture, animal health, and agtech markets. FGC is especially interested in companies with technologies and approaches which increases yields, reduces food waste, and/or makes food safer and more transparent. Based out of the Kansas City area, FGC invests both within the U.S. and across the globe. More information on FGC can be found at www.fgcvc.com. About Wheatsheaf Group Wheatsheaf Group is an international investor in food and agriculture businesses. Wheatsheafs purpose is to rethink and re-shape how food is grown, produced, distributed and consumed, partnering with like-minded people to understand the complex interconnectedness of our agricultural ecosystem to manage its effects and enhance human health, our environment and enable producers to thrive. One of the largest and longest established investment teams in the sector, Wheatsheaf adopts a far-sighted perspective with the aim of developing innovative business models and to harness the insights and power of technology to identify, develop and scale up lasting solutions. Wheatsheaf is part of the Grosvenor Estate which represents the Grosvenor familys activities in food & agriculture, international urban property, the management of rural estates and support for philanthropic activities. For more information about Wheatsheaf, visit: www.wheatsheafgroup.com ABOUT KCRise KCRise Fund is a venture capital fund investing in high growth technology companies in Kansas and Western Missouri, building the pipeline of entrepreneurs, talent and customers to supercharge economic growth of the region. About Serra Ventures Serra Ventures is an early stage venture capital firm investing in technology companies in underserved geographies across the Midwest and West Coast. Sectors of focus include information technology, devices/instrumentation and agricultural technologies. The profile of an ideal startup is one that has just finished an accelerator program or has been through a round of seed funding to establish and prove a strong product-market fit. Serra Ventures, has offices in San Diego, Chicago and Champaign, Illinois. The managing partners are all former successful entrepreneurs who seek to serve their portfolio companies with real-world insight, hard work and a valuable network. In addition to capital, Serra works alongside its entrepreneurs in all areas of growth from strategic planning and partnerships, through business development and capital formation. As portfolio companies scale, Serra co-invests with leading venture firms across the Midwest and West Coast. For more information, visit www.serraventures.com. About iiM iiM was established to fill the gap in early-stage financing available to Seed Series A stage businesses in the animal health, human health and agricultural verticals. iiM investors have founded, grown and continue to build or have exited their own companies in these industries and bring active contacts, strategic relationships, and industry experience to their portfolio of 15 companies. Based in Merriam, Kansas, iiM invests throughout the United States and Canada. For more information about iiM please visit http://www.iimkc.com. Attachment VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FAR Resources Ltd. (CSE:FAT) (FSE:F0R) (OTC:FRRSF) (www.farresources.com) (FAR Resources or the Company) is pleased to report preliminary results of its recently completed field visit to the optioned Jean Lake Property near Snow lake, Manitoba. The newly acquired 1002 hectare property adjoins Fars Zoro lithium project and the Thompson Brothers lithium project of Snow Lake Resources within the Snow Lake pegmatite field. Following up on historical reports from the 1940s, the companys prospecting program located two new spodumene-bearing pegmatites (see photos below). One of these may be the Beryl pegmatite mentioned in Manitoba mineral assessment files, although the location is different to that reported. The second occurrence is a totally new discovery. Both appear to strike in a WNW direction and display abundant coarse-grained spodumene crystals up to 40 cm in length, and are open to expansion in all directions. Character samples have been collected and submitted for confirmatory analysis. More systematic sampling requires clearing of overburden, organic cover and deadfall; the company has initiated this work to allow better definition of the size and grade of the occurrences. The area is well located to permit year-round access for accelerated exploration if warranted. John Gammack, President and CEO of FAR, said, We are excited to validate our acquisition of the Jean Lake Property so quickly. With the discovery of at least one previously unknown lithium pegmatite, and the lack of any modern exploration on the property we are very keen to expand our work on the project. As part of the planning for further work, we have lodged an application with the Manitoba Mineral Development Fund (MMDF) to support an expanded program which may include drone magnetometer and LiDAR surveys, additional prospecting and systematic geochemical sampling, and diamond drill testing of high priority targets. All samples collected for analysis have been sent to the Ancaster laboratory of Activation Laboratories Ltd. The technical content of this release has been reviewed by Lindsay Bottomer P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. About FAR FAR Resources' Winston Gold and Silver Project includes on-going exploration of their 100 percent owned property located in the Black Range of New Mexico USA. Recent results included exceptional numbers from property-wide confirmatory sampling completed in late 2020 with grades of up to 66.5 g/t gold and 4619 g/t silver. The propertys three mines, Ivanhoe, Emporia and Little Granite are known for their historic production of high-grade gold and silver ores, primarily developed prior to the 1930's with a brief revival in the 1980's but have seen little modern exploration. Full data tables and info can be viewed here on pages 14, 17,19 and 20: https://farresources.com/images/investors/presentation/precious_metals_deck/precious_metals_deck_revised-26Mar2021.pdf. FAR Resources also has its 100 percent owned ZORO Lithium Project, in CANADA, located in the mining-friendly Snow Lake region of Manitoba containing numerous known lithium deposits. The company has completed five drill programs on the property leading to the discovery of at least 12 lithium-bearing pegmatite dykes. FAR Resources also holds a 60% stake in the Hidden Lake Lithium Project in the Northwest Territories hosting at least 10 lithium bearing spodumene pegmatite dykes with average lithium concentration of 1.03% Li20 and individual samples grading up to 3.3% Li20. To read more on both lithium properties and past exploration details, click here: https://www.farresources.com/images/investors/presentation/sustainable_energy/REVISED_SUSTAINABLE_ENERGY_PRESENTATION.pdf For further information, please contact: John Gammack President and CEO Far Resources Ltd +1 (604) 374-5561 The Canadian Securities Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release and accepts no responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy hereof. Forward Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance, including planned exploration, and reflect managements current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect managements current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the company. Readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. All the forward-looking statements made in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements and those in our continuous disclosure filings available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances save as required under applicable securities legislation. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell securities and the company is not soliciting an offer to buy 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. Photos accompanying this announcement are available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/eca59a01-994f-40a4-823d-8da9a6cc4564 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/85795268-7868-4025-8fae-f204262daff6 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fdb667b1-fe66-4ace-a606-292599b98cf4 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ebc3b135-0e09-4a2e-aa89-c7a12e62d4d3 RENO, Nev., Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Spine Nevada is proud to announce that Dr. James Lynch has completed the 100th Augmedics xvision case at Renown Regional Medical Center. Dr. Lynch performed the first xvision case in June 2020 and celebrated the milestone on Sept. 23. The 100th case took place during an L3-L4 lateral fusion with percutaneous pedicle screws from SeaSpine. Dr. Lynch is the most experienced surgeon using Augmedics xvision in the world. The xvision Spine System is the first Augmented Reality guidance system used in surgery and is currently approved for use in open and minimally invasive spine implant procedures. "The growing Northern Nevada community has access to cutting-edge technology close to home," said Dr. James Lynch, a board-certified neurosurgeon with multiple fellowships in spine. "Augmedics xvision offers a higher degree of accuracy in placing minimally invasive surgical instrumentation. We are proud to offer our patients the latest surgical options, allowing them to get back to their everyday lives as quickly as possible." Like a real-time GPS, this "see-through" surgery lets surgeons know precisely where to place implants in a patient's unique anatomy and brings a new standard of customization and care to the operating room. In addition, the xvision Spine System is different from other image guidance systems, as it allows surgeons to maintain their focus directly on the patient rather than on a distant screen displaying the patient's anatomy. Because of rapid registration capabilities, time-consuming pre-operative surgical planning may be bypassed as patient-specific anatomy is immediately available to the surgeon and is projected in their immediate field of vision. "We feel privileged to be working with Dr. Lynch. He's been committed to using our technology on fusion cases and has provided invaluable feedback on xvision. We look forward to his next 100 cases and beyond," remarks Tim Murawski, Augmedics Chief Commercial Officer. The xvision Spine System consists of a transparent near-eye-display headset and all elements of a traditional navigation system. It accurately determines the position of surgical tools in real time and superimposes them on the patient's CT data. The navigation data is then projected onto the surgeon's retina using the headset, allowing them to look at both the patient and the navigation data simultaneously. The xvision Spine System is designed to revolutionize how surgery is done by giving the surgeon better control and visualization, leading to easier, faster, and safer surgeries. About Augmedics Augmedics (Chicago, Illinois) is an augmented reality surgical image guidance pioneer that aims to improve healthcare by augmenting surgery with cutting-edge technologies that solve unmet clinical needs and instill technological confidence in the surgical workflow. Its FDA-cleared revolutionary xvision Spine System, the first augmented reality guidance system for surgery, allows surgeons to "see" the patient's anatomy through skin and tissue as if they have "x-ray vision" and to accurately navigate instruments and implants during spine procedures. For more information, visit www.augmedics.com. About Spine Nevada Spine Nevada is a regional center of excellence, offering a comprehensive approach to spine and musculoskeletal care. The centers include fellowship-trained neurological surgeons, spine specialists board-certified in physical medicine and radiology, specialty-trained physical therapists, physical therapy clinics, and InMotion Diagnostics. Founded by Dr. Lynch in 2004, Spine Nevada demonstrates innovation in non-surgical and surgical spine care and then documents its superior care with clinical outcomes. The center's mission is to help patients return to active lives through compassionate, evidence-based spine and musculoskeletal care, including non-surgical treatment options and the most technologically advanced minimally invasive surgical techniques. Spine Nevada recently partnered with Healthcare Outcomes Performance Company (HOPCo), the national leader in musculoskeletal practice and outcomes management and value-based care solutions. For more information, visit SpineNevada.com. MEDIA CONTACT: Molly Caneday Spine Nevada molly@spinenevada.com 775-507-4648 Related Files SN-Logo-Color-01.png Related Images Image 1: Augmedics CEO attends Dr. Lynch's 100th Case Nissan Elimelech (L), CEO of Augmedics, attends Dr. James Lynch's (R) 100th xvision case in Reno, Nevada. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment SELBYVILLE, Del., Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to latest report "Data Center Colocation Market by Type (Retail Colocation, Wholesale Colocation), End-Use (SMEs, Large Enterprises), Application (BFSI, Energy, Government & Defense, Healthcare, Manufacturing, IT & Telecom, Retail), Regional Outlook, Price Trends, Competitive Market Share & Forecast 2027", by Global Market Insights Inc., the market valuation of data center colocation will cross $145 billion by 2027. The market growth can be attributed to the high expenses of owning and operating a data center, particularly for businesses that generate irregular data quantities. Large enterprises tend to use colocation services as they can lease large premises while meeting their power and processing needs. Furthermore, colocation services enable large enterprises to have total control over their data center infrastructure. Due of their catastrophe recovery capabilities, these services also help in business continuity. Globally, large enterprises from different industries create massive amounts of data, necessitating infrastructure with better and high scale storage capacity. Data center colocation allows large enterprises to lease vast floor space close to consumers while also ramping up infrastructure based on demand from that specific region. Tech giants, such as Google and Facebook, make extensive use of data center colocation. Request a sample of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/request-sample/detail/2419 The new norms enabled by recent IT breakthroughs are substantially transforming all areas of the automotive industry including manufacturing, distribution, leasing, and servicing. The global car market is already in a transformation phase, necessitating the incorporation of smart vehicles. Real time information is required for autonomous vehicles to operate properly, necessitating the use of data center colocation services. The advent of edge computing is changing the automobile sector by boosting vehicle economy through technological improvements. Consequently, data centers are likely to become the cornerstone of the manufacturing sector. The growing penetration of digital technologies across the manufacturing sector will foster the demand for data center colocation services. The expanding e-commerce industry, contributing to the surging amounts of data in the U.S. and Canada, will support the data center colocation market expansion. According to U.S. Census Bureau, the total retail sales in the U.S. for Q1 of 2021 was USD 215.3 billion with 39.3% change as compared to Q1 of 2020, while for Q2 of 2021 was USD 222.5 billion with 9.1% change as compared to Q2 of 2020. Retailers are substantially investing in their IT infrastructures to protect consumer data that can be used to determine customer buying behavior and product needs. The rising amounts of data with the growth of the online retailing industry will encourage retailers to adopt data center colocation services. Major companies operating in the data center colocation market include NTT Communications Corporation, China Telecom Corporation Limited, China Unicom, Digital Realty, Cogent Communications, Inc., Singapore Telecommunications Limited, Cologix, Inc., CyrusOne, Cyxtera Technologies, Inc., eStruxture Data Centers, Equinix, Inc., Internap Corporation, Interxion Holding NV, KDDI Corporation, Ltd., Rackspace Inc., Sungard Availability Services, TeraGo Networks, Telstra Corporation Limited, Verizon Communications Inc., and Zayo Group, LLC. Request customization of this research report @ https://www.gminsights.com/roc/2419 Some major findings of the data center colocation market report are: The market will witness growth owing to the growing demand to reduce IT spending on commissioning mission-critical data center infrastructure. Data center colocation services provide the agility and cost-effectiveness necessary for handling the ongoing data requirements, fueling the data center colocation market. The market is also led by hyperscale data center users, such as big internet companies and cloud service providers, with high demand for colocation services. The expanding use of cloud computing and the growing prevalence of cloud service providers serve as a stimulus for the expansion of the market. The IT & telecom segment in the data center colocation market is expanding as a result of the rising popularity of smartphones, increasing proportion of internet subscribers, and the industry's ongoing innovation of new apps & software. Additionally, the introduction of 5G is projected to promote the expansion of IT and telecom sectors, resulting in a huge volume of data and impelling data center market progression. The growing demand for retail colocation is associated with a multitude of advantages including flexibility of managing data volumes, resulting in inexpensive data center maintenance costs and enhancing data protection. In retail colocation, a client rents a space within a data center facility, depending on the IT requirements. In contrast to wholesale colocation that typically involves the renting of an entire data center, retail colocation is suitable for businesses that have budgetary constraints. The increasing volume of patient data collected globally will boost data center colocation penetration in the healthcare industry. The increasing use of technologies, such as telemedicine and online consulting, is contributing to increasing data storage demands. Table of Contents (ToC) of the report: Chapter 3 Data Center Colocation Market Insights 3.1 Industry segmentation 3.2 Data center industry landscape 3.3 Impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on data center colocation market 3.3.1 Global outlook 3.3.2 Regional impact 3.3.3 Industry value chain 3.3.4 Competitive landscape 3.3.4.1 Strategy 3.3.4.2 Distribution network 3.3.4.3 Business growth 3.4 Industry ecosystem analysis 3.4.1 Distribution channel analysis 3.4.2 Vendor matrix 3.5 Technology & innovation landscape 3.5.1 Cloud computing and virtualization 3.5.2 Edge computing 3.5.3 Green data center 3.5.4 Converged and hyper-converged infrastructure 3.6 Regulatory landscape 3.7 Industry impact forces 3.7.1 Growth drivers 3.7.2 Industry pitfalls & challenges 3.8 Growth potential analysis 3.9 Porter's analysis 3.10 PESTEL analysis Browse Complete Table of Contents (ToC) @ https://www.gminsights.com/toc/detail/data-center-colocation-market About Global Market Insights Inc. Global Market Insights Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider, offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy, and biotechnology. Contact Us: Arun Hegde Corporate Sales, USA Global Market Insights Inc. Phone: 1-302-846-7766 Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688 Email: sales@gminsights.com Related Images Image 1: Data Center Colocation Market Growth Predicted at 15% Through 2027: GMI The data center colocation market growth can be attributed to the high expenses of owning and operating a data center, particularly for businesses that generate irregular data quantities. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment QUEBEC CITY, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fabrique 1840 par Simons and National Bank are teaming up to celebrate the creative work of our local professional craftspeople. In collaboration with the Canadian Crafts Federation (CCF), which has worked closely with various regional councils for over 100 years, theyre showcasing pieces by over 70 passionate craftspeople in a large, unique virtual marketplace on simons.ca. National Banks valuable support helps local businesses grow and, in turn, enrich their communities and their art, creating a strong network of mutual promotion and recognition. From east to west and north to south, were showcasing the creative talent of our provinces and territories while encouraging people to shop local, which is very important to the development of our economic fabric. Our entrepreneurs are pillars of community development. National Bank is very proud to support them in the day-to-day. We hope that this collaboration with Simons and the Canadian Crafts Federation allows you to appreciate our local craftspeoples talent, says Genevieve Turbide-Potvin, Vice President of Transaction and Financing Solutions for Commercial Banking at National Bank. Unique jewellery, decorative accessories, and utilitarian objects that have been meticulously handcrafted by creators from across Canada will enrich your everyday with art and authenticity. Raw materials are transformed into durable, one-of-a-kind items that tell a story. We are delighted that this partnership is bringing the best of all participants together: professional artists, community engagement, an excellent market, and most of allincredible work from craft artists across the country. Craft speaks for itself, but the story it tells is broad and meaningful. Buying craft is about more than a purchaseit becomes part of your personal collection, your personal story. Connecting with craft makes a difference, and the CCF is here to help connect people to that purpose, explains Maegen Black, Director of the Canadian Crafts Federation. This virtual marketplace will showcase Canadian talent, while being yet another opportunity to celebrate the creative work of local professional craftspeople. Visit simons.ca from October 1 to 31, 2021. About Fabrique 1840 Simons, a fashion destination since 1840, makes its unique expertise available to Canadian creators through Fabrique 1840, which it launched in the fall of 2018. This online platform is a place to celebrate and support creativity, culture, community, and leadershipfundamental values written in Simons' DNA. It's a showcase for over 300 talented creators and craftspeople who explore all artistic fields, including interior decor, fashion accessories, stationery, and leatherworking. Fabrique 1840 brings together all the best Canada has to offer: artisans at the top of their game. Visit www.fabrique1840.com or follow Fabrique1840 on Instagram: @fabrique1840 or Facebook: facebook.com/fabrique1840 About National Bank of Canada With $354 billion in assets as of July 31, 2021, National Bank of Canada, together with its subsidiaries, forms one of Canadas leading integrated financial groups. It has more than 26,000 employees in knowledge-intensive positions and has been recognized numerous times as a top employer and for its commitment to diversity. Its securities are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: NA). Follow the Banks activities at nbc.ca or via social media such as Facebook: facebook.com/nationalbanknetworks and Twitter: twitter.com/nationalbank or LinkedIn. About the Canadian Crafts Federation The Canadian Crafts Federation is a national network of professional craftspeople representing over 5,000 creators from coast to coast. Thanks to the Federation, craftspeople are building relationships with the Canadian market, which helps them gain visibility in communities across the country. Its many councils play a key role in helping entrepreneurs grow. To learn more about the Federations mission and history, visit https://canadiancraftsfederation.ca/. For additional information: Simons Cecile Branco, Director of Fabrique 1840 cbranco@simons.ca 514-262-1566 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/54e0057a-7d52-471d-84f1-d734e16c44f1 HARRISONBURG, Va., Sept. 28, 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 the appointment of Ed Hinson as Chief Sales Officer along with expansion into several new grocery outlets. Hinson brings over 25 years of sales experience in the food industry. He joins Farmer Focus from Dean Foods, where he held several senior-level commercial roles, including leading sales for Deans ice cream business and its expansion into new customers and geographies. Before that, he served in executive roles spanning strategy, sales and finance at Campbell Soup and as a Consulting Manager in Accentures Food & CPG Practice. As CSO, Hinson will continue building on Farmer Focus growing retail presence while expanding the brand to reach new customers, channels and geographies. He will lead strategy and evolve processes across sales and supply chain teams that have doubled in 2021. I was immediately drawn to Farmer Focus as a rapidly growing, mission-based company with tremendous potential for brand growth, said Ed Hinson, new Chief Sales Officer at Farmer Focus. In addition to my sales background in the food industry, I grew up around farming and ranching in a small town, so I have a personal passion to address the challenges facing those involved in agriculture. Hinson joins the company at a pivotal time. Farmer Focus has partnered with retailers including Meijer, Publix, Kroger Mid-Atlantic, Harris Teeter and Fresh Market in the past year. Thanks to this expansion at retail, Farmer Focus grew its family of farmers to over 70 independent family farmers. Farmer Focus is leading organic category growth by fueling demand from consumers seeking more than just organic certification. These attributes, along with the companys commitment to sustainability, mirror consumer trends that bring new customers into the organic category. In addition to attracting new consumers to Farmer Focus, we are growing the organic chicken category as a whole, said Erik Vaughan, Farmer Focus President and COO. We are excited for Ed to develop our team and leverage his experience to grow our business and our family of farmer partners. Farmer Focus retail presence now spans over 2,500 stores and continues to grow. Online, products are available on FreshDirect and Crowd Cow. This news is just the most recent indication of Farmer Focus success. 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 52-week period ending 9.5.21 as indicated by IRI data. 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 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 2,500 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/faf2719e-3193-451c-ac83-7d1cc30f4b5a https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/541ba73b-dde9-4137-8647-7668fec49dc4 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b2360ddd-04da-4544-9f0a-efabf735b318 https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cfb25db9-8030-4120-8a4a-e9b1dfbb13d1 CLIFTON PARK, N.Y., Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ultimus LeverPoint Private Fund Solutions, a leading private fund administrator, is pleased to welcome Todd Werner as Senior Vice President, Private Fund Operations to the firm. He will play a central role in working with the client services teams on deliverables and will also help to continue evolving the firms operating model through the use of technology. Werners 25-year career includes a strong emphasis on developing and enhancing operations to meet client and business challenges for major asset management firms covering alternative investments, including hedge funds, private equity funds and venture capital funds. In this new position at Ultimus LeverPoint, Werner will lead the firm in leveraging state-of-the-art technology to automate and streamline processes and systems that enhance the client experience, particularly in areas that include reporting, access to data, and communications. He will focus on continuing to build the firms operational efficiencies and to enhance the firms quality control processes, toward the goal of delivering the best possible service and solutions for alternative fund management clients. Evan Audette, EVP, COO, Ultimus Leverpoint, says that Werner brings not only depth of experience in operations but also a unique perspective on balancing technology and people. Todds ability to leverage technology in operations is well known in the industry, he said. Along with that, hes also built a reputation for his people first philosophyand for keeping a strong focus on the people behind the processes and making sure clients make the connection too. He has built and led outstanding teams, and we are extremely happy to have him on ours. Werner joins Ultimus LeverPoint as the firm continues to scale up and work with clients of all sizes and complexities. His experience reinforces the firms institutional strength and its commitment to create ideal team structures for meeting specific client needs and challenges. Ultimus CEO Gary Tenkman says that Werners experience and approach reflect Ultimus client-centric mission, as well as the firms ongoing commitment to technology and talent. I have known Todd for almost 20 years, he stated, and have been impressed with his approach to harnessing the power of both technology and people to enhance the client experience. We continue to invest in state-of-the-art technology and in the industrys top talent, and adding Todd to the Ultimus team is a direct reflection of our commitment to both. Prior to joining Ultimus LeverPoint, Werner was director of SS&C Technologies private equity services for more than 6 years. Prior to that, Werner spent more than 10 years at CitiBank, NA, where he held successive director-level positions within its private equity services and hedge fund services. His early experience included time with Bank of New York and SEI Investments, and he holds an MBA from Fordham University in New York City. About Ultimus LeverPoint Ultimus LeverPoint Private Fund Solutions is a leading fund administrator committed to providing a complete spectrum of solutions to private equity, venture capital and hedge fund clients. We provide accounting and fund administration solutions to over 210 firms with nearly $117B in AUA, representing a diverse range of alternative fund types and structures ranging in size from first time firms with $50M AUM to established firms with $19B+ AUM. Whether outsourcing a new fund, or transitioning existing funds, Ultimus LeverPoint serves as a seamless extension of your firm a partner in growth. From traditional to complex structures, our team of over 230 associates provide operational excellence, in order to meet every need and dedicated to helping investment managers keep pace with the constantly changing regulatory and market demands, while providing quick solutions to new challenges. For more information, visit www.ultimusleverpoint.com . About Ultimus Ultimus Fund Solutions (Ultimus) is a leading provider of full-service fund administration, accounting, and investor solutions to support the launching and servicing of registered funds, private funds, and public plans. The company also offers customized structures designed for the unique needs of pensions, endowments, foundations, and other large institutions. Ultimus deep commitment to excellence is achieved through investments in best-in-class technology, compliance programs, organization-wide cyber security efforts, and hiring seasoned professionals. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio with offices in other major cities such as Chicago, New York, and Denver, Ultimus employs nearly 700 seasoned accountants, attorneys, paralegals, application developers, fund administrators, compliance specialists, and many others with years of experience in the financial services industry. Servicing over 1,400 total traditional and alternative funds, Ultimus helps investment managers and fund families flourish in todays increasingly sophisticated and dynamic investment landscape. For more information, visit www.ultimusfundsolutions.com . 13579548 09/27/2021 New York, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Immunohistochemistry Market: Key Insights According to our new research study on "Immunohistochemistry Market to 2028 Global Analysis and Forecast by Type, End User, and Geography," the Immunohistochemistry Market Size is projected to reach US$ 3,585.31 million by 2028 from US$ 2,171.61 million in 2021; it is expected to register a CAGR of 7.4% during 20212028. Immunohistochemistry Market: Competition Landscape and Key Developments F. Hoffmann-LA Roche AG; Merck KGaA; PerkinElmer, Inc.; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.; Abcam Plc; Agilent Technologies; Bio SB; Bio-Rad Laboratories; Cell Signaling Technology, Inc.; and Danaher Corporation are among the key companies operating in the immunohistochemistry market. The leading market players are focusing on new product launches, expansion and diversification, and acquisition strategies, which allows them to tap into prevailing business opportunities. In April 2020, Bio-Rad launched a blood-based immunoassay kit to detect COVID-19. It is a blood-based immunoassay kit to identify antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. In September 2020, Thermo Fisher and Humanigen agreed to scale up the manufacturing of monoclonal antibodies for COVID-19. This business deal is expected to help scale up the manufacturing of California biotech's lenlizumab, a clinical-stage candidate for cytokine storm that the company was testing in severe COVID-19 patients for a possible emergency use approval following 2020. Get Exclusive Sample Pages of Immunohistochemistry Market Size - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis with Strategic Insights at https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00006184/ In 2020, North America dominated the global immunohistochemistry market. The market growth in the region is attributed to the growing prevalence of cancer and corresponding growth in cancer diagnostic tools, technological advancements in immunohistochemistry techniques, rising geriatric population, and well-established healthcare infrastructure in the region, especially in the US and Canada. For example, in breast cancer, immunohistochemistry quantifies the estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2, Ki-67, and p53. According to the Breast Cancer Organization, around 268,600 new cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed in women in the US in 2019, and approximately 62,930 new cases of non-invasive (in situ) breast cancer were diagnosed. Thus, as breast cancer becomes more prevalent, the demand for immunohistochemistry is likely to increase. Similarly, according to the Canadian Strategy for Cancer Control 20172022, two in five Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer. It is estimated that by 2030, the number of new cancer cases in the country will increase by 40%. Therefore, the government is putting efforts to advance the development of preventive measures by improving healthcare systems' effects. The Canadian Partnership Against Cancer was established by the federal government and was funded by Health Canada in 2007; since then, the developments have been significantly enhanced. The immunohistochemistry market is likely to grow exponentially during the forecast period due to the factors mentioned above. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) refers to an important application of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies for tissue determination and distribution of antigens of a particular disease. It is majorly used to detect several infectious disorders such as dengue, hepatitis, and AIDS. Immunohistochemistry helps diagnose chronic medical conditions like obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. According to the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), 37.6 million people across the globe had HIV in 2020. 35.9 million were adults, and 1.7 million were children (<15 years old). An estimated 1.5 million individuals worldwide acquired HIV in 2020. According to the HIV and AIDS organization (AVERT), in 2018, 1.1 million US residents were infected with HIV, whereas APAC registered 5.2 million HIV-infected population. According to the European CDC, ~2 million people in Europe were infected with HIV in 2018. Download Sample PDF Brochure of Immunohistochemistry Market Size and Growth Research Report at https://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPRE00006184/ Diabetes is prevailing at a high rate in the geriatric population worldwide. The prevalence of diabetes is more in overweight and obese people. As per data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2017, ~30.3 million people, representing 94% of the population of the US, were diabetic. Among these, ~23.1 million people were diagnosed with diabetes, while ~7.2 million had not undergone a proper diagnostic procedure. The obesity rates have been increasing rapidly in developed as well as developing economies across the globe. Factors such as unhealthy lifestyles and sedentary life are significant factors for the rise in the number of obese individuals. As per the data published by National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), the prevalence of obesity is expected to be around 39.8%, affecting about 93.3 million US adults between the years 2015 to 2016. The incidence of obesity was significantly high among middle-aged adults (42.7%) compared to younger adults (35.7%). The increase in the number of obese people in the US has also led to rising healthcare expenditure. Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) include cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease, coronary heart disease, and other conditions. It is the most significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. According to the European Cardiovascular Disease Statistics 2017, every year, cardiovascular diseases cause 3.9 million deaths and more than 1.8 million deaths in the European Union (EU). CVDs account for 45.0% of all deaths in Europe and 37.0% of deaths in the EU. Furthermore, as per the American Heart Association (AHA) 2019 statistics, 121.5 million adults in the USwhich is around half of the US adult populationsuffer from cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, there has been a rise in cancer incidence and mortality rates worldwide, making cancer the leading cause of death. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2018, cancer was the cause of approximately 9.6 million deaths worldwide. Order a Copy of Immunohistochemistry Market Size, Share, Strategic Insights and Forecasts 2021-2028 Research Report at https://www.theinsightpartners.com/buy/TIPRE00006184/ Moreover, according to the National Cancer Institute, in 2018, approximately 1,735,350 new cancer cases were diagnosed in the US. Similarly, in China, as per the data revealed by WHO, ~4.3 million new cancer cases were detected, and 2.9 million cancer deaths were recorded in 2018. Such an increase in the incidence of chronic and infectious diseases is expected to create a demand for immunoassay tests worldwide. Immunohistochemistry Market: Segmental Overview Based on product, the global immunohistochemistry market is segmented into antibodies, equipment, reagents, and kits. In 2020, the antibodies segment held the largest share of the market. However, the reagents segment is expected to register the highest CAGR in the market during 20212028. In immunohistochemistry, antibodies provide extremely high identification precision at the protein level, with better sensitivity and localization at the cellular or even subcellular scale. In the immunohistochemistry market, companies such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc. and Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc. provide antibodies for better analysis of the assays, which is expected to drive the market during the forecast period. 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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 Press Release - https://www.theinsightpartners.com/pr/immunohistochemistry-market Connect With Us on: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/7591674/admin/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/tipmarkettrends Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theinsightpartners/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheInsightPartners RSS/Feeds: https://www.theinsightpartners.com/feed/ | https://www.openpr.com/news/archive/139407/The-Insight-Partners.html NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Oct. 22, 2021, Televeda is attempting to set a GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title with an exciting game of online bingo. From rural Kansas to tech-savvy halls in Florida, over 80 senior centers from across 20 states have registered as venues to host this hybrid game. Thousands of individual players have also registered to join online from their homes to help support efforts to fight social isolation & reframe the face of aging. The pandemic was hard on everyone, but especially for senior citizens and frontline care workers. Social isolation is a serious issue, and now more than ever it's important to make people feel like they're not alone. All participating organizations have received tech training from Televeda and access to its live social care network of virtual classes from leading health & recreational providers. This has been helpful for civic centers to provide ongoing socialization opportunities for their members despite budget cuts and layoffs. Mayank Mishra, Founder of Televeda: "We had to get creative on ways to raise awareness on this important issue. What better way to do that than through a bingo event for the books? The world record attempt is a great way to get the community together. We need all the help we can get to overcome the digital divide and make socialization more inclusive for everyone." With limited social opportunities due to the pandemic, seniors are now looking forward to something hopeful and exciting. The lead community sponsors Cigna & Duet hope to highlight that seniors are not as tech-ignorant as popularly perceived and have gotten comfortable with live-streaming classes. All age groups are welcome to support this cause. It is free to participate. To learn more and be part of the world record attempt visit: televeda.com/bingo. Press Contact Mayank Mishra mayank@televeda.com Related Files televeda-Bingo poster-v3-compressed.pdf televeda-bingopopupbanner.pdf Related Images Image 1: Televeda Bingo Class Older adults and senior centers participating in Televeda's online weekly bingo classes. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment OAKVILLE, Ontario, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terrestrial Energy, a developer of Generation IV Small Modular Reactor (SMR) power plants based in Oakville, Ontario, today announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Saskatoon-based First Nations Power Authority (FNPA), the only North-American, non-profit, Indigenous owned and controlled organization developing power projects with Indigenous communities. Terrestrial Energy has become a member of the FNPA, and will explore the development of SMR technologies with the organization for the benefit of Indigenous communities in Canada. Terrestrial Energys SMR power plant can bring reliable, sustainable, economic, safe and clean energy to all Canadians and the rest of the world, said Guy Lonechild, CEO of First Nations Power Authority. It presents a tremendous opportunity for Indigenous communities across Canada, and for all Canadians. I look forward to working closely with Terrestrial Energy as it engages with our members in the Indigenous community. The Canadian nuclear energy industry recognizes the importance of early engagement with all the communities involved in the long life-cycle operations of a nuclear power plant, and that is particularly true for Canadas many Indigenous communities, said Simon Irish, CEO of Terrestrial Energy. The FNPA will advise Terrestrial Energy and its Canadian operations as it engages and consults with these communities on the ecological, environmental, and economic value of Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) power plant deployment, and we value the FNPAs involvement. On September 14, Terrestrial Energy announced an upgraded IMSR nuclear power plant design the IMSR400 a facility with a capacity to generate nearly 400 MW of clean zero-emissions electricity from twin reactors. This upgrade, in response to utility requirements, further increases the cost-competitiveness of the IMSR400 as a clean, safe and reliable source of energy. Terrestrial Energys IMSR400 is one of three SMR power plant designs under consideration for deployment at Ontario Power Generations Darlington Nuclear Generating Station. It is one of two Generation IV technology candidates, and the only Canadian technology candidate. Terrestrial Energys Oakville operation represents the largest SMR power plant technology development project in Canada. About Terrestrial Energy Terrestrial Energy is a developer of small and modular nuclear power plants that use its proprietary Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) technology. IMSR technology is non-Light Water Reactor and Generation IV technology and will generate electricity 50% more efficiently than conventional nuclear reactor technology. The IMSR represents a step-change improvement in economics, versatility and functionality of nuclear power plants that is possible only through Generation IV technology. IMSR power plants will provide resilient, reliable, dispatchable, zero-carbon and cost-competitive electric power, as well as high-grade industrial heat for use in many industrial applications, such as chemical synthesis, hydrogen production and desalination, and in so doing extend the application of nuclear energy far beyond electric power markets. IMSR power plants have the potential to make important contributions to industrial competitiveness, energy security, and economic growth. Their deployment will support rapid global decarbonization of the primary energy system by displacing fossil fuel combustion across a broad spectrum and can scale to meet net-zero policy goals of major industrial economies. Using an innovative design, and proven and demonstrated molten salt reactor technology, Terrestrial Energy is engaged with regulators and industrial partners to complete IMSR engineering and to commission first IMSR power plants in the late 2020s. TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FenixOro Gold Corp (CSE:FENX, OTCQB:FDVXF, Frankfurt:8FD) is pleased to announce that following lengthy delays caused by Covid 19-related issues in the Lima Peru lab, final assays have been received for the first three holes, along with partial results for the fourth, from the initial Phase 2 infill drill holes on the Northwest Vein Corridor (NWC) of the Abriaqui gold deposit. These results significantly increase the Companys previously stated potential resource expectations and assumptions (see press release dated March 19, 2021). Highlights include: New high grade Cascada vein intersected 1.3m @ 23.23 g/t gold and is part of a newly defined WNW trend of at least four veins (see Figure 1) Three main veins in the northwest corridor have an increase in average grade x thickness values 55%, 25%, and 20% higher than in previous resource potential estimates Three new veins intersected deeper mineralization including 1.3m @ 19.47 g/t gold Hole 14, currently in progress, is targeting mineralization up to 250 meters below the deepest drill intercept to date The current resource model incorporates only 4 of the 120 known, mapped veins on the project. New data from Phase 2 drilling will allow the Company to incorporate 10 or more vein structures Preparation underway for maiden drilling in the highly prospective southeastern license (see press release dated May 10, 2021) Eight and ten veins respectively intersected in holes P010 and P012 (a re-drill of P011 which was lost) FenixOro VP Exploration Stuart Moller commented, We are extremely pleased with these first results of the NWC infill drill program as the higher average grades and thicknesses significantly increase resource potential on previously modeled veins. Our understanding of the Santa Teresa vein is also becoming much more clear: it is really a series of parallel veins within a corridor up to 15 meters wide, flanked and separated by a variably developed zone of veinlets and stockwork mineralization. Mr. Moller continued: It was a significant surprise that we intersected four new veins within 150 meters of previous drill holes. The high grade Cascada vein and three new veins in the bottom of P012 add significantly to resource potential and more work is being done to include these in our formal model. Following this Phase 2 program we should be in a position to begin formal resource-definition spaced drilling on the NWC with the goal of defining a maiden resource on as many as ten veins, an increase from the four that are currently being modelled. Preparation is also underway to begin the first drill holes in the highly prospective southeastern block. New WNW Trending Vein Structure Identified The newly designated Cascada vein was cut in P013. The intersection was 1.3m @ 23.23 g/t gold. It is different from most other veins at Abriaqui in that it has a low content of sulfides, low silver, and contains visible gold. Cascada appears to be part of a family of at least four veins which trend 290 degrees. These veins have not been mapped on surface and are known only from underground workings and the new intersection in P013. They appear intermittently between the major veins of the NWC which trend 315 degrees (Figure 1). Their geometry is not well enough understood to justify individual longitudinal sections at this point, but they appear to have higher than project-average gold grade and they offer significant upside potential to be evaluated in future drilling. Three additional new veins were discovered in the bottom of hole P012. This footwall series of veins averages 1.5m in thickness with gold grades up to 19.47 g/t. (Table 2). These too are not yet well-understood geometrically and represent additional potential which will require deeper drilling to define. Four plus holes have been drilled in Phase 2 for 2575 meters with a project total of 6604 meters in 14 holes (Table 1, Figure 1). P010 - P013 were drilled from the same pad as P001 as part of an infill program to begin the resource definition program on the northwest trending vein corridor (NWC). Holes were drilled at -45 degrees except for P012 and P014 which are angled at -65 degrees for deeper tests of the system. P011 was lost at 136 meters and P012 is a re-drill of that hole. Table 2 highlights the principal gold-bearing intercepts in NWC drilling to date including newly reported values for P010 - P012 and the upper part of P013. P010 was drilled to the west to cover the gap between P001 and P005 and eight significant veins were intersected. P012 was drilled at a steeper angle to test the same vein package at depth. Ten veins were intersected with the deepest still carrying high grade at the 1540 meter elevation which matches the deepest drilled mineralization in the district to date. Hole P014 (in progress) is projected to intersect the deepest veins in the NWC at the 1300 meter elevation. Table 1: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e0b9c4ed-0981-4a7b-ae52-5ad432e02636 Figure 1: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/95fc19e3-cc35-46c9-9611-d569ad3fd613 Table 2: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/70d10546-d4ac-424a-837d-f6f08c987dbd Resource Development Progress Though no formal resource calculation has been done in the project area, FenixOro presented a series of longitudinal sections supporting an early estimate of resource potential on four veins in the Press Release of March 19, 2021. The three of those sections which are part of the NWC are updated here with the new drill data and results of recent underground channel sampling. The Santa Teresa Vein system is the largest in the NWC. It is really a series of parallel veins within a corridor up to 15 meters wide flanked and separated by a variably developed zone of veinlets and stockwork mineralization. As seen in Figure 2, we now have five data points defining the potential resource block including four drill holes and a channeled interval from a mine working (see Press Release of August 6, 2021). The average grade times thickness parameter (GxT, Table 3) for these points is 53% greater than in the March 19 estimate and our degree of confidence in that number is significantly higher given the larger data set. Figure 3 shows the Orquidea Vein in longitudinal section (NWC4 vein in the earlier presentation). The four drill intersections average 1.86m @ 12.68 g/t gold with a GxT 24% higher than that used in the initial assessment. Figure 4 presents the Romperopa 1 Vein (NWC5). The three intersections average 2.45m @ 8.32 g/t gold with a GxT 20% higher than the previous value. The yellow minimum resource potential blocks in each section are defined by the position of the drill holes and channeled interval, samples in shallow mine workings, the Cascada Fault on the southeast, and the 1500m elevation at depth. Areas of additional potential are shown with red arrows. These will be evaluated with ongoing step-out drilling laterally and at depth as indicated by the projected pierce points of the remaining Phase 2 drill holes shown in blue. The mineralization is open at depth below 1540m and the expectation is that there is significant room for resource growth downward on all veins. Hole P014 (in progress) is projected to intersect the deeper veins at about the 1300m elevation. Hole P009 from Phase 1 and visual inspection of the lower part of P013 (assays pending) indicate that the veins of the NWC continue to the southeast of the Cascada Fault and there is excellent potential for multiple mineralized veins in that direction. Phase 2 drilling will continue with at least two more infill holes on the NWC, one infill hole on the EWC, and 4-5 holes in the highly prospective southeast license. The program is scheduled to continue into Q1 2022. Figure 2: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6b6a9007-6a69-4fd4-b05b-51e09563c1a8 Figure 3: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7926b5c2-e665-4983-87b8-15fc614e7392 Figure 4: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/43b8e6a9-c9b1-46d8-8edc-3a33dca7ddca Table 3: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a8b43063-0e88-4a88-a147-65d3565e630f Technical Information Stuart Moller, Vice President Exploration and Director of the Company and a Qualified Person for the purposes of NI 43-101 (P.Geo, British Colombia), has prepared or supervised the preparation of the technical information contained in this press release. Mr. Moller has more than 40 years of experience in exploration for precious and other metals including ten in Colombia and is a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists. Drill core sampling is done in accordance with industry standards. The HQ and NQ diameter core is sawed, and half core samples are submitted to the laboratory. The other half core along with laboratory coarse reject material and sample pulps are stored in secure facilities on site and/or in the sample prep lab. Following strict chain of custody protocols, the samples are driven to the ISO 17025:2017 certified ALS Laboratory sample preparation facility in Medellin and ALS ships the prepared pulps to their assay laboratory in Lima, Peru. Blanks, duplicates, and certified reference standards totaling 15% of the total samples are inserted into the sample stream. To date, no material quality control issues have been detected. Gold is analyzed by fire assay with 50 gram charges for grades in excess of 10 grams per tonne and the additional elements are analyzed by ICP with appropriate follow-up for over- limits. Reported grade intervals are calculated using uncut gold values. Maximum sample length is one meter. Intervals which include multiple samples are calculated using the full geologic interval of mineralization and are not subject to specific rules for cutoff grades and internal low grade. As such, quoted thickness and grade of these intervals do not necessarily represent optimized economic intervals in a potential future mine. Reported sample and interval widths are based on lengths of individual samples in core and do not necessarily represent true widths of mineralization. True widths will sometimes be less than the quoted interval lengths. There are currently no NI 43-101 compliant resources or reserves in the project area. The analysis of drill results is intended to estimate the potential for future resources which will require significant additional drilling to define. The comparison between Abriaqui and the nearby Buritica project is meant only to indicate the similarities between the two in terms of geological setting. FenixOro does not imply that exploration results and/or economic characteristics of a potential future mine at Abriaqui will be similar to those seen at Buritica. About FenixOro Gold Corp. FenixOro Gold Corp is a Canadian company focused on acquiring and exploring gold projects with world class exploration potential in the most prolific gold producing regions of Colombia. FenixOro's flagship property, the Abriaqui project, is located 15 km west of Continental Gold's Buritica project in Antioquia State at the northern end of the Mid-Cauca gold belt, a geological trend which has seen multiple large gold discoveries in the past 10 years including Buritica and Anglo Gold's Nuevo Chaquiro and La Colosa. As documented in "NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Abriaqui project Antioquia State, Colombia" (December 5, 2019), the geological characteristics of Abriaqui and Buritica are similar. The report also documents the high gold grade at Abriaqui with samples taken from 20 of the veins assaying greater than 20 g/t gold. Since the preparation of this report a Phase 1 drilling program has been completed at Abriaqui resulting in a significant discovery of a high grade, Buritica style gold deposit. A Phase 2 drilling program has recently commenced. FenixOro's VP of Exploration, Stuart Moller, led the discovery team at Buritica for Continental Gold in 2007-2011. At the time of its latest public report, the Buritica Mine contains measured plus indicated resources of 5.32 million ounces of gold (16.02 Mt grading 10.32 g/t) plus a 6.02 million ounce inferred resource (21.87 Mt grading 8.56 g/t) for a total of 11.34 million ounces of gold resources. Buritica began formal production in November 2020 and has expected annual average production of 250,000 ounces at an all-in sustaining cost of approximately US$600 per ounce. Resources, cost and production data are taken from Continental Gold's "NI 43-101 Buritica Mineral Resource 2019-01, Antioquia, Colombia, 18 March, 2019"). Continental Gold was recently the subject of a takeover by Zijin Mining in an all-cash transaction valued at C$1.4 billion. Forward Looking Information This news release contains certain forward-looking information. All statements included herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information and such information involves various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Specifically, this news release contains forward looking information regarding the significance of Phase 1 drill results at the Abriaqui Project, conclusions as to resource potential derived from that data set, potential results of the Phase 2 drill program, and implied assumptions as to the potential future economic viability of the gold grades and vein thicknesses reported. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Although FenixOro has no reason to believe otherwise, there can be no assurance that the Phase 2 drill program and potential future resource definition drilling will be completed as uncertainties exist related to future project financing and future environmental permitting. Although FenixOro has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be additional factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. FenixOro Gold Corp John Carlesso, CEO Email: info@FenixOro.com Website: www.FenixOro.com Telephone: 1-833-ORO-GOLD Portland, OR, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- According to the report published by Allied Market Research, the Taiwan facility management services market was estimated at $8.39 billion in 2020 and is expected to hit $14.33 billion by 2030, registering a CAGR of 5.7% from 2021 to 2030. The report provides an in-depth analysis of the top investment pockets, top winning strategies, drivers & opportunities, market size & estimations, competitive scenario, and wavering market trends. Increase in urbanization & industrialization, surge in residential and non-residential construction activities, and growth in awareness regarding the protection of assets drive the growth of the Taiwan facility management services market. On the other hand, lack of managerial awareness and huge dependency on the in-house facility services impede the growth to some extent. However, rising government investments in the building infrastructure sector are expected to create lucrative opportunities in the industry. Download Sample PDF (111 Pages with More Insight): https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/13444 COVID-19 scenario- The outbreak of the pandemic gave way to halted business operations to comply with the mandatory government regulations for curbing the spread of COVID-19. This, in turn, affected the revenue flow of the Taiwan facility management services market. In addition, no new consignments were received by the companies operating in this sector, especially during the initial phase, thereby impacting the market negatively. The Taiwan facility management services market is analyzed across service type, type, end-user, and region. Based on service type, the property segment contributed to nearly one-third of the total market share in 2020, and is expected to lead the trail by 2030. The catering segment, on the other hand, would cite the fastest CAGR of 6.8% from 2021 to 2030. Get detailed COVID-19 impact analysis on the Taiwan Facility Management Services Market Request Here Based on type, the in-house segment accounted for nearly three-fifths of the total market revenue in share in 2020, and is anticipated to rule the roost by 2030. The outsourced segment, however, would grow at the fastest CAGR of 6.7% from 2021 to 2030. Based on end-user, the commercial segment held the major share in 2020, generating nearly half of the Taiwan facility management services market. The institutional segment, on the other hand, would manifest the fastest CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period. Schedule a FREE Consultation Call with Our Analysts/Industry Experts to Find Solution for Your Business @ https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/13444 Key Players: The key market players analyzed in the Taiwan facility management services market report include Diversey Holdings Ltd, AssetPlus Taiwan Limited, ISS A/S, Cushman & Wakefield Inc, G4S Limited, Jones Lang LaSalle IP, Inc, CBRE Group Inc, UEMS Solutions, Colliers, and Rentokil Initial Plc. These market players have incorporated several strategies including partnership, expansion, collaboration, joint ventures, and others to brace their stand in the industry. Avenue Library Subscription | Request for 14 days free trial of before buying: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/avenue/trial/starter Get more information: https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/library-access Similar Reports: Building Energy Management Solution Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2028 Building Panels Material Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021-2028 Smart Cooling Systems Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2014-2022 Home Automation Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2023 IT Infrastructure Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030 Hospitality Real Estate Sector Market - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030 About Allied Market Research: 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 us: FORT PIERCE, Fla., Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- National Safety Shelters, (NSS), an organization specializing in customizable safety shelters, is actively helping to protect schools and public officials from the rising trend of gun violence in the United States. In recent months, instances of gun violence targeting schools and public officials have increased. National Safety Shelters offers schools and public institutions a cost-effective and secure solution to keep students, school staff, public officials, and public official staff members safe. The January 6 riots at the U.S. capitol underscored the rising threat of gun violence, as it was broadcast nationally for millions of Americans to see live. The riot was an outlier due to the extensive media coverage, but it was not the only violence threatened against Congress. According to Business Insider's John Haltiwanger, threats against Congress have increased 107% in 2021 compared to 2020, and the number of threats is expected to increase as the year progresses. In 2020, the U.S. Secret Service reported that they had approximately 8,000 cases of threats being made against members of Congress, while the United States Capitol Police (USCP) states that they had approximately 9,000 cases. To address this, the USCP expressed their support for "increasing threat assessment manpower and restructuring the Department to establish a stand-alone counter-surveillance entity - both of which require resources and authorization." Yogananda Pittman, the acting chief of the USCP, formally requested the Defense Department to keep thousands of National Guard troops on Capitol Hill beyond their scheduled departure next week due to the increase in threats against lawmakers. Gun violence has long been a major issue for U.S. schools. In September 2021, two Florida middle-schoolers from Lee County were accused of planning a mass school shooting inspired by Columbine. The previous month, two south Florida high school students were accused of making online threats to "terrorize" their high school, according to police. To protect lives in schools and public institutions around the country, National Safety Shelters is providing cost-effective and safe solutions in the form of safe rooms, safety shelters, and safety pods. "Finding protective, cost-effective solutions that save lives can be challenging for schools and public institutions. Unfortunately, with the spike in gun violence in the U.S., it has become an urgent top priority," said Dennis Corrado, President of National Safety Shelters. "Our team at National Safety Shelters recognizes this challenge, and we work every day to provide solutions that help school leaders and public officials achieve the safety and security they deserve at a cost that is manageable for their budget." Fabricated using military-grade ballistic American steel, these safety shelters protect against rounds shot from commonly used firearms and semi-automatic weapons such as AK-47s and AR-15s. They also offer protection from the blast and shrapnel of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). They are the only safety measure currently available that provides instant access to near-absolute protection. National Safety Shelters also offers small pods that can be placed in personal offices and homes to protect from one to several individuals. Larger models can accommodate hundreds of occupants, depending on the need. Each pod can be custom configured to fit into just about any available space. In the case of the Capitol building, the pods would require just a fraction of the $1.9 billion spending bill that Congress is currently proposing for security upgrades. Please visit http://nationalsafetyshelters.com to learn more about how National Safety Shelters can protect your school or office. About National Safety Shelters National Safety Shelters provides state-of-the-art shelters for protection from active shooters to natural disasters. Contact Information Morgan McAbee morgan@newswire.com Related Images Image 1: National Safety Shelters Logo This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment Salt Lake CIty, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Known in the industry for its dominance in retail transactions, in the past year, Mountain West Commercial Real Estate has continued to expand and broaden its services with its latest extension in manufactured housing and RV investments. Mountain West Commercial (MWCRE) welcomes agent Matt Draeger who was formerly with Marcus and Millichap and brings over a decade of construction industry experience and three years of manufactured homes and RV investment experience to the team. Placing the unwarranted stigma aside with manufactured housing, mobile homes are a similar investment to luxury multifamily apartments. Both offer financially stable residents who are unlikely to be evicted for nonpayment of rents and can create a higher yield for investors. With low supply and high demand, minimal turnover, and few operating costs, manufactured housing makes a great investment in any portfolio. I saw manufactured housing as a diamond in the rough niche in investment real estate. It has many investment opportunities that arent being capitalized on by the industry at large. Its an overlooked segment of commercial real estate providing outsized value and returns to smart investors, said Draeger. MWCRE has expanded exponentially in the last year by opening two more offices and bringing on agents who are experts in all facets of commercial real estate including hospitality, office, and now manufactured housing. When I started working at MWCRE, their culture was immediately noticeable, in the best way. Collaboration is the focus which you dont always find in this industry. I was approached by MWCRE agents about working together in my first week in the office and that team environment is the reason why I chose to move forward, said Draeger. We are excited to bring Matt onto our team. Serving our clients continues to be our main focus and as a full-service commercial real estate brokerage, bringing on experts and expanding the high-quality services we offer, best supports our clients to succeed further in their business goals, said Managing Director Chad Moore of MWCRE. Attachment Toronto, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Argyle, one of North Americas largest and fastest-growing management-owned communications consultancies, has been named Agency of the Year in the Large Agency category by the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS). The award, judged by senior Canadian public relations leaders and presented at the CPRS National Conference, caps a memorable month for Argyle. The firm also earned five national CPRS Awards of Excellence, the highest Canadian public engagement award from the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2), and its third consecutive appearance on the Globe and Mails annual list of Canadas Top Growing Companies. Argyle senior vice-president Kim Blanchette was also honoured with the CPRSs highest honour for career achievement, the Philip A. Novikoff Memorial Award. For the Argyle team, the Canadian Agency of the Year award validates our path as a management-owned firm: choosing people and clients aligned with our vision and values, focusing on doing the best work in the world, and believing passionately that its possible to pursue both purpose and profit, said Argyle CEO Daniel Tisch in accepting the award. Im profoundly grateful to our clients, our leaders, our team and our industry peers who believe in communication as both a business imperative and a social good. Founded as a corporate communications boutique in 1979, Argyle was acquired by current management in 2003 and is now one of Canada's largest agencies, with more than 120 employees in seven cities across Canada and a U.S. office in Washington, DC. Argyle has thriving practices in corporate and public affairs, consumer brands, health, agri-business, public engagement, creative and social marketing, and digital strategy. Argyles purpose is to communicate truth and earn trust through relationships between organizations and their stakeholders leading to better decisions, more reputable businesses and institutions, and a healthier, more sustainable society. In addition to having one of the industrys most diverse teams, Argyle has taken a number of initiatives in equity, diversity and inclusion. Argyles CEO served as the founding chair of the Canadian Council of PR Firms' Diversity and Inclusion Task Force, which developed an Anti-Racism, Diversity and Inclusion pledge that attracted signatures from CEOs of 19 agencies in 2020. Argyle was also a founding donor to CPRS Foundations scholarships for Indigenous and Black public relations students, launched its own BiPOC public relations student scholarship at Humber College, supported a fund for Indigenous business students at Queens University, and provided an estimated $150,000 in pro-bono training and consulting to organizations working with racialized or vulnerable communities. The CPRS Agency of the Year award follows many international honours for Argyle in recent years. The firm was named Canadian Agency of the Year for 2020 by PRovoke Media, the leading global analyst covering the international public relations industry, and Global Mid-Sized Agency of the Year in 2017 and 2018 by the International Association of Business Communicators. About Argyle (www.argylepr.com) For more than 40 years, Argyle has been chosen by the world's biggest brands to help them communicate with confidence. Argyle has grown to become one of North America's largest and most acclaimed management-owned communications consultancies with specializations in corporate communication, consumer brand marketing, public engagement, reputation management, creative and digital strategies, social marketing and crisis and litigation communication. Argyle's clients span many sectors, including finance, technology, health, agri-food, education, travel, professional services, infrastructure, government, non-profits and many more. Attachment OTTAWA, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The federal governments recent legislative action to declare September 30th as an annual national day to raise awareness of the horrors and evil of the Residential School system is just one step, but a vital one on the pathway of justice and healing for First Nations and Indigenous People in Canada. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was one of 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission: an annual day across this land to face the truth of an abusive and genocidal history that took thousands of children away from their families many who were never to return victims of violence, neglect, or murder at the hands of Residential schoolmasters. But millions of workers in Canada will not be able to participate this year and honour the memory of those children, because in most jurisdictions outside the public sector, most private employers do not support treating Truth and Reconciliation Day as a statutory holiday. Canadas largest provinces, including Quebec and Ontario, have done the same; facing thousands of Indigenous workers and their community allies with the cruel choice of having their pay docked if they honour the call of Truth and Reconciliation Day. Too many employers are missing an opportunity to genuinely participate in Truth and Reconciliation Day and to respond to the real meaning and need for this day. But some employers have stepped up. Just one example is Desjardins where UFCW Canada union members in Quebec are employed and will be able to participate in Truth and Reconciliation Day without financial penalty, because the employer sincerely agreed it was the right thing to do. The exact opposite is true for tens of thousands of UFCW Canada members many who are Indigenous who work at Loblaw and Rexall-banner stores and whose union contracts cover declared holidays. Unfortunately, these employers have sideswiped the discussion by refusing to acknowledge their responsibility and the clear language of the agreement. The union is pursuing these employers legally for ignoring the collective agreement, but for now the truth and the opportunity to sincerely honour Truth and Reconciliation Day have been swept aside by the corporate head office. In union shops and not, and in all provinces, and in all sectors, The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation should be legislatively extended in all jurisdictions. All of us who live on this land have hard work ahead of us, in facing a dark past and building a future where the promise of true justice and equity is delivered. - 30 - Paul R. Meinema is the national president of UFCW Canada. UFCW Canadas commitment to building meaningful relationships with Indigenous peoples on the shop floors and beyond remains steadfast. You can find out more at www.ufcw.ca/reconciliation. UFCW Canada is the countrys leading private sector union, representing more than 250,000 union members across Canada working in food retail and processing, transportation, health care, logistics, warehousing, agriculture, hospitality, manufacturing, and the security and professional sectors. UFCW is the country's most innovative organization dedicated to building fairness in workplaces and communities. UFCW Canada members are your neighbours who work at your local grocery stores, hotels, airport food courts, taxi firms, car rental agencies, nursing homes, restaurants, food processing plants, and thousands of other locations across the country. To find out more about UFCW and its ground-breaking work, visit www.ufcw.ca . CONTACT: Michael Forman, Communications Director UFCW Canada | United Food and Commercial Workers Union Tel: 416-679-3408 michael.forman@ufcw.ca www.ufcw.ca CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) recently reviewed efficientC, a claims management and denial prevention technology platform. The review was done using HFMAs Peer Review process. After undergoing the rigorous review, efficientC has been awarded the Peer Reviewed by HFMA designation. The efficientC platform provides healthcare organizations of all sizes a claims management tool built to prevent denials. Claims that deny on first submission have a 60% chance that they will deny on re-submission, slowing down cash flow, increasing both accounts receivable and the chances of uncollectable write-offs. efficientC uses actionable business intelligence to learn from past denials and implement preventative measures that help efficientC customers get 95% of their claims paid in 20 days or less. We are extremely excited and proud to attain the Peer Review designation by HFMA, said Lori Zindl, President of efficientC. What makes it most rewarding is that its based largely on feedback and results from our customers. Achieving this designation from HFMA adds even more weight to the efficientC brand as a best-of-breed claims management solution. Thanks to our customers and HFMA for recognizing efficientC. HFMA's Peer Review process provides healthcare financial managers with an objective, third-party evaluation of business solutions used in the healthcare workplace. The rigorous, 11-step process includes a Peer Review panel review composed of current customers, prospects who have not made a purchase, and industry experts. The Peer Review status of the healthcare business solution and its performance claims are based on effectiveness, quality and usability, price, value, and customer and technical support. Were pleased to have efficientC achieve their HFMA Peer Reviewed designation, said HFMA President and CEO Joseph J. Fifer, FHFMA, CPA. The HFMA Peer Review process assures our members, through a rigorous evaluation, that the reviewed healthcare business solution meets an objective, third-party assessment of overall effectiveness, quality, and value." About HFMA The Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA) equips its more than 75,000 members nationwide to navigate a complex healthcare landscape. Finance professionals in the full range of work settings, including hospitals, health systems, physician practices and health plans, trust HFMA to provide the guidance and tools to help them lead their organizations, and the industry, forward. HFMA is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan organization that advances healthcare by collaborating with other key stakeholders to address industry challenges and providing guidance, education, practical tools and solutions, and thought leadership. We lead the financial management of healthcare. About efficientC efficientC is a comprehensive denial prevention and claims management technology platform. Built by revenue cycle experts for revenue cycle users, efficientC combines easy to use denial analytics, an industry best claim scrubber, and clearinghouse technology to deliver the most complete denial prevention tool available. efficientCs Insights (denial analytics), is a predictive analytics solution that leverages machine learning and actionable intelligence to keep denials at bay. The efficientC platform reduces write-offs and improves cash flow helping our customers get 95% of their claims paid in 20 days or less. Press inquiries should be directed to: Karen Thomas Healthcare Financial Management Association (708) 492-3377 kthomas@hfma.org Dave Glyzewski efficientC (262) 544-4442 dglyzewski@os-healthcare.com Chicago, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NCSBN and eight other leading nursing organizations* have issued a policy brief to provide guidance to boards of nursing and nursing education programs that are receiving requests from students for alternate clinical experiences when a programs clinical sites require the COVID-19 vaccine. NCSBN Chief Officer, Nursing Regulation, Maryann Alexander, PhD, RN, FAAN, comments, As nurse leaders we wanted to provide direction to nursing programs that are dealing with a small number of unvaccinated students. Clinical experiences are crucial to nursing education and simulation, while extremely valuable, cannot completely replace direct care experience. The policy brief highlights recommendations for nursing programs that include reaching out to vaccine-hesitant students and counseling them about the benefits of the vaccine and dispelling myths and misinformation students may have. If mandated by the academic institution, students can refuse the vaccine. If they are not entitled to a reasonable accommodation under the disability laws or for a sincerely held religious belief, then the student may be disenrolled from the institution/nursing program or may not be able to fulfill the clinical requirements of the program, resulting in them not graduating. We know that vaccination protects both the person vaccinated and those for whom they care. Our hope is that unvaccinated nursing students follow the science and get the COVID-19 vaccine, Alexander remarks. The entirety of the policy brief can be accessed on the ncsbn.org site. *Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) American Nurses Association (ANA) American Organization for Nursing Leadership (AONL) National League for Nursing (NLN) NLN Commission for Nursing Education Accreditation (CNEA) National Student Nurses' Association (NSNA) Organization for Associate Degree Nursing (OADN) About NCSBN Empowering and supporting nursing regulators across the world in their mandate to protect the public, NCSBN is an independent, not-for-profit organization. As a global leader in regulatory excellence, NCSBN champions regulatory solutions to borderless health care delivery, agile regulatory systems and nurses practicing to the full scope of their education, experience and expertise. A world leader in test development and administration, NCSBNs NCLEX Exams are internationally recognized as the preeminent nursing examinations. NCSBNs membership is comprised of the nursing regulatory bodies (NRBs) in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and four U.S. territories. There are three exam user members and 27 associate members that are either NRBs or empowered regulatory authorities from other countries or territories. The statements and opinions expressed are those of NCSBN and not individual members. ### Memphis, TN, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The National Civil Rights Museum brings New York Times bestselling author Dr. Keisha N. Blains, Until I Am Free: Fannie Lou Hamers Enduring Message to America to its Book and Author Series on Wednesday, October 6. Set to release on October 5, the book is a highly anticipated blend of biography and social commentary on the civil rights activists seminal moments. In Until I Am Free, Blain shines a light on Hamers life, ideas, and political strategies, situating her as a key political thinker of the Civil Rights Movement alongside Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, John Lewis, and Rosa Parks. Blain draws extensively on Hamers own words, bringing to life this working-poor, Black woman activist who refused to be sidelined, intimidated, or to settle for anything less than full justice. In rural Mississippi in 1962, at the age of 44 and with just a 6th-grade education, Fannie Lou Hamer had a political awakening and became a life-long activist. Having been the victim of forced sterilization the year before, she began fighting relentlessly for voting rights for Black Americans and against white supremacy, surviving brutal beatings by police and private citizens, as well being shot at in a near fatal attempt on her life. From Hamers later-in-life start in activism to the violence inflicted upon her by white supremacists to her rousing speech at the 1964 Democratic Convention, consistent was her boldness and radical honesty, and her insistence that social justice must come from the bottom upa position often at odds with the hierarchical leadership within the Civil Rights Movement of the day. Fannie Lou Hamer is an icon of the Civil Rights Movement, said Dr. Noelle Trent, the museums Director of Interpretation, Collections and Education. Dr. Blains work offers a stunning in-depth look at Hamers work and strategy, placing Hamer as a crucial strategic mind in the Mississippi Freedom Movement. We are honored to host the launch of this stellar work. Its been more than 40 years since Fannie Lou Hamers death in 1977, but her words still speak truth to power. Hamers life and tireless efforts show how we might continue the fight for the countrys still unrealized ideals and against its police violence, voter suppression, and economic inequality. When we do not discuss grassroots activists like Fannie Lou Hamer, we distort our history beyond recognition and make it that much harder for future generations to learn from the past, said Blain. When we only focus on a handful of well-known figures such as Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, and Malcolm X, we miss the many ways ordinary men and women fought to bring about change on the local levelwithin their communities and within their own spheres of influence. This is crucial for all Americans to know because it makes it extraordinarily clear that ordinary people, including those with limited formal education and few material resources, can in fact play a significant role in shaping American society. Dr. Keisha N. Blain is an award-winning historian of the 20th century United States with broad interests and specializations in African American History, the modern African Diaspora, and Womens and Gender Studies. She completed a PhD in History from Princeton University. She is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Pittsburgh and the president of the African American Intellectual History Society. She is also a columnist for MSNBC, covering race, gender, and politics in historical and contemporary perspectives. She is currently a 2020-2021 fellow at the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard University and a member of the School of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study. The October 6 book talk event is moderated by journalist, political strategist, and media commentator Donna Brazile. The event is hosted in partnership with the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, an independent, nonpartisan law and policy research organization. An autographed copy of Until I Am Free is available for purchase in the museums online store. The Book & Author Series virtual event is at 6:00pm Central and is free and open to those who register online. For more information, visit civilrightsmuseum.org. Attachment San Diego, CA, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Studio SWEAT (SS), the San Diego-based fitness studio, as well as its online service Studio SWEAT onDemand (SSoD), hosted their hit charity event, SWEAT Gives Back, on September 25 26, 2021. This year, the 24-hour Spin ride was titled The Hero Ride, with all proceeds going to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), an organization that provides comfort, care and resources to survivors of military loss. Since 21 survivors connect with TAPS every single day, their fundraising goal was set at $12,121, which would have been enough to provide many families with grief support, care and resources. However, this year, not only did they surpass their goal they more than doubled it raising an incredible $26,581 for the organization. In response to the news, Director of Impact Assessment and Research for TAPS, Dr. Chantel Dooley said, We are so appreciative and grateful of all of the ways that the Studio SWEAT family have honored the lives of America's fallen heroes." TAPS survivor Macarena Cardenaz, whos husband was killed while serving, leaving her with 3 small children added, "Because of the support provided by Studio SWEAT, the TAPS mission can continue, helping more families grieve, with the comfort that they can create new memories, one day at a time." The event was a hit with riders donating online, and sponsoring their family and friends, as they rode with SSoD trainers. Those who could not ride in person were invited to join the livestream on the SSoD website. After the event, Founder and CEO of Studio SWEAT and SSoD, Cat Kom said, Weve always been supportive of the men and women in our armed forces, and TAPS brings so much positivity to those who have lost so much. Brian LaRose, trainer and CFO of SSoD, also stated, We are so proud of our worldwide community who rallied together to give back to an organization with such an honorable mission. They proved once again that the power of the human spirit is alive and well." About Studio SWEAT Studio SWEAT is a fitness studio located in San Diego, CA. The studio has specialized group trainings and classes that combine fat-torching cardio with body sculpting exercises to improve strength and get FIT. Studio SWEAT offers World Famous Specialty Spin Classes, TRX Trainings and Bootcamps, where participants are given a boutique studio experience. They also offer Personal Training services with their top industry training team. For more information visit http://www.studiosweat.com/. About Studio SWEAT onDemand For those not in San Diego, Studio SWEAT onDemand, recently named the Best Fitness App for Variety, is a great way to get those fat-torching Spinning, TRX, HIIT, Yoga and other amazing full body workouts on any device. And, the best part is that youre working out with real people, not actors or fitness models. Whether youre in San Diego or Spain, our body-sculpting classes have new releases all the time, and can be done wherever and whenever. For more information visit https://www.studiosweatondemand.com/. About TAPS The Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), is a nonprofit Veterans Service Organization dedicated to providing comfort, care and resources to those grieving the loss of a loved one in the military. Through a national peer network, grief counseling resources, and a variety of local and international programs, the organization is able to provide hope and relief to surviving families around the world. To make a donation or learn more about TAPS mission, visit https://www.taps.org/ Attachment VICTORIA, British Columbia, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Americans pay considerably more for medications than citizens from other countries with similar median household incomes and federal healthcare provisioning systems. Prescription drugs cost residents living in the USA about 55% more than they do for people in other first-world countries with developed economies and similar levels of advanced healthcare. For Americans who wish to pay less when filling a prescription of theirs, it's completely possible thanks to online international pharmacies like Canada Drugs Direct. However, the root of the issue, high-costing pharmaceuticals, still needs to be looked at. Most Americans are provided with pricing on their Rx medication as determined by Medicare. It is the biggest U.S. buyer of pharmaceutical products, but U.S. law continues to prohibit Medicare from negotiating the price of medication directly with manufacturers. In other countries, prices are lower; this is in part because the wholesale purchasers of medications that provide them to pharmacies have more bargaining power. If Medicare had any means of negotiating lower drug prices for consumers, it would go a long way for lowering drug prices in the USA. As more of a comparison between Canada and the USA, the single biggest contributing factor to these large price discrepancies is the USA's free pricing system. To make a long story short, American drug producers are free to set prices on medication as they see fit and increase prices at their own discretion. In Canada, part of Health Canada's regulatory processes is to place restrictions on pharmaceutical manufacturers, which requires that they must price their products accordingly if they want to enjoy market access in the country. Another lesser factor is that in America DTC (Direct-to-Consumer) advertising is much more standard for Big Pharma companies. This pushes the price of medication higher, which is why patients are encouraged to create market demand for higher priced drugs, even when more affordable generics versions may be available. Any changes or improvements with the affordability of Rx medications in America will likely be slow to come around. Ordering medication online from Canada is currently a legitimate way for Americans to pay less for prescription drugs they need, as Canadian online pharmacies can fill U.S. prescriptions. About the Company Canada Drugs Direct is a Canadian online pharmacy that is among those recommended for Americans that want to save money on medication by shopping at a pharmacy in Canada. This online pharmacy can source medications in a way that allows for the best prices on prescription drugs from Canada. In the same way as any pharmacy in America, all orders require a prescription and are dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. Pay less for Rx medication when ordering online from Canada. Contact Canada Drugs Direct: https://www.canadadrugsdirect.com/ info@canadadrugsdirect.com Toll-Free: 1-888-904-8467 Related Images Image 1: Canada drugs This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. Attachment VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- K92 Mining Inc. (K92 or the Company) (TSX: KNT, OTCQX: KNTNF ) is pleased to announce it has mailed the Notice of Meeting and Management Information Circular to shareholders of record as of September 20, 2021 in connection with the Annual General and Special Meeting to be held virtually on Thursday, October 28, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. (Pacific Time). Due to the impacts of Covid-19 pandemic, governmental recommendations and/or orders for physical distancing, restrictions on group gatherings, non-essential travel and business activities, we request that shareholders do not attend the meeting in person. Health and safety is a paramount value at K92 and to mitigate any risks to stakeholder, employees, partners and community members the Company will hold this years meeting by conference call. Shareholders are encouraged to cast their votes in advance by proxy. Shareholders will be asked to vote on the following matters: elect the eight (8) incumbent directors of the Company for the ensuing year; re-appoint ProcewaterhouseCoopers LLP as independent auditor of the Company for the 2021 financial year and to authorize the directors to fix their remuneration; approve the adoption of the new Articles of Incorporation of the Company; and approve the adoption of the Share Compensation Plan of the Company. The Board of Directors of K92 recommends that shareholders vote FOR of all proposed items. The Company encourages shareholders to read the meeting materials, which have been filed on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) and are on the Companys website at https://k92mining.com/annual-general-meeting/ How to Vote An infographic on How to Vote accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f7b363e8-96d5-4eda-9858-344aac8b4e23 Shareholder Information and Questions K92 shareholders who have questions about the management information circular, or require assistance with voting their shares can contact the Companys proxy solicitation agent, Laurel Hill Advisory Group: Laurel Hill Advisory Group North America Toll Free: 1-877-452-7184 Outside North America: 1-416-304-0211 Email: assistance@laurelhill.com About K92 Mining K92 Mining Inc. is engaged in the production of gold, copper and silver from the Kora deposit at the Kainantu Gold Mine in the Eastern Highlands province of Papua New Guinea, as well as exploration and development of mineral deposits in the immediate vicinity of the mine. The Company declared commercial production from Kainantu in February 2018 and is in a strong financial position. The Company commenced an expansion of the mine based on an updated Preliminary Economic Assessment on the property which was published in January 2019 and updated in July 2020. K92 is operated by a team of mining company professionals with extensive international mine-building and operational experience. On Behalf of the Company, John Lewins Chief Executive Officer and Director For further information, please contact David Medilek, P.Eng., CFA at +1-604-687-7130. CAUTIONARY STATEMENT REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION: 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. All statements that address future plans, activities, events, or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur are forward-looking information, including statements regarding the realization of the preliminary economic analysis for the Kainantu Mine, expectations of future cash flows, the planned plant expansion, production results, cost of sales, sales of production, potential expansion of resources and the generation of further drilling results which may or may not occur. Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the market price of the Companys securities, metal prices, exchange rates, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes, failure of plant, equipment or processes to operate as anticipated, accidents, labour disputes, claims and limitations on insurance coverage and other risks of the mining industry, changes in national and local government regulation of mining operations in PNG, mitigation of the Covid-19 pandemic, continuation of the lifted state of emergency, and regulations and other matters. 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. 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. Chicago, Illinois, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Seven graduates of the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law have been added to the 40 Under Forty list for 2021 issued by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin and Chicago Lawyer. The honorees are Tiffany Carpenter, Sarah Frazer, Brianna Golan, Joseph Napoli II, Raymond Rushing, Daniel Saeedi and Evan Schanerberger. Tiffany Carpenter (07) is a trial lawyer and litigator at Howard & Howard. Her practice focuses on complex products liability, employment and commercial litigation matters for national clients across the manufacturing, construction, technology, merchandising, marketing, medical, real estate, intellectual property and retail industries. Carpenter has a unique ability that assists juries in understanding and empathizing with her clients. Sarah Frazer (15) is an associate at Hall Prangle and Schoonveld LLC. She concentrates her practice in the area of medical malpractice defense. After earning her undergraduate degree in nursing, Frazer spent nearly 11 years working as a nurse at a large academic medical center in Chicago. Her medical and legal backgrounds provide her with unique insight into the challenges facing her clients and how to defend allegations against them. Brianna Golan (09) is a partner at Golan Christie Taglia LLP. She services clients across industries and provides practical business advice to help them achieve their goals. Golan concentrates her practice in the areas of: general business issues; full spectrum of commercial litigation; employment issues; workers compensation defense; and property tax appeals. In addition, she has extensive experience in property tax assessment and bankruptcy and reorganizations. Joseph R. Napoli II (12) is a partner at Beermann LLP. He focuses his practice in all areas of family law, counseling clients on a spectrum of matters related to the dissolution of marriage and paternity proceedings. This includes the allocation of parental responsibilities, child support, maintenance, visitation, removal, division of property, domestic violence, contempt and enforcement proceedings, and prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. Raymond Rushing (15) is an associate at Riley Safer Holmes & Cancila LLP. He guides clients through all stages of product liability and complex litigation. Rushing represents clients before state and federal courts, and concentrates on medical device, consumer and industrial product defect, and mass tort claims. His experience includes coordinating national trial strategies for Fortune 500 companies, preparing and arguing motions, defending depositions and negotiating favorable settlements for clients. Daniel R. Saeedi (08) is a partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP. He focuses his practice on issues relating to employment law, privacy and information security. Saeedi represents clients nationwide in the realm of trade secret theft, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements, and breaches of fiduciary duties. He also provides counseling to businesses on how to employ best practices and policies to better position themselves to litigate unfair competition claims. Evan Schanerberger (15) is an international tax law specialist with the Internal Revenue Service. He has 8 years of local government and tax experience working for the City of Chicago, Cook County and the State of Illinois. Since 2000, 40 Under Forty has recognized more than 700 attorneys for their accomplishments and giving back to the community through civic or pro bono efforts. Nominees are recommended by their peers and chosen for the honor by the Chicago Daily Law Bulletin & Chicago Lawyer selection committee. WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, the Beer Institute announced United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) as one of its 2021 Beer Champions for his instrumental leadership in supporting federal policies that aid the success of U.S. brewers and beer importers. The Beer Institute recognized Cramer for his leadership in the Senate to provide tax relief for the hospitality sector through his bill, the Hospitality and Commerce Job Recovery Act of 2021, which he introduced with Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV). More than two million Americans owe their livelihood to a vibrant American beer industry, and that would not be possible without the leadership of our Beer Champions in Congress like Senator Cramer, who is a great advocate for beer and the hospitality industry, said Jim McGreevy, president and CEO of the Beer Institute. From farmers to truck drivers and brewers to bartenders the production, distribution and sale of beer create good-paying jobs in every corner of our nationemploying our neighbors, friends and family. While the beer industry has undergone significant hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are grateful to our friends in Congress who have ensured our industry can continue producing and serving Americas favorite alcohol beverage. We are thankful for Senator Cramers support and look forward to working with him for years to come. Because many tourism and travel industries were the first to be hurt by COVID-19 and could be the last to fully recover, we introduced bipartisan legislation to provide help to some of the hardest hit businesses, encourages employee retention, and incentivizes families to travel when it is safe to do so, said Senator Cramer. I am grateful for the support of the Beer Institute and all who helped our businesses and workers get through the pandemic. Senator Cramer sponsored the Hospitality and Commerce Job Recovery Act of 2021, bipartisan legislation to provide much-needed support to Americas hospitality industry, a massive sector of the economy employing tens of millions of Americans, which has been ravaged by the COVID-19 pandemic. This legislation will provide tax relief to small businesses nationwide that suffered massive losses because of the spoilage of food and beverage products. The beer industry lost an estimated $800-900 million in unmerchantable beer due to COVID-19 lockdowns. In North Dakota, the beer industry supports more than 7,200 jobs and provides nearly $1 billion annually in economic output. The beer industry supports millions of well-paying American jobs in a wide range of industries, including farming, manufacturing, construction, retail, the service industry and more. You can learn more about the beer industrys impact in each state at beerservesamerica.com. Other 2021 Beer Champions include: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) Senator Rob Portman (R-OH) Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX) Representative Andy Harris (R-MD) Representative Mike Kelly (R-PA) Representative Ron Kind (D-WI) Representative Darin LaHood (R-IL) Representative Richard Neal (D-MA) ### The Beer Institute is a national trade association for the American brewing industry, representing both large and small brewers, as well as importers and industry suppliers. First founded in 1862 as the U.S. Brewers Association, the Beer Institute is committed today to the development of sound public policy and to the values of civic duty and personal responsibility: www.BeerInstitute.org. Connect with us @BeerInstitute and on Facebook. Southfield, MI, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sun Communities, Inc. (NYSE:SUI) (the Company), a real estate investment trust (REIT) that owns and operates or has an interest in manufactured housing (MH) communities, recreational vehicle (RV) resorts and marinas, today announced that its operating partnership, Sun Communities Operating Limited Partnership (the Operating Partnership), has priced a public offering of $450 million of 2.300% senior notes due 2028 (the 2028 Notes) and $150 million of 2.700% senior notes due 2031 (the 2031 Notes and, together with the 2028 Notes, the Notes). The public offering price for the 2028 Notes was 99.830% of the principal amount for an effective yield to maturity of 2.326%, and the public offering price for the 2031 Notes was 100.342% of the principal amount plus accrued interest from June 28, 2021, for an effective yield to maturity of 2.659%. The 2031 Notes are additional notes of the same series as the $600.0 million aggregate principal amount of 2.700% Senior Notes due 2031 that the Operating Partnership issued on June 28, 2021. The 2031 Notes offered in the offering and such previously issued 2.700% Senior Notes due 2031 are identical (other than with respect to issue date and price) and will constitute a single series. The Notes will be senior unsecured obligations of the Operating Partnership, guaranteed fully and unconditionally by the Company. The offering is expected to close on or about October 5, 2021, subject to customary closing conditions. The Operating Partnership intends to use the net proceeds of the offering to repay borrowings outstanding under its senior credit facility, to fund possible future acquisitions of properties, and for working capital and general corporate purposes. Citigroup, J.P. Morgan, BofA Securities, BMO Capital Markets, Citizens Capital Markets and RBC Capital Markets are acting as the joint book-running managers for the offering. Fifth Third Securities, Huntington Capital Markets, Regions Securities LLC, Truist Securities, Inc., US Bancorp, Wells Fargo Securities, PNC Capital Markets LLC, Wedbush Securities and Ramirez & Co., Inc. are acting as co-managers for the offering. The Notes will be issued pursuant to an effective shelf registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus, copies of which may be obtained by contacting Citigroup Global Markets Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717 (Tel: 800-831-9146 or email to: prospectus@citi.com); or by contacting J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, 383 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10179, Attention: Investment Grade Syndicate Desk, or by telephone at 212-834-4533. A prospectus supplement related to the offering will also be available free of charge on the SECs website at http://www.sec.gov. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor will there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale is not permitted. About Sun Communities, Inc. Sun Communities, Inc. is a REIT that, as of June 30, 2021, owned, operated, or had an interest in a portfolio of 569 developed MH, RV and marina properties comprising over 153,300 developed sites and nearly 41,300 wet slips and dry storage spaces in 39 states and Ontario, Canada. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains various forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the Company intends that such forward-looking statements will be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as will, may, could, expect, anticipate, believes, intends, should, plans, estimates, approximate, guidance, and similar expressions in this press release that predict or indicate future events and trends and that do not report historical matters. These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and financial performance, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control. These risks, uncertainties, and other factors may cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related stay-at-home orders, quarantine policies and restrictions on travel, trade and business operations; national, regional and local economic climates; difficulties in the Company's ability to evaluate, finance, complete and integrate acquisitions, developments and expansions successfully; the ability to maintain rental rates and occupancy levels; competitive market forces; the performance of recent acquisitions; changes in market rates of interest; changes in foreign currency exchange rates; the ability of purchasers of manufactured homes and boats to obtain financing; and the level of repossessions by manufactured home and boat lenders. Further details of potential risks that may affect the Company are described in the Companys periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including in the Risk Factors section of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date hereof and the Company expressly disclaims any obligation to provide public updates, revisions or amendments to any forward-looking statements made herein to reflect changes in the Company's assumptions, expectations of future events, or trends. For Further Information at the Company: Karen J. Dearing Chief Financial Officer (248) 208-2500 BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VIDEO FROM TODAYS UA SYSTEM BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING IS NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD HERE. Dr. Heersink and Dr. Vickers will be made available for a Q&A with news media tomorrow via Zoom at 11 am. Details will follow in the morning. Read this story and more at https://www.uab.edu/news/ The UAB News Studio is available for live or taped interviews with UAB experts. In grateful recognition of a transformational $95 million lead gift from longtime University of Alabama at Birmingham supporter Marnix E. Heersink, M.D., the UAB School of Medicine will now be named the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine. The record gift is the single largest philanthropic commitment in university history and will name the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, as well as establish and name the Marnix E. Heersink Institute of Biomedical Innovation and the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health. The gift will provide support with both endowed and outright funds for key initiatives of the School of Medicine. Heersink, a renowned eye surgeon, innovator and entrepreneur, desires this gift to inspire and catalyze additional philanthropic contributions that support high-impact recruitments, programs and research in the School of Medicine. UAB will enhance this philanthropic support with a generous gift of $5 million from Triton Health Systems, bringing the total support for the school to $100 million. UAB Senior Vice President of Medicine and Dean of the School of Medicine Selwyn Vickers, M.D., FACS, says the Heersink gift and others it inspires will set the future course of the School of Medicine. On behalf of the School of Medicine and all the people we serve across Alabama, the nation and the world now and in the years to come I sincerely thank Dr. Heersink, Vickers said. This act of tremendous generosity reflects his heart for service and the scale of our shared ambition for the UAB School of Medicine to be a global leader in biomedical discovery and innovation, medical training, and patient care. It is a powerful affirmation of the unlimited potential of our school and reinforces what we have always known: that UAB truly is a world-class institution. In just five years, the UAB School of Medicine grew its National Institutes of Health research portfolio by $100 million, making it one of only eight schools in the country to do so. This growth catapulted the School of Medicines NIH ranking from No. 31 in 2014 to No. 21 among all schools and the top 10 for public medical schools. In addition, 12 departments ranked among the top 20. Vickers says the generous pledge was a strategic decision made by Heersink to invest in a school of medicine with a rapidly rising trajectory and growing opportunities for transformative impact in scientific discovery, training and clinical care. In addition, this gift will support the schools strategic growth and help recruit and retain the brightest scientists and physicians in priority areas like precision medicine and pharmacogenomics, pulmonology, oncology, neurology, health disparities, immunology, and others through endowed chairs and professorships subject to later approval of the proposed occupants by the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees. The pledge also intends to establish and name a new, first-of-its-kind biomedical institute and an associated endowed support fund the Marnix E. Heersink Institute of Biomedical Innovation and the Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation Endowed Support Fund as well as name the Marnix E. Heersink Institute for Biomedical Innovation Conference Center. The institute will focus on entrepreneurial health care innovation initiatives that foster and facilitate health care and socioeconomic transformation. The primary location of the institute will be at UAB, with a prominent physical presence in Dothan, Alabama, the Heersink familys hometown. Heersink says UABs history of notable achievements and aggressive pursuit of excellence motivated him to partner with the school to advance their shared priorities. He attributes his affinity for the school to a set of qualities it embodies that he calls the three Es: excellence, expansive and encompassing. I have seen that, in all it does, the school strives for excellence, works to expand its reach, and values collaboration and encompassing diverse backgrounds, voices and talents, Heersink said. This gift will build on the schools tremendous momentum and enhance its ability to innovate and deliver on the three Es (excellence, expansive, encompassing) in a very strategic way. I look forward to a continued partnership in supporting its life-changing work. Mary and I are so appreciative of the wonderful education UAB has given our family and now also look forward to UABs increased presence in our hometown of Dothan. Naming the School of Medicine has been a priority of Vickers and UAB President Ray L. Watts, M.D.; they stress that a gift of this significance endorses and builds on the schools worldwide reputation in a very powerful and public way. Having the Heersink name on the school is a powerful testament to its competitiveness among the very best academic medical centers in the world, which is indeed the result of our focus on the three Es: excellence, expansive and encompassing, Watts said. Dr. Heersinks transformative support is critical to building on our global prominence and impact, and his humility and commitment to making the world a better place are inspiring. We will work diligently every day to honor his confidence and trust. Heersink says UAB and the School of Medicine have been instrumental in the lives of his family. He and his wife, Mary Parks Heersink, have been married 43 years and have six children: ophthalmologists Mila, who is a UAB School of Medicine graduate, and Sebastian, an MIT and Georgetown Medical School graduate; Bayne, a dentist who graduated from the UAB School of Dentistry, including a two-year UAB prosthodontic fellowship; Damion, a licensed U.S. patent attorney now training to become an internal medicine physician at Ochsner Health System in New Orleans; and twins Christiaan and Marius both participated in the Early Medical School Acceptance Program (EMSAP) and obtained a combined M.D./MBA degree from UAB and are in ophthalmology and family medicine residencies, respectively. The Heersinks daughter-in-law Juanita Titrud Heersink, M.D., was Ms. UAB in 2003, graduated from the UAB School of Medicine and completed her internal medicine residency at UAB. The Heersinks are well-known philanthropists in Alabama and beyond, having made significant donations from their personal funds and through their family foundation. Previous gifts and pledges to UAB include those to renovate the atrium in the School of Medicines Volker Hall and to establish the Heersink Family Active Learning Resource Center in Volker Hall, the Heersink Family Endowed Glaucoma Fellowship and the Heersink Family Foundation Scholarship Endowment in Optometry, among others. The $95 million pledge also intends to establish and name the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health and associated Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health Endowed Support Fund, dedicated to developing and implementing educational and mentorship programs as well as experiential opportunities for global health trainees and scholars. The University of Alabama System Board of Trustees formally accepted the $95 million gift at its Sept. 28 special meeting and unanimously approved the naming of the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine, the Marnix E. Heersink Institute of Biomedical Innovation, the Mary Heersink Institute for Global Health and other entities outlined in the gift agreement. We are proud that UAB has played a significant role in the lives of the Heersink family and that they chose to help advance the School of Medicines transformative trajectory, said UA System Chancellor Finis St. John. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, the University of Alabama System and all those we serve, I thank the Heersinks for their record gift, which will further strengthen our systemwide commitment to excellence in teaching, research and service, and expand our positive impact in Alabama and beyond. Dr. Heersink is a cataract and laser refractive surgeon and co-owner and chairman of Eye Center South in Dothan, a practice he and John Fortin, M.D., opened in 1980 and now has 12 offices in Alabama, Florida and Georgia. Heersink and his family opened Health Center South, a 140,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art medical complex for doctors of all specialties in Dothan. Heersink is also an owner or agent of many other companies, including real estate holdings and manufacturing entities in the United States and abroad. He is a fellow and member of several professional organizations, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the International College of Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is certified by the American Board of Eye Surgeons. His professional memberships also include the Houston County Medical Society, the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, the American Intraocular Implant Society and the American Medical Association. He has a special interest and training in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of cataracts as well as laser vision correction. Heersink is also the founder of the Eye Education Foundation, which organizes yearly continuing education seminars in which doctors share their knowledge, experience and insight. The seminar, accredited in many states, is in its 33rd year. Mary Heersink serves on the UAB School of Medicine Board of Visitors. She is also a member of the Advisory Board of the Master of Global Health Program, a joint initiative among McMaster University in Canada, Maastricht University in the Netherlands, Manipal University in India and Thomassat University in Thailand. After her then 11-year-old son Damion nearly died from E. coli in the early 1990s, she wrote the book : E. coli 0157: The True Story of a Mothers Battle with a Killer Microbe, and became a key advocate for federal oversight and regulations. She cofounded and sits on the board of directors of STOP Foodborne Illness, a national food safety organization. She also serves or previously served on boards of directors for numerous nonprofit and civic organizations in the Dothan area, including Girls Clubs of Dothan, the Wiregrass Museum of Art, Houston Academy and Landmark Park. An event will be scheduled at UAB to formally recognize and celebrate the Heersinks and this transformational gift. The significance of this record gift to the School of Medicine, UAB and the University of Alabama System cannot be overstated, Watts said. We look forward to celebrating the Heersinks, their generosity, and the significant advancements in research, medical education and health care we will accomplish together. About UAB Known for its innovative and interdisciplinary approach to education at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, a part of the University of Alabama System, is an internationally renowned research university and academic medical center with over $600 million in research awards annually, as well as Alabamas largest employer, with some 23,000 employees, and has an annual economic impact exceeding $7 billion on the state. The pillars of UABs mission include education, research, innovation and economic development, community engagement, and patient care. Learn more at www.uab.edu. EDITORS NOTE: The University of Alabama at Birmingham is one of three doctoral research universities in the University of Alabama System. In your first reference to our institution, please use University of Alabama at Birmingham and UAB on subsequent references. Attachments CALGARY, Alberta, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSX - CJ) Cardinal Energy Ltd. is proud of our relationships with various First Nations living in and around our areas of operation in Western Canada, and particularly in our core area of Slave Lake. Through our operations, we have been exposed to the challenges faced by individuals living in these remote areas and strongly believe that Cardinal, as a partner in resource development, has a role to play. Therefore we have decided that the most meaningful way to acknowledge and promote reconciliation with First Nations on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was not to give our employees a day off, but rather to provide tangible support to the Indigenous community in an area where we operate, to lead with our actions. The Slave Lake Homeless Coalition has a goal to provide services for those experiencing homelessness, with the long term goal of implementing Housing First for Slave Lake and ending homelessness. The first step has been to set up a Temporary MAT program, with a goal of establishing a permanent facility. In recognition of Truth and Reconciliation Day, Cardinal is pledging $15,000 to help with the first year costs of this program in addition to our ongoing collaboration with the Slave Lake Homeless Coalition on a permanent solution. We have enlisted our counsel Burnet, Duckworth & Palmer LLP to assist the Homeless Coalition with a donation of legal services to both incorporate and obtain charitable status. We would encourage others to consider helping as well. About Cardinal Energy Ltd. Cardinal is a Canadian oil focused company with operations focused on low decline light, medium and heavy quality oil in Western Canada. One of Cardinal's goals is to continually improve our Environmental, Social and Governance profile and operate in a socially responsible and environmentally sensitive manner. As part of this mandate, Cardinal injects and conserves more carbon than it directly emits making us one of the few Canadian energy companies to have a negative carbon footprint. For further information on how to contribute to this Project please contact: Waukesha, WI (53187) Today Considerable cloudiness with occasional rain showers. High 71F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%.. Tonight A few clouds. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 56F. Winds light and variable. Max Verstappen impressed with his performance in Russia. Red Bull Racing hoped to limit the damage, but Christian Horner and his team did not expect the Dutchman to drive to P2. For Red Bull, the weekend was always about damage limitation. Mercedes were the favourites by far and Verstappen also had to deal with an outstanding grid penalty from Italy. He also had to add a grid penalty for a new engine, which meant he had to start from the back of the grid. The right moment for Verstappen ''We deliberately accepted the penalty in Sotchi. It was a very important result for Max and a great Grand Prix. With his experience and talent, he made the most of the race. You couldn't ask for more. At Spa-Francorchamps, we were already wondering whether we should change the engine. Luckily we didn't because of the rain on Sunday. Max drives better than ever and is now ready for the title,'' Horner told ServusTV. ''We still have seven races and we need a lot of points from both drivers to be able to catch up. Max has the ability to deal with the pressure, we saw that at Zandvoort. For example, it was also extremely impressive in Austria. Max is not distracted by anything, psychological games leave him cold. The team is motivated to the tip of the hair. This duel is great fun for everyone. In the factory you can feel this electrifying tension, it's contagious,'' concludes the Red Bull team boss. Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies GmbH has developed a technology that binds hydrogen gas with a carrier oil. (Earlier post.)This achievement led to the company being nominated for a 2021 German Entrepreneurial Award (Deutscher Grunderpreis). Hydrogenious LOHC technology bonds hydrogen molecules to the organic carrier (dibenzyltoluene) via an exothermic catalytic process. The uptake is 57 kg of H 2 per cubic meter LOHC. The LOHC remains in a liquid state across a broad temperature range and ambient pressure. It is thus transportable using conventional fuel infrastructure. Dehydrogenationthe release of the H 2 from the carrieris an endothermic process with about 11 kWh th /kg H 2 required at 300 C. Porsche Consulting will be supporting Hydrogeniouss efforts to further scale up its activities. One challenge for the adoption of green hydrogen as an element of a clean energy strategy is how to make sufficient quantities of green hydrogen available in economically viable ways. A key role is therefore played by imports from regions such as Spain, the Middle East, Africa, and Australia. However, storage and transport of this volatile gas have thus far proved difficult. The Hydrogenious LOHC Technologies company, based in the northern Bavarian city of Erlangen, offers a solution: a process it has developed by which green hydrogen is bound to an organic carrieran oil. The gas thus can be stored and transported under ambient conditions. It is then released and the oil is reused for the next load. The high storage density of the LOHC process enables it to handle five times as much hydrogen as compression processes. Plans for a hydrogen release plant: 1.5 tons of hydrogen can be made available every dayat industrial sites or fueling stations. The system should be ready in 2024. Credit: Hydrogenious Dr. Andreas Lehmann, the companys head of strategy, notes that the company can use all the infrastructure instruments that already exist for conventional fuels like diesel, including oil tankers, pumps, and tanker trucks. Moreover, the oil is exceedingly stable and secure because it can be handled and stored under normal conditions. It is not explosive or volatile, and emits no toxic corrosive vapors such as ammonia. The process is currently being tested at multiple demonstration facilities. The largest is planned for CHEMPARK in the town of Dormagen, with an anticipated storage capacity of five tons a day. In July of this year the company, which now holds 45 patents and employs 125 people, entered a joint venture with the Scandinavian shipping enterprise Johannes stensj dy AS. The Hydrogenious LOHC Maritime AS joint subsidiary is expected to develop and market an innovative emission-free LOHC-based application for the shipping sector. The first freighter equipped with the novel technology developed in Erlangen could set off as early as 2024. Hydrogenious is testing this small hydrogen release plant at its headquarters. It fits in a container and will be used in a pilot project at an Erlangen gas station. Credit: Hydrogenious GREENWICH Private investors including residents have been given the go-ahead to help Greenwich build more affordable housing. On Monday night, the Representative Town Meeting approved the creation of a housing trust fund that will allow private money to be raised and given to developers to either build more units of affordable housing in town or renovate existing units. The hope is access to trust fund money would work as a financial incentive to get developers to include affordable housing in their plans with town input. Creation of the fund had already gotten the approval of the Board of Selectmen and the Planning and Zoning Commission; the RTMs motion to approve passed 176 to 22 with five abstentions. The Affordable Housing Trust Fund is a demonstration of Greenwichs history of thoughtful and positive responses to the needs of its residents, Planning and Zoning Commission Chair Margarita Alban said. The trust also illustrates the ongoing value of local solutions to local challenges. The plan is to have the fund in place by July 1. But before that, the RTM will need to approve a declaration of trust and create a seven-member board to oversee the funds. And there needs to be money in the account. Then, the trust fund allocations must match the Greenwich affordable housing plan, which also must specifically outline priorities for the trusts project funding, Alban said. Debate about the fund centered around the number of trust fund board members initially 11 were recommended who would review allocations and how oversight would work We felt that a smaller board, comprised of members with very specific and targeted skill sets would be the most effective way to evaluate and review applications, said RTM Moderator Pro Tempore Alexis Voulgaris, who chaired the special committee. The RTM will have the power to review allocations from the trust fund that are $500,000 or greater but any vote rejecting the allocation of private money would have to be by a two-thirds majority. The chair of the board of trustees must present an annual report to the RTM to summarize the trusts work. Connecticuts lack of affordable housing has been under scrutiny recently with several bills considered during the last legislative session to force suburban communities to include more of it in building projects. The bills have spurred concerns in Greenwich, as well as other municipalities, over what is perceived as a loss of local control and the imposition of mandates from Hartford. Greenwich has to have at least 10 percent of its housing classified as affordable, a threshold the town has not met. Developers have proposed some large-scale projects in town with some units designated as affordable to take advantage of current law that allows certain developments to overrule local zoning regulations if they include affordable units. Critics have said such projects would destroy the towns character. Huge units and increased traffic and population congestion would become the norm, District 1 member Frederic Lee Jr. said. Everything that we love and appreciate about Greenwich would be a thing of the past. Having the affordable trust fund and working with the Greenwich Housing Authority would alleviate this by increasing our affordable housing stock, prevent overdevelopment and overpopulation and maintain home rule where Greenwich would be able to decide what works for Greenwich. This is really an elegant and efficient way to develop some housing and put us closer in compliance to (the 10 percent threshold), said RTM member Brooks Harris, a member of the RTMs Finance Committee and the special committee. But its really only the first step. This will have to be augmented by other things. Among his suggestions: floating municipal bonds, tax abatement and tax incremental financing. Lee said having the trust fund would also allow for housing to be built for Greenwichs employees who currently cannot afford to live in town. State Sen. Ryan Fazio, R-36, who also serves in District 12 on the RTM, said the trust fund is the best alternative we have in front of us for asserting local control. kborsuk@greenwichtime.com PARIS (AP) Treatment for psychological problems will be funded by France's government starting next year, the president announced Tuesday, amid growing awareness and concern about mental health. State health care systems in Britain, Germany and some other countries already fund therapy sessions. French health professionals say a national effort to improve access is long overdue, especially as the coronavirus pandemic has caused and aggravated psychological distress. Acknowledging both the psychological impact of government virus restrictions and past government failures to make mental health a priority, French President Emmanuel Macron announced several measures during a conference with professionals who work in the sector. As the coronavirus raced across France, we didn't want to see the importance of mental health, and we got hit in the face with the fact that health is all-encompassing, Macron said. The consequences of the pandemic are just as tangible in mental health as in physical health. He described a spike in the number of children seeking psychological treatment and in attempted suicides, notably among teenagers. About 20% of French people suffer from depression, he said. The French government announced free therapy sessions for children and young people earlier this year, and on Tuesday pledged to extend that to everyone who has a doctor's prescription. Psychiatric treatment is already largely reimbursed by the state. A French government survey earlier this month found that 10% of respondents had suicidal thoughts over the course of the year, double the figure found in pre-pandemic surveys. In many countries, mental health professionals say that isolation during the epidemic has amplified distress, and that lockdowns and curfews have also destabilized people. They describe a sharp increase in people seeking help with anxiety, depression, addiction and other conditions. Health surveys in France last year pointed to a surge of depression most acute among people without work, those in financial hardship and young adults. The diversion of resources from mental health to battling COVID-19 also has affected patient care. Keeping children out of school impacted mental health, too, Macron said, as has France's mask requirement for all schoolchildren. It will be lifted next week for the first time in more than a year. The government promised to create jobs in state mental health centers around the country to ensure that people in rural regions, who sometimes have to wait months for an appointment, have better access to care. Psychologists' unions, which had long demanded more government support, expressed hope that the government would follow through on Tuesday's promises. Mental health is a major issue that is insufficiently addressed in our country, Macron said. The means provided for this issue over the years were not up to the task. GREENWICH New positive cases of COVID-19 in Greenwich schools dropped by half from 10 to five over the weekend, according to the school districts online tracker. The five new cases bring the total of positive tests to 58 since school started, with 44 cases classified as resolved. Currently, 10 students, a teacher and three service providers remain on the active case list, with cases spread across eight schools. A total of three cases are at the middle and high schools; the rest 12 are at the elementary schools, with the most cases at North Mianus, with four; Hamilton Avenue with three; New Lebanon and Old Greenwich with two each and one at Julian Curtiss. The school total is higher by one than the district total, according to schools spokesman Jonathan Supranowitz, because a service provider working in two different locations tested positive and staff working at multiple schools are counted towards each locations total. Of the current 14 active cases, eight are listed as being contracted from outside activities or family, six were considered undetermined and none were confirmed as having been contracted in school. Nine families have reported more than one case for a total of 22 individuals in those families affected. 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 governor has asked that his emergency powers and the mandates now in place be extended until Feb. 15, which must be approved by the state legislature. The Greenwich Board of Education also voted to approve a mask mandate through at least Sept. 30 and require social distancing in school buildings. As of Sept. 23, Connecticuts school submission summary of COVID-19 reported 855 cases of COVID-19 in public and private schools statewide during the week of Sept. 16 through 22. That was slightly lower than the week before, when 899 cases in public and private schools were registered. The state updates its schools COVID-19 data on Thursdays. While 728 students in grades K-12 have tested positive for COVID-19 since the start of the school year, 89 percent of the cases have been found in students who are not vaccinated many of whom are still ineligible. The state has also reported 127 cases among staff, about 33 percent of whom were not vaccinated. The Greenwich Public Schools will continue to update the online COVID-19 on Tuesdays and Fridays, according to Supranowitz. 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. Amazfit launched the GTR 2 and GTS 2 smartwatches last September, and today the company announced it will unveil their successors next month. The GTR 3 and GTS 3 will be introduced in China on October 12. Amazfit hasn't divulged anything about these wearables yet, but machine translation of the company's post in Chinese on Weibo suggests it worked on "common health" and "ecological construction." The second bit could mean Amazfit used environment-friendly materials to manufacture the GTR 3 and GTS 3, or the smartwatches will come with less packaging, or the translation is incorrect. We'll hopefully find out as we inch closer to their launch. Last year's GTR 2 and GTS 2 were largely identical in terms of internals but had different designs. It remains to be seen if Amazfit adopted a similar approach for the GTR 3 and GTS 3. And while we await more information about the new GT series smartwatches from Amazfit, you can read our GTR 2 review here and GTS 2 review here. Source (in Chinese) | Via Huawei is far from its glory days of being a leader in the smartphone world, due to inability to source components but the company hasn't lost its R&D capabilities. The P50 series from earlier this year were delayed by four months and while a similar postponement might affect the Mate 50 lineup we now hear that it's still coming. Notable Chinese tipster Digital Chat Station claims the new phone will arrive in Q1 2022 with an LTE-only version of Qualcomm's next top chipset - the Snapdragon 898. This rumor either contradicts previous reports of October launch for the Mate 50 or it points to very long gap between introduction and market availability. The tipster actually claimed the new phone is going to have the SM8425 SoC, which is the model code for the next flagship chip by Qualcomm; the actual name Snapdragon 898 is not yet confirmed. Source (in Chinese) | Via Samsung is almost ready to officially launch the Galaxy F42 in India. We already know that the launch is scheduled to happen on September 29, so in less than 48 hours from now. The phone's design and key specs were revealed last week through a bunch of teasers (as is quickly becoming the norm), and today a new rumor comes to tell us all we need to know about the price. According to some unnamed offline retailers, the Galaxy F42 with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage will go for INR 20,999, while the version with 8GB of RAM (that keeps the same storage amount) will retail for INR 22,999. That said, note that online prices may end up being slightly lower than these. You'll be able to pick up the F42 from Flipkart and Samsung.com. The handset is expected to rock a 90 Hz FHD+ display, a 64 MP main rear camera, a 5 MP ultrawide, a 2 MP depth sensor, an 8 MP selfie cam, and a 5,000 mAh battery, along with support for 12 5G bands. At the helm will be the MediaTek Dimensity 700 SoC, while the software on offer is Android 11 with One UI on top. Source There's no denying that TikTok has managed to gather the attention of many smartphone users worldwide. Despite some political roadblocks in some countries including the US and India, TikTok announced that it now has 1 billion active monthly users around the world. @tiktok 1 billion people on TikTok! Thank you to our global community original sound - TikTok TikTok, being a Chinese company, was heavily scrutinized by the US Government for its data-collecting practices and accusations of spying on American citizens. It also faced a US ban during the Trump administration unless it struck a deal with an American company. Reports surfaced months later that talks of a deal all fell through after Biden took office. Instagram reached this same milestone back in the summer of 2018 and has been scrambling to maintain it's position as a popular social app. With the rise of TikTok and its short-video formats, both Instagram and YouTube tried to incorporate their TikTok lookalikes with Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts. Back in July, Head of Instagram Adam Mosseri acknowledged that TikTok was becoming a huge competitor and that the app's focus needed to change from its original premise of being a photo-sharing app to four major focuses: creators, video, shopping, and messaging. Yesterday Xiaomi introduced its new Civi line with the aptly named Xiaomi Civi midranger. It carries an enticing feature set like a 6.55-inch 120Hz OLED, 32MP selfie cam with an autofocus lens and Qualcomms Snapdragon 778G. Unfortunately the aftermath of the event brought some bad news to those looking to get the phone outside of the company's homeland. Xiaomi confirmed to Android Authroity the device will remain exclusive to Mainland China. Xiaomi Civi colorways With no plans to bring the Civi to global markets even if you did manage to import one you will likely have great trouble running stuff like Google services on it if it is at all possible. And the shipping fees and import taxes would render such an endeavor pointless on a mid-range phone. On the upside, Xiaomi has a history of bringing devices to global markets with different names so there is still an outside chance we might see a rebranded Xiaomi Civi down the line. Souce If you are by any chance out of the loop, Xiaomi is currently under fire in Lithuania as the country's Deputy Defence Minister criticized the company for imposing censorship to its smartphones. The Chinese tech giant denied allegations and has now hired a third-party firm that's going to investigate the Lithuanian's government claims. It didn't say which company it hired, though, but it confirmed it's based in Europe. According to Lithuania's Defence Ministry, Xiaomi is blocking certain search terms such as "free Tibet", "long live Taiwan independence" and "democracy movement". The minister urged to "throw away" all Chinese phones as soon as possible. Xiaomi said that these filters are turned off for the European Union region. Then again, the Lithuania government claims the censorship filter could be re-enabled remotely at any time. The Chinese firm argues that these filters are an industry standard and are usually used to protect users from pornographic content and content that is found offensive to local users. Source Haiti - Covid-19 : Haiti could take more than 5 years to recover the level of per capita income of 2019 The Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Group, made up of 46 economies, will take an average of three years to return to pre-pandemic economic levels , after experiencing the worst growth figures in three decades, analyzes a report published in September 2021, prepared by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Some of these countries the report points out, including Angola, Haiti Somalia, Zimbabwe and Sudan, could take more than 5 years to recover their per capita income. populations before the pandemic in 2019 ($ 1,245 / year for Haiti), This classification of economies, created by the United Nations fifty years ago, uses criteria such as an annual income per capita of about one thousand dollars per person, and is used for the granting of humanitarian aid, preferential access to market or technical assistance. In 50 years, only 6 countries have left the list of LDCs (Botswana in 1994, and after the year 2000: Cape Verde, the Maldives, the Samoa Islands (Oceania), Equatorial Guinea and in 2020 the Vanuatu archipelago. (South Pacific). The economy of the LDCs, where around 1 billion people live), accounts for less than 1/100 of world trade (0.13% over the past 10 years). UNCTAD estimates that these economies must increase their investments by 9% per year to eradicate extreme poverty, and much more to achieve double the weight of their industry in the economy and stop depending on raw materials for their growth. Regarding the pandemic, the United Nations body highlighted the delay in LDCs where only 2% of their population is vaccinated against Covid-19 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-34850-haiti-diaspora-covid-19-daily-bulletin-556.html, while in middle- and high-income economies the average is over 40%. Download the report (PDF) : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/ldc2021_en.pdf HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - Diplomacy : Chancellor Joseph met with US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greinfield On the sidelines of the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Chancellor Claude Joseph has very fruitful discussions with the Permanent Representative of the United States to the United Nations, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greinfield, on the situation in Haiti. "We agreed on the need for sustained support from the international community for the efforts of the Prime Minister, Ariel Henry in order to find a consensus on the improvement of political governance, social appeasement, the resolution of the thorny problem of insecurity and the creation of conditions conducive to the organization of free, inclusive and democratic elections guaranteeing the return to constitutional order and the normal functioning of republican institutions, indicated Claude Joseph. See also : https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-34853-icihaiti-un-important-meeting-of-the-haitian-chancellor-with-members-of-the-security-council.html HL/ HaitiLibre Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up Email Password Password Username Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password. Stay logged in Help Published on 2021/09/27 | Source New poster added for the upcoming Korean movie "The Asian Angel" (2021) Advertisement Directed by Yuya Ishii With Sosuke Ikematsu, Choi Hee-seo, Joe Odagiri, Kim Min-jae, Kim Ye-eun,... Synopsis Tsuyoshi (Sosuke Ikematsu), who recklessly flew to Korea with his son believing in the words of his brother Toru (Joe Odagiri), who said he was doing well as a business in Seoul, is on the verge of throwing himself on the unfamiliar streets of Seoul because his brother was scammed by his partner. Then Toru seduces Tsuyoshi, who was frustrated by saying that he had a brilliant business item, and heads to Gangneung, and meets three siblings Sol (Choi Hee-seo), Bom (Kim Ye-eun), and Jung-woo (Kim Min-jae) who are filled with stories on the train to accompanies him. A fate that happened in a life full of bad luck! When we're desperate for miracles, we meet! Release date in Korea : 2021/10/28 Mutual attacks with machine guns took place between Damascus government forces and Turkish mercenaries, on the clash axes in Jabal al-Zawiya in the southern countryside of Idlib, and in al-Ghab Plain in the northwestern Hama countryside, after midnight on Monday, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. On the other hand, the mercenaries of "Al-Fateh Al-Mubeen" carried out missile attacks on the positions of the Damascus government forces and its loyal groups, in the town of Urm Al-Kubra in the western countryside of Aleppo. Yesterday, the observatory indicated that several people, including a child, were injured in a missile shelling carried out by Damascus government forces on the villages of Majdalaya and San in the southern countryside of Idlib, coinciding with the missile shelling targeting the village of Kafr Noran in the western countryside of Aleppo, which resulted in the injury of 5 people. This comes in light of the escalation in the so-called "De-escalation" Zone. T/S ANHA Ask Matt ... what's opened in Kellogg Center Cecily Timmons and Lindsay Jalonen are cofounders of Wild Oak Independent School. [MATT MATTESON/Hendersonville Lightning] Q. What is going into the Kellogg Center on Broyles Road and will the walking trails still be available to the public? The new tenant is Wild Oak Independent School. It will replace the YMCA of Western North Carolina as the occupant of the Kellogg Center located at 1181 Broyles Road. The YMCA had leased the site for classes for several years and wrapped-up their summer day camp program in August. Wild Oaks co-founders, Cecily Timmons and Lindsay Jalonen, have designed three separate schools on the site. The Seedling School is a preschool and kindergarten for kids starting at age three. Wild Oak School will serve children in 1st through 6th grades in the inaugural year and will eventually expand through 8th grade. Also, an Afternoon Academy which is billed as an enrichment program will be offered on-site. Classes at Wild Oak will differ in cost. For example, the tuition for a fifth or sixth grade child is $8,750 per year. The 46-acre tract was once the summer residence of Kathryn A. Kellogg, who first donated the property to Wake Forest University in 1969. After the property was passed on to UNC-Asheville in 1987, a 50-seat conference center was built on the site and used frequently by nonprofit groups. In recent years a building was added to become the temporary home for the Center of Craft Creativity and Design. A grant from the Perry N. Rudnick Foundation helped build a walking trails on the property in 2002. Timmons said the school has appealed to parents whose children will benefit from smaller class size and personalized instruction. Having 46 acres of woods and meadows as a learning environment, is also a plus. You will hear a lot of grab your raincoats, kids, were going outside from the teachers, said Timmons, who added that child safety is also a priority. We heard from parents who were uncomfortable with other schools during Covid and they liked our model. UNC-Asheville has given the school a two-year lease charging $30,000 a year with an option to extend. Maintenance of the grounds and trail system will be a joint effort and Timmons said the walking trails will remain open to the public. Dogs are permitted if kept on a leash. Affixed to the wall in the entrance area of the main Kellogg building is a bronze plaque that honors Sam Neill, who was instrumental in creating the Center. Neill served on the UNC Board of Governors with his term ending in 1997 before his fall from grace. He was convicted and served six years in prison for income tax evasion and embezzling from clients trust accounts. A second building known as the craft center building will be home to the older students. Because the Kellogg Center is owned by the state, UNC-Asheville pays no property taxes. * * * Send questions to askmattm@gmail.com. CAWTHWATCH: Cawthorn takes anti-mask road show across the state U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn speaks to the School Board to oppose a mask mandate. U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn tonight is expanding his tour of school boards to oppose masks, quarantine and critical race theory, traveling to the Piedmont to appear at the Johnston County School Board meeting. More on the trip across the state in a minute. When Cawthorn appeared on Monday evening at a meeting of the Henderson County School Board he said what everyone who follows politics even superficially would expect. He's against mask mandates, quarantines and critical race theory and blames the prevalence of those evils on the state's Democratic governor. "Tyrants thrive when freedom is sacrificed on the altar of safety," he said. "I believe that King George III would be immensely proud of Gov. Roy Cooper. He's running the state with an iron fist, liberty be dammed. He has ripped away your power and your will." Not satisfied with that declaration, Cawthorn took off into a flight of fancy. "This School Board did the right thing by voting to stop Roy Cooper's mask mandate," he said. "But our tyrant governor decided he was going to trample on this board's decision, flex his political muscle and run roughshod over the will of our local government all of you sitting here." No trample. The School Board "all of [them] sitting here" voted on Aug. 2 to make masks optional then voted a week later to reverse the decision. Under current state law, all School Boards have the authority to make masks optional or require them. And it was the School Board, not Cooper, that reversed course in the face of rising cases of the more transmissible delta variant on the mask mandate. He made virtually no news for his comments even the false one about Gov. Cooper but plenty of news for apparently packing a knife. Jay Carey, a Democrat who wants to replace Cawthorn busted him for carrying the hunting knife into the meeting, a violation of state law. A combat veteran, Carey made a photo of the sheathed weapon and sent it out in a tweet. "Im 100% certain it was a knife," Carey told the Citizen Times. "I was 20 years in the military. Attention to detail is my bread and butter and what kept me alive." This is just another example of a long list of behavior that makes Madison Cawthorn unfit for office," Carey said in a news release. "There were children at this meeting, and any one of them could have accessed Cawthorns weapon without his knowledge. This was a blatant violation of the law, and when I informed local law enforcement that the Congressman was armed, I was shrugged off. " (The Henderson County Sheriff's Office issued a statement Thursday saying it won't charge Cawthorn, citing law enforcement discretion to consider the totality of the circumstances.") Cawthorn's anti-mask, anti-quarantine tour continues today, as we mentioned above, when he travels to Smithfield. Chris Cooper, the politics professor at Western Carolina University and frequent expert commentator on WLOS-TV, has an interesting analysis of the congressman's trip on ncspin.com. Cooper reports on Cawthorn's was scheduled to join a "PARENTS' CHOICE" rally along with Robby Starbuck, a congressional candidate from Tennessee "who once produced the official video for the Spongebob Movie," before imploring the Johnston County School Board to reverse its mask mandate. "To get from Smithfield to Cawthorn's home in Henderson County, head west and in about four and a half hours (assuming you dont need to stop for gas or a bite to eat), youd finally enter the friendly confines of Hendersonville, NC. Along the way, youll pass through 6 other congressional districts," Cooper writes. "So, why would a member of Congress drive hundreds of miles out of his district to join a political novice from Tennessee and a few hundred other protestors to weigh in on a school board decision that doesnt fall under even the most generous view of congressional power?" Cooper devotes the next four paragraphs to answering the question, making a strong case that local School Board politics is secondary to the freshman congressman's larger aspirations, which the professor asserts might logically include a run for the U.S. Senate in 2026. Here's Cooper's kicker: "In the end, Madison Cawthorns visit to a school board meeting hours away from his home will not further his legislative goals or move the policy needle for constituents in his district, but it will further his brand as a national political figure who is, in his own words, 'probably the furthest, most conservative person in Congress.' And that, is precisely the point." WNC fundraisers to celebrate Philanthropy Day The Association of Fundraising Professionals Western North Carolina Chapter is celebrating National Philanthropy Day in a virtual event at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 17, that will honor Horizon Heating & Air of Hendersonville and others. National Philanthropy Day is a special day to recognize and pay tribute to the great contributions that philanthropy and those active in the philanthropic community make to our lives, communities and world. More than 130 AFP chapters across the country, including the Western North Carolina chapter, will celebrate the importance of philanthropy and recognize those who are doing extraordinary work in our communities. The 2021 recipients of WNC National Philanthropy Awards are: Outstanding Philanthropists Tricia Wilson Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser W. Stell Huie Outstanding Businesses in Philanthropy Prestige Subaru and Horizon Heat & Air Outstanding Fundraising Executive Eleanor Ashton Summit Award Dr. Joseph Fox For more information about AFP and National Philanthropy Day and to reserve a seat at the free virtual event, visit afpwnc.org/programs/npd or email chapteradmin@afpwnc.org. Biden nominates U.S. attornery for WNC U.S. Sens. Thom Tillis and Richard Burr are applauding the White House for nominating Dena King to be the U.S. Attorney for Western District, Sandra Hairston to be the U.S. Attorney for Middle District and Michael Easley, Jr. to be the U.S. Attorney for Eastern District. All three nominees were recommended by Senators Tillis and Burr. I worked with Senator Burr to identify, interview, and recommend a list of nominees for the U.S. Attorney vacancies that included Dena King, Sandra Hairston, and Michael Easley Jr," Tillis said in a news release. "All three are impressive and qualified individuals who will serve North Carolina well, and I want to thank the White House for working with us and making these nominations. As a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, I look forward to supporting them and getting them confirmed by the Senate. Burr said: Im pleased to see the White House take our recommendations and nominate Dena King, Sandra Hairston, and Michael Easley, Jr. to fill the current U.S. Attorney vacancies in North Carolina. These three nominees have a range of experience and expertise qualifying them to serve well in their roles. I applaud their willingness to continue serving the people of North Carolina, and I look forward to supporting these nominees in the Senate. King currently serves as the assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. She previously served as special assistant U.S. attorney and assistant U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of North Carolina and is a graduate of N.C. State and N.C. Central University School of Law. Hairston has been the acting U.S. attorney for the Middle District since March 1. She previously served as first assistant U.S. attorney for the Middle District and is a graduate of UNC-Charlotte and N.C. Central School of Law. Easley, whose father served as governor from 2001 to 2009, is currently a litigation partner at McGuire Woods and is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill and UNC School of Law. Groundbreaking 28 September 2021 Oxford Capital Group and Hunter Pasteur will break ground this week on The Godfrey Hotel Detroit in historic Corktown, bringing a 227-room, lifestyle brand hotel with first-class amenities, as well as hundreds of jobs, with many going to Detroit residents. The property, at 1401 Michigan Ave. between Trumbull and Eighth Street, is scheduled to open in 2023. Oxford's wholly owned management affiliate, Oxford Hotels & Resorts, LLC, will manage the property. The 227-room, seven-story hotel will feature I|O, Detroit's largest indoor/outdoor rooftop lounge with expansive views of downtown Detroit and Corktown, a ground-floor chef-driven restaurant, a distinctive lobby bar, a 5,500-square-foot grand ballroom that will accommodate events of more than 350 guests, and a state-of-the-art fitness center. The hotel will have a soft brand affiliation with Hilton's Curio Collection. Importantly the Godfrey will also create an estimated 200 to 300 construction jobs, and an estimated 160 to 200 part- and full-time jobs, the latter of which include a 401(k) and health insurance, and will pay a minimum of $17 an hour. The developer has committed that at least 25 percent of these jobs will go to residents of Detroit, an unprecedented commitment in such a project. The developers will partner with the City's Detroit at Work Program as the hotel's priority staffing partner. The Godfrey Hotel Detroit will bring 227 rooms, amenities including a rooftop lounge and restaurant, and hundreds of jobs to the city's historic Corktown. The Godfrey Hotel Detroit will add to Oxford's current and historical portfolio of more than 15,000 hotel rooms. Current Godfrey Hotel locations include Chicago, Boston, Tampa, Hollywood and others in planning and development. The hotel will benefit from Oxford's extensive national hotel management experience, that includes robust food and beverage offerings; sophisticated revenue management, social media, direct sales, e-commerce, and marketing strategies; its proven ability to run highly profitable rooms and meeting and event venues; highly effective recruiting, training and retention methods; and creative cost control initiatives. The project investors include several prominent Detroit families, led by Nate Forbes and James Grosfeld. The Godfrey Hotel Detroit will also benefit from Oxford's metro Detroit-based development partner Hunter Pasteur's extensive local development experience and relationships. Oxford, Hunter Pasteur and The Forbes Co. are finalizing plans to launch the Perennial Corktown Apartments adjacent to the Godfrey, which will also break ground this year. Pipeline 28 September 2021 Light Human Hotels, the award-winning and experiential brand inspired by the millennial spirit, confirms the first collection of hotel openings, all to be managed by leading international hotel management company, Kew Green Hotels. Light Human Hotels Vila Real Porto will open in the last quarter of 2022, followed by Light Human Hotel Curitiba in Brazil from 2023. Each of the Light Human Hotels will feature the brand's signature amenities including gastronomy designed by Michelin Starred Chef Baptiste Denieul, spa services by L'Occitaine, a state-of-the-art swimming pool, events and wedding spaces, a family play area and a kid's bar. Creativity is at the heart of the Light Human Hotels concept with the hotel showcasing art curated by Muzeo and architecture by the multi-award-winning Atelier Arcau. Light Human Hotels Vila Real Porto features 124 bedrooms and suites and is nestled within a community of residences and luxury retailers just five minutes' drive from the centre of Vila Real, an hour east of Porto's International Airport. The resort is well-located to explore the verdant local area including the lush valleys and towering mountains of Parque Natural da Serra do Alvao and j ust 20 minutes from nearby Douro Valley, world-famous for its vineyards and breath-taking scenery. Neighbouring Vila Real is noted for its stunning Baroque architecture including Casa de Mateus, Igreja de Sao Pedro, Capela Nova, as well as a fifteenth century Gothic cathedral. Appointment 28 September 2021 The Delta Hotels by Marriott Chicago Willowbrook and Willby's Restaurant & Bar are proud to announce a new, award-winning management team to represent the freshly reopened 165-room hotel and restaurant, including over 11,000 square feet of wedding and event space. The new team includes Howard Gottlieb as the new general manager and Nathan Karsten as the director of sales and marketing. Nathan Karsten, director of sales, has been in hotel sales and marketing for more than 20 years, most recently at the Chicago Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center. Karsten excels at increasing market share, training and leading successful sales teams, and working with clients. At the Delta Hotels by Marriott Chicago Willowbrook, Karsten will be managing all marketing and sales efforts for the hotel and restaurant including building awareness for the property and event space, creating restaurant promotions, and developing relationships within Willowbrook and the DuPage County community at large. Appointment 28 September 2021 Instead of playing in the street with his friends when he was a kid, Detroit native David Tinsley, general manager of food and beverage operations at the C. Baldwin Hotel, would often coerce his friends into catching the bus with him so they could all hang out in the lobby of Detroit's Hyatt Regency, where, while drinking many a bottle of "pop," David and his friends would relish in the cool vistas of the iconic refurbished hotel. It makes sense then that David, who majored in business administration at the University of Detroit Mercy, eventually found his way into the hotel industry. David's first hotel job was at the Ritz Carlton in Detroit, an experience he recalls as being akin to trying escargot for the first time a fitting employment hors d'oeuvre to a career that would include much more than just first courses. After taking a short break from hotel employment after his Ritz Carlton days to work in human resources for a bit, David returned to hotel work after discovering that the 9 to 5 lifestyle just wasn't for him and that he wanted to work a job where he could interact with people on a daily basis while being surrounded by food and cocktail culture. To that end, David, who had spent time working as a bartender, found a management position at a refurbished Double Tree by Hilton in Detroit, where he worked as a food and beverage manager for a year before moving to a Hilton property in Chicago for another food and beverage manager position. In 2018, David made the move south to Houston to become the senior food and beverage manager and department head for a property in the Bayou City. In 2021, David was approached by Sage Hospitality to become the general manager of food and beverage operations at the C. Baldwin Hotel. A firm believer in the Sage Hospitality mantra of "you belong here," David credits his success in the hotel industry to the mentors he has had along the way and to the upward mobility that is possible in the industry if you work hard at your job. Press Release 28 September 2021 The Global Hospitality Group of Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP (JMBM) is pleased to announce its representation of Condor Hospitality Trust in the sale of the companys entire portfolio to Blackstone Real Estate Partners. The $305 million deal was announced September 23, 2021 and is expected to close by the end of the year. Advertisements Condor Hospitality Trust (NYSE American:CDOR) is a publicly-traded real estate investment trust specializing in the ownership of premium-branded select-service, extended stay, and limited-service hotels franchised under brands including Hilton, Marriott, and IHG. JMBM represented the company as hotel counsel in connection with the initial bidding process and also provided guidance on the due diligence process and disclosure requirements, coordinated shareholder approvals and voting agreements, and negotiated the definitive purchase contract for the sale. The Firm has represented Condor as hotel counsel since J. William Blackham became President and CEO in 2015. Known then as Supertel Hospitality Inc., owner of the Super 8 franchise and related economy hotels, JMBM assisted in the disposal of nearly all of the companys $100 million in economy hotels and the subsequent purchase of the 15 upscale, select-service hotels sold in the current Blackstone deal. The hotels sold represent nearly 2,000 rooms and are located across eight states, including Georgia, Texas, and Florida. We have worked with Condor to implement its business plan for six years, and are pleased to have successfully counseled them through this next step, said Jim Butler, Chair of the JMBM Global Hospitality Group. The JMBM Condor team was led by Jim Butler, Guy Maisnik, Jeff Myers, and Caleb Gilbert. The all-cash deal is part of a liquidation and dissolution plan, concluding with the eventual distribution of proceeds to the companys shareholders. We believe that this is an extremely attractive transaction for the companys shareholders with a highly credible and very experienced buyer, said Blackham in Hotel Business. McGrath North Mullin & Kratz acted as Condors corporate counsel. Simpson Thatcher & Bartlett represented Blackstone. About the Global Hospitality Group We have helped clients with more than 4,300 hospitality properties worth more than $104.7 billion, providing one of the most extensive virtual databases of market terms for deals and financings in the hospitality industry. For more information, visit www.HotelLawyer.com. Supplier News 28 September 2021 MIAMI and AUSTIN, Texas Virgin Hotels one of the most unique and forward-thinking hotel brands is collaborating with Virdee to implement hospitalitys leading virtual reception solution and ensure a superior digital check-in experience for all hotel guests. Virdee kiosks are currently piloting at Virgin Hotels in Chicago and Dallas, with the Nashville location in deployment, and Virdee will grow with the hotels portfolio as the brand opens new hotels in more world-class destinations. The kiosks bring a seamless experience to the guest, providing a digital option for quick and efficient check-in. The in-lobby experience works side-by-side with Virgin Hotels mobile application Lucy so guests can choose where to check in, mobile or kiosk. Were excited to collaborate with Virdee to provide all hotel guests the option to securely check-in on the device they feel most comfortable with, said Denise Walker, VP of Information Technology at Virgin Hotels. With recovery under way and in the era of contactless everything, its imperative that we continue to prioritize our guests safety. Virdees solutions allow us to bring a personalized, fully digital check-in experience ensuring each visitor has a tailor check in process. When guests arrive at a Virgin Hotels, they can access their reservation through Virdee Identity, which uses advanced biometrics solutions or two-factor authentication. From there, they can submit payment, sign terms and conditions and submit special requests. Remote assistance is available with the touch of a button, and the guest will leave the kiosk in short order with a physical key to access their guestroom. The check-in experience is even more powerful for members of Virgin Hotels loyalty and preference program The Know because the Virdee reception will automatically match and pull guest information. For guests who arent yet members of The Know, Virdee provides a simple, sleek sign-up experience to help convert more guests than traditional paper or phone processes. We are proud to announce this partnership with one of the most innovative and cutting-edge hotel brands in our industry, said Virdee Co-Founder Nadav Cornberg. As Virdee and Virgin Hotels continue to grow their partnership, well debut advanced technology features that will push the industry forward, helping reduce operating costs while improving the guest experience. Learn more about the collaboration by stoping by the Virdee booth #3226 at HITEC. About Virdee Virdee is a technology company providing best-in-class virtual reception and user interaction software for clients and their tenants, guests, and other stakeholders. Virdee helps building owners reduce costs and generate ancillary revenue by automating front-of-house workflows via its mobile application and in-lobby experiences. Using an API-first approach, Virdee connects platforms for ID verification, payment collection, access control and remote support. The company serves customers in lodging, multifamily and commercial real estate industries. Visit www.virdee.co to learn more. About Virgin Hotels Virgin Hotels is a lifestyle hospitality brand that combines heartfelt service, straightforward value, and a seamless, personalized hotel experience with the track record of innovation and smart disruption that Sir Richard Bransons global Virgin Group has pioneered for 50 years. Each property intermixes a passion for food and beverage with music and culture, fusing with the local landscape and providing a vibrant and inclusive environment for travelers and locals alike. Virgin Hotels Chicago named the #1 Hotel in the United States in 2016 and #1 Hotel in Chicago in 2016, 2017, and 2020 by the Conde Nast Travelers Readers Choice Awards Virgin Hotels Dallas named the #16 Hotel in Texas Virgin Hotels Nashville, Virgin Hotels New Orleans and Virgin Hotels Las Vegas are now open. Locations in New York, Miami, Edinburgh and Glasgow to follow. Virgin Hotels continues to explore hotel and office conversions and ground-up development in Boston, Los Angeles, Austin, Seattle, and London. Supplier News 28 September 2021 DALLAS - Safety NetAccess, Inc. ("SNA") is pleased to announce they have been selected for a tactical partnership by Omni Hotels & Resorts ("Omni") to provide support and management of high-speed internet networks. This new partnership will combine SNA's vast guest room experience, superior guest support network, and proprietary Select Network Access Portal (SNAP) across Omni Hotels & Resorts' entire portfolio. This partnership will provide a better guest internet experience while providing Omni's IT team with up-to-the-minute network insights, health, management, and reporting, along with the capability to layer on future technologies and best practices. "We are very excited about our decision to partner with Safety NetAccess for guest internet support services at all of our properties," said Kathleen Erickson, Vice President of Information Technology at Omni Hotels & Resorts. "At Omni, our guests' experience is our top priority, and we proactively work to anticipate their demands and online requirements when it comes to providing the finest in hotel technology. We are confident that our partnership with Safety NetAccess will provide us with the hands-on tools and technical expertise, to continuously enhance our network infrastructure and guest internet offerings so that we can deliver more benefits and memorable experiences to our guests." Sean Gorman, President & CEO of SNA, added, "Safety NetAccess' focus has always been to provide the best level of guest support possible while giving the brand the tools they need for visibility, reporting, and future planning. Safety NetAccess is honored to be chosen by Omni to provide our services to their guests and their Corporate IT Team." About Omni Hotels & Resorts Omni Hotels & Resorts creates genuine, authentic guest experiences at over 50 distinct luxury hotels and resorts in leading business and leisure destinations across North America. With more than 21 iconic golf courses and multiple short courses, 24 award-winning spas featured in dynamic locales nationwide, every Omni proudly opens its doors to share the true spirit of its destination. Reflected through local color, personalized service, unique wellness options, signature restaurants, and creative culinary offerings, Omni leaves a lasting impression with every guest and a heightened level of recognition and rewards delivered through its Select Guest loyalty program. Omni is committed to reducing hunger and is on a mission through its Say Goodnight to Hunger initiative to provide millions of meals each year for food banks to feed children, families, and seniors in the communities in which it operates. Through its partnership with Shared Hope International, Omni is dedicated to the education and training of its associates to help combat human trafficking. Omni Hotels & Resorts is the official hotel of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions. For information or to book accommodations, visit omnihotels.com or call 1-800-The-Omni. Supplier News 28 September 2021 David McCandless, bestselling author of Information is Beautiful and Knowledge is Beautiful, will deliver this years opening keynote at Revenue Strategy Forum (RSF) London on November 1. Access to relevant and up-to-date market data and customer information has never been more crucial to the hotel industry than now. The Ted Global speaker will talk about the importance (and beauty) of data, and how hoteliers can and should analyze it to find the true story beneath the figures. Its an honor to be opening this years edition of RSF London. Access and analysis of up-to-date data have never been more important to the hospitality industry than right now, and I hope to highlight how vital and informative this can be while having a little fun along the way! said David McCandless. Titled, Strategy Before Forecast: Open Up Your Revenue, this years RSF London event will also include participation from senior leaders from Accenture, Oracle, and EY, as well as industry input from global hotel brands. The half-day conference will include an Industry Perspective session entitled On Your Marks, Get Set, Go! Fuel for The Hospitality Commercial Race with Jonathan Fuentes, Hospitality Technology Strategy Manager, Accenture. Karen Hutchings, Global Head of Travel Meetings & Events, Ernst & Young, will take part in a fireside chat with Chris Crowley, SVP Global Sales, Duetto, on the future of group and business travel. Additional speakers are yet to be announced, but the event line-up is already promising to deliver a day of education and best practice sharing. Attended by hotel industry leaders, revenue strategists, and asset managers, the event will provide an opportunity for open discussion on industry-relevant topics and consumer trends. Were excited to return to London for our Revenue Strategy Forum and look forward to welcoming the hospitality industry to the Ham Yard Hotel for what promises to be a great afternoon of insight, networking, and learning, said Chris Crowley, SVP of Global Sales, Duetto. Our objective is to help hoteliers better strategize for the months and year ahead, and our fabulous line-up of speakers will deliver educational and engaging content to help the industry do just that. Opinion Article 28 September 2021 The collective hotel industry is facing a cold, hard truth: attaining the same level of pre-pandemic operational performance will not be measured in days, but months, even years. That's what August data from HotStats portends and at a crossroads, as summer gives way to fall and a host of new variables come into play that could derail the modest success the past several months have demonstrated. Advertisements In the U.S., profit continues to lag its 2019 form, with GOPPAR recorded at $52.27 in August, 31% lower than it was in August 2019. However, in a business that changes block to block, there is some good news, with some pockets surpassing expectations. Up to now, profit has been a mix of cost containment with support from leisure business and some destinations in the U.S. are pushing out revenue and profit that is higher now than it was in 2019. Consider Key West, Fla., where in August 2021, total hotel revenue exceeded the same period in 2019 by 28%, while GOPPAR was up 65%. Non-resort destinations and locations better suited to accommodate corporate and convention travel haven't been as lucky. In Washington, D.C., which relies heavily on government and corporate travel, total revenue is down more than 50% as of August 2021 versus the same month in 2019. Profit per available room was under $10 in August. Looking ahead, September data from HotStats, which will be available toward the end of October, will have the first payroll data available after three key Covid-era unemployment programs established by the CARES Act expire. Assumptions were that many hotel employees had not reentered the workforce due to the generous benefits. After they sunset, will those reluctant to return rejoin? Around 7.5 million people are poised to lose *all federal unemployment benefits* in a week. Theyre going to $0 in jobless aid as delta cases + hospitalizations surge. The looming UI cliff is 3x larger than previous biggest one in 2013, so its not really close Via @pelhamprog pic.twitter.com/jqDsCDwXKg Joseph Zeballos-Roig (@josephzeballos) August 30, 2021 In Europe, data suggests similar trends of late to the U.S., with most key performance indicators down in August 2021 versus the same month in 2019 at a clip of around 30%. As expected, many of the gateway markets are down more. London GOPPAR in August 2021 was only 30% of what it was in August 2019, while, in Paris, GOPPAR was a bit better off at 61% of the August 2019 level. In fact, Paris has seen rate growth but against still deflated occupancy rates. A recent Tranio/IHIF survey found that 52% of respondents believe the European hotel market will recover to pre-pandemic levels by 2024, while while another 32% are optimistic that things will revert back to pre-pandemic levels by 2023. Both the Middle East and Asia-Pacific saw significant year-over-year decreases in profit, the latter suffering from reimposed lockdowns in China due to the Delta variant. GOPPAR in Asia-Pacific was recorded at just $8.77 in August 2021, an 84% negative difference. Asia-Pacific, especially China, had been the lodestar of hotel operational performance in the weeks and months post COVID-19, and a regression is discouraging. China recorded GOPPAR below $1 in August compared to $40 just a month prior. Opinion Article 28 September 2021 In many places, hospitality is backand booming faster than expected. Travel-centric brands face a "next normal" in a world where social media adoption and consumer expectations have increased exponentially. A study produced by travel research authority PhocusWire in partnership with TINT, the leading User-Generated Content platform trusted by over 5,000 global brands, stresses the importance of using authentic social media and marketing content for travel-related industries as they recover from the global impacts of COVID-19. Nine out of ten American travelers have made travel plans for the next 6 months, and weekly hotel demand across the U.S. increased by 1.2 million rooms in September 2021 the largest weekly gain since July this year. Revenge travel is here, and consumers are ready to pack their bags. This boom in travel has hospitality brands rushing to get themselves back to their pre-pandemic production rates. Theyre not only trying to figure out how to nail their messaging for their customers, but employee recruitment as well. This puts destination marketing organizations in an unprecedented predicament. A year and a half ago, they had to lay off staff to keep their doors open. Over 100 million jobs in the tourism industry were lost in 2020. Now, those companies are having trouble finding and hiring talent. Airlines are openly telling their customers to expect canceled flights as they struggle with staffing shortages. Labor shortages are becoming a bigger problem by the day and there isnt any time to waste in going live with your post-pandemic marketing strategy (for customers and employees). Hospitality Brands Have a Rare Marketing Opportunity (And Time is Ticking) Despite the delta-variant of COVID-19, revenge travel continues to rise. People are leaning into leisure travel, like traveling to National Parks that are experiencing huge surges in visitors. Yellowstone National Park saw the most visitors it has ever recorded in 2021 - about an 11% increase from May 2019. Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming also experienced roughly 30% uptick in visits in May 2021 vs May 2019, setting a record for that month. With travel on the rise, even to seemingly remote locations like Wyoming, brands might feel like they can relax on their marketing strategy. If people willingly come to them, isnt this a great time to save their marketing budget for another rainy year? Thats a terrible idea. If anything, now is the time to go all-in on your marketing strategyespecially the part that comes after someone swipes their credit card. This is an ideal time to create loyal customers, collect user-generated content for future marketing campaigns, and turn happy customers and guests into raving micro-influencers for your brand. This is the part of your hospitality marketing strategy that your customers see. But, theres another part of marketing that has to be focused on right now. With labor shortages, employee recruitment is in full force. Its time to show talent why your company is the place they want to dedicate their time and effort. Employee-generated content and employee advocacy play a big role not just in attracting, but also engaging and retaining the best talent, which well show examples of in the next section. Domestic air travel in the U.S. is expected to return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2021 or early 2022. If this is just the leisure travel spike, its time to buckle down and prepare for bigger travel numbers in the near future - especially as business travel picks up. Heres how brands are tapping into the proven power of UGC and EGC to build brand loyalty and find top talent. User-Generated Content in Hospitality Marketing Seventy percent of consumers trust online peer reviews and recommendations more than brand-created content and copy and 93% of marketers agree that consumers trust content created by real people rather than content created by brands. And this is content that guests love to create. Take a look at a recent example from Airbnb that leverages UGCthey looked for 12 people to sponsor and travel the world on Airbnbs dime, live in listings for free, and share their experiences online. Hotels.com followed the same incentive strategy by offering a free months stay at 4 of their Las Vegas locations. User-generated content can also be created without a huge budget like this. You can ask guests by: Putting copy at the bottom of your restaurant menus that incentivize UGC (with a discount code for sharing to their social platform of choice) or remind guests that this is a great time to take a photo for their memories Have your receptionist assure the guests that recording their experience is encouraged, and provide clear instructions and even a particular hashtag to use Creating selfie areas or aesthetic backgrounds for people to take photos in front of More than half of consumers wish that brands would tell them what type of content to create and shareand hospitality brands can tap into that request from customers easily. Employee-Generated Content in Recruitment Employee-generated content can also be used to promote your brand, as consumer sentiment leans towards companies with positive impact. But with labor shortages across the hospitality industry, we also want to show you how to use it to recruit talent. CNBC shared that, Economists point to a host of other factors that may also be dampening a return of workers to the labor force. Child-care duties, ongoing health risks, health complications for Covid long-haulers, early retirements, career changes or reassessments, and a high historical share of workers who are furloughed and expect to be recalled to their prior workplace. Now is the time to show talent why working at your company is better than the competitors and the best way to do that is by having your employees advocate for your brand: Brand messages are re-shared up to 24 times more when distributed by your employees instead of a brand Employee-shared content gets 8 times more engagement than content shared by brands Employees may get up to 10 times more followers than a brands corporate account, as well as get more organic social engagement Just like user-generated content can speak to customers in a way that brand-created content cant compare, EGC has the same impact on the talent you want (and need) to attract. User-generated content and employee-generated content are hospitality brands' ticket to creating high-performing content that nails their messaging. In summary, highlighting authentic guest stories helps hospitality brands build brand loyalty, and turn guests and employees into brand advocates that share the word about their great experience. Unity National Bank, a longstanding Black-owned bank based in Houston, said it will accelerate lending in under-served communities thanks to a multi-million-dollar investment by JPMorgan Chase. The investment, announced Tuesday, is part of a broad initiative unveiled nearly a year ago by JPMorgan Chase to advance racial equity and help close the wealth gap. JPMorgan Chase, headquartered in New York, is the largest bank in the nation and Houston. The amount of the investment was not disclosed. Founded in 1963, Unity is one of the few Black-owned financial institutions in Texas and across the country. The capital infusion will help Unity increase its support of small businesses and mortgage lending, the bank said. This direct investment not only helps us lend more in the community, we get to upgrade technology and hire new professionals, said Kwame Cain, general counsel with Unity Bank. 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. On HoustonChronicle.com: Can Unity National Bank turn its immense opportunity into lasting success? The community bank has 38 employees and has already begun technology upgrades, which will be implemented over the next few years, Cain said. The enhancements include a suite of products for mobile banking such as Zelle and TransferNow, plus new credit software that allows the bank to process and approve loans faster. The upgrades are bringing us to our goal of being a 21st century bank thats technology driven, Cain said. As part of the alliance, Unity will offer JPMorgans money market funds to institutional investors through the banks Empower share class. The program provides an opportunity for large customers to support minority-led banks, which earn a share of the funds management fees to support their operations. To date, the Empower funds have $5 billion in assets under management. Unity customers will also gain access to more than 16,000 of Chases ATMs without paying Chase fees, beginning Nov. 1. Unity is a small bank with $183 million in deposits in the Houston market, according to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The bank ranks 65th out of 95 banks in Houston by deposits. Unity is headquartered in Third Ward at 2603 Blodgett and has another location in Missouri City. The bank also has a branch in Atlanta. The Chase investment is part of an expanded initiative to invest a total of $100 million in Black and Hispanic-led banks and community development financial institutions. The initiative launched in February at four banks with an initial commitment of $50 million. The latest round of investments added another 10 institutions, including Texas-based Unity and Rio Bank in McAllen. Under the partnership, Unity will be able to team with Chase to provide financial literacy in the community, Cain said. katherine.feser@chron.com twitter.com/kfeser Ford Motor Co. and South Koreas SK Innovation Co. plan to spend $11.4 billion to construct three battery factories and an assembly plant for electric F-Series pickup trucks in Tennessee and Kentucky, the biggest investment in the U.S. automakers history. The project will create two vast sites to produce electric vehicles and the batteries to power them, employing nearly 11,000 workers, the companies said Monday. Ford is spending $7 billion, while battery partner SK is kicking in $4.4 billion. They begin to come online in 2025. The projects are part of Fords plan to invest $30 billion in electric vehicles by 2025, become a player in a market dominated by Tesla Inc. and challenge General Motors Co.s image as leading the legacy automakers. Since becoming Fords boss a year ago, Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley has accelerated efforts to make the switch to an all-electric future, earning a plug from President Joe Biden on the electric F-150 and striking a battery joint venture with SK. Ford shares rose 3.1% in premarket trading Tuesday to $14.60 as of 9 a.m. in New York. The stock was up 61% this year as of the close Monday. The Tennessee site to be known as Blue Oval City will occupy six square miles, making it three times the size of the historic Rouge Complex Henry Ford built in Michigan a century ago. It will include a battery plant employing about 2,500 workers and an assembly plant with 3,300 employees that will produce an electric version of Fords larger F-Series pickup, its most profitable product. In Kentucky, where Ford already has truck and SUV factories, the automaker and SK will construct two battery plants employing about 5,000 workers. The three battery factories will have the capacity to churn out power sources for more than 1 million electric vehicles a year, Ford said. The big investment follows Fords move this month to double production at the Michigan factory building the electric F-150 Lightning pickup going on sale next year. The company says it already has 150,000 reservations for the plug-in pickup. Its battery powered Mustang Mach-E also has begun outselling the gasoline-fueled version of the pony car. The early results would say there is huge demand for electrified vehicles, Kumar Galhotra, Fords president of the Americas and international markets, said in an interview. The level of this investment demonstrates how confident we are. Since 1969 The Stanton, Tennessee, F-Series factory will be the first all-new assembly plant Ford has built since 1969, the company said. The United Auto Workers wont automatically represent the new workers and will have to organize employees of the assembly and battery plants in both states, which have right-to-work laws that labor groups have seen as hostile. The UAW has been concerned that the transition to electric vehicles could cost jobs. A study by AlixPartners found it takes 40% less labor to assemble an electric motor and battery compared with a traditional internal combustion engine. The UAW looks forward to continuing our long-time partnership with Ford as consumers transition to make electric vehicles in the right way, UAW President Ray Curry said in a statement. We look forward to reaching out and helping develop this new workforce. Galhotra said Ford has a fantastic relationship with the UAW, but it will be up to the new workers as to decide whether to join the union. We have to let the employees decide, he said. To land their two largest ever economic development projects, Tennessee and Kentucky provided incentives to Ford and SK. Tennessee is offering $500 million, pending a special session of the state legislature to approve the deal. Kentucky is providing a $250 million forgivable loan, $36 million in training funds, infrastructure improvements and a 1,551-acre site in Glendale, south of Louisville. Transformative Moment Farley, along with Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford and top executives of Seoul-based SK Innovation, will visit both states Tuesday for official announcements. This is a transformative moment where Ford will lead Americas transition to electric vehicles, Ford, the great grandson of Henry Ford, said in a statement. Since Farley announced plans in May to boost Fords EV spending by one third, the company has grown more optimistic about how quickly the market will develop for battery powered vehicles. Were building in more upside based on our experience with the Mach-E and the F-150 Lightning, Lisa Drake, Fords chief operating officer in North America, said in a briefing with reporters Monday. When Ford first announced the the SK partnership in May, the plan was to build two U.S. battery plants, but that has now increased to three. Those plants, along with a battery plant in Georgia that will supply the F-150 Lightning, give Ford 141 gigawatt hours of battery supply, Galhotra said. That meets Fords target for demand in North America for now, which is for 40% of its sales to be electric by 2030. Were in the early stages, Galhotra said. Well see how this develops. We might need more. BP has expanded production from one of the largest oil fields in the Gulf of Mexico, in large part to fund the British oil majors ambitions to become a renewable energy leader. The oil giant on Tuesday said it started production at its Thunder Horse south expansion project, which is expected to increase BPs oil and gas output by an average of 25,000 barrels per day. The phase 2 project is part of BPs plans to grow its Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production to around 400,000 barrels per day by the middle of the decade. This has been a pivotal year for our Gulf of Mexico business as we continue to start up new projects, said Starlee Sykes, BPs senior vice president of the Gulf of Mexico and Canada. Bringing high-margin, resilient barrels online in basins we know best is central to bps strategy. BP is doubling down on the Gulf of Mexico, looking to extract low-cost, low-emissions crude that will help fund the companys growing renewable energy business and meet its 2050 net-zero emissions goal. The oil major has invested in solar and wind projects, and has promised to help the world get to net zero emissions, meaning all the greenhouse gas emissions released by humans are offset or removed from the atmosphere. ARGOS: BP's new offshore platform arrives in Texas, bringing hundreds of jobs BP has said its existing Gulf of Mexico fields can break even with crude prices as low as $30 a barrel, making it some of the lowest-cost oil in the world to produce. Offshore oil platforms also usually burn off less natural gas than onshore shale production, although oil spills remain a risk. The company's Thunder Horse expansion project consists of two subsea drill centers in 6,350 feet of water. They are connected to BP's Thunder Horse production and drilling platform by 10-inch dual flow lines. Eventually, eight wells are expected to be drilled as part of the phase 2 project. The Thunder Horse oil field, discovered by BP in 1999, is one of the companys largest discoveries in the Gulf of Mexico. BPs eponymous Thunder Horse platform, located 150 miles southeast of New Orleans, is the companys largest platform designed to extract up to 250,000 barrels of oil and 200 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. BP has a 75 percent working interest in the project; Exxon Mobil holds 25 percent. BP is one of the largest offshore oil and natural gas producers in the Gulf of Mexico, operating four production platforms: Thunder Horse, Atlantis, Mad Dog and Na Kika. Its fifth platform, Argos, is expected to come online in 2022. Gulf Island Fabrication has restarted operations at its Houma, Louisiana, manufacturing facility, a month after Hurricane Ida devastated the region. The Houston oil-field manufacturer on Tuesday said it restarted operations after power and water was recently restored to the companys facilities. Idas 130-mile-per-hour winds caused damage to the facilities and left significant debris strewn about the premises. Gulf Island said it doesnt expect the storm to affect its ability to complete projects or pursue future projects. The company is still working with its insurance companies to recover repair costs, but said it doesnt expect a major effect on its finances. I continue to be impressed and thankful for the tremendous resilience and dedication that our employees have demonstrated throughout this ordeal, despite many of them having experienced significant damage to, or complete loss of, their homes, Gulf Island CEO Richard Heo said. In spite of these challenges, we remain on track to execute on our strategic transformation, and I am confident that we will emerge from these difficult times as a stronger Gulf Island. IDA: Shell's offshore production won't fully recover from Hurricane Ida until early 2022 Oil companies operating in Louisiana and the Gulf of Mexico are still reeling from the effects of Ida, which caused one of the largest disruptions to the nations offshore oil and gas production. Royal Dutch Shell last week said its Gulf of Mexico oil production wont fully recover from the hurricane until early next year after a key offshore facility suffered significant structural damage. The Energy Department this month lowered its oil production estimates in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico after Hurricane Ida temporarily halted production at the vast majority of offshore oil platforms last month. U.S. Gulf oil output in September is expected to fall by 500,000 barrels per day to 1.2 million barrels per day. Gulf Island said it began cleanup and restoration immediately after the storm, which made landfall in nearby Port Fouchon on Aug. 29 as a Category 4 hurricane. The company is provided essentials and meals to employees, and established an emergency relief fund to help employees most impacted by the storm. The Houston company fabricates steel structures for U.S. oil and gas producers, refiners, petrochemical manufacturers and Liquefied Natural Gas companies. The Woodlands chemical-maker Huntsman Corporation and KPX Chemical, a polyurethanes producer in Korea, have formed a joint venture named KPX Huntsman Polyurethanes Automotive Co., the companies said Tuesday. The joint venture will create and provide polyurethane to Korean automakers from a specialty polyurethanes manufacturing facility at KPX Chemical's plant in Ulsan, South Korea. The deal combines Huntsman's global supply chain and polyurethane production, used in foams, insulation, textiles and automotive manufacturing, with KPX Chemicals polyol technology. Polyol is an alcohol with three or more hydroxyl groups that is used in the seats, armrests and headrests of most automobiles. Operations at KPX Huntsman Polyurethanes Automotive Co. are expected to begin by the end of October. PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS: Huntsman boosts capacity of polyurethane catalyst and specialty amine KPX Chemical President Kim Moon-young said the new venture will help the company meet growing demand for autonomous vehicles and electric transport solutions that support South Koreas mandate to reach national carbon neutrality by 2050. For Huntsman Corp., continued business growth in the automotive industry is a "priority," Tony Hankins, president of Huntsman's polyurethanes division and CEO of Huntsman Asia Pacific, said in the release. Huntsman Corp., under the direction of CEO Peter Huntsman, has focused its operations with a portfolio that includes specialty chemicals such as polyurethanes. Huntsman this month said it was expanding the performance products division at its manufacturing facility in Hungary to meet the growing global demand for polyurethane catalysts and specialty amines that are used in automotive and transportation, coatings and adhesives, buildings and construction, electronics and industrial manufacturing. The multi-million dollar investment project is expected to be completed by mid-2023. The electric vehicle landscape continues to expand, boosted by President Joe Bidens climate policies, growing demand and new models by automakers. Huntsman Corp. is embracing it, also ramping up production of ethylene carbonate, which is used to operate lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles, at its Conroe facility. The company will add a range of new high-purity grades of ethylene carbonate for electric vehicle battery applications by mid-2023. Electronic vehicles will have five times the number of circuitry and electronics than a diesel vehicle has. There is an opportunity, CEO Peter Huntsman told the Houston Chronicle in March. The deadly winter storm that gripped Texas tragically showed the need or opportunity for large scale battery storage. As the bitter cold knocked power plants and wind turbines offline in rapid succession, stored energy might have been able to replace the lost generating capacity and keep the lights and heat on. Energy storage remains the missing link in an increasingly complex power grid under increasing threat from extreme weather. Only about 460 megawatts of energy storage compared to system-wide generation capacity near 90,000 megawatts are connected to the Texas power grid, according the states grid manager, Electric Reliability Council of Texas. But ERCOT and state regulators are working to add more storage to power grid, not only to provide additional capacity when electricity supplies grow short during cold snaps and scorching summer afternoons, but also to smooth out the intermittent generation of the growing fleet of wind and solar energy producers to better match supply with demand. Wind generation in West Texas, for example, typically produces the most power at night, when demand is at its lowest. Over the past two years, the state has adopted rules to encourage more large-scale storage by clarifying how batteries fit into the power system and interact with wholesale electricity markets. A long list of proposed battery projects has followed. If they all come to fruition, nearly 4,300 megawatts of battery storage enough to power more than 850,000 Texas homes could operate on the grid by early 2023. On HoustonChronicle.com: 'We are way behind': Power-hungry Texas looks at ways to cut demand for electricity Peter Lake, chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, said batteries need to be part of the energy mix to ease the strain on the grid when demands soars, or renewables arent producing. The PUC has not set a goal for connecting storage to the grid, and ERCOT officials seem unsure if theyll be enough installed in the coming years to make a difference in events like the February freeze. For the winters or 2022 and 2023, I dont think batteries are going to be a player, Woody Rickerson, an ERCOT vice president, told the PUC in August. There just not enough megawatts there yet. Theyre useful on some days, like a hot summer afternoon, but not for a (severe winter storm) event. Mark Mulligan/Staff photographer A leader Texas started as a leader in energy storage a decade ago thanks to its market, where wholesale prices, which typically average around $30 per megawatt hour, can shoot as high as $9,000 a megawatt hour when supplies are tight, said Jason Burwen, interim CEO of US Energy Storage Association, an energy storage trade group. Even then, when the technology was new and storage capacity limited, the price fluctuations made ERCOT markets attractive to battery companies, which could buy and store electricity when prices were low and release it when prices were high. They created a market for fast-responding (generation), which batteries do quite well. Burwen said. We saw some of the earlier installation of large battery projects in Texas as a result. But batteries on the Texas grid can only run for a few hours a time, enough to make money when prices spike, but far from providing the long-term storage that would make the grid more reliable and better able to withstand the strains of extended heat waves to frigid winter storms. As the technology advanced and more companies sought to build storage in Texas and across the country, ERCOT created a battery storage task force in 2019, which revised and created rules aimed at increasing grid-scale storage in late 2020. On HoustonChronicle.com: In ERCOT's mission to rebuild public trust, 'one summer is not going to be enough' One of the main issues was how batteries interact with the power market. Like power plants and wind farms, battery operators were required to tell ERCOT how much electricity they planned to put on the grid an hour ahead of time. But battery operators depend more heavily on price fluctuations and they wanted to hold onto their energy reserves until prices spiked on wholesale markets, where prices change every five minutes. ERCOT changed its rules to allow batteries to submit what they would produce in real time so they could react to actual conditions, rather than forecasts of what they might be. Then came the issue of how to classify batteries. Were they demand centers, like neighborhoods, because they sucked energy to store power for the future? Were they generators because they would sell electricity into the grid? Or were they transmission assets so utilities like CenterPoint could build them to ease congestion on transmission lines and improve reliability? The task force decided to treat batteries like generators, but with location-specific pricing. That meant battery operators would get extra money for putting electricity onto the grid near populations centers with high demand, during tight grid conditions. Those technical changes seemed to have sparked more interest in ERCOT among battery companies and operators. In the past year, Tesla announced plans to build a 100-megawatt battery near Angleton, with another two utility-scale battery projects proposed for Brazoria County. And most of the solar projects in ERCOTs pipeline are planning to have energy storage onsite so they can provide power at night and on cloudy days. Jason Fochtman, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer Challenges remain Houston-based Broad Reach Power is working to develop and deploy utility-scale batteries, but they declined to comment about how ERCOTs rules affect them. So did GlidePath, which is developing a 50.6 megawatt battery in Brazoria County. A potential new entrant to the battery market is the Renewable Storage Company, based in Houston. The company hopes to build a huge mechanical battery beneath the salt domes that once birthed Texas oil and gas industry. Art Gelber, one of the partners, said the plan is to use air compressors to force high volumes of air into the impermeable caverns during good grid conditions. When theres a need for more power on the grid, they can release that air to turn electricity-generating turbines. Now Gelber is deciding whether to connect the companys first battery to ERCOT or into the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, the power grid that connects to Conroe, Beaumont, Louisiana and a large swath of the Mississippi Basin. Gelber said he is reluctant to connect to the ERCOT grid because the batttery would be as a power generator. Instead, he would prefer that the company and its GreenStore batteries be treated as transmission, which could allow the company pass the costs of building and maintaining batteries onto ratepayers. On HoustonChronicle.com: Elon Musk's Tesla applies to provide power in Texas It would make the battery more of a utility than a power generator, in effect. Thats how batteries are treated in most U.S. power markets, he said, and would help them get off the ground here. They could change that so traditional generators would have a reason to invest in storage. Right now theyre investing in more generation but not in storage, Gelber said. Texas is in the middle of overhauling its power market, and the Public Utility Commission that oversees it, said they will have a blueprint for a new market by December, which could change how battery operators make money. Lake, chairman of the PUC, said he and his fellow commissioners know dispatchable generators like peaker plants that can turn on quickly arent making much money in the current market, which they aim to change. He said they could change the market so assets that can give power to the grid quickly, like batteries, can make more money. The big part of that is moving revenue to whoever is reliable, Lake said. That's where we'll rely on the market to help sort out who in that realm delivers the best result. shelby.webb@chron.com One of the Bay Areas most popular events, the Wings Over Houston Airshow, returns to Ellington Airport Oct. 9-10. This year, the 37th edition of the high-flying Commemorative Air Force event will feature performances from not one, but two elite military flying forces, the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, and the Canadian Forces (CF) Snowbirds. The combination of having the Thunderbirds and the Snowbirds at the same air show should prove to a crowd-pleaser. We are thrilled to return this year, not only with our traditional-style show, but with two jet teams the Thunderbirds and Snowbirds, said Bill Roach, executive director of Wings Over Houston, in press release. In addition to featuring hours of aerial performances, the show will include displays of vintage aviation, a classic car show featuring up to 100 vehicles, interactive areas and musical performances. Although it will not be the first time two jet teams will appear at Wings Over Houston, it is a bit of a rarity. We featured two jet teams once in the early days of Wings Over Houston, but this is the first time in a long time weve featured two jet teams; so we are excited, air show spokeswoman Lauren Quesada said. Its going to be a great show. Want to go? Tickets for the Wings Over Houston Airshow are available atwww.wingsoverhouston.com. See More Collapse The air show has drawn large crowds over the years. Over the past five years, weve hosted nearly 355,000 total guests to the airshow, Quesada said. Even last year during the pandemic, we still hosted 9,900 with our drive-in show. Several living legends will be at the air show signing autographs before the Thunderbirds and Snowbirds take off. The Legends & Heroes Tent will feature Gene Kranz, who gained fame as NASA flight director during the Gemini and Apollo missions. His work bringing back the crippled Apollo 13 spacecraft earned him a Presidential Medal of Freedom. Since retiring from NASA, Kranz has kept busy, serving as flight engineer on a B-17 Flying Fortress, building an aerobatic biplane and publishing a memoir. Also at the tent will be: Jerry L. Ross is a retired United States Air Force pilot and NASA astronaut who is a veteran of seven space shuttle missions; George Abbey a former director of the Johnson Space Center; and Frank Emond, a survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor who was a musician aboard the USS Pennsylvania playing morning colors when Japanese bombs began to fall. The Pearl Harbor attack re-enactment "Tora! Tora! Tora!" will feature an assortment of pilots from the Bay Area, and La Porte resident Debbie Rihn-Harvey will perform aerobatics. Visitors on the grounds will be a chance for an up-close look at the military jet teams aircraft and of vintage aircraft such as a B-17G Flying Fortress, an amphibious HU-16 Albatross and a PT-17 Stearman biplane. Guitars N Cars, a classic car show including a guitar auction hosted and sponsored by Fuller's Guitars to benefit U.S. VETS-Houston, will also be on hand. The Texas Eagles, an Eagles tribute band, will perform. The show is a 501(c)(3) community event supported by the Lone Star Flight Museum, Ellington Airport-based Collings Foundation-Houston and the Vietnam War Flight Museum. For information on tickets, display aircraft and volunteer opportunities, visit www.wingsoverhouston.com or call 713-266-4492. Gates will open at 8 a.m. on both days, with aerial performances starting between 10:30 a.m. and 11 a.m. The World War II performances are slated to begin at 12:30 p.m. each day, with the jet teams at 3 p.m. Gates will close at 6 p.m. Saturday and at 5 p.m. Sunday. John DeLapp is a freelance writer. He can be contacted at texdelapp@gmail.com. A new front has opened in the legal battle over prayer in Montgomery County Justice of the Peace Wayne Macks courtroom. Macks lawyers last week filed an appeal to a federal judges decision that prayer by a volunteer chaplain before court proceedings violated the U.S. Constitutions Establishment Clause against an establishment of religion. Filed Sept. 22, the appeal to the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals comes after the same court on July 9 granted a motion to stay, allowing invocation by a chaplain to continue in Macks Class C misdemeanor and small claims court in Willis. It is frustrating that this lawsuit against a longstanding, historic practice continues to distract us from the business of serving the citizens of Montgomery County, read a statement from Mack. Mack is being represented by First Liberty Institute, a Plano-based nonprofit which bills itself as protecting religious liberty, and by the Los Angeles-based law firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. The seven-year judge was sued by the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, which advocates for the separation of church and state. Referencing a letter from Mack to supporters, Southern District of Texas Judge Kenneth Hoyt wrote in his May 22 decision that the judge used the chaplaincy program to advance Gods larger purpose. Hoyt wrote such a magnanimous goal flies in the face of historical tradition, and makes a mockery of both, religion and law. The appeal states Macks case is materially indistinguishable from the U.S. Supreme Courts 2014 upholding of a similar prayer practice in the Town of Greece v. George Galloway case. Running 45 pages long, the appeal also reiterates some of Macks counsels previous arguments in favor of the practice of prayer in his courtroom. The God save the United States and this honorable court invocation uttered in the Supreme Court is cited by Macks lawyers. The suit by FFRF argued the Supreme Court does not solicit its attendees participation, whereas Macks courtroom prayer does. Also cited in the appeal is the chaplaincy program consisting of a cross-section of faiths. Mack has actively sought diverse participation, and all members of the faith-based community are welcome to participate, reads the appeal. A co-plaintiff in the suit brought against Mack by FFRF maintained he felt he could not refuse to pray in Macks courtroom without incurring prejudice from the judge when he served as a lawyer before him. Mack views his courtroom as a missionary field. Sorry, but thats not why we have courts, FFRFs co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor told the Houston Chronicle following Judge Hoyts decision. In granting a motion to stay, Fifth Circuit Judge Andrew Oldham wrote Mack had made a strong showing that the district court erred. Oldham highlighted that the program was voluntary, interfaith, brief and optional, adding there was no evidence of ramifications against those not participating in the prayer. Mack instituted the countywide chaplaincy program shortly after his 2014 election to his current position as Montgomery County Precinct 1 justice of the peace, in which he also acts as coroner. Chaplains respond to deaths to counsel the bereaved. A previous suit from FFRF on the issue was dismissed in 2018 after Mack was removed as a defendant and the foundation was left suing the state. That original suit garnered Mack support from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who in a 2017 statement decried legal action against the judges courtroom prayer as an attempt to exclude religious freedom from public life. jose.gonzalez@chron.com Montgomery County commissioners urged the Texas Legislature to reconsider the proposed redrawing of state congressional maps that would dilute the countys conservative representation by adding a third senate district. County Judge Mark Keough said he traveled to Austin last week to express the countys disapproval of the redistricting plan. The Legislature is reshaping all of the states 36 congressional districts as required to address population shifts identified by the U.S. census over the last decade. Legislative districts change every 10 years. Currently, Keough explained, Montgomery County has two senate districts. However, the proposed changes would add a third district that would divide Magnolia and extend Harris County districts into Montgomery County. We are deeply concerned about this as we move forward, Keough said. Under the redistricting proposal, almost 400,000 people in northwest Harris County along the Waller County border and south into parts of Katy would shift out of the 10th Congressional district into the 8th Congressional District that is held by U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, a Woodlands Republican who is retiring next year. That district would also stretch into Montgomery County and include Conroe. State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, has filed an amendment to either keep the districts as they are or make it one district he would represent. Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley said his concern was the redistricting of the school districts. I dont like the fact they are trying to split up the school district, he said. They need to work to get that done better than that. Redistricting is the process of redrawing district boundaries to guarantee equal voter representation through equal, or equivalent, population counts, according to the state comptroller. Commissioners, according to the resolution passed unanimously Tuesday, are requesting the Legislature reconsider the proposed senate districts to take into account the proposed ideal size of said districts and maintain our representation in the Texas Senate at two for the entirety of the county; consider the county line rule according to Article III, of the Texas Constitution when deciding the number of wholly contained house districts in Montgomery County noting Montgomery County is more rural to urban than urban by itself and respectfully request that our rural population not be aligned with a more urbanized population in contagious counties; and consider the ideal population of congressional districts and continue to keep Montgomery County wholly contained within one congressional district, with a fraction of the population needed to complete the district from a contagious county that more aligns with the rural to urban majority of Montgomery County. The Commissioners Court of Montgomery County, Texas assert that at no time do we support splitting up our communities, neighborhoods, or cities populations with other districts which erodes the current conservative representation that our Citizens have continually voted for over the course of the last three decades, the resolution states. Once the redistricting is complete, it will go into effect for the 2022 elections. Houston Chronicle Austin bureau reporters Jeremy Wallace, Jasper Scherer, and Cayla Harris contributed to this report. cdominguez@hcnonline.com PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) Struggling with political turmoil and the aftermath of an earthquake, Haiti's prime minister said Tuesday that he plans to hold a referendum to modify the country's constitution by February, and he hopes to organize presidential and legislative elections early next year. In an interview with The Associated Press at his official residence, Ariel Henry dismissed opponents who accuse him of wanting to stay in power and said that mistrust is one of the biggest challenges he faces. The referendum is a priority, Henry said, because the current constitution is rejected by a majority of political figures and civil society leaders. He said an electoral council that will be responsible for setting dates has yet to be named after he recently dissolved the previous provisional council. The elections must be held as soon as possible, he said as he lamented the lack of trust among Haitians. People don't believe what is being said. Just hours after he spoke, members of the provisional council that Henry dissolved issued a statement saying they plan to contest the prime minister's actions and accused him of violating Haitian law because only a president has the power to dismiss them. The council added that it will continue to work on organizing the upcoming elections. After being postponed several times this year, presidential and legislative elections were scheduled to be held Nov. 7, along with the constitutional referendum. But the assassination of President Jovenel Moise at his private home on July 7 upended those plans. One proposed constitutional change would bar a president from serving more than two terms, although it does not specify whether those would be consecutive, as stated in the current constitution. Other changes include compulsory military service for those age 18, the creation of a vice presidential position to replace that of prime minister and the establishment of a unicameral legislature to replace the current Senate and Chamber of Deputies. Thousands protested in the streets when the referendum was first proposed, with many accusing Moise of a power grab. Henry still faces opposition to the referendum, as well as criticism from those who do not consider him a legitimate leader. As part of a political agreement with opponents, Moise selected Henry, a trained neurosurgeon, to become Haitis next prime minister shortly before his assassination. But the president was killed before Henry could be sworn in. The 71-year-old was finally ushered into power over the outgoing prime minister, Claude Joseph, after foreign diplomats belonging to the so-called Core Group endorsed his rule, giving rise to criticism that he was a pawn of the U.S. government with a long history of meddling in Haitis affairs. He's a puppet, said Monique Clesca, a Haitian writer, activist and former U.N. official. Bottom line, he has no legitimacy or credibility. Clesca and several leaders of Haiti's civil society are calling for a two-year transitional government with a president and prime minister chosen by political parties and civil society to stabilize the country before holding elections. We have wanted a Haitian solution," she said. It is time that the international community says to us, We are listening, rather than push down our throat somebody that they put there. Henry said he has always been a legitimate prime minister despite not being elected. He views his position as a mission to oversee a renaissance of Haitian society. Its not the first time Henry has assumed a caretaker role. In 2004, he was part of the so-called Council of Sages that, with U.S. backing, tried to stabilize Haiti in the aftermath of President Jean-Bertrand Aristides overthrow in a coup. He previously served as health minister and briefly as interior minister under former President Michel Martelly. In other comments, Henry criticized how the U.S. government recently treated Haitian migrants along the U.S.-Mexico border, where it expelled more than 2,300. He said that action was not suitable. We dont understand the way that our compatriots were treated, he said. Henrys remarks came just hours before the arrival in Port-au-Prince of Assistant Secretary of State Brian Nichols, the top U.S. diplomat to Latin America, who is seeking to contain the fallout from the abrupt resignation last week of the U.S. special envoy to Haiti. Daniel Foote, a career diplomat, quit the high-profile post over the deportations at the border, saying it was inhumane to return the migrants, many of whom fled the island following the devastating 2010 earthquake, to a country buffeted by gang violence, a collapsed economy and political turmoil. Foote, in his resignation letter, also criticized the U.S. for standing by what he considers a corrupt government with gang alliances instead of embracing a broad-based coalition of civil society groups that have come up with their own blueprint for stabilizing the country. Henry declined to comment on Footes resignation, saying it was a foreign affair, but he said he does not think the situation will affect the relationship between the U.S. and Haiti, which he said would continue and deepen. Henry added that the government is working on a draft of a potential program to help the thousands of migrants who have been expelled. He said one proposal is to give the migrants access to credit so they can launch their own small businesses. Were trying to do that immediately, he said. He acknowledged that Haiti is mired in a deep economic crisis and faces multiple other challenges, including a rise in gang-related violence and kidnappings and a housing crisis in the aftermath of a 7.2-magnitude earthquake. The Aug. 14 quake killed more than 2,200 people and damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of homes. Another priority is to find the masterminds behind Moises killing. Henry said he does not know why the president was slain. He also dismissed allegations made by a chief prosecutor whom he fired that there were two phone calls between him and a key suspect just hours after the assassination. Henry said he has no recollection of speaking with Joseph Badio, who was fired from the governments anti-corruption unit in May and remains a fugitive, according to police, who seek him on charges including murder. If that conversation took place, I do not remember it, he said. For me, that conversation never happened. Henry said he dismissed Port-au-Princes chief prosecutor, Bed-Ford Claude, and former Justice Minister Rockfeller Vincent, because they did not respect the law and tried to politicize the situation. They dont have any ethics, and they are not credible, he said. ___ Coto reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Goodman reported from Washington. RICEVILLE, Tenn. (AP) The father of a 10-month-old baby in Tennessee was fatally shot along with three other people during a custody dispute with the infant's mother, authorities said. The mother and a man have been charged with first-degree murder. Jazzmine J. Hall, 27, of Athens and Curtis D. Smith, 38, of Etowah were arrested Saturday evening, hours after deputies found the father and three women dead from gunshot wounds at a residence west of the unincorporated community of Riceville, McMinn County Sheriff Joe Guy said. The suspects were found in neighboring Polk County and taken into custody after a SWAT operation. A man accused of killing one person and injuring another outside a Cypress movie theater when he was 16 has been convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison. Harris County jurors on Friday convicted Christopher Rodriguez, now 21, in the 2017 robbery attempt and shooting of Daniel Gerding, who died, and Colyn Timmons, who was injured, outside Studio Movie Grill. Rodriguez and Faith Deleon, then 17, agreed to meet Gerding and Timmons, both 18, on New Year's Day at the theater's parking lot in the 8500 block of Texas 6, saying they wanted to buy marijuana, authorities said. Rodriguez and Deleon went in Gerdings Toyota Camry and were demanding money before Rodriguez shot the two older teens, authorities said. He twice shot Gerding in the back and shot Timmons once in the face when he attempted to leave the vehicle, authorities said. One of them Gerding was pronounced dead at a hospital. Although Rodriguez was charged as a juvenile at first, he was certified to be tried as an adult. In 40 years, Rodriguez is expected to be eligible for parole due to his age when Gerding and Timmons were shot. Katie Warren who was one of the Harris County's assistant district attorneys prosecuting the case said in a release that jurors made the right call. We appreciate the efforts and attention of the jury, and we are happy to see that justice is finally done, she said in the release. Deleon has admitted to her involvement, officials said, and is expected to face sentencing Oct. 4 on a murder charge, according to the district attorney's office and court records. Court records also show Rodriguez waived his right to counsel last week. For years, Art Acevedo's bravado and big personality endeared him to residents across Houston and to many of its leaders. In Miami, it's landed him in a heap of trouble. Houston's former top cop appears to be fighting for survival in Miami, where he has clashed repeatedly with city leaders angered by his surprise hiring six months ago and his off-the-cuff, unrestrained style. Charles McClelland, Acevedo's predecessor in Houston, said police chiefs have internal and external challenges at every department they lead. TROUBLE IN FLORIDA: Former Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo in hot water in Miami over 'Cuban Mafia' comment "In general, police chiefs across the country fare better in the challenges of their job if they can keep politics out of their job," he said. "In my experience I've found it to be that member of communities don't like their police chiefs to be politicians or media celebrities." Others weren't surprised that some Miami leaders were souring on Acevedo. Ashton Woods of Black Lives Matter-Houston remarked, "He talks a lot of good stuff, and then he opens his mouth and shows who he really is." Asked if he had any comment about the most recent developments in Miami, Houston Police Officers' Union President Douglas Griffith said, "Nope, thats their problem, not mine." The matter came to a head earlier this week when powerful city commissioners held a special meeting to torch Acevedo's hiring. It has been a sore point with commissioners almost from the moment that Miami Mayor Francis Suarez announced the move, calling Acevedo the "Michael Jordan" of police chiefs. Acevedo immediately started shaking up the department, making some controversial disciplinary decisions that included firing the highest-ranking police couple in the department for not properly reporting a patrol vehicle accident; relieving a popular sergeant-at-arms; and abruptly demoting several supervisors -- including a high-ranking Black female officer. He said his own department should investigate police shootings -- mirroring his insistence in Houston that his own officers investigate the Harding Street scandal. He also irritated the rank-and-file when he told a radio station that officers should get vaccinated or risk being fired. CHIEF'S RISE: Acevedo survived controversy on way to top policing jobs Then he posed for a selfie with a leading member of the Proud Boys, a racist far-right group that frequently attends civil rights protests to generate violence and chaos. (Acevedo said he was unaware the man was a member of the Proud Boys). But the commissioners' irritation boiled over after they learned Acevedo had joked during a roll call with some of his officers that the Miami Police Department was run by the "Cuban Mafia," a phrase that has a deep history in south Florida. Acevedo issued a lengthy apology on Twitter, but that did little to assuage their anger. On Monday, several of the city's five commissioners -- Joe Carollo, Alex Diaz de la Portilla, and Manolo Reyes -- blasted Acevedo over past misdeeds and his fondness for the camera, the Miami New Times reported. According to the MNT dispatch, Carollo asked Noriega how he'd come to hire Acevedo and what vetting the manager had performed on Acevedo. The manager said he hadn't done any serious digging. In response, Reyes, one of the other commissioners, told Noriega he could have just "Googled" Acevedo to learn about his past (much of which has been chronicled here... at the Chronicle.) Carollo apparently spent several hours reading news clippings about Acevedos record and asking Noriega if he'd known about those controversies before making the decision to hire Acevedo. "[Acevedo] feels he can do whatever he pleases," Carollo said, during the meeting. "He is not accountable to anyone. Not accountable to the city manager or to the residents of the City of Miami. Period." 'I HATE TO SEE HIM LEAVE': Mayor Turner says Police Chief Acevedo departure caught him by surprise Acevedo fired back, sending an eight-page memo to Noriega and Suarez accusing the commissioners of "misconduct" and interfering with his efforts to reform the department. He accused them of publicly discussing an internal MPD investigation over Acevedo's firing of a popular sergeant-at-arms and of attempting to interfere with his efforts to rein in improper use of force by stripping the department of money that Acevedo had used to hire Heather Morris, an assistant police chief from Houston, whom he'd brought on specifically to deal with that problem. He also accused one commissioner of urging him to arrest "Communist" agitators at a recent protest, and accused two of them of providing his department with a "target list" of businesses in each others' districts, forcing the department's vice squad to waste "untold" hours on pointless investigations. If I or M.P.D. give in to the improper actions described herein, he wrote, as a Cuban immigrant, I and my family might as well have remained in Communist Cuba, because Miami and M.P.D. would be no better than the repressive regime and the police state we left behind. ACEVEDO'S FIRST YEAR IN HOUSTON: Houston's top cop sets whirlwind pace during first six months City Manager Art Noriega -- who hired Acevedo -- told commissioners Monday that the chief was "someone who could come in from the outside and really effect change. Where were at today in particular is a function of the style and the manner in which that change is effectuated, he said, according to a dispatch from the New York Times. At the same time, images popped up on Twitter of an advertisement truck trolling Acevedo. The vehicle was emblazoned with the message "Art Acevedo is 'the Lebron James of performative self promotion'" driving around the affluent Coconut Grove neighborhood. According to the New Times story, commissioners ultimately voted to create an investigative body to look into Acevedo's allegations and to investigate him. Another meeting is scheduled for the end of the week. Urn in hand, Jessica Chavez quietly denounced the decision of a Harris County grand jury to not charge five police officers in the death of her husband. The ashes of her husband, Nicolas Chavez, were inside the metal urn, she said. Chavez, 27, was shot and killed in April 2020 during a mental crisis in east Houston, a deadly encounter that prompted former police Chief Art Acevedo to fire three officers and a sergeant involved in the death. The grand jury convened a year following the sweeping terminations and also reviewed possible charges against a fifth officer, whom police brass chose not to fire. The wife, as well as several League of United Latin American Citizens leaders, returned Tuesday to the Denver Harbor street where Chavez died and pointed to Acevedos decision as evidence that the officers were in the wrong to shoot him. I am his voice and will continue to be his voice, she said. At times, Chavezs wife spoke so quietly that LULAC leader Venus Rodriguez had to speak for her all while comforting her as she cried. It is painful to get this outcome, Rodriguez said. Augie Pinedo, another LULAC leader, said that despite the decision Monday not to charge the officers, improved police training on dealing with mental health crises and transparency in grand juries is a must. Grand jury proceedings are secret, and the evidence presented to grand jurors cannot be disclosed. Pinedo believes that should change. The Houston Police Department did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Calls to release body-worn camera footage from Chavezs death prompted police to share video and 911 calls from the 15-minute encounter when the firings were announced. Footage showed several officers confronting Chavez as he huddled under a street light. Several attempts to de-escalate the situation failed. The officers opened fire as Chavez grabbed a spent Taser, which was effectively useless because it was missing both cartridges. Sgt. Benjamin Leblanc believed Chavez grabbed it with a shooting grip and that he feared for his life. Chavez was rushed to a hospital but did not survive. A toxicology report later found traces of methamphetamine and alcohol in Chavezs body at the time of his death. The fired four have since appealed their terminations, and Houston Police Officers Union officials said arbitration is the next step to return the officers to their jobs. It would be a serious mistake to bring the officers back, Pinedo said. Relatives of Chavez earlier lodged a federal lawsuit against the city, contending that police guidelines permitted its officers to strike Chavez with two dozen gunshots, killing him. U.S. District Court Judge Lee Rosenthal dismissed the case in July but allowed lawyers to re-file weeks later. Chavezs wife said plans to refile the lawsuit are in the works. nicole.hensley@chron.com twitter.com/nkhensley A group of Montgomery County police officers sued Tesla this week seeking up to $20 million in damages after a car on autopilot plowed into them at full speed during a roadside traffic stop in February. The four Pct. 4 deputies and a Splendora police officer also want compensation from Pappas Restaurants Inc., whom the officers say served far too much alcohol to the person behind the wheel of the car. The Harris County lawsuit, brought by high-profile plaintiffs lawyer Tony Buzbee, says its inconceivable that Tesla and its founder Elon Musk dont already know that the vehicles autopilot feature has been a factor in at least a dozen high speed collisions where Teslas crashed into parked emergency vehicles with their lights flashing, yet they havent taken steps to warn drivers or address the flaws. Buzbee indicated his was the first of many suits over a design flaw in the luxury car. On HoustonChronicle.com: 2 people killed in driverless Tesla crash where car burned for hours Teslas claims about the effectiveness of its autopilot feature, the suit says, have been proven to be vastly and irresponsibly overstated, if not outright untrue. This is not a run-of-the-mill car crash on the side of the road, Buzbee said. Theres a bigger issue here, which is the number one manufacturer of electric cars in the world is aware of a defect that puts officers at risk. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has demanded data from the car company on the operation of the autopilot feature, citing a 11 crashes involving emergency vehicles nationwide that have killed one person and injured 17. The investigation covers roughly 765,000 Tesla vehicles built since 2014. Most incidents took place after dark and the crash scenes encountered included scene control measures such as first responder vehicle lights, flares, an illuminated arrow board, and road cones, investigators said in a summary of the investigation. The involved subject vehicles were all confirmed to have been engaged in either Autopilot or Traffic Aware Cruise Control during the approach to the crashes. The local suit accuses Musk of being cavalier in social media posts in response to drivers bragging about dangerous risks theyve taken while using the feature. After a couple posted a video of themselves in 2019 having sex while their Tesla was on chugging along on autopilot, Musk tweeted: Turns out there are more ways to use Autopilot that we imaginedShoulda seen it coming... Anna Marchand, general counsel for Pappas said, We have only just received this complaint and will be conducting an investigation into its allegations. Our thoughts and prayers are with the officers involved, Marchand said. We want to thank the Montgomery County constables for all they do for our community. Officials at Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. The crash at 1:15 a.m. on Feb. 27 on the shoulder of Interstate 69 above East River Drive involved six people, two parked Chevy Tahoes belonging to Montgomery police officers and a K9 searching the vehicle of a driver suspected of drug possession. All the vehicles were totaled and multiple people required emergency medical treatment. A Splendora officer was searching underneath the suspects truck with a K9, according to the Montgomery County Reporter. The suspect was handcuffed and standing behind the truck and speaking with a deputy near a patrol car. Other deputies were searching inside the suspects truck. A man driving a Model X all-electric vehicle had been drinking at Pappasitos Cantina, the suit says. He was heading north on the highway when he hit the group at 70 mph. The Tesla driver had deployed the cars autopilot feature, which is advertised to assist with steering, accelerating, braking and provide collision warnings and blind spot monitoring, according to court documents. The Tesla was completely unable to detect the existence of at least four vehicles, six people and a German Shepherd fully stopped and in the lane of traffic, the lawsuit says. On HoustonChronicle.com: Furious cyclists call for arrest, alleging teen driver menaced them before crash that injured 6 The officer underneath the truck was dragged a short distance and the handcuffed suspect was thrown under one of the vehicles and was hospitalized in critical condition following the crash, according to the Reporter. Buzbee said the suspect who had been stopped survived, but he did not know his current condition and he is not a party in the officers lawsuit. A deputy was hit by the mirror on a patrol car. Another deputy was hit by the suspects vehicle and a sergeant was nearly pitched over the bridge wall to a 30-foot drop. He was pinned between the patrol unit and concrete wall, the Reporter said. The officers suffered an array of orthopedic injuries including a broken arm and the K9 was treated at the vet, according to Buzbee. The Tesla driver was uninjured and arrested on a DWI charge, according to reports. He is not a defendant in the lawsuit. Federal regulators are examining Teslas full self-driving feature and how it is promoted to its fiercely-loyal Tesla owners, as more crashes involving the autopilot features occur. Jennifer Homendy, the new chairwoman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said in an interview last week with the Wall Street Journal that basic safety issues must be addressed as the company offers autonomy to drivers. NTSB, which investigates individual crashes and makes recommendations to automakers and policymakers, has investigated eight crashes related to self-driving systems, including an April 17 wreck in Spring that killed two men. Dr. William Varner, 59, and Everette Talbot, 69, both died when Varners Tesla traveled less than 600 feet, slammed into a tree and caught fire. The investigation remains open, but the NTSB said video evidence contradicts earlier statements by Harris County Constable Precinct 4 Mark Herman that no one was in the vehicles drivers seat. At issue in the Spring crash and others is whether Tesla is marketing a self-driving system that users think is much more in command than they think, and concerns by experts that abuse of the system is rampant. Various YouTube videos show drivers skirting the systems, and crashes across the country have been blamed on drivers not monitoring the autopilot as instructed. Unlike airlines, which are heavily regulated by the Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies, automakers face few government-required standards. Safety regulations require all sorts of features and capabilities but do not dictate exactly how manufacturers achieve them, said Phil Koopman, an electrical and computer engineering professor at Carnegie Mellon University and co-founder of Edge Case Research, which focuses on making autonomous vehicles safer. Federal rules make seat belts mandatory, for example, but do not specify how automakers build them. Regulations and requirements are even less stringent when it comes to automation, where industry standards exist but there is no requirement that automakers follow them, Koopman said in an April interview after a deadly crash in Spring. Every company is on their own to do the right thing, he said. The officers are claiming the auto company and the restaurant were grossly negligent. They also sued Tesla for strict liability and a design defect. gabrielle.banks@chron.com dug.begley@chron.com Texas on Tuesday executed a Harris County defendant for the first time in two years, lethally injecting Rick Allan Rhoades more than three decades after he stabbed to death two brothers who were sleeping in their Pasadena home. Three family members of Charles and Bradley Allen, as well as a friend who discovered the brothers bodies, looked through the barred window of the chamber and barely broke their stares while the dose coursed through the 57-year-old man. Rhodes was pronounced dead at 6:29 p.m. He declined to make a final statement. The former laborer had exhausted his state and federal appeals. His defense attorneys did not return requests for comment. Leaving the Huntsville Unit, the brothers loved ones were, at times, at a loss for words. Bradley Allens daughter, who was born during the trial, was present at the execution. He watched my dad die, so I wanted to watch him die, Marley Allen Holt said. Rhoades was on death row since 1992, when a jury condemned him for the murders of Charles and Bradley Allen, 31 and 33. He was the third inmate put to death this year in Texas and the sixth in the U.S. The media closely followed Rhoades trial in the early 90s, partly because of the grisly nature of the crime but also because of his repeated releases from prison. At 27 years old, he had served four sentences in Indiana and Texas, mostly for home and auto burglaries. He was released on parole less than 24 hours before the slayings. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg on Tuesday attended the execution. Waiting for the condemneds capital punishment can be a travesty for people who are hoping to see the end of the criminal justice process, she said, and the Allens waited 30 years. This is the final act of justice on behalf of these two innocent victims of Rick Rhoades, whose days have come to an end, Ogg said. I think whats important is to focus on the conclusion of this tragedy for this family and these friends of the victim. Seventy-three Harris County defendants now remain on death row, the most of any county in the state, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Rhoades case was one of the oldest. The chamber Rhoades spent much of his last days sleeping, pacing his cell and meeting with visitors, prison officials said. He spoke with ministers Monday although he did not have a spiritual adviser present at the execution and on Tuesday, he sorted through photos and packed his property. He was taken from his holding cell at 6:02 p.m. Strapped to the gurney, Rhoades briefly looked at the Allens family and refocused his attention at the ceiling. The lethal dose of pentobarbital began at 6:12 p.m., and two of Rhoades friends watched from another side of the chamber as he gurgled and gasped. He was pronounced deceased 17 minutes later. Speaking after the execution, a brother of the victims said he couldnt vocalize why he wanted to be present, or how the experience felt. I really cant describe what its like, Kevin Allen said. Its the most solemn thing I think Ive ever been a part of. Appeals exhausted Thirty years of appeals did not change Tuesdays outcome. About an hour before the lethal injection, the U.S. Supreme Court denied a stay of execution despite Rhoades recent attempts to access juror information from the 1992 trial. His defense attorneys, Jeffrey Newberry and David R. Dow, believed two potential jurors might have been struck from the panel in a discriminatory manner. Those efforts worked their way through the courts. Ana Martinez, a state district judge now presiding over the trial court, did not take up the case because she struggled with jurisdiction to grant attorneys access to the juror information. U.S. District Judge David Hittner last week upheld Martinezs ruling, also denying Rhoades a stay of execution. His attorneys then appealed the case to the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which affirmed Martinezs ruling Monday. Other former appeals included complaints over the exclusion of certain childhood photos from trial, which depicted Rhoades as a happy child, and claims that evolving standards of decency prohibit execution as a punishment for murder. Rhoades, who claimed decades ago to have a 140 IQ, also argued that the convicting court unconstitutionally permitted the jury to hear testimony about the possibility of release on furlough for capital defendants sentenced to life in prison, which was technically accurate but an unprecedented possibility in Texas, according to court documents. Daniel Sanders, the friend who came upon the Allen brothers bodies the morning of the slaying, said he never felt the appeals amounted to 30 years of waiting for an end to the case. It was very upsetting that it would continue to go on, he said. Having had the ability to read some of his points of appeal, I thought they were silly. The crime The brothers murders became a massive story when Houstonians learned that Rhoades was released on parole less than 24 hours before the killings. He neglected to go to his halfway house and instead took a bus to Houston, court documents show. Prosecutors and defense attorneys disputed what happened next, but jurors sided with the following version of events. The brothers turned in to sleep after an eventful night of hosting a party to watch the University of Houston play the University of Miami in football, prosecutors said. They were also celebrating the imminent opening of a recording studio as well as a recent move into Charles new home, which was also on their childhood street. Bradley Allen was a graphic artist, and Charles Allen was an operator for a chemical company as well as an aspiring musician with a home full of recording equipment. Both of them were recently divorced, and Bradley was staying temporarily with Charles at his new home, according to their sister. Rhoades burglarized the house and killed the brothers in the process, according to articles about the trial. They were discovered the next day, stabbed multiple times with a butcher knife, and Charles Allen was beaten with a weight bar. Cash and a set of car keys were stolen during the burglary. The Allens left behind three brothers and a sister, all of whom are now in their 60s. Their mother is also still alive. samantha.ketterer@chron.com The University of Houston is participating in a yearlong weather experiment that will examine if soot, dust, smoke and other tiny particles suspended in the atmosphere can cause stronger, rainier thunderstorms. Its a topic of much debate among researchers, who dont fully understand how the size, amount and composition of aerosols can affect storms. There may even be a sweet spot where a certain number of airborne particles would invigorate a storm but then adding more would reverse that trend. We dont know the answers to those questions, Michael Jensen, principal investigator for the experiment and a meteorologist with the U.S. Department of Energys Brookhaven National Laboratory, said during a virtual news conference. Thats exactly why we need to get out there and take these detailed measurements of whats going on inside the clouds. CLIMATE: Tired of Houston's heavy rain? Climate change means you should probably get used to it. The experiment begins Oct. 1 and will use more than four dozen instruments and over 1,000 weather balloons provided by the U.S. Department of Energy. Researchers hope to settle the aerosol debate and, ultimately, improve computer models used for weather forecasts, air quality conditions and climate predictions. The experiment might even produce data that helps predict how much rain a storm could produce, which could be particularly useful in cities such as Houston that are prone to flash flooding. The study is known as TRACER, which stands for TRacking Aerosol Convection interactions ExpeRiment. UH is partnering with the U.S. Department of Energys Brookhaven National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory to collect data on aerosols and atmospheric characteristics for a full year. The Department of Energys Atmospheric Radiation Measurement user facility is providing the instruments. The bulk of these instruments are being placed at the La Porte Municipal Airport, though some will also be in Pearland, Guy (a less populated community in Fort Bend County) and Smith Point on the east side of Galveston Bay. These instruments will measure variables that include humidity, rain, cloud properties and the size, number and chemical composition of aerosols. Placing the instruments in a variety of environments should allow researchers to measure thunderstorms interacting with natural aerosols, such as sea salt, and industrial/urban aerosols such as soot from combustion processes at power plants and refineries. The equipment could even detect smoke caused by wildfires in California and Colorado that travels to the Houston area. We not only want to be measuring the urban or industrial aerosol signal and what those impacts would be on clouds and cloud development, said Chongai Kuang, a co-investigator on the experiment and an atmospheric scientist at Brookhaven National Laboratory. Were also very much interested in the signal from aerosol from more natural, rural or agricultural areas. HURRICANE PROTECTION: The final Ike Dike plan won't protect against every storm especially with climate change During Houstons summer storm season, the experiment will undergo an intensive study period with additional partners and equipment from the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and other agencies. Weather is really the building block for climate, Jensen said. Climate is the average weather conditions we see in any one place. So in the end, weather and climate are both impacted by the same atmospheric physics, the same processes that are going on in the atmosphere. And our real focus is understanding those processes that drive the weather and, therefore, also the climate. andrea.leinfelder@chron.com twitter.com/a_leinfelder Ten years ago, Texas power grid failed to the point of blackouts. Temperatures dropped well below freezing for several days. Pipes and water lines froze at dozens of power plants. Wind turbine blades iced over. More than 4 million customers lost power. Six months later, federal energy officials released a 357-page report detailing what went wrong that power plants and natural gas producers had failed to adequately weatherize facilities and outlining how Texas could avoid another winter disaster. Texas didnt listen. And you know the rest of the story. Ten years later, another winter storm swept across the South and Midwest, causing the largest forced power outage in the nations history, knocking out 61,800 megawatts across the region, killing at least 210 people and leaving more than 4.5 million Texas homes and businesses including 1.4 million in the Houston area without power for three days in freezing temperatures. Last week, the same federal agencies that tried to warn us the first time the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the North American Reliability Corp. released preliminary findings from the latest disaster. MORE ENERGY NEWS: Texas wants to strengthen the power grid. Are batteries the answer? Once again, the agencies recommended that the power plants and natural gas producers protect critical equipment from freezing temperatures, update power generators that experience freeze-related outages and compensate generators to recoup weatherization costs. The Groundhogs Day time loop is complete. Now the question is, how many times does Texas have to get hit over the head with a federal report before the state finally takes the necessary steps to safeguard its electric grid? FERC Chairman Rich Glick succinctly underscored the states failure: If Texas followed the agencys guidance a decade ago, lives would have been saved. I cannot, and will not, allow this to become yet another report that serves no purpose other than to gather dust on the shelf, Glick said while presenting the agencys findings. Of course, FERCs 31-page report and dozens of recommendations can go only as far as the state is willing to take them. The report recommends that power generators identify and protect cold-weather critical components, retrofit existing generators to operate in cold weather and conduct annual unit-specific cold weather preparedness training. Generator owners and operators should be forced to provide greater specificity about available power capacity leading up to extreme weather events. It even calls on Congress to determine which entity has authority over natural gas pipeline reliability, after finding that natural gas generators accounted for 58 percent of the states power outages. The Texas Legislatures initial actions on commonsense reforms this spring appear to have already tackled some of these problems. They mandated weatherization of facilities though not all facilities and not with substantial penalties for those who dont comply. Lawmakers also established a statewide emergency alert system, and they passed provisions aimed at improving industry communication and fixing basic gaps in the system, such as making sure natural gas facilities wont have their own power cut during a crisis. And yet, there is a larger structural problem that appears unlikely to be fixed anytime soon. The Electric Reliability Council of Texas, the states main power grid operator, has resisted connecting with the nations two other power grids. The most damning finding in FERCs report was that ERCOT, unlike neighboring power authorities in the South and Midwest, did not have the ability to import thousands of megawatts from the Eastern Interconnection, which links suppliers and customers east of the Rocky Mountains. The two other power authorities impacted by Februarys storm were able to transfer power through their many transmission lines with the Eastern Interconnection, which helped to alleviate their generation shortfalls during the storm, according to the FERC report. TEXAS LAWBOOK: In fight over $2 billion winter storm bill, ERCOT says it just followed orders Wed like to feel comforted by Glicks reassurances that this time around will be different, but its unclear how FERCs many recommendations will even be enforced. After all, this is a grid system designed to fly under the radar. For decades, the state has kept its flow of power in-state. ERCOT controls both wholesale and retail sales of power while skirting federal oversight. Texas hallowed status as a regional Goliath of energy production and consumption has only reinforced its autonomy. Yet that independence hasnt made the grid any more reliable. ERCOT is structured in a way that power generators be it natural gas, wind, coal, nuclear or solar get paid only for the amount of power they generate. Rather than pay power producers to ensure that a cushion of power is available when its most needed, ERCOT has refused to do this because it would raise electricity rates for customers. After the storm forced more than 1.8 million CenterPoint Energy ratepayers in Houston to pay a $1.14 billion natural gas bill the utility racked up when it was forced to buy energy at astronomical prices, customers across the state should be asking if this tradeoff is worth it. Peter Lake, chairman of the Public Utility Commission of Texas, which oversees ERCOT, waxed poetic in the Houston Chronicle recently about how well the grid performed during the peak summer months. One would hope so. Theres nothing abnormal or unexpected about a hot Texas summer. But as long as Texas refuses to make the major changes long called for by federal regulators, all we can do is hope that Texas good fortune holds. Thats not so comforting. Winter is coming. And no one can say for sure that Texas is ready. Regarding Editorial: How would you spend $16 billion? Probably not how Texas lawmakers would. (Sept. 26): After reading the editorial regarding relief funds, the lights go out Sunday evening. Approximately 4,592 CenterPoint customers are without power for a little over five hours. No heat wave. No freeze. A full on blackout. With $16 billion in funds available for aid and recovery, legislators need to prioritize what the funds go towards. The electrical power grid infrastructure is a good place to start. Bill Pond, Humble Property tax Regarding Tomlinson: Proposed property tax relief does not go far enough, (Sept. 24): I moved to Texas from California and expected to see my tax burden decline. Now that we've purchased a home, I believe my tax burden has actually risen when I tally up the sum of income tax and property tax I previously paid versus my property tax bill alone in Texas. As my wife and I approach retirement I can see the very real possibility of being forced out of our home due to rising property taxes. Texans love to bash California, but at least California took action to try to prevent seniors from being priced out of their homes due to property taxes. Chris Tomlinson has been a lone voice in the state calling for a reduction of property taxes combined with a new income tax to create a more balanced approach to raising revenue. Id add a system to limit property tax increases after they've been slashed to solve the problem of property taxes rising faster than income, particularly for seniors who often have fixed incomes. Greg Groh, Houston There's a hundred ways to tweak property tax. But what personal finance principles should property tax obey? We know the best way to buy a home is via savings or cash. Failing that, for most of us, the best option is a fixed-rate mortgage. It promotes long-term budgeting and family stability. So this fixed amount approach should be applied to ongoing property tax collection. You could collect a premium amount at the time of sale (a sales tax like the car tax) since it could be included in the initial loan. The value of the annual tax would be computed using objective static criteria (square feet of improvement, square feet of land). The tax rate on the fixed basis would be constant and only changed via taxpayer vote. Basically, get rid of non-objective market appraisals and ever-increasing tax increases levied by the unseen hand of the appraisal district, accountable to no one. Walt Lind, Houston Chris Tomlinson is dreaming if he thinks property taxes would be slashed if Texas imposed an income tax. Politicians (whether local or state) will not slash taxes they will just add an income tax as another revenue stream. Giving politicians more money is not the answer. Chris Greene, Houston Guns Regarding Opinion: Where is the endless coverage of minority women who are murdered?, (Sept. 26): Over the weekend, there was a letter to the editor asking why teens are getting guns and being involved in shootings. The answer is they are following adults examples. Each morning in Houston, there are reports of shootings by adults that occurred the night before. Now, in Texas, any adult can carry a gun to feel safe. There are now many guns in many homes and cars, ready to carry and easily accessed by teens. Until the laws are changed, this will continue to happen. Brenda Godsey, Pearland Much-needed positivity Regarding Open hearts: Houstonians have a history of giving, (Sept. 23): It was such a fantastic surprise to open the paper and see so many positive stories. The Houston Gives special edition regarding volunteers, philanthropy and helping others was such a welcome relief from the saturation of chaos, catastrophe and negative news that have become the norm. There is as much good in this world as there is bad, if not more. I think people are craving and needing good news, so thank you again. Lisa Anderson, Houston The case of rape Regarding Opinion: Hey Abbott, if Trump told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it?, (Sept. 25): Mr. Petty, women who do not intend to have sexual intercourse and are not willing to become mothers should not have to take birth control every day in case some male decides to overrule her "No!" and rape her. I would rather see men taking charge of the problem by having reversible vasectomies. It is much less dangerous for the man than pregnancy, childbirth or abortion is for women. The governor thinks he will get all the rapists off the street but any woman can tell you that's impossible. Many rapists do not see themselves as such they just think women want to be convinced to participate, and refuse to accept her "No!" no matter how many times she says it. They see themselves as good men, and those around them agree with their assessment. How are you going to get all these good men off the streets? Psam Ordener, Friendswood A case thats before the Texas Supreme Court this fall could have strong implications for the future of the states newly adopted abortion ban, the most prohibitive in the nation. The suit relates to a 2019 law that, like the abortion law, was authored by state Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola. Known as the Save Chick-fil-A law, it allows anyone to sue when they believe a governmental entity has taken adverse actions against a person or company based on its support for a religious organization, as Republican lawmakers believed the city of San Antonio did when excluding the fast-food restaurant from its airport. Civilian enforcement is also the key to the new state law that effectively bans abortion, Senate Bill 8 a provision that has so far allowed it to survive a legal challenge based on Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court case establishing womens right to abortions. At issue in both cases: Can a state law grant private citizens standing to sue? The standing issue in the case is essentially the same, said Jason Steed, a Dallas-based appellate lawyer and court watcher who is not involved in the case. Thats whats interesting about it is that the court could decide that standing issue and whatever they decide about that issue would have direct implications for SB 8. The plaintiffs Chick-fil-A case is being argued by Jonathan Mitchell, former Texas solicitor general who played a central role in crafting the novel legal approach in SB 8. Mitchell did not respond to a request for comment. The case is set for oral arguments on Oct. 28. READ ABOUT THE CASE: San Antonio must offer Chick-fil-A an airport spot as part of agreement with federal officials Hughes said he worked with Mitchell, a former law clerk to the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, in writing the Save Chick-fil-A bill. They modeled the legislation after the Texas Medicaid Fraud Prevention Act, which similarly allows private citizens to bring suits alleging fraud and collect a share of any money recovered. It was not our intent at the time to set the table for the heartbeat bill, but when we began putting the heartbeat bill together, it did make it easier since wed already done it in the Chick-fil-A bill, Hughes said. Hughes and state Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, who sponsored the legislation in the House, in April wrote an amicus brief on behalf of 62 Republican members of the Legislature backing the plaintiffs and encouraging the Texas Supreme Court to take up the case. Its definitely a case were following, Hughes said. Court could dodge the issue The city councils decision to ban the restaurant had animated conservatives who saw it as discrimination against the company because its owner had given money to Christian groups that oppose same-sex marriage. Gov. Greg Abbott, surrounded by Republican lawmakers, each with a Chick-fil-A styrofoam cup in hand, signed Hughes bill in July 2019, and celebrated it as a victory for religious freedom. The suit before the Texas Supreme Court was brought on Sept. 5, 2019, by five Chick-fil-A supporters who said they were harmed because they would have been customers of the restaurant had it opened in the city-owned airport. Still, they note in the suit that the law does not require them to prove damages and purports to give standing to anyone who alleges a violation. They are seeking a court order to stop the city from excluding the fast-foot chain from this project and potential ones with the city in the future. Its unclear whether the company wants into the airport. In September 2020, San Antonio was forced to offer Chick-Fil-A its spot back as part of an agreement with the Federal Aviation Administrations Office of Civil Rights under the Trump administration. The settlement helped the airport avoid penalties that could have jeopardized millions of dollars in funding from the agency. But Chick-Fil-A declined, and the city has since given the spot to Whataburger, which is slated to open by next spring. MORE ON THAT: Whataburger gets San Antonio airport space that sparked Chick-fil-A saga In August of 2020, the Fourth Court of Appeals in San Antonio sided with the city and reversed a lower courts decision, ruling that the city had sovereign immunity, a legal principle that protects governments and their agencies from lawsuits. The Chick-fil-A bill, Senate Bill 1978, included a provision waiving that immunity in cases involving alleged violations; however, the law took effect Sept. 1, 2019, and the city councils decision on the airport contract took place more than six months earlier. The citys lawyers have also argued that the plaintiffs in the Chick-Fil-A case do not have standing to sue for several reasons, including failure to show a statutorily-defined injury. The Texas Supreme Court has repeatedly held that state court plaintiffs must prove they have the same kind of standing as federal court plaintiffs, said Neel Lane, an attorney representing the city. If the court drops that requirement here, it will open up municipalities to lawsuits by people who have not been injured and have no real stake in the outcome. Cities are facing enough strain already. But the appellate court did not wade into the standing issue because the immunity issue was enough to toss the case. The Texas Supreme Court could dodge the matter as well, if its nine Republican justices decide to affirm the appellate ruling. If they dont want to say that the government has immunity, then theyre going to have to tackle the standing question, Steed said. taylor.goldenstein@chron.com More than 240 migrants arrested under Gov. Greg Abbott's border security initiative are set to be released from state-run lockups after local prosecutors, overwhelmed by an influx of detained migrants, failed to bring charges as they sat in cells for weeks, an apparent violation of state law. Texas National Guard troops and state police have been mobilized by the hundreds to help round up and jail migrants caught crossing the border under Abbotts plan, known as Operation Lone Star. The plan broadly expands the states role in immigration enforcement, which is typically left to the federal government, though Abbott has argued his new approach is necessary to handle a steep increase in border crossings since President Joe Biden took office. Roughly 1,000 migrants have been arrested so far, mostly on state trespassing charges in Kinney and Val Verde counties, with hundreds imprisoned for weeks and some held for longer than a month without a judge seeing basic documents outlining the charges against them. As of Monday, more than 800 migrants, most from Mexico and Honduras, were being held at two state facilities, a state prison official told lawmakers at a committee hearing. TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox State law requires defendants to be released on cashless bonds or have their bail reduced if the state is not ready for trial within certain timeframes. For most trespassing cases, prosecutors must file charges within 15 days, though attorneys from Kinney County have argued that Abbotts disaster declaration along parts of the border gives them a window of 30 days. At a hearing Tuesday, State District Judge Roland Andrade granted the release of 168 migrants who had been jailed in Kinney County for at least 30 days, along with 75 migrants detained in Val Verde County for longer than 15 days. County prosecutors had agreed to release the migrants ahead of Tuesdays hearing, according to their attorney. Kate Huddleston, an attorney with the ACLU of Texas, said state officials have essentially tried to create a parallel criminal enforcement system for migrants arrested under Operation Lone Star, but without any safeguards for when local prosecutors decide not to prioritize migrants cases or to prevent them from becoming overwhelmed by the volume of arrests. What the state is trying to do is put together this slapdash system in which people are processed in a new way under emergency authorizations and, in doing so, the state has not been careful to ensure that individuals rights are protected, Huddleston said. The judges order comes as Abbott has made the border his top issue ahead of his re-election campaign and received $1.8 billion from the Legislature to build a physical barrier along parts of the southern border and continue arresting and incarcerating the migrants. State lawmakers also provided funding for the network of courts and detention facilities that are tasked with processing and detaining the arrested migrants, setting aside more than $32 million for the Office of Court Administration to hire new visiting judges, public defenders, court interpreters and other court staff. The border spending bill also set aside $100 million in grant funds, administered by Abbotts office, to help local authorities enforce Operation Lone Star, including various court costs. Abbott announced last week that counties could begin applying for the funds, though Maria Elena Mena Ramon, interim administrative director for the Office of Court Administration, said Monday that grant funds had yet to be distributed to counties. Ramon said resources and funding are clearly needed to help Kinney and Val Verde counties handle the flood of cases. She cited the uptick in Kinney, where there have been an estimated 800 arrests under Abbotts border initiative over the last month. Over the last year, just 16 misdemeanor cases were filed in the county, Ramon said. Abbott, a former state attorney general and judge on the Texas Supreme Court, did not respond immediately Tuesday to a request for comment. The incarcerations began in late July. Tuesdays hearing was in Del Rio, where Abbott made an appearance just last week to blast Biden and highlight how state troopers lined up hundreds of squad cars along an international bridge to help keep out Haitian refugees who had amassed there. Judge Andrade ordered the migrants released on cashless personal bonds. The migrants attorney, Kristin Etter of the nonprofit Texas RioGrande Legal Aid, also argued that state law requires people detained while awaiting trial to be held in the county where they were arrested, unless the local jail is deemed unsafe. The migrants were being held in state prisons in Frio and Hidalgo counties, outside the counties where they were arrested and prosecuted. In a court filing last week, Etter wrote that transporting pretrial detainees hours away from the county of arrest and prosecution where the evidence is located, and hours away from people able to provide help, to a prison facility, is not only unauthorized by Texas law without specific judicial authorization, but also violates several important constitutional rights guaranteed to those merely charged with criminal offenses who are unable to post bail. Bryan Collier, executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, told a House committee Monday that migrants jailed under Abbotts initiative are typically picked up by U.S. Immigrant and Customs Enforcement authorities upon being released. They can then be deported or released into the country to await immigration hearings. jasper.scherer@chron.com 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. School Mask Mandate Extended to November BOSTON The mask requirement in schools has been extended out another month. Public school children aged 5 and older and all staff will have to wear masks inside school buildings until at least Nov. 1, with certain exemptions. The state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education in August declared "exigent circumstances" and authorized the Commissioner Jeffrey Riley to institute universal masking based on a sudden rise in COVID-19 cases throughout the state near the end of July. The mandate was put in place until at least Oct. 1. On Monday, Riley determined to extend the mask requirement "after consulting with medical experts and state health officials." The mask mandate for vaccinated individuals will be lifted when 80 percent or more of all students and staff in a school are vaccinated. This would not be able to be applied in elementary schools because children under the age of 12 cannot yet be vaccinated. Counties are now ranging between 63 and 104 percent of eligible individuals vaccinated, with Berkshire County about 73 percent. Vaccination of those 16-19 are varied throughout the state, Chelsea a high at 81 percent , according to Riley's presentation to the DESE Board of Education. There are also high rates of vaccination for that age group in Berkshire County as of Sept. 16, with low-rate outliers in the hilltowns and parts of South Berkshires. In addition to masking, schools are also using social distancing of at least 3-feet and testing protocols, including the "test and stay" guidelines that can reduce quarantine times for those exposed to the novel coronavirus, to maintain in-person learning. According to Riley, the test-and-stay protocol saved roughly 1,000 in-person school days last week, including 450 on Friday alone. The mask guidance hasn't changed: It calls for mask breaks outside or when classroom windows can be opened, and when eating. Masks are also required on buses as part of the federal mandate requiring masks on public transportation. Pfizer and BioNTech have been reporting good trial results in vaccine doses for children ages 5 to 11. These results have been submitted to the Food and Drug Administration. Currently, only the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is fully approved by the FDA for use in individuals age 16 and older; other vaccines and use in those 12 to 16 is by FDA emergency authorization. Booster shots for the Pfizer vaccine were authorized last week for certain at-risk groups. Massachusetts is one of the leading regions in vaccination rates at about 72 percent, not far behind Vermont and Puerto Rico. The Baker administration has mandated vaccines for 42,000 state employees and health care workers but has declined to order one for educators despite support from the Massachusetts Teachers Association. Public colleges and universities, and many private ones, have instituted vaccine and masking mandates. Look! We have come through! For Box, the breakout hit in cloud content management and collaboration, the poetic words of DH Lawrence must resonate. If the terms activist investor and proxy battle still cause palpitations in the heart of CEO Aaron Levie then he can at least console himself that the nightmare of the companys struggle with Starboard Value is, at least for now, behind him. The company can focus on the longer term and seek to become the dominant incumbent in its space. Thats tough enough with the likes of Dropbox, Citrix, Microsoft and Google for company. For years now the company has appeared becalmed in the midcap sea and as I write this it has a valuation of $3.7bn. Respectable enough but fans of the company (and for that matter critics such as Starboard) see plenty of room for growth. That expansion is likely to come largely from the enterprise where Box has long focused its attention. To gain a new view on its progress and prospects I recently spoke to incoming Box EMEA president and enterprise software veteran Sebastien Marotte. On September 19, the interim director of the so-called Government Media and Information Centre (GMIC) announced 11 new media regulations for Afghanistans media industry, which can be arbitrarily interpreted to censor broadcast content and restrict press freedom. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the coercive restrictions which it says will set a grave precedent for media control and effectively dismantle any possibility of sustainable independent journalism in Afghanistan. The 11 rules announced by GMIC interim director, Qari Mohammad Yousuf Ahmadi, are binding and apply to all journalists and media organisations across Afghanistan and place restrictions on independent media and freedom of expression more broadly. The regulations forbid journalists and media organisations from publishing or broadcasting stories contrary to Islam, insulting national figures or violating privacy. According to the GMIC, the rules are supposedly based on the former Afghan media law that pre-dated the Talibans capture of the nation. The previous media law incorporated obligations to adhere to international norms such as human rights but there is no such mention of these global standards within the new regulations. The IFJ said the rules do not provide operational definitions of the terms they contain and provide ample room for individual interpretation by the countrys Taliban regime. Rules 4 to 6 instruct media organisations and journalists to not distort news content, follow the principles of journalism and keep reporting balanced. Rules 7 and 8 allow the control of news output and restrict publishing or broadcasting of content not officially confirmed by the regime or that may be deemed to harm the public sentiment. Rule 9 says media workers must maintain the principle of neutrality and rules 10 and 11 specify that news production must be aligned with Taliban ideology and advise all journalists and media to coordinate with the GMIC when reporting. The introduction of the regulations falls against a backdrop of increasing numbers of media rights violations recorded against journalists in the country since the Taliban takeover. On September 18, an editor and reporter associated with Salam Watandar, Mohammad Ali Ahmadi, was shot by miscreants, severely injuring his leg. Two other journalists, Shakib Siavash and Zafar Momand, also from Salam Watandar, were beaten by the Taliban while covering protests the same day. On September 10, Taliban members harassed and attacked Taqi Daryabi and Nemat Naqdi, of Etilaat Roz, as they covered anti-Pakistan and Womens protests in Kabul. More than 14 media workers were arrested for their news coverage on September 7 and 8. According to the IFJs documentation, more than153 media organisations have now ceased operations as the Taliban regime solidifies; with women journalists barred from working, a spike in telecommunication shutdowns and increased threats and violence at media workers. The IFJ said:The Talibans introduction of these media regulations is a blatant attack on the media and its vital task to inform Afghanistans people. If Taliban leaders are trying to send a message to the world, it is quite clear that these rules are intended to censor, silence and instil fear of retribution and in no way create a space for neutral or independent reporting. The IFJ said as many as 90 per cent of media workers are currently without access to employment or wages due to media shutdowns and it vehemently condemns implementation of rules that will further strangle the once dynamic media industry. The COVID-19 pandemic caused many Filipinos to look elsewhere for opportunities. This is particularly true for a young security guard at a Dipolog City-based radio station, when he was given a once-in-a-lifetime chance to give a long-running local radio show a fresh take on the news. From the Guard Desk to the News Desk In March 2020, then 23-year-old Kuya Nash Joaquino had been working as the night-shift security guardmostly looking for ways to pass the timefor about two years when the host of the radio stations morning news show delivered some bad news. The host, Mike Tito Mike Reyes, informed the station that he would be going into isolation indefinitely to protect himself against a possible coronavirus infection and would not be able to continue his show-hosting duties until the pandemic eased up. Though the sudden absence of Tito Mike sent the radio stations team into a panic, show producer and station co-owner Marivic Arnas came up with an unprecedented solution to save the show: why not have their security guard Kuya Nash as the host? Kuya Nash was already known around the broadcasting station for his sense of humor and nowhere was it more evident than when he himself jokingly suggested he take over for the beloved Tito Mike. What was meant to be just an off-the-cuff remark, however, proved to be the trigger for both the birth of Flash Patrol and the radio stations biggest risk yet. After some test recordings to see how well Nash could handle reading headlines and giving improvised commentary, it was clear that the folksy, irreverent Kuya Nash had an it factor no seasoned newscaster could replicate. According to Executive and Co-Producer Victoria Billones, Kuya Nashs lack of formal training proved to be his strength. With Kuya Nash, we had a newscaster who understood the news how ordinary people understood it, who spoke like our audience, and wasnt afraid to be candid, Billones explained. Flash Patrol takes on a format familiar to many news radio shows: one host reads the headlines of the day, with occasional guests to better dive into hot issues.Yet Kuya Nash is quick to think of jokes to lighten seemingly heavy topics. In one episode discussing COVID-19 vaccinations, Kuya Nash told audiences he was glad to finally be getting his second dose. Salamat sa Panginoon matatanggap ko na ang second dose (Thanks to God Ill be getting my second dose), he said. Balita ko daw hindi ka papayagan sa langit kung hindi daw fully vaccinated! (I heard they wont let you up in Heaven if you arent fully vaccinated!) Despite Kuya Nash entering Flash Patrol as an amateur, Billones is proud of his impact so far. Listeners have sent in overwhelmingly positive feedback, praising Kuya Nash for still being himself despite his new role. In a way, were giving the news back to ordinary people, Billones said. Kuya Nash has shown that it is possible. You can listen to Flash Patrol Monday-Thursdays mornings on Magik FM stations in Vigan, Laoag, Tacloban, Dipolog, Mandalupa, Lucena and Tuguegarao and or as a podcast for free on Spotify and other podcast apps. Galyn Bernard and Christina Carbonell met as executives in the marketing department of Quidsi, the parent company of Diapers.com. There, they learned the ropes of e-commerce and bonded over their hatred of shopping for kids' clothes, which felt cheap for the price, leaving them to chase sales and sold-out items. They left Quidsi in 2014, convinced they could build a go-to brand for kids with affordable, high-quality essentials. The twist? The vibrantly colored T's, pants, pajamas, and more would all be gender-neutral. Arming everyone they knew with a promo code, they launched Primary as a direct-to-consumer brand. Seven years later, Primary has over one million customers. --As told to Jill Krasny BERNARD: The idea for Primary came as much from our experience at Diapers.com as it did from our own experience shopping. We couldn't figure out why things were gendered. I have twin girls who don't like pink, and ended up buying them an orange jacket meant for boys. CARBONELL: We left our jobs, wrote a business plan, and raised a $2.5 million seed round, which we used to launch and buy the site. Initially, we tried marketing Primary as the place for "brilliant basics all under $25." The response was good but not great. We realized we needed to lean into what was truly different about our business: Our clothing had no logos, no slogans, no sequins -- which became our tag line. We knew we were on to something when we ran an ad on Facebook that said, "Not all babysuits need to say 'Lil Slugger.' " It resonated with parents who were tired of silly, stereotypical sayings. CARBONELL: The conventional wisdom was that customers had to have girls' and boys' sections. So we launched that way, but we quickly heard from customers asking why we needed gendered sections when our clothing was designed for everyone. So we changed the site to babies' and kids' sections, and never looked back. BERNARD: At the beginning of the pandemic, we had a lot of inventory and no visibility into demand. We knew everything was going for us -- we're not selling party clothing, and kids grow, which is helpful -- but we really had no idea. CARBONELL: We did recognize that value was more important than ever during Covid-19, especially around essentials. This was not a time when families were leaning into discretionary spending. BERNARD: We applied for a Paycheck Protection Program loan, but we returned it once the uncertainty of those initial months passed and we understood what parents were looking for: clothes for Zoom school that would last and be comfortable all day, and not cost a lot. CARBONELL: We ran a 50-percent-off essentials sale from April through July 2020. We saw a tremendous response. Categories that have always been strong for us, like pajamas and sweats, did better than ever. It hurt our margins in the short term, but it was worth it to keep our customers engaged. We learned to stay flexible and know what we're optimizing for -- customer loyalty at a difficult time and monetizing inventory, rather than worrying about margins. BERNARD: A lot of why we have been able to survive this pandemic has to do with our product development team, which is led by Marienne Hill-Treadway. She's had more than 35 years running some of the biggest brands. Marienne is always able to see a few steps ahead. Pre-pandemic, she knew that it was important for us to be approved in multiple factories. So we were able to flex between Vietnam, China, and India, depending on where things were getting difficult. She also found a new partner to augment our freight capabilities. We had late deliveries, but the impact was much less than it could have been. CARBONELL: For us, 2020 was a big year. We had $74 million in gross revenue, up 40 percent versus the prior year, with about two-thirds coming from our loyal customer base. We had plans to launch our first store in the fall of 2020, but we paused as soon as Covid hit. We're excited to test our own retail stores, where you can touch and feel our fabrics, see the beautiful rainbow of colors, and shop for babies and kids. BERNARD: We want to be a brand that stands for kids living their true colors. Clothing is a way to accomplish that mission. Early Gap was about authenticity. It never felt like they were trying to check the boxes on what culture was expecting. Patagonia, too, speaks to the things that are most important to them, but not because they think it's going to make them look good. STACEY ABRAMS HAS a knack for turning failures into successes. After conceding in a tight 2018 gubernatorial race in Georgia, the 47-year-old entrepreneur, lawyer, writer, and former legislator turned her attention to fighting the state's restrictive voting laws -- and ended up helping her party win the presidency and the Senate two years later. As an entrepreneur, Abrams and her serial co-founder, Lara Hodgson, started and shuttered two businesses before landing on the fast-growing fintech company, called Now, that they've been building since 2010. Now addresses one of the biggest pain points Abrams and Hodgson have experienced in their own entrepreneurial journey -- one that will ring a loud bell for any founder of a cash-strapped startup who's had to stare down the impossible choice between paying invoices on time and keeping operations humming. After growing largely by word of mouth for its first decade, Now recently landed a $9.5 million Series A investment aimed at taking the platform national. It's too early for Abrams to declare success, but failure isn't even on the table. How did you decide to become a startup founder? I was a reluctant entrepreneur. I have a wide range of interests, and I love learning new things. But I also enjoy the mechanics of running businesses. What has kept me in entrepreneurship is that it lets me multitask as a job. What skills have you developed in your political career that have helped you in your entrepreneurship? I became an entrepreneur and a political leader at the exact same time, so I would say they're mutually reinforcing. Whether you are trying to pass a bill, win an election, or start a company, clarity is incredibly important. Taking the time to write out the steps of how you're going to get it done and understanding the obstacles and the opportunities are skills I've had to foster and hone in both spaces. In your experience, what are some of the benefits and drawbacks to having a co-founder, versus going at it alone? I appreciate the independence that comes with starting a company yourself, but I advise people to start with a partner. You are always going to have blind spots, and having a business partner gives you an interest in identifying your blind spots before others see them. It is an extraordinary way to learn new skills. I didn't go to business school, but Lara and I tease each other that I have a bootleg MBA and she's got a bootleg law degree. The negative of having a co-founder is that you have to balance your ego with your ambition -- but in the end I have always found that I'm better at what I do when I have smart, thoughtful people doing it with me. You had to fold your first startup, Nourish, a line of formula-ready baby bottles pre-filled with purified water, not for any lack of orders but because you didn't have the financing you needed to fill those orders. How did you think about moving forward after that? We've been taught that failure is this negative word for us to recoil from. But the issue isn't whether you succeed or fail. When Nourish failed, we failed because we grew to death. So we didn't let that moment define our capacity for success, and we didn't let it dictate what we were going to do next. Instead of rehashing what we could have done differently had we been born millionaires, or if we had taken this or that opportunity, we thought, "OK, what we did we learn from this?" We simply learned that our business model did not work. A big business can carry $150,000 of unpaid invoices. For a small business, that's drowning. In your 2018 TED Talk, you said, "Finances are often a reason we don't let ourselves dream." How did you allow yourself to dream during your period of financial struggle? Lots of practice. You know, when you grow up with economic poverty, you have a great deal of opportunity to figure out that, while money is absolutely a real impediment, it is not always insurmountable. I watched my family surmount it. And so one thing we did with Nourish is that Lara and I never quit our other jobs. We kept our other company, Insomnia Consulting, going while we were building Nourish, and for me that was essential. I was solely responsible for my economic success, and that meant that I had to have these other sources of income while we were waiting for Nourish to become profitable. How were you ultimately able to see the opportunity to start Now, which offers a service to pay off the invoices of small businesses for a 2.5 percent fee? We realized there was a pain point for small businesses that sold to one another that wasn't being addressed by the capital markets and wasn't being discussed in the conversations we heard about business. We looked at what failed for us and decided to fix what we saw that was broken. How does Now address the kind of institutionalized biases against minorities that have been shown over and over again to exist in the established banking and credit systems? Traditional capital solutions often discount the structural challenges for minority-owned businesses. Loans require banking relationships, yet Black and brown communities are the most likely not to have local access to banks. Businesses need capital to grow, but gaining access to capital does not have to mean giving up equity or accepting predatory loan terms. Now relies on the business's actual performance and does not use personal credit to determine eligibility. We use a business score that can quickly be established. If a company does not yet have a score, we advise them on how to establish a score. If their score falls below our threshold, we advise them on how to remedy it. Now solves the loan/equity conundrum because ours is a payment acceleration system that enables a business to get paid immediately in a way that feels like accepting a credit card payment. This is much more accessible to marginalized founders than loans and financing. Now is based in Atlanta, not Silicon Valley. How has that helped or hindered the company? Atlanta is critical, in part because the fintech hub is actually Georgia, not Silicon Valley. The third person who helped found the business with us, John Hayes, was our banker when we were going through a factoring process that almost worked and then fell apart. He came to us and said, "Look, here's what happened with you," and we all brainstormed together and created the concept for Now. It happened because we were in Georgia, surrounded by people and companies trying to innovate around this problem. It is incredibly important to me to be able to say that we are building a fintech company here, in my home. What does success look like for this company? An American cryptocurrency expert has pleaded guilty to advising North Korea on how to use blockchain technology to launder money to avoid international sanctions. Vigil Griffith, 38, a Singapore based crypto expert and US national, travelled to Pyongyang in April 2019 to allegedly give a presentation to North Korean government officials on how they can avoid international controls by using virtual money. He was arrested in November that year and was charged with conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which prohibits any US citizen from exporting goods, services or technology to North Korea. Mr Griffith has now pleaded guilty in a District Court in Manhattan on Monday and faces up to 20 years of jail. Setting aside what happened, he has made important contributions to society that we will raise with the court, his attorney Brian Klein added in a prepared statement. He also has many wonderful qualities, and no one should define him by this mistake, he said. Mr Griffith, who earlier worked as a senior researcher for the Ethereum Foundation, was set to face a criminal trial before his guilty plea. In a Department of Justice release in 2019, US attorney Geoffrey S Berman said Mr Griffith sent highly technical information to North Korea, knowing that this information could be used to help them launder money and evade sanctions. He added that in doing so, Griffith jeopardised the sanctions that both Congress and the president have enacted to place maximum pressure on North Koreas dangerous regime. Federal prosecutors in the court documents also alleged that the State Department denied Mr Griffith permission to travel to the conference, but he ignored that and travelled to Pyongyang via China. Despite receiving warnings not to go, Griffith allegedly travelled to one of the United States foremost adversaries, North Korea, where he taught his audience how to use blockchain technology to evade sanctions. By this complaint, we begin the process of seeking justice for such conduct, assistant attorney general John Demers said in the release. North Korea has fired a suspected ballistic missile into the sea off its east coast on Tuesday, South Korea and Japan said. South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said an unidentified projectile fired from an inland location flew toward North Koreas eastern sea. Although Seoul did not provide further details, Japans defence ministry said it appeared to be a ballistic missile. Japanese prime minister Yoshihide Suga told reporters that his government is analysing details and will step up its vigilance. The missile was launched shortly before North Koreas envoy to United Nations Kim Song spoke at the UN General Assembly in New York. He urged the United States and South Korea to give up their hostile policies towards Pyongyang and said no one could deny his countrys right to self-defence and to test weapons. The possible outbreak of a new war on the Korean Peninsula is contained not because of the US mercy on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), it is because our state is growing a reliable deterrent that can control the hostile forces in an attempted military invasion, Mr Kim said. It was Pyongyangs third launch this month, after North Korea tested a strategic cruise missile and two railway-borne ballistic missiles. These tests were the Norths first such launches in six months and reportedly aimed at displaying its ability to attack key US allies South Korea and Japan. UN Security Council resolutions have forbidden North Korea from testing ballistic missiles. The Washington-Pyongyang talks on denuclearisation have been dormant following the 2019 summit between former US president Donald Trump and North Koreas supreme leader Kim Jong-un. However, Pyongyangs latest outreach came as a response to South Korean president Moon Jae-ins renewed calls for a declaration to end the 1950-53 Korean War to promote peace in the region. Last week at the UN, the South Korean president proposed that the end-of-the-war declaration be signed among the two Koreas, the US and China. Officials from the South described the declaration as a political and symbolic step because a peace treaty is needed to be signed to formally end the Korean War. The three-year-long war had ended with an armistice, leaving the two countries in a technical state of conflict. Kim Yo-jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un last week said Pyongyang was willing to consider an inter-Korean summit on the basis of mutual respect and impartiality. Seoul welcomed the prospect urging the need to restore a hotline link between the two. Earlier this year, she had advised the US against causing a stink at its first step in the region if it wished to sleep well for the next four years. A Tokyo airport had to delay several flights last week because a turtle decided to take a walk on the runway. The incident took place at Tokyos Narita international airport on Friday morning, when a turtle was spotted walking slowly on the tarmac just as one flight was about to take off. This prompted the pilot to call the air traffic control. The turtle, weighing about 2.1 kilograms and 30 centimetres long, was then removed by the staff with the help of a net. But it triggered a search of the entire 4,000-metre runway area, according to Japans Mainichi newspaper. The search effort caused the takeoffs to be halted for 12 minutes and delayed five flights. Interestingly, among the five planes delayed, there was a special All Nippon Airways (ANA) aircraft in sea-turtle theme, Mainichi reported that quoting officials. The newspaper reported that it was believed the turtle came from the airports retention pond about 100 meters away. The Narita International Airport Corp said it intends to ascertain what kind of turtle it is, and investigate what response to take. While animals that inhabit the streets have often been spotted at runways of different airports, turtles are pretty rare to land on the tarmac and cause disruption. The airline, however, is not unhappy with the delay caused and has called the turtle spotting a good omen. In Hawaii, sea turtles are seen as bringing good luck, and we hope this turtle that came to see the flight off signals a bright future, it said in a statement. As soon as the footage of the Taliban picking their way through abandoned NATO bases in Afghanistan beamed around the world, the veteran Pakistani arms dealer started getting calls. The videos of the fighters in fatigues posing with US weapons, driving armoured cars and even flying US-made helicopters had alarmed the world. But several hundred kilometres away in neighbouring Pakistan, eyes gleamed. And sellers like Ahmad, who has spent two decades smuggling weapons from Afghanistan on special orders for his clientele, saw a glint of opportunity. We are waiting, we are hopeful, he tells his potential buyers enthusiastically on a video call. We have orders for American M4s and pistols already lined up. In the days to come we hope - we expect - there to be some sort of arrangement. The history of smuggling between Pakistan and Afghanistan is a long one. But it became rampant in the early days of the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Strategically placed, Pakistan was a main lifeline for NATO troops and so ships brimming with supplies would land in Karachi from the Arabian Sea and make the several hundred-kilometre journey north to Afghanistan. NATO containers and trucks were easy prey to bandits. The routes would go through notoriously dangerous regions like the Khyber Pass which cuts through the mountain ranges between the two countries and was once a critical nerve of the Silk Road. It was common for the containers to arrive half full or to vanish entirely. The borders meanwhile became a perforated wonderland for smugglers who exploited the fighting to sneak weapons, military equipment, clothing and even luxury western foodstuffs from bases in Afghanistan back into Pakistan. Much of this contraband, from night vision goggles to ammunition belts, converged on places like Peshawar, near to the northwest border with Afghanistan, where the citys most famous marketplace was even nicknamed locally Bushs Bazaar after George W. In those days this area, local journalists say, was so lawless it was almost a semi-autonomous no mans land. At the height of the chaos, goods would be openly peddled in the streets or shuttled off to far-flung corners of the country. But as the war dragged on, business dried up. The borders and the provinces which hug them, were brought largely under state control. The nature of the NATO supply chain to Afghanistan also changed, and Pakistan became less of a central nerve, leaving fewer opportunities for interception inside the country. Senior Pakistani security sources told The Independent that while no one can guarantee a completely watertight border with Afghanistan given it stretches for over 2600km through sometimes impossible terrain, smuggling has been strangled and would continue to be so even after the withdrawal of the US and its allies. Police checkpoints trawl the once-notorious borderlands. And so Bush Bazaar - now more commonly known by its actual names of Sitara and Jhangir markets - is packed with Chinese knockoffs and homemade weapons, sculpted to look like US arms by local manufacturers who squirrel away in their factories based in the more remote towns nearby like Darra Adam Khel. This, vendors believe, will now change. Handmade weapons made locally in Pakistan who hope US spare parts will soon come over the border (Oliver Marsden) Frankly we want the American stuff, the proper commando kit hasnt been coming here for years, says one store owner who begrudgingly admitted his gun holsters, tactical vests, rifle lubricants and combat boots were actually made in China. At the moment the border is pretty closed but maybe in a month stuff will come. We all saw the bases and the embassies being emptied. The stuff will come. Khalid, (not his real name) an owner of a dusty gun shop a few hundred metres away, agrees. The shoebox store is lined with locally made American knock-offs, replicas of the M4 and M16 assault rifles the owner used to sell up until around four years ago when security tightened and supply dwindled to bullets that were easier to sneak across the borders. Before the Taliban, there was a trickle of American ammunition as officials [from the ousted regime] were easily bribed, he claims. Right now there is a total ban as the Taliban are trying to portray themselves as law and order. But we dont think this will last. He says he now makes regular calls to contacts in the districts closer to the border for status updates. They said they dont have anything for now but they are hopeful. We have orders for American M4s and Simson pistols already lined up Arms dealer in Pakistan With Taliban fighters and their supporters opening, occupying and emptying bases, embassies and the headquarters of western organisations the local dealers believe the sudden wash of equipment will eventually and inevitably spill into Pakistan. Some also think a burgeoning economic collapse (that the UN has warned could see famine grips parts of Afghanistan) might eventually see smuggling increase as people turn to increasingly desperate ways to make more cash. There are unconfirmed rumours that Afghan soldiers took their weapons and ammo with them when they fled again to make a quick buck as their livelihoods vanished. There have already been attempts. In August - just a few days before the last US troop left Afghan soil - Pakistani customs officials told local media they intercepted a vehicle trying to smuggle US and NATO weapons including M4A1 Carbine Rifles, Glocks, Berettas and ammunition into Pakistan via the Torkham border near Peshawar. Security at the border points has only tightened with the Talibans lightning advance across the country and at several points the crossings were completely closed. The Pakistani authorities have also told The Independent they cannot handle a sudden rush of refugees, and so have been on high alert. The Khyber pass where in the past containers of supplies were frequently attacked (Bel Trew) Speaking to The Independent, Taliban commanders manning the Torkham border meanwhile insist weapons smuggling will not happen as there is no lawlessness anymore. They said bribery and corruption were the defining traits of the ousted administration, its a new and better era. At least for now at the Torkham border, truck drivers say they are carefully checked on both sides. The only regular smuggling that is apparently going on is by small children hiding between the wheels of trucks shuttling food, clothes and cigarettes between the two sides. The Independent saw two children drop down from the undercarriage of the lorries and scuttle away. And so Ahmad - the arms dealer - admits on the call he does not expect containers of goods to be openly traded like the old days. But with bases looted, there will be greater volume on the market. I dont think its going to be necessarily easier to get the goods across the borders but there might be more stuff available, he says. That could bring costs down, right now its around $15,000 for an M4 which is too much. As I said, we are waiting and hopeful. All names have been changed The new Taliban-appointed vice chancellor for Kabul University announced on Monday that women would be indefinitely barred from the institution till a real Islamic environment is in place. I give you my words as the chancellor of Kabul University as long as real Islamic environment is not provided for all, women will not be allowed to come to universities or work, Mohammad Ashraf Ghairat wrote on Twitter. "Islam first," he said. In a previous tweet posted on 26 September to address the shortage of women teachers, Mr Ghairat had said: We are working on a way that male teachers will be able to teach female students behind the scenes in the classroom, thus creating an Islamic learning environment for women. Last week, the Taliban sacked PhD-holder Muhammad Osman Baburi as the head of Afghanistans premier university and replaced him with Mr Ghairat, who has lesser academic experience and holds a BA degree, leading to widespread criticism. The 34-year-old has in the past reportedly called schools in the country centres for prostitution and justified the killing of spy journalists last year. At least 70 members of the teaching staff have resigned since Mr Ghairats appointment. Mr Ghairats latest statement is in line with the tenets of the Talibans previous rule between 1996 and 2001, when women were not allowed to step out in public without a male companion. Enforcing strict Sharia law, the Islamist militants had forbidden Afghan women from working and attending school. This time, however, the Taliban is facing pushback from women, who have been participating in protests demanding that they get to keep their government jobs. Journalists covering one such protest march in Kabul in early September were whipped and detained by the militants. We heard some of these explanations in 1996 to 2001, when the Taliban said that the reason girls couldnt study and women couldnt work was because the security situation wasnt good, and once the security situation was better they could go back. Of course, that moment never arrived, Heather Barr, associate director of Human Rights Watch, told The Guardian. Abdul Baqi Haqqani, the higher education minister in the new Taliban government, announced on 12 September that women could study in universities where classrooms are gender-segregated. Women were told to wear Islam-appropriate clothes. We will not allow female and male students to study in one classroom. Coeducation is in opposition to Sharia law, Mr Haqqani had said. Virgin Atlantic has announced it will not hire new cabin crew or pilots who are not fully vaccinated against coronavirus. Getting jabbed is also strongly encouraged for existing staff but is not compulsory. A spokeswoman for Virgin Atlantic explained that the policy was introduced to protect our flying programme, alongside the significant benefits to public health. She went on: To ensure the continued health, safety and protection of our customers and people and to take advantage of the benefits of the UKs world-leading vaccination programme, we will require any cabin crew or pilots joining the business to be vaccinated. We know vaccination is the best way out of this pandemic Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman This is in line with other global airlines, including our partners at Delta. She noted that fully vaccinated UK travellers will be permitted to enter the US from November, while destinations such as Hong Kong and Pakistan require crews to have had both doses of a coronavirus jab. We know vaccination is the best way out of this pandemic and appreciate that the vaccination level of our workforce is very high, the spokeswoman added. Were committed to ensuring our customers and our teams fly safe and well and look forward to welcoming more of our pilots and cabin crew back to the skies. Earlier this month Hungarian carrier Wizz Air which serves 11 UK airports, said it will require its flight crews to be vaccinated by December. British Airways has taken the position that getting vaccinated is a personal choice for its staff. EasyJet is encouraging its flight crews to have jabs, but the budget carrier is not ordering them to do so. From November 11, all staff in registered care homes in England must be vaccinated unless they are medically exempt. Conciliation service Acas says there is no other UK law that requires people to have the vaccine even if an employer would prefer someone to have it. Neighbours sprawled out inside the lobby of the Bywater Art Lofts in front of a series of fans, trying to beat the heat as sweltering, late-summer temperatures approached 100 degrees Fahrenheit or higher in the days after Hurricane Ida left thousands of people in New Orleans without power. On 30 August, the day after Ida made landfall, more than a dozen residents inside the low-income housing complex who stayed through the storm shared battery-powered fans and sparingly used a gas-fuelled generator to charge their phones. Neighbours scrambled to fill coolers with ice where they could find it, cleaned out refrigerators and cooked meals to feed the building. Laura Bergerol, a 65-year-old photographer and Bywater Art Lofts resident, tried to leave the city before officials told residents to shelter in place as a likely Category 5 storm was imminent. As the week went on, she told her neighbours that her migraines were getting worse. On Twitter, she called on President Joe Biden for help, criticised FEMA and Mayor LaToya Cantrell, and urged the citys gas and electric utility company Entergy New Orleans to restore power. Entergy says theyll have power back on tonight, she said on 1 September. I doubt it! One week after the storm, her neighbour Caitlyn Ridenour knocked on her door and texted her to let her know she brought her an extra battery for her fan. I was like, Theres no way that fan is still charged. She must be really hot, she told The Independent. Worried that Ms Bergerol wasnt returning texts from neighbours and didnt answer knocks on her door, Ms Ridenour asked a neighbour to check on her. After more than six days in the heat, Ms Bergerol was found dead in her apartment. That night, her neighbours danced in her honour with music from a mobile DJ cart. Deaths caused by negligence At least nine people in New Orleans died from excessive heat during an extended power outage, while two others died from carbon monoxide poisoning from generators used to power their homes, according to the Orleans Parish coroners office. Three days after Ms Bergerols death, power was restored to the building. Entergy New Orleans is facing renewed scrutiny in Idas wake, which exposed lingering issues that residents and regulators have criticised in the aftermath of other storms, including lack of upgrades to strengthen its grid, and its reluctance to move to renewable sources in the midst of the growing climate crisis that threatens to displace thousands of people in south Louisiana. The Independent spoke with current and former city officials, environmental advocates, residents living in the footprint of its facilities and New Orleanians who have complained for years about the companys lack of critical investments to harden its infrastructure against severe weather, and criticised the company as being more interested in delivering for shareholders than maintaining a system marred by neglect. The company continues to build and rely on projects that emit greenhouse gasses that have exacerbated the crisis, including the creation of the New Orleans Power Station, a controversial gas plant in New Orleans East that the company argued would generate power for the city in the event of a total blackout. That didnt happen until two days after the storm, for a fraction of households. Faster-moving storms also force millions of people in the state one of the nations poorest, with a poverty rate in New Orleans roughly double the national average to quickly determine whether to spend hundreds of dollars they dont have on transportation and hotel stays for their evacuation for an undetermined amount of time. Without safety nets that can safely move people and families from their homes into shelters or hotels on short notice, and with an unreliable patchwork of federal relief available only after they bear the brunt of those costs, residents face a difficult choice to stay behind, with an unreliable electrical grid that in the case of Ida left thousands of people in the dark. Nearly one month after Ida made landfall, roughly 16,000 people in the state remain without power. Two days after the storm, Ms Bergerol said on Twitter that her rental insurance wouldnt cover a hotel stay. In a statement to The Independent, USAA spokesperson Rebekah Nelson said: While we cannot speak to the specifics of this member, some policies may provide coverage for expenses incurred due to having to evacuate in advance of Hurricane Ida. Receipts can be provided for consideration of reimbursement. More than three weeks after Idas landfall, the New Orleans City Council has launched an investigation into Entergy outages, as well as the management of the company itself, and whether there are alternatives to powering the city other than a monopoly under the umbrella of a Fortune 500 company that made a record profit of $1.4bn in 2020. Investigations from The Lens and ProPublica in Idas wake have also revealed both the depth of the companys alleged mismanagement and the lethal consequences of an inadequate electrical grid. The storm has also exposed how extended outages can have deadly impacts for elderly people, people with disabilities, and residents living in senior care centres and nursing homes. At least five people in New Orleans died in senior living apartments without electricity in Idas aftermath, according to the coroners office. There are many, many deaths from Ida that were not caused by trees falling on somebody, were not caused by shrapnel from glass being blown out, David Nowak, whose mother is a cancer survivor, told members of the city council on 22 September. This was not deaths caused by the storm. It was deaths caused by negligence and the inability to harden the transmission. One city council official told The Independent that previous administrations were unfocused in their relationships with Entergy, and failed to address both the scale of systemic issues that ballooned into a crisis as well as the needs of thousands of people depending on them for their basic needs. People can die, and did die, the official said. We endeavoured in this case to take on that fundamental question: How should that [relationship] be arranged? At the end of the day, this is a Fortune 500 company. They flex that power What is the best way to move forward so ratepayers get what they want: affordable, resilient power in the face of climate change? Entergy New Orleans, Energy Louisiana and their parent company Entergy Corp also face a class-action lawsuit filed by a group of customers in Orleans Parish Civil District Court alleging that the companies chose the bubble gum and super glue approach to protect their billions of dollars instead of their customers. Or, instead of asking its customers for billions of dollars for restoration and hurricane response, it could have invested that money in hardening the systems, according to the lawsuit. They push until youre out of time The grid includes a transmission system, which brings electricity into the region from elsewhere, and a distribution system, which connects that power to residents. Both systems endured widespread damage during Ida. All eight transmission lines connected to a multi-state system that services the region collapsed, cutting New Orleans off to power, while the local distribution system saw roughly twice as much damage as during any previous storm, according to Entergy officials. The New Orleans City Council serves as the regulator for the investor-owned utility company. Only Washington DC is similarly positioned. City councilmembers have also asked state and federal regulators to investigate the power failures impacting the regional transmission grid on which New Orleans relies for its electricity. In hearings before the City Council and in company statements, Entergy officials have defended the response and performance of its facilities, which they argued could not endure the kinds of storm damage Ida brought. The companies have invested $9.5bn in transmission and distribution assets that met or exceeded then-current resiliency standards, according to Entergy. Ida demonstrated the resiliency benefits of these investments. Entergy recognizes the need for accelerated system hardening, as well as continuing to advance its preventive maintenance programs including vegetation management and pole inspections, the company said in a statement. It anticipates repairs to cost in the range of $2.1bn to $2.6bn. Entergy spokesman Jerry Nappi told The New York Times that the utility made substantial progress in terms of resiliency since the early 2000s. He said the company is seeking federal support for the additional hardening needed without compromising the affordability of electricity on which our customers and communities depend. Pressed by New Orleans City Council President Helena Moreno on 22 September for how much money the company spent on upgrades, not just repairs, Entergy New Orleans CEO Deanna Rodriguez said she doesnt know. An investigation from WWL-TV discovered Entergy Louisiana and Entergy New Orleans spent a combined $11.5bn on power plants between 2016 and 2020 roughly four times as much as the $3bn the companies spent maintaining and expanding transmission lines used to deliver power. Entergy New Orleans previously said its $210m gas-fired power plant built in the face of opposition from members of the community, environmental concerns and the objection of some members of city government in 2018 would be vital for circumstances exactly like the destruction seen during Ida, when the transmission system that feeds the region with power generated from outside the city is offline. More than two days passed after Ida knocked out power before the utility was able to generate power for roughly 11,500 households. To drum up support for that project in 2018, an Entergy subcontractor hired actors to pose as plant supporters during City Council hearings, an investigation from The Lens revealed. The company later fired the workers involved. That year, the city council voted 6-1 to move forward with the plant, bordering mostly Black and Vietnamese communities. Im not excited, but I have to vote for this plant, then-councilmember Jason Williams said at the time. Then-District A councilmember Susan Guidry was the only person to vote against it. I have watched Entergy drag their feet over and over again, she said at the 2018 hearing. We have been given one option by Entergy: a fossil fuel plant. Now retired, Ms Guidry told The Independent that the companys fear-mongering over the plants construction misled officials into believing it was the only option. Its a total red flag if they refuse to analyze alternatives, she said. You say, No, you cant have the toy you want. We told you to prove its the best one, and you didnt. They say, We could have a bad storm any time and it will be on your heads that we dont have a power plant. They push until youre out of time. A critical juncture On 21 September, the day before the utilitys president appeared before the city council, Entergy New Orleans issued a press release presenting four preliminary options for the future of its ownership structure, suggesting it could merge with Entergy Louisiana and transfer regulation from the city council to the states Public Service Commission. It is obvious that we have reached a critical juncture in our relationship with the city council, Entergy utility group president Rod West said in a statement. The councils expected resolution will require it to make an important choice: will the city continue with Entergy as its energy partner or pursue another alternative? City Council President Helena Moreno accused Entergy officials of looking to change regulators rather than address the crisis. Please stop acting like youre the victim, she told Entergy officials at City Hall on 22 September. You are the Goliath. Ms Moreno appeared to receive, accidentally, a copy of Entergys talking points and PR strategy ahead of the meeting on 22 September. She lambasted the company for responding to the current crisis with threats and PR spins. Your PR campaign strategy around todays meeting never centred around the very serious matters on the agenda, like what happened during Ida, she told Entergy officials. Entergys PR planning around this meeting was talking about an ownership study. But city officials say they just do not know legally, fundamentally how to untangle Energy New Orleans in its current ownership state until a study is complete. The honest answer is it is not that easy, Ms Moreno said. What are the other types of ownership out there? This study is to give ratepayers answers to these questions. We havent done the study. We dont know what will or will not work. But the people of this city that have been asking these questions about the feasibility of these options should have an answer. Greta Thunberg has mocked leaders around the world for delivering too much blah blah blah and not doing enough to tackle climate change. The Swedish activist, alongside fellow environmentalist Vanessa Nakate, from Uganda, was in Milan speaking at a youth summit. At the climate gathering, Greta said: Build back better. Blah, blah, blah. Green economy. Blah blah blah. Net-zero by 2050. Blah, blah, blah. Many politicians, notably PM Boris Johnson and US President Joe Biden, have regularly used these slogans and terms in speeches. In February, Mr Johnson teased Mr Biden at a G7 meeting for possibly having nicked [the slogans] from us. Greta, 18, said she even doubted the intentions of the organisers of the Youth4Climate event, which is run by the World Bank Group. She said: They invite cherry-picked young people to pretend they are listening to us. But they are not. They are clearly not listening to us. Just look at the numbers. Emissions are still rising. The science doesnt lie. Leaders like to say, We can do it. They obviously dont mean it. We do. Vanessa, 24, said that promises of about 85bn a year to help poorer countries that are vulnerable to the impact of climate change has not materialised. The wealthiest nations have failed to fulfil their promise made in 2010, at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to pay that amount by 2020. She said that wildfires in California and Greece and floods in Germany and Belgium show that loss and damage is now possible everywhere, but that Africa is particularly affected despite the continent being the lowest emitter of CO2 emissions of any continent except Antartica. Last week, she said she saw police taking away a body that had been washed away by storms in the Ugandan capital Kampala, while others searched for more victims. Her mother told her that one man dragged off by the water had been trying to save the goods he was selling from being washed away. Vanessa added: No more empty conferences. Its time to show us the money. Its time, its time, its time. And dont forget to listen to the most-affected people and areas. Ms Thunberg was pictured comforting Vanessa as she broke out in tears after having become overwhelmed during her speech. The three-day-long summit hosted about 400 activists aged 15 to 29 from 186 countries. It intends to send its recommendations regarding climate change to the UN Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow that begins on 31 October. Chinese president Xi Jinping has announced that China will no longer fund coal-fired plants abroad, and Mr Biden announced a plan for the US to double financial aid for green growth to poorer nations. In addition, Turkey has said it will adhere to the Paris Agreement protocols and South Africa announced more ambitious emissions targets. Roberto Cingolani, Italys minister for ecological transition, who is hosting the Milan youth summit, said: These are good steps. They mean that they are moving in the right direction ... I never expect quantum jumps in this gigantic operation on a world level. But the indicators are all good. More than 90 people have been arrested after climate crisis protesters blocked off the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour, sparking huge delays. Insulate Britain held sit-in demonstrations at several locations across the southeast on Monday including Hertfordshire, Surrey, Kent and Essex. About 20 protesters were filmed sitting in the middle of the road at junction 20 in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, blocking access to the roundabout from both sides. There were also reports of demonstrations at junction 3 in Swanley, junction 6 in Godstone, junction 14 at Heathrow, junction 30 at Thurrock and junction 31 at Lakeside/Purfleet. Video footage posted on Twitter showed protesters with banners blocking off all four lanes of the motorway, as well as the slip road, during one incident. A separate clip shared online showed a motorist attempting to drag a protester out of the road as tempers flared during another incident before a police car turned up. In total, 92 people were arrested in connection with the protests. Essex Police confirmed 12 people were held on suspicion of highways obstruction after the road was blocked near junction 31 for Lakeside. Insulate Britain protesters, who are demanding government action on home insulation, partially blocked several junctions on the M25 (Insulate Britain/PA) The force said it received a call shortly before 8.15am and the road was reopened by 10.45am after officers worked to resolve the situation quickly and safely. Hertfordshire Police later confirmed it had arrested 18 people, while Londons Metropolitan Police said 14 people had been detained and Kent officers reported a further 12 arrests. Surrey Police said the force had also arrested 36 people on suspicion of public nuisance and wilful obstruction offences. Insulate Britain is calling on the government to get on with the job of insulating Britains homes. Police speak to one another as Insulate Britain protesters block an M25 junction (Insulate Britain/PA) The new group tweeted: We are disrupting the M25. Why? We are demanding the government and @BorisJohnson create hundreds of thousands of jobs, lower our emissions, and save lives. Edmund King, president of the AA, said the demonstration had caused extra emissions from delayed vehicles. He added: This action is not only incredibly dangerous in potentially putting lives at risk, but it also backfires in environmental terms by causing more delays and more vehicle emissions. These are some of the busiest sections of the M25, where tens of thousands of drivers will have been affected, and has a negative knock-on effect on economic activity. The moment that French polling stations close on presidential election night, the silhouette of the new president gradually constitutes itself on television screens across the country. When German polls close, a multicoloured graph appears, starting with the leading party on the left and moving across to the other parties on the right. At 6pm German time this Sunday, the two left-hand columns were identical: the estimated share of the vote for the two main parties the centre-right CDU-CSU partnership, the alliance of the outgoing chancellor Angela Merkel, and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) stood at 25 per cent apiece. Between them, they had shared half the German vote, leaving the messy business of negotiating the countrys next coalition government even messier than forecast. Through the evening, Germanys party leaders and political observers expressed the hope that there would be a new government in place by Christmas. As the hours passed, the distribution of the vote became more precise, along with the allocation of parliamentary seats. There was a narrow winner: the SPD, led by Olaf Scholz, deputy chancellor and finance minister in the outgoing government, had pulled ahead of the CDU-CSU, led by the CDUs Armin Laschet, with 206 seats, compared to the centre-rights 196. At the same time, though, the distribution of the vote clarified something else: neither of the main parties would be able to form the two-party coalition they had hoped for, except possibly with each other as a new rendition of Merkels departing grand coalition. Its been a very fashionable month. After 18 months of digital runways and virtual events, fashion week finally returned to New York City, London, Milan and Paris. Kicking off the four-week-long spectacle, high-profile celebrities, models and designers descended on New York City on 8 September for a deluge of runway shows and parties. Michael Kors, Anna Sui, Proenza Schouler and Tory Burch were amongst those to present their Spring/Summer 2022 collections, with models Kendall Jenner, Ella Emhoff, and Gigi Hadid leading the pack on the catwalk. As festivities in New York closed out, celebrities took to the red carpet at fashions biggest night of the year, the Met Gala. Seeing as the annual fundraiser was cancelled in 2020, its no wonder the stars pulled out all of the stops see Lil Nas Xs three outfit changes, Kim Kardashians blacked-out Balenciaga look and Grimes futuristic dress, which took Iris Van Herpens team more than 900 hours to complete. Shortly after, the attention turned to London as British designers got ready to showcase the designs they had created during three national lockdowns. Among those leading the events on 16 September, Turkish designer Bora Aksu presented a collection packed with silk tulle frocks, frilled headscarves and flouncy skirts, each in a colour more vibrant than the previous. On 21 September, all eyes were on Milan as Prada, Max Mara and Armani braced the runway. The highlight of the week, however, was a joint show between Fendi and Versace. The heritage Italian brands came together for Fendace, which saw Donatella Versace and Fendis Kim Jones and Silvia Venturini-Fendi switch places and design a collection for each others brand. Last, but not least, the fashion pack moved to the city of love, where powerhouses Dior, Chanel, Balenciaga and more are set to debut their latest designs. And while most of the focus may be on the runway, the glamour off the catwalk has been by no means lacking. If there was ever an example of pandemic revenge dressing the act of wearing the most flamboyant, exquisitely tailored outfit in your possession to make up for all the outfits lost to lockdown its the outfits that were on display to and from shows across the capitals. While each city had its own style to offer up we saw plenty of fringing and tassels in New York, while patent-look suits were all the rage in Milan this seasons street style mostly presented casual-leaning silhouettes, billowing trousers, monochromatic looks and vibrant, block colours. Here are our top street style picks from this month. New York City, 8-12 September In New York, the fashion crowd opted for bold prints and plenty of fringing and tassels. These fringed, navy-blue jeans were paired with silver shoes and a white blouse. Fringed jeans at New York Fashion Week (Shutterstock) We love the textures and colours of this shirt and matching skirt ensemble. Leather and suede accessories completed the look. A multicolour ensemble at New York Fashion Week (Shutterstock) Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Winter arrived at the Tory Burch show in a printed maxi dress adorned with blue ornaments. She paired it with snakeskin boots and her signature dark sunglasses. Anna Wintour at the Tory Burch show (Shutterstock) London, 16-21 September In London, we saw endless displays of vibrant, block colours and billowing silhouettes. Take this boxy bubble gum pink blazer, which was paired with wide-leg orange trousers. Bright block colours at London Fashion Week (Silvia Olsen/Shutterstock) Or this tiered, embroidered dress, worn over a fuschia pink blouse and with a bright green handbag. Bold, colourful look at London Fashion Week (Pietro Recchia/SOPA Images/Shutterstock) We loved this sand-coloured dress featuring textured appliques and flouncy sleeves. An all-sand look at London Fashion Week (Silvia Olsen/Shutterstock) Those who opted for neutral colours brought the drama with maximalist tailoring, like these trousers from Ghanian designer Christie Brown. Christie Brown trousers at London Fashion Week (Silvia Olsen/Shutterstock) Milan, 21-27 September If there was ever a city to showcase expert tailoring, its Milan. From leather skirts to straight trousers, each look in our lineup from Italy looks fresh off the runway. There were also hints of collegiate preppy style, like this green and mustard yellow look, which even featured a coat of arms. Preppy style at Milan Fashion Week (Shutterstock) There was plenty of monochrome, like this (almost) all pink look. We love the matching trench coat and bag. An all-pink look at Milan Fashion Week (Photoeventshd/Shutterstock) The patent look also seems to be having a moment, seen here in this electric blue suit and, also in this purple shirt. An electric blue suit at Milan Fashion Week (Photoeventshd/Shutterstock) A purple patent shirt at Milan Fashion Week (Photoeventshd/Shutterstock) Paris, 27 September - 5 October The fashion crowds love for a modern take on the three-piece suit is still going strong in Paris. We loved this charcoal grey ensemble, paired with a crisp, white, double-collared shirt and black sunglasses. A charcoal grey suit at Paris Fashion Week (Photoeventshd/Shutterstock) Monochrome black and white doesnt have to be boring. This attendee shows us how mixing your prints and adding a stiletto heel can elevate a black and white look. A monochrome black and white outfit at Paris Fashion Week (Photoeventshd/Shutterstock) Preppy style has been seen in all four cities this fashion month. In Paris, we saw the addition of pearls, sheer stockings and platform loafers swapped out for leather boots. Preppy street style at Paris Fashion Week (Photoeventshd/Shutterstock) Click through the gallery below for our full street style picks. After multiple delays, the latest James Bond film No Time To Die is finally here. Daniel Craig will appear as 007 for the fifth and final time, with other cast members including Rami Malek, Lea Seydoux and Lashana Lynch. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will be among the famous faces attending the world premiere (28 September) at the Royal Albert Hall before general release on 30 September. Cuban actor Ana de Armas will be No Time To Dies new Bond girl the trailer shows her wielding machine guns in a floor-length evening gown. This is the 25th Bond film, so de Armas is joining the ranks of some extremely fashionable Bond girls. These are some of the most stylish women to appear in Bond while not always the main love interest, they still made an indelible impact Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder Dr No is largely set in Jamaica where Ursula Andress character is a shell diver. Her most iconic outfit was an ivory bikini with a belt buckle designed by Tessa Prendergast. Sold by Christies in 2001, the auction house reports Andress as saying: This bikini made me into a success. Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore Although theres stiff competition, Pussy Galore played by Honor Blackman in 1964s Goldfinger takes the prize for silliest Bond girl name. In the film, Pussy Galores wardrobe is all about sleek tailoring from the gold waistcoat she wore as a pilot, to her white pantsuit and purple suede trousers. Claudine Auger as Domino (Alamy/PA) Were introduced to Domino in the 1965 movie Thunderball, where she is the villains mistress before taking Bonds side. Throughout the film she tends to wear only black or white as a nod to her name including a very risque swimsuit with sheer panels. Grace Jones as May Day May Day may not technically be a Bond girl shes the chief offsider and lover of the villain played by Christopher Walken in A View To A Kill, but she makes evil look extremely good. Legendary designer Azzedine Alaia helped create many of her costumes from sharp tailoring to red hooded dresses. Michelle Yeoh as Wai Lin (Alamy/PA) Michelle Yeoh plays Wai Lin in Tomorrow Never Dies, a Chinese agent who supports Pierce Brosnans Bond. As well as showing off her seriously impressive martial arts skills, Yeohs best fashion moments were all about black leather outfits. Halle Berry as Jinx Johnson Ursula Andress isnt the only Bond girl to have an iconic bikini moment: who can forget Halle Berry walking out of the water in an orange two-piece? With the white belt and knife attached, the bikini is a nod to Andress original style, and cemented Berrys reputation as one of the most memorable Bond girls. Eva Green as Vesper Lynd Eva Green was the first Bond girl of the Daniel Craig era, making waves in a purple Roberto Cavalli dress with a jewelled neckline. Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny (Alamy/PA) Naomie Harris doesnt count as a Bond girl she plays Miss Moneypenny, although she does still have a romantic relationship with Craigs 007. While working a desk job at MI6, Moneypenny gives a masterclass in chic officewear however her crowning moment comes in Skyfall, when she wears a yellow silk Amanda Wakeley gown. The problem During the height of the pandemic, my sister died. She had been unwell for some time, but although her death was expected, it still shocked me. We had always been very close. She was my only sibling and was definitely a very protective older sister the one person I went to with all my problems. When she died, funeral restrictions were still in place so I couldnt attend. Thankfully her husband and children were able to go and say their goodbyes, which gave me some comfort, and I made the decision to go back to work just two days after her death. Because I couldnt go to the funeral, and the surreal-ness of living through a pandemic, I dont think I have ever processed my grief properly. Its starting to hit me now, as I find myself thinking about her a lot and getting really upset that she isnt there for me to phone when I need some advice. I have been back at work for a while now and everyone assumes Im ok, but Im really struggling and dont know how to tell people, or even my boss. I find I have a serious lack of concentration and motivation to do my job and part of me doesnt really care about it all, if Im honest. I often find myself going outside to have a little cry or staring at my screen but thinking of my sister. No one at work has never spoken to me about the policies in place for colleagues going through a bereavement. Can I approach my boss for some support, and if so, how do I have that conversation? Please help. Fiona says Coping with bereavement at any time is hard enough. But having to cope with it during a pandemic has had a hugely traumatic effect on many people. Whilst it may feel like it, you are not alone in your grief so many people have experienced grief in a very different and difficult way over the past two years. And so many people like you have not had the opportunity to express their grief as they might normally do. A funeral is a hugely important opportunity for people to get together to comfort and support one another, so to have been denied that must have been devastating. I am sure your decision to return to work right away was a means of helping yourself cope. And Im equally sure that whilst doing so felt right at the time, you didnt have a chance to grieve. That pain is catching up with you, and you need to find ways to let it out. Talking to someone who understands what youre going through would, I feel sure, give you a chance to express the pain youre feeling. The Marie Curie organisation (mariecurie.org.uk) have done a lot of work and research into helping recently bereaved people and their Support Line on 0800 090 2309 would be a good place to start.They offer emotional support as well as practical or clinical information aimed at reducing feelings of isolation. The line is open seven days a week and you can find further details on their website. Marie Curie also recently launched a Workplace Bereavement Support Hub. The hub will provide employees with advice on how to have conversations about grief with their managers and others in the organisation they work for. It will also offer employers free resources, templates, and guidance to help better support employees through bereavement in the workplace it could be a valuable tool. As to how you approach your boss, I would suggest you ask for an appointment to talk to them privately, and tell them youre struggling to cope and need help. The death of a loved one is one of the hardest things any of us will go through thats why its so important to ask for the help you need. Ask if there are any resources available there may be a bereavement policy in place for a start. Also, you didnt take any time off at the time of your sisters death, but perhaps you need some time now even if you have to take it as sick leave and a bereavement policy should cover this. If you feel you need it, ask if there might be opportunities for flexible working for a while too. The hardest thing you have to do is start this conversation Id like to hope that, once youve done so, your boss will be only too willing to be supportive. It may well be that youve hidden your grief so thoroughly up to now, that no one has noticed that youre struggling. If you have a problem you need help with, email Fiona by writing to help@askfiona.net for advice. All letters are treated in complete confidence and, to protect this privacy, Fiona is unable to pass on your messages to other readers. Fiona regrets that she cannot enter into personal correspondence. Police have arrested multiple people after a large group of Black Lives Matter protestors began to demonstrate outside of the Met Gala. On Monday, as the high fashion event took place on the steps of and inside New York Citys Metropolitan Museum of Art, a group of protestors clashed with police in the street in front of the iconic building. In footage of the encounter shared to Twitter, officers can be heard yelling at members of the crowd to back up, while some protestors can be seen being detained. According to the DailyMail, which viewed a flyer from the protest, the demonstrators, who were chanting: Black Lives Matter, were part of a protest organised by an autonomous group of NYC abolitionists who believe that policing does not protect and serve communities. The NYPD has a total financial allocation of $11bn per year. This money goes towards racist policing that destroys Black and brown communities while people who are struggling do not get the resources they need. CARE, not COPS, is the answer, the flyer read. Prior to the arrests, the protestors seemed to be peacefully demonstrating in the street, with additional video footage showing the large crowd chanting: If we dont get no justice, then they dont get no peace, and people hanging on the traffic light posts. However, around 6pm ET, police began arresting individuals who had ignored warnings to clear the street, according to The New York Times, which noted that a police spokesperson said that there had been a handful of arrests, mostly for minor offences. The protest to defund the police took place as New York Mayor Bill de Blasio attended the exclusive high fashion event among some of the worlds most influential and famous individuals. According to the mayors spokesperson, Bill Neidhardt, who spoke to Politico, Mr de Blasio decided to attend the gala in a suit by Brooklyn designer Dreu Beckemberg because he wanted to highlight a local designer who had been able to make it through the pandemic. The mayor was not the only politician in attendance during tonights gala, as Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez made a statement of her own when she arrived in a white gown emblazoned with tax the rich. There is no evidence of systemic price gouging or profiteering by fuel retailers, industry experts have said, amid a crisis that has seen petrol forecourts run dry across the UK. Prices at the pumps have hit their highest level since 2013 and, as queues continued to form outside petrol stations on Tuesday and the government put the Army on standby, angry motorists vented their frustrations on social media. One Twitter user posted: Waited 1 hour only to be met with 1.50 price. Disgusting that the petrol companies are laughing at us motorists too. Tory MP Craig Mackinlay wrote: Its disappointing to see reports of pump price profiteering in some areas of the country. Others suggested that drivers who panic bought fuel should pay more and that rising prices would help to solve supply problems by reducing demand. However, the AA said its data indicated that increased prices were due to the rising wholesale cost of oil, not because companies have take advantage of motorists who are desperate to fill up their tanks. Petrol pump prices are up to new eight-year highs but, on average, the increases since the weekend havent been massive, Luke Bosdet, the AAs fuel price spokesperson told The Independent. Clearly, there have been instances of big hikes at individual fuel stations but not across the board. The AA's data from across the UK shows that the average price of petrol has risen a little over 1p to 136.43p from 135.26p at the start of the month. Diesel has jumped slightly more - from 136.65p to 138.45p. Those rises are accounted for by the rising prices that retailers themselves must pay for petrol and diesel, the AA said. Clearly, there have been instances of big hikes at individual fuel stations but not across the board Luke Bosdet, AAs fuel price spokesperson A barrel of Brent crude a key oil industry benchmark surpassed $80 a barrel on Tuesday, around double its price a year ago. The cost has surged as countries have emerged from coronavirus lockdown, resulting in higher demand for oil to fuel more economic activity. Mr Bosdet added: Just to complicate matters, the wholesale price of diesel has gone up 6p a litre since the summer, including 5p in recent weeks. Some of that pressure on pump prices is being mistaken as price gouging. The AA will keep an eye on pump prices once fuel supply settles down again. If pump price margins, once tax and wholesale costs are stripped out, remain higher than in the summer, we will highlight it. Despite little evidence of price gouging, the cost of a litre of fuel varies significantly across different locations. For example, figures from the AA show that at the BP forecourt at Clacket Lane services on the M25, drivers must pay 149.9p for a litre of petrol while just moments down the road at another BP site, the the cost is 136.6p. The AA said these price differentials are not new and were seen before the current crisis. The RAC said it had seen "a small number of retailers taking advantage of the current delivery situation by hiking prices". The motoring organisation advised people to compare the price they're being asked to pay with the current UK averages. Brian Madderson of the Petrol Retailers Association, which represents independent filling stations in the UK, condemned profiteering. Most of our members, the independents, have a regular customer base and if they offend their customer base they dont deserve to have them when this crisis is over, he told BBC Radio 4s Today programme. People have got long memories and I would urge anybody who thinks about trying to make a fast buck to think again because it just isnt right. Motorists have been warned to expect further increases in petrol prices over the coming weeks as the increased cost of oil contnues to filter through to forecourts. Analysts have also warned that continued pressure on fuel supplies risk damaging the UK's economic recovery. Dr Florian Lucker, senior lecturer in supply chain management at Bayes Business School said panic buying had distorted the fuel supply chain, causing refineries to increase their output. "Due to processing times, they will not be able to reduce these additional capacities when the demand goes back to normal. As a result, there is an oversupply of fuel and the cost of these inefficiencies is generally passed down to the customer. Close Military tankers begin delivering fuel in bid to ease crisis No 10 said it is hard to put a specific date on when fuel supplies would return to normal - but insisted the situation was improving. Weve seen demand return back towards normal levels, the prime ministers official spokesperson said on Monday. It came as army tanker drivers started delivering fuel to petrol stations in a bid to ease shortages as Operation Escalin got underway. The troops were set to be concentrated in London and the Southeast, where the worst fuel shortages remained. Petrol stations have run dry and long queues have formed at forecourts as the UK grappled with the fuel crisis caused by a shortage of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers and panic buying. The UKs ongoing fuel crisis has led to school buses being cancelled and calls for teachers to be a priority group for petrol and diesel amid reports staff are struggling to make it into school. One education union has warned the continuing impact of fuel shortages is expected to cause serious difficulties for schooling. One headteacher, who gave her name only as Michelle, told LBC her pupils and staff were facing trouble getting into school due to the fuel shortages affecting the nation. Unfortunately yesterday, one of my buses I couldnt run because we had no diesel, she told the radio station on Tuesday morning. I had about 15 children whose parents had to be contacted to come and collect them at the school. Those parents themselves didnt have much fuel in their cars. She said the bus was not running on Tuesday morning either. My pupils all have Special Educational Needs so they need to be in school, the headteacher said. On top of this, Michelle said some of her staff were unable to make it to school or were really stressing out about getting to work. In Buckinghamshire, the local council said there were a number of school buses cancelled on Tuesday as a result of fuel shortages. We apologise for the inconvenience this is causing, it added. Dr Patrick Roach from the NASUWT-The Teachers Union, said: The continuing impact of shortages on fuel station forecourts is expected to cause serious difficulties for the provision of education. He called on the government to make sure schools can stay open and staff can make it in. For many teachers, the use of public transport is simply not an option, with many schools in areas that are not easily accessible other than by using private vehicles, he said. Dr Roach urged ministers to urgently consider making teachers a priority group for fuel. Without such intervention, many teachers will struggle to get to their places of work on time, adding to the daily uncertainty and disruption faced by children and young people, he said. But another education union warned prioritising essential workers for fuel could cause "more chaos" at pumps. Paul Whiteman from the school leaders union NAHT said: "The last thing children need is further disruption to education given the experience of the last 18 months. "Prioritising key workers is not a sensible solution as it would be impossible to enforce and could cause more chaos on the forecourts. The only real answer is for the government to do everything in its power to get fuel to pumps and bring this situation to an end." He said the union is not hearing at this stage that fuel supply issues are causing major problems for schools. "But if shortages go on much longer it is possible that children and teachers could find themselves unable to get to school there could be problems with transport for special schools in particular," Mr Whiteman added. Deborah Lawson from Voice Community told The Independent the ongoing fuel crisis was of great concern to her education union. We are seeing many stories of key workers such as teachers or nurses being unable to get fuel for their cars, meaning they cannot get to or are late for their essential work. Ministers announced on Monday that soldiers were being put on standby to deliver fuel, amid concerns a shortage of tanker drivers was threatening the ability of the oil companies to maintain supplies. It came as many filling stations have run dry after drivers made a dash for the pumps amid fears a shortage of tanker drivers would hit supplies. A government spokesperson said: The best place for children and young people to be is in school with their teachers and friends. We are aware that some petrol stations have had to temporarily close in response to localised spikes in demand but this is not in response to a national shortage, as there is plenty of fuel at refineries and terminals. They added: The government recently announced a package of measures announced to help ease temporary supply chain pressures including an immediate increase in HGV testing, short term visas for HGV drivers and new skills bootcamps to train up to 3,000 more people to become HGV drivers. Additional reporting by Press Association Younger children are less willing to receive a Covid-19 jab than older teenagers, a new study has shown, as experts said more work is needed in improving access to vaccine information for these groups. Some 36 per cent of nine-year-olds and 51 per cent of 13-year-olds are willing to be vaccinated, compared to 78 per cent of 17-year-olds, according to a study that surveyed primary and secondary school students in England. The research, led by scientists at UCL and the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, also found that those less willing to be jabbed often come from the most deprived backgrounds, believe they have already had Covid-19, and do not feel a part of their school community. Sir Andrew Pollard, a professor of paediatric infection and immunity at the University of Oxford, said the findings suggested that not enough information and support had been provided via the appropriate platforms, such as social media, for children and young teenagers. This study is immensely important as its highlighting that there is some indecision particularly in the younger teenagers, he told a science briefing on Monday. Weve missed this really important group in making sure they have access to information. I guess that may well be because, rightly, our focus over the last year has been on adults where the highest rates of disease are. The study, which ran from May to July of this year, surveyed more than 27,000 students from 180 schools across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire, and Merseyside. The only large-scale study of its kind, the survey asked children aged between nine and 18 about their views on being vaccinated against Covid-19. Overall, half were willing to be vaccinated, 37 per cent were undecided and 13 per cent wanted to opt out. But the older the pupil, the more likely they were to accept the offer of a vaccine. The high number of older teenagers willing to receive a jab is comparable with the adult population, the researchers said, and reflects greater access to a wider pool of both traditional and non-traditional information sources. Younger children more often defer to their parents, or primary caregivers, for decisions about healthcare and vaccination, said Mina Fazel, an associate professor in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Oxford. Our data shows how important it is for good quality, accessible information to be provided to better enable our younger populations to understand more about the Covid-19 vaccine and its effects. Prof Fazel said more needed to be done in utilising the types of social media platforms that are commonly used by children and young adolescents, such as TikTok and Snapchat. This is an area we need to learn about, she said, adding that it is at our peril to ignore it. The study found that young people who are most hesitant about having the vaccine use social media more. They dont access their information by reading the newspaper or watching broadcast news, said Prof Pollard. We need to provide information to this age group and we need to use the structures theyd access. Russell Viner, a professor of adolescent health at the UCL Institute of Child Health in London and one of the studys co-authors, said it was essential that authorities involved in the current vaccination of 12 to 15-year-olds also reach out and engage with young people from poorer families and communities with lower levels of trust in vaccination and the health system. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 5 October 2021 Members of Insulate Britain outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, before a hearing over the injunction banning the environmental activists from blocking the M25 PA 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 He said that Englands school-based vaccination programme, with more than three million young adolescents set to be offered a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine in the coming weeks, is way of helping reduce these health disparities. However, Prof Viner added, the teenagers who are least engaged with their school communities may need additional support for us to achieve the highest uptake levels. Addressing the limitations of the study, Prof Fazel said that the wider patterns of vaccine hesitancy across England are constantly changing and could have shifted since the conclusion of the study. She said the research also missed certain year groups and didnt ask children about their parents views on vaccination. Smokers are more likely to end up in hospital or die from Covid-19, according to new research. Scientists said there has been conflicting evidence on the impact the disease has on those who use tobacco and cigarettes. A study published in July 2020 claimed smokers were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with Covid compared to non-smokers. But the paper was retracted earlier this year after it emerged its authors had links to the tobacco industry. In the new research, led by Oxford University and published in respiratory journal Thorax on Monday, researchers looked at genetic information and other data including smoking status, Covid tests, hospital admissions and death certificates. Of the 421,469 eligible participants in the study the first of its kind in the UK there were 1,649 confirmed infections, 968 Covid-related hospitalisations and 444 deaths. The results of the analysis showed that, compared with never-smokers, current smokers had an 80 per cent higher risk of hospital admission with Covid. The research also revealed that a genetic predisposition to smoking was associated with a 45 per cent higher risk of infection and a 60 per cent higher risk of hospital admission for Covid. The authors concluded that their results from two analytical approaches support a causal effect of smoking on risk of severe Covid-19. Dr Ashley Clift, the lead researcher from Oxford, said: Our results strongly suggest that smoking is related to your risk of getting severe Covid, and just as smoking affects your risk of heart disease, different cancers, and all those other conditions we know smoking is linked to, it appears that its the same for Covid. So now might be as good a time as any to quit cigarettes and quit smoking. Court of Appeal judges are to review an unduly lenient sentence given to a neo-Nazi terror offender who was ordered to read classic literature. Ben John was handed a suspended prison sentence for possessing a terrorist document in August, meaning he will not be jailed unless he breaks the conditions of his licence and a five-year Serious Crime Prevention Order. A spokesperson for the Attorney Generals Office said: The attorney general has referred John's sentence to the Court of Appeal as she agrees that it appears unduly lenient. It is now for the court to decide whether to increase the sentence. Judge Timothy Spencer QC ordered the 21-year-old to exchange extreme right-wing material for literary classics during a sentencing hearing at Leicester Crown Court. Have you read Dickens? Austen? Start with Pride and Prejudice and Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities. Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. Think about Hardy. Think about Trollope, the judge reportedly said. On 4 January you will tell me what you have read and I will test you on it. I will test you and if I think you are [lying to] me you will suffer. Reports of the sentencing sparked fierce debate, and comparisons with sentences given to other young people for the same offence. The counter-extremist organisation Hope Not Hate sent a letter to the attorney general calling for a review under the Unduly Lenient Sentence Scheme. Chief executive Nick Lowles wrote: A suspended sentence and a suggested reading list of English classics for a terror conviction is unduly lenient for a crime of this nature. This sentence is sending a message that violent right-wing extremists may be treated leniently by the courts. That is a dangerous message to send when the far right poses the fastest-growing terror threat today. Mr Lowles argued that lenient sentences could lead young people not to fear repercussions from accessing terrorist and extremist content online. Judge Spencer labelled John a sad fantasist, saying he did not have any terrorist motivations himself and was not likely to cause harm. 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 Leicester Crown Court heard he had amassed a wealth of white supremacist, antisemitic and satanic material, as well as explosives manuals. Following a trial in August, a jury convicted him of one count of possessing information useful to a terrorist over a document containing instructions on how to construct various explosive devices. John was acquitted of six other counts of the same offence, after saying he did not know what the documents contained. At the time of his arrest in January 2020, John was studying for a criminology and psychology degree at the University of Leicester. Judge Spencer rejected his claims that the research was a mere academic fascination, and found that he had aligned with extreme ideologies. John was given a two-year prison sentence, which was suspended for two years, and must fulfil the terms of a Serious Crime Prevention Order and tagged curfew. He was released from custody at the sentencing hearing, having been held on remand since 11 August because he had broken his bail conditions. Detective Inspector James Manning, of Counter Terrorism Policing East Midlands, said: John possessed a wealth of National Socialist and antisemitic material which indicated a fascination and belief in a white supremacist ideology, along with support for an extreme satanic group [the Order of Nine Angles] which is increasingly of concern for law enforcement agencies. The terrorist material he was found in possession of is extremely dangerous, and he acquired this to further his ideology. It indicates the threat that he and other followers of this hateful ideology pose to national security. A drug dealer who shot dead a taxi driver after a fight over a broken wing mirror has been jailed for more than 30 years. Ricardo Linton, 46, murdered father-of-four Mohammed Basharat in a "targeted execution" after the pair came to blows during a road rage incident the previous night. The killer walked into the Bradford taxi office, where Mr Basharat, 33, was based, and shot him dead. You ended his life and brought life-long misery to his family. The pain will stay with them forever," said Mr Justice Lavender in sentencing at the citys crown court. Jurors had heard that Linton was already on the run for another murder in the US at the time of the West Yorkshire killing. The two men had been involved in a brawl - that Mr Basharat got the better of - after their wing mirrors had clipped on 19 October 2001. As he left the scene, Linton was heard to say "I'll come back and get you". The next day when he walked into the taxi office in Bradfords Park Lane wearing a balaclava and carrying the gun. He short his victim twice in the head before turning the weapon on another driver, Jamshad Khan, who only escaped after it failed to fire. Linton then remained on the run for two years until he was arrested in Jamaica for the 1993 shooting of Jose Rosa in New York. He was convicted of murder and jailed by a US court for 25 years to life in 2005 and extradited to the UK last year. Referring to Mr Rosa's death, Mr Justice Lavender said: "He was killed by a gunman as he sat in a car with friends who approached the car and shot him without saying a word and shot him in the head while he lay on the floor. "That was you who executed him, and you did it again in this case in the same way." He added that the killer who had been a cocaine dealer would not be eligible for parole until he is 77, by which time he will have spent a total of 50 years in jail. There are no mitigating factors, the judge said. Additional reporting by PA The serving Metropolitan Police officer who kidnapped, raped and murdered marketing executive Sarah Everard was sentenced at the Old Bailey in London on Thursday. Wayne Couzens, 48, has pleaded guilty to the charges against him and faces life in prison following the harrowing murder that rocked the nation and sparked fresh calls for tougher police action on violence against women. At the beginning of Couzenss two-day sentence hearing on Wednesday, the court heard how the married father-of-two used his Metropolitan Police-issue warrant and handcuffs to snatch Ms Everard, 33, off a dark street in south London on 3 March as she walked home from a friends house in Clapham, south London. Couzens, a firearms officer, told Ms Everard, described by her family as a shining example to us all who brought so much joy to our lives, she had broken lockdown rules in a fake Covid arrest and bundled her into his car. Having finished a 12-hour shift at the American embassy that morning, Couzens drove Ms Everard to a secluded rural area near Dover in Kent, where he parked up and raped her. Ms Everard, who was originally from Durham but lived in Brixton, south London, had been strangled with Couzenss police belt by 2.30am the following morning. Couzens burned her body in a refrigerator in an area of woodland he owned in Hoads Wood, near Ashford, before dumping the remains in a nearby pond. He was arrested at his home in Deal, Kent, after police connected him to a hire car he used to abduct Ms Everard, whose remains were found by police dogs on March 10. Couzens was sacked from the force after he pleaded guilty in July to her kidnap, rape and murder. On Wednesday, Ms Everards parents and sister condemned her killer as a monster as he sat quaking in the dock of the Old Bailey with his head bowed for the start of his sentencing. Reading a statement to the court, Ms Everards mother, Susan Everard said her daughter spent her last hours on Earth with the very worst of humanity. She lost her life because Wayne Couzens wanted to satisfy his perverted desires, she said. In July, it emerged that Couzens had been accused six years earlier of indecent exposure. The Independent Office for Police Conduct launched an investigation into whether or not Kent Police handled the incident properly. He was also accused of indecent exposure in south London just days before he would go on to murder Ms Everard. Couzens pleaded guilty to kidnapping and raping Ms Everard at the Old Bailey on 8 June, when he also accepted responsibility for her death. His sentencing began on Wednesday. A month later, on 9 July, he pleaded guilty to her murder and faces life behind bars. The court heard how Couzens hired a car and bought a roll of self-adhesive film advertised as a carpet protector in the days prior to the murder. The defendant, who was a serving police officer at the time, had continued to work despite a complaint of indecent exposure three days before Ms Everards murder. Couzens was accused of exposing himself in front of a woman at a fast food restaurant in south London on 28 February. The incident was recorded on CCTV and reported to the Met Police by restaurant staff that night. At the time, Couzens had been working as a diplomatic protection officer in a Westminster-based unit in the Met which protects high-profile individuals and buildings in London. He had been primarily guarding embassies. He had been working a 12-hour shift at his base in West Brompton, west London, the day before Ms Everards disappearance. The Met Police have said he was not on duty at the time of Ms Everards disappearance. On 5 March, the police officer, who was due to be off until 8 March, reported to work that he was suffering with stress. He emailed his supervisor the following day, saying that he no longer wanted to carry a firearm. Couzens, who was born in Dover in 1973, had also served in the in the 3rd battalion of the Army Reserves for two years from 2002. The defendant began working for the police later in life. Couzens worked as a mechanic in his familys garage in Dover for more than two decades, beginning as an apprentice in 1990 until 2011. His older brother, David Couzens, is also a police officer who joined the force in 1999. He was working as a traffic officer with Kent Police in Folkestone by 2008 before joining the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and worked at the Dungeness Nuclear Power station in Kent. He transferred to the Met Police in 2018, working in the Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command. Additional reporting by Press Association The number of people who have crossed the English Channel in small boats this year has already doubled last years total with more than three months still left of 2021. Just over 17,000 people have crossed the Dover Strait since January, up from less than 8,500 people in the whole of 2020 according to the PA news agency. On Sunday alone 669 migrants arrived in the UK on dinghies in spite of the Home Offices vow to make such crossings unviable. The department recently admitted that the evidence that its new immigration plans will reduce Channel crossings is limited and that reforms in the Nationality and Borders Bill carry the potential for direct discrimination on the basis of race. Home Secretary Priti Patel has also faced criticism for her plan to push back boats towards France as they reach the UK, with French officials warning that the policy risks the Channel becoming a new theatre of human tragedies. Amnesty International has called for urgent action over the UKs treatment of migrants, describing pushbacks as inhumane and accusing the government of criminalising refugees. Since the beginning of 2020, more than 25,000 people have attempted to cross the Channel in dinghies, kayaks and other small boats according to PA. The Home Offices Clandestine Channel Threat Commander Dan OMahoney said it was a complicated issue but the government is determined to tackle the unacceptable rise in dangerous Channel crossings. In spite of the recent rise in crossings, the number of asylum applications in the UK fell to around 29,500 in 2020, far lower than in Germany (93,500) and France (122,000). Amnesty International say that ministers have exploited highly visible boat crossings to politicise asylum and create a false impression of an emergency situation. Steve Valdez-Symonds, Amnesty International UKs refugee and migrant rights director, said: Its been appalling to see how ministers and others have sought to manipulate these highly visible crossings to give the impression of an emergency situation on the Kent coast. The total number of asylum claims being made in the UK is no greater than it was two years ago, but Channel crossings have become part of the governments cynical politicisation of asylum. We urgently need a new approach to asylum in this country with inhumane policies like pushbacks and the criminalisation of refugees dropped, and far more done in terms of working with France and others to play a constructive role in assisting people whove fled war and persecution. People who post videos and pictures on social media of tankers refilling petrol stations are fuelling panic buying at forecourts, an industry leader has claimed. Brian Madderson, chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association (PRA), said consumers were watching the footage then rushing to the station in question to fill up their cars, further depleting supplies. His comments come less than 24 hours after prime minister Boris Johnson put the army on standby to deal with the crisis should they be needed, despite earlier assurances from George Eustice, the environment secretary, that there were "no plans" to call in the troops. Drivers are ignoring ministers' pleas for calm and panic buying showed no sign of abating on Tuesday, amid chaotic scenes at pumps across the country. A video posted on social media appeared to show a man pulling a knife on a fellow motorist at a forecourt in London, while brawls and fights have been reported at other stations. Ms Madderson said retailers continue to report sky-high demand. He told BBC Radio 4: "Disappointingly the messages I'm getting this morning from our retailers are that panic buying does continue. "One of the reasons for this is social media. As soon as the tanker arrives at a filling station people on social media are advising that a tanker has arrived and it is like bees to a honeypot." He added: "Everyone flocks there and within a few hours it is out again." Britain is in the grip of a supply chain crisis that is affecting supermarket shelves and businesses - as well as fuel supplies. The country is experiencing an acute shortage, thought to be around 100,000, of heavy goods vehicle (HGV) drivers. The problem is a long-standing one that has been exacerbated by Brexit, the Covid pandemic and low wages. The shortage means that companies selling fuel are unable to replenish their stocks quickly enough to meet consumer demand. The government insists that there are adequate supplies of petrol and diesel. Over the weekend ministers announced a raft of measures - including granting temporary visas to 5,000 foreign workers as well as training up new drivers in the UK - but industry figures have warned this is not enough to alleviate the crisis. In a separate intervention on Tuesday Mike Granatt, a former government official who set up the civil contingencies secretariat and worked on the petrol crisis of 2000, warned that that panic buying could continue if consumer behaviour didn't change. He said that prioritising specific workers would not work as he called on hiding Mr Johnson to show leadership. He told Radio 4: When we started to prioritise people [in 2000] we ended up prioritising about a third of the economy and it didnt work even then. Hospitals found themselves short of staff not because their staff did not have priority but because school teachers hadnt. Calling on Mr Johnson to act, he added that it was only when former prime minister Tony Blair - in charge at the time of the 2000 crisis - explained to people that unless they slowed down [buying petrol] the system would never really get back into balance. He added: Its called leadership. Someone needs to stand up and say this to people rather than hide away. Labour has blamed the government's lack of planning for the ongoing supply chain issues. Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow home secretary, said he wrote to Grant Shapps, his counterpart, in July asking for a plan to deal with the shortages. He told Sky News: "We got very short shrift from Grant Shapps who wrote back to us in the first week of August saying, in his words, he wouldn't be using foreign labour to solve this issue. "The government says it wants to train up, and I'm in favour of training up HGV drivers, but it hasn't done that to a sufficient extent." "It's this government that has ended up in this situation through its chronic lack of planning and sheer incompetence," he added. Mr Shapps earlier said there are "tentative signs" that pressure on filling stations is beginning to ease. In a pooled clip for broadcasters, Mr Shapps said there was more petrol in the filling stations, although he acknowledged it would not have an immediate impact on the queues for fuel. "There are now the first very tentative signs of stabilisation in forecourt storage which won't be reflected in the queues as yet," he said. "But it is the first time that we have seen more petrol actually in the petrol stations. "As the industry said yesterday, the sooner we can all return to our normal buying habits, the sooner the situation will return to normal." A rare white stag has been shot dead by the police after it was spotted running through the streets of a town in Merseyside, with officers saying the animal posed a danger to motorists and members of the public. Police were called at around 8.45am on Sunday morning after residents of Bootle saw the stag running on its own through at-times busy residential streets. Paula, a resident of Crosby, was among those who filmed the animal and posted the footage on social media. She told the Liverpool Echo she saw the stag on her way to work. As I came over the flyover in Seaforth, there was a police car at the lights at the top of Knowsley Road and as the officer approached, off it ran towards Bootle, she said. It must have been have been quite scared and I genuinely have no idea where it was from. A spokesperson for the RSPCA told BBC News that the organisation had advised police on what to do with the deer, and originally recommended leaving it alone as it would make its own way back home. But police said that after several hours of tracking the stag across the town it became clear this might not happen, and the animal was cornered at an industrial estate and then euthanised. The RSPCA said it accepted that it was up to police to make such a judgement where there was a possible risk to the public. Police said a veterinary surgeon assisted at the scene to monitor the animals welfare and assist the officers attempts to control the animal. Several enquiries were made to find an organisation who could assist with recovering the deer safely, but unfortunately we were unable to get assistance and as the hours went by the deer became more distressed, police said. There was no option to let the deer wander as it could be a danger to motorists and members of the public in the area, particularly as the hours of darkness approached, Merseyside police said in a statement on its official website. As a result a decision was made in the early evening to euthanise the deer, it added. One expert, however, pointed out a challenge in trying to tranquillise and move such an animal in a built-up area. A large wild animal doesnt collapse on the spot when its darted its liable to run off which could have caused even more of a hazard, Charles Smith-Jones, of the British Deer Society, was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying. Sightings of white stags are relatively rare, with the animal appearing in a range of mythologies across the world. Their colour comes from a condition known as leucism, a recessive genetic trait that means they lack pigment over all or part of their bodies. Like many urban areas in the UK, Merseyside has a long and notorious history of street gangs. From the Cornermen and High Rip gangs of the 19th century to the Croxteth Crew, Nogga Dogs and Moss Edz the self-perceived North Face Scouse Soldiers of today all have left a dark and deadly legacy. As someone who has always lived on a former council estate in Knowsley, in one of the most socially excluded and poverty-stricken areas in the UK, and an academic whose research has focused on youth and gang crime, I have seen both sides of the fence. This experience has motivated me to research gangs on Merseyside one of the UKs hot spots for gang and organised crime activity. In 2018-19, social services assessed 16,132 children in Merseyside, of whom 546 were deemed to be either active members of a gang, at risk of joining one, or at risk of being a victim of gang-related violence. Social networks In 2009, sociologist Hannah Smithson and her colleagues examined the extent, nature and causes of young peoples involvement in gang and gun crime. From interviews with Merseyside police, practitioners, and young people aged between 16 and 29, they identified two types of gang structure. The first was a loosely knit, non-hierarchical group of young people, who would get together on the streets at night and engage in antisocial behaviour and potentially violence and criminality. This is the classic, stereotypical assumption of what a street gang is. The second type was structured and hierarchical, with ties to illegal drug markets and adult organised crime groups. In more recent years, these drug-dealing groups have become fiercely territorial and violent, resorting to the use of knives and firearms in order to protect their selling patch, and exploiting vulnerable young people. For those involved in street gangs, there was also the appeal of edgework as risk-taking behaviour is described in criminology which provided excitement and escape Why do people get involved in gangs? Ive sought to answer this key question in my own research, and found that a sense of belonging, respect and protection, as well as membership as a source of income, all contribute. In 2018 I interviewed 44 young men half involved in street gangs and half completely abstaining to learn why some young people joined gangs. Social exclusion, coupled with cutbacks brought in by austerity policies, meant many young men who became involved in street gangs suffered from network poverty. This means that they lacked the ability to make good pro-social connections, which shape how young people perceive the welfare of others and their communities. With friendships mainly restricted to the schoolyard or residential streets, criminality is seen as a way to succeed in a world that values the ownership of material things. In the case of gang members, values become bound up with deviant group formation and offending, as a way to escape from continuing poverty and deprivation. In contrast, young men who found opportunities beyond their local area abstained from gang affiliation and criminality. They joined interest groups, such as martial arts classes, or took weekend jobs, forging new friendships with peers away from their home streets. Their belief systems opened up, and they embraced legitimate employment and leisure activities, leading to further opportunities. Deviant entrepreneurship For those involved in street gangs, there was also the appeal of edgework as risk-taking behaviour is described in criminology which provided excitement and escape from the boredom and routine existence that social exclusion brings. Quite simply, there were no real legitimate opportunities for young people to access. Such thrill-seeking behaviour has not been adequately addressed by interventions aimed at countering gang recruitment. In the eyes of many gang-involved young people, the line between employment and criminality (specifically drug-dealing) became blurred. This was evident in interviews with gang members living closer to Liverpool city centre and its vibrant night-time economy. Here, the language used during interviews became more businesslike one participant identified his group as a firm of boys and talked about serving punters (customers) and profit margins. A youngster is searched by a police officer in Liverpool (Getty) I coined the term deviant entrepreneurship to describe the process of gangs making money through illegitimate means. Those gang members involved neutralised their criminal activity by placing it within the context of work, or as it is widely known on the streets around Liverpool grafting. Across Merseyside, many young people involved in street gangs have become embroiled with adult organised crime groups as part of the county lines phenomenon a form of exploitation in which gangs of adults coerce children and young people to carry drugs to rural or coastal areas of the country. In 2018, modern slavery researcher Grace Robinson interviewed a mixture of young people (aged 14-20) and people working in youth justice interventions. Her research focused on exploitation within gangs by adult criminals. She found that some young people were paid a commission in drugs (in most cases, cannabis) in return for selling a supply. Moreover, she identified the widespread use of social media platforms, both to lure young people into carrying out drug-supplying tasks and to manipulate them through debt bondage. Gang members offer young individuals trainers, designer clothes, and sometimes even a place to stay or drugs for personal use. The young person is then forced into working to pay off the debt, by carrying drugs or recruiting other young people into the network, continuing the cycle of exploitation. The existing research makes clear that gang activity on Merseyside is a major and continuing problem, and that addressing individual symptoms alone will not stop young people from becoming involved. A substantial part of this is down to their environment and the lack of opportunities something that should be addressed further by politicians. Continuation of austerity policies, including cuts to youth services, coupled with unemployment and the financial consequences of the pandemic, have created socially deprived breeding grounds in which street gangs and organised crime groups can flourish. Robert Hesketh is a lecturer in policing studies at the School of Justice Studies, Liverpool John Moores University. This article first appeared on The Conversation. Britains mounting fuel crisis which has seen pumps run dry is a direct consequence of Brexit, the EUs former chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said. Mr Barnier, who is running for the French presidency, said the drastic shortage of lorry drivers and ongoing supply chain problems were down to the UKs decision to quit the EU. Part of the answer is linked, effectively, to the consequences of the Brexit because the UK chose to end the freedom of movement [of people], he said. And there is a clear link to the truck drivers, Mr Barnier added. In addition to the freedom of movement, the UK choosing to leave the single market that means that the UK decided to rebuild, for the very first time, non-tariff barriers between the EU and the UK. It is a direct and mechanical consequence of Brexit. The French politician was speaking at a virtual event hosted at the London School of Economics, promoting his new book My Secret Brexit Diary which details his time negotiating the exit deal on behalf of the European Commission. The former Brexit negotiator also told BBCs Newsnight that the Northern Ireland protocol cannot be dropped and remains the only way to find a solution for all the problems created by Brexit. Mr Barnier also claimed Mr Johnson knew exactly what he signed when he negotiated the Brexit deal with the EU. What creates problems in Ireland is Brexit, nothing else. Despite his criticism of Britains decision to leave the EU, Mr Barnier has been accused of adopting Eurosceptic rhetoric in his bid to win the French presidency for the centre-right Republicans. He stunned ex-colleagues in Brussels earlier this month by saying it was time for France to regain sovereignty lost to the European judiciary, and has called for a referendum to impose a five-year moratorium on immigration to France from outside the EU. Former Irish premier Leo Varadkar, now the countrys trade minister, also said Brexit was largely to blame for the fuel shortages and empty supermarket shelves in the UK. We can see, in England, real difficulties because they have left the single market, because they have left the single labour market you know, gas stations closed, concerns about products getting to them by Christmas, Mr Varadkar said on Monday. I think some of the difficulties that are being experienced in Northern Ireland are less about the protocol and more about Covid and Brexit, but theyre all getting wrapped into one and the protocol is being blamed. It followed similar comments by Olaf Scholz, the man who looks set to replace Angela Merkel as Germanys chancellor. We worked very hard to convince the British not to leave the union. Now they decided different and I hope they will manage the problems coming from that, said the leader of the Social Democrats, referring to the driver shortage. Keir Starmer has said he is willing to tear up the promises he made during the Labour leadership election if it is needed to make the party electable. In comments which will infuriate Labours left wing, Starmer said that his most important pledge was to make the party fit for government. During the contest to replace Jeremy Corbyn, Sir Keir issued a list of 10 pledges to continue with key elements of his predecessors policy platform, including common ownership for industries like energy, rail and mail. The move won him the support of large swathes of the Labour left, but many have since accused him of breaching his promises. There was fury at Labours annual conference in Brighton this week when he said he would not nationalise the big six energy firms. 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 Speaking to BBC News, Sir Keir made clear that he is ready to break with the promises made in early 2020 if he feels they are standing in the way of election victory. I stand by the principles and the values behind the pledges I made to our members, but the most important pledge I made was that I would turn it into a party that would be fit for government, capable of winning a general election, Im not going to be deflected from that. Asked what is most important to him, unity within the party or winning, Sir Keir said: Winning. Winning a general election. I didnt come into politics to vote, over and over again in Parliament and lose, and then tweet about it. I came into politics, to go into government to change millions of lives for the better. Sir Keir denied that he had broken his pledge by ruling out energy nationalisation. I didnt make a commitment to nationalisation, he said. I never made a commitment to nationalisation, I made a commitment to common ownership. They are worlds apart, but the central thing is that those commitments I made, those pledges are made of values that I hold dear. The world has changed since they were made. But now the question is, how do we apply them in the reflective circumstance we might go into election. Labour is to invoke Tony Blair's "tough on crime" message and promise a crackdown on antisocial behaviour if it is elected. In a speech to the party's conference, Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow home secretary, will accuse the Tories of being soft on crime and soft on causes on crime. The comments are a knowing reference to Mr Blair's claim New Labour would be "tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime". The slogan was coined by Mr Blair when he was shadow Home Secretary in 1993, and kept on when he took over the party leadership. But Keir Starmer's party will try to get ahead of the Tories on law and order by pledging an increased police presence in communities, including the creation of "police hubs" in towns and cities across the country. The party says the "hubs", which appear to resemble police stations, will be "located in visible and accessible places" to reassure residents, "providing a place the public can go to talk to the police". The party is also promising to create a "next-generation neighbourhood watch", which "will bring people together to share advice and information about their area through online networks, and backed with a tough approach to closing down drug dens". It will also promise to launch a major recruitment drive for special constables, whose numbers have dropped sharply since 2010. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 29 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 UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London Reuters In his speech to conference on Tuesday, Mr Thomas-Symonds is expected to say: The safety of our communities is at risk from this Government. The reality is that the Conservatives have failed on crime. This Home Secretary likes to talk tough but she never delivers. She says she backs our frontline police officers and staff but then insults them with a pay freeze. Its no surprise that she has lost the confidence of 130,000 rank-and-file officers represented by the Police Federation. The Conservatives are the party of crime and disorder. They are soft on crime and soft on the causes of crime. Anti-social behaviour was a major focus of Tony Blairs home office, with initatives like ASBOs (anti-social behaviour orders) attracting criticism from civil liberties groups. Sir Keir Starmer has called on the government to give health and care workers priority at the petrol pumps as fuel shortages continued across the UK. The call came after Labour warned that people could die if doctors and nurses were delayed by queues. And the Queens Nursing Institute wrote to the prime minister warning that patients were at risk. Patient visits are being cancelled and patients are at risk of being left without the care they need, at the time they need it, said the QNI letter. This is unacceptable. Calling for health and care staff to be prioritised for fuel, chief executive Crystal Oldman added: Without the necessary actions, we believe the pressure on hospital services will inevitably increase, as health and care services for patients at home will be compromised. Petrol retailers today said that pressure on supplies were easing, but said more than a third of forecourts (37 per cent) reported being out of fuel on Tuesday. Speaking at Labours conference in Brighton, Sir Keir called on Boris Johnson to take immediate action to give priority to key workers, as well as to extend the temporary visa offer to attract more overseas lorry drivers. The Labour leader held a conference call with representatives of the haulage industry today and said they were beyond frustrated at the governments failure to come up with a plan to resolve the emergency, now in its sixth day. The government has reduced the country to chaos as we track from crisis to crisis and the government is not gripping this, Starmer told the BBC. I spoke to the haulage sector this morning to the businesses that are absolutely in the middle of this, and they are beyond frustrated and these are their words. They said its a government that is denying theres a problem, then blaming somebody else, and then coming up with a half-baked plan. 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 Sir Keir said that visas for foreign HGV drivers should be extended from three to six months to make them more attractive. The prime minister should take that action today prioritise key workers and start issuing enough visas and for long enough, he said. This problem was predictable and predicted and the government has absolutely failed to plan. Speaking to Sky News, Sir Keir said: What is the sole cause of this problem? The government has known for some time that there are consequences of us leaving the EU, one of which is lorry drivers. But he insisted he was not saying that Brexit was to blame for the crisis. I wouldn't say that Brexit is to blame, he told Channel 5 News. What I would say is that it was inevitable as we exited the EU that we needed a plan to deal with drivers. That is obvious whether you voted Remain or voted Leave, and we took that decision years ago. One home care service today said queues at petrol stations were forcing carers to push back calls to vulnerable elderly people and to work long after their shifts to ensure clients are seen. Shaleeza Hasham of CHD Care at Home backed calls for prioritisation for key workers, saying the impact of the fuel shortage on carers and been enormous. Many of our carers are unable to get enough fuel to make their rounds as most petrol stations are limiting them to 30. Carers can do up to 100 miles per day so these restrictions mean that they are having to fuel up more often as they cannot fill their tanks, she said. We look after extremely vulnerable individuals, some of whom cannot even get out of bed without support or assistance, and the situation is proving extremely difficult and stressful. Being unable to get to clients who depend on us just isnt an option. Homecare Association CEO Jane Townson said she had been appealing for assistance from the Department for Health since Friday, but had been told only that the situation was being considered. It seems the government has decided there isnt an issue and that means local resilience fora cant invoke their emergency plans, Ms Townson said. We want essential workers, including home care workers, to have access to fuel. We need that now. We need the government to acknowledge that there are risks to the health and well-being of older and disabled people. Asked if health and care workers should be given priority access to fuel, Labours shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth told BBC Radio 4s World at One: Yes. We are facing a crisis, because if doctors and nurses and midwives and care assistants cant get to the bedsides of their patients, then people will be left stranded, people will be left in the most desperate of circumstances, some people could end up losing their lives. Mr Ashworth called on health secretary Sajid Javid to call an immediate meeting with health and care unions and professional bodies to reach agreement on a system to ensure key workers can access fuel during the current emergency. We need urgency and we need grip, he said. We havent had that so far. The public sector union Unison has called for designated petrol stations to be set aside for key workers only. And the East of England Co-op has said that if problems persist until Thursday, it will operate a key worker-only policy between 6-7am in order to ensure they are able to fill their tanks. Gordon Balmer, executive director of the Petrol Retailers Association, which represents independent forecourts across the UK, said: There are early signs that the crisis at pumps is ending, with more of our members reporting that they are now taking further deliveries of fuel. Fuel stocks remain normal at refineries and terminals, although deliveries have been reduced due to the shortage of HGV drivers. We have conducted a survey of our members this morning and only 37 per cent of forecourts have reported being out of fuel today. With regular restocks taking place, this percentage is likely to improve further over the next 24 hours. Close Boris Johnson jokes about number of children Jacob Rees-Mogg has during Tory conference Public opinion of Boris Johnsons governments handling of taxes, inflation and the UK economy has nosedived, according to YouGov polling. As think-tanks and trade organisations condemned the prime ministers Tory conference speech touting a high wage economic revival as vacuous and economically illiterate, the pollsters found his party were now neck-and-neck with Labour on the issue of taxation. In his Manchester address, amid a severe supply chain crisis widely blamed on Brexit and staff shortages, Mr Johnson had rebuked businesses for reaching for the same old lever of uncontrolled immigration and suggested British workers should be prioritised instead. With somewhat vague talk of levelling up dominating the conference, one cabinet minister told The Independent that the programme will take 10 years and there will be some pain along the way, particularly in the early part. Meanwhile, the EU is preparing to table far-reaching new proposals on the Northern Ireland Protocol by the middle of next week, in a move welcomed by the DUP, which had threatened to collapse power-sharing at Stormont over the contentious part of the Brexit deal affecting trade in Northern Ireland. Announcing the new proposals, the European Commissions vice-president Maros Sefcovic urged the UK to dial down the political rhetoric, after Brexit minister Lord Frost threatened this week that unilaterally suspending parts of the Brexit deal by triggering Article 16 may end up as the only way forward. As panicked British drivers queue around the block to top up their tanks at petrol stations amid fears of a flash fuel crisis, many are asking whether we are witnessing the latest evidence of a back-firing Brexit in action. The extent to which the situation is now easing appears to be a matter of dispute, with government ministers offering a much rosier assessment than that of petrol industry associations, as forecourt staff suffer a high level of abuse amid festering anger and resentment. Transport secretary Grant Shapps did admit on Tuesday that Britains decision to withdraw from the European Union (EU) had been a factor in the chaos but, for the most part, Boris Johnsons government and the fuel sector have been quick to downplay the problem, insisting there is no actual shortage of petrol and diesel reserves and that this is merely a short-term snafu caused by a lack of HGV drivers to make deliveries from distribution terminals to the pumps. But Mr Johnsons critics have been much more forthcoming in blaming the haulier shortage on Britains divorce from the administrative bloc, citing the estimated 25,000 European lorry drivers who were forced to return to the continent in the wake of Brexit curtailing the free movement of labour and introducing strict visa requirements. Speaking to Times Radio on Tuesday morning, Labours shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said the crisis is to do with the governments complete and utter incompetence. It is to do with the governments handling of Brexit and it is to do with the governments failure to plan over recent months. The blame lies squarely with them, it lies with no one else. Rachel Reeves, Labours shadow chancellor, was also in agreement, telling Sky News from the party conference in Brighton, that Brexit was obviously a contributory factor To deny that, I think, flies in the face of reality. Shadow justice secretary David Lammy likewise rammed home the message, at the risk of further alienating Leave voters in crumbling red wall constituencies, by declaring: This fuel crisis is a direct result of the decision to exit the EU in the way that Boris Johnson has done. There are no queues for petrol in France, or Germany, or Spain at this moment The truth is we came out of the customs union and those drivers are now subject to tariffs and, surprise, surprise, theyre not coming here because theyre not getting paid as much. Ex-Conservative MP and Remain campaigner Anna Soubry was equally emphatic when she pointed out during an interview with ITVs Good Morning Britain on Monday that the snaking lines of traffic - and empty supermarket shelves - we are currently seeing were entirely unfamiliar on these shores prior to the 2016 referendum. Mr Johnsons enemies in Europe have also wasted little time in blaming Brexit for the disaster, with a gloating tone detectable in the words of former EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier when he said Britains current woes are a direct and mechanical consequence of Brexit and in those of Frances European affairs minister, Clement Beaun, who this week denounced the intellectual fraud that was Brexit. Olaf Scholz, leader of Germanys Social Democrats, the party that came first in the countrys election on Sunday, joined the dots to link Britains worker shortages to Brexit when he said: The free movement of labour is part of the European Union, and we worked very hard to convince the British to not leave the union. Now they decided different, and I hope they will manage the problems coming from that. Europes newspapers have been scathing in their coverage of the UKs supply chain disruption throughout the summer, with Germanys Der Spiegel memorably labelling Britain: The kingdom of empty shelves. Another German outlet, the TV station ARD, likened our present conditions to the notorious Winter of Discontent of 1978-79 while Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia compared post-Brexit Britain to boycotted Cuba. Among those who know the realities of the road haulage industry best, the verdict has been arguably most damning of all. Dismissing the UK governments plan to offer three-month temporary visas to 5,000 EU lorry drivers to boost the flow of deliveries, Edwin Atema from the Federation of Dutch Trade Unions was brutally frank on BBC Radio 4s Today programme on Monday. The EU workers we speak to will not go to the UK for a short-term visa to help the UK get out of the s*** they created for themselves, he said. Drivers from across Europe have completely lost all trust in this industry. Long before coronavirus and Brexit this industry was sick already, plagued by exploitation which ended up with drivers voting with your feet and leaving. Radu Dinescu, general secretary of the National Union of Road Transporters in Romania, told the Associated Press that his fellow countrymen, who worked in the UK in large numbers before Brexit, now prefer EU stability and would be unlikely to take up the rather desperate new offer, favouring better paid jobs across France and Germany. The UK seems to be experiencing a paradox, he said. British citizens do not want to practice the job of truck driver, while at the same time they do not want other non-UK citizens to come to do this job. A 'No Fuel' sign attached to an empty petrol pump at a BP filling station in Manchester (Reuters) While it seems undeniable that Brexit has played a significant role in the present crisis, the haulage industry estimates that the UK is actually short of as many as 100,000 lorry drivers, a situation it attributes to a perfect storm of the aforementioned exodus of foreign workers coinciding with coronavirus pandemic and an ageing workforce. Lockdowns over the last 18 months, for instance, have meant that as many as 40,000 applicants to the DVLA in Swansea hoping to take a lorry drivers test have been unable to do so, the backlog accounting for an even greater proportion of the shortfall than the Brexit-inspired departures. However you choose to apportion the blame, alternative measures proposed to address the shortfall so far have included bringing retired drivers back into the workforce Dads Army-style (they are so far said to be unmoved by the prospect) and to relax the rules on immigration to allow more workers into the country to help out given that the 5,000 temporary visas are unlikely to prove sufficient. While that makes obvious economic sense, as The Independents Sean OGrady observes, such a gesture would also risk undermining the Brexit the British voted for. Mr Johnsons present solution to the crisis appears to be drafting in British Army soldiers to serve as tanker drivers, which, should it be implemented, would come into effect under Operation Escalin, a strategy originally drawn up to deal with complications from the aftermath of Britains EU withdrawal. Surely doing so represents nothing less than a tacit admission that a worst-case scenario has now been realised. Michelle Bolsonaro, Brazils first lady and wife of the countrys far-right, anti-vaccine president Jair Bolsonaro, got herself vaccinated against the coronavirus in New York last week, prompting a backlash in her home country. The couple were in the US last week for the UN General Assembly (UNGA) meeting, where Ms Bolsonaros unvaccinated husband delivered a speech, allegedly in violation of New Yorks health protocols. Taking a vaccine is a personal decision. My wife (Michelle Bolsonaro), for example, decided to take it in the United States. I did not take it, Mr Bolsonaro said in an interview published by Veja magazine last week. The revelation has led to accusations that by choosing to get inoculated abroad, Ms Bolsonaro risks undermining the credibility of her home countrys vaccination campaign. Brazilian senator Randolfe Rodrigues described the decision as unfortunate. It devalues the health authorities, devalues a conquest of the country that is already more than 30 years old, such as the National Immunisation Programme (sic), said Mr Rodrigues, who is also the vice chairman of the Parliamentary Investigation Commission (CPI), which is probing allegations of corruption against the president over vaccine purchases. Senator Omar Aziz, the president of the CPI, also criticised the first ladys decision. Someone had to tell her that the vaccine they apply in the United States is the same that is applied in Brazil, Mr Aziz was quoted as saying by news agency Merco Press. She could well have been vaccinated in Brazil and show it to everyone, to set a good example. If that had been the case, we would have seen an act of real patriotism, not lip service, he added. Clarifying the decision to get vaccinated in the US, Ms Bolsonaro was quoted as saying she did so after the American doctor assisting her in getting a Covid test recommended she get jabbed. Before returning to the country, she [Ms Bolsonaro] underwent the PCR test, which is mandatory for boarding authorisation and, during the test, the first lady was asked by the doctor if she would like to take the opportunity to be vaccinated, said a note from the countrys Special Secretariat for Social Communication. As she was already thinking about receiving the vaccine, she decided to accept it. The first lady reiterates her admiration and respect for the Brazilian health system, especially for professionals in the area who are tirelessly dedicated to caring for the health of the people, it added. Meanwhile, during Mr Bolsonaros trip to New York, four members of his delegation tested positive for Covid. They included Brazils health minister Marcelo Queiroga, Mr Bolsonaros son Eduardo Bolsonaro, economist Pedro Duarte Guimaraes and a Brazilian diplomat. While Mr Guimaraes and Mr Quieroga said they were fully vaccinated, the Brazilian president was roundly criticised for putting others at risk. All the members of Mr Bolsonaros delegation are isolating in Brazil as they were in direct contact with the health minister. The unvaccinated head of state remained defiant on the coronavirus pandemic at the UNGA meet, where he was the first speaker. Under the mottos stay at home and we will deal with the economy later on, they almost brought about social chaos to the country, said Mr Bolsonaro in his speech, criticising pandemic-related lockdown measures. But our administration, in a bold step put in place several economic measures that prevented a greater evil, added Mr Bolsonaro, under whom Brazil has reported over 21 million coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic last year. Both Mr and Ms Bolsonaro tested negative for Covid-19 on Sunday, reported The New York Times. Weeks after Gabby Petitos fiance Brian Laundrie went missing, his parents have said they do not have any idea about his whereabouts. In a statement released on Monday, parents of Mr Laundrie said: Chris and Roberta Laundrie do not know where Brian is. They are concerned about Brian and hope the FBI can locate him. Mr Laundrie is a person of interest for investigative agencies in Petitos mysterious death. The familys attorney also squashed allegations that Mr Laundrie was aided by his parents in his escape from arrest or possible action from police authorities as just wrong. Mr Laundries parents did not assist him in leaving the family home or in avoiding arrest on a warrant issued after their son fled, the statement read. In their conversation with police on 17 September, shortly after Mr Laundrie went missing within days of coming back from the road trip he had taken with Ms Petito but returned without her, Chris and Roberta Laundrie said they did not know about their sons whereabouts and had not seen him for a few days. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has now been roped in officially for leading the search for Mr Laundrie, announced North Port Florida police department. In a suspicious turn of events, Dog the Bounty Hunter provided a new unknown and unconfirmed lead on the Laundrie family. Duane Chapman, a television personality and a bounty hunter by profession, said that the three members of the Laundrie family were camping at Fort DeSoto campground on two instances earlier this month on 1 and 3 September and 6 and 8 September. This is also around the time when Laundries neighbour claimed to have seen the family leave in a mini camper. Mr Chapman, claiming to have evidence on the familys getaway, said that he had alerted the authorities. The bounty hunter landed at the Laundries doorstep over the weekend assuring the family of his help in bringing their son back. Photographed outside the Laundries house in Florida, Mr Chapman was seen knocking on the door but within minutes, Mr Laundries mother Roberta called 911, asking for him to be removed from her property. Petito, 22, died on a road trip she took with her partner Mr Laundrie to travel 2,328 miles across the country. The two had set out in early July from their homes in a mini camper and documented their travel tales on social media but evidence shows things turned violent and difficult between the two in August when police officers in Utah spotted them in a physical altercation and intervened. Petitos funeral was held on Sunday where she was honoured with a memorial service. Her father, Joseph Petito, asked people to leave abusive relationships. Canadian MAGA pastor Artur Pawlowski was arrested on the tarmac of Calgary International Airport as he returned home after spreading lies about Covid-19 in the US over the course of four months. The controversial conservative preacher was taken into custody on Monday afternoon. He was charged with contempt of court for an alleged violation that occurred on 5 June. His lawyer Sarah Miller told Global News that she didnt have any information about the incident. Mr Pawlowski was arrested in May along with his brother Dawid Pawlowski for organising, promoting, and attending an illegal gathering. They arranged church services that didnt follow mask and social distancing rules. Both of them were found guilty of contempt in June after purposefully disregarding Covid-19 mandates. Alberta Health Services asked during a sentencing hearing earlier in September that Mr Pawlowski be sent to prison for 21 days and that his brother be jailed for 10 days. The court was also asked to fine the controversial conservative pastor $2,000 and exact $15,000 in costs, Global News reported. A ruling from the court is expected on 13 October. Mr Pawlowski made several appearances on Fox News and also spent time with Eric Trump, son of former President Donald Trump. He also met with General Michael Flynn, Mr Trumps first national security adviser. I am here before this court as a political prisoner of conscience, Mr Pawlowski said in a statement during a sentencing hearing on 14 September. He claimed that Alberta Health Services and the politicians have found a new way of penalising anyone that is opposing their unconstitutional medical tyranny. They hate the idea that they have been exposed for what they really are: liars, hypocrites and cheaters. I have heard from my grandparents about similar tactics from the time of the Nazis, persecuting churches and the clergy, he added, according to the National Post. Canada has fallen. Sure, you can lock us up and throw the key away, but our political imprisonment will shout even louder about the hypocrisy. This a civil proceeding that is designed to compel compliance with the court orders and that is exactly what has occurred. As far as general deterrence, they have been deterred. They have spent their time in jail, Ms Miller told the National Post. A fine is more than reasonable to sanction either of the Pawlowskis in this case. There is no need to put them into incarceration, she added. Pinellas County Parks records appear to confirm that Brian Laundries mother visited the site of Dog the Bounty Hunters tip Fort De Soto Park in Florida. Daniela Hurtado of ABC7 Sarasota tweeted that she acquired documentation from Pinellas County Parks that appears to show that Roberta Laundrie checked in to site 001 at Fort De Soto Park on 6 September and checked out two days later on 8 September, but she added that the records dont reveal who may have accompanied her. The reporter added that there are cameras at the park and that they are operated by the Pinellas Sheriffs Office, according to the countys public information specialist. Ms Petito posted an image to her Instagram in February of herself along with Mr Laundrie geotagged at the Fort De Soto Historical Fort, according to Fox News. Mr Laundrie is a person of interest in the investigation into the death of his fiancee Ms Petito, and hes wanted by the FBI on charges of bank fraud. He has not been seen since 14 September. Ms Petitos body was found weeks after her disappearance in the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area in Wyoming, and she is believed to have died between 27 August and 30 August. After visiting the Florida park in February, Ms Petito and Mr Laundrie appear to have posted a review of the campsite on the camping app The Dyrt under the name Gabby & Brian V. They appear to have been in control of the account despite the inaccurate initial for Mr Laundrie starting the account in July. Duane Dog Chapman, known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, told Fox News that he received a tip suggesting that Mr Laundrie and his parents camped at the Fort De Soto Park in early September. Mr Chapman claims that the family visited the park twice, 1-3 September and 6-8 September. He added that on the second trip, three people entered the park but only two people left. They were registered, went through the gate, he said. Theyre on camera. They were here. Both of Mr Laundries parents have denied having any knowledge or being in any way involved in their sons disappearance. Mr Chapman joined the search for Mr Laundrie on Saturday and was seen banging on the door of the parents home in North Port, Florida, before the mother called 911. Ms Hurtado tweeted that she tried to submit a public records request for the video but that she was told by the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office that the FBI is handling all inquiries and requests in reference to the case. She said FBI representatives told her that they wont be saying anything and kept telling her to check the agencys Twitter account. Jarrod Ramos, the man found guilty of killing five people at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Maryland, has been given five life sentences in prison without the possibility of parole. Ramos, 41, had carefully planned the attack, which was one of the deadliest on journalists in US history. The shooting spree followed years of an online campaign against the newspaper, with Ramos even filing a lawsuit - unhappy with coverage of his misdemeanour charge for harassing a former high school classmate over social media. In the 2011 Gazette column which sparked Ramos ire, then-employee Eric Hartley described Ramos as a US Bureau of Labor Statistics employee with no previous criminal record and a degree in computer engineering. Jarrod Ramos (Anne Arundel Police) Mr Hartley was not among the victims when a heavily-armed Ramos walked into the Annapolis newsroom on June 28, 2018. He killed Gerald Fischman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Rebecca Smith and Wendi Winters, wounding two others. In the days following the attack, the newspapers former publisher, Thomas Marquardt, told the Baltimore Sun hed previously consulted authorities over concerns about Ramos. I was seriously concerned he would threaten us with physical violence, said Mr Marquardt, who by that time was retired and living in Florida. I even told my wife, We have to be concerned. This guy could really hurt us. Mr Marquardt said he called the Anne Arundel County police about Ramos in 2013 and considered obtaining a restraining order but ultimately decided not to do so. I remember telling our attorneys, This is a guy who is going to come in and shoot us, he told the Baltimore Sun. The Capital Gazette of June 29, 2018, is seen in a newspaper vending box in Annapolis, Maryland. (AFP via Getty Images) Ramos pleaded guilty in 2019 but his lawyers attempted to enter an insanity plea. A jury in July found that the Maryland man could still be held criminally responsible, however - and he will now spend the rest of his life in prison. The attack shook newsrooms across the country and the world to their core. The paper remained defiant despite the tragedy, tweeting just hours after Ramos stormed the building that Yes, we are putting out a damn paper tomorrow. The date of the incident has been dedicated in Maryland as Freedom of the Press Day, and a memorial to the victims now stands in Annapolis featuring pillars representing the five dead and a plaque of the First Amendment. Paul Gillespie, a photojournalist at the newspaper, said after the jurys July decision that he hoped Ramos would get the five life sentences he was handed today. Mr Gillespie suffers from PTSD, anxiety and depression since the 2018 attack and testified in court about shots flying by him on that terrifying day. Hes evil; hes not crazy, he said when the jury decided Ramos could be held criminally responsible. He deserves to be in prison. Andrea Chamblee, the widow of murdered Gazette journalist John McNamara, told DC station WTOP in July: I think when people talk about the five victims of this violent crime, you can look around and see theres a lot more than five. There are a lot of people who couldnt be here today because they have to choke on their own words when they talk about this horrific crime. A deaf man arrested for assaulting a police officer has filed a civil lawsuit alleging he was the victim of unnecessary force and wrongful incarceration. Two years after a 2019 traffic stop in Colorado resulted in Brady Mistic spending four months in jail, his legal team sued the two arresting officers, the city of Idaho Springs, and a Board of County Commissioners. The lawsuit seeking damages, filed on 17 September, alleges Mr Mistic was rashly attacked after officers failed to recognise his disability. The [officers] quickly grabbed Mr Mistic, slammed him to the ground, and repeatedly tasered him despite him saying no ears to communicate he was deaf, the lawsuit alleges. Mr Mistic is deaf and uses sign language to communicate. Two years ago on 17 September, police attempted to pull over Mr Mistic for running a stop sign, according to police. Unaware, Mr Mistic pulled into a laundromat and began walking in to do his laundry when officers pulled up and shone a light into his eyes, the lawsuit says. Confused, blinded by police lights and unable to hear or know what was going on, Mr Mistic stopped walking, attempted to communicate with his hands, and then put his hands up in a non-threatening manner, the lawsuit says. The Idaho Springs Police Department, however, say Mr Mistic resisted arrest; resulting in a serious injury to one of its officers. Officer Ellie Summers and now-former officer Nicholas Hanning gave verbal commands for Mr Mistic to get back in his car, and then to sit down. They did not know at the time he was unable to hear their commands. When Mr Mistic did neither, police tried to handcuff him due to his unexplained actions. Mr Mistic resisted the officers, and a physical altercation took place. One of the ISPD officers was injured (broken leg) due to the resistive actions of Mr Mistic, Idaho Springs Police Department said in a statement. The lawsuit alleges Mr Mistic was struck twice by a stun gun. In police body camera video released by defence attorneys, one of the officers can be heard saying Arms behind your back right now or Im going to tase you, before the other says tase it. A short time later, Mr Mistic can be heard saying Im deaf. Mr Hanning was fired from the Idaho Springs Department after an unrelated incident in which he used a taser on a 75-year-old man. He was charged with third-degree assault of an at-risk adult in July. The man, Michael Clark, filed a separate federal lawsuit alleging Ms Summers and Mr Hanning used excessive force when they contacted him in his apartment on 30 May. Mr Clark answered the door holding a sword when the two officers responded to complaints that he allegedly punched a female neighbour in the face. Police taser 75-year-old after answered door holding sword Body camera footage of the arrest went viral after it was reported by The Washington Post in July. In the video, he can be seen putting the sword down before replying no when told to get on the ground. While Mr Hanning was fired after that incident, Idaho Springs Police said an investigation into the unrelated incident involving Mr Mistic the year before found the officers actions were appropriate. The officer who suffered a serious legbreak was former ISPD Officer Nicholas Hanning and the other officer was Officer Ellie Summers, who was in training at the time of the incident, police said in a statement. The District Attorneys Office for the 5th Judicial District ultimately allowed Mr Mistic to participate in a Diversion Program in lieu of formal charges being filed. An 18-year-old girl was fatally shot on Saturday night while sitting in her parked car outside her house in Chicago. Melissa Azul de la Garza, whose dad calls her a warrior princess, was returning after a Halloween shopping trip when a stranger came up to her car and shot her seven times in the chest before running away. De la Garzas father Jose rushed out to the car after hearing the gunshots and immediately called the police. The teenager was rushed to Mount Sinai Hospital, but died from her wounds. She had been speaking to her sister on FaceTime just before the attack. She just seemed so happy in that FaceTime call, said older sister Isabel at a press conference following her death. I cant fathom this, I cant understand it. And its so heartbreaking for me and my whole family. The Chicago Police Department told DailyMail.com that it is so far unclear as to why the teenager was attacked and shot, but it was being investigated. For someone to take away my 18-year-old warrior princess she had a scholarship, and she was a wrestler at Solorio, took second place in state, just doing everything the best way weve taught her For someone to come and take that away for no reason it doesnt make any sense, said Mr de la Garza. His daughter had just graduated from school and loved sewing and art. She was on Solorio Academy High Schools wrestling team the second female in the schools history to be on the team. She was set to go to School of the Art Institute of Chicago, somewhere they dreamed of going to for years, states a Go Fund Me page set up in her honour, which so far has $17,100 in donations. Nine people were shot dead in Chicago over the weekend. The Independent has contacted the Chicago Police Department for further info on the ongoing investigation. Miya Marcano had half an hour left until the end of her shift when someone used a master key to slip into her apartment. That was around the last time anyone saw Ms Marcano, a 19-year-old living in Orlando, Florida who worked in the buildings leasing office and was due to fly to Fort Lauderdale that evening, Friday 24 September. Police now believe the person who entered her apartment was Armando Manuel Caballero, 27, a maintenance worker in the same building who was found dead on Monday in what appeared to be a suicide. Anyone with information on her whereabouts should contact the Orange County Sheriffs Office on (407) 836-4357. Heres everything we know about Ms Marcanos disappearance. Who is Miya Mimi Marcano? I havent slept or eaten in days, wrote Miyas father Marlon Marcano, a DJ in south Florida, in the aftermath of her disappearance last week. Your whole family is here looking for you. We will not stop until youre back home. Ms Marcano, known as Mimi to her father, had been living in and working for a student housing complex called Arden Villas in Orlando, close to the University of South Florida, though she was not herself a student there. According to her Facebook page, she graduated last year from high school in Broward County, which includes the city of Fort Lauderdale. Colleagues last saw her at the end of her shift around 5pm on Friday 24 September, though it wasnt until Monday morning that Arden Villas posted a missing notice on its Facebook page. Her father said that she did not appear for her flight on Friday evening. In the meantime, Ms Marcanos friends and family recruited numerous volunteers to search for her and share bulletins online. A South Florida non-profit called Kingsman, focused on protecting women and children, offered $5,000 for any tip leading to her safe return. Rebuffed advances and signs of a struggle Police did not initially suspect Armando Manuel Caballero of any involvement. The 27-year-old had been working at Arden Villas since June, and told officers he had last seen Ms Marcano about two hours before she went missing. But sheriffs soon learned that he had demonstrated a romantic interest in Miya, which she had to repeatedly rebuff, and issued a warrant for his arrest. The sheriffs also determined that someone had accessed her apartment around 4.30pm on Friday 24 September using a building master key, which Caballero was known to have. According to Fox 35, officers found signs of a struggle in Ms Marcanos apartment, including a pillow stained with blood. The door to her bedroom had been blocked, while the window was unlocked. Meanwhile, the following Monday morning, sheriffs in neighbouring Seminole County followed a report of a possible suicide to an apartment in Longwood, about 30 miles outside Orlandos city centre. There they found Caballeros body, which had been dead for quite some time, apparently by his own hand. In a news conference on Monday afternoon, Orange County sheriff John Mina said investigators had since found several suspicious items in his place. I know youre alive. I know youre out there At the news conference, members of Ms Marcanos family said they believed she could still be saved and urged people to report any information that might help. I know youre alive. I know youre out there, said her aunt Pia Sarbieo Henry. Fight, because we have your back. Another aunt, Semone Westmaas, said: Keep Miya in your prayers. Dont give up on Miya. I believe Miya is alive. Her grandmother Violet Delville said: Please help us find my princess. Family members told reporters they were frustrated with how sheriffs have handled the case, demanding more urgency from Mr Minas office. Deputies searched inside and all around Arden Villas on Sunday, with neighbours saying they saw a helicopter doing five or six circles round the complex. Mr Mina said: Miya is still missing. Her disappearance is suspicious and our detectives and the family members obviously suspect foul play. The chief of the Moab police department in Utah has decided to go on a leave of absence, days after the city announced an investigation into the department's handling of a dispute between Gabby Petito and her fiance Brian Laundrie. Bret Edge on Monday requested some time off through the Family Medical Leave Act, the city's communication manager Lisa Church said. Last week, Moab city officials launched an investigation into the police department that dealt with the couple in August, just weeks before Petito was allegedly killed. The 22-year-old YouTuber's remains were discovered on 19 September from Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park, after a week-long nationwide search. Her death was confirmed as a case of homicide. Moab police officers interacted with Petito and Mr Laundrie on 12 August after a bystander called 911 to report an incident of a domestic dispute. We drove by and the gentleman was slapping the girl, the caller said, according to 911 audio from Grand County Sheriffs Office. Then we stopped. They ran up and down the sidewalk. He proceeded to hit her, hopped in the car and they drove off. Although the police left without filing any charges, the incident caught on the body cam showed Petito sobbing and breathing heavily. An officer was seen telling her that they considered her the aggressor and were about to file domestic violence charges against her. Based on the officers suggestion, Mr Laundrie spent the night separately at a hotel while Petito stayed in the van. City officials in a statement said that the police department had received criticism and praise for their response and their resolution of the incident involving Ms Petito and Mr Laundrie. The Moab City Police Department has clear standards for officer conduct during a possible domestic dispute and our officers are trained to follow those standards and protocol. At this time, the City of Moab is unaware of any breach of Police Department policy during this incident. However, the City will conduct a formal investigation and, based on the results, will take any next steps that may be appropriate, the statement said. The couple were road-tripping across the country in Petitos van when she went missing. Petito's family declared her missing on 11 September, 10 days after Mr Laundrie returned to his family home in Florida. Meanwhile, the police in Florida continue to search for Mr Laundrie in a 25,000-acre nature reserve in Sarasota County, where he fled on 14 September. He has been non-cooperative throughout the investigation and has been named a person of interest in the case. The 29-year-old shooter who killed one person and injured 14 others at a supermarket in Tennessee last week was asked to leave his job the morning before, according to police. U.K. Thang, who was found dead at the scene of the shooting last Thursday, had moved to the town of Collierville, around 36km (22 miles) east of Memphis, last summer before starting work at a Kroger. The local police department, in an update on Monday into its investigation, said he had been asked to leave his job as a third party vendor before carrying out the shooting. It was not clear why. Police were called to the supermarket at 1.30pm to reports of a shooting incident on Thursday, to find 14 people wounded and one individual deceased. The shooter was also fatally wounded, having allegedly turned the gun on himself. Ten Kroger workers where thought to have been shot by Mr Thang, and four shoppers, including Olivia King, was killed. According to CNN, four people remain in a stable condition at Regional One Hospital in Memphis, Kroger customers, as well as staff, recalled hiding from Mr Thang in freezers, while others locked themselves inside an office to escape the alleged shooter. Glenda McDonald, a Kroger employee, told WHBQ-TV: I was walking back towards the floral department and I heard a gunshot. It sounded like it was coming from the deli. And I ran out the front door and they had already shot the front door. A customer, Jason Lusk, told reporters he had heard 10 to 15 rounds of fire inside the store, and that people were screaming in the car park about a shooter. He told The Associated Press: As the firing started, I dove in front of my vehicle onto the ground to provide the most cover for myself and instructed the people around me panicking, trying to get into the cars, not to get in their cars, but to actually hide. A SWAT team arrived at the scene within minutes and took control of the situation, finding the alleged shooter with an apparently self inflicted wound. Collierville police said on Monday that an investigation is ongoing, and that a decision is due to be made on reopening the store. A woman who says she gave Brian Laundrie a lift when she saw him hitchhiking in Wyoming has shared more details about their encounter. Mr Laundrie is a person of interest in the investigation into the death of his fiancee Gabby Petito, and is wanted by the FBI for alleged bank fraud charges. He has been missing since September 14. Norma Jean Jalovec, 52, told People that although Mr Laundrie was scruffy when he got in the car and he smelled, she found nothing extraordinary about him until they approached the van he and Gabby Petito had lived in during their cross-country trip. Ms Jalovec said: He got agitated when I said, Do you want me to take you past the gate, down the road [to the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area]? He was like, No, no, no, no, no. This is fine, she continued. He said, Just let me out here. You can let me out here. As she slowed her Jeep down, he literally was getting out of the passenger seat, she added. Ms Jalovec said she found this strange, because from the place she dropped him off, he would have had to walk miles down a dirt road to get to his van, and it was getting dark. While in her Jeep, Mr Laundrie told Ms Jalovec that he and Ms Petito had been travelling together and that that day she had stayed behind in the van to work on her blog, while he hiked along Snake River and had seen moose, elk and bison. When Mr Laundrie suddenly insisted on getting out, Ms Jalovec says she said: Oh, you dont want your fiancee to see you being dropped off out of an SUV. You want her to think you hiked all the way back. If no one else comes forward about seeing him after 6:40pm, she said, in reference to the time he got out of the vehicle, then I was the last person to see him before he left the area without Petito. That puts him there at Spread Creek at 6:40pm on August 29, said Ms Jalovec, who has given her information to the FBI. Petitos body was found weeks later in the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area, and she is believed to have died between August 27 and August 30. Ms Jalovec says Mr Laundrie offered her money for gas. It wasnt a dollar amount though, she added. Miranda Baker, another woman who says she gave Mr Laundrie a lift that day, reported that he offered her $200 for just a short ride. Ms Jalovec emphasised that Mr Laundrie had seemed normal to her during their drive. He was right next to me in the passenger seat, she said. He just looked like a young kid hitchhiking who had been hiking in a park. There was nothing extraordinary about him. The Independent reached out to Brian Laundries lawyer for comment but had not received a response by the time this article was published. Greyhound Lines Inc has to pay $2.2 million to settle a lawsuit over the companys practice of allowing warrantless and suspicionless sweeps on its buses in Washington state. Attorney General of Washington state, Bob Ferguson, announced on Monday that the bus line failed to warn the passengers of the sweeps by the US Customs & Border Protection (CBP) agents on its buses and that it misrepresented its role in allowing the sweeps to occur and subjected its passengers to discrimination based on race, skin colour or national origin. In a statement by Mr Ferguson, the attorney general said that the payment by the bus line that provides intercity bus transportation services across North America shall be used to provide restitution to those passengers who were detained, arrested, or deported after immigration agents boarded their bus at the Spokane Intermodal Center. It, however, said that the amount of restitution each individual receives will depend on the number of claims and the severity of harms suffered due to Greyhounds conduct. Mr Ferguson filed the lawsuit against Greyhound in April last year claiming that the bus transportation company allowed US Customs & Protection agents to sweep in on its buses since 2013. Greyhound publicly acknowledged the sweeps in 2018 and said that it harms the passengers. Mr Ferguson said on Monday that during these sweeps, Latinx and other passengers of colour are subjected to invasive questioning by armed federal agents and are often required to get off the bus. CBP agents sometimes also detain or arrest passengers, or go through their luggage, Mr Ferguson said. Greyhound has transported more than 420,000 passengers to or from the Spokane Intermodal Center between 2013 and 2020, the State Attorney said. He added: Greyhounds conduct caused passengers to experience travel delays, missed connections, alarm, fear, questioning, search, and detention by federal immigration officials, and/or discrimination on the basis of race, colour and/or national origin. Earlier this year in March, Judge Maryann C. Moreno had denied the bus line's attempt to dismiss the lawsuit. In her ruling, she had rejected Greyhounds argument that the company had no choice but to allow federal agents to board its buses and conduct the sweeps. Mr Ferguson told the media that Greyhound has an obligation to its customers an obligation it cannot set aside so immigration agents can go on fishing expeditions aboard its buses. Besides paying the $2.2 million to end the lawsuit, Greyhound is also supposed to change its policy and deny CBP agents permission to board its buses without warrants or reasonable suspicion in Washington state. The statement by Attorney General also mentioned that all drivers with Greyhound shall have to undergo special training so they are able to communicate its corporate policy to the federal agents. Besides other demands by the state attorney, Greyhound will now have to provide semi-annual reports to the Attorney Generals Office, including reporting whether immigration agents have boarded Greyhound buses in the State of Washington. The Dallas-based Greyhound Lines Inc issued a statement over the settlement. It said: By agreeing to the consent decree, we will more extensively communicate to our customers the policies and procedures we already have in place to serve the citizens of Washington state. The settlement was filed in Spokane County Superior Court on Monday, the day the trial was supposed to begin. Two American siblings returned home this weekend from China, more than three years after an exit ban barred them from leaving the country. A US official confirmed the lifting of the ban and the homecoming of Cynthia Liu, a consultant at McKinsey & Company and Victor Liu, a Georgetown University student. Their release comes on the heels of the release of Meng Wanzhou, a top Huawei executive, after an agreement with Beijing. Despite never facing any criminal charges, the two siblings came under the ambit of an exit ban in China, something the US has in the past strongly opposed and that has been seen as an arm-twisting tactic used by the country. In this case, Liu Changming, the father of the siblings and a former Chinese bank official, faces fraud charges in China. Mr and Ms Liu went to China in 2018 to visit their grandfather, but were detained shortly after, in an apparent attempt to coerce their father to turn himself in, according to a report by The New York Times. Mr Lius wife and the siblings mother Sandra Han continues to be detained in China on criminal grounds. The lifting of the ban has been seen as an indication of thawing relations between the US and China, who share a strained relationship. The duration of the ban on Mr and Ms Liu paralleled Ms Mengs stay in Canada, as the US sought her extradition over a fraud case. Ms Mengs return to China, along with the seemingly sudden release of the siblings and two other Canadian nationals from China, has been perceived as a prisoner swap between the two superpowers. The White House, however, has denied such suggestions. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters there was no link between the two cases. The issue of releasing the two had come up during a call between US president Joe Biden and Chinese premier Xi Jinping on 9 September. Ms Mengs case was decided independently, said the US Justice Department, which had reached an agreement clearing the way for the Huawei executive to leave for her home country. Similarly, Beijing has also denied any link between the releases of the US, Chinese and Canadian nationals. Welcoming the Liu siblings return to the US, a state department official said consular staff in Shanghai helped aid the exit process. We will continue to advocate on behalf of all American citizens in the PRC subject to arbitrary detention and coercive exit bans, the official said. The chaos that erupted as the US withdrew from Afghanistan and the country fell to the Taliban adversely affected US credibility with both its allies and its enemies, the top US general has admitted. Gen Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, agreed with the assertion made by GOP Sen Roger Wicker during a hearing of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, that US allies and enemies around the world were reviewing the state of the USs position around the world following the rapid defeat of the US-backed Afghan government. "I think that our credibility with allies and partners around the world, and with adversaries, is being intensely reviewed by them to see which way this is going to go, Mr Milley said in response to Mr Wicker. And I think that damaged is one word that could be used, yes, the general continued, referring to the image of the US around the world. His comments were contradicted by the defence secretary Lloyd Austin, a retired four-star general. Mr Austin said that he believed the image of the United States was untarnished following the exit from Kabul. I think our credibility remains solid, said Mr Austin. .@SenatorWicker hammers Gen. Mark Milley, Sec. of Defense Lloyd Austin, and the Biden Administration on their handling of Afghanistan. pic.twitter.com/3WGnqBUz0Y MRCTV (@mrctv) September 28, 2021 The US faced withering criticism from allies including politicians in the UK and the EU as well as adversaries such as China, which has said that the hasty withdrawal left open the possibility that Afghanistan would become a safe haven for terrorist groups again. Conservative MP Tom Tugenhadt, a veteran of the war in Afghanistan himself, gave a moving speech in front of the House of Commons in which he decried Mr Biden and other US officials criticism of the former Afghan national army as shameful. To see [Biden] call into question the courage of men I fought with, to claim that they ran, is shameful. Those who have never fought for the colours they fly should be careful about criticising those who have, he said. Questions about US credibility around the world have largely been echoed by conservatives and right-leaning newspaper columnists, including Bret Stephens of The New York Times, while defenders of the decision to end Americas longest-running war have contended that no exit could have been possible without problems. The criticism has found a home in some liberal circles as well, however, especially surrounding a US drone strike in Kabul that killed 10 civilians, including seven children. Some have accused the Pentagon of attempting to cover up the deaths after initially claiming that those killed were Isis-K militants. Critics of the war have pointed to the strike as a final reminder of how the use of US military force can have unintended but distastrous consequences. US Central Command (CENTCOM) commander Gen Kenneth McKenzie directly contradicted a claim from President Joe Biden about suggestions for a remainder force in Afghanistan during a hearing of the Senate Armed Forces Committee. Gen McKenzie told senators on Tuesday that he had specifically recommended that the US keep a force of roughly 2,500 US service members in Afghanistan beyond the main withdrawal of American forces. "I recommended we keep 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, said Gen McKenzie, a statement that was later echoed by Gen Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The statements called into question Mr Bidens assertion in an interview with ABC News in the days following the Kabul withdrawal that no one said that in regard to keeping additional troops in country. Your military advisors did not tell you, No, we should just keep 2,500 troops. It's been a stable situation for the last several years. We can do that. We can continue to do that? asked ABCs George Stephanopoulos in August. No one said that to me that I can recall, the president responded. Sen Dan Sullivan of Alaska grilled both Mr Milley and Mr McKenzie over whether Mr Biden had spoken falsely in the ABC News interview when he claimed that he never heard advice urging him to keep 2,500 troops or a similar footprint in Afghanistan. You do not have to cover for the President when hes not telling the truth. Was that a false statement or not? Im not going to characterise a statement from the president of the United States, Gen Milley responded, while Gen McKenzie responded that he had given his view of the situation. "You do not have to cover for the President when he's not telling the truth. Was that a false statement or not?" Senator Dan Sullivan grills Generals Milley and McKenzie who refuse to explicitly contradict Joe Biden. pic.twitter.com/7sRARe5eo0 Townhall.com (@townhallcom) September 28, 2021 Sen Tom Cotton joined in with his own scathing remarks, adding: Heres what Ive learned so far: Number one, the president of the United States lied to the American people about the advice that you gave to him, about the military judgement that you provided for him. Republicans opened up Tuesdays hearing of the Senate Armed Forces Committee with a slew of attacks aimed at Mr Biden, his advisers, as well as US Defence Department officials, for the chaotic pullout of US troops from Afghanistan and the collapse of the Afghan government. Sen James Inhofe, the Republican ranking member of the committee, used his opening statement to blame Mr Biden for making negotiations with terrorists mandatory even after praising the previous administrations dealings with Taliban officials in Doha, Qatar. "We went from 'we we will never negotiate with terrorists' to 'we must negotiate with terrorists, the senator said. Mr Inhofe also criticised the Pentagon for a military strike in Kabul originally believed to have targeted Isis-K militants but was found to have killed an entire family of Afghan civilians, including seven children. Other Republicans were equally brutal in their criticism. Sen Marsha Blackburn referred to the Biden administrations management of the withdrawal as botched and disgraceful, while Sen Tom Cotton asked why military leaders did not resign when their advice was not followed. Those last remarks elicited a harsh response from Gen Milley, who said, my dad didnt get to resign at Iwo Jima. Mr Milley told Mr Cotton that the job of the joint chiefs was to provide advice, not to decide which orders to follow. "It would be an incredible act of political defiance for a commissioned officer to just resign because my advice is not taken, he said. .@SenTomCotton: "Why haven't you resigned?" Gen. Milley: "It would be an incredible act of political defiance for a commissioned officer to just resign because my advice is not taken." He also says, "My dad didn't get a choice to resign at Iwo Jima." pic.twitter.com/7D4w3KUR03 CSPAN (@cspan) September 28, 2021 The GOP has been blistering in its criticism of the US pullout from Afghanistan following the final exit of US troops, with many arguing that the US should have left a small military footprint in the country; both parties have been highly critical of the intelligence failure that led to Mr Biden suggesting as recently as July that the Afghan government had the capability to stave off or even defeat the Taliban. The White House has countered that no intelligence suggested that the country would fall as quickly as it did, and asserted that any remaining US presence in the country would have been forced into a new armed conflict with the Taliban, costing more American lives. Every registered California voter will get a ballot mailed to them in future elections under a bill signed Monday by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom The law makes permanent a change adopted during the pandemic for the 2020 election and the recent recall against Newsom. California, the nation's most populous state, joins several other Western states in mailing all voters a ballot, including Utah, Colorado, Washington and Oregon. Under the new law, ballots in California must go out at least 29 days before the election. Voters still have the option to drop off their ballot or vote in person. Prior to the pandemic, many Californians were already voting by mail. Voters like having options for returning their ballot whether by mail, at a secure drop box, a voting center or at a traditional polling station. And the more people who participate in elections, the stronger our democracy and the more we have assurance that elections reflect the will of the people of California, California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, a Democrat, said in a statement. Newsom signed 10 other voting-related bills on Monday, crafting them as part of an effort to expand voting rights and access. Voting rights have become a major political flashpoint nationally. Democrat-led states are pushing legislation aimed at expanding voting access while many Republican-led states are trying to tighten it amid baseless accusations of widespread voter fraud by former President Donald Trump and other GOP leaders. As states across our country continue to enact undemocratic voter suppression laws, California is increasing voter access, expanding voting options and bolstering elections integrity and transparency, Newsom, a Democrat, said in a statement. Mail-in voting put California Republicans in a tricky spot during the recent recall election against Newsom, which he handily defeated. Many Republicans didn't trust the process, leaving party leaders to both encourage their voters to cast ballots while promising they were closely monitoring claims of fraud. Republicans who hold a minority in the state Legislature rejected the effort to expand mail balloting. Another proposal Newsom signed relaxes the rules around ballot signatures, giving officials more leeway to accept ballots if the signature doesn't exactly match what's on file. The legislation by Democratic Sen. Josh Becker bars election officials from taking a voter's party preference into account when evaluating their signature. Republicans in the state Legislature also opposed the bill. In order to reject a signature, two other election officials must also determine if the signature differs in obvious ways from the signature in the person's registration record. Other bills Newsom signed: -Increase penalties for improper use of campaign funds -Expand the distance at which campaign activities are blocked outside of polling places President Joe Bidens national security adviser Jake Sullivan is heading to Cairo on Wednesday for talks with Egyptian government officials about rising tensions between Israel and Hamas The Biden administration is leaning heavily on Egypt, which has long played a role as mediator between Israel and Hamas, for help in maintaining stability in the region even as it presses Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to stop his crackdown on dissent. Sullivan plans to follow up on the Egypt talks during a meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Eyal Hulata, next week in Washington, said National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne. Egypt brokered a cease-fire after an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas erupted in May. Sullivan had already planned visits to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for talks focused on finding an end to war in Yemen. The visit to Egypt comes after the Biden administration announced earlier this month it would withhold $130 million in military aid to the country over human rights concerns. The region has seen an increase in fighting in recent weeks, with tensions fueled by Israeli settlement construction and heightened militant activity in the northern West Bank. Israeli troops conducted a series of arrest raids against suspected Hamas militants across the occupied West Bank early Sunday, sparking a pair of gun battles in which five Palestinians were killed and two Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded. Looming over the meeting in Cairo is the administration's recent decision to withhold some military aid to Egypt. Congress had passed legislation calling on the administration to withhold $300 million in military aid to Egypt. In the end, $170 million was sent along as the administration used its authority to waive human rights conditions placed on the assistance by Congress. The Biden administration said it decided to release most of the military aid to preserve a U.S.-Egypt security relationship that it says is critical to Mideast stability. The remaining $130 million will be released if Egypt "addresses specific human-rights related conditions, according to the State Department. At the same time, Biden advisers have praised Egypt for brokering the cease-fire that ended the latest Israel-Hamas war. The administration was also pleased that el-Sisi hosted Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Cairo earlier this month, the first visit by an Israeli prime minister to Egypt since 2007. Egypt is pressing the U.S. to side with it in a dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a hydropower project on the Blue Nile that Ethiopia says is crucial for its economic development. Egypt says the dam would choke its economy and has threatened to use all available means to stop it. The Blue Nile, a major tributary of the Nile River, originates in Ethiopia. The Biden administration sees the dam dispute as potential flashpoint, but has sought to take a back seat to the African Union in finding a resolution. Former President Donald Trump summoned his wife to the Oval Office and berated her after she wore a jacket emblazoned with the words I really dont care, do you? during a trip to a migrant housing facility in McAllen, Texas, according to a new book. Stephanie Grisham, once the first ladys top White House aide, writes that she did not notice the message on Ms Trumps jacket as they headed to Texas for the ill-fated June 2018 trip that elicited an explosion of media coverage and online speculation over what statement Ms Trump was trying to make. At the time, the Trump administration was facing severe criticism over its policy of separating migrant children from family members after their detention at the border. The first lady visited a site in McAllen in the hopes of softening the White Houses image on the issue, which eventually led to the Trump administration abandoning the programme. But after returning, she adds, Ms Trump was summoned to the West Wing by her husband who yelled at her over the incident and resulting media coverage. He yelled and asked what the [expletive] they thought they were doing, writes The Washington Post, which obtained an advance copy of the book. At the same time, he came up with the idea of making the jacket a message to the news media, which he often complained were treating him unfairly; Ms Trump would go on to echo that claim in an October interview with ABCs Tom Llamas. It's obvious I didn't wear the jacket for the children. I wore the jacket to go on the plane and off the plane. And it was for the people and for the left-wing media who are criticising me, she claimed at the time. Ms Grisham also adds in her book that the former first lady grew more publicly defiant of her husband after news of his alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels found its way into the press. This is Donalds problem. He got himself into this mess. He can fix it by himself, Ms Grisham wrote, describing her former bosss thinking. Ms Grisham was one of the longest-running aides in the Trump White House and originally served as a press aide on his 2016 presidential campaign. She later became White House press secretary, though never once held a public press conference with reporters. She resigned on 6 January 2020, after a mob stormed the US Capitol. Despite having one of the longest tenures of any Trump aide, the former president nevertheless claimed that his former staffer didnt have what it takes and that was obvious from the beginning in a statement to The Hill on Tuesday regarding claims in the book. She had big problems and we felt that she should work out those problems for herself. Now, like everyone else, she gets paid by a radical left-leaning publisher to say bad and untrue things, said the former president. Barack Obama has voiced his support for Joe Bidens $3.5tn (2.5tn) spending package and sweeping domestic agenda, and admitted that he would be included among the billionaires who foot the bill. The former US president, in an interview broadcast on ABC News on Tuesday, said Americas billionaires can afford to pay more tax to fund policies the country desperately needs, and said: I put myself in this category now. Speaking with ABC News Robin Roberts, Mr Obama said: Anybody who pretends that its a hardship for billionaires to pay a little bit more in taxes so that a single mum gets childcare support or so that were doing something about climate change for the next generation, thats an argument thats unsustainable. Both the $3.5tn spending package and a smaller $1tn infrastructure bill are currently being debated in Congress and are expected to be voted on by the end of the week, as well as a crucial budget resolution to avert a shutdown of the US government. Although Democrats are reportedly in a battle with centrists in the party to accept the $3.5tn price tag, Mr Obama, who has an estimated net worth of several million dollars, theorised that his Democratic successor would be able to pass the bill in the end. I believe that it will get done, said Mr Obama. It will be messy it's always messy to get big, serious legislation done. Among the biggest proposals in Mr Bidens $3.5tn Build Back Better bill are plans to lift millions out of poverty through child tax credits, funding for education and investment in cutting the countrys carbon footprint. A number of key health measures are also part of the bill. In an apparent bid to persuade figures such as Democrat senator Joe Manchin, who may not back a bill more than $1.5tn in size, Mr Obama added in his interview that the cost of the spending would be spread out. When you look at the overall package, its got a headline price tag of $3.5tn, the former president said. But thats not a single year, this is spread out over a number of years. And most importantly, its paid for by asking the wealthiest of Americans to pay a few percentage points more in taxes in order to make sure we have an economy thats fair for everybody, he added. The interview came ahead of todays start of construction at the Obama Presidential Centre in Chicago. US Military officials defended the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan as Senators asked them about the advice they gave President Joe Biden and whether they thought that advice was heard. Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee asked Gen Mark Milley, who is chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and US Central Command leader Gen Frank McKenzie about his previous assessment that the United States should have kept 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who served in Afghanistan, asked Gen Milley why he did not resign since he was only consulted on 25 August after the government in Kabul collapsed on 15 August. Resigning is a really serious thing, its a political act, resigning in protest, Gen Milley said, adding that his job is to provide military advice but that the president doesnt need to follow it. It would be an incredible act of political defiance for a commissioned officer to just resign because my advice wasnt taken. This country doesnt want generals figuring what orders were going to accept and do or not, he said. Elsewhere, Senator Jack Reed, the Democratic chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said it was important to not only look at the actions of the last month but also the two decades of the United States engagement in Afghanistan. The path that led to this moment was paved with years of mistakes, from our catastrophic pivot to Iraq, to our failure to handle Pakistans support for the Taliban, to the flawed Doha agreement signed by President Trump, Mr Reed said, referring to the former presidents agreement with the Taliban. Mr Reed asked Gen Milley, as well as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and US Central Command leader Gen Kenneth McKenzie if the former presidents agreement had an effect on the morale of forces. It did negatively affect the performance of the Afghan forces, Gen McKenzie said. Mr Austin, a retired US Army general who led forces in Afghanistan, said he felt President Joe Biden heard the advice of his military advisers. I always keep my advice to the president confidential but I am very much satisfied that we had a thorough policy review and I believe that all of the parties had an opportunity to provide input and that input was received, he said. Democratic Sen Kirsten Gillibrand of New York asked Gen Milley about what he considered were important lessons that needed to be learned. I think that one error we may have made over time as you made them too dependent on technology too dependent on our capabilities, Gen Milley said. We didn't take in the cultural aspects perhaps as much as we should have, and we mirror imaged. Sen Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat from Connecticut, said he was involved in an effort to charter planes to get people out of the country and was frustrated by the process. We need an evacuation czar, someone who will provide a plan, he said, saying he was angry officials didnt know how many Americans remained in Afghanistan. We dont have an estimate on the number because nobody is in charge over there. Senators also mentioned the bungled airstrike that led to the deaths of seven civilian children and an aid worker, along with another adult. Have you reached out to the aircrew to make sure they know it's not their fault there are seven dead children, Senator Kevin Cramer, a Republican from North Dakota, to which Mr Austin replied: I have not, sir. Kristi Noem has lashed out at the press, claiming media is trying to destroy my children after allegations emerged about her potential involvement in her daughters business affairs. The actions of South Dakotas governor were called into question in a report by The Associated Press, after she met with officials from an agency responsible for denying her daughters application to become a real estate appraiser. Weeks later, her daughters application was approved. Ms Noem summoned officials from the state Department of Labor and Regulation involved with the Appraiser Certification Program in July of 2020, the Associated Press reported on Monday. Those officials included her daughters direct supervisor. At the meeting, Ms Noem presented the director of the Appraiser Certification Program with a letter authored by a certified state residential appraiser who was supervising Ms Noems daughter as she undertook a bid to become an appraiser herself; the letter reportedly sharply criticised the state system as riddled with inefficiencies and complaining that Ms Noems daughters rejection had been unwarranted. The meeting took place at the governors mansion just days after the initial attempt by Ms Noems daughter to achieve her certification had been denied, according to the AP. The report went on to note that even after Ms Noems daughter was eventually approved for her certification, the director of the certification programme was forced out of her job later that year by the state Labor Secretary, a political appointee reappointed to the agency by Ms Noem in 2019. At the time, Ms Noems daughter was a paid policy analyst working in the governors office, a position she held since her mother took office in 2019. She would go on to leave that job just days later, however, at the end of July 2020. The governor denied any wrongdoing or conflict of interest in a statement posted on Twitter shortly after the APs investigation was published. Listen I get it. I signed up for this job. But now the media is trying to destroy my children. This story is just another example of the double standard that exists with the media ... going after conservatives and their kids while ignoring Liberals, she wrote. Listen I get it. I signed up for this job. But now the media is trying to destroy my children. This story is just another example of the double standard that exists with the media... going after conservatives and their kids while ignoring Liberals #AskTheBigGuy Kristi Noem (@KristiNoem) September 27, 2021 Her spokesman added to the AP that the news agency was disparaging the Governors daughter in order to attack the Governor politically, adding, no wonder Americans trust in the media is at an all-time low. A former ethics chief in the George W. Bush White House, Richard Painter, agreed however that the situation presented a conflict of interest for Ms Noem, given her daughters financial interest in the area of real estate certifications. Its clearly a conflict of interest and an abuse of power for the benefit of a family member, he told the AP in a statement regarding their findings. Its unclear if the governor or her daughter would face any consequences over the situation given Ms Noems daughter being a paid staffer in the governors mansion at the time of the meeting. However, the states Labor Secretary, Marcia Hultman, made sure to stress in a comment to the AP that the governors daughter went through the same process that others do, and asserted that her certification had never been denied. Kassidy Peters went through the same process as other appraisers. There was no denial, she told the AP. Mrs. Peters completed the requirements to become licensed, and she was subsequently certified in November. Close Stephanie Grisham Book Says Trump Told Putin He Would Act Tough With Him 'For the Cameras' Stephanie Grishams tell-all new memoir Ill Take Your Questions Now has already generated reams of headlines before the books official release. The title carries a hint of irony, as the former White House press secretary never held an on-camera briefing for reporters. Among the explosive claims in the book, Ms Grisham writes that the former president told Russian president Vladimir Putin he would but on a tough act for the cameras before the two spoke in private. Ms Grisham claimed She also claimed her ex-boss called her from Air Force One to insist that his penis was not shaped like a mushroom, as alleged by former porn star Stormy Daniels. On top of that, the book claims that first lady Melania Trump had her own way of getting back at her husband by having a handsome US marine escort her at official events. Mr Trump called Ms Grisham angry and bitter over his former press aides book. In multiple statements, Mr Trump said Ms Grishams "untrue" claims were the result of a disgruntled employee who didnt "have what it takes" after a break-up, in an apparent reference to her split with another White House official, Max Miller. Preview copies of the book were obtained by The Washington Post and The New York Times ahead of its release on 5 October. A judge in Texas says Governor Greg Abbott gave in to Donald Trump s request for an election audit almost instantly, and state officials are still catching up. The reality is, Trump demanded it, he caved in minutes later, Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins told CBS DFW . The former president, who for almost a year has baselessly claimed the 2020 election was stolen, demanded an audit of Texas vote in an open letter to Mr Abbott on Thursday. Despite my big win in Texas, I hear Texans want an election audit! wrote Mr Trump, who won the state in November. Texas needs you to act now Your citizens dont trust the election system, and they want your leadership on this issue, which is the number one thing they care about. Hours later, Texas Secretary of States Office announced that there would be an audit of the election. But according to Judge Jenkins, no one at that office seemed to have a plan for how the audit would work. They werent able to tell us anything as far as what they wanted, the judge said. A statement from the Collin County Elections Administrator, Bruce Sherbet, appeared to confirm that officials were caught off guard by the announcement. Collin County has not been updated on the schedule or processes for the audit yet but we are prepared to assist the state in any way needed, Mr Sherbet told CBS DFW . On Monday, the Secretary of States Office released a statement saying audits have already been going on for months and that a different office was responsible for them. Election audits have been underway for several months to identify and remove illegally registered voters, and we refer these cases to the Attorney Generals office, the office said. It was not immediately clear whether these were the kind of audit Mr Trump requested. Another judge, Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, confirmed that election officials seemed to be scrambling. The Secretary of States office just said, well get back to you, Judge Whitley told CBS DFW . Were in the middle of the plan. And when we have more details, well get back with you. At the same time, we welcome the opportunity to assist and do whatever we can we feel comfortable with the election. The Independent has reached out to Governor Abbotts office for comment, but had not heard back at the time of publication. On Sunday, the governor defended the planned election audit on Fox News . We have a responsibility to ensure the integrity and confidence in the elections in the state of Texas, Mr Abbott said. Donald Trump and Boris Johnson spent a meeting chatting about almost anything but politics, according to a former aide to the ex-president. The Washington Post has obtained a copy of Ill Take Your Questions Now, an upcoming tell-all book from Stephanie Grisham , Mr Trumps third press secretary. One of the reporters who wrote the Posts story, Josh Dawsey, says the report leaves out some of the more interesting conversations Ms Grisham reveals. She describes a series of startling interactions with other world leaders, Mr Dawsey tweeted on Tuesday. Once, Trump and Boris Johnson, she writes, spent much of a meeting discussing how gallbladders work, the many deadly creatures of Australia and why rich guys love space. The bizarre chat is just one of many explosive claims Ms Grisham makes in her book, which both Donald and Melania Trump have strenuously denied. The former press secretary also claims Mr Trump once called her from Air Force One to insist that his penis was not shaped like a mushroom, as alleged by former porn star Stormy Daniels , and that an aide used to play show tunes to calm the president down when he was in a rage. In addition, Ms Grisham says the former president once warned Russian president Vladimir Putin before a press conference that he was about to act a little tougher with you for a few minutes, but it was only for the cameras. Mr Trump has vehemently denied the allegations, describing Ms Grisham as a disgruntled former employee. Stephanie didnt have what it takes and that was obvious from the beginning, Mr Trump said in a statement tweeted out by his spokeswoman, Liz Harrington. Now, like everyone else, she gets paid by a radical left-leaning publisher to say bad and untrue things. Too bad that sleaze bag publishers continue to report this very boring garbage. Similarly, Melania Trump for whom Ms Grisham once worked as chief of staff accused the memoir of mistruth. The intent behind this book is obvious, Ms Trumps office said in a statement. It is an attempt to redeem herself after a poor performance as press secretary, failed personal relationships, and unprofessional behavior in the White House. Through mistruth and betrayal, she seeks to gain relevance and money at the expense of Mrs Trump. Donald Trump lost his fight to enforce a nondisclosure agreement with former Apprentice star Omarosa Manigault Newman over her White House tell-all book. An arbitrator agreed with Mr Trumps one-time adviser that an NDA she signed during the 2016 presidential campaign was invalid under New York contract law. T Andrew Brown wrote in his decision that the terms of the agreement pertaining to confidential information and non-disparagement are vague and unenforceable. The one-term presidents 2020 reelection campaign had filed a complaint with the American Arbitration Association over Ms Manigault Newmans 2018 book Unhinged: An Insiders Account of the Trump White House. Mr Trump is well-known for his use of NDAs and litigating to try and enforce them. So finally someone has beat him at his own game and in his own forum, John Phillips, Ms Manigault Newmans attorney, said of Mr Trump in an interview with CNBC. And he said that the ruling in the case could now allow more people to challenge the legally unenforceable agreements they signed while working for Mr Trump. I think that does it for all of them, Mr Phillips said. I hope people who have these NDAs ... read these opinions and realise they shouldnt be so worried. In an earlier statement Mr Phillips criticised the former president for his use of NDAs. We believe this is IT. As a lawyer, this was an unimaginable case a United States President abusing the Constitution and Bill of Rights with outrageously unenforceable non-disclosure agreements. Since Omarosa came forward, and was sued, weve said this agreement was illegal and offensive. Mr Trump was quick to attack Ms Manigault Newman in a statement after the ruling was made public. I gave Omarosa three attempts at The Apprentice and she failed, he said. And he added that her time at the White House was a failure. At least now I dont have to let her fail anymore, he said. Nobody in her life has done more for Omarosa than a man named Donald Trump. Unfortunately, like certain others, she forgot all about that which is fine with me! Ms Manigault Newman was an adviser to Mr Trump until she was fired by then-White House chief of staff John Kelly in December 2017. In her book she was scathing about Mr Trumps White House, and has accused Mr Trump of using racist language, and alleging that tapes exist of him using racial slurs. Her book was described by the Trump White House as being riddled with lies when it was published. The Belgian government has announced it will become the first country in the world to fund abortions for women in Poland who are unable to access procedures in the wake of the countrys near-total abortion ban. Poland further tightened the nations already highly restrictive abortion laws last October - triggering the largest protests in the country since the collapse of communism. Under the new laws, it is now illegal to have an abortion in cases where there are foetal defects. Before that, although terminating a pregnancy has long been illegal in Poland, foetal abnormalities were one of the exceptions where an abortion was permitted, along with cases of rape, incest, or where the mothers life is at risk. The Belgian government, which made the announcement on the International Day for Safe Abortion, will provide financial support for women who are forced to make the trip from Poland to another country to have their pregnancy terminated. Belgiums minister of health and the junior minister for gender equality announced they will provide 10,000 funding to Abortion Without Borders, an organisation that delivers financial help and advice for people in Poland seeking an abortion. In October last year, the Polish government ruled some 98 per cent of the 1,000 to 2,000 legal abortions occurring in the nation were unconstitutional. Abortion Without Borders said the service has been contacted by 17,000 people pursuing help in the six months following the ruling and is still receiving around 800 calls each month. Mara Clarke, a member of Abortion Without Borders, said: This support is a true act of solidarity. We are thrilled to see our friends in Belgium extend their hands across borders to help people forced by punitive governments to travel for abortion care. While the situation for people who need abortions in Poland has been dire since 1990, the ruling made in October 2020 and published in January 2021 has made things even worse. The number of people needing our support has doubled. Ms Clarke, who founded the Abortion Support Network, said she is hopeful other countries around the world will follow Belgiums lead. While Natalia Broniarczyk, a fellow member of Abortion Without Borders, said: For almost 30 years, abortions in Poland have only happened because people find a way to have them outside of what the government allows. Solidarity was shown by the Belgian government, which not only encourages people in Poland to travel to Belgium to access them, but also provides funds to cover the costs of abortion and travel. Sarah Schlitz, the Belgian junior minister for gender equality, said their funding will pay for the cost of having a pregnancy terminated in a European country for women who are unable to afford to do so. Access to abortion is a fundamental right that must be ensured by every democratic state. It allows women to own their own bodies, protect their health, and not be forced to give up life opportunities, she added. Before the government recently changed the rules on abortions, the majority of the tiny number of legal abortions which occurred in the predominantly Catholic nation were cases of foetal defects. Speaking toThe Independent about Polands near-total abortion ban at the beginning of the year, Antonina Lewandowska, an abortion rights activist based in Warsaw, said: It amounts to torture in the middle of Europe. This is about forcing women to give birth to a foetus that wont survive or will be born with a severe disability for the rest of its life. It may not have several body parts - children are sometimes born without eye sockets. It is a nightmare. Ms Lewandowska, who works for the Federation of Women and Family Planning, a Polish NGO which works with the United Nations and the European parliament, said in some cases parents will be raising a child who cannot speak or move and has no brain consciousness, as she warned the government had sentenced women to torture. A 16-year-old boy has died while trying to board a lorry bound for the UK in Calais, The Independent can reveal. The Sudanese teenager is believed to have been attempting to journey across the English Channel. Local reports suggest that at least three other migrants have died on roads in the Calais area, or at sea so far this year, which has seen record small boat crossings. Last October, a Kurdish-Iranian family including at least two children drowned after their dinghy capsized. The latest death came in the early hours of Tuesday morning, when the boy was run over by a lorry he was trying to climb. It was parked in the Transmarck logistics area, before continuing its journey towards England. Philippe Sabatier, Boulogne-sur-Mer's deputy public prosecutor, told The Independent the incident happened at around 5am local time (4am BST). CCTV footage from the parking area and the testimony of the security guard who witnessed the incident indicated that the driver did not notice the accident and did not stop, he said. The boy is to undergo a post-mortem that will establish the cause of death. The driver of the lorry is believed to be a Bulgarian national, and the investigation continues. British officials have previously said that the number of attempted lorry crossings have fallen, due to reduced traffic during the coronavirus pandemic and increased security. The change has contributed to a dramatic rise in the use of small boats to cross the English Channel. Home Office figures suggest that more than 16,000 migrants have crossed the Channel in small boats so far this year, almost double the total for the whole of 2020. 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 Charities have called for ministers to significantly expand safe and legal routes to seek asylum in Britain in order to reduce the deadly crossings, and said current resettlement schemes are not sufficient. The government has paid France millions of pounds to increase security along its northern coast and is backing new laws it says will tackle smuggling activity and save lives. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has warned that proposals in the Nationality and Borders Bill breach international law and may not work. The law, which is currently being considered by the House of Lords, would make it a criminal offence to enter Britain without entry clearance. Asylum cannot be sought from outside the UK, and the change would mean refugees reaching the country on small boats and other irregular means face four years in prison. The bill would also make it easier to prosecute asylum seekers who steer boats, and people who provide humanitarian assistance, for assisting unlawful immigration. A government impact assessment said there was a risk that increased security and deterrence in the Chanel could encourage migrants to attempt riskier means of entering the UK, adding: Deploying these measures does advance the legitimate aim of encouraging asylum seekers to claim in the first safe country they reach and not undertaking dangerous journeys facilitated by smugglers to get to the UK, though evidence supporting the effectiveness of this approach is limited. The contours of the next German government began to take shape on Tuesday when the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) who came out on top in Sundays parliamentary elections extended an offer to meet leaders of the Greens and liberal Free Democrats to explore the creation of a three-party coalition. Moving to defy ominous speculation of a months-long period of uncertainty in Germany, the SPD fancies itself as the choice of the people to lead the next government after winning 25.7 per cent of the vote on Sunday, an increase of 5.2 percentage points from the last election in 2017. To achieve a majority of seats in parliament, the SPD is eager to patch together a coalition of election winners together with the Greens, who gained 6.4 points to 14.8 per cent and the FDP, which rose 0.8 point to 11. per cent. The only trouble is that the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU/CSU) have stubbornly refused to concede defeat reminding some in Germany of Donald Trumps anti-democratic behaviour after the 2020 US elections. The CDU/CSU hasnt congratulated Scholz even though retiring chancellor Angela Merkels party lost nearly 9 percentage points to end up behind the SPD with just 24.1 per cent. Party leader Armin Laschet hopes to somehow lure the Greens and FDP into a three-party coalition with him entirely legal, yet morally questionable. Weve invited the Greens and FDP to meet this week, if theyd like, to start exploratory talks, said Rolf Mutzenich, the newly elected leader of the enlarged SPD parliamentary group. Were ready. Not only ready for a quick start but also ready to have reliably concrete talks. The Greens and FDP had already stolen some of the thunder a day earlier when they announced they planned to meet together first to explore what their common interests are and chart out a joint strategy to be able to present to the two rival larger parties that are eager to win their favour. After the 2017 German elections it took nearly six months, to March 2018, for a new government to take power because talks for a possible Jamaica coalition collapsed after more than a month of detailed negotiations. All the parties want to avoid such a prolonged process and debacle of collapsed talks this time. Thats one reason why the smart money is betting that the two smaller and more dynamic parties the Greens and FDP are taking control of the process this time and they will probably want to move quickly and have a new government in place within a month or so. Normally, the smaller parties wait around for a larger party to offer coalition talks. But together the Greens and FDP won a total of 26.3 per cent of the vote, or 0.6 points more than the SPD, and will have more seats in parliament. Here is a look at the range of outcomes from the upcoming coalition talks and possible coalition combinations that could emerge: Most likely outcome: traffic light coalition The SPD, Greens and FDP could start exploratory talks this week and full-fledged coalition negotiations in the next week or so for a so-called Ampelkoalition or traffic light coalition. The name comes from the parties banner colours red for the SPD, green for the Greens and yellow for the pro-business FDP. There has never been an Ampelkoalition at the national level before, which makes this all unchartered territory. There have been some such coalitions at the state level some collapsed in the 1990s and early Noughties, but Rhineland-Palatinate has had a successful Ampel for years. The SPD and Greens could probably get a quick deal together on their own within a few weeks, but without a third party they dont have enough seats for a majority. They would need the FDP this time. The pro-business, anti-tax FDP is more comfortable with the CDU/CSU, with whom it shared power at the national level from 2009-2013. It clearly expressed a preference for the CDU/CSU before the election but pragmatic, smooth-talking chair Christian Lindner is eager to get back into government after eight years as a small, insignificant opposition party. Christian Lindner, chair of the FDP, could be offered the role of finance minister as a sweetener (EPA) The Traffic Light Coalition is the preferred choice of voters in opinion polls. It would also represent a coalition made up of the three parties that gained votes in this election from 5.2 percentage points for the SPD and 6.4 points gain for the Greens and an increase of 0.8 points for the FDP. Look for the SPD and Greens to offer FDP leader Lindner the powerful finance ministry job as bait to join the coalition and probably promise not to raise taxes: they want to, but the FDP certainly doesnt. Less likely outcome: Jamaica coalition This would be a coalition made up of the CDU/CSU the losers on Sunday together with the Greens and FDP. Its called Jamaica because the party colours black, green, yellow match those of the Jamaican national flag. This coalition has never been tried at the national level either, but it came close to taking power four years ago, until the FDPs Lindner dramatically broke off the talks late one night after a month of negotiations. Both his popularity and that of his party nosedived after that and it left the country rudderless for another three months. Greens party co-leader Robert Habeck is unlikely to want to share power with the CDU/CSU (Reuters) The Greens have made it clear before and after the election that they are not interested in a deal with the CDU/CSU. Not only is the CDU/CSU ideologically further away from the Greens than the SPD, but the Greens blame the conservatives for the stagnation that has crippled Germany in recent years. Greens chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock said in debates that the CDU/CSU belongs in opposition. But the Greens have cleverly not shut the door entirely on a Jamaica coalition in order to maintain some leverage against the SPD. The drift in sentiment away from Jamaica has become more palpable after the election and the CDU/CSU smell and sound more and more like the big losers. Had the CDU/CSU finished even with the SPD or a fraction of a percentage point behind the SPD, such a coalition might have been easier to imagine than it is now. Yet Laschet is desperate to make Jamaica work because he might be out of his job as party chair otherwise. So expect him to pull out all the stops to lure the Greens and FDP into bed with him. Rather unlikely coalition: grand coalition This was called a grand coalition back in the day when the CDU/CSU and SPD were large, big-tent parties with between 35-50 per cent of the vote. Both have shrunken to the mid-20s in part because there is so much voter disenchantment with the two parties that shared power in loveless alliances over 12 of the last 16 years. This is unlikely to happen because the SPD has made it abundantly clear it is done with the CDU/CSU. Merkel has siphoned support from the SPD over the last 16 years she has pilfered many of their best ideas and sold them as her own. Also making this unlikely is that it is hard to imagine the CDU/CSU joining forces with the SPD as their junior coalition partners. Its never happened before at the national level and is hard to imagine it ever happening, Aint gonna happen: Red-Red-Green Progressives had hoped that the three left-of-centre parties could form a so-called Red-Red-Green coalition made up of the SPD, Greens and far-left Linke party that traces its roots to the communist SED party responsible for the Berlin Wall and decades of communist suppression in East Germany. But the Linke, only popular in the east, fell to below 5 per cent and will only have a handful of seats in parliament due to a quirk in the laws allowing it representation because its candidates won three constituencies outright all in east Berlin. This far-left coalition will not be possible because the Linkes fall means there are not enough seats for a majority. In a historic moment for Germanys LGBT+ community, two transgender women from the Green party have won parliamentary seats in the countrys election. Becoming the first transgender women to enter the countrys parliament, Tessa Ganserer and Nyke Slawik described the results as unbelievable and a historic victory. Ms Ganserer said the results were symbolic of an open and tolerant society. It is a historic victory for the Greens, but also for the trans-emancipatory movement and for the entire queer community, she said. Ms Ganserer was elected to Parliament from the southeastern state of Bavaria. She has been a member of the Bavarian state parliament since 2013. Madness! I still cant quite believe it, but with this historic election result, I will definitely be a member of the next Bundestag [parliament], said 27-year-old Ms Slawik on her Instagram. Ms Slawik will represent the western state of North-Rhine Westphalia. The duo also helped push the Green partys vote share to rank third in the recent elections. The centre-left Social Democrats won the largest vote share by a narrow margin, followed by Angela Merkels CDU-led conservative bloc. The Greens have 14.8 per cent of the total vote share and are set to be part of a three-way coalition administration if one can be formed in the coming days. This is a sharp rise from the 8.9 per cent the party received in 2017. With a liberal agenda on the cards, the two politicians are pushing for policies that reflect inclusive governance. Ms Ganserer seeks to prioritise an easier procedure to ratify a change of gender identity documents, and allow lesbian mothers to adopt children through changes in existing German laws. Ms Slawiks LGBT+ agenda includes a nationwide action plan against homophobia and transphobia, a self-determination law, and betterment of the federal anti-discrimination law. Germany decriminalised homosexuality in 1969 and legalised same-sex marriage in 2017 but the countrys progressive stride has been marred by increasing hate crimes against the queer community. These crimes surged by at least 36 per cent last year, according to official data. A bronze statue of a scantily-clothed woman from a famous 19th-century poem has triggered a sexism row in Italy. The statue of the woman in a transparent dress was unveiled on Saturday in the town of Sapri by an entourage of men, including former Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte. The statue is sculptor Emanuele Stifanos tribute to poet Luigi Mercantini's poem La spigolatrice di Sapri (The Gleaner of Sapri). The poem is based on Italian revolutionary and socialist thinker Carlo Pisacane's failed expedition against the Kingdom of Naples in 1857, where 300 people lost their lives. Calling out what they described as the sexism of the artwork, several Italian politicians have demanded that the statue be knocked down. Laura Boldrini of the Democratic Party said the statue was an offence to women and to the history it should celebrate. But how can even institutions accept the representation of women as a sexualised body? Male chauvinism is one of the evils of Italy, Ms Boldrini wrote on Twitter. Once again, we have to suffer the humiliation of seeing ourselves represented in the form of a sexualised body, devoid of soul and without any connection with the social and political issues of the story, a group of female politicians from the Democratic Partys unit in Palermo said in a statement calling for the demolition of the statue. Monica Cirinna, a member of the Senate, criticised Stifanos work and rallied behind her colleagues to seek its removal. A slap to history and to women who are still only sexualised bodies. This statue of the Gleaner says nothing of the self-determination of the one who chose not to go to work to take sides against the Bourbon oppressor, she wrote. Sapri mayor Antonello Gentile said that no social or political party has criticised the work or distorted the concept of work created by the artist. The sculptor defended his work through a statement on Monday, where he claimed that he covered the human body as little as possible, regardless of gender whenever he made a sculpture. In the case of the Gleaner of Sapri, Stifano said he took advantage of the sea breeze to highlight the body. This is to underline an anatomy that should not have been a faithful snapshot of a 19th century peasant woman, but rather to represent an ideal of a woman, evoke her pride, the awakening of a conscience, all in a moment of great pathos, he wrote on Facebook. A volcano on La Palma island has begun ejecting lava again after a lull following an eruption earlier this month that brought days of lava pouring from the mountain range. Witnesses told Reuters on Monday that spurts of lava emerged from the Cumbre Vieja volcano in the early evening and snaked down the dark mountainside after a period of several hours without explosions. Hundreds of people in coastal villages on the Spanish island, which neighbours Tenerife, are already hunkered down in anticipation of lava which was emitted in previous days reaching the sea and releasing toxic gas. Activating and deactivating is logical, natural in the evolution of Strombolian volcanoes, Miguel Angel Morcuende, director of the Pevolca response committee, said on Monday, referring to the type of violent eruption that emits incandescent dust. His colleague, Maria Jose Blanco, added that lower levels of gas and a reduced supply of material within the crater could have caused the drop in activity. Black lava has been slowly flowing down the volcano's western flank toward the sea since 19 September, destroying more than 500 houses as well as churches and banana plantations in the process, according to the EUs Copernicus disaster monitoring programme. On Monday, the Spanish property portal Idealista estimated that the damage was around 178 million euros (152m). Authorities are not sure yet when the lava may reach the sea around the island and about 300 local residents in the coastal areas of San Borondon, Marina Alta and Baja and La Condesa have been confined to their homes in anticipation. The moment of contact between the lava and the sea is likely to trigger explosions and emit clouds of chlorine gas. Although no fatalities or serious injuries have been reported yet from the eruption, about 15 per cent of the island's banana crop could be at risk, potentially jeopardising thousands of jobs. On a visit to La Palma last week, Spains prime minister Pedro Sanchez announced a package of measures to help support the island following the eruption, with aid for rebuilding homes and public infrastructure. Mr Sanchez did not say at the time how much money would be made available for the efforts, but said that a cabinet meeting would provide more details this week. Additional reporting by agencies The Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis have likely committed war crimes in Yemen by using starvation as a method of warfare, a new report has found. The World Food Programme has repeatedly warned that the biggest famine the world has seen in modern history is now looming in Yemen, where more than half the countrys population of 29 million is going hungry. In a 275-page document , the Yemeni rights group Mwatana and the Hague-based Global Rights Compliance (GRC) organisation said that a specific pattern of attacks targeting water and food by both sides was contributing to that crisis. The joint work documented hundreds of Gulf-led coalition airstrikes on water, fishing and farming facilities as well as fishermen during fighting with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels. It also followed the obstruction of humanitarian relief by the Houthis whose widespread and indiscriminate use of landmines in civilian areas killed and maimed shepherds and their livestock, preventing farmers from accessing their fields and further contributing to the chronic food insecurity. The report concluded that these actions likely amounted to war crimes and it urged the UN Security Council to refer the situation in Yemen to the International Criminal Court so the crimes could be investigated. [We] conclude that members of the Saudi/UAE-led coalition and Ansar Allah [the Houthis] used starvation as a method of warfare. Their conduct severely impeded civilians access to food and water, and they acted in spite of the widespread knowledge of the dire humanitarian situation in Yemen, where people, including children, were dying from starvation, the report read. Members of the Saudi/UAE-led coalition and Ansar Allah were aware of the virtual certainty that, following their conduct, starvation would occur in the ordinary course of events that is, without humanitarian intervention or intended to use starvation as a method of warfare. Houthi-allied tribesmen hold weapons as they visit the graves of late Houthis a day after a missile attack on a military base in southern Yemen (EPA) Yemen has been in the grip of civil war since 2014, when the Houthis took control of swathes of the country, forcing the internationally recognised government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi into exile. The following year, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states formed a coalition and launched a bombing campaign to reinstate their ally President Hadi. Seven years on there is little hope of an end to the conflict that has killed more than 130,000 people and sparked the worlds largest humanitarian crisis in terms of numbers of people affected. In February, the UN warned that five million people were just one step away from famine. Spokespeople for the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis did not answer to requests for comment but both sides have repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the past and allegations of war crimes. The report focused on attacks and other conduct by the Saudi-led coalition and the Houthis in the provinces of Hajjah, Saada, Hodeida and Taiz between 2015 and 2021 that affected access to food and water. Saudi-backed government troops repel a Houthi rebel offensive on oil-rich Marib, some 120km east of Yemens rebel-held capital Sanaa, in February (AFP/Getty) The Mwatana rights group said it documented 579 airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition up until August 2021 that killed and injured thousands of civilians and damaged and destroyed civilian property in 19 of Yemens 22 provinces. Ninety of these airstrikes hit farms, livestock, agricultural land, tools and equipment, food stores, and vehicles since 2015, it said. The report accused the Houthis of arresting and intimidating humanitarian workers, blocking aid convoys and illegally seizing the property of humanitarian organisations and workers. Those actions forced the UN food agency in 2019 and 2020 to suspend its operations in Houthi-held areas, affecting some 850,000 people. Lionel Messi starts for Paris Saint-Germain against Manchester City in the Champions League tonight. Messi was an injury doubt after missing PSGs last two matches with a knee problem but is fit enough to start at the Parc des Princes. The Argentine, who joined the French club this summer after leaving Barcelona, has yet to score for his new side and tonight faces his former manager Pep Guardiola. FOLLOW LIVE: PSG take on City in the Champions League PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino also lines up with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar in attack, after having to deny that the two forwards had fallen out in the build up to the match. New signings Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes also start, while Marco Verratti is fit. Premier League champions City defeated PSG 4-1 on aggregate in last seasons semi-finals, before they were beaten by Chelsea in the final. Both City and PSG are aiming to win the tournament for the first time but made contrasting starts to this seasons campaign in Group A. City thrashed RB Leipzig 6-3 in their opening match while PSG were held to a shock 1-1 draw by Club Brugge. Confirmed line-ups for PSG vs Manchester City PSG: Donnarumma; Hakimi, Kimpembe, Marquinhos, Mendes; Herrera, Gueye, Verratti; Messi, Mbappe, Neymar Manchester City: Ederson; Walker, Laporte, Dias, Cancelo; Rodri, Bernardo, De Bruyne; Mahrez, Sterling, Grealish The Foreign Office has updated its advice for travel to the Maldives, Egypt and Sri Lanka to allow for non-essential travel. Despite the UK government moving the countries from the red list to the amber list on 22 September, the FCDO had continued advising against all but essential travel to all three. The FCDO no longer advises against all but essential travel to the Maldives, based on the current assessment of Covid-19 risks, reads the 28 September update to the FCDO advice on the Maldives, with an identical statement on the other two countries pages. There was no update for Bangladesh, which also came off the red list on 22 September, but which the Foreign Office is still advising against travel to. Turkey, Kenya, Pakistan and Oman were removed from the red list on the same date, but their FCDO advice pages had been updated immediately to allow for non-essential travel. There was no explanation for the six-day gap between the red list removal and travel advice updates for the Maldives, Egypt and Sri Lanka. There is either a risk or there isnt. If a country is amber then the FCDO advice in relation to Covid risk must be updated, otherwise its red, said Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of the Advantage Travel Partnership, at the time. We need the government to ensure complete clarity is given to Brits because its communication in relation to international travel thus far has been anything but. Foreign Office advice for destinations is crucial for travel insurance - if the FCDO advises against all but essential travel to a destination, most travel insurance policies are invalidated. Meanwhile, it looks as though South Africa may be the next country to leave the red list. A statement from the British High Commission in Pretoria earlier today announced that recent findings will be fed into the next review of the countrys position on the UKs travel lists. The careful wording appears designed to allow British ministers to declare they can remove South Africa from the red list based on newly acquired data. 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. India on Monday successfully test-fired a new version of the Akash missile. The new range - named Akash Prime was tested from the integrated test range at Chandipur in Odisha. In its maiden flight test, the Akash Prime missile intercepted and destroyed an unmanned aerial target mimicking an enemy aircraft. The range stations of ITR comprising Radars, Electro Optical Tracking System (EOTS) and Telemetry stations monitored the missile trajectory and flight parameters. DRDO today conducts Successful Maiden Flight Test of Akash Prime Missile from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Odisha. pic.twitter.com/QlvMHtTWVj DRDO (@DRDO_India) September 27, 2021 According to the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Akash Prime missile improves on the capabilities of the existing Akash range. The modified ground system of the existing Akash weapon system was for the flight test. "In comparison to the existing Akash system, Akash Prime is equipped with an indigenous active RF seeker for improved accuracy. Other improvements also ensure more reliable performance under a low-temperature environment at higher altitudes," a DRDO official told PTI. DRDO Surface-to-air missile The medium-range mobile surface-to-air missile (SAM) system developed by the DRDO and produced by Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) will replace the Russian 2K12 Kub (SA-6 Gainful) missile system, currently in service. DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy said Akash Prime system will further boost the confidence of the Indian Army and Indian Air Force as the Akash system is already inducted and now getting improved with more lethal missiles. The Indian Air Force has already deployed Akash at its bases in Gwalior, Jalpaiguri (Hasimara AFS), Tezpur, Jorhat and Pune . Indian Army had deployed Akash air defence system along Line of Actual Control in Ladakh as tension rose between India and China 2020 ChinaIndia skirmishes. BCCL India is self reliant Last week Reddy had said that India has achieved "complete self-reliance" in missile technology and the most advanced missiles can now be developed in the country. He mentioned the five missiles -- Prithvi, Agni, Akash, Trishul Nag -- developed by India under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP). "We developed, Prithvi, Agni, Akash, Trishul, Nag under the IGMDP. Agni was also a technology demonstrator for the country in going out of the atmosphere and returning to the atmosphere. "And, then we joined a select club of countries with ballistic missiles which can intercept an enemy missile and kill it. And, then many more missiles with long-range and more capabilities," he said. "Today I can confidently say that we are having complete 'Atmanirbharta' in the missile technology, and we can develop the most advanced missiles in the country," Reddy said. In March this year, the DRDO had test fired the Solid Fuel Ducted Ramjet (SFDR) technology which will give a technological advantage in developing long-range air-to-air missiles. DRDO had started the development of the SFDR technology in 2013 and it was first tested in 2018. Akash is one of the best and most cost-effective missiles in its class globally. It is estimated to cost under Rs 2 crore which is less than half the cost of similar Western missiles which usually cost between Rs 5-6 crore. It is expected that this cost will further decrease due to the economies of scale achieved as production ramps up. Variants of Akash Currently, there are three Variants of Akash - Akash 1S, Akash Prime and Akash NG. BCCL The Akash NG which stands for Akash - New generation was approved in September 2016 with a funding of Rs 470 crore to succeed Akash and Akash-1S with improved capabilities. Akash-NG will have an improved reaction time and higher level of protection against saturation attacks. The second stage uses dual-pulse solid rocket motor which is lighter instead of air-breathing solid ramjet engine to increase the overall range from current 40 km to greater than 80 km, an active electronically scanned array Multi-Function Radar (MFR) and optical proximity fuze. Delhi Police took into custody a national-level taekwondo player who allegedly has involvement in over 30 criminal cases, as per TNN. The accused's name is Suraj alias Fighter and he has more than 30 criminal cases registered against him. These include robbery, snatching and auto-lifting. He was moving around on a two-wheeler near Moti Nagar police station. A patrol team thought him to be suspicious and approached him. The scooty was then checked. TNN He was found to be possessing valuables stolen from Kirti Nagar locality. On being interrogated, he told police that he plus 2 other associates had robbed 2.5 kg gold from an era under the Sabzi Mandi police station. The national level taekwondo player is also a 2-time gold medallist plus a former contestant of singing TV reality show Indian Idol. His name was in the top 50 during the 4th season but greed took him down a different path. AFP Suraj admitted to being involved in over 100 incidents of snatching. A pistol, live cartridges, 55 mobile phones, three motorcycles and two two-wheelers were confiscated. It has been revealed that he was a good student. He graduated from Aurobindo College which comes under the University of Delhi. The base camp of Siachen glacier, the world's highest and coldest battlefield, has been laid open for domestic tourists on the occasion of World Tourism Day. Member of Parliament, Ladakh, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, inaugurated the opening of the Siachen base camp for domestic tourists, an official spokesman said. Siachen Glacier is situated in the Karakoram range, close to the LOC (Line of Control) with Pakistan. It is a vital point for the Indian army. The theme for this World Tourism Day is tourism for inclusive growth. The step has been taken to boost tourism in Ladakh and give people a window to appreciate the tough work done by army jawans and engineers in extreme weather and inhospitable terrains, the officials said. Siachen Glacier The MP along with others visited the war memorial at the Siachen base camp and paid homage to the martyrs. Secretary Tourism, Ladakh, Mehboob Ali Khan, flagged-off a cleanliness drive from the tourist reception centre as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav commemorating 75 years of India's Independence. How far can you go for love? Can you leave your family, your property and the royal title you were born with? Well, the princess of Japan did do that. Japanese Princess Mako is set to let go of a $1.3 million (Rs 9.5 crores) payment for giving up her royal status to wed a college classmate, who is also a commoner. The marriage was being delayed for years by controversy over her fiance. The Japanese Princess Make abdicates the throne and her financial rights in order to marry a young man from the common people ..we must respect love pic.twitter.com/TMlR76aEjI alsaid.mousa 2 (@alsaidmousa1) September 25, 2021 The 29-year-old granddaughter of then-Emperor Akihito and her former college classmate, Kei Komuro, announced their engagement in 2017. However, they delayed their wedding because they wanted to know each other better and plan for their future. "For us, a marriage is a necessary choice to live and honour our hearts. We are irreplaceable to each other, and we can lean on each other in happy times and in unhappy times, Princess Mako said in a statement released by the Imperial Household Agency in November 2020, as per Daily Mail. Under centuries-old Japanese law, the marriage between a royal and a commoner would require Princess Mako to give up her royal status. Japan's Princess Mako to give up one-off payment in controversial marriage -media https://t.co/ytJkN5MCyu pic.twitter.com/TO1omxKwHj Reuters (@Reuters) September 25, 2021 Japanese law state that a princess must leave her royal family if she marries a 'commoner'. But she is entitled to receive a substantial sum of 150 million (1 million) ' to preserve the dignity of a person who was once a member of the imperial family. In Princess Mako's case, she is not too keen on taking the large sum of money because she doesn't want to delay her marriage any further. The wedding date may be announced in October. Officials of the Imperial Household Agency were not immediately available to comment. A Japanese broadcaster, anticipating an imminent wedding, recently tracked down Komuro in New York. He was shown sporting a ponytail, a detail that has caused an uproar among some Japanese users of Twitter. The couple is also likely to move out of Japan and live in the US. Its believed that the lovebirds would go for a low-key wedding celebration. This has also brought the royal family into an interesting situation where the only heir left for the crown princes job is Prince Hisahito, who is just 14. As per the traditions, the royal seat should only be given to male heirs, and the kids of female members who marry outside the royal bonds should be debarred from ascending the throne. Love doesn't come easy, isn't it? U.S. Media Riled Up by Biden Comments Criticizing It During Modi Meeting When Theodore Miller was preparing to enter college, he had plans to pursue a career in aerospace engineering. Miller, who is originally from Fishers, Indiana, but frequently moved around the country for his parents jobs growing up, describes himself as an explorer at heart. Exploring and reaching among the stars is something that I had a deep fascination and appreciation for, he said. I also always had a strong aptitude for problem solving. But one circumstance set him on a different path. I come from a fifth-generation deaf family, he said, speaking through a sign language interpreter in a phone interview with Insurance Journal. So having access to language is very important to me. This means deafness in Millers family extends all the way back to his third great-grandparents. Miller, who speaks American Sign Language (ASL), said the colleges he was interested in attending didnt offer bilingual communication within their aerospace engineering programs. I wasnt really able to access the programs, he said. Then, he found Gallaudet University. Based in Washington D.C., Gallaudet is the worlds only university in which all programs and services are specifically designed to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing students using English as well as ASL. Like Millers family, it has a unique history of its own. The university was founded in 1864 by an Act of Congress signed into law by President Abraham Lincoln and began with 12 students. It has grown throughout its more than 150 years to accommodate the more than 1,500 students the school served in 2020, with Miller among its most recent class of graduates. I decided to go with Gallaudet University, he said. I didnt actually have a major for two years. I was kind of just feeling it out. Insurance is Like an Iceberg Thats when Miller met James Bruner, the executive director of the Maguire Academy of Risk Management and Insurance (RMI) at Gallaudet. Gallaudet, its a unique place. Its a rewarding place. Its a place where students feel comfortable, Bruner said. They have access to sign language in virtually every place on campus. Although Bruner took on the role of executive director six years ago when Gallaudets RMI program launched, his passion for the deaf community began much earlier. While completing his undergraduate degree at Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) in Rochester, New York, he belonged to RITs first class to live in the National Technical Institute of the Deaf dormitory on campus designed to integrate both deaf and hearing students. I had never met a deaf person before, he said. I didnt know any sign language, and many people on my floor, including my suite-mate, were deaf. He began learning sign language and was fascinated with it, taking classes and serving as a student interpreter. After graduating, he worked as a freelance interpreter in Washington D.C. when he found himself interpreting a meeting at Gallaudet. That opportunity led to a job within the universitys newly formed business risk management department, where he was responsible for analyzing its insurance policies. After moving on to build a 30-year career in the insurance industry, working with Liberty Mutual Insurance Companies and Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., he ended up retracing his steps back to Gallaudet University this time to apply for a job as the first executive director of its brand new RMI program. I talked to anybody who would listen to me and went to different classes math classes, IT, psychology, English, you name it. I was there and introduced myself and talked about the program to get it going, he said. Eventually one thing led to another, and we became successful. It took a lot of people to make this happen. As they say, It takes a village.' Miller was one of them. [James] was very excited about this program, Miller said. He was like, We just sort of launched this. So I thought, All right, you know, this could be the right thing. Let me give this a shot.' Jad Gore, another 2021 graduate of Gallaudets RMI program, similarly became interested in insurance unexpectedly. Originally from Massachusetts, he began his college career at RIT studying mechanical engineering and physics. I realized that was more of a hobby than a career, he said. I traveled the world for four or five months, which really changed my perspective, and decided I wanted to own a business. Gore, who is also deaf, landed at Gallaudet University. He too was encouraged to take an insurance class after connecting with Bruner. [James] is a teacher, mentor and an advocate of mine, he said. He encouraged me to take Introduction to Insurance 101, which was my first course ever relating to insurance. Also a newly minted Gallaudet graduate, Nabeela Shollenberger shared a similar story of stumbling upon the RMI program after entering the university with an undecided major. I wasnt sure what I wanted to do, said Shollenberger, speaking by phone through her sign language interpreter. [James Bruner] came into our class to present about risk management and insurance, and his presentation impressed me a lot. I didnt realize that insurance really applies to so many things in the world. Philip Adeyeye, a senior at Gallaudet double majoring in accounting and risk management insurance who is also deaf, echoed these thoughts. When I learned more about insurance car accidents, homeowners insurance, disaster relief, severe weather and people being injured its all real life, he said. The more I learned, the more interested I became. This is exactly what Bruner said he tries to instill in his students. Insurance is like an iceberg. We see the little ice on top, but we dont know whats underneath, and thats really what insurance is about when you think about it. Its a huge industry that most people know very little about, he said. Insurance affects every aspect of our lives Students never dreamed of that until theyve taken a course in insurance and risk management. Many students will say, Wow, insurance is just amazing. Its really what holds this whole economy together.' Closing Gaps, Opening Doors The RMI program at Gallaudet is relatively new, launching in 2015 with a donation from Philadelphia Insurance Companies (PHLY) Founder James Maguire. At Philadelphia Insurance Companies, which was a company I started, we have hired four students from Gallaudet, and all of them are excellent employees, Maguire said. My belief when I started this program was that these kids, if they learned the insurance businessthey would be able to be as competitive as anybody else in the industry, and its turned out to be true. These kids are bright. Maguire and his wife Frances live in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania, and are founders of the Maguire Foundation, a philanthropic organization that has a focus on providing educational opportunities for youth in addition to its work in arts, humanities and homelessness. Maguire is not deaf but became passionate about serving the deaf community after volunteering at the Pennsylvania School for the Deaf during his college years. Later, while working at Met Life, he received approval to sell standard insurance to the deaf community, a first in the companys history. [Maguire] put together a life insurance program for deaf people and ended up being one of the top life insurance salesmen for Metropolitan Life Insurance, and the commission that he earned through that is how he started Philadelphia Insurance Companies and Maguire Insurance Agency, said Sean Sweeney, Maguires nephew and a board member at Gallaudet University. So he always had a soft spot for the deaf community. The Maguire Foundation and PHLY began working together in 2015 to start a summer internship for deaf students at PHLY, making it the first insurance company to hire deaf risk management insurance interns from Gallaudet University. PHLY has hired two interns from Gallaudet each summer since then. People like me who have been in the business for 40 years will be getting out of the business, and what we want to do is fill those jobs with people that traditionally havent had an opportunity to get into industries like insurance, such as minorities and people with disabilities, Sweeney said. And we see this as a great way to transform society by giving people that traditionally didnt get a shot a chance to get into an industry thats stable, thats long-term and that provides high paying jobs. No time seems better than now. Pew Research Center in a recent report found that during the third quarter of 2020, about 28.6 million baby boomers those born between 1946 and 1964 reported that they were out of the labor force due to retirement. This is 3.2 million more boomers than the 25.4 million who were retired in the same quarter of 2019, the report stated. As new generations enter the workforce, expectations for the work environment are changing, Carrier Management previously reported. As a result, insurance companies are facing increased pressure to evaluate their focus on diversity and inclusion to recruit and retain young talent. According to Pew Research Center, post-millennialscommonly referred to as Generation Zare on track to be the most diverse generation yet, with nearly half of Gen Z-ers ages six to 21 in 2018 being considered racial or ethnic minorities. Thats compared to 39 percent of millennials ages six to 21 in 2002 being nonwhite, and only 18 percent of early boomers within that age range in 1968 being nonwhite. Bruner said that although things are better today than in the past, the insurance industry needs to continue to develop its efforts toward diversity. The insurance industry has a lot of work to do to improve diversity, he said. This is why The Maguire Foundation and PHLY are working to raise money for scholarships that serve traditionally disadvantaged minorities as well as the deaf community, Sweeney said. The foundation is aiming to grow its scholarship program through the endowment program at Gallaudet with donations from the insurance industry, organizations and individuals. Beyond financial support, Gallaudets RMI program also seeks insurance industry partners to provide internships, mentoring and job placement. I told these kids when I talked to them couple of years ago, Believe what you are and become what you believe,' Maguire said. I said, You can learn the business. If you believe in yourself and become what you believe, you can be successful. and weve had fantastic success. All of the kids that graduate [from Gallaudets RMI program] are landing in jobs that are $60,000-$80,000 a year, which is really, really special. Gore is among the scholarship recipients, receiving a scholarship from The Maguire Foundation throughout his years at Gallaudet. Without [James Maguires] contribution, I would never think about having a career in the insurance industry nor even have an opportunity to learn about insurance, he said. Sweeney said an advantage of the internship program with PHLY is that students gain real life experience, find the type of jobs that work best for them and learn needed skills to do them well. And the insurance industry can see that these employees are exceptionally productive and very enthusiastic, he said. A lot of the industry has stood behind us. Bruner said Gallaudets RMI program, which has 50 students taking classes this year, saw nine students complete internships this summer. Gore and Shollenberger both completed internships with PHLY, while Miller did an internship with Travelers. The Washington D.C. Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking has also partnered with Gallaudet since 2016, providing internships to its RMI students to learn how insurance regulation plays a role in protecting and educating consumers. Even one of Gallaudets own adjunct professors has been providing internships for its students within his agency. Gary Meyer is the vice president of DHH Insurance in Rochester, New York, and has served as an adjunct professor at Gallaudet for six years. Just recently over the summer of 2021, I had hired two interns that are from Gallaudet University, said Meyer, who is also deaf. They were working with me for two weeks. DHH Insurance works to meet the insurance needs of deaf-owned businesses, interpreters and partnering organizations and has provided insurance programs since 1999 to the deaf and hard of hearing population. It is primarily owned and operated by Meyer, who worked in the insurance industry for 16 years prior to starting his own agency. Most of the time, many of the clients that were working with have already purchased insurance through other agents, but when I get copies of some of their insurance, I realize that theres a lot of coverage missing, its not the appropriate coverage or the risk assessment isnt correct, he said. Meyer said his goal with the agency is to eliminate communication barriers for deaf business owners so they can better work with interpreters to secure the right insurance coverage. A lot of times deaf people arent sure if the information thats been given through the interpreter is the right information, he said. I have been working in the business for almost 35 years. Ive encountered a lot of barriers. Im constantly having to educate people about what its like to work with deaf people. Adeyeye, who just completed his internship with The Hartford in July, said dismantling barriers to communication is the most important step. Communication is key. Communication is power, he said. If you continue to create barriers its tough. It leaves deaf people behind. Bruner said he applauds the insurance industry for beginning to break down these barriers and better its diversity efforts. We really have created a lot of good support with many insurance companies, he said. Were opening doors for students. Diversity is Success Those open doors are positioning students for success, according to a few of the most recent Gallaudet RMI graduates. I was struggling at times and sometimes I doubted myself, you know, and sometimes things were taking longer, Shollenberger said. I just definitely have to say a big thank you to the professors [at Gallaudet] for believing in me. Their big goal is to have their students find jobs, and we do become successful. Upon graduating, she was hired in a temporary underwriting technical assistance position at Selective Insurance in New Jersey. She was promoted to full-time in August. Im a hard worker, and I believe in doing well at my job, she said. My goal is to continue to be a hard worker and learn as much as I can. One of Gores goals post-graduation was to move to New York City to be closer to his family. With Bruners encouragement, Gore passed the New York state brokers licensing exam and was hired as a client concierge, or producer, at Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. in Manhattan. [Bruner] believed that deaf people could work in the insurance industry without any obstacles, Gore said. He gave me the courage to take the state of New York brokers licensing exam, which led me to a job offer. Miller also graduated from Gallaudet this year with an RMI degree and is off on his next adventure to Arlington, Virginia, after securing a position as a middle market underwriting technician with The Hanover Insurance Group. The opportunity to provide needed representation and increase diversity within the insurance industry was something that Miller said drew him to this career path. [Bruner] believed that Gallaudets RMI program would help us deaf and hard of hearing people learn what we needed to learn, learn the new skill sets, so that we could be a part of this industry and fill some of the talent gap, he said. And then that would provide more job opportunities for deaf and hard of hearing people in return. That was something that really stood out to me. Although he didnt follow his original plan for a career in aerospace engineering, that doesnt seem to bother him. Miller who signed his email with onwards! said that his journey to the insurance industry also fits right in with his passion for exploration. Our lives and our paths are always up in the flux and everchanging, so here I am, he said. As for Adeyeye, his goal is to work in claims and underwriting once he graduates in the spring of 2022, and theres something he wants the insurance industry to know. As a deaf individual, I can have a business. I can set myself up to succeed. I can develop. I have ideas. Im creative. I can be innovative, he said. Any individual regardless of whether theyre deaf or hard of hearing or whatever their barrier may be, we are capable. Bruner said the success of Gallaudets students inevitably brings success to the companies they work with as well. Diversity is success, and it brings different perspectives to an organization, he said. Diversity is a wonderful thing. Learning to Adapt In fact, inclusivity is inherent within the culture of the insurance industry, according to Randy Jouben, an adjunct professor at Gallaudet and a risk manager for Fairfax County, Virginia. Our industry is perfect for this, he said. Because of the analytics that are involved, there are opportunities for everyone. If you cant go out and do a field investigation, there are opportunities behind the desk. Bruner agreed, adding that this draws all kinds of people to insurance and is an important part of the industrys character. I always ask people how they got involved in insurance, Bruner said, because everyone Ive met almost everyone has a really interesting story to tell. Jouben is no exception. I actually was originally a commissioned second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, he said. I fell and injured my knee, and that kind of ended my military career. So youll hear a lot of people say they just fell into the insurance industry. I literally did fall into the insurance industry. After he decided to move forward with an insurance career, he started out in claims before switching to the risk management side of the business. He later came across an advertisement for an early founders meeting for The Maguire Foundation and asked how he could help with its work to provide scholarships for minority students and those with disabilities. Through that connection, he was asked to teach at Gallaudet. During his time at the university, Jouben, who is not deaf, said he learned an important lesson about adaptation when he brought his daughter with him to class. She went to the cafeteria and a student tapped her on the shoulder to ask her a question, and she didnt answer. I dont sign. She doesnt sign, he said. It gave her an immediate recognition that we are the ones who are different now, and we are going to need to adapt to this environment. Adaptation is a two-way street. I need to give my students the ability to communicate with the outside world once they get jobs, but I also need to learn to adapt so I can communicate with them to give them that knowledge. He said he believes adaptation is key as the insurance industry welcomes a younger, and more diverse, generation of professionals. We need to start being more open-minded as to what people can do, as opposed to just relying on what you think they cant do, he said. If we think outside the box, we can actually overcome and create opportunity. Gore said the more that the insurance industry is exposed to professionals of diverse backgrounds, including deaf professionals, the more likely it will be to hire them. Shollenberger agreed. I may be the only deaf person at my company, she said. Its a good thing to teach the people who are in the industry so that they can learn what deaf culture in the workplace looks like. Although the insurance industry is largely made up of hearing professionals, Gore said he would love to see more diversity in the future as he pursues his main career goal of owning a business or becoming the vice president of an insurance brokerage. Whether it be people of color, people with disabilities or deaf and hard of hearing folks, those Ive seen so far have really empowered me, and its their hard work that gets them there, he said. As a deaf person, Im told I cant very often, and Id like to flip that on its head and show them that I can. So, what can the insurance industry do to continue working toward more inclusivity? For Meyer, the answer is simple. I always say that its okay to hire a deaf person, he said. We dont bite. Bruner said the playing field is becoming much more level now than it used to be, and deaf insurance professionals have an opportunity to make a real difference. When it comes to the students he has taught and mentored, he believes they will. One day, when Im totally retired and sitting next to my fireplace, and I get an email from one of my former students telling me that they were just appointed CEO, he said, now that would make me smile. Maines attorney general is seeking proposals from law firms willing to assist with potential legal claims over chemical contamination in the state. The state is considering legal claims over so-called PCBs and a separate class known as PFAS. Both chemicals have been used in industrial applications over the years. PCBs are a known carcinogen while PFAS are a possible carcinogen, officials said. It is important to hold manufacturers of these chemicals accountable for contamination they are responsible for. This is an important first step in that process, Attorney General Aaron Frey said. PCBs are still found in products manufactured before 1979, such as window caulking, floor finishes, thermal insulation, and electrical equipment. PFAS have been manufactured for use in a wide variety of products since the 1940s, including nonstick cookware, firefighting foam, and textiles. In 2020, a task force established by Governor Janet Mills recommended accelerated PFAS sampling and that the attorney general consider legal options to address PFAS contamination. Over the next two years, the Maine Department of Environmental Protection plans to sample approximately 700 additional locations, and in January 2023 will begin receiving reports of PFAS use in products sold in Maine pursuant to a new state law. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Maine The United Nations Development Programme has launched an initiative to help governments and the private sector in developing countries provide insurance for crises such as pandemics and natural catastrophes, it said on Monday. Disaster recovery costs the worlds 77 poorest countries an average of $29 billion annually, the UNDP said in a statement. Only 3% of this cost is covered by insurance, forcing countries to bear the cost of recovery themselves or rely on humanitarian aid, the UNDP added. The Insurance and Risk Finance Facility is backed by 35 million euros ($41 million) from the German government, the UNDP said. The facility will also have funding from other sources, including the UNDP itself, a spokesperson said. The UNDP is aiming to help create insurance protection from socio-economic, climate and health-related disasters in more than 50 developing countries by 2025, it said. Insurance and risk-finance products, tools and services can secure our critical infrastructure, protect our agriculture and businesses, and preserve critical ecosystems that make life on earth possible, said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner. As part of the program, the UNDP said it will work with governments on climate risk modeling. ($1 = 0.8522 euros) (Reporting by Carolyn Cohn; editing by Toby Chopra) Photograph: People gather outside the Petit Pas Hotel, destroyed by the earthquake in Les Cayes, Haiti, on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021. A 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, with the epicenter about 125 kilometers (78 miles) west of the capital of Port-au-Prince, the US Geological Survey said. Photo credit: AP Photo/Joseph Odelyn. Mosaic Expands Cyber Team in UK Bermuda-based Mosaic Insurance has expanded its cyber-security business line internationally, with the addition of new team members to its UK-based unit. The specialty insurer began underwriting global cyber coverage from Chicago April 1, just two months after launching with headquarters in Bermuda, a new Lloyds Syndicate (1609), and a network of underwriting hubs in the U.S., UK and Asia. Mosaics London cyber team is the products first international unit, with more to follow as the company moves into new jurisdictions. New additions to Mosaics cyber-security team in London include: George Cole , AVP, underwriter, International Cyber, works with global clients to develop solutions and grow a sustainable cyber portfolio. Previously, he was an assistant underwriter at Occam Underwriting, after completing the Lloyds of London Graduate Programme. He is an accredited ACII Chartered Insurer. , AVP, underwriter, International Cyber, works with global clients to develop solutions and grow a sustainable cyber portfolio. Previously, he was an assistant underwriter at Occam Underwriting, after completing the Lloyds of London Graduate Programme. He is an accredited ACII Chartered Insurer. Lucy Barker-Hahlo, junior underwriter, International Cyber, supports the unit and focuses on underwriting of accounts. She previously worked as an assistant underwriter at EmergIn Risk, a Ryan Specialty Group MGA, specializing in cyber, technology, and media for US and international clients. Both report to James Tuplin, head of International Cyber at Mosaic, who is developing the international cyber portfolio in London, Continental Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East. His unit supports the work of Mosaics U.S.-based cyber underwriting team, including Yosha DeLong, global head of Cyber, and Brian Dusek, head of Americas Cyber, both in Chicago, and Daisy Lopez, a production specialist in New York. With the cyber market rapidly hardening in 2021, and rate increases of between 40 and 50% on average now being seen, we feel this is a perfect time to grow our international cyber team, said DeLong. Building on our London unit bolsters our bench strength in market-leading talent and allows us to powerfully grow our global cyber offering. Amid rising threats from cyber warfare, data breaches, ransomware and other attacks on system and software, Mosaics cyber-security coverage aims to protect diverse industry types from emerging risks. Its cyber teams support clients in both preventing attacks and minimizing damage in the aftermathfrom crisis services and legal defense to business interruption and data recovery. Mosaic offers maximum capacity of up to 10 million ($13.6 million), internationally. Mosaics six lines of business launched to date include: transactional liability, cyber, political risk, political violence, financial and professional lines. *** Howden Makes 19 Appointments Across EMEA in Construction Division Howden, the London-based insurance broker, announced the appointment of 19 new senior construction specialists in London and Dubai. Led by recently appointed Naresh Dade, global head of Construction, and Andrew Harrison Sleap, deputy global head of Construction, the strengthened team will focus on developing bespoke retail and specialty solutions for Howdens construction clients. The new hires are: Andrew Birt , executive director and head of UK Projects , executive director and head of UK Projects Duncan Willcocks , executive director and head of UK Contractors , executive director and head of UK Contractors David Lyle , executive director and deputy head of UK Contractors , executive director and deputy head of UK Contractors Neil Higgins , executive director and head of Claims for Construction and Infrastructure Assets , executive director and head of Claims for Construction and Infrastructure Assets Paul Tubb , executive director and head of Infrastructure Assets , executive director and head of Infrastructure Assets Larissa Rosam , divisional director, International Construction , divisional director, International Construction Martin Hurley , divisional director , divisional director James Crow , divisional director , divisional director Christopher Graves , divisional director , divisional director Steve McGuckin , divisional director, head of Operations , divisional director, head of Operations Nick Sparrow , associate director in Dubai Hub , associate director in Dubai Hub Mike Robinson , associate director , associate director Lizzie Conolly , associate director , associate director Jessica Lee , associate director , associate director Matheu Challinor , divisional director, Infrastructure Assets , divisional director, Infrastructure Assets Karen ODonnell , divisional director, Infrastructure Assets , divisional director, Infrastructure Assets Nicole Welch , associate director, Infrastructure Assets , associate director, Infrastructure Assets Emma Archer , associate director, Infrastructure Assets , associate director, Infrastructure Assets Jack Gilbert, account executive, Infrastructure Assets Diving into these appointments, Howden said it has appointed four executive directors: Andrew Birt, head of UK Projects; Duncan Willcocks, head of UK Contractors; David Lyle, deputy head of UK Contractors, and Neil Higgins, head of Claims for Construction and Infrastructure Assets. Divisional directors Larissa Rosam, Martin Hurley, Christopher Graves and Steve McGuckin will be joining the company in October. Christopher Graves will join the international team in November 2021 and Steve McGuckin will join in Q1 2022 as divisional director and head of Operations. James Crow joined in August from Aon, and will support the team with the retail proposition in the UK. Separately, the construction divisions associate director bench has been bolstered to include Nick Sparrow, Mike Robinson, Jessica Lee and Lizzie Conolly joining from Marsh JLT. Sparrow joins the divisions Dubai hub, with Robinson, Lee and Conolly based in London. The recently launched Infrastructure Assets team will onboard divisional directors Karen ODonnell and Matheu Challinor, and Associate Directors Nicole Welch and Emma Archer in October. They will be supported by Jack Gilbert who joins as an account executive from Aon, where he specialized in PFI/PPP and onshore renewable energy. This significant investment in talent will strengthen Howdens existing team focused on international projects. The new hires will join Executive Directors John Perrin and Mark Playle, Divisional Director Robert Webb, Associate Directors Orla Crosara, and Leandro Ramirez, and Connor Martiello, an account handler servicing international clients across Howdens construction portfolio. Topics Cyber Construction The company responsible for the largest oil field spill in North Dakota pleaded guilty to criminal charges after reaching an agreement with the federal government to pay $15 million in fines. Summit Midstream Partners entered the pleas in federal court. Summit was charged for negligently discharging oil and for failing to immediately report the spill, which occurred north of Williston over a period of five months in 2014 and 2015. A pipeline leaked 700,000 barrels, or 29 million gallons, of produced water, which is highly saturated saltwater that comes up in wells along with oil and gas. Produced water can contain oil, the Bismarck Tribune reported. Some of the wastewater reached Blacktail Creek, which eventually flows into the Missouri River. The U.S. Department of Justice said the $15 million will go toward the federal Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, which can be used to clean up oil spills. Summit also has agreed to take steps to prevent future spills by implementing better training, installation, operating and testing requirements. The company said it has spent $75 million on those improvements and spill cleanup. Summit has also reached a separate agreement with the federal and state government in a civil case related to the spill. Its expected to pay $20 million to resolve the matter. That amount would be split evenly between the federal and state governments. A federal judge must sign off on the civil settlement. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Energy Oil Gas North Dakota CHICAGO (AP) Austin Moody wanted to apply his cyber-security skills in his home state of Michigan, teaming up with investigators for the State Police to analyze evidence and track down criminals. But the recent graduate set the idea aside after learning an unpaid internship was his only way into the Michigan agency. I dont know many people that can afford to take an unpaid internship, especially when its in such high demand in the private sector, Moody said of fellow cyber-security job seekers. Unpaid internships in cyber arent really a thing beyond the public sector. Hiring and keeping staff capable of helping fend off a constant stream of cyber attacks and less severe online threats tops the list of concerns for state technology leaders. Theres a severe shortage of those professionals and not enough financial firepower to compete with federal counterparts, global brands and specialized cyber-security firms. People who are still in school are being told, Theres a really good opportunity in cyber security, really good opportunities for high pay,' said Drew Schmitt, a principal threat intelligence analyst with the cyber-security firm GuidePoint Security. And ultimately these state and local governments just cant keep up from a salary perspective with a lot of private organizations. State governments are regular targets for cyber criminals, drawn by the troves of personal data within agencies and computer networks that are essential to patrolling highways, maintaining election systems and other key state services. Notable hits since 2019 include the Washington state auditor, Illinois attorney general, Georgias Department of Public Safety and computer servers supporting much of Louisianas state agencies. Cities, too, come under attack, and they have even fewer resources than states to stand up cyber defenses. Aided by industry groups, the federal government and individual states have created training programs, competitions and scholarships in hopes of producing more cyber-security pros nationwide. Those strategies could take years to pay off, however. States have turned to outside contractors, civilian volunteers and National Guard units for help when their systems are taken down by ransomware and other hacks. States needed to fill nearly 9,000 cyber-security jobs as of this summer, according to CyberSeek a joint project of the Computing Technology Industry Association and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The total is probably higher because the project doesnt count job listings that states posted only to their own employment portal. State leaders are reluctant to detail the number of vacancies, worrying that could further entice potential attackers. States top security officials have ranked inadequate cybersecurity staffing among their top concerns every year since the National Association of State Chief Information Officers and Deloitte began surveying the group in 2014. The problem isnt limited to state governments. U.S. officials make no secret of their own struggles to hire cyber-security pros or retain them. The Department of Homeland Security alone has 2,000 cyber-security job vacancies, and the Biden administration promoted 300 new hires this summer. The $95,412 average salary of a local or state government cyber employee lagged by $25,000 or more in 2020 compared with the pay in the federal government, the financial services industry and IT services, according to a survey conducted by the International Information System Security Certification Consortium, a trade association. Information security analysts earned a median salary of $103,590 in May 2020, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Cyberseek puts starting salaries close to $90,000 across all employers. Homeland Security officials in 2014 recognized that lower pay was keeping their agency at a disadvantage, but it took until this year to publish a rule allowing higher salaries for cyber-security roles capped at $255,800, the maximum salary allowed for the vice president. The Department desperately needs a more flexible hiring process with incentives to secure talent in todays highly competitive cyber skills market, a portion of the rule due to take effect later this fall reads. Leaders in the field often bemoan the expensive and time-consuming certification requirements and background checks that employers insist on for cyber-security roles, saying that keeps jobs vacant and discourages women and people of color from working in cyber security. Nicole Beebe, chair of the department of information security and cyber security at the University of Texas at San Antonio, said states struggles are more fundamental. Private companies and the federal government aggressively recruit students during college, sending representatives to classes and career fairs. State agencies are rarely there, said Beebe, who counsels students weighing multiple job offers long before graduation. When its a hypercompetitive field, you cant just submit a job posting and think it will get the same traction, Beebe said. Lower pay at government jobs can be a turnoff, but many students prefer a position that lets them leave work at home, which is not always the case with private companies. A state or local government role doesnt compare to the meat grinder of constantly responding to new attacks or vulnerabilities on a cyber-security team for Microsoft or Amazon, said Michael Hamilton, founder of the PISCES Project. The organization connects cyber-security students to local governments that dont have employees focused on that work. State agencies can be taking on interns, grooming them, showing them that state government is a promising place to work, he said. But what I see them doing is just getting into the fistfight with all the others that want to hire these people and losing. Sienna Jackson, a 2020 graduate from the University of Texas at San Antonio, accepted a job as an engineer at the defense company Northrop Grumman after interviewing with the company at a conference. She began college as an accounting major but discovered cyber security through a classmate. After an internship with Dell during college, she hoped to find a similarly sized company with a strong training program and other benefits. Salary and help with moving or housing also mattered for Jackson, who worked several jobs while earning her degree and has to pay back her student loans. She didnt rule out state government jobs but didnt see agencies at career fairs on campus or at conferences. Once I graduated and was interviewing, I realized I have a lot of options, she said. I get to choose where I go and my standards and not just accept whatever job comes my way. Moody, the Michigan native, got a scholarship from the Department of Defense that required working for the agency at least a year after graduating. Moody said he understands that state governments dont have the kind of money that federal agencies or private companies spend on recruiting and generous salaries. But sending cyber-security staff to talk to students about their work and its importance to thousands of state residents can make a big impact without costing much, he said. A lot of people want to be in a public service role and are open to starting there, Moody said. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Cyber Amid the Boy Scouts of Americas complex bankruptcy case, there is worsening friction between the BSA and the major religious groups that help it run thousands of scout units. At issue: the churches fears that an eventual settlement while protecting the BSA from future sex-abuse lawsuits could leave many churches unprotected. The Boy Scouts sought bankruptcy protection in February 2020 in an effort to halt individual lawsuits and create a huge compensation fund for thousands of men who say they were molested as youngsters by scoutmasters or other leaders. At the time, the national organization estimated it might face 5,000 cases; it now faces 82,500. In July, the BSA proposed an $850 million deal that would bar further lawsuits against it and its local councils. The deal did not cover the more than 40,000 organizations that have charters with the BSA to sponsor scout units, including many churches from major religious denominations that are now questioning their future involvement in scouting. The United Methodist Church which says up to 5,000 of its U.S. congregations could be affected by future lawsuits recently advised those churches not to extend their charters with the BSA beyond the end of this year. The UMC said these congregations were disappointed and very concerned that they werent included in the July deal. Everett Cygal, a lawyer for Catholic churches monitoring the case, said it is unfair that parishes now face liability solely as a result of misconduct by Boy Scout troop leaders who frequently had no connection to the parish. Scouting can only be delivered with help of their chartered organizations, Cygal told The Associated Press. Its shortsighted not to be protecting the people they absolutely need to ensure that scouting is viable in the future. Officials of several other denominations including the Southern Baptist Convention, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) have advised their churches to hire their own legal counsel if they fear possible sex-abuse litigation. The Presbyterian Church said its national leadership cant act on behalf of member churches because they are separate corporations. The leadership of the Evangelical Lutheran church also said its congregations were on their own, legally speaking, and must decide for themselves whether to continue any relationship with the BSA. As a result of the bankruptcy, the congregation cannot confidently rely on the BSA, the local council, or their insurers to defend it, the Lutheran church warned. The congregation needs to make sure that it has sufficient insurance and that its own insurance will cover them. The Boy Scouts, in a statement provided to the AP, said its partnership with chartered organizations, including churches, has been critical to delivering the Scouting program to millions of youth in our country for generations. It said negotiations with those organizations are continuing, and it hopes to conclude the bankruptcy proceedings around the end of this year. Negotiators face a challenging situation. According to lawyers representing different parties in the bankruptcy case, the Boy Scouts have suggested chartered organizations have some protection from liability for abuse cases that occurred after 1975, due to an insurance arrangement that took effect in 1976. The BSA has said theres little or no protection, however, for the many pre-1976 cases, and the best way for organizations to gain protection for that era would be to make a substantial financial contribution to a settlement fund. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took such a step last week, agreeing to contribute $250 million to a compensation fund in exchange for a release from further liability. The denomination, widely known as the Mormon church, pulled its units out of the BSA on Jan. 1, 2020, after decades as the biggest sponsor. One key distinction: The Latter-day Saints have a centralized governing structure, making possible a contribution covering its vast former network of scout units. The remaining faith-based charter organizations are more decentralized, complicating the question of how contributions to the compensation fund would be mandated and organized. Jeremy Ryan, a lawyer representing United Methodist churches, said his clients believe there is some pre-1976 insurance available to them under policies the BSA and its local councils held at the time. Cygal, the lawyer representing Catholic churches, made a similar argument but said some chartered organizations eventually may have to make an appropriate financial contribution to put an end to this dispute once and for all. Another complication in the negotiations: differing views on how much blame lies with the churches. Some of the churches argue that they merely provided a venue for a local scout unit to meet, while scout leaders were responsible for hiring decisions that might have led to sexual abuse. Some lawyers for the plaintiffs disagree, saying church leaders were often actively involved in those decisions. The Scouts had plenty of fault due to their negligence, but the local institutions had plenty of fault also, said Christopher Hurley, whose Chicago law firm says it represents about 4,000 men who filed claims in the bankruptcy. Its just not OK to pass the buck on this, Hurley added. Everybodys got to suck it up and make a fair contribution to get justice for these guys. Stephen Crew, whose Oregon-based law firm represents about 400 plaintiffs, said he sympathizes with faith-based chartered organizations who worry about being hung out to dry. But survivors also have a lot of anxiety, said Crew. And the problem now is that the insurance companies are balking at everybody. A third lawyer for plaintiffs, California-based Paul Mones, blamed the churches predicament on the BSA, saying its initial bankruptcy strategy failed to properly anticipate the impact on chartered organizations. For decades, the religious organizations have been the backbone of the BSA, Mones said. They did not sign up thinking theyd have any kind of liability and all of a sudden theyre being told, `Youre going to get sued. Its a hot mess. Some church leaders, such as United Methodist Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr., have been blunt in their dismay over the bankruptcy fallout. This is a very sad and tragic matter that has occurred within our nation and the Church, Saenz said in a recent letter to the clergy he oversees in Kansas and Nebraska. He said there might be 110 abuse claims in the bankruptcy case potentially connected to UMC churches in his region. Saenz said the BSA might struggle to move forward post-bankruptcy without participation of the UMC, the biggest active sponsor of Scout units. But due to BSA positions in the case that are detrimental to the UMC, Saenz wrote, We simply cannot currently commit to the relationship with the BSA as we have in the past. Associated Press religion coverage receives support from the Lilly Endowment through The Conversation U.S. The AP is solely responsible for this content. Photo: Boy Scouts lead the Pledge of Allegiance in Wrightwood, Calif. (James Quigg/The Daily Press via AP) Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Federal officials filed two lawsuits in Texas courts, alleging that a pharmacy in Fabens and a coffeehouse in Ft. Worth both discriminated against employees with disabilities that rendered them vulnerable to serious illness if they contracted COVID-19. The two employers took different approaches to the virus, but both ran afoul of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOCs suit against U.S. Drug Mart d/b/a Fabens Pharmacy, alleges the pharmacy discriminated against a pharmacy technician with asthma who asked to wear a facemask at work as an accommodation of his disability immediately following the COVID-19 outbreak to help protect him from the virus. The employee was harassed because he requested this accommodation and was sent home twice when he asked to wear a mask, and then taunted and humiliated for questioning managements policy prohibiting masks, leading him to quit, according to the suit. The EEOC filed its suit, Civil Action No. 3:21-cv-00232, in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, El Paso Division, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. In this case, the EEOC seeks back pay, compensatory and punitive damages and injunctive relief. EEOC filed suit in Ft. Worth against 151 Coffee LLC alleging that the company violated the ADA by denying reasonable accommodation to two baristas with disabilities and terminating their employment. According to the EEOCs complaint, the employees were not allowed to return to work until a vaccine for COVID-19 was developed, even though they were ready and willing to work. The EEOC filed suit, Civil Action No. 4:21-cv-01081, in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Ft. Worth Division, after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. In this case, the EEOC seeks back pay, compensatory and punitive damages and injunctive relief. Source: EEOC Topics Lawsuits COVID-19 Texas Leaders on one of Georgias most popular coastal islands are considering letting developers build closer to sand dunes. The Brunswick News reports that a planning commission that governs construction on St. Simons Island is discussing reducing the required setback for new construction in areas with active dunes from 40 feet (12.2 meters) to 25 feet (7.6 meters). The new rule would increase the required setback from 20 feet to 25 feet for an area without dunes. Commissioners agreed Tuesday to postpone action until November to allow time for a public workshop. The idea originated from a planning commission meeting with Glynn County commissioners to discuss growth on the island. Glynn County Commissioner Cap Fendig said the proposed changes would match Georgia Department of Natural Resources rules. Current Glynn County rules are more restrictive. Dunes can protect beaches and inland areas and also provide habitat for plants and wildlife. Alice Keyes of the environmental group One Hundred Miles said rising sea levels make setbacks even more important. From a practical standpoint, from a public safety standpoint and from a scientific standpoint I cannot recommend it as being a wise vision, Keyes said. We should be increasing, not decreasing setbacks so they can continue to serve their function. Commissioners also considered a proposal to limit new buildings on St. Simons Island to a height of 35 feet (10.7 meters) Fendig said many people oppose dense development on the island. Are we going to take this opportunity to consider how to restrain density? he asked. Fendig said more than 500 home sites await construction on St. Simons, which would worsen traffic congestion if developed. This is our opportunity to say good is good, but we dont want more, he said. That decision was also deferred to November after public input. This is the beginning of a conversation we need to have, Fendig said. The future of our island is in your hands to work this ordinance through to the right balance. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Georgia Federal investigators are seeking the cause of an Amtrak train derailment near a switch on tracks in the middle of vast farmland in far northern Montana that killed three people and left seven hospitalized over the weekend. The westbound Empire Builder was traveling from Chicago to Seattle when it left the tracks about 4 p.m. Saturday near Joplin, a town of about 200. Amtrak spokesman Jason Abrams said the train was carrying about 141 passengers and 16 crew members. It had two locomotives and 10 cars, eight of which derailed, with some tipping onto their sides. Trevor Fossen was first on the scene. The Joplin resident was on a dirt road near the tracks Saturday when he saw a wall of dust hundreds of feet high. I started looking at that, wondering what it was and then I saw the train had tipped over and derailed, said Fossen, who called 911 and started trying to get people out. He called his brother to bring ladders for people who couldnt get down after exiting through the windows of cars resting on their sides. Passenger Jacob Cordeiro from Rhode Island was traveling with his father to Seattle to celebrate his college graduation. I was in one of the front cars and we got badly jostled, thrown from one side of the train to the other, he told MSNBC. He said the train car left the tracks near a switch where two tracks narrow to one but did not fall over. Im a pretty big guy and it picked me up from my chair and threw me into one wall and then threw me into the other wall, Cordeiro said. Railroad safety expert David Clarke, director of the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Tennessee, said the two locomotives and two cars at the front of the train reached the switch and continued on the main track, but the remaining eight cars derailed. He said it was unclear whether some of the last cars moved onto the second track. Did the switch play some role? It might have been that the front of the train hit the switch and it started fish-tailing and that flipped the back part of the train, Clarke said. Another possibility was a defect in the rail, Clarke said, noting that regular testing doesnt always catch such problems. He said speed was not a likely factor because trains on that line have systems that prevent excessive speeds and collisions. Allan Zarembski, director of the University of Delawares Railway Engineering and Safety Program, said he didnt want to speculate but suspected the derailment stemmed from an issue with the train track, equipment, or both. Railways have virtually eliminated major derailments by human error after the implementation of positive train control nationwide, Zarembski said. Matt Jones, a BNSF Railway spokesman said at a news conference that the track where the accident occurred was last inspected on Thursday. A 14-member National Transportation Safety Board team including investigators and railroad signal specialists will be looking into the cause of the accident on a BNSF Railway track, NTSB spokesman Eric Weiss said. Law enforcement on Sunday said the officials from the NTSB, Amtrak and BNSF were at the accident scene just west of Joplin, where the tracks cut through vast, golden brown wheat fields that were recently harvested. Several large cranes were brought to the tracks that run roughly parallel to U.S. Highway 2, along with a truckload of gravel and new railroad ties. The site is about 150 miles northeast of Helena and about 30 miles from the Canadian border. Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn expressed condolences to those who lost loved ones and said the company is working with the NTSB, Federal Railroad Administration and local law enforcement, sharing their sense of urgency to determine what happened. Because of the derailment, Sundays westbound Empire Builder from Chicago was terminating in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the eastbound train was originating in Minnesota. Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte said BNSF was readying replacement track for when the NTSB gives the go-head. BNSF has assured me they can get the line up and running in short order, he said. Most of those on the train were treated and released for their injuries, but five who were more seriously hurt remained at the Benefis Health System hospital in Great Falls, Montana, said Sarah Robbin, Liberty County emergency services coordinator. Two were in the intensive care unit, a hospital spokeswoman said. Another two people were at Logan Health, a hospital in Kalispell, Montana, spokeswoman Melody Sharpton said. Liberty County Sheriff Nick Erickson said the names of the dead would not be released until relatives are notified. Copyright 2021 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Montana The director of Glenisk has said "basically everything" has been lost after a devastating factory fire ripped through the facility in Killeigh, Co Offaly this afternoon. The fire broke out just after 11am and caused all 50 staff of the country's largest yogurt maker to be evacuated immediately. The blaze is now under control after several units from the Fire Brigade attended the scene from Portarlington, Clara, Edenderry, and Tullamore. Some members of staff required medical treatment for smoke inhalation but no serious injuries have been reported. A plume of smoke rises from the Glenisk factory in Offaly. Picture: Offaly County Council Assessing the damage and speaking to RTE, Glenisk director Gerard Cleary said the company is grateful to the emergency services and will look to see how the business can recover. "It's devastating for all of us really at this point in time and we don't really know what to say. "We'll just have to see what we have and what we can salvage and then just start again. That's all we can do. "We're just grateful to all the services, the fire brigade and the ambulance. Luckily no one was injured in any way so we're very thankful for that," he said. A cause of the fire has not yet been established but manufacturing equipment as well as stock has been lost in the blaze. Commenting on the terrible fire, Fianna Fail TD Barry Cowen offered his sympathies to all those impacted by the blaze. Mr Cowen thanked the emergency services and said: "Everyone was relieved to hear that there had been no casualties reported, however the blaze appears to have caused extensive damage to the facility. "Our thoughts are with everyone at Glenisk right now. Black smoke could be seen billowing into the sky for some distance in the surrounding area as the emergency services fought to contain the fire. Picture: Ellen Burke @midlands 103 Black smoke could be seen billowing into the sky for some distance in the surrounding area as the emergency services fought to contain the fire. Earlier this afternoon Glenisk, confirmed the safety of all employees this afternoon and thanked the emergency services for their help. "Devastated to confirm a serious fire at our plant today. All colleagues safely evacuated. "Their well-being is our priority. We will assess the damage and move forward. "Heartfelt thanks to the Emergency Services," Glenisk said in a statement on Twitter. Devastated to confirm a serious fire at our plant today. All colleagues safely evacuated. Their well-being is our priority. We will assess the damage and move forward. Heartfelt thanks to the Emergency Services. Glenisk (@Glenisk) September 27, 2021 There is also the risk that buildings not directly affected by the fire may have been subject to smoke damage. Established in 1987, the yogurt company has grown to be one of the premier dairy brands in the country. Last November the company reported record sales as Covid-19 lockdowns saw sales of the organic brand jump 50%. Stormont ministers have agreed to end social distancing restrictions for shops, theatres and a number of other indoor settings in Northern Ireland. At a meeting on Monday evening, ministers decided to remove the one-metre distance requirement for the retail sector, indoor attractions and seated indoor venues. Ministers have agreed to beef up guidance to business and venue owners to mitigate the impact of allowing a return to full capacity. Northern Ireland First Minister Paul Givan tweeted: Progress made after a constructive meeting of the Executive to remove social distancing requirements for indoor seated venues, indoor visitor attractions and retail settings. Guidance will be provided for measures that can be taken to mitigate risk. The measures are to take effect from 6pm on Thursday. Further consideration is to be given to the hospitality sector on October 7. The Executive said that despite the social distancing requirement being removed, we would ask people to keep close face to face contact to a minimum at all times. An Executive statement said: With furlough due to end in a few days we are very aware of the financial burden on businesses that arent yet able to operate at full capacity due to the current social distancing restrictions and the very real concerns of those people whose jobs are at risk. The Executive has today considered the existing regulations and has agreed to remove the legal requirement to socially distance in retail and indoor visitor attractions. We ask that those responsible for these venues, and those attending them, continue to utilise all other available mitigations such as hand sanitising, good ventilation, and using one way systems where possible. The wearing of a face covering remains a legal requirement in these settings. The Executive has also decided to remove the requirement to socially distance in indoor seated venues such as theatres, concert halls and cinemas. The advice includes the installation of screening, one-way systems and increased ventilation. In regard to indoor seated venues, ministers will issue additional guidance to venues advising that they introduce entry policies that require proof of either Covid-19 vaccination, a negative lateral flow test or evidence of a positive PCR test within the previous six months. Ministers did not consider social distancing in the hospitality sector during Mondays virtual meeting. That will be looked at during an Executive meeting next week. It is understood bar and food areas of indoor retail venues, indoor attractions and indoor seated venues will be categorised as hospitality and the one-metre rule will continue to apply in those locations. The potential for Stormont to introduce mandatory Covid passports for access to venues was not decided at Mondays virtual meeting. The paper being considered by ministers on Monday did not cover the hospitality sector, which is also subject to the one metre social distancing rule. The issue of social distancing in the hospitality sector will be considered at our meeting next week along with our autumn winter Covid Contingency Planning the statement said. We will continue our engagement with this sector as we approach the decision points relevant to them. Economy Minister Gordon Lyons Economy Minister Gordon Lyons expressed doubt about the use of mandatory vaccine passports in Northern Ireland (Liam McBurney/PA) Earlier on Monday, Economy Minister Gordon Lyons expressed doubt about the use of mandatory vaccine passports in Northern Ireland. His comments suggest the issue may become a point of friction for parties within the Executive, given Sinn Fein has made clear it would be open to vaccine certification if the move was recommended by health chiefs. The SDLP last week called for the introduction of a scheme as a way to boost vaccination rates. Sinn Fein deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill has also raised human rights concerns about such an initiative. However, last week she suggested she would still be very open to a passport scheme if it could be demonstrated it could contribute to the greater good of tackling the spread of Covid-19. Four further deaths of patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 were reported in Northern Ireland on Monday, along with 903 new confirmed cases of the virus. On Monday morning, there were 345 Covid-19 patients in hospital, with 28 in intensive care. Warning: distressing content below A grieving couple has demanded to know who approved the export of baby organs and tissues from Cork University Maternity Hospital for incineration with medical waste. Leona Bermingham and her partner Glenn Callanan spoke out after it emerged they were among 18 families who were contacted by CUMH last summer to be told the organs or tissues of their dead babies had been sent overseas for incineration, without their consent. First-time parent Leona and Glen lost baby Lee just hours after he and his twin brother, Lewis, were born at CUMH in September 2019. They donated his organs for medical science in the hope it might save another baby in the future. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine they would be incinerated in another country, Leona said. In the Dail, Taoiseach Micheal Martin branded what had happened as cruel and unacceptable" and said Health Minister Stephen Donnelly was seeking assurances from other maternity hospitals that such practices did not occur there. The Irish Examiner has learnt that while all hospital groups have confirmed in writing to the HSE that they are fully compliant with its standards and recommended practices for post mortem examination services, it has now ordered a full nationwide review of these services, with a specific focus on consent, storage and disposal. And while University Hospital Limerick says it is fully compliant with the standards in relation to adult post mortem services, its neonatal post mortems have been undertaken by external service providers. The hospital can confirm compliance in this area since 2019 and is currently contacting the pathologists involved in earlier post mortems to get assurance on compliance prior to 2019, the HSE said. Leona said: I feel very let down by the hospital. I feel they could have done things a lot better. Who signed off to incinerate a babys brain without considering the devastating effect on families? It felt like we were just a burden on the hospital. I beat myself up for weeks and months afterwards that I didnt ask enough questions. It took a while to sink in. You know what the word incineration means, but it takes on a new meaning when youre talking about your babys organs. Hospital sources said the incident happened in the mortuary of the co-located Cork University Hospital (CUH) without the knowledge of the perinatal pathology team or anyone at CUMH. Serious error The South-South West Hospital Group, CUH and CUMH acknowledged that a serious error was made. A spokesman said the incident, detailed in an RTE Investigates programme on Tuesday night, was confined to perinatal organs stored in the hospital mortuary between May 2019 and March 2020, and the incineration occurred on March 25 and April 2, 2020, only, as efforts were under way to increase CUH's mortuary capacity ahead of expected mass fatalities due to the pandemic. The spokesman said Covid delayed the progress of an external expert review of the incident, but it got under way in late April and is expected to be complete by early November. But a woman whose miscarried babys remains were dumped with clinical waste after she underwent a procedure at CUMH in 2018, said it was clear that three years on, there are still major gaps in the hospitals policies and procedures. Dr Laura Cahillane, a senior lecturer in law at the University of Limerick, said the hospital needed to treat bereaved parents with more respect. Individually, some staff were great, Dr Cahillane said. But I found that as an institution, the hospital treated this as just another procedure. It was just another day for them in the hospital but they have to realise that for us, and others like us, our world had fallen apart. Dr Cahillane suffered a miscarriage in 2018 and underwent a D&C procedure a week after a 13-week scan failed to detect a foetal heartbeat. 'The products of conception' She was offered a choice of home burial, a hospital burial or cremation for the products of conception. Dr Cahillane and her husband, Edward, chose home burial and signed the relevant forms but heard nothing for a few weeks afterwards. When they finally contacted CUMH, they were told their babys remains had not been separated from the waste. Dr Cahillane said it was very traumatic to be told their babys remains had basically been dumped. I understand now the difficulties around separating remains in these circumstances. But we hadnt been told that this could happen. It just seems that the hospital, as an institution, doesn't realise the impact this has on families. Pregnancy loss support campaigner Claire Cullen Delsol said the revelations have caused immense pain. Heaping this trauma on top of infant bereavement and baby loss is absolutely unacceptable and cruel, she said. Its clear that the guidelines just arent strong enough." If you are struggling with the loss of a child, please reach out and speak to someone: Burma Intl Rights Experts Urge UN to Declare Myanmar Junta Terrorist Organization Regime troops are deployed to crack down on protesters in Yangon in early March. / The Irrawaddy An independent group of prominent former UN human rights experts has urged the United Nations Security Council to declare the Myanmar military junta a terrorist organization for its atrocities against its own civilians including public torture, executions and taking hostages, including children as young as 2. In its latest statement, the Special Advisory Council for Myanmar (SAC-M), which includes Yanghee Lee, the former UN special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, said on Monday that the regimes forces had committed multiple massacres of civiliansincluding childrentorched entire villages, and fired randomly into homes, killing residents, in Chin State and Magway, Sagaing and Mandalay regions throughout September, even as UN member states met in New York and Geneva over the past two weeks. Myanmar has been in political and social turmoil since February when the countrys military chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing upended the Southeast Asian nation by staging a coup against the ruling civilian government. The putsch has faced strong popular resistancefrom peaceful street protests in the wake of the coup to the recent launch of a guerrilla-style civilian armed struggle in response to the regimes brutal crackdowns on protesters. So far, the junta has killed more than 1,000 people. The SAC-M said the Tatmadaw (Myanmars military), seeking to return Myanmar to full military rule, had committed public torture and executions. It said the regimes forces also took family members of democracy activists as hostages, including children as young as 2, and planted landmines under the bodies of civilians they had killed, detonating them when family and friends returned to claim the deceased. Chris Sidoti of the SAC-M said these were the same terrorist tactics used by the nascent Islamic State group in the Iraqi desert in the mid-2000s. The UN Security Council should immediately commence the process of declaring the Tatmadaw as a terrorist organization, he said. The junta has been trying to snuff out the deadly armed resistance for months but in vain so far. The regimes troops have become notorious for committing all kinds of atrocities as reprisals whenever the military sustains casualties. Throughout September they have massacred civiliansincluding childrentorched entire villages, fired randomly into homes and shelled residential areas in the countrys Kayah and Chin states and Magwe, Sagaing and Mandalay regions, claiming that the areas harbored civilian resistance forces known as Peoples Defense Force (PDF) units. Both sides sustained casualties during the shootouts. Lee said the regimes forces are using the same tactics they used during the genocidal atrocities committed against the Rohingya, referring to the armys killings in Rakhine State in the countrys west in 2017. More than 700,000 Rohingya had to flee to neighboring Bangladesh. If you juxtapose the pictures of recent massacres with those of 2017 in northern Rakhine, you cannot see any difference. No one has been held to account for those terrible crimes, and now people are being massacred and villages burned up and down the country, she said. Despite the regimes ongoing atrocities and repeated calls from activists at home and abroad, the international community has failed to take significant actions against the junta so far, other than imposing sanctions against them. The UN is unlikely to take any meaningful action, either, as the regime has support from its longtime allies China and Russia at the Security Council. When Myanmars National Unity Government (NUG), a shadow government formed with ousted elected lawmakers and their ethnic allies, called for a war against the regime early this month, the international community simply responded by calling on all parties to refrain from violence. The NUG said its call to arms was a last resort in light of the diplomatic failure to improve the situation in Myanmar. In its statement, the SAC-M deplored the international communitys repeated failure to help the people of Myanmar. Council member Marzuki Darusman, the former chair of the UN Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Myanmar, said the international community should end its hypocrisy and cease to mindlessly call on all parties to refrain from violence. They full well know it is the Tatmadaw that is the source of violence and calamity, he said. You may also like these stories: Myanmar Junta Kills Dozens in Latest Surge of Violence Against Civilians Over 30 Myanmar Junta Troops Killed in Fierce Weekend Fighting Myanmars NLD Marks 33rd Anniversary Facing Abolition Threat Burma Myanmar Junta Troops Ambushed in Shan State KNDF fighters seen on Sunday after occupying Kone Thar Village in Demoso Township, Kayah State. Photo- Karenni Generation-Z At least 20 Myanmar military soldiers were reportedly killed or wounded on Monday, after Karenni resistance fighters ambushed a convoy of junta reinforcements in Pinlaung, Shan State in southeastern Myanmar. On Monday afternoon, members of the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) from Pekon Township attacked a convoy of 45 military vehicles near Saung Pyaung Village in Pinlaung. The KNDF said that the military regime reinforcements were travelling from Kalaw Township in Shan State to Demoso Township in Kayah State, where junta troops have encountered strong resistance from the combined forces of the KNDF and the Karenni Army, the armed wing of the Karenni National Progressive Party. During the subsequent shootout, there were 20 military casualties, while no civilian fighters were killed or wounded, a KNDF spokesperson told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Myanmar military soldiers based in Moebye in Pekon Township opened fire randomly on nearby villages with heavy weapons. Some civilians were injured by the artillery fire, the KNDF said. Regime forces were forced to retreat from Kone Thar Village in Demoso Township on Sunday, despite being reinforced and using heavy weapons, after facing intense resistance from Karenni armed groups for two days, Junta troops raided Kone Thar last Thursday. Over 10 regime soldiers were killed in Kone Thar over the weekend, and two members of the KNDF died. One of the two KNDF fighters killed was slain on Sunday after being captured by junta troops. A 70-year-old villager wearing a t-shirt bearing the United Nations emblem was also shot dead in Kone Thar on Sunday by regime forces. Another civilian died on the weekend in an explosion after he was caught in the middle of a firefight while travelling in a vehicle. Junta troops raided homes in Kone Thar during the weekend clashes and burned down some 30 houses, according to the KNDF. Armed opposition to the military regime began in late May in Kayah State. Since then, junta forces and Karenni resistance forces have clashed in four townships Bawlakhe, Demoso, Hpruso and Loikaw, across Kayah State, as well in Moebye, Pekon and Pinlaung in neighboring Shan State. You may also like these stories: Intl Rights Experts Urge UN to Declare Myanmar Junta Terrorist Organization Myanmar Junta Kills Dozens in Latest Surge of Violence Against Civilians Over 30 Myanmar Junta Troops Killed in Fierce Weekend Fighting The first Nokia tablet running Android is the T20, and with a 2K 10.4-inch screen and 64GB storage aims to be an affordable and long-lasting Android alternative to competitors and iPads, while the new G50 5G smartphone is the latest 5G model to enter the Australian market. As we are now firmly in Q4, 2021, the plethora of tech launches continues, with HMD Global the latest to launch brand new models to tempt the hearts, minds and wallets of Australians. As the company explains, both devices "are designed to keep up with the busy lives of Australians and are backed by Nokias industry-leading three year warranty promise." So, let's start with the Nokia T20, which is billed as "a tablet designed for work, learn and play." When it comes to tablets, there's the iPad, with its million-plus apps designed for the iPad, and then there's Android tablets, which haven't been quite as popular, but which are able to run the vast array of Android apps - and which can be more affordable. While you can find Laser-branded 8-inch Android tablets for less than $100 at Officeworks, Samsung's Android tablets are the ones most people think of first, given Samsung's long-standing efforts in this space, while Lenovo Android tablets are also well regarded. Now, HMD Global comes into this space with its Nokia T20 tablet, billed as marking the introduction of the brand new T Series, with T obviously standing for tablet, and with the Nokia T20 obviously having nothing to do with the cricket. Naturally, HMD Global says the T20 "has been designed with work-life balance in mind incorporating the versatility and reliability expected from a Nokia device, coupled with a long-lasting battery." As you'd expect, HMD Global offers what it says is "Nokias industry-leading three year warranty as well as three years of monthly security updates and two years of OS upgrade", thus making the Nokia T20 a tablet that "Australians can Love, Trust and Keep for longer." Here's the official video: So, what are some of the features? Well, it is a Wi-Fi only tablet in Australia, and has a 2K 10.4-inch screen with a resolution of 1200 x 2000, it has 4GB RAM with 64GB storage, and the microSD slot can take a 512GB card. It has Android 11, a Unisoc-branded T610 CPU that presumably has enough grunt to deliver upon the Google Kids Space and Google Entertainment Space promises. Nokia bills the device as allowing you to participate in conference calls or binge-watch their favourite shows for up to seven hours with the Nokia T20s long-lasting battery. Hear and be heard at home or on-the-go with the Nokia T20s stereo speakers and OZO Playback Panorama with advanced in-built dual microphones. Were also told the Nokia T20 is the perfect device for the family too. Google Kids Space is designed to nurture a childs curiosity and creativity by inspiring them to explore their interests through recommended apps, books, and videos. Google Kids Spaceworks is added to your childs Google Account and allows parents to manage using Family Link parental controls. The Nokia T20 is a smart choice for businesses being Android Enterprise Recommended (AER) meeting Googles strict criteria for enterprise mobility. The new tablet also works in harmony with HMD Enable Pro, the enterprise mobility management solution designed for ease of use and managing deployed devices from its one-stop-shop interface. Now, it does have to be said that the AUD $499 10.2-inch, 9th-gen iPad, also with 64GB storage (but no expandable memory as is the case with all of Appkes iDevices) has a vastly more powerful A13 Bionic processor, and if youre already an iPhone-owning family, an iPad is obviously a great choice, not least because of the ability to share apps across the family. You also do get the expandability through the ability to buy an Apple Pencil, let alone add keyboard and mouse (with keyboard and mouse control also possible with any Android tablet), as well as a very rich library of apps and app experiences designed to take full advantage of the various iPad screen sizes and superior processors and graphics. Its front-facing camera also has the "Centre Stage" feature which is like having your own camera person, and it's a cool feature we'll presumably copied by Android tablets next year. However, all of that said, Android has always competed on price, and on delivering a more than good enough alternative experience for most purposes, and without having tested the T20, presumably it does everything Nokia promises it will do, with upcoming reviews from across the tech world sure to deliver a verdict in the not-too-distant future. At $349 it is an affordable alternative that lets Android smartphone and tablet owners share apps via the Google Play Family Library as well. It also undercuts the price of the Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 which is $429 for its 64GB Wi-Fi model, so HMD Global brings welcome competition as well. James Robinson, the A/NZ Country Manager at HMD Global said: The Nokia T20 marks an incredibly important milestone for HMD Global with our very first tablet. Over the past two years in Australia, weve experienced an increase in working from home, online learning and the growing use of social media, video calling platforms and streaming services. All of this has contributed to a significant uplift in demand for tablets, with 3.4 million sold in 2020, a 12 per cent increase on the previous year. The Nokia T20 is a tablet that has been designed specifically to reflect and address the changing needs and desire for versatile technology that Australians have become accustomed to. We believe this device serves the needs of busy families, as well as providing businesses an affordable yet power business tool with Zero Touch deployment. At HMD were committed to Nokians keeping their devices for longer and extending our industry leading three year manufacturers warranty to the Nokia T20, Robinson concluded. So, what about the Nokia G50, which the company is billing as its most affordable 5G smartphone? Well, right off the bat, the Nokia G50 retails for $449, so it costs $100 more than TCLs 20 R 5G, which retails for $349, with that TCL 20 R 5G even available at $50 less, at $299, if purchased from Vodafone. However, the G50 has a larger screen at 6.82-inches, double the storage with 128GB as standard, and will launch with Android 12 out-of-the-box, with HMD Global billing it as the most affordable 5G device in its range, allowing more Australians access to 5G at a time when major carriers are rapidly expanding the capabilities and coverage of 5G nationally. Featuring the signature Finnish design quality Nokia is known for, the 6.82 HD+ display will give Nokians an exceptional viewing experience. The Nokia G50 is built to last, launching with Android 12 welcoming Googles latest OS advancements. Additionally, the Nokia G50 will keep Aussies up-to-date with an extra two years of OS upgrades and monthly security updates for at least three years. This offers complete protection and peace of mind while a two day battery life and three year warranty allows Aussies to keep their devices longer and trust that the Nokia G50 will see them through the most demanding of days. Here's the official video: To sweeten the deal, were reminded of HMD Globals recent partnership with two industry-leading brands, Spotify and ExpressVPN, enabling Nokia G50 owners a quicker way to access their favourite content. Spotify gives Nokia G50 owners access to 70 million tracks and 2.6 million podcasts out of the box. Offering added reassurance against malware, ExpressVPN is also available with a 30-day free trial. See more details of HMD Globals deals with Spotify here and ExpressVPN here. HMD Globals A/NZ Country Manager, James Robinson returns to state: As 5G develops and becomes more accessible to more Australians, HMD Global expands choice of our trusted Nokia 5G range, making 5G more accessible to more Aussies. We at HMD believe that Aussies should be able to keep their devices for longer; as such, the Nokia G50 comes with our hallmark commitments to OS upgrades, security patching, and an Australian first three year manufacturers warranty. Florian Seiche, CEO at HMD Global: At HMD Global were always striving to provide everyone with quality mobile technology, which is why were incredibly proud to launch the Nokia G50, a 5G device that it built to last at an incredibly affordable price. Pricing and availability\ The Nokia T20 in Ocean Blue (4GB/64GB variant) will be on sale for $349 RRP, and available from today, with details here. The Nokia G50 in Ocean Blue and Midnight Sun (4GB/128GB variant) will be on sale for $449 RRP, and available from today online via: (Nokia G50 mobile) and leading retailers JB HiFi, Officeworks, Harvey Norman and Amazon, with details here. COMPANY NEWS: 8x8 Inc (NYSE: EGHT), a leading integrated cloud communications platform, today announced rapid adoption of the 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams solution, surpassing more than 100,000 business users globally. The 8x8 direct routing solution provides organisations adopting Teams with enterprise-grade global telephony and other capabilities, further extending the Teams experience to enhance employee and customer experience. 8x8 also announced the latest 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams enhancements, including call recordings and presence sync. As organisations increase their usage of Microsoft Teams, 8x8 is delivering differentiated capabilities with its Voice for Microsoft Teams solution, such as new integrated features and expanded global reach for users in countries such as China, Russia, and Japan," said Dave Michels, founder and principal analyst at TalkingPointz. For organisations relying on Teams that require enhanced communications and customer engagement capabilities, 8x8 offers a unique solution with its integrated global telephony and contact centre solution. In a study commissioned by 8x8, Hanover Research found that 80% of respondents said their organisations are likely to integrate Microsoft Teams with third-party telephony providers. 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams helps organisations shift to hybrid work by expanding Teams into an advanced communications, collaboration, and engagement hub. The latest enhancements include: Connect Every Agent and Employee for Faster Customer Resolution : 8x8 Contact Center for Microsoft Teams, which is certified by Microsoft, allows sales, service, and support agents to quickly connect and collaborate with other Teams-enabled experts to resolve issues faster. : 8x8 Contact Center for Microsoft Teams, which is certified by Microsoft, allows sales, service, and support agents to quickly connect and collaborate with other Teams-enabled experts to resolve issues faster. Visibility Across the Organisation with 8x8 Presence Sync : The presence status of Teams-based users is updated in real time, and is visible in 8x8 Work and 8x8 Contact Center : The presence status of Teams-based users is updated in real time, and is visible in 8x8 Work and 8x8 Contact Center Expanded Global Reach: With the addition of Japan, Russia and Puerto Rico, 8x8 Global Reach now delivers full Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) replacement services to 46 countries and territories. With the addition of Japan, Russia and Puerto Rico, 8x8 Global Reach now delivers full Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) replacement services to 46 countries and territories. New Industry Standard for Reliability: Built on the resilient, secure, and compliant 8x8 eXperience Communications Platform, 8x8 offers the highest levels of reliability and the industrys only financially backed, platform-wide 99.999 percent uptime SLA across an integrated cloud UCaaS and CCaaS solution. Built on the resilient, secure, and compliant 8x8 eXperience Communications Platform, 8x8 offers the highest levels of reliability and the industrys only financially backed, platform-wide 99.999 percent uptime SLA across an integrated cloud UCaaS and CCaaS solution. Easy Access to Call Recordings: Empowers employees to capture, retain, and retrieve call recordings for training, compliance, and archive purposes from any Teams endpoint via the embedded 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams app, available for download at the Microsoft App Source Empowers employees to capture, retain, and retrieve call recordings for training, compliance, and archive purposes from any Teams endpoint via the embedded 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams app, available for download at the Microsoft App Source Integrated Business Messaging: Provides an organisations hybrid workforce with individual business phone and fax numbers. This enables employees to conveniently send and receive SMS or MMS messages (US and Canada) or faxes (Globally) directly from any Teams native interface to further extend the experience for users. Previously, our ability to work remotely was severely hampered by legacy on-premises phone systems that required our employees to have access to their physical desk phones, said Dave Reed, Project Manager at The Plus Group. 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams will allow our employees to communicate globally using the familiar Teams interface in tandem with 8x8s functionality, support, and reliability on the back end. 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams is a core component of 8x8 XCaaS (eXperience Communications as a Service) which includes fully integrated, cloud native contact centre, voice, team chat, video meetings, and CPaaS embeddable communications and APIs capabilities in a single-vendor solution. Organisations who recently signed and deployed 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams include: A global biopharmaceutical company sought a single vendor communication platform with Microsoft Teams integration. They selected 8x8 XCaaS with 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams to improve employee and customer experience for 1,200 employees and 30 contact centre agents. Archway Marketing Services selected 8x8 XCaaS and 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams to support their technology enhancement initiative after experiencing issues with their legacy on-premises systems. We quickly deployed the first of their 13 locations in 72 hours, and we will support 750 UCaaS and 70 CCaaS users. nVent, a high-performance electrical company, continues to add 8x8 XCaaS to more locations. They added more XCaaS and Microsoft Voice for Teams seats to support employees in the US, Canada, Mexico, and Germany, bringing their total global seat count to nearly 1,600. The Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner for Essex provides policing, fire, and rescue services for the County of Essex in the East of England and supports 1.8 million citizens. The Essex County Fire & Rescue Service selected 8x8 UCaaS and 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams to improve their communication capabilities across 50 fire stations and more than 1,400 members of staff. "We are committed to helping organisations extend the value of Teams by adding advanced communications and customer engagement features directly from any Teams endpoint, said Hunter Middleton, Chief Product Officer at 8x8, Inc. We continue to drive innovation with our 8x8 Voice for Microsoft Teams solution that goes far beyond direct routing, and we are seeing more and more organisations providing their distributed workforce with the ability to interact with colleagues and customers from anywhere using Teams. About 8x8, Inc. 8x8, Inc. (NYSE: EGHT) is transforming the future of business communications as a leading Software-as-a-Service provider of 8x8 XCaaS, an integrated contact centre, voice communications, video, chat and API solution built on one global cloud communications platform. 8x8 is powering all employees globally to connect individuals and teams so they can collaborate faster and work smarter. Real-time business analytics and intelligence provide businesses unique insights across all interactions and channels so they can delight end-customers and accelerate their business. For additional information, visit www.8x8.com, or follow 8x8 on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook. COMPANY NEWS: Talend, a global leader in data integration and integrity, today announced that it has strengthened its partnership with Melbourne-based ARQ Group , appointing the organisation as a value added reseller (VAR) in Australia. The expanded relationship will increase the opportunity for Australian businesses to run their business on decision-ready data based on the winning combination of ARQ Groups experience in digital, data, and cloud transformation with Talends leading Data Fabric platform. ARQ Group was named a Talend Systems Integration partner in 2017. During the course of the past four years, the two organisations have worked closely to build market momentum for Talend Data Fabric in the region. Talend offers the only platform that brings together all the necessary capabilities that ensure all enterprise data is complete, clean, uncompromised, and broadly available throughout the organisation, ensuring all customers can take advantage of the latest trends and technologies that accelerate their journey to healthier data. The VAR appointment will elevate the relationship between the two companies and enable the two organisations to develop a more cohesive market offering with joint account planning and marketing support. This newly extended relationship will also enable ARQ Group to build recurring software revenue by selling product licenses thereby amplifying its existing critical consulting support in services across data warehouse and data strategy, planning and design to full-scale project implementation, and advanced analytics. Were looking forward to providing Australian businesses with an expansion in our overall offering in modern data platforms by delivering comprehensive end-to-end solutions and managed services for the Talend Data Fabric platform, said Mark Airs, Segment Director, ARQ Group. Were a fast growing technology digital services company with success built on relationships, trust, and flexibility. As Talends partner, well now be able to use this experience through joint planning with the company to provide customers with ongoing strategic consulting and a simplified buyer experience. Earlier this year, Talend announced the opening of its newest regional cloud data infrastructure in Australia, operating on Amazon Web Services (AWS) to support its expansion and growth in the Asia Pacific. It provides Australian enterprises with confidence and clarity into their data while addressing regional data sovereignty, privacy, residency, and performance requirements. "Were seeing continued growth in Australia this year with organisations seeking to make accurate decisions faster than ever as they forge a path to emerge stronger in the post-pandemic business environment, said Paul Sheehan, Strategic Channel Manager for ANZ, Talend. "Were excited that our expanded relationship with Arq Group will enable enterprises to tap into the skills and experience of one of Australias leading technology solutions and innovation providers as they seek to benefit from greater data health in their decision making in the years ahead. At the same time, ARQ Groups experience in cloud and data analytics and their work with half of the ASX top 20 companies in developing digital experience will help us propel our customer base by providing an integrated set of solutions and services around the Talend portfolio backed up by their industry-leading consulting and analytical skills. To learn more about partner programs and Talend Academy, visit the Talend website. About ARQ Group ARQ Group is an award-winning tech consultancy delivering advisory, design and experience, engineering including mobile, emerging technology, data science, cloud and managed services; making ARQ Australias only end-to-end digital services partner for everything you need in-house, under one roof. ARQs agile scaled workforce model affords clients speed and flexibility in escalating team resources as and when required. Proudly Australian owned with a 25-year heritage of technological innovation, ARQ bring ideas to life for some of Australias largest companies and most-loved household brands with over half of Australias top 20 ASX companies and Government trusting ARQ to develop their digital solutions. About Talend Talend, a leader in data integration and data integrity, is changing the way the world makes decisions. Talend Data Fabric is the only platform that seamlessly combines an extensive range of data integration and governance capabilities to actively manage the health of corporate information. This unified approach is unique and essential to delivering complete, clean, and uncompromised data in real-time to all employees. It has made it possible to create innovations like the Talend Trust Score, an industry-first assessment that instantly quantifies the reliability of any data set. Over 6,500 customers across the globe have chosen Talend to run their businesses on healthy data. Talend is recognized as a leader in its field by leading analyst firms and industry media. For more information, please visit www.talend.comand follow us on Twitter: @Talend. An enterprise network was always designed to keep the proverbial bad guys out, but with the rise of cloud computing and remote working the network's perimeter has shifted so much that the entire Internet is the perimeter. Todays modern businesses need both the agility of the public cloud with the security of a private network. Heres where NordLayer , from NordVPN, can help. NordVPN is no stranger to private networking - literally the PN in VPN (the V meaning virtual) - with its NordVPN product for individuals being a leader since its first release nearly ten years ago. In fact, NordVPN operates out of Panama where there are no mandatory data retention laws and no Five Eyes or Fourteen Eyes alliances. This means the traffic you route through NordVPN masks your IP address, it is encrypted in transit, and it leaves no records on its way through NordVPN either. Your movements online become a ghost. Now, if you're a whistleblower or a political agitator in an oppressive regime these are important features - but theyre no less important if youre a regular businessman sending private company correspondence. I say this because you might question why you need to mask your IP address if youre not planning on doing anything illegal or youre not fearful for your life. Thats a fair question, and while your IP address may not be a concern, the security of your company data absolutely is. Every hour of everyday business people, remote workers, and many others are transmitting files and email over public Wi-Fi hotspots in hotels and airports, or whatever they find on the street. The risk cannot be understated; any network you did not pay to have set up is, by nature, untrustworthy. You do not know if a malicious user on the same network, even the network owner themselves, is logging traffic and listening in, sniffing for passwords, intercepting communications, capturing data. Frankly put, your business cant afford to have staff be without a VPN product if they are out of the office and relying on the Internet services they find along their journey. Its a must, especially with mandatory data breach reporting and similar laws. You dont want your company on the front page of the news because customer data was exposed when your salesperson used what he thought was a hotels Wi-Fi network, which in fact turned out to be a fake network from a hacker. Happily, while a quality VPN product is a business essential - like e-mail, word processing, spreadsheets, and file-sharing - you dont need to leave your users to their own devices. You can have an enterprise-grade centrally-managed VPN that requires no effort or understanding on the part of your users; your IT team manages it all from a single console. That's NordLayer, a cloud-based virtual private network service for businesses with AES 256-bit encryption and massive global server infrastructure to ensure maximum performance with maximum security. This means your team members can safely access company resources from anywhere, and your Chairman can sleep at night knowing data is safe. NordLayer is backed with 24/7 support and dedicated account management. Advanced and Enterprise plans give you the option of having your own dedicated servers in over 20 countries of your choice, further increasing your network performance and giving you greater control over the resources shared with your users. All up there are over 1100 servers in 32 countries for your staff to work through, switching as they need, even testing foreign markets. The service can be set up in mere minutes, signing up, creating users, configuring access, and then onboarding your company workers with single sign-on options that include Azure Active Directory, Google authentication, and Okta. The product scales with your company, offering unlimited user levels, so it can be the first and only VPN solution you ever need. In fact, something that might interest your Chief Financial Officer is the fact using NordLayer means you can remove expensive MPLS networks from your company office network and switch to consuming cheaper, public Internet services while still retaining security. In case your connection to a NordLayer server breaks, for whatever reason, the products Killswitch feature can be set to drop all Internet traffic immediately, resuming again only when the VPN connection resumes. It's often said security and convenience are in tension, always competing, always forcing a compromise - complex passwords are a classic example. NordLayer says it doesnt have to be so; you can give your users maximum security while they use the Internet from anywhere in the world while still providing you maximum security. Other features include two-factor authentication, IP whitelisting access control, and static IP offerings, among others. Pricing is yearly or monthly, beginning at $7/user/month for an annual basic subscription or $9/user/month for an annual advanced subscription. The basic plan absolutely gets your staff full protection through a cloud VPN, while the annual plan introduces dedicated servers, dedicated account management, and priority 24/7 support. For the most demanding requirements, an enterprise plan can be customized on request. NordLayer brings your company the essential protection you need for your users to access the Internet around the world with safety, but with central administration, enterprise support, and a raft of other features to make it easy on them and easy on you. Do yourself a favour; keep your business out of the news for a data breach and instead let your workers be free to work - NordLayer lets you have both! Search giant Google has taken a swing at European anti-trust regulators over a 4.34 billion (US$5.07 billion, A$6.96 billion) fine imposed on it in 2018 for allegedly breaching anti-trust rules relevant to Android, claiming the authorities had turned a blind eye to Apple, its sole rival in the smartphone space. A Reuters report said Google's officials told an EU central court panel of five judges that Android had not held back rivals or harmed users but had only been a positive example of competition. The court is the second-highest in the political bloc. At the time the fine was imposed, the EU said the company would have to end its alleged breach of antitrust rules within 90 days or pay a penalty of up to 5% of the average daily turnover of its parent company, Alphabet. Google has now racked up more 8.2 billion in fines from the EU, with a 2.4 billion fine being levied in 2017 for allegedly abusing its search engine dominance to give illegal advantage to its own comparison shopping service. The company has appealed the decision. It also facesof 1.49 billion for alleged abusive practices in online advertising. Google said in a statement: "Android has created more choice for everyone, not less, and supports thousands of successful businesses in Europe and around the world. This case isnt supported by the facts or the law." The Euronews website quoted Alexandre de Corniere, a tech analyst at the Toulouse School of Economics, as saying: "It is true that Google has invested a lot in the android ecosystem, it has allowed this ecosystem to flourish. "What the European Commission is blaming Google for is that Google has abused its dominant position by forcing, by imposing some restrictions some contractor restrictions on phone manufacturers that make it more difficult for Googles rivals in the search engine market and rival browsers, to get installed on manufacturers phone devices." In a detailed statement at the time the fine was imposed, the European Commission, the executive arm of the EU, said Google: had required manufacturers to pre-install the Google Search app and browser app (Chrome), as a condition for licensing Google's app store (the Play Store); made payments to certain large manufacturers and mobile network operators on condition that they exclusively pre-installed the Google Search app on their devices; and had prevented manufacturers wishing to pre-install Google apps from selling even a single smart mobile device running on alternative versions of Android that were not approved by Google (so-called "Android forks"). The court is expected to issue a decision next year with the hearing set to run through this week. Hector Andres, an organizer with the Latino empowerment group JOLT, offers voting registration during a community outreach in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2021. Texas this week will begin redrawing congressional lines, and Latino advocates and officeholders say it's time to correct past wrongs. The state's explosive population growth over the past decade, half of which comes from Latinos, has earned it two new congressional seats. 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. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Today A few showers in the morning with thunderstorms developing for the afternoon. High 68F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. Tonight Showers with a possible thunderstorm early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 61F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. Tomorrow Cloudy with showers. High 72F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. In October 1990, when the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), which was formed from Ugandan army units made up of Tutsi refugees who had fled Rwanda in the late 1950s and early 1960s, launched its first attack on Rwanda, the military regime that had been in power in Kigali since 1973 was worn out and faced a serious economic crisis and strong democratic demands. The personal power of General Major Juvenal Habyarimana at the head of this party-state was strongly criticized. The Rwandan army was weakened and divided. Officers from the southern prefectures were marginalised; young officers who had graduated from abroad denounced the clientelist, ethnic and regional logic that governed the military institution and divided it; and senior officers from the north contested the monopoly of power and the control of national resources that Habyarimana and his relatives exercised. Several of them had joined the RPA rebellion. Faced with the war in a weak position, threatened by the introduction of a multi-party system, the northern officers from the presidential area of which Colonel Theoneste Bagosora was a major representative tried to remobilise the armed forces by exploiting the same ethnicist slogans as in the 1960s. A retired officer in ambush After the installation of a multi-party government in April 1992, the new Minister of Defence, James Gasana, loosened the ties of this army, which had been tied up by the presidential networks, and set about rebuilding a national army and remotivating its soldiers. Supported by a reformist government, he profoundly restructured the military command, reorganised the intelligence services and redeployed resources and equipment between the units. With democratisation, Habyarimana could no longer hold the presidency and the position of head of the army at the same time. In May, he announced that he wanted to appoint Bagosora as head of the army. The Minister of Defence and the Prime Minister opposed this. After a long struggle, the Defence Minister retired Bagosora as well as the other presidential candidates. With the appointment of two new chiefs of staff of the army and the gendarmerie, practically all the prominent figures or close collaborators of the president were sidelined. Appointed Director of Cabinet of the Minister of Defence under the direct orders of the Minister, Bagosora nevertheless occupied a strategic position of observation and monitoring. It was not long before his powers were extended: in July 1993, the Minister of Defence, faced with serious threats from extremist elements of the presidential camp, was forced to flee the country, as was the Prime Minister several weeks later. He was replaced by Augustin Bizimana, a civilian who was sympathetic to the extremists cause and ignorant of military matters. The restoration was carried out with great speed and, now out of uniform, Bagosora became a privileged support point for the hardliners of the regime within the Ministry of Defence, without being able to upset the new balance of power that prevailed within the armed forces. The failure to seize power On the evening of 6 April 1994, after the attack on the presidential plane that killed Habyarimana, members and relatives of the presidents family got together and, at their request, Bagosora found himself in the role of an orchestrator of security logistics and the mobilisation of loyal units. It was not only a question of eliminating the opponents, but also of placing the dignitaries of the regime, the ministers and their families under the protection of the Presidential Guard and then the French Embassy. Allowing Theoneste Bagosora to be installed at the head of a military committee appeared, at first, to the now restricted nucleus of the regimes radicals to be the most effective and secure solution. However, Bagosora did not manage to impose himself. As the Chief of Staff had also died in the attack, various officers who had rushed to the Ministry of Defence organised an impromptu meeting. There were two opposing positions. The first, which had a large majority, saw the committee as a provisional structure responsible for securing the institutions while an interim leadership, under the authority of Agathe Uwilingiyimana, the Prime Minister, would rapidly put in place the transitional institutions. The second, supported by Bagosora and some other officers and then endorsed by the leaders of the presidential party MRND, consisted of handing over power to this crisis committee, which would replace the multi-party government in place and negotiate a succession in line with the interests of the politicians and military hierarchs of the North. The rise of the extremists Bagosora was eventually forced to give up the idea of setting up a military crisis committee under his command. But around him, the minority officers organised the settling of scores and revenge that they had been dreaming of for months. Thus, on Thursday 7 April, while the military high command ordered the reconnaissance battalions and the military police to deploy to stop the massacres of the population that had already begun, units of these same battalions joined in the killings organised by the Presidential Guard, with the approval of its commander, Major Protais Mpiranya. Bagosora continued to give orders throughout the day in order to create the conditions for chaos in which radical extremist elements could rush in. For example, he only signed the communique of the Crisis Committee in the early afternoon, while the assassinations of members of the government and internal opposition figures became widespread. At the same time, he organised with the leaders of the MRND the setting up of an interim government composed exclusively of representatives of the pro-Hutu factions of the opposition parties. Even though a majority of the members of the Crisis Committee were unable to move around in town to assess the situation for themselves and no information or explanation was ever provided by the real decision-makers of the events that were taking place and turning the political framework upside down, they were invited on the evening of 7 April to the introduction of the new president and, at the end of the afternoon of 8 April, to receive the new interim civilian authorities. The mission of the Crisis Committee was terminated, but the unity of the military command had definitely been broken. There followed a disorganised mobilisation of available resources, the aim of which was more to strengthen this or that regional faction within a heterogeneous alliance than to achieve political and/or military victory over the opposing camp. On 21 May, Bagosora was finally reintegrated into the army. A genocide without mastermind In 2012, at the end of a long process that began with Bagosoras arrest in Cameroon in 1996, the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, set up by the UN in the aftermath of the genocide, handed down its final judgment. Focusing on those three decisive days in April 1994, the judges confirmed Bagosoras responsibility for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, for not having prevented the crimes or punished them. The chamber did not find that there was a criminal conspiracy, vexing the prosecutors claim that the genocide was planned. A major activist in the genocide, Bagosora embodied the ethnist drift of a desperate regime and its instrumentalisation of the massacres, but he was not the mastermind. This formula is indeed inadequate. Firstly, because, apart from his hierarchical position, his rank and his Shiru origin (like Habyarimana), which propelled him to the forefront, his involvement was not fundamentally different from that of a number of other influential officers who were conducting what they knew to be their last battle in their areas of responsibility and with the resources they had at their disposal. Secondly, because these officers whom President Habyarimana appreciated and consulted for their strategic skills were no longer able to do so. Faced with the immediate demands of survival, they reacted and fought the war like wounded buffaloes, as the expression in Kinyarwanda goes. Finally, they knew that this genocidal policy was their responsibility and, for once, they subcontracted it as much as possible to personalities from the south or to ambitious and upstart people. Recommended reading No release for Bagosora reflects sentencing policy switch Oh Yeon Seo might work with Seo In Guk in the forthcoming K-Drama Minamdang: Case Note! K-Drama industry is getting bigger in the second half of 2021. Following various reports about the upcoming Korean series to premiere in 2022 such as Island, Tell Me Your Wish, and more, another drama starring Seo In Guk announced the potential actress to join him in the project. Seo In Guk and Oh Yeon Seo to Possibly Star in Minamdang: Case Note According to JTBC news, the Korean Odyssey actress Oh Yeon Seo is in discussion to lead the Minamdang: Case Note. In response, Oh Yeon Seo's agency SidusHQ confirmed that the actress has received an offer to star in the drama and she is positively reviewing it. In July, Doom at Your Service actor Seo In Guk also received a casting offer to star in Minamdang: Case Note. His agency Story J said that the actor is considering accepting the project. He was offered to play the role of Han Jun. Meanwhile, Minamdang: Case Note also known as The Handsome Man: A Case Note is based on a web novel penned by Jung Jae Han and was serialized on Kakao Page and even won the grand prize at the Kakao Page's web novel contest. It will depict the story of a former profiler Han Jun who becomes a male shaman. The mystery-action series involves the process of solving cases of clients who visit and become customers of the suspicious coffee shop Minamdang. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Confirmed! Cha Eun Woo Will Join Kim Nam Gil in New Fantasy-Hero Drama 'Island' Oh Yeon Seo to Play as a Brilliant and Strong Detective The production already revealed before that there will be some changes in the concept. There will also be new characters that are not in the web novel. If Oh Yeon Seo accepts the casting offer, she is expected to play the character of Han Jae, the violent crimes division's team leader. Aside from her beautiful face, she is righteous and also blessed to have a kind heart. Before she was transferred to the violent crimes division, she graduated from a police university and worked as a detective for three consecutive years. Even though she has short work experiences, she's given a big responsibility to lead the team. Minamdang: Case Note to Premiere in the First Half of 2022 Ruler: Master of the Mask and The Yellow Sea writer Park Hye Jin is in charge of the script. Minamdang: Case Note will meet the viewers in the first half of 2022. What can you say about the potential drama or Oh Yeon Seo and Seo In Guk? Share it with us in the comments! For more K-Drama, K-Movie, and celebrity news and updates, keep your tabs open here at Kdramastars. Kdramastars owns this article. Written by Shai Collins. The much awaited Police University Episode 13 highlighted the intense happenings inside the university, reaching the far end to catch the criminals hiding inside the university. However, Kang Seon Ho (Jinyoung) faces a dilemma after a dilemma. Oh Kang Hee (Krystal) just had enough. Jo Joon Wook (Youngjae) and No Beom Tae (Lee Dal) are subject to expulsion. Police University Episode 13: Oh Kang Hee Ends Things With Kang Seon Ho In the previous episode, professor Yoo Dong Man (Cha Tae Hyun) was involved in a car accident. Luckily, he survived the shock and didn't receive any severe injury. When he was still in the hospital, the chief police, who was involved with the illegal gambing case, visited him and warned the poor detective to stop or else, they would target Seon Ho. Because of this, Dong Man's rage only intensified. Unbeknownst to the two, Kang Hee, who visited the detective after knowing what happened, has been listening to the man behind Dong Man's bed. With a worried heart, she asked her boyfriend, Seon Ho, to stop involving himself in things that should be taken care of by the adults and authorities. However, Seon Ho refused, and continued with his plans. Seon Ho even came clean to Kang Hee and his friends, Joon Wook and Beom Tae, about his past - he hacked the illegal gamblers' site and stole money from them. That was the last straw. If Seon Ho won't stop risking his life, Kang Hee's resolve was to break up with her boyfriend. Jo Joon Wook and No Beom Tae Cooperates With Seon Ho, Subject to Expulsion After Seon Ho's encounter with Jang Jae Gyu (Lee Sung Woo), he learned that there is a safe where all the documents regarding the illegal gamblers lie in the university. The following day, he decided to conduct an investigation in the university's shooting range, where the security is far stricter. However, his friends Joon Wook and Beom Tae, excluding Kang Hee, decided to join his team. The two then went to the shooting range to check whether they could open the building with the key that was given by Jang Jae Gyu. True to his words, it was indeed the key to the building. But luck was not on their side that night as Joon Wook and Beom Tae were caught red-handed by Min Gyu (Chu Young Woo), a student council member who was patrolling the same night. Joon Wook and Beom Tae then were summoned to a disciplinary committee meeting, where professors Seo Sang Hak (Kang Shin Il), Baek Hee (Seo Ye Hwa), Kwon Hyuk Pil (Lee Jong Hyuk), and Choi Hee Soo (Hong Soo Hyun) decide whether they would get a penalty or a more grave consequence like an expulsion. Kang Seon Ho Begins Investigation, Yoo Dong Man's Rage Heightens As Joon Wook and Beom Tae face the wrath of the professors who weren't too pleased about them violating the school rules, Seon Ho begins his investigation. Once again, he hacked the school's system and turned off every camera that could document his shenanigan. He broke into the shooting range quite easily, however, he struggled opening the safe that contained the confidential files, which was heavily guarded by a pass code. Luckily, he successfully opened it after trying twice. Meanwhile, an enraged Dong Man arrives, admitting that he asked the students to do the dirty things for him. Kang Seon Ho Unravels the Culprit's Identity While Seon Ho was skimming through the files, a cold, dangerous gun was aimed on his head. Thankfully, Seon Ho's partner and lovely girlfriend came to the rescue, giving Jang Jae Gyu the dangerous vibrations of her taser. As Kang Hee cuffed the criminal, Seon Ho packed the confidential files in his bag, he saw a photo of the members of illegal gamblers, standing side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder. Seon Ho wasn't fazed after seeing Park Chul Jin (Song Jin Woo), professor Dong Man's former partner, in the photo but he sure became white all over after unraveling the identity of the culprit inside the university. In the photo, a younger Choi Hee Soo was all-smiles together with the others. Follow KDramastars for more Kdrama, KMovie, and celebrity news updates! KDramastars owns this article. Written by Elijah Mully. Reports that Brian Laundrie camped with his family this month before Gabby Petito was reported missing appear to clarify a timeline of his movements after he returned to Florida without his fiancee, who eventually was found dead in Wyoming. The Laundrie family stayed at a Florida campground dozens of miles from their North Port home between September 6-8, officials said, days before Petito's family reported her missing after the couple were on a cross-country van trip. Though authorities have not explicitly connected Laundrie to Petito's death, they are looking for him, in part as a response to a federal arrest warrant accusing him of illegally using another person's debit card. A publicly known timeline of Laundrie's movements this month, along with case milestones, looks like this: September 1: He returned from the cross-country road trip, without Petito, to the home he shared with his parents in North Port, Florida, according to police. September 6-8: The Laundrie family stayed at Fort De Soto Campground, about 75 miles from their home, county officials said. Brian's mother, Roberta Laundrie, was checked in at a waterfront site on these dates, according to a Pinellas County Parks campground check-in report provided to CNN. A Laundrie family attorney, Steven Bertolino, has said Brian and his family were at the campground September 6-7, and that they left the campground together. The weekend of September 10: This was the last weekend that a neighbor of the Laundries, Karyn Aberts, says she saw Brian Laundrie at his home. September 11: Gabby Petito's family reports her missing after not being able to get in touch with her. North Port authorities go to Laundrie's home that night and ask to speak with him and his family, but are 'essentially handed the information for their attorney,' city police spokesperson Josh Taylor has said. September 14-17: Laundrie's parents have said they last saw him leaving their home, with a backpack, on September 14, and that he said he was going to a nearby sprawling nature reserve, according to police. The parents told police this on September 17, three days after he allegedly left, police said. September 19: Petito's remains are found in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest. A coroner later made an initial ruling that her death was a homicide. As for the Florida campground that the Laundrie family visited in early September, the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office said it is not currently investigating at the campground, and it is 'unaware of any confirmed sightings of Brian.' Attorney for Petito's family skeptical that Laundrie's family will help FBI search On Tuesday, an attorney for Gabby Petito's family expressed skepticism that Laundrie's parents would help in the FBI's ongoing search for him. 'The Laundries did not help us find Gabby. They're sure not going to help us find Brian,' family attorney Richard Stafford said. 'For Brian, we're asking you to turn yourself in to the FBI or the nearest law enforcement agency.' Speaking at a news conference alongside Petito's parents and stepparents, Stafford said the FBI had asked them not to discuss the relationship between the families. He said they were confident the FBI would thoroughly investigate the case and get justice for Petito. Petito's parents and stepparents also announced the creation of the Gabby Petito Foundation, which they said would help keep alive her memory and help families in similar situations. And they revealed they got matching tattoos reading, 'Let it be,' in a script that their daughter designed. 'I wanted to have her with me all the time,' her mother Nicole Schmidt said. For their part, Laundrie's parents affirmed they do not know his whereabouts two weeks after he was last seen, according to Bertolino, their attorney. 'Chris and Roberta Laundrie do not know where Brian is. They are concerned about Brian and hope the FBI can locate him,' Bertolino said Monday night. 'The speculation by the public and some in the press that the parents assisted Brian in leaving the family home or in avoiding arrest on a warrant that was issued after Brian had already been missing for several days is just wrong.' Mystery deepens Petito, 22, and Laundrie, 23, spent their summer traveling in a white van through the American West while she posted about their adventures across social media. Those posts abruptly stopped in late August, and Laundrie returned to his parents' home in North Port, Florida, with the van but without his fiancee on September 1, according to police. Petito's family, unable to get in touch with her, reported her missing on September 11. Petito's remains were found in a camping area in Wyoming's Bridger-Teton National Forest on September 19, near where the couple had last been seen. In Florida, authorities conducted a large-scale search for Laundrie for a week at the Carlton Reserve. Police say his parents told them on September 17 that three days earlier he'd indicated he was going to that area. The reserve is a sprawling swampland that stretches over 25,000 acres in southwest Florida, authorities said. A source close to the family told CNN that Laundrie left his parents' home without his cell phone and wallet and his parents were concerned that he might hurt himself. The FBI, which has taken over the case, is leading a more targeted search based on intelligence, North Port police said, and agents visited his parents' home to get personal items that would assist with DNA matching, multiple news outlets have reported. Laundrie has not been explicitly connected to Petito's death. Still, a federal warrant for his arrest was issued on suspicion of his using 'unauthorized devices' stemming from his alleged actions following Petito's death. Laundrie allegedly used a debit card and PIN number for accounts that did not belong to him for charges exceeding $1,000 between the dates of August 30 and September 1, according to a federal indictment. An attorney for Laundrie's family emphasized in a statement that the warrant was not for Petito's death but related to activities that allegedly took place afterward. Two separate rewards totaling $30,000 have been offered to anyone who provides law enforcement officials with Laundrie's whereabouts. The unanswered questions about what happened to Petito have spurred digital detectives to comb through the couple's online trail to try to solve the case and surfaced reports that tension may have been building between the couple. The focus on Petito's case has also highlighted the tens of thousands of missing persons' cases across the country and raised questions about why some of those cases garner such intense interest and others do not. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. Police fatally shot an armed man at Huntington City Beach in Southern California on Saturday afternoon, the Huntington Beach Police Department (HBPD) said. It happened as crowds were gathered for the U.S. Open of Surfing being held at the Huntington Beach Pier. Police received a call at approximately 3:15 p.m. about "a suspicious man with a gun," according to a news release from the department. Officers arrived to find the man in the sand, south of the pier, HBPD said, near where the six-day surfing competition was taking place. The man was "non-compliant to the multiple commands given and an officer involved shooting occurred," the release said. "Obviously, heard the shots and everyone dropped to the ground," Brittany Turner, who was dining nearby, told CNN affiliate KCAL/KCBS. "Some people were running. Everyone was looking around, like, what's going on, was it fireworks, was it a gunshots? Like, no one really knew." "Then there were people on the ground, which made more people drop to the ground. So, it's kind of an intense situation," Turner said. Police rendered lifesaving measures at the scene and the man was transported to an area hospital where he died, according to HBPD. The Orange County Sheriff's Department later said on Twitter the coroner had identified "the decedent from the September 25 officer involved shooting in Huntington Beach as Ronnie Andrew Garcia, 43, unknown city of residence." A gun was discovered at the shooting scene, police said. Per department protocol, the Orange County Sheriff's Department will lead the officer-involved shooting investigation, according to HBPD. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. More than 300 people are hunting for a suspect accused of shooting and killing a Florida sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop. Nassau County Deputy Josh Moyers was shot twice during a traffic stop in Callahan early Friday and died from his injuries Sunday, officials said. "It is with great sadness that I announce Deputy Josh Moyers has passed away this afternoon," Sheriff Bill Leeper posted on Twitter on Sunday night. "Please keep Josh's family and fiance in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate this terrible tragedy." At a press conference Saturday, Leeper said Moyers' family and fiance made the decision to donate his organs Friday night. Police told CNN on Friday that the deputy had been conducting a traffic stop around 2 a.m. when he was shot. He was transported to a hospital in life-threatening condition. Nassau County is in northeast Florida and borders Georgia. The search for the shooting suspect continues in the same five-square mile radius as Friday, which covers over 3,000 acres, Leeper said. "We now have a murderer on the loose in our community," he added. Department spokesperson Ashley Spicer said there was a female passenger in the suspect's vehicle, who was cooperating with police and identified the suspect as Patrick McDowell, 35. "She basically told us who he is, because he lied when we pulled them over. It was a stolen vehicle," said Spicer. Leeper said the suspect escaped after shooting Moyers. The suspect fired on the deputy after being asked to get out of the car, Leeper said. "The driver's arm came out of the vehicle with a handgun and shot the deputy right here," Leeper said, pointing to his face. When the deputy fell, the suspect "reached out and shot him in the back," Leeper said. The suspect was last seen fleeing on foot and is considered dangerous, according to investigators. A $54,000 reward has been offered to find McDowell, officials said. The sheriff's office posted a tribute to Moyers on Twitter, saying, "Tonight we begin our 1st shift without you." "Tonight we put on a brave face and hide the tears; as there is work to be done...As this night won't be easy, we hope to soon bring this nightmare to an end. Rest easy knowing Bravo Team is carrying you with us. We love & miss you Moyers." The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. PORTLAND, Ore. A California man pleaded guilty to federal charges on Tuesday for his role in a major drug trafficking ring that operated between southern and northeastern Oregon, according to the US Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon. 33-year-old Noel Lomas Murillo of Vacaville entered a guilty plea to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Prosecutors said that Murillo's operation worked to bring large quantities of meth in from California for sale in northeastern Oregon and southwestern Washington state. Court documents say that in November of 2017, the Blue Mountain Enforcement Narcotics Team, Oregon State Police, and the FBI began investigating a drug trafficking organization led by Murillo's brother, 28-year-old Abel Lomas Murillo of Weston, Oregon. The investigation found that Noel, the elder brother, brought drugs from Vacaville to Klamath Falls, where a courier would then deliver them to his brother. Abel also made multiple trips to Medford in order to pick up drugs for distribution in Morrow and Umatilla counties. In January of 2018, an OSP trooper stopped one of their couriers in a vehicle traveling near Klamath Falls while en route to Umatilla County. A search of the vehicle found 11 packages, each containing more than 8 kilograms of meth. As the investigation continued into May, Abel recruited a second courier to drive meth from Medford to Boardman. Investigators followed Abel as he traveled from Umatilla County to a storage locker in Medford and loaded a trailer that he pulled behind his truck. Abel paid the courier to drive the truck, while prosecutors say the trafficker followed behind to "minimize his risk." Investigators stopped both Abel and the courier, finding and seizing 42 packages of meth, most of them secreted within the false bottom of a propane tank. Together, the packages contained about 17.6 kilos of meth. Later the same day, investigators raided Abel's home, seizing 29 guns and body armor. A separate search of the man's Medford storage unit revealed another 10 pounds of meth and five guns. Noel Murillo was indicted on two counts by a federal grand jury in Portland on December 19, 2019, for two drug trafficking charges. He pleaded guilty to one of those counts on Tuesday, and is set to be sentenced on January 5, 2022. Abel pleaded guilty in September of 2019 and was sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison. Two of the couriers also pleaded guilty, with one set to be sentenced next year and with a second already released on time served and three years' supervised release. CENTRAL POINT, Ore. A new mobile testing and vaccination unit is now available in Jackson County through the Oregon Health Authority and FEMA, just as booster shots of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine become approved for certain groups in Oregon. Jackson County Public Health announced Tuesday that the mobile vaccination and testing unit (MVU) will run from September 28 through October 8 at the Jackson County Expo. Both vaccines and testing will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, accessible through Gate 3 of the Expo. Testing and vaccination was previously offered at the Expo through OHA alone, with the effort wrapping up over the weekend. All three vaccines will be available. Attendees of the clinic will not need to provide ID or insurance information. Pre-registration is encouraged for testing, though registration can be done at the site. Officials with Jackson County Public Health said Tuesday afternoon that the MVU is now authorized to provide Pfizer booster shots to the newly-eligible groups. The CDC recommendation advises Pfizer booster doses for adults 65 and older and those living in long-term care facilities, and adults age 50 and older with underlying medical conditions or who are at increased risk of social inequities. Boosters are also allowed for adults 18 and older with underlying medical conditions or those at higher risk because of where they work or live, e.g. frontline workers. COVID-19 cases and new hospitalizations have begun to decline substantially from their recent peak in Jackson County, though the fallout in deaths continues. JCPH reported 55 new cases of the virus on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 between Jackson and Josephine counties is 91, with 41 of those patients in an intensive care unit. The agency also reported eight new deaths attributed to COVID-19 on Tuesday. The youngest was a 35-year-old man who tested positive on August 18 and died September 26 at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. A 41-year-old man died the day before, also at Asante Rogue Regional. Both men were listed as having underlying health conditions. Josephine County Public Health announced Saturday that Pfizer boosters would be made available for eligible residents. EDIT: An earlier version of this article indicated that the Expo MVU was not yet authorized to provide the Pfizer booster shot. Jackson County officials said later in the afternoon on Tuesday that the authorization had come through. MEDFORD, Ore. -- On Friday, September 24, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved a booster shot of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in certain populations and also recommended a booster dose for those in high risk occupational and institutional settings. Southern Oregon counties soon after released information regarding who could get a Pfizer booster shot and when it would be acceptable for them to get it. On Sunday, September 27, Jackson County Public Health announced its own recommendations for Pfizer Boosters outlining: Those who should receive a booster dose of Pfizer: Adults age 18 through 64 years: When Newswatch 12 spoke to Josephine County Public Health, the Deputy Health Officer Dr. Leona O'Keefe said in Josephine County, "People can go anywhere that the Covid-19 Pfizer vaccine is available. A large pharamcy chain, their primary care provider if they've been carrying the vaccines. Any of our vaccine pop-up events. Anywhere the Pfizer vaccine is available, they can get a booster." Klamath County is also taking part in offering Pfizer booster shots to community members, but it recommends getting the third shot at the same location as where you received the primary series. Valeree Lane with Klamath County Public Health told Newswatch 12 why it was critical for the immunocompromised to get a booster. "Their immune system didn't quite take the vaccine at the level that we would've hoped for. Be patient I'm sure more information is going to be forthcoming and as we've learned with Covid, everyday is a new day." Student numbers at Okanagan College are not yet back to pre-pandemic levels, the institution's board of governors heard Tuesday. As a result, the college's deficit has reached $3.9 million, above the $2.6 million that was projected last spring. Thirty more solar panels have been added to the roof of the downtown Kelowna visitor centre, which had 20 previously. Now, about one-quarter of the building's energy comes from the sun. A lawyer wears a face mask and gloves to curb the spread of COVID-19 while waiting to enter B.C. Supreme Court, in Vancouver, B.C., Friday, Aug. 28, 2020. A former British Columbia social worker accused of stealing money from foster children under his care has pleaded guilty in a Kelowna court. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck People sing and drum outside the former Kamloops Indian Residential School to honour the 215 children whose remains have been discovered buried near the facility, in Kamloops, B.C., on May 31, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck 10 Shares Share We have a chance to take a meaningful step in fighting burnout and mental health issues in the health care profession. We have lost too many valued and vibrant health care professionals due to an illness that is treatable but stigmatized including the devastating loss of Dr. Lorna Breen. The Dr. Lorna Breen Health Care Provider Protection Act will leave a lasting legacy for bettering our health care community, taking the first step in addressing this horrible crisis. Endorsement of the Lorna Breen Act is not limited to medical students, other health care workers, students, and hospitals have a stake. Corey Feist is co-founder, Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes Foundation. He shares his story and discusses the KevinMD article, A step forward: a way to advance the mental health of health care professionals. Did you enjoy todays episode? Please click here to leave a review for The Podcast by KevinMD. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app to get notified when a new episode comes out! Do you know someone who might enjoy this episode? Share this episode to anyone who wants to hear health care stories filled with information, insight, and inspiration. Hosted by Kevin Pho, MD, The Podcast by KevinMD shares the stories of the many who intersect with our health care system but are rarely heard from. 55 Shares Share It was my turn to sit for the next 8 hours in the middle of the night at the mental health crisis center thats run by a team of therapists and social workers with the community mental health center. We regularly collaborated with the local police department and EMS for people experiencing a mental health crisis. We never knew what to expect, and every day was something different. We were a good, hardworking team, and we couldnt do our job without law enforcement by our side. This night was different. This call came from a grandfather. Scared and nervous, he called the mental health crisis call center. My granddaughter Kiesha is 24. She stopped taking her medicine. She has a three-month-old baby she holds onto tightly. She hasnt taken the baby or herself to the doctors for wellness checks. She screams at the TV, slams doors, and paces all night long. I have to tell her to change the babys diapers. She tried feeding her baby two pieces of bread with toilet paper neatly folded in between! She put it up to the babys lips, not realizing what she was doing. Her grandfather continued: She screams at her grandma and me that we are the FBI. She washes her hands continuously, saying she defies the rona (coronavirus). Shes out of control. Pulling the TV plugs out of the wall, saying its the FBI, Jesus is watching, the chip in your brain is the devil shes talking out her head. The grandfather was frantic. His granddaughter held on tightly to her baby. We had to help them. STAT. My partner and I agreed to meet the grandfather at the home. We notified the police and asked them to accompany us for a mental health assessment. This may be a tricky situation. We arrived at her grandparents house. Keisha was already in treatment but had stopped taking her medication once pregnant. We found out that Keisha lost her mom a year ago. Her boyfriend left her when he found out she was pregnant. She lost control due to the stress and trauma and isolation. She moved in with her grandparents. Diagnosed as schizoaffective bipolar type, she was compliant with her medications in the past. This time, she quit taking her medications, saying she could do it on her own. And as she decompensated, the psychosis came out. We knocked on the door. We were gently talking to Keisha. Keisha stared at the TV, didnt even look our way when we walked into her room. Keisha had her baby snuggled up to her, but she seemed in a daze. How many radio channels in Florence county? she said to no one in particular. Keisha then laughed out loud. So many cameras outside and inside, what does it have to do with me? They said I could do whatever I please so long as the custodians have already cleaned. Hey officer, when was the last time you had to track down a stolen cat who ran away and ended up on the east side of Columbus, Ohio haha. We asked Kiesha a series of questions. She wasnt alert or oriented. Her speech was disorganized, tangential, nonsensical. And still, she held her sleeping baby close to her as any mother would. We walked back outside to consult with the officer and our supervisor. She needs to go to the hospital she is very sick. There was no doubt that she needed to be involuntarily committed, but how would we separate the mother from her newborn? We went back inside and tried to engage with Keisha again, asking if she would stand up and show us around some. As I calmly talked to Keisha, a female officer swiftly and gently gathered the baby in her arms while another officer helped Keisha to her feet. The police officer took the baby from her. Thats when I quickly took the baby from the officer and went with my partner to the other room. My partner and I looked at this beautiful little boy knowing we were getting his mommy some help. The officers let Keisha know they were taking her to the hospital. She attempted to fight but gave in. She was in such a state that she didnt even acknowledge that her baby was no longer in her presence. We handed off the baby to the grandfather and grandmother. They said they would care for the baby and keep this little one safe while their granddaughter got help. Keisha was escorted to an emergency department that had the best mental health care in the area. We called to give a report to the ER charge nurse. We later found out a routine admit urine drug screen was completely negative. After several weeks at the inpatient mental health facility, Keisha took her medications daily. She was compliant, started showering again, eating and going to group therapy during the day. She was taught that this was a lifelong diagnosis of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. And she would need to diligently take her medications every day without fail and continue with a therapist to gain coping skills, learn warning signs and how to ask for help. After one month, Keisha was able to go home to live with her grandparents and get back to raising her little boy. This was not a situation of abuse or neglect, and DSS was not called. This was a mother with mental illness postpartum in need of mental health treatment. Kiesha eventually finished her GED, enrolled in a technical college and decided that one day she too may become a social worker, a police officer or a nurse. The sky had no limit. As I think back to this event, sometimes this job is filled with anxiety and unpredictable events. But sometimes, we have a success story that makes it all worth my pledge of being the best social worker and crisis clinician I can be to help my community. This article was written in conjunction with an anonymous social worker. Debbie Moore-Black is a nurse who blogs at Do Not Resuscitate. Image credit: Shutterstock.com LOWELL, Ore. -- A crash is causing delays on Highway 58 southeast of Pleasant Hill Tuesday morning. Officials say it happened near the Lowell Covered Bridge just before 10:30 a.m. Eastbound lanes are closed, according to TripCheck.com. Drivers can expect delays up to 20 minutes. KEZI 9 News has reached out to Oregon State Police for additional information. Stay with us for the latest. EUGENE, Ore. Lane County commissioners voted Tuesday to declare the second Monday in October Indigenous Peoples Day. The move follows similar declarations from the cities of Springfield, Eugene, Corvallis, and Portland and the State of Oregon. In spite of what many of us were taught as children, Christopher Columbus did not discover the Americas. There were thriving and vibrant Indigenous cultures across this continent long before Europeans arrived, said Board Chair Joe Berney. This declaration is one step toward recognizing the many contributions Indigenous people have made to our community, particularly the Kalapuya peoples whose traditional homeland is where Lane County now stands. The Board of County Commissioners said they drafted the declaration with help from Indigenous community leaders. It reads, in part: Lane County shall utilize the second Monday in October as an opportunity to reflect upon the ongoing struggles of Indigenous people of this land, to celebrate the thriving cultures and values of the Indigenous Peoples of our region, and to stand in solidarity with Indigenous peoples elsewhere. The concept of Indigenous Peoples Day was first proposed in 1977 by a delegation of Native Nations at a United Nations conference. MYRTLE POINT, Ore. Coos County District Attorney Paul Frasier is shedding light on a fatal dog attack in Myrtle Point on Friday. Frasier said the dog, a 120 pound pit bull and American bulldog mix, had a history of attacks prior to the recent incident. Officials believe the dog had attacked two children in Springfield in July. Amber LaBelle Amber LaBelle Investigators are piecing together how the dog came to be at 42-year-old Amber LaBelles home on Spruce Street. The dog's owner, Springfield resident Sara Nicholes, had reportedly left her dog in the care of Jeremy Robertson, who was at LaBelles home. He left the dog at her apartment to run errands, and it had been shut away in a bedroom, Frasier said. MORE: LOVED ONES MOURN LOSS OF MYRTLE POINT WOMAN KILLED IN DOG ATTACK Thats when authorities say LaBelles ex-boyfriend, Josef Dieckman, brought over their two children for a visit. At about 10 a.m., LaBelle opened the door to the bedroom and was attacked by the dog. One of her children was able to go get help from neighbors. Frasier said one of the neighbors pulled the dog off LaBelle and another pulled her away. When the officer arrived, the dog began pulling away from the neighbor toward LaBelle and the officer, who shot and killed it, according to the report. The 8-year-old and the 5-year-old witnessed the whole thing. Dieckman told KEZI he's certain there's no way she knew about the dog's past. "There is no way, even if she was watching it, that she would've voluntarily and knowingly allowed a vicious dog, a violent dog, into her space not only with the kids there but around herself," Dieckman said. LaBelle was flown to RiverBend Hospital in Springfield where she died on Saturday. Frasier said the case is still under investigation and anyone with information should contact the Myrtle Point Police Department. Once the investigation is completed, Frasier said he will present the case to the Coos County Grand Jury to determine if any criminal charges should be filed. Dan Dillon from Colorado, USA, has been honored this week with a Mayoral Certificate to acknowledge his positive promotion of Kilkenny City overseas. Dan, who made a surprise visit to Kilkenny, was surprised himself when Mayor Andrew McGuinness presented him with the certificate during what Dan thought was a spontaneous visit to Kilkennys Town Hall. Speaking to the Kilkenny People, Mayor Andrew McGuinness said, Ive known Dan for many years and Ive always admired his love and passion for Kilkenny and how he promotes our city at every opportunity. His good friend Tomas Jackman contacted me and suggested we do something for Dan so I thought it was fitting to acknowledge him with a Mayoral Certificate, he said. We decided to surprise him. I accidentally bumped into Dan and his friends Tomas Jackman and Myles Kavanagh as they walked through the foyer of City Hall. I invited them in for a chat and we made the surprise presentation. Dan was delighted and it was great to see such a positive reaction., said Mayor McGuinness. When presenting the certificate Mayor McGuinness said, Dan, you have consistently promoted all that is beautiful, unique and positive about Kilkenny City, through social media and beyond. You have become a great friend to our city and a much loved character by so many local people who now call you 'one of our own'. Glanbia and OShea Farms have been awarded Origin Green Gold Membership following extensive auditing across a range of sustainability initiatives, at a ceremony held by Bord Bia and Origin Green. Origin Green introduced Gold Membership in 2020, recognising members who are performing at a high level or excelling in their sustainability performance. The new scheme has driven Irish businesses to further increase their focus on sustainability issues. To attain Origin Green Gold Membership a company must demonstrate exceptional annual performance in areas such as raw material sourcing; water and energy efficiency; waste reduction; packaging; and social sustainability. This years Origin Green Gold Members excelled most in the areas of energy, packaging and community engagement. Deirdre Ryan, Director of Origin Green and Sustainable Assurance with Bord Bia, commented: It gives me great pleasure to announce that two businesses from county Kilkenny have achieved Gold Member status this year. This achievement reflects that hard work of all of their teams. As we look to address the urgency of climate change and the need for sustainable development, it is excellent to see companies like these, showing leadership. At the event, Origin Green launched their Progress Update Report 2021, which demonstrated progress on a range of sustainability actions. The Progress Update Report presents an overview of the latest developments within the Origin Green programme and highlights the significant and ongoing efforts of its members to impact positively on greener ways of farming and the adoption of more sustainable food production methods. Speaking at the event, Tara McCarthy CEO of Bord Bia, said: Bord Bia is delighted to share the important results and industry leading achievements outlined in the Origin Green Progress Update Report 2021, as proof and progress continue to be trademarks of our world-class, national sustainability programme. This evidence of environmental improvements compiled from our members, and verified by international auditors Mabbett, highlights that the programmes vast scale across the Irish food and drink industry are what makes Origin Green unique and effective." Speaking today, the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue said that sustainability is at the centre of Food Vision 2030, the new ten-year strategy for the Irish agri-food sector. The commitments in the strategy are substantial, and have the potential to be transformative. Food Vision 2030 charts a way forward for all of us in the agri-food sector to deliver on its key ambition - for Ireland to become A World Leader in Sustainable Food Systems. The requirement to deliver continuous improvement and proof of environmental sustainability comes from a powerful combination of changing societal and consumer demands; and the requirements of major trade customers for Irish food and drink. Of direct relevance is the strategys goal to strengthen and invest in Origin Green and other sustainability supports to reflect the higher level of ambition for the agri-food sector. I believe that this strategy sets the agri-food sector on a new and challenging pathway, but one which also comes with great opportunity. Since its inception in 2012, Origin Green has grown to collaborate with 55,000 farms and over 300 leading Irish food and drink companies to prove and improve their sustainability practices to meet the evolving needs of global customers and consumers. ALBERT LEA, Minnesota - Nursing homes and care facilities across the country are facing prolonged worker shortages, with some losing employees due to required COVID-19 vaccinations. New York state officials are bracing for what could be a massive staffing shortage as the state's health care worker vaccination mandate took effect Monday. But what about in our area? For the Minnesota-based American Baptist Homes of the Midwest, COO Shanna Eckberg says they are experiencing open positions across their multi-state network, particularly in their nursing departments. Their big focus is maintaining proper staffing levels. "It's really based on the care that our residents need, and that we look at those needs and the time of day and staff appropriately according to that." As to the recruitment efforts to fill these positions, Eckberg says there are a few methods they are utilizing. "We look at local high schools and colleges. Some schools in our Denver market...they are providing class credit learning about healthcare, volunteering. We are utilizing staffing agencies to help us. We are also looking at overseas staffing, potentially bringing over nurses and CNAs from other countries." Eckberg says that every state they operate in except Colorado currently does not have a mandatory health care worker vaccinate mandate, and are awaiting a timeline from the federal government for when workers should be vaccinated. The American Baptist Homes of the Midwest is the parent company of the Thorne Crest Senior Living Community in Albert Lea. CERRO GORDO COUNTY, Iowa A driver had to be extricated from his vehicle after a crash Monday afternoon. The Cerro Gordo County Sheriffs Office says it happened just after 4 pm at the intersection of 105th Street and Nettle Avenue near Sheffield. Darrell Kammrad of Sheffield was westbound when he apparently lost control trying to turn and rolled his vehicle onto its side. The Sheriffs Office says once Kammrad was removed from his vehicle, he was checked out by EMS and refused transport to the hospital. The Sheriffs Office says Kammrad was not wearing a seat belt and charges are pending in this accident. The Iowa State Patrol, Sheffield fire and EMS, Rockwell-Swaledale EMTs, and Mason City Fire Medics all assisted at the scene. CERRO GORDO COUNTY, Iowa Two vehicles collided Tuesday afternoon between Mason City and Clear Lake. The Cerro Gordo Sheriffs Office says it happened around 1:23 pm at the intersection of Highway 122 and Killdeer Avenue. The Sheriffs Office says Alma Castor Padilla, 23 of Britt, was driving west and Nadine Drennan, 83 of Clear Lake, was driving south. Law enforcement says Drennan entered the intersection and was hit by Padilla. Both drivers were checked at the scene by Mason City Fire Medics and were not taken to the hospital. The Sheriffs Office says both drivers were wearing their seat belts and Drennan has been cited for failure to yield the right of way. The Iowa State Patrol and Clear Lake Fire Department assisted with this accident. GARNER, Iowa A Hancock County man accused of selling drugs is taking a plea deal. Jeffrey Paul Reichardt, 42 of Garner, pleaded guilty Tuesday to a reduced charge of possession of methamphetamine-2nd offense. Law enforcement says Reichardt was pulled over in Garner on February 2 and a search of his vehicle turned up 28 grams of meth, roughly a gram of marijuana, and a glass drug pipe. That led to a search of Reichardts home where authorities say they found about one gram of meth, two grams of marijuana, multiple glass pipes, small plastic baggies, and a scale. Investigators say they believe Reichardt has been bringing methamphetamine into the Garner area about every two weeks since May 2020 and selling it to other individuals. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 26. KASSON, Minn. - A group of community members is expressing concern about coronavirus mitigation strategies at Kasson-Mantorville Schools. During a school board meeting Monday night, members of the public spoke to the district's pandemic response this school year. One set of speakers urged KM leaders to adopt more stringent mitigation measures, including universal masking, contact tracing, and required quarantining, as well as more transparency regarding relevant decision-making data. "Kasson-Mantorville is a community so close to the Med City, with so many families working on the frontlines. Our schools are now an embarrassment. I guarantee you that it will only get worse if proper mitigation measures are not started now," said one district parent, who shared she was speaking on behalf of more than 60 KM families who are afraid or uncomfortable with expressing their concern publicly. Other speakers applauded the district its current COVID approach. Superintendent Mark Matuska says as of Monday there are 28 students with confirmed coronavirus cases across the district, and feels current COVID strategies at KM are working well. "We hate to see any kids get sick, and I really do hate to see kids get sick, but overall, I think we've done a really excellent job with our protocols to make sure that the cases are staying low in the district, and the transmission rates from students to students is minimal, if any," Matuska said. CHARLES CITY, Iowa The first guilty plea is entered over a string of Floyd County thefts. Curtis Alan Anderson Jr., 22 of Mason City, has pleaded guilty to ongoing criminal conduct, second-degree burglary, eluding, and possession of methamphetamine-2nd offense. Hes been sentenced to 180 days in a residential correctional facility and five years of supervised probation. Riley Brekke/Worth County Jail Riley Brekke/Worth County Jail Anderson and Nicholas McLeland, 30 of Clear Lake, were arrested for multiple burglaries between March 3 and March 5. Investigators say items including a minivan and two cars were taken from different locations in Floyd and Rudd. A third man, Riley Joe Morris Brekke, 22 of Clear Lake, was accused of helping Anderson and McLeland by driving them to a location in Floyd on March 5 where Anderson and McLeland stole two vehicles. McLeland has pleaded not guilty to ongoing criminal conduct, four counts of first-degree theft, second-degree burglary, two counts of third-degree burglary, possession of burglars tools, and drug possession. Brekke has pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree theft. Both men are scheduled to stand trial starting October 11. GARNER, Iowa A man accused of dealing drugs in Hancock County is pleading guilty. Jody Jay Sunvold, 53 of Garner, was charged with a controlled substance violation after an investigation into citizen complaints about drugs being sold at the Garner Village Apartments on E 12th Street. The Garner Police Department says Sunvold sold 3.5 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on December 18, 2020. A sentencing hearing is now set for November 23. ROCKWELL, Iowa - While it may not feel like fall due to some unseasonably warm temperatures, it's go time for many farmers, as they're busy harvesting soybeans and corn. At Five-Star Cooperative, grain services and logistics specialist Jim Corporon says the truck traffic is rolling in. So far, the focus has largely been on soybeans, though corn is starting to come in. Moisture variants among corn ranged from 20-30% last week, and is now down to 20%. While there was some concern regarding this year's drought, he says the yields have been good. "We were concerned we were going to be down on bushels in the fall because of the dryness. The guys have been pleasantly surprised with some of the corn, the standing corn." Compared to typical years, Corporon says harvest is about two weeks ahead of schedule. "Our long standing joke in the office is that it isn't October yet. We're probably maybe two weeks early for as hard as we're getting hit. We're ahead of schedule." According to the latest USDA Crop Progress Report released Monday, about 9% of Iowa corn has been harvested, while Minnesota is slightly up at 10%. For soybeans, 18% have been harvested in Iowa, while that figure increases to 30% in Minnesota. With harvest underway, Corporon urges drivers to watch out for farmers and farm implements, and to not drive distracted. DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A federal judge has extended a restraining order for 14 days that prohibits Iowa officials from enforcing a law that bans school districts from enacting mask mandates. The order issued by Judge Robert Pratt Monday extends the order until Oct. 11 which means school districts may impose mask mandates and the state cannot stop them. Information filed Monday in a lawsuit challenging the law indicates nearly a quarter of Iowa public school students are in districts that have experienced significant COVID-19 outbreaks this year. It indicates 11 school districts have reported more positive cases in the first month of the school year than during the entire previous year. ROCHESTER, Minn. - An estimated 17 people in the U.S. die every day while waiting for an organ transplant. According to Donate Life America, 95% of adults support organ donation, but only 54% are actually registered. Minnesota resident, Angel Uddin, lost her husband unexpectedly nearly two decades ago. That day at the hospital, the doctors asked her right away if she would consent to him becoming an organ donor. She said she felt overwhelmed and like it was almost inappropriate timing. But now, she understands the process and why it's so important to donate. Uddin is now making it her goal to help others not make the same mistake she did. "It was really the next day that I sat and recalled all of the things that happened the day before. I mean, all of it. And I thought, 'God, I wish I had said yes. I wish I had said yes.' Because he was the type of person that really believed in giving," explained Angel. She and her late husband, Stewart Uddin never had a conversation about what they wanted to happen to their bodies after one of them passed on. She now urges others to talk about it. "I want people to talk when they're in sound mind and sound body and everybody appears to be healthy about things that are really difficult." But it's not just about talking with your loved ones. Susan Mau Larson with LifeSource, a Minnesota-based Organ Procurement Organization, said the biggest reason why there are fewer donors of color is due to years of medical mistrust. "That's what our work has been really focused on - is increasing the knowledge and increasing the trust," she explained. "We have found by developing partnerships and getting to know people, allowing them into our space here in north Minneapolis and engaging in conversation, we are really able to build trust." Mau Larson said people of color make up most of the people waiting for an organ transplant, yet only about 30% of donors come from communities of color. She explained at the time of donation when someone has the opportunity to say yes to donating, that's when the disparities are particularly noticeable. "So, the white community and the Hispanic community generally say yes about a rate 20% higher than communities of color," explained Mau Larson. "So, that's why we have focused so much on engaging the African American community, the Native American community and the Asian community as well because they just have a lower rate of saying yes to donation." LifeSource has two projects that help engage with the BIPOC communities: Barbershop Conversations and Talk Donation. Larson said it's all about building relationships and trust. As a transplant surgeon at Mayo Clinic, Dr. Ty Diwan explained someone's race and ethnicity don't necessarily prevent matches from happening, but it does increase the longevity of the transplant, as well as creating more access to those transplants. "If I can get somebody in the Black community to donate and somebody who is Black comes off my waitlist, then that allows someone else to get a kidney later on who may not have," he said. "So, any extra donor that we put into this grand scheme, really almost exceptionally will end up increasing the number of people that get transplanted." Uddin said helping BIPOC communities understand the issues at hand and how they can extend or even save lives is extremely critical because there are already so many disparities in the health care system. "It's the lack of knowledge and sheer ignorance to what this all entails," she explained. "The more you have conversations and you learn what the hesitancy is, you can break those barriers down pretty quickly and people are really more willing to give the gift." As of last Friday, there are 784 people of color on the transplant waiting list in Minnesota. If you're wanting to become a donor, there are several ways to register. ROCHESTER, Minn. - Nearly 90% of Minnesota educators are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. But just last week, two more deaths were reported among school staff members. The Minnesota Department of Health reports a total of 10 educators and one first-grade student have now died from the virus after getting infected at school. And the harsh reality is until those younger students become eligible to get the vaccine, more deaths are possible. We spoke with the president of Education Minnesota, Denise Specht, who said these deaths shouldn't be happening, especially if we know masking, social distancing and the vaccines protect us. "We need to be doing everything we possibly can to be protecting them," she explained. "They matter and we should be showing them that they matter. So, we should be doing all those good things and making sure that we're not just doing them at school, but we're doing them at home and everywhere else in the community." This is now the third school year that's been affected by the pandemic. Since august of 2020, there have been more than 29,000 COVID-19 cases associated with schools and just over 290 hospitalizations of students and staff. Specht said the number of schools with five or more cases tripled just last week. Because masking and other safety protocols are decided by each individual school district, Specht explained it's time they make the right decision and help prevent any more deaths from happening. "And unfortunately, we have too many schools where that's not happening. So, we can really right the ship," she said. "We could have schools implement more of the mandates that we know are going to matter and work, but it's going to take them to do the right thing." Specht said in all of her years being in education and being a voice for teachers and educators, she never would have thought making decisions about the safety and wellbeing of students and staff would be so political. MDH's report did not include details about the school staff members who died - including where they worked, their vaccination status, age or if they had any pre-existing health conditions. ALGONA, Iowa Robbing a gas station with a sword is sending a North Iowa man to prison. Nicholas John Rosenstiel, 40 of Ventura, has been sentenced to 10 years behind bars, with credit for time served, after pleading guilty to second-degree robbery. Law enforcement says Rosenstiel entered the gas station on W Main Street in Wesley on December 17, 2019, armed with a sword and wearing a mask. Rosenstiel was accused of demanding money from the clerk and getting away with around $200 in cash. He was arrested on December 20, 2019. Rosenstiel was initially charged with first-degree robbery, which is punishable by up to 25 years in prison, but accepted a plea deal for a lesser offense. In a description of his work on the murals included in the commissions March 30, 1995, minutes, Sidney Larson included these comments about the murals, according to the Columbia Missourian: Symbolically represented are the first 75 years in the life of this area. As a social history painter, I can include only a few subjects and vignettes (from the early 1800s to 1892). However, I did paint over 200 figures, including, 11 horses, 2 dogs, 40 plus buildings, 3 seasons, both day and night, a boat, a steamboat, horse and buggy, a train with steam engine, the first resident homes for Stephens College and Christian College (now Columbia College), a tavern/post office, a bank and the bank robber, a merchant, a church, stores, 4 homes, a courthouse, a schoolhouse, an outhouse, a stockade and an Indian, also a hunter, slaves, a teacher, a preacher, a pioneer, kids, a woodcutter, a political convention with plenty of politicians and four actual portraits (Senator Thomas Hart Benton, James Sidney Rollins, Dr. William Jewell, and Bloody Bill Anderson). I added a blacksmith, a bloody massacre, and the countys first wedding. Democrats say a Civilian Climate Corps will create jobs. Here's how it could work. In this Nov. 28, 2019, file photo, smoke and steam rise from a coal processing plant in Hejin in central China's Shanxi Province. Global shoppers face possible shortages of smartphones and other goods ahead of Christmas after power cuts to meet government energy use targets forced Chinese factories to shut down and left some households in the dark. AP-Yonhap China should work to import more coal from Russia, Indonesia and Mongolia in order to resolve supply shortages now crippling large sections of industry, said Han Jun, governor of the northeastern province of Jilin, one of the worst-hit regions. Speaking to local power firms on Monday, Han said "multiple channels" needed to be set up to guarantee coal supplies, according to the province's official WeChat social media account. He said the province would also dispatch special teams to secure supply contracts in the neighboring region of Inner Mongolia. Jilin is one of more than 10 provinces that have been forced to ration power in order to cope with supply constraints. Power generators are also facing soaring coal prices, but are unable to pass them on to consumers. Han urged companies to fulfil their "social responsibilities" and "overcome the difficulties" caused by coal price rises. By Doyle McManus WASHINGTON President Joe Biden hosted a summit Friday that could turn out to be a watershed but if you weren't watching, you might have missed it. The meeting brought together the leaders of a deliberately low-key group called "the Quad": the United States, Japan, India and Australia. U.S. officials downplayed the session, describing it as "an informal gathering of leading democracies in the Indo-Pacific." China wasn't fooled. Its diplomats have spent months denouncing the Quad as a Cold War-style alliance aimed at containing Beijing's rise as the dominant power in Asia. And they're right. Biden and his fellow Quad leaders never publicly uttered the word "China," but the Quad is all about containment. It seeks to blunt China's growing influence, deter it from launching military adventures and prevent it from muscling the United States and other countries out of Asia's growing markets. The Quad isn't a military alliance formally, at least. A Biden aide who briefed reporters before the summit took pains to make that point three times in 20 minutes. But last month, four navies staged a massive military exercise in the Philippine Sea east of China. The participants were the same four: the United States, Japan, India and Australia. All four are democracies. More to the point, all four have been alarmed to see China exert economic and military power to get its way from seizing islands and building bases on contested territory in the South China Sea to threatening Taiwan and attacking Indian army positions in the Himalayas. In Australia, the muscle China used was economic: After Australia called for an investigation of the origins of the coronavirus, Beijing retaliated by cutting imports of Australian beef and called on the Canberra government to stifle "anti-China statements" from members of Parliament and the media. The naked pressure backfired; the Aussies got their backs up and decided to move closer to the United States. One result was AUKUS, the new military partnership of Australia, Britain and the United States, whose first big project is building nuclear-powered submarines for the Australian navy. Between the Quad and Aukus, "we're seeing the emergence of a new security architecture," Bonnie Glaser, a China expert at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, told me. "It sends a signal to Beijing that other countries are willing to stand up together and defend a rules-based international order." Containing China has become a top priority of U.S. foreign policy, with coalition-building as Biden's instrument of choice. That shouldn't be surprising; it's one theater in which the United States enjoys a clear advantage. China is very good at many things: economic growth, large-scale construction projects, acquiring foreign technology, cyberespionage. But it hasn't been successful at making friends. It's a superpower with client states but no real allies, unless you count Pakistan and, recently, Russia. That helps explain the fury of Chinese denunciations of the Quad, Aukus and other regional groupings: It's a game they can't play. The question is whether China will launch a military challenge against the new coalition before the U.S. has time to consolidate it. The test could come over Taiwan, the "breakaway" province that China's ruling Communist Party has long vowed to reincorporate into the motherland. "The standard view in Asia is that Taiwan is the canary in the coal mine," said Elbridge Colby, a former Pentagon official whose new book, "The Strategy of Denial," focuses on the U.S.-China confrontation. The recently retired commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific, Navy Adm. Phil Davidson, warned in March that China could pose a serious threat to Taiwan "in the next six years," Colby noted. Chinese President Xi Jinping "can see that the trends are not favorable," Colby said. Australia's new submarines could help deter a seaborne invasion, for example, but they won't be in the water for more than a decade. So the Chinese leader could view the next few years as a last opportunity to take Taiwan by force. "We should be worried," Colby said. If this is beginning to sound like the bad old days of the Cold War, when the United States and its allies obsessed over the prospect of a Soviet invasion of Europe, it should. No historical analogy is perfect, of course. Our competition-plus-conflict with China is complicated by the two countries' deep economic entanglement, which wasn't the case with the Soviet Union. But in most other respects, the comparison fits: two nuclear superpowers that disagree over ideology, often view global power as a zero-sum game and in the case of the United States build coalitions and alliances to reinforce their influence. "We are not seeking a new Cold War," Biden said at the United Nations last week. But thanks to Xi's assertiveness, he's gotten one and no matter how soothing his words, he's acting accordingly. Doyle McManus ( .) is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times. This article was distributed by Tribune Content Agency. Garrett, IN (46738) Today Cloudy this morning with showers during the afternoon. Thunder possible. High 73F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%.. Tonight Showers early, then partly cloudy overnight. Low 58F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. As authorities continue to search for Gabby Petito's fiance, Brian Laundrie, the FBI has asked for items that might have his DNA, the Laundries' family lawyer said. During the agency's visit to the family home, "The FBI requested some personal items belonging to Brian Laundrie to assist them with DNA matching and Brian's parents provided the FBI with what they could," the Laundries' lawyer, Steven Bertolino, told multiple news outlets. FBI agents returned to the Florida home Laundrie shared with his parents Sunday, as seen in video shot by CNN. At least two agents could be seen at the home and one had a bag in his hand. Laundrie's parents told authorities on September 17 that the 23-year-old left their home days earlier with his backpack and said he was headed to the Carlton Reserve. A source close to the family told CNN's Chris Cuomo Laundrie left his parents' home without his cell phone and wallet. Since then, investigators have scoured the Carlton Reserve, the "vast and unforgiving" 25,000 acres of swampland that's home to alligators and snakes. Drones, dive teams and bloodhounds joined in the extensive search effort, according to the North Port Police Department. Police said the FBI has taken over the search and indicated it will be of a smaller scale. "I don't think you're going to see those large-scale types of efforts this week. The FBI is now leading the search. I'm told it will be scaled back and targeted based on intelligence," police spokesman Josh Taylor told CNN in a message. "Hopefully, water will lower in areas hard to currently access." Laundrie's disappearance came at the height of the search for Petito. The two had gone on a road trip together, chronicling their travels on social media with the hashtag #VanLife, but Laundrie returned to the home they shared with his parents on September 1 without her. Authorities later found Petito's remains in a national forest in Wyoming and her death was ruled a homicide. Petito's disappearance has stirred heartbreak and outrage in many and spurred digital detectives to comb through the couple's online trail to try to solve the case. It also highlights the tens of thousands of missing persons' cases across the country. Laundrie faces a federal warrant for his arrest for the "use of unauthorized devices" stemming from his actions following Petito's death. Laundrie allegedly used a debit card and PIN number for accounts that did not belong to him for charges exceeding $1,000 between the dates of August 30 and September 1, according to a federal indictment. An attorney for Laundrie's family emphasized in a statement that the warrant was not for Petito's death but related to activities that allegedly took place afterward. Two separate rewards totaling $30,000 have been offered to anyone who provides law enforcement officials with Laundrie's whereabouts. What we know about Laundrie's movements Petito, 22, and Laundrie embarked on a cross-country trip in June and were visiting national parks. They posted online regularly about their travels with the hashtag #VanLife, but those posts abruptly stopped in late August. A 911 caller told dispatchers August 12 he saw a man hitting a woman, according to previously obtained audio provided by the Grand County Sheriff's Office in Moab, Utah. "We drove by 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." In his report, Officer Eric Pratt said Petito had slapped Laundrie, "who grabbed her face and pushed her back as she pressed upon him and the van." Another responding officer, Daniel Robbins, said Petito had "gone into a manic state" when Laundrie tried to "separate from her so they could both calm their emotions." He reported seeing "minor visible scratches" on Laundrie's face. Bodycam video of the incident shows Petito telling police the couple had been fighting earlier that morning and were "going through some personal issues." "He wouldn't let me in the car before," Petito said. The officer asks Petito, "because of your OCD?" She responds, "He told me I needed to calm down, but I'm already calm." "I have OCD and sometimes I get really frustrated," she said. Moab police suggested the couple go their separate ways that night; no charges were filed. On August 26, Jessica Schultz saw Laundrie parked in a white van at Grand Teton National Park, and no one appeared to be with him, she told the San Francisco Chronicle. The next day, Nina Angelo and her boyfriend, Matt England, saw a "commotion" as Petito and Laundrie were leaving the Merry Piglets Tex-Mex restaurant in Jackson, Wyoming, she told CNN. Petito was in tears and Laundrie was visibly angry, going into and out of the restaurant several times, showing anger toward the staff around the hostess stand, Angelo said. The couple's waitress was also visibly shaken by the incident, said Angelo, who told CNN she did not see any violence or physical altercation between Petito and Laundrie. A manager at Merry Piglets, who declined to give her name, did see "an incident" at the restaurant and called the FBI, she told CNN. The manager declined to describe what happened and said the restaurant did not have surveillance video of the incident. Norma Jean Jalovec, a seasonal Wyoming resident, told CNN that she picked up Laundrie not far from Jackson Lake Dam on August 29, around 6:15 p.m., and gave him a ride to the Spread Creek dispersed campground where Petito's remains were later found. Laundrie was hitchhiking, Jalovec said, and got in the passenger seat of her Toyota SUV 4-Runner. According to Jalovec, Laundrie told her he and his fiancee had a travel blog, that she was in their van at the camping area working on the blog, and that he had been hiking along the Snake River embankment for a few days. A neighbor who lives directly across the street from the home Petito shared with Laundrie and his family told CNN the last time she saw Laundrie at the North Port home was the weekend of September 10. Karyn Aberts said she saw Laundrie and his family "in the neighborhood out in the front yard," saying it looked like "a normal ... they were going for a walk kind of thing," and that she "never thought anything about it." Petito was reported missing by her family the next day. 'Love and give love like she did' As investigators continued their search for Laundrie Sunday, friends, family and strangers gathered in Holbrook, New York, to pay their respects to Petito. Joseph Petito described his daughter in a eulogy as a "happy girl," who people would gravitate toward. She made others feel welcome, he said, and she loved being outdoors, scuba diving, hiking the Appalachian Trail or snowboarding down sand dunes in Colorado. "I want you to be inspired by Gabby, that's what we're looking for," Joseph Petito said. "If there's a trip that you guys want to take, take it now. Do it now while you've got the time. "If there's a relationship that you're in that might not be the best thing for you, leave it now," he said, an apparent reference to his daughter's relationship with Laundrie. Petito's stepfather, Jim Schmidt, also gave a eulogy, telling those gathered, "Parents aren't supposed to bury their children. That's not how this is supposed to work." Petito provides "an example for all of us to live by," Schmidt said, "to enjoy every moment in this beautiful world, as she did -- to love and give love to all like she did." The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. (ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) For the past three years, the Missouri Department of Transportation has been narrowing down its list of 20 possibilities for the future of I-229's double-decker bridge. Officials have now honed in on three reasonable alternatives. The double-decker bridge has been quite the headache for MoDOT Northwest as engineers try to find the right solution to the 50-year-old infrastructure they said is eating away taxpayer money. "In the near future, we're going to have to spend anywhere from $50-60 million just to kind of do some rehab to that bridge. So we really wanted to look at it about three years ago, are there other options we should explore?" said Marty Liles, district engineer for MoDOT Northwest. MoDOT officials have zeroed in on three reasonable alternatives to the bridge: RA-2, RA-3 and RA-5. All three options remove the double-decker bridge. However, each reasonable alternative has a beginning, middle and end segment that can be traded and swapped amongst the other alternatives like puzzle pieces. A total of 27 possible outcomes. MoDOT engineers said finding the perfect fit for St. Joseph isn't an obvious choice. Some of the alignments allow you to get closer to the river, as far as the alignment to the highway itself, not as conducive as far as riverfront expansion for revitalization. But, then the trade off is as you get further from the river, you start looking at taking away some businesses," said Liles. Liles said RA-2 is the option with fewest disruptions to businesses, but it's closest to the water which doesn't leave a lot of room for riverfront revitalization. Segments of RA-3 and RA-5 would require more business and homes to be relocated as those options move farther away from the water. There are two other alternatives MoDOT has, but officials said they aren't necessarily the right choice. One alternative is to rehab the double-decker bridge as it is, rather than using the $50-60 million towards a new project. This would require major routine maintenance and major renovation. But, Liles said that "isn't really an option" as they'd have to put another $50-60 million towards the bridge 15 years later. Officials said harsh winters and the moisture from the river have required a lot of salt treatments on the bridge. The second is the no build alternative. This option would require only routine maintenance and no major rehabilitation. At the double-decker's most travelled area, the infrastructure sees 17,000 cars daily. Officials said they want to find an alternative that moves St. Joseph forward and makes a lasting, positive impact. This is the time we look at some other alternate plans for this. Not only cheaper, less expensive to maintain in the future, but also revitalize the downtown for the citizens and people of St. Joe," said Liles. However, the process of completing this multi-million puzzle will take a few years. Officials said residents can expect a 'prefered alternative' selected by the beginning of 2022. Once the prefered choice is made, MoDOT engineers will hold a public meeting to hear thoughts or concerns from residents and business owners on the alternative. Once that process is complete, then officials said talks of construction and cost can begin. (ST. JOSEPH, Mo.) The Missouri Department of Corrections will resume visits for all offenders starting October 1st, regardless of vaccination status. According to the department's website, vaccinations are not required for visitors. However, the department strongly encourages all visitors to be vaccinated to help protect members of the incarcerated population. Restrictions are in place to help protect the health and safety of staff, visitors, and offenders. Visitors must schedule in advance, masks are required in the visiting area, and visitors must pass a Covid-19 screening before entering the check-in area. ROME, SEP 28 - Greta Thunberg said at the opening of the Youth4Climate meet in Milan Tuesday that "we want climate justice, and we want it now". The Swedish climate activist, 18, who launched the FridaysForFuture school strike protests three years ago to raise awareness of the climate crisis, said "we only hear words from world leaders, blah blah blah. "Emissions are continuing to rise. "We can reverse this trend, but drastic solutions will be needed. "And since we don't have technological solutions, we must change ourselves. "We can no longer let power decide what hope is. "Hope is not something passive, it isn't blah blah blah. "Hope means telling the truth, it means acting. And hope always comes to people." Thunberg said she expected "a lot of words" at the youth events linked to the PreCop26 session in the Lombard capital. "I'm well, and I have the same expectations as many other meetings, many words," she said. "The climate crisis is a symptom of a broader crisis, the social crisis of inequality, which comes from colonialism," Thunberg added. "A crisis that stems from the idea that some people are worth more than others". She said "we are moving fast in the wrong direction. Our leaders do not act voluntarily, and that is a betrayal. They can't say that they're doing it, because they continue to open coal mines and exploit deposits, without increasing funds for vulnerable countries. They select young people like us pretending to listen to us, but they don't. They have never listened to us". At the end of her speech, Thunberg swapped slogans with the crowd saying "what do we want", to the reply "climate justice!" and adding "when do we want it", spurring the response "now!". The Youth4Climate and Pre-COP26 event is set to last for five days and feature another young activist, Vanessa Nakate, as well as Ecological Transition Minister Roberto Cingolani and Education MInister Patrizio Bianchi. Cingolani told the protesting youth Tuesday that "protests are useful but we must join forces". (ANSA). ROME, SEP 28 - The Telegram messaging app has blocked the anti-vaccine 'Basta Dittatura' (No More Dictatorship) channel and chat group after Turin prosecutors asked the company to do so as an act of "voluntary cooperation". The chat and channel were used by groups that are against vaccines and against the Green Pass COVID-19 vaccine passport. They were used to publish the telephone numbers of some government offices and of politicians and doctors that the anti-vax groups are hostile towards. Politicians, journalists and health officials and experts have been threatened by anti-vax extremists in Italy and in some cases attacked. "This channel and chat group incited violence against doctors who carry out vaccinations," said Telegram founder Pavel Durov. "They published private data of specific doctors and called for their execution. "Inciting violence is against Telegram's terms of service". (ANSA). ROME, SEP 28 - The United Nations has presented its participation at Expo 2020 Dubai, saying this will focus on shining the spotlight on achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UN said it sees Expo 2020, which opens on October 1 and runs until the end of March, as an opportunity to showcase how the United Nations System works to deal with global challenges and to create a world in which everyone thrives in peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet. The United Nations will have a dedicated space, #UNHub, in the thematic pavilion dedicated to the SDGs. Mission Possible - The Opportunity Pavilion, is one of three thematic pavilions curated by Expo 2020 that showcases how small actions can make a big impact on communities and inspires visitors to become agents of change for a better future. Furthermore, the UN's agencies, funds and programmes are taking the lead on international days and thematic events and activities during the six months of the World Fair. The United Nations has also invited participating countries to highlight their own work to achieve the SDGs, especially during the Global Goals week from January 16 to 22. Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Fair to be held in the Middle East and, with 192 participating nations, each with their own pavilion, it will be the most diverse in the history of the event. (ANSA). ROME, SEP 28 - Premier Mario Draghi said Tuesday that the government will put Rome forward to host the 2030 Universal Exposition or Expo. "It is without doubt a great opportunity for the development of the city," he said in a letter to mayoral candidates in the upcoming elections in the Italian capital. Draghi thanked the candidates for the unity they had shown "in favour of our capital". (ANSA). ROME, SEP 28 - Farm Minister Stefano Patuanelli is self-isolating after coming into contact with a COVID-19-psotive person, the minister himself said Tuesday. He said he had been in "close contact" with the virus-infected person. Patuanelli is in Trieste. (ANSA). ROME, SEP 28 - Italian rapper Fedez is under investigation in Rome for the alleged aggravated defamation of Pietro Maso, a man who was sentenced to 30 years in prison for killing his parents in 1991, after the latter's lawyer filed a complaint. The case regards a reference to the double murder in a song Fedez released in June, No Game-Freestyle. A section goes "greetings to the family of Pietro Maso, life always hits you when your head's up, like when your nose bleeds". In the complaint Maso, who regained his freedom after 22 years in jail in 2015, said the song explicitly referred to his case, one which he had managed to overcome following a "tough, painful path". He said the expressions were defamatory towards him and said artistic freedom did not give anyone the right to injure the honour of others, especially when the subject does not have any topical or historic interest. The fact that Fedez, one of Italy's most popular musicians, is being probed does not necessarily mean he will face charges. (ANSA). PADUA, SEP 28 - Another four workers died in accidents across Italy Tuesday as a spate of workplace accidental deaths continued despite promises to stem the rash of cases. A factory worker fell to his death from five-metre-high scaffolding near Padua. The man was employed by the Lavor Metal company at Loreggia. An emergency team rushed to the scene but could only confirm the man had died of multiple internal injuries. An autopsy has been ordered. Near Turin, another worker fell to his death from two-metre high scaffolding at a mechanical firm at Nichelino. Earlier Tuesday two workers, an Italian and an Indian, were frozen to death by leaked liquid nitrogen at a university-hospital near Milan. The accident happened at the Humanitas University, next to the hospital of the same name,at Pieve Emanuele. The pair, who were employed by external firm Sol, died of frostbite. Police said they were probably killed by liquid nitrogen that leaked into the room. The victims were named as Emanuele Zanin, 46, and his Indian colleague Jagdeep Singh, 42. As part of the Sol Group, they worked for the Autotrasporti Pe transport company at Costa Volpino near Bergamo. It was their job to transport liquid nitrogen, Sol said. Premier Mario Draghi on Monday sealed an accord with trade unions to up work safety by stiffening regulations and hiring thousands of new inspectors. Some 667 people lost their lives in workplaces accidents in the first seven months of the year, sources said Tuesday. The issue has been on the front page since the death of the 22-year-old mother of a five-year-old boy, Luana D'Orazio, in a textile mill accident near Prato on May 3. (ANSA). Teachers at Garfield High School were winding down classes for the approaching lunch break when they heard the startling sound of people they were not sure who running through the halls, pounding on classroom doors. Walkout! they were shouting. Walkout! They looked on in disbelief as hundreds of students streamed out of classrooms and assembled before the school entrance, their clenched fists held high. Viva la revolucion! they called out. Education, not eradication! Soon, sheriffs deputies were rumbling in. It was just past noon on a sunny Tuesday, March 5, 1968 the day a Mexican American revolution began. Soon came walkouts at two more Eastside high schools, Roosevelt and Lincoln, in protest of run-down campuses, lack of college prep courses, and teachers who were poorly trained, indifferent or racist. By the time the blowouts peaked about a week later, 22,000 students had stormed out of class, delivered impassioned speeches and clashed with police. Scenes of rebellion filled newspapers and television screens. School trustees held emergency meetings to try to quell the crisis; Mayor Sam Yorty suggested students had fallen under the influence of communist agitators. Advertisement In the midst of the disruptions, Julian Nava, the only Mexican American on the Los Angeles Board of Education, turned to Superintendent of Schools Jack Crowther. Jack, he said. This is B.C. and AD. The schools will not be the same hereafter. Yes, said Crowther. I know. The East L.A. walkouts 50 years ago were the uniquely California embodiment of the fury and hope that marked much of 1968. The first act of mass militancy by Mexican Americans in modern California history set the tone for activism across the Southwest as America drifted into a year of social turmoil, assassinations, war and disillusionment. RELATED | 1968: A timeline of anger, grief and change The walkouts focused national attention on a new force on the American political scene, the Chicano movement. Once a pejorative term, Chicano was adopted by a new generation of urbanized Mexican Americans as an emblem of ethnic pride, cultural awareness and a commitment to community. We caught the entire nation by surprise, said David Sanchez, founder of the militant Brown Berets, which had its seeds in the movement for educational reform and then took on farmworker rights, police brutality and the issue that managed to mobilize just about everyone who was protesting in 1968: the Vietnam War. Before the walkouts, no one cared that substandard schools made it all but impossible for Chicano youths to find strength and pride in their culture, language and history or to make the most of their lives, Sanchez said. After the walkouts, he added, no one could deny that we were ready to go to prison if necessary for what we believed, which was this: With better education, the Chicano community could control its own destiny. Pete Martinez, a former teacher at Lincoln, said students that year ignited a movement that would transform generations of Latinos in America. In 1968, the kids kicked the doors open, he said. David Sanchez, founder of the Brown Berets, in 1968 and today. In the older photo, he is second from left. In the newer one, he is seated at Tamayo Restaurant, in a building that used to house the La Piranya Coffee Shop, where the Brown Berets used to gather. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times; Raul Ruiz) With better education, the Chicano community could control its own destiny. David Sanchez, Brown Berets founder In 1968, Mexican American students living east of downtown were funneled into high schools with some of the worst dropout rates in the nation 57% at Garfield, 45% at Roosevelt, 39% at Lincoln. Eastside schools were run-down and overcrowded, and the community had little political power. The Mexican American community was young about half the population was under 20 and there were no Mexican Americans on the City Council or Board of Supervisors. At Eastside schools, Spanish speakers felt trapped in slower tracks that funneled them toward low-skilled jobs. Harry Gamboa, now a celebrated photographer and performance artist, remembered the day in elementary school when the teacher led him to the front of the class and helped him fashion a hat made of construction paper as an art project. She put it on my head and wrote the word Spanish on it. She said I could take it off when I learned to speak English, he said. Years later, he would join the walkouts at Garfield. Although the walkouts seemed spontaneous, they grew out of years of social activism. Since 1963, Camp Hess Kramer, a Jewish summer camp in Malibu, had hosted motivational programs for outstanding East L.A. students, who shared grievances about their underperforming high schools and neglected neighborhoods. RELATED | Do you remember the East L.A. walkouts? Share your memories Others stopped in at the Social Action Training Center, an effort run out the Church of the Epiphany in Lincoln Heights by John Luce, an Episcopal priest who supported labor leader Cesar Chavez. Four young activists opened the La Piranya Coffee Shop in 1967 at the corner of Olympic and Goodrich boulevards as headquarters for their organization, Chicano Youths for Community Action. They were led by Sanchez, then a clean-cut 18, who was president of Yortys youth advisory commission, and Vickie Castro, a Cal State Los Angeles student who, years later, would become the second Latino ever elected to the Los Angeles Board of Education. We were all products of Camp Kramer and Church of the Epiphany and, therefore, aspired to remake society. Vickie Castro (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) We were all products of Camp Kramer and Church of the Epiphany and, therefore, aspired to remake society, Castro recalled. At La Piranya, we organized strategies for doing just that, and shared outrage over things like a Time magazine article that described East L.A. as reeking of garbage and wine. La Piranyas walls were covered with murals depicting scenes from Mexicos past, and a startling declaration in large black letters: Por mi raza mato, or For my race I kill. Revolution was in the air. Black militant Stokely Carmichael swung by La Piranya. So did two figures known for their edgy and angry brand of activism Rodolfo Corky Gonzales of Colorado and Reies Tijerina of New Mexico. One day in 1967, hours before a protest against police harassment, Sanchez ran by the garment district to buy a dozen berets the headgear seen on countless posters of Latin American revolutionary Che Guevara. Back at La Piranya, he dealt them out like playing cards, saying, Put these on, were going to a demonstration. The Chicano Youths for Community Action had became the Brown Berets. The group operated under a manual written by Sanchez that included a passage members were required to memorize: For over 20 years, the Mexican American has suffered at the hands of the Anglo establishment. He is discriminated against in schooling, housing, in employment and in every other phase of life. Because of this situation, the Mexican American has become the lowest achiever of any minority group in the entire Southwest. Members of the Brown Berets listen to a speaker during the East L.A. walkouts on June 9, 1968. Herald-Examiner Collection / Los Angeles Public Library Members of the Brown Berets, above, listen to a speaker on June 9, 1968. At right, Freddie Resendez rallies students at Lincoln High School. Herald-Examiner Collection / Los Angeles Public Library; Los Angeles Times Freddie Resendez rallies students at Abraham Lincoln High School.Los Angeles Times What people were only beginning to realize was that much as the students at a Florida high school this year have seized the debate over gun control from the adults it was the high school students of East L.A. who would refuse to wait for the adults to act. Sal Castro, then a social studies teacher at Lincoln and a charismatic guest speaker at La Piranya, said his students wanted things changed at the school. They wanted to hold what they called a blowout a walkout. His response: Organize. What do you need? The original plan was to present a series of demands and the threat of a walkout to the school board in 1967. The plot fizzled. But the next year, on Friday, March 1, the principal at Wilson High in El Sereno abruptly canceled the school play, Barefoot in the Park, a romantic comedy deemed risque. Hundreds of students walked off campus in anger. The organizers of the failed walkout plot saw their chance. Sal Castro, Brown Berets, college students and others, including students recruited from high schools, holed up at La Piranya and other hangouts over the weekend to prepare. By Tuesday, March 5, they were ready to launch. Joseph Rodriguez, then a sophomore at Garfield High, recalled sitting in basic biology class when someone banged on our wooden door yelling, Walkout! Walkout! We heard commotion outside. Many of us, including the teacher, ran to the window to see what was going on. My teacher looked me in the eyes, Rodriguez recalled, and said, I can see youre really interested in this stuff. Youre free to go. Rodriguez saw students hemorrhaging through the gates and onto surrounding sidewalks and streets. Sheriffs deputies in riot gear arrived and over bullhorns ordered them back to class. Most refused. Joseph Rodriguez was a Garfield High sophomore during the 1968 walkouts. He watched as students filed out of class and amassed in nearby streets, where some were beaten by police. Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times A Coca-Cola delivery truck happened to drive up, and students began grabbing bottles and hurling them at deputies. Wading into the fray were the Brown Berets, who had planned to offer students protection. Sanchez later boasted that he outran two deputies chasing after me with batons waving. The next day, it was Vickie Castros mission to occupy the Lincoln principal while cohorts fanned out across campus and encouraged students to leave school. She pretended to be an applicant for a teachers assistant position and peppered the principal with questions. I held the principal hostage for 20 minutes while one worried staffer after another rushed into his office to whisper the worsening news in his ear, she recalled with a chuckle. Finally, he said, Sorry, but I really have to go. Then I drove to Roosevelt High for more action. When Vickie Castro pulled up at her alma mater, an administrator recognized her. Vickie, if you come on campus Ill have you arrested, she said. Turn around. Now. She drove off for the other side of the campus, and joined other activists inciting students to walk. A brief clash with police resulted in several arrests. Students walked out at Belmont the next day. Protest plans there had spread not just by word of mouth, but by messages written in marker on the grout between tiles: Walkout. Today. 12:30. Police handcuff two women, a Brown Beret and a Free Press photographer, in front of Belmont High School on March 8. (Herald-Examiner Collection / Los Angeles Public Library) John Ortiz addresses fellow students at Garfield High on March 7. (H.O. McCarthy / Herald-Examiner Collection / Los Angeles Public Library) Sheriffs deputies form a line near Garfield High on March 5, the first day of the student blowouts. (Joe Kennedy / Los Angeles Times) In years to come, the Eastside would be the site of protests decrying the Vietnam War and immigration policy. But these early walkouts were about education. Students carried American flags and signs reading, We demand schools that teach, School not prison and We are not dirty Mexicans. During one day of protest, a heavy rain broke out. At Lincoln, a few of the demonstrators who braved the downpour noticed that the water streaming down Sal Castros face was mixed with tears of pride. The unrest continued for about a week, with protests erupting at a few other campuses even two junior highs not originally included in the walkout plans. At a raucous school board meeting 10 days into the protests, students presented 36 demands. Some seemed excessive: Only pass/fail grades. Student lounges with jukeboxes. Mexican dishes in the cafeteria prepared by local mothers. Others were very basic: Smaller classes. New libraries. More bilingual counselors, teachers and principals. Improved testing to distinguish between a lack of English proficiency and lack of intelligence. More lessons on Mexican American culture, art and history. And no corporal punishment. Wilson High School student Peter Rodriguez waves his intact draft card at a school board meeting on March 12 to rebut authorities claims that the protests were inspired by communism. Raul Ruiz The school board agreed outright to two of the demands more bilingual personnel and smaller classes. Generally, however, the district said it was already doing what the students asked, or wanted to comply but lacked funds. In the walkouts aftermath, the organizers basked in support from high-profile leaders, including Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, who made time to congratulate some students on the tarmac at Santa Monica Airport while in California to meet Cesar Chavez. Some educators supported the students, but quietly. We were secretly guided behind the scenes by sympathetic teachers and administrators who used us, in a way, as their own vehicles for change, Vickie Castro recalled. They even helped me write speeches I gave after the blowouts during meetings with school officials. We were secretly guided behind the scenes by sympathetic teachers and administrators who used us, in a way, as their own vehicles for change. Vickie Castro Sal Castro talks to students at Lincoln High in 1968. Los Angeles Times But the walkouts also unleashed ugly emotions. As an example of the attitudes Mexican American students faced, community leaders cited an essay Richard C. Davis, a wood shop instructor at Lincoln, published that spring in the schools faculty publication. Declaring that most of the Mexican Americans have never had it so good, he wrote: Before the Spanish came, he was an Indian grubbing in the soil and after the Spanish came, he was a slave. It seems to me that America must be a very desirable place, witness the number of wetbacks and migrants both legal and illegal from Mexico. He went on: When it comes to going to school free and the best in the world he (the Mexican-American) is passive. Absenteeism is his culture, his way of life always manana maybe he will get an education manana, when it comes to repairing his home, controlling childbirth, planning for tomorrow, he is passive. Law enforcement responded with undercover operations, raids and arrests. In June, authorities rounded up 13 activists, who were indicted by a grand jury on charges including conspiracy in having planned the walkouts. Each faced 66 years in prison. Among those indicted were Sanchez and Sal Castro, who was the only teacher to publicly participate and back students complaints to news media and school district officials. He lost his job but was eventually reinstated after months of protests by Eastside parents. Castro had employment, but was bounced around to different campuses and made a substitute before finally landing at Belmont as a teacher. The indictments against the Eastside 13 were struck down by an appeals court in 1970. A year after the walkouts, UCLAs enrollment of Mexican Americans soared from 100 to 1,900. Over the decades, college enrollment increased from 2% to 25% nationwide. Chicano studies programs were founded at colleges and universities across the nation. More Mexican Americans also entered the ranks of vice principals and principals in the Los Angeles Unified School District. But perhaps the walkouts greatest accomplishment was fostering in the Mexican American community a sense of possibility the realization that a just cause sometimes requires speaking up. Until that day, it never crossed my mind that Garfield High was run-down, overcrowded and lagging behind public schools in wealthier white neighborhoods, said Rodriguez, who later became a prize-winning columnist at the San Jose Mercury News. All that changed after the blowouts. Until that day, it never crossed my mind that Garfield High was ... lagging behind public schools in wealthier white neighborhoods. All that changed after the blowouts.Joseph Rodriguez Mexican American parents who had never attended a school board meeting watched their children addressing the board. Rodriguez recalled that his father was initially appalled by the protests, then decided the students were right. Vickie Castro recounted a dinner table confrontation with her own father. My dad stared down at me, she said, and announced, Mija, I never thought youd grow up to be a communist. Im no communist, Dad! she responded. Theres something terribly wrong with our schools. Our future is at stake. She went on to become a teacher, principal and a Los Angeles school board member. But her role in the walkouts caused a rift in her family. One cousin, a sheriffs deputy, refused to speak to her for years. As a middle school principal in East L.A. many years later, her radical past collided head on with the establishment world of education when three students walked out of class because they couldnt access their grades during a teachers work stoppage. She suspended them. I never thought Id be the other side of a walkout situation, she said with a laugh. But that situation wasnt at all the same. Vickie Castro, one of the leaders of the 1968 walkouts, is now a middle school principal in East L.A. Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times Later, she was approached by a group of Eastside high school students, many of them flanked by their parents, who were fed up because the campus cafeteria was serving too many burritos, and not enough variety. I had to turn around and stifle a chuckle, she said. Once upon a time, I fought hard for those burritos! This year LAUSD is remembering the walkouts with seminars, instructional materials and an arts festival. The Plaza de Cultura y Artes in downtown will host a major exhibition on the walkouts legacy. Many screenings are planned of Walkout, a movie about those fiery days produced by Moctesuma Esparza, who was one of the Eastside 13. The dropout rates at Eastside high schools have improved dramatically since 1968 Garfield, 13%; Roosevelt, 28%; and Lincoln, 21%. But they remain far higher than those at affluent Westside campuses, such as Malibu High, where it hovers at about 5%. Weve come a long way, Vickie Castro said, but theres still a lot of work to do. Some of that work is being carried out at a campus just west of downtown. It used to be Belmont Middle School. In 2010 it got a new name: Salvador B. Castro Middle School. Si desea leer esta nota en espanol, haga clic aqui Already a subscriber? Thank you for your support. If you are not, please consider subscribing today. Get full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. Louis.Sahagun@latimes.com @LouisSahagun Produced by Sean Greene UPDATES: FOR THE RECORD 8:45 a.m.: An earlier version of this article referred to the La Piranha Coffee Shop. It was the La Piranya Coffee Shop. Bones from Pacific island likely those of Amelia Earhart, researchers say Amelia Earhart Likely Died on Nikumaroro, Study Finds For the record: This article, which republished an article from 1999, should have been updated to say that the mystery of what happened to the Russian Czarevich Alexei was solved in 2009 by DNA testing, which showed the boy was killed with the rest of Czar Nicholas IIs family in 1918. I read the headlines with excitement, even awe, but also with a tinge of sadness and disappointment. It stands to reason many Amelia Earhart obsessives and they are legion felt the same way. After all, the mystery was in many ways the point. I first learned of Earhart aficionados in the fall of 1999. As the year 2000 approached, The Times was running a series of articles about memorable 20th century events. I was assigned Earhart. Advertisement Thats when I learned of the armies of researchers, professional and amateur, who spent untold hours trying to learn Earharts fate. I spoke to members of a nonprofit foundation called The International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, or TIGHAR, which posted a disclaimer on it website: Warning: The Surgeon General has determined the Amelia Earhart Search Forum to be a potentially addictive activity. But now it appears the great chase is over. As many news outlets reported this week, an article in the journal Forensic Anthropology said advances in bone measurement indicated that bones found on Nikumaroro in 1940 are likely Earharts. Now seems a good time to revisit that story from 1999. In many ways, the Earhart obsession says more about the searchers than the searched. It was published on Oct. 19, 1999, and here it is: Amelia Earhart in 1937 before takeoff in Miami for an attempted round-the-world flight. (Associated Press ) Mystery of Earhart Endures, Captivates If Amelia Earhart had made it, the world would have hailed her as a hero. But by disappearing while trying to circumnavigate the globe, she became something much more enigmatic and enduring: a mystery. The mystery may never be solved, which is probably just as well. It would be a shame to rule out some disappearance theories, even the fanciful ones, because theyre so darned entertaining. Among them: The Japanese captured Earhart and used her Lockheed 10E Electra as a model for their fearsome fighter plane, the Zero. Earhart secretly slipped back into the United States and lived out her years under an assumed name. Earhart was spying for the U.S. government. President Franklin D. Roosevelt knew the Japanese had imprisoned her but kept quiet about it. Then, of course, theres the unromantic explanation: She ran out of gas. What is it about a mystery that intrigues us so? Is it the answer, or the question? Probably neither. The puzzling out of the question is the point, and it can lead to obsession. Our century has specialized in such obsessions, most of them cloaked in conspiracy theories. Did gunfire come from the grassy knoll? Did Princess Anastasia escape a Bolshevik firing squad? Did a spaceship crash near Roswell? The discovery of nine skeletons in 1991 and DNA testing finally solved the riddle of Anastasia--she perished with her family--so its conceivable that science will solve the riddle of Earhart as well. Physical evidence is called for here, because the eyewitness accounts of Earhart remain dubious at best. One Saipanese woman claimed she saw it all: Japanese soldiers led Earhart into a pit, ripped off her blindfold and shot her. When asked years later if she could locate the grave, she replied, It is underneath the biggest breadfruit tree on the whole island. An excavation found no bones, only a 24-inch piece of black cloth the diggers guessed was the blindfold. The search continues. A nonprofit foundation called the International Group for Historic Aircraft Recovery, or TIGHAR, has uncovered intriguing clues that suggest Earhart and her navigator, Frederick Noonan, landed at Nikumaroro, a small South Pacific island in the Republic of Kiribati. Most tantalizing of all: fragments of a shoe--a heel, partial sole and brass shoelace eyelet--apparently from a womans blucher oxford, size 9. Photos of the time show Earhart wearing such a shoe. Earhart and Noonan left Miami on June 1, 1937, flying east along an equatorial route. The flight wouldnt be the first to circle the globe, but at 29,000 miles it would be the longest. They arrived in New Guinea on June 29 and headed for tiny Howland Island, 2,556 miles away, on July 2. Perhaps the Earhart mysterys appeal lies in its convenient ambiguity, for although some facts cant be proved true, they also cant be proved false. For example, TIGHAR found scraps of a planes aluminum skin on Nikumaroro. Analysis suggests its not from Earharts Electra. But can we be sure? Not yet. This probably explains the tongue-in-cheek disclaimer on the TIGHAR Web site. Warning: The Surgeon General has determined the Amelia Earhart Search Forum to be a potentially addictive activity. For many people, the allure of the Earhart mystery is, quite simply, the mystery. For others, its the woman herself, known for her poise, courage and charming, forthright personality. In 1928 she became the first woman to fly cross the Atlantic, earning the nickname Lady Lindy, even though she was just a passenger. But four years later she herself flew the Atlantic solo. Her account of the flight in her aptly named autobiography, The Fun of It, was understated and wry: My own trans-Atlantic rations consisted of one can of tomato juice which I punctured and sipped through a straw. But the account also conveys her infectious determination. I chose to fly the Atlantic because I wanted to. It was, in a measure, a self-justification--a proving to me, and to anyone else interested, that a woman with adequate experience could do it. Such talk inspired countless women. It still does. But not everyone wants Earhart or her plane found. More than one person has told Richard E. Gillespie, executive director of TIGHAR: This should remain a mystery. Indeed, some Russian royalists probably were crushed to learn the fate of Anastasia. But mysteries have a way of spawning mysteries. Anastasia was found, but there was no sign of Alexei, her frail brother. Where is his body? And did he survive, as some people claim, only to be locked up in a Soviet insane asylum? Thats another question from our century of conspiracies. steve.padilla@latimes.com Twitter: @StevePadilla2 The Civil Rights Act had just passed and the slide rule was giving way to computers when Frances Poppy Northcutt arrived at NASAs Houston campus in 1965, eager to join the space race. But her job title stunned her: computress. Northcutt, then 22 and fresh out of the University of Texas at Austin with a mathematics degree, soon learned that at NASA, men were engineers, women computresses or human computers, with less status and less pay. For the record: This article incorrectly refers to NASAs Langley, Va., research center. The agencys Langley Research Center is located in Hampton, Va. But Northcutt persevered, and three years later, during the Apollo 8 mission, she would become the first woman to work in Mission Control. As the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing approaches, Northcutt and other women who helped Americas space efforts are reflecting on their often unheralded roles and the indignities they endured. Many were lone pioneers, fighting behind the scenes not only to build their own careers, but also to advance those of other women and minorities at NASA. Advertisement When Northcutt started at the agency, she knew nothing of fellow computresses at NASAs Langley, Va., research center African American female mathematicians made famous in the book and 2016 film Hidden Figures. What Northcutt knew was that she wanted to be part of the team putting men on the moon. I wasnt thinking of it in terms of breaking rules, she said recently at her Houston office. I was thinking you have to integrate into the team. Frances Poppy Northcutt in Mission Control in Houston in 1969. (PhotoQuest / Getty Images) Poppy Northcutt When Northcutt entered Mission Control in 1968 with her long blond hair and miniskirts, she knew she would stand out. Almost everyone working there was white, male and clean-cut, a sea of white shirts. It was a radical thing for the guys to wear a blue shirt, said Northcutt, 75, adding, It was a pretty bleak landscape for women. She took a seat at a console, donned headphones and was instantly overwhelmed by the din of overlapping conversations. How am I going to make sense out of this cacophony of voices? she thought. She soon figured out how to focus on particular conversations, and picked up on some non-scientific chatter: Theres a girl in here. I knew I was being watched, she said. As the Apollo launch approached, video footage from Mission Control was broadcast around the world, including shots of Northcutt that prompted heaps of fan mail. But she also discovered that co-workers had trained a camera on her that they secretly watched on a private channel. Frances Poppy Northcutt, now 75, was the first woman to work in NASAs Mission Control, during the Apollo 8 mission. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) It would be called a hostile workplace today, she said, but at the time, we didnt even have that language. Northcutt never complained to supervisors. They were just barely processing claims of sex discrimination at that time, she said. And again, Im trying to integrate into a team. Im not trying to sue people. I think most women that experience things like that just go, OK, Ive got to get past this. She focused on her part of the mission: the return to Earth trajectory, the spacecrafts path around the moon. As the astronauts rounded the backside, they would lose radio contact with Mission Control. Northcutts job was to plan for the worst, be prepared to abort the mission quickly and bring the men home safely. So during the historic Apollo 11 mission in 1969, it wasnt the lunar landing she recalls watching, but the orbit. And it wasnt a TV she was watching, it was a clock. You know what time theyre supposed to come out and acquire signal, she said. If theyre early or late, it can be bad either way. They were right on time. She would go on to successfully advocate not only for better pay, but also for improved benefits for women, including maternity leave and affirmative action. (When she started, labor laws dictated that Northcutt and other women were not paid for working overtime.) Being the first woman in Mission Control, I was being asked questions about the status of women at the time. I began to think more about that. I began to be more aware of the discrimination that was going on, she said. Northcutt stayed on as a NASA contractor until 1973. By then, she recalled, there were a lot of women in Mission Control. Just seeing women involved made a difference. The following year, she served as the city of Houstons first womens advocate, promoting legislation and executive actions that allowed women to serve as police and firefighters. Motivated by her work and the womens rights movement, Northcutt became a lawyer. She helped create a domestic violence unit at the local prosecutors office and said she now works on reproductive justice issues. She describes herself as a onetime rocket scientist, sometime lawyer and a full-time womens rights advocate. Last week, she visited Los Angeles in advance of the premiere of the new IMAX film Apollo 11: First Steps Edition, which opened Monday at the California Science Center. Frances Poppy Northcutt became the first female engineer to work in NASAs Mission Control. She calculated return-to-Earth trajectories starting with Apollo 8 and helped retrieve the astronauts who narrowly survived the Apollo 13 disaster. Christine Darden Christine Darden, one of the mathematicians portrayed in Hidden Figures, had been working as a computress at Langley for five years when she worked up the courage to ask her supervisor in 1972 why only men were allowed to be NASA engineers. She had assumed the men had engineering degrees, but learned that many had studied mathematics, just as she had at Hampton University and Virginia State, where she earned her masters degree. NASA even paid for them to take a year of graduate engineering classes. Darden had joined civil rights sit-ins during college, and saw the promotion as a question of equal opportunity. Computresses served engineers. I did not want to spend my entire career just supporting somebody. I wanted to do my own work, Darden, 76, said by phone from her home in Virginia. Christine Darden became a NASA computress in 1967. While working as an engineer and raising two children, Darden studied mechanical engineering part time for a decade at George Washington University until she earned her doctorate. (Handout photo) At the time, Darden was married to a middle school science teacher, and had taught math before coming to NASA. She was so nervous about how her boss might react, she contacted local colleges to line up teaching jobs, in case she was fired. Her boss surprised her. He looked at me and said, Nobody has ever asked me that question before, she said. Darden pressed him. The women do all the work, she observed, and they dont get promoted very easily. Two weeks later, she was transferred and promoted. She later found out that a white computress married to a male engineer had already complained about the added schooling men received, and had been allowed to take graduate engineering courses. Television 50 years later, TV is still enamored of the Apollo 11 moonwalk Retired astronaut Wally Schirra spoke for the world with his commentary for CBS News during the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969: Thank you, television, for letting us watch this one. I probably would not have gotten approved if that had not happened, she said. While working as an engineer and raising two children, Darden studied mechanical engineering part-time for a decade at George Washington University until she earned her doctorate. The first few weeks were the toughest. I was scared, because I knew the class was going to be all males, she said. For about a month, none of her classmates talked to her. But after she aced a math test, suddenly men were inviting her to join their study group. After Hidden Figures was released, she toured the country, speaking after 14 showings with women still working at NASA. After beginning her career as a computress at NASA in Houston, Christine Darden worked 40 years at the agency, researching supersonic flight and sonic booms. We talked about what lessons can you learn from this, Darden said, and her message was how women did good work instead of complaining. Darden also speaks to engineering classes, where professors tell her they struggle to keep female students. She thinks the problem starts much earlier. I tell parents, Dont let people tell you what your daughter cant do, she said. Darden had grown up helping her father change tires on the family car and prime the carburetor. When her mother gave her a talking doll, she cut it open to see what made it talk. I had a curiosity about what made things work, she said. I found the right home at NASA. Astronaut Judy Resnik, left, and Sylvia Stottlemyer in August 1984. Resnik was killed in the space shuttle Challenger disaster in 1986. (Photo Courtesy Sylvia Stottlemyer) Sylvia Stottlemyer On July 20, 1969, high school senior Sylvia Salinas left Oaklawn Assembly of God Church in Houstons eastern barrio early with the rest of her family to gather at her aunts house and watch the moon landing on a grainy black-and-white television. A year later, she was working as a secretary for astronaut Alan Shepard. At the time, there were few women like Northcutt on the front lines at NASA, recalled Sylvia Stottlemyer, now married and retired in the Houston suburbs. But throughout the agency, there were hundreds of other women that were working, women like me, that were behind the scenes. Stottlemyer had studied typing and shorthand, but encouraged by a teacher, took a civil service exam and qualified for two government jobs. Her father, a produce manager who never graduated from middle school and did the family driving, decided she would take the NASA job because it was closer. It was a traffic decision, she said at her home near the NASA campus. I happen to think it was fate. Astronauts would shape her life. She came of age mothering the first men in space, veterans like Shepard, 15 to 20 years her senior, whom she addressed as sir. It didnt occur to her that women could be astronauts too. No one questioned. It was just what it was, she said. The culture shift hadnt happened yet. But the country and NASA were changing. Sylvia Stottlemyer, now 67, at her home in League City, Texas. A secretary to astronaut Alan Shepard, she came of age mothering the first men in space. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) Stottlemyers father had survived the height of segregation in south Texas, when he and other Latinos were told to drink from the hose behind a local store and to sit in the balcony at movie theaters. Now he bragged that his daughter works for astronauts. By 1978, NASA had brought in a new, younger crop of astronauts, including the first women, Judy Resnik and Sally Ride. Ride was the same age as Stottlemyer, 26, but had already earned her doctorate in physics. I looked at them, and I was looking at myself in a different role, she said. And they came in seeing us as their equals. The female astronauts asked Stottlemyer and other secretaries and administrative staff for advice on NASA culture, and transitioned seamlessly, she said. What pleasantly surprised me was how easily they integrated themselves into the office. They wanted to be one of the guys, she said. The female astronauts also socialized with her, drinking, sailing and camping. Resnik became Stottlemyers best friend and bridesmaid at her wedding. Although Resnik respected her expertise, the astronaut also pushed her to go back to school. She said, Youre way too smart to be in this position, Stottlemyer recalled. Stottlemyer earned a bachelors degree at the University of Houston and returned to earn a masters in human resource management, all while working full-time and raising her son (NASA helped pay her tuition). She attended womens rights protests, wearing a button she still has in her office: Space for Women. Because she was busy working on her masters degree in 1986, Stottlemyer decided to send another secretary from Houston to Cape Canaveral in Florida to staff the ill-fated Challenger shuttle launch. Among those killed was Resnik. Stottlemyer helped organize her funeral. She rose to the ranks of senior management, and continued to volunteer with the NASA Alumni League after she retired in 2014, promoting programs like robotics in local schools. Each year, she and at least 40 other former administrative staff members who call themselves the Sixties Chicks meet at the Villa Capri restaurant overlooking a lake near NASA to reminisce. Some are in their 90s. Were losing more and more of them every year, said Stottlemyer, 67. Sylvia Stottlemyer, who was an Apollo crew secretary, later rose to the ranks of senior management at Johnson Space Center. Sitting in her home office, surrounded by astronauts signed photos, uniform patches, flags flown in space and other NASA memorabilia, Stottlemyer said what was most precious were the opportunities she made for other women. Soon after she left NASA, a young female engineer contacted her to say she had been struggling to fit in until she attended Stottlemyers retirement party and heard her story. Where you started and where you ended, it inspired me to want that kind of career, Stottlemyer said the woman told her. I hope thats my legacy. Long before Americans discovered FOMO the fear of missing out Singaporeans were fixated with its more excessive forebear, kiasu. Taken from the Chinese dialect Hokkien, kiasu translates to a fear of losing out, but encompasses any sort of competitive, stingy or selfish behavior commonly witnessed in this highflying city-state. If you stand in line for hours just because theres a gift at the end, then youre kiasu. If you claim a spot at a table at a busy food court with a packet of tissues while you wander off in search of grub, youre kiasu. Advertisement If youre a parent who volunteers hours of your free time at a school just so your offspring has a better chance of enrolling there one day, then youre most definitely kiasu. Its a survival instinct born out of Singapores dominant Chinese culture and deep-rooted insecurity as a blip on the map, one thats only slightly bigger than the San Fernando Valley. Letting opportunity pass is tantamount to failure, the thinking goes. And if you do, you have no one to blame but yourself. The national narrative is that we are a small country in a very large world, said Shiao-yin Kuik, a former nominated member of Parliament, an honorary position. We have very limited resources. If we dont fight for our own future, no one else will. Kiasu (pronounced kee-ah-sue) embodies a sort of unofficial national character, not unlike Japans harmonious wa or Britians stoic stiff upper lip. Its an inescapable aspect of life in this country of 5.6 million that drives people to try and outdo one another. It was inculcated in me since I was young, said Rachel Yeo, 24, a senior studying journalism at the National University of Singapore. Nothing short of the best was expected of me. Yeos neighborhood growing up boasted one of the top primary schools in Singapore, Rosyth School. To ensure a place there, Yeos mother had to compile hours of volunteer work. At least twice a week, she read to students at the school before heading to work. Doing anything less risked losing her daughters place to someone else. Shes a tiger mom, said Yeo, who was also enrolled in rigorous after-school tutoring programs, a private industry that has grown into a $1-billion business here because of the parental arms race. The volunteer system in schools breeds another layer of competition. Parents complain about other parents who have exceeded their quota for hours, but continue to hog opportunities to volunteer. People feel like others have to lose in order to win, said Donald Low, a closely-followed economist and former public official. Foreign policy in Singapore isnt immune to kiasu either. The feeling of vulnerability it engenders helps explain Singapores outsize spending on defense, which at over $10 billion, is more than that of any other country in Southeast Asia. The dread of having someone steal your lunch could also be driving Singapores hardening stance against Malaysia in a territorial dispute over a sliver of airspace and sea between the two countries. Politicians were openly calling for people to stand up and defend the nation over what seems to be technical differences, said Ja Ian Chong, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore. That the state and Singaporeans were ready to treat the issue as existential suggested a deep sense of fear, he added. For an earlier generation, that fear propelled Singapores improbable success after it broke away from Malaysia in 1965 to later become one of the richest countries in the world on a per capita basis. But a fear of losing can also trigger paralysis when it comes to risk-taking. Kuik, the former member of parliament, said Singaporeans today need to be inspired and not cowered. Theres a stronger desire to move beyond Singapores origin story, she said, and really try to explore a larger story, not driven by fear, but ambition. There are modest signs of a kiasu backlash, including last year when a small group of parents formed Life Beyond Grades, an organization that seeks to relieve academic pressure on children to focus on their wider well-being. Its an uphill struggle. Singaporeans are exceptionally self-aware of their reputation even without reminding from their traditional Malaysian rivals, who are prone to calling the country Kiasuland. A survey released last year by the Institute of Policy Studies, a local think tank, found that Singaporeans perceived their society to be kiasu more than any other trait. One of the countrys most famous comic strips was centered on a bespectacled character named Mr. Kiasu. The 1990s series featured titles such as Everything Also Must Grab and Everything Also Number One. Giant, a local supermarket chain, ran a contest in 2017 to determine which neighborhood was the most kiasu. The winner, an eastern town called Tampines, impressed with a high percentages of residents admitting to excessively pressing the crosswalk button. They also fessed up in large numbers to reserving tables at busy coffee shops with a tissue packet or umbrella rather than more considerately ordering their food first and then finding a place to sit a widespread practice known in Singlish as chope (You can also chope a parking space by having someone stand in it). Giant reportedly rewarded Tampines residents with free drinks, ice cream and more tissue packets for choping. Theres an ambivalence about being kiasu, said Chong, the political scientist. On one hand, there are Singaporeans who wear it like a mark of national character, even pride. Others laugh at it, and still others see being kiasu as being a bit of an embarrassment due to the over-the-top behavior it can encourage. Nowhere is that more obvious than in Singapores queuing culture. The fear of losing out has created a herd mentality when it comes to lines, especially at the citys famous open-air food courts, known as hawker centers. When you see a queue snaking, it means the food must be good, that its something you should try, said Yeo, the journalism student. I just returned from visiting Taiwan and saw long lines for food. Half the people were Singaporean. Some lines are still talked about today, like the time when thousands of Singaporeans thronged outside McDonalds restaurants in a kiasu-crazed bid to score free Hello Kitty toys. The pull to line up has even inspired a business, iQueue. The service, which is similar to errand apps such as TaskRabbit, gets up to 50 requests a month to stand in line for things such as boba tea or concert tickets to see the band BTS. Justin Zheng, a manager at the company, said he queued in line for 12 hours outside a prestigious art class last month for parents who wanted to register their elementary-school-aged child. Zheng arrived at 7 p.m. the night before the doors opened and still found someone ahead of him in line. By midnight, there were 100 in line. By the next morning, he estimates there were twice as many people. The parents next to him werent even taken aback that Zheng didnt have any kids and was hired to be there. Instead, they took down his number. Anything to gain an edge, they told him. Its in our blood, said Zheng, who was paid $110 to line up for half a day. You realize you have to work harder to be earlier than the next guy. david.pierson@latimes.com | Twitter: @dhpierson English rock band legend The Rolling Stones began with their U.S. Concert Tour "No Filter" on Sunday, as the group wows the crowd without their drummer, Charlie Watts, following his passing. The Rolling Stones launched their concert tour at the Dome at America's Center in St. Louis. Although Watts was not present to heighten the energy of the audience, the drummer post was filed in by Steve Jordan, who performed for years with Keith Richard's side project, X-pensive Winos. READ NEXT: Frail-Looking Phil Collins Sings From His Chair as the Genesis Farewell Tour Kicks off in Birmingham The Rolling Stones Pays Tribute to Late Drummer, Charlie Watts As the rock band continued the show, they remembered their late drummer through performing. At the beginning of the "No Filter" concert tour in St. Louis, the empty stage accompanied by a drumbeat showed photos of Watts flashing on the video board. For The Rolling Stone's second song, Mick Jagger, Ronnie Wood, and Keith Richards sang "It's Only Rock 'N' Roll (But I Like It)" in the front of the stage. Jagger and Richards then thanked their fans for outpouring their love and support for Watts. "This is our first ever tour we've ever done without him [Watts]," Jagger said, adding that they will miss their drummer on and off the stage. Jagger also admitted that it was emotional seeing the photos of Watts in their concert. "It's really sad... He [Watts] was the first of the old Stones to pass away," said a fan identified as Laura Jezewski, all the way from Nebraska. On August 24, Charlie Watts' publicist confirmed the death of the drummer in a statement without providing the cause of the legend's demise. The publicist highlighted that Watts passed away peacefully in a London hospital surrounded by his family. The drummer's death came several weeks after it was announced that he would not be able to join the "No Filter" concert tour in the U.S. due to a procedure that was "completely successful." The Rolling Stones Reminded Concert Goers About COVID Protocol Ahead of their tear-jerking tribute to their drummer, The Rolling Stones first took to social media to remind their fans of staying safe while enjoying their show in St. Louis. The rock band legend posted a video on their Twitter account, wherein Jagger, Wood, and Richards advised their fans to either get the COVID-19 vaccines just like them or get tested. Looking forward to seeing you at a show soon, keep safe! pic.twitter.com/sDPDsCvYjg The Rolling Stones (@RollingStones) September 24, 2021 "We all got the shot and you better get one too... So if you're not vaccinated get tested," Jagger and Richards said in the video. The band went on urging their fans to put their mask on "as it's no big deal." Aside from reminding their fans about the safety protocols, COVID-19 vaccines were also made available in the venue as Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson jabs were offered free of charge. Although the group urged their fans to get their jabs, vaccines and negative tests were not required upon entry of their concert. Only wearing face masks was required to be worn except while eating or drinking. After their concert in St. Louis, The Rolling Stones is set to stop in North Carolina and Florida. The rock band legend will finish their "No Filter" U.S. concert tour on November 6 in Las Vegas. READ NEXT: Michael K. Williams Died of Accidental Overdose That Included Cocaine, Heroine, Fentanyl WATCH: The Rolling Stones dedicate first show in 2021 to Charlie Watts - From EdBmusic This article is owned by Latin Post Written By: Joshua Summers Another man claimed on Monday that he saw Gabby Petito's boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, a day before the YouTuber vanished. Identified as Hunter Mannies of Louisiana, the man claimed that he saw a man that resembled Laundrie wearing a hoodie and drinking by himself at Bulwinkle's Saloon located in West Yellowstone. The 44-year-old tourist said that the man resembling Petito's boyfriend seemed "mad at the world," but he did not pay much attention contending that the man that looked like Laundrie and another couple were at the end of the bar. READ NEXT: Gabby Petito's Missing Fiance 'Spotted' in Canada; Florida Police Check Brian Laundrie's Home After Report of Gunshots At some point, Mannies highlighted that he and his doctor friend started talking to the said couple at the end of the bar and the conversation got into guns, hunting, and politics, the man who resembled Petito's boyfriend looked mad and butt in the conversation. "Stupid Southerners and f-ing Republicans," the man in the hoodie said, according to Mannies. When his doctor friend shot back and referred to their profession, Mannies asked where the man was from. The man in the hoodie claimed that he was from New York and that his name was Brian. Mannies also claimed that the man who referred to himself as Brian was invested in their conversation and was listening to them "He was overly invested in our conversation. We felt watched... He wasn't talking to the bartenders. He was there alone," Mannies said. Mannies, who was also a former deputy from Southern Parish, Louisiana, said he talked with the FBI and they spoke for 45 minutes after he watched bodycam footage of Laundrie and Petito taken by authorities from Moab, Utah. "Just the way he carried himself and I heard his voice, it was him," the Louisiana man said. Brian Laundrie's Parents Called On 911 Over Dog the Bounty Hunter As the hunt for Brian Laundrie continues, Duane "Dog the Bounty Hunter" Chapman joined the search and tried to approach the parents of Petito's boyfriend on Tuesday. However, Laundrie's parents called 911 over his presence in their residence. According to reports, Laundrie's mother, Roberta, called on the emergency hotline referencing a "situation with a male." "It's a shame they wouldn't speak with us," Chapman said, adding that the authorities allowed them to knock on Laundrie's door. Chapman was reported to be with his new wife Florida, and sources claim that tips led them to a new campsite that might be linked to Laundrie, TMZ reported. The outlet furthered that Dog the Bounty Hunter already alerted the authorities about the campsite, and he was reported to wait for authorities to arrive, believing that the camping grounds were a major clue in the manhunt. Florida Police to Scale Back Efforts in Searching for Brian Laundrie After more than a week of looking for the whereabouts of Laundrie, officials confirmed Tuesday that they will scale back the search for Gabby Petito's fiance in the Carlton Reserve in Florida. "The FBA is leading the search. I'm told it [search] will be scaled down and targeted based on intelligence," North Port Police Department spokesman, Josh Taylor. It can be recalled that Brian Laundrie's parents said to the authorities that Carlton Reserve in Florida was the place Gabby Petito's boyfriend was headed to when he suddenly vanished earlier in September. In the previous week, Gabby Petito's remains were found in a Wyoming state park and Petito's family held a funeral for the influencer over the weekend. READ NEXT: FBI Returns to Brian Laundrie's Florida Home to Take Personal Items for 'DNA Matching' as Gabby Petito Funeral Draws Hundreds This article is owned by Latin Post Written By: Joshua Summers WATCH: Parents Deny Involvement in Brian Laundrie's Disappearance as FBI continues search - From FOX 13 Tampa Bay White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has taken U.S. President Joe Biden's side when the president has ignored questions from the press multiple times last week. Psaki said that the president did so as he believed the press was not going to ask questions about issues at hand, according to The Daily Wire report. The press secretary responded to the questions from reporters who asked about one instance where Biden did not answer questions after his talks with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. One reporter asked Psaki why the president was criticizing U.S. reporters at that time. Psaki then replied and said that she thinks the president said that they're not always on point. She then continued to say that some of the questions were not always about the topic he's talking about that day, adding that it was not meant to be scrutiny against the member of the media. READ NEXT: Pres. Joe Biden Reacts Negatively to Donald Trump 'Toys,' Giant TV Screens Left in the White House: 'What a F------ A--Hole' Biden "Snubbing" American Press White House aides started shouting and ushering reporters out of the Oval Office as they tried to ask more questions when U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson answered questions from two British reporters, according to a New York Post report. One reporter said as they left the executive office that it was "absurd" as two British reporters get questions and they do not get anything. CBS News Radio White House correspondent Steven Portnoy reported that members of the editorial pool had gone to Psaki's office to complain, saying that no American reporters were acknowledged for questions. Recently, Biden had said that the Indian press is much better behaved than the American press during his talk with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to a Fox News report. The comments of the president had gone viral and earned criticisms, with New York Times reporter Katie Rogers taking Twitter to voice out his criticisms. Rogers tweeted that she thought it was Modi that said it when she heard about it, but it was the American president. Meanwhile, Washington Examiner correspondent Christian Datoc reacted and said that it was pretty "Trumpian." Washington Free Beacon reporter Chuck Ross noted that India ranks 142nd in the world when it comes to press freedom as stated by Reporters Without Borders. On the other hand, U.S. ranked 44th. Biden Administration The current administration is facing mounting issues regarding the U.S. troops' withdrawal from Afghanistan, as well as the growing pressure on immigration as more migrants flee to the U.S. and try to gain admission. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas defended criticisms against the administration's handling of the crisis at the border, particularly the cases of Haitian migrants, according to an NBC News report. Mayorkas said that he is intensely and immensely proud of the men and women of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, adding that he saw them act heroically. The DHS Secretary noted that the viral photos of immigration officers on horseback do not show who CBP is as a department or as a country. READ MORE: 10 of 13 Killed in California Crash Were Mexicans Who Entered U.S. Through Hole in Border Fence This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Biden ignores US reporters as media pushed out of Johnson meeting mid-sentence - from The Independent A federal judge has given the green light on Monday for the unconditional release of John Hinckley Jr. Hinckley was known for his attempted assassination of former President Ronald Reagan in 1981, according to an ABC News Go report. Hinckley would be free from all remaining court-ordered restrictions if he continues to adhere to rules and agrees to be under regular mental health examinations. U.S. District Court Judge Paul L. Friedman noted that he plans on releasing the said ruling later this week. Hinckley is not allowed to own a gun, have any contact with Raegan's children, other victims or their families, and Jodie Foster. The would-be president assassin was obsessed with Foster at the time of the 1981 shooting. Friedman noted that Hinckley would be released from all court supervision by next year if he continues to follow the stated rules. READ NEXT: Haiti President Jovenel Moise Assassination: 2 American Citizens, 15 Colombians Arrested Hinckley's Unconditional Release The federal judge said that Hinckley would have been unconditionally released a long time ago if he had not tried to kill the president. He added that everybody is comfortable now after all of the studies, analysis, interviews, and experience with Hinckley, according to The Guardian report. Hinckley moved to Williamsburg in 2016 and has been under court-imposed conditions to be under doctors and therapists overseeing his psychiatric medication. Court-imposed restrictions have also included monitoring Hinckley's computer passwords. His attorney, Barry Levine, had asked for unconditional release. Levine cited that his client no longer poses a threat, as concluded by a 2020 violence risk assessment. In addition, a federal prosecutor, Kacie Weston, said that Hinckley should be given unconditional release, according to U.S. Justice Department's approval. However, Reagan's daughter, Patti Davis, wrote an opinion piece in the Washington Post expressing her opposition to her father's shooter's release over fears that he could contact her, according to a Reuters report. Davis wrote that she does not believe that Hinckley feels remorse. Reagan's Attempted Assassination Reagan was leaving the Hilton Hotel in Washington D.C. on Mar. 30, 1981 when he was shot several times with a .22 caliber revolver with "devastator" bullets, according to Reagan's archives. Reagan was wounded when one of the bullets ricocheted off of the limousine, which had struck him under the left armpit. Among the wounded were Press Secretary James Brady, policeman Thomas Delahanty, and Secret Service Agent Timothy McCarthy. The former president's wounds were not noticed until he began to cough up blood, prompting his team to bring him to the George Washington University Hospital. He was able to return to the White House after 12 days of his stay in the hospital. Meanwhile, the shooting had paralyzed Reagan's press secretary, who died in 2014. Jurors then decided that Hinckley was suffering from acute psychosis and found him not guilty over the reason of insanity. They decided that the president's shooter needed treatment and not life in prison. Hinckley had also delivered hand-written letters to Foster's doorstep, which the actress had ignored. He then started to call her when the letters he sent went unanswered. READ MORE: DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas Warns Migrants From Cuba, Haiti Not To Flee to U.S. Amid Unrest This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: John Hinckley to be released from oversight - from Associated Press Fifteen-time Grammy award-winning artist and globally-celebrated music icon Alicia Keys is set to release a four-part YouTube Originals docuseries titled "Noted: Alicia Keys The Untold Stories." As she completes her AK20 celebration - the 20th anniversary of her smash debut album "Songs in A Minor" - and as she puts the finishing touches on her 8th and most exciting album to date, she captures everything for an intimate experience in the new YouTube Originals docuseries. READ NEXT: Padjo Dolan Returns With Rock Track 'Hazel Eyes' Produced by Alicia Keys herself, "Noted" is a four-part documentary series marked with introspective and breathtaking moments and visual displays, giving audiences a peek through her life-defining memories and meaningful conversations with her contemporaries and loved ones. Keys provides a whole new experience that combines documentary and performance shows in a way fans never thought possible. All four episodes will premiere for free on Thursday, September 30, only on Alicia Keys' official YouTube Channel. "Noted" comes at a very opportune time for the music icon, following the release of her latest single, "LALA," earlier this month together with Swae Lee. "LALA" gives Alicia Keys a chance to present her in top form, owning the genre like the musical genius that she is, and fans can expect the same once "Noted" releases. After "LALA," Alicia Keys also returned to the MTV VMAs stage for a debut live performance of her latest track with her hometown, New York City, sprawled in its elegance behind her. Immediately after the MTV VMA, she blazed at the red carpet of the 2021 MET Gala sporting AZ Factory and Van Cleef & Arpels and later ending the day with an exclusive evening attended by the likes of Michael Jordan and Elon Musk. READ MORE: Elvis Costello Updates Their Classic 1978 Debut "This Year's Model" in the Spanish Language A FedEx delivery driver said in a TikTok video that he will not deliver parcels to homes with signs showing support for President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. FedEx driver Vincent Paterno said in a September 16 TikTok video that he would also ignore homes that do not have a flag in front, which reportedly meant to imply the American flag, Business Insider reported. Paterno added that he was returning the packages he did not want to deliver back to the station. However, he noted that medical deliveries "have priority no matter who you voted for." FedEx Driver Says He Quit FedEx said the driver was no longer working for the company. However, FedEx did not say whether he was fired or he quit. Vincent Paterno said he quit. Paterno posted the video while wearing a FedEx uniform and appeared to be in a delivery truck. USA Today reported that his video had garnered 80,000 views since it was posted, with many users commenting he was about to lose his job. Paterno commented and said there were many of them doing the same practice, but he was the only one posting about it. A FedEx spokesperson commented on the matter and said that the company was appalled with the video, adding that it does not reflect the views of FedEx. In another TikTok video, Vincent Paterno said it was already his last day when he posted the video, New York Post reported. One user tagged the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), saying that Paterno has just admitted withholding mail over political beliefs. READ NEXT: USPS Says Delivering Election Mail Is Top Priority Amid Concerns in Package Volume Mail Theft is a Federal Crime Mail theft is a punishable offense and is defined as taking any piece of mail that is not your own for any purpose, under U.S. Code 18 Section 1708. A piece of mail can reportedly be any letter, postal card, package, box, or bag. Charges for mail theft can result in up to five years in federal prison with fines of up to $250,000. In New York, several mail bags from a carrier cart and packages from a Postal Service truck were stolen in September last year, NBC News reported. Last year, the U.S. Postal Service was criticized for months due to delivery slowdown brought by changes with new Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. According to Postal Service data, mail theft reports had risen by 600 percent over the past three years. It was approximately 25,000 in 2017 to around 177,000 in August of 2020. However, the agency said in a statement that the figures reflected multiple types of customer complaints and not just theft. The said complaints include mailbox vandalism, mail delivery issues, and matters connected to the mail or Postal Service. According to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, a better system will be developed to track the mail theft reports. READ MORE: How Many Are Left Uncounted? USPS Blows Court Deadline to Find Missing Ballots This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: FedEx Driver Fired After Refusing Deliveries to Supporters of Biden BLM - From Yours News U.S. officials had expelled nearly 4,000 Haitian migrants trying to seek asylum in the U.S. as deportation flights continue to bring them back to their home country. According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data, at least 37 deportation flights to Haiti happened between September 19 and September 27, with at least 3,936 Haitian migrants on board. Giuseppe Loprete, the head of mission for the Port-au-Prince-based chapter of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), said most of the expelled Haitian migrants formerly lived in "Chile, Brazil, and other South American nations" and have not been in Haiti for years. READ NEXT: Biden Administration Eyes Guantanamo Bay in Cuba to Hold Migrants, Says Guards Must Speak Haitian Creole, Spanish Haitian Migrants Expelled From The U.S. Reports revealed that among the Haitian migrants expelled included at least 2,300 parents and children who entered the U.S. border custody as families. IOM noted that 44 percent of the Haitian deportees since September 19 were women and children. The organization added that more than 210 Haitian children deportees were born in Chile, Venezuela, Panama, and Brazil. They were expelled with their Haitian-born parents. Upon the deportees' arrival in Haiti, Loprete told CBS News that the Haitian migrants were very "distressed" and started crying after deplaning. "I've seen young, strong guys - some freak out... Women cry. Kids cry because they see the women crying," Loprete noted. The said migrants were reported to arrive in two airports at Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien. Loprete said IOM is distributing meals, hygiene kits, and feminine products to the Haitian migrants upon arrival at the airports. Loprete added that the group was also giving a per-person stipend equivalent to $100 for food, clothes, phone calls, transportation, and other necessities. The U.S. Agency for International Development promised to provide $5.5 million to IOM to continue helping the Haitian migrants affected by the deportation. Haitian Migrants on Their Deportation Some of the Haitian migrants have expressed their thoughts on the ongoing deportation. "I don't know what we'll do, we don't have anywhere to stay or anyone to call," Evens Delva said, a Haitian migrant who was deported back to Haiti. Delva reportedly crossed the Rio Grande River with his wife and two daughters as he dreamed of starting a new life in Florida. Delva and his wife expressed their anguish on how the border patrol agents on horses treated them back in Del Rio, Texas. Delva narrated that a cavalry charge sent him and other Haitian migrants running. He said he was on his way to buy food and water for his family at the time. Delva noted that they were "rounded up like cattle and shackled like criminals," adding that he spent his six-hour flight from San Antonio with his hands and legs tied. "They treated us like animals," Delva's wife said, adding that they will never forget the feeling of what they experienced. President Joe Biden on Friday said the horse-mounter border patrol agents caught on images aggressively chasing the Haitian migrants would have to pay for what they did. The president noted that their actions send a wrong message around the world. READ MORE: 'Horrible': Kamala Harris Condemns Border Agents Using Horses and Whip-Like Cords to Disperse Haitian Migrants This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Joshua Summers WATCH: Democrats are Blasting Biden Administration Over its Deportation of Haitian Migrants - ABC News YouTube Originals announce ordering the critically-acclaimed documentary "Laudato Si," based on Pope Francis' second encyclical, and provides an urgent call to action to protect the planet and human lives. The video streaming platform made the order from Off The Fence, a BAFTA and OSCAR-winning production company. "Laudato Si" was made in collaboration with the Vatican and is set to make its YouTube debut early in 2022. READ NEXT: Alicia Keys to Premiere Four-Part YouTube Originals Docuseries "Sustainability and climate action are key areas of focus for our YouTube Originals programming," said YouTube Originals' Head of Family, Learning, and Impact Nadine Zylstra. She adds that Off the Fence has the necessary expertise to bring Pope Francis' message to the global audience. "We are thrilled to be partnering with YouTube on this incredible project," said Off the Fence's Head of Commissioning Leila Monks. "Their reach will ensure everybody has access to the film and their creativity in content and form means a whole generation will be engaged with Laudato Si's important message." The documentary contains an unprecedented presentation of the Pope's wake-up call and a humbling reminder of our important responsibility as a society to come together in solidarity to save and preserve our planet. Featuring the personal stories of people who have experienced climate change first-hand, "Laudato Si" takes the initiative to call individuals and communities to lead changes up to a global scale. Currently in production, "Laudato Si" is directed and written by Nicolas Brown, produced by Off The Fence Co-CEO Ellen Windemuth and Sam Barton-Humphreys, and executive produced by Off the Fence Co-CEO Bo Stehmeier and Tomas Insua. Susanne Daniels serves as the Global Head of Original Content for YouTube, together with Family, Learning, and Impact for YouTube Originals members Nadine Zylstra, Lauren Vrazilek, and Amina Wilson overseeing the documentary for YouTube Originals. READ MORE: Elvis Costello Updates Their Classic 1978 Debut "This Year's Model" in the Spanish Language Mexico has a new special team composed of National Guard personnel dedicated to recovering stolen archaeological pieces and historical documents. In a press conference Monday, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said the idea has come from Italy, Mexico News Daily reported. "Italy has a special body to recover stolen archaeological pieces. We are going to follow that example, I have given the instruction for the National Guard to constitute a special team for the purpose," Lopez Obrador said. Italy has recovered and sent artifacts to Mexico for the Grandeur of Mexico exhibition, which will display 1,525 archaeological pieces at the National Museum of Anthropology and the Education Ministry's headquarters in Mexico City for five months. Aside from Italy, the Mexican president also thanked the U.S., France, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden, and the Vatican for lending and returning artifacts to Mexico. Mexico Honors Italian General for Recovering Historical Pieces As part of Mexico's celebration of the 200th anniversary of the country's independence from Spain on Monday, Brigadier General Roberto Riccardi, the head of the Italian carabinieri department that recovers artifacts, was awarded the Aztec Eagle for his work in the recovery of archaeological pieces. Aztec Eagle is the highest distinction granted to a foreigner in Mexico. Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard noted that Riccardi has exercised his leadership in safeguarding and returning heritage pieces stolen from Mexico. READ NEXT: Mexico City Replacing Christopher Columbus Statue With One of Indigenous Woman; City Mayor Says It's to Deliver "Social Justice" Stolen Archaeological Pieces From Mexico Roberto Riccardi's work has resulted in the return of 74 archaeological pieces, with 23 of those returned to the government of Mexico last year, Milenio reported. Meanwhile, ongoing work is being done on at least 99 additional pieces ruled as national heritage. The Italian awardee is currently working with the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization to create the Cultural Blue Helmets. According to Riccardi, they only do their duty and deeply believe in what they do. He added that the recovered artifacts are a piece of identity. Mexico's Culture Minister Alejandra Frausto said that in three years, Mexico had repatriated 5,746 properties. Out of those figures, 5,149 are archaeological and 547 historical, according to another Milenio report. Frausto added that Mexico is making international alliances to return more pieces to the country. In June, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that Mexico recovered 34 pre-Columbian artifacts that two German private collectors voluntarily returned, DW reported. Mexican foreign minister's legal consultant, Alejandro Celorio, said two German citizens approached Mexico's embassy in Berlin to return archaeological pieces in possession of their families. According to Mexican Culture Ministry's tweet, the items recovered include bowls, vessels, stamps, and an Olmec-style anthropomorphic mask, which was made of rock and dated from the period of 1200-600 B.C. It was also one of the objects dating back centuries. An anthropomorphic clay figure and a three-legged Mayan clay pot from the period 1000-1521 A.D were also recovered. The recovered pieces were handed over to embassy officials last May. Maria Villarreal of Mexico's National Institute of History and Anthropology said the return of the ancient items was very important for her country, USA Today reported. Villareal said Olmec culture represents one of the first civilizations in ancient Mexico, adding that only 13 pieces exist with the same characteristics. READ MORE: Parts of Amazon Rainforest in Brazil Are Being Illegally Offered for Sale on Facebook Marketplace This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Mary Webber WATCH: Mexico - Beneath the Ruins: Treasure Trove of Hundreds of Mayan Artifacts Found - From FRANCE 24 The Bank of Mexico has released a new 20-peso bill and 10- and 20-peso coins to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the country's independence from Spain. The new design was unveiled by the Bank of Mexico ahead of the independence day, as they recall the moment when the rebel army entered Mexico exactly two centuries ago. Mexico was declared independent on September 28, 1821. READ NEXT: Mexican Songstress Paquita La Del Barrio Receives Lifetime Achievement at 2021 Billboard Latin Music Awards Bank of Mexico's New 20-Peso Bill The 20-peso bill released by the Bank of Mexico went into circulation on Friday. One side of the bill pays tribute to Mexico's natural wealth as the bank featured an image of the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve in Quintana Roo. The said reserve was known to be one of the UNESCO's Natural World Heritage Site. Aside from the reserve, the reverse side of the 20-peso bill also features a crocodile swimming in the mangroves and a "garza chocolatera," a type of crane that is also known as roseate spoonbill. The said bill also showed a painting called "The Solemn and peaceful entry of the Army of the Three Guarantees into Mexico City" by an anonymous artist. It glorifies the moment the Ejercito Trigarante or Army of the Three Guarantees, led by Agustin de Iturbide, made its peaceful entry into Mexico City on September 27, 1821. The said painting reportedly hangs in Chapultepec Castle. The 20-peso bill, with primary colors green and red, also displayed the flag of the Army and the Mexican flag on both sides. Bank of Mexico Unveils New Commemorative Coins The Bank of Mexico also unveiled new commemorative 10- and- 20-peso coins, which were put into circulation on Monday. The coins were presented by Mexico's Secretary of Economy, Tatiana Clouthier, during a morning conference in the national palace. Clouthier noted that the said coins would be "excellent vehicles" to evoke Mexican traditions and culture. The 20-peso coins are dodecagonal in shape with a latent image and a micro text as security elements. The 10-peso silver coins are round in shape and have similar characteristics on the obverse to those of 20-peso coins. The coins commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Ejercito Trigarante, the history of Mexico City-Tenochtitlan, and the founding of the ancient Aztec capital Tenochtitlan. Mexico's Sor Juana 100-Peso Bill Wins 'Banknote of the Year' Another eye-catching bill of the Bank of Mexico was internationally applauded earlier this year. The International Bank Note Society (IBNS) hailed Mexico's Sor Juana 100-peso bill as 2020's banknote of the year last April. The Bank of Mexico has beat 24 other nominees from different countries. The Sor Juana 100-peso bill was among the more than 100 new banknotes released worldwide last year. Among these numbers, 24 were only identified to have a sufficiently new design to be member nominated. An initiative of the IBNS with around 2,000 members globally, the IBNS Banknote of the Year award is given to recognize an exceptional banknote issued each year. The design of the Sor Juana peso bill highlights the Mexican cultural and historical characteristics with new graphic motifs. It features one of Mexico's national icon and poet/writer Sor Juana Indes de la Cruz, the historical College of San Ildefonso, and the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. READ MORE: 'Dia De Muertos' or Day of the Dead Exhibit at National Museum of Mexican Art to Honor Vanessa Guillen, Adam Toledo, COVID Victims This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Joshua Summers WATCH: Mexico 10 and 20 Pesos 2021 (200th Anniversary of Independence) - From Bonistics & Numismatics The head of the Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said that President Joe Biden has promised the U.S. allies in Syria that he will not abandon them as he did in Afghanistan. According to The Times, General Frank McKenzie, head of U.S. central command, was sent by the White House to give SDF military leader Mazloum Abdi personal assurance. Abdi told The Times that the U.S. policy in Syria is "totally different" from that in Afghanistan. The report further noted that Abdi also met with Joey Hood, the State Department's acting assistant secretary for Near Eastern affairs. The American-backed SDF sees no changes despite the recent withdrawal of the U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Biden Administration Official Says U.S. Troops to Stay in Syria A senior Biden administration official earlier said that around 900 U.S. troops, including several Green Berets, will remain in Syria to continue supporting and advising the SDF fighting the Islamic State (IS) militant group. The official told Politico that the SDF has been leading the combat operations against ISIS, with U.S. troops providing support from afar. The official noted that it was the same role the troops have been playing since the American-led intervention in 2014. The official said the Biden administration has no plans to make any changes in the U.S. military operation in Syria. "In Syria, we're supporting Syrian Democratic Forces in their fight against ISIS... That's been quite successful, and that's something that we'll continue," the official noted. While Joe Biden has been firm in ending America's "forever wars" both in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Pentagon has been particularly quiet about its operations in Syria. The U.S. has completed its military withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 30. Joe Biden earlier said the combat mission of the U.S. forces in Iraq will end by the end of this year but will continue to advise and train the Iraqi military. BBC reported that there are some 2,500 U.S. troops in Iraq helping local forces fight what remains of the Islamic State group. READ NEXT: Taliban Executes Public Hanging With a Dead Body Suspended From Crane; Note Says the Hanging Was' Punishment for Kidnapping' Joe Biden Falsely Claims the U.S. Does Not Have Troops in Syria Last month, Joe Biden incorrectly said that the U.S. does not have troops in Syria. The president made the remarks during an interview with ABC News' George Stephanopoulos as he defended himself against criticism for his withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan, Fox News reported. Joe Biden noted that Al Qaeda and ISIS "metastasize," and that "there's a significantly greater threat to the U.S. from Syria," from East Africa, and "to other places in the world than it is from the mountains of Afghanistan." The president noted that the U.S. "have maintained the ability to have an overriding capability to take them out." Joe Biden then said that the U.S. "doesn't have military in Syria to make sure that we're gonna be protected, adding that he was "confident we're gonna have the overriding capability" in Afghanistan too. According to Fox News, it was not the first similar misstep by Joe Biden. A White House's list of talking points earlier sent to Democrats defending his handling of Afghanistan reportedly claimed that there are no "boots on the ground" in Syria. READ MORE: Pres. Joe Biden Reacts Negatively to Donald Trump' Toys,' Giant TV Screens Left in the White House: 'What a F------ A--Hole' This article is owned by Latin Post Written by: Jess Smith WATCH: Syria War: UN Says 350,000 Death Toll is an 'Undercount' - From WION The family of the man who invested millions in restoring Ballyfin Demense remains committed to the award-winning Laois hotel following his death in the United States, according to a director of the company that runs the business. It was the vison of American businessman Fred Krehbiel and his wife Kay from Kerry to take the country house and estate and convert it into a majestic hotel on the slopes of the Slieve Blooms. After a substantial investment in its renovation, Fred's labour of of love became a reality when in 2011, it opened as a high end country house hotel. Since then it has achieved global recognition with the likes of Kanye West, JK Rowling and George Clooney all enjoying its luxury. However, Fred passed away unexpectedly in June 2021, which has raised questions over whether the family will stay involved. He is survived by his sons Liam and Jay and wife Kay. The Chicago Tribune reported on his death at the time. It said Mr Krehbiel told the Tribune in 2011 that while he derived great satisfaction from preserving a building, the prolonged nature of the renovations it took close to nine years conflicted with his personality. Im just impatient, and it just took so long. You cant rush craftspeople. I mean, if theyre really going to do a great job with it, when theyre restoring plaster, the ceilings, the fireplaces or floors, you cant rush them. In a factory, you can put on a second shift or third shift and up the production, he said. His son Liam was quoted in the same article about what the house has meant to his late father. Ballyfin brought together dads interest in Irish architecture and art with his passion for travel and hospitality, Liam Krehbiel said. Meath man Jim Reynolds has been at the family's side right through the Ballyfin journey. He was managing director of the company which runs the hotel and is now a director. He paid tribute to Mr Kriebhel who set up a factory in Ireland in the 1970s when the family ran electronics firm Molex Icorporated. "It was a labour of love. He always knew it could work. He had faith in it from the beginning. He put a huge amount of effort in and he knew, regardless of what he spent that it would be an asset for his family, as it transpired," he said. "He died very suddenly on the eve of his 80th birthday and he was a youthful 80. He was full plans hoping to travel to Ballyfin three weeks later," he said. Mr Reynolds gave an update on what now. He said the deceased's sons and their mother remain committed to Laois. "Between the three them they are determined to continue. It is a viable business. There won't be any change," he said. He said the hotel is getting back to normal and while the American business is yet to return, the hotel has enjoyed a surprisingly good year built on an influx of local guests. "The big surprise is all the Irish people coming. A great many did not seem to be aware of Ballyfin. Some thought it was a place for weddings some had never heard of it. The general reaction is very favourable and very encouraging," he said. Mr Reynolds says many of the guests who came would normally have gone to exclusive European destinations for the summer or further afield but stayed in Ireland this year due to the pandemic. "They have had their eyes opened that you don't have to go to Monte Carlo," he said. He said the the Irish trade has meant that since reopening in June the hotel has done considerably better than expected with last minute bookings spiking especially July. He described the business expectation for 2021 as a 'pleasant relief' and he expects a profit to be made. He said there has been a turnover in staff including the appointment of a new manager Peter White. He is adamant that the hotel remains committed to hiring locally as has been the ethos from the start. "Too many hotels depend on students from all over the place. Visitors want to here local accents and feel part of a locality and are not in some local pop-up," he said. As for 2022, he sees the return of American visitors in bookings. He says people have scheduled visits and some Americans have booked weddings. The new manager is an Australian and was appointed in May 2017. He has travelled the world in the hotel business. "This is the pinnacle and highlight of my 30-year career, and to achieve that in my favourite hotel makes me very excited for the future, said Mr White. He spoke with the Business Post about the family's commitment and expectations for the business. "Fred's passing was a big shock, but the family, and in particular his sons, Jay and Liam, are very committed to Ballyfin. They are already talking about five-year plans for its development," he said. He said that before the COVID-19 pandemic, 70% of Ballyfin's visitors reportedly came from overseas and 30% reportedly came from Ireland, but 90% guests during the pandemic were Irish. He added that autumn is busy with October set to be Ballyfin's busiest month in 2021. He added that bookings are above average for next year with the hotel only closing for 10 days in January. A dog had been rehomed with a responsible owner, Judge Catherine Staines was told at Portlaoise court on Thursday. The issue arose in the case of James Greene, 41, of 71 OMoore Place, Portlaoise who was charged with having an uncontrolled dog at Rossvale Court, Portlaoise on August 31 2020. He had 400 in compensation and had had the dog rehomed. Judge Catherine Staines noted the dog had savagely attacked two cats. She said the new owner needed to be aware of what the dog is capable of. She asked that the new owner be contacted. Later the Judge was told by Gardai that they had spoken to the new owner who was a responsible dog trainer. He was aware of the dogs history. Judge Staines noted that Mr Greene had paid full compensation and had rehomed the dog with a responsible owner. She applied the Probation Act. Laois is soon to get its first free counselling centre to support people in mental health distress. A local volunteer committee have found a home for the SOSAD Laois centre, and they hope to have it open before Christmas. The first temporary centre is planned to be in Portlaoise, in the priests house behind the old parochial house facing St Peter & Pauls Church. The opening of a Laois branch for SOSAD (Save Our Sons and Daughters) Ireland has been driven by a passionate group of local mental health advocates, with widespread community support and many fundraisers already held. The ethos of SOSAD is to offer early intervention in local communities to prevent suicides. The money raised in Laois will stay in Laois, the newly appointed SOSAD Laois co-ordinator Grace Ennis explains. Any money fundraised in Laois goes toward running our centre. That gives us the opportunity to extend our services, perhaps to become a drop-in centre or to organise projects in the community, she said. SOSAD Laois held their first big fundraiser last June, an online variety show supported by the Dunamase Theatre, with groups across the county doing performances and raising money. The entire community was just incredible with their support, Grace said. SOSAD Laois also recently held their first Dawn to Dusk walk, which they hope will grow each year, while Miss Laois Alison Dyer from Portarlington handed them a cheque for 560 after doing a skydive for what is her chosen charity as she prepares for the Miss Ireland final. (photos below) She is fantastic at fundraising and at raising awareness. A skydive was an incredible undertaking, Grace said. Her own experience is in working in the homeless and social care sectors. I am absolutely thrilled to be in this new role, I am really eager to get it up and running, its definitely needed. Just to be able to offer that support, and help break that stigma of mental health. Mental health is very important to me, a lot of people in my life have been affected by suicide. Everybody needs help at some time in their lives and we want to say that its ok to reach out and get that help, Grace said. The SOSAD Laois co-ordinator believes that Covid has had a silver lining, that its negative affect on mental health has lessened the stigma of talking about it. I feel that is happening with Covid. We are seeing an increase of people needing services, there is definitely a correlation, most people were under extra stress, but its starting to break that stigma, people can say it now. I really hope that that change is here to stay, she said. Grace praised the Laois SOSAD committee especially Christy Bannon. Christy Bannon is out of this world for all the work he is doing for SOSAD. The effort, the fundraising, it is just wonderful, and the whole committee as well, she said. SOSAD Laois will be the seventh centre for SOSAD Ireland, a suicide prevention registered charity that formed in 2007 in the midlands. Volunteers will offer online phone support 24 hours a day and in person free counselling by appointment. Professional and trainee counsellors will give their time free of charge. Because we are volunteer led, we dont have as many overheads as other charities might have. People can ring or leave a message and they will be given an appointment to meet a counsellor, the co-ordinator explained. A dedicated phoneline for SOSAD Laois is still in the pipeline, but the public can now email them to either volunteer or seek help at laoisoffice@sosadireland.ie See SOSAD Laois on Facebook and on Instagram for updates. Ring 041 9848754 for SOSAD Ireland telephone support and see www.sosadireland.ie for more on the charity. Below: supporters for the first Dawn to Dusk walk for SOSAD Laois, held in Timahoe; Chairperson Christy Bannon accepting a cheque from Miss Laois Alison Dyer who completed a skydive for the charity. A staggering amount of damage has been done to the Glenisk factory in Killeigh. An estimated 20m worth of damage has been caused by the fire which gutted the plant on Monday. Firefighters fought the blaze into Monday evening evening after the emergency evacuation of 50 staff earlier that day. Glenisk founders, the Cleary family, were coming to terms with the loss of a manufacturing and storage facility which they grew into a national brand since its establishment in 1987. The fire alarm sounded at about 11am at the Glenisk organic yogurt manufacturing facility at Killeigh, Tullamore and all 50 staff were immediately evacuated. Glenisk director Gerard Cleary spoke about the damage done. He said basically everything had been lost and revealed the potential cost could run as high as 20m. It's devastating for all of us really at this point in time and we don't really know what to say, said Mr Cleary. We'll just have to see what we have and what we can salvage and then just start again. That's all we can do. He was glad the plant's safety and emergency plans worked effectively. We're just grateful to all the services, the fire brigade and the ambulance. Luckily no one was injured in any way so we're very thankful for that. He said a cause is not yet known but manufacturing plant and stocks had been destroyed. Anything that gets us to get a pot of yogurt to the supermarket shelf, that's all gone at the moment. But we're resilient. We'll fight back. Buildings not directly affected by the fire may have smoke damage. Fire brigade units from Tullamore, Edenderry, Clara and Portarlington with up to 34 firefighters attended at the factory site in Newtown. Laois Offaly based Senator and the Green Party Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture was among those to inspect the damage on Tuesday. "The total destruction of the Glenisk plant, near Killeigh in Co Offaly, due to fire is devastating for the Cleary family, their staff, and also for the farmers who supply them. This is a successful business, built from scratch, and one of the main processors of organic milk in the country. "As the Minister with responsibility for organics, I want to recognise the extraordinary contribution they have made to the organic sector," she said. Fianna Fail TD for Laois Offaly Offaly, Barry Cowen has offered his sympathies to those impacted. Deputy Cowen commented: This is terrible news for all those associated with Glenisk today. I have made initial contact with the companys managing director to offer my commiserations and assistance in any way. The local TD added: Everyone was relieved to hear that there had been no casualties reported, however the blaze appears to have caused extensive damage to the facility. Our thoughts are with everyone at Glenisk right now. Id like to praise and thank the emergency services personnel for attending this incident and doing everything they could to contain the blaze and ensure the safety of everyone at the facility. I have no doubt that the local authorities and the community will assist in the restoration of the plant and facilities to ensure the continued excellence of Glenisk products. Glenisk reported sales of over 24m in 2019, a 15% increase on the previous year. The company said last year it plans to increase revenues to 100m in the coming years by expanding into Europe. Glenisk also indicated that it was experiencing further growth during the Covid-19 lockdowns because of an upsurge in home dining. A glaring reminder of the financial impact of Covid on the arts industry was a bucket catching drips that shared the stage with Laois County Council management in the Dunamaise Arts Centre this week. The council held what is expected to be their final full socially distanced council meeting at the theatre, on September 27, as the pandemic recedes. Among the issues discussed was the financial hit that the theatre has taken along with all of the arts sector across Ireland. Dunamase Arts Centre is an associated company of Laois County Council, and relies on national funding to keep going. While it is now getting busier again with events lined up for Autumn, a report from the company to the meeting said it will take 2022 to build back up to what it was pre-pandemic. The impact on the company of the long phases of closure in 2020 has resulted in a stark reduction of all generated income and a reliance on state funding. The covid-19 pandemic has impacted the company very severely. Both the Arts Council and Laois County Council maintained their annual funding commitments. The Department of Arts also made emergency re-opening funding available and the Arts Council granted a Capacity Building Fund which is being used to draw up a new strategic business paln to bring the theatre through the coming years, building back audiences and pursuing new opportunities. Staff resources were kept to a minimum until the venue reopened gradually from July 5, with first live performances in September. While it is hoped to get back to fuller capacities over Q4 2021 it will take time throughout 2022 to build back up. In order to continue to provide services and facilities to artists and audiences alike across our community, the Company relies on local authority and arts council funding as well as careful management of the cost base, to minimise the burden of expenditure while trading is at a reduced level, the Dunamase Arts Centre said. Cllr James Kelly had spotted the bucket from the audience (posing beside it below). Looking behind the team I see a bucket holding water. I hope extra funding will be made available, he said. Director of Services for the arts Donal Brennan said that some repairs had been carried out and more are to follow. See new Autumn event in the Dunamaise Arts Centre on their website www.dunamaise.ie Builders and other tradespeople in Laois and other counties who are customers of Telfords in Portlaoise are being invited to get free health checks at the busy Laois outlet in October. It's part of the National Tradesperson Check (NTC) being hosted around the country by the Telfords's parent company Chadwicks Group. The NTC provides trade customers with a free health check in branch in partnership with HealthWatch. The health screenings take only fifteen minutes. Any one who takes part will have BMI measured, blood pressure checked and undergo finger-prick test to gauge cholesterol and glucose. Tradespeople who want to avail of this free service can drop into Telfords at Fr Brown Avenue, Portlaoise on Tuesday, October 5. READ ON TO FIND OUT HOW TO REGISTER below picture. Confirmation of the return of the NTC initiative was made along with the publication of new research by Chadwicks on the health of tradespeople. It shows that three quarters of tradespeople have made changes to lead a healthier lifestyle over the last year and 73% say that COVID-19 has made them more health conscious. The research of over 600 tradespeople examining attitudes to health and wellness finds that while many are trying to be healthier, there is still room for improvement. Half say they dont go for a regular health check up and 1 in 5 admit to working through illness so they dont fall behind on a job. According to the Chadwicks Group research, a fifth of tradespeople work a minimum of 60 hours a week and three quarters (76%) consider their occupation physically demanding. Given the long hours and the physical nature of the job, its perhaps no surprise that half (49%) regularly suffer from aches and pains as a result. 77% say they have had to attend a physio for work related pain and just over two thirds (69%) have missed a day of work due to joint pain. More below picture. The most common ailments for tradespeople are: Back pain (80%) Overall body stiffness and achiness (58%) Knee pain (50%) Shoulder pain (36%) Neck pain (27%) Of those that suffer with aches and pains over half (55%) say they dont do anything to address the issue. Now in its second year, the NTC is taking place in 18 Chadwicks Group locations nationwide including Chadwicks, The Panelling Centre, Cork Builders Providers and Telfords for the month of October. A full list of participating branches can be found at Chadwicks.ie/NTC Customers can book their free test at the same website. Launching this years National Tradesperson Check, Chadwicks Group ambassador and resident builder on RTEs Home Rescue, Peter Finn said now more than ever tradespeople need to prioritise their health. Working in the construction industry is a physically demanding job at the best of times but as the country has been reopening, the demand for tradespeople has been huge so were all working longer hours than ever before trying to get through the backlog of work from various lockdowns. A lot of us in the industry are also self-employed so, its no surprise that the research shows that a fifth of tradespeople have worked through illness. This makes it even more important to look after ourselves and take time out of our busy schedules to prioritise our health. Whats great about The National Tradesperson Check is that its taking place in-branches nationwide so its convenient for the trade. Many of us make a couple of trips to our local Chadwicks on any given day to pick up materials and supplies so by booking in and taking 15 minutes while in the branch to get a health check done is not a huge time drain. I would urge all the hardworking tradespeople across the country to book in for their free heath check today. I am also really looking forward to giving the Chadwicks Flexi-Time classes a go. The research shows that aches and pains come with the job so its great to have some specific stretching routines which are designed solely with our profession in mind. I know some sites do incorporate stretching into their morning routine so myself and my crew will definitely be giving it a go on the site. Patrick Atkinson, CEO of Chadwicks Group said: This is the second year of our National Tradesperson Check and we are delighted to expand these health checks to 18 locations across the country during the month of October. "At the Chadwicks Group, we understand that tradespeople are working extremely long hours and finding time to look after their health can be a challenge. Thats why we have designed the NTC with the tradesperson in mind. The health check is free and just takes 15 minutes and can be done to coincide with a time that a customer is in-branch picking up supplies. We would urge all our customers in Kildare to take 15 minutes out of their day and prioritise their health this October. To help tradespeople across Ireland manage their aches and pains, as part of this years NTC campaign, Chadwicks Group has teamed up with Sports Physio Ireland to create Chadwicks Flexi-Time a short stretching routine designed specifically for tradespeople. Chadwicks Flexi-Time consists of five bitesize videos which will be available on the Chadwicks Facebook, Instagram and twitter pages from 4th October. Each video has been designed specifically to address the issues tradespeople face and can be done at any time of the day to help alleviate muscle tension. An Assistant Professor at Maynooth University (MU) has said that the recent house seizure referendum which took place in Berlin yesterday would be hard to replicate in Ireland. Berlin citizens recently backed what is being described by Euronews as one of Europe's most radical responses to gentrification: seizing 240,000 apartments from so-called mega landlords. The referendum pass through with a 56 per cent approval rating. Dr Rory Hearne, who teaches Social Policy at MU, has said that there are legal issues surrounding the potential move should it be considered in Ireland. He told KFM Radio Station: "I think there are two things in it: in terms of Berlin, it isn't necessary constitutional, so there are legal steps that will have to go into actually implementing this." "Also, it will cost (a lot) and it is a radical measure," he added. The implications of the vote in Berlin means that private landlords that hold more than 3,000 units in Germany could have them expropriated and instead substituted into the citys affordable housing stock. A new Irish language promotion officer will be working with businesses and the community in County Kildare to promote the use of Gaeilge in everyday life. Sarah Walsh has joined Cill Dara Le Gaeilge as its first full-time officer. In her new role, Sarah will work closely with the Kildare Chamber of Commerce as well as local business and enterprise bodies to support business owners who are interested in undertaking projects relating to the Irish language including bilingual signage, marketing, website development, and social media engagement. Cill Dara le Gaeilge will also work with community groups based in the Naas Municipal area that are organising Irish language events and Sarah will play a key advisory and supportive role on this basis. Prior to taking up this new role, Sarah spent three years working with Clar na Leabhar Gaeilge with state body Foras na Gaeilge, supporting Irish language publishers and Irish language writers. Among her responsibilities in that role, Sarah drew public attention to Irish language books to encourage people to read and write In Irish. In February 2019 Cill Dara le Gaeilge and Sult na Sollan published a five-year plan (2019-2023) for the Irish language in County Kildare. The plan is available on www.cilldaralegaeilge.ie Funding is provided to Cill Dara le Gaeilge through the Irish Language support scheme (Sceim Tacaiochta Gaeilge) by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media. Announcing the appointment Daithi de Faoite, Cathaoirleach of Cill Dara le Gaeilge, said: It is a very exciting development for County Kildare that for the first time ever, we now have a dedicated resource working to promote the Irish language with local businesses, service providers and with community groups. We wish Sarah every success in the new role and are hopeful that support from Cill Dara le Gaeilge will help make a very positive impact on the use of the Irish language within the county in the business and community sectors. Sarah added: I look forward to working with Cill Dara le Gaeilge and will be focusing on the following four areas over the coming year: language planning, Irish in the community, supporting businesses in County Kildare and Culturlann Chill Dara. "I recognise the widespread interest and support for the Irish language in County Kildare and I'm particularly looking forward to helping local businesses engage with the Irish language and in supporting community groups that are planning or running Irish language or bilingual events. I will also be working on behalf of Cill Dara le Gaeilge to conduct research and begin planning for a new Irish cultural centre, Culturlann Chill Dara. A Kildare Senator and Chair of the All-Party Oireachtas Group on Dementia has succeeded in asking the Council of Europe to prioritise Dementia and Alzheimers care at an EU level. Fianna Fail Senator Fiona O' Loughlin recently called on the Council of Europe, with particular reference to EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakidou, to prioritise Dementia and Alzheimers care at an EU level. She made the plea just one day after she called on her government colleagues to prioritise the provision of dementia services for South Kildare in the upcoming Budget 2022. Senator OLoughlin said at the meeting: "I would like to speak about those who do not have a voice neither here nor in their own countries because sadly in many instances they no longer have their voices and it remains to families and others to advocate for them." "I am speaking about people living with dementia or Alzheimers who have been hugely impacted by Covid." She continued: "While member states need to invest heavily in community day services and in family carer support packages, I believe that at a European level focus on dementia and Alzheimers care must be prioritised. EU focus and investment should go into earlier onset dementia supports, dementia research and prevention via dementia inclusive communities. We should also focus on modifiable risk factors of dementia which may prevent or delay up to 40 per cent of dementia diagnosis which is not widely known," she added. In response to Senator OLoughlins plea, Commissioner Kyriakidou agreed to prioritise Dementia and Alzheimers care at an EU level. According to recent comments from Senator O' Loughlin, Kildare was named among 11 counties having trouble providing dementia care. She has since said that she will be working with her colleague Minister Mary Butler TD to address this issue. 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 find helpful resources on the official website of The Alzheimer Society of Ireland by clicking here. Leitrim is one of 11 counties unable to provide day services for those suffering with dementia. It is understood there are over 500 people in the county suffering from dementia who cannot avail of a local service to help them and their families. The Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI) are calling for an investment of 15m in Budget 2022 in their submission Dementia: The Continuing Crisis to address the counties that are experiencing difficulties in day care. The ASI CEO Pat McLoughlin said that there are centres in nine counties that are no longer suitable due to adaptations required under Covid-19 restrictions and two counties that have no day care service and capital funding of 15m is required to address this. There are 11,000 new cases of dementia in Ireland each year. Thats at least 30 people every day and anyone can get dementia - even people in their 30s/40s/50s. The majority of people with dementia (63%) live at home in the community. Over 180,000 people in Ireland are currently or have been carers for a family member or partner with dementia with many more providing support and care in other ways. Four major employers in Ireland have signed up to Ireland's remote working alliance to help develop remote and hybrid working solutions on a long-term basis. Vodafone, ESB, eBay and Liberty Insurance have joined the new grouping the Remote Alliance. The four founding members of the alliance have committed to working together to find solutions to enable remote and hybrid working to become embedded within their organisations on a long-term basis. Established by social enterprise Grow Remote, the initiative will lead the way for other Irish employers to commit to long-term remote working. According to Grow Remote, the purpose of the Remote Alliance is to build an Ireland where employment is accessible no matter where people live. Speaking at the launch of the Alliance, Renate Kohlmann, Director of Grow Remote, said: We are delighted that four of Irelands leading employers have come on board with Grow Remote to create the Remote Alliance. "To have Vodafone, ESB, eBay and Liberty Insurance as founding members will help encourage more employers around Ireland to join in the long-term remote working journey. "Remote working has the power to transform and reinvigorate local communities by giving people access to job opportunities regardless of where they live in Ireland," he said. While the impact of Covid-19 was devastating, it brought about some positives. We know now that remote and hybrid working is good for employees, and for businesses," Mr Kohlmann said. "We know more than ever that people value their work / life balance, and want to be connected to their local community. Individuals, employers, and communities have the opportunity now to take some of these positives and embed long-lasting, positive systemic changes that will transform communities around Ireland. Companies are navigating the challenges and opportunities of remote and hybrid working, but there is no roadmap or tried-and-tested template for them to follow. Our founding members are demonstrating bravery, forward-thinking and great leadership in committing to remote working and joining the Alliance, and were calling on employers around Ireland to follow suit, Mr Kohlmann added. The Remote Alliance plans to establish a forum of some of Irelands leading employers who want to make the transition to remote and hybrid working. Alliance members will meet on a monthly basis, facilitated by Grow Remote. They say the forum will be an opportunity for members to address the challenges and opportunities they have faced in implementing long-term remote working, as well as sharing their solutions and learnings with other Alliance members. Grow Remote will provide practical advice for members on how to move from reactionary remote working as a result of Covid-19 to embedding remote-first working policies into their organisations. In collaboration with Alliance members, Grow Remote will also develop a playbook and other resources to reach a broader range of employers of all sizes and empower them to follow on the remote working journey. Speaking at the announcement of the Remote Alliance Anne OLeary, CEO of Vodafone Ireland, said: Vodafone Ireland is proud to be part of Grow Remotes Remote Alliance. The impact of Covid-19 gave our organisation an opportunity to test, on a mass scale, what remote working would mean for us, and through extensive internal engagement, we are delighted to be committing to a long-term hybrid model of working. "Our model will give our employees the flexibility they want, while maintaining the opportunity for social interactions and the collaboration and innovation that comes from being together in the office. As such, we can create a more inclusive environment, where we can challenge ourselves to remove any barriers to inequality for our people and our customers, she said. Paddy Hayes, Chief Executive of ESB, said his company is also behind the hybrid working moves. ESB is committed to nurturing a trust-based and agile environment, where our people have the tools, flexibility and autonomy to deliver a secure, affordable, low-carbon energy future. As we emerge from the Covid 19 pandemic, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to empower our people to work smarter, enjoy the benefits of an inclusive, flexible working culture and significantly reduce carbon emissions through remote and hybrid working. Were looking forward to working with other like-minded members of the Remote Alliance to develop solutions that will ensure that remote and hybrid working can become a sustainable part of our business," Mr Hayes said. Grow Remote are encouraging employers of all sizes to consider joining the Remote Alliance journey. Moving to remote working on a long-term basis is a daunting prospect for many companies, particular those without the large resources of bigger organisations," Renate Kohlmann said. "Many employers have invested a great deal of time and effort into planning their post-pandemic workplaces, but they are still uncertain about how it will all work. Thanks to the leadership of our four founding members, companies of all sizes will be able to learn how to overcome barriers to remote working, and Grow Remote will be on hand to provide support and advice, regardless of company size, he added. TWO popular food and travel enthusiasts have published a list of the best pubs in Limerick. One well-know city establishment received a noteworthy hat-tip as the perfect model of how pubs in Ireland should be run. New Jersey born Eric and Amber Hoffman have been frequenting the Limerick pub-scene since their first trip to the Emerald-Isle together in 1999. Leaving their corporate jobs in the United States nine years ago, they decided to travel the world together in search of the best food and drink across the globe, documenting their adventures on their blog. The couple are now living indefinitely on the North Circular Road in Limerick, having returned to the county where Erics mother, Mary Long of Janesboro, grew up before crossing the Atlantic in 1953. He said: I remember our first trip to Ireland, when our uncle bought us All-Ireland hurling semi-final tickets to Croke Park. There were no helmets then. All we could think at the time was is everyone here nuts? Eric and Amber's love for local Limerick people and experiences led to the initial best pub in Limerick list in 2015, and later in 2017. This year, the compilation is seen as a living and breathing document to be updated, detailing the best pubs that the pair enjoy visiting in their spare time and where they have become close friends with the owners. Last time it was tongue and cheek. This time it was done as a thank you to pub owners in Limerick for what they have endured. To watch your friends for 18 months, face the carrot being pulled in front of them, was really hard. Our business suffered, just like them, as nobody was searching for travel online, conceded Eric. The Food and Drink Destinations travel writer mentioned Mother Macs, Patsy Flannerys, Flannerys on Shannon Street, Fennessys Pub, Timmy Martins pub as well as Treaty City Brewery and Crew Brewing Company in the 2021 list. Despite Irelands reputation for drink, one thing we realized during lockdown is that the enthusiasm to return to pubs, is not about the drink itself, but about having good craic and a laugh with friends. All the pubs here have that, and so far, we have received great feedback on our list. Limerick people are very honest, like those from New Jersey back home, where they will tell you exactly where you stand. Eric, whos Tweets reached an more than 85,000 people, believes that pubs like Mother Macs are the way forward and a business model he would like to see other Limerick establishments follow. They have no TV and have really embraced supporting local, such as craft brewers and whiskey makers. They have a great relationship with Treaty City Brewery. I would also like to see more micro-breweries like Crew. They took a gamble coming from Belfast and setting up here, but they absolutely nailed it. James and Mike of Mother Macs welcomed the praise and insisted that a vibrant city centre pub scene is vital to retain and grow a strong tourism market. Reflecting on the feel of the Upper Denmark Street Public House, they said: The pub is more about the personal connections, conversations and interactions. Erics Positive feedback is fantastic for us and helps motivate our staff to keep doing the fantastic job they do every day. Dara of Fennessy's Pub also added: "Its great to be able to welcome our friends and customers back, some of whom have been coming in for decades for the pints, the craic and the banter." To read the Best Pubs in Limerick Post, click here. A SENIOR official with Irish Water has confirmed a boil notice which has been in place on the water supply in Fedamore for more than 18 months will be lifted in the near future. Margaret Attridge, Regional Asset Operations Manager with the State-owned utility, was responding to questions from Deputy Richard O'Donoghue when she appeared before an Oireachtas Committee. "Fedamore, County Limerick has had a boil notice for 18 months and it is going round in circles. Those 18 months have cost people in houses there between 40 and 50 to bring fresh water into the house for a family of four. That is not acceptable," the independent TD told the Joint Committee on Housing Local Government and Heritage. In response, Ms Attridge confirmed the required works have been completed and that the notice will be lifted shortly. "There was an issue with the capacity of the borehole to deliver water to Fedamore and we had to install new infrastructure. The works are now complete. We have drilled a new borehole. That is going through commissioning and will be operational soon," she said. "As the Deputy knows, in that area of Limerick, the supply is from groundwater, which is at its lowest at this time of year. We are making sure, before we lift that boil water notice, that the new borehole is resilient. It will be a matter of weeks before that boil water notice is lifted. I know it has been a long time but we are nearly there with the Fedamore solution," she added. Niall Gleeson, Managing Director of Irish Water said there have been challenges solving the issue. "I know it is frustrating and that 18 months is a long time but we have structural challenges. The vast majority of these long-term challenges are tied up in planning or infrastructure improvements," he told Deputy O'Donoghue. Separately, Mr Gleeson agreed to make enquiries in relation to the delay in issuing a service agreement which has prevented works from starting on a 56-house development in Croom. A NEW superintendent has been appointed to the Bruff garda district, it has been confirmed. Supt Paul Reidy, a former heard of the Roads Policing Unit in Limerick, replaces Supt John Ryan who has been transferred to the Kilrush district in West Clare. Supt Ryan, who is originally Holycross in Tipperary has served in Bruff since August 2019 while Supt Reidy has been stationed in the Dublin Metropolitan Region since he was promoted from the rank of inspector last summer. Prior to his promotion, he had spent a number of years working in the Limerick division and served at several garda stations across the city and county. The Garda Press Office says the management changes, which take immediate effect, have arisen as a result of promotions following a recent internal competition. Earlier this month, Chief Superintendent Gerard Roche told the Limerick Joint Policing Committee that Inspector Andrew Lacey who is currently attached to the Newcastle West garda district is on the promotion list. It's expected his promotion to superintendent will be confirmed before the end this year. LIMERICK woman Josephine Feehily has been appointed as the first chair of the Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest which will open its doors on Friday. A native of Ferrybridge in Clarina, Ms Feehily has previously served as chair of both the Revenue Commissioners and the Policing Authority. She also received an Honorary Doctorate from University of Limerick in 2016. Her appointment as chair of the country's newest university was made by Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science Simon Harris. She will be joined on the governing body by John Griffin, chair of the Board and CEO of Ericsson in Ireland, a multi-national company which is a major employer in Athlone and Colette Ryan who has over 30 years experience in the pharmaceutical industry, as external members of the governing body. George OCallaghan, Chief Executive of the Limerick & Clare Education and Training Board will also serve on the authority as the nominee of all three Education and Training Boards in whose areas the TU multi-campuses are located. The TU, which will replace LIT and AIT, can have between 14 to 22 members in total on the governing body including the first President, Professor Vincent Cunnane who currently heads up Limerick Institute of Technology. The first governing body appointed by Minister Harris is now charged with establishing and implementing the requisite election and appointment procedures to fill the remaining posts on the governing body from cohorts including undergraduate and postgraduate students, academic and non-academic staff, as well as a number of additional external members. The appointments announced this Tuesday, take effect from October 1 and the appointees have six months in which to fulfil the requirements necessary to form the entirety of the governing body membership. Minister of State for Further Education and Skills Niall Collins commented: This is another key step in the establishment of the new TU and people of this high calibre and experience sitting on the governing body including chair Josephine Feehily and President designate Cunnane puts the university on a hugely firm footing and in a great position to deliver its functions in areas such as higher education access, teaching and learning excellence, research capacity building and regional development. A NEW chairman has been announced for Shannon group. It was confirmed this lunchtime that Transport Minister Eamon Ryan will appoint former Aer Arann chief executive Padraig O Ceidigh to head up the group, which has Shannon Airport at its heart. He's to formally take up the three-year appointment following his appearance before the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications. Mr Ryan highlighted the extensive experience and sectoral knowledge Mr O Ceidigh will bring to this important role, at what is a challenging time for Shannon Group and the aviation sector. "I am pleased that Padraig O Ceidigh will be the new chairperson of Shannon Group plc. Padraig brings a wealth of experience from the aviation sector, as an entrepreneur and as a board member, and I am confident that he will be a good fit in this role with Shannon Group. I wish him every success as he takes on the challenge of leading the company out of the pandemic towards a brighter future," he said. Limerick TD Kieran O'Donnell, who chairs the Oireachtas transport committee added: "Mr O Ceidigh has a proven track record in business and more particularly in aviation, which has to be the key focus for the Shannon group. Furthermore, being from the western seaboard gives him a keen understanding of the environment in which Shannon Airport operates. In this new role of chair of the Shannon Group, Mr O Ceidigh will bring his vast entrepreneurial experience and practical in-depth of knowledge of aviation in what is a very challenging time for Shannon Airport as it emerges from the heavy impact of the Covid pandemic." The chief executive of the Shannon group Mary Considine added: "His wealth of business experience in the aviation sector in particular, will be of immense support to Shannon group. Our focus now is on continuing to rebuild vital air services for the people and businesses in this region who rely on Shannon for air connectivity. We are doing this by working with our aviation partners to build on the success we have had to-date. There is a long journey ahead for aviation recovery, but I am confident that with the right supports and the hard work of the entire team here, we will see Shannon thrive again." Commenting on his appointment, the businessman said: "Shannon Airport is a vital economic engine for the Shannon region and wider west of Ireland economy. It is imperative that Shannon group is supported in its recovery, and I am deeply committed to working with the chief executive and board to ensure this happens. The revitalisation of the airport is important not only for the staff who work there, but for the thousands of people who rely on Shannons air connectivity for their business and livelihoods." Mr O Ceidigh has held senior management positions including chief executive office and chairman of Aer Arann for some 26 years. He is a former winner of the Ernst and Young (EY) Entrepreneur of the Year Award and represented Ireland at the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year. The role of chairman of Shannon group has been vacant almost two years following the end of Rose Hynes's term. She subsequently joined the Irish Aviation Authority. The appointment was made last February of Aaron Forde, before this was cancelled a short time later. THE National Transport Authority and Bus Eireann have been criticised for a failure to provide bus services to six schools in Limerick city. And, further frustration has been expressed over the condition of "decrepit" signage at bus stops throughout the city. In a motion, put before this months metropolitan district meeting, Cllr Sarah Kiely raised the issue of the NTAs failure to follow up on a commitment made in March to instate bus routes serving six schools. A concentration of educational establishments on the Roxboro Road and Sexton Street currently has no bus service, including Colaiste Nano Nagle, CBS Secondary School, Presentation Primary School, St Michaels National School, St Augustines Special School and Central College Limerick. Pre-pandemic, the 303 bus service ran every 30 minutes to these schools. The only way to change outcomes in communities like these is through education, Cllr Kiely expressed. If we cant get people to school safely, we are failing them. The NTA had given a commitment back in March that this service was going to be restored to Roxboro Road. They also gave a commitment that a stop would be installed at the Roxboro Roundabout at the Roxboro Shopping Centre," she added. Cllr Kiely says having proper bus services is vital for the elderly and people with mobility issues from the southside who need to access doctors, dentists, pharmacies, the library and shops. The City East Fine Gael Councillor told the meeting that continual contact with the NTA in relation to the matter has proved unsuccessful. She also added that Bus Eireann stressed that the NTA has not given the go-ahead for the new routes which were promised in March. We are forever talking about communities being connected and that is part of the Regeneration plan. This is another example of how a Government-appointed organisation, in the NTA, have not delivered yet again. The NTA, at this stage, are as useful as a chocolate teapot and we need to get them in here to restore this service. Calls were made to implement a similar structure to a Joint Policing Committee or Strategic Policy Committee which would invite the NTA and Bus Eireann into the chamber four times per year to answer questions regarding route changes, the connection of new housing estates throughout the city and third level institution bus services. Cllr Kiely seconded a supported motion from Cllr Joe Leddin, where he stated that decrepit bus signage was rusting away throughout the city. Ive also had representation about new signage coming in or being placed around by Bus Eireann. While I welcome that, we have existing signage that is probably as old as the year of the flood on certain streets in the city and they need the entire sign or pole replaced, the Labour party elected member concluded. By Anthony Doerr Scribner. 626 pp. $30 - - - Librarians and bookworms throughout time are the heroes of Anthony Doerr's exceedingly busy new novel, "Cloud Cuckoo Land." Think of it as a triptych love letter to the millions of readers who made his previous novel, the Pulitzer Prize-winning "All the Light We Cannot See," a phenomenal bestseller. Once again, Doerr presents young people caught in the fires of war, but his stage this time around is far vaster than the plight of two children during World War II. "Cloud Cuckoo Land" struts across (BEGIN ITAL)millennia(END ITAL). Wear comfortable shoes and remember to stay hydrated. This is a big novel of people thinking big thoughts. The earliest action takes place in the mid-15th century when Omeir, an ostracized boy with a cleft palate, is conscripted into the Ottoman army and becomes a reluctant witness to one of history's most consequential battles. The new sultan is marching on Constantinople with a set of mighty cannons that may allow him to breach the city's ancient walls. (Spoiler alert: He does.) After cleaning army latrines, Omeir "wonders at the mystery of how one god can manage the thoughts and terrors of so many." Meanwhile, as preparation for that military assault grinds on, an orphan named Anna works at an embroidery house inside Constantinople. Like the young oxherd outside the city walls, she considers profound questions, too, like "How do men convince themselves that others must die so they might live?" Desperate to raise money to heal her sickly sister, Anna starts plucking ancient manuscripts from an abandoned priory at the edge of the city and selling them to well-heeled Italian book collectors. They work for a pre-Google nobleman who dreams of erecting "a library to contain every text ever written, a library to last until the end of time, and his books will be free to anyone." But Anna keeps one literary treasure for herself: a comic allegory called "Cloud Cuckoo Land," written more than a thousand years earlier by the Greek writer Antonius Diogenes. Highly fragmented pages of this ancient (fictional) codex are interlaced throughout Doerr's novel. They describe the ordeals of a shepherd who turns into various animals. Some nights, Anna thinks that reading these tales aloud is the only thing keeping her sister alive. This seems unlikely to me. Some 500 years later, Zeno, an American soldier from Idaho, is captured during the Korean War. He has only the most anxious understanding of his own sexuality, but in a North Korean prison camp, he befriends a handsome British soldier who used to teach classics in England. "Of all the mad things we humans do, there might be nothing more humbling, or more noble, than trying to translate the dead languages," Zeno's friend says. "But in the attempt, in trying to drag something across the river from the murk of history into our time, into our language: that was the best kind of fool's errand." Under his friend's tutelage, Zeno begins to understand the saving grace of those ancient adventures about Ulysses and Achilles. "Because if it's told well enough," he says, "for as long as the story lasts, you get to slip the trap." Long after he returns home and retires, Zeno volunteers to direct a group of fifth-graders in a play to be performed in an Idaho public library. The children's script is drawn from a translation of the now-famous Diogenes manuscript known as "Cloud Cuckoo Land." And far off in our apocalyptic future when planet Earth is ruined, we follow 14-year-old Konstance, who's on an intergalactic spaceship called Argos, zipping along at 5 million miles an hour toward Beta Oph2. The ship is controlled by Sybil, a supercomputer nanny that contains "the collective wisdom of our species." In deference to that great repository, on Konstance's birthday, everyone sings the Library Day song. To keep her engaged for the rest of her space-bound life, she has a multidirectional treadmill, which sounds even more dangerous than a Peloton, and hundreds of scraps of an ancient story called "Cloud Cuckoo Land." Amid all the dramatic battles being fought in this novel -- past, present and future -- one remains constant: the struggle against literary disintegration. Long before "Don Quixote," an Italian collector is already lamenting, "Day after day, year after year, time wipes the old books from the world." Any one of these stories -- except the sci-fi tale, which has a moldy "Twilight Zone" funk -- might have made a compelling novel. But Doerr has not only packed them together, he's put them in a blender and then laid out the bits in a great scramble, as though his own book were a textual puzzle as complicated as the ancient Diogenes codex. "What really matters," one of the many insightful children proclaims, "is that the story gets passed on." Yes, libraries are awesome, and we all love books. But the artificial convolutedness of "Cloud Cuckoo Land" is not enough to confer any additional depth on Doerr's simple, belabored theme, a theme that thumps through the novel insisting that every character kneel in reverent submission. What's worse, julienning these disparate plots saps them of their natural drama, and no amount of grandiose narration can pump that tension back in. The fall of Constantinople inches forward so deliberately you'll think you're dragging the sultan's great cannon along the ground by yourself. That problem becomes even more acute in the contemporary sections. While Zeno and the children are practicing their theatrical adaptation of "Cloud Cuckoo Land," an eco-terrorist slips into the library carrying a homemade bomb equipped with a cellphone trigger. It's a terrifying setup, but the scenes are laboriously sliced almost into individual breaths. Had I known the cellphone number, I would have dialed it myself. Click here to read the full article. BTF Media and Madrid-based IP management company TheMadMediaCo announced on Tuesday, as Iberseries Platino Industria geared up in Madrid, that they are teaming to co-develop and co-produce Argentine true crime non-fiction novel Magnetized (Magnetizado). In an instance which shows how IP deals are scaling up, the adaptation will be made across a range of media, formats and markets. First up is a podcast, to be followed shortly by a TV fiction series and docuseries. The final book published by Busqued after a short but brilliant career before he died of a heart attack on March 29, Magnetized is hailed as one of the most original, chilling and unclassifiable of Latin America non-fiction novels. That comes with the material and Busqueds treatment of it. Magnetized is based on Busqueds 90 hours of recorded conversation with psychiatric ward inmate Ricardo Melogno decades after Melogno, then a 20-year-old, killed four taxi drivers in Buenos Aires in 1982. Whats so disturbing is that even after 90 hours of conversation, and 35 years to reflect on what hes done, Melogno fails to confess any obvious motivation nor pleasure for his crimes, though Busqued begins to grasp some kind of narrative to them and Melognos life before. With impressive literary skill, Magnetized first follows and then subverts all true crime, serial killer genre conventions in an intelligent, fascinating, and chilling way, BTF Media and TheMadMediaCo commented Tuesday. Melognos mind and deeds defy every single forensic and psychiatric category and [suggest] how challenging it is to apprehend horror at its deepest level in the human soul, they added. Magnetized is a book beyond any recognizable model, beyond genre and without anesthesia. Neither crime novel, nor dirty realism, nor chronicle, nor reportage, nor nonfiction. Busqued has just invented a disjointed genre, crude as the stark reality that inspires him, Graciela Speranza wrote in Argentinas El Comercial when the book was published in 2018. Busqued was working on his third novel when struck down. His first work, Under the Sun, short-listed for the prestigious Heralde Award, was adapted as a film, The Other Brother, by New Argentine Cinema luminary Israel Adrian Caetano. The exceptionality of MagnetizED as a work of literature and the way it is written using recorded conversations between the killer and the writer, forensic reports, press clips, interviews, etc., provides ample opportunities to be developed as premium content across a variety of formats and media, noted Francisco Cordero, BTF Media partner and CEO. Podcast development, using the recorded conversations between the killer and the writer, is at an advanced stage, he said. A TV fiction series and a docuseries will follow soon. The agreement with BTF Media is the best example of our strategy of acquiring, creating, and developing premium IP content for a variety of media as part of our managed portfolio of IPs and partnering with key players in the most important territories and markets, observed Rocio Rodiel, partner and CEO of TheMadMediaCo, praising BTFs creative vision and production knowledge. Few companies have grown and diversified as fast as BTF Media, one of the best connected and most active of independent production houses in Latin America. It has rapidly expanded in formats and geography, opening offices in Spain and Chile, announcing this September the launch of a new Megaseries Unit for fiction series of 26-60 hours It has also driven into film, going into production on La Exorcista in August, for example, while establishing offices in Spain and Chile. Its centerpiece strategy remains IP, however. BTF Media broke out thanks to smash hit Juan Gabriel bio-series Until I Met You, earning it an International Emmy nomination, and Selenas Secret, based on non-fiction work by Maria Celeste Arraras. Both were produced with Disney Media Distribution, BTF has now powered into series adaptations of famed Spanish-movies The Others, Nine Queens. Maradona: Blessed Dream premieres on Amazon Prime Video on Oct. 29. Cordero and Erik Barmack feature in an Iberseries Platino Industria panel, IPs, the Battle for the Stories, held on Sept. 29. In it they will analyze the surge of IP-based production. The panel is moderated by Variety. Click here to read the full article. Leading Indian actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui (Sacred Games) is buzzing. He has just been nominated for a best actor international Emmy for Sudhir Mishras Netflix film Serious Men. Siddiquis next big international splash is with Bangladeshi director Mostofa Sarwar Farookis No Lands Man, where he plays the lead. The film has its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival, where it is nominated for the prestigious Kim Ji-seok award. Farookis Television closed Busan in 2012. The filmmaker has been in the vanguard of Bangladeshs new wave movement with films like Doob No Bed of Roses (2017) and Saturday Afternoon (2019). No Lands Man arose from an idea about identity that Farooki presented to Siddiqui at Kolkata some six years ago. Siddiqui plays a man known as Naveen, or Sameer, who cannot tell the truth about anything, including his name, nationality, religion, family, and past, as he is harboring a potentially devastating secret. The film is set between the U.S., India, Pakistan and Australia. Sometimes I feel, which continent do I belong to? and I am filled with a sense of loneliness. It is this idea that Farooki had and that is that motivated me to work with him, and obviously his body of work, Siddiqui tells Variety. As we progress as a race, we regress and become narrow-minded and we get divided by group-ism and caste-ism. It feels harsh we as human beings on this planet, it is our job to keep it safe and preserve and make the planet beautiful. But as individuals we are more divided than ever and that is scary and dangerous. No Lands Man won the MPAA and Asia Pacific Screen Awards Script Development fund bursary in 2014. It was later part of the Asian Project Market at Busan and was also chosen as the best project at Indias Film Bazaar. The film is a production by U.S. outfit Dialectic (Screwdriver) and Bangladeshs Chabial (Television), in association with Bangladeshs Sun Music & Motion Pictures (Lalon) and Bongo BD, Bangladeshs largest streamer. Oscar winning composer A.R. Rahman is on board as an executive producer and composer. No Lands Man is the first time that Siddiqui is personally taking a producing credit on a feature film. I thought this is our film. It is as much my film as it is Farookis or it is Rahmans, and it needs to get made. That was the thought behind my boarding the project as a producer, says Siddiqui. The cast of No Mans Land also includes Australian actor Megan Mitchell, Bangladeshi musician and actor Tahsan Rahman Khan and Indias Eisha Chopra. Siddiqui spoke with Variety in London, where he has wrapped his part playing the antagonist in Bollywood film Heropanti 2, starring Tiger Shroff. Apart from big pay check Bollywood titles, the prolific actor decided over the pandemic that he is focusing on quality over quantity. He was very picky selecting from the 110 scripts that he received during Indias various lockdowns and consequently has an eclectic slate coming up. These include love story Tiku Weds Sheru, produced by Bollywood A-lister Kangana Ranaut; comedy Jogira Sara Ra Ra and thriller Sangeen. He also has a few projects that he isnt able to talk about yet. And as he considers an expanding career in the West, Siddiqui, who has been in the Emmy winning McMafia and the Emmy nominated Sacred Games, is now considering seeking professional representation. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. In 2006, Haskell Wexler made a documentary about brutally long hours on film sets entitled Who Needs Sleep? The issue had become a flashpoint years earlier, when Brent Hershman died in a car crash after working a 19-hour day on the set of Pleasantville. Wexler wanted to know why nothing had been done. In the film, he adopted a Roger & Me pose only his villain wasnt some big corporation. Instead, he hammered his own union, the International Assn. of Theatrical Stage Employees. He ambushed the international president at an awards banquet and accused him of neglecting the issue and of stifling advocacy about it. To this date, Wexler said in the film, leadership has been unresponsive. How things have changed. Long hours are now the central issue in talks between IATSE and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. The union is seeking meal breaks and longer turnaround times between production days, arguing that crews are getting worn down due to high demand for streaming content. Those negotiations have stalled, bringing the union to the brink of declaring the first nationwide strike in its 128-year history. The 47,000 members of the 13 West Coast locals are set to begin voting on Oct. 1 on whether to authorize a strike. The result is expected to be announced on Oct. 4. A yes vote would give IATSE President Matthew D. Loeb the power to bring TV and film production in the United States to a standstill largely over the issue that Wexler championed until his death in 2015. Film crews have worked 14-hour days, or longer, for generations. For many workers, those hours have been a badge of honor, proof of superior stamina and commitment to the craft. But that attitude has shifted significantly in recent years. The culture of the entire country is changing in terms of work-life balance, says John Lindley, the president of the International Cinematographers Guild Local 600. People realize their lives are as important to them as their work. Lindley was the cinematographer on Pleasantville, and Hershman was his second assistant. In the years after Hershmans death, Lindley and others worked to draw attention to sleep deprivation caused by excessive hours. Its an ongoing problem, and it has not really been addressed, Lindley tells Variety. Roderick Stevens, a cinematographer and artist, launched a nonprofit in 2004 called 12on/12off, which advocated for capping workdays at 12 hours. He says many crew members opposed the idea, given that they could reap substantial overtime pay from longer days. People got used to these insane hours, and they got used to those paychecks, Stevens says. Quality of life is something you think about when youre older, when youve gotten divorced and you dont know your kids. He says the union didnt prioritize the issue because the major concern at the time was runaway production. Labor leaders worried that restricting schedules would give productions one more excuse to flee to Canada or Europe, he explains. The irony is that in most other countries they wont tolerate these work hours, he says. For many, the pandemic brought a fresh perspective and a new urgency to the issue. Production was shut down for months, and when it returned, the unions pushed a 10-hour work day previously unheard of to protect crews immune systems. That didnt last long, but it suggested that real change was possible. If COVID has taught us something, its that we need to pause and rethink how were doing a lot of things, says Katie Sponseller, a production coordinator. It doesnt have to be this way. Much of the energy behind the issue has come from younger workers, who are less inclined to see arduous or abusive conditions as a necessary rite of passage. Thats how people are weeded out, Sponseller says. Were asking who can mentally put themselves through a certain amount of torture for however long. The @ia_stories Instagram account has become a place where workers talk about the punishing schedules and build solidarity for a strike. For the younger generation of film workers, they want to have a life as well as a work life, Lindley says. Thats a generational shift and Im grateful for it. They provide a lot of energy at this moment when we need it. Whether this contract will lead to a wholesale change in the industry is another question. The unions demands on hours have been modest 10 hours of downtime between shifts for every worker on every production. Some classifications already have that; for others the turnaround is eight or nine hours. It would be a small gain, but its not the dream of 12 on, 12 off. The unions are also seeking to force productions to take meal breaks. Productions are required to pay a penalty if there is no break. Many simply pay it and provide a rolling lunch, where workers eat standing up. IATSE wants to hike the penalty to a level where productions would choose to take the break instead but thats a tough sell. For now, few expect a strike to happen. But the union has taken a much harder line than it has in any previous negotiation, and its hard to say precisely how it will play out. The demands are quite reasonable, says Andy Kennedy-Derkay, a second assistant cameraman. Weve been pushed into uncharted territory. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Click here to read the full article. Busans Asian Film Maker of the Year Award has become almost indistinguishable from a lifetime achievement award. But that need not diminish either the recipient or the festival. Im Kwon-taek is arguably the best-known South Korean film director to have straddled both the modern era and the earlier time when the country and the film industry were under more authoritarian control. At 85, Im is not only one of the oldest working directors, he has also been one of the most prolific. In a career that stretches from a 1962 debut with Farewell Duman River to 2014 title Revivre (aka Hwajang) he has made 102 features. Born in provincial Gwangju in 1934, Im made his way to Busan and, eventually, Seoul where he found work initially as a production assistant. For the first two decades of his directing career, he earned a reputation as a reliable journeyman, able to deliver films according to the military governments annual quota, without any particular specific artistic flair. He is considered to have made a breakthrough into a more artistic period with the 1981 title Mandala about Buddhist monks. From then on, he developed a storytelling style that conveys more of Koreas history and culture, as well as touching on taboo subjects echoing popular sentiments and opinions on philosophy, religion and morality. In 2000 and 2002, he directed two of the leading titles of the New Korean Wave, Chunhyang and Chihwaseon (Painted Fire), both of which played at Cannes. Chunhyang represented a return to a favorite subject, Pansori, a simple oral and musical stage tradition which he previously explored in Seopyonje. Chihwaseon featured the incomparable Choi Min-sik raging as a 19th century painter battling alcoholism and a repressive regime. It earned Im the best director award at Cannes in a tie with Paul Thomas Anderson. Ims most recent feature, Revivre was based on a short story, From Powder to Powder by Kim Hoon. It tells a story of a marketing executive of a cosmetics in his mid-fifties juggling work and caring for his ailing cancer-stricken wife. The man becomes conflicted when he develops feelings for a young new addition to his marketing team. The film premiered in out of competition at the Venice film festival that year and earned the best film prize at Koreas Baeksang Arts Awards in 2015. In Korea, Im holds the record for 13 best film awards including the Baeksang, Blue Dragon Film and Daejong Film Awards. His honorary titles include: the UNESCO Fellini Gold Medal in 2002, paying tribute for Ims exhaustive efforts to boost the art of film; and the Chevalier de lOrdre de la Legion dHonneur, from the French government in 2007. Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. ATLANTA (AP) An initial proposal to redraw Georgias congressional districts appears to give Republicans a better chance of winning a suburban Atlanta congressional district now held by Democrat Lucy McBath, but raises a number of other questions. The map was released Monday by Senate redistricting chair John Kennedy and Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, both Republicans. There was no accompanying data, making it impossible to exactly judge what the map would do. Beyond the changes to McBaths 6th District, it would make the suburban Atlanta 7th District much safer for Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux and draw Republican Andrew Clyde out of northeast Georgias 9th Congressional District into a reconfigured 10th Congressional District. It's hard to tell how seriously to take the map. In any event, state House members will have their own proposals and the two GOP-led chambers will have to reach an agreement. Gov. Brian Kemp last week set Nov. 3 as the starting date for an upcoming special session. Lawmakers must redraw electoral districts at least once every 10 years following the U.S. Census to equalize populations. The process helps determine which party will hold power for the following decade. Activists had clamored for lawmakers to release draft maps far enough in advance of the session for meaningful public comment, but Republicans had seemed to indicate that was unlikely. That makes Monday's release a surprise, more than a month before the session's start. Duncan and Kennedy, both Republicans, said they were committed to continuing the practice of transparency and fairness," qualities seldom associated with past Georgia redistricting processes. The states overall population rose nearly 10% to 10.7 million people over the last decade, but Census results showed uneven growth, with most new residents concentrated in the Atlanta area and around Savannah. Most rural areas lost population. Republicans now have an 8-6 majority on Georgia's current congressional map, down from 10-4 a decade ago after McBath captured suburban Atlanta's 6th District and Bourdeaux captured suburban Atlanta's 7th District. For the first time in more than 50 years, Georgia starts redistricting without federal oversight. A Supreme Court ruling in 2013 removed mandatory federal approval of new maps for Georgia and all or parts of 15 other states with a history of discrimination in voting. Republicans are under pressure to redraw at least one congressional district to be more GOP-leaning. The state Senate's proposed map reaches to put McBath's district in the Republican column, putting all of Forsyth County, and parts of northern Fulton and northeastern Cobb into the 6th District. The 7th would become more securely Democratic, encompassing the southern two-thirds of Gwinnett County. Clyde's home in Jackson County is drawn out of the 9th District and into a reshaped 10th District that shifts northward to center much more on Athens. U.S. Representatives, unlike Georgia state lawmakers, arent required to live in the district they represent. The current representative of the 10th District, Republican Jody Hice, is stepping down to run for Secretary of State, making it easier for lawmakers to cut up his district if they choose. The new 9th District, including parts of northern Gwinnett County, could be an open seat and heavily Republican. The 12th District, now held by Republican Rick Allen, becomes centered on the Augusta area, adding the remainder of Columbia County, part of Baldwin County, and all of Glascock, Jefferson, McDuffie, Warren, Washington and Wilkinson counties. It gives up Appling, Coffee, Jeff Davis and Wheeler counties. Southwest Georgia's 2nd District, held by longtime Democratic incumbent Sanford Bishop, is the Georgia district that needs to gain the most people, being 92,000 below the ideal population of 765,000. To get there, it adds the rest of Muscogee and parts of Harris and Houston counties. All the other districts have some changes, but wouldn't be much different than now. ___ Follow Jeff Amy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jeffamy. MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) The father of a University of Alabama student who killed herself after reporting she was raped has settled a lawsuit against the man she had accused. Details of the settlement between Michael Rondini, of Austin, Texas, and T.J. Bunn Jr. were not released, The Tuscaloosa News reported. Rondini and his wife filed a wrongful death suit in 2017 that accused Bunn of contributing to their daughters suicide. Megan Rondini killed herself in February 2016, eight months after she reported that Bunn had sexually assaulted her. Bunn, who is from a prominent Tuscaloosa family, denied that allegation, saying they had had consensual sex. Court records show the settlement was reached during court-ordered mediation on Sept. 17, three days before a federal trial had been scheduled, the newspaper said. A Tuscaloosa grand jury had declined to indict Bunn on criminal charges. The Rondinis initially sued the University of Alabama and law enforcement, alleging a university therapist failed to properly support their daughter. The university settled with the family in 2018, agreeing to put $450,000 toward a scholarship and a new program to care for victims of sexual assault. Rondini's wife, Cindy Rondini, died in 2019. The Alabama Supreme Court in May allowed the case against Bunn to move forward, saying it was not barred by the fact that Megan Rondini took her own life. Megan Rondini was a 20-year-old junior when she met Bunn at a Tuscaloosa bar, according to the suit. It alleged that she was sexually assaulted at his home, possibly after being drugged. AUSTIN, Texas (AP) Facing up to Texas' booming suburbs turning bluer, Republicans on Monday proposed new U.S. House maps that would fortify their slipping grip and shrink the number of seats where the majority of voters are Hispanic even as they fuel the state's blistering growth. Texas was a big winner in the 2020 Census. Its surging population, driven by nearly 2 million new Hispanic residents, made it the only state awarded two additional congressional seats. Texas will now have 38 House members, and 40 electoral votes. But Democrats and minority rights groups accused GOP mapmakers of tossing aside those rapidly shifting demographic trends that are threatening decades of Republican dominance. Persons of color accounted for more than nine of every 10 new Texas residents over the last decade, but the proposal reduces the number of Hispanic majority districts from eight to seven. There would also be no districts with a majority of Black residents under the proposed maps, which are likely to undergo revisions. But outnumbered Democrats in the Texas Capitol have no power to force drastic changes. It is not fair, it is not right, it is not Texan or American to do that, said Domingo Garcia, president of the League of United Latin American Citizens, referring to how the maps divide up Hispanic voters. On the whole, Republicans showed an overarching desire under the proposed maps to protect their nearly two dozen incumbent House members rather than peel away seats from Democrats. One notable exception is along the Texas-Mexico border, where Republicans encouraged by former President Donald Trumps strong showing there in 2020 are taking aim at a longtime Democratic stronghold currently held by Rep. Vicente Gonzalez. Also Monday, the Oregon Legislature passed congressional maps that include a new, sixth U.S. House seat the state gained following the latest census. The new maps, passed by the Democratic-controlled House and Senate by party line votes, could net the majority party in the state an additional U.S. House representative. The boundaries include four U.S. House seats that either are safe Democratic or lean in the partys favor, one reliably red seat and one seat that could be a toss-up. And in Georgia some state Senate Republicans in Georgia released a proposed map that could shift one of Georgias 14 congressional seats from Democrats to Republicans. Republicans now hold an 8-6 majority of the seats, down from 10-4 after 2010. The proposal appears to give the GOP a better chance of winning a suburban Atlanta congressional district now held by Democrat Lucy McBath. Beyond changes to McBaths 6th District, the plan would make the now-competitive suburban Atlanta 7th District much safer for Democrat Carolyn Bourdeaux. Georgia state House members will have their own proposals and the two chambers must agree when a redistricting session begins Nov. 3. The maps are the product of Texas and Georgia Republicans wielding a newly freer hand to reengineer political boundaries: For the first time in more than 50 years, some states are starting the redistricting process without federal oversight. A Supreme Court ruling in 2013 removed mandatory federal approval of new maps for Texas, Georgia and all or parts of 14 other states with a history of discrimination in voting. In every decade since the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965, courts or the Department of Justice have ruled that Texas redistricting plans violated federal laws partly by scattering Democratic-leaning Latino voters among multiple districts dominated by non-Latino white residents who lean Republican. It looks like they packed more Democratic voters into fewer districts and sort of spread the Republican voters across more districts," said Adam Podowitz-Thomas, senior legal strategist at the Princeton Gerrymandering Project, a nonpartisan research organization. He said multiple Texas districts seemed to have been drawn to include a safe 60% to 70% majority Republican vote share that would preserve GOP control. But a new congressional district in the states liberal capital was a Democratic vote sink," said Podowitz-Thomas, one that would insulate surrounding Republicans House members by taking some of their left-leaning voters. Another proposed new district in Houston is drawn to elect a Republican, meaning both parties would split Texas' new seats. Republicans currently have 23 House seats in Texas, while Democrats have 13. Latino advocates and officeholders believed the numbers demanded at least one new Latino-majority congressional seat in Texas, around the Dallas area, but none was included in the Republicans' first pass. Booming suburban districts in Texas, which include four of the 10 fastest-growing and rapidly diversifying cities in the U.S., would be fortified with more voters pulled from surrounding rural areas. Brenden Steinhauser, a GOP strategist in Texas, said the maps reflect a motivation to hang onto political power. He pointed to the proposed new district of Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, whose seat would be buffeted by shedding voters in Houston's fast-changing voters suburbs. I think this will stave off some of this purple trending weve see for a while, he said. The maps are the product of Texas Republicans wielding a freer hand to reengineer political boundaries: For the first time in more than 50 years, Texas is starting the redistricting process without federal oversight. A Supreme Court ruling in 2013 removed mandatory federal approval of new maps for Texas and all or parts of 15 other states with a history of discrimination in voting. The redrawn Texas districts unveiled by Republican mapmakers are starting points and will likely undergo changes in the coming weeks before being sent to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott for his signoff. Republicans in America's biggest red state want to expand their political advantage as their typically commanding victories in Texas have become thinner. Last year, Trump carried Ohio by a wider margin than Texas, and Republicans got a scare in 2018 when Democrats flipped a dozen statehouse seats and Beto O'Rourke nearly ousted Sen. Ted Cruz. But Republicans held their ground in Texas in 2020, emboldening them to mount an aggressive agenda of hot-button conservative policymaking, and gains along the predominately Hispanic southern border have spurred the GOP into trying to expand their reach. ___ AP writer Jeff Amy contributed from Atlanta. Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) A child has died after being infected with a rare brain-eating amoeba that was found at a Texas splash pad he had visited, and a review discovered lapses in water-quality testing at several parks, officials said Monday. Officials in Arlington, located between Dallas and Fort Worth, said the city and Tarrant County Public Health were notified on Sept. 5 that a child had been hospitalized with primary amebic meningoencephalitis, a rare and often fatal infection caused by the naegleria fowleri ameba. The boy, who was not identified by officials, died at the hospital on Sept. 11. A Minister of State is backing a new campaign to get farmers in Longford and across the country to grow potatoes to supply takeaways ahead. Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Senator Pippa Hackett has welcomed a new initiative which is aimed at helping Irish potato growers get their produce into Irish chip shops. Board Bia says that Ireland, despite being a nation famous for potatoes and growing circa 300,000 tonnes per annum for domestic consumption, imports 80,000 tonnes, or 45 million worth, of potatoes per annum, with 64,000 (33 million) tonnes coming from the UK (source: CSO 2019). It says the majority of these fresh potato imports are used by chip shop owners of which there are currently over 530 independent chip shops in Ireland. Meadowfresh Foods based in Tallow, Co Waterford and O'Shea Farms/Iverk Produce, based in Piltown, Co. Kilkenny have joined forces to become Irelands first dedicated fresh chipping potato packer and distributor. Minister Hackett opened the new distribution centre on a visit their new purpose built storage facility. A storage facility which maintains the correct sugar and starch levels in potatoes, as well as keeping them fresh beyond the winter period, is absolutely key to producing the quality that is needed in good chipping potatoes. So the development of such a facility, along with the official opening today of Irelands first dedicated potato packer and distributor focusing on the exclusive growing of potatoes for chipping, is a real opportunity for Irish growers to supply home-grown potatoes for the Irish chip shop market. "Growing chipping potatoes is a specialist operation, and the market for them is valued at approximately 20 million per year. I think the Irish consumer, given the choice , will really appreciate businesses that support local growers. This is a welcome development which will shorten the supply chain and bring plant bio security benefits, making it a significant step forward for the sector. I would like to congratulate all involved and I look forward to seeing how the initiative progresses over the coming years, she said. In 2019, as part of the chipping potato project, Bord Bia says undertook consumer and trade research to understand both the Irish consumer and independent chip shop owners perspective. The research revealed that over 66% of Irish consumers (2 in 3) incorrectly assume that the potatoes used to make the majority of chipper chips come from Ireland. Approximately 3 in 4 are likely to support a chipper that sources locally grown potatoes. A further 70% would consider it useful to know the country of origin of the potatoes used in their usual chipper through signage or recognised marks. Texture of the chips, reputation of chipper and the appearance of chips were cited as the most important factors in making great chipper chips. From the trade side, Lorcan Bourke, Fresh Produce and Potato Manager, Bord Bia was encouraged by the research findings. Some chip shop owners have already successfully put a local supply chain relationship in place, demonstrating that Irish growers can grow chipping potatoes of excellent quality. Many of the chip shop owners working with locally grown potatoes saw local supply as a great advantage in their communications with customers. I firmly believe it is a win-win situation and would encourage any grower or chip shop owner willing to support the initiative to get in touch or visit our webpage (bordbia.ie/ sourcechips) with a view to establishing new trading relationships. Mr. Bourke concluded Todays launch is particularly timely, as we prepare to celebrate National Potato Day on Friday October 1st. Other findings in the Bord Bia research from the nationally representative online survey was carried out by Coyne Research amongst 1,000 adults aged 18+. Circa 1 in 4 Irish adults go to traditional chippers to buy chips at least on a weekly basis. Males and Millennials (23-37) go to the chipper to buy chips most often. Reputation of chipper and the appearance of chips are the most important factors that make up great chipper chips. There is a lack of awareness of where the majority of potatoes used to make chipper chips come from. Approximately 3 in 4 are likely to support a chipper that sources locally grown potatoes to make their chips. Circa 7 in 10 would consider it useful to know the country of origin of the potatoes used in their usual chipper indicated through signage or recognised marks (e.g. Bord Bia Quality Mark) within the chipper. Mary Mallon, the woman once dubbed the most harmless, yet the most dangerous woman in America, was an Irish cook who worked for the upper echelons of New York society in the early 1900s. Her fall from grace occurred when she was identified as an asymptomatic super-spreader of typhoid fever, a disease of the poor and a sickness that struck terror in the rich. She was judged to be such a danger to public health that she was labelled Typhoid Mary and incarcerated on a quarantine island by the city of New York for 26 years. Marys story is not so removed from the challenges and complexities of today's Covid-19 pandemic - that of balancing public health with the rights of the individual. When we started off making this documentary, we certainly had no idea what we might find. And Mary did not disappoint. Hidden records, fascinating newspaper accounts and historic scientific discoveries all gave us a multi-layered insight into her world. The more we learned, it became less a quest to tell the story of Typhoid Mary and more about discovering the woman behind the label. In the early 20th century, New York was a very different city to the one we know today, suffering from overcrowding, poor sanitation and contaminated water supplies. The city was in the throes of a typhoid fever epidemic where one in ten people died from the disease. Typhoid is a bacterial infection spread by eating or drinking food or water contaminated with faeces of an infected person. A disease that can be mild to severe, its symptoms include fever, stomach pain, constipation and vomiting which, without treatment, can last for weeks to months. At that time in history, it was feared as much as Covid-19 is today. Mary always denied that she was an asymptomatic typhoid carrier. And thats not the only thing she denied, because she was always secretive about her true identity. When making her will, the attorney who drafted it subsequently recounted his meeting with Mary after her death, saying: "She stated that she came to this country from Ireland, when she was a young girl, and lived with an aunt." She stated that both her aunt and the husband of her aunt had been dead a long time, and never had children. I began to question her about whether the aunt was a maternal aunt or a paternal aunt, and what her name was and she replied in words or substance My dear boy what difference does that make? I was unable to get any further information about her relatives. After Marys death, the attorney advertised in the newspapers for relatives to come forward, but none appeared. One of the few clues we have into Marys family is from Adelaide Offspring, a nurse and friend of Marys during her time in enforced quarantine. Originally from Canada, Offspring's mother was an Irish woman called Catherine McDermott. Mary had told her that she had no brothers or sisters, nieces, nephews, grandnieces or grandnephews and that she was the last survivor of her family. But was this really the case and what else do we know about Marys family tree? Modern history has recorded Mary as being from Cookstown, Co. Tyrone, but its unclear where this detail originated. In his article titled, The Curious Career of Mary Mallon published in 1938, George Soper - the 'epidemic fighter who tracked Mary down as the source of various outbreaks in New York - says, I think Mary was born in the north of Ireland. The earliest mention of Tyrone we can find appears in an article written by Mary C. McLaughlin M.D. in a journal called The Recorder, published by the American Irish Historical Society in 1979. The other clues we have come from Mary Mallons death certificate which tells us that Mary was born in Ireland in 1869 to parents John Mallon and Catherine Igo. It also details that Mary was 55 years in America at the time of her death. Marys friend Adelaide Offspring was the informant cited on the death cert. It should also be noted that there are numerous variations on the spelling of the name Mallon in the various records it also appears as Mallin and Mallen. The name Igo also appears as Igoe. In order to delve deeper into Marys story, genealogical research was carried out by Louth based local historian, Damien OSullivan. In all the state and church records that he searched, Damien found just one record in Ireland for a marriage between John Mallen and Catherine Igo it took place in 1849 in the parish of Killoe, Co Longford. John was a blacksmith and they lived in the townland of Kilnacarrow, approximately 10 kilometres from Longford town. The Igo name was common in Killoe, and is a derivative of the old Cornish name, Jago. Just having those names, that was crucial for me to tie Mary to this family in Longford specifically, as well as her mothers maiden name, says Damien. Igo is an unusual name, unusual too that it was the maiden name of the woman cited as Marys mother. To know this detail, we can speculate that these people must have been known to Mary. Strangely, Catherine Igo died in November 1868, the year before Mary Mallon (Typhoid Mary) was said to have been born. One possibility is that Marys year of birth has been recorded incorrectly. Civil registration in Ireland only began in 1864 (except for non-Catholic marriages which started in 1845), so if Mary was born before then, you only have church records to go on and there are a lot of gaps in the parish records of Killoe. "In terms of John Mallen and Catherine Igos children, I found a John born in 1855 in parish baptism records. There was a Hugh born in 1864, Jane in 1866 and another John in 1868 these three births were registered by the state. So, we can speculate that the John born in 1855 died and they renamed another son John in 1868. That was very common back then. So thats four children in a 19-year period registered in some shape or form. Back then when families were large, its unlikely that thats all the children there were. I found that a Mary Ann Mallin had the devastating task of registering the deaths of both baby John Mallin, and his mother Catherine Igo. Both died within days of each other in November 1868. In fact, Mary Ann Mallin was also a witness to Johns birth. So this Mary Mallin must have been a very close member of the family, Damien explains. This places a Mary in this family, but given the dates we cant be sure how she is related. Adding to the intrigue Damien found another interesting record - that of a Mary Mallin born out of wedlock in August 1869 in the workhouse in Longford to a mother named Margaret. In fact, Margaret gave birth to twins, Mary and Eliza. But we can find no obvious connection here to John Mallen and Catherine Igo. Damien followed the trail of the Igo-Mallens in the years that followed. He says, I have placed the family in the townland of Kilnacarrow from the 1830s right up until 1874. And then they just seem to vanish from the townland after that. More curious is that there is a record of another Mary Mallin, born in Dublin on the exact date of birth as recorded on Typhoid Marys death certificate September 23rd, 1869. She was a police constables daughter. However, there is a death record for this same Mary in 1875, when that child was just 6 years old. And as to the story about Mary being from Cookstown, Co Tyrone, Damien says, Ive often thought ironically the fact that she was a cook herself maybe thats where it came from. I certainly cant find anything to tie the Igo-Mallen family to Cookstown. Even today, Mary Mallon leaves lingering questions which may never be answered. But, if you have information on these families or some clues as to Mary Mallons origins, wed be interested in hearing from you for a follow up piece, email documentaries@rte.ie. The Irish Cancer Society has led tributes to inspirational cervical cancer advocate and HPV vaccination campaigner Eileen Rushe. Expressing its sadness at the news of her death last night, the Irish Cancer Society said: "Since she first received a diagnosis of cervical cancer in December 2018, Eileen has been an incredible advocate both for women living with cervical cancer, and for future generations to protect themselves through vaccination". The mother-of-one received apologies and an undisclosed sum from the HSE last March for failings in her care at the Louth County Hospital. Despite often experiencing setbacks over the course of her journey, the Irish Cancer Society said Eileen never relented in her efforts to spread her own important and powerful cancer prevention message. "She made a memorable contribution to the Irish Cancer Societys 2020 Daffodil Day launch, and many of you will know Eileen from her appearance in our Still Here television advertisement this year," they said. As recently as two weeks ago Eileen once again shared her story in urging parents to allow their children receive the HPV vaccine. "Eileen was a truly wonderful person who left a profound impression on all who had the privilege to know or deal with her, and her enduring legacy will be the many people her words helped influence to protect themselves and their loved ones against avoidable cancer diagnoses in future," the tribute added. Eileen passed away last night in the company of family, and she is survived by her son Seamus, her parents Mary and Jim, and her siblings Siobhan and Eoin. An ambitious twist creates a unique reflection of gender issues in the body politic in this dramatization of the Robert F. Kennedy memoir. 28-Sep-21 In March of 2020, the world premiere adaptation of Robert F. Kennedys Thirteen Days was in final rehearsals and set to make its debut at City Lit Theatre. Then the pandemic hit and the theatre was forced to close. Fast-forward 18 months and this long-awaited show has finally opened and is running now through October 24. Thirteen Days tells the suspenseful story of the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, a cat and mouse game on the world stage. Based on a memoir by Robert Kennedy, the book tells the story from his perspective as Attorney General under his brother, President John Kennedy. On October 16, 1962, long-range Soviet missiles carrying nuclear warheads aimed at the United States were discovered in Cuba. For the next 13 days, all eyes were on the White House as President Kennedy and his cabinet strategized around this international crisis. Communications were conflicting, confusing, and constantly changing during the confrontation with Nikita Khrushchev and the Soviet ambassador. Kennedy did not want to create another international incident like the Bay of Pigs Invasion, and his cabinet could not agree on the most appropriate military action. One wrong move could trigger World War III. Adapted for the theatre and directed by Brian Pastor, City Lits resident director, this production features a cast of ALL women. While all of the characters in the book are white males, this ambitious twist creates a unique reflection of gender issues in the body politic. All of the women are dressed in business suits with ties and shoes that make them look powerful and professional, just as their male counterparts would have appeared. Their short, cropped hairstyles enhance the seriousness of their roles. Theres no good reason that only white men were in the room, said Pastor. The only explanation is systemic racism and sexism and that seems worth pointing out. Reversing the genders, says Pastor, helps the play feel more like a modern piece of storytelling, which helps audiences find the relevance of the story in their own lives. Audiences get the most out of shows when they see themselves onstage, he says. We forget were watching women play historical male figures when watching the show. The times, then, that we are reminded become all that more poignant. Cameron Feagin as JFK (right) knows when to be tough and how to react to the escalating pressure. Kat Evans as Bobby Kennedy narrates the nerve-wracking drama, creating real tension until the final showdown. Both of these lead actors bear a physical resemblance to the Kennedy family, adding to the performance. The cast also includes Maggie Cain (Director of Central Intelligence John McCone and Soviet United Nations Ambassador Valerian Zorin), Andrea Conway-Diaz (McGeorge Bundy), Delia Ford (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Maxwell Taylor), Kim Fukawa (Arthur Lundahl, the aerial photography expert who detected missile installations in Cuba; and Soviet Ambassador to the U.S. Anatoly Dobrynin), Julia Kessler (Secretary of State Dean Rusk), Noelle Klyce (Ted Sorenson), Shawna Tucker (National Security Council member Llewellyn Tommy Thompson, Sheila Willis (Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara), and Anne Wrider (Adlai Stevenson, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations). The production team includes Liz Cooper (lighting design), Jeremy Hollis (set designer), and Satoe Schechner (costume designer). Kudos to Schechner for her powerful dressing of the women. The play is running at Edgewater Presbyterian Church, 1020 West Bryn Mawr Avenue in Chicago. Run time is 90 minutes with no intermission. COVID-19 protocols include masks and proof of vaccination for entrance. City Lit will be following CDC ventilation guidelines to ensure a complete exchange of air in the theater between performances. (Alliance News) - Chemring Group PLC on Tuesday said it won several contracts recently in its Countermeasures & Energetics segment. The Romsey, Hampshire-based company supplies technology to the aerospace and defence industry. Chemring Australia has been awarded a firm-fixed-price contract worth USD22 million to supply its MJU-68/B infrared countermeasures in support of the F-35 defence programme. The MJU-68/B infrared countermeasure flare releases materials that rapidly oxidize to generate an infrared signature. The flare protects against advanced air-to-air and surface-to-air infrared weapon systems. "These countermeasure products are a key element of an aircraft's defensive aide suite which protect pilots and aircraft against the threat from infrared guided missiles," the company said. The customers are both the US Navy and Air Force, the British government, Israel, Norway and the Netherlands, the company said. Deliveries under the Chemring Australia contract are planned for financial 2022, the company added. Chemring Countermeasures USA has also been awarded a contract to build and deliver its MJU-61A/B infrared countermeasures product. The contract is worth USD12 million, the company said. Chemring's new automated production facility in Toone, Tennessee will fulfil delivery of the product, with is expected in financial 2022 and financial 2023. Finally, Chemring Energetics UK has received a GBP9 million contract from the UK Ministry of Defence to supply various demolition products. Deliveries are due in financial 2022. This UK contract is for the equivalent of USD12 million, bringing the contracts total to around USD46 million. Chief Executive Michael Ord said: "These awards maintain and strengthen Chemring's position in the niche Countermeasures & Energetics market, supporting our decision to invest in our facilities to protect and grow our market leading positions." The company said these contracts add to its existing strong order cover for financial 2022 and increases visibility for financial 2023 and beyond. Shares in Chemring were trading down 1.5% at 320.00 pence each in London on Tuesday morning. By Scarlett Butler; scarlettbutler@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - Unilever PLC has narrowed down the list of bidders for its tea brands, including PG Tips and Lipton, Sky News reported Tuesday. According to its City sources, Sky News reported that CVC Capital Partners has advanced to the second round of the sale process, and will compete against a bid from Carlyle, and a combined offer from Cinven and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority. Other rivals, including Bain Capital and Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, have apparently dropped out of the process. In January 2020, Unilever initiated a strategic review of the tea business, and Sky News noted that a disposal is unlikely to be completed until 2022. The auction does not include Unilever's tea operations in India or Indonesia, or assets in the ready-to-drink tea segment. https://news.sky.com/story/unilever-brews-shortlist-for-4bn-sale-of-pg-tips-and-lipton-ice-tea-12420656 Shares in Unilever closed 1.2% higher at 4,012.50 pence on Tuesday in London. By Dayo Laniyan; dayolaniyan@alliancenews.com Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - The UK will begin its first round of official talks on Tuesday on joining a trans-Pacific trade bloc. A virtual meeting will take place between the UK and all 11 members of the Comprehensive & Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. International Trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan described the talks as a "big milestone on our path to joining CPTPP". The CPTPP is a free-trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. The UK applied to join in February, and in June the CPTPP announced that the accession process would begin. The first UK-attended meeting of the CPTPP's UK Accession Working Group will begin remotely in the early hours of September 28, the Department for International Trade said, adding other members had previously met to discuss the UK's application. It paves the way for a series of negotiations on the UK's accession to the CPTPP trade bloc. Trevelyan said: "This is a big milestone on our path to joining CPTPP, which will allow us to forge stronger links both with old friends and some of the world's fastest-growing economies. "Joining this high-standards partnership will provide real opportunities for UK exporters and service providers and help our innovators open up new, diverse markets. "Seizing opportunities like this is exactly what Global Britain is about and will help bring high-quality jobs and prosperity to every region of our country." Trade minister Penny Mordaunt will also make an official visit to CPTPP countries Chile and Peru. She is due to meet Chile's minister of agriculture Maria Emilia Undurraga and her Peruvian counterpart Roberto Sanchez as well as businesses from the region, DIT said. Mordaunt said she would be using the visit to "explore deeper trade and investment ties with both countries". source: PA Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. (Alliance News) - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the situation on the filling station forecourts is "stabilising" as he urged motorists to go about their business in the normal way. Following days of chaos, with long queues for petrol and stations running dry, the prime minister said he understood the frustration felt by drivers as they struggled to fill up. However he said that the indications from the industry were that the situation was beginning to improve with supplies returning to normal levels. "On the forecourts the situation is stabilising and people should be confident and just go about their business in the normal way," he said in a pooled interview with broadcasters. His appeal came as Keir Starmer accused the government of reducing the country to "chaos" through its failure to deal with the fuel crisis. The Labour leader said the haulage industry was "beyond frustrated" at the lack of a clear plan by ministers to alleviate the problems caused by the shortage of tanker drivers. "The government has reduced the country to chaos as we track from crisis to crisis. The government is not gripping this," he told BBC News. "This problem was predictable and predicted and the government has absolutely failed to plan." But with the Petrol Retailers Association reporting "early signs" that the crisis was coming to an end, the prime minister expressed confidence the worst was over. Johnson said the government was putting in place measures to ensure the entire supply chain could cope in the run-up to Christmas. "I want to say first of all how much I sympathise with people who have been worried about their journeys, worried about whether they will be able to use their cars in the normal way," he said. "I know how frustrating and worrying it must have been to worry about a shortage of petrol and fuel. "We are now starting to see the situation improve. We are hearing from industry that supplies are coming back on to the forecourts in the normal way. "What we want to do is to make sure we have the preparations necessary to get through to Christmas and beyond, not just in the supply of our petrol stations but all parts of our supply chain." Johnson rejected calls for healthcare staff and other workers to be given priority access to fuel, suggesting it was unnecessary given the easing of the situation. After the government announced it would be issuing 5,000 temporary visas to foreign lorry drivers to alleviate the shortages which led to the crisis, he also dismissed demands for more overseas workers to be admitted. "What we want to see is a an emphasis on a high wage, high skill, high productivity approach to our economy," he said. "What I don't think people in this country want to do is fix all our problems with uncontrolled immigration. "We tried that for a long time and in the end, people could see that it was leading to a low wage, low skill approach without enough investment in people or in equipment. "That's not the way we want the UK to develop and grow." His comments came after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps acknowledged that Brexit, which cut off the supply of drivers from the EU, had been a "factor" in the crisis. "No doubt it will have been a factor. "On the other hand it has actually helped us to change rules to be able to test more drivers more quickly," he told broadcasters.. "So, it has actually worked in both ways." Meanwhile PRA executive director Gordon Balmer said the numbers of filling stations reporting they had run dry was falling as fuel deliveries recovered. "There are early signs that the crisis at pumps is ending, with more of our members reporting that they are now taking further deliveries of fuel," he said. "We have conducted a survey of our members this morning and only 37% of forecourts have reported being out of fuel today. "With regular restocks taking place, this percentage is likely to improve further over the next 24 hours." Ministers have insisted throughout the crisis that fuel stocks remain high and that panic buying was unnecessary. They argued the sudden surge in demand was driven by reports of of a shortage of a small number of tanker drivers leading to some hold-up in deliveries. Nevertheless the government announced on Monday that it was putting troops on standby to drive tankers as a "precautionary step" if problems persisted. The request for military assistance to the civil authorities (Maca) request has been approved, with up to 150 drivers and the same number of drivers' mates potentially able to be used. A Government source said the troops were "still on standby but can now start training now it's approved". They could be deployed in the coming days if required. But with long queues for petrol continuing some senior Tories urged ministers to go further and begin actively deploying the military to restore public confidence. The chairman of the Commons Defence Committee Tobias Ellwood told Sky News: "Simply hoping this situation will return to normal is not a strategy. "I believe the Army should not just be put on standby but in fact mobilised, be seen to be used. "That will help ease the pressure on shortages of course, it will return public confidence." By Gavin Cordon, PA Whitehall Editor source: PA Copyright 2021 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Download Image: Web The Lycoming College Art Gallery invites the community to its upcoming exhibit by Sue Carrie Drummond. The show opens on Thursday, October 14, at 5:30 p.m. with a gallery talk and will run until Saturday, November 13. The exhibit is free and open to the public. Drummonds exhibit examines how clothing conceals cultural and historical narratives. She uses clothing as primary sources, saying, The potential for meaning in clothing is directly connected to the way it interacts with the body. By looking closely, she draws out information about lived experiences, both personal and communal, that speak to identity, relationships, and performance. Cloth receives us, holding not just our histories but also those of people who wore the garments before us, said Drummond. Becoming a second skin, it denotes on its surface the experiences and encounters we have with the exterior world. Until fairly recently we created garments by hand. The investment of time and labor to produce by hand means that each garment was further cherished, maintained, and retained for longer periods of time. For this reason, Drummond is drawn to labor intensive processes that require meticulous attention and repetition such as papermaking, printmaking, and handwork. The care and attention required by these processes mirrors the conditions for producing a piece of clothing. As Drummond works, she consistently considers surface. What sits above, within, or beneath? What is revealed or what is concealed? What is hidden, mended, or exposed? The physical layering of materials and processes throughout her body of work evokes the layers of memory and history, which she investigates. The Lycoming College Art Gallery, located in downtown Williamsport at 25 W. Fourth St., contributes to the citys arts culture and allows the College to become more involved with the surrounding community. Lycoming art students have the opportunity to interact with visiting artists and learn first-hand the inner workings of an art gallery. The gallery is open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 4-8 p.m. For more information, please visit the gallery online at: https://www.lycoming.edu/art/gallery/20-21.aspx. It's been confirmed that Eminem is opening a Mom's Spaghetti restaurant! The news was announced on an advert running on a local TV station in his hometown Detroit last week. The 30-second commercial features Eminem (Marshall Mathers) vomiting out a Chinese takeout container with "Mom's Spaghetti" branding across it. The menu looks so good with classic spaghetti, spaghetti & meatballs as well as a sghetti sandwich available. The most avant-garde super yacht in the world, Artefact has just arrived in Palma from Monaco Artefact was built by the Nobiskrug specialist shipyard in Rendsburg, Germany and designed by Gregory C. Marshall and Raymond Langton, both giants in the world of large yacht interiors. She is 80 metres long, has a beach club with relaxation rooms, five decks above the waterline and combines luxury with respect for the environment. Her top drawer technology, futuristic design and elegant minimalism make her the envy of the Nautical Sector and she has unique, parallelepiped, curved windows and electric motors, so all that can be heard onboard is the sound of the sea. Artefact also has azimuth thrusters with pod propellers, which serve as a rudder, allowing the super yacht to do a 360 degree turn without moving. This system combines with satellite positioning at anchor which means there's no need to drop anchor, so the seabed is protected. Artefact won the award for Motor Yacht of the Year 2021 at the International World Super Yacht Awards in Monte Carlo. The Copa America champions played with a man advantage after 32 minutes when defender Venezuelan Adrian Martinez was sent off after a harsh tackle on Messi. Lautaro Martinez opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time, assisted by Giovanni Lo Celso. Joaquin Correa doubled the lead in the 71st minute from the edge of the box after a quick exchange with Messi and Lautaro. Angel Correa netted the third from close range three minutes later. Argentina's victory was clinched when Soteldo scored for the hosts from the spot. "Today we had a great first half and they were down one," Lautaro said. "After we scored we managed to work with more gaps so we could bring the three points home." Had Argentina lost at Venezuela it would have been overtaken by Ecuador, who beat Paraguay 2-0 hours earlier. Felix Torres scored the first goal in the 88th minute with a header. Michael Estrada netted his in added time. Argentina has 15 points and Ecuador 12 in third place. Ecuador will host Chile in the next round, while sixth-place Paraguay is to take on fifth-place Colombia, which has nine points after securing a 1-1 draw with Bolivia in the altitude of La Paz. Roger Martinez's goal in the 69th minute gave Colombia the lead before Fernando Saucedo's blast from outside the box leveled for eighth-place Bolivia in the 83rd minute. Also on Thursday, Peru and Uruguay drew 1-1 in Lima. The hosts opened the scoring with Renato Tapia in the 24th minute with a bicycle kick. But Giorgian de Arrascaeta kept the Uruguayans in contention with a goal in the 29th minute, despite the absence of injured Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, who was not released by Manchester United. In other matches Sunday, Uruguay will host Bolivia. Peru will take on Venezuela. Khatron Ke Khiladi was released on July 27th, and it finally concluded on September 26th. The show included dangerous stunts performed by well-known stars. In the recent season, which was shot in Cape Town in South Africa, Divyanka Tripathi Dahiya became the runner up whereas Aditya Singh was declared as the second runner up. Instagram/Arjun Bijlani Instagram/Arjun Bijlani In the final episode, which was shot in Mumbai, five contestants were pitted against one another. Finally, Arjun Bijlani took the trophy home along with Rs 20 Lakh cash prize and a Maruti Swift car. Arjun also said in an interview that he felt he was faster during the stunt but was not sure if he would win. He said to a leading daily, Everyone kept saying that you might win and when I did the final stunt, I too felt I was better. However, given it was such a long task, I wasnt sure. Till the name wasnt announced, I was extremely nervous. It had been a long wait and honestly, we all had such great journeys. Anyone among the three could have won." Rohit Shetty, the show host, had also appreciated Bijlani for his persistent and good performance during the show. The actor completed every task brilliantly. However, there was a part where the audience felt he won due to favouritism or the fact that he was the 'Colors Face'. He finally responded to the allegations and said, "Its unfortunate that they think this way. KKK is not a show of votes or even content. Its about crossing a new level by performing stunts. Also, while Divyanka and Vishal had an equal chance to win, I was faster. Its not even about more deserving as it was about how you performed that specific day. Shantanu Maheshwari has won the show, and he wasnt even on Colors then. I have done many shows on the channel, but that came to me only because earlier shows worked. Instagram/Arjun Bijlani There was another controversy when Sourabh Raaj Jain was evicted after Bijlani nominated him for the elimination. He then said he wasn't guilty of doing so and mentioned that Sourabh didn't perform well. So, even though he got a second chance, he lost the stunt. Instagram/Arjun Bijlani Arjun Bijlani is now set to showcase his work in the web series, Roohaniyat. Nobody likes to watch ads in the middle of their favourite shows and movies and that is probably why we would rather watch on OTT platforms rather than on TV. However, there are a few ads that strike a chord with us because either they are extremely creative and witty or intriguing and inspirational. Case in point, the new ad of Pan Bahar featuring top superstars from two different film industries of India. YouTube/Pan Bahar The product in question, mouth fresheners, has a penchant for having motivational ad campaigns about the success and fame of Bollywood celebrities, where you see them boasting about their well, success and fame. Pan Bahar too has roped in famous celebrities like Saif Ali Khan to demonstrate their slogan pehchan kamyabi ki. YouTube/Pan Bahar However, this time, the ad went a bit higher and brought together two popular actors from Bollywood and Tollywood, Tiger Shroff and Mahesh Babu to endorse the product. However, thats not why people are loving the new ad. Its because they are finding the concept highly inspirational and motivational. YouTube/Pan Bahar According to Mahesh Babus fans, the South superstar endorsing the brand is a fitting example of what success looks like. Also, they think while its a motivational ad, seeing Mahesh Babu definitely makes it better. Instagram/Mahesh Babu Heres what people are saying about the new ad: Such an amazing way to educate people about how to work hark and be better in the all new @PanBaharElaichi advertisement. #MaheshWithPanBaharElaichi@urstrulyMahesh pic.twitter.com/vpLZxyih5e Ramesh Bala (@rameshlaus) September 28, 2021 This is such a cool advertisement. it motivates me to be better and hustle!! Also, @urstrulyMahesh is like cherry on the cake. #MaheshWithPanBaharElaichi pic.twitter.com/799noLlW2T Haricharan Pudipeddi (@pudiharicharan) September 28, 2021 Pan Bahar ad nailed it. What a motivation full advertisement by Pan Bahar Elaichi featuring Mahesh Babu. #MaheshWithPanBaharElaichi pic.twitter.com/HXTALfNH3u Himanshu Pandit (@itshimanshu41) September 28, 2021 The new ad of @PanBaharElaichi is out and it makes me feel so high and tempted to work harder. The looks of @urstrulyMahesh are next level .So good to see him in this ad.#MaheshWithPanBaharElaichi pic.twitter.com/zX5dg8VWsk Balaji Munna (@Balaji_munna) September 28, 2021 In the ad, Mahesh Babu and Tiger Shroff credit their fans and audience for motivating them to hustle every day. They say that while shiny awards and trophies, fat bank balance and luxury cars are a perk, seeing their fans watching their movies is what makes them successful. People are loving the new take on success and the envious lives of these celebs is getting them all jittery and driven to achieve their dreams too. YouTube/Pan Bahar What do you think about it? Let us know in the comments. September 28, 2021 On September 27, 2021, in response to a request made by Japan to the World Trade Organization (WTO), the WTO Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) established a panel (first instance) under the WTO Agreement regarding China's measure imposing anti-dumping duties on stainless steel products, which has been in place since July 2019. On August 19, 2021, Japan requested the establishment of a panel under the WTO Agreement regarding China's measure imposing anti-dumping duties on stainless steel products. In response to Japans request, a panel was established on September 27, 2021. In July 2019, China started imposing anti-dumping (AD) duties (hereinafter referred to as the "AD measure") on stainless steel products imported from Japan, the Republic of Korea, Indonesia, and the EU, claiming that its domestic industry was being injured by the dumped imports of such products. (The AD measure is scheduled to be in place for five years.) Japan considers the AD measure to be inconsistent with the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the Agreement on Implementation of Article VI of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade 1994 (the WTO Anti-dumping Agreement) due to flaws in the Chinese authorities' determination and its investigation procedures. Japan will pursue an appropriate solution on this issue in accordance with the rules under the WTO Agreement. References: 1. Request of the establishment of a panel under the WTO Agreement If consultations between governments fail to settle a dispute, based on a request from the complaining WTO member, a WTO panel (first instance), which is a quasi-judicial third-party organization, examines the matter in question and makes rulings regarding its consistency with the WTO Agreement. If any inconsistencies are confirmed, the panel recommends correction of the measures. Any party which is not satisfied with the panel rulings may appeal to the WTO Appellate Body (second instance). Under the WTO Agreement, parties concerned are required to have bilateral consultations regarding the measures in issue between the parties prior to requesting establishment of a panel under the WTO Agreement. However, if bilateral consultations have failed to settle the dispute within 60 days after the date of receipt of the request for consultations, the complaining party may request the establishment of a panel to the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB). Regarding the AD measure, on June 11, 2021, Japan requested a consultation with China under the WTO Agreement. On July 19, 2021, Japan and China held a consultation, but could not settle the dispute. On August 19, 2021, Japan requested the establishment of a panel under the WTO Agreement regarding China's measure. At the DSB meeting held on August 30, a panel was not established due to the opposition of the respondent country (China). But, a panel was established at the second DSB meeting, based on the procedure that a panel shall be established at the second DSB meeting except in the case of all the WTO Members' opposition by consensus (Article 6.1 of UNDERSTANDING ON RULES AND PROCEDURES GOVERNING THE SETTLEMENT OF DISPUTES). 2. Stainless steel products (the products in question) The AD measure covers stainless steel slabs, hot-rolled stainless steel sheets (cut sheets and plates), and hot-rolled stainless steel coils. Stainless steel slabs are semi-processed products that are obtained by casting refined melted steel. Hot-rolled stainless steel sheets are used in industrial machinery and as construction materials for structures such as ships and bridges. Uses of hot-rolled stainless steel coils include use as semi-finished products of cold rolled stainless steel products for automotive parts and household electric appliances. 3. Anti-dumping duty An anti-dumping duty is a customs duty imposed on a certain product by an importing country where it is demonstrated that the export price of the product is less than its selling price destined for consumption in the exporting country and the dumped imports are causing injury to the competing industry in the importing country. The value of the anti-dumping duty cannot exceed the difference between the export price of the product in question and its domestic selling price in the exporting country. 4. Total value of exports of the products in question from Japan to China The total value of exports of stainless steel from Japan to China is approximately 70 billion yen per year, of which exports of the products subject to the AD measure account for approximately 9.2 billion yen (both figures as of 2019). 5. Previous press releases regarding this matter Japan Requests Consultations with China under the WTO Agreement Regarding China's Measure Imposing Anti-Dumping Duties on Stainless Steel Products Originating from Japan Japan Requests the Establishment of a Panel under the WTO Agreement Regarding China's Measure Imposing Anti-Dumping Duties on Stainless Steel Products Originating from Japan Division in Charge Information on the WTO dispute settlement in general: Office for WTO Compliance and Dispute Settlement, Multilateral Trade System Department, Trade Policy Bureau Information on the stainless steel industry Metal Industries Division, Manufacturing Industries Bureau Information on Japan-China economic relations Northeast Asia Division, Trade Policy Bureau Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belarus M.Barysevich meets the Ambassador of Mongolia On September 28, 2021, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus Mikalai Barysevich met with Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Mongolia to the Republic of Belarus Batsukh Bayarsaikhan on the occasion of the presentation of copies of Credentials. The parties discussed key areas of Belarusian-Mongolian cooperation. A particular attention was paid to organizing contacts at the highest and high levels, as well as holding the next session of the Joint Belarusian-Mongolian Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation and political consultations. print version AG Nessel Visits Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan AG Nessel Visits Boys & Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan Media contact: Lynsey Mukomel 517-599-2746 Public inquiries: 517-335-7622 September 27, 2021 DETROIT - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel spent a portion of her afternoon at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan's Lloyd H. Diehl Club in Detroit. The Diehl Club recently completed renovations that further enhance the club's ability to instill a sense of belonging and influence in its members. Nessel's visit is part of her ongoing advocacy for equitable experiences in and outside of the classroom for students. "While there is more we can and should be doing to ensure equitable treatment inside the classroom, programs through organizations like the Boys and Girls Clubs of Southeastern Michigan cultivate opportunities outside of school hours to ensure our youth feel supported and empowered," Nessel said. "I greatly appreciate the Diehl Club's hospitality today and look forward to watching its impact continue to grow in Detroit." Earlier this month, Nessel joined education leaders at Raupp Elementary School to learn about Lincoln Park Public Schools' (LPPS) Resilient Schools Project. In May, she led a coalition of 23 attorneys general in a letter urging the federal government to issue guidance addressing inequities in student discipline that contribute to the school-to-prison pipeline. Following that letter, the Department of Education (DOE) opened a public comment period requesting information regarding the nondiscriminatory administration of school discipline. Nessel again led a coalition of attorneys general in advocating for DOE to issue guidance addressing inequities in student discipline in July. The states are waiting on additional guidance and response from DOE. You can learn more about the Boys and Girls Club of Southeastern Michigan by visiting the organization's website. ### AG Nessel Joins Coalition in Urging Department of Education to Fix Broken Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program AG Nessel Joins Coalition in Urging Department of Education to Fix Broken Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program Attorney General Media contact: Lynsey Mukomel 517-599-2746 Public inquiries: 517-335-7622 September 28, 2021 LANSING - Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general in urging the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) to take robust action to fix the broken Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. Since borrowers first became eligible for relief in 2017, almost all PSLF applications have been rejected, leaving millions of public servants in the lurch. These teachers, nurses, public interest attorneys, social workers, first responders, servicemembers, and others incurred significant student loan debt in order to gain the skills necessary to educate, heal, and protect our communities - under the promise that a portion of these loans would eventually be forgiven. In today's letter, the coalition applauds DOE's commitment to improving implementation of the PSLF program and urges DOE to act quickly to fix the failures in the program's administration. "The effectiveness of the PSLF program has been abysmal thus far," Nessel said. "We owe it to those who are dedicating their lives to public service to ensure that commitment is properly acknowledged and appreciated. Otherwise, the bipartisan support for the program was wasted effort." A bipartisan Congress created the PSLF program in 2007 to encourage student loan borrowers to enter public service jobs in return for forgiving the remaining balance of their federal student loans after ten years of on-time loan payments. When the first wave of borrowers applied for loan forgiveness in 2017, DOE denied applicants at the alarming rate of 99 percent. In 2018, a bipartisan Congress gave DOE a second chance to deliver on PSLF's critical promise by creating the Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness (TEPSLF) program. Despite this emergency fix, relief continues to be out of reach for nearly all who apply. To date, DOE has denied 96% of TEPSLF applications. Drastic action by DOE is required to make the promise of PSLF forgiveness a reality for the nation's dedicated public servants. State attorneys general have a unique perspective on how to improve administration of PSLF/TEPSLF resulting from their experience investigating and holding student loan servicers accountable for violating the law, including misadministration of the PSLF/TEPSLF program. In today's comment letter, the attorneys general urge DOE to: Provide immediate relief to borrowers who have been harmed by the misadministration of the PSLF/TEPSLF program; Improve servicer oversight and accountability by carefully selecting a new servicer that will be responsive to borrowers and creating new incentives and operating procedures that put borrowers first; Extend the pause on payments on student loans that started in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; Conduct broad outreach to all borrowers potentially interested in forgiveness, including those who have yet to apply and those who have already received denials; and Affirmatively correct errors discovered for all affected borrowers. Joining Attorney General Nessel in sending this letter are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. Additional COVID-19 Vaccine Doses, Boosters Available at No Cost During Public Health Emergency Media Contact: Laura Hall, 517-290-3779, DIFS-Press@michigan.gov Consumer Hotline: 877-999-6442, Michigan.gov/DIFScomplaints FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 28, 2021 (LANSING, MICH) With boosters and additional COVID-19 vaccine doses being deployed to eligible people across the state, the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) is notifying consumers that federal law requires most health insurers to cover these shots at no cost to qualifying individuals. "Vaccines, including additional doses and boosters, are an important tool to protect Michiganders from COVID-19, and the CARES Act allows consumers to get vaccinated without worrying about cost," said DIFS Director Anita Fox. "Consumers can call DIFS Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 877-999-6442 for help with questions or concerns about using their health coverage." Additional doses of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines are currently being administered to immunocompromised individuals nationwide, with information about additional doses of the Johnson & Johnson's Janssen vaccine expected soon. In addition, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recently announced a plan for booster vaccine doses to be administered to eligible individuals starting this fall to provide additional protection against COVID-19, including the Delta variant. Under the CARES Act, all COVID-19 vaccine shots, including these additional and booster doses, must be provided without cost sharing or other fees for most enrollees during the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, currently set to expire October 19, 2021. No-cost access to additional COVID-19 vaccine doses and booster doses also extends to anyone covered by government-provided health coverage, including Medicare and Medicaid. According to information published by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), additional doses and boosters are available at no cost to those enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance Programs such as Michigan's MIChild program. This coverage will continue for at least a year after the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency ends. During this period, consumers cannot be charged for an office visit or other fee if the vaccine is the only medical service provided and providers may not require additional medical services to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. If individuals believe they were improperly charged for an office visit solely related to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine, they can submit a complaint to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS or visiting tips.hhs.gov. For Michiganders who need health coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2022, Health Insurance Marketplace open enrollment will begin on November 1. Michiganders can obtain coverage by visiting the Health Insurance Marketplace or by calling 800-318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325). Consumers may also qualify for a Special Enrollment Period to obtain coverage now if they have experienced certain qualifying life changes. Additional information, including links to find free local help from navigators, is available on the DIFS website or by calling DIFS 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 877-999-6442. The mission of the Department is to ensure access to safe and secure insurance and financial services fundamental for the opportunity, security, and success of Michigan residents, while fostering economic growth and sustainability in both industries. In addition, the Department provides consumer protection, outreach, and financial literacy and education services to Michigan residents. For more information, visit Michigan.gov/DIFS or follow the Department on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. #### A public hearing to consider the possible commutation of sentence for Demar Garvin, #372544 A public hearing to consider the possible commutation of sentence for Demar Garvin, #372544 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Chris Gautz, Public Information Officer 517-335-2316 The Michigan Parole Board will hold a public hearing on Thursday, October 28, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. to consider the possible commutation of sentence for Demar Garvin, #372544. The hearing will be conducted via video through Microsoft Teams and can be accessed by clicking HERE. Those planning to access the hearing must call 517-335-1736 no later than October 26, 2021 to confirm attendance. Demar Garvin was sentenced to a term of 30 years to 60 years for the crime of Controlled Substance-Deliver/Manufacture-Narcotics/Cocaine 650 Grams or More. Demar Garvin was sentenced on February 10, 2003 out of Oakland County. Demar Garvin was also sentenced to a term of 2 years to 10 years for the crime of Weapons-Firearms-Possession by Felon-Habitual 3rd, to a term of 2 years 6 months to 40 years for the crime of Controlled Substance-Deliver/Manufacture-Narcotics/Cocaine Less Than 50 Grams-Habitual 3rd, to a term of 10 years to 40 years for the crime of Controlled Substance-Deliver/Manufacture-Narcotics/Cocaine 50-224 Grams-Habitual 3rd, and to two terms of 2 years to 2 years for the crime of Weapons-Felony Firearms (two counts). Demar Garvin was sentenced on May 8, 2003 out of Oakland County. Timothy S. Flanagan, Member of the Michigan Parole Board, will conduct the hearing under the provisions of the MCLA 791.244 prior to any recommendation for executive clemency by the Parole Board. When logging into the hearing, your video must be turned off and audio muted to eliminate distraction during the hearing. Please be advised that recordings, photography, or screenshots of the proceeding are prohibited. Sept. 28, 2021 A routine stop last week in Washtenaw County to assist a driver who had gone off the roadway turned up more than expected for Michigan Department of Natural Resources conservation officer Brandon Hartleben - and for the motorist, an Oakland County man who since has been arraigned on charges including false representation as a peace officer. The driver, George Michael Galbraith, 63, of Clarkston, was arraigned Friday in 14A District Court in Ann Arbor on a four-count felony warrant and a one-year misdemeanor charge including: Carrying a concealed weapon. Firearm possession by felon. Ammunition possession by felon. Possession of dangerous weapon (billy club). Falsely representing oneself as a peace officer. The morning of Tuesday, Sept. 21, the day of Galbraith's arrest, CO Hartleben was patrolling near Spencer and 8 Mile roads in Northfield Township, Washtenaw County, around 6 a.m. when he encountered a vehicle off the roadway and about 6 feet down the embankment. Hartleben stopped to assist and, approaching the vehicle, noted the right rear tire was flat and there was damage to that side of the vehicle, evidently from sliding off the road. The vehicle appeared to be occupied by a man who was holding a badge in a wallet out of his window and who claimed to work for the Waterford Township Police Department. After convincing the man to give him the wallet - the badge appeared to be a fake and displayed "Crime Prevention Officer" stamped on it - Hartleben confirmed with Waterford Township that the man is neither employed by the township nor involved in any current hiring processes. After the man exited the vehicle, Hartleben found a gun/Sam Browne style belt stuffed next to the driver's seat. The belt contained a single handcuff case and a gun holster containing a loaded Smith and Wesson M&P .40-caliber pistol. The man also wore a coat with a zip-on attachment that read "POLICE." Hartleben also discovered, in the rear of the vehicle, a cased shotgun loaded in the tube, as well as a cased Smith and Wesson .380 handgun. "Luckily, this man was taken into custody without incident," said F/Lt. Todd Szyska, of the DNR's Law Enforcement Division, District 9, and Hartleben's supervisor. "Falsely representing yourself as a peace officer is an egregious breach of public trust, and we are glad this man is off the road." Galbraith's next court date has not yet been scheduled. For each of the four felonies, he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of not more than $2,500, plus court costs. The misdemeanor charge of impersonating a peace officer is punishable by up to one year in prison or a fine of not more than $1,000, or both. Anyone with information regarding this case should contact F/Lt. Szyska via email at SzyskaT@Michigan.gov. Michigan conservation officers are fully commissioned law enforcement officers who protect natural resources, ensure recreational safety and protect residents by providing general law enforcement duties and lifesaving operations in the communities they serve. Due to the nature of their job, these officers often work with federal, state and local law enforcement officers to ensure public safety. Learn more at Michigan.gov/ConservationOfficers Secretary Benson, partners launch MI Vote Matters high school challenge on National Voter Registration Day Secretary Benson, partners launch MI Vote Matters high school challenge on National Voter Registration Day SEPTEMBER 28, 2021 Program aims to increase young voter knowledge and participation On National Voter Registration Day, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson announced a new program with nonpartisan partner organizations seeking to increase young voter knowledge and participation by ensuring that eligible high school seniors register or pre-register to vote. The MI Vote Matters High School Voter Registration Challenge (Michigan.gov/MIVoteMatters) encourages high schools across Michigan to help connect students with their right to vote through civic education and nonpartisan voter registration drives. Schools can strive for the highest voter registration rate and earn recognition from the Secretary of State for the percentage of eligible seniors who have registered or pre-registered: Gold for 90% and above Silver for 70% and above Bronze for 50% and above "All high schools in the state are invited to participate in the MI Vote Matters challenge and to encourage students who are eligible to register to vote," Secretary Benson said. "When young people empower themselves as voters, they make our democracy stronger." In Michigan, teenage residents who are U.S. citizens and at least 17.5 years old can pre-register to vote and then automatically become active voters once they turn 18. Some students will have their first opportunity to vote in the Nov. 2, 2021, election. In the MI Vote Matters program, once students have registered or pre-registered to vote, they will submit a pledge to vote card either online or by paper in order for their registration to count toward their school's participation numbers. The program runs through June 30, 2022. The Secretary of State's Office is partnering with several nonpartisan organizations that already have standing high school voter registration programs, including: Inspire2Vote, a program of Project High Hopes League of Women Voters of Michigan Michigan Center for Civic Education When We All Vote, an initiative within Civic Nation "The Michigan Center for Civic Education (MCCE) celebrates the Michigan Department of State for recognizing the importance of engaging all voters, especially those in their most formative years, in the importance of voting," said Ellen Zwarensteyn, Executive Director of the MCCE. "Young adult engagement is critical and their perspectives are vital as they help to shape their world as it is now while imagining their own preferred futures. This program integrates the knowledge and the skills for vibrant and healthy civic communities." High school administrators can request an action kit at Michigan.gov/MIVoteMatters and will be provided with all the materials needed to get started. The League of Women Voters of Michigan also has a voter registration presentation that is available for use or League members can present the program in person if requested. "The League of Women Voters is happy to participate in this project, which promotes voter registration among students" said Paula Bowman, Co-President of the League of Women Voters of Michigan. "Young people have a stake in our future and voting is the best and easiest way to participate in our democracy." Stephanie L. Young, Executive Director of When We All Vote, said her organization also stands ready to help provide students with the tools to get registered and engaged so they are active members of their communities. "At When We All Vote, we are developing lifelong voters, and that work starts in our high schools. Through our My School Votes program, we know that young people are eager to get involved in our elections and create change in their communities, so we are proud to partner with Secretary of State Benson to ensure Michigan high school students get registered or pre-registered to vote." # # # For media questions, contact Tracy Wimmer at 517-281-1876. We welcome questions and comments at the Contact the Secretary of State page. Customers may call the Department of State Information Center to speak to a customer-service representative at 888-SOS-MICH (767-6424). Governor Gretchen Whitmer joins MEDC to announce 11 Michigan communities receiving nearly $15 million to upgrade water systems statewide Governor Gretchen Whitmer joins MEDC to announce 11 Michigan communities receiving nearly $15 million to upgrade water systems statewide FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Kathleen Achtenberg, achtenbergk@michigan.org September 28, 2021 Governor Gretchen Whitmer joins MEDC to announce 11 Michigan communities receiving nearly $15 million to upgrade water systems statewide Michigan Strategic Fund approves CDBG funding for vital public infrastructure projects LANSING, Mich. - Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined the Michigan Economic Development Corporation today in announcing that 11 communities around Michigan have been awarded nearly $15 million in Community Development Block Grant Water-Related Infrastructure grant funds to make necessary water-related infrastructure improvements. "Improving and updating our infrastructure is vital to the health of our residents and critical to the economic success of our communities," said Gov. Whitmer. "These MEDC grants will support infrastructure improvements that will have an immediate impact and help ensure the long-term wellbeing of our residents and our communities. Today's investments will help 11 communities across the state bolster access to safe drinking water." The CDBG Water-Related Infrastructure program assists low- and moderate-income communities in making improvements or upgrades to their existing water, sewer, and wastewater public infrastructure systems. Grants are awarded to eligible communities on a competitive basis and are able to be used to improve or replace water lines, water mains and related facilities, and sanitary and storm sewer lines and related facilities. A total of 61 communities applied for grants totaling $87.5 million. The applications were scored with an emphasis on percentage of low- to moderate-income residents and improvements or repairs related to health, sanitation and security, aging infrastructure, and capacity concerns. To be considered for a grant, communities were required to have a locally approved Capital Improvements Plan, contribute a local minimum match of 10 percent of total project costs, demonstrate a maintenance plan for the project, and propose projects that benefitted the entire community. All projects must be completed by December 31, 2023. The Michigan Strategic Fund also approved up to $550,000 in CDBG funds to provide administrative services to assist the communities with the compliance and administrative requirements of the awards. "As we accelerate Michigan's economic growth, it's absolutely critical that we make investments in our infrastructure to support that growth and ensure a bright future for all Michiganders," said Quentin L. Messer, Jr., CEO of MEDC and President and Chair of the MSF Board. "Today's grants will allow these communities throughout our state to make the improvements needed to remain vibrant and attractive places for businesses to invest and where talent wants to live, work, visit and play." 2021 Water-Related Infrastructure Grant winners: Applicant/Communities CDBG Request Total Local Match City of Bangor 969,112 184,593 City of Escanaba 1,800,000 600,000 Village of Fowlerville 1,900,000 896,069 City of Hart 810,000 270,000 City of Hartford 1,835,900 319,850 City of Houghton 1,035,000 345,000 Village of Middleville 750,000 150,000 City of Morenci 2,000,000 478,452 City of Rogers City 1,200,000 400,000 Village of Shelby 637,500 212,500 City of West Branch 2,000,000 1,500,000 TOTAL $14,937,512 $5,356,465 Quotes from Communities: City of Escanaba "The city of Escanaba is grateful to have been selected as a recipient of CDBG funding for improvements to our water plant," said Escanaba Water-Wastewater Superintendent Jeff Lampi. "MEDC's contribution will be of great help in providing safe, quality drinking water to our community. This grant has helped make this project possible at this time." City of Morenci "The city of Morenci is very grateful to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation for this grant and the investment that they are making in the infrastructure of our community," said Morenci City Administrator Michael Sessions. "This grant will benefit residents, as it will help the City of Morenci provide safe and reliable drinking water to all." City of Rogers City "The WRI grant will have profound impacts on Rogers City's entire water system. Not only will it allow us to replace nearly a mile of undersized 80-year-old unlined cast iron main through the heart of our water system, it will also create an appropriately-sized transmission line between all of the city water wells, improving the water service we provide our customers systemwide," said Joe Hefele, city manager of Rogers City. "This is such an important project and we are incredibly grateful to the folks at MEDC and on the MSF board." About Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) The Michigan Economic Development Corporation is the state's marketing arm and lead advocate for business development, job awareness and community development with the focus on growing Michigan's economy. For more information on the MEDC and our initiatives, visit www.MichiganBusiness.org. For Pure Michigan tourism information, your trip begins at www.michigan.org. Join the conversation on: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. # # # Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist's Statement on Secure MI Vote Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist's Statement on Secure MI Vote FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 27, 2021 Contact: Press@Michigan.gov Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist's Statement on Secure MI Vote LANSING, Mich. - Lt. Governor Garlin Gilchrist II issued the following statement after the Board of Canvassers approved the Secure MI Vote petition. "Secure MI Vote is anti-democracy and anti-American. We must stand together against this and any attempts to make it more difficult or confusing for Michiganders to vote. "Every Michigan voter, regardless of who they vote for or what party they belong to, should be offended and angered by this deceitful effort to change the rules just because some people did not like the results of the 2020 election. "This is a dishonest effort that is wrong for Michigan. Its purpose is to make voting harder, and create additional, complicated burdens on election workers whose effort and professionalism just delivered the most secure, accessible, and high-turnout election in our state's history." ### Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs, will invest $3.5 billion within the next 10 years to address the climate crisis, a spokesperson for Emerson Collective, Jobs organization, said on Monday. The money will go into Waverley Street Foundation, an organization Jobs set up in 2016, and focus on "initiatives and ideas to help underserved communities most impacted by climate change," the spokesperson said. Efforts will focus on housing, transportation, food security, and health. LAKEVIEW Robert Lurie, author of "The Legacy of Anne Frank" will speak at 6 p.m. Oct 5 at the Tamarack District Library, 832 S. Lincoln in Lakeview. Robert Lurie's father was a Jewish World War veteran and his mother was born just months before Anne Frank. Winner of the Anne Frank Center's Teacher of the Year Award in 2019, Robert will talk about his personal and professional journey to answer unanswerable questions for himself and his students. Join us as he talks about her legacy and more. BEAR LAKE TWP. A Traverse City man was arraigned this week on a methamphetamine charge after a traffic stop in Bear Lake Township over the weekend. Jackson Charles Mackey, 41, was arraigned in 85th District Court in Manistee County on Monday, according to a Michigan State Police news release issued on Tuesday morning. ATHENS, Greece (AP) Authorities in Greece said that 41 Afghan refugees flew from Athens to Portugal on Tuesday, as part of a bilateral agreement to resettle 1,000 people who have been granted asylum. The Afghans traveled to Greece before the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August. Another 43 are expected to fly to Portugal in the coming weeks, Greek officials said. PARIS (AP) European nations must boost their defense plans and make themselves respected, French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday as his country opens talks with the United States following a submarine contract dispute that led to a diplomatic crisis. Europeans must come out of their naivety, Macron said during a news conference in Paris where he spoke publicly for the first time about a Indo-Pacific defense deal among the U.S., Australia and Britain that sank a multi-billion French contract. When we are under pressure,...showing that we also have power and the capacity to defend ourselves...is simply making ourselves be respected. As part of the pact, Australia will cancel a contract to buy diesel-electric French submarines and acquire U.S. nuclear-powered vessels instead. In an unprecedented move, France recalled its ambassador to the U.S. in response. Ambassador Philippe Etienne will go back to Washington on Wednesday with a clear mandate, Macron said. He stressed he and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed last week in a phone call to open in-depth consultations aimed at creating the conditions for ensuring confidence between the longtime allies. Macron said he is to talk again with Biden in mid-October, before a scheduled in-person meeting at the end of next month in Europe. A French senior official said no date has been set yet for the return of the French ambassador to Australia, who also was recalled. He spoke anonymously in accordance with the French presidencys customary practices. The official said Macron has not spoken with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison since the defense deal was announced but that the French leader was ready to hold discussions at some point on the condition they were being prepared in a serious manner. The United States are "great historical friends and allies in terms of values, but we must see that for more than 10 years the Americans first focus on themselves and have strategic interests reoriented toward China and the Pacific, Macron said. We must, as Europeans, take our part in our own protection, he said. It is not an alternative to the alliance with the U.S. nor a substitute for it, the president stressed, adding that European defense plans should come in addition to NATO. Macron spoke Tuesday after France signed a defense deal with Greece, including the purchase by Athens of three warships worth several billion euros. The debate on European strategic autonomy has begun to take on real content," Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said. The European Union plans to hold a defense summit next year; France takes over the blocs rotating presidency in the first half of 2022. Macron, who is expected to run for reelection in France's April presidential vote, has pushed for the 27-nation trade bloc to develop more EU defense autonomy, notably during the turmoil of the Trump administration. Stung by the swift collapse of the Afghan army and the chaotic U.S.-led evacuation through Kabul airport, the EU this month unveiled plans to develop its own defense capacities to try to ensure that it has more freedom to act in future crises. The EU also unveiled earlier this month a new strategy for boosting economic, political and defense ties in the Indo-Pacific area. ______ AP Writer Derek Gatopoulos contributed to the story from Athens, Greece. MEXICO CITY (AP) Mexico celebrated a relatively little-known date Monday marking 200 years since the victory of the 1810-1821 independence movement. The commemorations included a message from Pope Francis acknowledging the errors of the Roman Catholic Church in supporting the old order. Most Mexicans celebrate the anniversary of the start of the battle for independence, Sept. 16, 1810. But in fact, that uprising was largely quelled by the Spanish and their local royalist allies, Mexico's elite at the time. Guerrilla fighters largely carried on the independence fight in the mountains of southern Mexico after 1815. It wasnt until a liberal government briefly came to power in Spain in 1820 that conservatives and royalists in Mexico City decided that independence was a better route. So they joined forces with the guerrilla fighters and rode into the capital on Sept. 27, 200 years ago, essentially ending the war. Much like the independence victory in the United States, where the new nation was born with a mix of slave and free states, the strange alliance that won Mexico's freedom from Spain carried within it the seeds of a conflict that would have to be resolved in the following decades. The liberals in Spain in 1820 wanted to limit the power of the king, threatening to do away with some privileges for the clergy and army that Mexico's elites enjoyed. That led Agustin de Iturbide and other royalist officers to change sides and join the rebels they had previously fought, and form the joint army of the three guarantees that rode into Mexico City in 1821. The three guarantees, or promises, were independence from Spain, the establishment of the Roman Catholic Church as the only one allowed in Mexico and the union of the former foes to end the fighting. What the elites wanted and continued to fight for until the 1860s was a preservation of the old order, just without interference from liberal reformers in Spain. In fact, Iturbide was named emperor of newly independent Mexico and held that title until the presidency was established in 1823. But that left unresolved conflicts over the enormous wealth and economic power of the church, and whether Mexico should have a king or not. Those conflicts would lead to Mexico's reform wars of the 1850s and the French invasion of the 1860s that set up the brief reign of Emperor Maximillian. Prior to the confiscation of church landholdings in Mexico, the clergy controlled much of the land in perpetuity and were exempt from taxes, and conservatives tried to defend those privileges. Pope Francis sent a message to Mexico bishops marking the occasion, saying it necessarily includes a process of purifying memory, that is, to recognize the very painful errors committed in the past. For that reason, on several occasions, I and my predecessors have asked forgiveness for the social and personal sins that by commission or omission, did not contribute to evangelization, he wrote. But we do not evoke the pain of the past for its own sake, but rather to learn from it and take steps to heal the wounds and construct an open dialogue that respects differences and build a much-desired brotherhood, giving priority to the common welfare over private interests, the pope wrote. That contrasted with Spain's position of refusing to apologize to Mexico for the brutality, deaths and exploitation of the colonial period. An evening ceremony in Mexico City's main plaza included a re-enactment of the entrance of pro-independence troops into the city. U.S. President Joe Biden sent a recorded message saying that the United States has no closer friend than Mexico. Throughout our history we have learned that we are stronger when we stand together as neighbors, partners and friends, Biden said. Thumb-Area lawmakers are pleased with how the states $70 billion budget turned out and how it will help area families. The proposed budget includes $1.4 billion in federal COVID relief funding to help make childcare more accessible by providing grants, increasing the income eligibility threshold, and temporarily boosting provider reimbursement rates. Workforce investment will be at roughly $100 million, with the funds going toward the Going PRO program, internships, and apprentice programs. The Pure Michigan tourism campaign will receive a $40 million investment. The states budget stabilization fund will receive a $500 million deposit to put the state in a better financial position in case of economic trouble. Approximately $414.5 million will permanently increase wages for direct care workers, $33 million will go toward training new state police troopers and corrections officers and $150 million will go toward the unemployment trust fund to increase its solvency due to fraudulent benefit payments. State Rep. Phil Green, a Republican from Millington, said the budget contains exemptions for getting vaccinated due to religious and sincerely-held beliefs and medical reasons. I heard a lot of outpouring, Green said. A lot of individuals want to ensure they keep their medical rights. There is also language in the budget that requires enhanced reporting requirements for emergency orders issued by the administration, with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services required to develop reports related to emergency orders involving an epidemic issued during that fiscal year, and the report must include an explanation of the scope of the epidemic and the description of each area of the state that is determined to be threatened by the epidemic. Green also said there are about 200,000 women who have not reentered the work force since the pandemic began, with some of them having concerns about childcare. With the amount of federal COVID relief going toward childcare funding, he hopes that will allow those women to reenter the workforce and relieve some of the labor shortages. State Sen. Dan Lauwers, a Republican from Brockway Township, said the Upper Thumb would benefit from increased funding for bridge repairs, with the more than $190 million allocated, which he said will put less strain on local governments. Most new bridges are close to $1 million a piece, Lauwers said. Im sure well see the benefits of that in the Thumb." Both Green and Lauwers called this new budget an example of both sides and different branches of government coming together, with Lauwers noting there were only two votes against approving the budget in the Senate. This was a very productive, bipartisan process finalizing our states new budget, Lauwers said. Everyone was motivated to produce a spending plan that truly focuses on Michiganders needs and continuing our states recovery from the coronavirus pandemic. I look forward to the governor signing the budget soon and carrying the positive momentum forward into the next year. The states new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1, meaning a new budget will have to be passed before then. While Lauwers said the governor still has the authority to line-item veto certain parts of the budget, he does not expect any to happen. City of Middletown / Contributed photo MIDDLETOWN Kori Termine Wisneski, deputy general counsel for the city of Middletown, has received the 2021 Brad D. Bailey Award from the International Municipal Lawyers Association. Each year, the Bailey Award recognizes an assistant local government attorney who has provided outstanding service to the public, and who possesses an exemplary reputation in the legal community, the highest of ethical standards, and who revels in maintaining a life that balances a passion for professional excellence and the joy of family and friends, according to a press release. Asian shares fell sharply on Wednesday after a broad slide on Wall Street as investors reacted to a surge in U.S. government bond yields. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 sank 2.6% to 29,395.14 and the Kospi in Seoul dropped 2% to 3,036.86. The Shanghai Composite index shed 1.8% to 3,537.60. In Sydney, the S&P/ASX 200 gave up 1.1% to 7,198.40. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index logged a more modest 0.5% decline, to 24,374.62 after troubled property developer Evergrande Group said it was selling a stake in Shengjing Bank for 9.9 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) a step toward addressing its cash crunch. Evergrande's Hong Kong-traded shares jumped 10.5% by midday. A swift rise in Treasury yields is forcing investors to reassess whether prices have run too high for stocks, particularly the most popular ones. The yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 1.54%, its highest level since late June. Thats up from 1.32% a week ago. On Tuesday, the benchmark S&P 500 index fell 2%, its worst drop since May, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq fell 2.8%, its worst drop since March. Decliners outnumbered advancers on the New York Stock Exchange 4 to 1. The benchmark S&P 500 is down 3.8% so far this month and on pace for its first monthly loss since January after it gained nearly 16% since the beginning of 2021. Bond yields started rising last week after the Federal Reserve sent the clearest signals yet that the central bank is moving closer to begin withdrawing the unprecedented support it has provided for the economy throughout the pandemic. The Fed indicated it may start raising its benchmark interest rate sometime next year and will likely begin cutting back the pace of its monthly bond purchases before the end of this year. A rise in yields means Treasurys are paying more in interest, and that gives investors less incentive to pay high prices for stocks and other things that are riskier bets than super-safe U.S. government bonds. The recent upturn in rates has hit tech stocks particularly hard because their prices look more expensive than much of the rest of the market, relative to how much profit theyre making. The S&P 500 fell 90.48 points to 4,352.63. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 1.6%, to 34,299.99. Small company stocks also lost ground. The Russell 2000 index dropped 2.2%, to 2,229.78. Chipmaker Nvidia fell 4.4%, Apple slid 2.4% and Microsoft fell 3.6%. The broader technology sector is also contending with a global chip and parts shortage because of the virus pandemic. That could worsen as factories in some parts of China are idled by power shortages. Communications companies also weighed down the market. Facebook and Google's parent company, Alphabet, each fell 3.7%. Energy was the only sector in the S&P 500 that wasn't in the red. Exxon Mobil rose 1% and Schlumberger gained 2.4% for the biggest gain among S&P 500 stocks. COVID-19 remains a lingering threat and is still taking its toll on businesses and consumers. Economic data on consumer spending and the employment market has been mixed. U.S. consumer confidence declined for the third straight month in September, according to a report from The Conference Board. Companies are warning that supply chain problems and higher prices could crimp sales and profits. The Federal Reserve has maintained that rising inflation is temporary and tied to those supply chain disruptions as the economy recovers from the pandemic. In other trading, U.S. benchmark crude oil gave up $1.13 to $74.16 per barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. It lost 16 cents to $75.29 per barrel on Tuesday. Brent crude oil, the standard for international pricing, declined $1.17 to $77.18 per barrel. The U.S. dollar edged up to 111.49 Japanese yen from 111.48 yen. The euro rose to $1.1686 from $1.1683. LAS VEGAS (AP) The mayor of Las Vegas and the head of the Nevada state Republican party are pitching the idea of the city hosting the GOP National Convention ahead of the November 2024 presidential election. Mayor Carolyn Goodman on Monday issued a statement saying she told the Republican National Committee in response to an inquiry that Las Vegas would be the best place for the three-day event in summer 2024. WASHINGTON (AP) The top U.S. military officer called the 20-year war in Afghanistan a strategic failure and acknowledged to Congress on Tuesday that he had favored keeping several thousand troops in the country to prevent a collapse of the U.S.-supported Kabul government and a rapid takeover by the Taliban. Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee pointed to the testimony by Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as evidence that President Joe Biden had been untruthful when, in a television interview last month, he suggested the military had not urged him to keep troops in Afghanistan. Milley refused to say what advice he gave Biden last spring when Biden was considering whether to comply with an agreement the Trump administration had made with the Taliban to reduce the American troop presence to zero by May 2021, ending a U.S. war that began in October 2001. Testifying alongside Milley, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin also refused to reveal his advice to Biden. Milley told the committee, when pressed, that it had been his personal opinion that at least 2,500 U.S. troops were needed to guard against a collapse of the Kabul government and a return to Taliban rule. Defying U.S. intelligence assessments, the Afghan government and its U.S.-trained army collapsed in mid-August, allowing the Taliban, which had ruled the country from 1996 to 2001, to capture Kabul with what Milley described as a couple of hundred men on motorcycles, without a shot being fired. That triggered a frantic U.S. effort to evacuate American civilians, Afghan allies and others from Kabul airport. Gen. Frank McKenzie, who as head of Central Command was overseeing U.S. troops in Afghanistan, said he shared Milleys view that keeping a residual force there could have kept the Kabul government intact. I recommended that we maintain 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, and I also recommended early in the fall of 2020 that we maintain 4,500 at that time, those were my personal views, McKenzie said. I also had a view that the withdrawal of those forces would lead inevitably to the collapse of the Afghan military forces and eventually the Afghan government. The six-hour Senate hearing marked the start of what is likely to be an extended congressional review of the U.S. failures in Afghanistan. The length and depth of the hearing stood in contrast to years of limited congressional oversight of the war and the hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars it consumed. The Republicans' sudden interest in Afghanistan is plain old politics, said Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, who supported Biden's decision to end U.S. involvement there. Austin and Milley are scheduled to appear Wednesday before the House Armed Services Committee to review the war. The hearing at times was contentious, as Republicans sought to portray Biden as having ignored advice from military officers and mischaracterized the military options he was presented last spring and summer. Several Republicans tried unsuccessfully to draw Milley, McKenzie and Austin into commenting on the truthfulness of Bidens statement to ABC News on Aug. 18, three days after the Taliban took control of Kabul, that no senior military commander had recommended against a full troop withdrawal when it was under discussion in the first months of Bidens term. When asked in that interview whether military advisers had recommended keeping 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, Biden replied, No. No one said that to me that I can recall." He also said the advice was split. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday that Biden was referring to having received a range of advice. "Regardless of the advice, its his decision, hes the commander in chief, she said. In a blunt assessment of a war that cost 2,461 American lives, Milley said the result was years in the making. Outcomes in a war like this, an outcome that is a strategic failure the enemy is in charge in Kabul, there's no way else to describe that that is a cumulative effect of 20 years, he said, adding that lessons need to be learned, including whether the U.S. military made the Afghans overly dependent on American technology in a mistaken effort to make the Afghan army look like the American army. Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas asked Milley why he did not choose to resign after his advice was rejected. Milley, who was appointed to his position as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by President Donald Trump and retained by Biden, said it was his responsibility to provide the commander in chief with his best advice. The president doesn't have to agree with that advice, Milley said. He doesn't have to make those decisions just because we are generals. And it would be an incredible act of political defiance for a commissioned officer to resign just because my advice was not taken." Austin defended the military's execution of a frantic airlift from Kabul in August and asserted it will be difficult but absolutely possible to contain future threats from Afghanistan without troops on the ground. Milley cited a very real possibility that al-Qaida or the Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate could reconstitute in Afghanistan under Taliban rule and present a terrorist threat to the United States in the next 12 to 36 months. It was al-Qaida's use of Afghanistan as a base from which to plan and execute its attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, that triggered the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan a month later. And we must remember that the Taliban was and remains a terrorist organization and they still have not broken ties with al-Qaida, Milley said. I have no illusions who we are dealing with. It remains to be seen whether or not the Taliban can consolidate power or if the country will further fracture into civil war. Austin questioned decisions made over the 20-year course of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. In retrospect, he said, the American government may have put too much faith in its ability to build a viable Afghan government. We helped build a state, but we could not forge a nation, he told the Senate committee. The fact that the Afghan army we and our partners trained simply melted away in many cases without firing a shot took us all by surprise. It would be dishonest to claim otherwise. Asked why the United States did not foresee the rapid collapse of the Afghan army, Milley said that in his judgment the U.S. military lost its ability to see and understand the true condition of the Afghan forces when it ended the practice some years ago of having advisers alongside the Afghans on the battlefield. You cant measure the human heart with a machine, you have to be there, Milley said. WICHITA, Kan. (AP) A convicted sex offender who walked out of Larned State Hospital in Kansas in June has been recaptured in Utah, the U.S. Marshal's Service said Tuesday. John Freeman Colt, 42, was arrested after a citizen saw him camping on federal land in Wayne County, Utah, according to Ronald Miller, U.S. Marshal for the District of Kansas. Contributed / Connecticut State Police SPRAGUE State police are offering $25,000 for any information that could lead to the conviction of the person or people responsible for the 2017 murder of a local father. Steven Devost, a 31-year-old father of three, was fatally shot outside his Sprague home a week before Christmas in 2017. WALLINGFORD Kahseim Outlaw has taught physical education and health at Lyman Hall High School since 2006, but he said he was sent home Monday because he has refused to get a COVID-19 vaccination or to be tested. Outlaw, 40, said he follows a holistic, vegan lifestyle involving natural foods, herbs, and yoga, and does not subscribe to conventional medicine. I dont even take aspirin, he said. When he arrived at school Monday, he said Principal Joseph Corso called him down to his office and put him on a call with Francis Thompson, assistant superintendent for personnel, who let me know that per the executive order, they had to send me home. Outlaw said he is on unpaid administrative leave. Gov. Ned Lamont issued an executive order Sept. 10 mandating all state employees and school and childcare staff must have received at least one vaccine dose by Monday or be tested weekly. Wallingford Superintendent of Schools Danielle Bellizzi did not comment on Outlaw. But she issued a statement, which said, While I cannot comment on the specifics of any personnel matter, I did want to share that Wallingford Public Schools is adhering to the guidelines set forth in Executive Order 13G. This order sets forth the form and manner in which the state, state hospitals, school boards, and child care facilities must maintain the individuals documentation of vaccination or exemptions and must verify compliance with the testing requirements for unvaccinated individuals. Bellizzi added that the executive order states that non-compliant employees shall not be allowed on the premises of the school district. It further states that any school district shall be in violation of this order when it permits a covered worker who has not complied with this order to be in a public or private pre-K through grade 12 school or a child care facility, to make regular or frequent visits to any such school or child care facility, or to have regular or frequent contact with children in child care, students, or staff. It was not clear Monday how many teachers in Connecticut are on leave due to the requirements of Lamonts executive order. Max Reiss, Lamonts spokesman, said in an email, Gov. Lamont has been focused on taking all necessary measures to ensure the school year continue uninterrupted, as we do not want to see a repeat of lost time in the classroom. The more people who are vaccinated, the safer all students, staff, and faculty are inside the school building. The vaccine requirement for educators is especially important for those who work with children under the age of 12, who are not yet eligible to receive one of the vaccines. He added that employment issues are between the school and the employee. Outlaw said that, because his lifestyle does not allow for injections, he requested a religious exemption from the vaccine and said he was granted temporary approval. But his request for an exemption from testing was not, he said. The mandate on the schools end was we had to be tested by yesterday at 5 p.m., Outlaw said. He said he views testing as an unnecessary medical procedure as well. He said he asked to be screened rather than tested, being asked questions such as whether he had symptoms or had been near someone who was positive for COVID. If I was worried about my health, I would do what I need to do. If it was testing on my own volition that would be one thing. It just seems a bit unreasonable, Outlaw said. My conscience, my intuition, my soul tells me it is not right for me, he said. Im very spiritual. I dont belong to any particular sect of religion. I am a vegan for over eight years. Outlaw also practices yoga, which includes the principle of ahimsa, or do no harm to your own body, do no harm to anyone else, he said. Taking the vaccine, he said, means theres a substance that were going to inject into the bloodstream that for me doesnt make me any healthier than I am now. He said he believes getting vaccinated wouldnt necessarily protect his students either. There have been plenty of individuals in my building who were vaccinated and tested positive, he said. At one point, Outlaw said, he was quarantined from my building because I was in close contact with someone who was positive. Outlaw said he has a masters degree in integrative health and healing and was Lyman Halls 2020 teacher of the year. Now his job is in jeopardy. In the near future well have a meeting with human resources, he said. Im willing to sacrifice the things Ive had the privilege of having in my life. Im willing to stand by my own volition rather than acquiesce to certain demands to keep those privileges. Outlaw said while he may lose his job, I am not resigning; I am not quitting; I am not walking away from my profession. We dont know what the consequence is going to be. Outlaw, his wife and 7-year-old child live in Middletown. He said hes received support from students, staff and parents who are uncertain about doing certain things, but they are doing it for comfort and convenience. Outlaw said he is not refusing the vaccination because it is a government mandate. It has way less to do with that, he said. I really dont think about it in that sense. As a teacher, the health curriculum does not call for holistic practices, so I dont teach that as part of the curriculum, Outlaw said. However, when asked, I do make myself available for those that are looking for a bit more than what was offered to them conventionally. edward.stannard@hearstmediact.com; 203-680-9382 About twice a week, 6-year-old Eli Galaise goes out hunting for wild mushrooms. Eli, who lives in Falls Village, is enthusiastic about mushrooms. So much so that he, with some encouragement from his mother, started a YouTube channel where hes known as the Little Mycologist. Maybe a year ago or so, we were going on hikes constantly during the pandemic. Thats how we handled it. Every single day, we were outside, his mom, Carla Galaise, said. Eli would stop every person wed walk by and show them mushrooms and teach them about mushrooms. In the videos, Eli is visibly excited about every mushroom he encounters. Im never gonna get tired of it, he said during a recent interview. He knows most of the Latin and common names of each, and though hes interested in the edible mushrooms, Elis also interested in the odd ones, as well as the poisonous ones. I have a bleeding tooth in my yard, he said. Its this really cool one that looks like its bleeding this red or sometimes orange watery stuff. Its cool. More mushrooms and more foragers On the whole this has been, according to Bill Yule, one of the better mushroom hunting seasons in recent memory. Yule has been foraging for mushrooms in Connecticut for the past 30 years or so. The Haddam resident was a science teacher and environmental educator before retiring two years ago. But mushrooms have been and remain his passion. What made this year so good for mushrooms was the rainfall. Experienced foragers, he said, spend a lot of time looking at rainfall maps. If you look at Connecticut as a whole, and southern New England as a whole, this was an excellent mushroom season, Yule said. You have to follow the exact rain patterns to figure out where the mushrooms are. Its also been a banner year for mushroom hunters. There are more foragers out in the woods now than Yule has ever seen before. In the past three years, the popularity of this hobby has exploded in ways no one could have predicted, he said. There are two kinds of mushroom hunters. There are foragers, who primarily look for edible mushrooms in the wild, and there are amateur mycologists, who, Yule said, are more interested in cataloging biological diversity and preserving ecology. For the first group, Connecticut is home to some well known and tasty mushrooms. There is the so-called chicken of the woods, which has a yellow, orange appearance and grows on trees. There are maitake mushrooms, sometimes called hen-of-the-woods, as well as chanterelles and button mushrooms, and many more. Just now were going into the fall season and people are starting to collect the hen-of-the-woods, the honey mushrooms and the yellow footed chanterelles, he said. They are the best edibles. Many foragers search for mushrooms for personal use but there is, Yule said, a whole shadow economy going on. Though its technically illegal to sell wild mushrooms, Yule said foragers often sell the mushrooms to brokers from out of state, or on the back steps of restaurants. The destroying angel and the death cap There are many thousands of types of mushrooms growing wild in Connecticut, Karen Monger, the newsletter editor for the North American Mycological Association and membership coordinator for the Connecticut Valley Mycological Society, We have an incredible diversity of mushroom species, she said. That is due partly to the fact that we have such a diverse group of trees. It can be difficult, sometimes, to tell the difference between edible mushrooms and the ones that can kill you. The so-called destroying angel, for example, looks like an innocent button mushroom when its young, but eat enough of it and you may need a liver transplant. In the best of cases, a toxic mushroom might send you to the bathroom for a couple hours, Monger said. Other mushrooms might require a trip to the emergency room for intravenous fluids from your fluid loss from vomiting and diarrhea. In the worst cases, You may need a liver replacement because youve eaten the wrong mushroom and the toxins in that particular mushroom have destroyed your liver, Monger said. So you know, you dont gamble with wild mushrooms if youre going to eat them. The destroying angel is common across Connecticut. Julie OGrady, a Westport forager, said she often sees them in town. I see them every day, OGrady said. I mean, every day, every time I go out, we see one somewhere. The sad thing is that its an awful death, because what it does is it makes you really sick for a day or two, and then you feel better, she said. And then it attacks your liver. You have to have a liver transplant to survive, or it kills you. Yule cautions that proper identification is key. There have been about 80 calls so far this year to Connecticuts Poison Control Center for exposure to potentially poisonous mushrooms. Thats about on par with last year, when there were 105 calls, and far higher than the 53 mushroom-related calls there were in 2019, perhaps due to the weather conditions and increased number of foragers. But even edible mushrooms are not always tolerable. Yule is often called to identify which mushroom an ill patient has ingested. Sometimes, its a destroying angel or, less often, the toxic death cap mushroom. But most of the time, its because a mushroom has not been prepared well, or because an individual was susceptible in a way another might not be. People think that they can lightly saute some mushrooms and eat them, and you cant, Yule said. Thats what the major poison control issues are about. Identification Monger, from Norwich, said it can be difficult to make a precise identification. You cant kind of say, Oh, I wish I could find this mushroom, and I find something that kind of looks like it, but this feature doesnt match up, but Im gonna overlook that fact, she said That could be a very bad mistake. Monger said to correctly identify a mushroom, a forager needs to pay attention to any number of factors. Is it growing on the ground? If its growing in the ground is it associated with a bunch of conifer trees or hardwood trees? How a mushroom looks, its morphological features, are perhaps the first thing to note, Monger said: Are you looking at the colors of the mushroom? You see if it has gills, pores, teeth, a smooth underside, does it have a stem? Does it not have a stem? Are you looking at features on the stem? Is there a ring? Are there leftover pieces of a cortino, a waxy substance? You look at the base of the mushroom, is there a bulb, is there a vulval sack? But smell is also an important factor. You can pick up different odors that are an identification clue for the mushroom, Monger said. Taking a spore print is a more ambitious way to identify a mushroom, Monger said, but it is a helpful way to identify one. Taking a spore print is pretty easy, said Matt Pulk, of Storrs, who is an administrator of several mushroom identification Facebook pages. Generally, you just put the spore bearing surface, facedown. Usually, depending on the mushroom, some of them will let you know in 10 minutes whereas, other ones, you might leave for 24 hours just to have more of a dense spore collection. Its best, Pulk said, to abstain from eating a mushroom until youre sure. I tell people, unless you can identify for yourself, unless youve done your research, unless youve consulted with other people who you trust and consider to be as close as an expert in that scenario that can be, then thats basically the only time you want to eat a mushroom, he said. 2 percent of whats out there There are, in fact, so many species of fungi in the world that its possible to discover new ones. We probably only know about 2 percent of the species on this planet, said Rachel Koch, a research assistant professor at the University of Connecticut and an expert in mushroom evolution and mushroom diversity. So its very possible that when people are collecting mushrooms that they might have a new species that hasnt been described yet, just because morphologically, theres not a lot of factors that differentiate them. Koch said fungi have been on the planet longer than complex plant or animal life. In fact, she said fungi make plant life possible, either through associating with them, or returning the nutrients to the soil again, fungi were what allowed plants to come on to the earth really, to evolve. Plants wouldnt exist if it werent for the fungi, she said. Interestingly, Koch said fungi are more closely related to human life than they are to the trees on which they often live. If you just look at all of the big groups of organisms out there like plants, bacteria, fungi, animals animals and fungi are going to be more closely related than if you were to look at fungi and plants, she said. There are just more similarities between fungi and animals than there are between fungi and plants. Science vs. food There are those foragers, like Yule, Pulk and 6-year-old Eli, who are more interested in the science. There are also those foragers, like OGrady and Monger, who are interested in mycophagy. Mycophagy is the study of eating mushrooms and cooking mushrooms, OGrady said. OGrady is the chief mycophagist for the Connecticut-Westchester Mycological Association, one of several mushroom-focused groups in the region. So when the group has a gathering, what they call a foray, she makes a mushroom-related meal. I cooked dinner for 80 people thats all mushroom related and we buy a lot of cultivated mushrooms just because we dont find enough food for 80 people, she said. Monger also runs a wild mushroom-related business with her husband and daughter. Theyre called The Three Foragers. My husband is more concentrated on just pure identification collecting specimens he sends in for DNA analysis, she said. He believes hes found at least two new species this particular year that have not been previously recorded. But they all have one thing in common: Though theyre excited about mushrooms, they try to keep the best spots to themselves. They may share it with friends and family, but Yule said there are too many foragers and not enough public land on which to forage. For the first time this year in my life hunting wild mushrooms, Ive seen professional foragers. They work together to forage for edible, saleable mushrooms, he said. You can recognize them because they dont have a nice, wicker basket, they have four-gallon buckets. SANAA, Yemen (AP) Two days of fierce clashes between Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels over a crucial central city have killed more than 130 fighters, mostly rebels, officials said Tuesday. The escalation of fighting over the energy-rich city of Marib comes as President Joe Bidens national security adviser Jake Sullivan traveled to Saudi Arabia to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as Washington presses for a cease-fire in the yearslong war. Yemen has been convulsed by civil war since 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthis captured the capital of Sanaa and much of the country's north, forcing President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and his government to flee to the south, then to Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in March 2015, backed by the United States, to try restore Hadi to power. Despite a relentless air campaign and ground fighting, the war has deteriorated largely into a stalemate and spawned the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. The rebels renewed their attacks on Marib earlier this year, an offensive that threatens to exacerbate a dire situation in a city that already hosts hundreds of thousands of displaced Yemenis. The Houthis have for years attempted to take Marib to complete their control over the northern half of the country but have met with stiff resistance. The latest fighting has taken place south of Marib where the rebels are trying to break the government defenses, according to tribal elders, government and rebel officials. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media and the elders spoke anonymously because they feared reprisals. Yemens military said its forces, aided by tribal fighters and airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition, have killed and wounded dozens of Houthi fighters and destroyed vehicles during fierce clashes around Marib in the past 24 hours. The rebels usually attack with waves of fighters charging government lines, thereby becoming easy targets for warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition. The Houthi media office said the Saudi-led coalition launched more than 30 airstrikes on their fighters around Marib on Monday. House lawmakers have backed legislation prohibiting dishonorable discharges for troops who refuse the COVID-19 vaccine, as the Navy gave its sailors 90 days to get the shot this week and the Army and Air Force were poised Thursday to enforce their own timetables. Legislation sponsored by Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn., an Army veteran, requires only honorable discharges for anyone who is separated from the military over refusing to be vaccinated. It was added to the fiscal 2022 defense authorization bill, passed by the House Armed Services Committee on Thursday. "No American who raises their hand to serve our Nation should be punished for making a highly personal medical decision," Green said in a statement after the committee vote. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration fully approved the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in August after allowing emergency use beginning in December 2020, saying it is safe and effective for those 16 years old and over. Read Next: Sailors and Marines Have 90 Days to Get Vaccinated or Face Punishment The Navy became the first service to enforce a timeframe for vaccinations in a series of memos on Tuesday and Wednesday following the FDA approval and an order by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for all troops to be vaccinated. The Army and Air Force are expected to give soldiers and airmen a deadline "very, very soon," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said during a briefing with reporters Thursday. But troops who refuse to be inoculated may not necessarily face dishonorable discharge, or even separation, according to Kirby. The Pentagon has repeatedly stopped short of saying it will boot troops for refusing the shot. Commanders will have a range of options that stop short of punishment under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Kirby said. The services also will allow religious exemptions to the vaccine. "The secretary expects that the department leadership will implement these mandatory vaccines with skill but also ... professionalism and compassion," Kirby said. "When an individual declines to take a mandatory vaccine, they will be given an opportunity to talk to both medical providers as well as their own chain of command so that they can fully understand the decision they are making." The House legislation barring dishonorable discharges now must go to a vote in the full chamber. The House version of the massive, must-pass defense authorization bill also must be reconciled with the Senate version in conference, where controversial measures often are eliminated. In any case, the bill is unlikely to be signed into law until months after all the military services are enforcing COVID-19 inoculations. Military.com reported on a Marine corporal who said she was discharged for refusing to wear a mask, possibly the first service member to be pushed out of the military in connection with COVID-19 rules. According to the Pentagon, roughly 63% of all U.S. forces had received at least one dose or were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Aug. 18. -- Travis Tritten can be reached at travis.tritten@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @Travis_Tritten. Related: Marine Corporal Discharged over Refusal to Wear a Mask A generation ago, the smoldering wreckage and public anger over the 9/11 attacks drove young Americans into military recruiting stations in the days and months after the worst attack since Pearl Harbor. "After 9/11, so many people were walk-ins," said Col. James Welch, commander of the Army's 2nd Recruiting Brigade. But two decades later, many new recruits have no memory of the attacks, and the Afghanistan withdrawal and winding down of operations in Iraq leave limited combat opportunities. Those signing up today are more interested in benefits and economic security than taking it to terrorists overseas, according to recruiters. The military has largely shifted back to pre-9/11 recruiting pitches of service as a career that can teach technical skills and provide GI Bill benefits as the legacy of the attacks fades among young troops and loses its power as a recruiting tool. "As we reflect on 20 years of combat, it's hard to realize we have soldiers coming in that weren't even alive on that day [of the attacks in 2001]," Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston said in an interview. "I even ask young soldiers sometimes why we were in Afghanistan, and sometimes they can't clearly articulate it." Read Next: Slowing Housing, Food Allowance Raises Could Save the Pentagon Billions, Congressional Report Says Recruiters interviewed by Military.com said benefits are the bottom line for most enlistees these days, and research backs that up. Several studies, including a 2018 survey from Rand Corp. on junior enlisted, found economic factors, including job security, pay and benefits, are the leading reasons people join the military. "It's back to where we were at pre-9/11 where people want to serve for experience, training and college tuition," Welch said. On paper, the 9/11 attacks didn't appear to cause a spike in recruiting that same year. Five thousand more recruits actually signed up with the Army a year earlier. The number increased 3,749 to 79,604 in 2002, but enlistments rose above 80,000 in 2006 and 2007 as the Iraq War escalated and the Bush administration surged forces. In 2018, the Army missed its recruiting goal for the first time in more than a decade and blamed a war-weary public. That largely marked a transition to the career-focused recruiting style that had been common in the '90s. The allure of combat with special operations forces is still a draw. But for the generation after 9/11, the military is seen as an avenue to guaranteed health care and cheap college, along with other benefits such as generous home loan opportunities, straight out of high school. Those benefits have always been a big draw for recruiting, especially during times of relative peace. A Rand study in 2001 had the same findings as the one in 2018 -- in that today's recruits share more with generations that came before the 2001 attacks. "We wanted to serve at the time, but it wasn't about being forward deployed [to a combat zone]," said Grinston, who enlisted in 1987. Combat "wasn't something that you were aware of, it wasn't something real." Smarter with Better Gear The new crop of recruits from Generation Z is different in another way from the post-9/11 generation. They grew up with the internet, are the most educated and the most ethnically diverse and largest generation in American history. The military has publicly lamented that an estimated 70% of Americans are ineligible for service, mostly due to obesity, criminal records or lack of a high school education. But those who are eligible may be of a higher caliber. "When I showed up to 3rd Group, there were still some Vietnam guys running around; they were as hard as you could be. They were legends," Chief Warrant Officer 4 Michael Woods, who has been in the Army since 1993 and serves in the 3rd Special Forces Group, told Military.com. "But we were smarter, and our gear made us better." Newcomers to the special forces community are also smarter and more physically fit than his generation, Woods said. Instead of a single or handful of computers issued to a unit, everyone in an office has two. Night-vision optics are now obligatory on any packing list, but back when Woods joined, he said there weren't enough to go around. Woods said the days of relying solely on running and ruck marches for physical fitness are long gone. Now, it's holistic health, including nutrition, smarter workouts that incorporate CrossFit-style exercises, traditional weightlifting, stretching, yoga and physical therapy. "It's just way ahead of what we had, and now when people get hurt, they go through rehab, they last longer," he said. -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. Related: What Schools Teach About 9/11 and the War on Terror PARIS France killed the leader of Islamic State in the Greater Sahara because the group attacked French aid workers, African civilians and U.S. troops, French officials said Thursday, calling him enemy No. 1 in protracted anti-terrorism efforts in the Sahel. French President Emmanuel Macron announced the death of Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahrawi overnight. According to Macron's office, al-Sahrawi personally ordered the killing of six French aid workers and their Nigerien colleagues last year, and his group was behind a 2017 attack that killed U.S. and Niger military personnel. He was killed in a strike by Frances Barkhane military operation a few weeks ago, but authorities waited to be sure of his identity before making the announcement, French Defense Minister Florence Parly told RFI radio Thursday. Read Next: US Will Help Australia Build Nuclear Submarines as China Looms She did not disclose details of the operation or where al-Sahrawi was killed, though the Islamic State group is active along the border between Mali and Niger. He was at the origin of massacres and terror, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Thursday on France-Info radio. He urged African governments to fill the void and seize back ground taken by the Islamic State extremists. Rumors of the militant leaders death had circulated for weeks in Mali, though authorities in the region had not confirmed it. It was not immediately possible to independently verify the claim or to know how the remains had been identified. Al-Sahrawi had claimed responsibility for a 2017 attack in Niger that killed four U.S. military personnel and four people with Nigers military. His group also has abducted foreigners in the Sahel and is believed to still be holding American Jeffrey Woodke, who was abducted from his home in Niger in 2016. The extremist leader was born in the disputed territory of Western Sahara and later joined the Polisario Front. After spending time in Algeria, he made his way to northern Mali where he became an important figure in the group known as MUJAO that controlled the major northern town of Gao in 2012. A French-led military operation the following year ousted Islamic extremists from power in Gao and other northern cities, though those elements later regrouped and again carried out attacks. The Malian group MUJAO was loyal to the regional al-Qaida affiliate. But in 2015, al-Sahrawi released an audio message pledging allegiance to the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria. France, the region's former colonial power, recently announced that it would be reducing its military presence in the region, with plans to withdraw 2,000 troops by early next year. Related: Four Years After Her Husband's Death in Niger, a Gold Star Wife Tells His Story The Army is tweaking its retention program for next fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1, reducing soldiers' reenlistment options. The service is shrinking its Reenlistment Opportunity Window from 15 months before a soldier's contract expires to 12. The ROW is exactly what it sounds like -- the time a service member has to decide whether to continue serving in the military. The move comes after the Army suspended a rule in 2015 that generally barred soldiers from reenlisting 90 days prior to their separation. Under that rule, soldiers technically had a 12-month timetable, since they could not reenlist during the final three months. After it was suspended, troops had the full 15 months to reenlist. But with the latest change, they're back to having only a year. Sgt. Maj. Tobey Whitney, the Army's senior career counselor, told Military.com in an interview that a 12-month window can be easier for soldiers to track, adding that the majority of contract extensions happen as troops get close to their scheduled exit from the force, making a longer period unnecessary. Read Next: 200K Troops Eligible for Temporary Housing Allowance Boosts "It makes it more simple," Whitney said. "We looked at the analytics: The vast majority reenlisted way less than 12 months from [their contract expiring]." He added that the data is examined frequently to inform policy changes, which can take years of back and forth among Pentagon officials. However, the new policy is in effect for only a year and could change again in October 2022, the beginning of fiscal 2023, according to a memo obtained by Military.com. In another change starting Friday, soldiers will no longer be offered so-called duty station stabilization through contract extensions, which usually range from one to two years and allow soldiers to continue serving at their current installation. Instead, soldiers will have to go through the reenlistment process. Such extensions were a tool for soldiers to stay at their current base for a short period of time. For example, a soldier might choose to extend for a year for medical reasons or to wait until the next school year to move their child. Finally, the Army is changing its Career Status Program, in which midlevel noncommissioned officers can sign onto indefinite service, eliminating the regular reenlistment deadlines while still allowing soldiers to request a discharge or take a break from service. Previously, only staff sergeants or higher with 12 years in uniform were eligible; the service is now expanding that to those with 10 years of service. Whitney said all the new ROW guidance will be updated in DA PAM 601-280 on Friday. -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. Related: Army Identifies Green Beret Who Died During Dive Training in Reservoir SEOUL, South Korea North Korea on Monday accused the United States of hostility and demanded the Biden administration to permanently end joint military exercises with South Korea even as it continued its recent streak of weapons tests apparently aimed at pressuring Washington and Seoul over slow nuclear diplomacy. North Korean Ambassador Kim Songs comments on the last day of the U.N. General Assembly came shortly after South Koreas military said the North fired an unidentified projectile into its eastern waters. The Norths latest test, which followed two previous rounds of missile tests this month, indicated that the country is returning to its tried-and-true technique of mixing weapons demonstrations and peace offers to wrest concessions amid long-stalled negotiations over its nuclear weapons program. Seouls Joint Chiefs of Staff didnt immediately say what the North launched in its latest test or how far the weapon flew. Addressing the General Assembly, Kim justified North Koreas development of a war deterrent as a necessity to defend against U.S. threats, and also accused of South Korea of betraying inter-Korean peace agreements by prioritizing its Western ally over national harmony. He demanded that the United States permanently stop its military exercises with South Korea, which the North has traditionally described as invasion rehearsals, and end the deployment of U.S. strategic weapons to the Korean Peninsula. The possible outbreak of a new war on the Korean Peninsula is contained not because of the U.S.s mercy on the DPRK. It is because our state is a growing reliable deterrent that can control the hostile forces in the attempts of a military invasion, Kim said, referring to North Korea by the abbreviation of its formal name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. In face of broader and newer global challenges like COVID-19 and rising U.S.-China tensions, it seemed the North Korean nuclear issue had receded from the center of attention at this years assembly, which ended without meaningful new proposals to break the diplomatic stalemate with Pyongyang. But North Korea usually hates being ignored. The country has resumed its missile testing activity in recent weeks after months of relative quiet and subsequently offered to improve relations with South Korea if certain conditions are met. Kim called for the United States to contribute to the peace and stability of the peninsula and the world by withdrawing an anachronistic, hostile policy towards the DPRK in a bold and complete manner." Hostile policy is a term North Korea mainly uses the term to refer to U.S.-led sanctions over its nuclear weapons program and the joint U.S.-South Korea military drills. North Korea has also been increasingly criticizing the United States broader security role in the Asia-Pacific amid an intensifying competition with China, Pyongyangs major ally and economic lifeline. Analysts say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is using the Souths desire for inter-Korean engagement to pressure Seoul to extract concessions from the Biden administration on his behalf as he renews an attempt to leverage his nuclear weapons for badly needed economic benefits. In their speeches at the General Assembly last week, both President Joe Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed hopes to diplomatically resolve the standoff with North Korea while sidestepping the fresh tensions created by the Norths latest tests. Biden, whose pullout from Afghanistan underscored a broader shift in U.S. focus from counterterrorism and so-called rogue states like North Korea and Iran to confronting a rising authoritarian superpower in China, said his administration would seek serious and sustained diplomacy to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. Moon, who wants North Korea to remain a priority in Washington, made a more ambitious push to break the diplomatic deadlock, calling for the leaders of the Koreas, the United States and China to declare an end to the Korean War. The 1950-53 conflict, in which North Korea and ally China faced off against South Korea and U.S.-led U.N. forces, ended with an armistice, but there was never a peace treaty. North Korea rebuffed Moons offer days later, saying that such a declaration would end up being a smokescreen to cover up U.S. hostility, making it clear it has no interest in political statements unless they bring sanctions relief. But Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of the North Korean leader, said her country will take steps to repair ties with the South, and may even discuss another summit between their leaders if Seoul drops its hostility and public criticism about North Korean military developments. Nuclear negotiations have stalled since the collapse of a meeting between Kim and former President Donald Trump in February 2019, when the Americans rejected the Norths demands for a major removal of U.S.-led sanctions over its nuclear weapons program in exchange for dismantling an aging nuclear facility. That would have amounted to only a partial surrender of its nuclear capabilities. Kim in recent political speeches has vowed to bolster his nuclear deterrent in face of U.S. pressure. His government has so far rejected the Biden administrations offer to resume talks without preconditions, saying that Washington must abandon its hostile policy first. A retired Coast Guard Reserve rear admiral will receive an award that honors a person who exemplifies the traditions of the citizen soldier set by George Washington. The Pritzker Military Museum and Library will present the 2021 Citizen Soldier Award in October to retired Rear Admiral Dr. Richard W. Schneider, a career coastie and lifelong academic who attributes the honor to his roots. Schneiders story of service begins long before graduating from the Coast Guard Academy in 1968. In fact, his true journey to serving in Americas oldest seagoing service started more than 100 years ago. My hero was my grandfather on my mothers side, he said. At 14 years old, he ran away to sea from Scotland with his brother in the early 1900s. He came to America for a better life. Schneiders grandfather enlisted for six months in the Coast Guard. After just three months, the work was too much and he gave his uniform to his brother in order to complete the obligation. In those days they didnt care as long as they had an able-bodied seaman, he laughed. His grandfather eventually became a ship captain in the Merchant Marines. Though his grandfather loved being a merchie, hed be called back to service. World War I broke out and the Navy grabbed him up, making him a lieutenant commander on the spot with a ship, he said. Following the Great War, he continued to serve with the Merchant Marines until World War II. This time, the Navy made him a captain. They sent him to help plan the invasion of Normandy because he was from Scotland and knew all the ins and outs of the harbors, Schneider said. His grandfather sank one of the first German U-Boats, earning the Navy Cross. Schneider said that at one point his grandfather was rescued by the Coast Guard. He told me that I wouldnt be alive without them because your mother would have never been born, he said. I was around 12 years old when he told me and it made a big impact. Growing up with these stories led him to apply for the Coast Guard Academy because, Schneider said, he owed his life to the service. He was initially listed as an alternate, but received a telegram acceptance a week before class started with 24 hours to decide. Since hed been slated as an alternate, hed already accepted a spot in the Merchant Marine Academy. I told my dad to write a telegram to the Coast Guard that I was coming and write to the Merchant Marines that I wasnt, he said. Schneider felt he had to work hard to earn his last-minute spot, and in 1968 he graduated at the top of his class and as a regimental commander. A year later, Schneider was assigned to a ship as a gunnery officer. It immediately deployed to the Vietnam War. After his return, Schneider said he fell in love with academia and earned a Master of Liberal Studies. He was teaching physics at the academy until his wife, Beth, became gravely ill. In those days, Coast Guard dependents were at the bottom of the list for resources and care, especially where he was near Fort Eustis, he said. Beth died at just 40 years old. With four young daughters to raise, he transitioned into the Coast Guard Reserve after eight years of active service. You cant go to sea and just leave four little kids at home alone, he said. Schneider went to work for the University of Delaware, earning his Ph.D. in public policy while he was a professor. From there, he went to Drexel University as a vice president in 1986, all while continuing his service in the Coast Guard Reserve. One military academy took notice. Norwich University came looking for me because they found I was an academic with an earned Ph.D., had teaching experience and I also had military experience, he said with a smile. They asked me to be their president and I loved it there for 28 years. The nations oldest private military academy was founded more than 200 years ago by a retired Army captain who was disappointed with the educational trajectory he was seeing. A West Point graduate himself, it was Alden Partridge who originated the long grey line we see today. Norwich also is the birthplace of ROTC. So, what did everyone think of a coastie in charge of what was thought of as a soldiers academy? Initially, it wasnt well received. I got hate mail for the first three years from the Army guys, Schneider laughed. Now they all love me and its fine, but it was not fine in the beginning. Not only did he grow on the alumni and ardent supporters of Norwich University, but he himself discovered a second shot at love with his now wife of 22 years, Jamie. In 1998, he retired from service after 30 years of service. In 2020, he was ready to say goodbye to his role as president, too. His retirement from Norwich University was a momentous occasion considering how fewer than 5% of the nations college presidents serve more than 20 years. Schneiders dedication to his students, education and the military were noticed by the historic Pritzker Military Museum and Library. On Oct. 21, hell be recognized for a lifetime of service. What the Pritzker did to honor me with this national citizen soldier award, even though Im a coastie, just wow, he said. His tenure and dedication to sacrifice and service, both at this higher education institution, which is the birthplace of the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC), and as a member of the military community, showcases his embodiment of the citizen soldier ideals duty, sacrifice, service before self, courage and patriotism. We are proud to honor his legacy and achievements, Susan Rifkin, chief operating officer of Philanthropic Activities, stated in a press release. The inaugural recipient of the award was former Sen. Bob Dole, a World War II veteran, who received the honor in 2020. To learn more about the museum and library, visit the Pritzker Military website. Read the original article on MilitaryFamilies.com. President Joe Biden's top military officials on Tuesday testified that ahead of the chaotic exit from Afghanistan in which 13 American troops and scores of civilians were killed they recommended keeping troops in the country past August. That directly contradicts earlier comments by the president that he was never advised to keep troops in the country. Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told lawmakers during a Senate hearing on the final days of America's longest war that he recommended Biden keep some 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, effectively prolonging the war into a third decade, something the president considered during his campaign. "I won't share my personal recommendation to the president, but I will give you my honest opinion. And my honest opinion and view shaped my recommendation," Milley told the Senate panel. "And I recommended that we maintain 2,500 troops in Afghanistan." Milley testified alongside Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie Jr., head of U.S. Central Command, who said he also advised Biden not to withdraw troops and continue the U.S. war in Afghanistan. "I was present when that discussion occurred, and I am confident that the president heard all the recommendations and listened to them very thoughtfully," McKenzie said. Read Next: Marine Officer Who Blasted Leaders over Afghanistan Withdrawal Is in the Brig The comments from McKenzie and Milley directly contradict statements Biden made in August, when he told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos he could not "recall" any recommendation to keep troops deployed. "So no one told -- your military advisers did not tell you, 'No, we should just keep 2,500 troops. It's been a stable situation for the last several years. We can do that. We can continue to do that'?" Stephanopoulos asked last month. Biden rejected the idea, saying, "No, no one said that to me that I can recall." White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki pushed back in a news conference Tuesday afternoon in response to questions as to whether Biden had misled the public in his ABC interview about the advice his military advisors had provided regarding pulling troops out of Afghanistan. Psaki said Biden emphasized that advisers were split on whether to pull out all troops or extend their presence in Afghanistan, though she would not go into details on who supported a troop pullout. Psaki also said Austin and Milleys testimony made clear that extending a troop presence would have renewed fighting with the Taliban and led to more U.S. casualties. Previously, a key goal of coalition forces was to prop up a democratic Afghanistan government and military force in hopes that one day the U.S. supported government could stand on its own. But corruption ran rampant among Afghan government officials and military leaders. And most of the Afghan military and police forces surrendered their arms and allowed the Taliban to conquer the country with relatively little fighting. "In the end, we couldn't provide them with a will to win," Austin told lawmakers. Editors Note: This story was updated with a response from the White House to Gen. Milleys testimony. -- Steve Beynon can be reached at Steve.Beynon@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StevenBeynon. -- Stephen Losey can be reached at stephen.losey@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @StephenLosey. Related: International Prosecutor Seeks to Resume War Crimes Probe of US, Afghan Troops The Joint Chiefs chairman said he was not sidelining President Donald Trump or trying to influence nuclear launch protocols with a pair of calls to China about potential conflict at the end of the last administration. "At no time was I attempting to change or influence the process, usurp authority or insert myself into the chain of command," Gen. Mark Milley told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday after reports of the calls in the book "Peril" by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa caused a storm of controversy. Milley made two calls to Chinese counterparts, one at the end of October shortly before the U.S. presidential election disputed by Trump and again two days after the January riot at the U.S. Capitol that threatened the electoral vote certification by Congress. The book describes Milley making the calls to a Chinese general during that chaotic period due to concerns that Trump could inadvertently cause a war with China, and it claims that the general at one point told the Chinese that he would notify them ahead of time if the U.S. was going to strike. Milley had previously denied the calls were inappropriate, but his testimony to the Senate committee, ostensibly on Afghanistan, provided his first high-profile public comments. Read Next: The Army Is Reducing Soldiers' Reenlistment Options "I know, I am certain that President Trump did not intend to attack the Chinese," Milley told the committee. "My task at that time was to de-escalate. My message again was consistent -- stay calm, steady and de-escalate. We are not going to attack you." He said the calls were coordinated with former Defense Secretary Mark Esper and his successor, Acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller, as well as former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Trump's chief of staff Mark Meadows, despite the description in Woodward and Costa's book that his communications with his Chinese counterpart were secret. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Milley on the same day, Jan. 8, as he made his second call to the Chinese. She described being concerned about Trump's mental health and his ability to launch nuclear weapons in the last days before President Joe Biden took office. "She was concerned and made various personal references characterizing the president," Milley testified. "I explained to her that the president is the sole nuclear launch authority and he doesn't launch them alone, and that I am not qualified to determine the mental health of the president of the United States." -- Travis Tritten can be reached at travis.tritten@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @Travis_Tritten. Related: Milley: Calls to China Were 'Perfectly' Within Scope of Job Lt. Col. Stu Scheller, the Marine officer who posted a viral video demanding accountability from military leaders for the failures in Afghanistan, is now in the brig, Marine officials confirmed Tuesday. Scheller is "currently in pre-trial confinement" while he awaits an Article 32 preliminary hearing, Marine Corps spokesman Sam Stephenson said in a statement. "The time, date, and location of the proceedings have not been determined," he added. Marine Corps officials said there are no specific charges "preferred" or initiated against Scheller. Instead, the hearing is to consider whether charges of contempt toward officials, willfully disobeying a superior commissioned officer, failure to obey lawful general orders, or conduct unbecoming an officer and a gentleman should be recommended to his commander for action. The service did not provide details to Military.com of any orders that Scheller may have failed to follow, or officers he may have disobeyed. Although an Article 32 hearing is often compared to a grand jury in the civilian legal system, legal experts note that the analogy is not entirely apt. Defendants at these hearings have legal counsel present, who are able to preview and challenge the evidence against their clients. Read Next: Joint Chiefs Chairman Milley Says He Wasn't Trying to 'Usurp' Trump with China Calls Scheller has had a brief but tumultuous time in the public eye since his first video went up on social media on Aug. 26, 2021. After being relieved of command, he posted a second, puzzling video three days later that featured cryptic threats to "bring the whole f---ing system down" and a public resignation of his commission. The second video prompted concerns over his well-being. After it was posted, the Marine Corps announced in a statement that it had taken steps to "ensure the safety and well-being of Lt. Col. Scheller and his family." Scheller wrote on Facebook that, when he came to work following the second video, he "was ordered by my commanding officer to go to the Hospital for a mental health screening." "I was evaluated by the mental health specialists and then sent on my way," he added in the post. Since then, the Marine officer has continued to post videos, status updates and other musings on social media. According to Scheller, he made those posts despite the advice of friends, family and lawyers. In Sept. 16 posts on Facebook and LinkedIn, he wrote that he would make a public recommendation of charges of dereliction of duty against Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the head of U.S. Central Command. A long post made Sept. 25 ended with the line, "Col Emmel please have the MPs waiting for me at 0800 on Monday. I'm ready for jail." Scheller's last post to date was made on Facebook the next day. Public criticism of the military can cost officers their careers. In May, a Space Force commander was fired from his post for comments made during a podcast promoting his new book, in which he claims Marxist ideologies are becoming prevalent in the U.S. military. More recently, Lt. Col. Doug Hague publicly declared he was resigning from the Army over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. -- Konstantin Toropin can be reached at konstantin.toropin@military.com. Follow him on Twitter @ktoropin. Related: A Resignation and Mental Health Screening: The Unfolding Saga of the Marine Who Called Out Leadership on Afghanistan There's a lot of stuff happening when you leave the military. (Is that not the biggest understatement ever?) One little tidbit that often gets missed is that there is no contribution to the Thrift Savings Plan during your last month of active duty. If you're trying to cram some more money into this low-cost, tax-advantaged retirement account before you leave the service, you'll need to plan to do it before that last month. I'm not exactly sure why this works out this way, but I have a hunch. Deductions are made from your military pay during each month, but the contributions aren't sent to your Thrift Savings Plan account until the beginning of the next month. For example, if you have money deducted from your military pay in May, that money will be contributed to your TSP account in June. But you have to be serving currently to contribute to TSP. Because of the delay between the deduction and its transfer to the TSP, if money were deducted from your last month's pay, the TSP would be receiving the money after you no longer were serving. I think this is the reason that you can't contribute during your last month of service. But whether I'm right or not, the fact is that you can't contribute. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service will suspend your TSP contributions automatically after the end-of-month paycheck for the month prior to your separation. So what does this mean for you as you plan your transition? Well, it means that you're going to have a bigger paycheck during that last month. That's a nice thing and can help increase your transition fund right before you need it. But it also means that you will miss that opportunity to make a contribution for that month. And, if you are in the Blended Retirement System, you won't receive government matching contributions for that last month. Depending on your overall financial plan, you may want to adjust your contributions for the months prior to separation so that you reach the desired contribution amount for the time you're serving. If you are planning to pursue work after leaving the military, you may want to consider how your military TSP contributions may impact your ability to contribute to your new employer's retirement plan. The total annual limit for contributions is combined between the military TSP and a civilian TSP account, or a private employer's 401(k) plan. This may be important if your new employer offers an employee match. While most of us don't know for sure what sort of benefits will come with post-military employment, it's a good idea at least to think about how things might unfold so that you're making informed decisions along the way. In the most extreme example, if you contribute a ton to TSP before separating, you may find yourself unable to contribute to an employer plan and you could miss out on their matching funds, which may be a large part of their retirement package. If that entire last paragraph is making your head spin, consider meeting with a fee-only financial adviser who understands military pay and benefits. There's no single right way to handle the curtailing of TSP contributions before leaving the military, but understanding that it will happen is the first step in making sure that you're using your money in exactly the way that you want to use it. And congratulations on your new phase of life! Get the Latest Financial Tips Whether you're trying to balance your budget, build up your credit, select a good life insurance program or are gearing up for a home purchase, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com and get the latest military benefit updates and tips delivered straight to your inbox. [September 28, 2021] SiFi Networks Announces Plans to Launch 30 Open Access Networks in 2022, Committing Over $2 Billion in Private Capital Ben Bawtree-Jobson, CEO, SiFi Networks, announced today his company's aggressive plans to launch Open Access FiberCities in 30 U.S. communities by the end of 2022. Bawtree-Jobson, who made the announcement at the Broadband Communities Summit in Houston, told reporters SiFi will be committing $2 billion from private investors and will begin deploying in 30 cities by the end of next year at no cost to taxpayers, and is working actively with nearly 100. To help close the digital divide, SiFi Networks will also ramp up FiberCity Aid, a groundbreaking digital inclusion program that subsidizes Gigabit-speed broadband for low-income residents in SiFi FiberCities. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928006088/en/ Ben Bawtree-Jobson, CEO, SiFi Networks (Photo: Business Wire) "SiFi Networks is on a huge growth path," said Bawtree-Jobson. "With a vast amount of capital raised to fuel our growth plans-we'll be expanding our deployment of fiber next month and expect to be passing 40,000 homes per month by 2023. In our FiberCities, we make Open Access fiber available to every home, business, and anchor institution in the communities we serve," he said. SiFi's track record has piqued the interest of investors. In September, the company announced that APG, acting on behalf of Dutch pension fund clients, would make a $50 million equity investment to fund new SiFi FiberCities; separately, APG also acquired a 16.7% stake in the company. The momentum has also attracted internet service providers (ISPs) like GigabitNow and Flume Internet, providing FiberCity customers with symmetrical speeds of up to 10 Gbps, the fastest residential speeds available in the United States. Because SiFi Networks uses Open Access network architecture, multiple ISPs and other service providers will share space on SiFi's fiber infrastructure. The model instantly infuses the market with competition, giving communities a much-needed choice against existing cable monopolies and duopolies whose networks have fallen far behind new technologies and skyrocketing consumer demand. "The Open Access model opens up new markets quickly for ISPs at a lower capital exposure. These ISPs-including smaller companies that are ordinarily locked out of the market-now have access to a large customer base and can build a brand. ISPs in SiFi FiberCity networks wind up with great margins," noted Bawtree-Jobson. SiFi has also created a Partner Program for ISPs to sign up, receive RFPs, get vetted, and potentially have access to existing SiFi Networks' cities including East Hartford, Connecticut, Salem, Massachusetts, Saratoga Springs, New York, Placentia, California, Simi Valley, California, and Fullerton, California. Bawtree-Jobson warned that cities need to be thinking about internet and communications policy now as existing cable and copper networks are at capacity: "Communities need to make policy decisions pertaining to broadband in the next 24 months. Prioritizing long-term competition should be first and foremost in the minds of lawmakers so their cities and towns are no longer hamstrung by large monopolies." In addition to gigabit-speed internet, SiFi's FiberCities will run Smart City applications to create municipal efficiencies like public WiFi (News - Alert) , traffic management, public safety enhancements, more efficient street lighting, and better access to government services. Communities that have invested in Smart City services typically see significant savings over traditional service delivery. "We're able to partner with communities to build FiberCities on an Open Access network, using private capital, at no cost to taxpayers. It's a win for consumers, it's a win for business, and it's a win for government," said Bawtree-Jobson. About SiFi Networks Founded in 2012, SiFi Networks privately funds, builds and operates citywide, open-access, Smart City enabled fiber networks across the USA. SiFi is currently working alongside its delivery partners with more than 40 cities across the United States, covering over 1.5 million homes and businesses and has over 100 cities interested in becoming a FiberCity. SiFi's open-access business model allows multiple internet service providers to deliver various services and offerings on its network. For further information, please visit https:/www.sifinetworks.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928006088/en/ [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\broadband-stimulus's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] CBC/Radio-Canada Chooses Fujitsu to Link their External Studios with the Montreal Broadcast Center Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc. today announced that Canada's national public broadcaster, CBC/Radio-Canada, selected the 1FINITY optical networking platform to enhance their digital infrastructure in order to connect the Olympic Studio and the production center in Montreal. The CBC/Radio-Canada network must effortlessly support peak traffic demand across multiple platforms including live-streaming, on-demand video, and mobile apps. For the back office, video editing and post-production require an ultra-fast, low-latency network to transport the extensive broadcast-quality digital video content. The Fujitsu (News - Alert) 1FINITY T-Series transport blades, which provide secure, reliable, high-speed data up to 600 Gbps, are installed on the fiber-optic lnks that connect CBC/Radio-Canada remote studios and their Montreal broadcast center. "As a national, multi-platform broadcaster and champion of Canadian culture, CBC/Radio-Canada delivers uniquely Canadian content across a world-class network," said Annie Bogue, head of sales and marketing at Fujitsu Network Communications (News - Alert) . "We are proud to be a part of their evolving broadcasting and communications environment with our scalable 1FINITY platform." About Fujitsu Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Approximately 126,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.6 trillion yen (US$34 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2021. For more information, please see www.fujitsu.com. About Fujitsu Network Communications Inc. Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc. is a leading provider of digital transformation solutions for network operators, service providers and content providers worldwide. We combine best-in-class hardware, software and services with multivendor expertise to enable cost savings, faster services delivery and improved network performance. Working closely with our customers and ecosystem partners, we design, build, operate and maintain better networks for the connected world. For more information, please see http://us.fujitsu.com/telecom or connect with us on LinkedIn (News - Alert) at www.linkedin.com/company/Fujitsu-network-communications. Fujitsu (and design), 1FINITY, Virtuora and "shaping tomorrow with you" are trademarks of Fujitsu Limited in the United States and other countries. All rights reserved. Information provided in this press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005178/en/ [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Passport leaders named to 40 Under 40 at National Parking Association's Annual Convention CHARLOTTE, N.C., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading transportation software and payments company Passport will showcase its latest innovative solutions and celebrate two Passport leaders who are named to the prestigious 40 Under 40 awards at the National Parking Association (NPA) Convention & Expo. The highly anticipated event will take place from September 27 to 29 at the Caesars Forum Conference Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year's convention theme of "connect" means getting together in person and connecting the dots on change to automate, digitize and reinvent parking and mobility. With Passport's end-to-end digital platform, cities can manage their entire parking infrastructure and seamlessly connect the dots within their own operation. Multiple mobile and digital parking payment options, digital enforcement and permits, and more, are managed from one place with data for all payment methods flowing through that same system, providing a complete look at the parking ecosystem. "Passport understands that every parking and mobility operation is facing their own unique challenges which is why we have built solutions that are flexible and can support these various needs," says Marca Armstrong, SVP of marketing at Passport. "We are thrilled to reunite with clients and to support NPA at one of the largest events in the industry." In addition to Passport's presence on the showfloor, the company will also be nvolved in networking and educational events. Nathan Berry, Passport sales executive, will participate in the panel discussion The Race Towards Diversity, Equity and Inclusion alongside other bright minds of the industry and recipients of NPA's annual 40 Under 40 award will officially be inducted into the awards program. The award honors the industry's most influential young professionals and Passport has two recipients this year: Mollie Bolin, regional sales director, and Mary Gray Cunningham, director of curbside transactions. Passport will be exhibiting from September 28 to 29 at booth #325. To attend NPA's Convention & Expo, visit the event's website and register online. To learn more about how Passport supports cities' mobility infrastructure, visit the company website . About Passport Passport is a transportation software and payments company that builds technology to more efficiently manage streets and sidewalks. Based in Charlotte, North Carolina, Passport is trusted by more than 800 cities, universities and agencies, including Chicago, Toronto, Los Angeles, and Miami. Passport's digital platform helps cities manage parking and mobility infrastructure, creating more livable, equitable communities. One of the fastest-growing companies on the Inc. 5000 and Deloitte Technology Fast 500 lists, Passport was also named to Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies for 2020. Media Contact: Allison Guthrie passport@greenbrier.partners (818) 523-8581 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/passport-leaders-named-to-40-under-40-at-national-parking-associations-annual-convention-301386669.html SOURCE Passport [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Laredo Taco Company Announces "Made Right Here Road Trip" Video Series IRVING, Texas, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Laredo Taco Company is launching a new six-part video series "Made Right Here Road Trip", with host Mando Rayo from United Tacos of America on its website, and social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok). To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month, the new series trailer was released today, and the first episode featuring the birthplace of Laredo Taco Company will be released on October 5th, to celebrate National Taco Day. Taco Journalist, Author, and Texas Native, Rayo will take viewers on a Texas-sized taco-tour, taste-testing his way through his personal Laredo Taco Company favorites in some of the most iconic cities across the Lone Star State. Rayo teams up with local city advocates and personalities to discuss the Hispanic culture influences and heritage, including local businesses, food, music, and art, while showcasing the rich history between Texas and Mexico. "It's a real honor to have your culture represented in the 'Made Right Here Road Trip' series," said Rayo. We connect with Latinos across Texas and give them the opportunity to share their own stories in their own ways. We also highlight my personal favorites from Laredo Taco Company. You're sure to be craving breakfast tacos or carnitas by the end of each episode." Laredo Taco Company is set to release a new episode every "Taco Tuesday" throughout the month of October and into November. As Rayo hits the road to eat delicious tacos, he connects with local Ltino city ambassadors, and together, they highlight the importance of the Hispanic community. Cities featured include Laredo, Corpus Christi, Houston, Brownsville, San Antonio, and Dallas. "The Made Right Here Series is a collaboration highlighting customers, team members, and, most importantly, the communities where we live and work," said Brad Williams, 7Eleven Senior Vice President of Corporate Operations and Restaurant Platforms. "We begin everything with our customers in mind, and they inspire us every day. At Laredo Taco Company, we respect the taco and authentic Mexican recipes and flavors, representing generations of Hispanic traditions and culture." Laredo Taco Company will host a screening and viewing party of the "Made Right Here Road Trip" series throughout the month of October in select cities. The first scheduled outdoor event will be held in Laredo, Texas at Average Joes Bar from 7-9 p.m. on Tuesday, October 5th. Mando Rayo, and Laredoan Sammy "The House" Ramirez, on-air personality, will be onsite for a special meet and greet. Each event is FREE to the public. The events will offer FREE Laredo Taco Company tacos, FREE raffle tickets and door prizes. Those interested in attending the upcoming screenings can find more information by following @LaredoTacoCo on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, and on LaredoTacoCompany.com/MadeRightHere. About 7 Eleven, Inc. Are you still reading this? Awesome. Most people stop when they get to the small print. But not you! You get to read the cool stuff. 7-Eleven, Inc. is the premier name and largest chain in the convenience-retailing industry. They don't like to brag, but they invented convenience stores. For real. Google it. Based in Irving, Texas, 7-Eleven operates, franchises and/or licenses more than 77,000 stores in 17 countries and regions, including nearly 17,000 in North America. 7Eleven, Inc. operates Speedway, Stripes, Laredo Taco Company and Raise the RoostChicken and Biscuits locations. Known for its iconic brands such as Slurpee, Big Bite and Big Gulp, 7-Eleven has expanded into high-quality sandwiches, salads, side dishes, cut fruit and protein boxes, as well as pizza, chicken wings and mini beef tacos. Mmmmm, tacos. 7-Eleven offers customers industry-leading private brand products under the 7-Select brand including healthy options, decadent treats and everyday favorites at an outstanding value. Customers can earn and redeem points on various items in stores nationwide through its 7Rewards loyalty program with more than 50 million members, place an order in the 7NOW delivery app in over 2,000 cities, or rely on 7-Eleven for bill payment service, self-service lockers and other convenient services. Find out more online at www.7-Eleven.com, via the 7Rewards customer loyalty platform on the 7-Eleven mobile app, or on social media at Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Also, they trademarked the word "Brainfreeze." No lie. Hey, want more info on Laredo Taco Company? Laredo Taco Company, the convenience retailer's quick-serve Mexican food restaurant, is famous for its tacos served on flour tortillas made from scratch each day in on-site kitchens. Tacos and meals include specialties not always seen in Mexican fast-food chains, such as chorizo, carne asada, carnitas, breakfast tacos made with hand-cracked eggs, and the newest item on the menu, protein-packed bowls. Each restaurant has a salsa bar where customers can spice up their meal, including a wide selection of on-site, daily prepared salsas and pico de gallo. Thanks for sticking with this. You're unstoppable. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/laredo-taco-company-announces-made-right-here-road-trip-video-series-301386905.html SOURCE Laredo Taco Company [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\LTE's Homepage ] Bharatiya Janata Paty (BJP) leader and former member of Parliament (MP) Kirit Somaiya has welcomed the arrest of Shiv Sena's five-time MP and former union minister Anandrao Adsul, in the City Cooperative Bank Ltd scam worth Rs900 crore. Mr Somaiya said, "Anandrao Adsul sank City Cooperative Bank and thousands of small depositors lost crores of rupees. Uddhav Thackeray (chief minister, Maharashtra) has not taken any action for investors (of the bank). Even after the ED sent several summons, the obstruction was not going away. Therefore, Mr Adsul has been arrested. I welcome this action on behalf of small investors." Speaking with reporters in Pune, Mr Somaiya said, "I am a little fearful. Earlier, when I used to unearth scams of ministers from the Maha-Vikas-Aaghadi (MVA) government, the concerned ministers and leaders used to disappear. I unearthed a scam against Maharashtra minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Hasan Mushrif, and he got himself admitted to a hospital. Similarly, I unearthed a scam of Mr Adsul, but he also went and got admitted in a hospital." Earlier, on Monday, the ED raided the home of Mr Adsul and his son Abhijit in connection with a complaint of an alleged Rs900 crore scam in the Mumbai-based City Cooperative Bank. The former MP from Amravati and Buldhana Lok Sabha constituencies, Mr Adsul is the chairman, while Abhijit Adsul is a director in the Mumbai-based bank. The ED had summoned the duo for questioning on Monday following a complaint lodged by Ravi Rana, an independent member of legislative assembly (MLA) from Badnera and husband of actor Navnit Kaur Rana, who is an independent MP from Amravati. In the complaint, the MLA has accused the Adsuls of alleged misappropriation of the City Cooperative Bank's depositors' funds to the tune of Rs900 crore - a charge stoutly denied by the father-son duo. Incidentally, Mr Adsul had questioned the election of Navnit Kaur Rana because her caste certificate was fake. After the Bombay High Court struck it down, she had challenged the decision in the Supreme Court. Reaching the Adsuls' Kandivali residence, the ED team asked Mr Adsul to accompany him to their office, but the 74-year leader complained of uneasiness and was then admitted to Lifeline Hospital. The Rana couple has been targetting Mr Adsul with allegations of frauds in the cooperative bank, and Ravi Rana had said that both "Anandrao Adsul and Abhijit Adsul must be arrested". Terming the complaint as "motivated and managed" by the Ranas, Mr Adsul - who was planning to travel to New Delhi on Monday - claimed that when the bank's annual turnover is Rs800 crore, how can there be a scam of Rs900 crore as alleged by the MLA, and demanded a free and impartial probe into the matter. In the past, the ED had raided the Adsuls' homes and offices and had questioned them in the same case. Almost everybody faces issues with online shopping, primarily because you need to make a purchase decision without actually looking at the product or trying it out, whether it is clothes, cosmetics, personal care products, accessories or electronic goods. You may need to return products for issues regarding size, fit, quality, colour or delivery and should be able to get your money back or the product exchanged. Chasing up online vendors who fail to deliver as promised is difficult but not futile. The first step is to get in touch with the website or the seller. Except for fake shopping sites, where it is almost impossible to get your money back, the reputed ones will resolve issues after following the redress process and a bit of a follow up. Online companies, which are heavily dependent of user feedback have dedicated teams working on negative feedback on social media, so it is often the fastest way to redress issues today. Posting your issue on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram by tagging the company handle has worked well for online sellers (holiday bookings, hotels, airlines, railways, online retailers, telecom companies etc). Videos are also very effective because they tend to go viral quickly. It is important to make your point crisply with details, tag ministers, ministries, regulators or the appropriate authorities to get the right impact. About a year ago, a large number of people who booked hotels through OYO found their bookings cancelled on landing up at their destinations. Twitter was awash with complaints. A colleague who had booked through OYO landed at Tirupati to discover that her booking was cancelled. A tweet from a handle with many followers opened the floodgates to complaints from others who were similarly duped and within hours the CEO was involved in firefighting. A refund as well as alternative accommodation was offered and it ended well after the initial panic. The new Consumer Protection Law 2019, which came into effect from 20 July 2020 includes detailed provisions for e-commerce companies and online retailers. It has been made mandatory to display details about price, expiry date, return, refund, exchange, warranty and guarantee, delivery and shipment, modes of payment, grievance redressal mechanism, payment methods, the security of payment methods, charge-back options, etc so that customers can make an informed decision. A customer care number of the seller is also mandatory for all online marketplaces. The government has also asked all e-commerce firms to ensure that complaints are acknowledged within 48 hours and redressed within one month. But all this works only with reputed e-commerce platforms and not fly-by-night operators. A Moneylife reader says she paid Craze and Trends for a designer lehenga through Razorpay. When it wasnt delivered for a month she discovered that she had been conned just like many others. This is unfortunately true with many small companies, who have started with the right intent, but are unable to run the business. If the company itself vanishes, then a refund is almost impossible, so it is important to stick to big names. The consumer court route takes a little longer but is also effective. Consider these examples. Gaurangi Deshmukh of Pune ordered a Nikon DSLR camera on Flipkart in February 2018. She paid Rs 28,990 through net banking. What was delivered the next day, was an empty free deal bag. Worse, it was delivered to the building watchman despite clear instructions that it should be delivered to her residence only. After Flipkart ignored her multiple complaints, she approached the consumer forum in June 2019, She won the case and the Pune District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum ordered Flipkart to pay Rs44000 (Rs28990 with 9% interest and compensation of Rs15000 towards mental agony and costs) as compensation. Sudhir Kumar Sharma gifted a Casio watch to his friend, which turned out to be a fake. The Chandigarh Consumer Forum directed Snapdeal and its seller to pay Rs 5,000 as compensatio n and refund Rs 1,599, which is the price of the watch. Here are a few tips and resources to help you get back your money: 1. If the websites redress mechanism does not work, dont hesitate to use social media pages. 2. File a complaint on the governments grievance redressal portal INGRAM (Intergrated Grievance Redressal Mechanism). The ministry of consumer affairs provides 3.The ministry of consumer affairs provides consumerhelpline.gov.in for filing complaints with the slogan Jaago Grahak Jago. It also has a phone based complaint mechanism run with the help of NGOs in the consumer space. 4. You can approach consumer forums under the consumer protection act. These offer faster disposal, do not require an elaborate format, procedure or fees and allow you to represent yourself. 5. The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) advises that in case of fraudulent transactions a consumer should lodge a First Information Report (FIR) or make a police complaint or to Cyber Cell, if company is not traceable. To register a complaint with NCH you can call on 1800-11-4000 or 14404 (all days except national holidays from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm), you can also send SMS on 8130009809. Besides, there is the option to file complaints online either on NCH website or app is also available. Some platforms like 6.Some platforms like Voxya let consumers file complaints for free and launch social media campaigns to resolve the issue. They also draft a professional legal notice to be sent to the company, but for a fee. Several satisfied customers have attested to quick resolution through Voxya. (International Consumer Rights Protection Council) also offers a fee-based service with good results. 7. ICRPC (International Consumer Rights Protection Council) also offers a fee-based service with good results. A free online resource is 8.A free online resource is iamcheated.com which forwards complaints to concerned company for resolution. mouthshut.com is a similar website to post your reviews. The resolution process of the beleaguered Dewan Housing Finance Ltd (DHFL), apparently in its final stages, is causing a lot of anxiety among investors. While holders of non-convertible debentures (NCDs) are expected to be repaid in a couple of days, the unexplained debits and credits in their demat accounts has caused a scare. On Saturday afternoon, thousands of retail DHFL NCD-holders found that their ~ 9% secured NCDs were replaced by unsecured bonds of 20-year tenure (1% coupon and maturity in 2041). Panic-stricken NCD-holders have been reaching out to Moneylife and tagging us on social media for answers. These unsecured bonds were also debited, subsequently, late on Monday night. Meanwhile, there has been absolutely no communication from the debenture trustees, the resolution professional or the acquiring company, Piramal Capital, about these debits and credits. At the same time, the ongoing courtroom drama over the last-ditch bid by the Wadhawan family (more on that later) is adding to investors anxiety. Hi Sucheta, Moneylife team, can you please help me understand this? As per the article investors were supposed to receive outstanding payment. But instead unsecured NCD at 1% interest with maturity in 2041 has been credited. I have <100 NCD quantity. Please advise. Thanks. pic.twitter.com/yAPI160bpE Rupesh Mandal (@fundubytes) September 27, 2021 The newly credited unsecured bonds were again debited on Monday night as seen below. Every company has to give an upfront notice of planned corporate actions before executing these. No such notice was sent to debenture holders of the redemption being done. Furthermore, it seems replacing a secured NCD with an unsecured NCD (which can be easily written off like was done by Yes Bank and LVB Bank by the RBI administrators) unless approved by the debenture holders is fraudulent, said one investor, writing to Moneylife. Replacing a secured debenture with a (temporary) unsecured debenture constitutes a material event for which the trustees should have conducted a debenture holder meeting to explain the proposal and seek an approval, he says, questioning the legality of the move and why a simpler, more straight-forward route for redemption/ repayment process was not considered. Moneylife attempted to reach out to the debenture trusteeCatalyst Trusteeshipbut we have received no response to our emails. Calls to the office were not answered. While the Piramal group is going ahead, there is always the worry that a court decision could delay or derail the resolution process and investors may be left with unsecured 20 year debentures. Moneylifes attempt to contact the Piramals spokesperson elicited a rude and arrogant response. We were then connected to two other persons who are still to answer our queries. This article will be updated if we hear from them. If you are a DHFL NCD-holder, here is what you can expect: Debenture-holders, as a 'class of creditors', have voted in favour of this resolution plan. Hence, all debentureholders are considered as assenting creditors irrespective of whether an individual debenture holder has voted or not or even voted against this plan. As such, all debenture holders will be paid as secured assenting creditors. To those asking how much money will I get back? Specific amount, which will be received by individual debenture-holder will be as per the approved distribution mechanism. Debenture-holders are requested to go through the para-V(b) of approved distribution mechanism as below for ready reference: How much money you will receive, depends on the amount invested and is linked to principal outstanding in the category under which the investor is classified in terms of the above-mentioned chart. When will I get my money back? While it was originally estimated that distribution should be by October 2021, it is now expected that the money will be repaid in the next one or two days (before 30th September), since the bonds have been debited from the demat accounts of holders already. Record date for the NCDs is 13 August 2021. With effect from 30 July 2021, trading on the stock exchange has already been suspended for these NCDs. This has been disclosed by DHFL as per LODR to stock exchange on 19th July. With respect to investments up to Rs10 lakhs, the entire recovery entitlement would be paid in cash and would be by way of credit to the account of the first holder. With respect to investments above Rs10 lakhs, the investor will receive part cash (credit to first holder's account) and partly by way of debentures issued by Piramal (Piramal NCDs) in demat form in the names of the holders as on date of distribution. According to the approved resolution plan, the Piramal NCDs would be for a period of 10 years and would have a coupon rate of 6.75%. In July, as per the directions of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in the order approving the resolution plan, the committee of creditors (CoC) reconsidered the allocation of higher amount to the suggested category of creditors. However, earlier approved distribution pattern remains unchanged as the suggested revision in distribution pattern did not get approval of CoC. According to the current resolution plan, DHFL fixed deposit (FD) investors will get about Rs1,241 crore, against their admitted claims of about Rs5,400 crore. DHFL and the debenture trustees have reportedly sent messages to fixed deposit- and NCD-holders, asking them to update their bank account and contact details. But many of the FD investors and NCD-holders have shared concerns about the transfer of funds, pointing out that their petitions challenging the payout of funds are still pending in court. More Court Room Drama: Meanwhile, on 29th September, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) is scheduled to hear pleas by fixed deposit and NCD-holders of DHFL and it's former promoter Kapil Wadhawan against the approval of Piramal Capital and Housing's resolution plan for the bankrupt housing financier. Last week, DHFL had approached the Bombay High Court to challenge the special CBI court order of 20th August, which had given partial relief by discharging the interim monitoring committee but had rejected DHFLs prayer to discharge it from the case. DHFL has, so far, argued that, since it had been taken over by Piramal Capital & Housing Finance Ltd, it should be absolved from all earlier liabilities. DHFL has argued in its petition that Section 32 (A) of IBC - which came into effect on 28 December 2019 - lays down a mandatory direction for a Corporate Debtor (DHFL) to be absolved from all the liabilities from all criminal offences committed before the commencement of CIRP. On Monday, Kapil Wadhawan, the erstwhile promoter of DHFL, moved the Bombay High Court through his lawyers to oppose DHFLs plea to discharge the company's name and drop proceedings against it in an ongoing investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Mr Wadhawans lawyers contended that the resolution plan had timelines and included payments and that process is not over yet. Hence, in the event DHFL is discharged from the case, it will adversely impact the prosecution's case. In July, NCLT had permitted Piramal Capital and Housing Finance to take over DHFL after the group was declared the preferred bidder, securing 94% of creditor votes. Piramal's total bid, at Rs37,400 crore, amounts to about 43% recovery on admitted claims. This recovery is further divided into 20% cash and 23% through NCDs. Meanwhile, the Bombay High Court on Tuesday dismissed a bail plea filed by Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor's wife Bindu, and their daughters Roshini Kapoor and Radha Kapoor-Khanna, and former bank senior executive Rajiv Anand, in the financial irregularities pertaining to DHFL. Recently, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) found that Karvy Broking had illegally diverted nearly Rs2,000 crore of clients shares to its own accounts. Equity brokers have defaulted in the past as well; but this is surely one of the largest cases. Also, remember that there is never a single cockroach in the kitchen; we might have more such cases. So what should you, as investor, do to protect your interest? Best Practices Power of Attorney (PoA): Brokers insist on PoA which allows them to operate your demat account. This is a necessary evil. Without PoA, the trade settlement becomes highly risky for the broker. What if you do not deliver the shares you have sold? However, with PoA, brokers have a route to misuse your stocks. The PoA should be limited only to market trades and, as per the latest SEBI rules, brokers need to call you before they execute any trades on your behalf. These calls are recorded. If you receive calls from a mobile phone, do not entertain them. Also, keep a recording on your files. Delivery Instruction Slips (DIS): DIS is an alternative to PoA for trade settlement. But it is cumbersome for many in the era of Internet. There is an alternative to DIS that is also elaborated below. Download the Mobile Apps of CDSL/NSDL: Depending on where your demat account is, download and configure the app for your demat account. You would need your demat account number, PAN (permanent account number) and your date of birth, to register. The demat account has a 16-digit numeric character (in case of CDSL), whereas in case of NSDL, the demat account number starts with IN followed by a 14-digit numeric code. An example of a demat account number with CDSL can be 01234567890987654; a demat account number with NSDL can be IN01234567890987. Verify DP Holding with Broker Holding: Once your DP app is set up, you can see your holdings in the DP account. Never forget to verify your DP holding at least once a month and crosscheck it with what you see in the brokers holding. It will not take more than five minutes (unless you have hundreds of stocks). Verify Pledging of Your Stocks: Whenever you get the details of your stocks with the DP, also check if any stocks have been pledged without your knowledge. This can be another route to misuse your holding. Transfer the Cash: Preferably transfer the cash lying with the broker to your bank account. It does not earn anything; the cash remains idle with the broker and is open to misuse. Active vs Dormant Account: People do invest for the long term and, as they say, buy and forget. Please do not do that in India, at least. Keep your account active. If you have a sizeable holding in your account and if your account is not active, it could become the target of a rouge broker. It can happen not only with stocks but also with bank account. Yours truly is a victim of such a fraud in one of the People do invest for the long term and, as they say, buy and forget. Please do not do that in India, at least. Keep your account active. If you have a sizeable holding in your account and if your account is not active, it could become the target of a rouge broker. It can happen not only with stocks but also with bank account. Yours truly is a victim of such a fraud in one of the leading banks where my wifes dormant bank account was compromised. So be careful and keep it active, may be by way of logging into the account to verify the details/once a month trade, etc. Check Client Master: The client master has the critical information related to your address and mobile number. Keep it up-to-date and verify it from time to time. Full-service Brokers vs Discount Brokers I got messages from the worried investors about their holdings with discount brokers. I also read articles that discount brokers will suffer the most after the Karvy scandal and investors will move to the full-service brokers. It is important to note that Karvy was not a discount broker. It was a full-service broker. Frauds can happen anywhere. People have recommended many full-service brokers on various social media platforms instead of discount brokers. There is nothing wrong with full-service brokers or, for that matter, with discount brokers. The choice is with the individual. I would suggest that you go with a broker who is large in size, has execution capabilities and provides uninterrupted services with a stable platform (especially during periods of high volatility). One can also select a combination of full-service and discount brokers. Some Other Preventive Measures Use CDSLs easiest or NSDLs speede. These are Internet-based facilities that permit clearing members of beneficial owner (clients) to submit off-market, on-market, inter-depository and early pay-in debit instructions from their demat account. When you register for easiest/speede, the broker loses the PoA over your demat account; this would mean that you cannot sell shares from your holdings using your trading platform because the broker will no longer be able to debit your shares from the demat account. You will now have the power over your demat account as a result of which you will be able to transfer shares using easiest/speede. Separate your broker from the DP. For example, your DP for the holding can be a prominent broker while your broker for trading purpose could be a small/discount broker who charges less. Do these steps and best practices guarantee that fraud will not happen? No, it does not; because fraudsters are always there to find new gaps in the system. But these practices will surely help in early detection of fraud/misuse of funds/securities. If there are any new ways/gaps, they should be followed with newer practices. Trust this helps. Happy Investing About Author: The insurance industry have settled over 86% of health insurance claims, worth Rs21,758.90 crore during FY2015-16. At the same time, claims worth Rs4,545.8 crore have been rejected. How do you ensure that you are not among those whose claim is rejected? There are several reasons for claim rejection. Many of them frivolous; sometimes rejecting claims and delaying payments is a policy followed by insurers; but often enough it is consumers who do not present a proper case. How should a consumer file an insurance claim supported by documentary evidence to eliminate chances of rejection and how to use the Right to Information (RTI) Act, especially with government insurance companies, to help quick settlement or redress of complaints, was the thrust of a talk by Mr Rajesh Gada, Chartered Accountant (CA) and a Certified Financial Planner at Moneylife Foundation on 13 September 2017. Mr Gada and his colleagues who volunteer with an social organisation called Tarun Mitra Mandal, had wide experience with various insurers and the strategies that each of them adopt. He also had some practical guidance for people, who tend to be negligent about their policies, medical records and submissions. One of the main issues that we come across regularly, is that people do not read or understand details of their insurance policy, especially mediclaim policy. Several people do not share information of any pre-existing disease with the insurer. This is one of the major reason of claim rejection. Also, people need to know simple conditions such as the fact that you cannot claim insurance in first 30 days of your policy date, he said. Interestingly, Mr Gada was clear that the need to disclose pre-existing disease was crucial at the time of buying your first mediclaim policy, but it is not necessary to make new disclosures during renewal. For instance, if a person is diagnosed as a diabetic a couple of years after taking a mediclaim policy, he is not obliged to disclose it during every annual renewal. However, he has to be make a disclosure if he plans to port to another insurer, he explained. According to Mr Gada, in health insurance claims, room rent is based on the sum assured with a cap of 25%. He says, "There is a cap of 25% of the sum assured on doctor's fee, and a cap of 50% on operation theatre, medicine and diagnostic test. The insurance industry had also accepted some exceptions in the requirement in 24-hour hospitalisation. In case of more policies, the insured person can chose any one insurer for settling the claim." The CA and CFP then explained claim submission process. He says the insured person needs to intimate the insurance company about hospitalisation within 24 or 48 hours (as per policy) and then submit all papers within seven or 15 days from discharge. "Most importantly, always remember to submit an index of all papers or documents submitted and take an written acknowledgment from the insurer," he added. "The claim papers submitted to the insurance company for settlement should have hospital discharge summary, hospital bill, surgeon or doctor bill (not on letterhead, but a proper bill) if issued separately, investigation reports, medicine prescription and bills." The insurance company may ask for more documents or details and the insured person is required to submit it. "When you submit claims, the insurance company may not have taken any action on this. Sometimes they do not even reply to reminders and if you visit their office, they may ask you to visit in next week. The file may get closed and claim rejected," Mr Gada says. He says if you have all documentary evidence of claim submission, written acknowledgement of submission and reminders, then you can take the case to grievance cell of the insurance company. If still there is no solution, then you can file an application under Right to Information (RTI) seeking information on the status of your claim, he added. Mr Gada, who is also actively involved as a volunteer in spreading awareness and guiding people about RTI Act through Tarun Mitra Mandal pointed out that if you follow the process systematically, then there is often no need to file an RTI. Moreover, the process of sending multiple reminders is also helpful when one approaches the insurance ombudsman, since it is clear that one has made every effort to have the issue redressed. "As per our experience, after filing the RTI, many claims get settled. In case, not, then the insured person has option to take up the case to Insurance Ombudsman, which, in most cases rules in favour of the customer," says Mr Gada, who is Director at Gada & Haria Financial Planners Pvt Ltd. Unfortunately, at present there is 'No' Insurance Ombudsman at Mumbai since past around 18 months and the Insurance Ombudsman at Pune has been looking after cases in Mumbai during his regular visits. Sharing some important tips, Mr Gada, says, keep a file of your medical history and inform at least one family member about this file and your health insurance. While travelling, carry your policy details and contact numbers of the insurance company or third party administrator (TPA). Many health insurers provide an identity card with all necessary details, which you should carry while travelling, he added. While there is no fixed format for filing RTI with the insurance company, Mr Gada shared a sample format used by him. He says, you can directly seek information from government insurance company through RTI, however for private insurers you need to file RTI with the insurance regulator, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI). Here is the sample format for TRI shared by Mr Gada... The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Inspector General, Registration to inspect activities of all registered societies set up under the Tamil Nadu Registration Act, 1975 and to take action against those indulging in illegal activities. Disposing of a writ petition filed by the Pandian recreation club, Komaleeswaranpatti (Chennai), Justice S.M. Subramanian ordered the Inspector General, Registration to complete the exercise in 12 weeks. The court also directed the Director General of Police to share the FIRs registered across the state against the societies that are indulging in illegal activities and acting against provisions of their bylaws. The Inspector General, Registration was asked to either conduct inspection through the jurisdictional district registrars or by constituting a special team, and strictly ordered to cancel registration of the societies found indulging in illegal activities and against provisions in their bylaws. Justice Subramanian noted that the police are periodically conducting inspections and registering FIRs against such clubs and societies that are indulging in illegal activities, as he came down heavily against the Registration Department for not conducting a periodic inspection on the premises of these societies and clubs even after complaints were raised against them. "The common complaint against the Registration Department is that the Department is neither conducting inspections periodically nor initiating any action for cancellation of registration even after unlawful and illegal activities are visible in many such societies," he said. Disclaimer: Information, facts or opinions expressed in this news article are presented as sourced from IANS and do not reflect views of Moneylife and hence Moneylife is not responsible or liable for the same. As a source and news provider, IANS is responsible for accuracy, completeness, suitability and validity of any information in this article. Mahavir Toshniwal, managing director (MD) of Pentagon Stock Brokers Pvt Ltd has been arrested by the economic offences wing (EOW) of Mumbai police in a fraud case of about Rs40 crore. Madhu Lunawat, co-founder and director of Pentagon Stock Brokers, had filed the complaint. According to the complaint, Mahavir and Deepa Toshniwal, director of Pentagon Stock Brokers, had sold clients shares and instead of paying the proceeds to the clients, misappropriated the sale proceeds of shares to themselves and also to the personal accounts of Mahavir Toshniwal, his Hindu undivided family (HUF) and his wife Deepa. In the complaint, Ms Lunawat, a chartered accountant (CA) and executive director of Pantomath Capital Advisors Pvt Ltd says, We have now also come to know that Mahavir and Deepa Toshniwal in an illegal and unauthorised manner, pledged shares of Pentagon Stock Brokers clients including our shares kept with Pentagon Stock Brokers without knowledge and consent of the concerned shareholders. "Besides the above, four employees of Pentagon Stock Brokers, Vijay Singh, Jignesh Lathigra, Punit Agarwal, and Subhashchandra Vishwakarma have given us a handwritten, signed letter, in which the above financial crimes of Mahavir Toshniwal are highlighted. To offset and to make up for these losses, Mahavir and Deepa Toshniwal have sold shares belonging to me and my husband Mahavir Lunawat and clients, the complaint filed by Ms Lunawat says. Speaking with Moneylife, Mahavir Lunawat, the founder of Pentagon Stock Brokers, also group founder and MD of Pantomath Capital Advisors Pvt Ltd, a SEBI-registered merchant banker, says, "In 2019, we disassociated from Pentagon Stock Brokers and applied to the stock exchanges for the change. However, Mr Toshniwal continued to use our names. When we asked him about the affairs Pentagon Stock Brokers, he told us since we have dis-associated from the firm, we should not worry about its affairs." The Lunawats own a 70% stake in Pentagon Stock Brokers while the balance is held by the Toshniwals. Madhu Lunawat told Moneylife, As we were not directly participating in the business activity of Pentagon Stock Brokers, we resigned 201718. We had already entered a deed of separation on 31 December 2019, in terms of which Mahavir Toshniwal has assumed complete ownership of our shares in Pentagon Stock Brokers, subject to regulatory approvals. "Around January this year, Mahavir Lunawat says, we came to know about the fraud and informed the exchanges. Since most of the clients were there because of our names, we paid all their money from our internal resources and then decided to file a complaint with the Police." Echoing the same, Ms Lunawat, who is director of Pentagon Stock Brokers says, After knowing the financial mismanagement and fraud worth about Rs40 crore, I immediately came on board (of Pentagon) on the request of aggrieved parties and salvaged the entire situation. By April-May, we repaid dues of about Rs20 crore to around 25 clients, lenders and clearing members and all non-compliances were made good. Ultimately, we have now taken over supervision of the management of broking activities from Toshniwals and achieved the compliance level to own standards. Moneylife also tried contacting the Toshniwals. However, there was no response. According to data from National Stock Exchange (NSE) , Pentagon Stock Brokers was formerly known as Pantomath Stock Brokers Pvt Ltd. As of 28 September 2021, the data shows, Mahavir Prasad Toshniwal and Deepa Toshniwal as designated directors of brokerage. Madhu Lunawat, Subhashchandra Vishwakarma, Kundan Lal Lunawat and Jignesh Lathigra are other directors of Pentagon Stock Brokers. On BSE, however, all four, Ms Toshniwal, Mr Vishwakarma, Kundan Lal Lunawat and Mr Lathigra are shown as designated directors. Ms Lunawat says, We wanted to invest in a broking company and we entered into an agreement with Mr Toshniwal, who is CA and company secretary (CS) as he possessed vast experience in stockbroking for more than 20 years. The arrangement was that a company from our (Lunawat) group was identified, which was named Pantomath Stock Brokers, and is now known as Pentagon Stock Brokers. Pentagon Stock Brokers was intended to do business as a market maker, a depository participant and stockbroking dealing for clients. Many clients were referred by us to Pentagon and have availed of stockbroking and depository services in Pentagon on account of our long-standing business reputation. During 2020-21, NSE has levied a monetary penalty of Rs5,000 on the broker. According to the data available on the exchanges, Pantomath Capital Advisors is shown as an associate company of the same group. NSE also lists Pantomath Fund Managers LLP as an associate company of Pentagon Stock Brokers with a disclaimer, which says, "Certain information displayed here is as updated by the member with NSE and available in NSE records." The Swedish national anti-corruption unit has launched a preliminary investigation into allegations of suspected bribery in connection with Scania AB's controversial bus deal with Indian transport minister Nitin Gadkari, says a report from Sputnik News According to Swedish national broadcaster SVT, several rounds of interrogation have been held with the top management of the bus maker ( https://www.svt.se/nyheter/utrikes/forundersokning-inledd-efter-scanias-bussaffar ). Prosecutor Johan Lindmark told Sputnik News that the case involves suspicions of foreign bribery. "The public prosecutor's office has been in contact with India, but no formal demands for international legal aid have been made so far," it said. Earlier this year, SVT's programme 'Mission: Investigate' teamed with the German public service channel ZDF and Indian Confluence Media to publish details about alleged extensive bribery corruption related to Scania's bus and truck business in India. In November 2016, SVT had reported that Scania delivered an exclusive, specially-designed bus to a company with connections to the family of Mr Gadkari. "The bus was allegedly destined for his daughter's wedding a few weeks later. Scania's former chief executive (CEO) Henrik Henriksson, who was replaced by Christian Levin at the beginning of May this year, confirmed the deal in an SVT interview. According to Scania's internal audit, the bus provided a financial benefit for Mr Gadkari," the news report says. At the end of 2017, Scania's auditors received tips that Scania had provided India's minister with a specially designed 'luxury bus' as a gift. According to the report, sources also provided information to the German vehicle manufacturer Volkswagen, which owns Scania, that the bus was a gift to an Indian minister with the aim of "getting an assignment in India, according to the SVT report. The internal investigation revealed that there is support for the accusations that Scania provided the minister's family with a bus that at that time had not been fully paid for. And that the deal brought a financial benefit for a 'senior public official', SVT reported. The affair around the bus, which in Scaniamail is called 'the minister bus' and "Bus given to by a very big man," was sensitive, SVT said in the report. Several of Scania's top executives were involved in the bus deal. Among other people, Scania's then CEO of Scania India and his successor and several of the managers involved are Swedes, SVT said. SVT said the minister was very involved in the bus deal. But because it was sensitive to make a deal directly with the minister, the bus was sold via Scania's dealers, who in turn sold or leased the bus to a company with connections to his sons, SVT reported. A Scania spokesman said the company, part of Volkswagen AG's commercial vehicle arm Traton SE, started its internal investigation in 2017. The results have not previously been disclosed. "This misconduct included alleged bribery, bribery through business partners and misrepresentation," he said, without giving further details. According to internal investigators, there is still uncertainty about the financing and ownership of the bus, SVT reported. When SVT and ZDF asked about the bus, Scania had difficulty finding out where it was now and who actually owned it. Read: Farmer Protest Perspective: The Fight Is No Longer between the Good and the Bad, but between the Corrupt and the Rapacious ). The farmers called for a Bharat Bandh on 27 September 2021. It was largely successful. What is amazing is that, despite the brute force with which the government tried to break the farm protests, the farmers remain defiant. They want the three farm laws repealed ( The Narendra Modi government cussedly refuses to do so. The Supreme Court has stepped in and has stayed the operation of the three laws. In all probability, the laws will be struck down by the Supreme Court, or they will be repealed just before the next national elections. Too much is at stake for the farmers. The trouble is that the farmers themselves do not know why the laws must be repealed. In fact, many of the farmer leaders may not like this article and most certainly politicians across party lines too. The truth is that most farmers have been used and abused. Despite platitudes, most politicians do not want small farmers to become financially independent. That would reduce their ability to entice farmers with doles. Exploitation The first two tables tell the story of how little the farmers earn. The first table gives farmer incomes state-wise. The most privileged are the politically well-connected and cossetted states of Punjab and Haryana. The most progressive are cash crop growers like those who grow spices and rubber (and even sugarcane, but more on this later). That can explain (largely) why farmers in Punjab, Haryana and Kerala remain wealthier than farmers elsewhere. States like Maharashtra and Karnataka have encouraged sugarcane growers, who get better returns than other farmers. In Maharashtra, however, even though there is less water, governments have permitted sugarcane acreage to increase by over 125% between 1990 and 2020. So, other crops were denied water and irrigation. But Uttar Pradesh (UP) has seen the worst exploitation of farmers. They are not allowed to form cooperatives either for milk or for sugarcane. For milk, the farmer gets around Rs10 per litre less than his counterparts in other states. This is despite UP being the largest milk producer in the country. Last week, the UP government, possibly with an eye on state elections, agreed to give the farmers Rs25 per quintal more for the sugar-cane growth. Even this is a pittance. The political setup in UP prefers keeping the farmers on doles so that their votes could be captured. The second chart is about how little the farmers earn. As this table from NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) shows, the farmer earns quite a bit working as quite a bit working as a wage-labourer. That is more remunerative than cultivating his own field. Wage labour contributed to almost half the total household income. The second chart is about how little the farmers earn. As this table from NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) shows, the farmer earns quite a bit working as quite a bit working as a wage-labourer. That is more remunerative than cultivating his own field. Wage labour contributed to almost half the total household income. And do bear in mind that this is the average for all farmers. If small farmers were to be classified separately, the figures for cultivation would become half the figures shown here. Small farmers who comprise almost 80% of all farmers were brutalised. Watch the earnings from livestock. Even a single cow can generate profit (all income less expenses) of Rs100 daily for 300 days a year, provided it is given decent cattle feed. That should have generated an income of Rs2,500-Rs3,000 per month. Read: Who is Responsible for Keeping Farmers in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh Poor? ) But, as said earlier, UPs farmers get among the lowest milk prices. ( Rice and Wheat The three farm laws talk about farmers selling to mandis and commodity markets. But they keep silent on the Union governments wheat and rice procurement policies. Much of the rice and wheat procurement the only crops procured by the government year after year clearly favour Punjab and Haryana (see chart). The three farm laws talk about farmers selling to mandis and commodity markets. But they keep silent on the Union governments wheat and rice procurement policies. Much of the rice and wheat procurement the only crops procured by the government year after year clearly favour Punjab and Haryana (see chart). On paper, the governments arm, the Food Corporation of India (FCI), which oversees procurement of rice and wheat, does this work in partnership with other state procurement agencies. One thing becomes quite clear when you look at the figures which are the average annual figures for the period between 2014-15 to 2019-20. Farmers in Punjab could ensure that over 85% of its rice and 69% of its wheat got picked up by government procurement agencies. Similarly, farmers in Haryana saw 78% of their rice and 67% of their wheat being procured. Since rice and wheat procurement prices have gone up year after year without fail, these farmers faced little market price risk. In fact, the prices in India are higher than international prices. So, farmers in these two states, who are extremely well-aligned politically, have little to worry about free water, subsidised electricity, remunerative and guaranteed prices. Marginal farmers in Punjab and Haryana may get left out. But overall, the farmers there are a pampered lot. Many farmers in these states are known to cheat, despite these benefits. They will persuade the procurement officers to purchase their crop as A-grade grain, even if it is B- or C-grade. The officials usually do so after their palms have been greased. That is why FCI allows the grain to rot outside the warehouses so that audit of the grain procured is never possible. Too Little Storage, Too Much Procurement There is another problem which procurement officials see as an advantage. There is little storage capacity and too much procurement. Consider the two tables that follow. One is the estimated storage capacity in India. Unfortunately, the government has not given out the latest figures and the figures in the chart have been culled mainly from data collated in 2011. The next chart is about WDRA approved storage possibly incremental storage as of 2011. The next chart is about WDRA approved storage possibly incremental storage as of 2011. The WDRA (the Warehousing Development Regulations Act) was promulgated in 2010 The three laws enacted by the Union government do not talk about improving warehousing critical for the preservation of farm crops whether they are grains or vegetables and fruit. All crops require warehouses and different kinds of crops need different temperature and humidity controls for them. In fact, the government has kept silent about warehouses and has not breathed a word about strengthening the WDRA which is in charge of ensuring that every farmers produce is picked up. The idea was to have a warehouse 5km or 10km from almost every farm. This way, the farmer could deposit his produce in the designated warehouse depending on the crop he grows. At times, the farmer would grow the crop which the warehouse could pick up in his neighbourhood. The warehouse evaluates the crop, grades it and gives the farmer a dematerialised warehouse receipt. The farmer takes this receipt to the bank and can encash it, based on prices ruling on commodity exchanges. The WDRA was meant to break the need for mandis to be the sellers but saw their role primarily as aggregators. It decentralised the farming business into professional roles, reducing the need for political intermediaries. The WDRA was meant to break the need for mandis to be the sellers but saw their role primarily as aggregators. It decentralised the farming business into professional roles, reducing the need for political intermediaries. The three farm Bills do not touch that. Now look at the numbers. India produced around 111 million tonnes of rice each year (average) and around 98 million tonnes of wheat (average). Together, they account for over 210 million tonnes. Now, compare these numbers with the storage capacity. Unfortunately, the WDRA does not reply to emails, or provide clear figures about the state of warehousing in the country. But a document of 2010 shows that as of 10 July 2020, the WDRA had registered warehouses with a combined capacity of 95,07,621 tonnes (or 9.5 million tonnes). Yet another document gives the figure of 14 million (see chart). Even if one takes the higher figure, the combined storage of 63 million tonnes, added to 14 million tonnes, would give the country barely 80 million tonnes. So, you have grain production at 200 million tonnes and storage at just 80 million tonnes of rice and wheat. Procurement (hence, guaranteed prices) accounts for only 30%-35% of this quantity. So, 65% of the crop must be sold at distressed prices. The middleman is well in control. Political favouritism continues as before. In fact, as production volumes of rice and wheat have increased this year as well, the power of playing favourites becomes more potent. The government does not dare use market mechanisms to reduce production volumes. It dares not tax water or electricity to wean farmers away from rice and wheat. It is, thus, leading farmers up a cliff till there is no going further. This must stop. New Laws Needed To make agriculture healthier, it needs to do many things. None of them is addressed by the three farm laws. 1. It must wean away farmers from rice and wheat production. 2. It must take all the warehouses (of FCI, SWCs and CWC) and put them with the WDRA. That will enable the WDRA to decide which warehouse is best suited for which crop. 3. All procurement by the FCI and state procurement agencies must now be done through the commodity markets. That will ensure that all farmers get an equal opportunity to sell their grain through commodity markets. To protect prices, the government may purchase grain from commodity markets and then give them to the FCI and state procurement agencies for distribution to public distribution shops (PDS) or ration stores. The procurement by the government creates a benchmark pricing that middlemen will have to accept; otherwise, they will lose their farmer customers who will sell to warehouses and through commodity exchanges instead. 4. Permitting contract farming without giving farmers the right to lease out their land can drive them from the village middleman to corporate middlemen like Reliance, Adani, or ITC. The small farmer may be wooed initially; but, as has happened in most countries, large organisations often compel farmers to sell their produce at low prices. The farmer must have a way out. One way out is to allow him to lease out his land to a bigger player. This way, the farmer gets a minimum rent equal to or more than the value of his cultivation each month. He will continue to augment it with wage labour. But he retains ownership of his land which he does not want to lose. When he feels confident enough, he will resume farming. Give the farmer a choice to produce independently, or produce on contract, or give his farm on lease for at least five years. The other party needs this time span because it must first improve the land and make the required investments. That will take around a year to do so. It will then try to recoup the cost of investments in the remaining four years. This way, big players can bring in technology (hydroponics is one good example -- https://asiaconverge.com/2018/06/hydroponics-could-be-the-future-of-farming/ ). Small farmers cannot make such investments which can make even small farms profitable. 5. Focus on Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) as aggregators, which can collect small quantities from many small farmers and sell large quantities to warehouses that act as super aggregators for onward sale through commodity exchanges. Most importantly, set up super FPOs like a federation for each crop so that they can then, like Amul, set up (directly by themselves or in association with private parties) processing and marketing facilities. Eventually, as Dr Verghese Kurien often said, the farmer is the most crucial player in the food chain and, therefore, his profit must be the largest. The government has forgotten the relevance of that vision. 6. Under no circumstances must the government procure grain or agricultural crop directly from farmers. Just as the government has made assessments faceless for the income tax department, it must make procurement faceless and only through commodity markets. 7. Give the WDRA more powers and time-bound targets. 8. Mandate a minimum statutory price for milk so that farmers from Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere do not suffer. Allow agricultural subsidies and grants to be transferred from the Union government to the states only for cooperatives, not to state government departments. 9. Reduce the acreage of sugarcane in water-starved regions like Maharashtra. These are things that the three laws dont do. At present, the three laws tinker with agricultural produce so that state politicians are cut off from milking farmers. Still, the Union government is permitted to reward politically aligned farmers who grow rice and wheat. This allows the Centre to make money and dispense favours, yet attempting to emasculate state political parties. This one-sided approach will just not do. The three laws must therefore go. (The author is a senior journalist) Education Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu. Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu. Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events: International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu. EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu. Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets June Homecoming: Participant $18 per person; Sustainer $25 per person; Benefactor $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary. The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events: SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available for information call 610-275-1960 Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above) SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m. Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m. Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. 4 p.m. computers are available during those hours. Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m. Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863. Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376. Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com. The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes: Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020. CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313. The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events: Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m. Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m. Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m. Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m. Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30. Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301. For Kids & Families The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443. Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950. Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required. The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950. Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus. Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage. Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun. Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train. Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world! Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class. Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org. Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583. Community Events at the Ambler Y: -YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register. Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org. Health Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot. The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net. The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863. The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information. Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245. Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net. Spring Aquatic Programs UDHS Pool: -Summer is just around the corner Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required. Shallow Water Aerobics Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR. Adult Swim Instructions Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR -Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21. -Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m. -Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons. -Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates. Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994. SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com. Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org. Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs: FITNESS CLASSES Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month. Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30 9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly. SUPPORT GROUPS Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000. Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30 7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047. New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m. 12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30 4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931. Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325. Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes. Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com. Librarytalk Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744 www.upperdublinlibrary.org APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS: Storytimes: Please register in the library. o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m. o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m. o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6. APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS: North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS: NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org. One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register contact info above. Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744. o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register. Meetings: Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m. Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m. Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org. For children and teens at Blue Bell: * Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian. * Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages. * Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m. * May 14 Despicable Me * June 11 Alpha and Omega * Special Events * April watch for date of spring/Easter events * April 14 at 4:30 p.m. Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children. * April 14 at 7 p.m. Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided. * April 16 at 1 p.m. Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King. * April 16 at 1:30 p.m. Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes? * April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button. * April 30 through May 3 Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults. * May sign up for Science in the Summer * June sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children * June sign up for Summer Reading, all ages For adults at Blue Bell: * Daytime Book Discussion Group fourth Tuesday, Jan April at 1:30 p.m. * April 26 The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester * Night-time Book Discussion Group third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. o April 19 The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester * Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked? *Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs * Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class. * Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class. * Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m. * Giant Book Sale, April 29 May 3 o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults! o Held during library hours. o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m. o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join. * Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series o May 11 at 1 p.m. Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society * Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room. * Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read. * Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome. * Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome. *Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older. * Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours * Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours * Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday! Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library. * Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian. * Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages. * Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages. * For adults: * Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn. * Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net * Special Events: * April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian. * April 19 at 7 p.m. Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m. * April 21 at 7 p.m. Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades. *May 2 at 6:30 p.m. Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time. *May 10 Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m. *May 12 at 1:30p.m. Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman. *May 17 Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m. *June 13 at 6:30 p.m. Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time. Meetings and Lectures The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833. The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313. Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200. The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/. LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings. Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment. The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org. Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org. The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org) -Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them. The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter. For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps. Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin. Special Events The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County. The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065. Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org. The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org. The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members. Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex. The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com. The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348. The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org. Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163. The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu. The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com. The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net. Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd. The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages. 13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries. Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler. The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family. The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler. JPRN Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike. Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies. Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately. Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways. Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table. Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443. Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday Friday from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday Friday from 9 a.m. 4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374 Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall: -Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store. Music and Theater The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html. Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free. The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org Religious News The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276. Reunions St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net. Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572. Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779. Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411. Support New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149. PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931. The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296. Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656. Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group every other Wednesday, 7 8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information. CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7 8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided. The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich, September 28, 2021 To Disparage Taliban NYT, CNN Quote Hoax Twitter Account, Create Fake Story Gareth Porter has described how Corporate media stirred global terror hysteria to push postwar hostility toward new Afghan govt: Following the Talibans victory over the U.S. military, U.S. corporate media has churned out a new narrative about the imminent threat of terrorism from Afghanistan that sets the stage for future military interventions. Blasted out in a stunningly disciplined fashion, the media has demonstrated as clearly as ever its coordination with the national security state and advancements of its interests. The badmouthing of the Taliban government continues. Today the New York Times as well as CNN ran a fake story intended to put the Taliban into a bad light: New Taliban Chancellor Bars Women From Kabul University Tightening the Talibans restrictions on women, the groups new chancellor for Kabul University announced on Monday that women would be indefinitely banned from the institution either as instructors or students. I give you my words as chancellor of Kabul University, Mohammad Ashraf Ghairat said in a Tweet on Monday. As long as a real Islamic environment is not provided for all, women will not be allowed to come to universities or work. Islam first. The new university policy echoes the Talibans first time in power, in the 1990s, when women were only allowed in public if accompanied by a male relative and would be beaten for disobeying, and were kept from school entirely. The CNN story, published later, says: "As long as real Islamic environment is not provided for all, women will not be allowed to come to universities or work. Islam first," Mohammad Ashraf Ghairat said on his official Twitter account. When I read the NYT story this morning I checked the account and found that its was an unverified account, created this month under the name of the new chancellor of Kabul University. The account had curiously used mostly English in its tweets and seemed unusual rough in its wording. The tweet in question, which the NYT quoted incomplete, started with "Folks!" Something with the account was obviously off so I checked a bit more. It soon turned out that several Afghans had immediately pointed out that the account is a hoax and that the whole story thereby fake. Wardak Media @wrdakmedia - 22:02 UTC Sep 27, 2021 Students at Kabul University have rejected new claims that women have been banned after a major news outlet fails to verify tweets by a fake parody account. Locals have urged reporters to uphold journalistic ethics and standards by thoroughly fact checking and verifying news. Obaidullah Baheer @ObaidullaBaheer - 9:33 UTC Sep 28, 2021 Students from #Kabul University tell me that female faculty and students have been accessing the university as per usual. #NewYorkTimes should really verify their stories before publishing them. University #Chancellor refuses to give interviews. Directives from above I suppose. The University of Kabul says that its chancellor does not have Twitter or Facebook accounts. The Twitter account which the NYT and CNN quoted and linked no longer exists. But nineteen hours after the New York Times, and later CNN, were told by Afghans that the story is fake they still carry their uncorrected false stories. The NYT story was written by Cora Engelbrecht and Sharif Hassan and the CNN story by Karen Smith and Tara John. Obviously neither of these persons, who disparage a country with stories based on unverified hoax tweets without further checking, should be called a journalist. Nor are their editors, who allowed the stories to be published based solely on a unverified tweet, qualified for their jobs. Posted by b on September 28, 2021 at 17:44 UTC | Permalink Comments JERUSALEM (AP) Israels new prime minister appealed to the international community Monday to stand together against Iran, accusing Tehran of marching toward the development of a nuclear weapon and threatening to act alone if the world does not take action. In his maiden speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Naftali Bennett made no mention of Israel's decadeslong conflict with the Palestinians and instead sought to portray Iran as a menace to global security. Irans nuclear program has hit a watershed moment, and so has our tolerance, he said. Words do not stop centrifuges from spinning. After four inconclusive elections in two years, Bennett succeeded the longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in June by forming a diverse coalition of small and midsize parties spanning the Israeli political spectrum. Where Netanyahu was famous for his showmanship, combativeness and use of memorable visual props in his addresses to the U.N., Bennett a former high-tech executive took a more traditional approach. His voice was measured as he sought to portray his country as a lighthouse in a stormy sea of the volatile Mideast. But the content of his message was largely similar to that of Netanyahu as he focused heavily on archenemy Iran. Irans great goal is crystal clear to anybody who cares to open their eyes: Iran seeks to dominate the region and seeks to do so under a nuclear umbrella," Bennett said. He called Irans new president, Ebrahim Raisi, the butcher of Tehran for his past role in suppressing political dissent and accused Iran of arming, funding and training Israels enemies across the region. He said Iranian meddling had brought disaster to countries like Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. Every place Iran touches fails, he said, claiming that Iranian activities threatened the entire world. He pointed to Irans development of attack drones, which have been blamed for a string of attacks on shipping in the Persian Gulf. In a reply later Monday on the assembly floor, Iranian diplomat Payman Ghadirkhomi accused Bennett of making baseless allegations and using threatening language toward Iran. His regime must avoid any miscalculation and adventuristic move in the region, added Ghadirkhomi, who is assigned to Iran's U.N. mission. Israel believes that Iran aims to develop nuclear weapons a charge Iran denies and says the international nuclear accord reached with Iran in 2015 did not include enough safeguards to keep Iran from reaching a weapons capability. Israel welcomed then-President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw from the accord in 2018 and has made clear that it opposes the Biden administrations willingness to return to the agreement. Israel says the agreement needs major modifications before it can be reinstated. Bennett said that some in the international community have concluded that a nuclear-capable Iran is an inevitable reality. Israel doesnt have that privilege, he said, signaling that Israel is ready to act alone if necessary. We will not tire. We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. The United Nations has made the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a high priority over the decades, drawing accusations from Israel that the world body is unfairly biased. Israels treatment of the Palestinians is frequently criticized in U.N. bodies, including the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council. In 2012, over Israeli objections, the Palestinians were granted nonmember observer status at the U.N., allowing them to join a number of international bodies. These include the International Criminal Court, which is now investigating possible Israeli war crimes. In an unusually harsh speech to the U.N. General Assembly, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday gave Israel one year to end its occupation of territories the Palestinians want for a future state. He threatened to withdraw recognition of Israel a cornerstone of three decades of failed peace efforts if it failed to do so. Bennett, a religious hard-liner who opposes Palestinian statehood, stopped short of criticizing the United Nations and did not mention Abbas or the Palestinians even once in his 25-minute address. As prime minister, he has rejected calls for peace talks with the Palestinians, though he hopes to promote better economic relations to reduce friction. In a subtle message to his detractors, he said Israel was prepared to work with the international community and share its technological expertise to address other issues, including the coronavirus pandemic. For way too long, Israel was defined by wars with our neighbors, he said. But this is not what Israel is about. This is not what the people of Israel are about. ___ Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz at the United Nations contributed to this report. CANBERRA, Australia The Australian government is ramping up pressure on state governments to end pandemic lockdowns by outlining plans to end financial aid. The government says in a Wednesday statement that its payments to workers who lose hours due to lockdowns will end two weeks after a state or territory reaches its vaccination benchmark. That benchmark is 80% of residents ages 16 and older being fully inoculated with a double dose of AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna. State and territory leaders agreed in July that lockdowns would no longer be necessary after that level was achieved. But with the delta variant outbreak worsening in Sydney and Melbourne, some leaders have suggested they may maintain restrictions until 90% are fully vaccinated. Australias government reported Tuesday that less than 53% of the population is fully vaccinated. ___ MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: U.S. employer vaccine mandates convert some workers, but not all 400K in U.S. got Pfizer booster shots last weekend France offers state-funded therapy, tackles mental health Vaccination situation in Europe a story of two regions ___ See all of AP's pandemic coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic ___ HERES WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING: WELLINGTON, New Zealand New Zealand is reporting 45 new local cases of the coronavirus, the most in nearly a month as an outbreak in Auckland continues to grow. Auckland remains under lockdown although officials have eased some restrictions since the outbreak began last month. COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said Wednesday that people need to keep steady as officials continue efforts to tamp down the outbreak. Officials say some of the cases have been spreading among homeless people living in transitional housing, a group that may be more reluctant than most to seek health services. About 64% of New Zealanders have had at least one dose of coronavirus vaccine. ___ BOISE, Idaho -- Health care workers in Idaho say they are facing increased animosity from some patients and community members, and they blame misinformation about the pandemic and coronavirus vaccines. Officials at Kootenai Health in Coeur dAlene, for instance, say some nurses are scared to go to the grocery store unless they have changed out of scrubs because they get accosted by angry people. The Idaho Hospital Association says similar instances are happening across the state. State health officials say the state will help hospitals boost security if needed. Some state lawmakers, political groups and local leaders have been dismissive of coronavirus vaccines, pushed the use of an anti-parasitic drug to treat COVID-19 and claimed that coronavirus case numbers are being inflated. ___ HARRISBURG, Pa. A bill that would allow parents in Pennsylvania to exempt their children from wearing a mask at school cleared a state Senate committee on Tuesday as Republican lawmakers started making good on their pledge to counter the governors statewide mask mandate. The legislation would hand the ultimate decision on masking at school to parents and guardians, allowing them to overrule any face-covering mandate imposed by the state Department of Health, a local health department or a school board. It would also prohibit schools from keeping unmasked students away from other students or excluding them from any school-sponsored activities. The Senate Education Committee approved the bill on a party-line vote. It would have to clear the full Senate and the House before going to Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, whose office said he opposes the bill. ___ ALBANY, N.Y. Thousands of health care workers in New York faced with getting the COVID-19 vaccine or losing their jobs on Monday have received at least one dose. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul released figures showing vaccination rates rising among the states 450,000 hospital workers and for other health care workers. By Monday evening, 92% of nursing home staff received at least one vaccine dose. Preliminary data showed 92% of hospital staff receiving at least one dose of vaccine. The executive order allows out-of-state doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to practice in New York, makes it easier for retirees to return to the workforce and allows doctor consults in nursing homes via telemedicine. The order broadens the roles of emergency medical technicians, allowing basic EMTs to vaccinate and test for the coronavirus. ___ DECATUR, Ga. The metro Atlanta city of Decatur is requiring its police officers, firefighters and other employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly tests to keep their jobs. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution says Decatur City Manager Andrea Arnold announced the new policy during a city commission meeting on Monday night. At least one other Georgia city -- Brookhaven, also in metro Atlanta -- has issued a similar requirement. Arnold says the citys policy mirrors the federal vaccine mandate enacted by President Joe Biden. That mandate has been panned by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and other Republican leaders. ___ LONDON British Prime Minister Boris Johnson says hell appoint a chair this year to the planned public inquiry into the coronavirus pandemic and bereaved families will have a role in the proceedings. The COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, which has around 4,000 members, have been calling for a public inquiry into the governments handling of the pandemic so lessons can be learned to limit future virus-related deaths. It has criticized Johnson and his Conservative government for a lack of protective gear for health workers, delaying lockdowns and a too-lax travel policy. Johnson confirmed in May a public inquiry will start to hear evidence next year. However, the group says, we see no reason why preparations for the inquiry cannot begin now, particularly as nearly 1,000 people are still losing their lives each week. The U.K. registered 167 virus-related deaths on Tuesday. Britain has Europes second-highest pandemic death toll after Russia, with nearly 136,500 confirmed dead. ___ PHOENIX Arizona reported 1,123 confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, a figure less than half the states latest seven-day rolling average that state officials say is low because of a reporting problem. Therefore, the figures released Wednesday and Thursday will be higher, the Department of Health Services says. The state reported 108 new deaths, increasing the states total to 19,920 confirmed deaths. The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases dropped in the past two weeks, decreasing from 2,581 on Sept. 12 to 2,500 on Sunday. The rolling average of daily deaths rose from 26 to 42 during the same period, according to Johns Hopkins University. The COVID-19-related hospitalizations, which have decreased slightly since mid-September, were at 1,794 on Monday. ___ WASHINGTON More than 400,000 Americans got Pfizer booster shots last weekend through local pharmacies in the opening days of the U.S effort to provide more protection for vulnerable populations. White House COVID-19 coordinator Jeff Zients says an additional 1 million people have scheduled booster shots for the coming weeks. He adds: Were off to a very strong start with the booster campaign. As many as 25 million people qualify for the third dose of the Pfizer shot, which was authorized last week for those 65 or older, those with pre-existing conditions or facing an elevated risk at their workplace. U.S. officials say their primary focus is ensuring the roughly 25% of eligible Americans who have yet to get their first shot do so. Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says a major priority is the vaccination rate among pregnant women, which stands at 30% nationally and at 15% among Black pregnant women. She encouraged them to seek out vaccinations, saying data shows theyre safe for mother and baby and can prevent needless illness or death. ___ PARIS French President Emmanuel Macron has announced psychology appointments in France will be funded by the government starting next year. State health care systems in Britain, Germany and some other countries already fund therapy sessions. French health professionals say a national effort to improve access is long overdue, especially as the coronavirus pandemic has caused and aggravated psychological distress. Macron acknowledged both the psychological impact of government virus restrictions and past government failures to make mental health a priority during a conference with mental health professionals on Tuesday. He described a spike in the number of children seeking psychological treatment and in attempted suicides, notably among teenagers. Health surveys in France last year pointed to a surge of depression most acute among people without work, those in financial hardship and young adults. The French government announced free therapy sessions for children and young people earlier this year, and on Tuesday pledged to extend it to everyone. Psychiatric treatment is already largely reimbursed by the state. ___ WILMINGTON, Del. Delaware Gov. John Carney announced all teachers and school staff in Delaware will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing. Carney announced the requirement Tuesday. It will be formally issued by emergency regulation and take effect Nov. 1. The requirement also applies to contractors and volunteers who work in K-12 public and private schools. Carney says the top priority has been to get all students back in school this fall, and the mandate will help minimize disruptions. Delaware State Education Association President Stephanie Ingram says the states largest teachers union supports the decision and urges members to get vaccinated, calling weekly testing a reasonable alternative. ___ NEW YORK Businesses with vaccine mandates say some workers whove been on the fence have gotten inoculated against COVID-19, with some holdouts. Meanwhile, coronavirus cases are surging in the U.S. The seven-day average COVID-19 deaths climbed above 2,000 last week for the first time since March. Even before President Joe Bidens announcement on Sept. 9 that companies with more than 100 workers would have to require vaccinations, dozens of companies, including Amtrak, Microsoft, United Airlines and Disney, issued ultimatums to most workers. United Airlines said 97% of its workers have been vaccinated even before its deadline took effect Monday. Alternatives for those employees include weekly testing, working remotely or away from other staff, or ultimately, termination. Some bigger companies that require in-office workers be vaccinated now or in coming weeks include Google, McDonalds (U.S.-based office workers), and Goldman Sachs, among others. Biden wants to boost the vaccination rate in the U.S., where about 77% of American adults have had one dose of the vaccine, according to the CDC. ___ BUCHAREST, Romania Romania started administering third doses of coronavirus vaccine on Tuesday, the same day it recorded its highest number of daily infections since the start of the pandemic. Romania, which has the second-lowest vaccine rate in the European Union, is facing a rise of COVID-19 cases. The country registered 11,049 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday. Thats almost 1,000 more than its previous record last November. Chief vaccination coordinator Dr. Valeriu Gheorghita administered boosters during a hospital visit in the capital Bucharest. We still have a long way to go, he said. The rate of vaccination is obviously not enough to limit the negative consequences of the fourth wave and especially with the delta variant infections. Only 33% of adults in Romania, a country of 19 million, have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The booster shots are recommended for people vulnerable to the virus who received their second dose at least six months ago. Romania has recorded more than 1.2 million confirmed cases and 36,658 confirmed deaths. ___ ZAGREB, Croatia Croatian authorities say all employees in health and social care services in the country must produce COVID-19 certificates to work or they must get tested twice a week. The decision Tuesday will apply to facilities where patients dont require urgent medical care. Workers will be required next week to show evidence of vaccination, a negative virus test or a certificate that theyve had COVID-19. Croatia introduced the new rules after a recent case surge and a slowing of the vaccination drive in the nation. Croatia has reached about 50% vaccination rate among the adult population in the country of 4.2 million. Health Minister Vili Baros says we dont want to be rigid but adds its clear more vaccinations are needed and those not following the rules wont get paid. New Mexico State Police A Midland man was into custody Tuesday by New Mexico State Police after a warrant was issued for capital murder related to a shooting that occurred Monday in Midland. The Midland police reported Tuesday that a warrant had been issued for Kionne Gevaughn Lewis, 29, for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and capital murder. Lewis was wanted for his role in a shooting that took place Monday afternoon in the 3400 block of North Midland Drive. Leslie Alvarez and Marisol Tarin have a lot in common. Both attended Midland ISD elementary and junior high schools, both graduated from Early College High School at Midland College, and both are now well on their way to becoming health care professionals. Alvarez graduated from ECHS@MC in 2019. At the same time, she also received an associate degree from Midland College. In Fall 2019, she transferred to Texas Tech and will soon graduate with a major in biology and a minor in chemistry. I had always thought I would be a physician, Alvarez said. Im still considering that, but I am also interested in becoming a PA [physician assistant]. This past 18 months during the pandemic has caused me to re-prioritize a lot of things in my life. What I do know is that I want a career in the healthcare industry where I can help people, and I want that career to be in Midland near familythe people I love. Marisol Tarin is two years younger than Leslie Alvarez. She graduated from ECHS@MC in May 2021, also receiving an associate degree from Midland College. She will remain at Midland College one more year as part of the Primary Care Pathway Program, a fast-track program to medical school. She is also the current vice president of Service for the MC Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. Currently, Tarin is completing her application for early acceptance to attend the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. If accepted, she will be able to start medical school in the summer of 2023, after she completes one year at the University of North Texas. The journey has not been easy, Tarin explained. I usually stay late in the library or in the Fox Science Building to make sure to complete all my assignments and projects. Courses in the Primary Care Pathway Program move quickly, but Ive always enjoyed a fast-paced environment. I guess thats one of the reasons ECHS@MC appealed to me. I liked the idea of being able to graduate from high school with an associate degree at the same time. I enjoy being challenged, and I have found that I thrive when I can be involved in projects with a lot of pressure and intensity. Family is important to both of these young women, and both have parents who are disabled. Alvarezs father suffered injuries from an oilfield accident. Tarin was raised by a single mother who is disabled. In addition to her mother, Tarin also lives with her grandparents. My family members have played a huge part in my academic journey, Tarin said. Ive wanted to be a doctor since I was in the 10th grade, and they have encouraged me every step of the way. They have been supporting and encouraging to me to become a doctor, even though it will be expensive. Thankfully, Ive received several scholarships including $2,500 each semester from the Slough Scholarship until I get my bachelors degree. I have also received the Pioneer Legacy Scholarship, the Phi Theta Kappa Star Scholarship and several donor-directed scholarships through Midland College. Alvarez said that she is extremely grateful to the Fasken Foundation for their unwavering support in her academic endeavors. Any uphill battle is easier when there are people behind you pushing you up that hill, she said. When Alvarez graduates from Texas Tech, she plans to take a gap year and earn money to further her education while she works as lab instructor. During this time, she will also be studying for the MCAT medical school entrance exam and the GRE graduate school entrance exam. I plan to take both exams, so I can be prepared for either medical school or PA school, Alvarez explained. So much has happened in my life since I graduated from ECHS@MC. I was just settling in at Texas Tech when the pandemic hit. I was living in the dorms and had made friends and joined a few campus clubs and organizations. We left campus for spring break in March 2020, and then we were told not to come back. All our classes would be held online. I decided to leave Lubbock and stayed in Midland, but because my family lives outside of town and we dont have reliable WiFi, I would drive in to town to study and get my classes done. Sometimes, I would park in a parking lot at Midland College and use their public WiFi, and other times, Id hang out at Starbucks. It was also during this time that my older sister Karina was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer and passed away. Her three children, the youngest of whom is 2, are now living with my parents. Its been tough, but our family continues to be there for each other, and Karina was, and continues to be, my biggest inspiration. The pandemic played a large part in Marisol Tarins desire to eventually be an Emergency Room physician. During the pandemic, I started volunteering at Midland Memorial Hospital since many of the hospital volunteers couldnt be there because of the dangers of COVID, Tarin explained. I volunteered at the front desk and still do. Even during the pandemic, I wanted to help my hospital and develop the necessary communication skills needed for the medical field. The volunteer work led to a paid part-time job as a scribe in the Emergency Department. I work approximately 20 hours each week and follow the physicians to each patient visit and chart for them. Even though it was stressful at first, I am enjoying the fast-paced environment of the Emergency Room. While both Alvarez and Tarin said that their main love is science, they also have interests in humanities, arts and social sciences. They said that being a part of the Midland College Honors program helped them broaden their horizons. During her time at Midland College, Alvarez researched and wrote a paper on the effects of a border wall on the ecosystems of surrounding border states and the social, educational and political impacts. In addition, her Honors project on gun control won honorable mention at the 2018 West Texas Symposium of History. During her time at Texas Tech she has worked with the Kingston labs, and through her research, she won first-place presenter at the 2021 TTU Undergraduate Research Conference. Tarin completed five Midland College Honors projects, won third place in the Rebecca Watson Creative Writing Contest, and fourth place in the Hilda Simmons Levitt Poetry Contest at Midland College. Her research paper for one of the projects entitled, Applications of Mathematics in the Workplace is currently under review for publication. Leslie Alvarez and Marisol Tarin both admit that they arent sure if they would have realized their ambitions to become health care professionals if it werent for the opportunities they had through ECHS@MC. They both credit their success up to this point in their lives to not only ECHS@MC, but also to supportive, loving families. Fortunately for Midlanders, both want to return to the community to pursue their career ambitions in the health care industry. -- Rebecca Bell is the executive director of Institutional Advancement at Midland College. Republican Eva Guzman isnt running for attorney general as a Hispanic. Shes running as a conservative. Shes running as the most qualified of any candidate. She running to take down the sitting attorney general, who she believes will be a liability for the party in 2022. And after Guzman appeared at the Republican National Hispanic Assembly luncheon at the Bush Convention Center, she said quite confidently that Republicans have become the party of Hispanics, because Hispanics are conservative. The values that unite us are values that transcend a lot of things, Guzman said after the event. Theres more that unites us than divides us our respect for life, we will fight for the unborn, our desire to be given an opportunity, not a handout but a hand up. So, all of these things that unite us are whats going to allow the Republican Party to continue to speak to these communities, and youve seen it happen in south Texas and all over the state. Latinos are working, waking up to the fact the Republican Party represents them, their values and the best chance at a future in this country. Guzman is in early stages of a potential competitive primary against current Attorney General Ken Paxton, Land Commissioner George P. Bush and state Rep. Matt Krause of Fort Worth. Guzman brings more than a decade of experience on the Texas Supreme Court to the race. She was appointed to the court in in 2009 by then-Gov. Rick Perry. She won election to that seat two times, including re-election in 2016. Guzman said after the event that this is not the same Republican Party of even 20 years ago. She talked about conservatism being the primary trait Republican Party voters look at. She mentioned that in the same breath as her becoming the highest vote getter in the history of the state of Texas, more votes than anyone who would ever run for office in this state, either as a Republican or a Democrat, and that was in the Republican primary. What that tells me is that our wonderful Republican voters, our beautiful communities around this state are looking at candidates for their qualifications and for their commitment to uphold the Constitution, not for their last name, Guzman said. And qualifications are where Guzman thinks she separates herself from the pack. She says the other Republican Primary candidates dont have her qualifications (her experience, her record of integrity or her sound judgment). While Mondays presentation in front of the RNHA allowed Midlanders to get to know the candidate, Guzman sought to plant the seeds for why she is the superior candidate. She was critical of one Bush -- for not having his law license for over a decade and the other Paxton for his legal woes. Would you hire someone who's indicted and facing a serious FBI investigation? Guzman said, although not mentioning his name. No, you would hire someone who is credible, who brings over 22 years of experience handling constitutional questions, and who will uphold the rule of law every single day. Guzman said the experience inside the courtroom will help her put together the best arguments of those Republicans running for attorney general. She said she worries about federal government overreach that could impact the business, safety and religious opportunities of everyday Texans. She said the Attorney Generals Office needs to be a first-class operation with its thousands of employees, hundreds of attorneys, 33,000 cases and $2 billion budget. We are freedom-loving, kind-hearted Americans, Guzman said. We ask that you respect rule of law, honor our values and respect the Constitution. It is not a living document. It says what it says, and you cant change it. A name and logo synonymous with health care in Jacksonville and surrounding counties soon will be something of the past as Memorial Health System looks to the future. Beginning Friday, Passavant Area Hospital will be known as Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, a move Memorial Health System which also will see a name change, to Memorial Health has made to unify its five hospitals. Its something that weve been working on for about three years, said Scott Boston, Passavants president and CEO. In 2018 we looked at a brand refresh. The COVID-19 pandemic delayed the change, he said. Passavant, which became affiliated with Memorial Health System in 2014, had its own logo, branding and look something Memorial felt needed to change. The idea was to clean all this up, Boston said of having one main brand tying all five hospitals in the Memorial system to the Memorial brand. The Passavant name has historical value dating back more than a century. In 1875, widow Eliza Freytag Ayers of Jacksonville donated 5 acres of land along State Street to the Rev. William Passavant, a Lutheran minister with a national reputation for establishing hospitals and orphanages. Passavant became the fourth of 149 hospitals the minister built. Some 75 years later after years of fundraising and a delay stemming from World War II construction began on Nov. 23, 1950, on a 140-bed facility on West Walnut Street. That facility, for a few more days known as Passavant Area Hospital, was completed and accepted its first patient in June 1953. There is going to be a little sadness, Boston said of the name change. There is an affection for the hospital. With the backing of the Memorial system, however, Boston sees the change as a great opportunity to continue and increase great health care for the community. Its about the approach to health care with an optimized system, Boston said. We have the strength of a system behind us. The old logo and signage will start coming down soon before the new branding starts showing up in the next few weeks. Exterior signage will be this week, Boston said, adding that all signage throughout the building eventually will be switched to the new brand. The website will, too. Although the rebranding started before the pandemic, the pandemic demonstrated how the unity of the entire Memorial system is a benefit, officials said. The COVID-19 pandemic showed us the strength of our health system, said Ed Curtis, Memorial Health president and CEO. We were able to share resources, ideas and expertise across communities, benefiting the entire region. Our new brand makes it easier for the people we serve to understand that strength and recognize the breadth of the services we offer. Memorial Health isnt a series of related affiliates; its a single organization that provides a continuum of care. In other Memorial Health System hospital name changes, Memorial Medical Center in Springfield will become Springfield Memorial Hospital and Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital will become Lincoln Memorial Hospital. Decatur Memorial and Taylorville Memorial hospitals will not see a name change. Memorials 19 physician clinics and ExpressCare locations will be unified under the Memorial Care name. STOCKTON, Mo. (AP) A southwest Missouri prosecutor said Tuesday he has charged five employees of a private Christian boarding school with abusing students far fewer than the number of charges recommended by state investigators. The five employees of the Agape Boarding School near Stockton were charged with a total of 13 third-degree felony assault counts, Cedar County Prosecuting Attorney Ty Gaither said. The charges come after the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated allegations of abuse at the school. Based on that investigation, Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt recommended prosecuting 22 employees with 65 counts on behalf of 36 victims, including felonies for abuse of a child and tampering with a victim, and misdemeanors for endangering the welfare of a child and failure to report child abuse. After Gaither said last week that he planned to charge far fewer employees than recommended, Schmitt asked Gov. Mike Parson to remove his office from the investigation because he didn't believe Gaither intended to seek justice for all the victims. Gaither said this office believed "these to be the appropriate charges under the fact of the investigation, The Kansas City Star reported. Although Gaither asked for the attorney generals assistance in the case, Missouri law gives county prosecutors sole authority in deciding what charges are filed. A Missouri law passed in 1982 exempted religious residential care facilities from state licensure requirements. After the allegations of abuse at Agape arose last year, the Legislature passed a law that gave the state greater oversight of unlicensed residential care facilities for children. Its unacceptable, said Brett Harper, of Oregon, who attended Agape from 1999 to 2003 and has pushed for three years for an investigation into abuse at the school. Its one third of the people who should be charged and he lowered the charges," Harper said Tuesday. "Nobody would call that justice. The Star reported that two former students contacted the FBI last week and were told the agency's office was looking into the Agape case. An FBI spokesman in Kansas City did not confirm or deny an investigation. According to online court records, the probable cause statements describing the alleged offenses will be kept confidential to protect victims' rights. Two of those charged are former students who became Agape employees: medical director, Scott L. Dumar, and Seth Duncan, the son-in-law of David Smock, a Stockton doctor who for years has provided medical care for Agape students. The others charged are Christopher R. McElroy, Everett L. Graves and Trent E. Hartman. An investigation into the school began after The Star reported on the abuse allegations last year. Since then, former students testified at legislative hearings that they tried to report the abuse at Agape and the now-closed Circle of Hope Girls Ranch for years, but that Cedar County authorities and other officials did not respond to the complaints. Circle of Hope Girls Ranch near Humansville was closed last year after authorities removed about 25 students amid an investigation into abuse and neglect allegations. The owners, Boyd and Stephanie Householder, were charged in March and await trial on 100 criminal counts all but one are felonies including statutory rape, sodomy and physical abuse and neglect. Both have pleaded not guilty and were released in July on $10,000 bond pending trial. NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) The European Union stands firm on its regime of sanctions against Belarus authoritarian president who is pushing migrants into the EU out of desperation, a senior official from the bloc said Tuesday. EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is not a partner we are ready to cooperate with, and that the 27-member bloc can't accept his actions. We have seen Lukashenko is a desperate person that now are under the sanctions from the European Union and he cant really deal with that," Johansson said after talks with Cypriot Interior Minister Nicos Nouris. So hes acting in ... desperation, importing people for the only purpose to send them or actually push them into the European Union. And of course, we cant accept that." EU members Poland and Lithuania have in recent months been pushing back an unusually high number of African and Middle Eastern migrants and refugees arriving from neighboring Belarus. The migrant influx began after Western countries introduced sanctions on Lukashenkos government over the countrys disputed August 2020 presidential election and a crackdown on the opposition. The Polish and Lithuanian governments have introduced states of emergency on one-kilometer-wide (more than a half-mile-wide) strips along their border with Belarus that deny entry to anyone except border guards, the military and security services. They also are building razor wire fences along their border with Belarus. At least five migrants have died trying to cross into Poland and Lithuania from Belarus through an area of thick woods and bogs. ___ Follow APs global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration WASHINGTON (AP) Pressure mounting, President Joe Biden and Democrats in Congress strained Tuesday to trim back his potentially historic $3.5 trillion government overhaul to win support from two key holdout senators ahead of make-or-break deadlines for votes. With Republicans solidly opposed and no votes to spare, Biden canceled a Wednesday trip to Chicago that was to focus on COVID-19 vaccinations so he could continue working on a deal, according to a White House official granted anonymity to discuss the planning. Democrats are poised to adjust the huge measure's tax proposals and spending goals to meet the overall size demanded by party colleagues Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. The two say Bidens plan is too big but are publicly quiet about a number they can live with. The president met separately with them Tuesday at the White House, making apparent progress before a Thursday test vote. As the legislation comes into focus, the adjustments will follow child care subsidies could be offered for several years, or just a few. Funding to expand health care programs could start later or end sooner. Tax hikes on corporations and the wealthy may be adjusted. And provisions to fight climate change or curb prescription drug prices could change. Assuming nothing, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters at the Capitol, In the next day or so we hope to come to a place where we can all move forward." The stakes are as high as ever as Biden and his party try to accomplish a giant legislative lift, promising a vast rewrite of the nation's tax priorities and spending goals with an oh-so-slim majority in Congress. Biden is under pressure to close the deal with centrist Sens. Manchin and Sinema who are seen as linchpins for the final package. Really good, honest, straightforward negotiations, Manchin told reporters back at the Capitol after his White House meeting with Biden. He said he did not give the president a new topline figure. Biden's problems with fellow Democrats aren't just in the Senate. A small number of House Democrats also are bristling at the far-reaching scope of his domestic agenda and demanding changes. Were obviously at a very sensitive time, said White House press secretary Jen Psaki. The president, she said, is not going to tell anyone what to do. Hes going to have a discussion, have an engagement. The closed-door talks come after Republican senators for a second time blocked a bill to keep the government operating past Thursday and allow federal borrowing, risking a federal shutdown and devastating debt default though both seem highly unlikely. Democrats said they will try again before Thursdays deadline to pass a bill funding government operations past the Sept. 30 fiscal year-end, likely stripping out the more-heated debate over the debt limit for another day, closer to a separate October deadline. Taken together, it's all putting the entire Biden agenda perilously closer to collapse, with consequences certain to shape his presidency and the lawmakers' political futures. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen told Congress in a letter Tuesday that Oct. 18 is a critical date when the Treasury Department will likely exhaust all of its extraordinary measures being taken to avoid a default on the governments obligations. Yellen urged Congress to protect the full faith and credit of the United States by acting as soon as possible to either raise the debt limit or suspend it. Meanwhile, the behind the scenes action over the $3.5 trillion measure is testing Biden's grip on his party, as he seeks a once-in-a-generation reworking of the nations balance sheets. Applying pressure, progressives are unwavering so far in their refusal to go along with a vote expected Thursday on a companion bill, a $1 trillion public works measure that they say is too meager without Biden's bigger package assured. Rep. Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., the chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said they have the votes to derail the smaller bill unless it comes with Biden's broader one tacit pressure on the holdouts to arrive at a deal. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., urged a no vote. It wont be the end of the world Thursday if we vote it down, said Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., a progressive caucus member. He said the House will just wait for the Senate to act on Biden's plan, "and then well vote again. With all Republicans opposed to the big bill, Democratic leaders cant spare a single vote in the 50-50 Senate, relying on Vice President Kamala Harris to break a tie to pass the eventual package. Physically holding up the 2,000-plus page bill, Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming warned it was nothing but big government socialism. This bill represents Bernie Sanders' socialist dream. It is a nightmare for American taxpayers, he said. Biden insists the price tag actually will be zero because the expansion of government programs would be largely paid for with higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy businesses earning more than $5 million a year, and individuals earning more than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples. To lower the price tag and win over centrist Democrats, its not necessary that any specific programs be get axed, those familiar with the process have said. Rather, lawmakers are eyeing ways to adjust the scope and duration of some of Bidens proposals. For example, instead of more immediately launching the massive expansion of the Medicare program for seniors by allowing them to qualify for vision, dental and hearing aid benefits, changes might be spaced out to save money. Or similarly, funding to expand Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act could have an end-date rather than continue on. The corporate tax hikes, proposed to spike from 21% to 26.5% under the House's version of Biden's bill, could shift again in talks with the Senate Democrats. Failing to fund all the program expansions indefinitely could well be seen as a loss for Democrats. But some see the built-in deadlines as a chance to revisit the issues again likely during election years when both sides can argue their cases to voters. Tensions are flaring at the Capitol as the contours of Biden's big agenda come into focus at the same time as a Democrat-Republican standoff over normally routine votes to fund the government and prevent a federal debt default. For a second day on Tuesday, Senate Republicans rejected an effort to ease the nation's debt limit to avoid a dangerous default on its payments for past bills. Republican leader Mitch McConnell grew testy with reporters when asked about Yellen's warning that Congress must swiftly resolve the issue. Of course the debt ceiling has to be raised, he said. But he insisted Democrats shoulder the unpopular vote on their own. On Monday, Republicans had rejected the Democrats' effort to link the debt ceiling vote to the must-pass funding bill to keep government running. An exasperated Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said, "It is clear insanity and disaster are now the Republican party line." ___ Associated Press writers Kevin Freking, Zeke Miller, Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar and Darlene Superville contributed to this report. Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree | Journal-Courier Jeffrey Wardell, 7, of Jacksonville plays Monday on the monkey bars in Community Park. Unseasonably warm temperatures Monday fell just shy of the record 92 degrees recorded in 2017. Temperatures are forecast to be above-average through at least Wednesday. Morgan County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Zachary A. Sharrock, 31, of Glenarm was booked into the Morgan County jail at 1:24 p.m. Sunday on a charge of violating an order of protection. Michael C. Skillett, 19, of 764 Cylinder Head Road, Chapin, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 2:45 a.m. Sunday on charges of possession of a controlled substance and manufacturing or delivery of cannabis. Eric L. Mefford, 37, of 846 Sand Road, Winchester, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 9:09 p.m. Saturday on a charge of violating probation on a charge of possession of a controlled substance. VANDALISM The tires were slashed on a car parked in the first block of Maple Creek Estates in Woodson, according to a report filed at 1:55 p.m. Sunday. Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Aaron R. Howe, 31, homeless, was arrested at 3:06 p.m. Monday on a retail theft charge after being accused of taking merchandise from Walmart at 1941 W. Morton Ave. He also was charged with criminal trespassing because he was prohibited from being at the store, police said. Eric D. Stratton, 42, of 103 W. Reinbach St., Franklin, was arrested at 6:57 a.m. Monday on a charge of possession of methamphetamine after police stopped him in the 700 block of East Chambers Street while investigating a report that someone was trying to break into one of the residence halls on the former MacMurray College campus. Antonia C. Clinton, 30, of Chicago was booked into the Morgan County jail at 11:54 p.m. Friday on a charge of driving while license is suspended. THEFTS, BURGLARIES The rear license plate of a car parked in the 200 block of West Beecher Avenue was stolen between Sept. 22 and Monday. Brown County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Kassandra Fortoso, age unavailable, of Cicero was arrested at 11:49 a.m. Friday at Western Illinois Correctional Center on charges of bringing or possessing contraband in a penal institution and possession of a controlled substance. ACCIDENTS Jeffrey B. Hanold, age unavailable, of Mount Sterling was treated after he lost control of the motorcycle he was riding at 3:59 p.m. Sunday on Illinois Route 99 at County Road 1075E. A juvenile was treated after the vehicle they were driving at 7:17 a.m. Thursday overturned in a ditch on Illinois Route 107 at County Road 700N. Pike County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Corey S. Beavers, 42, of Exeter was arrested at 2:15 p.m. Sept. 20 on a charge of driving while license is revoked or suspended. William J. Higgins, 44, of Griggsville was arrested at 6:46 p.m. Saturday on an unspecified felony warrant. Heather C. Rodhouse, 40, of Nebo was arrested at 5:52 p.m. Sept. 21 on a Calhoun County warrant accusing her of possession of methamphetamine. Cole W. Sidwell, 32, of Pleasant Hill was arrested at 11:17 p.m. Friday on an unspecified Calhoun County warrant. Robyn L. Mangham, 45, of Roodhouse was arrested at 9 a.m. Sept. 20 on a charge of possession of methamphetamine. Zacharey A. Herder, 34, of White Hall was arrested at 12:59 p.m Wednesday on a petition to revoke. State police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Stephanie J. Powell, 42, of Hannibal, Missouri, was arrested at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday on unspecified warrants. Christine R. Taylor, 28, of Loogootee, Indiana, was arrested at 9:33 p.m. Wednesday on charges of battery, obstructing identification and obstructing justice/destroying evidence. Jonathan A. Booth, 31, of Pearl was arrested at 8:20 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of driving under the influence. Compiled by David C.L. Bauer Today Produce and Bakery Giveaway: 9 a.m.-noon, Jacksonville Food Center, 316 E. State St. Free | For Morgan County residents. Free Noon Meal: 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Salvation Army, 331 W. Douglas Ave. | Meals in to-go containers and can be picked up at side door. Walking for Wellness: 12:30-3 p.m., First Christian Church, 2106 S. Main St. Free | Indoor walking program offered year-round Monday-Thursday. For more information, call 217-243-6445. Spirit of Faith Soup Kitchen: 3:30-4 p.m., Spirit of Faith Soup Kitchen, 105 E. Dunlap St. Free | Serving meals to go for anyone in need. Morgan County Republican Club: 6 p.m., Jacksonville Municipal Building, 200 W. Douglas Ave. | Guest speaker state Rep. C.D. Davidsmeyer will discuss redistricting, ethics and energy. Escape to Margaritaville: 8 p.m., University of Illinois Springfield Performing Arts Center, 1 University Plaza, Springfield. | Musical comedy featuring original songs and Jimmy Buffett classics. Wednesday Produce and Bakery Giveaway: 9 a.m.-noon, Jacksonville Food Center, 316 E. State St. Free | For Morgan County residents. Blood Drive: 9 a.m.-noon, Jacksonville Police Department, 200 W. Douglas Ave. | To donate, contact Courtney Glass at 217-479-4630 or go to bloodcenter.org and use code 60161 to locate the drive. Masks and appointments required. Story Time: 10 a.m., Jacksonville Public Library, 201 W. College Ave. | Free Noon Meal: 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m., Salvation Army, 331 W. Douglas Ave. | Meals in to-go containers and can be picked up at side door. Walking for Wellness: 12:30-3 p.m., First Christian Church, 2106 S. Main St. Free | Indoor walking program offered year-round Monday-Thursday. For more information, call 217-243-6445. Commodity Food Distribution: 1:15 p.m., Salvation Army, 331 W. Douglas Ave. Free | For income-eligible residents of Morgan County. Bring proof of residence and a box for food. Spirit of Faith Soup Kitchen: 3:30-4 p.m., Spirit of Faith Soup Kitchen, 105 E. Dunlap St. Free | Serving meals to go for anyone in need. Jacksonville Area Employment Fair: 4-6 p.m., downtown Jacksonville. | Sponsored by Passavant Healthy Communities Collaborative. To submit items to the calendar, go to myjournalcourier.com and select calendar, or email jjcsocial@myjournalcourier.com. Items must be submitted at least 48 hours in advance. I think I finally understand what white privilege looks like. I caught some photos of the Met Gala recently, complete with Whoopi Goldberg dressed in something that can only be described as a giant crocheted toilet roll holder and AOC flaunting her chassis in a form-fitting dress with the words Tax the Rich scrawled in red on her butt. The Met Gala is designed to raise money for the eponymous New York City museum, a place where Ive spent many joyous hours as both a child and adult. I fully support the arts, and the need to protect and promote them in an era where everything has become polarized, pasteurized or petrified. Without them, we are Neanderthals before the cave drawings. But there is a cognitive disconnect in charging people $35,000 a ticket, at a time when people are literally struggling to put food on their tables. It is obscene that the equivalent of a yearly salary would be spent on a dinner, a gift bag stuffed with trinkets and a photo op. The great irony in all of this is that the person writing this column is a conservative who opposes eviction bans, prolonged unemployment subsidies and COVID lockdowns. Shes someone who believes that those who refuse to return to work until they can be assured that there is less than once scintilla of a percent of possibility that theyll be infected with the virus never intended to return to work in the first place. I am not one of the woke, who thinks the free-market system is dangerous because it crushes brown and Black people under its massive weight. None of those things make any sense to me. And yet you would not see me dead in one of those monstrous confections created to display the whimsical yet deeply caring zeitgeist of the wearer. When you go to a costume party, you are not supposed to take yourself seriously. And yet, that is exactly what AOC did, as she paraded herself through the halls, mask-less from all accounts, like a clueless Disney princess with a Jackson Pollack painting splashed on her tochus. AOC gets away with it, even though shes technically a person of color. Whoopi gets away with it too, even though shes obviously a person of color. They benefit from the truest form of white privilege that exists, namely, the privilege of living in the sterile liberal bubble. That bubble is as white and sanitized as the space shuttle at lift-off. There are no germs that pierce its inner realms, infecting the happy residents with a dose of reality. The people who live within that bubble, and it is quite large and encompasses actors, journalists, politicians and certain religious folk, are incapable of understanding the rest of us out here in the greater world. They think they know who we are, what we need, how we are violating their standards and what should be done with us if we fail to acknowledge their wisdom. They believe that they can lecture us on climate change and reproductive rights, on clean eating and religious plurality, on which lives matter and which are useless. Their speeches sound good, when spoken back to them by others in that echo chamber. But the rest of us see who they are and what they stand for, and we laugh. They might not hear us, in that bubble, but the sounds are becoming louder and more constant with each passing day. Inhabitants of the bubble have the whitest of privileges, the right to ignore reality. They have the luxury to care for the proletariat, as long as they themselves are fed, housed, groomed and cosseted. Unlike FDR, whose birthright privilege did not prevent him from empathizing with the desperate and the dispossessed, these folks are all appearance. They might look compassionate, but each one has a portrait in their attic crumbling from moral decay. Every time I hear someone attack me or my conservative friends for our white privilege, I chuckle. Ive heard Larry Elder, Clarence Thomas, Condi Rice, Alveeda King and Candace Owens accused of exercising white privilege. Ive seen Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Alberto Gonzalez, Maria Salazar and Susanna Martinez tagged with white privilege. You can, apparently, be brown and Black and yet have a certain color of privilege, according to the left. But the true color of privilege is the color that defines your world view, one that allows you to preach and prattle on about how we need to take care of the poor, all the while draping yourself in diamonds and disdain and traipsing around for the cameras. Limousine liberals have always been with us. They just used to dress a lot better. Christine Flowers is an attorney and a columnist. She can be reached at cflowers1961@gmail.com. Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee circulated a draft plan to raise $2.9 trillion in taxes to pay for the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. It includes an increase in the federal tobacco excise tax and applying the tax to novel tobacco products, including e-cigarettes. The latest proposal would double the tax rate on combustible cigarettes to $2.02-per-pack and exorbitantly increase the existing tax rates on other tobacco products. For example, the tax rate on snus and other discrete use tobacco products would increase by more than 2,800%. Moreover, the proposal would create a new tax on vapor products at a rate that is higher than combustible cigarettes. Under the tax plan, one JUUL pod would be subject to a $2.30 tax, compared to $2.02 for 20 cigarettes. With the legislation, Democrats are attempting to establish tax parity among all tobacco products, despite the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recognizing a continuum of risk among tobacco products, with combustible cigarettes having the greatest risk. In the proposal, IQOS a heated tobacco product that the FDA has recently deemed a modified risk product would be subject to a greater tax burden than combustible cigarettes. Any increase on tobacco products disproportionately impacts lower-income persons and is in direct conflict with President Joe Bidens promise to not raise taxes on Americans earning less than $400,000 a year. Worse, constituents from Senate Democrats own states, including senators Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., would ultimately pay more for Washingtons tax and spend plan than House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neals constituents. In 2019, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 19.1% of American adults were current smokers. In Ohio, 20.8% of adults were current smokers and in West Virginia 23.8% of adults smoked. Comparatively, in the same year, only 12.1% of Massachusetts adults were current smokers. If Democrats in Washington, D.C., are successful in increasing the tax rate, smokers in Ohio and West Virginia would collectively pay more than $1.6 billion to D.C., annually, compared to only $492.6 million from smokers in Massachusetts. As a tobacco harm reduction tool, e-cigarettes should not be subject to an excise tax because they are 95% safer than smoking. In 2018, Scott Gottlieb (former director of the FDA) noted that the agency sees the possibility for products like e-cigarettes to provide a potentially less harmful alternative. More recently, in August, 15 tobacco control experts penned an article in the American Journal of Public Health urging policymakers to embrace e-cigarettes as a tool to help increase smoking cessation. Rather than taxing these products, lawmakers should be enacting policies that encourage their use. If policymakers must put a tax on these products, that rate should be based on the percent of the risk of the product and never in parity with combustible cigarette tax rates. Most disturbingly, the latest tax proposal wont even be used for tobacco control programs which would include education, prevention, and helping smokers quit. Not that this comes as any surprise because each year the federal government allocates little toward tobacco control. In 2019, the CDC awarded only $66.9 million toward such programs, despite the federal government collecting $12.5 billion in tobacco taxes. Collectively, Massachusetts, Ohio and West Virginia allocated only $17.2 million in state funding toward tobacco control programs in 2019, with West Virginia diverting nothing in state funds. Combined, these states collected more than $1.5 billion in cigarette taxes and $594 million in tobacco settlement payments. Deeply problematic are the effects of such a tax on low-income people, the same group that Democrats purport to care about. Low-income Americans disproportionately smoke at greater rates than their high-income counterparts. For example, in Ohio and West Virginia, 67.9% and 74.2% of current adult smokers reported earning $24,999 or less in 2019. In Massachusetts, only 46% of smokers reported such incomes. This is just the latest in the Democrats attempts to generate revenue for their programs and attempt to adhere to Bidens promise of not raising taxes, but its all smoke and mirrors. Cigarette taxes are highly regressive and any increase to the federal tax rate is an about-face as it will be a direct tax increase on persons earning way under $400,000. Moreover, Senate Democrats should examine the proposal to see if it will be their own constituents who end up footing more of Washingtons outlandish spending spree. Lindsey Stroud is director of The Taxpayers Protection Alliances Consumer Center. She wrote this for InsideSources.com. China: 2 Canadians in prisoner swap freed for health reasons View Photo TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) Chinas Foreign Ministry said Monday that two Canadians detained in late 2019 who were allowed to return to Canada in a prisoner swap were released on bail for health reasons. A ministry spokesperson made the comment as Beijing sought to downplay the connection between their release and the return to China of a long-detained executive of Huawei Technologies. Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig were detained in December 2019, days after Huaweis chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, was arrested in Canada at the request of U.S. authorities. Many countries labeled Chinas action hostage politics, while China accused Canada of arbitrary detention. The two Canadians were jailed for more than 1,000 days. Meng fought the U.S. demand for extradition from Canada. She landed in China on Saturday after reaching a deal with the U.S. Justice Department that led to a prisoner swap. The case of Meng Wanzhou is completely different from that of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in nature, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a daily briefing on Monday. The two men were suspected of endangering national security, Hua said. Spavor, an entrepreneur, had been sentenced to 11 years in prison, accused of spying. Kovrig had not yet been sentenced but was facing similar charges. China released the two Canadians on bail after a diagnosis by professional medical institutions, and with the guarantee of the Canadian ambassador to China, Hua said. Hua did not answer questions from journalists about whether the prisoner releases were entirely unrelated and what the health reasons were. Canada has maintained that Kovrig and Spavor were innocent of any charges. We continue to oppose the way these two citizens were treated, Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau told the U.N. General Assembly meeting of world leaders Monday. He said Spavor and Kovrig paid a heavy price because their country observed the rule of law in responding to the U.S. extradition request. Representatives for the two countries traded retorts later Monday on the assembly floor, with China rejecting Canadas take on the affair. Canada continued to insist Kovrig and Spavor were mistreated. Meng reached an agreement with U.S. federal prosecutors that will drop fraud charges against her next year. In return, she is accepting responsibility for misrepresenting the companys business dealings in Iran. U.S. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Monday that the decision to allow Meng to return to China was an independent law enforcement matter decided by the U.S. Justice Department. She added that President Joe Bidens administration has advocated for the release of the two Canadians but stressed that the White House was not involved. She said Biden raised concerns about the Canadians detention when he spoke with President Xi Jinping earlier this month. Mengs return to China was broadcast live on the countrys state broadcaster, CCTV. She wore a red dress the shade of Chinas flag and thanked Xi and the ruling Communist Party. On Monday, Hua, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said Meng was a victim of political persecution and was able to return to China thanks to the governments unrelenting efforts. In contrast, the release of the Canadians was reported by the state-owned tabloid Global Times, and while the news spread online, it was not carried by more authoritative state media agencies such as CCTV or Xinhua News Agency. Huawei is the biggest global supplier of network gear for phone and internet companies. It has been a symbol of Chinas progress in becoming a technological world power and a subject of U.S. security and law enforcement concerns. Former President Donald Trumps administration cut off Huaweis access to U.S. components and technology, including Googles music and other smartphone services, and later barred vendors worldwide from using U.S. technology to produce components for Huawei. ___ Associated Press video producer Liu Zheng, and Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz at the United Nations, contributed to this report. By HUIZHONG WU Associated Press Trudeau: Canadas decision on whether to allow Huawei coming View Photo TORONTO (AP) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that Canada will decide within weeks whether to allow Chinese tech giant Huawei into the countrys next-generation 5G wireless networks and noted that major telecommunication companies have already started to remove Huawei from their networks. Canada and its security agencies have been studying whether to use equipment from Huawei as phone carriers prepare to roll out fifth-generation technology, which is designed to support a vast expansion of networks to facilitate medical devices, self-driving cars and other uses. Two of Canadas three major telecommunication companies have already said theyve decided not to use Huawei for their 5G networks. Bell Canada has said Sweden-based Ericsson will be its supplier and Telus Corp. has said it has selected Ericsson and Nokia. Rogers already has a longstanding partnership with Ericsson. We have actually seen that many Canadian telecommunications companies, if not all of them, have started to remove Huawei from their networks and are moving forward in ways that doesnt involve them as a company, Trudeau said at a news conference. We continue to weigh and look at the different options. We will no doubt be making announcements in the coming weeks. The Canadian government is studying the use of Huawei as Canada and China are coming off a dispute that Canadas foreign minister has said the country will never forget. Chinas imprisonment of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor was widely seen as retaliation for the arrest in Canada of Huawei senior executive Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. extradition warrant. China released the pair Friday after Meng reached an agreement with U.S. federal prosecutors that called for fraud charges against her to be dismissed next year and allowed for her to return to China. Canada had arrested Meng on a U.S. extradition request in December 2018. China grabbed the two Canadians days later. Many countries labeled Chinas arrest of Kovrig and Spavor as hostage politics, while China has described the charges against Huawei and Meng as a politically motivated attempt to hold back Chinas economic and technological development. Huawei is the worlds biggest supplier of network gear used by phone and internet companies, but U.S. authorities have long seen it as a front for spying by Chinas military and its security services allegations the company denies. The U.S. has urged Canada and other countries to exclude Huawei equipment from its next-generation wireless networks. The United States and Australia have banned Huawei. By ROB GILLIES Associated Press Two Europes: Low vaccine rates in east overwhelm ICUs View Photo BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) In a packed intensive care unit for coronavirus patients in Romanias capital, Bucharest, 55-year-old Adrian Pica sits on his bed receiving supplementary oxygen to help him breathe. I didnt want to get vaccinated because I was afraid, he said. Around 72% of adults in the 27-nation European Union have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but a stubbornly low uptake of the shots in some eastern EU nations now risks overwhelming hospitals amid a surge of infections due to the more contagious delta variant. Until now I didnt believe in COVID-19, Pica, who said his early symptoms left him sweating and feeling suffocated, told The Associated Press. I thought it was just like the flu. But now Im sick and hospitalized. I want to get a vaccine. Bulgaria and Romania are lagging dramatically behind as the EUs two least-vaccinated nations, with just 22% and 33% of their adult populations fully inoculated. Rapidly increasing new infections have forced authorities to tighten virus restrictions in the two countries, while other EU nations such as France, Spain, Denmark and Portugal have all exceeded 80% vaccine coverage and eased restrictions. Stella Kyriakides, the EUs health commissioner, said the worrying gap on vaccinations needs urgently addressing. Slovakia, Croatia and Latvia have vaccinated around 50% of all their adults. But jab uptake in many Central and Eastern European countries has remained weak or declined. In Norway, where about 70% of the population has been vaccinated, authorities on Saturday scrapped restrictions that Prime Minister Erna Holberg called the strictest measures in peacetime. Nordic neighbor Denmark lifted virus restrictions on Sept. 10, while the U.K. has also abandoned most pandemic restrictions due to high vaccine rates. In contrast, at Bucharests Marius Nasta Institute of Pneumology, the ICUs chief doctor, Genoveva Cadar, says the beds are now at 100% capacity and around 98% of all the virus patients are unvaccinated. In comparison to previous waves, people are arriving with more severe forms of the disease, she said, adding that many patients in this latest surge are younger than in previous ones. Very quickly they end up intubated and the prognosis is extremely bleak. New daily coronavirus cases in Romania, a country of 19 million residents, have grown exponentially over the last month, while the number of people getting vaccinated has declined to worrying lows. Romanian officials reported 11,049 new cases on Tuesday, the highest daily tally since the pandemic started. Government data shows that 91.5% of COVID-19 deaths in Romania during Sept. 18-23 involved unvaccinated patients. On Sunday, 1,220 of Romanias 1,239 ICU beds for virus patients were occupied. In many cases, only deaths freed up spaces. At the Marius Nasta Institute, a mobile ICU on hospital grounds that opened Monday already was full. I dont know how were going to get over the next period, but were definitely going to be here, hospital manager Beatrice Mahler told the AP. Were going to do everything we can (but) we dont have a winning recipe. Vlad Mixich, a Romanian public health specialist, told the AP that a historic distrust of authorities together with what he said was a very weak government vaccination campaign has contributed to the low vaccine uptake among his compatriots. During the vaccination campaign, unfortunately the politicians were the main communicators, he said, adding that a frequent turnover in the countrys health ministers has had a massive impact on efforts to inoculate Romanians. In neighboring Bulgaria, an alarming 23% of people said they do not want to get vaccinated, compared with only 9% across the bloc, according to a Eurobarometer survey. Sabila Marinova, the ICU manager at a hospital in Bulgarias northern town of Veliko Tarnovo, says none of its COVID-19 patients is vaccinated. We are very exhausted, she said. It seems that this horror has no end. The vice president of Romanias national vaccination committee, Andrei Baciu, said that fake news has been a key factor in keeping people from getting jabbed. There is and was a culture that promotes fake news. We are working with a team of specialists to combat (it) right now there is a high number of (infections) due to low vaccination rates, he said, adding that the government is looking to increase ICU capacity. Sometimes medical workers in Eastern Europe face additional risks. In September in Bulgarias port city of Varna, a group opposed to vaccines attacked a medical team at a mobile vaccination station. Health Minister Stoycho Katsarov condemned the attack, saying we will not allow our medics to be insulted, publicly harassed and humiliated for trying to save lives. The implementation of vaccine passports, which allow people to show their vaccine status to carry out day-to-day activities, may be one of few options left for European governments at a loss on how to encourage their vaccine-hesitant citizens to get jabbed. Experts say vaccine skeptics in parts of Europe could hamper the entire continents efforts to end the pandemic. Back at the Marius Nasta Institute, Nicoleta Birtea, a 63-year-old unvaccinated COVID-19 patient who had previous health issues, says she woke up a month ago feeling dizzy and ill and called for an ambulance. I hope that I got here on time, she said, adding I understand very clearly that the vaccine cant protect you. ___ Follow all AP stories on the global pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic. By STEPHEN McGRATH Associated Press Greece: Afghan refugees fly to Portugal for resettlement View Photo ATHENS, Greece (AP) Authorities in Greece said that 41 Afghan refugees flew from Athens to Portugal on Tuesday, as part of a bilateral agreement to resettle 1,000 people who have been granted asylum. The Afghans traveled to Greece before the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August. Another 43 are expected to fly to Portugal in the coming weeks, Greek officials said. Athens is seeking to reduce the number of refugees living in the country through bilateral agreements with other European Union members. Greece has the fifth-highest number of pending asylum applications among EU countries, following Germany, France, Spain and Italy, according to figures from the bloc reported for the end of June. Athens has toughened its policy on illegal migration in recent years, stepping up controls at its land and sea borders with Turkey. Earlier Tuesday, 11 unattended migrant minors flew to Paris as part of a separate relocation program. ___ Follow APs global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration Microphone and US Flag View Photo House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (CA-23) released a statement on the national security crisis at the southern border. McCarthy was Tuesdays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words: Immediately after President Biden was sworn into office, he dismantled many policies in place that had kept our border safe and illegal border crossings low. President Bidens dangerous immigration orders immediately led to a historic crisis along the southern border. Earlier this year, Republicans released our five policy pillars to address this disaster and demanded the Administration take action to get the crisis under control. President Biden appointed Vice President Kamala Harris Border Czar on March 24, 2021. Leading up to the Vice Presidents appointment, over 274,000 migrants had been apprehended along the southern border. According to the Biden administration, the Vice Presidents mission was stemming the migration to our southern border. Since she was appointed, over 970,000 migrants have been apprehended entering our country at the southern border. Under the Biden Administration, over 1.2 million migrants have been apprehended entering our country illegally and thats just who our over-worked and under-resourced Border Patrol agents caught. Recently, over 10,000 migrants have surged to the border in Del Rio. It is no coincidence this is happening as Democrats in Congress are moving to pass legislation that would grant immediate citizenship for up to 10 million illegal immigrants. This is a wakeup call to Democrats that their policies are putting American lives in danger and must be abandoned. Among the migrants illegally crossing, Border Patrol agents have apprehended individuals on the terrorist watch list and seizures of the fatal drug Fentanyl have increased dramatically. This is not just a humanitarian crisis, this is a direct threat to the safety of Americans across the country. The Biden Administration must recognize this for what it is: A National Security Crisis. As such he must fully deploy the National Guard to the southern border to help our Border Patrol agents with more resources to control the situation. It also has been reported that the airspace over the border had been restricted to a news organization. I understand it has recently been reopened but great clarity is needed on why it was closed in the first place. Finally, the country must hear from the people in charge of this failed response. I am inviting the Vice President to brief Members of the Republican Conference next week to provide an update on the Administrations plan to secure our southern border and our country. Its time President Biden and Vice President Harris put the safety of Americans first. The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. Israeli PM denounces Iran, ignores Palestinians in UN speech View Photo JERUSALEM (AP) Israels new prime minister appealed to the international community Monday to stand together against Iran, accusing Tehran of marching toward the development of a nuclear weapon and threatening to act alone if the world does not take action. In his maiden speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Naftali Bennett made no mention of Israels decadeslong conflict with the Palestinians and instead sought to portray Iran as a menace to global security. Irans nuclear program has hit a watershed moment, and so has our tolerance, he said. Words do not stop centrifuges from spinning. After four inconclusive elections in two years, Bennett succeeded the longtime Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in June by forming a diverse coalition of small and midsize parties spanning the Israeli political spectrum. Where Netanyahu was famous for his showmanship, combativeness and use of memorable visual props in his addresses to the U.N., Bennett a former high-tech executive took a more traditional approach. His voice was measured as he sought to portray his country as a lighthouse in a stormy sea of the volatile Mideast. But the content of his message was largely similar to that of Netanyahu as he focused heavily on archenemy Iran. Irans great goal is crystal clear to anybody who cares to open their eyes: Iran seeks to dominate the region and seeks to do so under a nuclear umbrella, Bennett said. He called Irans new president, Ebrahim Raisi, the butcher of Tehran for his past role in suppressing political dissent and accused Iran of arming, funding and training Israels enemies across the region. He said Iranian meddling had brought disaster to countries like Lebanon, Syria and Yemen. Every place Iran touches fails, he said, claiming that Iranian activities threatened the entire world. He pointed to Irans development of attack drones, which have been blamed for a string of attacks on shipping in the Persian Gulf. In a reply later Monday on the assembly floor, Iranian diplomat Payman Ghadirkhomi accused Bennett of making baseless allegations and using threatening language toward Iran. His regime must avoid any miscalculation and adventuristic move in the region, added Ghadirkhomi, who is assigned to Irans U.N. mission. Israel believes that Iran aims to develop nuclear weapons a charge Iran denies and says the international nuclear accord reached with Iran in 2015 did not include enough safeguards to keep Iran from reaching a weapons capability. Israel welcomed then-President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw from the accord in 2018 and has made clear that it opposes the Biden administrations willingness to return to the agreement. Israel says the agreement needs major modifications before it can be reinstated. Bennett said that some in the international community have concluded that a nuclear-capable Iran is an inevitable reality. Israel doesnt have that privilege, he said, signaling that Israel is ready to act alone if necessary. We will not tire. We will not allow Iran to acquire a nuclear weapon. The United Nations has made the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict a high priority over the decades, drawing accusations from Israel that the world body is unfairly biased. Israels treatment of the Palestinians is frequently criticized in U.N. bodies, including the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council. In 2012, over Israeli objections, the Palestinians were granted nonmember observer status at the U.N., allowing them to join a number of international bodies. These include the International Criminal Court, which is now investigating possible Israeli war crimes. In an unusually harsh speech to the U.N. General Assembly, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Friday gave Israel one year to end its occupation of territories the Palestinians want for a future state. He threatened to withdraw recognition of Israel a cornerstone of three decades of failed peace efforts if it failed to do so. Bennett, a religious hard-liner who opposes Palestinian statehood, stopped short of criticizing the United Nations and did not mention Abbas or the Palestinians even once in his 25-minute address. As prime minister, he has rejected calls for peace talks with the Palestinians, though he hopes to promote better economic relations to reduce friction. In a subtle message to his detractors, he said Israel was prepared to work with the international community and share its technological expertise to address other issues, including the coronavirus pandemic. For way too long, Israel was defined by wars with our neighbors, he said. But this is not what Israel is about. This is not what the people of Israel are about. ___ Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz at the United Nations contributed to this report. By JOSEF FEDERMAN Associated Press SANAA, Yemen (AP) Two days of fierce clashes between Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels over a crucial central city have killed more than 130 fighters, mostly rebels, officials said Tuesday. The escalation of fighting over the energy-rich city of Marib comes as President Joe Bidens national security adviser Jake Sullivan traveled to Saudi Arabia to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as Washington presses for a cease-fire in the yearslong war. Yemen has been convulsed by civil war since 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthis captured the capital of Sanaa and much of the countrys north, forcing President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and his government to flee to the south, then to Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in March 2015, backed by the United States, to try restore Hadi to power. Despite a relentless air campaign and ground fighting, the war has deteriorated largely into a stalemate and spawned the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. The rebels renewed their attacks on Marib earlier this year, an offensive that threatens to exacerbate a dire situation in a city that already hosts hundreds of thousands of displaced Yemenis. The Houthis have for years attempted to take Marib to complete their control over the northern half of the country but have met with stiff resistance. The latest fighting has taken place south of Marib where the rebels are trying to break the government defenses, according to tribal elders, government and rebel officials. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media and the elders spoke anonymously because they feared reprisals. Yemens military said its forces, aided by tribal fighters and airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition, have killed and wounded dozens of Houthi fighters and destroyed vehicles during fierce clashes around Marib in the past 24 hours. The rebels usually attack with waves of fighters charging government lines, thereby becoming easy targets for warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition. The Houthi media office said the Saudi-led coalition launched more than 30 airstrikes on their fighters around Marib on Monday. By AHMED AL-HAJ Associated Press LOS ANGELES (AP) Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon said Monday his office would dismiss roughly 60,000 marijuana convictions. Under the previous DA, Jackie Lacey, the office moved last year to dump 66,000 pot convictions that took place before voters passed Proposition 64, the state law legalizing recreational cannabis use. The Los Angeles Times reports Laceys list was compiled using information collected by the California Department of Justice, and Gascon said his office was able to identify tens of thousands more eligible cases by combing LA County court records. Dismissing these convictions means the possibility of a better future to thousands of disenfranchised people who are receiving this long-needed relief, Gascon said in a statement. It clears the path for them to find jobs, housing and other services that previously were denied to them because of unjust cannabis laws. Gascon has long championed efforts to reverse what he sees as the racially disparate and overly punitive effects of the nations war on drugs. While serving as San Franciscos top prosecutor, he sought the dismissal of nearly 9,000 felony and misdemeanor marijuana convictions that were processed before the passage of Prop. 64, the Times said. PARIS (AP) France will reduce the number of visas issued to people in North Africa because governments there are refusing to take back migrants expelled from France. The move announced Tuesday comes amid pressure from far-right politicians on centrist President Emmanuel Macron to implement tougher immigration rules and creates new tensions between France and its North African neighbors. Morocco's foreign minister slammed the decision as unjustified. Starting in a few weeks, the French government plans to slash the number of visas given to Algerians and Moroccans by half, and to Tunisians by 30%, according to government officials. All three countries were part of Frances colonial empire, and many Europe-bound migrants and other visitors coming from those North African nations have family or other ties in France. French spokesperson Gabriel Attal told Europe-1 radio that France decided to take action because Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia have refused recently to provide consular documents for their citizens being deported from France after arriving illegally. Virus travel restrictions have also complicated such return efforts. A senior official in the French presidency said France notably wants North African countries to take back people flagged for extremism, and expressed hope that a solution can be found soon. Attal said France has been trying to reach a diplomatic solution since it passed a tougher immigration law in 2018. Between January and July, French judicial authorities ordered 7,731 Algerians to leave French territory because they didnt have residency authorization but only 22 departed because many lacked the necessary documents from Algeria, Europe-1 reported. Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said his country has issued 400 consular documents to Moroccans being expelled from France, but the number was limited because many of them refused to take a virus test, which is required to re-enter Morocco. That is the problem of France, which must deal with it, Bourita told a news conference in Rabat. He said Morocco is trying to seek the necessary balance between facilitating the movement of people, whether students, businessmen and those wishing to benefit from medical services, and combating clandestine immigration. Tunisia took a more conciliatory public stance. President Kais Saieds office said: We are among countries that are cooperative in this domain, and we have excellent relations with France. The French announcement comes as politicians on the right and far right are pushing for tougher immigration rules in advance of Frances April presidential election. Macron is expected to announce a reelection bid. Far-right presidential candidate Marine Le Pen gave qualified backing to the visa reduction but suggested that Macron's government waited too long before acting. Le Pen was Macrons main rival in the 2017 election and is seen as his principal opponent if he runs again. For a long, long, long, long time, I have been asking that steps be taken to oblige certain countries to respect international law, she said, naming Algeria and Tunisia. I am pleased that the president of the republic heard me. I find its a bit late." Le Pen was speaking in Paris at a press conference about her plans, if elected, for a referendum on her proposals for a drastic reduction of immigration to France. ___ Tarik El Barakah in Rabat, Morocco, Bouazza ben Bouazza in Tunis, Tunisia, and Sylvie Corbet and John Leicester in Paris contributed. ___ Follow all of AP's migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration TOKYO (AP) The stakes are high as Japanese governing party members vote Wednesday for four candidates seeking to replace Yoshihide Suga as prime minister. The next leader must address a pandemic-battered economy, a newly empowered military operating in a dangerous neighborhood, crucial ties with an inward-focused ally, Washington, and tense security standoffs with an emboldened China and its ally North Korea. For the long-governing Liberal Democratic Party that often chooses its leaders in backroom negotiations, this election promises to be wide open. Because of the party's control of parliament, its leader will become prime minister. Whoever wins, the party desperately needs new ideas to quickly turn around plunging public support ahead of lower house elections coming within two months, observers say. Unusually, two women conservative Sanae Takaichi and more liberal Seiko Noda are competing against front-running Taro Kono, the vaccinations minister, and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida. Takaichi, with the crucial backing of Suga's predecessor, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose conservative vision and revisionist stance she supports, has risen fast, while Nodas chances are fading. Abes backing of Takaichi may be an attempt to improve the partys sexist image and divert votes from Kono, considered something of a maverick and a reformist, political watchers say. Little change is expected in key diplomatic and security policies under the new leader, said Yu Uchiyama, a political science professor at the University of Tokyo. All of the candidates support close Japan-U.S. security ties and partnerships with other like-minded democracies in Asia and Europe, in part as a way to counter Chinas growing influence. Kono and Kishida are former top diplomats. They and Noda have stressed the need for dialogue with China as an important neighbor and trade partner. All four candidates support maintaining close practical ties with Taiwan, the self-governing island that China claims as its own, and its intention of joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade bloc and other international organizations. At a series of policy debates, the four candidates discussed diplomacy, the economy, energy and defense issues, but also gender equality and sexual diversity, which the male-dominated conservative party has rarely discussed in the past. Inclusion of gender and diversity signals that the party knows it cannot keep neglecting the issues, said Ryosuke Nishida, a sociology and public policy professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Takaichi alone opposes changing a law that forces married couples to use only one surname almost always the husband's. She also has vowed to make official visits to Yasukuni Shrine, which honors World War II dead, including war criminals, and is considered by many in China and the Koreas as proof of Japan's lack of remorse over its wartime actions. The other candidates are likely to refrain from visiting Yasukuni because of the fallout in relations with China and South Korea. Support for Sugas government nosedived over his handling of the coronavirus and his insistence on hosting the Tokyo Olympics during the pandemic. Part of his loss of support has also been linked by analysts to the partys sense of complacency and increasingly high-handed approach forged during Abes long years of leadership. Wednesday's vote is seen as a test of whether the party can move out of Abes shadow. His influence in government and party affairs has largely muzzled diverse views and steadily shifted the party to the right, experts say. Whats at stake is the state of democracy in Japan, and if or how the new leader is willing to listen to the peoples voices and take them into political consideration, Uchiyama said. Prime Minister Suga obviously had a problem with communicating with the people and did not provide accountability. Unlike the previous vote, when Sugas selection was largely a done-deal orchestrated by party leaders, the vote on Wednesday is more unpredictable, with most factions allowing free voting by their member lawmakers, a rare move for the party. Many general voters are watching the party vote, and governing party lawmakers in turn are paying close attention to public opinion in their quest to be re-elected in the upcoming parliamentary election. The party vote could end an era of unusual political stability despite corruption scandals and strained security ties with China and the Koreas and bring a return to Japans revolving door leadership by short-lived prime ministers, starting with Suga. Suga is leaving only a year after taking office as a pinch hitter for Abe, who suddenly resigned over health problems, ending his nearly eight-year leadership, the longest in Japans constitutional history. Support ratings for Suga and his government have slightly recovered since his resignation announcement in early September, when virus infections also started to slow. The number of new daily cases dropped to 2,129 on Sunday, about one-tenth the level in mid-August. Japan has recorded about 1.69 million cases and 17,500 deaths. Much of the sharp drop in cases is attributed to vaccination progress; about 56% of the country has now been fully vaccinated. The government is expected to lift a monthslong coronavirus state of emergency on Sept. 30, and people look forward to returning to their daily lives. Opposition parties, meanwhile, have not been able to position themselves as vehicles for viable change. Many people tend to react to issues that directly affect their daily lives but pay little attention to political views and issues like national security, Nishida said. Once the infections slow, virus fears will fade quickly and even the Olympics will be remembered favorably." LONDON (AP) Prime Minister Boris Johnson sought to reassure the British public Tuesday that a fuel-supply crisis snarling the country was stabilizing, though his government said it would be a while before the situation returns to normal. Johnson's government has put army troops on standby to help distribute gasoline and help ease a fuel drought, triggered by a shortage of truck drivers, that has drained hundreds of pumps and sent frustrated drivers on long searches for gas. We now are starting to see the situation improve, Johnson said in a televised interview. On the forecourts, the situation is stabilizing, and people should be confident and just go about their business in the normal way." The Petrol Retailers Association also said there are early signs the fuel crisis was ending. Many gas stations around Britain shut down in the past five days after running out of fuel, a situation exacerbated by panic buying among some motorists. Long lines of vehicles have formed at pumps that are open, with tempers fraying amid hourslong waits. The crisis has brought calls from heath care organizations and teachers groups for essential workers to be given priority for fuel supplies. We cant be waiting two or three hours in a queue for fuel when we have patients to see, David Wrigley, deputy chairman of the British Medical Association, told Times Radio. Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the crisis was so far causing worry, but not major disruption, for educators who are already grappling with the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. We very much hope the situation is resolved rapidly before it causes disruption, he said. There is the option for remote education, which schools and colleges have shown themselves to be very adept at providing through the pandemic, but this is very much a last resort and they will be hoping it doesnt come to that. The supply problems stem from a shortage of as many as 100,000 truck drivers, due to a perfect storm of factors including pandemic-related disruption to driver training, an aging workforce and an exodus of foreign workers following Britains departure from the European Union last year. While other countries, including the United States and Germany, also are experiencing a shortage of truck drivers, the problem has been especially visible in Britain, where it has contributed to empty supermarket shelves and shuttered gas pumps. That's partly due to Brexit. Post-Brexit immigration rules mean EU citizens can no longer live and work visa-free in Britain, as they could when the U.K. was a member of the bloc. The U.K.'s Conservative government has been reluctant to acknowledge Brexit as a factor in the fuel crisis. Johnson said shortages of workers and goods were the result of surging demand as the pandemic eases and the economy revives. But the government also announced that it would issue 5,000 short-term visas to foreign truck drivers to help ease the crisis in the run-up to Christmas. The number falls well short of what the industry says is needed, and critics argue the 3-month visas are too short to entice European truck drivers. Nikolay Rashkov, who runs family-owned transport company Eurospeed in Bulgaria, expressed doubt that many Bulgarian drivers would be willing to go to Britain. At the beginning of the millennium, people from Eastern Europe from Poland, Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria went to Britain and filled the same gap that Britain is experiencing now," he said. But then came Brexit. Rashkov cited a combination of feeling unwelcome, high British taxes, steep rents and new red tape as deterrents to Eastern European drivers. Johnson, who is strongly pro-Brexit, said that uncontrolled immigration was not the answer to Britain's problems. We tried that for a long time 20 years or so, perhaps longer, the prime minister said. And in the end, people could see that it was leading to a low-wage, low-skill approach without enough investment in people or in equipment, in capital." His televised statement showed the government seeking to calm the volatile fuel situation. The government argues that the crisis has been worsened by panic-buying, with people buying much more gas than they normally would because of fear of shortages. The system was just about coping until last weekend and it would have been capable of continuing to do so, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said. Unfortunately, as we have seen with toilet rolls and other things, once people start to pursue a particular item, it can quickly escalate. ___ Associated Press Writer Veselin Toshkov in Sofia, Bulgaria contributed. LONDON (AP) British energy firms are rationing supplies of gasoline and closing some petrol pumps the latest in a string of shortages that have seen McDonalds take milkshakes off the menu, KFC run short of chicken and gaps appear on supermarket shelves. A big factor behind the problems is a lack of truck drivers. The U.K. is short tens of thousands of hauliers, as factors including Brexit and the coronavirus pandemic converge to create a supply-chain crunch. Officials urged motorists not to panic-buy petrol after BP and Esso shut a handful of stations because there were not enough trucks to get gas to the pumps. The advice would be to carry on as normal, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said Friday. Despite the plea, lines of cars formed at some gas stations across the U.K. as drivers filled up just in case. As concern over the disruption mounts, the haulage industry is pressing the government to loosen immigration rules and recruit more drivers from Europe to avert Christmas shortages of turkeys and toys. The government is resisting that move, and scrambling to lure more British people into truck driving, long viewed as an underpaid and underappreciated job. Driving isnt seen as a 21st-century sexy vocation, said Laurence Bolton, managing director of the National Driving Centre, a family-owned school for truck drivers in the London suburb of Croydon. But that is starting to change. Boltons school has seen a 20% increase in applicants since the U.K.s pandemic restrictions eased earlier this year, with bus drivers, laid-off hospitality workers and even former airline pilots seeking to retrain as truckers, a suddenly in-demand and increasingly well-paid occupation. It opens up the opportunities, said 31-year-old Stephen Thrower, who works as a van driver but is training on trucks. Its more of a job for life. As a trainee trucker practiced reversing a huge rig between orange cones at the schools asphalt lot, Bolton reeled off the ingredients that have made for a trucking crisis. Britains departure from the European Union prompted some European workers to head home. The British government closed a loophole that many drivers used to keep tax payments down. COVID-19 lockdowns halted driver testing for months, stopping the flow of new truckers. Countries including the United States and Germany are also facing a driver shortage. But the U.K.s problem has been worsened by Brexit. Britains full departure from the EU last year ended the right of the blocs citizens to live and work in the U.K., making it harder for firms to employ the eastern European drivers that many had come to rely on. The pandemic also disrupted labor markets around the world, throwing millions of people at least temporarily out of work. An estimated 1.4 million Europeans left Britain for their home countries during the pandemic, often to be closer to family. Its uncertain how many will return. Britains trucking industry is lobbying for truck drivers to be added to the shortage occupation list, which would make it easier to recruit drivers from Europe. There are similar calls from Britains farming and food processing industries, which are short of fruit-pickers and meat-packers. The Conservative government has refused, saying British workers should be trained to fill the jobs. Weve continually allowed our domestic market to underperform by essentially having wages undercut by people coming in prepared to do the job for less, and in pretty bad conditions sometimes, Shapps told lawmakers Wednesday. And thats the wider picture that were determined to resolve. In an attempt to ease the shortage, the government has extended the number of hours drivers can work each week, increased trucker testing and streamlined the training process. One change means drivers no longer have to qualify on a rigid truck before moving up to huge tractor trailers. Bolton generally welcomes the government moves, but has concerns about the safety of letting drivers move straight from cars to 18-wheelers. I dont care if youre the best car driver in the world its 16 meters (54 feet) long, he said. Shapps said the situation is improving week by week as more new drivers pass their tests. But businesses warn the solution won't be quick or easy. Ian Wright, chief executive of industry group the Food and Drink Federation, said the driver drought is part of a huge shakeup of labor markets and supply chains around the world. Its going to get worse, Wright said at a recent seminar organized by the Institute for Government think-tank. We should get used to the fact that occasionally empty shelves is going to be the new normal. For trainee truck drivers, thats good news. Wages are up, and some firms are offering free training, signing bonuses and other incentives. A driver for a big supermarket can make up to 50,000 pounds ($68,000) a year, more than many teachers, police officers or even lawyers. Its absolutely a drivers market right now, Bolton said. They know theyre in demand. And its sort of turned into a bit of a bidding auction for lorry drivers at the moment which is great because its been a long time coming. Cadhene Lubin-Hewitt, a London bus driver preparing to take his truck-driving test, started thinking about making the move when he got laid off last year because of the pandemic. News of the truck driver shortage convinced him he is doing the right thing. The 32-year-old hopes to work for a big supermarket or delivery company, and says he doesnt worry about the loneliness, or the stress. He finds long-distance driving relaxing, like going to a spa. I wouldnt find it boring at all, he said. Id just blast (the music) higher, and go down the road smiling and singing. NEW YORK (AP) Two Canadians detained in China on spying charges were released from prison and flown out of the country on Friday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, just after a top executive of Chinese communications giant Huawei Technologies reached a deal with the U.S. Justice Department over fraud charges and flew to China. The frenetic chain of events involving the global powers brought an abrupt end to legal and geopolitical wrangling that for the past three years has roiled relations between Washington, Beijing and Ottawa. The three-way deal enabled China and Canada to each bring home their own detained citizens while the U.S. wrapped up a criminal case against a prominent tech executive that for months had been mired in an extradition fight. The first activity came Friday afternoon when Meng Wanzhou, 49, Huawei's chief finance officer and the daughter of the company's founder, reached an agreement with federal prosecutors that called for fraud charges against her to be dismissed next year and allowed for her to return to China immediately. As part of the deal, known as a deferred prosecution agreement, she accepted responsibility for misrepresenting the company's business dealings in Iran. About an hour after Meng's plane left Canada for China, Trudeau revealed that Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor were also on their way home. The men were arrested in China in December 2018, shortly after Canada arrested Meng on a U.S. extradition request. Many countries labeled China's action hostage politics. "These two men have been through an unbelievably difficult ordeal. For the past 1,000 days, they have shown strength, perseverance and grace and we are all inspired by that, Trudeau said. News of Meng's pending return was a top item on the Chinese internet and on state broadcaster CCTV's midday news report, with no mention made of the release of Kovrig and Spavor. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian reposted on social media a report on Meng having left Canada, adding Welcome home. Video was also circulated online of Meng speaking at Vancouver International Airport, saying; Thank you motherland, thank you to the people of the motherland. You have been my greatest pillar of support. The deal was reached as President Joe Biden and Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping have sought to tamp down signs of public tension even as the worlds two dominant economies are at odds on issues as diverse as cybersecurity, climate change, human rights and trade and tariffs. Biden said in an address before the U.N. General Assembly earlier this week that he had no intention of starting a new Cold War, while Xi told world leaders that disputes among countries need to be handled through dialogue and cooperation. The U.S. Government stands with the international community in welcoming the decision by Peoples Republic of China authorities to release Canadian citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig after more than two-and-a-half years of arbitrary detention. We are pleased that they are returning home to Canada, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. As part of the deal with Meng, which was disclosed in federal court in Brooklyn, the Justice Department agreed to dismiss the fraud charges against her in December 2022 exactly four years after her arrest provided that she complies with certain conditions, including not contesting any of the government's factual allegations. The Justice Department also agreed to drop its request that Meng be extradited to the U.S., which she had vigorously challenged, ending a process that prosecutors said could have persisted for months. After appearing via videoconference for her New York hearing, Meng made a brief court appearance in Vancouver, where she'd been out on bail living in a multimillion-dollar mansion while the two Canadians were held in Chinese prison cells where the lights were kept on 24 hours a day. Outside the courtroom, Meng thanked the Canadian government for upholding the rule of law, expressed gratitude to the Canadian people and apologized "for the inconvenience I caused. Over the last three years my life has been turned upside down, she said. It was a disruptive time for me as a mother, a wife and as a company executive. But I believe every cloud has a silver lining. It really was an invaluable experience in my life. I will never forget all the good wishes I received. Shortly afterward, Meng left on an Air China flight for Shenzhen, China, the location of Huawei's headquarters. Huawei is the biggest global supplier of network gear for phone and internet companies. It has been a symbol of Chinas progress in becoming a technological world power and a subject of U.S. security and law enforcement concerns. Some analysts say Chinese companies have flouted international rules and norms and stolen technology. The case against Meng stems from a January 2019 indictment from the Trump administration Justice Department that accused Huawei of stealing trade secrets and using a Hong Kong shell company called Skycom to sell equipment to Iran in violation of U.S. sanctions. The indictment also charged Meng herself with committing fraud by misleading the HSBC bank about the company's business dealings in Iran. The indictment came amid a broader Trump administration crackdown against Huawei over U.S. government concerns that the company's products could facilitate Chinese spying. The administration cut off Huaweis access to U.S. components and technology, including Googles music and other smartphone services, and later barred vendors worldwide from using U.S. technology to produce components for Huawei. The Biden White House, meanwhile, has kept up a hard line on Huawei and other Chinese corporations whose technology is thought to pose national security risks. Huawei has repeatedly denied the U.S. governments allegations and security concerns about its products. Meng had long fought the Justice Department's extradition request, with her lawyers calling the case against her flawed and alleging that she was being used as a bargaining chip in political gamesmanship. They cited a 2018 interview in which then-President Donald Trump said he'd be willing to intervene in the case if it would help secure a trade deal with China or aid U.S. security interests. Last month, a Canadian judge held off on ruling whether Meng should be extradited to the U.S. after a Canadian Justice Department lawyer wrapped up his case saying there was enough evidence to show she was dishonest and deserved to stand trial in the U.S. Comfort Ero, the interim Vice President of the International Crisis Group, Kovrig's employer, said they have been waiting for more than 1,000 days for the news. Michael Kovrig is free. To Beijing: We welcome this most just decision. To Ottawa: Thank you for your steadfast support for our colleague. To the United States: Thank you for your willingness to support an ally and our colleague. To the inimitable, indefatigable, and inspiring Michael Kovrig, welcome home! Ero said in a statement. ____ Tucker reported from Washington and Gillies from Toronto. Associated Press writer Jim Morris in Vancouver, Canada, contributed to this report. A 12-foot-long alligator suspected of attacking and killing a 71-year-old man in Hurricane Ida floodwaters has been captured with "human remains" found in its belly, officials said. The alligator, weighing 504 pounds, was captured in the Avery Estates area of Slidell, close to where Timothy Satterlee Sr. was reported missing on Aug. 30, just a day after Ida wrought havoc on South Louisiana, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office said in a statement on Monday. Satterlee had been at his home in Slidell, about 35 miles northeast of New Orleans and close to Lake Pontchartrain, when the hurricane hit, causing devastating floods. He had waded out in knee-deep water to check on his shed, when his wife heard a noise and rushed out to find him being attacked by the reptile. She fended off the gator, forcing the animal back into the water before returning inside to get first aid supplies. On realizing the severity of her husband's injuries, however, and with no electricity or cellphone service, she decided to travel to higher ground by boat, about a mile away, to get help. When she returned home her husband was gone, she told police. After a two-week search, the alligator suspected of the attack was finally captured after U.S. Wildlife agents observed the large creature in a waterway near Satterlee's residence, the sheriff's office said. Licensed hunters set up traps to catch the animal. It was eventually caught on Monday morning, euthanized and searched, which revealed "what appears to be human remains inside its stomach," the sheriff's office said. "Investigators will work with the St. Tammany Parish Coroner's Office to verify those remains belong to Timothy Satterlee," the statement added. Satterlee's residence is close to the Big Branch Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, whose marshes are often frequented by large alligators. "The area is well-known to have alligators," Captain Lance Vitter, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, previously told WWL, a local TV news station. "To lose a loved one is always a tragedy but in this manner it's unthinkable," he added. Sheriff Randy Smith praised his officers' persistence in the effort to track down the alligator, and offered his condolences to the Satterlee family. "I know today's findings does not bring their loved one back, but hopefully this can bring them some sort of closure," he said. Smith had previously warned residents "to be extra vigilant" in flooded areas as alligators and other animals get displaced, moving them closer to neighborhoods and homes. Hurricane Ida brought winds of over 150 mph to the Mississippi River Delta in coastal Louisiana, knocking out power and triggering some of the country's worst ever urban floods. The storm and its remnants have caused almost four dozen confirmed fatalities, the majority due to flooding in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Connecticut. The American alligator is one of the largest reptiles in North America and the animals are "shrewd survivors," according to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, often learning the sound of boats and intruders to retreat swiftly underwater. However, unprovoked alligator attacks on humans remain extremely rare in the United States. Louisiana and Florida have the largest alligator populations in the United States, according to the authority, with more than one million wild alligators present in each state. In Louisiana, they are mostly found in coastal marshes with mature males and non-breeding females preferring deep waters, while nesting females and hatchlings favor shallow marsh habitats. - - - The Washington Post's Bryan Pietsch contributed reporting. BENI, Congo (AP) Twenty-one workers for the World Health Organization in Congo have been accused of sexually abusing people during a Ebola outbreak, a WHO-commissioned panel said Tuesday in a report that identified 83 alleged perpetrators connected to the 2018-2020 mission. The panel released its findings months after an Associated Press investigation found senior WHO management was informed of multiple abuse claims in 2019 but failed to stop the harassment and even promoted one of the managers involved. This is the biggest finding of sexual abuse perpetrated during a single U.N. initiative in one area or one country during the time-bound period of a U.N. response effort, said Paula Donovan, co-director of the Code Blue Campaign, which is campaigning to end sexual exploitation by U.N. peacekeepers. Panel member Malick Coulibaly said investigators uncovered a total of nine rape allegations. The women interviewed said their attackers used no birth control, resulting in some pregnancies. Some women said their rapists had forced them to have abortions, Coulibaly said. The youngest of the alleged victims, identified in the report only as Jolianne and believed to be 13, recounted that a WHO driver stopped on a roadside in the town of Mangina where she was selling phone cards in April 2019 and offered to give her a ride home. Instead, he took her to a hotel where she says she was raped by this person, according to the report. The panel recommended WHO provide reparations to victims and set up DNA testing to establish paternity and enable women to assert their rights and those of their children. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus appointed the panel's co-chairs to investigate last October after media reports claimed unnamed humanitarian officials sexually abused women during the Ebola outbreak that began in Congo in 2018. He called the report harrowing reading and a dark day for the UN. health agency. Tedros said four people have been fired and two placed on administrative leave as a result of the scandal, but he did not name them. The WHO chief also declined to say if he would consider resigning; Germany, France and several other European countries nominated Tedros for a second term last week. Lawrence Gostin, chair of global health law at Georgetown University, said he wouldn't call for Tedros to resign unless he knew of, or could have reasonably known of such abuse. Tedros traveled to Congo 14 times during the outbreak, repeatedly said he was personally responsible for the response and publicly commended one of the alleged rapists for his heroic work. It is unconscionable that this should ever have happened, and the sheer scale of the sexual assaults is shocking, Gostin said. The panel's investigators said they identified 83 alleged perpetrators of sexual abuse and exploitation, both Congolese nationals and foreigners. In 21 cases, the review team established with certainty that the alleged abusers were WHO employees during the Ebola response. The AP published evidence in May showing that Dr. Michel Yao, a senior WHO official overseeing the Congo outbreak response was informed in writing of multiple sex abuse allegations. Yao was later promoted and recently headed WHOs response to the Ebola outbreak in Guinea, which ended in June. WHO doctor Jean-Paul Ngandu and two other agency officials also signed a contract promising to buy land for a young woman Ngandu allegedly impregnated; Ngandu told the AP he was pressured to do so to protect WHOs reputation. The panel said that during its interview with Tedros, he said he was made aware of the sex abuse allegations when they were revealed in the press and had not heard of the incident involving Ngandu until the AP published its story. The panel's report also faulted WHO's Andreas Mlitzke, head of the agency's compliance, risk management and ethics divisions, and David Webb, who directs the office of internal oversight. When informed of Ngandu's alleged misconduct, Mlitzke and Webb attempted to determine if the woman accusing the doctor of impregnating her should be designated as a beneficiary, given her legal contract with Ngandu. Webb said no investigation was needed since the issue had been settled with an amicable agreement. Shekinah, a young Congolese woman who accepted an offer to have sex with WHOs Boubacar Diallo in exchange for a job, said she hoped he would be sanctioned by the U.N. health agency and barred from working for WHO again. I would like him and other doctors who will be charged to be punished severely so that it will serve as a lesson to other untouchable doctors of the WHO, said Shekinah, who declined to give her last name for fear of retribution. Julie Londo, a member of the Congolese Union of Media Women, a womens organization that works to counter rape and sexual abuse of women in Congo, applauded WHO for punishing staffers involved in the abuse allegations but said more was needed. WHO must also think about reparation for the women who were traumatized by the rapes and the dozens of children who were born with unwanted pregnancies as a result of the rapes, she said. Sophie Harman, a professor of international politics at Queen Mary University London, said she was concerned the allegations involving more than 80 suspects were only the beginning. More cases are bound to come forward across the world, Harman said, calling for the focus to shift to helping abuse survivors. This requires both prosecution of perpetrators, but full accountability on the part of WHO leadership who knew about the rumors and reports, and yet took years to act on this issue. ___ Cheng reported from London. Jamey Keaten contributed reporting from Geneva. Immediately after harassing and running over six cyclists near Houston this past weekend, the teenager behind the wheel of the black truck had one thing on his mind, according to a witness: "Do you think I'm going to jail?" The answer, as it turned out, was no. The 16-year-old driver appeared to have been trying to "roll coal" on a group of eight cyclists training for the Ironman Triathlon, according to fellow cyclist Chase Ferrell. Ferrell was a few paces behind the group when the driver blew thick, black smoke on him as he pedaled along Old Highway 290 on Saturday morning. Moments later, the driver caught up to the larger group up ahead and tried doing the same thing. Chase Ferrell Only, the second time was different. The driver, instead of blowing smoke on the group, accelerated and slammed into six of the eight cyclists, Ferrell and police say. He stopped, got out and surveyed the wreckage before Ferrell caught up to the scene. "Yeah, you did something really freaking stupid," Ferrell recalled telling the teen. "You should go to jail." It is not clear why the teenager was not immediately arrested. Representatives at the Waller County District Attorney's Office did not answer questions about the case but instead referred to a Facebook post saying it is still under investigation by police. Chase Ferrell In all, four of the six cyclists who were hit were hospitalized. Two of those had to be airlifted because of the severity of their injuries. Photos shared by Ferrell show a scene from a movie: Heavy damage to the front end of the pickup from its impact with the cyclists. Mangled bicycles strewn about the grassy right of way adjacent to the road. A helicopter ambulance readying for departure. Within minutes, Ferrell said, the teen's parents showed up. When the police arrived, he was questioned but ultimately released from the scene without charges. That sparked a onslaught of criticism from the biking community and beyond: Authorities are tight-lipped about whether or not the teenager would face any charges after the fact. "That this driver has yet to face any consequences certainly has many wondering if it's open season on cyclists in Waller County," Joe Cutrufo, BikeHouston's executive director, said. Chase Ferrell Waller County and the Houston region is no stranger to drivers hitting cyclists, sometimes with nefarious intent. In 2017, two cyclists were killed in Waller County when Army veteran Victor Tome intentionally drove into a small group. Tome was eventually convicted of capital murder and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Those deaths contributed to a total of four deadly collisions that have happened since 2011 in Waller County alone, according to Dug Begley at the Houston Chronicle. "The irony here is this prevailing attitude in Waller County that bicyclists from Houston are a menace," Cutrufo said. "That's a tough position to defend when you see a 16-year-old running them down with a truck." The teenager's identity has not been released and will likely remain confidential since he's a minor. What do you think of the case? Let me know on Twitter: @jayrjordan San Antonio Police Department Update: San Antonio Police have recovered the vehicle belonging to Christopher Olivarez. The car is currently being processed for evidence. Police have not released any details about the suspect. Original story: San Antonio Police need assistance finding a murder suspect who they say killed a former San Antonio TV account executive. Forty-year-old Christopher Olivarez was found dead on Saturday, September 25. Police responded to a sick/injured person call at the 300 block of Kirk Place. Upon arrival, police say they discovered Olivarez with trauma to his body and he was pronounced dead at the scene. The victim had been stabbed, according to an autopsy. Detectives believe the suspect fled in the victim's vehicle. They are looking for a 2014 4-door white Lexus IS. License plate number is HPH4110. The vehicle as been reported as stolen. San Antonio Police Department San Antonio Police Department Anyone with any information on this case is urged to contact SAPDs Homicide Unit at 210-207-7635. Former San Antonio Mayor and Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro had a lot to say on all things going on in Texas. Castro joined Vanity Fair's Inside the Hive podcast last week to discuss the hard-right's push on guns, abortion, voting in Texas, the border crisis, and the possible matchup between Beto O'Rourke and Gov. Greg Abbott. During the podcast host, Joe Hagan brought up Castro's recent epsiode of his podcast, Our America with Julian Castro. The episode was named "WTH is Happening in TX?" and Hagan asked that question again regarding the many laws recently passed in the Lone Star State, like the conservative anti-abortion law. "That is a question that is on the mind of a lot of people these days," Castro says. "It seems like Texas is at the center of the domestic news universe for all the wrong reasons." Castro attributes the Texas laws and headlines to a changing America, where there's minority growth in a state fully in control by Republicans. He said it causes a divide and growing tension about who Texas was, who Texas is, and who Texas is going to be. Those questions drive American politics these days, he said. The Texas leader talked about the thousands of Haitian migrants fleeing poverty and their quest to the border town of Del Rio as they tried to cross into the United States. He wishes Biden would shape up at the border and make a positive, constructive case for the U.S. immigration policy. "We need to increase the number of refugees we are taking in," Castro said when Hagan asked about possible solutions. "We need to increase the number of people that are seeking asylum that are actually getting their hearings ... and push back against the narrative that these immigrants are just bad." Later in the podcast, Hagan asked Castro about O'Rourke possibly running against Abbott for Texas Governor in 2022. Castro said he thinks the former congressman can beat Abbott, explaining how he believes the governor is losing the support of the GOP. "I think he's very impressive," Castro said. "...I believe that he has a shot to beat Greg Abbott." Hagan brings up how he's concerned Abbott might act out during the election as a way to trump his competitors. Castro agreed, saying all "Texans are being held hostage" to Abbott putting his politics over everything else, like public health, mask-wearing, and the abortion ban. "On all of those accounts, we are suffering through a governor who is really governing only for the perceived benefit of a small minority of people who vote in a Republican primary, and that's not the way it should be," Castro said. You can hear the full epsiode of the podcast below: Every week, cohosts Emily Jane Fox and Hagan tackle the news with fresh takes on current affairs and feature a conversation with a marquee guest at the center of the action who can help decipher and comprehend the headlines, whether in politics, media or entertainment. Chris Perez is amplifying a message from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) on the dangers of locking animals in vehicles. The guitarist, who was married to Selena Quintanilla at the time of her death and played in her iconic Tejano band, stars in a public service announcement released on Tuesday, September 28 by PETA reminding people that animals can quickly die of heat stroke. The video shows Perez, who is from San Antonio, demonstrating how he'd use one of his bass guitars to smash a window to save a dog if an emergency arose. That connection I feel with dogs is something special to me. I consider them as part of the family, Perez says in the PSA. When I hear about a dog [who] gets left in a car, its really upsetting. Its sad. It happens so fast. PETA says on a 70-degree day, the temperature inside a locked vehicle can reach 99 degrees in 20 minutes. On 90-degree days, which are typical for San Antonio, the temperatures soar to 109 degrees in half the time. Lisa Norwood, with the city's animal care services department, tells MySA the agency's field team does receive a few calls for pets stranded in locked cars. She says the number of calls is not high, but there are a few each year. Perez also uses his time in the PSA to encourage adopting instead of shopping for pups. "When you buy a dog from a breeder or a store, thats actually a dog in a shelter losing [an] opportunity for life, he adds. Courtesy, PETA Of course not everyone has a life-saving guitar around to smash windows, like Perez, but PETA suggests this $10 emergency hammer to do the job. Still, Texas does not currently have a law allowing Good Samaritans to break a window in order to remove a dog locked in a hot vehicle. In San Antonio, witnesses are asked to get the license plate, make and model of the car and call 311 or SAPD at 210-207-7273. SAPD and ACS officers have legal authority to break car windows to rescue a pet. Courtesy, MacArthur Foundation Each year, the MacArthur Foundation awards 25 people with a fellowship, or what has come to be known as the "genius grant." Along with the prestige of being among the brightest in their field, each recipient is awarded $625,000 no strings attached. This year's class is a diverse group in age, race, gender, and field, all of whom were picked based on criteria that is both vague, but lofty. International Protest in Kathmandu against Chinese land encroachment The leaders and activists affiliated to the Association staged the protest at Maitighar in Kathmandu. Kathmandu, Sep 28 (IANS) | Publish Date: 9/28/2021 11:16:34 AM IST The Nepal Democratic Youth Association on Tuesday staged a protest in Kathmandu against alleged Chinese land encroachment in the Himalayan nation. Some media reports in Nepal suggested that China has encroached in Humla district and erected new boundary pillars. The leaders and activists affiliated to the Association staged the protest at Maitighar in Kathmandu. Nepals Ministry of Home Affairs in August formed a six-member panel to probe and report the land encroachment in Humla. The panel submitted the report to the Home Minister Bal Krishna Khad on Sunday. The Home Ministry said that the panel headed by Joint Secretary Jay Narayan Acharya suggested the government to deploy a joint inspection group, inspection committee and formation of an expert team to resolve the boundary issue with China. The Nepal government has not said anything about publicising the report prepared by Joint Secretary Acharya. A similar kind of issue was raised by the Nepali media last year too but the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu declined having any disputes on the border. They also demanded to make public the report of the committee formed to study the Nepal-China border from Limi Lapcha to Hilsa. The government should make public the Acharya-led report, Mukesh Kumar Jha, President of the Democratic Youth Association said Why is the government silent over Chinese land encroachment in Nepal? Jha said that Nepali students who had completed MBBS in China should get a chance to do an internship in Nepal. Demonstrators displayed placards reading Return Nepali land encroached by China. They also chanted that Pillar No. 12 in Humla district should not be moved. The youth association vowed to be vigilant for the protection of Nepals borders. By Lambert Strether of Corrente Alert reader Carla brought Direct Contracting Entities (DCEs) to my attention in comments here. She in turn had been informed by a webinar from PNHP, the long-time single payer advocates. As it turns out, DCEs grow in the same polluted soil as the Democrats previous privatization attempt, the Geographic Contracting model, now on hold, after a public outcry. However, DCEs are complicated to explain, because our health care system is run by greedy sociopathic members of the professional managerial class, who complicate matters deliberately, partly for fun, but mostly for profit[1]. Because personnel is policy, Im going to start with Liz Fowler who, at least nominally animated by an ideology called Value-Based Care (VBC), is using her position as Director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to impose a payment model called Direct Contracting Entities on the majority of traditional Medicare recipients, thereby privatizing it. (Medicare Advantage is already privatized.) Each of those italicized topics will get its own heading, below. Ill use a simple Q&A format, where the questions are in the form Who is Liz Fowler? and answers are in the form Liz Fowler [family blog]s. The simple structure works because the entire CMMI structure should be razed and the ground salted, so nothing like it ever happens again. It wont be, so Im going into detail so that when CMMI comes up with its next privatization scam, youll be able to recognize the moving parts. So to Liz Fowler. Liz Fowler Who is Liz Fowler? Here is Fowlers official biography: Elizabeth Fowler, J.D., Ph.D., is the director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) and deputy administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Prior to joining the Biden administration, she was Executive Vice President for Programs at the Commonwealth Fund. Before joining the Fund, Dr. Fowler served as Vice President for Global Health Policy at Johnson & Johnson. In that role, she focused on health care delivery system and payment reform in the U.S. and health care systems and reform in emerging markets. Prior to that position, she was a special assistant to President Barack Obama on health care and economic policy at the National Economic Council, and occupied key positions at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she assisted with implementation of the Affordable Care Act. Prior to her work in the administration, Dr. Fowler was Chief Health Counsel to former Senate Finance Committee Chair, Senator Max Baucus, served as Vice President of Public Policy and External Affairs for WellPoint, Inc. (now Anthem). Liz Fowler [family blog]s. As we wrote earlier this year, unknowingly translating the above: Ah, Liz Fowler. An old friend and an especially scaly Flexian who makes Jon Gruber look like a cute little gecko: When the legislation that became known as Obamacare was first drafted, the key legislator was the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Max Baucus, whose committee took the lead in drafting the legislation. As Baucus himself repeatedly boasted, the architect of that legislation was Elizabeth Folwer, his chief health policy counsel; indeed, as Marcy Wheeler discovered, it was Fowler who actually drafted it What was most amazing about all of that [or not] was that, before joining Baucus office as the point person for the health care bill, Fowler was the Vice President for Public Policy and External Affairs (i.e. informal lobbying) at WellPoint, the nations largest health insurance provider (before going to WellPoint, as well as after, Fowler had worked as Baucus top health care aide). More amazingly still, when the Obama White House needed someone to oversee implementation of Obamacare after the bill passed, it chose . . . Liz Fowler. Now, as Politicos Influence column briefly noted on Tuesday, Fowler is once again passing through the deeply corrupting revolving door as she leaves the Obama administration to return to the loving and lucrative arms of the private health care industry: Elizabeth Fowler is leaving the White House for a senior-level position leading global health policy at Johnson & Johnsons government affairs and policy group. Having Fowler involved in anything is a terrible sign; shes as corrupt as they come[2]. One of the things shes enmeshed in at CMMI is Value-Based Care, to which we now turn. Value-Based Care What is Value-Based Care?. The concept seems to have gained its first prominence at Harvard Business School in 2006, but here is how the New England Journal of Medicine defined it in 2017: Value-based healthcare is a healthcare delivery model in which providers, including hospitals and physicians, are paid based on patient health outcomes. Under value-based care agreements, providers are rewarded for helping patients improve their health, reduce the effects and incidence of chronic disease, and live healthier lives in an evidence-based way. Value-based care differs from a fee-for-service or capitated approach, in which providers are paid based on the amount of healthcare services they deliver. The value in value-based healthcare is derived from measuring health outcomes against the cost of delivering the outcomes. Which sounds reasonable enough, even if you know how slippery the word value can be. The key point is that fee for service (FFS) is not the payment model under VBC. Value is. However Value-Based Care [family blog]s. Ask yourself: How will determining value be operationalized within a payments system? The answer will be to develop a taxonomy of what is valued, and then code for it and bill on the coding, case by case. Hold onto that thought for when we get to DCEs. Meanwhile, Liz Fowlers ideology is Value-Based Care: During her opening plenary at the National Association of ACOs Spring 2021 Conference, Liz Fowler, PhD, JD, deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, highlighted how the center is taking a pause to reassess its models and determine what is coming next. I want to make clear that our commitment to value-based care has never been stronger, Fowler said. This brings us to the CMMI, the institutional setting in which Value-Based Care is being pursued. Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation What is the CMMI? To begin with, people at Fowlers level believe that ObamaCare was passed to deliver not merely access to health care, but access to value-based health care, and that CMMI was to be the instrument for this. Once more from Fowlers ACO plenary: In addition to providing insurance for the uninsured, the goal of the Affordable Care Act was to move away from fee-for-service to value-based care. Although strides have been made, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) is taking time to reassess its portfolio of payment models. Expanding on the concept of payment models, from Kaiser Family Foundations CMMI FAQ: The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), also known as the Innovation Center, was authorized under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and tasked with designing, implementing, and testing new health care payment models to address growing concerns about rising costs, quality of care, and inefficient spending. Congress specifically directed CMMI to focus on models that could potentially lower health care spending for Medicare, Medicaid, and the Childrens Health Insurance Program (CHIP) while maintaining or enhancing the quality of care furnished under these programs. CMMI is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is managed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). In other words, because markets; there is no alternative to them. CMMI is taking time to reassess its models because, well The CMMI [family blog]s. The GAO reported on the CMMIs efforts in 2018. As we wrote: Beyond noting that only 2 of the 37 Innovation Center models were worth expanding, GAO assessed the Center by the three goals it had set up for itself. Page 54 et seq: Goal 1: Reduce the growth of healthcare costs while promoting better health and health care quality through delivery system reform This goal has three performance measures that focus on ACOs. As shown in table 3, the Innovation Center has reported mixed results in achieving the targets set. For the remaining measurethe percentage of ACOs that shared in savingsthe center did not meet its target during either of the two years for which data were available. Goal 2: Identify, test, and improve payment and service delivery models. This goal has one performance measure, which identifies the number of models that currently indicate (1) cost savings while maintaining or improving quality or (2) improving quality while maintaining or reducing cost. As of September 30, 2016, the Innovation Center reported that four [of 37] section 1115A model tests have met these criteria (see table 4). Goal 3: Accelerate the spread of successful practices and models. For this goal, the first performance measure focuses on the number of states developing and implementing a health system transformation and payment reform plan. The second measure focuses on increasing the percentage of active model participants who are involved in Innovation Center or related learning activities. As shown in table 5, the Innovation Center reported meeting its target for the first measure for both fiscal years 2015 and 2016, but not meeting its target for the second measure. And concluding, with the woo-woo noises at last becoming audible: Looking forward, officials told us that the Innovation Center has developed a methodology to estimate a forecasted return on investment for the model portfolio , and is in the early stages of refining the methodology and applying it broadly across the portfolio in 2018. As part of the development efforts, the Innovation Center expects to utilize standard investment measures used in the public and private sectors . Whatever that means. Since we dont know what a model is, what on earth is the use of creating a portfolio of them? The situation has not improved since then, as Bill Frist (!!) writes (only five of the 54 models delivered substantial financial savings. The majority have not saved money, and several are on pace to lose billions of dollars) and as Fowler in her plenary admits: Fowler worries that over the past decade since CMMI was established, the stakeholders have reached no consensus about what, specifically, the center should be achieving. Some of the questions that need to be answered are as follows: Are cost savings the most important measure of success, or is quality improvement just as important? Is risk bearing among providers the key to unlocking value? Should CMMIs goal be to expand a model so it becomes a permanent part of Medicare, or is health care transformation the ultimate goal? The ACA funded CMMI $10 billion from 2011 through 2019, and another $10 billion for each decade after that. These funds were not subject to the appropriations process. For that amount of money, were still asking questions like that? Nevertheless, the CMMI wields enormous power, because through it, HHS can implement payment models without Congressional authorization. One such payment model is the Direct Contracting Entity, to which we now turn. Direct Contracting Entities What are Direct Contracting Entities? As defined by one DCE player, Pearl Health: DCEs enable participants to transition their Traditional Medicare populations to value-based care via a capitated reimbursement model, creating a predictable flow of revenue, and the opportunity to generate shared savings, creating incentives for providing more efficient care. Seems reasonable enough. Venture capitalists Andreessen Horowitz are a bit more expansive: One of the hallmarks of value-based care is a shift away from reactive, fee-for-service models and toward prospective payment models. Direct contracting is a model where large holders of risk like self-funded employers and health plans contract directly with a narrow set of provider groups and health systems[3] for a specific population and a defined set of services[4]. This can look as simple as contracting with a handful of health systems to provide all-inclusive care bundles for joint surgery, to something as broad-reaching as establishing an Accountable Care Organization (ACO) for the comprehensive care of a patient population in a given region. Because both parties share in accountability and responsibilities across cost, care coordination, and outcomes, models like these represent a major step in the transition toward value-based care. These CMS Direct Contracting programs represent a key step forward by driving increased access to value-based care for the Medicare Fee-for-Service group of beneficiaries. And importantly, they create a range of new opportunities for new entrants by 1) substantially broadening the range of care organizations that can participate in these models (including new entrants that previously would have been ineligible) and 2) granting increased flexibility on the benefits design and patient care initiatives that can be offered, thus creating unique opportunities for new entrants that offer care solutions that can ultimately drive higher-value care (but would have not been within scope or incentivized with traditional Medicare Fee-For-Service). Translating: [D[riving increased access to value-based care means the elimination of fee-for-service care. More importantly, new entrants that previously would have been ineligible means, for example, private equity or big tech, Presumably why Andreessen Horowitz is taking a look at the field of play. I shudder to think what unique opportunities for new entrants could mean. Uber for kidneys? Unfortunately for us all DCEs [family blog]. Lets work through the unique opportunities. First, from PNHP, today there are 53 DCEs (with new openings temporary closed). 28 are investor-owned. 6 are insurer-based. The 6 insurer-based DCEs operate in 19 states that have 57% of the entire national FFS population. If DCEs can move those all those FFS patients customers to VBC, that would mean 57% of $660 billion in Medicare spending by 2025 ($330 billion in 2019). How would the DCEs do that? They would sign up doctors, and that would bring the del>patients customers along. Again PNHP: Doctors are lured to participate in a DCE by promises of up to a 40% increase in provider Medicare reimbursement and a reduced set of core quality measures they have to meet. Once doctors sign up, their patients are automatically aligned to the DCE without patients knowledge or consent; patients are sent a letter, which they are not likely to read or understand. And you can bet the DCE wont help them understand. But wait! Theres more! The DCEs are money machines, and not just because of revenues from patient care. They are money machines because this is why I asked you to hold that thought on coding value-based care is a phishing equilibrium for upcoding. (In the vulgate: If fraud can occur, it will already have occurred. See NC here and here on medical upcoding.) Here is a worked example from Ed Weisbart of PNHP: Note how the different codes all for the same patient! drive the bottom line; see at CMS pays. In fact, theres an entire industry line of business devoted to gaming medical codes for profit: (Its really beautiful that AI is being used for fraud. But indeed, why not?) So, to review, DCEs allow insurance companies and investor-owned entities to put the entire Medicare fee-for-service system in their crosshairs, capturing 67% of the existing traditional Medicare population, most of them without informed consent, using them as human fodder for upcoding fraud, and all without congressional authorization or review of any kind. If thats not privatization I dont know what is. I guess this is sort of thing is why Hillary Clinton said single payer would never, ever come to pass[5]. Whaddaya know. Thanks, Liz! Conclusion Obviously, there are a great many layers of obfuscation to the DCE privatization scam, and I hope I got them right. Please correct me where I have gone wrong. (Here is Weisbarts PowerPoint presenation; medical back office mavens will be able to understand it better than I can.) Finally, there is a petition: Consider signing it. The Geographic Contracting model was stopped; DCEs can be stopped. NOTES [1] In the Before Times, I would have been much more polite. But here we are. [2] Back when Obama was shilling for the Affordable Care Act, he did a series of town halls on health care policy, to which I listened. The post on the town hall has long ago succumbed to link rot, but I remember that a PNHP doctor with whom I was familiar actually managed to ask Obama a question on single payer. I forget what Obama answered, but the fact of the question itself was remarkable (given that Max Baucus refused to allow single payer advocates at his hearings, and had them arrested when they protested). The White House had an intern out of Fowlers office doing a live blog. When I checked, the single payer question had been censored. [3] Sounds like an opportunity for in-and-out-of network gaming, to me. [4] Ditto. [5] This also explains why Biden but a non-entity like Becarra in charge of HHS (aside from the payoff to the California oligarchy). Alex Azar, shark though he was, would have understood this play. Becarra is a babe in the woods with no health care experience, and wont. Yves here. This post presents a case study of charter school investors overtly grifting, as opposed to the usual slower-motion version of cherry-picking students via using any excuse to expel ones that look difficult to educate. Even with that (over time) selection advantage, large scale studies have shown that charter school students do not outperform their public school peers. By Jeff Bryant, a writing fellow and chief correspondent for Our Schools. He is a communications consultant, freelance writer, advocacy journalist, and director of the Education Opportunity Network, a strategy and messaging center for progressive education policy. His award-winning commentary and reporting routinely appear in prominent online news outlets, and he speaks frequently at national events about public education policy. Follow him on Twitter @jeffbcdm. Produced by Our Schools Charter school industry lobbyists, who appear to have lost a fight in the U.S. House of Representatives over an appropriations bill that cuts federal funding to charter schools operated by for-profit businesses, are rolling out a campaign to defend their taxpayer revenues in the U.S. Senate, but federal lawmakers may wish to consider new evidence of how for-profit charter enterprises introduce potential harms into public education. One such potential harm, according to an in-depth examination conducted by Our Schools, stems from for-profit charter school operators partnering with private investors intent on turning quick profits from public dollars meant for educating children. Our Schools examined the relationship between Pansophic Learning, owner of the Accel Schools chain of for-profit charter schools, and Safanad Limited, a private equity firm, originating in the Middle East, with extensive investment holdings in K-12 education, senior living, and other public sector-related enterprises. What Our Schools found was that for-profit businesses like Pansophic Learning are providing entryways for wealthy investors from abroad to flood the U.S. with money to buy up struggling taxpayer-funded enterprises and put into place elaborate business schemes and networks of interrelated companies that hide their profiteering while doing little to improve the quality of services to the public. A request for comment regarding Pansophics relationship with Safanad and the partnerships potential for conflicts of interest that was left as a press inquiry at the Pansophic website did not receive a reply. The combination of for-profit operators backed by private equity has become prevalent in other publicly funded sectors that have traditionally been operated by federal and/or state governments or nonprofit organizations. And the results have not been beneficial to the public or the individuals the publicly funded system was intended to serve. For example, in the government-funded prison system, The involvement of private equity firms, which manage large investment portfolios, presents a conflict between the financial and social goals of some investors, reported Prison Legal News in 2019, citing two studiesone from the nonprofit Worth Rises, which advocates for dismantling the prison industry, and the other from the American Federation of Teachers, a national teachers union. Another analysis, by the ACLU, found that for-profit prison operators backed by private investors are more apt to create profit for their investors by maintaining high rates of incarceration, which results in significantly higher social and fiscal costs to the public. Our Schools found that this combination of for-profit entrepreneurs backed by private investors is having a similarly corrosive impact in the charter school industry. Ron Packard and K12 Inc. The genesis of Accel Schools goes back to 2014, when Education Week reported that Ron Packard, the former CEO of K12 Inc., had formed a new education enterprise called Pansophic Learning. K12 Inc., which changed its name to Stride Inc. in 2020, was then, and still is, the largest for-profit charter school operator in the U.S. Packard, a former Goldman Sachs executive who specialized in mergers and acquisitions, departed K12 Inc., which he founded, at a time when the company was besieged with negative publicity. In 2011, K12 Inc. was the subject of a scathing story in the New York Times revealing that only a third of the students enrolled in its online charter schools achieved adequate yearly progress, the measurement mandated by federal No Child Left Behind legislation, while the company employed multiple ways to squeeze profits from public school dollars by raising enrollment, increasing teacher workload, and lowering standards. The withering critique, which ran on the newspapers front page, caused the publicly traded companys stock price to drop precipitously, Education Week reported in 2012, and prompted a shareholder to file a federal lawsuit accusing K12 Inc. executives, including Packard, of misleading investors with false student-performance claims. More negative publicity came in 2013 when Politico reported K12 Inc. was one among many online charter schools that posts dismal scores on math, writing, and science tests and mediocre scores on reading. Another blow came that year when influential hedge fund manager and charter school proponent Whitney Tilsonannounced he was shorting K12 Inc. stock, betting the company would fail. In 2014, K12 Inc. became the target of yet another lawsuit accusing the company of misleading investors by putting forward overly positive public statements only later to reveal that it had missed key operational and financial targets, Education Week reported. The lawsuit also charged Packard, whose relationship to the company had become unclear, of selling off his own stock before revealing the negative financials, and, thus, earning a windfall of $6.4 million before the stock price plunged. But as Packard disengaged from one troubled education enterprise, he started another with a financial partner that would provide the capital to quickly scale up. As Education Week reported in 2014, Packards new company, Pansophic Learning, included a partnership with a holding company, Safanad Education, a subsidiary of Safanad Limited, a New York- and Dubai-based real estate and investment firm. Packard and Safanad spent an unknown sum to purchase part of K12 Inc.s assets, mostly in higher education, and acquire an international brick-and-mortar private school. The two entrepreneurs were on the hunt for acquisitions, according to Education Week. A Charter School Shopping Spree Initially, Packard and Pansophic Learning kept a low profile until, in 2016, a visit by then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump drew attention to a Cleveland, Ohio, brick-and-mortar charter school that usually escapes notice, reported the Plain Dealer, a Cleveland newspaper. According to the Plain Dealer, the school, the Cleveland Arts and Social Sciences Academy, was one of 27 schools in Colorado, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio that had been recently acquired by Accel Schools, a new for-profit network of charter schools owned and operated by Pansophic Learning. Packard is listed as the CEO of both Pansophic Learning and Accel Schools. Two other C-suite executives of both Pansophic Learning and Accel Schools are COO Maria Szalay and CTO Eric Waller. Pansophic Learning and Accel Schools also have an identical street address in McLean, Virginia. Prior to the news about Trump visiting its school, Accel Schools had been amassing an education empire in Ohio, the Akron Beacon Journal reported. Among its acquisitions were, in 2014, the troubled K-8 schools of White Hat Management, which had previously been, according to the Akron Beacon Journal, Ohios largest charter school chain. In 2019, Accel Schools purchased White Hats last remaining online charter school as well. In 2015, Accel Schools also acquired the assets of another financially struggling charter management firm, Mosaica Education, and bought Cleveland-based I Can Schools, which, Packard told the Plain Dealer, were also struggling financially. The charter school shopping spree Accel Schools went on undoubtedly benefited from the financial support of Safanad. We are fortunate to partner with Safanad, Packard is quoted saying in Safanads official announcement of its partnership with Pansophic Learning in 2014. Safanads extensive resources will allow us to pursue opportunities of all sizes, he said. The Bahamdan Connection According to the firms website, Safanads founder and CEO is Kamal Bahamdan, a Saudi national. Mr. Bahamdan has also been the CEO of the Bahamdan [investment] Group, according to his profile. Kamal Bahamdans current relationship with the Bahamdan Investment Group is unclear, but the Bahamdan firm maintains a controlling interest in Safanad. According to its SEC filings brochure, Safanad is controlled by Bahamdan Investment Group and KB Group Holdings Ltd. KB Group Holdings Ltd., according to Safanads SEC filing form, is owned by the Bahamdan Investment Group. The Bahamdan Investment Group is a Saudi-based investment firm founded by Sheikh Abdullah Salem Bahamdan, Kamal Bahamdans father, according to Rocket Reach, a corporate sales, recruiting, and marketing website that published a Bahamdan company history calling Kamal Bahamdan the third generation of financial leadership of the Bahamdan Investment Group and [Abdullah] Bahamdans son. In numerous online profiles, Abdullah Salem Bahamdan (also Abdullah S. Bahamdan, Abdullah Salim Bahamdan, and Abdullah Bahamdan) is described as a seasoned banker and one of the Middle Easts most prominent and influential financiers. Abdullah Bahamdan also spent more than 50 years as the chairman of Saudi Arabias National Commercial Bank, the largest lender in the Arab world, according to Institutional Investor. National Commercial Bank (NCB), which merged with Samba Financial Group in 2021 to form Saudi National Bank (SNB), was established in 1953 by royal decree, according to the SNB website, with the Saudi government as its major shareholder. Despite its close relationship to the Saudi government, NCB was one among 16 financial institutions that were fined by the Saudi Monetary Authority in 2019 for violating principles of responsible finance, according to Reuters. [T]he violations were related to exceeding debt burdens imposed on people in proportion to their monthly income. In 2020, the U.S. Treasury Department settled a lawsuit with NCB accusing the bank of violating U.S. sanctions against Syria and Sudan between November 2011 to August 2014. The bank and Abdullah Bahamdan have been the subjects of at least two lawsuits accusing them of financing terrorist groups, which may have been part of what prompted the Saudi government to, in 2017, crack down on corruption in its banking industry, Reuters reported. Perhaps as a result of the crackdown, SNB claims on its website that it has developed a Bank-wide Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Terrorist Financing Policy. Mixing Charter School Investments With Subpar Senior Care Aside from its investments in Pansophic Learning, Safanad has made some of its biggest commercial real estate deals in the health care sector, principally in senior care facilities, including assisted living, independent living, memory care, and nursing homes, frequently called skilled nursing facilities. Senior Housing News reported that Safanad teamed up with investment firm Formation Capital, an Atlanta-based health-care-focused private investment company, to purchase 36 senior care facilities in 2011, and, in 2012, the partners spent $750 million to acquire 68 more nursing homes located in East Coast states. The acquisitions made the two investment firms one of the United States largest standalone skilled nursing portfolios, according to Senior Housing News, with more than $1 billion worth of senior care assets in the U.S. In 2013, the same two investment firms purchased a 36-property senior housing portfolio for approximately $400 million, reported Senior Housing News, and in 2014, the two firms struck another deal to buy 14 skilled nursing facilities in the mid-Atlantic for about $150 million, according to Senior Housing News. The deals Safanad and Formation Capital struck to acquire senior care facilities are strikingly similar to the business transactions Safanad conducted with Pansophic Learning in the charter school sector, principally, buying up financially struggling service businesses that receive large amounts of public fundingin the case of the senior care sector, from Medicare and Medicaidand that also happen to include significant holdings of real estate. The nursing home and senior living facilities industry was struggling financially before the pandemic, according to a report by the Pew Charitable Trust. Facilities had been cutting corners for years, skating by with too few staff, due to stagnating wages, and sometimes hiring unskilled workers instead of highly trained personnel. COVID-19 simply revealed an industry that was already broken, reported NBC News, citing low pay, high turnover, and tough working conditions as chronic problems in the senior care facilities industry. Yet the growing presence of private equity investors in the senior care industry has done little to help the industry and appears to have done mostly harm. A 2020 study found that private equity ownership of nursing homes and other kinds of senior living facilities increased costs to the public by 19 percent while shortening the lifespans of patients. Patients in facilities with substantial private equity backing tended to have less access to nurses, declining mobility, and greater use of antipsychotic medications, the study found. Consequently, private equity ownership increases short-term mortality by 10 percent, the authors claimed, which implies about 21,000 lives lost due to private equity ownership over our sample period. As with the for-profit prison industry, many of the problems posed by private investment firms in the senior care industry, according to the study, can be sourced to high-powered for-profit incentives [being] misaligned with the social goals of quality care at a reasonable cost. The study distinguished private equity for-profit ownership from generic for-profit ownership because private equity ownership confers distinct incentives to quickly and substantially increase the value of their portfolio firms. It is this form of intense, high-powered profit-maximizing incentives, the authors asserted, that characterize[s] private equity [and could lead to] detrimental implications for consumer welfare. Investor-driven senior care facilities were especially hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, a 2020 article in the New York Times reported. Decades of ownership by private equity and other private investment firms left many nursing homes with staggering bills and razor-thin margins, according to the article. The toll of putting profits first started to show when the outbreak began, the article continued. [S]ome for-profit homes were particularly ill equipped and understaffed, which undercut their ability to contain the spread of the coronavirus. Among the for-profit operators that appear to have fared poorly in the pandemic is Consulate Health Care, one of the providers that were snapped up by Safanad and Formation Capital in 2014, according to Senior Housing News. In a 2021 report, the Private Equity Stakeholder Project lists Formation Capital as the owner of Consulate Health Care. Nursing homes operated by Consulate Health Care and Formation Capital have been hotspots for COVID-19 outbreaks, according to numerous news reports from Florida and Virginia. The high incidence of outbreaks has, in part, prompted a U.S. House committee to launch an investigation into the countrys five largest for-profit nursing home companies, including Consulate Health Care, Politico reported in 2020. Creative Ways to Wring Profits As the New York Times reported in 2020, while senior care facilities often struggle financially, their private equity-backed owners have found creative ways to wring profits out of them. Some of these creative ways include charging their operators hefty management and consulting fees; buying the real estate from the operators and then leasing the buildings back to the operators, while upping the rents; and pushing their operators to buy products and services from companies that are controlled by the investors. The real estate plays these firms pull off are particularly lucrative, the New York Times noted, because the buildings are often more valuable than the businesses themselves. A 2018 article in the Naples Daily News described how these arrangements work in Consulate Health Care facilities owned by Formation Capital, the states largest provider. Consulate Health Care and Formation Capital both operate a network of other related businessesincluding real estate, management, rehabilitation and other companiesthat they use as subcontractors for the nursing homes they own. So when [t]axpayer money flows to Consulate nursing homes, the article explained, some of the money also goes to subcontractors that are related to the owners, Consulate Health Care and its controlling company, Formation Capital. [A]nd profits earned go to the chains owner, the Atlanta-based private equity firm Formation Capital, the article stated. One of the Consulate Health Care nursing homes highlighted in the article pays its owner and management fees to two Consulate companies and also pays its lease payments and rehabilitation service fees to providers that are both related to Formation Capital. In each case, the article said, the money flows back to Formation Capital and its wealthy investors, which include Safanad. Pansophic Learning and Accel Schools operate similar business arrangements that help their organizations maximize their profits, according to a 2021 report by the Network for Public Education (NPE). Much in the same way Consulate Health Care facilities and Formation Capital push their nursing homes into contracts with their other related businesses, Accel and Pansophic use a complex web of corporations, according to NPE, to control the operations of the school and in doing so, steer business to their related services. The report highlighted Accel-managed Broadway Academy, in Cleveland, a charter school previously owned by White Hat Management, according to the Accel Schools contract with the school. Under the fees section in the terms of that contractoriginally with for-profit management company Chippewa Community School, LLC, which is now a subsidiary of Accel Schools Ohio LLCthe school, referred to in the contract as the corporation, pays the operator (Accel, by way of its subsidiary Chippewa Community School, LLC) 96 percent of the schools monthly qualified gross revenue, which is the per-pupil revenue the school receives from the state. In return, Accel is the sole source to provide the school with school staffing and professional development, school management and consulting, textbooks, equipment, technology, student recruitment, building payments, maintenance, custodial service, security, and capital improvements. In other words, theres nothing that stops Accel or Pansophic from creating yet more subsidiaries and other related companies that can do business with Broadway Academy. According to the contract, Accel can subcontract services without the [Broadway Academy] Boards approval, and property purchased by Accel shall remain [Accels] sole property. According to NPE, these kinds of contracts, known as sweeps, are commonplace in the for-profit charter school industry. Sweeps contracts give for-profits the authority to run all school services in exchange for all or nearly all of the schools revenue, said the NPE report. Taxpayer funding for the Broadway Academy that isnt swept up by Accels continuing fee must be depositedinto a Student Enrichment Fund for educational services in the areas of student cultural activities[,] supplemental tutoring services, and other programs. Accel has sole authority to propose uses for such funds, and 85 percent of all Student Enrichment Funds not spent during the fiscal year in which they are received shall be paid over to [Accel]. While Accels contract with Broadway Academy doesnt include real estate, the authors of the NPE report searched the database of Ohio charter school contracts, called community schools documents, and found that Global School Properties Ohio, LLC holds the leases for many Accel charter schools. The [landlord] is at the same 1650 Tysons Blvd. address in McLean, Virginia, as Pansophic [Learning]. Profiting From D- and F-Rated Schools School choice and charter school advocates are often quick to defend for-profit charter companies and their private investors, arguing that they are sector agnostic about who owns and operates a school and care only about the schools results. But what constitutes good results in education is a much-debated topic, and studies about the results of for-profit charter schools have found mixed results at best. A 2017 report from Stanford Universitys Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) found that students who attend for-profit charter schools have weaker growth in math than they would have in a district public school and similar growth in reading. Students in nonprofit charter schools experienced stronger academic growth in both subjects than their peers enrolled in for-profit charters. The differences were significant, according to the study. Also in 2017, Chalkbeat reported, studies comparing for-profit schools to nonprofits and traditional public schools in the same area dont find consistent differences in performance, as measured by test scores. None of these studies examined the performance of Accel Schools or the impact of private equity in the for-profit charter industry. But based on Ohios A-F grading system, Accel Schools in the Cleveland area, where the management company has its highest density of schools, has no schools with A or B ratings from the 2018-2019 school year, the last one measured due to the pandemic. There are three C-rated schools, including Broadway Academy. Eleven others are D- and F-rated schools. Among the F-rated schools is the school Trump visited in 2016, the Cleveland Arts and Social Sciences Academy. The problems posed by the charter school industry and its for-profit sector have not gone unnoticed by Democratic Party elected officials and their voters. A 2021 survey found that public support for charter schools is waning, especially in the Democratic Party where favorability has fallen to an all-time low of only 33 percent. Our Schools has previously noted that Democratic Party politicians are steadily drifting away from their once-avid support of the industry, especially the ones operated for profit. Nevertheless, out of seven charter schools that have applied to open in West Virginia, where charter schools had not been allowed to open until 2021, five of the proposed schools would be operated as for-profit entities, and of those five, three would be operated by Accel. The Fat Bear Week contenders are here, and theyre all impressively fat Mashable (furzy) A hamster has been trading cryptocurrencies in a cage rigged to automatically buy and sell tokens since June and its currently outperforming the S&P 500 Business Insider (Dr. Kevin). Must be the same lab with the monkeys that are typing Shakespeare. Explorers add 8 miles to worlds longest known cave system Live Science (Chuck L) There are many ways to make a flat map of the world each of them a unique distortion aeon Students Dont Know What Files And Folders Are, Professors Say PCGamer On Ian Fleming as Craftsman Russell Kirk Center (Anthony L) #COVID-19 Science/Medicine US Dozens Of Massachusetts State Police Troopers Resigning Over COVID Vaccine Mandate, Union Says CBS Boston. As we said, perhaps not as clearly as we could have on our post on vaccine-only mandates, the issue (and the people nominally in charge appear to have lost sight of this) isnt the absolute number of resignations/retirements, but how many are strategically significant, as in they are in positions that cant be filled quickly due to the need for training and/or experience, AND they are in position where staffing is already short. Given how fond the MBA crowd was of cutting personnel to the bone, and then Covid leading many low level workers to decide they needed to be paid more either to risk their health for showing up or shoulder extra work because others had quit or were home sick, staffing shortages could crop up in more places than youd anticipate. Having said that, I am still surprised that cops are quitting, since unless they have been in service long enough to get a full pension, they have good reason to hang on. Or has Mass gone to defined contribution for younger state troopers? Harvard MBA Students Move Online as Breakthrough Cases Climb Bloomberg (David L). Case study method and Covid are not a happy mix. Funeral truck vaccination ad goes viral, causes uptick in local vaccination rate ZMEScience (Dr. Kevin) Texas airline pilots warn that vaccine mandates could roil holiday flights Politico China? India Myanmar Myanmar on a military-made road to disaster Asia Times (Kevin W) Members of the CDF attack around 40 of the 200 junta troops stationed in the nearly empty town.https://t.co/o9UrEOY3zc Myanmar Now (@Myanmar_Now_Eng) September 28, 2021 Sun shines on Indonesia in massive solar cable deal Asia Times (resilc) The train that shrunk France and Europe ars technica (J-LS) The Harsh Truth Behind Europes Energy Crisis OilPrice Old Blighty Germany Matriarchy hopes dashed: Women will NOT take up majority of seats in Icelandic parliament after vote recount RT (Kevin W). Aaaw Bolsonaro then threatened to act outside the 'boundaries of the constitution' in a stand-off with the Supreme Court, which has emerged as a focus of his ire after repeatedly striking down initiatives close to the presidents heart https://t.co/zmrykSeG05 pic.twitter.com/Mjg7jyWo6p Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) September 28, 2021 Assange Big Brother is Watching You Watch I recall Lambert having some absolutely horrific issues with some of his devices invoving bizarre lockouts: @xeni I've had my fill of Apple's so-called security: first the spyware embedded in iOS 15, now they tell me that it will take until October 10th to recover my Apple ID for my Watch 6: https://t.co/tFfebGzpxv Eric The Fruit Bat (@ericfruitbat) September 28, 2021 Imperial Collapse Watch Marine officer who blasted leaders over Afghanistan withdrawal now in the brig Task and Purpose (David L) :-( Biden Harris, assigned to tackle volatile issues, quietly builds a network MSN. Resilc: So far shes tackled jack and squat. Dems sneaky sabotage Axios. Dems launch an astroturf far right group. Citizen Enforcement of Texas Abortion Ban Could Spread to Other Laws Pew. Resilc: USAUSA=narcistan Californias organic-waste law set a high bar, but most cities struggle to reach it Food and Environment Reporting Network (Michael L) The Bad News Keeps Flowing For The Colorado River KNPR (David L) Woke Watch Ohio Professor Wins Major Free Speech Victory Over Compelled Use of Pronouns in Classrooms Jonathan Turley (Chuck L) Marines Reluctantly Let a Sikh Officer Wear a Turban on Duty New York Times. Gah. Americans are so provincial. I hired Sikh (LSE trained, a bit of a British accent) at Sumitomo Bank. I have to admit to getting enormous pleasure from clients and deal professionals going visibly on tilt when they first met him and then deciding he was OK based on how articulate he was. As the Japanese board member who hired me said when I got resistance over bringing him on board, His talent overcomes his turban. Old coal plant is now mining bitcoin for a utility company ars technica (resilc) Ford Recalls Mustang Mach-Es Over Risk of Glass Roof Flying Off Electrek A Tesla Big Battery Is Getting Sued Over Power Grid Failures In Australia Vice Google, in Fight Against Record EU Fine, Slams Regulators for Ignoring Apple Reuters. Last I checked, whaddaboutism is not an accepted legal defense. This is the Worlds First-ever Country to launch its own NFT Coingape Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis launches investigation into Facebook for election interference over its whitelisting policy that allowed certain elites to post whatever they want with no consequences Daily Mail. This would be fun if hed actually sue and subpoena records, but I doubt he ever intended to go to the mat. Boston and Dallas Fed chiefs at center of trading scandal to resign American Banker (J-LS). After setting such a fine example, too bad we cant get Pelosi to follow suit. Emails show Elizabeth Holmes directing response to failed Theranos tests ars technica (Kevin W) Class Warfare Antidote du jour. Dmitry Kokh (www.dmitrykokh.com) via Allen K: And a bonus. Looks like an Aby not up to show standards (see stripes on tail). But Abys are smart! How to fold a fitted sheet pic.twitter.com/soF5fF1wdB og (@Yoda4ever) September 21, 2021 Another bonus (furzy): See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. Yves here. I cant imagine having elder care workers assigned to 24-hour shifts. We had one aide who actually wanted 12 hour shifts, but the few that wound up having to do them for us occasionally, usually due to swapping shifts with other aides, got a 2 hour break and overtime. Even so, even the young ones were clearly dragging after only one over-long day and Id worry about the quality of their decision-making. The fact that 24-hour shifts were the norm for an agency in New York City and it still hasnt been held to account is mind-boggling. And if this is happening with legal Chinese immigrants, its not hard to imagine that it is taking place a-plenty with undocumented workers. By Jihye Song. a member of Youth Against Sweatshops and the Aint I a Woman Campaign. Originally published at openDemocracy On the morning of 28 April, dozens of home attendants gathered outside the New York City headquarters of their employer, the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), to sound the alarm. CPC is one of the largest Asian American social service non-profits in the United States. Among its many activities it runs a home attendant agency, CPCHAP, whose workers provide in-home care for elderly and disabled Medicaid recipients with severe illnesses. These carers do the difficult work of looking after elderly and disabled people in New York Citys Asian community going to their homes to help feed and bathe them, taking them to appointments, and doing whatever else is needed so that they can live their lives in their own homes. For those who require around-the-clock care, home attendants must get up at night to turn them in bed or to assist them in using the bathroom. CPCHAP employs thousands of homecare workers, the majority of whom are older immigrant women of colour, nearly all Chinese. In light of the recent wave of anti-Asian hate crimes in the United States, CPC had distributed hand-held alarms to parts of the Asian/Asian American community to use if they felt threatened with violence. On the morning of 28 April, however, CPC homecare workers, along with supporters from across New York City, used the alarms to draw attention to a form of violence that their bosses had been meting out for decades: the 24-hour workday. How can CPC claim to be against anti-Asian violence, the workers demanded to know, if CPC forces them to work 24-hour shifts? If Chinese workers are abused by their Chinese bosses, how can they ever expect to be respected as human beings? As the alarms rang, the workers called for a boycott of CPC to force the non-profit to meet their demands: an immediate end to 24-hour shifts by splitting them into two 12-hour shifts worked by two different workers, payment for missing wages, and a public apology for the violence CPC had perpetrated against them. Months have passed since the start of the boycott, yet CPC still refuses to meet any of the workers demands. A century after the fight for the eight-hour workday, sweatshop conditions still terrorise these working women of colour in progressive New York City. And, as if 24-hour shifts arent bad enough, CPC and other employers often force workers to take several shifts in a row, making it impossible for them to return to their own homes for days at a time. Requiring unpaid hours is also a rampant business practice in this sector, as employers like CPC often subtract three hours for meal breaks and eight hours for sleep despite requiring employees to be continually present and available. The result is that attendants are paid the equivalent of 13 hours for a 24-shift. The reality of working with people who need round-the-clock care is that they do in fact need round-the-clock care, and homecare workers often have to work through their designated sleep hours. Despite court rulings that mandate workers be paid for the full 24-hours if they are unable to take adequate breaks, CPC has not paid a cent. Its Not Just About Money, Its About Violence While the workers do want to be paid retrospectively for all their unpaid work, and for all the hours they currently work, they are frustrated by those who try to reduce their fight to simply a matter of money. The CPC workers demands do not stop at fighting for fair wages 24 hours of wages for 24 hours of work. They want an end to the 24-hour workday because they see it as a form of violence. Years of 24-hour workdays have caused terrible physical damage to workers bodies. Working 24-hours shifts for CPC has made one worker, Rui Ling Wang, anxious, nervous, [and] sleep-deprived. Burdened with high blood pressure and stomach disease, Wang publicly shared that she too [has] become a patient. Another worker, Xiao Huan Yu, suffers from bent fingers, permanently damaged from years of looking after patients. The homecare workers furthermore insist that the violence is more than just physical. The 24-hour workday destroys mental health, marriages, and a workers social-self. With little time to rest between shifts, workers must always struggle to make time for loved ones, hobbies, and organising (though this hasnt stopped them from fighting.) Their lives become totally consumed by work. Lai Yee Chan, a CPC homecare worker and a leader in the fight against the 24-hour work day, has often said, when you get shot in the street, the pain is instant and you die quickly. The 24-hour workday is slow torture and imprisonment, where you suffer continuously every day. Its worse than getting shot and, if I have to choose, I would rather choose the former. These sweatshop conditions of homecare workers are the result of racist superexploitation. It is no coincidence that in New York State, it is only in New York City where homecare workers are nearly all immigrant women of colour that 24-hour shifts are the norm. Outside the city, where homecare workers are more likely to be US born and white, 12-hour or 8-hour shifts are far more common. CPC, however, is able to use the precarity and marginalisation of their workforce to reduce costs. It takes advantage of the fact that for their workers, mostly Chinese-speaking and older women, homecare work is one of the few jobs they can get. It gets the outcome it wants by offering them the choice between 24-hour shifts and too few hours to live on (or no job at all). The existence of the 24-hour-working immigrant underclass drags down the conditions of workers of all races, genders, and class positions from all different industries, subjecting all to the violence of long hours. From Amazon warehouse workers and medical residents to adjunct professors and tech workers, many working people today are unable to realise their right to refuse long hours, not even 24 hours. Many such workers have joined with homecare workers, inspired by their fight to regain their time, their lives, and their futures. The fight to end 24-hour workdays is the fight to end racism. As homecare workers have insisted, there will be no end to anti-Asian violence as long as we allow everyday racist violence against workers of colour. Being forced to work 24 hours must be understood as violence. The way to end this violence is not through alarms or empty commitments against anti-Asian hate, but through ending the disgusting conditions of superexploitation that are present in New York City and elsewhere around the world. No more 24! This time its patients biometrics their most sensitive data of all that appear to be at risk. The UKs National Health Services rush to embrace remote care has not only left many patients struggling to see a doctor in person; it has also opened up a rich vein of data mining and data managing opportunities for big tech companies, including Google and Microsoft. Even the controversial US spy-tech firm Palantir, which was founded with support from the CIA in 2003, has shared in the spoils. But then, in late May, a scandal broke, as I reported just over a month ago in Going, Going, Gone: UK Government Speeds Up Privatisation of National Health System: Managers at NHS Digital [had come] up with an ingenious plan to digitise and share up to 55 million patients private heath data with just about anyone willing to pay for it. That data includes sensitive information on physical, mental and sexual health, as well as gender, ethnicity, criminal records and history of abuse. It could even include a patients drug or alcohol history. The NHS Digital managers kindly allowed patients to opt out of the scheme; they just didnt bother telling them about it until three weeks before the deadline, presumably because millions of patients opting out of the scheme would have meant less money for the NHS. When the FT finally broke the story, a scandal erupted. NHS Digital officials have since scrapped the scheme, saying they now want to focus on reaching out to patients and reassuring them their data is safe. Unfortunately, the scandal doesnt appear to have spurred much in the way of meaningful change at NHS Digital. This past weekend, just three months after the agencys last data-related scandal, another one broke. Undisclosed companies, it turns out, are managing facial recognition data collected by the NHS App, which now has 16 million English users (just under 30% of the countrys population). The story, broken by the Guardian, has sparked fresh concerns about the safety of patient data in the hands of (often unidentified) private businesses: Data security experts have previously criticised the lack of transparency around a contract with the NHS held by iProov, whose facial verification software is used to perform automated ID checks on people signing up for the NHS app. The Guardian now understands that French company Teleperformance, which has attracted criticism in the UK over working conditions, uses an opaque chain of subcontractors to perform similar work under two contracts worth 35m. The NHS App, not to be confused with the Covid-19 app, can be used to perform a whole host of functions including booking GP appointments and ordering repeat prescriptions. Its number of users has doubled since May, when it became the easiest means of accessing the NHS certificate proving an individuals Covid-19 vaccination status (before the pandemic it had fewer than a million users). In the absence of an official vaccine passport in the UK, the NHS App has become the next best thing. To access the apps services users must go through an ID verification process. Some are directed to an automated process powered by iProovs software. Failing that, the NHS app resorts to manual checks, in which users record a short video of themselves reading out a set of four numbers, as well as uploading an ID document. The video is then sent to a team of identity checkers, who compare the ID photo with the users face in the video. But the public has no way of knowing what outsourcing companies are performing those checks, or under what terms and conditions. The NHS also appears to be sharing the facial recognition data with law enforcement bodies, but apparently only after a special panel has analysed the formal request. An expert in surveillance law cited by The Guardian said such information was also likely to be of interest to UK and foreign intelligence services: If GCHQ acquired it and it was of use, the likely position is that they would share that with the [US] National Security Agency. Strange Bedfellows As with previous scandals, the lack of transparency appears to be a feature, not a bug, of NHS Digitals outsourcing practices. Until now most patients havent even been made aware of the fact that their most sensitive data is up for sale, or that it could end up being managed by deeply conflicted companies like Palantir. This is a company that specialises in online surveillance. Its main line of business is to provide data-science support to US military operations, mass surveillance, and predictive policing. In February, Palantirs chief operating officer told investors that Palantir was driving towards being inside of every missile, inside of every drone. Its easy to understand why Palantir may want to diversify into health sciences in the UK (just as it is in the US): there are huge amounts of money to be made. Last year alone it racked up 22 million in profits on the back of its NHS data deals. But its a lot harder to fathom why the UKs National Health Service the first health system in any Western society to offer free medical care to the entire population would partner with a company that deals in death on such a gargantuan scale. Their background has generally been in contracts where people are harmed, not healed, said Cori Crider, the lawyer who co-founded Foxglove. The good news is that after strong pressure from Foxglove and Open Democracy, the UK government finally relented and rescinded the NHSs contract with Palantir earlier this month. But its impossible to know what will happen to all the data Palantir has managed once the contract is up. Whats more, Palantir is not completely out of the picture. Through its investments in London-based start-up Babylon Health, which provides AI-powered digital checkups and helps users navigate the UK NHS system, the spytech giant still has its fingers in the NHS pie. Another Silicon Valley giant that appears to be calling it quits on the NHS while keeping one or two fingers in the pie is Google. The companys AI arm, London-based DeepMind, began partnering with the NHS since 2016, initially to improve the detection of acute kidney injuries. This gave it access to the sensitive data of over a million NHS patients, in a deal that the UKs data watchdog later found breached the law as patients were not adequately informed that their data was being used. After that, the contract was taken over by Google Health. Now Google Health says it is decommissioning its clinician support app, Streams, which it had rolled out for NHS clinicians. It is also severing its ties with all of the NHS trusts it has partnered with, bar one: London Free. One of the most curious aspects of DeepMind and later Google Health s partnership with the NHS is that it never actually involved the development of new AI technologies, reports Tech Crunch: [D]espite being developed by Googles AI division and despite DeepMind founder Mustafa Suleyman saying the goal for the project was to find ways to integrate AI into Streams [Googles clinician support app] so the app could generate predictive healthcare alerts the Streams app doesnt involve any artificial intelligence. An algorithm in Streams alerts doctors to the risk of a patient developing acute kidney injury but relies on an existing AKI (acute kidney injury) algorithm developed by the NHS. So Streams essentially digitized and mobilized existing practice. Shrouded in Secrecy NHS Digitals latest scandal involves French-based multinational Teleperformance, one of the worlds biggest providers of phone services, including customer care, technical support, debt collection, cloud services and social media management. The company, whose clients include Apple, Google, Amazon and Facebook, is also no stranger to controversy. In April 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, Teleperformance was accused by French and international trade unions of violating workers rights to a safe workplace in ten countries including Albania, Colombia, France, Greece, India, Philippines, and the United Kingdom. There were also reported instances of union busting in Colombia and Albania. This prompted an investigation by the OECD, at the end of which Frances National Contact Point (NCP) issued six recommendations, including that the company should strengthen efforts to ensure respect for human rights and worker safety. It also urged Teleperformance to ensure, as soon as possible, that its Albanian and Colombian subsidiaries respect the right of workers to form or join trade unions and representative organizations of their choice. Teleperformance has also drawn criticism in the UK over working conditions. Earlier this year, it courted controversy for using webcams to monitor staff in many countries to check whether they are looking at their phones, eating or leaving their desks while working from home. Officials warned that it could mark the beginning of full-time visual monitoring of people working in the home. Unions allege Teleperformance also asked staff based in Colombia to hand over their biometric and medical data as well as undergo polygraph tests. Despite these scandals, Teleperformance has been entrusted to manage the facial recognition data of the NHS digital apps millions of users. Yet most of the details regarding its business relationship with the NHS, including the identity of the companies to which Teleperformance outsources some of the ID processes, remain shrouded in secrecy. Once again, from The Guardian: Both NHS Digital and Teleperformance declined to provide a list naming the subcontractors. The NHS has published a partly redacted version of one of the contracts with Teleperformance, a 7m agreement covering April to June this year, but has not published a larger 28m contract running from June 2021 to March 2022. It also hasnt published a data protection impact assessment (DPIA), a document governing how the personal data of people signing up to the NHS app is used, collected and stored. None of this is confidence inspiring. Nor is the fact that Teleperformance refused to comment on how it processes and protects the data its manual checkers receive. Or the fact that NHS Digital is only willing to publish a heavily redacted version of one of the contracts it has signed with Teleperformance. According to The Guardian, it is considering publishing redacted versions of the second contract with IProov and the data protection impact assessment (DPIA). This, at a time when public trust in health authorities has never been so important yet so fragile, does not go nearly far enough, say transparency advocates: Civil liberties campaign group Big Brother Watch said there was no reason at all not to publish contracts and supporting information about the companies involved and their procedures. People dont even know which companies are involved in processing this identification data, where theyre based, or what privacy protections are in place. There is a clear and pressing need for transparency around this curious tech set up, said director Silkie Carlo. The concerns echo those expressed earlier this week about iProovs contract, which also hasnt been published and is governed by the same DPIA. The government has said the documents have not been published for security reasons. Clearly, the NHS needs good data, for planning, research and healthcare. And it also needs external support since it doesnt have all the expertise and insights required to meet those needs. But all outsourcing must be done in the most transparent manner possible, so as to preserve public trust. That isnt happening. The NHS has one of the largest repositories of public health data on the planet. Thats what makes it such an attractive proposition for global corporations, particularly in the tech, insurance and life sciences industries. And the UK government is desperate to give them what they want, not only to raise short-term funds for the NHS but also to curry favour with many of its own party donors, including the private equity backers of iProov. Under Conservative management, the NHS has already provided access to UK hospital data and patient records to 40 pharmaceutical, consultancy and data companies worldwide. Those companies include McKinsey & Company, KPMG, Novavax, AstraZeneca, marketing firm Experian and a data company co-founded by the Sackler family, who made billions of dollars selling OxyContin, an opiate painkiller stronger than morphine. In 2013, the Cameron government even granted BUPA, one of the UKs biggest private health insurers, access to Englands sensitive or identifiable patient data. NHS Digital insists that it has now changed its ways. In August it shelved plans to collect data nationally beginning in September after more than a million people opted out of NHS data-sharing in just one month. Some GP practices refused to hand over patient data. There is no longer a specific start date for the collection of data and NHS Digital has proposed three tests that would need to be met before patient data is collected, including a public awareness campaign and an opting out option. It has also insisted that the data will not be used for commercial purposes. But many GPs and patients are not buying it, which you can understand given this governments short but storied history of corruption, malfeasance and cronyism as well as reneging on previous pledges. Thats not to mention, of course, its reckless, disdainful stewardship of the NHS, which is aptly summed up in the following montage by Cold War Steve (h/t Lambert): Never in my worst nightmares did I imagine I would ever want Bernanke and Geithner back in charge. Yes, vast swathes of the public at least dimly recognized that the financial crisis bailouts were designed to preserve the banking system at their expense. Yes, no executives went to jail or even had their feathers ruffled. Yes, the Fed, the Treasury, and central bankers all over the world refused to believe that the derivatives-leveraged debt bomb was aimed at the heart of the financial system, even though they had warning in the form of three acute phases before the big Lehman-triggered blow up. But compared to the clown show we have managing the Covid crisis, the Fed-Treasury team was a paragon of managerial virtue. There is every reason to loathe their banking system friendly, cognitively captured priorities, backed by Obamas fundamental conservatism and personal reluctance to cross anyone in the clubs hed just joined. But they were bloody well competent at pursuing those bad objectives. By contrast, most readers are all too familiar with the sorry conduct of public health establishment in the US over the course of the Covid crisis, from the initial denial of the possibility that it could become a pandemic,1 to advising against masks, to ending lockdowns too early, to imposing too few restrictions on international air travel, to refusal to impose quarantines with teeth, to the premature May Mission Accomplished, take off your masks pronouncement. Today, well discuss the vaccine mandates as a perverse example of the othering that has become a prominent and not-productive element of the official response to Covid. It as if this focus designed to serve the emotional needs of those in charge, in particular reaffirm their claim to authority and assertion of special privileges, rather than prevent death and suffering. And the others are responding in kind to the open hostility, starting with Biden saying hes lost patience with the unvaccinated. Vaccinations Alone Insufficient to Combat Delta. A Covid strategy that relied pretty much exclusively on vaccinations could conceivably have worked with the original wild type or Wuhan variant, where experts estimated that a ~65% vaccination level would reduce the replication rate to less than one, so the pathogen would fizzle out. There might still be outbreaks in low-vaccination areas, but Covid would be reduced to an intermittent, low-level problem. But with Delta being far more contagious, or as the experts would say, having a higher unmitigated R0, it would take a correspondingly much higher level of vaccination to lower the R0 to below one, with most experts pegging it at 85% if not higher. Getting to 85% would be daunting when you factor in not merely vaccine resistance/hesitancy and legitimate economic reasons to avoid vaccination (the risk of miss a day or two or work due to a routine reaction leading to a catastrophic economic downspiral) but also the fact that being vaccinated or getting Covid confers less than a year of immunity. The best guesstimates seem to be eight months for Moderna and contracting Covid, and close to that long for J&J, versus five to six months at best for Pfizer.3 Despite efforts to impugn data out of Israel showing declining efficacy of Pfizer vaccine4, confirmed by a large-scale study out of Mayo, it appears that the current vaccines do very little to reduce contagiousness. The CDC study of the Provincetown outbreak found similar nasal viral loads among the vaccinated and unvaccinated; other studies tried to claim the vaccines still reduced Delta propagation. To the extent it does, it aint much, on the order of 2.0 Moreover, waning vaccine effectiveness among the vaccinated translates into not merely more breakthrough cases, but also an increasing number of those with breakthrough cases winding up mighty sick. And all those cheery claims that virtually all of those hospitalized for Covid are unvaccinated is composed from anecdata since that information does not exist on a national level. From IM Doc: I was informed today by the Health Dept that they have absolutely zero way of tracking correctly vaccinated cases. In that they do not have the ability to retrospectively find out which vaccination the person has had. So there is no way the CDC will be having this kind of detail, unless other states are doing this. Readers have said California and some other states do have proper vaccination tracking systems, but in aggregate, they represent a minority of the population. The reason we suspect the official-sounding anecdata is we are hearing from readers and medically-connected sources of specific instances of fully vaccinated individuals winding up in the hospital with Covid and some dying. IM Doc has even sent obits of medical professionals he knew who died of Covid, fully vaccinated, with no mention in the text, while the press makes relishes reporting on Covid deaths of the unvaccinated. Even though there is every reason to believe that deaths and hospitalizations are still significantly skewed towards the unvaccinated, the press hyping by how much is undermining confidence among the fence-sitters. You might say, But the booster program is starting! The virtuous vaccine-takers will be protected. Um, not to the degree youd like to think. Even for Moderna, the most effective vaccine against Delta, the neutralizing antibodies generated against B.1.351 by a third shot were only 40% of the level of the earlier jabs agains the wild type, per Modernas own research. Yet the booster program is now focused on Pfizer, the least effective vaccine against Delta. Theres a reason Israel is now talking about fourth booster shots. You might say, Well, the drug companies will soon have a booster that targets Delta. Notice that they are instead offering boosters that are the same as the original shot, as in is designed to combat the Wuhan variant. The lack of any apparent plan to develop Delta or other variant-specific shots does not appear to be due to development or approval delays, but instead the span of variants. As GM explained: It has been noted for some time that the mutations in Delta/B.1.617.2, on one hand, and B.1.351/Beta and P.1/Gamma, on the other, are orthogonal to each other. And there have been other mutational paths too, but those did not rise to significant prominence. Which is essentially evolution into distinct serotypes, and is one big reason why we are still injecting the original Wuhan strain vaccine into the arms of people instead of a variant-specific one the antigenic distance between the Wuhan strain and each of these variants is lower than the antigenic distance between some of them, thus the original vaccine gives the best breadth of coverage.2 Tellingly, even without necessarily having plumbed these or similar details, the media has started to abandon vaccine cheerleading. Notice the start of the segment, the host is clearly frustrated with the lack of sufficient vaccine success and probes Scott Gottlieb about therapeutics as a possible remedy: And mind you, we havent even mentioned the elephant in the room, that of children as a contagion vector. The regular very large-scale tests by Imperial College established in 2020 that elementary school kids are twice as likely as adults to bring Covid into a household as adults, and older children, seven times as likely. Yet children have been omitted from the Covid computation until they started getting visibly sick with Delta and some dying. And despite the full court press for adolescent vaccinations and enthusiasm for childhood jabs, its extremely unlikely that the uptake would get within hailing distance of adult levels. IM Doc lives in a very blue pocket in flyover. A report from early August: We were at the parent meeting for the new school year this week. An informal vote was taken about this issue so the parentss feeling could be gaged. There were 114 kids whose parents were there. The vote was 112-2. 112 kids will not be vaccinated. What started off as an informational meeting turned into a screaming match between about 10-15 parents and the principal/school board. Massive standing ovations when these parents were stating that they will pull their kids and home school them before they would consent for them to be vaccinated. And perhaps more relevant, with his area having a Covid upsurge, despite an 80% vaccination level in his county, to the degree that the National Guard are in his hospital, the local schools have contained infection among children: Front page news story today One of the largest school districts in the state XXXX now has almost 500 kids out in quarantine. Schools up and down the mountain ranges in Montana are having similar issues. All kinds of parents freaked out about masks and refusing to have their kids wear them, etc. And yet in my kids district, a few here and there with COVID and then appropriate measures taken. A heavy community spirit. All kids and teachers wearing masks. No communal cafeteria. We were asked last week to pack 2 lunches for each kid because they are trying to keep kids in their classroooms for lunches and wanting no kids to have to eat cafeteria food. So some of the parents are sending 2 lunches with each kid to cover the other kids whose parents cannot afford (or whatever) to bring food. All windows in the class wide open with fans blowing. And they had installed fan filters in each room for when the winter comes. If a kid even has sniffles they are called to be home and for 7 days. No exceptions even if they are negative. The cold weather will start here very soon will see how this all goes then. We will skip over children for the rest of this discussion, but bear in mind that they create even more problems for viability of the Biden Administration vaccine-fixated response. .Yet Biden Administration Doubles Down on Vaccines and Resorts to Coercion Yet with that sorry fact set, here is where we are: With an 80% vaccine effectiveness against serious disease, a lot less than that against infection, the US is effectively doing the same as allowing 20% of people to be infected without any vaccine even if we vaccinated everyone, and it is a lot worse than that if we are far from that target. And the official response is even worse. The vaccinated were told they could abandon precautions like masking, distancing, avoiding going to restaurants and bars. Due to the summer upsurge, the CDC has tried partially walking this hare-brained May guidance back and now recommends that the vaccinated mask up indoors. But the damage has been done. I see very little masking save at venues that require it, and readers across the US report report broadly similar behavior. Rather than try to get the public to again adopt low-cost protective behaviors like masking, with soft measures like jawboning the major broadcasters to have all their on camera reporters wear mask, the Biden Administration instead is doubling down on its failed strategy of shaming by escalating and adding coercion into the mix, via vaccine mandates. Remember, we can see that name-calling the unvaxxed has not worked well in the US data. We were early to start vaccinating the public and have had adequate supplies, yet as Lambert points out in Water Cooler, our vaccination levels are unimpressive by world standards. As much as I dont like the punitive glee too often visible in the discussion of the vaccine mandates, what is disconcerting is the strong-form of vaccine only, as opposed to the original formulation of get the vaccine or get tested weekly. Ahem, given breakthrough infections, why is regular (free) testing made into a punishment and not an incentive? If I could get weekly free testing at my workplace, Id be all for it. And given the discussion of why vaccines alone are insufficient to tackle Covid, frequent testing would speed identification and isolation of the infected5. And the reason the doubling down on a failed vaccination strategy via coercive mandates isnt that the absolute levels of refusals will be all that high, but that they are almost certain to hit the already staff-starved hospitals, who have had a steady bleed of personnel due to burnout and reluctance to take even more exposure to Covid under Delta. Hospitals simply cant afford to lose more staff. As we have pointed out, despite this recent Covid wave being less deadly than its predecessors, hospitals in many locations are closer to breakdown due to staff attrition. It is touching to see Rochelle Walensky so concerned about the impact of mandate-triggered departures on already-strained hospitals. From The Hill: CDC Director Rochelle Walensky on Monday said she backed vaccine mandates for health care workers, but admitted that resulting staff shortages could present a challenge. Weve pointed out that a big group that is reluctant to get vaccinated is reproduction-aged women, whove heard, often from women they know personally, reports of whacked-out menstrual periods, including cases of their cessation. The CDC has refused to take this seriously and is late to look into the issue. The lack of investigation allows these worries to fester and grow. New York City is at risk. From New York hospitals brace for mass staff shortages as vaccine deadline looms: Maxine Carrington, the personnel chief for Northwell Health, said she has had personal conversations with each staff member who is not vaccinated in order to try to increase vaccinations. Ive had personal conversations with team members, and I was asked by one: Are you really going to fire us on the 27th? And I said, lets put that aside for a minute and lets talk about saving your life. Why dont you want to get vaccinated? Carrington said Mind you, these hospital workers are regularly the antithesis of Southern-state Bubbas, but youd never know that from the likes of the New York Times. Morning Newsletter, which ran a story today on how only 60% of Republicans had gotten one jab versus 86% of Democrats (hhm, poor follow through in both groups, Lamberts Water Cooler shows the national vax level at 55.3%) with the headline, Covids partisan pattern is growing more extreme, which a reader translated as Time to put redneck whiteys in concentration camps. So how can narratives like these co-exist? Hochul considering deployment of National Guard to address health care worker shortage https://t.co/pfK2n1SlNp pic.twitter.com/FAUDDbEbdM The Hill (@thehill) September 27, 2021 For health systems that have passed their employee vaccine deadlines, this chart show the total number of employees and the number of employees released due to not vaccinating or receiving an approved exemption. pic.twitter.com/0sJakF3rgG Steve Edwards (@SDECoxHealth) September 24, 2021 There are two factors that are missing in the computation of raw numbers. First is that the officialdom has incentives to minimize the impact of these policies. For starters, the chart above is about firings. Its not hard to imagine that retirements are not counted. Second is that most people who object, or were pushed over the edge by this requirement after all of the Covid stress, would resign before the deadline and find another job. Why burn bridges by being forced out? Particularly for low-level workers that are the backbones of hospitals, like CNAs, cleaners, and cooks, there are other jobs in this staff-short economy for workers who arent very highly paid. CNA pay is appalling and theyd be likely to find new work quickly. There are signs of resistance among other modestly-paid workers; whether theyll follow through and work only for vaccine-tolerant employers remains to be seen. From Detroits ABC station: Ive met a lot of resistance, Ive had two people get quite angry with me to be honest with you, said Gail Smith, staffing manager at Snelling Staffing Services in Roseville. Smith said some of her employers are now requiring the vaccine, and applicants are not happy. Its been 100 percent of the candidates Ive spoken with. Nobody has said, sure no problem, they all had hesitations, she said. Many of those interviews were for custodial positions in hospital or school settings, where vaccines have been required. But now, since the majority of the agencys clients have more than 100 employees, Smith expects to face that pushback more often. Theyre getting really uncomfortable. They dont want to miss out on the job, but theyre torn. Theyre very torn, said Smith. Again, most of these applicants are likely to fall into line, but note that the open positions include those for hospitals and schools, which are already short-handed. Brunches with Cats pointed out in comments that other strategically-placed workers, like transport workers, werent keen about mandatory vaccinations and enough in her state of Washington (which has a vaccine-only mandate) are already resigning so as to affect service levels. As she observed: Yep. Inslee and staff dont believe that state employees threatening to quit over his mandate will actually do it. Well find out shortly, as they have to have both shots (or one J&J) by Oct. 4 to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18 or be fired. Whether or not its for political points, it could backfire big time if personnel shortages cause cutbacks in public services. Its already happening within the ferry system, in part due to workers out sick with the virus, but there have been rumors that some are calling in sick in protest or refusing to accept overtime to cover for sick coworkers. As a result, many sailings are being cancelled, leaving passengers stranded on the dock for hours. State troopers also are in an uproar over a reported blanket refusal to grant religious exemptions within the division, on the grounds that theres no way to accommodate them. The govs proclamation includes the legally required exemptions for medical or religious reasons, but even if granted, they have to pass the reasonable accommodations test. Because theyre truly delusional, theyre requiring employees to register with a third-party vaccination verification program, which means signing an odious 50-page EULA before sending personal and medical data off to the Microsoft cloud. According to one of my ferry contacts, union reps responded to their concerns by saying they had been addressed with management, period, and BTW could they help out HR by uploading their documentation by the end of this week. The regular abuse by anti-vax parents of school vaccine requirements by getting cooperative doctors to send in notes claiming that Johnny cant be vaccinated is now making it difficult for the few who work for employers like United that have implemented a strong-form vaccine mandate do have bona fide health issues to request an accommodation via weekly testing.6 The law firm representing six United employees as part of a class action suit succeeded in obtaining a temporary restraining order. Most anti-vax suits are terribly drafted so I dont anticipate that many of the legal challenges to the vaccine mandates will prevail in the end. However, Uniteds position that six years of unpaid leave amount to a reasonable accommodation for plaintiffs who have (potentially bona fide) medical reasons not to take the vaccine seems like a stretch.7 And even though the press reports that vaccination rates among blacks and Hispanics are rising, there are doctors who object to mandating the vaccines. But there is one cohort that does fit the Bubba hatred stereotype, and that is some hard-core evangelical sects in flyover. However, at least for the one described below, their opposition is not to vaccines; many have taken them and the unvaccinated among them would be amenable to doing your patriotic duty exhortations.which are utterly in absence as far as Team Biden is concerned. From a regular reader immediately after the Biden Administration extended its vaccine mandate from Federal employees to private businesses with more than 100 workers in early September: This is very serious I think these Biden people have no idea what they are about to unleash. They have seriously underestimated how common these feelings are in large swaths of this country. Places that grow the food and drill the oil. They have underestimated how many minorities feel the same way. . Their worst prophetic nightmares are coming true daily before their eyes. They have been told these days were coming all their life and have been steeling themselves for it. They are not anti-vax in any way shape or form. This passport, get fired, lose your life and livelihood is the Rubicon to them and as of today it has officially been crossed. An-email from a close relatives religious leader: Effective today, the government of the United States of America has cast its lot completely and totally with the evildoers. There is now no going back. The lot has fallen. They come after our jobs and livelihood now. Tomorrow, will come the passports and the Mark of the Beast. It is on the way. We are a fallen and deluded country. We are deceived. God will not be mocked. None of the chosen will take the Mark in any way shape or form. To do so would lead to hellfire for eternity. Brothers and Sisters in Christ, war has been declared today. We must fight the Evil. We must fight the Beast until the day of the Glory of the Lord. We must begin to look after one another. We must fight the use of the Mark in our affairs. If we do not fight with all our hearts, souls, and minds before the coming of the Glorious Day, all will be lost. We will all be getting down on our knees tonight at 7PM. We will need to get ourselves spiritually prepared. They have declared war on us today. We will respond in kind until the day that He arrives to take us up into the clouds. Needless to say, this is the sort of development that the mainstream media is not keen to report. And in fairness, neither they nor I have a ready way of determining how many believers have reacted this way. How significant this response turns out to be will be largely a function not of their numbers, since they are clearly a minority, but whether they are strategically placed via their employment. But the US is already up to its eyeballs in supply chain disruption, so even if evangelical opposition added to this picture in a serious way, it would be hard enough to parse out so as to facilitate it being minimized. By contrast, some white collar workers are being handled with care. The Verge reported that Apple is implementing a mandate-lite, requiring regularly testing of unvaccinated employees but not pressing them to take the jab. In other words, the harder you look at it, the more difficult it is to find any logic for vaccine coercion without a parallel hard push for non-pharmaceutical interventions. Is it desperation and denialism? Blind belief in their own authority and self-perceived moral superiority? Sheer laziness, because a multi-pronged approach would be hard? I cant fathom it save perhaps deep-seated cynicism in action. The best-informed recognize the US lacks the will and the institutional capacity to manage the pandemic, and so the vaccine mandate is just another Pharma-enriching approach that also pre-positions the blame cannons squarely at Bubba. In reality, the adopted a let-er-rip strategy and the vaccines are at best an effort to protect the health care systembut they arent succeeding at that either under Delta. Its already obvious that the results will not be good unless the officialdom gets lucky and Covid evolves into a more contagious yet wimpier variant. And so far, the gods have not been kind. ____ 1 Contrast with Nassim Nicholas Talebs January 26, 2020 warning. 2 Continuing from the same e-mail from GM: But how big is the antigenic distance exactly? Here is a new preprint: https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.09.14.21263564v1 They also had a strain isolated from an HIV patient after 190 days of infection, which is a bit of a mix of P.1/Gamma and C.37/Lambda R190K, K417T, D427Y, F490S, N501Y. Thats called D190 in the preprint Figure 2 shows the results for the neutralization reductions: Baseline B.1.351/Beta on ancestral strain serum: 7.2x reduction B.1.617.2/Delta on ancestral strain serum: 2.0x reduction (in their assay it is low, others show it to be 5-6x; it varies a lot) D190 on ancestral strain serum: 8.8x reduction Cross-strain: Delta on Beta serum: 12.4x reduction Beta on Delta serum: 33.6x reduction Delta on D190 serum: 27.1x reduction A reduction of 33x means essentially no immunity the protective threshold is less than 10 on that scale. So it will be very interesting to see if some non-Delta serotype survives and rises in poorly vaccinated populations that have been swept by Delta. C.1.2 in South Africa is a good candidate, maybe even B.1.621/Mu could have caused another wave in India if it got there in significant numbers and could establish itself before it goes extinct. But long-term, unless the Delta advantage is unique to this particular structure and the fitness landscape turns out not to be flat but with a sharp peak, we will likely end up in a situation with multiple serotypes for which cross-immunity does not work. 3 Even these estimate may be generous in practice. Recall that we flagged official data from Israel in early July that showed that infection rates, even when stratified by age, were proportional when comparing the vaccinated to the unvaccinated. That meant that 5-6 months from when most Israelis were vaccinated, the vaccine (in Israel almost exclusively Pfizer) conferred no protection against contagion. Other evidence of the vaccines offering only limited reduction in Delta spread. From GM: Useful example of what happens in an contained population, in this case a prison https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7038e3.htm 80% vaccination, and relatively recent too half were 4-6 months from second dose, the rest less than that resulted in 70% attack rate among the vaccinated (and 93% in the unvaccinated) Attack rates in the 4-6 months groups 89% Moderna held the best 40% attack rate. Pfizer at 81%, but its not clear if those are matched by time from second dose. 4 Dont even try Simpsons Paradox. One of my very plugged in economist colleagues said as soon as Israel started publishing official data showing declining vaccine efficacy, Pfizer was all over them to try to get them to change it. They didnt. And as GM said: There were lot of people talking about Simpsons paradox and how in Israel they did not properly age match, and how VE was not properly calculated. Israel has some of the most competent statisticians in the world, and they did in fact properly age match, but more importantly, whether we got the percentages right does not matter, what matters is whether hospitals are overrun with vaccinated patients. If they are, and they are, then the vaccine has been broken through to an extent that makes it a failure. 5. But oh, no, that isnt necessarily happening either. Due to this post already going into the over-long territory, I have not tracked down the prevalence of another anti-public-health measure, that of requiring only the unvaxxed who have been exposed to a positive Covid case to isolate. 6 I fail to understand why school systems have been so chickenshit over vaccine evasion. Why didnt they require anyone who sought a medical exemption to submit evidence from their health records to substantiate the claims? Oh, and threaten to pursue the suspension of licenses of MDs who had clearly fabricated? The AMA is pro-vaccine and theyd be keen to rout out anti-vax MDs. If that approach had been developed and de-bugged, it would not be hard to implement a similar scheme for Covid vaccines. But that horse left the barn a very long time ago. 7 The niceties of employee rights in this area are over my pay grade. However, generally speaking, it appears that employers normally dont have offer many/any concessions are far as vaccinations are concerned. However, in this case, some flavors of the Federal mandate and most state and local implementations allow for frequent testing as an alternative, which could conceivably allow the plaintiffs to contend they are entitled to testing as an accommodation. Bylaws Approved by the Membership, September 2015 ARTICLE I: Title, Organization, and Administrative Plan Section 1. Title. The name of the corporation shall be National Association of Teachers of Singing, Inc., hereinafter referred to as the Association. Section 2. Organization. The Association shall be designated as a nonprofit, educational association, organized under the 'General Not for Profit Corporation Act. The Association may seek tax exempt status pursuant to Section 501(C) of the Internal Revenue Code. Section 3. Publications. The official publication of the Association shall be the Journal of Singing. The intra-organizational publication shall be Inter Nos. The official website of the Association shall be established by the Board from time to time. Section 4. Administration. Except as otherwise set forth herein, the property, funds, and affairs of the Association shall be controlled and managed by a Board of Directors (hereinafter referred to as the Board), members of which are referred to as Directors, consisting of the President, Past President, President Elect, all Vice Presidents, Secretary/Treasurer, and all Regional Governors. The Executive Director, the International Coordinator, and the Editor in Chief of the Journal of Singing, attend meetings of the Board and may speak at meetings, but do not have a vote. The Board communicates with the Executive Director through the President of the Association. top ARTICLE II: Offices The Board shall determine the State of incorporation, physical location of the Executive Office, and Registered Agent for service of process. top ARTICLE III: Purposes The Association is organized to benefit the public good and generally enrich the public through: (i) encouragement of Members to achieve the highest standards in their teaching of singing; (ii) promotion of vocal education and research at all levels, both for the enrichment of the general public and for the professional advancement of the talented; (iii) requiring Members adherence to stated ethical principles in the teaching of the vocal arts; and (iv) organizing and affiliating its Members to provide nationwide accessibility to qualified teachers for all students of singing. top ARTICLE IV: Corporate Seal The Association shall have a corporate seal, which shall have inscribed thereon the name of the corporation, the words "Corporate Seal" and "December 1944." Said seal shall be kept in the Executive Office by the Executive Director of the Association. top ARTICLE V: Members Section 1. Election of Members. Applications for membership must be completed and signed by the applicants, specifying citizenship, residence, professional training and activities, teaching experience, and other pertinent data, and shall be accompanied by a letter of recommendation for membership from at least one Full, Emeritus, or Associate Member of the Association in Good Standing, defined in Article V, Sections 2 and 3. Applicants must also pledge in writing their acceptance of and conformance with the Code of Ethics and these Bylaws, as each may be adopted or amended by the Association from time to time. Applications for all membership classifications shall be submitted through the Association's Executive Office to the Vice President for Membership. The Board shall have power of review over all membership applications. Approval of a membership application shall not be complete until payment of all applicable dues, and may be conditioned upon submission of documentation to the Vice President for Membership. Section 2. Classes of Members. The Association shall be open to all individuals regardless of gender, race, age, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, national origin, religion, or citizenship. There shall be five membership classifications Full Members. Full Members must be persons of known personal integrity whose professional training and/or experience qualify them to be teachers of singing or collaborative pianists. Full Members have all rights of membership, including voting and holding office at any level. Emeritus Members. Persons eligible for emeritus membership are Full or Associate Members of the Association who have attained their sixty-eighth birthday and have been Members in Good Standing for at least twenty years. Requests for this membership status must be sent to the Executive Director. Emeritus Members are not required to pay dues. They have full power of vote, but may hold office only at the chapter level. Associate Members. Associate Members must be persons of known personal integrity who are beginning teachers of singing or collaborative pianists with professional training. Associate Members have full power of vote, but may hold office only at the chapter level. Student Members. Student Members are actively training to be teachers of singing or collaborative pianists, or are beginning teachers or collaborative pianists, enrolled full-time in an undergraduate or masters degree program. Student members may only vote or hold office in SNATS Chapters. Student membership is separate from membership in a SNATS Chapter. A Member who holds status as an Associate or Full Member may not convert to Student Member status. Affiliate Members. Affiliate Members may be individuals in fields related to the teaching of singing, institutions such as schools, colleges, and universities, and business firms associated with music as determined by the Board of Directors. Affiliate Members may not vote or hold office at any level. Section 3. Dues. Payment of national dues in an amount determined by the Board from time to time is a condition of membership in the Association. Only Members have the right and privilege of using the NATS name and logo in conjunction with their own, and of participating in members-only events. Members shall only use the NATS name and logo as instructed or directed by the Association from time to time. The Board shall establish the amount of dues, the date on which dues are payable, prorating of dues, and establishment of various fees and administrative charges. The dues established above shall pay for the implementation of the stated purposes of the Association and shall entitle the paying Member to receive a full subscription to the Journal of Singing. A Member who has not paid dues by the date payable is not in Good Standing, as defined in Article V, Section 4. The Board will determine a date beyond the date payable after which membership is automatically terminated. Section 4. Standing. Good Standing. Good Standing is reserved for Members of the Association who are current in payment of dues and who have complied with all other terms of Membership, including, compliance with the Code of Ethics and these Bylaws. Good Standing is a requirement for all privileges associated with each class of membership, as cited in Article V, Section 1. All Emeritus Members are presumed to be in Good Standing. Any Member who voluntarily resigns from the Association is considered a former member and will automatically be returned to Good Standing upon payment of current dues. Lapsed Standing. Any Member who is delinquent in payment of dues is considered to be in Lapsed Standing. The Board may establish a date from time to time after which privileges of membership, including the right to vote and participate in Chapter events, are suspended. Lapsed Members will automatically be returned to Good Standing upon payment of dues and administrative costs for reinstatement as determined by the Board from time to time. Section 5. Disciplinary Action. Allegations of violation of the Code of Ethics or Bylaws, or of conduct detrimental to the welfare and best interests of the Association may be brought against a Member as follows: (1) by written report of any three Full, Emeritus, Associate, or Student Members in Good Standing; or (2) by written report from a non-Member. Said report shall be submitted to the President of the Association, or to the President Elect if the complaint is against the President. If the President or President Elect deems the case non-frivolous, it shall be forwarded to the Ethics Committee for resolution. Following referral of a matter to the Ethics Committee, the Ethics Committee shall investigate as it deems appropriate, and seek such resolution of the matter as it deems prudent and in the best interest of both the Association and the accused Member, in light of the circumstances. In the event that the Ethics Committee is unable to resolve the allegations, the President of the Association shall present the case to the Board for a hearing. The accused party(ies) shall be given a thirty days prior written notice of the hearing and shall be permitted to appear in person, in writing, by proxy and with or without an attorneys presence or assistance. At least one Member of the Ethics Committee shall attend said hearing. The Board holds the right to terminate membership, based on the results of that hearing. The Board may immediately terminate the membership of any Member convicted of a felony, or of a misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, breach of trust, or sexual misconduct. Regions and Chapters shall immediately terminate the membership of a person whose Association membership has been terminated. Section 6. Resignations. Members in Good Standing may resign from the Association by submitting letters of resignation to the Association, which will remove those Members from the active membership roll. Section 7. Reinstatement. Members who resign in Good Standing may reactivate their memberships by requesting such action, submitting payment for current dues to the Association, and recertifying their acceptance of the Membership Terms, Code of Ethics and these Bylaws, as each may be adopted or amended by the Association from time to time. Lapsed Members who have been terminated for non-payment of dues may reactivate their memberships by requesting such action and submitting payment for current dues plus a reinstatement fee to the Association Section 8. Membership in Chapters. Active Members of the Association in Good Standing who are in compliance with the Membership Terms, Code of Ethics and these Bylaws, as each may be adopted or amended from time to time, may join a NATS Chapter (other than Student Chapters chartered under Article VII Section 4 below), upon payment to the Association of applicable Chapter dues and compliance with applicable Chapter membership requirements. top ARTICLE VI: Meetings of Members Section 1. Meetings and Notice. The Association shall hold General Business Meetings during National Conferences on dates determined by the Board, upon call of the President. Notice shall be given to all Members at least sixty days before the date by: (i) publication in the Journal of Singing or Inter Nos; (ii) direct postal mail; or (iii) electronically. Section 2. Manner of Acting. At any General Business Meeting of the Association each Full, Emeritus, and Associate Member in Good Standing shall be entitled to speak, make motions, and vote on all business matters brought before the membership. Section 3. Voting by Mail. A vote of the Association may be taken by mail. The vote of a majority of responses shall constitute the vote of the Association, provided that at least 5% of the membership eligible to vote has returned a valid ballot by the date specified. The result of such a vote shall be published to the entire membership. The date by which ballots must be returned in order to be counted shall be specified on the ballot. Section 4. Electronic Voting. A vote of the Association may be taken electronically. In any electronic ballot, however, Members may request a paper ballot. The vote of a majority of responses shall constitute the vote of the Association, provided that at least 5% of the membership eligible to vote has returned a valid ballot by the date specified. The result of such vote shall be published to the entire membership. The date by which ballots must be returned in order to be counted shall be specified on the ballot. Section 5. Quorum. Fifty (50) Members of the Association, including at least four Association officers, shall constitute a quorum at the General Business Meeting of the Association. Receipt of ballots from at least five percent (5%) of the membership eligible to vote shall constitute a quorum for mail and electronic meetings. top ARTICLE VII: Chapters Section 1. Establishing a Chapter. Any group of active Full, Emeritus, or Associate Members of the Association may petition the Board for a chapter charter for their geographic area. Chapter membership shall not be restricted by regional or district boundaries, but Chapters must be located within North America. Chapters shall abide by Association Bylaws, policies, and guidelines for the betterment of the membership and fulfillment of the Associations purpose. Section 2. Chapter Policies and Procedures. Chapters will establish their own Bylaws and operating procedures consistent with these Association Bylaws, and with the review and consent of the Board. Chapters shall accept and allow as chapter Members only Members of the Association. Section 3. Chapter Officers. Chapters will be responsible to elect officers, and annually report the name and full address of each chapter President to the Regional and District Governors and the Executive Office. Section 4. Student National Association of Teachers of Singing (SNATS). A Student NATS chapter (SNATS) consists of students under the sponsorship of a Member of the Association. A SNATS charter is issued upon the request of a sponsoring Member to the Association and approved by the Vice President for Outreach. Membership in a SNATS chapter does not constitute membership in the Association. Section 5. Association Events. Chapters may assist the Association, at the Boards request, with various Association events. In such cases, however, the Association shall be ultimately responsible for Board approved costs incurred in connection with the events, and shall be entitled to retain all fees, tuition, and other payments received in connection with the events. top ARTICLE VIII: Regions and Districts Section 1. Regions. The Board shall define and establish regional boundaries. There shall be a Governor for each designated region of the Association who shall be a Full Member in Good Standing of the Association, and who shall be elected by the membership of that region by vote, which may be conducted at a Regional Meeting, by mail, or electronically. Regional Governors shall assume office at the conclusion of the annual Board meeting or National Conference, serve for two years, and may succeed themselves once. Regional Governors who have served two terms in office may seek election to additional terms after a hiatus of at least four years following their most recent term in office. Regional Governors shall have direct responsibility over the affairs of their regions and for the coordination and operation of the districts falling within their regional boundaries according to these Bylaws. Regional Governors appoint District Governors and are authorized to appoint those regional officers they deem necessary for the successful operation of regional activities. Regional Governors shall be provided an annual approved reimbursement fund, in an amount determined by the Association from time to time, for the carrying out of their responsibilities. The Regional Governor may appoint a Regional cabinet made up of present officers at all levels and past Regional Governors who reside within the region, provided they remain full or Emeritus Members of the Association. This cabinet shall act as a Regional Board and assist the Governor in proper administration of the region. Prior to the end of each two-year term of office, it is the duty of the Regional Governor to appoint a nominating committee for the region to recommend a candidate or candidates for the office of Regional Governor. A current Regional Governor may not serve as a member of any Regional nominating committee for that region. Regional Governors may obligate their regions for only those funds available in their regions, through grants from the discretionary fund, or the regional allocations of the Association. Obligations beyond that level must have the approval of the Board of the Association. No Regional Governor shall have the authority to act as agent for the Association nor have the power to bind the Association. Section 2. Districts. The Board shall define and establish district boundaries within each Region. Each District of a Region shall have a District Governor, appointed by and responsible to the Regional Governor. District Governors shall serve terms of two years and may succeed themselves once. District Governors who have served two terms in office may be appointed to additional terms after a hiatus of at least four years following their most recent term in office, unless otherwise approved by the Board. District Governors shall be responsible for the administration and initiation of appropriate Association activities in their areas, assist with various NATS competitions, and will be provided with funds, through the Regional Governor, from the regional budget to assist in the work. District Governors shall be responsible for the recruitment of new Members and the communication of Association affairs, events, and proceedings to the local Members. District Governors may also initiate the organization of appropriate chapters within their geographic areas or in conjunction with other appropriate geographic areas. top ARTICLE IX: Board of Directors Section 1. General Powers. The Board shall derive its powers from the Association and shall have full authority to act for the Association, within the limitations defined by these Association Bylaws. The Board is responsible to the Association for all such actions, and shall keep accurate minutes of all its deliberations and decisions. An accurate report of the transactions of the Board shall be rendered to the Association by the Secretary/Treasurer at every meeting of the Association. The Board at its own discretion may study and formulate policies deemed necessary or expedient for the welfare of the Association. The Board shall consider, and upon its consent confirm all committee appointments made by the President and shall have final authority in establishing membership dues and the annual budget submitted to it by the President. The Board shall define and establish regional boundaries and may subdivide any Region into Districts functioning under District Governors for more effective communication and administration of Association business. The Board shall have power of approval of all requests for the establishment of a chapter. The Board shall have authority to establish new educational and executive activities of the Association within the limits of these Bylaws. Section 2. Regular Meetings. The Board shall meet during every conference held by the Association and at other times, in person or electronically, determined by resolution of the Board. Section 3. Special Meetings. Special meetings of the Board may be called by the President, or by any three (3) other Directors. Directors may attend Special Meetings in person, by telephone, or other electronic means approved by the Board. Subject to Article IX, Section 4 Waiver of Notice below, written notice of the time of any special meeting shall be given to each Director either by hand delivery, courier, FedEx or similar commercial delivery, e-mail, or facsimile transmission, at least two (2) days prior to the meeting. Section 4. Waiver of Notice. Notice of any special meeting or the place of any annual meeting of the Board of Directors shall be deemed to have been validly given to any Director who signs a waiver of notice of such special or annual meeting, whether such waiver of notice be signed either before or after the meeting. Attendance of a Director at a meeting shall constitute a waiver of notice of such meeting and a waiver of any and all objections to the place of the meeting, the time of the meeting, or the manner in which the meeting has been called or convened, except when a Director states, at the beginning of the meeting, any objection to the transaction of business because the meeting is not lawfully called or convened. Section 5. Quorum. Two-thirds of the Directors, including the President, shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business.Proxy voting is not permitted in meetings of the Board. A Regional Governor who is unable to attend meetings of the Board may send a Member in Good Standing from that region in his or her place, who will have full power of vote. Section 6. Vacancies. If any office on the Board, except President, falls vacant by reason of death, resignation, disqualification, or inability to act, the Directors remaining, by a majority vote, shall elect a successor, who shall hold office for the unexpired term or until a successor shall have been elected by the Members of the Association, and in the event of a tie vote by the Board, the President shall cast the deciding vote. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, the Past President shall serve the balance of the unexpired term. Any Director, whether elected or appointed, shall cease to hold office upon termination of membership, or may be removed from office by two-thirds vote of the Members voting at any regular meeting of the Association, or by two-thirds vote of the Directors. Section 7. Action Without a Meeting. Any action required to be taken or which may be taken at any committee meeting or any meeting of the Board may be taken without a meeting if a consent in writing, setting forth the action so to be taken, signed by all Directors or committee members is filed in the minutes of the proceedings of the Board. Such consent shall have the same effect as a meeting vote, and shall be effective the date the last Director or committee member signs the consent or on the date otherwise specified in the written consent. Section 8. Financial Responsibility and Indemnification. Neither the Board, nor any individual Director, officer, representative, or agent, shall be required to accept financial responsibility for, and the Association shall indemnify and defend such individual against all damages, costs, claims, causes of action, liabilities, and expenses including reasonable attorneys fees incurred in connection with, duly authorized activities of the Association carried on in good faith, and in pursuit of the purposes and activities prescribed or authorized by these Bylaws. Section 9. Compensation. Directors shall not receive any salaries for their services, but by resolution of the Board, expenses of attendance, if any, may be allowed for attendance at each meeting of the Association, regular or special meeting of the Board. Nothing herein contained shall be construed to preclude any Director from serving the Association in any other capacity and receiving compensation therefore. Section 10. Committees. The Board may act by committees, consisting of two or more Directors, which shall have and may exercise all of the authority of the Board to the full extent allowed by law, except as limited by the resolution appointing the committee. top ARTICLE X: Association Officers Section 1. Officers. The Association officers shall include a President, President Elect, Past President, four Vice Presidents, and a Secretary/Treasurer. Each Association officer shall be elected by vote of the membership as provided in these Bylaws. The person elected for the position of President Elect shall serve one two-year term in that office, one two-year term as President, and one two-year term as Past President, and may not succeed himself or herself in any of these offices. Vice Presidents and the Secretary/Treasurer shall serve for two years and may succeed themselves once. Officers must be Full Members in Good Standing of the Association when elected and remain so throughout their terms of office. Section 2. Election. The Association Nominating Committee shall submit a slate of candidates for Association officers to the Board for approval one year prior to the beginning of the terms of the offices up for election. The slate of candidates, the date of distribution of the ballots, and the deadline for the return of ballots for the election shall be published in Inter Nos and NATS Online in the fall following the Board's approval of the slate. There shall be a ninety-day interval between the publishing of the slate and the deadline for the return of the ballots. Election of Association officers shall be by poll of the membership. Following the close of nominations, a full roster of duly nominated candidates shall be distributed to all voting members with a non-identifiable return ballot. The ballot will state the deadline for returning the ballot to the Secretary/Treasurer. Three Members appointed by the Secretary/Treasurer will count the ballots. No candidate may serve on the counting committee. A majority of all votes cast is necessary for election and those elected shall take office effective at the end of the national conference, or another time as determined by the Board from time to time. Section 3. Vacancies. National officers of the Association, whether elected or appointed, shall cease to hold office upon termination of membership, or may be removed from office by two-thirds vote of the Members voting at any regular meeting of the Association, or by a two-thirds vote of the Directors. Such action will be taken when it appears evident that an officer has been or is unable to serve or is otherwise disqualified. Any vacancy, however occurring, in any office, may be filled by action of the Board, provided, however, that the office of Past President may only be filled by a Member in Good Standing who formerly served as President of the Association. Section 4. President. There shall be one President who shall serve as the Chief Executive Officer of the Association, presiding at all General Business Meetings of the Association and conferences of the membership, and shall preside at meetings of the Board, with the right and duty of exercising leadership in the programs of the Association, as defined in these Bylaws. The President shall be the primary point of contact between the Board and the Executive Director on matters of new policies and programs. The President shall see that the Bylaws of the Association are implemented and followed, and shall serve as representative of the Association with outside agencies, with the teaching profession, and with the general public. The President shall administer the overall policies adopted by the membership and the Board, and shall appoint all committees, including the national conference committee, in accordance with the Bylaws. The President shall determine the size, personnel, chair, and tenure of all special committees, and shall serve as an ex-officio member of all committees except nominating committees. The President shall assist the Executive Director, Secretary/Treasurer, and other appropriate Association officers, to prepare and submit the annual budget to the Board for final action. The President shall initiate an annual external audit of the Association's financial affairs by a competent certified public accountant designated by the President. This audit shall be published annually. Section 5. Past President. There shall be one Past President, who shall be the immediately preceding President of the Association, and who shall serve for a period of two years. The Past President shall assist the new President as requested in the assumption of duties. The Past President shall also serve as chair of the Association nominating committee and director of the intern program. The Past President shall assume the chair at meetings in the absence of the President. In the event the Past President is not available, the President shall designate one member of the executive committee as chair. In the event of a vacancy in the office of President, the Past President shall serve the balance of the unexpired term. Section 6. President Elect. There shall be one President Elect, elected by the Members of the Association, who shall serve concurrently with the new President for a period of two years. The President Elect shall be responsible to the President and shall undertake those duties assigned by the President. The President Elect shall serve as the Associations liaison with the NATS Foundation. The President Elect shall succeed to the presidency without further election unless due cause has been shown to break this automatic succession, in which case the Association nominating committee will present a new candidate for election to the office of President. Section 7. Vice Presidents. There shall be four (4) Vice Presidents, each of whom shall serve a term of two years, and can succeed themselves once, as follows: The Vice President for Auditions shall oversee the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artist Awards, National Student Auditions, and National Music Theater Competition. The Vice President for Auditions will actively schedule, promote, and conduct one of these while overseeing the work of those appointed to supervise the others. The Vice President for Outreach shall actively encourage, promote and oversee SNATS and student engagement in the Association, and shall promote and administer the discretionary funds. The Vice President for Membership shall promote and encourage new memberships and, with the assistance of the Executive Office and the membership committee, process new Member applications. The Vice President for Membership shall be the chair of the Membership Committee. The Vice President for Workshops shall schedule, promote, and oversee Association workshops. The Vice President for Workshops will involve successors in planning as early as possible in order to meet long-range planning needs of this function. Each Vice President shall submit an annual written report to the President, who shall include these reports in the Association's Annual Report. Section 8. Secretary/Treasurer. There shall be one Secretary/Treasurer who, with assistance from the Executive Office when requested, shall keep accurate minutes and records of Association and Board proceedings. These records shall be open to inspection by the membership during regular business hours upon reasonable prior notice. A written annual report shall be submitted to the President, who shall include this report in the Association's Annual Report. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be responsible for the issuance of all official notices and votes required to be given by, or in behalf of, the Association, and shall conduct whatever other correspondence or record-keeping is directed by the President. The Secretary/Treasurer shall supervise the keeping of the financial records of the Association and the handling of all savings and investments of the Association, according to the provisions of these Bylaws and shall be an ex officio member of the Investment Advisory Committee. top ARTICLE XI: Other Officials Section 1. Editor in Chief of the Journal of Singing. There shall be an Editor in Chief of the Journal of Singing who shall be selected by the President and approved by the Board in a regular or special meeting. This appointment shall be reviewed every two years by the Board and may be ended at any time by a two-thirds vote of the Board. The Editor in Chief shall receive a salary determined by the Board. The Board shall decide the amount of the budget, which the Editor in Chief will administer. The Editor shall be a nonvoting member of the Board. The Editor in Chief shall be responsible for the selection of Associate Editors and staff for the publication, and shall submit these selections to the Board for approval. The Editor in Chief, with advice from an Editorial Board, approved by the Board and appointed by the President, will determine the content of the various issues of the Journal. The Editor in Chief shall also determine format, cover, advertising rates, and other details of publication. Section 3. International Coordinator. There shall be an International Coordinator who shall be selected by the President and approved by the Board. This appointment shall be reviewed every two years by the Board and may be ended at any time by a two-thirds vote of the Directors. The International Coordinator shall maintain communication with international Members of the Association and other established voice teacher organizations. The coordinator shall facilitate the formation of other organizations related to singing where interest is expressed. Section 4. Historian. The President may appoint a Historian of the Association, selected by the President and approved by the Board. The appointment shall be reviewed every two years by the Board and may be ended at any time by a two-thirds vote of the Directors. The Historian shall provide a narrative of all national conferences, and may assist the Executive Office to collect, describe, preserve, and compile documentary sources significant to the history of the Association. The Historian shall have access to books, documents, papers, and records that are pertinent to the history of the Association. Executive Director There shall be an Executive Director of the Association recommended by the President, for Board approval, who serves at the pleasure of the Board. The Board shall determine the salary. The Executive Director shall be in charge of the Association's Executive Office, as directed by the Board and defined in these Bylaws. The Executive Director, with the assistance of the President, Secretary/Treasurer, and other appropriate Association officers, shall prepare and submit the annual budget to the Board for final action. The Executive Director shall supervise the collection of Association dues through the sending of notices and shall record all payments. The Executive Director shall supervise the processing of all applications for membership, changes in membership status, requests for dues adjustments, and updating of the membership roll and computer roster of the Association. The Executive Director shall serve as public relations officer of the Association, and at the direction of the President, shall handle all national announcements and news releases pertinent to the business and activities of the Association. The Executive Director shall prepare quarterly financial statements for the executive committee. The Executive Director shall maintain complete and accurate financial records of the Association, which shall be open to inspection by the membership at all times during regular business hours, given reasonable prior notice. The Executive Director shall serve as a nonvoting member of the executive committee, and shall attend meetings of the Association and Board. The Executive Director shall serve as a nonvoting member of the Board. top ARTICLE XIII: Committees Section 1. Standing Committees. The following committees shall be established and shall consist of the following Directors and/or other Association Members, for the purposes set forth below: Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall consist of the President, Past President, President Elect, Vice Presidents, and the Secretary/Treasurer. The Executive Director shall serve as a nonvoting member. This committee shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Board and shall assume powers and duties as deemed necessary and delegated to it by the Board, to which it shall be responsible. Association Nominating Committee. An Association nominating committee shall be appointed at the beginning of each President's term. The Past President shall be a member of the committee and its chair. It shall be responsible for the nomination of persons to fill the offices of President Elect, Vice Presidents, and Secretary/Treasurer. There shall be no fewer than five Members in Good Standing on this committee. Members on the Board may be selected to serve on the committee, with the exception of the President. Membership Committee. The President shall appoint a membership committee, with the Vice President for Membership as chair. The committee shall assist the Vice President in membership promotion, recruitment, and retention, and be available to advise the Vice President for Membership and Executive Office on applications for membership. Investment Advisory Committee. An Investment Advisory Committee shall be appointed by the President. It shall be responsible for studying and recommending the investment of surplus funds and advise on the condition of funds in trust. The Secretary/Treasurer shall be an ex-officio member. Journal of Singing Editorial Board. An Editorial Board for the Journal of Singing shall be appointed by the President. This Editorial Board shall conduct peer review and assist the Editor in Chief in all matters pertinent to the publication of the Journal. Ethics Committee There shall be an ethics committee of three Members, appointed by the President. Its responsibilities shall be the resolution of alleged violations of the Code of Ethics, and resolution of cases involving a Member's conduct alleged to be detrimental to the welfare and best interests of the Association. Section 2. Other Committees. Each President, upon assumption of office, may appoint those committees deemed necessary to the on-going business, operation, projects, and publications of the Association. Section 3. Terms of Office. All committee appointments must be ratified by the Board and shall have tenure not to exceed the term of the President. Committee appointments may be terminated at any time by two-thirds majority vote of the Directors. All Association Committee Chairs shall submit annual written reports to the Board, which shall be incorporated into the printed minutes of the Board meetings. top ARTICLE XIV: Financial Policies and Procedures Section 1. Funds. The Board shall be the legal custodian, within the provisions of the Association's charter and Bylaws, for all monies, bank accounts, records, and properties of the Association. The Secretary/Treasurer shall supervise the receiving and disbursing of all Association funds. Except as otherwise set forth by the Board from time to time, all checks shall bear two of the following three signatures: Executive Director, President, Secretary/Treasurer, or such officers as may be determined by the Board. The Association shall see that employees and Directors are bonded against dishonesty in the handling of Association funds and other assets. Section 2. Contracts. Except as otherwise set forth by the Board from time to time, and in consultation with the Executive Director, the President and either the Executive Director or the Secretary/Treasurer shall sign all major written contracts and statements of obligation of or to the Association that have been approved by the Board, and only contracts so approved and signed shall be valid. The Board will establish the definition of major contracts from time to time. Either the President or Executive Director shall sign all other contracts. Section 3. Records. Records of all transactions and all savings and investments shall be open to the membership at all times during regular business hours, given reasonable prior notice. top ARTICLE XV: Rules of Procedure and Amendment Section 1. Rules of Order. The rules contained in the current edition of Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern the meetings of the Board, Association, its regions, districts, and chapters, in cases in which they are not inconsistent with these Bylaws or standing rules. Special rules of order for governing meetings of Members or the Board may be made at any time by vote of the Members present. Any motion or resolution offered for consideration shall be written if requested by any Member prior to action. Section 2. Proxies. Proxy voting is not permitted at any meeting of the Association or the Board. Section 3. Amendment of Bylaws. Any and all Bylaws may be amended or new Bylaws adopted at any regular meeting of Members of the Association, or by ballot. A two-thirds approving vote of all Full, Emeritus, and Associate Members participating is required. A quorum as stated elsewhere in these Bylaws is required. Notification of contemplated changes or amendments must be submitted to the membership in writing at least thirty days prior to the vote. Approved by the Board of Directors, June 27, 2015 Approved by the NATS Membership, September 30, 2015 Code of Ethics These ethical guidelines are established by the Association to outline Members ethical duties and obligations to students, colleagues and the general public, and to promote professional cooperation and productive relationships among its Members. Antitrust Compliance Information I. Personal Ethical Standards The Association expects its Members to behave professionally and ethically in the representation of their abilities and in their promotional materials and outreach, and to conduct themselves in a manner that reflects positively on the Association. Members shall present themselves honestly, in a dignified and professional manner, and with documented qualifications. These may include appropriate academic degrees, awards, professional affiliations, and teaching and performing experience. Members shall strive to teach with competence by demonstrating knowledge of voice pedagogy, musicianship, familiarity with a variety of vocal repertoire, as well as performance skills. Members should strive for continued growth in professional competencies. Members shall faithfully support the Association and are encouraged to participate in and contribute to its activities and mission. Members should abide by copyright laws and guard against encouraging or allowing infringement thereof. Members shall exhibit responsible and ethical behavior when using print, digital and social media associated with the profession and the studio. Members should be artistic resources for their communities. II. Ethical Standards Relating to Students The Association is committed to Member/Student relationships which foster excellence and learning in a dignified and professional environment, and which do not involve discrimination, sexuality, innuendo, or favoritism. Members should avoid all types of discriminatory practices. Appropriate guidelines are set forth in statutes such as Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Canadian Human Rights Act. Members should maintain appropriate boundaries in psychological, emotional, and personal contact with students, including insinuations that could be construed as sexual advances, even when a student may encourage or request such interaction. Members should respect the privacy and personal integrity of students, not disclosing confidential information except to the extent that a particular legal or academic system requires disclosure. Members should clearly communicate and comply with their studio policies and expectations in a timely and concrete manner. The relationship between teacher and student shall be established, maintained and terminated in a respectful, professional manner. Members should respect a student's prerogative to obtain instruction from any teacher(s) of their choice, including concurrent study with another teacher(s). Transparency should be maintained among all parties. Members should offer their best instruction and career advice to every student under their supervision, and should treat each student in a respectful and impartial manner while taking into account individual differences in ability, learning styles and motivation. Members should refrain from making exaggerated claims or misleading statements concerning a student's prospects for a professional career in music. They should not guarantee performances, professional positions or favorable contacts unless they can fulfill those promises. III. Ethical Standards Relating to Colleagues The Association encourages a mutually supportive atmosphere among its Members, and in their interactions with other related professionals. Members shall refrain from making defamatory or untrue negative public statements or judgments about colleagues or their students, either verbally or in writing. Members shall render honest and unbiased adjudication at auditions and competitions. If they are unable to do so, then they should recuse themselves. In cases where a Member determines that involving other professionals in a students instruction may be of benefit (for medical, technical, artistic, musical, pedagogical, or other reasons), Members shall strive to work collegially with these professionals. Rules and regulations of accredited academic institutions may at times take precedence over the Associations Code of Ethics, should there be a conflict. Should ethical conflicts arise between Members and/or a NATS Entity, direct communication should be used to resolve problems among the involved parties. If the conflict cannot be resolved, the Association has a specific, detailed process for dealing with concerns. This version of the Code of Ethics approved by the NATS Board of Directors in June 2018. Conferences + Workshops National Conference The biennial NATS National Conference attracts NATS members and others from around the world to share in programs, demonstrations, lectures, master classes and competitions that help celebrate the art of singing and increase knowledge of teachers to help them better assist their students. Next National Conference July 1 - 6, 2022 - Chicago Future Conference June 2024 - Knoxville Past Conferences National Workshops The National Association of Teachers of Singing holds workshops twice per year in non-conference years and once per year when a conference is scheduled. Below is a schedule of upcoming and recently completed workshops: Next Workshop January 7-9, 2022 NATS Winter Workshop - Manhattan School of Music, New York City Past Workshops International Congress of Voice Teachers (ICVT) In 1994, National Association of Teachers of Singing, and dozens of other voice teacher associations, entered into a Joint Venture Agreement to facilitate (by providing marketing services and managing funds) a world-wide gathering of voice teachers for master classes and sessions, very similar to the NATS national conferences, but international in scope. Every four years, ICVT is held in one of the member countries. ICVT 2013 was held in Brisbane, Australia. Learn more about ICVT. The Ninth International Congress of Voice Teachers was held in Stockholm, Sweden in 2017, hosted by the Voice Teachers of Sweden, marking ICVT's 30 anniversary since its first gathering in Strasbourg. Next ICVT 10th International Congress of Voice Teachers (ICVT) Vienna, Austria August 3-6, 2022 Van L. Lawrence Fellowship The Van L. Lawrence Fellowship was created to honor Van L. Lawrence, M.D. for his outstanding contribution to voice, and particularly to recognize the importance of the interdisciplinary education he fostered among laryngologists and singing teachers. It is awarded jointly by The Voice Foundation and the Foundation Heritage Fund of the NATS Endowment. The Fellowship winner will be provided with the opportunity to attend the annual Symposium on Care of the Professional Voice and visit laryngologists, speech pathologists, voice scientists, and research centers associated with The Voice Foundation during the fellowship year, with resulting research to be considered for expedited publication in the Journal of Voice or Journal of Singing. VAN L. LAWRENCE FELLOWSHIP for 2022 Deadline: November 15, 2021 The 2022 fellowship will be awarded at the 51st Annual Symposium - Care of the Professional Voice, (Date TBA) in Philadelphia. Application instructions are listed below, and on The Voice Foundation website. Eligibility Requirements Candidates for the Van L. Lawrence Fellowship must be members of National Association of Teachers of Singing and actively engaged in teaching. The Fellowship will be awarded to candidates who have demonstrated excellence in their professions as singing teachers, and who have shown interest in, and knowledge of, voice science. The Fellowship is intended to provide opportunities for the Fellow to become more thoroughly acquainted with practices, techniques, technology, and people involved in laryngology and voice science. It is hoped that the opportunities and contacts provided through the Fellowship experience will enhance the teacher's ability to do meaningful interdisciplinary research, and will encourage the teacher to apply appropriate voice science advances in the studio. Award Amount The amount of the Van L. Lawrence Fellowship award is determined annually by The Voice Foundation and the Foundation Heritage Fund of the NATS Endowment. In recent years it has been $2,000. The funds are to be used to defray expenses for the Fellowship winner to attend the annual Symposium on Care of the Professional Voice (tuition shall be waived). Following the Symposium, the Fellow will be provided with the opportunity to visit laryngologists, speech pathologists, voice scientists, and research centers associated with The Voice Foundation during the fellowship year. Specific locations and durations of stay will be arranged in accordance with the Fellow's interests and needs and the availability of the centers to be visited. Following completion of the Fellowship experience, it is anticipated that the Fellow will have opportunities to consult with the scientists he or she has visited, and to apply his or her newly acquired knowledge in designing and executing a research project to help advance the field of voice teaching. The Voice Foundation will help provide review of the resulting paper and counseling regarding its improvement. When appropriate, the paper will be considered for expedited publication in the Journal of Voice or Journal of Singing. Selection Process The Van L. Lawrence Fellowship shall be awarded by the Board of Directors of The Voice Foundation and National Association of Teachers of Singing. The Fellowship Committee shall be appointed by the Chairman of the Board of The Voice Foundation and the President of National Association of Teachers of Singing and shall include at least one representative from the Board of Directors of The Voice Foundation and one representative from National Association of Teachers of Singing. Additional members shall be appointed at the discretion of the Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Voice Foundation and the President of National Association of Teachers of Singing. Application Requirements Fellowship applicants should write The Voice Foundation stating their desire to apply for a Van L. Lawrence Fellowship. The application letter should cover the following topics (as well as others which the applicant believes will strengthen his/her application, but please be as succinct as possible): Current application of scientific knowledge in the studio; The area of intended study and/or research project; How the Fellowship and research project will benefit your teaching; NATS chapter to which you belong; Also attach a detailed curriculum vitae. Members of NATS wishing to apply for the fellowship should write an electronic letter of intent to The Voice Foundation along with your CV combined into one PDF document. Include the area and methods of your proposed study. E-mail: office [AT] voicefoundation.org Past Van L. Lawrence Fellowship Recipients 2020 - Angelika Nair 2019 - Amanda Flynn 2018 - Amelia Rollings (Winner); Richard Lissemore (Honorable Mention) 2017 - Matthew Schloneger, Matthew Edwards (Co-Winners) 2016 - Matthew Hoch 2015 - Filipa Martins Baptista La 2014 - Katherine Osborne 2013 - Bonnie Draina 2012 - Kari Ragan 2011 - Brian Gill 2010 - David Meyer 2009 - Donald Bell 2008 - Margaret Baroody 2007 - Kathryn Barnes-Burroughs 2006 - John Nix 2005 - Lynn Helding 2003 - Katherine Eberle, Norman Spivey 2002 - Jan Prokop 2001 - Meribeth Bunch 2000 - Brenda Smith 1999 - Stephen Austin, Jeannette Lo Vetri 1998 - Kathleen Wilson, Marvin Keenze 1997 - Freda Herseth 1996 - Ruth Golden 1995 - Sue W. Snyder, Thomas Houser 1994 - Kenneth Bozeman, Janette Ogg 1993 - Karen Peeler, Lynelle F. Wiens 1992 - Raquel Cortina 1991 - Lois Yadeau The fellowship will be awarded at 51st Annual Symposium - Care of the Professional Voice, (Date TBA) in Philadelphia.If you have any questions, please contact The Voice Foundation office. (Natural News) Dr. Eric Nepute remarked that Americans lost faith in the hospital system during the Sept. 21 edition of his program on Brighteon.TV. The Real Talk with Dr. Eric Nepute host says the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has revealed the true colors of the medical establishment. He also condemns the use of the dangerous medication remdesivir to treat COVID-19 patients. The Missouri chiropractor compares his observations of the medical establishment during his 20 years of practice to a Wizard of Oz moment. Nepute says: Remember when Dorothy and [her companions] were all in front of the great and powerful Oz, [presenting] the broomstick, and Oz says Go away, Im not [going to] grant your wish? And then Toto [Dorothys dog] pulls the curtain back, [revealing] a crazy, old [and] senile man pulling all these levers and switches who really doesnt know whats going on. That is the medical establishment that we are used to dealing with. There are a lot of great people in the healthcare field but the system itself is set up to hurt, maim and kill people, Nepute adds. According to the Real Talk with Dr. Eric Nepute host, the COVID-19 pandemic has served as a catalyst for people to see the ongoing deception and fraud. Were in a place now where Americans no longer trust their doctors [and] the hospitals. Theyre not even wanting to go [to] the hospital systems anymore because theyre afraid of getting sick, getting jabbed or even dying, he says. Nepute also quotes Dr. Gary Nulls work Death by Medicine, which argues that iatrogenic medicine death from medicines and medical procedures is the No.1 cause of death worldwide. The chiropractor remarks that most would say heart disease and cancer are the top two causes of deaths in the U.S., but he says this is not true. Let me tell you something: Some 800,000 to 900,000 people die a year in the U.S. alone from properly prescribed medications, botched surgeries [and] infections in the hospital system. [No] wonder people are jaded. They dont trust the system [and] they dont trust the doctors, Nepute says. Hospitals being incentivized when prescribing remdesivir According to the Missouri chiropractor, hospitals receive bonuses and incentives when patients are admitted for COVID-19 treatment. They receive a $13,000 payout from Medicare and Medicaid for every patient diagnosed with COVID-19 and receive an additional incentive from $30,000 to $40,000 if a patient gets put on a ventilator. Even worse, Nepute adds that doctors who prescribe the antiviral medication remdesivir get a 20 percent bonus when they prescribe it. He then outlines the dangerous backstory behind remdesivir: It was originally brought out during the Ebola trials and [U.S. authorities] had to stop the medical trials [for it] because 54 percent of people that took remdesivir died. [If] you look right now, were finding people all the time that are dying and getting labeled as [COVID-19 deaths], but theyre truly dying from remdesivir overdose and remdesivir toxicity. Nepute continues: Up until four months ago, something changed. It was like suddenly, a line was drawn in the sand and the hospitals made a decision that theyre no longer going to do anything for [COVID-19] patients other than their standard of care. This standard involves the administration of intravenous fluids alongside remdesivir, anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics. (Related: Matrixxx Grooove: Hospitals KILL coronavirus patients by not treating them with ivermectin Brighteon.TV.) The chiropractor warns that remdesivir has a high toxicity and fatality ratio that leads to liver and kidney failure. If liver and kidney function gets shut down, fluids are [going to] build up in your body [such as] in your lungs and around your heart. [Thats going to] lead to serious respiratory issues and death, Nepute continues. Nepute is not the only personality opposing the use of remdesivir as a treatment for COVID-19. Dr. Bryan Ardis has slammed the antiviral drugs use as part of a death cocktail for hospitalized patients. He alleges that hospitals continue to insist on using this cocktail of remdesivir, dexamethasone and vancomycin despite their dangers. Ardis made this claim during the Sept. 2 edition of The Matrixxx Grooove Show on Brighteon.TV. He tells the shows hosts Jeff Peterson and Shannon Shady Grove that remdesivir causes acute kidney failure in 35 percent of patients who get the drug within five to 10 days. Remdesivirs lethality increases when combined with dexamethasone and vancomycin, causing kidney failure in up to 45 percent of patients in a five-day span. (Related: Dr. Ardis reveals hospitals COVID death protocol to Jeff and Shady Brighteon.TV.) Click here to watch the full Sept. 21 episode of Neputes program. Real Talk with Dr. Eric Nepute airs every Tuesday, 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time, on Brighteon.tv. MedicalViolence.com has more articles about the medical establishments death protocol for COVID-19 patients. Sources include: Brighteon.com 1 Brighteon.com 2 (Natural News) Medical experts and other personalities have joined hands in opposing Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine booster shots during a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hearing. They warn that COVID-19 vaccines kill more people than they save and give rise to new, vaccine-resistant SARS-CoV-2 strains. The experts opposition to booster shots comes as President Joe Biden and his administration push for Americans to get injected with a third dose. COVID-19 Early Treatment Fund Executive Director Steve Kirsch is one of the people testifying during the FDA Vaccine and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee (VRBPAC) hearing. He says: We were led to believe that the vaccines are perfectly safe, but this is simply not true. Kirsch cites statistics from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), which tracks injuries and deaths stemming from vaccination. According to VAERS data, more than 6,000 individuals report heart attacks as soon as they get injected with the vaccine. VAERS shows heart attacks happened 71 times more often following these [COVID-19] vaccines compared to any other vaccine, Kirsch says. He continues that even if the vaccines had a 100 percent protection, it still means we killed two people to save one life. Viral immunologist Dr. Jessica Rose is another doctor who has testified before the VRBPAC. She tells the committee that risks arising from the COVID-19 vaccine outweigh and potential benefits. Rose points out a highly anomalous rise in VAERS reporting rates linked to the COVID-19 vaccine during her testimony. Theres an over 1,000 percent increase in the total number of adverse events for 2021, and we are not even done with [the current year], she says. (Related: Tens of thousands are dying from the first two covid shots as FDA, CDC push third booster injection.) Rose also warns that the booster shots may give rise to new COVID-19 variants that can bypass the purported protection from the vaccines. Theres clear and present danger of the emergence of [variants] of concern if [we] continue with these alleged booster shots, she says. The immunologist adds: The onus is on the public health officials and policymakers to answer these anomalies and acknowledge the clear risk signals emerging from their data. The experts cite Israel as an example of vaccine failure The medical experts at the VRBPAC meeting cite Israel as an example of how COVID-19 vaccines fail in their intended purpose. The Middle Eastern country has used the Pfizer/BioNTech mRNA vaccine on its population alongside some vaccine doses from Moderna. Unfortunately, the B16172 delta variants entry in Israel has caused a spike in COVID-19 infections. (Related: Israel stands as greatest proof that COVID-19 vaccine experiment is a massive failure.) Rose notes that the emergence of the British B117 variant and the B16172 delta variant arose in very close temporal proximity to the rollout of the COVID-19 [vaccines] in Israel. She elaborates: Israel is one of the most injected countries, and it appears from this data that this represents a clear failure of these products to provide protective immunity against emergent variants. Rose adds that the spike in infections despite an intensified vaccination drive begs the question as to whether these injection rollouts are driving the emergence of new variants. True enough, a report by Israeli news outlet i24 News states that the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines effectiveness against the delta strain has dropped to 39 percent. The Israeli Ministry of Health says it has based the finding on COVID-19 cases between June 20, 2021 and July 17, 2021 concurrent with the more infectious strains spread throughout Israel. Despite this diminished protection, the Biden administration justifies its decision on booster shots using Israels example. But MIT Sloan School of Management professor Dr. Retsef Levi thinks otherwise. He argues during the VRBPAC meeting that Israels booster shot program is anything but a carefully designed study. Levi tells the committee: Israel continues to have among the highest infection rates per capita in the world. COVID-19 deaths in [the country], in spite of all the boosters, are on the rise. Whereas in other countries, including many states in the U.S., they seem to be on the downward trend at the moment. He also criticizes Israels move to mandate booster shots for citizens. This does not allow any reliable learning definitely not in such a short amount of time, Levi adds. Physician Dr. David Wiseman ultimately puts down a solid argument against booster shots during the meeting. He says: We have an unclear need with unclear motivation, significant safety concerns, poor evidence of sustained boost efficacy, and wrong priorities. If [the] FDA cannot assure us of the safety of two doses, how can [it] assure us of three? DangerousMedicine.com has more articles about the dangers of COVID-19 booster shots. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com i24News.tv (Natural News) In her latest episode of Freedom Force Battalion, Melissa Redpill shares her latest takes on current events One of the topics that Redpill takes on is the exposure of whats been going on in hospitals. A nurse from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) claimed that a man came to the hospital a few days after his second dose of the vaccine with shortness of breath. He had to be put on a ventilator as his lungs started to shut down. In a video, the nurse interviewed a doctor from the HHS, who told her that the government doesnt want to show that the darn vaccine is full of sh*t. Hospitals use non-approved drug on COVID-19 patients Hospitals have also been using a non-approved drug, remdesivir, for COVID-19 patients. Remdesivir is a drug known to stop kidneys from functioning. A study showed that in a clinical trial, kidney injury occurred in 22.8 percent of patients, and proved to be the most frequent cause of the discontinuation of the treatment. The most reported effects of remdesivir in COVID-19 patients include kidney injury, renal impairment, renal failure, and renal tubular necrosis. In a separate study, 62 percent of COVID-19 patients have been found to have viral pneumonia, but over a tenth of them present with bacterial pneumonia. Viral pneumonia is more frequent in the remdesivir group. The use of remdesivir failed to reduce the 14-day mortality rates compared to the control groups. The World Health Organization itself issued a conditional recommendation against the use of remdesivir in hospitalized patients, as there is no real evidence that it improves survival or other outcomes in COVID-19 patients. Evidence suggested that there is no important effect on mortality, need for ventilation, time to clinical improvement, or other patient-important outcomes with the use of remdesivir, yet hospitals have been giving them to patients. The WHOs guideline development group recognized that more research is needed because there is not enough evidence to support the use of remdesivir for severely affected COVID-19 patients. The decision to incorporate remdesivir into the treatment of severe COVID-19 cases was based on reviews gathered by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), in a prepping analysis of data that is yet to be peer-reviewed. However, it showed that remdesivir does not show efficacy in regulating the severity of COVID-19. (Related: Did Fauci knowingly fast-track approval of drug with deadly COVID-like side effects?) Project Veritas drops bombshells Project Veritas does undercover journalism work that exposes the lies of the government, and lately, the big issue has been on vaccines. A video from Project Veritas featured Jodi OMalley, a registered nurse who works for the Indian Health Service in Arizona, and her interview with a doctor named Maria Gonzales. In the video, Gonzales said, All this is bullshit. Now, [a patient] probably [has] myocarditis due to the vaccine. But now, they are not going to blame the vaccine. They are not reporting it. They want to shove it under the mat. There should be little doubt about vaccines the government is expected to share with the public fully and completely the complications that arise upon inoculation. With the government instituting mandates around vaccines, it is important that the population is aware of all the side effects that come with them, to ensure that they know whether or not it is a good idea for their body. Catch Melissa Redpill on her Brighteon.TV channel, Freedom Force Batallion. It airs on BrighteonTV at 11 a.m. Get more updates about COVID-19, vaccines, and alternative treatments at Pandemic.news. Sources include: Brighteon.com ACPT.OnlineLibrary.Wiley.com News-Medical.net WHO.int FirstDraftNews.org ClayAndBuck.com (Natural News) Health Ranger Mike Adams speaks with Dr. Lee Merritt about COVID-19 in his show, Health Ranger Report. They discuss the problems that have been occurring in hospitals with Adams pointing out that being in a hospital is almost a death sentence. In the first segment, Adams and Merritt discuss mental health issues that arise, especially in older people who had to go through COVID protocols in hospitals, specifically, what isolation can do to older people who may have sundown syndrome, or may not have complete control of his faculties. They also discuss the lack of nurses due to resignations over President Joe Bidens mask mandates despite the dangers that the vaccines pose for the population. Mental health of COVID-19 patients A review of the impact of COVID-19 showed a 14.6 percent to 48.3 percent prevalence of depression symptoms in the general population. However, the concern for the mental health of those hospitalized is even greater. Hospitalized patients not only have risk factors for depression but are also isolated from visitors while in an inpatient setting. In China, depressive symptoms are seen in 13.4 percent of hospitalized patients. Infectious epidemics have previously been linked to anxiety, panic and stress. Many also believe that this is the same for COVID-19 patients who may suffer from anxiety, mood dysregulation, and worsening of preexisting mental illnesses. While there have been multiple guidelines in addressing the treatment of major depressive disorders the are currently no specific ones that address treatments for patients diagnosed with COVID-19. Symptoms of depression dont necessarily equate to an MDD diagnosis, although those exhibiting these symptoms may require similar treatment Possible depression in COVID-19 patients should be taken into consideration. Over 150 Texas hospital workers lose their jobs over vaccine mandate In Texas, over 150 hospital workers from a Houston-area hospital were fired for not following a policy that mandated them to get a vaccination against COVID-19 earlier this year. The hospital told its employees that they had to be vaccinated or face suspension for two weeks. Of nearly 200 employees suspended, 153 had been terminated by the hospital or have resigned. Employees who complied with the vaccine policy during the suspension period were allowed to return to work the day after their vaccination. (Related: Survey: Most Americans oppose vaccination mandates.) Vaccine hesitancy remained high among healthcare workers: surveys showed that nearly half remained unvaccinated despite being among the first to become eligible for vaccines since December. In New York, a private hospital had to stop delivering babies as staffers decided to quit over the vaccine mandates New York State required health care workers to be vaccinated by September 27, and six workers already resigned, while seven more have not made a final decision to return to the hospital, which was already struggling with understaffing even before the mandates were announced. Lewis County General Hospital CEO Gerald Cayer said that he will work with the state Department of Health to try to ensure that the unit will not permanently close. With a little luck, some of those who have resigned will reconsider. If we can pause the service and now focus on recruiting nurses who are vaccinated, we will be able to re-engage in delivering babies here in Lewis County, he also said. Federalists have characterized the mandates as fascist. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and the Republican National Committee promised to sue the administration, with numerous other critics saying that the presidents vaccine mandates are unconstitutional. Listen to more of Mike Adamss commentaries with various guests as they talk about the pandemic and its related mandates, health, politics and current events on the Health Ranger Report, weekdays from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m. on Brighteon.com. Read more news and updates about COVID-19, vaccination, and mandates concerning the disease at Pandemic.news. Sources include: Brighteon.com USPharmacist.com NYTimes.com USAToday.com NBCNews.com (Natural News) Entrepreneur and Overstock.com founder Patrick Byrne recently appeared on the Sept. 21 edition of Clay Clarks Thrive Time Show (TTS) on Brighteon.tv. The businessman talked to Clark about the fraud during last years presidential elections alongside the audit being conducted in Maricopa County, Arizona. Byrne alleges during his quick interview that election fraud is not widespread, but narrow and deep. Clark conveys the questions of many TTS viewers regarding election integrity. He asks: Is there hope [that we will] see election integrity? The TTS host also asks Byrne to share his thoughts on election fraud to the shows audience. Byrne responds by saying that the audit marks a great moment in history. He adds: If you go back to [Nov. 10, 2020], I was out there publicly saying This is an egg that cannot be unscrambled. According to Byrne, recommendations to open up ballot boxes in six locations have been floating around. However, he says malicious actors have perfect the jiu-jitsu strategy to flip entire counties and the Electoral College votes altogether. They had figured out how to sort of jiu-jitsu the Electoral College [votes] in six anchor counties, Byrne adds. The businessman cites Las Vegas which holds 66 percent of the votes for the state of Nevada as an example of this strategy. [If] you really cheat in that one place, youll steal the whole state and the Electoral College and that magnifies the effects [when done in multiple states], so you can flip the Electoral College and steal the nation, Byrne says. Byrne also mentions how election fraud is not widespread a complete turnaround from what others claim. The establishment guys are correct its not widespread election fraud in 3,000 counties. Its narrow and deep, and it turns out its more complicated than that. It turns our that they are doing other sophisticated things in other counties and the target states. (Related: Overstock founder says he has proof election was rigged for Biden.) Byrne also talks about the Maricopa County audit Given the topic of election fraud, Byrne touches on the election audit at Maricopa County, Arizona. According to him, he initially recommends opening up ballot boxes from six places to find evidence of fraud but in vain. No one ever opened the ballot boxes until it took six or seven months just to get it done in Maricopa County, Byrne comments. Despite this setback, Byrne lauds the countys efforts to conduct an actual audit instead of what he calls a silly one. In a normal audit, the voting machine is turned on as two buttons are held down. Once the machine turns on, it then launches a logic and accuracy test which indicates the machine is working correctly. A technician then writes down the version of the software installed in the voting machine, finishing the audit. This audit [in Maricopa County] is going on the hard drives, theyre looking at the codes [and] seeing if theres Trojan horses [or] access where there shouldnt have been. So its really quite remarkable, Byrne continues. True enough, the audit yields substantial results enough to confirm evidence of fraud in the county. A report by the Gateway Pundit says the audit finds 173,104 lost votes, which are discarded votes by actual people. It also finds 96,389 ghost votes where another person other than the voter casts the ballot. Aside from Byrne, Brighteon.TV host Ann Vandersteel also touches on the subject in her show Steel Truth. She cites the Gateway Pundit report about the audits findings, adding: There are American citizens living in Maricopa County who cast a vote primarily by mail in the election, and yet theres no record of their vote with the county and [those were] not counted in the reported vote totals for the election. Furthermore, Vandersteel notes that the ghost votes also include those verified to have moved away from the county before April 2020. [There were clearly] more than enough votes to prove that were fake, stolen or what-have-you to overturn and decertify [the election results], she says. (Related: Steel Truth: Arizona audit and Bidens Bagram blunders Brighteon.TV.) Watch Clarks full interview with Byrne on the Thrive Time Show here. Thrive Time Show with Clay Clark airs from Monday to Friday, 3:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Eastern time on Brighteon.TV. VoteFraud.news has more articles about the November 2020 election fraud and audits to uncover it. Sources include: Brighteon.com 1 TheGatewayPundit.com Brighteon.com 2 (Natural News) A new report in the journal Toxicology Reports has warned that the health risks caused by COVID-19 vaccines are simply too high for children. Scientists from the United States and Europe reached this conclusion following a review of data showing that the risks related to vaccines outweigh any potential benefits they may provide to young people. One of their chief concerns was the diseases relatively low risk to young people. They wrote: The bulk of the official COVID-19-attributed deaths per capita occur in the elderly with high comorbidities, and the COVID-19 attributed deaths per capita are negligible in children. Another concern they outlined was the fact that clinical vaccine trials only spanned a few months and that the samples used did not represent the overall population. The small size of the trials in adolescents and children have a poor predictive power, and the trails did not address any changes in biomarkers that would have served as early warning indicators of a higher predisposition to serious disease. In addition, the long-term effects were ignored. They wrote: Most importantly, the clinical trials did not address long-term effects that, if serious, would be borne by children/adolescents for potentially decades. They also cited the high number of post-inoculation deaths reported in the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) a system that has been shown historically to only report around 1 percent of the actual vaccine adverse events that take place, they point out. Moreover, the deaths shown in VAERS so far are short-term only around one month in children which means it doesnt take into account potential deaths in the intermediate and long term from problems like clotting, autoimmune effects, and antibody-dependent enhancement that take longer to develop. The report said that in a conservative cost-benefit analysis of the best-case scenario, there are five times as many deaths attributable to each inoculation versus those that can be attributed to the disease in the most vulnerable demographic, people aged 65 and above. And because the risk of dying from COVID-19 is reduced dramatically as age decreases, the longer-term effects of these shots on the younger age groups could raise their risk-benefit ratio substantially. Pfizer moving forward with push to vaccinate young children Nevertheless, last week, Pfizer announced that clinical trials have shown its vaccine is safe and effective in children aged 5 to 11 at a dose of a third of the amount being given to adolescents and adults and that they plan to submit their data to the FDA soon. This came just three days after an FDA advisory panel voted against the drug giants application for a COVID-19 booster shot for Americans over 16. They cited several concerns in their decision, including a lack of sufficient data to assess the risks of Pfizers vaccine to younger groups. In particular, they highlighted the potential higher risk of heart inflammation, particularly among young men aged 16 and 17. The vaccine currently only has emergency use authorization for children aged 12 to 15. The company is also studying the vaccine in even younger age groups, including ages 2 to 5 and six months to age 2. However, those trials have not yet been completed. They are looking at children in more than 90 locations in the U.S., Spain, Poland and Finland, some of whom have previously been infected with the virus and others who have not. Johnson & Johnson and Moderna have also been studying their vaccines in children but neither has completed its research. Despite the reports finding, it appears that the recent return to school and controversy over mask wearing among students will be used to justify a push to line children up for this potentially dangerous vaccine. Sources for this article include: WND.com USAToday.com ScienceDirect.com (Natural News) Scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) have discovered craters of extinct volcanoes on the surface of Mars. They stumble upon these craters after initially considering them to be sites where asteroids fell. The NASA scientists finding builds upon suggestions that the planet may still have active volcanoes that harbor life. In a statement, NASA says that seven giant craters originally considered to be asteroid impact craters are actually post-eruption volcanic craters. Agency scientists notice that the seven calderas in Marss Arabia Terra region are not perfectly round compared to those created by asteroids. They also observe signs of collapse, such as very deep floors and benches of rock near the walls, in the calderas. The researchers follow up on earlier studies suggesting the volcanic origin of minerals in the Arabia Terra region. Geologist Patrick Whelley of NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center says: Instead of looking for volcanoes themselves, we looked for the ash because you cant hide that evidence. Whelley and his colleagues then meet with volcanologist Alexandra Matiella Novak. The researcher at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland has been using data from NASAs Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) to look for ash on the planet. The two scientists partner up to find ash buildup locations in Arabia Terra. Novak and Whelley build upon another previous study with their endeavor. The prior study calculates the possible areas where ash from the extinct volcanoes super-eruptions would have settled. Based on this, the scientists determine that the ash would likely travel downwind toward the east. [We] picked it up at that point and said OK, these are minerals that are associated with altered volcanic ash, which has already been documented. [So] now were going to look at how the minerals are distributed to see if they follow the pattern we would expect to see from super eruptions, Novak says. Super-explosions from the Arabia Terra craters also changed Marss climate During these super-eruptions, the once-active volcanoes spew molten rock the amount of 400 million Olympic-size swimming pools alongside gas and ash. The ash expelled from the volcano then spreads into a thick blanket up to thousands of miles from the eruption site. Following the super-eruption, these volcanoes collapse into giant holes called calderas the same found in the Arabia Terra region of Mars. (Related: Mysterious cloud over volcano Arsia Mons in Mars reappears 2 years after previous sighting.) Whelley, Novak and their colleagues use images from the MROs Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer to identify volcanic minerals that turned to clay by water. They also scrutinize canyon walls and the calderas themselves to find if the ashes are still in the same place had the calderas erupted recently. Afterward, they create 3D topographic maps of Arabia Terra and overlay it with the mineral data. By overlaying both, they discover that the ash layers have been very well preserved instead of being strewn about by winds and water. Furthermore, data from the previous studies Whelley, Novak and their team have referenced show how many super-eruptions are needed to produce the thickness of ash they found which they discover to be thousands of eruptions. Whelleys colleague and geologist Jacob Richardson, who is involved in the endeavor, says: Were actually seeing what was predicted [by the earlier studies] and that was the most exciting moment for me. Whelley has noted the effects of these super-eruptions on the planets climate. These volcanic discharges expel water vapor, carbon dioxide and sulfur dioxide into Marss atmosphere. In some cases, powerful super-eruptions release dust and toxic gases into the air, blocking out sunlight and lowering temperatures. Each one of these eruptions would have had a significant climate impact. [Maybe] the released gas made the atmosphere thicker, or blocked the sun and made the atmosphere colder, the geologist says. Whelley continues that researchers modeling the climate on Mars will have some work to do to try to understand the impact of the volcanoes. (Related: Volcanic activity in Antarctica responsible for changes in climate in the region; not global warming.) Space.news has more articles about the geography and climate of Mars. Sources include: DailyMail.co.uk NASA.gov (Natural News) What do you suppose would happen if the President of the United States deemed it necessary, for national security, to flip the Internet Kill Switch? In these digital times, there should be great concern over something like this. However, normalcy bias seems to have a firm hold on a majority of the citizens of the US, and many are clinging to the it cant happen here theory. (Article by Aden Tate republished from TheOrganicPrepper.com) The United States has yet to employ this particular tool. However, according to data gathered to examine the financial impact of internet shutdowns, since 2019, there have been 237 major internet shutdowns in 45 countries. [source] What is an internet kill switch? An internet kill switch is a device/software/configuration that allows one to shut down all internet access within a region or country indefinitely. If activated, the kill switch would prevent everyone from checking social media, shopping online, using online messenger services, sending emails, or anything else involving an internet connection. In many cases, this may also include any form of phone contact (it varies). Which countries have already used the internet kill switch? Hackers have the ability to down the entire internet system, as we have seen with op article and op article. However, governments around the globe have also resorted to shutdowns, claiming it to be necessary for public safety. For example, India (a democratic nation) was the global leader in shutdowns in 2019, with over 150 in 3 years. [source] See if you spot the recurring theme among the following shutdowns: Cuba On July 11, Cuban citizens rallied in the streets to protest food and medicine shortages and electricity outages. Within two days, the Cuban government began restricting internet access. China Back in 2009, riots broke out in Xinjiang. The communists responded by shutting down the internet to the region for an entire year. [source] Egypt Amid protests, Egypts President Hosni Mubarak cut off nearly all internet access and shut down all cell phone services. The shutdown lasted for five days. [source] Iran November 16, 2019, Iran authorities flipped the switch, plunging citizens into digital darkness for nearly 11 days. According to an Amnesty International press release, the deliberate shutdown was an attempt to hide the horrendous killings across the country. Zimbabwe In 2019, President Mnangagwa announced a fuel price increase. Protests against the increase caused Mnangagwa to shut down the internet. Critics called the shutdown an attempt to hide growing reports of a violent crackdown on protests. [source] South Sudan Protests? We can fix that with an internet shutdown. [source] Zambia Election day, 2021, warranted shutting down many social media platforms and some messaging apps. Although the Zambian government denied the reports, Secretary Amos Malupenga mentioned there would be no hesitation to take appropriate measures. [source] Colombia Colombias government used this innovative means of stopping protests here in May 2021 an internet shut down. [source] The Republic of the Congo Another election day shutdown in 2021. This time in The Republic of the Congo. [source] Armenia Political unrest led to an internet shutdown here. [source] Russia I think mentioning the word elections regarding Russia is enough to make anybody laugh. Have a pesky election-tracking app you need shut down? A partial internet shutdown can do the trick. [source] Myanmar Coup underway? Better shut off the internet. [source] Ethiopia Ethiopias government shut down the internet 12 times before blacking out the country for nearly 16 days in 2020. Reports said this was an attempt to muzzle activists demanding justice for the killing of a beloved musician. [source] Does the United States have an internet kill switch? Technically, yes. Under an entirely unconstitutional 1930s law on the books: 47 USC 606: War Powers of President; Chapter 5, Subchapter VI, the President has the authority to wield that mighty weapon. The 1930s law reads: (c) Suspension or amendment of rules and regulations applicable to certain emission stations or devices Upon proclamation by the President that there exists war or a threat of war, or a state of public peril or disaster or other national emergency, or in order to preserve the neutrality of the United States, the President, if he deems it necessary in the interest of national security or defense, may suspend or amend, for such time as he may see fit, the rules and regulations applicable to any or all stations or devices capable of emitting electromagnetic radiations within the jurisdiction of the United States as prescribed by the Commission, and may cause the closing of any station for radio communication, or any device capable of emitting electromagnetic radiations between 10 kilocycles and 100,000 megacycles, which is suitable for use as a navigational aid beyond five miles, and the removal therefrom of its apparatus and equipment, or he may authorize the use or control of any such station or device and/or its apparatus and equipment, by any department of the Government under such regulations as he may prescribe upon just compensation to the owners. Perhaps you think this only applies to radios. It couldnt possibly apply to your laptop or phone, right? Dont forget your devices use radio waves to receive their internet access. In addition, your devices can access Google Maps, which would qualify your computer as a navigational aid. Read more at: TheOrganicPrepper.com and BigGovernment.news. (Natural News) The goal posts have moved again, and now the deep state puppeteers controlling the white house have decided that in order to go back to normal, about 98 percent of America must get fully vaccinated for the Wuhan coronavirus (Covid-19). While getting fake injected with a booster shot watch the video below and see if you can find an actual real-life needle going into his arm China Joe Biden rambled to someone from the press pool about how the herd immunity threshold has magically changed from 70 percent to nearly 100 percent of people needing to get injected. I think we get the vast majority like whats going in some of the some industries and some schools 60, 70, 97, 98 percent, an incoherent Biden mumbled, seemingly out of breath and unable to fully process what he was saying or what he was asked. I think were getting awfully close, and uh, uh well Im not the scientist, uh. But, uh, one thing is for: a quarter of the country cant go on unvaccinated. According to Biden, all Americans must do the right thing, which means rolling up their sleeves for whatever new injection comes down the pike. This is all part of Bidens build back better scheme for his handlers new world order. Mitch McConnell says Americans should get jabbed for covid because he is a childhood polio survivor Even though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has advised against Americans receiving any booster shots for the Chinese Virus, Beijing Biden is going ahead with it anyway. On the other hand, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a private corporation posing as a public health agency, says it supports China Joes efforts to continue jabbing America at warp speed until every last arm is fully vaccinated. We have to inform people and give them the information that they need, we have to meet people where they are, announced CDC Director Rochelle Walensky. Lets get to a place where you feel less reluctant and even if, though, that conversation doesnt result in your rolling up your sleeves today, it may be one step closer to your rolling up your sleeves tomorrow. Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell also supports the Biden Boosters. He announced that he supposedly received his already, calling it an easy decision because he is a survivor of childhood polio, as if that is somehow related. McConnell says that he is a lifelong champion of vaccinations and believes that Donald father of the vaccine Trumps Operation Warp Speed injections are safe and effective and the only way to defend ourselves and our families from this terrible virus. Theyre also how we stay on offense against Covid as a country, McConnell added in a statement. All Americans should speak with their doctors and get vaccinated. Biden backed McConnell up by adding his own statement that the only way to beat this pandemic and to save lives is to force Americans to get jabbed at gunpoint if necessary. So, please, please do the right thing, Biden further whined. Please get these shots. It can save your life and it can save the lives of those around you. Walensky called Bidens booster shot push a walk, dont run type of situation, emphasizing the talking point that the first two jabs are still very effective and are working really quite well. Meanwhile, there are shortages of everything with cargo ships circling off the California coast, wrote one commenter at Citizen Free Press. The economy is set to hit Obama levels or likely worse and youre busy butting into our lives even further. The latest news about Bidens booster shots and other plandemic nonsense can be found at Fascism.news. Sources for this article include: CitizenFreePress.com Archive.is NaturalNews.com NaturalNews.com (Natural News) The photographer who snapped controversial pictures of Border Patrol agents on horses stopping Haitian migrants from entering the United States has said that his images were misconstrued. When the photos emerged last week, some accused the agents in the photos of using their horses reins to whip the migrants in an attempt to stop them from crossing the Rio Grande into Texas. The photos drew significant backlash last week from lawmakers as well as the White House, who called them horrible and horrific. President Biden stated on Friday that the federal agents involved in the incident would pay for their actions. However, the photographer, Paul Ratje, has stated that he and his colleagues never saw agents whip anybody with the reins and that the agents were responding to Haitian men who were trying to run around their horses. It appears they were twirling their reins in an attempt to coax the horses in a particular direction, yet many have been eager to accuse the agents of intentionally whipping migrants. Ratje told El Paso NBC affiliate KTSM: I didnt ever see them whip anybody with the thing, he said of the reins. He was swinging it. But I didnt see him actually take whip someone with it. Thats something that can be misconstrued when youre looking at the picture. Nevertheless, the agents involved have been placed on administrative duty and are no longer working in direct contact with migrants. President Biden said: It was horrible what you see, what you saw to see people treated like they did, with horses barely running them over and people being strapped. Its outrageous, I promise you, those people will pay. Several former border officials and agents have told the media that that whirling motion depicted appears to be a tactic used to steer horses rather than whip humans. Rowdy Ballard, who served as Del Rios horse coordinator and a horseback Border Patrol agent for 17 years, told Fox News that Its a bunch of BS, adding that they do not even carry whips. He added that agents rarely lay a hand on anyone, unless they are not compliant. Now, the use of DHS horse patrols has been paused, and its something that Ballard believes is going to make it harder to patrol the area. Its frustrating for the guys in the field as well. I mean, they were asked to do a job and they did it to the best of their abilities. And now theyre suffering the whiplash from this, he told the news outlet. Haitian migrants have been flooding Del Rio recently in search of asylum in the United States. Its estimated that as many as 15,000 Haitian migrants were camping under the Del Rio international bridge recently. The Department of Homeland security has said that more than 5,800 of the migrants have been removed from the Del Rio camp so far but failed to specify the number who have been released into the United States. However, it is known that nearly 2000 of those who were removed have been returned to Haiti on a series of deportation flights that will continue on a regular basis. Radio silence from media fact checkers on photos misinterpretation Liberal media fact checkers have not yet exposed the false claims that agents were whipping the migrants at the southern border. None of the fact checkers at USA Today, CNN, The Washington Post, NBC News or Snopes have addressed the whipping claims, Fox News reported. Thats not surprising; its far more convenient for the left to use the photo as another opportunity for virtue signaling and continue to let the public misconstrue it even when the photographer himself has said in no uncertain terms that the alleged whipping never actually happened. Sources for this article include: NYPost.com FoxNews.com KTSM.com (Natural News) The medial martial law takeover of society has begun in New York where Governor Kathy Hochul has announced the mass firing of unvaccinated health care workers, to be replaced by foreign workers and National Guard troops. This same pattern of replacing civilian workers with military troops will be replicated across law enforcement, paramedics, fire fighters, truck drivers, factory workers and other sectors of the economy that are rapidly collapsing due to covid lockdown restrictions. The upshot is that we are witnessing a fast-moving military takeover of society under the cover of a state of emergency following personnel shortages that are actually caused by the governments own policies. The only reason hospitals in New York are desperately short of health care workers, of course, is because corrupt government leaders made sure all the unvaxxed workers were fired. These are the same workers who survived 2020 without covid vaccines, working on the front lines of the spike protein plandemic, yet now theyre being dumped onto the streets because they wont take a vaccine in 2021. Gov. Kathy Hochul said Saturday that shes prepared to declare a state of emergency if the states vaccine mandate for the health care industry results in an unmanageable shortage of workers when the rule goes into effect Monday, reported WSKG.org over the weekend. New York is also announcing the use of National Guard troops and a federal takeover of local health care. As WSKG reports: The state is also considering activating medically-trained members of the National Guard to fill gaps in the health care workforce, and could work with the federal government to bring in teams of medical workers to help local health care facilities. This is the opening phase of the medical martial law takeover of America, and if its not stopped, it risks quickly morphing into increasingly totalitarian maneuvers by the regime: Military vaccine checkpoints on roadways and highways. Military troops running food and fuel deliveries, controlling critical infrastructure. The weaponization of food, gasoline, medical supplies and other critical items, restricting them from red states that refuse to push mandatory vaccines. Military troops guarding entrances to grocery stores, churches, malls and other buildings, demanding vaccine passports papers please before allowing people to enter. Military troops involuntarily extracting people from their homes at gunpoint and taking them to covid death camps run by the CDC. Heres a map of the CDCs currently operating covid death camps. You can confirm this map at the CDCs own website. New York creates its own personnel crisis, then uses the crisis it created to roll out medical martial law The pattern to recognize here is that New York created this crisis by firing health care workers in the first place. Then, as this personnel crisis unfolds, New York uses the crisis to roll out replacement migrants (to replace all the soon-to-be-dead Democrats who were brainwashed enough to take the jab) and install military troops into key infrastructure positions. Part of this psyop is to get the American people used to seeing troops running everything: hospitals, transportation, factories, law enforcement, etc. Once all the troops are in place, Biden simply invokes the Insurrection Act, declares all anti-vaxxers to be engaged in an insurrection, then dispatches the troops to go round up and / or execute all of Bidens political enemies. This execution list will include Christians, pastors, outspoken doctors, etc. I cover all this in todays Situation Update podcast, which exposes the genocidal agenda of the vaccine industry and the criminal Biden regime: Brighteon.com/ce8bdd6d-8aab-48ef-b23c-82d2f73937bf Discover a new podcast each day at: https://www.brighteon.com/channels/hrreport (Natural News) The British Columbia Nurses Union (BCNU) has warned the provincial government of British Columbia in Canada that instituting a Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine mandate for healthcare workers would force members to leave the industry, exacerbating the provinces ongoing staffing shortage. The BCNU, established in 1981, represents more than 48,000 professional nurses and other healthcare workers in the western Canadian province. On Sept. 15, the union published a press release making it clear that the union stands for health freedom and is against the left-wing provincial governments vaccine mandate for healthcare workers. In response to the governments announcement on Sept. 13 of its plans to extend the mandatory vaccination order to all healthcare workers, yesterday BCNU raised concerns that consequences to this order could contribute to the severe nurse shortage in this province, reads the press release. (Related: Medical staff shortages feared in France as health care workers balk at COVID-19 vaccine mandates.) At a time when the union is imploring with health employers to improve staffing levels across this province, we are concerned that the mandatory nature of the vaccination strategy will force members to leave, further exacerbating a staffing shortage that is increasingly unmanageable. British Columbia Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister for Health Adrian Dix announced the expansion of the provinces vaccine mandate to include all healthcare workers on Sept. 13. According to the mandate, all healthcare workers in the province must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by Oct. 26, or receive an exemption from the provincial health officer. Dix claimed the province did not decide to mandate vaccines lightly. But the left-wing provincial government made this choice because British Columbia supposedly could no longer have a situation where healthcare workers remain unvaccinated. Were in a pandemic. It has very high risks in the healthcare setting. We have these very effective, very safe vaccines, claimed Dix. Theres an expectation that everyone who works in the healthcare system is vaccinated. The level of risk in the healthcare system justifies that. The BCNU argued that the worsening COVID-19 situation in British Columbia is precisely why a vaccine mandate would make the provinces response to the pandemic even worse. The union wrote that a vaccine mandate can pose desperate staffing challenges in worksites where staffing is already stretched extremely thin. Our healthcare system would crash, said BCNU Vice President Aman Grewal. It is going to impact the care that is being provided because the resources are not there. That is where the government needs to focus the attention. According to Grewal, around 20 percent of the unions members or nearly 10,000 people have chosen not to get vaccinated. Among the top reasons for refusing the vaccines are concerns it may affect breastfeeding or pregnancy, and union members generally not being comfortable with getting vaccinated. They say they have read the science, but they are not satisfied with the science that is out, she said. Grewal added that the vaccines long-term health effects have not been properly studied, which is another point of contention many union members have noted. Grewal said that she personally supports the COVID-19 vaccine and has been encouraging BCNU nurses to get them. But her position is different from the unions because the union is not in a position to support an order which will serve to remove even a single nurse or other healthcare worker from the healthcare system at a time of severe crisis. Its just not something that we can do, said Grewal. BCNU president forced out due to opposition to vaccine mandates On Monday, BCNU President Christine Sorensen resigned due to her being against vaccine mandates. The BC Nurses Union thanks Christine Sorensen for her years of dedication and service to the BCNU, read the unions statement. Christine Sorensen has resigned as President of the BCNU for personal reasons and to pursue other opportunities. While the union claims her resignation was personal, the fact that she resigned less than a week after the union declared its opposition to vaccine mandates strongly suggests that the situation is much more complicated. The fact that many of the unions critics have taken to flooding the BCNUs social media pages with angry comments lends further credence to the possibility that Sorensen was forced out. We recognize that [our policy] appears to go against the principle of mass vaccination, said Grewal. However, our healthcare system is so fragile right now that we need to be very careful in implementing any kind of measure that will take away any nurse. Learn more about how people all over the world are being forced to take the experimental and deadly COVID-19 vaccines by reading the latest articles at Vaccines.news. Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com BCNU.org GlobalNews.ca 1 GlobalNews.ca 2 VancouverSun.com (Natural News) More and more patriots are beginning to wise up to the fact that the Democrat Party, a.k.a. the American Marxist Party, is full-on implementing a scheme to replace as many white, Christian, conservative voters with third-world poor people of color who will eagerly support them after they have been allowed to migrant to the U.S. by any means possible, legal and illegal. The latest Democratic official to reinforce that claim (because its no longer a theory) is new New York Gov. Kathy Hochel. In a message to healthcare workers in the Empire State, the governor-dictator threatened to replace any of them who refused to get the COVID-19 vaccine with foreigners (remember when, just a year ago, Democrats were praising our frontline healthcare workers dealing with the pandemic head-on, without a vaccine?). To those who wont, well be replacing people. And I have a plan thats going to be announced very shortly, she said. Weve identified a whole range of opportunities we have to help supplement them. She went on to say that state officials were working closely with various hospital systems to find out where we can get other individuals to come in and supplement places like nursing homes. Were also reaching out to the Department of State to find out about visas for foreign workers, on a limited basis, to bring more nurses over here, she said. Its not clear where these foreign healthcare workers will come from other Western democracies like Australia are also replete with left-wing tyrants who have exploited the pandemic to enhance their own power and rule, not govern, over their people. But anyone who doubts that the American Marxist Party isnt serious about replacing patriots with foreigners isnt paying enough attention. None other than Fox News host Tucker Carlson was among the first pundits to expose this plan, linking it to the Biden regimes open borders policies that have seen more than 1.3 million migrants enter illegally into the U.S. since the old man took over in January and started reversing Donald Trumps border enforcement executive orders. Now, I know that the left and all the little gatekeepers on Twitter become literally hysterical if you use the term replacement, if you suggest that the Democratic Party is trying to replace the current electorate, the voters now casting ballots, with new people, more obedient voters from the Third World, Carlson first said in April. But they become hysterical because thats whats happening, actually. In August, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) made a similar observation during an interview with Fox News host Maria Bartiromo, in which he said Democrats are attempting to drown traditional, classic Americans by flooding the United States with illegal immigrants. They want to be in America, and I think what is hard for most of us to accept is that the anti-American left would love to drown traditional, classic Americans with as many people as they can who know nothing of American history, nothing of American tradition, nothing of the rule of law. When you go and you look at the radical left, this is their ideal model to get rid of the rest of us because we believe in George Washington, we believe in the Constitution, and you see this behavior over and over again, Gingrich explained. The Biden administration is tolerating a city a month were getting a new city every month. I was trying to think of a city of 210,000 as an example, but so imagine, you have a government which tolerates 210,000 people who are illegal coming into the U.S. They may have COVID, they may belong to a criminal gang, we have no idea who they are, he said. Sources include: BizPacReview.com NYPost.com InvasionUSA.news (Natural News) According to the American government, getting vaccinated is something all citizens must do, no questions asked, if the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is to end. But the same public health officials who are forcing everyone to get vaccinated also ignore those who are suffering from severe vaccine injuries. In an exclusive interview, Dr. Danice Hertz talked about her harrowing experience with vaccine injuries and how public health officials failed her more than once. Health officials refuse to investigate injuries and potential treatments Hertz talked about how people like her who were seriously injured by coronavirus vaccines are being dismissed. To add salt to the wound, health officials refuse to look into their injuries and possible treatments, leaving them with no one to ask for help. Hertz, a 64-year-old gastroenterologist who retired in October, became horribly ill and incapacitated after she received Pfizers coronavirus vaccine. She added that health agencies in the country are also ignoring thousands of adverse events. She even expressed her regret, saying that if she could turn back time, she wouldnt have gotten inoculated. According to Hertz, she tried getting in touch with several health agencies, physicians and researchers such as: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) The National Institutes of Health (NIH) She also contacted the U.S. Surgeon General and doctors at Harvard and Stanford universities, along with health experts at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles to ask for help with the neurological injuries she suffered after getting vaccinated. And Hertz isnt alone. There are thousands more like her with adverse reactions to coronavirus vaccines, but instead of getting the help they need they are ignored by mainstream media and health agencies. At the same time, coronavirus vaccine mandates are being rolled out for millions of Americans, with people none the wiser about the many risks linked to these drugs. Hertz received her first and only dose of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine on Dec. 23, 2020. She took a risk because she was worried that she would be unable to work if she didnt get vaccinated and the hospital was administering it to doctors like her. But within 30 minutes, Hertz started experiencing negative side effects. She waited for 15 minutes after inoculation because it was required for all vaccinated participants. Within 24 hours Hertz developed neurological symptoms like: Headaches Imbalance Severe paresthesias in her scalp, face, tongue, chest wall and limbs. Paresthesia or pins and needles is numbness or a burning feeling in your extremities, like your hands, arms, legs, or feet. The symptom can also happen elsewhere in your body. Tinnitus Tremors Twitching Weakness Her blood pressure was 186 over 127, which Hertz believes is characteristic of these symptoms. (Related: Woman shares horrifying details of her vaccine injuries from a hospital bed.) Hertz called her doctor. She also took Benadryl and steroids because she was worried she was having an allergic reaction. The next day, her face was completely numb. The CISA Project didnt follow up with Hertz Hertz talked to an allergist who treated her with steroids to confirm if she was experiencing an allergic reaction to the vaccine. Her situation didnt improve for several weeks so she met with the chief neurologist at Cedars-Sinai. She consulted six neurologists, five allergists and three rheumatologists, but none of the experts she talked to could figure out what was wrong. She also underwent various tests like blood work, skin biopsies and an MRI, but the results were inconclusive. She also criticized the doctors she talked to, saying that they seemed to be done with her even though they werent able to help her at all. When Hertz was consulting experts, the first neurologist told her about getting a CISA consult with the CDC. The Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment (CISA) Project was formed in 2001 to address the unmet vaccine safety clinical research needs of the country. CISA is a national network of vaccine safety experts from the CDCs Immunization Safety Office and seven medical research centers. The project also involved other partners who focus on vaccine safety issues, handle high-quality clinical research and evaluate complex clinical adverse events after inoculation. Hertzs case was accepted into the CISA Project. It was also presented at the CDCs grand rounds on March 23. After a meeting, a physician forwarded a letter to Hertz suggesting she had mast cell disorder. The CISA Project didnt follow up her case. What is mast cell disorder? Mast cell activation syndrome (or mast cell disorder) causes repeated episodes of the symptoms of anaphylaxis or allergic symptoms like difficulty breathing, hives, low blood pressure, swelling and severe diarrhea. Hertz sent her blood to the NIH for a study since they were already working with other patients experiencing similar symptoms. She also sent her blood to doctors at Harvard and Stanford evaluation. The Harvard physician also thought Hertz had mast cell activation and gave her medications, but they didnt help. Despite the many medications shes taking, Hertz reported that she still feels unwell. Mainstream media refuses to talk about vaccine injuries Frustrated, Hertz formed a Facebook group with over 160 members who have also experienced neurological problems after inoculation. Hertz added that there are other Facebook groups with at least thousands of members who have experienced adverse reactions to coronavirus vaccines, but mainstream media refuses to talk to anyone in her group because theyre forbidden from publishing anything about vaccine injuries. According to Hertz, some of the people who have had neurological reactions have no idea they were caused by the coronavirus vaccine. Hertz felt a glimmer of hope when she and her group managed to get a Zoom meeting with Dr. Peter Marks, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at the FDA, to talk about their vaccine injuries. However, Marks never showed up for the meeting. Instead of Marks, the head of communications joined the call. After listening to the group express their worries, she just asked them for their VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) number so people could follow up on their VAERS cases. Why arent U.S. health agencies talking about vaccine injuries? Hertz thinks U.S. health agencies are trying to cover up vaccine adverse events and suppressing research on the negative side effects because the pandemic has made things worse for everyone. Health agencies are focusing on vaccinating as many people as possible to prevent more infections instead of pausing to care for those with vaccine injuries because theyre worried about creating fear and panic, suggested Hertz. But at the same time, the public health agencies arent informing people about vaccine injuries, which Hertz says is a crime against the country. Hertz contacted Marks again on Feb. 23 because she didnt get a follow-up as promised. Again, another official with CBER responded instead of Marks himself. Hertz expressed her confusion at the fact that the FDA and CDC arent doing anything about cases like hers, with many people experiencing severe reactions. This just goes to show that public health agencies arent concerned about people with vaccine injuries. On July 2, Hertz talked again to one of her contacts at the NIH. She asked if anyone was studying adverse reactions like hers, and the Facebook group she represents. Her contact didnt respond. As a physician, Hertz is pro-vaccine but also pro-informed consent so her patients can decide for themselves. Hertz concluded that the public needs to know about all the risks of vaccines so they can make informed choices amid the pandemic. Sources include: ChildrensHealthDefense.org MedicalNewsToday.com (Natural News) Swedish State Epidemiologist Anders Tegnell, a soft-spoken official in the Swedish Health Agency, has quietly been going about his work in monitoring infectious diseases. But when COVID hit, his long-established plan was opposite of what the rest of the world recommended. Tegnell decided not to recommend mandatory lockdowns nor close schools. Back in July 2020, he defended the lack of mask mandates, saying that he was hopeful that the widespread immunity would protect the Swedes from a bad winter wave which turned out to be overly optimistic. But just over a year later, before Sweden lifted all of its remaining COVID restrictions, Tegnell felt vindicated. In an interview, Tegnell noted that Sweden has seen fewer deaths in 2020 compared to other European countries that imposed lockdowns. Preliminary data from the EU statistics agency suggested that Sweden had excess mortality of 7.7 percent in 2020, compared to 18.1 percent for Spain and 16.2 percent for Belgium. However, other Nordic countries that did embrace lockdowns managed to achieve lower excess mortality than Sweden. Norway, for instance, registered no excess deaths in the same year. Tegnell admitted that Sweden made assumptions about the level of immunity necessary to control the virus that was not attainable. He said that there was a need for a much higher level of immunity in a population that can only shift through vaccination to control the disease in a reasonable manner. He also added that achieving a high vaccination rate is the one way that the world can get out of the pandemic, as vaccines are highly effective against severe disease and death from COVID-19. Still, Tegnell defended his decision to let children continue with face-to-face classes in Sweden, arguing that while children have been affected by the pandemic, it was to a lot lesser degree than they would have been if the government had decided to close schools. Swedens strategy remains controversial Months before the COVID-19 cases were detected, public health experts ranked Sweden as one of the most prepared countries to handle a pandemic. But with the unorthodox approach, it seems that the bet was wrong: Sweden had recorded higher COVID-19 cases per capita compared to other countries. Since the beginning of the pandemic, roughly 11 out of 100 people in Sweden have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Compared to other EU countries, 9.4 out of every 100 cases is recorded in the U.K. and 7.4 per 100 in Italy. Sweden also recorded around 145 COVID-19 deaths for every 100,000 individuals, which is three times more compared to Denmark, eight times more than Finland and nearly 10 times more than Norway. If Sweden decided to implement tighter rules, the country may have seen lower death tolls, similar to the rest of its Nordic neighbors. They underestimated the mortality tremendously, said Claudia Hanson, an associate professor at Swedens Karolinska Institute. She also said that Sweden had a dream for many people to think it can do things differently, but in retrospect, it may not have been a good idea. Many disease experts warned that Swedens lax approach would result in unnecessary deaths, but Tegnell, who led Swedens coronavirus strategy, was wary of depriving residents of income or personal freedom. (Related: Is Sweden making the right choice by refusing coronavirus lockdowns?) Thus, Sweden went on to become one of the few European nations not to implement full-scale lockdowns. Its population mobility from March to May 2020 went down the least out of 28 countries examined by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. Public transport and leisure activities only dropped by 22 percent during the time, compared to the 66 percent mobility drip in Spain, which saw the highest reduction in mobility. When Sweden opted for a no-lockdown strategy, scientists were still looking into how deadly and contagious the virus was. But according to email exchanges published by freelance journalists, Tegnell was considering allowing the virus to infect young, healthy people to increase immunity in the population. Hanson said she was absolutely disgusted by Tegnells approach, as it presumed knowledge that scientists did not have at the time, adding that the supremacy of the Swedish approach is what made the move terrible. Eventually, after the increase in daily COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths that skyrocketed from October to December, the country finally decided to close non-essential public spaces such as gyms, pools and libraries and recommended masks during rush hour on public transport. Get more news and updates about how COVID-19 is affecting different parts of the world at Pandemic.news. Sources include: Unherd.com BusinessInsider.com 1 BusinessInsider.com 2 On Sunday, an extensive cloud of ash halted flights coming in and going out of the Spanish island of La Palma as molten rock kept jumping high into the air from an active volcano. Impact of La Palma Volcano There were no flights arriving or departing, even though emergency workers were removing the ash from the airport runway. Islanders received both good and bad news with some relocated residents allowed to come back to their homes during low seismic activity while authorities assessed the resulting damages. So far, about 430 structures have been affected in the countryside. The volcano on La Palma which is part of the volcanic Canary Islands off northwest Africa and accommodates about 85,000 people, erupted on the 19th of September. This immediate evacuation of over 6,000 people helped in saving so many lives. Life on the remaining part of La Palma, which is approximately 35 kilometers or 22 miles long and 20 kilometers or 12 miles wide at its most extensive point, has not been affected. Volcano emergency response unit technical director named Miguel Angel Morcuende, told a news conference."We're not in a state of total alarm. Life on the island is continuing, though those close to the eruption are facing difficulties." Also Read: Officials Issue Red Alert for U.S. Volcano Due to Impending Explosions How Long Would the Eruption Last? The mouth of the volcano was still discharging bright molten rock and belching black smoke. Someone kilometers away could hear the sound of this volcano. The eruption could persist for about three months, scientists say. The sound coming from the volcanic explosions is capable of breaking glass in the closeby area, Morcuende said, encouraging residents living within 3 miles (5 kilometers) to steer clear from their windows. The falling volcanic ash won't threaten public health, but getting rid of it can be hazardous for the lungs and eyes of people, officials said. They encouraged people to put on a face mask, eye protection, gloves, trousers, and long-sleeve shirts, anytime they are removing ash. officials said some 25,000 metric tons of sulfur dioxide are being discharged from the crater daily but don't present a health threat. Suspension of Flight Trips Regardless of Spanish airport authority Aena making a tweet that La Palma airport was up and running again on Sunday, no plane was anticipated to alight or take off. Due to the ash cloud, about five airlines had already called off their day's trip to La Palma. Volcanic ash is dangerous for engines of aircraft. People formed long lines at the island's port to get ferries off the island. Officials permitted 160 evacuees to return back home and allowed some other relocated residents to get belongings from their homes, since lava flows were not fast. On Sunday Pope Francis said that he was praying for people which the volcano affected, dedicating a prayer to the affected ones at the end of his noon blessing every week in St. Peter's Square. Related Article: USGS Raises Yellow Warning on 6 Active Volcanoes in US for 'Elevated Unrest' For more news, updates about volcanic eruption and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! People living in Anchorage, Alaska have gotten used to living near moose and bear, but they are are now dealing with the threat from a smaller creature which is the humble river otter. River Otter The Alaska department of fish and game notified residents Friday of a pack of hostile otters which have mauled children, dogs, and matured humans close to rivers, creeks, and lakes. The only significant predator river otters have are humans. Officials said attacks the other way are rare. In spite of that, series of reported events triggered the official warning. Authorities said: "Because of the risk to public safety, efforts will be made to locate this group of river otters and remove them. Care will be taken to only remove the animals exhibiting these unusual behaviors." Just last week, the otters bit a woman trying to rescue her dog from the animals at a lake. A group of otters also mauled a dog that same day, in a different part of the city. Also Read: 5 Disturbing Facts About Sea Otters: They're Not as Cuddly as They Seem River Otter Attacks At the beginning of the month, a boy who is nine-year-old visited the emergency room after four otters pursued him together with his friends while they were playing close to a duck pond in east Anchorage. Tiffany Fernandez, the mother of the boy mother, told the Anchorage Daily News: "He has two fang marks on his back thigh and one on the front thigh on each leg. [He has] one puncture wound on his foot." Officials said they would test the otters to know if they have rabies, which could explain why they are aggressive, although no recent reports of rabid otters in the area have been made. In July, it was discovered that a river otter had rabies over 300 miles away in Dillingham, Alaska, and can be reached only by either plane or boat. An otter mauled a dog at Anchorage's University Lake in November 2019, although the owner of the dog wasn't able to get a very clear glimpse to be certain if the aquatic attacker was an otter or a beaver. At the time, the owner of the dog (Labradoodle) whose name is Carol Stratton told local news station KTUU: "They made a beeline through the water. I called for [my dog] and bam. They pulled her under at least twice. It was horrifying." Species of Otter Bryan Reiley, a wildlife biologist who inspected the otter, revealed to Alaska Public Media that the body of the otter was covered with porcupine quills. It is rare for the two species to interact since they like living in water and land respectively. Seeing evidence of river otter activity is more common than seeing otters. They usually live in groups, either mothers with pups or bachelor males stay together. Officials said they are not aware of the composition of the hostile Anchorage pack. Related Article: Smart Animals: Sea Otters Used Tools Even Before Dolphins and Humans Did, Study Says For more news, updates about otters and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! For the next 14 months, a group of atmospheric scientists from throughout the country will converge on Houston, Texas, to seek answers to a difficult question: Do flecks of soot, dust, smoke, and other particles floating in the Earth's atmosphere have a role in determining the severity of thunderstorms? The new information might help improve weather forecasting and give essential data for projections about how aerosols will impact Earth's future temperature. The deployment in Houston will also give precise information on local air quality. In addition, it will provide scientists with a unique chance to investigate the impacts of industry, automobile emissions, and the built environment on weather and climate as part of extensive field research in a metropolitan region. "We want to know how aerosols, the tiny particles that water condenses onto to form cloud droplets, influence the physics of deep convective clouds-the kind that frequently shoots lightning and pours rain-and then how those same weather conditions affect local aerosol characteristics and urban air quality," said Michael Jensen, a meteorologist at the DOE's Brookhaven Nation Laboratory. TRacking Aerosol Convection Interactions ExpeRiment (TRACER) is the name of a study being conducted by DOE's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) user facility. Related Article: Future Generations Will Experience More Climate Disasters than Their Ancestors Ever Will Collaborative Study in Houston TRACER experts from Brookhaven, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and other universities will collect data on aerosols and atmospheric features for a year, working closely with researchers from the University of Houston. At four locations immediately outside the city, the team will deploy sensors supplied and controlled by ARM. Additional partners from the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and other organizations will join the team during an intensive study period from June to September 2022 to catch the height of Houston's summer storm season. Houston is the ideal location for the research because of its humid subtropical climate, frequent isolated convective storms, and various industrial and natural aerosol sources. Particles in the Air "Because we live on the coast, forecasting the weather is difficult," said James Flynn, a research associate professor in the University of Houston's College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. "There are many thunderstorms; there is pollution and some natural sources of small particles." Dust, sea salt, diesel engine particles, soot from a power plant and refinery combustion operations, heavy urban traffic, and even smoke from wildfires in California and Colorado are examples. According to certain studies, such aerosols can alter cloud lifecycles, delaying the beginning of precipitation. If this happens, water droplets may get larger as clouds develop. "And when they do fall," Flynn explained, "it's a gully washer." TRACER data will help us better understand these processes and anticipate when the deluges will happen. The "first ARM Movable Facility," or AMF1, is a collection of ARM devices housed in ten mobile shipping containers. Many of these sensors, notably an Aerosol Observing System built at Brookhaven Lab, has collected atmospheric data in sites worldwide, from the Arctic to the Tropics. Duration and Purpose of the Study During the intensive research period next summer, scientists from TRACER and partner organizations will also install more equipment near Guy, Texas, southwest of the city. Two tethered balloon systems will carry equipment to monitor winds, tiny aerosol particles, and ozone in the lowest levels of the atmosphere, one at the Guy location and the other at Smith Point on the east side of Galveston Bay. The data collected on the shores of Galveston Bay will be crucial in determining how the bay affects local air circulation. Anyone who wants to study the data acquired by ARM will be able to do so for free. TRACER data will also be useful in gaining a better knowledge of how storms originate and how long they endure. Also Read: Storm Anxiety: How to Handle Extreme Weather Phobias During Hurricane Season For more climate and weather updates, don't forget to follow Nature World News! A cassowary, known as the world's most deadly bird because of its long, dagger-like toe, may have been the first bird bred by humans. The bird is an unexpected choice for domestication since it is territorial, aggressive, and resembles a dinosaur in appearance. A recent analysis of over 1,000 fossilized eggshell pieces unearthed from two hunter-gatherer rock shelters in New Guinea suggests that early humans may have gathered the giant flightless bird's eggs before they hatched and then nurtured the babies to adulthood. New Guinea is a massive island in the Pacific Ocean north of Australia. Papua New Guinea controls the eastern half of the island, while Indonesia controls the western half. Kristina Douglass, an associate professor of anthropology and African studies at Penn State University, said, "This behavior that we are observing comes thousands of years before the domestication of the chicken." "And this isn't some tiny fowl; it's a big, obnoxious, flightless bird capable of eviscerating you," she stated in a press release. Related Article: Study Showed How The Human Brain Grew After Large Animals Went Extinct Aggression and Hostility While a cassowary may be hostile (a man was murdered by one in Florida in 2019), the researchers claim that it "imprints" quickly, becoming connected to the first object it sees after hatching. This implies it's simple to care for and grow to mature size. Cassowaries are New Guinea's biggest vertebrates, and their feathers and bones are treasured resources for body decoration and ceremonial use. In addition, new Guineans regard the bird's flesh to be a delicacy. Native Cassowaries Cassowaries come in three different species and are endemic to northern Queensland, Australia, and New Guinea. Douglass believed that our forefathers most likely raised the tiniest species of cassowary, the dwarf cassowary, which weighs approximately 20 kilos (44 pounds). Carbon Dating Fossilized Eggs The study used carbon dating to determine the ages of the fossilized eggshells, which varied from 18,000 to 6,000 years old. Humans are thought to have tamed hens for the first time around 9,500 years ago. To get to their results, the researchers began by studying the eggshells of live birds, such as turkeys, emus, and ostriches. As the developing chicks acquire calcium from the eggshell, the insides of the eggshells alter. The researchers were able to create a model of what the eggs looked like at different incubation phases by using high-resolution 3D pictures and analyzing the interior of the eggs. Before applying their model to the ancient eggshell fragments discovered in New Guinea, the researchers tested it on current emu and ostrich eggs. The majority of the eggshells recovered at the sites were close to maturity, according to the researchers. "We discovered that the vast majority of the eggshells were collected late in the process," Douglass added. "The eggshells appear to be a little late; the pattern isn't random." According to the study, people residing at these two rock shelter locations were gathering eggs when the cassowary embryos had fully grown limbs, beaks, claws, and feathers. Why were they bred? But were people gathering these eggs to allow them to hatch, or were they collecting the eggs to eat? Douglass speculated that they might have been doing both. Eating eggs with fully developed embryos in certain parts of the globe is considered a delicacy, but Douglass said the research team's findings showed individuals were hatching the chicks. In the news announcement, Douglass added, "We also looked into burning on the eggshells." "We have enough late-stage eggshell samples that do not exhibit burning to conclude that they were hatching rather than consuming them." Less developed eggshells revealed more evidence of burning, suggesting that cassowary eggs were cooked and consumed while their contents were primarily liquid. "Cassowary chicks are raised to adulthood in the highlands to collect feathers and consume or trade the birds. Cassowaries, among the biggest vertebrate creatures in New Guinea, may have been highly prized in the past. Cassowaries may be raised from chicks, providing a ready supply of feathers and meat for an animal that is difficult to kill in the wild as an adult. "She explained everything via email. Needing Further Studies However, the researchers still don't know a lot. People would need to know where the nests were when the eggs were deposited and take them from the nest shortly before hatching and successfully nurturing cassowary babies. This is a difficult task since birds do not nest at the exact location every year. In addition, male birds take up nest duties after a female lays the eggs and don't leave for 50 days while incubating the eggs. "It's possible that the male was hunted, and then the eggs were gathered. Because males don't leave the nest alone, they don't eat much during the incubation period, leaving them susceptible to predators, "she said ALSO READ: Terrifying Fossils of 'Larger-Than-Humans' Giant Sandworms Found in the Ocean! For more prehistoric news, don't forget to follow Nature World News! Four months ago, Nyiragongo's major volcanic eruption emitted lava that buried homes in a city of some 600,000 people, stopping short of the northern outskirts of Goma, and killing 32 people. It also generated powerful aftershocks, shaking the region every 10 to 15 minutes and rattling DR Congo city. The reappearance of lava like dated September 18 was "a natural sign," according to Mahinda. "The appearance of this lake of fire in the crater will minimize earthquakes in the volcanic area of Goma." In fact, the reappearance in the crater of the Nyiragongo volcano in eastern DR Congo is a good sign, according to experts. "It is not a phenomenon that presents an imminent risk of a new eruption, but rather a phenomenon that allows the volcano to breathe," said scientific director Celestin Kasereka Mahinda of the Goma Volcanology Observatory on the 'Reappearance of the lava lake in Nyiragongo's crater'. A potentially catastrophic event-a "limnic eruption" Scientists fear that the Nyiragongo eruption in late May and days subsequent to it might pose a potentially catastrophic event-a 'limnic eruption' under nearby Lake Kivu - also known as lake overturn. Limnic eruption is a rare type of natural disaster that would send carbon dioxide gas erupted from deep lake waters, forming a gas cloud in the surface and suffocate wildlife, livestock, and humans in the vicinity. Ministry of Communications of the Democratic Republic of Congo authorities ordered the evacuation of 400,000 people as a precaution. When seismic activity fell back, residents were safely returned in their homes. The disappearance of lava lake from the crater sparked fears that it remained buried under Goma. Fortunately, the lake reappeared and "Nyiragongo found a way to breathe," Mahinda said. "Fear would have persisted if the volcanic chimney remained blocked." Also read: Due to Climate Change, Melting Ice at the Poles Cause Alarming Changes in Earth's Crust Worst disaster scenario Aside from the catastrophic phenomenon and risk of a limnic eruption, lava flows from Nyiragongo could combine with volcanic activity under the floor of the lake, "forming a fissural or phreato-magmatic eruption under the lake and/or a large earthquake of 6.5 or 7 magnitude," said the Goma Volcano Observatory (OVG). In this case, "a limnic eruption would take place and dissolved gas in the lake's deep water would rise to the surface, especially CO2, asphyxiating all living beings around Lake Kivu on the Congolese and Rwandan side." This could mean thousands of deaths, according to OVG, and should call out a need for resources to carry out an 'urgent exploration' of Lake Kivu. When such phenomenon happens, use of rainwater for drinking or washing food should be avoided, given the ashfall from the volcano. This year's eruption is the first major eruption of Mt. Nyiragongo since 2002, which had killed 245 people and destroyed 120,000 homes, covering most of the eastern part of Goma with lava, including half of the airport's landing strip. However, its deadliest record so far was in 1977, which resulted to deaths of 600 people. Also read: Subtropical Storm Teresa Forms from Moisture Left Behind by Tropical Storm Peter A small pest with wings that some people think is attractive is getting so much attention online, with experts in natural resources and agriculture warning that it can cause a lot of damage to grapes and is very difficult to kill once established. Spotted Lanternfly Lycorma delicatula referred to as the dreaded spotted lanternfly moved from Asia to the United States about a decade ago. Presently, agriculture officials are afraid that it's gradually moving into Michigan and other states close by. Matured spotted lanternflies can be recognized with their bright body and wing colors. An invasive species expert with the agriculture department of the state named Robert Miller said: "It's a pest we are concerned about in the state of Michigan. We are asking the public to be on the lookout and to report it if they think they see it. I can't say if and when it will arrive. But I think there's a possibility we'll see it eventually." For now, the internet is turning the spotted lanternflies into an evil Mothra. Also Read: Spotted lanternflies found to be flyers, not gliders Spread of the Spotted Lanternfly There have been a lot of reports and warnings online in the last few days. Many, if not a majority of the headlines, invoke the language of aggressiveness and death. "There's a beautiful spotted insect flying across the U.S.-and officials want you to kill it," CBS. "Die, Beautiful Spotted Lanternfly, Die," The New York Times. It could be regarded as so much clickbait. But beyond the publicity, the lanternfly is an actual problem and there isn't much solution. Miller highlighted one of the results of global travel and trade is that animals, insects, and plants are finding themselves in places they shouldn't be in increasing numbers, and in many cases, they are ruining the environments close to them. The new problem isn't Invasive species. The time Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in the year 1492 he began what historians presently refer to as the Columbus Exchange which is a transfer of ideas, crops, diseases, and also populations between the modern world and the ancient world. These bugs hop more than fly, and it is possible they got to America on a shipping container. Since then, the insect has spread to Virginia, New York, West Virginia, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, and Ohio. Features of Spotted Lanternfly The spotted lanternfly which ag departments have been referring to as SLF- was initially identified in 2014 in southeastern Pennsylvania but seemed to have been present in America for about two to three years already. The insect is about an inch long and its width is half an inch, with very noticeable wings. Anytime their wings are not closed they display a black and yellow abdomen and bright red hind wings that have black spots changing to white and black bands at the margin. Egg masses resemble old chewing gum, possessing a waxy, gray, putty-like coating. Related Article: Spotted Lanternfly: Officials Are Begging Public to Kill This Invasive Pest on Sight For more news, updates about spotted lanternfly and similar topics don't forget to follow Nature World News! Norwich event to explore sustainable futures Norwich event to explore sustainable futures Jonathon Porritt will be among speakers looking at sustainable futures at an event leading up to the COP 26 conference on Climate Change in Glasgow. Jonathon Porritt CBE is a renowned environmental campaigner whose recent book is entitled 'Hope in Hell.' Christians interpret the world through story, poetry and art, he writes, requiring an imaginative approach to the Earth that works at the level of the heart. Christianity has communicated great truths in this way long before science. Ideas such as joy, kindness, self-sacrifice, simplicity, hope, obedience, awe and wonder are all universally felt and understood. Professor Tim O'Riordan will chair a panel including Haley Pinto, a psychiatrist and spokesperson for Greenpeace; Professor Nitya Rao, Director of the Norwich Research Park Institute for Sustainable Development; and Connor Bryant, circular economy entrepreneur and co-founder of Rubbish Ideas and The Rubbish Project. Together the panel will seek to answer the questions: What is enough to live sustainably? Is that consistent with human well-being? How do we get to this sustainable future? What myths and stories do we need for this new age? The event will be from 4 to 5.30pm on Saturday October 23 at the Norwich School, NR1 4DD. To book for a seat or to receive the video please go to: www.hope4abetterworld.co.uk Eldred Willey, 28/09/2021 By Dolan Sullivan, Vice President of Federal at Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company. Federal and non-governmental IT teams have long been aware of the risk of radio frequency (RF) network blindness. Afterall, unauthorized communications in a secure zone can reveal personnel movements and create a conduit for data exfiltration, such as how a fitness tracker can inadvertently revealed the physical movements of military personnel. The need for RF situational awareness has intensified as the use of mobile and IoT devices have exploded across both governments and private organizations that support those governments. These challenges are compounded by the fact that most of the devices use many or multiple different radio frequency technologies, such as Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Bluetooth, and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). Most pressingly, high security Federal agencies have had to rely on the honor policy and reporting policy to limit the entry of RF-emitting devices without the ability to effectively track and manage them on the network. A unified solution for mitigating RF-emitting device vulnerabilities Federal-contractor organizations have needed a unified solution to detect and locate RF-emitting devices to improve the overall security posture while better protecting individuals using those devices and the physical areas where those devices exist across the network. To create this unified solution, Arubas secure enterprise wireless LAN solution and Aruba ClearPass Policy Manager can be integrated with Bastille Networks, to address the huge security gap RF-emitting devices create. Federal IT agencies can now implement this integrated solution to establish an RF security policy based on real-time detection capabilities while establishing automated alerts and enforcement policies. Automating the enforcement of RF geofences Bastille uses passive software-defined radio sensor arrays to detect and locate cellular, Bluetooth, BLE, and Wi-Fi devices with precise locations in real-time. All RF-emitting devices, whether authorized or unauthorized within a campus or a forward deployed location, can be accurately located on a floorplan or area map. Aruba Caption: Maps within ClearPass can help IT teams track and automate the enforcement of pre-defined policies pertaining to RF-emitting devices on the network With Bastille and ClearPass, IT can establish geofences that include or exclude areas where devices are or are not allowed. If an RF-emitting device, whether its a personal mobile phone, a fitness tracker, or sensors on data center infrastructure, is located where it should not be (or doing what it should not do) an alert is submitted through ClearPass, and automated enforcement can then be applied. Automated actions are taken based on the given government agencys specified policies. When a mobile device crosses a geofence boundary, Bastille communicates with ClearPass to enforce network access based on policies defined for that physical location. Should a mobile device cross a geofence boundary, such as on the wrist of an unwitting federal contractor at a secure facility where no RF-emitting devices are permitted, Bastille will communicate with ClearPass. This time, ClearPass will disconnect all wired terminals and desktops from the network, preventing data exfiltration. Other actions can be taken, such as alerting the IT service desk to document the violation or even notifying a physical security team to track down the device, as warranted. With the integration of Aruba and Bastille, Federal IT leaders have situational awareness of all RF-emitting devices in their respective facilities and other defined areas, but with the added ability to immediately mitigate risk if a threat appears. In short, federal agencies and contractors have a more effective method to reduce risks instead of simply relying on a policy of honor and good intentions. Want to learn more about protecting the network from unauthorized RF-emitted devices? Watch the on-demand webinar Get Rid of Shadow IT and RF Network Blindness: RF Geofence Policy Enforcement with Bob Baxley, CTO at Bastille, and Khuong Tang, Senior Systems Engineer at Aruba. For more on the Federal IT solutions from Aruba. Gigabyte Technology isnt the first name that comes to mind in data-center hardware. Its better known as a consumer player, but it is a significant server player none the less, making server motherboards on par with other top names like Supermicro. Now the company has teamed with CoolIT Systems to provide two high-density servers equipped with liquid-cooling technology. The servers, H262-ZL0 and H262-ZL2, are equipped with direct liquid cooling for CPUs designed to support the high-performing but super-hot 280 watt AMD EPYC 7003 (Milan) processors. The servers, based on the company's H262-Z6x family of air-cooled servers, are hyperconverged and very dense, targeting HPC, HCI, in-memory-computing, and scientific-research markets. They both pack four nodes with two sockets each and eight DIMM slots per node in a 2U form factor. Using air cooling, a H262 server fully populated with memory and 24 SSD drives is limited to 200-Watt CPU power. Air cooling is limited compared to water cooling, which can absorb up to 3,000 times more heat. Direct liquid cooling means customers can now use the top of the AMD EPYC line at 280 Watt. In a statement, Gigabyte CEO Alan Chen said its customers have asked for liquid-cooled servers, and described the first two are just the "first wave of servers with direct liquid-cooling kits." Heat from the CPUs in the H262-ZL0 is absorbed by cold plates and carried away by a stream of liquid flowing through a housing on top of the plates. The liquid is pumped away, cooled, and recirculated. The server relies on air cooling for the rest of the system, such as memory. The H262-CL2 adds additional cold plates to cool its memory modules as well as a Mellanox ConnectX-6 DPU adapter. The new servers are available from Gigabyte now. Penfield Reef Lighthouse Fairfield Shortly before Christmas 1916, 38-year-old Frederick A. Jordan, head lighthouse keeper at Penfield Reef Lighthouse on the South Side of Black Rock Harbor off the coast of Fairfield, was relieved of his post by his assistant. He began to row to the mainland to spend the holiday with his family when the harbor was struck by a sudden gale and his boat capsized. Rudolph Iten, assistant keeper, boarded another boat in an attempt to save his friend, but couldnt make it to him and Jordan drowned. Ever since, Jordans ghost has been said to haunt the area, keeping an eye on the lighthouse and boats. Iten, who became head keeper after Jordans death, said he was visited by the spirit of his old boss on a stormy night a few days after the tragedy. They say that all lighthouse keepers are mad, he told a local paper in the 1920s. Some days later on what was one of the worst nights in the history of Penfield, [when] the waves were dashing over the lantern, I was awakened I was off duty by a strange feeling that someone was in my room. Sitting up I distinctly saw a gray, phosphorescent figure emerging from the room formerly occupied by Fred Jordan. It hovered at the top of the stairs, and then disappeared in the darkness below. Thinking it was the assistant keeper I called to know if anything was the matter, but he answered me from the lens room that all was well. Later in the article, Iten describes how the logbook mysteriously turned to the page recounting Jordans death. Stories of Jordan being spotted have been told ever since. A Bridgeport Post article from March 16, 1972, told of residents on the shore reporting an erratic light flashing at the lighthouse, and a Coast Guard vessel being dispatched to investigate the problem. Although a mechanical cause was discovered, the article reported that some old salts in the area attribute the mysterious malfunction to the ghosts of former lighthouse keepers. UNITED NATIONS (AP) The foreign minister of Belarus accused Western nations on Monday of carrying out a large-scale hybrid war against the country because it failed to change the government in elections last year, which he insisted were won by President Alexander Lukashenko. Vladimir Makei made no mention of the opposition to Lukashenko and Western nations denouncing as a sham the August 2020 elections that gave him a sixth term, nor the months of protests against the outcome, some of which drew up to 200,000 people. Belarusian authorities responded to the protests with beatings and arrests of more than 35,000 people, and eventually the repressions and winter weather took their toll, and the protests withered. Opposition leaders have been either jailed or forced to leave the country, and authorities have moved methodically to stamp out any sign of dissent. Makei did not acknowledge the government crackdown, instead telling the U.N. General Assemblys high-level meeting that Belarus has been drawn, against its will, into the vortex of a geopolitical war. It has been targeted by the West, he said, only because Belarus did not manage to act out the highly polished script of yet another color revolution to coincide with the presidential elections. The West has not been able to accept the choice of the majority of Belarussians because this choice of the Belarusian electorate spoiled the plans of some strategists," he said. Sanctions by the European Union and the United States were imposed after both Lukashenkos crackdown and the government's diversion, in May, of a passenger jet to Minsk to arrest a dissident journalist. The governments in neighboring Lithuania and Poland have accused Belarusian authorities of organizing a flow of migrants from the Middle East and Africa to their countries in retaliation for sanctions in recent months. Five migrants have died trying to cross from Belarus into the two countries, both EU members. Makei protested strongly against Western sanctions, which he said violate international law, seriously damage the entire system of international relations and increase the potential for conflict and enmity in international relations. As for the refugee issue, he said, the West has fabricated a conflict with the refugees on the western border of Belarus in order to further demonize the country. Makei blamed irresponsible policies and actions by Europe and the West, including in Afghanistan, for the millions of migrants trying to reach Europe, stressing that they arent wanted by any European country. Makei also called human rights a real weapon against undesirable and disobedient countries and denounced some unnamed countries for arbitrarily defining the level of democracy in other countries and sticking offensive labels on some of them. Today, Makei said, the world's nations need to unite, help each other and take collective actions to overcome all disagreements and prevent the world from plunging into chaos of another war, which would be the last in human history. Ned Gerard / Hearst Connecticut Media HARTFORD A city man will spend more than three years in federal prison for having a sawed-off shotgun in his car, according to federal prosecutors. Kevin Barco, 37, was sentenced Monday by Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 39 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. SEOUL, South Korea (AP) North Korea on Monday accused the United States of keeping up its hostile policy and demanded the Biden administration permanently end joint military exercises with South Korea even as it continued its recent streak of weapons tests apparently aimed at pressuring Washington and Seoul over slow nuclear diplomacy. North Korean Ambassador Kim Songs comments on the last day of the U.N. General Assemblys annual high-level meeting came shortly after South Koreas military reported a North Korean firing into eastern waters. The Norths latest test, which followed two previous rounds of missile tests this month, indicated the country is returning to its tried-and-true technique of mixing weapons demonstrations and peace offers to wrest concessions amid long-stalled negotiations over its nuclear weapons program. North Korea's neighbors said the weapon fired early Tuesday local time was a short-range missile and further details about the launch were being analyzed. Speaking through a translator, Kim justified North Koreas development of a war deterrent as a necessity to defend against U.S. threats, and also accused South Korea of betraying inter-Korean peace agreements by prioritizing its Western ally over national harmony. He demanded that the United States permanently stop its military exercises with South Korea, which the North has traditionally described as invasion rehearsals, and end the deployment of U.S. strategic weapons if it wants to end the 1950-53 Korean War and is really desirous of peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula." The possible outbreak of a new war on the Korean Peninsula is contained not because of the U.S.s mercy on the DPRK, it is because our state is growing a reliable deterrent that can control the hostile forces in an attempted military invasion, Kim said, referring to North Korea by the abbreviation of its formal name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. The Biden administration recently announced that it terminated the longest war in Afghanistan after 20 years, Kim said, but the U.S. is still ignoring the reality that the Korean War has not ended for over 70 years. Kim cited military threats and hostile acts that the DPRK has faced from the U.S. every day since it was founded in 1948. North Korea mainly uses the term hostile policy to refer to U.S.-led sanctions over its nuclear weapons program and the joint U.S.-South Korea military drills. If (the United States) is really desirous of peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula, they should take the first step towards giving up its hostile policy against the DPRK by stopping permanently the joint military exercises and the deployment of all kinds of strategic weapons which are leveled at the DPRK in and around the Korean Peninsula, Kim said. The United States keeps about 28,000 troops in South Korea to help deter potential aggression from North Korea. The allies say their drills are defensive in nature, but they have canceled or downsized them in recent years to create space for diplomacy or in pandemic response. North Koreas nuclear program has seemed to recede in attention at this years General Assembly in the face of new and broader challenges like COVID-19 and rising U.S.-China tensions, and the meeting ended without meaningful new proposals to break the diplomatic stalemate. But North Korea usually hates being ignored. After months of relative quiet, the country this month tested new cruise missiles it eventually plans to arm with nuclear warheads and launched ballistic missiles from a train. It then offered to improve relations with South Korea if certain conditions are met. Analysts say North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is using the Souths desire for inter-Korean engagement to pressure Seoul to extract concessions from the Biden administration on his behalf as he renews an attempt to leverage his nuclear weapons for badly needed economic and security benefits. In their speeches at the General Assembly last week, both President Joe Biden and South Korean President Moon Jae-in expressed hopes to diplomatically resolve the standoff with North Korea while sidestepping the fresh tensions created by the Norths latest tests. Biden, whose pullout from Afghanistan underscored a broader shift in U.S. focus from counterterrorism and so-called rogue states like North Korea and Iran to confronting a rising authoritarian superpower in China, said his administration would seek serious and sustained diplomacy to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula. Moon, who wants North Korea to remain a priority in Washington, made a more ambitious push to break the diplomatic deadlock, calling for the leaders of the Koreas, the United States and China to declare an end to the Korean War. The conflict, in which North Korea and ally China faced off against South Korea and U.S.-led U.N. forces, ended with an armistice, but there was never a peace treaty. North Korea rebuffed Moons offer last week, saying such a declaration would end up being a smokescreen to cover up U.S. hostility. But Kim Yo Jong, the influential sister of the North Korean leader, said her country will take steps to repair ties with the South, and may even discuss another summit between their leaders if Seoul drops its hostility and public criticism about North Korean military developments. Nuclear negotiations have stalled since the collapse of a meeting between Kim Jong Un and former President Donald Trump in February 2019, when the Americans rejected the Norths demands for a major removal of U.S.-led sanctions over its nuclear weapons program in exchange for dismantling an aging nuclear facility. Kim Jong Un in recent political speeches has vowed to bolster his nuclear deterrent in face of U.S. pressure. His government has so far rejected the Biden administrations offer to resume talks without preconditions, saying that Washington must abandon its hostile policy first. In Mondays address, ambassador Kim said, I am convinced that a good prospect will be opened or the DPRK-US relations and the inter-Korean relations if the U.S. refrains from threatening the DPRK and gives up its hostility towards it. ___ Associated Press journalist Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report. Hartford Police / Contributed HARTFORD Police are investigating after a man shot in the city Sunday night was found more than two hours later in nearby New Britain, officials said. Shortly after 8 p.m., officers responded to the 500 block of Broadview Terrace for a ShotSpotter gunfire activation in the area, Lt. Aaron Boisvert said. Mary Altaffer/AP WASHINGTON (AP) The U.S. government said Tuesday that Croatia would soon join the countries whose people can visit without a visa in a sign of closer economic and security ties. The State Department and Department of Homeland Security said in a joint statement that the European nation of about 4 million would join the program no later than Dec. 1. Our County Editor Dave Hinton is editor of The News-Gazette's Our County section and former editor of the Rantoul Press. He can be reached at dhinton@news-gazette.com. Multimedia Specialist Anthony Zilis is a multimedia specialist at The News-Gazette. His email is azilis@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@adzilis). Susan Garner, left, and Linda Weiner, founders of the Champaign-Urbana Empty Bowls fundraising events, talk about some of the bowls they have made at Weiners home in Champaign. Reporter Debra Pressey is a reporter covering health care at The News-Gazette. Her email is dpressey@news-gazette.com, and you can follow her on Twitter (@DLPressey). A masked Kadence Koen went public with her decision not to get vaccinated last week. The novel human coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was first reported in Wuhan, China, in 2019, and subsequently spread globally to become the fifth documented pandemic since the 1918 flu pandemic. By September 2021, almost two years after COVID-19 was first identified, there had been more than 200 million confirmed cases and over 4.6 million lives lost to the disease. Here, we take an in-depth look at the history of COVID-19 from the first recorded case to the current efforts to curb the spread of the disease with worldwide vaccination programs. The first reported case and the initial reaction to COVID-19 The first official cases of COVID-19 were recorded on the 31st of December, 2019, when the World Health Organization (WHO) was informed of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, China, with no known cause. On the 7th of January, the Chinese authorities identified a novel coronavirus, temporally named 2019-nCoV, as the cause of these cases. Weeks later, the WHO declared the rapidly spreading COVID-19 outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on the 30th of January 2020. It wasnt until the following month, however, on the 11th of February that the novel coronavirus got its official name - COVID-19. Nine days later, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed the first person to die of COVID-19 in the country. The individual was a man in his fifties who lived in Washington state. Declaring COVID-19 a pandemic In the first months of COVID-19, global health authorities, government agencies, and the public were unsure of how the disease would spread and how it would impact everyday life. On the 1st of March, 2020, the United Nations released $15 million in funds to support the global COVID-19 response. A week later, on the 7th of March, cases of COVID-19 reached 100,000. Several days after that, on the 11th of March, COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the WHO. COVID-19 rapidly transformed from being a severe problem seemingly confined to China, to a global health emergency almost overnight. By this time, the situation in Wuhan had been diffused following the introduction of unprecedented measures to contain the virus. At the beginning of the outbreak, China was reporting thousands of new cases per day, which had reduced to dozens by March. In Europe, on the other hand, cases were rising rapidly day by day, with Italy recording what was an unprecedented 250 deaths in the 24 hour period between March 12th and March 13th. As a result, on March 13th the WHO declared that Europe had become the epicenter of the pandemic. On the same day, the US declared a state of emergency. The race to develop a vaccination To tackle the pandemic, strict measures were put in place around the world. Social distancing and travel restrictions began to come into force in March, along with advice on proper handwashing techniques. However, these measures were predicted to only slow the spread of the virus, scientists understood that to overcome the pandemic, a vaccine needed to be developed/ On the 17th of March, 2020, the first COVID-19 human vaccine trials begin with the Moderna mRNA vaccine. It was clear that initial restrictions were not enough to stop the spread of COVID-19. Quickly, restrictions in most regions became harsher, with the UK enforcing a stay-at-home rule on the 26th of March. Many European countries implemented their own national lockdown around this time. By the 2nd of April, total global COVID-19 cases had shot up to 1 million. The true seriousness of the pandemic came into light with this figure, and governments did what they could to postpone the spread of the virus before a vaccine could be declared safe for use. On the 6th of April, the WHO released guidance on mask-wearing, as more evidence began to highlight the role of aerosols in the spread of the disease. New variants change the course of the pandemic Over the summer, many countries saw a drop in cases, hospitalizations, and deaths due to the restrictions their citizens had endured to prevent the spread of the virus. However, towards the end of the summer, in August of 2020, the Lambda variant was first discovered in Peru. To date, this variant has since spread to at least 29 countries, according to the WHO. A month later, the Alpha variant was first identified in the UK in September 2020. The discovery of these variants was significant, it showed that the virus was evolving. As a result, symptoms and disease outcomes were changing. Evidence has shown, for example, that the Alpha variant may pose a heightened risk of poor COVID-19 outcomes. With the emergence of these new variants, cases of COVID-19 began to rise again in many countries and by the 29th of September 2020, there had been 1 million COVID-19 deaths. Data shows the efficacy of multiple vaccines Vaccinations were developed in record time. On the 9th of November, trials demonstrated the Pfizer and BioNTech vaccines to be over 90% effective, and the Moderna vaccine was proved to also be effective just a week later on the 16th of November. One more week later, on the 23rd of November, the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca COVID-19 was also shown to be effective. Shortly after, the Delta variant was first discovered in December in India. Concerns over the potential increased transmissibility of the variants, fueled by a rise in cases in some counties such as the UK, forced many governments to once again reinforce lockdown measures to some extent. Finally, on the 31st of December 2020, the WHO issued its first emergency use validation for a COVID-19 vaccine, making the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine the first to be available for use. The emergency validation was seen as a positive step towards making COVID-19 vaccines globally available - a necessary step to ending the pandemic. Since then, the Moderna vaccine and the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine have also been approved for use and national vaccine rollout initiatives have begun with full force. As of the 27th of April, 2021, 1 billion COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered. The continued roll-out of vaccines in all countries is vital to bringing the pandemic under control and preventing future outbreaks. Much can be learned from the story of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many hope lessons learned will prepare us for future infectious disease outbreaks and prevent potential future pandemics. References: Coronavirus. World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus#tab=tab_1 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/health-emergencies/coronavirus-covid-19/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov Coronavirus: Europe now epicentre of the pandemic, says WHO. BBC News. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-51876784 Cyranoski, D., 2020. What China s coronavirus response can teach the rest of the world. Nature, 579(7800), pp.479-480. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00741-x s coronavirus response can teach the rest of the world. Nature, 579(7800), pp.479-480. https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-00741-x Liu, Y., Kuo, R. and Shih, S., 2020. COVID-19: The first documented coronavirus pandemic in history. Biomedical Journal, 43(4), pp.328-333. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2319417020300445 WHO issues its first emergency use validation for a COVID-19 vaccine and emphasizes need for equitable global access. World Health Organization. Available at: https://www.who.int/news/item/31-12-2020-who-issues-its-first-emergency-use-validation-for-a-covid-19-vaccine-and-emphasizes-need-for-equitable-global-access Further Reading Bhutan is following up on its success in vaccinating 90 per cent of its adult population against COVID-19 by embarking on a plan to immunize children in the 12 to 19 age group. Immunization of children started in the high-risk southern areas of Bhutan that border India a country now battling a devastating second wave of the pandemic. So far, 58,000 children in 13 districts have received at least one dose of vaccine. Children in lower risk areas are expected to receive their first doses in September, according to health officials. Around 30 per cent of Bhutan's population of 770,000 people is below 18 years of age, according to the National Housing and Population survey 2017. Yeshey Pelden, programme officer with Bhutan's public health department, tells SciDev.Net that children in this age group "are being immunized with Pfizer and Moderna vaccines". Both vaccines were released under emergency use, she says. Yeshey says the decision to approve the Moderna vaccine was based on that of the European Medicines Agency while in the case of Pfizer the authorization accorded by the US Food and Drug Administration was followed. Bhutan's health secretary declined to comment on Bhutan's decision to vaccinate children or share details of the vaccination coverage plan. However, Prime Minister Lotay Tshering had stated earlier that Bhutan planned to achieve herd immunity. "We require vaccinating more than 70 per cent of the total population considering the infection rate of the virus," Tshering, a medical doctor, said in a televised public statement last month. Bhutan started off the first phase of the mass vaccination drive with around 500,000 AstraZeneca vaccines donated by India. The first dose campaign took off on 27 March and within two weeks 93 per cent of the adult population or 480,181 people were immunized. But when India was hit by a devastating wave of the Delta variant of COVID-19 in March, it suspended supplies to other countries. After a gap of almost four months, Bhutan secured vaccines from the US and EU and the nationwide vaccination programme resumed on 27 July. Within a week, 90 per cent of the eligible adult population were fully immunized. Apart from India's contribution for the first phase, Bhutan has received 500,000 Moderna vaccine doses from the US through the global COVAX Facility's vaccine-sharing programme, 250,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from Denmark,100,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines from EU countries like Croatia and Bulgaria, and 50,000 doses of Sinopharm vaccines from China. The country has also passed on 230,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccines to neighboring Nepal following a request made in the first week of August. Bhutan's success stands out in the rest of South Asia which is struggling to cope with a second wave of the pandemic. UNICEF has described the feat as a "success story" and the country as a "beacon of hope" for other countries in the region. While Bhutan's population is small compared to that of its South Asian neighbors it has limited resources and health workers needed to negotiate long-distances over rough, mountainous terrain to reach remote populations for the vaccination drive. The rapid outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The pandemic has affected millions of individuals and has already claimed more than 4.75 million lives. SARS-CoV-2 also continues to evolve owing to mutations, which have given rise to various SARS-CoV-2 variants. Study: A novel B.1.1.523 SARS-CoV-2 variant that combines many spike mutations linked to immune evasion with current variants of concern. Image Credit: Oleksandra Kletsova / Shutterstock.com Background Due to the continuous surveillance of the SARS-CoV-2 genome across the world, many variants have been detected that are more infectious and virulent than the original strain first reported in Wuhan, China in 2019. As the data on these variants are shared through the Global initiative on sharing all influenza data (GISAID) database, scientists are able to better understand the evolution of SARS-CoV-2. The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) have classified emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants as variants of concern (VoC) or variants of interest (VoI). Variants categorized as VoCs can cause severe COVID-19, increased rate of transmission, and can escape immune protection elicited via vaccine or natural infection. Some examples of known VoCs include the Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P1), and Delta (B.1.617.2) variants. Previous studies have reported that VoCs contain several mutations at the spike protein that are linked to immune evasion. In addition to the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, neutralizing antibodies also target the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and N-terminal domain (NTD) of the virus. Researchers have identified antigenic supersites in three regions of the NTD and found that some antibodies can effectively target these antigenic super sites and neutralize them. Prior studies have indicated that mutation at the RBD region (e.g., E484K) can result in the evasion of immune responses. Identification and prevalence of a new SARS-CoV-2 variant A new study published on bioRxiv* preprint server describes a new variant that possesses a novel combination of various concerning mutations at the spike region. These mutations have been reported to be shared among VoCs. The researchers of this study also revealed that the prevalence of this new variant has already been reported in many countries across the world. Scientists defined the pangolin lineage of this variant to be B.1.1.523 and it was originally recognized as a variant under monitoring on July 14, 2021. According to GISAID, a total of 533 cases of B.1.1.523 have been reported as of August 19, 2021. A number of cases of this variant have been reported in Russia and Germany. The prevalence of this variant has also been reported in the U.S. and Australia. According to sequence-based surveillance data, the first cases concerning this variant were reported in February 2021. The frequency of this variant increased in May 2021 and its prevalence decreased by June 2021. Scientists have observed that this variant does not infect any specific age group. In the current study. The researchers explain that it has not been easy to identify the origin of this variant by knowing the pangolin lineage and some spike mutations. Using the genomic sequences, they constructed a phylogenetic tree which revealed that all the cases were similar, as they were in the same branch. This result indicated that the origin of this virus was likely in Russia and the first strain was reported in Moscow. Why are scientists concerned about this variant? Two of the main reasons why scientists are concerned about this variant are the three amino acid deletions in the NTD antigenic supersite and the presence of the E484K mutation of the spike protein. The E484K mutation is also present in B.1.351 and P.1 variants, both of which are strongly associated with the reduced efficacy of vaccines. Researchers conducted multiple sequence alignment (MSA) with the amino acid sequence of VoC and the original SARS-CoV-2 strain. They found that three VoCs (Alpha, Beta, and Delta) have deletions in one of the regions of the NTD antigenic supersite. The deletion of B.1.1.523 was found to be similar to B.1.617.2 and also comprises the E484K mutation that is present in many VOC. The results of this study are in line with previous studies that reported the effect of spike mutations on the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies and convalescent plasma treatment. Conclusion The authors of this study have reported that the B.1.1.523 variant harbors a new combination of concerning spike mutations that are present in many currently circulating VoCs. Many of these mutations are concerning and are associated with the evasion of immune protection. This is critical, as these developments could challenge the effectiveness of available vaccines. More research is required to determine the transmissibility of this variant, which would assist in the development of preventive strategies to stop the further spread of this strain. *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 behavior, or treated as established information. There has been a steady rise in the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases due to the Delta variant in Brazil. This was alarming, especially following the emergence of the P.1 (Gamma) variant of concern (VOC), which spread radically throughout the country since January 2021, accounting for more than 90% of the weekly cases. The Delta severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) VOC, which originated in India, has now spread worldwide and contributed to a relevant rise in hospitalizations and deaths. However, its origin and dissemination in Brazil still remain unclear. Study: SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant of concern in Brazil -multiple introductions, communitary transmission, and early signs of local evolution. Image Credit: malazzama / Shutterstock.com The lack of information on the activity of the Delta variant in Brazil is despite frequent reports of isolated cases from different Brazilian states like Sao Paulo (SP), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Minas Gerais (MG), Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Tocantins (TO), Parana (PR), Goias (GO), and Maranhao (MA). Brazilian researchers from different educational institutions collaborated to characterize the dissemination of the Delta VOC in Brazil and assess its emergence within the global Delta phylogeny. The researchers of this study, which was published on the preprint server medRxiv*, also characterized the mutational profile of the largest clade within the Brazilian Delta VOCs, with a focus on samples obtained in the State of Sao Paulo, especially in the city of Sao Paulo, which is the largest metropolis of South America, as well as a national and international transportation hub. The emergence of the Delta VOC in Brazil and its phylogenetic assessment Researchers obtained all SARS-CoV-2 positive samples from the Laboratory Platform for Coronavirus Diagnosis, which was established by the Butantan Institute. The researchers then randomly selected and sequenced around 7-10% from each epidemiological week (epiweek) for genotyping with cycle threshold (Ct) values up to 35. Following this, the researchers extracted the messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) material from the samples and performed molecular diagnoses to evaluate the VOCs. The first reported cases of Delta VOC infections in Brazil were traced to a cargo ship that departed from Malaysia on March 27, 2021, and had a connection in South Africa that had arrived in Brazil by May 14, 2021. This ship carried over 20 crewmen, six of which were positive for Delta. It was also traced to have caused community transmission. The researchers detected at least four independent community transmission chains state-wise, one each in RJ, GO, MA, PR. They simultaneously observed that some samples from the same state belonged to different clades. For example, SP samples in clades III and V, whereas RJ was detected in clades III and VI and PR in clades I and V. Taken together, these findings suggest multiple modes of introduction in the Brazilian population. Sao Paulo, which is the largest city of the American continents, had positive samples mainly from its northern districts. The first collected sample in the city of Sao Paulo from late June 2021 was from the south-eastern region of the Great Sao Paulo, where it was assumed to have arrived through the Taubate Regional Health Department from RJ. Until epiweek 29, 84 samples were detected in six distinct Regional Health Departments along with the state of Sao Paulo, thus indicating the Delta VOC is constantly on the rise, taxing the countrys healthcare system, and evading vaccine-based neutralization. Study implications Upon analyzing the impact of the spread of the Delta VOC in Brazil, the researchers concluded that there were at least 10 different Delta VOC introductions that had spread over eight Brazilian states in the first semester of 2021. Four apparently unrelated transmission chains were identified in the states of Sao Paulo, Parana, Goias, and Maranhao, which validated the presence and transmission of the Delta VOC in Brazil. Finally, the locally fixed mutation (ORF1ab: T4087I) which changed a hydrophilic amino acid for a hydrophobic one, was also observed in a previously published report. This finding suggests the emergence of local variants that could potentially cause more damage by evading vaccine-based protection. Even though preliminary analyses indicate that SARS-CoV-2 vaccines used nationwide may offer protection against the Delta VOC, the introduction of any VOC in a country demands significant attention. Such assessments concerning the emergence, evolution, and community-based dissemination of Delta VOC in Brazil would be a good example for future studies on other VOCs in different parts of the world. Taken together, these findings will help to reduce the burden on the healthcare system and improve vaccination strategies. *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 Exercise is healthy. That is common knowledge. But just how rigorous should that exercise be in order to really impact a person's fitness level? And, if you sit all day at a desk, but still manage to get out and exercise, does that negate your six, seven, or eight hours of sedentary behavior? These were the sort of questions Matthew Nayor and his team at Boston University School of Medicine set out to answer in the largest study to date aimed at understanding the relationship between regular physical activity and a person's physical fitness. Their findings, which appear in the European Heart Journal, came from a study of approximately 2,000 participants from the Framingham Heart Study. They found that bouts of moderate to vigorous exercise-;working out with more intensity than, say, walking 10,000 steps over the course of a day-;drastically improved a person's fitness, compared to milder forms of exercise. "By establishing the relationship between different forms of habitual physical activity and detailed fitness measures," Nayor says, "we hope that our study will provide important information that can ultimately be used to improve physical fitness and overall health across the life course." Nayor, a BU School of Medicine assistant professor of medicine, is also a cardiologist specializing in heart failure at Boston Medical Center, BU's primary teaching hospital and the city of Boston's safety net hospital. In the Q&A below, Nayor explains the results of the study and discusses what people should know about exercise in relation to fitness. People might see a study that finds that moderate to vigorous activity is the best way to improve fitness, and think, isn't that obvious? But your research is more specific than that, so can you tell us what was surprising or perhaps revealing about your work? Matthew Nayor: While there is a wealth of evidence supporting the health benefits of both physical activity and higher levels of fitness, the actual links between the two are less well understood, especially in the general population (as opposed to athletes or individuals with specific medical problems). Our study was designed to address this gap, but we were also interested in answering several specific questions. First, we wondered how different intensities of physical activity might lead to improvements in the body's responses during the beginning, middle, and peak of exercise. We expected to find that higher amounts of moderate-vigorous physical activity, like exercise, would lead to better peak exercise performance, but we were surprised to see that higher intensity activity was also more efficient than walking in improving the body's ability to start and sustain lower levels of exertion. We were also uncertain whether the number of steps per day or less time spent sedentary would truly impact peak fitness levels. We found that they were associated with higher fitness levels in our study group. These findings were consistent across categories of age, sex, and health status, confirming the relevance of maintaining physical activity [throughout the day] for everyone. Second, we asked, how do different combinations of the three activity measures contribute to peak fitness? Intriguingly, we observed that individuals with higher-than-average steps per day, or moderate-vigorous physical activity, had higher-than-average fitness levels, regardless of how much time they spent sedentary. So, it seems that much of the negative effect that being sedentary has on fitness may be offset by also having higher levels of activity and exercise. Our third question was, are more recent physical activity habits more important than previous exercise habits in determining current levels of fitness? Interestingly, we found that participants with high activity values at one assessment and low values at another assessment, performed eight years apart, had equivalent levels of fitness, whether or not the high value coincided with the fitness testing. This suggests that there may be a "memory effect" of previous physical activity on current levels of fitness. A lot of people wear Fitbits or their Apple Watch to track their daily step counts these days, and they might think, hey, I did 10,000 steps today! But it sounds like your research suggests that while walking is valuable, it's not the same as exercise? Well, I think we need to be a little careful with this interpretation. It is important to note that higher steps were associated with higher fitness levels in our study, which is reassuring, especially for older individuals or those with medical conditions that may prohibit higher levels of exertion. There is also ample evidence from other studies that higher step counts are associated with a host of favorable health outcomes. So, I would not want to dissuade people from following their step counts. However, if your goal is to improve your fitness level, or to slow down the inescapable decline in fitness that occurs with aging, performing at least a moderate level of exertion [through intentional exercise] is over three times more efficient than just walking at a relatively low cadence. Where is that line? When does exercise go from moderate to rigorous, for people who might be wondering if they are doing enough? We used definitions from prior studies that categorized a cadence of 60-99 steps/minute as low-level exertion, while 100-129 steps/minute is generally considered to be indicative of moderate physical activity and greater than 130 steps/minute is considered vigorous. These step counts may need to be a bit higher in younger individuals. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend 150-300 minutes/week of moderate intensity or 75-150 minutes/week of vigorous intensity exercise. However, this upper limit is really a guidance meant to encourage people to exercise. In our study, we did not observe any evidence of a threshold beyond which higher levels of activity were no longer associated with greater fitness. Can you explain in some detail how the results of your study were achieved, studying participants in the Framingham Heart Study? Thank you for this question and for the opportunity to thank the Framingham Heart Study participants. It is only through their voluntary participation over three generations now that studies such as ours are possible. For our study, we analyzed data from participants of the Third Generation cohort (literally the grandchildren of the original participants, in many cases) and the multiracial sample. At the most recent study visit in 20162019, we performed cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPETs) on stationary cycles for comprehensive fitness evaluations. CPETs are the "gold standard" assessment of fitness and involve exercise testing with a face mask or mouthpiece to measure the oxygen that is breathed in and the carbon dioxide that's breathed out during exercise. You may have seen professional endurance athletes (such as cyclists) performing similar tests during training sessions. Participants also took home accelerometers, which were worn on belts around their waist for eight days after their study visit. Accelerometers were worn at the recent study visit and at the prior visit eight years earlier, and information was compared. A type of drug already used to treat obesity and Type 2 diabetes, when taken six months prior to the diagnosis of COVID-19, was associated with a decreased risk of hospitalization, respiratory complications and death in COVID-19 patients with Type 2 diabetes, according to researchers at Penn State College of Medicine. The team, which analyzed electronic medical records of patients with type 2 diabetes, concludes that the drugs, called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor (GLP-1R) agonists, should be further evaluated for potential protective effects against COVID-19 complications. "Our results are very promising as GLP-1R agonist treatment appears to be highly protective, but more research is needed to establish a causal relationship between the use of these drugs and decreased risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes in patients with Type 2 diabetes," said Patricia "Sue" Grigson, professor and chair of the Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences. According to the researchers, even though vaccines remain the most effective protection against hospitalization and death from COVID-19, additional effective therapies are needed to improve outcomes for patients with rare, severe breakthrough infections. Patients living with pre-existing conditions like diabetes are at increased risk of severe COVID-19 complications, including death. A recent study from England reported that close to a third of COVID-19-related deaths in the country were among patients living with Type 2 diabetes. Vaccines have been shown to reduce hospitalization and death from COVID-19. But the scientific community continues to search for treatments that may complement vaccination by further reducing the risk of hospitalization, respiratory complications and death from COVID-19 in at-risk patients with pre-existing conditions like diabetes." Jennifer Nyland, assistant professor of neural and behavioral sciences and co-author of the study Nyland, Grigson and co-author Dr. Nazia Raja-Khan, associate professor of medicine and endocrinologist at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, are studying how GLP-1R agonists could be used to treat substance use disorders. They hypothesized that patients with Type 2 diabetes who are taking these same medications, which they estimate to be less than 15% of Type 2 diabetes patients in the U.S., might have some level of protection from severe COVID-19 outcomes based on their anti-inflammatory properties. Patients with Type 2 diabetes often struggle with dysregulated inflammation, or swelling of body tissues. Overactive inflammatory responses have been implicated in severe COVID-19 cases and deaths. The researchers analyzed electronic medical records of nearly 30,000 people with a positive laboratory test for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, between January and September 2020 who also had a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes. The data for the study came from TriNetX, a web-based tool that allows researchers to use de-identified patient data from multiple health care organizations for research studies. The research team studied whether patients who were taking GLP-1R agonists and/or other diabetes medications within six months prior to their COVID-19 diagnosis had a 33.0% decreased risk of hospitalization, a 38.4% decreased risk of respiratory complications and a 42.1% decreased risk of death. More than 23,000 patients with Type 2 diabetes and a COVID-19 diagnosis who were not taking the drugs of interest were used as the control group for comparison. The researchers found that patients with Type 2 diabetes who were taking GLP-1R agonists within six months prior to their COVID-19 diagnosis were significantly less likely to be hospitalized, have respiratory complications and die from the disease for 28 days following their diagnosis when compared to patients similar in age, sex, race, ethnicity, body mass index and pre-existing conditions. The results were published today, Sept. 27, in the journal Diabetes. The researchers also studied two other drugs that are used as treatments for Type 2 diabetes and are known to have anti-inflammatory effects -; dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors and pioglitazone. While the use of DPP-4 inhibitors showed a reduced risk of respiratory complications and pioglitazone showed a decreased risk of hospital admission, neither drug showed a decreased risk of death or as strong of trends as GLP-1R agonists in reducing COVID-19 complications across the board. Because of these promising findings, the research team said randomized clinical trials are needed to determine if the association between use of GLP-1R agonists and reduced risk for severe COVID-19 outcomes suggested in this study are due to a cause-and-effect relationship. The team said there are also questions about the timing of administration of GLP-1R agonists in relation to its supposed protective effects and whether the protective effects could be applied to patients without Type 2 diabetes. They also caution that further study is needed to see if GLP-1R treatment can be done safely during acute COVID-19 infection. "Further research is needed to confirm whether GLP-1R agonists can protect against severe COVID-19 complications," said Raja-Khan. "There is also a need to determine the conditions in which these drugs could be protective and how they could be used safely during COVID-19 hospitalization." Kerstin Bettermann, Philippe Haouzi, Douglas Leslie, Jennifer Kraschnewski and Leslie Parent of Penn State College of Medicine also contributed to this research. The researchers declare no conflicts of interest. This research was supported by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences through Penn State Clinical and Translational Science Institute (grant number UL1 TR002014) and by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (grant number DA009815). An inexpensive anti-seizure medication markedly improves learning and memory and other cognitive functions in Alzheimer's patients who have epileptic activity in their brains, according to a study published in the Sept. 27th issue of JAMA Neurology. This is a drug that's used for epilepsy. We used it in this study for Alzheimer's patients who had evidence of silent epileptic activity, which is seizure-like brain activity without the associated physical convulsions." Keith Vossel, MD, MSc, Director, Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer's Disease Research at UCLA, and principal investigator on the clinical trial Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide. Early symptoms include short-term memory loss, decline in problem solving, word-finding difficulties, and trouble with spatial navigation. Among Alzheimer's patients, an estimated 10-22% develop seizures, while an additional 22-54% exhibit silent epileptic activity. Dr. Vossel showed in earlier studies that patients who experience silent epileptic activity in their brains have a more rapid decline in cognitive function. The researchers chose to test the anti-seizure medication levetiracetam, which was approved by the FDA in 1999 and had also performed well in animal models of Alzheimer's disease. Now available as a generic, levetiracetam costs around $70 per year. The dose tested in the trial was 125 mg twice a day, far less than a typical dose used for epilepsy. In the study, 54 patients with mild Alzheimer's symptoms were screened for silent epileptic activity using an electroencephalogram (EEG) to monitor them overnight, as well as an hour-long magnetoencephalogram (MEG) to record magnetic waves generated from electrical activity. "MEG can pick up epileptic activity that EEGs miss because it's looking at a different population of brain cells," Dr. Vossel explained. Among the patients screened for the study, 34 patients were eligible to participate, with nearly 40% having epileptic activity, and the remainder having no epileptic activity (patients on anti-seizure medications due to preexisting seizure disorders were excluded prior to screening). These patients were then divided into two groups with one group receiving placebo for four weeks, followed by a 4-week period of receiving no drug and then a 125 mg dose of levetiracetam twice a day for four weeks. The second group received these same treatments in reverse order. This crossover design allowed the intervention to be tested on all participants with neither the patients nor the researchers knowing whether the patient was taking the actual drug on any given week. During the study period, the researchers tested skills like the patients' abilities to problem solve, reason, remember words and how well they could navigate. For example, using a driving simulator on a computer monitor, they had participants learn to navigate a street route through a virtual city. The researchers found that the patients treated with levetiracetam showed trends toward improvement in cognitive function, but when the patients were separated into those with silent epileptic activity and those without, the patients with silent epileptic activity showed clear benefit from being on the drug. "There were very clear differences between the groups," Dr. Vossel says. "There's a subtype of Alzheimer's disease, consider it an epileptic variant, that's quite common, occurring in approximately 60% of patients. Patients with this form of Alzheimer's disease show symptomatic improvement with levetiracetam." When doctors diagnose Alzheimer's disease, they do not typically test for silent seizures, so findings from the study may prompt them to consider whether a patient is potentially experiencing epileptic activity. "There are some clinical features that indicate Alzheimer's patients are more likely to be having silent epileptic activity," he says. "The main one is being under the age of 65 when symptoms begin." In fact, he says, the drug also appeared to benefit younger patients even if they didn't have detectable epileptic activity. Patients in the study were already taking currently approved medications for Alzheimer's, and this study demonstrates that levetiracetam improves cognitive function better than current treatments alone. Future studies will be needed to find out whether taking the drug long-term can slow disease progression. "This study was intended to look for cognitive improvement during a short course of treatment," Dr. Vossel says. "There are other studies that are ongoing to see if the drug can help slow the disease course over longer periods," adding that future studies at UCLA will focus on recruiting a more diverse study population and testing other anti-seizure medications. Dr. Vossel began the study in 2014, while he was at the University of California, San Francisco and enrolled patients at UCSF and the University of Minnesota. The research was supported by grants from the Alzheimer's Association, the National Institutes of Health, and other private gift funds. Researchers at Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware, as part of a public-private partnership, have received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant supplement through the Delaware Clinical and Translational Research (CTR) ACCEL Program to develop and test an approach to foster uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine among children in Black and Latino communities. The $200,000, one-year award comes in response to an urgent NIH call for proposals to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake in underrepresented communities. "With the recent concerning uptick in infections from the Delta variant of COVID-19, it is even more critical that families and communities protect themselves through vaccination," said Gregory Hicks, professor of physical therapy at the University of Delaware and principal investigator of the Delaware CTR-ACCEL Program, which received the funding award. "This project, led by Nemours Children's Health, is designed to bring greater equity to COVID-19 prevention among children in underrepresented communities." The project is led by clinician-scientists from the Nemours Center for Healthcare Delivery Science (CHDS) and the Department of Pediatrics, in collaboration with the Nemours Value-Based Services Organization, Office of Health Equity and Inclusion, and Division of Infectious Disease. This Nemours team will be working in partnership with colleagues at the ChristianaCare Institute for Research on Equity and Community Health (iREACH), Harrington Community Partnership Fund, and University of Delaware Partnership for Healthy Community through the Delaware CTR-ACCEL Program. This NIH-funded decade-long collaboration involves Nemours, the University of Delaware, Christiana Care, Delaware State University, and the Medical University of South Carolina. With COVID-19 vaccines now available for children, we need proven strategies ready to ensure equitable uptake. Black and Latino adults have had higher COVID-19 infection rates and lower vaccination rates. We cannot let these vaccination disparities translate to children, or the infection rates will follow suit." Paul Enlow, PhD, project co-lead, pediatric psychologist and research scientist, Nemours CHDS The study, "Improving Pediatric COVID-19 Awareness, Access, and Accountability in Underrepresented Communities," will partner with community stakeholders, including Black and Latino youth leaders, leaders from Black and Latino community organizations, and collaborators with the Delaware Division of Public Health, to develop a multi-pronged approach to increase COVID-19 vaccination among Black and Latino children in Delaware. The project will refine the interventions based on feedback from families and youth in these communities. The team will then pilot-test the intervention in a cluster randomized controlled trial at Nemours primary care locations across the state of Delaware that serve diverse populations. The final product will be available to other organizations and communities, to promote pediatric COVID-19 vaccination. "We will create a culturally-tailored, community-informed approach to increasing pediatric vaccine uptake broadly," said Nemours co-lead Thao-Ly Phan, MD, MPH, a pediatrician and research scientist also in Nemours' CHDS. "This approach can then be applied in other cities and states to reduce disparities in COVID-19 vaccinations and in other childhood vaccinations and health outcomes." The study will address three factors known to influence vaccine uptake awareness, access, and accountability by delivering messages developed with community input through primary care providers to boost awareness, facilitating vaccination among Black and Latino families who receive care at Nemours to improve access, and by linking vaccination data to Nemours' electronic health records to ensure accountability for equitable allocation and distribution of pediatric COVID-19 vaccines. "COVID-19 has reinforced the need to develop culturally-tailored interventions to address health disparities and build trusting relationships with historically underserved communities," said Marshala Lee, M.D., MPH, director of iREACH Harrington Community Partnership Fund. "We are very excited to receive this grant because it will help strengthen our efforts to engage with communities of color, expand access to the vaccine, and ensure that more people continue to get vaccinated. In addition, this grant helps us advance our efforts to address misconceptions about the COVID-19 vaccine so we can make our communities safer." A handheld screening device that detects subtle misalignment of the eyes accurately identifies children with amblyopia (lazy eye), according to a study published in the Journal of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus. "The findings suggest that pediatricians and other primary care providers could use the device to catch amblyopia at an early age when it's easier to treat," said Michael F. Chiang, M.D., director of the National Eye Institute (NEI), which supported research and development of the device. NEI is part of the National Institutes of Health. Amblyopia is impaired vision in one eye and it is the leading cause of preventable monocular (single eye) vision loss, affecting three of every 100 children in the U.S. During early childhood, our developing brains learn how to take images from each eye and fuse them into a single image to produce vision. Amblyopia develops when misalignment of the eyes (strabismus) or decreased acuity in one eye interferes with the brain's ability to process visual information from both eyes, causing it to favor one eye. Once a child is visually mature, vision lost in the weaker eye cannot be corrected with glasses or contact lenses. Children with amblyopia can suffer from poor school performance and impairments in depth perception and fine motor skills such as handwriting and other hand-eye coordinated activities. Treatment of amblyopia generally involves placing a patch over the good eye to improve vision in the weaker eye. Patching is less successful as children get older, making early detection crucial. However, this depends on timely diagnosis by the child's doctor, and most pediatricians are equipped only for basic eye chart vision screening tests, which are not useful for detecting amblyopia in very young children. The screening device works by assessing the eyes' ability to fixate together. Held 14 inches from the eyes, the child fixates on a smiley face while the device simultaneously scans both retinas. The scan involves a polarized laser that probes nerve fibers in an area of the light-sensing retina called the fovea, which is important for central vision. Even a subtle misalignment of the foveas-;called small-angle strabismus-;can interfere with the brain's ability to integrate images from both eyes. The device calculates a binocularity score that indicates whether the child requires referral to an eye health physician for further investigation. For the study, 300 children, ages 2 to 6 years, with no known eye disorders were recruited during previously scheduled visits to two Kaiser Permanente Southern California pediatric clinics. Two non-ophthalmic research associates who were trained how to use the device screened each child, and the results were compared against those from an eye examination performed by a pediatric ophthalmologist who was unaware of the device's results. The device detected all six cases (100% sensitivity) of amblyopia and/or strabismus that had been confirmed by the professional eye examination. The device also flagged an additional 45 children as possibly having amblyopia and/or strabismus who were later determined by the eye examination to be normal (85% specificity). In the hands of a trained user, it takes 28 seconds to sit the child down, perform the test, and record the results provided that the child cooperates-;which is an important consideration for its adoption in busy pediatric care settings." Shaival S. Shah, M.D., study's co-lead investigator, pediatric ophthalmologist at Kaiser Permanente based in Tustin Ranch, California The test itself requires just 2.5 seconds of a child's attention. A key limitation of the study was that the device was not compared with currently available photo-screening devices. Such devices detect differences in light reflexes in each eye and produce images that can help detect risk factors for amblyopia, but not amblyopia itself, which can result in both over and under detection of amblyopia. By contrast, the pediatric vision scanner detects the presence of amblyopia as opposed to the risk factors of amblyopia, which may lead to fewer unnecessary referrals to pediatric ophthalmologists. The pediatric vision screener tested in the study is a prototype of blinq. , a device that was cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2016. The clinical trial identifier is NCT02536963. The study was supported by NEI grant R44EY025926 to Rebiscan, Inc. (doing business as Rebion), the Boston-based firm that markets blinq.. Support was provided under the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, a funding mechanism that helps independently owned companies with 500 or fewer employees bring biomedical technologies to the market. An actuary from the Government Actuary's Department (GAD) is one of a group of scientists, clinicians and cross-government analysts who have published new research on further effects of COVID-19. The research featured in the British Medical Journal establishes which groups of the population could still be at risk from COVID-19 despite being vaccinated. Among those identified are people with Down's Syndrome, people who've had organ transplants and others with weakened immune systems. Risks are highest for people who have not been fully vaccinated. The report includes expertise from actuary Nazmus Haq, seconded to the Department of Health and Social Care as the senior analyst for COVID-19 clinically extremely vulnerable. Fresh research The conclusions identify a range of important clinical risk factors for severe COVID-19 outcomes despite vaccination. The highest risk ratios are for people with specific medical conditions. The research was based on data from the second pandemic wave in England which started at the beginning of September 2020. The team developed and validated multiple new QCovid risk algorithms. QCovid 2 is based on unvaccinated patients while QCovid 3 is based on vaccinated patients. The models combine several characteristics to calculate weighted, cumulative risk scores for serious health outcomes due to COVID-19 including: age sex registered at birth ethnicity deprivation body mass index specific health conditions and treatments The new data collected to update the original QCovid model indicates some risk factors identified in QCovid 1 now have a smaller impact in updated models. This could be due to changes in the virus, levels of immunity within the population and the roll out of coronavirus vaccinations. Other risk factors continue to have a similar impact in the updated models, showing certain groups within the population remain at elevated risk despite vaccination. Research and success This research is so vital in identifying people most at risk from COVID 19. Our population-based risk model has broken new ground by identifying the patients at highest risk of COVID-related death and hospital admission after vaccination. It really demonstrates the value of having a cross-partnership team of multiple specialities in delivering innovative research and improvements for the healthcare system. It also shows how actuaries can use their skillset outside of traditional actuarial applications. We hope this research will help to facilitate discussions between clinicians and patients regarding individual COVID-19 risk." Nazmus Haq, Actuary The publication of the research follows the team's success earlier this year when they won a Royal Statistical Society award. The Covid-19 Population Risk assessment powered by QCovid is a predictive model used to estimate the risk of serious health outcomes due to COVID-19 for individuals. Researchers in Japan have conducted a study showing that the vaccine developed by Pfizer-BioNTech to protect against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) seems to be adequately effective against the B.1.621 (mu) variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The mu variant, which has been classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a variant of interest, has recently triggered concerns after reports indicated that it exhibits increased immune escape capabilities compared with other variants of concern and interest. A team from Yokohama City University School of Medicine and Yokohama City University Hospital has conducted a study showing that Pfizer-BioNTechs BNT162b2 vaccine is 76% effective at neutralizing the mu variant. The dual monoclonal antibody cocktail containing casirivimab and imdevimab also effectively neutralized the variant. The study also found that the mu lineage causes cell-to-cell fusion, which can be a factor in promoting escape from vaccine-induced humoral (antibody) immunity. However, Kei Miyakawa and colleagues say that although mu could become problematic if it replaces the B.1.617.2 (delta) lineage as the predominant variant, the currently available vaccines and casirivimab plus imdevimab cocktail will still be effective at protecting the majority of individuals. A pre-print version of the research paper is available on the medRxiv* server, while the article undergoes peer review. The concerns surrounding mu and other SARS-CoV-2 variants Since the COVID-19 outbreak first began in late December 2019, the rapid spread and evolution of the causative agent SARS-CoV-2 has led to the emergence of several variants that exhibit increased transmissibility and, in some cases, the ability to escape vaccine- or infection-induced immunity. With vaccines representing the most promising approach to gaining herd immunity and curtailing the pandemic, no option remains other than to continue immunization programs while preparing for the emergence of immune escape variants. The WHO has so far classified the B.1.1.7 (alpha), B.1.351 (beta), P.1 (gamma) and B.1.617.2 (delta) lineages of SARS-CoV-2 as variants of concern and a further five lineages, including B.1.621 (mu), as variants of interest. Although delta is currently responsible for the majority of infections globally, the emergence of mu has caused significant concern following reports of its higher propensity for escape from infection- or vaccine-induced immunity. What did the researchers do? Miyakawa and colleagues investigated the efficacy of Pfizer-BioNTechs BNT162b2 vaccine in generating neutralizing antibodies against the original D614G variant and the mu, alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and lambda lineages. They also tested the neutralizing efficacy of the casirivimab and imdevimab monoclonal antibody cocktail against these variants. The team performed a rapid virus-like particle-based rapid neutralization test on sera collected from individuals one week after receiving a second dose of BNT162b2 and then graded the efficacy of the neutralizing antibody response against the different variants. Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 Mu variant by vaccine sera and monoclonal antibodies (A) Neutralizing activity of BNT162b2 post-vaccination sera (1 week after second dose) against each variant (n=19). Serum dilutions showing 50% inhibition of infection (NT50) were determined by quantitative hiVNT. The dotted line indicates the cut-off threshold of this assay (NT50=20). The red lines indicate the median NT50 and the values of which are displayed as red numerals above each parameter in the graph. Note that this assay correlates well with the assay using the authentic virus (see Figure S1A). (B) Positive rates for neutralizing antibody determined by qualitative hiVNT. BNT162b2 post-vaccination sera (1 week after second dose) were used (n=105). The percentage of inhibition of viral infection by 20-fold dilution of serum is shown in the scatter plot as hiVNT score. hiVNT score below 40 (equivalent to pvNT50 < 50) is defined as nAb-negative serum, 40-70 (equivalent to pvNT50 > 50 but < 200) as weakly neutralizing serum, and above 70 (equivalent to pvNT50 > 200) as strongly neutralizing serum. The percentage of each serum is shown in the pie chart. Note that the qualitative hiVNT provides semi-quantitative results (see Figure S2B for the description of the accuracy of this definition). (C) Neutralization curve of each mutant strain by two monoclonal antibodies (Casirivimab and Imdevimab). The red numbers indicate the 50% effective concentration (EC50, ng/mL). For comparison, the neutralization curve for each mutant is superimposed on that of the D614G control (gray line). Since these nAb medicines are treated as a cocktail, they are considered effective if the EC50 of either antibody is equivalent to or lower than that of the D614G control. What did the study find? The median neutralization efficacy against all variants was above the effectiveness threshold for all sera tested, suggesting that the vaccine-induced antibodies can neutralize most variants, including mu. The proportion of samples that were strongly neutralized was highest for those containing the D614G variant (96%) and lowest for those containing the beta variant (72%). For the mu lineage, substantial neutralization was observed in 76% of samples. The highest occurrence of neutralizing antibody escape (including weak and non-neutralizing activity) was observed for the beta variant (28%), followed by the mu variant (24%). The team also found that all of the variants tested were effectively neutralized by at least one of casirivimab and imdevimab contained in the antibody cocktail. Finally, the study found that mu caused cell-to-cell fusion, which the researchers say is highly likely to promote resistance to vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies. What are the implications of the study? Miyakawa and colleagues say the results show that both the vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies and the monoclonal antibody cocktail still possess adequate neutralization efficacy against the mu variant. However, the researchers warn that since neutralizing antibodies can wane over time, follow-up studies are needed to assess the duration of neutralizing activity against this variant. Furthermore, mu possessing the property of cell fusion could become a problem if this variant were to replace delta as the most predominant lineage, they add. Despite this, the current vaccines and antibody cocktail would still work for the majority, albeit at a slightly lowered efficacy than currently observed with the delta variant, concludes the team. *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. The outbreak of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19), which is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is considered to be the centurys third plague. COVID-19 was declared as the sixth international concerned public health emergency by the World Health Organization (WHO) on January 30, 2020. As of September 27, 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed the lives of over 4.75 million. Study: Human genetic basis of coronavirus disease 2019. Image Credit: Naty.M / Shutterstock.com Being highly heterogeneous, the severity of COVID-19 is related to several factors such as quarantine effectiveness, healthcare factors, societal norms, government policies, cultural practices, economics, viral characteristics, pollution, climate, and host-associated factors. For host-associated factors, apart from age, pre-existing diseases, smoking, initial heath, and previous vaccinations also contribute to the severity and an individuals susceptibility of COVID-19. Differences at the genetic level can also be a factor that impacts differences in susceptibility and severity of individuals suffering from COVID-19. A new review article published in Nature Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy investigated the clinical and viral characteristics, pathogenesis, as well as human genetic basis associated with COVID-19. This study primarily focuses on the protective and risk effects of variants of COVID-19 related genes such as the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene, the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 gene (ACE2), ABO blood groups, the transmembrane protease serine 2 gene (TMPRSS2), and the HLA genotypes. Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 COVID-19 is heterogeneous and associated with a wide range of clinical characteristics. Those who are infected with SARS-CoV-2 can experience a wide range of effects including asymptomatic, moderate, severe, to critical conditions. The most common symptoms associated with COVID-19 infection are fever, smell and taste dysfunction, dyspnea, fatigue, chest discomfort, myalgia, anorexia, headache, nausea, diarrhea or vomiting, nasal congestion, abdominal discomfort, and hemoptysis. Patients with severe forms of COVID-19 can develop pneumonia that can further lead to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) or multiple organ failure. Furthermore, in addition to affecting the respiratory tract, COVID-19 can also cause damage to the heart, kidneys, blood vessels, gastrointestinal (GI) tract, liver, skin, and nervous system. Common laboratory abnormalities that have been found in COVID-19 patients include increased C-reactive protein, D-dimer, glucose, aspartate aminotransferase, troponin, alanine aminotransferase, procalcitonin, total bilirubin, creatine kinase, and creatinine, along with decreased albumin. Additionally, it has been found that there was an increase or decrease in the level of lactate dehydrogenase, neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets, and leukocytes in COVID-19 patients. Chest computed tomography (CT) scans are often performed to determine the onset of pneumonia and to determine the severity of viral pneumonia. The SARS-CoV-2 pathogen SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped, non-segmented, positive-sense single-stranded ribonucleic acid (RNA) virus that consists of 29,903 nucleotides in its genome. SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the genus Betacoronavirus of the Coronaviridae family. It is 5 capped and 3 polyadenylated. The genome of SARS-CoV-2 consists of open reading frames (ORF). ORF1a and ORF1b encode non-structural proteins, while the remaining ORFs encode for structural and accessory proteins. The structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2 include the spike (S), envelope (E), membrane (M), and nucleocapsid (N) proteins. The S, M, and E proteins make up the viral envelope, while the role of the N protein is to encapsulate the viral genome. The viral envelope comprises a phospholipid bilayer consisting of phospholipids and cholesterol. The presence of these components in the viral envelope makes it susceptible to detergents, dry heat, and organic solvents. The transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurs via various pathways such as droplets, direct contact, aerosol, transplacental, and fecal-oral routes. The small droplets bearing SARS-CoV-2 are able to travel tens of meters and remain both viable and infectious for several days. Mutated variants of SARS-CoV-2 Reports from May 2021 suggested that the variants of SARS-CoV-2 that were circulating throughout the world included B.1.617.2, B.1.526, B.1.1.7, and P.1. The B.1.1.7 variant was first detected in September 2020 in the United Kingdom and was found to contain 21 different mutations in its genome. Two of the most prominent S protein mutations involve the N501Y substitution and the del6970 mutation. The N501Y substitution causes a conformational change in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and may increase the fatality rate. The del6970 mutation led to S-gene target failure. Two other S protein substitutions, L452R in B.1.617.2 and E484K in B.1.1.7, can lead to poor antibody effects on target cases. Pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 The entry of SARS-CoV-2 inside the host cell depends on two factors including the recognition of the ACE2 receptor by the viral S protein and priming of the S protein by TMPRSS2. The S1 subunit of the S protein binds to the ACE2 receptor, which is followed by proteolytic cleavage at the S1/S2 site by TMPRSS2. Cleavage can also be brought about by furin and Cathepsin proteins. The cleavage results in the formation of separate S1 and S2 domains. The cell surface receptor neuropilin-1 (NRP1) binds to the cleavage site of S1 and also helps in the isolation of S2 from S1. The S2 subunit then undergoes a conformational change that subsequently leads to the fusion of the host and viral membranes, thus mediating the entry of the virus into the host. The renin-angiotensinaldosterone system (RAAS) is a complex system that is responsible for maintaining the ACE/ACE2 balance in humans. Overactivation of RAAS can also be considered an important pathophysiological alteration that occurs during COVID-19. Immunopathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 SARS-CoV-2 is known to activate both the acquired and innate immune responses. Furthermore, it causes cytokine storms, which are uncontrolled inflammatory responses brought about by high levels of circulating cytokines. SARS-CoV-2 is detected through pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) by the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs). Recognition of the virus leads to activation of a signaling pathway that ultimately causes the innate immune cells to release inflammatory mediators. In the case of acquired immunity, the virus targets the CD147 spike protein of the T lymphocyte. The virus binds with class I and II MHC molecules and is presented to the CD8 and CD4 T-cells. The generation of proinflammatory cytokines and mediators is brought about by CD4 T-cells that help to activate other immune cells. B-cells are directly activated by SARS-CoV-2 and produce G antibodies that also increase the generation of proinflammatory cytokines. The cytokine storm causes extensive tissue damage, body dysfunction, and ultimately death. Recent studies have found that out of all the inflammatory cytokines, interleukin 6 (IL-6) played a major role in the development of cytokine storms. Thus, it was concluded by many researchers that SARS-CoV-2 causes a chemokine, rather than a cytokine, storm. Genes of the autosomal loci that are associated with COVID-19 2q24.2 and the interferon-induced with helicase C domain 1 gene (IFIH1) The IFIH1 protein is a PRR that is known to trigger innate immunity as well as the mitochondrial antiviral protein. The variant rs1990760 (p.Ala946Thr) of the IFIH1 gene has been found to positively correlate with the increased expression of viral resistance genes IF-induced gene and IFIH1. Thus, the rs1990760 T-allele is capable of providing resistance to COVID-19 to its carriers. 3p21.31 The 3p21.31 gene cluster comprises the leucine zipper transcription factor-like 1 gene (LZTFL1), the solute carrier protein family 6 member 20 gene (SLC6A20), the FYVE and coiled-coil domain autophagy adaptor 1 gene (FYCO1), the XC motif chemokine receptor 1 gene (XCR1), the CXC motif chemokine receptor 6 gene (CXCR6), and the C-C motif chemokine receptor 9 gene (CCR9). This cluster is susceptible to respiratory failure due to COVID-19 and is also responsible for severe COVID-19 infections. 6p21.3 and HLA genotype The HLA system comprises approximately 27,000 alleles. Genetic differences between subtypes of the HLA gene may alter the process of viral infection. Certain HLA genes are considered to be strong presenters, whereas others are deemed weak presenters. The genomes of individuals that comprise the weak presenters are susceptible to COVID-19, while strong presenters provide protection against COVID-19. Differences in HLA genes can also help to determine the severity of COVID-19 based on the genes that are present in different individuals. 9q34.2 and the ABO, alpha 13-N-acetylgalactosaminyltransferase and alpha 13-galactosyltransferase gene (ABO) The A, B, and O blood groups are known to possess the A, B, and H antigens, respectively. The antigen encoding gene comprises A, B, and O alleles and is expressed in four genetic phenotypes. Susceptibility and survival to COVID-19 can be related to the ABO blood groups. Individuals with A blood type have a higher risk of infection, while those with O blood are associated with better protection against COVID-19. 11p15.5 and the interferon-induced transmembrane protein 3 gene (IFITM3) The IFITM3 comprises the rs12252 C-allele that can be related to disease severity in COVID-19 patients. The nearby rs34481144 A-allele causes methylation of the IFITM3 promoter that, in turn, decreases messenger RNA (mRNA) expression in CD8 T-cells and thus increases susceptibility to COVID-19. 12q24.33 and the golgin A3 gene (GOLGA3) The GOLGA3 gene is known to encode the Golgi complex-associated protein that participates in apoptosis, Golgi positioning, protein transportation, and spermatogenesis. GOLGA3 may contribute to COVID-19 severity by influencing interactions between SARS-CoV-2 and the innate immune pathways. 13q12.3 and the high mobility group box 1 gene (HMGB1) The HMGB1 gene encodes a DNA binding protein, which may increase COVID-19 susceptibility by inducing the cytokine storm and expression of ACE2 in alveolar epithelial cells. 15q26.1 and the FURIN gene The FURIN gene encodes a protein convertase that causes cleavage of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein into two subunits, S1 and S2. The S2 subunit then causes fusion to occur between of the viral and host membranes, thus bringing about infection. 17q23.3 and the ACE gene The insertion of Alu element in the ACE intron 16 leads to protein shortening and a loss of active protein domain in ACE I-allele, while no such effect takes place on the ACE D-allele. The variability of ACE is determined by the ACE I/D variant in general populations. The recovery and prevalence rates of COVID-19 also depend on the ratio of the ACE I/D allele frequency, as well as the geographical variations of the ACE I/D variant. 19q13.32 and the apolipoprotein E gene (APOE) The APOE gene comprises three common alleles of 2, 3, and 4. Individuals who are homozygous for APOE 4 were found to have twice the risk of having COVID-19. The APOE 44 homozygous genotype is associated with a higher risk of having severe COVID-19 due to proinflammatory pathways and lipoprotein function getting affected. 21q22.3 and the TMPRSS2 gene The gene variants of TMPRSS2 play an important role in determining the gender-related bias of COVID-19 susceptibility and severity. The three most common variants are rs61299115, rs4303794, and rs11088551. These variants have a high frequency in the general population, while their frequency is much lower in East Asia's population. Genes of the X or Y loci associated with COVID-19 Gender bias of COVID-19 According to Leons theory, X-chromosome inactivation (XCI) takes place in females in the late blastocyst stage. The complete inactivation process is controlled by two non-coding RNAs that condense one X chromosome into a compact structure known as the Barr body and maintains another active X chromosome. Few of the X-linked genes are capable of escaping from the XCI. The escape from XCI can be variable in individuals because some cells express the maternal copy while others express the paternal copy. The presence of any abnormal gene variant is bypassed in females; however, in males, they are expressed phenotypically. This explains the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 and gender bias. Xp22.2 and the TLR7 gene The TLR7 gene encodes for Toll-like receptors that are responsible for the recognition and antiviral response against SARS-CoV-2. Studies indicate that the emergence of loss of function (LOF) variants in the TLR7 gene can lead to increased susceptibility to COVID-19. Xp22.22 and the ACE2 gene The ACE2 gene encodes a dipeptidyl carboxydipeptidase containing an N-terminal signal peptide and a C-terminal collectrin-like domain. Generation of ACE2 variants leads to alteration in COVID-19 susceptibility, as well as mortality. The heterogeneous expression of ACE2 in different ethnic groups may also be responsible for differential population reactions to COVID-19. Furthermore, ACE2 expression can be increased in females due to skewed XCI, which could explain the lower severity of COVID-19 in females as compared to males. Xq12 and the androgen receptor gene (AR) The AR binding element is an important part of the TMPRSS2 promoter where androgen binding and transcriptional regulation takes place. Length variation of the AR gene is associated with more severe COVID-19 in males. Conclusion SARS-CoV-2 continues to infect and cause the deaths of many individuals throughout the world. Therefore, knowledge about the relationship between COVID-19 and host genetic bias can help to indicate biomarkers for individuals who are at a high risk of experiencing the severe effects of COVID-19. This information may also help to provide potential therapeutic targets. Large-scale screening of potential drugs as well as experimental therapeutic studies will help in the development of a new drug or repurposing of an existing drug for the treatment of COVID-19. Mutations in the original strain of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have resulted in the emergence of several variants. Some of these variants are more virulent with a higher rate of transmission as compared to the original SARS-CoV-2 strain that was first reported in Wuhan, China in 2019. Scientists have classified the SARS-CoV-2 variants into two categories of variants of concern (VoC) or variants of interest (VoI) based on their transmission and mortality rates. SARS-CoV-2 VoCs such as the Alpha and Delta variants emerged in late 2020 and spring 2021, respectively. Both these variants have increased transmissibility and pathogenicity due to the mutation in the spike protein. The Beta, Gamma, and Delta VoCs were found to partially evade the hosts immune response induced after natural infection or vaccination. This has led many to question the effectiveness of available vaccines developed against the spike protein of the original SARS-CoV-2 strain. Study: SARS-CoV-2 preS dTM vaccine booster candidates increase functional antibody responses and cross-neutralization against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in non-human primates. Image Credit: Blue Planet Studio / Shutterstock.com Modification of vaccine design in accordance with the circulating strain In the influenza model, vaccines are modified yearly based on epidemiological data. This strategy has been implemented on SARS-CoV-2, where the parental vaccine (spike antigen) has been modified to contain the variants circulating as the dominant strain. This modification is currently being tested in a clinical trial (NCT04785144). Knowing that immunity, by natural infection or immunization, wanes off and that the risk of antibody escape by emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants is rising, the key features of future vaccines will be the capacity to boost immunity for longer periods and provide broad protection against the virus and its variants. Effectiveness of COVID-19 booster vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 variants New research published on the bioRxiv* preprint server discusses the development of soluble prefusion-stabilized spike trimers (CoV2 preS dTM) comprising adjuvant AS03. This adjuvant is based on an oil-in-water emulsion consisting of -tocopherol, squalene, and polysorbate. The AS03 not only induces robust antibody responses but also enhances vaccine durability and promotes heterologous strain cross-reactivity. A prior study conducted by the same group of researchers revealed that CoV2 preS dTM-AS03 (D614) offered protection against the original SARS-CoV-2 strain by inducing the production of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies. The human clinical trials had also shown that the CoV2 preS dTM21 AS03 successfully elicited robust neutralizing antibody responses in naive subjects and were safe. The present study evaluated a subunit vaccine booster in vaccinated macaques that were vaccinated with mRNA-LNP or subunit CoV2 preS dTM-AS03 Sanofi Pasteur vaccine candidates seven months earlier. The researchers analyzed various formulations regarding their ability to elicit cross-neutralization against VoC. The formulations used in this study were AS03-adjuvanted parental (D614), bivalent (D614+B.1.351) CoV2 preS dTM, variant (B.1.351), and non-adjuvanted CoV2 preS dTM (B.1.351). The authors analyzed the NAb responses against the SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and the Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta VoCs to determine the breadth of neutralization. For this investigation, they used a lentivirus-based pseudovirus neutralizing antibody (NAb) assay. The current study reports that primed macaques, which were provided one dose of booster formulations, were found to exhibit higher and stable cross-NAbs that were effective against all SARS-CoV-2 VoCs (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta), as well as SARS-CoV-1. The non-adjuvanted CoV2 preS dTM B.1.351 vaccine formulation also significantly enhanced antibody response with broad neutralizing ability. At present, this vaccine candidate is under evaluation in Phase II and III clinical trials (NCT04762680 and NCT04904549). The authors claim that this is the first report on the effectiveness of SARS-CoV-2 booster recombinant vaccine formulations showing positive results against the SARS-CoV-2 VoCs as well as SARS-CoV-1. It is important to point out that all tested booster vaccine formulations induced NAb titers with similar breadth. Hence, this immunogenicity model indicates no antigenic sin towards the original vaccine strain. Although all booster formulations were able to expand the breadth of neutralization, a more balanced neutralization profile was observed in monovalent B.1.351 or bivalent vaccine formulations. When compared to the non-adjuvanted formulation, the adjuvant AS03 was associated with increased NAb titers against the original strain, VoCs, and SARS-CoV-1. These results are in line with previous studies, where AS03 adjuvantation consistently elevated the magnitude and breadth of the immune response. Conclusion This study revealed that a single dose of booster vaccine candidates could offer stable and prolonged protection against SARS-CoV-2, VoCs, as well as SARS-CoV-1. However, since the macaques in this study were not challenged, the researchers failed to determine the mechanistic correlates of protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Another limitation of this study is the inclusion of a smaller number of animals of only four to five macaques per group. Also, the booster was assessed in messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA)- and subunit-primed macaques only, and adenovirus vector vaccines were not considered. In the future, more studies on the interval between the vaccine and booster dose are required. Additionally, the mechanism behind the increased cross-neutralization via boosters must be further studied. *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 behavior, or treated as established information. Recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlighted the need to reopen the schools during the fall of 2021 to benefit from in-person learning. In addition, to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) at K-12 schools, CDC recommended universal indoor masking by all students, staff, teachers, and visitors, regardless of their vaccination status. As schools resume in the United States and COVID-19 cases amongst children begin to rise, a new study published on the medRxiv* preprint server has highlighted the risk factors for in-school transmission of COVID-19. They also provide evidential support for the layered prevention strategies in schools settings. The likelihood of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission in schools is low when appropriate preventive measures are implemented. However, data on the relative impact of such strategies on transmission behavior is limited. The measure of secondary attack rate (SAR) can provide an indication of how social interactions in schools would relate to transmission risk. The team of researchers from the United States has investigated in-school SARS-CoV-2 SAR and the factors associated with transmission risk in Massachusetts schools (during the year 2020-21). Secondary attack rate (SAR) and Risk ratio (RR) SAR is the proportion of the population exposed to the primary case that contracts the disease (COVID-19 in the current study) as a result of SARS-CoV-2 exposure. It focuses on the fate of a single infected index case (first documented case) that comes into contact with many susceptible individuals in the population and is defined as the ratio of total secondarily infected population to the total susceptible people exposed to the index case. Risk ratio or relative risk (RR) is another important measure employed in this study that compares the risk of disease among one group with the risk among another group. It is derived by dividing the SAR in group 1 by the SAR in group 2. The study Data resulting from 70 schools of 8 Massachusetts K-12 school districts with >33,000 enrolled students were evaluated. De-identified information on SARS-CoV-2 index cases and their in-school contacts were reported using a standardized contact-tracing tool. Exposure-specific SAR was compared using unadjusted risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Study findings Drawing on the data from 70 Massachusetts schools, the team identified 435 index cases and 1,771 school-based contacts. Most contacts (1327/1771 [75 %]) underwent SARS-CoV-2 testing and 39/1,327 contacts tested positive for the virus. Of the 39 secondary cases, 10 contracted the disease very clearly from sources outside of school and, therefore, were excluded from the study. Based on 29 possible in-school transmissions, an overall SAR of 2.2 % (29/1,327*100) was observed. Of the 29 secondary cases, 24.1 % were staff-to-student transmissions, 20.7 % were staff-to-staff transmissions, 44.8 % were student-to-student and 10.3 % were student-to-staff transmissions. On breaking down the figures of 435 index cases, the team found that 286 were student and 149 were staff index cases with mean contacts/case 4.06 and 3.30 for each, respectively. Despite having lower mean contacts/case compared to students, staff had a significantly higher SAR of 3.6% (students SAR 1.7%) (RR 2.18, 95% CI 1.06-4.49; p=0.030). Also, the SAR was significantly higher if the exposure occurred at lunch versus elsewhere (RR 5.74, 95% CI 2.11-15.63; p<0.001; all lunch transmissions were staff-to-staff), and if both groups were unmasked versus both masked (RR 6.98, 95% CI 3.09-15.77; p<0.001). Thus, staff-to-staff dining and lack of masking were associated with increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. Interestingly, there was no significant difference by grade level in students SAR. Study implications The team identified low SARS-CoV-2 SAR in public school settings where thorough mitigation measures were followed. This study provides in-depth analysis of transmission context, extending existing literature by highlighting the potential benefit of masking in school settings, the risk of lunchtime adult-to-adult transmission, and the similarity of SARs across ages/grade levels, say Nelson and colleagues. Limitations The team warns that while schools are now resuming full in-person education, the emergence of more transmissible delta variants and reduced preventive measures such as higher classroom density, reduced physical distancing, and variable approaches to masking might affect the applicability of this data which was derived from the year 2020-21. *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. Smoking is highly likely to worsen the severity of COVID-19 and the risk of dying from the infection, finds a large UK Biobank study published online in the respiratory journal Thorax. It is the first study of its kind to pool observational and genetic data on smoking and COVID-19 to strengthen the evidence base. The evidence on whether smoking is associated with a greater likelihood of more severe COVID-19 infection has been inconsistent, note the researchers. Several studies carried out early on in the pandemic reported a lower prevalence of active smokers among people admitted to hospital with COVID-19 than in the general population. But other population based studies have suggested that smoking is a risk factor for the infection. Most of the research to date, however, has been observational in nature and so unable to establish a causal effect. The researchers therefore combined observational and Mendelian randomization analyses to better understand the relationship. Mendelian randomization is a technique that uses genetic variants as proxies for a particular risk factor --in this case genetic variants that make someone more likely to smoke or to smoke more heavily--to obtain genetic evidence in support of a causal relationship. They drew on linked primary care records, COVID-19 test results, hospital admissions data and death certificates to look for associations between smoking and COVID-19 infection severity from January to August 2020 in 421,469 participants of the UK Biobank, all of whom had had their genetic make-up analyzed when they agreed to take part in 2006-10. During the study period, 13446 (3.2%) people took a COVID-19 swab (PCR) test, 1649 (0.4%) of whom tested positive; 968 (0.2%) required admission to hospital; and 444 (0.1%) died as a result of their infection. Most (59%) participants had never smoked; over a third (37%) were former smokers; and only 4% were current smokers. Among current smokers, most (71%) were light or moderate smokers (1-19 cigarettes/day); only 29% were heavy smokers (20+/day). Compared with those who had never smoked, current smokers were 80% more likely to be admitted to hospital and significantly more likely to die from COVID-19. The researchers used Mendelian randomization to assess whether a genetic predisposition to smoking and heavy smoking might have a role in COVID-19 severity among 281,105 of the original participants living in England. This revealed that a genetic predisposition to smoking was associated with a 45% higher risk of infection and a 60% higher risk of hospital admission for COVID-19. And it showed that a genetic predisposition to smoke more heavily was associated with a more than doubling in the risk of infection; a 5-fold increase in the risk of hospital admission; and a 10-fold increase in the risk of death from the virus. While the researchers acknowledge that they relied only on hospital COVID-19 test data rather than on more representative community data, they nevertheless point to the similarity of the findings in both sets of analyses. "Overall, the congruence of observational analyses indicating associations with recent smoking behaviors and [Mendelian randomization] analyses indicating associations with lifelong predisposition to smoking and smoking heaviness support a causal effect of smoking on COVID-19 severity," they conclude. "The idea that tobacco smoking may protect against COVID-19 was always an improbable one," assert Drs Anthony Laverty and Christopher Millet of Imperial College London, in a linked editorial. "A respiratory pandemic should be the ideal moment to focus collective minds on tobacco control," they add, highlighting a recent report from the Royal College of Physicians. This notes that the UK isn't on track to meet the government's stated goal of a smoking prevalence of less than 5% by 2030, and that smoking remains a major cause of health inequality. In a linked podcast, lead researcher Dr Ashley Clift has a clear message for smokers. "Our results strongly suggest that smoking is related to your risk of getting severe COVID, and just as smoking affects your risk of heart disease, different cancers, and all those other conditions we know smoking is linked to, it appears that it's the same for COVID. So now might be as good a time as any to quit cigarettes and quit smoking." Colorado saw its worst fire season last year, with the three largest fires in state history and more than 600,000 acres burned. But some of the effects didn't appear until this July, when heavy rain pushed sediment from damaged forests down mountainsides, causing mudslides that shut down sections of Interstate 70 for almost two weeks. Immense quantities of sediment choked the rivers that supply most of the state's water. In western Colorado's Glenwood Springs, the water became so murky that the town twice had to shut off the valves that pump water from nearby rivers to avoid overwhelming its filtration system. City managers sent alerts to the town's 10,000 residents, telling them to minimize water use until the sediment moved downstream. Wildfires and their lasting effects are becoming a way of life in the West as climate change and management practices cause fires to increase in number, intensity and acreage burned, while extending the length of the fire season. In "burn scars," where fires decimated forest systems that held soil in place, an increase in droughts followed by heavy rainfall poses a different kind of threat to the water supplies that are essential to the health of communities. "You know about it; it's in the back of your head," said Glenwood Springs resident Paula Stepp. "But until you face it, you don't know how it's going to impact your town." Dirty, turbid water can contain viruses, parasites, bacteria and other contaminants that cause illness. But experts say turbid water from burn scars is unlikely to make it to people's taps, because water utilities would catch it first. Still, the cost to municipal utility systems and the residents who pay for water is immense. Rural small towns in particular face the choice between spending millions of dollars to try to filter turbid water or shutting off their intake and risking shortages in areas where water may already be scarce. And as fires move closer to communities, burning synthetic materials from houses and other buildings can create toxic compounds that leach into water supplies, which is what happened in California after major fires in 2017 and 2018. "When we put [fires] out, we become less aware of them," said hydrologist Kevin Bladon, of Oregon State University. But from a water perspective, "that's when all the problems start." Montana's capital city, Helena, gets its drinking water supply from the Upper Tenmile Creek watershed in a forest thick with trees killed by beetle infestations. City leaders worry a fire would quickly chew through that dry fuel and leave the watershed exposed to sediment contamination. Despite a logging project that cleared many of those trees two years ago, the fire threat remains and city leaders worry the resulting sediment would overwhelm the water treatment plant and shut down the primary water source for 40,000 people. "If we had a fire up there, depending on where it is and how big it is, it could put the Tenmile plant out for a season or two," Helena Public Works Director Ryan Leland said. To protect against that happening, the city is in the early phases of designing a basin that can trap sediment before the water reaches the plant, Leland. The city also recently announced plans to drill three groundwater test wells, which would give them another drinking water supply option if something happens to the Upper Tenmile watershed. Treated water from the Missouri River is the city's current backup supply. The Rocky Mountains and about 200 miles separate Glenwood Springs from Greeley, in northeastern Colorado. But the 2020 fire season caused similar problems in both cities, creating burn scars that later flooded, contaminating water sources. So far this year, Greeley has had to shut off its intake from the Cache la Poudre River for 39 days because the water was contaminated with sediment, ash and organic matter. "Normally we would never turn it off," said Greeley water and sewer director Sean Chambers. To cope, the city has been trading water with a nearby agricultural company that owns reservoirs used for irrigation. The swap gives the turbid water to farmers and redirects the reservoir water to Greeley. "If we didn't have the trade in place, the cost [of buying water] would be astronomical," Chambers said. But Chambers admitted this system is a luxury that smaller towns may not enjoy. Greeley is 10 times the size of Glenwood Springs and has spent more than $40 million this year recovering from the Cameron Peak Fire the largest fire in Colorado history, which burned for four months in 2020. Those costs may climb as rain continues, he said. Larger towns also tend to have better filtration systems that can handle more sediment, which clogs up filters and requires utilities to add chemicals to remove contaminants before the water is safe to drink. While dry states like Colorado expect fires each year, recent blazes in wetter places like western Oregon have caught researchers off guard. Last September, fires scorched about 11% of the state's Cascade mountain range, leaving burn scars above rivers and reservoirs that supply much of the state's water. "We have to be very proactive," said Pete Robichaud, a research engineer with the U.S. Forest Service in Moscow, Idaho After a wildfire is extinguished, Robichaud's agency and others send teams of specialists to evaluate the risks that erosion and ash pose to water supplies. Their data can help land managers decide whether to take actions like thinning forests above rivers, dredging contaminated reservoirs, covering the area with mulch or seeds to reduce erosion, or forming a plan for alternative water sources. Even advance notice of a flood could help immensely, said Stepp, the Glenwood Springs resident. She is the executive director of the nonprofit Middle Colorado Watershed Council, which recently worked with the U.S. Geological Survey to install rain gauges along Glenwood Canyon. These monitor weather upstream and notify downstream water users that a sediment-laden flood could be coming. She said it is crucial for small communities in particular to partner with state and federal agencies. "Basically, we work with everybody," she said. Although debris flows can bring soil bacteria into water supplies, city utilities can disinfect them with chemicals like chlorine, said Ben Livneh, a hydrologist at the University of Colorado-Boulder. But those disinfectants can themselves cause a problem: Organic matter from sediment can interact with these chemicals and create carcinogenic byproducts that are difficult and expensive to remove. Another waterborne danger comes from chemical byproducts and heavy metals from burned structures. "Those would be potentially really problematic to treat," Livneh said. After the 2017 Tubbs and 2018 Camp fires that devastated the Northern California communities of Santa Rosa and Paradise, researchers examining the tap water of nearby homes found benzene and other carcinogens. Public health researcher Gina Solomon at the Public Health Institute in Oakland, California, said the contamination likely came from plastic pipes that melted and leached chemicals into the water. Smoke and ash from burned structures may also add toxic chemicals to water supplies. "The smoke from the fires is a truly nasty brew," Solomon said. California has been relatively lucky when it comes to sediment flow. The years-long drought in most of the state means burn scars remain intact though a heavy rain could wash down years of debris. It's unclear how long burn scars continue to pose a landslide risk, said Bladon, the Oregon hydrologist. But parts of Alberta in the Canadian Rockies, for instance, continued to see extremely turbid water for a decade after a 2003 fire. "My fear is we may not have seen the worst of it yet," Solomon said. (Newser) Update: A man already sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to fatally shooting four people at a massage business outside Atlanta pleaded not guilty to shooting four others on the same day at two spas inside the city, per the A man already sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to fatally shooting four people at a massage business outside Atlanta pleaded not guilty to shooting four others on the same day at two spas inside the city, per the AP . Robert Aaron Long, 22, appeared briefly Tuesday in Fulton County Superior Court, where he waived arraignment and entered a not guilty plea on charges including murder, aggravated assault, and domestic terrorism. District Attorney Fani Willis is seeking the death penalty, as well as a sentencing enhancement under Georgias new hate crimes law. The previous four deaths were handled in a different county. Our original story from July follows: story continues below A man accused of killing eight people, most of them women of Asian descent, at Atlanta-area massage businesses pleaded guilty Tuesday to four of the murders and was handed four sentences of life without parole. Robert Aaron Long, 22, still faces the death penalty in the four other deaths, which are being prosecuted in a different county, per the AP. His shooting spree at three different businesses in March ignited outrage and fueled fear among Asian Americans, who were already facing increased hostility at the time linked to the coronavirus pandemic. Many were particularly upset when authorities suggested that Longs crimes were not racially motivated but were instead born of a sex addiction, which is not recognized as an official disorder. In comments sure to further frustrate those outraged over Longs apparent targeting of Asian women, a prosecutor reiterated Tuesday that Cherokee County investigators saw no evidence of racial bias. Thats at odds with the hate-crime enhancement that Long, who is white, faces just miles away in the four deaths in Atlanta. This was not any kind of hate crime, District Attorney Shannon Wallace said. On March 16, Long shot and killed four people, three of them women and two of Asian descent, at Youngs Asian Massage in Cherokee County. A fifth person was wounded. (Read about the victims.) (Newser) Update: A month after a federal appeals court upheld Dylann Roof's conviction and death sentence, his request for a new hearing has been rejected. Roof, who killed nine Black parishioners in a South Carolina church in 2015, asked for a full appellate court to consider his case after a panel of three substitute judges for the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld his conviction, the AP reports. All of the 4th Circuit judges had recused themselves from the case. The court said Monday that it will not take the "unprecedented step" of seeking a full court of substitute judges to hear Roof's appeal. Our original story from Aug. 26 follows: story continues below The horrific crimes of Dylann Roof "qualify him for the harshest penalty that a just society can impose," a federal appeals court said Wednesday, firmly rejecting an appeal from the first person sentenced to death for a federal hate crime. Lawyers for Roof, a white supremacist who massacred nine Black people in a Charleston, SC, church in 2015, had argued that he shouldn't have been found competent to stand trial or allowed to represent himself during the penalty phase. The lawyers said Roof believed fellow white nationalists would rescue him from prison, but only if he kept his "mental impairments," including depression and autism, out of the public record. A three-judge panel on the 4th US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the death sentence and called the 27-year-old's argument "strained," NBC News reports. The judges said no "cold record or careful parsing of statutes and precedents" could capture the "full horror" of his actions. "Dylann Roof murdered African Americans at their church, during their Bible-study and worship. They had welcomed him. He slaughtered them," the judges wrote, per Law & Crime. They noted that Roof, then 21, "wanted the widest possible publicity for his atrocities, and, to that end, he purposefully left one person alive in the church 'to tell the story.'" They praised the trial judge for handling the "difficult case with skill and compassion for all concerned, including Roof himself." Roof, who also received nine consecutive life sentences in state court, is on death row at the federal prison in Terre Haute, Ind., but he's unlikely to be executed in the near future, the AP reports. Attorney General Merrick Garland ordered a temporary moratorium on federal executions last month while a review of policies and procedures is carried out. (Read more Dylann Roof stories.) (Newser) They didn't lose their lives, but it's possible they could temporarily lose their freedom. The New York Times reports three men who exited an authorized viewing platform in Alaska in 2018 to get close to a group of wild brown bears have now been federally charged. Authorities say David J. Engelman, 56; Ronald J. Engelman II, 54; and Steven R. Thomas, 30, were at Katmai National Park and Preserve on Aug. 8 of that year when they moved from the elevated platform to a river that the bears were in. The US attorneys office for the District of Alaska said they came within 150 feet of the bears while they were eating, creating "a hazardous condition." story continues below KTUU reports the men took photos of the bears in the Brooks River; it has a still photo from a live camera on the scene that reportedly shows Engelman in the water. As the park's superintendent put it in 2018, "These visitors are lucky that they escaped the situation without injury. The possible consequences for the bears and themselves could have been disastrous." Park rangers learned of the men's alleged movements in the restricted area the following day from people who were watching the bears via livestream, reports USA Today. If convicted, the men could face up to six months in prison, a $5,000 fine, and a year of probation. (Read more brown bear stories.) (Newser) A Maine woman who wanted to spend more time with her boyfriend came up with an incredibly stupid plan to get him off work, police say. Kayla Blake, 33, allegedly called in two bomb threats to her beau's workplace, the Portland Press Herald reports. Officials say the threats to a Puritan Medical Products plant in Pittsfield, which produces swabs for COVID tests, resulted in the evacuation around 400 employees from both the company's plants in the town and the loss of a full day of production. She has been charged with a felony count of terrorizing. story continues below Police say Blake, an Etna resident, called state police at 9am Thursday and said there was a bomb at the plant. She allegedly called again two hours later and said she was going to plant four pipe bombs near the plant, Fox reports. Pittsfield Police Chief Harold Bickmore says the call was traced to Etna and deputies found Blake after speaking to area residents. He says she admitted making the calls and said there were no bombs. She was arrested around 6pm Thursday and bail was set at $1,500. Bickmore says the investigation involved several agencies, including the FBI. (This Chicago woman allegedly made a bomb threat after arriving late for her flight home from Florida.) (Newser) With the stage empty, a drumbeat began Sunday night in St. Louis. Large photos were projected of the members of the Rolling Stones: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, and a smiling Charlie Watts, the drummer who died last month. At that, the band came onstage and played "Street Fighting Man," then "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It), the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The band paused after the second song as Jagger, Richards, and Woods walked to center stage. "I just want to say that it's quite emotional seeing those images of Charlie up on the screen," Jagger told the 40,000 fans. "This is our first tour that we've ever done without him." story continues below The Stones' frontman added: "We all miss Charlie so much on the stage and off the stage, and we'd like to dedicate this tour to Charlie." The crowd cheered; Jagger said, "Here's to you, Charlie"; and "Tumbling Dice" started up. Except for a warmup show at a private event last week, it was the first time the band had played without Watts behind the drum kit since he joined in January 1963. For fans who find it cold that the band hit the stage so soon after Watts' death, Rolling Stone points out that when Watts dropped out of the planned tour because of illness, he had endorsed his bandmates hitting the road with Steve Jordan taking over on drums. The final show is scheduled for Austin on Nov. 20; the "No Filter" tour began in 2017 and was suspended last year because of the pandemic. Here's a sampling of reviews from: The Post-Dispatch . "The band sounded invigorated after its unscheduled break," Kevin Johnson writes. And Jagger can still move. The remaining core members are in the 70s, and if this turns out to be their last tour, they'll have wrapped up their careers nicely. "It's been a bit of ride to get here, you know," Richards said at one point. . "The band sounded invigorated after its unscheduled break," Kevin Johnson writes. And Jagger can still move. The remaining core members are in the 70s, and if this turns out to be their last tour, they'll have wrapped up their careers nicely. "It's been a bit of ride to get here, you know," Richards said at one point. The Guardian . The funkier, "tight new rhythm section" seems to answer the uncertainty, Edward Helmore writes, adding that Jordan's playing "brings the band closer to the tougher rock of Richards solo work." A few songs in, Richards stepped over to Jordan to say, After the fifth song, 19th Nervous Breakdown, Richards walks back to clasp Jordans wrist and say, "Yeah, it works." . The funkier, "tight new rhythm section" seems to answer the uncertainty, Edward Helmore writes, adding that Jordan's playing "brings the band closer to the tougher rock of Richards solo work." A few songs in, Richards stepped over to Jordan to say, After the fifth song, 19th Nervous Breakdown, Richards walks back to clasp Jordans wrist and say, "Yeah, it works." The AP . Jagger looked maybe a third his age, Jim Salter, writes, "a constant whirl of motion." Even now, Jagger's vocals, "and the guitar work of Wood and Richards, sounded as good as ever." . Jagger looked maybe a third his age, Jim Salter, writes, "a constant whirl of motion." Even now, Jagger's vocals, "and the guitar work of Wood and Richards, sounded as good as ever." Rolling Stone. Jordan, who's played in a Richards side project for years, differs from Watts, Andy Greene writes. "With his sunglasses and gold chains, Jordan has a lot more flash and charisma than the notoriously stoic and expressionless Watts," Greene says. But when it comes to the music, "he's a student of Watts' drumming and played his parts with precision, power, and respect." (Read more Rolling Stones stories.) (Newser) Until recently, only a handful of states have automatic mail-in ballot systems. Oregon, Washington, Hawaii, Utah, Colorado, and Nevada, and DC use the system, and Vermont does, too, in general elections. California is the newest member of the club, since Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill Monday making Californias pandemic experiment with all-mail voting permanent. Every voter will be mailed a ballot, the Los Angeles Times reports. The next statewide election the law applies to will be in June. The law, AB 37, is expected to make voting more accessible and thus improve turnout, but it could also nudge up the cost of elections, since postage is prepaid. As other states actively look for ways to make it harder for people to vote, California is expanding access to an already safe and secure ballot, Assemblymember Marc Berman, who wrote the law, said in a statement. story continues below Voters who still want to cast ballots in person will be able to, the East Bay Times reports. But voter turnout in the 2020 election, done mostly by mail, approached 70% in California, the Hill reports. The law answers a Republican complaint about mail-in voting and doesnt allow ballots to be mailed to people on the states inactive voter list. People can be put on a list of inactive voters if they miss two consecutive federal elections. Other bills signed Monday include a requirement for moving electioneering activity farther from polling places and stiffer penalties for using campaign funds for personal expenses. (Read more California stories.) (Newser) Amyiah Cohoon didn't intend to scare anyone or end up in the middle of a First Amendment court case. But after she posted three updates about her bout with COVID on social media, a sheriff's deputy showed up at her family home and told the 16-year-old to take them down or he'd start making arrests, the Washington Post reports. The Wisconsin teen's posts about beating the coronavirus were scaring people, he said. It was March 2020, and people were just learning about the disease. Its just theres a lot of parents freaking out right now," the deputy said. Cohoon took the posts down, then her family sued the sheriff's department. A federal judge has backed Cohoon in the dispute. story continues below The sheriff's argument didn't sway District Judge Brett Ludwig. Marquette County had not yet recorded a coronavirus case, and school and health officials were receiving calls about the posts. The callers were referred to the sheriff's department. "Labeling censorship societally beneficial does not render it lawful," Ludwig wrote, per the Guardian. "If it did, nearly all censorship would evade first amendment scrutiny." The actions of the sheriff's department were a clear violation of Cohoon's rights, Ludwig said, adding that social media posts don't fall outside the protections of the First Amendment. "To the contrary, they are exactly what the First Amendment seeks to protect." Cohoon's crime was disorderly conduct, the deputy told the teen and her parents. She'd talked about being at the hospital because she was having trouble breathing; doctors told her to isolate for two weeks. "Stay home and be safe," she implored in her third post before going home, per the New York Times. "All I wanted to do was let people know that I was ill at the time, because I was around a bunch of other people," Cohoon, now 17, said Sunday. A lawyer for Cohoon said the judge's decision sends "a very strong statement ... that cops can't police social media." (Read more social media stories.) (Newser) In the wake of R. Kelly's conviction as a sexual predator, one question is common in the assessments: What took so long? Accusations first surfaced decades ago, and somehow Robert Sylvester Kelly kept going. At the New Yorker, Jim DeRogatis (whose reporting helped break the case) suggests the answer involves an uncomfortable truth: Of all the prosecutions in the #MeToo era, this is the first "on behalf of victims who are primarily women of color." More: 'Who cared?' DeRogatis begins his piece by noting that a woman named Tiffany Hawkins of Chicago went to the Illinois State's Attorney Office 25 years ago and told them Kelly sexually abused her as a minor. Hawkins herself summed up the reaction when speaking to DeRogatis in 2019: "I was a young Black girl," she says. "Who cared?" story continues below Not hopeful: Treva B. Lindsey remembers first hearing about a sex tape with R. Kelly and a Black teenage girl back in 2001. Bootleg versions circulated, but the girl was viewed more as a punchline than a rape victim. "I do not wish to minimize the significance of this moment," Lindsey writes at CNN, referring to Monday's verdict. "And yet, the fact that it took this much effort and dozens of allegationsmany of which eerily mirrored each othergives me little hope that this trial and conviction will significantly change how we as a society treat Black girls and women who are sexually violated." The case could be a "galvanizing moment," but only if that change happens. The victims: At Forbes, Maia Niguel Hoskin explores the same problem, citing stats showing that 60% of Black girls are sexually assaulted before age 18 and about half of all sex-trafficking victims in the US are Black girls. "Perhaps, because Black women and girls are a member of two marginalized groups, sexual predators know that there is a good chance that their abuse will go unnoticed and that their accusations will more than likely not be taken seriously," Hoskin writes. "Similar to how decades of allegations against R. Kelly were overlooked and silenced." At Forbes, Maia Niguel Hoskin explores the same problem, citing stats showing that 60% of Black girls are sexually assaulted before age 18 and about half of all sex-trafficking victims in the US are Black girls. "Perhaps, because Black women and girls are a member of two marginalized groups, sexual predators know that there is a good chance that their abuse will go unnoticed and that their accusations will more than likely not be taken seriously," Hoskin writes. "Similar to how decades of allegations against R. Kelly were overlooked and silenced." Perceptions: An AP story by Deepti Hajeli notes that it's hard enough for anyone to speak out publicly about sexual abuse allegations. "Those who work in the field say the hurdles facing Black women and girls are raised even higher by a society that hypersexualizes them from a young age, stereotyping them as promiscuous and judging their physiques, and in a country with a history of racism and sexism that has long denied their autonomy over their own bodies." A study from the Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality in 2017 shows that adults perceived Black girls as more adult than white girls their same age, needing less protection and being more knowledgeable about sex. An AP story by Deepti Hajeli notes that it's hard enough for anyone to speak out publicly about sexual abuse allegations. "Those who work in the field say the hurdles facing Black women and girls are raised even higher by a society that hypersexualizes them from a young age, stereotyping them as promiscuous and judging their physiques, and in a country with a history of racism and sexism that has long denied their autonomy over their own bodies." A study from the Georgetown Law Center on Poverty and Inequality in 2017 shows that adults perceived Black girls as more adult than white girls their same age, needing less protection and being more knowledgeable about sex. Perceptions, II: No one allows us to be something worthy of protection," says Kalimah Johnson of the SASHA Center in Detroit, which helps survivors of sexual assault. The perception is that "theres nothing sacred about a Black womans body." No one allows us to be something worthy of protection," says Kalimah Johnson of the SASHA Center in Detroit, which helps survivors of sexual assault. The perception is that "theres nothing sacred about a Black womans body." Blinded by celebrity: At the Daily Beast, Ernest Owens focuses more on Kelly's celebrity status than race. He calls out fellow entertainers such as Dave Chappelle who helped foster the perception of Kelly as a "dirty uncle" rather than a predator after accusations of child pornography arose in the early 2000s. Kelly was eventually acquitted, but stars including Mariah Carey, Jay-Z, Usher, and Lady Gaga collaborated with him in the interim. "If any good can come out of these last 20 years, it would be a renewed commitment to treat claims of sexual abuse and misconduct against popular entertainers and other public figures with the seriousness they deserveand not let those accused expand their fan bases without being held to account." (Read more R. Kelly stories.) (Newser) The woman who was arrested after walking out of a Northern California wildfire near the fire line has now been charged with arson. Authorities say Alexandra Souverneva, 30, was trying to hike to Canada when, she told them, she found a puddle of water to drink but wanted to sterilize it because it had bear urine in it. When straining it through a tea bag didn't work, she allegedly told authorities, she tried to make a fire so she could boil it, CNN reports. She claimed conditions were too wet to spark a fire and that she drank the water anyway. The Fawn Fire, which started Sept. 22, has burned through more than 8,500 acres and is only 50% contained. story continues below Souverneva, of Palo Alto, is also a suspect in a second Shasta County fire, which started the day prior about five miles away, the Mercury News reports. "It is my opinion there is a high possibility she is responsible for the vegetation fire in Shasta Lake City the previous evening," the Cal Fire official who arrested Souverneva says in a report to the DA. The DA says possible links to other fires are also being investigated. Souverneva, who pleaded not guilty, reportedly graduated from the prestigious California Institute of Technology, and has worked as a scientist studying medicinal chemistry at the State University of New York and as a research associate at biotech companies Gilead Sciences and Nanosyn. But her current occupation is listed on LinkedIn as "shaman," CBS Sacramento reports. (Read more California wildfires stories.) (Newser) After a judge granted him unconditional release next June assuming he remains mentally stable, would-be Ronald Reagan assassin John Hinckley issued a number of apologies for the 1981 shooting. In addition to the American people, Reagan, and the three other people who were injured, Hinckley apologized to Jodie Foster, whom he was obsessed with at the time and trying to impress, MSN reports. His lawyer says Hinckley expresses his "profound regret" to those people. Hinckley, now 66, has not been allowed to actually contact Foster, or any of his victims or their families, as part of the terms of court-imposed rules. story continues below In the Washington Post, Reagan's daughter Patti Davis writes that she's still haunted by the shooting, and says that with his unconditional release, he'll be allowed to contact anyone he wantsincluding her, a possibility that she fears. "I dont believe that John Hinckley feels remorse. Narcissists rarely do. I dont believe that the man who wrote letters to Charles Manson and Ted Bundy while he was in St. Elizabeths Hospital regrets what he did. He and his attorney have worked the system from the beginning and, finding a judge who was sympathetic to them, made this day inevitable." (Read more John Hinckley stories.) (Newser) One of the women who claims to have picked up Brian Laundrie while he hitchhiked in Wyoming in late August says he started acting weird as they got close to the van he'd been traveling in with Gabby Petito, who was found dead in the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area weeks later. Authorities believe she died between Aug. 27 and Aug. 30. It was Aug. 29, two days after Petito was last seen, when Norma Jean Jalovec picked him up, she tells People. As they approached the Spread Creek Dispersed Camping Area and she asked if he'd like her to take him all the way to it, he got "agitated" and "antsy," she says. "He was like, 'No, no, no, no, no. This is fine.' He said, 'Just let me out here. You can let me out here,'" and got out of the passenger seat as she slowed the car. story continues below She found it strange, she says, because it was 6:40pm and he'd have to walk several miles to the van. Jalovec, who has spoken to the FBI, thinks she may have been the last person to see him before he returned to Florida, with the van but without Petito, Sept. 1. More of the latest headlines on Laundrie, a person of interest in the Petito case who remains missing: A tourist claims he saw Laundrie drinking alone at a Montana bar Aug. 26, seeming "mad at the world," the New York Post reports. Dog the Bounty Hunter is looking for Laundrie, and Fox News reports a tipster sent him to a campground 75 miles away from the family home, where witnesses say Laundrie was seen with his parents on two occasions in early September. Laundrie's parents called police on the bounty hunter after he showed up on their property over the weekend, Yahoo News reports. The head of Utah's Moab Police Department is taking a leave of absence, days after the PD announced it would investigate how officers handled their Aug. 12 interaction with Petito and Laundrie, Fox News reports. (Read more Gabby Petito stories.) (Newser) TikTok is celebrating a huge accomplishment: recruiting one in 7.5 people on the planet to tune in to its videos each month. The company announced it had reached 1 billion monthly active users in a Monday blog post, while Chief Operating Officer Vanessa Pappas thanked users inwhat else?a TikTok video. "That's a billion people every month watching and sharing each other's creativity," she said. The short-form video app counted 55 million global users in January 2018, more than 271 million in December 2018, and 507 million in December 2019, per CNBC. By July 2020, it had 689 million monthly active users. Its growth since then represents a 45% increase. For comparison, Facebook had 2.9 billion monthly active users as of June, per TechCrunch. story continues below One billion monthly active users is "a remarkable number for a platform ... that has been scrutinized by governmentsincluding the USthat are worried about the data collection practices of its parent company, Beijing-based ByteDance," reports the Verge. Former President Trump tried unsuccessfully to ban the app in the US, and it's currently banned in India. Yet TikTok became hugely popular during the pandemic and was the world's most-downloaded app in the first quarter of 2020, with 315 million downloads, according to app analytics firm Sensor Tower. The company says downloads have now reached 3.2 billion. Other apps are trying to imitate TikTok's success with their own short-form video products, including Instagram's Reels and Snapchat's Spotlight. (Read more TikTok stories.) (Newser) Ford and a partner company say they plan to build three major electric-vehicle battery factories and an auto assembly plant by 2025a dramatic investment in the future of EV technology that will create an estimated 10,800 jobs and shift the automaker's future manufacturing footprint toward the South. The factories, to be built on sites in Kentucky and Tennessee, will make batteries for the next generation of Ford and Lincoln electric vehicles that will be produced in North America, per the AP. Combined, they mark the single largest manufacturing investment the 118-year-old company has ever made and are among the largest factory outlays in the world. story continues below Notably, the new factories will provide a vast new supply of jobs that will likely pay solid wages. Most of the new jobs will be full time. Together with its battery partner, SK Innovation of South Korea, Ford says it will spend $5.6 billion in rural Stanton, Tenn., where it will build a factory to produce electric F-Series pickups. A joint venture called BlueOvalSK will construct a battery factory on the same site near Memphis, plus twin battery plants in Glendale, Ky., near Louisville. Ford estimated it will pay $7 billion toward the Kentucky investment. Combined, the three new battery plants will be able to supply enough batteries to power 1 million vehicles per year, about 129 gigawatts of power, says Lisa Drake, Ford's COO for North America. With the new spending, Ford is making a significant bet on a future that envisions most drivers eventually making the shift to battery power from internal combustion engines, which have powered vehicles in the US for more than a century. Ford CEO Jim Farley says Ford intends to lead the world in electric vehicles, a title now held by upstart Tesla. Ford picked the Kentucky and Tennessee sites in part because of lower electricity costs, Farley says, as well as being less exposed to flooding and hurricanes than other states. Battery factories use five times the electricity of a typical assembly plant to make cells and assemble them into packs, so energy costs were a big factor, Farley notes. The company also needed huge tracts of land for the plants that werent available in other states, he says. (Read more Ford stories.) (Newser) Update: The body of a college student who had been missing for a week has been found in Florida, authorities said Saturday. Authorities discovered Miya Marcano's remains at an apartment building, the AP reports. Orange County Sheriff John Mina said the cause of death is not yet known. Cellphone records for Armando Manuel Caballero, who Mina said was the main suspect, led searchers to the building; they indicate Caballero spent about 20 minutes there the night Marcano was reported missing. Mina said her parents have been notified. "Everyone wanted this outcome to be different," he said. Our story from Thursday follows: story continues below A person of interest in the disappearance of a Florida college student has been found dead of a suspected suicide, increasing fears for 19-year-old Miya Marcano, who hasn't been seen since Friday. Armando Manuel Caballero, 27, was found dead in his apartment in the Orlando suburb of Longwood on Monday morning following a warrant for his arrest, reports the Washington Post. "He had been dead for quite some time, is my understanding," Orange County Sheriff John Mina said at a Monday press conference. He said MarcanoBlack, 5 feet tall, 130 pounds, with brown hair and green eyesremained missing and "our detectives ... suspect foul play." The Valencia College student lived at the luxury Arden Villas apartments in Orlando and worked at the complex's leasing office, which is where she was last seen finishing up a shift around 5pm Friday, reports WESH. Caballero began working at the complex as a maintenance person in June, according to the outlet. The sheriff said Caballero "demonstrated a romantic interest in Miya," but the teen "repeatedly rebuffed" him. He also said Caballero possessed a maintenance-issued master key fob, which was used to enter Marcano's apartment around 4:30pm. During an initial interview, before he was named a person of interest, Caballero told police he'd last seen Marcano around 3pm Friday. The teen was to catch a flight to Fort Lauderdale later Friday, but she didn't show up and didn't respond to texts and calls from family. At Monday's press conference, her aunt, Pia Scarbriel Henry, described Marcano as "the family's princess," per the Post. "We cherish you" and "will never sleep one night until we get you home," she said. Police have been searching for Marcano in the apartments and surrounding area, reportedly including a retention pond. Officers have also obtained Caballero's vehicle for evidence. But "we need anyone who recognizes Miya's face to call law enforcement immediately if they have any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem," Mina said. (Read more missing person stories.) We use cookies. By Clicking "OK" or any content on this site, you agree to allow cookies to be placed. Read more in our privacy policy (Newser) The American Civil Liberties Union is apologizing after erasing "she" and "her" pronouns from a statement by the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. On the anniversary of her death, the organization reinterpreted a quote Ginsburg gave on reproductive rights during her Senate confirmation hearings in 1993. Ginsburg said, "The decision whether or not to bear a child is central to a woman's life, to her well-being and dignity. It is a decision she must make for herself. When government controls that decision for her, she is being treated as less than a fully adult human responsible for her own choices." But the ACLU replaced "woman" with "person" and replaced "she" and "her" with "they" and "their" in a Sept. 18 tweet. story continues below An uproar followed. Bloomberg columnist Eli Lake said the change, which the ACLU indicated through brackets, was "hilarious and chilling," per Fox News. New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz said it was "grotesque to write women out of history as if we dont matter," while New York Times columnist Michelle Goldberg called it "a ham-handed attempt to make the quote conform to current progressive norms around gender neutrality." She continued Monday, "a gender-neutral version of Ginsburg's quote is unintelligible, because she was talking not about the right of all people to pursue their own reproductive destiny, but about how male control of womens reproductive lives makes women part of a subordinate class." Goldberg wrote that ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero told her he regretted the change but believed Ginsburg "would encourage us to evolve our language to encompass a broader vision of gender, identity and sexuality" if she were still alive. He elaborated Tuesday, telling the Times that the ACLU "wont be altering people's quotes" going forward. He said the alteration "was a mistake among the digital team" but it "was not a mistake without a thought." "My colleagues do a fantastic job of trying to understand a reality that people who seek abortions are not only women. That reality exists," he went on. But "in today's America, language sometimes needs to be rethought." (Read more American Civil Liberties Union stories.) (Newser) A politician in the Netherlands was arrested for acting suspiciously and, according to his lawyer, plotting to kill Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Arnoud van Doorn, was picked up but released without charges on Monday, Politico reports. Van Doorn says he was in the same neighborhood in the Haguethe city where the Dutch seat of government isas Rutte because he was having a coffee before going to his mothers place to give her cat medicine. He told Dutch police hed arrived early to the neighborhood and stopped in a cafe to kill time. story continues below While there, he saw an expensive BMW and gave it a thumbs-up, but didnt know it had anything to do with Rutte, then went into a gym across the street to inquire about membership, but had no idea Rutte was inside working out, the NRC Handelsblad reports. Van Doorn had been a member of Geert Wilders anti-Islamic far right party, but in a dramatic reversal converted to Islam in 2012 and is now the leader of the Party of Unity. He had to pay a fine in 2014 for having an illegal flare gun, per the NRC, and, before converting to Islam, was convicted of selling anti-Islamic tweets. Meanwhile, security for Rutte has been stepped up. The Dutch PM normally walks or bikes through the Hague, but after the murder of crime reporter Peter de Vries, guards have been shadowing him as he goes about his day. De Vries had been writing about criminal gangs in the Netherlands, and Rutte has vowed to crack down on gang activity, the BBC reports. Van Doorns lawyer, Anis Boumanjal, said van Doorns detention was unlawful, and there was no reason to suspect him of any wrongdoing. The Netherlands is in a cramp over COVID restrictions, Boumanjal said. (Read more Netherlands stories.) (Newser) Sen. Elizabeth Warren addressed what she called the "elephant in the room" at a Senate Banking Committee hearing Tuesdaythe question of whether Jerome Powell will be renominated as Federal Reserve chair. The Democrat told Powell that she considers him a "dangerous man" who has weakened the country's banking system and she will oppose his renomination, CNBC reports. Powell was appointed chair by Donald Trump in 2018 but was frequently criticized by the former president. Powell's term is up early next year and it's not clear whether President Biden plans to renominate him. story continues below Powell has received bipartisan praise for his leadership during the pandemic, but progressives have criticized his record on regulation, the Washington Post reports. "Renominating you means gambling that, for the next five years, a Republican majority at the Federal Reserve, with a Republican chair who has regularly voted to deregulate Wall Street, wont drive this economy over a financial cliff again," Warren told Powell Tuesday, per the New York Times. She accused him of watering down regulation brought in after the 2008 financial crisisincreasing the risk of another financial meltdown. Powell didn't respond to Warren's remark that she would oppose his renomination, but he said he was willing to revisit regulatory changes made during his time in charge, the Post reports. "I'm prepared to look at anything we did as fair game to look at again," he told the committee. One seat on the Fed's seven-member board is currently vacant and three more openings are expected in the coming months. Powell told Tuesday's hearing that he would welcome more diversity on the board, including the first-ever appointment of a Black woman, reports Reuters. (Read more Federal Reserve stories.) (Newser) Worried about the implications for President Biden's agenda and the party, Democratic officials are going all in on Terry McAuliffe's candidacy for governor of Virginia. Biden's team and national party leaders are planning to become more involved in the campaign, Politico reports. With five weeks of campaigning to go, the pressure is building. "If Terry loses that's going to scare a lot of Democrats on the Hill," said Josh Schwerin, a Democratic strategist who's worked for McAuliffe. "It's going to make people worry about the midterms, and it's going to make it harder to pass the presidents agenda." If McAuliffe loses to Republican Glenn Youngkin, Schwerin said, "People are going to get skittish." story continues below A Monmouth University Poll released Monday showed McAuliffe holding onto the 5-point lead he had last month, per the Hill. But other poll results have been closer, and Biden aides worry that a large number of undecided voters could give Youngkin a chance to make a race of it. And they worry about complacency among Democrats leading to low voter turnout, as they did before the California recall election that Gov. Gavin Newsom survived. It would help the party if Biden would post a few victories in Congress before the election. "Honestly, if they pass infrastructure and reconciliation, my comfort level of Terry winning goes up by a 1,000," one Democrat said. Youngkin, a financier who has no political experience, hasn't necessarily been helped by the increased attention the close race has brought him, per Yahoo News. He's been endorsed by former President Trump, which gave McAuliffe a chance to call his opponent too extreme for a progressive state that has recently, for example, legalized cannabis and abolished the death penaltythe first state in the South to do so. When asked if he would have voted to certify Biden's election victory if he'd been in Congress, Youngkin wouldn't say. Later, he said he would have. Unlike McAuliffe, Youngkin hasn't much tried to tie their race to national candidates and issues. Other Republicans, however, see possibilities in pinning the Democratic candidate with the withdrawal from Afghanistan, rising prices, and the migrants' situation at the Texas border. "Republicans are angry and motivated, and independents are acting more like Republicans today than any time in the last year," said Phil Cox, a Republican political veteran. "I think weve got the best chance in more than a decade." If Youngkin wins, Schwerin sees fewer sweeping implications for Democrats than others do. "It's the climate," he said. (Read more Virginia stories.) (Newser) In an ABC interview last month, President Biden defended the chaotic US exit from Afghanistan, denying that advisers had wanted him to keep 2,500 troops in the country. He was contradicted by top military officials during a heated six-hour Senate Armed Services Committee hearing Tuesday, the Hill reports. Gen. Mark A. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Frank McKenzie, head of Central Command, said they had agreed with an assessment that 2,500 troops would be needed to prevent the collapse of the Afghan government, though they declined to say what they had directly told Biden. More: Warnings of collapse. McKenzie said he recommended keeping troops in the country under both the Biden and Trump administrations. "I recommended that we maintain 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, and I also recommended early in the fall of 2020 that we maintain 4,500 at that time, those were my personal views, McKenzie said, per the AP. "I also had a view that the withdrawal of those forces would lead inevitably to the collapse of the Afghan military forces and eventually the Afghan government. story continues below A "strategic failure." Milley, the country's top military officer, described the end of the 20-year war as "a logistical success but a strategic failure," the Guardian reports. With the Taliban now in power in Kabul, "it is obvious the war in Afghanistan did not end on the terms we wanted," Milley said. Milley, the country's top military officer, described the end of the 20-year war as "a logistical success but a strategic failure," the Guardian reports. With the Taliban now in power in Kabul, "it is obvious the war in Afghanistan did not end on the terms we wanted," Milley said. Staying past deadline would have been dangerous. Milley and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told senators that staying past the Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline would have endangered troops and other Americans. "On the 1st of September we were going to go back to war again with the Taliban," Milley said. "That would have resulted in significant casualties on the US side and would have put American citizens still on the ground there at significant risk." He said another attack like the one that killed 13 American troops and more than 160 Afghans would have been a "near certainty." "Uncomfortable truths." Austin, a retired four-star general who served in Afghanistan, said the rapid collapse of the Afghan military surprised American commanders, the New York Times reports. He said the military needs to confront "uncomfortable truths" including the fact that they had failed to realize the "depth of corruption" in the Afghan military's senior ranks. "The fact that the Afghan army we and our partners trained simply melted awayin many cases without firing a shottook us all by surprise," he said. "It would be dishonest to claim otherwise." Austin, a retired four-star general who served in Afghanistan, said the rapid collapse of the Afghan military surprised American commanders, the New York Times reports. He said the military needs to confront "uncomfortable truths" including the fact that they had failed to realize the "depth of corruption" in the Afghan military's senior ranks. "The fact that the Afghan army we and our partners trained simply melted awayin many cases without firing a shottook us all by surprise," he said. "It would be dishonest to claim otherwise." The Biden interview . In the August interview, Biden told ABC's George Stephanopoulos that he couldn't recall anybody telling him, "We should just keep 2,500 troops. It's been a stable situation for the last several years. We can do that." Politico reports that Milley "declined to give a direct answer" during Tuesday's hearing when Republican Sen. Inhofe asked him if Biden's remark was a false statement. "I'm not going to characterize a statement of the president of the United States," Milley told the senator. . In the August interview, Biden told ABC's George Stephanopoulos that he couldn't recall anybody telling him, "We should just keep 2,500 troops. It's been a stable situation for the last several years. We can do that." Politico reports that Milley "declined to give a direct answer" during Tuesday's hearing when Republican Sen. Inhofe asked him if Biden's remark was a false statement. "I'm not going to characterize a statement of the president of the United States," Milley told the senator. Psaki defends Biden remarks. White House press secretary Jen Psaki denied that Biden had misled the public about his conversations with military advisers, the Washington Post reports. She said he had told ABC that advisers were "split" on keeping troops in the country, which is "a pretty key part of that phrasing there." It was also clear to Biden "that that would not be a long-standing recommendation, that there would need to be an escalation and increase in troop numbers," Psaki said. (Milley also defended calls he made to his Chinese counterparts in the final months of the Trump administration.) TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister has emphasised the importance of further strengthening the role of the Kingdoms banking and finance sector, one of the key economic sectors that supports growth and attract investment. His Royal Highness highlighted the Kingdoms commitment to enhancing facilities that improve business opportunities and investments in line with the Kingdoms comprehensive development, led by HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. This came as HRH the Crown Prince and Prime Minister yesterday received Elissar Farah Antonios, Citi Head of MENA Cluster and CEO Citi UAE, and Michel Sawaya, Citi Country Officer and Corporate Banking Head-Citi Bahrain, at Gudaibiya Palace. HRH Prince Salman noted the Kingdoms long-standing partnership with Citibank. He wished Citibanks new Global Technology Hub, launched in cooperation with Tamkeen and the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), success in achieving its goals, including providing quality job opportunities in the banking and technology sectors. Antonios expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to meet with His Royal Highness and noted his support of the Kingdoms enduring partnership with Citibank. EDB Chief Executive Khalid Humaidan also attended the meeting. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The preliminary results of Bahrains economic performance during the second quarter of 2021 have indicated that the real GDP grew by 5.7% on an annual basis. It reflects an improvement in the economy and the success of national efforts to mitigate the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic repercussions. The nominal GDP increased by 20.7% compared to the same period in 2020, supported by growth in the non-oil sectors of 12.8%. According to a Cabinet statement issued yesterday, Bahrains economy contracted by 2.11% in the first quarter of the year, compared to what it was a year ago, due to the decline in the non-oil economy amid the imposition of COVID-19 restrictions for most of the quarter. The non-oil economy contracted in the first quarter by 2.97%, the hotel and restaurant sector declined by 20.44%, and the oil sector grew by 2.04%. A report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) indicated that the recovery of Bahrains economy from the COVID-19 pandemic will be gradual, expecting a growth of 3.3% during the current year 2021, after a contraction of 5.4% in 2020. The Cabinet approved a memorandum to review constitutional and legal procedures to refer a draft law amending some provisions of the Value-Added Tax (VAT) law to the legislative authority. It includes an amendment to the value-added percentage starting from 1 January 2022. It is part of a memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs and Fiscal Balance approved by the Cabinet regarding a review of the performance of the Fiscal Balance Programme since its launch in 2018. Also to be reviewed is the impact of the pandemic on the financial and economic situation, as well as the options studied to achieve a fiscal balance between government expenditures and revenues. The Cabinet commended the role of the legislative authority in maintaining social support for eligible citizens and stressed the importance of continuing to work together to enhance financial stability. Also approved was a memorandum by the Minister of Finance and National Economy regarding the Kingdom of Bahrains logistics plan, which includes the strategic objectives of the sector, and the plan for air cargo at Bahrain International Airport, and the launch of a global sea to air hub in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Cabinet reviewed a memorandum by the Finance Minister regarding the quarterly economic report for the second quarter of 2021, which outlined the Kingdoms ability to return to pre-pandemic economic and financial progress. Several memorandums were approved such as the following: 1. A memorandum by the Government Executive Committee on the progress of the programs implemented within the Government Priorities Framework up to September 2021, and the execution plans for projects within its third edition, which aim to achieve financial sustainability and secure an environment that supports development. 2. A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs concerning four MoUs between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the State of Israel. The MoUs aim to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the fields of sports, innovation and development in water resources, environmental protection, nature & habitat conservation, medical services and research. 3. A memorandum by the Ministerial Committee for Legal and Legislative Affairs on granting the State of Israel sovereignty over their data stored in Bahrain on the Provision of Cloud Computing Services to Foreign Parties. 4. A memorandum by the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism regarding the recognition of several countries as global partners for the global sea to air hub launched in the Kingdom of Bahrain, allowing companies based in these countries to apply for accreditation as authorised operators of this service. The benefits of the service include transporting cargo between sea and airports in no more than two hours, enhancing shipping speeds and reducing competitive costs. 5. A memorandum by the Minister of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning regarding the sea reclamation line within the Nabih Saleh Island. The Cabinet reviewed the following topics: 1. A memorandum by the Minister of Health regarding the achievements of the National Committee to Combat Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases for the years 2017- 2021. 2. The Cabinet took note of the reports of the Ministers on the results of the participation in the seventh meeting of the Council of Ministers of Labour and Council of Ministers of Social Affairs in the GCC, and the signing of the agreement to organise the Bahrain International Air Show 2022-2024 and participation in the DESI exhibition in London. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Bahrains decision to sign an agreement supporting peace with Israel comes within His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifas vision to promote the principles of peaceful coexistence and consolidate the culture of cooperation and mutual respect. This was part of the Kingdom of Bahrains statement delivered by Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani yesterday in the General Debate of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Dr Al Zayani renewed Bahrains calls on the international community to unite efforts to achieve security, stability, peace and prosperity in the Middle East region by adhering to the principles and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations. The Kingdom of Bahrain has chosen the path of peace as an approach and a strategic option to bring lasting and comprehensive peace to the region, and to consolidate a culture of tolerance and peaceful coexistence for the good of the peoples of the region and the world, and to combat the ideology of extremism and hatred, the Minister said. He noted that this year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the accession of Bahrain to the UN, expressing the pride of the Kingdom, its leadership, government and people. Dr Al Zayani highlighted Bahrains achievement in cooperating with the international community and its commitment to achieving the goals and purposes of the UN to serve all humanity. Bahrain is keen to be fully prepared to face the repercussions of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and to harness all capabilities and efforts to protect its citizens and residents, as well as provide the necessary health care for all without discrimination, he said. The minister emphasised that the national efforts, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, play a major role in the effective response to deal with the virus since the announcement of the Kingdoms first case in February last year TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Council of Representatives Speaker Fawzia bint Abdullah Zainal hailed the progress of Bahrain women across all fields to become major partners in nation-building. The Speaker highlighted the outstanding role of Bahraini women in supporting the Kingdoms comprehensive development process during her virtual participation in the 15th meeting of Speakers of the GCC Shura Councils, the Council of Representatives, the Federal National Council, and the National Assembly. Also, Chairperson of the Executive Committee of the Parliamentary Division, Zainal stressed the need to raise the level of support and aspirations of youth and achieving more progress for women as a major component of development in GCC countries. She praised the progress achieved by Bahrain in that aspect led by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa and the national efforts led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister. The Speaker also commended the efforts of the Supreme Council for Women (SCW) headed by Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, Wife of HM the King, in supporting the Bahraini womens progress. She noted the need to establish a comprehensive legislative vision for GCC countries post coronavirus pandemic, especially after their success in recovering, moving towards a normal life and providing support to their economy and focusing on development, security and stability to meet the region safety goals and address threats. Two Asian men jailed in Bahrain for failing to rescue drowning friend Two Asian men jailed in Bahrain for failing to rescue drowning friend TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com The Lower Criminal Court sentenced two Asian men to six months each behind bars for failing to rescue their friend who was drowning at a swimming pool in Sar. According to court files, the suspects gave no valid reason for their inaction. The three engaged in binge drinking at the pool, during which the victim requested the two suspects to record him while he was swimming. However, he never came out from the pool to the surprise of the two who reportedly waited for him for three minutes while he was waving his hands for help. Based on the autopsy report, the defendants death was caused by poor blood circulation and respiratory depression. It showed that the defendant consumed a large amount of alcohol to the level that he suffered mental confusion. Bahraini girl sues father to allow her to get married Bahraini girl sues father to allow her to get married TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com A Bahraini girl sued her father after he rejected the proposal of a man, citing illegitimate reasons. The High Shariat Court accepted the girls lawsuit, giving her the freedom to get married without her fathers approval. The girl is said to have made many failed attempts to accept the mans proposal, prompting her to complain to him so she can accept it without his approval, the High Shariat Court heard. My clients father prevented her from marrying the person she wanted to tie the knot with for what she deemed unacceptable reasons, the plaintiffs lawyer told prosecutors. According to court files, one of the reasons that the father considered against allowing his daughter to marry the man was that his mothers sect was different to the one they are following. TDT | Manama The Daily Tribune www.newsofbahrain.com Qatar-backed Al Jazeeras adamant defamatory campaigns targeting the Kingdom of Bahrain were strong condemned. The Human Rights Standing Committee at the Council of Representatives denounced the channel which continues to allege that inmates had been tortured and denied family visits. Chaired by Mp Ammar Al Bannai, the committee condemned Al Jazeeras campaigns of incitement aimed to serve suspicious foreign agendas and tarnish Bahrains human rights record, particularly the expanded alternative sentencing, which won regional and international praise. The committee backed the Interior Ministrys statement which debunked Al Jazeeras baseless allegations and blatant interference in the internal affairs of the Kingdom of Bahrain in an attempt to subvert national unity, social cohesion and disrupt security and stability. The committee reiterated the councils continued support of the issuances of laws and legislations that guarantee the protection of human rights and expand alternative sentencing and measures. Cincinnati, OH (45221) Today Cloudy skies with a few showers this afternoon. Thunder possible. High 78F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 30%.. Tonight Some clouds. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable. STAMFORD For generations, General Electric small appliances were made in Fairfield County. Now, decades after the end of that era, the business is reviving its manufacturing presence in southwestern Connecticut. GE Appliances, which is now owned by Chinese consumer-goods company Haier, announced Monday plans to open next year a small-appliances microfactory at 49 John St., in Stamfords South End. The manufacturing will anchor a sprawling 67,000-square-foot facility known as CoCREATE Stamford, which company officials also envision as a hub for collaboration with colleges and universities and as a public showcase for their products. Weve been under a business transformation at GE Appliances, and its guided by a philosophy we like to call zero distance, CEO and President Kevin Nolan, a Stamford native, told several-dozen attendees during a press conference inside 49 John St. That transformation has brought us here. To be zero distance means we have to be with our customers. CoCREATE will mark the first complex in Connecticut for the Louisville, Ky.-headquartered GE Appliances with plans to initially create 25 jobs at the new site. It will operate in a now-empty space that formerly housed a warehouse for furnisher Lillian August. GE Appliances plans to launch production next spring at 49 John St., making products such as the Monogram Smart Flush Hearth Oven. It will then open other sections including a community makerspace, product showrooms, and a heritage center focusing on the areas manufacturing history. The company expects the site to be fully operational by late next year. Its Stamford microfactory will complement production facilities in Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee. In total, the company employs about 14,000. This is a very powerful partnership, said Peter Denious, CEO and president of AdvanceCT, an economic development-focused nonprofit. As the states private-sector, economic-development partner, we at AdvanceCT get out and tell the Connecticut story every day to share the stories of the incredible companies doing business here, our talented workforce and the cutting-edge innovation thats going on in our great state. The expansion to Connecticut reflects GE Appliances announcement last year that it would return to manufacturing and selling small appliances after 35 years. Its lineup now includes coffee makers, toasters, toaster ovens, blenders and food processors. GE Appliances are used in more than 50 percent of homes in the U.S., according to company data. GE has roots in CT In a period running approximately from the 1920s to the 1980s, GE small appliances were manufactured in Bridgeport, according to company officials. In 2016, Haier acquired GE Appliances for $5.4 billion from GE. Also in 2016, GE announced the relocation of its headquarters from Fairfield to Boston. While Stamfords largest employers today operate in industries such as consumer goods, financial services, health care and media, it has a long manufacturing history. The Yale & Towne lock company inspired Stamfords Lock City nickname. After its late 1860s relocation to Stamford, Yale dominated local manufacturing for about a century. We have an incredible entrepreneurial tradition in this state, said Gov. Ned Lamont. We have a great history here, and then we became the land of steady habits. And steady habits are great in marital relationships, but when it comes to an entrepreneurial economy, youve got to kickstart every once in a while. From my point of view, thats what CoCREATE Stamford and GE Appliances are doing right here. State officials said GE Appliances is not receiving any state funding to support its multimillion-dollar investment in CoCREATE. But the states support of the project was reflected in the attendance of Lamont, Denious and David Lehman, the states economic development commissioner. Lehman said he and Denious connected with GE Appliances officials through a referral from AdvanceCT. They were looking in other places in Connecticut and other places along the northeast (Interstate) 95 corridor, Lehman told Hearst Connecticut Media. My recollection is that in the serious conversations, when we got down to potential buildings and potential sites, the focus was primarily Stamford. Nolan noted that Ive been watching whats going on in Connecticut. Hats off to the governor, universities and school systems. There are so many things that are happening here. If you look at Stamford today, versus what I remember when I grew up here, and it is a totally different place. Focus on education In addition to manufacturing, GE Appliances officials said they want CoCREATE to become a nexus for hands-on learning. The company will partner with the University of Connecticut and Connecticut State Colleges & Universities systems to provide opportunities through co-op programs and other initiatives for students interested in fields such as manufacturing and engineering. We believe deeply in the governors vision and the vision that all of you have to develop this state and kickstart it, as the governor said. We believe you do that in collaboration with higher education, said Andrew Agwunobi, UConns interim president. Its also self-serving for us and our students because Stamford is an amazing campus that has so much potential for the growth of UConn in the future. CSCU, which includes 12 community colleges and four state universities, does not have a campus in Stamford. But CSCU President Terrence Cheng said the system could become a major talent pipeline for GE Appliances. Even though we dont have a campus here in Stamford, we have campuses across the state, said Cheng, who formerly served as the director of the UConn-Stamford campus. That means we have power, potential and capacity across the state that we seek to bring to bear in an initiative such as this to be able to say if GE Appliances want some of the best advanced-manufacturing students that Connecticut has to offer, then we have that wealth of talent in our community-college system alone. Nolan, a UConn alumnus, said the companys bullishness about its higher-education partnerships in Connecticut is based on the impact of the company-supported FirstBuild co-creation center opened several years ago on the campus of the University of Louisville. Every day, were in with students, community members and the public, coming together and creating new things, Nolan said. It has really taken our company and our innovation and just accelerated it like we could never believe before. The CEO also cited his optimism about forging closer relationships with the public through hubs such as the makerspace and product showrooms. The showrooms will offer programming such as cooking classes. Most companies still want to have an old playbook of lets sit and do research, lets be secretive, lets not talk, Nolan said. Youll be able to come in here, and youll be able to see what were thinking and projecting into the future. pschott@ stamfordadvocate.com; twitter: @paulschott KENT Camp Shane, a weight-loss camp that abruptly closed this summer, has voluntarily surrendered its license to state officials, according to the Office of Early Childhood. The shutdown was prompted by staffing-related issues according to the camp owner, but also came the same week the OEC and the Department of Children and Families announced an ongoing joint investigation into the summer camp. The camp officially closed July 13, 11 days after it was approved for a license. When the summer camp opened in June, it did so without a state license. The camp had issues, including violations and problems with documentation of policies and medical oversight throughout 2019. Camp Shane held its license for 2021 for 52 days. Camps are required to renew their licenses each year. An OEC official said the department closed its investigation, but did not comment further. The camp initially obtained a license from the state Office of Early Childhood following a July 2 inspection, which was prompted by the states realization during a July 1 meeting that the camp had yet to receive its license but had planned to open June 24. An inspector who visited the camp July 2 determined the camp had already begun operating. In an earlier interview, camp owner David Ettenberg said the camp was located in New York for 52 years, and upon moving to Connecticut and getting inspected, they ran into issues with state regulation differences. Basically we had to start from the beginning with all the regulations, he said at the time. We didnt know anything, so they told us, You need this, you need that. We worked on that. The New York-based camp moved to Connecticut in 2019, where it was located at The Rectory School in Pomfret before moving to the South Kent School in 2021. The camp did not operate in 2020, according to its Facebook page. Hearst Connecticut Media obtained OEC investigation documents through a Freedom of Information Act request which detailed the ongoing state visits, complaints and investigations throughout the summer. During the July 2 visit, a state investigator noted several concerns, including questions about medical oversight. The camp had been unable to provide CPR or nursing license documentation and had one counselor working as both the first aid director and lifeguard. However, documents said the OEC representative left knowing that the director, first aid director and a camp physician agreement were in place, and an employee was available to act as first aid director as a fill in and potentially a nurse. The camp was approved for a license after that visit. In July, Ettenberg said that he closed the camp because of the national staffing shortage, which he claimed was affecting the camp. Documents obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media show he had a conversation with the OEC on July 10 about an 8-year-olds serious head injury, which she sustained at camp. At that time, he informed investigators of his intention to close the camp. Ettenberg has not responded to further inquiries since a July interview with Hearst Connecticut Media. At the time the camp was shut down, the states Office of Early Childhood and the Department of Children and Families announced a joint investigation, citing concerns about the health, safety and well-being of children enrolled at the summer youth camp. Contributed / Getty DANBURY A local man arrested by a child trafficking task force this summer is facing federal charges and is due to make his first appearance before a judge Tuesday morning. Wayne Marcell is facing charges of sexual exploitation of children, conspiracy to commit transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, and a charge related to the receipt of child sex abuse materials, according to a criminal complaint filed in District of Connecticut Court. NEW MILFORD The town launched its brand new tourism website last week, which promotes venues, local businesses and activities around town. The website also provides a free advertisement opportunity for locals to increase awareness of New Milfords vibrant community and diverse opportunities, according to a release form the mayors office. Categories include pages titled Eat, Drink, Explore, Shop, Play and Stay, with local listings on each. The tourism site, officially launched on Friday, differs from the towns municipal website in both look and content. Mayor Pete Bass said that the town site will continue to be used as normal for all things related to local governance. Weve seen some of neighbors sites that were more glossy; they were more appealing to someone that may not be from our area, he said. The homepage of the website boasts a verdant aerial photo of the town, with New Milford written in a cursive font, followed underneath by the words In the hills. Beyond compare. An interactive map provides color-coded pins with the names of various types of destinations, from shopping and retail, to culture and recreation, to food and drink. After clicking on a pin, the user is provided with further information, a phone number and a website, when available. Users can also choose to submit a place to add their own business, venue or activity. The new website launch follows several years-long efforts to make the town a more tourist-friendly spot. Instead of being a gateway to Litchfield County, New Milford wants to be a destination. Tourism is not new to the town, but Bass wants to expand New Milfords marketshare. From new and annual events and festivals to an extensive riverfront revitalization plan, the town aims to attract visitors and present new opportunities current residents. The town is already host to summer-home residents from bigger cities like Manhattan, thanks in part to the draw of Candlewood Lake Its been a part of New Milford for a very long time, said Bass of the towns tourism. This website will be one of our tools in our toolkit to create that awareness, that brand awareness. The new website has been in the works for several years. Former Economic Development Director Karen Pollard, who left her Town Hall position in February, participated in its early stages, as well, said Bass. We were all working together to create more of a brand awareness for New Milford, he added. After a press release was sent out last Friday, the town plans to further publicize its new tourism website through the municipal website, on social media, other towns websites and in the mayors email signature. Bass said theyll do an analysis to see how much traction they get from these efforts before adding any further publicity campaigns. He has not yet looked at website traffic data to see how the new website is being received, but said he will do so after at least a week has elapsed. Anecdotally, he said the reception has been positive thus far, with businesses letting him know theyre grateful for the free advertising and nonprofits saying they were excited about the community calendar for events. While the website certainly caters to visitors, Bass also said it will help residents keep track of what events are going on in town. BRASILIA, Brazil (AP) A Brazilian health care provider focused on elderly people has been targeted by a Senate investigation for allegedly obliging its doctors to prescribe drugs that aren't effective in treating COVID-19. Lawyer Bruna Morato, who represents 12 whistleblowing doctors currently or previously employed by the company Prevent Senior, told lawmakers on Tuesday her clients were repeatedly told to choose between prescribing chloroquine to COVID patients, along with other dubious substances, or else lose their jobs. Prevent Senior owns several hospitals in Sao Paulo. The doctors remained anonymous due to fears of retribution. Some were warned, and that happened in front of others. Other professionals were fired, the lawyer said. "There was also a punishment that was common: they had their shifts reduced. If you didn't show loyalty to the company and obedience to those protocols, you got punished." Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro and his allies have highlighted Prevent Senior as a role model in the fight against COVID-19 due to its advocacy for chloroquine as treatment, even as mounting evidence showed it to be ineffective. As recently as Sept. 21 at the U.N. General Assembly, Bolsonaro has insisted upon so-called early treatment with hydroxychloroquine, a less toxic version of the same anti-malarial. Morato said Prevent Senior gave doctors a kit with a total eight drugs and supplements, known as a "COVID kit. Prevent Senior said in a statement to The Associated Press that the lawyer's testimony was false, and based upon messages that were either hard to understand or edited so they could then be leaked to the press. Last week, a director from Prevent Senior told senators that patients had agreed to take their COVID kits, and argued doctors were free to make their own prescriptions. Sao Paulo state's prosecutors' office said Monday it is investigating Prevent Senior for allegedly researching chloroquine effects on COVID-19 patients without clearly letting them know they were part of a trial. Bolsonaro praised Prevent Senior's studies on chloroquine on his social media channels in April 2020. He suggested the trials by the health care company had shown patients taking chloroquine were spending seven days on ventilators, as compared to 14 days among those who didn't. His son Eduardo Bolsonaro, a lawmaker, compared Brazil to Afghanistan under the Taliban regime Friday, saying there is too much outrage directed at those who admit they are using the COVID kit. A frequent advocate of Prevent Senior on social media, he tested positive for the coronavirus last week. I am treating myself. You must guess with what. ... The doctor prescribed it. And overnight I am feeling much better," Eduardo Bolsonaro said in a live broadcast. I have a runny nose, I am a little tired, but no fever. From now on, after I started the treatment, it can only get better. Brazil has confirmed more than 590,000 deaths from COVID-19, marking the second highest tally in the world behind the United States. ___ Associated Press writer Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo contributed to this report. UNITED NATIONS (AP) Chinas U.N. ambassador expressed hope Tuesday that President Joe Biden will translate his statement that the United States has no intention of starting a new Cold War with China into actions, saying he should avoid a confrontational approach and provocative attacks against China." We sincerely hope the U.S. will walk the walk by truly abandoning the Cold War mentality, Zhang Jun said in a virtual press conference following the annual meeting of world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly, which ended Monday. "I believe that if both sides walked towards each other, they will be able to see a healthy and stable China-U.S. relationship, he said. Otherwise, the concerns will remain there. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned just ahead of the week-long meeting that the world could be plunged into a new and more dangerous Cold War if China and the United States didnt repair their completely dysfunctional relationship. In his speech delivered to leaders in the vast assembly hall a week ago, Biden decried military conflict, insisted the U.S. is not seeking a new version of the Cold War, and stressed the urgency of working together. Hours later, in a recorded speech, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his nations longtime policy of multilateralism. One countrys success does not have to mean another countrys failure, Xi said. The world is big enough to accommodate common development and progress of all countries. The Cold War between the Soviet Union and its East bloc allies and the United States and its Western allies began after World War II and ended with the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991. It was a clash of two nuclear-armed superpowers with rival ideologies communism and authoritarianism on one side, capitalism and democracy on the other. Zhang called the China-U.S. relationship extremely important: China is the largest developing country and the U.S. is the largest developed country, and they are the worlds largest economies and permanent members of the U.N. Security Council. The world benefits from a good China-U.S. relationship, and it will also suffer from a confrontation between China and the United States, he said. Zhang said Beijing has always called for relations between the two countries to be based on no conflict, no confrontation, mutual respect and win-win cooperation as well as equality. However, while China is willing to cooperate with the United States, we have to also firmly defend our sovereignty, our security and our development rise, he said. Zhang also called for strengthened solidarity and cooperation of the five veto-holding permanent members of the Security Council which bear primary responsibility for ensuring world peace and security. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Saturday that the major powers have a great responsibility to negotiate and make compromises on the critical issues facing the world and that Russia is now revitalizing its proposal for a summit of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council Russia, China, U.S., Britain and France. He said discussions are under way on specific questions for an agenda, and we may perhaps begin with an online meeting. Zhang said China, Russia and France have all proposed a summit of the so-called P5 powers. Discussions are still taking place and there is no decision yet, so we will continue to work on that, he said. WINDOW ROCK, Ariz. (AP) The Navajo Nation on Monday reported 20 more COVID-19 cases, but no additional deaths. The latest numbers pushed the tribes totals to 33,800 confirmed COVID-19 cases from the virus since the pandemic began more than a year ago. The known death toll remains at 1,442. Based on cases from Sept. 10-23, the Navajo Department of Health issued an advisory for 40 communities due to an uncontrolled spread of COVID-19. 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 this month 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. JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) The operator of an oil tanker seized by Indonesian authorities at the request of Cambodia is protesting the detention of its crew, calling it a human rights violation. World Tankers Management, the Singapore-based operator of the MT Strovolos, said the crew members, who have been detained by Indonesian Marine Police for questioning since Friday, are innocent of any wrongdoing. Indonesias navy seized the tanker in late July at the request of Cambodia, which said it was wanted on suspicion of stealing nearly 300,000 barrels of crude oil. Harry Goldenhardt, a police spokesperson in Indonesias Riau Islands province, said Tuesday the crew is being questioned in relation to the Cambodian government's accusation. Police have seized the tanker and the crude oil as evidence, he said. It is understood this police action followed an intervention by the Cambodian government which claims the cargo was transported illegally," World Tankers Management said in a statement. This claim is made without foundation and is utterly rejected. The crew members remain under detention and are being interrogated ashore in shifts. The crew are the innocent victims of wrongful conduct by the government of Cambodia in violation of their human rights, it said. It said Cambodia had not provided any proof to support its claim that it owns the oil on board the vessel, and asked the Indonesian government to order the crew's immediate release. Last week, a court sentenced the captain of the tanker, a Bangladesh national, to 15 days in jail and fined him 100 million rupiah ($7,000) after finding him guilty of anchoring the tanker in Indonesian territory without permission. The tanker was chartered by KrisEnergy (Apsara) Co. Ltd. and received the oil from the Apsara Oil Field in the Gulf of Thailand. The Cambodian government had contracted KrisEnergy as part of a commercial oil development project and gave it the right to sell the oil subject to payment of royalties. However, the KrisEnergy Group ran into financial difficulties and was unable to comply with its obligations during the charter, including payment of the ship's fuel supply, World Tankers Management said. KrisEnergy and the tanker's management terminated the charter as a result, it said. BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) A panel of lawmakers putting the final touches on North Dakotas new legislative map delayed action Tuesday on a proposal to create separate House districts on two of the states five American Indian reservations. Some members of the 14-member Republican-led committee said they wanted more legal guidance before voting on the motion. The committee is scheduled to meet again Wednesday. A North Dakota legislative district now has one senator and two House members, each elected to represent the entire area. In a subdistrict, the senator would still represent the entire district. It would be split in half for House representation, with one House member representing each half. Some North Dakota tribal leaders appealed to lawmakers this month to split legislative House districts that include reservations, a move they believe will increase the odds for electing American Indians to the Legislature. Tribal leaders say such an arrangement would result in better representation and communication in the Legislature, where Republicans wield supermajority control. Only two of the five American Indian reservation in North Dakota Fort Berthold and Turtle Mountain have the needed population to split House districts, which is about 8,450 people at present. Grand Fork GOP Sen. Ray Holmberg, who has served on redistricting committees since 1981 said the Legislature may have no choice to create subdistricts on the qualifying reservations to meet federal law. Im not a fan of subdistricts, Holmberg said. Sometimes you do have to respect reality. Holmberg said the subdistricts likely would be created by the courts if the Legislature fails to create them. During the Legislatures redistricting effort in 1991, the Three Affiliated Tribes filed a federal lawsuit in an attempt to force lawmakers to create subdistricts on the now oil-rich Fort Berthold reservation. A federal judge dismissed the lawsuit, saying a subdistrict would lack a majority of American Indian voters. Holmberg said subdistricts on Turtle Mountain and Fort Berthold now appear to meet that threshold. At the end of the day, I believe it will happen, Holmberg told the committee. GOP Rep. Terry Jones, whose current district is part of the Fort Berthold reservation, urged the redistricting panel to scrap the idea of subdistricts, calling it nothing more than an attempt to divide us, rather than unify us. The Legislature currently has three lawmakers who claim Native American or Alaska Native heritage: Fargo Democratic Rep. Ruth Buffalo, a member of the Three Affiliated Tribes; Minot GOP Sen. Oley Larsen, a member of Alaskas Sealaska Corp.; and Sen. Richard Marcellais, a Democrat from Belcourt and member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. Only Marcellais lives on a reservation. South Dakota already has special subdistricts aimed at giving American Indians a better chance at additional representation in its state Legislature. One of them includes all of the Cheyenne River and part of the Standing Rock Sioux Indian reservations. Another includes the Rosebud Indian Reservation. ___ Associated Press writer Stephen Groves in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, contributed to this report. FARMINGTON While no official determination has been made about what caused the plane crash that killed the pilots and two passengers, investigators from the National Transportation Safety Board noted in a preliminary report released Tuesday that the planes parking brake was on. The plane, a Cessna 560 jet, crashed into a Trumpf Inc. building in Farmington shortly after takeoff from nearby Robertson Field Airport in Plainville on Sept. 2. The crash killed pilots Mark Morrow, 57, of Danbury, and William OLeary, 55, of Bristol, along with the passengers, Courtney Haviland, 33, and her husband, William Shrauner, 32, both doctors from Boston. According to the three-page NTSB report, two witnesses saw the plane take off and one remarked that it was going slower than during normal takeoff. Another witness reported seeing a blue puff of smoke from the backside of the airplane when it was about two-thirds of the way down the runway, the report stated. One witness recalled telling a friend that something was wrong, the report stated. Investigators visited the small airport and found tire skid marks from the right main landing gear on the runway then about 100 feet down noticed marks from the left main landing gear, the report read. The marks continued down the runway and onto a short patch of grassy terrain off the departure end of the runway, investigators noted. A witness reported seeing the plane take off and not gain altitude before it hit a power line pole, the report read. Investigators reviewed what was left of the airframe of the plane and its cockpit. While no anomalies were found on the frame or control panel, the investigators wrote the parking brake handle in the cockpit, and the respective valve that it controlled, were both found in the brake set position. The plane, according to investigators, had been heading to Dare County Regional Airport in North Carolina. The plane, after hitting the power line, eventually crashed into the Trumpf Inc. building, setting the plane and the building ablaze. On the ground, NTSB said one person was seriously injured and three others suffered minor injures. It was unclear Tuesday when a full report on the accident would be released, but typically NTSB investigations take several months. At the time of the crash, Haviland was pregnant. She and Shrauner, who had a young son, met at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, according to a family spokesperson. Haviland, who grew up in Farmington, joined MassGeneral Hospital for Children in 2016 as a resident. Shrauner was a second-year fellow at Boston Medical Center. Both the pilots, OLeary and Morrow, were well-known in the area for flying. ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan (AP) Turkmenistan marked the 30th anniversary of its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union with a military parade Monday that involved thousands of people and featured the country's leader mounting a horse to greet the participants. The pomp-filled parade took place in Ashgabat, the capital of the gas-rich former Soviet republic in Central Asia. President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov personally saluted the parade first from an open-top car and then from a horse he rode across the square. BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) In a packed intensive care unit for coronavirus patients in Romanias capital, Bucharest, 55-year-old Adrian Pica sits on his bed receiving supplementary oxygen to help him breathe. I didnt want to get vaccinated because I was afraid, he said. Around 72% of adults in the 27-nation European Union have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but a stubbornly low uptake of the shots in some eastern EU nations now risks overwhelming hospitals amid a surge of infections due to the more contagious delta variant. Until now I didnt believe in COVID-19, Pica, who said his early symptoms left him sweating and feeling suffocated, told The Associated Press. I thought it was just like the flu. But now Im sick and hospitalized. I want to get a vaccine. Bulgaria and Romania are lagging dramatically behind as the EUs two least-vaccinated nations, with just 22% and 33% of their adult populations fully inoculated. Rapidly increasing new infections have forced authorities to tighten virus restrictions in the two countries, while other EU nations such as France, Spain, Denmark and Portugal have all exceeded 80% vaccine coverage and eased restrictions. Stella Kyriakides, the EUs health commissioner, said the worrying gap on vaccinations needs urgently addressing. Slovakia, Croatia and Latvia have vaccinated around 50% of all their adults. But jab uptake in many Central and Eastern European countries has remained weak or declined. In Norway, where about 70% of the population has been vaccinated, authorities on Saturday scrapped restrictions that Prime Minister Erna Holberg called the strictest measures in peacetime. Nordic neighbor Denmark lifted virus restrictions on Sept. 10, while the U.K. has also abandoned most pandemic restrictions due to high vaccine rates. In contrast, at Bucharests Marius Nasta Institute of Pneumology, the ICU's chief doctor, Genoveva Cadar, says the beds are now at 100% capacity and around 98% of all the virus patients are unvaccinated. In comparison to previous waves, people are arriving with more severe forms of the disease, she said, adding that many patients in this latest surge are younger than in previous ones. Very quickly they end up intubated and the prognosis is extremely bleak. New daily coronavirus cases in Romania, a country of 19 million residents, have grown exponentially over the last month, while the number of people getting vaccinated has declined to worrying lows. Romanian officials reported 11,049 new cases on Tuesday, the highest daily tally since the pandemic started. Government data shows that 91.5% of COVID-19 deaths in Romania during Sept. 18-23 involved unvaccinated patients. On Sunday, 1,220 of Romania's 1,239 ICU beds for virus patients were occupied. In many cases, only deaths freed up spaces. At the Marius Nasta Institute, a mobile ICU on hospital grounds that opened Monday already was full. I dont know how were going to get over the next period, but were definitely going to be here, hospital manager Beatrice Mahler told the AP. Were going to do everything we can (but) we don't have a winning recipe. Vlad Mixich, a Romanian public health specialist, told the AP that a historic distrust of authorities together with what he said was a very weak government vaccination campaign has contributed to the low vaccine uptake among his compatriots. During the vaccination campaign, unfortunately the politicians were the main communicators, he said, adding that a frequent turnover in the country's health ministers has had a massive impact on efforts to inoculate Romanians. In neighboring Bulgaria, an alarming 23% of people said they do not want to get vaccinated, compared with only 9% across the bloc, according to a Eurobarometer survey. Sabila Marinova, the ICU manager at a hospital in Bulgarias northern town of Veliko Tarnovo, says none of its COVID-19 patients is vaccinated. We are very exhausted," she said. It seems that this horror has no end. The vice president of Romanias national vaccination committee, Andrei Baciu, said that fake news has been a key factor in keeping people from getting jabbed. There is and was a culture that promotes fake news. We are working with a team of specialists to combat (it) ... right now there is a high number of (infections) due to low vaccination rates, he said, adding that the government is looking to increase ICU capacity. Sometimes medical workers in Eastern Europe face additional risks. In September in Bulgarias port city of Varna, a group opposed to vaccines attacked a medical team at a mobile vaccination station. Health Minister Stoycho Katsarov condemned the attack, saying we will not allow our medics to be insulted, publicly harassed and humiliated for trying to save lives. The implementation of vaccine passports, which allow people to show their vaccine status to carry out day-to-day activities, may be one of few options left for European governments at a loss on how to encourage their vaccine-hesitant citizens to get jabbed. Experts say vaccine skeptics in parts of Europe could hamper the entire continent's efforts to end the pandemic. Back at the Marius Nasta Institute, Nicoleta Birtea, a 63-year-old unvaccinated COVID-19 patient who had previous health issues, says she woke up a month ago feeling dizzy and ill and called for an ambulance. I hope that I got here on time, she said, adding I understand very clearly that the vaccine cant protect you. ___ Follow all AP stories on the global pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic. NEWTOWN The towns top elected leader ended a month-long order to wear masks indoors after the new case rate for COVID-19 infections here decreased 55 percent from the time the emergency mandate was instituted. Im pleased to report our case rate per 100,000 over the last four weeks has gone from 17.2 to 15.1 to 10 to now 7.7, First Selectman Dan Rosenthal said in a message to Newtowners earlier this week. In addition, using a seven-day average, we have been below 10 cases per 100,000 for two weeks. The new case rate is used by the federal Centers for Disease Control to help communities monitor the spread of the coronavirus and intervene with infection control measures when warranted. The CDC recommends masks be worn indoors regardless of vaccination status when the new case rate of a community is 10 or more, for example. The lifting of the town mandate does not affect the state requirement to wear masks in schools. Leaders here and across the state watched their own number of new cases increase for the most part as the highly contagious delta variant swept through the state and students and educators returned to class, prompting Gov. Ned Lamont to order masks to be worn in schools. At the same time, Lamont left it up to municipal leaders to decide whether masks should be worn elsewhere in towns and cities. Rosenthal for his part said Newtown would forego a regional approach launched by leaders in Danbury and five surrounding towns for a uniform indoor mask mandate, in favor of allowing the new case rate in Newtown to dictate his response. In late August, Rosenthal resisted requiring masks indoors, even as Newtown recorded the highest new case rate in greater Danbury, giving Newtown the only red alert level in the 10-town region. At the time, Rosenthal cited a lack of actionable data, because most of Newtowns new coronavirus cases were the result of out-of-town travel. Then on Aug. 30 Rosenthal backtracked, issuing an emergency declaration, ordering that proper mask coverings be worn in indoor public spaces in Newtown, including businesses and offices, regardless of vaccination status. On Tuesday, Rosenthal declined to speculate why Newtowns rate dropped so dramatically in one month, except to say I don't think its inconsistent with the downward trend for our region. The state appears to be declining as well, Rosenthal said. In his message to residents this week, Rosenthal said the numbers were going Newtowns way. Four weeks ago our case rate based on a two-week average was 16.9 cases per 100,000 population, which was above CDC guidance for indoor mask wearing at 10 cases per 100,000, Rosenthal said. At the time, I also shared the metrics that would need to be present in order to lift the mandate, which would require consecutive weeks of case decline where cases fall below CDC guidance. The lifting of the month-long mandate means Newtowns 12-member Legislative Council will not have to debate the issue again as the lawmakers did in early September, when they voted 9-to-3 to extend Rosenthals mandate until their Oct. 6 meeting. The lifting of the ban also means that diners will not be required by the town to wear masks during restaurant week, Oct. 4 through Oct. 10. This is not to suggest that nobody should wear masks any longer, Rosenthal said in his message to Newtowners. Furthermore, by order of the governor, unvaccinated individuals must continue to wear masks indoors. I expect that some of our businesses will continue to require masks, which is permitted and should be supported no matter what. Rosenthal added that The best protection from serious COVID illness is to get vaccinated, and referred residents to the towns health department for more details. [T]he continued decline in our case rate comes down to all of us, as we need to be conscientious as to our activities, such as travel and large gatherings, Rosenthal said. We are all in this together and we need to be considerate of one another. rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342 $3.7 million in Net Income highlights continued profitability VANCOUVER, Sept. 28, 2021 /CNW/ - C21 Investments Inc. (CSE: CXXI) (OTCQX: CXXIF) ("C21" or the "Company"), a vertically integrated cannabis company, today announced unaudited results for its second quarter ended July 31, 2021. All currency reported in U.S. dollars (unless otherwise noted). Q2 Highlights (May 1, 2021 to July 31, 2021): Revenue of $9.0 million Gross Margin (before fair value adjustments) of 52.3% up 367 basis points from Q1 Operating Cash Flow 1 of $3.4 million up 16% over Q1 $6.3 million year-to-date of up 16% over Q1 year-to-date Adjusted EBITDA 1 of $3.3 million a 36.5% EBITDA Margin $6.3 million year-to-date of a 36.5% EBITDA Margin year-to-date Net Income of $3.7 million ; Earnings Per Share of $0.03 EPS of $0.06 year-to-date ; Earnings Per Share of EPS of year-to-date Total Liabilities reduced by $4.7 million from Q1; $10.4 million in reductions year-to-date Management Commentary: "C21 continues to deliver strong, profitable bottom-line performance with one of the leading cash flow margins in the industry. Cash Flow from Operations was up 32% over Q1 resulting in a reported $0.03 in Earnings per Share, and enabling further significant reduction in Total Liabilities," said Sonny Newman, President and CEO of C21. "We completed our first phase buildout of our cultivation expansion on budget, and expect its first harvest next week, which we anticipate will increase top line results and further strengthen operating margins going forward. We continue to work diligently to deliver greater scale for the Company." Q2 Financial Highlights: Revenue for the second quarter was $9.0 million, down 1.9% from Q1, in line with similar industry trends seen in the Western markets (State of Nevada reported a 6% decline in cannabis sales from April to June 20212). Despite market conditions, C21 remained focused on sustaining the efficiency of its operations, with the Nevada segment continuing to deliver highly profitable results, including $7.8 million adjusted EBITDA year-to-date. Gross Profit for the quarter was $4.7 million (before fair value adjustments), with Gross Margin of 52.3% (BFVA), up 367 basis points from Q1. The company delivered $3.3 million of Adjusted EBITDA1 for the quarter, up 7% over Q1, and a 36.5% EBITDA Margin. SG&A expenses remained constant at $1.8 million (20% of revenue) for Q2. Operating Cash Flow1 of $3.4 million (before working capital changes) was reported for the quarter, up 16% over Q1. This cash flow generation enabled C21 to pay down $1.5 million of principle debt, expend $1.2 million of capital to complete the first phase of the cultivation buildout, and pay $0.9 million in Income Tax. Cash Flow from Operations (after working capital changes) was $2.6 million the ninth consecutive positive quarter up 32% over Q1, and $4.5 million year-to-date (see Statement of Cash Flows). The Company reported Net Income of $3.7 million for Q2, or $0.03 Earnings Per Share and $0.06 EPS year-to-date. This included changes in fair value of derivative liabilities (see MD&A). Excluding the changes in derivative liabilities, Adjusted Net Income1 was $1.0 million for Q2, or $0.01 Earnings Per Share. Cash position at end of the second quarter was $4.2 million, down $1.9 million from the prior quarter reflecting an increase in one-time cash costs, including retirement of a $1.2 million convertible note and the completion of the first phase of cultivation buildout. As a result, Total Liabilities for Q2 were reduced by $4.7 million from last quarter and $10.4 million year-to-date (see Balance Sheet summary provided). ___________ 1 See non-IFRS Measures below for "Adjusted EBITDA", Operating Cash Flow", "After-tax Operating Cash Flow", and "Adjusted Net Income" 2 State of Nevada cannabis sales: https://tax.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/taxnvgov/Content/TaxLibrary/NV-Marijuana-Revenue-FY21(7).pdf Non-IFRS Measures: "Adjusted EBITDA", "Operating Cash Flow", "After Tax Operating Cash Flow", and "Adjusted Net Income" are supplemental, non-GAAP financial measures. The Company defines EBITDA as earnings before depreciation and amortization (excluding rent classified as lease amortization), income taxes, and interest. Additionally, the Company's Adjusted EBITDA presented above excludes fair value adjustments, accretion, impairment charges, one-time transaction costs and all other non-cash items. The Company has presented "Adjusted EBITDA", "After tax operating cash flow", and "Adjusted net income" because management believes these are useful measures for investors when assessing and considering the Company's continuing operations and prospects for the future. Furthermore, "Adjusted EBITDA" is a commonly used measurement in the financial community when evaluating the market value of similar companies. "Adjusted EBITDA", "After tax operating cash flow", and "Adjusted Net Income" are not measures of performance calculated in accordance with IFRS, and these metrics should not be considered in isolation of, or as a substitute for, the measurement of the Company's performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. "Adjusted EBITDA," as calculated and reconciled in the table above, may not be comparable to similarly titled measurements used by other issuers and is not necessarily a measure of the Company's ability to fund its cash needs. Balance Sheet: Fiscal Year End January 31, 2022 Q2 FYE 2022 Q4 FYE 2021 July 31, 2021 January 31, 2021 Assets Cash 4,206,916 6,237,182 Biological and Inventory 6,914,958 6,758,508 Other current 1,164,086 2,584,431 Current Assets 12,285,960 15,580,121 Fixed Assets / Goodwill / Intangibles 54,249,251 53,229,388 Total Assets 66,535,211 68,809,509 Liabilities Accounts payable 2,345,720 2,680,996 Other notes, current lease etc. 1,830,729 3,585,546 Promissory note 6,080,000 6,080,000 Income tax 3,320,213 3,378,299 Current Liabilities 13,576,662 15,724,841 Other 501,265 517,294 Promissory note 5,066,667 8,106,667 Lease Liabilities 9,438,465 9,691,215 Derivative Liability 4,449,527 9,430,991 Total Liabilities 33,032,586 43,471,008 Equity 33,502,625 25,338,501 Total Liabilities and Shareholder's Equity 66,535,211 68,809,509 Working Capital Deficit (1,290,702) (144,720) Financial Summary: Fiscal Year End January 31, 2022 (US$ 000's) Q2 FYE 2022 Q1 FYE 2022 Revenue $ 8,976 $ 9,150 Cost of Sales 4,282 4,701 Gross Profit (before FV adjustments) 4,694 4,449 GM% (BFVA) 52.3% 48.6% Gross Profit 4,542 4,833 Total Expenses 2,353 2,374 SG&A% of Revenue 20.0% 19.1% Income (Loss) from Operations 2,188 2,459 Net Income (Loss) 3,655 4,371 Earnings Per Share 0.03 0.04 Adjusted EBITDA1 3,275 3,069 EBITDA Margin% 36.5% 33.5% ___________ 1 See non-IFRS Measures for "Adjusted EBITDA", "Operating Cash Flow", "After-tax Operating Cash Flow", and "Adjusted Net Income" Adjusted EBITDA: Fiscal Year End January 31, 2022 Six Months ended July 31 Q2 2022 Q1 2022 FYE 2022 FYE 2021 Income from operations $ 2,188,189 $ 2,458,964 4,647,153 2,276,597 Net impact, fair value on biological assets 152,376 (383,996) (231,620) 423,833 Depreciation and amortization 446,087 482,610 928,697 1,095,994 Depreciation/amortization in COGS 82,818 75,454 158,272 104,603 ROU amortization/interest in COGS 293,540 294,445 587,985 511,069 Share based compensation 112,455 141,716 254,171 62,801 Inventory impairment - - - 342,048 Adjusted EBITDA $ 3,275,465 $ 3,069,193 6,344,658 4,816,945 After-Tax Operating Cash Flow: Fiscal Year End January 31, 2022 from Statement of Cash Flows: Q2 FYE 2022 Q1 FYE 2022 Cash Provided by Operating Activities $ 2,569,589 $ 1,943,406 add back: Changes in working capital items 798,442 961,755 Operating Cash Flow1 3,368,031 2,905,161 OCF Margin% 37.5% 31.7% Income Tax Expense (844,910) (800,897) After Tax Operating Cash Flow 2,523,121 2,104,264 ATOCF Margin% 28.1% 23.0% ATOCF per average share O/S, $C $0.03 $0.02 About C21 Investments Inc. C21 Investments is a vertically integrated cannabis company that cultivates, processes, and distributes quality cannabis and hemp-derived consumer products in the United States. The Company is focused on value creation through the disciplined acquisition and integration of core retail, manufacturing, and distribution assets in strategic markets, leveraging industry-leading retail revenues with high-growth potential multi-market branded consumer packaged goods. The Company owns Silver State Relief and Silver State Cultivation in Nevada, and Phantom Farms and Eco Firma Farms in Oregon. These brands produce and distribute a broad range of THC and CBD products from cannabis flowers, pre-rolls, cannabis oil, vaporizer cartridges and edibles. Based in Vancouver, Canada, additional information on C21 Investments can be found at www.sedar.com and www.cxxi.ca. Cautionary Statement: Certain statements contained in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements in this news release include the Company's positioning in the United States cannabis industry, the Company's ability to scale its existing vertical operations, the performance of the Company's operations generally, and specifically its Nevada retail operations, during the pendency of the COVID-19 pandemic, the performance of the Company's Nevada cultivation expansion, the performance of the Company's brands and the continued demand for cannabis products, the ability of the Company to successfully extend its retail footprint and pursue accretive growth, and the nature and extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the Company. Although the Company 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 the Company 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. These include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties arising from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company's operations, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release represent the Company's expectations as of the date hereof and are subject to change after such date. 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 under applicable securities regulations. SOURCE C21 Investments Inc. For further information: Media contact: Mattio Communications, [email protected]; Company contact: Michael Kidd, Chief Financial Officer and Director, [email protected], +1 833 BUY-CXXI (289-2994) Related Links https://www.cxxi.ca/ Platform drives transparency in voluntary carbon market TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2021 /CNW/ - CIBC today announced the completion of Project Carbon's inaugural pilot trade between the Nature Conservancy of Canada, a leading national land conservation organization, and United Kingdom-based NatWest Group. The legally binding sale included voluntary carbon credits issued by Verra, which manages the leading global program for the certification of GHG emission reduction projects. Project Carbon aims to support a thriving global market for voluntary carbon credits with clear and consistent pricing and standards, providing a valuable pathway for clients in their efforts to achieve their net zero targets and sustainability ambitions. Launched in July, the voluntary carbon platform is an international joint effort with CIBC, Itau Unibanco, National Australia Bank and NatWest Group. "CIBC remains committed to enabling our clients to achieve their climate-related goals through commercial solutions that lead to tangible progress. Investments in technology and innovation are going to be important drivers of a reduction in GHG emissions. Project Carbon is one example of opportunities to unlock the potential of carbon removal, and we will continue to play an active role in helping this sector to grow." Harry Culham, Senior Executive Vice-President and Group Head, CIBC Capital Markets "Nature is our ally in the face of climate change challenges. The Nature Conservancy of Canada's world-class Darkwoods Forest Carbon project taps the power and potential of private investment to meet our conservation and carbon reduction objectives. We are excited to be part of Project Carbon's pilot trade, to join in driving advances in nature-based solutions through innovation." - Catherine Grenier, President and CEO, Nature Conservancy of Canada The pilot trade follows CIBC's recent endorsement of the recommendations by the Taskforce on Scaling Voluntary Carbon Markets. Recently, CIBC also announced its ambition to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions associated with operational and financing activities by 2050, and a significant increase in its commitment to mobilizing sustainable finance to a target of $300 billion by 2030. More information on Project Carbon can be found here. About CIBC CIBC is a leading North American financial institution with 10 million personal banking, business, public sector and institutional clients. Across Personal and Small Business Banking, Commercial Banking and Wealth Management, and Capital Markets businesses, CIBC offers a full range of advice, solutions and services through its leading digital banking network, and locations across Canada, in the United States and around the world. Ongoing news releases and more information about CIBC can be found at www.cibc.com/ca/media-centre. SOURCE CIBC For further information: Kathryn Lawler, CIBC Communications & Public Affairs, 416-242-1943 / [email protected] Related Links www.cibc.com Before joining the Congress, Kumar and Mevani are likely to go to Shaheedi Park at ITO here to garland the statue of Bhagat Singh, a day after the 114th birth anniversary of the freedom fighter. Congress is keen to put up a grand show as Communist Party of India (CPI) leader Kanhaiya Kumar and Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani join the party on Tuesday. Sources close to Kanhaiya Kumar said that he and Mevani will join the Congress in the presence of party leader Rahul Gandhi at the partys headquarters in New Delhi on Tuesday evening. Kumar is a former president of JNU and Mevani belongs to the Dalit community. Before joining the Congress, Kumar and Mevani are likely to go to Shaheedi Park at ITO here to garland the statue of Bhagat Singh, a day after the 114th birth anniversary of the freedom fighter. Rahul Gandhi is likely to be present with them at ITO. Youth Congress workers will be present in large numbers at the venue. Congress general secretary (organization) KC Venugopal and Gujarat Congress working president Hardik Patel are also likely to be present when Kumar and Mevani join the Congress. The is speculation that Congress could give Kumar a role in Bihar state Congress and Mevani in Gujarat, which will go for polls by the end of next year. Congress sources said some more young leaders would join the party in the coming days. They said that Kumar and Mevani could be part of a campaign to connect with the youth against the BJP-led government. The joining is taking place after some prominent Congress leaders left the party in recent months. While former Mahila Congress chief Sushmita Dev has joined the Trinamool Congres, former union minister Jitin Prasada is now in BJP. Veteran Goa Congress leader Luizinho Faleiro resigned from the party on Monday. The resignation of youth leaders had caused some disquiet in the party and sections of the party feel that the induction of Kumar and Mevani will help send a positive message to the party rank and file. Kumar is a member of CPI national executive, a top decision-making body of the party. Mevani is an independent MLA from Vadgam constituency in Gujarat and convener of Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch (RDAM). In the 2017 Gujarat Assembly election, the Congress party did not field its candidate against Mevani in the Vadgam constituency. Sidhu's resignation comes just before former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's visit to the national capital, who was visiting Delhi after he resigned on September 18. Senior leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Tuesday resigned as the chief of the Punjab Unit of the Congress. The collapse of a mans character stems from the compromise corner, I can never compromise on Punjabs future and the agenda for the welfare of Punjab. Therefore, I hereby resign as the President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. Will continue to serve the Congress, Sidhu said in his letter after resigning. Sidhu was appointed as the President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) on July 23. This comes just before former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singhs visit to the national capital, who was visiting Delhi after he resigned on September 18. He has submitted his resignation to the Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi. The tussle in Punjab Congress escalated in August, the partys central leadership has sought to bury the hatchet by appointing Navjot Singh Sidhu as the Congress chief apparently against the desire of the Chief Minister. Soon after Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned from the post of Punjab Congress President, former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said that Sidhu is unstable and unfit for the state of Punjab. I told you sohe is not a stable man and not fit for the border state of Punjab, said Captain Amarinder Singh in a tweet. The former Punjab Chief Minister and senior Congress leaders remarks came as Sidhu on Tuesday resigned as the chief of the Punjab Unit of the Congress. The collapse of a mans character stems from the compromise corner, I can never compromise on Punjabs future and the agenda for the welfare of Punjab. Therefore, I hereby resign as the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. Will continue to serve the Congress, Sidhu said in his letter after resigning. Sidhu was appointed as the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) on July 23. Earlier too Captain Amarinder Singh had targetted Sidhu and had said that he will oppose any move to make the latter the chief ministerial face of the party in the state. Soon after resigning from the post of Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh had said that Sidhu is going to be a disaster and that he has a connection with the Pakistan establishment. Capt Amarinder Singh told ANI in an exclusive interview that he will oppose any move to make Sidhu chief ministerial face for reasons of national security. He also termed Sidhu as incompetent. Navjot Singh Sidhu is an incompetent man, he is going to be a disaster. I will oppose his name for the next CM face. He has a connection with Pakistan. It will be a threat to national security: Amarinder Singh told ANI Sidhus resignation comes just before former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singhs visit to the national capital, who was visiting Delhi after he resigned on September 18. The tussle in Punjab Congress escalated in August, the partys central leadership has sought to bury the hatchet by appointing Navjot Singh Sidhu as the Congress chief apparently against the desire of the Chief Minister. One terrorist was neutralised by the Indian Army in the Uri sector, Jammu and Kashmir, while another surrendered during the operation. One Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorist was neutralised while another surrendered during an operation in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, said the Indian Army on Tuesday. According to Major General Virendra Vats, General officer commanding (GOC), 19 Infantry Division, the terrorist was killed on Sunday. After he was neutralised, another terrorist, identified as Ali Babar Patra (19), pleaded for his life and later surrendered, he said. The eliminated terrorist has been identified as Atiq ur Rehman alias Qari Anas (33). The operation was carried out over nine days along the Line of Control (LoC) border near Salamabad nallah in the Uri sector. On September 18, when the patrolling team detected the infiltration movement by a group of six people along the LoC, an encounter took place. During the encounter, two infiltrators crossed the border and sneaked into the Indian side, while the four othersTayyab (24), Abu Bakkar Salfi (22), Abu Khitab (35), and Usman alias Abu Slaria (27) remained on the Pakistan side, said Major General Vats. He further said, After the firefight, the four terrorists, who were on the other side of the LoC fence, retreated back to Pakistan, taking the advantage of dense foliage and darkness, adding that additional forces were mobilised to cordon off the area in order to trace the two terrorists, who sneaked into the Indian side. On September 25, we traced down the two terrorists at Salamabad nallah. Of the two, one was neutralised on September 26 morning. Once this terrorist was killed, his accomplices, Ali Babar Patra, pleaded for his life. The surrendered terrorist is a resident of Okara district in Punjab, Pakistan. he added. The terrorist, who is a Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) member, revealed that he underwent three-week training in Muzaffarabad. Salamabad Nallah is the same area that had a history of infiltration in 2016, the Army officer said. This infiltration group was supported by Pakistan side by three porters who had come till LoC along with supplies, said Vats. He also stated that the movement of such a large group cannot take without the complicity of the Pakistan army deployed on the other side. There have been movements at launch pads across LoC. In last seven days, seven terrorists neutralised, one terrorist apprehended, the Major General said. The Indian army has recovered seven AK series weapons, nine pistols and revolvers and over 80 grenades and Indian and Pakistan currency in the Uri operation since 18. According to Bharat Biotech, Phase III clinical trials of Covaxin revealed a 77.8 percent efficacy rate. Covaxin, along with Covishield, was the first vaccine used by India in its massive nationwide inoculation campaign against COVID-19, which began in January of this year. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has delayed the emergency use authorization (EUA) for Covaxin, the Covid vaccine developed in India, once again. The global body has sent more technical questions to its manufacturer Bharat Biotech. This delay is likely to have a negative impact on Indians international travel plans, particularly those of students, as most countries around the world will not accept Covaxin as a vaccine if EUA is not present. WHOs inquiries for Bharat Biotech come despite the fact that Covaxin has submitted all necessary data for clearance. The delay also comes just days after the Union Health Ministry expressed confidence that the global body would likely give its approval soon. Earlier this month, Dr. V.K Paul, Chairperson of the National Expert Group on Vaccine Administration, said that WHO approval for Covaxin was likely by the end of this month. According to Bharat Biotech, Phase III clinical trials of Covaxin revealed a 77.8 percent efficacy rate. Covaxin, along with Covishield, was the first vaccine used by India in its massive nationwide inoculation campaign against COVID-19, which began in January of this year. Others, such as the Russian-made Sputnik, were only added later to the countrys vaccine program. Covishield is the only vaccine made in India that is currently on the WHO list. It is produced in Pune by the Serum institute of India and was developed by Oxford University researchers and the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca. The delay also makes one question what are the Indian scientists at WHO doing and how long would Indians, who have been vaccinated with Covaxin, have to wait to travel again. The 49-year-old senior executive was arrested in 2018 upon landing at Vancouver International Airport by Canadian agencies based on an extradition request by the US. The US Department of Justice agreed to drop major charges against Meng Wanzhou. Meng Wanzhou speaking to the press after accepting the plea deal by the US Justice Department. Canada released Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou on Friday after she reached a deal with US prosecutors in the case involving bank fraud and wire fraud charges. Meng Wanzhou faced allegations of misleading HSBC about Huaweis business dealings in Iran which is under US sanctions. The 49-year-old senior executive was arrested in 2018 upon landing at Vancouver International Airport by Canadian agencies based on an extradition request by the US. Two Canadian citizens who were arrested in China, shortly after Mengs arrest in Canada, were also freed after the US Department of Justice agreed to drop major charges against Meng. Businessman Michael Sparov and former diplomat Michael Kovrig were arrested under the National Security laws of China. Interestingly, two American siblings, who were not being allowed to leave China since 2018, returned to the US over the weekend. Notably, the siblings did not face any criminal charges in China. White House press secretary Jen Psaki rebutted the claims that the releases were a part of a prisoner swap and said that the deferred prosecution agreement with Meng Wanzhou was reached by the Department of Justice. Moreover, she denied any political involvement in the matter. However, she did admit that US President Joe Biden and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping The deal has apparently brought a long-standing diplomatic conflict between the North American countries and China to an end. Under the agreement reached between Justice Department and Meng Wanzhou, the charges against Meng will be deferred till late 2022, after which the charges could be dropped. The Iraqi government is reported to have set aside around $600 million for the deal. Media reports also indicate that Iraq is interested in purchasing the Block 3 version of the aircraft. According to Pakistani media reports, Iraq has expressed intent to buy 12 JF-17 multi-role combat jets from Pakistan. The fourth-generation multi-role combat aircraft has been jointly developed by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex(PAC) and the Chengdu Aerospace Corporation(CAC) of China. The production of the aircraft components is divided between the two countries, whereas the final assembly of the jet takes place in Pakistan. Reports suggest that the deal was agreed upon during the visit of a high-level Iraqi defence delegation to Pakistan and that it will be formalised in the month of October. The delegation was reportedly led by the Deputy Commander of the Iraqi Air Force, Major General(Pilot) Muhammad Majeed Mahdi Mahmood. The Iraqi government is claimed to have set aside around $600 million for the deal. The media reports also claim that Iraq is interested in purchasing the Block 3 version of the aircraft which is equipped with the latest upgrades like improved radar and avionics, along with an enhanced engine. Earlier Argentina also reached a deal with Pakistan to buy a similar number of the JF-17s, but the deal fell through under pressure from the UK. The combat aircraft is also under consideration by the Malaysian Air Force which is looking to induct Light Combat Aircraft (LCAs) into its fleet. The JF-17 combat aircraft has mainly seen action in North Waziristan during anti-terror operations by Pakistan. Pakistan also claims that it was a JF-17 that shot down Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthamans MiG-21 in 2019. NEW YORK (AP) Global Citizen Live, a 24-hour concert that featured performances from Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Lopez, BTS and Elton John and dozens of other stars, raised more than $1.1 billion in commitments and pledges over the weekend to fight extreme poverty. Broadcasting from sites on six continents, including New Yorks Central Park and in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Global Citizen also secured pledges from France for 60 million COVID-19 vaccine doses for developing countries and corporate pledges for planting 157 million trees around the world. Vaccine pledges, which also came from the governments of Croatia and Ireland, followed numerous pleas, including from Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, onstage at Central Park on Saturday afternoon. This year, the world is expected to produce enough doses to meet the target of vaccinating 70% of people in every single country, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, said to cheers from the Central Park crowd. But it is wrong that so much of the vaccine supply has only gone to just 10 wealthy nations so far, and not everyone else. The U.S. government pledged $295 million for humanitarian needs around the world caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Major philanthropic commitments came from the Lego Foundation, who pledged $150 million to support UNICEF and other partners working with children, and Rotary International, which pledged $98 million in grant funding in 2022. The event featured numerous music collaborations, including Billie Eilish and Finneas joining Coldplay in New York and Charlie Puth joining Elton John in Paris, but joint efforts took places offstage as well. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Childrens Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and a private foundation teamed up to launch a $50 million fund to support the United Nations Population Fund. The CIFF also committed $50 million to UNICEF to fund child nutrition projects. Namati, The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation collectively committed $20 million as seed funding to launch the Legal Empowerment Fund, which they hope will help raise $100 million over 10 years to support the justice movement. Hugh Evans, CEO of Global Citizen, told The Associated Press that the 24-hour event was needed because COVID-19 has erased decades of gains, resulting in 150 million more people in extreme poverty this year and 41 million people in Africa facing starvation. Evans says climate change is another global issue that threatens to push more people into extreme poverty. During Global Citizen Live, more than a dozen corporations, including Proctor & Gamble, Starbucks, Delta Air Lines, American Express and Citi, joined the Race to Zero Campaign, which seeks to reduce net carbon emissions around the world to zero by 2050. Future generations will hold us responsible, said Alok Sharma, president-designate for COP26, the United Nations climate change conference in November. Call on the richest countries to make good on their promise of money, to support developing countries deal with the impacts of climate change. And call on world leaders to deliver an outcome at Glasgow we can all be proud of. ___ The Associated Press receives support from the Lilly Endowment for coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. The AP is solely responsible for all content. TIRANA, Albania (AP) Albania's prime minister complained Tuesday about the delay in the launch of European Union membership negotiations with his country, saying Bulgarias veto was holding the process hostage. Edi Rama spoke at a news conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is on a regional tour ahead of an EU-Western Balkans summit on Oct. 6. Rama called Albanias situation absurd," noting that Bulgaria is blocking the start of talks with North Macedonia and as a result is also holding up Albania. The western Balkan countries Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia are at different stages on the EU membership path. Recent factors that delayed their progress include the blocs stalled interest in enlargement and years of diplomatic turmoil over Brexit. Albania and North Macedonia have both fulfilled the criteria for beginning membership negotiations, but EU member Bulgaria opposes North Macedonias membership, citing a bilateral dispute over history and national identity. Since the two countries bids are linked and launching accession talks requires unanimous approval from all 27 EU nations, the veto has also prevented Albania from moving forward. Von der Leyen pledged to try to persuade EU countries to hold inter-governmental conferences with Albania and North Macedonia this year. Senior officials from the United States have also warned that Western adversaries would continue to gain influence in the region, if the dispute remains unresolved. Weve asked a lot of you, and you have delivered. We will do everything to overcome the hurdles we have at the moment that should not hinder the enlargement process, von der Leyen said. I really want to bring this process forward so that we can start before the end of the year, she said. Von der Leyen said the EU is focused on mobilizing 9 billion euros ($10.5 billion) in projects and potentially raising investment of up to 20 billion euros ($23.5 billion) in 2021-2027 for the Western Balkans and the region's 18 million people. The bloc has secured half a billion euros ($585 million) this year for projects in the Western Balkans, and it is looking to find another 600 million euros ($700 million). One of Europes youngest nations, North Macedonia spent years in a dispute with Greece that prevented it from joining the European Union and NATO. The countrys path toward joining the club is now blocked by Bulgaria. The government in Sofia wants North Macedonia to formally recognize that its language has Bulgarian roots and to stamp out what it says is anti-Bulgarian rhetoric. Von der Leyen also traveled to North Macedonia on Tuesday and is scheduled to visit other Western Balkan countries later in the week. The future of North Macedonia is in the European Union. We want you by our side," von der Leyen said during a news conference with North Macedonia Prime Minister Zoran Zaev. Now, it's on the European Union to deliver." Zaev said any continuation of the blockage is damaging the EU's credibility. We took all necessary steps and we made all required reforms," he said. We'll take the additional acceptable steps to unlock EU's enlargement and we expect that Bulgaria will unlock this process." ___ Samuel Petrequin contributed to this report from Brussels. Presenting its findings in a six-month-long review of the 2020 presidential election in Arizonas largest county on Friday, a Republican-backed cybersecurity firm ended in much the same place where it began: without any evidence to contradict certified election results showing Joe Biden won. Still, the Cyber Ninjas firm, which had never audited an election before, spread numerous falsehoods that ignored the basic facts of how elections work in Maricopa County, including unfounded claims about duplicate ballots, missing files and illegitimate votes. Over the weekend, bits of the firms findings including from various drafts of its report proliferated on social media, driving a surge in false posts suggesting the election results were flawed. Biden won Maricopa County by about 45,000 votes, key to his 10,500-vote win of Arizona. Heres a closer look at some of the claims. CLAIM: More than 57,000 ballots cast in Maricopa County had serious issues and should have been disqualified. THE FACTS: That's not true. The number is calculated from a laundry list of misleading and debunked claims in a draft version of the report. Claims that there were 57,734 ballots with serious issues, that were illegal or that shouldve been disqualified are citing the sum of what a draft of the report called Ballots Impacted. The draft itself noted, In many cases there could be legitimate and legal votes within the Ballots Impact amount. In fact, the three largest components of the total all of the purported ballot issues billed as being either critical or high severity are flawed. One of the critical figures included in the total is 23,344 mail-in ballots cast by people who allegedly moved before ballots were sent out. But that number is based on a commercial database unrelated to elections, and it doesnt mean something improper happened. Election officials explained many voters move to temporary locations while still legally voting at their registered address. Another claim rolled into the total is that 9,041 voters were recorded as receiving one mail-in ballot, but returning two. However, Maricopa County said on Twitter that this occurs when a voter returns a ballot with a signature discrepancy such as a blank or mismatched signature and election officials contact the voter to resolve the issue. A second record is then created in the system. In those cases, of course, only one ballot is counted per voter. The draft report also included the flawed claim that there were 10,342 voters who voted in multiple counties. __ CLAIM: Voters who voted in multiple counties totaled 10,342. THE FACTS: This claim from a draft version of Cyber Ninjas report is false. The number is a tally of votes from people who share the same full names and birth years. Experts say such overlap is common in a county where more than two million people cast ballots. County officials offered an example on Twitter: If you search for Maria Garcia born in 1980, youll get 7 active voters in Maricopa County and 12 statewide. And thats just one name. Election officials typically rely on additional information to maintain voter lists, such as the complete birth date and last four digits of a voters Social Security number. Cyber Ninjas softened its language in the final report, saying it was plausible that the repeated names and birth years could come from legitimate, separate individual voters. __ CLAIM: More than 17,000 duplicate ballots were counted in the 2020 presidential election in Maricopa County. THE FACTS: No, they werent. Shiva Ayyadurai, the COVID-19 vaccine skeptic and failed U.S. Senate candidate who made this claim, based his analysis on images of ballot envelopes, not ballots. Contrary to Ayyadurais assessment, images of the same ballot envelope often exist but the ballot inside is counted only once. County election officials say they re-scan images of ballot envelopes anytime a voter submits an envelope with a blank or mismatched signature and it gets resolved. When the county contacts the voter and he or she signs the envelope, a new image of the envelope is captured. Since the Senates subpoena requested all the ballot envelope images, the county included both original and duplicate envelope images, even though each ballot was only counted once. Ayyadurai also pointed out that many duplicate ballot envelope images came in after Election Day. Theres a simple explanation for that: Under Arizona law, there is a period of five business days after an election during which voters can address certain irregularities with their ballots. Maricopa County hired additional staff to contact voters and resolve discrepancies in the final days of voting and in the days after the election. Social media users seized on a moment in Ayyadurais presentation when he said that Maricopa County had failed to list the duplicate ballots in its canvass report. But that report lists how many ballots were cast, counted and rejected, and does not address scanned images of ballot envelopes. ___ CLAIM: Maricopa County purged the machine records from the 2020 election the day before an outside review of the vote started. THE FACTS: The data never disappeared. While officials moved election data off a server and onto backup drives to prepare for a county-commissioned audit in February, they archived and retained it all, the county confirmed. Maricopa County denied claims that it had been CAUGHT intentionally deleting data in some kind of sinister plot, explaining there is not enough space for the data to remain on the server indefinitely. We have backups for all Nov. data & those archives were never subpoenaed, Maricopa County tweeted on Friday. __ Associated Press writer Jude Joffe-Block contributed to this report from Phoenix. __ This is part of APs effort to address widely shared misinformation, including work with outside companies and organizations to add factual context to misleading content that is circulating online. Learn more about fact-checking at AP. Days into the early rollout of COVID booster shots for those who received Pfizer-BioNTech, state officials said demand has not been overwhelming like it was when vaccines were first made available. In a stark break from the initial vaccine rollout, Gov. Ned Lamont said Monday there were no major lines for those eligible largely individuals age 65 and older to get their booster of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Im told there were no lines. Look, its different than it was eight months ago. Eight months ago, you had no immunity at all. Now we are saying you have 75 percent immunity, why dont you boost it up to 95 percent. Its good, theres a little less urgency, Lamont said. People are coming in on their own pace. We dont have to be really strict. Lamont, who received his booster over the weekend at the Durham Fair, urged everyone who is eligible, including those age 65 and older, frontline workers and those particularly vulnerable, to get a booster from one of more than 800 vaccination locations across the state. There was no line, Lamont said of his experience. I got it in about one minute. Lamont did not express any concern over a lack of urgency among people to get a booster shot days after approval. Through the weekend, the state reported a positivity rate of 2.25 percent of new COVID-19 tests since Friday. Hospitalizations dropped by a net of 18 patients for a total of 264, according to the state data. On Thursday, ahead of federal regulators approved boosters for certain individuals, the state said there were about 270,000 residents age 65 and older who were eligible after having received their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine more than six months ago. Boosters remain limited to those who received a vaccine course of Pfizer-BioNTech. Federal regulators have yet to approve similar shots from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson. The booster rollout comes as Connecticut continues to slowly drive up its overall vaccination rate, which is one of the highest in the nation. As of Monday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 78.6 percent of eligible Connecticut residents were fully vaccinated. Josh Geballe, Lamonts chief operating officer, said last week that about 15,000 people are getting their first dose of a vaccine every week. The numbers, he said, were driven in part by the wave of infections brought on by the delta variant. RIDGEFIELD, Wash. (AP) A southwest Washington man who pleaded guilty in a scheme in which he enticed and pressured teens into sending him sexually explicit photos and videos has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. Joshua Punt, of Ridgefield, pleaded guilty in April in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to production of child pornography, enticement of a minor, distribution of child pornography and advertisement of child pornography, The Columbian reported. Punt, 39, also was sentenced Monday to a lifetime of supervised release, and he will be required to register as a sex offender. Posing as a teenage boy, Punt used the messaging apps Kik and Snapchat to contact teens and convince them to send sexual photos, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorneys Office. The victims did not know Punt was recording their videos and images on a second phone. He then demanded additional photos and videos, and threatened to distribute what he already had to the victims classmates or community if they didnt comply, officials said. In December 2018, a victim in New York went to the police, who traced the contact back to Punt. His electronic devices were seized and his cellphone was found to contain hundreds of sexually explicit photos and videos, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. He was arrested in May 2019. Victims have been identified in New York, Arkansas, California, Texas, Nevada, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The victims were between 12 and 16 years old, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. Donald Voiret, special agent in charge for the FBI Seattle, said in the news release he would encourage parents to engage with their children about the risks of online predators. The scheme was investigated by the Vancouver Police Departments Digital Evidence Cybercrime Unit, in conjunction with Homeland Security Investigations. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin clashed Tuesday evening over vaccinations, tax policy, education and their respective records in the second and final debate in Virginia's closely watched gubernatorial election. The event quickly got off to a combative start and neither candidate let up over the course of the hour, with each accusing the other of lying to voters. Five weeks from Election Day and with early voting already underway, recent polls suggest a tight race between McAuliffe, who is seeking a second term after his first ended in 2018, and Youngkin, a former business executive and political newcomer. Democrats made huge gains in Virginia while President Donald Trump was in office, taking full control of state government, but Republicans are more energized and optimistic about their chances this fall than they have been in years. The contest, one of only two regularly scheduled governor's races this year, is also drawing national attention as a possible indicator of voter sentiment heading into next year's midterms. The first question of the night dealt with the coronavirus pandemic, and the candidates maintained the positions theyve consistently outlined on vaccine mandates, which McAuliffe generally supports and Youngkin does not. He wants employers to fire employees who dont get the vaccine, said Youngkin, who is vaccinated and said he believes everyone should get it. McAuliffe called Youngkins position on the issue disqualifying. Moderator Chuck Todd, NBC News political director, pressed Youngkin on whether he believed getting vaccinated for measles, mumps or rubella is a personal choice." Youngkin struggled to find his words for several seconds and then said: I think that the data associated with those vaccines is something that we should absolutely understand the difference between this vaccine. When asked again, he said he thinks those vaccines can be mandatory. McAuliffe, as he has throughout the campaign, consistently sought to tie Youngkin to Trump, who lost Virginia by 10 points. At one point he called Youngkin bought and paid for by the former president. Theres an over/under on how many times youd say Donald Trump, Youngkin responded. Youre running against me. Its Terry McAuliffe against Glenn Youngkin. In the nights final question, Todd asked Youngkin if he would support Trump if he ran for president in 2024. After initially talking around the question, Youngkin said, If hes the Republican nominee, Ill support him. One of the event's sharpest exchanges came during a question about the states historic $2.6 billion surplus, which Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam has said is thanks to the states strong economic outlook but Youngkin has called the result of overtaxation. Asked why some of that money shouldn't be returned to taxpayers, as Youngkin has proposed, McAuliffe argued that the Republican's crazy tax scheme would devastate Virginia's economy and lead to cuts in public education. Revenue and expenses, I know were hard for you. I know theyre hard for you, Youngkin, a former co-CEO of The Carlyle Group, shot back, to cheers from the audience. At the end of the day, Terry, you have no idea what youre talking about. While Youngkin sought to portray McAuliffe as a failed politician, McAuliffe went after Youngkins background in private equity, citing unflattering news reports about the performance of some companies his firm acquired, including a nursing home chain that a Washington Post investigation found exposed its patients to increasing health risks and racked up health code violations. On education, Youngkin said he'd seen school systems refusing to engage with parents over the past 20 months, citing as an example recent parental outrage in Fairfax County over books with explicit sexual content. He knocked McAuliffe for vetoing a measure in 2017 known as the Beloved bill, after the Toni Morrison novel, that would have allowed parents to opt out of having their children study materials deemed sexually explicit. Opponents of the measure criticized it as a form of censorship. I dont think parents should be telling schools what they should teach, McAuliffe said, in a line Republicans sought to highlight online after the event. Virginia does not allow its governors to serve consecutive terms, and McAuliffe is seeking a rare return after deciding against a run for president in 2020. Also on the ballot this fall are races for attorney general and lieutenant governor, plus all 100 seats in the House of Delegates. After much back and forth this summer, Youngkin and McAuliffe agreed to only two debates. Tuesday's event, hosted by the Northern Virginia Chamber of Commerce, was held at a community college campus in Alexandria. Third-party candidate Princess Blanding, who was not invited to participate, interrupted the debate, shouting from the audience about the fact that she was shut out. The station went to a commercial break. She told The Associated Press earlier in the day that the Chamber of Commerce had invited her to sit in the audience and meet with the press afterward. The way that felt to me was, yes, you can come and get on the bus like everybody else ... but youre going to sit in the back of the bus. I met the requirements just like they did to get on the ballot, however, Im being blocked, she said. Election Day is Nov. 2, and the deadline to register to vote or update an existing registration is Oct. 12. ____ Associated Press writer Denise Lavoie contributed to this report. Christian Abraham / Hearst Connecticut Media NEW HAVEN A house was hit by bullets in a shooting Monday afternoon, according to police. Officer Scott Shumway said on Tuesday that officers responded to Whalley Avenue between Amity Road and Pond Lily Avenue around 2 p.m. Monday for a report of gunshots. BELEN, N.M. (AP) A statewide Amber Alert has been issued for a 2-year-old Belen girl who allegedly was taken by her father. Belen police said Italy Hernandez was last seen around 8:30 a.m. Monday. MOSCOW (AP) Russian authorities have opened a criminal case against imprisoned opposition leader Alexei Navalny and his closest allies, accusing them Tuesday of forming an extremist group and involvement in one. The investigation is the latest step in a multi-pronged crackdown on the Kremlin's most ardent foe and his team. Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement that it was investigating Navalny and his top allies, Leonid Volkov and Ivan Zhdanov, for creating and leading an extremist group a criminal offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Several other close associates of the politician, including Lyubov Sobol, Georgy Alburov, and Ruslan Shaveddinov, are under investigation for potential charges of participating in an extremist group, the statement said. If convicted, they would face up to six years in prison. The Investigative Committee alleged that Navalny and his allies founded the Foundation for Fighting Corruption, set up a wide network of regional offices, and launched websites, social media pages and YouTube channels with the goal of discrediting the authorities and their policies, destabilizing the situation in the regions, igniting a protest sentiment among the population and forming public opinion about the need for a violent overthrow of power. Navalny's associates described the new probe as part of the crackdown that took place in the months before Russia's parliamentary election on Sept. 19 and said they expect it continue for months and, possibly, years beyond it. Many in Russian opposition circles had a hope that the steamroller of political repressions would stop after the election of the State Duma, but it was obvious to me that it would go on right up until 2024, when (President) Vladimir Putin would want to get reelected, Sobol told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday. Putin's current presidential term expires in 2024, and he is expected to either run for reelection thanks to a constitutional reform measure the Kremlin pushed through last year, or choose some other strategy to stay in power. Analysts and Kremlin critics have said that electing an obedient parliament this year could be key to both options. Sobol said the new case against the Navalny team was politically motivated. We've never been any kind of extremists, she said. We took part in elections, participated in peaceful protests against injustice, we worked on investigations that received dozens of millions of views on YouTube in corruption of officials, lawmakers, Putin and his inner circle. Our activity has always remained within the law. Navalny and his team have faced unprecedented pressure ever since the politician's return in January from Germany, where he spent five months recovering from a nerve agent poisoning he blames on the Kremlin. Russian authorities deny the accusation. Navalny was arrested upon landing in Moscow and ordered to serve 2 years in prison for violating parole from a previous conviction he says is politically motivated. After his arrest produced a wave of mass protests all across Russia's 11 time zones, Russian authorities brought multiple criminal charges against Navalny's allies. Some endured house arrests, while others left the country. In June, a court in Moscow labeled Navalny's Foundation for Fighting Corruption and his network of regional offices extremist groups, a ruling that exposed his associates and supporters to prosecution and potentially lengthy prison terms. Russian lawmakers have also rubberstamped a law barring those associated with the groups from running for public office. Leading up to the election, authorities blocked nearly 50 websites run by Navalny's allies and pressured Apple and Google to remove from their online stores an app Navalny's team created. Everyone has been asking, whether the pressure would ease after the election. Here's the answer. A week after the election - a new criminal case against Navalny, Volkov, Zhdanov, Sobol, Alburov, Shaveddinov, Navalny's spokeswoman Kira Yarmysh said on Twitter. This is the fourth criminal case launched against Alexei while he's in prison. Independent political analyst Abbas Gallyamov told the AP that by launching this new case, the authorities sought to solve several problems at once including making sure that Navalny remains behind bars beyond 2024. For that, a new criminal case is needed, Gallyamov said. He also said he believes it's a response to protests over this month's election results and lawsuits the Communist Party, the second-biggest political force in the parliament, is preparing to invalidate the results of online voting in Moscow. The authorities found themselves in a defending position, the initiative belongs to the opposition: the opposition is protesting, trying to contest election results ... It looks like Putin has given the order to show who's the master of the house. The easiest way of doing that is to launch a criminal case. The authorities here aren't capable of much beyond that, Gallyamov said. ___ Tanya Titova and Daniel Kozin contributed to this story. UNITED NATIONS (AP) The U.N. special envoy for Syria announced Tuesday that invitations have been issued for a sixth meeting of the committee charged with producing a new constitution for war-torn Syria in October. After the failure of the five previous meetings of Syrian government, opposition and civil society representatives, Geir Pedersen told the U.N. Security Council: We should all now expect the constitutional committee to begin to work seriously on a process of drafting not just preparing a constitutional reform. If it does that, then we will have a different and credible constitutional process, he said. Pedersen said the 45-member drafting committee will meet in Geneva starting Oct. 18, and the co-chairs from the government and opposition will for the first time meet with him the day before to prepare the session. The last round of talks ended in January without progress. Pedersen said that after eight months of talks he was pleased to announce an agreement on methodology for a sixth round. Its based on three pillars: respect for rules of procedure, the submission of texts of basic constitutional principles ahead of the meeting, and regular meetings of the co-chairs with him before and during the meeting. The co-chairs are also committed to setting provisional dates for future meetings and discussing a workplan, he said. Syrias nearly 10-year conflict has killed more than half a million people and displaced half the countrys pre-war 23 million population, including more than 5 million refugees mostly in neighboring countries. At a Russia-hosted Syrian peace conference in January 2018, an agreement was reached to form a 150-member committee to draft a new constitution. It took until September 2019 before a committee was formed. The United Nations continues to emphasize the importance of a negotiated political solution to the Syria conflict as called for in a December 2015 Security Council resolution. It unanimously endorsed a road map to peace approved in Geneva on June 30, 2012 by representatives of the U.N., Arab League, European Union, Turkey and all five permanent Security Council members. It calls for the drafting of a new constitution and ends with U.N.-supervised elections with all Syrians, including members of the diaspora, eligible to participate. After the fifth round of negotiations failed in late January, Pedersen hinted the Syrian government delegation was to blame for the lack of progress. The United States and several Western allies accused Syrian President Bashar Assad of deliberately stalling and delaying the drafting of a new constitution until after presidential elections to avoid a U.N.-supervised vote, as called for by the Security Council. In late May, Assad was re-elected in what the government called a landslide for a fourth seven-year term, but the West and his opposition described the election as illegitimate and a sham. Pedersen said the need for a genuine intra-Syrian dialogue was reportedly discussed by Assad and Russian President Vladimir Putin recently in Moscow, and through this, a genuine process of Syrian political reform. I am convinced that Geneva can be the place where Syrians committed to durable peace can begin to work with each other in a constructive manner, he said. Pedersen has said key global players are interested in stepped-up international diplomacy to unlock progress toward ending the countrys 10-year war. He told the Security Council on Tuesday that he is continuing to ask key countries to work with him on concrete, mutual and reciprocal steps to move the peace process forward. In his briefing, the U.N. envoy painted a grim picture of Syria today saying poverty levels are approaching 90% and the country is facing mismanagement, corruption and the economic impact of neighboring Lebanons economic collapse. In addition, tens of thousands of Syrians remain detained, abducted or missing. While military front lines have been largely frozen for 18 months, Pedersen said many Syrians who returned to their homes in the south of rebel-held northwest Idlib have been displaced again as a result of sustained mutual shelling, rocket fire and increased airstrikes. SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) The U.S. Energy Department wants to switch to less stringent testing for detecting cancer-causing chemicals at and around one of its premier nuclear weapons laboratories despite concerns from environmentalists and New Mexico regulators. The federal agency is using New Mexicos three-year review of surface water rules to push for a test at Los Alamos National Laboratory thats more limited in detecting polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. Medical research has shown the chemicals can cause cancer, impair childrens brain development, hurt reproductive systems and increase the chance of heart and liver diseases. The Energy Department asserts that its testing would be sufficient and that the current method required by the state goes far beyond whats necessary. Parties in the dispute have submitted written arguments and testified at hearings held by the state Environmental Improvement Board as part of its review of surface water regulations done every three years. Rachel Conn, project director for the Taos-based Amigos Bravos water conservation organization, bashed the proposed testing change as another attempt by the Energy Department to cut corners on safeguarding public health. Its a shame that our taxpayer money is being used to lower the bar for protections for New Mexico waters and weaken our water quality standards, she said. The birthplace of the atomic bomb, Los Alamos National Laboratory has more than 130 miles (209 kilometers) of streams in and around its site, covering 36 square miles (93 square kilometers). How often it monitors for pollution can range from hourly to yearly and in some cases every five years. In New Mexico, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issues permits for discharges and stormwater runoff, and the state checks whether the water quality meets its standards. John Toll, an Energy Department consultant, testified that the states required testing method was never officially approved by the EPA so New Mexico must use the EPA-backed test what energy officials are proposing. He also said the state, in turn, cannot require testing that detects amounts of PCBs lower than the minimum levels described in the federal guidelines. Shelly Lemon, the state Environment Departments Surface Water Quality Bureau chief, argued that states can adopt regulations that are more stringent than federal rules. More specifically, she wrote that state law doesnt bar agencies from adopting standards that are stricter than the Clean Water Act. Lemon noted that New Mexicos current testing method is the only known one that can assess whether wastewater and other discharges comply with the states criteria as well as federal pollutant permit limits, including for PCBs. The tests are state approved and written into the regulations. New Mexico residents, including those in Indigenous pueblos near the lab, benefit by having more information about the water they consume, not less, said Maggie Hart Stebbins, state natural resources trustee. NASHUA, N.H. (AP) A woman has been sentenced to five to 15 years in prison for selling fentanyl to a man in 2016 who ingested the drug and suffered a fatal overdose, the New Hampshire attorney general's office said. Kaylee Santos, 28, pleaded guilty in 2020 to dispensing a controlled drug with death resulting. She was indicted in 2018. Prosecutors said that Jonathan Kohli, 22, overdosed and died. Armed robbers on Tuesday attacked a Commercial bank in Iree, the headquarters of Boripe local government area. One person was reportedly kil... Armed robbers on Tuesday attacked a Commercial bank in Iree, the headquarters of Boripe local government area. One person was reportedly killed during the attack on Wema Bank. It was learnt that the robbers arrived at the bank, located beside the palace of Aragbiji of Iragbiji at 3:00pm and operated for about 30 minutes. An eyewitness, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said one person was killed during the robbery, while an unspecified amount of money was carted away. According to the witness, the Police station located around the bank was also attacked. It was also learnt that the robbers shot sporadically into the air and engaged the police in a gun duel before they fled the scene and escaped through Ada Road. The police spokesperson, SP Yemisi Opalola confirmed the robbery stating that a tactical team have been deployed to trail the armed robbers. The bank serves both Ikirun, Iragbiji, Iree, Ada, Okuku and other adjoining towns since a commercial bank in Ikirun was viciously attacked by armed robbers in 2016 and another incident of bank robbery in Iree town some months back. A forensic report presented by a witness, Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode on Tuesday to Special Offenses Court in Ikeja has revealed that the embattl... A forensic report presented by a witness, Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode on Tuesday to Special Offenses Court in Ikeja has revealed that the embattled Yoruba actor, James Olanrewaju Omiyinka, popularly known as Baba Ijesha, inserted a car key into the private part of a minor. Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode whos a child forensic interview expert, narrated how the suspect allegedly groomed and defiled a minor. Led in evidence by Mrs Olayinka Adeyemi, Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Ajayi-Kayode said that the alleged victim was relaxed, cooperative and could recall events when she was being interviewed. The clinal presentation of child s*xual ab*se was quite evident. The perpetrator engaged the child in s*xual activity when she was seven years old, on two occasions. On the 19th of April 2021, he s*xually hara*sed her, touching her body. He told her: I touched you some years back, you are so grown, so developed. Do you have a boyfriend? We have some unfinished business. These are the clinical presentations of child s*xual ab*se. These are the dynamics of child s*xual abuse and the modus operandi of perpetrators inculcation of secrecy, intimidation, thr*at or coercion, she said. He asked the child if he should remove his p*n!s and asked her to sit on his lap. He told her not to tell anybody. The perpetrator also inserted his car key into her v*g!na and asked her not to tell anyone, Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode added Justice Oluwatoyin adjourned the trial to October 20 and 21 for further hearing. Recall that Baba Ijesha was on June 16 arraigned before a Chief Magistrates Court in Yaba, Lagos State for alleged s*xual a*sault and attempted r*pe of a minor. Gunmen on Tuesday allegedly invaded the palace of Emir of Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State. The gunmen, it was gathered, stormed th... Gunmen on Tuesday allegedly invaded the palace of Emir of Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State. The gunmen, it was gathered, stormed the palace around 6pm. It was gathered that the gunment arrived on about 20 motorcycles, carrying three persons each, and shooting sporadically to scare residents of the area. It was learnt that a lot of traders in the Kagara market abandoned thier goods and scampered for safety on hearing the sporadic gunshots. A source said residents of the area have fled to the bush for safety to avoid either being kidnapped or killed by the armed gunmen. The armed men arrived on twenty motorcycles through the Madaka road from where the Kagara boys were kidnapped some months back, this evening. They attacked the Emirs Palace and the Kagara market. People were running helter skelter for safety. We cried to the security agencies and they arrived to help us. Many have left their homes and taken refuge in the bush. The situation is bad now because of the network that has been jammed. We dont know what is happening, the source stated. Our Correspondent also gathered that during the attack, the Emir of Kagara Alh Ahmed Garba Gunna Attahiru II was not in the palace as he had been away from the town for a while. Efforts to get the reaction of the Chairman of Rafi LGA, Alh Ismaila Danmodibo, failed as he could not be reached. When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Wasiu Abiodun, promised to get back to our reporter on the matter. Lionel Messi scored his first Paris St-Germain goal in stunning fashion as they beat Manchester City in an enthralling Champions League grou... Lionel Messi scored his first Paris St-Germain goal in stunning fashion as they beat Manchester City in an enthralling Champions League group game. Messi, making his fourth appearance for PSG since leaving Barcelona, ran from the halfway line before playing a one-two with Kylian Mbappe and leaving Ederson rooted to the spot with a lovely 20-yard shot. The roar from the Parc des Princes crowd was deafening as the Argentine, on his return from injury, added one PSG goal to the 672 he managed for Barca. Idrissa Gueye had given last season's French runners-up an early lead with an excellent drive into the top corner. City had plenty of chances to score in between those goals with Raheem Sterling's header hitting the bar and Bernardo Silva striking the woodwork from the rebound with an empty net in front of him. They also had seven shots on target but could not beat Champions League debutant Gianluigi Donnarumma in PSG's goal. Few days to the state Congress of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje says the state is ready for t... Few days to the state Congress of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje says the state is ready for the state Congress coming up on the 16th of October. He made the disclosure at the State Executive Council meeting at the Government House, Kano, Tuesday. The Ward Congresses took place. That was followed by the local government congresses. After the inauguration of the Wards party leadership, we are now waiting for the inauguration of the local government leaders who were elected a few weeks back, he explained. We are getting ready for the state congress. We are making all the necessary preparations for the state congress, he said. Meanwhile, he directed all Commissioners and all Advisers to attend the Independence Day Parade coming up on Friday, 1st October. Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba is leading the Committee for Independence Day celebration. The Kwara State Government has demolished the Sola A. Saraki Library Complex. The building was named after Second Republic Senate Le... The Kwara State Government has demolished the Sola A. Saraki Library Complex. The building was named after Second Republic Senate Leader, Olusola Saraki. Reacting, his son, Bukola Saraki, expressed displeasure and shock at the decision of the Governor Abdulrazaq Abdulrahaman administration. The former Senate President said the facility is owned by Ilorin West LGA in Kwara State and long was named after the deceased. Wow! I just got the news that the major official assignment carried out by the governor of my state, Kwara, today, is the demolition of an old public library named after my late dad, Dr. Olusola Saraki. May Almighty Allah continue to retain a place for Oloye in Aljannah Firdaus, the ex Governor tweeted. Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, has criticised Yoruba nation agitators and the Indigenous P... Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, has criticised Yoruba nation agitators and the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) for protesting at the United Nations. The self-determination groups had protested in New York, US, during the 76th general assembly of the UN. The presidential spokesman described the protest as tribal bullying of government officials in an article titled My takeaways from the 76th UN general assembly session. He said: While President Buhari was focusing on the problems plaguing the nation and in some instances asking for international support to deal with such, a coalition of groups protested outside the UN building. This happens with all countries- the United States, UK, India, Iran, China, Egypt- about everyone and about every conceivable issue but most especially climate change, gender and animal rights among others There are some from the so-called Yoruba nation group and the so-called Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) terrorist group who worked together to protest outside the United Nations building in New York. They sought to claim astonishingly that, somehow, they have earned rights through violence, murder of law enforcement agents and the innocent, and extortion to run their own affairs. Many Nigerians at home were disconcerted by the tribal bullying of government officials as they moved to carry out their diligent work between the Nigerian Mission in New York and the UN building, a walkable distance of less than 400 meters. Protests are allowed by all who had anything to say. Tribal bullying is uncivilised. So is any effort to strengthen insurgency in the country. Shehu praised the pro-Buhari protesters for the maturity and decorum with which they carried on during their solidarity march. He criticised the Yoruba nation agitators for associating with IPOB, saying they are demonstrating there is little difference in their beliefs or their intent. Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti State, says the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) is waiting for the decision of the Supreme Court over value... Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti State, says the Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) is waiting for the decision of the Supreme Court over value-added tax (VAT) collection. Fayemi, who doubles as the chairman of the NGF, said Nigerias tax system is problematic and confusing and needs attention. Recently, the Southern Governors Forum backed the collection of VAT by state governments instead of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on behalf of the federation. Two states - Rivers and Lagos states - had enacted laws for VAT collection, but the court of appeal had directed that states should maintain statuo quo pending the determination of an appeal filed by the FIRS. Rivers State had also asked the Supreme Court to set aside an order of the court of appeal. On Sunday, Fayemi, during a live interview on Arise Television, monitored by TheCable, said governors are awaiting the outcome of the case instituted by some state governors. He said the governors forum is currently looking at the issues and consulting on the implications of the collection on state governments. For us, at NGF, this is an issue we are looking at both legally and policy-wise. We are asking our experts to help us look at the implications for states, Fayemi said. Our take is that the Supreme Court should accelerate decision on this so that we have clarity over who should be in charge of VAT whether FIRS or states. We will wait for the supreme court to have a decision on this. The important thing is that our tax system is problematic, confusing and contradictory, and we need to do a lot more to begin to clarify things. So that we can have more efficient ways of collecting taxes. When asked about President Muhammadu Buharis calls for the cancellation of debt at the United Nations general assembly, Fayemi said the federal governments borrowing is for reasons and are specific loans. Nigeria is borrowing for reasons that are specific. The bulk of what we are borrowing is specific. If you look at what we are borrowing. You will see that these are specific borrowings and most attractive, he said. Fayemi said the borrowings are in line with World Bank and IMF standards. On the other hand, you have the Chinese infrastructure lending, he added. We can now quiz whether we should be using 97 percent of servicing on debt. Thats a debate we can have. The issue is what are you borrowing for. Are you borrowing for consumption or infrastructure development? Buhari needs to be commended on that. The question is we have revenue challengesborrowing is a win-win situation for our country and economy. I dont think there is anything wrong if President is calling for a review of debt structuring. It has been two years since the last Oktoberfest at Deutsches Haus in New Orleans. Now though, organizers are looking just a few weeks down the road and feel hopeful they can host it once again. Were planning for it, and moving full force to have it, said Deutsches Haus general manager Jack Gonzales. The questions were handling now are how to make sure we do it safely and in accordance with whatever city directives are in place at the time. Timing could be the critical factor, and a later-than-usual Oktoberfest is buoying hopes within the German cultural club that they can pull it off. Earlier, when many events were stacking up for the fall, Deutsches Haus made plans to return too. Because French Quarter Festival and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival were both rescheduled from their customary spring date to October this year, Oktoberfest was pushed back a few weeks later than its usual run of October weekends This years schedule has Oktoberfest booked over four weekends, each Friday and Saturday from Oct. 22 to Nov. 13. Gonzales said the groups board is now hopeful that this later schedule will build in more time for the current surge to subside. While many larger events have been called off including Jazz Fest and French Quarter Fest Gonzales said the smaller scale of Oktoberfest should allow it to adjust to changing rules or conditions. The outdoor festival is focused on traditional German food and drink, with local bands performing on stage and families typically setting up their own chairs and blankets around the grounds. +7 Food fest Top Taco returns with new date, Metairie location and vaccine requirement Amid a cascade of event cancellations that came down this summer, local food festival Top Taco announced it would indeed return in the fall, w Food and restaurant news in your inbox Every Thursday we give you the scoop on NOLA dining. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The food festival Top Taco has announced it would go forward, with its own requirement for proof of vaccination or a recent negative test result. Top Taco had earlier announced its move from the New Orleans lakefront to Metairies Lafreniere Park. Jefferson Parish has no restrictions beyond the states indoor mask mandate. After Hurricane Ida forced a delay, Top Taco is now scheduled for Oct. 28. In New Orleans, the current city rules around outdoor events require proof of vaccination or a negative test result for events of 500 or more people if attendance is more than 50% of an outdoor venues capacity; mask use is also required. For events that size with attendance under 50% outdoor capacity, masks are strongly recommended, and vaccination proof is not required. Gonzales emphasized that public health conditions and mandates at the time will guide how the festival is conducted. Oktoberfest at Duetsches Haus 1700 Moss St. Oct. 22-23, Oct. 29-30, Nov. 5-6, Nov. 12-13 Event time t.b.d. +11 Tradition endures as River Parishes andouille makers get smoking again after Ida By generator power, Dale Cox was able to reopen his third-generation family grocery store and butcher shop Coxs Meat Market in Reserve just t +9 Ian McNulty: In tense times, a soothing Vietnamese soup from the Ted Lasso of pho At the tiny Vietnamese restaurant Lillys Cafe, there is one big bowl of soup that brings the house. Because of the people here, it also comes Seven federal judges in Louisiana are among the 131 in the United States who failed to recuse themselves from cases in which they had a financial conflict of interest, an investigation by The Wall Street Journal has found. The newspapers reporters cross-referenced reams of disclosure forms with dockets to discover cases where judges should have stepped aside because they owned stock in companies before them. The judges werent accused of tipping the scales for personal gain. But under federal ethics law, they should have recused themselves from even the most minor of actions when they owned stock in the companies. Many judges contacted by The Journal said they weren't aware of the conflicts and their stock played no role in their decisions. +2 Challenge that points to racial disparities in New Orleans jury pools gets rejected by federal judge A federal judge in New Orleans this week rejected a challenge to the way jury pools are formed in the Eastern District of Louisiana, downplayi District Judge Lance Africk, based in New Orleans, had the most conflicts identified in Louisiana. The newspaper found that he had nine, including one case where he dismissed a lawsuit over asbestos exposure after the parties came to a settlement. Africk was nominated to the bench by President George W. Bush. Another Eastern District jurist, retired Judge Ginger Berrigan, also had a conflict identified by the newspaper. The court did not comment on her behalf. She was nominated by President Bill Clinton. Across the rest of the state, the newspaper identified five other judges with either one or two conflicts: Brian Jackson and John deGravelles of Baton Rouge, both nominated by President Barack Obama; Maurice Hicks Jr. of Shreveport and Dee Drell of Alexandria, both nominated by President George W. Bush; and Donald Walter of Shreveport, nominated by President Ronald Reagan. In the relevant court cases, Jackson, deGravelles and Walter had clerks file notices stating that their stock ownership did not affect their decisions. 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 Drell told The Journal he wasnt aware of a conflict. Hicks would not comment. Eight of Africks nine conflicts involved lawsuits where his only decision was to hand the case to a judge in another city for multi-district litigation involving major corporations. The exception was a 2015 suit in which the heirs of a man who worked at the Naval Air Station in Belle Chasse alleged he contracted mesothelioma because of exposure to asbestos while employed as a mechanic on jets built by Boeing and United Technologies. The case was initially assigned to Judge Jay Zainey, who transferred it to Africk. +2 Judge tosses lawsuit against New Orleans ankle monitoring company over ties to judge A federal judge in New Orleans has dismissed a lawsuit against an ankle monitoring company over its financial and personal ties to a former st Africk should have stepped aside because he and his wife owned stock in Boeing and United Technologies. Africk did not rule on any contested motions involving Boeing or United Technologies after he received the case, which was before him for not quite a year, court record shows. The judge would not comment on the conflict. But the clerk of court filed an Aug. 10 notice acknowledging he should have recused himself and stating that his stock ownership neither affected nor impacted his decisions in this case. The clerk invited parties to the case to respond to the disclosure by Aug. 25, which none of them did. Africk's failure to recuse didnt draw ire from the attorney representing the airplane mechanics heirs, who said that Africk had an impeccable reputation. I doubt that that had anything to do with any ruling in this case from Judge Africk, said the lawyer, Mickey Landry. My experience with him has been that he is very by the book, rules on the evidence and the law." A Lower 9th Ward man has been charged in a fatal machete attack in Treme in April, court records show. Don Woods, 59, faces up to 40 years in prison if convicted as charged with manslaughter. Police accuse Woods of hopping out of an SUV just before noon on April 21 in the 1300 block of North Galvez Street and getting into a fight with a man. Woods is accused of striking Derek Dupre, 31, with a machete, getting into his vehicle and driving away. Dupre died at a hospital from a "chop wound of the torso with sharp and blunt trauma injuries," according to the Orleans Parish Coroner's Office. He was a Houma native and father to a son, according to an obituary. Woods, a longtime employee of Metairie Country Club, posted a $350,000 bail after his arrest in April. Court records listed the top charge against Woods as second-degree murder, but his defense attorney, Gaynell Williams, said those records were in error. Manslaughter was the correct charge, Williams said. The case hasnt been allotted to a court section or set for arraignment, according to online court records. Separately on Tuesday, another man pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder in connection with the May shooting of the young mother of twin girls shortly before Mothers Day. 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 Kentrell Howard, 20, is accused of killing Markitha Sinegal during an argument in the 7400 block of Read Boulevard in the Little Woods section of New Orleans East. Police allege that Howard fled after the shooting, which happened about 5:25 a.m. May 8. Sinegal, 20, was the mother of 8-month-old twin girls, her mother told WWL-TV. Sinegal had dreams of being a model and had just started a makeup line, her mother said. Howard has been accused of a hand in a violent crime before. In 2018, he was booked on two counts of principal to attempted murder in the shooting of two teenage boys on the parade route on Mardi Gras. Prosecutors under former Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro refused charges, court records show. Howard was arrested on the murder count in May, court records show. Hes also charged with obstruction of justice and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Howards attorney, Joe Rome, declined comment. Hes set for a procedural hearing before Orleans Parish Criminal District Court Judge Karen Herman on Oct. 12. Editor's Note: This article was updated on 9/28/21 to correct the top charge against Woods. It wasn't until a week after Hurricane Ida's violent passage that Ronald "Bay-bay" Laborde was finally able to return to his house along Bayou Segnette. He cried bitterly when he saw the state of his home, Laborde said, and his tears didn't stop for days. More than 2 feet of water had entered the house, and the back laundry room was blown apart. In the weeks since, he and his son have torn out the ruined insulation, flooring and furniture, piling it on the front dock. But Laborde's recovery efforts, and those of more than 100 other Bayou Segnette camp owners, have been challenging: A month after Ida, they still lack power and have yet to receive any assistance with debris removal. It's not clear when those hurdles will be overcome, thanks to the small community's remoteness and other unusual circumstances. For Laborde, who suffers from congestive heart disease, the need for electricity is especially pressing. The machines helping his heart pump blood through his body need a reliable power source to plug into each night. "I'm living off batteries," he said, walking around his gutted house with his life-saving machines holstered on his hips. "I can't sleep on these batteries for a year. The doctor doesn't want me sleeping on them now." Laborde is one of just eight full-time residents along Bayou Segnette in a community of 135 camps tucked away in the marshes, about 5 miles south of Westwego. All are dealing with severe flood and wind damage to their homes, and many fear the pace of recovery could be as sluggish as it was after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Back then, it took a year for the community to regain electricity, and now residents pay extra fees for service, said Kermen Thibodaux, another full-time resident. The prolonged loss of power and uncertainty around when restoration might occur is the largest source of worry. Like Laborde, the Dubrocs, an elderly couple who reside in the community full-time, can't live in a house without electricity. Neither can the Benton family, which also lives on the bayou full time. They homeschool their 9-year-old. "Even on normal days, the power goes out and isn't fixed for nine days," Calvin Benton said, looking out the back the of his flooded home at the power line standing in his yard. "I'm at a standstill right now." Danny Dubroc agreed. "We're always last," he said. On Monday, Entergy Louisiana spokesman Brandon Scardigli confirmed that a restoration timeline is unavailable, though the company has completed a damage assessment. Environmental news in your inbox Stay up-to-date on the latest on Louisiana's coast and the environment. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "In Bayou Segnette specifically, varying depths of mud, scattered growths of vegetation and vast stretches of water require crews to utilize heavy-duty boots, specific clothes and equipment, as well as high-water vehicles, airboats, drones and helicopters," he said. "All of these can make restoration a much more time-consuming process." On top of the power loss, heaps of debris containing everything from the remains of collapsed roofs and soggy mattresses to mounds of marsh grass are stranded on properties isolated in what's considered unincorporated Jefferson Parish. Masses of floating marsh that came unmoored from the bayou during the storm clog the waterway. "Just about everybody's got damage," said camp owner Mike Choate, nicknamed "Mayor Mike." He returned to the area two days after Ida, coming up from the south to check on his neighbors' properties and start the cleanup. Choate said he's called Westwego and parish officials for help with removal, to no avail. The camp owners along Bayou Segnette build their homes on property they lease from the Edward Wisner Donation Trust, paying $1,000 each year for their lots. Responsible for their own trash disposal, they don't pay for any parish services, and that's left them in limbo in terms of debris removal. Jefferson Parish officials and Westwego Mayor Robert Billiot Sr. both say the community is situated out of their jurisdiction. Jefferson Parish Assistant Director of Environmental Affairs Katherine Costanza and Billiot said that the Wisner Trust, as the landowner, is responsible for applying for emergency debris removal assistance from the state Governor's Office for Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. Amanda Phillips, the Wisner Trust's land manager and administrator, said she's feels like she's been running around in circles, going from agency to agency for help since Sept. 2. She said she's spoken with local and state officials, including the GOHSEP and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. But the agencies told her that there wasn't any language attached to aid from the Federal Emergency Management Authority that permits for debris collection from private property. "I think the problem that we are facing is bureaucracy," she said. "There's nothing in FEMA to allow for this." Recognizing the overwhelming amount of debris, Phillips said she's committed to pursuing all avenues available to assist the camp owners, but she's unsure what the solution will look like. "Normally, when a camp owner needs a new fridge, they buy a fridge, put it on their boat and take it to their camp," she said. "Now, they need a new fridge, a stove, Sheetrock, a roof, windows and all their furniture. You just can't put that in your boat and get it out. They need help." When Shirell Parfait-Dardar returned to her home in Dulac, she found that Hurricane Ida's unforgiving winds had ripped the roof off and blown the walls in. A dressmaker by trade, she discovered her sewing shop seemed to have been lifted off the ground, flipped upside down and smashed. "Every building on my property was destroyed," said the chief of the Grand Caillou/Dulac Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha-Choctaw, now staying with her mother in Thibodaux. Almost every member of her Native American tribe suffered the same fate. Those who lived in mobile homes saw their trailers blown up or "thrown to the ground and beaten up to the point where it's unlivable," she said. +26 Photos: Hurricane Ida destruction in Pointe-aux-Chenes For Louisiana's coastal tribes, 'being at the end of the earth is a dangerous place' "If they haven't lost their home, they're on the verge of losing their home because there's so much damage to it," she said. And for those residents, the clock's ticking a week after the Category 4 storm struck: They must salvage what they can and secure their property before mold sets in. From the air, tribal communities across Louisiana's coast appear to have been decimated by Hurricane Ida: In Pointe-aux-Chenes, home of the Pointe-au-Chien tribe, the storm leveled the elevated houses near the bayou's end. Left behind were piles of splintered wood surrounded by a pool of water five days after the storm. Just 15 homes remained livable, said Theresa Dardar, a Pointe-au-Chien tribal member. The United Houma Nation, a tribe of 19,000 spread across several communities from Houma to Golden Meadow and the Lafitte area, saw more than three quarters of its residents' houses destroyed or rendered uninhabitable, said Thomas Dardar, the tribe's hurricane relief manager. "The storm was pretty much as if a bomb went off," he said, speaking from the tribal center where more than a dozen people and several pets were still sheltering Friday. Recovery will take years, he added. Just west on its own sinking island, the Isle de Jean Charles Band of the Biloxi-Chitimacha Confederation of Muskogees saw similar devastation. Homes crumpled and the marina lost its roof. All four of the state-recognized tribes suffered tremendous loss from Ida, as well as several other tribes without any formal status such as the Grand Bayou Indian Village in Plaquemines Parish. Surveying the coast by airplane, Tammy Greer, a United Houma Nation citizen with family in other tribes, was astounded by the scope of the damage. "This one was so spread out," she said. "Usually it's one or two communities affected, and we can help each other out. This time, everybody else is just as bad as you are." Without federal recognition, recovery will be slower. None of the coastal tribes has met the criteria put in place for Washington, D.C., to recognize their tribal governments as sovereign powers. Adam Crepelle, an assistant law professor at George Mason University and a United Houma Nation citizen, said federal recognition would allow tribes to negotiate directly with the U.S. government and open up more aid money and relief programs. "As far as the federal government is concerned, they're not a tribe," Crepelle said, who specializes in federal law concerning Native Americans. "It's definitely a barrier because, historically, the tribe was denied access to education and things like that, so they're already starting from lower opportunities to begin with." Instead, unrecognized tribes are treated as nonprofits. That lets them apply for some grants, but their citizens are treated the same as any other U.S. citizen: Each must file an individual claim if aid is wanted. And the lack of federal recognition precludes some relief money for the tribes, Crepelle said. "I'm definitely Indian, but I'm not Indian enough," said Parfait-Dardar, who views the recognition process as discriminatory. Environmental news in your inbox Stay up-to-date on the latest on Louisiana's coast and the environment. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Without direct help from the federal government, each tribe leans on its own networks to obtain supplies and donations and shares with other tribes. They also try to secure help from the parish and state governments. So far, however, Parfait-Dardar and Theresa Dardar said they've yet to hear from Terrebonne and Lafourche parish officials as of Sunday. Louisiana tribes outside of the disaster zone, and ones out of state, also send help. Thomas Dardar said the United Houma Nation had already begun distributing supplies and was working alongside Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes to erect communications towers in some of the hardest-hit areas. "We're operating in a disaster, but we're not in disaster mode," he said. Greer and Parfait-Dardar expect many of their tribes' citizens to return and rebuild. Still, each storm can make their citizens anxious over a loss of culture and identity should members choose to migrate inland. Thinking of her tribe's elders, Greer said the constant rebuilding process can take a physical toll. And for those who make money off traditional wood carving or basket weaving, losing a home means losing inventory and income. Plus, as storms grow more intense and Louisiana's coast continues to recede, tribes have less protection from the sea and cultural sites such as sacred mounds or cemeteries are at risk of washing away, taking history with them. "We're not protecting them, and that's the history of this land and this place," Greer said. "Being at the end of the Earth is a dangerous place to be." Outsiders forget, she said, that the tribes didn't choose to settle in the swamp but were forced there as others moved onto their land to the north. Yet they made it work and adapted over centuries. As Ida relief donations trickled in, Parfait-Dardar hoped her community will manage to build back stronger, using more innovative techniques to live with water. "I cant live anywhere else. I love my home, I love our people, and I love the environment that I'm in," the Dulac chief said. "We need to respect the environment were in if were going to live here safely." +15 Louisiana tribes say federal recognition will help to face threat of climate change Crab traps and shrimp boats line Louisiana 665 down to Pointe aux Chene Marina, about 20 miles southeast of Houma. Nailed to a tree in the mar Black people who live and work in Jefferson Parish try to avoid certain areas so they can stay safe by staying out of the way of Jefferson Parish sheriffs. Too many Black people who live and work elsewhere go into Jefferson Parish to shop and get out of there. Neither is cool, but that happens when parish law enforcement has a reputation for abusing Black and Brown people. An explosive report published by WWNO/WRKF and ProPublica with The Times-Picayune provides documentation for what lots of Black folks already know and think: Jefferson Parish can be a risky and dangerous place. I doubt thats an image Parish President Cynthia Lee Sheng, the Parish Council and the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission care to see, but thats what you get when Sheriff Joe Lopinto refuses to make all parish citizens, residents and visitors feel safer by using body and car cameras. The report, published this weekend, makes it clear that what a number of Black and Brown folks have been saying for years is based in reality. Data and records Richard Webster and his colleagues collected show that parish deputies treat Black and Brown people in significantly different ways than they treat White people. More than 70% of people who deputies shot at during the past eight years were Black, more than double the 27% of the population that is Black, the news organizations investigation found, according to the report. Seventy-five percent of the people who died 12 of 16 after being shot or restrained by deputies during that time were Black men. Law enforcement use of cameras has increased in recent years, and for good reason. Cameras help protect officers and the people with whom they come in contact. Thats why so many law enforcement agencies have adopted cameras. But not Lopinto. In a statement, Alanah Odoms, executive director of the ACLU of Louisiana, called the Sheriffs Office rogue and said it hasnt properly investigated use of force complaints, hasnt responded to public records requests from community, litigants and media, and failed to produce a timeline to start using cameras despite being directed to do so. Odoms said Lopintos office has a deep-rooted history of racial discrimination and cruelty toward residents of color and operates wholly unaccountable to the people. Based on statistics her organization has reviewed, A Black person is 11 times more likely to be killed by police than a White person in Jefferson Parish. Thats unacceptable in a parish that is more than a quarter Black. According to the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data, Jefferson Parish is becoming more diverse.. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of Black residents remained steady at 26% while the number of Hispanic residents increased from 12% to 18% and the number of White residents declined from 56% to 47%. Parish leaders know whats happening. Harvey-based state Rep. Rodney Lyons, D-Jefferson, took a crack at getting cameras in the Sheriffs Office, but it didnt work. Earlier this year, the lawmaker introduced a bill that would have put body camera video public records decisions in the hands of judges, in part because Lopinto has pointed to public privacy as one of the reasons he hasnt added cameras. Lyons ended up pulling the bill after opponents said the measure would have restricted public records access. After the story was published, Lyons told me he finds it very unfortunate that there is no movement to use cameras. Hes focused on the cameras as tools to change behavior. Lopinto has acknowledged that cameras might be helpful under some circumstances, but he has continued to argue that the cost of cameras and video storage is too expensive. Body cameras are something I've never been opposed to," Lopinto told WWL last year when the station did a story about the Lyons bill. Referencing the necessary storage, the sheriff said, It costs way too much money. The cost of respect and trust is worth the monetary cost. Black, Brown, White and all citizens, residents and visitors should not be concerned, or afraid. Too many will continue to fear the parish without cameras. Roseburg, OR (97470) Today A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High 61F. Winds light and variable.. Tonight Some clouds. Low 41F. Winds light and variable. Perhaps, the foundation realized, the alphabet warning was too complex and limiting. Many melanomas and most nonmelanoma skin cancers dont fall under the ABCDE pattern, the foundation reported recently in its journal. When we educate people about the warning signs of skin cancer, we often hear from them, Mine didnt look like that. The Big See message can alert people to all forms of skin cancer, often unnoticed for many months or years and dismissed as no big deal. Last year, for example, I had a small sore on my leg that never healed, but waited six months to find out it was a basal cell carcinoma that required surgical removal. More than five million nonmelanoma skin cancers are diagnosed annually in America, and every hour more than two people die from skin cancer even though it is the cancer everyone can see. No scans or special or invasive detection tests are required, just your eyes or those of a friend or companion who, if they see something, should say something. Complementing the foundations new The Big See message is a Whats that? alert and a talking mirror being placed in retail locations nationwide in which a lively comedian tells people about skin cancer. As Ms. Manber said in an interview, Most people dont realize that just five sunburns can double your chances of developing melanoma. They dont know that one person in five will get skin cancer. Now determined to raise awareness about detecting this disease, she joins skin cancer specialists in urging people to install a full-length mirror in their home to facilitate frequent skin checks. By standing with your back to the full-length mirror and holding a hand mirror, Ive found that even a person who lives alone can do a full body self-exam. Ms. Manber is equally passionate about the importance of protecting ones skin from the damaging rays of sunlight, which can penetrate all windows (except windshield glass in cars), pass through cloud cover and be reflected by water, sand and concrete. Thus, shade is not completely protective. The damage to DNA caused by ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays starts within minutes of sun exposure, and the bodys immune defenses do not repair all of it, which can result in cancer-causing mutations over time. UVB causes sunburn, and UVA, in addition to causing sunburn and tanning, ages and wrinkles the skin, creating what my husband called elephant hide. NAIROBI, Kenya American Special Forces soldiers began training Mozambican troops this week as part of an effort to repel a spreading insurgency in northeastern Mozambique that American officials say is linked to the Islamic State. The insurgency, near some of the worlds biggest gas reserves, has killed at least 2,000 civilians and displaced another 670,000. The American program is modest in size and scope: a dozen Army Green Berets are to train Mozambican marines for the next two months. But it signals the entry of the United States military into a counterinsurgency effort that has been aided so far mainly by South African mercenaries, who have faced accusations of human rights abuses. The war in Mozambique is part of an alarming expansion of insurgencies believed to have ties to the Islamic State in several parts of Africa. In the past year, militants have captured swaths of territory in the northern province of Cabo Delgado, including a port on the Indian Ocean, and beheaded hundreds of civilians, according to human rights groups. I dont think anyone saw this coming, Col. Richard Schmidt, the deputy commander of U.S. Special Operations Forces in Africa, said in a telephone interview from Maputo, Mozambiques capital. For this to crop up so quickly is concerning. Few Western analysts believe the Kremlin is planning an invasion of eastern Ukraine, given the likely backlash at home and abroad. But with a large-scale Russian troop buildup on land and sea on Ukraines doorstep, the view is spreading among officials and wide swathes of the Ukrainian public that Moscow is signaling more bluntly than ever before that it is prepared to openly enter the conflict. These ships are, concretely, a threat from the Russian state, Captain Levytskyi said over the whir of his speedboats engines as it plied the Azov Sea, after pointing out a Russian patrol boat stationed six miles offshore. It is a much more serious threat. Many Ukrainian military officials and volunteer fighters say that they still find it unlikely that Russia will openly invade Ukraine, and that they do not see evidence of an imminent offensive among the gathered Russian forces. But they speculate over other possibilities, including Russias possible recognition or annexation of the separatist-held territories in eastern Ukraine. Ukrainians are awaiting President Vladimir V. Putins annual state-of-the-nation address to Russia on Wednesday, an affair often rife with geopolitical signaling, for clues about what comes next. Most but not all of the groups are Shiite Muslim, who are a majority in Iraq, and the most powerful ones are backed by Shiite Iran. In 2016, they were merged into the Iraqi governments security force. Despite that, the most powerful militias on the Iraqi government payroll are only nominally under control of Baghdad. The Popular Mobilization Forces are made up of more than 50 different paramilitary groups with an estimated 160,000 fighters. Iran over the last two years has decreased its financial support for proxy paramilitary groups in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon because of the effect of U.S. sanctions, lower oil prices and the pandemic. So the dozens of militia forces under the umbrella of the Popular Mobilization Forces have relied more on Iraqi government funding and moneymaking schemes that include oil smuggling and extortion at Iraqi borders and ports, according to security analysts and government officials. American officials said they had not relied on Iraqi intelligence to identify and monitor the targets hit overnight, and had not consulted with the Iraqi government in advance. It was not known whether the United States notified Russia in advance of the airstrikes on the Syrian side of the border, but both countries operate in the same airspace in Syria. The group Kataib Sayyid al-Shuhada said four of its fighters stationed along the border had been killed in the strikes. From now on, we will go to open war with the American occupation, the first action of which is targeting the enemy planes in beloved Iraqs sky, the group said in a statement. LIMA, Peru They showed up for the rally by the thousands in red and white, the colors of their right-wing movement, swapping conspiracy theories and speaking ominously of civil war, some brandishing shields with crosses meant to exalt European heritage. On the stage, their leader, the presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori, let loose on her headline issue: election fraud. Though electoral officials say her opponent, the leftist union leader Pedro Castillo, leads by more than 40,000 votes with all the ballots counted, they have yet to declare a victor a month after the polls closed, as they consider Ms. Fujimoris demand that tens of thousands of ballots be thrown out. No one has come forward, even weeks later, to corroborate Ms. Fujimoris claims of fraud; international observers have found no evidence of major irregularities; and both the United States and the European Union have praised the electoral process. When the main campus of the Central University of Venezuela (Universidad Central de Venezuela, or U.C.V.) was declared a World Heritage Site in 2000, UNESCO deemed it a masterpiece of modern city planning, architecture and art and an outstanding example of the coherent realization of the urban, architectural and artistic ideals of the early 20th century. Two decades later, this paradigm of art an emblem of Caracas and the pride of Venezuelas public education system is in ruins, and its demise may go unnoticed in a country thats suffered so much loss. Last year, a section of the roof covering the walkway connecting the universitys buildings collapsed because of a lack of maintenance. In the absence of resources to tend to the drainage, the columns holding up the roof fractured under the weight of storm water pooled on the structures corrugated surface. And thats just the most glaring example of U.C.V.s deterioration. On June 30 the building that houses the school of political science caught fire. The universitys fire department and local firefighters struggled to extinguish the flames because of the water shortage. Its as if the honor bestowed by UNESCO were a condemnation and not a designation of excellence. Yet the university is far from the countrys only struggling institution. A 2018 report found that 95 percent of educational establishments have fallen into disrepair. Classrooms are emptying out, with dropout rates in secondary schools reaching 50 percent in 2020 largely because of the exodus of more than five million Venezuelans and the impact of the pandemic. The country is estimated to have lost about half of its teachers since 2015, and many children stay home instead of going to class because schools lack the basic infrastructure and resources to provide them with food. Elsewhere on the site, Mr. Remington pointed out a worker whom he had seen splicing together cables, but she declined to comment when approached by a reporter. Mr. Remington, who visits frequently and has the moxie of a man who, by his own accounting, has been chased around by some of the finest sheriffs in Michigan during hunting season, said he had asked the worker the day before if she was a licensed journeyman or if a journeyman was directly supervising her work, as state regulations require. The worker indicated that neither was the case. A spokeswoman for McCarthy Building Companies, the construction contractor for D.E. Shaw Renewable Investments, said that all electrical apprentices were supervised by licensed journeymen at the state-mandated ratio of three-to-one or better and that all splices involved a licensed electrician. During a brief encounter on site with a reporter, Brian Timmer, the project manager who had exchanged a text with a union organizer, said, Thats the reason I cant talk to you when he was asked about union labor. It gets a lot of people upset. (Mr. Remington said he was later told by McCarthy that it might use union electricians for a limited assignment repairing some defective components.) The county electrical inspector, Dane Deisler, said that McCarthy had produced licenses when he had asked to see them, but that he hadnt physically gone through and counted the licenses and didnt know how many licensed electricians were on site. Mr. Remington is convinced there are far fewer than a project of this scale requires. Thats a high-voltage splice box right there, he said while driving around the perimeter, alluding to potential dangers. He pointed to another box and said, Tell me if you dont think thats electrical work. Later, explaining why he invested so much effort in a job site where few of his members are likely to be employed, Mr. Remington reflected on the future. Well, this is going to be the only show in town, he said. I want us to have a piece of it. DRUSKININKAI, Lithuania Migrants from Iraq and Africa have faced rapacious traffickers and perilous land and sea crossings as they tried to make their way to the European Union to seek asylum. Now some are finding themselves caught in a geopolitical battle between the European Union and Belaruss strongman, President Aleksandr G. Lukashenko, which has intensified since his government forced down an international flight to drag off a young opposition activist, drawing worldwide condemnation and E.U. sanctions. Those battle lines appear to have been drawn at the Belarusian-Lithuanian border in recent weeks, as the number of migrants crossing into Lithuania, a member of the European Union, from Belarus has soared. Lithuanian officials accuse Mr. Lukashenko of encouraging the migrants to cross the border, using them as hybrid weapons. In response, Lithuania is building a border fence as quickly as it can and just passed a law to fast-track asylum claims. Since the beginning of the revolution, Cuban intellectuals and artists who have sought to organize independently of state institutions have been thrown in labor camps, subjected to electroshock therapy, expelled from jobs and universities, censored and imprisoned for their ideas. The government accuses anyone who challenges it of being mercenaries and C.I.A. agents of a supposed counterrevolutionary plot against the regime. The Communist Partys reach extends beyond the island for the Cubans who have left. It vilifies exiles and extorts outrageous fees for passports and other documents needed to travel back to Cuba. Since the 1990s, it has subsidized its priorities and investments, rather than the Cuban economy, using billions of dollars expats send in remittances to their families. Unfortunately, many foreigners not only buy into the Cuban governments claims about Cuban dissidents they also rely on generalizations about Cubans in the diaspora. Cubans in Florida are lumped together as Trump supporters who want the United States to invade Cuba. These generalizations are convenient for those who seek to ignore our critical role in Cuban affairs, allowing them to monopolize, along with some of the older, more radical exiled Cubans, the public discussion about Cuba. Both the Cuban government and progressives are complicit in their disregard for Cubans right to their own opinions and aspirations. We Cubans are used to misguided perceptions of what life in Cuba is really like. Fidel Castro promised a more prosperous country, a nation where all Cubans could live in dignity and true equality. But his bait-and-switch revolution delivered an educated people that in 60 years have been able to elect only three presidents. A cultivated people that have no access to public debate and participation. The Cuban people are tired of Communism and broken promises. For the first time, in more than 50 cities and towns throughout the island, they took to the streets to demand change. They have been told that it is unchangeable, but they are asking for the right to alter the conditions of their lives. They want more than an end to the embargo. They should have the right to create a society by and for themselves. Even if their specific aspirations disappoint the utopian views of some foreign progressives. U.S. orders airlines to help Afghan evacuation The Pentagon ordered six commercial airlines to provide passenger jets to help with the growing U.S. military operation evacuating Americans and Afghan allies fleeing the Taliban takeover in Kabul. Eighteen planes will ferry passengers, who are sheltering in bases in the Middle East following their evacuation from Kabul, to Europe and then onto the U.S. Follow our live updates. Speaking at the White House on Sunday, President Biden insisted that the operation was making progress, saying nearly 28,000 people had been evacuated since Aug. 14 on U.S. and coalition aircraft, including civilian charters. The evacuation of thousands of people from Kabul is going to be hard and painful, no matter when it started, when we began, Biden said. There is no way to evacuate this many people without pain and loss and the heartbreaking images you see on television. We are very worried, Mr. Hyatt said. How the United States will view Mr. Karzais re-emergence was unclear. So, too, was whether Afghans would believe the sudden professed moderation of the Taliban, whose oppression of women and brutality have been hallmarks of their fundamentalism. A week after the Taliban overran the country and the two-decade long American attempt to shape a democratic Afghanistan collapsed, there was no sign of any cabinet taking form. Chaos still engulfed the nations capital, a fiasco whose political fallout President Biden is struggling to contain. In an afternoon news conference at the White House, Mr. Biden defended the administrations widely criticized evacuation effort. Altogether, we lifted approximately 11,000 people out of Kabul in less than 36 hours, he said. Its an incredible operation. The president seemed to suggest that the U.S. forces defending the Kabul airport were extending the security perimeter, saying that the military has made tactical changes to increase security. Mr. Biden also said that the Aug. 31 deadline for removing all American troops could be extended if necessary. Mr. Biden said he did not know whether the Taliban could be trusted to form an inclusive government and rule with greater moderation than in their first time in power. But he said that they had by and large given Americans access to the airport, and that if they wanted to govern Afghanistan effectively, they would need help from the United States and other nations. The Taliban has to make a fundamental decision, he said. Is the Taliban going to attempt to be able to unite and provide for the well-being of the people of Afghanistan, which no one group has ever done since before for hundreds of years? And if it does, its going to need everything from additional help in terms of economic assistance, trade and a whole range of things. Even when mentioning the state motto, she avoided the Latin word, excelsior, which Mr. Cuomo was fond of repeating. She instead used the translation: ever upward, saying, Its who we are and where were going. Indeed, Mayor Bill de Blasio of New York City and many members of the State Legislature have welcomed Ms. Hochuls rise with a sigh of relief after years of feuding with Mr. Cuomo, whose ruthless governing style and overbearing presence led many members of his party to work with him out of intimidation, rather than good will. Ms. Hochul vowed to move with urgency on various pressing issues, from working with lawmakers to strengthen an eviction moratorium that expires later this month to deciding whom to retain from Mr. Cuomos cabinet. She is still recruiting her top staff she announced her top aide and legal counsel on Monday and will announce her selection for lieutenant governor later this week. In an interview with The New York Times, Ms. Hochul said she has decided on a lieutenant governor, but would not reveal her choice yet. She has said her second-in-command will hail from New York City, and she was considering several elected officials of color. Ms. Hochul, who said she had spoken with President Biden on Monday night, characterized herself as a Biden Democrat; indeed, like the president, she has largely been a centrist who has moved leftward with the party. But how she defines herself in fulfilling the remainder of Mr. Cuomos term may rely more on her contrast to his leadership style. In acting decisively to curb the spread of the virus, she will have to determine how much to veer from Mr. Cuomos pandemic response, which local government leaders have often criticized for its lack of communication and coordination. Ms. Hochul said in the interview that she wanted to empower local officials with clear guidance crafted by public health experts, adding that if theres any shortcomings, Ill fill in with state resources. The urgency of climate change has gone up, said Andrew McAllister, a member of the California Energy Commission, which developed and approved the building code changes. We know weve got to get on the stick and do something. President Biden has also made fighting climate change a priority. The administration this month said the United States needs to triple or quadruple the annual pace at which it is adding solar energy in order to eliminate emissions from the electricity sector by 2035. That would increase solar generation from about 3 percent of the power sector to 40 percent. California is already far along in that transition with more than a third of its electricity coming from renewable sources. Its building code change is meant to accelerate that. California and Washington State develop their own energy standards for building codes. The other 48 and the District of Columbia largely use models developed by a division of the International Code Council, a nonprofit organization run by building officials from across the country. Some states leave buildings code decisions to local governments. The code council sometimes adopts energy-related standards developed by California, a representative of the group said. Michael Marini, who co-owns a company that builds homes in Southern California, said he generally supports making buildings greener but he fears that the state is not thinking through the consequences of the changes it is pushing through. Mr. Marinis company, Planet Home Living, is adding rooftop solar panels in his latest projects, including townhouse-style and single-family homes in Los Angeles, as required by a previous change to the states building code that took effect last year. Those homes start at close to $1 million and go as high as $2 million. Buyers of those properties will not flinch at having to pay an extra $10,000 to $15,000 for solar panels, he said. Mr. Marini is also not worried about the new code change that will require him to add home batteries in some multifamily buildings at a cost of about $5,000 each starting in 2023. Ms. Hochul controls the subway system, via the state M.T.A., yet her predecessor, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, often sought to distance himself from the system and its problems. Until Monday, it had been unclear how Ms. Hochul regarded her role. In her remarks across from M.T.A. headquarters, she seemed intent on making clear that she was in charge. She said that the series of events that unfolded Sunday night appeared to have been unprecedented, albeit in an extremely technical sort of way, and she promised a full and transparent investigation. I want all the answers, she said. Its not possible for us to have them at this time. But Ill make sure, in the interests of full disclosure, that everyone knows as soon as I do. Later that day, she seemed to have found some answers. The M.T.A., which has a long history of malfunctioning electrical systems, was at fault. As a result of the review I directed this morning, the M.T.A. has uncovered a sequence of failures that resulted in some backup systems not providing power as designed last night, including an additional failure to quickly diagnose the underlying cause, Ms. Hochul said in a statement. She said she had ordered two engineering firms to help in a deep dive and to recommend how to avoid a recurrence of the events. The voltage dip did not affect the third-rail power that fuels the subway trains, nor did it immediately have an impact on rail operations, according to the M.T.A. Instead, the M.T.A. promptly switched to a backup battery-operated system. That system, which dates back to 2005, is intended to act as a bridge until the M.T.A.s backup, fuel-powered generators go online. SEOUL Ivan Duque swept into Colombias presidency in 2018 as a young, little-known technocrat riding a surging right-wing movement. He tapped public anger against a peace deal that he said had treated the countrys deadly insurgents too softly. And he warned that the proposals of his left-wing opponent could stifle steady growth. Three years and a global pandemic later, it is Mr. Duque who is presiding over high unemployment and an angry electorate and who is on the defensive about the steps he has taken to tame persistent violence by militants. Mr. Duque contends his policies have opened opportunities for the middle- and low-income classes, encouraged entrepreneurship and paved the way for Colombia to return to its prepandemic growth. He also touted social policies that could address issues of police conduct and social inequality that led to violent clashes this year, killing dozens. Some commanders grumble that they are warriors, not babysitters. New York Times article about military child care from 1975 In Her Words is available as a newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox. In 1978, Linda Smith walked into her new job as program director of the child care center at Williams Air Force Base in Arizona to find a distressing sight: dozens of toddlers and infants all crammed into one room with a single caregiver and a TV mounted on the wall. They were all just running around the room, and there was just one chair for the caregiver, Ms. Smith said. Imagine the chaos. The scene Ms. Smith witnessed was actually quite common in a child care system that was then deeply underfunded and riddled with scandal. At the time, most military child care centers did not even meet fire and safety codes, according to a scathing report published in 1982 by the General Accounting Office, the congressional watchdog. By the time I came to office, the Taliban was in its strongest military position since 2001, controlling or contesting nearly half of the country. The previous administrations agreement said that if we stuck to the May 1 deadline that they had signed on to leave by, the Taliban wouldnt attack any American forces. But if we stayed, all bets were off. So we were left with a simple decision: Either follow through on the commitment made by the last administration and leave Afghanistan, or say we werent leaving and commit another tens of thousands more troops. Going back to war. That was the choice, the real choice. Between leaving or escalating. I was not going to extend this forever war. And I was not extending a forever exit. The decision to end the military airlift operations at Kabul airport was based on the unanimous recommendation of my civilian and military advisers. The secretary of state, the secretary of defense, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and all the service chiefs and the commanders in the field. Their recommendation was that the safest way to secure the passage of the remaining Americans and others out of the country was not to continue as 6,000 troops on the ground in harms way in Kabul, but rather to get them out through nonmilitary means. In the 17 days that we operated in Kabul, after the Taliban seized power, we engaged in an around-the-clock effort to provide every American the opportunity to leave. Our State Department was working 24/7 contacting and talking and, in some cases, walking Americans into the airport. Again, more than 5,500 Americans were airlifted out. And for those who remain, we will make arrangements to get them out if they so choose. As for the Afghans, we and our partners have airlifted 100,000 of them. No country in history has done more to airlift out the residents of another country than we have done. We will continue to work to help more people leave the country who are at risk. Were far from done. For now, I urge all Americans to join me in grateful prayer for our troops and diplomats and intelligence officers who carried out this mission of mercy in Kabul, and at tremendous risk with such unparalleled results. An airlift that evacuated tens of thousands to a network of volunteers and veterans who helped identify those needing evacuation, guide them to the airport and provided them for their support along the way. Were going to continue to need their help. We need your help, and Im looking forward to meeting with you. And to everyone who is now offering, or who will offer, to welcome Afghan allies to their homes around the world, including in America, we thank you. I take responsibility for the decision. Now, some say we should have started mass evacuations sooner and Couldnt this have been done in a more orderly manner? I respectfully disagree. Imagine if we had begun evacuations in June or July, bringing in thousands of American troops and evacuating more than 120,000 people in the middle of a civil war. There still would have been a rush to the airport. A breakdown in confidence and control of the government. And it still would have been very difficult and dangerous mission. To listen to the debate in Europe over the chaotic retreat of United States troops from Afghanistan is to be struck by what a huge vocabulary Europeans have developed over the centuries for describing military calamities. What we just witnessed has already been described as a debacle, a debandade, a degringolade and a deroute, not to mention a rout, a fiasco and a humiliation. The question at the heart of these discussions is whether the botched withdrawal is a failure serious enough to merit a rethinking of European-American defense arrangements. The Afghan war was a NATO operation, involving the core of the trans-Atlantic alliance system that dates from the Cold War. American fecklessness has left European leaders infuriated. In Germany, Armin Laschet, who is running to replace his Christian Democratic colleague Angela Merkel as chancellor in national elections this month, speaks of the greatest debacle NATO has suffered since its founding. Mr. Laschets assessment reflects more than election-season passions. It is shared in other countries. Bidenesque incompetence comes atop four years of Trumpian contempt. As Adrien Jaulmes, a French war correspondent, recently put it, Mr. Trump and Mr. Biden have together sent a message to the allies and adversaries of the United States that Washingtons commitments are only commitments for so long. There have been moments of mistrust between America and its NATO allies before. But there is a difference today, and it bears on how European leaders are reacting to the Afghan mess. During the Cold War, communism was the issue that polarized continental politics. Europes governing elites, in their respective countries, were mostly anti-communist. Their instincts were to strengthen ties with the anti-communist United States, whatever their occasional misgivings about American incompetence, overreach or arrogance. And that meant strengthening NATO. Jacob Zuma, the former president of South Africa, has been released on medical parole a little over two months after he was ordered imprisoned on contempt charges. The governments department of correctional services said in a statement on Sunday that Mr. Zumas parole had been impelled by a medical report, but it provided no details about the nature of his illness. Mr. Zuma was admitted to a hospital to undergo the first of several medical procedures last month, the department said then. Mr. Zuma will serve the remainder of his 15-month sentence under supervision in the community corrections system, the department said, adding that he would be subjected to supervision until his sentence expires. But it gave no details about where exactly he would serve his parole. His release comes after his staggering downfall as a once-celebrated freedom fighter who fought against apartheid alongside Nelson Mandela and was a powerful figure in the governing African National Congress. He had reason to be. Extreme weather events are becoming increasingly common, in Europe and worldwide. The deadly torrential rain in Europe this summer was considered a 400-year event; in China, over 20 inches of rain fell in just two days; New York City set records for an hours rainfall, setting off flash floods that killed dozens of people in the region; the drought-stricken American West is ablaze. Yet no one died in the Netherlands in the July flooding. Some tributaries did wreak extensive damage in the border region, but along the Maas River, which swelled to epic proportions, large urban centers stayed safe and dry. The Dutch are experienced in water management, having dealt with sea-level rise and river floods long before climate change became a concern. More than half the country lies beneath sea level, and while the ocean is held back by more conventional flood control methods, river management has changed drastically. Mr. Van der Broecks project, Maaspark Ooijen-Wanssum, a nature preserve near the small city of Wanssum, lies at the heart of the new approach. During the flooding it did exactly what it was supposed to, absorbing so much water that levels in parts of the Maas River dropped by 13 inches, enough to avert a major disaster. If we hadnt freed up the areas to reroute the excess water from the Maas River, Venlo and Roermond would have been flooded, Mr. van der Broeck said of two regional cities. For a long time we have worked against nature, he said. The river is telling us it needs more space. We shouldnt fight that. We should cooperate with nature. The future of New York City is being called into question. Neighborhoods have lost residents to the suburbs. Businesses have closed. People are on edge about public safety. And families are mourning the loss of loved ones. This was the situation in the fall of 2001, after hijackers destroyed the World Trade Center and brought the city to its knees. And its the same situation today, with a pandemic raging and millions of people once again wondering if this citys best days are behind it. Unemployment remains in double digits, retail and office vacancies have soared, and the tourism industry is in dire straits, with the economic pain falling hardest on low-income families. Yet we have good reason to be hopeful, because what was done once can be done again and better, by heeding the lessons of the past. Over the past eight years, I have been careful to stick to my pledge not to comment on my successors administration. Mayors dont need their predecessors chiming in from the sidelines, and I dont intend to start now. But I do believe New York Citys success in rebuilding Lower Manhattan after Sept. 11 and revitalizing all five boroughs can help the next mayor as he takes office in January and confronts the same two overarching challenges we faced 20 years ago. Just before the pandemic I ambivalently attended a performance of Tina: The Tina Turner Musical. I knew some Tina Turner songs, and I was vaguely aware of her marriage to the abusive Ike Turner. I was only barely acquainted with her global celebrity, and skeptical about the depth a biographical jukebox musical could offer. Though I had qualms about the show particularly the depictions of violence I left the theater feeling ebullient. I sneaked out near the end of what turned out to be essentially a postshow concert, but I hung on to the image of Adrienne Warren, as Turner, onstage. What resonated with me was her spectacular star power what most people would call presence. This is always what draws me in to Broadway productions about iconic figures: how an actors impersonation can also be a way to showcase their own star quality. Whether or not the show can live up to the legend, however, is often a different story. With the resurrection of Broadway this fall will come another handful of impersonations to test the hypothesis. Starting Nov. 2, we will see Jeanna de Waal as the Princess of Wales in Diana, who, thanks to her style, charisma and, ultimately, tragic death, became a mythic figure. In their statement, the prosecutors said they had opened an investigation in connection with the so-called Ghostwriter campaign, a reference to a hacking campaign that German intelligence says can be attributed to the Russian state and specifically to the Russian military intelligence service known as the G.R.U. Russia was found to have hacked into the German Parliaments computer systems in 2015 and three years later, it breached the German governments main data network. Chancellor Angela Merkel protested over both attacks, but her government struggled to find an appropriate response, and the matter of Russian hacking is now especially sensitive, coming in the weeks before Germans go to the polls to select a successor after her nearly 16 years in power. Moscow denied that it was involved in the hacking efforts. Despite our repeated appeals through diplomatic channels, our partners in Germany have not provided any evidence of Russias involvement in these attacks, the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, said at a briefing on Thursday. She called the German allegations an extraordinary P.R. story, and said the suspicions appeared to be the work of individual politicians intent on showing they would not allow gaps in trans-Atlantic solidarity, in an apparent reference to Germanys strong ties with the United States. Andrea Sasse, a spokeswoman for Germanys Foreign Ministry, said on Wednesday of the hacking attempts, The German government regards this unacceptable action as a threat to the security of the Federal Republic of Germany and to the democratic decision-making process, and as a serious burden on bilateral relations. She continued, The federal government strongly urges the Russian government to cease these unlawful cyber activities with immediate effect. SACRAMENTO As the campaign to oust him heads into its final weekend, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California is hammering home the choice he has presented to voters since the start of the recall Donald J. Trump or him. We defeated Trump last year, and thank you, but we havent defeated Trumpism, the governor has repeated for the past two weeks in a blitz of campaign stops and Zoom calls. From vaccine resistance to climate denial, he says, everything that terrified California liberals about the last president is on the ballot. And far more than his own personal future hangs in the balance: This is a matter of life and death. His opponents dispute that. The governor, they say, is the problem, and the recall never would have come to an election had a critical mass of the state not resented his pandemic restrictions on businesses and classrooms, even as his own finances were secure and his own children got in-person instruction. The former president, they note, is not a candidate. Newsom is scaremongering, David Sacks, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist supporting the recall, tweeted recently. Only three governors have faced recall votes in the United States before Mr. Newsom, and he and the Democratic establishment are going all-out in presenting the effort as a radical power grab, with some partisans even comparing it at one point to the violent Jan. 6 attempt to block President Bidens election. Hundreds of women, many wearing full-length robes, their faces obscured by black veils, filled the auditorium of a Kabul university on Saturday holding signs many of them in English in support of the Taliban and its strict interpretation of Islam, including separate education for men and women. The Taliban said the demonstration at Shaheed Rabbani Education University, which followed anti-Taliban protests last week by Afghan women demanding equal rights, was organized by female university lecturers and students. Reporters on the street near Saturdays march were kept away from the protesters by Taliban fighters armed with automatic rifles and were not allowed to speak with any of the women. Later attempts to reach the participants through social media or the university went unanswered. The demonstration, held on the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, served as a stark reminder of how despite two decades and more than $780 million spent promoting women's rights, after the departure of American forces last month, the women of Afghanistan could be thrown back decades, if not centuries. JERUSALEM A gripping political thriller swept across cinema screens in Israel this summer, with the movie prompting impassioned debate and striking a particularly resonant chord with Israels precarious new government. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, a right-winger, urged lawmakers to see the film during a recent, stormy session of Parliament. The new president, Isaac Herzog, a former leader of the center-left Labor Party, said that if he could, he would screen it for every child in the country. The epic, animated drama, Legend of Destruction, is being widely cast as a cautionary tale for a profoundly polarized society. The movies impact is all the more surprising given that it depicts calamitous events in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago. At that time, the first Jewish revolt against the Romans had devolved into a bloody civil war between rival Jewish factions, culminating in the sacking and destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans and their reconquest of the holy city. WASHINGTON An initial group of Afghan pilots who flew themselves and their family members to safety in Uzbekistan aboard Afghan Air Force aircraft were transferred to a U.S. military base in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, according to the office of Representative August Pfluger, which has been in contact with one of the pilots and his wife. Two other groups of Afghan pilots and their relatives are expected to fly out in the next day or so under an arrangement the United States negotiated with Uzbekistan to move more than 450 Afghans. The Afghan pilots, whom the Taliban consider among the most reviled members of the Afghan military for their role in conducting airstrikes against Taliban fighters, have been caught in a delicate diplomatic tug of war since fleeing their country as the government in Kabul was collapsing last month. Taliban leaders have been pressuring the Uzbek government to turn over the pilots, who fear for the safety of themselves and their families. The United States, for its part, has been leaning on the Uzbeks to let the Afghans leave and fulfill its pledge to secure safe passage to pivotal members of the Afghan military who fought alongside the United States. The biggest problem for Laschet is that he has not been able to convince voters that he can do the job like Merkel, said Julia Reuschenbach, a political scientist at the University of Bonn. She cited images of him laughing as the German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, made a somber speech after devastating flash floods that killed 180 people, and posing before a mound of trash to make a statement of his own. He comes across as uncertain, flippant and unprofessional, Ms. Reuschenbach said. In recent weeks, Mr. Laschet has seen his individual popularity drop below that of his Social Democratic rival, Olaf Scholz, while support for Mr. Laschets party has been in a free fall since late July. The situation is so dire that Ms. Merkel, who had said she wanted to stay out of the race, is now intervening and trying to rally voters for Mr. Laschet. Lets be honest: It is tight. It will be very tight in the coming weeks, Markus Soder, the head of the conservatives Bavarian branch, the Christian Social Union, and an erstwhile rival, said at an election rally on Aug. 20 that was meant to propel Mr. Laschets campaign into a final, intense stretch. It is no longer a question of how we could govern, but possibly of whether. Mr. Soder openly challenged Mr. Laschet this year for the chance to succeed the chancellor, and he still enjoys a higher individual popularity rating among Germans than Mr. Laschets. Germans elect parties, not a chancellor candidate. But over the course of Ms. Merkels four terms in office, her party has enjoyed the so-called chancellor bonus, meaning the willingness of voters to effectively cast a ballot for consistency. Israel is one of the worlds most vaccinated countries, but its coronavirus caseload recently spiked to a pandemic high, according to the Our World in Data Project at Oxford University. Cases have dropped sharply over the past 10 days, which officials attribute to their rollout of booster shots to about a third of the population of nine million. Still, deaths have risen to about 42 percent of the countrys highest toll, which was reached in late January. Dr. Sharon Alroy-Preis, a senior official in Israels Ministry of Health, told public radio that there were at least 1,500 verified cases among the more than 17,000 pilgrims who returned to from Ukraine on Thursday and Friday. The Ministry of Public Security said on Sunday that at least 154 of the recent arrivals had been summoned by the police for questioning after the end of their 10-day period of home quarantine. Magen David Adom, Israels ambulance service, had set up two sites in Ukraine in cooperation with the Ukrainian Red Cross to offer rapid molecular tests for the returnees, one at the airport in the capital, Kyiv, and one near the rabbis tomb in Uman,. Negative results would allow them to board flights home. The problem, Dr. Alroy-Preis said, was that some who tested positive at the sites hid their results, and acquired fraudulent negative PCR test results elsewhere. Some of those travelers, she said, canceled their direct flights back to Israel, aware that Magen David Adom would have passed their names on to the airlines. Instead, they arrived in Israel via connecting flights. But the names of all those who had tested positive at the two sites in Ukraine were also known to Israels immigration authorities, enabling those travelers to be identified on arrival. Israel in any case does not rely on tests carried out abroad and anybody landing in Israel is tested before leaving the airport. I WAS NEVER THE FIRST LADY By Wendy Guerra Translated by Achy Obejas In Wendy Guerras writing, Cuba is a character, a cosmic force, the loneliest place, the only place. Her third novel, I Was Never the First Lady, stitches together threads of island and identity until they become one and the same. I cant live without these places, she writes. All this is me. First published in Spanish in 2008, and newly translated into English by Guerras faithful translator Achy Obejas, I Was Never the First Lady tells the story of Nadia Guerra, an artist in Havana in the early 21st century, as she endeavors to find the mother who abandoned both her and Cuba decades before. As in Guerras previous novels, Everyone Leaves and Revolution Sunday, the similarities between author and protagonist are impossible to ignore: They are both artists in Havana, they share a last name. If these signs suggest autofiction, Guerras collagelike style firmly bucks any genre. She integrates poems, song lyrics, radio scripts, letters, narrative within narrative, diary entries and notes, all coming together to form a whole. The book exists in four parts, the crux of which is Nadias quest to find her mother. Someone witnessed her being out of her mind, she says of her mother, capturing the books undercurrent of hearsay as information. But so much time has passed since then, we assume she must be dead. Still, using the money and visa from artist grants, Nadia follows the mystery of her mothers chosen disappearance, traveling to Europe and piecing together a contradictory map of clues from the older womans vast network of old lovers and friends. Image By the time Nadia finds her in Russia, her mother is little more than a shadow of the woman the protagonist remembers. Shes left her body, Nadia writes to her childhood friend and occasional lover, Diego. Shes incoherent, delirious. Her mind is hidden in darkness, submerged, and I cant find it. ... I know shes not the same woman we lost sight of when we were 10. Nadias mother is a clear metaphor for Cuba itself, decaying within the borders of an old ally and filled with memories of revolution. House Democrats released legislation that would raise as much as $2.9 trillion to finance President Bidens social safety net package through a series of tax changes, including increasing the amount that the wealthiest Americans and corporations pay in taxes. The legislation would raise the top tax rate on wealthy individuals to 39.6 percent from the current 37 percent. Those with an adjusted gross income of more than $5 million would also face a new surtax of 3 percent. Corporate taxes would rise to 28 percent from 21 percent for companies with income of more than $5 million. The legislation amounts to an opening offer as Democrats in both the House and Senate try to cobble together pieces of President Bidens $3.5 trillion economic package, which would fund climate provisions, paid family leave and public education. The House revenue plan is less aggressive than those of the White House and the Senate. Moderate and conservative Democrats have also balked at the $3.5 trillion price tag of Bidens social-program expansion. Given that the Democrats plan to pass the bill along party lines and cant afford to lose many votes, those differences will need to be worked out in the coming days. The high-profile election that thrust Arnold Schwarzenegger into power in 2003 was the first time that many Americans heard of a recall. The idea that California voters could remove their governor from office before the end of his term and replace him with a movie star was unfamiliar, if not unbelievable. But recalls have a long, storied history in the United States. In 1776, after declaring independence from the British, some of the original 13 colonies wrote recall provisions into their state constitutions as a way to guard against the power of elected officials, said Joshua Spivak, a senior fellow at Wagner Colleges Hugh L. Carey Institute for Government Reform. But the idea of the recall did not make it into the U.S. Constitution, and instead went into hibernation for more than a century. It took a Philadelphia-born doctor in Los Angeles to truly revive the recall, Spivak writes in his book, Recall Elections: From Alexander Hamilton to Gavin Newsom. The Republicans have struggled, I think, to identify with clarity that Democrats have been in charge out here for 15 years, said Doug Ose, a Republican and former three-term congressman who recently dropped out of the race to replace Mr. Newsom after having a heart attack. Instead of focusing on questions such as whether Californians were better off today than they were 15 years ago, Republicans, he said, were being drawn into debates over abortion and other national issues. Quit taking the bait, Mr. Ose said of the Republican attention to the Texas abortion law. Nobody in Texas is going to vote in this election. Why are we talking about whats happening in Texas? In a state where Democrats have been adding to their share of the electorate now accounting for 46 percent of all registered voters, according to the Public Policy Institute of California the Republican Party has been steadily shedding voters. Republicans are only 24 percent of the electorate, compared with 35 percent in 2003, the last time the state recalled its Democratic governor, Gray Davis. That is a far cry from the California that produced two Republican presidents Richard M. Nixon and Ronald Reagan, who was twice elected governor and that provided a national model for how to run as a celebrity conservative reformer in a deep-blue state: former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Mr. Schwarzenegger left office in 2011, and the state has not elected a Republican for a statewide seat since. But if ever there was a time for conservatives to notch a rare, consequential victory in California, this would seem to be it. Residents have been anxious about this latest round of state-mandated, pandemic-related closures, with almost half sharing the mistaken belief that California is in a recession, according to one recent study. Jarring reminders of the states inability to solve fundamental problems are everywhere, from the tent cities that lined the Venice boardwalk to wildfires that suffocated Lake Tahoe. The prosecutor did not respond to requests for comment, and Mr. Peleg could not immediately be reached for comment. Mr. Simbari, the aunts lawyer, said Eitan had lived in Italy since he was a year old and had both Italian and Israeli citizenship. The boys mother tongue was Italian, he said, though he also spoke Hebrew. We are very worried because this child was torn away from a familiar environment, so its a second trauma after the one he experienced in May, Mr. Simbari said. Ms. Biran, the aunt, told reporters on Sunday that Mr. Peleg had picked up Eitan on Saturday morning for an agreed-upon visit to go shopping for toys. After the boy did not return home, she said she began to call Mr. Peleg, who did not answer. On Saturday evening, she told reporters, she received a text message from the grandfather which read: Eitan has returned home. The court ruling this summer had also ordered Mr. Peleg to return Eitans Israeli passport, which he did not do. I can assume that with the passport, the grandfather was able to elude controls at the borders and bring the boy back to Israel, Mr. Simbari said. Lawyers for Mr. Peleg the father of Eitans mother, Tal Peleg rejected the claims of kidnapping, saying in a statement that the boy was never deprived of his personal freedom. They contended that Mr. Peleg did not break a court order, because he had never been formally notified that the child could not leave the country. Eitans state of health worries the maternal family, which has always been kept in the dark by doctors and courts that have hindered the participation of the maternal family, the lawyers said in a statement. For these reasons, his grandfather decided to submit him to the necessary medical checks in Israel. The world is broken. Humans shuffle in place, burdened and anxious, glued to tiny screens, living fossils in an archaeology of traumas racial, economic, ecological that all seem activated at once. Faced with a pandemic, political and economic leaders have proven unequal to the challenge of steering their people, and the planet, to safety. The playbook is empty. They have defaulted to mediocrity, surveillance, the algorithm. This compound failure is a failure of imagination. But if the powerful have run out of ideas beyond clinging to wealth and control in the face of catastrophe, art reminds us that there are other options. And so this season more than ever, I am looking to art that refuses to abdicate: exhibitions and projects that offer global range and historical insight, that tap into ancestral and community knowledge, that beckon us toward constellational thinking. The New Museum Triennial (Oct. 28-Jan. 23) should be a good start. The triennials established mission to present emerging artists from all over the world is crucial in this period of national isolation; and this editions theme, to do with overlooked materials, decay and renewal, seems apt. Im excited that it includes the prodigious young South African artist Bronwyn Katz, whose sculptures of copper, iron ore and found objects are aesthetically concise not to say Minimal yet uncannily charged with spirit force from that countrys geologic and social terrain. Time during the first year of the pandemic was a continuous present: that was what was worst about it. Days became shapeless, dislodged from the past, divorced from the future; nothing stuck, nothing had endurance; whole months washed over me in a nebulous babble of posts and pics. Rediscovering ourselves means rediscovering time not the time of push notifications and 14-day infection rates, but a deep, evolutionary time, where who we were informs who we are and who we will be. How? Where? In a museum, for example: a compression chamber of past, present and future. Across the United States this autumn, exhibitions and collection displays of historical treasures promise to elucidate our own darkling age. Im hoping to go back to the future this fall at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which four years ago received a transformative gift of over 100 Dutch and Flemish paintings from the 17th century by Rembrandt, Rubens, and some less familiar names. On Nov. 20, the MFA inaugurates its new Low Countries galleries, along with a Center for Netherlandish Art that will be the U.S.s first such research institution, which both promise to foreground these paintings reflections of commerce, slavery, exploration, and environment. Dutch art has a reputation for tranquillity, but these painters in Amsterdam, Haarlem or Antwerp were hardly taking it easy. They were working in economic boomtowns, at the dawn of shareholder capitalism and imperial expansion and in their still lifes and portraits you can see a whole new society, nourished by the flow of goods and people from Brazil to Indonesia. (And the dawn, too, of the art market: in Holland, most artists painted on spec for middle-class collectors.) WASHINGTON The Justice Department asked a federal judge late Tuesday to issue an order that would prevent Texas from enforcing a law that prohibits nearly all abortions, ratcheting up a fight between the Biden administration and the states Republican leaders. The Justice Department argued in its emergency motion that the state adopted the law, known as Senate Bill 8, to prevent women from exercising their constitutional rights, reiterating an argument the department made last week when it sued Texas to prohibit enforcement of the contentious new legislation. It is settled constitutional law that a state may not prohibit any woman from making the ultimate decision to terminate her pregnancy before viability, the department said in the lawsuit. But Texas has done just that. As such, the department asked Judge Robert L. Pitman of the Western District of Texas to issue a temporary restraining order or a preliminary injunction that would prevent enforcement of the law. Heres some good news to start your morning: California has less Covid-19 transmission than any state in the country. Thats according to federal officials, who on Wednesday ranked the states current coronavirus case rate the lowest in the nation. Sure, there are mask mandates and other measures to credit, but most deserving of thanks is the Golden States high level of vaccinations. More than 82 percent of Californians aged 12 and older have at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Only nine states have more of their populations immunized. Rather, Mr. Macron wants France to lead the European Union toward a middle course between the two great powers, demonstrating the European strategic autonomy at the core of his vision. He has spoken about an autonomous Europe operating beside America and China. Such comments have been an irritant if no more than that, given how far Europe stands militarily from such autonomy to the Biden administration. Mr. Biden is particularly sensitive on the question of American 20th-century sacrifice for France in two world wars and Frances prickliness over its independence within the NATO alliance. Mr. Macron has not visited the White House since Mr. Biden took office, nor is there any sign that he will soon. The E.U. statement on Indo-Pacific strategy committed European nations to deeper involvement at all levels in the region. Its wording, combining broad engagement with dissent on human rights, broadly reflected Mr. Macrons quest for a policy that does not risk rupture with China but also avoids bowing to Beijing. France said the strategy confirmed its desire for very ambitious action in this region aimed at preserving the freedom of sovereignty of all. The document did not anticipate Australian nuclear submarines, potentially armed with cruise missiles, becoming a potent player in the Pacific in a way that may alter the naval balance of power in an area where China has been extending its influence. Presenting Europes strategy, Josep Borrell Fontelles, the E.U. foreign policy chief, said in Brussels that the submarine deal reinforced the blocs need for more strategic autonomy. I suppose that a deal like that wasnt cooked the day before yesterday, Mr. Borrell said. Despite that, we werent informed. The American-British-Australian agreement, he argued, was more proof that the bloc needs to exist for ourselves, since the others exist for themselves. Italy will require its residents to show a health pass to go to work, the government announced Thursday. It is the first country in Europe to require coronavirus vaccination certificates so widely. Its an extraordinary endeavor, Italys public administration minister, Renato Brunetta, said Thursday night. Its all the human capital in the country. Starting in mid-October, a requirement that already applies to some essential workers will expand to cover anyone working in factories, public offices, shops, restaurants and other settings. That is 23 million people, Mr. Brunetta said. Individuals will have to be able to show that they have received at least one dose of vaccine, or have recently recovered from Covid-19, or else take a swab virus test every two days. Those who test positive must stay home on sick leave. Employers will be in charge of checking certificates, and workers who do not comply with the health pass requirement can be suspended from their jobs and fined up to 1,500 euros ($1,760). Chief Manger said his officers had also been in touch with rally organizers and their security team, and in preparation for the event, security officials have restored a security perimeter around the Capitol including a high fence like the one erected in the wake of the Jan. 6 riot. The rally is the latest effort to rewrite history of the deadly mob attack on the Capitol, which sought to disrupt Congresss count to formalize President Bidens victory in the 2020 election, and which prosecutors say led to as many as 1,000 assaults against police officers. Federal authorities have issued multiple intelligence reports this year warning that the attack on Jan. 6 may not have been an isolated episode, and that domestic extremists have been emboldened by the mob attack and false narratives around the 2020 election. Mr. Trump issued a statement from his office on Thursday, with no mention of the rally, but saying, Our hearts and minds are with the people being persecuted so unfairly relating to the Jan. 6 protest concerning the rigged presidential election. He added: Justice will prevail! The Biden administration has made a point of drawing a contrast between its strategy on domestic extremism and that of the previous administration, which redirected resources toward countering leftist groups despite advice from some top law enforcement officials that militias and white supremacists were the most lethal threat to the United States. Federal officials had a call on Thursday with police agencies across the country to prepare for violence on Sept. 18 and in the days ahead, according to an administration official. The latest report, titled Prospects for Violence at Justice for J6 Rally in Washington, D.C., warns of possible violence both by participants in the rally and by counterprotesters a possibility that Chief Manger alluded to on Friday. If they decide they want to breach the fence, if they decide they want to attack law enforcement, well be ready for those kinds of violence, he said. I have recently spent a lot of time reading about the Confederate government and the Confederate Constitution for a small project Im participating in. Its been a fascinating exercise in large part because I did not actually know that much about either. I have a strong working knowledge of the secession crisis, the Civil War and many of the personalities involved in both, but I was not as knowledgeable about the structure of the Confederate government itself or the particular provisions of its constitution. This is all to say that I thought I would share some of what Ive learned, especially with regard to the Confederate Constitution, which despite its strong similarities to the United States Constitution, right down to its structure and language is much more than just a carbon copy. In particular, there are three major differences that are worth unpacking for what they say about the beliefs and ideology of the Confederate leadership. The first is found at the very beginning. Whereas the U.S. Constitution begins We the People of the United States, the Confederate Constitution begins We, the People of the Confederate States, each State acting in its sovereign and independent character. In The Confederate Constitution of 1861: An Inquiry Into American Constitutionalism, the political scientist Marshall L. DeRosa notes that this was a deliberate change meant to clarify, for good, the status of the states within the Confederacy: The premise of the C.S.A. framers was that sovereign states entered into a federal system to secure their mutual interests, thereby entering into a compact with other states. The C.S.A. framers were determined to prevent their Confederate governments constitutional mandate to regulate and adjudicate interstate economic interests from taking precedence over the sovereign status of the states. In short, the preamble to the Confederate Constitution represents a key element of the constitutional thought of Southern secessionists and an attempt, of sorts, to win the argument with Northern politicians like William Seward of New York, a nationalist who saw the Union as supreme over the states, superseding their authority. His vision, and Abraham Lincolns, was of a single national polity. The Confederacy, by contrast, held on to an older (an arguably originalist) view of the Union as, first and foremost, a federation of sovereign states. Mr. Kent took up the same theme: Its banana republic stuff when political prisoners are arrested and denied due process, he told the crowd, comparing the treatment of Jan. 6 rioters to what he had seen the U.S. military do in Iraq. He added, This is a slippery slope and we are on it right now. The narrative spun from the podium was largely untrue or exaggerated. About 15 percent of those arrested so far in connection with the Jan. 6 riot have been denied bail and remain in pretrial custody much lower than the overall federal pretrial detention rate of 75 percent. Moreover, all of those being detained on charges related to Jan. 6 are facing serious charges like assault or obstruction of Congress; none have been accused of only misdemeanors. Far from jailing everyone, in fact, judges have granted bail to numerous defendants accused of violent attacks on the police or of belonging to extremist groups like the Proud Boys or the Oath Keepers militia. There is also no evidence to back the charges, repeated from the podium on Saturday, that the authorities have imposed harsh conditions on Jan. 6 defendants because of their political beliefs. There was a recent 23-hour lockdown at the District of Columbia jail, but a jail spokesman said it was enforced throughout the facility to curb the spread of the coronavirus and not imposed solely on Capitol defendants. It has been lifted, she added. But Saturdays rally was not about facts. When we take back the House and we take back the Senate in 22, we are going to lay it out. We are going to have a congressional hearing. Were going to subpoena witnesses, subpoena evidence and well show there was widespread voter fraud, Mr. Kent said, even as he acknowledged that for half of the country, his charges were part of the Big Lie. The rally was organized by Matt Braynard, a former Trump campaign operative, and his organization, Look Ahead America. Mr. Braynard opened the event joking that he hoped everyone got their wrists measured for handcuffs, even as he asked the crowd to be respectful of the police. JERUSALEM Israel on Sunday captured the last of the six Palestinian inmates who escaped a maximum-security prison nearly two weeks ago, ending an episode that Israelis saw as a humiliation of their security establishment and Palestinians celebrated as a rare black eye for the Israeli occupation. The Israeli Army said in a statement that it had captured Munadil Nafayat and Eham Kamamji in Jenin, their hometown in the occupied West Bank, in an early-morning operation conducted jointly with a police special forces unit and the Israeli domestic intelligence agency, the Shin Bet. Of the six prisoners who broke out of Gilboa prison in northern Israel on Sept. 6, Mr. Nafayat and Mr. Kamamji were the only ones who had managed to reach the West Bank. The other four were caught in northern Israel more than a week ago. The six escaped their shared cell after removing part of the floor of their shower cubicle and crawling for nearly 32 yards underneath the prison, partly through a pre-existing cavity that extended from beneath the cell toward the prison perimeter. The accounting firms have a desire to get in favorable rules for their clients, said Michael Hamersley, a former tax lawyer at EY and KPMG. And the person in the government has a desire to grant their wish because they know they will be rewarded when they get out. The so-called revolving door, in which people cycle between the public and private sectors, is nothing new. But the ability of the worlds largest accounting firms to embed their top lawyers inside the governments most important tax-policy jobs has largely escaped public scrutiny. Image Audrey Ellis went from PwC to the Treasury Department. Two years later, she returned to her old firm, which promoted her to partner. Credit... Photo Illustration by The New York Times; PwC In the last four presidential administrations, there were at least 35 instances of round trips from big accounting firms through Treasurys tax policy office, along with the Internal Revenue Service and the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation, and back to the same firm, according to public records and interviews with government and industry officials. In at least 16 of those cases, the officials were promoted to partner when they rejoined their old accounting firms. The firms often double the pay of employees upon their return from their government sojourns. Some partners end up earning more than $1 million a year. Federal rules prohibit government officials from working on many matters in which they have financial interests, like having an unwritten agreement to return to their prior firm. The purpose of the rules is to avoid having officials beholden to private parties instead of working on behalf of the public, though it is hard to prove the existence of such financial entanglements. Lawyers who come from the private sector need to learn who their new client is, and its not their former clients. Its the American public, said Stephen Shay, a retired tax partner at Ropes & Gray who served in the Treasury during the Reagan and Obama administrations. A certain percentage of people never make that switch. Its really hard to make that switch when you know where you are going back in two years, and its to your old clients. The incentives are bad. The German-Czech drama Je Suis Karl aims to offer a hard-hitting diagnosis of modern Europe and how the far right co-opts impressionable young adults. But the director, Christian Schwochow, sets up a gut-punch that doesnt land. Big swings dont count for much when basics of plausibility and structure are so muddled. In a prologue styled as found footage, Alex (Milan Peschel) and Ines (Melanie Fouche) smuggle a Libyan migrant, Yusuf (Aziz Dyab), into Germany. Around two years later, someone delivers a package bomb to Alex and Iness building. The explosion kills Ines, the couples young sons and several others but spares Alex and his older daughter, Maxi (Luna Wedler), who arent there. Political reporting often portrays progressives as impractical and intransigent, unwilling to make the compromises needed to get things done, while centrists are realistic pragmatists. Whats happening in Congress right now, however, is just the opposite. The Democratic Partys left wing is advancing sensible, popular policies like negotiating on drug prices and cracking down on wealthy tax cheats, and has shown itself willing to make major compromises to advance President Bidens agenda. In particular, the $3.5 trillion in spending Biden is asking for over the next decade is much less than progressives originally wanted. The partys conservative wing, however, seems willing to risk blowing up its own presidents prospects rather than give an inch. Whats going on? Contrary to legend, many of the balking Democrats dont come from swing districts; anyway, the Biden economic agenda is popular almost everywhere. For example, its main elements command overwhelming support in West Virginia. Furthermore, does anyone really imagine that the outcome of the midterm elections will depend on whether the eventual package, if there is one, is $3.5 trillion or $1.5 trillion? We can, of course, invoke the usual suspects: Corporate money and wealthy donors are surely having an impact. But I was struck by something Eric Levitz of New York magazine said in a recent article on this subject, which helped clarify a point Ive been groping toward. Namely, some Democrats seem to have formed their perceptions about both economics and politics during the Clinton years and havent updated their views since. A man in Washington State who posed as a teenager online and blackmailed girls as young as 12 across the country to send him sexually explicit photos and videos was sentenced on Monday to 20 years in prison, the federal authorities said. The man, Joshua Henry Punt, 39, of Ridgefield, Wash., pleaded guilty in April to using the messaging apps Kik and Snapchat to connect with the girls, pressure them to send him sexually explicit images of themselves and then use that material to demand more content with the threat of publicly posting the images in his possession, the Justice Department said. Eight victims, ranging in age from 12 to 16, were identified across the United States, including in Arkansas, California, Kentucky, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and West Virginia, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Western District of Washington. This predatory defendant infiltrated our homes, using electronic access and social media to deceive, pressure and sexually exploit young girls across the country, Tessa M. Gorman, the acting U.S. attorney, said in the statement. We warn our children about the dangerous stranger they might encounter on the street we must be equally vigilant about the ones who are lurking online. It was an unexpected turn both for the chief and for Miami, which has tried to prove it is a mature city ready to draw serious tech investors, only to find itself entangled in an ugly battle over its sixth police chief in 11 years. It was only this year that the Justice Department ended five years of oversight of the Police Department, which began after an investigation into the police killings of seven Black men. Chief Acevedo was supposed to bring that era to a conclusion by enacting reforms and promoting an equitable, merit-based chain of command in the police force. But he wasted no time in generating controversy of his own. He terminated two high-ranking officers and demoted the departments second-highest-ranking female Black officer. He said his own department rather than the Florida Department of Law Enforcement should investigate police shootings. And he angered the police union by telling a local radio station that officers should get vaccinated against the coronavirus or risk losing their jobs. Last week, a majority of members polled by the Fraternal Order of Police said that they had no confidence in the chief and that he should be fired or forced to resign. Meantime, Chief Acevedo was making new enemies outside the Police Department as well. At a demonstration in support of freedom activists in Cuba outside Miamis iconic Versailles restaurant, the chief was caught posing for a photo with a prominent member of the Proud Boys. (He did not know who it was, the chief said.) Someone that day also recorded him swearing at a man who asked why he hung out with Marxists and Communists and supported the Black Lives Matter movement. What especially incensed commissioners, in addition to the housecleaning at Police Headquarters, was when Chief Acevedo told a group of officers this summer that the department was run by a Cuban mafia. The chief later apologized, saying he intended it as a joke and had not realized that Fidel Castro had used the same phrase to refer to Cuban exiles in Miami who opposed his Communist regime. The commissioners meeting to confront the chief on Monday quickly devolved into Miami-style political theatrics. Jair Bolsonaro, Brazils proudly unvaccinated president, is contending with more fallout from his visit to New York last week to speak at the United Nations: A fourth member of his entourage has tested positive for Covid-19, and his wife, Michelle, opted to get vaccinated before they returned home. Pedro Duarte Guimaraes, an economist who is the chief executive of Caixa Economica Federal, a leading Brazilian banking institution, disclosed on Sunday that he had tested positive, joining Brazils health minister, Marcelo Queiroga, Mr. Bolsonaros son Eduardo and a Brazilian diplomat. Mr. Queiroga, who was diagnosed during the visit, remained in isolation in a New York hotel. Mr. Guimaraes and Mr. Queiroga have said they were fully vaccinated. Mr. Bolsonaro, whose insistence on downplaying the pandemic has been widely criticized, has declined to be vaccinated, contending that his own recovery from a Covid infection last year gave him resistance to a recurrence. Defying a United Nations honor system requiring proof of vaccination, Mr. Bolsonaro was the first leader to address the General Assembly last Tuesday when it commenced the annual high-level week of speeches by representatives of its 193 members. Canada has doubled to 40,000 the number of Afghans fleeing the Taliban that it plans to take in, the Canadian foreign minister said Monday, fulfilling a campaign pledge made by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The announcement, which came a week after Mr. Trudeaus party won re-election, was certain to be welcomed by humanitarian groups in Canada. They had been pressing the government to do significantly more when it initially committed last month to take in 20,000 refugees after the Taliban swept into power With the Talibans harsh interpretation of Islamic law and their repression of women, many Afghans have been hoping to leave the country, and members of Mr. Trudeaus cabinet had said during the campaign that they would raise the number of refugees they would accept beyond the original 20,000 figure. But the announcement Monday by Marc Garneau, the foreign minister, as he was addressing the annual General Assembly at the United Nations, was the first official word of the expansion. BERLIN For a moment it felt like he was already chancellor. As Olaf Scholz stood on the stage surrounded by euphoric followers chanting his name and celebrating him as if he were the next leader of Germany, he was the clear winner of the night. Mr. Scholz had just done the unthinkable carry his long moribund center-left Social Democrats to victory, however narrow, in elections on Sunday that were the most volatile in a generation. But if winning wasnt hard enough, the hardest part may be yet to come. Mr. Scholz, an affable but disciplined politician, most recently served as the vice chancellor and finance minister in the outgoing government of Chancellor Angela Merkel. Though he represents the party opposing her conservative Christian Democratic Union, he came out on top by persuading voters that he was not so much an agent of change as one of stability and continuity. In a race without an incumbent he ran as one. It is a balancing act that may be hard to sustain for a onetime socialist who today is firmly rooted in the center of a fast-changing political landscape. The historian and social critic Ibram X. Kendi is used to getting hate mail. And sometimes the disdain for him and his work takes the form of a phone call. So when he does not recognize the number he does not often answer. Such was the case on a recent day when Dr. Kendi, who wrote the best-selling book, How to Be an Antiracist, ignored a call from Chicago. It would take a text-message exchange with the caller and a little online sleuthing, but he eventually discovered that the person calling was from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. He was intrigued: Were they calling to talk about a potential research collaboration or was it something else? Dr. Kendi let them call again. And when he picked up, he would learn that the foundation was calling to convey happy news the something else he had allowed as a possibility: He had been awarded a prestigious (and lucrative) MacArthur Fellowship. My first words were Are you serious? he recalled. Indeed, they were. Its very meaningful I think to anyone who studies a topic where theres a lot of acrimony and a lot of pain to be recognized and to get love mail sometimes, he said. And this is one of the greatest forms of that I have ever received. 4. Gold Jewelry Before I had S.N.L., I had a lot of gold rings that were not real gold because I was broke. Im still not rich, by the way. I ran into my friend Khoby [Rowe] at a Comedy Central Emmys party, and I go, I think Im going to treat myself to a real gold ring one that I can wash my hands and put lotion on and not have it turn. And she was like, Hell yeah. This ring on my hand, I treated myself, too. And when I got S.N.L., her text to me was like, I think youre allowed to get yourself a ring. 5. Yerba Mate I would watch friends develop coffee addictions. It became such a part of the routine, like, I literally cant get my day started without this. And I basically want a life where I dont need anything to function besides water and food you know, Maslows hierarchy. So I dont like to drink coffee, and if I do its because Im really in a pinch. I prefer yerba mate. I feel like I get energized, and its natural, so they say. It could very well be a placebo effect, but Im OK with that. 6. Death, Sex & Money Podcast Its about the human experience. Death, Sex and Money does a great job of reminding us that were connected. And so much of our experiences are shared regardless of race, gender, religion. Think of all the ways we are divided as a people. So, I love that podcast. Big fan. The tagline is things we think about a lot and need to talk about more. And its true. 7. Prayer and Meditation I am a person of faith, is how Id like to describe myself. And praying is just a conversation with God. I was listening to a podcast, and a guest, who I believe is sober, said that every thought, action and word is an offering to God. Kind of like everythings a prayer. And if you can remember that in the moment, thats really beautiful. 8. Offerings in Los Angeles I lived in L.A. for 12 years, and I get disappointed any time a friend is in a different city and I need to send them flowers. Cant find them elsewhere. Just the most beautiful floral arrangements. Im so excited to hear peoples reactions to receiving those flowers, because they always have something to say. I sent them to Melissa Villasenor once, and she goes, I feel like a queen. 9. Solanges A Seat at the Table What a beautiful body of work, top to bottom. I remember when I first heard it, I was sitting on the floor in my bedroom in Santa Monica, and I was thinking, Great, thisll be background noise while I get ready. But I felt stopped in my own tracks. I was like, Whoa, what am I listening to? I got to see her on tour for that album at the Hollywood Bowl, and I wondered, How is she going to be able to fill this space? Because I think of neo-soul as such an intimate experience and the Hollywood Bowl is huge. And she did someones essence and artistry can do that and I was brought to tears. 10. My Niece Sophia was born on July 25, and a picture came to my phone, and I was instantly in love. Then I go home to Maryland, and I get to hold her, and my heart just grows a hundred sizes in a way I did not know it could until maybe I had my own children. I would sit there and just stare at her sleeping. Its cool to find out where your heart can take you. Ive never felt that kind of love, and I think that love opened me up to other love. Nine years ago, my colleague Andrea Elliott set out to report a series of stories about what it was like to be a homeless child in New York City. As part of her reporting, she soon met a girl in Brooklyn named Dasani a spunky 11-year-old with big dreams and no home, as Andrea has described her. The five-part series that The Times published in 2013 turned Dasani into a public figure. Readers donated money to help her. Bill de Blasio, the incoming mayor who promised to reduce income inequality, said, We cant let children of this city like Dasani down. At the 2014 inauguration for de Blasio and other top officials, Dasani held the bible for Letitia James, the new public advocate, who called Dasani my new BFF. This morning, The Times Magazine has published a new story by Andrea that follows Dasani in the years since the spotlight left her. It makes for gripping, and at times difficult, reading. The buy-now, pay-later services that let shoppers settle up for their purchases in four interest-free installments have so far been the domain of start-ups. But now a traditional financial player is moving in with an option of its own: Mastercard. The company announced plans on Tuesday for a new pay-later offering that it said would enable banks, financial technology companies, digital wallets and other lenders to provide a variety of installment payment options to their customers, whether they are making purchases online or in a store. Given Mastercards infrastructure that processes credit and debit payments, the program has the potential to ramp up competition in a segment dominated by upstarts like Afterpay, Sezzle, Klarna and Zip. Merchants are able to accept this with zero effort on their part, either for online transactions or in-store, Craig Vosburg, Mastercards chief product officer, said in an interview. The board of directors of Ozy, a digital media company, said on Tuesday that it had hired a law firm to investigate its business activities after a New York Times report raised questions about the companys practices. In a statement, the board said it had hired Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison, a large international firm with headquarters in New York, to conduct the review. The board also said it had asked Samir Rao, the chief operating officer of Ozy, to take a leave of absence pending the results of the investigation. We will continue to review the companys leadership in the coming months, the board said in the statement. Founded in 2013, Ozy has a general interest news site, publishes a raft of newsletters and produces interview programs and documentaries, some of which appear on YouTube. The Timess media columnist, Ben Smith, reported that Mr. Rao had apparently impersonated a YouTube executive during a conference call in February with Goldman Sachs bankers who were considering a deal to invest $40 million in Ozy. On the call, the person posing as the executive told the bankers that Ozys videos were a great success on YouTube. Brent crude rose as high as $80.70 a barrel on Tuesday, before falling back to $79.09. West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark, was also approaching a three-year high, reaching $76.67 a barrel before settling lower, at $75.29. Analysts say outages caused by Hurricane Ida, which damaged oil platforms and infrastructure in the Gulf of Mexico in late August, have outweighed the modest increases in output agreed by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries in July. OPEC and its allies including Russia are likely to come under pressure to speed up their plans for supply increases when the group meets by teleconference on Monday. The Biden administration has already criticized the group for not doing enough to cushion price increases. The long lines at gas stations in Britain, while caused by shortages of fuel truck drivers rather than oil, may also be adding upward pressure to prices. Analysts at Goldman Sachs recently forecast that Brent would hit a peak of $90 a barrel in December, noting that global inventories are being burned off at what they described as a record rate. At Noma, these sauces are administered so subtly that you dont notice anything weird going on; you just think youve never tasted anything so extraordinary in your life. At Eleven Madison Park, certain dishes are as subtle as a dirty martini. Its possible that some of the special sauce is so concentrated that an extra drop or two can push things over the top. This would explain why a half-eggplant in which glazed slices of pickled eggplant ride like passengers in a canoe had an intoxicating richness the first time I ate it and a cloying heaviness the next. A couple of the kitchens efforts to get plants to mimic something else succeed. When it happens, all doubts evaporate for a few minutes. Tonburi, made from Japanese summer-cypress seeds, arrives on chipped ice inside an antique silver caviar bowl that looks as if it belonged to the Romanovs. The seeds, dark and round and shiny, are sometimes said to taste like broccoli. At Eleven Madison Park, they have been seasoned with kelp. A chef might say the kelp adds umami. Id say it tastes delicious, and I might add that its flavor brings up deep, partly subconscious associations with the sea. Its a sleight-of-hand trick, but your taste buds accept it in place of the fishy brininess of sturgeon roe. There is a plant-based version of the restaurants wonderful bread, like a savory croissant rolled into a crisp golden swirl. Originally kneaded with cow butter, the laminated dough has been rejiggered with butter made from sunflower seeds, and its an unqualified success. So is the nonbutter that arrives with the bread, molded into the shape of a sunflower, bright yellow with a dark eye of tangy fermented sunflower seeds in the center. Headliner Oliva This bright, spacious Spanish restaurant featuring tapas is a new addition to West Harlem. It opens in the three-month-old Manhattanville Market food court, part of the Jerome L. Greene Science Center at Columbia University. Like the rest of the market, its run by the chef and restaurateur Franklin Becker, who has put Chris Strelnick in charge of Oliva as chef de cuisine. The choices among cured meats include top-of-the-line Iberico hams. There are also cheeses, and about 30 hot and cold tapas. Most are classics like pan con tomate, potato tortilla, garlic shrimp, meatballs and salt cod croquettes. Somewhat more substantial are plates of chicken with sweet pepper sauce and almonds, squid or octopus with potatoes and peppers, and, serving two, a socarrat, which is crispy paella rice with seafood and aioli. Must-have desserts are churros, crema catalana, and chocolate cream with olive oil, salt and almonds. Most of the wines, ciders and beers and even many spirits on the deep list come from Spain and were assembled by the beverage consultant Eamon Rockey. He has also created the cocktails, often with a Spanish twist including sherry. Seating is on an elevated area on one side of the market, with outdoor tables, too. Manhattanville Market, 3229 Broadway (130th Street), 917-522-0391, olivatapas.com. Opening Mighties Jeremiah Stone and Fabian von Hauske Valtierra of Contra and Wildair, along with John Ratliff of Ends Meat, have opened this spot for burgers in the Market Line food hall on the Lower East Side. The menu amounts to thinnish five-ounce grass-fed beef patties, single or double, with or without cheese, plus a hot dog and fries. The meat is from Duell Hollow Farm in Buskirk, N.Y. Market Line, 115 Delancey Street (Essex Street), no phone, mightiesburgers.com. Chikarashi Isso When this restaurant opened in 2019, it offered casual fare, mostly bowls, for lunch. At dinner, a sliding panel revealed a simple but more elegant dining room for kaiseki-style kappo menus. It closed in March 2020 and has now reopened with a new chef and a less-formal approach. Now its all one tailored restaurant for lunch and dinner, but still with a counter option. Hideaki Kobayashi, the new chef who recently arrived from Tokyo, serves bowls at lunch, centered on raw fish, cooked seafood and tofu. The dinner menu lists small plates like chicken karaage, sashimi, chawanmushi, fried oysters, and potato croquette with black truffles. There is also tempura, donburi, shabu shabu, udon with tempura and sukiyaki. 38 Rector Street (Washington Street), 646-596-8298, chikarashiisso.com. Compere Lapin at Intersect by Lexus NYC The chef Nina Comptons New Orleans restaurant, a showcase for her personal take on Gulf Coast meets the Caribbean, will move into Intersect by Lexus starting Oct. 20. It follows The Grey and Manresa in the establishments second-floor restaurant residency program. Ms. Comptons a la carte menu will feature dishes like pork belly with tamarind and green chutney, striped bass escovitch with jerk carrots, and doberge cake with lemon curd and lemon-buttermilk sorbet. There will be a tasting menu, too. Intersect by Lexus plans to make a donation to Second Harvest Food Bank in New Orleans. Reservations can be made starting Wednesday; Compere Lapin will be in residence Wednesdays through Sundays through January 2022. Intersect by Lexus NYC, 412 West 14th Street, 212-230-5832, intersect-nyc.com. At the beginning of the pandemic, I moved to Waterbury with my mom and younger sister. I grew up in the Bronx. But my mom wanted to get a house. This was the best place, the best neighborhood. I tried going to school in person for a few weeks sophomore year, but we had to stay home every few days because one person would catch a case and then the whole school would shut down. Also, staying home was easier on my mom and sister. My mom was working in person as a social worker in New York City. In the morning, Id make sure my sister was awake and got on the bus for kindergarten. Then Id wait for her to come home and help her with her homework. Id make sure she showered give her food to eat. I didnt want to be at home. And when I realized I wouldnt have school sophomore year, it really took a toll on the mind. I did well in my online classes. But Id sleep into the afternoon and then do schoolwork for the rest of the day. Then Id watch TV and videos all night into the morning. It was a repeating pattern. There was just so much free time. Now that Im back in school, Ive met a lot of new people. Everyone seems a lot friendlier and more open. Im playing volleyball. And I want to get involved in the community, maybe volunteer with the Red Cross. I want to go to college and get a doctorate in psychology. I always find myself questioning, What makes people think and act the way they do? And how can I, as a person, relate to them? The pandemic made me more self-aware. The Delta variant of the coronavirus was the leading reason that people decided to get vaccinated against Covid-19 this summer and why most say they will get boosters when eligible, according to the latest monthly survey on vaccine attitudes by the Kaiser Family Foundation, released on Tuesday morning. But the survey indicated that nearly three-quarters of unvaccinated Americans view boosters very differently, saying that the need for them shows that the vaccines are not working. That divide suggests that while it may be relatively easy to persuade vaccinated people to line up for an additional shot, the need for boosters may complicate public health officials efforts to persuade the remaining unvaccinated people to get their initial one. Another takeaway from the Kaiser Family Foundation survey: For all the carrots dangled to induce hesitant people to get Covid shots cash, doughnuts, racetrack privileges more credit for the recent rise in vaccination goes to the stick. Almost 40 percent of newly inoculated people said that they had sought the vaccines because of the increase in Covid cases, and more than a third said that they had become alarmed by overcrowding in local hospitals and rising death rates. When a theoretical threat becomes a clear and present danger, people are more likely to act to protect themselves and their loved ones, said Drew Altman, the Kaiser Family Foundations chief executive. Its not appropriate for me to comment how long F.D.A. would take to review the data, Dr. Bourla said in an appearance at the Atlantic Festival, hosted by The Atlantic magazine. They should take as much time as they think is appropriate for them. He added that an authorization around Halloween, as some health officials have suggested could be possible, was one of the options, and its up to the F.D.A. Just over a week ago, Pfizer and BioNTech announced favorable results from their clinical trial with more than 2,200 participants in that age group. The F.D.A. has said it will analyze the data as soon as possible. Dr. Peter Marks, the agencys top vaccine regulator, said recently that barring surprises, an authorization could come in a matter of weeks, not months after the companies submitted data. The companies said last week that their vaccine had been shown to be safe and effective in low doses in children ages 5 to 11, offering hope to parents in the United States who are worried that a return to in-person schooling has put children at risk of infection. About 28 million children ages 5 to 11 would be eligible for the vaccine in the United States, far more than the 17 million ages 12 to 15 who became eligible for the vaccine in May. But it is not clear how many in the younger cohort will be vaccinated. Inoculations among older children have lagged: Only about 43 percent of children ages 12 to 15 have been fully vaccinated in the United States, compared with 67 percent of adults, according to federal data. Piper, a 17-year-old transgender girl, says she knows she is fortunate. She lives just outside Atlanta, with a supportive family and two rescued leopard geckos, Saturn and Juno. Queer Med, a private gender clinic, is a short drive away; two years ago, she started a regimen of gender-affirming hormones there, after five months of asking a comparatively short wait. The treatments have precipitated a monumental shift in Pipers perception of herself. Im just more confident in my body, she said. (Pipers family members asked that she be identified by only her first name to protect their privacy.) Things are not perfect. Piper still sees a regular pediatrician for her other health needs, but staff members there still occasionally use the wrong pronouns or her former name. Her familys new insurance plan is not accepted at Queer Med, so they must pay out of pocket for every visit about $150 not including lab fees. And the threat of her care becoming unavailable is constant, as Georgia is one of 20 states this year that introduced bills to prohibit or restrict gender-affirming treatments to minors. Piper plans to leave the South after high school, out of concern for her health and safety. But it could all be much worse, she knows. I am so lucky, Piper said. A lot of people dont get the chance. Many obstacles prevent young transgender people from getting the health care they need, according to a recent study in the journal JAMA Pediatrics; these include stigma and discrimination from the health care system as well as legal, economic and social obstacles to obtaining gender-affirming care. A 2019 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that about 1.8 percent of high school students in the United States identified as transgender. My cousin left this message for me three months into my freshman year of college. His Chicago accent was so thick that I had to replay it a few times: Aye cuz, answer yo phone, he said. I talked to my mom, she told me you are out there doing yo thang. We were kids walking through Hyde Park, dreaming about everything we wanted to do, and you down there making it happen. Im really proud of you cuz. I love you cuz, stay true to yourself. Youre my motivation. Voice mail has gotten a bad rep. Antiquated and annoying, it can easily be ignored and take up too much phone storage and is a hassle if you happen to have a long-winded relative; most of us have all but abandoned it in favor of more instantaneous connections. But I did not realize what a trove my inbox had become until that day. My cousins voice reminded me of walking down 53rd Street, eating Flamin Hot Cheetos soaked in melted nacho cheese as sweat dripped down our backs. And days spent wandering around Powells Books after grabbing catfish nuggets soaked in lemon pepper from J&J Fish and Chicken. His words Im really proud of you and Youre my motivation reverberated inside my head. A few months before I received that message, I moved to Wellesley, Mass., to pursue a bachelors degree in Africana studies. What the admissions office, my mama and everyone else did not know was that I was running away from a city that had the same cadence as my cousins voice. People always joke that us Black folk from Chicago are just Mississippians in coats, and living in Massachusetts forced me to reckon with my own demons and the feeling that somehow I was living on borrowed time because of my deteriorating mental health. I could not bring myself to hold a conversation with anyone for longer than five seconds, and I was convinced that if the people I loved knew what I was dealing with on the inside, it would somehow persuade them to love me less, inadvertently making me love me less. So I fled. And although I deliberately chose to leave Chicago, I could not shake the shock and unease that came with learning another citys sound. I felt so far away from everything and everyone I knew. This morning Joel Bernache will tune five Steinway grand pianos. Then he will hope, as piano tuners do. He will hope that midday sun does not knock them out of tune after he finishes. (The steel strings in the treble might get too hot to touch.) More than that, he will hope that the forecast of likely showers or scattered thunderstorms in the evening is wrong. High humidity can make the felt and leather in a piano balky. It can also wreck the pitches of notes because it expands the wood, changing the shape of the soundboard just enough to make the notes annoyingly sharp. The five Steinways are bound for a 7 p.m. concert by the 5 Browns, the piano-playing siblings, at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park. The number five runs through the program: Among the pieces they will perform is Beethovens Symphony No. 5. Bernache is not the only one watching the weather. So are the Browns: The concert is to be carried on WQXR-FM. If theres a downpour before curtain time, they along with the radio audience, but not concertgoers in the park could go to one of the few other places in the city that can hold five pianos, the Steinway factory in Queens. But light rain or drizzle? The show could go on, because the pianos (and the five Browns) would be under the arch of the bandshell the only neoclassical structure in the park, which has largely Victorian architecture. For an outdoor thing like this, you kind of chase your tail all day long, Bernache said. If all five pianos are onstage in the morning and its overcast when Im there, everythings fine. Then the 5 Browns come to start rehearsal later, and by then its 74 degrees. As the temperature goes up, the strings on the pianos relax. This will lower the pitch on the pianos. And then later the sun comes out, and its afternoon, so its really strong sunlight. Thats actually the biggest obstacle, thermal radiation. At a busy intersection in the Bronx, two sanitation workers grab whole watermelons and boxes of produce from a street vendors stall and toss them into a garbage truck to be crushed as police officers stand by. Several bystanders, many speaking Spanish, object loudly to what is happening to the woman who operates the stall and to the edible food that is being turned into trash. How dare he? one person says of one of the sanitation workers. The episode between the vendor and the New York City authorities, captured in video snippets on Thursday that were shared widely on social media over the weekend, highlights the continuing tension over official efforts to crack down on those who sell goods on the street without permits despite pleas from many of them that doing so is their only way to survive. These people who are trying to make an honest dollar are being fined, rather than being given the tools and opportunities to formalize their businesses in the way that theyre asking to, said Carina Kaufman-Gutierrez, the deputy director of the Street Vendor Project, an advocacy group. Still, he suggested that as Mr. Cuomos lieutenant governor, she could have spoken out against him more forcefully. I just imagine if there was a lieutenant governor that pushed back a little bit harder, we may have not been in the situation were in, he said, though Mr. Cuomo iced Ms. Hochul out of his inner circle. Theres more that a lot of people could have done, but I ran very intentionally and specifically in 2018 on that message. In 2018, Ms. Hochul, a centrist Democrat from western New York, declined to name any areas of disagreement with Mr. Cuomo during a debate with Mr. Williams, and spent her time in office traveling the state, promoting the administrations policies. But she also backed the independent investigation into Mr. Cuomo, accurately noted that she was not close to him or part of his decision-making processes, and has promised that no one will ever describe my administration as a toxic work environment. Its a little early, given that the governor has only been in office four weeks, Jay Jacobs, the moderate chairman of the New York Democrats, said of Mr. Williamss move. You have to be running for reasons that transcend ambition. There has to be a rationale that makes you believe that you would be better than this governor. So well see what he has to say. A representative for Ms. Hochul declined to comment. Mr. Williams indicated he was committed to an exploratory committee regardless of who else decides to run, and said that his efforts would include building out infrastructure for a potential campaign. But pressed on whether he would run for governor if Ms. James did so, he did not answer directly. New York is a bellwether for vaccine mandates, as a number of states have imposed similar requirements that take effect soon, including California, where health care workers must be fully vaccinated by Sept. 30 unless they receive a medical or religious exemption. New Yorks mandate is among the strictest, providing no option to test weekly rather than get vaccinated. It also allows no religious exemptions, though that is the subject of litigation. In the New York City public hospital system, more than 8,000 workers were unvaccinated a week ago. By Monday morning, that number had dropped to about 5,000 or just over 10 percent of the work force. Dr. Mitchell Katz, the president of the system, said Tuesday that about 500 unvaccinated nurses were among the employees placed on unpaid leave on Tuesday, but that the system had brought in 500 new nurses and had enough staff to continue functioning safely. In Rochester, officials at Strong Memorial Hospital placed a two-week pause on scheduling elective procedures and warned patients to expect longer wait times for routine appointments as the deadline loomed last week. But on Monday, they announced that they had been able to bring their staff vaccination rate to 95.5 percent, up from 92 percent last week. After staff members with exemptions are accounted for, fewer than 300 employees out of 16,000 will be fired if they dont relent, said Kathleen Parrinello, the chief operating officer of the hospital. Some are still very scared, she said. So they need hand-holding and reassurance. Other employees, she said, told her they werent convinced they should get vaccinated but didnt want to lose their jobs. In the courts, some of the lawsuits filed by opponents of the mandate are based on First Amendment grounds. Others argue that the state should recognize immunity from prior infection, though most scientists say that does not provide sufficient protection and insist that vaccination is superior. Star Wars missed a trick, said Rebecca Nealon from the University of Warwick in England, a co-author on the paper. Scientists have been on the lookout for a planet orbiting three stars, and found potential evidence in another system, GG Tau A, located about 450 light years from Earth. But the researchers say the gap in GW Oris gas and dust ring makes it a more convincing example. It may be the first evidence of a circumtriple planet carving a gap in real time, said Jeremy Smallwood from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, lead author of the new paper. William Welsh, an astronomer at San Diego State University, said the researchers make a good case. If this turns out to be a planet, it would be fascinating. Alison Young from the University of Leicester in England who has argued that GW Oris stars caused the gap in the systems disk, rather than a planet, notes that observations from the ALMA telescope and Very Large Telescope in Chile in the coming months could end the debate. Well be able to look for direct evidence of a planet in the disk, Dr. Young said. If the planet hypothesis is confirmed, the system would reinforce the idea that planet formation is common. Several worlds, known as circumbinary planets, are already known to orbit two stars at once. But circumtriple planets have been harder to come by despite estimates that at least a tenth of all stars cluster in systems of three or more. Yet their possible existence suggests that planets spring up in all sorts of places, even here in this most bizarre of systems. Three stars is not enough to kill planet formation, Dr. Nealon said. That suggests that exoplanets are likely to arise in more and more unusual locations. What weve learned is any time planets can form, they do, said Sean Raymond, an astronomer from the University of Bordeaux in France who was not involved in the paper. Arguably, much of the American obsession with red meat, above all hulking bone-in slabs of steak served rare and bleeding, aligns with the ideal of the red-blooded American male: blood to blood, like to like. Its proof of virility and a reminder, perhaps, of our history as hunters, long ago when we were less technologically fortified and just as likely to be prey, when bringing down a mighty beast a monster was a matter of survival, to be celebrated at feasts with a wild boars head on a platter, fangs bared, still primed to fight. EATING HAS ALWAYS carried risk. This is an act that can be exquisitely pleasurable, but also frightening; an act that nourishes, at the same time as it increases the chances of death or illness by toxins and microorganisms, the psychology professor Paul Rozin writes in his 1999 essay Food Is Fundamental, Fun, Frightening, and Far-Reaching. When we eat, we take what is external and thus essentially alien and make it literally part of us. Its the breaching of a boundary, as Rozin puts it: The world enters the self. With so much at stake, every society has set up prohibitions on what is and isnt acceptable to eat. In the West, dogs are pets; elsewhere, they may be meat. A lambs eyeball an Eastertide treat in Greece, bestowed on honored guests starts off crunchy, then collapses into gooey lusciousness. Live octopus is gelatinous and slithery, its textures still beyond the pale for most American palates. This may in part explain the reactions to Oldboy. Some reviewers and online commentators deployed the language of nausea, warning of the need for a strong stomach. There was, too, the occasional whiff of xenophobia: The film critic Rex Reed went so far as to write, outrageously, What else can you expect from a nation weaned on kimchi, a mixture of raw garlic and cabbage buried underground until it rots? (Disgust is an evolutionarily protective measure, holding us back from eating things we dont recognize or from being open to learning from other cultures because we fear they might hurt us.) Yet for all the murmurs of poor octopus, the revulsion seemed to have little to do with animal rights. Octopus is also eaten in the West, after all but only if its suffering and death take place out of sight. This is the case with almost all animals eaten in the developed world. The writhing octopus on film provoked shock in American audiences not so much out of empathy for a dying animal but because it defied the script of easy victory. It revealed an animal still capable of struggle, refusing its destiny. Is the horror the slaughter, or being forced to acknowledge it? IN THE PAST two decades, great crowds of jellyfish, called blooms, have begun to wreak havoc around the world. In Japan, giant Nomuras jellyfish, some with nearly seven-foot-wide bells and weighing 450 pounds, are often accidentally swept up in fishing nets; theyre so heavy, they can smother the catch, and once even capsized a trawler trying to drag them in. Other species get sucked into nuclear plants when theyre still in the early stages of development, then grow too big to escape and congeal en masse in the pipes, prompting shutdowns and loss of power. Theyve been known to disable aircraft carriers, thus becoming a threat to national security. Still, working behind glass is not without its unique technical challenges. If you put your cast in a box, especially one with a lid, you cut off all possibility of acoustical naturalism. Many plays these days are miked, but the amplification is designed to be undetectable, creating the illusion of proximity; once there is a closed cube, verisimilitude becomes more complex. Yes, you lose the sound of the natural voice, says Stone, but you gain extreme aural intimacy. Devlin, 50, who has designed tour sets for Billie Eilish and Beyonce, as well as for operas, is also accustomed to the trade-offs of a glass box. For her and Mendes, who began as a theater director before moving to film, this kind of spare set provides a juxtaposition to an epic historical work like Lehman. The boardroom, as well as the other office spaces in which the play unspools, conveys both claustrophobia and expanse, intruding on the audiences domain, she says, and winks at the glassed-in conference spaces that have become corporate Americas heavy-handed attempt at conveying transparency. Inside, the box is divided into three chambers with internal glass partitions on which the actors scrawl the names of the Civil War dead and the price of commodities. The rectangles perimeter is formed by glass panels between which are open gaps, which improve the acoustics and act like apertures, allowing the action to move from wide screen to close up. That the box also revolves creates the equivalent of a Hollywood tracking shot: Sam loves that, of course, Devlin says. Emerson Animal Hospital was down to its last 10 milliliters of ivermectin. For months, the veterinary center in West Point, Miss., had watched its supplies of the drug dwindle. Dr. Karen Emerson, the veterinarian who owns the hospital, started the year with one 500-milliliter bottle of ivermectin, which she uses to kill parasites in dogs, chickens and other patients. But as the bottle emptied and her staff tried to find more, they were able to obtain only a 50-milliliter vial. Everyone else told them: None available. So Dr. Emerson began rationing the medicine to give to snakes and other exotic animals for which she had no other deworming treatment. She told dog owners to pay for a more available replacement drug that can cost seven times as much. Dr. Emerson was surprised by ivermectins scarcity because it had always been plentiful. But she put two and two together after people started streaming into her clinic to ask about using the drug to treat Covid-19. I really think thats why we have a shortage, because so many people are using it, she said. For more than a year, misinformation that ivermectin is effective at treating or preventing the coronavirus has run rampant across social media, podcasts and talk radio. Even as the Food and Drug Administration has said the drug is not approved to cure Covid and has warned people against taking it, media personalities who have cast doubt on coronavirus vaccines, such as the podcaster Joe Rogan, have promoted ivermectin for that very purpose. In an echo of moderate Democrats like Eric Adams, the winner of this summers Democratic mayoral primary in New York City, Mr. Reed is promising to strengthen law enforcement in a way that takes into account grass-roots demands for a cultural change in policing. He has promised to add 750 officers to Atlantas police force. But were going to train them in a post-George Floyd way, he said in a recent television ad. Most of Mr. Reeds major opponents in the nonpartisan race identify as Democrats, and most are also offering some version of this message, which is distinctly different from the defund-the-police rhetoric that emerged from progressive activists during the street protests of 2020. Mr. Reeds fate at the polls in November may also hint at how much voters are willing to overlook from politicians so long as they think they might gain a modicum of peace and order. His time in office was defined by a sharp-elbowed style that some described as bullying, and by several scandals involving kickbacks, theft of public funds and weapons violations, among other things. Felicia Moore, the City Council president and one of Mr. Reeds top rivals for mayor, wants voters to think hard about the string of corruption cases involving members of his administration. The leadership should take responsibility for the actions of their administration, she said. He was the leader of that organization. ATLANTA A 22-year-old man facing the death penalty for a shooting rampage at a string of spas in the Atlanta area pleaded not guilty to four murder charges on Tuesday, raising the possibility of a protracted court battle over one of the deadliest U.S. mass shootings of 2021. The man, Robert Aaron Long, had previously pleaded guilty to four murder counts and other criminal charges in Cherokee County, where the March 16 shooting spree began at a suburban strip mall. He was sentenced to four consecutive life sentences plus 35 years for those crimes. But Mr. Long also faces four additional murder charges stemming from attacks committed in the city of Atlanta, where the Fulton County prosecutor, Fani T. Willis, is seeking the death penalty. Mr. Long admitted to the shootings, which left eight people dead, shortly after his capture, according to law enforcement. In a previous court appearance, he said that he struggled to control his urges to see prostitutes and use pornography, and said that he committed the killings to punish sex industry workers. Perhaps its a sign that the worst of the coronavirus pandemic is behind us, or that it's stretched on far longer than we ever expected, but two key pandemic-related safety net programs are soon coming to a close. Starting Friday, the first day of October, Californians will no longer be guaranteed up to two extra weeks of paid sick leave for Covid-19 illnesses, and, for the first time in more than a year, landlords will be able to kick tenants out for not paying their rent. Many low-income workers are angered by the termination of these programs, especially just weeks after 2.2 million Californians lost enhanced unemployment benefits. But it doesnt seem likely the safeguards will be extended. For renters, however, other kinds of financial aid are available and they may be far more helpful than any assistance thus far. When misinformation harms horses For more than a year, misinformation about ivermectin a drug used to kill parasites in dogs, chickens and other patients has run rampant across social media, podcasts and talk radio. Proponents claim its a treatment for the coronavirus, even as the F.D.A. has warned against its use. The inaccuracies have had real-world consequences. Some people have overdosed on certain formulations of the drug. Now, as my colleague Erin Woo reports, a run on the drug is straining the supply for veterinarians, ranchers and farmers who rely on it to treat animals. Jeffers, a national retailer of animal supplies, recently raised the price of ivermectin paste to $6.99 a tube from $2.99. Overwhelmed by orders, one farm supply store in Las Vegas started selling the medicine only to customers who could prove they had a horse. In California, a rancher was told the backlog of orders was so large that she was 600th in line for the next batch. These experiences underscore the concrete effects of misinformation and how far the fallout can spread, said Kolina Koltai, a researcher at the University of Washington who studies online conspiracy theories. Marilyn Golden was a college student on a summer backpacking trip in Switzerland when she fell from a tree after a rotting limb snapped. Her back was broken. She spent two years of rehabilitation at Houston Medical Center and had used a wheelchair ever since. I got radicalized, in a general sense, after I got hurt, she said. Ms. Golden would devote the rest of her life to championing civil rights for people with disabilities, all the while rejecting as ridiculousity the notion that people like her with disabilities desired or deserved pity. As policy analyst for the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, a leading national organization in the field, Ms. Golden played an important role in the drafting, passage and implementation of the landmark Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990. She was a linchpin, an absolutely essential person in the passage of the law, said Chai Feldblum, who helped draft the A.D.A. when she was with the American Civil Liberties Union and who later served on the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Senator Elizabeth Warren, Democrat of Massachusetts, blasted the Federal Reserve chair, Jerome H. Powell, for his financial regulation track record and said that she would not support him if the White House renominated him, calling him a dangerous man to head up the Fed. Mr. Powells term as head of the central bank ends in early 2022, and the Biden administration is considering whether to reappoint him. Mr. Powell, a Republican, was nominated to the Feds Board of Governors by former President Barack Obama and elevated to chair by former President Donald J. Trump. While some prominent Democratic economists and advocacy groups support Mr. Powell, who has been intensely focused on the labor market during his term as Fed chair, some progressives openly oppose him. They often cite his track record on financial regulation as Ms. Warren did to his face on Tuesday, as he testified before the Senate Banking Committee. The elephant in the room is whether youre going to be renominated, Ms. Warren said, looking down at the Fed chair during the hearing. Renominating you means gambling that, for the next five years, a Republican majority at the Federal Reserve, with a Republican chair who has regularly voted to deregulate Wall Street, wont drive this economy over a financial cliff again. The top U.S. military commander in the Middle East expressed reservations about whether the United States could deny Al Qaeda and the Islamic State the ability to use Afghanistan as a launchpad for terrorist attacks now that American troops have left the country. Thats yet to be seen, Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., the head of the militarys Central Command, said in response to a question at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing. We could get to that point, but I do not yet have that level of confidence. President Biden has vowed to prevent Al Qaeda and the Islamic State from rebuilding to the point where they could attack Americans or the United States. But General McKenzies response underscored how difficult that task will be and was somewhat more pessimistic than the assessments of other top Pentagon officials at the hearing. Top U.S. military officers acknowledged publicly for the first time that they had advised President Biden not to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan ahead of the chaotic evacuation during which 13 American service members were killed. Appearing before a Senate panel, Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that military leaders were able to give their advice to the president during the lead-up to Mr. Bidens decision to withdraw. But, the general said, Decision makers are not required in any manner or form to follow that advice. General Milley testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee with Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III and Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr., the head of the militarys Central Command. Both men, along with General Milley, were said to have advised Mr. Biden not to withdraw all troops. During the hearing, Generals Milley and McKenzie confirmed that. Senators pressed the three men on why the Pentagon failed to predict the rapid collapse of the Afghan government and Afghan military, why the United States did not start evacuating Americans and vulnerable Afghans from the country sooner, and whether Mr. Biden heeded their advice to keep a counterterrorism force of 2,500 on the ground. Gen. Mark A. Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, defended his actions in the tumultuous last months of the Trump administration, insisting that calls to his Chinese counterpart and a meeting in which he told generals to alert him if the president tried to launch a nuclear weapon were all part of his job duties as the countrys most senior military officer. My loyalty to this nation, its people, and the Constitution hasnt changed and will never change as long as I have a breath to give, he said. I firmly believe in civilian control of the military as a bedrock principle essential to this republic and I am committed to ensuring the military stays clear of domestic politics. General Milley used the ending of his opening remarks before the Senate Armed Services Committee to address the turmoil of recent revelations in the book Peril by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. He said he was directed by Mark Esper, then the secretary of defense, to make a call on Oct. 30 to his Chinese counterpart because there was intelligence which caused us to believe the Chinese were worried about an attack on them by the United States. General Milleys testimony was another chapter in the story of the final chaotic days of the Trump administration, with government officials on edge as they worried about actions Mr. Trump might take in the last days of his presidency. To the contrary: After the Stormy Daniels story broke and all the allegations that followed from other women, Ms. Grisham writes, I felt that Mrs. Trump was basically unleashed. The first lady, she says, found ways to omit her husband from photos and tweets, and made it a point to show up on the arm of a handsome military aide. Mrs. Trump, who is closed off to even her closest aides, begins to open up to Ms. Grisham, telling her that she doesnt believe her husbands denials or those from his former fixer, Michael Cohen Oh, please, are you kidding me? she asks at one point. I dont believe any of that, the first lady adds, using an expletive. (This book, it should be said, contains a lot of expletives.) Ms. Grisham also attempts to illuminate why Mrs. Trump wore a jacket inscribed with the phrase I Really Dont Care, Do U? to visit a Texas camp for child migrants, but focuses more on the presidents reaction: What the hell were you thinking? he asked Ms. Grisham and his wife in the Oval Office, before instructing an aide to tweet out a cover story: You just tell them you were talking to the news media, he told the group. The first lady grew more disengaged over time, Ms. Grisham writes, to the point where she was asleep on election night. She was overseeing a photo shoot of a rug on Jan. 6 and declined to comment publicly on what was happening at the Capitol. (For Ms. Grisham, this was the last straw. She resigned later that day.) In the end, the first lady sided with her husband, doubting the election results Something bad happened, she told Ms. Grisham and declined to invite Jill Biden, the incoming first lady, to the White House for tea. She would always say, Let me think about it or Lets see what the West Wing will do, Ms. Grisham writes, Which meant no. And when exactly did she decide to start following the West Wings lead? Demands to evict the press from the White House Ms. Grisham says that a trip to North Korea inspired Mr. Trump to ask her to research ways the press could be permanently evicted from the James S. Brady Briefing Room. The statements do not disclose hard data such as internal polling results or donor financial information, Mr. Brown wrote. Rather, they are for the most part simply expressions of unflattering opinions, which are deemed confidential information based solely upon the designation of Mr. Trump. This is exactly the kind of indefiniteness which New York courts do not allow to form the terms of a binding contract. At another point, Mr. Brown wrote that the agreement effectively imposes on Respondent an obligation to never say anything remotely critical of Mr. Trump, his family or his or his family members businesses for the rest of her life. The arbitrator added, Such a burden is certainly unreasonable. Mr. Phillips, who is based in Florida, said the lawsuit had been an abuse of power by a sitting president. Its over, he said. Weve won in Donald Trump and the Trump campaigns chosen forum. Arbitration decisions do not create a precedent, according to Shira A. Scheindlin, a retired Federal District Court judge for the Southern District of New York. That means that there is no potential impact from the Manigault Newman case on ones filed against other Trump employees. However, a ruling in one case may be persuasive in another, said Cliff Palefsky, a lawyer in San Francisco who is an expert in the arbitration process. In the decision in Ms. Manigault Newmans case, the arbitrator referred to a ruling in a class-action suit filed in New York by a former Trump campaign aide, Jessica Denson. In that case, a judge ruled that the Trump campaigns nondisclosure agreements were not enforceable. The decision in the Denson case and the arbitration decision in Ms. Manigault Newmans case are both blows to Mr. Trumps reliance on nondisclosure agreements as a way to intimidate former aides. The decision was made public a week before a new book by Stephanie Grisham, one of Mr. Trumps former White House press secretaries, will be released. The book paints a deeply unflattering portrait of Mr. Trump and his wife, Melania Trump. My smartwatch shows me that my sleeping heart rate is much higher at night after Ive had a couple of glasses of wine. Its normally around 60 beats per minute, but it spikes up to 80 to 100 if I drink more than a glass of wine. Is that normal? We all know that a glass or two of wine can help you relax and unwind. But alcohol can also have pronounced effects on your cardiovascular system in the hours after you consume it, causing your heart to beat faster, at least in the short term. And in general, the more you drink, the greater the uptick in your heart rate. Experts say that for most healthy adults, a temporary increase in heart rate caused by one or two drinks is probably not something to worry about. But it could be problematic for people who have conditions that cause irregular heart rhythms, such as atrial fibrillation or other types of arrhythmias, or for those who are at high risk for heart attacks or strokes. Last year, a group of researchers analyzed data from 32 different clinical trials of alcohol consumption involving 767 people; most were healthy young men in their 20s and 30s. They saw distinct patterns in how alcohol affected their heart rates and blood pressure readings shortly after drinking. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android. HONG KONG The director of Far From Home, a short, intimate film about a family caught in the tumult of the 2019 antigovernment protests in Hong Kong, had hoped to show off her work at a local film festival in June. Then the censors stepped in. They told the director, Mok Kwan-ling, that her films title which in Cantonese could carry a suggestion of cleaning up after a crime must go. Dialogue expressing sympathy for an arrested protester had to be excised. Scenes of removing items from a room also had to be cut, apparently because they might be construed as concealing evidence. In total, Ms. Mok was ordered to make 14 cuts from the 25-minute film. But she said that doing so would have destroyed the balance she had attempted to forge between the views of protesters and those who opposed them. So she refused, and her film has thus far gone unseen by the public. TOKYO When people think of preordained elections these days, they tend to look to Russia or Iran or Hong Kong. But in Japan, a parliamentary democracy and the worlds third-largest economy, the same party has governed for all but four years since 1955, and most expect it to win the general election due by the end of November. So on Wednesday, when the Liberal Democratic Party chooses a successor to Yoshihide Suga, the unpopular prime minister and party chief, it will almost certainly anoint the prime minister who will lead Japan into the new year. But why, in a country with free elections, where voters have expressed dissatisfaction over the governments handling of the coronavirus and the Olympics, can the Liberal Democratic Party remain so confident of victory? TOKYO If popularity were the deciding factor, there would be a clear front-runner to become the next prime minister of Japan. Polls have found that the public favors Taro Kono, the cabinet minister overseeing Japans coronavirus vaccine rollout, by at least two to one in the race to lead the governing Liberal Democratic Party which, in effect, is the race to become prime minister. His Twitter following of 2.4 million dwarfs those of his three rivals combined. But in the back rooms where Japanese political decisions are made, Mr. Kono, 58, is not nearly as well liked. His reputation as the Liberal Democrats most outspoken nonconformist and his left-leaning views on social issues put him out of step with the partys conservative elders. Those people will have considerable sway on Wednesday as the Liberal Democrats choose a successor to Yoshihide Suga, the unpopular current prime minister and party leader, who said this month that he would step aside. Whoever takes his place will lead the party into a general election that must be held by the end of November. In an effort to attract drivers, the government has increased the number of hours they can work each day and has sped up the licensing process. It has also offered 5,000 three-month work visas to foreign truckers and to suspend rules that prevent oil companies from coordinating deliveries. But some government critics say that may not be enough to address the long-running shortage of drivers. About 200,000 E.U. citizens left Britain during the pandemic, on top of the thousands who have left since 2016, when Britain voted in a referendum to leave the European Union and signaled it would impose limits on immigration from the bloc. That has made it harder for companies including those in the haulage, hospitality and food supply sectors to fill empty positions with overseas hires The military is on standby in case the situation worsens. The governments reserve tanker fleet will be delivering fuel over the coming days to ease the shortage, Kwasi Kwarteng, Britains business secretary, tweeted on Wednesday. He also said there were signs that the situation had begun to improve. More gas stations reported that they had fuel than in recent days, according to the Petrol Retailers Association. Officials are hoping that normal purchasing patterns will resume now that many Britons have rushed to fill up their tanks over the past few days, alleviating the pressure on supplies. But if the fuel crisis worsens, the government has put 150 military tanker drivers on standby. For more information on evolving travel restrictions in Europe and elsewhere, see our up-to-date list of countries that U.S. travelers may visit here. On Monday, the European Union removed the United States from its safe list of countries whose residents can travel to its 27 member states without requirements such as quarantine and testing. This generated confusion, with some people writing on social media that Americans have been banned from visiting Europe. Thats not actually what the recommendation means. Americans have not been explicitly prohibited from going anywhere in Europe. But as of Tuesday, at least one country had put new restrictions on travelers depending on their vaccination status: Italy said it would require unvaccinated travelers to quarantine for five days; vaccinated travelers must take a test for the coronavirus before entering. Heres a look at what the new developments mean for vaccinated and unvaccinated people: What just happened? How will this change my trip to Europe? Since June, the United States has been on the European Unions safe list for travel, which cleared the way for American travelers to visit many E.U. member countries without quarantining. In addition to taking the United States off the safe list on Monday, the European Council, the European Unions governing body, released a recommendation urging member countries to issue travel restrictions for visitors from the United States who are unvaccinated against the coronavirus. The European Union is encouraging authorities across Europe to reinstate the sort of mandatory quarantine and testing requirements that seemed to be on their way out, though primarily for unvaccinated travelers. Ultimately its up to a given country to decide if it wants to issue new requirements, however. How does this affect vaccinated travelers? The first notable changes were announced Tuesday, by Italy. Even if visitors are vaccinated, they must now obtain a negative coronavirus test 72 hours before arrival. Previously, some airlines, such as Delta Air Lines, required this, but the Italian government did not. Many of the tenants who plan to stay in the building have years remaining on their leases, and generally have to pay that rent in full, whether they fully occupy their offices or not. Often, the only way to offset the cost of unused space is to sublet it to another company. This is why New Yorks office landlords have been able to collect rents and avoid a big financial crunch even as office space sits empty. When employers do bring workers back to their offices, many will allow them to work remotely at least part of the time. In Manhattan, 70 percent of employers plan to embrace the hybrid model, according to a recent survey. Many of the tenants who plan to stay in the building have years remaining on their leases, and generally have to pay that rent in full, whether they fully occupy their offices or not. Often, the only way to offset the cost of unused space is to sublet it to another company. This is why New Yorks office landlords have been able to collect rents and avoid a big financial crunch even as office space sits empty. When employers do bring workers back to their offices, many will allow them to work remotely at least part of the time. In Manhattan, 70 percent of employers plan to embrace the hybrid model, according to a recent survey. Mamadi Doumbouya for The New York Times Talk Brian Cox Has No Sympathy for His Filthy-Rich Family on Succession When Brian Cox was falling in love with movies as a child in Dundee, Scotland, he fell especially hard for the great character actors of Hollywoods golden era. Walter Brennan and William Demarest and Eugene Pallette and Jimmy Gleason, he says wistfully. These figures came on the screen, and they cut the air. When Cox himself hit middle age and found that he had been unable to transfer the acting success he attained as a leading man of the London and New York stages to film or television, he resolved to follow the path of his boyhood idols. As I came to a certain age, he says, I thought, Thats what Im prepared to do now. Hes done it well. In big roles in small films and small roles in big films and everything in between, Cox, who is 75, has reliably left a mark, cut the air. (My favorite Cox performances are as the put-upon headmaster in Rushmore and the pompous screenwriting guru in Adaptation.) Now, in the autumn of a long career, he has finally stepped into the pop-culture spotlight as the media mogul and patriarch Logan Roy in the hit HBO series Succession, which returns this month for a third season. The actor also has a memoir, Putting the Rabbit in the Hat, which will be published in Britain on Oct. 28 (and in the United States in mid-January). Of course its validating, Cox says about his long-in-coming star turn. I can get tables at nice restaurants now. On occasion. You grew up in poverty. Do you have sympathy for the problems of ultrawealthy families like the Roys? No. I have empathy but not sympathy. The Roys suffer a great deal from a different kind of want, which is the want of having too much as opposed to not having. That, in Logan Roys case, is a compulsive thing. He continues to define himself by that wealth, and he cant get out of it, and his children add to the confusion because they are entitled. But the other thing is, Im not a capitalist. So I see the wealthy all finally getting hoisted by their own petard. When you look at somebody like Richard Branson saying we should have more spaceships we dont need more spaceships, Richard. We have a problem down here called global warming. I feel the same way about Jeff Bezos. Its a kind of supervanity they share. But the thing is, were all human. We all suffer from the same problems. I do hear actors talk about not judging their characters, but it seems as if it would be hard to divest yourself of all your philosophical and political ideas. Is that kind of compartmentalizing really possible? My job as an actor is to look at the human being and to look at the human imperative and to see what that is. Of course, it goes madly skew-whiff. Like, if youre playing Goring, you realize that Goring stuck himself onto something that was highly disgusting, but he started from a point where he was really concerned about what he thought was happening to his country. What I always say to my students when Im teaching is, Have a photograph of who you were as a baby; have a photograph of that wonder and openness you had before everything started to corrupt you. Actors have to go back to that state of grace, and its very hard. But its what the job is. Brian Cox with Jeremy Strong in the premiere episode of Succession (2018). Craig Blankenhorn/HBO In your book, you mention your co-star Jeremy Strongs acting process, which sounds very methody and different from your own, which is all about whats in the text. But you also write that you dont care what his approach is, so long as it doesnt get in the way. What would it look like for actors to have approaches that do get in one anothers way? Ill say that one is empathetic to an actor who has to encase themselves in terms of concentration, of focus. They call it their process. I hate that word. But they have to do it. Its tiresome beyond belief, but youve got to let it go and say This is fine, as long as whats coming out at the end is justifiable. Thats tough, because sometimes you say [laughs]: Jeremy, for [expletive] sake. Stop it now. And Jeremy genuinely suffers, because he really puts himself through it. Im older now, and I dont. I dont see the value in it, because I also see the fact that weve got to be like trapeze artists. We cant contemplate what were doing. We have to do it. We have to catch the other person as theyre coming through the air. Do you think American actors interest in having a specific process is a way of compensating for often lacking the classical grounding that British actors typically have? I think thats a lot to do with it. The musicality of work, they dont have. We are brought up understanding the iambic form and how that works; how when Shakespeare moves from verse to prose there is a process horrible word again! going on. Theres a great example in Hamlet: He comes on and says the To be or not to be speech, and Ophelia, whos so entrenched in courtly life, responds in verse. He tries to pull her away from verse to prose and she will not be pulled. Shes not being pulled, and hes going on, If you be honest, your honesty should admit no discourse to your beauty. Hes taking her on this incredible journey. At the end, she has to go right back to the verse: Oh what a noble mind is here oerthrown. Courtiers, soldiers, scholars eye . . . the observed of all observers quite, quite down. Thats brilliant, and if you learn that as an actor, you understand that theres a whole musical sense at work. Thats the classical root. As a pig-ignorant Scot, Im incredibly grateful to have learned that. Not everyone has. Cox (right) with James Hazeldine, Glenda Jackson and Edward Petherbridge in the play Strange Interlude (1985). Zoe Dominic, via Everett Collection Are there bugaboos you have about directors? Well, what I love is a director who understands text. Because without the writing, youre nothing. Theres a lot of directors who dont understand that. Sometimes they have a massive visual sense, but theyre not understanding in the business of actually doing the acting. David Fincher, for example. Hes incredibly gifted, and he does 38 takes. The actors after 10 takes are going kind of nuts, because theyre thinking, Whats going on? Then you realize that hes not even noticed the acting for those first 10 takes. Hes been looking at everything else except the acting, and then he sees the acting and goes, Oh. By then the actor is going, Just what am I doing? The directors who really work for me are ones who have a strong sense of the whole. And sometimes I like young directors, because theyre awkward, you know? Theyre not formed. But smart alecks who come along? You go, You dont know diddly squat. What might directors with whom maybe you didnt have the best experience say about you? I think sometimes I intimidate. Sometimes I talk too much. Sometimes Im too informed about what I do. Theres something when your director says, Could you do that? And you go: I did that about 10 takes ago. Did you not notice? That could be irritating to a director. And I dont suffer fools. Im not nasty. I think Im nice. I can be compassionate. But I also go, Just lets do it shall we? Cox and Jason Schwartzman in Rushmore (1998). Buena Vista Pictures, via Everett Collection Youve said before that one of the reasons you like acting in series television is because its all middle, all second act. Why is that enticing? Because there are always surprises. The premise is this man, Logan Roy, with his family of entitled kids. The ultimate motivating force is what I asked Jesse Armstrong right at the start of working on the show. I said, Does Logan love his children? And he said, Yes. Once you have that in place, everything is reflected in that paternal judgment, and over the long form you can develop that in all kinds of ways. And how Logan expresses himself in terms of himself, as opposed to in relationship to his children? We havent even gone on to that yet. We only occasionally touch on Logan Logan. Which is something like what you saw in that episode Boar on the Floor, where you get the full demonic him. But you cant do that in every episode. The thing that compels people to say: Who is this guy? What is he doing? you must always keep that. You must keep that sense of what is excluded from an audience, and you can do that even more over the long form than you can in a three-act play, three-act film. Whats most interesting to you about Logan Roy in the new season? In this season I dont know if Im supposed to say this but at one point he has a U.T.I. infection. He gets these little infections that are thrown as obstacles in his way. Theres a lot to be dealt with in this season. I wont go into details because that would be giving it away. There are moments when that demonic him comes out. Because hes quite angry. Thats something that probably he and I have in common. Why are you angry? Im angry about my childhood, in retrospect. I look upon it now, and I go, Jesus, that was [expletive], and there was nobody really to help me. I had to do it all on my own. I felt I needed some parental help. I needed some guidance. My son will tell you. Im quite angry at times. Cox with Joan Allen in The Bourne Supremacy (2004). Universal, via Everett Collection Whats it like to be 75 and have a teenage son? I can see that he has some anger issues as well. He has this know-it-all thing, which is understandable because he has so much more knowledge than I have because of this thing [holds up iPhone]. But also its adding to confusion in the terms of his own development. Hes seeing these wonderful ideas, but perhaps hes not ready emotionally to take them on. Theres a gap. Thats a problem a lot of young people have. This is maybe also related to differing generational attitudes: An episode of a TV show was filmed in which you played Marlon Brando, Joseph Fiennes was Michael Jackson and Stockard Channing played Elizabeth Taylor. But there was a backlash over Fiennes playing Michael, and the show was shelved. So this thing is just never going to air anywhere? I doubt it. Joe Fiennes did an amazing job. But of course we have that problem now with who plays certain roles. Theres a whole culture about that, which is understandable, but questionable when it comes to the art of acting. What is acting but pretending? When I was a young actor, the greatest achievement for me was to play somebody not Scot. We get to an area where were going to narrow everything down and stop the creative urge. And Joe did a great job. It was a very gentle, very delicate performance. They had difficulty casting Michael Jackson. Paris Jackson complained bitterly about it, and then it was shelved. You accept it. This is sort of a random thing from your book, but in it you explain how starting in your 50s you became a regular marijuana smoker. Exactly how often do you smoke? Reasonably often which is whenever I can. I find it helpful for my health. There is something fundamental about it. Its a vegetable and theres a root and you feel it goes to some kind of root in you. I got into it because I used to get so wired at the end of a night. I needed to relax, and I didnt want to get into taking all kinds of pills. Marijuana was able to calm this whirling dervish of a brain down. Im very grateful for it. Just to go back to Succession: When youre finally done with the middle, where would you like Logan Roys story to end? I cant see the ending on Logan. I dont want his role in the story to ever end. Theres a selfish part of me saying: No, no, I like doing this! I like this job! Its a good job! What about your own ending? Do you want to die working? I probably will. My favorite story of an actor dying is Leonard Rossiter. He was doing Loot in the West End. He was 57. He was an extraordinary actor. He came in and he went, OK, what a great first day! Sat down. Dead. I remember thinking, Thats the way to go. This interview has been edited and condensed from two conversations. Deborah Birx Dr. Deborah Birx, who, as leader of president Trump's coronavirus task force, received criticism for failing to push back at his wild claims about COVID-19, has signed on as a member of BGR Group's advisory board. An image of scarf-wearing Birx sitting uncomfortably as Trump talked up the prospects of ultraviolet light and disinfectants as treatments for the virus went viral in April 2020. She made no comment about the president's "remedies." Behind the scenes, Birx, an infectious disease expert with more than 30 years of service in the US Army, State Department and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reportedly advised state and local public health officials on how to navigate the pandemic. Upon stepping down from the task force when Joe Biden took office, Birx said Team Trump censored her "science-based guidance" and barred her from media appearances. Haley Barbour, BGR founder and former Republican governor of Mississippi, said Birx's "insights honed from years of service across numerous government agencies will provide enormous value to our clients and bipartisan team." She will counsel clients on health, international and state policies. The Michigan Economic Development Corp. has selected Finn Partners after a competitive pitch to promote The Wolverine State as a world-class business location and a great place to visit. Weber Shandwick had the MEDC for about a dozen years, but the business shifted to Interpublic sister firm Current Global about a year ago. Finn Partners will generate awareness of Michigan's growing economy and the full range of services offered by the MEDC to support new businesses and communities. The independent firm also will increase Michigan's visibility as both a regional and national four-season travel destination. Andy Schueneman, senior partner in Finn's Detroit office, will manage the multi-year MEDC account that covers media relations, events/partnerships, thought leadership and social media duties. Peter Finn looks forward to helping MEDC shine the spotlight on Michigan's "thriving business opportunities." Since Finn Partners has a strong presence in the state, he called the MEDC relationship "a dream partnership." Finn Partners ranks No. 4 in O'Dwyer's rankings of independent firms with 2020 fees of $108.9M. Canada gives the bid to export dirty tar sands oil to the US another PR shot following the collapse of the Keystone XL pipeline, a project that president Biden spiked on his first day in office. The Canadian Energy Center, which the Edmonton Journal calls the energy war room of the province of Alberta, has launched a $240K digital billboard push in DC and New York to pitch Canada as a better, close and friendlier oil supplier compared to Russia and the Saudi Arabia. The effort also includes a grassroots component that encourages America to lobbying Biden and lawmakers about the merits of importing oil from our north of the border ally and trading partner. Tom Olson, CEO of the Centre, notes that though Keystone is dead for now, there remains urgency in letting Americans know any further threatened sanctions in the US on pipelines by state governments and activist-led court challenges will be detrimental to American families struggling to get back on their feet from the economic impacts of COVID-19. The Centre says oil derived from tar sands is less dirty now than in past years. It claims oil-sands-produced greenhouse gas emissions went down 22 percent from 2011 to 2019. Despite that improvement, renewable wind and solar power is the way to go for the US. We are happy that Canada is now wide open to Americans who want to visit and boost its economy. Had it not been for the reputational stain that she earned during her service as head of Donald Trumps COVID-19 task force, the recruitment of Deborah Birx for membership on its advisory board would have been a great get for BGR Group. A client, though, may be hesitant to take counsel from Birx, who infamously remained mum while sitting near Trump as he spouted lunacies about ultraviolet lights and disinfectants being cures for COVID-19. That made Birx social media roadkill and grist for late-night talk show hosts. The Trump taint overshadows Birxs more than 30 years of service to her country focused on clinical and basic immunology, vaccine research and global health. She began serving her country as an Army colonel and running some of the most high-profile programs at the State Dept. and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Birx led one of first trials of the HIV vaccine in history that supported evidence of the potential effectiveness in preventing HIV infection. Colonel Birx went on to serve as director of the CDCs Division of Global HIV/AIDS and then the head of CDCs Center of Global Health, where she had oversight of HIV/AIDS programs in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Though the US Army and CDC granted Birx their highest honors for meritorious service, she will be remembered for not speaking out against Trump, a silence that may have resulted in unnecessary pandemic deaths. An Offaly based food producer will have its top quality product showcased in a leading supermarket in the coming weeks. Feighery's Farm, an Offaly based beetroot juice manufacturer, has been chosen from 290 Food Academy suppliers and will be showcased in SuperValu stores nationwide across a three-week period from last week. The company is part of SuperValus Food Academy programme that is run in conjunction with Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Office. Feigherys Farm will have their products on sale in SuperValu stores around the country. Feigherys Farm Irish Homegrown Beetroot Juice was founded by Anne Marie Feighery in 2019 after she discovered there was no Irish beetroot juice available and the only option for the Irish consumer was to drink imported versions from the UK and Germany. Feigherys Farm is a family run business and the beetroot for the juice is grown pesticide-free on the family farm in the heart of Ireland. This award-winning antioxidant and nutrient rich juice is made from homegrown pesticide-free Offaly Beetroot and Tipperary apples sourced locally. It is naturally sweet with no added sugar offering a natural and energising way to boost your health and wellbeing. Anne Marie Feighery, Founder, Feigherys Farm, said: We are delighted to have the opportunity to sell our products in SuperValu stores around the country. The Food Academy provided the opportunity to showcase my product with confidence with Ireland's leading grocery retailer. SuperValus large and faithful customer base meanwhile has grown our sales and business considerably since then and this distribution will be huge for us. Going into SuperValu stores nationwide is very exciting and extremely encouraging that SuperValu has put their faith behind my product and brand. It will allow me to reach a wider customer base and increase awareness of an Irish made juice that offers multiple health benefits. SuperValu promoting my juice as part of The Food Academy is instrumental in helping me achieve this goal. Carmel Biggane, Food Academy Manager, SuperValu, said: The Food Academy programme was designed to help small businesses through their journey from start-up to getting their products on our shelves. We believe in supporting local Irish producers and are incredibly proud to have helped so many local producers through the years. This nationwide distribution is a testament to the benefits of the Food Academy programme and the high standard of companies the programme continues to support. We are really looking forward to seeing these great products on SuperValu shelves around the country. The Food Academy programme currently supports 290 Irish food and drink producers, including 140 female entrepreneurs, making their products available 52 weeks of the year. In 2020, there was a 15% growth in SuperValu Food Academy sales, with participants delivering earning 28m in retail sales. In its eighth year, Food Academy is a unique food business development programme between SuperValu, Bord Bia and the Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs). Participants in the programme receive training in food safety, market research and branding, marketing, finance, sustainability and business development. The signing of the Tullamore Declaration at the ENCORE Environmental Conference has been described as significant by Minister Pippa Hackett. This declaration expresses the concern of regional assemblies across the EU about climate change, scarcity of raw materials/resources, and biodiversity loss, says Minister Hackett. Im encouraged to see local representatives recognising the adverse effects these crises will have on agriculture, the economy and the health and wellbeing of people. After all, it is at regional level that EU and national policies are implemented. The ENCORE conference was hosted this year by Irelands Eastern and Midland Regional Assembly, which along with other regional assemblies signed the Tullamore Declaration, to exert influence on the formation of environmental policy at EU level. Offaly is represented on the Assembly by Cllrs Eddie Fitzpatrick (FF), Tony McCormack (FF) and Eamonn Dooley (FF). Its comforting to know that there is a sizeable EU recovery fund, to channel money to member states for reforms and investments, but of course to maintain social cohesion, we will need to ensure that that money is shared equitably, and used wisely, Offaly Minister Hackett told the conference. The EU Just Transition Mechanism (JTM) is one of the key tools we are using to ensure the transition toward as a climate-neutral economy. Irelands allocation will be 77m for the period 2021-2027. And given that the JTF must be co-funded with national resources, that means there will be a total investment envelope here of up to 154 million. If we are going to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, and deliver a greener digital Europe, which leaves no one behind, we are going to have to put in work and effort across every level of society, and we are going to have to do it now, Minister Hackett added. The conference also heard from EU Commissioner Mairead McGuinness who said the EU was paying particular attention to the regional dimension. Minister Hackett welcomed this saying that skills, research, training initiatives and new jobs would be required in the regions. Here in the Midlands in Ireland, we are very conscious of that. We have those needs, and our Government is doing as much as it can to deliver for them, she said. She outlined the work of Bord na Mona in creating 1,435 climate solutions jobs and new wind farms that will power 55,000 houses. A new Afghan Admission Programme allowing Afghan nationals in Ireland to apply to have their families from the Taliban-controlled State join them here has been launched. The Minister for Justice, Heather Humphreys, TD, and her colleagues, the Minister of State for Law Reform, Youth Justice and Immigration, James Browne, TD, the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Coveney, TD, and the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Roderic OGorman, TD, updated Cabinet on the measures that have been taken, to date, to support Afghan nationals on Tuesday. Minister Humphreys also received Government approval to establish the Afghan Admission Programme. Speaking after Cabinet, Minister Humphreys said: Since the beginning of this most recent crisis in Afghanistan, Ireland has acted swiftly and compassionately to demonstrate our support and solidarity with the Afghan people. What has been agreed by Government today is a further concrete demonstration of that support. We are introducing a special Afghan Admission Programme, with an allocation of up to 500 places. This will allow current or former Afghan nationals living in Ireland to apply to bring their close Afghan family members to Ireland to live with them. We will be prioritising those who are especially vulnerable in terms of the risk to their freedom and safety, such as: older people; children; single female parents; single women and girls; people with disabilities; and people whose previous employment exposes them to greater risk, for example UN and EU employees and people who worked for civil society organisations. Afghan nationals living in Ireland on or before 1 September 2021, will be able to apply to nominate up to four close family members meeting the eligibility criteria and who are currently living in Afghanistan or who have fled to certain neighbouring. Eligible family members will be granted a residence permission that allows them immediate access to the labour market, without the need for an employment permit. The Programme, including the detailed eligibility criteria and the application process, will be developed over the coming months, with applications opening in December. An appeals process for unsuccessful applicants will also be established. In the meantime, the Ministers and their three Departments continue to work closely together to monitor and respond to the evolving situation in Afghanistan. The Department of Foreign Affairs is providing consular assistance to Irish citizens and their dependents and support to Irish residents in Afghanistan. As a member of the UN Security Council, Ireland is working to address a range of issues including the fulfilment of the Taliban commitment to allow the safe, secure, orderly and unhindered departure of foreign nationals and Afghans who wish to leave the country in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2593. Minister Simon Coveney said: I very much welcome this new proposal, which will create a tailored family reunion programme and enable Ireland to better respond to the situation in Afghanistan. This is an important development, I know there are many in Ireland today with deep concerns for family members who remain in Afghanistan. Meanwhile, my Department continues to liaise with diplomatic partners, including the EU, to explore options for the return of Irish citizens, their direct dependents and Irish residents from Afghanistan. In line with previously announced Government commitments, the admission of programme refugees under the Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) is being led by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, which has overall responsibility for the IRPP. Speaking about the progress made to date, Minister OGorman said: Since July, the Government has provided programme refugee status to 400 people from Afghanistan as part of the Irish Refugee Protection Programme. We are working to assist the new arrivals in towns and cities across Ireland, and have been heartened by offers of support from the Irish public. Through the Irish Refugee Protection Programme and the Afghan Admission Programme, we are extending the compassion and solidarity that Ireland is known for, to people who are in immediate need. The Department of Justice is providing practical support by way of issuing visas or visa letters in lieu to this cohort to facilitate their travel to Ireland. Minister Browne outlined the positive approach taken by officials to expedite applications from Afghan nationals under existing immigration schemes: Under our existing immigration schemes, we have supported hundreds of at-risk Afghans to gain a residence permission in Ireland. In addition to the visas for the 400 Afghan people granted programme refugee status by Minister OGorman, my Department has granted family reunification permission to 108 Afghan family members under the terms of the International Protection Act 2015, and approved 162 join family visa applications for Afghan nationals. Combined with the 500 available places on the programme that we are announcing today, this represents a very high level of support for the 1,200 strong Afghan community currently living in Ireland. The Department of Justice is continuing to process a further 99 join family/preclearance visa applications for Afghan nationals and is doing so speedily and sympathetically, they have said. The same approach will apply to any new applications received in the coming weeks and months. Further information on how to apply for a visa to join a family member living in Ireland can be found HERE. Toyota has added the new RAV4 Sport Black Edition to its hugely-popular mid-size SUV line-up, which as the name suggests comes with a range of black cosmetic tweaks. Upgrades over the standard RAV4 Sport include new 19 black painted alloy wheels, black painted upper front grille, Intelligent Clearance Sonar, and light grey stitching on the instrument panel and front seats. Available exclusively in Attitude Black paintwork, the new Sport Black Edition brings a distinctive sporty look to Toyotas fifth-generation RAV4, and is available in front-wheel-drive (FWD) guise only. However, for buyers looking for the added security of an all-wheel-drive (AWD) drivetrain in their new RAV4, there is the option of AWD in Sol, Sport and Platinum variants, while the entry-level Luna model is FWD only. Petrol/Electric Powertrain Like every variant in the RAV4 range, the Sport Black Edition is powered by a 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid powertrain, which produces 218bhp and 221Nm of torque and enables the five-seat family SUV to sprint from 0-100km/h in just over 8 seconds. Standard across the entire RAV4 range is a suite of safety features which offer maximum protection for all occupants, while providing the RAV4 driver with the latest technology in driver assistance systems. Collectively called Toyota Safety Sense 2 (TSS2), features include Pre-Collision Assistance (Forward Collision Warning, Pre-Crash Brake Assist, and Autonomous Emergency Braking), Speed Assistance (Road Sign Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, and Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control), Lane Keeping (Lane Departure Alert, LDA with Steering Assist, and Lane Tracing Assist) and Automatic High Beam Assist. Gracious Exterior, Spacious Interior The exterior design of the new RAV4 is more appealing and less anonymous that its predecessor, and this is gained by way of boxy wheel arches, a squared-off nose with a large grille, and angular edges and creases in the bodywork. I feel that Toyota has done a great job of making the new RAV4 look and feel more premium than ever, while also offering more interior space than any of its predecessors. Cabin quality is exceptional, with sturdy and durable materials used throughout, while overall passenger space is generous in every respect. This has been made possible by placing the front and rear axles 30mm further apart than before, and even tall adults will be able to sit in the rear seats comfortably, with plenty of legroom and headroom on offer. The RAV4s battery is located under the floor, but its boxy dimensions help to hide it well, with a slightly higher boot floor the only clue to what lies beneath. Compared to its predecessor, the RAV4s boot capacity has grown to 580-litres (an increase of 79-litres), with a massive 1,690-litres available when the rear seats are folded down. The RAV4 was awarded a full five stars by Euro NCAP in 2019 and that was thanks in part to an upgrade to the second-generation of Toyota Safety Sense for the latest model. Test Car My test car was a RAV4 Sport Black Edition which drew lots of admiring glances due to its terrific road presence and distinctive design details. An impressive array of standard equipment includes TEX leather black upholstery with heated front seats, powered driver seat, auto-dimming interior mirror, front and rear parking sensors, rear view camera, auto lights and wipers, LED front light guide with daytime running lights, LED projector headlights, electrically operated boot door, 8 Toyota Touch multimedia system, dual zone climate control, rear privacy glass, satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, black headliner cloth, paddle shift, light blue ambient lighting, and illuminated entry along with many more comfort, convenience, safety and infotainment features. As is the case across all models in the RAV4 line-up, fuel consumption as low as 5.7l/100km is achievable on a WLTP combined driving cycle, while Co2 emissions of between 129 and 133g/km (FWD and AWD respectively) ensures low annual road tax in addition to low overall running costs. Toyotas advanced hybrid technology ensures that the RAV4s petrol engine and electric motor combine seamlessly to deliver extra performance and outstanding fuel efficiency, while remaining ultra-smooth and extremely quiet when driving in electric mode. Toyota claim that up to 50% of the time you drive a Toyota Hybrid, you are in electric mode, with the added advantage that you never have to plug the car in to charge the battery. Toyotas self-charging hybrid harvests the energy normally lost from deceleration and braking into a small battery. This unit doesnt have enough capacity to propel the RAV4 alone for any considerable distance, but it does offer the convenience of being able to charge itself without any input from the driver. The RAV4 sits on Toyotas New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform, which is also used in the Toyota Prius, C-HR and Corolla models. It brings big benefits in ride and handling, with more sophisticated suspension than the old model, so the RAV4 is capable of turning into corners with a surprising amount of poise and precision, with plenty of grip while resisting dramatic levels of body lean. The RAV4s CVT (automatic) transmission is smooth and slick in its operation, while a well-insulated cabin ensures that on-road refinement is top class. When travelling through towns and cities at low speed, the RAV4s electric motor is barely audible, with the engine shutting off entirely when stationary in traffic. At motorway cruising speeds, the RAV4 settles into a quiet hum, with only small amounts of tyre and wind noise getting through to the cabin. Verdict, Cost and Warranty With its unique and distinctive modern styling, faultless build quality, impressive tally of standard equipment and frugal petrol/electric hybrid technology, the new RAV4 has all the necessary ingredients to comfortably fulfil the needs of a growing family. While the new RAV4 Sport Black Edition represents great value at 44,700 the RAV4 range starts at just 39,120. The new Toyota RAV4 is backed by a three-year/100,000km warranty, along with a five-year/100,000km warranty on hybrid components. Additionally, a hybrid battery warranty of up to an incredible 15-years is available upon completing an annual hybrid health check through Toyotas nationwide dealer network. According to a new study from Bloomberg, Ireland has been named as the best country for dealing with Covid-19, in particular, the Delta variant. The Covid Resilience Ranking, which was published today, credits Ireland for its "startling turnaround" when compared to January of 2021, which at that time, Ireland's Covid outbreak was regarded as the worst in the world. The report hailed Irelands vaccination rollout and its strategy that was used all over Europe in order to tackle the Delta variant. Over 90% of Ireland's adult population has received two shots, while allowing social activity to resume safely. Ireland, along with countries like Spain, the Netherlands and Finland held down serious illness and deaths through pioneering moves to largely limit quarantine-free entry to immunized people. Europes continued domination of Bloombergs Covid Resilience Ranking shows the strength of the vaccination-led model that has emerged as the most successful amid deltas onslaught, and one that's likely to be increasingly followed across the world. https://t.co/GfBQokyyy6 September 28, 2021 Ireland's position as a new world leader in terms of living with the pandemic comes "thanks to one of the worlds best vaccination rates, projections for a rapid economic rebound and the governments decision this month to loosen both domestic restrictions as well as travel quarantine rules." "Ireland, and Europes, continued success will depend on widespread vaccination severing the link between easing curbs and virus spread," surmises the Bloomberg report. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald TD has told Taoiseach Micheal Martin to "get a grip" about the housing crisis. She made the statement during Leaders' Questions in Dail Eireann today. Deputy McDonald said, "Tanaiste Leo Varadkar enraged renters when he said that one person's rent is another person's income, but not to be outdone your Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien told reporters that the property market is not out of control. What planet are these men living on?" She went on say that rents are higher than they were during the Celtic Tiger and that housing prices "are getting there". After saying there was "clueless thinking" behind Minister O'Brien's Housing for All housing plan, she said, "Will you get a grip on this crisis and deliver a plan that actually works for people?" Responding to Deputy McDonald's remarks, the Taoiseach said the content of the Housing for All plan as well as the investment in it is "unprecedented". He said, "It needs delivery, and to deliver it we need to make sure all in this House show leadership." The Taoiseach told the deputy's party to also "get a grip with it" and not oppose everything that comes to the table. "There's no point having this sort of across the aisle stuff." Laxman Pai, Opalesque Asia: Global asset manager Franklin Templeton has hired Aviva Investors' entire US-based investment-grade credit team as part of plans to bolster its fixed income coverage. "Franklin Resources struck a deal to acquire the strategies and track records of Aviva Investors' U.S. investment-grade credit strategies," the global investment management organization said in a press release. The Aviva Investors team will bring with it the investment-grade bond strategies that it currently runs, it said. The US-based Investment Grade Credit team includes senior portfolio managers Josh Lohmeier, CFA, and Michael Cho, CFA. In addition, Tom Meyers, CFA, previously Aviva's Head of Americas Client Solutions, will join Franklin Templeton Fixed Income (FTFI) in a newly created role as SVP, Senior Director of Investments and Strategy Development, Fixed Income. Meyers, Lohmeier, and the full investment team are expected to join by the end of 2021. Lohmeier and Meyers will report to Sonal Desai, CIO at FTFI, and the investment team will continue to report to Lohmeier. The Investment Grade Credit team currently manages over $7.5 billion in institutional AUM at Aviva, across its suite of investment-grade credit strategies, including US Investment Grade Credit, US Long Duration Credit, US Long Duration Government/Credit, and US Intermediate Credit, with additional customized versions of each strategy for various institutional clients. Aviva clients in thes...................... To view our full article Click here Opalesque Industry Update - Global financial services consulting firm Sionic has further expanded its multi-award-winning Wealth Management & Private Banking Practice with the appointment of two new Directors, a new Geneva base and new digital transformation services. Anja de Troyer joins as a Director in Geneva and Niall Buggy joins as a Director in London. Sionic has also announced the opening of new office premises in Geneva and the creation of a new suite of digital transformation services for its entire international client base. New Sionic Director Anja de Troyer has over 20 years' experience working in wealth management across Benelux, France, and Switzerland. She is a specialist in managing large transformation and change programmes, business strategy and operating model reviews, including cross-border and post-merger integrations, outsourcing and offshoring, and most recently digital solutions strategies and deliveries. Anja was previously Client Solutions and Product Manager at InvestCloud / Finantix??where she focused on client relationship management and client lifecycle management products. This followed senior roles held at Capco Switzerland, BNP Paribas Fortis and Securities Services, JP Morgan Chase Luxembourg, and Accenture Benelux. New Sionic Director Niall Buggy has 25 years' experience leading complex business transformations in wealth and asset management, hedge funds and private equity. He specialises in operating model design and implementation, organisational change and offshoring, client journey and process optimisation, product launches, portfolio and risk management. Niall joins Sionic from senior leadership roles in Programme, Project and Transformation Management at Brooks Macdonald, SG Kleinwort Hambros, HSBC, Fidelity International, Willis Towers Watson and Coutts. Sionic's new Geneva office is at Rue Kleberg 14 in the heart of Geneva's private banking district. Sionic's new suite of digital transformation services enable clients to digitise their propositions, internal processes, and client engagement. They include benchmarking, strategy, building digital-first cultures, leveraging fintech partnerships and embedding major digital projects including client lifecycle management (CLM) and client relationship management (CRM) initiatives. Combined with Sionic's extensive existing operating model, change management and vendor selection experience, this means the firm's wealth management and private banking clients will benefit from specific wealth management focused advice and support across the full spectrum of digital transformation platforms and processes. Gilly Green, Sionic Managing Partner and Head of Sionic's Wealth Management & Private Banking Practice comments: "Our business continues to expand rapidly, and it is the quality of our specialist team that distinguishes us. I am therefore delighted to welcome Anja and Niall to our Geneva and London teams respectively. Both bring extensive experience, and a fresh outlook that complements our existing team of specialists. These senior hires are key to sustaining the fantastic growth we have had over the last two years alone. In addition, our new office in Geneva reinforces our commitment to our Swiss clients and our whole team is excited by the expansion of our specialisms into digital transformation, which is critical to the long-term success of all clients in all locations." Philip Biber, Sionic Partner and Head of Sionic Geneva adds: "I am so pleased to welcome Anja and Niall to the team and in particular to welcome Anja to Sionic here in Geneva. She is a consummate professional who will help Sionic's Swiss practice deliver digital strategy and change management in Switzerland - and beyond!" Opalesque Industry Update - Today the SBAI, a global alliance of alternative investment managers and allocators and custodian of the Alternative Investments Standards, releases the first publication as part of the SBAI Culture and Diversity Initiative - Principles of Culture and Diversity Strategies. There is general acknowledgement in the alternatives industry that diversity can help to improve industry outcomes, but putting in place an effective strategy to promote diversity can be challenging. The SBAI's report provides five guiding principles which act as a framework for asset managers and allocators to define their own culture and diversity strategies. In February 2021, the SBAI formed a Global Advisory Committee comprised of senior industry leaders from asset managers and allocators. This Advisory Committee provides guidance on the strategic direction of the SBAI's Culture & Diversity initiatives. Jane Buchan, Chair of the Global Advisory Committee, SBAI Trustee, and CEO of Martlet Asset Management said: "We are thrilled to have a large and committed group of industry leaders helping guide our efforts on culture and diversity. As asset managers and allocators, we must work collaboratively to solve for better and the SBAI provides a great platform to do this." The SBAI's Culture & Diversity initiative's primary objective is to provide practical tools to help improve culture and diversity in the alternatives industry. The initiative will produce further guidance, including reports focusing on smaller firms and manager selection for allocators, as well as host discussion forums and informational events on the topic. Following the publication of this report on Monday, the SBAI hosted a Culture & Diversity event titled "Moving Beyond the Why for Culture and Diversity in the Alternatives Industry". The discussion was led by Jase Auby (CIO of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas), Leda Braga (SBAI Trustee and CEO of Systematica Investments), Luke Ellis (SBAI Deputy Chair and CEO of Man Group), and Phillip Meyer (COO, GC and CCO of Oasis Management Company) - all members of the Global Advisory Committee. Mario Therrien, SBAI Chair and Head of External Investment Funds and External Management at CDPQ said: "Through our collaborative platform of asset managers and allocators representing over $5 trillion of assets in our industry, at the SBAI, we have an important role to help drive responsible practice, partnership, and knowledge on various topics, including culture and diversity. Ultimately, we seek to improve industry outcomes. I am excited to see this report published and look forward to future publications later this year." Maria Long Research and Content Director of the SBAI said: "Our mission is to solve for better and culture and diversity is an important part of this. In collaboration with our asset manager and allocator community, through both our culture and diversity working group and the Global Advisory Committee, we have focused on moving past why this is important and on to providing practical guidance on how to improve diversity." Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 28th September 2021: Montreal-based ethical fashion brand, Cochic, is pleased to announce Rhodie Lamour as its latest brand ambassador. Her mantra,' Evolve with style', and contribution to the fashion industry fully embody the Cochic brand. "I am very pleased to announce Cochic's association with Rhodie Lamour. I admire her passion, caring nature, and authenticity. We both wish to make a positive impact on the society and are Taking a note of academic integrity and plagiarism, UGC, in its 509th meeting held on September 15, 2015, an agenda item regarding University Grants Commission (Promotion of Academic Integrity and Prevention of Plagiarism in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2015 was considered and approved. After going through a document entitled Final ReportGuidelines for Research Publications May 5, 2015, drafted by a Committee appointed by Hon Vice Chancellor, Savitribai Phule Pune University for Guidelines for Research Publications under the chairmanship of Prof. Bhushan Patwardhan, it is noticed that a galaxy of intellectuals, senior and esteemed academicians of various institutions took a serious note and had started brain-storming on quality of research and education. They felt that the number of faculty members and students who are falling prey to dubious/ spurious/bogus/predatory publishers, journals, and other periodicals is increasing day by day. The background of this report also highlighted the roles of various assessment, accreditation and ranking agencies worldwide who gave substantial weightage to the quality and quantity of research undertaken by faculty and students of the University. Further, substantial weightage is also given to the research publication for faculty selection, promotions, increment and academic performance indicators (API) as per the guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC), New Delhi, issued from to time. Most universities have mandatory provisions for a certain number of publications before submitting PhD thesis and getting recognition as a PhD guide. The report also emphasized to note that the UGC notification in the Gazette of India dated September 18, 2010, Part III Sec. 4, page 7950 clearly states in the note that It is incumbent on the Coordination Committee proposed in these regulations and the University to prepare and publicize within six months subject-wise lists of Journals, periodicals and publishers under categories III A and B. Being the faculty at Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, Haryana and a Member of PhD. Ordinance Committee of this University, it is pertinent to note here that Clause 21.1 and sub-clause (a) of PhD. Ordinance 2020-2021 at page 13 states that The scholar shall be allowed to his/her thesis only after he/she has published at least one research papers from his/her research work in UGC listed Research Journals... (now titled as UGC-CARE Reference List of Quality Journals). Therefore, it becomes the need of the hour to clarify what should be considered an ethical publication and the broad criteria of a good journal. Taking a note of academic integrity and plagiarism, UGC, in its 509th meeting held on September 15, 2015, an agenda item regarding University Grants Commission (Promotion of Academic Integrity and Prevention of Plagiarism in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2015 was considered and approved. Noticeably, on September 1, 2017 [No. F. 1-18/2010 (CPP-II)], UGC issued a public notice that a Committee of experts has been constituted to look into issues of Plagiarism and recommend some institutional mechanism to eliminate the scope of this menace in the higher education system in the country to promote academic research and deterrence from plagiarism by developing systems to detect plagiarism. For this purpose, observations and suggestions from stakeholders on the draft of UGC (Promotion of Academic Integrity and Prevention of Plagiarism in Higher Education Institutions) Regulations, 2017, prepared by the Committee, were sought. Consequently, UGC issued a notification in the Gazette of India: Extraordinary [PART III - Sec. 4] dated July 23, 2018, entitled (Promotion of Academic Integrity and Prevention of Plagiarism in Higher Educational Institutions), Regulations, 2018. The preamble of this notification clarifies that the assessment of academic and research work done leading to the partial fulfilment for the award of degrees at Masters and Research level, by a student or a faculty or a researcher or a staff, in the form of a thesis, dissertation and publication of research papers, chapters in books, full-fledged books and any other similar work, reflects the extent to which elements of academic integrity and originality are observed in various relevant processes adopted by Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) to determine the standards of higher education. Further, this notification in its note on page 10 clearly states that The research work carried out by the student, faculty, researcher and staff shall be based on original ideas, which shall include abstract, summary, hypothesis, observations, results, conclusions and recommendations only and shall not have many similarities. It shall exclude a common knowledge or coincidental terms, up to fourteen (14) consecutive words. However, the similarity checks for plagiarism shall exclude (i) all quoted work reproduced with all necessary permission and/or attribution, (ii) all references, bibliography, table of content, preface and acknowledgements, and all generic terms, laws, standard symbols and standards equations. Moreover, to enhance the academic integrity and to prevent plagiarism, the plagiarism was quantified in four levels in ascending order of severity for the definition of Plagiarism such as (i) Level 0: Similarities up to 10 per cent - Minor similarities, no penalty, (ii) Level 1: Similarities above 10 per cent to 40 per cent, (iii) Level 2: Similarities above 40 per cent to 60 per cent, and (iv) Level 3: Similarities above 60 per cent. A clear-cut direction was also given by UGC to all stakeholders through this notification to detect, report and handle the issues of plagiarism by saying that if any member of the academic community suspects with appropriate proof that a case of plagiarism has happened in any document, he or she shall report it to the Departmental Academic Integrity Panel (DAIP). Upon receipt of such a complaint or allegation, the DAIP shall investigate the matter and submit its recommendations to the Institutional Academic Integrity Panel (IAIP) of the Higher Educational Institution (HEI). The authorities of HEI can also take Suo Motu notice of an act of plagiarism and initiate proceedings under these regulations. Similarly, proceedings can also be initiated by the HEI based on the findings of an examiner. All such cases will be investigated by the IAIP. This notification in its note three on page 12 clearly states that HEIs shall create a mechanism to ensure that each of the paper publication/thesis/dissertations by the student, faculty, researcher or staff of the HEI is checked for plagiarism at the time of forwarding/submission. In corollary, on November 28, 2019 [No. F. 1-2/2016 (PS/III Amendment], UGC issued a public notice and mentioned on page 3 of this notice that a suitable advisory will be issued to create awareness amongst the students, academia, and other stakeholders about the issue of predatory/sub-standard journals and academic fraternity should especially be advised not to be associated with predatory/sub-standard journals/publishers in any manner. Further, a suitable advisory will be issued to the universities/colleges and other academic institutions emphasizing the roles of valid and quality-driven criteria and the Selection/Expert Committees in the process of academic evaluations for various purposes. Evaluation of the Research Output of candidates/institutions has to be based on the quality of published work, rather than merely on the number of publications/impact factor/citations. On June 14, 2019 [No. F. 1-1/2018 (Journals/CARE)], UGC issued a public notice on academic integrity to create awareness among all stakeholders in general and the Indian academic community in specific that UGC has set up a Consortium for Academic and Research Ethics (CARE) to identify, continuously monitor and maintain UGC-CARE Reference List of Quality Journals across disciplines to prevent academic misconduct, including plagiarism in academic writing among students, faculty members, researchers and staff and to safeguard ethics and academic integrity. Interestingly, on August 2, 2019 [D.O. No. 75-1/32018 (e Gov./TAC)], UGC issued a notice to the Vice-Chancellor of all Universities in India to disseminate the information with regard to provide Plagiarism Detection Software (PDS) to universities/institutions, including private universities, free of cost. On dated September 16, 2019 [No. F. 1-1/2018 (Journals/CARE)], UGC issued a public notice and reiterated that the Vice-Chancellor, Selection Committees, Screening Committees, research supervisors and all/any expert(s) involved in academic/performance evaluation and assessment are hereby advised to ensure that their decisions in case of selections, promotions, credit allotment, award of research degree, etc. must be based on the quality of published work rather than just numbers of a mere presence in peer-reviewed or in old UGC Approved List of Journals. In December 2019 [No. F. 1-1/2018 (Journals/CARE))], UGC issued a notice to Vice-Chancellor of all Universities in India to undertake Two Credits Course entitled Research and Publication Ethics as a compulsory paper for all PhD students for pre-registration course work from the forthcoming academic session to create awareness about research and publication ethics and publication misconducts. Going beyond the above initiatives and in line with global standards of ethical publishing established by leading institutions and the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE), UGC drew the attention of the academic community again by issuing a public notice on Self-Plagiarism on dated April 20, 2020 [No. F.1-1/2020 (SECY)] by saying that Vice-Chancellor, Selection Committees, Screening Committees, IQACs and all/any expert (s) involved in academic/performance evaluation and assessment are hereby strongly advised that their decisions in case of promotions, selections, credit allotment, award of research degree must be based on an evaluation of the applicants published work to ensure that the work being submitted for promotion/selection is not self-plagiarised. After going through the voyage of measures taken by UGC, hence it may be concluded that the UGC has been taking novel initiatives to curb unethical practices from its beginning, not only for research and publication ethics but also taken initiatives for the development of professional ethics to safeguard the interest of Indian academia, to promote Indian research among the nations and to ensure credibility and quality in higher education is the Quality Mandate of UGC. To achieve this, we all stakeholders have to follow and implement the instructions, guidelines and regulations issued by the UGC from time to time, in letter and spirit. (The writer is a Professor and chairperson, Department of Commerce at Chaudhary Devi Lal University, Sirsa, Haryana) Assam BJP president says they will win all five constituencies with its alliance partner UPPL. Guwahati: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday announced the dates of the Assembly by-elections in four Northeastern states. The by-polls for five assembly constituencies Assam, 3 in Meghalaya and one in Mizoram and Nagaland, will be held on October 30. Assam Pradesh BJP president Bhabesh Kalita told 'Organiser' that the saffron party is ready for the by-election. He said the ruling party is confident enough to win all five constituencies and its alliance partner UPPL in the BTR region. It should be mentioned that after the election of Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to the upper house on Monday, the Majuli constituency, which Sonowal represented in the Assam assembly, also will go for a poll soon. The dates of the by-polls have been announced to fill the vacancies in 30 Assembly constituencies and three parliamentary constituencies of UT of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh. The Election Commission said it has reviewed the situations related to the pandemic, flood, festivals, cold conditions in certain regions, feedback from concerned states/UT, and all facts and circumstances. It has decided to hold by-polls to fill vacancies in 3 parliamentary constituencies and 30 in Assembly constituencies. In Assam, the Assembly by-polls will be held in 5 constituencies, including Gossaigaon, Bhabanipur, Tamulpur, Mariani, and Thowra. The MLAs of Gosaigaon and Tamulpur in the BTR region died in the covid pandemic. Morioni and Thowra Congress MLAs Rupjyoti Kurmi, Shusanta Borgohain, and Bhabanipur AIUDF MLA Phanidhar Talukdar had resigned and joined the ruling BJP. In Meghalaya, the Assembly by-polls will be held in three constituencies, including Mawryngkneng (ST), Mawphlang (ST), and Rajabala. In Mizoram, the Assembly by-polls will be held in Tuirial (ST) constituency. The Assembly poll-polls will also be held in Shamtorr-Chessore (ST) constituency in Nagaland. The Gazette notification will be issued on October 1, 2021, and the last date of nominations is October 8, 2021. The date for scrutinising nominations is October 11, 2021. The Commission has fixed October 13 as the last date for withdrawal of candidatures. The polling will be held on October 30, 2021 (Saturday), while the counting of votes will be held on November 2, 2021 (Tuesday). The other states where the by-polls will be held include Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana and West Bengal. The medical officers of the 35 Battalion of CRPF organised the medical camp.at Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Gogo in Budgam with an intention to reach out to people in remote areas and extend medical help to them. Budgam: The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) distributed foldable wheelchairs to 15 Divyangs at a medical camp organised in Budgam on Monday (September 27). The medical camp was organised at Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Gogo in Budgam, by the 35 Battalion of CRPF. Around 300 people from the districts of Budgam and Srinagar attended the camp. The medical officers of the CRPF 35 Battalion consulted the patients and distributed free medicines. Doctors from the District Hospital, Budgam, also joined the camp to examine the patients. CRPF said it intends to reach out to people in remote areas and extend medical help to them. "Camps like these also enhance the connection with people and go a long way in strengthening the bond between CRPF and the local populace," reads a CRPF statement. The locals lauded the efforts of CRPF for having organised the medical camp. Courtesy: ANI The Srinagar Police arrested two overground workers (OGWs) of terrorists from South Kashmir's Pulwama district with the help of Pulwama Police and Army's 50 RR. Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested two terrorist associates in Pulwama and busted a terrorist hideout in the Rajourikadal area in Srinagar district, officials said on Tuesday (September 28). With the assistance of Pulwama Police and Army's 50 RR, the Srinagar Police arrested two overground workers (OGWs) of terrorists from South Kashmir's Pulwama district. The statement further said that on further interrogation, an input confirmed the presence of Riyaz Sathrgund (LeT Commander) was developed. Reportedly, Riyaz has asked them to build a hideout in the Rajourikadal area of Nowhatta Srinagar. Acting on this information, a cordon and search operation (CASO) was launched early morning along with CRPF personnel, and the hideout was discovered. "However, the hideout was empty. The owner of the house has been brought to the police station and further investigation is underway," said the police. Courtesy: ANI Muhammad, Sherif and Javed lured the girl through Instagram and started giving cannabis to the girl and made her an addict. In yet another incident that underlines the presence of Narcotic Jihad in Kerala, a 15-year-old Christian girl who is the daughter of a Police officer was sexually assaulted by three Muslim youth after giving her drugs. Muhammad, Sherif and Javed lured the girl through Instagram. The culprits started giving cannabis to the girl and made her an addict. After that, they reduced the quantity and later took the girl to a hotel near the Kochi airport, where she was sexually assaulted by the three. The police are probing the Love Jihad and Narcotic Jihad angles in the case. Narco Jihad in Kerala: Hameed, Ali, Sharafuddin and Jamshad arrested from Malappuram; Hashish Oil, Cannabis worth Rs 2.5 Cr seized 182 Kilogram of Hashish Oil and cannabis worth Rs 2.5 crore were seized by the excise team in the Malappuram district in Kerala. The drugs were kept hidden at a place owned by on Suhail. The excise team raided the premise at six in the morning. Hameed, Ali, Sharafuddin and Jamshad have been arrested in connection with the case. The drug peddlers confessed that the drugs were brought in from Andhra Pradesh. They were selling 10 ml of hashish oil for Rs 3000 and Rs 75,000 for a litre. It is now known that these four drug peddlers have been engaged in this business for years. They also said that they use petty agents for drug distribution. This seizure and arrest came when there is a huge debate in Kerala about Narco Jihad and Islamists trying to ruin the lives of non-Muslims by giving them drugs and indulging in Love Jihad. While inspecting the ongoing work of the new Parliament on Sunday, the PM told the officials to conduct monthly health check-ups of all workers and to give a certificate about their role and participation in this endeavour. New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the setting up of a digital archive for all construction workers engaged at the site after the construction of the new Parliament. This "should reflect their personal details", including their name, place they belong to and picture as a tribute to their efforts, a tweet from PMO said on Monday (September 27). The Prime Minister, who visited the construction site on Sunday evening after his arrival from a five-day US tour, has instructed that it must be ensured that all the workers engaged at the site are fully vaccinated against Covid. He further told the officials to conduct monthly health check-ups of all workers. All the workers should also be given a certificate about their role and participation in this endeavour. While inspecting the ongoing work relating to the new Parliament building, the Prime Minister interacted with the workers engaged at the site and asked about their well-being. He said that they are "engaged in a pious and historic work." In a tweet sharing videos of PM's visit to the site, Union Urban Development Minister Hardeep Singh Puri wrote: "True Karmyogi. PM's surprise visit to inspect the Central Vista project was a morale booster for the workers and engineers who are toiling day and night to complete this edifice of New India on time." "This was after a packed and successful trip to the US and a long haul flight back home," Mr Puri said. Another Union Minister, Narayan Rane, tweeted: "....24 hours in the service of Bharatmata. Nation is proud of you!" The new Parliament building will have an area of 64,500 square metres. The building is part of the Central Vista project. Officials say that Parliament's Winter session in 2022 will be held in the new building. The Hinglaj Mata temple is in a mountain cave on the bank of the Hingol river inside Hingol National Park, next to the Makran coast of the Arabian Sea in the southwestern part of Pakistan. Guwahati: As Durga Puja (also known as Durgotsav or Sharodotsav) is set to begin next month (11-15 October 2021), a northeast India-based forum of nationalist citizens reiterates its demand to revitalise the Hinglaj Mata Mandir, a Shakti Peeth in Baluchistan, has mythological connections with Kamrup Kamakhya legends. Patriotic People's Front Assam (PPFA), in a statement, urged the Union government in New Delhi to pursue with the Baluchistan authorities for necessary steps so that the Sanatani Balochnationals can worship the deity with no fear or trepidation during the annual religious festival that marks the victory of Maa Durga against the demon Mahishasura. The Hinglaj Mata temple in a mountain cave on the bank of the Hingol river inside Hingol National Park, next to the Makran coast of the Arabian Sea in the south-western part of Pakistan is a revered place for Hindus and thousands gather there to pray in front of Goddess Shakti with rituals. Prominent Baloch nationalist leader Hyrbyair Marri, while interacting with the PPFA recently, mentioned that the Hinglaj Mata temple is in a deplorable condition because of the indifferent approach of the occupying Pakistani forces in Baluchistan. President of the Free Baluchistan Movementsaid Baloch people have high regard for the shrine, even though most of them practise Islam. The spirited Balochleader also greeted Baluchistan and Bharat's Hindu families (Hindustan) on the occasion of the impending religious festival that epitomises the victory of good over evil. The Hinglaj temple has an idol of Goddess Shakti (Sati), daughter of Daksha Maharaj, who married Lord Shiva against her father's wish. According to popular belief, in an important Yajna organised by king Daksha, Sati (Parvati) and Shiva were not invited, but she wanted to attend the ritual. Daksha made humiliating comments against Shiva and, faced with the disgrace, Sati immolated herself. Angry Maheswar soon arrived there and cut Daksha's head. Mahadev then took Sati's corpse on his shoulder and performed Tandava Nritya as he started wandering about. Then, with an aim to douse Shiva's rage, Lord Vishnu cut Sati's mortal remains into 51 pieces through Sudarsan Chakra. Body parts of Sati fell at various places, and all these locations became places of deep significance and came to be known as Shakti Peeths. It is believed that Sati's head with Hingul (vermillion/sindoor) fell into the place (now in Baluchistan) where the Hinglaj temple is located. The most sacred part (Yoni) fell on the Nilachala hills in present-day Guwahati (then a part of the Kamrup empire), where the famous Kamakhya temple is located. The PPFA appeals to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take a personal interest in activating diplomatic channels to revive the Hinglaj temple and pave easier ways for Indian pilgrims to visit the shrine. As the Baloch nationals are secular in nature, they should also be taken into confidence in fulfilling the dream, concluded the forum. By making Charanjit Singh Channi, a Dalit, as a stop-gap Chief Minister, it has not done a favour to underprivileged sections of society. It is seen as an attempt to drive a wedge between communities and vitiate the cordial social atmosphere in the State There seems to be no end to political upheavals in Punjab. For the last one year, the State has been in the throes of farmers agitation. The agitation commenced in the wake of the three farm laws passed by the Parliament in September 2020. Later, it spread to Delhi. The so-called farm union leaders wish to create an impression that the agitation has a national footprint, but in actuality, it is driven only by a few elements in a few states adjoining the national capital, Punjab being one of them. Negative Role of Congress The Congress-led Government of Punjab has opposed the farm laws passed by the Parliament due to political considerations. The State Government refused to support the attempts made by the Union Government to engage with the farmers and find a solution. The farm union leaders, in turn, maintained a rigid stand of not accepting anything less than a total repeal of the laws, which is not feasible. These factors have given impetus to the agitation. Punjab on Way to Anarchy In the meanwhile, a large number of pressure groups emerged, led mostly by youths. Some of them have been resorting to violence in suppressing any voice that, they feel, was opposed to the agitation. Their biggest target has been the BJP, whose leaders have been disallowed from interacting with the people and explaining to them the party's position concerning the farm laws. The State-unit of the BJP is making a valiant effort to reach out to the people despite the risk involved. Thus, due to the State Government's failure to maintain law and order and respect for democratic norms, a virtual state of anarchy has gripped Punjab. Due to the turmoil and the Corona pandemic, the State has regressed into a deep financial crisis. Directly or indirectly, the corporate sector used to provide employment to about five lakh employees in the State, mostly from among the youth. With corporate houses being attacked by agitators,many businesses have shut down and a large chunk of the employees are now out of jobs. Industrial units are also exiting the State and are getting rehabilitated in huge industrial complexes being created by States like Uttar Pradesh. This critical situation is causing great financial distress to lakhs of Punjabi families. Blessings of Gandhis In the midst of this turmoil, an internal crisis enveloped the ruling Congress party with Navjot Singh Sidhu raising a banner of revolt against the State's Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh. Sidhu managed to garner support from the Congress high command (Gandhi family) and also from many sitting MLAs of the party. It is well-known that a political coup of this nature involves huge amounts of money changing hands; there is, as such, much speculation about the source of funding and support to Sidhu. In many circles, his proximity to the senior leaders of Pakistan like PM Imran Khan and General Qamar Bajwa is also being spoken about. Be that as it may, since the last five months or so, the internal crisis of the ruling party has paralysed governance in the State. Punjab is in total disorder and chaos. All aspects of governance are adversely impacted. "The change in the Chief Ministerial appointment is an internal matter of the Congress party. The fact that a Dalit has been chosen as the new Chief Minister is also not an issue since Punjab and Punjabis have always remained above class and caste considerations. Such differentiations have been expressly forbidden by the Sikh Gurus. It is, however, the Congress itself that is highlighting the Dalit card which indicates that the appointment has been made while keeping politics of religion in mind Jaibans Singh, Media Advisor, BJP, Punjab The tenuous law and order situation has led to a virtual unleashing of terror by the pressure groups that operate under the guise of farm agitation. Earlier, only the BJP was targeted by them; now all parties are being told to stop election-related activities. Recently these pressure groups intimidated and humiliated members of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) who had gone to Delhi to register a protest on the farm agitation. The situation is akin to the diktats that separatist and divisive elements of Kashmir used to give when terrorism was at its peak in the Valley. This apart, the activities of Pakistan from across the border in terms of drug and arms smuggling with the help of drones and through other unconventional means has gained momentum. It is so because the incumbent Congress-led Government of Punjab has failed to nail the kingpins of the drug and arms smuggling business even as arrests of the small-time workers are made from time to time. It seems that Pakistan wishes to take full advantage of the political vacuum in the State. Within the State, employees of various categories, including State transport, government teachers, doctors, nurses, etc., are out on the street asking the Government to fulfil its promises made when it came to power, which have not been addressed in the last four and a half years. The people are also very unhappy at the incumbent Government's inability to bring closure to the sacrilege case as it had promised. The internal crisis of the Congress culminated in the resignation of the Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, on September 18. The Captain said he was compelled to take this step due to the incessant and consistent humiliation that he had been facing since the last few months at the hands of the party leadership. Navjot Singh Sidhu meeting with Pakistan Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa (File Photo) The incumbent Congress-led Government of Punjab has failed to nail the kingpins of the drug and arms smuggling business. It seems that Pakistan wishes to take full advantage of the political vacuum in the State The Congress immediately went into a huddle wherein its state of panic was quite visible in the multiple declarations of chief ministerial names only to withdraw the same after a few hours. After a lot of drama, the name of Charanjit Singh Channi was cleared by the high command to take over the responsibility. Channi is a junior leader of the party. The main criteria of his selection was his caste he is a Dalit. With this move, the Congress has brought in caste as a factor in politics in Punjab. Political observers feel that this divisiveness based on class and caste will become a new normal in the forthcoming Assembly elections. This will vitiate the cordial social atmosphere in the State. Crypto-secularism The new Chief Minister corroborated the fear of the people of Punjab when, in his very first address, he thanked his party leadership for placing a poor backward class person like him on the chair of the Chief Minister. By admitting so, he made it very clear that he did not consider his appointment as one based on his ability and merit but on his identity. As things stand, there is no clarity about the religion that the new Chief Minister professes since there are rumours that he is a crypto-Christian. In its election campaigning and other meetings, Charanjit Channi and Navjot Sidhu have been heard voicing Muslim and Christian religious slogans, including Naara-e-Takbir, Allah O Akbar and Hallelujah. There are not many precedents of this practice in the politics of Punjab where people meet each other very affectionately but do not indulge in inter-religious sloganeering. Sikhs in particular do not voice the slogans of any other community. This development has caused considerable consternation in the State since it is considered to be an unhealthy trend. This apart, most parties have brushed aside the appointment of Channi as an internal adjustment of the ruling party. The people hold a view that the outgoing Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh cannot be blamed for all the administrative and political lapses of the Congress party as is being attempted at this last stage of its tenure. The blame has to be borne collectively. They do not expect Channi to make any impact on the four years of misgovernance that has been witnessed during the Congress rule. All eyes are now on the next step that the outgoing Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, will take considerable speculation. Playing the Dalit Card Giving his assessment on the political development, Colonel (Retd) Jaibans Singh, Media Advisor, BJP, Punjab, said, The change in the Chief Ministerial appointment is an internal matter of the Congress party. The fact that a Dalit has been chosen as the new Chief Minister is also not an issue since Punjab and Punjabis have always remained above class and caste considerations. Such differentiations have been expressly forbidden by the Sikh Gurus. It is, however, the Congress itself that is highlighting the Dalit card which indicates that the appointment has been made while keeping politics of religion in mind. The new chief Minister will, quite obviously, not have the time to set right the misgovernance of the party over the last four and a half years. He is, therefore, expected to keep aspects of security paramount during his short tenure and also ensure that a safe environment is created for holding assembly elections in a free and fair manner keeping the highest norms of democracy paramount. Punjab is in the cusp of change sadly not in the right direction. The ignoble machinations of a few with selfish motives will need to be challenged. The State that thrives on the legacy and traditions set by the Great Gurus should not be allowed to slide into a political cesspool. The former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had targeted Sidhu earlier and said he will oppose any move to make Sidhu chief ministerial face for reasons of national security. Chandigarh: Soon after Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned from the post of Punjab Congress President, former Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Tuesday (September 28) said that Sidhu is unstable and unfit for the state of Punjab. "I told you so...he is not a stable man and not fit for the border state of Punjab," said Captain Amarinder Singh in a tweet. The former Punjab Chief Minister and senior Congress leader's remarks came as Sidhu on Tuesday resigned as the chief of the Punjab Unit of the Congress. "The collapse of a man's character stems from the compromise corner. I can never compromise on Punjab's future and the agenda for the welfare of Punjab. Therefore, I hereby resign as the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. Will continue to serve the Congress," Sidhu said in his letter after resigning. Sidhu was appointed as the President of the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) on July 23. Earlier too, Captain Amarinder Singh had targetted Sidhu and had said that he would oppose any move to make the latter the chief ministerial face of the party in the state. Soon after resigning from the post of Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh had said that Sidhu is going to be a disaster and that he has a connection with the Pakistan establishment. Capt Amarinder Singh told ANI in an exclusive interview that he will oppose any move to make Sidhu chief ministerial face for reasons of national security. He also termed Sidhu as "incompetent". "Navjot Singh Sidhu is an incompetent man, he is going to be a disaster. I will oppose his name for the next CM face. He has a connection with Pakistan. It will be a threat to national security...: Amarinder Singh told ANI. Sidhu's resignation comes just before former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's visit to the national capital, who was visiting Delhi after he resigned on September 18. The tussle in Punjab Congress escalated in August when the party's central leadership has sought to bury the hatchet by appointing Navjot Singh Sidhu as the Congress chief apparently against the desire of the Chief Minister. Courtesy: ANI The book, Indus Waters Story, by Ashok Motwani and Sant Kumar Sharma highlights the contentious issue of Indus waters sharing between India and Pakistan Indus Waters Story: Issues, Concerns, Perspectives; Bloomsbury India Publications, pp 236, Rs 699.00 It is often said that Bharat has won all wars against Pakistan on battle front but invariably lost on the publicity front. This is true in the case of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT), too, which was signed between India and Pakistan in 1960. According to the treaty, the control of three Eastern rivers the Beas, Ravi and Sutlej was given to India, while the water flowing in three Western rivers the Indus, Chenab and the Jhelum was controlled by Pakistan. The Western rivers contribute about 80 per cent of annual flows in the Indus basin flows. This disparity in water sharing has left many wonder why India settled for such a disadvantageous arrangement. However, it must be mentioned here that the general awareness about the Treaty has been woefully low in India. Only after the Pulwama terrorist attack that there was a demand for cancellation of the Treaty to teach Pakistan a lesson. Paks Hostility Apparent Despite the perception among political classes in India as Pakistan has walked away with lions share of water resources from the Indus Water Systems through the Treaty, the narrative within the Islamic republic is very hostile to India. The general level of awareness in Pakistan is pretty high. Pakistani media is replete with articles on the Treaty critical of India. Terrorists like Hafiz Saeed had pledged to wage war against India over water terrorism unleashed by it. It is their narratives that have been flooding the cyberspace so far and domestic perceptions in Pakistan. There are a lot of misgivings about the Treaty among the masses. There arent adequate literature which articulate Indias perspectives on the issue. The book, Indus Waters Story: Issues, Concerns, Perspectives, by Ashok Motwani and Sant Kumar Sharma, is a laudable attempt to bridge the gap and put the issue in right perspective. One of the questions that one encounters in discussions on the Treaty is: Can India unilaterally cancel the Treaty? Another oft-repeated question is: Can India stop the rivers from flowing into Pakistan?To these questions, the authors write: Trying to punish Pakistan through the stoppage of the flow of waters is too easy to conjure up for many. It seems to them like a very easy and catchy option but it is way too difficult when it comes to the implementation part. International riparian laws in vogue now, division of river waters under the IWT and many other factors will come into play, if at all India tries to use water as a weapon against Pakistan and bring it to heel. In short, it is easier said than done. Evaluating Success of Treaty Further, one needs to bear in mind that goodwill is a must if a treaty between two countries must work. In that way, the Treaty has survived many a tumultuous period in the past six decades. Arguably, it is one of the most successful water-sharing treaties in the world. The book examines what, within the scope of the Treaty, can be done by India to exercise its rights. What is required for that is an understanding of the nuances of the Treaty, the political will to go ahead with exercising Indias rights to the fullest and the enterprise to ask engineers to design projects aimed at doing so It is wrong to perceive that the Treaty was a total sellout of Indias interests. As Niranjan D. Gulhati, the chief Indian negotiator, wrote in Indus Waters Treaty: An Exercise in International Mediation: The dispute over the waters of the Indus, between India and Pakistan, is notable not only for its size, significance and complexity, but also in that it was brought to conclusion by a comprehensive Treaty that benefits both sides enormously. Similarly on the 80:20 division of waters, some experts say that the Eastern Rivers travel significant distances in the plains of India. As such, in the plains, they offer India a significant potential for developing storage dams and these dams were indeed built once the Treaty was signed. The signing of the Treaty also led to a significant enhancement of the potential of the Bhakra dam, then under construction, as the treaty was being negotiated. All three Western rivers, which have been allotted to Pakistan, remain mountainous in most of their journey on the Indian side. There are very few sites on them available while they traverse through Indian territories for creating any significant storage for irrigation. It needs to be borne in mind that the conditions prevailing when the IWT was negotiated made it imperative for India to try to maximise its irrigation potential to ensure food security. Thus, the booka well-researched and balanced one at that brings to the fore the sensitive issue of water sharing between two perennially hostile nuclear nations. There are some sticky issues which need to be resolved in the larger interest of peace in the region. Furthermore, the book examines what, within the scope of the Treaty, can be done by India to exercise its rights. What is required for that is an understanding of the nuances of the Treaty, the political will to go ahead with exercising Indias rights to the fullest and the enterprise to ask engineers to design projects aimed at doing so. To curb illegal financial transactions using cryptocurrencies that pose a major threat to its financial security and sovereignty and to take on global responsibilities, India should put in place mechanisms, augment its intelligence capacities and increase its international engagement. Financial intelligence apparatus should be revamped to meet the emerging challenges Anonymity associated with cryptocurrencies has become a worrying issue for regulators and governments. Originally dismissed as havens for criminals and money launderers, cryptocurrencies have come a long way, thanks to FinTech innovations, technological advancement and their popularity. However, the FinTech revolution and cryptocurrency assets no longer live in their own special, independent world beyond the reach of national regulation. As many events have already shown, this market has been frequently altered by the influence of solutions, laws, forecasts, and the corrective actions of Government regulators. Today, the assertion that whether or not digital money can actually become a useful and secure part of the world economy is being seriously debated. Bitcoin (BTC) was created in 2009 and was the first decentralised currency. BTC has retained its status as the most valuable cryptocurrency in the world to this day. Bitcoins market capitalisation in January 2020 has already breached the $151 billion mark. During its record growth in Q4 2019 its capitalisation had crossed $131 billion. At the same time in January 2020, the cumulative market capitalisation of all crypto assets combined is a staggering $220 billion plus. Such a steep jump in the value of crypto coins and tokens could hardly fail to attract the attention of world regulatory organisations, many of which took up a 'defensive position' while completely denying the obvious positive characteristics of digital money. However, a significant proportion of analysts, Government representatives, and members of the financial and other sectors remain either neutral or positive on the issue of cryptocurrency. The conflict is as evident as it is logical. Both sides and the neutrals have convincing reasons to present. Global regulators in the international arena have an ambiguous attitude toward cryptocurrency. On the one hand, they see its potential, but on the other, they see it as the latest bubble. Many financial Moghuls see it currently more as a technology driven speculative asset class, than as a currency of transaction. Government authorities in various regions are already actively combating the anonymity of cryptocurrencies. The Japanese regulator FSA recently pressured crypto exchanges in demanding that all anonymous coins and tokens be delisted. This is despite the fact that cryptocurrency is entirely legal in Japan. A corresponding Indian Government dictat has been issued, effective since June 18, 2018. FSA representatives claim to see a threat to economic stability in the anonymity of cryptocurrency. Nevertheless, the regulators of many countries are gradually acknowledging the positives of digital currencies and their central banks are actively developing their own Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). No matter how hard blockchain companies try to justify themselves, theyre often still seen as fly-by-night Ponzi schemes or vehicles for laundering money. Rightly so due to a large number of cases where private companies, exchanges & traders have been seen violating norms of the normal banking world. As a result of this, it can be extremely frustrating for legitimate startups to get genuinely world-changing ideas off the ground. Though blockchain provides inherent advantages for businesses, however, the same advantages have become a bane for governments & investors. Citizens are being cheated & Governments do not like being circumvented through. The anonymity of cryptocurrency makes it attractive for black market and money launderers. Since the identity is not revealed, misuse is often reported yet seldom caught. As indicated earlier, the government has not stepped up to control cryptocurrencies, but they do have the power to ban or illegalise the transactions. Yet everyone agrees that the idea of a blanket cryptocurrency ban by the Government may be naive at best. The latest news indicates that Governments may soon get along with cryptocurrencies for running their economic systems more transparently. India Game for Digital Currency The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) may launch its first digital currency trial programmes by December, says Governor Shaktikanta Das Central banks started looking into digital currencies over the past year following a decline in cash usage and growing interest in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin Instead of being a tradeable asset with wildly fluctuating prices, central bank digital currencies would function more like their fiat counterparts and would have widespread acceptance Cashless economies were accelerating at a breakneck pace, and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has compelled everyone to switch to digital payment methods China and European countries such as the United Kingdom are developing comparable digital currencies that central banks may push out to businesses and individuals The RBI plans to use distributed ledger technology (DLT), in which it will own and maintain a database of transactions India has been a laggard in this space, considering the number of years China has spent developing the digital yuan. But better late than never Around the world, there is now a dual monetary system in place, with public money (such as the rupee) serving as a backbone for private money (such as credit cards and debit cards) issued by banks It is reasonable to suppose that if a digital rupee is accessible, banks will no longer be required to create a private form of currency. Everything may be done online through the RBI, which is a centralised authority A popular scam technique used by unscrupulous criminals is the initial coin offering. A potentially legitimate investment opportunity, an initial coin offering essentially is a way for a startup cryptocurrency company to raise money from its future users. In exchange for sending active cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and Ethereum, customers are promised a discount on the new Cryptocoins. Many initial coin offerings have turned out to be scams, with organisers engaging in cunning plots, even renting fake offices and creating fancy looking marketing materials. In 2017, a lot of hype and media coverage about cryptocurrencies fed a huge wave of initial coin offering fraud. In 2018, about 1,000 initial coin offering efforts collapsed, costing backers at least $100 million. Many of these projects had no original ideas more than 15 per cent of them had copied ideas from other cryptocurrency efforts, or even plagiarised supporting documentation. No matter how hard blockchain companies try to justify themselves, theyre often still seen as fly-by-night Ponzi schemes or vehicles for laundering money. Rightly so due to a large number of cases where private companies, exchanges & traders have been seen violating norms of the normal banking world Investors looking for returns in a new technology sector are still interested in blockchains and cryptocurrencies - but should beware that they are complex systems that are new even to those who are selling them. Newcomers and relative experts alike have fallen prey to scams. Fixing the FinTech Fad Regulators the world over are worried about criminals who are increasingly using cryptocurrencies for illegitimate activities such as money laundering, terror funding and tax evasion. The problem is significant - even though the full scale of misuse of virtual currencies is unknown, its market value has been reported to exceed EUR 7 billion worldwide. The existing legal framework in Europe and the USA is failing to deal with this issue. There are simply no rules unveiling the anonymity associated with cryptocurrencies. However, the tide is changing. The fifth revision of the directive on money laundering and terrorist financing by the European Parliament, AMLD5, is in the final phase of being adopted. AMLD5 includes a definition of virtual currencies and subjects virtual currency exchange services and custodian wallet providers to customer due-diligence requirements and the duty to report suspicious transactions to financial intelligence units. The information obtained can also be used by tax authorities to combat tax evasion. AMLD5s definition of virtual currencies is sufficient to combat money laundering, terrorist financing and tax evasion via cryptocurrencies. Nevertheless, it is important to closely follow up on the use cases of virtual currencies to ascertain that the definition remains to be a sufficient one going forward. When we look at the key players in cryptocurrency markets, we can see that a number of those are not included in European Parliaments AMLD5 standard, leaving blind spots in the fight against money laundering, terrorist financing and tax evasion. The examples are numerous and include miners, pure cryptocurrency exchanges that are not also custodian wallet providers, hardware and software wallet providers, trading platforms and Initial Coin offerings (ICOs). Persons/businesses with malicious intent could look up these blind spots. If that would happen and it would appear to have a (material) adverse effect on the fight against money laundering, terrorist financing and tax evasion, expanding the scope of AMLD5 should be considered. With respect to unveiling the anonymity of users in general (i.e. also outside of the context of virtual currency exchanges and custodian wallet providers), no immediate action is taken. Only in its next supranational risk assessment, the European Commission will assess a system of voluntary registration of users. This approach is not very convincing if the legislator is truly serious about unveiling the anonymity of cryptocurrency users to make the combat against money laundering, terrorist financing and tax evasion more effective. Brief Overview of FIU-INDIA Governments in several countries have formed Financial Intelligence Units (FIU) to receive, process and disseminate information on money-related crimes. They function as a national centre for the receipt and analysis of suspicious transactions, information about money laundering, other related offences and financing of terrorism. FIUs in most countries have administrative and law enforcement nature. Financial Intelligence Unit works in cooperation with the international bodies like the FATF and the Egmont Group. Persons/businesses with malicious intent could look up these blind spots. If that would happen and it would appear to have a (material) adverse effect on the fight against money laundering, terrorist financing and tax evasion, expanding the scope of AMLD5 should be considered Financial Intelligence Unit, The FIU- INDIA, was set up by the Indian Government in 2004 as the central national agency responsible for receiving, processing, analysing and disseminating information relating to suspect financial transactions. FIU-IND is an independent body reporting directly to the Economic Intelligence Council (EIC) headed by the Finance Minister. The function of FIU-IND is to receive cash/suspicious transaction reports, analyze them and, as appropriate, disseminate valuable financial information to intelligence/enforcement agencies and regulatory authorities. The functions of FIU-IND are: 1. Collection of Information: Act as the central reception point for receiving Cash Transaction reports (CTRs), Cross Border Wire Transfer Reports (CBWTRs), Reports on Purchase or Sale of Immovable Property (IPRs) and Suspicious Transaction Reports (STRs) from various reporting entities. 2. Analysis of Information: Analyze received information to uncover patterns of transactions suggesting suspicion of money laundering and related crimes. 3. Sharing of Information: Sharing information with national intelligence/law enforcement agencies, national regulatory authorities and foreign Financial Intelligence Units. 4. Act as Central Repository: Establish and maintain national data base on cash transactions and suspicious transactions on the basis of reports received from reporting entities. 5. Coordination: Coordinate and strengthen collection and sharing of financial intelligence through an effective national, regional and global network to combat money laundering and related crimes. Constitution of FIU-IND The FIUIND is a multidisciplinary body with a sanctioned strength of 74 members from various Government departments. The members are inducted from organisations, including Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), Reserve Bank of India (RBI), Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI), Department of Legal Affairs and Intelligence agencies. As reflected in Indias move from a neighbourhood First policy to an Act East policy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unequivocally wants India to assume an increased role in world affairs. Such aspirations entail more responsibilities in upholding the peace and prosperity of the world order. One such responsibility is protecting the integrity of the international economic system from illicit threats, such as corruption, money laundering, counterfeit currency smuggling, and tax evasion. Indias International Engagement in Financial Intelligence As economic liberalisation took hold in India in the 1990s and the pervasiveness and complexity of illicit financial threats grew, the need to engage internationally in financial intelligence arose. Only during this period did the Government of India begin developing the requisite legal mechanisms and institutional infrastructure. Becoming a member of the International Counterintelligence Financing Regime The 1988 United Nations (UN) Vienna Convention, which India ratified in 1990, criminalised the financing of any offenses involving the illicit production, distribution, or sale of drugs. The following year, at the G7 summit in Paris, a group of countries came together to formalise an intergovernmental body to combat money laundering. As a result, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was established in 1989 to set standards and promote implementation of legal, regulatory, and operational measures to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and other illicit financial threats. Thus, the international regime on antimoney laundering/counter terrorist financing (AML/CTF) came into existence. In 1998, India officially entered the AML/CTF international regime by joining the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG), an FATF-style body focused on implementing AML/CTF initiatives in the Asia Pacific region. As required of all APG members, the Government of India underwent a mutual evaluation of its AML/CTF efforts in 2005. This process recognises countries for meeting standard benchmarks, identifies weakness, and makes recommendations to rectify any deficiencies. Recommendation for FIU-IND and Government of India 1. Improve domestic capacities and mechanisms for the financial intelligence apparatus. If the Government of India wants to take on global responsibilities and increase its international engagement, it must first have the capacities and mechanisms in place to do so. Reforms to its financial intelligence apparatus are thus necessary to ensure the central Government can handle this growth in its mission. To do so, Government of India needs to: Governments in several countries have formed Financial Intelligence Units (FIU) to receive, process and disseminate information on money-related crimes. They function as a national centre for the receipt and analysis of suspicious transactions, information about money laundering, other related offences and financing of terrorism. FIUs in most countries have administrative and law enforcement nature a. Retain a financial intelligence cadre of All India Services officers and internationally recognised experts within the bureaucracy. b. Ensure that agencies and departments involved in financial intelligence are completely staffed to meet their missions. c. Improve interagency coordination to ensure prosecution and successful conviction of financial crimes related to money laundering and terrorist financing. d. Invest further in employee skill development and training as it relates to understanding cybercrime, cryptocurrencies, and financial technologies. 2. Increase international engagement on financial intelligence beyond the Asia Pacific region and Eurasia. Government of Indias international engagement has mostly been confined to the Asia Pacific region and Eurasia. For example, most of the Government of Indias MOUs on financial intelligence have been signed with Eurasian and Asia Pacific nations. Conversely, there are currently only six MOUs between FIU-IND and its FIU counterparts in Africa (Mauritius, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Togo) and Latin America (Brazil). 3. Promote personnel exchanges and liaisons within domestic and foreign financial intelligence agencies and departments. Personnel exchanges help build the technical capacity of an organisation. Those involved can learn different techniques and practices from the exchange agencies and departments within which they work, and bring back best practices to be implemented in their home offices. 4. Share expertise in informal banking, such as hawalas or hundis, through training and forums 5. Push for formal leadership roles within international bodies. The Government of Indias trajectory on the international engagement of financial intelligence is quite remarkable, considering that the Indian economy has liberalised only within the last three decades. The Government of India should prioritise reforms to its financial intelligence apparatus and legal system over any desire for expanded international engagement. Enacting the recommendations above, though, requires political will, which, given the Central Governments history of corruption, cannot be underscored enough. However, should it follow through on these actions, the Government of India can most certainly become an international leader on this issue. Such a position can yield tangible benefits with limited costs, possibly requiring only marginally more manpower and financial resources. However, even outside of reduction cost-benefit analysis, becoming an international leader on this issue could help the Government of India attain recognition from the international community as a rising global power. For this it is important for India to collaborate with EUs new drafted policy AMLD5 and best practices adoption from SEC, USA to handle crimes related to cryptocurrency. Be it the QUAD, BRICS, SCO or the RIC, India, represented by Narendra Modi, plays the same role by stressing on global problems and solving them through mutual solutions. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to America has been garnering quite an attention. The event is significant because, after a gap of two years, Modi visited the USA to attend the UN General Assembly's session, which is happening amidst a changed geopolitical landscape when seen through the lenses of India. The newly developed concern with the Indo-Pacific region has made India an important partner for any country that seeks to expand its clout in this respective region. The reasons for which India stands up are rooted in the fact of it being a nuclear power and an impressive military structure. But the question that should be asked is whether India would just be confined to the role of a partner and not become a significant player in international politics? In his address at the UNGA on Friday (25th Sept.), Narendra Modi spent quite a few minutes speaking about the oceans and their importance. He urged the implementation of rules-based order and the upholding of the law of the freedom of the seas. He took a quip at the United Nations, stating that the world body needs reforms to adapt itself better to the changing scenario of the world. While it may be considered another one of those pleas for securing a permanent seat in the UN Security Council, the statement has another angle, too. As one knows that the Indo-Pacific region is slowly showing signs of becoming a place of contest. Though there isn't a sharp bifurcation, the Americans and the Chinese are contending to secure influence in the region. And this is where India enters the scene. The USA is being seen courting India to use the ancient land for its advantage and accomplish its scheme of isolating China. But one needs to reflect whether India, with all its developed might and prowess, would tolerate that the Indian Ocean, which it sees as its backyard, shall become a playing ground for the Americans and the Chinese? The answer is, of course, no. The Galwan valley clash of June 2020 has registered itself as an episode that may record China's growing aggressiveness and assertiveness. India mourned the loss of 20 of its brave soldiers, and anti-China sentiment among the greater part of the Indian public has been on the rise since then. After this deadly event, one might expect that the Indian P.M. would initiate a silent tirade against his neighbour and take an active part in projects to counter the influence and power of the dragon. But it hasn't been that. The media is fueling the Chinese issue more than by the Indian government, which is adopting a persistent approach to peaceful resolutions and isn't showing any qualms to engage with the Chinese, with foreign minister S. Jaishankar tweeting the need for India and China to be at peace for maintaining 'Asian solidarity'. The Indian Prime Minister has maintained the same approach as the QUAD, which he has shown in the BRICS or the SCO. It is also important to mention that though India is having a tilt towards the USA, there are no entangling alliances or solidified relationships. Be it the QUAD, BRICS, SCO or the RIC, India, represented by Narendra Modi, plays the same role by stressing on global problems and solving them through mutual solutions. This approach, in its consistency, doesn't reflect the intrigues and the tensions of a superpower. However, this pacifist approach has been fortified with a growing defence capability, and this might be the way where India's path to glory lies. When taken in the above context, Modi's recent trip to America doesn't seem a game-changer but more part of a plan. The West isn't strongly united at present. A division is being seen in the Atlantic between the USA on one side and the European Union on the other, whose leading members are becoming increasingly sceptical about the United States' interests and capability. This ensures that India's policy towards the West is also divided into the same lines. This divide is more suitable since a united West under America would pose as great a challenge to India's rising status as that posed by China. It is in multipolarity that India could rise, and this shall also explain why Prime Minister Modi has increased his exhortation for multilateralism. The growth of China and Russia is showing signs that it might not be sustainable. Modi's plan of neutralism could reap benefits that may make India the 'vishvaguru'. (The writer is a student & blogger) LONDON (AP) Britain's royals joined Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux and the cast of "No Time to Die" on the red carpet for the new Bond film's world premiere Tuesday, a glittering event that marked the movie's release after multiple delays caused by the pandemic. The film, the 25th in the long-running series and Craig's last outing as 007, was initially due to be released in April 2020. Craig, who turned up for the red carpet at the Royal Albert Hall in a pink velvet dinner jacket, told reporters how relieved he was that the film was finally making its way to cinemas. A year ago, this was just a dream. It didnt look like wed get here. But we have and Im just happy that were here and we can celebrate with everybody, he said. Seydoux echoed the sense of relief, saying: "Its been such a crazy time for all of us. And now to celebrate, you know, with this film, to reunite. And its great. Im really happy. Craig, 53, has played the suave secret agent in five movies, beginning with Casino Royale in 2006. Asked how he felt about saying goodbye to the role, he said: I'm good. Im really good about it. As for who would be his successor, he simply quipped: Not my problem. Prince Charles, his wife Camilla, Prince William and his wife Kate the Duchess of Cambridge made a rare joint appearance at the premiere, and Kate stole the show with a sparkling gold cape dress by designer Jenny Packham. Actor Rami Malek, who joins the franchise as villain Safin, later met the royals. He was joined by Lashana Lynch, who plays the first Black female 00 agent Nomi, and Naomie Harris, who returns as Moneypenny. Health care workers and members of Britain's armed forces were among those invited to Tuesday's premiere in thanks for their work during the pandemic. The film will be released in U.K. cinemas on Sept. 30. MECOSTA COUNTY The Mecosta County Sheriffs Office responded to the following calls. All calls may not be reported. Monday, Sept. 27 A car vs. deer crash was reported on 15 Mile Road near Oakwood Street in Big Rapids Township. Malicious destruction of property was reported at Ryan Creek Apartments. A woman had her vehicle egged the night prior. An abandoned boat was towed from 10 Avenue near 9 Mile Road. A lockdown drill was performed at Barryton Elementary School. It was the first drill at the new school. Child Protective Services in Grand Rapids reported an abuse/neglect of a 1-year-old child in the 16000 block of Polk Road. An investigation found that the child fell and hit a dog cage. A student backed into a parked car in Sheridan Township. An official from the cemetery located on Jefferson Road and 190th Avenue found an urn that was buried on a plot with no permit or proper markings. A car vs. deer crash was reported on Northland Drive near 192nd Avenue. A car vs. deer crash was reported on McKinnley Road near Outer Drive. Mecosta County sheriffs deputies assisted EMS with a woman who had a seizure while at the Isabella Bank in Remus. A woman reported that a man had threatened her and her brother via text. She was advised to block his number and seek a PPO. A car vs. deer crash was reported near 9 Mile Road and 70th Avenue in Morton Township. A man reported that he went over to another mans residence the night prior to party. The man had provided him with alcoholic beverages and marijuana. He was later woken up in the morning to the man touching his butt over his boxers. The man admitted to providing the alcohol and marijuana, but denied touching. He was cited for furnishing to a minor and the report with be submitted for review. BEIJING (AP) Two American siblings have returned home after China lifted an exit ban following Canadas release of a top Chinese tech executive who had been wanted in the U.S. on fraud charges. The State Department said Cynthia and Victor Liu returned to the U.S. on Saturday after consular staff in Shanghai helped facilitate their departure. Two Canadians held in China were also permitted to leave after Canada released Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou on Friday. According to reports, the Liu siblings had traveled to China along with their mother, Han Tong, in mid-2018 to visit an ailing relative, but were then barred from leaving the country in an apparent bid to pressure their father, Liu Changming, to return to China, where he is wanted on charges of money laundering. Han was detained after arriving in China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying defended the exit bans as legal and necessary to the investigation into their parents' cases. Chinese police, in order to find out the truth, restricted their exit from China," Hua said at a daily briefing Tuesday. In light of the progress of the investigation, police lifted the restrictions in September 2021 according to law," Hua said. The handling of the cases is lawful and an independent judicial procedure." No information was immediately available about any progress in the investigation or the whereabouts of Han Tong and Liu Changming. The State Department said in a statement that Washington opposes the use of coercive exit bans against people who are not themselves charged with crimes and will continue to advocate on behalf of all American citizens in (China) subject to arbitrary detention and coercive exit bans." As justification for the exit ban, Hua cited Chinese administration laws which state foreigners can be prevented from leaving if they are sentenced to criminal punishments, the execution of which are not completed, or suspects or defendants in criminal cases, except those who are sentenced and transferred under relevant agreements between China and foreign countries." It wasn't clear whether the Lius met any of those conditions. U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman the highest-ranking U.S. official to visit China since President Joe Biden took office brought up the issue of exit bans during talks with Chinese officials in July. I also took the opportunity to press for the release of U.S. and Canadian citizens who are subject to arbitrary detention or who are under exit bans," Sherman said in an interview. People are not bargaining chips, she added. In an apparent prisoner swap, the two Canadians held in China were also permitted to leave after Huawei executive Meng's release. Former diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor had been detained days after Meng's arrest and charged with endangering China's national security, with Spavor sentenced to 11 years in prison. While Beijing denied a link between the cases, many countries labeled Chinas action hostage politics. The two were held in isolation in facilities where the lights were on 24 hours per day, while Meng stayed in either of her luxurious Vancouver mansions. China had long demanded the unconditional release of Meng, also the daughter of Huawei's founder, denouncing her detention as a form of personal persecution aimed at frustrating China's rise as a global technology power. Meng, 49, reached an agreement with federal prosecutors that called for fraud charges against her to be dismissed next year and allowed for her to return to China immediately. As part of the deal, known as a deferred prosecution agreement, she accepted responsibility for misrepresenting the companys business dealings in Iran. As part of the deal with Meng, which was disclosed in federal court in Brooklyn, the Justice Department agreed to dismiss the fraud charges against her in December 2022 exactly four years after her arrest provided that she complies with certain conditions, including not contesting any of the governments factual allegations. The Justice Department also agreed to drop its request that Meng be extradited to the U.S., which she had vigorously challenged, ending a process that prosecutors said could have persisted for months. The Biden White House, meanwhile, has kept up a hard line on Huawei, the world's biggest supplier of communications equipment, and other Chinese corporations whose technology is thought to pose national security risks. Huawei has repeatedly denied the U.S. governments allegations and security concerns about its products. Chinese officials have also appeared to repudiate Meng's admission of responsibility, saying she pleaded not guilty and denied any wrongdoing. Michigan would award its 15 electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote if enough other states also join the agreement under a new ballot initiative announced today, Sept. 27, by former leaders in both the Democratic and the Republican parties. Mark Brewer, who is former chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, and Saul Anuzis, who is former chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, announced the development at a Monday news conference. If enough states sign onto the pact, the U.S. would keep the electoral college system, but the presidential candidate who wins the nationwide popular vote would be guaranteed the White House, according to Brewer. We are excited to launch our effort to bring this important proposal to let voters, not politicians, determine if Michigan moves our country toward a national popular vote for president," he said in a press release. The national popular vote would only take effect if the participating states represent the 270 electoral votes needed to win the presidency. So far, national popular vote legislation has been enacted by 15 states and the District of Columbia, adding up to 195 electoral votes, according to a press release. Additionally, the ballot initiative makes sure that presidential candidates have to campaign across the country, in every state, because their goal would be to get as many votes, from everywhere, as they can because that's the only way they're going to win, according to Brewer. The effort has been a long time coming. Anuzis says he got involved and first supported the effort in 2008. "You could be a battleground state on one day and the very next day not be a battleground state," Anuzis said. "That has a similar effect to both Republicans and Democrats, depending on who's winning and losing. And, what happens under this proposal is: that would never happen. If we had a national popular vote, you could not afford to walk away from 10 million people in Michigan, and have a 5%, 2% or even 1% drop in presidential election turnouts, whether you're Republican or Democrat." "The other unique thing that this does is that you know, under the winner take all rule, if we win, the Republicans, every vote over 50% plus one becomes irrelevant, and you're just trying to win the election," he continued. "And the Democrats, if they were to lose at 49% of vote, (would) completely become irrelevant because they don't count under the winner take all rule. Under a national popular vote interstate compact, Michigan voters, whether they're Republican, Democratic or Independent, will have a voice every single time. That's really the goal here." Proponents say awarding the presidency to the candidate with the most votes only makes sense, "to fix the current broken presidential election system that causes division, mistrust and bad feelings all around," according to Brewer. "What happens today is we are basically distorting public policy and we're distorting politics, as presidential candidates pander to the swing voters at any given election and ignore, often times, 40 to 42 to 45 states," Anuzis said. "And, I'm sure that's not what the founders intended. I think this is a reform that would actually fix this." "I think Republicans and Democrats will have an even chance or a fair chance of winning the national popular vote, when every voter in every state is politically relevant every time, and gets to participate every time in the presidential elections," he continued. For example, it would make it worthwhile for Democrats to campaign in states they are unlikely to win, such as Mississippi, and for Republicans to campaign in places they stand little chance, such as California. A petition will be available for Michiganders to sign soon. The language on the petition is being finalized tomorrow, Sept. 28. Then, the Board of State Canvassers has 30 days to approve the petition. Brewer is hoping the petition will be cleared faster than the 30-day deadline. The committee, "Yes on National Popular Vote" needs 340,047 Michigan voters to sign this initiative petition, "to let them, not the politicians in Lansing, decide whether it's important enough to affect the support reform," Anuzis said. The proposal would then be submitted to the Michigan Legislature. If lawmakers decline to pass the measure, it would go to voters in a general election, Detroit Free Press reported. "The candidate with the most votes doesn't always win the election," Brewer said. "Under the current system, five of our 46 presidents have come into office without winning the national popular vote. So, our current system also means that much smaller states, like Wyoming, have more than three times as much voting power as we do here in Michigan. And, that's wrong and again violates the important principle of one person, one vote." The cost of the ballot drive is yet to be determined, according to both Anuzis and Brewer, as the process is just getting started. WASHINGTON (AP) Seventy-eight-year-old Joe Biden and 79-year-old Mitch McConnell got their booster shots Monday, the Democratic president and the Republican Senate leader urging Americans across the political spectrum to get vaccinated or plus up with boosters when eligible for the extra dose of protection. The shots, administered just hours apart on either end of Pennsylvania Avenue, came on the first workday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration recommended a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for Americans 65 and older and approved them for others with preexisting medical conditions and high-risk work environments. Both leaders said that even though the booster doses provide more enduring protection against the virus, they weren't the silver bullet to ending the pandemic. Boosters are important, but the most important thing we need to do is get more people vaccinated, Biden said. Nearly 25% of eligible Americans aged 12 and older haven't received a single dose of the vaccines. They are bearing the brunt of a months-long surge in cases and deaths brought about by the more transmissible delta variant of the virus that has killed 688,000 in the U.S. since the pandemic began. Like Ive been saying for months, these safe and effective vaccines are the way to defend ourselves and our families from this terrible virus, said McConnell, a polio survivor. Biden got his first shot on Dec. 21 and his second dose three weeks later, on Jan. 11, along with his wife, Jill Biden. The first lady, who is 70, received her Pfizer booster dose in private at the White House on Monday afternoon, said her spokesperson, Michael LaRosa. Now, I know it doesnt look like it, but I am over 65 I wish I way over, the president joked. And thats why Im getting my booster shot today. Biden has championed booster doses since the summer as the U.S. experienced a sharp rise in coronavirus cases driven by the delta variant. While the vast majority of cases continue to occur among unvaccinated people, regulators pointed to evidence from Israel and early studies in the U.S. showing that protection against so-called breakthrough cases was vastly improved by a third dose of the Pfizer shot. But the aggressive American push for boosters, before many poorer nations have been able to provide even a modicum of protection for their most vulnerable populations, has drawn the ire of the World Health Organization and some aid groups, which have called on the U.S. to pause third shots to free up supply for the global vaccination effort. Biden said last week that the U.S. was purchasing another 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine for a total of 1 billion over the coming year to donate to less well-off nations. Biden took questions from reporters about his vaccination experience and matters of the day as a military nurse injected the dose into his arm. The president said he did not have side effects after his first or second shots and hoped for the same experience with his third. Vice President Kamala Harris, 56, received the Moderna vaccine, for which federal regulators have not yet authorized boosters but they are expected to in the coming weeks. Regulators are also expecting data soon about the safety and efficacy of a booster for the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot. At least 2.66 million Americans have received booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine since mid-August, according to the CDC. About 100 million Americans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 through the Pfizer shot. U.S. regulators recommend getting the boosters at least six months after the second shot of the initial two-dose series. ___ Associated Press writers Josh Boak and Lisa Mascaro contributed. LAMPEDUSA, Sicily (AP) A rusty, overloaded fishing boat carrying 686 people docked on the island of Lampedusa in the single biggest arrival of migrants in Italy in years, amid new diplomatic efforts by Mediterranean governments to seek more European help in handling migrant flows. Italian coast guard ships escorted the 15-meter (45-foot) boat into port late Monday in Lampedusa, Sicily, an island closer to Africa than the Italian mainland that is one of the main destinations for Libyan-based migrant smugglers. It is rare for such a large smugglers' boat carrying so many people to arrive in an Italian port. More often, smaller groups of migrants are rescued at sea over several days by aid groups after their flimsy crafts take on water. The rescue vessels then bring the migrants into shore together. This is the highest number of persons arrived on a single boat in 2021," noted the U.N. refugee agency. Such numbers in a single arrival were not registered since August 2016." According to the aid group Mediterranean Hope in Lampedusa, the passengers included 658 men, 12 women and 12 minors. They hailed from Egypt, Morocco, Chad, Ethiopia, Syria, Nigeria, Sudan and Senegal and had set off from Zuwarah, Libya. UNHCR said many were suffering from scabies, a contagious skin disease, suggesting they had been held in close quarters in Libya before departing. As is common, the Bangladeshis and sub-Saharan Africans were held in the lower deck of the vessel, the agency said. Once the ship docked, the passengers disembarked and were taken to a reception center where they were being processed. Recently Italy began a program to vaccinate newly arrived migrants in Lampedusa against COVID-19. The arrivals were the latest in a year that has seen a marked increase in the number of migrants arriving in Italy. As of Monday, 44,778 migrants had disembarked in Italy this year, with the top nationalities Tunisia, Bangladesh and Egypt. The total is nearly double the number of arrivals in the first nine months of 2020 and five times the number of 2019, according to Interior Ministry statistics. The arrivals have added urgency to efforts by Mediterranean countries to pressure the European Union to develop a more equitable migration policy that addresses the problem driving people to flee their homelands and shares the burden beyond front-line European countries. Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese met with her counterparts from Spain, Malta, Greece and Cyprus this week in Malaga, Spain and said there was an urgent need to craft a European policy that is equitable and provides ambitious financing for border patrols, redistribution and repatriation programs. ___ Renata Brito in Barcelona, Spain, and Nicole Winfield in Rome, contributed to this report. ___ Follow APs global migration coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/migration Patrick Lantrip/AP COLLIERVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Law enforcement officials on Monday said the gunman who killed one person and wounded 14 others at a Tennessee supermarket before killing himself had been asked to leave his job at the grocery store earlier that day. In a news release, Collierville police say UK Thang had moved to the upscale suburb 30 miles (50 kilometers) outside of Memphis in the summer of 2020. He worked daily in a sushi business at the Kroger in Collierville. Over 140 exhibitors will present their latest solutions in a fortnights time, at this years free-to-attend Parcel+Post Expo. The worlds largest international parcel and postal industry exhibition and conference takes place October 12-14, in Vienna, Austria, where visitors will be able to see and experience the best and most exciting innovations and technologies set to shape the future of the industry all under one roof for maximum convenience. ') } // --> ') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // --> Held for the first time since 2019, this years show is particularly anticipated, providing a much-needed opportunity for posts and parcel carriers to source and trial the new solutions they need to keep up with the unprecedented explosion in e-commerce and home delivery seen during the recent pandemic. ') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write(' ') } // --> ') } else if (width >= 425) { console.log ('largescreen'); document.write('') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // --> In recognition of the extraordinary circumstances of the last 18 months, the organiser has decided to waive the fee for a conference pass (rates would normally apply), with the conference now completely free to attend. Find new solutions A host of new technologies are expected to make their debut in Vienna. For example, QuadriBot will present nanoSense a solution for tracking parcels and generating alerts when events such as temperature or humidity variation or other incidents occur during delivery. As small as a USB key, it combines both Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) and NFC technology, and can easily be integrated into any parcel. Features include temperature, humidity, vibration, movement and position detection; automatic detection and pairing with other devices via NFC; speedy BLE wireless data transfer; wireless charging technology (QI); enclosures in IP41 and IP65 varieties for outdoor and indoor use; and out-of-the-box and customizable data processing and data fusion. Shippers looking to improve their address accuracy should stop by Loqates booth, which will showcase the latest version of its new Address Capture (verification) solution, complete with five new features, including multi-language and character input, location biasing, advanced results filtering, fuzzy matching, and 150% more street data and 151% more zip codes. Leg-2 Experts will profile the latest features of its Airmail Data (AMD) system, which it claims is the only postal electronic data interchange (EDI) solution that can give posts full visibility on their leg-2 operations, irrespective of the mode of transportation. AMDs functionalities have been expanded in response to the Covid-19 crisis, which has pushed posts to find new partners ready to carry mail under UPU standards. The company says its ambition is to offer posts especially those concerned by the forthcoming ICS2 regulation the possibility to organize a self EDI, even when the airline market is not responsive. The growth of the e-commerce market has led to increasing demand for packaging made of paper and corrugated board. Kern will display its PackOnTime 2box multi-format packaging system for high-quality boxes made of corrugated board, available in a customized shipping package for any type of order. To produce the correct box size, the items to be packed are dynamically measured and then automatically packaged and the box sealed. The boxes can be personalized using pre-printed corrugated board or via an integrated, digital printer. A wide range of new parcel locker solutions will also be presented in Vienna, including the debut of Kebas KePol Flex system designed for quick and cost-saving outdoor installation, featuring a powerful internal battery that lasts its entire lifespan, negating the need for costly electrical integration. There will also be a wealth of new sorting systems and technologies taking center stage at Parcel+Post Expo 2021. For example, BlueCrest (left) will guide visitors through its SortEngine 360 platform featuring integrated OCR technology, which enables operators to gather intelligence and drive efficiencies across the entire processing environment; while Beumer will show how techniques such as 3D visualization, machine learning and data analytics can help achieve greater sortation system optimization, availability and capacity. Visitors can also expect to see some exciting new electric vehicles ideal for the last mile. Japanese company Aidea now offers its new AA-Cargo vehicle throughout Europe, featuring a single battery that can recharge to 80% in less than two hours from domestic 220V grids or via an onboard charger. Its generously proportioned rear flatbed can carry a 100kg payload of various box types and sizes, making the trike ideal for refrigerated, hot, grocery and parcel delivery in the city. Click here to read all the latest exhibitor news from the show. Free conference This years conference will be entirely free to attend, with live in-person presentations from over 100 expert speakers from leading organizations including Austrian Post, Emirates Post, Doddle, Swiss Post, UPU, PostNord, DPD, Hermes, Canada Post, Correos, Russian Post and Whistl. See the full line-up here. Dedicated sessions will focus on digital transformation, sustainability, improving last-mile convenience, lessons learned from the pandemic, as well as the ever-popular Innovation and StartUp Day (Tuesday 12 October), hosted by the Postal Innovation Platforms (PIP) chairman, Bernhard Bukovc, in partnership with Swiss Post, Austrian Post and Parcel+Post Expo. The winner of the PIP Innovation award will be announced during the Parcel & Postal Technology International Awards, which itself features eight categories in total, with the trophies presented during an evening reception on Tuesday, October 12. Join us at the industry event of the year if you havent already, register for your free fast-track entry code, now! Photo: (Photo : Photo by Jimmy Dean on Unsplash) One of the major reasons for having life insurance is to provide money to your loved ones when you pass away. For many other people, the reasons are simply to pay for burial costs after they die. However, some plans allow you to take advantage of the cash value of the policy or expedite the death benefit while you are still alive. Life insurance is ideal for protecting your family when you pass away, but plans like term life insurance with living benefits help you to protect yourself and your family in the event of a critical or chronic illness while you are still alive. We'll explain living benefits and what some of the best companies are. What are living benefits? Some life insurance plans allow you to build cash value throughout the lifetime of your policy. This is referred to as a living benefit of life insurance because, unlike a death benefit that is paid out after you die, you can use the cash while you are still alive. When a qualifying life event occurs such as a terminal illness or permanent disability, you could be eligible to access your living benefits. Term and permanent life insurance plans both offer living benefits. They are used as expedited benefit riders to aid with the costs of critical, long-term chronic, and terminal disease conditions. Fortunately, they are included at no extra cost in many plans. Term Life Insurance With Living Benefits Term life insurance protects you for a specific period. It pays out money to your beneficiary if you die during that set time period. Term life insurance policies are usually less expensive than whole life insurance policies since they only last for a limited amount of time. Many life insurance companies provide riders, or supplemental coverages or benefits, to your policy, allowing you to tailor it to your individual requirements. You can add a rider to a current or new policy for an additional fee. A living benefit or terminal illness rider, often known as an accelerated death benefit rider, is one of the most common riders. Terminal Illness Rider If you are diagnosed with a terminal disease, this living benefit will pay out a part of your term life insurance policy. This provides you with much-needed funds to cover medical costs, debt, and other obligations. Some people choose to use the money to take a dream trip or to create memorable moments with their friends and family without the stress of managing family finances. Various insurance companies have different life expectancy timeframes for when you can receive cash. Before you can get the living benefit, the insurance may need to be in place for a specific period of time. In addition, interest may be applied to the amount of the accelerated death benefit that you have to use. The advance payment is generally deducted from the amount paid to your beneficiaries after your passing. Return of Premium With this living benefit, all premiums paid throughout the term are repaid to you if you do not die within that term. This type of coverage is generally more expensive than a standard term life policy. Waiver of Premium for Disability A waiver of premium for disability is a clause in an insurance policy that specifies that if the insured is critically injured, the insurance company will not require them to pay the premium on their policy. If you can't work for six months or more due to a long-term disability, you can use this living benefit to avoid paying your premiums. While it is not a genuine monetary benefit, it is a vital alternative to have because there is a 30% chance that you may experience a condition that takes you out of work for 90 days or longer at some time during your working career. Whole Life Insurance With Living Benefits Whole life (a.k.a permanent life) insurance provides lifelong protection while also accumulating tax-deferred cash value over time. Whole life insurance, like term life insurance, offers a death benefit. It also allows you to grow cash value on a tax-deferred basis, but term insurance does not. With whole life insurance plans, you get the option of the terminal illness rider benefits, and you can access the cash you need in four other ways. #1 - Cash Value Withdrawal This cash value withdrawal allows you to access a part of your whole life insurance policy's cash value. If the money you take is less than or equivalent to your premium payments, you won't have to pay any taxes on it. You will, however, be taxed if any percentage of the money you take is from interest, dividends, or capital gains. #2 - Long-Term Care Benefits Including a long-term care benefit to your whole life insurance policy allows you to use the death benefit to pay for long-term care expenses that your health insurance won't cover. The amount of the long-term benefit that you use is usually deducted from the death benefit. #3 - Policy Surrender A policy surrender occurs when you terminate your permanent life insurance policy to get the cash value component as a one-time lump amount. That sum will be given to you by the insurance company, less any outstanding debts or unpaid premiums. #4 - Policy Loan If you take out a loan against your whole life insurance, you will be paid interest, but it will be lower than the rate charged by other lenders. You will also not be subjected to a credit check, providing proof of a salary or passive income, or a slew of other requirements to get a traditional loan. Finding the Best Insurance Company and Rates A qualified insurance agent can help you investigate the living advantages of life insurance and answer any other questions you may have. You can also work with an insurance company directly. The following are some reputable insurance companies that offer living benefits: AIG Term Life: AIG has a term life insurance policy that includes a Quality of Life plan with living benefits. It was formed in 1919 in Shanghai, China, and is present in over 80 countries. They received an A credit rating from AM Best in 2020. AIG's term, universal, and whole life insurance plans provide living benefits. You can apply from anywhere in the country, but you must first talk with an agent. The terminal illness rider is included in the Select-a-Term plans, while the Quality of Life Flex Term policy has built-in accelerated death payments for chronic, critical, or terminal disease. Depending on your insurance agreement, both plans may guarantee a minimum benefit. For an additional cost, you can add a disability waiver of premium riders. Haven Life Insurance: Haven Life has quick online quotes, a simple application process, and no medical exam for the Haven Simple insurance. Haven Life is powered by MassMutual and has been providing online term life insurance since 2013 but MassMutual was founded in 1851. They have an A++ credit rating from AM Best. Haven Life provides two plans with living benefits, Haven Term and Haven Simple, and you can apply online or by phone. Haven Term is accessible across the U.S. However, Haven Simple, which does not require a medical checkup, is not accessible in California, Delaware, South Dakota, and North Dakota. Haven Life plans include living benefits such as accelerated death benefits and premium waivers in the event of disability. Mutual of Omaha: Mutual of Omaha is one of the greatest options for seniors since it provides life insurance plans with accelerated death benefits for people up to the age of 85. The Omaha, Nebraska-based firm was founded in 1909 and got an A+ credit rating with AM Best. Mutual of Omaha provides a variety of life insurance policies, such as term, whole life, children's whole life, universal, and accidental death insurance. You can also add riders to your insurance for a potential additional fee. Living benefits can also be included in both universal and whole-life policies. As people live longer lives, there are more circumstances in which living benefits riders may be an appealing choice. You may develop a terminal illness or permanent disability and require financial assistance to cover your medical expenses. The cost of your life insurance premiums varies depending on the company, policy type, and term length. Other factors that may influence premium costs include your age, health, smoking status, and add-on riders such as living benefits. In general, the younger you are and the healthier you are, the cheaper your insurance rates will be. While certain plans may include built-in accelerated death benefits, this is not always the case. So be sure to ask about the factors in your policy when considering living benefits. About The Author: Imani Francies writes and researches for the life insurance comparison site, QuickQuote.com. She enjoys helping people find the best life insurance policy and rates that meet their specific needs. Photo: (Photo : Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images) CNN commentator Anderson Cooper said his mother, socialite and heiress Gloria Vanderbilt, offered to carry his baby at 85 years old, years before he sealed his plans and welcomed his son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper, into his life. During his guest appearance on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert," the journalist revealed that his mother called him to share her "ludicrous idea" to become his surrogate. She came from her visit to her gynecologist, who told her that her body could still bear kids. Cooper told Colbert that he was thinking of ways to convince his mom to give up the idea, adding that it wasn't shocking for her to speak about these things because she often had "batshit crazy things" to say. Two years after that conversation, Vanderbilt shared a news clipping to her son about a grandmother who became a surrogate to make her point. He did eventually welcome a baby boy in April 2020, who was named after his father, Wyatt Emory Cooper, whom he lost when he was only ten years old. Vanderbilt, however, never met Wyatt since she passed away due to cancer in 2019. Read Also: Patricia Heaton Chose to Be Sober After Embarrassing Situation With Adult Sons Cooper Never Thought He Could Become a Dad In sharing the baby's birth, Cooper said that he never thought he could become a father as a "gay kid." "I am grateful to a remarkable surrogate who carried Wyatt, and watched over him lovingly, and tenderly, and gave birth to him," he wrote, adding that the surrogate mother has her own beautiful family and a very supportive husband. Cooper has been co-parenting with his ex-partner Benjamin Maisani. He said that his son, now 16 months old, is a happy and giggly kid who likes to interact with strangers. The dad also said that he's relishing his time with his son at this age because he knows there will come a point where he won't want to be around his father. The journalist said he would carry on with his mother's same idea and wouldn't leave Wyatt any inheritance. Cooper said in a podcast interview via the "Morning Meeting" show that he does not believe in passing "huge amounts of money" to family members, except for Wyatt's college tuition. Cooper inherited just $1.5 million from his mother's estate and knew early on that there was no trust fund under his name. He agrees with his mother that inheritance money could be a curse. Vanderbilt was a scion of America's grandest railroad and shipping family built by Cornelius Vanderbilt, his great-great-grandfather. Vanderbilt made a name for herself as a fashion designer in the 1970s. On the other hand, Cooper's net worth as a popular TV personality is estimated to be around $200 million. Co-Parenting with Maisani Cooper and his ex-partner continue to live in the same house despite their separation after ten years of being together. In an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Cooper relayed that one of the reasons they decided to end their relationship was because Maisani didn't want any children. However, Cooper described his ex as a wonderful parent to Wyatt, and if something were to happen to him, he would want Maisani to be his son's family. Yet he shut down suggestions of getting back together with his ex or having another child, saying that he won't likely handle another child right now, especially with what's happening in the world. Related Article: Wealthy 23-Year-Old Mom Vows to Have 105 Children With Her 56-Year-Old Husband Photo: (Photo : Justin Sullivan/Getty Image) A mysterious salmonella outbreak has been discovered across 29 states in America, prompting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to reiterate the guidelines against contamination and prevent salmonella in kids. Some 26 victims of salmonella poisoning, among the 279 reported cases as of September 21, are now at the hospital. Though no one has died from the outbreak, the CDC said they are still investigating what specific food item has triggered the spread. The agency said that most victims of salmonella poisoning experience symptoms like diarrhea, fever, and stomach ache within six hours to six days of the infection. While most people will recover without treatment within the week, salmonella in kids, especially those under five years old, may lead to severe illnesses. Read Also: Trial for COVID-19 Vaccines for Toddlers Gives Parents Peace of Mind Protecting Against Salmonella The experts said that careful food preparation and storage could easily protect families and kids against salmonella poisoning. Any perishable food item should be stored well in the freezer or refrigerator, while raw food to be cooked must be rinsed and prepared using clean utensils on a clean kitchen surface. Leftovers must be placed in the refrigerator within two hours after it has been served. On a hot day, it must be stored and chilled promptly to reduce the chances of spoiling. Ditch any food that smells oddly funny or doesn't look edible, as these are most likely contaminated. Parents who feed eggs to their children must ensure that it's handled carefully as salmonella bacteria may contaminate even the disinfected and intact varieties, per Johns Hopkins Medicine. As much as possible, avoid feeding runny yolks or raw food ingredients like salad dressing or homemade ice cream to younger children as their bodies might not be able to process these efficiently. But salmonella bacteria may also be present in animal poop. If the kids have pets, the parents need to make sure that they wash their hands regularly, especially after playing or touching the animals. Children as young as two years old should also be taught to follow good hygiene habits like washing their hands after using the bathroom. According to the experts, washing with soap and water is very effective in getting rid of the bacteria that will make children sick. Treating Salmonella in Kids Victims of salmonella poisoning develop worse symptoms if their immunity is weak, as in small children. Fortunately, some antibiotics can fight the bacteria, especially if the sickness has been diagnosed early, and there are also anti-diarrhea medicines for stomach issues. However, the biggest concern for salmonella in kids is dehydration due to diarrhea. To prevent this, the University of Michigan Children's Hospital recommends regularly drinking Pedialyte or a rehydration drink if the child is frequently passing stool or vomiting. Avoid giving children soda or processed fruit juices to rehydrate as these contain more sugar than electrolytes. The CDC said that salmonella poisoning occurs in about 1.35 million individuals in a given year. It can lead to more than 25,000 hospitalization and less than 450 deaths. Related Article: Baby Poop Contains More Microplastics Than Adult Feces, Study Reveals Photo: (Photo : JASON CONNOLLY/AFP via Getty Images) A group of teenagers has been charged with plotting a school shooting at Dunmore High School in Pennsylvania on the 25th anniversary of the Columbine massacre in Colorado on April 20, 2024. Alyssa Kucharski and Zavier Lewis, who are 15 years old, have been arrested for aggravated assault, terroristic threats, unlawful possession of weapons, possession of explosive material, and criminal conspiracy. Though they are minors, Kucharski and Lewis were charged as adults because of the gravity of their intentions. Their two other companions, who will remain unnamed as minors, will be tried as juveniles. Authorities acted on a complaint against the teenagers, who were allegedly plotting the school shooting, and named three teachers at Dunmore High School as the targets, per CNN. Read Also: Parents of Brian Laundrie Can't Be Arrested for Not Cooperating With Police, Lawyer Says Obsessed with Columbine Kucharski's mother told police that the 15-year-old girl was obsessed with the Columbine massacre when she turned 11 or 12 years old. When the authorities questioned her, Kucharski admitted that she found the deadliest school shooting in the history of the U.S. to be very interesting that she planned on recreating it and topping the kill count with her friends in 2024, their graduation year. A search of the Kucharski house showed that teens made explosive devices, including Molotov cocktails, which they had planned to test by the river. They used digital cameras to document their activities. The cops also uncovered drawings of other weapons of mass destruction prepared by the group. Kucharski also scribbled details of the Columbine massacre in her notebook, which had the background of the shooters from the 1999 attack. The teens discussed their plans online in the group chat Natural Born Killers, which Kucharski started. A parent of one of the teens charged as a juvenile saw the messages and informed the police. Kucharski's mother has hired defense lawyer Corey Eagen while the rest of the teenagers do not have private lawyers. However, Kucharski told the police that their group had not made any explosives nor discussed their school shooting plans for some time. On the other hand, Lewis admitted to the cops that he doesn't like most people in his high school, but he joined the group chat because he wanted to convince Kucharski to drop her plans. Both teenagers charged as adults are not allowed to post bail, and they remain locked up at the Lackawanna County Prison as they await their hearing in October. No Threats to the High School District Attorney Mark Powell, on the other hand, assured the Dunmore High School community that there were no active threats. The investigation will continue as the perpetrators are behind bars. Principal Timothy Hopkins, one of the students' targets, said that he knows Kucharski and Lewis to be quiet teenagers who are not troublemakers. He has no idea why they want to cause him and the other staff harm, other than their positions as authority figures. The Columbine massacre, which gripped international headlines, was carried out by students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, two senior students, who murdered 12 of their schoolmates and one teacher. After the attack, the pair also took their own lives but left 21 more people injured as they exchanged bullets with the cops. Related Article: Ohio Mayor Wants School Board to Resign Over Racy Writing Assignments for High School Kids Photo: (Photo : David Dee Delgado/Getty Images) Halloween 2021 may be slightly different because the threats of COVID-19 remain but Dr. Rochelle Walensky, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), said that trick-or-treating may still be done, but some safety measures must be observed. In an interview with "Face the Nation," the CDC director said it's absolutely alright for children to be outdoors for Halloween 2021. She hopes that kids will come out, have fun, and go trick-or-treating, albeit with some suggested limitations. Walensky said that she would advise against joining crowded Halloween parties to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. Trick-or-treating must also be done in smaller groups instead of large crowds to lessen the infection's chances. Should kids go trick-or-treating this Halloween? @CDCDirector Dr. Walensky: If you're able to be outdoors, absolutely. pic.twitter.com/F1Iw85vSdq Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) September 26, 2021 Read Also: Trial for COVID-19 Vaccines for Toddlers Gives Parents Peace of Mind Kids are Becoming Vulnerable The CDC director's comments come as children between the ages of 5 to 11 years old have become vulnerable to COVID-19 following their return to in-person classes. As of the middle of September, over 5.5 million kids in the U.S. have gotten sick from the virus since the pandemic started. Data from the CDC also showed that an average of 290 children is admitted to the hospital for COVID-19 daily. Among the new cases reported in early September, at least 25 percent are children. This number has slowly climbed as the vaccines for kids in this age group have yet to receive emergency use approval (EUA) from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Pfizer CEO and Chairman Albert Bourla said that data from their vaccine trials among 5- to 11-year-old kids should be presented to the FDA in a matter of days. Bourla believes that they are ready to manufacture the vaccines once the FDA signs on and accepts the results of their trials. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the chief medical advisor in the White House, is hopeful that the children's vaccines should be ready by the end of October or at least around Halloween. He believes that Pfizer will be the first to receive the EUA, followed by Moderna. Currently, over 75 percent of individuals above 12 years old received their first COVID-19 dose. As the U.S. returns to normalcy, vaccine mandates have been enforced in most states so that every individual can get their life back on track. Science Proves Proper Mitigation Works Barring the vaccine for younger kids, Walensky said that the mitigation measures adopted in schools are still working. She said that institutions that practice social distancing, masking policies, and other strategies to curb community transmissions do not have a surge in cases. The CDC director said that 96 percent of U.S. schools with proper guidelines remain open to in-person classes one month into the new school year. "We know how to keep [the children] safe," Walensky said. In contrast, schools with no safety measures have three times more outbreaks and high chances of shutting down, as in the case of Arizona, where face mask mandates are not banned. Related Article: Coronavirus Pfizer Vaccine for Children Age 5 to 11 Shows Safe and 'Robust' Antibody Response KLM and Air France have become the latest airlines to migrate to Manchester Airports new Terminal Two (T2) facility. The Dutch and French flag carriers join Manchester-based Italian restaurant San Carlo in making the recently expanded 1bn (US$1.4bn) terminal their new home. ') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write(' ') } // --> ') } else if (width >= 425) { console.log ('largescreen'); document.write('') } else { console.log ('nompuad'); document.write('') } // --> KLMs service to Amsterdam and Air Frances route to Paris via Charles de Gaulle Airport will be the latest in a string of regular routes to have migrated to T2 since its opening in mid-July. More than a dozen airlines are now operating from the terminal, from long-haul carriers such as Singapore Airlines and Qatar Airways to budget holiday specialists Jet2.com and TUI. Italian restaurant San Carlo, which has several city center venues, has also opened its very first airport location in T2, which was quickly followed by coffee artisans Pot Kettle Black. Karen Smart, managing director of Manchester Airport, said, It is brilliant to see yet more valued airline partners serving passengers through our new state-of-the-art facility and Id like to take this opportunity to welcome KLM and Air France to T2. Plus, were delighted to see two further Manchester brands, San Carlo and Pot Kettle Black, open their doors to passengers. Feedback for the new terminal has so far been incredibly positive and we cannot wait for more and more passengers to experience it. With passenger numbers rising each day, we are starting to see the green shoots of recovery in our sector, and we hope that the easing of some restrictions for double-vaccinated travelers next week will help ensure that trend continues. Nevertheless, we are conscious of the need to provide a Covid-safe environment for passengers and colleagues so that they can feel safe and reassured when traveling through our airport. To that end, we are maintaining an enhanced cleaning regime and we encourage passengers and staff to wear a face mask when on site. Passengers are also advised to study the UK governments travel advice carefully before they set off on their journeys, she said. First and foremost, kudos to the team: they well deserve a heart-felt congratulations on their success and it is hardly surprising that the people's mandate has given them, with Mr Kumar as the leader at the helm of affairs, the opportunity to lead Bihar for the second time. It's a pleasure to see a dedicated civil engineer in action as the CM of a state so vital to the long-term economic and political future of the country. It's definitely more reassuring than the likes of more medievally oriented and century-old mindsets which managed to bring this once prestigious state on the verge of a meltdown. I am not a structural or civil engineer but I have read extensively on flood and disaster management: available best practice guidelines and evidence. I would only make a few pertinent comments regarding flood control strategy for the Kosi and other rivers: The USA implemented policies in 1970s to control flood erosion. It obviously has a significant 'lag time' to achieve the desired effects, say 5-10 years. They found that planting trees and shrubs and Conservation tillage achieved maximum reductions over the years (Source). To put this in perspective, I think the Kosi action plan team should be looking at not only preventing deforestation along the river, but also actively promoting afforestation activities of fast-growing shrubs, especially close to river banks, canals and other bodies. On searching for information on drainage into the Kosi from Nepal, there are many feeder rivers that make the Kosi: Hence the name- Saptakoshi. Previous experiments and tests have confirmed that the 'Arun' tributary/feeder into Kosi brings the maximum amount of sediment into the Kosi. This alters the course of the river over years/decades, leading to floods. Bringing technology to the rescue: Active reforestation measures can be combined with 'Gabion Technology' to shore-up river beds/banks. The whole package of Gabion meshes, reinforced baskets and walls would essentially make our water resources safe for decades to come. This could involve, but not limited to: Dams, Erosion control, Gravity bank protection, Light bank protection with geosynthetic MAC-MAT technology & Natural Combines for environmental restoration, River/stream bank protection, Rockfall netting, Soil conservation. Reinforced cross-linked polymers or simple jute-based products can also dramatically cut-down the cost of base materials prior to using gabion pre-formed steel meshes (reinforced with locally available rocks to decrease transport costs). This hopefully will be a long-term solution to the Kosi problem. The meshes will reinforce the banks of the rivulets/river/ and it will have enhanced protection over time as vegetation grows into the wire/rock mesh. It is also more malleable as it only is steel wires/meshes with rock between them (That's Gabion technology in a nutshell!), so it does not have cracks appearing it as may happen with concrete/water seepage into concrete etc. It is a very natural system which takes into account of water seepage and the wall but prevents the soil erosion. Over years, the sediment/erosion will reduce and lead to a more naturalized flow of the river. At this later stage, guessing over 10-20 years construction of a major dam may even be beneficial as the river flow would have become more predictable with a decreased sediment load flowing into the river. Stopping illegal sand-mining will also help: May be creating registered sand vendors and all construction companies signing up to only source materials from registered vendors. Cost issues: According to my own research: Rs 75 lakh-Rs 1 crore per kilometer of mesh using gabion technology. The river has a total length of 729 km. This will have to involve meshing in higher catchment areas, especially "Arun" tributary within Nepal as this is where the main bulk of sediments is coming from. So, in essence, a Rs 700-1000 crore investment might bring long-term solution to this problem. Readers may recall that the damage caused by the recent floods were estimated at more than 1000 crores. And lastly, providing communities with renewable sources of energy to reduce dependence on wood. Heartening to see lot of available ranges of solar operated lanterns, street lights etc. at a nominal cost. This could offer us a cheap and cost-effective solution to empowering standalone families in remote locations with reduced dependence on fossil fuels/cutting trees etc. Who knows we may prevent another Kosi! Maulana Abul Kalam Azad was among the top builders of modern India. He was also one of the most prominent Muslim personalities of twentieth century. An Islamic thinker of international repute, he possessed good qualities of the past but with modern outlook and believed in oneness of all human beings. He advocated for learning through liberal, modern and universal education combining the rationalism of western sciences. Thoughtful and reflective, Maulana had studied in great depth the causes of the decline of Muslim Societies around the world. The main cause for the Fall of Ummah, according to Maulana Azad, was the involvement of Muslims in unproductive activities and ignoring the facts of the fast changing world. Through his speeches and writings, Maulana repeatedly reminded Muslims that their own irrational and un-Islamic attitude was responsible for their decline in practically in every walk of life. He, therefore, addressed Muslims in these words: "You have spent several nights of indifference (Urdu-ghaflat) and complacency (Urdu-sarshari). For Gods sake, get up now and see how much the sun has risen and how far your co-travelers (non-Muslims) have gone ahead of you." (Ghubar-e-Khatir- by Maulana Azad) Maulana felt that after 16th Century, the situation of knowledge in Muslim and European societies interchanged completely. Now Europe started to follow Muslims way of progressive thinking and enquiry whereas Muslims copied Europe way of life of Middle Ages (Dark Age) that was full of superstition, bigotry and retrograde thoughts. He says "Now (after 16th Century,) the contrast in qualities as during Crusades, became apparent. The place of Muslims (Progress) was taken over by Europe and that of Europe (Dark Ages) by Muslims." (Ghubar-e-Khatir- by Maulana Azad) According to Maulana Azad, the success story of Muslims during Middle Ages was entirely due to their dependence on "Ilm-O-danish" (Knowledge and Wisdom). Europe, at that time, depended on invocation and benediction for all the problems of life, even for wining Wars. Muslims used to fight with Arms of Iron and Fire. Europe depended only on the Help of God. Muslims depended on God as well as materialistic sources provided by Nature. One was the follower of only spiritualistic powers; the other was dependent on both spiritualism and materialism. One waited for Miracles to appear and the other waited for success of their sincere efforts. Miracles never appeared but the efforts provided success to Muslims (During Crusades). (Ghubar-e-Khatir- by Maulana Azad) Maulana always believed that Duaein (Invocation) by Be Ilm (Ignorants) and Be 'amal (Men with no initiative) results in escapism. To prove his point, he described the incident of Bukhara. He wrote, During the early nineteenth century, Russian forces surrounded the city of Bukhara. Instead of confronting the enemy, Ruler of Bukhara issued instructions that in all the Mosques and Dargahs, Invocational Prayers (Khatm Khwajgan) be organized. On one side the guns were playing havoc and on the other loud calls of Invocatory Prayers were resounding. Guns versus Prayers. The obvious happened. Bukhara fell to Russian forces. Invocation does help but for those who have the courage to fight. For people without courage, Prayers become the source of escape from reality" (Ghubar-e-Khatir, by Maulana Azad). In a similar incident, the ruler of Egypt, Murad, instead of defending against the forces of Napoleon during 1798, issued instructions to recite Bukhari Sharif (Religious Book- Collections of prophetic Traditions) in all the Mosques in order to quell the enemy. Again the obvious happened and before the recitation could be completed, the whole of Egypt was conquered by Napoleon forces. In his various speeches (Khutbat Azad Addresses by Azad, Edited by Malik Ram, Sahitya Academy,Delhi, Fifth Edition, 1997), Maulana Azad has dealt in quite details about the Rise and Fall of Islamic Societies. In this connection, he has referred to an article written by an eminent traveler and historian Prof. Armin Wembrey, published in Budapest Herald (1901). Prof. Wembrey, a national of Hungary, was a great friend of Turks. He lived with them for more than two decades and visited most of the Islamic world. After living all these years with Muslims, he was disillusioned with their behaviors and attitudes towards worldly affairs. He, therefore, left their company and went back to his native land where he adversely commented on Muslims. According to Maulana, Wembrey wrote "There is no point in supporting Muslims any more. They do not have any interest in worldly affairs and do not wish to contribute in development. They have no vision, no commitments and sense of responsibility. All that they know and do is Ibadat Guzari (prayers). They are not capable for working for the cause of humanity. The best thing for the West remains to annex their entire territories and share them amongst themselves." Maulana Azad, pained by these comments, observed that "if such are the views of friends of Muslims, imagine what the enemies would be thinking of them. For instance, he quoted another European Scholar, Maxin Hardin who wrote (London Times - 1910) that "How long Muslims would be let free. Islam is a danger. Whatever area is captured of Muslim Land, it is the rightful property of Europe. Its return is madness. (Khutbat Azad) Inspite of anti-Islamic stance of Europe, Maulana Azad was indeed great protagonist for international peace and unity but he knew that without acquiring might and fighting spirit, it was not possible to get respect and honour. He, therefore, vehemently advocated that "the hand is sacred which is holding a white flag, signifying peace, but only those can only survive who firmly hold in their hand a deadly sword because that is the only way for asking Justice and defending themselves from the perpetrators of tyranny." (Khutbat Azad) Maulana Azad had the genuine feeling that spreading false propaganda against Muslim had started by the West as early as 16th century. In this connection he observed "Islam with all its values and qualities became a victim of false propaganda by the West. It was said that Islam lives on the booty of loot and arson. Sir Syed was probably the first sincere Muslim who confronted the Muslim haters and rejected all insinuations." (Khutbat Azad) Maulana Azad was against separating religion from worldly knowledge. He advised Muslims to acquire modern knowledge and in this connection he appealed to them to contribute large sums for the establishment of Aligarh Muslim University which till then was a College only. He observed, "the day Muslim University will be established; it will be completion of the exhortation and message of our Prophet." Maulana was an important Islamic scholar and had great respect for the Madarsahs. However, with the changing of times, he felt that the Madarsahs needed to make suitable changes in their approach of imparting knowledge. He, therefore, advised "If education is meant for human beings and purpose is its applicability in daily life, then teach them in such a manner that they are not frightened. But if the education is meant for angels, then you do what you like. The world has changed and in view of this fact we should have made changes in our education system hundred years back but if it was not done at that time, then atleast do it now. What we are teaching today in our Madarsahs in the name of Maqulat (Logic and Philosophy) is simply outdated and has no place in todays world. We should accept the ground realities and understand that in place of outdated philosophica subjects, we need to teach students the problems facing the Ummah. If you do not do it, that means you do not understand the basics of life and wish to fight with the unstoppable changing times. ---- History teaches us that in the clash between Qadamatparsti (Conservatism) and Modernism, the loser has always been Qadamatprasti. True, that Abul Fazal and Faizi were the products of Madarsahs and that they had done well with their administrative capabilities. But that was a long time back. That education can not work now. Times have changed. Now you are isolated because you remain at the same place (Madarsahs) where you entered five hundred years back. During all these years, world has seen vast development and changes. The subjects you are teaching today have no relevance to the need of present times. The result is obvious. There is big wall between you and the world. You lag behind in all walks of life. You are supposed to be Nikamme (worthless). We must accept that we have committed grave mistakes by not reconciling with the changing times." (Khutbat Azad) Inspite of the Fall of Islamic Societies, Maulana Azad never compromised with spirit of Islam that stressed for unity and brotherhood. Throughout his life he stood for the unity of India and its composite culture as well as cordiality between Hindus and Muslims. Once he said If our Prophet could advocate unity between Quraish and all the communities in and around Madina (as one nation), dont you think that it is not the religious duty to unite with the Hindus of Hindustan. He repeatedly expressed his views that "As a true Muslim, I have inherited Islam's glorious traditions of the last fourteen hundred years. I am not prepared to loose even a small part of that legacy. I have another equally deep realization, not hindered by the Islamic spirit. that I am an Indian, and proud being an Indian. If the whole world is my country and is to be honored, the dust of India has the first place. If all mankind are my brothers, then the Indians have the first place." At another occasion, he said "Today, if some Angel comes from a cloud and declared from Qutub Minar that - Swaraj can be granted within twenty four hours provided demand (wish) of Hindu-Muslim Unity is withdrawn, I will not accept the offer. If Swaraj is delayed, it is the loss of India but if efforts for Hindu Muslim unity are given up, it is the loss of humanity. (Khutbat Azad) It is a common misconception that Vardhaman Mahaveer was the founder of Jainism. But now it is proven by many Indian and western scholars and historians that he was not the founder but a reformer who reformed and refined previous teachings of Parshwanath, the 23 rd Jain Teerthankar (Prophet). Vardhman Mahaveer was born in 599 BC in Kundgram near Vaishali of Bihar in India. He was born to Siddharth and Trishala. Siddharth belonged to a high-ranked Warrior family of Nath Clan. Vardhman Mahaveers mother Trishala was daughter of Chetak, the mighty and famous Lichchhavi king of Vaishali. Vardhman Mahaveer had an elder brother named Nandivardhan. Vardhman Mahaveer had 6 maternal aunts, who were married to various kings of Eastern India. Thus Vardhman Mahaveer was related to various kings and eventually it helped him to promote his reformed Jainism. Vardhman Mahaveer received all the education required for a prince. He was a fast learner and easily learned about literature, art, philosophy, military and administrative sciences. But he was not interested in worldly things and wanted to renounce them. But his parents didnt permit him to do so. When Vardhman Mahaveer was 28, his parents died. Now he was free to leave the palace, but his brother Nandivardhan asked him not to leave suddenly and requested to stay with him for some more time. To respect elder brother Nandivardhan, Vardhman Mahaveer decided to stay with Nandivardhan until the age of 30. In those two years, Vardhman Mahaveer practiced self-discipline and practiced almost an ascetics life. At the age of 30, he donated all his personal possessions to needy and poor people and left his home. He wandered on his bare feet in jungles and strange places. He meditated there, and almost all the time he spent there he never spoke to anybody. He rarely took food and fasting was a common thing for him. Some tribal people harassed him for a long time, but he never reacted. After 12 years of his search for the truth, Vardhman Mahaveer became a naked monk. He took his first meal after becoming a monk from a Slave woman Chandana who was bought by a merchant from the slave market and persecuted by his wife. Vardhman Mahaveer traveled to the various parts of northern India, without using any vehicle. These parts included todays Bihar, Jharkhand, western Bengal, Orissa, and eastern Uttar Pradesh of India. He taught and preached the way of life that one should adopt. He announced a silent war against animal sacrifices. All kinds of people, including kings and queens, rich and poor, men and women were attracted towards his teachings. Many scholarly Bramhins like Indrabhuti Goutam, Agnibhuti, Vayubhuti and others joined Vardhman Mahaveers mission with their thousands of pupils. Indrabhuti Goutam and others compiled all the teachings of Vardhman Mahaveer. Shrenik Bimbisar, who was a famous and mighty king of Rajgrahi also became a disciple of Vardhman Mahaveer. Shrenik asked thousands of questions about soul, rebirths, meditation, Shraman tradition and history etc. to Vardhman Mahaveer and got answers from him. These questions and answers were written down by Indrabhuti Goutam which are preserved till today in Jain literature. Vardhman Mahaveers teachings belonged to the ancient and pre Aryan Shraman tradition. He did not believe in the creation theory and the mighty God. According to him no one has created the universe and it is there from infinitive past and will remain there forever. Only changes will take place. It was almost a scientific approach of Vardhman Mahaveer. According to his philosophy anybody can become a God by destroying his Karmas. He told: instead of finding out an imaginary God, try to become a God, the highest stage of mankind. One of his famous doctrine is Anekantvad i.e. pluralism. According to it, every truth has many angles or viewpoints. Every observer observes some truth and he is not totally wrong. But the whole truth could be told only after considering all the viewpoints. He never believed in classes and castes. According to him, a person becomes great by his own deeds and it has nothing to do with in which community, class, or caste he is born. One of his famous quotes is: Eko Manuss Jaai which means that all mankind is one. Even a outcasted could join as a monk in Vardhman Mahaveers Sangh. Chandana, the slave woman also became a nun and eventually she became the head of all nuns in Vardhman Mahaveers sangh. Vardhman Mahaveers teachings were based on the Right Knowledge, Right Faith, and Right Conduct, which are called as Three Jewels of Jainism. Some of his teachings include: Ahimsa (Non Violence): Not to kill any living creature, nor to cause for killings and avoid all types of violence, even hurting others by words. Vegetarianism became a must thing for the disciples. However, he was not against the unavoidable unknowingly killings in routine works by layman like farming etc. He was not against the violence by layman in protection of oneself, his family, village, or the nation. Truth: To speak truth only, not to lie. But one should not speak a bitter truth, which will hurt others. Non Stealing: One should not steal anything, which belongs to others. One should not take the things, which are not given by the possessor. Non possession: One should not possess things more than his requirements. Excess money should be donated for noble cause. Celibacy: One should control his sexual desires. One should not involve in extra marital relations. For Vardhman Mahaveer the final goal of life for everybody was to reach nirvana (Moksh) or salvation. Nirvana was nothing but breaking the cycle of birth, life and death. Vardhman Mahaveer attained nirvana at the dawn of a no moon day at Pavapuri in Bihar when he was 72 years old (527 B.C). On the same day, his chief disciple Indrabhuti Goutam attained Keval Gyan, i.e. omniscience or ultimate knowledge. The news of Vardhman Mahaveers nirvan spread all over and the chieftains of 14 kingdoms gathered at Pavapuri. They took part in the funeral of Vardhman Mahaveer. As this was not an occasion of sorrow but of joy as now Vardhman Mahaveer was free from birth and death, the kings decided to celebrate this day every year as a festival of lights, which is celebrated even today all over India. Editor's Note: Mahavir Shrimandhar Chavan Post Box 58 199 Mumbai-Pune Road Chinchwad East, Pune 411019 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. The author Mahavir Shrimandhar Chavan is a Jain activist, scholar of Jain History and runs many Jainism discussion groups on net. He is a freelance writer for Newspapers, magazines and online media. He runs several discussion groups on Internet, related to Ancient History, Jainism and Oriental Studies. He has written 3 books in Marathi and Hindi and many articles in English on Internet. Presently he is writing an English novel on the life of Chandragupt Mourya. His writings are based on facts and many of his articles are appreciated by western scholars. Generally he writes by his pen name Mahavir Sanglikar. He speaks fluent English, Marathi and Hindi languages. Pictures for this article were provided by the author. Legal education should aim at promoting 'Justice' rather than just resolve disputes & improve relationship. The study of law in order to be meaningful has to be context of social realities. In the era of specialization it is fruitful to concentrate on a career right after twelfth and the five-year course provides ample time to build a sound background in the subject and develop professionalism. The period of five year is sufficient for a law school to equip their students with professional-skills as per the market (social) demands. The five-year law course was introduced in 1984 to attract brilliant students into the stream of legal studies. Bar Council of India, with the support of Govt. of Karnataka, started the National Law School Of India University, at Bangalore in 1987 as center of excellence. The idea of Bar Council of India was to make the study of law as prestigious and attractive as technological and management studies in the IITs & IIMs, which are India's premier institutes. Originally Bar Council of India thought of having one National Law University for the whole country as a model, later the idea got greater acceptance among educationists & administrators to have at least one such National Law University in every state. The admission process to these law schools/universities is almost same and based on a national level entrance test comprising of the following subjects: (a) General Knowledge, (b) General English, (c) Legal Aptitude, (d) Reasoning, and (e) Essay (f) Elementary science 1. Significant legal events and developments 2. Current events of national and international importance 3. General Science 4. History of India 5. Geography 6. Indian Polity and Economy. Most Questions will be of multiple-choice answers. A few may be of subjective type and short notes on legal terms. (See with the admission notification) THE NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITIES: (a) National Law School Of India University: Established under the National Law School of India Act (Karnataka Act 22 of 1986) on Aug., 29,1987. The first academic session commenced from 1988. It offers B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) course. Contact address. -National Law School Of India University P.O. Bag 7201, Nagarbhavi Bangalore - 560 072 India. (b) National Academy of Legal studies and Research, Andhra Pradesh Act 34 of 1998. The first academic session commenced from 1998. It offers B.A., B.L. (Hons.) course. Contact address. - Deputy Registrar NALSAR University of Law 3-4-761, Barkatpura, Hyderabad - 500 027 A.P., India. Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) (c) W.B. National University of Juridical Sciences. Established under the West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences Act, 1999 (Act IX of 1999) by West Bengal Legislature in July 1999. The first academic session commenced from 1999. It offers B.A./B.Sc., LL.B (Hons.) courses. Contact address - Salt Lake City, Kolkata, W.B. (d) National Law Institute University, established under the Act No. 41 of 1997 of the Madhya Pradesh Legislature. The first academic session commenced from 1998. It offers B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) course. Contact address: Professional Examination Board, Chayan Bhawan, Main Road No.-1, Chinar Park (East); Bhopal. E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) (e) National Law University, established under the Act 22 of Rajasthan in Nov. 1999. The first academic session commenced from 2001. It offers B.A./B.Sc./B.B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) courses. It also offers B.Sc. (Hons), Environmental Science/ Bio-Technology/ Information Technology &Computer Application), LL.B. (Hons.) Contact Add. - The Registrar (f) National Law University NH-65, Nagour Road, Mandore, Jodhpur - 342304 (Raj.) - India Phone No. - 0291-2572530 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) (g) Hidayatullah National Law University, established under the Hidayatullah National University of Law, Chhattisgarh Act 2003. The first academic session commenced from 2003. It offers B.A./B.Sc., LL.B. (Hons.) courses. Contact address - Hidayatullah National Law University, Raipur Civil Line, Next to Raj Bhavan, Raipur (C.G.) 492 001 Phone No. 0771-5080114, 5080117, Fax - 771-5080118 Mobile: 98261 58910 Email : This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (h) National Institute For Advanced Legal Studies, established by Bar Council of Kerala & Bar Council of Kerala Trust in 2002. It is presently affiliated to Cochin University Of Science & Technology. It is aimed to be transformed into a National Law University/ Deemed University very soon. The first academic session commenced from 2002. It offers B.A., LL.B. (Hons.) course. Contact Address - National Institute For Advanced Legal Studies, Kaloor, Kochi - 682 017, Kerala Tel: 0484 - 2337363 Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) (i) Tamilnadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University, established in October 1997 pursuant to the Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University Act 1996. It is not a residential university like other law schools/universities. But since 2002,The School of Excellence In Law was established so as to develop it as a Premiere institution in the country for teaching law. The first academic session of the school commenced from 2002. It offers B.A.,B.L. (Hons.) course. Contact address - The Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University "Poompozhil" 5, Greenways Road, Chennai-600 028. Telephone: (044) 494 1212/494 1919 Fax: (044) 495 7414 E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) (j) Gujarat National Law University, established under Gujarat National Law University Act 2003, on 12 Mar. 2003. The first academic session commences from 2004. It offers B.A./B.Sc./B.Com., LL.B.(Hons.) courses. Contact address - Gujarat National Law University Old NIFT Building, E-4 GIDC, Electronic Zone, Gandhinagar - 382 028, Gujarat, India Besides these national level law universities/schools, there are various other universities offering five year integrated law course. Some of them are as follows: Govt.Law College, (University of Bombay), Mumbai. ILS Law College, ( Univ.of Pune), Pune. Symbiosis Society's Law College, (SIEC-DU/ Univ.of Pune), Pune. ICFAI Law College, ( ICFAI University), throughout India. Amity Law School, (GGS Indraprastha Univ.), Delhi. Army Institute of Law, (Punjabi University), Patiala. Bishop Cotton Women's Christian Law College, (Univ. of B'lore),Banglore. Dayanand Law College, (Shivaji University), Solapur, M.S. Faculty of Law , (Goa University), Goa. School of Law & Legal Studies, (G.G.S. Indraprastha University), Delhi-6. IAMR College, (C.C.S University, Meerut), Gaziabad., U.P. J.S.S Law College, (Mysore University), Mysore University College of Law, ( Karnatak University), Dharwad B.V.Bellad Law College, (Karnataka University), Belgaum. Faculty of Law, (Aligarh Muslim University), Aligarh, U.P. Faculty of Law, (Jamia Millia Islamia), Delhi-25. National College of Law, ( Kovempu University), Simoga, KAR. National Law College, (M.D.University,Rohtak), Sec-42 Gurgaon, HR. Faculty of Law, (Mohan Lal Sukhadia University), Udaipur,Raj. Faculty of Law, (Rani Durgawati Vishwavidhyalaya), Jabalpur, M.P. University of Calcutta, Senate House, Kolkata- 73. University of North Bengal, Darjeeling, W.B. University Law College/ Madhusudan Law College, (Utkal University), Bhubaneswar-4. Many affiliated college to above mentioned universities offer five year integrated law course. For details check with the respective universities. So, the school leavers should not frustrate/confuse and opt for a career in law. The future is very bright in law. It is a very challenging and respectable job. Bihar has a long history of organized education. Once upon a time, Bihar was a leading place in terms of higher education. Nalanda and Vikramshila University was the two most important centres for learning in India. Nalanda University being the focal point handled all branches including (Art, Architecture, Painting, Logic, Grammar, Philosophy, Astronomy, Literature, Buddhism, Hinduism, Arthashastra (Economics & Politics), Law, and Medicine, Arithmetic, Theology, Law, Metaphysics, Ethics) and housed up to 10,000 students at its peak. Students from China, Korea, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia and from all the regions of India came to Nalanda and Vikramshila uinversities to study. But at present, both Bihar and Nalanda is in ruins. State is highly deficient in the area of good technical institutions. Some institutions of higher learning like Birla Institute of Technology, (BIT, Mesra Ranchi), Xavier Labour Relation Institute (XLRI, Jamshedpur), Indian School of Mines (ISM, Dhanbad), National Institute of Foundry and Forge Technology (NIFFT, Hatia, Ranchi), National Institute of Technology (NIT, Jamshedpur), Xavier Institute of Social Sciences (XISS, Ranchi) went to Jharkhand. Because of the lack of good technical, medical, research, and management institutions, Bihari students go to other states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka etc. The other reasons are the lack of opportunities in Bihar. Biharis are taking admission in large numbers in private engineering, medical colleges, and management institutes in South and West India. While, we are on the need of temples of learning in Bihar, lets us see what has happened in India in the field of higher education and research after India got Independence in 1947 and then compare the statistics with Bihar. After India gained independence in 1947, her development in the field of higher education and research has increased drastically. At present (data of 2001) there are currently 268 universities, 50 deemed to be universities and 12 institutions of national importance and about 11,100 colleges established through Central and State legislation. Of the 268 universities, 18 are Central Universities and the rest State Universities. In the field of nuclear power programme, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai and for the fundamental research in mathematics and physics the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), also at Mumbai are the autonomous institutes. These two institutes are the doing research in the frontier fields. In Medical Sciences, to name a few, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, set up in 1956, Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMR), Chandigarh, JIPMER, Pondicherry (1956), AFMC, Pune, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Tiruvananthapuram, Tata Memorial Hospital and the Tata Memorial Centre in Mumbai etc are carrying out teaching and research work in all areas and has evolved both as a premier teaching and research institution with extensive medical facilities. The Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), a unique institution devoted to the research, teaching and application of statistics, natural sciences and social sciences. The Headquarters of ISI is located in the northern fringe of the metropolis of Kolkata. Additionally, there are two Centres located in Delhi and Bangalore. The institute gained the status of an Institution of National Importance by an act of the Indian Parliament in 1959. In engineering, a group of seven institutes is collectively called IITs. They are-IIT Kharagpur, IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IIT Kanpur, IIT Delhi, IIT Guwahati, and IIT Roorkee. Apart from IITs there are a large number of National Institute of Technology (formerly known as Regional Engineering Colleges) scattered throughout the country educating and training students to be future engineers. The first Indian Institute of Technology was born in May 1950 in Hijli, Kharagpur, in the eastern part of India. No need to remind that all IITs and NITs are autonomous universities and draft their own curriculum. In the area of modern biology, biotechnology, and plant molecular biology, lots of institutions have been setup in last one-two decade. These are, for example, The National Institute of Immunology (NII), New Delhi, founded in 1981, promotes research in basic and applied immunology, research and development (R&D) of new vaccines and immunological reagents for communicable diseases and research into regulation of human reproduction. The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, established in 1977, has major R&D programmes in biomedicine and biotechnology, genetics and evolution, cell and developmental biology, molecular biology, biochemistry and biophysics. In plant molecular biology, the National Centre for Plant Genome Research (NCPGR), New Delhi has broad research areas in plant genomics and transgenic, while recently initiating new research projects in chickpea genomics. Some of the other research institutes working in the area of scientific research are the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore (in frontier areas of science and engineering); National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) also at Bangalore (in modern biology); National Brain Research Centre (NBRC), New Delhi (in neurosciences) and the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Chandigarh (in pharmaceutical sciences). Another world-class institution in the area of management is the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs). The premier management schools of India are located in the cities of Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Lucknow, Indore, and Kozhikode. Recently, two new institutions of national importance have been created by the HRD ministry. These two institutions are collectively called as Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) and are located at Kolkata and Pune. The HRD ministry has reportedly been trying to push through the first batch of students for the two premier Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Kolkata and Pune by July 2006. A cluster of the premier industrial R&D organization called as the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) was constituted in 1942 by a resolution of the then Central Legislative Assembly. It is an autonomous body registered under the Registration of Societies Act of 1860. CSIR aims to provide industrial competitiveness, social welfare, strong S&T base for strategic sectors and advancement of fundamental knowledge. Today CSIR is recognised as one of the worlds largest publicly funded R&D organisations having linkages to academia, R&D organisations and industry. CSIRs 40 laboratories and 80 field centers not only knit India into a giant network that impacts and add quality to the life of each and every Indian, but CSIR is also party to the prestigious Global Research Alliance with the objective of applying global knowledge pool for global good through global funding. CSIRs R&D portfolio embraces areas as diverse as Aerospace, Biotechnology, and Chemicals indeed, almost the ABC-Z of Indian Science! In the area of Economics, Social Sciences etc lots of premier institutions (for example, Institute of Economic growth setup in New Delhi in 1958, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR) setup in Mumbai in 1987, Institute for Studies in Industrial Development (ISID) in New Delhi, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, setup in Mumbai in 1936, Centre for Development Studies affiliated to JNU was setup in 1971 at Trivandrum, Institute for Social and Economic Change established in 1972, at Bangalore) have been set up who are consistently engaged in interdisciplinary research and teaching in social development problems, agriculture, industry, poverty, health, economics etc. Besides this, there are other institutes also like Delhi School of Economics, Madras School of Economics, Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (Pune) who do teaching and research in the area of economics and social sciences. Among well-known institutions catering to information technology is IIIT Bangalore, IIIT Allahabad, Atal Bihari Vajpayee IIITM Gwalior, IIITM Trivandrum. These are the institution of excellence in education, research, development, and training in basic and applied Information Technology and Management. Other noteworthy institutes in the field of information technology, computing and related field is the Centre for Development in Advance Computing (C-DAC) established in 1988. C-DAC, currently is engaged in various teaching and research programme which includes Software technologies, Enterprise System Management (ESM), Geomatics, VLSI designs, Digital Multimedia, and the Programme for Advancing Computer Education - PACE. C-DAC has centre spread all over the India namely at Pune, Bangalore, New Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Trivandrum and Chennai. India has also witnessed setup and running institutions in the area of Astronomy, Astrophysics, Theoretical physics, Physical and Life Sciences, Material Sciences, Plasma Research, Laser and their application, Theoretical Computer Science, Experimental and Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics etc. These are, for example, Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES), Nainital, Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), Bangalore, Inter-University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics (IUCAA), Pune, Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Ahmedabad, Raman Research Institute (RRI), Bangalore, S. N. Bose National Centre for Basic Sciences (SNBNCBS), Kolkata, Centre for Advanced Technology (CAT), Indore, Harish-Chandra Research Institute (HRI), Allahabad, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, Institute of Physics (IOP), Bhubaneswar, Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), Gandhinagar, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP), Kolkata, The Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), Chennai,Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC), Kolkata, and Indian Institute of Science (IISC), Bangalore. The dynamism and the research capabilities shown by these institutes and their laboratory in their respective fields are known to every one. Since, independence the creation and setup of Central Universities has gained momentum. There are 18 Central Universities at present under the purview of the MHRD, which have been set up by Acts of Parliament. 4 out of 18 are in Delhi itself, 4 are in UP, 2 are in Hyderabad, North-Eastern (including Kolkata) region has 6 central universities and the two others are at Wardha and Pondicherry respectively. India has also witness, Institutions and Universities in the area of Legal and Law coming up. Some of the law universities for example Gujarat National Law University (GNLU) Gandhinagar, NLU Jodhpur, NALSAR University Hyderabad, NLSUI Bangalore, National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata, Tamil Nadu Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Chennai, Hidyatullah National Law University, Raipur, National University for Advanced Legal Studies, Kochi have done fairly well in terms of teaching and research in laws, cyber laws etc. Besides there are other important areas like dairy, agriculture, etc which needs special discussion. India has witnessed an increasingly mediocre higher education system for decades. To compete successfully in the knowledge-based economy of the 21st century, India needs enough universities that not only produce bright graduates for export but can also support sophisticated research in a number of scientific and scholarly fields and produce at least some of the knowledge and technology needed for an expanding economy. But the important questions is, where Bihar stands today in terms of higher education, research institutions etc. Lets look at some magical number of Bihar in terms of Universities, Technical Institutes, Research Institutions and Laboratory. Number of Universities in Bihar: 11?Number of Law University: 0?Number of CSIR Lab: 0?Number of IITs: 0?Number of IIMs: 0?Number of Central University: 0?Number of Research Institutes for Physics, Astrophysics, Laser etc: 0?Number of IT and C-DAC Institutes: 0?Number of Life Sciences/Biotechnology Institutes and Centers: 0?Number of Institutes/ University/Research Institutes in Economics: 0?Number of Medical Universities: 0?Number of Mathematical and Statistical Institutes: 0 To add with, it is worthy to mention about the number of engineering colleges and medical colleges in Bihar. One can count it in finger, how many engineering and medical colleges Bihar is having. There are less that 20 medical and engineering college in Bihar, which is significantly lesser than those medical and engineering colleges of city like Pune, Bangalore, Chennai, Mumbai, Nagpur etc. To continue with, let me put some statistics related to Bihar 1. Even after Jharkhand was taken out of it, Bihar is Indias third most populated state with a total population of 85 million. 2. Bihar has Indias largest concentration in the below 25 years age cohort, with 58% in this category. It will retain this position till well into this century, which means that as India ages Bihar will remain young! And what the young need most are health, education, and jobs. 3. It accounts for one-seventh of Indias population below the poverty line i.e. nearly 40% of Bihars population lies below the poverty line, the highest in India. 4. The states performance lags seriously behind national trends. As opposed to an All-India per capita developmental expenditure (from 2000 to 2002) of Rs.6748.50, Bihars is less than half at Rs.3206.00. The annual real per capita income of Bihar of Rs. 3650 is about a third of the national average of Rs.11, 625. In terms of per capita expenditures on Medical and Public Health, Bihar falls well behind with Rs. 86.20 as against the national average of Rs. 157.20. Despite this, its infant mortality rate (62 per 1000) is better than the national average (66 per 1000). 5. Educational enrollment and literacy rates are far below the national average. Bihar is also the only Indian state where the majority of the population - 52.47% - is illiterate 6. There are large differences in educational outcomes across gender, social and economic groups. 7. 80% of the bottom quintile household heads have no education. For a change, let us look at the bright side of Bihar and Biharis: 1. It has a strong political clout in the national affairs with 40 members in the lower house and a large presence in the council of ministers. 2. Of the 700 students who qualified for IAS and IPS in the last 10 years, 25 per cent belonged to Bihar. According to a recent estimate, every district of the nation will be having either DM or SP as Bihari. Biharis are backbone of administration of the nation. The trend continues. Also, in recent years, large numbers of students from Bihar have been topping entrance tests conducted by Indian Institutes of Technology, IIMs, NITs, CBSE medical etc. Talents of Bihar are going to different parts of the country and abroad to do research, higher studies etc. 3. The Patna model of taxation has earned much acclaim from United Nation (UN) and is now being copied by many countries. The states like Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh have now adopted the Patna Tax system that helps simplify an otherwise cryptic and cumbersome tax structure. 4. The Cooperative Milk Producers' Federation Ltd, founded in 1983, is Bihar's own cash cow. Its Sudha milk and milk products is already the flavor of the state. Now it is extending its reach to other neighboring states. 5. The state is self-dependent in grain production and is supplying rice to nearly some 13 states in the country. Begusarai district of Bihar is number one in maize production. 6. Bihar is ahead of many states in per capita deposits, getting Rs 7,000 crore annually. 7. NO one can defy that, Biharis are hardworking, intelligent, and sincere. 8. Bihar is a place of opportunity in terms of tourism, medical care, private investment, foreign and NRI investment, irrigation, infrastructure development, power sector, industrial sector and most importantly development of educational institutions that is the central theme of this article. 9. The infant mortality rate is 62 per 1000, which is below the national average of 66 per 1000. Even in terms of life expectancy, the average Bihari male lives a year longer (63.6 yrs.) than the average Indian male (62.4 yrs) and the states performance in increasing life spans has been better than most during the past three years. Bihar has 7.04 mn. Hectares under agriculture and its yield of 1679 kgs. per hectare, while less than the national average of 1739 kgs. per hectare is better than that of six other states, which include some big agricultural states like Karnataka and Maharashtra. Its per capita spending at Rs.484.10 on Education is as good as the best. AP spends Rs.493.90 and the national average is Rs. 586.80 Bihar has suffered a devastating loss of jobs, plight of central funds etc in the past few years. In addition, our state is burdened by high unemployment and lack of funds for good schools, universities, research institutions and 21st century technology and communications. Bihar is Indias poorest and most backward state is undeniable. The facts speak for themselves. Bihar is not only the worst off of all Indian states, but also the gap between it and the rest is widening. But there is another reality as well, that is, India cannot progress without Bihars advancement. It is much too big to be left behind. Thus, the development of Bihar is integral to Indias development. India cannot go forward leaving Bihar behind. If India intends to grow at 10 per cent of GDP over the next few years, then Bihar is at present so behind that it needs to grow at 15 per cent to catch up with the rest of India. Our state is lagging behind in many areas and we must find new answers to meet the challenges of educating and training our people in new directions. I believe, strengthening our education system is the answer, from pre-school through our colleges, universities, and research institutions. Education is a basic right to which all children are entitled in the Bihar and India. There is a good reason for this: More than anything else, a solid education is the ticket to a better quality of life, including good jobs that pay decent wages and offer opportunities for advancement. And the benefits of education are more important today than they have ever been. Good academic institutions do not just lift educational standards of a state but also lift its morale, and lend it a status and an image that are imperative for the growth of a community. Providing this education to every young ones will go a long way toward fulfilling Bihar and Indias promise of equal opportunity for all. More education means more choices in work and in life. The Bihar government is putting lot of efforts to attract business through give-away programs like - tax credits and grants for infrastructure etc. But even when Bihar give them sugar coated tax deals, business and investment is not going to this poorest state because businesses want a strong educational system (apart from sound administration and better infrastructure facilities) for their workers and managers. To attract business, a state like Bihar needs a good transportation and communications system, a top-notch education system (in which Bihar is lagging manifold), a well-trained work force etc. The economic health of Bihar depends upon the investment in education system i.e. investment in temple of learnings. Bihar must support the public school fully and must make sure that every child should succeed. It must invest heavily in colleges and universities. Bihar must be competitive in terms of higher education and research based study. The data given above regarding the number of technical institutes, legal centres, research institutions etc reflects the current and pathetic situation of Bihar. There is so much being written about Biharis talent in the field technology, medicine, research, etc. However, little attention has been paid as to the Bihar education system and temples of learning. None of Bihar universities occupies a solid position at the top in India. Bihar colleges and universities have become large, under-funded, ungovernable institutions. At many of them, politics has intruded into campus life, influencing academic appointments and decisions across levels. Under-investment in libraries, information technology, laboratories, and classrooms makes it very difficult to provide top-quality instruction or engage in cutting-edge teaching and research. Few in Bihar are thinking creatively about higher education. There is no field of higher education research. Those in government as well as academic leaders seem content to do the "same old thing." Now as Bihar strives to compete with other developing and developed states of India, in the knowledge-based economy of the 21st century it require highly trained professionals, enough universities, good technical and management institutions, research labs, economics and development institutes etc. The quality of higher education becomes increasingly important. In broader terms, Bihar needs more and more temples of learning. The ancient Nalanda and Vikaramshila University in Bihar was a centre of learning that drew students from across the world. If Bihar and India Government takes initiative in opening up of new temples of learning and providing sufficient funds backed with sound administration to the existing educational system then that day is no far when it will bring back students who migrate to other states in search of better opportunities, the day is no far when Bihar will be standing in the first row in every walks of life whether its research, or job opportunities, or top notch colleges and universities, the days is no far when we can witness investment happening in Bihar, and finally the days of academic glory will be back. References?http://en.wikipedia.org; www.google.com; websites of different institutions;?New institutions in India, Nirupa Sen, Current Science, Vol. 81, No. 8, 25 October 2001.?Proud to be Bihari: Five good things about the much-maligned state, Kanhaih Bhelari, The Week, June 2003?Why Biharis are Discriminated, Prabhat Kumar Sinha, Readers Write, PatnaDaily.Com April 30, 2005.?The economic strangulation of Bihar, Mohan Guruswamy, Abhishek Kaul, Business Line, Saturday, Feb 07, 2004. The author is a research scholar at IIT Madras. Dismantling Global Hindutva (DGH), a three-day online conference (Sept 10-12) was organized by a bunch of academics and Left-leaning activists based in the USA and India. It attracted a lot of attention and triggered intense response world-wide. The topic stirred many people like me who didn't hesitate to identify themselves as the Hindus. It compelled serious introspection. For a long time, there has been a lot of debate around the use of the terms, 'Hinduism' and 'Hindutva' and everyone seemed to have his or her own take on them since the word 'Hindu' was common to both. I believe the term 'Hinduism' came to us through the Western English language that contrasted it with other religions like Christianity or Islam and sought to put it in the category where other "isms" like Socialism, Fascism or Communism were listed. In a word, it had a political or ideological connotation. Whereas 'Hindutva' -- by virtue of having the suffix, 'tva' from the Sanskrit term 'tatva' (element) -- has a cultural or geographic connotation. It's all known to us that the people, culture or civilization spanning from the Indus Valley/Hindu Kush to Indonesia were all identified as the Hindus having certain elements (tatva) in common. It's in this sense, the term Hindutva came into vogue. It must be understood and interpreted in the same way. In that sense, we should all be proud of being Hindus, we may have different faiths. However, the modern-day Leftist writers or the media, in general, have associated the term, Hindutva, with the Right-leaning nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, to imply as if Hindutva is the same as Fundamentalism is in relation to the Islamists or the Christians. These writers or media persons derived their use of the term, Hindutva, among other sources, from a book with similar title written in 1923 by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, a freedom fighter and an icon of the Hindu nationalists. But, for the record, nowhere in his book, Hindutva, has Savarkar written anything that could come close to the Fundamentalist proselytizing principles and practices of the Islamists or the Christians. In the end, it appears the term Hindutva has mistakenly been added to the general political lexicon to convey the philosophy of the Right-wing extremist fringe of the ruling BJP. It was apparent the organizers of this event brought their ideological and political war on a foreign US turf where they accused "the vast Hindu diaspora" had "contributed materially and ideologically to the strengthening of Hindutva in India." Several individuals and Hindu diaspora organizations challenged the title and the concept of the conference, its sponsors felt the push back. As the news came out later that several Universities had asked the organizers of the conference to remove their logos from their ads, a few sponsors distanced themselves from the conference. However, the conference had supporters as well as opponents. Al Jazeera, a Qatari government-funded media conglomerate, featured an article accusing that the DGH organisers and speakers were facing harassment and intimidation by Hindu right-wing groups in the US and India. On the other hand, an Indian online news outlet, Firstpost found the conference unauthentic as its organizers were anonymous in the US. It characterized the three day seminar as a partisan and politically-motivated event designed to malign an ancient religion and its adherents. The spokespersons of the Hindu diaspora alleged that the conference was deliberately timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of the 11 September attacks by the Islamist terrorists against the USA. The motive was to portray Hinduism as the same kind of violent religious ideology as the one practised by the Taliban. I did watch and listen to the inaugural panel that had featured Anand Patwardhan, a documentary filmmaker and came away with the following impression: Anand Patwardhan was associated with the anti-corruption movement launched under the leadership of JP in Bihar (1974) that culminated in the imposition of national Emergency (1975-77) by the PM, Indira Gandhi. The RSS and its political arm, the Jan Sangh (now the BJP) was then a part of that broad anti-'Indira-Congress' political front. Through its sweat and toil since then, the BJP is now where it is today. Despite all the problems the Modi-led India might have at this time, majority of the Hindu diaspora in the West looked upon him as the only dependable leader. Absence of a credible leader of equal stature on the opposition side is a great contributory factor. Moreover, Anand Patwardhan and his friends on the Left haven't been able to objectively set the context in which the RSS-BJP became successful: Lack of national will to surge ahead, social lethargy, economy in morass, corruption in highest places and above all a hostile regional geo-political environment. The median 27- year young Indian generation is entrepreneurial and aspirational. They understand politics better than the generation preceding them. They not only share the grief that India was wronged by the partition, since there was no population transfer as B. R. Ambedkar proposed, but India is now the target of 'demographic invasion' by its neighboring countries. Coupled with Chinese expansionism, it will put the territorial integrity and sovereignty of India at risk. The Leftist intellectuals on the campuses of North America and Europe don't talk about these issues. The duplicitous role of the Islamist politicians make the situation worse. Dr. Binoy Shanker Prasad hails from Darbhanga and currently resides with his family in Dundas, Ontario (Canada). A former UGC teacher fellow (at JNU) in India and Fulbright scholar in the USA, he has taught politics and authored conference papers, articles and chapters on Bihar in previously published books in the United States, India, and Canada. Dr. Prasad administers a Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/OverseasBihari and has sponsored Aware Citizenship Campaign at a micro-level in his home-town. More than 1.25 billion people who live in India have variety of social, cultural, ecological, political and economic problems. As a consequence of these problems, a large population suffers from different physical, mental and spiritual problems in their day-to-day life. To say, increasing number of people is falling prey to many preventable and terminal diseases and consequently thousands of people are dying too. There is also no denying the fact that the cost of modern medical treatment of even minor ailments is increasing day by day, making it unaffordable for people belonging to lower income group. Undoubtedly, this is equally true for all the people living in this world, may be in varying degree. It is heartening, as far as India is concerned, to find that the new NHP (National Health Policy) aims at providing health security to all citizens of the country with a distinctive shift in focus from SICK-CARE to WELLNESS, and now the thrust is on PREVENTION and HEALTH PROMOTION. Undeniably, its an excellent initiative of the Central Government, which must be implemented by all the state governments in letter and spirit to make India healthier and stronger in true sense. Sustained initiative at the level of individual, society and community also needs to be taken at right earnest. As such, the starting point would be to make every Indian aware and empowered as far as basic requirements of life are concerned. The next step would be to act pro-actively for keeping our people truly healthy. And for that to materialize before long, it is necessary to make them adequately aware about the immense benefits of practicing Yoga - a costless activity, regularly and faithfully. Motivating the people consistently for this purpose is also very important. Undertaking Health Motivation and Awareness drive regularly in educational institutions, industrial units, offices etc. in this respect is highly desirable. To say the least, Yoga is an age-old system a perfect science to keep our body and mind both strong and agile. Yes, besides protecting us largely from many normal as well as minor ailments, the stress related major diseases can very well be prevented through practice of Yoga as well. This becomes possible due to sustained improvement in our 1) Blood circulation 2) Digestion 3) Immune system 4) Physical flexibility 5) Detoxification process 6) Memory power 7) Level of concentration 8) Awareness and Consciousness 9) Intuitive ability 10) Self- confidence 11) Energy level and 12) Peace of mind. The list is only indicative. To put it plain and simple, practice of Yoga is bound to have perceptible positive impact on our day-to-day activity from home to work place to finally ensure quantum improvement in our overall state of health and happiness. And finally, let us enjoy the golden words of B.K.S. Iyengar: Yoga has a threefold impact on health. It keeps healthy people healthy, it inhibits the development of diseases, and it aids recovery from ill health. Milan Sinha has worked in senior positions in financial sector for three decades following three years of active writing in various newspapers and magazines. He is a post graduate in Chemistry from Patna University and also a graduate with Economics. Presently, besides being a freelance writer / a regular contributor to newspapers & magazines, also engaged as a Stress Management, Lifestyle Management & Wellness consultant, Motivational Speaker and Awareness campaigner. Moblie: +919608708344, Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. A project designed to strengthen national and regional science, technology and innovation (STI) policies, in accordance with UNESCOs 2017 recommendation on science and scientific research (RS&SR), has commenced. Participating countries include Ghana, Sierra Leone, Congo, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and Namibia. The project, which is being funded by the Swedish Development Agency (SIDA), forms part of a UNESCO global framework for monitoring, provision of policy support and advocacy for UNESCOs 2017 RS&SR. Meeting Speaking at an experts group meeting to deliberate on Ghanas STI capacity and needs assessment for the project, the Country Director of UNESCO, Dr. Abdourahamane Diallo, said Ghana had presented a report on its STI ecosystem. He, however, said there was the need for more in-depth consultations by experts to analyse information and carefully assess strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats relative to global standards. The meeting was organised by the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), in collaboration with the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research - Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (CSIR-STEPRI). It brought together representatives from research institutions, academia and corporate institutions. Dr. Diallo observed that Ghanas STI policies were skewed towards the attainment of national economic growth, with little focus on how STI could also be used to address societal problems. I would like to draw your attention to the fact that one of the focused areas of the RS&SR is how science meaningfully interacts with society, and vice-versa; unfortunately, Ghana may be lagging behind in this area. I would, therefore, like to recommend that the expert group critically interrogate this gap in order to make recommendations on how best STI can be directed to address societal needs, he said. Objectives The project, which will support policies and institutions that implement the 2017 RS&SR in all its dimensions, will aid research and research-based tertiary education, reinforce policy design and implementation to deliver the SDGs, STISA2024 and create robust STI ecosystems. It will also deliver innovative and effective funding instruments that provide adequate funding levels and options for research at the national and regional levels. The project also intends to pursue and enhance policies which coordinate higher educational strategies, in line with development needs and priorities, particularly those of young researchers. 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 The Eastern Regional Chapter of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH-ER) has marked the celebration of World Pharmacist Day with donation of food items other consumables and drugs to the Koforidua medium Prisons in the new Juabeng North Municipality. The Chairman for the Chapter of the Pharmaceutical Society of Ghana (PSGH-ER), Pharm George Attara- Boye has advised the public to stop from buying drugs in commercial vehicles or TroTro, markets and community centres. He lamented that drug peddling and sale of unapproved drugs have gained prominence because Ghanaians have taken keen interest in drugs sold in vehicles from untrained persons, unlike pharmacists who have obtained the necessary training help administer drugs to save lives. The situation also leads to the excessive drug abuse among people these days in the country. Speaking to Michael Akrofi during the donation of food items to the Koforidua Prisons to mark the World Pharmacist Day, Pharm. George Attara Boye said, most drugs sold in vehicles and other places other than pharmacies and registered chemical shops have not be tested and approved by authorities, but have found their place on the market and silently deteriorating the health of users who have no knowledge on them. Pharm Boye appealed Government egencies responsible to control these menace especially Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service (GPS) to be very vigilant and clamp down on such unscrupulous perons to contain the already escalating situation across the country. He again urged the FDA and the Police to prosecute persons who would be arrested to serve as deterrent to several others who have taken such trajectory to jeopardize the health of people without any remorse. He explained that wrong administration of drugs and use of unapproved drugs are quick ways of taking human lives; hence, the control of such activities must be taken with all seriousness by all stakeholders. He urged all pharmacists across the country especially, members of the PSGH-ER to be resolute and continue to offer the best of their trusted services to Ghanaians and help save lives. The items worth GH 8,000.00 donated by the PSGH-ER included "gallons of cooking oil, bags of rice, bags of gari, packs of toothbrush and toothpaste, packs of toiletries, bags of sachet water, boxes of mackerel, packs of soft drinks, and several boxes of drugs" to help maintain a proper healthcare of the inmates. He appealed to government to work on the maintenance of the prison, as some portions on the prisons were not in the best of their conditions which contributes to the health damage of the inmates. Receiving the items, the Deputy Commander of the Koforidua Prisons, Assistant Director of Prisons Christopher Hayibor expressed gratitude to the group for their gesture, and prayed for more assistance in the maintenance of the facility. He appealed to corporate organisations and philanthropist to help fix the deplorable state of the former armoury that has been converted into prison. He added that the resident facilities of the inmates experience leakages during down pours and had developed some Cracks in the beem posing Danger on the inmates. "Some of the facilities are in a deplorable state, and It is a pitiful situations whenever it rains. We have severally written to the headquarters about the situation, but the needed response is not forthcoming. So we are appealing to corporate organisations and philanthropists to help keep the place in best of conditions," he said when speaking to Michael Akrofi at the sideline of the donation. Source: Michael Akrofi 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 Director of Communications, NPP, Yaw Buaben Asamoa, has thrown his weight behind the prosecution of Josephine Panyin Mensah, the suspect at the center of the fake pregnancy story. Josephine Panyin Mensah, today, stood before the Takoradi Circuit Court after Police investigations revealed her pregnancy story was untrue. She has been granted a GHC 50,000 bail and five lawyers have pledged to render their services to her pro bono. Her charges include deceit of public officer, publication of false news with intent to cause fear and panic. As the case keeps developing, there are calls for her to be pardoned but Buaben Asamoa shares dissenting views. Unlike those pleading on behalf of the woman, Buaben Asamoa held that Panyin Mensah should only be set free if found not guilty but should she be guilty of the charges against her, then she must squarely face the laws. He noted that the fake pregnancy story has dented Ghana's image on the international stage, therefore her case must dealt with accordingly. ''I believe the law must take its course in order to restore our image that was nearly lost," he insisted on Peace FM's ''Kokrokoo''. 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 The Central Regional Coordinator of the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU) of the Ghana Police Service, Superintendent George Appiah-Sakyi, has asked police personnel not to trivialise domestic violence cases. He observed that many police officers had failed to study and understand the Domestic Violence Act to appreciate the implications of domestic violence and the punishment associated with it. "We know that some police officers send persons who report issues of domestic violence away and trivialise such cases as family matters," he said. Superintendent Appiah-Sakyi was speaking at a workshop organised by the Central Regional DOVVSU for 40 police personnel from across the Central Region on the Domestic Violence Act and their role in reducing the incidence of domestic violence in the region. It was supported by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Central Regional Coordinating Council. Crimes Superintendent Appiah-Sakyi said domestic violence was no different from crimes such as theft and fraud, and must, therefore, be treated as such. He said the training was to also increase the number of DOVVSU desks in the region to effectively deal with cases. "As much as we want to protect families, we must understand that domestic violence is a crime punishable by law and for which one could be sentenced to a two-year jail term," he said and urged all personnel to be vigilant in protecting victims. A Senior Lecturer at the Department of Population and Health at the University of Cape Coast, Dr Addai Boateng Adu Gyamfi, urged the police personnel to use the community information centres to educate the public on wrong and unlawful domestic behaviours. Parental negligence The Central Regional UNFPA Focal Person, Mr David Allan Paintsil, noted that the region continued to record high numbers of cases of parental negligence and urged the police to support efforts to get parents to be responsible towards their children. He further observed that many cases of teenage pregnancy and truancy were as a result of parents neglecting their children and stressed that all stakeholders, especially the police, were needed in efforts to get parents to cater for their families and children. 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 The Nigerian government says it has suspended the passports of more than 2,000 Nigerians accused of violating Covid-prevention protocols after returning from abroad. Dr Mukhtar Mohammed, who sits on the president's Covid committee, said that the passports would remain suspended for a year. As the country anticipates a third wave of infections, Nigeria appears to have strengthened its surveillance system at the airports, seaports and land borders. Attention is now focused on travellers, especially those arriving from what are seen as high-risk countries who might try and evade isolation orders. People arriving from places such as India, South Africa, Brazil and Turkey are expected to be in quarantine for 14 days at government-approved facilities. 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 Two suspected armed robbers have been confirmed dead following a reported shoot out between them and a team of police officers. The shootout happened at Zenu, near Ashiaman in Greater Accra. The police has described the two as part of a criminal gang in the area. The suspects have been identified as Joseph Dagodzo and Mujahid Abubakar, alias Sule. They are said to have died at the Police Hospital. The two were reportedly hit during a shoot out with the police. They were said to be leading the police to their hideout to retrieve weapons and arrest their accomplices. The operation also led to the arrest of a 65-year-old suspected illegal arms dealer. The arms dealer, Bukari Salifu, who is said to be the financier and supplier of weapons to the the suspects was arrested at Zenu near Ashiaman. A statement signed and issued by the Acting Director General of Police Public Affairs Directorate, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Kwesi Ofori indicated that the police on Saturday, September 25, 2021, were forced to shoot the two suspected robbers who later died on admission at the hospital. He explained that the suspected robbers were initially arrested when they attempted to rob motorists along the Koluedor - Sege Accra main road. Some of their accomplices allegedly escaped arrest. After their arrest, the suspects mentioned Bukari Salifu as the one who provides them with weapons for their robbery expeditions when the police interrogated them. According to the police, the two suspects led the crime-combat police team to the purported hideout of their accomplices in a bush near Zenu under the pretext of aiding the police to retrieve some weapons and assist in arresting their other accomplices, who had escaped from the scene. However, the Police came under fire while at the scene while the suspects attempted to escape leading the highly trained crime-combat team to return fire, the police said. The suspected armed robbers were shot in the process and were subsequently taken to the Police Hospital where they died. Their bodies have been deposited at the morgue of the same hospital. The statement explained that the arrest of the weapon supplier, Bukari Salifu, was based on police intelligence. The police, it said has since retrieved a Blow F9-22 Pistol, a locally manufactured pistol and two motorbikes. In the meantime the police said it was pursuing those on the run and wish to serve notice that criminals cannot and will not win in any battle against the police. 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 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. NIGERIA: A Pregnant woman in Labour has died after she allegedly fell off a delivery bed in the General Hospital in Ogwashi-Uku community in Delta state. According to reports, the deceased identified as Ann Nwabunor, was rushed to the hospital late at night to welcome her first child but the nurses on duty allegedly slept off after the ladys caregiver went home to pick some delivery items. The caregiver returned to the hospital only to find the woman dead on the floor while the nurses were sleeping. A video recording of the incident which has gone viral shows a light-skinned woman lying lifeless while the person behind the camera lamented over the ''lackadaisical'' attitude of personnel at Ogwashi-Uku General Hospital. The state government is yet to react to this development. Watch the video below.. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lindaikejiblog (@lindaikejiblogofficial) 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 North Korea is willing to consider having another peace summit with South Korea if mutual respect between the neighbors can be assured, North Korean state news agency KCNA has said. Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un, made the announcement according to KCNA. North Korea's pursuit of nuclear weapons has complicated the question of both countries formally ending their war, which halted with an armistice, rather than a peace treaty, leaving US-led UN forces technically still at war with the North. For decades, North Korea has sought an end to the 1950-53 Korean War, but the United States has been reluctant to agree, unless it gives up nuclear weapons. Last week, September 22, at the United Nations General Assembly, South Korea's president Moon Jae-In stated he will like both countries together with the US and China to declare an end to the war and now North Korea has responded saying they could have another peace summit if both countries respect each other. "I think that only when impartiality and the attitude of respecting each other are maintained, can there be smooth understanding between the north and the south," said Kim Yo Jong, a confidante of her brother. Constructive discussions offer a chance for solutions on issues such as "the re-establishment of the north-south joint liaison office and the north-south summit, to say nothing of the timely declaration of the significant termination of the war", Kim said. In her remarks, Kim said she noted with interest the intense discussion in the South over the renewed prospect of a formal declaration. "I felt that the atmosphere of the South Korean public desiring to recover the inter-Korean relations from a deadlock and achieve peaceful stability as soon as possible is irresistibly strong," she said. "We, too, have the same desire." On Sunday, responding to the remarks, Seoul's unification ministry said in a statement, "For these discussions, the inter-Korean communication line must first be restored swiftly, as smooth and stable communication is important." South Korea welcomed the news on Sunday, with the Unification Ministry saying it expected to swiftly engage in talks with Pyongyang, while urging the need to restore a hotline link between the two. The hotline, maintained by South Korea's military to handle relations with Pyongyang, has not operated since August, as North Korea stopped answering calls. 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 Taliban have banned barbering salons in Afghanistan's Helmand province from shaving or trimming beards, saying it breaches their interpretation of Islamic law and that anyone caught violating the rule will be punished. Since taking over power last month in Afghanistan, the Taliban have carried out harsh punishments on opponents. T5. On Saturday, 25th September, the group's fighters shot dead four alleged kidnappers and their bodies were hung in the streets of Herat province. And now barbers in the capital Kabul have said they have been warned against trimming beards. In a notice posted on salons in southern Helmand province, Taliban officers warned that hairdressers must follow Sharia law for haircuts and beards. "No one has a right to complain," the notice, which was seen by the BBC, read. "The fighters keep coming and ordering us to stop trimming beards," one barber in Kabul said. "One of them told me they can send undercover inspectors to catch us." Another hairdresser, who runs one of the city's biggest salons, said he received a call from someone claiming to be a government official. They instructed him to "stop following American styles" and not to shave or trim anyone's beard. During the Taliban's first stint in power from 1996 to 2001, the group banned flamboyant hairstyles and insisted that men grow beards. The new instructions suggest a return to the strict reign of the group's past tenure in power, despite promises to the West to be more considerate and milder in it's government this time around. 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 STATEMENT BY FIXING THE COUNTRY MOVEMENT AT A PRESS CONFERENCE HELD ON SUNDAY 26TH SEPTEMBER, 2021 IN ACCRA ON MAHAMA AND NDC's INVOLVEMENT IN TAKORADI HOAX KIDNAPING SAGA Ladies and gentlemen of the Press, it is my pleasure to once again welcome you to yet another edition of FIXING THE COUNTRY MOVEMENT media interaction. Today our searchlight is focused on the issues surrounding the fraudulent hoax of the kidnapping of a so-called pregnant woman in Takoradi. Over the last couple of days, the airwaves have been inundated with claims and counter claims of an abduction of a pregnant 28 years old Josephine Panyin Mensah in Takoradi. As it were, the police response to the matter has been very swift, and it is no surprising that the pregnancy and the kidnapping turned out to be a fraudulent hoax. Ladies and gentlemen of the press, the latest police report on the matter indicates that, Josephine Panyin Mensah, the woman currently being detained in the Western Regional police command alleged kidnapping, has confessed that she was neither kidnapped nor pregnant. This was announced in a brief statement released by the Ghana Police Service on Friday, September 24, 2021. The suspect, Josephine Panyin Mensah, 28, has confessed to the Police during further investigations and stated that neither was she pregnant nor ever being kidnapped. The public will be updated with further details, police added in the statement. Ladies and gentlemen, this Takoradi incident is coming at the back of the Ofosu Ampofo leaked tape. The National Chairman of the NDC, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, in the run up to the 2020 elections was caught on tape hatching an evil plot against the state. Per the voice on the tape, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo is allegedly heard talking about planning a road-map of criminal activities targeted at the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission (EC) and the Chairman of the National Peace Council, among others. Excepts: People will start capturing their mothers and fathers and keeping them hostage till they show up. The voice also stated, The EC chair, we must wage a relentless war against her. We need to take her to the cleaners. It is further heard saying, We will go after them. We will not go after them face to face. We will target some people to make them feel their lives are in danger. We should also not spare the CSOs and religious groups. Especially the peace council chairman. For the first time, I will endorse insults. Ladies and gentlemen of the media, isn't it interesting to note that these occurrences are happening in a fashion akin to the directives contained in the Ofosu Ampofo tape? The Fixing The Country Movement is not unaware of the political machinations of the NDC and how they are desperate to plunge this country into chaos. It is quite clear that this is the handiwork of those who are desperate for power and will do and employ any tactic fair or foul to achieve their selfish ambition. And this their latest shenanigan has back fired. As a matter of fact, we have been told by former NDC Flagbearer aspirant, Stephen Atubiga that the lady in the centre of this fraudulent hoax is a member of the NDC. Indeed, a careful reading of the history would point to the establishment of certain incontrovertible facts that underscored the culpability of the Mahama led NDC in this fake abduction/kidnapping story even before the conclusion of Police investigations. It was meant to cause dissatisfaction for the ruling regime and to incriminate the government for electoral advantage. Ladies and gentlemen of the media, as a student of Cicero, Machiavelli, Plato and all the 16th century political philosophers, we believe in white and black propaganda as a tool for gaining electoral advantage. However, when the largest opposition party in the country become neck-deep in realist partisan political strategies, we ends up being in a state of political dystopia and zombie apocalypse. As for media practitioners like Godsbrain Smart, otherwise known as Captain Smart who waded into this matter without the benefit of the facts and shouted on top of their voices, seeking to blame it on government, we have no words for them. The magnitude of the embarrassment, the hysteria they generated on social media and mainstream news, the level of journalistic recklessness that corroborated this story, and the amount of damage and danger they caused is quite staggering. Even when the woman herself finally finds her tongue and confess she was never pregnant, sections of the media still insisted she was pregnant. Indeed, the entire kidnap scenario looked too contrived and yet the NDC and its media collaborators were on rampage. Its inevitable that media outlets will make mistakes on complex stories. If thats being done in good faith, one will give them the benefit of the doubt in terms of the agenda served by the false stories. That is most definitely not the case here, and it is very disheartening. This fake abduction story has once again highlighted another monstrous media failure in this country. The confession statement of this woman should be a lesson to unprincipled journalists and politicians in the NDC. To this end, we call on the Inspector General Of Police (IGP) to cast his investigative tentacles wider to ensure a criminal investigation process is activated in a prompt and impartial manner to fish out all the NDC politicians behind Josephine Panyin Mensah and her fake abduction, kidnapping and pregnancy story. Criminal misdemeanour should be accorded the seriousness it deserves by allowing the criminal justice system to interpret and assess its social impact and apportion punishment as prescribed by law. The impression of impunity may encourage others to take the same route and it may ultimately lead to the destruction of the fabric of the State. Let the skeptics and cynics have their day. It is their right to remain skeptical and cynical about governance. President Akufo-Addo will continue to fix the Country regardless. Thank you for your time. (Signed) 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 Senior Psychologist, Prof. Joseph Osafo, has cautioned politicians against politicizing the developing fake pregnancy and kidnapping story at Takoradi, Western Region, involving a 29-year old woman named Josephine Panyin Mensah. Mrs. Panyin Mensah is a suspect at the centre of the fake story. She reportedly got missing and, recounting her ordeal after being found, disclosed she was kidnapped. Another shocking revelation aside her kidnapping is that she was nine months pregnant when her alleged kidnappers picked her away. But after thorough investigations by the Police, it's turned out that she faked her story and is currently facing prosecution. She was arraigned before a Takoradi Circuit Court on Monday, September 27 and, with five lawyers defending her, has been granted a GHC 50, 000 bail with two sureties. Her case has been adjourned to October 14, 2021. Mrs. Panyin Mensah's issue has however turned political as some people are shifting blames on the President of the Republic, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo with they reportedly claiming the President has a hand in this case. Prof. Joseph Osafo, making submissions on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo' programme, bemoaned the political twist on the issue. Speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi, he briefly warned those politicizing the matter saying, "we cannot polarize everything in this country on political or partisan lines. We have to stop it!'' 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 The ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) commenced a nationwide mass registration exercise of its members earlier this month. The registration, which is taking place at the various polling stations across the country, is to enable the party to have complete data of its members. Deputy Communications Director of the party, Mame Yaa Aboagye has therefore urged all party members to participate in the ongoing voters registration. According to her, the exercise will enable the party to know the over six million people who voted for the party in the 2020 elections and to have their data captured. "I am appealing to all members to participate in the ongoing exercise because in a few days it will come to an end. I encourage all members to look for your polling station executives, coordinators and register as a member of the NPP at your polling station to help us have your data. It is your right as a party member and you must therefore get involved", she said. 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 Assembly Members of the Ayawaso Central Municipal Assembly have confirmed Alhaji Mohammed Ababio Quaye as the Municipal Chief Executive for a second term. Alhaji Quaye, who had been nominated by President Akufo-Addo to serve another term secured the votes of all 17 Assembly Members, including 12 elected and five government appointees, in an exercise supervised by officials of the Electoral Commission on Monday (September 17) in Accra. In his acceptance speech, Alhaji Quaye promised to work with all residents to ensure that development projects are brought to the Municipality "To achieve this, I will continue to introduce more reforms to help improve the Assembly's Revenue Mobilization drive and also to aggressively tackle the menace of sanitation and crime-related issues in the Municipality," he said. "Furthermore, I would like to assure you of a transparent and accountable administration, as well as teamwork in solving the challenges of the Municipality". He also expressed gratitude to President Nana Addo for re-nominating him and the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Henry Quartey as well as the Assembly Members for the overwhelming endorsement. Alhaji Quaye also committed to running a transparent administration and employing teamwork to solve the challenges of the Municipality. Vote In an act that foretold his overwhelming endorsement, Alhaji Quaye was assured by the Assembly Members that he did not have to make an address before the vote because they had worked with him for over one year. The Presiding Member, Mr Hudu Ismai urged the Assembly Members to spare Alhaji Quaye the discomfort of having to come before them again because his re-nomination by President Akufo-Addo was in recognition of his hard work and achievements in the constituency. "Honourable Alhaji Quaye is not a new member in our midst, we know him well and now he has earned renomination from the President for his hard work, achievements and moral standards. It is based on this that I urge you to vote overwhelmingly for our Chief Executive," Mr Ismai said. The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr Quartey who doubles as the Member Parliament for Ayawaso Central said he was confident that Alhaji Quaye would be retained but appealed to the Assembly Members to ensure that he received 100 per cent of the vote. "I know you will confirm him but bring him back to land a hundred per cent, so that Ghana would be proud of your constituency. I would be proud of my constituency and the Ayawaso Constituency would be proud of you," Mr Quartey said. "I plead with you, Honourable Assembly Members just make it one touch and a hundred per cent". The voting and declaration of results were conducted in under 30 minutes with Alhaji Quaye being congratulated by the Regional Minister and all Assembly Members after the results were declared. 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 Government is in the process of acquiring a bigger aircraft for presidential travels, Director of Communications at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, has disclosed. Government is already in the process of acquiring a bigger jet for use, he said at a press briefing at the Jubilee House on Monday. Mr Arhin was answering a question on whether the government intended buying a bigger aircraft to accommodate the President and his entourage on official foreign trips as the current presidential jet had proven inadequate for the purpose. He explained that the move to get a bigger fit-for-purpose aircraft was part of a cost saving measure on the travels of the President and other key state functionaries. Mr Arhin did not give the specifics of the aircraft deal, but said the Defence Minister would shed light on the development at the appropriate time. The Presidents foreign travels have generated discussions on the airwaves and on social media lately, with some Ghanaians asking why the President has to fly in hired private aircraft when the country owned a functional presidential jet. But the Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul told Parliament that the configuration of the current Presidential jet, a falcon 900EX purchased during the era of former President John Kufuor, did not meet the travel needs and security of the President. This aircraft will carry a load of 11 persons minus the crew. When this aircraft is travelling to the eastern part of the USA or Asia, it will not load a crew of more than eight plus the luggage. So it depends on where it is going. Secondly, I have also said the aircraft has to do refuelling stops, and also in this COVID-19, when you are travelling to multiple destinations like the presidents recent travel, the Falcon couldnt have been taken because he would have had to do technical stops which are not desirable, and when he is travelling with more than 20 people like he has been doing for business trips that brought huge sums of money for this country, he will need more than just a Falcon, otherwise, the others would have to go a day ahead before the president to prepare themselves, Nitiwul stated. Former President Kufour before leaving office in 2008, made provisions for the procurement of two aircrafts for the Ghana Air Force, which included a larger jet for use by the President and his delegation on state travels. But the deal was however abrogated by the Mills administration. According to the Defence Minister, if that arrangement had held, that bigger aircraft would have been deployed for the strategic lifting of troops, and could be reconfigured into presidential jet for the presidents travels to save the country the huge amounts spent for delegation who traveled ahead of the president. He told a private radio station in Accra that since the cancelation of the deal for acquisition of the bigger aircraft by the Mills administration, the country had spent in excess of USD 50 million on official trips of the government. Touching on the issues arising from the appointment of Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies Chief Executives (MMDCEs), Mr Arhin dismissed the allegation that some of the MMDCEs nominated by the President were not originally shortlisted for those positions. He said the claim by some civil society organisations (CSOs) that about 44 per cent of the MMDCEs were not recommended by the three-member committee that vetted their nominations, and 10 per cent of the nominees did not apply for the positions, was false. The Communications Director stated that those allegations were based on a supposedly leaked report on the nominees shortlisted for the MMDCE positions. I can say on authority that that report was not the report that was submitted to the President, he said, adding that the President was not bound by any law to resort to any report to hire or fire his appointees. He is not bound by the recommendations of any report. He decides what he has to do, he said, stating emphatically that the President was satisfied with his appointments and unruffled by the threats that some of his appointees would not secure the two-thirds majority votes to gain approval of their local assemblies. It is a human institution so we expect that there would definitely be agitations. If at the end of the day, voting is conducted and a nominee is rejected, the President can renominate that person on two occasions. If on all the two occasions that person is rejected, the Constitution gives him the power to present somebody else. Agitation is a normal phenomenon of human life, he said. Mr Arhin also indicated that President Akufo-Addo had begun a process to assess the work programme of his ministers for the rest of 2021. He explained that the consultative meeting with the Ministers will ensure they were in tune with the Presidents agenda for his second term in government. Mr Arhin said the President was scheduled to embark on a weeks tour of the Eastern and Ashanti Regions from Friday, October 1, 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 We use cookies on this site to enable certain parts of the site to function and to collect information about your use of the site so that we can improve our visitors experience. For more on our cookies and changing your settings click here Trinity UCC POTTSTOWN Worship at Trinity UCC, 60 N. Hanover St., will take place in the Sanctuary at 9:30 AM on Oct. 10 and will also be live-streamed on our YouTube channel. Masks and social distancing are required at... ALL THINGS PHOTONICS PODCAST From space exploration and quantum optics, to biomedical imaging and defense, todays top scientific minds are applying lasers, spectroscopy, microscopy, and more to deliver cutting-edge innovation to our evolving world. In each episode, Photonics Media News Editor Jake Saltzman hosts intimate conversations with those pushing the boundaries of human knowledge.Hear how 3D printed microscopes and those developed for a fraction of the cost offer our best hope for diagnosing disease in the developing world; how silicon photonics and biophotonics are invigorating advances in quantum computing and medical diagnostics, respectively; and how a series of femtosecond laser pulses and black metals can provide reliable access to clean water around the world.Notable guests include Nobel Prize winner Donna Strickland; Columbia University Eugene Higgins Professor of Electrical Engineering and 2021 OSA Vice President Michal Lipson; UCLA researcher Aydogan Ozcan; inventor of the Foldscope microscope Manu Prakash; 2021 SPIE President-Elect and founder of the Vanderbilt Biophotonics Center Anita Mahadevan-Jansen; Duke researcher Adam Wax; and USC physicist Andrea Armani.is produced by Photonics Media and airs biweekly, on Tuesdays. 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Delivery of our newsletter and publication content directly to you does require your contact information, but you can manage your communication preferences as described in this section under "Manage Your Communication Preferences."As part of registering for our free subscriptions, we also collect information about your employment, such as job title and technologies and products you work with. We use this information to verify that you are eligible for a free subscription, as well as to provide you with additional communications regarding information we think you may find interesting. When we collect this information, we ask for your consent to use this information for marketing purposes. You can change, withdraw, or withhold your consent at any time by managing your communication preferences.If you contact us directly, such as to request information on advertising rates or order copies of our publications, your communications with us may include your contact information. In such circumstances, we only collect your contact information when you initiate contact with us. You provide data when you submit material for publication. Content Submitted for Publication When you choose to submit articles, white papers, press or product releases, event listings, videos, or other material to be considered for publication on our website or in our magazines, you will be asked to provide your name, phone number, and email address, which we may use to follow up with you regarding publication. When we choose to publish the content you submit, we will publish the contact information you provided as part of your submission to allow readers to contact you to request more information. When you choose to submit a company listing for publication in the Photonics Buyers' Guide, you will be asked to provide your company contact information, a description of business products and capabilities, the contact information of key personnel, including email address, and other company demographics. Please note that information you submit for publication can be viewed by anyone who subscribes to our print publications or accesses our website. Some information for the Buyers Guide is only collected for aggregate demographics about the industry and markets, and those fields are marked as such. Do not submit any information you do not want published publicly or used for these purposes. You provide data to facilitate your participation in special events. Interactive Feature Participation You may also choose to participate in different interactive features we offer. We only collect this information for the purpose of facilitating your participation in our interactive features. Comment Sections To leave a comment on our website, you must create a member account. We require the use of an account to minimize unwanted spam and to ensure the comment sections of our website remain a pleasant experience for all our users. When you choose to leave a comment on an article, we will access your member account or ask you to login to your account to enable the comments feature. We will collect and display your username and the content of your comment, which can include any additional personal data you wish to disclose to other users of our website. If you post a comment to an article of our website, please note that this information can be viewed by others with access to those areas. Outbound Messages When you choose to initiate contact via our website with one of our advertising partners or a company in our directory, you will be asked to provide your name, organization, and email address, and you can edit this information before sending your message. In some cases, we may also request your address, telephone and fax numbers, and country to provide the entity you wish to contact with more options to contact you. Some of these fields are optional and your message can still be sent without providing optional details. We also collect and retain a copy of your outbound message, which will contain any additional personal information you provide. This information is only collected when you request we contact a company or advertiser on your behalf and will only be used for such purposes. Contests When you enter a contest, you may be asked to provide your name, email address, company name, and telephone and fax numbers. This information is used to verify your identity, notify you that your entry has been received, and contact you if you are a winner and/or prize recipient. As part of your entry in our contests, we may choose to provide you with the option of receiving information about our subscriptions and publications. If you consent to receive this information, we will collect the personal data you provided as part of your contest entry for this purpose. You can change, withdraw, or withhold your consent at any time. Conferences, Webinars, White Papers, and Sponsored Content When you register for any of our conferences or webinars, or download any of our white papers or other sponsored content, we ask you to provide your name, company, job title, address, email address, and telephone and fax numbers. We also ask you a few questions about your interest in the topic. We provide this content at no cost to you and rely on sponsors to help keep this content available to you at no charge. In exchange for sponsoring our content, we provide our advertising partners with the personal data you provide when you choose to register for or download the sponsored content, and we will tell you which of our partners will receive the personal data you submit. When you register for conferences, you may Surveys We occasionally conduct surveys. If you choose to participate in the survey, you may be asked to provide basic demographic information, such as job function and technologies and products you work with. You also will be asked to provide additional information related to the survey topic, which may include personal data. We use this information to conduct statistical analyses on topics of interest to our users, and your data will only be reported in aggregate form. Additionally, if you choose to provide a free-text comment in your survey response, we may publish your response, but we will remove your name and any identifying information before publication. We only collect this information when you consent to participate in the survey. You may also choose to participate in different interactive features we offer. We only collect this information for the purpose of facilitating your participation in our interactive features.To leave a comment on our website, you must create a member account. We require the use of an account to minimize unwanted spam and to ensure the comment sections of our website remain a pleasant experience for all our users.When you choose to leave a comment on an article, we will access your member account or ask you to login to your account to enable the comments feature. We will collect and display your username and the content of your comment, which can include any additional personal data you wish to disclose to other users of our website. If you post a comment to an article of our website, please note that this information can be viewed by others with access to those areas.When you choose to initiate contact via our website with one of our advertising partners or a company in our directory, you will be asked to provide your name, organization, and email address, and you can edit this information before sending your message. In some cases, we may also request your address, telephone and fax numbers, and country to provide the entity you wish to contact with more options to contact you. Some of these fields are optional and your message can still be sent without providing optional details.We also collect and retain a copy of your outbound message, which will contain any additional personal information you provide. This information is only collected when you request we contact a company or advertiser on your behalf and will only be used for such purposes.When you enter a contest, you may be asked to provide your name, email address, company name, and telephone and fax numbers. This information is used to verify your identity, notify you that your entry has been received, and contact you if you are a winner and/or prize recipient.As part of your entry in our contests, we may choose to provide you with the option of receiving information about our subscriptions and publications. If you consent to receive this information, we will collect the personal data you provided as part of your contest entry for this purpose. You can change, withdraw, or withhold your consent at any time.When you register for any of our conferences or webinars, or download any of our white papers or other sponsored content, we ask you to provide your name, company, job title, address, email address, and telephone and fax numbers. We also ask you a few questions about your interest in the topic.We provide this content at no cost to you and rely on sponsors to help keep this content available to you at no charge. In exchange for sponsoring our content, we provide our advertising partners with the personal data you provide when you choose to register for or download the sponsored content, and we will tell you which of our partners will receive the personal data you submit.When you register for conferences, you may contact us for a list of partners that will receive your information.We occasionally conduct surveys. If you choose to participate in the survey, you may be asked to provide basic demographic information, such as job function and technologies and products you work with. You also will be asked to provide additional information related to the survey topic, which may include personal data. We use this information to conduct statistical analyses on topics of interest to our users, and your data will only be reported in aggregate form. Additionally, if you choose to provide a free-text comment in your survey response, we may publish your response, but we will remove your name and any identifying information before publication. We only collect this information when you consent to participate in the survey. Personal Data From Others We collect data through cookies, web beacons, and other similar technologies. Cookies and Passive Tracking In certain circumstances, we may obtain non-personal information about your use of this website through cookies. "Cookies" are small files placed on your computer by your browser and are often used to make websites work, as well as provide information to the website operator. We also collect information on read and click-through rates of our email communications through the use of beacons. We use these web-based technologies for the purposes of: Analyzing the traffic on our website and in our emails to improve functionality, user experience, and content relevancy Providing you with communications tailored to your preferences and interests You have the ability to accept or decline cookies by modifying the settings in your browser. If you disable cookies in your browser, you may not be able to use all of the interactive features of our website. Please note that some advertisers may use cookies when you click on their advertisements on our site. Those cookies are controlled by the advertisers and are not subject to this privacy notice. Third Parties When you interact with content provided by or about our advertisers, we compare your IP address against our own databases, as well as databases provided by third parties, to match your IP address to your company and geographic location (at a country-level). The IP matching database provided to us by a third party is housed on our internal network, and when we access the database, your information is only read by our network. We do not share your IP address with the third party. We match your IP address to your company and country only when you interact with our advertiser content or information, as we collect and share this information with our advertisers for the purpose of helping our advertisers make decisions about the relevancy and usefulness of content they provide to our users. We do not share more than your company and country location with our advertisers without your consent. We also collect social media handles, content, and other data posted on our official social media pages as well as information (such as email address and other information) you allow to be shared through our social media apps, tools, widgets, and plug-ins. In certain circumstances, we may obtain non-personal information about your use of this website through cookies. "Cookies" are small files placed on your computer by your browser and are often used to make websites work, as well as provide information to the website operator. We also collect information on read and click-through rates of our email communications through the use of beacons.We use these web-based technologies for the purposes of:You have the ability to accept or decline cookies by modifying the settings in your browser. If you disable cookies in your browser, you may not be able to use all of the interactive features of our website.Please note that some advertisers may use cookies when you click on their advertisements on our site. Those cookies are controlled by the advertisers and are not subject to this privacy notice.When you interact with content provided by or about our advertisers, we compare your IP address against our own databases, as well as databases provided by third parties, to match your IP address to your company and geographic location (at a country-level). The IP matching database provided to us by a third party is housed on our internal network, and when we access the database, your information is only read by our network. We do not share your IP address with the third party.We match your IP address to your company and country only when you interact with our advertiser content or information, as we collect and share this information with our advertisers for the purpose of helping our advertisers make decisions about the relevancy and usefulness of content they provide to our users. We do not share more than your company and country location with our advertisers without your consent.We also collect social media handles, content, and other data posted on our official social media pages as well as information (such as email address and other information) you allow to be shared through our social media apps, tools, widgets, and plug-ins. HOW WE USE PERSONAL DATA Our use of your data will depend on your interactions with our website. How we use your personal data will depend on what services you are using and the permissions you have given us. We use your data to provide you with the services you request. Provide Requested Services We will use your personal data to enable you to create a member account, subscribe to our newsletters, publications, and mailings, and participate in special events. We will also use your data to respond to communications you have initiated. When you initiate contact through our website with one of our advertisers, we use the personal data you provide through your request form to notify the advertiser of your interest, as well as sending the content of your outbound message. We also use your personal data to create a record of your outbound message on our website for our advertisers to reference in the future should they lose your original message. This record is restricted and only accessible by us and the advertiser to which you sent the message. Our advertisers will only have access to your message for two years after you send it. We use your data to publish content you have submitted. Publishing Submitted Content When you have chosen to submit content to be considered for publication on our website or in our magazine, as well as our Buyers' Guide, we will use the information you provide to follow up with you about your submission, and, where we have elected to publish your content, we will publish your information in conjunction with the material you submit. Some information is collected for statistical purposes, which we use to understand the demographics of your industry and the markets. Such information is only used in aggregate and not tied to you individually. We use your data to improve our website and your user experience. Enhance User Experiences We use Google Analytics to determine which areas of our website users like and don't like, based on traffic to those areas. This helps us continue to build a better service for you. For our website analytics, we only use aggregate, anonymous data that cannot be traced back to you individually by us or Google Analytics. For information about Google Analytics' information practices and related opt-out choices, We use Google Analytics to determine which areas of our website users like and don't like, based on traffic to those areas. This helps us continue to build a better service for you. For our website analytics, we only use aggregate, anonymous data that cannot be traced back to you individually by us or Google Analytics.For information about Google Analytics' information practices and related opt-out choices, click here. We use your data to communicate with you and share content we think you might enjoy. Communications and Marketing We use the contact information you provide to communicate with you directly, both to fulfill any requests for our publications and to share with you news and updates on our products. You are able to manage your communication preferences. When you consent to receive marketing communications from us, we also use your personal data to provide carefully selected and screened mailings, prepared and sent by us, from certain advertisers or other companies that we think may be of interest to you. We use your data to share information with our advertising partners. Advertising We use your data to create aggregate, anonymous reports on user demographics and traffic patterns for advertisers. This allows our advertisers to advertise more effectively and allows you to receive advertisements that are pertinent to you. We also use your personal data to inform our advertising partners which users have accessed or downloaded their sponsored content or requested further information on their product. We use your data for security and fraud-prevention purposes. Security and Fraud Prevention We use your data (including your communications) when necessary for security purposes or to investigate possible fraud or other violations of this policy and/or attempts to harm our users. HOW WE SHARE PERSONAL DATA We share your data with your consent or when necessary to support your use of our services. We share your personal data with your consent or when necessary to provide a service or complete a transaction you requested. Additionally, we also share your data with service vendors we have engaged to help provide requested services or transactions, such as payment processing, content publishing and mailing vendors, subscription and communication management vendors, and website hosting and management. We share your data with advertisers based on your permission. Advertising Partners We share your personal data with outside partners when you consent to sharing or interact with content provided by or about our advertisers. Where you consent to sharing your personal data with advertisers, such as when you download sponsored content, register for a conference or sponsored webinar, request more information, or initiate contact with an advertiser, we share your name, organization, email address, the content you viewed, and any other personal data you choose to share. When we send you communications on behalf of our advertising partners, we will share your company and country with our advertising partners when you click on their promotional links in our communications. We will only share this information if you click on the links, and we will not share your name or contact information with our advertising partners unless you specifically request more information from an advertiser. When you access content from or about our advertisers but do not engage in activities that trigger further interaction with the advertiser, such as clicking on an advertisement or viewing the advertiser's information in our buyers' guide, we share your company name and country with our advertisers. Additionally, we share aggregate data on website traffic, which can include anonymized personal data that cannot reasonably be traced back to you. You have choices about how your information is shared with advertisers and may chose not to receive communications from third parties. We will share your personal data when we are required to do so by law. As Required by Law When required by law, regulation, or legal process we will share your personal data with government authorities, enforcement officials, or third parties as necessary to meet our legal obligations. We may also disclose personal information if we believe disclosure is necessary to prevent or investigate a possible crime, such as fraud or identity theft, or to protect our own rights or property or the rights, property, or safety of others. If we sell our business, we may share your personal data as part of that transaction. Sale of Business We reserve the right to transfer your personal information in the event we sell or transfer all or a portion of our business or its assets. In such event, your personal information will continue to be protected by this privacy notice. EEA DATA SUBJECT CHOICES AND RIGHTS If you are an EEA data subject, you can make choices about how your data is collected, used, and shared. Accessing your data to know what information we have collected and how it has been used and shared Requesting the deletion of all or some of your personal data Changing or correcting inaccurate or outdated information Objecting to, limiting, or restricting the use of all or some of your personal data Requesting a copy of your personal data To exercise your rights, you can contact us at Laurin Publishing Co., Inc. P.O. Box 4949 Pittsfield, MA 01202-4949 Telephone: +1 413-499-0514 Fax: +1 413-442-3180 If you are accessing our website from within the European Economic Area ("EEA"), you have certain rights and choices about the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal data processed from the EEA. Your rights include:To exercise your rights, you can contact us at [email protected] or:P.O. Box 4949Pittsfield, MA 01202-4949Telephone: +1 413-499-0514Fax: +1 413-442-3180 You have the right to lodge a complaint. Where we are processing your personal data that came from within the EEA, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the appropriate supervisory authority if you believe we have violated your privacy rights or applicable data protection laws. CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS If you are a California consumer, you have certain rights to your personal data, including the right to know, the right to delete, and the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal data. Category of Information Examples Collected Personal Identifiers First and last name, email address, company, telephone number, address, online identifier, device identifier, internet protocol (IP) address Yes Personal Information under California Customer Records Statute* First and last name, address, telephone number, employment, credit or debit card number, or any other financial information. Yes Commercial Information Products or services purchased, obtained, or considered, or other purchasing or consuming histories or tendencies Yes Internet or Network Activity Information Browsing history, search history, and information regarding interactions with an Internet Web site, application, or advertisement Yes Geolocation Data Address, GPS Yes Professional or Employment-Related Information Company, job title Yes Financial Information Credit or debit card information Yes * Some personal data included in this category may overlap with other categories. We have disclosed the above information for business purposes to our affiliates, service providers, customers, and other users as described in this policy. Sale of Personal Data In the preceding twelve (12) months, we sold (as defined by CCPA) personal data from all of the categories of personal data listed above. We only share your name and personal contact information when you affirmatively authorize us to do so. To understand what personal information we may share and when, please refer to Right to Know About Personal Data Collected, Used, or Disclosed You have the right to request that we disclose certain information to you about our collection, use and disclosure of your personal data over the past 12 months. Once we receive your request and verify your identity, we will disclose to you: (1) the categories of personal data we collected about you; (2) the categories of sources for the personal data; (3) our business or commercial purpose for collecting or disclosing that personal data; (4) the categories of third parties with whom we shared that personal data; and (5) the specific pieces of personal data we collected about you in the preceding 12 months. Right to Delete Personal Data Collected or Maintained You have the right to request that we delete any of your personal data that we collected from you and retained, subject to certain exceptions. Once we receive and confirm your request and verify your identity, we will permanently delete (and direct our service providers to delete) your personal data from our records, unless a legal exception to deletion applies. In our response to your request to delete, we will specify the manner in which we have deleted your personal data or, if we must deny your deletion request, the basis for this refusal. Right to Non-Discrimination for Exercise of Privacy Rights We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your rights by: (1) denying you goods or services; (2) charging you different prices or rates for goods or services, including through granting discounts or other benefits, or imposing penalties; (3) providing you a different level or quality of goods or services; or (4) suggest that you may receive a different price or rate for goods or services or a different level or quality of goods or services. Exercising Your Rights To exercise the rights described above, please submit a verifiable consumer request to us: Laurin Publishing Co., Inc. P.O. Box 4949 Pittsfield, MA 01202-4949 Telephone: (800) 553-0051 Email: Authorizing an Agent You may designate an authorized agent to submit your consumer request on your behalf, so long the authorized agent has your written permission to do so and you have taken steps to verify your identity directly with us. Verifying Your Request We cannot respond to your request or provide you with personal data if we cannot verify your identity or authority to make the request and confirm the personal data relates to you. Making a verifiable consumer request does not require you to create an account with us. We will only use personal data provided in a verifiable consumer request to verify your identity or authority to make the request. You may only make a verifiable consumer request for access or data portability twice within a 12-month period. To verify your identity, we ask that you to provide us with the following information when you submit your request: (1) first name, (2) last name, and (3) phone number or email. We will use the above information to verify your identity. Depending on your type of request or the information requested by you, we may require additional information to verify your identity and fulfill your request. We provide our California consumers with specific rights regarding their personal data. The section describes the rights that you have under the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA") and explains how to exercise those rights. In the past 12 months, we have collected the following categories of personal data under CCPA:We have disclosed the above information for business purposes to our affiliates, service providers, customers, and other users as described in this policy.In the preceding twelve (12) months, we sold (as defined by CCPA) personal data from all of the categories of personal data listed above. We only share your name and personal contact information when you affirmatively authorize us to do so. To understand what personal information we may share and when, please refer to this section or our privacy policy. We have not and will not sell the personal data of minors under 16 years of age to non-affiliated third parties without affirmative authorization.You have the right to request that we disclose certain information to you about our collection, use and disclosure of your personal data over the past 12 months. Once we receive your request and verify your identity, we will disclose to you: (1) the categories of personal data we collected about you; (2) the categories of sources for the personal data; (3) our business or commercial purpose for collecting or disclosing that personal data; (4) the categories of third parties with whom we shared that personal data; and (5) the specific pieces of personal data we collected about you in the preceding 12 months.You have the right to request that we delete any of your personal data that we collected from you and retained, subject to certain exceptions. Once we receive and confirm your request and verify your identity, we will permanently delete (and direct our service providers to delete) your personal data from our records, unless a legal exception to deletion applies. In our response to your request to delete, we will specify the manner in which we have deleted your personal data or, if we must deny your deletion request, the basis for this refusal.We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your rights by: (1) denying you goods or services; (2) charging you different prices or rates for goods or services, including through granting discounts or other benefits, or imposing penalties; (3) providing you a different level or quality of goods or services; or (4) suggest that you may receive a different price or rate for goods or services or a different level or quality of goods or services.To exercise the rights described above, please submit a verifiable consumer request to us:P.O. Box 4949Pittsfield, MA 01202-4949Telephone: (800) 553-0051Email: [email protected] You may designate an authorized agent to submit your consumer request on your behalf, so long the authorized agent has your written permission to do so and you have taken steps to verify your identity directly with us.We cannot respond to your request or provide you with personal data if we cannot verify your identity or authority to make the request and confirm the personal data relates to you. Making a verifiable consumer request does not require you to create an account with us. We will only use personal data provided in a verifiable consumer request to verify your identity or authority to make the request. You may only make a verifiable consumer request for access or data portability twice within a 12-month period.To verify your identity, we ask that you to provide us with the following information when you submit your request: (1) first name, (2) last name, and (3) phone number or email. We will use the above information to verify your identity. Depending on your type of request or the information requested by you, we may require additional information to verify your identity and fulfill your request. OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION Based on your location, we may transfer your personal data across international borders to the United States. Cross-Border Data Transfers We process data both inside and outside the United States and will only transfer your data if an appropriate level of protection for your personal data is guaranteed. We may also transfer your personal data if one of the approved legal exceptions can be invoked. It is important to note that the data protection laws in the United States may be different, and potentially not as protective, as the laws in your country. We maintain security safeguards to protect your personal data. Security We have implemented organizational and technical safeguards to protect your personal data from unauthorized access, use, and disclosure. We use secure socket layer (SSL) to help protect the data you share with us. Our website is not intended for children under the age of 16. Children Under the Age of 16 Our website is not intended for children under the age of 16, and no one under the age of 16 may provide information on this website. Our privacy notice applies only to our websites. Third-Party Websites This website may contain links to websites owned or operated by third parties. This privacy notice applies only to our websites and not to any third-party websites. Changes to this privacy notice apply after the "effective date." Changes to this Policy We will periodically review and revise our privacy notice and post a revised version to this website. Any changes will apply to your personal data from the "Effective Date" on the notice. You can find the current version of our privacy notice at any time by clicking on the "Privacy Policy" link at the bottom of our web page. Contact us with any questions, concerns, or to exercise your rights. Laurin Publishing Co., Inc. P.O. Box 4949 Pittsfield, MA 01202-4949 Telephone: +1 413-499-0514 Fax: +1 413-442-3180 Please contact us with any questions, concerns, or to exercise your rights. You can contact us at [email protected] or at:P.O. Box 4949Pittsfield, MA 01202-4949Telephone: +1 413-499-0514Fax: +1 413-442-3180 The S.C. Senate minority leader on Tuesday floated a tiered system for the apportionment of Savannah River Site settlement money that would prioritize local needs and wants over that of the states. Sen. Brad Hutto, an Orangeburg Democrat, suggested the $525 million plutonium payout should primarily go to Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell counties, with a lesser amount flagged for the ring or loop of counties beyond. If the state alone got $100 million for its interests and the remaining $425 million was earmarked for local application that would be a very fair thing, Hutto said in testimony before a Senate subcommittee. Were not asking for all of the money, he said, but were asking that we get our fair share. Demanding the entire purse is a political nonstarter, it seems, and appeasing counties on the periphery, like Lexington and Orangeburg, could make for smoother policymaking. S.C. Gov. Henry McMaster, U.S. Rep. Joe Wilson and other lawmakers have advocated for a similar algorithm or means of distribution; the region surrounding the Savannah River Site, McMaster said late last year, ought to receive at least the majority, a good majority, of these funds in one way or another. State Sen. Tom Young, an Aiken Republican who testified alongside Hutto on Tuesday, has endorsed the three-pot approach. Leaders in Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell counties are in close coordination, and in August presented a unified front to the governor when he sought input at a summit at USC Aiken. Because the three counties have shouldered the nuclear weight of the Savannah River Site for decades, people told McMaster, they are most deserving of the money. This is an issue of monumental importance to the communities that I represent in Aiken County, and that Sen. Setzler represent in Aiken County, and that Sen. Massey represent in Aiken County and the surrounding area, and the communities of Barnwell and Allendale counties that Sens. Hutto and Matthews represent, Young said Tuesday. I say that to let you know we could have filled the hearing room 50 times over. Aiken City Manager Stuart Bedenbaugh, North Augusta Mayor Briton Williams, Aiken County Council Chairman Gary Bunker, Aiken Chamber of Commerce President and CEO J. David Jameson and others attended the hearing Tuesday. The money in question $600 million, minus attorney fees stems from a deal hashed out last year by South Carolina and Energy Department officials. In seeking to resolve a standoff over the long-term storage of plutonium south of Aiken, the two parties reached an agreement: The DOE would remove from South Carolina 9.5 metric tons of the toxic material by 2037, years ahead of prior projections, and the Trump administration would cut a $600 million check, sourced from a national judgement fund. The money now in Palmetto State hands is both transformational and a once in a lifetime windfall, Hutto said Tuesday. It must, he continued, be invested wisely and with an eye toward the future. Obviously, he told subcommittee members Tuesday, any time you talk about money, everybody thinks they have a good project, right? Exactly how the plutonium money will be sliced is up to the Legislature. McMaster has said he is not worried about the appropriations process getting commandeered, and on Tuesday, Young said the subcommittee was attentive and thoughtful. We appreciate them hearing from us as to why the majority of these dollars should be invested in the counties that we represent, he said. HUGER Six years after selling for $3.5 million, a historic Berkeley County rice plantation has changed hands again, at a 30 percent markup. The owner of Middleburg Plantation, which dates back to the late 1690s, sold the 326-acre property off Cainhoy Road in Huger on Sept. 27 for $4.49 million, according to Berkeley County land records. The new owner is Whitewater Middleburg LLC, a firm registered to Jeffrey T. Wise, the CEO of the National Whitewater Center in Charlotte, according to North Carolina business records. Wise said he hopes to use the property as an outpost for the Whitewater operations he has overseen for the past 20 years. He hopes to use it as staging area for outdoor excursions and low-use accommodations for Whitewater employees as well as the public, though those plans have not been firmed up. The former owner was Middleburg Plantation LLC, also of the Queen City. It is registered to Martin Sprock, founder of Moes Southwest Grill and Planet Smoothie. Sprock bought the property in 2015. The plantation property, about 30 miles north of Charleston, includes a 2,500-square-foot, three-bedroom house, an old commissary and the remains of what is believed to be the nation's first steam-engine rice mill. The existing house at Middleburg was built around 1697-1699 by planter Benjamin Simons, who named the plantation after the ancient capital of Zeeland Province in Holland. Sign up for our real estate newsletter! Get the best of the Post and Courier's Real Estate news, handpicked and delivered to your inbox each Saturday. Email Sign Up! Overlooking the Eastern Branch of the Cooper River, the main residence is considered the oldest surviving wooden plantation dwelling in South Carolina. The country residence has undergone complete restoration, including outbuildings and guest houses. "Its vernacular architecture is based on commonplace houses in contemporaneous England,' said Charleston historian Robert Stockton. "The original portion consists of two rooms on each floor, with a massive chimney centered between them. Walls were finished with vertical boards and fireplaces trimmed with simple bolection molding. Rooms were added to the north end, and embellishments brought in at later dates." Stockton added, "The most remarkable features of Middleburg House are its one-tier piazzas. Renovations by the Hill family decades ago revealed that the house framing under the piazza roofs had never had siding nailed to it, indicating the piazzas were not additions, but original. That makes them the earliest known examples of piazzas in South Carolina." The property is listed as a National Historic Landmark by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Many of the main houses windows are original and still have a greenish tint. One room features a marble fireplace that was imported from Italy. The plantation has been a private residence and not a tourism stop. An easement through the Lowcountry Land Trust was placed on the property to protect it for the future by the Hill family, the previous owners who restored the site and possessed it from 1981 until 2015 as a weekend getaway. "Middleburgs ancient live oak entrance is second to none, and the improvements are some of the finest examples of early Colonial construction," said C.J. Brown, a real estate agent with Brown Land + Plantation Advisors who handled the sale with real estate firm Wise Batten Inc. Brown called it one of the "most historic properties" in the U.S. "Were excited that it will continue to be in good hands for years to come," he said. Note: Remarks by Charleston historian Robert Stockton have been added to the original version of this story. The developer of a contested eight-story apartment building near the medical district on the Charleston peninsula is appealing the recent denial of initial approval by the city's Board of Architectural Review. SE Calhoun LLC, an affiliate of Augusta-based Southeastern, filed the appeal and request for prelitigation mediation Sept. 22. An attorney for the builder led by Poplar Grove developer Vic Mills said the legal move is a way to try to broker a resolution on the building proposed for 295 Calhoun St. "The developers just want to get started on the improvements, and the request for pre-litigation mediation provides a forum where the developer and the decision makers for the city can get in one room and figure out next steps for the exterior of the building," said Alice Paylor of Rosen Hagood, who represents Mills. Mills did not respond to a request for further comment. At issue is a proposed 318-unit apartment building that will include 429 internal parking spaces and 16,300 square feet of ground-level retail space on the front and back of the structure. Southeastern bought the 2.2-acre site next to Alberta Sottile Long Lake for $12 million from the Medical University of South Carolina in June 2020, according to public land records. The property sits along Halsey Street on the east, and plans include a linear park on the western side. A pool is set on the second floor overlooking the water, and another pool is planned for the seventh floor. In April, the BAR staff agreed that an eighth floor made sense for the project, but it made several recommendations for modifications to the proposed building after the board denied the concept the first time last spring. The developer incorporated many of the suggestions, but not all, according to the staff's report in August. "When viewed from most angles, the proposed building appears to have a square footprint with long facades extending in two directions," the BAR staff said. "This gives the building a blocky perception and no semblance of narrow frontages. It is believed that much of the public outcry over this buildings (height, scale and mass) is derived from this." Sign up for our real estate newsletter! Get the best of the Post and Courier's Real Estate news, handpicked and delivered to your inbox each Saturday. Email Sign Up! The staff found the design of the sides facing Calhoun and the lake to be more pleasing, but recommended breaks in the architecture, such as recessed areas on each end to soften the appearance. The staff also recommended a vote be deferred until the suggestions were addressed, but the BAR voted 5-0 in August to deny the request for conceptual approval for a second time. The board also asked the developer to reconsider the height, scale and mass as well as its general architectural look. The Preservation Society of Charleston has objected to the project, saying the latest design proposal showed "no meaningful change" and is lashing out at what it called an attempt to lock out public input. "The Preservation Society is unsettled by the applicants current effort to subvert the public review process by seeking a closed-door settlement," the group said in a posting on its website. "We will be pressing the city to defend its BAR as this case progresses." The society said the property owner has a right to develop the site, but it wants to make sure the design is not a jarring departure from the city's historic district fabric, said Erin Minnigan, director of historic preservation. Minnigan called the current proposal "a parking garage wrapped in apartments." "We felt the building was overly massive for the site," she said. "It was inappropriate in its context next to Harleston Village. It didn't fit into Charleston's historic architecture." The next step will be mediation to see if an agreement can be made on the building's design. If a decision is reached, the building's final design will go to Charleston City Council for consideration. "We will be urging our supporters to make sure their elected officials know that they value the BARs judgment that projects of this magnitude must be carefully scrutinized and scaled appropriately," the Preservation Society said. Charleston, SC (29403) Today Cloudy skies this morning followed by thunderstorms during the afternoon. High 78F. Winds NNE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70%.. Tonight Variable clouds with showers and scattered thunderstorms. Storms more numerous this evening. Low 67F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. COLUMBIA Most of the $525 million available from a settlement over plutonium stored at the Savannah River Site should be spent on education and job creation projects in the three counties where the federal nuclear complex sits, senators from the area told their colleagues Sept. 28. The penalties paid by the U.S. Department of Energy for not removing tons of buried plutonium were always meant to assist the communities most harmed by the federal government's failed promises, Sens. Brad Hutto and Tom Young told a panel tasked with crafting a spending plan. Hundreds of millions of dollars should be split between Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell counties, while a second pot of money should go to surrounding counties where many workers at the sprawling complex commuted from, they said. The third pot should go to projects elsewhere in the state, the bipartisan pair told the Senate panel in its first meeting on the settlement money. "Were not asking for all the money. Wed like to, but were asking to get our fair share based on the history of this site and the impact," said Hutto, D-Orangeburg, the Senate's minority leader. How big of a share will be a question for the General Assembly. Sen. Thomas Alexander, the panel's chairman, chuckled at Hutto's suggestion of $425 million. "This is an issue of monumental importance" to area residents, said Young, R-Aiken, who gave his colleagues a decades-long history lesson on the case. "The plutonium is in the communities we represent," he said. "Its not in the Upstate or the Pee Dee or the coast or the Midlands." With a wish list from local officials in the tri-county area far exceeding the total settlement, the bipartisan duo said the focus should be on projects that create the most lasting improvements. "This is special money designed to compensate us for the impact this has had. Weve lost jobs. We want to replace those jobs," said Hutto, an Orangeburg Democrat but who represents all of Barnwell County and part of Allendale County. "The projects were looking for wont just impact people for now. We want projects that will impact a generation." Regionally, that could include a multi-county industrial park and expanding broadband into rural areas. For Aiken County, suggestions include water and sewer projects in its small towns and a new, countywide high school career center on the Aiken Technical College campus. Other examples include cybersecurity investments at University of South Carolina Aiken and the North Augusta riverfront, to draw jobs across the river from the Georgia Cyber Center, and the U.S. Army Cyber Command at Fort Gordon in Augusta, Young said. High-dollar needs in Allendale County include adding a technical school for jobs such as welding and plumbing, to the University of South Carolina's satellite associate-degree campus in Allendale, Hutto said. His top recommendation for Barnwell County, where the plutonium is actually buried, is a countywide high school and career center with all the latest technology and equipment for students in Barnwell, Blackville and Williston currently three separate school districts without the tax base to build anything remotely close to what he's envisioning on their own. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something like this for Barnwell," Hutto said. He hopes it's the carrot that changes minds in Barnwell, which has long resisted calls to consolidate with its two tiny neighbors. Williston and Blackville have agreed to merge next summer into a district of 1,300 students. "That is a transformative project that can help families over generations," Hutto said. "It's probably one of the best examples of what we're trying to do with this money." Legislators aren't expected to have a floor debate in either chamber on how to spend the $525 million until next year. Both Gov. Henry McMaster and Attorney General Alan Wilson have repeatedly agreed that Aiken, Allendale and Barnwell counties should be the biggest beneficiaries. The settlement Wilson announced last year was actually $600 million, but $75 million went to the state's attorneys. It ended a lawsuit Wilson initially filed in 2016 over tons of weapons-grade plutonium that was supposed to be turned into fuel for commercial nuclear reactors, as part of a nonproliferation agreement with Russia 16 years earlier. But with the plant to convert the plutonium behind schedule and over budget, the Obama administration scrapped it, and the Trump administration chose not to revive it, leaving the plutonium underground at SRS. Most of the 310-square-mile complex built in the 1950s to produce tritium and other materials for nuclear weapons, known by generations of locals as the "bomb plant," is in Barnwell County. At the height of production during the Cold War, more than 20,000 people worked there. The workforce has dwindled to about 11,000. The mixed-oxide fuel facility was supposed to bring 1,300 long-term, high-dollar jobs, according to the senators' presentation. "It's not in our backyard. It's right here," Hutto said, noting local officials helped the state make its case. "I dont know of a soul last year who didnt go to Myrtle Beach because of plutonium in Barnwell or a business that didnt locate in Spartanburg or Rock Hill because theres plutonium in Barnwell, but there are people who decided not to locate their business in Barnwell or Aiken because of the plutonium," Hutto said. A South Carolina judge stopped an attack on Charleston County School District's mask mandate on Sept. 27. Ninth Circuit Court Judge Bentley Price denied a motion for an emergency temporary injunction and restraining order prohibiting the district from enforcing its new mask mandate. It was the latest challenge to the mandate from a group of four parents and one teacher who sued the district on Sept. 17. The group's lawyer Joshua Hooser announced Price's ruling on Twitter saying, "This is a sad day for justice!" More Coverage To read more in-depth stories from The Post and Courier's Education Lab, go to postandcourier.com/education-lab. In a phone call with The Post and Courier he said his clients planned to appeal the decision. In a statement, Charleston County School District's board Chairman the Rev. Eric Mack called the ruling "an affirmation of our Boards commitment to the health and safety of our students through enforcement of our facemask policy." He said that he hoped the decision would allow everyone to renew their focus on students' education regardless of their stance on face masks. But mere hours after Mack sent out his statement, a crowd of 30 to 40 protesters gathered outside the district's offices on Calhoun Street, where a board meeting was scheduled to take place. The crowd carried signs referring to the mandates as "medical tyranny" and encouraging the district to "unmask our kids." The group chanted "let them breathe" and "medical freedom" before reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and launching into a rendition of "We're not gonna take it" by Twisted Sister. At one point, a woman shouted at a group of masked teenagers outside the Charleston County Public Library to "take your masks off, we're outside." The district added new security measures for people entering the building, including a metal detector and a bag search. They also placed signs outside the doors informing visitors that firearms and knives were not allowed inside. At least one woman was told to leave a knife in her car before entering the boardroom. A handful of the protesters spoke during the public comment section, voicing their anger about the mandate. One parent named Miguel Figueroa referred to the board as lawless criminals. You all have a duty to serve the educational needs of students in this county, Figueroa said. That does not include segregating kids for no reason and putting them in subpar virtual learning. Although the protestors took the majority of the public comment section, there were a few people who arrived to speak in favor of the masks. Four speakers thanked the board for implementing the mask mandate despite the opposition from some parents and community members. Were very appreciative that you did not back down. You did not take the easy way out. You instead decided to explore all options and do everything in your power to put the health and safety of our kids, parents and teachers first, said Andie Hershberger. Mack announced the new masking policy at a Sept. 16 press conference where he explained the district would require any student who did not wear a mask to learn remotely until at least Oct. 15. Up until that point the district had not been able to enforce its mask mandate, but Mack said the board would now dip into its savings to implement the rule. This allows the board to skirt around a provision in the 2021-22 budget that prevents districts from using public funds to enact a mask mandate. 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 The day after Mack's press conference, the group of four parents and one teacher sued the district, saying the new mask requirement violated state law. During the board meeting, Superintendent Gerrita Postlewait said the number of COVID-19 cases among district staff and students had been on decline in recent weeks. There were 181 cases reported among students during the week of Sept. 20, when the board started enforcing the requirement. Thats a drop of 121 new cases from the week of Sept. 13. At its peak for the school year so far, the district saw 425 new cases among students. We certainly hope that line continues on the downward trajectory, Postlewait said. The mandate is in place until Oct. 15, at which point board members will review the disease spread and decide whether to extend it. GREENVILLE Construction of the much-awaited Swamp Rabbit Trail extension along Laurens Road is presumably on track for a December 2022 completion now that the city has negotiated down the cost of two pedestrian bridges. The city's commitment today looks different than it did six years ago when it first set aside $1.5 million to build bridges over Laurens Road, Haywood Road and Verdae Boulevard. Notably, the Verdae crossing will not initially be a bridge. It was one way to bring down the $9.9 million price tag the City Council was presented with in July after assuming three bridges could be built within reach of the $4 million it set aside in recent years as it waited to hear from Greenville County, the manager of the overall project, on a timeline. In the time since the moment of sticker shock, the city has taken over management of the bridge component from the county and negotiated costs down with the top-scored bidder, Palmetto Infrastructure. City Council voted to award the contract to Palmetto on Sept. 27. The final negotiated price is $6.4 million, about $2.5 million less than the company proposed to build just the two bridges over Laurens and Haywood. The negotiation involved technical changes to design of the bridges, which Interim City Engineer Clint Link told council were preferable compared to previous aspects of the design. From the outset of plans first announced six years ago to extend the trail system from Cleveland Park on a 4.5-mile stretch near Laurens Road to the Verdae area, the city believed it important to avoid street-level pedestrian crossings on heavily traveled roads. The city offered to pay for three bridges and initially allocated $1.5 million, rising ultimately to $4 million. The city then waited on Greenville County to set an expected completion date, all while hundreds of millions of dollars in private investment cropped up along the proposed path of the trail. The wait took years as the county secured necessary property easements. In 2019, the county first mentioned a possible Spring 2022 goal, but a definite completion date wasn't firmed up until this year. The county and city had been at odds at times over what the city saw as a lagging process. The county said the easement process was lengthy and uncertain and prevented a firm deadline. In picking a contractor to do the work, one of the chief factors was an ability to meet the county's planned December 2022 deadline. City Council must now vote to allocate an additional $2.4 million that will come from its accommodations tax on lodging and its reserve of hospitality taxes from dining. While council members generally expressed support, Councilman Ken Gibson said he was hesitant to vote for the funding. "I am not a definitive, permanent 'no' on this, but I am a 'not yet,'" Gibson told his colleagues. Gibson said that after spending time in Washington, D.C., and seeing pedestrian crossings there, he needed an expert to convince him that at-grade crossings can't be just as safe. "I just think there may be a safe way, at-grade, to do it," he said. "We have intersections across the city where people are at risk." Councilwoman Dorothy Dowe pointed out that the large majority of funding for the bridges comes from hospitality tax money and by state law must be spent on tourism-related endeavors, which includes the Swamp Rabbit Trail. Dowe cited dangerous trail crossings across highways in the county and the hit-and-run death of a woman using the trail and struck by a car at an at-grade intersection with a traffic light. "I just feel like the trail is sacred, and we have learned to go over and below on that trail wherever we are legally able to do it," Dowe said. "I cannot imagine extending the trail across major roads like this like Laurens, like Haywood without a safe way, meaning above it or below it." Councilman John DeWorken said bridges play a crucial role in the larger sense of the trail as an economic driver. "I look at this money as an investment for quality of life, for redevelopment, for economic development and for healthy living," DeWorken said. The council still has some outstanding issues to address, including whether to spend $300,000 to have a private project manager instead of the city's engineering staff, consideration in future budget cycles of a different type of crossing at Verdae than will be constructed now, and how to pay for and build a connector to the extension within Cleveland Park. CONWAY The Horry County school board has unanimously voted to sue vaping giant Juul and other e-cigarette companies for the harm its products cause and the financial burden put on schools. The school district will join others across the state including four of South Carolinas largest school districts in Greenville, Charleston, Berkeley and Lexington and neighboring Georgetown County School District in the class-action lawsuit. The Palmetto State districts are part of national movement to seek financial compensation from e-cigarette manufacturers. More than 2,300 suits have been filed across America as of July, according to Florida-based consumer advocacy group Drugwatch. The lawsuit claims "Juul falsely marketed its products as a safer alternative to traditional tobacco products, targeting young consumers with colorful packaging and fruity flavors." Nearly one-fourth of South Carolina teens reported using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report in 2019. The lawsuit is seeking damages schools have acquired from students vaping on their campuses and the future cost to combat vaping among students. It "also aims to recover the cost of prevention programs, counseling, and treatment for addicted students." The lawsuit will not cost the taxpayers any money, according to the press release, as the firms representing Horry County Schools will only receive compensation if the lawsuit is settled or wins. The Horry County Board of Education is represented by a pair of lawyer legislators, S.C. Reps. Jeff Johnson, R-Conway, and Leon Stavrinakis, D-Charleston. Hurricane Sam strengthened once again to a Category 4 storm as it lumbered through the Atlantic Ocean, still far from South Carolina's shores. The National Hurricane Center reported in its 5 p.m. public advisory Sam's wind speeds were recorded near 130 mph. Sam was moving at a leisurely 9 mph on a northwest track through the Atlantic. As of 5 p.m., the hurricane was 530 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands, northeast of the Venezuelan coast. There were no watches or warnings in effect, though swells generated by Sam were expected to reach the Bahamas, Bermuda and the Lesser Antilles over the next several days before reaching the East Coast. These swells could cause life-threatening surf and rip current conditions, the center advised. Hurricane Sam is a major hurricane, but it is forecast to pass well to the east of South Carolinas coastline, said Neil Dixon, a meteorologist in the National Weather Services Charleston office. Swells generated by the storm were expected to reach Charlestons coast Oct. 1 and into the weekend. These long-period swells are notorious for causing rip currents, Dixon said. Anyone planning a beach trip this weekend should keep up with local advisories, he said. Dixon anticipated the Weather Service would issue a small craft advisory around the same time, as offshore boaters could see waves above 6 feet. Sam is the seventh hurricane to form in the 2021 Atlantic season, which ends Nov. 30. The storm was designated a hurricane Sept. 24 and rapidly intensified before reaching major hurricane status the next day. The storm has wavered between Category 3 and Category 4 wind speeds throughout the past 24 hours. Sam may intensify over the next day or two, according to the center, and the storm is likely to remain a major hurricane for the next four days. Its northwest motion was expected to continue for the next few days as the storm passes east of the northern Leeward Islands on Sept. 29 and Bermuda by Oct. 1. NORTH CHARLESTON Growing up, Fire Capt. William "Chris" Kennedy dreamed of becoming a recording artist. Kennedy, 46, never imagined he'd find a different use of his musical gift: honoring fallen firefighters and warming the hearts of their grieving families. It gives me a good amount of joy," said Kennedy, who's been recently tapped for the fourth time to sing the national anthem at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Service. The service is part of the 40th Annual National Fallen Firefighters Memorial Weekend hosted by the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. Considered the fire service's most hallowed event, it occurs each year at the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial in Emmitsburg, Md., and recognizes firefighters who've died in the line of duty. This year's memorial weekend is Oct. 2-3 and resumes as an in-person program after going virtual last year due to COVID-19. The memorial service itself is Oct. 3. Every single time, it (gives me) chills," Kennedy said. "You feel almost incapable of living up to that moment." Kennedy, a Summerville native, first started singing as a 15-year-old in his home church, formerly Oakbrook Baptist. He spent a year in college before joining the Air Force, where he sang as part of the service's Band of the West. After the Air Force, he moved to Texas and had a 10-year stint of performing at amusement parks, country festivals and holiday gigs. His priority was to secure enough appearances to keep a regular stream of income coming in. You got to take what's available," he said. He and his wife moved from Texas to the Lowcountry, where he sought steady employment. Kennedy joined the North Charleston Fire Department in 2006. He said he wanted to be a firefighter because he felt the job would give him a chance to provide a calming presence for people in the midst of dealing with tragic circumstances. He's been inspired by the example set by other service members. Kennedy recalled the time early in his career when a fire captain led him and several other firefighters calmly into a burning apartment building to rescue six people. The captain's steadiness and bravery was reassuring for Kennedy, who spoke to the mental toughness needed to get through the experience. "Your mind is telling you, 'You shouldn't be here,'" he said. Kennedy started singing at NCFD programs around 2016, doing renditions of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at small department events. His name circulated around the firefighting community and he started getting more invitations at ceremonies, including the annual memorial for the nine Charleston firefighters who died in the 2009 Sofa Super Store fire. Kennedy first got an invite to sing at the National Fallen Firefighters memorial in 2017 after the foundation heard him perform at a firefighter program earlier that year in Charleston. The memorial weekend is attended by thousands of family members who've lost loved ones in the fire service. The Sunday ceremony marks the closing of the weekend with a bagpipe band processional and the unveiling of the memorial plaques listing the names of the firefighters who died in the previous year. This year's service will honor firefighters who died in the line of duty in 2019 and 2020. North Charleston Fire Chief Gregory Bulanow said the department is glad to have Kennedy representing the agency on a national level. This ceremony is the most solemn event in the American fire service," Bulanow said. "To be invited to sing there once is amazing. For him to be invited back again and again speaks to the quality of his performance. Kennedy said his approach to the service is to always lend a sense of honor and prestige to the moment. He usually arrives early enough to hear musicians rehearsing with their bagpipes. The sound helps prepare him mentally and emotionally for the solemn occasion. As far as the national anthem itself, Kennedy believes the song can be used as a unifying force that can help hone in on the sacrifices made by brave public servants. North Augusta, SC (29841) Today Rain and scattered thunderstorms for the afternoon. High 74F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 70%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.. Tonight Thunderstorms early, then variable clouds overnight with still a chance of showers. Low 66F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. North Augusta City Council discussed two ordinances about zoning around West Martintown Road at its Monday meeting. The two tracts of land combined equal about 50 acres of land and, if passed, would change the zoning from Large Lot Single-Family to Mixed Residential. Known as the McKie property, the developers have not specifically stated for what it will be used. Council member Kevin Toole wanted to know how the development would affect the long-term plan for North Augusta. Im personally not opposed to higher-density development. I think there are a lot of reasons to do it but from a comprehensive plan standpoint, Toole said. I think what we are seeing here in the city right now from an inventory perspective a lot of projects that are ongoing are north of I-20 or are becoming more mature and are running out of land options, City Administrator Jim Clifford said. ... It's pretty safe to say at this point in time anything that is either green space that is privately owned ... and has the ability to be developed or zoned are moving in that direction. ... , Clifford said. Mayor Briton Williams, who used to be on the city's planning commission, is looking to have discussions with council in early 2022 about the citys overall plan within the next 10 years. We need to get back to long-term planning, Williams said. ... We have vacant buildings. ... We need to have a conversation about the North Augusta Country Club. Council also decided to bring back the Riverside Village boat dock plans to the agenda for next weeks meeting. After previously tabling the item due to changing information, council agreed to put it back on the docket. The dock will allow access to restaurants, apartments and SRP Park via boat and water access. The city of North Augusta has a boat dock with parking access near Riverview Park and a boat dock in Hammonds Ferry along the Greeneway. North Augustas budget for 2022 will be published by the end of the month. A public hearing will be published this week for a discussion with citizens. The final budget will be voted on by council in October and November. Other business It is a basic rule of politics that if there is a government shutdown, it is the Republicans fault. If a Republican president or governor vetoes Democratic spending bills and portions of the government are briefly shuttered, it is the Republicans fault. Conversely, if a Republican Congress or legislature passes spending bills that a Democratic president or governor vetoes because they are not large enough, it is also the Republicans fault. We now see this pattern play out in Washington, where the Democrats control the presidency, the House and the Senate, and still dont seem to be able to pass a continuing resolution to temporarily fund the government, or to increase the current debt ceiling. Notwithstanding the Democrats control of all levers of power, the resulting embarrassment is blamed on the GOP. Thus, Politico writes: Senate Republicans sank Democrats plans to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling together on Monday evening, sending Democratic leaders scrambling to avoid a government shutdown that would kick in Friday morning. Senate Republicans sank the plan? Read on: The GOP rejected a proposal to fund the government into December and lift the debt ceiling past next years midterms, a vote that needed the support of 10 Republicans to advance over a GOP filibuster. But only a handful of GOP senators even considered it, and the bill appeared doomed for days. The bill failed, 48-50, and no Republicans supported it. The issue, obviously, is that the Democrats couldnt get all of their members to back the CR and the increase in the debt ceiling. If the Democrats had all been on board with the proposal, it could have been included in their reconciliation package and passed regardless of what Republicans did. But in the absence of Democratic consensus, the Republicans declined to bail Chuck Schumer out. To be fair, the Democrats understand that their attempt to blame their own failures on Republicans wont fly: Democrats are hinting theyre willing to drop the debt ceiling from their government funding package this week in order to avoid a government shutdown, a sign that their slim majorities are eager to avoid a shuttered federal government on their watch. Still, the Democrats can always count on their most crazed partisans to spin events their way. Like the New York Times: Given that the Democrats control the presidency, the House and the Senate, one might think that the current impasse will test the truism that all government shutdowns are the responsibility of Republicans. But that adage will hold, if you rely on over-the-top left-wing news sources like the New York Times. Ever since the left had its collective freakout over the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018, there has been a persistent agitation on the left that there is some kind of financial corruption involving Kavanaugh. So it is significant that the high octane lefty magazine Mother Jones came out yesterday with a long feature debunking the lefts fever dreams entitled Heres the Truth About Brett Kavanaughs Finances. The very short version: theres nothing to the lefts crazy conspiracy theories about Kavanaugh. Some excerpts from Stephanie Mencimers article: The idea that Brett Kavanaugh has taken bribes to sustain his country club lifestyle is one of the hardiest conspiracy theories on the political left. And like most conspiracy theories, this one suffers from some internal logic problems. Yet lots of otherwise smart people who see conspiracy theories as solely a scourge of the right seem to believe it, in part because, as with so many such myths, the Kavanaugh conspiracy theory originated with a few facts. . . its improbable that hes been bought off by the Koch Brothers: He doesnt need the Koch brothers. . . [Kavanaughs] answers, however, have not satisfied many on the left, who seem convinced that there is something nefarious afoot. In the past three years, a persistent conspiracy theorythough not QAnon levelhas bloomed between the lines of what Kavanaugh has left unsaid about how he bridges the gap between his income and his cushy lifestyle. The basic theory goes something like this: Kavanaughs debts and mortgage down payment were paid for by some shadowy rich benefactor, as yet unknown, but possibly the Mercers, or maybe Leonard Leo, the vice president of the Federalist Society. A more elaborate version suggests Kavanaughs debts were only paid off after the suspiciously timed retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy, whose son worked at Deutsche Bank for a guy who approved loans to Donald Trump and then killed himself. (What that suicide has to do with Kavanaugh is never made clear.) An even weirder scenario includes a convoluted link to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein by way of Kavanaughs former boss, Clinton-era independent counsel Ken Starr; controversial Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz; and former Trump Labor Secretary Alex Acosta. . . There are good reasons why reporters didnt delve more into Kavanaughs finances, not the least of which was that they were completely eclipsed by the charges leveled against him by Christine Blasey Ford, who alleged that Kavanaugh tried to rape her at a party when they were in high school. But the other reason is that there is no mystery there. Kavanaugh has, however obliquely, answered the questions to which liberals have demanded answers. Just because he hasnt publicly disclosedand isnt required to producetax returns or other documentation revealing all the secrets of his wealth doesnt mean that Kavanaugh has taken bribes. It also doesnt square with what we know about him or about the way the federal judiciary works. The Senate Armed Services is conducting a hearing today into Joe Bidens Afghanistan fiasco. Ive been tied up with other business and therefore unable to watch the proceedings. Trying to catch up on what has transpired, I came across this piece in Politico. It demonstrates that Biden is either (1) lying about what generals recommended to him about withdrawing from Afghanistan or (2) lacks a good enough memory to serve as president. According to Politico: Top generals told lawmakers under oath on Tuesday that they advised President Joe Biden early this year to keep several thousand troops in Afghanistan directly contradicting the presidents comments in August that no one warned him not to withdraw troops from the country. In August, Biden denied that anyone associated with the military advised him to keep U.S. forces in Afghanistan. George Stephanopoulos asked him: So no one told your military advisers did not tell you, No, we should just keep 2,500 troops. Its been a stable situation for the last several years. We can do that. We can continue to do that? Biden answered: No. No one said that to me that I can recall. By adding that I can recall, Biden is hedging. Either (1) he realizes that someone did give him, essentially, that advice and wants an out in case hes contradicted or (2) he doesnt trust that his memory is of a level sufficient competently to perform his job. If Biden feared he would be contradicted about the advice he received, his fear was justified. According to Politico, Gen. Kenneth Frank McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command, made it clear to the Senate Armed Services that earlier this year, he advised Biden to maintain a small force in Afghanistan to maintain stability: In answering questions from Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) about his advice, McKenzie said he would not share his personal recommendation to the president. But he went on to say that his personal view, which he said shaped his recommendations, was that withdrawing those forces would lead inevitably to the collapse of the Afghan military forces and, eventually, the Afghan government. (Emphasis added) Furthermore, again according to Politico, McKenzie testified that he was present when Gen. Austin Scott Miller, the commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan until July, advised Biden to leave a few thousand troops on the ground in Afghanistan. Miller reportedly testified to that effect at a closed-door session last week. McKenzie says, I was present when that discussion occurred and I am confident that the president heard all the recommendations and listened to them very thoughtfully. To make matters even worse for Biden, Gen. Mark Milley testified that he agreed with the assessment that the U.S. should maintain at least 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. Like McKenzie, Milley declined to disclose the particulars of his discussions with Biden. However, it seems certain that, as with McKenzie, Milleys advice to the president was consistent with his actual views. Is it plausible that Biden heard three top generals tell him to keep a few thousand troops in Afghanistan to avoid disaster but, after the passage of only a few months, cant recall receiving this advice? I dont think so. Biden was almost certainly lying to Stephanopoulos. But if Biden really did forget the advice he received on this crucial matter from the three most relevant members of the military, then he lacks even half a mind to be president. Yes, no matter what Yes, but it depends on variety No, for medical reasons, uncertainty No, principle Vote View Results The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has told financial institutions in the country that eNaira is not a subtle scheme to take away bank customers. It said the plan is to grant access to more financially excluded people. The regulator said this in details published on the website of the countrys digital currency which went live on Monday ahead of its launch on October 1. It said the eNaira opens up a whole new market of digital currency users for financial institutions to increase their customer base and add value to their account owners. The bank provided details of of how the digital currency will affect individuals, businesses, governments and nongovernmental organisations. Here are the explanations the CBN gave: Financial Institutions Integral to the establishment of eNaira is the necessity to build more synergy with financial institutions. The framework of eNaira is such that it entrenches many pipelines of collaboration and further strengthens financial institutions core service delivery. By its very nature with regards to its mandates, eNaira enhances the structures of these institutions instead of replacing same. eNaira opens up a whole new market of digital currency users for financial institutions to increase their customer base and add value to their account owners. Financial Institutions act as bridges between customers and the CBN, this increased customer interaction can help them adopt better customer support models. eNaira is not a subtle scheme to steal your customers. It is a collaboration to grant access to more financially excluded people. eNaira gives every linked financial institution access to the database of customers with wallets domiciled in their banks. eNaira Maximum Daily Cumulative Limit restricts customers from total migration which result in a capital loss for financial institutions. The eNaira system is designed and integrated with the best fraud management system, which guarantees the security of transactions and fosters customers trust. Individuals For individuals, eNaira promises fast transactions, cheap diaspora remittance, direct government aids, easier local payment, and secure banking. eNaira was minted with your expectations in mind. We understand our customers are real people whose needs are constantly evolving so our approach to delivering tailored solutions needs to constantly evolve. From functionality, call to action, to user interface, our goal has always been to deliver an exceptional digital experience tailored to your needs. eNaira makes diaspora payments cheap and safe to ensure you get more value for every Naira you earn. Financial Government Aids gets straight to you. eNaira knocks the middlemen out the way and you can claim funds directly. The faster, the better. eNaira makes it possible to send funds, save money, and save time while at it. Boycott the queues and pay taxes, and bills from the comfort of your home. Its easier and its dependable Worried about the safety and security of banking details? Rest assured; the transparency makes everything traceable. Now theres enough room for everyone to enjoy banking services. The process is easy and the process is simple. For Government Through a reduction in cash handling costs and more transparent taxing systems, eNaira makes more funds available for development projects such as better feeder roads, affordable education, and more equipped health facilities. Spending eNaira, will make for richer Government and richer people. eNaira creates easy access to financial services at remote areas that have suffered financial exclusion for years With eNaira, tax evasion is history because eNaira ensures the traceability of taxable assets and enforces transparency in the taxation systems thereby increasing revenue. eNaira enables the government to send direct welfare allowance to citizens and communities that are beneficiaries of such interventions. eNaira facilitates instant cross-border foreign exchange which boosts the economic growth of the nation. eNaira greatly reduces the costs of handling cash, from minting all the way to destruction, the Federal government saves cost eNaira minimizes fraudulent activities and shady deals such as money laundering, and illegal money deals because of the trackable unique ID of each eNaira. For Non-Governmental Organisations The transparent nature of the currency also benefits Non-Governmental Organisations, donations can be made easily, and easy tracking of usage. eNaira offers local and international Non-Governmental Organizations and Religious Institutions money transaction solutions that ensure that, at the end of the day, their focus is trained more on carrying out their projects than on the security and usage of the money backing each project. This is because the confidence that the money will do exactly what it was purposed to do, even faster, cheaper, and safer than previously obtainable is what eNaira offers. International NGOs can now send and receive donations and contributions across countries with a faster, easier, cheaper, and safer method than previously obtainable, without the old hassles of rigorous money transfer bottlenecks. READ ALSO: Community and Aid project beneficiaries do not have to wait so long to receive what has been promised them anymore. Once the beneficiary owns an eNaira wallet, all aid goes straight from the wallet of the NGO to the wallet of the beneficiary in seconds. Religious institutions now have a cleaner and more direct means of gathering collections by members, eliminating the costs and risks of cash handling. Micro-donations are now so much more possible for welfare projects, whereby, denominational limits are not placed on what can be donated, giving all cadres of donors a chance to give in situations where looking for transaction balances would have deterred them. Expense-tracking and report-development for social projects for NGOs have become nearly automated with eNaira, as the traceability of each eNaira ensures that balancing ledgers and knowing the exact identity of the recipient of each eNaira occurs at near-real-time and in tandem with the very transfer of funds itself. NGOs and Religious institutions do not have to worry about cases where hired project managers abscond with money set aside for welfare projects when they use eNaira, as forgery and counterfeiting of eNaira units is impossible due to its unique identity and the fortified security backing its Distributed Ledger System. For Businesses For businesses, eNaira promises to help customers pay for their services with ease. eNaira helps your customers pay for your services with such ease that keeps them coming back. With eNaira, your customer base spreads beyond the shores of Nigeria because overseas payment is not just possible but fast and even cheap. The more the patronage, the more profit! eNaira makes it easier for you to get support allowance from the government because the CBN has your wallet information and can make direct deposits on behalf of the government. eNaira gives your customers a super-easy payment option through its QR Code Scan feature and it makes them keep coming back. eNaira promotes efficient and straightforward cross-border payments which foster profitable foreign business partnerships. eNaira peer-to-peer payment feature facilitates a boost in eCommerce and gives the in-mall experience to friends physically separated by distance. eNaira opens up a whole new customer base you did not know existed, with the increased customers, business growth is guaranteed. With eNaira businesses can easily make sales in any country because the eNaira is 100percent local and 100percent global, the CBN said. The rape trial of the embattled Nollywood actor, Olanrewaju Omiyinka, also known as Baba Ijesha, resumed on Tuesday at the Lagos State Special Offences Court in Ikeja. Since April 22, when the Lagos State Police Command arrested him for allegedly sexually assaulting a 14-year-old foster daughter of a popular comedian, Princess, Baba Ijesha has constantly made headlines. Baba Ijesha, who was arraigned on June 24, is being charged with six counts bordering on the defilement of a minor. Court proceedings Dada Awoshika, Baba Ijeshas lead counsel, was absent in court. The defence counsel, however, presented a letter requesting for an adjustment of the case owing to the fact that Adesina Ogunlana, Baba Ijeshas lead counsel was absent in court. However, the Lagos State Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Olayinka Adeyemi, who led the prosecution for the state, insisted that the court should continue with the case. She argued that the matter at hand is a criminal case and both counsels were given updates on the date of the hearing prior to Tuesdays court sitting. Oluwatoyin Taiwo, the presiding judge, insisted that the court would hear the witnesses while the cross-examinations would take place on a different date. Baba Ijesha stormed the court with four men who shielded him from the press interviews and from the crowd that gathered in the court premises. Princess on the other hand came in the company of actress, Iyabo Ojo, comedian, Koffi and four lawyers from the DPP. Forensic Interview The prosecution counsel presented a forensic witness to the court, conducted by Olabisi Ajayi-Kayode. Ms Ajayi-Kayode is a forensic interview specialist, a legal practitioner and an executive Director of Cece Yara child care foundation. She said she has over 25 experience in child forensic interviews and has worked in different reputable organisations. She said the survivor gave a tenacious and bold report. READ ALSO: According to her, the survivor, in an interview, told her that Baba Ijesha allegedly started engaging her in sexual activities when she was 7-year-old. She also recounted an experience at a park where fruits are sold, where the accused (Baba Ijesha) inserted his car key into her vagina. Immediately she said this, Princess became very emotional and walked out of the court crying. She would later come back into the court. Baba Ijesha, who donned a blue face cap and black nose mask stood in the witness dock while the cross-examination lasted. He was not interrogated by the court because his counsel was absent. The child forensic expert also presented a flash drive, containing a video coverage of the interview with the survivor. The judge assured the court that the video would be displayed at the next setting of the court on the case. Upon the request letter of the defence counsel, the judge chose October 20 and 21 for subsequent hearing of the case to more witnesses and cross-examination of the case. Offence The actor is facing a six-count charge of sexual assault by penetration, indecent treatment of a child, and sexual assault, which contravene sections 259, 135, and 261 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011, as well as 135, 263, and 262 Criminal Law of Lagos State 2015. Baba Ijesha had, however, employed the services of two senior advocates of Nigeria Dada Awosika and Babatunde Ogala, and other lawyers to defend him. The Executive Director of the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Faisal Shuaib, has said more efforts are required for Nigeria to reach its target of vaccinating at least 70 per cent of its eligible population against the deadly coronavirus. Mr Shuaib, while speaking at a briefing of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, on Monday, said 4.2 per cent of the 111,776,503 eligible Nigerians have been vaccinated so far. He said, asides from the availability of various approved COVID-19 vaccines, efforts from individuals will also go a long way to push for more vaccinations. It is important to point out that a lot more work needs to be done for our country to reach its target goal of vaccinating at least 70 per cent of the eligible population of 111,776,503, not only in terms of provision of vaccines but more importantly, in terms of mobilizing our friends, families, and communities to get vaccinated, he said. About 70 per cent of Nigerias total population needs to receive the COVID-19 vaccines to completely eradicate the virus, Mr Shuaib had said at the onset of the pandemic. COVID-19 Vaccination status Mr Shuaib said the latest data shows that 4,734,769 eligible people in Nigeria have received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. This, he said, comprises 3,040,000 who have received the first dose of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines and 1,694,769 with the first dose of Moderna vaccines. This represents 4.2 per cent of the 111,776,503 eligible populations who are targeted to receive full doses of the vaccines for Nigeria to reach herd immunity. Out of the total vaccinated, 1,892,092 eligible persons have received their second dose of which 1,825,739 have been fully vaccinated with AstraZeneca while 66,353 eligible persons have been fully vaccinated with Moderna, Mr Shuaib said. Mr Shuaib also reiterated that vaccination is the best way out of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Europe, America, Asia, and Oceania, it is through this vaccination that COVID-19 is being controlled, and the vaccines being used are the same all over the world. Nigeria cannot afford to be left behind. We must understand the urgency of the need to control COVID-19 if we want to fully recover from its social and economic impacts, he said. More vaccines expected At the briefing, the chairman of the PSC, Boss Mustapha announced that the country is expecting more vaccines to reach more of its eligible population. Mr Mustapha said Nigeria will be receiving over 1m doses of the Johnson and Johnson (J&J) shipments every month. Over 3.5m doses of Pfizer is being expected from the US Government this month while about 4m doses of Astrazeneca is being expected early next month, he said. He said the PSC is committed to access enough vaccines for the 70 per cent eligible persons in the country in record time. The chairman also said global cases have been on a decline for some time now, but theres need for more caution, especially among Nigerians. He said caution is needed rather than over-confidence. The Ekiti State government has said the number of suspected cases of cholera is now six, with five of the cases undergoing treatment at the hospital. The states Commissioner for Health, Oyebanji Filani, announced on Friday that five suspected cases were picked up at Moba Local Government Area of the state. He , however, said the state had activated its surveillance machinery to ensure the situation was put under control. Speaking with PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, Mr Filani said an additional one suspected case had also been picked up. The cholera outbreak in Nigeria has already affected 27 states and the FCT. According to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, a total of 2,404 persons have died of the disease since its outbreak in Nigeria this year. As of Week 36, which is between September, a total of 72,910 suspected cases were recorded in 27 states and the FCT and from 336 local government areas. The affected states are Abia, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ekiti, Enugu, FCT, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Osun, Plateau, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, and Zamfara. In the week 36, which is between September 6-12, 2021, 23 persons died of the disease out of 1,182 suspected cases reported from 13 states. They are Bauchi (472), Katsina (194), Borno (106), Jigawa (95), Yobe (80), Kaduna (68), Adamawa (63), Sokoto (38), Gombe (34), Abia(13), Taraba (10), Ogun (8) and Niger (1). Mr Filani said stool and water samples had been taken for laboratory test. He said the result of the test on the water sample would be ready on Tuesday while that of the stool would come in on Thursday. The two samples will allow us to confirm that it is cholera or not, he said. At the moment, we are treating suspected cholera cases though the signs and symptoms are there. He further said the government was already reaching out to the communities for adequate enlightenment in the area of hygiene. According to him, the state has heightened its surveillance in all the local government areas, particularly the ones bordering states which had recorded the disease. Mr Filani had earlier cautioned residents to be mindful of what they eat and drink, while they observe basic hand washing and proper storage of food and water. He had also urged them to seek medical attention when they notice symptoms. Rabiu Mannir is one of the 20 victims who escaped after their kidnappers fled when a fighter jet flew over their camp in Zamfara State. The victims were handed over to the Katsina State government by the Zamfara State Government on September 18. Mr Mannir spoke with PREMIUM TIMES, at the event , about his experience during the five months they spent in the bush with the bandits. PREMIUM TIMES: Tell us more about yourself? Mr Mannir: My name is Rabiu Mannir. I am 40 years old and I am from Katoge in Batsari Local Government Area of Katsina State. As you can see, I am one of those who escaped from the bandits den. PT: How did they abduct you? Mr Mannir: They came in the night around 10 oclock and started shooting sporadically. They kept shooting while riding their motorcycles around the area. I was in my house. Some people left their houses and started running, but most of them were shot dead and others captured. I wanted to run too but I had my family to look after so, I decided to remain in the house because I was not sure what to do at the time. They came into my house. I have two children but they and my wife escaped. PT: How did they escape? Mr Mannir: I told them to run out when the shooting reduced because we could not all go out at the same time. I checked outside and asked them to run. They had escaped by the time the bandits reached my house. When they came into the house, some of them continued shooting. I surrendered myself because they were many with guns. While some of them said I should be killed outrightly, the majority said no. They said I should be taken with them. I am alive now because God made those who said I shouldnt be killed the majority. They dragged me out of the house to the town centre where I was taken alongside other people of the community. While some of them started walking with us towards the bush, others on motorcycles continued shooting into the air. We trekked for many hours before we reached another group of their gang with many motorcycles. They asked us to climb. I couldnt count their number but they were many and all of them carried guns. I cant also recall the time but when we started the journey on the motorcycles, it took us more than six hours before we stopped because we reached their main camp around 6 a.m. the following morning. PT: Can you describe the forest? Mr Mannir: The forest is thick and rocky. Throughout the journey, we didnt see any house but we saw many Fulanis especially in the morning when we were about reaching their main camp. PT: Can you recall what they were wearing? Mr Mannir: Some were wearing military camouflage while others wore police uniforms and the rest wore mufti. But they were all Fulanis. PT: Where did they take you to? Mr Mannir: I dont know exactly. But it is in a part of Rugu forest in the Zamfara State section; because when we escaped, we found ourselves in villages under Zamfara. PT: How would you describe life in the forest with the bandits? Mr Mannir: It was terrible. I cant imagine any reasonable person doing that to a fellow human. Even the threats were enough to give one heartache. They kept shouting and insulting us. They kept beating us, saying our families are poor. In the beginning, they were giving us food but they later stopped giving us. Because there was a time we went three straight days without food, and you know there were many children with us. When they learnt how hard it was for us, they decided to continue giving us food. They decided to start providing us with guinea corn. We would grind it and prepare the meal. We ate only once daily for many months. About eight people were released by the bandits after payment of ransom but we that didnt have the money were kept with them. They were merciless. PT: How come you are wearing new clothes and a well cut hair, despite spending five months in bandits camp? Mr Mannir: These clothes were given to me by the people of a village we reached when we escaped. They gave us food, clothes and shoes. I was taken to a barber in the village too before we were taken to Gusau (Zamfara capital). When I reached that village, all my clothes had worn out. I didnt take my bath for five months while I was there. PT: How did you escape? Mr Mannir: We were sitting in the camp when a jet came over us. It was not that high in the air but we felt the soldiers were conducting surveillance. The bandits were not even there by then only their boys who stood as our watchmen and one of them had even gone to the town to buy food for them. The jet hovered above us thrice and I believe the boy staying with us sensed danger and took to his heels. Before the jet began firing, I quickly removed one of the padlock they chained my legs with. I was the only one they chained being the only adult man. I asked all the women to take their children and start running. Meanwhile the jet was firing but not on our site. Due to the confusion, the 20 of us all ran in three different directions and because I was the first to run, I found myself in a different village from the others but we finally met later. The town I found myself in was in Birnin Magaji in Zamfara State. From there, we were taken care of before we were taken to Gusau. By October 5, it will be exactly one year since the Ogun State Government awarded a house and cash prizes to outstanding teachers in the state. Newspapers in Nigeria reported that Governor Dapo Abiodun presented a two-bedroom bungalow, at the state-owned Princes Court, to the overall best teacher in the state, Odegbola Ayodele. Mr Ayodele is a Junior Secondary School (JSS) teacher in Abeokuta Grammar School (ABEOGRAM). The sum of N2.5 million was awarded to Adewale Abayomi from Odua Comprehensive High School, Imoru, Ijebu-Ode for being the best teacher in the Senior Secondary School (SSS) category. Also, N2 million was said to have been given to Mary Adeyemi from St. Pauls School II, Sagamu, the best primary school teacher in the state. Governor Abiodun announced the awards while meeting with leaders of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT), Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS) and the All-Nigeria Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) in the state, as part of activities to mark the 2020 World Teachers Day. At the event, the governor reportedly said the state government had instituted an annual awards scheme for outstanding teachers in the state and those who distinguish themselves in carrying out their duties. We will continue to celebrate innovation. We will encourage consistency. Our administration will continue to make the welfare of our teachers our priority. Our teachers reward will not be in heaven, but here on earth, the governor said at the event. The claim of the award of a house and cash prizes came a day before the governor gave N5 million to the 2020 winner of Big Brother Naija (BBNaija) lockdown show, Olamilekan Agbelese, aka Lycon. The governor was also reported to have given Lycon a 3-bedroom bungalow and appointed him as the State Youth Ambassador. The governor announced this when he received the BBNaija winner on October 6 at the Governors office at Oke-Mosan in Abeokuta, the state capital. People later compared the two events and argued over the desirability of the house and cash prizes. It is however not clear whether the 2020 BBNaija winner has received the house and cash gifts announced by the governor. When contacted, one of the personal assistants to Laycon and a family member declined comment on the issue saying that he is not at liberty to answer such questions of whether his brother had received the gifts. He promised to get Laycon himself to talk on the matter but has yet to do so a week after. Verification An investigation by Dubawa revealed that the claim that Governor Abiodun gave a house and cash prizes to the three teachers is misleading. Our findings are that while the key to a two-bedroom bungalow was given to Mr Ayodele, the documents that will officially make him the owner have not been handed over to him. Further investigation revealed that the claim that the two other teachers, Mr Abayomi and Mrs Adeyemi, received N2.5 million and N2 million respectively is false. As of the time of filing this report, the teachers were yet to receive the cheques or cash for the prizes reported in the media almost a year ago. A source close to the teachers said they have not been able to collect their prizes. The teachers are really disappointed and have no assurance that they are going to get the cash prizes again. They have been hoping and expecting that they will be given their cheque but this is almost one year now and another (set of) awardees will be announced soon, the source lamented. The two teachers declined to comment on the matter. Also, the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary School (ASUSS), Ogun State chapter, declined comments on this issue. When contacted, the state chairman, Akeem Lasisi, said he would not comment. But Dubawa was able to get a copy of a letter written by ASUSS to Mr Abiodun appealing to the governor to pay the teachers. The letter dated June 22, 2021 with reference number, AsUSS/H.025/21 and signed by the State Secretary, Adegbenga Banjo, and State Chairman, Akeem Lasisi, was routed through the Head of Service. The letter titled: 2020 Ogun State Teachers and Schools Excellence Awards: Our Deepest Gratitude commended the governor for handing over the key of the two-bedroom bungalow to Odeogbola Ayodele who came tops in Junior School category. Flowing from that of Odeogbola Ayodele and the sense of fulfilment it brought, ASUSS is quite convinced that in no distant time, the duo of Adewale Kayode who came top in the Senior Secondary Schools Category and 2nd Prize Winner, and Mrs Akinniyi Mary, who was top in the Primary School Category and 3rd Prize Winner, will also have their rewards delivered to them, the letter stated. The Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Abayomi Arigbabu, was yet to respond to a message sent to his phone number to clarify why the widely reported cash prizes have not given one year after. While responding to the inquiry of Dubawa on the issue, the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Waheed Odusile, confirmed that the prizes have not been given to the teachers but said they will soon be presented with them. Very soonThe prizes will be given to the awardeesThanks for your interest, the commissioner responded through a WhatsApp message. Some gunmen on Sunday invaded a meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State, Nigerias South-east, and shot dead a member of the party. Others who were at the meeting sustained injuries. The incident occurred at a local office of the APC at Uruagu, Nnewi North Local Government Area of the state, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). The slain politician has been identified as Somadina Oforma. The police spokesperson in Anambra, Tochukwu Ikenga, who confirmed the incident, said the police have launched an investigation into it. The killing is an obviously politically-motivated murder, one too many to count, NAN quoted the APC governorship candidate in Anambra State, Andy Uba to have said through a statement issued on Monday by Victor Ogene, an official of Andy Uba Campaign Organisation. Mr Uba called on the Anambra State Governor, Willie Obiano to check the increasing insecurity in the state ahead of the November 6 governorship election. READ ALSO: Mr Uba is said to have reached out to those injured in the attack, and has promised to immortalise the slain politician. We recall that, on July 31, 2021, at Oba, Idemili South LGA, unknown gunmen, operating in similar fashion, accosted and killed Mr Cosmas Eze, our partys acting Assistant Secretary for the local government area, said the statement from Mr Uba campaign. The seemingly targeted attack on the APC members was to go a notch higher, when on Saturday, September 10, 2021, the traditional ruler of Ekpunando in Anambra East LGA, Igwe Alex Edozieuno, and his driver, Chukwuemeka, were waylaid and killed. Whilst not imputing any direct motive to these attacks, we are, however, constrained to observe that our party, the APC, has borne the brunt of majority of them, leaving us to wonder when political contest in Anambra degenerated to the point of opposition party members living in fear. We, therefore, call on Governor Obiano, as the Chief Security Officer of the state, and other law enforcement agencies, including the police, the Department of State Security, DSS, and the Civil Defence Corps, to urgently take steps to halt the growing reign of terror in our state. For starters, Governor Obiano must rein in his party men and women who take recourse to a campaign of hate, by selling the false and misleading narrative that the APC is a Fulani party, the statement added. (NAN) Samuel Chukwudumebi Oseji, a Justice of the Supreme Court, is dead. Mr Oseji, who has been less than one year on the apex court bench, died at 67 on Tuesday. Sources at the Supreme Court confirmed to PREMIUM TIMES that he died in Abuja after a protracted illness, details of which could not be immediately ascertained. An official of the court said the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, had to visit him at an unnamed hospital about two weeks ago. His death brings the number of Justices of the Supreme Court to 17. Born on June 2, 1954, Mr Oseji hails from the Aniocha North Local Government Area of Delta state in the South-South zone of Nigeria. He attended Saint Patricks College, Asaba, Delta State. He graduated from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in 1984 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in 1985. He worked as a magistrate and rose through the ranks to become Chief Magistrate Grade I. He was appointed Deputy Chief Registrar in 1996. He was appointed Chief Registrar of the Delta State High Court in 1997. In 1998, he was appointed a judge of the High Court of Justice, Delta State. He was elevated to the Court of Appeal in 2010. While on the Court of Appeal Court bench, he served in Enugu, Lagos and Benin divisions of the court before his elevation to the apex court last year. He was among the eight Justices of the Court of Appeal elevated to the Supreme Court bench in November 2020. He was sworn in to the apex court bench by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Mr Muhammad, on November 6, 2020. Mr Oseji, who is married with children, has been serving in that capacity until his death on Tuesday. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has constituted the conference committee on the Electoral Amendment Bill. The seven-member committee announced on Tuesday is dominated by members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). While five members were drawn from the APC, the remaining two are members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Akeem Adeyemi (APC, Oyo) is the chairman of the committee. Other members are: James Faleke (APC, Lagos), Blessing Onuh (APC, Benue), Aisha Dukku (APC, Gombe), and Ahmad Kalambaina (APC, Sokoto). Chris Azubogu (PDP, Anambra) and Unyime Idem (PDP, Akwa Ibom) are also members of the committee. The panel is to meet with its Senate counterpart to harmonise the differences in the versions passed by two chambers in July before proceeding on recess. The Senates version was passed on 15 July, while the House version was passed on 16 July. The Senate had last week announced the composition of its committee. The members are Kabiru Gaya (North-west), Ajibola Basiru (South-west) and Danjuma Goje (North-east). Others are Uche Ekwunife (South-east), Sani Musa (North-central) and Matthew Urhoghide (South-south). The Senate Leader, Abdullahi Yahaya, will lead the panel. Grey areas to resolve One of the contentious issues in the bill is clause 52(3) of the bill. The Senate version reads: the commission may consider electronic transmission provided the national network coverage is adjudged to be adequate and secure by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and approved by the National Assembly. The version passed by the House reads as follows: The Commission may transmit results of elections by electronic means where and when practicable. The House version was passed amidst rancour, tension and walkout by some members of the PDP. The seven-member committee set up by the Senate is dominated by senators who voted to subject the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and National Assembly before using electronic transmission of results. The forensic and ballistic company hired by the Lagos State government to investigate the shooting incident at the Lekki tollgate has said that yet-to-be-identified persons fired live bullets at the protesters on the night of 20 October, 2020. The UK-based company, Oxygene Consulting UK Ltd, represented by Dieye Willie-Harry, its executive director and senior consultant, gave the report of the team on Tuesday via Zoom. We have not viewed any footage, which definitively shows a muzzle aimed towards any individual and at the same time being fired with the effect thereof, with what we can freely assess to be firing live ammunition (no flailing or falling injured victims), Mr Willie-Harry said. However, given the injuries sustained from 21:00 hrs and further, we believe, that live, military-grade ammunition, was fired at some point, by persons as yet to be identified. According to Mr Willie-Harry, the team was engaged by the government 10 days after the shooting incident to conduct medical, ballistic, and forensic injury analysis of the event. He said by the time the team of experts arrived Lagos in December last year, the medical treatment of victims had reached an advanced stage, injuries had healed and victims had been discharged from healthcare centers. The ability of the victims to give reliable accounts of how, when and where, their respective injuries were sustained, may have deteriorated, or been contaminated by exterior influences and the passage of time, he said. Mr Willie-Harry, a UK-based Nigerian, is a military operation analyst, forensic investigator, kidnap and ransom negotiator, trained paramedic, and surveillance officer. Giving the forensic and ballistic report of the team, he said his team examined medical reports and x-rays of the victims who were treated at public and private hospitals in Lagos. Medical data examination He said the medical data examined included the timeline of arrival at medical facilities and the nature of the injuries sustained by the victims brought to the facilities. He said their investigation showed there was no military-grade live ammunition (high-velocity) fired at the protesters, at Lekki tollgate, on 20 October, last year within the timeframe of 6:30 p.m to 8:34 p.m. He added that the military-grade ammunition was used later, after 9 p.m. Mr Willie-Harry said four victims of gunshots, who reported at hospitals between 7:05 p.m. and 7:45 p.m on the day of the shooting, were examined by the team. The expert said the wounds sustained by the victims can be safely identified as being discharged by either low-velocity calibre and/or artisanal/12 gauge firearms. The team is unable to ascertain, how, by whom, where and when exactly these GSW [gunshot wounds] injuries were sustained, due to the apparent breakdown of law and order, prevalent during the day, afternoon and evening of 20/10/2020, in Lagos at the time of the alleged Lekki incident, he said. The Nigerian army earlier told the panel that although soldiers were deployed to the Lekki tollgate axis, the soldiers fired only blank ammunition into the air to disperse the protesters. Amidst several reports of deaths and injuries, allegedly resulting from gunshots supposedly fired by soldiers of the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Army later said it went to Lekki toll gate with both live and blank ammunition. Break Down Mr Willie-Harry said the team reviewed 19 ballistic-related injuries, non-law enforcement grade ammunition-related injuries, and 23 medical injuries classified as non-ballistic, non-fire arm-related injuries. He said a total of eight injuries were commensurate with 7.62 x 39mm (law enforcement grade ammunition), and only two were recorded on the night of October 20, last year. The remaining six were recorded between October 21 and 22, last year, according to medical reports. Mr Willie-Harry said 11 injuries were, however, firearm injuries not commensurate with 7.62 x 39mm, non-law enforcement grade ammunition. He said the injuries are from artisanal weapons, locally-made weapons that are classified as small arms, and light weapons (SALW). ALSO READ What is ,however, certain, is that had the military personnel, deliberately fired military-grade live ammunition, directly at the protesters; there would have been significantly more fatalities and catastrophic injuries recorded. This was clearly not the case, he said. Mr Willie-Harry said military-grade ammunition, if fired into a mass of human tissue at close range by military personnel who are trained by default to aim for the central body mass, would have undoubtedly resulted in a large number of victims, with fatal, catastrophic thoracic and head injuries. Apart from the sworn statement by the military spokesperson at the Lagos State Tribunal, the team observed, on examined video material, that the military was firing blank ammunition. This is due to the repeated arming of their weapons to reload, before firing into the air, he said. Imagery reveals use of live ammunition Mr Willie-Harry, however, said examination conducted by the forensic team into the open-source imagery and news reporting, including the social media, showed that the military fired live ammunition at some point. Along with the individual injuries and medical reports, we are of the opinion that live military-grade ammunition, may have been discharged at some point at the Lekki Toll Gate on 20th October 2020, after 21:00 hrs and possibly aimed, at the road surface in front of protesters. The expert said the live ammunition hit the majority of the victims in the lower limbs at much reduced kinetic energy but with enough energy to fracture the long bones without exiting the victims bodies. He said injuries of this category were recorded around 9:30 p.m according to the time stamp on medical records. The team has identified the firearms carried by the military officers, during the alleged incident, as Kalashnikov AK type variants including Chinese Type 56, some with (foldable bayonet) extended. These weapons discharge the 7.62mmx39 Type 56 / PS. Following his testimony, the expert was cross-examined by lawyers to the police, #EndSARS protesters, and the Nigerian Bar Association. Doris Okuwobi, a retired judge heading the panel, said the experts testimony would be the last the panel would take before giving its ruling on the shooting incident at the Lekki tollgate on 20 October last year. About eight persons were allegedly killed on Tuesday when members of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN), also known as Shiites, and security operatives clashed in Abuja. The Shiites were observing their annual Arbaeen Symbolic Trek in the federal capital, causing heavy traffic gridlock. Arbaeen is a religious practice observed on 20th Safar of Islamic calendar to mark the 40th day of the killing of Imam Hussein, Prophet Mohammeds grandson. He was killed on 10th Muharram. The peaceful procession, which began early Tuesday morning, allegedly turned bloody when members of the movement clashed with security operatives near Gwarimpa along Kubwa road, leaving some dead while many more sustained severe injuries following sporadic gun shots from policemen and soldiers. An IMN leader, Abdullahi Musa, who spoke with PREMIUM TIMES, alleged that eight members of the group were killed and others injured during the procession following the clash. He denounced the assumption that that they took to the streets of Abuja to create unrest despite the release of its leader, Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, who was freed by a Kaduna State High Court in July alongside his wife, Zeenat. Mr Musa, who is the secretary of IMN Academic Forum, explained that the teeming presence of the members of the movement around the axis was never to trouble but in celebration of Arbaeen. It is not a protest in any way. If you are protesting, you are agitating. We have protested before in Abuja for the release of our leader (El Zakzaky) but this Arbaeen Symbolic Trek is a global event. It is an annual event held in many places in the world, he said. Here in Nigeria, we also hold the event and for the past 20 years we have been trekking on the street in support of the family of the Holy Prophet, Imam Hussein, who was massacred years back. Today is the fortieth day after Ashura, and it is celebrated globally. We have been doing this in Zaria until the massacre where they demolished our centres and covered everything, that is why we have come to Abuja, he explained. Mr Musa said the IMN would have held the procession in the Mararaba area of the Nasarawa State but they were deterred by heavy security presence to avert the eventual attack from the security operatives. He further explained that they had ended the trek and were near dispersing when the security agents arrived at the scene. Yesterday we marched around the Suleja axis, today is the closing day. If you remember today is the 20th day of Arafat. We were not even coming to the city because they occupied everywhere. We decided to march from the modern city Gwarimpa to the Gwarimpa main bus-stop. We successfully marched to that place, we had concluded and we were already dispersing when the combination of police and soldiers arrived. While the police were shooting teargas, the soldiers were shooting at us. As I speak to you, we have eight corpses. I cant confirm if they are all our members because you know that place is a public place. There were a lot of people there and it was around 10am when people were trying to get to their offices. They were just shooting, many people sustained injuries, and many of us were arrested, he told this newspaper. Another member of the group, Adam Abubakar, who escaped the clash, said they were waiting for cars to convey them back to their respective houses after the procession when he saw the team of security operatives firing shots at them. 57 arrested Police The FCT Police Command said a total of 57 members of IMN were arrested during the clash. The total number of the arrested Shiite members is 57. The males are 39 and the females are 18. None of our security operatives were injured, the Commands spokesperson, Josephine Adah, told PREMIUM TIMES in a telephone interview. Previous protests, processions Members of the IMN have previously protested about 16 times since 2016 in the federal capital during which they demanded the release of Mr El Zakzaky. During these protests, they clashed with the security operatives 12 times leading to several deaths and many injured. Seventy-seven international and Nigerian oil and gas companies currently owe the Nigerian government $6.48 billion (over N2.6 trillion), the Executive Secretary of the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), Orji Ogbonnaya, said Tuesday. He said the debts were a result of the companies failure to remit petroleum profit tax, company income tax, education tax, value-added tax, withholding tax, royalty, and concession on rentals. He did not provide the names of the companies. Speaking at the mid-year review and press briefing on the implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, Mr Ogbonnaya said the figure is based on findings in the NEITI 2019 audit reports of the oil and gas sector. He said the owed money could be useful at a time the government is borrowing money to fund the 2021 budget. The Buhari administration has borrowed from a variety of sources to fund a budget shortfall of over N5 trillion. The latest are multilateral loans totalling $5 billion and $4 billion raised from the issuance of Eurobond last week. Debt Details Mr Ogbonnaya said oil and gas companies owe $143.99 million as petroleum profit taxes, $1.089 billion as company income taxes, and $201.69Million as education tax. Others include $18.46Million and 972Thousand as Value Added Tax, $23.91million and 997Thousand as Withholding Tax, $4.357billion as royalty oil, $292.44Million as royalty gas, while $270.187Million and $41.86Million were unremitted gas flare penalties and concession rentals respectively, he said. A comparative analysis of what this huge sum can contribute to economic development shows that it could have covered the entire capital budget of the federal government in 2020 or even used to service the federal governments debt of $2.68billion in 2020. In 2021, the 2.659 trillion could fund about 46 per cent of Nigerias 2021 budget deficit of N5.6 trillion and is even higher than the entire projected oil revenue for 2021. This is why it is important that the process of recovering this humongous sum be set on course to support the government in this period of dwindling revenue. While assuring NEITI is determined to help the government recover this money, he appealed to the companies to ensure that they remit the various outstanding sums against them before the conclusion of the 2020 NEITI audit cycle to the relevant government agencies responsible for collection and remittances of such revenue. The NEITI will no longer watch while these debts continue to remain in its reports unaddressed. We will provide all necessary information and data to sister agencies including anti-corruption agencies whose responsibilities are to recover these debts into government coffers. NEITI made a commitment that it will ensure that its reports are linked to visible impacts that are measurable. This is one key area where we want to ensure compliance to extant rules on remittances due to the government, he said. Monday brought a more surprising testimony at the trial of Gibril Massaquoi, the former Sierra Leonean commander of the Revolutionary United Front. A defence witness told the court from Finland, where Massaquoi was living when he was charged, that American organisations had planted him inside justice advocate Hassan Bilitys organisation to spy on Bility eight years ago. The witness claimed the unnamed organisations did this because Bilitys Global Justice Research Project, working with Swiss-based Civitas Maxima, had successfully recruited so many witnesses to testify against accused perpetrators living in the United States and Europe. I was planted on Mr. Bility as an inside operative by some American institutions but Bility did not know, said the witness, codenamed L4 to protect him from retaliation. I was not employed by Mr Bility but I worked as a research person for him. He recruited me to lie on Agnes Taylor that she tortured and killed people. And the main reason Bility used me was because I lived in Charles Taylors controlled area in Gbarnga, Bong County. When asked by the prosecution lawyer to name the American organisations, L4 said he could not reveal the name for confidential reasons. The prosecutor asked if Alan White, the former chief investigator for the Special Court for Sierra Leone, was involved with the organisations. In a twist in Fridays session a defence witness admitted that Mr White had called him to ask what the witness had told defence lawyers. Mr White has a stake in the outcome of this trial for two reasons: He has spoken out against the prosecution of Mr Massaquoi for crimes allegedly committed in Liberia because of his role as an informant with the Special Court for crimes committed in Sierra Leone. Also Mr Whites tenure at the Court in Sierra Leone may come under question if the court finds that Mr Massaquoi committed the crimes. Dozens of witnesses have said Mr Massaquoi committed crimes in Monrovia during the period of June to August in 2003 when the LURD rebel group was attacking then-President Taylors stronghold in the months before Taylor resigned. READ ALSO: At the time Mr Massaquoi was supposedly under the Special Courts United Nations witness protection in a safehouse in Freetown. Prosecutor Tom Laitinin pressed L4. How can we be sure that the organisations exist if you cannot give us the name(s)? Laitinin asked. L4 replied that he does not know who was behind the group. Contacted by phone, Mr Bility rejected the witnesses claims that he had bribed witnesses and been a liaison for the Ulimo rebel group. GJRP and Civitas Maxima have worked since 2012 to gather evidence that international authorities have used to prosecute former combatants living in countries with international jurisdiction. International jurisdiction allows prosecutors to pursue perpetrators of crimes against humanity, meaning the crimes were so egregious they were committed against all humanity regardless of where they took place. Mr Bility said Mr White and others, who have been charged based on evidence gathered by GJRP and Civitas, are fighting to save themselves. They are afraid that if he [Massaquoi] is going down, they too will go down, said Bility. L4 claimed his undercover role with Mr Bility was exposed by the Finnish police. After they interviewed L4 he claims they revealed his undercover role to Mr Bility despite promising him the information would be protected. I really got involved during the Agnes Taylor trial, L4 said referring to the case against President Taylors former wife Agnes Reeves Taylor in the United Kingdom where she was arrested in 2017 and charged with torture. Ms Taylor spent two years and six months in detention before the UK prosecutors case against her was dismissed on a technicality. Prosecutors have the option to bring another case if they obtain more evidence. Ms Taylors application for permanent residence in the U.K. was denied based on the fact that there was reason to consider that she had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. Ms Taylor returned to Liberia where she falsely claimed that she had been granted asylum in the U.K. I have given Bility many written statements about how to put lies together, L4 claimed. But I was disappointed, because he [a Finnish investigator] told me he shared my information with Bility, and because of it, Bility knew I was compromised. But I would have gotten more out of Bility if he had not known I had spoken with the Finnish police. I even shared information about Dr. Alan White with my Liberian brother Martin and he also shared it with the Finnish police. I was disappointed because those were privileged information. L4 claimed Bility bought him plane ticket to fly to Ghana to meet with the British Metropolitan Police who interviewed Agnes Taylor. After nine days he returned to Liberia. L4 said he was not offered cash by Mr Bility but was offered something he considered of greater value. He promised me asylum which was to take place in London, L4 said. I was supposed to say Agnes Taylor tortured and killed people in my presence, but in reality, I did not see her do any of those things. He told me he wanted me to testify against Massaquoi, but I told him, I do not know Massaquoi and I have never met him before. Under cross examination L4 admitted that he had told Finnish police one thing and the court another. In a 2012 interview he told GJRP staff that he had seen Agnes Taylors men beating and torturing three people, upon her orders. In court he said it was a lie and that Mr Bility had put him up to it. Bility has no shame, he is building up his defence, because I did not say those things, L4 said. Yet just three months ago he told the Finnish police the interview with GJRP was correct. L4 said Mr Massaquois lawyer Paula Sallinen and Mr White called him. Dr White contacted me and said I was a good man because I speak the truth, L4 told the four-judge panel. Mr Laitinen asked why Mr White called L4 a good man if Mr White knew he spoke with Mr Bility? I told Dr White the Finnish police gave my statement to Bility, and he told me to put it in writing and he would have forwarded it to the court. Asked when he last spoke with Mr White L4 said: The last time Dr White contacted me was the day I had an interview with an online newspaper. Asked why he spoke to the paper when he was scheduled to testify in the trial and ordered not to speak outside the court, L4 denied that he knew he was going to testify at that time. A second defense witness codenamed L2, said he was a former Ulimo fighter. He claimed Mr Bility called and told him to go and testify against Mr Massaquoi, but L2 refused. Bility called me and said he had a piece of a job for me, and when I asked him what it was, he told me he wanted me to testify against Massaquoi and he was going to give me $US15,000 and asylum to live in any part of the world except America, L2 claimed. But I refused because I do not know the Massaquoi man. I did not believe Bility because he only offered me asylum and money because he wanted me to talk. L2 repeated the claim of a witness on Friday who said Mr Bility was part of Ulimo. He said he knew Mr Bility went for many of his fellow ex-combatants in the past to testify against Alieu Kosiah and Mohammed Jabbateh, cases which both ended in convictions. The trial continues on Tuesday. This story is a collaboration with New Narratives as part of the West Africa Justice Reporting Project. We have permission to republish the content. Gunmen on Monday abducted a retired Air Vice Marshal, Sikiru Smith, in the Ajah area of Lagos. Mr Smith was reportedly abducted while supervising an engineering work on a site in Ajah area of Lagos. The gunmen, who wore masks, were said to have invaded the site, shot sporadically, and whisked the retired officer away in a waiting speedboat. Confirming the incident, Adekunle Ajisebutu, the Lagos police spokesperson, said the police is aware of the incident. According to Punch Newspaper, in a SOS voice note shared by the driver to the retired general, Corporal Odiji, the air vice marshal (rtrd.) engaged in a struggle with the gunmen before he was subdued. This is an emergency. I am Corporal Odiji attached to Air Vice Marshal Smith. They just abducted him from the site where we were working. Some gunmen who were wearing masks just came and snatched my boss now. They shot everywhere. I was near where I was fixing my boss vehicle. As I was coming, I saw them leaving in a boat but I wasnt armed so I just ran to the site and I saw his glasses and where he struggled with them. Please pass this information. It is an emergency, he said in the SOS. Mr Smith, a cousin to a former Inspector-General of Police and current Chairman of the Police Service Commission, Musiliu Smith, was commissioned into the Nigerian Air Force as a Pilot Officer in 1979. He is the chairman of Double Wealth Ventures Limited a dredging and engineering firm, Punch reported. The police said they are on the matter, and would update the public. Police on Tuesday confirmed the abduction of Samuel Ben, a councillor representing Ward 6 Central in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. The police spokesperson in the state, Odiko MacDon, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Eket Mr MacDon, a superintendent of police, said the victim was abducted around 8 p.m. within the premises of his filling station on September 25. He described the incident as very unfortunate and unacceptable. Mr MacDon said the Commissioner of Police, Andrew Amiengheme, has ordered an investigation into the incident. Yes, we have received a preliminary report about the incident and we are working on it. As I speak, a discreet investigation is on-going, so I cannot deny the fact that we have that information at hand. A lot is being done already and in no distance time, I think he will be freed. I dont want to prompt the outcome of the investigation and efforts made by the police to ensure the victim is freed, the police spokesperson said. He added that those responsible for the abduction would be brought to book. A relative to the victim said he was abducted while he was taking stock of business at his fuel station. The wife and the councillor came to take stock of the account and to take some money home when the incident happened, he said. READ ALSO: Gunmen abduct retired Air Vice Marshal in Lagos The source said the councillor took money to his car, while the wife was locking the office door. As this was happening, the gunmen entered the fuel station and abducted the councillor, he said. A former senator from Akwa Ibom, Nelson Effiong was abducted by gunmen recently. Mr Effiong, and one other person, Nsidibe Umana also abducted recently in the state, are yet to be freed by their abductors. (NAN) The Kaduna High Court in Zaria has sentenced Kehinde Odeniyi, a marketer with a private firm, for defrauding the company of about N3.5 million. A statement by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) also said Mr Odeniyi collected goods from the company for distribution to customers but sold the goods and diverted the money. The judge, Kabir Kabo, according to the statement, gave the convict an option of fine of N100, 000 on each of the two counts. The judge passed the judgment on Monday. Read EFCCs full statement EFCC Press Release Marketer Bags 10 Years Jail Term for Fraud The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC on Monday 27th September, 2021 secured the conviction of one Kehinde Aliyu Odeniyi before Justice Kabir Dabo of the Kaduna State High Court sitting in Zaria on a two count charge bordering on criminal misappropriation. Odeniyi, a marketer with a private company, was prosecuted by the Kaduna Zonal Command of the EFCC following investigation that he diverted N 3, 500,000.00 (Three Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira), property of the company where he works, for personal use. He also allegedly collected goods from the company for distribution to customers but sold the goods and diverted the money. Count one of the charge reads: That you Kehinde Aliyu Odeniyi m while being the marketer with D-one Global Ventures Nigeria Limited, on or about October, 2019 at Zaria, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, did dishonestly misappropriated a total sum of N 3, 219, 595.00 ( Three Million, Two Hundred and Nineteen Thousand Five Hundred and Ninety-five Naira) property of D- one Golbal Ventures Nigeria Limited and you thereby committed an offence contrary to Section 293 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law, 2017 and punishable under Section 294 of the same Law. He pleaded guilty to the charge, prompting the prosecution counsel, Jamil Musa to ask the court to convict him accordingly. Justice Dabo convicted and sentenced the defendant to 10years imprisonment with an option of fine of N100, 000 on each count. He is also to restitute the nominal complainant the sum of N 2,000,000.00 in 2years. Wilson Uwujaren Head, Media & Publicity 28 September, 2021 The Police Command in Niger, on Sunday, confirmed the abduction of Mahmud Aliyu, the district head of Wawa in Borgu Local Government Area of the state. The commands Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the incident in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna. The district head was kidnapped from his palace on Saturday night at about 10 p.m by heavily armed gunmen. Mr Abiodun said the police were already on the bandits trail to rescue the district head. The police tactical team and members of the vigilante of the area have been deployed for the manhunt of the hoodlums, with a view to rescue the victim and arrest the culprits, he added. He called on residents to support security agencies with intelligence information to aid in the fight against banditry and kidnapping in the state. (NAN) The Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) said on Monday that it was waiting for the verdict of the Supreme Court before taking any decision on the vexed issue of Valued Added Tax (VAT). The Chairman of the forum, Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, stated this while featuring on a programme on Arise Television, monitored in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti. Mr Fayemi said the forum believed that the controversy over VAT required both political and legal measures to be settled. But, our take on this is that the Supreme Court should accelerate its decision so that we have clarity over who should be in charge of Value Added Tax (VAT), whether it is the Federal Inland Revenue Service, or the states. States that have gone to court believe clearly that this responsibility evolves, according to their own understanding, on what the Constitution says. The important thing is that our tax system is problematic, confusing, and contradictory. We need to do a lot more to clarify things so that it can give room for more efficient and effective collection of taxes, Mr Fayemi said. The governor also emphasised the need to channel borrowed funds to regenerative ventures that would strengthen the nations economy and generate more jobs for the citizens. He said that there was nothing wrong in the recent call by President Muhammadu Buhari for a downward review of the nations debt portfolio, owing to the prevailing revenue challenges facing the country. The President Buhari administration ought to be commended on the utilisation of money being borrowed. It has utilized these monies more on infrastructure development than consumption which has aided economic growth. Clearly, it would be great not to borrow, but it would also be great to redirect the funds that we have to regenerative areas of our economy. Realistically, we have a revenue challenge which has not enabled us to build an economy that responds to the yearnings of Nigerians. I dont think there is anything wrong in the president, as a major voice in international affair, particularly in Africa and the black world, calling for a review of debt management and arrangements, he said. The Chairman of the NGF also called for a comprehensive approach that would complement the National Security Response Strategy in tackling the lingering security challenges facing the nation. According to him, the challenge, ultimately, was that we must tackle insecurity, not on a state-by-state basis alone. Security is a permanent issue on the agenda of our state and as the governor. Ekiti is a state that is on the outer boundary of Northern and Southern Nigeria, right from Kogi and Kwara states. Some of the things that happen in the northern states do have an impact on our security in Ekiti State, just as it does in every other states around us and clearly. I have argued in the past that there is an inexplicable linkage between the fallout of insurgency and banditry in the North-east and the North-west and the kidnapping we are witnessing in some parts of the south. Our duty is to ensure that we protect the citizens on our watch and we have been trying to do that consistently. We have pulled together joint security initiatives between mainstream security institutions like the police and the military and also our own local security base. Tackling insecurity should be through a comprehensive approach that will complement the National Security Response Strategy and reduce this scourge that we are experiencing in the country, he said. Lending his voice to the new Petroleum Industry Act, the NGF chairman said: We do not believe that the Ministry of Finance (incorporated) and the Ministry of Petroleum Resources should be the sole owners of the company that have emerged out of the Petroleum Act. We believe that the entire body of petroleum institution is the product of the federation and not only the federal government. And, we have suggested that the one body that belongs to both the federal, state, and local governments is the Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority in which we (the states) are all shareholders. And, if it is held in trust by the Authority, then we are a lot more comfortable in seeing that as a federation company rather than a federal government company. The second concern that we have expressed relates to the depletion of the federation account by the various percentages that have been earmarked for frontier states and host communities of the petroleum product. Without prejudice to what the host communities deserve, he said. As regards the 2023 general elections, Mr Fayemi predicted victory for the APC. He said: contentions are always going to happen. APC is a big party with different tendencies and there will be contentions for and against. We are very confident that this party will produce the next government in this country in 2023, but before we get there, we are more focused on the country now. The party is more interested in the stability and security of Nigeria. What is happening internally is something we will resolve internally, he said. (NAN) The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), on Tuesday, described as criminal and callous, a situation whereby certain media houses continually owe their workers across the country, several months of unpaid salaries. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that this is just as the union canvassed an enhanced enabling environment and improved welfare packages for its members nationwide. Rotimi Ojomoyela, chairman of NUJ in Ekiti, made this known in Ado-Ekiti while featuring on a media platform coordinated by Fresh FM, a popular Radio programme, owned by ace musician, Yinka Ayefele. He said that many journalists in both radio and newspapers are currently being owed between five months and one year salary or more. According to him, owing journalists unpaid salaries without any immediate plans to pay up ordinarily exposes members to a series of temptations. It is only in Nigeria that you find journalists not being paid what is due to them, as and when necessary. Unfortunately, when things like this are done, the danger is that such journalists now become vulnerable to temptations, because they, like others, also have children, parents and other loved ones to care about. On the issue of fake news, he said the national secretariat of the union is looking into the issue, in partnership with the 36 States Council to arrest the situation by dealing decisively with unqualified persons who gate-crash into the system. He, however, pleaded with politicians to avoid rushing to the media to dish out misleading information about their opponents, saying no journalist would also rush into publishing such damaging information without first verifying its genuineness. In the same vein, he enjoined members of the public to always demand genuine staff identity cards of anyone or group of people who professed to be media practitioners, whenever they come about to extract information from them. He assured that the NUJ is trying all within its powers to ensure proper regulation of activities of registered members, so that only those certified to practise, are found on the streets. He also condemned as senseless, the wicked killing of journalists, in certain parts of the world, many times, on the basis of investigations and reports they put across to the public to read about. NAN reports that Mr Ojomoyela, who doubles as the Ekiti Correspondent of Vanguard Newspapers, said journalists facing one crisis situation or the other, should not hesitate to call the State Secretariat for prompt intervention. He promised the Nigerian public that in spite of threats to his members, journalists in the state, and in Nigeria, would continue to disseminate only verified news reports to them. As the nation prepares for the 2023 general election, the NUJ boss asked members to be vigilant and extra conscious of their security and safety, by avoiding isolated places and mindful of those they confide their movement schedule with. He assured that practitioners in the state would publish only news that can further unite the country rather than those that can divide it, but clarified that both sides of the divide would always be accommodated. (NAN) A 38-year old bus conductor, Seun Aina, was on Tuesday sentenced to 25-years imprisonment by an Ikeja Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court for raping a 15-month-old toddler. The judge, Abiola Soladoye, sentenced Mr Aina after finding him guilty of rape. The defendant is sentenced to 25-years in prison without an option of fine, the judge said. The prosecution led by Peter Owolabani said the bus conductor committed the offence at 5.30 p.m. on 3 January, 2018 at No. 5, Dominion Estate Road, Ijede, Ikorodu, Lagos. He said the convict was 35-year-old at the time he committed the offence and the minor was his neighbours daughter. During the trial, the prosecution presented three witnesses including the Investigating Police Officer and a medical doctor. The defence presented two witnesses the convict and a medical doctor. The offence contravenes the provisions of Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2015. (NAN) The Federal High Court in Abuja on Tuesday fixed 14 October for re-arraignment of a formerly convicted former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)s spokesperson, Olisa Metuh. This signals the commencement of his retrial on money laundering charges as ordered by the Court of Appeal in December 2020. Mr Metuh faces charges of laundering N400million he allegedly received fraudulently from a former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, for his partys presidential campaigns ahead of the 2015 elections. Two of the charges have to do with $2million cash he allegedly transacted with without going through a financial institution, in violation of cash transaction limits set in the money laundering law. Earlier jailed seven years for the offences on 25 February, 2020, Mr Metuh got out of prison in December after the Court of Appeal in Abuja nullified his previous trial and ordered his retrial. The Court of Appeal had, without considering the merit of the money laundering case, set aside the proceedings leading up to Mr Metuhs conviction by the Federal High Court in Abuja on the grounds that the trial judge, Okon Abang, allegedly exhibited bias against the ex-spokesperson of the PDP and his legal team Following the Court of Appeals judgment, Nkeonye Maha, another judge of the Federal High Court in Abuja, on 24 December, 2020, ordered the release of Mr Metuh from prison based on a N250 million bail bond, and granted him permission to travel abroad on health grounds pending his retrial. A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) report indicates on Tuesday that the case has been reassigned to another judge of the Federal High Court, Obiora Egwuatu. NAN reports that all the parties in the matter, including Mr Metuh, were in court, on Tuesday, but the judge was absent. Mr Metuhs matter was number six on the Tuesdays cause list of the court. Due to the judges absence, the courts registrar fixed 14 October for re-arraignment in the case. Earlier reluctant to pursue a retrial, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had appealed to the Supreme Court asking for an order setting aside the Court of Appeals decision. The commission urged the apex court to uphold the judgment of the trial court and send Mr Metuh back prison to complete his jail term. Road to re-arraignment NAN reports that the Court of Appeal, Abuja, on 16 December, 2020, nullified the Federal High Court judgement that convicted and sentenced Mr Metuh to seven years imprisonment on money laundering charges. In the judgment of the three-member panel of the appeal court led by Stephen Adah, the Court of Appeal held that the proceedings of the Federal High Court which led to the conviction of Mr Metuh were tainted and therefore must not be allowed to stand. Mr Adah held in the judgment that the expressions of the trial judge, during the trial established that he was biased against the convicts. He, therefore, ordered that the trial be conducted afresh. The narrative of the trial judge suggests someone who didnt enjoy trying the appellant and counsel because he said they were picking on him. He was struggling with the case and even wished that he should be recused out of the case. The influence from the narrative is indisputably to say the least that a trial judge was angered only in his mind that he was wrongly influenced and showed bias against the appellant in this case as this is what manifests from all the outbursts, he has infused in his judgement. Learned trial judge showed in his comments, the influence of an abnormal desire all inclination to pursue a predetermined line of action against the appellant. This is no doubt is an influence of bias against the appellant. There is no way the learned trial judge can be seen to be detached from the malice against the appellant in the case as alleged. The appellate court voided the conviction and sentence imposed on Mr Metuh and his company, Destra Investment Limited. It also ordered that the case be sent back to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court for reassignment. Governor Dapo Abiodun has been running the affairs of Ogun State in south-west Nigeria from faraway London, a move lawyers described as unconstitutional because the governor did not transfer power before leaving the country, PREMIUM TIMES can report. Both Mr Abiodun, his deputy, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, and the Speaker of the House Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo, have been out of the country for over a week. While the governor and his deputy are in the United Kingdom, Mr Oluomo traveled to the United States of America. Sources at the Assembly hinted that the Speaker had gone to the United States to attend the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on behalf of the Speakers of Houses of Assemblies in the south-west region. The purpose for the governor and his deputys absence is, however, yet unknown. Governing from abroad Waheed Odusile, the commissioner for Information, told PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Abiodun traveled for an official assignment and not on health grounds as being speculated in some quarters. The governor is hale and hearty, he said. When asked about the deputy governors whereabouts, Mr Odusile said he could not ascertain the reason for her traveling. Mr Odusile said the governor is running the state from where he is, adding that he had designated people to handle various tasks. If the Governor says SSG, do this for me; deputy, do this for me; Commissioner, do this for me; Perm Sec, do this for me, it is still the governor that is still working, said the commissioner. The governor is running the government from where he is. You know, when he sends you something, you report back to him. Even if the governor and his deputy are here, can they do it alone? Definitely, they will designate people and people have been designated already. When the Governor designates you to do something, you report back him. Lawyers react Monday Ubani, a former second vice president of the Nigeria Bar Association, disagreed with Mr Odusile that the governor can rule from anywhere. He said it is inappropriate for a governor to leave his state without transmuting power through a letter to the House of Assembly. I dont know what the governor has gone to do, but if he had gone for whatever leave, the law says he must transmute power and he cant be ruling from anywhere, that is what the law says. In a situation where the governor, his deputy, and the house speaker are out of the country at the same time, Mr Ubani described it as a problem. These are the major people in the affairs of governance, if the three of them are not around then it is a planned work. The man does not want to transmute power. He knows what he is doing. Festus Ogun, a constitutional lawyer and human rights activist, described the governors trip without transmuting power as unconstitutional. The lawyer, who threatened legal action against the government, quoted Section 190 subsection one of the 1999 Constitution noting that such trip is grossly illegal, shameful and unconstitutional. Section 190(1) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as altered) clearly provides that whenever a governor is embarking on a vacation, he shall transmit a written declaration to the Speaker of the House of Assembly and the Deputy Governor shall take over the control of governmental affairs as acting governor. Given that the Constitution makes it a mandatory condition precedent before embarking on vacation (regardless of the name it is called), the governors failure, refusal, and or neglect to abide by the sacred constitutional provisions is a rude abuse and gross misconduct. He also declared that the state is currently on an auto-drive with the absence of the three elected most prominent officeholders. It is worrisome to see those elected to govern the affairs of the state joining the league of young Nigerians seeking solace abroad. This should never be tolerated. Since our country still operates a constitutional democracy where rule of law reigns, we will never allow those who swore an oath under the 7th Schedule of the Constitution to respect and uphold the constitution to violate it arbitrarily. Those elected should stay at their duty post and not whimsically abdicate duties. In Nigerias ongoing cow wars, the truth appears to be the main casualty. Unable to contain what it describes as farmer/herder clashes, between sedentary farming communities and nomadic pastoralists over land and water resources, the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has resorted to a disinformation campaign as a means of public misinformation, in the effort to obfuscate the identity and motive of killer herdsmen Frustrated by the mass killings in his State, which has resulted in thousands of deaths and the displacement of millions of people, Samuel Ortom, a Tiv and the governor of Benue, a State plagued by farmer/herder clashes, had this to say of President Muhammadu Buhari, a Fulani: Mr President is pushing me to think that what they say about him, that he has a hidden agenda in this country, is true, because it is very clear that he wants to Fulanise but he is not the first Fulani president. Shagari was a Fulani president, Yar Adua was a Fulani president and they were the best in the history. But President Buhari is the worst president when it comes to issues of security and keeping his promises. The reaction from the Presidency was fast and furious, as if they were waiting for Ortom to throw the first punch before dealing him a fatal blow. In a statement signed by presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, Ortom was accused of ethnic and religious hatred for the Fulani, as well as crass political opportunism, amongst many other sins. According to Shehu, Every time he feels the wind may be blowing in a certain direction, he follows it. Unfortunately, for the good citizens of Benue State, the most dangerous direction he blows in today is that of sectarianism and ethnicity. In an attempt to boost his sinking political fortunes, Ortom takes the cheapest and lowest route possible by playing on ethnic themes and in doing so, knowingly causes deaths of innocent Nigerians by inciting farmers against herders, and Christians against Muslims. Specifically, Ortom stirs up hatred by targeting one single ethnic group in Nigeria using language reminiscent of the Rwandan genocide. As was the case in Rwanda, where the then Hutu leaders of the country incited their countrymen against each other, claiming there was a secret Tutsi agenda over the Hutu, Ortom claims there is a secret Fulanisation agenda over other ethnic groups in his state and in Nigeria. This is a copy of the language of Hutu Power which falsely, and intentionally, accused the Rwandan Tutsi of plans to dominate the country. In Nigerias ongoing cow wars, the truth appears to be the main casualty. Unable to contain what it describes as farmer/herder clashes, between sedentary farming communities and nomadic pastoralists over land and water resources, the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has resorted to a disinformation campaign as a means of public misinformation, in the effort to obfuscate the identity and motive of killer herdsmen. In the past six years, there has been a consistently deliberate effort, on the part of official information managers of the Buhari administration, to turn land owners into encroachers, aggressors into the aggressed, and killers into victims, also in ways that conversely portray terrorists as freedom fighters in Nigerias raging cow wars. Much like the Hutus dominated power in 1994 Rwanda from the beginning to the end of the genocide against Tutsis, the Fulani are in power in Buharis Nigeria, as the genocide against sedentary communities are raging. If the Hutu government of Rwanda actively backed the Interahamwe in their mass killings of Tutsis in Rwanda, it appears that the Fulani dominated government of Nigeria is unwilling to contain the murderous excesses of their herdsmen kinsmen. Whilst it is acceptable for the Buhari presidency to draw parallels between what happened in Rwanda in 1994 and the current happenings in Nigeria, it is unacceptable to deliberately switch the roles of various dramatis persona in what seems to be an unfolding re-enactment of the Rwandan tragedy in Buharis Nigeria, in order suit the official narrative. Whereas the Hutu are a predominantly farming group of people, the Tutsi are pastoralists; and there is a tendency in Buharis Nigeria to liken Fulani herdsmen to the Tutsis of Rwanda, while the Tiv, as well as other farming communities, are considered likewise as the Hutus of that East African country. However, the hood does not make a monk and contrary to the narrative of the Buhari presidency, the Rwandan-style genocide is already happening in Nigeria. And in the on-going pogrom, the killer Fulani carrying out mass killings, the destruction of farm lands, rustling of cattle, and kidnapping for ransom across the country, are the aggressors, whose murderous activities approximate those of Rwandas Interahamwe the Hutu militia group that was responsible for the massacre of nearly one million Tutsis in 100 days. The Tutsis of Nigeria are the unarmed and defenceless citizens who are daily hacked down in Benue, Plateau, Taraba and other farming communities across Nigeria. Another striking similarity between the Hutu Interahamwe and their killer Fulani herdsmen counterpart in Nigeria, is that both groups kill moderate members of their own ethnic group, who do not subscribe to their murderous agenda. Just as the Interahamwe killed fellow Hutus who were not part of their anti-Tutsi agenda, so also are killer Fulani herdsmen killing, en masse, their own Fulani kinsmen, who are not members of their murderous gang of marauders in Zamfara, Sokoto, Niger, Katsina, Kebbi, Kaduna and other parts of Nigerias Fulani homeland, after rustling their cattle. Much like the Hutus dominated power in 1994 Rwanda from the beginning to the end of the genocide against Tutsis, the Fulani are in power in Buharis Nigeria, as the genocide against sedentary communities are raging. If the Hutu government of Rwanda actively backed the Interahamwe in their mass killings of Tutsis in Rwanda, it appears that the Fulani dominated government of Nigeria is unwilling to contain the murderous excesses of their herdsmen kinsmen. In place of the grouse against the Tutsi by the Hutu, of a ploy to dominate power in Rwanda and the propagation of the bitter and oppressive rule of the Mwami, the Tutsi king of Rwanda during the colonial era, the grouse of Nigerias killer Fulani herdsmen is that pre-colonial grazing routes and reserves have been encroached upon by sedentary farming communities across Nigeria, hence the justification for their killing expedition as a mission to recover what rightly belongs to them. Unfortunately, the chief propagator of this incendiary fallacy is not the media but the Buhari administration, through official government communication. Times without number, President Buhari has made the claim that gazetted grazing routes and reserves have been encroached upon by farming communities and that the only panacea for peace and security in Nigeria is the recovery of these routes and reserves for the nomadic Fulani herdsmen. What Governor Ortom and others like him whose people are victims of mass killings by killer herdsmen are doing, is simply reporting the violence in their States and not promoting violence against Fulani people in general, as claimed by the Presidency. This has been in the same way that the Tutsis of Rwanda cried out to the world over the Hutu-powered genocide of their people. Unfortunately, in Nigerias ongoing cow wars, the Buhari administration seems to be more concerned about the wordings of the lamentations of victims of killer herdsmen, who are identifying their attackers by their Fulani ethnicity, than their bereavement over the loss of thousands of human lives. Save for intellectual dishonesty, the information managers of the Buhari administration are experienced enough to know that there is a clear difference between promoting violence and reporting violence. Similarly, there is a world of difference between criminal profiling of an ethnic group and the ethnic profile of an individual or group of criminals. In conflict zones all over the world, the media reportage of wars and other forms of violence are patterned to reflect the racial, ethnic, religious and political persuasion of the warring groups in order to highlight the socio-cultural, historic and environmental factors responsible for the crisis. In Hitlers World War II Germany, the world was informed that six million Jews were exterminated in gas chambers by Nazi Germans of mostly the Aryan race, in racially motivated mass killings. The Middle East crisis is reported as an age-long conflict between Jews and Arabs of Palestine. Apartheid South Africa was rightly described as a white minority-dominating-a-black-majority country, where racial inequality, social and economic injustice reigned. The ousted leader of Sudan is wanted by the International Criminal Court in The Hague for backing Arab Janjaweed militia men to carry out genocide against the non-Arab communities of the Western Darfur region. The Muslim community in Nigeria often stand in solidarity with the Rohingya Muslims of Myanmar, who have come under violent attacks by radical Buddhists, while blaming the Buddhists dominated government in Yangon of aiding and abetting the killing of Muslims. Recently, President Buhari was said to have lost his appetite following what his government described as a pre-arranged killing of 25 Muslim travellers along the Jos-Bauchi road, and his police force described the perpetrators as ethnic Irigwe youths. What Governor Ortom and others like him whose people are victims of mass killings by killer herdsmen are doing, is simply reporting the violence in their States and not promoting violence against Fulani people in general, as claimed by the Presidency. This has been in the same way that the Tutsis of Rwanda cried out to the world over the Hutu-powered genocide of their people. Otherwise, how did Garba Shehu come about the information that the crisis in Rwanda was genocide by Hutu against their fellow Tutsi country men and not just some farmer/herder clashes between Hutu farmers and Tutsi pastoralists? More than Ortom and anyone else, the Buhari administration is most guilty of the charge of the ethnicisation of criminality in Nigeria, as it stubbornly categorises the raging violence in Nigeria as farmer/herder clashes. And it was in Ortoms Benue that the tone was set for this unfortunate ethnicisation of herdsmen terrorism. In its reaction to the killing of over 70 people in Benue by killer herdsmen in 2017, the Buhari administration, speaking through former Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan Alli, declared the mass killings as farmer/herder clashes and blamed the signing into effect of the anti-open grazing law by Governor Ortom for bringing about that situation. Minister Dan Alli also blamed the blocking of grazing routes and encroachment on reserves across the country as remotely responsible for the carnage. In his own belated reaction, President Buhari admonished the people of Benue State to learn to accommodate fellow Nigerians and live in peace. And not a single individual was brought to justice for the killings. Therefore, who are the farmers and who are the herders? You can beat a child but you cant ask the child not to cry. Majeed Dahiru, a public affairs analyst, writes from Abuja and can be reached through dahirumajeed@gmail.com. Extending the deadline for the submission of bids for the concession of the four airports under reference may not change anything. The Federal Government must review its strategy and be seen to be prepared to act in good faith. It must ensure a level playing field for every interested stakeholder in the private sector. It must respect the judgements of the Supreme Court in the matter between it and Bi-Courtney and demonstrate respect for the sanctity of contracts and agreements. Hadi Sirika, Minister of Aviation has since announced the proposed concession of four of Nigerias major airports: Murtala Muhammad International Airport Lagos; Port Harcourt International Airport; Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano; and Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. Despite huge investments in these airports, they have continued to operate at sub-optimal levels, and have emerged as poster units for gross inefficiency. The concessions, which could last for 20 to 30 years, and are extendable on the grounds of good performance, would involve only the non-aeronautical assets of the airports. They are essentially public-private partnerships (PPPs), with the Federal Aviation Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) still in control of the aeronautical operations. In August, the Transaction Advisors for the new model issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ), a call for interested parties to submit their bids. Sirika argued that the concession of the airports will boost the countrys revenue and grow the countrys air transport value chain. He assured industry workers that there will be no job loss on account of the concession. Private sector involvement was expected to raise the capacity and profile of the airports. Every company interested in the aviation sector PPP was expected to have a minimum net worth of N30 billion. Interested international parties were asked to partner with local companies, in line with Nigerias local content development policy. Private investors will own, upgrade infrastructure, operate and recoup their investments, in a win-win for the Nigerian Airports Concession Strategy. Airport concession is a popular public-private partnership option in the global aviation industry. In Brazil, Japan, France, and Eastern Europe, investors engage in similar deals. In 2009, the London Gatwick Airport was subjected to the same process. Other airports around the world in this class include the La Guardia in New York, the Western Sydney Airport in Australia, Clark Airport in Manila, Sangster International Airport in Jamaica, and Sofia Airport in Bulgaria. Back home, Nigeria had its first experience of airport concession in 2003 when, as part of the early efforts of the Nigeria Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), the Second Terminal of the Murtala Muhammad International Airport, the Domestic Wing, in Lagos was handed over to Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL). Concession agreements require diligence, certainty, integrity and the sanctity of contracts. It is particularly striking that no investor of serious concern, except maybe one or two, has responded to the RFQ issued by the Federal Government in August for the four airports under concession. Last week, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation announced an extension of the deadline by four weeks, now ending October 25. Will the investors seize this new opportunity and rush in to make their bids? No. But what we observe is that the current Airports Concession Strategy is about to end up like that other big project under Hadi Sirikas watch as Nigerias Aviation Minister: that is, the proposed launch of a national carrier called Nigeria Air. The national carrier was unveiled in 2018 at the Fanborough International Airshow in England. The National Assembly approved money for it. We were told aircraft had been ordered. Minister Sirika continued for a while to tell us that the national carrier would be airborne before 2023. Hmm. Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, reportedly said the project was not getting off the ground, and had to be suspended, due to investor apathy. We seem to be travelling the same route with the concession plan involving the aforementioned four airports. Sirika must be worried that he is fast becoming the promoter of big ideas that die and end up as a waste of state resources and everyones energy and time. As someone who has had significant experience in the aviation sector, he should know better, and can do better, but we have not yet seen any concrete evidence of his expertise and experience. It is particularly striking that no investor of serious concern, except maybe one or two, has responded to the RFQ issued by the Federal Government in August for the four airports under concession. Last week, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Aviation announced an extension of the deadline by four weeks, now ending October 25. Will the investors seize this new opportunity and rush in to make their bids? No. I suspect we would end up at this same point by that same deadline. There are international investing groups that are strictly interested in airport concessions around the world. They jump at every opportunity. It is their field of play. For them to have ignored Nigeria so blatantly says something about our countrys business environment and the intelligence profiling of Nigerias aviation sector. It has nothing to do with the COVID-19 pandemic. What we are dealing with, as in the case of the suspended Nigeria Air project, is simply investor apathy. There is Adebayo Ogunlesi, a Nigerian who bought three U.K. airports, including Gatwick, in six years. Has he shown interest in Nigerian airports? Why should investors snub Nigerias aviation sector? The evidence is in full sight. Nigeria is an uncertain and unstable business environment. Nigerian authorities also do not respect agreements. Aviation requires humongous, long-term investment. It is not a portfolio, the-tree-branch-breaks-the-bird-flies kind of investment. In the aviation sector with regard to concession, a major trigger of apathy among other investors would also be the maltreatment of the Bi-Courtney Aviation Services Limited (BASL), the first company to run, upgrade and sustain an airport in Nigeria under a PPP arrangement. Bi-Courtney is a Nigerian company. It is a veritable demonstration of the workability of the Federal Government policy on local content development. But the same government has been at war with BASL over the concession for more than ten years. Under the agreement signed with the Federal Government of Nigeria, BASL was meant to maintain the MM2 as it is known for 36 years. A new government unilaterally reduced that to 10 years without reference to the agreement. BASL was also in 2003 granted the concession to run the GAT terminal of the Murtala Muhammad Airport, the old domestic wing of the Lagos Airport. A new Nigerian administration also blocked that. Bi-Courtney went to court and won, all the way, to the Supreme Court. Nonetheless, the Federal Government of Nigeria has pointedly ignored its own Supreme Court. And on top of it all, Bi-Courtney, which has a right of first refusal over the General Aviation Terminal (GAT) in Lagos, is not even being given a chance. I can understand the obsession with the fact that foreign investors are not forthcoming who wants to do business in a country and a sector where no one respects agreements and things can change overnight? I also understand why the Federal Government says state governments of Nigeria should not submit any bids those who mismanage Nigeria know and understand each other. I can understand the obsession with the fact that foreign investors are not forthcoming who wants to do business in a country and a sector where no one respects agreements and things can change overnight? I also understand why the Federal Government says state governments of Nigeria should not submit any bids those who mismanage Nigeria know and understand each other. The sub-nationals are even worse than the Federal Government. State governments should in fact also concession their own airports, and the airlines that they have set up. There is no guarantee that those investments will live beyond the particular governor who put them in place. Extending the deadline for the submission of bids for the concession of the four airports under reference may not change anything. The Federal Government must review its strategy and be seen to be prepared to act in good faith. It must ensure a level playing field for every interested stakeholder in the private sector. It must respect the judgements of the Supreme Court in the matter between it and Bi-Courtney and demonstrate respect for the sanctity of contracts and agreements. It must also show political wisdom. With the current tone and flavour of Nigerian politics, it would be an invitation to crisis to concession an airport in Lagos without Yoruba involvement, the Aminu Kano airport without the major or minor investor being a Northerner, or the Enugu Airport without Igbo representation, or the Port Harcourt Airport without the people of the South South being in charge one way or the other. This may not be ideal but it is nothing unusual in this context. In some other parts of the world, community-based stakeholders and their interests are prioritised. What Nigerias Airport Concession Strategy needs is a re-think, a re-set, transparency and a heavy dose of common sense, the lack of which has so far hobbled Minister Sirikas plans. The Brewing Crisis in Warri Nobody needs a bloodbath in Warri. Both Governor Okowa and the relevant security agencies should wade into this matter and prevent a certain breakdown of law and order. As we have seen in Ife-Modakeke, Tiv-Junkun, Aguleri-Umuleri, Southern Kaduna, the authorities tend to act too little too late, and when pundits cite the failure of intelligence, they claim innocence. Such an excuse would be foolish in this case. Every step must be taken by the governor of Delta State, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, the Delta State Government, and the security agencies to prevent what appears to be another emerging round of crisis over the ownership of Warri. For more than 50 years, the Itsekiri and the Urhobo have fought over ownership of land in Warri municipality, and the appropriateness or otherwise of the traditional title, Olu of Warri. The battle has been fought in the law courts in Nigeria and the United Kingdom in such cases as Suit No. W/44/57, Suit No. W/121/57, Suit No. W/41/57, The Supreme Court in SC67/1971, Ometa vs. Chief Dore Numa 1934 11 N.L.R 18. Agbassa land, for example, is one of the most contested areas of Warri, namely Ejeba, Oteghele, Ogunu, Ekurede Urhobo, Igbudu and Ikpokiti. But the Itsekiri insist that they are the true owners of the land and that in fact the Agbassa are customary tenants to the Olu of Warri, as determined by the Privy Council in 1941 and the Supreme Court of Nigeria in 1971 and 1972. The Itsekiri further insist that the Agbassa Urhobo will remain their tenants forever. Beyond the law courts, this conflict over ownership of land, tenancy and customary rights has resulted in bitter feuds between both groups. There is also an Ijaw dimension to a three-way aboriginal confrontation in Warri. In 1997, the relocation of the Warri South Local Government Headquarters from Ogbeh-Ijoh (Ijaw land) to Ogidigben (Itsekiri land) resulted in absolute chaos, the death of more than 80 persons and the destruction of lives and property. The Ijaws believe that the Itsekiri always try to marginalise them. The Itsekiri, less populous than the Ijaws, made early contact with European traders and gained a relative advantage in education, commerce, and even subsequently in other areas of life. This has caused, over the years, great resentment against the group from their immediate neighbours: the Ijaws, Isokos, and the Urhobo. The sovereignty, especially of Warri, is a source of unending irritation between the Itsekiri and Urhobo. In 1997, there was war on all fronts: Itsekiri vs Urbobo, Itsekiri vs Ijaw. In 1952, when the area now known as Delta State was part of the defunct Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowos government reversed the title of the then Olu of Itsekiri to Olu of Warri, the original title of the Olu for more than 400 years. Other ethnic groups kicked. The main conflict between the Itsekiri and the Urhobo may have been over land, but there is politics involved too. And it is ironic: Both groups have lived together for centuries. They inter-marry and have children together. Most Urhobos are half-Itsekiri and vice versa, prompting the popular quip that the inter-ethnic conflict between them does not get to the bedroom. In 1999, a dispute over land in Ajagbodudu resulted in bloodshed between the Urhobo and the Itsekiri. The mutual distrust among the ethnic groups in Delta State and indeed the entire South-South is not merely about land or the politics of domination, but how certain stakeholders at various times seek to exploit these differences for their own advantages. The Niger Delta Basin accounts for about 90 per cent of Nigerias oil and gas. Oil was first discovered in an Ijaw community in Oloibiri in 1957. Whereas the people of the Niger Delta are all marginalised, relative to other parts of Nigeria, which feed on oil and gas proceeds, the in-fighting among the same people is accentuated by personal and group needs for access to a per centage of the raw wealth that runs through their communities. It is trite law that whoever owns the land owns whatever is attached to it. South South land owners and other stakeholders are entitled to a share of the oil largesse, no matter how small, and to patronage from oil establishments. My suspicion is that the problem is the opportunistic elite in the Niger Delta. They take advantage of everything. They project personal interests as group concerns. They deploy foot-soldiers who have never heard of the Willinks Commission, or derivation, resource control, the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) to kill and maim over primordial sentiments. They are at it again. The trigger this time is the emergence of a newly installed Olu of Warri, Atuwatse III, Emitshola Emiko. One of the fall-outs of the Coronation has been the resurrection of an Urhobo group known as Waado. The group has been very active on all social media platforms. It is not a new group, but it has re-invented itself to throw up old and volatile issues of sovereignty in Warri. The groups message is simply that there is no such thing as an Olu of Warri but an Olu of Itsekiri The trigger this time is the emergence of a newly installed Olu of Warri, Atuwatse III, Emitshola Emiko. One of the fall-outs of the Coronation has been the resurrection of an Urhobo group known as Waado. The group has been very active on all social media platforms. It is not a new group, but it has re-invented itself to throw up old and volatile issues of sovereignty in Warri. The groups message is simply that there is no such thing as an Olu of Warri but an Olu of Itsekiri and that the way to settle the matter this time around is to change the name of Warri to Waado City. Waddo: is an Urhobo word, a generic term which means gentleman. Urhobos ordinarily great each other at a gathering: Urhobo Waado or Mimi Waado, accompanied by a native, responsorial call. The major towns in Waado City, as outlined on Facebook by one Omonire Isaac Ovwigho, include Edjeba, Ogunu, Okere, Ughotor, McDermott, Igbudu, Ibo market, Main Market, Iyara, Deco Road, Esi Layout, Okumagba Layout, Enerhen, Ekpan, Jedo, Jakpa, Effurun, Osubi, Udu, Eekte, Ovwian, Aladja, Oko-Okuoko, Otokutu, Ugbomro, Agbarho, Airport Road, Ekurede Urhobo and all surrendering (sic?) areas whatever that means. The Waado group has also posted audio messages online urging Urhobo youths to stand up to the Itsekiri. They are threatening to organise an anti-Itsekiri protest on October 1. I have seen at least a petition against this Waado City Group by an Itsekiri Group the Itsekiri Interest Group (ING) titled RE: Promoting Inter-Communal War, A Felony: Contrary to the Provisions of Section 42 of the Criminal Code Law CAP C21 Laws of Delta State of Nigeria, 2008: A Formal Petition Against Dr Ejiro Imuere, Omonire Ovwigho and His Cohorts, Self-Styled Wado City Group. The Itsekiri Interest Group (ING), like the Itsekiri Renewal Movement (IRM) before it, is opposed to the request that Warri be renamed Waado City. They claim this is illegal, provocative and an attempt to breach the peace. They want Governor Okowa, in his capacity as Chief Security Officer of the State to nip what may end up as a deadly crisis in the bud. Nobody needs a bloodbath in Warri. Both Governor Okowa and the relevant security agencies should wade into this matter and prevent a certain breakdown of law and order. As we have seen in Ife-Modakeke, Tiv-Junkun, Aguleri-Umuleri, Southern Kaduna, the authorities tend to act too little too late, and when pundits cite the failure of intelligence, they claim innocence. Such an excuse would be foolish in this case. The threat is well known. The dangers have been communicated in advance. Any form of leadership failure will be unreasonable. Reuben Abati, a former presidential spokesperson, writes from Lagos. Nigeria should learn from Kenyas predicament as we create our own debt overhang and covet Chinese loans. Unlike previous debt write offs from multilateral agencies and so forth, the Chinese do not take prisoners. The key point is that inspite of the Freedom of Information Act, no one is privy to any agreements around these loans. The details, collaterals, method of repayment, time span, key issues are the fine prints involved. Nigeria has a lot to learn from the difficulties currently facing Kenya over the repayment of its Chinese-financed standard gauge railway (SGR). The $3.3 billion SGR cargo train is one of Kenyas largest infrastructure projects since independence. Long before the pandemic, passenger traffic and cargo volume had fallen below expectations. With the third wave of COVID-19 at hand, Kenya is experiencing anaemic economic growth and increasing deficit. The twin combination of economic downturn and Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) loans have created elevated risk of debt distress in the country. Monthly, Kenya Railways records an estimated $9.2 million shortfall, making it impossible to repay the Chinese creditors at the current rate. Kenya Railways has already defaulted on a $350 million payment to Africa Star. Africa Star operates the SGR as a subsidiary of the China Road and Bridge Corporation. Since 2014, President Uhuru Kenyattas administration has taken loans from China to build roads, bridges, power plants and the standard gauge railway (SGR). In what had earlier been viewed as a win-win for both sides, the Chinese view the railway as the model for its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Kenyatta staked his legacy on developing big infrastructure projects. Last week, Kenyatta asked to borrow from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to pay back Chinese loans. The failure of Kenyas SGR would be disastrous for Kenyatta and China too will suffer reputational loss, which could impact its African AGENDA. In many African countries, China has built economic links as part of its efforts at broadening trade and boosting its political influence. With the Mombasa port as collateral, China is heavily guarded and protected. Nigeria should learn from Kenyas predicament as we create our own debt overhang and covet Chinese loans. Unlike previous debt write offs from multilateral agencies and so forth, the Chinese do not take prisoners. The key point is that inspite of the Freedom of Information Act, no one is privy to any agreements around these loans. The details, collaterals, method of repayment, time span, key issues are the fine prints involved. That is Chinas strength. It is good at drafting opaque contract terms and dodgy processes. No one purchases an insurance policy without looking at the fine prints. As Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher passed a law that the point size of any insurance agreement must not be less than NINE points. The Kenyans and just about the entire African continent, with the honourable exception of the Republic of South Africa, are finding out the hard way that you must have a debt strategy in dealing with China. The South Africans have strong independent institutions of the state, which means that there is transparency. The framework also produces savvy negotiators. The question is: What is Nigerias debt strategy? The Buhari administration imperils the country by not having even a rudimentary debt strategy and exit framework. What is the strategic imperative upon which to anchor a repayment strategy? People who borrow start by cutting the costs of the machinery of government to rein in the recurrent expenditure burden. For example, at the onset of the Austerity Measures of 1962, as part of an admirable national democratic agreement, cuts to salaries and emoluments of 10 per cent were effected across the board, from the prime minister to local government councillors, even though we were operating the federalist 1960 Independence Constitution. At that time, the austerity measures were a response to falling commodities prices and not a debt crises. The key point is that the measures taken portrayed an intensity, which conveyed to the country that the situation was dire. In contradistinction, the present government seeks to create an alternative reality, as in see-no-evil-and-speak-no-evil about a looming danger. There is nothing like that taking place now. By the way, how many people followed Buhari to New York and at what cost to the country? Whatever the cost, it certainly does not reflect a country burdened with debts, which are looking problematic. The austerity measures of 1962 saw a complete freeze on government purchases, including cars, office tea, foreign trips, etc. Is this going on now? The Kenyans and just about the entire African continent, with the honourable exception of the Republic of South Africa, are finding out the hard way that you must have a debt strategy in dealing with China. The South Africans have strong independent institutions of the state, which means that there is transparency. The framework also produces savvy negotiators. The lawyer, Olisa Agbakoba has correctly pointed out that Nigerias economic policy should have been trajected on negotiating trade deals to gain and give access to markets. The quantum of foreign currency denominated loans does not matter, as long as the exports market can be obtained to pay back. You can print naira but you cannot print dollars and the yuan. Unfortunately our trade facilitation is primitive. Ships and cargo aircrafts are going back empty. This brings to the fore the inability to repay. Nigeria is in a debt crises and should brace up for a rocky road ahead. 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 The Bayelsa State Government, through the state-owned Bayelsa Health Insurance Scheme (BHIS), has begun the enrolment of beneficiaries into the federal government-funded Basic Health Care provision fund (BHCPF). Speaking at its launch on Monday, the state Commissioner for Health, Pabara Newton-Igwele, described the programme as one of the many dividends of the prosperity government of Governor Douye Diri. Represented by the permanent secretary in the Ministry, Wisdom Sawyer, the commissioner asserted that it was long overdue for the state government to have started benefiting from the federal government scheme. The commissioner said the scheme aimed at complementing the governments effort, through the Bayelsa Health insurance scheme, to provide affordable health care to the people of Bayelsa. This programme has been flagged-off in Yenagoa Local Government Area, but well take it to all the 107 health centres and 105 wards of the state. Its for children under the age of five, for pregnant women, the elderly and the vulnerable in society. No person employed by the government or who is working is entitled to benefit from this fund, the commissioner said. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that the Bayelsa Health Insurance Scheme was introduced by the administration of former Governor Seriake Dickson, during his second tenure in office. READ ALSO: Also speaking, the Chairman and Secretary, BHIS, Onyaye Kunle-Olowo and Zuoboemi Agadah respectively, cautioned against infiltration of the scheme by those on the governments payroll. The two officials noted that the BHIS had also commenced the registration of beneficiaries in the informal sector, saying that over time, the scheme was expected to attain universal coverage. We commend the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), the National Health Insurance Scheme, (NHIS), and the World Health Organization (WHO), for their partnership. This fund has now been released to the Bayelsa State Government and this take-off programme of the fund is a signal that weve commenced the deployment, as well as utilisation of the fund for the right beneficiaries and purposes. Its for children under five years of age, pregnant women, the elderly and others who cant afford their health bills and not for those who can afford these bills, they said. (NAN) Lucy Iziegbe, a Person with Albinism (PWA) and current Miss Philanthropy Nigeria, has called for an end to all forms of discrimination against PWA. Miss Iziegbe, who is also representing Nigeria in the Miss Philanthropy Africa Beauty competition, made the call while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin on Monday. According to her, the plight and discrimination against PWA in Africa is worrisome and requires urgent actions to be taken by all to end the trend. She said the discrimination against PWA was responsible for many of them living in poverty, lacking access to education, medical care and job opportunities. According to statistics, there are more than two million Persons with Albinism in Nigeria but just a few of them are privileged to have the basic amenities of life. Some of them who try beyond all odds to be educated after school are unemployed not because they are not qualified but because of their skin colour, she said. Miss Iziegbe said a lot of children with Albinism were being bullied in schools, while those who could not handle the bullying opt out of school. A place where they ought to acquire knowledge has now become a red zone for them and so a lot of them are uneducated. Even in marriage, most females with Albinism are frowned upon and seen as an abomination and some of them give birth outside wedlock. READ ALSO: These women are then made to cater for their children with no support and so they live in poverty, she said. She said that her drive to get general acceptance for PWA made her participate in Miss Philanthropy Nigeria 2020 competition. The pageant aims to raise female charity ambassadors in Africa and the diaspora who would carry out charitable works while promoting the rich cultural heritage in Africa. The grand finale for the selection of the queen is scheduled to take place between November and December in Abuja. When I look in the mirror, I see a person, a beautiful, strong and courageous, who despite a deficiency, is strong, determined, intelligent and successful. I have hair as beautiful as the sun, eyes of brightness and body of unseen lightness and genuine meekness clothed with the skin of royalty made in the image and likeness of the Almighty. Miss Iziegbe appealed for government support in the provision of free sunscreen lotions and access to free eyes and skin checks for PWA. The numbers of PWA dying from skin cancers disarming, PWA are prone to skin cancers because of little melanin, a pigment which protects from sun burns. Applying sunscreen lotions, creams on the skin of PWA helps to reduce the harmful effect of the sun on the skin. However, these lotions, creams are expensive and not easily available in the country, the government and Non-Governmental Organisations can help buy these creams from abroad and donate to PWA in the country, Miss Iziegbe said. She urged PWA to have self-confidence, see beyond their limitations and take good care of their skin. Your skin is what makes you special, always use your umbrellas, sunglasses, sunscreen lotions, drink a lot of water, avoid too much contact with the sun and stay healthy, she said. Albinism is a generic condition characterised with a decreased production of a pigment called melanin in the eyes, skin and hair of an individual. (NAN) Governor Ben Ayade of Cross River State has identified free and fair elections as a catalyst for national unity and an antidote against voters apathy. Mr Ayade said this on Monday while receiving the new Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Cross River, Cyril Omoregbe who visited him at Government House, Calabar. The Governor urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be wary of desperate lobbyists and politicians, and not allow itself to be compromised. He said, We must go through the 2023 elections in peace under your superintendence. You must have the conscience to do that which is fair as politicians will always seek to lobby and subvert the will of the people. READ ALSO: Politics involves lobbying and persuasion, for somebody to do your bidding, and which comes in different forms. But the moral that guides your conscience and actions should determine how you handle such a situation. When the outcome of an election is not free and fair, voters tend to feel they wasted their time voting and may not vote next time, Mr Ayade said. He urged INEC to make fairness its watchword. The governor reiterated his belief in the unity of Nigeria, saying that separation was not a solution to the countrys myriad of challenges. I preach peace, because even if you split this country and the south and north go their separate ways, the south will go with its own conflicts and the north will go with its own conflicts. The reality, therefore, is that the oneness of this country is the way to go, he said. Mr Omoregbe said INEC was committed to free and fair elections. He appealed to residents that had attained the voting age to go ahead and register during the second quarter of the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) exercise taking place from October 4 to December 20. The REC charged Nigerians to assist the commission to eliminate electoral fraud in the system by identifying ineligible registrants on the list during the display of voters register. According to Mr Omoregbe, ineligible registrants include foreigners and Nigerians below the age of 18. He said that in Cross River, the display of the Preliminary Register would take place in the 18 local government offices of the commission in the state. (NAN) 43The Benin Electricity Distribution Company (BEDC) said it has begun mass disconnection of illegal consumers and those with other infractions that could hinder its smooth operation in Edo. The company announced this in a statement on Monday, signed by its CEO, Funke Osibodu, and made available to reporters in Benin. Mrs Osibodu said the action was part of efforts at improving service delivery in line with the Service Reflective Tariff (SRT) regime in the electricity supply industry. She noted that network clean-up started with a mass disconnection in Government Reservation Area (GRA) and Boundary Road in Benin. The exercise saw the companys business unit and service centre officers in these locations, combing the network for illegalities. They also interacted with customers to identify the problems being experienced as a feedback for service improvement with a view to resolving such complaints/issues. It is to enable legitimate customers continue to enjoy improved service, she said. Mrs Osibodu also disclosed that BEDC had started a massive customer reach-out programme through direct communication with customers by field representatives, Point-of-Sale (POS) Agents and Call Centre representatives. READ ALSO: We used the exercise to send a clear message to non-responsive customers that BEDC will not allow infractions to continue within its network. The exercise afforded BEDC the opportunity of checking installed meters especially prepaid ones, for possible bypass and huge debts, she added. According to her, such debts were hindering the company from optimising its service delivery. Mrs Osibodu, however, stated that the cleanup exercise would also be extended to other BEDC franchise areas in Ondo, Ekiti and Delta. (NAN) An aide to Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, Paddy Obinna has blamed the downturn in the tourism sector in Imo State on the prevailing state of insecurity. Mr Obinna is the governors special adviser on tourism. Imo State is considered the hub of the pro-Biafra group, IPOBs operations in the South-east. The agitation for an independent republic, Biafra, has led to killings and destruction in the region. The governors aide, Mr Obinna spoke on Monday in Owerri about the downturn in tourism in the state during an interview with reporters on the sideline of the activities organised by the state government to mark the celebration of this years World Tourism Day. He said people would be more open to explore the tourism sector as soon as the factors militating against free movement, peace and serenity of the state are controlled. Once there is peace, activities will spring up, people will go on picnics, travelling will be safe and people can really explore the state and enjoy the tourist sites. But because of insecurity, all these will not be possible and even the economy is greatly affected, Mr Obinna said. The governors aide said economic production had been limited in Imo due to insecurity. He said because the different aspects of the economy were intertwined, the failures in any sector affects the other. READ ALSO: Akwa Ibom lawmaker raises alarm over worsening insecurity With the limitation to movement and kidnapping all over the place, even the transport sector cannot be patronised, the hospitality and catering sectors are all affected. Those who transport food from the villages are afraid to even come out. We have gathered to celebrate tourism day and recognise that it is a very important aspect of our economy. Therefore, there is an urgent need to stop those factors militating against it, Mr Obinna said. (NAN) FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Sept. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Very Big Things was honored in Fast Company's Innovation by Design Awards for 2021 in the Social Good category for its work on the Dan Marino Foundation 's (DMF) online Virtual Interactive Training Agent (ViTA) . ViTA is a web-based virtual reality system that helps young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities prepare for job interviews. DMF has a long and distinguished mission of empowering individuals with ASD and other developmental disabilities through life-changing programs and services. The ViTA system is a state-of-the-art training program that utilizes virtual humans and immersive scenarios to help DMF students practice the social skills necessary for obtaining employment. The ViTA system levels the playing field so everyone can build the confidence needed to achieve real-world success. "We needed to do right by DMF's audience, and to do that we had to break the mold and question every assumption digital product designers have," said Chris Stegner, CEO and co-founder of Very Big Things. "We continuously asked ourselves 'who are we building this for, and how can we create something better than anything that had come before it?' By filtering every decision through this question, it allowed our team to get in a cycle of continuous innovation and create one of the most thoughtful experiences we've ever done. In the end, DMF students felt empowered from their experiences with the project and we are honored to be recognized for it by Fast Company." The 10th anniversary of the awards recognizes people, teams, and companies that transform businesses, organizations, and society through design. One of the most sought-after design awards in the industry, Innovation by Design is the only competition to honor creative work at the intersection of design, business, and innovation, recognizing the people, companies, and trends that have steadily advanced design to the forefront of the business conversation. The judges include renowned designers from a variety of disciplines, business leaders from some of the most innovative companies in the world, and Fast Company's own writers and editors. Entries are judged on the key ingredients of innovation: functionality, originality, beauty, sustainability, user insight, cultural impact, and business impact. Winners, finalists, and honorable mentions are featured online and in the October issue of Fast Company magazine, on newsstands September 28, 2021. About Very Big Things Very Big Things is a leading digital products agency focused on transformation and disruption. Fusing cutting-edge technologies with innovative approaches, VBT designs and develops digital experiences for the web, mobile, AR, VR, and any other connected devices. Since 2018, VBT has experienced a meteoric rise largely due to the legacy-worthy products they produce. Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, FL, VBT has a global presence with over 70 employees in three countries. For more information please visit verybigthings.com and follow us on IG, FB: @verybigthings, and LinkedIn . About FAST COMPANY Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. The editor-in-chief is Stephanie Mehta. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication, Inc., and can be found online at fastcompany.com. Media contact: Eric Wolkstein PR & Communications Manager [email protected] +1 989 244 1738 SOURCE Very Big Things Related Links https://verybigthings.com/ EIGHTY FOUR, Pa., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 84 Lumber, the nation's largest privately held building materials supplier, is launching a recruitment effort to fill immediate openings at its Holbrook retail store. The company will host a Hiring Event on October 5th from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the 84 Lumber Holbrook location (54 High Street, Holbrook, MA 02343). At the event, job seekers will learn more about the company culture and get the opportunity to be interviewed for open positions in the area that include manager trainees (MTs) and warehouse and forklift associates. Qualified job seekers may receive an offer of employment during the event and will be able to participate in a pre-employment drug screening at the location. "84 Lumber is seeking to fill 10 open positions at our Holbrook store to add to our team of more than 40 employees in the area," said John Hay, divisional vice president at 84 Lumber. "We're growing along with the growth in the construction industry here in the Boston region and across the nation. We're looking for people seeking a fresh start." Hay went on to detail the openings in the region: Manager trainees (MTs) hired by 84 Lumber enter an intensive, one-on-one, on-the-job training program that teaches them about the company's business and puts them on a path to become a future leader within the enterprise. Starting compensation for manager trainees is $43,000 per year. hired by 84 Lumber enter an intensive, one-on-one, on-the-job training program that teaches them about the company's business and puts them on a path to become a future leader within the enterprise. Starting compensation for manager trainees is per year. Warehouse and forklift associates need no prior experience and perform essential functions behind the scenes from the management of supply shipments to the operation of forklifts and other equipment. These associates can expect a starting pay of up to $18 per hour. Hay added that 84 Lumber expects it might find the right fit from all types of candidates an individual with no construction experience, military veterans ready to embark on their next career challenge, or people with some previous work experience who seek to redirect their career. "We are hosting our recruitment events at our retail locations because it gives candidates a better sense of our company culture and how we operate," said Hay. "We are proud to be a family-owned company, and we are committed to helping our employees build and cultivate a career with us. In fact, 95% of our store managers started in our manager trainee program." Candidates interested in participating in the Hiring Event are asked to pre-register. To sign up, go to 84 Lumber's Hiring Page and complete the form. Once you are registered, you will receive an email from 84 Lumber with the link to apply for the desired position. To save time, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for positions online before they attend the event. NOTE: 84 Lumber continues to follow CDC safety guidelines with regard to COVID-19. We ask that those attendees who are not yet fully vaccinated wear a mask and maintain social distancing. To learn more about 84 Lumber, follow the company on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. ABOUT 84 LUMBER Founded in 1956 and headquartered in Eighty Four, Pennsylvania, 84 Lumber Company is the nation's largest privately held supplier of building materials, manufactured components and industry-leading services for single- and multi-family residences and commercial buildings. The company operates nearly 250 stores, component manufacturing plants, custom door shops, custom millwork shops and engineered wood product centers in more than 30 states. 84 Lumber also offers turnkey installation services for a variety of products, including framing, insulation, siding, windows, roofing, decking and drywall. A certified national women's business enterprise owned by Maggie Hardy Knox, 84 Lumber was named by Forbes as one of America's Largest Private Companies in 2018 and one of America's Best Large Employers in 2019. For more information, visit 84lumber.com or join us at Facebook.com/84lumber and linkedin.com/company/84-lumber . Contact: Jeff Donaldson, BLD Marketing Email: [email protected] Phone: (412) 347-8039 Photos: https://www.bldpressroom.com/84lumber/boston-hiring-event SOURCE 84 Lumber Related Links http://84lumber.com Get Free Access to all Industry Challenges Key Insights Provided for Oil and Gas Extraction Companies In addition to analysis on how key challenges are expected to impact businesses, BizVibe company profiles contain numerous high-quality insights to help users discover, track, compare, and evaluate suppliers or sales prospects. These insights include: Relevance and influence of industry trends and challenges, segmented by region Press releases and news coverage referencing key trends and challenges Risk of doing business score, segmented by operational, financial, compliance, and country risk Top company competitors at the global, regional, and national levels Names of top company decision makers, including job titles and social profiles Company financials such as annual revenue, profitability ratios, and management effectiveness View 50+ Company Data Points for Free Oil and Gas Extraction Product and Service Categories BizVibe's platform provides access to over 10 million buyer and supplier company profiles. Businesses from more than 200 countries are categorized into 40,000+ product and service categories, each providing detailed insights tailored to the needs of procurement and sales teams globally. The oil and gas extraction industry group features 3,000+ company profiles categorized into multiple product and service categories, enabling clients to identify and connect with potential new business partners across diverse market segments. Product and service categories for the oil and gas extraction industry include: Crude oil drilling Crude oil storage Crude oil shipping Oil and gas support services Get Free Company Profile Access for all Categories BizVibe for Buyers and Sellers BizVibe is a modern B2B platform dedicated to connecting buyers and sellers from around the world. Powered by the latest best-in-class solutions, BizVibe is designed to help companies generate leads, shortlist suppliers, request proposals, and identify global companies. Evaluate companies side-by-side to compare key metrics and initiate productive partnerships. Buyers use BizVibe to discover suppliers from among more than 5 million companies using advanced search filters and comparison tools. Features for buyers include: Shortlist potential suppliers Track and compare companies Set up custom news alerts Quickly create and customize RFIs Explore BizVibe's buyer services: https://www.bizvibe.com/buyers Sellers can take advantage of BizVibe's smart sales intelligence tools to discover, evaluate, and communicate with prospects across 300+ categories. Features for sellers include: Identify and qualify sales prospects Receive customized prospect recommendations Analyze and evaluate potential buyers Integrate CRMs for efficient data transfer Discover BizVibe's seller tools: https://www.bizvibe.com/sellers About BizVibe BizVibe has been conceptualized and built by a team based out of Toronto, Bangalore, and London. We are a branch of Infiniti Research and have dedicated units in all three locations. BizVibe helps buyers find the most relevant suppliers from around the world and helps sellers target prospects who need their products and/or services. For more information, please visit www.bizvibe.com and start for free today. Contact BizVibe Jesse Maida Email: [email protected] +1 855-897-5880 Website: https://www.bizvibe.com/ SOURCE BizVibe MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ally Latinx, a collaborative regional platform for delivering international legal services, has expanded its footprint in South America with the addition of market leaders PPO Abogados (Bolivia), Robalino (Ecuador), and Altra Legal (Paraguay). Ally Latinx is a special initiative sponsored by the Chambers-rated global legal network, Ally Law. Ally Law Ally Latinx Ally Latinx Director Juan Pablo M. Cardinal, a founding partner in Buenos Aires, Argentina member firm Richards, Cardinal, Tutzer, Zabala, Zaefferer said "We are excited to add these prominent firms with proven credentials in our key business sectors. They join our expanding initiative that now includes 12 firms in 11 countries." PPO Abogados (PPO) is a leading law firm and an undisputed leader in the provision of specialist legal services in Bolivia. The firm is the largest in both headcount and geographical presence (five offices). PPO stands out for its second-to-none expertise in corporate and commercial advice, foreign investment and complex cross-border transactions. It is also distinguished for its prowess in resolving high-stakes, multifaceted disputes. Carlos Pinto, PPO's managing partner, said: "We are dedicated to providing exceptional service, sophisticated advice and creative, practical solutions. Joining Ally Law's worldwide network and participating in the Latinx initiative is consistent with our strategy of pursuing excellence at every level." Also joining is Ecuadorian powerhouse Robalino, which for over a decade is serving the Ecuadorian market. Robalino, leading legal services and consulting firm, has over 90 lawyers and 75 consultants in five offices located in the most important cities in the country. Its corporate group has established itself among the top arbitration, dispute resolution, energy, oil, mining, M&A, aviation and antitrust practices in Ecuador, thanks to its strong track-record in major cases and transactions, both domestic and multi-jurisdictional, among other practice areas and industries. Said managing partner and renowned international arbitrator Javier Robalino, "Ally Law shares in our values and exceptional client service standards. It was a natural extension to become part of this group that strengthens our platform to serve national and international clients at the highest levels." Altra Legal, one of Paraguay's most progressive international firms, is known for its corporate and banking expertise, addressing Fintech, e-commerce, and other technology-driven developments. In addition, Altra Legal is the only Paraguayan law firm with an international dispute resolution practice. It has attained ISO 9001 certificate, an international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system. Managing partner and founder Jose Antonio Moreno Rodriguez commented "We are excited to become part of the innovative Ally Latinx initiative. The culture of the members closely mirrors our own and we share the belief that the group's unique structure is better for quality and service than financially integrated single brand firms". Paul Franke, president of Ally Law and a partner in the Denver, Colorado firm Moye White said, "Our member firms and their clients continue to see commercial, infrastructure, and international trade opportunities throughout Latin America. As an organization, our primary goal is to help clients identify potential collaborations, negotiate forward-thinking deals and achieve their business objectives. Ally Latinx further enhances our ability to meet these needs." Earlier this year, Ally Latinx announced new members Arteaga Gorziglia (Chile), Cuberos Cortes Gutierrez (Colombia) and Santivanez Abogados (Peru). With the latest additions, Ally Latinx now spans ten South American countries and Mexico, with more than 500 lawyers in total. Ally Law, a Chambers-ranked global network, has 75 members and more than 3000 lawyers in Europe, Asia, the Americas and the Mid-East. An invitation-only organization for 30+ years, Ally Law maintains the quality and reliability of its member firms through rigorous vetting processes and ongoing monitoring of client satisfaction. Contact: Wendy Horn 6127706046 [email protected] SOURCE Ally Law DETROIT, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Autobooks today announced that they have snagged the "Best of Show" award at Finovate 2021 in New York, based on a demonstration of their platform collaboration with TD Bank. Steve Robert, CEO of Autobooks, co-presented with TD Bank's Head of Corporate Products and Services, Jo K Jagadish. The pair touched on the history of the project, and emphasized the importance of better serving small business relationships by providing bank customers with the tools they need to manage their small business: cash flow monitoring, real-time account balance information, and an active feed of customer payment history. These tools and others critical to small business management can now be accessed directly through TD Online Banking. "Partnering with Autobooks was an opportunity to completely reimagine our small business checking experience," said Jagadish. "We're now providing our customers with a single pane of glass to view and manage their entire small business. This platform has increased relationship depth with our SMBs by 26%, and we were thrilled to share our successes at Finovate 2021." "Small businesses are an enormous and diverse group with one thing in common - how they get paid is in a state of transition," said Robert. "Financial institutions must invest in digital-first experiences to meet SMBs where they, and their customers, are. By embedding our tools directly into their digital banking suite, TD is strengthening long-term relationships with these critical customers. We are thrilled to be recognized by Finovate for our collaboration with TD Bank." Finovate is the only conference series focused exclusively on showcasing the best and most innovative new financial and banking technologies. Best of Show award winners are selected by audience members based on the quality of the demonstration and the potential impact for customers. Autobooks will also be participating in the inaugural SMBankingForward event October 5 and 6, a virtual forum for financial institution executives, digital providers and industry experts to discuss forces impacting small business banking, and to share strategies for countering disruption and sparking growth. About Autobooks: Detroit-based Autobooks is a financial technology provider that helps small businesses across the country send professional online invoices and accept digital payments directly through their financial institution. In addition to offering online payment support, Autobooks also provides accounting, bill payment and financial reporting services as part of a single platform that integrates with the financial institution. Please visit www.autobooks.co to learn more. About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 9.5 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,220 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.td.com/us. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US and www.twitter.com/TDNews_US. TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit www.td.com/us. SOURCE Autobooks Related Links http://www.autobooks.co http://www.td.com/us NASSAU, Bahamas, Aug. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of The Bahamas' continued efforts to provide a safe and healthy island experience for everyone to enjoy, new testing requirements have been announced for persons applying for a Bahamas Travel Health Visa to enter The Bahamas or travel inter-island within The Bahamas. Effective Friday, August 6, 2021, the following protocols will take effect: Entering The Bahamas from Other Countries: All fully vaccinated travellers, as well as children ages 2-11 , will be required to obtain a negative COVID-19 test (either a rapid antigen test or PCR test) taken no more than five (5) days prior to the date of arrival to The Bahamas . , will be required to obtain a negative COVID-19 test (either a rapid antigen test or PCR test) taken no more than five (5) days prior to the date of arrival to The . Unvaccinated travellers ages 12 and older must still obtain a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken no more than 5 days prior to the date of arrival. ages 12 and older must still obtain a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken no more than 5 days prior to the date of arrival. All children under the age of 2 are exempt from any testing requirements. Travelling Inter-Island within The Bahamas from the following islands: Nassau & Paradise Island, Grand Bahama, Bimini, Exuma, Abaco and North and South Eleuthera, including Harbour Island: All fully vaccinated persons, as well as children ages 2-11, wishing to travel within The Bahamas will be required to obtain a negative COVID-19 test (either a rapid antigen test or PCR test), taken no more than five (5) days prior to the date of travel. wishing to travel within The will be required to obtain a negative COVID-19 test (either a rapid antigen test or PCR test), taken no more than five (5) days prior to the date of travel. Unvaccinated persons ages 12 and older must still obtain a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken no more than 5 days prior to the date of travel. ages 12 and older must still obtain a taken no more than 5 days prior to the date of travel. All children under the age of 2 are exempt from any testing requirements. Cruise Passengers Guests on cruises that originate in and return to The Bahamas must still apply for a Bahamas Travel Health Visa and follow the new testing requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. must still apply for a Bahamas Travel Health Visa and follow the new testing requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Vaccinated persons must provide a negative PCR test OR rapid antigen test taken no more than five (5) days prior to the date of arrival to The Bahamas . rapid antigen test taken no more than five (5) days prior to the date of arrival to The . Unvaccinated persons are required to obtain a negative PCR test taken no more than five (5) days prior to the date of arrival to The Bahamas . . All travellers entering The Bahamas on cruises that originate in the U.S. will be subjected to the testing requirements mandated by the cruise line and approved by the Government of The Bahamas . on cruises that will be subjected to the testing requirements mandated by the cruise line and approved by the Government of The . Cruise lines may have different requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated guests. Travellers should check with their cruise line for specific details pertaining to their cruise. The new testing protocols are for all travellers applying for a Bahamas Travel Health Visa from Friday, August 6 and onward. These protocols will be waived for any person with imminent travel who has already applied for and obtained a Bahamas Travel Health Visa. For full details, please visit Bahamas.com/travelupdates. PRESS INQUIRIES Anita Johnson-Patty General Manager, Global Communications Bahamas Ministry of Tourism & Aviation [email protected] Weber Shandwick Public Relations [email protected] SOURCE Bahamas Ministry of Tourism Related Links http://www.bahamas.com BELMOPAN, Belize, Sept. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Following six months of intensive discussions, the Government of Belize ("Belize") has reached an agreement in principle with a committee of institutional investors (the "Committee") comprising Aberdeen Standard Investments, Grantham, Mayo, Van Otterloo & Co. LLC and Greylock Capital Management, LLC. The investors that have appointed the Committee hold close to 50% of the outstanding principal amount of Belize's U.S. Dollar Bonds due 2034 (the "Bonds"). Belize and the Committee have agreed in principle on key indicative commercial terms of a forthcoming cash tender offer (the "Offer") and consent solicitation, through which Belize will seek to purchase, redeem and cancel all of the outstanding Bonds. Such amendments are expected to become effective on the settlement date. The key features of the agreement in principle that Belize has reached with the Committee are as follows: Tender Consideration : Eligible holders who tender their Bonds prior to the expiration date of the Offer will receive, on the date of settlement, a cash payment in an amount equal to $550 per $1,000 of the outstanding principal of the Bonds as of September 1, 2021 comprised of (i) $517 per $1,000 of the outstanding principal of the Bonds as of September 1, 2021 (such amount, the "Purchase Price") plus (ii) $33 per $1,000 of the outstanding principal of the Bonds as of September 1, 2021 (in lieu of accrued and unpaid interest on the Bonds calculated through October 19, 2021 ) (such amount, the "Accrued Interest Payment"); Redemption of Non-Tendered Bonds : Subject to consents from eligible holders of more than 75% of the aggregate principal amount outstanding of the Bonds, Bonds held by eligible holders who do not tender prior to the expiration date of the Offer will be redeemed in cash (the "Redemption") on the date of settlement, with a cash payment equal to $517 per $1,000 of the outstanding principal of the Bonds as of September 1, 2021 and will not receive the Accrued Interest Payment; Contingency Account : In addition to the cash payments described above, as provided in the existing trust indenture, all eligible holders will be entitled to a cash payment of approximately $1 per $1,000 of the outstanding principal of the Bonds as of September 1, 2021 , which will be equal to such holders' pro rata share of the aggregate amount in the contingency account held by the trustee under the trust indenture; Marine Conservation Endowment Account : Belize has committed, as an integral part of the transaction, to prefund in full (in the amount of $23.4 million ), at settlement, a Marine Conservation Endowment Account. This endowment account, which will be administered by an affiliate of The Nature Conservancy ("TNC"), will be devoted to supporting future marine conservation projects in Belize ; and Expenses : Belize has agreed to reimburse, on the date of settlement, reasonable and documented fees and expenses of legal counsel to the Committee up to a certain amount. Belize expects to launch the Offer in the short term, subject to the finalization of an Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation Statement, and will seek the support of all other eligible holders of the Bonds. Belize expects to finance the purchase of the Bonds with funding provided by TNC in connection with their Blue Bonds for Ocean Conservation program (the "Blue Bonds Financing"), which uses private capital to refinance public debt of participating countries in order to support durable marine conservation efforts and sustainable marine-based economic activity. Belize's offer to repurchase the Bonds for cash will be conditional on the consummation of the Blue Bond Financing. As part of the Blue Bonds Financing, Belize would accelerate its marine conservation commitments, including enhanced protections for its coastline, reef and ocean territory as well as the funding of an endowment to support future marine conservation projects in Belize. Belize has reached agreement in principle regarding the key commercial terms of the Blue Bonds Financing with TNC, and with Credit Suisse Group AG and/or its affiliated entities, which is arranging the Blue Bonds Financing. The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation is expected to provide political risk insurance in connection with the Blue Bonds Financing. The parties are working to finalize the definitive documents and consummate the Blue Bonds Financing. In addition to the consummation of the Blue Bonds Financing, the consummation of the Offer and the Redemption is subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, including the receipt of valid tenders and consents from eligible holders of more than 75% of the aggregate principal amount outstanding of the Bonds. The deadline for Belize to settle the offer will be November 19, 2021, which is intended to provide time for the parties to finalize the definitive documentation and consummate the Blue Bond Financing. If the Offer is consummated, Belize will retire all its outstanding Bonds through the Offer and the Redemption (facilitated by the use of the collective action clause provision contained in the trust indenture). The resulting cash flow savings will materially assist in the alleviation of the devastating consequences of the COVID 19 pandemic as well as help to achieve important environmental conservation goals. Further, the consummation of the Offer, together with Belize's Homegrown Economic program and fiscal consolidation, will pave the way for strong and long-lasting economic growth and the furtherance of critical marine conservation objectives. Important Notice This press release is for informational purposes only and is not an offer of securities for sale in the United States or a solicitation of consents of any holders of securities, and none of the Bonds has been or will be registered under the Securities Act of 1933 (the "Securities Act") or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction. Unless they are registered under the Securities Act, the Bonds may be offered only in transactions that are exempt from registration under the Securities Act. This press release does not constitute an offer of the Bonds for sale, or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, in any state or other jurisdiction in which any offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. This press release does not constitute, and may not be used in connection with, an offer or solicitation in any place where offers or solicitations are not permitted by law. This press release and any other documents and/or materials relating hereto is not being made and the press release and such documents and/or materials have not been approved by an authorized person for the purposes of section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. Accordingly, this press release is not being made and related documents and/or materials have not been distributed, and must not be passed on, to persons in the United Kingdom ("UK") other than (i) persons falling within Article 43(2) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the "Order"), including existing members and creditors of Belize or (ii) any other persons to whom they may otherwise lawfully be made or distributed under the Order (all such persons described in (i) and (ii) above together being referred to as "Relevant Persons"). In the UK, any investment or investment activity to which this press release or any related documents and/or materials relate is available only to Relevant Persons and will be engaged in only with Relevant Persons. Any person in the UK who is not a Relevant Person should not act or rely on this press release or any related documents and/or materials or any of its or their contents. NONE OF BELIZE OR ITS ADVISORS NOR ANY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OFFICIALS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AFFILIATES, AGENTS OR REPRESENTATIVES HAVE MADE ANY RECOMMENDATION AS TO WHETHER HOLDERS SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN ANY CONSENT SOLICITATION OR TENDER OFFER THAT MAY BE ANNOUNCED BY BELIZE. Forward-Looking Statements All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on expectations and assumptions on the date of this press release and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in such statements. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, market conditions, and factors over which Belize has no control. Belize assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, and does not intend to do so, unless otherwise required by law. Questions regarding this press release may be directed to Joseph Waight (email: [email protected]; telephone +501 822 3866). SOURCE The Government of Belize Williams brings extensive experience in the banking and finance industry and is currently the senior executive vice president and head of Corporate Strategy, Digital Platforms, and Innovation at Wells Fargo Bank. In this role, he leads corporate strategic planning, including the company's digital platform and capabilities. He also manages Wells Fargo's innovation priorities, opportunities, and companywide efforts to drive transformation. "I've been passionate about improving the healthcare industry for years, a calling that became even more acute the past decade as I began taking care of my mother, who suffers from multiple sclerosis," Williams said. "I'm impressed with Blue Shield of California's ambitious effort to transform our healthcare system, and I'm honored to lend my experience to help the company realize its nonprofit mission of providing all Californians access to high-quality care that's sustainably affordable." Before joining Wells Fargo, Williams was managing director and president of Business Banking at Bank of America. He also served as head of Global Transaction Services, which delivers traditional, mobile, and digital transaction banking solutions to companies and institutions globally. Previously in his career, Williams held numerous leadership roles at JPMorgan Chase. "Ather is known as a bold and forward-looking leader with a reputation for challenging the status quo in order to drive innovation and enhance business results," said Kristina Leslie, board chair for Blue Shield of California. "His expertise will help Blue Shield achieve its directive to create a healthcare system that is worthy of our family and friends, and sustainably affordable." Williams also is the owner of two patents for his leading work in the fields of payments technology and decision analytics. In 2019, he was named to EMpower's global list of Top Ethnic Minority Executive Role Models as well as Diversity MBA's "Top 100 Executive Leaders under 50." Williams' appointment to Blue Shield's board follows recent announcements of Arthur Chen, M.D., and Myechia Minter-Jordan, M.D. The three new directors replace board members who will term out Evelyn Dilsaver, Hector Flores, M.D., and Alan Fohrer. The latest board appointments continue to build on Blue Shield's commitment to and recognized leadership in diversity, equity, and inclusion. In addition to Kristina Leslie serving as the company's first woman chair of the board of directors, the governing body also has gender balance, and women serve as chairs of four of the board's five standing committees. Additionally, people of color make up nearly half of the board. Blue Shield also maintains a zero pay-ratio gap by both gender and ethnicity. It has a balanced representation of women and men in leadership roles (Director and above) and was recently included on the 2021 National Diversity Council Index and named one of America's Best Companies for Women to Advance by Parity.org. About Blue Shield of California Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. Blue Shield of California is a tax paying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with over 4.5 million members, over 7,500 employees, and more than $21 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid, and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $150 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation in the last four years to have an impact on California communities. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit news.blueshieldca.com. Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. CONTACT: Mark Seelig Blue Shield of California 510-607-2359 [email protected] SOURCE Blue Shield of California Related Links www.bcbs.com BOSTON, LONDON and NEW YORK, Sept. 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The committee (the "Committee") of holders of Belize's U.S. Dollar Bonds due 2034 (the "Bonds") has engaged with the Government of Belize (the "Government" or "Belize") and its advisors following the Government's March 19, 2021 public announcement of the Government's intention to seek a restructuring of the Bonds. The Committee and the Government have agreed in principle on key indicative commercial terms of a forthcoming cash tender offer and consent solicitation (the "Offer") through which Belize will seek to purchase all of the outstanding Bonds. The details of the proposed transaction are contained in Belize's September 3, 2021 Press Release (the "Government Release") https://www.centralbank.org.bz/docs/default-source/7.0-news-advisories/belize---press-release-announcing-agreement-with-committee---final-version.pdf?sfvrsn=15388c35_2. The investors that have appointed the Committee hold close to 50% of the outstanding principal amount of the Bonds. As members of the Committee, Aberdeen Standard Investments, Grantham, Mayo, van Otterloo & Co. LLC and Greylock Capital Management, LLC welcome the environmental and marine conservation features of the proposed transaction with The Nature Conservancy ("TNC"), which is in line with their support for, and continuous development of, innovative ESG financing techniques. The Committee Members and their advisor engaged closely with key local and international stakeholders while collaborating with the process that has made this transaction achievable, and are optimistic that future international sovereign debt operations will incorporate measures that aim to enhance environmental sustainability and resilience. The Committee's decision to support the proposed transaction, negotiated with the Belize authorities over the last six months, is informed, inter alia, by these considerations: The uncertain prospects of Belize's economy, including due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other external shocks. economy, including due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other external shocks. A cash repurchase of the Bonds (in contrast to a more conventional bond exchange) reflected the Government's expressed intent to satisfy, for the foreseeable future, its external financing requirements either from bilateral and multilateral creditors or through loan financings from commercial sources (such as the one being arranged by TNC to fund the Offer). As an integral part of this transaction, Belize has committed to allocate a significant amount of money toward environmental conservation measures. As noted in the Government Release, the consummation of the transaction is subject to several conditions including receipt of support from holders of 75% of the aggregate principal amount outstanding of the Bonds (in order to activate the collective action clause in the Bonds) and completion of the financing being arranged by TNC that is required to fund the cash repurchase of the Bonds. Subject to the Committee's review of satisfactory Offer documentation consistent with this agreement in principle, each member of the Committee intends to tender the entirety of its position in the Bonds in the transaction. The Committee encourages all bondholders to carefully consider the terms of the Offer in making their own independent appraisal of the merits and risks of participation. Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP is acting as the Committee's legal advisers. For further information, contact Thomas Laryea ([email protected]). No communication and no information in respect of the Cash Tender Offer and Consent Solicitation referred to above may be distributed to the public in any jurisdiction where a registration or approval is required. No steps have been nor will be taken in any jurisdiction where such steps would be required. The foregoing does not, and shall not, in any circumstances constitute a public offering or an invitation to the public in connection with any offer. The Cash Tender Offer and Consent Solicitation may be subject to specific legal or regulatory restrictions in certain jurisdictions. None of the members of the Committee or the legal advisers thereto assumes any responsibility for any violation of any such restrictions by any person. The foregoing does not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States, and the securities mentioned herein have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"). Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration pursuant to the Securities Act or an exemption from such registration. The members of the Committee and the legal advisers thereto are not acting as fiduciaries of Belize or any other person. Furthermore, none of the members of the Committee or the legal advisers thereto is acting as a financial or investment adviser, underwriter, dealer manager, or in any similar capacity for Belize or any other person. None of the members of the Committee or the legal advisers thereto assumes any responsibility for, nor makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in any offering materials related to Belize or the Cash Tender Offer and Consent Solicitation. Each investor is solely responsible for making its own independent appraisal of the merits and risks arising in connection with participating, or not participating, in the anticipated Cash Tender Offer and Consent Solicitation. In making an investment decision, each investor must rely on its own examination of Belize and the terms of the Cash Tender Offer and Consent Solicitation. SOURCE The Government of Belize Although the Board was chaired by Lisa Bonneville 2007-2009, this is the first term with both a female Chair and Vice Chair. More importantly, the duo brings truly formidable qualifications: Judy, a retired civil engineer is founding principal of Nitsch Engineering, the largest Women-Owned Business Enterprise civil engineering firm in Massachusetts. She is proud that the company has completed projects on over 90 college campuses across the United States. Marilyn, a city planner, is former CEO of MASCO, the non-profit organization that provides indispensable programs and services in Boston's Longwood Medical and Academic Area. "In the Northeast, people have gotten pretty used to seeing women in power," says Marilyn. "Just look at the Boston mayoral race." This wasn't always the case. The BAC was originally established in 1889 by a cadre of local architects as an all-male professional club. In more recent years, the College has strategically increased diversity, equity, and inclusion, always with an aim to do more. "Our student body has 40-some countries represented and we need to make sure that our Board's composition reflects that sense of diversity," Judy says. And she walks her talk. Richard was impressed that while serving as his Vice Chair, "Judy put together a matrix of Board membership to ensure we were completely representative of not only our student population, but also the diversity of the wider institution." Judy, who describes herself as "determined," grew up in Southwick, a tiny town in Western Massachusetts and received a bachelor's degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI). A tireless mentor of female engineers, Judy served on the WPI Board for 22 years. Dressed in a company polo at the dining room table which has hosted many BAC and industry events she recalls, "I never had anybody in high school and even beginning in college to tell me what civil engineering was all about." With an older sister and five younger brothers she knows how to make her voice hearda critical skill in a field that to this day is male dominated with only 16% female representation. Judy first formally connected with the BAC administration in 2012 to make a significant gift from the estate of her late husband, Tony Magliozzi, B.Arch '62. Several years later she accepted the invitation to become a Trustee: "I knew I had the capacity then to help, and I said yes because for me it's a way to honor my husband. He thought a lot about the BAC. If it weren't for the BAC, he wouldn't have had the career he had." She thinks of him smiling down on her now as she begins her term as Chair, but also smirking a little as if to say, "You people don't know what you're getting yourselves into." As a BAC Trustee, Judy led the 2019 presidential search that courted and unanimously selected President Daas: "I had a fabulous search committee. As Chair, I read a lot about other successful presidential searches. I tried to get as smart as I could as fast as I could." She immersed herself in The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges guidelines and hit the ground running. In the end, after the investiture of President Daas, she hosted everyone at her home to celebrate. Marilyn, who knew Judy through the Boston business community before they collaborated on the Board, attended the event, and was impressed by the detailed effort that went into the search process. "The thing about Judy is that she works harder than anybody else around her. You're always ending up doing what she asked you to do because she's right there with you. And afterwards, she's generous about giving credit to others and making sure they feel rewarded." "Richard did the right things, the right way," Judy says of her predecessor. Richard once remarked, "I hope to make the BAC a better place in my four years as Chair." In June when she assumed her now role, Judy concluded that he has accomplished exactly that and committed to continuing that aspiration herself. She believes that going forward, "We have a blueprint and a very good board. It's a particularly diverse, high-level, high-performing group of people poised to support the strong senior team that Mahesh has assembled." SOURCE Boston Architectural College Related Links www.the-bac.edu SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Datatron has received a new U.S. patent for its methodology for modeling machine learning and analytics, the company announced today. This expands Datatron's patent portfolio for machine learning (ML) methods and technologies in a production environment, including data extraction, training of the model and predicting of the module. To view the patent, visit https://tinyurl.com/ejnh4vph . Click to Tweet: @datatron announces latest patent for machine learning models https://tinyurl.com/ejnh4vph #MLOps #ArtificialIntelligence ML introduces operational complexities and risks that need careful attention, and many projects fail due to siloed roles and disjointed processes. Datatron's newly patented technology builds on the company's track record of enabling businesses to easily, accurately and rapidly operationalize and monitor AI and ML models in production. It includes the introduction of a "challenger gateway module" that stabilizes the model's endpoint and provides a bridge between the application team and the data science team. Data scientists change models and experiment with new models, but in most production environments, they're siloed from the application team. By bridging the divide between these two teams, Datatron's methodology gives the data science team more flexibility in terms of controlling model changes and experimenting faster in production. Datatron customers are already using the "challenger gateway module" to achieve improved results. Harish Doddi, CEO, Datatron, said: "When it comes to MLOps , it's the data science team that controls the models, but the application team that controls the application release. It's a constant struggle requiring constant coordination. With our patented methodology, we are giving more power to data scientists and reducing the frustration of the application team. That sets up the organization to truly realize the benefits of their machine learning projects." About Datatron Datatron provides an enterprise-grade, cloud-native Reliable AI platform that enables businesses to easily, accurately and rapidly operationalize AI and ML models in production. Its centralized AI ModelOps and Model Governance platform helps organizations in diverse global environments streamline and standardize changes, monitor model performance, and correct for model degradation or decay. Industry leaders in financial services, insurance, pharmaceutical, food and drinks rely on Datatron to operationalize and govern AI solutions at scale, producing predictable, rapid and reliable business outcomes. Founded in 2016, Datatron is a privately held, venture-backed company headquartered in San Francisco, Calif. For more information, please visit www.datatron.com or follow on Twitter @datatron . Media Contact: Corey Eldridge 831-440-2414 [email protected] SOURCE Datatron IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- September 27, 2021 Electrify Expo, North America's largest e-mobility event, hosted the first of three stops on its nationwide tour beginning September 18-19, 2021 at Orange County Great Park in Irvine, CA. Electrify Expo sold out of exhibit and demo space from industry leading brands seeking to engage with thousands of attendees looking for hands-on experiences with Electric Vehicles, E-Bikes, E-Scooters, E-Skateboards and more. The event hosted nearly 20,000 attendees across 500,000 square feet of exhibit space, and generated over 12,000 demo rides on various electric vehicles from high profile exhibitors such as Hyundai, Volkswagen, Kia, Volvo, Jeep, Polestar, MINI, Rad Power, SUPER73, Serial 1, and dozens of others. Nearly 2,000 demo rides alone were made on electric vehicles. Notable speakers such as Senator David Min of Orange County's 37th State Senate District and Irvine Mayor Farrah Khan presented on the importance of shifting to electric vehicles as a way to combat climate change. "Orange County was the ideal location to kick off Electrify Expo as it is known as an electric vehicle hub," said Electrify Expo Founder BJ Birtwell. "Our attendees came ready to experience and demo all types of electric vehicles to inform their purchase decisions both on-site and over the immediate near future." In addition to the extensive exhibits, attendees also had the opportunity to watch electro-pop phenomenon A R I Z O N A take the stage for a thrilling performance on Saturday evening. The next stop for Electrify Expo will be in Miami on October 16-17 at the Miami Marine Stadium, followed by the final stop Nov 12-14 in Austin at Circuit of the Americas. For more information on Electrify Expo and to purchase tickets, please visit: https://www.electrifyexpo.com/attend#great-park About Electrify Expo Electrify Expo is North America's largest e-mobility event. It is an outdoor weekend festival showcasing the best of electric mobility including EVs, e-motorcycles, e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards, and e-surfboards. Attendees will experience test drives, new product unveilings, and future technologies from the world's leading brands. Three stops in 2021 will bring Electrify Expo to Orange County Great Park (September 18-19), Miami Marine Stadium (October 16-17), and Austin Circuit of the Americas (November 12-14). Video Download Caption: Electrify Expo Orange County Recap Media Contact Shaye McClory KCOMM [email protected] SOURCE Electrify Expo Related Links www.electrifyexpo.com GLENVIEW, Ill., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Envoy Solutions, a diversified distribution company, is excited to announce the acquisition of North Woods, based in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. North Woods develops and distributes innovative cleaning and sanitation solutions to promote safe and healthy work environments. The 57-year-old company has a large inventory of all USA made products, which serve a wide range of industries: healthcare, hospitality, foodservice, manufacturing, and aerospace. This new acquisition continues to support Envoy Solutions' ambitious approach to bring together like-minded, valued companies offering facilities supplies, foodservice disposables and equipment, and packaging solutions. North Woods is among a series of companies to join Envoy Solutions' growing portfolio, which includes North American, WAXIE Sanitary Supply, Southeastern Paper Group, and Daycon. Envoy Solutions also recently entered into an agreement to acquire Penn Jersey Paper Co. ("PJP"), with such transaction expected to close in the coming weeks. North Woods currently serves 7,000 customers throughout Wisconsin. The combined company will employ more than 2,000 workers, operate a network of 41 distribution centers, and support more than 50,000 customers nationwide. "I'm honored that Terry Schaller, President of North Woods, and his team have decided to become part of our family of brands," said Mark M. Fisher, CEO of Envoy Solutions. "I'm excited to start working with our new team members and develop expanded solutions. While we have broad appeal with our national platform, we are also taking a targeted approach with our regional expansions, and North Woods will be instrumental to our success in the Midwest." North Woods, which was founded in 1964, is proud of its long-standing commitment to environmentally friendly products. The company has been striving to set new standards for green technology long before customers began to demand it. Terry Schaller serves as President and will remain in this position. He'll continue to lead the business and focus on their strong commitment to their customers, community service, and sustainability. "It's clear that this partnership will allow our team to deliver our core values on an elevated level," said Terry Schaller, President of North Woods. "Our collaborative approach to working with customers and suppliers, solving complex challenges with innovative solutions, and investing in our employees and the communities we serve, fits well with the Envoy Solutions' business model." This new partnership comes as industries across the country are facing unprecedented challenges. The COVID-19 pandemic is highlighting the importance of proper hand hygiene and facility cleanliness where people live and work. With the addition of North Woods, Envoy Solutions will dramatically increase resources to support heightened demand of essential products to ensure people are safe and healthy and facilities are clean. About Envoy Solutions: Envoy Solutions, the nation's premier specialty distribution platform, is helping businesses thrive through a multi-faceted approach to make buildings cleaner and people safer, every day. Our wide array of essential products including sanitary supply, packaging solutions, and foodservice disposables are improving the quality of life at schools, hospitals, offices, and other institutions. Based in Glenview, Ill., Envoy Solutions is the parent company of North American Corporation, WAXIE Sanitary Supply, Southeastern Paper Group, Daycon, and NVISION. For more information, please visit www.envoysolutions.com About North Woods: North Woods was founded in 1964 with the premise of providing innovative products and solutions with an environmentally safe conscience. We develop and distribute maintenance, cleaning and sanitation products and solutions that are safer on your workforce and are safer on the environment. Our products serve cleaning and maintenance needs of aerospace, food service & processing, manufacturing, hospitality, & healthcare industries. With a proven product line that is ever expanding, and dedicated sales and support team, we can help you solve your toughest cleaning & sanitation challenges. For more information, please visit https://www.northwoodstm.com SOURCE Envoy Solutions LONDON, Sept. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Established Titles, a company dedicated to the preservation of the Scottish woodlands by offering unique gift ideas, has won the "Best Green Business Award in Scotland" for 2021. The felicitation ceremony will be held at the Palm Jumeirah Waldorf Astoria in early 2022 in Dubai. The Global Brand Awards is an annual event held by Global Brands Magazine (GBM), an international publication headquartered in the UK. The award aims to recognise global brands achieving excellence in performance across a broad range of sectors while keeping its readers updated on news in the branding world. Established Titles was evaluated based on customer service, satisfaction, strategic relationships, new business development and conservation efforts. Commenting on Established Titles winning the awards, Shiv Kumar (CEO) of Global Brands magazine said, "Established Titles is a charming brand that brings us back to our roots with its selection of traditional titles from the woodlands of Scotland. Their firm commitment to excellence in customer service and a green business model of planting a tree for every order caught our eye when nominating for this award." Commenting on winning the award, a company representative said, "We find this to be a very encouraging honour to indicate we are on the right path. We will continue to work towards a greener future and raise awareness about this issue in a fun and engaging way." About Established Titles Established Titles was set up to preserve the woodlands in Scotland while making a unique gift for those looking for something different. It was started by Katerina, who had fallen in love with the breath-taking sights of the countryside on trips she made during her time studying Law at the University of Durham, and subsequently living in the medieval city of York. Having stumbled across the Scottish custom of landowners being referred to as Lairds (Scots for Lord or Lady), she combined this trivia with the idea of selling 1 square foot plots of land to create nature reserves for the preservation of woodlands in Scotland - to create Established Title's most wondrous gift offering for those looking for something special. They allow people to purchase small souvenir plots of land so that they may fashion themselves as Lords and Ladies of Scotland. They issue a beautiful, personalised certificate with a unique plot number which shows the exact location of their land. In return for every order they plant a tree with their charity partners such as One Tree Planted and Trees for the Future to help global afforestation efforts. Established Titles welcomes all good men and women to join them in becoming a Lord or Lady and help save the woodlands of Scotland. About Global Brands Magazine (England) Global Brands Magazine (GBM) has been at the forefront, bringing news, views and opinions on brands shaping the future of their industry. The UK-based magazine provides its readers with the latest news and information on 'best-in-class brands across the globe. Each year, GBM develops a series of awards for companies that stand out, having a unique vision, exceptional service, innovative solutions and consumer-centric products among their industry leaders. About Global Brand Awards Global Brand Awards honours brands for their excellence in performance and rewards companies across different sectors for the quality of their services. The Brand Awards highlight the accomplishments of organisations that have performed remarkably well in finance, education, hospitality, automotive, lifestyle, education, real estate, technology, and more. Global Brand Awards recognise vital players who progress towards excellence by providing a platform to acknowledge their efforts. In addition, GBM strives to create awareness concerning the significance of such organisations and rewards them for their notable efforts with the ultimate global recognition. SOURCE Global Brands Publications Limited NEW YORK, Sept. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- #FreePeterMax is a grassroots movement demanding the release of 84-year-old renowned artist Peter Max from an unconstitutional and predatory guardianship that has severely restricted his access to family and friends while depleting his bank account of millions of dollars. The campaign is urging supporters to sign an open letter that will be sent to public officials who have jurisdiction over guardianships (also known as conservatorships). The involuntary isolation and cruel treatment of Peter at the hands of the court-appointed guardian (a stranger) began almost a year before COVID in violation of his civil liberties and human rights. The letter (below) details the exploitation and can be signed at www.FreePeterMax.com. Prominent individuals who have already signed include: Michael Lang (Producer & Creator of the Woodstock Music Festival), Prof. Philip C. Marshall (grandson of Brooke Astor), Tom Freston (former Chairman & CEO of MTV Networks and former Viacom Co-President & Co-COO), Mary L. Trump, Bradford Disney Lund (grandson of Walt Disney who is also trapped in an abusive conservatorship), Catherine Falk (daughter of Peter Falk, pioneer of The Peter Falk Bill), Kerry Rooney-Mack (daughter of Mickey Rooney, family rights advocate), Dr. Teresa Kay-Aba Kennedy (elder justice advocate), as well as Co-Founders of Free Britney America and other advocates across the country. The full letter and a list of prominent individuals who have already signed onto it can be found online at FreePeterMax.com The campaign can also be reached via: Twitter: @FreePeterMax Facebook: @FreePeterMax Instagram @FreePeterMax AN URGENT CALL TO SAVE THE LIFE OF PETER MAX Peter Max Pop Artist, 84-year-old devoted and loving father, loyal and compassionate friend, Holocaust survivor, animal and human rights advocate, and a victim of Alzheimer's Disease is being kept in forced isolation in a predatory guardianship in New York City. The guardianship has depleted his hard-earned life's earnings by over $16 million, with millions being paid, without his permission, to the court-appointed guardians and attorneys who now control all aspects of his life. Since 2019, Peter's family and friends have been privately waging a legal battle to free Peter from his involuntary isolation at the hands of strangers; restore to him his dignity; and allow him to be surrounded by loved ones at the end of his life. After more than two years of isolation, Peter's loved ones fear he is losing his will to live. His health has steeply declined; he appears dangerously over-medicated; and his family and friends fear for his life. Peter is gentle, loving, and a deeply sensitive man. Everyone close to him knows that he thrives with companionship and suffers without it. Peter was born in Nazi Germany; he escaped with only his parents, with most of his family killed by the Nazis. He grew up as a refugee in Shanghai. The trauma and loss that Peter experienced at a young age has stayed with him throughout his life. Peter arrived in Brooklyn as a teenage immigrant with a hope for the American dream and a love for freedom. The beauty in his art was his answer to the war. Contact: Chris Bastardi [email protected] 917-484-1587 SOURCE FreePeterMax.com Related Links https://www.freepetermax.com PITTSBURGH, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Federated Hermes, Inc. (NYSE: FHI), a global leader in active, responsible investing, today announced the completion of the acquisition announced in April 2021 of certain investment management related assets of Horizon Advisers, an unincorporated division of Hancock Whitney Bank, and the transition of approximately $562 million1 in equity and fixed-income fund assets. The transition was accomplished by completing the reorganizations of the remaining nine Hancock Horizon mutual funds seven equity and two municipal bond funds into one new and six existing Federated Hermes mutual funds with comparable investment objectives and strategies (see below for a list of funds). "The successful completion of this transaction is the result of Federated Hermes' experience with similar transactions, our client-centered approach and our long-term relationship with Hancock Whitney Bank," said Joe Machi, director of alliances at Federated Hermes. "The transaction provides the shareholders of the funds access to our diverse range of investment strategies, proven performance and extensive customer service capabilities. We continue to seek alliance and acquisition opportunities with insurers, banks, broker-dealers and investment advisors in the U.S. and globally." The transition involved the following fund assets: Hancock Horizon funds Net assets (in millions)* Federated Hermes funds Net assets (in millions)* Hancock Horizon Burkenroad Small Cap Fund $124 Federated Hermes MDT Small Cap Core Fund $1,127 Hancock Horizon Diversified Income Fund $34 Federated Hermes Capital Income Fund $1,002 Hancock Horizon Diversified International Fund $244 Federated Hermes International Leaders Fund $1,125 Hancock Horizon Dynamic Asset Allocation Fund $20 Federated Hermes Global Allocation Fund $411 Hancock Horizon International Small Cap Fund $27 Federated Hermes International Small-Mid Company Fund $198 Hancock Horizon Louisiana Tax- Free Income Fund $6 Federated Hermes Municipal Bond Fund, Inc. $321 Hancock Horizon Microcap Fund $15 Federated Hermes MDT Small Cap Core Fund $1,127 Hancock Horizon Mississippi Tax- Free Income Fund $11 Federated Hermes Municipal Bond Fund, Inc. $321 Hancock Horizon Quantitative Long/Short Fund $81 Federated Hermes MDT Market Neutral Fund** $81 *As of Sept. 24, 2021 ** Federated Hermes MDT Market Neutral Fund is being offered Sept. 27, 2021 with the completion of the reorganization. The Federated Hermes MDT team has managed the market neutral strategy in a private fund context for more than 20 years. Federated Hermes, Inc. is a leading global investment manager with $645.8 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2021. Guided by our conviction that responsible investing is the best way to create wealth over the long term, our investment solutions span equity, fixed-income, alternative/private markets, multi-asset and liquidity management strategies. Providing world-class active investment management and engagement services to more than 11,000 institutions and intermediaries, our clients include corporations, government entities, insurance companies, foundations and endowments, banks and broker/dealers. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Federated Hermes' nearly 2,000 employees include those in London, New York, Boston and offices worldwide. For more information, visit FederatedHermes.com. ### 1As of Sept. 24, 2021 Certain statements in this press release, such as those related to performance and Federated Hermes' efforts to seek alliance and acquisition opportunities, constitute forward-looking statements, which involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements of the company or industry results to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Among other risks and uncertainties is the ability of Federated Hermes to achieve positive performance and identify and complete suitable acquisitions, and the risk factors discussed in the company's annual and quarterly reports as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result, no assurance can be given as to future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements, and neither the company nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of such statements in the future. Federated Securities Corp. is distributor of the Federated Hermes funds. Investors should carefully consider each fund's investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses before investing. To obtain a summary prospectus or prospectus containing this and other information, contact Federated Hermes or view the prospectus provided at FederatedInvestors.com. Please carefully read the summary prospectus or prospectus before investing. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. SOURCE Federated Hermes, Inc. Related Links http://FederatedInvestors.com First farm labor contractors to achieve Clearview certification in the U.S. for Responsible Recruitment Practices Farm labor contractors provide essential services to U.S. growers who are facing labor shortages by recruiting, and often managing, domestic farmworkers in the U.S. and migrant farmworkers from Mexico through the H-2A visa program. Poor recruitment practices, however, can leave workers vulnerable to unsafe and unacceptable working conditions, and unscrupulous operators undercut the reputation and competitive advantage of ethical and responsible FLCs. "Clearview certification is an enormous accomplishment for a farm labor contractor and benefit to their workers and clients," explains Hannah Newcomb, Managing Director, Clearview. "Certified status means a business has clearly demonstrated due diligence and management systems for the responsible recruitment of workers. We are delighted to recognize AgriLabor and AgSocio for this milestone achievement that paves the way for more FLCs to seek certification." AgriLabor and AgSocio underwent a rigorous independent audit of their responsible recruitment management systems. Approved audit bodies assessed the FLCs across a set of technical standards and control points developed by industry experts and mapped against leading international practices. "The entire food industry, from a large retailer to individual farmworkers, can benefit from improved recruitment and employment practices by farm labor contractors," says Matt Rogers, General Manager, AgSocio. "AgSocio is honored to be one of the first certified companies in the U.S. and we hope others will demonstrate transparency and best practices through Clearview certification." "AgriLabor is strongly committed to reliable, responsible and fair labor practices that bring growers and farmworkers together," shares Michael Atkinson, President, AgriLabor and Atkinson Staffing. "We are proud to receive this certification and hope it becomes a standard for all farm labor contracting." FLCs and their clients interested in finding out more about Clearview certification, please contact [email protected]. Clearview is facilitated by Stronger Together US, a multi-stakeholder collaborative program working to build a responsible recruitment marketplace for the U.S. fresh produce sector that boosts the supply of ethically sourced labor and reduces risks for workers and businesses across the labor supply chain. Stronger Together US was launched in April 2019 following funding from the Walmart Foundation. To learn more, visit Clearview: https://responsiblerecruitmenttoolkit.org/clearview/ and Stronger Together US: https://www.stronger2gether.org/us/ AgriLabor provides a wide variety of agricultural staffing and employment solutions to businesses and individuals as well as employment opportunities in Oregon and Washington. AgriLabor is dedicated to developing long-term relationships with our clients and employees by recognizing their individual unique needs and tailoring our services to meet those needs. AgriLabor is a division of Atkinson Staffing, Inc. https://agrilaborinc.com/ AgSocio is an agricultural labor and service provider operating in California and Arizona. We help our clients comply and compete in the highly regulated and rapidly evolving agricultural labor market. We are building a more just, safe, professional, efficient and competitive agricultural employment system to benefit farmers, farmworkers, and the broader food industry. https://www.agsocio.com/ Media Contact: Veronica Ospina [email protected] 704-779-2391 SOURCE Stronger Together Related Links www.stronger2gether.org CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In-depth analysis and data-driven insights on the impact of COVID-19 included in this France crane market report. The France crane market is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 3.67% during the period 20212027. Key Highlights Offered in the Report: The crane market in France is expected to reach revenues of USD 1.5 billion by 2027. The French economy witnessed a contraction of 4.4% in GDP in 2020. However, the French government's recovery plan, France Relance, and other infrastructure projects such as The Grand Paris Express will raise construction activity and will further boost the crane market. Foreign direct investment into France declined by 39% in 2020 due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Also in April 2020 , the Eurozone construction production declined by over 30% compared to January 2020 . With a population of over 67 million people and direct access to more than 500 million consumers in the European Market, France is Europe's 2nd largest economy. In ease of doing business, France ranked 32nd of 190 countries. The Grand Paris Project, the 2024 Olympic Games and increasing focus on wind power projects are likely to drive the crane market in the forecast period. Availability of a wide range of technologically advanced cranes, increased automated safety features and other advanced technologies such as SMARTCrane and Remote Monitoring provides significant growth opportunities for OEMs in the market. The market is highly competitive characterized by the presence of several OEMs including Tadano, Manitex International, Manitowoc, SANY Group, Kobelco Construction Machinery Europe B.V, Konecranes, Liebherr Group, Terex Corporation, Cargotec, XCMG Group and others. The France crane market is expected to grow significantly at a CAGR of 3.67% during the forecast period with high demand in 101-200 tons lifting capacity segment. Key Offerings: Market Size & Forecast by Volume | 20212027 Market Size & Forecast by Revenue | 20212027 Market Dynamics Leading trends, growth drivers, restraints, and investment opportunities Market Segmentation A detailed analysis by crane type, application, and gross power output Competitive Landscape 10 key vendors and 5 other vendors Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/france-crane-market-opportunities-assessment-forecast France Crane Market Segmentation Mobile crane accounts for 30.7% of the overall crane market in 2020. The demand for mobile cranes is largely driven to address high-end works for urban and infrastructure development. Their ability to navigate around job sites and carry heavy weight makes mobile cranes a very popular addition to many projects. The port of Le Havre , France's leading container port, already has over 200 hectares of logistics parks and 435,000 square meters of warehouse space, and it is expanding its foreign trade (import/export) area. About four of the world's largest gantry cranes recently arrived at the Port du Havre, France as part of the ongoing efforts design to expand the capabilities of France's leading container port for foreign trade to accommodate the world's largest container ships. , France's leading container port, already has over 200 hectares of logistics parks and 435,000 square meters of warehouse space, and it is expanding its foreign trade (import/export) area. About four of the world's largest gantry cranes recently arrived at the Port du Havre, France as part of the ongoing efforts design to expand the capabilities of France's leading container port for foreign trade to accommodate the world's largest container ships. The <20 tons crane-lifting capacity market in France is expected to reach 787 units by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 3.61% during the forecast period. This category of cranes is largely used for landscaping, excavating, demolishing, disaster management, and material handling in cities and farms. Therefore, construction projects will drive up the demand for these cranes. France Crane Market by Crane Type Mobile Crane Crawler Cranes Rough Terrain Cranes All-Terrain Cranes Truck Mounted Cranes Others Fixed Cranes Overhead Cranes Tower Cranes France Crane Market by Application Construction Mining Transport/Port Manufacturing Others France Crane Market by Gross Power Less than 20 HP 20-100 HP 101-200 HP Greater than 200 HP France Crane Market Dynamics According to the pre-COVID-19 scenario, improving infrastructure was a top priority for governments of European countries. This has been one of the most important factors in the expansion of the crane market. In recent years, infrastructure development has progressed at several levels. Long term infrastructure plans were prioritized by the French government. During the forecast period, increased private and government investments in new development and construction projects will provide improved infrastructural facilities that are expected to boost the growth of the crane market. The expanding global population and the requirement for new residential and commercial constructions to meet the population demand contribute to the potential of the crane market. The rapid growth of the construction and infrastructure sector as a result of numerous renovations, the need for improved structures across industry verticals such as manufacturing, oil and gas, and telecommunication. Key Drivers and Trends fueling Market Growth: The grand Paris project, a 20-year endeavor driving crane sales project, a 20-year endeavor driving crane sales The wind power industry in France is expected to play a key role in crane sales is expected to play a key role in crane sales Continuous innovation and new technology High expectations for growth of the green market Get your sample today! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/france-crane-market-opportunities-assessment-forecast Why Should You Buy This Report? This report is among the few in the market that offers outlook and opportunity analysis forecast in terms of: Volume (Unit sales) Crane Type Application Gross Power Value (USD) Crane Type Application Gross Power Gain competitive intelligence about the economic scenario, advantages in France major projects and investments, market dynamics, and share major projects and investments, market dynamics, and share Examples of latest technologies Get presentation-ready format and easy-to-interpret data. Enable decision-makers to make informed and profitable choices Gain expert quantitative and qualitative analysis on value/volume growth projections of the France crane market share Complete supply chain analysis Get COVID-19 impact analysis of the market. Major Vendors Tadano Manitex International, Inc. Manitowoc SANY Kobelco Construction Machinery (KCME) Konecranes Liebherr Xuzhou Construction Machinery Group Co., Ltd. (XCMG) Terex Corporation Cargotec Other Prominent vendors American Crane & Equipment Corp. (ACE) Zoomlion Heavy Industry Broderson Manufacturing Corp Link-Belt Cranes Kato Works Explore our industrial machinery profile to know more about the industry. Read some of the top-selling reports: About Arizton: Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovation and quality-driven firm, which offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients across the world. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services. We offer comprehensive market research reports on industries such as consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, and life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals and materials, IT and media, logistics and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts. Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered in generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports. Mail: [email protected] Call: +1-312-235-2040 +1 302 469 0707 SOURCE Arizton Advisory & Intelligence Factors such as smart meters enable efficient use of gas, increased natural gas consumption in the industrial sector, and government regulations and initiatives will offer immense growth opportunities. To leverage the current opportunities, market vendors must strengthen their foothold in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments. The smart gas meter market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will decelerate during the forecast period. Gas Meter Market 2021-2025: Segmentation Gas Meter Market is segmented as below: Product Smart Gas Meter Basic Gas Meter Geography North America Europe APAC MEA South America Buy our market report now to gain access to detailed analysis on the smart gas meter market: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR70929 Smart Gas Meter Market 2021-2025: Vendor Analysis and Scope To help businesses improve their market position, the Gas Meter Market provides a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the market. Some of these vendors include Apator SA, Chongqing Shancheng Gas Equipment Co. Ltd., Die Diehl Stiftung and Co. KG, EDMI Ltd., Honeywell International Inc., Itron Inc., Landis+Gyr AG, Xylem Inc., and Zhejiang CHINT Electrics Co. Ltd. The report also covers the following areas: Gas Meter Market size Gas Meter Market trends Gas Meter Market analysis Factors such as technological challenges, health hazards associated with use of smart meters, and security and safety concerns in smart gas meters may threaten the growth of the market. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the gas meter market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile & M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Related Reports on Industrials Include: Lightning Protection Systems Market by Technology, End-user, and Geography - Forecast and Analysis Global Vortex Flowmeter Market Gas Meter Market 2021-2025: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2021-2025 Detailed information on factors that will assist gas meter market growth during the next five years Estimation of the gas meter market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the gas meter market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of gas meter market vendors Table of Contents: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Value chain analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2020 Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025 Five Forces Analysis Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Product Market segments Comparison by Product Smart gas meter - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Basic gas meter - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Market opportunity by Product Customer landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market drivers Market challenges Market trends Vendor Landscape Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors Apator SA Chongqing Shancheng Gas Equipment Co. Ltd. Die Diehl Stiftung and Co. KG EDMI Ltd. Honeywell International Inc. Itron Inc. Landis+Gyr AG Xylem Inc. Zhejiang CHINT Electrics Co. Ltd. Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations Technavio's in-depth market research reports now include a thorough analysis of the COVID-19 impact on various markets to help industry leaders navigate their business through the new normal. Receive Latest Free Sample Report in Minutes About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus 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 consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. 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 Related Links http://www.technavio.com NEW YORK and LUXEMBOURG, Sept. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Gen II Fund Services, LLC and Gen II Luxembourg Services, SARL ("Gen II"), a leading independent private equity fund administrator, announced today that it is adding to its Luxembourg-based team. Duncan J. Christie has joined the firm as Head of Operations and Client Services and a Member of the Executive Committee, and Eva Ntovolou joined the firm as Global Data Protection Officer. Mr. Christie, a seasoned operations executive, will focus on developing our operational model and the provision of best-in-class client delivery, helping to drive Gen II's continued growth across Europe. Ms. Ntovolou, an experienced data protection executive and an attorney, will support the firm's data protection needs across Europe and the U.S. Mr. Christie joined Gen II from International Financial Data Services Luxembourg (IFDS), where he served as Chief Operating Officer, responsible for operations, client service, managing business transformation, and research & development. Prior to IFDS, Mr. Christie was Chief Operating Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of State Street Services Luxembourg, focused on private equity and real estate servicing. He is a member of the Association of Luxembourg Fund Industry (ALFI) and serves as co-chair of the Fund Distribution and TA group in the ALFI Digital/FinTech Forum. He holds CFA, CAIA, and FDP Charters and received his MBA from the University of Oxford, England. "We are excited to have Duncan join Gen II," said Norman Leben, Co-Founder and Managing Principal, Gen II. "He understands that the client experience drives our business, and his extensive operational experience and commitment to client service will be valuable assets to Gen II and support the firm's growth objectives." "Even as Gen II has continued to grow, they have maintained their client-centric model and partnership approach to relationships," said Mr. Christie. "I'm extremely pleased to join the Gen II team and look forward to collaborating with Gen II's world-class group of professionals and getting to know the company from the ground up." Most recently, Ms. Ntovolou was at Deloitte Luxembourg, where she led the group's GDPR implementation and data protection function. Prior to Deloitte Luxembourg, she held several roles in the field of privacy and IT security and as an in-house legal consultant. Ms. Ntovolou also had her own law practice, which she founded in 2014. "We are very pleased to have Eva on the Gen II team," said Steven Millner, Co-Founder and Managing Principal, Gen II. "With her data protection expertise, legal background and European experience, we are confident she will provide immediate contributions in support of our clients' global data protection needs." "Gen II is one of the most innovative firms in the fund administration industry, serving some of the world's leading fund sponsors," said Ms. Ntovolou. "I look forward to working with the dedicated and highly regarded professionals at Gen II to ensure compliance with data protection rules." About Gen II Gen II is a leading fund administration provider focused entirely on serving the alternative asset management space, including private equity, real estate and credit funds. Since its inception in 2009, the company has scaled rapidly and today is one of the largest independent private equity fund administrators servicing more than 5,000 fund entities, reporting to approximately 50,000 investors on behalf of their clients, and administering more than $600 billion of private fund capital. Gen II offers private fund sponsors a best-in-class combination of people, process and technology, enabling GPs to most effectively manage their operational infrastructure, financial reporting and investor communications. For more information, please visit www.gen2fund.com. Contact: Beth Herlihy BackBay Communications 617.259.7066 [email protected] Daniel Abramson BackBay Communications 857.305.8441 [email protected] SOURCE Gen II Fund Services, LLC Related Links www.gen2fund.com MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc. ("Goodness Growth" or the "Company") (CSE: GDNS; OTCQX: GDNSF), a physician-led, science-focused cannabis company and IP developer, today announced the closing of a sale leaseback transaction with Innovative Industrial Properties, Inc. ("IIP") (NYSE: IIPR) in the State of New York. Goodness Growth sold and IIP acquired approximately 92.3 acres of land adjacent to Goodness Growth's existing cannabis cultivation and processing facility in Johnstown, New York, which was formerly the site of a juvenile detention center. The purchase price for the land was approximately $1.2 million, excluding transaction costs, and IIP is expected to provide tenant improvement reimbursement to Goodness Growth of approximately $55.0 million for the construction of a new 324,000 square foot cannabis cultivation, processing, and research and development facility. Goodness Growth and IIP will partner on the development of the project and will amend the terms of their existing lease agreement to incorporate the new facility. At closing, IIP reimbursed Goodness Growth for qualifying tenant improvements previously incurred on the project to date of approximately $9.0 million. The initial annualized base rent will be 10.5% of the tenant improvement budget plus the purchase price, for a term of twenty years. The lease amendment contains a rent escalation clause that is triggered in the event that the Company does not satisfy certain strategic benchmarks as specified in the Agreement, which would increase annualized base rent by 1.5%. Base rent will be phased in incrementally over the course of a 16-month period, and will be subject to annual increases of 2.75%. "We are looking forward to beginning construction on this state-of-the-art facility in New York, which will immediately become the flagship cultivation and processing facility in our Company's portfolio," said Goodness Growth Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Kyle Kingsley, M.D. "This facility will produce the highest-quality indoor flower we've ever produced and help prepare our business for the massive spike in demand expected when New York's adult-use cannabis program goes online next year. This facility will also support the expansion of our retail network in New York as we look to open up to four new dispensaries next year, which would bring our total number of stores in New York to eight." The new 324,000 square foot facility will contain approximately 100,000 square feet of indoor cultivation capacity, and 90,000 square feet of combined space for manufacturing, processing, office space, and facilities equipment areas. Approximately 130,000 square feet of the new facility will be built as shell space for potential future expansion. The processing labs in the new facility will be capable of CO2, Ethanol and Hydrocarbon extraction, and will also be equipped with distillation systems, clean room manufacturing, a commercial kitchen with automation, and will be GMP-ready. The facility will allow the Company to produce high-quality flower and manufacture the full suite of cannabis product form factors, including vapes, softgels, oils, oral solutions, balms, concentrate forms, edibles, and beverages. Goodness Growth is one of ten licensed operators in New York's medical cannabis program, a vertically integrated program where each licensed operator may operate one cultivation and processing facility and up to four dispensary locations. The Company currently operates four dispensaries in Queens, White Plains, Albany and Binghamton under the Vireo Health name, as well as its home delivery business which serves the New York City metro area. The Company plans to rebrand all its dispensaries in New York to its Green Goods national dispensary brand after the onset of the adult-use program next year. About Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc. Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc., is a physician-led, science-focused holding company whose mission is to bring the power of plants to the world. The Company's operations consist primarily of its multi-state cannabis company subsidiary, Vireo Health, Inc., and its science and intellectual property incubator, Resurgent Biosciences, Inc. The Company manufactures proprietary, branded cannabis products in environmentally friendly facilities and state-of-the-art cultivation sites and distributes its products through its growing network of Green Goods and other retail locations and third-party dispensaries. Its team of more than 500 employees are focused on the development of differentiated products, driving scientific innovation of plant-based medicines, and developing meaningful intellectual property. Today, the Company is licensed to grow, process, and/or distribute cannabis in eight markets and operates 18 dispensaries across the United States. For more information about Goodness Growth Holdings, please visit www.goodnessgrowth.com. Contact Information Investor Inquiries: Sam Gibbons Vice President, Investor Relations [email protected] (612) 314-8995 Media Inquiries: Albe Zakes Vice President, Corporate Communications [email protected] (267) 221-4800 Forward-Looking Statement Disclosure This press release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable United States and Canadian securities legislation. To the extent any forward-looking information in this press release constitutes "financial outlooks" within the meaning of applicable United States or Canadian securities laws, such information is being provided as preliminary financial results and the reader is cautioned that this information may not be appropriate for any other purpose and the reader should not place undue reliance on such financial outlooks. Forward-looking information contained in this press release may be identified by the use of words such as "plan," "position," "continue," "will," "expects," "pending,"or variations of such words and phrases. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. Forward-looking information includes both known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company or its subsidiaries to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements or information contained in this press release. Forward-looking information is based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management, believed but not certain to be reasonable, in light of management's experience and perception of trends, current conditions, and expected developments, as well as other factors relevant in the circumstances, including assumptions in respect of current and future market conditions, the current and future regulatory environment; and the availability of licenses, approvals and permits. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information because the Company can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. Forward-looking information is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks related to current and future economic conditions; risks related to the COVID-19 pandemic; federal, state, local, and foreign government laws, rules, and regulations, including federal and state laws in the United States relating to psychedelics and any changes to such laws; operational, regulatory, and other risks; execution of business strategy; difficulty to forecast; conflicts of interest; liquidity and additional financing; and risk factors set out in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, which is available on EDGAR with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and filed with the Canadian securities regulators and available under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The statements in this press release are made as of the date of this release. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results, or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws. SOURCE Goodness Growth Holdings, Inc. The entry into operation of the CCG will allow the government to optimize and simplify government services, concentrating around 33 public institutions in one place, in order to improve the institutional framework, guaranteeing quality of services to citizens, efficiency and speed. Hernandez recalled that upon assuming office "we committed ourselves to creating an agile, dynamic, transparent and efficient Government, and part of that was to avoid wasting money in payment of rents that occurred for many years with public offices." "Decades and decades of rent payments and none of those buildings ever became property of the State of Honduras", stated the president. According to Hernandez, the new building complex will mean savings of 15 million dollars per year, which in ten years would save up to $150 million dollars, "this is a sign that things can be done well," said the president. The complex has two towers of 24 floors each, three horizontal buildings that will be occupied by about 8,500 public officials. In addition, it has four basements with a capacity of 2,400 parking spaces. The president stressed that the work was carried out with international and national investors thanks to the healthy economy and the solid macroeconomy. "Thanks to the investors for their trust in Honduras. It was not easy to put together this financial model, and today it is one of the most important projects in the region. When we want to do great things and play in the big leagues, we can do it", said Hernandez. "When you want, and you have the political will to do things, you can make it happen and we are demonstrating today in Honduras we can make things happen", Hernandez concluded. Source: https://presidencia.gob.hn SOURCE Government of Honduras Related Links https://presidencia.gob.hn WealthFirm began as a CPA firm in 1948 serving clients in the Midwest. Building on decades of relationships and trust, many clients began turning to their WealthFirm advisors for advice on financial decisions such as wealth management, estate planning and retirement options. In 1997, WealthFirm created Wealth Management LLC, a registered investment advisor ("RIA"), to give their advisors the systems and support to provide clients complete financial well-being solutions. The company then added Retirement Plan Consultants LLC, an advisory resource to help clients create a financially secure retirement in 2008. Today, WealthFirm serves clients through advisors across the United States with almost $3.5 billion in assets under administration across the two entities. "As Americans age, we believe two of their greatest concerns are their health and their wealth," explained Bryan W. Adams, Co-Founder and CEO of Integrity Marketing Group. "WealthFirm has earned an incredible reputation for being a service-oriented business. By coming alongside them as a partner, Integrity will give them more resources, technology and tools to better serve their advisors and help more Americans. Integrity is committed to innovating for our clients. By adding the wealth management and retirement solution offerings of WealthFirm, we are fulfilling that mission better than ever." "Americans look to their trusted advisors to help create solutions when making some of life's biggest decisions," said Jared Faltys, Co-CEO of WealthFirm. "By combining our expertise and relationships with Integrity's end-to-end platform, we can help more people feel secure about the future of their finances and healthcare. At WealthFirm, we've always tried to stay ahead of the industry and we immediately recognized that Integrity brings that same commitment to insurance. We've created a synergistic partnership that will help countless more Americans today and benefit them for generations to come." Adding WealthFirm's capabilities to Integrity's fast-growing partner network illustrates Integrity's innovation and leadership across every aspect of insurance. Integrity's prestigious network of legends and trailblazers includes companies such as CSG Actuarial, ThomasARTS, Deft Research, Access Capital, Brokers International and Insurance Administrative Solutions' third-party administrator, as well as leading call centers Connexion Point, SeniorCare Benefits and Unified Health. "The best partnerships benefit everyone, while building something stronger together," said Nancy Brozek, Co-CEO of WealthFirm. "By uniting our companies' strengths, WealthFirm offers Integrity agents the opportunity to dramatically increase their offerings beyond insurance. Our advisors benefit from Integrity's world-class marketing resources and innovative technology available only to partners. Together, we're poised for enormous growth and we're excited to open this new direction together." WealthFirm will enhance its existing processes by utilizing Integrity's comprehensive technology platform, with resources such as product development, data and analytics, and a leading advertising and marketing firm. The partnership also offers WealthFirm the opportunity to centralize business functions through Integrity's shared services, including IT, human resources, legal, compliance, accounting as well as technology and innovation. In addition, WealthFirm employees now gain meaningful company ownership through Integrity's Employee Ownership Plan. "At Integrity, we're all about relationships," shared Steve Young, Board Chairman of Integrity. "This partnership allows us to provide better support to WealthFirm's advisors, while also helping Integrity agents to strengthen the product offerings they can provide clients. Additionally, this partnership will greatly benefit WealthFirm employees. Giving employees meaningful ownership in Integrity through the Employee Ownership Plan shows Integrity's investment in their strongest resource their people." For more information about WealthFirm's decision to partner with Integrity, view a video at www.integritymarketing.com/wealthfirm. About Integrity Marketing Group Integrity Marketing Group, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is the leading independent distributor of life and health insurance products focused on meeting Americans wherever they are in person, over the phone and online. Integrity is innovating insurance by developing cutting-edge technology designed to simplify and streamline the healthcare experience for everyone. In addition, Integrity develops exclusive products with insurance carrier partners and markets these products through its distribution network that includes other large insurance agencies throughout the country. Integrity's almost 5,500 employees work with over 420,000 independent agents who service more than nine million clients annually. In 2021, Integrity expects to help insurance carriers place over $7 billion in new sales. For more information, visit www.integritymarketing.com. About WealthFirm WealthFirm is a family of financial experts headquartered in Norfolk, Nebraska. WealthFirm is the combination of Wealth Management LLC ("WM") and Retirement Plan Consultants LLC ("RPC"). Each brand of the family is dedicated to improving efficiency, simplicity and effectiveness of financial solutions for businesses, individuals and their families. WM partners with professionals nationwide, empowering them to offer financial guidance to their clients. They believe in low cost, full fee disclosure and maintaining global diversification. WM operates as a partner, assisting professionals to become advisors with one-on-one coaching and by assisting with the back-office and compliance issues so they can remain focused on their relationship with their clients. RPC focuses on simplifying the retirement plan experience by offering customized, people-focused plan solutions. They provide back-office services, including access to custodians, reporting and analytics, trade support, asset allocation and rebalancing. RPC currently serves over 1,800 plans and 17,500 participants. The WealthFirm family is devoted to treating everyone they work with like family. For more information, visit www.wealthfirm.info. SOURCE Integrity Marketing Group, LLC NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Former Attorney General of Louisiana Charles C. Foti, Jr., Esq. and the law firm of Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC ("KSF") are investigating the proposed sale of Kraton Corporation (NYSE: KRA) to DL Chemical Co., Ltd. Under the terms of the proposed transaction, shareholders of Kraton will receive only $46.50 in cash for each share of Kraton that they own. KSF is seeking to determine whether this consideration and the process that led to it are adequate, or whether the consideration undervalues the Company. If you believe that this transaction undervalues the Company and/or if you would like to discuss your legal rights regarding the proposed sale, you may, without obligation or cost to you, e-mail or call KSF Managing Partner Lewis S. Kahn ([email protected]) toll free at any time at 855-768-1857, or visit https://www.ksfcounsel.com/cases/nyse-kra/ to learn more. To learn more about KSF, whose partners include the Former Louisiana Attorney General, visit www.ksfcounsel.com. Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC 1100 Poydras St., Suite 3200 New Orleans, LA 70163 SOURCE Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC Related Links http://www.ksfcounsel.com The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, employees, and the companies they run worldwide. More than 1,500 entries were submitted this year for consideration. Lakshmi leads all strategic initiatives for Replicon's global operations, including market share expansion, revenue generation, and worldwide sales activities. Her leadership skills have helped the business navigate through several challenging times in the past 25 years to achieve its current position as the industry leader in project, resource, and time management solutions. Acknowledging the recognition, Lakshmi said, "I'm honored to receive the awards and to be recognized alongside so many accomplished women leaders. As an entrepreneur and a business leader, I believe that an organization gets stronger because of the contributions of women. At Replicon, we foster an environment of equal opportunities to empower women to thrive at what they do." This is a proud moment for the entire Replicon team. Lakshmi has been a pillar of strength for our global team. With her hands-on leadership, Replicon built and launched Polaris PSA , the world's first self-driving professional services automation (PSA) software which was recently named a FrontRunner by Gartner's Software Advice. Even in the remote work environment, Lakshmi fosters collaboration and transparency across the entire organization and encourages an environment where people can openly discuss ideas, questions, and concerns without fear of repercussions. As a model businesswoman, she sends a powerful message to women that they raise a family and a profitable business simultaneously. For company updates: Follow Replicon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/replicon Follow Replicon on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/replicon Subscribe to Replicon's YouTube channel : https://www.youtube.com/c/replicon About Replicon Replicon, the Time Intelligence company, has over 25 years of industry leadership, pioneering new approaches to time, project and resource management. Time Intelligence elevates time as a strategic asset within an organization, to improve operational productivity, performance, and profitability. Replicon's Time Intelligence Platform offers award-winning cloud-based solutions for enterprise time management, global time and gross pay automation, and includes complete solution sets for project time tracking for costing and billing, time & attendance, and workforce management. Replicon's innovative Polaris product line introduces the world's first self-driving solutions for Professional Services Automation and Project Portfolio Management, helping project-driven enterprises deliver increased revenue and profitability. Replicon's team of over 500 employees supports thousands of customers around the globe including PwC, Siemens, FedEx, NTT, Expedia, Moody's, SAS, Facebook, and Hyatt. To learn more, visit www.replicon.com . For more information, press only: Kyle Celeste Resound Marketing for Replicon Email: [email protected] Phone: 609-279-0050 x111 SOURCE Replicon Related Links http://replicon.com CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Finances of the Luxury Home Buyer, the latest report from Luxury Portfolio International (LPI), has found that crypto currency, of which Bitcoin is the most recognized, is becoming an increasingly popular commodity for affluent global households, now just three points behind gold in a survey of over 3,000 global respondents. Fifty-seven-percent (57%) of luxury home buyers, and the overall affluent, questioned believe that now is a good time to invest in a safety net with 41% citing gold and 38% cryptocurrency as their preference. In fact, the probability that the two are considered 'Buys' in tandem outstrips gold alone (78% vs. 41% likelihood of a Buy sentiment). The flurry of positive 'Buy' opinion around cryptocurrency stems mainly from consumers in the United States and the United Kingdom, although earlier this month El Salvador became the first country to make it a legal currency. The interest in crypto currency was among a number of interesting findings, which included the following: Luxury Home Buyers are prepared to out-bid other buyers for fine property and residences, thanks in large part to enormous cash reserves and record returns on investment over the past 18 months. As a group, they are extremely confident in their financial situation despite the uncertainty surrounding new strains of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Ultra-high-net-worth individuals ( $50 million or more in net worth) have increased in number by 73% since 2015 and are conservatively estimated to have consolidated another $4.5 trillion in assets to the class. The number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals added in just one year is 47,000, based on data from Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report 2021. or more in net worth) have increased in number by 73% since 2015 and are conservatively estimated to have consolidated another in assets to the class. The number of ultra-high-net-worth individuals added in just one year is 47,000, based on data from Credit Suisse Global Wealth Report 2021. There is a 94% probability that a luxury home buyer is already a luxury homeowner (primary residence has estimated value of USD $1 million or more), meaning that current luxury homeownership is a more accurate predictor of future luxury home buying than net-worth only (Luxury Home Buyers' median-net-worth is estimated at USD $4.5 million ). or more), meaning that current luxury homeownership is a more accurate predictor of future luxury home buying than net-worth only (Luxury Home Buyers' median-net-worth is estimated at USD ). Cash is still king, as nearly six in 10 (58%) are funding their luxury home purchase with cash on hand, including 25% who are planning to make all-cash offers. Reselling of luxury goods continue at a torrid pace in 2021 and Luxury Home Buyers are taking part in an unusual way. The study revealed that by turning over their excess products, buyers are planning to use the proceeds to outfit their home gym, rec equipment and even art for display. Further into this area, researchers checked in with the experts at TheRealReal.com, the online luxury reseller platform, who noted in their 2020 Resale Report a 26% increase in spending quarter-on-quarter for home items versus apparel, and the fastest-growing category is art consignment. There is a trend toward reduced consumption to offset the significant purchase of luxury real estate. One in five buyers plan to delay purchasing in other discretionary categories to free up their cash flow. These buyers have two primary outlets - their work and their passions. To that end, finding properties that blend their access to restorative activities with their demanding work life is a boon. The study revealed that the combination of increased wealth during the pandemic through prudent investing, coupled with curbed spending on dining out, travel, and apparel, has built-up a substantial pool of cash and consequently, pent up demand for products and services Mickey Alam Khan, president of LPI commented: "The booming affluent economy continues to impress and amaze, as the volume of ultra-high-net-worth individuals continues to surge. These individuals are leaders and innovators in all facets of the financial arena, among them the concept of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, the study revealed. While Blockchain and smart currency are still in their infancy in the real estate universe, there are some cases of developers and vendors accepting crypto currencies for payment, but this is of course a niche at present. That said, forward-looking tech-savvy economies such as Dubai (in which there is extraordinary wealth) are leading the charge and may indeed help establish standards in the future. While real estate brokers and developers working with such new technology is a long way from becoming the norm in real estate acquisition, nonetheless the die is cast, even in this arena." To access the report, go to: https://www.luxuryportfolio.com/reports ABOUT LUXURY PORTFOLIO INTERNATIONAL (LPI) LPI (luxuryportfolio.com) is the luxury marketing division of Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, the largest global network of premier locally branded firms dominated by many of the world's most powerful, independent luxury brands. LPI attracts a global audience of visitors from over 200 countries/territories every month and markets more than 50,000 luxury homes annually. Well Connected. Contact: [email protected] SOURCE Luxury Portfolio International Related Links https://www.luxuryportfolio.com/ TAMPA, Fla., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Marco's Pizza, one of the nation's fastest-growing pizza brands, announces the signing of a development agreement that will bring 15 new stores to the Tampa metro market by the end of 2024. This development news contributes to the brand's now 125 plus franchise agreements signed year-to-date, with over 200 stores in various stages of development, as Marco's aims to grow its 1000-plus unit footprint by more than 10% this year. Behind this area development agreement is investment group MPZ Holdings, LLC. The group successfully manages 21 Marco's locations across South Carolina and Georgia, and with key members of the leadership team moving to the Tampa area, they're eager to successfully grow and expand in Florida. With two signed leases igniting initial development, Marco's Pizza will debut in Tarpon Springs at 1147 Pinellas Avenue and Dundee at 28065 Highway 27 by early Q1 2022. The MPZ Holdings leadership group aims to open five stores every year, with all 15 Marco's locations projected to be open and operating by the end of 2024. Additional areas targeted for development include Oldsmar, Winter Haven and St. Petersburg. "The pandemic made it clear that consumer demand for quick and delicious carryout and delivery options was here to stay," said lead investor of MPZ Holdings, LLC. "Already impressed by the quality of Marco's Pizza and its exceptional leadership team, we knew timing was right to further invest and be aggressive with growth. Equipped with a proven business model, we're well on our way to developing these locations over the next three years." Marco's is experiencing explosive growth, record-breaking sales , and continues to innovate and pilot new programs to sustain its performance. As a result, eager and sophisticated entrepreneurs and multi-unit operators are flocking to the franchise opportunity as now nearly half of the franchise network is made up of multi-unit owners. "We're placing an emphasis on growing with incredible partners who truly embody our People-First approach to business," said Keith Sizemore, Vice President of Development for Marco's Pizza. "When a proven franchise partner doubles down on their current investment to open 15 more stores, it speaks to the tremendous belief they have in the Marco's brand. We are excited to have yet another group of 'empire builders' in our system, developing a strong market in Tampa." Opening a new store every three and a half days on average, the Top 50% of its franchised stores generated $1,059,574 AUV for 2020*. For more information on Marco's Pizza franchise opportunities, visit www.marcosfranchising.com or call 866-731-8209. ABOUT MARCO'S PIZZA Marco's Pizza is America's Most Loved and Most Trusted Pizza Brand, according to the 2019 Harris Poll EquiTrend Study. Headquartered in Toledo, Ohio, Marco's Pizza is one of the fastest-growing pizza companies in the United States. Marco's was founded in 1978 by Italian-born Pasquale ("Pat") Giammarco and thrives by making authentic Italian quality pizza with fresh ingredients. The company has grown from its roots as a beloved Ohio brand to operate over 1,000 stores in 34 states with locations in Puerto Rico and the Bahamas. Most recently, Marco's Pizza was ranked No. 2 in the Pizza category on Entrepreneur Magazine's 2020 "Franchise 500" ranking, and No. 6 in the Largest Pizza Chain category on Restaurant Business' 2020 "Top 500 Chains" ranking. Other recent accolades include ranking No. 4 in Forbes 2019 "Best Franchises to Buy" Small/Medium Investment and ranking five consecutive years on Nation's Restaurant News' prestigious "Top 200" ranking. For more information on Marco's Pizza franchise opportunities, visit www.marcosfranchising.com or call 866-731-8209. *Based on the Average Unit Volume of the top 50% of our Franchised Stores for fiscal year 2020. Based on fiscal year 2020, 142 of 369 Franchised Stores in the category (38%) met or exceeded this average. This information appears in Item 19 of our 2021 FDD please refer to our FDD for complete information on financial performance. Results may differ. There is no assurance that any franchisee will perform as well. SOURCE Marco's Pizza Related Links http://www.marcosfranchising.com Session topics for this event include patient relations, coding and documentation, malpractice defense, and much more. Tweet this Session topics for this event include patient relations, coding and documentation, malpractice defense, and much more. Each session will provide practical tips to streamline challenges, maximize efficiency, and drop more money to the bottom line. This virtual learning experience includes nine thoughtfully curated sessions built around practical learning objectives. There will also be opportunities to have questions answered by industry experts. "We often hear from our audience that practicing medicine has never been more challenging. Our mission at Medical Economics is to provide physicians with the 'beyond the classroom' business training they didn't get in medical school," said Christopher Mazzolini, editorial director of Medical Economics. "Our bootcamp will tackle many of the most vexing non-clinical issues, including reimbursement, virtual care, medical liability and malpractice, concierge practice models, staffing, personal and trends impacting practice finance." For more information or to register for the event, click here. This program is sponsored by Amwell, Deputy, ISMIE, MDVIP, Optimize Health, PatientPop, Rivet, and Salix Pharmaceuticals. About Medical Economics Medical Economics is a multimedia platform that provides physicians with expert advice, shared experiences, tools and resources to succeed in today's practice environment. As the highest-ranked practice management publication in the market, Medical Economics covers topics including primary care, the business of medicine, health information technology and more. Medical Economics is a brand of MJH Life Sciences , the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical media company in North America dedicated to delivering trusted health care news across multiple channels. Media Contact Alyssa Scarpaci, 609-716-7777 [email protected] SOURCE Medical Economics Related Links https://www.medicaleconomics.com PRINCETON, N.J., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nanocan Therapeutics Corporation (Nanocan), a clinical stage biotechnology company developing innovative cancer treatments, announced the appointment of Dr. Elizabeth Charlotte Moser, as its Chief Scientific Officer and member of the company's executive leadership team. In this position, Dr. Moser will provide strategic leadership in research collaboration and direction, generate new partnerships and add significant clinical and scientific value to accelerate Nanocan's product development. Dr. Moser is an internationally recognized leader in oncology, with extensive expertise in clinical and translational research in combination cancer treatments. She brings to Nanocan over 20 years of experience in comprehensive cancer treatment, and capacities to push academic innovation and transition them into clinical candidates. "Dr. Moser is an accomplished and well-respected scientist whose deep foundational knowledge will, no doubt, position us well for success," said Eric Broyles, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Nanocan. "Her profound understanding of the task at hand will be instrumental as we drive forward with our clinical development." Before joining Nanocan Dr. Moser served as the vice president for clinical development at Galera Therapeutics. Prior to that, Dr. Moser held strategic and scientific roles at Elekta and the Champalimaud Foundation, spanning clinical trial operations, drug development including driving the advancement of therapeutic candidates into the oncology clinic. "Nanocan has an unprecedented opportunity to deliver the next era of breakthrough therapeutic products to patients across the world," said Dr. Moser. "The opportunity to join Nanocan at such a critical point in their growth trajectory is an exciting one. Based on the gravity of the work ahead of us, advancing our programs and reaching underserved patients with potential new therapeutic options is of the utmost importance." Dr. Moser will be based in the US operating from the company's office in Princeton, New Jersey. About Nanocan Therapeutics Corporation Nanocan Therapeutics Corporation is a clinical stage biotechnology company developing cutting-edge, nanotechnology-based innovations to treat cancers where current interventions are insufficient. Through its partnerships with leading academic research institutions, Nanocan aspires to create a new standard of care to help improve the lives of cancer patients. The company is also committed to making its disruptive innovations available to cancer patients in low and middle-income countries, starting in Africa. https://www.nanocan.life Media Contacts William Brawner [email protected] 202-329-1389 SOURCE Nanocan Therapeutics Corporation Related Links http://www.nanocan.life NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking has opened a representative office in Chile, following the approval of Chile's financial regulator Comision para el Mercado Financiero (CMF), and has appointed Roberto Zaldivar as Senior Country Manager as it deepens its commitment to further developing its business in the country and the wider region. Chile becomes Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking's sixth office in Latin America with representative offices also in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Mexico and Peru - and its tenth office in the Americas. By opening a representative office in Chile, Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking aims to deepen its relationships with clients and enhance their access to the bank's global offering. Roberto Zaldivar is appointed Senior Country Manager in Chile, reporting to Helena Radzyminski, Head of Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking's Latin America Platform, having previously worked for Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking as a consultant. Latin America has been a strategic region for Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking for the past 45 years. Its coverage of the region is managed through its Latin American Platform, based out of New York, with an offer spanning financing including in infrastructure, mining, aviation, trade & export and acquisition finance - capital markets, debt capital markets and economic & cross asset research. This is complemented by Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking's leading expertise in green & sustainable finance, which is integrated across the product offering to support clients as they adapt their business models to the environmental transition. Helena Radzyminski, Head of Natixis Corporate & Investment banking's Latin America Platform, said: "We are delighted to deepen our commitment to Chile by opening a representative office and by naming Roberto as Senior Country Manager, as part of our strategy to better support our clients operating in the country." Biography Roberto Zaldivar Roberto Zaldivar has close to thirty years of experience in investment banking and corporate finance throughout Chile. Prior to his appointment as Senior Country Manager, Chile, he served as consultant to Natixis Corporate & Investment Banking, having previously worked in Scotiabank Chile Debt Capital Markets (DCM) with a focus on local bond offerings and international DCM origination. Prior to that, he served as DCM Head of ABN AMRO Chile and has also held positions with Bank of America and Banco Santander Chile. Roberto holds a Master of Business Administration from IESE, Universidad de Navarra, Barcelona and is a graduate of the Universidad de Chile School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences in Santiago. About Natixis Natixis is a French multinational financial services firm specialized in asset & wealth management, corporate & investment banking, insurance and payments. A subsidiary of Groupe BPCE, the second-largest banking group in France through its two retail banking networks, Banque Populaire and Caisse d'Epargne, Natixis counts over 16,000 employees across 36 countries. Its clients include corporations, financial institutions, sovereign and supranational organizations, as well as the customers of Groupe BPCE's networks. Natixis has a solid financial base with a CET1 capital under Basel 3(1) of 12.4 billion, a Basel 3 CET1 Ratio(1) of 11.5% and quality long-term ratings (Standard & Poor's: A / Moody's: A1 / Fitch Ratings: A+). (1) Based on CRR-CRD4 rules as reported on June 26, 2013, including the Danish compromise - without phase-in. Figures as at 30 June 2021 Press contact: Meredith Zaritheny Prosek Partners +1 646.503.6278 [email protected] https://www.natixis.com https://www.linkedin.com/company/natixis https://www.twitter.com/natixis https://www.instagram.com/natixis_corp https://www.youtube.com/user/Natixisvideos Our information is certified with blockchain technology. Check that this press release is genuine at www.wiztrust.com. SOURCE Natixis Related Links http://www.natixis.com SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Netskope, the SASE leader , today announced the second annual SASE Week to take place November 2-4, 2021 . SASE Week is a three-day series of virtual events designed to help technical and executive attendees understand the people, process, and technology choices needed for a successful Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) journeya crucial set of steps to enable digital transformation. Netskope is leading the charge on SASE, the Security Service Edge (SSE) Zero Trust and will provide attendees with the knowledge and resources they need to make the right moves. Last year's inaugural SASE Weekthe first such SASE event of its kindwas an overwhelming success, with thousands of attendees learning from expert panels of industry leaders, partners, analysts, and networking and security technologists. In 2020, Netskope donated $10 for each attendee to charities, including Conservation International, Scratch Foundation, and World Central Kitchen. This year, Netskope is continuing the donation of $10 per attendee and donations will go to supporting Doctors Without Borders, The UN Women, and 360.org. What to Expect Attendees of the 2021 SASE Week will learn how to build a SASE framework, evaluate strategic applications of Zero Trust principles to achieve continuous adaptive trust, and future-proof security infrastructure to drive the future of business. There will be audience tracks geared towards security leaders, security practitioners, infrastructure operations leaders, IT and networking practitioners, architects, and Zero Trust. Netskope has also assembled a group of expert panelists and is working with partners such as Crowdstrike, Mimecast, and Aruba to bring a vast breadth of experience and security knowledge to attendees. The full agenda will be announced in October. Initially announced sessions will include: Practical implementation of SASE from CISO, CIO, and CNO perspectives, including how to communicate business value and risk management to the C-level and board Building a SASE-ready network infrastructure Understanding the Security Service Edge (SSE) and its role in SASE Contextualizing the five phases of Zero Trust access Designing your SASE blueprint And more! "The shift to remote work, the ability to access data from anywhere, and the alarming increase in global cybercrime means organizations must evolve toward a SASE architecture that applies Zero Trust principles," said Sanjay Beri, co-founder and CEO of Netskope. "This isn't easy, and the right practical advice on how to do this can be hard to find. So we created SASE Week to give technologists an opportunity to hear practical strategies to implement SASE within their organizations." How to Register To view all SASE Week events and register visit: saseweek.com About Netskope Netskope, the SASE leader, safely and quickly connects users directly to the internet, any application, and their infrastructure from any device, on or off the network. With CASB, SWG, and ZTNA built natively in a single platform, the Netskope Security Cloud provides the most granular context, via patented technology, to enable conditional access and user awareness while enforcing zero trust principles across data protection and threat prevention everywhere. Unlike others who force tradeoffs between security and networking, Netskope's global security private cloud provides full compute capabilities at the edge. Netskope is fast everywhere, data centric, and cloud smart, all while enabling good digital citizenship and providing a lower total-cost-of-ownership. Media Contact Inkhouse for Netskope [email protected] SOURCE Netskope Related Links www.netskope.com BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DirectPath, the company that guides employees to make better health care decisions, today released a new report, 2021 Consumer Report: All Eyes on Health Care But Not Enough on Health Care Literacy. The second annual report, based on a survey of more than 1,050 people with employer-sponsored health insurance, revealed that 55% of consumers don't know that they can compare treatment or service costs before choosing where to get care, highlighting the importance of personalized benefits education and health care transparency ahead of next year's transparency regulations. DirectPath Logo The COVID-19 pandemic has led to more people paying close attention to health care, but many still lack the knowledge required to make informed choices about their health plan and care. According to DirectPath's new report, almost one-third (31%) of employees know they have received an inaccurate medical bill in the last three years, yet 52% say they don't know how to dispute or fix a medical bill. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, almost half of Americans receive their health insurance through employer coverage. Yet, the DirectPath survey reveals that only more than one-third (37%) take advantage of the available employer resources to learn how to choose and use their health plans. Instead, many people turn to family (24%) and friends (14%), or self-conducted Internet research (34%) to help inform their plan choices. Turning to these outside sources can be problematic, as most are unfamiliar with the employer's plans or the employee's individual needsand can be factually inaccurate. COVID-19 changed the way employees accessed information about their benefits, with 34% taking advantage of online resources to learn more about their coverage. This corresponds with a slight decrease in the use of more traditional materials, with 27% using their employer's HR presentations compared to 33% in 2020, and 29% using printed materials versus 41% in 2020. Receiving Care: When and Where Not only did the pandemic change the way consumers received information about their care, but it also changed the way they sought care. Nearly one-quarter (24%) of consumers reported cancelling or postponing all health care appointments, while 23% reported skipping all preventive care appointments only seeking care when they were sick. Encouragingly, employees showcased their willingness to explore new ways of receiving care as more than one-third (36%) of consumers reported using telemedicine for the first time, compared to 22% who used it previously. These shifts in the way care and information about care is delivered should raise questions for employees regarding how they choose and use their benefits. While 28% of employees report their employer offers the opportunity for confidential one-on-one conversations with HR representatives, and 16% offer conversations with benefits experts, few employees take advantage of the offering when it is available. Just 19% report taking advantage of a conversation with an HR representative and 10% report talking with benefits educators. Reassuringly, over 80% of employees that did take advantage of one-on-one conversations found them to be very or extremely helpful. Knowledge gaps in health insurance literacy the degree to which individuals have the knowledge, ability and confidence to evaluate, choose and use their health plan is a root cause of many poor health care decisions which lead to lower quality care and higher costs. For example: Only 23% of survey respondents report taking advantage of cost-comparison solutions offered by their health care carrier. 57% report they only check if a provider is in-network when they plan to visit a new provider or facility, and 25% only do so when their health plan changes. Of the respondents who were aware that they received an inaccurate medical bill within the past three years, an alarming 7% admitted they knowingly received an inaccurate medical bill and did nothing about it with 52% of those people failing to take action because they didn't know they could. "Despite the COVID-19 pandemic drawing attention to health and health care more than ever before, employees still do not understand what they can do to get the most from their plans and to manage their costs. For something that touches not only consumers' personal health, but also their financial well-being, most are woefully unprepared to take control," said Kim Buckey, vice president of client services at DirectPath. "Providing individualized support is critical to 'making it real' for employees, so they can learn to improve health care decision making and health plan use. "While this survey shows some progress in employee understanding of how their plans work, too many still don't grasp why or how they should learn to use their plans. Increased one-on-one benefits education and more transparency in the health care industry are critical to ensuring employees are able to choose and use their plans effectively." For more information about the health care literacy gap, download the DirectPath report. Methodology DirectPath conducted an online survey of more than 1,050 U.S. based people with employer-sponsored insurance (excluding those who work in the insurance industry). The survey closed in July 2021. About DirectPath: DirectPath, a CNO Financial Group company, guides employees to make better health care decisions with individualized education for selecting the right benefit plan, expert assistance in making informed care choices and rewards for sensible financial decisions. Its customers experience significant ROI on their benefits investments through increased employee participation, management of the evolving regulatory environment and reduced cost through health care cost transparency. DirectPath has offices throughout the country. For more information, visit the DirectPath website and follow the company on Twitter. SOURCE CNO Financial Group Related Links http://www.cnoinc.com More than half of Millennials (53%) say they are looking for a new job, and 41% say they don't believe their feedback leads to meaningful organizational change Key Findings: -- Employees want to share feedback to improve the workplace: Most employees (78%) say they're eager to take company surveys, and more than a third (38%) say company surveys are preferred method for sharing feedback -- Employees even executives report a lack of action in response to their feedback: Nearly half of respondents (45%) and 40% of executives don't believe their feedback leads to meaningful change -- Failure to address employee feedback may be a factor driving "The Great Resignation": 41% of all poll respondents say they are looking for a new job MONTREAL and CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Explorance , a leader in Experience Management (XM) solutions, today announced new findings that shed light on the hidden factors driving "The Great Resignation," the unprecedented surge in employee turnover impacting industries ranging from retail and hospitality to manufacturing, healthcare and technology in the U.S. The poll of 2,000 U.S. part- and full-time employed adults, commissioned by Explorance and conducted by Wakefield Research, reveals that companies' failure to act on employee feedback may be driving employee flight. When it comes to company surveys, nearly half of respondents (45%) don't believe their feedback leads to meaningful change. And it's not just entry- and mid-level employees who feel ignored: two in five company executives (40%) also don't believe their feedback makes a difference. Forty-one percent of all respondents are looking for a new job, with Millennials (53%) leading the intended exodus. Almost half (49%) of Gen Z respondents and nearly a quarter (24%) of Baby Boomer respondents also said they were looking for a new job. "The three greatest challenges business leaders are facing today with respect to talent are attraction, performance engagement, and retention," said Samer Saab, founder and CEO of Explorance. "This data not only reveals new insights as to why employees are looking to change jobs, it also shows that responding to employee feedback by making meaningful changes can improve employee inclusion and retention." Are employees survey fatigued? Not according to the survey. Half of full- or part-time employees haven't received any employee surveys in the past year. 17% of respondents received one survey, and 20% received two or more, according to the report. Most employees (78%) say they're eager to take company surveys, and over a third (38%) call company surveys the preferred method for sharing feedback with or about their company (one-on-one meetings with employee managers is a distant second at 25%). What's more, even open-ended questions are always, usually, or sometimes answered by virtually all respondents (98%). These are the most time-consuming parts of surveys for employees to complete, and are challenging for HR leaders to analyze, especially at enterprise scale. Yet, the responses to these open-ended questions have the greatest potential to reveal insights that can drive meaningful change. Despite the belief their opinions go unheard, over half (52%) believe company surveys give them an opportunity to drive positive change within their company and nearly as many (44%) say surveys make them feel like their opinion matters. Nearly all respondents (85%) always or usually take company surveys, and nearly all (98%) say they're completely or somewhat honest when responding. Lack of transparency around the results is a sore spot among employees, with 43% reporting they never see the survey results. Even more so, 56% of executives those in the greatest position to make organizational improvements say they never see them either. "Clearly, the biggest issue isn't the surveys themselves, but the perception, true or otherwise, that not enough is being done with the results," said Saab. "Many business leaders simply lack the tools to effectively analyze text-based employee feedback and speed the insight to action cycle." To read the full report, please click here . Methodology Explorance commissioned Wakefield Research to conduct a survey of part- and full time employed adults in the U.S. to gauge their experiences and attitudes toward providing feedback to their employers via company surveys. The survey was conducted in late August 2021. The survey was conducted online and the data has been weighted to be nationally representative. 2,000 individuals across a variety of industry sectors participated in the survey. About Explorance Explorance is an innovative Employee Experience Management and Student Experience Management solution provider that empowers organizations in making personalized and impactful decisions with feedback data. Through its offerings, Blue, Bluepulse, BlueX, BlueML, and Metrics That Matter, Explorance reimagines how Experience Management can impact the lifelong learner's journey, by breaking down segmented data silos so you can connect the dots and make the best possible decisions. Media Contact: Lauren Connor, Finn Partners 517-256-4670 [email protected] SOURCE Explorance NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Nuveen today launched the following two new ETFs, building on the firm's proud history of helping investors build better financial futures: The Nuveen Growth Opportunities ETF (NYSE:NUGO) is actively managed by Karen Hiatt , CFA, and will seek to outperform the Russell 1000 Growth Index by investing in 40-65 high conviction securities, making up approximately 10% of the broader index. (NYSE:NUGO) is actively managed by , CFA, and will seek to outperform the Russell 1000 Growth Index by investing in 40-65 high conviction securities, making up approximately 10% of the broader index. The Nuveen ESG Dividend ETF (Cboe:NUDV) is the first ESG Dividend ETF in the industry to incorporate a low carbon criteria1. The fund is focused on providing yield and seeks to track an ESG-enhanced custom index developed by Nuveen's Responsible Investing team. Nuveen's Best Thinking Wrapped in an ETF "Our suite of differentiated ETFs brings to market Nuveen's industry-leading expertise, from real-estate to high-conviction active strategies, to ESG-enhanced index funds that are informed by a five-decade track record in responsible investing," said Jordan Farris, Head of ETF Product, Nuveen. "These funds have delivered upon their investment objectives since their launch in 2016 and continue to grow as investors increasingly seek unique exposures efficiently delivered in the ETF wrapper." Nuveen's First Alpha-Seeking Strategy to be Launched Solely as an ETF Leveraging Nuveen's expertise in stock selection, analytics and product structuring capabilities across the scale of its $1.2 trillion platform, NUGO is the firm's first alpha-seeking strategy to be launched only in the semi-transparent active ETF wrapper. About the Fund: ETF Name and Ticker: Nuveen Growth Opportunities ETF (NYSE:NUGO) ETF Construction: Active Semi-Transparent ETF Leveraging the NYSE Active ETF licensing structure, the holdings of this fund will be disclosed on a monthly basis. The fund features the same tax-efficiency and intra-day liquidity benefits as an index-tracking ETF. Investment Objective: NUGO is an active semi-transparent ETF that seeks to outperform the Russell 1000 Growth index via a portfolio of 40-65 high conviction stock ideas. The security selection strategy focuses on high-quality companies that exhibit potential for attractive earnings growth, strong relative valuation, attractive cash flows, and significant long-term returns. Reference Benchmark Russell 1000 Growth Index Lead Portfolio Manager: Karen Hiatt, CFA, Managing Director, Equities Portfolio Manager 25 years of investment industry experience Formerly a Managing Director, Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Global Technology Team at Allianz GI, Karen joined Nuveen in April 2021 Co-Portfolio Manager: Terrence Kontos, CFA, Managing Director, Equities Portfolio Manager Industry's First Low-Carbon ESG Dividend ETF Stemming from continued investor demand, NUDV will be the industry's only ESG Dividend ETF to incorporate a low carbon criteria. Consistent with Nuveen's existing suite of 10 ESG-oriented index-tracking ETFs, the underlying holdings of NUDV will be rebalanced quarterly and will incorporate a customized set of eligibility criteria, including ESG rating, controversial business involvement, fossil fuel reserves, and carbon emissions levels, the latter of which is a key differentiator of Nuveen's custom methodology. This enhanced index construction was developed by Nuveen's Responsible Investing team in partnership with MSCI. Nuveen's Responsible Investing team is comprised of 25+ individuals and has been a part of the firm's history for more than 5 decades. Nuveen oversees more than $41B in ESG-focused investment strategies, and today applies RI principles across its $1.2 trillion in AUM. About the Fund: ETF Name and Ticker: Nuveen ESG Dividend ETF (Cboe:NUDV) ETF Construction: Index-tracking ETF Investment Objective: NUDV seeks to provide exposure to high dividend paying U.S. equities while using rules-based selection criteria to achieve a higher yield, superior ESG rating and a lower carbon profile than the MSCI USA Index. Reference Benchmark MSCI USA Index Expense Ratio Reductions A fee reduction of ten basis points for seven of Nuveen's enhanced index-tracking equity ESG ETFs (NULG, NULV, NUMG, NUMV, NUSC, NUDM, and NUEM) and a reduction of five basis points for two of Nuveen's enhanced index-tracking fixed income ESG ETFs (NUBD and NUHY) will be made effective today. The addition of NUGO and NUDV brings Nuveen's ETF suite to a total of 18 funds with $4.8 Billion in AUM as of 8/312. Seventy-five percent of Nuveen's Morningstar-Rated ESG ETFs have received a 4 or 5 star-rating.3 About Nuveen Nuveen, the investment manager of TIAA, offers a comprehensive range of outcome-focused investment solutions designed to secure the long-term financial goals of institutional and individual investors. Nuveen has $1.2 trillion in assets under management as of 30 June 2021 and operations in 27 countries. Its investment specialists offer deep expertise across a comprehensive range of traditional and alternative investments through a wide array of vehicles and customized strategies. For more information, please visit www.nuveen.com . Media Contacts: Sally Lyden : e) [email protected] p) (646) 662 3490 : e) p) (646) 662 3490 E- Soo Kim : e) [email protected] p) (201) 421 0417 This material is not intended to be a recommendation or investment advice, does not constitute a solicitation to buy, sell or hold a security or an investment strategy, and is not provided in a fiduciary capacity. The information provided does not take into account the specific objectives or circumstances of any particular investor, or suggest any specific course of action. Investment decisions should be made based on an investor's objectives and circumstances and in consultation with his or her advisors. A word on risk Investing involves risk; principal loss is possible. There is no guarantee the Fund's investment objectives will be achieved. This ETF seeks to generally track the investment results of an index; however the Fund may underperform, outperform or be more volatile than the referenced index. In addition, because the Index selects securities for inclusion based on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria, the Fund may forgo some market opportunities available to funds that don't use these criteria. The value of equity securities may decline significantly over short or extended periods of time. Dividend-paying stocks, such as those held by the Fund, are subject to market risk, concentration or sector risk, preferred security risk, and common stock risk. Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) may not be marketed or advertised as an open-end investment company or mutual fund. Shares of ETFs are bought and sold at market price as opposed to net asset value. As a result, an investor may pay more than net asset value when buying and receive less than net asset value when selling. In addition, brokerage commissions will reduce returns. Fund shares are not individually redeemable directly with the Fund, but blocks of shares may be acquired from the Fund and tendered for redemption to the Fund by certain institutional investors in Creation Units. Before investing, carefully consider fund investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. For this and other information that should be read carefully, please request a prospectus or summary prospectus from your financial professional or Nuveen at 866.802.6398 or visit nuveen.com. Nuveen Fund Advisors, LLC serves as the Fund's adviser and Nuveen Asset Management, LLC and Teachers Advisors, LLC, serve as the Funds' sub-advisers; both the adviser and sub-adviser are subsidiaries of Nuveen, LLC. Nuveen Securities, LLC, member FINRA and SIPC. 1 Morningstar as of 9/20/2021 2 Nuveen 8/31/2021 3 Morningstar Direct 8/31/2021 SOURCE Nuveen Related Links http://www.nuveen.com SEATTLE, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As the Covid-19 pandemic swept across the globe, ICUs and hospitals reached and exceeded capacity. Typical transfer patterns were disrupted, leaving bedside providers to deal with an influx of cases beyond their typical scope of practice. In response, the U.S. government set out to develop a program to bring timely and effective assistance to overwhelmed medical facilities. The result was the National Emergency Tele-Critical Care Network (NETCCN), which has been operationalized in numerous regions over the past year, supporting hospitals during surges of Covid-19 patients. Omnicure, one of the technology solutions powering the NETCCN initiative, has made it possible for intensivists to provide remote support to facilities ranging from large health systems to rural critical access hospitals, improving patient outcomes and reducing the need to transfer. Omnicure is a telemedicine company that provides a comprehensive technology solution for bedside providers to collaborate with remote specialists to improve patient care. The nimble and innovative system has brought support to overwhelmed bedside providers in Washington, Idaho, North Dakota, Minnesota, Missouri, Florida, and Georgia. The network of remote experts includes critical care physicians (intensivists) as well as other types of specialists and providers. Thanks to the extensive resources of NETCCN, any hospital undergoing a crisis can receive support at no cost. Together, Omnicure and NETCCN are defining the future of medical disaster response. About Omnicure, Inc. Omnicure was founded by intensivists with decades of critical care experience, including familiarity with the shortcomings of legacy Tele-ICU solutions. Omnicure enables providers to text, call, video, share images, and exchange data from virtually anywhere. The system can be used on ubiquitous technology, eliminating the need for expensive hardware installations and allowing providers in any location to receive support. Omnicure provides a multidimensional solution that supports both proactive and reactive care models. The system can be used for a range of use cases, from consultative support to scheduled rounding and longitudinal care. Omnicure enables health systems to optimize coverage, connecting specialists to satellite hospitals. For individual hospitals that have challenges securing 24/7 intensivist coverage, Omnicure can help bridge that gap. With this one simple tool, we can extend optimal critical care access to hospitals everywhere. email: [email protected], [email protected] website: omnicuremd.com SOURCE Omnicure, INC. Related Links www.omnicuremd.com BELLINGHAM, Wash., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Policy Reporter today announced the launch of its new strategic consulting practice, Access Acuity by Policy Reporter. These consulting services are designed to assist life science companies with managing the commercialization of healthcare products and services, including biopharmaceuticals, medical devices and technology, and diagnostics. Consulting services include a range of practice areas designed to enhance market access and commercial success. Access Acuity will focus on patient access strategy, payer advocacy including coverage policy matters, affordability program design that addresses accumulator/maximizer exposure and other program integrity matters, payer contracting support that includes rebate strategy and preferred/formulary positioning, and payer landscape assessments that drive payer strategy. The group will be led by Rick Ford, Managing Director of Consulting Services at Policy Reporter, who has over 35 years of experience in the payer, provider, biopharma, and biopharma services industries. Policy Reporter, acquired by life sciences commercialization partner TrialCard in November 2019, is a cutting-edge service that automates the necessary, but often challenging need to stay abreast of policy and formulary information across the payer landscape, which improves patient access and speed to information. By offering strategic consulting services led by industry veterans with decades of market access experience, Policy Reporter aims to further empower its clients to bring products to market with reduced access barriers and optimized payer positioning. Access Acuity's drug pricing and rebate services include pre-market payer assessments of WAC, MAC, and ASP pricing across competing therapeutics, optimized rebate structures, risk assessment of newly competitive or upcoming therapies, and pricing recommendations. Contracting support services are designed to take this further and develop a comprehensive contract negotiation risk assessment, as well as a strategy backed by hard data. The group's experts are available to assist with payer, provider, and PBM negotiations. "Thanks to these consulting services, our life science customers can more fully understand and anticipate the markets they are addressing," said Rick Ford. "We provide the insights and strategy necessary to operate successfully in increasingly competitive markets. This allows our clients to better position their products for commercial success." The group's affordability program integrity services leverage the team's expertise in designing and navigating effective strategies to address co-pay accumulator and maximizer programs. These proprietary strategies have a track record of successfully reducing the cost burden for the patient. "Accumulator and maximizer programs have placed a high cost burden on the patient," said Scott Dulitz, Chief Strategy Officer for TrialCard. "At Policy Reporter, we have developed successful strategies to help mitigate the financial impact on the patient and reduce exposure for biopharma companies. We are excited to share these insights with clients and further support our mission of improving patient access to life-changing therapies." This launch will necessitate several personnel changes on the Policy Reporter and TrialCard teams. In addition to the aforementioned position for Rick Ford, Pete Henderson has been promoted to SVP, Commercial for Policy Reporter, and Heidi Barnes has been promoted to SVP, Operations for Policy Reporter. Jason Zemcik, Practice Lead and VP of Patient Affordability at TrialCard, will transition into the Policy Reporter consulting practice in January 2022. Current Policy Reporter President Drew Gutschmidt will continue to support the company as Founder and Head of Strategy while Scott Dulitz will become President of Policy Reporter in addition to retaining the title of Chief Strategy Officer for TrialCard. About Policy Reporter Policy Reporter provides innovative healthcare software solutions to track payer policies in near real time and enhances market access for the therapies patients need most. The company's patented software-driven solutions include a suite of billing and reimbursement tools for providers and laboratories, market intelligence tools for payers, and a suite of market access solutions for life science companies. Its clients include some of the world's largest pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. For more information or a free demo, please visit https://www.policyreporter.com. About TrialCard TrialCard Incorporated is a full-service commercialization partner to the life sciences industry that provides comprehensive solutions that span the entire value chain. In addition to a foundation of fully integrated, digitally enabled patient support services, its broader offerings include everything from late-stage clinical trial supply management to post-marketing HCP engagement services and proprietary data-as-a-service payer intelligence and insights. Founded in 2000, TrialCard provides commercialization solutions for more than 250 life science customers and has connected over 35 million patients with more than $18 billion in branded drug savings to date. The company is headquartered in Morrisville, North Carolina. For more information about TrialCard, please visit www.trialcard.com. Contact: Landy Townsend VP, Marketing & Communications TrialCard [email protected] 919-415-5401 SOURCE Policy Reporter Related Links https://www.policyreporter.com FARMINGTON, Conn., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Rachel LaMonica, DO, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Trusted Name in Obstetrics and Gynecology for her years of outstanding work in the OBGYN field and for her work at Women's Health of Connecticut. Rachel LaMonica, DO Practicing at Women's Health of Connecticut in New Britain, CT, she is highly trained as an OB-GYN. She treats issues relating to the female reproductive system, guides her patients through pregnancies, and aids in labor, childbirth, and postpartum health. Dr. LaMonica has been treating health issues related to the vagina, uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, and breasts, for over ten years. In her other role, she is the Associate Director of the company's Fellowship program. Dr. LaMonica discovered early in her medical training that she was passionate about women's health. To achieve her many successes, Dr. LaMonica attended the State University of New York at Stony Brook. She then attended graduate school at SUNY Stony Brook. Next, Dr. LaMonica graduated from the New York College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2005. She then completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology from the University of Connecticut, and then started a two-year Fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at the Hospital of Central Connecticut, under the direction of Dr. Anthony Luciano, MD. She gained valuable experience while training under the guidance of Dr. Anthony Luciano, MD, gaining expertise in laparoscopic and robotic surgery, and medical management of benign gynecologic diseases, including endometriosis, fibrosis, and pelvic pain. Providing her patients with the best possible medical care is of top importance to Dr. LaMonica and the team at Women's Healthcare of Connecticut. It is important to her that patients experience as little discomfort as possible, and recover quickly with minimal downtime. She is proud to specialize in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery. As the Associate Director of Women's Health of Connecticut, her mission is to offer training in minimally invasive surgery and GYN ultrasound to the next generation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. With over 90 locations throughout Connecticut and Massachusetts, Women's Health Connecticut sees over 300,000 patients each year. The facilities are highly rated among patients, earning a patient satisfaction rating of 93 out of 100. In addition, they have been awarded a Network of Distinction in Connecticut in Maternity care and Hysterectomy care in 2020 and 2021. Each location has modern technology, including Electronic Medical Records, to improve patient information accuracy and ensure coordinated care. The practice accepts many major insurance companies. Dr. LaMonica practices at the Bloomfield, CT and Farmington, CT locations, and at the Hospital of Central Connecticut and Hartford Hospital. To remain alert of new developments in the ever-changing medical field, Dr. LaMonica is an active member of the American Association of Gynecologic Laparoscopy (AAGL) and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine/Society of Reproductive Surgeons (ASRM/SRS.) On a personal note, Dr. LaMonica loves spending time with her three children and her family. Her hobbies include traveling, visiting amusement parks, listening to music, wine collecting, and fitness. For more information, visit www.womanshealthct.com. SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com HONG KONG, Sept. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Regency for Expats has announced the expansion of their Security Services to include a new benefit Security Consultation and Advice and the addition of 175 security personnel stationed across Regency's international offices. The calibre of the new recruits, including ex-Special Fire Arms Command, Metropolitan Police, British Army Intelligence, Scotland Yard and even US Intelligence Officers, reflects the complex and constantly evolving security issues faced around the world. 5 Years Ahead of Competitors Regency for Expats, underwritten by Regency Assurance, has always been a trailblazer, 5 years ago they introduced Terrorism cover, and today, they are still the only international insurer to provide Hostage Negotiation, Kidnapping, Hijacking and the new Security Consultations and Advice benefit, as standard under all policies. 24/7 Global Security Intel Regency's security team apprise individuals and organisations of specific security issues before travelling, such as Santo Domingo's assessment as a 'critical-threat location' in the OSAC's 'Dominican Republic 2020 Crime and Safety Report'. Up-to-the-minute intel can help minimise the risk exposure and keep premiums down. Similarly, should a client find themselves caught in the midst of a dangerous event, such as an uprising or war, Regency can provide the crucial contact details of the people on the ground. Director of Regency for Expats, Jonathan Wright, explains, "As global expat insurance specialists our policies reflect the increasing level of risk around the world. Unlike other insurance providers, we made the logical decision to include Terrorism cover as standard. The introduction of our new Security Consultation and Advice benefit gives policy holders peace of mind in the knowledge that steps can be taken to minimise exposure to risk, and should the worst happen, assistance can be provided. " About Regency Assurance Regency Assurance is a global insurance underwriter specialising in expat insurance and a key player in the implementation of cross-border and international financial regulations. The launch of Security Consultation and Advice, is the latest step in the company's long term growth strategy. For more information, visit www.regencyforexpats.com . SOURCE Regency for Expats SAN DIEGO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson Fistel, LLP is investigating potential claims on behalf of Resideo Technologies, Inc. (the "Company" or "Resideo") (NYSE: REZI) against certain of its officers. According to the class action lawsuit, certain officers at Resideo committed federal securities fraud between October 29, 2018, and November 6, 2019. Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that these Resideo officers made false and misleading statements and failed to disclose that: (1) the negative operational effects of the Honeywell spin-off were more substantial and persistent than disclosed and had negatively affected the Company's product sales, supply chain, and gross margins, putting Resideo's fiscal 2019 financial forecasts at risk; (2) as a consequence, the Company's financial guidance lacked a reasonable basis, and the Company was not on track to make its fiscal 2019 guidance as defendants had claimed; and (3) as a result, according to the class action lawsuit, Resideo's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. When the true details entered the market, the class action lawsuit claims that investors suffered significant damages. Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright granted in part and denied in part defendants' motion to dismiss a shareholder class action lawsuit pending in the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota against Resideo and certain of its officers. If you are a current, long-term shareholder of Resideo holding shares since October 2018 , you may have standing to hold Resideo harmless from the alleged harm caused by the Company's executives by making them personally responsible. You may also be able to assist in reforming the Company's corporate governance to prevent future wrongdoing. If you are interested in learning more about the investigation, please contact lead analyst Jim Baker ( [email protected] ) at 619-814-4471. If emailing, please include a phone number. Additionally, if you have continuously owned Resideo 's shares since October 2018 , you can [Click here to join this action]. There is no cost or obligation to you. About Johnson Fistel, LLP: Johnson Fistel, LLP is a nationally recognized shareholder rights law firm with offices in California, New York and Georgia. The firm represents individual and institutional investors in shareholder derivative and securities class action lawsuits. For more information about the firm and its attorneys, please visit http://www.johnsonfistel.com. Attorney advertising. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Contact: Johnson Fistel, LLP Jim Baker, 619-814-4471 [email protected] If you have continuously owned Resideo 's shares since October 2018 , you can [Click here to join this action]. There is no cost or obligation to you. SOURCE Johnson Fistel, LLP Related Links http://www.johnsonfistel.com BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- U.S. Term Limits is calling out Rep. Gary Palmer (AL-6) for breaking his pledge to cosponsor and vote for the U.S. Terms Limits amendment with a second billboard in his district along with a heavy targeted digital advertising campaign informing Alabamans of his broken pledge. In a contested primary race in 2014, Palmer made term limits a key platform issue. He pledged that he would support and cosponsor the U.S. Term Limits amendment limiting U.S. Representatives to three terms and U.S. Senators to two terms. Since being re-elected last year, Rep. Palmer stopped honoring his pledge and has refused to cosponsor the congressional resolution. The billboards and digital advertising campaign inform residents of Rep. Palmer's district of his broken pledge on term limits. The U.S. Term Limits amendment has been introduced in Congress calling for six years total in the U.S. House of Representatives and twelve years maximum in the U.S. Senate. Senate Joint Resolution 3 (SJR3), sponsored by Texas Senator Ted Cruz has 15 sponsors and cosponsors. House Joint Resolution 12 (HJR12) sponsored by South Carolina Rep. Ralph Norman has 69 House members on board. Support is expected to exceed 100 Congress members during the 117th Congress. "Once upon a time, Gary Palmer kept his word to the people of Alabama by honoring his U.S. term limits pledge," said Nicolas Tomboulides, Executive Director of U.S. Term Limits. "But now, after spending 7 years in the corrupt swamp of D.C., Palmer has abandoned his pledge and changed his position on the U.S. term limits amendment to match that of Pelosi and Schumer. Palmer's unprincipled flip-flopping is a prime example of why so many Americans favor term limits in the first place." "Gary Palmer once said that congressmen who stay too long become part of the Washington culture," concluded Tomboulides. "We agree, which is why we are encouraging Palmer to apologize to his constituents and keep his word." U.S. Term Limits is the oldest and largest grassroots term limits advocacy group in the country. We connect term limits supporters with their legislators and work to pass term limits on all elected officials, particularly on the U.S. Congress. Find out more at termlimits.com/palmer. Media Contact: David Johnson, Strategic Vision PR Group Ph: (404) 380-1079 Email: [email protected] SOURCE U.S. Term Limits NORTH YORK, ON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Globe and Mail has revealed that TDot Performance is No. 331 on its annual list of Canada's Top Growing Companies. The list ranks qualifying private and public Canadian businesses by the percentage of their revenue growth over three years. The 400 businesses on this list sprawl across various sectors like fashion, finance, and manufacturing. "We are proud to be recognized as one of Canada's Top Growing Companies this year," says Charith Perera, CEO of TDot Performance, "It's thanks to the dedication and hard work of our employees, customers, and partners, despite the challenges of the pandemic. We can't wait for next year's growth!" Growth rates were calculated from the fiscal 2020 and 2017 revenues of participating companies. Much of the success seen on the list occurred during the global pandemic, changing how many companies operated. Many businesses were able to adapt, innovate, and expand despite the challenges posed through 2020. Established in 2019, the 3rd Annual Event Honoring the companies on the list will be held virtually from October 4 to 6, 2021. About TDot Performance TDot Performance is a leading provider of automotive performance parts and accessories for vehicle owners across Canada. The company's online store offers more than 600,000 aftermarket auto products from 250+ industry brands. Popular products include tonneau covers , floor mats, tires , exhausts, and more. Shoppers can expect free and quick shipping anywhere in Canada, with no hidden brokerage fees, duties, or customs. Name: Charith Perera Company: TDot Performance Address: 245 Caledonia Rd, North York, ON, M6A 2X6 Email: [email protected] Phone: 1-800-276-7566 Website: https://www.tdotperformance.ca/ SOURCE TDot Performance FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Texas Alternative Home School, a non-profit that provides state law compliant degrees, offers students who can't graduate high school, who never got their degree, or who never received a GED a path forward. Located in Texas, but serving clients all across the United States, TAHS provides both in-person and virtual correspondence, ensuring that no matter the needs of their students, there's always a solution that works. "Our programs are perfect for high schoolers who are unsure if they can graduate or adults who want to grow in their career and need a high school degree to move up," says Dr. Shawn W. Clark, Director of Texas Alternative Home School. The goal is to help students earn a Texas State Law compliant diploma and official transcripts without standardized testing and with no age limits to who can be a student. Texas Alternative Home School even offers ESL adult education courses for those whose first language is not English. Their curriculum is focused on Accelerated Christian Education (ACL), which is exceptional for their students. With a number of programs to choose from, the mission of TAHS is to completely eliminate the high school dropout rate. "We know that a high school diploma can be the difference in finding open doors to a good career," notes Dr. Clark. "Traditional public high schools are not the best option for everyone, and whether you finished part of high school, haven't started, or left high school a while ago, we offer a variety of in-person and at-home programs to assist you with earning your Texas State Law compliant high school diploma and official transcript," says Dr. Clark. The TAHS website provides information on how to get started, enrollment schedules, programs, graduation, graduate guidelines, reviews, and more. Whether students are seeking better career opportunities, better pay options, improvement in practical skills, a reduced risk of unemployment, or increased job opportunities, Texas Alternative Home School seeks to provide convenient, effective, affordable solutions. About Texas Alternative Home School Texas Alternative Home School was created with the mission of offering personalized home school courses to help students achieve their goals. With programs tailored to meet the unique needs of each student, TAHS seeks to help students take charge of their future with adult education classes. Whether the goal is to advance a career or get an adult high school degree, Texas Alternative Home School is the solution. Interested parties can learn more or sign up at https://www.texasalternativehs.org/ Contact: Farra Lanzer 970-541-3284 [email protected] SOURCE Texas Alternative Home School Related Links https://www.texasalternativehs.org/ Launched earlier this year, the Foundry Fellowship is a first-of-its-kind fellowship focused on African entrepreneurs who have successfully grown ventures on the continent and have arrived at an inflection point in their entrepreneurial journeys. The fellowship will provide the space for these entrepreneurs to come together to reflect on their achievements and consider their present and future leadership roles as entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and thought leaders. Collectively, the Fellows will explore the future of innovation ecosystems in Africa and demonstrate how Africa can be a hub for innovation globally. Fellows will spend six months learning from MIT faculty, connecting with investors, and expanding their network of peer innovators through an interactive customized curriculum. The fellowship will culminate in a three-week immersive session in the United States where Fellows will explore the MIT innovation ecosystem and showcase their ventures and lessons in innovation with faculty, staff, and students. Reflecting on the incoming class of Foundry Fellows, Dina Sherif, Executive Director of the Legatum Center at MIT, said, "Their unique perspective on innovation, inclusion and sustainability combined with their limitless ambition and resilience, make this extraordinary group of entrepreneurs particularly exciting. We look forward to welcoming the Foundry Fellows to the Legatum Center community and sharing their stories and lessons in impact with the rest of the world." Professor Fiona Murray, Faculty Director of the Legatum Center at MIT, added, "The Foundry Fellows exemplify how entrepreneurs contribute to growth and drive change in their regional innovation ecosystems. With the Foundry Fellowship, we aim to amplify the voices and influence of these leaders and draw lessons from their experience at the MIT Sloan School of Management." "Innovation and entrepreneurial solutions are critical to continued growth and creating shared prosperity across Africa. The Foundry Fellowship elevates the role of entrepreneurs and offers a platform for these accomplished leaders to advance and extend their impact in their local ecosystems and beyond," said Kofi Appenteng, President and CEO of the Africa-America Institute and Legatum Center at MIT Advisory Board member. The Foundry Fellowship was developed in collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation in alignment with the Foundation's vision of a world where everyone has the opportunity to learn and prosper. By deepening the impact of leaders who are solving complex problems, creating jobs, and bringing essential services to millions across Africa through their innovation-driven business models, the fellowship directly supports the objectives of the Foundation's Young Africa Works strategy which aims to enable 30 million young people to secure dignified and fulfilling work by 2030. For a full list of Foundry Fellows and descriptions of their ventures visit: https://legatum.mit.edu/foundry2021 Media requests should be addressed to Courtney Schoon at [email protected]. About the Legatum Center for Development & Entrepreneurship at MIT The Legatum Center for Development & Entrepreneurship at MIT was founded in 2007 on the belief that innovation-driven entrepreneurship is key to increasing prosperity and building more inclusive systems in emerging markets. The Center drives prosperity globally by building pathways for principled entrepreneurial leaders to transform systems, and improve lives. Legatum Center is a global community based at MIT, drawing on the Institute's talent, networks, and expertise to inspire and equip those who want to move their ideas toward scalable impact. In addition to supporting and equipping entrepreneurs operating in emerging markets with the tools and resources to build scalable impactful businesses, the Center gathers lessons and produces actionable insights to inform and advance innovation-driven entrepreneurial ecosystems globally. SOURCE MIT Sloan School of Management Related Links http://www.mitsloan.mit.edu CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vistria Group, a purpose driven investment firm, today announced three partner additions and the opening of an office in Texas. Boris Rapoport joins as Partner and Co-Head of Financial Services. After serving as a Senior Advisor for nearly four years, Mona Sutphen joins as Partner and Head of Investment Strategies. The Vistria Group also announced the opening of a new office in Dallas which will be the firm's first office outside of its Chicago headquarters. Bill Macatee joins the firm as Partner and Head of Strategic Relationships after serving as a Senior Advisor and will lead operations of the Dallas office. "The Vistria Group continues to grow by investing in companies who are making a difference in their communities while generating strong returns for our investors. We find success by recruiting and promoting team members who are passionate about our approach," said Kip Kirkpatrick, Co-CEO and Senior Partner at The Vistria Group. "These additions, and the establishment of a permanent office in Dallas, will allow us to continue to support our portfolio companies and develop new opportunities across the country." "At The Vistria Group, we aim to build our team with talented individuals from a range of backgrounds," added Martin Nesbitt, Co-CEO and Senior Partner at The Vistria Group. "Boris brings a wealth of experience to help us continue to grow in the financial services vertical. Mona has been an incredible contributor to the development of our unique approach and a key advisor to our portfolio companies. Her new role as Head of Investment Strategies will help our deal teams continue to stay ahead in developing investable themes in our targeted industries. With the opening of the Dallas office, and Bill joining as Partner, we look to increase our access to a vibrant market full of new opportunities for our investors. These announcements are all made possible by the continued outstanding work of the entire Vistria team, which has led to a remarkable period of growth for our firm." In June of 2021, The Vistria Group successfully closed its fourth equity fund at $2.68 billion, a substantial increase from the Fund III close of $1.11 billion. In total, the firm manages $6.5 billion in assets, which are deployed primarily in middle-market companies in healthcare, education, and financial services. Recent acquisitions, including Edmentum and SCA Pharmaceuticals, have grown The Vistria Group's portfolio to 25 companies. Rapoport joins The Vistria Group from Lightyear Capital, a financial services-focused private equity firm, where he was a Managing Director and member of the Investment Committee. During his career, he has invested in a range of financial services companies, including insurance, consumer finance, financial technology, and the intersection of healthcare and financial services. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania, where he received a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School and a B.A. in International Studies. Sutphen joins The Vistria Group as Partner, Head of Investment Strategies, a newly created role wherein she will work with partners in each vertical to continuously evaluate existing investment themes and develop new areas of focus. Sutphen has served as Senior Advisor at The Vistria Group since 2018. Previously, she was a Partner at Macro Advisory Partners and Managing Director at UBS AG. She served as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy under President Barack Obama and served on the President's Intelligence Advisory Board from 2013-2016. She is an Independent Director for Spotify, Pattern Energy and Unitek Learning and is a Trustee of Putnam Mutual Funds and ETFs. She serves on the Boards of the International Rescue Committee and Human Rights First and on the Advisory Board of the Warner Music Social Justice Fund, and the Center for Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. She is a Trustee of Mount Holyoke College where she earned her BA. She received her MSc from the London School of Economics. The Vistria Group also announced the opening of their first office outside of Chicago, on the campus of Old Parkland in Dallas. Vistria Dallas will be managed by Bill Macatee, who has joined the firm as Partner and Head of Strategic Relationships after serving as a key Senior Advisor. Following a lengthy career in media, Bill made the transition to investing with The Vistria Group eight years ago. Bill has advised a number of the firm's portfolio companies, and currently serves on the Boards of Directors for Academic Partnerships, FullBloom, Supplemental Health Care, and Rock Dental Brands. He is also a member of the Advisory Council for Edmentum. About The Vistria Group The Vistria Group is a Chicago-based next generation private investment firm that operates at the intersection of purpose and profit. We partner with middle-market businesses in Healthcare, Education and Financial Services that are passionate about growth and committed to the community. Our decision to invest in these areas is driven by our belief in companies producing scalable social value. Vistria's team is comprised of highly experienced operating partners and investment professionals with proven track records of working with management teams in building innovative, market-leading companies. For more information, please visit www.vistria.com. SOURCE The Vistria Group Related Links http://www.vistria.com LONDON and NEW YORK, Sept. 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Michael R. Bloomberg, the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions and founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies, announced commitments and initiatives aimed at delivering on UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' call for ambitious action ahead of this year's UN Climate Change Conference (COP26). Designed to catalyze additional climate actions from public, private, and civil society actors around the world, Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies will unveil dozens of climate and environment focused investments, partnerships, capacity-building, and educational efforts over the next eight weeks in the lead up to November. In addition to these new initiatives, Bloomberg Philanthropies is committing $10.5 million to strengthen climate capacity across the UN and promote climate ambition and solutions ahead of COP26. Bloomberg L.P., the global business and financial information and news leader, will also support the UK Presidency by becoming an official partner of COP26, and provide decision-makers with access to unparalleled data, insights, and expert analysis drawn from across Bloomberg's global network. "The latest science has made clear that we need to accelerate our efforts in the global fight against climate change, and this year's climate conference in Glasgow is a vital opportunity to do just that. We must do more, together, to curb emissions and at Bloomberg, we're glad to partner with COP26 and support the UN's critical work on this issue," said Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies and the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions. "Across both Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies, we're working to advance the transition to clean energy, rallying local climate action, and mobilizing businesses and financial institutions. In each area, we're drawing on data and strong partnerships to build a healthier and more sustainable future." "I am delighted to welcome Bloomberg L.P. to the COP26 family as a Partner for the UN climate conference taking place in Glasgow," said COP26 President-Designate Alok Sharma. "Tackling climate change is one of the greatest and most urgent challenges we face, and Bloomberg continues to show climate leadership. I look forward to working with them to deliver a successful and inclusive summit." Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies will host a series of sponsored events, installations, and engagement programs in Glasgow and London. These platforms aim to accelerate the clean energy transition, inspire local climate action, and put greater emphasis on mobilizing climate finance. Mike Bloomberg will also be the convener of business leaders to discuss the challenges faced by the private sector, as well as data, research, and solutions needed to collectively achieve net-zero targets. These sessions will be centered around climate risk, transition planning, capital mobilization and low carbon portfolio alignment. "Success at COP26 is absolutely critical for the world to get back on track with respect to the 1.5C climate goal under the Paris Agreement," said Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change. "Global leaders will face a significant agenda in Glasgow, but billions look to them to make the bold and courageous decisions necessary to finally implement the Paris Agreement, significantly boost climate ambition and ultimately get humanity off its current path of destruction. This support is both welcome and crucial for building capacity towards and ensuring success at COP26." "Working alongside Mr. Bloomberg on the Race to Zero and Race to Resilience campaigns, I have seen firsthand the dedication and results-driven approach that makes him a leader in the global climate fight," said Nigel Topping, UK High Level Climate Champion for COP26. "This new series of commitments comes at an important juncture in the leadup to COP26, and each of its extensive components will help to accelerate our work to create a more resilient and equitable future." "Mr. Bloomberg's leadership has been critical in mobilizing leaders at all levels of society toward net-zero, and he continues to increase ambition within his own organizations," said Gonzalo Munoz, Chilean High Level Climate Champion for COP26. "I applaud Mr. Bloomberg for raising the bar for climate action with these new collaborative initiatives and unparalleled access to data and analysis around the COP26 negotiations." Inspiring Local Action Six years after co-hosting the Climate Summit for Local Leaders at the COP21 Paris summit, where the Paris Agreement was adopted, Mike Bloomberg will bring together influential change makers and leaders from across government, business, technology, media, and the arts at the historic Glasgow City Chambers with the goal of promoting collaboration, creative solutions, and changes to overcome barriers to ambitious climate action. As Global Ambassador for the UN Race to Zero and Race to Resilience campaigns, Mike Bloomberg will support the efforts of more than 700 cities, 30 regions, 3,000 businesses, and hundreds of investors who have joined the Races to mobilize unprecedented climate action and ensure their efforts are reflected in the historic COP26 negotiations. Additionally, Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies will collaborate with the Cities of London and Glasgow on sustainable city-wide engagements that will inspire local climate activism and create a lasting legacy for COP26 in the United Kingdom. Bloomberg Editorial & Research and Bloomberg Media Bloomberg Green, the editorial brand focused on climate change and the energy transition, will lift its paywall and provide free content for the duration of COP26, as well as host live events throughout the week of November 8. The October issue of Green's print magazine will feature a dedicated special section on COP26. BloombergNEF's proprietary research and analysis covering trends in the energy transition will build on recent reports published to inform policy priorities ahead of international climate negotiations, including the Climate Policy Factbook and Energy Transition Factbook recently published in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies. Bloomberg Intelligence will deliver research and data analyzing how industries and companies are responding to climate change, including the development of carbon transition forecasts and climate scenarios across eight industries as well as reports on green recovery and low carbon portfolios. Bloomberg Philanthropies Mike Bloomberg has long been globally recognized for his work to accelerate global climate action. To date, he has contributed $32.5 million toward UN climate efforts. This includes filling the federal funding gap created when the Trump Administration revoked much of its financial support, publishing annual assessments of U.S. non-federal action to reduce emissions consistent with the Paris Agreement, and funding U.S. Climate Action Pavilions at UN Climate Conferences to ensure exhibition and convening space for showcasing American climate leadership. Ahead of COP26, Bloomberg Philanthropies is collaborating with Glasgow City Council as host of the Climate Conference to deliver a legacy for the city and its residents. Starting with an innovative Asphalt Art installation at the entrance of Anderston Station, Glasgow joins a select group of international cities supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies to transform and revitalise a public space through the power of art. To learn more about Bloomberg L.P.'s sustainability initiatives and to read the latest 2020 Impact Report, visit www.bloomberg.com/impact. Bloomberg Philanthropies' 2020 Annual Report is available at https://annualreport.bloomberg.org/. About Bloomberg on Climate Led by Michael R. Bloomberg, a global climate champion and Special Envoy to the UN Secretary-General, Bloomberg is tackling the climate crisis from every angle. Bloomberg Philanthropies is at the forefront of U.S. and global efforts to fight climate change and protect the environment across a key array of issues. Bringing together mayors and other government and business leaders, grassroots partners, and environmental advocates, Bloomberg Philanthropies implements bold programs that tackle the climate crisis and help build a more sustainable, resilient, and equitable economy. Its efforts are accelerating the transition from coal to clean energy, improving air quality and public health, advancing city climate action, protecting and preserving ocean ecosystems, and helping unlock billions of dollars in sustainable finance. Bloomberg L.P. provides the global financial community with data-driven insights, news, and analysis to help them integrate an ESG lens across the investment process. As a company, Bloomberg L.P. is also leading by example, including committing to net-zero carbon emissions by 2025 and taking action in the communities where its employees live and work. And through Bloomberg's stewardship of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures and the Climate Finance Leadership Initiative, Bloomberg is using the power of the capital markets to address climate change and support the transition to a net-zero economy. About Bloomberg Philanthropies Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 810 cities and 170 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg's giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2020, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $1.6 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter. About Bloomberg Bloomberg, the global business and financial information and news leader, gives influential decision makers a critical edge by connecting them to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas. The company's strength delivering data, news and analytics through innovative technology, quickly and accurately is at the core of theBloomberg Terminal. Bloomberg's enterprise solutions build on the company's core strength: leveraging technology to allow customers to access, integrate, distribute and manage data and information across organizations more efficiently and effectively. For more information, visitBloomberg.com/company or request a demo. Media Contacts Natalie Harland Bloomberg +44-20-35258820 [email protected] Daphne Wang Bloomberg Philanthropies +1-646-771-1473 [email protected] SOURCE Bloomberg Philanthropies HOUSTON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Four partners from Houston-based Heim, Payne & Chorush have been honored for their work in intellectual property litigation by Texas Super Lawyers following a rigorous peer-review and selection process to compile the prestigious 2021 list. Firm co-founder and managing director Mike Heim earned the added distinction of being named among the Top 100 lawyers in Houston overall across all practice specialties. In addition to Mr. Heim, firm co-founders Les Payne and Russell Chorush and partner Eric Enger earned repeat recognition from Super Lawyers. The four are part of a Heim, Payne & Chorush trial team with a national reputation for obtaining large verdicts, settlements and licensing agreements in litigation involving a wide range of patented technology. Their expertise includes patent-related appeals at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court, as well as inter partes review proceedings at the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board. With a rare combination of courtroom experience and engineering and scientific backgrounds, Heim, Payne & Chorush lawyers have earned record settlements in patent-related antitrust litigation against pharmaceutical companies that abuse patent laws to maintain an anticompetitive advantage. Super Lawyers, owned by Thomson Reuters, makes selections based on a patented multiphase process that combines peer nominations and evaluations with third-party research. Each year, less than 5 percent of attorneys in Texas are named to the overall list, which is published in Super Lawyers and Texas Monthly magazines. For the complete list, visit www.superlawyers.com. Heim, Payne & Chorush, LLP, represents plaintiffs and defendants in litigation across a broad range of technologies and business sectors. With a wide variety of technical and scientific backgrounds, firm attorneys handle all facets of intellectual property litigation for some of the largest energy and technology firms, as well as individuals and smaller companies. Ranked among the most active and top-performing firms in matters before the U.S. Patent Trial and Appeal Board by Patexia Insights, the firm takes pride in its ability to partner with other attorneys and firms to bring the best possible trial team together for the benefit of the client. To learn more about the firm and the work it does, visit www.hpcllp.com . Media Contact: Robert Tharp 800-559-4534 [email protected] SOURCE Heim, Payne & Chorush Related Links http://www.hpcllp.com MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Australian-based family office of the Smorgon family, Victor Smorgon Group (VSG) has today announced that it has taken an equity stake in leading crypto asset investment platform Zerocap. Facilitating the family's first investment in the asset class in 2020, VSG has closely followed the firm's growth, ultimately investing to capture upside in an agile business that is leading the rapidly expanding crypto sector. The investment followed a comprehensive due diligence process before capital was allocated with Zerocap. The team at VSG were particularly impressed by the exceptional team with a cross-section of blockchain experts and institutional portfolio managers, comprehensive custodial and insurance arrangements, and wide variety of unique funds and tailored products offered by the structured solutions desk. Peter Edwards, MD, Victor Smorgon Group: "Once we realised we wanted exposure to the asset class, we searched globally for a solution that could mirror our internal compliance processes for investing, and found Zerocap to be amongst the leaders in their field, and fortuitously, local. The crypto world is difficult to navigate, given its infancy, and the solution Zerocap implemented for our group gave us comfort to recommend their services to other family offices interested in beginning an investment journey. We are really happy to be joining Zerocap and look forward to working together for the business's exciting future." Ryan McCall, CEO, Zerocap: "Having VSG on board has enabled us to move swiftly, and realise our growth plans sooner than we anticipated. Institutional investors are beginning to realise the benefits to a portfolio that sensible exposure to crypto assets offers, being non-correlated and providing greater risk-adjusted returns. The next decade is set to see an explosion of innovation and creative disruption that will benefit those investors willing to embrace these changes." On September 1st, Zerocap launched its first wholesale fund providing pure Bitcoin exposure, seeded with a material cornerstone investment from the family. This will be the first of many offerings the team plan to introduce, including a fund that reduces volatility and drawdown, and a market-timing fund utilising on-chain data to maximise returns. Digital currencies provide access to a totally new asset class to invest in with considerable upside. Investment in crypto assets provides VSG exposure to blockchain technology as it moves into the mainstream. About Zerocap Zerocap is Australia's only full-service crypto platform, providing unique investment products and secure custody to forward-thinking investors and institutions globally. Zerocap brings a deep understanding of digital asset technology, trading, portfolio optimisation, custody and insurance, having processed close to a billion dollars of digital assets for private investors, family offices and institutions. Zerocap creates bespoke solutions for investors to diversify their investment portfolio with Bitcoin and digital assets, through a range of regulated and direct exposure products across the volatility spectrum to fit with their desired levels of investment and risk. Website: www.zerocap.com SOURCE Zerocap Related Links https://zerocap.com NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Vitech Systems Group announced today that Pacific Life, a leading U.S. life insurance and retirement solutions company headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif., has selected V3locity, Vitech's cloud-native administration, engagement, and analytics platform, to administer its growing institutional investment business. Pacific Life will use V3locity for its deal acceptance, policy administration, payments, and enterprise capabilities, to manage their pension risk-transfer (PRT), and stable value businesses. Together, these businesses constitute a major portion of Pacific Life's institutional investment business. Pacific Life will also leverage V3locity Digital, Vitech's persona-based, digital self-service solution, to deliver a seamless and intuitive digital experience. Pacific Life selected Vitech to help scale its business, provide improved reporting and analytics, enable advanced functionality for new products, and consolidate key business units onto one unified system. "V3locity will be instrumental in helping us facilitate a successful transformation and provide a strong foundation as our business rapidly expands," said Paul Hance, vice president and managing director of Pacific Life's Institutional Customer Solutions Group. "We are proud to partner with Vitech to help us capture additional opportunities and growth in our target markets." "We are delighted to play such a significant role in helping Pacific Life further advance its institutional investment technology capabilities," said Gary Sherne, Vitech's chief revenue officer. "We look forward to working with Pacific Life to provide a competitive edge in the evolving institutional investment landscape, while advancing our rapid expansion into the PRT market." V3locity is a transformative suite of complementary applications that offers full life cycle business functionality and robust enterprise capabilities. It marries core administration with a revolutionary digital experience, while its modular design enables flexible, agile deployment strategies. V3locity also employs an advanced, cloud-native architecture that leverages the unique capabilities of AWS to deliver a solution with unparalleled security, scalability, and resiliency. About Vitech Vitech is a global provider of cloud-native benefit and investment administration software. We help our Insurance, Retirement, and Investment clients expand their offerings and capabilities, streamline their operations, gain analytical insights, and transform their engagement models. Vitech employs over 1,600 professionals, serving the world's most successful insurance, retirement, and investment organizations. An innovator and visionary, Vitech's market leadership has been recognized by industry experts, such as Gartner, Celent, Novarica, and ISG. For more information, please visit www.vitechinc.com. About Pacific Life For more than 150 years, Pacific Life has helped millions of individuals and families with their financial needs through a wide range of life insurance products, annuities, and mutual funds, and offers a variety of investment products and services to individuals, businesses, and pension plans. Whether your goal is to protect loved ones or grow your assets for retirement, Pacific Life offers innovative products and services that provide value and financial security for current and future generations. Pacific Life counts more than half of the 100 largest U.S. companies as its clients and was named one of the 2021 World's Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere Institute. Pacific Life refers to Pacific Life Insurance Company and its affiliates, including Pacific Life & Annuity Company. Client count as of June 2021 is compiled by Pacific Life using the 2021 FORTUNE 500 list. For additional company information, including current financial-strength ratings, visit www.PacificLife.com. SOURCE Vitech Systems Group Related Links http://www.vitechinc.com NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Brand Caffeine has officially expanded to partnering with top brokerages in New York City. After a year of quarantine, many professionals now understand that their online presence is just as, if not more important than in-person presence. For those who thrive on social media, wonder what kind of caffeine they're sipping on to run both their businesses and their social platforms? Enter: digital marketing agency, Brand Caffeine. Top brokers of New York City have been rumoured to seek out exclusive boutique agency Brand Caffeine to heighten their digital influence through organic social media management, paid advertising, search engine optimization, and content creation. With a co-founder who began her career at Corcoran on a highly established real estate team, licensed agent turned marketing expert Liv Schreiber and her team scale businesses and manage accounts from a perspective unmatched in the marketing industry. Want to do a headstand at a hottest listing? Done. Meet Schreiber on top of a tour bus in NYC for a great Reel? Easy. Need a grand tour on TikTok of a 20 million dollar listing on Perry Street? Schreiber will be there in 5. From point A to point Z, Brand Caffeine maintains a sought-after marketing practice that is ahead of the curve. Viral broker videos with over 300K views speak for the successes of Brand Caffeine clients. Gone are the days of using curated (or, as Schreiber says, "boring!") images for the Instagram feed. Trust BrandCaffeine to take care of the entire process from start to finish, crafting content that performs with creativity, in turn attracting followers, and million-dollar plus sales. Just ask Brown Harris Stevens, Bross Chingas Bross, Warburg Realty, and other thrilled brokerages that lean on BrandCaffeine for their top performing agents who bring in billions throughout their careers. When Schreiber was asked about the unusual combination of personality, content creation and brokers, she cites her background in fashion and real estate as the magic potion, citing, "Brands and influencers use unmatched individuality and UGC content to reel in customers. Why should real estate be any different?" Authenticity and creativity, encouraged by Schreiber and her team, take away the stress that comes with building a following within a crowded online space. Brand Caffeine creates video content, photos, and more for the top brokers in NYC that are aimed to veer off path from the crowd. Steal the competition's followers - and build a dedicated audience- with Brand Caffeine at www.brand-caffeine.com , and find Schreiber on social @livschreiber. One glass of Brand Caffeine, coming right up. CONTACT: Liv Schreiber, [email protected] SOURCE Brand Caffeine Related Links https://www.brand-caffeine.com WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wireless Innovation Forum is proud to congratulate member University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) for being chosen as a participating research organization in the National Science Foundation's new $25 million National Center for Wireless Spectrum Research (SII-Center) known as SpectrumX, which was also the name of the winning team in the competition for the award. The project will be led by the University of Notre Dame and will bring together experts from 29 organizations to transform the landscape of spectrum research, education, collaboration, and management. "The Forum is elated that CU Boulder has been chosen to participate in this landmark project," said Forum President John Glossner of Optimum Semiconductor Technologies. "Programs such as this are vital in supporting the mission and objectives of our members. We believe that leveraging your findings could be a significant step in helping to address the key issues identified by our members in our 'Top 10 Most Wanted Wireless Innovations'" NORTH ANDOVER, Mass., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- 6K, an innovative leader in the production of sustainable advanced materials for energy storage and additive manufacturing powders, has been awarded the Manufacturer of the Year for Massachusetts' 14th Essex district. 6K was nominated by State Representative Christina Minicucci (D-North Andover) and will be honored by the Commonwealth's Legislative Manufacturing Caucus at Polar Park in Worcester, MA today. The Caucus, formed in 2014, focuses on training for manufacturing employees, encouraging innovation by helping start-ups access resources, and expanding apprenticeship opportunities in key manufacturing sectors. 6K's revolutionary UniMelt microwave plasma technology is the first of its kind to manufacture battery material and additive manufacturing powders in a sustainable and cost-effective way. 6K's performance materials are used in advanced manufacturing industries from aerospace manufacturing to Lithium-ion batteries to electric vehicle products. Aaron Bent, 6K Chief Executive Officer thanked the state for its acknowledgement: "We at 6K appreciate the recognition from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the Commonwealth Legislative Manufacturing Caucus. Performance materials are a critical component to our nation's national security, and we want to position Massachusetts as a hub for industries like advanced battery material production to aid in solving this challenge. Without the help of our communities and our legislative leaders, we would not have the ecosystem of innovation necessary to make this a reality. We are happy to call Massachusetts, and especially North Andover, our global headquarters. Special thanks to State Representative Christina Minicucci for nominating us for this award and recognizing our investment and hard work in the industry." State Representative Christina Miniucci (D-North Andover), who nominated the company for the award had this to say: "6K's innovative technology coupled with its commitment to North Andover and other Merrimack Valley communities is why I nominated them for this award. With an MIT heritage, 6K is representative of the type of innovative company that combines world-class technology with both development and manufacturing expertise that we pride ourselves on in Massachusetts. 6K's technology and applications will keep Massachusetts's economy competitive for the future in very strategic areas such as battery and additive manufacturing materials." 6K previously announced the opening of a $25 million dollar Battery Center of Excellence, located in North Andover with plans to be finished by December 2021. The Battery Center of Excellence is focused on the development and production of sustainable battery materials for electric vehicles, grid storage and consumer goods. The new 33,000 sq/ft state-of-the-art facility will accommodate ten UniMelt systems that can produce as much as 100 tons of material from each system annually. This will support full scale development of materials such as high energy density and single crystal cathode, solid-state electrolyte materials, silicon anode for fast-charging and many more. The expansion will create production capabilities to fully support partner qualification, providing a gateway direct to domestic production. The Battery Center of Excellence will also allow 6K to offer dedicated UniMelt systems to customers, enabling the rapid commercialization of battery materials, which could have major implications for the cycle life and safety of future NMC-based EV products, making smaller, lower cost batteries a reality, without giving up vehicle range. 6K's mission is to provide a solution for global decarbonization in the production of performance materials, critical to manufacturing and production infrastructure. The UniMelt plasma production system is a revolutionary high volume production process, producing advanced performance materials in as little as two seconds versus two-three days. The UniMelt system displaces costly and wasteful legacy manufacturing approaches with a lower-cost, smaller footprint production technology, providing a path to meeting the cost demands the market requires. 6K's UniMelt platform offers multifaceted sustainability benefits like no other material production platform in the world. 6K press releases are available here: https://www.6kinc.com/about/news/ About 6K 6K represents 6000 degrees, the temperature of the surface of the sun, and the temperature of operation of our UniMelt system, the world's only production-scale microwave plasma system. 6K uses proprietary advanced plasma processing and industrial systems to create materials that are enabling the next-generation of commercial and consumer products, at lower cost, sustainably. The 6K ENERGY division will launch its $25M Battery Center of Excellence in 1Q22, fully capable of pilot production with up to 400 MWh of capacity. 6K is currently sampling customers and developing products across NMC, LFP, silicon dominant anode, solid-state electrolyte, and more. The 6K ADDITIVE division includes a 45-acre ISO9001 24/7 operation facility, that reclaims and processes over a million pounds of Ti64 per year and has recently built and commissioned a state-of-the-art 48,000 square foot production facility for additive manufacturing powders. To learn more about 6K, please visit www.6Kinc.com SOURCE 6K LEAWOOD, Kan., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Family Physicians held elections for its board of directors this week at its annual Congress of Delegates, the organization's governing body. Members of the board of directors advocate on behalf of family physicians and patients nationwide to inspire positive change in the U.S. health care system. The AAFP represents 133,500 physicians and medical students. Sterling N. Ransone, Jr. , MD, FAAFP is president. He is a third-generation family physician in Deltaville, Virginia , and has practiced rural medicine for more than 20 years. He currently serves as physician practice director at Riverside Fishing Bay Family Practice. He also serves as an assistant clinical professor of family medicine and population health at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia . , MD, FAAFP is president. He is a third-generation family physician in , and has practiced rural medicine for more than 20 years. He currently serves as physician practice director at Riverside Fishing Bay Family Practice. He also serves as an assistant clinical professor of family medicine and population health at in . Ada D. Stewart , MD, FAAFP, is board chair. Stewart is a family physician with Cooperative Health, formerly Eau Claire Cooperative Health Centers, in Columbia, South Carolina , where she has practiced since 2012. She currently serves as lead provider and HIV specialist. From 2003 to 2012, Stewart served as chief medical officer and HIV specialist at the Richland Community Health Care Association in Eastover and Columbia, South Carolina . She began her career as a National Health Service Corps scholar, caring for underserved patients in rural South Carolina . She is a preceptor for medical residents, medical students and nurse practitioners. In the aftermath of Sept. 11, 2001 , Stewart enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves and has achieved the rank of Colonel. , MD, FAAFP, is board chair. Stewart is a family physician with Cooperative Health, formerly Eau Claire Cooperative Health Centers, in , where she has practiced since 2012. She currently serves as lead provider and HIV specialist. From 2003 to 2012, Stewart served as chief medical officer and HIV specialist at the Richland Community Health Care Association in and . She began her career as a National Health Service Corps scholar, caring for underserved patients in rural . She is a preceptor for medical residents, medical students and nurse practitioners. In the aftermath of , Stewart enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserves and has achieved the rank of Colonel. Russell W. Kohl , MD, FAAFP, is speaker of the AAFP Congress of Delegates. Kohl is a family physician living in Stilwell, Kansas , and serves as chief medical officer with TMF Health Quality Institute, a Medicare quality improvement organization serving Oklahoma , Arkansas , Missouri , Texas , Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands . He also cares for patients at Whiteman Air Force Base as Senior Flight Surgeon and Commander with the 131st Medical Group. He previously served as chief medical officer of TransforMED, ran a full-scope solo practice in rural Oklahoma , and served as faculty at the University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine. , MD, FAAFP, is speaker of the AAFP Congress of Delegates. Kohl is a family physician living in , and serves as chief medical officer with TMF Health Quality Institute, a Medicare quality improvement organization serving , , , , and the . He also cares for patients at Whiteman Air Force Base as Senior Flight Surgeon and Commander with the 131st Medical Group. He previously served as chief medical officer of TransforMED, ran a full-scope solo practice in rural , and served as faculty at the School of Community Medicine. Daron W. Gersch , MD , FAAFP, is vice speaker of the Congress of Delegates. He is a family physician with CentraCare hospital in Long Prairie, Minnesota . Gersch works full-time as the ER medical and trauma director \ at CentraCare - Long Prairie hospital. He also currently serves as the medical director at Mother of Mercy nursing home in Albany, Minnesota . He is on the Protect Initiative for the CDC and serves on the medical review panel for familydoctor.org. MD FAAFP, is vice speaker of the Congress of Delegates. He is a family physician with CentraCare hospital in . Gersch works full-time as the ER medical and trauma director \ at CentraCare - hospital. He also currently serves as the medical director at Mother of Mercy nursing home in . He is on the Protect Initiative for the CDC and serves on the medical review panel for familydoctor.org. R. Shawn Martin , is executive vice president and chief executive officer of the AAFP. Martin works with the AAFP Board of Directors on the mission, strategy and vision for the AAFP, and provides representation to other organizations, including those in the medical, public and private sectors. is executive vice president and chief executive officer of the AAFP. Martin works with the AAFP Board of Directors on the mission, strategy and vision for the AAFP, and provides representation to other organizations, including those in the medical, public and private sectors. Tochi Iroku-Malize , MD, MPH, MBA, FAAFP, president-elect. She is a family physician in Long Island , New York . She serves as founding chair and professor of family medicine for the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra /Northwell in Hempstead, New York , and chair of family medicine for Northwell Health. She was previously the director of the family medicine residency program at Southside Hospital in Bay Shore, New York . She was active in the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors, which presented the Silver Program Director Recognition Award to her in 2015. , MD, MPH, MBA, FAAFP, president-elect. She is a family physician in , . She serves as founding chair and professor of family medicine for the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at /Northwell in , and chair of family medicine for Northwell Health. She was previously the director of the family medicine residency program at Southside Hospital in . She was active in the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors, which presented the Silver Program Director Recognition Award to her in 2015. Andrew J.P. Carroll , MD, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors. Carroll is a family physician in Chandler, Arizona . He is the founder, owner and medical director of Atembis LLC, an integrated medical-behavioral family medicine practice in Chandler . In addition to traditional payer patients, he cares for uninsured patients, those without a private or employer health plan, and those who are not eligible for federal or state insurance benefits by providing cost-conscientious care and arranging for diagnostic studies to be done at or near no cost. Carroll's practice combines full-scope family medical care as well as full breadth behavioral care through a team-based approach. In addition, Carroll serves as chief medical officer of accountable care services for Change Healthcare. , MD, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors. Carroll is a family physician in . He is the founder, owner and medical director of Atembis LLC, an integrated medical-behavioral family medicine practice in . In addition to traditional payer patients, he cares for uninsured patients, those without a private or employer health plan, and those who are not eligible for federal or state insurance benefits by providing cost-conscientious care and arranging for diagnostic studies to be done at or near no cost. Carroll's practice combines full-scope family medical care as well as full breadth behavioral care through a team-based approach. In addition, Carroll serves as chief medical officer of accountable care services for Change Healthcare. Steven P. Furr , MD, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors. Furr is a family physician in Jackson, Alabama . He is the co-founder of Family Medical Clinic of Jackson , which also supports a small, rural hospital and a local nursing home. Furr has cared for patients for more than 35 years, including providing obstetric care for more than 25 years. He is a certified medical director as well as a certified medical examiner. Furr is an adjunct assistant professor with the Department of Family Medicine at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile . He also serves as adjunct assistant professor with the Department of Family, Internal and Rural Medicine at the University of Alabama School of Medicine, College of Community Health Sciences in Tuscaloosa . , MD, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors. Furr is a family physician in . He is the co-founder of Family Medical Clinic of , which also supports a small, rural hospital and a local nursing home. Furr has cared for patients for more than 35 years, including providing obstetric care for more than 25 years. He is a certified medical director as well as a certified medical examiner. Furr is an adjunct assistant professor with the Department of Family Medicine at the College of Medicine in . He also serves as adjunct assistant professor with the Department of Family, Internal and Rural Medicine at the School of Medicine, College of Community Health Sciences in . Jennifer. L. Brull, MD, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors. She is a family physician in Plainville, Kansas . Brull has practiced family medicine in rural Kansas for 19 years. She is CEO and owner of Prairie Star Family Practice in Plainville . In addition, she serves as regional medical director for five accountable care organizations of independent primary care practices located in Kansas , Oklahoma , Missouri , Colorado and Utah . She serves the Rooks County Health Center Surgical Clinics as medical director and operations manager, and formerly served 12 years as health officer for the Rooks County Health Department. She is also the Kansas Medical Director for VaxCare. MD, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors. She is a family physician in . Brull has practiced family medicine in rural for 19 years. She is CEO and owner of Prairie Star Family Practice in . In addition, she serves as regional medical director for five accountable care organizations of independent primary care practices located in , , , and . She serves the Rooks County Health Center Surgical Clinics as medical director and operations manager, and formerly served 12 years as health officer for the Rooks County Health Department. She is also the Kansas Medical Director for VaxCare. Mary F. Campagnolo , MD, MBA, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors. She is a family physician in Bordentown, New Jersey . Campagnolo has practiced family medicine for 35 years, currently at Virtua-Primary Care of Mansfield , part of Virtua Medical Group. She also serves Virtua Health, a 5-hospital health system in southern New Jersey , as medical director and designated institutional official for graduate medical education. She oversees the accreditation and operations of five Virtua-sponsored residencies, as well as the training for more than 400 students, resident physicians and fellows from numerous affiliated regional academic medical centers each year. , MD, MBA, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors. She is a family physician in . Campagnolo has practiced family medicine for 35 years, currently at Virtua-Primary Care of , part of Virtua Medical Group. She also serves Virtua Health, a 5-hospital health system in southern , as medical director and designated institutional official for graduate medical education. She oversees the accreditation and operations of five Virtua-sponsored residencies, as well as the training for more than 400 students, resident physicians and fellows from numerous affiliated regional academic medical centers each year. Todd D. Shaffer , MD, MBA, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors. He is a family physician in Kansas City, Missouri . Shaffer has practiced family medicine for 29 years. Since 1995, he has served the University of MissouriKansas City School of Medicine as assistant professor, associate professor, and then professor of family medicine. He also served as family medicine residency program director from 2002 to 2017. Shaffer practices the full scope of family medicine through University Physicians Associates at Truman Medical Centers and the Lakewood Medical Pavilion. , MD, MBA, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors. He is a family physician in . Shaffer has practiced family medicine for 29 years. Since 1995, he has served the University of MissouriKansas City School of Medicine as assistant professor, associate professor, and then professor of family medicine. He also served as family medicine residency program director from 2002 to 2017. Shaffer practices the full scope of family medicine through University Physicians Associates at Truman Medical Centers and the Lakewood Medical Pavilion. Gail Guerrero-Tucker , MD, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors. She is affiliated with Gila Valley Clinic in Safford, Arizona , as well as Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center in Safford . She graduated from University of Arizona College of Medicine in 2002. She spent 20 years working in the banking industry before attending medical school in 1997. MD, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors. She is affiliated with Gila Valley Clinic in , as well as Mt. Graham Regional Medical Center in . She graduated from College of Medicine in 2002. She spent 20 years working in the banking industry before attending medical school in 1997. Teresa L. Lovins , MD, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors. She is a physician owner at Lovin My Health DPC in Columbus , Indianaher own hometown direct primary care practicewhich opened during the COVID-19 pandemic. She previously worked in a variety of practice settings and helped to get both an employer-based clinic and a group practice off the ground. D , MD, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors. She is a physician owner at Lovin My Health DPC in , Indianaher own hometown direct primary care practicewhich opened during the COVID-19 pandemic. She previously worked in a variety of practice settings and helped to get both an employer-based clinic and a group practice off the ground. D Sarah C. Nosal , MD, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors. She is Vice President for Innovation & Optimization and Chief Medical Information Officer at The Institute for Family Health, an FQHC network with 30-plus Mid-Hudson, Bronx , Manhattan and Brooklyn locations. She secured financial support for IT infrastructure by enrolling clinicians achieving meaningful use across the system. As CMIO, she helped her institution become a regional leader in data sharing and ensuring equitable information access. , MD, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors. She is Vice President for Innovation & Optimization and Chief Medical Information Officer at The Institute for Family Health, an FQHC network with 30-plus Mid-Hudson, , and locations. She secured financial support for IT infrastructure by enrolling clinicians achieving meaningful use across the system. As CMIO, she helped her institution become a regional leader in data sharing and ensuring equitable information access. Karen Smith , MD, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors. She established her own independent private practice in 2003 in Raeford, North Carolina . Smith also serves as clinical instructor at the Department of Family Medicine & Community health at Duke University , adjunct instructor at the Department of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill , and adjunct instructor in the Division of Health Sciences at East Carolina University . , MD, FAAFP, is a member of the board of directors. She established her own independent private practice in 2003 in Raeford, . Smith also serves as clinical instructor at the Department of Family Medicine & Community health at , adjunct instructor at the Department of Family Medicine at the , and adjunct instructor in the Division of Health Sciences at . Samuel E. Mat his , MD, FAAFP, is the new physician member of the board of directors. He serves as assistant professor at the School of Medicine and Family Medicine Residency Program in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston . He is also the medical director at the UTMB Employee Health Services. , MD, FAAFP, is the new physician member of the board of directors. He serves as assistant professor at the School of Medicine and Family Medicine Residency Program in the Department of Family Medicine at the Medical Branch in . He is also the medical director at the UTMB Employee Health Services. Amanda Stisher , MD, is the resident member of the board of directors. She is a third-year family medicine resident at the Family Medicine Residency Program at University of Alabama at Birmingham in Huntsville . A member of the AAFP since 2015, Stisher currently serves as the resident chair of National Conference. She is the resident member of the Subcommittee on Student and Resident Issues and the Subcommittee on National Conference Planning, both on the Commission on Education. , MD, is the resident member of the board of directors. She is a third-year family medicine resident at the Family Medicine Residency Program at in . A member of the AAFP since 2015, Stisher currently serves as the resident chair of National Conference. She is the resident member of the Subcommittee on Student and Resident Issues and the Subcommittee on National Conference Planning, both on the Commission on Education. Amy Hoffman is the student member of the board of directors. She is a fourth-year medical student at the Penn State College of Medicine -University Park Campus, State College, Pennsylvania . At Penn State , Hoffman volunteers at the free, student-run clinic, LionCare, caring for underserved residents of rural central Pennsylvania . As a Global Health Scholar, she has traveled to Ghana to learn about health care systems and policy. She is currently implementing a culinary medicine curriculum to teach others about safe, economical, and culturally appropriate meal preparation to promote health. About the American Academy of Family Physicians Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents 133,500 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the largest medical society devoted solely to primary care. Family physicians conduct approximately one in five office visits -- that's 192 million visits annually or 48 percent more than the next most visited medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America's underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty. Family medicine's cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care. To learn more about the specialty of family medicine, the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care, and for downloadable multi-media highlighting family medicine, visit www.aafp.org/media. For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP's award-winning consumer website, www.familydoctor.org. SOURCE American Academy of Family Physicians Related Links http://www.aafp.org LEAWOOD, Kan., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The American Academy of Family Physicians announced the recipients of its most prestigious awards at its annual meeting this week. Three family physicians from across the nation were recognized for their outstanding contributions to family medicine and the health of the public. Each of these awards recognizes a family physician who has made exceptional advances in furthering the health of their communities through service and education. - Laura Parajon, MD, was awarded the AAFP's Public Health Award. The Public Health Award recognizes the important contributions that family physicians make to advancing the health of the public at the national, state or local levels. Parajon is Deputy Cabinet Secretary of Health at the New Mexico Department of Health, assistant professor at the University of New Mexico Department of Family and Community Medicine as well as the executive director of the Office for Community Health. - Evelyn Figueroa, MD, was awarded the AAFP's Humanitarian Award. The Humanitarian Award honors extraordinary and enduring humanitarian efforts by an AAFP member, both within and beyond the borders of the United States. Figueroa is the executive co-director of the Figueroa Wu Family Foundation, a non-profit organization that conducts anti-poverty work. In January 2018, the Foundation founded the University of Illinois-Chicago Health Pilsen Food Pantry. The Pantry services vulnerable communities and distributed over 500,000 pounds of food and household items last year. - Linda Prine, MD, received the AAFP's Thomas W. Johnson Award. The award recognizes those who have profoundly impacted family medicine education in undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education spheres. Prine is the Director of Women's Health at the Institute for Family Health, co-founder and co-director of the Reproductive Health Care and Advocacy Fellowship, and Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, New York. She is a national leader in reproductive health care advocacy. - James Clower, MD, received the AAFP's Robert Graham Physician Executive Award. This award is reserved for an AAFP member whose executive skills in health care organizations have contributed to excellence in the provision of high-quality health care and the impact on improving the overall health of the nation. Clower is the chief medical officer at Baptist Primary Care, Inc. in Jacksonville, Florida. He serves on the board of Baptist Primary Care, chair of the QA/QI Committee, and is a member of the Finance, EHR and Practice Transformation Committees. About the American Academy of Family Physicians Founded in 1947, the AAFP represents 133,500 physicians and medical students nationwide. It is the largest medical society devoted solely to primary care. Family physicians conduct approximately one in five office visits -- that's 192 million visits annually or 48 percent more than the next most visited medical specialty. Today, family physicians provide more care for America's underserved and rural populations than any other medical specialty. Family medicine's cornerstone is an ongoing, personal patient-physician relationship focused on integrated care. To learn more about the specialty of family medicine, the AAFP's positions on issues and clinical care, and for downloadable multi-media highlighting family medicine, visit www.aafp.org/media . For information about health care, health conditions and wellness, please visit the AAFP's award-winning consumer website, www.familydoctor.org . SOURCE American Academy of Family Physicians Related Links http://www.aafp.org SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Accela , the leading provider of cloud-based solutions for state and local government, and Avolve Software, today announced a new reseller partnership, building on their foundations of expertise in digitally transforming business processes for state and local government. Accela and Avolve have strengthened their partnership over the past decade, and bring together two industry-leading technologies into a robust solution for permitting and electronic plan review, all delivered on Microsoft Azure. Together through this partnership, Avolve and Accela can provide an unparalleled experience for applicants and plan reviewers at building agencies. ProjectDox, Avolve's electronic plan review solution, also provides proven business processes for public works, planning, engineering, fire, and any agency with a plan review requirement. As a result of Avolve and Accela's partnership, jurisdictions can now eliminate paper and PDF/email plan submissions, as well as conduct concurrent online plan reviews - all while communicating project status back into Accela's Civic Application for Building. With Avolve and Accela, agencies can achieve improved collaboration, transparency and process insight, resulting in lower costs, faster review cycles and a streamlined experience for both residents and agency staff. Avolve CEO Gary Heath said, "Avolve is excited to formalize our relationship after working with Accela for more than a decade, with dozens of mutual customers throughout North America. As part of our applicant experience focus in our new ProjectDox 9.2, we created a new Accela Citizen Access integration that provides a seamless applicant experience with self-serve status insight on their plan review as it is progressing. Both organizations have strategically aligned with Microsoft to deploy our mutual customers on the Azure cloud, which additionally improves the performance, security and scalability of the integrated solutions." Salt Lake City , Utah has relied on the Avolve+Accela solution for more than a decade, and ePlan reduced plan approval times for the city by as much as 50%, saving days and even weeks. After implementing Avolve+Accela, Salt Lake City also began tracking environmental conservation savings, and the estimated reductions are significant: 360,000 fewer miles driven by applicants; 512,000 fewer pounds of printed paper; 2,300 fewer pounds of hydrocarbons released into the atmosphere. Additionally, in light of current health and safety challenges, both staff and citizens are able to continue operations in a safe, online environment. "We are thrilled to grow our partnership with Avolve and expand Accela's network of trusted technology alliances that help government agencies streamline critical plan review processes on Microsoft Azure," said Tom Nieto, chief operating officer at Accela. "Technology plays a critical role in helping governments serve their constituents and simplify permitting and plan reviews. Accela is committed to aligning with partners, like Avolve, to deliver the best cloud-based solutions to governments and help them provide essential community services." The value of Avolve and Accela's complementary technologies is exponentially enhanced when deployed on Microsoft Azure. This combined rich solution assures jurisdictions that their information is secure, removes onerous IT requirements, and eliminates the headaches of upgrading to future versions. By relying on Accela, Avolve, and Microsoft, agencies can deliver a seamless citizen and staff experience, improved review process visibility, up to a 60% increase in plan review efficiencies, and a thorough security and audit trail. The new reseller partnership makes it easier than ever for jurisdictions to acquire the complete permitting and plan review solution on Microsoft's cloud environment in a single procurement. Accela delivers innovative, market-leading SaaS solutions that help governments worldwide to build thriving communities, grow businesses, and protect citizens' services. With Accela, state and local governments can unlock the power of the cloud and offer more modern services, simplify critical workflows, optimize costs and accelerate digitization. In total, Accela delivers leading cloud-based solutions to 80% of the top 100 U.S. cities and strengthens communities for more than 275 million citizens globally. To learn more about Accela's solutions, please visit https://www.accela.com/solutions/ . About Avolve Software: Avolve's suite of ePlan Life Cycle products brings efficiency and ease to submitting, reviewing, approving, storing and accessing building plans and data within your jurisdiction. Over 150+ cities and counties in the US and Canada use ProjectDox ePlan Review and one in every five citizens live in jurisdictions served by ProjectDox. Avolve has over 1000 deployed plan review processes, with over 2 million plan reviews performed on more than 100 million plan set files. Leading the industry for 15 years, our depth of ePlan process knowledge and services experience is unrivaled. www.avolvesoftware.com About Accela: Accela provides market-leading cloud solutions that empower the most innovative state and local governments around the world to build thriving communities, grow businesses, and protect citizens. More than 275 million citizens globally benefit from Accela's solutions, which are powered by Azure, for permitting, licensing, code enforcement, and service request management. Accela's fast-to-implement Civic Applications, built on its robust and extensible Civic Platform, help agencies address specific needs today, while ensuring they are prepared for any emerging or complex challenges in the future. The company was recently recognized as a 2021 Microsoft US Partner Award winner for its innovative SaaS solutions to help governments respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and was named as one of the Largest East Bay Tech Employers by San Francisco Business Times. Accela is headquartered in San Ramon, California, with additional offices around the world. For more information, visit www.accela.com . Contact: Holly Langbein, (916) 769-2199, [email protected] SOURCE Accela Related Links www.accela.com WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The non-profit organization, HPV Cancers Alliance, will host a virtual town hall meeting on Tuesday, October 5, 2021 at 3pm EST in an effort to educate the American public about the "PREVENT HPV Cancers Act" currently progressing through the United States Congress. Bill H.R.1550, Promoting Resources to Expand Vaccination, Education and New Treatments for HPV Cancers Act or the "PREVENT HPV Cancers Act", was introduced on International HPV Awareness Day, March 4, 2021. Its creators, Representatives Kathy Castor (FL) and Dr. Kim Schrier (WA), made the prevention of HPV-related cancers among Americans as the ultimate goal of the bill. A Facebook Live and YouTube live event will be hosted by the co-founders of the HPV Cancers Alliance, actress Marcia Cross and cancer activist Lillian Kreppel, both of whom are survivors of HPV-associated cancers. "We think it is incredibly important for the public to make time to educate themselves about one of the most common viruses out there, the cancers it causes, and how this Bill proposes to address that." Lillian Kreppel, Executive Director, HPV Cancers Alliance Representatives Castor and Schrier will provide a background on the legislation moving through Congress and the reasons why they dedicated themselves to this initiative. The virtual event will also feature a panel of medical experts in the fields related to infectious disease and HPV-associated cancers including: Dr. Anna Giuliano , Founding Director of the Center for Immunization and Infection Research in Cancer, Moffitt Cancer Center , Founding Director of the Center for Immunization and Infection Research in Cancer, Moffitt Cancer Center Dr. Abraham Aragones , Assistant Professor of Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center , Assistant Professor of Immigrant Health and Cancer Disparities, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Dr. Marcelo Araujo , Chief Science Officer, American Dental Association , Chief Science Officer, American Dental Association Dr. Judith Smith , Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences, UTHealth McGovern Medical School Panelists will discuss the key issues that the "PREVENT HPV Cancers Act" is intended to address including barriers to HPV vaccination, infection rates, immunity and recurrent HPV, HPV-associated cancers, and the virus's impact on under-served communities in the United States. The panel will also share how members of the voting public can get involved in supporting the bill as it moves through Congress. Viewers will have an opportunity to comment and submit questions via Facebook to the panelists during the live event. PREVENT HPV Cancers Act Virtual Town Hall Tuesday, October 5, 2021 at 3pm EST Facebook Live: @hpvallianceorg YouTube: www.youtube.com/YT Optional Registration: https://hpvalliance.org/events/ Photos: https://www.prlog.org/12887241 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE HPV Cancers Alliance Related Links http://hpvalliance.org NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Adapex Inc has been named the winner of a BRONZE Stevie Award in the Fastest Growing Company of the Year in the 18th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business. The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, employees, and the companies they run worldwide. The Stevie Awards have been hailed as the world's premier business awards. 2021 Stevie Award for Women in Business "I couldn't be prouder of this award. It is a recognition of a lot of hard, smart work by the Adapex team and the over 700 publishers who work with us," said Debra Fleenor, Founder & President, Adapex Inc. "I am honored to be in the company of so many outstanding women business leaders. Like the other companies honored with this distinction, Adapex's success is driven by our team of experienced professionals who bring creativity, innovation, and dedication to helping our business grow, day after day. And we certainly couldn't enjoy this kind of record growth without the collaboration and trust from our publisher partners." Adapex provides expert adops services and revolutionary technology to help publishers grow their revenue and improve user experience. The Adapex publisher network currently includes over 700 publisher sites, across the web, in-app, and the ever-expanding landscape of CTV. Our innovative technology, the m4 Tech Suite has led the charge for advancing our company's explosive growth and revolutionizing monetization for all of our publisher clients. All our incoming new clients see revenue increases of 40-400%. This past year, Adapex has taken an active role in finding solutions to drive transparency and efficiency that protect consumer privacy on the internet but allow advertisers to find their target audiences. We are researching and testing various identity solutions to bring more opportunities to our clients. The m4 Tech Suite includes our most recent addition of Magnify which enables seamless connection to multiple ID solutions. We are one of the first ad tech companies to bring large-scale plug-and-play identity solutions to publishers of all sizes. Details about the Stevie Awards for Women in Business and the list of Gold, Silver, and Bronze winners in all categories are available at www.StevieAwards.com/Women. About Adapex Inc Adapex was one of the first companies to dig into digital advertising operations and partner with publishers to simplify and optimize monetization. The Adapex award-winning m4 Tech Suite monetizes content across all channels and ad formats -- desktop, mobile, CTV, in-app, video, native, rich media, and more. The combination of our revolutionary tech and our team of experienced adops professionals has led to 40-500% revenue growth for all of our publisher partners. To get the best results you need to have the best tech and services on the market. Adapex delivers double- and triple-digit revenue growth to our publisher partners...year after year. Contact: Joanie Berkery 917-587-9440 [email protected] SOURCE Adapex Inc CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- With flu season on the horizon, the American Lung Association and Anthem Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc., are working together to inform everyone on how to best keep themselves, and others, healthy. Through their new campaign called "Fend Off Flu," the organizations will provide targeted toolkits and tips to prevent the flu to healthcare providers, workplaces and caregivers for adults over 65, with a focus on disparately affected communities. Influenza (the flu) is a serious and highly contagious disease that can have severe health consequences for all, and especially for vulnerable adults 65 and older, and those with chronic health conditions. The partnership between both organizations is supporting the creation of educational digital toolkits tailored to specific audiences, providing access to webinars and online resources aimed at increasing flu vaccine confidence, decreasing adult influenza illness and helping to influence individuals to receive their vaccine as part of their wellness routine for years to come. The public will have access to online resources regarding the importance of vaccination and how to stay healthy this flu season. "Because of the COVID pandemic, 2020 2021 had a relatively mild flu season," said American Lung Association President and CEO Harold Wimmer. "In an ever-changing health landscape, we could see a spike in influenza cases this year, further burdening the healthcare system. It's more important than ever to get a flu vaccine to protect yourself and those around you. That's why we've partnered with Anthem Foundation to encourage action to keep Americans healthy." During the 2019 2020 flu season, it is estimated the flu sent approximately 400,000 people to the hospital with related complications and caused an estimated 22,000 deaths in the United States, which is why practicing caution and getting vaccinated should be a priority. While daily safety measures will help, the flu vaccine is the best protection against contracting and spreading the illness. "Between historic flu trends and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this flu season presents unique challenges as infection rates of both viruses are expected to rise," said Shantanu Agrawal, M.D., Chief Health Officer at Anthem, Inc. "In a recent nation-wide survey conducted by Anthem, Inc., it was found that only half of adults and children (52%) received a flu shot last season1. In an effort to increase flu vaccination rates this year, our partnership with the American Lung Association will provide digital educational tools and resources where workplaces and the general public can be empowered to take control of their health and help minimize their risk, and the risk of others, of contracting the flu." Flu vaccinations have been in use for more than 50 years, with hundreds of millions of Americans safely receiving them. It's recommended that everyone over six months of age receive a flu vaccine. "Not only will getting a flu shot help reduce the chance of catching the illness, it will also help reduce the severity if it's contracted," added American Lung Association Chief Medical Officer Albert Rizzo, M.D. "Especially for people with underlying conditions, the flu can turn into a serious, even deadly, illness. It's important to get vaccinated to protect yourself and others around you." The risk of contracting the flu can be alleviated by receiving safe, effective and routine vaccinations, by staying home if sick, frequent handwashing or using alcohol-based hand sanitizer, avoid touching their own eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, and disinfecting commonly touched surfaces. Visit Lung.org/Fend-Off-Flu learn more about avoiding the flu this year. About the American Lung Association The American Lung Association is the leading organization working to save lives by improving lung health and preventing lung disease through education, advocacy and research. The work of the American Lung Association is focused on four strategic imperatives: to defeat lung cancer; to champion clean air for all; to improve the quality of life for those with lung disease and their families; and to create a tobacco-free future. For more information about the American Lung Association, a holder of the coveted 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and a Gold-Level GuideStar Member, or to support the work it does, call 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) or visit: Lung.org. About Anthem Foundation The Anthem Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Anthem, Inc. and through charitable contributions and programs, the Foundation promotes the organization's commitment to improving lives and communities. Through strategic partnerships and programs, the Foundation addresses the social drivers that will help create a healthier generation of Americans in communities that Anthem, Inc. and its affiliated health plans serve. The Foundation focuses its funding on critical initiatives that make up its Healthy Generations Program, a multi-generational initiative that targets: maternal health, diabetes prevention, cancer prevention, heart health and healthy, active lifestyles, behavioral health efforts and programs that benefit people with disabilities. The Foundation also coordinates the company's year-round Dollars for Dollars program which provides a 100 percent match of associates' donations, as well as its Volunteer Time Off and Dollars for Doers community service programs. To learn more about the Anthem Foundation, please visit http://www.anthem.foundation and its blog at https://medium.com/anthemfoundation. American Lung Association 55 W. Wacker Drive, Suite 1150 Chicago, IL 60601 1331 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Ste. 1425 North Washington, D.C. 20004 1-800-LUNGUSA (1-800-586-4872) Lung.org 1 Source: Suzy - data collected in Spring, 2021 from a survey of 1,040 USA consumers ages 18 to 73. SOURCE American Lung Association Related Links www.lung.org "We expect that a growing number of organizations will be applying vaccine mandates in order to protect their employees and visitors," said Hoss, EAIGLE's CEO. "Our flexible and automated solution that's scalable, reliable and easy to implement will help organizations achieve that, while enabling them to adapt the solution to their evolving needs and shifts in the business landscape," Hoss added. EAIGLE's Digital Vaccine Pass is a proof of vaccination platform that enables governments and organizations to verify vaccination status at scale. It's being launched as the U.S. government is making concerted efforts to reopen cities and businesses in the context of new COVID-19 threats, the latest being the Delta variant. The pass empowers employees to upload their proof of vaccination online or scan it on-site at EAIGLE's wellness screening stations through a touchless and automated process, ensuring a smooth return to the workplace. To learn more about EAIGLE's Digital Vaccine Pass, visit: www.eaigle.com/digital-vaccine-pass-us Vaccine mandates are poised to become more common in the workplace. According to a new survey by Willis Towers Watson, the number of U.S. employers requiring workers to get vaccinated is expected to surge over the next several months, with over half (52%) of employers considering more vaccine mandate requirements in the workplace. The survey has also found that more companies will be implementing financial incentives and expanding testing requirements as they update plans to reopen workplaces. Earlier this month, President Joe Biden imposed stringent new vaccine rules for federal workers, large employers, and health care staff in a bid to contain the latest surge of COVID-19 variants. While the new requirements are expected to affect as many as 100 million Americans close to two-thirds of the American workforce the decision has intensified the debate over vaccines and personal liberty. As the number of countries that are demanding vaccine mandates continues to increase, it remains a divisive issue in the U.S. Ten states have provided a digital solution for storing proof of vaccination, including California and New York, while 21 have prohibited their use, including Tennessee, Texas and Florida, according to Becker's Hospital Review. A CNN poll has revealed that people are split on the issue of vaccine mandates 51% of those polled said that the mandates are an acceptable way to increase the vaccination rate while 49% have said that they are an unacceptable infringement on personal rights. EAIGLE can help accelerate proof of vaccination compliance for businesses to ensure the safety of employees and visitors. For more information, visit www.eaigle.com/digital-vaccine-pass-us. About EAIGLE EAIGLE is a leader in artificial intelligence and computer vision technology, designing next-generation solutions to address the most complex challenges faced by a variety of industries. From streamlining operational processes to creating the technology layer for smart buildings, EAIGLE's technology helps public and private sector organizations make smarter decisions that enable them to future-proof their operations. Since the start of the pandemic, EAIGLE has been working with organizations to mitigate disruptions at work and in public spaces in the fight against COVID-19 in an effort to maintain business continuity. The company's deep expertise in AI technology is underpinned by a commitment to high-quality software development through constant innovation and investment in R&D, automation, training, testing, and support. Today, EAIGLE is one of the fastest-growing AI companies, with a customer footprint that spans across North America. SOURCE EAIGLE NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. ("AWH" or the "Company") (CSE: AAWH.U) (OTCQX: AAWH), a leading multi-state, vertically integrated cannabis operator, today announced that management will participate in 4 upcoming events: BTIG Inaugural Cannabis Conference on Wednesday, September 29, 2021 . Abner Kurtin , CEO & Founder, is scheduled to participate in a fireside chat at 1:05 p.m. ET and to host small group and one-on-one investor meetings throughout the day. You can register for the event here . on . , CEO & Founder, is scheduled to participate in a fireside chat at and to host small group and one-on-one investor meetings throughout the day. You can register for the event . Viridian Capital Cannabis Expert Series on Friday, October 1, 2021 . Mr. Kurtin is scheduled to participate in a fireside chat at 11:00 a.m. ET . Contact your Viridian representative to attend. on . Mr. Kurtin is scheduled to participate in a fireside chat at . Contact your Viridian representative to attend. Alliance Global Partners' (A.G.P.) Virtual Fall Consumer Cannabis Conference is being held on Tuesday, October 5, 2021 . Mr. Kurtin is scheduled to host small group and one-on-one investor meetings throughout the day. For more information, please reach out to your registered A.G.P. representative or [email protected] . is being held on . Mr. Kurtin is scheduled to host small group and one-on-one investor meetings throughout the day. For more information, please reach out to your registered A.G.P. representative or . Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference is being held virtually and in-person on Thursday, October 14, 2021 . Daniel Neville , CFO, is scheduled to give a Company presentation at 9:30 a.m. ET . Chris Melillo , Chief Revenue Officer, is scheduled to participate in a fireside chat at 1:00 p.m. ET . You can register for the event here . For more information about the conferences or to schedule a one-on-one meeting with AWH's management during these events, please contact AWH's Investor Relations at [email protected] . About Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. AWH is a vertically integrated operator with assets in Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. AWH owns and operates state-of-the-art cultivation facilities, growing award winning strains and producing a curated selection of products. AWH produces and distributes Ozone branded products. For more information, visit www.awholdings.com. The CSE has not reviewed, approved or disapproved the content of this news release. SOURCE Ascend Wellness Holdings, Inc. BOSTON and TEL AVIV, Israel, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Assured Allies , whose evidence-based, successful aging platform is addressing a national financial and health-care crisis, today announces the arrival of key executives and expansion of a formal advisory board in the wake of its recent Series A fundraise , including insurance industry executive Larry Nisenson as its Chief Growth Officer. With over 28 years of experience as a transformational leader in global insurance at Genworth, Plymouth Rock, and AXA Equitable, Larry has a proven track record in identifying new opportunities and optimizing assets and operations. In his newly created role, Larry will lead the expansion and scaling of Assured Allies' suite of current and future carrier-offered wellness programs. Larry has long recognized that successful aging requires a holistic, multi-layered approach which addresses the financial challenges of aging while simultaneously giving millions the ability to take immediate, proactive steps. Larry joined Assured Allies because the company's mission aligned with his deep market understanding. "What excites me most about Assured Allies is that we have built a science-based yet friendly and accessible program which gives millions the ability to remain independent. We are a catalyst and incubator for carriers who want to improve people's lives, while mitigating their actuarial risk. It's a win/win for carriers and for consumers, and the passionate team here has the vision, agility and strategic partnerships in place to scale rapidly." In addition to Larry, industry veteran Bob Yee , who served in an advisory capacity over the last year, has joined the company as its Senior Actuary. Yee brings over 30 years experience as a chief actuary for global long-term care insurance carriers and is a member of the American Academy of Actuaries. He has advised corporations and governments at both the state and federal level. Assured Allies also welcomes iconic retirement expert Tom Hegna to its advisory board. Hegna's commitment to helping people achieve lifetime financial security is reflected in over 30 years experience as an economist, best-selling author, TV host, and international speaker. Speaking of Assured Allies' mission, Hegna noted: I couldn't be more thrilled about how Assured Allies is changing the conversation around long-term care insurance. Having peeked behind the curtain, I can say that their new line of products is game-changing. I can't imagine why an advisor wouldn't want to offer what Assured Allies is bringing to the table! Reflecting on these new executive hires and the company's growth in both commercial traction and staff from roughly 10 pre-pandemic to a team of 60 across their US and Israeli offices, co-founder and CEO Roee Nahir comments, "Adding Larry Nisenson, Bob Yee, and Tom Hegna to our growing team turbocharges our ability to expand and scale our innovative product line . The need for affordable long-term care insurance and an accessible roadmap for healthy aging has never been more urgent and we are excited to take on the global aging crisis." About Assured Allies: Assured Allies is on a mission to change the future of aging by helping millions of older adults to prevent what they can and prepare for what they can't. Assured Allies combines science-based wellness solutions to prevent premature decline with long-term care coverage and other retirement financial products to fund full support for successful aging. We motivate individuals to take actions now to enjoy more vitality and better coverage later. This innovative combination of common-sense prevention and preparation benefits individuals, their families, and society. Founded in 2018 by Roee Nahir and Afik Gal, a medical doctor, Assured Allies has an extensive network of industry partners in long-term care, insurance and a range of service providers. The company is headquartered in Boston and has an office in Tel Aviv. For more information about the company, visit www.AssuredAllies.com Media Contact Andy Freedman 617-290-8179 [email protected] SOURCE Assured Allies Related Links www.assuredallies.com SANTA FE, N.M., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Author Jane Rosenthal's latest novel, Del Rio, took the top prize in the Legal Thriller and Multicultural Mystery/Suspense categories of the 2021 American Fiction Awards. The author was also named a finalist in the categories of Crime Thriller, General Thriller, General Mystery/Suspense and Political Thriller. The American Fiction Awards are an annual literary event that recognizes outstanding literary achievement, and honors excellence in American literature. Jane Rosenthal's second novel, Del Rio, has captured a number of prestigious American Fiction Awards, including the top price in the Legal Thriller and Multicultural Mystery/Suspense categories. After successful careers as an award-winning radio journalist and teacher, Jane Rosenthal delved into writing. Del Rio, the second book in her Mexico Trilogy series has received rave reviews from the publics and critics. Rosenthal drew inspiration for her latest novel from her own awareness of the plight of immigrants, stating " Del Rio, came from living near the Central Valley and seeing the reality of life there -- crime, poverty, immigration, cartel violence, drug and human trafficking, juxtaposed to the huge wealth of large farming businesses." Through fictional narrative, the novel reveals the sometimes duplicitous nature of the dealings between the power-players in Mexico and California, and the unfortunate role of young migrants who are caught in the middle; treated like a commodity by both. Del Rio takes place in the dusty, desolate California Central Valley, where newly minted D.A. Callie McCall is determined to solve the mystery of a young migrant found gruesomely murdered. Her quest for the truth takes her on a dangerous journey into the exotic west coast of Mexico. As McCall works to find the killer, she's shocked to uncover the secret dealings and widespread criminal behavior occurring right under her nose. The plot moves at a breakneck speed, with surprises around every corner, making it difficult for readers to find a good place to stop. Jane is proof positive that it's never too late to fulfill your dreams. Retired from a career that included stints as an award winning radio journalist, poet and teacher, she attacked her next goal with gusto: to become a published author. To date, Rosenthal has written and published the first two novels in her Mexico Trilogy series. You can find Del Rio on the shelves of your local bookstore or at Amazon.com. Connect with the author through her website or follow her social media on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Media Contact: Tara O'Loughlin [email protected] (805) 551-7056 SOURCE Jane Rosenthal PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Allied Market Research published a report, titled, "Automotive Gesture Recognition System Market by Component (Touch-Based Systems and Touchless Systems), Authentication Type (Hand/Finger Print/Leg Recognition, Facial Recognition, Vision/IRIS Recognition, and Others), Application (Multimedia/ Infotainment/ Navigation, Lighting Systems, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20212030". According to the report, the global automotive gesture recognition systems industry generated $990.4 million in 2020, and is anticipated to generate $4.3 billion by 2030, witnessing a CAGR of 18.4% from 2021 to 2030. Prime determinants of growth Adoption of smart technology features in vehicles and intervention of innovative technologies for advanced user interface drive the growth of the global automotive gesture recognition systems market. However, decrease in production and sale of automotive due to troubleshooting, updating and maintenance of technology hinders the market growth. On the other hand, growth in developing nations and entering into agreements & contracts with automotive OEM present new opportunities in the coming years. Download Report (234 Pages PDF with Insights, Charts, Tables, Figures) at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-sample/2439 Covid-19 Scenario The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic led to global lockdown which witnessed high financial losses and significant uncertainties in business operations of the overall automotive industry. The majority of governments restricted international commute to control spread of the virus, due to which, both the demand and supply of the automotive industry were impacted negatively. Market participants of automotive gesture recognition systems are following certain approaches to managing operations by slashed budgets, extended equipment lifecycles, decreased staff sizes, and reduced salaries in short term to overcome financial downturn. Request for Customization at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/request-for-customization/2439 The touchless systems segment to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period Based on component, the touchless systems segment held the highest market share in 2020, accounting for more than half of the global automotive gesture recognition systems market, and is estimated to maintain its leadership status throughout the forecast period. This is due to rise in demand from automotive manufacturers to develop high-end safety for vehicle drivers. Moreover, this segment is projected to manifest the highest CAGR of 19.9% from 2021 to 2030. The hand/fingerprint/leg recognition segment to maintain its lead position during the forecast period Based on authentication type, the hand/fingerprint/leg recognition segment accounted for the largest share in 2020, contributing to more than one-third of the global automotive gesture recognition systems market, and is projected to maintain its lead position during the forecast period. This is due to high range of technology availability based on hand/finger print/leg recognition and awareness within consumers of the system operations. However, the facial recognition segment is expected to portray the largest CAGR of 21.5% from 2021 to 2030, owing to use for avoidance of vehicle access by an unauthorized person and minimize the risk of the vehicle stolen. Interested to Procure the Data? Inquire here at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/purchase-enquiry/2439 Europe, followed by North America, to maintain its dominance by 2030 Based on region, Europe, followed by North America, held the highest market share in terms of revenue 2020, accounting for more than one-third of the global automotive gesture recognition systems market. This is due to rise in adoption of autonomous and electric vehicles have led toward the growth of the automotive gesture recognition systems market in Europe. Moreover, this region is expected to witness the fastest CAGR of 19.8% during the forecast period. Leading Market Players:- Cipia Vision Ltd. Cognitec Systems GmbH Continental AG NXP Semiconductors Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd Sony Corporation Synaptics Incorporated Usens Inc Visteon Corporation Schedule a FREE Consultation Call with Our Analysts to Find Solution for Your Business at https://www.alliedmarketresearch.com/connect-to-analyst/2439 Similar Reports We Have on Automotive Industry: Automotive Aftermarket by Product (Wear-and-Tear Parts, Crash-Relevant Parts, Accessories, and Diagnostic Products) and Distribution Channel (Offline and Online) by Application (Consumer Vehicle and Commercial Vehicle) - Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2017-2025. Passenger Car Accessories Aftermarket by Type (External Accessories and Internal Accessories) and Application (Roof Rack, LED Lights, Body Kits, Body Covers, Alloy Wheels, Tires, Car Care Products, Window Films, Seat & Steering Covers, Electronic Accessories, Knobs, Floor Mats, Sunshades, Car Organizers, Air Fresheners, Vacuum Cleaners, Pillows & Cushions, and Others): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20192026. Aftermarket Electric Vacuum Pump Market by Vehicle Type (Passenger Vehicles, Light Commercial Vehicles, Heavy Commercial Vehicles Ceramic), Type (Leaf Type, Swing Piston Type, and Diaphragm Type), Applications (Electric Vehicle and Internal Combustion Engines): Global Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 20202027. 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 A routine urinalysis is one the most frequently ordered tests, representing up to 30% of all samples received in the lab 3 . Many of these samples require a lab technician to perform a manual inspection, which causes workflow disruption and a substantial increase in workload. Whether it is confirming the analyzer's findings or identifying unique particle types, manual microscopic reviews are time-consuming and can take up to six times longer per sample than with an automated system 4 . Automating the routine urinalysis workflow with the DxU Iris Workcell reduces sample subjectivity and variability, helping laboratories of all sizes standardize processes, drive faster turnaround time and deliver quality results. "There is no doubt that the pandemic has intensified pressure on the clinical laboratory," said Dr. Peter Soltani, senior vice president & general manager, hematology, urinalysis & workflow information technology solutions at Beckman Coulter. "In this pressurized environment, manual reviews are particularly onerous because they are labor-intensive, taking time and focus away from scientific work. We designed the DxU Iris Workcell to allow urinalysis operators to automatically classify sediment particles, minimizing the need for human intervention." The DxU Iris Workcell pairs the DxU 850m Iris or DxU 840m Iris urine microscopy analyzer with the Arkray AUTION MAX 4030 urine chemistry analyzer to create a scalable, fully automated urinalysis solution. The workcell was developed with proprietary Digital Flow Morphology technology with Auto-Particle Recognition (APR) Software to enable laboratories to deliver standardized results using artificial intelligence (AI). This industry-leading technology isolates, identifies and characterizes urine particles to provide immediate, accurate and reproducible results verified directly on the screen. "As a Med Tech, it's important for me that any new analyzer we bring into the lab makes the workflow better and is easy to use with minimal maintenance. The DxU Iris has several features that can help med techs work more efficiently. One such feature is that the user guide with the key reference information is on the main screen," said Jennifer Soria, a hematology section coordinator for a medical group in Florida. "I love the new Load and Unload station as it can hold multiples racks, allowing users to work in other areas of the lab while processing urine samples." The DxU Iris Workcell is designed for high-volume laboratories and features: An optional Load and Unload station that increases the capacity of racks for a total of 190 onboard samples Intuitive software user interface to comfortably navigate the analyzer menu, access key reference information and simplify user training in a format aligned across multiple Beckman Coulter instruments including hematology, chemistry and immunoassay Connectivity with Beckman Coulter's advanced informatics software solutions: PROService remote service tool, DxONE Command Central remote monitoring, and REMISOL Advance middleware To learn more about Beckman Coulter's DxU Iris Workcell and other urinalysis solutions, visit the website at www.beckmancoulter.com/DxUIris. Members of the media can access the online press kit for the DxU Iris Workcell, including videos, images, and other assets at www.beckmancoulter.com/DxUIris-Media. About Beckman Coulter Beckman Coulter is committed to advancing healthcare for every person by applying the power of science, technology, and the passion and creativity of our teams to enhance the diagnostic laboratory's role in improving healthcare outcomes. Our diagnostic systems are used in complex biomedical testing and found in hospitals, reference laboratories, and physician office settings around the globe. Beckman Coulter offers a unique combination of people, processes, and solutions designed to elevate the performance of clinical laboratories and healthcare networks. We do this by accelerating care with a menu that matters, bringing the benefit of automation to all, delivering greater insights through clinical informatics, and unlocking hidden value through performance partnership. A subsidiary of Danaher Corporation (NYSE: DHR) since 2011, Beckman Coulter, Inc. is headquartered in Brea, Calif., and has more than 11,000 global associates working diligently to make the world a healthier place. 2021 Beckman Coulter. All rights reserved. Beckman Coulter, the stylized logo, and the Beckman Coulter product and service marks mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of Beckman Coulter, Inc. in the United States and other countries. 2021-9662 ARKRAY, the stylized logo, and the ARKRAY products mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of ARKRAY in the United States. REMISOL Advance is a trademark or registered trademark of Normand-Info SAS in the United States and other countries. Used under license. References: 1 Broadlawns Medical Center. (2019). Manual microscopy divided by on-screen microscopic verification report generated December 20, 2019. A case study published by Beckman Coulter. https://media.beckmancoulter.com/-/media/diagnostics/products/urinalysis/docs/ua-broadlawns-case-study.pdf. 2 Beaufort Memorial Urinalysis Workflow Case Study, CS-52048. 3 Delanghe, J., & Speeckaert, M. (2014). Preanalytical requirements of urinalysis. Biochemia Medica, 24(1), 89104. https://doi.org/10.11613/BM.2014.011 4 https://www.mlo-online.com/home/article/13004799/automated-urinalysis-in-the-clinical-lab [Accessed: August 2, 2021] SOURCE Beckman Coulter Diagnostics Related Links https://www.BeckmanCoulter.com GREENSBORO, N.C., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Bell Partners Inc., one of the nation's leading apartment investment and management companies, today announced that it has sold 23 apartment communities for over $1.8 billion. The assets, located across the United States, were a part of multiple investment vehicles managed by the Company. "We are thrilled to deliver exceptional results to our investors," said Lili Dunn, President of Bell Partners. "Our extensive platform and innovative approach have enabled us to outperform consistently over multiple decades. We value the relationships with our investors and are grateful for their trust and support." In addition to the recent dispositions, Bell Partners has been actively investing capital on behalf of Bell Value-Add Fund VII and Bell Core Fund I in high-quality apartment communities located throughout the Company's target markets, including recently purchased assets in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas, Austin, Ft. Lauderdale, Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, Washington, D.C., and Boston. The company has completed approximately $4.3 billion of acquisitions and dispositions so far in 2021. "Despite the economic disruption caused by Covid, the performance of our portfolio has remained resilient," said Jon Bell, CEO of Bell Partners. "We have experienced some of the strongest market fundamentals in the 45-year history of the company. We remain optimistic about the long-term demographic and lifestyle trends for the U.S. multifamily rental sector, and we will continue to be a judicious acquirer and opportunistic seller of apartment communities throughout the country." Additional financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. About Bell Partners Inc. Established in 1976, Bell Partners Inc. ("Bell Partners" or the "Company") is a privately held, vertically integrated apartment investment and management company focused on high-quality multifamily communities throughout the United States. With approximately 70,000 units under management, Bell Partners is one of the largest apartment operators and renovators in the United States. The Company has over 1,600 associates and ten offices (including its headquarters in Greensboro, N.C.) and offers an extensive and full-service platform containing expertise in acquisitions and dispositions, construction, financing, property operations, accounting, risk management, and all other related support functions. Bell Partners is led by a senior management team with an average of over 20 years of experience that has invested throughout all phases of the real estate cycle and has helped the Company complete approximately $22 billion of apartment transactions since 2002. For more information, visit our website at www.bellpartnersinc.com . Contact: John Perilli Prosek Partners for Bell Partners Inc. (401) 316-3375 [email protected] SOURCE Bell Partners Inc. BOSTON and TORONTO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BioSymetrics, an AI-powered drug discovery company, today announced the appointments of Stacie Calad-Thomson as Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Drug Discovery, Matt Fusco as Chief Operating Officer, and Amanda Guisbond as Vice President of Marketing and Communications. BioSymetrics integrates clinical and experimental data using machine learning to navigate human disease biology and advance precision medicines. Unlike other AI-powered drug discovery startups, BioSymetrics utilizes electronic health record data and human-relevant disease models to bring clinical insights, validated in vivo, into the scientific discovery process. BioSymetrics then applies its patent pending Contingent AI to denoise, debias and integrate this clinical data for use across a phenotype-driven, therapeutic discovery process. BioSymetrics currently works with life science and health system partners including Sema4, Northwell Health and Janssen, The Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson to leverage diverse datasets, apply its framework to advance our understanding of disease, and progress therapeutic discovery. BioSymetrics is currently exploring, with and without partners, preclinical development of assets in neurogenerative, cardiovascular and rare disorders. These three leadership appointments support BioSymetrics' plans to operationalize its proprietary Elion platform and accelerate partner and pipeline development: Stacie Calad-Thomson, Chief Strategy Officer and Head of Drug Discovery Stacie will guide the company on its drug discovery strategy, with a focus on human-relevant disease biology, and progressing beyond protein targets. Stacie is a rising star in the industry, having already held positions of increasing responsibility at GSK, Atomwise and the ATOM Consortium, in addition to her work consulting with many of the startups currently using machine learning or genomics data to spearhead drug discovery programs. "The current pharma model is plagued by high failure rates and attrition. Nearly 90 percent of drug discovery programs that enter clinical trials fail, and most are due to lack of efficacy," said Stacie. "Having worked in the industry for 15 years, I've seen how clinical data are siloed from discovery data, and that lessons learned go un-shared between, or even within, these organizations. What excites me about BioSymetrics and why I've decided to join full time after consulting with both BioSymetrics and its competitors in the space is its application of real-world patient data and human-relevant disease models to drug discovery. This is a compelling, modern approach that I'm eager to help bring to more partners as we build, together, a pipeline of human disease-ready, AI-derived medicines." Matt Fusco, Chief Operating Officer Matt is an entrepreneur and executive leader with repeat experience helping early-stage companies bring new and innovative solutions to market. With a strong operational and business development background, Matt has helped numerous companies navigate complex and emerging markets to provide actionable direction that drives client adoption and improves internal processes and execution. Before BioSymetrics, Matt was co-founder of Barometric, a data company providing measurement and identity services to advertisers that was sold successfully to Claritas in 2018. Amanda Guisbond, Vice President of Marketing and Communications Amanda is a career marketer and corporate communicator with a focus on emerging companies in the digital health and life sciences sectors. Amanda brings highly relevant experience to BioSymetrics from Recursion, where she led marketing and communications before the digital biology company's successful IPO earlier this year. Previously, Amanda also led communications for Amwell, a national telehealth company at the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic and was part of the team that developed the initial communications and marketing strategy for Moderna. Said Anthony Iacovone, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of BioSymetrics: "We are humbled and excited to bring on these three seasoned leaders, all incredibly skilled at what they do, to the growing leadership team at BioSymetrics. Stacie's experience in AI and drug discovery has already helped to refine our strategy around partnering, platform development and pipeline prioritization. I've had the pleasure of working with Matt before, an executive who is laser focused on execution while building team morale and know he will help us deliver on our vision. Like Stacie, Amanda has already impressed me with her knowledge about the industry and approach to messaging and communication strategy. This is the team that will accelerate our growth and help elevate BioSymetrics as a leader in our industry." For more information on BioSymetrics, please visit www.biosymetrics.com. About BioSymetrics BioSymetrics is an AI-powered drug discovery company with a mission to bring the clinic to the bench and back. BioSymetrics integrates clinical and experimental data, using its patent pending Contingent AITM, to effectively navigate human disease biology and advance precision medicine. The company partners with a diverse network of life science and health system partners on end-to-end drug discovery, from gene disease prioritization to mechanism of action to clinical trial and small molecule design. BioSymetrics is a remote-first company with people clusters in Boston and Toronto. For more information, please visit www.biosymetrics.com. SOURCE BioSymetrics Related Links biosymetrics.com Her species numbers fewer than 200 in the wild after centuries of habitat loss and poaching. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) says the species is "critically endangered," which means it is considered to be facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild. The leopard's habitat, which formerly spanned the Arabian Peninsula and reached into the Levant, is now restricted to three countries: Saudi Arabia, Oman and Yemen. The breeding centre is operated by RCU, the agency regenerating a 22,561km swath of north-west Saudi Arabia as a global destination for natural and cultural heritage. Motivation in Arabia to save the leopard is strong. For the region's inhabitants the Arabian leopard known in Arabic as An Nimr Al "Arabi" has long represented beauty, tranquillity, physical strength, fearlessness and freedom. The animal has occupied a special place in the imagination for millennia and is found in ancient rock art, stories and even everyday expressions. For this reason the birth of the cub represents a gain for Saudi cultural heritage as well as natural heritage. The species will eventually be reintroduced into the wilderness in the mountains of AlUla, by restoring the population through the breeding programme and the preparation of a suitable habitat in which the leopards can thrive. The campaign includes the following initiatives: Expansion of the captive-breeding programme with the opening of a state-of-the-art breeding centre to open by early 2024 as part of Sharaan Nature Reserve, AlUla. Establishment of the Arabian Leopard Fund, towards which RCU has allocated USD 25 million . . Extension of partnerships with relevant conservation entities such as the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and Panthera. Conversion of 80% of the AlUla project's land into nature reserves, in line with the Saudi Green Initiative. The Sharaan Nature Reserve, for example, will restore and conserve the ecosystem, including indigenous flora and fauna, across 1560 square kilometres. Reintroduction of prey species such as Nubian Ibex and Idmi Gazelles. Training of AlUla residents as park rangers to safeguard the reserves. Dr Ahmed Almalki, Nature Reserves Director, said: "This birth is significant because it is one step further toward reviving the Arabian leopard. We believe that saving endangered species such as the Arabian Leopard is critical to the protection of our planet and the natural balance of our ecosystem. Our goal at RCU is nothing less than to restore the power of nature's balance." To learn more, visit https://www.rcu.gov.sa/en/meetourcub. About AlUla Located 1,100km from Riyadh in north-west Saudi Arabia, AlUla is a place of extraordinary natural and human heritage. The vast area, covering 22,561km, includes a lush oasis valley, towering sandstone mountains and ancient cultural heritage sites dating back thousands of years. The most well-known and recognised site in AlUla is Hegra, Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. A 52-hectare ancient city, Hegra was the principal southern city of the Nabataean Kingdom and is comprised of nearly 100 well-preserved tombs with elaborate facades cut into sandstone outcrops. Current research suggests Hegra was the most southern outpost of the Romans after conquering the Nabataeans in 106 CE. In addition to Hegra, AlUla is home to a series of fascinating historical and archaeological sites such as: an Old Town surrounded by an ancient oasis; Dadan, the capital of the Dadan and Lihyan Kingdoms, which is considered one of the most developed 1st-millennium BCE cities of the Arabian Peninsula; thousands of ancient rock art sites and inscriptions in Jabal Ikmah; and Hijaz Railway stations. Note to editors It is always AlUla / not Al-Ula. About the Royal Commission for AlUla The Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU) was established by royal decree in July 2017 to preserve and develop AlUla, a region of outstanding natural and cultural significance in north-west Saudi Arabia. RCU's long-term plan outlines a responsible, sustainable, and sensitive approach to urban and economic development, that preserves the area's natural and historic heritage, while establishing AlUla as a desirable location to live, work, and visit. This encompasses a broad range of initiatives across archaeology, tourism, culture, education, and the arts, reflecting a commitment to meeting the economic diversification, local community empowerment, and heritage preservation priorities of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 programme. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1637336/RCU_Arabian_Leopard_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1637337/RCU_Arabian_Leopard_2.jpg SOURCE The Royal Commission for AlUla Related Links https://rcu.gov.sa The 800-square-foot drive-thru-only Black Rock store is located at 8847 N 7th Ave. at the intersection of N 7 th and Dunlap. The store will open on October 1, 2021, which happens to be International Coffee Day. To celebrate the occasion and the grand opening, Phoenix residents can get free 16 oz drinks all day at this location. Black Rock was founded in 2008 in Portland, Oregon, an area of the Pacific Northwest known for its coffee excellence. The Phoenix area additions bring to 93 the total number of company coffee bars in seven states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Texas and Washington. "This new opening in Phoenix furthers Black Rock Coffee Bar's connection to the community," said Jeff Hernandez, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Black Rock Coffee Bar. "Our drive-thru-only locations in the U.S. make up 40% of our stores and have proven to be very popular. We are happy to add another one in Phoenix for those who are on the go and don't want to get out of their cars to get their favorite coffee, tea, smoothie or energy drink." The Black Rock culture prides itself on providing opportunities for young people to learn how to lead, run a business, and develop people skills. Each new location will employ approximately 20 team members. Interested candidates can apply for employment @blackrockaz on Instagram. About Black Rock Coffee Bar Black Rock Coffee Bar is a national boutique coffee shop that is known for its premium roasted coffees, teas, smoothies and flavorful blended energy drinks. Black Rock initially was founded in Oregon in 2008, by a three-family father-son partnership that includes Jeff Hernandez and his dad Rob; brothers Daniel and Jeremy Brand and their father Jack; and Ryan Hagler and his father, John. Today, Jeff Hernandez and Daniel Brand run the business full-time while overseeing more than 90 stores nationwide and growing. The Black Rock culture places importance on personal and professional growth for each Black Rock employee, and on ensuring that they provide compassionate customer service towards each person who experiences the store. For more information, visit https://br.coffee/ SOURCE Black Rock Coffee Bar Eventually a total of eight wells are expected to be drilled as part of the project's overall development. The Phase 2 start-up is part of bp's plans to grow its Gulf of Mexico oil and gas production to around 400,000 barrels of oil equivalent a day net by the mid-2020s. Starlee Sykes, bp senior vice president, Gulf of Mexico and Canada said: "This has been a pivotal year for our Gulf of Mexico business as we continue to start up new projects. Bringing high-margin, resilient barrels online in basins we know best is central to bp's strategy. Our team has consistently and safely delivered during a pandemic and with over a million hours worked without a safety incident, this project is no exception. I could not be prouder of the team." Thunder Horse is bp's largest production and drilling platform in the Gulf, located 150 miles southeast of New Orleans. It is designed to process up to 250,000 barrels of oil and 200 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. bp has a 75% working interest with ExxonMobil holding 25%. Ewan Drummond, bp senior vice president, projects, production and operations said: "This is another significant milestone for bp, completing the delivery of our planned major projects for 2021. I am extremely proud of the entire team and their commitment to the safe start-up of Thunder Horse South Expansion Phase 2. This project is a great example of the type of fast-payback, high-return tie-back opportunities we continue to deliver as we focus and high-grade our portfolio." About bp bp's ambition is to become a net zero company by 2050 or sooner, and to help the world get to net zero. bp is America's largest energy investor since 2005, investing more than $130 billion in the economy and supporting more than 125,000 additional jobs through its business activities. For more information on bp in the US, visit www.bp.com/us. Notes to editors: Thunder Horse South Expansion Phase 2 is located on Mississippi Canyon block 822, Southeast of the bp-operated Thunder Horse platform in 6,350 feet of water. The Thunder Horse Field was discovered in 1999 and is one of bp's largest discoveries in the Gulf of Mexico . . The project consists of two subsea drill centers operated by 10-inch dual flow lines with the opportunity for simultaneous Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) operations. Thunder Horse South Expansion Phase 2 completes the program of five major project start-ups planned for 2021. Together with the early start-up of the Matapal project in Trinidad , six major projects have come on stream for bp this year. , six major projects have come on stream for bp this year. bp is a leading producer in the deepwater Gulf of Mexico , operating four production platforms Thunder Horse, Atlantis, Mad Dog and Na Kika with a fifth platform, Argos, expected to come online in 2022. Further information bp press office, US, [email protected] bp privacy statement https://www.bp.com/en/global/corporate/news-and-insights/press-releases/privacy-statement-press.html Cautionary statement In order to utilize the 'safe harbor' provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the 'PSLRA'), bp is providing the following cautionary statement. This press release contains certain forecasts, projections and other forward-looking statements that is, statements related to future, not past, events and circumstances which may relate to one or more of the financial condition, results of operations and businesses of bp and certain of the plans and objectives of bp with respect to these items. These statements are generally, but not always, identified by the use of words such as 'will', 'expects', 'is expected to', 'aims', 'should', 'may', 'objective', 'is likely to', 'intends', 'believes', 'anticipates', 'plans', 'we see' or similar expressions. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will or may occur in the future and are outside the control of bp. Actual results may differ from those expressed in such statements, depending on a variety of factors including the risk factors set forth in our most recent Annual Report and Form 20-F under 'Risk factors'. Our most recent Annual Report and Form 20-F is available on our website at www.bp.com, or can be obtained from the SEC by calling 1-800-SEC-0330 or on its website at www.sec.gov SOURCE bp plc JACKSON, Mich., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Great Place to Work and FORTUNE have honored Careline Health Group ("Careline"), a value-based alliance of Michigan Physician Services and Hospice providers, as one of the 2021 Best Workplaces for Aging Services. The national No. 5 ranking is important to Careline and a further testament that employees experience a workplace they can trust. Nearly 95% of Careline employees stated that they consistently experience a workplace focused on innovation, company values and influential leaders. "We are immensely grateful and humbled to receive at top-5 ranking for the second consecutive year. It is proof of Careline's unique 'Expect Exceptional' culture. We are a home for healthcare professionals who put patients first," said Joseph Mead, Careline Health Group founder and CEO. The Best Workplaces in Aging Services 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. Great Place to Work is the only company culture award in America that selects winners based on how fairly employees are treated. Companies are assessed on how well they are creating a great employee experience that cuts across race, gender, age, disability status, or any aspect of who employees are or what their role is. "We are incredibly proud of The Best Workplaces for Aging Services. They fought bravely and saved countless lives during the COVID-19 pandemic," says Dr. Jacquelyn Kung, CEO of Activated Insights, the partner of Great Place to Work in senior care. "Years of research has shown how great workplaces contribute to lower employee turnover and better quality of life for seniors. These honored workplaces showcase the compassion and stories behind the research. Our biggest congratulations and appreciation go to these awardees." About Careline Health Group: Careline Health Group is a value-based alliance that provides Physician Services and Hospice care for the frail or people facing terminal illness. Careline Health Group is different by design. Our teams use advanced technologies to provide better care and produce exceptional outcomes for the frail and seriously ill population, where and when it is best for them. For more information, please visit carelinehealthgoup.com . Careline Health Group is also on Facebook , LinkedIn , Twitter , and Instagram . 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 . About Activated Insights Activated Insights is the senior care division of Great Place to Work and provides employee and resident surveys to aging services provides. With an expertise in senior care, Activated Insights is committed to transform the aging experience by impacting the lives of seniors, families, staff, and others in senior care through research, data, and technology. Learn more at activatedinsights.com and on LinkedIn , Twitter, Facebook and Instagram . SOURCE Careline Health Group Related Links https://carelinehealthgroup.com/ Effective Oct. 18, Sture Myrmell, currently president of P&O Cruises Australia and president of Carnival Australia, will begin his new role as president of Carnival UK, the UK's largest cruise operator, overseeing the Cunard and P&O Cruises UK cruise line brands. Myrmell, who will be based in Southampton, England, will also serve temporarily as president of Cunard during the recruitment for that position. He will report directly to Josh Weinstein, chief operations officer for Carnival Corporation, who also has responsibility for Carnival UK. Effective Jan. 10, 2022, Marguerite Fitzgerald, most recently serving as the lead for Boston Consulting Group's (BCG) global lodging and leisure practice, as well as its global strategy business, will assume Myrmell's prior position serving a dual role as president of P&O Cruises Australia and Carnival Australia. Fitzgerald, a global travel and tourism veteran bringing deep expertise in all aspects of cruise operations to Carnival Corporation, will be based in Sydney and report directly to Jan Swartz, group president, Holland America Group. "Sture is a two-decade-plus veteran at our company, so we look forward to him bringing his deep experience, excellent leadership skills and proven track record of success to a new leadership opportunity," said Weinstein. "He will play a crucial role in our success in the UK, and we look forward to his contributions as we deliver to our guests the best vacation experiences in the world." With over 20 years of experience with Carnival Corporation, Myrmell has served in multiple positions across the Princess Cruises, Cunard, Seabourn and P&O Australia brands. In his new role with Carnival UK, Myrmell replaces Simon Palethorpe, who will be leaving the company at the end of November after six years for a new opportunity. "Simon has been a true asset for the company these past years, and we wish him the best with this new opportunity," said Weinstein. "He successfully revitalized the Cunard brand and then ably stepped into the role of president of Carnival UK for the past 15 months, leading both P&O Cruises and Cunard back into guest operations this summer with the Carnival UK executive team." Australian-born Fitzgerald brings two decades of strategy and operational experience in retail and leisure travel to her dual-role position with Carnival Australia, replacing Myrmell. Fitzgerald has worked across global geographies developing international strategies for travel and tourism companies, including over 10 years working with cruise lines including several Carnival Corporation brands in virtually every area of operations, from commercial to hotel to maritime. Prior to her time at BCG, Fitzgerald served for several years in the Australian power industry. "Marguerite is a trusted global authority in the travel and tourism industry with extensive expertise in the worldwide cruise passenger market, including direct experience working in the Australian and New Zealand region," said Swartz. "With the insight she brings from consulting with some of the world's most well-known travel and tourism companies, including several of our brands, she is uniquely qualified to make a strong contribution to Carnival Australia's continued success. We are delighted to welcome her to the team." About Carnival Corporation & plc Carnival Corporation & plc is one of the world's largest leisure travel companies with a portfolio of nine of the world's leading cruise lines sailing to all seven continents. With operations in North America, Australia, Europe and Asia, its portfolio features Carnival Cruise Line, Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, Seabourn, P&O Cruises (Australia), Costa Cruises, AIDA Cruises, P&O Cruises (UK) and Cunard. Additional information can be found on www.carnivalcorp.com, www.carnival.com, www.princess.com, www.hollandamerica.com, www.seabourn.com, www.pocruises.com.au, www.costacruise.com, www.aida.de, www.pocruises.com and www.cunard.com. SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc Related Links www.carnival.com THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cedar AI, a provider of state-of-the-art artificial intelligence technology for rail planning and management, and Bourque Logistics, the leader in industrial shipper yard management systems for more than 30 years, announced this week their expanded collaboration to integrate their systems. The companies will also collaborate on sales and marketing, and have designated Joel Christensen to lead the effort. CedarAI Bourque Logistics' YardMaster system is deployed at over 250 rail shipping facilities in North America for optimized management of railcar inventory, switching, inspection, loading, and unloading. CedarAI's ARMS (Automated Rail Management System) is a full-featured inventory and revenue platform for railroads. It serves as a single source of truth for a railroad's inventory and supports electronic data interchange across connecting railroads. Over 40 railroads have adopted the platform since it launched last year. Cedar will work with Bourque to build a data integration between Bourque's YardMaster system and ARMS. The combined project will provide rail shippers unprecedented visibility and service with their serving railroads. By integrating the two systems, railroads and shippers will have enhanced synergies between their operations, allowing improved switch-planning efforts, fewer manual processes, and efficient electronic interaction. The digitization of these processes ensures consistency of railyard operations if such manual know-how is lost through switch crew retirements or attrition. Joel Christensen will lead the combined sales and marketing effort and serve as a liaison for both shippers and railroads accordingly. Joel will identify and coordinate Bourque shipper and Cedar AI railroad clients who can immediately benefit from the parties' collaboration. "We welcome this exciting opportunity to closely partner our YardMaster system with the ARMS platform," said Steve Bourque, president of Bourque Logistics. "Joel's years of experience in the railroad business and his four-year success with Bourque shipper systems makes him the perfect leader to steer our common effort to improve communication between shippers and their serving railroad partners." "We're very excited to partner with Bourque to provide railroads and shippers better visibility into each other's operations. This will allow for unprecedented operating synergy and further improve the ability for shortlines to deliver unparalleled customer service," said Daril Vilhena, co-CEO of Cedar AI. About Cedar AI Cedar AI draws on extensive rail-industry experience and technology leaders from Amazon, Google, and Microsoft to take on the most challenging problems in the freight rail industry. The business leverages proprietary artificial-intelligence and machine-learning algorithms to provide railroads and rail shippers with tools to maximize efficiency, increase throughput, and improve safety. Cedar works everyday to build the set of next generation technology for railroads to compete with trucking and win market share. Cedars flagship products include ARMS, a next generation rail management system for railroads of every size, and Optiswitch, the next generation yard planning system that makes planning a rail yard as easy as sorting mail. For more information and product offerings, visit cedarai.com About Bourque Logistics Used by over 120 rail shippers in North America, Bourque Logistics provides rail operations software for industrial shippers. Its automated rail logistics system has provided significant and ongoing value since 1989 with RAILTRAC, YardMaster, RateServer, and other tools that address all facets of rail shippers' needs and integrate seamlessly with their ERP systems. Its Shipper BI tool provides managers real time intelligence and trending to manage complex distribution and logistics. Bourque Logistics' tools are redundant, cloud-based systems for rail and motor carrier shipment operations for loading and shipping, bill of lading submission, tracking and trace, freight costing and payment, fleet accounting, supply chain management, and customized reporting. Bourque's EDI data services connect shippers with their suppliers, customers, and carriers. They also provide professional services and support for rail fleet expediting and railcar maintenance management. For more information, visit bourquelogistics.com or watch our company overview videos at youtube.com/bourquelogistics. YardMaster is a registered trademark of Bourque Data Systems Inc. ARMS is a registered trademark of CedarAI Media Contacts: Cedar AI Steve Murray 206.369.0305 David Moran 404.692.9642 Bourque Logistics Joel Christensen 281.362.6726 SOURCE Bourque Logistics Related Links http://bourquelogistics.com NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CEFALY Technology (CEFALY) today announced the introduction of its upgrade program, allowing customers to trade in their existing device for a credit towards its newest device, the CEFALY DUAL Enhanced. Additionally, they extended their return policy from 60 to 90 days. Both initiatives represent CEFALY's dedication to listening to customer feedback. Existing customers in the United States can easily upgrade their device in three steps: The device offers two distinct treatment options -- a 60-minute ACUTE setting that serves as an abortive treatment for pain relief at the onset of a migraine, which is clinically proven to stop or reduce migraine pain during an attack; and a 20-minute PREVENT setting for daily use to help prevent future episodes. CEFALY DUAL Enhanced Contact CEFALY Customer Service to confirm program eligibility and begin the trade-in process Mail in old CEFALY device with the prepaid return label provided by Customer Service Once Customer Service confirms receipt of the old device, they will provide a coupon code for the trade-in value off the price of a CEFALY DUAL Enhanced Current users can save up to $75 with an eligible trade-in. Complete program details are available at https://www.cefaly.com/device-trade-in. "We heard customers when they expressed a desire to upgrade their devices," said Jennifer Trainor-McDermott, CEO of CEFALY Technology. "By instituting this we can continue helping our customers fight migraine with the newest technology available." CEFALY is also listening closely to the professional community: "The preventive treatment requires twenty minutes nightly for three months [to be effective]," said Dr. Stewart Tepper, Director of the Dartmouth Headache Center. Clinical data also supports this feedback, reporting it can take up to three months to see results with the CEFALY DUAL Enhanced. As a result, CEFALY has extended from a 60 to a 90-day return policy. This extension is open to customers globally. CEFALY Technology is the maker of the CEFALY DUAL Enhanced, the FDA-cleared, over-the-counter wearable medical device clinically proven to help reduce migraine frequency and relieve migraine pain. CEFALY DUAL Enhanced is a non-invasive device placed on the forehead to modify pain sensation in the area research identifies as a center for migraine pain, the Trigeminal nerve. The device offers two distinct treatment options -- a 60-minute ACUTE setting that serves as an abortive treatment for pain relief at the onset of a migraine, which is clinically proven to stop or reduce migraine pain during an attack; and a 20-minute PREVENT setting for daily use to help prevent future episodes. The next-generation CEFALY DUAL Enhanced launched May 25, 2021, and is now available starting at $379 at www.CEFALY.com . About CEFALY Technology CEFALY Technology is a Belgium based company with U.S. offices based in Darien, Conn., specializing in electronics for medical applications. CEFALY Technology's mission is to provide the migraine community with forward-thinking treatments that are drug-free and clinically-proven to relieve and prevent future attacks. Learn more about CEFALY by visiting our website www.CEFALY.com, and following us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Media Contact: Ashley Mills / [email protected] SOURCE CEFALY Technology Related Links http://www.CEFALY.com Centinel Spine continues to innovate in the total disc replacement market, and the release of these Angled Endplates in the U.S. represents one of several major recent achievements, including FDA approval of two-level indications for the pro disc L system. The launch of the Angled Endplates includes six angled options, including inferior endplates with lordotic angles of 3 and 8 and a superior endplate with a lordotic angle of 3. According to Dr. J. Rush Fisher of Penn Spine Center at Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, PA, "I have used the Angled Endplates on every lumbar arthroplasty since they became available to me. The overall balance of the spine simply looks better. This is especially true at the L5-S1 level where an 11 degree implant is needed and on all multi-level cases." Centinel Spine's CEO, Steve Murray, stated, "We will continue to bring innovation to surgeons to support the advancement of patient care. These new Angled Endplates provide more options to surgeons, allowing them to better address varied patient anatomy and pathology. We look forward to sharing these new products along with our other proven prodisc and STALIF fusion technologies at the upcoming NASS meeting." The new prodisc L Angled Endplate implants will be featured at booth (#1612) during NASS 2021. The prodisc L Total Disc Replacement System will also be featured during a podium presentation by Thierry Marnay, MD, reporting on new study results that strongly support the long-term safety and effectiveness of prodisc L for the lumbar spine. Results from this study will be presented during the Best Paper session on Thursday, September 30, 2021. Centinel Spine continues to lead the total disc replacement market and is the only company with FDA-approved cervical and lumbar total disc replacement devices. The prodisc L remains the only total disc replacement system in the U.S. approved for two-level use in the lumbar spine. About Centinel Spine, LLC Centinel Spine, LLC is a leading global medical device company addressing cervical and lumbar spinal disease through anterior surgical access. The company offers a continuum of trusted, brand-name, motion-preserving and fusion solutions backed by over 30 years of clinical successproviding the most robust and clinically-proven technology platforms in the world for total disc replacement (prodisc) and Integrated Interbody fusion (STALIF). Centinel Spine continues to advance its pioneering culture and corporate mission to become a catalyst of change in the spine industry and alter the way spine surgery is perceived. Centinel Spine remains the only company with comprehensive motion-preserving and fusion solutions for both cervical and lumbar anterior column reconstruction. For more information, please visit the company's website at www.CentinelSpine.com or contact: Varun Gandhi Chief Financial Officer 900 Airport Road, Suite 3B West Chester, PA 19380 Phone: 484-887-8871 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Centinel Spine, LLC Related Links http://www.centinelspine.com BEIJING, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Xiaokang society, or "a moderately prosperous society in all respects," is a term that carries a long-cherished dream of the Chinese nation. On July 1, China announced achieving its first centenary goal of building such a society. But what does it mean for a country of 1.4 billion people and the world at large? A white paper titled "China's Epic Journey from Poverty to Prosperity" released on Tuesday has the answers. By the Chinese people, for the Chinese nation In the traditional Confucian sense, Xiaokang is a state wherein, despite imperfections, everyone is adequately provided for. It was reintroduced into political discourse in the 1970s, and the Communist Party of China (CPC) has since led efforts to turn this concept into reality. It is a "critical step towards national rejuvenation," according to the white paper. After realizing Xiaokang, China has turned to the second centenary goal of building a modern socialist country in an all-round way by the middle of the century to celebrate the centenary of the People's Republic of China. Noting that all-round development is essential to moderate prosperity, the paper details the progress made in economic, political, cultural, social and eco-environmental fields in the process of building a moderately prosperous society. For example, China's economic strength has increased significantly, with its GDP soaring to about 101.6 trillion yuan (about $15.7 trillion) last year from 67.9 billion yuan ($10.53 billion) in 1952. The paper also highlights the concept of "prosperity for all," where all people share the fruits of development and "no individual, region or ethnic group is left behind" in this kind of society. The living standards of the poor have risen substantially, achievements in rural infrastructure are great, and a new urban-rural relationship is taking shape, according to the paper. Carrying tremendous global weight As for the significance of Xiaokang society for the progress of mankind, the paper explains that a more prosperous and stable China the world's most populous and largest developing country contributes to world peace and development in its own right. In achieving a moderately prosperous society, China has helped to dramatically reduce the world's poverty-stricken population, it said. In February, President Xi Jinping announced China's eradication of extreme poverty, saying that more than 10 million impoverished people were lifted out of poverty on average each year since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012. This means that China met the poverty eradication target set in the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 10 years ahead of schedule. Meanwhile, the paper noted that China's mutually beneficial opening-up policy will help build an even more open economy, so as to provide other countries with more opportunities in markets, investment and growth. China's experience offers a new option for those countries and peoples who are looking for both rapid growth and independence, said the paper. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2021-09-28/China-issues-white-paper-about-achieving-moderately-prosperous-society-13UWW5MBRD2/index.html SOURCE CGTN Related Links www.cgtn.com BANGKOK, Sept. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Charoen Pokphand Group Company Limited or (C.P. Group) has today been announced as a Global Compact LEAD participant for its ongoing commitment to the United Nations Global Compact and its Ten Principles for responsible business. C.P. Group was identified as being among the most highly-engaged participants of the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative. Sanda Ojiambo, CEO and Executive Director of the UN Global Compact, said, "LEAD companies represent the highest level of engagement with the UN Global Compact. More than ever before, the world needs businesses of all sizes like the ones announced as LEAD today that continuously work to improve their sustainability performance and take action to build a better world." Mr. Suphachai Chearavanont, Chief Executive Officer of Charoen Pokphand Group (C.P. Group) and President of the Global Compact Network Association of Thailand, said, "This recognition affirms C.P. Group's commitment to our partnership with the UN Global Compact to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals Agenda. We are committed to make sure our value chains reach the highest standards of transparency as well as sustainability by becoming carbon neutral by 2030. With our deep commitment to create benefits for the countries and communities in which we operate, we will continue to take a proactive role and intensify our efforts in key areas across climate change, biodiversity, health and well-being, and job creation." To be eligible for LEAD, a company must: Be a participant in at least two UN Global Compact Action Platforms to demonstrate its engagement with the UN Global Compact and commitment to defining and fostering leadership practices in line with the Ten Principles and the Global Goals. Submit or commit to submitting an Advanced Communication on Progress an annual sustainability report detailing progress on implementing the Ten Principles. C.P. Group has demonstrated its commitment to the UN Global Compact this year by participating in Action Platforms on the Decent Work in Global Supply Chains and Climate Ambition. Each UN Global Compact Action Platform convenes business, Global Compact Local Networks, leading experts, civil society, Governments and UN partners to solve complex and interconnected issues and innovate around the Sustainable Development Goals. C.P. Group's Communication on Progress (CoP) and other related information is available in its Participant profile on the UN Global Compact website https://www.unglobalcompact.org/what-is-gc/participants/2022-Charoen-Pokphand-Group-Co-Ltd-C-P-Group- Since joining the UN Global Compact in 2016, C.P. Group has been proud to be part of a global movement of sustainable companies and stakeholders. By adopting a principles-based approach to sustainability, C.P. Group is taking shared responsibility for building a better world. More Information https://www.unglobalcompact.org/news/4785-09-19-2021 About Charoen Pokphand Group Company Limited For a century, the Charoen Pokphand Group (or C.P. Group) has been producing quality products and services not only to serve rising demand but to operate its businesses through professional, ethical, and moral practices that have been well received throughout the world. The C.P. Group's strong commitment to the '3-Benefits' principle has contributed to the organization's sustainable growth which is to be of benefit to all countries it has invested in, to be of benefit to the people of those societies and to be of benefit to the company that consists of shareholders, executives, and employees. Currently, the C.P. Group's core businesses cover agri-food-industry, retail, and telecommunication. It operates and has offices in more than 21 countries, with the engagement of over 400,000 employees worldwide. The C.P. Group is recognized as a major contributor in the development of the Thai economy and society as well as those of all countries it has invested in. SOURCE Charoen Pokphand Group BEIJING, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- China Online Education Group ("51Talk" or the "Company") (NYSE: COE), a leading online education platform in China, with core expertise in English education, announced its unaudited financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2021. Second Quarter 2021 Financial and Operating Metrics Net revenues were RMB579.8 million ( US$89.8 million ), a 17.5% increase from RMB493.5 million for the second quarter of 2020. ( ), a 17.5% increase from for the second quarter of 2020. Gross margin was 72.7%, compared with 70.9% for the second quarter of 2020. Net loss was RMB27.0 million ( US$4.2 million ), compared with net income of RMB32.8 million for the second quarter of 2020. ( ), compared with net income of for the second quarter of 2020. Non-GAAP net loss [1] was RMB17.8 million ( US$2.8 million ), compared with non-GAAP net income of RMB39.6 million for the second quarter of 2020. was ( ), compared with non-GAAP net income of for the second quarter of 2020. Operating cash outflow was RMB69.7 million ( US$10.8 million ), compared with RMB172.1 million of operating cash inflow for the second quarter of 2020. ( ), compared with of operating cash inflow for the second quarter of 2020. Cash, cash equivalents, time deposits and short-term investments balance stood at RMB1,642.8 million ( US$254.4 million ) as of June 30, 2021 . ( ) as of . Gross billings[2] were RMB549.9 million ( US$85.2 million ), an 18.7% decrease from RMB676.4 million for the second quarter of 2020. Key Financial and Operating Data For the three months ended Jun. 30, Jun. 30, Y-o-Y 2020 2021 Change Net Revenues (in RMB millions) 493.5 579.8 17.5% K-12 one-on-one mass market offering 417.9 534.6 27.9% K-12 small class offering 28.5 16.8 (41.1%) Others 47.1 28.4 (39.7%) Gross billings (in RMB millions) 676.4 549.9 (18.7%) K-12 one-on-one mass market offering 612.5 516.0 (15.8%) K-12 small class offering 42.4 17.4 (59.0%) Others 21.5 16.5 (23.3%) Active students[3] (in thousands) 298.2 404.7 35.7% [1] For more information on non-GAAP financial measures, please see the section of "Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" and the table captioned "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures to the Most Comparable GAAP Measures" set forth in this press release. [2] Gross billings for a specific period, which is one of the Company's key operating data, is defined as the total amount of cash received for the sale of course packages and services in such period, net of the total amount of refunds in such period. [3] An "active student" for a specified period refers to a student who booked at least one paid lesson, excluding those students who only attended paid live broadcasting lessons or trial lessons. "Our second quarter net revenue reached RMB579.8 million, primarily driven by a 35.7% year-over-year increase in the number of active students," said Mr. Jack Jiajia Huang, Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of 51Talk. "On July 24, 2021, relevant Chinese authorities issued the Opinions on Further Alleviating the Burden of Homework and After-School Tutoring for Students in Compulsory Education ("the Opinion"), which contains high-level policy directives about requirements and restrictions related to online and offline after-school tutoring services. Aligned with the Opinion's directives and requirements, 51Talk launched brand new All-round Proficiency Courses in small class format for children and teenagers led by Chinese teachers. Meanwhile, we plan to develop our overseas business by offering one-on-one classes for international K-12 and adult student users taught by foreign teachers. "Where there are new challenges, there will also be new opportunities. In keeping with the revised framework and regulations for our industry, we will continue to innovate our course offerings and explore growth opportunities." Concluded Mr. Huang. "We recorded a 17.5% increase of net revenue and a 20.5% increase of gross profit on a year-over-year basis," said Mr. Min Xu, Chief Financial Officer of 51Talk. "Net loss for the second quarter was RMB27.0 million, attributable mainly to higher operating expenses incurred as we spent efforts in brand building and upgrading courses offerings and services. Under the new regulations, the Company has taken actions to adapt to the latest operating environment and will take further measures to improve operating efficiency. Looking ahead, we will continue to create value for our students and teachers while conforming to all laws and regulations." Second Quarter 2021 Financial Results Net Revenues Net revenues for the second quarter of 2021 were RMB579.8 million (US$89.8 million), a 17.5% increase from RMB493.5 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was primarily attributed to an increase in the number of active students, partially offset by a decrease in average revenue per active student. The number of active students in the second quarter of 2021 was 404,700, a 35.7% increase from 298,200 for the same quarter last year. Cost of Revenues Cost of revenues for the second quarter of 2021 was RMB158.1 million (US$24.5 million), a 10.2% increase from RMB143.6 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was primarily driven by an increase in total service fees paid to teachers, mainly due to an increased number of paid lessons. Gross Profit and Gross Margin Gross profit for the second quarter of 2021 was RMB421.6 million (US$65.3 million), a 20.5% increase from RMB349.9 million for the same quarter last year. Gross margin for the second quarter of 2021 was 72.7%, compared with 70.9% for the same quarter last year. The increase was mainly attributable to the decrease of the cost per lesson, partially offset by the decrease of the revenue per lesson. Operating Expenses Total operating expenses for the second quarter of 2021 were RMB461.0 million (US$71.4 million), a 38.7% increase from RMB332.4 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was mainly due to an increase in sales and marketing expenses. Sales and marketing expenses for the second quarter of 2021 were RMB315.8 million (US$48.9 million), a 31.7% increase from RMB239.9 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was mainly due to higher sales personnel costs related to increases in both the number of personnel and average salary and higher marketing and branding expenses. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses for the second quarter of 2021 were RMB313.4 million (US$48.5 million), a 32.0% increase from RMB237.4 million for the same quarter last year. Product development expenses for the second quarter of 2021 were RMB65.0 million (US$10.1 million), a 68.4% increase from RMB38.6 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was primarily due to higher product development personnel costs related to increases in the number of personnel. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP product development expenses for the second quarter of 2021 were RMB63.4 million (US$9.8 million), a 71.5% increase from RMB37.0 million for the same quarter last year. General and administrative expenses for the second quarter of 2021 were RMB80.2 million (US$12.4 million), a 48.7% increase from RMB53.9 million for the same quarter last year. The increase was primarily due to higher general and administrative personnel costs related to increases in both the number of personnel and average salary. Excluding share-based compensation expenses, non-GAAP general and administrative expenses for the second quarter of 2021 were RMB75.0 million (US$11.6 million), a 46.6% increase from RMB51.1 million for the same quarter last year. Other income The exemption for the value added tax (VAT) of consumer services has been stopped as of March 31, 2021. This exemption, which covers a wide range of consumer services, was part of the Chinese government's effort to ease the burden of businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The income obtained by taxpayers from providing essential services shall be exempted from VAT. The favorable impact of such COVID-19 relief policies was nil and RMB7.0 million in the second quarter of 2021 and 2020 respectively. On September 30, 2019, the Ministry of Finance and the State Taxation Administration announced that from October 1, 2019 to December 31, 2021, taxpayers engaging in the provision of essential services are allowed to deduct an extra 15% of the deductible input value-added tax for the current period from the payable value-added tax. The impact of the policy of additional value-added tax credit for the income generated by the essential services provided by enterprises was RMB5.6 million and RMB2.6 million in the second quarter of 2021 and 2020 respectively. (Loss)/income from Operations Operating loss for the second quarter of 2021 was RMB33.8 million (US$5.2 million), compared with operating income of RMB27.1 million for the same quarter last year. Operating margin for the second quarter was negative 5.8%, compared with operating margin of 5.5% for the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP operating loss for the second quarter of 2021 was RMB24.5 million (US$3.8 million), compared with non-GAAP operating income of RMB34.0 million for the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP operating margin for the second quarter was negative 4.2%, compared with non-GAAP operating margin of 6.9% for the same quarter last year. Net (loss)/income Net loss for the second quarter of 2021 was RMB27.0 million (US$4.2 million), compared with net income of RMB32.8 million for the same quarter last year. Net margin for the second quarter was negative 4.7%, compared with net margin of 6.6% for the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP net loss for the second quarter of 2021 was RMB17.8 million (US$2.8 million), compared with non-GAAP net income of RMB39.6 million for the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP net margin for the second quarter was negative 3.1%, compared with non-GAAP net margin of 8.0% for the same quarter last year. Income tax expense for the second quarter of 2021 was RMB2.9 million. Basic net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2021 was RMB0.08 (US$0.01), compared with basic net income per share of RMB0.10 for the same quarter last year. Diluted net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2021 was RMB0.08 (US$0.01), compared with diluted net income per share of RMB0.10 for the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP basic net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2021 was RMB0.05 (US$0.01), compared with non-GAAP basic net income per share attributable to ordinary shareholders of RMB0.12 for the same quarter last year. Non-GAAP diluted net loss per share attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2021 was RMB0.05 (US$0.01), compared with non-GAAP diluted net income per share attributable to ordinary shareholders of RMB0.12 for the same quarter last year. Basic and diluted net loss per American depositary share ("ADS") attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2021 was RMB1.24 (US$0.19), compared with basic net income per ADS of RMB1.55 and diluted net income per ADS of RMB1.44 for the same quarter last year. Each ADS represents 15 Class A ordinary shares. Non-GAAP basic and diluted net loss per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders for the second quarter of 2021 was RMB0.82 (US$0.13), compared with non-GAAP basic net income per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders of RMB1.87 and diluted net income per ADS of RMB1.75 for the same quarter last year. Balance Sheet As of June 30, 2021, the Company had total cash, cash equivalents, time deposits and short-term investments of RMB1,642.8 million (US$254.4 million), compared with RMB1,727.7 million as of December 31, 2020. As a part of cash, cash equivalents, time deposits and short-term investments, the Company had non-current time deposits of RMB412.0 million (US$63.8 million), compared with RMB414.0 million as of December 31, 2020. As of June 30, 2021, the Company has a consolidated net current liability of RMB1,440.4 million, compared with net current liability of RMB1,400.4 million as of December 31, 2020. The Company had advances from students[4] (current and non-current) of RMB2,695.0 million (US$417.4 million) as of June 30, 2021, compared with RMB2,721.0 million as of December 31, 2020. [4] "Advances from students," which is defined as the amount of obligation to transfer good or service to students or business partners for which consideration has been received from students in advance. The deposits from students are also presented in the total amount of "advances from students". Subsequent Events Based on the management's assessments, as a result of the changing regulatory environment and the business adjustment plan taken by the Company, impairment of long-lived assets and reversal of interest income recognized for time deposit are expected to be recognized in subsequent period. Outlook For the third quarter of 2021, the Company currently expects net revenues to be between RMB550.0 million and RMB555.0 million, which would represent an increase of approximately 2.1% to 3.1% from RMB538.5 million for the same quarter last year. The above outlook is based on current market conditions and reflects the Company's current and preliminary estimates of market and operating conditions and customer demand, which are all subject to change. In addition, the Company's future operational and financial performance depends on the future development of the implementation of the Opinion and the success of the Company's business adjustment plans, which is subject to inherent uncertainties at this time. Conference Call The Company's management will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on September 28, 2021 (8:00 PM Beijing/Hong Kong time on September 28, 2021). Dial-in details for the earnings conference call are as follows: United States (toll free): 1-888-394-8218 International: 1-323-701-0225 Mainland China: 400-120-9101 Hong Kong (toll free): 800-961-105 Hong Kong: 852-3008-1527 Participants should dial-in at least 5 minutes before the scheduled start time and ask to be connected to the call for "China Online Education Group." Additionally, a live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.51talk.com. A replay of the conference call will be accessible until September 28, 2021, by dialing the following telephone numbers: United States (toll free): 1-888-203-1112 International: 1-719-457-0820 Replay Access Code: 6658686 About China Online Education Group China Online Education Group (NYSE: COE) is a leading online education platform in China, with core expertise in English education. The Company's mission is to make quality education accessible and affordable. The Company's online and mobile education platforms enable students across China to take live interactive English lessons with overseas foreign teachers, on demand. The Company connects its students with a large pool of highly qualified foreign teachers that it assembled using a shared economy approach, and employs student and teacher feedback and data analytics to deliver a personalized learning experience to its students. Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures In evaluating its business, 51Talk considers and uses the following measures defined as non-GAAP financial measures by the SEC as supplemental metrics to review and assess its operating performance: non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses, non-GAAP product development expenses, non-GAAP general and administrative expenses, non-GAAP operating expenses, non-GAAP operating income/(loss), non-GAAP net income/(loss), non-GAAP net income/(loss) attributable to ordinary shareholders, and non-GAAP net income/(loss) attributable to ordinary shareholders per share and per ADS. To present each of these non-GAAP measures, the Company excludes share-based compensation expenses. The presentation of these non-GAAP financial measures is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP. For more information on these non-GAAP financial measures, please see the table captioned "Reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to the most comparable GAAP measures" set forth at the end of this press release. 51Talk believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding its performance by excluding share-based compensation expenses that may not be indicative of its operating performance from a cash perspective. 51Talk believes that both management and investors benefit from these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing its performance and when planning and forecasting future periods. These non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate management's internal comparisons to 51Talk's historical performance. 51Talk computes its non-GAAP financial measures using the same consistent method from quarter to quarter and from period to period. 51Talk believes these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors in allowing for greater transparency with respect to supplemental information used by management in its financial and operational decision-making. A limitation of using non-GAAP measures is that these non-GAAP measures exclude share-based compensation expenses that have been and will continue to be for the foreseeable future a significant recurring expense in the 51Talk's business. Management compensates for these limitations by providing specific information regarding the GAAP amounts excluded from each non-GAAP measure. The accompanying table at the end of this press release provides more details on the reconciliations between GAAP financial measures that are most directly comparable to non-GAAP financial measures. Exchange Rate Information This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars at a specified rate solely for the convenience of the reader. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to U.S. dollars are made at a rate of RMB6.4566 to US$1.00, the rate in effect as of June 30, 2021as certified for customs purposes by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking" statements pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will", "expects", "anticipates", "aims", "future", "intends", "plans", "believes", "estimates", "likely to" and similar statements. Among other things, 51Talk's quotations from management in this announcement, as well as 51Talk's strategic and operational plans, contain forward-looking statements. 51Talk may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about 51Talk's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: 51Talk's goals and strategies; 51Talk's expectations regarding demand for and market acceptance of its brand and platform; 51Talk's ability to retain and increase its student enrollment; 51Talk's ability to offer new courses; 51Talk's ability to engage, train and retain new teachers; 51Talk's future business development, results of operations and financial condition; 51Talk's ability to maintain and improve infrastructure necessary to operate its education platform; competition in the online education industry in China; the expected growth of, and trends in, the markets for 51Talk's course offerings in China; relevant government policies and regulations relating to 51Talk's corporate structure, business and industry; general economic and business condition in China, the Philippines and elsewhere and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in 51Talk's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release is as of the date of this press release, and 51Talk does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law. CHINA ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands) As of Dec. 31, Jun. 30 Jun. 30, 2020 2021 2021 RMB RMB US$ ASSETS Current assets Cash and cash equivalents 326,647 341,858 52,947 Time deposits 477,408 501,025 77,599 Short-term investments 509,636 387,886 60,076 Inventory 1,935 1,941 301 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 302,057 327,458 50,717 Total current assets 1,617,683 1,560,168 241,640 Non-current assets Property and equipment, net 21,175 39,932 6,185 Intangible assets, net 20,302 34,719 5,377 Goodwill 4,223 10,209 1,581 Right-of-use assets 98,001 104,021 16,111 Time deposits 414,000 412,000 63,811 Deferred tax assets 10,268 5,300 821 Other non-current assets 23,896 29,730 4,605 Total non-current assets 591,865 635,911 98,491 Total assets 2,209,548 2,196,079 340,131 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' DEFICIT Current liabilities Advances from students 2,718,776 2,693,341 417,145 Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 237,101 232,034 35,937 Lease liability 42,949 52,097 8,069 Taxes payable 19,288 23,054 3,571 Total current liabilities 3,018,114 3,000,526 464,722 Non-current liabilities Advances from students 2,270 1,690 262 Deferred tax liabilities - 3,738 579 Lease liability 53,594 53,929 8,353 Other non-current liabilities 2,508 2,834 439 Total non-current liabilities 58,372 62,191 9,633 Total liabilities 3,076,486 3,062,717 474,355 Total shareholders' deficit (866,938) (866,638) (134,224) Total liabilities and shareholders' deficit 2,209,548 2,196,079 340,131 CHINA ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP UNAUDITED INTERIM CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME/(LOSS) (In thousands except for number of shares and per share data) For the three months ended For the six months ended Jun. 30, Mar. 31, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, 2020 2021 2021 2021 2020 2021 2021 RMB RMB RMB US$ RMB RMB US$ Net revenues 493,471 600,404 579,751 89,792 980,555 1,180,155 182,783 Cost of revenues (143,560) (159,713) (158,133) (24,492) (287,591) (317,846) (49,228) Gross profit 349,911 440,691 421,618 65,300 692,964 862,309 133,555 Operating expenses Sales and marketing expenses (239,894) (318,944) (315,832) (48,916) (468,281) (634,776) (98,314) Product development expenses (38,616) (57,726) (65,029) (10,072) (74,483) (122,755) (19,012) General and administrative expenses (53,902) (69,208) (80,172) (12,417) (104,591) (149,380) (23,136) Total operating expenses (332,412) (445,878) (461,033) (71,405) (647,355) (906,911) (140,462) Other income 9,628 11,094 5,615 870 26,389 16,709 2,588 Income/(loss) from operations 27,127 5,907 (33,800) (5,235) 71,998 (27,893) (4,319) Interest income 8,735 11,620 10,737 1,663 16,312 22,357 3,463 Interest expenses and other expenses, net (1,337) (3,408) (1,046) (162) (1,546) (4,454) (690) Income/(loss) before income tax expenses 34,525 14,119 (24,109) (3,734) 86,764 (9,990) (1,546) Income tax expenses (1,759) (6,097) (2,907) (450) (3,206) (9,004) (1,395) Net income/(loss), all attributable to the Company's ordinary shareholders 32,766 8,022 (27,016) (4,184) 83,558 (18,994) (2,941) Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in computing basic earnings/(loss) per share 317,793,905 322,796,828 326,390,311 326,390,311 315,495,702 324,603,496 324,603,496 Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in computing diluted earnings/(loss) per share 340,457,526 342,150,096 326,390,311 326,390,311 338,680,304 324,603,496 324,603,496 CHINA ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME/(LOSS) (In thousands except for number of shares and per share data) For the three months ended For the six months ended Jun. 30, Mar. 31, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, 2020 2021 2021 2021 2020 2021 2021 RMB RMB RMB US$ RMB RMB US$ Net earnings/(loss) per share attributable to ordinary shareholders Basic 0.10 0.02 (0.08) (0.01) 0.26 (0.06) (0.01) diluted 0.10 0.02 (0.08) (0.01) 0.25 (0.06) (0.01) Net earnings/(loss) per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders basic 1.55 0.37 (1.24) (0.19) 3.97 (0.88) (0.14) diluted 1.44 0.35 (1.24) (0.19) 3.70 (0.88) (0.14) Comprehensive income/(loss): Net income/(loss) 32,766 8,022 (27,016) (4,184) 83,558 (18,994) (2,941) Other comprehensive income/(loss) Foreign currency translation adjustments 917 1,802 (5,794) (897) 5,461 (3,992) (618) Total comprehensive income/(loss) 33,683 9,824 (32,810) (5,081) 89,019 (22,986) (3,559) Share-based compensation expenses are included in the operating expenses as follows: Sales and marketing expenses (2,447) (2,487) (2,433) (377) (4,749) (4,920) (762) Product development expenses (1,637) (1,733) (1,600) (248) (1,536) (3,333) (516) General and administrative expenses (2,785) (4,516) (5,222) (809) (6,785) (9,738) (1,508) CHINA ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures to the Most Comparable GAAP Measures (In thousands except for number of shares and per share data) For the three months ended For the six months ended Jun. 30, Mar. 31, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, 2020 2021 2021 2021 2020 2021 2021 RMB RMB RMB US$ RMB RMB US$ Sales and marketing expenses (239,894) (318,944) (315,832) (48,916) (468,281) (634,776) (98,314) Less: Share-based compensation expenses (2,447) (2,487) (2,433) (377) (4,749) (4,920) (762) Non-GAAP sales and marketing expenses (237,447) (316,457) (313,399) (48,539) (463,532) (629,856) (97,552) Product development expenses (38,616) (57,726) (65,029) (10,072) (74,483) (122,755) (19,012) Less: Share-based compensation expenses (1,637) (1,733) (1,600) (248) (1,536) (3,333) (516) Non-GAAP product development expenses (36,979) (55,993) (63,429) (9,824) (72,947) (119,422) (18,496) General and administrative expenses (53,902) (69,208) (80,172) (12,417) (104,591) (149,380) (23,136) Less: Share-based compensation expenses (2,785) (4,516) (5,222) (809) (6,785) (9,738) (1,508) Non-GAAP general and administrative expenses (51,117) (64,692) (74,950) (11,608) (97,806) (139,642) (21,628) Operating expenses (332,412) (445,878) (461,033) (71,405) (647,355) (906,911) (140,462) Less: Share-based compensation expenses (6,869) (8,736) (9,255) (1,434) (13,070) (17,991) (2,786) Non-GAAP operating expenses (325,543) (437,142) (451,778) (69,971) (634,285) (888,920) (137,676) Income/(loss) from operations 27,127 5,907 (33,800) (5,235) 71,998 (27,893) (4,319) Less: Share-based compensation expenses (6,869) (8,736) (9,255) (1,434) (13,070) (17,991) (2,786) Non-GAAP income/(loss) from operations 33,996 14,643 (24,545) (3,801) 85,068 (9,902) (1,533) CHINA ONLINE EDUCATION GROUP Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures to the Most Comparable GAAP Measures (In thousands except for number of shares and per share data) For the three months ended For the six months ended Jun. 30, Mar. 31, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, Jun. 30, 2020 2021 2021 2021 2020 2021 2021 RMB RMB RMB US$ RMB RMB US$ Income tax expenses (1,759) (6,097) (2,907) (450) (3,206) (9,004) (1,395) Less: Tax impact of Share-based compensation expenses - - - - - - - Non-GAAP income tax expenses (1,759) (6,097) (2,907) (450) (3,206) (9,004) (1,395) Net income/(loss), all attributable to the Company's ordinary shareholders 32,766 8,022 (27,016) (4,184) 83,558 (18,994) (2,941) Add back: Share-based compensation expenses 6,869 8,736 9,255 1,434 13,070 17,991 2,786 Non-GAAP net income/(loss), all attributable to the Company's ordinary shareholders 39,635 16,758 (17,761) (2,750) 96,628 (1,003) (155) Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in computing basic earnings/(loss) per share 317,793,905 322,796,828 326,390,311 326,390,311 315,495,702 324,603,496 324,603,496 Weighted average number of ordinary shares used in computing diluted earnings/(loss) per share 340,457,526 342,150,096 326,390,311 326,390,311 338,680,304 324,603,496 324,603,496 Non-GAAP net earnings/(loss) per share attributable to ordinary shareholders basic 0.12 0.05 (0.05) (0.01) 0.31 (0.00) (0.00) diluted 0.12 0.05 (0.05) (0.01) 0.29 (0.00) (0.00) Non-GAAP net earnings/(loss) per ADS attributable to ordinary shareholders basic 1.87 0.78 (0.82) (0.13) 4.59 (0.05) (0.01) diluted 1.75 0.73 (0.82) (0.13) 4.28 (0.05) (0.01) SOURCE China Online Education Group City Retirees Sue City Hall Over Health Benefits Tweet this "The City did this in secrecy, never consulted a single retiree, and is counting on no one having the guts or resources to take on City Hall. They counted wrong," said Marianne Pizzitola, the Organization's President, a retired EMT and 9/11 responder in the Fire Department. "The Article 78 Petition is a route to challenge government agencies that overstep their authority," said Steve Cohen, a partner at the Pollock Cohen law firm which is representing the retirees. "City employees, retirees, and their dependents are entitled to health benefits paid for by the City up to a specified dollar level. The obligation to pay for that insurance is not only established by law City Administrative Code Section 12-126 but is incorporated into most of the collective bargaining agreements that the City has entered into for decades," said Cohen. "We asked the City to discuss the needs of seniors and those who retired with disabilities after working at Ground Zero, and they rebuffed us," said Pizzitola. "I would hope the City would have the decency to at least meet with those who have served the City and its residents. Sadly, but not surprisingly, the DeBlasio administration has ignored us." Media Contact: Steve Cohen [email protected] SOURCE Pollock Cohen LLP Related Links https://www.pollockcohen.com Dreier Roundtable Civility Award is awarded for exemplifying "the measured and thoughtful approach the country needs." At the event, former Congressman David Dreier '75, a Republican, presented former Democratic governor Steve Bullock '88 P'24 with the Dreier Roundtable's inaugural Civility Award for exemplifying "the measured and thoughtful approach the country needs." During his two terms as governor of Montana, Bullock worked together with a Republican-majority legislature to address the state's most challenging issues. Dreierwho while in Congress served as chairman of the House Rules Committee and pursued civility between the two partiesfounded the Roundtable, a public policy program at CMC, "to attract, educate, and promote future leaders in public policy." Awardees are recognized for "engaging in spirited debate within the framework of civil and respectful dialogue." Even before the event began, it was clear that the prospect of a spirited and civil dialogue resonated with the CMC community, who packed the Ath to hear Jack Pitney, Roy P. Crocker Professor of Politics, moderate a lively conversation between Bullock and Dreier. "This is very much an ultimate CMC moment," Pitney said to begin the discussion, which ranged from the future of the two political parties to Dreier and Bullock's shared CMC roots to how a CMC education instills a "spirit of civility". Pitney noted that it was "no surprise" to him that Claremont McKenna had recently ranked No. 1 for campus free speech by the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, highlighting the portion of the survey that found CMC had the top score for both "Tolerance for Liberal Speakers" and "Tolerance for Conservative Speakers." Dreier said he still aligns with traditionally Republican principles, which he defined as "a free economy, a humble government, personal freedom, and a strong, cost-effective national defense." Dreier was sworn into office as one of the youngest members of the House of Representatives in U.S. history, serving from 1981-2013. He recalled that while accompanying former President Bill Clinton, a Democrat, on a diplomatic trip as the "token Republican," Clinton tried to convert him to the Democratic party. Dreier recounted that he declined the offer, saying that for negotiating purposes, Clinton needed him more as a Republican than as a Democrat. "You're absolutely right," Dreier recalled Clinton telling him. While the two hold starkly contrasting beliefs in the role of government, they do find common ground when it comes to their shared values. "Everybody wants a community, a decent job, clean air, clean water," Bullock said. Media Contact: Gilien Silsby 213-500-8673 [email protected] SOURCE Claremont McKenna College Related Links http://www.cmc.edu SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF), which builds sustainable ecosystems for cloud native software, today announced the full session agenda for KubeCon + CloudNativeCon + Open Source Summit China , taking place virtually on December 9 and 10, 2021. The event will feature 105 sessions with experts from Alibaba, GitLab, Huawei, Intel, and many more who will share technical and end user insights on today's most compelling technologies. KubeCon + CloudNativeCon China will bring together thousands of technologists across Asia, along with maintainers and end users of CNCF hosted projects including containerd, CoreDNS, Envoy, etcd, Fluentd, Harbor, Helm, Jaeger, Kubernetes, Open Policy Agent, Prometheus, Rook, TiKV, TUF, Vitess, Argo, Buildpacks, CloudEvents, CNI, Contour, Cortex, CRI-O, Dragonfly, Emissary Ingress, Falco, Flux, gRPC, KEDA, KubeEdge, Linkerd, NATS, Notary, OpenTelemetry, Operator Framework, SPIFFE, SPIRE, and Thanos. "We have seen a massive increase in Chinese and Asian companies embracing cloud native and open source technologies. So we are thrilled to be able to bring KubeCon + CloudNativeCon + Open Source Summit back to China after a year hiatus!" said Priyanka Sharma, General Manager of Cloud Native Computing Foundation. "CNCF is looking forward to the opportunity to come together to continue building a resilient, diverse, and collaborative community that drives global innovation." A program committee of more than 48 experts led by conference co-chairs, Twitter's Jasmine James, Apple's Emily Fox, and CERN's Ricardo Rocha reviewed 250 submissions to develop an inspiring, informative, and diverse line-up. The agenda features talks spanning culture and community to deep dives and technical overviews. The schedule offers an educational experience for attendees with all levels of technical background and sessions will be presented in either English or Chinese; captioning will be available if translation is needed. The community-curated schedule for KubeCon + CloudNativeCon + Open Source Summit 2021 will feature sessions from leading open source technologists, including: Build and Manage Multi-cluster Application with Consistent Experience - Yong Feng & Jianbo Sun , Alibaba & , Alibaba Apiserver Builder: Extending Kubernetes via Aggregated Apiserver - Min Kim , Ant Group , Ant Group A full-scenario colocation of workloads based on Kubernetes - Dongdong Chen & Lingpeng Chen, Tencent & Lingpeng Chen, Zero Trust Network Turnkey Solution to Support Zero Trust Service Mesh - Hongjun Ni and Pan Zhang, Intel and Pan Zhang, Intel How to Participate in CNCF Open Source Projects and Become a Maintainer - Guo Xudong , GitLab The full KubeCon + CloudNativeCon + Open Source Summit China program can be viewed here . Thank You Sponsors KubeCon + CloudNativeCon China is made possible with support from Strategic Sponsor: Huawei Cloud ; Gold Sponsor: VMware ; Silver Sponsor: Canonical , Start-up Sponsors: Kaloom , LF AI & Data , and StreamNative . For more information on sponsorships, please visit here . Registration Early Bird Pricing ends October 8, 2021. Register now for the All Access Pass for only $10. CNCF Diversity Scholarship CNCF is proud to offer both diversity and need-based scholarships for this event. The deadline to submit a diversity or needs-based scholarship application is November 21. Additional Resources About Cloud Native Computing Foundation Cloud native computing empowers organizations to build and run scalable applications with an open source software stack in public, private, and hybrid clouds. The Cloud Native Computing Foundation (CNCF) hosts critical components of the global technology infrastructure, including Kubernetes, Prometheus, and Envoy. CNCF brings together the industry's top developers, end users, and vendors, and runs the largest open source developer conferences in the world. Supported by more than 500 members, including the world's largest cloud computing and software companies, as well as over 200 innovative startups, CNCF is part of the nonprofit Linux Foundation. For more information, please visit www.cncf.io. The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see our trademark usage page. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Media Contact Jessie Adams-Shore The Linux Foundation [email protected] SOURCE Cloud Native Computing Foundation DALLAS, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Crossroads Systems, Inc. ("Crossroads")(OTCQX: CRSS), a holding company focused on investing in businesses that promote economic vitality and community development, announced today a merger with Rise Line Business Credit, LLC ("Rise Line"), a nationwide asset-based lending firm that provides innovative working capital solutions. Through this transaction, Crossroads anticipates being able to provide better accessibility to banking for small businesses and assist in their transition into the conventional banking system where many are currently underserved. The merger also expands Crossroads' impact product offering to small businesses that are in asset-heavy sectors such as manufacturing, distribution, retail and consumer products, business services, staffing, and technology services. "This merger enables us to expand our organization into an adjacent competency and diversify our product offering to small businesses across a range of industries," said Eric Donnelly, CEO of Crossroads. "Rise Line has a scalable platform that offers customized loan structures and optimal solutions to its customers to achieve their capital goals. We are thrilled to expand our small business impact reach to more customers across the country deserving of responsible credit extension." Under the terms of the agreement, which was unanimously approved by the members of Crossroads' Board of Directors, the purchase price to effect the transaction was approximately $10 million in cash. The capital infusion immediately expands Rise Line's base to serve small and midsize companies that are often unable to secure appropriate financings from banks and other non-bank lending sources. "This capital expansion will allow us to build on the strong base of relationships and partnerships we have built since our launch in 2017," said Rise Line CEO Gaurang Vyas. "We look forward to continue to serve small businesses across the nation in partnership with Crossroads." The Crossroads and Rise Line merger is a demonstrated commitment to offering institutional-quality products and services to small and midsize businesses to help them realize and leverage the full value of their assets. About Crossroads Systems, Inc. Crossroads Systems, Inc. (OTCQX: CRSS) is a holding company focused on investing in businesses that promote economic vitality and community development. Crossroads' subsidiary, Capital Plus Financial (CPF), is a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) and Certified B-Corp, which supports Hispanic homeownership with a long-term, fixed-rate single-family mortgage product. About Rise Line Business Credit Rise Line Business Credit, a nationwide specialized non-bank lender formed by a team of industry veterans, provides debt solutions to clients throughout the U.S. They have created a platform that brings this broad industry expertise and structuring ability to businesses seeking an alternative to traditional bank lenders. Client solutions typically include asset-based revolving lines of credit and senior secured term loans with loan facilities ranging from $2 million to $15 million with the ability to agent and syndicate larger transactions. Press/media contact: September 28, 2021 Andy Boian dovetail solutions (303) 868-0085 [email protected] Investor Relations contact: Matt Glover and Tom Colton Gateway Investor Relations [email protected] (949) 574-3860 SOURCE Crossroads Systems; Capital Plus Financial Related Links http://www.crossroads.com YARDLEY, Pa., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:CCK) will release its earnings for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021 after the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, October 25, 2021. The Company will hold a conference call to discuss these results at 9:00 a.m. (EDT) on Tuesday, October 26, 2021. The dial-in numbers for the conference call are (630) 395-0194 or toll-free (888) 324-8108 and the access password is "packaging". A replay of the conference call will be available for a one-week period ending at midnight on November 2, 2021. The telephone numbers for the replay are (203) 369-1354 or toll free (866) 461-2738. A live webcast of the call will be made available to the public on the internet at the Company's website, www.crowncork.com. Crown Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is a leading global supplier of rigid packaging products to consumer marketing companies, as well as transit and protective packaging products, equipment and services to a broad range of end markets. World headquarters are located in Yardley, Pennsylvania. For more information, contact Corporate Communications at (215) 602-2653. SOURCE Crown Holdings, Inc. Related Links http://www.crowncork.com MARLBOROUGH, Mass., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DALBAR's recent research illustrates that the structure, design, content and quality of messaging within e-Delivery notifications are crucial. These notifications signify the arrival of a new document in the same way a paper envelope announces new correspondence. These 'electronic envelopes' must therefore draw interest, action and most importantly, trust. Upon their arrival, e-Delivery notifications should proactively provide a measured level of detail, either in the subject line or the body of the email, to help recipients determine if immediate action is necessary. Ameriprise, Charles Schwab, Fidelity and Morgan Stanley stand out in their deliberate efforts to provide pertinent details about the available document, be they in the header or within the first few lines of the email. Email recipients may be hesitant to follow hyperlinks in emails, thus underscoring the need for professional, well-branded communication. The vast majority (79%) of financial firms do place hyperlinks within document emails, averaging between 5 to 8 links depending on the notification type. Edward Jones, Merrill and T. Rowe Price are among the firms that shine in their use and placement of hyperlinks to enable seamless access to available documents, as well as additional materials. In addition to scrutinizing the content, ease of access to documents, design elements and additional support offered within electronic document notifications, DALBAR also looked at how firms leveraged notifications to promote the adoption of other digital resources. Baird, Edward Jones, John Hancock and Merrill are among those firms that effectively utilize document notifications to promote resources that will potentially drive visits to the site. These promotional tactics help to further engage recipients with the website and prolong their stay beyond the time it would take to simply retrieve a document. DALBAR's State of the Industry: e-Delivery Notifications research examines notifications pertaining to 4 different types of documents. The report drills down on best-in-class practices in identifying the purpose of the email, the ability to drive client action, the provision of seamless access to the document and utilization of effective design practices. For more information about this report, please visit the DALBAR Intellect store or email [email protected]. DALBAR, Inc. is the financial community's leading independent expert for evaluating, auditing and rating business practices, customer performance, product quality and service. DALBAR awards are recognized as marks of a superior standard of care in the financial community. SOURCE DALBAR, Inc. Related Links www.dalbar.com DENVER, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- DealerPeak, the only CRM dedicated to making the industry regain their love of selling cars, announced today a partnership with Dealer Wizard that will help dealer groups share to the penny offers with customers to increase inventory and monthly service and sales revenue. Using DealerPeak integrated with Dealer Wizard, dealer groups are now able to see across locations and create and distribute offers that are close or equal to the customer's current payment. In this way, the dealer can both increase their trade-in inventory at a time when it's sorely needed, as well as keep current customers coming back to the dealership while inventory levels stabilize. "In today's difficult environment where inventory is scarce, trade-ins are gold. Through this partnership, our clients can take advantage of enterprise-level mining tools to not only find those valuable trade-ins, but then communicate an offer that would be difficult for the customer to refuse," said Rick McLey, Partner of DealerPeak. "The result is an uplift in both inventory on the lot and sales across stores, while creating repeat, lifetime customers." A single sign on for both DealerPeak and Dealer Wizard means the two solutions can communicate with a button click. While DealerPeak can be used to see all customers who currently have equity in their vehicles across multiple locations, Dealer Wizard then takes that information and creates digital offers and direct mail pieces to market directly to the customer. Any information obtained from the marketing campaign is then pushed back into DealerPeak's CRM and logged for future reference. "The DealerPeak and Dealer Wizard partnership brings together two sophisticated and proven retail software platforms, providing dealers with the ability to fully manage the customer life-cycle from one cohesive interface," said Todd Stewart, Senior Vice President of Marketing Services & Business Development, Dealer Wizard. "We view the current uncertainty in the automotive sector as an opportunity not to pull-in, but to go all-in by delivering a far greater impact for our clients through the strategic relationship." Current users of DealerPeak's best-in-class CRM solution can select the Max package to realize the benefits of this new feature. For more information, please click here. DealerPeak automates the hard work of relationship building through real-time updates, customized workflows, desking solutions, and more. The aim is to bring joy back into the process, while helping each dealership contribute to a healthy bottom line. Find out more at www.dealerpeak.com. About DealerPeak: DealerPeak's mission is to help our industry regain our love of selling cars, both for the dealers who sell vehicles and the customers who buy them. We help dealerships use all of the information at their disposal to capture the magic that exists when a customer finds just the right vehicle for their needs. Our best-in-class solutions automate the hard work of relationship building through real-time updates, customized workflows, desking solutions, and more. Our aim is to bring joy back into the process, while helping you contribute to a healthy bottom line. Visit DealerPeak today at www.dealerpeak.com. Media Contact: Laurie Halter Charisma! Communications 503-816-2474 [email protected] SOURCE DealerPeak TSX.V: DME U.S.OTCQX:DMEHF Frankfurt:QM01 VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - DESERT MOUNTAIN ENERGY CORP. (the "Company") (TSXV: DME) (U.S. OTC: DMEHF) (Frankfurt: QM01) From the President of the Company. Desert Mountain Energy Corp. (DME-TMX.V) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Earl Resources Ltd. (ERL-TMX.V), to provide geologic, land, well planning, drilling and completion for the purposes of developing bedded and domal salt cavern energy storage in Arizona and the southwest. The Company will be reimbursed for all expenses and a modest handling charge. For those efforts the Company will receive a carried override position on any projects without any financial input. Likewise, if during drilling operations for Earl Resources Ltd., helium is discovered, then Earl Resources Ltd. will have an equivalent carried position on any production by the Company. "DME is pleased to announce the joint venture with Earl Resources Ltd. and the opportunity to participate in their energy storage business," says Robert Rohlfing, CEO of Desert Mountain Energy Corp. "The expansion of the DME team has provided the resources to contribute to the joint venture and participate in its future success. Our treasury is committed to our plan of becoming a vertically integrated helium producer with the discovery of the McCauley Field and our decision to put it into production in 2022. DME intends to produce, process and sell finished processed helium directly to domestic helium consumers in the US." The Company is excited to provide these services and looks forward to development of our long-term strategic goals in the Southwestern United States. Furthermore, the Company has acquired specific leases and will be assigning those to Earl Resources Ltd. Currently all the leases to be assigned fall outside of the Company's current operational area. ABOUT DESERT MOUNTAIN ENERGY Desert Mountain Energy Corp. is a publicly traded exploration and resource company focused on the discovery and development of rare noble and hydrogen gas fields in the U.S. The Company is primarily looking for elements deemed critical to the renewable energy and high technology industries. We seek safe harbor "Robert Rohlfing" Robert Rohlfing Executive Chairman & CEO Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in polices of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The statements made in this press release may contain certain forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results may differ from the Company's expectations. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements 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 applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward looking statements and information herein include but are not limited to statements regarding the Company's anticipated performance in the future the planned exploration activities, receipt of positive results from drilling, the completion of further drilling and exploration work, and the timing and results of various activities. Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company and its operations to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such factors include, among others, changes in national and local governments, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada and the United States; financial risks due to helium prices, operating or technical difficulties in exploration and development activities; risks and hazards and the speculative nature of resource exploration and related development; risks in obtaining necessary licenses and permits, and challenges to the Company's title to properties. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to the continued operation of the Company's exploration operations, no material adverse change in the market price of commodities, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause results to be materially different from those anticipated, described, estimated, assessed or intended. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The Company does not intend to, and nor does not assume any obligation to update such forward-looking statements or information, other than as required by applicable law. SOURCE Desert Mountain Energy Corp. Related Links https://desertmountainenergy.com/ STOCKHOLM, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Diaprost announced today that it has agreed terms for an exclusive Licensing Agreement with Radiopharm Theranostics (RAD); an Australian based biotech startup, focused on building an innovative and differentiated pipeline of radiopharmaceutical products for both diagnostic and therapeutic uses. RAD has recently raised A$20 million to progress a portfolio of radiopharmaceutical assets that have the potential to be first to market or best in class in their respective disease areas. The Diaprost asset is one of four distinct & clearly differentiated platform technologies. The Diaprost pipeline is focused on humanised antibodies for diagnostic and therapeutic radiopharmaceutical applications. The hu5A10 antibody enables non-invasive detection and therapy by delivering radionuclides to prostate cancer cells. The platform's targeting mechanism utilizes binding to Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), a well-established biomarker previously only applied for diagnostic blood tests. The imaging modalities based on hu5A10, which were developed together with Lasker Award recipient Charles Sawyers, demonstrate superior specificities in diagnosing prostate cancer cell occurrence and an unparalleled ability to detect disease activity. When employing hu5A10 with a Therapeutic Isotope, results clearly demonstrate specific and effective prostate cancer cell eradication. The combination of imaging and radioimmunotherapy, based on the same antibody, enables a powerful tool for both diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer. Under the terms of the agreement RAD will have exclusive responsibility to manufacture, develop and commercialise hu5A10 worldwide. Upfront and near-term payments of US$10M are part of a financial package that over the life of the agreement could exceed US$125M, if all development and regulatory goals are met. "We believe the Licensing Agreement with Radiopharm Theranostics, founded by the experienced Australian life sciences industry figure Paul Hopper, represents a focused route to maximizing the potential of both Diaprost and the hu5A10 program," said Johan Drott, the CEO of Diaprost. "RAD has established a strong management team with recognised experts to focus on the development of radiopharmaceutical products for diagnostic and therapeutic uses in areas of high unmet medical needs." About Diaprost Diaprost was founded in 2005 based on the idea that the transformative success of the PSA assay for detection of prostate cancer could be leveraged as a personalized theranostic (therapy and diagnostic) platform. The technology and patent applications were pursued by researchers at Lund University in Sweden with support from private investors. Diaprost is collaborating with leading international experts in the fields of molecular medicine, biotechnology, immunology, radiology, radiation physics, laboratory medicine and oncology. Diaprost have an agreement with a Top 10 pharma company for its first antibody h11B6 targeting the hK2 antigen, which is in early clinical development. Plexsus Consulting Services Ltd acted as business advisors to Diaprost and Legal advice was provided by Covington & Burling LLP. Disclaimer Certain information set forth in this announcement contains "forward-looking information". These statements are not guarantees of future performance and undue reliance should not be placed on them. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or result expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. 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. This announcement is made on behalf of Diaprost AB and not on behalf of any third party. For more information, please contact: Johan Drott, CEO, Diaprost AB +46 709 224 140 [email protected] This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/diaprost-ab/r/diaprost-licenses-its-novel-theranostic-antibody--hu5a10--to-radiopharm-theranostics-for-development,c3422317 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/15278/3422317/1473713.pdf Press release (PDF) https://news.cision.com/diaprost-ab/i/johan-drott-ceo-diaprost-ab,c2960002 Johan Drott CEO Diaprost AB https://news.cision.com/diaprost-ab/i/diaprost-logotype,c2960003 Diaprost logotype SOURCE Diaprost AB PLEASANT GROVE, Utah, Sept. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- doTERRA today announced a partnership with the State of Utah to distribute one million On Guard Hand Sanitizing Wipes to local students and teachers. The donation represents a retail value of over $700,000 and is part of doTERRA's commitment to being a good corporate citizen. doTERRA will work with the Utah State Board of Education and the State of Utah to manage the distribution of these antiseptic wipes. In the first instance, Davis, Canyons, Granite, and Jordan School Districts will be receiving an allocation of 800,000 wipes. doTERRA On Guard Sanitizing Wipes are biodegradable, contain 70% ethyl alcohol and are 99.9 percent effective against most common germs. "We appreciate doTERRA stepping up to support a safe back-to-school experience for students and educators across Utah," said Governor Cox. "Creating a safe and welcoming environment in our schools is our absolute priority." "As a mother of four, I know that going back to school after the summer break can be a stressful experience in normal times," said Emily Wright, doTERRA Founding Executive. "Not least during a pandemic. At doTERRA, we are proud to be a Utah-based company and committed to playing our part in helping to make our schools safer as we start a new school year. We appreciate the opportunity to partner with the State on promoting clean hands and making our schools a little bit safer." doTERRA On Guard Sanitizing Wipes eliminate germs during daily activities or travel. The individually wrapped wipes fit easily in a wallet, purse or backpack and are infused with the protective benefits of On Guard essential oil and aloe leaf extract. The wipes clean hands while being gentle on skin and deliver a warm, spicy, and woody aromatic experience. Additional information about the wipes is available on doTERRA.com . About doTERRA doTERRA International is an integrative health and wellness company and the world leader in the Global Aromatherapy and Essential Oils market. doTERRA sources, tests, manufactures, and distributes CPTG Certified Pure Tested Grade essential oils and essential oil products to over five million doTERRA Wellness Advocates and customers. Through industry leading responsible sourcing practices, doTERRA maintains the highest levels of quality, purity, and sustainability in partnership with local growers around the world through Co-Impact Sourcing. The doTERRA Healing Hands Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, offers resources and tools to global sourcing communities and charitable organizations for self-reliance, healthcare, education, sanitation, and the fight against human trafficking. Through the life-enhancing benefits of essential oils, doTERRA is changing the world one drop, one person, one community at a time. To learn more, visit www.doTERRA.com . About doTERRA's On Guard Sanitizing Wipes You can access the full product information regarding doTERRA's On Guard Sanitizing Wipes using the following link: https://media.doterra.com/us/en/pips/doterra-on-guard-sanitizing-wipes.pdf Link to b-roll from the event: https://doterraint.box.com/s/aoax2hb29z8t6vlmrvxf1720gsllrf0z SOURCE doTERRA Related Links www.doterra.com CHESTERTON, Ind. & INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Return To Gentleness: Journeying With Gentle Teaching by Anthony M. McCrovitz, Ph.D., was recently published by Outskirts Press of Colorado in the education / developmental & intellectual disabilities category. This highly-anticipated book is available worldwide on book retailer websites such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, as a paperback a Kindle format with color illustrations. ABOUT THE BOOK When it comes to caregiving, processes of learning and relationship-building are as important for the caregiver as they are for the individual. The work of Dr. Anthony (Tony) M. McCrovitz is grounded in the relationship-building philosophy and practice of Gentle Teaching, his source of inspiration for the writing of this book. In mentoring a spirit of gentleness, we engage in navigating the social vision of Gentle Teaching, based on mutual respect, unconditional acceptance, and principles of interdependence that demonstrate the universal, inherent unity of our humanity. The author illustrates views from both sides of a framework of Gentle Teaching, providing the reader with a window of understanding for cultivating the connections between a person's interior, social-emotional life and their external experience and quality of life. He expands the framework that builds from a moral ethic (the why), with the interweaving of a narrative ethic (the how), illustrating a Quality of Life Model of services that opens up the dialogue with further discussion of mentoring, management, agency and community formation, and crisis intervention, focusing on identifying areas of need and how to create accessible means that develop congruency for experience and well-being, and inclusive, vital communities. Relationship-building interactions that focus on creating companionship and community, acknowledge the client's value and ability to trust the mentoring processes. This lays a foundation for the intrinsic ability to learn how to feel safe and loved. The learning sometimes means "unlearning" trauma-informed responses. This takes patience while new moral memory is being created. In our learning and practice of Gentle Teaching, we remember a simple law of physics: We do not need to remove the darkness from a room before it can be filled with light. Compassionate, practical, and tested in the author's own practice, this masterful exploration of Gentle Teaching belongs with every caregiver. In providing direct human services, a relationship-building foundation of Gentle Teaching supports Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities in cultivating self-determination and social well-being. A Quality-of-Life Model of services adds value and meaning to one's quality of life and to one's professional practice. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Anthony (Tony) M. McCrovitz, Ph.D., is a licensed mental health counselor and psychologist, with clinical training and specialization in child development and the integration of approaches that are rooted in a holistic, biopsychosocial model. In 1996, he co-founded Globe-Star, an agency that provides accredited quality of life services and programs for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. He continues to serve as director and is a consultant, mentor, and provider of training in a Quality of Life Model of services. He holds a doctorate in I/O Psychology from Walden University, a respecialization in Clinical Psychology from Adler University, an MBA from Indiana Wesleyan University, and a master's degree in Pastoral Counseling from Loyola University of Chicago. Dr. McCrovitz currently serves as President of Indiana Counseling Foundation (IPCF), has served as a Past President of Indiana Counseling Association (ICA), and continues actively serving as a Board Member. To learn more or inquire about teaching materials, a consultation or speaking engagement, please email Dr. Anthony M. McCrovitz: [email protected] or contact through website http://qualityoflifeinstitute.org. ISBN: 9781977225368 Contact: Anthony M. McCrovitz, Ph.D. [email protected] 219-921-0143 Photos: https://www.prlog.org/12886502 Press release distributed by PRLog SOURCE Quality of Life Institute, Inc. RAIPUR, India, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratview Research announces the launch of a new market research report on Electric Aircraft Market by Aircraft Type (Ultralight Aircraft and Light Aircraft), by Technology Type (Hybrid Aircraft and All-Electric Aircraft), by Range Type (Less Than 500 Km and More Than 500 Km), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Size, Share, Trend, Forecast, & Industry Analysis: 2021-2026. This strategic assessment report, from Stratview Research, provides a comprehensive analysis that reflects today's electric aircraft market realities and future market possibilities for the forecast period of 2021 to 2026. The report segments and analyzes the market in the most detailed manner to provide a panoramic view of the market. The vital data/information provided in the report can play a crucial role for the market participants and investors in the identification of low-hanging fruits available in the market as well as formulate growth strategies. Electric Aircraft Market: Highlights Electric aircraft is powered by electricity via one or more electric motors which drive the propellers. In this type of aircraft, electricity is supplied through a variety of methods, the most common being batteries or solar cells. The electric aircraft industry is currently at the introduction stage of the industry life cycle and is expected to witness its growth stage during 2021-2030. In the year 2020, the electric aircraft market witnessed a relatively negligible impact of the Covid-19 pandemic as the industry is still at the introduction stage. As per Stratview Research, the electric aircraft market is likely to grow at a lucrative CAGR of 168% over the next five years, owing to the ongoing efforts of governments and companies towards introducing Urban Air Mobility across countries/regions. Click Here and Run Through the Detailed TOC of the Report: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/toc/737/electric-aircraft-market.html Based on the aircraft type, the electric aircraft market is segmented as ultralight aircraft and light aircraft. As of 2020, ultralight aircraft type was the only electric aircraft commercially available in the industry. It is projected to increase at a CAGR of more than 100% during 2020-2026, driven by increasing focus towards sustainable means of air travel. Based on the technology type, all-electric aircraft is expected to remain the dominant technology type in the market during the forecast period. Higher focus towards developing 100% emission-free and noise-free air mobility is the primary driver for the higher growth and adoption of all-electric aircraft as compared to hybrid aircraft. Based on the range type, less than 500 km range holds the major share of the electric aircraft market and is expected to be the faster-growing segment during the forecast period as well. Currently, all-electric aircraft are operating at less than 500 Km range with limited battery storage capacity and energy density. Register Here and Ask for a Free Sample on the Exclusive Report: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/Request-Sample/737/electric-aircraft-market.html#form In terms of regions, Asia-Pacific currently accounts for a majority share, primarily driven by EHang's AAV sales in China. Europe was another major market driven by Pipistrel electric aircraft sales in France, the UK, the Netherlands, Norway, and Switzerland. However, North America is expected to expand at the highest rate, driven by a strong roadmap for establishing UAM networks across different cities. Following are the key players in the electric aircraft market: Guangzhou EHang Intelligent Technology Co. Ltd Pipistrel d.o.o Ajdovs?ina (Pipistrel Aircraft) Joby Aviation Archer Aviation Lilium GmbH Report Features This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights on the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report: Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis. Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis. Market trend and forecast analysis. Market segment trend and forecast. Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc. Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities. Emerging trends. Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players. Key success factors This report studies the electric aircraft market and has segmented the market in four ways, keeping in mind the interest of all the stakeholders across the value chain. Following are the four ways in which the market is segmented: Electric Aircraft Market, by Aircraft Type Ultralight Aircraft (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Light Aircraft (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Electric Aircraft Market, by Technology Type All-Electric Aircraft (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Hybrid Aircraft (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Electric Aircraft Market, by Range Type Less Than 500 Km (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) More Than 500 Km (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW) Electric Aircraft Market, by Region North America (Country Analysis: USA , and Others) Europe (Country Analysis: France , Switzerland , and Rest of Europe ) Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: China and Rest of Asia-Pacific ) Rest of the World (Sub-region Analysis: Middle East and Latin America & Africa ) Stratview Research has number of high value market reports in the global aerospace & defense industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/market-reports/Aerospace-Defense.html About Stratview Research Stratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas. We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies. Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making. Stratview Research has launched 'Composights', an online portal which offers free thought leadership reports, whitepapers, market report synopsis and much more for Composites and allied industries, worth US$ 20,000 every year. Click here to sign up (No costs involved): https://www.stratviewresearch.com/composights/sign-in For enquiries, Contact: Stratview Research E-mail: [email protected] Direct: +1-313-307-4176 SOURCE Stratview Research WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In just eight months in office, the Biden-Harris administration has created an unprecedented border, immigration, national security, national health and humanitarian crisis along our southern border. On September 29 and 30, some 60 national and local talk radio hosts will gather in Washington, D.C., at the Federation for American Immigration Reform's (FAIR) 14th annual Hold Their Feet to the Fire radio row. The two-day event will focus on the Biden-Harris administration's failed immigration policies and the Schumer-Pelosi-led Congress to hold the administration accountable. "The Biden-Harris administration has taken a torch to every aspect of U.S. policy and law, with disastrous results," said Bob Dane, executive director of FAIR. "The purpose of this year's Hold Their Feet to the Fire is to make sure that the administration and Congress feels the heat of the American public's overwhelming rejection of their reckless and politically-driven policies." This year's Hold Their Feet to the Fire radio row will take place on the roof deck of 400 North Capitol Street, home to many of the nation's leading news organizations. Credentialed media are welcome to attend and speak to the dozens of radio hosts, members of Congress, immigration policy experts, law enforcement officials, and others who are participating. When: Wednesday, September 29 and Thursday, September 30 from 6:00 am until 9:00 pm. Where: The roof deck of 400 North Capitol Street on Capitol Hill. Look for signs in the lobby directing to a special reception desk. No RSVP required. Who: 60 national and local talk radio hosts Dozens of members of Congress Former federal immigration enforcement officials Dozens of sheriffs from across the country Immigration policy experts Angel families and border residents Contacts: Matthew Tragesser 412.916.3735, [email protected] Ira Mehlman 213.700.0407, [email protected] ABOUT FAIR Founded in 1979, FAIR is the country's largest immigration reform group. With over 3 million members and supporters nationwide, FAIR fights for immigration policies that serve national interests, not special interests. FAIR believes that immigration reform must enhance national security, improve the economy, protect jobs, preserve our environment, and establish a rule of law that is recognized and enforced. SOURCE Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) Related Links http://www.fairus.org WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA will present 2021 Innovations in Regulatory Science Awards to Peter Marks, MD, PhD, The COVID-19 Research Database, and former U.S. Representative Patrick J. Kennedy. Recipients will be honored at the Foundation's fifth annual Innovations in Regulatory Science Awards celebration which will take place virtually on Tuesday, December 14, at 6pm ET. The awards recognize outstanding contributions to regulatory science and public health in three categories: Leadership, Innovation, and Advocacy/Policy. "The work of each of this year's honorees has made a substantial, positive impact on the health of the American public," says Garry Neil, MD, Chair of the Awards Committee, and a member of the Foundation's Board of Directors. "We're proud to celebrate their contributions to the field of regulatory science." This year, the Foundation's Leadership Award honors Peter Marks, MD, PhD, for his exemplary achievements and lifelong public service commitment. As the director of FDA's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER), Dr. Marks played an essential role in establishing the program formerly known as Operation Warp Speed, the partnership between the federal government and various private companies to develop COVID-19 treatments and vaccines. As CBER director, Dr. Marks oversees the FDA's work ensuring the safety and effectiveness of biological products, including vaccines, allergenic products, blood products, and cellular, tissue and gene therapies. He has demonstrated superior understanding of the importance of regulatory and manufacturing frameworks that can streamline the development of these treatments, bringing life-saving therapies to patients in a timelier manner. In April of 2020, a consortium of leading public and private healthcare organizations came together to launch the COVID-19 Research Database, a secure repository of data sets made available at no cost to researchers, enabling them to conduct large-scale studies while protecting patient privacy. This year's Innovation honoree, the Research Database enabled access to real-world data to better understand and combat the COVID-19 pandemic. The Research Database is a cross-industry collaborative, composed of institutions donating technology services, healthcare expertise, and de-identified data. It has unlocked 85 billion records covering over 250 million unique individuals now available to a research community conducting critical research in epidemiology, pharmacoepidemiology, population health and more. Former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy is this year's recipient of the Advocacy/Policy award for his dedication to increasing access to mental health and addiction care for all Americans. He founded The Kennedy Forum, a nonprofit that brings together advocates, business leaders, and government agencies to advance evidence-based practices, policies, and programming in mental health and addiction. He is a co-founder of the Kennedy-Satcher Center for Mental Health Equity as well as other nonprofit organizations that are changing the lives of people with mental illness, addiction, and other brain diseases in the U.S. and around the world. While in Congress, Kennedy was a lead author of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which requires insurers to cover treatment for mental health and substance use disorders no more restrictively than treatment for illnesses of the body. Additionally, Kennedy authored and co-sponsored dozens of bipartisan bills to increase the understanding and treatment of neurological and psychiatric disorders. "We applaud the remarkable accomplishments of this year's awardees," says Susan C. Winckler, RPh, Esq., CEO of the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA. "Their vision and their dedication are an inspiration to all of us working to advance regulatory science and improve public health." The 2021 Innovations in Regulatory Science Awards event is supported by presenting sponsor Alexandria Real Estate Equities, Inc./Alexandria Venture Investments along with other organizational and individual donors. About the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA The Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA (FDA Foundation) is an independent 501(c)(3) created by Congress to advance regulatory science to help the U.S. Food and Drug Administration accomplish its mission. The FDA Foundation works to improve health and safety through stakeholder engagement and public-private partnerships that facilitate innovation, foster the use of real-world evidence, and identify modern tools and polices to keep pace with today's rapidly evolving science. SOURCE Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA Related Links http://www.reaganudall.org/ RAPID CITY, S.D., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The second and final phase of core-sample drilling is underway in the Hideaway Hills neighborhood, bringing residents one step closer to determining the extent of danger caused by abandoned state-owned gypsum mines that have created dangerous collapses. An expert team from Western Engineers & Geologists received approval to proceed from the Northdale Sanitary District earlier this month. The drill-site holes are four inches in diameter and will be backfilled and capped once the core samples are obtained. The work will be closely monitored. No drilling will take place within the primary collapse site, and the procedure will follow industry best practices for safety. The Fox Rothschild law firm represents Hideaway Hills residents seeking damages from the state of South Dakota, which owns subsurface rights to the property. "Tests performed so far are helpful in determining areas where voids and unstable areas may be, but core-sample drilling is the best practice for obtaining the kind of precise answers that this case demands," said Fox Rothschild attorney Kathleen Barrow. The legal team recently took sworn depositions from state officials and a former executive of the state-owned Dacotah cement plant, with more depositions to come. In May, the lawsuit won a key ruling from Circuit Court Judge Kevin Krull, who found that the homeowners "demonstrated that their injuries likely will be redressed by a favorable decision i.e., an award of damages, based on their constitutional right to individually bring an inverse condemnation case against the State." It is the only lawsuit related to the mine collapse to survive a motion to dismiss and move forward to discovery to date. The next step in the litigation will be to seek class certification in October. "The purpose of this lawsuit is to provide a way for every Hideaway Hills homeowner to obtain relief, and class-action certification provides an effective and efficient way to do just that," Ms. Barrow said. A mine collapse in April 2020 caused a large sinkhole in the neighborhood, prompting the evacuation of several households. Many homeowners remain unable to return to their homes, while more than 100 property owners throughout the neighborhood have been unable to sell and have seen property values plummet. The case is Andrew Morse and John and Emily Clarke et al. v. State of South Dakota et al., No. 46CIV-20-000295 in the Circuit Court, 4th Judicial District, County of Meade, South Dakota. Fox Rothschild has grown to a 950-lawyer national law firm with 27 offices by focusing on client service and responsiveness and by attracting bright and creative lawyers who know how to deliver. More information at foxrothschild.com . Media Contact: Robert Tharp 800-559-4534 [email protected] SOURCE Fox Rothschild Related Links https://www.foxrothschild.com RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On Monday, 27 September 2021, the Financial Sector Conference (FSC) concluded its first focused event of the 'Financial Sector Conference Talks', organized by the Financial Sector Development Program's partners (Finance Ministry Saudi Central bank CMA) and held at Rafal tower in Riyadh. The opening speech of the event was delivered by H.E. Dr. Fahad Al-Mubarak, Governor of the Central Saudi Bank, where he shed lights on Growing Global Trend in Sustainability and Climate Change. The first panel of the event discussed "KSA ESG Ecosystem: Opportunities and Challenges". The session was moderated by Mr. Jamie Sanz, MD & Head, Sovereign Advisory, Societe Generale, and attended by H.E. Mr. Mohammed El-Kuwaiz, Chairman, Capital Market Authority (CMA), Mr. Hani Almediani, Acting CEO of NDMC, and Eng. Fahad Al-Ajlan President, KAPSARC. The second panel entitled "ESG Capital Markets: The New Investment Landscape", was moderated by Mr. Jean Mercer, Vice-Chairman, Capital Markets, HSBC. The panel hosted the following speakers: Mr. Timothee Jaulin, Head of ESG Development & Advocacy, Amundi Asset Management, Ms. Polina Kurdyavko, Bluebay Asset Management, & Partner - EM Senior Sovereign PM, Mr. Manish Manchandya, Group CFO, Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), and Mr. Paddy Padmanathan, President and CEO ACWA Power. On behalf of the Minister of Finance, the ceremony was concluded by Mr. Abdulaziz Alrasheed, Assistant Minister of Finance for Macro-Fiscal & International Relations, Chairman of Supervisory Committee of Financial Sector Conference, as he highlighted the kingdom's efforts towards sustainability. This event is the first talk of an introductory series for the second edition of FSC set to be held in the first quarter of 2022, aimed to discuss the growing role of ESG and the overall efforts to fill the financing gaps, achieve sustainable financing aligned with the UN sustainability objectives, and direct the financial institutions to make value in the long run with ESG instruments; to reach sustainable capitalistic markets and increase the sustainable financing scope. The event brought together entrepreneurs to communicate and exchange ideas and experiences, to discuss the investment opportunities in developing the Saudi finance sector, especially, that it attracts local, regional and international entrepreneurs, representatives of public and private sectors, including high-profile international consultations and financial institutions, credit agencies, and experts in financing, investment, banks and insurance. It is worth mentioning, that the second edition of the Financial Sector Conference has sought, since its launch in 2019, to achieve interdependence integration within the financial sector ecosystem through its various tools and means. In addition, it aspired to achieve sustainable growth within a resilient financial stability framework, while employing innovative tools for the development and management of services. This conference is one of the Financial Sector Development Program's initiatives, launched by the Council of Economic and Development Affairs as one of Vision2030 programs, which aims to realize Saudi Vision 2030 objectives, through creating a diversified and effective financial sector that supports the development of the national economy. To watch the event, please click here: https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1BRJjnzlLqaJw Tweet: Financial Sector Conference Concludes its First Focused Event of the Financial Sector Conference Talks Link: https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1BRJjnzlLqaJw SOURCE Saudi Ministry of Finance BEIJING, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- First High-School Education Group Co., Ltd. ("First High-School Education Group" or the "Company") (NYSE: FHS), the largest operator of private high schools in Western China and the third largest operator in China[1], today announced its unaudited financial results for the six months ended June 30, 2021. First Half 2021 Financial Highlights Total revenues were RMB231.9 million ( US$35.9 million ), an increase of 24.8% from RMB185.8 million in the first half of 2020. were ( ), an increase of 24.8% from in the first half of 2020. Gross profit was RMB62.3 million ( US$9.6 million ), a decrease of 3.6% from RMB64.6 million in the first half of 2020. was ( ), a decrease of 3.6% from in the first half of 2020. Net loss was RMB3.8 million ( US$0.6 million ), compared to a net income of RMB31.9 million in the first half of 2020. Such loss was primarily incurred by certain non-recurring expenses, details of which are explained thereunder. was ( ), compared to a net income of in the first half of 2020. Such loss was primarily incurred by certain non-recurring expenses, details of which are explained thereunder. Adjusted net income[2] (Non-GAAP) was RMB11.2 million ( US$1.7 million ), a decrease of 64.9% from RMB31.9 million in the first half of 2020. Operational Highlights As of September 1, 2021 , the Company is operating 36 school programs with a total of over 35,000 students. , the Company is operating 36 school programs with a total of over 35,000 students. In late September 2021 , the Company entered into an agreement to operate a high school in Sichuan province. , the Company entered into an agreement to operate a high school in province. In May 2021 , the Company acquired the majority stake of a company providing live AI online teaching services in Beijing . , the Company acquired the majority stake of a company providing live AI online teaching services in . In mid-September 2021 , the Company announced a strategic partnership aiming to jointly raise an education growth fund focusing on the Company's school expansion. [1] In terms of student enrollment as of September 1, 2021, according to an industry report commissioned by First High-School Education Group and prepared by China Insights Industry Consultancy Limited. [2] Adjusted net income is a non-GAAP measure. See "Non-GAAP measure" in this press release. A reconciliation of the Company's most directly comparable GAAP measure to historical non-GAAP financial measure has been provided in the tables captioned "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measure" included at the end of this press release, and investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation. CEO & CFO Comments Mr. Shaowei Zhang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First High-School Education Group commented: "In the first half of 2021, our improved number of student enrollments translated into healthy topline growth, with 24.8% year-over-year growth to RMB231.9 million for total revenue. Facing tough regulatory environment, we remain committed to driving rapid growth with further operation expansion while improving utilization rate for our existing schools. During this period, we had 8 new school programs opened in multiple provinces, including 3 new high school programs, 3 new Gaokao repeaters school programs, 1 new public-school management services program, and 1 middle school program. As of September 1, 2021, we are running 36 school programs with a total of over 35,000 students across Yunnan province, Guizhou province, Shanxi province, Shaanxi province, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Sichuan province and Chongqing, with a utilization rate of 62.3%, compared to 55.3% as of December 31, 2020. Therein, (1) we are operating 17 high school programs with a total of over 18,500 students and school utilization rate of approximately 53.4%,and 7 Gaokao repeaters school programs with a total of over 1,600 students and school utilization rate of approximately 62.0%; (2) we are cooperating with local governments in Yunnan province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to provide management services for 4 public schools with a total of over 5,500 students; and (3) we are operating 8 middle school programs with a total of over 9,700 students and school utilization rate of approximately 82.7%. Complying with relevant regulatory guidelines, we look forward to further solidify our leading position in China's private high school and Gaokao repeater school programs sectors. We also aim to expand into new geographical markets with strong demands." Mr. Zhang continued: "In addition to the 36 fully operated school programs, we have also entered into agreements to secure more school openings next year. One particular case worth highlighting is that in late September, we entered into an agreement to lease newly constructed school premises and facilities to sponsor a high school with capacity for over 2,800 student beds in Sichuan province. The leased school premise was previously designed for K-9 education, and was recently leased to us primarily due to the owner's operational difficulties amid the changing regulatory environment and our strong brand name in operating high schools. This agreement marks our high school business entrance into Sichuan province, where we aim to explore and satisfy the large market demand with similar arrangements." Mr. Zhang continued: "We also achieved meaningful progress in enhancing our education resources and services. On June 1, 2021, we announced our majority stake acquisition in Beijing Long-Spring Future Plus Education Technology Co., Ltd., or Beijing Long-Spring Future Plus, previously known as Beijing Tomorrow Future Plus Education Technology Co., Ltd., a technology-driven education company providing premium full-time live AI online teaching services. This combination will further improve the overall quality of our education system, especially for China's central and western regions where there are strong demands for high quality high school and Gaokao repeater school programs. This system will allow us to further empower our existing business in operating private high schools, school programs for Gaokao repeaters, and management services for public schools." "We are highly confident in the market opportunities for China's private high school and Gaokao repeaters school programs. Therefore, in mid-September we announced a strategic partnership with Sichuan Fuhang Capital Equity Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd., aiming to jointly setup an education growth fund dedicated to supporting the rapid expansion of our school network. We believe the above milestones will further strengthen our leading position and competitiveness in China's private high school and Gaokao repeaters school program sectors." Mr. Zhang concluded. First Half 2021 Financial Results Total Revenues Total revenues were RMB231.9 million (US$35.9 million), an increase of 24.8% from RMB185.8 million in the first half of 2020. The increase was primarily driven by (1) greater student enrollment due to the opening of new schools and the increased number of students enrolled in our existing schools; (2) increased average tuition fee per student in most of our existing schools; (3) higher boarding fees due to the increased number of students enrolled. Revenues from customers were RMB224.4 million (US$34.8 million), an increase of 33.7% from RMB167.8 million in the first half of 2020. The increase was primarily driven by (1) higher student enrollment due to the opening of new schools and the increased number of students enrolled in our existing schools; (2) increased average tuition fee per student in most of our existing schools; (3) higher boarding fees due to the increased number of students enrolled. Revenues from government cooperative agreements were RMB7.5 million (US$1.2 million), a decrease of 58.6% from RMB18.0 million in the first half of 2020, primarily caused by the delayed payments from government for the relevant cooperative arrangements. Cost of revenues Cost of revenues were RMB169.6 million (US$26.3 million), an increase of 39.9% from RMB121.2 million in the first half of 2020. The increase was primarily due to the increased staff cost from opening of new schools, and other expenses in connection with our strategic expansion. Gross profit Gross profit was RMB62.3 million (US$9.6 million), a decrease of 3.6% from RMB64.6 million in the first half of 2020. Gross margin was 26.9%, compared with 34.8% in the first half of 2020. The decreased gross margin was primarily due to the higher cost of revenues resulted from (1) increased staff costs due to increased number of employees and increased compensation level to attract more talents; (2) increased school operating expenses, especially for new schools with relatively lower cost efficiency than our existing schools. Net operating expenses Net operating expenses were RMB58.2 million (US$9.0 million), an increase of 103.7% from RMB28.6 million in the first half of 2020. Selling and marketing expenses were RMB2.6 million ( US$0.4 million ), an increase of 97.6 % from RMB1.3 million in the first half of 2020. The increase was primarily due to the increased expenses in brand promotion and marketing activities in relation to the assertive school opening plan made at the beginning of this year. ( ), an increase of 97.6 % from in the first half of 2020. The increase was primarily due to the increased expenses in brand promotion and marketing activities in relation to the assertive school opening plan made at the beginning of this year. General and administrative expenses were RMB60.4 million ( US$9.4 million ), an increase of 109.2% from RMB28.9 million in the first half of 2020. The increase was mainly due to (1) one-off option granted to a strategic investor and consultant; (2) certain non-recurring expenses in relation to the Company's initial public offering in March 2021 . ( ), an increase of 109.2% from in the first half of 2020. The increase was mainly due to (1) one-off option granted to a strategic investor and consultant; (2) certain non-recurring expenses in relation to the Company's initial public offering in . Government grants were RMB4.8 million ( US$0.7 million ), an increase of 196.4% from RMB1.6 million in the first half of 2020, primarily due to (1) the earlier distribution process made by the government this year, as government grants in previous years were usually distributed in the second half of the year; (2) the increase in government subsidies in line with the increase in student enrollments and new schools opened. Income from operations Income from operations was RMB4.1 million (US$0.6 million), a decrease of 88.7% year-over-year from RMB36.0 million in the first half of 2020. Interest expense Interest expense was RMB9.2 million (US$1.4 million), an increase of 1528.6% from RMB0.6 million in the first half of 2020. The significant increase was incurred by the borrowing under financing arrangements which was used for corporate restructuring activities prior to the Company's initial public offering. Net loss Net loss was RMB3.8 million (US$0.6 million), compared to a net income of RMB31.9 million in the first half of 2020. Adjusted net income[2] (Non-GAAP) Adjusted net income (Non-GAAP) was RMB11.2 million (US$1.7 million), a decrease of 64.9% from RMB31.9 million in the first half of 2020. Update on PRC Regulatory Policy In May 2021, the State Council of the People's Republic of China promulgated the Implementation Rules for the Law for Promoting Private Education of the PRC () (the "2021 Implementation Rules") which became effective on 1 September 2021. The 2021 Implementation Rules have set series of restrictions and guidelines on operation, taxation, shareholding structure, connected transactions and merge and acquisition of compulsory education. According to our legal interpretation, the 2021 Implementation Rules mostly affected our middle school operations. However, there still exist uncertainties with respect to the interpretation and enforcement of the 2021 Implementation Rules. The Company will closely monitor the developments related to the 2021 Implementation Rules, and continue to assess the possible impacts on the Company and make any restructures or other applicable actions to mitigate or respond to 2021 Implementation Rules. Conference Call First High-School Education Group's management will hold an earnings conference call on Tuesday, September 28, 2021, at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time (8:00 PM September 28, 2021, Beijing/Hong Kong Time). Please dial in 15 minutes before the conference is scheduled to begin using below numbers. International 1-646-828-8199 United States 1-800-581-5838 Hong Kong 800-961-113 Mainland China 4001-209107 Passcode 737894 A telephone replay of the conference call may be accessed by phone at the following numbers until October 5, 2021. International 1-719-457-0820 United States 1-888-203-1112 Replay Access Code 2526106 A live and archived webcast of the conference call will be available on the company's investors relations website at https://ir.diyi.top/ . About First High-School Education Group First High-School Education Group is the largest operator of private high schools in Western China and the third largest operator in China1 . The Company aspires to become a leader and innovator of private high school education in China, with the focuses on a comprehensive education management integrating education information consulting, education research project development, education talent management, education technology management, education service management, and general vocational integration development services. For more information, please visit https://ir.diyi.top/. Non-GAAP Measure The Company has provided in this press release financial information that has not been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or U.S. GAAP. The Company considers and uses one non-GAAP measure, adjusted net income, as a supplemental measure to review and assess its operating performance. Adjusted net income enables the Company's management to assess the Company's operating results without considering the impact of non-cash charges, including share-based compensation expenses. The Company also believes that the use of the non-GAAP measure facilitates investors' assessment of its operating performance. The presentation of the non-GAAP financial measure is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the financial information prepared and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Adjusted net income is a non-GAAP measure. A reconciliation of the Company's most directly comparable GAAP measure to historical non-GAAP financial measure has been provided in the tables captioned "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measure" included at the end of this press release, and investors are encouraged to review the reconciliation. Exchange Rate The Company's business is primarily conducted in China and all of the revenues are denominated in Renminbi ("RMB"). This announcement contains translations of certain RMB amounts into U.S. dollars ("USD" or "US$") at specified rates solely for the convenience of the readers. Unless otherwise noted, all translations from RMB to USD are made at the rate of RMB6.4566 to US$1.00, the exchange rate set forth in the H.10 statistical release of the Federal Reserve Board on June 30, 2021. No representation is made that the RMB amounts could have been, or could be, converted, realized or settled into US$ at that rate on June 30, 2021, or at any other rate. Forward-Looking Statements This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Company's business plans and development, which can be identified by terminology such as "may," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "aim," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "believe," "potential," "continue," "is/are likely to" or other similar expressions. Such statements are based upon management's current expectations and current market and operating conditions and relate to events that involve known or unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company's control, which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under law. For Investor and Media Inquiries Please Contact: In China: First High-School Education Group Lillian Liu Tel: +86-13062818313 E-mail: [email protected] The Blueshirt Group Ms. Susie Wang Phone: +86 138-1081-7475 Email: [email protected] In the United States: The Blueshirt Group Ms. Julia Qian Phone: +1 973-619-3227 Email: [email protected] First High-School Education Group Co., Ltd. Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (All amounts in thousands, except share data and per share data, or otherwise noted) Six months ended June 30, 2020 2021 2021 RMB RMB US$ Revenues Revenue from customers 167,825 224,402 34,755 Revenue from government cooperative agreements 17,997 7,450 1,154 Total revenues 185,822 231,852 35,909 Cost of revenues (121,233) (169,567) (26,263) Gross profit 64,589 62,285 9,646 Operating expenses and income Selling and marketing expenses (1,316) (2,600) (403) General and administrative expenses (28,867) (60,397) (9,354) Government grants 1,619 4,798 743 Income from operations 36,025 4,086 632 Other income (expenses): Interest income 436 197 31 Interest expense (566) (9,218) (1,428) Change in fair value of contingent consideration (379) - - Foreign currency exchange (loss)/gain, net (155) 467 72 Others, net 835 1,141 177 Income/(loss) before income taxes 36,196 (3,327) (516) Income tax expenses (4,319) (455) (70) Net income/(loss) 31,877 (3,782) (586) Attributable to Shareholders of the Company 31,877 (3,786) (587) Non-controlling interests - 4 1 Foreign currency translation adjustments, net of tax - 1,388 215 Comprehensive income/(loss) 31,877 (2,394) (371) Attributable to Shareholders of the Company 31,877 (2,398) (372) Non-controlling interests - 4 1 Earnings/(loss) per ordinary share Basic and diluted 0.45 (0.05) (0.01) Weighted average number of ordinary share outstanding Basic and diluted 70,488,700 73,234,944 73,234,944 First High-School Education Group Co., Ltd. Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (All amounts in thousands, except share data and per share data, or otherwise noted) As of December 31, As of June 30, 2020 2021 2021 Assets RMB RMB US$ Current assets Cash 148,756 130,947 20,281 Restricted cash 59,600 - - Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts 30,903 13,447 2,083 Amounts due from related parties 80,464 1,732 268 Prepaid expenses and other current assets 53,450 62,042 9,609 Total current assets 373,173 208,168 32,241 Property and equipment, net 142,407 140,064 21,693 Intangible assets, net 48,976 48,701 7,543 Goodwill 40,218 164,873 25,536 Deferred tax assets 12,274 20,089 3,111 Amounts due from related parties 500 - - Other non-current assets 18,524 26,646 4,127 Total assets 636,072 608,541 94,251 As of December 31, As of June 30, 2020 2021 2021 Liabilities and Equity/(Deficit) RMB RMB US$ Current liabilities Contract liabilities 203,482 62,686 9,709 Deferred revenue from governments 13,770 14,220 2,202 Borrowings under financing arrangements 64,140 56,131 8,694 Bank loans 46,638 93,616 14,499 Accounts payable 8,063 16,063 2,488 Accrued expenses and other payables 91,253 115,381 17,871 Income tax payables 15,377 11,609 1,798 Amounts due to related parties 218,996 14,916 2,310 Total current liabilities 661,719 384,622 59,571 Contract liabilities 7,274 4,569 708 Deferred revenue from governments 12,370 12,870 1,993 Borrowings under financing arrangements 28,643 28,922 4,479 Other payables 9,607 14,287 2,213 Deferred tax liabilities 11,933 11,031 1,708 Total liabilities 731,546 456,301 70,672 Equity/(Deficit) Ordinary shares (US$0.00001 par value; 5,000,000,000 shares authorized; and 70,488,700 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2020) * - - - Class A ordinary shares (US$0.00001 par value; nil and 4,900,000,000 shares authorized, nil and 39,309,480 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and June 30, 2021, respectively) - 3 - Class B ordinary shares (US$0.00001 par value; nil and 100,000,000 shares authorized, nil and 47,529,220 shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2020 and June 30, 2021, respectively) - 3 - Additional paid-in capital 64,128 761,344 117,917 Statutory reserves 41,591 41,591 6,442 Accumulated deficit (201,524) (665,760) (103,112) Accumulated other comprehensive income 144 1,532 237 Total (deficit)/equity attributable to the shareholders of the Company (95,661) 138,713 21,484 Non-controlling interests 187 13,527 2,095 Total (deficit)/equity (95,474) 152,240 23,579 Commitments and contingencies - - - Total liabilities and (deficit)/equity 636,072 608,541 94,251 *Number of ordinary shares reflect on a retrospective basis the effect of shares issued in connection with the corporate restructuring in January 2021. First High-School Education Group Co., Ltd. Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Measure (All amounts in thousands) Six months ended June 30, 2020 2021 2021 RMB RMB US$ Reconciliation of net income/(loss) to adjusted net income: Net income/(loss) 31,877 (3,782) (586) Add: Share-based compensation expenses* - 14,957 2,317 Tax effect - - - Adjusted net income 31,877 11,175 1,731 *The shares-based compensation expense represented one-off fully vested and nonforfeitable options granted to a consultant. SOURCE First High-School Education Group Co., Ltd Related Links https://ir.diyi.top/ LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Generate Life Sciences today announced it is introducing computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) through the integration of Hamilton Thorne's IVOS II Clinical CASA system. Hamilton Thorne With this addition, California Cryobank Generate's donor sperm bank and its network of donor sperm laboratories across the United States will become the first to incorporate automation into the process of preparing donor sperm vials. This is a major industry advancement that promises to optimize specimen quality through an additional layer of accuracy and analytical precision on top of the usual quality assurance procedures, with the end result of greatly minimizing interlaboratory variation. Interlaboratory variation in the calculation of sperm concentration and progressive motility is to be expected. However, it is a longstanding source of frustration for sperm banks, clinics and patients. Manual sperm analysis requires a technician to laboriously count the number of sperm per volume within a predetermined microscopic area to calculate sperm concentration. Even with the most well-trained technicians, this process is subject to high variability when left to the human eye. The IVOS II system customized specifically for sperm banking in partnership with Hamilton Thorne is the result of decades of advancements in CASA systems that can now analyze sperm cell number, velocity, and motion pattern of thousands of concurrently and rapidly moving cells with remarkable accuracy. The automated computer-assisted system ensures precision in measurement and eliminates complete reliance on human subjectivity. The result is improved standardization and quality applied across multiple processing laboratories. "Incorporating the IVOS II Clinical CASA systems throughout our processing facilities is the culmination of years of hard work to reduce inherent variability in sperm bank manufacturing," said Jaime Shamonki, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Generate and California Cryobank. "Our 2018 study confirmed that even minute laboratory differences in cell-counting devices produce significant variation in calculated sperm concentration and progressive motility assessment. "Using this state-of-the-art CASA approach, we can eliminate human subjectivity and further optimize the quality of the donor sperm vials our clients rely on for their family building," continued Dr. Shamonki. "This is another example of how Generate leads the industry through scientific rigor and consistent investment in quality." The IVOS II Clinical CASA systems are currently being used in all of California Cryobank's processing laboratories. A study to compare California Cryobank's IVOS-analyzed samples to independent andrology clinic analysis is underway. To access the factsheet, please visit https://www.generate.com/press-kit . About Generate Life Sciences Generate Life Sciences is a global life sciences company helping families setting out to grow and protect their future, through guidance anchored in scientific advancements and services ranging from preconception into adulthood. Our longstanding brands which include CBR (Cord Blood Registry), Insception Lifebank , Cells for Life , Cell Care , California Cryobank , Donor Egg Bank USA , NW Cryobank , ReadyGen , Kitazato USA , and Donor Application are pioneering leaders that have helped nearly one million families through reproductive, newborn stem cell, genetic screening, medical device, and healthcare technology services. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Generate operates facilities spanning from the United States and Canada to Australia, alongside frozen donor gamete distribution to more than 40 countries. Generate is a portfolio company of GI Partners, a private investment firm based in San Francisco. About Hamilton Thorne Ltd. (www.hamiltonthorne.ltd) Hamilton Thorne is a leading global provider of precision instruments, consumables, software and services that reduce cost, increase productivity, improve results and enable breakthroughs in Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART), research, and cell biology markets. Hamilton Thorne markets its products and services under the Hamilton Thorne, Gynemed, Planer, IVFtech, Embryotech Laboratories, and Tek-Event brands, through its growing sales force and distributors worldwide. Hamilton Thorne's customer base consists of fertility clinics, university research centers, animal breeding facilities, pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology companies, and other commercial and academic research establishments. Media Contact Zuri McClelland HDMZ [email protected] 312-506-5214 SOURCE Generate Life Sciences Related Links https://www.generate.com/ NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Genpact (NYSE: G) will announce results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2021 after the U.S. financial markets close on Tuesday, November 9, 2021. Following the release, Genpact's management will host a conference call beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET to discuss the company's performance. To participate, callers can dial +1 (877) 654-0173 from within the U.S. or +1 (281) 973-6289 from any other country. Callers will be prompted to provide the conference ID, 6837459. A live webcast of this event will also be made available on the Genpact Investor Relations website at https://www.genpact.com/investors. For those who cannot join live, a replay will be archived on Genpact's website after the end of the call. A transcript of the call will also be made available via the website. About Genpact Genpact (NYSE: G) is a global professional services firm that makes business transformation real. Led by our purpose -- the relentless pursuit of a world that works better for people -- we drive digital-led innovation and digitally enabled intelligent operations for our clients. Guided by our experience reinventing and running thousands of processes for hundreds of clients, many of them Global Fortune 500 companies, we drive real-world transformation at scale. We think with design, dream in digital, and solve problems with data and analytics. Combining our expertise in end-to-end operations and our AI-based platform, Genpact Cora, we focus on the details all 90,000+ of us. From New York to New Delhi, and more than 30 countries in between, we connect every dot, reimagine every process, and reinvent the ways companies work. We know that reimagining each step from start to finish creates better business outcomes. Whatever it is, we'll be there with you accelerating digital transformation to create bold, lasting results because transformation happens here. Get to know us at Genpact.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook. Contacts: SOURCE Genpact Related Links https://www.genpact.com LONDON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Gerald Group ("Gerald"), the world's largest independent and employee-owned metals trading house is pleased to announce the successful refinancing of Gerald's North American trading hub GT Commodities LLC's ("GTC") Borrowing Base Facility ("BBF") closed at US$450 million. ING Capital LLC ("ING") acted as Lead Lender and Administrative Agent for the refinancing of GTC's current secured financing facility, with Rabobank and HSBC as Joint Lead Arrangers (JLAs). Other members of the club deal included Credit Agricole, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, Bank of China, Raiffeisen Bank International and UniCredit. GTC's BBF, which launched at US$300 million received record subscriptions of US$495 million from existing and new lenders, and after scaling back closed at US$450 million. The financial flexibility that the BBF provides GTC, will continue to support Gerald's North American activities. "Notwithstanding the continued disruption and volatility in global supply chains, Gerald Group continues to demonstrate being a stable partner across the supply chain. The Group remains focused on sustainable growth and playing a vital role in the energy transition journey towards a better future. The oversubscription and favourable pricing achieved in the refinancing shows clear confidence from commodity lenders in Gerald's businesses. We truly appreciate the strong relationships we have with our existing banking group, and welcome the addition of three new participants to the credit facility," said Mital Patel, Gerald Group's Global Head of Finance & Banking. "ING is pleased to partner again with Gerald Group for the success of this transaction and the high demand generated from the market, which is a testament to the strength of the company's business, both globally and regionally," said Matthew Rosetti, Head of ING's Commodity Finance team in North America. "Given the significant increase of metal prices over the past 12 months, this facility increase and timely closing will enable them to continue on their growth trajectory in the North American region and execute on their strong positioning in the diversified metals space." Gerald Group: Annanya Sarin: [email protected] Tel: +44 20 3805 2000 / +44 7507 583792 ING: Melissa Kanter: [email protected] Tel: + Tel +1 646 424 7021 About Gerald Group Gerald Group aims to contribute to world trade and economic development in a sustainable and responsible manner. Founded in 1962 in the United States, the Group is the world's oldest and largest independent and employee-owned metals trading house. Headquartered in London, the Group is led by Chairman and CEO Craig Dean. Gerald is a dedicated and trusted partner to leading miners and processors, industrial consumers and major financial institutions and has market presence in all regions of the world. The Group operates trading hubs in Shanghai, Stamford and Switzerland for the merchanting of non-ferrous, ferrous and precious metals and related concentrates and raw materials. Gerald's global footprint, conservative risk management culture, expert market intelligence, deeply experienced and innovative trading desks combined with logistics, storage and structured finance solutions, are complimented by strategic relationships, enhancing the business' capability to provide customers access to a diverse and steady supply of resources. About ING Capital LLC ING Capital LLC is a financial services firm offering a full array of wholesale financial lending products and advisory services to its corporate and institutional clients. ING Capital LLC is an indirect U.S. subsidiary of ING Bank NV, and part of ING Groep NV (NYSE: ING), a global financial institution with a strong European base. The purpose of ING Bank NV is empowering people to stay a step ahead in life and in business. SOURCE Gerald Group CHENGDU, China, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As Meishan California Smart City (MCSC) prepares for its first occupants to arrive in October 2021, the impact of this new development is projected to reverberate far beyond its 900 acres, heralding the rise of the smart city as ground zero in the fight against climate change. With indisputable evidence of global warming and related disasters dominating world news, experts agree that intelligent, resilient cities must play an important role in creating solutions. From its strategic position in the heart of Sichuan Province, one of the world's fast growing, environmentally progressive regions, MCSC is designed to become a model smart city showing what is possible when visionary leadership meets cutting-edge technology. Meishan California Smart City, one of the world's newest smart cities, located at the heart of the fastest growing region in Southwest China, has extended an invitation to global energy innovators seeking to stem climate change. The platform of this new clean energy-focused city is connectivity, sustainability, economic vitality, and livability where the imperative is continuous improvement. Energy dashboards across Meishan California Smart City will provide real-time input on energy production and consumption, making those living and working there contributors to MCSC energy efficiency. Data can be accessed through smart phone apps that provide individual consumption metrics. The success of smart cities and their ability to contribute to a sustainable planet builds on programs educating residents on responsible energy consumption. Jeff Schlegelmilch, Director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University's Climate School, applauds the role of smart cities in addressing climate challenges. "Advances in renewable energy and energy storage are a game-changer in how we re-imagine our cities to be more green as well as more resilient in the face of disasters," he said. "Smart cities are at the forefront of integrating these innovations into our urban landscapes in a way that integrates our current infrastructure with the latest innovations, as well as future building for the next generation of ideas." For smart cities, "connectivity" means digitalization and integration of key sectors. A strategic differentiator of MCSC, according to Jeffrey Chang, development chairman, is the commitment leaders have to collaboration, sharing experience globally. "The climate-action focused subnational relationship between Sichuan and California encouraged collaboration and inspired MCSC," said Chang. "Applying that collaborative spirit, analytics from MCSC will be disseminated to support smart growth in other cities worldwide." The call for such collaboration is intensifying. The China Provinces US States Green and Low-Carbon Cooperation program, held in Xiamen on September 8, 2021, brought China provincial and U.S. state government officials, and industry leaders together to encourage provincial-state cooperation to address climate change and strengthen economic development. Trailblazing energy companies are being recruited to come to MCSC, which shares its namesake California's western, geographic position and unrelenting culture of innovation. "The enormous challenges we face need new thinking and visionary leadership," said Chang. "MCSC promotes both, and from its inception, was planned to support changemakers in pursuit of global climate action." Media Contact: Susan Xiao 86-13207172800 [email protected] SOURCE MCST Investment and Development Co., Ltd. Key Points Covered in the Food Preservatives Market Report: Am I engaging with the right suppliers? Which KPIs should I use to evaluate my incumbent suppliers? Which supplier selection criteria are relevant for ERP Software? What are the ERP Software category essentials in terms of SLAs and RFx? 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Contact SpendEdge Anirban Choudhury Marketing Manager Ph No: +1 (872) 206-9340 https://www.spendedge.com/contact-us SOURCE SpendEdge DUBLIN, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Syndromic Multiplex Diagnostic Markets 2021 - 2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The report forecasts the market size out to 2025. In a special section, the report looks at the numbers on how syndromic molecular diagnostics is replacing traditional panel-based ordering of infectious disease tests. The COVID pandemic is ushering in a new world of infectious disease diagnostics. Infectious disease Dx is changing and will change more in the future. Can a rapidly growing market expand even faster? Find out all about it in this comprehensive report on Syndromic Multiplex Diagnostics. Are targeted tests for specific pathogens going to be obsolete? Will diagnostics replace physicians? Will Infectious Disease testing move into the Physician's Office or even the Home? Syndromic testing is proving itself in the market. Players are reporting double-digit growth. Lowering costs, improving outcomes and even helping in the battle against Anti Microbial Resistance. Learn about this market including the issues and outlooks. The two key trends of Point of Care Testing and Molecular Diagnostics are merging with spectacular success. It could possibly displace most frontline test protocols AND save money at the same time. Syndromic Testing Recent Developments QuantuMDx Developing Syndromic Panels for European Launch Quidel Gains CE Mark for Savanna Analyzer, Respiratory Panel QuantumDx Gets CE Mark for Rapid PoC PCR System Bio-Rad Laboratories, Seegene Partner for MDx Development Baebies to Expand Finder Platform With Luminex Acquisition, DiaSorin to Broaden MDx Portfolio Binx Health Targeting Clinics, DTC & OTC With STI Tests Luminex Lands BARDA Grant to Develop Test for SARS-CoV-2, Flu, RSV Molzym, Fraunhofer Developing Rapid Sepsis Diagnostic MiRxes Receives Approval for Multiplex SARS-CoV-2, Flu Test New Approach Involves Silicon-Based Test for Infectious Disease Screening Scanogen's Portable Battery Operated Instrument for 90 Minute Multiplex Test Qiagen sees NeuMoDx as Growth Vehicle Torus Biosystems Developing Syndromic Test with 30-Minute Turnaround Roche, SpeeDx Partner to Expand Access to Antibiotic Resistance Tests BioMerieux's BioFire SARS-CoV-2 Respiratory Panel Wins FDA EAU Infectious Disease Testing Firm Curative Acquires KorvaLabs ChromaCode Raises Additional $10M COVID-19 Patients Need Syndromic Testing GenMark Diagnostics - New Respiratory Panel due in June Qiagen Respiratory Panel with Coronavirus Targets Receives CE Mark Exact Diagnostics launches respiratory panel control bioMerieux submits enhanced BIOFIRE BCID2 Panel to FDA Nanomix Receives CE Mark for Diagnostic Applied BioCode Applies to FDA for Syndromic Respiratory Panel Expedeon AG and Sona Nanotech to Collaborate on Multiplex POC QIAGEN's New GI Panel Performance Assessed McKesson to Distribute QIAstat-Dx Syndromic Testing Solution in USA Applied BioCode Obtains FDA Clearance Meridian Bioscience to Acquire GenePOC Inc. Curetis Introduces Rapid DNA Testing for Antibiotic Resistance Qiagen gets FDA clearance for syndromic testing system Entasis Therapeutics Signs Rapid Diagnostic Agreement with bioMerieux Akonni Biosystems Submits Multiplex Diagnostics System to FDA Ador Diagnostic to receive $30M in Funding for 100-Plex PoC in Funding for 100-Plex PoC SAW Diagnostics Receives Funding for Commercialisation of PoC Platform QuantuMDx and Molbio announce MoU Immunexpress Wins $745K Contract for Rapid Sepsis Assay Contract for Rapid Sepsis Assay Mobidiag Inks European, Middle Eastern Distribution Deals BIOFIRE FILMARRAY System chosen for Phase 3 clinical trial Market Trends Factors Driving Growth Speed of Diagnosis. Effect of Syndromic Testing on Costs. Point of Care Advantage. Syndrome Testing, Accuracy and Diagnostic Risk Single Visits. Improvement in Outcomes. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Factors Limiting Growth Lower Prices. Administration/reimbursement. Infectious Disease is Declining But.. Wellness Hurts. Economic Growth improves Living Standards. Impact of the Pandemic Recession Instrumentation and Automation Instruments Key to Market Share The Shrinking Machine. Syndrome Testing Moving to Big Instruments? Diagnostic Technology Development Syndromictrends.com Comparing Syndrome and Targeted Testing The Multiplex Paradigm Shift The Sepsis Testing Market - Bellwether for Syndromics The Single Visit and AntiMicrobial Resistance Syndromics drives POCT adoption. A Big Future for PCR? Profiles of Key Syndromic Testing Companies Abacus Diagnostica Abbott Diagnostics Accelerate Diagnostics Ador Diagnostics Akonni Biosystems Alveo Technologies Antelope Dx Applied BioCode Aus Diagnostics Baebies Beckman Coulter Diagnostics Becton, Dickinson and Company Binx Health Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc Biocartis BioFire Diagnostics (bioMerieux) bioMerieux Diagnostics Bosch Healthcare Solutions GmbH Cepheid (Danaher) Credo Diagnostics Biomedical Cue Health Curetis N.V./Curetis GmbH Diagenode Diagnostics Diasorin S.p.A. Enzo Life Sciences, Inc. Eurofins Scientific Fluxergy Fusion Genomics. Genetic Signatures GenMark Dx (Roche) Hibergene Diagnostics Hologic Immunexpress Inflammatix Invetech Janssen Diagnostics Karius Lexagene LightDeck Diagnostics Lucira Health Luminex Corp Maxim Biomedical Meridian Bioscience Mesa Biotech ( Thermo Fisher ) ) Millipore Sigma Mobidiag (Hologic) Molbio Diagnostics Nanomix Novel Microdevices Operon Oxford Nanopore Technologies Panagene Perkin Elmer Primerdesign (Novacyt) Prominex Qiagen Gmbh Quantumdx Quidel Roche Molecular Diagnostics Saw Diagnostics Seegene Siemens Healthineers Sona Nanotech SpeeDx T2 Biosystems Talis Biomedical Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. Veramarx Visby Medical XCR Diagnostics For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/l5e2fw 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. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Urinary Incontinence & Pelvic Organ Prolapse Devices and Equipment Global Market Report 2021: COVID-19 Impact and Recovery to 2030" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. Major players in the urinary incontinence & pelvic organ prolapse devices and equipment market are Boston Scientific Corporation, Coloplast Group, Ethicon US, Bard Inc., and Johnson & Johnson. The global urinary incontinence & pelvic organ prolapse devices and equipment market is expected to decline from $0.1 billion in 2020 to $0.09 billion in 2021 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -10%. The decline is mainly due to deferment of treatments due to the outbreak of COVID-19 that has led to fall in demand for the equipment. The market is expected to reach $0.13 billion in 2025 at a CAGR of 9.6%. The urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse devices and equipment market consists of sales of urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse devices and equipment and related services. Urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse devices and equipment industry generates revenues by developing devices and equipment's used for the treatment of pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence. The device market deals with medical devices such as Urinary Catheters, Vaginal Slings, External Urinary Incontinence Devices and others. The urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse devices and equipment market covered in the report is segmented by type into urinary incontinence devices, pelvic organ prolapse devices; by urinary incontinence devices: artificial urinary sphincters, electrical stimulation devices, urethral slings, catheters; by pelvic organ prolapse devices into vaginal mesh, vaginal pessary; by incontinence type into stress incontinence, urge incontinence, overflow incontinence, functional incontinence; by end user into hospitals, clinics, ambulatory surgical centers, home use. The urinary incontinence and pelvic organ proplapse devices and equipment market is being restrained by rising health issues due to the use of vaginal mesh for the treatment of UI and POP. Regulatory agencies such as FDA and NICE have devised new guidelines for the manufacturers to address these concerns. The vaginal mesh implants generally uses Polypropylene layer over the implants. Such vaginal mesh implants containing Polypropylene have caused severe medical complications in millions of women across the world, therefore, manufacturers are now forced to develop an alternative material, such as polyurethane, which is better suited to be used by women without any health complications for treatment of pelvic organ prolapse and urine incontinence. These concerns about the safety of vaginal mesh are resulting in stringent manufacturing regulations and affecting sales, thus restraining the UI and POP devices and equipment market. The urinary incontinence and pelvic organ proplapse devices and equipment industry is characterized by the increased use of several new technologies in recent years. There is a wide range of devices being developed to treat both POP and urinary incontinence. For instance, The LyretteT transurethral SUI system led by Verathon Medical UK Ltd, is the only FDA approved treatment used for treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) among women. Increased prevalence rate for Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) as well as for urinary incontinence (UI) disorders has been driving the growth of urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse (POP) devices and equipment market. The increasing prevalence rate has led the manufacturers towards developing more accurate and efficient devices for the treatment of these disorders. The POP affects women of all ages, however, the old age women are more prone to POP disorders. This high prevalence rate is driving the demand for medical equipment for urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse. Regulatory bodies, such as the FDA in the US, regulates the manufacturing and safety guidelines for devices and equipment related to urinary incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse disorders. For example, FDA regulations resulted in many companies taking down their product completely from the market and made companies like Coloplast and Acell to discontinue marketing of their products- Coloplast's Restorelle DirectFix Posterior and Acell Matristem's Pelvic Floor Repair Matrix respectively. Key Topics Covered: 1. Executive Summary 2. Urinary Incontinence & Pelvic Organ Prolapse Devices And Equipment Market Characteristics 3. Urinary Incontinence & Pelvic Organ Prolapse Devices And Equipment Market Trends And Strategies 4. Impact Of COVID-19 On Urinary Incontinence & Pelvic Organ Prolapse Devices And Equipment 5. Urinary Incontinence & Pelvic Organ Prolapse Devices And Equipment Market Size And Growth 5.1. Global Urinary Incontinence & Pelvic Organ Prolapse Devices And Equipment Historic Market, 2015-2020, $ Billion 5.1.1. Drivers Of The Market 5.1.2. Restraints On The Market 5.2. Global Urinary Incontinence & Pelvic Organ Prolapse Devices And Equipment Forecast Market, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 5.2.1. Drivers Of The Market 5.2.2. Restraints On the Market 6. Urinary Incontinence & Pelvic Organ Prolapse Devices And Equipment Market Segmentation 6.1. Global Urinary Incontinence & Pelvic Organ Prolapse Devices And Equipment Market, Segmentation By Type, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion Urinary Incontinence Devices Pelvic Organ Prolapse Devices 6.2. Global Urinary Incontinence & Pelvic Organ Prolapse Devices And Equipment Market, Segmentation By Urinary Incontinence Devices, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion Artificial urinary sphincters Electrical stimulation devices Urethral slings Catheters 6.3. Global Urinary Incontinence & Pelvic Organ Prolapse Devices And Equipment Market, Segmentation By Pelvic Organ Prolapse Devices, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion Vaginal mesh Vaginal pessary 6.4. Global Urinary Incontinence & Pelvic Organ Prolapse Devices And Equipment Market, Segmentation By Incontinence Type, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion Stress Incontinence Urge Incontinence Overflow Incontinence Functional Incontinence 6.5. Global Urinary Incontinence & Pelvic Organ Prolapse Devices And Equipment Market, Segmentation By End User, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion Hospitals Clinics Ambulatory Surgical Centers Home use 7. Urinary Incontinence & Pelvic Organ Prolapse Devices And Equipment Market Regional And Country Analysis 7.1. Global Urinary Incontinence & Pelvic Organ Prolapse Devices And Equipment Market, Split By Region, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 7.2. Global Urinary Incontinence & Pelvic Organ Prolapse Devices And Equipment Market, Split By Country, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2020, 2020-2025F, 2030F, $ Billion Companies Mentioned Boston Scientific Corporation Coloplast Group Ethicon US C. R. Bard Inc. Johnson & Johnson Teleflex Incorporated Medtronic plc Covidien Cook Medical Neomedic CooperSurgical MedGyn Personal Medical Corp Integra LifeSciences Panpac Medical Medesign Smiths Medical Thomas Medical Kangge Medical Dr. Arabin For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/wasrp9 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 ATLANTA, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Greater Women's Business Council (GWBC) announced its 2021 TOP Corporations of the Year Awards honorees at a virtual ceremony held earlier today. GWBC celebrates leading corporations that represent the "best in class" innovators in supplier diversity, inclusion and procurement in its annual GWBC TOP Corporations of the Year Awards. Accepting on behalf of the 2021 GWBC TOP Corporations Honorees for Women's Business Enterprises were: Accenture , Nedra Dickson , Managing Director, Global Supplier Inclusion & Sustainability Lead & Europe Market Lead , AT&T , Jalayna Bolden , Director Supplier Diversity , Bank of America , Vonshe M. Jenkins , Senior Vice President, Global Supplier Diversity & Responsible Sourcing Executive , Grady Health System , Crystal King , Director Supplier Diversity and Equity , Truist Financial Corporation , Lissa J. Miller , Senior Vice President, Chief Supplier Diversity Officer , UPS, Larik Dais , Manager, Supplier Diversity GWBC's TOP Corporations of the Year Awards are selected by a panel of women business enterprises (WBEs) based on a set of criteria, including their membership within GWBC, a dedicated supplier diversity program serving Georgia and the Carolinas, meeting or exceeding spend goals with certified WBEs and active participation in education and development activities for WBEs in the three-state region. "As a regional partner organization of the Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), GWBC is one of the largest certification and development resource providers for women business enterprises in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. It is the WBENC certification gold standard that corporations require when selecting and working with WBEs. Our TOP Corporations of the Year Awards recognize our corporate partners who go above and beyond in supporting WBEs through their supplier diversity and procurement departments," said Roz Lewis, President and CEO - GWBC. "What makes this event so unique is that each corporate honoree's award is presented through a real-world testimony of a WBE partner whose business has been directly impacted by their support," added Lewis. Karyn Greer, a news anchor with WGCL CBS 46, served as the mistress of ceremonies, while GWBC Board Chair and Truist Senior Vice President and Chief Supplier Diversity Officer Lissa J. Miller welcomed attendees. Global communications consultant Dr. Shawne Duperon delivered the keynote address. The WBEs who presented the awards to each 2021 GWBC TOP Corporations honoree included Nancy Williams, CEO/Chief Impact Officer with WeFresh/ASAP Solutions Group for Accenture; Latoya Long, President of Reliable Security Staffing for AT&T; Karen Lawrence, President of It's My Affair LLC for Bank of America; Wendy Neubauer, President of The Corporate Shop for Grady Health System; Elaine Bellock, President of Prosys Information Systems for Truist; and Veena Kalale, Co-Founder of Primus Software Corporation for UPS. The event was also supported by more than 30 corporate sponsors and women business sponsors who understand the value of supporting the growth and development of GWBC's certified women business enterprises in its region. The next event is the GWBC LACE (Ladies Achieving Continuous Excellence) Awards being held virtually on Friday, November 5, 2021, recognizes outstanding corporate partners and women WBEs for their commitment and contributions to the mission of the GWBC..More information can be found on the website. About Greater Women's Business Council The Greater Women's Business Council, Inc. (GWBC) is a nonprofit organization providing nationally recognized certification through Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), in addition to innovative programming and value-driven events to meet the unique needs of women business enterprises (WBEs) in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina. GWBC's constituency is comprised of more than 1,000 certified WBEs, dozens of corporate member partners, government entities and business alliances united to inspire, engage and empower women-owned businesses. A Regional Partner Organization of WBENC, GWBC is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, with a second office in Charlotte, North Carolina. Learn more at www.gwbc.org or follow on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. SOURCE The Greater Women's Business Council, Inc. Related Links https://gwbc.org/lace-awards/ CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- India is a developing data center market in the APAC region. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a strong market enabler for digital transformation initiatives across private and public sector enterprises in India. Over USD 10 billion will be invested in core & shell development and support infrastructure procurement for data centers across India during 2021-2026. In India, state governments are attracting data center investments through MoUs and tax incentives. Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Telangana have announced incentives for data center development in the last two years. Arizton's research reports on the data center knowledge base offer an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, the latest trends and drivers, and the overall market insights. Observing these rapid and drastic changes in demand and supply patterns encouraged the industry analysts at Arizton to publish exhaustive and data-driven insights on these recent trends in the industry. Here's a sneak peek of the trendiest reports: 1. India Data Center Market - Investment Analysis and Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 India data center market size will witness investments of USD 8 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 12% during 2021-2026. Arizton has identified about 79 unique data center facilities and 23 upcoming facilities in India. Due to the COVID-19 lockdown, India has witnessed a growth of over 30% in internet usage consumption. The demand for data centers has gone up due to increase in access to internet-related services by organizations across various sectors. In 2020, in India, the top three states cumulatively added more than a million square feet of data center space. Maharashtra is adding the highest area, followed by Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. Key Highlights: In Q3 2020, the data center market witnessed a strong spike in announcements related to new projects across India . The major demand for data center capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic ensued from cloud-service providers. . The major demand for data center capacity during the COVID-19 pandemic ensued from cloud-service providers. Adani Group has planned to set up the hyperscale facility Adani Chennai-1 with the investment of around USD 340 million in Chennai . in . According to Ericsson, in India , the total 5G connections will be around USD 350 million by 2026. , the total 5G connections will be around by 2026. In 2020, the Tamil Nadu data center market witnessed investments from colocation service providers, telecom operators, and government entities. Chennai is the leading submarine cable landing station in Southern India , which attracts a higher number of data center investors. is the leading submarine cable landing station in , which attracts a higher number of data center investors. ST Telemedia Global Data Centres India has planned to construct a greenfield data center campus in Noida with an investment of over USD 150 million . Get more insights now! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/india-data-center-market 2. Vietnam Data Center Market - Investment Analysis & Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 Vietnam data center market size will witness investments of USD 673 million by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 8.18% during 2021-2026. Arizton has identified about 21 unique data center facilities and 3 upcoming facilities in Vietnam. In Vietnam, major telecommunication providers such as FPT Telecom, HTC International Telecommunication (HTC-ITC), VNPT, and Viettel Networks are investing in data center facilities. In 2020, Vietnam received an investment of around USD 420 million in data center facilities by FPT Telecom, across Da Nang, Hanoi, and Ho Chi Minh cities, along with other enterprise and on-premises investments. Key Highlights: In Vietnam , the cloud computing market is led by both local and global companies such as FPT Corporation, Viettel-CHT, CMC Corporation, IBM Vietnam, Microsoft Vietnam, AWS Vietnam, Mat Bao Corporation, NTC Cloud Computing, SAP Asia ( Vietnam ), HPT Vietnam, and Google. , the cloud computing market is led by both local and global companies such as FPT Corporation, Viettel-CHT, CMC Corporation, IBM Vietnam, Microsoft Vietnam, AWS Vietnam, Mat Bao Corporation, NTC Cloud Computing, SAP Asia ( ), HPT Vietnam, and Google. In Vietnam , the banking industry is moving towards the adoption of Big Data and cloud computing solutions to provide a wider range of customized services more efficiently and cost-effectively to clients. , the banking industry is moving towards the adoption of Big Data and cloud computing solutions to provide a wider range of customized services more efficiently and cost-effectively to clients. In Vietnam , most facilities are built according to Tier III standards, with a minimum redundancy of N+1 for generators. , most facilities are built according to Tier III standards, with a minimum redundancy of N+1 for generators. 5G networks will boost the adoption of digital platforms in the country and heighten the demand for high bandwidth networking infrastructure. Vietnam is aiming to generate around 30% of its electricity via renewable sources and reduce its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions by 8% by 2030. By 2045, renewable energy is expected to contribute to over 50% of the overall capacity of data centers in Vietnam . Get more insights now! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/vietnam-data-center-market-investment-analysis 3. Indonesia Data Center Market - Investment Analysis and Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 Indonesia data center market size will witness investments of USD 2275 million by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 6% during 2021-2026. Arizton has identified about 40 unique data center and 5 upcoming facilities in Indonesia. Indonesia attracted most of the investment from colocation service providers such as Keppel Data Centres and Salim Group, NTT, Space DC, DTP, Biznet Data Center, and DCI Indonesia. In Indonesia, wholesale colocation contributes around 8% of the market share and retail colocation was 92%. Key Highlights: The IoT market in Indonesia is estimated to reach around USD 110 billion by 2025. Per the Indonesian IoT Association, the country has installed over 450 million sensor devices. is estimated to reach around by 2025. Per the Indonesian IoT Association, the country has installed over 450 million sensor devices. DCI Indonesia and Space DC are major investors involved in the construction of Tier IV facilities. and Space DC are major investors involved in the construction of Tier IV facilities. Indonesian data centers are a major adopter of DRUS systems, with generators mostly used in N+1 redundant configuration. The Indonesian government program 'Making Indonesia 4.0' is applicable to all industry verticals and will enable IoT as a link for all equipment to be connected to the internet. Microsoft announced its first data center in Indonesia , while Alibaba planned to launch its third cloud data center in Indonesia , which is expected to be operational in 2021. , while Alibaba planned to launch its third cloud data center in , which is expected to be operational in 2021. In 2021, Batam Sarawak Internet Cable System (BaSICS) will connect Malaysia and Indonesia . It will be ready for service by January 2021 and would enhance the connectivity between the two countries. The development of new data centers increases with the better submarine cable deployment YoY. Get more insights now! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/indonesia-crawler-excavator-market-opportunities-assessment-forecast Subscribe to our data center knowledge base portfolio to access the latest research reports at competitive pricing. Read some of the top-selling reports: About Arizton: Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovation and quality-driven firm, which offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients across the world. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services. We offer comprehensive market research reports on industries such as consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, and life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals, and materials, IT and media, logistics and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts. Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports. Mail: [email protected] Call: +1-312-235-2040 +1 302 469 0707 SOURCE Arizton Advisory & Intelligence SAN FRANCISCO and SUZHOU, China and HELLERUP, Denmark, Sept. 27, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Innovent Biologics, Inc. (Innovent) (HKEX: 01801), a world-class biopharmaceutical company that develops, manufactures and commercializes high quality medicines for the treatment of cancer, metabolic, autoimmune and other major diseases, and UNION therapeutics A/S (UNION), a privately-held, multi-asset, clinical stage, pharmaceutical company focused on immunology and infectious diseases, today announced that they have entered into a strategic collaboration and license agreement for the development and commercialization of orismilast in China. Under the terms of the agreement, UNION grants Innovent an exclusive license to research, develop and commercialize orismilast in China, including participating in and recruiting Chinese patients for potential future global studies of orismilast. UNION will receive an upfront payment of USD 20 million and is further entitled to receive up to USD 247 million in milestone payments as well as tiered royalties on sales of orismilast in China. UNION will retain global rights for orismilast outside of China. In China there are approximately fifty million patients suffering from atopic dermatitis and six million patients suffering from psoriasis, and their prevalence is rising with changing lifestyles. Current standard of care treatments are topical steroids, oral immunosuppressants and injectable biologics, all of which have certain limitations in efficacy, safety or route of administration, presenting significant unmet clinical needs. In Phase 2a clinical studies, orismilast has demonstrated potential best-in-class profiles in these conditions, with a combination of improved efficacy and tolerability, and could be well positioned to address the unmet needs of these patient populations. Dr. Yongjun Liu, President of Innovent, said: "We are very pleased to enter a collaboration with UNION. We have been impressed with our partner's capability to advance the global development of orismilast and we are excited to help bring orismilast to patients in China. This collaboration further strengthens our position in autoimmune by adding a mid-stage potential best-in-class therapy into our portfolio. Innovent is proud to be an ideal partner for worldwide biotech and pharmaceutical companies in terms of accelerating the development and commercialization progress of novel assets to benefit a broader patient population." Kim Kjller, Chief Executive Officer of UNION therapeutics, said, "We are excited to enter into this strategic collaboration with Innovent, whose deep insights and presence in China make them an ideal partner to bring orismilast to Chinese patients. We are impressed by Innovent's track record of international partnering, advancing assets through clinical development and commercial execution. This agreement provides independent validation of our belief in the best-in-class potential of orismilast, and expands our global footprint in an underserved market with significant potential. Partnering with pharmaceutical companies is core to our strategy of maximizing the value of our product candidates, and we are therefore excited to enter this collaboration with an internationally recognized partner." About orismilast Orismilast is a potent and selective, next-generation PDE4 inhibitor with broad anti-inflammatory properties, which was originally developed by LEO Pharma and acquired by UNION in 2020. Orismilast has generated positive proof of concept data orally in psoriasis and topically in atopic dermatitis and is being developed as a potential best- or first-in-class treatment option in both diseases. The selectivity of orismilast for PDE4 subtypes B and D and the novel modified release delivery is expected to result in an attractive therapeutic window, i.e., the combination of improved efficacy and tolerability, compared to other PDE4 inhibitors. UNION has two product candidates with orismilast in Phase 2 clinical development: UNI50001, an oral PDE4 inhibitor investigated for the treatment of psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and hidradenitis suppurativa; and UNI50002, the topical formulation of orismilast investigated for the treatment of atopic dermatitis. The safety and tolerability of PDE4 inhibitors is well understood, with two oral treatments and one topical currently approved and marketed. About UNION therapeutics UNION therapeutics is a privately-held, multi-asset, clinical stage, pharmaceutical company focused on immunology and infectious diseases. The company is currently working with two complementary chemistry classes, spanning immunology and microbiology with seven programs in clinical development. UNION is headquartered in Hellerup, Denmark, and is led by an international team combining biotech entrepreneurs and senior pharma executives, with a collective track record of completing more than fifteen product approvals. Read more at www.uniontherapeutics.com About Innovent Inspired by the spirit of "Start with Integrity, Succeed through Action," Innovent's mission is to develop, manufacture and commercialize high-quality biopharmaceutical products that are affordable to ordinary people. Established in 2011, Innovent is committed to developing, manufacturing and commercializing high-quality innovative medicines for the treatment of cancer, autoimmune, metabolic and other major diseases. On October 31, 2018, Innovent was listed on the Main Board of the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited with the stock code: 01801.HK. Since its inception, Innovent has developed a fully integrated multi-functional platform which includes R&D, CMC (Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls), clinical development and commercialization capabilities. Leveraging the platform, the company has built a robust pipeline of 26 valuable assets in the fields of cancer, metabolic, autoimmune disease and other major therapeutic areas, with 5 products TYVYT (sintilimab injection), BYVASDA (bevacizumab biosimilar injection), SULINNO (adalimumab biosimilar injection), HALPRYZA (rituximab biosimilar injection) and Pemazyre (pemigatinib oral inhibitor) officially approved for marketing in China, 1 asset's NDA under NMPA review, sintilimab's Biologics License Application (BLA) acceptance in the U.S., 5 assets in Phase 3 or pivotal clinical trials, and an additional 15 molecules in clinical studies. Innovent has built an international team with advanced talent in high-end biological drug development and commercialization, including many global experts. The company has also entered into strategic collaborations with Eli Lilly and Company, Adimab, Incyte, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Hanmi and other international partners. Innovent strives to work with many collaborators to help advance China's biopharmaceutical industry, improve drug availability and enhance the quality of the patients' lives. For more information, please visit: www.innoventbio.com. and www.linkedin.com/company/innovent-biologics/. Note: Sintilimab is not an approved product in the United States. BYVASDA (bevacizumab biosimilar injection), HALPRYZA (rituximab biosimilar injection), and SULINNO (adalimumab biosimilar injection) are not approved products in the United States. TYVYT (sintilimab injection, Innovent) BYVASDA (bevacizumab biosimilar injection, Innovent) HALPRYZA (rituximab biosimilar injection, Innovent) SULINNO (adalimumab biosimilar injection, Innovent) Pemazyre (pemigatinib oral inhibitor, Incyte Corporation). Pemazyre was discovered by Incyte Corporation and licensed to Innovent for development and commercialization in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain certain forward-looking statements that are, by their nature, subject to significant risks and uncertainties. The words "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend" and similar expressions, as they relate to Innovent, are intended to identify certain of such forward-looking statements. Innovent does not intend to update these forward-looking statements regularly. These forward-looking statements are based on the existing beliefs, assumptions, expectations, estimates, projections and understandings of the management of Innovent with respect to future events at the time these statements are made. These statements are not a guarantee of future developments and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond Innovent's control and are difficult to predict. Consequently, actual results may differ materially from information contained in the forward-looking statements as a result of future changes or developments in our business, Innovent's competitive environment and political, economic, legal and social conditions. Innovent, the Directors and the employees of Innovent assume (a) no obligation to correct or update the forward-looking statements contained in this site; and (b) no liability in the event that any of the forward-looking statements does not materialize or turn out to be incorrect. SOURCE Innovent Biologics Our vision is to democratize the adoption of location-technologies and set a new standard of operational efficiency. Tweet this InThing's visibility platform Visium, world's first microservices based visibility platform, fosters rapid deployment of containerized and pre-configured traceability solutions. It ushers in an era of rapid, frequent and reliable deployment of complex business applications while lowering the Total Cost of Ownership for customers. Earlier today, InThing's CTO, Rajiv Anand, said, "Trapeze is truly a state-of-the-art platform that can seamlessly run on any operating system Windows, Linux or Mac." In addition, InThing is also launching sixteen sensor driven and containerized solutions offering traceability for Fixed Assets, IT Assets, Lab Equipment, Voting Equipment, MRO Tools, Hospital Equipment, Chemicals, Preventive Maintenance Tools, Returnable Assets, Work-in-Progress jobs, Warehouse Inventory, Outbound Shipments, Inbound Materials, Room Occupancy, and Intellectual Properties. He said, "Eighty percent of the key features and functionalities of each of these solutions will be available out-of-the-box and can be deployed within days, instead of weeks and months. Currently, customers collect the raw or coarsely grained data from a sensor-middleware platform and then refine and customize the data before gaining any business intelligence. InThing's out-of-the box solutions will remarkably reduce the costs and risks associated with adopting custom-solutions". The platforms will be commercially available in Q4 2021 through channel partners. InThing's CEO, Sandee Mukherjee, said, "In the post Covid-world, we are seeing a surge in customers adopting location-sensors for touchless, automated and real-time operations. Our solutions help customers improve their Safety, Compliance, Productivity and Frugality measures with real-time data. Our vision is to democratize the adoption of location-technologies and set a new standard of operational efficiency by making these modern applications extremely affordable without losing enterprise class reliability and robustness. Our architecture not only enables large enterprises to scale-up and scale-out the solutions globally, it also enables medium and small enterprises, government agencies and educational institutes to adopt a phased deployment and receive a return on investment within 3-6 months. It's almost unheard of in our industry." To support such mission-critical operations, InThing has started offering 24 x 7 Premium Help-desk services, globally. InThing brings the knowledge of the 'how' behind the 'what', simplifying sensor technology adoption and implementation challenges backed by mature engineering and support services teams. For more information visit: http://www.inthing.io Contact Details: [email protected] Tel: +1 800 518 8710 Fax: +1 888 518 8720 Tagit Solutions, Inc. 5201 Great America Pkwy, Ste 320, Santa Clara, CA SOURCE InThing Corporation HOUSTON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Parker Wellborethe re-energized integration of Parker Drilling, with subsidiaries Quail Tools, and iTS Energy Serviceslaunches today with plans for expansion into new markets, geographies, and sectors to provide advanced subsurface wellbore construction solutions for modern transitioning energy markets. The alignment of the three companies under Parker Wellbore's new fully-integrated global structure empowers the delivery of a comprehensive range of Parker Wellbore's global technology-enabled products and services, optimizing performance and minimizing risk to both traditional hydrocarbon and energy transition applications, including geothermal, well abandonment and CCUS sectors. "Parker Drilling internationally, Quail Tools in the U.S., and iTS in Europe and the Middle East have been recognized for many years as leading brands in their respective fields among their customers from drilling rigs and intervention services to downhole tool and equipment rental," said Parker Wellbore CEO Sandy Esslemont. "But the time is right to consolidate our combined offering so that new and existing customers across the subsurface energy landscape fully benefit from the broad scale of our integrated capabilities in wellbore construction." As a growing employer, Parker Wellbore anticipates creating 500-700 new jobs. Parker Wellbore currently operates in more than 20 countries with an established global platform well-suited for clients requiring global collaboration and local expertise. In line with its growth, Parker Wellbore will deliver its superior drilling operations and management services already established in the Arctic, Sakhalin Island, and Atlantic Canada to new offshore locations including the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, and internationally, with well abandonment across mature basins, a key new focus. Parker Wellbore will leverage its rich history in geothermal, to target opportunities in Indonesia and East Africa. The company, with a multi-million dollar technology development budget, has a core technology and engineering services group focused on automation and the advancement of digital real-time operational data surveillance and analysis to reduce HSE risks and optimize operational and environmental performance. Sandy Esslemont added: "The energy transition is here, now and Parker Wellbore through integrated proactive participation sees this as an opportunity for growth. Parker Wellbore is ready to help solve the subsurface energy challenges of today and tomorrow, wherever and whatever they may be." Media contact: Susan Johnson, Parker Wellbore 832-206-4835 [email protected] Laura Glueck, Fifth Ring 281-404-4313 [email protected] About Parker Wellbore Parker Wellbore is the new brand name for the integrated companies of Parker Drilling, Quail Tools, and iTS Energy Services. Parker Drilling was founded in 1934 and helps energy companies accomplish their drilling and production goals efficiently, reliably, and safely. Parker Drilling acquired U.S.-based Quail Tools in 1996 and iTS Energy Services in 2013. Quail Tools was established in 1978 in the U.S. It maintains an extensive inventory of premium rental equipment used in drilling, completion, workover, production, and deepwater applications. iTS Energy Services was established in Aberdeen in 1986 as a provider of premium rental tools and well construction services to the international energy industry. For more information visit (website) www.parkerwellbore.com SOURCE Parker Wellbore Howie Mandel and P.Y. Lord tapped to Launch "Let's Find Out" -- Staples Canada's bold new campaign Tweet this "Our work with Staples Canada really captures what Jackman is about. We began by identifying the mindset of their core consumers and moved rapidly from insight to action. Adding the creative is the logical next step in our partnership," said Jackman President Sandra Duff. Let's Find Out, the new Staples Canada campaign, centers on the curiosity that lives inside Staples Canada's customer base of life-long learners and achievers and highlights the brands readiness to help customers who are always looking to grow. In the new multi-platform 15 and 30-second spots, Canadian host and producer Howie Mandel and Canadian television personality Pierre-Yves (P.Y.) Lord play customer's doppelgangers who give voice to their curiosity. The spots encourage the customer to follow that curiosity and seek solutions available through Staples Canada. LINK: watch now, Howie Mandel in Staples Canada's new Let's Find Out television commercial LINK: watch now, Pierre-Yves Lord in Bureau en Gros' new Decouvrons Ensemble television commercial The campaign was conceived by Rachel Abrams, Jackman's new Group Creative Director. "We're thrilled to have had Rachel Abrams here to bring life to this campaign. Rachel brings to Jackman extraordinary creative horsepower and exceptional leadership in communications. In my opinion, she's a triple threather creative work speaks for itself, she is an active collaborator that works seamlessly across different teams at Jackman, and she excels at building long term relationships with our engagement partners," Duff said. Abrams joins Jackman from Cossette, where she served as Creative Director for the better part of a decade. Prior to Cossette, Abrams held key positions at BBDO, DBB and Ogilvy. Eschewing a widely predicted move to another blue-chip conglomerate, Abrams was drawn to Jackman's integrated approach and the opportunity to both drive and communicate creative work, thereby generating consequential results that speak to clients' greater business objectives. "Jackman deeply embeds within clients' businesses, thereby ensuring our holistic strategy is integrated into their overall objectives. Understanding business needs unlocks more creative opportunities. With, Jackman's client focus is not merely 360-degrees, but rather 360 in 3D," Abrams said. "For Staples, we devised an approach that considers every consumer touchpoint, from communications to store design. The Let's Find Out campaign is the public facing expression of the working and learning company's commitment to discovery," Abrams added. "Staples' transformation to The Working and Learning Company, has been well received by customers - we're getting real credit for unique solutions and expertise unmatched anywhere else. With this new campaign, we think we will break through in a far more powerful way, dramatically increasing the number of people we can partner with in our efforts to help them grow. The work is bold, insightful, and fun. The addition of Rachel Abrams to the Jackman leadership team immediately took the work to another level. It's a pleasure working with her and her team and I'm looking forward to our partnership as we continue to build our brand." said Staples Canada VP Marketing, Dave Mazzone. The campaign work is supported with Consumer PR by Golin and media planning and buying by DentsuX. Jackman is planning future spots for Staples Canada, including Christmas 2021 and Back to School 2022, both featuring Mandel and Lord. About Jackman Reinvents Jackman is North America's leading customer engagement reinvention company, expert at unlocking value through actionable human insight, strategy-led innovation and all-channel activation. Working in partnership with future-focused leadership teams, Jackman employs its proven methodology and unique mix of talent to deliver bold solutions that ignite momentum, to make change possible.www.jackmanreinvents.com About Staples Canada Staples Canada is The Working and Learning Company. With a focus on community, inspiration and services, the privately-owned company is committed to being a dynamic, inspiring partner to customers who visit its 300+ locations and staples.ca. The company has two brands that support business customers, Staples Preferred for small businesses and Staples Professional for medium to large-sized enterprises, as well as five co-working facilities in Toronto, Kelowna, Oakville and Ottawa under the banner Staples Studio. Staples Canada is a proud partner of MAP through its Even the Odds campaign, which aims to tackle inequities in communities across Canada and helps make a future that's fair for everyone. Visit staples.ca for more information or get social with @StaplesCanada on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. Contact: Sophia Moriarty, [email protected] SOURCE Jackman Related Links https://www.jackmanreinvents.com/ DALLAS, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobs (NYSE:J) has won seven awards on the General Services Administration's (GSA) ASTRO contract. The multiple-award, indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract has no defined ceiling value but is anticipated to have a multi-billion-dollar budget over its potential 10-year ordering period. Sponsored by the Department of Defense (DoD), the ASTRO program will be managed by GSA's Federal Systems Integration and Management Center (FEDSIM). The program focuses on providing the DoD innovative, future technology, products, solutions and capabilities across all domains as the Department operationalizes convergence. ASTRO's scope includes the full lifecycle of development, integration, operation and maintenance for manned, unmanned and optionally-manned systems, robotics, sensors, vehicles and platforms. The scope also covers the services that support those systems as well as the analysis and visualization of data they collect. "These awards on GSA's highly anticipated ASTRO contract enable Jacobs to deliver full lifecycle digital solutions and cutting-edge technologies to ensure interoperability, resilience and assurance for the DoD and the joint forces," said Jacobs Critical Mission Solutions Senior Vice President of Strategic Development and Growth & Sales Lieutenant General (retired) Bruce Crawford. "At Jacobs, we're harnessing our unique blend of mission experience, cyber and intelligence capabilities, and user-informed innovation to enable decision dominance among our defense and U.S. federal clients." ASTRO is shaped around 10 functional domain areas, which are referred to as pools, each supported by unique primes and offerings. Jacobs was selected for all seven pools on which the company submitted proposals, including: data operations, mission operations, space, ground, development/systems integration, research and training. The GSA ASTRO awards position Jacobs to continue to innovate and scale digital solutions and builds on Jacobs' longstanding commitment to supporting DoD's mission. Another recent win which solidifies Jacobs leadership in this space, includes a prime position on the Defense Intelligence Agency's Solutions for the Information Technology Enterprise III (SITE III) IDIQ contract in March 2021. 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 manufacturing, 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 SOURCE Jacobs Related Links http://www.jacobs.com JUPITER, Fla., and BOSTON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jupiter Neurosciences, Inc. ("Jupiter" or the "Company"), a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company advancing a pipeline focused on the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) disorders and rare diseases, today announced that it has expanded its executive team with three new members, Alison D. Silva as President and Chief Business Officer, Dana Eschenburg Perez as Chief Financial Officer and Alexander Rosen as Chief Administrative Officer. "We are very pleased and excited to be able to attract these experienced and talented people to our company. I am personally very proud of how far we have taken the Company with a limited team, but now it is time to capitalize on our earlier achievements with additional team members who can contribute to our success," stated Christer Rosen, Chairman & CEO. "I'm excited and honored for this opportunity to build on the tremendous work and achievements of the entire Jupiter team," said Ms. Silva, newly appointed President and CBO. "Chris' vision and dedication over the past 5+ years have positioned the Company to offer what could potentially be transformational treatment options to patients. I look forward to helping position the Company for further success and value creation for all stakeholders." "I'm beyond thrilled to join the Jupiter Therapeutics team at this exciting time in the Company's journey," stated CFO Dana Perez. "I am impressed with the Company culture, what they have accomplished since inception as such a lean team, and the opportunities on the horizon." Management Bios Alison Silva, who has been a member of our Board of Directors since 2018, is now expanding her role to include President and Chief Business Officer. Previously, Ms. Silva was the Chief Executive Officer of Cotinga Pharmaceuticals, formerly Critical Outcome Technologies, from July 2016 through August 2021. She continues to serve on the Board of Directors of Cotinga Pharmaceuticals since 2015, and serves as a management consultant to several organizations, including EMA Wellness and The Orphan Group. Before joining Cotinga, Alison co-founded The Microbiome Company in 2013, later rebranded to Synlogic Therapeutics, where she served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer until June 2016. Other relevant positions in biotech and pharma include co-founder and Vice President, Development at Marina Biotech; co-founder and Director at The Orphan Group; Director, Drug Development at Cequent Pharmaceuticals; COO at SLA Pharma. Ms. Silva obtained her undergraduate degree from Clark University and her graduate degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical Center. Dana Eschenburg Perez joined the executive team of Jupiter Neurosciences, Inc. on June 1, 2021 as Chief Financial Officer, Secretary and Treasurer. Ms. Perez is a Florida licensed CPA with over 20 years of experience in accounting spanning various industries. From October 2020 to present, Ms. Perez led a consulting company for outsourced controller and CFO duties. From May 2013 to June 2019 Ms. Perez served as CFO and from June 2019 to April 2021 as CFO and COO of Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches, Inc., a nonprofit focused on strengthening families with children to achieve stability and self-sufficiency. From September 2003 to May 2013 Ms. Perez was an auditor with RSM US LLP serving clients in the commercial, governmental contracting, manufacturing and software development industries. Dana earned her master's and bachelor's degree, in accountancy, from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. Ms. Perez is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Alexander Rosen is a Co-Founder and currently serves as Chief Administrative Officer. He has been with Jupiter Neurosciences, Inc. since its inception. Previously, Alex held the position of Head of Administration at X-Vax Technology, Inc. from November 2020 to June 2021. From February 2019 to November 2020, Mr. Rosen served as the Controller at X-Vax Technology, Inc. Mr. Rosen attended Halmstad University, Sweden from 2009 - 2012. About JOTROL Jupiter Neurosciences has developed a unique and patented platform product, JOTROL, an enhanced resveratrol formulation. JOTROL, based on our pre-clinical and Phase I study results, delivers resveratrol into the blood plasma with significantly greater bioavailability, without generating any adverse events, than conventional resveratrol. Resveratrol has the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, where it has, in studies conducted in Friedreich's ataxia (FA) and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients, positive effects on oxidative stress, inflammation and mitochondrial function. JOTROL has many potential indications of use in rare diseases, of which we are primarily targeting Mucopolysaccharidoses Type 1, Friedreich's ataxia, MELAS and early-stage ALS. In the broader disease indication areas, JOTROL will target mild cognitive impairment/early Alzheimer's disease. TBI/concussion and Covid-19 are future projects in early-stage development. About Jupiter Neurosciences, Inc. Jupiter Neurosciences, Inc. is a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company focused on treating CNS disorders and rare diseases. The Company's platform product, JOTROL, offers potential therapeutic benefit to most central nervous system diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, ataxias, and metabolic disorders such as Lysosomal Storage Disorders and mitochondrial diseases. Human clinical trial data shows benefits in several indications and the FDA has accepted a first investigational new drug (IND) application of JOTROL. More information may be found on the Company's website www.jupiterneurosciences.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release may contain certain statements relating to future results which are forward-looking statements. It is possible that the Company's actual results and financial condition may differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results and financial condition indicated in these forward-looking statements, depending on factors including whether results obtained in preclinical and nonclinical studies and clinical trials will be indicative of results obtained in future clinical trials; whether preliminary or interim results from a clinical trial will be indicative of the final results of the trial; the size of the potential markets for the Company's drug candidates and its ability to service those markets; and the Company's current and future capital requirements and its ability to raise additional funds to satisfy its capital needs. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date of this press release, and we do not undertake any obligation to publicly update or correct any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that subsequently occur or of which we hereafter become aware. Contacts: Investor Relations Lisa Sher, Senior Vice President, Investor Relations Tiberend Strategic Advisors, Inc. 970-987-2654 [email protected] Alison Silva, President & CBO Jupiter Neurosciences, Inc. [email protected] Media Relations Alex Rosen, Chief Administrative Officer Jupiter Neurosciences, Inc. 561-406-6154 [email protected] SOURCE Jupiter Neurosciences, Inc. LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Giving new meaning to the term "work-from-home," powerhouse law boutique Kaplan Marino LLP announced it has relocated its offices to newly renovated space in historic Hollywood. The white-collar criminal defense firm, which for nearly three decades has served clients from traditional office space on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, says the new location better fits the needs of the firms' clients, who value privacy, security, comfort and ease of accessboth in terms of physical location and technology. "Many of our clients are high-net-worth individuals that are likely to be recognized in a big, public setting," said Nina Marino, co-founder of Kaplan Marino. "Going into an office tower is the last thing they want to do when they're facing serious charges and trying to unwind a difficult situation." Marino notes the new space is located in the heart of the historic Sunset Square District, is conveniently located off the 101 freeway and has been intentionally designed in a way that allows clients to handle their legal needs in a comfortable, collaborative setting. The space also better reflects the times, says co-founder Richard Kaplan. While the firm had long term plans to transition to less traditional office space, the pandemic and restrictions on in-person business interactions provided the right incentive for a move. "The technology is so intuitive these days that you can have all the amenities of a big office building in a well-designed, more intimate space," said Kaplan. "I think most businesses are still evaluating the long-term impact that COVID-19 will have on traditional office spaces, and I think most will find that not many clients are eager for a return to high rises buildings, communal lobbies, and elevators." About Kaplan Marino The attorneys of Kaplan Marino are known in California and globally as leaders in the field of criminal defense. By providing creative solutions and drawing on our decades of experience, we give clients the high-quality representation they deserve. For more information, please visit https://kaplanmarino.com/. SOURCE Kaplan Marino CINCINNATI, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Karen B. Looman, DO, is being recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Trusted Coroner and Forensic Pathologist for her outstanding work in the field of Pathology and for her professional excellence at the Hamilton County Coroner's Office. Karen B. Looman, DO Dr. Looman is a board-certified Forensic Pathologist and is the Chief Deputy Coroner at Hamilton County Coroner's Office in Cincinnati, OH. She investigates cases where the sudden and unexpected nature of the death has raised doubts about the cause and manner of death. In her line of work, she focuses on determining the cause and manner of death by examining the corpse, investigating the scene, reading law enforcement reports and reviewing medical records. She has been in the field for twenty years, and at the Hamilton County Coroner's Office for eleven years. She is mainly involved with the legal side of Forensic Pathology, determining the cause and manner of death in homicides, suicides, and accidents. She signs death certificates of those who do not have doctors. Dr. Looman performs autopsies on babies who die under the age of two, and people who have perished under sudden or suspicious circumstances. Other aspects of her job include examining human bones. A crucial part of her work is testifying in court about many of her cases. This is critical for legal reasons, but she also likes to bring families and survivors a sense of peace by knowing how their loved ones died. Dr. Looman has testified in numerous cases, with one of the most high-profile cases being the fatal shooting of Sam DuBose, an unarmed Black man, by police officer Ray Tensing in 2015. She showed graphic photos, a bullet fragment, autopsy notations, and other evidence to the court, testifying that DuBose was shot in the head and died instantly by homicide. To prepare for her career in Forensics, she first attended Hope College in Holland, Michigan where she graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and Chemistry. Seeking further education, she then obtained her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine in Kirksville, Missouri in 1998. She then served four years in the United States Navy, working as a General Medical Officer, achieving the rank of Lieutenant. She then went on to complete a residency in Anatomic Pathology at the Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Virginia in 2006, and a forensic Fellowship at the Tidewater Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in 2008. She is board-certified in Anatomic Pathology and Forensics. Dr. Looman stays abreast of new developments in the field by maintaining associations with the National Association of Medical Examiners, the College of Anatomic Pathology, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Forensic Science. Dr. Looman would like to dedicate this honorable recognition to Leah Bush, MD; Wendy Gunther, MD; and Elizabeth Kinnison, MD; who were all mentors during her training in Virginia. Contact: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected] SOURCE Continental Who's Who Related Links http://www.continentalwhoswho.com CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kebotix, a technology platform company for new chemicals and materials, has been selected as the industry partner of a new $15-million interdisciplinary research institute led by Colorado School of Mines and funded by the National Science Foundation. The Institute for Data Driven Dynamical Design, or ID4 for short, is one of five under the "Harnessing Data Revolution Institutes" umbrella being funded by NSF through a $75-million investment announced today. The program's main goal is to enable new modes of data-driven discovery that allow fundamental questions to be asked and answered at the frontiers of science and engineering. A key objective of the institute is to include a robust outreach program that supports young scientific minds ranging from high school students to recent college graduates who didn't necessarily attend schools with undergraduate research programs. As the industry partner of ID4, Kebotix will collaborate with 11 renowned and respected research universities to harness data for accelerated, cost-effective and sustainable materials discovery. By bridging fundamental research with technological challenges currently faced by the ever-demanding materials and chemical industry, institute members will strive to develop algorithms and mechanisms able to solve a wide variety of material challenges in complex time-evolving systems. "We are pleased to work with industry leaders on the launch of these new HDR Institutes," said NSF Program Director Amy Walton. "Kebotix will bring its expertise in high-speed, new-age discovery of chemicals and materials using AI, robotics and a host of software solutions, which is critical to our interdisciplinary work." One of Kebotix's more recent successes in bridging academia with big industrial companies is the establishment of an office and research footprint in Maine with The Roux Institute at Northeastern University, an innovation hub devoted to deepening the digital economy in Portland, the state of Maine and northern New England. Since the spring, the collaboration has enabled Cambridge, Mass.-based Kebotix to build a talent pipeline across the region that welcomes recent college graduates of diverse backgrounds. The May announcement marked the second collaboration between the university and Kebotix, as the tech company in 2019 partnered with Northeastern Professor Steven Lopez's research group, the Lopez Lab, on a cancer research project supported by a major research grant from the Massachusetts Life Science Center. "The research tapped into our proprietary R&D that combines data, AI and robotics to accelerate the discovery and development of new chemistries for a sustainable world," said Dr. Semion Saikin, Kebotix's chief science officer. "Having pioneered a successful model partnering with Northeastern and other universities, we at Kebotix are confident and excited to represent the private sector in NSF's Institute for Data Driven Dynamical Design." Today's announcement of Kebotix as ID4 industry partner comes on the heels of the company disclosing a succession of sustainability-related collaborations and developments with other public and private organizations that include Johnson Matthey, Bayer and Koura. In a separate announcement made today , Kebotix shared that the company's AI has discovered new electrochromic material for smart window applications after analyzing 7 million molecules. The interdisciplinary ID4 research team is made up of world-leading experts in machine learning, knowledge structures and visualization, as well as organic chemistry and catalysis, ion and gas transport, metamaterials and structural materials. Eric Toberer, director of the Materials Science Program at Colorado School of Mines, is serving as ID4's lead investigator. Twelve institutions across eight states (based on their main campuses) are represented among the hand-picked group of data scientists, engineers, physicists, chemists and material scientists. In addition to Kebotix and aforementioned Northeastern and Colorado School of Mines, ID4 members hail from Drexel University (Pennsylvania); Harvard University (Massachusetts); Northwestern University (Illinois); Princeton University (New Jersey); Tufts University (Massachusetts); University of California, Los Angeles; University of Central Florida; University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; and Washington University in St. Louis (Missouri). About Kebotix Kebotix transforms discovery and development of breakthrough chemicals and materials for the 21st century, adding certainty to science by using today's most advanced artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics. By automating the scientific method using a proprietary closed-loop R&D process to predict and produce new chemistries in a self-driving lab, Kebotix's digital platform empowers lab researchers. Myriad positive results include increased ROI and time-to-market being accelerated from years to mere months. From smarter windows and greener packaging to cleaner pigments and safer pesticides, Kebotix creates materials for a new age of innovation and a better, more sustainable place to live. For more information, visit www.kebotix.com . MEDIA CONTACT: Connie Zheng PR for Kebotix 415-886-7218 [email protected] SOURCE Kebotix Related Links http://www.kebotix.com/ THE WOODLANDS, Texas, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- KPX Chemical, a leading polyols producer for polyurethanes in Korea, and Huntsman Corporation (NYSE: HUN), a world-leading MDI-based polyurethanes and specialty chemical manufacturer, today announced the establishment of a joint venture named KPX HUNTSMAN POLYURETHANES AUTOMOTIVE CO., LTD. (KHPUA). The joint venture will create and provide innovative polyurethane system solutions to Korean automakers from a specialty polyurethanes manufacturing facility at KPX Chemical's Ulsan plant. Operations are expected to commence by the end of October. The Korean automotive industry is undergoing profound changes and presents new opportunities for high performance and light weight polyurethane system solutions. The new joint venture will accelerate growth in this sector by providing sustainable innovations and a high level of technical service support to its customers. KPX Chemical will leverage its 47-years' experience in polyol technology and know-how by combining it with Huntsman's proven ability to develop high performance, differentiated, MDI-based automotive solutions for vehicle manufacturers and its fully integrated global supply chain. Tony Hankins, President of Huntsman's Polyurethanes division and CEO of Huntsman Asia Pacific, said: "We are delighted to join forces with KPX Chemical. Korea is one of Huntsman's key markets in Asia and driving continued business growth in the automotive industry is a priority for us. The new joint venture will create and provide customized polyurethane systems solutions to meet local automotive customers' needs for improved comfort, superior acoustics and light-weighting. By creating value for its customers, KHPUA will enable downstream polyurethanes businesses to develop in a more sustainable way, both economically and environmentally." Kim Moon-young, President of KPX Chemical, said: "This cooperation is of great strategic significance to both parties. Together, under the banner of KHPUA, we will leverage the R&D and capacity advantages of KPX Chemical and Huntsman in the region to become the industry's preferred innovation partner. It is an exciting time to be creating a new venture and we look forward to working with key players in the region to meet growing demand for autonomous vehicles and electric transport solutions that can support the country's carbon neutrality ambitions." About Huntsman: Huntsman Corporation is a publicly traded global manufacturer and marketer of differentiated and specialty chemicals with 2020 revenues of approximately $6 billion. Our chemical products number in the thousands and are sold worldwide to manufacturers serving a broad and diverse range of consumer and industrial end markets. We operate more than 70 manufacturing, R&D and operations facilities in approximately 30 countries and employ approximately 9,000 associates within our four distinct business divisions. For more information about Huntsman, please visit the company's website at www.huntsman.com. Social Media: Twitter: www.twitter.com/Huntsman_Corp Facebook: www.facebook.com/huntsmancorp LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/huntsman Forward-Looking Statements: Certain information in this release constitutes 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. These statements are based on management's current beliefs and expectations. The forward-looking statements in this release are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances and involve risks and uncertainties that may affect the company's operations, markets, products, services, prices and other factors as discussed under the caption "Risk Factors" in the Huntsman companies' filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Significant risks and uncertainties may relate to, but are not limited to, volatile global economic conditions, cyclical and volatile product markets, disruptions in production at manufacturing facilities, reorganization or restructuring of Huntsman's operations, including any delay of, or other negative developments affecting the ability to implement cost reductions, timing of proposed transactions, and manufacturing optimization improvements in Huntsman businesses and realize anticipated cost savings, ability to achieve projected synergies, and other financial, economic, competitive, environmental, political, legal, regulatory and technological factors. The company assumes no obligation to provide revisions to any forward-looking statements should circumstances change, except as otherwise required by applicable laws. SOURCE Huntsman Corporation Related Links http://www.huntsman.com NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK In Re: CANNTRUST HOLDINGS INC. SECURITIES LITIGATION No. 1:19-cv-06396-JPO SUMMARY NOTICE OF PENDENCY OF U.S. CLASS ACTION AND PROPOSED SETTLEMENTS www.CannTrustSecuritiesSettlement.ca If you purchased the publicly traded common stock of CannTrust Holdings Inc. ("CannTrust") on the New York Stock Exchange or on any U.S. based trading platform or pursuant or traceable to CannTrust's May 6, 2019 secondary offering, you may be entitled to a payment from several class action settlements. YOU ARE HEREBY NOTIFIED, pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure and an Order of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, that Court-appointed U.S. Class Action Lead Plaintiffs, on behalf of themselves and all members of the proposed U.S. Settlement Class, and defendant CannTrust and several other defendants in this proposed class action lawsuit (collectively, "Settling Defendants"), have reached eight proposed settlements of the majority of the claims in the above-captioned U.S. class action (the "U.S. Class Action"), as well as actions pending in Canada and California (collectively with the U.S. Class Action, the "Actions"), in amounts totaling approximately C$83,000,000[1] in exchange for releases of liability (the "Settlements"). The proposed Settlements will be implemented pursuant to an amended and restated plan of compromise, arrangement and reorganization of CannTrust, CannTrust Inc. and Elmcliffe Investments Inc. (as may be further amended from time to time in accordance with its terms), pursuant to Canada's Companies' Creditors Arrangement Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C-36, as amended, (the "CCAA Plan"), which was approved by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice (Commercial List) by a "sanction order" entered on July 16, 2021 (the "CCAA Sanction Order"). Implementation of the CCAA Plan requires, among other things, approval of the Settlements as they relate to the U.S. Class Action by the U.S. Court. The CCAA Plan provides for, inter alia, the restructuring of CannTrust so that it can emerge from insolvency, the administration of the Settlements for the benefit of CannTrust's investors, and the handling of unsettled claims related to the alleged wrongdoing at issue in the Actions. A telephonic hearing will be held before the Honorable J. Paul Oetken on Thursday, December 2, 2021, at 12:30 p.m. New York time (the "Settlement Hearing") to determine whether the Court should: (i) approve the proposed Settlements, as they relate to the U.S. Class Action, as fair, reasonable, and adequate; and (ii) approve the proposed Allocation and Distribution Scheme for distribution of the proceeds of the Settlements to U.S. Settlement Class Members. The Court may change the date of the Settlement Hearing without providing another notice. You do NOT need to attend the Settlement Hearing to receive a payment. IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THE U.S. SETTLEMENT CLASS, YOUR RIGHTS WILL BE AFFECTED BY THE PROPOSED SETTLEMENTS AND YOU MAY BE ENTITLED TO A MONETARY PAYMENT. If you purchased the publicly traded common stock of CannTrust on the New York Stock Exchange or on any U.S. based trading platform or pursuant or traceable to CannTrust's May 6, 2019 secondary offering and have not yet received a full Notice and Claim Form, you may obtain copies of these documents by visiting the website for the Settlements, www.CannTrustSecuritiesSettlement.ca, or by contacting the Claims Administrator at: CannTrust Securities Settlements c/o Epiq Class Action Services Canada Inc. P.O. Box 507 STN B Ottawa ON K1P 5P6 www.CannTrustSecuritiesSettlement.ca [email protected] 1-833-871-5359 Inquiries about the U.S. Class Action, other than requests for information about the status of a claim, may also be made to U.S. Class Action Counsel: LABATON SUCHAROW LLP James W. Johnson, Esq. 140 Broadway New York, NY 10005 www.labaton.com [email protected] 1-888-219-6877 If you are a U.S. Settlement Class Member, to be eligible to share in the distribution of the proceeds from the Settlements, you must submit a Claim Form postmarked or submitted online no later than March 16, 2022. (Any extensions of this deadline will be posted on the website for the Settlements: www.CannTrustSecuritiesSettlement.ca). If you are a U.S. Settlement Class Member and do not timely submit a valid Claim Form, you will not be eligible to share in the distribution of the proceeds from the Settlements, but you will nevertheless be bound by the terms of the Settlements as they relate to the U.S. Class Action, all of the U.S. Court's orders about the Settlements, whether favorable or unfavorable, the CCAA Sanction Order and CCAA Plan. If you are a U.S. Settlement Class Member and wish to exclude yourself from the U.S. Settlement Class, you must submit a written request for exclusion in accordance with the instructions in the Notice so that it is received no later than November 11, 2021. This is the only option that potentially may allow you to ever bring or be part of any other lawsuit against the Settling Defendants and their related parties about the released claims. However, the Settlement Parties believe that the CCAA Sanction Order will operate to bar any claims by the U.S. Settlement Class Members against the Settling Defendants and their related parties regardless of whether they request exclusion from the U.S. Settlement Class. If you exclude yourself from the U.S. Settlement Class, you will not be eligible to share in the distribution of the proceeds of the Settlements. Any objections to the proposed Settlements and/or the proposed Allocation and Distribution Scheme must be filed with the U.S. Court, either by mail or in person, and be mailed to counsel in accordance with the instructions in the Notice, such that they are received no later than November 11, 2021. PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT THE COURT, DEFENDANTS, OR DEFENDANTS' COUNSEL REGARDING THIS NOTICE. DATED: September 28, 2021 BY ORDER OF THE COURT UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK URL// www.CannTrustSecuritiesSettlement.ca 1 For informational purposes, at the time the Settlements were reached (January 19, 2021 to May 24, 2021), the C$/US$ exchange rate ranged from C$1.20 to C$1.28 per US$1.00 with an average of C$1.25 per US$1.00. Accordingly, at the time of the Settlements, C$83,000,000 was equivalent to approximately US$66,400,000. SOURCE Labaton Sucharow LLP Related Links https://www.labaton.com/ LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, AARP The Magazine sat down with October/November cover star Salma Hayek to discuss her inspiring journey, advocacy and career in Hollywood. In a wide-ranging interview, the 55-year-old Latin-American multi-hyphenate details her latest projects, both behind and in front of the screen, and the importance of portraying female experiences such as menopause as authentically as possible. After surviving a near-death COVID-19 scare, Hayek has returned to the screen with numerous projects including "Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard," "Eternals," and the upcoming "House of Gucci." She continues to pursue women-driven narratives with her company, Ventanarosa, as well as undertaking additional humanitarian and advocacy initiatives. A devoted mother, Hayek is also working to instill her desire to help others in her own children. The following are excerpts from ATM's October/November 2021 cover story featuring Salma Hayek. The issue is available in homes starting in October and online now at www.aarp.org/magazine/ . On being a humanist: "I am a feminist, but that's not why I work with women. I work with them because I'm a humanist. And if men were the ones who were not given the same human rights, I'd be fighting for them." On diversity in the industry: "'We've got the Latino box checked; we've got the African American box checked.' It's an acknowledgment that these voices are important, and that I applaud. But I wish we could find a space where people feel, My voice also has to do with you, and your voice also has to do with me." On authentic portrayal of the experience of menopause: "When I was going through menopause myself, I wondered, How come nobody talks about this in the movies?" On her experience with COVID-19: "I realized that we are so fragilenot just as individuals but collectively. I was thinking more about the global experience than about my own personal mortality, because this is what a pandemic forces you to do." On learning how to find the right opportunities and being grateful for every experience: "I learned every single day from every single person on the crew ... even the bad movies gave me so much. They also gave me the humbleness to say, 'OK, it's not going to advance my career. But thank you for allowing me to pay my rent.'" About AARP AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org, www.aarp.org/espanol or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspanol and @AARPadvocates, @AliadosAdelante on social media. SOURCE AARP Related Links www.aarp.org WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Democracy faces monumental challenges in the U.S. and world-wide. And in this pivotal era, postsecondary educators should take concerted action to help build Americans' readiness to tackle urgent public problems, together. That's the message from dozens of higher education and student success organizations that today announced a " Shared Commitment " to make "Democracy Learning a Top Priority for Postsecondary Education." Urging "equity-committed civic learning," the signatories call for civic inquiry, practice in civil discourse, and collaborative work on real-world public problems to be part of each postsecondary student's educational pathway, including their career preparation. The Shared Commitment pledge was organized by Civic Learning and Democracy Engagement (CLDE). Founded by the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) , the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) , Complete College America (CCA) and College Promise , CLDE is working in partnership with leading civic organizations and initiatives across the U.S. "There are many ways to prepare students for active and knowledgeable democracy participation," said Lynn Pasquerella, President of AAC&U. "We are not recommending a one-size-fits-all approach. What we want to see is a next generation of creative leadership across all higher education institutions to make college-level civic learning expected, equitable, high quality, and inclusive." The Shared Commitment statement notes that hundreds of postsecondary institutions currently are working to engage students with urgent public issues. The problem, CLDE leaders say, is that students from underserved communities are the least likely to take part in these mostly optional civic courses and community-based programs. Challenging these inequities, the CLDE coalition will work to shift the national higher education discussion from its insufficient focus on skills and short-term training to a larger concern with all college students' civic, historical, global, and intercultural knowledge, and their work on pressing public problems. "We cannot be a stratified nation in which some college students prepare for civic leadership while others get the implicit message that democracy will not require either their time or their talent," said Yolanda Watson Spiva, President of Complete College America. "Students who complete college without the benefit of civic education or leadership experiences tend to have limited employment prospects and access to other opportunities that lead to the upward economic and social mobility promised by a postsecondary education." Equity-committed educators, CLDE leaders say, already are demonstrating how work on public problems can be made central in every student's education. All students at Kingsborough Community College, a national leader in quality and completion efforts, complete a civic learning course as part of their degree. All students at Portland State University complete a senior year collaborative civic action project, typically keyed to their majors. And all students at Tulane University complete at least two public service courses and projects, one in the core curriculum and one in their major. Several of the Shared Commitment signatories now are taking action to advance college-level civic engagement "at scale." In 2020, the Higher Learning Commission made civic engagement a quality criterion for the 967 institutions it accredits. Further, three state systems have recently launched comprehensive initiatives to advance civic learning for all students in their public community colleges and universities. "We celebrate the state systemsMaryland, Massachusetts, and Virginiathat already are making civic learning a higher education priority, said Robert Anderson, SHEEO's President. "But in the spirit of the nation's founders, all educators need to advance civic learning as an indispensable asset to a creative democracy." Other Shared Commitment signatories are working in private higher education, and in active and ongoing partnerships between universities and community-based organizations, local governments, and philanthropies. "The work of College Promise to make college as universal, free, and accessible as high school aligns perfectly with CLDE's mission to prepare all students across all fields of study to help create a vibrant and inclusive democracy," said Martha Kanter, CEO of College Promise and former U.S. Under Secretary for Education. Going forward, CLDE will work on four goals: Quality and Equity : Build commitment and capacityacross postsecondary educationto make civic learning and democracy engagement an expected part of a quality college education for all college students, with equitable participation by students from underserved communities a top priority. : Build commitment and capacityacross postsecondary educationto make civic learning and democracy engagement an expected part of a quality college education for all college students, with equitable participation by students from underserved communities a top priority. Democracy Engagement : Engage students with democracy's history, present and future in a diverse United States , in U.S. communities still struggling to reverse inherited disparities, and in a globally interdependent world where authoritarianism is on the rise. : Engage students with democracy's history, present and future in a diverse , in U.S. communities still struggling to reverse inherited disparities, and in a globally interdependent world where authoritarianism is on the rise. Collaborative Problem-Solving: Prepare each postsecondary student, through creative combinations of general education, arts and sciences studies, and career-related studies, to work directly on selected public problems that society needs to solvee.g., problems in racial healing, health, education, housing, climate, digital access, human rights, justice systems, and interfaith cooperation. Prepare each postsecondary student, through creative combinations of general education, arts and sciences studies, and career-related studies, to work directly on selected public problems that society needs to solvee.g., problems in racial healing, health, education, housing, climate, digital access, human rights, justice systems, and interfaith cooperation. Policy Commitment: Secure policy support for and robust public investment in the goals listed above. For more information, please visit www.CollegeCivicLearning.org or contact [email protected] . SOURCE Civic Learning and Democracy Engagement (CLDE) Related Links https://collegeciviclearning.org The first customer-quality Lucid Air luxury electric sedans rolled off the assembly line today during the event at AMP-1, which included a factory commissioning ceremony with Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. Governor Ducey joined other policymakers and invited guests in highlighting Lucid's local job creation and economic development, increase in high-tech manufacturing footprint, and plans for future expansion in the state. Lucid's Arizona manufacturing facilities are expected to bring a projected economic output (direct, indirect, and induced) of $9 billion to the state in 2024, as well as a projected 15,000 jobs annually (direct, indirect, and induced) by 2024. During the event, customers, analysts, investors, and members of the media were also given the opportunity to be some of the first to test drive the Lucid Air. Lucid Air Customer Deliveries to Begin in Late October Lucid expects reservation holders of Lucid Air Dream Edition models will begin receiving their vehicles in late October, with customer deliveries ramping up thereafter. Grand Touring, Touring, and Air Pure model deliveries are expected to follow. Lucid has thus far received more than 13,000 reservations for Lucid Air and increased the planned total production quantity of the Dream Edition to 520 vehicles. The EPA recently released its official range estimate for the Lucid Air Dream Edition Range, which is the longest range for any electric car rated by the EPA: 520 miles on a single charge, more than 100 miles over its closest competitor. The Lucid Air Dream Edition Performance and Lucid Air Grand Touring also achieved EPA estimated ranges far beyond any other EV. With customer-quality cars now coming off the line, Lucid has confirmed that the Air meets all the applicable regulatory requirements from the EPA and U.S. Department of Transportation. "The proprietary EV technology that Lucid has developed will make it possible to travel more miles using less battery energy. For example, our Lucid Air Grand Touring has an official EPA rating of 516 miles of range with a 112-kWh battery pack, giving it an industry-leading efficiency of 4.6 miles per kWh. Our technology will allow for increasingly lighter, more efficient, and less expensive EVs, and today represents a major step in our journey to expand the accessibility of more sustainable transportation," said Peter Rawlinson, CEO and CTO, Lucid Group. "I'm delighted that production cars endowed with this level of efficiency are currently driving off our factory line." AMP-1 Factory Expansion Lucid completed the construction of the AMP-1 factory, positioned on a 590-acre site in Casa Grande, Arizona, in less than a year. As the first greenfield, dedicated electric vehicle factory to be built in North America, Lucid's innovative AMP-1 was designed with a future-ready focus that has allowed the company to already embark on a massive expansion of the facility. This will add 2.85 million square feet to support an increase in Air production and establish production of the brand's first SUV, Gravity, which is expected to start in 2023. About Lucid Group Lucid's mission is to inspire the adoption of sustainable energy by creating the most captivating electric vehicles, centered around the human experience. The company's first car, Lucid Air, is a state-of-the-art luxury sedan with a California-inspired design underpinned by race-proven technology. Lucid Air features a luxurious full-size interior space in a mid-size exterior footprint. Customer deliveries of Lucid Air, which is produced at Lucid's new factory in Casa Grande, Arizona, are planned to begin in late October. Media Contact [email protected] Trademarks This communication contains trademarks, service marks, trade names and copyrights of Lucid Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries (the "Company") and other companies, which are the property of their respective owners. Forward-Looking Statements This communication includes "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as "estimate," "plan," "project," "forecast," "intend," "will," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "seek," "target," "continue," "could," "may," "might," "possible," "potential," "predict" or other similar expressions that predict or indicate future events or trends or that are not statements of historical facts. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's expectations related to the start of production and deliveries of the Lucid Air and Lucid Gravity, the performance, range, and other features of the Lucid Air, construction and expansion of the Company's AMP-1 manufacturing facility, and the promise of the Company's technology. These statements are based on various assumptions, and actual events and circumstances may differ. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including factors discussed in the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1, as amended, the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2020 and the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2021, in each case, under the heading "Risk Factors," as well as other documents of the Company that are filed, or will be filed, with the Securities and Exchange Commission. If any of these risks materialize or the Company's assumptions prove incorrect, actual results could differ materially from the results implied by these forward-looking statements. There may be additional risks that the Company does not presently know or that the Company currently believes are immaterial that could also cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements reflect the Company's expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this communication. 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 assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this communication. SOURCE Lucid Motors Related Links http://www.lucidmotors.com INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Lumina Foundation today announced grants totaling almost $2 million to five Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in North Carolina and five other partners committed to ensuring Black adults earn college degrees and other credentials. The universities were chosen from among proposals Lumina solicited and received earlier this year. Selected HBCUs will implement changes that remove institutional barriers and establish new or expanded existing efforts to support Black adult students. The five grantees are Elizabeth City State University, Fayetteville State University, Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, Shaw University in Raleigh, and Winston-Salem State University. Each will receive $175,000 to support work with adult students of color during the next 22 months. Additional Lumina money will go toward providing technical assistance, consultants, and evaluation. Grantees were selected for their innovative, student-centered pathways efforts, support for adults, and demonstrated commitment to racially equitable just student success. "We are excited to partner with this group of HBCUs on accelerating their success strategies for Black adults," said Jasmine Haywood, Lumina's strategy director for student success. "With longstanding histories of serving Black adults, we know that our collaboration with these leading HBCUs will ensure that they are essential to helping their state meet its goal of 2 million North Carolinians achieving college degrees or other quality credentials beyond a high school diploma by 2030." Lumina Vice President Debra Humphreys added: "As Lumina works to ensure fair and just access to a college education, we want to support today's students, who are older and more racially diverse. These HBCUs offer enriching educational experiences Black students need and deserve." Elizabeth City State University will develop Adult-Centered Student Services geared toward comprehensive supports such as life and career planning, technology support, and the creation of a living-learning community for adults. Fayetteville State University will use data to improve student outcomes such as credit accumulation, retention, and graduation rates for adults by improving credit transfer for military students and adults coming from community colleges. Johnson C. Smith University will create an integrated campus services environment that is adult-learner friendly. Shaw University will revise credit for prior learning policies at the university, with the aim of removing barriers and shortening time to completion. Winston-Salem State University will launch a degree completion program tailored for adults with services that enhance academic outcomes, professional development, and personal growth. To build this initiative, Lumina leaned on advice from former HBCU presidents and HBCU scholars. Dr. Steve D. Mobley, Jr. and Dr. Krystal L. Williams will provide important counsel and insights over the next two years. Dr. Nadrea Njoku of the United Negro College Fund's (UNCF) Frederick D. Patterson Research Institute will lead the program's evaluation. Dr. Kathy Thompson and her team will provide technical assistance. And journalist Autumn Arnett will give progress reports, and tell the stories of Black adults at HBCUs more broadly. A kickoff convening is scheduled 9 a.m. to Noon EDT Oct. 4. Morgan State University President David Wilson, a Lumina board member, will keynote the event. Registration is free. About Lumina Foundation Lumina Foundation is an independent, private foundation in Indianapolis that is committed to making opportunities for learning beyond high school available to all. We envision a system that is easy to navigate, delivers fair results, and meets the nation's need for talent through a broad range of credentials. Our goal is to prepare people for informed citizenship and for success in a global economy. Contact: Tracy Chen, [email protected] SOURCE Lumina Foundation CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Mars Wrigley announced a new venture with 12Tree, a transformative asset manager and operator in the area of agroforestry, and ECOM, one of the world's largest suppliers of sustainable cocoa beans. Andean Cacao is a climate-smart venture that seeks to catalyze sustainable farming, by changing how cocoa is grown and pioneering modern agriculture practices that regenerate soil and positively impact communities. Mars Wrigley's commitment to a long-term agreement will help to provide financial stability and the development of Andean Cacao to scale to prove its transformative agricultural model. It will initially focus on regenerating over 2,000 hectares of cattle grazing land in Latin America into a highly productive, sustainable farm with the goal of delivering quality carbon-neutral cocoa beans. The project seeks to improve carbon sequestration, soil health, and biodiversity, create living-wage job opportunities, and support neighbor communities. Climate-smart & Sustainable Cocoa Farming Tweet this This innovative venture is the latest step in Mars Wrigley's journey through its Cocoa for Generations strategy to build a modern, inclusive, and sustainable cocoa supply chain. It shows a continued commitment to trial new climate-smart and modern agriculture solutions, by focusing on three areas of impact: Creating healthy soil while capturing carbon and boosting biodiversity : Andean Cacao has proven that degraded cattle pastureland can be restored to healthy, vibrant soil, by using a multi-species, technology-driven agroforestry cocoa model. It is leveraging precision agriculture and tailored irrigation systems to regenerate, initially, 2000+ hectares. Over the last two years, the farm has improved soil organic matter by 11% thanks to agroforestry and regenerative practices which will, in turn, contribute to increased carbon sequestration. This is how Andean Cacao plans to significantly impact climate change and strive to produce carbon-neutral cocoa beans. : Andean Cacao has proven that degraded cattle pastureland can be restored to healthy, vibrant soil, by using a multi-species, technology-driven agroforestry cocoa model. It is leveraging precision agriculture and tailored irrigation systems to regenerate, initially, 2000+ hectares. Over the last two years, the farm has improved soil organic matter by 11% thanks to agroforestry and regenerative practices which will, in turn, contribute to increased carbon sequestration. This is how Andean Cacao plans to significantly impact climate change and strive to produce carbon-neutral cocoa beans. Improving livelihoods and community resilience : The farm has already created more than 225 job opportunities, with at least 20% filled by women. A $1.5m project with the International Finance Corporation is supporting Andean Cacao to build modern sustainable farming capabilities and community resilience for neighboring smallholders. For example, today, more than 200 local cacao farmers and their families are benefitting from capacity building and technical assistance to help them achieve higher price points and improve productivity on their cocoa farms. : The farm has already created more than 225 job opportunities, with at least 20% filled by women. A project with the International Finance Corporation is supporting Andean Cacao to build modern sustainable farming capabilities and community resilience for neighboring smallholders. For example, today, more than 200 local cacao farmers and their families are benefitting from capacity building and technical assistance to help them achieve higher price points and improve productivity on their cocoa farms. Exchanging scientific knowledge and cocoa agronomy innovation to increase productivity: The venture combines 12Tree's track record of transforming land through regenerative farming practices with Mars Wrigley's +30 years of research and innovation in cocoa plant science and agronomy and ECOM's long history of managing agricultural commodities in Latin America . Together they intend to prove new methods, technology, and sustainable farming techniques combined with a modern cocoa agriculture approach for farms to continue to increase yield. Amber Johnson, Global Vice President of Cocoa Enterprise at Mars Wrigley, said: "Reshaping the future of cocoa means building a resilient supply chain, that protects the planet, improves working conditions, and enables communities to thrive. Piloting modern cocoa agriculture and climate-smart solutions brings a long-term perspective to this quest. I'm excited about the knowledge we will gather through the Andean Cacao venture to apply the best of Modern Sustainable Cocoa Farming elsewhere, to scale learnings, and to continue our journey to create a modern, inclusive, and sustainable cocoa supply." Xavier Sagnieres, 12Tree executive and Andean Cacao CEO said: "This groundbreaking partnership will bring further growth to our flagship project, and bolster its climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity enhancement, people well-being, and smallholder initiatives. We believe such a partnership can deliver revolutionary sustainable cocoa farming innovations thanks to knowledge sharing, collaboration to modernize agriculture practices, and joint efforts to create a sustainable value chain. We aim to scale a productive and profitable transformative model for growing cocoa while achieving positive environmental and social impact." Nicolas de Wasseige, Deputy CEO of ECOM Agrotrade said: "We are delighted to partner with Mars Wrigley and 12Tree on this exciting project which is a testbed for ideas that can transform the future of cocoa. By scaling up this concept and other similar approaches, we can accelerate much-needed change in agricultural practices, environmental impact, and sustainable livelihoods. This project offers great opportunities for smarter collaboration and innovation." Mars Wrigley sources from more than 13 countries to create the right mix of cocoa for the chocolate portfolio that its consumers love. This venture will continue to build on the company's Cocoa for Generations strategy and initiatives across West Africa, Latin America, and Indonesia and it will mobilize transformative investment for sustainable land use to continue the journey of reshaping the future supply chain to make sustainable cocoa a reality for the next generation. To learn more about Mars Wrigley's commitments and policies, please visit here. ABOUT MARS, INCORPORATED For more than a century, Mars, Incorporated has been driven by the belief that the world we want tomorrow starts with how we do business today. This idea is at the center of who we have always been as a global, family-owned business. Today, Mars is transforming, innovating, and evolving in ways that affirm our commitment to making a positive impact on the world around us. Across our diverse and expanding portfolio of confectionery, food, and pet care products and services, we employ 133,000 dedicated Associates who are all moving in the same direction: forward. With $40 billion in annual sales, we produce some of the world's best-loved brands including DOVE, EXTRA, M&M's, MILKY WAY, SNICKERS, TWIX, ORBIT, PEDIGREE, ROYAL CANIN, SKITTLES, BEN'S ORIGINAL, WHISKAS, COCOAVIA, and 5; and take care of half of the world's pets through our pet health services AniCura, Banfield Pet Hospitals, BluePearl, Linnaeus, Pet Partners, and VCA. We know we can only be truly successful if our partners and the communities in which we operate prosper as well. The Mars Five Principles Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency, and Freedom inspire our Associates to take action every day to help create a world tomorrow in which the planet, its people, and pets can thrive. For more information about Mars, please visit www.mars.com. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube. For more information about our partners, please visit 12Tree and ECOM. MEDIA CONTACTS: SOURCE Mars Wrigley Related Links https://www.mars.com/ RICHMOND, Va. and ALPHARETTA, Ga., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- McCann Realty Partners, LLC ("McCann") and Pegasus Residential, LLC ("Pegasus") have announced today that McCann has made a significant investment in Pegasus Residential, a leading third-party property management company. This alignment of businesses creates a more vertically integrated platform that positions McCann as a multi-faceted leader in the industry and Pegasus with the resources to continue to grow and expand its best-in-class services for team members, residents, clients, and partners under the leadership of Lindy Ware, CEO and Founder of Pegasus. McCann Realty Partners McCann Realty Partners, founded in 2004 and headquartered in Richmond, VA, has acquired and/or developed 46 communities totaling 13,298 apartment units valued at over $1.5 billion throughout the Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, and Southwest regions. McCann and its principals have decades of multi-family experience, a strong track record of value creation for its institutional capital partners, and an outstanding reputation for acquisition, renovation, development, and construction in the apartment industry. For more information, visit www.mccannrealty.com. "We are truly excited to expand our long-term partnership with Pegasus Residential. Pegasus is a leading property management firm and has a broad footprint of operating experience in the best markets across the country," said Fleet Wallace, Managing Principal and Founder of McCann Realty Partners. "We look forward to continuing to work together to strengthen our aligned companies." "We are thrilled to announce our expanded strategic partnership with Pegasus, combining best-in-class Property Management with McCann's investment and value creation expertise." said McCann President and Managing Principal Matt Akin. "CEO Lindy Ware and her team at Pegasus consistently outperform their peers with a personal touch that is hard to find in the current property management environment. They are accessible, communicate effectively, and are quick to adjust to the rapidly evolving real estate operating environment. Pegasus is a people-first company, and the culture has been cultivated meticulously over the years, and the results are impressive. McCann will continue to invest capital in Pegasus to enhance our customer experiences as the industry evolves to outperform our competition." Pegasus Residential is a dynamic, full-service multifamily management company offering an innovative and personalized approach to apartment management and real estate services, including Construction Management, Technology Innovation, Marketing, Branding, Operations, Lease-Up, and Renovations. Headquartered in Alpharetta, GA, Pegasus Residential is a NMHC Top 50 Manager with more than 44,000 units across 117 multifamily communities across Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, Virginia, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee and Colorado. Pegasus has recently expanded west into Colorado and is looking to grow its footprint further west into Phoenix, Denver, and Salt Lake City. For more information, visit PegasusResidential.com. This initiative supports a vision to create "the best management company the industry has ever seen," according to CEO Lindy Ware. "We want our residents to love their home, and our people to love their careers." Ware began her career on-property and has built Pegasus to address realities that are often overlooked by investment-minded owners. "It's hard work, but when you gather great people and give them what they need to thrive, it's magical," she says. This deal gives Pegasus additional capacity to serve its growing roster of third-party management clients. Laurie Lyons, VP Business Development, says, "We've stayed ahead of where multifamily is going in terms of how we serve our team, our residents and our clients. First and foremost, we lead in the technology revolution, which enables us to change the staffing paradigm as well as to create an interactive resident experience that adds value for our clients. Our expanded partnership with McCann will continue to bolster our mission to transform multifamily." McCann continues to seek new acquisition and development opportunities. For acquisitions and development, please contact Thomas Upson at [email protected] and (804) 708-1708. For information on Pegasus property management services, please contact Laurie Lyons at [email protected] and 970.688.1137. Contact: Mike Dowd, McCann Realty Partners (804) 708-1709 Contact: Laurie Lyons, Pegasus Residential (970) 688-1137 SOURCE Pegasus Residential Related Links pegasusresidential.com RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated and relentless forcing organizations to implement advanced cybersecurity services and digital health checks no matter their size. In response, MCNC today has announced the creation of Vital Cyber to ensure all of North Carolina's important community anchor institutions can access affordable and reliable cybersecurity solutions. As the non-profit operator of the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), MCNC is an established and trusted technology partner offering a robust portfolio of cybersecurity tools, services, and personnel to help solve today's most pressing networking challenges. Through NCREN, MCNC provides Internet connectivity to every K-12 public school in North Carolina as well as all community colleges, and UNC System institutions. MCNC's new Vital Cyber protects those in the education community in addition to other sectors such as health care and research organizations with a steadfast commitment to the operational health of their networks. "We have more than 40 years of experience helping North Carolina institutions with their toughest technology and security challenges," said MCNC President and CEO Tracy Doaks. "Vital Cyber is uniquely qualified to provide world-class cybersecurity services and expertise to protect networks, technology, proprietary information, students, employees, patients, and clients." MCNC Vital Cyber also announced today that it is partnering with CrowdStrike, a leader in cloud-delivered endpoint and workload protection, to provide its new Managed Endpoint Protection Service to help MCNC clients better defend endpoints such as desktops, laptops, and mobile devices from malicious activity. CrowdStrike's Falcon platform provides AI and ML powered endpoint protection with continuous, comprehensive visibility to endpoint activity to ensure nothing is missed; providing important information for MCNC clients into what is happening on their systems and how to protect users from modern cyber threats. "MCNC continues to partner with top-tier solution providers to deliver world-class cyber protections for our community," said MCNC Chief Information Security Officer Chris Beal. "An endpoint protection strategy is essential for protecting against today's complex cyber threats like ransomware. Every endpoint can be an entry point for attackers, and the number of endpoint devices is only increasing with the shift to remote learning, work, and health care. We are pleased to work with CrowdStrike to provide the very best Endpoint Protection Service available today to our clients." "Organizations want fast and continuous detection, prevention and response," added James Yeager, vice president of Public Sector and Healthcare at CrowdStrike. "That requires comprehensive visibility across all endpoints and the ability to prevent sophisticated attacks in real-time by blocking persistent attackers from compromising their environments and stealing data. We are excited to work with MCNC to bring the power of the CrowdStrike Falcon platform to academic institutions in North Carolina, establishing fortified defenses for our highly connected students and teachers." Since 2007, all 115 North Carolina Local Education Agencies (LEAs) have been connected to MCNC's network through the N.C. School Connectivity Initiative (SCI). Educational institutions, specifically public K-12 schools, provide the "soft targets" sought by hackers and cyber criminals. A natural evolution through the SCI is a proactive approach to shoring up technology defenses by prioritizing cybersecurity on school networks. "As cyber threats continue to evolve, it will be the organizations that address security from both a technology and behavior level that will be the strongest and most successful," explained Beal. "MCNC Vital Cyber is ready to assist and protect against today's sophisticated cyber threats and prepare your organization for what's next." Vital Cyber supports MCNC's five-year goal to support digital equity and inclusion throughout North Carolina, aiming to ensure equitable access to affordable and protected connectivity for all community anchor institutions throughout the state. MCNC and other collaborative partners continue to build-out a robust suite of customized and accessible cybersecurity tools and services, with two new services in the pipeline for release in June 2022. MCNC Vital Cyber and the new Managed Endpoint Protection Service powered by Crowdstrike, along with other critical cybersecurity and cyber hygiene best practices, will be a point of emphasis at this year's MCNC Community Day on Nov. 9 at the Durham Convention Center. Registration is now open for the event (both virtual and in-person options are available). About MCNC MCNC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit client-focused technology organization. Founded in 1980, MCNC owns and operates the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN), one of America's longest-running regional research and education networks. With over 40 years of innovation, MCNC provides high-performance services for education, research, libraries, healthcare, public safety, and other community anchor institutions throughout North Carolina. NCREN is the fundamental broadband infrastructure for over 850 of these institutions including all public K-20 education in North Carolina. As one of the nation's premier middle-mile fiber backbone networks, MCNC leverages NCREN to customize protected Internet, cybersecurity services, and related applications for each client while supporting private service providers in bringing cost-efficient connectivity to rural and underserved communities in North Carolina. Visit www.mcnc.org . MCNC Social: Facebook , Twitter , YouTube , LinkedIn . SOURCE MCNC Related Links http://www.mcnc.org VANCOUVER, BC, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Mind Cure Health Inc. (CSE: MCUR) (OTCQB: MCURF) (FRA: 6MH) ("MINDCURE" or the "Company"), a leader in advanced proprietary technology and research in psychedelics, today announced that Kelsey Ramsden, President & CEO of MINDCURE, will present at the Benzinga Healthcare Small Cap Conference, which is being held virtually on September 29-30, 2021. Investors can register for the conference here . In addition, Ms. Ramsden will participate in one-on-one investor meetings during the conference. To schedule a one-on-one meeting, please contact KCSA Strategic Communications at [email protected]. Benzinga Healthcare Small Cap Conference Presentation Date: Wednesday, September 29, 2021 Time: 4:00 pm ET Speaker: Kelsey Ramsden, President & CEO of MINDCURE Link: Healthcare: September 29-30 - Benzinga Small Cap Conference In other news, the Company also announces it has granted a total of 10,000 stock options to certain employees pursuant to the terms the Company's long term incentive plan ("Plan"). The stock options are exercisable at a price of $0.34 per share, and are subject to the terms of the Plan. The Company further announces it has issued 59,296 common shares to a consultant at an agreed-upon price of $0.38 per share. About Mind Cure Health Inc. MINDCURE is a life sciences company focused on innovating and commercializing new ways to promote healing and improve mental health. The Company is developing digital therapeutics technology and researching psychedelic compounds to support access to safe, evidence-based psychedelic-assisted therapies globally. Learn more at mindcure.com, and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Kelsey Ramsden, President & CEO Phone: 1-888-593-8995 Forward-Looking Information Certain information presented in this news release may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws regarding MINDCURE and its business. 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. Forward-looking information is based on a number of key expectations and assumptions made by management of MINDCURE, including, without limitation: the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the Canadian economy and MINDCURE's business, and the extent and duration of such impact; no change to laws or regulations that negatively affect MINDCURE's business; there will be a demand for MINDCURE's products in the future; no unanticipated expenses or costs arise; MINDCURE will be able to continue to identify products that make them ideal candidates for providing solutions for treating mental health; and that MINDCURE will advance wellness worldwide. 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 inherently entails known and unknown risks and uncertainties about the future and actual results, and 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. Although MINDCURE has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information presented, there may be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements to differ from those anticipated, estimated or intended. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements as no forward-looking information 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 MINDCURE does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. SOURCE Mind Cure Health Inc. TOKYO and SAN MATEO, Calif., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Mitsui Chemicals, Inc. has teamed up with NEC Corporation to trial an AI-based system for forecasting changes in the prices of specific Mitsui Chemicals products that are sensitive to market conditions. Based on the results of this trial, Mitsui Chemicals intends to work toward the full introduction of an AI-driven demand forecasting system to avoid losses caused by price fluctuations and increase profits through appropriate procurement, production and sales. The trial was carried out using the dotData AI software platform developed by dotData, Inc., which automates all data science processes. Background Mitsui Chemicals has conventionally forecast trends in product demand from past price and profit trends, as well as from exchange rates and other data collated weekly, based on the knowledge and experience of the company's business staff. However, as globalization has progressed in recent years, making forecasts that anticipate sudden changes in market needs has become difficult, necessitating optimal control of not only output but also raw material procurement costs and quantities. Trial Mitsui Chemicals selected for trial a number of company products that are prone to influence by difficult-to-forecast market conditions. The dotData platform supplied by NEC was used to analyze a diverse array of data, including daily and weekly inventory data for the products over the last few years, as well as plant operating rates and sales figures. dotData then automatically extracted the most valid of the innumerable potential features to build an high-precision price forecasting model. Results While there are still some areas requiring ongoing improvement, the trial revealed how dotData can be used for high-precision forecasting of the following month's price for a given product, enabling Mitsui Chemicals to price products more appropriately based on market trends, formulate better sales plans, and execute procurement and production in accordance with those plans. Mitsui Chemicals anticipates that the platform's adoption will lead to reductions in inventory worth several hundred million yen. The trial also provided fresh business insights that were not readily apparent to human analysts, such as identification of a correlation between any changes in X and the price of Y. "Amid increasingly intense global competition, Mitsui Chemicals intends to become more competitive via the digital transformation of demand forecasting, tapping into advanced automated machine learning technology. This move will speed up our efforts to achieve corporate transformation focused on a customer-driven business model and solving social issues by reducing procurement costs, cutting lead times and reducing CO2 emissions through the optimization of distribution," said Masao Sambe, executive officer, Digital Transformation Division, Mitsui Chemicals*. "Through our partnership with dotData, NEC has supported numerous clients to date in achieving digital transformations. The combination of dotData's market-leading technology and NEC's consulting capabilities will not only support Mitsui Chemicals' efforts to achieve innovative change but also contribute to resolving social issues through this initiative," said Hideto Mori, Executive Director, NEC. "We at dotData are excited to provide our high-precision AI-based forecasting and business insights to assist Mitsui Chemicals in its digital transformation and its efforts to solve the challenges faced by society. We look forward to achieving further progress with Mitsui Chemicals and NEC as partners in this collaboration," said Ryohei Fujimaki, Ph.D., CEO, dotData. About dotData dotData pioneered AI-Powered Feature Engineering to accelerate and automate the process of building AI/ML models, to drive higher business value for the enterprise. dotData's automated data science platform accelerates ROI and lowers the total cost of model development by automating the entire data science process that is at the heart of AI/ML. dotData ingests raw business data and uses an AI-based engine to automatically discover meaningful patterns and build ML-ready feature tables from relational, transactional, temporal, geo-locational, and text data. dotData's scalable, flexible platform enables data scientists to discover and evaluate outstanding AI features; and empowers business intelligence professionals to add AI/ML models to their BI stacks and predictive analytics applications quickly and easily. Fortune 500 organizations around the world use dotData to accelerate their ML and AI development to drive higher business value. dotData has been recognized as a leader by Forrester in the 2019 New Wave for AutoML platforms. dotData has also been recognized as the "best machine learning platform" for 2019 by the AI breakthrough awards; was named a CRN "emerging vendor to watch" in the big data space in 2019 and featured on CRN's 2020 and 2021 Big Data 100 list; and was named to CB Insights' Top 100 AI Startups in 2020. For more information, visit www.dotdata.com, and join the conversation on Twitter and LinkedIn. *Mitsui Chemicals established the Digital Transformation Division in April 2021. Focused particularly on business operations and supply chains, the Digital Transformation Division is working to speed up digital transformation efforts company-wide. SOURCE dotData, Inc.; NEC Corporation Related Links http://www.dotdata.com "Navigate and MercyOne have worked closely to help Iowans get better access to health care through their employers," said Brian Lackey, Navigate Vice President of Business Development. "The COVID-19 pandemic has redefined the role health systems and employers play in community health, and this partnership will coordinate those efforts, creating a better employee experience." "This is a great example of how top-tier health systems like MercyOne are looking out for the community and helping employers more effectively care for their workforce," said Troy Vincent, Founder & CEO of Navigate. Vincent added, "Through Navigate's platform, health systems and employers will be able to improve the overall health of our community here in Iowa by delivering the highest quality of care for our neighbors, family and friends." MercyOne includes 18 owned or joint venture medical centers and hospital campuses in Iowa and beyond, in addition to 25 affiliated medical centers and more than 420 ambulatory care locations, all generating more than $3 billion in combined revenue and employing more than 20,000 people. "MercyOne is committed to providing personalized and radically convenient care to the communities we serve," said MercyOne Division Director of Business Solutions Troy Cook. "Our partnership with Navigate provides employers with a connected hub to improve health, provide health care education, and communicate with employees, meeting each individual along the path of their personal health journey." "We have been very happy working with MercyOne for our biometrics, flu vaccines and wellness portal," said Kathy Baldwin, RN, senior employee health services coordinator at Farm Bureau Financial Services. "MercyOne sincerely listens, promptly responds to our needs and is willing to be flexible in the design process." About MercyOne MercyOne is a connected system of health care facilities and services dedicated to helping people and communities live their best life. MercyOne's care providers and staff make health the highest priority. The system's clinics, medical centers, hospitals and affiliates are located throughout the state of Iowa and beyond. Headquartered in central Iowa, MercyOne was founded in 1998 through a collaboration between CommonSpirit Health and Trinity Health two of the country's foremost, not-for-profit Catholic health organizations. About Navigate Wellbeing Solutions Navigate is a purpose-driven employee engagement technology company with a nimble and customer-focused approach to helping organizations, with a mission to spark positive change by applying their technological capabilities to the field that enables them to make the most impact: health and wellbeing. With over 1.5 million active users, the Navigate wellbeing platform aims to bring all aspects of health and happiness together with a single point of entry to a comprehensive engagement and wellness program. For the past 13 years, Navigate has assisted organizations by connecting their business goals, mission and values with tailored wellbeing solutions for their teams. Navigate is headquartered in West Des Moines, IA. Recognized as a Shortlister Top Vendor for Wellness Providers in 2019 and 2020. For more information, visit www.navigatewell.com. SOURCE Navigate Wellbeing Solutions Related Links https://www.navigatewell.com/ This neuroscience program will celebrate achievements by pioneers, innovators, and future generations of leaders in MS. Tweet this "The leadership of the CMSC is grateful for the recognition afforded by this award and for the acknowledgement of our unique mission and vision," said June Halper, APN-C, CEO of CMSC. The Giants of Multiple Sclerosis program award categories will include Research, Nursing, Rehabilitation, Neuroimaging, Patient Care, Neurology, Pharmacy, and Mental Health. This premier neuroscience award program will celebrate remarkable achievements by pioneers, innovators, and future generations of leaders in multiple sclerosis. Nominations will be submitted by members of the multiple sclerosis community, and inductees will be selected by an elite panel of multiple sclerosis specialists. Nominations for the program formally open on October 26, 2021, during the Giants of Multiple Sclerosis welcome cocktail reception taking place at the 2021 CMSC Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, and will run through February 28, 2022. A celebration for the inaugural class of inductees will be held on Thursday, June 2, 2022, during the 2022 CMSC Annual Meeting in Maryland. For more information on the Giants of Multiple Sclerosis recognition program, or to register for the welcome event, click here. This program is sponsored by Atara Bio. About NeurologyLive NeurologyLive delivers direct access to practice-changing news and expert insights directly from top medical conferences and researchers to improve the lives of patients with neurological diseases such as dementia and Alzheimer disease, epilepsy, headache and migraine, movement disorders, multiple sclerosis, neuromuscular diseases, sleep disorders and stroke. The platform offers an in-depth look at the hundreds of new treatments in development with ever-expanding mechanisms of action, all during an unprecedented time of growing demand for neurology expertise and connects visitors with the most up-to-date clinical trial results, FDA approvals, and practice-changing research. NeurologyLive is a brand of MJH Life Sciences, the largest privately held, independent, full-service medical media company in North America, dedicated to delivering trusted healthcare news across multiple channels. NeurologyLive Media Contact Alyssa Scarpaci, 609-716-7777 [email protected] SOURCE NeurologyLive Related Links https://www.neurologylive.com NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- CaJE, the new era venture capital brand supporting African American female founders, today announced its exciting launch. Created by established female entrepreneur Crystal Etienne and her husband and business partner Jean Etienne, CaJE will enable the next wave of female founders to get the financial support they need to build scalable businesses. CaJE launches during a pivotal moment in society where the vast majority of female entrepreneurs and women of color face many challenges in securing venture capital. It's no secret that Black women are highly educated yet highly underfunded, having received just 0.34% of the total venture capital spent in the U.S. in 2021. Inspired by Crystal's own journey as a female entrepreneur of color, CaJE will address this inequality and support the rising generation of women in business with a new category of venture capital called "Soil." "As a female founder and woman of color, I've personally experienced the vast inequalities Black women face when looking to secure venture capital," said Crystal Etienne, Co-Founder of CaJE. "It is my dream to leverage my learnings and give back to fellow women looking to turn their business goals into a reality. My husband and I want to provide today's leading Black entrepreneurs and visionaries with the capital, resources and guidance needed to help them win." In 2016, Crystal founded Ruby Love (previously known as Panty Prop), a Femtech, e-commerce apparel company and pioneer in the period apparel industry. With very little funding, she bootstrapped the company from its humble beginnings to over $10 million within two years. She felt "cajed" many times while entering this new industry with very little help along the way, but overcame every obstacle. During this time, Jean ran his own transportation and delivery business when Crystal asked him to join the company. What was initially as a startup in their basement rapidly turned into a $50 million business, where Crystal is currently the CEO and Founder and Jean serves as Director of Fulfillment. Together, as a married couple, Crystal and Jean have mastered the formula in building aggressive and scalable businesses. "As an entrepreneur, I know the 'cajed-in' feeling that a business can bring all too well," said Jean Etienne, Co-Founder of CaJE. "After witnessing Crystal's incredible journey in building Ruby Love, I have a strong desire to help Black women build generational wealth efficiently. This is the year for Black-owned businesses to support one another, and with CaJE, we are going to change the world." CaJE will offer a new category of venture capital called "Soil" that will be available for deserving female-founded startups prior to pre-seed, where it is common to feel "cajed-in" while scaling business ideas. CaJE enters the market as a new era angel investor providing a quick and simple solution to aid businesses in reaching the next level. Whether bootstrapping, qualifying for pre-seed, or seed-level financing from venture capital funds, CaJE is designed to build and create generational wealth through ideas and markets for Black women. To learn more about CaJE, visit cajeandco.com. ABOUT CAJE: CaJE is a new-to-market investment company aimed at supporting early-stage, women-led businesses. Founded by Crystal Etienne, Founder & CEO of Ruby Love, a leading period apparel company, and Jean Etienne, Director of Fulfillment for Ruby Love and Crystal's husband, CaJE is on a mission to create a new category of capital called, "Soil." Whether bootstrapping, qualifying for pre-seed, or seed-level financing from venture capital funds, CaJE is designed to build and create generational wealth through idea and market for Black women. SOURCE CaJE COLLEGE PARK, Md., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Financial Policy (CFP) at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business and Deloitte have jointly developed a new risk management training program they will deliver to government financial professionals beginning on January 11, 2022. The certificate program, called the Maryland Smith Federal Risk Academy, will provide thought leadership, training, and special events to federal employees engaged in credit, banking, loans, grants, insurance and other market activities. "The timing is especially critical; as we've seen with the pandemic, crises don't wait for organizations to get their risk management house in order. Federal agencies and private companies face an array of different risks that require consistent and coordinated risk assessment processes. We're bringing decades of experience in managing risk to this training program," says the program's academic director Clifford Rossi , Professor of the Practice and Executive-in-Residence for Maryland Smith and the CFP. "This outreach targets federal agencies and industry regulators engaged in credit, banking, loan, grants, insurance, and other financial and market activities requiring effective risk management." The CFP, in collaboration with Deloitte, is administering the Federal Risk Academy along with Maryland Smith's Office of Executive Education . A primary component of this collaboration will be virtual, live executive learning sessions on applied risk management topics of interest to federal risk managers and financial regulators. Planned modules include: Building a Sustainable Risk Management Program ERM and Credit Risk Cyber Risk and Mitigation for Regulators Risk Modeling and Governing Liquidity and Capital Risks Operational and Regulatory Risk Management Climate Change and Financial Risk Management "We are excited to be working with the University of Maryland on such an important training and development program. This program is timely and structured to help leaders think through the multitude of considerations coming at lending, regulatory, and financial services clients to manage their overall risk exposure," says Deloitte Program Liaison Robert Stradtman, Principal, Deloitte Transactions and Business Analytics LLP. As a preview for the training, Maryland Smith, in collaboration with Deloitte, offers a series of live panel discussions on the topic of Federal Risk Management. The next one, titled, "A Scientist's Take on Climate Models and Risk Management Applications," will be held on November 17, 2021, from 10-11 am EDT. Click here to register. In August, they presented a discussion titled, "Elevating your Cyber Security Risk Management Awareness and Capabilities," featuring Clifford Rossi and Tim Li , a principal at Deloitte & Touche LLP and cyber leader in Deloitte's government and public services practice. Maryland Smith is also offering free 45-minute informational webinars about the Federal Risk Academy. During these webinars, they will discuss program details and answer any questions: October 18, 2021 , at 7 p.m. EDT click here to register , at click to register November 8, 2021 , at 1 p.m. EDT , at November 30, 2021 , at 4 p.m. EDT , at December 15, 2021 , at 7 p.m. EDT , at December 28, 2021 , at 11 a.m. EDT , at January 5, 2022 , at 12 noon EDT For Rossi's part, he's developing the Federal Risk Academy curriculum based on his 25 years of experience in banking and government. During the 20082009 financial crisis, he was Chief Risk Officer for Citigroup's Consumer Lending Division, overseeing the risk of the bank's $300 billion secured consumer asset portfolio. Recently, he completed an empirical study on the impact of hurricane frequency and intensity on mortgage default risk. He presented the work to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), advising how it can directly link climate events to mortgage risk using a statistical modelling technique. Such insight, reinforced by Deloitte's risk management experience, makes this training a valuable resource for industry professionals, says Cynthia Vitters, Managing Director and leader of Deloitte's Government and Public Services Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) practice at Deloitte & Touche LLP. "We are proud to work with the University of Maryland's Center for Financial Policy to provide this educational opportunity to risk management professionals that can help them continue to strengthen and sharpen their skills as we continue to promote the use and advancement of ERM principles in government." To register for the full certificate program and for more information, visit the program website . The registration deadline is Monday, January 10, 2022, at 11:59 pm. The regular program fee for an individual is $2,995, however, interested students can email [email protected] for discounts for early bird registrations, multiple individuals from the same organization, and University of Maryland and Big 10 alumni. Contact: Greg Muraski at [email protected] or 301-892-0973. About the Center for Financial Policy The Center for Financial Policy is a Center of Excellence at the Smith School that is the leading center for financial policy, research, and education in the Washington, D.C. region. 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 masters, 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. About Deloitte Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world's most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500 and more than 7,000 private companies. Our people come together for the greater good and work across the industry sectors that drive and shape today's marketplace delivering measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in our capital markets, inspire clients to see challenges as opportunities to transform and thrive, and help lead the way toward a stronger economy and a healthier society. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Building on more than 175 years of service, our network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte's more than 345,000 people worldwide connect for impact at www.deloitte.com . Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee ("DTTL"), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as "Deloitte Global") does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the "Deloitte" name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms. SOURCE University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business VALLETTA, Malta, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Kindred Group plc ("Kindred") hereby announces that it, on 27 September 2021, has received a notification of major holdings from The Capital Group Companies, Inc., a company with its registered office in Los Angeles, USA. The Notification relates to an acquisition of shares and voting rights in Kindred (the "Notification") by Capital Research and Management Company, a subsidiary within The Capital Group Companies, Inc. which holds the relevant position in Kindred Group. According to the Notification, Capital Research and Management Company holds 10.53% of the shares and voting rights in Kindred as of 24 September 2021. Please note that the notification submitted on 27 September 2021, included the holdings of SMALLCAP World Fund, Inc., a mutual fund managed by Capital Research and Management Company. The relevant chain of controlled undertakings can be found in the Notification, a copy of which can be found on Kindred's website: https://www.kindredgroup.com/investors/the-share/major-holdings This information is information that Kindred Group plc is obliged to make public pursuant to the Listing Rules published by the Malta Financial Services Authority under the Financial Markets Act (Chapter 345 of the Laws of Malta). CONTACT: For more information: Patrick Kortman, Head of Corporate Development & Investor Relations, [email protected], +46 723 877 438 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/kindred-group/r/notification-of-major-holdings-in-kindred-group-plc,c3422674 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/824/3422674/1474078.pdf Press release - notification of major holdings vF https://mb.cision.com/Public/824/3422674/a532555157eade41.pdf Notification - The Capital Group Companies Inc https://news.cision.com/kindred-group/i/kindred-,c2960267 Kindred SOURCE Kindred Group CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Novian Health Inc. has been granted Breakthrough Device designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its NovilaseInterstitial Laser System and its proposed indication for use: the focal destruction of malignant breast tumors in adult women who seek a breast conserving procedure. The FDA's Breakthrough Device program supports the timely development of technologies that have the potential to provide more effective treatment of life-threatening diseases. By obtaining this status, Novian will benefit from an expedited regulatory review process, which may accelerate access to its interstitial laser therapy system in the United States. "Laser therapy can help patients avoid the trauma and risks of breast cancer surgery," said Henry Appelbaum, president and CEO of Novian Health. "Receiving this designation is a significant milestone that moves us one step closer to offering the benefits of this game-changing technology to breast cancer patients in the U.S." Novilase is a minimally invasive procedure that uses laser ablation to destroy tumors as an alternative to surgery. The intended use is for the focal destruction of malignant tumors of the breast up to 15 mm; for general surgery procedures including incision, excision, and ablation of soft tissues; and coagulative necrosis and interstitial laser coagulation of soft tissues. Novilase has already been cleared in the U.S. for the treatment of benign breast tumors, or fibroadenomas. In addition, FDA granted an investigational device exemption for Novian Health's pivotal study (BR-003), with enrollment anticipated to start in 2022 and study completion in 2023. Novian received CE Mark approval to commercialize its technology in the European Union (EU) and Switzerland for the treatment of both malignant tumors and fibroadenomas, making it the first ablation device to have been cleared for malignant breast tumors. More than 275,000 women in the U.S. and 2 million around the world are diagnosed with breast cancer every year. About two-thirds of early-stage breast cancer patients and their doctors will opt to remove the tumors surgically in a breast-conserving procedure called lumpectomy. This leaves a scar and can change the shape of a woman's breast -- and more than 25% of women will need additional surgery because their entire tumors were not removed during the initial surgical procedure. During a Novilase procedure, doctors insert a laser probe directly into the tumor using ultrasound guidance in a manner similar to a breast biopsy. The tumor is then heated by the laser and destroyed. Intra-procedure confirmation of focal destruction is provided by a parallel temperature probe which records temperature at the periphery of the target ablation zone. In contrast to a lumpectomy, which requires an operating room, general anesthesia, and several days of recovery, Novilase can be performed on an outpatient basis using local anesthesia, with minimal pain and a recovery time of hours instead of days. There is minimal scarring and no change in breast shape. Upon confirmation of focal destruction of the target tumor by MR imaging, patients will then proceed with recommended radiation and/or adjuvant therapies. Multiple clinical trials have evaluated Novilase for the treatment of malignant breast tumors. A multi-center trial published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology in 2018 found that, for malignant breast tumors up to 15 mm, Novilase completely destroyed the tumor in 98% of patients. In addition, patients in the trial reported better health-related quality of life outcomes compared to lumpectomy surgery. In 2020, Novian Health was recognized as one of MedTech Innovator 's Top 50 startups transforming the healthcare industry for its laser technology's significant potential to transform the treatment of early-stage breast cancer. As the world's largest medical device accelerator, MedTech assesses more than 1,000 startups each year to find the "most transformative device, diagnostic, and digital health technologies from around the globe." ABOUT NOVIAN HEALTH INC. Based in Chicago, with a subsidiary in Evry, France, Novian Health Inc. is a privately held medical device company with proprietary technology for the treatment of tumors using Interstitial Laser Therapy. For more information, call (312) 266-7200 or access www.novianhealth.com . Contact: Liz Dowling, (415) 388-2794 Dowling & Dennis PR [email protected] SOURCE Novian Health BERKELEY, Calif., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Perfect Day , the animal-free dairy leader and consumer biotechnology company, has partnered with Villa Dolce to introduce more sustainable gelato and bakery items to the food service industry, including seven gelato flavors and four Ready to Bake Desserts that incorporate Perfect Day's innovative animal-free dairy protein. Villa Dolce is the company's first entrance into food service with new applications of its animal-free whey protein. With less fat and lower air content, gelato relies on milk proteins for its dense texture and rich flavor, and Perfect Day delivers an animal-free option which lives up to Villa Dolce's standards. The same is true of its bakery items, a new category for Perfect Day, in which its protein allows for ready-to-bake dessert mixes that don't require the addition of any animal products, like milk or eggs. This gives Villa Dolce's food service partners a fully shelf-stable mix which bakes into animal-free, delicious desserts. As the #1 premium gelato brand in food service, Villa Dolce is well-positioned to introduce Perfect Day to the $969.4 billion US food service industry and the nearly 25 million consumers it serves every year. With Perfect Day, gelato favorites like Villa Dolce don't need to sacrifice taste and texture to deliver animal-free products that are more sustainable and lactose free. The new gelato flavors using Perfect Day ingredients include: Sea Salt Vanilla & Honeycomb, Caramel Cold Brew, Chocolate all'Arancia, Strawberry After Dark, Burnt Caramel Praline, Pistachio Latte, and Tahitian Vanilla Bean; and the ready to bake desserts include: Cookie Dough, Pistachio Cake, Southern Brown Butter Cake, and Lava Cake. The new products will be available through DOT foods, North America's largest food industry redistributor, which has stocked the seven-flavor collection of Villa Dolce x Perfect Day gelato and four Ready to Bake Desserts, offering it to over 2,000 distributor customers nationwide. Villa Dolce services many of the country's top restaurants, casinos, hotels, and universities. Students at Arizona State University and UCLA, vacationers at Ocean Properties in Florida and New England, Talking Stick Resort in Scottsdale, Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, and more will soon be enjoying Villa Dolce products made with Perfect Day protein. "We're thrilled to be able to offer our food service partners an option that can meet their need for sustainable, animal-free products, without compromising the taste and texture we are known for. We've been looking for a solution that lives up the Villa Dolce name, and we've found it through Perfect Day," said Villa Dolce's CEO Monte Marcaccini of the launch. Ravi Jhala, Perfect Day's Global Head of Commercial, said, "We're thrilled to partner with Villa Dolce to create kinder, greener gelato and bakery products. With Villa Dolce's broad reach to customers across the country, and their premium products, this collaboration is ideal for our first foray into the food service space." The partnership with Villa Dolce to produce new Gelato and Bakery items is the latest in a series of Perfect Day product collaborations. The brand continues to innovate across the dairy space to create a kinder, greener tomorrow by developing animal-free foods that people love today. About Perfect Day Founded in 2014 by bioengineers Ryan Pandya and Perumal Gandhi, Perfect Day is on a mission to create a kinder, greener tomorrow through the thoughtful use of biology. Leveraging expertise across biological engineering, food innovation, and consumer products, Perfect Day is helping companies big and small develop, scale, and commercialize next-generation products that satisfy consumers' demands and champion a path toward a sustainable future. The company's flagship product, the world's first precision fermentation protein, debuted in 2020. Instead of relying on cows, Perfect Day utilizes microflora to create proprietary animal-free protein. Perfect Day's protein can be used across a range of products to deliver the same taste and texture without compromise. An ISO compliant, third-party reviewed life cycle assessment (LCA) found that Perfect Day's whey protein reduces blue water consumption by up to 99%, greenhouse gas emissions by up to 97%, and non-renewable energy use by up to 60%, compared to conventional production methods. To learn more, visit perfectdayfoods.com or follow along on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. About Villa Dolce Villa Dolce is the premier producer of artisanal gelato and sorbetto in the US and supplies many food service channels across the country. They are proud to be an Italian family-owned company and have received numerous trade awards, most recently being honored as one of the nation's fastest-growing private companies on the 2020 Inc. 5000 list and one of the "Best Entrepreneurial Companies in America" by Entrepreneur magazine in both 2018 and 2019. SOURCE Perfect Day Related Links http://perfectdayfoods.com NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As the President rolls out federal mandates requiring companies ensure their workforces are fully vaccinated, a survey of CEOs and Directors, conducted by the Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board (CED), reveals mixed feelings from corporate America. While nearly two-thirds of the surveyed business leaders support the President's decision, more than half are concerned about their ability to implement the mandate at their companies. CED's survey results reveal an additional red flag: Roughly 30 percent of respondents believe the decision has negatively impacted their employees and the overall company culture. The survey gauged more than 100 CEOs and Board Directors, approximately 90 percent of whom are at companies with more than $1 billion in revenue. All respondents will be impacted by the federal mandates. Dr. Lori Esposito Murray, the President of CED, noted: "While our survey results reveal that the President has significant backing from the business community, the Administration should proceed with caution given the intensity of the opposition felt by a quarter of the business leaders and the expected difficulties in implementation felt much more broadly. Unless the OSHA vaccine guidelines put in place are clear and actually achieve the objective, the end result may be more division in the workplace instead of more vaccinations." Key findings from the survey include: SUPPORT: The majority of surveyed business leaders agree with the President's decision. Nearly two-thirds of respondents support the new vaccination and testing requirements. About a quarter of leaders strongly disagree with the decision. Do you agree with the President's decision to mandate that all employers with more than 100 workers require their workforce to be vaccinated or tested for the virus at least weekly? Somewhat Agree : 20.7 percent : 20.7 percent Strongly Agree : 42.3 percent : 42.3 percent Somewhat Disagree : 9.9 percent : 9.9 percent Strongly Disagree : 24.3 percent : 24.3 percent Neither Agree nor Disagree: 2.7 percent IMPLEMENTATION: Despite significant support, more than half of these business leaders believe actual implementation of the mandates will be difficult. More than half of respondents believe it will be difficult (40.5 percent) or very difficult (15.3 percent) to successfully implement the new testing or vaccination mandate within their company. Comparatively, roughly 20 percent feel it will be an easy lift. How would you rate your ability to implement the vaccination/testing mandate in your firm? Easy : 15.3 percent : 15.3 percent Very Easy : 4.5 percent : 4.5 percent Neutral : 24.3 percent : 24.3 percent Difficult : 40.5 percent : 40.5 percent Very Difficult: 15.3 percent COMPANY CULTURE: A third of respondents say the vaccination announcement has hurt company culture. Roughly 30 percent of respondents believe the decision has negatively impacted their company's overall culture. More than half feel that it has not impacted their organization's overall culture. How do you think the President's decision to mandate vaccinations or at least weekly testing has affected your firm's culture? Negatively : 29.7 percent : 29.7 percent Neutral : 58.6 percent : 58.6 percent Positively: 11.7 percent About CED The Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board (CED) is the nonprofit, nonpartisan, business-led public policy center that delivers well-researched analysis and reasoned solutions in the nation's interest. CED Trustees are chief executive officers and key executives of leading US companies who bring their unique experience to address today's pressing policy issues. Collectively they represent 30+ industries, over a trillion dollars in revenue, and over 4 million employees. www.ced.org About The Conference Board The Conference Board is the member-driven think tank that delivers trusted insights for what's ahead. Founded in 1916, we are a non-partisan, not-for-profit entity holding 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt status in the United States. www.conference-board.org SOURCE Committee for Economic Development of The Conference Board (CED) SOMOS Founder & Executive Chairman and KIND Snacks Founder Daniel Lubetzky explains, "Until now, Americans have had to dine out to enjoy a real Mexican meal. At home, options have been limited to foods that don't actually exist in Mexico like fluorescent molded hard-shell yellow corn tortillas. SOMOS was created using inspiration from family recipes that have been passed down through generations and will introduce people to true Mexican cocina staples." SOMOS is now taking wholesale orders for its inaugural product range of shelf-stable, slow cooked Mexican foods for easily preparing dishes like tacos, tostadas, nachos, or chilaquiles the Mexican way. The brand offers a variety of rices, beans, tortilla chips, salsas, and plant-based entrees - including smoky chipotle mushrooms; cauliflower tinga; and two kinds of 'pea-cadillo,' SOMOS' own plant-based alternative to ground beef - which can all be mixed and matched to create tasty, homemade Mexican meals. Following its commitment to connecting American tables to food straight from the heart of Mexico, SOMOS is produced entirely in Mexico and sources the majority of its ingredients from local Mexican family farms. All foods are plant-based, gluten-free and non-GMO, providing a refreshing alternative to what is currently on shelves today. SOMOS pouches are microwavable and ready to heat and eat in 90 seconds (or to be prepared via stovetop), leaving more time for soaking up time together post-dinner - a tradition that Mexicans call 'sombremesa.' Rices ($2.99 MSRP per 8.8 oz. package) Mexican Brown Rice : Brown Rice, Tomatoes, Roasted Red Bell, Ancho and Guajillo Peppers blended with Olive Oil, Sea Salt and Garlic : Brown Rice, Tomatoes, Roasted Red Bell, Ancho and Guajillo Peppers blended with Olive Oil, Sea Salt and Garlic Cilantro Lime White Rice: White Rice mixed with Cilantro, Lime Juice, Olive Oil, Sea Salt and other spices Beans ($3.79 MSRP per 10 oz. package) Mexican Black Beans : Simple blend of Whole Black Beans, Onion, Garlic and Sea Salt : Simple blend of Whole Black Beans, Onion, Garlic and Sea Salt Spicy Refried Beans: Mexican Jalapeno Peppers bring the heat, Bayo Beans the plant-based protein; seasoned with Sea Salt, Onion and Garlic Plant-based Entrees ($5.29 MSRP per 10 oz. package) Smoky Chipotle Mushrooms : Sliced Mushrooms cooked in a Traditional Mexican Chipotle with Adobo sauce of Roasted Tomatoes, Onion, Garlic and Ground Bay Leaves : Sliced Mushrooms cooked in a Traditional Mexican Chipotle with Adobo sauce of Roasted Tomatoes, Onion, Garlic and Ground Bay Leaves Cauliflower Tinga : Cauliflower in a traditional Puebla Mexico Tinga sauce made with fire-roasted Tomatoes, Chipotle Peppers and Onions : Cauliflower in a traditional Puebla Mexico Tinga sauce made with fire-roasted Tomatoes, Chipotle Peppers and Onions Mexican Pea-Cadillo : A plant-based twist on traditional Picadillo; SOMOS' own hearty Pea-based alternative to beloved Picadillo : A plant-based twist on traditional Picadillo; SOMOS' own hearty Pea-based alternative to beloved Picadillo Pea-Cadillo in Salsa Verde: Meatless take on Picadillo in a Green Tomatillo Salsa with Potatoes, Serrano Pepper and Cilantro Launching on eatsomos.com in January 2022, the brand's direct-to-consumer kits will supply the core ingredients necessary to make a restaurant-quality Mexican meal, which might otherwise take hours to prepare, in ten minutes or less. For hungry consumers looking for a first bite, SOMOS' "Unusually Thick & Crunchy" stone-ground white corn tortilla chips are now available to try alongside the brand's four hearty salsas that combine Mexican peppers with freshly grown Mexican tomatoes blended with onion, garlic and spices. Chips ($4.99 MSRP per 6 oz. bag) White Corn Tortilla Chips: Thick & Crunchy Tortilla Chips made with nixtamalized White Corn Masa Flour, Non-GMO vegetable oil, sea salt and rosemary extract Thick & Crunchy Tortilla Chips made with nixtamalized White Corn Masa Flour, Non-GMO vegetable oil, sea salt and rosemary extract Blue Corn Tortilla Chips: Thick & Crunchy Tortilla Chips made the traditional way with stone-ground Blue Corn Flour, Non-GMO Vegetable Oil, sea salt & rosemary Salsas ($3.99 MSRP per 12 oz. jar) Roasted Tomatillo Jalapeno Salsa : Roasted Tomatillos blended with Anaheim Chile Peppers, Roasted Jalapeno Peppers, Cilantro and spices : Roasted Tomatillos blended with Anaheim Chile Peppers, Roasted Jalapeno Peppers, Cilantro and spices Roasted Tomatillo & Pasilla Pepper Salsa : Roasted Green and Red Tomatoes, Dried Pasilla Pepper, Jalapeno Peppers are combined with Onions, Garlic and Sea Salt : Roasted Green and Red Tomatoes, Dried Pasilla Pepper, Jalapeno Peppers are combined with Onions, Garlic and Sea Salt Cuatro Chiles Taqueria Salsa : Cascabel, Ancho, Serrano, and Chile de Arbol Peppers mixed with Roasted Tomato, Onion, Garlic and spices for a delicious red salsa : Cascabel, Ancho, Serrano, and de mixed with Roasted Tomato, Onion, Garlic and spices for a delicious red salsa Smoky Chipotle Red Salsa: Chipotle, Ancho and Guajillo Peppers mixed with Roasted Tomato, Onion and spices for a delicious red salsa Says SOMOS Co-founder and CEO Miguel Leal, "While Americans often think of Mexican as being heavy on meat, cheese and greasy sauces, real Mexican food celebrates the natural vegetables, grains and legumes of its diverse geographies. SOMOS is committed to preserving the integrity of these ingredients and preparing our foods as close to the traditional way as possible, helping consumers make and enjoy delicious meals that are clean, sophisticated, and full of flavor." SOMOS, which means "We Are" in Spanish, aspires to connect Mexico and the world by replacing a narrow view of Mexico with one as diverse as its food. SOMOS is currently cooking up ways to support Mexico's emerging artists, chefs, musicians, and social entrepreneurs starting in 2022. About SOMOS Founded by three Mexican amigos who put KIND Snacks on the map, SOMOS is a brand of delicious food from the heart of Mexico, created to replace fake Mexican food dominating American pantries with real Mexican - made in Mexico, like Mexicans make it. SOMOS creates plant-based, slow cooked Mexican foods that can be mixed and matched to prepare delicious meals like tacos, tostadas, nachos, or chilaquiles in ten minutes or less. SOMOS promotes a social mission to connect Mexico and the world by providing a platform for Mexico's emerging artists, chefs, musicians, and social entrepreneurs to showcase their talents. Visit us at eatsomos.com and follow us at @ eatsomos . About Daniel Lubetzky KIND Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky is a Mexican-American social entrepreneur working to build bridges across lines of difference. With the introduction of KIND 's fruit and nut bars in 2004, Daniel created an entirely new snacking category. He has since grown KIND into a multi-billion-dollar global health and wellness brand known for its promise to lead with nutritionally dense ingredients and for its mission to make the world a little kinder. The son of a Holocaust survivor, Daniel's civic initiatives Starts With Us , OneVoice , and Empatico seek to increase appreciation for our shared humanity. Daniel is the author of The New York Times bestseller Do the KIND Thing and a recurring shark on the ABC television series Shark Tank. Learn more at daniellubetzky.com and follow Daniel at @daniellubetzky . About Miguel Leal Miguel Leal is a Mexican-American food industry veteran who comes to SOMOS following two years as the Chief Marketing Officer at Cholula; he previously helped accelerate growth at KIND Snacks, where he served as CMO for three years. Miguel was previously at Danone and Diamond Foods working on the Kettle brand. His food career began at PepsiCo's Frito-Lay managing the Lay's potato chip category for nearly three years. Miguel moved to the United States to receive his MBA from The Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania. Born and raised in Monterrey, Mexico, Miguel's favorite Mexican meal is home-cooked picadillo with rice and beans. About Rodrigo Zuloaga Rodrigo Zuloaga is a Mexican food industry expert with an extensive background in product development. Most recently, Rodrigo has dedicated his time to fostering employee ownership as a means to shared prosperity and improving working conditions in Mexico and Latin America. Prior, Rodrigo spent nearly 13 years building KIND's New Product Development team, leading the product portfolio expansion from ten to over seventy-five products. His interest in food first began as a teenager and led him to launch a company manufacturing Mexican gourmet cooking sauces using his mother's recipes. Rodrigo received his B.A. in International Business at ITESO University. Born in Mexicali, Baja California Norte and raised in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Rodrigo is passionate about music and creating social impact through business. His favorite Mexican meal is tostadas with refried beans and cauliflower tinga. SOURCE SOMOS MILAN, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- PQE Group is among the winners of the fourth edition of the "Best Managed Companies" Award, an initiative promoted by Deloitte Private to support and reward Italian business excellence - as part of the initiative supported by ELITE - the Borsa Italiana program for the development and growth of high-potential companies - from Confindustria and ALTIS Universita Cattolica. At the end of an in-depth, 6-month process of evaluating the self-assessment forms prepared by the participants and screened by experts from the multidisciplinary organization Deloitte, an independent jury made up of experts from the Italian institutional and academic world identified the winning companies. Some of them include Marta Texts, CEO of Elite; Fabio Antoldi, Full Professor of Business Strategy at ALTIS Catholic University; and Francesca Brunori, Director of Financial Affairs of Confindustria. The companies were evaluated based on six criteria: strategy, skills and innovation, commitment and corporate culture, governance and performance, internationalization and sustainability. The award ceremony took place on the evening of September 27 at Palazzo Mezzanotte in Milan. "We are honored to have received this award" - declares Gilda D'Incerti, CEO and founder of PQE Group - "because despite the difficult times caused by the pandemic, we have opened a new branch in France in Lyon and signed a dozen partnership agreements all over the world that will certainly be useful in the short term for the development of PQE Group on a global level. "This award - continues D'Incerti - also confirms that the processes we have put in place have been successful. An innovative organizational model, sustainability policies and the PQE Academy are just examples on how we focus our excellence on the most important asset for our business: our people. Usually - concludes D'Incerti - I look at the company's financial statements from not only an economic point of view, but also I measure the trend based on the number of employees I hire in a year. And, given the 350 new hires to date, I can be very satisfied. "Congratulations to PQE Group for this important recognition" - declared Ernesto Lanzillo, Partner Deloitte and Deloitte Private Leader, and Andrea Restelli, Partner Deloitte and head of BMC - "Also this edition, like the last one on 2020, took place in a pandemic context, with significant and heterogeneous consequences on the activity of all Italian companies. The real differentiating element is represented by the fact that the awarded companies have shown a strong ability to adapt to the context and to react to both the pandemic and the economic crisis. In one word: resilience. An indispensable quality to focus on the goal of long-term growth, treasuring its founding values and adapting strategies and operating models to the new context." SOURCE PQE Group Related Links https://www.pqegroup.com/ Following a rigorous judging process, conducted by an independent judging committee of recognized education experts, Professor Eric A. Hanushek and Dr Rukmini Banerji were selected as the recipients of the 2021 Yidan Prize for Education Research and Yidan Prize for Education Development. They will join nine laureates who have been awarded the Yidan Prize since its inception in 2016, established by the Yidan Prize Foundation - a global philanthropic education foundation that inspires progress and change in education. Supporting 2021 laureates to improve teaching quality and learning outcomes Professor Eric Hanushek, Paul and Jean Hanna Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution of Stanford University, is awarded the 2021 Yidan Prize for Education Research. His work focuses on education outcomes and the importance of teaching quality and has transformed both research and policy internationally. His work helped shape the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 (ensure inclusive and equitable quality education) by reframing targets for learning outcomes and has shown that it's how much students learn and not how many years they spend in school that boosts economies. With the Yidan Prize funding, Professor Hanushek is planning a research fellow program in Africa, supporting analytical capacity to shape education. Dr Rukmini Banerji, Chief Executive Officer of the Pratham Education Foundation , is awarded the 2021 Yidan Prize for Education Development for her work in improving learning outcomes. The Annual Status of Education Report (ASER) assessment approach, pioneered by Dr Banerji and her team, revealed literacy and numeracy gaps among children who had already spent several years at school. To close these gaps, her team's "Teaching at the Right Level" (TaRL) program works with schools and local communities to provide basic reading and arithmetic skills, ensuring no children are left behind. This systematic, replicable model reaches millions of children in India annually and is spreading around the globe. With the support of the Yidan Prize, Dr Banerji plans to strengthen and expand Pratham's work with young children so that strong foundations can be built early in a child's life. She believes this will contribute significantly towards the goal of seeing "every child in school and learning well". Each laureate will be awarded HK$30 million (approximately US$3.9 million), half of which is a project fund enabling a series of innovative and progressive education projects to scale up and support millions of learners globally. Together, the laureates' projects are helping make the world a better place through education. All laureates will join the Yidan Council of Luminaries members to work collaboratively and speak with a collective voice - to shed light on the importance of restoring and rethinking education with innovative ideas. 2022 Yidan Prize nominations open on 19 October Nominations for the 2022 Yidan Prize will be open from 19 October 2021 until March 2022. About the Yidan Prize Foundation and Yidan Prize The Yidan Prize Foundation is a global philanthropic foundation, with a mission of creating a better world through education. Through its network of innovators, the foundation supports ideas and practices in educationspecifically, ones with the power to positively change lives and society. The Yidan Prize is an inclusive education accolade that recognizes individuals or teams who have contributed significantly to education. https://yidanprize.org SOURCE Yidan Prize Foundation NEW YORK and BOSTON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Ramping up local identity is a smart play for c-stores as they adapt to today's disrupted marketplace, concludes a whitepaper by Bona Design Lab and HFA Architects and Engineers. The newly published, 33-page document is packed with advice for companies seeking to grow market share and cement customer loyalty in the convenience retailing industry. The new whitepaper on the future of c-stores dives ito five specific areas of opportunity for the global industry: Returning to the Corner Store; Integrating Omnichannel Offerings; Revolutionizing Convenience Foodservice; Anticipating Cultural Shifts; and Capitalizing on Electrification. Amid challenges like channel-blurring and ecommerce commoditization, "many c-store leaders are now refocusing on giving customers the social interaction they've been missing, and on making sure their stores convey a strong sense of local identity," write veteran retail designer Joseph Bona, founder and president of Bona Design Lab, and HFA's James Owens, a licensed architect with two decades of experience in c-store, retail and other sectors. The two firms announced a strategic alliance on Sept. 9. In the whitepaper (Reimagining Sites & Stores: Perspectives on the Future of Convenience Retail) Bona and Owens dive into five specific areas of opportunity for the global industry: Returning to the Corner Store; Integrating Omnichannel Offerings; Revolutionizing Convenience Foodservice; Anticipating Cultural Shifts; and Capitalizing on Electrification For example, in the section titled "Returning to the Corner Store," they offer tips for giving individual stores more of "that neighborhood feel." These include: Using products and their names, ingredients and flavor profiles to add a local touch . "That could be branded shrimp-and-grits at a store in South Georgia or a locally made, contest-winning cheesesteak in suburban Philly," the authors note. . "That could be branded shrimp-and-grits at a store in or a locally made, contest-winning cheesesteak in suburban Philly," the authors note. Offering opportunities to touch and feel the merchandise. A significant percentage of shoppers will continue to prefer handling products. "Even as you add the likes of contactless vending machines," explain Bona and Owens, "make sure you also have more traditional options such as open chillers filled with fresh-made sandwiches." A significant percentage of shoppers will continue to prefer handling products. "Even as you add the likes of contactless vending machines," explain Bona and Owens, "make sure you also have more traditional options such as open chillers filled with fresh-made sandwiches." Leveraging interior design. Basic building blocks here include lighting, materials, colors, and graphics, all of which can be deftly used to emphasize human connection and that local touch. "The key is to 'keep it real' and strive for a unified and authentic experience," they advise. Basic building blocks here include lighting, materials, colors, and graphics, all of which can be deftly used to emphasize human connection and that local touch. "The key is to 'keep it real' and strive for a unified and authentic experience," they advise. Getting more creative with outdoor spaces. In select markets with larger sites and lower real estate costs, c-stores could use picnic tables, free Wi-Fi, food trucks or other amenities to enliven the experience. "For example," write Bona and Owens, "the store's location next to a popular, multi-use trail could create an opportunity to offer customers a bike repair station, water fountains for dogs, and an outdoor gourmet coffee stand." Among topics discussed in the whitepaper's other sections, the authors cover the role of micro-fulfillment centers in the industry; the need to harmonize site and store design with digital ads, "gamified" rewards programs, and other marketing initiatives; and how to reopen food programs with a stronger emphasis on qualities such as "healthy," "fresh," "creatively packaged and merchandised," "customizable," "novel" and "surprising." They also take on site and store considerations around electric vehicles and energy-system decarbonizationand even mull the potential effects on c-stores of federal legalization of recreational cannabis. Bona, who is based in New York, contemplates these opportunities from his decades of experience in retail branding and new-format design, primarily in the c-store/petroleum space; he has worked in 50 countries on five continents. In turn, the Boston-based Owens draws on insights from HFA's focus on fully integrated architecture, engineering and construction project delivery, with 10,000-plus projects across all 50 states. While the richly researched report draws on contemporary trends, its authors took pains to depart from existing "future of c-stores" think pieces. "All too often, discussion of the future of c-stores ends up in speculative territory that feels disconnected from the industry's roots, the realities of the marketplace and what has worked in the past," they write. "[Our] aim was to stay grounded and look in concrete terms at how new or accelerated trends could translate into concrete action for c-store clients, from the forecourt to the cash wrap." The full whitepaper is freely available at: https://bonadesignlab.com/news/whitepaper or http://hfa-ae.com/future-convenience-retail Bona Design Lab and HFA will share a joint exhibit at the National Association of Convenience Stores' 2021 NACS Show at McCormick Place in Chicago, October 5-8. The firms can be found at Booth 727 in the show's Expo, which runs from October 6-8. Media Contacts: At Jaffe Communications: Bill Parness, [email protected], (732) 673-6852, or Elisa Krantz, [email protected], (908) 789-0700. SOURCE Bona Design Lab Related Links http://bonadesignlab.com/ On September 30, Digital Pharma East , the largest and most innovative digital marketing event for life sciences, will feature Dan D'Orazio as part of a guest faculty panel that also includes Omri Shor, CEO, Medisafe and Abby Reynolds, VP, Client Services, Pleio. D'Orazio, CEO of Sage Growth Partners, will be sharing his knowledge and expertise in creating economic impact models that help pharma companies better understand the value of investing in digital solutions, and the use cases that underlay the continued growth of digital platforms within the pharma industry. Sage Growth Partners recently partnered with Medisafe to create an economic impact model that demonstrates the potential value for pharma companies that embrace such a next-generation digital solution. "The opportunity for pharma to support their patients and clinicians with digital platforms is huge and can have a large impact on their revenues. That said, it is critical for pharma to understand the core use cases they want to impact and be able to quantify the value associated with each of them. The creation of an economic impact model is central to ensuring aligned goals and expectations for these investments in digital platforms," said D'Orazio. The Digital Pharma East event is being held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, from September 28-30. About Sage Growth Partners. Sage Growth Partners accelerates commercial success for B2B, B2B2C, and B2C healthcare organizations through a singular focus on growth. The company helps its clients thrive amid the complexities of a rapidly changing marketplace with deep domain expertise and an integrated application of research, strategy, and marketing. Founded in 2005, Sage Growth Partners is located in Baltimore, MD, and serves clients such as Pyx Health, ProgenyHealth, the National Minority Health Association, Philips Healthcare, U.S. Renal Care, Quest Diagnostics, Livongo, Olive, and iN2L. For More Information John Gonda 616-309-4888 [email protected] SOURCE Sage Growth Partners Related Links https://sage-growth.com LAUREL, Miss., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanderson Farms, Inc. has released its 2020 Corporate Responsibility Report detailing the company's commitment to social and environmental responsibility. This year, Sanderson Farms was able to estimate the percentage of feed grains sourced from water-stressed regions, include the Human Rights Statement that the Board adopted in October 2020, and incorporate the latest consolidated EEO-1 report. "For generations, Sanderson Farms has been dedicated to providing quality products to the people and communities who have made our company what it is today," said Joe F. Sanderson Jr., chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Sanderson Farms. "Transparency and total integrity are at the core of everything we do. With this report, we're equipping our investors, business partners, customers, and other constituents with decision-critical information about the environmental impact of our business, our animal welfare standards, our workplace health and safety standards, and the safety of our food products." The comprehensive report details the company's achievements in managing environmental, social, and governance risks while building long-term value for shareholders. Highlights include: In FY 2020, Sanderson Farms processed 657 million chickens, sold 4.8 billion pounds of dressed poultry, and generated $3.6 billion in annual sales. in annual sales. Approximately 81% of employees are racial and ethnic minorities, including 41% of the management team, and 48% of employees are women, including 22% of the management team. In FY 2020, Sanderson Farms reduced OSHA injury rates by 4% compared to the previous FY. Since 2011, Sanderson Farms has donated $13.5 million and 4.6 million pounds of poultry products to charitable and community organizations local to company operations. and 4.6 million pounds of poultry products to charitable and community organizations local to company operations. Since 1999, Sanderson Farms and its employees have donated over $10.7 million to local United Way organizations in the communities where they operate. to local United Way organizations in the communities where they operate. Since 2008, Sanderson Farms has seen a 20% reduction in electricity usage, 38% reduction in natural gas usage, and 44% reduction in water usage. The amount of water conserved by Sanderson Farms in 2020, as compared to baseline values in 2008, would supply enough water to operate 10 of our 12 poultry processing facilities for one year. "Our strong record of sustainability is another way we care for the community and the world around us," said Sanderson. "By helping to ensure a sustainable future for society, we are investing in strong, healthy, and thriving communities while positioning the company to have a long-term role in meeting society's needs." About Sanderson Farms Sanderson Farms, Inc., founded in 1947, is engaged in the production, processing, marketing and distribution of fresh and frozen chicken and other prepared food items. Employing more than 17,000 employees in operations spanning five states and 17 different cities, Sanderson Farms is the third largest poultry producer in the United States. As a company, Sanderson Farms is committed to adopting a fresh approach in everything that we do, not only where products are concerned, but companywide, as well. Though the company has grown in size, it still adheres to the same hometown values of honesty, integrity and innovation that were established when the Sanderson family founded the company back in 1947. SOURCE Sanderson Farms, Inc. HANGZHOU, China, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Scantech, a global 3D measurement company specialized in the development, manufacture, and sale of 3D scanners, releases the latest 3D scanning software iReal 3D V3.0 of our iReal lineup. Engineered by AI-powered algorithm, this ground-breaking update of iReal 3D software greatly enhances the users' experience and speeds up 3D digitization process. The functions including optimized data quality, real-time color map, mixed alignment modes and multi-scene switch enable smart and simple 3D measurement. Here comes eight highlights we'd like to share with you. New Features for iReal 3D V3.0 Compatible resolution iReal 3D V3.0 unveils new ways to scan with a great compatibility in low and high resolutions for multiple levels of detail. The new feature allows users to position 3D scanners close to areas with rich textures and geometry to capture every detail (resolution of up to 0.200 mm). It also empowers users to scan areas with few details in a long range for a larger field of view to considerately reduce alignment errors and scanning time (scanning distance of up to 1,000 mm). In this way, we perfectly balance efficiency with quality. Smart color map This new feature allows users to monitor the scanning process in real time to ensure accurate scanning results. When scanning an object, green color map indicates a high quality data capturing, and red shows opposite results. The smart color map function eliminates the problems that we hardly evaluate the real-time scanning performance before. Multi-scene switch iReal 3D V3.0 supports multi-scene switch among project interface, point cloud, mesh files, and color mapping. It offers the freedom to switch back to project interface to continue scanning and set new resolution, or to interface of point clouds to re-finalize or optimize mesh files. It is a great way for users to try out different parameters without starting from scratch and beginners to experience a smooth 3D scanning quickly. High adaptability to different colors iReal 3D V3.0 is optimized to scan both white and black surfaces at the same time thanks to its unique algorithm. With its high adaptability to different colors, the software will automatically make the overall exposure as correct as possible. It is perfect for users to embrace a simple and smooth 3D scanning. High sensitivity to hair Scanning of hair won't be a tricky task for upgraded iReal 3D V3.0. With one-click enhanced mode, we can capture more amount of point clouds of thin and dark hair. This mode increases the sensitivity of a 3D scanner to help it scan various hairstyles even complicated haircuts. Invisible light 3D experience Infrared VCSEL structured light brings you the safest and most comfortable 3D scanning experience, eliminating the issues of dazzling lights. It is safe for human body scanning and does no harm to human eyes. It suits perfectly for medical rehabilitation and 3D digitalization of human body. AI-powered algorithm AI-powered algorithm of iReal 3D V3.0 hugely intensifies the quality of the point clouds and details of mesh files. It helps experts and beginners manage project complexities with persuasive 3D demonstrations. This advanced algorithm enables our versatile 3D scanner iReal to be capable of meeting any need. Intelligent alignment When scanning an object object without enough geometric features and textures, intelligent mixed alignment mode can easily solve the problem out only through a few markers, greatly contributing to high-accuracy and repeatability of scan results. The software widens the use of iReal to be adopted in reverse engineering of various products such as castings and sanitary products, virtual simulation, 3D visualization, even vehicle modification and customization, delivering a cost-effective 3D solution for users. "Our R&D team has done an outstanding job last 6 months upgrading iReal 3D V3.0. It is crafted with great care and passion. We are excited to lunch this new version to make our customers feel more confident in their work." says Harris He, manager of Innovative Application Division of Scantech. What users say Eric McCann, owner and director of Transpose 3D Scanning commented, "The new iReal 3.0 software update is really useful. Being able to save out the entire project file for later continued scanning, or processing is a must. The real-time point cloud is cleaner and better for visualizing. " Mitchell Wyatt, an orthopedic surgeon, expressed his admiration, "Upgraded iReal 3D is awesome. The freedom to switch back and forth among scanning project, point cloud and mesh file is a big jump. I could continue scanning my project for a different resolution even if I have converted point clouds into a mesh file. Inappropriate resolution won't be a disaster anymore. " With cutting-edge technical strength and professional teams Scantech will continue exploring innovations in 3D digitization. We are inspired by the belief that everything in the world can be digitized and dedicated to providing cost-effective, simple-to-use, and top-notch 3D solutions. About iReal Scantech's iReal lineup is a series of entry-level and cost-effective color 3D scanners especially designed for professional 3D designers. It has been widely used in human body modeling, art design, digital form analysis and more applications such as customization and reverse engineering of products. About Scantech Scantech is one of the earliest high-tech companies starting to research and develop handheld 3D visual measurement devices across the world. Our products are sold to more than 50 countries and regions, serving over 5000 enterprises. The product line stretches from metrology-grade online and offline equipment and consumer-grade color 3D scanners, which are widely applied in areas of aerospace, automotive/rail transport, mechanical manufacturing, medical care and rehabilitation, digital arts for TV and film, education and research, cultural heritage protection, 3D printing and VR/AR. www.3d-scantech.com SOURCE SCANTECH Related Links www.sikantech.com SIMI VALLEY, Calif., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute announced today that Secretary Elaine Chao will join the Foundation's Board of Trustees. As a member of the organization's board, Chao will assist the Reagan Foundation and Institute in preserving and promoting the legacy of our fortieth President, Ronald Reagan. "We are excited to have Secretary Chao join the Reagan Foundation and Institute's Board of Trustees," said Foundation Board Chairman Frederick J. Ryan, Jr. "She embodies what Ronald Reagan believed that the American Dream is attainable for everyone. With her service on President Reagan's White House team and subsequent positions at the highest levels of our government, Elaine Chao brings a unique and valuable perspective to the Reagan Foundation and Institute." Secretary Chao served in the Reagan Administration as White House Fellow, Deputy Maritime Administrator at the U. S. Department of Transportation and later Chair of the Federal Maritime Commission. Secretary Chao was the first American of AsianPacific American heritage ever to hold these positions. She also became the first woman of Asian American & Pacific Islander heritage to serve as the Deputy Secretary of Transportation under President George H.W. Bush and later as the Director of the Peace Corps. When President George W. Bush appointed her the 24th U. S. Secretary of Labor, she became the first Asian American woman ever appointed to a President's cabinet in our nation's history. Under President Donald Trump, she became the 18th U. S. Secretary of Transportation. "Ronald Reagan was a transformational President, one of the most consequential Presidents in the 20th century," said Elaine Chao. "It will be an honor to serve him again, this time as a Trustee for the Foundation that carries on his legacy." Secretary Chao arrived in the United States in third grade not knowing how to speak English. She received her citizenship at the age of 19. Prior to being U. S. Secretary of Labor, Secretary Chao was President and CEO of United Way of America where she restored public trust and confidence to an organization tarnished by controversy and scandal. She had also worked as a banker in the private sector. The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute is the nonprofit organization created by President Reagan himself and specifically charged by him with continuing his legacy and sharing his principles - individual liberty, economic opportunity, global democracy and national pride. The Foundation is a non-partisan organization which sustains the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, CA, the Reagan Center for Public Affairs, the Presidential Learning Center, The Air Force One Pavilion and the award-winning Discovery Center, as well as the Reagan Institute, which carries out the Foundation's work in Washington, D.C. The Reagan Library houses over 60 million pages of Gubernatorial, Presidential and personal papers, over 1.6 million photographs, a half million feet of motion picture film, 25,000 audio recordings, 22,000 video recordings, and over 83,000 objects chronicling the lives of Ronald and Nancy Reagan. It also serves as the final resting place of America's 40th President and his First Lady. www.reaganfoundation.org Media Contact : Melissa Giller (805) 522.2977 SOURCE The Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute Related Links http://www.reaganfoundation.org TULSA, Okla., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Jackson Lahmeyer, the conservative businessman and pastor challenging veteran U.S. Senator James Lankford for reelection in the Oklahoma Republican Party primary in 2022, called out Republican Party leaders for what he said was the " dirty trick " of coaxing a third "spoiler" candidate into the Senate primary in order to divide the anti-establishment, America First primary voters. Lahmeyer for Senate Jackson Lahmeyer "It is a real tribute to the growing grassroots strengths of my insurgent candidacy and the absolute hunger among Oklahoma voters for men and women who have the courage and the fortitude to actually fight the growingly authoritarian and corrupt leadership of the National Democrat Party," commented Lahmeyer. "Party bosses would not be using the oldest trick in the book if they were not concerned about the growing momentum and expanding grassroots support for my candidacy," said Lahmeyer. In a letter e-mailed to over a half million Oklahomans, Lahmeyer, who is the pastor of the Sheridan Christian Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma, challenged Senator Lankford to a series of at least four live debates prior to the Oklahoma Republican primary in 2022. "Those seeking the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate have an obligation to lay out their records and views for the Republican primary voters," emphasized Lahmeyer. "These are not ordinary times and the challenges America faces require extraordinary leadership," stated Lahmeyer. "I respectfully await Senator Lankford's response to my challenge," he continued. For Jackson Lahmeyer's biography, visit: JacksonLahmeyer.com/about Lahmeyer has posted a website for his campaign at JacksonLahmeyer.com Those interested in contributing can GO HERE. For more information or media inquiries: 918-951-9300 or [email protected] SOURCE Jackson Lahmeyer Related Links https://www.jacksonlahmeyer.com/ CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Sensor Fusion Market for Automotive by Technology (Camera, LIDAR & RADAR), Data Fusion Type & Level (Homogeneous, Heterogeneous, Data, Decision, Feature), Software Layer, Vehicle Type (ICE, Autonomous & Electric) and Region-Global Forecast to 2030", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Sensor Fusion Market for Automotive is projected to reach USD 22.2 billion by 2030 from an estimated USD 2.9 billion in 2021, at a CAGR of 25.4% during the forecast period. Browse in-depth TOC on "Sensor Fusion Market for Automotive" 184 Tables 59 Figures 246 Pages Download PDF Brochure: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownloadNew.asp?id= 260287840 The growth of the Sensor Fusion Market for Automotive is influenced by a major factor such as the stringency in safety standards in countries such as China, India, Brazil, European Union, US, Canada, etc. In addition, the anticipated increase in demand for premium and luxury cars is expected to boost the demand for sensor fusion technology. Also, the growing adoption of advanced ADAS features in automobiles due to enhanced safety and comfort is expected to drive adoption of sensors such as cameras, radars and LiDARs. Therefore, the Sensor Fusion Market for Automotive is expected to witness significant growth in the coming years. LiDAR is expected to be the fastest market during the forecast period LiDAR offers precise and accurate 3D measurement data from short to long ranges in challenging weather and lighting conditions. This technology can be combined with any other sensory data to provide a reliable representation of both, still as well as moving objects in the vehicle's environment. Thus, LiDAR technology has become a suitable accessible solution to avoid collisions and enable obstacle detection and safe navigation in various environments in different vehicle types. LiDAR is used in critical automotive and mobility applications such as ADAS and autonomous driving. Europe and North America are likely to witness early adoption of LiDAR in their vehicle models. It is expected to be used in passenger cars post 2023 and in heavy commercial vehicles post 2024. Increased production and developments are expected to drive the adoption of LiDAR in automobiles. For instance, according to AUTOCAR PROFESSIONAL (India's premier B2B automotive magazine), in July 2021, US-based Lidar solutions provider Cepton Technologies Inc secured an ADAS LiDAR Series Production Award at a leading, Detroit-based global automotive OEM. This marked the industry-first mass-market adoption of LiDAR for automotive ADAS. Heavy Commercial Vehicle is expected to be the largest growing market Currently, heavy commercial vehicles witness no penetration of sensor fusion. They do, however, require more cameras and radar for sensor fusion mainly because of the vehicle height, longer range, and distance. Trucks are expected to adopt sensor fusion before buses due to increasing requests by fleet managers to migrate to advanced safety technology. According to Aptiv, the European Union has mandated automotive manufacturers to fit ADAS, such as lane departure warning systems (LDWS) and autonomous emergency braking systems (AEB) in all heavy commercial vehicles weighing more than 7,000 kilograms. According to MarketsandMarkets analysis, penetration of ADAS features in trucks and buses in countries such as Germany and the US is around ~16% and 8%, respectively. Penetration in countries such as China, India, and Brazil is very low; the adoption of safety features in heavy commercial vehicles is likely to pick up only after 2025. The actual growth in HCVs is expected to gain momentum post 2024, mainly in developed countries. This growth is likely to be relatively slower than PCs and LCVs, but with more stringent safety standards. Request FREE Sample Report: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/requestsampleNew.asp?id= 260287840 Asia Pacific is expected to lead the market during the forecast period In Asia Pacific, China and Japan account for the largest share of Sensor Fusion Market for Automotive. The growth of the market in this region can be attributed to the high vehicle production and increased use of advanced electronics in Japan, South Korea, and China. The governments of these countries have recognized the growth potential of the automotive industry and have consequently taken various initiatives to encourage major OEMs to enter their domestic markets. Several European and American automobile manufacturers such as Volkswagen (Germany), Mercedes Benz (Germany), and General Motors (US) have shifted their production plants to developing countries in the region. Major ADAS solution providers such as Robert Bosch (Germany), Continental (Germany), and Denso (Japan) have production facilities across Asia Pacific, which has accelerated development in sensor fusion technologies. Implementation of safety standards is also expected to be one of the major drivers of the Sensor Fusion Market for Automotive in the region. For instance, in Japan, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLITT) announced plans to mandate AEB for all new passenger cars by November 2021. Existing models will have this feature by December 2025, while all imported vehicles will have AEB by June 2024. This change in regulation will be the key driving factor for the growth of the Sensor Fusion Market for Automotive during the forecast period. Key Market Players: The Sensor Fusion Market for Automotive is dominated by globally established players such as Robert Bosch GmbH (Germany), ZF Friedrichshafen AG (Germany), Continental AG (Germany), NXP Semiconductors N.V. (Netherlands), Infineon Technologies (Germany), and Denso Corporation (Japan), Aptiv (Ireland), ST Microelectronics (Japan). Browse Related Reports: Automotive Camera Market by Application (ADAS, Park Assist), View Type (Single View, Multi-Camera), Technology (Thermal, Infrared & Digital), Level of Autonomy (L1, L2&3, L4, L5), Vehicle & Class, Electric Vehicle and Region - Global Forecast to 2025 Automotive Software Market by Application (ADAS & Safety, Connected Services, Autonomous Driving, HMI, V2X, Infotainment), Software Layer (OS, Middleware, Application), EV Application (Charging, Battery, V2G), Vehicle and 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: [email protected] Research Insight: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/ResearchInsight/automotive-sensor-fusion-market.asp Visit Our Website: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com Content Source: https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/PressReleases/automotive-sensor-fusion.asp SOURCE MarketsandMarkets NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Halper Sadeh LLP, a global investor rights law firm, announces it is investigating the following companies: Kraton Corporation (NYSE: KRA) concerning potential violations of the federal securities laws and/or breaches of fiduciary duties relating to its sale to DL Chemical Co., Ltd. for $46.50 per share in cash. If you are a Kraton shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options. Triple-S Management Corporation (NYSE: GTS) concerning potential violations of the federal securities laws and/or breaches of fiduciary duties relating to its sale to GuideWell Mutual Holding Corporation for $36.00 per share in cash. If you are a Triple-S Management shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options. JMP Group LLC (NYSE: JMP) concerning potential violations of the federal securities laws and/or breaches of fiduciary duties relating to its sale to Citizens Financial Group, Inc. for $7.50 per share in cash. If you are a JMP shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options. Fiduciary/Claymore Energy Infrastructure Fund (NYSE: FMO) concerning potential violations of the federal securities laws and/or breaches of fiduciary duties relating to its sale to Kayne Anderson Energy Infrastructure Fund, Inc. As a result of the merger, the outstanding common stock of FMO will be exchanged for newly issued common stock of Kayne Anderson. If you are a FMO shareholder, click here to learn more about your rights and options. Halper Sadeh LLP may seek increased consideration, additional disclosures and information concerning the proposed transaction, or other relief and benefits on behalf of shareholders. Shareholders are encouraged to contact the firm free of charge to discuss their legal rights and options. Please call Daniel Sadeh or Zachary Halper at (212) 763-0060 or email [email protected] or [email protected]. Halper Sadeh LLP represents investors all over the world who have fallen victim to securities fraud and corporate misconduct. Our attorneys have been instrumental in implementing corporate reforms and recovering millions of dollars on behalf of defrauded investors. Attorney Advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Contact Information: Halper Sadeh LLP Daniel Sadeh, Esq. Zachary Halper, Esq. (212) 763-0060 [email protected] [email protected] https://www.halpersadeh.com SOURCE Halper Sadeh LLP Related Links www.halpersadeh.com NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK), a leading global creative platform offering full-service solutions, high-quality content, and applications for brands, businesses and media companies, will report its third quarter 2021 business and financial results on Tuesday, October 26, 2021 before the market opens. The company will host a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET to discuss the results. The conference call can be accessed in the U.S. at (844) 634-1442 or outside the U.S. at (615) 247-0239 with the conference ID# 9774218. A live audio webcast of the call will also be available on Shutterstock's website at http://investor.shutterstock.com . Following completion of the call, a recorded replay of the webcast will be available in the investor relations section of Shutterstock's website. A telephone replay of the call will also be available until November 2, 2021 in the U.S. at (855) 859-2056 or outside the U.S. at (404) 537-3406 with the conference ID# 9774218. ABOUT SHUTTERSTOCK Shutterstock, Inc. (NYSE: SSTK ), is a leading global creative platform offering full-service solutions, high-quality content, and applications for brands, businesses and media companies. Directly and through its group subsidiaries, Shutterstock's comprehensive collection includes high-quality licensed photographs , vectors , illustrations , videos , 3D models and music . Working with its growing community of over 1.8 million contributors, Shutterstock adds hundreds of thousands of images each week, and currently has more than 380 million images and more than 22 million video clips available. Headquartered in New York City, Shutterstock has offices around the world and customers in more than 150 countries. The Company also owns PicMonkey, a leading online graphic design and image editing platform ; Offset, a high-end image collection ; Shutterstock Studios, an end-to-end custom creative shop ; PremiumBeat, a curated royalty-free music library; Shutterstock Editorial, a premier source of editorial images and videos for the world's media; TurboSquid, a leading 3D content marketplace ; Amper Music, an AI-driven music platform ; and Bigstock , a value-oriented stock media offering. For more information, please visit www.shutterstock.com and follow Shutterstock on Twitter and on Facebook . SOURCE Shutterstock, Inc. Related Links www.shutterstock.com BOSTON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Simply Business, Inc ., a Boston-based digital insurance agency focused on small businesses, today announced the launch of cyber liability insurance. The new product, developed in partnership with USG Insurance Services, provides small businesses with coverage for financial losses resulting from data breaches and other cyber events, as well as for crisis management, public relations, fraud response, and forensic and legal expenses. "Cyber risk is a top concern for small business owners across all industries, and the costs of a single attack can be significant," said David Summers, Group CEO of Simply Business. "Our new, affordable solution provides entrepreneurs with the ability to better protect against cyber threats and safeguard the businesses they've worked so hard to build." This cyber offering is available for an annual premium of $250 and expands Simply Business's suite of tailored insurance solutions, which includes general liability, professional liability, errors and omissions, and tools and equipment coverage. For more information, please visit SimplyBusiness.com. About Simply Business Simply Business is changing the way small business owners find business insurance by offering customers tailored insurance coverage online. The company began in the United Kingdom and expanded to the United States in 2017, naming Boston home. With over 750,000 customers globally, Simply Business has become a leader in the space through its commitment to a customer-first model, focusing heavily on simplicity, choice and value. About USG Insurance Services, Inc. USG is a national wholesale broker and managing general agent (MGA) with 20+ offices across the country. USG represents 300+ A rated carriers, both admitted and non-admitted and is an MGA for 17 carriers, writing business in all states. USG's mission is to become the #1 provider of innovative solutions for the risk management industry exceeding expectations with its advanced technology, creative problem solving, and research capabilities. Media Contacts For Simply Business: Jackie Dunn [email protected] For USG: Jennifer Kessel [email protected] SOURCE Simply Business Related Links simplybusiness.com BOCA RATON, Fla., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- An elderly Venezuelan investor is seeking six figures in damages from Truist Investment Services (aka SunTrust Investment Services) over losses he suffered in Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda). The claimant contends that the firm overconcentrated his account by heavily investing his life savings in this off-shore entity, which is now undergoing liquidations proceedings after filing for bankruptcy. This is one of a number of FINRA arbitration claims that our Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) attorneys at Shepherd Smith Edwards and Kantas (SSEK Law Firm at investorlawyers.com) have filed against Truist Investment Services and other US-based brokerage firms for unsuitably marketing Northstar (Bermuda). The claimant, who is retired, had looked to the US as a safe haven for his assets because of the economic turmoil in the region where he lives. He initially only had a bank account with SunTrust Bank in Miami, which held his lifetime of savings. SunTrust proceeded to refer this customer to Truist Investment Services, whose financial advisor then concentrated the investor's funds in a Northstar (Bermuda) fixed-contract annuity. The Truist broker reassured him that this was a product that fit his investing goals. A simple branch audit could have easily identified that Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) was not a good fit for this particular investor. In 2019, this investor attempted to redeem his investment in Northstar (Bermuda) and have his funds deposited in a bank account. It was then that the Bermuda entity notified him by letter that his assets were frozen because redemptions had exceeded free cash flow. This Truist customer then spoke to his financial advisor, who falsely told him that although there were liquidity issues the problem would resolve. Considering that Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) owner Greg Lindberg was indicted earlier that year, it is surprising that the broker-dealer didn't do more to help this investor get out. SSEK Law Firm represents investors throughout the world in pursuing their Northstar Financial Services (Bermuda) losses from the US-based broker-dealers and financial advisors who unsuitably sold them investments in: Global Advantage Select Global Index Product Global Advantage Plus Series Global Interest Accumulator Global VIP Elite PB Investment Holdings Contact our skilled investment fraud lawyers today at (800) 259-9010 or internationally, via WhatsApp (text only) at 713-227-2400. Northstar Bermuda FAQs Northstar Bermuda Preguntas Frecuentes SOURCE Shepherd Smith Edwards & Kantas LLP Related Links http://www.investorlawyers.com "We are honored to receive a Top Workplace recognition from the Hartford Courant," said Dan Fishbein, M.D., president of Sun Life U.S. "We have a strong commitment to supporting our employees and making Sun Life a great place to work, but nothing has provided challenges like the past 18 months. With work style flexibility, support of healthy work/life balance, and focus on employee communications, we have seen unprecedented levels of productivity and employee engagement while making sure everyone can stay healthy and safe working from home." During the pandemic, Sun Life employees were able to transition to working from home overnight. Sun Life senior leaders made a "Flexibility Pledge" early in the pandemic, encouraging employees to take time away from the computer to run errands, spend time with their kids, or simply walk the dog. In the summer of 2020 the company worked with the Boston Children's Museum to create a virtual summer camp for employees' kids while many summer camps and daycare centers were still closed. In the fall, Sun Life rolled out "Flexibility 2.0", which provided additional flexibility for parents and caregivers who didn't have their usual support. Sun Life has further strengthened its emphasis on flexibility, announcing this year that when offices fully reopen, all employees will be able to decide for themselves whether they work in the office or from home each day. "At Sun Life we understand that what's good for employees is good for business," said Tammi Wortham, senior vice president of Human Resources at Sun Life U.S. "We've learned during this pandemic that our employees thrive when they have a better work/life balance and support from their employer, so we're taking that lesson and reimagining the way we work. We believe a Top Workplace evolves and adapts, which allows us to support our employees while always meeting the needs of our clients." In addition to extensive employee programs during the pandemic, Sun Life has committed to a new approach to diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I). In 2020 the company created Allies Acting for Change, a group of employees serving as an extension of senior leadership, focused on assessing and making recommendations to strengthen DE&I in hiring, career development, and employee education practices. The group's actions have resulted in increased diversity of new candidates and the development of clear performance expectations for inclusive, anti-racist behaviors of people leaders and all employees. In 2020 Sun Life also launched expanded paid family and medical leave, offering fully paid leave with ample time for caregivers as well as new parents and those recovering from their own illness or injury. Sun Life is listed on the Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index, consistently earns 100% on the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index, and was voted a Best Company to Work For by Ingram's Magazine in 2020. Click here to learn more about Sun Life's recognitions and community partnerships. About Sun Life Sun Life is a leading international financial services organization providing insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individual and corporate Clients. Sun Life has operations in a number of markets worldwide, including Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Japan, Indonesia, India, China, Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia and Bermuda. As of June 30, 2021, Sun Life had total assets under management of $1.36 trillion. For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com. Sun Life Financial Inc. trades on the Toronto (TSX), New York (NYSE) and Philippine (PSE) stock exchanges under the ticker symbol SLF. In the United States, Sun Life is one of the largest group benefits providers, serving more than 55,000 employers in small, medium and large workplaces across the country. Sun Life's broad portfolio of insurance products and services in the U.S. includes disability, absence management, life, dental, vision, voluntary, supplemental health and medical stop-loss. Sun Life and its affiliates in asset management businesses in the U.S. employ approximately 5,500 people. Group insurance policies are issued by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (Wellesley Hills, Mass.), except in New York, where policies are issued by Sun Life and Health Insurance Company (U.S.) (Lansing, Mich.). For more information, please visit www.sunlife.com/us. About Energage Making the world a better place to work together. Energage is a purpose-driven company that helps organizations turn employee feedback into useful business intelligence and credible employer recognition through Top Workplaces. Built on 14 years of culture research and the results from 23 million employees surveyed across more than 70,000 organizations, Energage delivers the most accurate competitive benchmark available. With access to a unique combination of patented analytic tools and expert guidance, Energage customers lead the competition with an engaged workforce and an opportunity to gain recognition for their people-first approach to culture. For more information or to nominate your organization, visit energage.com or topworkplaces.com. Media contacts: Devon Fernald Sun Life U.S. 781-800-3609 [email protected] Connect with Sun Life U.S. https://www.facebook.com/SLFUnitedStates https://www.linkedin.com/company/sun-life-financial https://twitter.com/SunLifeUS SOURCE Sun Life U.S. Related Links http://www.sunlife.com/us WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asian American Foundation ("TAAF"), a convener, incubator, and funder for the Asian American and Pacific Islander ("AAPI") communities, today announced the launch of TAAF's Anti-Hate National Network (the "Network"), which includes AAPI Action Centers ("Action Centers") to combat anti-AAPI hate. TAAF also unveiled its AAPI Emergency Relief Fund in partnership with GoFundMe to drive the quick deployment of resources to victims of anti-AAPI hate and violence. TAAF launched in May 2021 to solve for the longstanding lack of investment and support provided to AAPI communities. Since then, TAAF has been focusing its efforts on three strategic priorities: data and research, anti-hate, and education. TAAF is taking a dual approach to addressing the onslaught of anti-AAPI hate that continues in communities throughout America: tackling hate nationally through its Anti-Hate National Network and locally through AAPI Action Centers. TAAF aims to build a new model that brings AAPI communities together, creates a greater sense of belonging, and puts ideas into action. TAAF's Anti-Hate National Network is a unique investment that aims to provide greater coordination and collaboration between a diverse set of organizations working to combat anti-AAPI hate by assembling them as part of a shared effort to better ensure resources get to where they are needed. Organizations have been included in the Network because they are providing critical resources to AAPI communities that TAAF wants to invest in and help grow in order to scale better anti-hate tracking, protection, response, and prevention measures. The following organizations have received initial grants from TAAF and are now part of its Network: Act to Change , Asian American Journalists Association , Interfaith Youth Core , National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA) , RISE Together Fund , Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) , and Sikh Coalition . To address anti-AAPI hate locally, TAAF is piloting AAPI Action Centers led by on-the-ground partner organizations that will serve as hubs for addressing hate in their respective cities. TAAF has provided funding to those lead organizations to help them grow the impact of their existing anti-hate services and engage in new programming led by TAAF. Each Action Center will be connected to each other, and they will feed into the umbrella of TAAF's Anti-Hate National Network to ensure best practices are being transmitted between the national and local levels of work. The Action Centers will engage with partners in local government, media, and business to provide resources and solidarity for communities impacted by anti-AAPI hate, and they'll work with TAAF to identify opportunities to standardize anti-hate measures for future Action Centers. "Since our launch, we have been laser-focused on using TAAF's unique position to protect AAPI communities from hate now and in the future," said Sonal Shah, President of TAAF. "Our AAPI families, friends, and neighbors continue to be blamed for the pandemic. The launch of our Anti-Hate National Network, AAPI Action Centers, and AAPI Emergency Relief Fund is TAAF's full-throated response to the hate happening in our communities that for too long has gone unchecked. Make no mistake, we plan to unleash the resources and tools necessary to take on the crisis of hate and create a broader sense of belonging we're just getting started." For its AAPI Action Centers, TAAF is starting with three pilot cities, Chicago, IL, New York, NY, and Oakland, CA: Chicago : Chinese American Service League (CASL) will serve as the Chicago AAPI Action Center and has received a grant of $500,000 from TAAF to support its Client Advocacy Unit, which includes comprehensive victim support including mental and primary health, legal services, housing, employment, and care coordination. CASL is also building its journalistic readiness program to ensure effective, impactful media coverage of anti-AAPI hate incidents. In addition, CASL will expand the work of its signature Community Equity Research Center which offers opportunities to expand cross-racial solidarity through education, advocacy, and community building. (CASL) will serve as the Chicago AAPI Action Center and has received a grant of from TAAF to support its Client Advocacy Unit, which includes comprehensive victim support including mental and primary health, legal services, housing, employment, and care coordination. CASL is also building its journalistic readiness program to ensure effective, impactful media coverage of anti-AAPI hate incidents. In addition, CASL will expand the work of its signature Community Equity Research Center which offers opportunities to expand cross-racial solidarity through education, advocacy, and community building. New York City : The Asian American Federation will serve as the NYC AAPI Action Center and has received a grant of $500,000 from TAAF to support its Hope Against Hate Campaign which offers preventative safety trainings like upstander intervention and self-defense strategies, robust victim support services, and centralized ways to report assaults in order to get connected to services. The Asian American Federation is also spearheading a safety ambassador program to train volunteers in NYC to accompany AAPI community members in public places to help curb assaults and harassment. The will serve as the NYC AAPI Action Center and has received a grant of from TAAF to support its which offers preventative safety trainings like upstander intervention and self-defense strategies, robust victim support services, and centralized ways to report assaults in order to get connected to services. The Asian American Federation is also spearheading a safety ambassador program to train volunteers in NYC to accompany AAPI community members in public places to help curb assaults and harassment. Oakland : Asian Health Services (AHS) will serve as the Oakland AAPI Action Center and has received a grant of $500,000 from TAAF to support its high-caliber health and wellness services, as well as its advocacy for health care equity for AAPIs. As part of its Action Center offerings, AHS is providing a trauma care unit, referral linkage services, and community level interventions to counter anti-AAPI hate. TAAF is also working with AHS on its African American / Asian American Racial Trauma Project, which aims to create a body of knowledge focused on racial trauma in African American and AAPI communities in order to understand how these experiences impact race relations and emotional wellbeing. "We are grateful for this opportunity to work with The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) as the Chicago hub in this bold, national anti-hate initiative," said Paul Luu, CEO of Chinese American Service League (CASL). "Through partnerships with city and community leaders, we will respond to incidents of hate and provide victim emergency services through our Client Advocacy Unit. We will engage with community partners to better respond to and prevent acts of hate. We will build cross racial partnerships to foster learning, safety, and security. And, we will stand together with one voice that shouts, 'Chicago will not tolerate acts of hate against any person, regardless of their race, gender, or ability.'" "New York is one of the greatest cities in the world, so it is especially disheartening to those of us who love this city that it has become an epicenter for anti-AAPI hate," said Jo-Ann Yoo, Executive Director of The Asian American Federation. "The hate incidents AAPI New Yorkers have had to endure on the subways and streets are near-constant, and so we welcome TAAF's investment in the work being done to keep vulnerable AAPI communities safe. We're grateful that TAAF has empowered us to do more to connect our communities with critical safety resources and we are pleased to take on this important role as the city's AAPI Action Center." "California has seen the largest proportion of anti-AAPI hate incidents in the country since the pandemic hit," said Sherry Hirota, Chief Executive Officer of Asian Health Services. "Oakland and the Bay Area have a long history of advocacy and activism. Not to be blamed or ignored, our AAPI community is strong and resilient. Racism and anti-AAPI hate are public health issues and the solutions will be long term and complex. We are in this to respond with real and practical solutions now, but also for the long haul, working within the AAPI community, and building on this region's rich legacy of coalition-building with communities of color to advocate for the health and safety of all. We are honored to join forces with TAAF and serve as Oakland's hub for fighting anti-AAPI hate." TAAF also wants to ensure it can provide immediate, flexible support to the victims of hate incidents who are in urgent need of help. So TAAF created an AAPI Emergency Relief Fund in partnership with GoFundMe. TAAF has seeded the fund with an initial investment of $500,000 for victims of anti-AAPI hate, and partnered with GoFundMe to help grow those funds with additional community donations. To donate to the fund, please visit GoFundMe's website . For more information about the fund, please visit TAAF's website . Since its launch, TAAF has committed over $7 million to its anti-hate efforts which, in addition to today's news, have included the development of its Rapid Response Toolkit , its Documenting Anti-AAPI Hate Codebook in partnership with Stop Anti-AAPI Hate, and an interfaith mobilization toolkit designed by the InterFaith Youth Core for college campuses. This Thursday, September 30, TAAF will co-host a virtual event with NextShark: "From Hate to Hope - Building a National Network for Belonging." TAAF President Sonal Shah will be joined by Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-06), Benny Luo, Founder & CEO of NextShark, Thu Quach of Asian Health Services, and Jo-Ann Yoo of the Asian American Federation. Amna Nawaz with PBS NewsHour will moderate the event. Please register and join us for this exciting event. About The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) is a convener, incubator, and funder committed to accelerating opportunity and prosperity for AAPI communities. TAAF supports advocates and organizations committed to AAPI causes so that together we can more effectively take action against hate and violence, and build the infrastructure needed to improve AAPI advocacy, power, and representation across American society. We were founded to solve for the longstanding lack of investment and resources provided to AAPI communities and we strive to be a catalyzing force for creating a permanent and irrevocable sense of belonging for the 23 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders living in the United States. The month of its launch, TAAF announced that through its AAPI Giving Challenge and donations from its Board it raised nearly $1.1 billion the largest philanthropic commitment in history fully focused on supporting AAPI communities. For additional information about TAAF, please visit www.taaf.org . SOURCE The Asian American Foundation Related Links https://www.taaf.org LONDON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Tesselate Africa, a subsidiary of Tesselate Group, and Finastra, the largest pure-play software vendor that serves the entire financial services industry, today announced their partnership. Tesselate Africa is now certified as a distributor of Finastra's Fusion Invest solution, bringing a comprehensive front-to-back experience for asset managers to Morocco. "With Finastra's global presence and proven technology, combined with Tesselate's local expertise, this move enables asset managers to access our agile, open and collaborative solution to streamline operations and boost transparency. Fusion Invest accelerates investment processes seamlessly with predictable deployment and world-class product support," said Younes Guemouri, Senior Vice President and Managing Director Fusion Invest, Finastra. In today's uncertain market conditions, asset management firms must balance the needs of their local clients with the requirements of international regulations, increasing pressures on fees and the adoption of new technologies. In Morocco, the focus has been on portfolio management and risk management solutions that can both streamline a controlled investment process and ensure transparency of risk and performance analysis. "Through this partnership and our Moroccan Centers of Excellence, Tesselate Africa aims to contribute to strengthening Morocco's position as a dynamic financial center in Africa and to consolidate its regional position as a financial hub," added Said Guida, Managing Partner of Tesselate Africa. "We are excited to work with Finastra to bring its proven technology to the region in support of our ambitions here." With Fusion Invest, asset managers can implement new portfolio strategies seamlessly, at speed and with greater efficiency. Robust models monitor portfolio and balance risk management throughout the investment decision process. Tesselate has more than a decade of experience in consulting and managing technology projects dedicated to the financial sector, with expertise in corporate banking, risk management, capital markets and asset management. It has deep experience in managing complex projects, helping financial institutions to meet organizational and operational changes to support business growth. For further information please contact: Caroline Duff Global Head of PR T +44 (0)7917 613586 E [email protected] About Finastra Finastra is building an open platform that accelerates collaboration and innovation in financial services, creating better experiences for people, businesses and communities. Supported by the broadest and deepest portfolio of financial services software, Finastra delivers this vitally important technology to financial institutions of all sizes across the globe, including 90 of the world's top 100 banks. Our open architecture approach brings together a number of partners and innovators. Together we are leading the way in which applications are written, deployed and consumed in financial services to evolve with the changing needs of customers. Learn more at finastra.com SOURCE Finastra NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH), the country's leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from disasters, has launched the Buyer's Guide to Resilient Homes , a first-of-its-kind resource educating homeowners, homebuyers, and renters about home resilience against natural disasters. Informed by years of research, the Buyer's Guide to Resilient Homes empowers consumers to make informed decisions about safeguarding their homes, demystifying complicated homebuying issues, and providing a wide audience of prospective or new homeowners, renters, contractors, and realtors with comprehensive insights and recommendations to protect homes against potential disaster. Accompanying the guide is the Inspect to Protect tool, allowing individuals to research the strength of the building code of their prospective or current property. As has become increasingly evident in recent years, climate change has exacerbated the risk of natural disastershurricanes intensify more swiftly, wildfires are more devastating, and severe storms bring increased rainfall and floodingall causing widespread catastrophic destruction. This increase in natural disasters risks causes not only the financial loss of property but the immeasurable loss of livelihood. The guide asserts that homeowners in every state in the nation must be prepared to mitigate the detrimental impacts of natural disasters. "Unfortunately, not all homes are created equal. Unlike your car that is manufactured to an established standard on a consistent basis, homes are constructed to different standards depending on where you live and when they were built," shares Leslie Chapman-Henderson, president and CEO of the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH). "The Buyer's Guide to Resilient Homes is an innovative and much-needed resource that empowers homebuyers, homeowners and even renters to make smart selections, avoid buyer's remorse, and protect their families in the process." "The checklists and resources in this guide provide a roadmap for prospective homebuyers, pointing out what risks are associated with a home's location and construction method," said Aris Papadopoulos, founder and chair of Resilience Action Fund. "With the guide in hand, homebuyers can find a dream home that is built to last." As the country's leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from disasters, FLASH has partnered with 100+ innovative and diverse organizations that share a vision of making America a more disaster-resilient nation. For nearly 25 years, the organization has executed successful campaigns to generate widespread demand for stronger, safer, and more disaster-resistant homes. Such campaigns include "HurricaneStrong" and "TornadoStrong," which together surveyed 1500+ individuals pinpointing misconceptions about home insurance, disaster warnings, and the true cost of lifesaving retrofits for those living in hurricane-prone/tornado-prone locations, allowing the organization to accurately disseminate lifesaving information to those in high-risk areas. To download a free copy of the Buyer's Guide to Resilient Homes, visit: https://buyersguidetoresilienthomes.org/ For media inquiries regarding the Buyer's Guide to Resilient Homes, or to schedule an interview with FLASH, please contact Kolette Bodenmiller at [email protected]. More about the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) The nonprofit Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) is the country's leading consumer advocate for strengthening homes and safeguarding families from disasters. The FLASH partnership includes more than 100 innovative and diverse organizations that share a vision of making America a more disaster-resilient nation, including FEMA, Florida Division of Emergency Management, Huber Engineered Woods, International Code Council, ISO - Verisk Analytics, Lowe's, MyRadar, National Weather Service, Portland Cement Association, Simpson Strong-Tie, State Farm, and USAA. Contact: Kolette Bodenmiller Phone: (212) 337-8870 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) Related Links http://www.flash.org MILWAUKEE, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) has selected CannonDesign as the design partner for the previously announced MCW Cancer Research Building. The comprehensive proposal comprises design talents from an experienced group of firms with a breadth of technical expertise, ensures participation and inclusion of a diverse and local workforce, and demonstrates tremendous promise for accelerating research and community impact. "A top priority for the Medical College of Wisconsin is to accelerate discoveries that will help to eradicate the cancer burden in Wisconsin," said Joseph E. Kerschner, MD, provost and executive vice president of the Medical College of Wisconsin, and the Julia A. Uihlein, MA, Dean of the MCW School of Medicine. "Scientific advancements and biomedical breakthroughs are helping to improve health for all. Through our rigorous selection process, CannonDesign demonstrated a shared vision to design a research environment that will stimulate new scientific collaborations and further support our scientists as they develop innovative cancer therapies and treatments." Wisconsin ranks above the national average for rates of cancer incidence and mortality[1] and has persisting disparities, both in geographic areas and among racial and ethnic minority populations. The Medical College of Wisconsin Cancer Center is a research leader in the state, providing a vast offering of clinical trials for the community. The new MCW Cancer Research Building, when completed, will be Milwaukee's only cancer-dedicated research facility, and will support MCW scientists and physicians to advance research that addresses the unique cancer burden of Southeastern Wisconsin and beyond ultimately improving clinical outcomes for all patients. CannonDesign possesses critical experience and knowledge of the local community through its previous design work at the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center, including the Froedtert & Medical College of Wisconsin Clinical Cancer Center at the Froedtert Hospital campus. Its award-winning team of planners, advisors, architects, and specialized laboratory designers has worked with numerous top-tier cancer centers designated by the National Cancer Institute; and is consistently focused on creating spaces for health organizations that fuel discovery, innovation, medical breakthroughs, hyper-collaboration and team science. The design phase for the new MCW Cancer Research Building will commence this fall and continue into 2022. [1] CDC United States Cancer Statistics: Data Visualizations; https://gis.cdc.gov/Cancer/USCS/#/AtAGlance/ SOURCE Medical College of Wisconsin Related Links http://www.mcw.edu HOUSTON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Virginia Parras of Parras Tyler and Associates today announced the Michael E. DeBakey High School for Health Professions in Doha, Qatar has been awarded one of the most prestigious accreditations in education by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, (WASC). The Accrediting Commission for Schools, Western Association of Schools and Colleges (ACS WASC), a world-renowned accrediting association and one of the six regional accrediting agencies in the United States, works closely with the Office of Overseas Schools under the U.S. Department of State. ACS WASC provides assistance to schools worldwide, especially in California, Hawaii, Guam, Asia, the Pacific Region, the Middle East, Africa, and Europe. The DeBakey High School for Health Professions is an American school in the Middle East, named for the late famed heart surgeon Dr. Michael_DeBakey. It is an award-winning high school which offers students a college preparatory curriculum in science, mathematics, and medical science. The school is known for innovative curricula, and programming that has exposed students to a virtual, live heart surgery procedure and visits from two NASA astronauts. "We are proud to be ranked among the best schools in the world. This accreditation highlights the integrity and great work of our staff in providing quality education and fostering an exemplary culture," said Dr. Virginia Parras, President and CEO. DeBakey-Qatar has also been recognized internationally for student achievement in scoring above the global academic average in Trends by the Programme for International Student Assessment, (PISA). "We believe that education should be accessible and innovative. We might have a Nobel Prize winner among our students, the next inspiring science teacher, or doctors who change the lives of their patients. This accreditation supports our continued work in providing our students the tools they need to achieve their dreams," said Dr. Parras. ACS WASC accreditation is a school improvement process that serves as the foundation for quality education. An accredited school is a statement to the broader community and stakeholders that it is trustworthy institution for student learning and is committed to ongoing improvement. SOURCE Parras Tyler & Asscociates DUBLIN, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Electromagnetic Weapons Market by Product (Lethal Weapons, Non-lethal Weapons), Application (Homeland Security, Military), Platform (Land, Naval, Airborne), Technology (Particle Beam Weapons, Laser-induced Plasma Channel), and Region - Forecast to 2026" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The electromagnetic weapons market is valued at USD 509 million in 2021 and is projected to reach USD 1,282 million by 2026 at a CAGR of 20.3%. The key drivers propelling the growth of the global electromagnetic weapons market is the defense of terrorist attacks, chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear materials so that civilian lives and the national security of a country can be preserved. Electromagnetic weapons like particle beam weapons, high power microwaves, and rail guns are being used to defend against attacks from threats like ballistic missiles, anti-satellite weapons, and nuclear weapons, etc. The Asia Pacific region will dominate the market due to the growing investments in electromagnetic weapons solutions. The electromagnetic weapons market includes major players Lockheed Martin Corporation (US), Raytheon technologies (US), Northrop Grumman Corporation (US), Honeywell International (US), Thales Group (France), Rheinmetall AG (Germany), BAE Systems (UK), Elbit Systems (Israel) and QinetiQ Group (US) and others. These players have spread their business across various countries includes North America, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Based on product type, the lethal weapons segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. These lethal products, mainly focused for military application, include rail gun, electromagnetic bombs (e-bombs), plasma cannon (electrothermal accelerator), microwave gun, navy laser cannon, gun-launched guided projectile, automatic shotguns, and several others. Huge investments are being made in the R&D as well as demonstration and testing of lethal electromagnetic weapons. Based on platform, the Naval platform segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. Naval electromagnetic weapons systems consist of weapons that are used in naval applications, for instance, on combat ships and submarines, among others. The naval segment is further divided into combat ships, submarines, and unmanned surface vehicles. Defense ships are specifically designed for use by coast guards and naval forces to ensure the security of water borders. The North American region is estimated to account for the largest share of the electromagnetic weapons market in 2021 The electromagnetic weapons market in the North American region is expected to witness substantial growth during the forecast period, owing to increased investments in electromagnetic weapons technologies by countries in this region. Department of defense of the US and Canada are involved in the development of technologically advanced electromagnetic weapons platforms such as high energy lasers and high-power microwaves, which drives the market growth. Well-established and prominent manufacturers of electromagnetic weapons systems in this region include Lockheed Martin (US), Northrop Grumman (US), and Raytheon (US). Key Topics Covered: 1 Introduction 2 Research Methodology 3 Executive Summary 4 Premium Insights 4.1 Attractive Opportunities in the Electromagnetic Weapons Market 4.2 Electromagnetic Weapons Market, by Product 4.3 Electromagnetic Weapons Market, by Technology 5 Market Overview 5.1 Introduction 5.2 Market Dynamics 5.2.1 Drivers 5.2.1.1 Increased Demand for Electromagnetic Weapons in Combat Operations 5.2.1.2 Rising Modernization and Investments in the Defense Sector for Developing Electromagnetic Weapons for Military Platforms 5.2.1.3 Rapid Advancements in Ai, Big Data Analytics, and Robotic Technologies 5.2.1.4 Increasing Focus on the Development of Small, Compact Electromagnetic Weapons for a Uav Platform 5.2.2 Restraints 5.2.2.1 Restrictions on Anti-Personnel High Power Microwave 5.2.2.2 Utilization of Electromagnetic Weapons for Law Enforcement Missions 5.2.2.3 Possibility of High Collateral Damage by Use of Electromagnetic Weapons 5.2.3 Opportunities 5.2.3.1 Increase in Research and Development of Advanced Electromagnetic Weapon Technologies 5.2.4 Challenges 5.2.4.1 Increased Barriers in Designing Military-Grade Electromagnetic Weapon Systems 5.2.4.2 Integrating Existing Weapon Control and Operating Systems with New Electromagnetic Weapon Technologies 5.3 Impact of COVID-19 on the Electromagnetic Weapons Market 5.4 Ranges and Scenarios 5.5 Value Chain Analysis of the Electromagnetic Weapons Market 5.6 Trends/Disruption Impacting Customer Business 5.6.1 Revenue Shift and New Revenue Pockets for Electromagnetic Weapon Manufacturers 5.7 Electromagnetic Weapons Market Ecosystem 5.7.1 Prominent Companies 5.7.2 Private and Small Enterprises 5.7.3 Application 5.7.4 Demand-Side Impacts 5.7.4.1 Key Developments from February 2020 to June 2021 5.7.5 Supply-Side Impact 5.7.5.1 Key Developments from February 2020 to December 2020 5.8 Porter's Five Forces Analysis 5.8.1 Threat of New Entrants 5.8.2 Threat of Substitutes 5.8.3 Bargaining Power of Suppliers 5.8.4 Bargaining Power of Buyers 5.8.5 Degree of Competition 5.9 Regulatory Landscape 5.9.1 North America 5.9.2 Europe 5.9.3 Asia-Pacific 6 Industry Trends 6.1 Introduction 6.2 Technology Trends 6.2.1 High Energy Microwaves 6.2.2 Particle Beam Energy 6.2.3 Active Denial System 6.3 Use Case Analysis 6.3.1 Use Case: Microwave Weapon 6.3.2 Use Case: Active Denial System 6.4 Impact of Megatrends 6.4.1 Artificial Intelligence, Big Data Analytics, and Robotic Technologies 6.4.2 Machine Learning 6.4.3 Deep Learning 6.5 Technology Analysis 6.6 Innovation & Patent Registrations 7 Electromagnetic Weapons Market, by Technology 7.1 Introduction 7.2 Particle Beam Weapons (Pbw) 7.2.1 Charged Particle Beam Weapons 7.2.2 Neutral Particle Beam Weapons 7.3 Laser-Induced Plasma Channel (Lipc) 8 Electromagnetic Weapons Market, by Product 8.1 Introduction 8.2 Lethal Weapons 8.2.1 Rail Guns 8.2.2 Electromagnetic Bombs 8.2.3 Electromagnetic Pulse (Nuclear and Non-Nuclear Emp) 8.3 Non-Lethal Weapons 8.3.1 Pulsed Energy Projectile 9 Electromagnetic Weapons Market, by Platform 9.1 Introduction 9.2 Land 9.2.1 Armored Vehicles 9.2.1.1 Combat Vehicles 9.2.1.1.1 Easy Installation of Electromagnetic Weapons on Combat Vehicles to Fuel the Demand for Electromagnetic Weapon Systems 9.2.1.2 Combat Support Vehicles 9.2.1.2.1 Electromagnetic Weapon Systems are Efficient, Accurate, and Can be Easily Installed on Combat Support Vehicles 9.2.1.3 Unmanned Armored Ground Vehicles 9.2.1.3.1 High Demand for Unmanned Armored Ground Vehicles to Fuel the Demand for Electromagnetic Weapon Systems 9.2.2 Handheld Electromagnetic Weapons 9.2.2.1 Compact, Light, and Energy-Efficient Electromagnetic Weapons to Fuel the Demand for Electromagnetic Weapon Systems 9.2.3 Weapon Systems 9.2.3.1 Launch Systems 9.2.3.1.1 Demand for Precision Targeting and Attack Weapons to Fuel the Demand for Electromagnetic Weapon Systems 9.2.3.2 Defense Systems 9.2.3.2.1 Demand for a Low-Cost Alternative of Rocket Interceptors to Fuel the Demand for Electromagnetic Weapon Systems 9.3 Airborne 9.3.1 Helicopters 9.3.1.1 Low Cost of Engagement and Easy Installation to Fuel the Demand for Electromagnetic Weapon Systems 9.3.2 Fighter Jets 9.3.2.1 Demand for Military Fighter Aircraft to Attract Oems, Which Will Drive the Market for Electromagnetic Weapons 9.3.3 Special Mission Aircrafts 9.3.3.1 Demand for Precision Strike Ability Using Special Mission Aircraft to Drive the Market for Electromagnetic Weapons 9.3.4 Tactical Uavs 9.3.4.1 Demand for Low Equipment Size, Weight, and Power Consumption Weapons in Uavs to Drive the Market for Electromagnetic Weapons 9.4 Naval 9.4.1 Combat Ships 9.4.1.1 Demand for Precise and Accurate Attack Naval Weapons to Drive the Market for Electromagnetic Weapons 9.4.2 Submarines 9.4.2.1 Demand for the Ability to Penetrate Below the Water Surface Without Attenuation to Drive the Market for Electromagnetic Weapons 9.4.3 Unmanned Surface Vehicles 9.4.3.1 Demand for Unmanned Surface Vehicles with Combat Capabilities to Drive the Market for Electromagnetic Weapons 10 Electromagnetic Weapons Market, by Application 10.1 Introduction 10.2 Homeland Security 10.2.1 Airport Protection 10.2.1.1 Electromagnetic Weapons to Safeguard Airports from Incoming Missiles, Mortars, Anti-Aircraft Missiles, Drones, and Other Threats 10.2.2 Critical Infrastructure Protection 10.2.2.1 Ground-Based Electromagnetic Weapons to Protect Critical Infrastructure from Terrorist Attacks 10.2.3 Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (Cbrne) Defense 10.2.3.1 High-Energy Microwaves Can be Placed on to Strategic Locations to Intercept Ballistic, Nuclear Missiles and Destroy Them on Course 10.2.4 Others 10.3 Military 10.3.1 Border Protection 10.3.1.1 Demand for Better Intelligence, Force Modernization, and Meeting Equipment Needs to Fuel the Electromagnetic Weapons Market 10.3.2 Tactical Air and Missile Defense 10.3.2.1 Electromagnetic Weapons to Defend Against Nuclear-Armed Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (Icbms) and Shorter- Ranged Non-Nuclear Tactical and Theater Missiles 10.3.3 Maritime Protection 10.3.3.1 Electromagnetic Weapons Against Sea-Skimming Cruise Missiles 10.3.4 Military Base Protection 10.3.4.1 Electromagnetic Weapons on Strategic Positions to Defend Military Bases Against Incoming Threats, Such as Missiles and Drones 10.3.5 Anti-Ballistic Missile Defense 10.3.5.1 High-Performance Tactical Electromagnetic Missile Defense Systems Could Now Influence Military Force Deployment Strategies 10.3.6 Anti-Satellite Missile Defense 10.3.6.1 Electromagnetic Anti-Satellite Weapon System Uses a High-Energy Beam to Kill or Destroy a Killer Satellite 10.3.7 Command, Control, and Information Warfare 10.3.7.1 High-Power Electromagnetic Weapons Can Disable or Destroy the Electronics of Command and Communication Systems 10.3.8 Battlefield Air Interdiction 10.3.8.1 High Power Microwaves are as Pervasive in Combat as Unmanned Aerial Vehicles 10.3.9 Close Air Support (Cas) 10.3.9.1 Electromagnetic Weapons Offer Incredible Speed and Range, Accuracy, and Limited Collateral Damage in Close Air Support 10.3.10 Others 11 Regional Analysis 12 Competitive Landscape 12.1 Introduction 12.2 Competitive Overview 12.3 Competitive Leadership Mapping 12.3.1 Stars 12.3.2 Emerging Leaders 12.3.3 Pervasive Players 12.3.4 Participants 12.4 Competitive Leadership Mapping (Start-Ups/Smes) 12.4.1 Progressive Companies 12.4.2 Responsive Companies 12.4.3 Dynamic Companies 12.4.4 Starting Blocks 12.5 Market Share of Key Players, 2020 12.6 Ranking and Revenue Analysis of Key Players, 2020 12.7 Competitive Benchmarking 12.8 Competitive Scenario 12.8.1 New Product Launches 12.8.2 Deals 13 Company Profiles 13.1 Introduction 13.2 Key Players 13.2.1 Raytheon Technologies Corporation 13.2.2 Northrop Grumman Corporation 13.2.3 Lockheed Martin Corporation 13.2.4 Thales Group 13.2.5 Bae Systems plc. 13.2.6 The Boeing Company 13.2.7 Rheinmetall Ag. 13.2.8 L3Harris Technologies 13.2.9 Rafael Advanced Defense Systems 13.2.10 Qinetiq Group plc. 13.2.11 Honeywell Inc. 13.2.12 Dynetics 13.2.13 Elbit Systems Ltd. 13.2.14 Eagle-Picher 13.2.15 General Atomics 13.2.16 Epirus Inc. 13.2.17 Directed Energy Technologies Inc. 13.2.18 Roketsan 14 Appendix For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/pq0cqw 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 Highlights TransAlta has established targets to deliver 2 GW of incremental renewables capacity with a targeted investment of $3 billion by 2025 by 2025 TransAlta will accelerate its growth with a focus on customer-centred renewables and storage through the execution of its 3 GW development pipeline TransAlta will suspend the Sundance Unit 5 repowering TransAlta will retire Keephills Unit 1 effective December 31, 2021 , and retire Sundance Unit 4 effective April 1, 2022 , and retire Sundance Unit 4 effective TransAlta's Board of Directors has approved an 11 per cent dividend increase on its common shares TransAlta will be completely off-coal by the end of 2025 and will realize a 70% reduction on carbon emissions by 2030 against a 2005 baseline CALGARY, AB, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - TransAlta Corporation ("TransAlta" or the "Company") (TSX: TA) (NYSE: TAC) is pleased to announce its strategic growth targets, which strengthen the Company's commitment to being a leader in clean electricity by delivering customer-centered power solutions. The strategic growth targets include adding 2 GW of new capacity to the Company's fleet, and investing approximately $3 billion developing, constructing and acquiring new assets by the end 2025. "We have significant growth aspirations across Canada, the United States and Australia with a focus on renewable and storage power solutions for large customers," remarked John Kousinioris, President and Chief Executive Officer of TransAlta. "As we look forward to 2025, we are confident in our investment strategy and the decision to expand further into contracted renewables with onshore wind, solar and battery storage across our platform. We believe this enhanced customer focus on renewable generation and storage will provide significant value for our shareholders." The Company is also pleased to announce that its Board of Directors (the "Board") has approved an 11 per cent increase on its common share ("Common Share") dividend and declared a dividend of $0.05 per Common Share to be payable on January 1, 2022 to shareholders of record at the close of business on December 1, 2021. The quarterly dividend of $0.05 per Common Share represents an annualized dividend of $0.20 per Common Share. "This decision represents the third dividend increase by the Company in the past two years and reflects the Board's confidence in the Company's strategic direction while affirming the Company's commitment to realizing returns for its shareholders," said John Kousinioris. Alberta Thermal Retirements and Suspension of Sundance 5 Repowering Following an in-depth evaluation and assessment of the Sundance Unit 5 repowering project, the Company has determined to suspend the project. This decision was made due to escalating costs, changing supply and demand dynamics and forecasted power prices in the Alberta market, as well as risks associated with the evolving regulatory environment. The Company expects to redeploy the capital previously allocated to the Sundance Unit 5 repowering to renewable growth projects. In addition, the Company has determined to retire Keephills Unit 1 effective December 31, 2021, and to retire Sundance Unit 4 effective April 1, 2022, and has provided notice to the Alberta Electric System Operator of its intention to retire such units. The retirement decisions were largely driven by TransAlta's assessment of future market conditions, the age and condition of the units and the Company's strategic focus toward customer-centred renewable energy solutions. These retirements further support the Company's decarbonization efforts, which also include ceasing all coal fired generation in Canada by the end of 2021 and across its fleet by the end of 2025. TransAlta expects that by 2030, it will reduce emissions by 70 per cent over 2005 levels and it remains committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. Accelerating Customer-Centred Clean Electricity Growth Plan The Company's recently adopted strategic growth targets include: delivering 2 GW of incremental renewables capacity with a targeted investment of $3 billion by the end of 2025. Already this year the company has announced 300 MW of new build projects and asset acquisitions and has 500 MW in advanced-stage development; by the end of 2025. Already this year the company has announced 300 MW of new build projects and asset acquisitions and has 500 MW in advanced-stage development; accelerating growth into customer-centred renewables and storage through the development of its 3 GW development pipeline; expanding the Company's development pipeline to 5 GW by 2025 to enable a two-fold increase in its renewables fleet by 2030; realizing targeted diversification and value creation by focusing on expanding our platform in each of our core geographies ( Canada , United States and Australia ); and , and ); and by the end of 2025, defining the next generation of power solutions and technologies and potential for parallel investments in new complementary sectors. The Company is actively advancing its development pipeline, which currently consists of 1.2 GW in the United States, up to 2 GW in Canada and 270 MW in Australia. The recently announced acquisition of a 122 MW portfolio of operating solar facilities located in North Carolina, which is expected to close in mid-October, will represent a significant expansion of the Company's solar generation. The Company intends to further expand its solar generation by actively pursuing solar opportunities in the United States and Australian markets. The Company is also focused on pursuing hybrid integrated power solutions with customers. Investor Day TransAlta will be hosting an Investor Day later today at 10:00 am EDT during which our executive team will discuss our strategic objectives and growth targets, our leading approach to environment, social and governance matters, our strategy to optimize and maintain our competitive advantage in Alberta, our commitment to delivering operational excellence, and our financial strategy and plan. The presentation will be broadcast live via webcast with video and will be accessible by web browser. The recorded video webcast and corresponding presentation will also be made available on the Investor Centre section of TransAlta's website at http://www.transalta.com/investors/events-and-presentations following the event. Webcast attendees can pre-register to receive web access information for the live event below. Registration for the event can also be found in the Investor Centre of TransAlta's website. 2021 Virtual Investor Day Webcast Registration Link: https://transaltainvestorday.can.chime.live/app/app.html Event details: 2021 Investor Day TransAlta September 28, 2021 Start time: 8:00 a.m. MT / 10:00 a.m. EDT About TransAlta Corporation: TransAlta owns, operates and develops a diverse fleet of electrical power generation assets in Canada, the United States and Australia with a focus on long-term shareholder value. TransAlta provides municipalities, medium and large industries, businesses and utility customers clean, affordable, energy efficient, and reliable power. Today, TransAlta is one of Canada's largest producers of wind power and Alberta's largest producer of hydroelectric power. For over 100 years, TransAlta has been a responsible operator and a proud community-member where its employees work and live. TransAlta aligns its corporate goals with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and we have been recognized by CDP (formerly Climate Disclosure Project) as an industry leader on Climate Change Management, having recently achieved an A- score from CDP. For more information about TransAlta, visit its web site at transalta.com. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains "forward-looking information", within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, and "forward-looking statements", within the meaning of applicable United States securities laws, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively referred to herein as "forward-looking statements"). Forward-looking statements are predictive in nature, depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, or include words such as "expects", "anticipates", "plans", "predicts", "believes", "estimates", "intends", "targets", "projects", "forecasts" or negative versions thereof and other similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as "may", "will", "should", "would" and "could". These statements may include, without limitation, statements regarding: TransAlta's ability to maintain and execute its strategy, including forecasted growth capital expenditures; expanding the Company's development pipeline; realizing diversification and value creation in Canada, the U.S. and Australia; the retirement of Sundance Unit 4 and Keephills Unit 1; and the suspension of the Sundance 5 repowering. These forward-looking statements are based upon certain material factors or assumptions that were applied in developing the forward-looking statements, including the design specifications of development projects, the provisions of contracts to which TransAlta or a subsidiary is a party, management's current plans and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that are believed to be appropriate in the circumstances. Some of the factors, many of which are beyond TransAlta's control and the effects of which can be difficult to predict, but may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated or implied by forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: more restrictive directives of government and public health authorities; reduced labour availability and ability to continue to staff our operations and facilities; disruptions to our supply chains, including our ability to secure necessary equipment and to obtain regulatory approvals on the expected timelines, or at all; force majeure claims; curtailments reducing merchant production; our ability to maintain our credit ratings; restricted access to capital and increased borrowing costs; increased costs, including those resulting from our efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19; regulatory and environmental processes delays; adverse impacts on our information technology systems and our internal control systems; political uncertainty; disruptions in the transmission and distribution of electricity; the effects of weather, natural disasters and other climate-related risks; results and exposures of our Energy Marketing segment, including deviations from historical variances; disruptions to our operations, including unplanned outages, equipment failure and our ability to carry out repairs in a cost-effective or timely manner; and general competition and industry risks. We caution that the foregoing list of important factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking statements, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or information in this news release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Past performance is not indicative nor a guarantee of future results. The foregoing risk factors, among others, are described in further detail in the Corporation's Management's Discussion and Analysis and Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2020, which are available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect the Corporation's expectations only as of the date of this news release. The purpose of the financial outlooks contained in this news release are to give the reader information about management's current expectations and plans and readers are cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes and is given as of the date of this news release. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. SOURCE TransAlta Corporation Related Links http://www.transalta.com SKOKIE, Ill., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- UMF Corporation's Micrillon microfiber, made in the USA, is setting a new standard as the first hospital-grade microfiber that can be converted into a wide range of long-lasting, reusable products, including: towels; cubicle curtains; socks; gloves; walk-off mats; reusable N95 rated face masks; and color-coded microfiber cleaning products. Leading manufacturers are using these high performance microfiber yarns to develop a new standard for materials targeting infection prevention in hospitals, hotels, cruise lines, long term care, and many other industries. "The introduction of Micrillon microfiber puts an end, once and for all, to any question about recontamination related to reusable products," said UMF Corporation CEO George Clarke. "Some manufacturers and distributors of disposable products including cubicle curtains, microfiber mops, and wipers have generated controversy around the risk of reusable products, such as microfiber wipers, recontaminating a patient room, even after being laundered. This illusive thinking ignores the fact that after laundering, wipers used in hospitals are immersed in an EPA-registered disinfectant before use effectively killing bacteria and inactivating viruses." Micrillon Microfiber Yarns Micrillon is a rechargeable polymer additive that can be incorporated into manmade fibers, films, and plastics and then charged with chlorine molecules. The Micrillon chemistry recharges for the life of the product, and will not leach into the environment. When microbes come into contact with a Micrillon surface, they are eliminated; viruses are inactivated. UMF's series of high-performance Micrillon yarns, including sheath and core, bicomponent segmented pie, and hollow core segmented pie, demonstrate significant antiviral properties against Human Coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, and Human Influenza A H1N1 virus in just minutes. Micrillon also demonstrates 100 percent antibacterial elimination of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and E. coli 0157:H7. "UMF has dedicated significant time and resources developing the unrivaled Micrillon cleaning system," added Clarke. "Micrillon products can physically remove everything from a surface and absorb it into the textile, where the disinfectant dwell time exceeds that required to inactivate and kill microbes. These durable, reusable products are cost effective and sustainable. They significantly reduce the burden on the medical products waste stream." According to Dr. Mina Izadjoo, president and chief science officer at leading contract services organization Integrated Pharma Services, which conducted Micrillon's antimicrobial efficacy testing: "We had the opportunity to test Micrillon technology and our results demonstrated significant antimicrobial activity against various pathogens. We are proud that our test and evaluation may lead to the advancement of much-needed infection control measures against hard-to-treat and drug-resistant pathogens." Klorese Disinfectant UMF also recently introduced Klorese, a private labeled disinfectant, now EPA-registered in all 50 states. Klorese has broad spectrum effectiveness against Human Coronavirus, C. diff spores, Candida auris, MRSA and many additional bacteria, fungi, spores, viruses and mycobacteria. Together, Micrillon true color-coded microfiber products and Klorese are all that is needed for hospital-grade, facility-wide, clinically acceptable cleaning and disinfection. UMF is a member of the American Reusable Textile Association (ARTA) Microfiber Committee, which promotes the benefits and performance capabilities of reusable microfiber products and refutes the misinformation surrounding reusable products. For more about the Micrillon and Klorese system, please contact UMF Corporation here. About UMF Corporation UMF Corporation is the leader in the research and development of high-performance products, programs and training for the infection prevention and commercial cleaning markets. UMF developed PerfectCLEAN, the leading brand in infection prevention. The company's hospital grade disinfectant Klorese is included on EPA List N and List K. Through extensive testing, exhaustive analysis and the commitment of significant human and financial resources, antimicrobial technologies including Micrillon, a rechargeable polymer additive, have been merged with innovative product designs that are redefining the future of clean. http://www.perfectclean.com, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter. SOURCE UMF Corporation Related Links https://www.perfectclean.com/ PHOENIX, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Technical Institute Inc. (NYSE: UTI), the nation's leading provider of transportation technician training, is proud to announce its National Director of Counselor and Academic Relationships, Dr. Steven Coyle, will join the Texas Industrial Vocational Association's (TIVA) Board of Directors. "TIVA recognizes how imperative the partnership with UTI is to the Texas community in providing quality training for highly skilled and in-demand careers," said Raymond Bannert Jr., president-elect, TIVA. "We believe Dr. Coyle will play a key role in continuing to grow and strengthen the career and technical education for Texas students." As UTI's National Director of Counselor and Academic Relationships, Dr. Coyle brings more than 40 years of educational experience to TIVA's Board of Directors. "It is an honor to be chosen to serve on TIVA's Board of Directors," said Dr. Steven Coyle, National Director of Counselor and Academic Relationships at Universal Technical Institute. "I look forward to helping impact the advancement of career and technical education in Texas." UTI and TIVA share a strong commitment to providing innovative and relevant programs that embody excellence for all students to realize their passions and find success in rewarding careers. UTI has campuses in Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth and is opening its Austin campus in early 2022. UTI's Texas campuses offer students state-of-the-industry training in automotive, diesel, collision, welding, and direct training partnerships with manufacturer brandssuch as Cummins, Ford, Peterbilt, and Lincolnand thousands of local employers have hired the school's graduates. For more information about Universal Technical Institute, visit https://www.uti.edu/. About Universal Technical Institute, Inc. Founded in 1965 and with more than 225,000 graduates in its history, Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) is the nation's leading provider of technical training for automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, and also offers welding technology and computer numerical control (CNC) machining programs. The company has built partnerships with industry leaders, outfits its state-of-the-industry facilities with current technology, and delivers training that is aligned with employer needs. Through its network of 12 campuses nationwide, UTI offers post-secondary programs under the banner of several well-known brands, including Universal Technical Institute (UTI), Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) and NASCAR Technical Institute (NASCAR Tech). The company is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona. For more information, visit www.uti.edu or follow on LinkedIn @UniversalTechnicalInstitute. Media Contact: Alanna Vitucci [email protected] 480-710-6843 SOURCE Universal Technical Institute, Inc. Related Links http://www.uti.edu TUSCALOOSA, Ala., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Social Unrest, Cyber-Attacks, Violent Active Shooters, and Health Pandemics have all motivated leaders in the U.S. to become more prepared. FastCommand logo on the side of the corporate building in Tuscaloosa Alabama Cell phone with FastCommand alert Tahoe Forest Health System in California recently made the decision to launch new cyber-response infrastructure that sets up advanced web-based architecture that instantly alerts citizen and employees cell phones during unexpected disasters and events. This cyber-technology incorporates text alerting with website interception to make sure healthcare operations exist even when primary systems and operations fail. The recent fires in California are an additional motivation to setting up alternate communication systems that can enable remote operations instantly. When primary hospital computers, buildings, or personnel are disrupted at usual locations by fires or cyber-attacks the activation of a cyber-command center is needed to coordinate staff and the public immediately. It seems local cell phones are excellent tools of operation when primary computers fail or are disrupted. Though employees and leaders at hospitals across the U.S. are prepared to use this technology it is changing other North American institutions response in a much riskier world. Even U.S. Native American tribes are presently setting up this advanced innovation to remotely assist the protection of tribal government should natural disasters, violent events, or criminal computer attacks occur. Over the past several years tribal institutions including the Navajo Nation of Arizona, the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, and The Catawba Tribe of South Carolina have determined this type of technology will be very important during future events to protect their people and their institutions. The resurgence of the Delta Variant has led many leaders to expect long term impacts from many unplanned threats. American dependency on cell phones and websites is changing decision making and motivating many leaders to establish web-based cyber-operation centers. The substitution of traditional coordination response methods with remote cyber-based and command coordination is now being seen more effective when disruptions in personnel, communications, or facilities occur. Hal Hayball, emergency response coordinator of the Shoshone- Bannock Tribe, recently began serving as a reference for FastCommand's newest cyber-command infrastructure service. "Planning for worst case scenarios, is now required to fully protect for the future. Our tribe purchased FastCommand and has established a strong relationship with their support team. Protecting our tribal people and our tribal institutions must be assured." FastCommand has developed website interception technology that assures government, healthcare, business and college websites stay online during international and criminal attacks. FastCommand assures alternate communication tools prolong city operations during unexpected events. City Clerks can now undertake use of these technologies as needed. For More Information Visit: Tribal Brochure https://www.fastcommand.com/docs/Tribal3.pdf City Brochure http://www.fastcommand.com/docs/MayorCommand3.pdf Picture https://www.fastcommand.com/docs/tribalphonealert.jpg Contact: Anna-Kathryn McGill FastCommand - FastHealth Corporation [email protected] (205) 752-5050 - Direct (662) 386-3753 - Mobile Hal Hayball Shoshone-Bannock Tribe 30 East Ross Fork Road, #3 P.O. Box 306 Fort Hall, Idaho 83203 (208) 252-3009 [email protected] https://sbt.fastcommand.com SOURCE FastCommand Related Links https://sbt.fastcommand.com USAFacts monthly climate data offers a broad look at climate patterns nationwide with comparisons to local-level data. Tweet this The USAFacts monthly climate data offers a broad look at climate patterns nationwide with comparisons to local-level data. Readers can track if temperature, precipitation, or a combination of both is within or outside of historical monthly averages dating back to 1895 and explore how their weather has shifted over time. They can also effortlessly access the data to learn about and analyze climate trends to see which states, counties, and demographics are most affected. According to this new tool, in June 2021, 231 million people experienced generally normal temperature. However, 97 million people lived in hotter climates, reflecting the heatwave that stretched across the American West in late June. These observations come from data by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a scientific agency within the US Commerce Department that monitors oceans, major waterways, and the atmosphere. Additional insights include: The last time in recent history when every US county experienced relatively normal temperatures compared to the 20th century average was December 1962 . . In the last six years, half of US states had monthly county-level temperatures higher than anything seen since 1895, when the US started collecting this data. 42.1% of counties have experienced months with record-high precipitation since 2000. Florida is experiencing more monthly extremes than other states, with 40 out of 67 counties having more than 20% of its months in the past decade categorized as abnormal. Florida's Hillsborough County had the most extreme weather months in the contiguous US, experiencing extreme averages in 40% of months since 2011. Hayes County in Nebraska had the fewest months with extreme monthly averages: 6%. is experiencing more monthly extremes than other states, with 40 out of 67 counties having more than 20% of its months in the past decade categorized as abnormal. had the most extreme weather months in the contiguous US, experiencing extreme averages in 40% of months since 2011. in had the fewest months with extreme monthly averages: 6%. Native Americans and Native Alaskans are nearly two times more likely to live in areas experiencing abnormal climates. They're 2.3 times more likely to be in colder than in normal climates and 1.7 times likelier to be in hotter climates. Since 2017, USAFacts has provided Americans with valuable government data that has traditionally been hard, if not impossible, to come by and understand. By synthesizing federal, state, and county records, the organization offers information related to issues and topics that are top-of-mind for citizens: COVID-19 metrics and data, jobs and employment, education, healthcare, immigration, and race in America, among others. To learn more about USAFacts and to access US Climate History tool, visit USAFacts' website . About USAFacts USAFacts is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan civic initiative making government data easy for all Americans to access and understand. USAFacts provides engaging visuals on data and trends in US spending, revenue, demographics, and policy outcomes to help Americans ground public debate in facts. It produces topical content throughout the year and has produced annual reports and 10-Ks on the nation. Follow them on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @USAFacts, and sign up for the data-driven newsletter at www.usafacts.org. Contacts Monique Dinor, Vice President, Media Lippe Taylor [email protected] SOURCE USAFacts Related Links http://www.usafacts.org New data issued from Samsung shows that if every household in Europe increased their freezer temperature by 1 degree Celsius1, a projected amount of over 1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions could be saved annually 2. This is the equivalent CO2 emissions emitted from over 217,000 passenger vehicles being driven for an entire year, over 2.5 billion miles clocked up by the average passenger vehicle or the energy usage for a year at over 120,000 homes combined 3. Samsung is celebrating the launch of its new Bespoke Refrigerator range as featured twisting in the newly released music video. The range comes in a choice of 14 on-trend colourways in the UK, from bright pastels to sleek monochromes, and a range of finishes such as Glam, Satin, Stainless Steel and Cotta. Vanilla Ice said: "I love living a sustainable lifestyle and being energy efficient is part of that. I'm always scouting out the most cutting-edge designs for my own home, and I really like how customisable the Bespoke line-up is. I'm so excited to work with Samsung on this project as music is such a great way to connect people and spread this environmental story. I hope the message is received loud and clear, and we can all do our bit to take care of our planet." Tim Beere, Senior Category Lead Cooling at Samsung Europe said: "We're delighted to have partnered with Vanilla Ice on this project to spread a sustainability message which is so important to us. Our Bespoke range of modular refrigerators is designed with sustainability and reliability in mind, providing an appliance capable of lasting beyond fashion, accompanying owners for years through their ever-changing needs, tastes, food consumption, and components of developing family life. These high-performing taskmasters are custom-designed, flexible in function, as well as highly durable." Samsung's new Bespoke Refrigerator range has been thoughtfully designed to help minimise the impact of the environment with its interchangeable panels and modular designs allowing users to update, rather than replace their fridges over time. Visit samsung.com/vanilla-ice for more information. Notes to Editors 1 We recommend customers amend their settings and use the best combination of drawers, baskets, and shelves in accordance with their food usage to result in an efficient use of energy and maintain optimum food preservation. The recommended minimum setting is -17 degrees. 2 In a data study conducted by Samsung, based on official European Commission data, the total CO2 emissions from REF appliances in Europe were calculated at 23,377,200,000 CO2 kg/per annum. New total CO2 emissions after increasing refrigerator temperature setting by 1C are projected to be 21,937,164,480 CO2 kg/per annum based on percentage energy saving on the Samsung RL36R8799SR reference model and extrapolating across total REF category emissions. Calculated difference is therefore 1,440,035,520 CO2 kg/per annum or 1,440,036 CO2 saving in tonnes/annum from 1C temperature change. 3 Calculations taken from Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator, using 1 million metric tonnes of CO2 emissions as foundation for equivalencies. SOURCE Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. This year, Vinamilk is ASEAN's sole representative that secured high positions in four Brand Finance rankings, including the world's most valuable dairy brands, the dairy brands with the most potential, and the strongest and most valuable food brand rankings. The result highlights Vinamilk's growth potential and resilience amid challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic including the disruption of the global supply chain, drop in product demands, and altered consumption habits. The company has also recently been placed 36th in the Plimsoll's 2021 Top 50 global dairy producers by sales revenue, becoming the only Southeast Asian company on the prestigious list. "After 45 years of continuous development, Vinamilk has reached remarkable position in the global rankings in terms of revenue and brand value. These accomplishments are a testament to our achievements and greatly reinforce our commitment to strive even harder, creating the most nutritious products for both domestic and international consumers and bringing Vietnamese dairy brand further in the global market," said Ms. Mai Kieu Lien, CEO of Vinamilk. In addition to maintaining stable production and business, Vinamilk actively carries out community campaigns to promote healthy lifestyle and has stepped up in the fight against COVID-19. Vinamilk supported the country and the international community with financial funding, vaccine donations and more than 6 million products valued at an estimated US$ 4.2 million. Vinamilk sustains growth momentum amid the pandemic Vinamilk currently has 16 factories, 13 dairy farms worldwide and one large-scale dairy complex project in Laos which supplies more than 250 product SKUs. Amid the pandemic, Vinamilk has continued to maintain stable operation with notable growth in export volume. In the first half of 2021, the company's export value was estimated at US$ 121.5 million, boasting the double-digit growth rate of 13.1% compared to 2020. In addition to expanding international reach and become one of the world's Top 30 leading dairy companies regarding sales revenue, Vinamilk constantly embraces international cooperation to raise its production capability both domestically and abroad. Vinamilk has subsidiaries and joint ventures in the United States, New Zealand, Laos, Cambodia, and most recently in the Philippines through a joint venture with Del Monte Philippines's leading manufacturer and distributor of F&B products. In 2021, the company sets revenue target of US$ 2.7 billion, increase 4.1% year on year. About VINAMILK Established in 1976, Vinamilk is the leading nutrition company in Vietnam, serving customers in 56 countries. With the mission of becoming an international brand in food and beverages sector and a trusted brand for consumers in nutritional and health products, Vinamilk is committed to providing high quality products with respect, love and responsibility for life and the community. SOURCE Vinamilk SALEM, N.H., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- AgaMatrix Holdings LLC d/b/a WaveForm Diabetes, a leader in innovative solutions for glucose monitoring, today announces their selection for an oral presentation at the annual European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) meeting. The virtual meeting will be taking place September 28, 2021 October 1, 2021. WaveForm's abstract titled "Accuracy Comparison of the WaveForm Cascade CGM System at Different Body Sites Over 15 Days" will be available for viewing on the EASD website along with a live Q&A session following the oral presentation on Wednesday, September 29th. Oral Presentation #546 Accuracy Comparison of the WaveForm Cascade CGM System at Different Body Sites Over 15 Days Presenting Author: Mihailo Rebec, PhD Session: Short Oral Discussion Event D (SO 40 CGM) Date/Time: Wednesday, September 29 2021, 13:30-15:00 CET Mihailo Rebec, PhD, Chief Technology Officer at WaveForm Diabetes, is the lead author of the study which investigates the efficacy of the WaveForm Cascade CGM system when applied to locations on the arm and thigh, versus the abdomen. He commented, "the potential use of the sensor on additional body sites would expand the convenience of the system, with the arm being an especially useful site for both adults and young children." The WaveForm CGM is based on several pioneering, patented innovations in glucose sensor technology, facilitating a virtually pain-free insertion process, limited interferences, extended wear time, and environmentally friendly, reusable parts. WaveForm most recently received CE Mark approval for 15 days of wear for their Cascade CGM system in June 2021. The 14-day WaveForm Cascade CGM received CE Mark approval in November 2019 and is commercially available in Europe. About WaveForm Diabetes (AgaMatrix Holdings, LLC d/b/a WaveForm Diabetes) WaveForm Diabetes is a medical device company that develops, manufactures, and markets innovative glucose monitoring technology and related software solutions. For over 20 years, we have sought to empower millions of people across the globe to confidently manage their diabetes with our high-performance products. With 20+ glucose monitoring products and digital applications cleared, we distribute directly in the U.S. and U.K. while also supporting leading Fortune 500 companies with white labeled products. In 2020, we launched our first needle-free, real-time, continuous glucose monitor (CGM) through our distribution partner A. Menarini Diagnostics S.r.l. We are also developing a unique 15-day CGM solution for the market in China, as part of our commercial agreement with Bayer. For more information visit waveformdiabetes.com and agamatrix.com Forward-Looking Statements and Historical Financial References This press release contains forward-looking statements, which provide our current expectations or forecasts of future events. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation: information concerning possible or assumed future operations, business plans, product development plans or financial results for AgaMatrix Holdings LLC; statements about our potential or prospects for future product sales; statements about our future levels of operating expenses, or operating profit or loss; statements about our research and product development activities and schedules; statements about our future capital requirements and the sufficiency of our cash, cash equivalents, investments and other sources of funds to meet these requirements; other statements about our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions; and other statements that are not historical fact. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by words such as "anticipate," "believe" or "intend," but the absence of those words does not necessarily mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and are based on potentially inaccurate assumptions that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expected or implied by the forward- looking statements. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements for many reasons. You should not unduly rely on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward- looking statements to reflect circumstances or events after the date of this press release, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Company Contact Cara Mottolo (603) 3286000 [email protected] SOURCE WaveForm Diabetes Related Links http://waveformdiabetes.com HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Hearing technology pioneer Widex USA Inc. today announced that it has pledged support for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF), the world's largest private funder of breast cancer research, to sponsor its annual Pink Promises event taking place on September 30, 2021. Since 2010, the event has raised over $6 million for research into breast cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship. Along with serving as an official Pink Promises sponsor for the fourth year in a row, Widex will host a virtual raffle with its employees to raise additional money for BCRF. In previous years, the company organized auctions and bake sales among workers to further benefit the foundation. "We whole-heartedly support BCRF in its mission to end breast cancer as we know it by advancing the world's most promising research," said Sren Hvidberg Nielsen, President of Widex USA. "This cause is of great importance to Widex and so many of our employees, whether they have loved ones who have been affected by breast cancer or have overcome their own challenges with the disease." Marking its fourth year of collaboration with BCRF and Pink Promises, Widex and its employees have raised over $55,000 to date for the foundation. The contributions have gone on to directly fund research grants for some of the world's most innovative and groundbreaking investigators, tackling every aspect of the disease. "This year, breast cancer became the common cancer worldwide, surpassing lung cancer for the first time," said Myra Biblowit, BCRF President & CEO. "The need for better, more effective treatments has never been greater. Pink Promises is a critical event to give scientists the support they need for lifesaving research." A personal cause for many In 2020, 2.3 million women were diagnosed with breast cancer, according to the WHO. On average, over 14,000 New York women are diagnosed each year, with around 2,400 on Long Island, where the Widex headquarters is located. "I have had the privilege of working with BCRF for almost ten years," said Jill Tung, Senior Director of Human Resources at Widex USA. "Seven years ago it became personal for me when I was diagnosed with the disease. Previously funded BCRF research made my treatment possible. They have helped so many people and I am so proud that Widex is continuing to support BCRF and Pink Promises." As a hearing aid manufacturer, the Widex team fully understands the importance of providing solutions that help others to live life to the fullest from creating hearing aids that help people communicate, to supporting important causes like the BCRF. "Widex has been a tremendous partner in helping Pink Promises raise funds for breast cancer research," said Stephanie Ginsberg, Pink Promises Founder & Chair, and BCRF Advisory Board Member. "I'm glad to say that my father is a Widex wearer. His hearing aids have been life changing, helping to reconnect our family in so many wonderful ways. Knowing that Widex is such a caring company who also supports breast cancer research, we couldn't be happier to have their backing." Widex is committed to partnering with charities, many of which are local, to support a variety of important causes. In addition to its work with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Widex also hosts school supply drives for the Brentwood Union Free School District, located near its Hauppauge, NY headquarters, through which the company has donated over 1,000 much needed items. During the holiday season, employees organize food drives and purchase gifts for families in need. For more information on BCRF and Pink Promises, click here . For more information on Widex, click here . About Widex At Widex we believe in a world where there are no barriers to communication; a world where people interact freely, effortlessly and confidently. With sixty years' experience developing state-of-the-art technology, we provide hearing solutions that are easy to use, seamlessly integrated in daily life and enable people to hear naturally. As one of the world's leading hearing aid producers, our products are sold in more than one hundred countries, and we employ 4,000 people worldwide. About Breast Cancer Research Foundation Breast cancer is a complex disease with no simple solution. Research is the key to stopping it in its tracks. Founded in 1993 by Evelyn H. Lauder, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation is the largest private funder of breast cancer research in the world. We invest in the best minds in sciencefrom those investigating prevention to metastasisand foster cross-disciplinary collaboration. Our approach accelerates the entire field and moves us closer to the answers we urgently need. We can't stop now. Join us in fueling the world's most promising research. With you, we will be the end of breast cancer. Learn more and get involved at BCRF.org. Media Contact: Dan Griffin Griffin360 212-481-3456 [email protected] SOURCE Widex MACON, Ga., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Tubman Museum is a hub of history and culture, particularly for Macon area school children, and once had a robust after-school program offering children a place to learn about art, culture, history, music and more. That program was forced to end due to budget cutbacks. After a recent visit to the museum, Amy Witherite, Owner and Founder of Witherite Law Group and 1-800-TruckWreck, recognized the impact the program had on many children and their families. When she discovered the after-school program had been cut, she made a quick decision to donate $36,000 and fund the program for a full semester. "I am very thankful for Witherite Law Group and Attorney Amy Witherite's caring heart and support for the Tubman Museum's Education Department. Her donation will directly support students experiencing difficulties in school by funding educational and counseling services to students in our community," said Jamiah Walker, Tubman Museum Education Department Director. "As both an individual and personal injury law firm owner, it's important to me that we help lift people up in society. The Tubman Museum has programs that play a critical role in doing just that for middle Georgia. We're delighted we can play a small role in helping them fulfill and grow that mission," said Witherite. "We thank Witherite Law Group and Attorney Amy Witherite for supporting the Tubman Museum Education Department. This initiative not only supports the museum, but it will help so many children that are in school and may need an additional push," expressed Brother Harold Young, Tubman Museum Executive Director. ABOUT WITHERITE LAW GROUP and 1-800-TruckWreck Witherite Law Group is a personal injury law firm founded in 2001 with offices in Atlanta (also serving Columbus and Macon), Dallas and Fort Worth. The firm's attorneys specialize in helping those injured in a car or truck accident and can be reached by calling 1-800-TruckWreck or 1-800-CarWreck, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. SOURCE Witherite Law Group SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- WorldatWork, one of the only non-profit training organizations offering certifications in Arabic, has announced that it is expanding its global footprint in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region through a strategic partnership with Talent at Work LLC, a leading education management organization based in the United Arab Emirates. This expansion is set to enable WorldatWork to better serve and educate its membership and HR and Rewards professionals in the MENA region. It will also allow the organization to continue to support the substantial government and public service institutions it already serves in the region. "Talent at Work strongly believes in the vision of WorldatWork to cultivate productive and inspired workforces," said Dipti Rane, co-founder and partner at Talent at Work. "With the increased drive of nationalization programs, the launch of new legislations to attract and retain talent in the region, and the initiatives for pay equity, only a leading association like WorldatWork can cater to the requirements of all stakeholders." Gaelle Lahad, co-founder and partner at Talent at Work, added: "WorldatWork's MENA team and leadership are dedicated to expanding the association's footprint in the region and leading on the capability development of human capital professionals and leaders. WorldatWork's successful development and delivery of the region's first Arabic HR Certification is a testament to this commitment." WorldatWork CEO Scott Cawood, Ed.D, CCP, GRP, expressed his enthusiasm about the expansion: "We are very excited and proud to be so closely aligned with Talent At Work. Our ability to put a WorldatWork team in the United Arab Emirates enables us to better fulfill our goal of developing people and enhancing business growth by directly delivering our premium education solutions and certifications to this incredibly vibrant and important part of the world." About WorldatWork WorldatWork is the leading global nonprofit organization for professionals engaged in the critically important practice of Compensation and Rewards. We serve those who are responsible for cultivating productive, inspired, and committed workers in workplaces all around the globe. We support the design and delivery of remuneration and incentive programs and capabilities with our education and certifications; idea exchange; thought leadership; knowledge creation; information sharing; research; advocacy; and networking. For more details on WorldatWork, please visit www.worldatwork.org or follow us on Twitter: @WorldatWork and LinkedIn: @WorldatWork. About Talent at Work Talent at Work is an industry pioneer focusing on providing a "license to operate" solutions in the MENA region. Embedded with values of excellence, integrity, and transparency, their vision is to be the best Talent & Human Capital Development Experts who understand the region's pulse and requirements and match it with outstanding service and solutions. For more details on Talent at Work, please visit www.taw.global or follow us on LinkedIn @TaWGlobal. Media Contact: Chris Roe, Marketing Director [email protected] 480-304-6847 SOURCE WorldatWork Related Links http://www.worldatwork.org ATHENS, Ga., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Zaxby's , the premium QSR known for its chicken fingers, wings and signature sauces, is partnering with the American Red Cross for an October-long initiative to drive blood donor turnout. Zaxby's will encourage people to give up their lunch breaks, roll up their sleeves and donate blood for a free Signature Sandwich. We want to help alleviate the acute nationwide shortage of blood donations the Red Cross is currently experiencing, said Zaxbys CEO Zach McLeroy. As a thank you to folks who give up their lunch break to donate blood, well treat them to an award-winning Signature Sandwich on us. "We want to help alleviate the acute nationwide shortage of blood donations the Red Cross is currently experiencing," said Zaxby's CEO Zach McLeroy. "As a thank you to folks who give up their lunch break to donate blood, we'll treat them to an award-winning Signature Sandwich on us." The Signature Sandwich features a double hand-breaded fillet, with three thick-sliced, crinkle-cut pickle chips served on a buttery toasted, split-top potato bun with a choice of Zax Sauce or Spicy Zax Sauce. Donors can redeem the free Signature Sandwich by clicking the link included in the American Red Cross "thanks for donating" email. For donors who do not have a Zaxby's nearby, the Red Cross will honor each donation with a $5 e-gift card to a merchant of their choice. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a dramatic decrease in blood donations, depleting supplies across the country. Zaxby's aims to help the American Red Cross address the national blood shortage by motivating people to take time out of their day to donate blood. This only takes about one hour from start to finish, exactly the time it usually takes to enjoy lunch. "Only 3 out of 100 Americans donate blood, yet every two seconds, someone needs it. We continue to have an ongoing, critical need for blood," says Darren Irby, Executive Director of Marketing for the American Red Cross. "In recent months, we have sent 12% more blood products to hospitals to help patients in need. Together with Zaxby's, we're encouraging people across the country to give blood and help save a life." Those interested in donating blood may visit redcross.org to schedule an appointment. About Zaxby's Founded in 1990, Zaxby's is still led by founder Zach McLeroy. The brand is committed to serving delicious chicken fingers, wings, sandwiches and salads in a fun, offbeat atmosphere where customers are considered friends. Zaxby's iconic Signature Sandwich won Thrillist's 2021 Fasties Award for Best Fried Chicken Sandwich. Zaxby's has grown to more than 900 locations in 17 states and is headquartered in Athens, Georgia. For more information, visit zaxbys.com or zaxbysfranchising.com . About the American Red Cross The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross. Media Contact: Jacob Teetzmann Tombras 1.423.494.3673 [email protected] SOURCE Zaxby's DNA/RNA Shield DirectDetect, a reagent similar to Zymo Research's established DNA/RNA Shield , safeguards viral RNA from degradation for safe, ambient temperature collection and transportation of samples without the need for nucleic acid extraction. Removing the nucleic acid extraction step reduces the time to get PCR test results. Compared to other reagents, DNA/RNA Shield - DirectDetect does not inhibit downstream RT-PCR. The DNA/RNA Shield - DirectDetect testing kit contains the DNA/RNA Shield - DirectDetect reagent with swab collection devices. "DNA/RNA Shield - DirectDetect enables countries seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases to perform COVID-19 testing without extraction; therefore, removing the barrier of limited extraction resources. It's our way of providing humanitarian support to people in need," said Dr. Marc Van Eden, Vice President of Business Development at Zymo Research. "We teamed up with Mapmygenome because of their ability to rapidly deploy and analyze RT-PCR testing." "In India, where testing supplies and vaccinations are difficult to obtain, testing is imperative to diagnosing the SARS-CoV-2 virus," said Anu Acharya, Founder and CEO of Mapmygenome. She continued, "While many biotechnology and testing suppliers have tended to concentrate on their domestic testing efforts, we appreciate Zymo Research's global humanitarian effort to help eradicate COVID-19." For more information about DNA/RNA Shield - DirectDetect and Zymo Research's donation program, visit their website. About Zymo Research Corp. Zymo Research is a privately owned company that has been serving the scientific and diagnostics community with state-of-the-art molecular biology tools since 1994. The company's vision "The Beauty of Science is to Make Things Simple" is reflected in all of their products, from epigenetics to DNA/RNA purification technologies. Historically recognized as the leader in epigenetics, Zymo Research is breaking boundaries with novel solutions for sample collection, microbiomic measurements, diagnostic devices, and NGS technologies that are high quality and simple to use. Follow Zymo Research on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. SOURCE Zymo Research Corp. Related Links http://www.zymoresearch.com Tokyo, Sep 28 : North Korea on Tuesday fired what appeared to be a ballistic missile, Japanese government officials said. The unidentified projectile was believed to have splashed into waters outside of Japan's exclusive economic zone, the Japanese government said, Xinhua news agency reported. According to South Korea's military, North Korea fired the unidentified projectile at around 6.40 a.m. local time into the sea off its east coast from an inland location. Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that Japan will step up surveillance following the North Korean launch. The incident followed the North Korean launch of two ballistic missiles into waters within Japan's exclusive economic zone on September 15. The two missiles reached an altitude of about 50 km and flew around 750 km before splashing into waters off the Noto Peninsula, according to Japan's analysis. North Korea has said the launch on September 15 was a test of a railway-borne missile system with an objective to strike a target area 800 km away. China's latest investment of an estimated US$1.4 billion in Sri Lanka's Colombo Port City project is the largest single foreign investment in the island nation's history. Dubbed as a public-private partnership (PPP) between the Government of Sri Lanka (or its representative agencies) and the CHEC Port City Colombo (CPCC) Private Limited, the project has been much publicised for the employment opportunities and huge revenues, which it would generate for the Sri Lankans. What is seldom spoken about is the fact that of the 269 hectares of reclaimed land, 43 per cent will be controlled by the CPCC through a 99-year lease agreement. This is reminiscent of the not too long-ago takeover of the Hambantota port on a 99-year lease by China Merchant Port Holdings (CMPH). The port is now operated 'jointly' by the Sri Lanka Ports Authority and CMPH, with the latter holding 80 per cent stake in the port and exercising near total control over its operations. Even more interesting, however, is the Colombo Port City Economic Commission Bill passed by the Sri Lankan parliament in May this year. This law provides special overarching powers of taxation and new projects and investments to the 'Commission', which itself could possibly be composed of foreign nationals. Recently, there were reports of Chinese personnel in military uniforms being employed in infrastructure work in Hambantota. Sri Lanka is just one example of how China uses its economic power to ensnare unsuspecting, and sometimes complicit governments, in an intricate web of debt and dependencies. The larger effort of China's debt-trap diplomacy is visible in Africa. It is reported that one-in-five infrastructure projects in Africa are funded by China and one-in-three are built by Chinese companies. Often these projects are taken up without appropriate studies on their socio-economic and environmental impact and even their commercial viability. One of the countries which is already reeling under its consequences is Angola, which is repaying multibillion-dollar debt to China with crude oil, creating major problems for its economy. Another glaring example of this unviability is Kenya's 'railroad to nowhere', as captioned in a recent report. The Kenyan government, realising the enormity of the debt that was required to be serviced on account of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) project from Mombasa to Nairobi and further inland, attempted to renegotiate the terms of loan payments. The result was a 'freeze' on fresh instalments by China's Exim Bank for other infrastructure projects in Kenya. Worse, the threat of takeover of Mombasa's hugely profitable port is now looming large -- a la Hambantota -- given Nairobi's apparent inability to service the debt. Similar stories emerge from Central Asia, where China has made economic inroads to hedge against its own political and security vulnerabilities. As of today, all Central Asian countries are economically dependent on China for both exports and imports of goods, especially medical equipment and pharmaceuticals where Beijing is a world leader; and the debt is growing. Although, the Central Asian countries initially tried to balance their trade with Beijing by exporting gas -- Chinese imports from Central Asia grew 1,000 per cent in the last ten years -- these measures have proven to be insufficient. On the contrary, Beijing has seized several concessions from these nations, notably the ceding of 1,158 square km of territory in the Pamir mountains by Tajikistan and the increasing presence of China's Private Military Companies (PMCs) to provide security to infrastructure projects in Central Asia. To gauge the extent of China's increasing stranglehold across the globe, one only needs to look beyond Asia and Africa. In Europe, Montenegro is struggling to repay a multi-billion-dollar loan to China for a highway constructed by China Road and Bridge Corporation from 'nowhere to nowhere'. Only the first 25-mile section of the proposed 270-mile road has been completed and the host country cannot afford to pay for the rest of project. This, incidentally, is only a glimpse of what Chinese capital could do in the larger context of the Balkans, which is part of President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). In the Pacific, six countries are currently debtors to China of which three small countries -- Tonga, Samoa, and Vanuatu -- are particularly heavily indebted. In the Caribbean and South America, 19 governments have subscribed to the BRI. The Shanghai-based China Cosco Shipping is building a new US$3-billion port at Chancay in Peru, while there are ambitious proposals for a transcontinental railway linking South America's Atlantic and Pacific coasts from Brazil to Chile. It is perhaps a matter of time that China will unleash its debt diplomacy in this region. All these, of course, are rooted deeply in the culture of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to hide the truth and portray an unrealistic picture of hope. Millions of poor and suffering Chinese have been fed such lies since the Revolution. The CCP has attempted to gloss over its failures in preserving human rights while depicting a semblance of prosperity. In the aftermath of COVID-19, the CCP's censorship around the Wuhan anniversary sought to purge voices that questioned the official narrative. Activists were detained and outspoken relatives of people who died from the virus were harassed. Foreign media persons have been routinely prevented from reporting facts, as evident most recently in reporting the floods in Zhengzhou this July. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that China tries to elaborately gift wrap its ulterior motives in seemingly benign outreach to unsuspecting partners. In 2018, the Center for Global Development named Djibouti, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, the Maldives, Mongolia, Montenegro, Pakistan, and Tajikistan as "highly vulnerable to debt distress" due to China's Belt and Road Initiative. This should serve as a warning to these nations and to those which run the risk of eventual bankruptcy in this dangerous game of geopolitics. (N. C. Bipindra is Chairman, Law and Society Alliance, which recently published a Research Report 'Mapping Chinese Footprints and Influence Operations in India'. He can be reached at ncbipindra@gmail.com. The views expressed are personal) Lucknow, Sep 28 : Uttar Pradesh has witnessed the steepest decline in the number of fresh Covid-19 cases with only seven new infections, making it the lowest single-day tally. While the other states have been witnessing a greater surge of fresh Covid-19 infections, Uttar Pradesh has restricted the daily-case count below 50 for 47 days in a row. According to a state government spokesman, the downward trajectory of the virus has continued for the consecutive 11th week, testifying the success of numerous proactive measures implemented by the state government. Uttar Pradesh, pushing the Covid graph southwards, has maintained the daily Covid test positivity rate (TPR) - the number of positive cases against the total tests done - at 0.01 per cent, which is the lowest in the country. This rate was at its highest at 16.84 per cent on April 24 and now remains even lower than the lowest post first wave of Covid-19. Despite aggressive tracing and testing, Uttar Pradesh's positivity rate, which shows the level of infections among people, has been registering a steady decline for several days indicating signs that the dangerous Covid wave is receding from the state. The active caseload in the state now stands at 176 which has been brought down by over a remarkable 99 per cent from its peak capped at 3,10,783 cases on April 30. In another major relief, no new cases were reported from 71 districts of the state. Thirty-one districts of Aligarh, Amethi, Amroha, Aurraiya, Ayodhya, Azamgarh, Badaun, Baghpat, Ballia, Banda, Bahraich, Bijnor, Farrukhabad, Ghazipur, Gonda, Hamirpur, Hapur, Hardoi, Hathras, Kanpur Dehat, Kasganj, Mahoba, Mirzapur, Moradabad, Muzaffarnagar, Rampur, Sant Kabir Nagar, Shamli, Shravasti, Sitapur and Sonbhadra have completely eliminated Covid cases. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Kanpur : , Sep 28 (IANS) Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya has assured the family of a rape victim of ensuring severe punishment to the accused. The teenage girl was allegedly raped and murdered by a dairy operator at an apartment in the Kalyanpur area of the city on Tuesday last. Maurya reached the victim's house on Monday evening and met the family members. He also provided financial assistance to them. Maurya also assured the family members to consider their demand for a government job. Sources said that the family wanted the case to be transferred to the CBI for an impartial probe. It may be recalled that a teenage girl who worked as secretary of a dairy operator, Prateek Vaish, had died after falling from the 10th floor of the apartment on September 21. In a release issued by City Police Commissionerate, it was stated that "Prateek Vaish, who has been arrested, has confessed to his crime. He said he first tried to lure the girl with money, but when she refused, he forcibly raped her and then pushed her to death from the balcony of his 10th floor flat." The charge sheet in the case would be filed soon, said a police official. New York, Sep 28 : US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman will be visiting India next month for bilateral meetings with Indian officials and to attend the India Ideas Summit, according to the State Department. She will be in New Delhi on October 6 and in Mumbai the next day before heading to Pakistan to meet with senior officials there, the Department said on Monday. She is also scheduled to meet with civil society groups in New Delhi and Mumbai and with business organisations in India's financial capital, it added. The US-India Business Council's India Ideas Summit is on the theme "Recovery to Resurgence", which looks at planning for the post-Covid future. Sherman, the second-highest-ranking US diplomat, will be visiting India after senior American officials including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin and CIA Director Bill Burns. Her visit follows last week's meeting in Washington between President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and their Quad summit with Prime Ministers Scott Morrison of Australia and Yoshihide Suga of Japan. (Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in and followed @arulouis) Seoul, Sep 28 : North Korea fired one short-range missile into the East Sea on Tuesday, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said. The missile was fired from the North's Mupyong-ri in Jagang province eastward at around 6.40 a.m., the JCS said, adding the South Korean and US intelligence authorities are analysing the launch for additional information, reports Xinhua news agency. It did not however, specify if the projectile is a ballistic missile. But the Japanese government said that it appeared to be a ballistic missile and splashed into waters outside its exclusive economic zone, according to the country's official Kyodo News. The launch came three days after Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, said that Pyongyang could declare a formal end to the Korean War as suggested by the South and even discuss the possibility of a summit on conditions that Seoul drops its double standards and hostile attitudes against it. In Seoul, top security officials held an emergency security meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) and voiced regret over the launch. President Moon Jae-in ordered a "comprehensive analysis" of the missile launch and recent statements from the North, his office said. The US Indo-Pacific Command said it is discussing the launch with allies and partners. If the projectile is confirmed to be a ballistic missile, it would mark the third such launch so far this year, and the sixth known major weapons test if test-firings of cruise missiles are taken into account. On September 15, the North test-fired two short-range missiles, believed to be its version of the Iskander, into the East Sea, which came just days after launching a new type of cruise missile. Sources in Seoul said the missile flew shorter than 200 km at an altitude of around 60 km, adding it shows "different features from the missiles the North previously tested". North Korea has released several new types of short-range missiles in recent years amid stalled denuclearization talks with the US, including SLBMs and super-large multiple rocket launchers. Chennai, Sep 28 : Forty differently-abled candidates will be contesting the rural local body polls in Tamil Nadu to be held on October 6 and October 9. This includes a father, daughter duo also. Kavitha. A. of Navammal Kapperi Village in Villupuram district wanted to contest the local polls in 2011, but her nomination was rejected. The reason was that she was having speech and hearing impairment and according to Subsection 3 of Section 33 in Tamil Nadu Panchayat Act 1994, people with speech and hearing impairment were not eligible to contest the rural local body polls. The rejection of her nomination led to state-wide protests and people laid siege to the Tamil Nadu state election commission office following which an amendment was brought to the Act on November 15, 2012. The amendment removed the clause "deaf, mute and persons affected with leprosy" from Subsection 3 of section 33 and published it in the government gazette. Kavitha is now contesting the elections from ward 3 of Navammal Kapperi village and her father Thangarasu, who is also a differently-abled person, will be contesting from ward 4 in the Panchayat. Thangarasu while speaking to IANS said, "It is a great moment. We are not certain of our win, but contesting in itself is half win as it has given us our genuine right to contest the polls". There are around 40 disabled people contesting the elections in the Tamil Nadu rural local body elections and most of them are from Villupuram, Chengalpattu, and Kancheepuram districts of the state. Seoul/Washington, Sep 28 : The US is prepared to meet North Korea without any pre-conditions, a State Department spokesperson said. The US official made the remark on Monday when asked if the US would be willing to consider easing sanctions on the North, reports Yonhap News Agency. "We are prepared to meet with the DPRK without preconditions, and of course, we certainly hope that the DPRK will respond positively to our outreach," said Jalina Porter, principal deputy spokesperson for the State Department. DPRK stands for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the North's official name. During a telephonic press briefing, the deputy spokesperson again emphasised the need for dialogue between the US and North Korea when asked if Washington will also be willing to consider declaring a formal end to the Korean War. South Korean President Moon Jae-in earlier proposed the US and the two Koreas, possibly together with China, declare a formal end to the 1950-53 war as a way of promoting peace and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. "Again, you've heard us say this from here and I think it's worth underscoring that our goal remains the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," added Porter. North Korea remains unresponsive to US outreaches despite repeated offers from the Joe Biden administration to meet "anytime, anywhere without preconditions". Pyongyang has stayed away from denuclearization talks since early 2019. Porter further said the US supports inter-Korean dialogue. "What I can see from here is that ... the US certainly supports inter Korean dialogue, as well as engagement and cooperation," she said. September 28 : In the latest episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati season 13, Amitabh Bachchan welcomed Sarbjeet Singh, a teacher from Jammu and Kashmir. While speaking to him about a question related to the pulse rate, the megastar goes to check his own pulse rate, and said I dont have any. Explaining it, Big B said, After I met with an accident, doctors operated my wrist, and since then I cant feel my pulse on my wrist. Sometimes I joke with others to check my pulse and then they get shocked unable to find it. I find it funny at times. In his blog in 2010, Amitabh Bachchan had written that he had met with an accident, when his hand was seriously injured. The very next year after the myasthenia a bomb exploded in my hand, yes the left again, at the time of Diwali. It was a spurious anar, the sparkling fountain, and as I was lighting it exploded in my hand. The entire palm and the area below my wrist burnt up into almost a pulp. The left hand had melted into a fist shape, with nothing left of it. No fingers, no nails, no nothing. The process of treatment started, I was in Delhi at the time and in the middle of a film shoot in Chennai. The film was Inquilab. There was a deadline on when the film had to finish and I was desperate to get back. The doctors told me I would not heal before the time I was asking. I was stubborn. I asked them to do the best they could and leave me. Delicate procedures to start separating each finger from the melted mass was an intricate and very painful process. Because of my recent surgeries under general anesthesia, they were reluctant to give me another one to perform the intricate work on my hand. I told them to do it live. When the pain became too unbearable I would tell them to stop and continue the next day. After days of work on it and some basics being achieved, I sought leave and reported for work, hand in bandage. Srinagar, Sep 28 : The Jammu and Kashmir Police along with other security forces have arrested two terrorist associates and busted a terrorist hideout in Kashmir, officials said on Tuesday. The Srinagar Police with the assistance of Pulwama Police and Army's 50 RR arrested two over ground workers (OGWs) of terrorists from South Kashmir's Pulwama district. "Their interrogation revealed terrorist Riyaz Sathrgund (Lashkar-e-Taiba commander) had asked them to build a hideout in the Rajouri Kadal area of Nowhatta, Srinagar," the police said. On this information, a Cordon And Search Operation (CASO) was launched along with the CRPF and the hideout was discovered. "However it was empty and the owner of the house is being questioned. Further investigation is going on," police said. Amman, Sep 28 : Jordanian Crown Prince Hussein bin Abdullah has tested positive for Covid-19, after undergoing the routine examination implemented as part of the regulations followed at the Royal Hashemite Court. The Crown Prince has been displaying mild symptoms but otherwise remains in very good health, Xinhua news agency quoted the Court as saying in a statement on Monday. The statement added that his parents, King Abdullah II and Queen Rania, who both tested negative on Monday, will conduct self-quarantine for five days in line with the protocol in place in case of exposure to Covid-19. The number of Covid-19 cases in Jordan has remained steady over the last few months and nearly all containment measures have been lifted, including a curfew. The kingdom on Monday registered 17 new deaths and 1,015 cases, increasing the overall death toll and infection tally to 10,697 and 820,798, respectively. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) New Delhi, Sep 28 : Vitamin Strees latest film, in collaboration with Project 39A, is an exploration into rape culture and an attempt to present the reality of how society sees victims of sexual assault. The film features a mix of women from different backgrounds, including Toshada Uma, Avanti Nagral, Priyam Saha, Smith and Zainab Habil, reading and reacting excerpts from the recent 527-page judgement in the case of Tarun Tejpal vs the State of Goa - a public record that bolsters many rape myths. What happens when a woman in India comes forward to report sexual assault? More often than not, she is not listened to. But what if the same things she hears from society, resonate within the courtroom? Blaming the victim, trivialising sexual assault, publicly scrutinizing a victim's dress, mental state, motives, and history, refusing to take accusations seriously, or some combination of these have made it harder for women to come forward and report abuse. Maanvi, Editorial Lead at Vitamin Stree highlights says, "When Project 39A came to us with the idea of doing this video, we instantly thought it was something we wanted to address. Since for many of us, the judgement was less about the case but more of a comment on how rape culture is everywhere: in our homes, in our friend circles, in our workplaces, but also, in the very institutions which seek to protect us, like our courts. We felt that it was our responsibility, in many ways, to voice this frustration and to create a sense of solidarity through this video." Neetika Vishwanath, Project 39A also comments, "When I read the judgement, I was shocked. It is 2021 and we continue to hold regressive and harmful notions on sexual violence. We shame the survivor and attempt to discredit their stories by raising non-issues that bear no relevance. We wanted to work with Vitamin Stree because they not only have a unique spin but also address the underlying issues involved. They are bold in their approach and do not shy away from discussing taboo topics." Pankhuri Ranjan, the director of this film says, "When we talk about sexual assault and its victims, too often the discourse skips to theorising, instead of first giving space to just feel the impact of such an issue. I believe it's essential that the starting point of this conversation be the very potent emotions that such news evokes - anger, disbelief, fear, even just plain heartbreak and sadness. This film is our attempt to create that space for these raw feelings and reactions - for the women featured in the video, and by extension for our viewers. Vitamin Stree just always knows how to keep it real and say it like it is. I believe that's what the young Stree's of today want, in fact, need - for us to keep it real for them and give them a forum to be real with us." In the video, paraphrased excerpts are followed by insightful and sassy reactions that reflect how absurdly the odds are stacked against women. It leaves the viewer with an understanding of just how deep-seated patriarchy. Mumbai, Sep 28 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday summoned senior Shiv Sena leader and Transport Minister Anil Parab for questioning. The development came a day after the ED had summoned Sena's former Union Minister of State for Finance Anandrao V. Adsul and his son Abhijit A. Adsul in connection with a probe into alleged scam of Rs 900-crore in the City Cooperative Bank Ltd., here. Speaking to media persons, Parab said he has not been informed why he was summoned by the ED and contended that he had not committed any wrongs. "Nevertheless, I shall be going to the ED office and offer my full cooperation," said Parab, as he entered the central agency's office accompanied by a team of lawyers. Earlier this month, Parab had skipped the ED notice to appear before it on the grounds that the reasons for which he was required were not mentioned by the probe agency. Seoul, Sep 28 : South Korean rival parties on Tuesday decided to delay a parliamentary vote on a controversial media bill under criticism for potentially undermining press freedom as they could not reach a compromise plan in recent meetings. The parties will delay the vote for one more day to Wednesday and continue negotiations for a bipartisan compromise on the disputed revision bill, the floor leaders of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) said after a meeting chaired by National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug. "The parties have yet to come to a unified alternative bill to the initial proposal," Yonhap News Agency quoted Yun as saying to reporters, adding the DP will strive to reach a bipartisan deal by Wednesday. The DP-proposed amendment to the media arbitration act is centred on strengthening punitive damages against fake news. It has been under bipartisan negotiations for nearly a month after the DP stepped back from its initial plan to advance it through a plenary parliamentary meeting in late August facing strong backlash from opposition parties and media industry groups. With a number of contentious issues remaining unresolved by the Monday deadline set last month by the rival parties to put the bill to a full-floor vote, however, the parties had earlier decided to reschedule the plenary voting session to Tuesday afternoon. According to officials of the two parties, they have come so far as to narrow their differences on the most contentious issue of enforcing punitive damages up to five times the normal amount on media outlets found guilty of disinformation. The parties were reportedly considering removing the term dictating the fivefold increase in favour of alternative measures enforcing aggravated penalties against fake news. The issue of whether to give the right to demand corrections of media outlets has also remained a point of fierce bipartisan contention, they added. Controlling 169 seats of the unicameral 300-member Parliament, the DP technically has the power to push the bill through a plenary session on its own. The party, however, apparently fights shy of such a unilateral action out of fears it could stir up fierce opposition and public backlash. Hyderabad, Sep 28 : The much-awaited bypoll to the Huzurabad Assembly constituency in Telangana will be held on October 30. The Badvel Assembly constituency in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh will also go to polls the same day. The Election Commission of India on Tuesday announced a schedule for bye-elections to these two seats along with three Lok Sabha constituencies and 28 Assembly constituencies in various states. The Huzurabad Assembly seat fell vacant with the resignation of former minister Eatala Rajender after he was dropped from the State Cabinet by Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao in May following allegations of land encroachment. Rajender also quit ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and will be entering the fray as the saffron party's candidate. The TRS has also nominated its student wing chief G. Srinivas Yadav as the party candidate for the bye-elections. The bye-elections raised the political temperature in the state as Rajender targetted the chief minister by alleging that he was insulted in the party. The BJP is citing Rajender's alleged humiliation to mount fresh attack on the TRS for what it calls the family rule of Chandrasekhar Rao. After ending his nearly two-decade long association with TRS, Rajender launched an aggressive campaign in Huzurabad targeting the state government. BJP's state chief Bandi Sanjay is also currently undertaking a 'padyatra' which will also cover the Huzurabad constituency. The TRS government also picked the constituency for implementing its prestigious 'Dalit Bandhu' scheme on pilot basis. It has already sanctioned Rs 2,000 crore to implement the scheme under which every Dalit family will be given a grant of Rs 10 lakh to start business of its choice. The government's move came under criticism from the opposition parties and some NGOs who alleged that the TRS is trying to lure the voters. A couple of NGOs also moved the Telangana High Court but it refused to interfere in the issue. The bye-election to Badvel constituency in Andhra Pradesh is necessitated by the death of sitting MLA Dr G. Venkatasubbaiah of ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). Venkatasubaiah died at the age of 61 in March after prolonged illness. As per the schedule announced by the Election Commission of India on Tuesday, the poll notification will be issued on October 1. The last date for filing of nominations is October 8. Scrutiny of nominations will be taken up on October 11. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 13. Polling will be held on October 30 while counting will be taken up on November 2. The entire poll process has to be completed by November 5. London, Sep 28 : Britain's main opposition Labour Party has passed an emergency motion that described the new security pact among the US, the UK and Australia, known as AUKUS, as a "dangerous move that will undermine world peace". During the party's annual conference held on Monday, delegates passed the emergency motion by 70.35 per cent to 29.65 per cent, reports Xinhua news agency. "AUKUS is starting a new nuclear arms race and cold war. We must keep speaking out against it," said former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn on Twitter on Monday. The AUKUS pact, announced earlier this month, has triggered widespread concerns and criticism. The three countries announced that the first initiative under AUKUS is to deliver a nuclear-powered submarine fleet to Australia. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a global nuclear watchdog, has voiced concern amid international worries about the proliferation of nuclear materials and technologies in response to the trilateral deal. "The IAEA will engage with them (Australia, the US and Britain) on this matter in line with its statutory mandate, and in accordance with their respective safeguards agreements with the Agency," it said in a recent statement. New Delhi, Sep 28 : The two big-ticket investments in India this year -- Tesla and Apple -- which were set to lift the country as a brand on the world map and further end dependence on China-led investments in the tech and auto sectors, has somewhat been delayed owing to the pandemic and global chip shortage. Nonetheless, both the giants now aim to rewrite their India manufacturing story next year as Covid slows down. Both Elon Musk and Tim Cook had announced a big-bang entry into the country. Musk wanted his electric cars to run on the domestic roads (despite import duty concerns) while Cook announced to open first branded retail store (in Mumbai), along with a thrust on assembling/manufacturing more Apple products in the country. However, the second Covid-19 wave and a severe automobile semiconductor shortage have somewhat hampered their plans for the year. According to Soumen Mandal, research analyst (IoT, automotive and devices ecosystem) at Counterpoint Research, India is believed to become one of the largest EV markets soon and Tesla is aware of this fact. "None of the big automakers wants to leave out the opportunity to acquire a share in the India market. Tesla is not an exception in this case. The cheap availability of resources and lower labour cost will allow Tesla as well as other automakers to earn a higher profit if they set up a local manufacturing or assembly plant," Mandal told IANS. The government wants Tesla to either start local manufacturing or assembly plant before getting any import tax concession. "Hence, the desire to earn more profit as well as the wish to acquire a market share in one of the to-be largest auto markets is bringing Tesla to India," he added. This microchip shortage has badly affected the automotive industry, which has increasingly become a big consumer of microchips. When most automakers are predicting that this chip shortage will go through 2023, Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that things will turn positive from 2022. "All most every automaker is currently suffering from the ongoing semiconductor shortage. While most of the automakers like Stellantis, Volkswagen, Toyota, BMW, Ford and others have cut production severely due to the ongoing chip crisis, Tesla has not been affected significantly," said Mandal. The Indian passenger car market is mostly dominated by cars priced below Rs 10 lakh, whereas the current Model 3 of Tesla costs (about Rs 29 lakh without import and other taxes) put the car in the premium segment, and the market share of the premium segment in the country was just 7 per cent in 2020. Presently, India is under the global spotlight due to the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme. Under the scheme, the foreign manufacturers can acquire resources at very nominal cost only if they set up manufacturing or assembly plant, locally. The PLI scheme has been extra generous towards electric vehicles and its components like batteries because India is already running behind in EV adoption and wants to put a significant number of EVs on road by 2030. The pandemic has also forced the iPhone maker from opening its own offline store to its fans in India this year. It opened its own online store before the festive season last year, which has seen a tremendous success. "The retail store continues to be a key fulcrum for Apple's growth in India. It will steer Apple products availability, accessibility and affordability in the country," said Prabhu Ram, Head, Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CyberMedia Research (CMR). The consumer demand for the new iPhone 13 series is robust in the country. The iPhone 13 series, for which pre-orders were thrown open in India last week, received a record response like last year from fans across the country. "However, the current supply chain dynamics is causing some constraints for Apple Watch as well as the iPhones. We believe that Apple is slightly better placed in augmenting its supplies over the coming quarters, and meet the strong demand," Ram told IANS. (Nishant Arora can be reached at nishant.a@ians.in) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Bengaluru, Sep 28 : The Karnataka Police have arrested four drug peddlers, including two Iranian nationals and recovered Rs one crore worth of drug substances on Tuesday. During the investigation it was discovered that the main accused, an Iranian national, had rented out a villa and converted it into a 'hydro-ganja' growing and processing factory. The police have seized 12.850 kilograms of Hydro Ganja, 130 hydro Ganja plants and Ganja, LSD Paper and a car from the accused persons. The accused from Iran was staying in India illegally even after the expiry of the Visa period, Sandeep Patil, the Joint Commissioner (Crime) stated. The accused procured Hydro Ganja seeds through the darknet from Europe. They had hired a villa in Bidadi, the neighbouring town of Bengaluru and grew Hydro Ganja and processed it into a drug substance. They established a full-fledged network of distribution. They sold it to software professionals, industrialists and students. The police were surprised to see the arrangements made to grow Hydro Ganja systematically and scientifically. The police have recovered UV lights, LED lamps, vacuum packing containers, an electrical weighing machine, 130 Hydro Ganja plants and LSD strips. The operation was carried out by the City Crime Branch (CCB) sleuths after they got a tip-off that the accused were selling Hydro Ganja, LSD strips in the limits of D.J.Halli police station. The police arrested the accused in a swift operation. The main accused, an Irani national, has been booked by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Yeshwanthpur police. Sources said that the accused suffered from a brain disorder. He got used to consuming Hydro Ganja after procuring it from Europe. Later, he got the seeds from Europe through the darknet and grew the Hydro Ganja plant in his Kammanahalli house. Later, he shifted to villa, the sources said. Further investigation is on, said police. Seoul, Sep 28 : The US must permanently stop its joint military exercises with South Korea and the deployment of its strategic weapons to the South if it wishes to promote peace on the Korean Peninsula, Pyongyang's UN Ambassador said. In his address to the UN General Assembly on Monday, Kim Song, the chief of North Korea's mission to the US, also said a good relationship may be formed between Pyongyang and Washington if and when the latter gives up its hostility toward his country, Yonhap News Agency reported on Tuesday. "If the US wants to see the Korean War, the most prolonged and long-lasting war in the world, come to an end, and if it is really desirous of peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula, it should take the first step toward giving up its hostile policy against North Korea by stopping permanently the joint military exercises and the deployment of all kinds of strategic weapons. "I am convinced that a good prospect will be opened for the US-North Korea relations and inter-Korean relations if the US refrains from threatening North Korea and gives up its hostility towards it," he added. The US State Department and the National Security Council are yet to comment on the North Korean diplomat's remarks. A State Department spokesperson had earlier urged North Korea to come to the dialogue table. Just hours after the diplomat's address, North Korea on early Tuesday morning fired one short-range missile into the East Sea. The missile was fired from the North's Mupyong-ri in Jagang province eastward at around 6.40 a.m., South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said, adding the South Korean and US intelligence authorities are analysing the launch for additional information. It did not however, specify if the projectile is a ballistic missile. New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Election Commission of India on Tuesday announced the schedule for bypolls to 3 Lok Sabha and 30 assembly seats in various states on Tuesday. The counting will take place on November 2. For Assembly Constituency of Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Rajasthan, Telangana and Parliamentary Constituency of UT of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, the notification for the by-election will be made on October 1, last day of nomination will be October 8, scrutiny of the paper will be done on October 11, withdrawal of the nomination on October 13, polling will be held on October 30 and the counting of votes will be on November 2. For the by-election in Assam, Bihar and West Bengal, the poll schedule will be the same except the date of withdrawal will be October 16. The ECI also said that all election related activities will be strictly complied as per the Covid-19 guidelines issued by competent authorities. Social distancing and use of mask, sanitizers, thermal scanning, face shield, hand gloves, etc, as per Covid-19 protocol, have to be complied with. SDMA is responsible for all preventive and mitigation measures to ensure adherence to Covid protocol. Chief Secretary and DG and district level authorities will be responsible for monitoring, supervision and compliance of Covid-19 guidelines. The commission also said that all polling personnel and election officials including the private persons engaged in the election duty shall be double vaccinated before taking their services. If a candidate or political party violates any of the above guidelines, no more permission shall be given to the concerned candidate/party for rallies, meetings. If any star campaigner violates the Covid protocols, he shall not be allowed to campaign further in that constituency/district, the commission said. Candidate/election agent/polling agent counting agent/driver etc whoever is coming in contact with the public or election officials have to be double vaccinated. One health worker will be appointed as Covid nodal officer for each Polling Station. While the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police shall take enough preventive measures and make necessary arrangements to ensure that no poll related violence occurs. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) San Francisco, Sep 28 : Microsoft's failed attempt to take over TikTok's US operation last year was "the strangest thing I've ever sort of worked on", CEO Satya Nadella said at the Code Conference. In August 2020, TikTok was in talks to sell its US operations because the administration of former President Donald Trump threatened to ban the app unless parent company ByteDance found a US buyer for it, CNBC reported on Tuesday. At one point, Microsoft was one of the potential acquirers, but it backed out in September 2020, when Oracle was chosen to provide cloud servers for the app. "First of all, you've got to remember, TikTok came to us, we didn't go to TikTok," Nadella said on Monday. "TikTok was caught in between a lot of issues that they were having across two capitals, and they wanted to partner," he added. According to the Microsoft CEO, TikTok initially wanted a cloud provider that could also offer security services. TikTok's US operations never got sold. In June, US President Joe Biden signed an executive order revoking the Trump administration order to ban the app. Nadella said the US government seemed to eventually lose interest in pushing the transaction, the report said. "President Trump, I think he had sort of a particular point of view on what he was trying to get done there," Nadella said. "Then I just dropped off. It was interesting. There was a period of time that I felt that the USG had some particular set of requirements, and then they just disappeared," he added. Nadella said Microsoft was well-positioned to purchase or partner with TikTok, which reported earlier this week that it has a billion monthly users around the world. He said that Microsoft has the cloud platform, the security technology and "the engineers to be able to take over a code base". Nadella declined to say if he still wanted to buy the app. However, he admitted that the deal appealed to Microsoft because of TikTok's technical design. Hyderabad, Sep 28 : With a lake overflowing on Hyderabad-Bengaluru national highway near Gaganpahad village, authorities have advised people going to Hyderabad Airport to use Outer Ring Road (ORR). A part of NH44 has been inundated due to overflowing Appa Cheruvu, disrupting the traffic on the key highway connecting Hyderabad with Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad, Kurnool and Bengaluru. Cyberabad police has appealed to citizens going towards Airport, Kurnool, Bengaluru, etc. to use ORR instead of NH44. For a second consecutive year, the NH44 stretch at Gaganpahad has come under water. Cyberabad traffic police were allowing only heavy vehicles on one lane. Chevella MP G. Ranjith Reddy visited Gaganpahad along with officials and reviewed the situation. Five people were washed away at Gaganpahad in October last year when the lake overflowed following heavy rains. To prevent any tragedy this time, the authorities took precautionary measures by diverting the traffic. Meanwhile, water from Himayat Sagar lake was overflowing on ORR service road near Telangana State Police Academy (TSPA). The Cyberabad traffic police announced a traffic diversion. Traffic going towards Shamshabad from TSPA on ORR Service road may take diversion at TSPA - Khaleejkhan dargah- Kismatpur - Budwel Extension - Pillar number 194 - Aramghar. Following heavy rains for the last two days under the impact of cyclone 'Gulab', water in Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar reservoirs on the city outskirts reached the maximum level. Authorities have opened gates of both the reservoirs to release the water into Musi river, which flows through the city. The people living along the banks of Musi have been alerted. Lucknow, Sep 28 : The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe charges of anti-Hindu propaganda by senior IAS officer Mohammad Iftikharuddin. According to a statement by the Home Department, the two-member SIT will be headed by DG CB-CID G.L. Meena and ADG zone Bhanu Bhaskar. The SIT has been asked to submit its report within seven days. It may be recalled that the national vice president of Math Mandir Coordination Committee, Bhupesh Awasthi, had alleged that Iftikharuddin was indulging in anti-Hindu propaganda. Iftikharuddin is presently serving as the Chairman of Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation. Awasthi released videos of religious programmes of the officer who was then the Kanpur Zone Commissioner. It is alleged that in these videos, Iftikharuddin is telling people about the benefits of adopting Islam as a religion. The purported videos also show a religious leader sitting besides the IAS officer. In another video, Iftikharuddin is seen sitting on the ground when a Muslim speaker is purportedly giving radical lessons at his official residence. After the video surfaced, Kanpur Police Commissioner Aseem Arun asked Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Somendra Meena to investigate the matter. "The investigation of the viral video taken at Kanpur Commissioner's residence has been entrusted to ADCP East, Police Commissionerate Kanpur Nagar. It is being investigated whether the video is authentic and if there is any crime in it," the official said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had summoned the Police Commissioner Aseem Arun to Lucknow on Tuesday in this regard. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said: "This is a serious matter. If there is any truth in it, it will be taken seriously." Los Angeles, Sep 28 : Actor William Shatner, popularly known as Captain James T. Kirk from 'Star Trek', has a new album coming out and he may be planning a trip to space. The album, an autobiographical collection of spoken word pieces, includes a track recounting Shatner's experience watching the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969, the first time humans set foot on the moon, reports space.com. The track, which features country star Brad Paisley, is called 'So far from the moon'. Shatner may also be packing his bags to fly to the edge of space with Blue Origin, according to a report from TMZ. According TMZ.com, the 90-year-old actor is slated to join the second crew that goes up in the New Shepard, which would make him the oldest person ever to fly into space. Blue Origin on Monday announced that its next crewed flight will launch on October 12. The company released the names of two passengers, neither of which was Shatner, and said that the other two would be announced "in the coming days". Blue Origin did not respond to Space.com's request for comment on the reports about Shatner. Jeff Bezos, the spaceflight company's billionaire founder, reached suborbital space himself on the first-ever crewed New Shepard launch, which occured in July. Despite having long since retired from 'Star Trek', Shatner's iconic recording career is still flourishing and on September 24, he released a new spoken-word album, called 'Bill'. The songs on the album were co-written and produced by Dan Miller of the band They Might Be Giants, along with writer Robert Sharenow. In one track, Shatner describes his own experience of watching the Apollo landing while sleeping on a truck on Long Island during a summer theatre stint when his career was in peril. "The song is about how glorious that moment was for the United States and for those wonderful people that I'd met, and how inglorious this moment in my life was," Shatner said during a conversation with WNYC's show 'All Of It'. "I was so far from the moon, and it's a very personal song about a moment in my life when I was at a low point." Bhubaneswar, Sep 28 : There was a massive explosion inside the Balanga Police station in poll bound Pipili area of Odisha last mid-night, police said on Tuesday. The Sentry of the Malkhana in the police station, Saroj Behera narrowly escaped the blast while the other staff were on by-poll duty, the police said. Police suspect the blast may have been caused by the large cache of explosives seized and stored in the Malkhana following raids in different areas. The explosion was so powerful that the entire office building collapsed while almost all the office items, documents, electronics items have been destroyed in the fire. Central range IG Narasingha Bhola and Puri SP Kanwar Vishal Singh made a field visit to the police station to investigate it. "All electric equipment and furniture of the building were damaged in the blast. There is no injury or casualty in the blast. We have initiated an inquiry into the incident. Additional SP, P. Pradhan has been asked to do a preliminary inquiry and submit a report today itself," said S.P. Singh. A detailed and thorough investigation will be conducted after analyzing all documents and reports, he said. District level scientific and bomb disposal teams have already reached the spot while a team from the State forensic lab will also investigate it, Singh said. "If any police official is found guilty in the inquiry report, strong action will be taken against him. A lot of seized explosives were there. So, we have to find out the particular explosive that caused the blast and who was in-charge of that case," said Bhola. Following this blast, all police stations have been directed to either defuse the seized explosives or store them in a safe place to avoid such an incident, the IG of Odisha police said. The police station will now run from a temporary building and very soon, fund will be sought to construct a new building for the PS, he added. Meanwhile, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra demanded an impartial probe into the incident. "Gang war and bombing has been reported in the Pipili area for a long time. Recently, a bomb was hurled at the BJP office at Satasankha, which was reported in the media," Patra said. "Where the police itself is not safe, how can they ensure the safety of the people?" he questioned. In his reaction, senior BJD leader and minister Samir Dash said it was suspected that the explosion occurred due to the explosives seized in 2018 and solar batteries were also stored there. "There is no relation with the by-election to this incident," Dash said. The long-pending by-poll to Pipili assembly constituency in Odisha's Puri district will be held on September 30. Bypoll to the picturesque assembly constituency was necessitated after its sitting BJD MLA Pradip Maharathy succumbed to Covid-19 in October 2020. Chennai, Sep 28 : After the Director General of Police S. Saylendra Babu ordered the state police to crack down on rowdy elements who are likely to get involved in revenge killings and hate crime, the police have brought to book several history-sheeters and those waiting in the wings to be inducted as full-time killers. The DGP had on Saturday met the police officers of South Tamil Nadu and directed them to spare no one who was preparing for killings and revenge killings. The DGP had met his subordinate officers following widespread criticism against the state police in the four back to back beheadings in the Tirunelveli and Dindigul districts of the state. The cases of beheadings were mainly the result of earlier killings and in most of these murders, caste was a major factor and the fight is now between the Dalit community on the one side and the Thevar community on the other side. A total of 2,500 people were rounded up and around 800 weapons including machete's, swords, daggers, iron rods, and steel pipes were confiscated from the procession of several gangs of these districts. Police also could recover three firearms from these gangs and the department has already carried out a detailed probe on the availability of firearms. In Chennai on Monday, police arrested S. Murugesan, 64, and his two sons, M. Murugan, 30 and M. Karthik, 23, and their friend, E. Praveen Kumar (24). The police intelligence had given a tip-off that Murugesan was trying for revenge on the killing of his elder son M. Saravanan, who was hacked to death in front of a Tasmac liquor shop on August 1, 2021. The accused in Saravanan's murder case Manikandan, Shyam, Ajith, and Vijay are in Chennai central jail and were about to be released on bail when police intelligence gave tip-off on the plan of Murugesan and his family. "R. Padmanabhan of Socio-Economic Development Foundation (SEDF), a Think Tank based out of Madurai while speaking to IANS said, "Unless there is a police crackdown on the revenge killers, this will continue. The initiative taken by the DGP is good. For ensuring law and order in the state, police have to be tough and never allow the law to get out of hand." Amman, Sep 28 : Jordan's Interior Minister Mazen Faraya said the country will reopen the Jaber Border Crossing with Syria for cargo and passengers' movement from Wednesday onwards. The decision aims to activate commercial and tourist movement between the two countries while adhering to security and health procedures, Xinhua news agency quoted local media as saying. The Jordanian government previously closed the Jaber border due to a noticeable increase of Covid-19 infections, and gradually resumed truck traffic and limited the number of travellers crossing later. Also on Monday, Jordanian-Syrian ministerial meetings started in Amman to discuss measures of enhancing bilateral cooperation in trade, transport, electricity, agriculture, and water resources. The meetings seek to revitalise economic relations between the sides and resume trade exchange, the agency reported. Lucknow, Sep 28 : In a new initiative, the Uttar Pradesh police personnel will now be trained in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to enable them to save lives on time during crisis. Uttar Pradesh DGP Mukul Goel, who attended a workshop organised by iCARE (Cardiac Arrest Resuscitation for Everyone), Mumbai, with Dr Aditya Kapoor, head of the department of cardiology at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS), and head of cardiology department at KGMU, Dr Sudhanshu Dwiwedi on Monday, said that, "As first responders, policemen should be well versed with the perils of cardiac arrest and should receive training in CPR. This will help save many lives." He further said that by learning medical first aid procedures, police personnel can help civilians in case of a sudden cardiac arrest, outside a hospital. CPR training will be extended to zones and range levels and will also involve public participation. Dr Aditya Kapoor said every year nearly 2 million people in the country die suddenly at home or at public places due to what is medically known as "sudden cardiac arrest" (SCA). "Although those suffering from SCA can be saved by bystanders, they often do not survive due to zero public awareness and knowledge on how to handle such emergencies. Delay in initiating lifesaving measures by bystanders decreases the chances of survival by 10 per cent," he said. Dr Sudhanshu Dwivedi said that across the world, police personnel were trained for bystander resuscitation since they were in close proximity to the public at all times and were best suited to provide immediate assistance. Bhopal, Sep 28 : At least nine people were killed due to lightning strikes in Dewas and Agar Malwa districts of Madhya Pradesh. Six people died in Dewas and while three lost their lives in Agar Malwa. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and former Congress state president Arun Yadav have expressed grief over the deaths. According to the official information, six people died due to lightning strikes in Dewas district on Monday in Tonkkhurd, Khal, Gagankheda and Bamnibujurg villages. Collector Chandramouli Shukla immediately sanctioned financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of those who died under the Revenue Book Circular 6-4 of Madhya Pradesh Government Revenue Department (Relief Branch). Some people were also injured in the lightning strikes. They were rushed to hospital in Indore. Similarly, in Agar-Malwa the lightning claimed three lives. Incidents of lightning were reported from Manasa, Pilwas and Lasuldia Kelwa villages of the district. Chief Minister Chouhan has expressed grief over the death of citizens due to lightning in Dewas and Agar Malwa districts and directed the district administrations to help the affected families. Former state president of Congress, Arun Yadav has also expressed grief over the deaths and prayed for the recovery of those seriously injured. Chennai, Sep : The Tamil Nadu government will get funds to increase the forest cover in the state. Sources in the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, told IANS that the state government has submitted a representation to the central government seeking support for increasing the state's forest cover. Sources said that the Union Minister has assured his Tamil Nadu counterpart that money would be sanctioned for the purpose but the volume would be decided only after detailed deliberations with the officials of both sides. However, the amount sought by the state for increasing the forest cover of Tamil Nadu was not disclosed. In a statement, Tamil Nadu Forest Minister, K. Ramachandran's office said that the minister had met Union Minister for Environment and Forests, Bhupender Yadav, and submitted a proposal to him for increasing the forest cover of the state from the present 23.98 per cent to 33 per cent. The meeting was held on Monday at the Union minister's office in New Delhi. The Tamil Nadu government also have submitted a proposal for developing the marshy lands of Pallikkaranai lake. It may be noted that the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court had on August 19 directed the state to treat Pallikarani marshy land as a 'Ramsar' site and to conserve it environmentally. The state government has also sought the support of the central government for maintaining tiger reserves in the state. It may be recalled that the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has already sanctioned an amount of Rs 4.25 crore for the newly formed Srivilliputhur Megamalai Tiger Reserve (SMTR) under the Project Tiger scheme. The state minister has also requested the central government to sanction funds to reduce the human-animal conflict that has been taking place frequently in parts of Tamil Nadu. Sources in the Union environment and forest minister's office said that the Tamil Nadu government has also sought funds for developing the Elephant corridor in the state. United Nations, Sep 28 : Myanmar is facing a humanitarian crisis with about 3 million people requiring assistance due to the ongoing armed clashes, insecurity, monsoon rains as well as the Covid-19 outbreak, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In a report on Monday, the OCHA said the crisis was February 1 military coup and the subsequent detention of politicians, including former State Councillor Aung San Suu Kyi. Of the 3 million people, 1 million were previously identified in the existing response plan and a further 2 million identified since the military takeover. More than 206,600 people have been internally displaced due to clashes and insecurity following the coup in Chin, Kachin, Kayah, Kayin and Mon states, and in Tanintharyi region, the OCHA report saud. There were also reports of population movement in Magway and Sagaing regions, believed to be in thousands, in recent months due to armed clashes and insecurity. The security situation in southeastern Myanmar remains challenging, particularly in Kayah state and neighbouring areas of southern Shan, with clashes reported between the Myanmar Armed Forces (MAF) and the alliance of the "Karenni Army" and the "Karenni Nationalities Defence Force", according to the OCHA. In Kayah, around 22,000 people fled from their homes in September, while a large number of returns were also documented during this period. In Kayin and Tanintharyi, some displacement was reported with increased deployment of troops and ongoing clashes. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that 149,000 people remained internally displaced across the southeast since February 1. The security situation in Kachin and Shan states remains volatile, with sporadic clashes reported between MAF and ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) or among EAOs, said the OCHA. In Kachin, 13,730 people have been internally displaced since the start of 2021; more than 7,750 of them remain displaced. In Shan, around 28,680 people have been internally displaced during the same period; about 8,150 remain displaced in five townships. The World Food Programme (WFP) has resumed monthly cash distributions to 45,000 IDPs in Kachin, following two months of suspension due to banking issues. In Shan, WFP and partners are resuming cash distributions to 6,900 IDPs. WFP already provided two-week food rations to some 3,000 IDPs in Kyaukme Township. The security situation remains fragile in Chin State, with clashes between the MAF and different "People's Defense Forces" reported in several townships, particularly in Kanpetlet and Thantlang, according to the OCHA report. About 15,250 people remain displaced in 5 townships in Chin State since May and in Saw Township in Magway and Kale Township in Sagaing regions since June. Another 9,500 people, displaced by the earlier MAF-"Arakan Army" conflict, remain in Paletwa Township in Chin State. Around 1,000 people from Chin State have reportedly crossed the border into neighbouring Mizoram State in northeastern India since September 10, according to public sources. A total of 15,000 people have crossed into India since the start of 2021, according to the UNHCR. Patna, Sep 28 : Two elderly persons were killed and four others injured when a high speeding car with Jharkhand registration number mowed them down in the Patna Sahib area on Tuesday morning. The deceased, Krishna Rai (60) and a 65-year-old person, died on the spot while four others are battling for their lives in hospital. The road mishap occurred in the Krishna Nagar area on Patna city bypass road. The elderly persons were on their routine walk around 6 a.m. when the fatal accident took place. According to the police, there were four persons inside the car when it mowed down six persons. The passersby managed to nab two persons while two others, including the owner of the vehicle fled from the spot. The accident led to an outrage in the area with over 500 people assembling at the spot and thrashing the two occupants of the car. When a police team reached the spot and tried to rescue the two, the angry mob pelted stones on them. After this, the personnel from seven police stations -- Kankarbagh, Patrakar Nagar, Ram Krishna Nagar, Jakkanpur, Patna City, Gaurichak and Kadamkuan -- reached at the spot and somehow managed to rescue the alleged occupants of the Brezza car. "We are making all efforts to trace the other two occupants of the car. We are also conducting medical examinations of the arrested persons to find out whether they were in a drunken state or not," said a senior police officer of Krishna Nagar police station. New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Central government proposes to wrap up the divestment of Air India by the middle of next month with the announcement of winning bid for the national carrier. Sources indicated that tentatively October 15 has been kept the date for announcing the winning bid for Air India while the financial bids received for the carrier may be opened anytime this week. Centre on September 15 received multiple financial bids for divestment of Air India. Accordingly, Tata Sons and industrialist Ajay Singh in his personal capacity are believed to have submitted financial bids for Air India. Sources indicated while Tatas are front runners to get hold of the carrier, all bids would be evaluated on various parameters and the winning bidder would be announced after approval of the group of ministers (GoM) headed by the home minister. Taking to Twitter, DIPAM Secretary, Tuhin Kanta Pandey had earlier said that the disinvestment process has moved to the concluding stage. "Financial bids for Air India disinvestment received by Transaction Adviser. Process now moves to the concluding stage," he had posted earlier this month. The Tatas bid was much-anticipated as its name had been doing the rounds for some time now. The government has of late taken several steps to fast-track the much-delayed privatisation of the national carrier. Recently, the government decided to waive taxes on the transfer of assets from the national carrier to Air India Assets Holding Ltd, a special purpose vehicle (SPV). During the Budget speech for FY22, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had said that all the proposed privatisation process would be completed by the end of the fiscal, including the much-delayed strategic disinvestment of Air India. Earlier, few interested parties, including the Tatas were selected for the bidding round. This is the second attempt of the current Central government to divest its stake in the airline. In the pre-pandemic era, the airline, on a standalone basis, operated over 50 domestic and more than 40 international destinations. Besides, it operated over 120 aircraft prior to the Covid pandemic. During that period, the airline had over 9,000 permanent and 4,000 contractual employees. Chandigarh, Sep 28 : Less than a fortnight after he was 'unceremoniously' asked to quit as the Punjab Chief Minister in the run-up to the Assembly polls, Congress veteran Amarinder Singh is likely to meet Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah in Delhi late Tuesday evening. The former Chief Minister is also likely to meet Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President J.P. Nadda, sources said. The meeting seems crucial as Amarinder Singh said he had stepped down as he felt 'humiliated'. At the same time, he said that the "future politics option is always there" and he will use that option. Official sources said Amarinder Singh is reaching the national capital and heading straight to meet Shah. Speculations are rife that Amarinder Singh is likely to join the BJP. After his resignation, Amarinder Singh said he had offered his resignation to party President Sonia Gandhi three weeks earlier but she had asked him to continue. "If she had just called me and asked me to step down, I would have," he said, adding that "as a soldier, I know how to do my task and leave once I am called back". He had said he had even told Sonia Gandhi that he was ready to hang his boots and allow someone else to take over as the Chief Minister after leading the Congress to another sweeping win in Punjab. "But that did not happen, so I will fight," he asserted, taking strong exception to being subjected to humiliation by calling a Congress Legislative Party meeting in a secretive manner, without taking him into confidence. "I would not have taken MLAs on a flight to Goa or some place. That is not how I operate. I don't do gimmicks, and the Gandhi siblings know that is not my way," he had said, adding, "Priyanka and Rahul (Gandhi siblings) are like my children, this should not have ended like this. I am hurt." He said the Gandhi children were quite inexperienced and their advisors were clearly misguiding them. Indicating that he was still keeping his political options open, the former Chief Minister had said he was talking to his friends before deciding on his future course of action. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Chandigarh, Sep 28 : Less than a fortnight after he was 'unceremoniously' asked to quit as the Punjab Chief Minister in the run-up to the Assembly polls, Congress veteran Amarinder Singh is likely to meet Union Home Minister and BJP leader Amit Shah in Delhi late Tuesday evening. The former Chief Minister is also likely to meet Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President J.P. Nadda, sources said. However, Amarinder Singh's media advisor denied his meeting with the BJP leaders, saying he's on a personal visit to Delhi to meet some friends. "Too much being read into @capt_amarinder's visit to Delhi. He's on a personal visit, during which he'll meet some friends and also vacate Kapurthala house for the new CM. No need for any unnecessary speculation," Thukral informed in a tweet. The proposed meeting seems crucial as Amarinder Singh has been saying that he stepped down as he felt 'humiliated'. At the same time, he said the "future politics option is always there" and he will use that option. Speculations are rife that Amarinder Singh is likely to join the BJP. After his resignation, Amarinder Singh said he had offered his resignation to party President Sonia Gandhi three weeks earlier but she had asked him to continue. "If she had just called me and asked me to step down, I would have," he said, adding that "as a soldier, I know how to do my task and leave once I am called back". He had said he had even told Sonia Gandhi that he was ready to hang his boots and allow someone else to take over as the Chief Minister after leading the Congress to another sweeping win in Punjab. "But that did not happen, so I will fight," he asserted, taking strong exception to being subjected to humiliation by calling a Congress Legislative Party meeting in a secretive manner, without taking him into confidence. "I would not have taken MLAs on a flight to Goa or some place. That is not how I operate. I don't do gimmicks, and the Gandhi siblings know that is not my way," he had said, adding, "Priyanka and Rahul (Gandhi siblings) are like my children, this should not have ended like this. I am hurt." He said the Gandhi children were quite inexperienced and their advisors were clearly misguiding them. Indicating that he was still keeping his political options open, the former Chief Minister had said he was talking to his friends before deciding on his future course of action. After his resignation and political tussle, Charanjit Singh Channi, a Scheduled Caste Sikh, took oath of office on September 20 along with his two deputies -- one a Jat Sikh and another belonging to the Hindu community. Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and O.P. Soni, both ministers in previous Council of Ministers led by Amarinder Singh, took oath for the posts of the Deputy Chief Ministers. -- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed Chennai, Sep 28 : Demanding wage revision and halting anti-labour policy, employees of the Kerala-based CSB Bank will stage a three-day strike from Wednesday, said a top leader of the All India Bank Employees' Association (AIBEA). "The CSB Bank had told its unions that it would implement the wage agreement concluded between Indian Banks' Association (IBA) and the unions. But it did not give its consent to IBA to negotiate with unions on its behalf. "The industry wide wage revision agreement was signed sometime back but was not implemented in CSB Bank," C.H. Venkatachalam, General Secretary, AIBEA told IANS. Adding further he said if the CSB Bank management does not implement the industry-wide wage agreement in the bank, then AIBEA will have to take up the issue on an industry-wide basis. The CSB Bank has over 400 branches and over 1.5 million customers. New York, Sep 28 : Irish presenter Graham Norton is set to host 'Queen of the Universe', a new unscripted international drag queen singing competition, reports Variety.com. Produced by 'RuPaul's Drag Race' producers 'World of Wonder', the Eurovision-style series finds countries going head to head with their top drag queens putting their real singing voices to the test. Norton, the host of the long-running talk show 'The Graham Norton Show', is no stranger to the 'Drag Race' world, having judged the BBC's successful 'RuPaul's Drag Race U.K'. alongside RuPaul, Michelle Visage, and Alan Carr over three seasons. He also hosts the U.K. edition of 'Eurovision Song Contest' every year, and even appeared in Netflix's 'Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga'. 'Queen of the Universe' will be one of Norton's most high-profile international hosting gigs to date. The show, which was first revealed in February during ViacomCBS's investor day presentation, will premiere on the company's streaming service Paramount Plus on December 2. Graham William Walker better known by his stage name Graham Norton, is an Irish actor, author, comedian, commentator, and presenter. Well known for his work in the UK, he is a five-time BAFTA TV Award winner for his comedy chat show 'The Graham Norton Show' (2007-present) and an eight-time award winner overall. Lucknow, Sep 28 : The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is facing an unprecedented exodus from the party on the eve of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. After a revolt by seven legislators last year, the BSP is losing more leaders to the Samajwadi Party. Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) national general secretary R.S. Kushwaha, on Monday, called on Samajwadi Party national president Akhilesh Yadav at the party headquarters in Lucknow. Though the meeting was termed as a courtesy call, it is said that Kushwaha is all set to join SP any day now. "In any case, even if he does not join SP, he will be expelled from the BSP after this meeting," said a BSP leader. Earlier, two expelled BSP MLAs Lalji Varma and Ram Achal Rajbhar had also met Akhilesh Yadav for a 'courtesy call'. Another senior BSP MLA and former Uttar Pradesh Assembly Speaker Sukhdev Rajbhar had announced his retirement from active politics while his son, Kamalkant Rajbhar, has joined theSP. SP spokesperson Rajendra Chaudhary said the Samajwadi Party has emerged as the only alternative to the ruling BJP. Dissent within the BSP is growing by leaps and bounds as more and more leaders are leaving the party. Interestingly, most of the leaders who are quitting the party belong to Dalit and OBC communities. One of the BSP MLAs, who is preparing to join the SP, said, "The BSP is now ruled by Brahmins (read Satish Mishra). I made several attempts to meet the party president in Lucknow, but was not given an opportunity. If an MLA cannot meet his party president, then what is to be expected from the party?" New Delhi, Sep 28 : Amid the preparations for the 2022 assembly elections, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal will visit Punjab on Wednesday. His two-day trip will start from Ludhiana, where he will meet traders and businessmen, the party said in a statement. He will address a press conference on September 30. After winning 20 seats in the 2017 polls, the AAP became the principal opposition party in Punjab. The party is banking on its Delhi model of free electricity to win votes in the Congress ruled state. Punjab which got a new chief minister - Charanjit Singh Channi - just this month, will go to the polls in February/March next year. Earlier the state was headed by Captain Amarinder Singh who resigned recently after completing nine-and-a-half years as CM from 2002 to 2007 and 2017 to September 2021. There are a total of 117 constituencies in Punjab. Early this month, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer S Karuna Raju told the media that the number of polling booths in the state have been increased to 24,689 from the existing 23,211 after rationalisation in the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic situation. The Aam Aadmi Party has not announced a chief ministerial candidate in the state. In June last year, Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal had said that a member of the Sikh community would be the party's Chief Minister 'face' in Punjab. According to political analysts, the Congress' days in power are numbered in the state, but the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party too would not be able to perform as well as the Aam Aadmi Party in the state. The AAP has been supportive of the farmers' protest that has been taking place on the outskirts of the national capital since the past 10 months. Farmers, mainly from Punjab, Harayana and Uttar Pradesh, have camped at different Delhi borders since last September. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Washington, Sep 28 : The East Asia and Pacific region's recovery has been undermined by the spread of the Covid-19 Delta variant, the World Bank said, calling for a comprehensive strategy to contain the virus spread and boost inclusive growth. Economic activity began to slow down in the second quarter of 2021, and growth forecasts have been downgraded for most countries in the region, according to World Bank's newly released East Asia and Pacific Fall 2021 Economic Update. "Whereas in 2020 the region contained Covid-19 while other regions of the world struggled, the rise in Covid-19 cases in 2021 has decreased growth prospects for 2021," Xinhua news agency quoted World Bank Vice President for East Asia and Pacific Manuela Ferro as saying. While China's economy is projected to expand by 8.5 per cent, up 0.4 percentage point from April projection, the rest of the region is forecast to grow at 2.5 per cent, 1.9 percentage points less than forecast in April, the report showed. Noting that there is variation across countries, Aaditya Mattoo, chief economist for East Asia and the Pacific at the World Bank, told Xinhua that some countries like China have been relatively successful in at least keeping this virus at bay, but other countries which had done well previously, especially like Vietnam and Malaysia, are now struggling to contain it and are suffering a "significant" contraction in economic activity. Others like the Philippines and Indonesia, he continued, had always struggled and their struggles have been "worse," so they are also seeing a contraction in economic activity and forecasts for them are less promising than before. Employment rates and labour force participation have dropped, and as many as 24 million people in the region will not be able to escape poverty in 2021, the report noted, warning that the scars of the pandemic are likely to dampen long-term economic growth. While all households have suffered, poorer ones were more likely to lose income, sell off productive assets, suffer food insecurity, and lose schooling for children, according to the report. Noting that the highest priority is to try and contain the spread of this disease, Mattoo urged policymakers to increase the pace of vaccination, as strategies like testing, tracing, isolation, along with a combination of targeted shutdowns and social distancing prove "less effective" against the highly transmissible variant. The new report estimates that most countries in the region can vaccinate more than 60 percent of their populations by the first half of 2022, which would significantly reduce mortality, allowing a resumption of economic activity. "So the first thing is to try and ensure that there is enough global (vaccine) production and perhaps even expanded regional production so that you don't have to rely on unreliable supplies," Mattoo said, calling for a "three-pronged strategy" of increasing supply, improving distribution and persuading people that vaccination is socially and individually necessary. Lucknow, Sep 28 : The Uttar Pradesh Congress in an attempt to reach out to Muslims ahead of the state Assembly elections has started ruffling feathers and paving the way for polarization of votes. The state Congress has been distributing a 16-point 'Sankalp Patra' (manifesto) with promises to the community if the party comes to power in the state. However, the Congress move to distribute the Sankalp Patra outside the mosques in all the Assembly constituencies in the state, has evoked a strong reaction from the BJP which has accused the party of minority appeasement. Taking a dig at the Congress for appeasing the community by approaching it outside 8,432 mosques during Friday prayers, BJP spokesman Om Prakash Singh said, "From protesting against Ram temple to shedding tears for terrorists, Congress has always been doing the politics of appeasement. Now the Congress has set out on a mission to distribute its Sankalp Patra outside mosques in UP." He said that this exercise showcased the Congress desperation to regain lost ground in Uttar Pradesh. "But the party will only sink further with such tactics," he added The UPCC minority cell chairman Shahnawaz Alam said that the party has been distributing the 'Sankalp Patra' to draw the attention of the people in front of main mosques in all the Assembly constituencies. The Sankalp Patra consists of issues connected with the minority community. There is a feeling in the Congress that the party would be able to connect with a larger number of people by approaching them outside the mosques every Friday." Some of the important features mentioned in the manifesto include a promise to open tanneries shut down during the the Samajwadi Party rule, a judicial investigation into the riots that took place during the Akhilesh Yadav's regime and also hostels for Muslim students. The Congress has also promised to withdraw the cases slapped on members of the minority communities during the anti-CAA-NRC agitation in the state. The UPCC has also brought out a booklet targeting the BJP, BSP and SP alike for pushing the state towards decline. The points of the Sankalp Patra are likely to be included in the main manifesto being drafted by former Union minister Salman Khurshid. Mumbai, Sep 28 : Streaming giant Netflix has released the trailer of the fourth and final season of the series 'Little Things', which stars Mithila Palkar and Dhruv Sehgal. Directed by Ruchir Arun and Pranjal Dua, 'Little Things 4' is a celebration of all the subtle things, the adulthood, the maturity and above all the little moments that truly make a relationship beautiful. Talking about her journey on 'Little Things', Mithila said: "Little Things is a show that is very close to my heart. Kavya is a character that is going to stay with me forever. It's been an incredible journey with Dhruv, my Directors and the fabulous crew. The finale season nudged me to go back in time and relive my journey as Kavya for one last time. I am hoping audiences enjoy this season as well and celebrate their bond with Dhruv and Kavya." Image Source: IANS News In the final season, Mithila stars as Kavya and Dhruv plays Dhruv. Produced by Pocket Aces and Dice Media, 'Little Things'. Season 4 celebrates Dhruv and Kavya's individuality and relationship as they grow together amidst their highs and lows. While they make the tricky transition from young love to a mature relationship, audiences will witness Dhruv and Kavya navigate questions around commitment, health, their ambitions and family. Dhruv added: "I have grown with this show and the amount of love it has received over the years has really overwhelmed me. I'm honestly a little sad that this show is coming to an end, but I'm also immensely happy that Dhruv and Kavya were able to spread this much love and joy amongst their audience." -- Syndicated from IANS Seoul, Sep 28 : South Korea's top nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, on Tuesday spoke to US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim to discuss Pyongyang's latest missile launch, the Foreign Ministry said. The phone conversation came hours after the North fired a short-range missile into the East Sea, days after Pyongyang expressed a willingness to improve inter-Korean relations and even discuss a summit with Seoul, reports Yonhap News Agency. The North said improvements can happen only when the South drops its hostile attitude against the regime and the double standards of calling the North's weapons tests "provocations" while conducting its own such tests. "The two sides shared the assessments on the latest Korean Peninsula situation, including the North's short-range missile launch and recent statements, and discussed ways to respond," the Ministry said in a statement. "They agreed on the need for the stable management of the Korean Peninsula situation and watertight coordination between South Korea and the US," it said. Noh and Kim decided to meet in person in Indonesia on Thursday for further discussions, the Ministry said. The US State Department condemned Tuesday's missile launch as violating UN Security Council resolutions and posing a threat to neighbouring countries and the international community. Tokyo, Sep 28 : The four candidates in the fray to become the next Japanese Prime Minister made their last-minute appeals on Tuesday, with Vaccination Minister Taro Kono and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida having a higher possibility of winning the election on Wednesday. The result of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leader election is expected to come out on Wednesday afternoon, and the winner will replace Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who has served as the president of the LDP amid a battered economy during the Covid-19 pandemic, reports Xinhua news agency. The winner in Wednesday's election will become the public face of the LDP in the lower house election this fall. Former Communications Minister Sanae Takaichi and former Gender Equality Minister Seiko Noda are the female contenders of the election. Due to a Covid-19 state of emergency in Tokyo and other areas, both of them have mostly conducted virtual meetings to gain support during the campaigning. Kono, a leader with reform-minded policies, is one of the leading candidates winning support from relatively young LDP lawmakers and rank-and-file party members, as he is popular among the public. He promised to reform the pension system in Japan and promote digitalisation. Kishida, who heads the LDP's liberal-leaning faction, garners support from many veteran lawmakers, but some view him as lacking wider public appeal. He pledged to make sure that ordinary people could enjoy the benefits of growth under his idea of "a new form of capitalism". Takaichi, who gained support from former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is expected to receive votes from hawkish nationalists within the LDP. She focused on bold monetary easing and investment in crisis management and growth areas. Noda, who struggled to garner the necessary nominations from 20 LDP lawmakers to join the race, has been scrambling to broaden her support base. She placed her priority on the care of the vulnerable such as children and the disabled. According to opinion polls, economic policy should be of the highest priority for the next Prime Minister, and the candidates spent hours explaining how their policies regarding Covid-19 fallout would be different from each other and also the Suga administration. The four candidates agreed on the need for constitutional reform while holding different opinions on whether to allow married couples to have separate family names. San Francisco, Sep 28 : Google Meet has started testing live translated captions that could help make video conferences with foreign clients, partners, students and employees go more smoothly. The tech giant has started testing live translated captions, which is a step up from Meet's standard live captions. It will initially support meetings conducted in English that it can translate into Spanish, French, Portuguese and German, reports Engadget. In addition, the feature's current iteration is only available for meetings organised by Google Workspace Business Plus, Enterprise Standard, Enterprise Plus, Education Plus and Teaching and Learning Upgrade users. "Translated captions helps Google Meet video calls to be more global, inclusive and effective by removing language ability as a barrier to collaboration. By helping users consume the content in a preferred language, you can help equalize information sharing, learning and collaboration, and make sure your meetings are as effective as possible," Google wrote in its announcement. Interested administrators will have to apply for access before the feature appears in their meetings, the report said. To enable it, users will have to switch on Captions in Settings and set it to English before toggling on Translated Captions underneath. They can then choose one of the translated language options. Male, Sep 28 : Abdulla Mausoom, the Maldivian Minister of Tourism, said reopening the country's borders has been an important step to revive the economy, state-owned PSM News reported on Tuesday. Speaking on World Tourism Day, Mausoom thanked President Ibrahim Solih for reopening the country's borders, saying the government prioritises promoting local tourism businesses as they generate incomes and employment for the residents of the island nation, reports Xinhua news agency. Mausoom said the government would permit tourism at homestays from January 2022 as it would enable average citizens to benefit from the industry. He said the Maldives has received 12 per cent more tourists in September compared to the same period last year, with the government projecting a total of 1.3 million arrivals by the end of the year. The country's borders had been fully closed for three months last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic before they were reopened in July 2020. The borders were closed for South Asian tourists due to a surge of Covid-19 cases in May 2021, but were reopened on July 15. Tourism is the largest economic industry in the Maldives, as it plays an important role in earning foreign exchange revenues and employing thousands of citizens. Hyderabad, Sep 28 : A man was washed in an overflowing stream in Telangana's Vikarabad district while parts of the state continue to experience heavy rainfall under the impact of cyclone 'Gulab' on Tuesday. A motorbike mechanic returning from Hyderabad to his village in neighbouring Vikarabad district was washed away along with his bike while crossing the stream. He was identified as Ishaq Pasha (26). The incident occurred late Monday near Pulusumamidi village. Following heavy rains on Monday, the stream was overflowing. His bike was found some distance away on Tuesday. Rescue workers found Pasha's body in a lake near Attapur village. Meanwhile, heavy rain continued to lash parts of Telangana under the impact of the cyclone which weakened into depression. Low-lying areas were inundated in Nizamabad, Rajanna Sircilla, Nirmal, Karimnagar district due to the downpour. Rivulets, streams, lakes and other water bodies were overflowing, cutting road links to some villages. A part of the road in Madanaplli and Amrad in Nizamabad district was washed away, disrupting the vehicular traffic. Some residential areas in Nizamabad town were also inundated. Authorities shifted the residents to relief camps. The district collector's office in Sircilla was again inundated. District collector Anurag Jayanti and other officials had to come out on a tractor. This is the third time the new district collectorate has been inundated since July. The collectorate complex was recently inaugurated by the chief minister. According to the Hyderabad Meteorological Centre, the southwest monsoon is vigorous over Telangana. Extremely Heavy rainfall occurred at isolated places in Nizamabad and very heavy rainfall at isolated places in Rajanna Sircilla, Karimnagar, Kamareddy, Nirmal, J.Bhupalpally, Jagtial and Peddapalli districts. Heavy rainfall was recorded at few places occurred in Mulugu, B.Kothagudem, Khammam, Warangal Rural, Medak, Adilabad, Rangareddy, M.Malkajgiri, Vikarabad, Siddipet and Sangareddy districts. The rainfall statistics show Jakranpalle in Nizamabad district received highest rainfall of 23 cm. Navipet and Dharpalle in the same district saw 21 cm rainfall. Ranjal, Dichpalli, Armur, Nandipet in Nizamabad, Chandurthi and Sircilla in Rajanna Sircilla district recorded over 17 cm rainfall. The state government has declared a holiday for government offices, private institutions and educational institutions on Tuesday in the wake of heavy rainfall and forecast of more rain. Meanwhile, the MeT office said the depression over Telangana and adjoining areas of Marathwada and Vidarbha moved west-northwestwards and lay centered over southwest Vidarbha and neighbourhood about 60 km east-northeast of Parbhani (Marathwada) and 250 km southwest of Nagpur (Vidarbha). It is likely to move west-northwestwards and weaken into a well marked low pressure area. The system is likely to emerge into northeast Arabian Sea and adjoining Gujarat coast around September 30 and there is likelihood for the system to further intensify over northeast Arabian Sea during the subsequent 24 hours. Panaji, Sep 28 : Former Goa Chief Minister Luizinho Faleiro, who quit the Congress party on Monday, left for Kolkata ahead of his likely induction into the Trinamool Congress. Speaking to reporters at the Dabolim international airport, Faleiro was however non committal about either joining the TMC or heading the West Bengal-based party's operations in Goa, which is headed for polls in early 2022. "I have not decided (heading the party's Goa wing). I have just resigned yesterday. I am working out my fight against the BJP," Faleiro told reporters. When asked if he was scheduled to join the TMC in Kolkata, Faleiro said: "I will let you know". On Monday, Faleiro resigned as a Congress MLA and from the primary membership of the party, while praising Mamata Banerjee, stating that the West Bengal Chief Minister had the potential to take on the BJP, both in Goa and across the country. The Congress in Goa has accused 70-year-old Faleiro of negotiating a voluntary retirement scheme (VRS) from the TMC. New Delhi, Sep 28: After taking control of Gwadar port under the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) projects, China has now set its eyes on Karachi, a premium port in South Asia. Gwadar and Karachi will provide China access to the Arabian Sea, reducing its dependence on the US dominated Malacca straits to channel its burgeoning trade. Besides, by controlling both the key ports, China can influence landlocked countries of Central Asia, which are also looking at the Iranian port of Chabahar, where India has stakes, as a coastal outlet for trade. China has moved to take control of the Karachi Coastal Comprehensive Development Zone (KCCDZ) under the CPEC framework. Pakistan's Imran Khan government has decided to "award" its project of KCCDZ to China. China will be investing $3.5 billion in the project as "direct Chinese investment" as reported by the Pakistani daily Dawn. . Overwhelmed by the Chinese decision, Prime Minister Khan has described the move as another game-changing event. Khan is apparently pleased that cash-strapped Pakistan will not have to spend a single penny unlike other CPEC projects. An elated Pakistani Prime Minister announced that the KCCDZ, "will put Karachi at par with developed port cities." "And the best thing of this project is that it's solely based on foreign (Chinese) investment without any loan," added Pakistan's Minister for MarAiAtime Affairs Syed Ali Zaidi, as reported by Dawn. China has so far declined to restructure $3 billion in loans that Islamabad owes Beijing. It has, in fact, pleaded Beijing to forgive debt liabilities owed to China-funded energy projects established under the CPEC. In addition to the $3 billion in principal payments, the dividend payments also stand at $1.5 billion during the next three fiscal years. As the country continues to struggle to attract investment, policymakers in Pakistan have come increasingly to rely on Chinese capital. According to the United Nations 2020 World Investment Report China was by far the largest contributor of foreign direct investment (FDI) to Pakistan, most of it through CPEC. According to Pakistani experts, the Imran Khan government has offered Karachi coastal areas, which include ports to China on the platter. This multibillion-dollar mega KCCDZ project will be will be undertaken in partnership with Karachi Port Trust (KPT). "Developed on a reclaimed area of approximately 640 hectares on the western backwaters marsh land of KPT, KCCDZ will be a flagship project for not only Pakistan but the entire region," said an official statement. It is believed that with the direct Chinese investment, China aims to overhaul the city's seaboard with new berths for the port, a new fishery port and a majestic harbour bridge connecting it with Manora islands and Sandspit beach. "The Chinese work so fast and I guess that it would not take more than five or six years to complete the project. Under the agreed plan, we would relocate some 20,000 to 25,000 families from Machhar Colony and relocate them. Believe me it's a huge thing for Pakistan," said the minister Syed Ali Zaidi. But curiously the decision was made in haste, and even the provincial government of Sindh was taken into confidence. Last year, the Imran Khan government took control of the twin islands of Bundal and Buddo through a presidential ordinance despite strong objections by the Sindh government and activists. Jeay Sindh Muttahida Maha (JSMM), a declared terrorist organisation by Pakistan, is an organisation fighting for the rights of Sindhis. They have feared that these two islands will be given to China and they were proved right. Now these two strategically located islands are part of the KCCDZ plan. Last year, Baloch and Sindhi pro-freedom organizations announced their union under one umbrella to fight the CPEC project. Anti-China protests have been taking place across Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit Baltistan. The Armed rebel groups have intensified their attacks on Chinese nationals and projects. The Chinese are worried about the CPEC. According to Global Times, analysts have warned that the anti-China forces in Pakistan could provide a hotbed for terrorists targeting China's CPEC projects, "where enhanced communication and coordination between China and Pakistan is required to tackle potential threats." (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 Agartala, Sep 28 : Tripura Police has rescued the 16-year-old Muslim girl, who tied the nuptial knot with a Hindu youth and then remained missing for 66 days, police said on Tuesday. Western Tripura's Sepahijala District Superintendent of police Krishnendu Chakraborty said that a police team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Ajay Kumar Das rescued the girl and detained the youth Suman Sarkar from Dharmanagar late on Monday night. "With the permission of the Tripura High Court, the next course of action about the girl and the youth would be taken," the district police chief told IANS. Police have learnt that the girl is now around two months pregnant. Police, however, so far arrested five people including Tapan Debnath, a Hindutva organisation leader, in connection with the incident. "The girl, a class 9 student from Bishalgarh following love affairs, willingly married 23-year-old youth Suman Sarkar and converted into Hindu. The couple remained untraceable since July 24. Police continued a massive search operation across the state for over two months to trace the duo," Chakraborty said. The police authority had earlier handed over the case to the Crime Branch. After the police initially did not take any action to rescue the girl, her father Dulal Miah filed a complaint with the High Court. The division bench of the Tripura High Court comprising Chief Justice Akil Kumar Kureshi and Justice Satya Gopal Chattopadhyay, had directed the police to find out the girl and report to the court at the earliest. The incident has been widely debated in various political and non-political circles in the northeastern state after the teenager Muslim girl married a Hindu youth and then remained missing for 66 days. New Delhi, Sep 28: The AUKUS deal between the US, Australia and the UK to provide Australia with nuclear-powered submarines to take on China in the Indo-Pacific has caused rumblings in Japan. Japanese politicians are debating whether Japan should also possess one. Japan goes to elections in November and the nuclear submarine for Australia, coupled with Chinese aggression in the region, has become a political issue. Taro Kono-Japan's administrative reform minister, who is likely to lead the ruling party-Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), and may become the Prime Minister after Yoshihide Suga, is in favour of acquiring the submarines. In a TV debate on Sunday, he said: "As a capability, it is very important for Japan to have nuclear submarines". Nikkei Asia reports that former internal affairs minister Sanae Takaichi endorsed the idea. Talking about the positives of owning a nuclear-powered submarine, she said that Japan would be able to travel longer with such a machine. These submarines are preferred because these are quieter, have a longer range and remain underwater for long. Not everyone within the party endorses the idea. Fumio Kishida, former policy chief of the LDP feels that the country's security needs are not such that it needs to go far out from Tokyo's shores. He, therefore, does not feel the need for the Japanese Self Defence Forces to acquire a nuclear-powered submarine. The fast-track geo-political changes in the seas around Japan has given fuel to much debate within the country. China's rise as an aggressive economic and military power is making Tokyo uncomfortable. With frequent war cries about annexing Taiwan, Beijing has given much stress to Japan which feels that China might invade Japanese islands as well. The China factor has forced a worried Japan to rethink its military strategy. The slow but continuous process through which China has usurped a number of reefs and islands in the South China Sea has made Japan and other countries nervous. In the last few months Japan has been regularly highlighting Chinese aggression in the region. A white paper on defence accepted Taiwan as a separate territory from China. Tokyo has gone to the extent of saying that it will join forces with Taiwan against Chinese aggression. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought a response from the Centre and others on a plea by the West Bengal government challenging the Calcutta High Court decision to order a CBI probe into cases of murder and crimes against women, which took place during post-poll violence in the state. However, the top court declined to pass any directions to the CBI to not lodge any more FIRs in the matter. After hearing detailed arguments by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the West Bengal government, a bench of Justices Vineet Saran and Aniruddha Bose said: "You have made out the case for issuance of the notice. Let us see. We will give a short time for respondents to file counter." As Sibal urged the bench to pass a direction to CBI to not register any more cases in the matter, the bench replied: "It is only a week, nothing will happen." On his submission that the CBI is issuing notice to police officers in the cases, Justice Saran said: "You have argued about natural justice, we should not pass any order without hearing the other side." The top court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on October 7. After the hearing concluded, Sibal sought an observation from the bench that the CBI probe into the matter will be subject to the outcome of the case in the top court. The bench replied: "It is understood so even without passing a specific order... We don't need to say that." The Mamata Banerjee-led state government has challenged the high court order in the top court. A five-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court had ordered a CBI investigation into all the alleged cases of heinous crimes in the state after the poll results after accepting the recommendations of an NHRC panel. For other criminal cases connected with post-poll violence, the high court had directed court-monitored investigation by a Special Investigation Team. On September 20, the West Bengal government had told the Supreme Court that "shocking things" have happened in the state and cases, which included dacoity, were being transferred "en masse" to the CBI. "In one case, the man is alive..CBI is also investigating dacoity cases. All kinds of things are happening," Sibal submitted. The state government's plea had argued that NHRC committee report was prepared in great haste, "with a pre-conceived and motivated objective and most crucially, in utter disregard of the principles of natural justice, the established principles of criminal jurisprudence". It further added that direction transferring cases to the CBI and the SIT was not in accordance with the principles laid down by the top court, as such transfers must be done in rare or exceptional cases only. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text New Delhi, Sep 28 : Launching 35 climate-resilient crop varieties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday suggested states and NGOs to conduct various programmes and create a task force for the promotion of millets. "As part of traditional farming, India had farmers growing different crops according to different climatic conditions. In dry climate, flood-prone areas, even in snow, different varieties of crops were grown, which also had more nutrition value, especially the coarse grains, the millets. These millets are beneficial for health. Therefore, given today's lifestyle diseases, millets are much in demand," Modi said during a virtual event to launch the 35 crop varieties. The Prime Minister also dedicated to the nation the newly constructed campus of National Institute of Biotic Stress Management at Raipur in Chhattisgarh and distributed the 'Green Campus Awards' to agricultural universities. Before launching the crop varieties, he interacted with select farmers, who use innovative methods in farming. Stating that it was due to India's efforts that 2023 has been declared as the International Year of Millets by the UN, Modi said, "This is a good opportunity to showcase our tradition of millet farming on the international platform. But we will need to start working right away. I appeal to all the NGOs to arrange food festivals on the theme of millets, and conduct competitions on millet recipes. We will need to innovate if we want to take this to global platform in 2023." Observing that creating awareness about millets is necessary and suggesting that websites can be developed for millets, wherein people can contribute how and what all can be made from millets and also list its health benefits, Modi said: "I will also ask all the states to form a task force comprising experts from agriculture universities, scientists and progressive farmers and think about how India can lead and bring benefits to its farmers in 2023. You might as well start preparing for it now." "With the help of science and research solutions, it is now imperative to develop millets and other similar coarse grains. The aim is to grow millets in different parts of India as per requirement. The crop varieties launched today have a glimpse of this effort," Modi said, as he stressed on a balance of 'Back to Basic' and 'March for Future' in agriculture. Terming climate change as a big challenge not just for agriculture, but the entire ecosystem, the Prime Minister said that livestock and agriculture sectors are bearing its brunt and "the 35 varieties launched today are part of our efforts aimed at meeting that challenge". The crop varieties with special traits have been developed by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to address the twin challenges of climate change and malnutrition. Thirty-five such crop varieties with special traits like climate resilience and higher nutrient content have been developed this year. These include a drought tolerant variety of chickpea; wilt and sterility mosaic resistant pigeon pea; early maturing variety of soybean; disease resistant varieties of rice and biofortified varieties of wheat, pearl millet, maize and chickpea, quinoa, buckwheat, winged bean and faba bean. Earlier, the Prime Minister spoke with five farmers from across India and lauded their efforts, sought to know their problems, and asked if they benefitted from government efforts. The farmers were Zaitoon Begum from Ganderbal district in Jammu & Kashmir; Kulwant Singh from Bulandshahar in Uttar Pradesh; Darshana Pednekar from Bardez in Goa; Thoiba Singh from Manipur; and Suresh Rana from Udham Singh Nagar in Uttarakhand. Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel also spoke on the occasion. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Chennai, Sep 28 : The 104 Health Helpline set up by the Tamil Nadu government to counsel students who have taken the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) has found that anxiety level is high in students who have repeated the examination. The counsellors said that of the students who recorded a higher level of anxiety, 60 to 70 percent were students who have repeated the NEET. The 104 health helpline was set up after three students committed suicide in three days. While one student took the extreme step on the day of the NEET, two others took their lives after the exam. After this the health department set up the helpline through which counsellors would reach out to all the 1,10,971 aspirants from Tamil Nadu who took the NEET-UG exam. The state has engaged 60 psychologists and 25 psychiatrists to provide counselling to these students. The numbers of all the 1,10,971 students were collected and they were contacted. Periyasamy, a psychologist who is with the 104 health helpline, told IANS, "A large number of students who took the NEET were found to be tense and of this, we could find that the maximum tensed students were those who have taken the repeaters test. The repeaters generally devote the entire year to prepare for the exam by skipping their regular classes and hence they would be very tense after appearing for the examination." The counsellors said that 200 students were categorised as 'High Risk' and the counsellors are in regular touch with them to prevent them from taking any extreme step. Dr Sarvanan, Chief of 104 health helpline, told IANS, "Of the 1,10,971 NEET aspirants, 45000 did not respond to our repeated calls, but we will continue to call and try and counsel them." He said that all students would again be contacted and this process will continue till the students respond to the calls. He said that the calls would continue till the exam results are out. Dr Venkitesh Madankumar, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Chennai while speaking to IANS said, "Some students are taking the exam easily and they said that if they could not crack this, they would opt for some other career. However, 15 per cent of the students said that medicine was their life." The counsellors also said that some students who have appeared for the first time are also very tense and according to statistics these students are those who are from socially and economically weaker backgrounds. Saravanan said, "Most of such students would be first-time graduates of their families and they experience more tension. Counsellors are contacting high-risk students every alternate day and we are also in touch with their parents." He added that the details of these students are provided to the district administrations where they live and officials would visit the homes of these students. Dr Rajani. U.V, Professor of Psychiatry, Madurai Government Medical College, told IANS, "The students have to be properly taught that medicine is not the end of life nor this examination and they have high potential and they can try other areas if they were not able to crack the examinations. It has to be communicated to them." At 104, the counsellors said that most of the students who are tense want someone to listen to their issues. A psychologist while speaking to IANS said, "We are convincing them that we are there to listen to them and would sort out their problems." Dakshina Kannada : , Sep 28 (IANS) Karnataka Police have arrested five persons in connection with the alleged moral policing that took place near Surathkal in Dakshina Kannada district, said Mangaluru Police Commissioner N. Shashi Kumar on Tuesday. Commissioner Shashi Kumar said the accused had stopped the vehicle in which 6 students including three girls studying in a reputed medical institute were travelling on Sunday. They had gone to Malpe beach area on a trip and were returning when they were stopped by the accused midway. They took details from the students in the Surathkal police station limits, he added. One of the students was injured as the accused dragged him from the vehicle. A complaint was filed in this regard which mentions that they were manhandled and abused by a group of unknown men. "Our police inspector Sharif who happened to be passing by the same road in his private car stopped and controlled the mob. The students were taken to the police station to prevent any untoward incident," the complainant said. The accused told the police that they stopped the car as they got information that, the group of boys misbehaved with girls. "When we investigated the matter, no such thing was found. All belonged to the same class and studied in the second year in their professional courses," he explained. When asked about the attack that happened as the boys in the group belonged to a different religion, Commissioner Shashi Kumar said it was also one of the reasons for the attack. The video of the incident taken by one of the passers-by went viral on the social media. Sources explained that the medical students had gone to an island near Malpe Beach on a trip. They were observed and followed by the accused persons. When the group targeted the medical students, they confronted the mob and questioned them as to why they are being stopped. The investigation is on. New Delhi, Sep 28 : A 40-year-old farmer, a native of Ludhiana in Punjab who had been camping at Singhu border along with scores of other farmers protesting against the three new farm laws, has been missing since September 22. Gurdeep Singh had been visiting and staying at the protest site at Singhu for the last several weeks. He left for Ludhiana at 12.30 p.m. on September 22 but never reached his home, the complaint filed on Monday at Kundli police station (copy available with IANS) said. After failing to get any information about Gurdeep's whereabouts since he left Delhi a week ago, his uncle Shamsher Singh, who is also at Singhu, lodged the missing complaint at Kundli police station which falls under Sonepat district of Haryana and is very near the farmers' protest site. In his complaint, Shamsher Singh has mentioned that Gurdeep is 'slightly mentally disturbed'. He had come to Singhu to join the protest with him (Shamsher Singh), but he left for home alone. "He did not even reach the village. We spoke to several relatives and friends to know if he had visited any of them, but he did not. I suspect he has been kidnapped by someone. Subsequently, I decided to file a missing person complaint here at Kundli itself," Shamsher Singh told IANS. Raghuveer Singh, a member of Ludhiana based Kirti Kisan Union, under whose leadership Gurdeep Singh and many other farmers came to join the protest at Delhi, said, "It was the third time Gurdeep came here (Singhu) and left for home in the last eight months. But this time, he did not reach home. Family members, relatives and we all are trying to find him but are unable to get any clue about his whereabouts." Kundli police said they have launched a search operation in nearby areas and have also sent messages to Ludhiana police to trace Gurdeep Singh. "We have conducted a search operation in our jurisdiction. We are also in touch with Ludhiana police in this matter and we are hopeful that he will be traced as soon as possible," said the investigating officer of the case. It has been over ten months since thousands of farmers from Punjab and Haryana have been protesting against the three farm bills passed last year. On Monday on the Bharat Bandh day, a 55-year-old farmer died of cardiac arrest at Singhu. At the Singhu border, there were a large number of tractor-trolleys parked but there were relatively very few people. This is one of the places where farmers have been sitting on protest since November 2020. Apart from Singhu, farmers are also protesting at two other borders of the national capital - Tikri and Ghazipur. Lucknow, Sep 28 : Lauding the tireless efforts of Anganwadi workers in controlling the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday distributed smartphones to anganwadi workers and said that smart anganwadi will be the foundation for the all-round development of children. He said that the use of smartphones and technology will make their work even smarter. Adityanath, while distributing smartphones to 1,23,000 anganwadi workers at an event held in Lucknow on Tuesday, said, "Smartphones will make your work even smarter and this smartness should be your identity. Smartphones will provide health-related information of every child, making the daily work easy and transparent." The Chief Minister also distributed 1,87,000 New-born Growth Monitoring devices (infantometer) to each anganwadi centre to measure the level of growth of new-born children. He also handed over smartphones to 20 workers, while 10 were provided with growth monitoring devices. The remaining devices were distributed by local public representatives in the districts. Adityanath said that before 2017, Anganwadi workers were known only for protests but now they are playing an important role in the nutrition and development of children with full commitment. He said that during the second wave of the pandemic, surveillance committees were formed to check on the spread of the disease in the rural areas. The Anganwadi workers, as members of these committees, went door-to-door to provide medical kits and made people aware of the vaccine. With their dedication and work, the workers changed the perception of the people, the Chief Minister said. He further said that if Uttar Pradesh has successfully eradicated the encephalitis disease by 95-97 per cent, the credit goes to the Anganwadi workers. Chennai, Sep 28 : The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the Inspector General, Registration to inspect activities of all registered societies set up under the Tamil Nadu Registration Act, 1975 and to take action against those indulging in illegal activities. Disposing of a writ petition filed by the Pandian recreation club, Komaleeswaranpatti (Chennai), Justice S.M. Subramanian ordered the Inspector General, Registration to complete the exercise in 12 weeks. The court also directed the Director General of Police to share the FIRs registered across the state against the societies that are indulging in illegal activities and acting against provisions of their bylaws. The Inspector General, Registration was asked to either conduct inspection through the jurisdictional district registrars or by constituting a special team, and strictly ordered to cancel registration of the societies found indulging in illegal activities and against provisions in their bylaws. Justice Subramanian noted that the police are periodically conducting inspections and registering FIRs against such clubs and societies that are indulging in illegal activities, as he came down heavily against the Registration Department for not conducting a periodic inspection on the premises of these societies and clubs even after complaints were raised against them. "The common complaint against the Registration Department is that the Department is neither conducting inspections periodically nor initiating any action for cancellation of registration even after unlawful and illegal activities are visible in many such societies," he said. Bagalkot : Sep 28 (IANS) Continuing attack on the BJP and the RSS, Karnataka Opposition leader Siddaramaiah on Tuesday said that the country got Independence because of the efforts of Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and not the RSS. He further questioned, "Did Godse (Nathuram Godse who killed Mahatma Gandhi) win freedom for us, and did Savarkar (Veer Savarkar) win Independence for the country?" Siddaramaiah further asked, "Did anyone from the RSS or the BJP die or sacrificed their life for the freedom of India? The people in BJP do not know history." He defended his earlier statement of equating Taliban with the RSS and the BJP, saying whoever does not believe in humanity is Taliban. The BJP and the RSS do not have faith in humanism. They do not believe in the democratic values. They don't even respect the constitution. Since they do not rule according to the principles of the constitution they are called Talibanis and those having the culture of Hitler. Earlier, Siddaramaiah had chided the RSS cadre as 'chaddis' (shorts, referring to the short pants worn by RSS cadre) on Sunday. Even he described BJP and RSS leaders as monstrous. Hitting back, BJP National General Secretary and MLA C.T. Ravi said that Siddaramaiah is a liar. Due to the age factor, he is blinded to certain things and he needs treatment. "If Taliban was supposed to be in power, he would have been hanging on a pole by this time," he said. Home Minister Araga Jnanendra said, if he could not differentiate between the Taliban and the BJP, he does not wish to comment on it. "Siddaramaiah is a leader of Opposition who wants to say a few things. It is clear that he is not able to digest the good work done by the BJP in Karnataka," he said. San Francisco, Sep 28 : Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced that Tesla plans to start adding 1,000 new Full Self-Driving Beta testers per day based on their "safety score" starting next week. The electric vehicle company's plan for a "wider release" of its Full Self-Driving Beta, which was first supposed to come six months ago, has changed a lot in the last week, reports Electrek. It went from a simple "download button" that would have allowed people who bought the Full Self-Driving package to download the latest software to now a "request button" that starts a period of judging your driving based on some parameters and adds you to a queue to maybe get the new software. The auto-tech website previously reported that there are also some problems with Tesla's "safety score" as it penalises some owners for no fault of their own. Now, Musk has clarified the plan for the rollout based on safety scores in a series of tweets. "Wow, lot of interest in FSD beta! Plan is to roll out version 10.2 midnight Friday, then on-ramp ~1000 owners/day, prioritized by safety rating. First few days probably 100/100, then 99, 98, etc," Musk wrote. In a follow-up tweet, Musk corrected that the v10.2 release will be "a week from Friday," which is apparently when Tesla will start on-boarding more beta testers. With an estimated 2,000 people in the early access programme, Tesla would be doubling the fleet of cars with access to the Full Self-Driving Beta after just two days. However, as a reminder, while the package is called "Full Self-Driving" (FSD) and comes with the promise of eventually enabling that capability, it currently does not provide a full self-driving system. Tesla FSD Beta enables Tesla vehicles to virtually drive themselves both on highways and city streets by simply entering a location in the navigation system, but it is still considered a level 2 driver assist since it requires driver supervision at all times. The driver remains responsible for the vehicle, and needs to keep their hands on the steering wheel and be ready to take control. Yavatmal : , Sep 28 (IANS) In a shocker, at least four persons were killed when state transport bus with at least 8 passengers on board was washed away while crossing a submerged bridge in Umerkhed in Maharashtra's Yavatmal on Tuesday morning. Apparently ignoring warnings by locals, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) Nanded-Nagpur bus drove ahead in the flood waters which had submerged the bridge. Barely had it gone a few metres, the bus got trapped in the powerful water currents, the driver lost control, and the vehicle with the passengers toppled into the river. Almost sunk to the roof, it was pulled ahead several metres by turbulent river flow before it got wedged in a fallen tree trunk. By late afternoon, rescue teams managed to fish out the bodies of the bus driver, conductor, and two passengers. At least four other passengers managed to clamber onto the roof of the bus, bobbing dangerously in the swirling river and three were rescued by the villagers. Employment Guarantee Minister Sandipanrao Bhumre, who is the Guardian Minister of Yavatmal, supervised the search and rescue ops. A crane with ropes was deployed on the river bank to retrieve the bus stuck in the fast-flowing river this evening as rains continued to lash the district as the side-effects of the Gulab cyclone. Top district, police officials, ST officers and fire brigade teams also rushed to help the rescue efforts along with youths from surrounding villages. Several parts of the state including the coastal Konkan districts of Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Nashik, Pune, Dhule, Nandurbar, Beed, Osmanabad, Satara, Kolhapur, Solapur, Aurangabad, Jalna, Nanded, Latur, Parbhani, Yavatmal, Chandrapur, and others have been lashed by torrential rains in the past three days. New Delhi, Sep 28 : Afghanistan's banking system is close to collapse. Syed Moosa Kaleem Al-Falahi, the Chief Executive of the Islamic Bank of Afghanistan, said the country's financial industry is in the grip of an "existential crisis" as customers panic, BBC reported. "There's huge withdrawals happening at the moment", he said, speaking from Dubai, where he is temporarily based because of the chaos in Kabul. "Only withdrawals are happening, most of the banks are not functioning, and not providing full services," he added, the report said. Afghanistan's economy was already on shaky ground even before the Taliban took control in August. But since the Taliban takeover, the West has frozen international funds, including assets Afghanistan could have accessed with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). So accessing international funds and foreign assistance is key to Afghanistan's survival. But countries like the US have said that while they are willing to consider working with the Taliban - it will depend on some pre-conditions - including the regime's treatment of women and minorities. Lucknow, Sep 28 : The UP Congress on Tuesday held demonstrations across the state to demand a judicial probe into the Pratapgarh incident and withdrawal of cases against Congress leaders. Former Congress MP Pramod Tiwari and Congress legislature Party leader Aradhana Mishra have been booked in five cases after violence broke out during a government function in Pratapgarh on Saturday in which BJP MP Sangam Lal Gupta was reportedly injured. The state government had on Sunday placed circle officer Lalganj (Pratapgarh) Jagmohan Singh under suspension for failing to deploy adequate police force at Sangipur development block where leaders of the two political parties were scheduled to attend the event. Denying their involvement in the incident the Congress leaders said that trouble began when one of the supporters of Gupta snatched the mic and raised slogans. Congress leaders staged a protest and submitted memorandums to the chief minister through the district magistrates with their list of demands. Hyderabad, Sep 28 : Vehicular traffic was barred on two bridges across Musi river, which was in spate on Tuesday following release of flood water from twin reservoirs of Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar. Hyderabad traffic police closed Chaderghat causeway and Moosaram bridge for traffic as a precautionary measure as the water level rose in the river following huge inflows from upstream. The traffic on two key bridges was diverted, leading to traffic jams in Chaderghat, Old Malakpet, Amberpet and surrounding areas on both sides. Senior police officials in coordination with the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation were monitoring the situation. An alert was sounded at Moosaram Bagh, Shanker Nagar and other areas on the river bank. Following heavy rains that lashed Hyderabad and surrounding districts over the last two days under the impact of Cyclone 'Gulab', water levels in both Himayat Sagar and Osman Sagar reached the Full Tank Level (FTL), forcing the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) to open the gates to release excess water in the river. While two gates of Himayat Sagar were opened on Monday, four more gates were opened on Tuesday. The water level in the reservoir was 1,763.50 feet on Tuesday against the FTL of 1,763.50 feet. HMWS&SB officials said the reservoir was receiving 4,200 cusecs of water from upstream. Four gates of Osman Sagar, popularly known as Gandipet, were also opened as the water level had reached the FTL of 1,790 feet. It was receiving 1,360 cusecs of inflows. As Musi river flows through the city, authorities have alerted people living near the banks. Meanwhile, a human body was seen getting washed away in Musi river near Moosarambagh. A video of the same went viral over social media. Some people saw the body floating and it got washed away downstream. Traffic police has also closed the 100 feet road along Musi river near Puranapul for traffic as the road was inundated. The vehicular traffic was diverted at both ends of the road. Interestingly, September 28 marks 113 years since the great floods of Musi river that caused massive devastation in 1908. According to archival information, the floods killed nearly 15,000 people, destroyed about 19,000 homes and rendered 80,000 homeless. Following the deluge, the Nizam of then Hyderabad State got Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar built upstream to control floods in Musi. The Musi river runs west to east and separates old city on its southern bank to the new city on its northern bank. Meanwhile, the Irrigation Department has constituted a team comprising 15 engineers to immediately inspect all 185 lakes in GHMC and the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA) limits and take preventive measures to check breaches. This comes after overflowing Appa Cheruvu (lake) inundated Hyderabad-Bengaluru national highway at Gaganpahad, forcing the authorities to divert the traffic going towards Hyderabad Airport, Kurnool, and Bengaluru. New Delhi, Sep 28 : Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Tuesday called for collective efforts from his Ministry, the Animal Husbandry Ministry and the Ayush Ministry to eradicate rabies by 2030. "We have to win the fight against rabies by 2030. It should be a comprehensive endeavour of the Health Ministry and Animal Husbandry Ministry, and we should also include the Ayush Ministry," he said as he launched a "National Action Plan for Dog Mediated Rabies Elimination from India by 2030". "Today, as people move from one place to another, the virus also goes with them. Many diseases have increased, many diseases have decreased, if only the Ministry of Health will try, the result will not come. We have to make efforts together," he added. The theme for Theme of this year's World Rabies Day is 'Rabies: Facts, not Fear' and Mandaviya dedicated the day towards taking concrete action, spreading awareness & dispelling fear amongst the community to prevent rabies. Mandaviya also said that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is also working on reducing the cost of rabies vaccines. "We are moving forward in ending tuberculosis because an ecosystem has been created to end it. In the same way, we have to campaign aggressively against rabies," he said, stressing enhanced inter-ministerial coordination for the objective. Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Bharati Pravin Pawar and Union Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying MNinister Parshottam Rupala were also present on the occasion. New Delhi, Sep 28 : Ahead of Bhabanipur bypoll on September 30, the BJP West Bengal unit is sending personalised letters to voters of the assembly constituency seeking support for its candidate Priyanka Tibrewal. Union minister of state for education, Dr Subhash Sarkar is leading the program to reach out to the voters through letters. It is learnt that over 40,000 inland letters will be sent door to door in support of BJP candidate Tibrewal. According to sources, letters will be delivered to voters before the polling on September 30 and will appeal to them to vote for the party candidate to save Bengal from misrule of chief minister Banerjee. "Through the inland letter, we will tell the voters that Mamata di is destroying West Bengal with each passing day. They must defeat her in Bhabanipur bypoll to save the state from her misrule. People of Nandigram had done it, now it is time for Bhabanipur voters," a party leader said. The letter will also tell voters about BJP candidate Tibrewal and her fight to get justice for victims of post poll violence. "We will tell the voters that Tibrewal is a daughter of West Bengal and how she fought for the victims of post-poll violence," another BJP leader said. Tibrewal had played a crucial role in the recent incidents of post poll violence in West Bengal and had taken the cases to the Calcutta High Court to seek justice for the murder of Abhijeet Sarkar. She has been successful in getting court order for CBI investigation and also constitution of a Special Investigation Team (SIT). BJP West Bengal co-incharge Amit Malviya told IANS that BJP will defeat Chief Minister Banerjee in Bhabanipur this time. "BJP will create another history by defeating Chief Minister Banerjee for the second consecutive time within a five months period. We are contesting the Bhabanipur bypoll to win and will win," Malviya said. BJP national vice president and former chief of the party West Bengal unit, Dilip Ghosh said that Chief Minister Banerjee realised that this time she is facing the toughest fight and might lose the election from Bhabanipur. "Presence of all the ministers of Mamata cabinet in Bhabanipur tells you that she is not on the strong pitch," Ghosh added. New Delhi, Sep 28 : India on Tuesday signed two important pacts with the US during the concluding session of the two-day 4th Indo-US Health Dialogue. The first MoU was signed between the Health Ministry of India and the Department of Health and Human Services of the US for cooperation in the field of Health and Biomedical Sciences. Another MoU was signed between Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) & National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) for cooperation with the International Centre for Excellence in Research (ICER). The two-day Dialogue leveraged as a platform to deliberate upon multiple ongoing collaborations in the health sector between the US and India. Issues related to strengthening of epidemiological research and surveillance, vaccine development, One Health, zoonotic and vector-borne diseases, health systems and health policies were discussed in the Dialogue. Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya addressed the session on the concluding day of the Health Dialogue. He said, "For India, we value our engagement with the US on various fronts and we have travelled a long path in the past continuously nurturing this relationship. US being the oldest modern democratic country & India being the largest democratic country in the modern world, constructive and positive cooperation amongst both countries can lead to peace, harmony and growth not only for both sides but for world at large." The Minister said that both India and the US are global partners, and we need to work collaboratively in reforming the global health architecture, whose faultlines have become amply visible during the current pandemic. Equally important areas wherein both India and US can work relates to managing health emergencies, supporting digital health and innovation, mental health interventions, research coupled with production related to diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines, considering India offering its low-cost research network and huge production capacities. This has implications for access and affordability of medicines not only for the US and India but also for the whole world, said the Minister. "India supplies nearly all the developing world's high-quality generic medicines. We are also the largest manufacturer of anti-TB drugs. Leveraging on this capability, we can supply affordable high-quality medication for patients the world over", said Mandaviya. Mumbai, Sep 28 : The Bombay High Court on Tuesday dismissed a bail plea filed by Yes Bank founder Rana Kapoor's wife Bindu, and their daughters Roshini Kapoor and Radha Kapoor-Khanna, and former bank senior executive Rajiv Anand, in the financial irregularities pertaining to the Dewan Housing Financials Ltd (DHFL) cases. In her detailed order rejecting their bail pleas, Justice Bharati Dangre observed that the petitioners are accused of committing serious offences which have "resulted in serious dent to the financial health of the state" and defrauding the public at large. The court further said that such "heinous" offences seem to be on "occurring in plenty", leading to "stultifying overall growth of the nationand caused tremendous impairment to the economy of the nation". Moreover, the Central Bureau of Investigation had opposed the bail plea on grounds that the accused are influential and affluent persons, and the probable witnesses are employees who may be influenced, and evidence may be tampered with if they (the accused) are enlarged on bail. The petitioners applied for bail before a special CBI court which declined the plea and the accused continue to be in judicial custody till October 1, after which they challenged the lower court order in the Bombay HC. Senior advocates Mahesh Jethmalani, Amit Desi, and Aabad Ponda represented the applicants while the CBI was represented by its counsel Hiten S. Venegaonkar. The CBI has contended that between April-June 2018, the Yes Bank had invested Rs 3,700 crore in short-term debentures of DHFL and in return, the latter paid alleged kickbacks of Rs 900 crore to Kapoor in the form of loans to a company, DoIT Urban Ventures Ltd, owned and controlled by his wife and their daughters. Kapoor was nabbed in March 2020 by the CBI and later also by the Enforcement Directorate and remains in custody since the past 18 months. Bengaluru, Sep 28 : Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Tuesday stated that the state will come up with an anti-conversion law to prevent forceful conversions. Speaking to reporters he stated that any incidence of religious conversion by luring a person is illegal. "I have given directions to district administrations to take action in this regard. Incidents of conversion are being reported in the state. We have taken the issue very seriously." The process to bring legislation to prevent forceful religious conversion has begun in the state, he underlined. Meanwhile, Byadarahalli police are investigating a case of forceful religious conversion reported on Tuesday. It was alleged that in a building owned by one Narayanaswamy, as many as 20 children were forced to participate in prayers. Based on the complaint, the police have issued a notice to Narayanaswamy. A similar case was also reported from Yadgir recently. The issue of religious conversion had rocked the recently concluded legislative assembly session. Hosadurga BJP MLA Goolihatti Shekar claimed on the floor of the House that Christian missionaries had got his mother converted. He stated that she is not letting others in the house worship Hindu gods and even changed her ring tone to Christian prayers on her cell phone. He expressed helplessness that if he tried to object, his mother told him that she would end her life. He claimed that as many as 20,000 people in his constituency have been converted to Christianity by missionaries. He alleged that if anyone questioned the missionaries about religious conversions, they filed FIRs alleging rape and atrocities. New Delhi, Sep 28 : Hyderabad-based pharma major Bharat Biotech said on Tuesday that the company is diligently working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to get Emergency Use Listing (EUL) for its Covid vaccine, Covaxin. Bharat Biotech said in a statement that it will make an announcement to indicate the availability of regulatory approval at an appropriate time. The WHO's EUL approval for Covaxin was expected by 5 October as WHO's Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE) was scheduled to meet on this day to make its recommendations on Bharat Biotech's Covaxin for Emergency Use Listing. The process has been delayed as more technical data has been sought from the pharma major. "As a responsible manufacturer with past approvals for our other vaccines, we do not find it appropriate to speculate or comment on the regulatory approval process and its timelines. We are diligently working with the WHO to obtain the EUL at the earliest," the statement said. "At an appropriate time we will make the announcement to indicate the availability of regulatory approval," it added. Earlier this month, Bharat Biotech had said that it had submitted all the data to the WHO for the EUL for Covaxin and was awaiting feedback from the UN public health agency. "Covaxin's clinical trial data was fully compiled and made available in June 2021. All the data was submitted for EUL application to the World Health Organization in early July. We have responded to any clarifications sought by WHO and are awaiting further feedback," the pharma company had tweeted. New Delhi, Sep 28: The acute power shortage in China, which has already brought down its industrial activities, is set to have an impact on economic growth. China, the first country to come out of the Covid 19 pandemic induced crisis is now starting at a slowdown of factory output. Driven by a surge in coal prices amid increase in demand, power shortage - the worst in the last 10 years - is likely to continue till next year. "Candles are back in China," said a person residing there. China is largely dependent on coal for its energy requirements. Beijing based news organisation Global Times in fact said that it could persist till March next year. Goldman Sachs, in a report, has slashed the country's growth projection from the previous 8.2 per cent to 7.8 per cent for this year. It noted that the power crisis has severely impacted industrial activities. Not just that. This could have far reaching implications as China's exports could also be impacted. Why is China facing a power shortage? While Chinese President Xi Jinping has set a target to reduce energy intensity and bring carbon emissions to a peak by 2030 and to net zero by 2060, David Fishman, a consultant at energy consultancy Lantau Group told Fortune that China's policy of emission reduction is a secondary cause for the power shortage. According to Fishman, the "primary culprit is coal and gas prices which have more than doubled in China this year due to a resurgence in 'post-pandemic' global demand." Bloomberg in a report also said that "China's energy crisis is partially of its own as Xi "tries to ensure blue skies at the Winter Olympics in Beijing next February and show the international community he's serious about de-carbonizing the economy." "Many countries and governments are abruptly shunning conventional energy such as coal which is critical for electricity generation. While it is important to reduce energy intensity, it cannot be done in a hurry..it takes time and needs to be done in a phased manner," an energy expert told India Narrative. The current situation has left many companies - domestic as well as foreign worried. Scores of companies have announced power rationing could force them to delay filling orders and might hurt them financially, ABC News said. In fact, many suppliers of multinational companies such as Apple and Tesla in China, have had to halt production in a bid to adhere to the energy consumption policies. Daily lives impacted Power outages have hit daily lives too. Several provinces in northeast China have been hit by power cuts. Besides, traffic lights in several cities have been disrupted. Javier Blas, Bloomberg's chief energy correspondent tweeted, "At least 20 Chinese provinces and regions making up for more than 66 per cent of the country's GDP have announced some form of power cuts." Many hospitals have also gone without power supply. Power cuts are not uncommon in China. But in the last few months, the frequency has gone up exponentially. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative New Delhi, Sep 28: The real threat of terror sleeper cells getting active after the return of the Taliban in Afghanistan is worrying several Central Asian countries, especially Tajikistan. Ata Mohammad Noor, leader of Jamiat-e Islami Afghanistan and the former governor of Balkh Province, had recently compiled and made public a list of 39 jihadist organisations operating in the region - from the Islamic State and Jamaat Ansarullah to the East Turkestan Islamic Movement and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. An ethnic Tajik who had left Afghanistan with Abdul Rashid Dostum and vowed to "settle accounts" with the Taliban, Noor revealed the contents of his list before the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Dushanbe, earlier this month. "According to the politician, the leaders of these organisations are located in the Afghan province of Badakhshan. And the main leader of the groups is Haji Furqan, a citizen of Kazakhstan and a representative of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement," said a report in Sputnik Tajikistan. It mentions that the Taliban calls the members of these most dangerous terrorist groups "Islamic brothers" and continues to cooperate with them. Experts reckon that even though the Taliban is currently projecting to the world that it will not allow terrorists to operate from the Afghanistan soil, it won't be too long for these radical groups to launch operations in Central Asian countries after receiving direct orders from Kabul. They say that several cells in the neighbouring countries have already become active since August 15, the day Taliban took control of the Afghan capital. "Together with the Taliban, the victory is being celebrated by Salafis and jihadists all over the world, including in the CIS countries. In their eyes, the victory of the Taliban looks like a good example that should be repeated in other countries. So, of course, it would be logical to expect an intensification of the propaganda of the jihadist and Salafi underground throughout the CIS," Parviz Mullojanov, a noted political scientist from Tajikistan told Dushanbe-based news agency Asia-Plus. The analyst believes that most likely, the Taliban will hold back their allies for some time and will not allow massive breakthroughs across the borders, so as not to spoil relations with Russia and China, with which they apparently already have agreements on this matter. "But they will not be kicked out of the country either, and they are unlikely to be able to. So they will be given the opportunity to continue their activities: create training camps, bases, conduct propaganda and recruit new supporters through the Internet and social networks," he said. The Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) organisation members Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have already announced a series of large-scale military exercises on the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border to counter the Taliban threat. Last week, while speaking at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon highlighted once again the threat Taliban's return to power in Kabul poses to regional security and stability. Asserting that the Tajiks of Afghanistan - who comprise more than 46 per cent of the country's population - have the right to take their deserved pie in the public affairs, Rahmon said that the growing intensity of fights between the ethnic groups and tribes is another factor further destabilizing the political and security situation in the region. "Various terrorist groups are actively using the unstable military and political situation in Afghanistan to strengthen their position. We have witnessed the release of thousands of members of ISIS, al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups," said the Tajikistan President. "In other words, it is a matter of concern and regret that today Afghanistan is once again on the path to becoming a breeding ground for international terrorism," he added. Tajikistan, which he said due to its geographical location, is at the forefront of countering current threats and challenges, such as terrorism, extremism, radicalization, drug trafficking and other transnational organised crime, will continue its efforts to prevent their further spread. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative New Delhi, Sep 28: Prime Minister Narendra Modis address to the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Modi has been noted for its messaging at many levels. During his robust speech, PM Modi spoke about the threat from Afghanistan's descent into a hub of global terrorism , after the forcible takeover of the country by a radical Taliban . The PM also strongly advocated the urgency for a rule-based governance of the high seas-a veiled reference to China's expansionism in the South China Sea. But the subtext of the PM message was even more profound. PM Modi bannered during his address that threated by regressive models of radicalism and authoritarianism, democracy as a governing system is the way forward for the rest of the world, including the Global South. PM Modi stressed that democracy delivers good governance, citing India's solid achievements in the social and economic spheres. Consequently, democracy as a superior system that guaranteed prosperity , without undermining fundamental rights such as free speech and gender equality is, by its very nature, also a vital antidote to defeat false narratives of radicalism, pursued by Pakistan, and an oligarchic model adopted by China. In fact, China been espousing that its top-down model is the best way to achieve rapid economic progress-a message that it has hammering at elites, especially in the developing world, under its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). PM Modi robustly countered this flawed advocacy during his UNGA intervention. In a veiled reference to Pakistan, which has been backing Taliban radicals in Afghanistan, the Prime Minister warned that, a policy of sponsoring terrorism can backfire on its perpetrators. "Those who use terrorism as a political tool have to understand that terrorism is an equally big threat to them as well," PM Modi stressed. The Prime Minister also bugled that , "The danger from regressive and extremist thinking is on the rise," --a day after India gave a strong response to Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan bringing up the Kashmir issue at the UNGA. In an oblique reference to China on account of its increased belligerence in the Indo-Pacific, the Prime Minister asserted that an that oceans were a shared heritage. "The oceans should be used, not abused," he remarked. "Our oceans are also the lifeline of international trade. We must protect them from the race for expansion. The international community must speak in one voice to strengthen a rule-based world order," he added. In contrast to regressive models which are not based on rationality or science, the Indian model of revitalised democracy worked to usher in a new era of modernisation, which makes full use of digital technology. PM Modi highlighted that India, an emerging economy, is carrying out a campaign to ensure that piped clean water reaches over 170 million homes in India. India was also using drones to map over 600,000 villages to give people digital records of their homes and lands, a process that will reduce property disputes and give people increased access to credit and bank loans. The Prime Minister went on to say that India's progress in the scientific and technological sectors was scalable, cost effective and could benefit the world. Indeed, its new Covid-19 vaccine delivery programme offered digital support to register the administration of millions of doses in a single day. PM Modi also announced that India has developed the world's first DNA vaccine, which can be administered to anyone above the age of 12, and an mRNA vaccine that is in the final stages of development, he added. "Despite limited resources, India ... is completely invested in the development and manufacture of vaccines," said Modi, issuing an open invitation to manufactures across the world: "Come, make vaccine in India." In another reference that questioned the Chinese model, PM Modi said that India is becoming a democratic and reliable partner for global industrial diversification. Moreover, India has struck a balance between economy and ecology, and is moving forward with "great speed" on its renewable energy goals. "Science-based, rational and progressive thinking must be the basis for development," said Modi, explaining that India was rolling out innovative programmes in schools, creating 'start-up labs', and, in honour of the 75th anniversary of the country's independence, planning to launch 75 satellites - made by Indian students - into space. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative New Delhi, Sep 28 : The 'Har Ghar Jal Yojana' of the Ministry of Jal Shakti has achieved a significant milestone of providing tap water to over five crore (5,00,09,340) new rural households. With this achievement, about 8.24 crore rural households (42.83 per cent) have started getting pure drinking water in sufficient quantity through taps, a ministry release said. As many as 1,15,278 villages of 919 blocks across the country have become 'Har Ghar Jal Gaon'. On August 15, 2019, only about 3.23 crore (about 17 per cent) households were getting tap water, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the Jal Jeevan Mission. Expressing happiness over the feat, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said, "This has been achieved in collaboration with the states." He said the Jal Jeevan Mission team is working steadfastly with the states to fulfil the goal set by the Prime Minister. The mission is moving ahead faster than the deadline set for providing pure drinking water to every household in rural India. "Today, we can take pride in the fact that in about 25 months, the Ministry of Jal Shakti has crossed the mark of providing five crore new tap connections with the help of the states. Every connection is being geotagged with the Aadhaar of the head of the family," Shekhawat said. Goa, Telangana, Andaman & Nicobar Island, Puducherry, Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman Diu have already become 'Har Ghar Jal' state/UT under the Jal Jeevan Mission. Twenty-one out of the 22 districts in Haryana have achieved the target of 'Har Ghar Jal', and soon the state will also be included in this list. Bengaluru, Sep 28 : Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai will face his first litmus test after taking charge in the form of by-elections in Sindhagi and Hanagal assembly constituencies. The date of the polls has been announced by the Election Commission. However, Bommai stated that the party would fight the by-elections under collective leadership. By-elections will be held on October 30 and the results will be announced on November 2. The assembly seats were lying vacant following the deaths of former minister and senior BJP leader C.M. Udasi who represented Hanagal constituency in Haveri district and former minister and Janata Parivar leader C.M. Managuli who represented Sindhagi constituency in Vijayapura district. Managuli had won on a JD (S) ticket in the last assembly elections. Bommai has stated that the party will fight the elections under collective leadership. "The issue has been discussed in the core committee meeting of the party. The party observers will be finalised by state party President Nalin Kumar Kateel and sent to the constituencies to finalise the candidates," he stated. "The people are with us. Booth level party workers will ensure victory in both the constituencies," he underlined without taking the name of former chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa. Former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy stated that the JD (S)will field candidates in both the constituencies and pull out all stops to ensure victory. Congress Working President Eshwar Khandre announced that the party is ready to face the by-elections. "All senior leaders have already discussed strategy and we have announced the candidate for Sindhagi constituency and the Hanagal candidate will be finalised soon," he stated. The by-elections have become a matter of prestige for Bommai as he needs to prove himself in the first assembly by-elections after he became the Chief Minister. The late Udasi had won the Hanagal seat 6 times and the BJP had won the Sindhagi seat twice before the late Managuli wrested it for the JD (S) in the last election. Chennai, Sep 28 : An eight-month pregnant woman in Chennai died after consuming pills to abort the foetus, as she was reportedly afraid of delivery-related complications, police said on Tuesday. Kumari Kanjakam, 23, was a native of Odisha but she migrated to Chennai with her husband, Pratap Ulaka, and niece Geetha Kanjaka. Police said that she had visited Odisha along with her niece to attend the funeral of a woman who died of labour-related complications, and as a result, was tense on return to Chennai. After reaching Chennai on September 20, she slipped in the bathroom, complained of stomach ache and was taken to the Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital. Doctors there diagnosed that she had contracted an infection in her womb and was critical, and informed the family that her uterus had to be removed. Surgery to remove her uterus was conducted but she did not recover and died. Following a post-mortem examination, and enquiry with the family, it was found that she had taken pills to abort the foetus. While the hospital refused to comment, a doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity, told IANS that her uterus was already weak following her bathroom fall and the pills had worsened her condition. Chandigarh, Sep 28 : Punjab Minister Razia Sultana resigned from the Cabinet on Tuesday to express "solidarity" with Navjot Singh Sidhu, who resigned as state Congress chief. In her resignation, she said she was quitting "in solidarity with Navjot Singh Sidhu". Her resignation came hours after she was given water supply and sanitation, social security, women and child development, printing, and stationery departments in the new Cabinet led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi. Her husband, Mohammed Mustafa, a former Director General of Police, was appointed Sidhu's chief strategic adviser when the latter took over as Punjab Congress chief in July. New Delhi, Sep 28 : There is a Twitter war going on between senior BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy and Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga, the national secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) with allegations and counter allegations flying thick and fast against each other. Supporters of both the leaders are also eliciting support for their respective leaders and making all kinds of comments on the social media. Subramanian Swamy had tweeted targeting Tajinder Bagga, saying, "Journalists from Delhi told me that before joining BJP, Tajinder Bagga was jailed several times by Mandir Marg police station in New Delhi for petty offences." He also asked a question to the BJP's national president J.P. Nadda in the same tweet, saying that if this is true, then Nadda should know this. Infuriated by Swamy's direct attack, Bagga hit back at Swamy saying, "Heard you are James Bond's uncle. Instead of tweeting, call Mandir Marg SHO and expose me with details. I'll give you 48 hours after that it's my turn. Your time starts now." Talking to IANS, Bagga said that Subramanian Swamy is the same person who brought down the government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee and now he keeps writing against Prime Minister Modi. Bagga said he will keep exposing Swamy on his old statements. "Now he has attacked me directly, I am giving him 48 hours ultimatum to come clean on this, after that I will send a legal notice to him," he said. Bagga told IANS that no case was ever registered against him at Mandir Marg police station. "Before 2014, there were 5 cases against me and till date only 3 are pending, and all are political," he added. Earlier, while sharing a screenshot of a news item, Swamy had tweeted that he did not participate in any meeting of opposition leaders as claimed by Bagga. He asked whether the party president will take action against the BJYM leader for telling lies or will the Morcha President take action against Bagga? Mumbai, Sep 28 : Notching one of its quickest investigations, the Mumbai Police on Tuesday filed the charge sheet in the brutal Sakinaka rape-cum-murder case of a 32-year old woman early on September 10. "We have filed a 346-page charge sheet before the Hon' Dindoshi Court, within 18 days of the crime," Mumbai Police spokesperson and DCP Chaitanya S. said. The police have invoked sections pertaining to rape and murder, besides the SC/ST act on the sole arrested accused, he said. Hours after the barbaric incident, which had sparked a nationwide furore, prime accused Mohan Chauhan, 45, was nabbed as he was preparing to flee to his native place Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, by the Mumbai Police which lived upto its reputation for crime probes. Chauhan, a jobless driver is said to have killed the woman in a fit of rage over some monetary disputes and the charge sheet details the sequence of events, the causes and other aspects leading to the heinous crime. Following the huge altercation at an isolated spot in Sakinaka, Chauhan raped her, and then brutalised her by thrusting an iron rod into her private parts before fleeing. An alert local security guard called up the Mumbai Police Main Control Room around 3 a.m. and a Sakinaka police station team rushed there and immediately shifted her to Rajawadi Hospital where she succumbed after over 30 hours. Taking strong cognisance, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray ordered the investigations to be completed within a month and the charge sheet to be filed in the case, which the investigating team has done within 18 days. The charge sheet also has the statement of the watchman, other witnesses who had seen the victim and the accused together, the medical teams which attempted to save her, the relatives of the accused, etc. In the wake of the incident, the Mumbai Police has implemented a series of measures to ensure the safety of women, especially at night, strengthening of existing patrolling and detection methods, etc. New Delhi, Sep 28 : In a setback to Adani Gas, the Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed its plea, challengings the bidding process for the supply of PNG and CNG in three areas of Ahmedabad district. A bench of Justices U.U. Lalit, S. Ravindra Bhat, and Hrishikesh Roy upheld the Gujarat High Court's September 2018 judgment, which allowed supply of natural gas as a clean and green fuel in the three areas of outer Ahmedabad region, by state-run gas distributor Gujarat Gas. Adani had challenged the validity of Regulation 18 of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) (authorising entities to lay, build, operate, or expand city or local natural gas distribution networks) Regulations, 2008 as violative of Articles 14 and 19(1)(g) of the Constitution, and ultra vires Section 16 of the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006. Adani Gas, in the bidding process which was carried out by the PNGRB in 2016, lost to state-run Gujarat Gas Ltd to supply PNG and CNG in Sanand, Bavla, and Dholka areas of the district. In its 79-page judgment, the top court said: "It is held that Regulation 18 is neither arbitrary, nor ultra vires. The objective underlying Regulation 18, is compatible with the overall objectives of the PNGRB Act. Regulation 18 is not contraindicated by any specific provision of the Act. Further, as a sectoral regulator, the PNGRB is entrusted with the power to frame appropriate regulations to ensure the objectives of the Act, and thus the challenge to Regulation 18 cannot succeed." The bench said that the PNGRB is entrusted with the power to frame appropriate regulations and also bring about fairness in the marketplace. It held that Adani's claim is precluded by the principle of approbate-reprobate, as the company accepted authorisation granted by the PNGRB (including exclusion of disputed areas), furnished the performance bond, and even participated in the auction for the excluded areas. "Only thereafter challenged authorisation when its bid was unsuccessful. It is held, that exclusion of the disputed areas was justified in the overall facts and circumstances," the bench noted. Gujarat Gas submitted that Adani was always aware of its rights, and availed the opportunity to participate in the bidding for the disputed (excluded) areas, and therefore, cannot be allowed to question the decision of the PNGRB to grant a license to it, for some areas. Gujarat Gas had complained against Adani to the regulator, accusing it of unauthorised expansion of its gas distribution network in the three areas of the district. The top court noted that role of the state government in granting NOC is only supportive or collaborative, in terms of the Centre's 2006 policy, and cannot confer any advantage to any entity, which has to seek and be granted specific authorisation in terms of the PNGRB Act on the merits of its application. The top court dismissed Adani's appeal and also imposed a cost of Rs 10 lakh which would be payable to the Centre. Bengaluru, Sep 28 : The Karnataka High Court on Tuesday set aside the order of appointment of Muslim Moulvi Syed Ghouse Mohiddin to perform pujas in Dutta Peetha of Chikkamagalur district. The appointment was made by the Congress government headed by Siddaramaiah. Datta Peetha located in Bababudangiri Hills in Chikkamagalur district has been described as the BJP's Ayodhya in Karnataka. The Commissioner of Religious Endowments Department had issued the order appointing Moulvi Syed Ghouse Mohiddin to perform puja in the temple on March 19, 2018. The order was challenged by the Sri Guru Dattatreya Peetha Samvardhana Samithi and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP). The bench headed by Justice Dinesh Kumar, after setting aside the earlier order, directed the state government to take an appropriate decision in the matter after considering it as a fresh case. The ruling BJP leadership in the state has welcomed the verdict of the High Court. C.T.Ravi, National General Secretary and BJP MLA who came into the limelight after active participation in the campaign to claim Datta Peetha as a Hindu religious centre, said that his heart is filled with joy following the court decision setting aside the appointment of the Moulvi to conduct worship in the Peetha. "All Hindus will be glad about the decision," he said. "In the movement to claim Datta Peetha, the struggle of Hindus has not gone in vain. Datta maladhaaris and who followed Datta Peetha have a piece of good news now. I welcome the decision. The development has shown that truth will always prevail. The decision upholds the religious sentiments of Hindus," Ravi added. The three-member committee appointed by the then cabinet subcommittee regarding the matter during Congress rule itself was against the law. The court today has quashed the report by the committee and upheld the petition of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Ravi maintained. State BJP General Secretary Ravikumar described the court decision as the victory of Hindus and the Sangh Parivar. Including the BJP, VHP, RSS many organisations have been involved in the movement over the years. In 2018-19, the Moulvi was appointed to perform puja by the Congress government. The VHP has also challenged this in the court, he said. "The Congress government made a large number of arrests and lodged hundreds of cases against Hindu activists who protested against this. It had taken a ruthless decision against the sentiments of Hindus. But the court has given a verdict in favour of Hindus and we thank the judiciary," Ravikumar said. Minister for Energy, Kannada and Culture Sunil Kumar said the verdict was a result of a long struggle. The court has asked to form a committee to appoint a priest for Datta Peetha. "I welcome the decision. Even the Supreme Court earlier had directed the appointment of a Hindu priest. But the Congress government under Siddaramaiah appointed a Muslim Moulvi," he said. He also demanded that the Mujarai department should form a committee soon and appoint Hindu priests there. Hindu rituals and worship should begin soon, Sunil Kumar said. Karnataka BJP President Nalin Kumar Kateel also expressed his happiness over the High Court order and described it as the victory of Hindus. The shrine in Chikkamagaluru has been a pilgrimage spot for both Hindus and Muslims. The BJP, however, is demanding that the site be declared a Hindu temple. The shrine is revered by both Hindus and Muslims, symbolising Sufi culture. It was known as Shree Guru Dattatreya Bababudan Swamy Dargah. What was a pilgrimage spot for the two faiths had become a disputed site between Hindus and Muslims. Hindus consider the hill to be the final resting place of Dattatreya, the Muslims believe it is one of the earliest centres of Sufism in south India, with Sufi saint Dada Hayat Mirkalandar having lived there for years. Kolkata, Sep 28 : The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday directed the Speaker of the West Bengal Assembly Biman Banerjee to settle the disqualification petition moved by BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari on an urgent basis and submit it before the Court on the next date of hearing on October 7. The direction was issued during the hearing of the plea moved by BJP MLA Ambika Roy challenging the appointment of Mukul Roy as the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly. A Bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj, criticising the role of the Speaker in this disqualification issue, observed, "Maximum three months period has been prescribed by Hon'ble Supreme Court for decision of any such petition, which has already expired. The objective and purpose of the Tenth Schedule is to curb the evil of political defections motivated by the lure of office, which endangers the foundation of our democracy. The disqualification takes place from the date when the act of defection took place. The constitutional authorities who have been conferred with various powers are in fact coupled with duties and responsibilities to maintain the constitutional values. In case they fail to discharge their duties within time, it will endanger the democratic set up". "The Speaker was required to decide the petition filed before him for disqualification of the respondent No. 2 (Mukul Roy) having defected from BJP to AITC, as a result of which his membership to the Assembly itself was in doubt. In case the respondent No. 2 (Mukul Roy) does not remain the Member of the Assembly, there was no question of him being even the Member of the Committee what to talk of its chairman", the court observed. It was further observed that it is the duty of the Court to protect the Constitution and that if a constitutional authority fails to efficiently discharge his duties, then the Court has every right to intervene. It was also noted that the Speaker in discharge of his constitutional duties is expected to be neutral. The controversy cropped up after Mukul Roy was appointed the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee on July 9. A plea was filed in the court challenging the appointment of Roy because according to the petitioner Roy who won from Krishna Nagar North Assembly constituency on a BJP ticket joined the TMC without resigning from the BJP or as the MLA from his constituency. New Delhi, Sep 28 : Power rationing in some parts of Northeast China, particularly in some residential communities, without advance warning has sparked public anger and growing debate over the country's power supply, Global Times reported. The unexpected and unprecedented power cut in three provinces in Northeast China - Heilongjiang, Jilin and Liaoning - on Monday following reported electricity shortages have resulted in major disruptions to daily lives of people and business operations, sparking growing concerns over the potential disruption of power supplies as demand booms ahead of the upcoming winter season. The power curb in the three provinces in Northeast China made it onto the hot search list of China's Sina Weibo, a Twitter-like social media platform, on Monday, drawing around 500 million viewers and over 230,000 comments. From last Thursday onwards, power rationing during peak hours occurred in many parts of Northeast China, including Shenyang, Changchun and other cities, after the region's entire power grid was in danger of collapse, according to media reports. The lack of electricity has not only restricted industrial production, but has also had some impact on the local residents, the Global Times reported. Some netizens said that the power outage lasted for three days, and there was no signal on mobile phones, while some media reports showed that traffic lights on the main roads of Shenyang, the capital city of Liaoning, could not operate normally, while some shops could only operate with candles. Furthermore, potential contamination caused by blast furnace gas reportedly took place on Sunday in a steel production company in Liaoning after regional power was cut, causing 23 injuries, the media reported on Monday. A textile factory in Jiangsu received a notice to cut power completely from mid-September to early October, in what could be one of the longest power cuts for the company, a manager told the Global Times on Monday. The power cut has caused 500 workers to go off work in a month-long paid time off, and orders for both domestic and overseas markets have been rescheduled or cancelled, the manager said, indicating that the potential losses for the company could be huge, the report said. Hyderabad, Sep 28 : Fans of actor-politician Pawan Kalyan on Tuesday tried to attack actor and producer Posani Krishna Murali for his remarks against the former. Pawan's fans reached the Hyderabad Press Club where Posani was addressing a news conference. They raised slogans against him. This led to tension. The protestors, including workers of Pawan's Jana Sena party, tried to barge into the hall where Posani was but police foiled their bid by taking them into custody. Police also escorted Posani safely to his house in a police vehicle. The actor alleged that he faced a threat to his life from Pawan Kalyan's fans. Posani, also a screenwriter and producer, said if he anything happens to him, Pawan Kalyan will be responsible. He said he would lodge a complaint with the police on Wednesday. Posani, who alleged that Pawan Kalyan's fans can't digest criticism, claimed to have received thousands of abusive phone calls and messages during last 24 hours. A supporter of Andhra Pradesh's ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), he had made certain remarks against the leading actor and Jana Sena leader on Monday. Reacting to Pawan's attacks on the YSRCP government over the issue of online sale of movie tickets, Posani had stated that Pawan Kalyan does not have the stature to speak about Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. He also alleged that a noted Tollywood personality cheated a Punjabi actress by impregnating her and asked Pawan to demand justice for the girl. Though Posani did not name the celebrity who cheated her, YSRCP supporters started tweeting with hashtag #JusticeForPunjabGirl and soon it became one of the top trends on Twitter. At Tuesday's press conference, Posani said while criticism and counter criticism is common in politics, speaking out of personal vendetta is not proper. He alleged that Pawan Kalyan was resorting to personal attacks. He made it clear that he will respond to any criticism of Jagan Mohan Reddy as he is a big fan of the YSRCP leader, and Pawan Kalyan was neither a leader of people nor of the film industry. The actor also revealed that differences between him and Pawan Kalyan cropped up during the shooting of "Gabbar Singh". He narrated an incident which occurred during the shooting when Pawan Kalyan turned up on the sets very late and got angry with him for leaving the sets before his arrival. He alleged that following this incident, Pawan Kalyan got him removed from the movie. New Delhi, Sep 28 : Senior Delhi Police officer Neeraj Thakur, who had the charge of the Special Cell as Special Commissioner, will now hold the post full time, an order said on Tuesday. Thakur is a 1994-batch AGMUT cadre officer. Meanwhile, Devesh Chandra Srivastava, a 1995-batch AGMUT officer, who was earlier posted as Special Commissioner at the Economic Offences Wing and was simultaneously holding charge as the Special Commissioner, Crime, will now be designated as Special Commisioner, Crime, as the EOW has been merged with it. Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal has cleared these transfers/postings as per the order signed by Deputy Secretary, Home, Pawan Kumar. In a major reshuffle in the force on Saturday, as many as 40 senior officers, including 11 Special Commissioners and 28 DCPs and additional DCPs, were transferred and given new responsibilities. The reshuffle came just a day after a shootout took place inside a courtroom in Delhi's Rohini court in which most wanted gangster Jitender Gogi was killed along with two other assailants. This was the first major reshuffle after Rakesh Asthana took charge as Delhi Police Commissioner in late July. Officials privy to the development had earlier told IANS that the transfers are part of a normal process and these rejigs are intended to bring more transparency and accountability in the system. New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the death penalty of a convict involved in the cold-blooded murder of three Dalit men, over an inter-caste love affair, in Sonai village of Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district in 2013. A bench of Justices D.Y. Chandrachud, Vikram Nath, and B.V. Nagarathna agreed to examine the appeal filed by convict Sandip Madhav Kurhe, and after brief submissions by his lawyer, stayed execution of death penalty. The bench also tagged the appeal with other pending appeals of other convicts. The Bombay High Court, on December 2, 2019, had upheld the death penalty to four people in the murder of three Dalit men in Sonai village on January 1, 2013. The police said the inter-caste love affair between Sachin Gharu and a girl from the Maratha community, to which the convicts belong, was reason for the killing. The victims' mutilated body parts were found in a septic tank and a nearby well after Gharu and his colleagues were called by the girl's family to their home on the pretext of cleaning the septic tank. A sessions court in Nashik, in 2018, had sentenced to death six people -- Raghunath Darandale, Ramesh Darandale, Prakash Darandale, Ganesh alias Pravin Darandale, Ashok Navgire, and Kurhe -- for kiling Gharu (24), Sandeep Thanvar (25) and Rahul Kandare (20), all working as sweepers. However, Raghunath Darandale, died during the pendency of the case. The high court upheld the death penalty for four convicts -- Ramesh Darandale, Prakash Darandale, Ganesh alias Pravin Darandale, and Kurhe. However, it acquitted Navgire (32) for lack of evidence. New Delhi, Sep 28 : Indian intelligence agencies have warned that more infiltration attempts will be made by the terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir as a large numbers of them have been hiding at the launch pads located in Pakistan occupied Kashmir(PoK). Quoting the latest reports sent to the government, sources said that there has been an exponential rise in the number of ultras in these launch pads in the last 45 days, and the security agencies have also intercepted the chats of these militants in Pashto language. This also indicates the likely presence of Afghani mercenaries sent by the Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the sources said. The sources also said that around 200 ultras are ready to infiltrate the Line of Control (LoC) from the launch pads in PoK on the behest of the ISI. The sources in the defence forces have also confirmed that three infiltration attempts were made during the last 10 days in Uri sector itself. The officials in the security forces said that attempts have been made in Uri, Baramula and Poonch sectors too in the past few days, raising concerns of the security forces. Earlier, the intelligence agencies had warned that the some terrorists who have sneaked into the Indian territory might target military stations or government buildings in Uri or in its adjoining areas. These launch pads in PoK , which were abandoned since long after the ceasefire was announced in February this year, are now humming with activities, sources said. This was also confirmed after the initial interrogation of Pakistani terrorist Ali Babar Patra, who was nabbed on Tuesday by the Indian Army. A 19-year-old Lashkar-e-Taiba ultra, Patra was captured in the ongoing operation to prevent infiltration bids in Uri sector. He revealed the details of his terror training and how the Pakistan Army is allegedly involved. The infiltrators were planning a major strike on the lines of the 2016 attack in Uri. Patna, Sep 28 : With dates of by-elections to two vacant Bihar Assembly seats announced, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress have both staked claim for one constituency on behalf of the Mahagathbandhan. The bypolls to Kusheshwar Asthan and Tarapur constituencies in Darbhanga and Munger districts, respectively, are scheduled for October 30 and the results will be announced on November 2. These two seats fell vacant after the demise of sitting MLAs Shashibhushan Hazari (BJP) and Mewalal Chaudhary (JD-U), respectively. RJD chief spokesperson Bhai Virendra said: "Keeping in view the importance of by-electionss it is extremely necessary for the strongest and largest political party of the Mahagathbandhan to contest it. Hence, the RJD will contest from these two seats. Our top leadership will give tickets to candidates having potential to win the bypoll." However, Congress leader Ajit Sharma said: "As per the coalition pact, RJD should consider giving Kusheshwar Asthan to Congress. We had contested that election. We would claim that seat." Congress MLC Premchand Mishra said: "We are claiming the seat of Kusheshwar Asthan due to our strong background in the region. We have no dispute with the RJD. The leaders of both parties will sit together and sort out this problem." The Congress, under the Mahagathbandhan, had contested 70 seats in the 2020 Assembly polls but managed to win only 19. Due to its lacklustre performance, the Mahagathbandhan could not come to power. There is no dispute over Tarapur seat. Bhubaneswar, Sep 28 : The Odisha police have arrested a MBA graduate from Kolkata for allegedly looting jewellery stores in Bhubaneswar and Puri by producing bogus payment transactions, the police said on Tuesday. The accused has been identified as Rajiv Prabhas Gupta (37), a native of Mumbai. Gupta used to travel to different cities in flights and stayed at different hotels in Mumbai and other parts of the country. Whether he cheated the hoteliers is under investigation, the police said. Bhubaneswar DCP Umashankar Dash said that the MBA graduate was arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by a jewellery store owner in Bhubaneswar. He had visited the store in Bhubaneswar on September 15 and cheated the shop owner by showing a fake screenshot of an online payment made through the UPI digital payment gateway for gold and silver ornaments worth over Rs 1 lakh, Dash said. The police found that the fraudster used to visit different jewellery shops and purchased gold, silver and other jewelleries worth Rs 1 lakh in every case. After purchasing the jewelleries, the fraudster would ask for making UPI payment and initially transferred Rs 10 to win the owner's trust. Then he would claim to have made the necessary digital payment for the purchase and show a bogus screenshot on his mobile phone, the DCP said. Odisha police are in touch with the police in Delhi, Imphal and Mumbai to know whether he is involved in any other cases. New Delhi, Sep 28 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought reply from the CBI, the Tamil Nadu government, and others, on a woman's plea alleging that her ex-husband has abducted her two minor children from the US. Advocate Prabhjit Jauhar, representing the woman, submitted before a bench headed by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar that his client's ex-husband violated the US court order and allegedly abducted two minor children, who could not be traced since this August. The woman alleged that the husband has breached the in-court settlement agreement passed by a court in Ohio in July, and moved the top court seeking directions to the authorities to produce her children before the court. The petitioner contended that her daughter is a permanent resident of the US, while her son holds an American passport. Jauhar argued that children have been taken to an "undisclosed destination", as they are neither in Chennai nor at Tamil Nadu's Virudhnagar, and that his client suspects they have been taken to Maharashtra. After hearing the arguments on the matter, the top court issued notice to the CBI, the Tamil Nadu government, petitioner's the ex-husband, and others. The plea said the minor children have been illegally and unlawfully removed from the custody of the petitioner, the ex-wife, on August 16, 2021 by the respondent number two (ex-husband) father. The plea police had visited her ex-husband's parental house, but children were not there. According to the plea, in 2008, the couple had got married in Chennai and within a month, they moved to US' Delaware. In May this year, the parties were granted divorce and a final shared parenting in-court agreement was settled and signed. New Delhi, Sep 28 : The battle between tech hospitality major OYO and hostel chain Zostel reached another high, as IPO-bound OYO published an open blog in response to a letter by Zostel threatening it to constrain its IPO readiness actions. According to the letter in possession of IANS, the hostel chain has threatened that it "shall be constrained to write to SEBI and/or initiate appropriate proceedings against OYO & OHHPL". Zostel has also said that its shareholders are entitled to 7 per cent mirror-image shareholding in the OHHPL (Oyo Hotels and Homes Private Ltd) as per the terms of the scheme of demerger of OYO's (Oravel Stays Private Ltd) "Indian Business" into the OHHPL -- approved by the NCLT Ahmedabad -- so any market offer should only follow implementation of this scheme. While OYO has hit back via its counsel's statement in an open blog, claiming "The petition filed by Zostel seeks reliefs which are beyond the scope of the Award. The Award does not provide any relief that entitles them to seek to freeze OYO's shareholding pattern, in any manner whatsoever. As such, till the time that parties do not come to an agreement on the terms of the Definitive Agreements and the same are not executed, no right whatsoever arises in favour of any party for any type of shares to be issued in OYO." IANS had reported in March 2021 about the stretched battle between OYO and Zostel in which the companies are at loggerheads over an arbitration award. OYO's contention that the Arbitration Tribunal adjudicating the dispute between two entities has granted no specific relief to Zostel in terms of receiving ownership in the hospitality major. This was a result of OYO calling off its acquisition of Zo Rooms citing inability to reach an outcome to identify potential value in Zo's business after thorough due diligence. Zostel has claimed in its letter that it "is astonished to find that OYO is proceeding to make a public offering of shares without complying with the terms of the Award and allotting to the Shareholders the shareholding to which they are entitled". In response, OYO has stated in its blog that it "condemns Zostel's self-serving misrepresentation of case facts and it is an attempt to overreach Delhi HC proceedings. After multiple attempts in the courts and arbitration tribunal, Zostel has continued its efforts to create a wrong perception. This shows a pattern of Zostel trying to distract the company from pursuing its business goals". The company goes on to add that "since 2016, immediately after the merger talks were called off, Zostel and its directors have used multiple tactics, from sending letters carrying false allegations to OYO's management to writing to shareholders, for intimidating and pressurizing us to submit to their unreasonable demands. OYO has also been given to believe that Zostel has approached potential investors, falsely claiming that it is entitled to a stake in OYO". Zostel's letter seems to be a part of a recent trend of claims being raised on IPO bound companies. The most recent instance has been of an investor laying claim to a large shareholding in Paytm. The company was quick to clarify that the claims had no merits and were not supported by any concrete documentation. London, Sep 28 : With the Taliban retaking Afghanistan last month, and international organisations pulling out funds, there is an increased risk of resurgence of polio, Covid-19 and other diseases there, which can have global implications, Nature reported. Despite the achievements the country had over the past 20 years, the health of children and women has remained "precarious", Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, founding director of the Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health and the Institute for Global Health and Development at the Aga Khan University in Pakistan wrote in the journal. Soon after the Taliban was overthrown in 2001 by a US-led coalition, United Nations agencies launched nationwide measles-immunisation campaigns, targeting 17 million children. Till then, less than one in three of Afghan children had received any immunisations. The campaigns vaccinated 96 per cent of the targeted population in 2002 and 2003 and made further progress by 2014. But as the Taliban made inroads again, door-to-door visits by polio workers were banned. "Polio cases in Afghanistan tripled between 2018 and 2020. Approximately three million children, a third of those eligible, were thus left out of vaccination campaigns," Bhutta said. But now, with the complete takeover of Taliban, Afghanistan has lost development funds from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, and the US has frozen nearly "$7 billion of Afghan government funds". This means "there is no money to pay non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and health-care workers who deliver basic health services". The country has a stockpile of about three million doses of Covid-19 vaccines -- and it "seems likely to expire". All this can turn into a local humanitarian disaster with global implications. "I fear that it will now get precipitously worse. Both polio and Covid-19 infections in Afghanistan could spread to neighbouring countries. Until transmission is interrupted, the entire world is at risk," Bhutta wrote. Bhutta implored the world countries to work with Kabul's new rulers to get polio and other diseases under control. "The Taliban now running the country has an opportunity to show a pragmatic, reformist face to the world and people of Afghanistan: it needs to run the health system, to care more about protecting women and children than obsessing about spies and political opponents," he said. One in three Afghans are currently also facing hunger. "Funds are urgently needed to help secure food supplies through the winter, reopen financial services such as banks and let the estimated 500,000 people displaced this year return to their homes. "Countries should formalise their support, and include provisions for health care in the agreements. They deserve unfettered support in this hour of need," Bhutta said. New Delhi, Sep 28 : After the sixth incident of violence among the inmates of Tihar jail in the month of September, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report alleging increasing incidents of violence among the inmates in the jail and issued a notice to the Delhi government. This step was taken after an incident came to light wherein a 25-year-old prisoner was beaten up by another prisoner on September 22. The Commission has observed that the contents of the media report, if true, raise the serious issue of human rights violations of the prisoners in custody of the state. Accordingly, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and DG, Prisons, seeking a detailed report within four weeks, including the steps taken or proposed to be taken to address the issue of violence in Tihar jail. Issuing the notices, the Commission noted that such incidents of violence inside the jail indicate negligence by the prison authorities resulting into gross violation of human rights of the inmates in custody of the state. According to the media report dated September 24, the latest victim of violence in the Tihar jail told during investigation that he was first abused and then beaten up by another inmate. The same day a head matron was injured during a scuffle with an inmate. Reportedly, about 30 inmates have been injured in September alone due to clashes in the jail. Reports of violence from inside the premises of South Asia's largest prison complex have been a growing concern over the years. In June 2020, 25 persons, including 10 staff members who had tried to control the scuffle, were injured after several foreign inmates turned violent. Kolkata, Sep 28 : With the depression formed in the Bay of Bengal gaining strength, the Met department has issued red alerts in East Midnapore, West Midnapore and South 24 Parganas districts in West Bengal. The Met department has also predicted heavy to very heavy rains not only in these three districts, but in Kolkata and North 24 Parganas as well. The district administrations were asked to remove all people residing in the low lying areas and in mud houses to the cyclone centres on Sunday itself. The fishermen have been asked not to venture into the sea till October 5. "During Amphan, Yaas and Bulbul, the state government had made an extensive plan for evacuation, rescue and rehabilitation, which produced good results. We want to follow the same now also," a senior official of the state secretariat said. The state government has also asked the district administrations to store dry food, water pouches and other relief materials as much possible so that there is no dearth of them. "A central control room has been opened at the disaster management department which will be in touch with the district administrations 24x7. All leaves of the state government employees have been cancelled and they have been asked to stay prepared for any kind of eventuality," the officer added. The West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) has also been asked to keep an eye on the situation so that electrocution cases can be avoided. The Kolkata Police had opened a 24-hour control room at its headquarters in Lalbazar on Saturday. Officers from Kolkata Police, NDRF, Fire Brigade and Disaster Management Department will be present in the control room. Sources in Kolkata Police said that they have formed 22 teams for the purpose of disaster management, seven of which will be stationed in the Bhabanipur area, which will go to the bypoll on September 30. The sea will remain rough until Wednesday. Strong winds of 40 to 50 kmph with a gusting of up to 60 kmph is likely to hit the coastal areas of South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore on Tuesday night. Besides, strong winds up to 30-40 kmph are expected in Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, West Midnapore, Jhargram, Howrah, Hooghly, East Burdwan and Bankura. The Met department believes that the depression may become stronger by Wednesday. A red alert has been issued in East Midnapore, West Midnapore and South 24 Parganas districts. New Delhi, Sep 28 : Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, Narendra Singh Tomar, on Tuesday launched 'Amul Honey', a product of Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF) in active collaboration with the National Bee Board (NBB). Emphasising the importance of the National Beekeeping and Honey Mission in increasing the income of small farmers, which is being implemented in the country for doubling the income of farmers/beekeepers with a budgetary allocation of Rs 500 crore, Tomar said, "There are 86 per cent small farmers in the country. In order to increase the income of these small farmers, it is necessary to connect them with the other dimensions of agriculture, like beekeeping." Union Minister for Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala, was also present at the virtual event, a release from the Agriculture Ministry said. Tomar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed his desire for a 'sweet revolution' on the soil of Gujarat and today, by launching Amul Honey, India has started the journey towards fulfilling his dream. He expressed that quality of honey is a major concern in the country for which five large scale regional honey testing labs and 100 mini honey testing labs are being set up all over the country. "It should be our constant effort that the quality of our honey products should meet the global standards as there are lots of export opportunities in this sector," Tomar added. Appreciating the efforts made by the GCMMF, Tomar said Amul has not only set up a milestone vis-a-vis 'White Revolution', but it also expanded in the milk processing sector, establishing itself as a global brand. Jaipur, Sep 28 : Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday called for tapping the potential of revolutionary technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) to deliver benefits to the people and enhance their quality of life. Naidu urged the educational institutions, researchers and developers to come out with practical AI solutions in the fields of agriculture, health and education. Enumerating the possible applications for AI, Naidu suggested that industry and developers should work towards finding solutions for precision agriculture to ensure quality farm output, to bring about efficient grading of the produce, and to enable better price discovery for farmers. He also suggested exploring AI-based smart solutions in health such as remote diagnosis, and automatic translation of English texts to Indian languages in education. "If such solutions can be scaled up, even a small gain in efficiency and productivity can bring positive changes in the lives of millions of people," Naidu said. Addressing a gathering at IIT Jodhpur after laying the foundation for a fabrication laboratory for Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT), Naidu remarked that technologies like AI and AIoT have been revolutionising many sectors of the global economy since the last decade. Touching upon the economic potential of AI, Naidu noted that AI has the potential to add $957 billion or 15 per cent of the current gross value added to India's economy by 2035. The Vice President suggested making basic courses in computing and data science mandatory for students across disciplines to keep them abreast of the latest technological developments. "This is absolutely important in today's data driven world," Naidu added. Naidu also lauded the recent decision of 14 engineering colleges across eight states to offer courses in regional languages and called for more such professional courses in higher education in Indian languages. He also said that AI holds immense potential in promotion of Indian languages by way of automatic translation from English and other languages. On the occasion, Naidu inaugurated the Jodhpur City Knowledge and Innovation Cluster (JCKIC) at IIT Jodhpur. Noting that India has risen from the rank of 81 in 2015 to 46 in 2021 in the Global Innovation Index, Naidu said, "Innovation should become the national mantra for development." During his visit to IIT Jodhpur, the Vice President also interacted with the local artisans. Praising the Rajasthani artisans for their talent in traditional crafts, he called for providing better marketing conditions for their artworks and handicrafts. This innovative partnership truly prevents and ends the catastrophic consequences of the pandemic which include the domino effects of business closures, joblessness, poverty and homelessness. A Safe Haven (ASH) a top Chicago anchor organization serving the homeless, is once again partnering with the Small Business Advocacy Council (SBAC) to launch The Rebound Challenge, a virtual fundraising campaign. ASH President and Co-Founder Neli Vazquez Rowland said that this challenge is a continuation of last years partnership with SBAC called Rebuilding Lives and Businesses. The mission was to support the urgent needs of Illinois homeless population, essential workforce, and small businessesall of which have been hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our efforts produced excellent results, she said. Thanks to support from the public and other organizations, SBAC advocated for small businesses and provided that community a voice in government decisions to allocate federal emergency resources.. The SBACs efforts have helped many small businesses get the representation and information they need in a timely basis to stay in business. At the same time, ASH has helped over 1,800 formerly homeless individuals and others who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic get access to job training and job placements including many jobs with small businesses. Our collective efforts have created a great win-win situation because, as we know, small businesses are the engines of the economy and at A Safe Haven we are proud to help many of them find qualified candidates that are ready and motivated to get back to work. SBAC President Elliot Richardson expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to partner with ASH once again on this important fundraising challenge. Im proud to partner with Neli on this fundraiser and we are laser-focused on rebounding from the pandemic, he stated. The SBAC fights for policies that support small businesses. A Safe Haven helps homeless individuals get back on their feet. Small businesses create jobs, and A Safe Haven prepares its clients to work. Advocating for the small businesses that can create jobs and supporting homeless individuals so they can get back in the workforce will be crucial for a robust rebound from this pandemic. Vazquez Rowland is asking the public to help in this fundraising challenge. Visit ASHs website to see the various sponsorship levels and benefits. Your support at any level will help A Safe Haven continue to provide crucial services to our homeless clients and power the SBACs fight for small businesses and local communities, she said. This innovative partnership truly prevents and ends the catastrophic consequences of the pandemic which include the domino effects of business closures, joblessness, poverty and homelessness. A healthy small business environment and workforce are the key to rebounding our state and local economy in the new normal and post-pandemic world. About A Safe Haven: A Safe Haven Foundation is a 501(c) 3 not for profit, social enterprise that helps people aspire, transform and sustain their lives as they transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency with pride and purpose. A Safe Haven provides the tools for each individual to overcome the root causes of homelessness through a holistic and scalable model. A Safe Haven's visible social and economic impact unites families, stabilizes neighborhoods, and creates vibrant, viable communities. For information, visit http://www.asafehaven.org. About Small Business Advocacy Council: Based in Chicago, the SBAC is a non-partisan, member-driven 501(c)(6) organization that promotes the success of small business through political advocacy, support services and educational programs. SBAC believes in the following: The success of small business is a critical component of the nations economic well being In order to ensure a fair and level playing field, small business must have a powerful and united advocacy voice at the local, state, and federal level There has never been a more important time to support the small business community For more information, visit https://www.sbacil.org/. Allegheny General Hospital, the flagship academic medical center of Allegheny Health Network Todays announcement underscores our Institutes long-standing legacy of deciphering the complexities of heart valve disease and pioneering the most advanced therapies and treatment approaches to promote positive, long-term health outcomes for our patients," said AHN's Dr. McGregor. Allegheny General Hospital (AGH), the flagship academic medical center of Allegheny Health Network (AHN), announced today it has received the Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award from the American Heart Association (AHA) and the Mitral Foundation for a demonstrated record of superior clinical outcomes resulting from evidence-based, guideline-directed degenerative mitral valve repair. The announcement marks a significant milestone for the AHN Cardiovascular Institute as it places the Networks mitral valve repair program among the most elite nationwide; to date, only 21 facilities have earned this award across the country and AGH is the first hospital to receive this recognition in the state. This recognition is a true honor because it stems from the hard work of the dedicated AHN clinicians and caregivers who promote the highest level of care delivery, clinical excellence, innovation and compassionate care, said Walter E. McGregor, MD, lead surgeon of the AHN mitral valve program and director of AHN cardiac surgery at AHN Cardiovascular Institute. Todays announcement underscores our Institutes long-standing legacy of deciphering the complexities of heart valve disease and pioneering the most advanced therapies and treatment approaches to promote positive, long-term health outcomes for our patients. The mitral valve is located in the left side of the heart and works to keep blood flowing properly in one direction from the left atrium to the left ventricle. When the valve doesnt work correctly, allowing blood to flow backward, it results in the heart not pumping enough oxygenated blood for the body. Symptoms, including fatigue and shortness of breath, are often present and persistent. According to the American College of Cardiology, an estimated four million people have significant mitral valve insufficiency. The recommended treatment for degenerative mitral valve disease is mitral valve reconstruction, as opposed to valve replacement with a bioprosthetic or mechanical valve since valve repair is associated with improved survival and fewer long-term complications. Many patients who would benefit from repair receive replacement valves with higher rates of death or complications within five years after surgery. We are pleased to recognize Allegheny General Hospital for their commitment to patients who need mitral valve repair, said Robert O. Bonow, MD, professor of cardiology at Northwestern University and past president of the American Heart Association. Choosing the right hospital for heart surgery is one of the most important healthcare decisions that patients and their referring physicians must make to ensure best outcomes. The Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center award identifies hospitals with excellent processes and outcomes and gives patients and cardiologists the information necessary to make these important decisions when mitral valve surgery is required. The Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award was developed to identify, recognize and promote the nations recognized medical centers for mitral valve repair surgery. AGH earned the award for demonstrating adherence to evidence-based treatment guidelines as well as an ongoing commitment to reporting and measuring quality and outcome metrics specific to mitral valve repairs. This designation hinges largely on the number of cases that take place at a medical center and is based on a successful repair rate greater than 95% with less than 1% mortality over subsequent years, said Stephen Bailey, MD, cardiothoracic surgeon and Chair of AHN Cardiovascular Institute. Were incredibly proud of todays recognition as it only further establishes our program as a nationally-recognized leader of managing and treating complex cardiovascular disease. Throughout 2021, the AHN Cardiovascular Institute has earned numerous awards and accolades from industry organizations. Just last month, AGH joined AHN West Penn as designated AHA Certified Comprehensive Hypertension Centers the only two in western Pennsylvania. In July, AHN announced its Jefferson and West Penn hospitals were also named among the nations top performing hospitals for treatment of heart attack patients from the American College of Cardiology. Earlier this year, AGH received a top 3-star rating from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons for its cardiac surgery program, placing it among the top 5% of programs nationwide and in January, AGH also became the first medical center in Pennsylvania to earn the Joint Commissions Gold Seal of Approval for Comprehensive Cardiac Center Certification. For more information on the AHN mitral valve program, please call 412-359-8180 or visit ahn.org; for more on the American Heart Association and Mitral Foundation Mitral Valve Repair Reference Center Award, go to heart.org. ### Allegheny Health Network (http://www.AHN.org), a Highmark Health company, is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. Among the network's 300 clinical locations are 13 hospitals and five Health + Wellness Pavilions. AHN also is home to a comprehensive research institute; home- and community-based health services; and a group purchasing organization. The network employs more than 20,000 people and has more than 2,400 doctors on its medical staff. Established in 2013, AHN's member hospitals share legacies of charitable care that date back more than 160 years. "George's proven leadership skills and extensive industry knowledge will be crucial in directing the operational execution of strategies to enhance loss cost and expense control achievements," said Steve Donnelley, chief claims officer at Amerisure. Amerisure is pleased to announce George Pavarini has joined the organization as vice president, liability technical claims. In this role, Pavarini will lead the claims litigation management and technical lines of business for Amerisure, including commercial auto and liability. He will also be responsible for strategy and processes surrounding claims coverage and high severity/high complexity claim handling including construction defect and environmental claims. We are pleased to welcome George to the operational leadership team at Amerisure, said Steve Donnelley, chief claims officer at Amerisure. His proven leadership skills and extensive industry knowledge will be crucial in directing the operational execution of strategies to enhance loss cost and expense control achievements. Pavarini most recently served as vice president of ceded reinsurance for RiverStone Resources in New Hampshire, where he managed performance, staffing and budgeting of the claims, litigation, and billing & finance units. He was also second vice president of complex claims for Travelers Insurance, leading the unit responsible for the largest and most complex auto, general liability and property damage claims. Prior to that, George served as senior vice president, head of legal compliance, Americas for Swiss Re Group, where he led the overall execution of the compliance function. Pavarini earned a Bachelor of Arts from Emory University in Georgia, and a Juris Doctorate in Environmental Law from the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University in New York. About Amerisure Insurance Amerisure is an insurance organization charged with creating exceptional value for its Partners For Success agencies and policyholders. As an A-rated (Excellent) property and casualty insurance company licensed in 50 states, Amerisure provides a comprehensive line of insurance products to protect businesses focused in construction, manufacturing and healthcare through strategically located Core Service Centers. For more information, visit amerisure.com. God Is Speaking: Dreams And Visions Prophetic Manual: a thought-provoking discussion of prophecy. God Is Speaking: Dreams And Visions Prophetic Manual is the creation of published author Bishop Cordell Allen, a loving husband and father and co-founder of Church on Fire International Ministries in the Atlanta area. Bishop Allen shares, This book reveals the basic ideology concerning dreams and visions and give illustrations about what is a dream and what is a vision. It reveals the differences and the contrast between a dream and a vision, and a trance. This book will examine the different categories of dreams and discuss how God Almighty desires to communicate through your dreams and other methods of communication with man. You will learn eight ways how to enhance your dream life and be able to recall them. and give you many examples of dream, symbols, places, and objects you might see in a dream, and reveal to you how to interpret your dreams. This book conveys how God uses dreams to reveal His divine plan and nature to you. It will explain how we were created to hear Gods voice and explains how to interact with God in a conscious way while you are still dreaming. It gives you many biblical scriptures and examples, personal experiences, concerning dreams and vision. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Bishop Cordell Allens new book is an engaging overview of prophetic dreams and visions. Bishop Allen presents an intriguing and articulate discussion of how and why God may speak to one through their dreams and in wakeful moments with visions or trances. Consumers can purchase God Is Speaking: Dreams And Visions Prophetic Manual at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about God Is Speaking: Dreams And Visions Prophetic Manual, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. BluIP, Inc., leading provider of cloud communications and artificial intelligence solutions, announced the release of their newest product, EasyAI. EasyAI, a hybrid version of AIVA (Artificial Intelligence Virtual Agent), developed specifically for the hospitality industry is one of four products being released in the coming months to support the evolving demands of todays traveler. EasyAI will allow hoteliers to rapidly deploy artificial intelligence, backed by years of industry data and knowledge. In addition, the product comes with custom business intelligence and 24/7 technical support along with carrier grade telephony. EasyAI will answer every call without pause and direct call traffic in addition to answering guest questions about the hotel. Hotels seeking a more custom and in-depth experience have the option to add-on to the user experience quickly and easily. BluIP has been hard at work this year, developing strategic products aimed to support our hotel customers. Im excited to work for such a forward-thinking and customer-focused organization. Our technology and innovation are addressing our industry challenges quickly without sacrificing the guest experience, said April Weatherly, Director of Operations. EasyAI can be placed at the hotel level, a contact center or centralized operations. In an effort to support process efficiency and rapid deployment, BluIP provides hotels with the technology, the voice and the experience specific to the hotel. The last year has created unique needs in our industry and we must be nimble and strategic to support our customers. Staffing shortages, hotels closing and re-opening, health requirements- these are all moving targets and BluIP wants to ensure its customers able to appropriately respond and care for their guests. EasyAI is a product that will allow our hotels to rapidly apply artificial intelligence to their property and thats what is needed today, said Armen Martirosyan, President & CEO of BluIP. To learn more about AIVA, AIVA Connect or BluIP, call us at 1-800-GO-BLUIP or visit us online at https://aivaconnect.ai/ and http://www.bluip.com About BluIP BluIP delivers mission-critical products engineered for the SMB, large enterprise, hospitality, healthcare, retail, education, and public safety. Our cloud solutions portfolio includes hosted PBX with PMS integration, SIP trunking, E911, contact centers, AI virtual operator & agents framework, rapid integration platform - blubridge and mobile applications like BeHive Communications Platform. To learn more, visit http://www.bluip.com or https://aivaconnect.ai/ All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Non-profit arts organization Chashama is pleased to announce the Chashama Gala - honoring community development and housing leader, Martin Dunn, and well-respected gallerist, James Fuentes - will take place on Thursday, November 18th from 6pm to midnight at 151 West 42nd Street, 36th floor. One of New York Citys most spectacular celebrations of the arts, the gala attracts the citys most forward-thinking landowners, corporate executives, art professionals and innovative creatives. A champion of unconventional art, Chashama will present a vibrant spectrum of New Yorks underground art scene, including Drag TikTok superstar Darrell Thorne; queen of burlesque Julie Atlas Muz; and stand-up comedian, cartoonist, and actor Victor Varnado. This years Chashama Gala will surpass our wildest dreams, says Anita Durst, Founder of Chashama. The gala is really a celebration of the artists and entrepreneurs who make our city sparkle. All proceeds from the nights attendees and generous sponsors will be used to fulfill Chashamas Enliven NYC initiative, founded in response to the pandemic, that revitalizes vacant storefronts by giving spaces to artists, non-profits, and small businesses. The gala has already received an unprecedented level of support through the generosity of event sponsors including Chicago Title Insurance Company, CBRE, Dunn Development Corp, The Durst Organization, Fidelity National Title, Rosenberg & Estis, Weiler Arnow Investment Company, Turner Construction, Chatham Financial, Fried Frank, and City National Bank. Charlie Palmer Steakhouse will be providing catering for the event, and Singha Beer has generously donated their goods and services to help make the gala possible. About Chashama Chashama is a non-profit organization founded in 1995 by Anita Durst to celebrate the legacy of theatre visionary Reza Abdoh. Chashamas initial focus was on the production and presentation of new theatre, later recognizing that a lack of affordable space was the biggest threat to sustaining a diverse cultural environment in New York City. In recognizing this, Chashama began securing studio and presentation space in Midtown Manhattan for struggling artists by partnering with Property Owners willing to provide unused space. Over the past twenty-six years, Chashama has transformed unused space for 30,000 artists, hosted 4,000 public art events and provided 1,500 free art classes in underserved communities reaching audiences of nearly a million. Attorney Andrew B. Ference promoted to Partner at Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC Beyond his abilities in the courtroom or behind a desk, Andrew is simply a guy you want to be around. He is hard-working, interesting, funny, and loyal. In a case, his scrutiny and application of law to facts make him hard to compete with. The law firm of Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC is honored to announce that Attorney Andrew B. Ference has been promoted to Partner. Attorney Ference brings an unparalleled style of advocacy to each case, whether highly litigated or quickly resolved. Andrew B. Ference is recognized by Judges and his peers as a skilled litigator and negotiator. He navigates complex legal issues and high net worth estates with precision and practicality and is dedicated to balancing the legal rights and emotional needs of his clients. Andrews wit and wisdom make him a dynamic attorney and a pleasure to deal with in and out of the courtroom. He knows the law. This may seem basic, but a short time among many lawyers will reveal that this is in fact a hallmark of a great attorney, not just any attorney. He is thoughtful in his approach, tending to the individual needs of each client and family while crafting successful strategies that address their goals. Andrew is pragmatic in his practice, honed from years of experience with Judges. He has a clear understanding of what individual Judges are looking for and how to deliver it in a fashion that is palatable and that sticks. Beyond his abilities in the courtroom or behind a desk, Andrew is simply a guy you want to be around. He is hard-working, interesting, funny and loyal. In a case, his scrutiny and application of law to facts make him hard to compete with, says Amanda Oliver, WKO Principal. We are excited to promote Andrew to partner here at WKO. He is an aggressive litigator, but lends an attentive ear to the needs of our clients. Andrew knows when to talk settlement and when to prepare a case for trial. He brings all the things you want in a partner and we are proud to call him one of our own, adds Maxine Weiss Kunz, WKO Principal. Andrew Ference has held membership with the Illinois State Bar since 2012. He is a graduate of Bradley University, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in 2009. In 2012, Mr. Ference earned his J.D. from the University of Illinois College of Law. During his time in school, Attorney Ference spent his time volunteering with St. Judes Childrens Hospital and the Family Advocacy Clinic. About Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC With offices in Chicago, Park Ridge, and Elmhurst, the law firm of Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC is committed to serving Illinois clients and families through contentious and complicated matters involving divorce, allocation of parenting time and parental responsibilities, mental health issues, addiction, support, and prenuptial and postnuptial agreements. WKO Principals, Maxine Weiss Kunz and Amanda Oliver have dedicated their legal careers to the practice of family law. They focus on traditional litigation as well as mediation, collaborative law, and adoptions. They excel in the representation of high net worth individuals and complex legal estates. To learn more about Weiss-Kunz & Oliver, LLC, visit https://www.wkofamilylaw.com/ or call 312-605-4041 to schedule a consultation. Top 50 Most Promising Microsoft Partners Compugen Systems Incs history is underscored with an unwavering mission to social responsibility. We understand that behind every process and policy, theres a person and a purpose. Compugen Systems Inc (CSI), a service-led and human-centric technology company, takes third place in the Top 50 Most Promising Microsoft Solution Providers award for 2021. CIOReview outlines, The enlisted organizations help businesses go-to-market faster and grow using Microsoft Technology solutions. Placing in this award shows that Compugen is an ideal partner, that knows how to align technology to customers business goals and their brand purpose. Terry Mirza, President of CSI, notes, Compugen Systems Incs history is underscored with an unwavering mission to social responsibility. We understand that behind every process and policy, theres a person and a purpose. We believe in the life-altering power of human ingenuity, and together, we use technology to drive change in a way that creates a positive, rippling impact on the world around us. As a Microsoft Gold Partner and CSP, Compugen focuses on leveraging the power of Microsoft to drive growth for customers and help them transform in significant ways to achieve their goals. Harnessing the potential of Microsofts cloud solutions is one-way modern companies can gain this agility and react to changes in their markets and customer desires as they happen. Microsoft Cloud Solutions Partner (CSPs) play an instrumental role in helping customers leverage these technologies while keeping their employees focused on their core competencies. CIOReview publishes this award every year to the top companies that they believe are the most competitive solution providers. The magazine shares that with a wide variety of solutions providers entering the industry was a set of advanced Microsoft solutions CIOReview has created this recognition to help companies navigate through the best-of-breed Microsoft solutions providers. The Magazine comments, The differentiation in capability and service delivery makes Compugen Systems Inc an ideal recipient of this award. About CIOReview CIOReview is a leading technology magazine that is at the forefront of guiding enterprises through the continuously varying business environment with information about the solutions and services. The magazine services as a trustworthy knowledge source as well as a platform for the C-suite executives, industry experts, technology buyers, and other decisions-makers to share their valuable insights about new trends in the market. About Compugen Systems Inc. Compugen Systems, Inc. (CSI,) an affiliate of Compugen Inc., is an IT service delivery company that focuses on enabling your business outcomes. By coupling innovative technology-based services in the Modern Workspace and Hybrid IT with our uniquely crafted managed, professional, and field services; were redefining the customer experience. We believe that every day we have, is another opportunity to innovate, inspire, and impact our world for the better. Join us at http://www.compugen.us. . Greenberg Traurig Corporate Practice Shareholder Cynthia A. Marian, will participate in a webinar on Current Trends in Raising and Investing Capital in Alternative Investments, presented by 100 Women in Finance. The webinar will take place on Sept. 29, 2021 at 1 p.m. EDT. Cynthia and three other panelists will discuss how various industry trends and global events, including the burgeoning use of digital assets in financing and investment strategies, growing interest in ESG and related reporting requirements, and the Covid pandemic are having a profound impact on how fund managers are structuring offerings and how investors are deciding which opportunities to pursue. Cynthia advises private equity fund sponsors, hedge fund managers, large and complex asset managers, and many smaller and start-up alternative investment advisers on a wide range of corporate, tax, regulatory compliance, and operational matters germane to their investment management businesses. She also represents institutional investors making investments in private funds, including in the negotiation of seed deals, side letters, and co-investments. Her broad experience includes successive in-house general counsel and chief compliance officer positions with SEC-registered private equity and hedge fund managers. Cynthia is a member of 100 Women in Finance. The group aims to increase the participation of women in the finance industry by providing resources and opportunities for career advancement, networking, and increased industry presence, according to its website. To register for the webinar, click here. About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GT) has approximately 2300 attorneys in 40 locations in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. GT has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, diversity, and innovation, and is consistently among the largest firms in the U.S. on the Law360 400 and among the Top 20 on the Am Law Global 100. The firm is net carbon neutral with respect to its office energy usage and Mansfield Rule 4.0 Plus Certified. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Bend Suboxone is an addiction treatment clinic founded by Dr. Christopher DiGiulio. Dr. DiGiulio is a Medical Doctor (MD) who graduated with high honors from Temple University School of Medicine in 1998. Dr. DiGiulio practices Addiction Medicine, Urgent Care, and Occupational Medicine. He is board-certified and has extensive expertise in treating substance abuse using state-of-the-art modalities including Suboxone and Vivitrol. At Bend Suboxone clinic, patients can get access to Suboxone therapy. Suboxone is a life-saving medication that allows patients to regain control of their life and health. It can be a critical component of addiction treatment and immediately relieves the addicted patient from cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and allows them to avoid illegal activity due to its approval by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA). It contains Buprenorphine that helps with pain relief and Naloxone, a substance that prevents overdose. For the treatment of opioid dependence, patients will be advised to use Subutex that is buprenorphine without naloxone. Suboxone can only be prescribed completely confidentially by qualified doctors, physician assistants, and nurse practitioners who have completed a rigorous academic course load, passed an extensive exam, and received certification by the federal government through the Drug Addiction Treatment Act and Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016. Patients of Bend Suboxone clinic can cure their addictions with VIVITROL Therapy. VIVITROL is a prescription injectable medicine used to treat alcohol dependence and to prevent relapse to opioid dependence after opioid detox. However, to be effective, VIVITROL must be used with other alcohol or drug recovery programs such as counseling. Unfortunately, VIVITROL can cause serious side effects such as an increased risk of opioid overdose. This can happen in several ways. Commonly, VIVITROL blocks the effects of opioids, such as heroin or opioid pain medicines and some patients will try to overcome the blocking effects by taking large amounts of opioids. Also, after receiving a dose of VIVITROL its blocking effect slowly decreases and completely goes away over time. Some patients might feel the need to use drugs in amounts that they have used before the treatment to VIVITROL. This can lead to overdose or even death. VIVITROL can also cause severe injection site reactions such as intense pain, large area of swelling, the injection area feels hard, lumps, blisters, opens wounds, dark scabs. At Bend Suboxone clinic, the addiction treatment doctors keep careful records of any other medications their patients take, their history with narcotics, and co-occurring illnesses they might have. This attention to detail is critical to the patients' success in defeating addiction and maintaining their overall health. The Bend Suboxone doctor monitor their patients progress to ensure they are getting the proper dosage to both manage their pains and keep them from experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Dr. Christopher DiGiulio is a residency-trained physician who served as Chief Resident in 2000-2001 while training at Virtua Hospital in Voorhees, New Jersey. Dr. DiGiulio retired from the Oregon Department of Corrections after establishing the Department's first Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program providing addiction services to the 15.000 incarcerated adults located in Oregon's prison system. He wrote the State's Policy and Procedure, coordinated the wavier application of 25 employed physicians, and managed the day-to-day treatment of the addicted incarcerated male and female adults. This experience enables him to provide expert outpatient addiction services using state-of-the-art modalities including Suboxone and Vivitrol. Contact Info: Dr Christopher DiGiulio https://bendsuboxone.com/ CDiGiulio@MtMedGr.com 541-388-7799 1302 NE 3rd Street Bend, Oregon 97702 Law Office of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP For more information about the class action lawsuit against Stachs LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. The San Francisco employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action lawsuit against Stachs LLC, alleging the company violated the California Labor Code. The lawsuit against Stachs LLC is currently pending in the San Francisco County Superior Court, Case No. CGC-21-594434. To read a copy of the Complaint, please click here. According to the lawsuit filed, Stachs LLC allegedly (a) failed to pay minimum wages, (b) failed to pay overtime wages, (c) failed to provide legally required meal and rest periods, (d) failed to provide accurate itemized wage statements, (e) failed to reimburse employees for required expenses, and (f) failed to provide wages when due, all in violation of the applicable Labor Code sections listed in California Labor Code Sections 201, 202, 203, 226, 226.7, 510, 512, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 2802, and the applicable Wage Order(s), and thereby gives rise to civil penalties as a result of such alleged conduct. The complaint further alleges Stachs LLC committed acts of unfair competition in violation of the California Unfair Competition Law, Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17200, et seq. (the UCL), by engaging in a company-wide policy and procedure which allegedly failed to accurately calculate and record all missed meal and rest periods by Plaintiff and other California Class Members. As a result of Defendant's alleged disregard of the obligation to meet this burden, Defendant allegedly failed to properly calculate and/or pay all required compensation for work performed by members of the California Class and violated the California Labor Code. For more information about the class action lawsuit against Stachs LLC, call (800) 568-8020 to speak to an experienced California employment attorney today. Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is a labor law firm with law offices located in San Diego County, Riverside County, Los Angeles County, Sacramento County, Santa Clara County, Orange County and San Francisco County. The firm has a statewide practice of representing employees on a contingency basis for violations involving unpaid wages, overtime pay, discrimination, harassment, wrongful termination and other types of illegal workplace conduct. ***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT*** The world is seeing technical innovation reaching exponential heights, providing women with more opportunities than ever to make their mark on the technology sector. Yet globally, the world is still undergoing a life threatening pandemic -- Ulyana Zilbermints. conference curator The first-of-its-kind Extraordinary Women in Tech Global Conference (EWiT), originally scheduled for December 2021, has been postponed until March 24th and 25th, 2022, due to concerns about rising incidences of COVID-19 cases and the Delta variant in both California and abroad. Out of an abundance of caution, conference organizers made the decision to reschedule for March to protect the health and safety of all in-person attendees and speakers. As originally planned, EWiT Global Conference will take place in-person at the InterContinental Hotel in San Francisco, and it will also be available online for a wider global community. EWiT provides a platform for women in the IT sector to network with peers and mentors, pitch new business ideas, and gain exclusive insights on the latest tech trends. To further its mission of amplifying womens voices in IT, the conference will also include participation from todays top female executives, including Jin Zhang, director of engineering, Facebook, as well as speakers from Microsoft, Salesforce, and Oracle. We live at a unique juncture in history, says conference curator and Avenue Code chief revenue officer, Ulyana Zilberments. On one hand, the world is seeing technical innovation reaching exponential heights, providing women with more opportunities than ever to participate in and make their mark on the technology sector. Yet globally, the world is still undergoing a life threatening pandemic, and as such, we are acting to ensure the safety of our in-person attendees. We hope that our decision to postpone the conference will give more women from around the globe an opportunity to safely participate in this inspirational community. Both online and in person tickets are still available for purchase, with limited-time discounts. Through September 30th, online ticket passes start at $65, while in person packages begin at $550. Both online and in-person participants will have the opportunity to mentor under and network with top-level executives and directors like Zhang. About the Extraordinary Women In Tech Conference: Leading software consultancy Avenue Code will host the first-ever Extraordinary Women in Tech Global Conference on March 24 -25th, 2022 in San Francisco, California, providing a powerful forum to amplify womens voices in IT. Women from all over the world are invited to experience an unparalleled lineup of peer-to-peer networking opportunities, personal branding career workshops, interviews with angel investors and mentors, and exclusive insights on the latest advances in AI. The conference will feature an impressive roster of female executive speakers from companies like Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce, American Express, and Facebook. About AvenueCode: Avenue Code is the leading software consultancy for full-service digital evolution solutions (http://www.avenuecode.com). Since 2008, the firm has partnered with Fortune 100 companies and enterprise organizations in every vertical to accelerate innovation. Headquartered in San Francisco, Avenue Code has offices in Brazil, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands. The new group of advisors will have access to Financial Advocates industry professionals to support their audit preparedness, marketing, operations, and technology efforts, along with leading technology for a more integrated and improved practice management experience. Financial Advocates, LLC (FA), the largest Office of Supervisory Jurisdiction (OSJ) with LPL in the Pacific Northwest, a leading provider of superior, concierge-level services to independent advisors, welcomes a new wave of financial advisors to its network following the acquisition of Waddell & Reed by LPL Financial. Now supporting over 250 independent financial advisors, Financial Advocates provides a wide range of capabilities for advisors including business consulting, marketing, model portfolio management, internal hiring and recruiting, social media and web support, information technology consulting, compliance counsel, and business financial planning. We are excited to welcome these new advisors into our organization and look forward to supporting them to effectively manage and reach their business goals, said Financial Advocates President and CEO Angela Vlach. The Financial Advocates team is dedicated to ensuring a seamless transition and taking administrative pressure off advisors so that they can focus on providing their clients with the highest quality of service. The addition of these advisors to the Financial Advocates family represents a 30%+ growth in our advisor count and 64%+ growth in AUM, said Financial Advocates Chief Growth Officer and Executive Vice President Elvis Medica. We are extremely proud to welcome these advisors to our family and look forward to celebrating their continued success. The fourth-largest OSJ at LPL Financial, Financial Advocates helps ease the complexities and transition period for independent advisors. The new group of advisors will have access to Financial Advocates industry professionals to support their audit preparedness, marketing, operations, and technology efforts, along with leading technology for a more integrated and improved practice management experience. My team and I considered several RIA and broker-dealer firms before we concluded that the strong technology and investment platforms offered at LPL Financial allowed us to better serve our clients, stated Greg Schmautz, financial advisor at Waddell & Reed. Greg is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER, a Chartered Mutual Fund Counselor (CMFC), and an Accredited Wealth Management Advisor (AWMA). He started with Waddell & Reed 39 years ago. Financial Advocates is an ideal fit for us to be able to call on their experienced team during the transition as well as helping with ongoing client service and practice management. Financial Advocates provides a small-town feel within a very large company, said Shari Jenkins, financial advisor at Great Puget Sound Solutions. Shari is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER and started with Waddell & Reed 37 years ago. I am also excited to work with folks I have enjoyed and respected for years. Tim Goering and Brian Fields lead an all-star cast within Financial Advocates as they keep Waddell & Reed colleagues together. I could not be happier with our decision to join Financial Advocates. To learn more, visit financialadvocates.com. About Financial Advocates Financial Advocates, LLC (FA) and their Hybrid RIA, Financial Advocates Investment Management (FAIM), provide servant leadership in the financial advice market and serves as a financial advisors primary ally through the transition, growth, and ongoing management of an independent practice. FAs experienced and diverse staff delivers intensive support to advisors as they transition to an Independent Broker-Dealer, a Hybrid RIA, or pure RIA model to achieve greater independence. Advisors then enjoy concierge-level service in business development, regulatory compliance oversight, operations, IT, marketing and investment management. Financial Advocates and Financial Advocates Investment Management provide services to more than 250 independent financial advisors, several banks and credit unions, and more than 150 support staff. Financial Advocates, Financial Advocates Investment Management, and its affiliates have 43 home office employees with office locations in Olympia, WA and Tacoma, WA. For more information, please visit http://www.financialadvocates.com. Securities offered through LPL Financial, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment advice and financial planning offered through Financial Advocates Investment Management, a registered investment advisor. Financial Advocates Investment Management, Financial Advocates, and LPL Financial are separate entities. "Their management of neighboring properties, including full-service luxury properties The Liddel and The Century in Los Angeles, increased our confidence that FirstService Residential can provide professional, responsive service to The Wilshire Thayer," said Dawn Zelmanowitz, board president. FirstService Residential, North America's leading association management company, was awarded the management contract for Wilshire Thayer Association in Los Angeles. FirstService Residential will begin managing the 15-story high-rise in Los Angeles on October 1, 2021. The Wilshire Thayer is a 15-story, 50-unit high-rise that was built in 1981. The building's architecture is contemporary and modern, with floorplans that range from 1,700 to 5,500 square feet. Each unit features floor-to-ceiling windows, classic balconies, hardwood floors, granite countertops and updated cabinetry. "The Wilshire Thayer selected FirstService Residential to assume management responsibilities after careful review and consideration," said Dawn Zelmanowitz, board president of Wilshire Thayer Association. "Their management of neighboring properties, including full-service luxury properties The Liddel and The Century in Los Angeles, increased our confidence that FirstService Residential can provide professional, responsive service to The Wilshire Thayer." The Wilshire Thayers residents have access to concierge service, 24-hour valet parking, with underground garages. The high-rise is in the heart of Wilshire Corridor, featuring scenic views of local mountains and the Los Angeles city skyline. Residents are located near UCLA and Westwood Village, with short commutes to Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, as well as walking distance to the Century City Mall. "FirstService Residential is honored to partner with Wilshire Thayer Association," said Matt Liff, business development director at FirstService Residential. "We are excited to help elevate their building to its highest potential and partner with them on major projects that drive value for their residents." About FirstService Residential FirstService Residential is North America's property management leader, partnering with 8,500 communities across the U.S. and Canada, including low-, mid- and high-rise condominiums and cooperatives; single-family communities; master-planned, lifestyle and active adult communities; and mixed-use and rental properties. HOAs, community associations, condos and strata corporations rely on their extensive experience, resources and local expertise to maximize property values and enhance their residents' lifestyles. Dedicated to making a difference, every day, FirstService Residential goes above and beyond to deliver exceptional service. FirstService Residential is a subsidiary of FirstService Corporation (FSV), a North American leader in the property services sector. For more information, visit http://www.fsresidential.com/california. Were pleased that C&S content will be available to more readers in more places, and that MEIG was able to facilitate that efficiently thanks to distribution relationships they had established for GovExec over the years, Tom Allon, General Manager of C&S GovExec, the leading information services company for government leaders and contractors, announced today that content from City & State (C&S), the leading media brand dedicated to covering local and state politics, policy and personalities is available for licensing into third party platforms. GovExecs longtime licensing partner, MEI Global (MEIG) will continue to develop third party licensing opportunities that leverage the value of C&Ss highly regarded coverage of New York and Pennsylvania's local and state politics and policy. When we acquired City & State in January 2021, one of our goals was to leverage our existing licensing deals for GovExec to broaden access for end users interested in award-winning commentary and analysis, weekly publications, daily e-briefs, events, podcast interviews and more, said Tim Hartman, CEO, GovExec. With MEIGs guidance, weve already been able to add C&S content to our existing distribution arrangements with aggregators, syndication vendors, IP licensing specialists, and more. Were pleased that C&S content will be available to more readers in more places, and that MEIG was able to facilitate that efficiently thanks to distribution relationships they had established for GovExec over the years, said Tom Allon, General Manager of C&S. Were tremendously excited about our plans to grow rapidly both in New York state, as well as to replicate our model in states and municipalities around the country. Were optimistic that new distribution partnerships will amplify that growth even more. MEIG was founded to underpin the ability of publishers to identify, negotiate, and manage third party licensing opportunities, which can be challenging when resources for in-house licensing personnel are limited. We have conducted licensing activities on behalf of GovExec for over a decade, and were excited to have the opportunity to include C&S content in our vendor discussions going forward, said Chris Broekhoff, MEIGs President. As C&S enters a new chapter of its growth story as part of GovExec, we are honored to play a role in helping readers connect to the content that matters to them. About MEI Global, LLC: MEIG provides a suite of services to help publishers monetize their digital assets. MEIGs expertise includes prospecting, negotiating, relationship management, and extensive knowledge of vendors and their needs, thanks to decades of industry experience within MEIGs dealmaker team. The company assists publishers with strategic decision making through a lens of revenue growth, brand extension and intellectual property protection. For additional information, please contact Vice President of Business Development Nancy Davis Kho at ndkho@marcinko.com. About GovExec: As the market-leading information platform, for over fifty years GovExec has empowered the government ecosystem to engage and support government leaders as they work to achieve their missions across federal, defense, and state and local agencies. All powered by the largest and most sophisticated database in the public sector, GovExecs platform services are three-folddata that informs, media that connects, and marketing services that activate. Reaching over 2.8 million government influencers each month, GovExecs brand and platform portfolio includes Government Executive, NextGov, Defense One, Route Fifty, The Atlas for Cities, City & State New York, City & State Pennsylvania, Military Periscope, Government Contracting Institute, Government Marketing University and a strategic investment in Power Almanac. About City & State: City & State is the premier media organization dedicated to covering New York and Pennsylvanias local and state politics, policy, and personalities. Its in-depth, non-partisan coverage serves city leaders every day as a trusted guide to the issues impacting New York and Pennsylvania. City & State offers round-the-clock coverage through award-winning commentary and analysis, weekly publications, daily e-briefs, events, podcast interviews, and more. For Press inquiries, please contact Liz Stein, lstein@govexec.com, +1.240.461.3053 The great people we have deliver a superior experience to our customers, which is the fuel for our growth - president/owner Matt Jesson. Green Lawn Fertilizing / Green Pest Solutions was named to the coveted Philadelphia 100 list of the fastest growing privately owned companies in the greater Philadelphia region. This is the second consecutive year and fourth time ever in company history that Green Lawn Fertilizing has been featured on the prominent list. Green Lawn Fertilizing / Green Pest Solutions made the list due to its massive growth over the past three years. From 2018 to 2020 the companys top line revenue grew by over 49% and its employee headcount grew by 56%. President and Owner, Matt Jesson could not have been prouder to make the Philadelphia 100 list for the second year in a row. Its an outstanding accomplishment to be listed among the 100 fastest growing private companies in the greater Philadelphia region. It all starts with our extraordinary team members. The great people we have deliver a superior experience to our customers, which is the fuel for our growth. Says president/owner Matt Jesson. The Philadelphia 100 was started in 1988 by The Entrepreneurs Forum of Greater Philadelphia to help recognize some of the regions best companies. Only companies that are among the 100 fastest growing, privately held companies are awarded the Philadelphia 100 designation. In order to qualify for the Philadelphia 100 list, companies must be independent, privately held corporation, proprietorship or partnership. Applicants must have a full three-year sales history with a sales increase from 2018 to 2020. Sales in 2018 must be for a full 12 months and greater than $125,000. Company headquarters must be located in Philadelphia, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, Bucks, Burlington, Camden, Gloucester, Mercer or New Castle counties. After last years virtual ceremony, the Entrepreneurs Forum of Greater Philadelphia is looking to announce the rankings of the top 100 at a live event in center city on October 21st. They are also planning a breakfast on September 30th for the CEOs of each Philadelphia100 company to able to network with one another. While the Entrepreneurs Forum of Greater Philadelphia used revenue data ending in 2020 to determine its 2020 Philadelphia 100 winners, Green Lawn Fertilizing/Green Pest Solutions is having one of its best years yet in 2021. With a projected revenue growth of over 26% this year, they are making a strong push for the Philadelphia 100 list again in 2022! # # # Green Pest Solutions and Green Lawn Fertilizing is an independent lawn and pest control company that was founded in 2004. Under the leadership of Matt Jesson, President and Owner of Green Lawn Fertilizing / Green Pest Solutions, the company has grown to over 200 team members and over 100 service vehicles in its fleet. They have a mission to become the leader in the lawn and pest industry by providing superior customer service. Over the last several years, highly reputable publications have taken notice of the company succeeding in that mission. The Philadelphia Business Journal named Green Lawn Fertilizing / Green Pest Solutions one of their Best Places to Work three consecutive years In 2019, 2020 and 2021 as well as one of their Soaring 76 fastest growing private companies in 2020. For nine of the last ten years the company received the Inc. 5000 award for being recognized as one of the 5,000 fastest growing private companies in the America. In 2018, Green Pest Solutions was named "Best of Philly Earth-Friendly Exterminator" by Philadelphia Magazine and in 2017 they were named "Best Pest Control by Philly.com. In 2017, the company received the Customer Service Excellence Award by the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. The company previously was named to the Philadelphia 100 in 2014, 2015 and 2020. Catherine Burgess "Catherine Burgess and her team have sold many of Boulder Countys most prestigious properties, ranging from iconic Charles Haertling homes to spacious horse properties to gated lake community homes." Burgess Group at Compass is one of Colorado's top-producing real estate firms. Catherine Burgess and her team have sold many of Boulder Countys most prestigious properties, ranging from iconic Charles Haertling homes to spacious horse properties to gated lake community homes. Catherine made her mark with her commitment to exceptional service. Specializing in high-end and luxury homes, her team is highly attentive, with active and consistent communication, delivering fast and profitable results. They negotiate aggressively, but collaboratively, to represent their clients. Awards: Wall Street Journal - America's Best Real Estate Professionals Top 1% of Realtors by volume, in Boulder County, Colorado and the USA Best of Zillow and Platinum Performance Awards Founding Agent Team of Compass Boulder Visit Catherine Burgess' Haute Residence Profile: https://www.hauteresidence.com/member/catherine-burgess/ ABOUT HAUTE RESIDENCE Designed as a partnership-driven luxury real estate portal, Haute Residence connects its affluent readers with top real estate professionals, while offering the latest in real estate news, showcasing the worlds most extraordinary residences on the market and sharing expert advice from its knowledgeable and experienced real estate partners. The invitation-only luxury real estate network, which partners with just one agent in every market, unites a distinguished collective of leading real estate agents and brokers and highlights the most extravagant properties in leading markets around the globe for affluent buyers, sellers, and real estate enthusiasts. HauteResidence.com has grown to be the number one news source for million-dollar listings, high-end residential developments, celebrity real estate, and more. Access all of this information and more by visiting http://www.hauteresidence.com I am incredibly honored to be included in the Female Founders 100 list, and proud to share a spot among such accomplished women. I couldnt have made this list without a talented, passionate team that shares my vision of creating opportunity for all through mobility. Inc. today announced its fourth annual Female Founders 100 list, honoring the most exceptional, trailblazing and diverse group of 100 women who powered through adversity in a very tough year and changed the world. We are excited to announce that Joanna McFarland, HopSkipDrive Co-founder and CEO, was selected for this list, which honors women entrepreneurs leading innovative companies in a vast range of global industries. McFarland says, I am incredibly honored to be included in the Female Founders 100 list, and proud to share a spot among such accomplished women. I couldnt have made this list without a talented, passionate team that shares my vision of creating opportunity for all through mobility. Joanna McFarland founded HopSkipDrive in 2014 along with two other working mothers; the three knew busy parents needed a solution to get their children where they needed to go. Together they created a safe youth transportation solution HopSkipDrive, which became a hit with families. McFarland soon realized the solution that helped busy families could also help schools fulfill the transportation needs of their most vulnerable populations. In 2017, HopSkipDrive partnered with Los Angeles County to provide a transportation solution that enabled students in foster care to remain in their school of origin. The success of the pilot led to contracts with schools, districts, nonprofits and county agencies across the country. The company now operates in 16 major markets across nine states, with ambitious expansion plans. Most recently, McFarland gracefully led her company through a difficult time: COVID-19-mandated school closures forced her to make tough decisions about the future of the company. Leading with transparency, vulnerability and empathy, McFarland shepherded her team through the crisis while retaining high employee engagement. As the company now rapidly expands, about a quarter of 2021 hires are returning employees. Looking to the future, McFarland is planning to launch HopSkipDrive in 30 new markets across the country, while focusing on the revitalization of a school transportation system in crisis and the progression to zero-emission. The 100 women highlighted on this list are inspiring, creative, tenacious and trailblazing role models in entrepreneurship. Whats more is they were able to achieve success during one of the toughest years ever. Thats something certainly worth celebrating, says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. To see the complete list, go to: https://www.inc.com/female-founders About HopSkipDrive Designed by protective moms and driven by caregivers, HopSkipDrive is the innovative, safe and dependable youth transportation solution for schools, districts, government agencies and families. HopSkipDrives advanced technology platform and industry-leading operational expertise provide school districts with safety, flexibility and visibility while helping to create opportunity for all through mobility. HopSkipDrive currently operates in 16 major markets across nine states and Washington D.C., and has contracts with 300+ school districts and county government agencies. HopSkipDrive CareDrivers have safely driven over 20M+ miles with 1.4M+ riders. Learn more at http://www.hopskipdrive.com. About Inc. magazine The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning, multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels, including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion among the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. Introducing: MATTER OF FACT We want to move the science of skincare forward. Innovation in topical skincare has pretty much been at a standstill for almost two decades now and I think it's about time to get the industry moving in that direction again." - MOF Founder, Paul Baek MATTER OF FACT, a new skincare brand, launches today with two groundbreaking products from its revolutionary and unprecedented skincare line: ASCORBIC ACID 20 BRIGHTENING C SERUM and MINIMALIST HYDRATING CREAM. Informed by more than a decade of research, robust clinical studies, and product development done by Founder, Formulator, and CEO, Paul Baek, MATTER OF FACTs collection of patent-pending technologies represents the most significant advancement in skincare in nearly two decades. Most notably, MATTER OF FACT has cracked the elusive code for stabilizing Vitamin C with clinically-proven results verifying efficacy and safety across light to dark skin tones. Born out of a personal search for truly innovative and effective skincare products that keep pace with scientific advancements, MATTER OF FACT makes a bold promise to consumersto always deliver thoughtfully formulated, evidence-based products; and provide clear, straightforward information that empowers every consumer, regardless of skin type or tone. Through true transparency, and the rigorous scientific validation of product benefits, MATTER OF FACT makes it easy for consumers to make informed choices about their skincare. We want to move the science of skincare forward, said MATTER OF FACT Founder Paul Baek. Innovation in topical skincare has pretty much been at a standstill for almost two decades now and I think it's about time to get the industry moving in that direction again. Its our goal to motivate skincare consumers, brands, and formulators to throw away their cynicism and explore new and better ways to deliver beneficial ingredients to the skin. MATTER OF FACTs breakthrough formulations are made possible by a dedicated in-house research and development approach, which offers a pathway to industry-first technologies, all validated through rigorous clinical testing. MATTER OF FACTs ASCORBIC ACID 20 BRIGHTENING C SERUM was tested in two separate 12-week independent clinical studies, producing significant improvements in skin brightness, fine lines, and wrinkles, as measured by both clinician grading and instrumentation. Notably, 100% of participants - across different ages and skin tones - agreed that their skin looked brighter, smoother, and more youthful and healthy after just 14 days of usage when used concurrently with MATTER OF FACTs MINIMALIST HYDRATING CREAM. The debut products from MATTER OF FACT include: ASCORBIC ACID 20 BRIGHTENING C SERUM (10 mL - $36; 30 mL - $92): The only Vitamin C serum on the market that doesn't force consumers to choose between stability, potency, and cosmetic elegance, MATTER OF FACTs ASCORBIC ACID 20 BRIGHTENING C SERUM is proven effective and safe across a diverse range of skin tones. With a potent 20%, fully solubilized concentration of Ascorbic Acid and a first-to-market waterless delivery system that offers superior stability - MATTER OF FACTS ASCORBIC ACID 20 BRIGHTENING C SERUM outlasts and outperforms other leading Vitamin C products by a 500% margin retaining unmatched stability at 94.25% (close to full strength) after 16 months. MINIMALIST HYDRATING CREAM (10 mL - $20; 30 mL - $50): Dermatologically tested for sensitive skin, the MINIMALIST HYDRATING CREAM delivers comforting, mild hydration that helps support the moisture barrier and strengthen the skins natural defenses. This patent-pending formula forgoes any unnecessary additives, ensuring soothing hydration for a wide range of skin types. Future products from MATTER OF FACT include applications that span a wide range of skin concerns, including skin brightening, moisture barrier, anti-acne, and anti-aging. To learn more, and purchase the debut products from MATTER OF FACT, visit MATTEROFFACT.com. About MATTER OF FACT MATTER OF FACT is the new gold standard in clinical skincare that offers cutting-edge, evidence-based, and research-backed products. With a commitment to straightforward information, MATTER OF FACT empowers consumers of a wide range of skin types and backgrounds to make the best decisions for their skin. With a rigorous focus on research and development, MATTER OF FACT is launching one of the most innovative products on the market in almost two decades. The first two products launch on September 28, 2021 and include a patent-pending Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) product with unmatched stability, potency, and shelf-life; and a supremely gentle and soothing hydrating cream. In their mission to promote innovation and inclusivity, MATTER OF FACT has partnered with IGNITE Worldwide to support their efforts to change gender and racial equity in STEM. Inspired by Pauls mother and her own continuous pursuit of self-empowerment through education, the MATTER OF FACT team will actively take part in donating, volunteering, and leading career, inspirational, and educational sessions for IGNITE Worldwide. About The Founder, Paul Baek The road to creating MATTER OF FACT is as innovative and interesting as the products themselves. American-born Paul Baek is the son of Korean-born parents, who moved to the US in the early 1980s for his mother to pursue her Ph.D. in chemistry. During his childhood, Pauls father started a beauty supply store, and his childhood exposure to their work in science and business laid the foundation for Pauls early interest in skincare and research. With a rare yet brilliant mind for both science and art, Paul graduated from Harvard and pursued a K-pop career as a recording artist in South Korea. His experience within the heavily image-conscious and international music industry further exposed him to the full beauty and skincare worldand the wide chasm of quality between products that often dont work for all skin tones and types. He sought effective and inclusive solutions, and thus returned to school. He earned his MBA from Wharton and also studied cosmetic formulationspecifically, emulsion technologyunder the tutelage of a veteran chemist and formulator. Pauls years of dedicated work and research culminated in the unique technology that is the foundation for MATTER OF FACT: the breakthrough ability to fully dissolve high concentrations of Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) without compromising stability or cosmetic elegance. Baek created MATTER OF FACT to bring his work to people in search of better, more effective skincare solutions. The results of his remarkable work and first-of-their-kind formulations have already drawn some of the worlds most regarded investors: Horizons Ventures, First Round Capital, and Cowboy Ventures. About ASCORBIC ACID 20 BRIGHTENING C SERUM Ascorbic Acid, the biologically active form of Vitamin C, long regarded for its anti-aging properties, and well-documented to improve the appearance of skin, is also notoriously unstable, suffering largely from imperfect delivery to the skin. Baek made solving this the major focus of his work with MATTER OF FACT and has the empirical data to prove it. MATTER OF FACTs first-to-market technology uses a waterless delivery system that stabilizes Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), preventing degradation and decreased product efficacy, while avoiding the grittiness and pilling of other formulations. While other Vitamin C serums on the market experience significant degradation in just the first few months, even in an unopened container, and with the inclusion of additional antioxidants, MATTER OF FACTS ASCORBIC ACID 20 BRIGHTENING C SERUM outlasts and outperforms these serums, specifically retaining unmatched stability of 94.25% (close to full strength), after simulating 16 months at room temperature. By comparison, other water-based solutions have been shown to plummet to less than 88% Ascorbic Acid concentration after just after 4months under identical conditions. The combination of ingredients in the ASCORBIC ACID 20 BRIGHTENING C SERUM (20% concentration of Ascorbic Acid paired with Ferulic Acid and Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract) work synergistically to further stabilize the Vitamin C and increase its antioxidant benefits. The formulation is smooth, fluid, transparent, and fragrance-free and can be seamlessly applied with other products and makeup, unlike other products on the market that can pill, turn orange-brown, and leave unpleasant odors lingering on the skin. About The MINIMALIST HYDRATING CREAM MATTER OF FACTs MINIMALIST HYDRATING CREAM was designed to provide skin with comforting, mild hydration. It offers the perfect, gentle canvas on which to build an effective skincare routine. The MINIMALIST HYDRATING CREAM, which is bouncy and smooth with a non-heavy finish, can be used before or after any MATTER OF FACT product. Inclusivity: For All Skin Types and Tones Inclusivity is core to MATTER OF FACTs approach, mission, and the team itself. All of the brands products were developed, tested, and intended for people with fair skin, dark skin, and everything in between. MATTER OF FACT conducted studies in South Korea and Brazil in an effort to capture a variety of skin tones and types. While scientific literature shows that discolorations are a near-universal sign of photoaging across different skin tones, more deeply pigmented skin types are especially vulnerable to it. It is highly problematic that the most researched and available tools, such as hydroquinone, present a higher incidence of side effects in darker-toned individualsincluding rebound pigmentation that is worse than the discolorations originally present. This leaves those most in need of effective and safe brightening treatments in a conundrum. Core to the brand is a commitment to serving the skin care needs of people from a wide range of skin tones. About The Team + Funding MATTER OF FACT has raised over $10 million in funding from notable investors, including Horizons Ventures, Cowboy Ventures and First Round Capital, where they've partnered with Hayley Barna, who co-founded Birchbox before becoming a venture capitalist in 2016. Michelle Lee, industry veteran and former Editor-in-Chief of Allure, has also made an investment in the company - her first investment in a beauty brand to-date. The advisory board includes Dr. Tim McCraw, Ph.D., an experienced executive with strength in taking new and emerging technologies to the marketplace, and Dr. Michael Garner, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist/partner at Boone Dermatology Clinic, with an expertise in general dermatology, dermatologic surgery and laser surgery, and a special interest in skin cancer, wound healing and atopic dermatitis. Dr. McCraw notes: As a beauty innovation expert with decades of experience, it's been rare for me to meet a new company that has even one truly innovative technology, so MATTER OF FACTs portfolio of IP really stands out. The Vitamin C technologies, in particular, are ones that I believe will dramatically disrupt the market and set the new standard in clinical skincare." Dr. Garner adds: "MATTER OF FACT's well-designed clinical studies demonstrating stability and efficacy are highly impressive and exciting. This is the exact evidence-based approach that dermatologists need to see in order to make confident recommendations to our patients. It's very rare to see brands with MATTER OF FACTs level of dedication to clinical data. Clinical Studies Significant Brightening: ASCORBIC ACID 20 BRIGHTENING C SERUM In a 12-week independent clinical study with 35 female subjects, ages 20-60, ASCORBIC ACID 20 BRIGHTENING C SERUM led to significant improvements in the appearance of hyperpigmentation and skin brightness as measured by both clinician grading and instrumentation. Furthermore, subjects reported very high satisfaction with the product, with reported self-assessments below. After 6 weeks of using ASCORBIC ACID 20 BRIGHTENING C SERUM: 94% of participants agreed that the overall appearance of skin was improved. 94% of participants agreed that skin tone was brighter. 88% of participants agreed that skins radiance and clarity were improved. - 88% of participants agreed that skins texture was smoother After 12 weeks of using ASCORBIC ACID 20 BRIGHTENING C SERUM: 88% of participants agreed that lines and wrinkles were less visible. 88% of participants agreed that skin looked more youthful and healthy 82% of participants agreed that skin looked and felt firmer Better Together: ASCORBIC ACID 20 BRIGHTENING C SERUM + MINIMALIST HYDRATING CREAM In a follow-up 90-day clinical study with 29 female subjects, ages 40-60, the combination of Ascorbic Acid Brightening C Serum with MINIMALIST HYDRATING CREAM led to significant improvements in the appearance of multiple signs of photoaging, including wrinkling and fine lines, firmness and hyperpigmentation, as measured by both clinician grading and instrumentation. Furthermore, subjects reported very high satisfaction with the products, with reported self-assessments below. After 14 days of using ASCORBIC ACID 20 BRIGHTENING C SERUM and MINIMALIST HYDRATING CREAM: 100% of participants agreed that the overall appearance of skin was improved. 100% of participants agreed that the appearance of uneven skin tone or discoloration was reduced. 100% of participants agreed that skin texture was smoother. 100% of participants agreed that skin tone was brighter. 100% of participants agreed that skin looked more youthful and healthy. 100% of participants agreed that skin firmness was improved. After 30 days of using ASCORBIC ACID 20 BRIGHTENING C SERUM and MINIMALIST HYDRATING CREAM: 100% of participants agreed that brown spots on skin were faded. 100% of participants agreed that skin elasticity is improved. 100% of participants agreed that skin homogeneity is improved. After 60 days of using ASCORBIC ACID 20 BRIGHTENING C SERUM and MINIMALIST HYDRATING CREAM: 100% of participants agreed that radiance and clarity of skin was increased. After 90 days of using ASCORBIC ACID 20 BRIGHTENING C SERUM and MINIMALIST HYDRATING CREAM: 100% of participants agreed that the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines were less visible. 100% of participants agreed that they would continue the use of these products at the conclusion of the study For more information, visit MATTEROFFACT.COM Contact: matteroffactskin@thenumber29.com Swartz Campbell is pleased to announce that partners Jeffrey B. McCarron, William T. Salzer, and Nicholas E. Skiles have been included in The Best Lawyers in America 2022. Jeffrey B. McCarron was included for the practice area of Legal Malpractice Defendants in Philadelphia. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2006. William T. Salzer was included for Insurance Law in Philadelphia. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2019. Nicholas E. Skiles was included for Personal Injury Litigation-Defendants and Product Liability Defendants in Wilmington, DE. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America since 2021. Since it was first published in 1983, Best Lawyers has become universally regarded as the definitive guide to legal excellence. Best Lawyers lists are compiled based on an exhaustive peer-review evaluation. Lawyers are not required or allowed to pay a fee to be listed; therefore inclusion in Best Lawyers is considered a singular honor. Corporate Counsel magazine has called Best Lawyers the most respected referral list of attorneys in practice. Additional details can be found at http://www.bestlawyers.com. JEFF McCARRON has dedicated his practice to the representation of professionals in litigation. He developed and manages a group focused on the handling of professional liability litigation and disciplinary proceedings. The matters involve representation of lawyers, accountants, appraisers, realtors, insurance agents and brokers, officers and directors, architects and engineers, securities dealers, and title insurance agents. Jeff has handled hundreds of trials, and he has lectured and written about professional liability issues, risk management for professionals and litigation techniques and practice. He is licensed to practice law in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. In addition to his practice, Jeff is Chairman of Swartz Campbells Management Committee and chairs the firms Professional Liability Group. Jeff is a former Co-Chair of the Professional Responsibility Committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association, former Co-Vice Chair of the Professional Liability Committee of the Pennsylvania Bar Association and past Chair of the Professional Liability Committee of the Pennsylvania Defense Institute. A graduate of Hampshire College (B.A., 1983), he earned his law degree from Temple University School of Law (J.D., 1987). WILLIAM T. SALZER has concentrated his practice for over twenty years in the areas of employment law, insurance coverage and bad faith litigation. A substantial part of Mr. Salzers practice includes representing and advising primary and excess insurers in complex insurance coverage claims involving risks under commercial general liability, professional, environmental, property and casualty, fidelity and workers compensation policies. Mr. Salzer provides timely and comprehensive insurance coverage opinions for risks nationwide. Mr. Salzer assists insurers in drafting policy endorsements to respond to changing legal developments and to foster new business in targeted markets. Prior to joining Swartz Campbell, Mr. Salzer was a trial attorney for the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Solicitor with responsibility for enforcement of occupational safety and wage and hour laws, representation of the government in black lung benefit claims and defense of union grievances. A graduate of University of Virginia (B.A., 1980), Mr. Salzer earned his law degree from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey School of Law in 1984. He also serves on the firms Management Committee. NICHOLAS E. SKILES is the managing partner of the firms Wilmington, Delaware office. Nicholas represents a number of diverse Fortune 500 companies in litigation. His most recent practice areas in civil litigation includes, but is not limited to, the following: Personal Injury, Products Liability, Toxic Tort, Insurance and Bad Faith, and Premises Liability. Mr. Skiles is admitted to practice in Delaware and New Jersey as well as the U.S. District Court of Delaware. Mr. Skiles has tried over twenty civil jury trials through verdict and the appellate level thus far in his career. Even with over twenty years of litigation and trial experience, Nicholas has continued success getting his clients the best results outside of the courtroom. A graduate of Indiana University Bloomington, Mr. Skiles earned his law degree from Widener University School of Law in 1997. Swartz Campbell LLC is a regional insurance defense firm providing legal services and counseling to insurers and self-insureds in litigated matters throughout the United States. Focusing its practice primarily on the East Coast, Swartz Campbell LLC attorneys have become leaders in their fields of expertise. Swartz Campbell attorneys are regularly called upon to take over or assist in complex matters involving issues of first impression. Many of the cases which form the basis of Pennsylvania law have their origin in the briefs and argument of Swartz Campbell attorneys. The firm has offices in Pennsylvania as well as in New Jersey, Maryland, Ohio, West Virginia and Delaware. There is a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. We cannot turn away from these families who have left everything behind, stated Jim Estill, Danby Appliances Owner and CEO. Danby Appliances, together with Jim Estill who is the Owner and CEO of the Canadian-based manufacturer and distributor of household appliances, announced today its efforts to sponsor and support 50 families fleeing the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Supporting entire families is a complex and involved process with many moving parts, several things need to fall into place at the government level before families can begin their journey to Canada. Danby, local volunteers, and organization have already begun planning and reaching out to those in a position to donate resources, funds and time. This isnt Estills first time supporting families looking to provide a better life, free of persecution for their children. Five years ago, the entrepreneur and Guelph, Ontario resident sponsored 50 Syrian families and helped them settle, find employment and begin again. Since then, Danby has assisted the Guelph community at large in the sponsorship of approx. 150 additional refugees from various countries around the world. Its no surprise Danbys tagline is Do The Right Thing with this CEO at the helm spiriting a culture of philanthropy, volunteerism and servant leadership. There is a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. We cannot turn away from these families who have left everything behind stated Jim Estill, Danby Appliances Owner and CEO. Sponsoring and settling over 50 Syrian families several years ago provided insight on how to best support and successfully integrate these men, women and children new to Canada. By doing the right thing, we continue to provide a safe, welcoming network of Canadians to welcome these families. I am proud of what we are doing and thankful for the overwhelming support of other businesspeople, organizations and volunteers who have stepped up to help. The federal government is still assessing the situation and how refugee families will be allocated and assisted. For more information on how Danby is supporting Afghan families click here. A Gofundme page has been created for those wanting to donate. About Danby Appliances: Founded in 1947, Danby is one of North America's leading manufacturer/distributors of compact appliances such as microwaves, dehumidifiers, refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioners. The company operates three distinct business units Danby, MicroFridge, and Silhouette with four North American offices, including three in the U.S. and one in Canada. For more information on Danby and its products, please visit http://www.Danby.com. Follow Danby on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Gods Love Expressed: an artful collection of faith-based poetic verse. Gods Love Expressed is the creation of published author Kellie Daniels, a loving mother, Navy veteran, and native of Tennessee. Daniels shares, Gods Love Expressed is a compelling compilation of poetry. When paired along with scripture, it can become an educational Bible study. It highlights some points of reference that the young reader can reflect upon. When writing Gods Love Expressed, the author studied the Bible to gain a sense of the inspired Word. The author wants the book to be somewhat of a poetic digest, informing the reader of Gods intentional message of love and deliverance. Gods Love Expressed is truly an exemplification of Gods Word in action. The reader can delve into each story and capture the moment as if he or she were standing in the times of Bible history! Readers can cuddle up with a cup of tea and a blanket to bask in Gods goodness as expressed through this book or gather together in small groups with their Bibles to discuss each story. Readers can also discover Gods providential care of the believers of the Word. The miraculous ways the Savior brings about loving sacrifice on behalf of His children. The author hopes to inspire readers to add Gods Love Expressed to their devotional hour for meditation and inspiration. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Kellie Danielss new book is a charming arrangement of encouraging poems. With additional scriptural suggestions alongside inspiring poems, readers will find a unique opportunity for worship within Danielss first published work. Consumers can purchase Gods Love Expressed at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Gods Love Expressed, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. It is an honor to support our community in living a happier, healthier, more fulfilling life Every year, readers of the Del Mar Times, Carmel Valley News, Solana Beach Sun and Rancho Santa Fe Review select their favorite businesses. La Vita was chosen as the #1 pharmacy by the voting public, including practitioners and patients for the 6th year. https://www.delmartimes.net/dmt-best-of-north-coast-htmlstory.html "It is an honor to support our community in living a happier, healthier, more fulfilling life stated Deb Hubers, Co-Founder. La Vita partners with the nations leading functional medical providers in innovating personalized medications to treat their patients needs. La Vita has led functional medicines personalized medicine movement by formulating patented vitamin formulations and affiliating with EpigeneticsRx, a one-stop digital destination for Precision Healthcare with a network of over 2,500 practitioners focused on providing precise, predictive, personalized care. Chris Givant, RPh and Co-Founder states, our goal is to always provide the safest and highest quality compounding services within the industry. That is why we invest in PCAB Accreditation and appreciate the opportunity to help people live better longer. About La Vita La Vita Compounding Pharmacy prepares personalized medications for each patient formulated in conjunction with a medical practitioner. All formulations are prepared with care, quality and safety, in various dosages using unique delivery systems. We offer a variety of combinations and customized formulations not found anywhere else. PCAB Accredited for sterile and non-sterile compounding, La Vita works with you and your practitioner to get you on the path to living, better, longer. For more information, contact Deb Hubers at Deb@lavitarx.com, visit our website http://www.lavitarx.com or http://www.epigeneticsrx.com. Join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn About The Coast News Group The Coast News Group serves San Diego countys north county communities and publishes the Del Mar Times, Carmel Valley News, Solana Beach Sun and Rancho Santa Fe Review. For more information, visit http://www.thecoastnews.com. I am so proud of the unwavering, years-long dedication our litigation team has exhibited, which involved everything from helping clients who were injured from the toxic gas fumes find the right doctors to locating specialists for other victims. Nearly six years after the worst methane gas leak in U.S. history, Valencia-based law firm Owen, Patterson & Owens clients are among the residents of Porter Ranch receiving a $1.8 billion settlement from Southern California Gas Company (SoCal Gas), a utility company based in Los Angeles, the primary provider of natural gas to Southern California, and its parent company, Sempra Energy. [Los Angeles Superior Court | Lead Case William Gandsey BC601844] Our clients have endured this process for the past six years, and we are thrilled with the results, said Susan A. Owen, a senior partner at the law firm of Owen, Patterson & Owen (OPO) and a member of the Plaintiff Steering Committee, a small group of lawyers who spearheaded the litigation. OPO represented approximately 3,800 plaintiffs in this historic settlement. Since the discovery of the gas leak at the SoCalGas Aliso Canyon Facility, thousands of Porter Ranch residents, including many children, have reported headaches, dizziness, severe coughs, nosebleeds, rashes, vomiting, earaches, vision problems, gum swelling, increased anxiety, as well as neurological, gastrointestinal, and other respiratory health issues due to exposure to a litany of cancer-causing chemicals. Over 8,000 families were forced to evacuate their homes in droves and children relocated to safer schools. With this announcement, Porter Ranch residents and workers can begin laying the new foundation for their hard-fought and long-awaited journey back to normalcy, said Owen. I am so proud of the unwavering, years-long dedication our litigation team has exhibited, which involved everything from helping clients who were injured from the toxic gas fumes find the right doctors to locating specialists for other victims. The work included more than 585 depositions and intense fighting on every front in this heavily litigated case. The Porter Ranch award is the latest in a string of high-profile victories for Owen, Patterson & Owen including the USC Sexual Abuse Case and Vegas Route 91 shooting; and OPO is the only woman-led firm to handle all three. About Owen, Patterson & Owen Founded in 1977 and located in Valencia, California, the law firm of Owen, Patterson & Owen is recognized by the most prestigious organizations in the field of law, honoring the top 1% of the 1.3 million lawyers in the country. The firm has recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for families and individuals who have been personally injured. Together, we are bridging the gap in the digital assets industry by providing more visibility for women and more importantly, by being a resource for anyone seeking career opportunities in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. Crypto Connect, a decentralized organization for those interested in the crypto industry, announced today its launch in twelve (12) major cities across the U.S. including Austin, Chicago, Dallas, DC, Denver, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New York, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle with plans to expand to other cities worldwide by 2022. Led by a Board of 26 established women in the blockchain and cryptocurrency industry, the nonprofit will host meet-ups, webinars, and educational events. It will also serve as a standing resource for members seeking meetings, referrals, mentorship, and community. While the organization is led by women, anyone can participate in its events and benefit from its network. Im thrilled to launch Crypto Connect, alongside many inspiring leaders in the space, as a resource to the community, said Crypto Connects President and Partner at Anderson Kill Hailey Lennon. Together, we are bridging the gap in the digital assets industry by providing more visibility for women and more importantly, by being a resource for anyone seeking career opportunities in the blockchain and cryptocurrency space. With many people working from home and traveling differently in light of COVID-19, having a go-to resource to foster networking in the industry is increasingly important for innovation. The groups networking events will begin in October 2021, and a national conference is slated for Q3 of 2022. Membership is free and open to all via sign up on the Crypto Connect website. President: Hailey Lennon, Partner @ Anderson Kill Chapter Leads, who also sit on the Board, include: Austin - Kaily Buemi, Executive Assistant @ Unchained Capital Chicago - Lexy Prodromos, Product Manager, Blockchain and Digital Currency @ Discover Dallas - Natalie Smolenski, Chair of the Board @ Texas Blockchain Council DC - Michelle Bond, CEO @ ADAM Denver - Saira Rahman, VP Finance @ HMBradley / Co-host, GJWHF Los Angeles - Wendy O, Founder & Host @ The O Show Miami - Jalak Jobanputra, Founder & Managing Partner @ Future Perfect Ventures Nashville - Evie Phillips, Co-Founder & CMO @ NFTglee New York - Aubrey Strobel, Head of Comms @ Lolli San Diego - Valeria Bystrowicz, Attorney @ Perkins Coie San Francisco - Lauren Day, Compliance @ Binance.US Seattle - Arry Yu, Managing Director @ Yellow Umbrella Ventures & Chair @ WTIA Cascadia Blockchain Council Other U.S. Board Members include: Charlene Fadirepo, Founder & CEO @ Guidefi Cleve Mesidor, Advisor @ The Blockchain Association Gina DeFelice, Director of Sales @ The Block Karyl Fowler, CEO and Co-Founder at Transmute Kelley Weaver, CEO @ Melrose PR Lea Thompson, Founder & Producer @ Girl Gone Crypto Leigh Cuen, Journalist & Co-founder @ Association for Cryptocurrency Journalists and Researchers Michelle OConnor, VP Marketing @ Taxbit Naomi Brockwell, Creator @ NBTV.media Tonya M. Evans, Professor @ Penn State Dickinson Law School, Crypto Connect also has International Board Members that will help support global expansion of the organization: Layah Heilpern, Author & Host @ The Layah Heilpern Show Teana Baker-Taylor, Chief Policy Officer @ Chamber of Digital Commerce Media Contact: Kelley Weaver, CEO @ Melrose PR kelley(at)melrosepr(dot)com About Crypto Connect: Crypto Connect is a nonprofit, decentralized organization dedicated to sponsoring educational and networking opportunities for the cryptocurrency industry. Crypto Connect will host meet-ups, webinars and educational events for individuals seeking community, new talent, a diversity of ideas and information sharing resources. To learn more, please visit cryptoconnect.org Twitter: https://twitter.com/_CryptoConnect_ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/crypto-connect Working together, we aim to attract and build the next generation of women leaders. - Meredith Singletary Manifest 2022 celebrates women in LogisticsTech with an exclusive luncheon event in partnership with DHL Supply Chain, project44 and AEye on Jan. 26, 2022, at The Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino. Manifest is the inaugural event bringing together the most comprehensive ecosystem of innovation and transformation in LogisticsTech and the global Supply Chain. Women in leadership positions have increased dramatically over the past 5 years across the logistics industry; Manifest, DHL, project44 and AEye have joined to celebrate this achievement and discuss future opportunities for gender and cultural diversity in the supply chain and logistics space. Organizationally, we have committed to increasing the number of women in our management ranks to 30 percent by 2025 says Meredith Singletary, Head of Diversity & Inclusion, DHL Supply Chain, North America. In support of this goal, DHL Supply Chain North America has developed a roadmap focusing on the recruitment and retention of women into the logistics industry, development opportunities for women, a balanced approach for work, and an inclusive culture. Working together, we aim to attract and build the next generation of women leaders. At AEye, we know that the best companies, teams and products originate from diverse teams, made up of diverse engineering and design minds, who bring unique perspectives to the table, said Blair LaCorte, CEO of AEye. As such, we are proud to support organizations like Women in Autonomy, which equips and empowers women to become leaders and change-makers in their field, and to partner with Manifest to celebrate the advancement of women in supply chain and logistics. Featured speakers at the luncheon include DHLs Vice President of Innovation Gina Chung and CEOXs Founder Luann Abrams. In addition, the balance of the Manifest program features a large number of female industry leaders in recognition of the importance of diversity in all industries. Luann Abrams, CEO, CEOX Amy Barnes, Vice President, Indirect Sourcing & Logistics, Novolex Sarah Barnes-Humphrey, FounderHost, Let's Talk Supply Chain Jennifer Bartashus, Senior Analyst, Retail Staples & Packaged Food, Bloomberg Intelligence, Bloomberg L.P Jenny Bebout, Co-Founder & VP of Product, Convey Tracy Black, Operating Partner, NewRoad Capital Partners Victoria Bryazgina, Head of SCM Development, United Metallurgical Company Gina Chung, Vice President Innovation Americas | DHL Americas Innovation Center, DHL Megan Conyers, EVP, Florida Customs Brokers & Freight Forwarders Association Michelle Dilley, CEO, AWESOMELeaders.org Tanja Dysli, Chief Supply Chain Officer, IKEA US Judith Engelsen-Daub, VP of Client Success, GEODIS Megan Evert, SVP Operations, Flexe Emily Fan, VP, Supply Chain & Operations, Madison Reed Debbie Fortnum, Co-Founder & COO, Macondo Vision Rita Hansen, CEO, Onboard Dynamics Kellie Jensen, Executive Director, Anthesis Sara Jones, SVP, New Vista Acquisition Corp Shefali Kapadia, Lead Editor, Supply Chain Dive & Transport Dive, Industry Drive Kate Kaufman, Director of Operations, Uber Freight Rachel Kibbe, Founder, Kept SKU Inna Kuznetsova, CEO & Board Member, 1010data Mary Long, Managing Director, Global Supply Chain Forum, Haslam College of Business at the University of Tennessee Carrie Love, CEO & Co-founder, MustDeliver Ellis McCue, CEO, Territory Foods Maureen McWhite, CEO & Founder, 4Gen Consulting Services Petere Miner, Co-Founder & President, The CoLoadX Corporation Courtney Muller, President, Manifest Angela Ogbechie, VP, Supply Chain Strategy & Fulfillment, Deckers Brands Neha Palmer, CEO, Terawatt Infrastructure Veronica Pascual, CEO & Owner, ASTI Mobile Robotics Group Kendra Phillips, Chief Technology Officer & VP of New Products, Ryder System, Inc. Kim Raath, Founder, Topl Penny Register-Shaw, Chief Strategy Officer, Co-Founder, The FRONTdoor Collective Prashanthi Raman, Director, Government Affairs, Cruise Shailu Satish, COO & Co-Founder, DispatchTrack Rosemary Smith, Director of Supply Chain Development, Americas, The LEGO Group Michelle Street, Director of Operations, TJC Kristin Toth Smith, President & Chief Operating Officer, Board Member, Fernish Dana Von der Heide, CCO & Founder, Parcel Perform Michaela Wallin, Head of Customer Fulfillment, H&M Lucy Wang, General Partner, Divergent Capital Allison Williams, Principal, Newark Venture Partners The Womens Luncheon is a fantastic opportunity to connect with and support accomplished female leaders in the supply chain and logistics industry, said Diane Gordon, SVP of global customer success and head of womens leadership initiatives at project44. Im encouraged by the increasing diversity that Im seeing among leadership at project44 and throughout the industry, and I know that progress will further accelerate as we recruit and retain more women in leadership roles in the months ahead. Held in Las Vegas, NV, from Jan. 25 through Jan. 27, Manifests program will offer attendees the opportunity to hear more than 250 pioneers and thought leaders address sustainable technologies, the application of software & IoT in logistics, WMS & robotics in warehouses and autonomous solutions in the first mile, middle mile, and last mile. Visit https://www.manife.st to learn more and book your ticket to the show! Prices increase on Oct. 22, 2021. About Manifest: Manifest is brought to you by the same team that created InsureTech Connect, Blueprint, HR Transform and The Future of Logistics Tech Summit. Manifest will offer unparalleled access to a comprehensive gathering of entrepreneurs, investors and executives from BCOs/Shippers. The inaugural event will bring together over 1,500 executives on January 25-27, 2022 at the Paris, Las Vegas. Rendering Courtesy of RDG Planning and Design Were excited to get started on Woodlands at Canterfield, shared Susan Uhlarik, Director of Multi-Family at McShane. The new development will provide a beautiful home for seniors in the West Dundee area who need additional support as they grow older. McShane Construction Company has been selected by Westbrook at Canterfield, LLC to build Woodlands at Canterfield. Located in West Dundee, Illinois, the new senior living development will offer 91 assisted living units and 40 memory care beds. Were excited to get started on Woodlands at Canterfield, shared Susan Uhlarik, Director of Multi-Family at McShane. The new development will provide a beautiful home for seniors in the West Dundee area who need additional support as they grow older. Residents will be able to enjoy nearly 16,000 square feet of amenity space, including a fitness center, spa, salon, pub, clubroom and guest suite. The site will also offer 92 parking spaces. Each unit will boast high-end finishes including luxury vinyl plank flooring, maple cabinets and quartz countertops. Positioned on a nine-acre site, the one-, two- and three-story wood frame building will feature an attractive stone and fiber cement panel exterior with a shingled roof. The communitys design strives to create an overarching woodland aesthetic, paying homage to the apple orchard that once occupied the site. Additionally, the residence incorporates bright and contemporary finishes that will create a welcoming environment for residents. Seeing the Woodlands at Canterfield development come to realization over the next months is exciting, said Joe Sweitzer, Owners Representative with NAVIGATE Building Solutions. The collaboration between the Village of West Dundee, Nelson Construction and Development, the design team and McShane Construction has been tremendous! Completion of Woodlands at Canterfield is expected for April 2023. AG Architecture is the architect and RDG Planning and Design is the interior designer. In 2020, there were roughly 8,100 fatalities reported caused by natural disaster events worldwide. The global average economic loss due to natural disaster events worldwide amounted to about 268 billion U.S. dollars that year. This campaign aims to provide insight and highlight resources to encourage individuals, mainly homeowners and families, to ensure they are duly prepared for any natural disaster that may arise in the near future. In 2020, there were roughly 8,100 fatalities reported caused by natural disaster events worldwide. The global average economic loss due to natural disaster events worldwide amounted to about 268 billion U.S. dollars that year. Although they are unavoidable, it is crucial to ensure that citizens are prepared for natural disasters in order to protect themselves, their home and their families. The print component of Disaster Preparedness is distributed within todays edition of USA Today with a circulation of approximately 150,000 copies and an estimated readership of 500,000. The digital component is distributed nationally, through a vast social media strategy, and across a network of top news sites and partner outlets. To explore the digital version of the campaign, visit: https://www.modernwellnessguide.com/disaster-prep/. Stephanie Abrams, a long time meteorologist and co-host of AMHQ for The Weather Channel has been an activist for disaster preparedness throughout her field of work. Disaster preparedness is essential for everyone because it can save your life, says Abrams. Stephanie suggests preparing a comprehensive survival kit that can be readily available at any time of the year for any type of disasters. These kids should generally contain enough food and water for your family for several days, flashlights and batteries, first aid supplies, whistles, dust masks, phone chargers, can openers, and basic tools like pliers and wrenches. While ensuring that a kit is readily prepared, Abrams also touches on monitoring weather patterns to know roughly when and where an upcoming disaster may strike. It is much easier to execute a plan in the aftermath rather than starting from scratch, which can be overwhelming. This campaign was made possible with the support of Stephanie Abrams, Ginger Zee, Mike Holmes, the Insurance Information Institute, the American Red Cross, Americares, Team Rubicon USA, Briggs & Stratton, Rock Solar, and Eco Flow. About Mediaplanet Mediaplanet specializes in the creation of content marketing campaigns covering a variety of industries. We tell meaningful stories that educate our audience and position our clients as solution providers. Our unique ability to pair the right leaders with the right readers, through the right platforms, has made Mediaplanet a global content marketing powerhouse. Our award-winning stories have won the hearts of countless readers while serving as a valuable platform for brands and their missions. Just call us storytellers with a purpose. Please visit http://www.mediaplanet.com for more on who we are and what we do. Ellie Gouvia ellie.gouvia@mediaplanet.com (248)-506-5729 Joanna Tronina jtronina@mediaplanet.com (646)-619-3516 MentorWorks announced today that they have executed an agreement with Venture University, the world's leading investor accelerator for venture capital (VC), private equity (PE), and angel investing, to offer Income Share Agreements (ISAs) to the latest cohort of students enrolled in the Venture University's program. "Venture University's mission is to disrupt the venture capital and private equity asset class, as well as education itself by offering a program where individuals receive high quality experiential learning and professional development. In the pursuit of continuing to innovate the future of education, we're excited to now offer ISAs as an alternative and innovative payment option, which is aligned with the success of our alumni's careers," J. Skyler Fernandes, Founder and CEO of Venture University. MentorWorks mission is to open pathways to education and careers for students and candidates who may not have had the financial or social capital to do it on their own. In partnering with Venture University, we now have the opportunity to fund students who will become the next generation of investors, said Ki Akrami, Chief Investment Officer at MentorWorks. "Startup capital is the very lifeblood of change and innovation so we are thrilled to provide a student loan alternative through Venture University to support diversity and inclusion among the future stewards of economic growth." MentorWorks is a leader in the income share agreement funding space, having successfully originated over 200 ISAs within the past two quarters. MentorWorks has a proven fund and support" model, which is evidenced by the 126% increase in the average income of students funded by MentorWorks. 74% of students funded by MentorWorks represent BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and Persons of Color) populations and over 60% are from low-income families. Funded students include individuals who may also not have had any other education financing options, individuals with limited or no credit histories, parents who took time off to take care of their children and wish to return to the workforce, and community college to 4-year transfer students, among others. With an ISA, students make monthly payments which are calculated to a fixed percentage of their income, for a set period of time, up to a maximum cap, without accruing interest. Unlike a loan, students do not pay until they find a job that pays at or above a minimum income threshold to ensure affordability. The payments adjust according to the level of the students income making it an outcome-based model with downside protections in place for the student. The ISA obligation can be ended early by making payments as listed in the early payment schedule. In addition, MentorWorks provides career support to its students through its proprietary Talent Accelerator Platform (TAP), which is designed to enhance employment outcomes of funded students. About Venture University Venture University is designed for individuals looking to gain high quality investment experience in order to break into the VC/PE industry, launch their own funds, or advance their careers. Individuals in the Investor Accelerator gain high quality VC/PE investment work experience over ~3-12 months and "build equity in their education" by receiving a Profit Sharing Agreement which has the potential to be worth none, some, all, or more than the cost of the program. For more information about Venture University go to: https://www.venture.university About MentorWorks Education Capital MentorWorks Education Capital provides Income Share Agreement (ISA) programs, which enable college and non-traditional students to complete their education without incurring up-front tuition costs. ISAs are alternatives to loans with which approved students will have their tuition paid and, once employed, will make payments calculated to a fixed percentage of their income, for a set period of time, up to a maximum cap, without accruing interest. Uniquely, MentorWorks also provides career development support, mentoring and access to employers through their online and asynchronous Talent Accelerator Platform (TAP). MentorWorks is a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), certified by the US Department of the Treasury. MentorWorks is the only institution offering an ISA program that has the CDFI designation. MentorWorks ISAs for Venture University candidates are issued by Blue Ridge Bank, N.A. IonTuition, Inc. (ION) is the servicing partner managing student payments for the MentorWorks ISA program. ION is an Education Fintech Services company that helps students and families take control of their education finances. ION is the most experienced, student-centric servicer for ISAs based on over a decade of experience providing services to colleges, universities and employers. To learn more about IONs customized servicing platform visit: http://www.iontuition.com. To learn more about MentorWorks Education Capital visit: https://mentorworks.com or reach out to Micha Sabovik, COO, at micha@mentorworks.com. Follow MentorWorks Education Capital on LinkedIn at http://linkedin.com/company/mentorworksisa. Over the past few years, winegrowers in the Tuscan region of Montecucco have made a significant effort to increase their commitment to sustainable farming and earth-friendly practices. The hidden gem of the Maremma on the slopes of Monte Amiata has long been a champion of sustainability, an approach that has resulted in a high number of organic estates, many of which have advocated and followed eco-friendly farming practices since their foundation. To provide a more precise and detailed picture for what was only a word of mouth, the Montecucco Consortium has engaged in extensive research and data collection in recent months to obtain the exact percentage of certified organic Montecucco wines among the producer members, particularly in comparison with the other main Tuscan appellations. The results, updated in July 2021, are exceptional and place the appellation atop the podium for sustainability among Tuscan territories, with 85% of the total production of Montecucco Sangiovese DOCG certified organic, plus 2% of wineries which are currently converting their production toward organic. The comparison with the other Tuscan denominations refers to production data in 2020 gathered by ARTEA (the Tuscany Regional Agency for Agriculture). The clean work in the vineyards and in the cellar is in the DNA of this territory," said Giovan Battista Basile, president of the consortium and an organic wine producer. "The results of this survey not only lead us to have an eco-sustainable territory recognition, but also encourage us to do better, said Basile. Considering the number of companies currently in the process of organic conversion, the goal is to reach 100% organic production in the near future. Montecuccos territory enjoys some naturally favorable conditions for organic viticulture due to the proximity to the Tyrrhenian Sea, with beneficial dry winds, and to the protection of Monte Amiata. However, its example of sustainability does not only include organic production, but also respecting the integrity of the territory, cultivating biodiversity, committing to carrying on agronomic practices in harmony with the environment, and the constant quest for improvement and innovation, with numerous studies and research conducted over the years. My own commitment as a winemaker, continued Basile, starts with good agronomic practices, such as the use of natural and organic products to promote a greater hardiness of the vines. Fertilizing with algae from the Atlantic coast of Canada that has beneficial properties is one example. In the cellar I use a photovoltaic system and green building." Montecucco wineries are also at the forefront in the promotion of innovative studies and research projects in the field of environmental sustainability, carried out with important institutes and university centers. Worth mentioning among them are the Organic Wine Program (University of Florence), aimed at improving green practices through technological solutions, using the criteria of precision agriculture; another is Biopass, a project carried out by the Montecucco estate Tenuta LImpostino in collaboration with the SATA Agronomic Group, the University of Milan and the Edmund Mach Foundation of S. Michele allAdige; it is aimed at analyzing biodiversity and vitality in soils, along with the organic substances they contain. # # # About the Montecucco Consortium (Consorzio Tutela Montecucco): Founded in 2000 and representing 68 wine producers, the Montecucco Consortium is committed to the stewardship, protection and promotion of the Montecucco wine denomination. The consortium ensures high quality through a set of formal production guidelines for the entire winemaking process, from cultivation to bottling, including a strict traceability system that allows consumers to know the origin of the wine purchased. The consortiums ability to provide day-in and day-out support to local growers, assist in brand promotion and focus on the quality of the end product have earned the organization the trust of numerous leading estates and helped attract some of Italys most renowned producers. For more information visit consorziomontecucco.it This study demonstrates the value of utilizing PredicineCARE at the time of diagnosis and progression in women with metastatic breast cancer as the results can lead to tailored treatments to help extend survival, said James Azzaro, Chief Commercial Officer at Predicine. Predicine, Inc. announces results from a liquid biopsy study demonstrating the clinical application of utilizing the PredicineCARE liquid biopsy NGS assay to detect somatic mutations and copy number variations (CNVs) in women with metastatic breast cancer at the time of diagnosis and the time of disease progression. The study presented at ESMO 2021 compared the landscape of somatic mutations and CNVs identified in women with hormone receptor positive (HR+), HER2 positive, and triple negative (TNBC) metastatic breast cancers. The study is entitled Mutational patters across breast cancer subtypes during metastatic disease progression. The PredicineCARE assay was utilized at the time of baseline diagnosis in 141 patients with metastatic breast cancer and a subset of 31 patients had additional testing at the time of disease progression. The study found that the most frequently mutated genes across the cohort were TP53 (44%), PIK3CA (28%), and ERBB2 (25%). The study also revealed distinctive mutational landscapes across the cancer subtypes. For patients with HR+ metastatic breast cancer, a higher frequency of mutations was observed at the time of disease progression compared to their baseline samples. The frequency of gene mutations at the time of disease progression was significantly higher in patients with HR+ cancer compared to patients with HER2+ or TNBC. Additionally, patients with HR+ cancer had a higher proportion of CNVs at the time of progression than patients with HER2+ or TNBC. The study concludes that, NGS profiling and characterization of subtype-specific patterns of mutations during progression may reveal unique mechanisms underlying the generation of treatment-related resistance. This study demonstrates the value of utilizing PredicineCARE at the time of diagnosis and progression in women with metastatic breast cancer as the results can lead to tailored treatments to help extend survival, said James Azzaro, Chief Commercial Officer at Predicine. We are pleased to provide a range of next-gen liquid biopsy solutions that may have profound clinical implications including predicting patient survival, selecting therapies for treatment, monitoring for treatment response, and understanding subsequent resistance. Predicine was founded to address unmet clinical needs. Our goal is to detect cancer early, treat early stages of cancer, and improve care for all patients with cancer. The publications can be found online at: https://www.predicine.com/publications/ About Predicine Predicine is a molecular insights company in Silicon Valley that is committed to advancing biomarker-driven precision medicine. Predicine has developed a breakthrough cell-free DNA and cell-free RNA based liquid biopsy technology for non-invasive cancer profiling, disease monitoring, assessing minimal residual disease, and early cancer detection. The company has launched a portfolio of blood-based and urine-based assays for solid tumors and hematologic malignancies. Through its CLIA and CAP facilities in the US and China, Predicine partners with leading biopharma companies and hospitals to support global clinical trials, CDx development and personalized cancer care. Further information is available on the companys website, http://www.predicine.com. Stay in touch on LinkedIn or on Twitter @Predicine. Northrop Realty has 14 office locations serving home buyers and sellers in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington D.C. Hitting this historic milestone of selling or placing under contract more than 1,000 homes in one week or less is a direct result of the systems weve built and our agents ability to truly understand our clients needs in the neighborhoods they serve." Northrop Realty, A Long & Foster Company, is pleased to announce that it has sold or placed under contract more than 1000+ homes in one week or less since January 1, 2021. This achievement highlights Northrop Realtys expertise and understanding of the current market. In addition, the transactions represent a 205% increase for the brokerage year-over-year. Hitting this historic milestone of selling or placing under contract more than 1,000 homes in one week or less is a direct result of the systems weve built and our agents ability to truly understand our clients needs in the neighborhoods they serve, said Creig Northrop, founder and CEO of Northrop Realty. The real estate firm is comprised of more than 300 passionate real estate, marketing, and administrative professionals committed to proactively promoting and selling homes or assisting with home purchases. So far this year, Northrop Realty has added more offices in Maryland and Delaware, bringing the total number to 14 office locations serving home buyers and sellers in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and Washington D.C. The full-service brokerage has experienced steady growth, with 89 agents joining Northrop Realty in 2021. Agents who join us thrive in our culture and appreciate our commitment to technology, sales development, leadership and marketing. Our goal is to provide our clients with the best agents in the business on both sides of the bridge who can assist them with buying or selling or both, said Carla Northrop, CEO of Northrop Realty. The companys growth trajectory is indicative of the increasing demand from buyers and sellers for a trusted partnership with experienced agents. Despite the pandemic, the company is on pace to exceed the number of transactions and volume it achieved in 2020, which was the best year in company history. Our agents have demonstrated resilience and persevered in this competitive market by providing world-class personal service when representing our clients, said Creig Northrop. The Northrop Realty difference is that we love what we do, and we put our clients needs first as full-time agents. As more inventory comes on the market this fall, Northrop Realtys personalized service sets them apart with 4K Fusion photography, 3D virtual tours, 2D floor plans, and much more at no extra cost, which offers a competitive edge. Interested sellers are encouraged to contact Northrop Realty at 410-531-0321 or visit http://www.northroprealty.com. About Northrop Realty Northrop Realty, A Long & Foster Company, is a full-service brokerage who represents buyers and sellers of residential real estate in the Baltimore and Washington metropolitan regions with offices in Annapolis, Baltimore, Clarksville, Columbia, Ellicott City, Fallston, Frederick, Silver Spring, Sykesville, and Lutherville-Timonium. Northrop Realty also services Pennsylvania, Washington, DC and Virginia and operates coastal office locations in West Ocean City, Maryland, Fenwick Island, Bethany Beach, and Millsboro, Delaware. Through dedication to a customer-centric approach, Northrop Realty has more than 30 years of experience in real estate and leads more than 285 licensed real estate professionals. Northrop Realty was ranked as the No. 1 specialty brokerage in the nation by REALTrends for 2019 based on closed sales volume. (http://www.northroprealty.com) *By sales volume, according to the REALTrends 1000 "Nucleate is designed and run by trainees, so it understands what founders need as they transition out of academia," said Peter Barrett, Partner at Atlas Venture and national advisor to Nucleate. Nucleate, the nonprofit organization led by academic trainees and dedicated to empowering future biotech leaders, announced its launch today. The organization caters to exploding interest among graduate scientific trainees and business students in commercializing biotechnology, complementing traditional institutional ecosystems. Nucleate streamlines company formation so that founders can focus on translating cutting-edge science. The world is facing global-scale challenges in food, water, climate, and disease, said Reshma Shetty, founder of Ginkgo Bioworks and national advisor to Nucleate. By making company creation easier and open to all, Nucleate is helping to expand the number of people able to tackle these problems head-on. Nucleate is now accepting applications for its equity-free, six-month Activator program. Participants are connected with potential co-founders; trained through its structured and rigorous framework; then equipped with an unparalleled network, funded fellowships, legal support, and highly subsidized perks including reagents, lab automation, and cloud computing. The Activator program does not take any equity or other fees for participation. For detailed criteria, prospective applicants are encouraged to visit https://nucleate.xyz/. Over the past three years, Nucleate has validated the Activator model in a pilot program at Harvard University and MIT. So far, the program has incubated 29 companies that have raised over $24 million in funding to develop new technologies including protein sequencing (Glyphic), drug discovery (Manifold Bio), RNA synthesis (EnPlusOne), and microbial fertilizer (Ivu Biologics). Building on its success, Nucleate has now evolved into a national organization with an inclusive model for educating biotech leaders. We created Nucleate because we noticed a missing layer in the biotech startup ecosystem, said Soufiane Aboulhouda, Nucleate founding President, Chairman of the Board, and PhD candidate at Harvard Medical School. With solid proof of concept in Boston, we will now open access to company formation to a new generation of diverse, geographically dispersed, and visionary biotech founders. Leadership Led by over 190 trainees from top scientific and business programs and with participation from over 60 universities and institutes, the organization is launching in 10 regions across the United States (Baltimore, MD; Bay Area, CA; Boston, MA; Houston, TX; Los Angeles, CA; New Haven, CT; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Research Triangle, NC; San Diego, CA). Translating a scientific discovery into a commercial product is a complex process. Ive seen this from both sides, as a venture investor and a mentor to biotech entrepreneurs in the academic setting, said Peter Barrett, Partner at Atlas Venture and Senior Fellow at Harvard Business School. Nucleate is designed and run by trainees, so it understands what founders need as they transition out of academia. I am proud to advise Nucleate as they launch nationwide to enable future biotech leaders. Advisors Peter Barrett, Ph.D. Partner at Atlas Venture; Chairman of Synlogic and Obsidian Therapeutics; co-founder of Celera Genomics Mira Chaurushiya, Ph.D. Partner at 5AM Ventures George Church, Ph.D. Robert Winthrop Professor of Genetics at Harvard Medical School; co-founder of Editas Medicine Bob Coughlin Former President & CEO of Massachusetts Biotechnology Council Angelika Fretzen, Ph.D., M.B.A. COO & Technology Translation Director at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering Tom Kalil Chief Innovation Officer at Schmidt Futures; former Deputy Director for Policy in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under President Obama Peter Kolchinsky, Ph.D. Managing Partner & co-founder of RA Capital Management Tony Kulesa, Ph.D. Partner & co-founder of Petri Ellie McGuire Partner & co-founder of Polaris Innovation Fund Steve Quake, D.Phil. Co-President of the Chan Zuckerberg Biohub; Lee Otterson Professor of Bioengineering at Stanford University; co-founder of Fluidigm Cami Samuels, M.B.A. Partner at Venrock; former Managing Director at Versant Ventures Reshma Shetty, Ph.D. Co-founder of Ginkgo Bioworks Pamela Silver, Ph.D. Elliot T and Onie H Adams Professor of Biochemistry and Systems Biology at Harvard; co-founder of Kula Bio, 64-x, and iGEM Gene Yeo, Ph.D., M.B.A. Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of California San Diego; co-founder of Locanabio, Eclipse Bioinnovations, Enzerna, and Proteona; senior advisor to Accelerator Life Science Partners Founding Executive Team Soufiane Aboulhouda Co-President & Chairman; PhD candidate at Harvard Medical School Jenna Aronson Co-President; PhD candidate at Massachusetts Institute of Technology Zach Cogan EVP, Partnerships; PhD student at University of California San Francisco Oliver Dodd EVP, Operations & Treasurer; PhD candidate at Harvard Medical School Anjali Ramaswamy EVP, Education; PhD candidate at Yale University Michael Retchin EVP, Strategy; PhD student at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Amanda Williams EVP, Finance; JD candidate at Harvard Law School Founding Board of Directors Soufiane Aboulhouda Co-President & Chairman; PhD candidate at Harvard Medical School Oliver Dodd EVP, Operations & Treasurer; PhD candidate at Harvard Medical School Sofia Guerra, M.B.A. Investor at Bessemer Venture Partners Matt Lanchantin, M.B.A. Secretary; Senior Manager, Corporate Strategy and Development at Valo Marissa Pettit, M.B.A. Vice Chair; Business Development Lead at Genentech About Nucleate Nucleate is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the next generation of biotech leaders. After validating its Activator pilot program in Boston, Nucleate has evolved into a national organization with chapters spanning 10 regions and participation from over 60 academic institutions. Nucleate identifies future biotech entrepreneurs and arms them with proven training, an exceptional network, legal counsel, subsidized perks, and funded fellowships, without the need to give up equity in their companies. Nucleate removes barriers and helps founders concentrate on building transformational technologies. For more information, visit https://nucleate.xyz/. A NXTsoft and Yapily partnership is a home run for NXTsoft as it significantly expands the financial market for which we can offer our partners entry, said David Brasfield, CEO of NXTsoft. NXTsoft, the market leader in comprehensive, secure API connectivity for fintechs and financial institutions in the United Sates and London, UK-based Yapily, the leading European-based open banking infrastructure provider, today announced a partnership between the two companies that will enable each to expand its API reach and expertise to the other's respective geographic areas. This means NXTsofts API partners will now have the ability to connect with European financial institutions and Yapilys European partners will have established API connectivity access to U.S-based financial institutions. NXTsoft and Yapily are both industry leaders on the open banking forefront due to their expertise in API connectivity, and a partnership between the two significantly expands the connectivity potential for their fintech partners who want to integrate their services with financial institutions. The open API solutions that NXTsoft and Yapily offer help to level the playing field between community banks and larger financial institutions. These APIs enable community financial institutions to quickly scale functionality to offer the myriad of digital services that consumers now demand. As such, this gives all consumers more choices of how and where they bank. Because of the API technology developed by NXTsoft and Yapily, financial institutions are no longer at the mercy of their core providers, waiting potentially years before the connectivity is developed to a solution they want to utilize. Fintech companies are no longer burdened by core connectivity constraints. They can focus on development and enhancement of their flagship solutions and innovation instead of how to connect A to B. A NXTsoft and Yapily partnership is a home run for NXTsoft as it significantly expands the financial market for which we can offer our partners entry, said David Brasfield, CEO of NXTsoft. We are excited to partner with a company like Yapily that understand the significance of open banking and the power of API connectivity he said. NXTsoft has been in the API marketspace for over 25 years and has over 1,000 financial institutions that currently utilize its secure open API solution OmniConnect to transmit data real-time between core systems and applications. As Yapily continues to grow and disrupt global financial infrastructure through our focus on open banking, a partnership with NXTsoft providing entry to the U.S. financial market is a huge step forward for us, said Yapily CEO Stefano Vaccino. Open banking infrastructure is fundamental to how data and payments move between organizations worldwide and Yapily and NXTsoft are poised to make that connectivity happen, he said. Yapily recently completed a second round of Series B funding totaling $51m and bringing its total investment to date to $69m.The company will use the funding to expand across Europe, extending open banking to cover 95% of the continent by the end of the year; and will continue to invest in its market-leading infrastructure to pave the way for open finance, creating financial inclusion for all. Financial institutions have and enhanced ability to implement solutions that customers demand, consumers have more choices in how and where they bank and fintech providers can focus on the innovation and deployment of new solutions in part due to the open API solutions and collaboration between NXTsoft and Yapily. About NXTsoft NXTsoft is headquartered in Birmingham and has offices in Orlando, Atlanta, and Denver. NXTsoft is the market leader in secure, comprehensive, and complete workflow API connectivity, connecting fintech companies to banks and credit unions throughout the United States. NXTsofts other solutions include data security, data analytics, data management and data migration. NXTsofts products and services help businesses secure, connect and optimize their data to maximize revenue opportunities, enhance profitability, and mitigate cybersecurity risk. For more information visit http://www.nxtsoft.com, email info@nxtsoft.com or call 1-800-915-3381. About Yapily Yapily is an open banking infrastructure provider, allowing companies to seamlessly access financial data and initiate payments. Designed and built for Open Finance, Yapily enables better and fairer financial products for everyone. The company has raised $68M in funding to date, and provides infrastructure for industry leaders including American Express, Intuit Quickbooks, Moneyfarm, Volt, Vivid and BUX. Headquartered in London, UK, Yapily employs over 90 people and continues to scale rapidly. The strong demand that we have experienced to date at One Coast validates our rare offering and shows the value on the premium for the inspired lifestyle here that only etco Homes can deliver. etco Homes, a privately held homebuilding company with a focus on boutique urban infill condominium development, has just released a collection of homes for sale in the second phase of construction at One Coast, Californias premier coastal luxury community. Celebrating nearly $20 Million in sales at One Coast this month as summer comes to a close, the communitys second phase homes are ready for move-in early this winter. The 32 new bluff-side homes range from 2,810 to 5,017 square feet all complemented by coastal-inspired comforts and a coveted locale set high above where Pacific Coast Highway meets Sunset Boulevard. One Coasts Phase II homes start at approximately $2.75 million. A limited collection of Phase I homes are still available for immediate move-in and start in the low $4 million range. With One Coasts unrivaled Pacific Palisades homes in high demand and sales of the communitys first release of move-in ready residences underway, we are excited to offer the market a second collection of select new construction homes, said Afshin Etebar, President of etco Homes. The strong demand that we have experienced to date at One Coast validates our rare offering and shows the value on the premium for the inspired lifestyle here that only etco Homes can deliver. One Coast is comprised of 53 oceanfront townhomes and single-level flats elevated on the seaside cliffs of Pacific Palisades in Los Angeles. The guard-gated community offers residents an ultra-luxe coastal lifestyle characterized by breathtaking ocean views and surrounding natural beauty that includes beaches, canyons, mesas, mountains,parks, and endless hiking and biking trails. Residence features include floor-to-ceiling windows, hardwood flooring throughout all living areas, expansive veranda decks that inspire outdoor living, direct access elevators opening to private or shared foyers for each home, oversized great rooms designed to accentuate views of the coastline, private garages and select homes are topped with rooftop decks ideal for entertaining and relaxing. Each kitchen is outfitted with Wolf appliances, ASKO dishwasher, Sub-Zero built-in refrigerator/freezer, and European-designed Linea Quattro cabinetry. Bathrooms are equipped with Waterworks freestanding tubs and bath fixtures and Waterworks Clara vanity sinks and wash closets. To inspire residents to embrace outdoor living, One Coast offers a stunning Observation Deck complete with lounge and dining areas, fire pits and telescope for stargazing. With dedicated concierge services, One Coast offers residents a plethora of complimentary services designed to simplify everyday life including weekly in-home tidying, package pick-up, dry cleaning and laundry assistance, and grocery shopping. Additional services that can be arranged by the One Coast concierge team include hiking and beach workouts, personal training, home organization utilizing the KonMari method, car wash and detail, in-home tasks including framing and mounting as well as planning of special experiences and getaways. One Coast enjoys a prime location with the most acclaimed shopping, dining and cultural destinations within close reach from Santa Monica to Malibu. Located steps away from Los Liones Trail in Topanga State Park, One Coast places residents within steps of the most scenic hiking trails in Los Angeles. To schedule an appointment or for more information, contact onecoast@etcohomes.com, 310-230-0101 or visit https://liveonecoast.com/. About etco Homes etco Homes is a privately held, homebuilding company with a focus on boutique urban infill condominium development. With a proven track record spanning more than three decades, etco Homes prides itself on building communities that embrace the character of the neighborhood in sought-after locations from the Southern California coast to Pasadena, downtown Los Angeles to West Hollywood. Each etco Homes community features contemporary design, thoughtful floorplans and generous amenities and services. For more information, visit http://www.etcohomes.com. Media Contact Murphy OBrien Public Relations etcohomes@murphyobrien.com (310) 453-2539 Andreas longstanding involvement in her community is something to be celebrated, and this award just goes to show that her exceptional work has not gone unnoticed, said Kevin J. Keane, Managing Partner at PKF OConnor Davies. PKF OConnor Davies, LLP, one of the nations largest accounting, tax, and advisory firms, is proud to announce that Andrea Mattera, a Partner in the Firms Hauppauge, New York, office, has been named one of the Top 50 Women in Business by Long Island Business News. The annual award recognizes those female professionals across Long Island who exhibit superior business acumen, a passion for mentoring, and a commitment to community involvement. Mattera joins a collection of the most influential female leaders across the business, government, and nonprofit fields. Andreas longstanding involvement in her community is something to be celebrated, and this award just goes to show that her exceptional work has not gone unnoticed, said Kevin J. Keane, Managing Partner at PKF OConnor Davies. On behalf of the entire Firm, I congratulate Andrea on this achievement. As both an expert accountant and an active citizen, she represents the best our team has to offer. Matteras career in public accounting spans two decades. In her current role, she focuses on providing accounting, auditing, and business advisory services to a diversified client base encompassing the manufacturing, distribution, logistics, and construction industries, as well as nonprofit entities. Mattera remains a fixture in her local community, serving as a current Board Member and past Chair of the SUNY Old Westbury School of Business Advisory Board and as a current member of the Board of Directors of the Art League of Long Island. In 2016, Andrea was honored at SUNY Old Westburys 50th anniversary Gala celebration as one of the Universitys 50 Most Illustrious Alumni. Since the early days of my career, I have always taken a keen interest in the needs of my Long Island community. I believe we each have a responsibility to give back, whether that be by volunteering for a great cause or serving on a nonprofit Board, Mattera said. Im honored to have been recognized by Long Island Business News for work that I value deeply both personally and professionally. In addition to her civic engagement efforts, Mattera remains actively involved in the regional accountancy community. A Certified Public Accountant in the State of New York, Mattera is a member of both the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA). She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the State University of New York at Old Westbury. The Top 50 Women in Business will be officially honored by Long Island Business News during a ceremony on Thursday, October 28, 2021. For more information, visit https://libn.com/top50women/. About PKF OConnor Davies, LLP PKF OConnor Davies, LLP is a full-service certified public accounting and advisory firm with a long history of serving clients both domestically and internationally. With roots tracing to 1891, 14 offices in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, Florida, and Rhode Island and more than 1,000 professionals led by over 100 partners, the Firm provides a complete range of accounting, auditing, tax, and management advisory services. PKF OConnor Davies is a top-ranked firm, according to Accounting Todays 2021 Top 100 Firms list and was recently recognized as one of Americas Best Tax Firms by Forbes. In additional 2021 rankings, PKF O'Connor Davies was named one of Vault's Accounting 50, a ranking of the 50 best accounting employers to work for in North America and ranked among the top 50 most prestigious accounting firms in America in a complementary Vault survey. The Firm is the 12th largest accounting firm in the New York Metropolitan area, according to Crains New York Business, and the 10th top accounting firm in New Jersey according to NJBIZs 2019 rankings. PKF OConnor Davies is enrolled in the AICPA Peer Review Program and has central memberships in the Private Companies Practice Section (PCPS), the Employee Benefit Plan Audit Quality Center (EBPAQC), Government Audit Quality Center (GAQC), and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). By consistently delivering proactive, thorough, and efficient service, PKF O'Connor Davies has built long-lasting, valuable relationships with its clients. Partners are closely involved in the day-to-day management of engagements, ensuring a high degree of client service and cost effectiveness. The Firms seasoned professional staff members employ a team approach to all engagements to provide clients with the utmost quality and timely services aimed at helping them succeed. Continuity of staffing and attention to detail in all client engagements make the Firm stand out among its competitors. PKF OConnor Davies is the lead North American representative of the international association of PKF member firms. PKF International is a network of legally independent member firms providing accounting, tax, and business advisory services in over 400 locations in 150 countries around the world. With its tradition, experience, and focus on the future, PKF OConnor Davies is ready to help clients meet todays ever-changing economic conditions and manage the growing complexities of the regulatory environment. For more information, visit http://www.PKFOD.com. ...the climate emergency is over, and we do have time for a thoughtful energy transition instead of NetZero2050 Friends of Science Society have issued an open letter to Canadians, suggesting that Canada take good news to the upcoming UN COP26 meeting in Glasgow that the climate emergency is over, and we do have time for a thoughtful energy transition instead of NetZero2050. Despite the colorful press release of August 9, 2021, by UN Sec-Gen Antonio Guterres claiming a Code Red for humanity, the actual science report is much more calm and balanced, as discussed by Dr. Steve Koonin in this CLINTEL/ICSF video. Koonin was a top science adviser in the Obama administration and has recently written the book Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn't, and Why We Get It Wrong. Friends of Science letter refers to a review of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Physical Sciences report by Roger Pielke, Jr. He notes that in the IPCC recent report, unlike past ones, a future scenario known as RCP8.5 is no longer seen as our likely future. This means the climate emergency is over. If applied to reality and used as a business-as-usual case, the RCP8.5 is a wildly exaggerated simulation that was the source of concern, prompting claims of a climate emergency. RCP8.5 is one of four scenarios formally known as Representative Concentration Pathways which were developed for climate research and never intended as policy pathways. This extreme scenario also was the driver behind NetZero2050 commitments by various nations, which were planning to completely change with energy systems by 2030 or 2050. As early as 2010, engineering Prof. Michael J. Kelly of Cambridge University in the UK warned that proposals for rapid decarbonization would lead to mass deaths. Pielke, Jr. and Justin Ritchies peer-reviewed work Distorting the view of our climate future: The misuse and abuse of climate pathways and scenarios shows that thousands of climate science papers are based on this outdated science and the exaggerated RCP8.5 scenario. These revelations support the theme of Friends of Science 18th Annual Event, Politicians Cant Stop Climate Change which will feature two guest speakers in free online presentations on separate dates. Dr. Guus Berkhout, president of CLINTEL will present Climate Science: Let the Data Speak on October 2, 2021, at 10 am MDT, with live Q&A to follow. Dr. Berkhout is the president of CLINTEL, the international organization of more than 900 scientists and scholars who confirm that there is no climate emergency and we do have time to address energy issues. Marc Morano, American author, and long-time climate realist will present Green New Deal: The Great Regret on Oct. 6, 2021, at 7pm MDT, with live Q&A to follow. Marc is the author of a number of books on climate change, the most recent being Green Fraud: Why the Green New Deal is Even Worse Than You Think. About Friends of Science Society is an independent group of earth, atmospheric and solar scientists, engineers, and citizens that is celebrating its 19th year of offering climate science insights. After a thorough review of a broad spectrum of literature on climate change, Friends of Science Society has concluded that the sun is the main driver of climate change, not carbon dioxide (CO2). Friends of Science Society P.O. Box 23167, Mission P.O. Calgary, Alberta Canada T2S 3B1 Toll-free Telephone: 1-888-789-9597 Web: friendsofscience.org E-mail: contact(at)friendsofscience(dot)org Web: climatechange101.ca Our clients and stakeholders directly benefit from Alexs exceptional service delivery standards and ability to optimize bottom line revenue, regardless of the asset type or marketplace conditions. Propark Mobility announced today that the company has promoted Alexander Piech to Regional Vice President of the companys New Jersey region. Alexander Piech is a client-focused professional, who brings a great deal of value through his acute attention to detail and service-oriented approach to parking management, said John Reimers, Propark Mobilitys Chief Operating Officer. As his career has progressed with Propark Mobility, he has successfully grown the New Jersey region, while optimizing client revenues, minimizing expense, and implementing award-winning service initiatives. Alexander joined Propark Mobility in October of 2011, first serving as Area Manager, which included the successful launch of a new airport parking brand in the New Jersey marketplace. His responsibilities grew to encompass the entire New Jersey Region, as Alexander was promoted to Regional Manager, where his performance excelled across asset verticals resulting in enhanced profitability for clients and increased guest satisfaction scores. Alexanders detailed knowledge of the New Jersey market, coupled with his clear understanding of, and focus on, client needs through consistent communication were factors that propelled his promotion to Regional Vice President. I can say without reservation that nobody understands the nuances of the New Jersey parking marketplace quite like Alex Piech, said Kristen Sokich, Executive Vice President of Propark Mobility. Our clients and stakeholders directly benefit from Alexs exceptional service delivery standards and ability to optimize bottom line revenue, regardless of the asset type or marketplace conditions, including his outstanding leadership as we navigated the global COVID-19 pandemic. As Regional Vice President, Alexander reports directly to the Executive Vice President, and is responsible for the overall successful financial performance of the parking assets in the New Jersey Region. About Propark Mobility Propark Mobility is one of the countrys largest privately-owned parking companies, providing full-service parking and mobility services for over 600 hospitality, healthcare, commercial, and off-airport locations, in over 100 cities across the United States. For more information, please visit http://www.propark.com Samantha Clemons Long Headshot Inc. today announced its fourth annual Female Founders 100 list, honoring the most exceptional, trailblazing, and diverse group of 100 women who powered through adversity in a very tough year and changed the world. The final list honors entrepreneurs of every age, background, and geographyfrom very early-stage founders with world-changing ideas to women who have taken companies public, sold them to big buyers, or spent decades building and running their businesses. These women are leading innovative companies in a vast range of global industries, including tech, retail, finance, fitness, health care, consumer products, food, and more. Im honored to be included in Inc.s 2021 Female Founders 100 List. Five years ago, I committed to building an organization that centered all its stakeholders, not just the ones holding the shares. Despite being a young company, weve weathered the challenges of the last year and half with grit and grace and Im grateful to our entire team at ELI Directional Drilling for their commitment to and pursuit of our shared values, says Samantha Clemons Long. Samantha Clemons Long is the CEO & Founder of ELI Directional Drilling, a utility contracting firm based in the greater St. Louis metro. Her firm specializes in the telecommunications sector, having managed tens of millions of dollars of utility infrastructure installation, expanding high-speed internet access to underserved and under-connected communities. In 2018, Samantha was named one of FOCUS St. Louis Emerging Leaders. She also serves on the Board of Directors for Missouri Healthcare for All and St. Louis Arts Chamber of Commerce. Inc. editors and writers went through thousands of impressive applications that revealed how so many female founders triumphed in a year filled with challenges. The result is an incredible list of founders who have improvised, adapted, and made something from nothing. They join game-changing past honorees Jessica Alba, Tracee Ellis Ross, Rihanna, Shonda Rhimes, and more. Taken together, they represent the female-led future of business. The 100 women highlighted on this list are inspiring, creative, tenacious, and trailblazing role models in entrepreneurship. Whats more is they were able to achieve success during one of the toughest years ever. Thats something certainly worth celebrating, says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. To see the complete list, go to: https://www.inc.com/female-founders Introduced in 2018, the Female Founders 100 list quickly became one of Inc.s most esteemed franchises. Inc.s Female Founders 100 issue (October 2021) will be available online on September 28 at https://www.inc.com/magazine and on newsstands on October 5. Join the Female Founders 100 conversation using #FemaleFounders. About Inc. magazine The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning, multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels, including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion among the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. ELI Directional Drilling is a utility contracting company based in the greater St. Louis metro area. Founded in 2016, ELI has quickly become a premiere, turn-key contractor, specializing in telecommunications development and installation in the Midwest and Southwest regions. Partnering with some of the largest network service providers, ELI is dedicated to expanding high-speed internet and private fiber access to its neighbors and providing communities with the power of connection. ELO took our invoicing and customer and contract management to the next level ELO Digital Office USA, enabling businesses to improve collaboration and digitalize information management, announced today the successful go-live of the ELO ECM Suite at ScienceOpen, the preeminent research and publishing discovery platform for scholars. The implementation project integrated the ELO ECM Suite with QuickBooks using the Ovitas-developed solution i-Link for ELO. Ovitas is a leading ELO Business Partner among a network of more than 1000 resellers globally who are experts in ELO ECM solutions. ELO Eliminates Manual Processes - Improves Performance Putting research into context, ScienceOpen is the fastest-growing search and discovery platform for researchers, scholars, and publishers. As a platform that hosts publications on its website, ScienceOpen enables publishers to utilize traffic from site visitors to aid in the discovery of their publications or collections of scientific papers. These capabilities save publishers the hassle of hosting their own platform to promote their content, said Stephanie Dawson, managing director at ScienceOpen. Before implementing the ELO ECM Suite, ScienceOpens manual tasks, such as invoicing, contracts, and customer records, were becoming a bottleneck to the companys upward growth trajectory. For example, to generate invoices, ScienceOpen used web traffic reports and then created invoices based on traffic to the publishers hosted content, a task that became more time-consuming and tedious as the company grew. To address this challenge, Ovitas crafted a unique solution for ScienceOpen using ELO and workflows, which enabled invoice generation without human intervention. As our company expanded, we needed a solution to streamline our workflow. ELO took our invoicing and customer and contract management to the next level, continued Dawson. By automating our business processes, ELO enhances our customer support to ensure high levels of efficiency that fuel growth for both our customers and ScienceOpen. i-Link for ELO was key to Ovitas implementation of the ELO ECM Suite at ScienceOpen. A web service, i-Link synchronizes master data between QuickBooks and the ELO ECM Suite. This integration enables automatic routing of documents such as invoices, purchase orders, and customer contracts from QuickBooks into the ELO document management system. In addition, ELO metadata connects orphaned processes. As a central repository, ELO creates a relationship between all content and metadata to create true end-end-document management. Additional features of the ELO ECM Suite include capabilities for: Archiving and data security with sophisticated encryption technology that ensures data privacy and compliance. Collaboration via the ELO Feed, a chat-based tool for a simple and transparent way to exchange information and track documents. Mobility for immediate access to the correct information at the right time regardless of location. Processes and workflows configurable to specific business needs drive efficiency and transparency. Search and data analysis with intelligent search tools and data analytics for information in demand. Integration with all leading ERP systems such as SAP Business One and Microsoft Dynamics NAV. Ovitas implementation of ELO at ScienceOpen demonstrates how customers can leverage our solution for growth at early-stage companies, noted Szilvia Horvath, president and CEO of ELO Digital Office USA. Through the ELO Business Partner network, we are helping organizations of all sizes to realize the value of digitalized content and document management. About ELO Digital Office USA ELO Digital Office USA provides innovative digital content management solutions for organizations of all sizes and industries throughout the Americas. The ELO ECM Suite gives businesses an electronic and secure way to easily capture, archive, and manage business documents and information both paper-based and digital. A subsidiary of ELO Digital Office GmbH (founded in 1998), ELO USA is headquartered in Miami, FL and is part of a network of global ELO offices throughout Asia, Australia, Europe, and North and South America. Visit ELO USA. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. About Ovitas Headquartered in the technology corridor of Route 128 (I-95) in Burlington, Massachusetts, Ovitas is a leading ELO Business Partner specializing in Document Management Systems (DMS), Enterprise Content Management (ECM), and Component Content Management (CCM/DITA) solutions. Ovitas services companies and governmental agencies throughout North and South America as well as Europe. Visit Ovitas. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Egnyte, a leader in cloud content security and governance, today released their 2021 Data Governance Trends Report. The report is based on a survey of 400 IT executives conducted in July 2021, examining the challenges of securing and governing unstructured content in todays hybrid and remote work environments. A key finding of the research is that unchecked data growth, combined with a lack of visibility, is increasing the risk of breaches, ransomware, and compliance violations dramatically. More than half of companies (52%) use more than ten sanctioned file storage repositories, and 40% report unsanctioned cloud storage in use across the organization, as well as rampant use of informal repositories like email, Slack, and DocuSign. Companies are struggling with how to get a handle on the vast amounts of unstructured data they generate, and this is going to continue as the new hybrid work model proceeds into 2022, said Kris Lahiri, Co-Founder and Chief Security Officer at Egnyte. IT executives are forced to look for new solutions that can meet their growing needs to house and analyze those unstructured data sets and keep their content safe no matter where it is accessed. With companies continuing to see their data expand, six major trends emerged in the 2021 Data Governance Trends report: Remote work remains a reality: 88% said employees will work remotely at least some of the time throughout 2022. Content sprawl is creating more risk: 100% of IT leaders say data is stored in informal repositories like email, collaboration portals, and local devices. They also rate these among the hardest to secure. Ransomware is in the spotlight: Ransomware is now the top security concern for larger companies (1,000+ employees). 25% of all IT leaders say this is their biggest worry. The impact of ransomware divides IT leaders: Concerns about being locked out of company data are nearly matched by worries over data being publicly exposed. Small to midsize businesses (SMBs) are at a security disadvantage: With 80% of respondents planning to invest in new security solutions, SMBs are far less likely to have the tools in place and resources to implement them, moving forward. The future of AI in security is unclear: Almost all respondents (99%) plan to implement AI applications within the next year, however, more than two-thirds of respondents say leadership isn't ready to fully commit to AI. Read the full Data Governance Trends report here: https://www.egnyte.com/governance-trends/2021 For a detailed overview of the report results from the Egnyte team, join the Egnyte Exchange Global Summit on October 5, 2021. About Egnyte Egnyte provides a unified cloud content governance solution for collaboration, data security, compliance, and threat detection for multicloud businesses. More than 16,000 organizations trust Egnyte to reduce risks and IT complexity, prevent ransomware and IP theft, and boost employee productivity on any app, any cloud, anywhere. Investors include GV (formerly Google Ventures), Kleiner Perkins, Caufield & Byers and Goldman Sachs. For more information, visit http://www.egnyte.com. ShipperHQ is leading a shipping revolution, and I look forward to applying my domain knowledge to such an innovative and influential company led by the equally influential Karen Baker. ShipperHQ, the leading Shipping Rate Optimization Platform for online retailers, today announced that Matt Humphreys has joined ShipperHQ's senior leadership team as the company's first Chief Product Officer. Humphreys will oversee the evolution of ShipperHQs software, and apply his design-led, customer-centric vision to the next phase of growth for the company. Humphreys brings over 20 years of experience in all facets of digital product design to ShipperHQ, most recently working exclusively in ecommerce as Chief Experience Officer at diff, a Digital Commerce Agency and Shopify Plus Partner, where he led the User Experience, Design and Growth practice areas. In this role, he personally oversaw the digital strategy for many high-GMV merchants across a plethora of industry verticals, became a sought after thought leader and industry authority, and built a high performing team of consultants who were acknowledged with over 65 industry awards between 2017-2020. Humphreys also shares his first-hand expertise with the product design community as Program Lead and Adjunct Professor at George Brown College in Toronto, shaping the future of the sector and delivering innovative curriculum for the next leaders in UX, Interaction Design, and Product Management. Im thrilled to welcome Matt to the team. His deep industry expertise in ecommerce, design, and strategic consulting will be an immediate asset to our continued growth, said Karen Baker, CEO of ShipperHQ. Hes a well-respected leader and has a first-hand understanding of our customers and partners that will be invaluable as we focus on the optimization of our product. ShipperHQ is so much more than just software, were people too, and Matts many years in consulting will be paramount to the growth of our Professional Services practice. The fact that hes also a nice guy and has cool hair is a bonus! Ecommerce exploded in 2020, and we saw unparalleled growth in every area. Im so excited to continue my career in this space as part of the ShipperHQ team. said Humphreys. We all know how important and compelling shipping can be in the path to purchase, and the need for a best-in-class solution is more important than ever before. ShipperHQ is leading a shipping revolution, and I look forward to applying my domain knowledge to such an innovative and influential company led by the equally influential Karen Baker. About ShipperHQ ShipperHQ is the world's #1 Shipping Rate Optimization Platform helping merchants drive conversions with the most comprehensive, customizable, and accurate shipping rates and options for every buying scenario. Integrated with more live carriers and local delivery services than any other solution, ShipperHQ enables thousands of merchants to show their customers the most compelling shipping options - so they can go head to head with Amazon. Source Alliance Network - Suite of Services Thanks to Our Carrier Partners for being an integral part of our day to day operation; forging a network that is reliable, trustworthy, and devoted to our Client success Inc. magazine has included Source Alliance Network on its annual Inc. 5000 list for the fifth consecutive year. The Inc. 5000 list is the most prestigious ranking of the nations fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economys most dynamic segmentits independent small businesses. Many well-known companies, including Microsoft, gained their initial national exposure via the Inc. 5000 list. The past two years have been ones of incredible challenge and opportunity for most businesses, so our continued recognition on the Inc. 5000 list is a point of pride for everyone on our team, said Source Alliance Network's President and CEO, Jim Vaca. Our employees work to consistently anticipate, meet and exceed the needs of our clients in an ever-changing environment. I would like to thank our steadfast managers and employees for their efforts in keeping the satisfaction of our customers as a top priority every day. I would also like to thank our clients; they continue to put their trust in us to manage, maintain, and improve their supply chain networks and transportation logistics. Not only have the companies on the 2021 Inc. 5000 list been very competitive within their markets, but companies on this years list also proved especially resilient and flexible given 2020s unprecedented challenges. Among the 5,000, the average median three-year growth rate soared to 543 percent, and median revenue reached $11.1 million. Together, those companies added more than 610,000 jobs over the past three years. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000. Jim Vaca adds, "we are proud to have been included on the Inc. 5000 list for five years running, especially denoting our continued growth throughout and inclusive of the year 2020, and I look forward to Source Alliance remaining on the Inc. 5000 list for many years to come." About Source Alliance Network (SAN): SAN brings multiple points of supply chain compliance, optimization and management together with expert market intelligence and information technology to achieve extraordinary results for our clients. They achieve this through extensive cost benefit analysis that determines the right source for their clients. They provide a scalable service transportation offering with solutions that suit their clients' individual needs. For more information about SAN, visit: SAN Webpage: http://www.sourcealliance.net SAN on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SourceAllianceNetwork SAN on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/sourcealliancenetwork More about Inc. and the 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 years 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. About Inc. Media The worlds most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including web sites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Vision Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com. WILLIAM LEAF-HERRMANN Decision makers in the life sciences industry are constantly searching for new ways to create value ... SDG is at the forefront in developing and applying new approaches to guide them in making trade-offs across value, risk, investment, and time. Management consulting firm Strategic Decisions Group (SDG) has announced that William Leaf-Herrmann has joined the firm as a partner. Dr. Leaf-Herrmann has assumed leadership of SDGs Life Sciences Practice in North America. Dr. Leaf-Herrmann has more than 25 years of experience in structuring and developing corporate, therapeutic, product, and portfolio strategies for clients in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. Dr. Leaf-Herrmann, who began his consulting career at SDG in 1993, returns to the firm after several years as a senior principal with IQVIA, a provider of advanced analytics, technology solutions, and clinical research services to the life sciences industry. We are delighted to have our long-time friend and colleague William back at SDG as a partner in our global Life Sciences Practice, said Dr. Mark Seidler, CEO of SDG. William has deep experience in decision sciences and in gaining alignment on the optimal strategies for the life science industry. Dr. Leaf-Herrmanns clients have included many top companies in the industry, including seven of the top 10 global pharmaceutical companies, three of the largest Japanese pharmaceutical companies, and medical device, diagnostic, and generics companies. At SDG, Dr. Leaf-Herrmann is responsible for growing the firms North America Life Sciences Practice. William brings deep experience that spans corporate, therapeutic area, product, portfolio, and R&D strategy, said Deepak Veeraraghavan, who leads the global Life Sciences Practice from the firms Dusseldorf, Germany, office. His expertise in decision science and life sciences will reinforce and extend the services SDG brings to decision makers in pharma, biotech, and medical devices, particularly in North America. Decision makers in the life sciences industry are constantly searching for new ways to create value and better understand technical risks and commercial uncertainties, Dr. Leaf-Herrmann said. SDG is at the forefront in developing and applying new approaches to guide them in making trade-offs across value, risk, investment, and time. These solutions can help clients improve R&D productivity, better understand the business potential from licensing and acquisitions, and design better development strategies to address the diverse, evolving needs of patients, payers, and healthcare providers. Dr. Leaf-Herrmanns experience spans a broad spectrum of interdisciplinary projects, including supporting clients in corporate valuation, portfolio strategy, therapeutic area strategy, and commercial strategy. He has designed and implemented portfolio management processes for global pharmaceutical companies R&D portfolios. He is experienced in the application of decision science and in the structuring and evaluation of complex strategic alternatives. Prior to rejoining SDG, Dr. Leaf-Herrmann was a senior principal with IQVIA, a global company formed from the merger of Quintiles and IMS Health. Dr. Leaf-Herrmann had previously been a senior principal with IMS Health and a vice president for Analysis Group, an economics consulting firm. Dr. Leaf-Herrmann holds a PhD in physics from Harvard University and a bachelor of science in physics and applied mathematics from Purdue University. He is based in Brookline, Mass., outside of Boston. About Strategic Decisions Group Founded in 1981, Strategic Decisions Group is a strategy consulting firm renowned for its expertise in strategic decision-making, risk management, stakeholder alignment, and value creation. Through a collaborative, team-based approach, SDG helps its clients find innovative, creative strategies to thrive today, while also helping them build internal competencies and more effective decision-making processes to meet competitive challenges in the future. A unique combination of analytic skills, strategy-development techniques, and industry experience makes SDG a preferred strategy consultant to the global Fortune 500. For more information, visit http://www.sdg.com. In 2021, the firm celebrates its 40th anniversary. Car insurance can be expensive for many different reasons. Bad credit score and price optimization are some of the lesser-known reasons why drivers pay a fortune to their insurance premiums, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. Compare-autoinsurance.org has launched a new blog post that presents several reasons why policyholders pay a lot on their car insurance rates. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.org/why-does-my-car-insurance-cost-a-fortune/ Many drivers are surprised by how much they have to pay on their car insurance. There are many reasons that can explain why some policyholders pay so much on their insurance. The following surprising reasons can make car insurance more expensive: Bad credit score. Many drivers still don't know how important is their credit score when it comes to determining their car insurance rates. Persons with a bad credit score are considered high-risk by the insurers. These persons are more likely to miss payments or drop coverage mid-term. Also, studies show that persons with a bad credit score are more likely to fie a claim. On the other hand, drivers with an excellent credit score are seen as responsible persons who always pay their bills on time and rarely file claims. Drivers with a bad credit score should strive to improve their status. They can improve their credit score by using one-time payments, keeping a low credit utilization rate and balance transfer credit cards. Massachusetts, Hawaii, and California are the only states where credit-based insurance pricing is banned. No loyalty bonuses. Many insurance companies are offering a loyalty discount to their safe drivers in order to keep them loyal. If a driver has been a loyal customer to the same insurer for at least 5 years, then he should contact the insurance provider and ask for the loyalty discount. Some car insurance companies can offer really small discounts, while others don't offer a discount at all. In these cases, the policyholder is recommended to look for another insurance carrier. Price optimizations. Some insurers are sure that their customers wont notice an increase in their insurance rates. Insurance providers will use all the personal information gathered from their clients and statistical models to determine if their clients can tolerate a price increase. After they determine which customers are less likely to check the insurance market, the insurers will gradually increase their premiums. 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 name insurance companies, etc. SymplyPRO LTO Symply has really got it right with their new products. The SymplyPRO LTO solutions are well engineered, adaptable, and affordable - the perfect fit for our customers. Symply, a leader in media-centric shared storage solutions, today announced the launch of SymplyFIRST - an innovative new product family that redefines capabilities and introduces a whole new level of ease-of-use for the most common media workflow problems. The range tackles personal RAID protected storage, backup/archive, cloud archive/transfer, and connectivity challenges experienced in a variety of media pipelines including on-set production, post production, VFX, independent filmmakers, in-house creatives, photographers, and other media professionals. Were calling this product line SymplyFIRST because it really is the first step in creating a democratized, open storage solution thats easily accessible but incredibly extensible, says Alex Grossman, founder and CPO of Symply. Its also designed to be affordable so users upgrading from smaller systems have a jumping off point into the wider world of media storage. The SymplyFIRST product family was designed to cover the entire workflow process from ingest to archive, providing productivity enhancing ease-of-use throughout, comments Nick Warburton, VP, Symply. By choosing SymplyFIRST as their go-to storage solution, creatives are guaranteed top performance and the assurance that everything just works as advertised. SymplyFIRST gives users a wide array of options for their data management, from SymplySPARK - a desktop attached solution - through to tape archiving and expansion products. Symply has developed five distinct LTO products to answer specific industry needs such as on-set archiving of rushes or studio-based content offloading. The cloud service, SymplyNEBULA, ensures seamless integration and is a viable alternative to mainstream cloud providers with no egress charges for retrieving data. This has been a major pain point for cloud adopters, but SymplyNEBULA now provides a convenient and cost-effective solution that can be scaled up or down as the users needs evolve. Introducing the SymplyFIRST Family Essential to every media workflow is the ability to offload content from cameras or other sources and safely store that data. SymplyPRO LTO and SymplyPRO DIT are Thunderbolt3-connected desktop and rack-optimized solutions that incorporate LTO-9 technology, the latest in tape storage innovation, with up to 18TB native storage per tape and over 400Mbps read/write to quickly move content and ensure it is stored securely. SymplyPRO DIT is a full-featured archive and transfer system with unique multi-access technology that combines camera card readers for RED, Atomos and Blackmagic Design along with removable 2.5 SSD and LTO tape for fast all-in-one DIT storage operations. SymplyPRO LTO systems are available in multiple configurations including a cable-less design, all-metal enclosure that allows for fast removal and insert of tape drives for transport or upgrade. The feature-rich SymplyATOM (Advanced Tape Operations and Management) software included with every SymplyPRO LTO system makes operation and maintenance easy. SymplyPRO LTO systems are also certified for use with popular backup and archive utilities for macOS and Windows including YoYotta, Hedge Canister, and Archiware P5. SymplySPARK is the companys whisper-quiet personal transportable media-optimized RAID solution. It has fast Thunderbolt 3 connectivity and is available in capacities up to 144TB. The system is more compact and lighter than comparable desktop RAID platforms while the advanced design allows for tool-free user serviceability of drives, fans, and power supplies. SymplySPARK was designed for both on-set and edit bay use and comes packaged in an impact-resistant flight-friendly carry case. SymplySPARK is a high quality professional-grade product, says independent film producer Mikey Kowalczyk. Its speed exceeds any RAID device we have used before and editing RED footage files straight from the drive was effortless and bore little to no difference between running from the internal SSD. The design of the unit is a welcome change from unsightly hard drives and storage devices that one would usually try to hide underneath a houseplant. More than that, it is robust and built for endurance - I felt completely safe keeping several Terabytes of our films footage to maintain and edit entirely on the SPARK. As more content creators and business owners are looking to the cloud for production and archive storage, finding affordable media-centric cloud offerings can be difficult. The nature of media workflow requires significant data egress, which can easily drive up costs commonly associated with cloud usage demands. With the introduction of SymplyNEBULA, Symply makes cloud backup and archive fast, simple, and affordable. SymplyNEBULA offers industry-standard S3 compatibility with data centers throughout the US and Europe and no egress charges. The service is available for a single per-terabyte price and is up to ten times faster than other providers. In addition, SymplyNEBULA enables easy movement of content to and from AWS EC2 for a variety of media processing and compute functions. Another essential area of media workflow is providing extended connectivity to Apple and Windows Thunderbolt-equipped workstations. While todays mini, all-in-one workstations and notebooks have powerful processing power, they are often limited in the number of PCIe expansion slots available. Media workflows often require specialized PCIe cards for high speed ethernet, Fibre Channel, SAS, audio, video processing (GPU), and even RAID cards. SymplyADDR is a hassle-free and compact solution to the problem. A series of affordable high-performance PCIe expansion systems designed to take up less space on your desktop, SymplyADDR offers quieter operation and requires less time to add or remove cards than other expansion products available today. In addition to SymplyADDR, the company is releasing the SymplyLOCK - a simple yet innovative Thunderbolt cable lock that works with all SymplyFIRST products and any Apple-certified Thunderbolt cable preventing accidental disconnection of a Thunderbolt device. This is important for remote, on-set, and fast-paced editing operations. Unlike similar Thunderbolt cable retainers, the SymplyLOCK is built from high quality aluminum and features a uniquely versatile design that accommodates multiple cable styles. "Symply has really got it right with their new products. The SymplyPRO LTO solutions are well engineered, adaptable, and affordable - the perfect fit for our customers," says Martin Greenwood, CTO of YoYotta. Working with Symply during the development of the SymplyADDR and SymplyLTO products was great. Not only do these products deliver outstanding performance, they are also ruggedly built with professional use in mind, says Tim Klein, CEO, ATTO Technology. SymplyFIRST products are now generally available from resellers worldwide. Prices range from: $4,599 USD for SymplyPRO LTO (thunderbolt connected tape drive) $3,299 USD for SymplyLTO (SAS connected tape drive) $4,199 USD for SymplySPARK (thunderbolt connected eight bay storage) $4.99 USD per month for SymplyNEBULA For more details on configurations, upgrade paths and resellers in your region, please visit gosymply.com. About Symply Symply is a developer of innovative storage and workflow enhancement solutions for media professionals. With locations in Glendale, CA; Cambridge, UK; Munich, Germany and Stockholm, Sweden, the company provides simplified solutions to complex workflow problems faced by media professionals worldwide. I feel deeply honored to have won a Silver Stevie Award in the Fastest Growing Business category and I want to congratulate my fellow nominees for their placements and successes. It is wonderful to see that the achievements of women in business are not only recognized, but celebrated, said Ahari. The Conjure by Lala Inuti Ahari has been named the winner of a Silver Stevie Award in the Fastest Growing Business category of the 18th annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business. The Stevie Awards for Women in Business honor women executives, entrepreneurs, employees, and the companies they run worldwide. The Stevie Awards have been hailed as the worlds premier business awards. Winners will be celebrated during a virtual awards ceremony on Thursday, January 13, 2022. Registration for the ceremony is now on sale: https://stevieawards.com/women/2021-virtual-awards-ceremony More than 1,500 entries were submitted this year for consideration in more than 100 categories, including Executive of the Year, Entrepreneur of the Year, Company of the Year, Startup of the Year, Women Helping Women, and Women Run Workplace of the Year. The Conjure by Lala Inuti Ahari won a Silver Stevie Award in the category of Fastest Growing Business, celebrating the success of an exceptionally business-savvy entrepreneur. I feel deeply honored to have won a Silver Stevie Award in the Fastest Growing Business category and I want to congratulate my fellow nominees for their placements and successes. It is wonderful to see that the achievements of women in business are not only recognized, but celebrated, said Ahari. Founded in 2019, The Conjure by Lala Inuti Ahari is now the largest spiritual candle company in the world. This Black- and woman-owned business is constantly breaking through boundaries to achieve success. Ahari established The Conjure to give back, educating and empowering each of her clients to take control of their destiny and spiritual wellbeing. Most of the employees at The Conjure are related to Ahari, making this not only a Black- and female-owned business, but also a family operation. The growth of The Conjure has been explosive since 2019, growing over 400% by the following year despite being in the midst of a pandemic. This growth shows no signs of stopping, and already in the first seven months of 2021, The Conjure surpassed its 2020 revenue, earning a monthly average of over $1 million. Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie Award winners were determined by the average scores of more than 160 business professionals around the world, working on eight juries. Maggie Gallagher Miller, president of the Stevie Awards, said, We thought the remarkable stories of achievement we saw in last years awards couldnt be topped, but we were wrong. Women-owned and -run organizations have contributed significantly to the increase in innovation and entrepreneurial activity weve seen globally since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The nominations submitted to the 18th Stevie Awards for Women in Business that attest to this are inspiring, humbling, and motivating. We congratulate all of our Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie winners. We look forward to celebrating them during our January 13 virtual ceremony, and to hearing from some of them during our Women|Future Conference. Entries for the 2022 Stevie Awards for Women in Business will open in May. About The Conjure The Conjure was founded in 2019 by Lala Inuti Ahari and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. As founder, Ahari has grown her brand and its fervently devoted fanbase at a stunning pace over the past two years. The Conjure has helped clients from all over the world, freeing them from the everyday drain of negative energy and financial, mental, and emotional blockages. Aharis journey into the business started off with spiritual guidance and has now evolved into the manufacturing of spiritual candles. With the Conjure Academy, Ahari is also teaching others about conjuring and how to achieve their own spiritual success in their lives. Ahari also hosts an online forum of almost 20,000 members worldwide that support each other in their spiritual journeys. For more information please visit http://www.TheConjure.com About the Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards, The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com. Media Inquiries: Daniel Klein Joseph Studios pr@josephstudios.net 1-800-663-0126 Town of Little Compton Joins the Rhode Island Purchasing Group The Town of Little Compton invites all potential vendors to register online. Today, the Town of Little Compton announced they will utilize the Rhode Island Purchasing Group for vendor management and bid distribution. This purchasing community and e-Procurement solution from bidnet direct connects public purchasing departments throughout Rhode Island. The Town of Little Compton encourages all local vendors interested in doing business with local government agencies to register online with the Rhode Island Purchasing Group to gain access to upcoming bid opportunities by visiting https://www.bidnetdirect.com/rhode-island/littlecomptonri. The Rhode Island Purchasing Group is a regional online community for public purchasing professionals looking to increase efficiency and transparency for their agencys procurement process. Through participation with the Rhode Island Purchasing Group, the Town of Little Compton joins Providence Public Schools, the City of Newport and almost 30 other agencies in posting RFPs and RFQs on one central location. The online purchasing group makes it easier for local vendors to find, access and bid on local public solicitations and continues grow each month. As a town, we are always looking to increase our vendor pool and competition, says Tony Teixeira, Town Administrator for the Town of Little Compton. Thats why collaboration with other agencies is important. We hope the Rhode Island Purchasing Group will help us extend the reach of our solicitations, and help our vendors find more local opportunities, continued Teixeira. Vendors are able to register with the Rhode Island Purchasing Group for free and gain access to open bids from numerous local government agencies all on one platform. Vendors have an option to upgrade their account for added benefits for a cost. The Rhode Island Purchasing Group is a cloud-based e-Procurement solution built to help local government agencies, such as the Town of Little Compton, simplify bid and vendor management process. These days, anything that helps to save time and cut costs is a no brainer for us, Teixeira adds. The Town encourages all interested vendors to visit https://www.bidnetdirect.com/rhode-island/littlecomptonri and register. About the Town of Little Compton: According to 17th century land evidence, Little Compton originally belonged to the Sakonnet (variations include Sogkonate, Seconit, Seaconnet, etc.) tribe, who were led by Awashonks, the cousin of Metacomet (commonly known as King Philip). The area was known by the same name, which means the black goose comes. The first European settlers in Little Compton were Englishmen from Duxbury, Massachusetts in the Plymouth Colony who sought to expand their land holdings. After first attempting negotiations with Awashonks, they petitioned the Plymouth Colony, which granted them their charter. In a series of lotteries beginning in 1674 and ending in the early 1680s, they divided the land in Little Compton into lots of standardized acreage and began settling there. Of these 32 original proprietors was Colonel Benjamin Church. Church was well known for his role in the late 17th-century conflicts with surrounding Native American tribes, notably the Narragansetts and Wampanoags. In 1675, Church built his homestead in Little Compton, just prior to King Philips War. Today, a plaque on the side of West Main Road gives the location of his original homestead. In 1682, the town was incorporated by the Plymouth Colony and renamed Little Compton. This is possibly a reference to Little Compton in Warwickshire, England. However, there is no direct evidence to substantiate this relationship. By 1747, Little Compton secured its own royal decree and was annexed to Newport County as a part of Rhode Island along with Tiverton and Bristol. Because Little Compton was once part of the Plymouth colony, all probate and land records prior to 1746 can be found in Taunton and New Bedford. Sites of historic interest in Little Compton include the Wilbor House, built in 1692 by Samuel Wilbor, now the home of the Little Compton Historical Society. The entire town commons is also on the National Register of Historic Places. There are about 57 historic cemeteries in the town. Colonel Benjamin Church and his family are buried in the Little Compton Commons cemetery, as is Elizabeth Pabodie, the eldest daughter of John Alden and Priscilla Mullins of Mayflower fame. The stones in the cemetery reflect a style of carving similar to that found both in Newport and in Boston during the same time period. Rhode Islands only town common is located in Little Compton. This is most likely a result of the town having been originally laid out by settlers from the Plymouth and Massachusetts Colonies. Land for the common was designated in August of 1677 and has been used ever since as both a religious and civic center for social activities in the town. While there are only a few 17th-century structures still standing (these include the Wilbor house and Peabody house), there are many which date from the 18th and 19th century. The Quaker meeting house on West Main Road, Number 8 Schoolhouse (now used as part of the Town Hall), Town Hall, Wilburs Store, and the United Congregational Church all pre-date 1900 and are centered around the town commons. Additional historic homes are scattered throughout the town and include the Asa Gray house, the Slicer house, Oldacre, the Brownell house on West Main Road, the Brownell house on Meetinghouse Lane, William Whalley Homestead farmstead on Burchard Ave. (on the National Register of Historic Places), and the Brownell Library on the commons. Another distinctive feature of the town is the Spite Tower found in the village of Adamsville. Local lore claims that the tower was constructed to obscure the line of sight of a town local. While most stories involve members of the local Manchester family, there is no consensus as to the true history of the structure. 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 Rhode Island Purchasing Group, 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 We are thrilled to be working with TRS Group, a company that has its own patented technology for treating PFAS in soil. TRS already has secured PerfluorAd projects in the Pacific Northwest and New England. Cornelson Umwelttechnologie GmbH (Cornelsen) has granted TRS Group (TRS) the exclusive license in North America for applying the patented PerfluorAd technology to clean out fire suppression systems impacted by per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) found in aqueous film forming foams (AFFF). Often called forever chemicals due to their persistence in the environment, PFAS are notoriously difficult to remediate. As the firefighting community seeks to replace AFFF with fluorine-free foams, it is imperative that we clean out the existing infrastructure and not contaminate replacement foams. Cornelsen has demonstrated reducing PFAS concentrations in fire suppression systems and rinse water by more than 99%. Martin Cornelsen, the developer of the PerfluorAd system, stated, We are thrilled to be working with TRS Group, a company that has its own patented technology for treating PFAS in soil. TRS already has secured PerfluorAd projects in the Pacific Northwest and New England. Combining our PFAS thermal remediation solution, using our patent-pending FlexHeater thermal conduction heating services, with the PerfluorAd system provides our clients with the ability to solve their soil and water-based PFAS problems at a reduced cost in a timely manner, said Brett Trowbridge, CEO of TRS Group. Collaborating with Martin and his colleagues over the last three years, we appreciate Cornelsens dedication to helping eliminate PFAS from our environment. TRS is an employee-owned (ESOP) environmental remediation firm with joint ventures in Europe, Brazil, and China. Using our thermal remediation technologies, we have cleaned more than 160 sites. Our research and development team optimizes energy delivery and focuses on making remediation technologies more sustainable. For more information, please contact Mark Kluger at mkluger@thermalrs.com. "We are confident that Chris will bring the right mix of leadership experience, energy, and drive as we work to capitalize on our numerous growth opportunities and continue to deliver best-in-class service to our customers." - David Camilleri, Chairman of the Valence Board of Directors Valence is pleased to announce the immediate appointment of Chris Celtruda to the role of Chief Executive Officer upon the recent retirement of Tracy Glende from the company. Mr. Celtruda will be joining the executive leadership team at the business headquarters in El Segundo, California. David Camilleri, Chairman of the Valence Board of Directors, shared, We greatly appreciate the contributions that Tracy Glende has made toward the development of Valence and wish him the very best going forward. As the commercial market returns, we have an opportunity to strengthen our position as the leading provider of surface treatment to the aerospace industry." Mr. Celtruda is an accomplished aerospace and defense executive, most recently serving as the CEO of Kellstrom Defense from 2013 to 2020. While at Kellstrom Defense, Mr. Celtruda helped build the business into a global leader for defense aircraft sustainment for the US Military and over 60 partnering nations, culminating in the sale of the business to AeroPrecision in 2020. Prior to that, Mr. Celtruda was the President of the Industrial Products Group at Gardner Denver from 2011 to 2021 and was the Group Executive for the Aerospace and Defense business of CIRCOR International from 2006 to 2011. He also held prior leadership roles with Honeywell, AlliedSignal, and General Dynamics. Mr. Celtruda commented, The core capabilities and talented workforce across Valence have allowed the business to navigate challenging aerospace market dynamics. I look forward to building upon a strong foundation to drive future growth and to continue best-in-class service for our customers About Valence Valence Surface Technologies is the worlds largest independent provider of Aerospace product finishing services. With 11 locations and over 2,500 unique industry approvals, Valence processes more than 1 million parts per month. In addition to being Nadcap accredited, all Valence sites provide specialized metal processing and finishing services to a diversified set of fast-growing commercial aerospace, defense, and space/satellite markets. Valence partners with its customers to deliver best-in-class quality, turn times, and full-service supply chain solutions. Vertical Bridge REIT, LLC, the largest private owner and operator of communications infrastructure in the United States, today announced that it has realized 100% carbon neutrality for the second consecutive year. Dedicated to the goal of net zero emissions, Vertical Bridge began a proactive review of its environmental footprint in 2020 which resulted in its initial CarbonNeutral Certification in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol and subsequent renewal this year. It is critical that we continue to find ways to mitigate environmental impact as our industry deploys 5G and other emerging technologies, said Vertical Bridge CEO and Co-Founder Alex Gellman. I am tremendously proud of our entire teams efforts to lead the industry, as we were the first communications infrastructure company to become carbon neutral, and will continue these efforts year after year. With prompting from only internal stakeholders, Vertical Bridge undertook a rigorous assessment of its emissions and carbon footprint in partnership with Natural Capital Partners, an independent consultant and leading expert on carbon neutrality and climate finance. The assessment looked at direct emissions from towers and communications infrastructure, offices, business travel, HVAC, material transportation, and other parts of their carbon footprint. While this recertification is important, it is only one piece of our overall ESG program," said Bernard Borghei, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Operations for Vertical Bridge. Our multi-tiered approach currently includes the deployment of a renewable energy microgrid solution in California, which we hope to scale across many sites in our portfolio. We continue to support projects across the U.S. which reduce and remove greenhouse gases, and partner with organizations at the grassroots level. Vertical Bridge supports a range of programs and initiatives to better the lives of the people and communities it serves, and these include five projects across the country and Canada that directly reduce and remove greenhouse gasses. These organizations include Grasslands Portfolio, Seneca Meadows Landfill Gas, Mississippi Valley Reforestation, Darkwoods Forest Conservation, and the Lee County Waste and Energy Facility. About Vertical Bridge: Vertical Bridge REIT, LLC is the largest private owner and operator of communications infrastructure and locations in the United States, with a portfolio of more than 308,000 sites, including over 8,000 owned and master-leased towers and the nations largest and tallest collection of broadcast tower sites. The Companys portfolio spreads across all 50 states and Puerto Rico and is comprised of towers, rooftops, billboards, utility attachments, convenience stores and other locations in support of wireless network deployments. In addition to colocation, Vertical Bridge offers build-to-suit, edge data centers and in-building wireless network solutions. Based in Boca Raton, Florida, Vertical Bridge was founded in 2014 and is led by a senior management team with over 300 years of collective experience in tower infrastructure and related sectors. Vertical Bridge is certified CarbonNeutral and in 2020, became the first tower company in the world to reach net-zero emissions. For more information, please visit http://www.verticalbridge.com More than revenue and growth, we are really proud of the impact that this has for the people we serve and for the customers who have yet to approach us for our software solutions. An exciting glimpse into the future as we continue to serve businesses with all of the solutions they need to thrive. Austin-based software company WebForce skyrocketed to the top of Inc. 5000s Class of 2021, ranking #152 out of the 5,000 candidates in this years all-american lineup. In addition, they also ranked #8 for companies in Austin, TX, #13 in the state of Texas & #14 for companies in the software industry. The Inc. 5000 (previously the Inc. 500) is a list of the fastest-growing privately-held companies in the United States, designed to recognize performance and success as well as provide readers with a greater overview of todays entrepreneurial landscape. Inc. ranks its featured companies by overall revenue growth over a three-year period, where total revenue growth declines with each ranking on the list. They also identify companies based on qualities like industry, state and metro area, and number of employees as well as highlighting women- and minority-led companies. According to this years Inc. 5000 list, WebForce achieved an impressive 2,776% leap in revenue growth from 2017 to 2020. WebForce attributes this growth in revenue to their shift in focus toward online e-commerce as well as the addition of their outbound sales services. The new outbound phone sales back-end revenue team equips businesses with their own dedicated sales team. They focus on helping organizations maximize sales by pursuing every lead source, building client trust to increase the lifetime value of their customers, and managing their online reputation for greater public perception. Speaking to their business as a whole, WebForce focuses on offering comprehensive solutions and services to businesses that need support with marketing, ecommerce, operations & sales efforts. From their all-in-one CRM, which streamlines operations and helps users create stellar landing pages and sales funnels, to their outbound sales services, WebForce is dedicated to helping their clients achieve the results theyre looking for. Luis Madrid, co-founder of WebForce, attributes the companys success to its team of dedicated top talent as well as the excellent customers that they serve. As he stated in response to WebForce being honored in the Inc. 5000: More than revenue and growth, we are really proud of the impact that this has for the people we serve and for the customers who have yet to approach us for our software solutions. We are here to stay, and these results give us an exciting glimpse into the future of WebForce as we continue equipping businesses with all of the solutions they need to thrive. Among the companies that WebForce ranks alongside are Varo Bank, Paxon Energy, and Greenlight, just to name a few. Readers of the Inc. 5000 list can filter through ranking companies based on traits like industry, location, and editors picks. Readers can also access stories and other resources to delve deeper into the companies behind the achievements. The Inc. 5000 list was made live on August 17th and is currently available to view online. You can see the list of companies and more resources for the Inc. 5000 here. For more information on WebForce and the products and services they provide, you can visit their website https://webforce.io If you would like more information about this topic, please contact WebForce at (512) 910-4932 or email support@webforcehq.com At a time in history when we can do anything, be anyone we choose to become, when so much of life is easy, convenient, and plentiful, this gives us a different perspective of what it takes to survive and thrive SallyAnne Grillo Artese shares the story of her parents, who met as members of a middle-class aristocracy before becoming refugees and peasant farmers in the Alps in her new book The Letters (published by Archway Publishing) When Grillo Arteses French father met, fell in love, and married a young American woman, it was before Germany invaded France. In The Letters she uses her mothers journal as well as her own memories to share their life as her parents attempted to give their children a sense of normalcy in a time of strife, privation and uncertainty. After the war, they settled in the U.S., fashioning a whole new life and a new set of challenges. At a time in history when we can do anything, be anyone we choose to become, when so much of life is easy, convenient, and plentiful, this gives us a different perspective of what it takes to survive and thrive, Grillo Artese says. She hopes that her parents story will give readers a new appreciation for the life they enjoy. The Letters is available for purchase online at the Archway link above, from Barnes & Noble and on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Letters-Sallyanne-Grillo-Artese/dp/1665704144. The Letters By SallyAnne Grillo Artese Hardcover | 6 x 9 in | 286 pages | ISBN 9781665704144 Softcover | 6 x 9 in | 286 pages | ISBN 9781665704151 E-Book | 286 pages | ISBN 9781665704168 Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble About the Author As the first daughter of six children born to Paul Jacques Grillo and Olivia Miller Grillo, SallyAnne Grillo Artese grew up speaking only French, but eagerly adopted her American experience. Everything she knows and who she is, is a French-American with all the cultural gifts associated with such a dual heritage. Grillo Artese lives in Southern California with her second husband, Joseph Artese. She is a mother of three and a grandmother of six. 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. This alternative will cost much less by taking advantage of the existing infrastructure, while adding and reconfiguring space to attain the desired amenities. Woolpert has been contracted by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District to redesign and renovate the Atwood Activity Center at Atwood Lake Park in Mineral City, Ohio. Woolpert will provide civil, structural, mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering, as well as architectural design, bid process and construction for the facility, which serves as the campground hub. Atwood Lake Park is one of the most frequented parks in MWCDs seven sites. Under this project, the 35-year-old Atwood Activity Center will expand from 6,200 square feet to 8,800 square feet and effectively double the existing gathering space. The renovation will add an eat-in dining area, refurbish the camp store, renovate the kitchen and expand the nature center, while replacing and extending the reach of the heating and cooling system. The project also will add an outdoor seating area. Woolpert Architect and Program Director James Dobrozsi said the renovation provided the most cost-effective option for the MWCD. Muskingum had been planning to build a new Atwood Activity Center, but it would have been a multimillion-dollar project, Dobrozsi said. This alternative will cost much less by taking advantage of the existing infrastructure, while adding and reconfiguring space to attain the desired amenities. This was the best solution to address their needs and their budget. Under a separate contract, Woolpert was selected by the MWCD to provide full design services for the new Tappan Welcome Center at Tappan Lake Park in Deersville, Ohio. The $3 million facility will be 4,300 square feet and resemble the Woolpert-designed Atwood Welcome Center, which opened in 2016. These projects are part of the MWCD Master Plan, which Woolpert developed nearly a decade ago. The Muskingum Watershed covers more than 8,000 square miles, or about 20 percent of Ohio, and their dedication to providing flood reduction, water conservation and recreational opportunities is unparalleled, Dobrozsi said. We are fortunate to have forged a relationship with Muskingum and are honored to support their great work however we can. Both projects are scheduled to open in 2023. 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 more than 1,600 employees and 60 offices on four continents. For more, visit woolpert.com. Russian-born Eugene Yelchin has had a long career illustrating picture books as well as writing numerous works of middle grade fiction, which also include his illustrations. His most recent work, The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain, is a middle grade memoir of growing up in the former USSR. We talked with Yelchin about the difference between writing fiction and memoir, the particular brand of humor in his book, and the role that dance legend Mikhail Baryshnikov played in his life in Russia. Why did you decide to write a memoir after writing numerous books of fiction? The boy characters Ive created in my fiction have always included a good portion of who I am. When I write fiction, I always put myself in the place of the main character and [ask], What would I do? So in a way Ive always been writing about myselfthose boys are mirror images of me. To be perfectly honest, the idea to write this book was not mine. During one of my school visits, I was speaking to the middle-grade students about growing up behind the Iron Curtain and one 10-year-old boy pretty much demanded that I write a book about my childhood. I didnt take his idea seriously at first but during subsequent school visits, I began to notice the astonishment on my listeners faces when I mentioned that all five members of my family had to share a room so small that I had to sleep under the table. Or when I would say that on certain nights, I was secretly drawing pictures on the underside of that table, which most likely contributed to me becoming an artist, Id see the astonishment on their faces again. That sense of astonishment about things that you had never suspected existed is now at the heart of my book. During the same time period, I had started meeting for lunch regularly with my older brother Victor, who lives not far from me. During those lunches our conversation inadvertently would turn to our childhood, and it became my turn to be astonished because of how differently he and I remembered certain events [at which] we had both been present. It made me begin to think and read about the nature of memory, about our life stories that we tell and retell, shaping and reshaping them as we age. My mother, who joined me in the U.S. in 1989, also inadvertently played a role in the shaping of my memoir. She passed away in 2008. She was as poor in the United States as she had been in the Soviet Union, and the only material object that my brother and I inherited from her was her diary. I was so shaken by her death that even the sight of her handwriting made me terribly sad. So I locked her diary in my desk and didnt open it until about 10 years later, when I was already deep into the revisions for the memoir. I read the whole thing in one sitting, stunned that at least half of her daily entries were written in verse. She had used an iambic tetrameter that became a beloved meter in Russia thanks to Alexander Pushkins use of it in the early 1800s. The discovery moved me a great deal. I had no idea that my mother was a poet in hiding, and reading her diary certainly influenced my revision process. Victor and I still talk almost daily. I dedicated the book to him because hes the one who opened my eyes to the unheard-of possibility of a free life in a free country, specifically in the United States. Victor and his wife Irina were figure skating champions, and so they had access to Western culture through their trips abroad. From those trips Victor would bring home vinyl records, clothes, and once, a richly illustrated book of the Beatles lyrics. I still vividly remember those Pop Art illustrationsthey influenced my art no less than the Russian avant-gardists Kandinsky, Malevich, and Chagall. How was the process of writing directly from your life different from writing fiction? It was easier because I knew the story before I began writing! I knew how things came out. But there was no plot, so I had to impose a plot on my memories. I had to organize real events into cause and effect to make the memoir read like a story. Thats the only way to tell a story: something happened so something else happened. My early drafts were hundreds of pages long and included everything I thought was interesting, things my brother thought were interesting, things my wife thought were interesting. But I had to leave a lot of those things out because they didnt fit into the cause-and-effect structure. Also, when I work on a character, I try to be extra careful not to confuse what the character wants and what the character needs. Most of us know what we want, but rarely know or understand what we need. Yevgeny wants to uncover his familys secrets and his countrys secrets, but hes too polite, too well-behaved to demand truthful answers. He lacks the courage to fully confront the adults in his life. Instead he attempts to piece together his small discoveries like a puzzle. Only by the end of the book does he mature enough to demand answers. The voice of the memoir is often humorous, or at least has a humorous aspect. Did you have a humorous approach to life as you were growing up? I think the humor comes from the Yiddish culture. Yiddish was my grandmothers first language and in the book you can sense her translating her thoughts from Yiddish into Russian before speaking. To cope with the realities of Soviet life, a sense of humor was essential. Everyone in my family was funny, which I suspect echoed, at least in part, the humorous Yiddish culture that had been destroyed by the Nazis and the communists by the time I was born. We lived with, if not exactly hopelessness, then with our inability to change things. Life in the USSR was dangerous, but it was also absurd, as every totalitarian regime is absurd, and as a result, laughable. We laughed at the absurdity and yet, afraid for our lives, we put up with it, unwittingly collaborating with the regime. The celebrated Russian dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov is a significant character in your book. How much of a role did he actually play in your childhood? Did your paths ever cross once you were both in the United States? My mother and my brother knew Baryshnikov well. He moved in the same artistic circles as my family and occasionally visited our home. I originally wrote a few scenes of dialogue that included Baryshnikov, but I was uncomfortable with name-dropping and deleted them. None of us suspected that he would defect to the West, but when it did happen, we were not particularly surprised. At that time, his artistic drive was being stifled by the so-called Communist Cultural Committees, which rejected any attempt at creative freedom. Every time Baryshnikov pursued modern, innovative choreography, he was shoved back into the same dusty routines of the Russian classical ballet. After my mother came to the U.S., I took her to see Baryshnikov dance with his White Oak Dance Project, and we cried through the entire performance. After it was over, I suggested trying to see Baryshnikov backstage, but my mother refused. I suspect that either she was afraid that he would not remember her, or that she didnt want him to see her old and handicapped. She had had a stroke right before she emigrated to the United States. In spite of the stroke, though, my mother was able to live a good life, which she so richly deserved, for nearly two decades in America. My familys American life turned out to be challenging and often confusing, but unquestionably happy. I only wish that my father and my grandmother had lived to know this freedom themselves, and to share this happiness with us. The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Eugene Yelchin. Candlewick $16.99 Oct. 12 ISBN 978-1-5362-1552-6 Richardson, an editor of childrens books at Chronicle Books in San Francisco, tells the story of a traumatic event from her childhood. I was seven when my house burned down in the Oakland Hills Firestorm and a close friend of my familys was killed. As we approach the 30th anniversary of that event, I see the way I was formed and shaped by itperhaps like the pearl, the traditional 30th anniversary giftand the way my publishing career, and the books I acquire, have been, too. On that first day of the fire, I was rescuing belongings from our house, talking with neighbors, watching the fire approach slowly and then explode suddenly, and making a speedy exit past flames on the side of the road. For the next week we searched for our missing friend, who was unable to escape the storm. For the next month we stayed with friends in a home overflowing with fire refugees. For the next year we accepted donations, working hard to rebuild our lives while settling in to a new community. The Firestorm is among the biggest traumas Ive experienced. But those kinds of traumas shape a person in such fundamental waysand the fire has forever impacted the road Ive traveled. My dad and I didnt know where my mom kept our photosI was so young, my parents are divorced, and my mom was out of town that weekend. As a result, my dad and I didnt rescue themas I did my teddy bear and laundry basketand I have very few photos of me from before the fire. I wrote my college application essay about those missing photos and the power of seeing yourself in photography. Thats what got me into UC Berkeley, allowing me to return to the area, just miles from the home that burned. My mom and I had moved away immediately after the fire, and so this was my first time living in the community that had gone through what I had gone through, felt what I had felt. I didnt actually see a photo of the fire from the time it happened until my senior year of college, 15 years later. Totally improbable in the age of the internet, I suppose, but nonetheless true. Describing it to my mother who hadnt been there for the evacuation just wasnt the sameI craved the validation every human craves: yes, this really did happen, and yes, it was terrifying. While browsing at the newly opened Mrs. Dalloways Bookstore in Berkeley one day after class, I discovered a book on Rockridge history published by Arcadia. I think I must have opened it up hoping against hope that it would have some reference to the fire. Flipping to the back to look at the most recent photos, I found just what I was looking for. I couldnt stop staring at them. My hands shook as I bought the book, and I walked down College Avenue sobbing openly. It was the first time Id seen what had, until then, only existed in my head. I went back to Mrs. Dalloways on another day to tell the bookseller at the information desk how grateful I was to have found the book at the store. And she introduced me to Fire in the Hills, a collection of essays and photographs, with essays written by both Marion and Ann, the co-owners of Mrs. Dalloways. This was too much for my little heart. Not just one but two books, both found in this beautiful store, and two of the essays written by the owners. A connection had been forged. I came back with my resume, telling the story to yet another bookseller, and was hired on as part of the family. Ive worked there off and on for 15 years. What a welcoming haven for a bookish girl like me. Some time later I saw that Arcadia was hiring for an editorial intern in its San Francisco office (which no longer exists). In my cover letter I told the story of the impact those several photos had had on me, and Im convinced thats what got me my initial interview. I was soon hired on there as an editorial assistant, and spent a year creating books with them, working with other communities photographs and stories, feeling privileged to share them with the world. When I confessed to my boss that I loved childrens literature, she encouraged me to quit and pursue it. Perhaps without that gutsy piece of mentorship my life would have turned out quite differently. Ive since gone on to work in childrens publishing, where we talk a lot about the power of a child seeing themselves in a book. I was perhaps an overgrown child when I discovered these two books, but they linked me to my childhood in a powerful way. They connected me to my family of booksellers, and ultimately to my profession as an editor. After 12 years at Chronicle Books, Ive just published my first book about a fire, The Fox and the Forest Fire by Danny Popovici, about a boy whose house burns down, and the way he and his mother rebuild their lives. Its about resilience and recovery. Its the book I wish Id had as a kid, the book I needed. And in fall 2023 I feel lucky to be able to publish another book about wildfire firefighters: They Hold the Line by Dan Paley, illustrated by Molly Mendoza. Today I live just a few blocks from the Oakland Firestorm memorial, where the tiles I painted as a child still hang, and where our family friends name is commemorated on a plaque of those who lost their lives. When I commuted to the office pre-pandemic Id walk by that memorial every day, and be reminded by the messages on those tiles to always use my best china. These days as I work from home Im surrounded by the furniture that was donated to me after the Oakland Hills Firestorm. On that childhood bookshelf now sits The Fox and the Forest Fire. I hope kids just like me, impacted by fire, see themselves in it. As I write, the air is heavy with smoke from nearby fires. Though that long-ago fire has cooled, and those ashes have long since settled, other fires still rage. My heart goes out to those kids, and those communities. May you know you arent alone. A group of five major educational publishers has won another preliminary injunction in federal court, this one blocking the operations of some 60 anonymously controlled websites accused of selling illegal, unlicensed copies of digital editions of the publishers' books. The injunction is the fourth successful action in two years for the group, known as the Educational Publishers Enforcement Group (EPEG), which consists of Cengage, Elsevier, Macmillan Learning, McGraw Hill and Pearson. In this case, the publishers first filed suit against the operators of these websites on August 9, 2021, immediately winning a Temporary Restraining Order that required the immediate shutdown of any infringing activity. With the preliminary injunction, that relief is now extended for the duration of the litigation. "Defendants knowingly and intentionally designed and operate businesses devoted to selling pirated copies of Plaintiffs and other publishers copyrighted works," the initial complaint alleges. "Defendants awareness of the unlawful nature of their businesses is further demonstrated by their concreted efforts to conceal their true names and physical locations, which frustrate enforcement efforts to stop their unlawful activity." In addition, the preliminary injunction requires the cessation of support services to the allegedly infringing sites, including search engines, most notably to Google and Bing, which "attract customers searching for the publishers' legitimate content to their websites," as well as payment processors, web hosts, domain registrars, proxy service providers, and other internet service providers. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. For three ambitious students, hard work and persistence are paying off in big ways. Not only have they been rewarded for their research and academic achievements, they are also now a part of a prestigious group of innovators and industry pioneers. All this, before they even finish their time in the classroom. Seniors Joseph Kirchhoff, John Putziger and Abigail Sipes are recipients of the 2021 Astronaut Scholarship. The honor will provide them with up to $15,000 toward tuition, books and fees and an important boost in their career pursuits. Founded in 1984 by the six surviving Mercury 7 astronauts, the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation honor is known nationwide for being among the highest merit-based monetary scholarships awarded to undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering and math. The scholarships are awarded to students in their junior and senior years of college. The ASF has awarded an Astronaut Scholarship to a Purdue student since 1987. This years Astronaut Scholarship recipients include Joseph Kirchhoff in the College of Engineering and Honors College; John Putziger in the College of Science and Honors College; and Abigail Sipes in the College of Agriculture. The newest scholars were honored at the Innovators Gala in Orlando, Florida. Read about Purdues newest recipients below and learn more about them in this short video. Joseph Kirchhoff Kirchhoff of Southport, North Carolina, is a senior in the College of Engineering with a major in aeronautical and astronautical engineering. He is the recipient of the Astronaut Scholarship sponsored by Jim Hays in memory of Gene Cernan. As an undergraduate student, Kirchhoff has numerous accomplishments. He has participated in research with the Composites Manufacturing and Simulation Center, where he focused on composite simulations and modeling; and the Space Flights Project Laboratory, focusing on advanced space systems and in-flight automations. He has also worked as an intern for the Boeing Co. at its Washington and South Carolina locations. I have been impressed by his vision to drive the future of composites in aerospace by improving their predictability and reliability, said R. Byron Pipes, the John L Bray Distinguished Professor of Engineering in the School of Materials Engineering. Kirchhoffs academic honors include the Bruce Helfert Memorial Award as an outstanding junior in Purdues College of Science or Engineering; Tau Beta Pi induction, of which he was nominated for distinguished academic performance and exemplary character; and induction into the honor society Sigma Gamma Tau. Kirchhoff has served as student director of the Boilers In Action service organization and as Industrial Relations Committee head for Sigma Gamma Tau Honor Society. The scholarship is a way to identify leadership in STEM and give them a resource to pursue their dreams, Kirchhoff said. He plans to earn a Ph.D. in computational engineering and wants to take machine learning and artificial intelligence and apply it to making better tools for engineers to design composites. John Putziger Putziger is a senior in the College of Science and the Honors College. From Falls Church, Virginia, he is majoring in chemistry (ACS) and minoring in political science. His Astronaut Scholarship is sponsored by Marc and Sharon Hagle. Putziger explained his excitement about the opportunity to network with other astronaut scholars and hear from key individuals in the industry at the gala. We were able to communicate with and get better insight from some of the other students who were around, but were also able to hear wonderful presentations by people like Jerry Griffin, who is the former flight coordinator during the Apollo era, and also from Neil Armstrongs sons, he says. A chemist in the making, Putziger plans to attend graduate school to study the use of organic metallic materials to create new reaction pathways. His undergraduate research includes work with the Jianguo Mei Research Group since 2018. He has also been an active mentor in the College of Science as a chemistry tutor and undergraduate teaching assistant in the physics. Putzigers honors include the Wollinsky Fellowship, the Wendell and Marcia Dilling Scholarship, the Stuart and Tobias Memorial Award, the Outstanding Chemistry Sophomore, and the STEM Naval Horizons award, all for his outstanding work in the field of chemistry research. Putziger is also heavily involved in student life, with membership in a variety of clubs and activities. Included are the Purdue Overwatch Club and Project X safe campus consulting. He also participated in a study abroad program in Bogota, Colombia, to study science and social progress. Abigail Sipes Sipes of Honolulu is a senior in the College of Agriculture pursuing a major in biochemistry. She is the recipient of the Astronaut Scholarship-sponsored The CoveyLove Legacy Fund. Research has been a priority for Sipes throughout her undergraduate years. She has worked on numerous projects as a research assistant at the University of Hawaii and the University of Hawaii Cancer Research Center in Honolulu. There, she assisted in the development of therapeutic treatment for cancer patients, characterizing tumor cells and further work on understanding tumor progression. Sipes worked as a research assistant at Purdue, conducting research involving T-DNA mutants to understand arabidopsis gene functions, and organized streamlined research efforts for seven undergraduates. Sipes continued her research work as an intern for Bayer Pharmaceuticals this summer. Sipes plans to use her experience to continue a path toward work in oncology and plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biomedical science. Im leaning toward immune oncology, using the immune system to help fight off cancer, she says. As a person driven to improve peoples health, Sipes has served as the Timmy Global Health Advocacy chair at Purdue. She has co-chaired the Biochemistry Club outreach. Shes also been an active participant in Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation, the ACS Graduate School Readiness and Professional Development Bootcamp, and served as a team leader for Boiler Gold Rush. Sipes has earned several academic awards and scholarships. She is especially thankful for the Astronaut Scholarship and the opportunity to attend the gala where she says; I met so many amazing people. Im definitely going to keep in contact with them. The National and International Scholarships Office (NISO), which is housed in the Honors College, supports all Purdue students in applying for prestigious scholarships. Students interested in such awards are encouraged to reach out to the NISO office by email at niso@purdue.edu, or to visit the NISO website. About Purdue University Purdue University is a top public research institution developing practical solutions to todays toughest challenges. Ranked in each of the last four years as one of the 10 Most Innovative universities in the United States by U.S. News & World Report, Purdue delivers world-changing research and out-of-this-world discovery. Committed to hands-on and online, real-world learning, Purdue offers a transformative education to all. Committed to affordability and accessibility, Purdue has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels, enabling more students than ever to graduate debt-free. See how Purdue never stops in the persistent pursuit of the next giant leap at https://purdue.edu/. Writer: Leslie Valiant Media contact: Jim Bush, jsbush@purdue.edu The green revolution in the lefts $3.5 trillion reconciliation is a matter of trade-offs and Americans will find the final numbers dont balance. We can argue the existential threat of climate change which will be here in 7 years, or 10 years, or is already here, depending on the rhetoric. We can scoff at John Kerrys private jets, Bernie Sanders multiple homes, and question the credibility of the prophets of doom whose carbon footprints are ripe with hypocrisy. However, its more important to push all the politics aside and be pragmatists. Forcing half of our electricity to be carbon free by 2030 necessarily entails a give and take. In this case, we need to give up the current state of life in America for the goals of the climate agenda. On the balance, this forced transition takes much more than it gives. Thats the reality the American people need to understand and the serious conversation we need to have. Yet its not happening, and the reason is very simple: Americans dont know the consequences. Show me a politician saying fossil fuels can be traded for renewable energy while keeping all other aspects of life (cost, reliability, national security) the sameand I will show you a liar. Case in point: Germany. Our Deutsch allies are years ahead of America in pushing for a green agenda. They have closed 12 of its 19 nuclear power plants, with all 84 of their coal plants slated for extinction within the next decade. The green movement cheers this on as progress and leadership. Sadly, they are utterly detached from reality. Germans pay 37 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity, about triple what we pay in America. In simplest of terms, take your electric bill and triple it. Environmentalists will tell you this is what the people want. Theyll argue Americans will embrace and accept this sacrifice as part of the battle against climate change, but I maintain many have no idea this is what the future holds because politicians are not being honest. America is already experiencing blackouts because of politically-charged green energy mandates. Parts of New York City this summer went dark. Same in New Mexico and California. Even energy-rich Texas experienced blackouts which tragically cost the lives of many people. Simply put, renewable energy is incapable of producing the same amount of energy and cannot withstand the elements. The green movement refutes this passionately, but facts are stubborn things. The rolling blackouts are a result of politicians pushing green energy mandates faster than the science and technology allow, and the consequences are deadly. Theres also a national security component to energy, perhaps the most vital, and yet rarely discussed in serious terms. Europe is struggling to keep the power on and begging Russia to export more gas. In turn, Putin has cut gas exports from the typical rate of 81 million cubic meters (mcm) to around 20 mcm last month. Is it because Russia is running out of gas? No. Its because Putin wants to see Europe dance for his pleasure. And theyre putting on a jig. The Nordstream 2 pipeline between Russia and Germany, previously opposed by the Trump Administration under Germanys NATO obligations, is now fully blessed by the Biden Administration.. While this relationship is bad news for Germany, America is entering into the same dangerous bargain with China. My organization, Power The Future, authored a study explaining how upwards of 70% of the renewable energy is manufactured in China. Even worse, in another study we explain how a whopping 95% of the rare earth mineral market, those mined metals and minerals necessary for wind and solar to function, is monopolized by China. We are forgoing affordability for expensive electricity. We are forgoing reliability for blackouts. We are forgoing domestic energy for Chinese dependence. Yet these realities are never discussed. The Biden green agenda is a matter of trade-offs. The American people have the right to know what is on the line: affordability, reliability, and national security. We all deserve to know the full cost of Joe Bidens going green. Daniel Turner is the founder and executive director of Power The Future, a national nonprofit organization that advocates for American energy jobs. Contact him at daniel@powerthefuture.com and follow him on Twitter @DanielTurnerPTF Take all of the imagery you have seen of the over 14,000 Haitian migrants camped under an international bridge in the small Texas border town of Del Rio and add the complications of disease, public excrement, unbearable heat and heightened frustrations. It has led to violence that has injured Border Patrol officers. Now close your eyes and imagine it is 100 times worse. Because that's what it is, said Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales, the freshman Republican who represents 42% of the border. The overwhelmed city of Del Rio had been in a rapidly deteriorating crisis situation when illegal immigrants first began surging into the community in January, but Gonzales now says the situation here is a "Category 5" and that the environment is unlike anything he has ever seen before. "I arrived here today to pure chaos," he said. "I've never seen it in this environment. There literally is no border left." Gonzales said Del Rio is in dire straits. "There's no doubt there's COVID here, there's measles, tuberculosis, all kinds of diseases," he said. "You've got kids running around in nothing but diapers. A handful of port-a-potties -- my God, the stench is terrible. This is not good for the migrants. It is not good for the residents. It's not good for wherever our government is sending them in the interior of the country." Despite the Department of Homeland Security insisting repeatedly the Haitians would be deported, as of Tuesday, it had only removed 1,000 of the estimated 15,000 under the bridge. Multiple news organizations including CNN reported that buses have been escorting them to a nonprofit organization in town where they purchase bus or plane tickets. They are then moved to a gas station where buses pick them up and take them to other parts of the country. The Washington Post reported that the number is in the thousands of those released to parts unknown in the interior of the country. "My takeaway after I walked through it all, I look over at the sector chief, and I go, 'Man, I just feel sad.' He goes, 'I know. Everyone just feels beaten here,'" Gonzales said. Del Rio residents have seen their lives turned upside down. The international bridge has been closed -- a lifeline bringing tens of millions of dollars to the local economy. If you're a small-business owner and your business has somehow survived COVID-19, something like this could easily wipe you out. Everybody has been sucked into this chaos. "The worst thing is that we are not even talking about the other places where this is happening," Gonzales said. "Today, we're talking about Del Rio, but tomorrow, it'll be Laredo or Brownsville or Eagle Pass or El Paso. This problem is not going away." Gonzales said he asked the chief of Border Patrol, Raul Ortiz, at a Homeland Security Committee hearing about its surge of agents to Del Rio. "Those agents are coming from somewhere," he said. "And my worry is other sectors are going to be weakened, thus creating a national security crisis, putting us at risk in other sectors, because everyone is focusing on Del Rio." Ortiz agreed. He also confirmed that reports were true that migrants had assaulted Border Patrol agents -- five of them, to be exact. It is hard to imagine that this scene is playing out in America. It is also hard to imagine that our government has failed to secure the border or address this crisis with the seriousness it deserves. Which is what makes the other part of this crisis political: Until a photo of a Border Patrol agent on horseback herding migrants back over the Rio Grande to Mexico was circulated on Twitter, Democrats, journalists and the White House had almost completely ignored or downplayed the 15,000 people who had been living in squalor under the bridge. Blue-check Twitter cried foul, claiming that the agent's long reins were whips and absurdly likening the image to that of a white overseer whipping a slave. Suddenly, not only did press secretary Jen Psaki and the vice president notice, but they along with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the White House press corps fabricated a story about Del Rio -- not about the appalling migrant crisis, but about how racist the Border Patrol is. That story has been debunked, and to date, there are no reports that any migrant was ever "whipped" by agents. It irks Gonzales that Border Patrol agents, who risk their lives and are coming under immense pressure right now, are having their actions and motives unfairly impugned. "They see their jobs as patriotic," the former Navy cryptologist said. "They know they are both protecting their community as well as their country." The Biden administration and Washington Democrats' blind eye to this crisis have already had an impact politically. Hints of the future may have cropped up in last year's election, when majority-Hispanic areas rejected the Biden campaign's rhetoric that former President Donald Trump's handling of the border was racist. Texans pummeled President Joe Biden in several border counties, with large numbers of Hispanic voters going for Trump. That shift away from Democrats may grow given the handling of the border. Already this summer, Republicans unexpectedly won two big mayoral elections in border towns that are overwhelmingly Hispanic and historically Democratic. And it is not just South Texas Hispanics who are running away from Biden and by default from the Democrats. It is all Texas Hispanics. Last week, a Dallas Morning News/University of Texas-Tyler poll showed that Biden's approval rating with Hispanics in Texas is 19 points underwater, with only 35% approving of the job he is doing and a whopping 54% disapproving. There may be a realignment in the works. In short, while white liberals in Washington think that using words like "Latinx" matters to the Hispanic community or connects them with its values, they are ignoring a crisis that deeply affects middle-class Hispanic families. They justifiably worry about their safety and their ability to pursue prosperity. The Democrats' oblivious lack of concern for their real-world concerns is already backfiring. Maybe if one of them, any of them, spent a few days living in a border town, the party would understand just how dire and dangerous life there has become. COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM President Biden, with the full support of the Democratic Party, has committed this country to defending human rights around the world and addressing climate change. Although these are not competing goals, they are not necessarily reinforcing. Last week, John Kerry announced plans to visit China to continue carbon emissions negotiations, a task fitting the Biden administrations designated envoy on climate change. But some Republican lawmakers are demanding to know if Kerry has been quietly lobbying against anti-slave labor legislation in Washington to secure diplomatic breathing room before his climate talks in Beijing. At issue is the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, bipartisan legislation that easily passed the Senate by voice vote in July only to be held up in the House. If signed into law, it would ban the import of any Chinese goods manufactured using forced Uyghur labor. Such a move would further enrage Beijing at a moment when the government there is already bristling from international criticism of Chinas mass detentions, forced sterilization and general abuses of its Muslim Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang region. In a letter obtained exclusively by RealClearPolitics, Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida and Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey express concern that Kerry is downplaying the genocide precisely because he intends to import solar panels that are produced using forced labor in the PRC to the United States in order to meet your administrations climate goals. Human rights advocates have wondered for months whether this is why the popular legislation stalled in the House after sailing through the Senate. According to one account in the Associated Press, Kerry had a forceful debate on the question before leaving for China last spring. Rubio and Smith, the top two Republicans on the Congressional-Executive Commission on China and the lead sponsors of the bill, point to that report as evidence that Kerry is subverting the presidents pledge to put human rights at the center of his foreign policy. Biden has repeatedly condemned Chinese abuse of Uyghur Muslims, first as a candidate and then as president. During the campaign he called it genocide, a characterization later echoed officially by his State Department. Biden was barely a month on the job before he directed his Treasury Department to sanction two Chinese government officials over the continued human rights abuses. Secretary of State Antony Blinken praised the move at the time as a necessary penalty for a regime that continues to commit genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang. When that behavior did not improve, the administration went a step further by imposing additional sanctions on the Chinese solar panel industry. The president seemed to raise the issue during his address to the United Nations General Assembly, albeit indirectly and without singling out China by name. He asked the world to pledge to uphold human dignity and human rights under which nations in common cause, more than seven decades ago, formed this institution. For his purposes, Kerry sees that humanitarian mission as distinct from his climate goal. He said as much during congressional testimony in May, when Rep. Smith asked if he discussed the plight of the Uyghur people with Chinas climate envoy. That's not my lane, the former secretary of state replied. My lane is, very specifically, to try and get the Chinese to move what we need to do with respect to climate itself. Yet, Kerry has been frank about the interwoven challenges of crimes against humanity and a deteriorating global climate. On the one hand, were saying to them, You have to do more to help deal with the climate, he told reporters earlier this month. And on the other hand, their solar panels are being sanctioned, which makes it harder for them to sell them. They see that as a contradiction, Kerry said in an interview with the Washington Post after several days of meetings in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin. How then, asked Bloombergs David Westin in a Wednesday interview, can we determine the correct balance between human rights and the need to address climate change? Well, Kerry replied, life is always full of tough choices and the relationship between nations. Likening his negotiations with China to the U.S.-Soviet diplomacy of the 1980s, Kerry recalled how President Reagan thought the Soviet Union was the evil empire but still forged a treaty with the Soviets to withdraw intermediate nuclear missiles from European soil. The point Im making is that even as there were egregious human rights issues, which Ronald Reagan called them out on it, we have to find a way forward to make the world safer, to protect our countries and act in our interests, Kerry told Bloomberg. We can do and must do the same thing now. Yes, we have issues, a number of different issues, but first and foremost, this planet must be protected. According to Rubio and Smith, those tradeoffs are simply unacceptable from a senior U.S. government official. In their letter, they tell Biden they fear Kerry is downplaying the genocide precisely because he intends to import solar panels that are produced using forced labor in the PRC to the United States in order to meet your administrations climate goals. You have repeatedly pledged to put human rights at the center of your administrations foreign policy. Given this, it is all the more concerning that members of your administration are apparently working against this cause by reportedly trying to delay a bipartisan bill that would hold the CCP accountable for its unspeakable crimes, the two concluded. When asked about Kerrys remarks Monday evening, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told RCP the presidents climate envoy was accurately conveying the fact that the administration has dual priorities in this instance and that the president remains true to both of them. Where we have concerns, whether its their economic approach, whether its human rights issues, we will raise [them] privately and we will also raise publicly, she said. But we will also look to work with the Chinese on areas where we can. And obviously, climate is one of them. Psaki did not know, however, if Biden supported the bill to ban Chinese goods made with forced labor. For centuries up to and including the 20th, Europe seemed the central pivot of world history. Then came the Great Civil War of the West, our Thirty Years' War (1914-1945), where all of the great European powers -- Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia -- along with almost all of the rest, fought some of history's greatest battles. Result: Europe's greatest nations were all bloodied. All of Europe's empires fell. The colonial peoples were all largely liberated and began the great migration to the mother countries. And Europe was split between a U.S.-led West and a Moscow-dominated Soviet bloc. Yet, even during that four-decade Cold War, Europe was viewed as the prize in the struggle. By the time that Cold War ended in triumph for the Free World, a European Union modeled on the American Union was rising, and almost all of Europe's newly freed nations began to join the NATO alliance. Yet one senses today that Europe's role in world history is passing, that the American pivot to China and the Indo-Pacific is both historic and permanent, and that as the past belongs to Europe, the future belongs to Asia. Asia, after all, is home to the world's most populous nations, China and India; to six of the world's nine nuclear powers; and to almost all of its major Muslim nations: Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey and Iran, as well as to the world's largest economies outside the USA: China and Japan. And Europe? In 2016, Great Britain voted to withdraw from the EU. This summer, the British joined the Australians and the U.S. in an AUXUS pact that trashed a cherished French deal to build a dozen diesel-powered submarines -- and to replace them with British- and U.S.-built nuclear-power subs. Paris saw this as a "betrayal," a "stab in the back" by allies whom Gen. Charles De Gaulle had disparaged as "les Anglo-Saxons." Yet AUXUS was also an undeniably clear statement as to where the Australians saw their future, and it was not alongside France, but the USA. Still, this was the worst U.S. affront of our French ally since President Dwight Eisenhower ordered the British and French out of Suez. But, at least then, Ike could say in 1956 that he had not been alerted to the British-French invasion of Egypt and that our NATO partners had acted without his knowledge or consent. To protest the treatment of France in the submarine deal, President Emmanuel Macron recalled his ambassador to the U.S., something that had never been done since France recognized the American colonies and came to their aid during our War of Independence. Indeed, the submarine agreement forced cancellation of a grand party at the French embassy in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the 240th anniversary of the Battle of the Capes. This was the critical British-French naval battle at the mouth of the Chesapeake in 1781, where a French fleet prevailed, enabling it to provide Gen. George Washington's army cover as it surrounded, shelled and compelled the surrender of Gen. Lord Cornwallis' army at Yorktown. But if the British are out of the EU, and the French are estranged from their NATO allies, Germany yesterday held an election, where, for the first time in its history, the Christian Democratic Union of Konrad Adenauer, Helmut Kohl and Angela Merkel was reduced to a fourth of the national vote. The new leader of Germany, after months of negotiations, may be the leader of the Social Democrats, in concert with the Greens. But even that government may not be cobbled together by Christmas. Neither of the prospective chancellors for the Christian Democratic Union or the Social Democratic Party has the stature of Merkel, who has been both leader of Germany for the last decade and a half but also de facto leader of Europe. And consider the present condition of NATO, once celebrated as the most successful alliance in history for having deterred any Soviet invasion of NATO Europe for the entire Cold War. In 2001, invoking Article V about an attack on one being an attack on all, NATO joined the Americans in their plunge into Afghanistan to deal with the perpetrators of 9/11. This August, 20 years later, all our NATO allies pulled out as the Afghan army crumbled and vanished and the Afghan regime collapsed. Our NATO allies thus shared in the ignominy of the American retreat and defeat. Not only is the center of political gravity shifting from Europe to Asia, European unity seems a thing of the past. As Britain has left the EU, Scotland is considering secession from England. Catalonia is still thinking of secession from Spain. Sardinia is considering secession from Italy. Poland and Hungary are at odds with the EU over domestic political reforms said to be in conflict with the demands of the bureaucrats in Brussels. As for the southern-tier EU and NATO nations, Spain, Italy and Greece, their main concern is less an invasion by Russia than the ongoing invasion from across the Mediterranean from Africa and the Middle East. COPYRIGHT 2021 CREATORS.COM Nearly nine months after Donald Trump cost the GOP two Senate seats in a runoff election in Georgia, and handed control of the upper chamber to Democrats, Republicans heard him tacitly endorse Democrat Stacey Abrams for governor Saturday night in the Peach State. As outrageous as it is to Republicans, and as damaging as it is to their turnout strategy in next years midterm elections, the comment isnt remotely surprising. While Trump was in Georgia to tout the candidates he has endorsed for Senate, secretary of state and lieutenant governor, he spent time just as he did in January attacking the governor, Brian Kemp. Trump has yet to find a primary challenger to run against Kemp, and Abrams is believed to be prepping for another run against him. Stacey, would you like to take his place? the former president said. Its OK with me. It wasnt just an aside, a moment of Trumpian exuberance because he also said this: Of course, having her, I think, might be better than having your existing governor, if you want to know the truth, Trump said about Abrams. Might very well be better. Sure, Trump needs an enemy and a fight, but notice he is training his fire on Republicans and not Democrats, Joe Biden, or the media. The headlines he intentionally made is that hes ready to destroy Republicans who have gone against him. This wasnt the first time Trump has expressed support for Democrats running against Republicans who either voted for his impeachment or have defied his Big Lie and backed the legitimate results of the 2020 election Trump attempted to steal. Referring last week to Rep. David Valadao, who voted to impeach him, Trump said in a radio interview on The John Fredericks Show, I would almost rather have a Democrat win than those people. He is also fond of trashing any election process, not Georgias, to feed his Big Lie. Before a recall effort to unseat Californias Democratic governor was defeated in a landslide on Sept. 14, Trump said the balloting would be totally rigged. In Georgia last January, his words were harsher he said the Senate races would be illegal and invalid but the effect is the same. Republicans can spin this all they want, but they know what Trump is doing is straight-up voter suppression. To stay on his good side, members of the GOP have to back the Big Lie, then accept that, come next November, there is a good likelihood he will be telling his voters the elections are rigged. Should anyone Trump is targeting with a challenger survive their primary, he is likely to tell voters in that district they would be better off with the Democrat instead. And Republicans will do little to stop him. Georgia GOP officials were so angry at Trump Saturday night that they sent texts to Greg Bluestein, political reporter for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, stating it was a new low, an s-show, and another lamented, I am just so mad beyond words. Not one has said anything publicly. Indeed, publicly Republicans still pretend that Trump and his efforts to destabilize our elections is just fine. The chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, Rep. Tom Emmer, told CNN that Trump should, you know, just do his thing. The former president can do whatever he wants. Its very personal to him. I get it. Were focused on winning the majority. And that's what were going to do. So Trumps focus is most certainly not on Republicans winning the majority, and he has made it clear he will get in the way of the partys plans whenever he wants to. While he has not backed challengers to all 10 Republicans who voted to impeach him for inciting the Jan. 6 insurrection, he is eager to defeat them all and has made that clear repeatedly. When Rep. Anthony Gonzalez, one of the 10, announced last week he would retire rather than fight for his seat and return to a Trumpified GOP House conference, Trumps response was, 1 down, 9 to go ! And news that the House Republican leadership, which traditionally stays neutral in primaries, has helped some of the 10 with fundraising, infuriated Trump. He bragged that he would stop House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy from supporting any of them, saying on Fredericks radio show last week: Im going to see who he is funding and if he is, Ill stop the whole deal, Ill stop it. Trump has, since losing the election, broken off with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell officially, attacking him with great frequency. And according to Peril, by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, Trump has said McCarthy is using him to become speaker in 2023. This guy called me every single day, pretended to be my best friend, and then, he f----- me," Trump said. "He's not a good guy." An attempt by Trump to mount a challenge to McConnell as leader, reported by the Wall Street Journal, has failed as no senator will take up the charge. But over on the House side, McCarthy will face opposition, should he run for speaker, from Trump-backed challengers who like the former president are angry McCarthy said back in January that the president was partially responsible for the Capitol insurrection. As Trump escalates the intra-party fight, the membership fee in his GOP backing the Big Lie has grown far more costly. In just the last two weeks we have learned: The Trump campaign itself had debunked election conspiracies that Trump allies were eagerly spreading and are now taken as gospel among millions of the Trump faithful. Its a jumble of conspiratorial crap about Dominion machines and Venezuela, etc., that court records revealed the campaign knew wasnt true just two weeks after Election Day, though they would push the lies for two more months until Trump left office (and still do today). The fake audit of the Arizona results, a nearly $6 million Stop the Steal undertaking to sow doubt using a company called The Cyber Ninjas, came up with nothing and reported the tally for Joe Biden was larger than the certified total he won the state with in 2020. Trump told rally-goers Saturday exactly the opposite, a stunning lie that anyone there who cares to follow these endeavors would know was false, and he received enthusiastic applause. Mike Lee and Lindsey Graham reviewed Trumps claims of election fraud right after the election and dismissed them as unconvincing, according to Peril. Trumps response after the books excerpts were made public was to insist that he spent virtually no time with the two senators and to say that Lindsey and Mike should be ashamed of themselves for not putting up the fight necessary to win. Trump sent a letter, not one of his faux-tweet press releases, asking that Georgias secretary of state decertify the election and announce the true winner. Yes, more than 10 months after the election and numerous recounts and audits in Georgia that certified Biden as the winner. Trump added that Brad Raffensperger and Kemp are doing a great disservice to the Great State of Georgia, and to our Nation which is systematically being destroyed by an illegitimate president and his administration. So, theres new evidence that key Republicans knew right away both internally and among congressional allies that Trumps fraud claims were bogus, along with public notice that the former president is still attempting to overturn the election in September of 2021 and be reinstated. Normal stuff, right? Congressional Republicans, perfectly aware not only that Trump lost the election but why, are eying his abysmal approval numbers and clearly hoping swing voters just wont be paying attention to his dangerous lies (and their shameful silence) between now and Election Day in 2022. In exchange for their silence, they hope Trump will energize his fervent supporters to turn out for the GOP next year and help return them to majorities in the House and Senate. What he will more likely do is continue to bash their leaders, including McConnell and McCarthy, and insist the process is rigged. He may believe it wont help him win in 2024 if Republicans win back control next year and energize Democrats. It will be a long 13 months for Republicans as their party leader undermines and attacks them. But hes out for number one, and thinks theyre suckers. And they know it. Cynthia Bailey is leaving The Real Housewives of Atlanta after 11 seasons. ADVERTISEMENT The 54-year-old television personality announced in an Instagram post Monday that she won't return for Season 14 of the Bravo reality series. "After much thought and consideration, I have made the very difficult and heartfelt decision not to return for the next season of Real Housewives of Atlanta," Bailey wrote. "Thank you NBC Universal, Bravo and Truly Original for over a decade of partnership. I can't wait to see what we do next!" she said. Bailey then thanked her RHOA castmates for 11 of "the most unbelievable years of my life; and the most incredible & UNFORGETTABLE memories!" "I am so grateful to have had this amazing journey, and I am anxiously waiting to embark on new adventures," she said. Bailey also thanked fans for their love and support throughout the years. "Most importantly, THANK YOU to my fans! I could not have done it without your blessings, love, and support. Without the fans, none of this would be possible. I love and appreciate all of you," the star said. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! "It's time to move on to my next chapter, and I look forward to sharing it with all of you," she concluded the post. Bailey's former RHOA co-star Claudia Jordan, Real Housewives of Potomac star Gizelle Bryant and former Real Housewives of New York star Dorinda Medley were among those to voice their support for Bailey in the comments. "Class, beauty and positivity to the very end. Love you and proud of you my friend! I will see you soon," Jordan wrote. "Cheers to you Cynthia!" Bryant added. "Incredible and forever iconic! I adore you @cynthiabailey!" Medley said. Bailey joined RHOA in Season 2. She discussed her future with the show on The Wendy Williams Show in June, with host Wendy Williams telling Bailey she should be fired from RHOA. "Let me tell you why -- because there's nothing more exciting that you can give to us," Williams said. "I don't want to see you fight, I don't want to see you get divorced. Like, I think it's time." Bailey married her husband, Mike Hill, in October 2020. RHOA completed its 13th season in May and co-stars Kandi Burruss, Kenya Moore, Porsha Williams and Drew Sidora. Lori Loughlin will return to acting in the upcoming season of When Hope Calls. ADVERTISEMENT Variety reported Monday that Loughlin, 57, will guest star in Season 2 of the When Calls the Heart spinoff. Loughlin will reprise her When Calls the Heart character, Abigail Stanton. Deadline said Loughlin will appear in the two-part Season 2 premiere, titled When Hope Calls: A Country Christmas, which airs Dec. 18 on GAC Family. A Country Christmas takes place in Brookfield, a town in the western prairie of Canada. The community is preparing for its annual Christmas festival when Abigail and her son Cody bring a troubled boy to Lillian's orphanage. Loughlin originally played Abigail in When Calls the Heart Seasons 1-5. She left the show in 2019 after she was arrested for her involvement in a college admissions scandal. Loughlin and her husband, Mossimo Giannulli, pleaded guilty to conspiring to fraudulently secure admission for their two daughters to the University of Southern California. Loughlin was released from federal prison in December after serving a two-month sentence in connection with the scandal. Loughlin is best known for playing Aunt Becky on Full House and its sequel, Fuller House. Ryan Seacrest has inked a new deal with iHeartMedia that will keep him at the company for three more years through Dec. 31, 2025. ADVERTISEMENT Seacrest got his start at iHeartMedia working at radio station 94.1 WSTR in Atlanta as a teenager before moving to 98.7 in Los Angeles. The 46-year-old will continue to be a central personality across iHeartRadio, host 102.7 KIIS-FM's morning show in Los Angeles, host the nationally syndicated On Air with Ryan Seacrest and host American Top 40 with Ryan Seacrest, under the new deal. Seacrest will also work with iHeartMedia chairman and CEO Bob Pittman and president, COO and CFO Rich Bressler on company initiatives along with hosting the iHeartRadio Music Festival in New York and the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball concert. "Continuing my relationship with iHeartMedia was a no-brainer," Seacrest said in a statement. "Thirty years speed by when you love what you do. I get to live out my dream every day by interacting with our listeners and hearing their stories. Thank you to Bob and Rich and the entire iHeartMedia team for continuing to support us and grow with us. And a special thank you to my on-air crew, the best team in radio, for making the show work seamlessly every day," he continued. "The Good Doctor" star Freddie Highmore is a married man. ADVERTISEMENT The 29-year-old actor confirmed on Monday's episode of " Jimmy Kimmel Live!" that he married a "wonderful woman." "Yes, I got married," Highmore said. "It's funny, ever since I've been wearing this ring people have been asking me if I'm married. So I figured I should clarify it." Highmore jokingly told host Jimmy Kimmel that he won't "jump up and down on the couch on the talk show and express my excitement that way." "I know you do that in America. But I'm as happy as a Brit can be and I'm married to a very wonderful woman now, so yes, I feel very happy," he said. Highmore said his wife is also British but did not share her name or other details. "I just still can't get over the terminology and the vocab, like, 'a married man' just sounds very old and 'my wife' sounds very possessive," the star said. "We don't really use that yet, but we just point to the rings and be like, 'Here, look, draw your own conclusions,'" he added. FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! Highmore, who plays Dr. Shaun Murphy on "The Good Doctor," also discussed his character's upcoming wedding on the show. He addressed a recent teaser for the show that appeared to show Murphy's wedding. "It's probably the hardest time I've ever had doing press, when the teaser suggests something that's the complete opposite of what actually goes to happen," Highmore said. The scene ended up being a dream sequence that appeared in "The Good Doctor" Season 5 premiere Monday. "It is genuinely the whole season, which will be lovely, but yes, it was an odd one to promote," Highmore said. Highmore teased "twists and turns" in Season 5 in an interview on "Good Morning America" last week. Athens, GA (30605) Today A few showers early with scattered thunderstorms arriving for the afternoon. High 76F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 60%. Locally heavy rainfall possible.. Tonight Mostly cloudy skies. Scattered thunderstorms this evening. Low 64F. Winds light and variable. Chance of rain 50%. 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. The Marlboro Music Festival has taken place on the former Marlboro College campus since the festival's founding in 1951. Emilie Kornheiser is vice chair of the House Ways and Means Committee and co-chair of the Task Force on the Implementation of the Pupil Weighting Factors Report. Since 2019, she has represented the Windham 2-1 district in the Vermont House of Representatives. The opinions expressed by columnists do not necessarily reflect the views of Vermont News & Media. CHICAGO (AP) A historian devoted to keeping alive the stories of long-dead victims of racial violence along the Texas-Mexico border and a civil rights activist whose mission is to make sure people who leave prison are free to walk into the voting booth are among this years MacArthur fellows and recipients of genius grants. The Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation on Tuesday announced the 25 recipients, who will each receive $625,000. The historian and the activist are part of an eclectic group that includes scientists, economists, poets, and filmmakers. As in previous years, the work of several recipients involves topics that have been dominating the news from voting rights to how history is taught in schools. Race figures prominently in the work of about half of them, including that of Ibram X. Kendi, author of How to be an Antiracist and Stamped from the Beginning," which was a National Book Award winner for nonfiction. There is a generation of older and younger writers, thinkers and creators who are able to recognize the complexity of racism and clarify it for everyday people to see it and grasp it and be outraged by it, Kendi said. These generations have been hugely inspired by previous generations, added Kendi, who will contribute an essay to the forthcoming book The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story thats based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning 1619 Project that centers U.S. history around slavery. I think we built this movement to a point in which it is indeed a juggernaut with no way of stopping. The selection process for the MacArthur grants is shrouded in secrecy. Instead of applications, anonymous groups make nominations and recommendations to the foundations board of directors. Kendi, 39, said he had no knowledge he had been nominated. My first words were: Are you serious?" Kendi said Tuesday. Its one of the biggest, if not the biggest, honor Ive ever received. COVID-19 also was clearly on the minds of the foundation's board of directors. It comes up in the work of no fewer than four recipients, including a computational biologist building tools to track and forecast viruses and a physician-economist working to better communicate the need for the COVID-19 vaccine to communities that distrust medical institutions. As we emerge from the shadows of the past two years, this class of 25 Fellows helps us re-imagine whats possible, said Cecilia Conrad, the foundations managing director of fellows. Much of what is going on, from the COVID-19 pandemic to efforts in the U.S. to alter the way elections are held and the way students are taught in school, added a sense of urgency to this year's awards, some recipients said. This award is so timely for me, personally ... to remain committed to make sure the public has access to the truth, true history, even when it is troubling (and) especially when that history can help us build a better future, Monica Munoz Martinez, a historian at the University of Texas, Austin, pointing to efforts in some states to limit how teachers discuss racism. Martinez was recognized, in part because of her book The Injustice Never Leaves You: Anti-Mexican Violence in Texas," about a period a century ago when hundreds Mexicans and Mexican Americans were slaughtered by vigilantes as well as the Texas Rangers. Desmond Meade, who led a campaign that resulted in the passage of a measure in Florida that restored the voting rights of felons who have served their sentences, said the recognition and the money will help him continue his work to help former prison inmates. Meade's effort had a setback last year when a federal appellate court upheld the position of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and the GOP-led Legislature that Florida felons must pay all fines before regaining their right to vote. Meade noted that he struggled with drug addiction and homelessness and has served time in prison himself. The country needs to see stories of triumph and everyday regular people who are impacting their communities, he said. This (genius grant) means that each and every one in this country has the capacity to do something great." ___ Associated Press reporter Corey Williams contributed from West Bloomfield, Mich. ORANGE Alexa Landino Charles grew up in an Italian household where they made wine as part of family tradition, but she never imagined one day shed be running a vineyard and wine business. Yet, here she is a business accounting degree from Quinnipiac University later lovingly holding a bunch of white Traminette grapes: Theyre a pretty little girl. I love these grapes, she said in an endearing tone. Charles, along with her two sisters Rosamaria Ponte and Sara Mahon, own the Stappa Vineyard business the first in town while their parents, Pietro Landino and Antonietta Landino own the land. The Landinos, married 47 years, own the Cascade banquet business in Hamden, but also have huge emotional stake in the vineyard, as they plan to retire there. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media The grapes on the property have been growing for eight years and the tasting room and wine business opened in July, requiring a special regulation created by the Town Plan and Zoning Commission. Located at 403 Derby Ave., and tucked way back in a quiet and serene clearing that belies its street address, the vineyard has 5,000 vines, or eight acres of grapes. There are eight types of grapes and a newly built tasting and production room of 1,500 square feet. . The sprawling property purchased by the Landinos was once was the U.S. headquarters for the Legionaries of Christ. Charles and her sisters all pitch in to help in the business, but Charles is the full-time manager the face of the business and works long hours, picking grapes along with other family members, producing wine, running and marketing the new tasting room. She also designs labels for the wine bottles. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media The whole process is so relaxing, but its a lot of work, Charles said. Ive always done this as tradition like canning tomatoes, but I never thought it was going to be a lifestyle and it has been. As we purchased the property and started doing it, I fell in love. Grapes are a lot of work Stappa means to work and need regular maintenance, she said. Every seven days the vines grow three feet at the top and require just the right amount of sun and moisture. Too much moisture trapped under leaves can create mold, so they have to stay cleared. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media Some of the vines are located on a rocky hill and grapes like that, Charles said. Moisture and cold affect the taste of grapes, she said, noting, Our chardonnay sold out this year, but it may (taste) different next year. At Stappa Vineyard they harvest the grapes and produce the wine on the property crushing, pressing, fermenting them onsite. Stappa Vineyard currently has four wines available - Reisling, rose, Marquette and Chambourcin, with two more coming out soon, including a high-end cabernet. A chardonnay and Cayuga white they had at opening sold out fast and will return. Charles loves experimenting with flavors and has an orange wine in the works. Its the most gratifying thing when someone says its very good, Charles said, referring to wine. I love to see them laughing and enjoying themselves. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media Customers can bring their own food, from snacks to full meals and are raving about the ambiance and, of course, the wine. Its a family owned and operated business and brings tremendous beauty to our town of Orange. The atmosphere is relaxed, classy, warm, beautiful, and inviting both inside and outside, Shannan Carlson said. The wine variety and options are quite impressive since this is such a young, Connecticut vineyard. Michelle Hawes said she was excited a vineyard opened in Orange and Stappa has been welcoming to the community. The owners and staff go above and beyond to make sure everybody is having such a great time and are so accommodating, Hawes said. They have created a beautiful space with delicious wine. I really love going there to relax in the environment they have created. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media The immaculate and airy tasting and production room with big windows and full of is light stands where a house with 16 bedrooms and 16 bathrooms once was a dormitory for the Legionaries. Among the table and couch seating areas for customers are shiny silver tanks and wooden barrels used to make the finished project, as they let people see the process. We kind of give a different atmosphere. Youre not really going to hear Frank Sinatra every day, she said. We mix it up. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media The motif is a combination of the sisters personal styles, which Charles said makes the space a little industrial, a little country the elk horn chandelier and a little fancy, such as ornate legs on simple wooden tables. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media The vast outdoor space for wine-drinking and eating is dotted with tables and chairs, with spectacular views of the vines, fruit trees, an old barn displaying the American and Italian flags, and an authentic weather-worn windmill on the property. The outside is peaceful. Its so far back you cant hear a thing even though Route 34 is right there, Charles said. Some people bring a book, a picnic lunch and some even bring their laptops and work remotely. Charles said the vineyard has become so crowded at times that theyve had to turn people away. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media On Saturday and Sunday, as long as its perfect weather, were going to be busy, Charles said. Once you find a wine that you like, you always return to it. All vineyards are worth it. Ive never tasted a horrible wine, but there are fantastic wines you always go back for. Working the vineyard and being there is a labor of love for Pietro and Antonietta Landino they pick grapes and more. Contributed photo / Theres a clearing to build a house that overlooks the property and the Landinos hope to build there and retire. In a memorable moment before the towns planning commission, one of the many appearances they made while seeking approval, Pietro Landino told the members that they owned Cascade, had plenty of money and he just wanted to retire on the property, sip his coffee and look out over the vineyard as he did growing up in Italy. Previous to owning Cascade, the Landinos owned Gioia Deli and Caserta Pizzeria, both in Hamden. Charles said her parents, both currently visiting Italy, came to the United States from there in their mid-teens and met here at a dance in a banquet hall. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media Both parents come from farming backgrounds. Mom grew up in city, but her parents owned tobacco fields. Dad was from mountains where they grew vines and every fruit and vegetable imaginable, Charles said. The Landinos werent looking for property, but bought it after Antonietta and one of her daughters spotted a for sale sign while driving. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media Charles said that when she needs to, I go deep in the field to clear my head. Arnold Gold / Hearst Connecticut Media Wine prices vary from $8 to $10 for a glass, $12 for sparkling rose and $15 for a high-end Cabernet that will be out soon. Bottles of wine range from $28 to $50. Stappa Vineyard is open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m to 7 p.m. WEST HAVEN When Gov. Ned Lamont visited West Haven High School Friday to encourage high school seniors to apply for financial aid for college, he said something that rang true to Superintendent of Schools Neil Cavallaro. He said we have the most polite kids in the state, Cavallaro said. The superintendent didnt disagree. Hours after Lamont left, however, a number of police cars arrived at the school after a panic button was triggered by a school resource officer a police officer assigned to the school who was breaking up a fight in the schools cafeteria. Police said two students were arrested and charged with breach of peace and third-degree assault. Two angles of video footage of the fight posted to social media, one of which was shared with and reviewed by the Register, show several students swinging at one another with a crowd of students around the perimeter. Cavallaro said a security guard was injured in the scuffle, but he did not know the extent of the injury. We are taking a zero-tolerance stand. Weve expelled a handful of kids, three to four already for fighting this year, and we have a couple more pending, he said. As a result, Cavallaro said, the district is increasing its police presence at the school for the near future. Cavallaro said he believes these fights are reflective of some adjustment issues as the district has fully returned students to school, without an option for remote learning, for the first time since March 2020, which was the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the U.S. Department of Educations Office for Civil Rights, there were 27 school-based arrests in West Haven High School in 2017, the most recent year of data available. There were 42 instances where a West Haven high school student was referred to law enforcement. State data shows that West Haven High School had its largest number of expulsions in five years 13 expulsions in the 2019-20 school year. The year prior there had been six expulsions from the high school. Lt. Patrick Buturla, a spokesman for the West Haven Police Department, said the school has two school resource officers. He said additional officers were dispatched to the school because of a communication error when a school resource officer could not hear a dispatcher during the ruckus, but it was not an incident that couldnt have been handled by just the SROs. Arrests were made and we will always continue to pull whatever resources are needed to provide a safe educational environment for our youth, and we continue to work with the superintendent and Board of Education, Buturla said. Cavallaro said he was told that a school resource officer hit a button that put him in contact with the Police Department, but the loud crowd made communication too difficult, so additional police officers were dispatched to the school rightfully so, he said. Cavallaro told the Board of Education that the school district spent some of its millions in federal recovery money on increasing social-emotional supports for students; Cavallaro said he was not considering hiring more support personnel after Fridays fight. We really feel like weve got a lot of good supports in place, he said. Those supports include outreach workers to re-engage students with truancy issues and counselors to help provide students who are likely not headed to college after graduation with connections for other career and life options. We are pointing them in the right direction. If not college, then career or a trade, something to make school more meaningful for them, Cavallaro said. Cavallaro said he hopes that the expulsion hearings before the districts expulsion hearing officer now will be the last ones this year. We want to send a message early that we have a beautiful, brand new school and great programs at the high school and welcome everybody here, but youve got to follow the rules, he said. Were determined that its early enough in the year that we can get this right. Noting what the governor had said, Cavallaro said, The majority of our kids are well behaved and involved. Last year we were able to keep the schools open (during a pandemic) because students were so engaged, he said. Editors note: This story has been edited to reflect that a school resource officer could not hear a dispatcher because of noise in the West Haven High School cafeteria. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com Qatar Airways, the state-owned flag carrier of Qatar, has reported a loss of more than $4 billion in revenue over the last fiscal year. Though the airline has cited the COVID-19 pandemic as the major reason behind the huge loss, business experts noted the grounding of its Airbus A380 and A330 wide-body jets leads the company to suffer such a huge loss. Despite reporting a humongous loss in revenue, Qatar Airways reported an increase in earnings to $1.6 billion before taxes and other costs compared to the previous year. However, the country highlighted the drop in fuel prices, salary reduction of employees and firing of over thirteen thousand employees were some of the reasons behind the growth. It is worth noting that the pandemic has hit international routes the hardest since the COVID-19 virus hit the country earlier in 2020. Since countries were closing their boundaries and the hard quarantine policy gave the airline sector a major blow last year. Moreover, the decision end to a year-long boycott that barred Qatar Airways out of the airspace of Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have also contributed to the growth of the Doha-based airline. Earlier, the flights had to take longer routes that consume more jet fuel, resulting in rising expenses. In 2017, Qatar Airlines reopened key routes to hubs like Dubai, Cairo and Riyadh as the political dispute eased in January. "Whilst our competitors grounded their aircraft and closed their routes, we adapted our entire commercial operation to respond to ever-evolving travel restrictions and never stopped flying," Qatar Airways CEO Akbar al-Baker said in a statement. COVID vaccination drive is now lowering Qatar Airways loss Moreover, it has also received a $3 billion relief package from the government that helped the airline to operate even during the COVID pandemic. According to airlines passenger data, it has witnessed a significant drop in ticket booking as compared to the pre-pandemic era. In 2019, nearly 32.3 million passengers had booked the flight whereas, in 2020, it had managed to sell 5.8 million tickets, making a staggering 82% drop in sales. However, the airline company claimed it has shown signs of recovery after the COVID vaccination drive helped the countries to open their boundaries. With inputs from AP Image: Twitter/Qatar Airways Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui is currently celebrating his International Emmy nomination under the Best Actor category for the Netflix film Serious Men, by Sudhir Mishra. While the actor has to wait for another two months for the Emmys results, he has hopped on to his next International project. The Sacred Games actor will soon star in Bangladeshi director Mostofa Sarwar Farooki's film No Lands Man. The actor recently opened up on the project in a recent interview. As per a report by Variety, Nawazuddin Siddiqui will play the lead role in the upcoming film. No Lands Man is scheduled for its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival. It is also nominated for the prestigious Kim Ji-seok award. The film arose from an idea about identity that the director presented to the Raman Raghav 2.0 actor in Kolkata about six years ago. Siddiqui on No Lands Man Nawazuddin Siddiqui told Variety he sometimes feels which continent he belongs to and is then filled with a sense of loneliness. The actor revealed this idea that Farooki had, motivated him to be a part of the project. Moreover, he also agreed to work with Farooki because of his body of work. The actor further mentioned how the world should stay united and save and preserve the planet earth. During the interview, the actor also revealed how he has become pickier about his films. He focuses more on quality than quantity. Details about No Land's Man The film No Land's Man's plot revolves around a man named Naveen who could not tell the truth about anything to harbour a potentially devastating secret. The film is set between four countries: India, Pakistan, the US, and Australia. Oscar-winning musician A R Rahman serves as the executive producer and composer of the film. The film also casts Australian actor Megan Mitchell, Indian actor Eisha Chopra and Bangladeshi musician and actor Tahsan Rahman Khan. Earlier this month, Nawazuddin Siddiqui took to his Instagram handle to introduce his fans to his new character. The actor shared a photo wearing a pink coloured cap with "Great America make again," written on it. In the caption, he wrote, "Does anyone know about this guy? I am looking for him. I don't know much about him except that he is Naveen from the film No Land's Man which has just been nominated for Kim Jiseok Award at the prestigious @busanfilmfest and this is the first look! Yesss!." Image: Instagram/@nawazuddin._siddiqui India issued a befitting reply to Pakistan at the 48th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, calling its rant on Jammu and Kashmir 'a reflection of its desperation and paranoid state of mind.' Exercising its right to reply during the general debate at UNHRC on Monday, India tore into Pakistan's 'baseless and fabricated allegations' and exposed its attempt to deflect attention from the lack of human rights in territories and Indian territories occupied by it. "The council has seen incessant and irrelevant rants by Pakistani delegates under various agenda items, which only reflects their desperation and paranoic state of mind. The entire territory of Jammu & Kashmir, including territories occupied by Pakistan, has been and shall continue to be an integral part of India. Pakistan, instead of wasting the time of the Council, should devote its attention to the grave human rights situation in Pakistan," India said at the UNHRC. "It is ironical that a radicalised and failed state like Pakistan, with no regard whatsoever for values and culture of democracy, dares to preach the largest and most vibrant democracy like India," it added. Moreover, India also highlighted enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings and arbitrary detentions in Pakistan, citing the incident of Amina Massod who was still searching for her husband after he was allegedly picked up by Pak forces in 2005. Its not surprising that Pakistan has consistently maintained its position as the worlds epicentre of terrorism and the leading exporter of terror and violence. Pakistan is a country whose former Presidents and Prime Ministers have openly acknowledged the support and inter-operational linkages between Pakistans state machinery and the UN proscribed terrorist organizations, the statement further read. Just days ago, political activists in Switzerland took to protests against the Imran Khan-led nation outside the UNHRC office in Geneva. Protesters largely from Gilgit Baltistan (GB) and PoK demanded that Pakistan dismantle terror groups in the forcibly occupied regions. In the video accessed by Republic TV, activists were seen sloganeering against Islamabad holding posters which read- 'Terror infrastructure must be dismantled', 'Stop land grabbing and occupying hilltops in PoK,' and 'Stop harassing, torturing and killing journalists in Pakistan.' In a veiled reference to China and Pakistan, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Monday appealed to the international communities to stay attentive regarding the illicit proliferation of networks of nuclear weapons, their delivery systems, components and relevant technologies. The remarks from the Indian diplomat came during the ongoing United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting on 'Non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction: Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)' on September 27. The Foreign Secretary remarks came after several intelligence reports revealed that China has been actively involved in the transportation of nuclear materials to Islamabad against international norms and established procedures. "There is a need for the international community to pay closer attention to the illicit proliferation of networks of nuclear weapons, their delivery systems, components and relevant technologies," Shringla said. Watch the full video of Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla speech at UNSC: India committed to a nuclear-weapons-free world: India at UNSC The top Indian diplomat maintained that India has always maintained its commitment to a nuclear-weapons-free world and retreated the highlighted the importance of dismantling nuclear weapons from the whole world. He stressed that New Delhi has always maintained the highest priority limiting the use of nuclear weapons since the first session of the UN General Assembly on Disarmament (SSOD-I). However, the Indian Foreign Secretary maintained that the goal would be achieved through a step-by-step process. "We believe that this goal can be achieved through a step-by-step process underwritten by a universal commitment and an agreed global and non-discriminatory multilateral framework," added Shringla. It is worth noting New Delhi has actively engaged in the Nuclear Security Summit process and International Conferences on Nuclear Security organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Notably, India is also a part of the Nuclear Security Contact Group. "Without prejudice to the priority we attach to nuclear disarmament, India has expressed its readiness to support the commencement of negotiations on a Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty (FMCT) in the Conference on Disarmament on the basis of the mandate contained in CD/ 1299. In this context, India has also participated in the work of the Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on FMCT and the High-level Preparatory Group (HLEPG) on FMCT," said Shringla during the UNSC. With inputs from ANI, PTI Image: Twitter/@MEAIndia In a big development related to the anti-terror operations in J&K's Uri, the Indian Army has released the picture of the terrorist who surrendered. According to the details, the terrorist belongs to Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Addressing a press conference, Major General Virendra Vats, GOC, 19 Infantry Division of the Indian Army revealed the details of the anti-terror operations that had been going on in Uri since September 18. Major Vats revealed that two infiltrators had come from across the border while four additional terrorists were on the Pakistani side. He further informed that on September 25, an encounter broke out wherein one terrorist was neutralised while another was caught. According to Major Vats, the surrendered terrorist was taken into custody where he identified himself as Ali Babar Patra hailing from Wasewawala Village, Dipalpur from Okara in Pakistan's Punjab province. The 19-year-old terrorist admitted that he is a member of the LeT and was trained by them in Muzaffarabad. Uri | On Sep25, an encounter ensued, during which one terrorist neutralised, another was caught. The surrendered terrorist in custody identified himself as Ali Babar Patra, of Pak's Punjab. He has admitted he is a member of LeT & was trained by them in Muzaffarabad: Indian Army ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2021 One LeT terrorist Ali Babar Patra from Okhara, Punjab in Pakistan surrendered before security forces during an operation in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir: Indian Army pic.twitter.com/M7URcShc9Z ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2021 Speaking to Republic TV, Jammu and Kashmir's Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh hailed the Indian Army forces and said that the surrendered terrorist is evidence of Pakistan's plot. In addition, he revealed that since June, there have been eight to nine infiltration attempts by the Pakistani terrorists. "Despite a ceasefire agreement, Pakistan is pushing more terrorists into the Indian territory. It's a very shameful activity on their part and they claim that they are not involved. But two of their own had come fully trained to carry out terrorist activities here," said Dilbag Singh. "People here are leading normal lives and are carrying out their daily activities without any fear. But Pakistan is not very happy about it and therefore they are sending terrorists. But our forces on the ground are prepared to tackle any such nefarious activities," he added. Anti-terror ops in J&K's Uri On September 20, internet and mobile phone services were suspended in Jammu and Kashmirs Uri sector near the Line of Control after an infiltration attempt by a heavily-armed group of terrorists. The army revealed that a counter-infiltration operation had been underway and reinforcements were called in and a large area had been cordoned off for over 30 hours. The World Health Organization's decision on granting emergency use approval for Covaxin has been delayed for a few more days as it has asked for more data from Bharat Biotech, sources revealed. Though Bharat Biotech had submitted the data required for the WHO's approval for Covaxin on July 9, the UN health agency was scheduled to take up the proposal for consideration on October 5. So far, Covaxin has been approved only in select countries such as India, Estonia, Iran, the Philippines, Mauritius, Mexico, Nepal, Guyana, Paraguay and Zimbabwe. In a statement, Bharat Biotech commented, "As a responsible manufacturer with past approvals for our other vaccines, we do not find it appropriate to speculate or comment on the regulatory approval process its timelines. We are diligently working with the WHO to obtain Emergency Use List at the earliest". The emergency use approval can be a gamechanger amid the COVID-19 crisis as it is likely to encourage countries to import the vaccine, facilitate its manufacturing abroad and ease global travel for those vaccinated with it. Speaking to the media on September 24, Union MoS Health Bharati Pawar remarked, "There is a procedure of submitting the documents for approval. WHO's emergency use authorization to Covaxin is expected soon". World Health Organization (WHO) has asked for more data from Bharat Biotech for its COVID19 vaccine Covaxin. The Emergency Use Authorisation (EUA) for the vaccine will be delayed by a few more days: WHO sources to ANI pic.twitter.com/wCZln9VWI8 ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2021 Covaxin demonstrates high efficacy Covaxin is a Whole Virion Inactivated Coronavirus Vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the National Institute of Virology (NIV). While the phase 3 trials entailed 25,800 participants between 18-98 years of age including 10% over the age of 60, the analysis was conducted 14 days after administering the second dose of the vaccine. It has shown overall 77.8% efficacy and 93.4% efficacy against severe COVID-19 disease as per the final results. On the other hand, efficacy data demonstrates 63.6% protection against asymptomatic COVID-19 disease. Most importantly, it has proven to neutralise variants such as B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.617 (Kappa), B.1.351 (Beta) and B.1.617.2 (Delta). The Haffkine Biopharmaceutical Corporation Ltd, Mumbai; Indian Immunologicals Limited in Hyderabad and Ankleshwar, Bharat Immunologicals Biologicals Limited in Bulandshahr and the Biovet facility in Bengaluru have also been permitted to produce Covaxin. The supply of Bharat Biotech's COVID-19 vaccine is set to be ramped up from 3.5 crore doses in September to 5.5 crore doses in October. Meanwhile, the Phase 2 and 3 clinical trials of Covaxin for use in the age group of 2 to 18 years have been completed. Apart from Covishield and Covaxin, the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has also approved Sputnik V, Moderna, and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. In India, a total of 64,18,45,931 persons have been inoculated whereas 23,13,98,730 of them have received the second dose of the vaccine too. Bristling at Shiv Sena's allegations, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi on Monday, rebutted saying that the saffron party was 'morally corrupt'. Addressing a press conference in Hyderabad, Owaisi reminded that Sena was instrumental in PM Modi's first Lok Sabha victory. Predicting that Sena and BJP will reunite soon, he termed the saffron allies intellectually, morally corrupt with no shame. Owaisi hits back at Sena "Shiv Sena and BJP had once said AIMIM Owaisi should be stopped. In 2014, Shiv Sena help Modi become PM and they don't have any shame. Theyre morally and intellectually corrupt. Shiv Sena will once again go and sit in BJP's lap soon," said Owaisi. Sena: 'Owaisi breaking votes to win' On Monday, Sena via its mouthpiece Saamana, alleged that Owaisi was breaking the anti-BJP votes to win some seats. Citing Owaisi's many provocative speeches, Sena alleged that Owaisi was in full campaign mode. The 403-seat UP assembly is up for grabs in February 2022, where both Sena and AIMIM are set to contest on 100 seats. Sena cited that Owaisi had tried to woo the Muslim votes away from Mamata Banerjee, adding that Hindu-Muslim unity had prevailed. It added that in Bihar, Owaisi had played havoc with the Muslim votes making Tejashwi Yadav lose the election by a meager margin. Slamming AIMIM supporters for raising 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogans in Kanpur, Sena claimed that the Indian Muslims did not consider him as their leader. It claimed that Owaisi was being used to bifurcate votes raising pro-Pakistan slogans by the BJP to win. Owaisi's UP campaign AIMIM has joined the 'Bhagidari Sankalp Morcha' led by Om Prakash Rajbhar. The alliance comprises of 9 parties - AIMIM, SBSP, Apna Dal (Krishna Patel), Rashtroday Party, Rashtriya Bhagidari Party, and Janta Kranti Party. Moreover, recently, Owaisi met with Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party chief Shivpal Yadav - ex-CM Akhilesh Yadav's uncle, hinting at an alliance. Shivpal Yadav is also mulling an alliance with his nephew and will share the stage for the celebration of Mulayam Singh Yadav's birthday on November 22. Recently, AIMIM UP chief Shaukat Ali announced that the party will not field any candidate against gangster Mukhtar Ansari. Moreover, Owaisi's party itself has inducted mafia don-turned-politician Ateeq Ahmad, his wife Shaista Parveen and his lawyer in the presence of AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi. Addressing a press conference in Ayodhya, AIMIM supremo Asaduddin Owaisi defended Ahmad's entry citing that several BJP lawmakers also faced serious criminal charges. NASA, on late September 27, successfully launched its newest powerful Earth-observation satellite Landsat-9 from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The satellite, which is a continuation of the 50-year-old collaboration of NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), lifted off aboard the United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The agency in its official press release informed that the satellite has reached its final orbital altitude of 705 kilometres (438 miles) and is working as expected. US Vice President Kamal Harris also took to Twitter to congratulate the agency on its success. Congratulations to @NASA and @USGS on the launch of #Landsat 9! Todays launch will continue five decades of continuous Landsat Earth observation to monitor, understand, and manage land resources needed to sustain human life and measure the effects of climate change. https://t.co/m7tUxk6keM Vice President Kamala Harris (@VP) September 27, 2021 Launch is a milestone for USGS-NASA partnership, collaborators said Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland stated that the successful launch of the Landsat-9 has proved to be a milestone as the partnership between these two dates back to 1972. She further stated that the Landsat-9 will play an extremely crucial role in tackling climate change by providing data and imagery and will help in making important decisions concerning important issues like water use, wildfire impacts, coral reef degradation, glacier and ice-shelf retreat, and tropical deforestation. And... liftoff! The #Landsat 9 satellite has lifted off from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a @ULALaunch Atlas V rocket at 2:12pm ET. pic.twitter.com/O6YXhtf7kT NASA (@NASA) September 27, 2021 According to NASA, Karen St Germain, director of the Earth Science Division, at Washington-based NASA Headquarters said, For nearly 50 years, Landsat satellites observed our home planet, providing an unparalleled record of how its surface has changed over timescales from days to decades. Moreover, he affirmed that the data to be further obtained will help the scientists understand, predict, and plan for the future in a changing climate. The agency informed that Landsat-9 has joined its sister satellite Landsat-8 and both will now collect images of the whole earth every eight days. Liftoff of a @ULALaunch Atlas V rocket with the #Landsat 9 satellite onboard from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California! Landsat 9 continues a nearly 50-year legacy of observing Earth's landscapes and coastal regions. https://t.co/PvP7MA6S21 pic.twitter.com/5pzPfJ1kP5 NASA HQ PHOTO (@nasahqphoto) September 27, 2021 Project Landsat-9 This project has been operational since 1972 and has collected images of the Earth and changes in land usage. The obtained data has helped scientists with evaluating glaciers, forests, coral reefs and their habitat health, agricultural productivity and water quality. The newly-launched satellite will do the same with advanced technologies like a high-resolution camera and a sensitive infrared sensor and is built to last almost five years. Apart from this, the Atlas rocket carrying Landsat-9 also lifted off with two tiny CubeSats called CUTE and CuPID that have been assigned with jobs like discovering hidden exoplanets and solving the Earth-Sun magnetic field mystery, respectively. (Image: @NASAHQPHOTO/Twitter) The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on September 27 highlighted that 865 illegal migrants were rescued off the coast of Libya and returned to the country in the previous week. "From September 19 to September 25, 865 migrants were rescued/intercepted at sea and returned to Libya," according to the IOM, Xinhua reported. According to the IOM, 25,285 illegal migrants, including women and children, have been rescued so far in 2021, while 455 have perished and 660 have gone missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route. Since the assassination of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, the North African country has become a favoured point of departure for illegal migrants seeking to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European ports. Despite repeated international requests to dismantle the centres, rescued migrants ended up in congested reception centres across Libya. Conflict in Libya Libya has been wreaked by insecurity and disorder since the assassination of late Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making it a popular destination for illegal migrants attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores. Libyan civilians continue to seek peace and stability despite the country's violent revolutions. According to Amnesty International, the April 2021 incident was one of the "deadliest" because it claimed the lives of 130 people. "External forces have worsened Libya's woes by funnelling money and armaments to proxies who have put personal interests above those of the Libyan people," according to the US Institute of Peace. (Image: AP) When the world is struggling with the COVID virus with the nations undertaking strict containment strategies, the patients with cardiovascular illnesses in Uganda are adopting new digital health services to obtain care. During an interview with Xinhua, Twalib Aliku, a consulting cardiologist at Uganda Heart Institute (UHI) Mulago, said that healthcare has the potential to enhance cardiovascular disease knowledge, prevention, and treatment. Ever since the first COVID case was reported in March 2020, Uganda has been under two strict lockdowns with several prevention strategies that include the suspension of public and private transportation, which has resulted in creating difficulties for the patients to access doctor's appointments and therefore they used to miss the health care possibility. The Ministry of Health in Uganda reported that this has led to numerous deaths. 80% of Uganda are ignorant about cardiovascular disease As per the Ministry of Health, Uganda is continuing to see a rise in instances of cardiovascular disease as a result of changing lifestyles. Data from UHI shows that one out of every four individuals in Uganda has excessive blood pressure. 80% of them are completely ignorant that they have the illness. Emmy Okello, a consultant cardiologist at UHI Mulago said that the clinic sees approximately 100 and 300 patients each day on average, with over 70 being hospitalised, mostly refered rural hospitals. Emmy Okello further added that the total number of medical personnel and inpatients to treat other diseases had decreased as they were engaged in limiting the danger of COVID-19 propagation. Community engagement to raise awareness about heart disease prevention and management was also halted. As there was a risk of developing COVID, patients were also barred from receiving visits from their families. People started using digital health applications to obtain cardiovascular care Aliku went on to add that patients had turned into using digital health applications to cover the gap in the availability of cardiovascular care due to the closure of various modes of transportation. As patients were not permitted to easily migrate across borders to see their doctors, patients received assistance by using modern digital means such as the internet and social media, so that they can communicate with the doctors. Aliku further added that the majority of the afflicted cardiac patients in the countryside were reached via mobile phones, video conferences, and webinars. He also informed that for the time being, outreaches have been substituted with webinars connecting the headquarters to other contact centres in various referral hospitals around the country. According to the Uganda Communications Commission, the COVID-19 outbreak has increased internet access because of the transformation in the working environment which requires individuals to work remotely. As to mark the 'World Heart Day' on September 29, Uganda will celebrate under the theme "Use Heart to Connect," Aliku stated that communities would continue to raise awareness so that individuals may learn about the symptoms and treatment of cardiovascular disease. He believes that digital tools may help individuals, communities, and health care providers better prevent, diagnose, and treat cardiac problems. Meanwhile, In the last 24 hours, Uganda has reported nearly 64 COVID-19 cases. According to the latest numbers provided by the Worldometer, the total number of confirmed cases in the nation is 1,23,245 whereas the total number of fatalities is 3,146. (Image: AP) Eritrean Foreign Minister Osman Salih on Monday blamed the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) for provoking a "major war" in Tigray. The comment came from Salih during a pre-recorded message to the United Nations General Assembly in New York. Salih also accused the United States and "its European allies" of defending the "TPLF's illicit and dangerous acts of insurrection and mayhem and marshal all the tools at their disposal to rehabilitate it at any cost". War erupted in Tigray in November after a political clash between Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and the Tigrayans who had long dominated the national government. The war has triggered a hunger crisis, threatened stability in Africas second-most-populous country and upended Abiys image two years after he won the Nobel Peace Prize for making peace with neighbor Eritrea. Eritrea fought on Ethiopias side in Tigray. The U.N. human rights office says all sides have committed abuses. Witness accounts so far indicate Tigrayan civilians have been subjected to the most widespread atrocities, blamed on the Ethiopian government, Amhara militias and Eritrean soldiers. However, accusations against the Tigray forces have mounted since they retook much of their region of 6 million people in June and entered neighboring Amhara. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) At least 34 were killed in a shoot out carried out in three states of Nigeria. Seven others were severely wounded after gunmen ambushed a village in the northwestern state of Kaduna, Al Jazeera reported. On the sidelines, armed men also infiltrated Madamai and Kaura and slaughtered 34 on September 26, Sunday. The gunmen from Kaduna also rained bullets near a church in the Kachia district on Sunday. The violent firing killed worshippers and gravely injured many, State Security Commissioner Samuel Aruwan said in a statement on Monday. He also confirmed the death toll, adding, that the military troops came under fire before forcing the assailants to withdraw after an intense exchange. Two suspects were arrested in connection with the attack on Tuesday. Nigerian security personnel killed at Sokoto Army base In a separate set of events on the same day, 22 Nigerian security personnel were killed in an attack at a remote northwestern Sokoto army base. According to Al Jazeera, 17 bodies were retrieved on Sunday and five more on Monday. Among the deceased were police officers and members of the civil defence forces. In a similar suspected jihadist attack in June 2021, at least 59 were killed in northeastern Nigeria. According to BBC, the gunmen entered a remote village in the Gubio district of Borno and launched a bullet barrage on the residents. In March, the militants ambushed and killed at least 47 Nigerian soldiers in a northeastern province. On the same day, another troop of assailants brutally murdered another 100 in Chad. Even though there are no claims of the attack yet, the Nigerian military has suspected the involvement of the Islamic State-aligned Boko Haram behind it. The civil situation in the northwest and central Nigeria has become more brazen in recent months following clusters of Islamic State West Africa Province group. The bandits often raid villages, steal cattle and kidnap women and children in return for ransom. Image: @SamuelAruwan_Twitter/ AP (representative) Sudan Foreign Minister Mariam Sadiq al-Mahdi has denigrated the country's normalising ties with Israel. Saying that Sudan currently has no plans to "establish Israeli embassy in Khartoum," Mariam also refuted her 11-month old claim of establishing a smoother relationship with its neighbour. In an interview published in The National, she strictly mentioned: "there is no talk at any official level." The announcement came after the Sudanese Cabinet in April abolished a 63-year-old Israel Boycott law. According to the Times of Israel, Sudan also seized assets of all companies related to the Gaza-based rebel group Hamas. When asked about the aforementioned incidents, however, al-Mahdi asserted that "abolishing a law on boycotting Israel does not mean that we consider opening an Israeli embassy in Khartoum." She vividly indicated that the move was to ensure "improved economic ties with the rest of the globe" by registering themselves as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). "We have been trying to be a member of the WTO whose terms stipulate that there should be no boycotts between member states," The Times of Israel reported quoting al-Mahdi's interview with The National. Specifying her take on reinstating ties with Israel, the Foreign Minister retorted, "It is completely linked to lifting Sudan off the US State sponsors of terrorism list." Meanwhile, it is also noteworthy that the elimination of the boycott is yet to be approved by the Sudanese parliament, which is currently in the fit of gaining stability following a thwarted coup attempt. "Any decision in this respect should be taken by the interim legislative parliament during the transitional period," al-Mahdi said. Sudan FM denies visit of the Israeli delegation Following the announcement of reviving bilateral ties, a military delegation headed by Israeli Intelligence Minister Eli Cohen met with Sudanese Gen. Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan and Defence Minister Yassin Ibrahim. However, the meeting was first denied then confirmed by the Sudanese authorities. During the interview, al-Mahdi apparently denounced any such visit. In January, Sudan also signed the Abraham Accords to facilitate African countries' normalise ties with Israel. On the political front, Sudan's PM Abdalla Hamdok-led Sovereign Council is currently struggling to hold stability by ensuring peaceful negotiations with rebel groups. Besides, it also foiled a coup attempt by sympathisers of ousted dictator Omar al-Bashir. Image: AP Australia's top labour organization has slammed the federal government's decision to cancel a $90 billion submarine deal with France in favour of building a nuclear-powered fleet, warning that it has jeopardised thousands of employment. According to the Australian Council of Trade Unions, the new AUKUS agreement with the United States and the United Kingdom will deprive Australia's shipbuilding and manufacturing communities of "good jobs for centuries to come". The position pits the union movement against the federal lab, which has broadly supported the plan despite citing worries about Australia's sovereignty. In a letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, ACTU assistant secretary Scott Connolly and Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union assistant national secretary Glenn Thompson stated that the agreement's announcement earlier this month "understated both the challenge and degree of change necessary." They also expressed worry that the agreement with the United States and the United Kingdom lacked "the Australian content commitments of the previous treaty with France". The deal with the French Naval Group includes a requirement that work worth at least 60% of the contract value be completed in Australia. This is because the nuclear-enriched reactors will arrive built, which means it is unlikely to involve too much local effort. Lockheed Martin, the American defence company that was to build the warfare systems for the French submarines, has already delivered termination letters to its subcontractors. While the nuclear option will provide Australia with significant advantages in terms of weapon storage, speed, and durability, the first submarine may not be in the water until 2040 - six years after the first French boat is slated to be built. "We are upset with the government's brutal and abrupt' termination of Naval Group Australia's (NGA) contract, which has put thousands of jobs at risk. This decision is a "betrayal" that would deprive Australia's shipbuilding and industrial communities of quality jobs for centuries to come. "While we understand that negotiations with the US and UK were conducted in secret for national security reasons, it is disappointing that an agreement that had involved so much effort by so many, and on which many of our members were relying for future work, was scrapped with no warning or consultation with the affected workers' representatives", Mr Connolly and Mr Thompson said, The Sunday Morning Herald reported. The union leaders also chastised the government for failing to confer with impacted workers' representatives before cancelling the French deal and for the "alarming" lack of detail available regarding the new arrangement and its impact on the navy shipbuilding workforce. (With inputs from The Sunday Morning Herald) Image: AP On Monday, September 27, French President Emmanuel Macron stated that failed submarine deal with Australia will have no impact on Paris's strategy in the Indo-Pacific region. This statement comes after Greece finalised a deal with France to procure Rafale jets and three new frigates in an attempt to bolster their defence alliance, according to Sputnik. Speaking in Paris at a joint press conference with the Greek Prime Minister, Macron hailed the new deal as an ambitious step towards European strategic autonomy. He stated that France will remain an Indo-Pacific power regardless of any contracts as over 8,000 French servicemen are station in the region. Macron also went on to say that repercussions of Australia's decision to scrap the submarine deal will be reviewed in the following weeks, reported the Russian news agency. It is worth mentioning here that the French government had earlier claimed that Australia deceived it by pulling out of a multibillion-dollar defence pact and instead chose to procure nuclear-powered submarines from the United States and the United Kingdom through a new deal. On September 17, France slammed the US, the UK, and Australia for forming a new Indo-Pacific security alliance, accusing the allies of a "stab in the back." France had also recalled its ambassadors from Canberra and Washington after Australia withdrew out the deal. On September 16, the "AUKUS" collaboration was announced by Washington, Canberra, and London, with Australia abandoning a $40 billion French-designed submarine deal with Paris for the purchase of advanced US nuclear-powered submarines, according to The Associated Press (AP). 'Greece, France committed to upgrading bilateral cooperation' Meanwhile, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said that Athens and Paris had decided to upgrade bilateral cooperation in defence. Last year, the two countries concluded a deal for Greece to buy 18 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault for an estimated 2.5 billion euros. Following Mitsotakis' announcement earlier this month that Greece would buy another six Rafale jets from France, new frigate proposals were on the cards, reported Russian news agency. In the wake of growing tensions with neighbouring Turkey, the Greek government led by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had placed the order for Rafale jets. The two NATO allies, have a strained relationship with each other and have been to the brink of war at least three times since the 1970s. Tensions have been escalating between both countries over gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean, and maritime rights among other issues. (With inputs from AP) (Image: AP) French government spokesperson Gabriel Attal on Tuesday announced that the country had decided to tighten the visa requirement process for Moroccan, Algerian, and Tunisian nationals. Speaking to the French Radio station Europe 1, he informed that the decision had been taken in response to Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia's lack of cooperation in providing consular passes, which are required for the repatriation of migrants expelled from France to their homelands, according to news agency Sputnik. In 2018, France passed the Asylum and Immigration Act which was intended to curb the flow of asylum seekers in response to "unprecedented migratory pressure," according to Attal. Earlier, Europe 1 reported that Paris would cut the number of visas granted to Algerian and Moroccan nationals by half, and Tunisians' visas would be reduced by 30% in compared to 2020. According to Attal, the law established guidelines for persons who are granted asylum in France. He stated that those who are welcomed into the country must assimilate into the population, while those who do not plan to stay in French territory should be escorted at the border. It should be mentioned here that hundreds of Moroccan, Tunisian, and Algerian people are living in France illegally since their home nations refuse to provide them with a so-called consular pass, which would allow French authorities to deport illegal migrants back to their home countries. In response to the matter, Attal stated that the country had held negotiations with a number of countries, particularly those in the Maghreb region, to request the issuance of these consular passes. 'France received threat after deciding to reduce number of visas to three countries' Despite the Prime Minister's and other cabinet members' discussions with the embassies of the affected countries, Attal claimed that the country has received threats as a result of its decision to reduce the number of visas provided to Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria, reported by Schengenvisainfo news. According to data by SchengenVisaInfo, France issued as many as 73,381 visas to Moroccan citizens in 2020. In the same year, the French authorities issued 63,366 visas to Algerian nationals and 35,122 to Tunisian nationals. Previously, the French government informed that the country will now provide new and modernised assistance to all foreigners in need of services relating to their residence permits. This means that after long-stay visas for foreigners have been validated, residence permits and other services can now be obtained online. (Image: Twitter/@ Gabriel Attal/Unsplash) The leaders of Greece and France are expected to announce a major, multibillion-euro deal in Paris on Tuesday involving the acquisition by Greece of at least six French-built warships, Greek state ERT TV reported. ERT said Monday that Greece was planning to acquire three French FDI frigates with the option of later buying a fourth and another three corvettes. Greece has already bought 18 French Rafale fighter jets and plans to purchase another six under a program to modernize its armed forces amid tensions with neighboring Turkey. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who flew to Paris on Monday for talks with French President Emmanuel Macron, said in an interview with ERT that we are heading towards a substantive deepening of the strategic cooperation between Greece and France. He declined to comment on the reported warship deal which Greek media say would be worth about 5 billion euros ($5.8 billion) only saying that announcements would be made Tuesday. I have no intention to enter an arms race with Turkey, Mitsotakis added. But there are key issues of modernizing our military after a decade of (economic) crisis." Tensions with historic regional rival Turkey have increased in recent years over gas exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean and waters between the two countries. Greece had announced plans to upgrade its fleet, discussing potential frigate purchases with countries including France, the U.S. and Britain. Greek media said the deal that Mitsotakis and Macron are expected to announce at the Elysee Palace in Paris on Tuesday follows an improved French offer. They linked the offer with France's loss of a $66 billion deal this month to sell diesel submarines to Australia, which instead chose to acquire nuclear-powered submarines provided by the U.S. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitstotakis said Tuesday that Europe has the right to be able to defend itself independently, without relying on help from NATO or the United Nations. He was speaking in Paris alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, as France and Greece announced a major, multibillion-euro defence deal. The agreement includes a decision by Athens to buy three French warships. Tensions between Greece and its historic rival Turkey have increased in recent years over gas exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean and waters between the two countries. Greece had previously discussed potential frigate purchases with the U.S. and Britain as well as France. The announcement comes at a key time for France after the loss this month of a $66 billion deal to sell diesel-electric submarines to Australia. The Australians instead chose to acquire nuclear-powered submarines provided by the U.S, part of a three-way strategic defence alliance between Australia, the U.S. and the United Kingdom - a deal that caused anger in Paris. Greece has already bought 18 French Rafale fighter jets and plans to purchase another six under a programme to modernise its armed forces. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Coronavirus patients were filling up Romanian intensive care units in late September, as vaccination rates in the country lagged badly behind the European Union average at just a third of adults fully jabbed. Around 72% of adults in the European Union have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, but in some eastern EU countries a stubbornly low uptake of the shots now risks overwhelming hospitals amid a vicious surge of infections due to the fast spreading delta variant. Romania and Bulgaria are lagging badly behind as the EU's two least-vaccinated nations, with just 33% and 22% of their adult populations fully inoculated against COVID-19, respectively, prompting authorities to tighten restrictions. France, Spain, and Portugal, which have all exceeded 80% coverage, and COVID-19 restrictions are being eased. Stella Kyriakides, the EU's health commissioner, said last month that the "worrying gap" needs "urgently addressing." But jab uptake has remained weak in many of the bloc's eastern countries. Slovakia, Croatia, and Latvia have vaccinated around just 50% of all adults. The Marius Nasta Institute's intensive care unit chief Cadar Genoveva said beds were at "100% capacity" and that 98% of their patients were unvaccinated. Government data in Romania shows that 91.5% of registered COVID-19 deaths between Sept. 18-23 were in people who had not been jabbed. Of 1,239 ICU beds nationally, 1,220 are now occupied. Public health specialist Vlad Mixich said a historic distrust in politicians had contributed to the situation. "During the vaccination campaign, unfortunately, politicians were the main communication vectors," he said. Mixich added that the frequent changing of health ministers had had a "massive" impact on the campaign to inoculate the nation. The vice-president of Romania's national vaccination committee said fake news had been a key factor in dissuading people from getting jabbed. He said there was a team of government specialists trying to combat the spread of fake news but they were up against a "massive machinery" online. Back at the Marius Nasta Institute, some still weren't convinced to get inoculated despite being hospitalized with the virus. "I don't know if I made the right or wrong decision, probably the wrong one," said Marin Elena. "But still I don't intend to get the vaccine because we protect ourselves very much." (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Mountain hikers discovered a live World War II grenade one kilometre from the lift system at Riksgransen, a major ski resort in Norrbotten County. The German grenade, which measured 33 centimetres in length and eight centimetres in diameter, was discovered between two stones on the Swedish-Norwegian border. Following the hikers' alert, police and military professionals were soon deployed. We blew it up right there on the spot; there's no need to take any chances. It was live and fully loaded, according to Captain Robert Eriksson of the Swedish Armed Forces group for explosive ordnance disposal, Sputnik reported. According to Eriksson, an 800-meter risk zone was established up ahead of the incident, and a police helicopter was employed. It was a real bang, but you don't notice much after that. With ancient, environmentally damaged ammunition that has been hanging about for a long time, you never know how sensitive it is, Eriksson added, as per Sputnik reports. Riksgransen is Sweden's northernmost ski resort, situated 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle, and is known for its midnight sun lifts in May and June. Sweden was infamous for maintaining a policy of neutrality during World War II During World War II, Sweden maintained its neutrality. Sweden's fate was unknown when the war broke out on September 1, 1939. Sweden maintained its official neutrality status throughout the war due to a combination of its geographical placement in the Scandinavian Peninsula, realpolitik manoeuvring during an unpredictable course of events, and a focused military build-up after 1942. Since the end of the Napoleonic Wars in 1814 and the invasion of Norway, Sweden has maintained a neutral attitude in international relations for more than a century. However, Sweden was not attacked directly, during World War II. It was, nevertheless, subjected to naval blockades by the British and Germans, as well as Soviet airstrikes of some cities. Sweden permitted the Wehrmacht to use Swedish rails to quickly transport troops and heavy weapons from Norway to Finland during the Nazi invasion of the Soviet Union. Furthermore, throughout the conflict, iron ore was sold to Nazi Germany. Sweden "ignored the greater moral issues of the war and played both sides for profit," as Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister at the time, put it. IMAGE: Pixabay/Unsplash Long-standing concerns over international peace and security in the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere were emphasised as important issues requiring global action as the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) closed its annual General Debate on Monday, as per the reports of Xinhua. Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei claimed that his country was engaged in a "large-scale hybrid war" as a result of its decision to be a strong, independent and affluent state. Interference in Arab issues, particularly in Syria, Yemen, Libya and Iraq, must end according to UAE Minister of State Khalifa Shaheen Almarar, and full respect for Arab countries must be maintained. Syria's war against terrorism remains a struggle on a national level The COVID outbreak, according to Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, displayed both human solidarity and a nefarious attempt to settle political scores. Syria's war against terrorism remains a struggle on a national level, as certain states continue to fund terrorist groups. He stated that humanitarian intervention in Syria must totally preserve the country's national sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity. Yemen's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, highlighted the difficulties his country faced since the Houthi coup in 2014, according to Xinhua. He urged the international community to increase pressure on the Houthis, channel development and humanitarian aid through the central bank to boost the economy and prevent a catastrophic oil spill in the Red Sea from the Houthi-controlled oil storage tanker Safer. Nigerian Foreign Minister Hassoumi Massaoudou drew attention to the continued terrorist assaults on schools in West and Central Africa, citing the terrible impact of climate change on the Sahel region. He stated that the international community must keep its promises to promote young people's right to education. He also voiced his strong support for initiatives to overhaul the UN Security Council in order to increase Africa's representation in that body. 100 heads of state, 52 heads of government attend UNGA Abdulla Shahid, the President of the United Nations General Assembly's 76th session, gave closing remarks, noting that 100 heads of state, 52 heads of government, three vice presidents and 34 ministers spoke during the previous week but only 18 of them were women. According to Xinhua, he said that now is the moment for them to respond to these demands in a way that converts every problem into an opportunity to deepen multilateralism and deliver outcomes on the ground. (Image: AP) Security forces of Yemens internationally recognized government Monday violently dispersed thousands of protesters decrying deteriorating economic conditions in a southwestern province, wounding at least seven people, officials said. Demonstrators took to the streets of Taiz, one of Yemens largest cities, to protest an unprecedented drop in the value of Yemen's currency, the rial. The accelerating decline has made it difficult for most Yemenis to meet their basic needs, including having enough food, the officials said. The protesters roamed the streets of the city and burned ties before security forces dispersed them by firing into the air. They also beat the fleeing demonstrators with batons, they said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media. We are sending a message to the government and the parliament members: Stop gambling with peoples pain and work for Taiz, said protester Anwar Mohammed. Taiz is held by the government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, but it has remained besieged for years by the countrys Houthi rebels. Mondays protests came some two weeks after similar demonstrations in Yemens southern areas, including the port city of Aden, which serves as an interim capital for Hadis government. The rial lost 36% of its value in July, according to the U.N. humanitarian agency. One U.S. dollar trades at more than 1,000 rials in the black market. Yemen has been convulsed by civil war since 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi rebels took control of the capital of Sanaa and much of the northern part of the country, forcing Hadis government to flee to the south, then to Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in March 2015, backed by the United States, to try restore Hadi to power, and threw its support behind his internationally backed government. Despite a relentless air campaign and ground fighting, the war has deteriorated largely into a stalemate and spawned the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Tens of thousands of Yemenis live in famine-like conditions. More than 20.1 million of the countrys some 30 million people need some form of humanitarian aid, according to the U.N. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) A reporter for Al Mayadeen, a Lebanese pan-Arabist satellite TV channel, captured pictures of a massive black plume of smoke billowing from the Camp Victory military camp outside Baghdad, Iraq where US Marines are believed to be stationed. Iraq and the United States agreed in July to withdraw all American combat forces from Iraq by the end of the year. Some Shia militias have threatened that they will not stop fighting until all US forces have been removed. The video, shot from a car driving down a local road, shows the black plume rising hundreds of metres into the sky, blowing as smaller clouds of white smoke, likely water vapour, surround its base, the clip was shared by Tehran Times. News Agency Sputnik is currently verifying the clip and is unable to vouch for its validity. #BREAKING Billowing plumes of smoke apparently filmed at Camp Victory base near Baghdad, where U.S. troops are located - reported by Al Mayadeen News correspondent. pic.twitter.com/pgMyL9wwFC Tehran Times (@TehranTimes79) September 28, 2021 Camp Victory is a major military installation located near Baghdad Camp Victory is a major military installation located near Baghdad International Airport that served as the headquarters of the United States Forces in Iraq until it was returned to Iraqi government authority in 2011. An "outlaw organisation" assaulted the site with three booby-trapped drones in June, according to the Iraqi prime minister's office, with one of the drones being shot down. Rusty missiles hit Camp Victory in May. To date, no one has been killed or injured in any of the attacks. The Iraqi government and the US inked an agreement this summer requiring Washington to withdraw all combat personnel from Iraq by the end of 2021, according to Sputnik. Some Baghdad-aligned Shia militias have expressed displeasure with the pact, which allows a small force of US troops to remain and have demanded that all US personnel, including trainers, intelligence officers and Air Force personnel, depart immediately. Militias have targeted US forces, installations, and logistics convoys with artillery, drone and roadside bomb attacks. Biden administration dismissed any suggestion of a complete withdrawal The Trump administration reduced the US military presence in Iraq from 5,300 to 2,500 troops between March 2020 and January 2021, signalling a willingness to negotiate a possible complete exit from the nation. After taking office, the Biden administration dismissed any suggestion of a complete withdrawal, citing the threat presented by ISIS. The United States had soldiers in Iraq for fifteen of the last eighteen years, having invaded the nation in 2003, occupied it until 2011 and then returned in 2014. Video by Tehran Times Twitter / @TehranTimes79 Image: AP/ Unsplash On the night of 8th September, seven Syrian soldiers were killed when a bomb exploded in their vehicle. According to Sputnik, three other Syrian servicemen were hurt due to the explosion. A day before the attack, Syrian army troops and law enforcement officers were reported to be taking precautions to enhance law and stability in the Daraa region, where terrorist activity has escalated lately. As per the Sputnik report, the bomb was detonated on the route between the towns of Nafia and Ain Zakar and the explosive device was allegedly put on the highway. Syrian Army forces invaded Daraa al Balad, on Wednesday which is the southernmost city of the region with the support of Russian military policemen. The province is the final foothold of militant criminal organisations in southern Syria. More about the situation in Daraa al Balad Areas of Daraa al Balad remained under the hands of local criminal terrorists, making the circumstances in the province extremely volatile which was earlier retaken by the Syrian government in 2018. Previously, four Syrian soldiers were killed in conflicts with Syrian army troops and the militants, while another eight were injured. According to Sputnik, a new deal on local rapprochement was established on September 1st. It included the option of trying to rehabilitate the position of terrorists who consented to surrender their weaponry, along with other issues. Militants who declined to put away their weapons were forced to evacuate Daraa, and the government provided buses for them to do so. On the other hand, the criminal militant groups in Daraa broke the deal last week, declaring that they will not adhere to its conditions and refusing to hand over their weapons. Authorities provided them 40 buses to transfer to northern Syria or Jordan. As per the Sputnik report, approximately 93 militants gave up their weapons and gained new social standing. The settlement was made on Sunday, with the help of Russian mediators. Earlier Attacks in Syria Earlier, on Friday Syria claimed that it has taken down Israeli missiles as they were coming near Damascus, saying that it was retaliating for Israel's aggressive behaviour with its own air defence systems. The bulk of the missiles that were taken down were fired from a region southeast of Lebanon, and they were aimed at Damascus. According to the state media report, in the 1:26 a.m. assault on Friday, Syrian air defences shot down the bulk of Israeli missiles, causing relatively little damage. As per the Israeli army, a surface-to-air missile fired from Syrian territory into Israeli airspace exploded over the Mediterranean Sea, with several fragments left on the ground in central Israel. Many residents in central Israel claimed to hear a loud explosion at the time Syria launched the strike. (Image Credit: AP/ Representative Image) Pakistan is home to at least 12 groups designated as foreign terrorist organisations, including five of them being India-centric like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, according to a latest Congressional report on terrorism. US officials have identified Pakistan as a base of operations or target for numerous armed and non-state militant groups, some of which have existed since the 1980s, the independent Congressional Research Service (CRS) said in the report. The report released by the bipartisan research wing of US Congress on the eve of the historic Quad summit here last week, said that these groups operating in Pakistan can be broadly categorised into five types -- globally-oriented, Afghanistan oriented, India- and Kashmir-oriented, domestically oriented, and Sectarian (anti-Shia). The Lashkar-e-Taiba (LET) was formed in the late 1980s in Pakistan and designated as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) in 2001. LET was responsible for major 2008 attacks in Mumbai, India, as well as numerous other high-profile attacks, the CRS said. Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) was founded in 2000 by Kashmiri militant leader Masood Azhar and was designated as an FTO in 2001. Along with LET, it was responsible for the 2001 attack on the Indian parliament, among other attacks, it said. Harakat-ul Jihad Islami (HUJI) was formed in 1980 in Afghanistan to fight the Soviet army and was designated as an FTO in 2010. After 1989, it redirected its efforts toward India, although it did supply fighters to the Afghan Taliban. With an unknown strength, HUJI today operates in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh and India, and seeks annexation of Kashmir into Pakistan, the report said, adding that HUM was designated as an FTO in 1997 and operates mainly from Pak-Occupied Kashmir and from some Pakistani cities. Finally, Hizb-ul Mujahideen (HM) was formed in 1989 reportedly as the militant wing of Pakistans largest Islamist political party and designated as an FTO in 2017. It is one of the largest and oldest militant groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir. Among other terrorist groups operating from Pakistan are Al Qaeda, CRS said, adding that it has operated primarily from the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas and in the megacity of Karachi, as well as in Afghanistan. It has since 2011 been led by Ayman al-Zawahiri and reportedly maintains supportive ties with many of the groups inside the country. CRS said according to the US State Departments Country Reports on Terrorism 2019, Pakistan has continued to serve as a safe haven for certain regionally focused terrorist groups, and has allowed groups targeting Afghanistan ... as well as groups targeting India ...to operate from its territory. The Department also noted modest steps taken by Pakistans government to counter terrorism financing and to restrain some India-focused militant groups following an early 2019 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir. It assessed, however, that Islamabad has yet to take decisive actions against India- and Afghanistan-focused militants, and that progress on the most difficult aspects of its 2015 National Action Plan to counter terrorism remains unfulfilled specifically its pledge to dismantle all terrorist organisations without delay and discrimination. On the topic of terrorist safe havens, the Department concluded that Pakistans government and military acted inconsistently with respect to terrorist safe havens throughout the country. Authorities did not take sufficient action to stop certain terrorist groups and individuals from openly operating in the country. Other terrorist groups inside Pakistan are Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent(AQIS), Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP or IS-K); the Afghan Taliban, the Haqqani network, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), Jundallah (aka Jaysh al-Adl), Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), and Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LEJ). CRS reports are not an official report of the US Congress. Independent experts prepare these reports at periodic interval for the US lawmakers to take informed decisions. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) Afghanistan Ambassador to Tajikistan Mohammed Zahir Aghbar spoke exclusively to Republic TV on Friday where he detailed Pakistan's close-knit relationship with the Taliban and how it was important for the international community to unite against the terror group. In an interview with Republic TV's Executive Editor Niranjan Narayanswamy, the Ambassador revealed that Afghanistan's 'caretaker' President Amrullah Saleh is still residing in Panjshir Valley, and hasn't fled the region. "There is no doubt that large territory is in hands of Taliban but the law is with us. The Taliban is a terrorist group. These terrorist groups are a threat to the world. It is a group that has violated every international law. A lot of Taliban forces have entered Panjshir valley, they have killed innocent civilians there and forcibly made the families flee. But Amrullah Saleh is still in Panjshir. We are in the works of creating national resistance in Afghanistan. You will see action based on my word in a very short amount of time," said Ambassador Mohammed Zahir Aghbar. Pakistan bombed Panjshir: Ambassador to Tajikistan In a major statement, Afghanistan Ambassador to Tajikistan confirmed to Republic TV that the Pakistan airforce had bombed the Panjshir Valley. The Ambassador asserted that Pakistan was a hub of training for terrorist groups and the Taliban was no different. He also stated the Taliban had their safe havens and camps in Pakistan. "A few days ago, the head of ISI came there (Kabul), it was the truth of our words. The Pakistan Airforce then bombed Panjshir. To give them a loophole, they said Tajikistan sent them support, there is no truth to that," he said. "The answer (to Pakistan's relationship with Taliban) is like saying that the sun does not exist. All these Taliban members are trained and equipped in Pakistan. In the cabinet, there are no experts, they are just religious in their point of view and the Foreign Minister of Pakistan congratulated these leaders on their appointment," he added. Ambassador Mohammed Zahir Aghbar added that while Afghanistan considered the civilians of Pakistan as brothers and sisters, the military politics of Pakistan in regard to Afghanistan is completely wrong. "Unfortunately, people of Pakistan have no involvement, but I hope politicians understand that they can't implement their policies via battle. General Musharaf does not exist anymore, but the politics he played we can see that today," he remarked. Thanking India for standing by Afghanistan in this time of crisis, the Ambassador said that the country wanted to have a close relationship with the people of India and the government. "I hope the people of India can put pressure to initiate a peace process. We want to have an inclusive government in Afghanistan. This is where we all should be united. I want to thank you and the people of India. The people of Afghanistan truly love the people of India," he concluded. Hundreds of internally displaced people from the eastern part of Afghanistan have been living for years in poor areas in makeshift houses. They're hopeful that the Taliban government will help them to rebuild their lives, but for now conditions have deteriorated and prices have gone up. According to Jan Egeland, Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, millions of people in Afghanistan are facing catastrophic conditions in the upcoming winter. "We will have to struggle to save lives this winter. (...) It's a race against the clock and against death," Egeland he said. In Afghanistan, the United Nations can deploy the weight of its vast aid and development programmes to show just how crucial its often underfunded agencies are in providing stability and security. The country is facing multiple humanitarian crises and near-total poverty due to fallout from the political situation. There are already growing calls for aid to be contingent on ensuring girls' access to education. Despite promises to be inclusive and open, the Taliban have yet to allow older girls back to school, have curtailed local media freedoms and returned to brutal practices like publicly hanging dead bodies in city squares. "Taliban does not represent the will of the Afghan people," Afghanistan's currently accredited ambassador to the U.N. in Geneva, Nasir Andisha, told The Associated Press. If the United Nations recognizes the Taliban's claim to power, Andisha said, then it sends a corrosive message to others be it in Yemen or in Myanmar that they can take up guns, create violence, join with U.S.-designated terrorist groups. The United States, which withdrew all its forces from the country last month in a chaotic airlift that ended America's "forever war," says it is critical that the international community remains united in ensuring the Taliban meets a range of commitments before granting legitimacy or support beyond humanitarian aid. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) The World Bank informed on Monday that the expansion of the COVID Delta variant has hampered the recovery of East Asia and the Pacific region and urged for a comprehensive plan to control COVID-19. As per Xinhua, the World Banks newly-issued East Asia and Pacific Fall 2021 Economic Update report states that the economic activity has started to decline in the second quarter of 2021, and development estimates for most nations in the area have been lowered. World Bank Vice President for East Asia and the Pacific Manuela Ferro revealed that these regions contained COVID in 2020 as compared to other parts of the world which struggled during the pandemic, and the surge in COVID-19 cases in 2021 has lowered the development of economic growth for 2021. Whereas, on the other hand, the economy of China is expected to grow by 8.5% this year which is nearly 0.4 percentage up from April's prediction, the rest of the region is expected to grow by 2.5%, down to 1.9 percentage points from April's forecast. Countries struggling to combat COVID with shrinking economies World Bank's chief economist for East Asia and the Pacific region Aaditya Mattoo told Xinhua in an interview on Monday that some nations such as China were comparatively successful in controlling the Coronavirus, while others particularly Vietnam and Malaysia, which had also done well previously with COVID management, are currently struggling to combat the virus with their shrinking economies. Mattoo went on to say that other countries like the Philippines and Indonesia have always suffered from the COVID-19 outbreak and their difficulties have gotten "worse." This might be the reason why the East Asia and Pacific regions are witnessing a decline in economic growth and the projections of their economic development are less favourable than before. According to the newly-released World Bank report, the employment rates and participation of the labour force have decreased. Over 24 million people in the said regions would be unable to avoid poverty by 2021, the report revealed, warning that the scars of the pandemic are likely to dampen long-term economic growth. The research further states that poorer households were more prone to losing employment, sell productive assets, endure food shortages, and lose education for their children. Meanwhile, Mattoo encouraged the governments of the region to speed up vaccination, address vaccine hesitancy, implement measures such as testing, tracking, and isolation, as well as initiate a combination of targeted shutdowns and social distancing to contain the spread of disease. As per the report, most nations in the East Asia and Pacific regions will be able to vaccinate more than 60% of their populations by the first half of 2022, dramatically reducing mortality and allowing economic activity to resume. Image: AP/ Pixabay Cuba has begun commercial exports of its homegrown COVID-19 vaccines, sending shipments of the three-dose Abdala vaccine to Vietnam and Venezuela. President Miguel Diaz-Canel announced the arrival in Vietnam on his Twitter feed Sunday. The official Cubadebate news website said the shipment included 900,000 doses purchased by Hanoi and 150,000 more donated by Cuba. Vietnam's President Nguyen Xuan Phuc visited Cuba last week and toured the laboratory that produces the vaccine, announcing an agreement to buy at least 5 million doses. Cuba's Center of Genetic Immunology and Biotechnology also announced that initial shipments of the Abdala shots were sent to Venezuela over the weekend. That country's vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, announced in June that Venezuela had agreed to buy $12 million worth of the Cuban vaccine, though officials have declined to say how many doses were involved. Another Cuban-developed COVID-19 vaccine is being produced in Iran. Cuba also hopes to extend exports of its locally developed vaccines, and last week asked the World Health Organization to approve them, which many countries require before importing vaccines. Cuban scientists have said the vaccines are more than 90% effective against illness, though like all vaccines less so against mere infection. Cuba plans to fully vaccinate 90% of its population by the end of November a key step to reopening an economy heavily dependent on tourism. Cubas director of epidemiology, Francisco Duran, said Monday that the country of some 11 million people has registered 860,799 infections with COVID-19 and 7,279 deaths during the pandemic. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) On Monday, amid the celebrations of Mexico's 200th anniversary of independence, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Bangladesh's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Md Shahriar Alam in Mexico City. India and Bangladesh have been relying heavily on their strong bilateral connection to grow mutual trade and commerce. India aided Bangladesh earlier this month by donating two mobile medical oxygen plants to aid the country's fight against COVID-19. To discuss media and bilateral collaboration, earlier, Jaishankar also met with Dr Hasan Mahmud, Bangladesh's Minister of Information and Broadcasting. EAM Jaishankar went to the microblogging site Twitter and wrote, "Good to meet Bangladeshi MoS for Foreign Affairs @MdShahriarAlam at the independence day celebrations in Mexico City[sic]." Good to meet Bangladeshi MoS for Foreign Affairs @MdShahriarAlam at the independence day celebrations in Mexico City. pic.twitter.com/w5Y8I3PVrt Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 28, 2021 EAM Jaishankar's Mexico visit Jaishankar is in Mexico for a two-day visit, where he will join other world leaders in commemorating the 200th anniversary of Mexico's independence. It is his first trip to the country since becoming the Minister of External Affairs. Mexico is currently India's second-largest economic partner in Latin America and it is also a member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) alongside India for the years 2021-22. According to official figures, the two-way trade in 2018 totalled USD 10.155 billion, with exports totalling USD 5.231 billion and imports totalling USD 4.923 billion. Vehicles and auto parts, chemicals, aluminium goods, electrical machinery and electronic equipment, steel, jewels and ceramic products are among India's principal exports. Mexico is a major supplier of crude oil, electrical items, and machinery to India. Jaishankar also visited Prime Minister Johnny Briceno and Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay of Belize. He also met Tamara Vucic, Serbia's First Lady, and Nikola Selakovic, Serbia's Foreign Minister. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Jaishankar will also meet with top CEOs and business leaders in Mexico. After meeting, Foreign Minister of Mexico, Marcelo Ebrard, EAM Jaishankar went on Twitter and wrote, "Concluded a comprehensive discussion with FM @m_ebrard of Mexico. Reviewed our political cooperation, trade and investment, space and scientific potential, cultural exchanges and consular issues. Shared perspectives on governance challenges and global narratives[sic]." EAM also said that India and Mexico must interact more closely in international forums. Concluded a comprehensive discussion with FM @m_ebrard of Mexico. Reviewed our political cooperation, trade and investment, space and scientific potential, cultural exchanges and consular issues. Shared perspectives on governance challenges and global narratives. pic.twitter.com/SsqYIDzJW8 Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 27, 2021 (With inputs from ANI/ PTI) (Image: @DrSJaishankar/Twitter) The New Zealand government on Tuesday released an official long-term plan for urban development The Government Policy Statement on Housing and Urban Development (GPS-HUD) to combat the skyrocketing accommodation fares that have resulted in the housing crisis. The plan outlines government actions, and investment policies that will align to tackle New Zealands housing crisis to assist the countrys working middle class to overcome the mounting challenges, Housing Minister Megan Woods said in a statement released by the New Zealand government on the website on Sept. 27. As per the current Trade Me Property Price Index released earlier last week, the average selling price for houses in New Zealand upsurged to an all-time high of 846,900 New Zealand dollars (NZD) in an estimated 21 per cent increase compared to the prices listed last year. The GPS-HUD aims to guide policy decisions and investments of the government in order to deliver an enduring set of outcomes to achieve the administrations urban vision, Woods further stated. New Zealand government, in the GPS-HUD plan, stated that it will construct more affordable homes to ensure that the working middle class can afford a decent stay with long and secure tenure. 'A massive work program' to address housing crisis The GPS-HUD will be reviewed by the government at least every three years, Woods said. "We already have a massive work program to address the issues that have led to this housing crisis, and we also need to consider long-term challenges like adapting to the effects of climate change and population growth," the minister, further added in her statement on Monday. Government Policy Statement on Housing and Urban Development (GPS-HUD) ensured that the New Zealanders lived in a healthy, secure, and affordable home that met their needs, within an inclusive and sustainable community at prices that they can invest. The plan removed overly restrictive barriers to building the infrastructure that could be utilized by the population across stratum. We are building more new public housing and investing in critical infrastructures like pipes and roads to enable new housing than any government has done in two decades, but we also need a long-term response to the housing crisis and the GPS-HUD provides direction for that," Housing Minister Megan Woods said. To achieve that goal, New Zealand also released a new Maihi Ka Ora the National Maori Housing Strategy, strongly connected to the GPS-HUD. The New Zealand government laid out six areas of focus in the GPS-HUD plan. Ensuring more affordable homes are built Ensuring houses meet the needs of communities Enabling people into stable, affordable homes Supporting whanau to have healthy, affordable homes with secure tenure Re-establishing housings primary role as a home rather than a financial asset Planning and investing in places. New Zealand government's GPS-HUD didn't provide a detailed blueprint of all future urban development activity saying that the new initiatives, regulatory responses, and investments will be needed to meet changing needs. North Korea on Monday accused the United States of keeping up its "hostile policy" and demanded the Biden administration permanently end joint military exercises with South Korea. North Korean Ambassador Kim Song's comments on the last day of the U.N. General Assembly's annual high-level meeting came shortly after South Korea reported that the North had carried out another short-range missile test. Kim demanded that the United States "permanently" stop its military exercises with South Korea, which the North has traditionally described as invasion rehearsals. He said Washington should withdraw its strategic weapons from the area "if it is really desirous of peace and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula." The United States keeps about 28,000 troops in South Korea to help deter potential aggression from North Korea. The allies say their drills are defensive in nature, but they have cancelled or downsized them in recent years to create space for diplomatic efforts to address North Korea's nuclear programme. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) The loss in the tourism sector in Palestine has exceeded one billion US dollars since the COVID outbreak in its territories, stated an official report published on Monday. The document jointly published by the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities further added that the business has particularly deteriorated in the city of Bethlehem, a major Christian pilgrimage destination. "Although the Palestinian government has eased its precautionary measures and restrictions against coronavirus, and allowed all sectors to act normally, the tourism sector, mainly in Bethlehem, is still suffering," said the report. Palestinian territories encompass West Bank and Gaza, while Jerusalem is under contestation. In the West Bank, the principal municipalities include Janin, Nablus, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Hebron. Bethlehem is the biblical birthplace of Jesus Christ and is a major tourist spot. Whereas the 140 sq miles long Gaza Strip houses Qasr al-Basha, an ancient fort now turned into a school and museum. It is imperative to note that since 2007, when Hamas took control of the strip, Israel and Egypt have foisted blockade, allowing only a limited number of tourists (mainly humanitarian aid workers) inside it. Image: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities In addendum, Palestinians have been at war with Israel since the six day war of 1967. With increased settlements and new regulations, the Zionists have concreted their stronghold on the disputed territories. Last year, Al-Jazeera reported that Isreal was seeking to establish tourist hubs in the holy Muslim city of Jerusalem. With the reconciliation of Bahrain and UAEs relations with Israel, Palestinian leaders are seeing dwindling Arab support, which has been a leverage in their battle to re-capture the West Bank. Israeli settlers have been courting wealthy gulf tourists and establishing new air links to major travel hubs of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Following the establishment of business links, Jerusalem, which houses the Al-Aqsa mosque, could see a major tourist boost, which experts claim could benefit both Israel and Palestine. Image AP Jerusalem: The Flashpoint The city of Jerusalem has been the bone of contention between the Arabs and the Jews for a century now. The old city of Jerusalem houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third holiest place for Islam. The same land is also revered as the holiest in Judaism as Temple Mount. Frequent flashpoints at the site have triggered not only a war of nerves but also ammunition between Palestinians and Israelis. Earlier in May, Israel and Gaza based Hamas engaged in an 11-day long war which led to more than 200 fatalities. (Image: AP) 'Delhi Riots 2020 Were A Pre-planned Conspiracy': Delhi HC Makes Strong Observations In a significant development, the Delhi High Court on Monday made big observations on the 2020 Delhi Riots, calling them a 'pre-planned and pre-meditated' conspiracy. While denying the bail application of a man who is accused of killing Head constable Ratan Lal and causing grievous injuries to a police official, Justice Subramonium Prasad delivered strong remarks on the riots which shook Northeast Delhi last year. The Delhi HC noted that the events that had transpired in the national capital 'did not take place in a spur of the moment.' There was a 'pre-planned' conspiracy to disturb law and order of the city. Read full story here Hardeep Puri Narrates PM Modi's Unannounced Central Vista Visit; Reveals Workers' Shock PM Modi on Sunday paid an unannounced visit to the project site of the upcoming Central Vista in New Delhi after returning to India from a four-day US visit where he attended multiple meetings and addressed the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). While workers at the Central Vista Project seemed full of enthusiasm after PM Modi's surprise visit, Congress dubbed it as a 'thoughtless and insensitive' gesture. Read full story here Rakesh Tikait Says 'it Is Okay' If Bharat Bandh Caused Inconvenience To People Describing Bharat Bandh as a 'success' Bharatiya Kisan Union leader (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait on Monday asserted, 'it is okay if the public experienced some inconvenience'. The BKU leader, while speaking on the nationwide protest also claimed that people supported the shutdown in large numbers. Farmers protesting against the Centre's three farm laws staged demonstrations across India on Monday to mark the one-year anniversary of the enactment of the new laws. 'Let one day be in solidarity with farmers,' added Rakesh Tikait while speaking on the inconvenience caused to common public. Read full story here 'US Needs To Strengthen Ties With India To Keep China, Taliban Under Check': Congressman The United States needs to strengthen its defence partnership with India to keep China and the Taliban under check, a US Congressman said on Monday. According to Republican lawmaker Mark Green, providing India with needed military equipment to balance against China and the Taliban should be the first step of the US in its bid to strengthen a defence partnership with India. Congressman Mark Green in an op-ed in Real Clear Defense wrote, "By helping India upgrade its defense systems, the US can empower India to defend itself and provide security in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific region. Read full story here Pakistan Home To 12 Foreign Terrorist Organisations: CRS Report Pakistan is home to at least 12 groups designated as foreign terrorist organisations, including five of them being India-centric like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, according to a latest Congressional report on terrorism. US officials have identified Pakistan as a base of operations or target for numerous armed and non-state militant groups, some of which have existed since the 1980s, the independent Congressional Research Service (CRS) said in the report. Read full story here UP Polls: BJP Ally Sanjay Nishad Downplays Non-inclusion In Cabinet Amid DyCM Demand Months after demanding the Deputy CM post for himself, Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad downplayed his non-inclusion in the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet. While Sanjeev Kumar, Dinesh Khatik, Paltu Ram, Dharmvir Prajapati, Dr. Sangeeta Balwant, Chhatrapal Singh Gangwar and Jitin Prasada were inducted into the UP Council of Ministers on September 26, Nishad was among 4 politicians who were nominated to the Legislative Council. Speaking to the media on Monday, Sanjay Nishad affirmed that his party will work towards ensuring NDA's victory in the upcoming UP polls irrespective of the seats it contests on. Read full story here Cyclone Gulab: Depression To Move West And Weaken In Next 6 Hours, Says IMD The India Metrological Department (IMD) on Tuesday morning informed that the depression formed after the Cyclonic Storm GULAB over Telangana and adjoining areas of Marathwada and Vidarbha is likely to weaken further in the coming hours. The department said that the depression is likely to move west-north-westwards and thus weaken into a Well-Marked Low-Pressure Area during the next six hours. The cyclone has already weakened since Monday morning. Read full story here Siachen Base-camp Opens For Domestic Tourists In Ladakh The world's highest and coldest battlefield in Ladakh, the base camp of Siachen Glacier has been opened for domestic tourists on Monday. A day before World Tourism Day, an announcement was made by the official Twitter handle of Ladakh Tourism, sharing images from the flagging of tourists to the base camp. The opening of the base camp will provide a better opportunity for the people for exploring the beautiful terrain and further give them insight into the difficult task done by the army jawans and engineers in the extreme weather of Siachen. Read full story here 'Attempts Have Been Made To Defame Kumbh Melas': UP CM Yogi Adityanath Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath discussed the perception of the Kumbh Mela across the world on Monday, stating that it was witnessed as a form of 'chaos' in the West. Yogi Adityanath said that instead of highlighting the coordination efforts of the world's largest religious gathering, attempts were made to defame it. Similar efforts were made to malign the Haridwar Kumbh this year amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he noted. Read full story here Maharashtra: Congress Thanks BJP For Rescinding RS Bypoll Candidate; Rajni Patil To Win Thanking the BJP for rescinding its candidate for Rajya Sabha bypolls, Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Monday, cheered Congress candidate Rajni Patil's unopposed election. Claiming that the Opposition had upheld the tradition of Maharashtra, he lauded the BJP for supporting the Congress. RS bypoll will be held in Maharashtra's lone seat which fell vacant with demise of MP Rajeev Satav. Read full story here Myanmar is facing a humanitarian crisis with about three million people requiring assistance, the UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) said on Monday. In its latest report, the international agency further detailed that an additional two million needy residents have been identified following the February 1 coup d'etat which ousted the countrys democratically elected government. Additionally, the coronavirus has also exacerbated the crisis, sickening 459,436 people and claiming lives of 17,583 people and It is likely that the numbers are higher due to low testing capacity in-country. Myanmar is facing a humanitarian crisis: About 3 million people require humanitarian assistance. The country's 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan is only 47% funded. UN Humanitarian (@UNOCHA) September 27, 2021 As per the UNOCHA, the most "vulnerable" families reside in urban and peri urban areas, mainly in the cities of Yangon and Mandalay. Notably, scores of civilians have lost their lives in Myanmars largest city Yangon, which witnessed the decades biggest protests back in February. People living in the south eastern and western part of the country have been equally affected. The country of nearly 55 lakh residents has also been widely affected by internal displacements and migrations pertaining to the violence that has shadowed the country since February. As per the report, 2,20,000 people have been internally displaced with states of Kachin, Shan, Chin, Kayah and Kayin states being most affected. It also highlighted that exodus has risen in the rakhine state, which is already battered with the Rohnigya Refugee crisis. Despite the challenges, humanitarian response continues, the UNOCHA said. "For example, since May, the World Food Programme has supported more than 800,000 vulnerable people in its large-scale urban food response in Yangon peri-urban areas," it said. Calling for financial aid from international communities, it said that the country's 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan is only 47 per cent funded and still has a deficit of US $146 million. What is happening in Myanmar? On February 1, Myanmars military took steps to undermine the country's democratic transition, including the arrest of the nation's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and a few other civilian officials in Burma. The Myanmar Army has said that it carried out the detentions in response to fraud in last Novembers general election that Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) secured a landslide victory. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing is now in control of the country and a state of emergency has been imposed for one year. (File Image: AP) Coca farmers clashed with police in the streets of La Paz on Monday as coca farmers continue a months-long fight for the leadership of the regional coca farmer's association. Police dispersed the groups by firing tear gas canisters and pushing them away from the center of the city. The conflict began Wednesday when one of several groups fighting for the leadership took over the association's building. There are an estimated 100,000 coca farms in Bolivia where growing it is legal in parts of the country, and the buying and selling of coca leaves is a legal business in designated markets managed by the coca unions. Coca producers' associations are also grassroots organizations, some of their members participating in political parties. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) As Britain continues to battle astronomical fuel prices, the administration has touted renewable energy as its only long-term solution. On Monday, the UK's Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial strategy Kwasi Kwarteng said that getting gas off the grid was the only solution to bring down its prices. He further emphasised that increased investments in alternative energy options could enhance the UK's standing in green technologies and bolster its energy security. "The Business Secretary also spoke about the issue of high global gas prices. He reiterated the governments commitment to continue investment in renewable energy projects and getting unreliable gas off our grid as the only long-term solution to bringing down costs for consumers and strengthening Britains energy security, whilst boosting the countrys competitive advantage in green technologies," Kwarteng was quoted as saying by Sputnik. Tonight I activated the Downstream Oil Protocol which temporarily exempts the fuel industry from competition laws so we can optimise supply Itll now be easier for companies to share information and prioritise the delivery of fuel to areas most in needhttps://t.co/w3zV4CGpLC Kwasi Kwarteng (@KwasiKwarteng) September 26, 2021 Prices of gas have witnessed a dramatic surge in the past few months, leaving the British helpless. Regardless, gas remains pivotal to the countrys energy grid, with more than 22 million households dependent on fuel. As per Sputnik, in 2020, 38 per cent of the country's gas demand was used for residential heating, 29 percent for electricity generation and 11 per cent for industrial and commercial use. EU to tackle high prices of Russian gas Meanwhile, Europes energy ministers have joined forces to establish a plan to reduce their dependence on foreign gas and purchase supplies as a part of a larger effort to combat Russias stake in highly coveted resources. As Moscow continues to surge prices of gas, the 27 member bloc is set to purchase strategic gas reserves. It is worth mentioning that 41 per cent of the bloc's gas comes from Russia, which was recently asked to pump more of it to the bloc. According to the news website, gas prices across the European continent have surged by 250 over the past year, threatening the continent ahead of harsh winter months. Many countries, including Spain, Germany and France, have taken individual steps to combat the energy crisis. While Spain has capped the energy prices, France has promised a one-time payment of up to 100 to people battered with the gigantic energy bills. Image: AP First round of official talks to enter the UK into the trans-Pacific trade bloc deal will kick start on Tuesday, Sept. 28 as members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) will assemble to hold discussions via a virtual conference. UK had applied to join the trans-pacific trade bloc agreement in February, exactly a year after Brexit, and had already met with the CPTPP's UK Accession Working Group remotely, as per the Department for International Trade's release. In June, the CPTPP had announced that the accession process would begin shortly. The International Trade Secretary, Anne-Marie Trevelyan hailed the initiative as a big milestone on our [UK] path to joining CPTPP. Trevelyan replaced the South West Norfolk MP Liz Truss a few weeks ago in UKs cabinet reshuffle as she has now been appointed as secretary of state for the foreign, commonwealth, and development affairs replacing Dominic Raab. Truss had held the role as secretary of state for international trade and president of the Board of Trade for the UK previously and had met to discuss the UK's application with CPTPP Accession Working Group when the process was underway. Tomorrow in the early hours the UK will participate in its first official talks with all CPTPP member countries. Joining CPTPP will: Reduce barriers for exporters Secure access to some of the worlds fastest-growing markets Sign us up to a high-standards free trade area pic.twitter.com/e4OhvGihVu Anne-Marie Trevelyan (@annietrev) September 27, 2021 CPTPP deal will allow us to forge stronger links both with old friends and some of the world's fastest-growing economies, Trevelyan said in a statement. "Joining this high-standards partnership will provide real opportunities for UK exporters and service providers and help our innovators open up new, diverse markets, she said. "Seizing opportunities like this is exactly what Global Britain is about and will help bring high-quality jobs and prosperity to every region of our country." UKs Trade minister Penny Mordaunt is expected to make an official trip to CPTPP countries Chile and Peru to accelerate the process, the statement by DIT accessed by the British press revealed, as well as the sources familiar with the development. Mordaunt is expected to meet with Chile's minister of agriculture Maria Emilia Undurraga and her Peruvian counterpart Roberto Sanchez as well as businesses from the region. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had called the initiative significant as it would forge "new partnerships that will bring enormous economic benefits for the people of Britain". Joining the 9 trillion-pound partnership will cut tariffs for the UK's trade sector and demonstrates "our ambition to do business on the best terms with our friends and partners all over the world and be an enthusiastic champion of global free trade", he had explained during the application in a press briefing. CPTPP agreement explained The CPTPP is a free trade agreement between 11 Pacific rim nations - Australia, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Peru, and Canada. It came into effect on December 30, 2018 with an aim to give the member states better access to each others markets and also to eliminate import tariffs by as much as 95 percent. While Japan is the largest economy in the group, countries like China and Britain have increasingly shown interest in joining the club. In addition to import benefits, the pact also obliges member states to cooperate on regulations, such as food standards. However, it is imperative to note that, unlike the European Union, CPTPP is not a single market and therefore, members are not required to have identical market standards and regulations. Moreover, all the members are also allowed to ink trade pacts with other countries, like the recent AUKUS deal that involved Canberra inking a deal with the US. Even as the UK argued that the trilateral AUKUS defence pact that seeks to bolster the Indo-Pacific regional security is an essential deal that Britain should no longer be half-hearted about, the Labour members on Monday denounced the Prime Minister Boris Johnson-led government for signing the pact. At an emergency motion planned at the Labour Party conference, the lawmakers called UKs AUKUS a dangerous move which will undermine world peace. The security pact, they said, will destabilise the Indo-Pacific region as it would trigger a nuclear arms race and destroy world peace. Furthermore, the party asked the Johnson administration to adhere to the terms of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. But the shadow defence secretary John Healey and Labour leader Keir Starmer welcomed the pact. Today at Labour Conference I re-asserted the message @Keir_Starmer made at last year: never again will Labour go into an election not trusted on national security. With Labour the country will get the leadership needed to forge a new and powerful role for the UK in the world 1/ John Healey MP (@JohnHealey_MP) September 27, 2021 UKs main opposition Labour party's delegates passed the emergency motion against AUKUS by 70.35 percent to 29.65 percent, reports confirmed. "AUKUS is starting a new nuclear arms race and the cold war. We must keep speaking out against it," former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said on Twitter. Labour echoed concerns made vocal by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a global nuclear watchdog that issued a statement, saying it was worried over the proliferation of nuclear materials and technologies due to trilateral pact AUKUS. "The IAEA will engage with them (Australia, the United States and Britain) on this matter in line with its statutory mandate, and in accordance with their respective safeguards agreements with the Agency," the IAEA said in a statement. The UKs Labour Party argued that the AUKUS will undermine global non-proliferation efforts and threaten the security of the South Asian region, indicating that the pact will trigger a nuclear arms race due to cold wars between the US, China, and Iran. AUKUS pact, that apparently bypasses the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) will allow the non-nuclear-weapon countries to stockpile the nuclear material, and have leeway for diversion from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspection as they would argue that the material would be utilised for submarine propulsion, the IAEA fears. Via the landmark security deal, Canberra will have the acquisition of nuclear-powered submarines (SSNs) becoming only the seventh in the world to have a US-manufactured Virginia class or UK Astute Class subs fleet. The trio alliance also pushed Australia to scrap the $90 billion submarine contract with France for the supply of 12 diesel-electric powered Shortfin Barracuda of the French Suffren class. But the first submarine for Australia will enter Indo-Pacific waters by 2030s, just a few years short of when its Collins-class submarines will withdraw in 2036, reports confirm. This means a widened window of opportunity for China or Iran to create friction in the Indo pacific waters, an issue the Labour Party pressed on Monday. Pact 'not intended to be adversarial': UK PM UK PM Boris Johnson had said in a joint statement with US President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison that the new strategic alliance aims to defend our shared interests in the Indo-Pacific and the alliance is a historic step. But as Britains new military pact began hoarding condemnation back home, Johnson asserted that the pact is not intended to be adversarial towards any other power, and dodged former prime minister Theresa Mays question about what would the UK do in case of the Chinese invasion of Taiwan amid indo-pacific regional tensions over the alliance. The United Kingdom remains determined to defend international law, he told the House of Commons, as per 10 Downing Streets transcript. North Korea had also derided the pact as dangerous slamming the US and the UK for supplying Australia with nuclear submarines. North Korea's Foreign Ministry was quoted by state press as slamming the three-way defence partnership, which it said, is "extremely undesirable and dangerous acts which will upset the strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific region and trigger off a chain of the nuclear arms race." "This shows that the US is the chief culprit toppling the international nuclear non-proliferation system," it added. President Joe Biden received his COVID-19 booster shot on Monday, days after federal regulators recommended a third dose of the Pfizer vaccine for Americans age 65 or older and approved them for others with preexisting medical conditions and high-risk work environments. "The most important thing we need to do is get more people vaccinated," Biden said before getting the booster, adding that he did not have side effects after his first or second shots. Biden, 78, got his first shot on Dec. 21 and his second dose three weeks later, on Jan. 11, along with his wife, Jill Biden. Biden said the first lady, who's 70, would also receive the booster dose, but she was teaching on Monday at Northern Virginia Community College, where she is a professor of English. Speaking on Friday after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration authorized the Pfizer booster, Biden told reporters, It's hard to acknowledge I'm over 65, but I'll be getting my booster shot." He repeated the joke about being over 65 on Monday. Biden emerged as a champion of booster doses in the summer, as the U.S. experienced a sharp rise in coronavirus cases from the more transmissible delta variant. While the vast majority of cases continue to occur among unvaccinated people, regulators pointed to evidence from Israel and early studies in the U.S. showing that protection against so-called breakthrough cases was vastly improved by a third dose of the Pfizer shot. But the aggressive American push for boosters, before many poorer nations have been able to provide even a modicum of protection for their most vulnerable populations, has drawn the ire of the World Health Organization and some aid groups, which have called on the U.S. to pause third shots to free up supply for the global vaccination effort. Biden said last week that the U.S. was purchasing another 500 million doses of the Pfizer vaccine for a total of 1 billion over the coming year to donate to less well off nations. Vice President Kamala Harris, 56, received the Moderna vaccine, for which federal regulators have not yet authorized boosters but they are expected to in the coming weeks. Regulators are also expecting data about the safety and efficacy of a booster for the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot soon. At least 2.66 million Americans have received booster doses of the Pfizer vaccine since mid-August, according to the CDC. About 100 million Americans have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 through the Pfizer shot. U.S. regulators recommend getting the boosters at least six months after the second shot of the initial two-dose series. (Disclaimer: This story is auto-generated from a syndicated feed; only the image & headline may have been reworked by www.republicworld.com) The British Police charged a man on Monday with the murder of London teacher Sabina Nessa, who was killed on her way to meeting a friend in London. As per the Guardian, police arrested a 36-year-old Koci Selamaj early on September 26 in East Sussex, just after one week after the 28-year-old teacher's corpse was discovered. On Tuesday, the accused will appear in Willesden Magistrates Court. It is speculated that on Friday, September 17, Nessa had left her house in Kidbrooke, south-east London, at 8.30 pm. She was supposed to meet a friend at the Depot pub in Kidbrooke Village's Pegler Square, but she never showed up. Police officers were contacted just after 5.30 p.m. on September 18 when her body was discovered by a passerby near the One Space community facility in Cator Park, Kidbrooke Park Road, at a short distance from her house. The recent developments in the murder of the British teacher The Guardian reported that on September 27, the Metropolitan (Met) homicide investigators presented a bundle of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for the charge decision on Selamaj. Lisa Ramsarran, a deputy chief crown prosecutor with the CPS, stated that the Crown Prosecution Service has approved the Metropolitan Police Service to prosecute Koci Selamaj for the murder charges of Sabina Nessa. Furthermore, a 12-second video footage had been provided by Scotland Yard, which depicts that a man wearing a black hooded coat and grey pair of jeans was walking along a sidewalk, peeking over his shoulder and tugging at his hoodie. Last week, two more people were held on suspicion of murder but they were later released pending the outcome of the investigation. 'The insecurity of women in the United Kingdom is very concerning' Hundreds of people attended a candlelight memorial in the victim's honour on Friday, calling for an end to violence towards women. A place of condolences was opened where Nessa's remains were found on Saturday at the One Space community facility. The British teacher's sister, Jebina Yasmin Islam, addressed the audience and emotionally said that she had lost a wonderful, kind, and beautiful sister who left this world too soon. According to the Guardian, Nessa's uncle, Shahin Miah, said last week that in a nation like the United Kingdom, the insecurity of women is very concerning. "We dont want any other mothers chest to be empty or filled with deep sorrow, or to see the tears in the eyes of any father," Shahin Miah said. In another incident that happened six months before Nessa's death, Sarah Everard, 33, was abducted, raped, and murdered by a serving police officer in south London. People marched in the streets to protest against this brutal incident, as the Everard case rocked the country. (Image: AP) US President Biden has been increasingly annoyed with the American press members as they asked questions that were "not on point", White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki admitted on Monday. A report carried by American daily tabloid New York Post states that after the US leader lambasted press reporters during the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, making remarks: I think, with your permission, you could not answer questions because they wont ask any questions on point, and India press much better behaves than the US press corps, US press members immediately headed to Psakis office to complain. They largely demand a clarification for why they were stopped from asking questions with the foreign leaders at the Oval Office. The incident spurred chaos in the White House as the US press lodged a protest at the conduct of their leader Biden with the American press, whom he refused to recognise in front of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, and widely criticised during the meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Biden called off the reporters pool during the bilateral talks with Johnson. Neither did he allow the British leader to summon American press reporters or take their questions, US media reported. Instead, the American leader told his British counterpart Good luck when the latter asked if he could take some questions from the reporters. Johnson then allowed in two reporters from the UK who asked him questions linked with Britains internal affairs. "Would it be okay if we have just a couple of questions, just a couple? UK PM Johnson asked, in hope of an approval from Biden, who simply responded: Good luck." American media interdicted out of executive mansion On Monday, US broadcasters widely reported that the White House aides had interdicted the American media workers at the entrance after briefly chasing them out of the Oval Office. A known radio pooler from the White House Correspondents' Association President Steve Portnoy, managed to yell one single question from the midst of a restrained reporters' crowd to the US President related to the CBP agent swinging reins on Haiti migrants at the Southern border. To this, the American leader replied: "Violence is unacceptable". "Thats absurd", one reporter was quoted as saying by the New York Post tabloid as he vacated the executive mansion, seemingly upset about the whole incident. During Mondays daily briefing, as US press corp members raised the question again with Bidens press Secretary, asking, as to why the American leader derided the US press in front of Indias Prime Minister, and Britains Johnson, she said that she didnt believe the America leaders comments were hard cut. I would note, first, that he took questions on Friday, and he took questions again today, Psaki told the reporters. And I think what he said is that theyre not always on point, she said. Hundreds of thousands of Haitian migrants have gathered beneath the Del Rio International Bridge in recent weeks, overwhelming border police. Border Patrol personnel have complained to Fox News, citing a major union representative in Del Rio, Texas that the agency's leadership is throwing them under the bus. The Biden administration temporarily halted the use of horse patrols in the Del Rio section of the border last week, citing that the images "profoundly upset" DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, according to Sputnik. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both slammed the incident, describing it as an "embarrassment" and promising that those people will pay. "DC was mainly not paying attention to what was going on near the bridge" Jon Anfinsen, Vice President of the National Border Patrol Council told to Fox News that DC was mainly not paying attention to what was going on near the bridge, despite the presence of roughly 15,000 individuals. He further said that now they have an incident to blame for not paying attention. He also said that the agents believe they've been thrown under the bus at all levels of administration because no investigation has been conducted. Alejandro Mayorkas stated on Sunday that around 12,000 migrants who arrived in Del Rio were allowed to enter the United States and, according to Anfinsen, if the vast majority of the latest group is released, even more migrants will be encouraged to come. In the interview with Fox News, Anfinsen stated that Congress or the White House must modify laws and procedures to make the border safer. He said that Congress needs to amend the laws if they want to make it easier for people to move to the United States. He further added that they can't keep doing this the way things are right now. 17 planes deployed to Haiti last week evacuating over 2,000 migrants As per Sputnik, a large surge of Haitian illegal immigrants at the US-Mexico border in recent weeks prompted the administration to declare a state of emergency and deploy border agents. According to Mayorkas, the Biden administration deployed 17 planes to Haiti last week to evacuate over 2,000 migrants. Image: AP The United States needs to strengthen its defence partnership with India to keep China and the Taliban under check, a US Congressman said on Monday. According to Republican lawmaker Mark Green, providing India with needed military equipment to balance against China and the Taliban should be the first step of the US in its bid to strengthen a defence partnership with India. Congressman Mark Green in an op-ed in Real Clear Defense wrote, "By helping India upgrade its defense systems, the US can empower India to defend itself and provide security in the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific region. This is all the more important since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban." Encouraging the growing alliance between the US and India since the resurgence of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue in 2017, Green highlighted how India was a crucial partner in Biden's Indo-Pacific strategy. Given that China has been systematically modernising its military over the past two decades and has amassed the largest navy in the region, it was crucial for the US to help India address this new paradigm, he wrote. We can do this by concluding the deal with India to purchase 30 armed MQ-9 reaper drones or by helping them expand their fleet of P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft. Instead of placating adversaries like Iran and sending Tehran planes full of cash, we should be investing in relationships with countries that have reciprocated our friendship, Green wrote in the op-ed. The Republican lawmaker is a retired US Army Major and represents the seventh Congressional District of Tennessee in the US House of Representatives. PM Modi-US President Biden's bilateral meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi held his first face-to-face bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House on Friday. After the meeting, India and the US issued a joint statement stressing on countering global and cross-border terrorism. In the statement, the two countries affirmed that they stand together in the shared fight against terrorism, and will take concerted action against designated terrorist groups. Moreover, a specific emphasis was placed on cross-border terrorism by Pakistan and the need to bring perpetrators of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks to justice. PM Modi has also extended an invite to the US president and has welcomed him in New Delhi at the earliest mutual convenience. Had an outstanding meeting with @POTUS @JoeBiden. His leadership on critical global issues is commendable. We discussed how India and USA will further scale-up cooperation in different spheres and work together to overcome key challenges like COVID-19 and climate change. pic.twitter.com/nnSVE5OSdL Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 24, 2021 (With Agency Inputs) On Monday, September 27, US Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez indicated that Congress might think of imposing new sanctions on Turkey if it continues to obtain more Russian S-400 air defence systems. He stated that according to Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA), sanctions are mandatory for any entity that does significant business with Russia's military or intelligence sectors, reported Russian news agency Sputnik. Meanwhile, despite pressure from the US, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced Ankara intended to buy another set of Russian S-400 air defence systems. In an interview with American broadcaster CBS News, Erdogan said that Turkey will decide its defence system on its own and that continuous pressure by the US over the matter is unacceptable. Turkey's President further stated that despite receiving USD 1.4 billion in payment, the US failed to deliver the F-35 stealth jets. Notably, after purchasing the Russian-made S-400 missile defence system, Turkey, a NATO member, was kicked out of the F-35 programme, and its defence leaders were sanctioned. The US fiercely opposes Russian defence systems being used within NATO, claiming that the missile system poses a threat to the F-35s. However, Turkey has maintained its stance, stating that the S-400s possess no threat and they will be used independently without being integrated into NATA systems, according to The Associated Press (AP). The former President Donald Trump's administration had also sanctioned Turkey after it had purchased the S-400 missile system in early 2020. The restrictions were imposed under a 2017 law aimed at countering Russian influence, reported The AP. Turkey's President to meet Russian President on September 29 It is worth mentioning that the issue is one of several stumbling blocks in Turkish-American relations, which also include US assistance for Syrian Kurdish fighters whom Turkey deems terrorists. Turkish President Erdogan also urged the US to take its troops out of other nations in the region in the same way it did in Afghanistan. Speaking to CBS News, he singled out Syria and Iraq as the two countries where the US should withdraw its troops, claiming such a move would promote peace in the region. Meanwhile, Erdogan is scheduled to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Sochi on September 29. Both sides are expected to talk on a wide range of important subjects, including Syria, Afghanistan, and the looming migration catastrophe. Turkey is also keeping a close eye on the recent strikes in Idlib that targeted its military, according to The AP. Image: Twitter/@ Senate Democrats/AP Share Tweet Pin 0 shares Note all articles are independently researched and written by myself. However, if you buy via one of the links it may be an affiliate and I may earn a small commission. It has reappeared occasionally in its 50-year existence, but good to see the Adidas Stockholm City Series trainers return in original form. I say original form because there have been variations on the theme in the past. You might well recall the Adidas Stockholm Gore-Tex trainers from a few years back. Shame theres not a Gore-Tex version now in light of the current weather. But there is a classic take coming your way. The Stockholm design is much-loved and a sought-after City Series shoe for a reason. This is peak Adidas in terms of shape and style. A few of the slightly more leftfield City Series designs have hung around for a while and even ended up in the sales. But this kind of design usually clears out in minutes. With that in mind, I will put together a list of stockists for this one nearer the time. Yes, Adidas itself will have stock but you might have more luck picking up a pair at independent stockists, even if it is via some kind of online raffle. Why should you want them? Well, just look at them. Classic and timeless City Series style that still looks the part decades after its 1972 launch. That upper uses buttery-soft suede and of course, the colours are a bold royal blue matched up with the yellow detailing for the stripes, heel, and tongue. Very nice on the eye. Outside of that, things are nice and simple, with just a gum sole, ridged tongue, and classic Adidas sole to mention really. Thats part of the appeal. And if the Stockholm does appeal, youll want to know all about getting some. Well, the launch is down as 11pm on Friday 26th November 2021 at the Adidas site, with variations likely at other retailers (but not far from that date and time). As I said, Ill list other retailers when things have been confirmed, whether thats straight sales or one of the online raffles. There are likely to be quite a few of those. If you get lucky, expect to pay something in the region of 85 for a pair. Find out more at the Adidas website Via His Knibs Share Tweet Pin 5 shares Note all articles are independently researched and written by myself. However, if you buy via one of the links it may be an affiliate and I may earn a small commission. Looking for a retro slant for your knits? Check out the new David Bowie knitwear collection by Hades. Not that it comes cheap and for good reason. Each of these knitwear designs is produced under license and handcrafted in Scotland, specifically in a family-run mill in Hawick, Scotland. Each one is also made of 100 percent lambswool. Not that the price is putting people off. Some sizes of these limited edition pieces are already selling through. Presumably from Bowie fans who like the idea of a classic logo emblazoned on their chest, but also people who want a retro knitwear design this winter. This is a retro as it comes, especially with the 1970s designs. Its not the first time Hades has gone down the music route, with previous collections celebrating The Cure and Joy Division. But this is the first time David Bowie has been celebrated in wool by the label. Take your pick from sweaters or vests (aka tank tops), with each one using a classic Bowie typeface and/or logo for the design. Hunk Dory, Rebel Rebel, Low, Ziggy Stardust, and Lets Dance. All instantly recognisable to any Bowie aficionado. Sizes and styles are for both men and women, but as I said, they are selling out already. So dont hang about if you want one of these in your life and your wardrobe. The price is consistent across the range, with each one selling for 225. Find out more at the Hades website Via Hypebeast The activist monk belongs to the Khmer Krom ethnic minority group marginalized in Cambodia, where they are often considered Vietnamese. Pang Soda (C), defrocked on Sept. 2 by Kompong Cham Buddhist authorities in Cambodia, is shown in an undated photo. A former Buddhist monk from Cambodias Khmer Krom ethnic minority group was jailed this week in Phnom Penh for allegedly violating measures aimed at stopping the spread of COVID-19 in the country, with one rights group calling the action taken against him harassment. Pang Soda, formerly the abbot of a temple in Kompong Cham province, was arrested and sent to Prey Sar Prison on Tuesday after being accused of breaking contact with authorities who had ordered him to remain in touch, a member of a Khmer Krom rights group said next day. They told him not to turn off his mobile phone so that they could contact him, Bun MonySecretary of the Khmer Kampuchea Krom Associationtold RFA on Wednesday. But he turned off his phone and failed to honor his pledge with the authorities. So yesterday, he was questioned by police and sent to Prey Sar Prison, he said. Bun Mony said his group then contacted Pang Sodas relatives to offer legal help but were told they had asked instead for help from an unnamed government official. We are fully prepared to assist him by providing a Khmer Krom lawyer, so we regret that his family gave us this answer, Bun Mony said. Requests for comment from Pang Sodas younger brother received no response, but Khmer Krom lawyer Seun Chumchuon told RFA that he is ready to provide legal assistance in the case, though as of Wednesday he had received no request from family members for help. Prison Department spokesperson Nuth Savana could not be reached for comment Wednesday, while San Sokseyhaspokesperson for the Phnom Penh Police Commissariatdenied any knowledge of Pang Sodas arrest. Arrested without warrant Formerly abbot of the Wat Vongkut Borey Serey Phnom Penh Thmey pagoda in Kompong Cham, Pang Soda was arrested without a warrant on Sept. 2, stripped of his monastic status by local Buddhist authorities, and sent to Phnom Penh for questioning on charges of violating government-mandated COVID-19 prevention measures, Khmer Krom sources said. Police at the same time confiscated the cell phone of other monks who had witnessed the arrest, sources said, adding that Pang Soda was later released after promising to remain in constant contact with authorities. Speaking to RFA, Khmer Kampuchea Krom Federation Branch in Cambodia head Taing Sarak said his group is now monitoring the court action against Pang Sodawho had been active in social work providing food, money, and other kinds of support to vulnerable peopleand will appeal if the courts fail to render justice in the case. The Khmer Krom, ethnic Khmer who live in a part of Vietnam that was once southeastern Cambodia, face widespread discrimination in Vietnam and suspicion in Cambodia, where they are often perceived not as Cambodians but as Vietnamese. Khmer Krom who leave Vietnam for Cambodia remain one of the countrys most disenfranchised groups, according to the international rights group Human Rights Watch. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Richard Finney. Cambodia has requested that the oil be returned, but the Indonesian navy says it will be up to the courts to decide what to do with the cargo. The MT Strovolos, a Bahama-flagged tanker, is seen in the waters off the Riau Islands in Indonesia, in an undated photo released Aug. 25, 2021. Indonesia, Cambodia, and a Bahamas-flagged oil tanker are embroiled in an escalating quarrel over nearly 300,000 barrels of crude oil that Phnom Penh alleges was stolen by the ships crew. Last week, an Indonesian court sentenced the captain of the M.T. Strovolos to 15 days in prison for anchoring his ship in local waters without permission. A few days later, Jakarta detained the tankers 19 other crew members for questioning on Batam Island, in response to an Interpol red notice issued by Cambodia. Harry Goldenhardt, spokesman for the Riau Islands provincial police, said a team from the National Central Bureau-Interpol had been questioning the tankers crew members since Saturday. Its based on the red notice by the Cambodian government and a letter sent by the Phnom Penh Court requesting assistance in the arrest and return of the ship and its crew, Harry told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. On Monday, the Singapore-based company that owns the ship said Cambodias claim that the oil cargo was transported illegally was without foundation, and urged Indonesia to reject Phnom Penhs request for assistance. On Sept. 22, when the Batam District Court convicted Sazzedeen S.M., the Bangladeshi captain of the Strovolos, it also fined him 100 million rupiah (U.S. $7,000), according to a court document of the ruling obtained by BenarNews. Defendant Sazzedeen S.M has been found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt of committing a criminal act, the document said, adding that Sazzedeen must serve an additional month in prison if he failed to pay the fine. The defendant failed to comply with navigational procedures in Indonesian territorial waters and potentially endangered traffic in the waters, the court said. The Indonesian Navy said that the 600-foot Strovolos was illegally anchored off Sumatra, with its identification system turned off, when authorities seized it on July 27, three days after Phnom Penh issued the red notice about the alleged cargo theft. An Indonesian warship, the KRI John Lie-358, intercepted the tanker near the Anambas Islands, a chain located in Riau Islands province, after the Strovolos had sailed into Indonesian waters in the South China Sea without permission, the navy added. Cambodia has not provided any proof Meanwhile, Cambodia has requested that the oil be returned, but the Indonesian navy said it would be up to the judiciary to decide what to do with the cargo. The legal process is the authority of the prosecutors office and the court, said the spokesman for the Naval Fleet Command I, Lt. Col. Laode Muhammad. Batam chief prosecutor Polin Octavianus Sitanggang could not be reached for comment. World Tankers, which owns the Strovolos, said the Cambodian government had contracted the company that chartered the ship, KrisEnergy Group. The vessels owners understood that the chartering company was contracted by the Government of Cambodia as part of a commercial oil development projection and gave it the right to sell the oil subject to payment of royalties, World Tankers said in a statement issued Monday. The Government of Cambodia has not provided any proof to the owners to support its claim that it owns the cargo on board the vessel. World Tankers further said that the Strovolos crew are the innocent victims of wrongful conduct by the Government of Cambodia in violation of their human rights. The tanker, built in 1999, was chartered to oil exploration firm KrisEnergy (Apsara) Co. Ltd, which started producing oil from Cambodias first oil field in December 2020. During the charter, the KrisEnergy Group ran into financial troubles and filed for liquidation in June, but was unable to pay the tankers crew. The owners and the crew wanted the cargo to be offloaded by mutual agreement, and in the meantime, moved the vessel offshore of Batam, pending a crew change. There has never been any intention or suggestion that anything would be done with the oil on board other than to offload it as soon as its ownership is proved, and agreement is reached about payment to the owners of the money which they are owed, World Tankers said. The owners are concerned that there would not be a fair trial in Cambodia and that official statements saying the crew stole the cargo were inappropriate and contrary to the basic principle of justice, the company said. Indonesia does not need to interfere Siswanto Rusdi, an observer at the National Maritime Institute (Namarin), an independent think-tank, said Indonesian authorities should release the tankers crew. The red notice comes from Cambodia, which means you have to return [the cargo] to Cambodia, he told BenarNews. Even if there is a dispute behind it, Indonesia does not need to interfere. Indonesia has nothing to do with the tanker once the legal case against the violation of navigational rules has been decided, Siswanto said. Now, what is the basis for the detention? What business do we have? If not careful, Indonesia could be subjected to a lawsuit, he said. The current international law does not favor seafarers. In any dispute, no matter how small, the crew are the ones subjected to arrest, when in fact, they are only part of the process of moving goods, but dont necessarily know the agreement behind it, Siswanto said. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Police in Kandal province are holding 31 villagers for alleged involvement in violence against authorities. Police in Cambodia's Kandal province set up roadblocks to prevent villagers from accessing their land, Sept. 7, 2021. Cambodian authorities have arrested more than 30 villagers during a violent roundup of land protesters in Kandal province where they were protesting against an airport being built by a company owned by a tycoon with ties to the countrys autocratic leader, provincial police and villagers said. The land at Kampong Talong village in Kandals Beung Khchang commune was taken three years ago by the Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation (OCIC), a private Cambodian firm, for construction of the U.S. $1.5 billion airport project. Around 330 families living on the disputed land refused compensation for their fields, saying the amounts offered in payment by the firm were too low. Police beat the protesters who rallied Sunday, and 31 were arrested for alleged involvement in violence against authorities during the demonstration. The land dispute between 330 families and the Overseas Cambodia Investment Corporation (OCIC) owned by Neak Oknha (honorific) Pung Khieu Se, an affluent business tycoon close to Prime Minister Hun Sen led to authorities to make the arrests. Villager Nai Phon, who was monitoring the situation, said that authorities arrested three of his family members his wife, Khim Chetra, and sisters Nay Phea and Nay Phol, and that police were still searching for and arresting other villagers. As a land grab victim, it has been three years since I begged the head of government to help solve this land dispute by giving us fair compensation so that we can accept it, Nai Phon said. And now we do not dare to claim the market price. We can accept a reasonable price to end the confrontation and have all the detainees released. RFA could not reach Kandals police commissioner, Chhoeun Socheth, for comment. It is not a good way Am Sam Ath, deputy director of monitoring at Cambodian human rights group Licadho, said that this is the first time in the history of land disputes in Cambodia that authorities have arrested such a large number of people. We still insist on not choosing that way, and it is not a good way, said Am Sam Ath, who condemned the resort to mass arrests. First, it affects both sides and draws more criticism over the issue of the land dispute as well as other allegations, he said. And if the people are imprisoned, their suffering will be doubled. This means that their families will face more problems. This arrest and violent crackdown erupted Sept. 12 after hundreds of authorities prevented farmers from accessing the land. They set fire to the rubbish in front of the security barricades used by local police and military police to block the road to their farmland now under the control of OCIC. In response, Kandal Provincial Hall accused residents of causing acts of violence involving the use of sticks, stones, rubber bullets, and petrol bombs that injured 13 police officers. Authorities called on residents to stop what they said were illegal activities and return to efforts to resolve the land dispute peacefully. Acting on behalf of CIOC, Kandal provincial authorities have offered villagers U.S. $8 per square meter for their land, but villagers say that is much lower than the U.S. $70-80 per square meter estimated market price. Van Sophat, land monitoring officer for the Cambodian Center for Human Rights, previously told RFA that OCIC had failed to conduct a proper assessment of their projects environmental impact or to consult Kampong Talong villagers on the proposed development. The villagers hold title to their land and deserve justice and fair compensation, he said. Hundreds of police officers blocked villagers on Sept. 7 from visiting rice fields seized to build an airport, though no injuries were reported. Villagers stopped cultivating their land three years ago, but had to start farming again because business shutdowns caused by the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in Cambodia have left them without other ways to survive, a villager told RFA in an earlier report. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sum Sok Ry. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Two Washington-led Asia-Pacific groupings have quietly circumvented ASEAN in a bid to blunt Chinas growing dominance in the South China Sea. Royal Australian Navy vessels conduct exercises with the Philippine Navy's FF151 frigate in the vicinity of Cabra Island in the Philippines, Sept. 27, 2021. Updated at 11:35 am EST on 2021-09-29 Newly minted alliances among nations in the Indo-Pacific region have sidelined ASEAN, analysts say, with some arguing that the 10-nation grouping of Southeast Asian countries dug its own grave through its inaction on regional issues. Within a span of just seven months, two Washington-led Asia-Pacific groupings one ideological and one military have quietly circumvented the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in a bid to blunt Chinas growing dominance and militarization in the South China Sea. ASEAN has for long touted its centrality to the region, and powers such as the United States, China, and Russia have described it as the anchor of the Indo-Pacific security landscape, but such words are starting to ring hollow, said James Chin, a professor at Tasmania University. [W]ith the Quad and AUKUS, they clearly bypassed ASEAN. They pay lip service to ASEAN, but they dont really care what ASEAN thinks, Chin told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. AUKUS is the new security alliance under which the U.S. and the United Kingdom will provide Australia the technology needed to build nuclear-powered submarines. It was preceded by the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), whose members the U.S., Japan, India, and Australia said at the groups first summit in March that they are committed to an open, secure, and coercion-free Indo-Pacific region. The White House statement on AUKUS and a statement subsequently issued by Australias ambassador to the regional bloc both nodded to ASEAN, but little else. And ASEAN is to blame for that, Chin said, an opinion echoed by other analysts. ASEAN itself is the cause of its own problem. The fact that it cannot resolve the South China Sea issue, cant even get China to agree to the Code of Conduct after 20 years, cant solve the Myanmar problem It shows that ASEAN cant be taken seriously based on its historical track record, Chin argued. For nearly two decades, China and ASEAN have been negotiating a Code of Conduct, to lay out guidelines for how nations with competing claims in the South China Sea must behave. In 2019 ASEAN agreed with China to finalize the code in three years, but there is no sign a COC will be ready by next year. After the Feb. 1 military coup in Myanmar, ASEAN struggled to come to a consensus on how to deal with its member state. The blocs nations in late April finally agreed to send an emissary to help resolve the post-coup crisis there, but it took ASEAN more than 100 days to name a special envoy. That envoy has not yet secured permission from the Burmese junta to talk to all stakeholders. Meanwhile, amid mounting violence against civilians in Myanmar, ASEAN successfully lobbied to block a U.N. call to suspend arms sales to the Burmese military, in the wake of the coup. Jeremy Maxie, an associate at Strategika Group Asia Pacific, a security consultancy in New Zealand, noted that ASEAN is often a hindrance in resolving regional issues. ASEAN has proven over the last several years that it is irrelevant, even counterproductive, in responding to regional security issues from Myanmar to SCS, Maxie said on Twitter. Some ASEAN members may complain about AUKUS, but it is a lesson for the regional bloc, noted former Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa. It is a reminder of the cost of its dithering and indecision on the complex and fast-evolving geopolitical environment, Natalegawa told The Jakarta Post. A protester against Myanmar's junta holds a placard criticizing the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), in Mandalay, Myanmar, June 5, 2021. [Reuters] Picking up the slack Meanwhile, Derek J. Grossman, a senior defense analyst at U.S. think tank Rand Corporation, said ASEAN members should not have been surprised an alliance such as AUKUS was formed. [O]ne has to genuinely ask: what did ASEAN expect if it couldnt [or] wouldnt act vs Chinas growing military threats? Someone has to pick up their slack, Grossman said on Twitter. The governments of Southeast Asia face a dilemma in responding to Chinas assertion of its sweeping claims in the South China Sea, in large part because of their economic dependence on Beijing. Regional analyst Oh Ei Sun told BenarNews last week that Malaysia preferred to maintain a working strategic relationship with Beijing, despite Chinas frequent incursions into what Malaysia considers to be its territorial waters in the South China Sea. Moreover, to the shock of the countrys opposition parties, Defense Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said he would seek Chinas views on AUKUS on a trip to Beijing. It was a little embarrassing for Malaysia to so publicly subcontract its foreign policy, noted John Blaxland, professor at the Australian National University. Indonesia, meanwhile, recently downplayed the lingering presence of a Chinese survey ship working in Jakartas exclusive economic zone even after warning Chinese fishing boats and their Coast Guard escorts to get out of the Natuna Sea on multiple occasions. China claims nearly the entire South China Sea, including waters within the EEZs of Taiwan, and of ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. While Indonesia does not regard itself as party to the South China Sea dispute, Beijing claims historic rights to parts of that sea overlapping Indonesias EEZ as well. Beijing has repeatedly rejected a 2016 international arbitral award that declared Chinas claim over most of the South China Sea baseless. United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken sits next to Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi during a meeting with foreign ministers of ASEAN member countries on the sidelines of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Sept. 23, 2021. [Reuters] A polarized situation Though it famously operates by consensus, there is no common stance among ASEAN nations on AUKUS, notes Rizal Sukma, a senior researcher at the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International, who is a former Indonesian ambassador to Britain. Some are supportive, like Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Some are opposed like Malaysia and there are those who are concerned including Indonesia. Others remain silent, such as Brunei and Laos, he told BenarNews. But, the question is really, does ASEAN have the capacity to be a place where great powers interests can be managed? I doubt it. ASEAN has even become more irrelevant. Still, Rizal said, the three AUKUS countries should recognize that the regions nations are worried about the escalation of tensions in Southeast Asia. The issue is not AUKUS, but the U.S.-China rivalry, which is the driving force for AUKUS cooperation and for the consolidation of the PRCs military position in the South China Sea, he said. It is better for ASEAN to focus on how to manage the rivalry if it wants to remain relevant, Rizal said. Former Malaysian deputy defense minister Liew Chin Tong concurred that there is still a role for ASEAN in the current geopolitical landscape if it can step up. I would like to see some of the ASEAN member states seeing the danger of a polarized situation come together to find a strong common position to hold back the great powers, Liew told BenarNews. ASEAN needs to be more dynamic, and AUKUS may well push it to be so, Nick Bisley, professor of International Relations at LaTrobe University in Australia, noted on Twitter. ASEAN never works as well as when it feels its centrality is at risk. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story identified Hishammuddin Hussein as Malaysia's Foreign Minister. He is Defense Minister. Zhou Xiaoyun reaches the end of a six-month stint in incommunicado detention, but looks set to remain behind bars. Chinese rights lawyer Zhou Xiaoyun, formerly an editor at the Southern Metropolis Daily newspaper, is shown in an undated photo. Authorities in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong have applied to arrest a human rights lawyer after holding him under residential surveillance for six months, his friend told RFA. Rights lawyer Zhou Xiaoyun, who formerly worked as a senior editor at the cutting-edge Southern Metropolis Daily newspaper in Guangzhou, was initially detained by police in the northeastern province of Liaoning around six months ago on suspicion of "picking quarrels and stirring up trouble," a charge frequently used to target peaceful critics of the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He was held incommunicado under RSDL, residential surveillance at a designated location, but now that the six-month limit has been reached, police have applied to the state prosecutor's office for approval of his arrest, a friend of Zhou's who gave only the surname Lu said. Police in Guangdong's Panshan county submitted the arrest application to the local procuratorate on Sept. 26, Lu said. He said Zhou was being victimized by the Liaoning police. "They sent the case to the Panshan county procuratorate on the 26th, to apply for his arrest," Lu said. "It's not clear which leader is in charge, but it is being handled, at least on the face of things, by the Panshan county police, and in actuality by the Panjin municipal police department." Zhou had met with his lawyer twice during the past week, as well as receiving a visit from his sister, he said. A veteran lawyer who gave only the surname Zhang said Zhou will remain in detention after his time in "residential surveillance at a designated location (RSDL)" expires if the application is approved. "This is what used to be called criminal detention, and it requires the approval of the procuratorate for a formal arrest," Zhang said. "This is a critical juncture, because if the procuratorate approves the arrest, it means at the very least that they believe Zhou committed a crime which should be investigated and which deserves a prison sentence." "[That means they think] he should remain in detention," he said. Repeated calls to the Panjin municipal police department and to the Panshan country procuratorate rang unanswered during office hours on Tuesday. Re-educating the media The CCP is in the process of "re-educating" its already tightly controlled state media, requiring hundreds of thousands of journalists to sit an exam on the political thought of general secretary Xi Jinping to qualify for a new generation of official press cards. The process started with a 2014 requirement for journalists to study Marxism, and followed up by Xi in 2016, when he warned during visits to state media organizations that state media are part of the CCP family. All media operating in China must safeguard the authority of the Communist Party central committee, and adhere to "the correct direction" in forming public opinion, Xi said at the time. Meanwhile, Xu Yan, wife of jailed human rights attorney Yu Wensheng said he has yet to receive adequate medical and dental treatment in Nanjing Prison, where he is serving a four-year sentence after being convicted of "incitement to subvert state power" by a court in the eastern province of Jiangsu. Family members have long suspected that Yu has been tortured and ill-treated while in custody, as he only has limited use of his right hand, and is unable to write, brush his teeth, or harvest crops as part of prison labor. He was named as a finalist for the Martin Ennals Award honoring human rights defenders earlier this year. The Martin Ennals Foundation called him "one of the best-known and most intrepid human rights activists" in China, acknowledging that Yu has been subjected to arbitrary detention, a secret trial, and the removal of his license to practice law. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Cryptocurrency transactions are now 'prohibited,' while the digital yuan can be earmarked only for specific purposes. Cryptocurrency is shown against a background of Chinese national flags in a file photo. The ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has intensified a ban on cryptocurrency transactions and mining, in a move commentators said could be intended to protect the government's digital yuan. Accusing Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies of breeding money-laundering, illegal fund-raising, fraud and pyramid schemes, the People's Bank of China said in a statement on its official website on Sept. 24 that cryptocurrencies have no legal tender status, banning financial institutions from participating in such transactions. "Cryptocurrency exchanges and trading [and the provision of related services] are all illegal financial activities and are strictly prohibited," it said. It said it was also illegal for overseas cryptocurrency exchanges to provide services to Chinese residents online. "Ten departments including the Peoples Bank of China, the Cyberspace Administration of China, and the Ministry of Public Security will coordinate this work, while provincial governments will be responsible for cracking down on illegal cryptocurrency-related activities at the local level," it said. Analysts say China also sees cryptocurrencies as a threat to its sovereign digital-yuan, which is at an advanced pilot stage, Reuters reported. China has been rolling out trial projects in recent months to develop a digital yuan payments system challenging the current digital payments duopoly of privately owned WeChat and Alipay. Pilot projects have been launched in Beijing, Shenzhen, Suzhou, Shanghai, and Xi'an, among other places, while six major state-owned banks and more than a dozen smaller banks have launched a digital yuan wallet. Chinese economist He Jiangbing said the digital yuan is both currency and payments system. "Alipay and WeChat are just third-party applications, but the digital yuan is a currency in its own right," He told RFA. Limited to domestic economy A current affairs commentator who gave only the pseudonym Wan said the applications of the currency are still limited to the domestic Chinese economy at this stage. "Chinas digital renminbi doesn't have much international recognition, and it is not even linked to international cryptocurrency standards," Wan said. "It is simply a tool designed for internal circulation that allows all digital renminbi users to consume in designated areas." Wan said the CCP appears to be moving ever closer to a state-controlled economy with state-owned monopolies in key areas, with the government able to limit which transactions the digital yuan can be used for. "Far from preventing monopolies, they are themselves a monopoly," Wan said. "We are talking about [market] dominance." "For example, let's say somebody's home is demolished, and compensation is only paid in digital yuan," he said. "That money could only be used to buy a home and decorate it, but not for anything unrelated to the home." "This is the biggest drawback of the digital yuan," he said. Chinese cryptocurrency exchange Huobi Global said on Sunday it had stopped taking new mainland customers and would end contracts with Chinese clients, taking care to safeguard their assets. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Hospitals, food refrigeration, mobile phone signals, and elevators are all affected by local government orders to cut power. Smoke and steam emanate from a coal-processing plant in Hejin city in central China's Shanxi province in a file photo. China is facing ongoing power shortages in its industrial northeast triggering a wave of factory closures, with traffic lights, residential elevators, and mobile phone coverage also affected in some cities. Power rationing is already in place in more than 10 provinces including the northeastern province of Jilin, amid soaring coal prices. Jilin provincial governor Han Jun called for more channels to secure coal supplies from Russia, Mongolia, and Indonesia, while dispatching teams to secure supplies from China's northern region of Inner Mongolia. According to an estimate by Goldman Sachs, as much as 44 percent of China's industrial activity has been hit by power shortages, leading analysts to cut their 2021 GDP growth forecast for China to 7.8 percent from an earlier estimate of 8.2 percent. Some shops and hotels in the northeast were lit by candlelight, while homes went without power and malls shut early, amid growing concern that power shortages could also affect water supplies. Video posted to the social media platform Weibo on Sept. 27 showed traffic queuing in darkness in one city, with captions that quoted Chinese leader Xi Jinping as calling for greater efforts to protect power supplies to ordinary people and keep the generators turning. The worst-affected areas are mostly concentrated in smaller cities and rural areas, according to media reports. "The reason for the power outage is that coal is more expensive this year, and in previous years it was imported into China from abroad," Jilin resident Wang Fengxia said. "So they can't afford it this year." "They are rationing electricity, and accidents will occur in factories, mines, and hospitals," Wang said. "If they cut power just as people are having surgery in a hospital, they are just going to die." Political considerations A Shanxi-based current affairs commentator surnamed Jiang said political considerations inform every decision made by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). "Actually, this has been their practice for many years now," Jiang said. "Political considerations trump everything in China these days." "There is no sense that they are trying to avoid business closures or unemployment." According to social media posts, water supplies were also cut off in some places, with others reporting that they hadn't eaten for two days, or were trapped in an elevator, or had to climb the stairs to get home to their high-rise apartments. One family was sent to hospital after gas poisoning when their extractor fans stopped working during an outage, while another hospital was unable to treat patients due to a blackout. Power suppliers said coal-fired power companies are "expanding their procurement channels at any cost" in order to guarantee winter heat and electricity supplies. But China needs to increase production and its supply of coal, and more medium- and long-term contracts are needed to be signed to raise power plant inventories ahead of winter, the China Electricity Council warned. Power-curtailment orders The State Development and Reform Commission recently named Qinghai, Ningxia, Guangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, Xinjiang, Yunnan, Shaanxi, and Jiangsu as regions that need to improve their energy management, while "power curtailment orders" have been issued across the northeast and in coastal regions, catching many factories off guard. Factories making printed circuit boards in Suzhou and Kunshan in the eastern province of Jiangsu were suddenly notified of a total power outage for five days without prior warning, a Taiwanese business association told RFA. "All manufacturers in Kunshan have been notified of power outages," Kunshan Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce president Tsung Hsu-hui told RFA. "We were notified about a week ago, and it will last until the end of the month." "We will have to review the situation at the end of the month," Tsung said, adding that production capacity will be cut by at least 20 percent for the month. Hsu Cheng-wen of the Suzhou Taiwanese Chamber of Commerce said the entire Suzhou Industrial Park, the Greater Suzhou Industrial Zone, Suzhou New District, and Kunshan have all been affected. "The power rationing in Suzhou and Kunshan has had no impact on people's daily lives, and the retail industry isn't affected," Hsu told RFA. "The biggest impact should be felt by the highest-polluting industries, like cement and plastics manufacturers." "Most manufacturers have already applied for late delivery, which may incur fines ... output will definitely decrease," he said. According to Chinese financial scholar He Jiangbing, China currently gets 74 percent of its power from thermal generation, 11 percent from hydropower, and five percent from nuclear, wind, and other sources. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Wall-fare deletes its social media accounts and shutters its office after 'some groups' were accused of turning prisoners against the government. Hong Kong prisoner support group Wall-fare announced it is disbanding on Tuesday, to mitigate the risk of being pursued under a draconian national security law imposed on the city by the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP). "After nine months of hard work, Wall-fare will now officially end its operations," the group said in a cached version of its farewell message on its Facebook page that was later deleted. "Though we may have been crushed in the end, what came before that made it worthwhile." Wall-fare's dissolution comes after secretary for security and former police chief Chris Tang accused "certain groups" of endangering national security" in prisons by writing to inmates and "soliciting followers" with gifts of chocolates, hairpins, and other items, making them "hate the government." It is the latest in a line of civil society groups to disband following public denunciation by officials or by CCP-backed media. The group started up on Dec. 14, 2020, working out of an office in Lai Chi Kok, collecting goods and money to support prisoners amid a city-wide crackdown on opposition lawmakers, peaceful activism, and public dissent. "Wall-fare will be wrapping up its caseload according to the principles of social work, but it will no longer be providing services," the statement said. It said the group would apply to deregister from the Companies Registry and go through the legal processes needed to dissolve. Activist and former lawmaker Shiu Ka-chun, who once represented social workers in the Legislative Council (LegCo), said the decision came after a meeting of employees on Sunday. He said it was in response to a specific incident that day, but declined to disclose further details. Constant political pressure But he said it was "well-known" that he and the group had been under constant political pressure since the outset. "Any civil society group in Hong Kong is going to be under all kinds of pressure right now," Shiu said. "Maybe even standing here today is a crime." "How could we go on, watching one group after another run into trouble? All I can tell you is that I can't do this any more, so we are announcing that it's over," he said. Shiu said the group had assisted more than 100 inmates and their families in the past nine months, providing material and emotional support to anyone jailed or on remand for taking part in protests or activism. "People in custody are the most marginalized people in society and are often ignored," he said. "All I wanted to do was to ... offer a cool glass of water to inmates and their families during the summer heat," Shiu said. "Unfortunately, that cup of water may have gotten too hot now." Help to inmates' families Independent social worker Lau Ka Tung said he was one of Wall-fare's service users after being arrested for "obstructing officials in the course of their duties" during the 2019 protest movement. He said the organization's disbanding was a shame, as it had reduced the burden on families by providing free supplies to inmates. "The letters I received through their pen-pal matching program helped me make it through," Lau said. "Wall-fare also visited my family and gave gifts to my parents on Mother's Day and Father's Day, which means I didn't worry so much in prison." "We don't hear much public discussion of the rights and interests of inmates," Lau said. He said Wall-fare had campaigned for fans to be installed during the hot weather, organizing public petitions. "I don't know who will be doing that sort of rights-based advocacy work now Wall-fare is gone," he said. Shiu said Wall-fare had always operated within the rules laid down by the Correctional Services Department. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Foreign ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou said the Taiwanese government had "taken note" of the AUKUS pact, and that Taiwan held common interests with the three allies. The new security partnership announced on Sept. 15 is widely viewed as a pushback against growing Chinese military power in the region. Under the deal, Australia will receive nuclear propulsion systems for submarines, but won't deploy nuclear weapons. "We are an important member of the Indo-Pacific region ... and we have long shared an interest in Indo-Pacific peace and stability with countries with similar philosophies, like the U.S., Australia and the U.K," Ou told reporters. Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Wang Ting-yu said AUKUS is clearly aimed at containing Chinese military power, especially with regard to the international waters of the South China Sea, and the Chinese Communist Party's military threat to invade Taiwan by force. "This new military alliance ... will act as a check and balance that will improve Indo-Pacific regional stability," Wang told RFA. "It is helpful to peace and stability in this region." "As far as Taiwan is concerned, we are happy to see this [and] it is necessary for Taiwan to cooperate with these three countries ... so as to balance the CCP's military expansionism." Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen (front row C) poses for photographs during an inauguration ceremony of a Ta Chiang Corvette at a navy base in Yilan, Sept. 9, 2021. Credit: AFP Wolf-warrior diplomacy' Officials and lawmakers in the democratic island of Taiwan have welcomed a trilateral security pact between the U.S., the U.K., and Australia that will help Canberra develop nuclear submarines, saying it hopes to continue to deepen its diplomatic ties with the U.S. and E.U.Foreign ministry spokesperson Joanne Ou said the Taiwanese government had "taken note" of the AUKUS pact, and that Taiwan held common interests with the three allies.The new security partnership announced on Sept. 15 is widely viewed as a pushback against growing Chinese military power in the region.Under the deal, Australia will receive nuclear propulsion systems for submarines, but won't deploy nuclear weapons."We are an important member of the Indo-Pacific region ... and we have long shared an interest in Indo-Pacific peace and stability with countries with similar philosophies, like the U.S., Australia and the U.K," Ou told reporters.Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmaker Wang Ting-yu said AUKUS is clearly aimed at containing Chinese military power, especially with regard to the international waters of the South China Sea, and the Chinese Communist Party's military threat to invade Taiwan by force."This new military alliance ... will act as a check and balance that will improve Indo-Pacific regional stability," Wang told RFA. "It is helpful to peace and stability in this region.""As far as Taiwan is concerned, we are happy to see this [and] it is necessary for Taiwan to cooperate with these three countries ... so as to balance the CCP's military expansionism." DPP secretary general Liu Shih-fang said the move is a direct response to years of "wolf-warrior diplomacy" under the rule of CCP general secretary Xi Jinping. "Taiwan is a part of the alliance of democratic countries, and we will cooperate with other democratic countries," Liu told RFA. "That cooperation could be [in the areas of] trade and the economy, or defense and security, or human rights." The U.S. and Australian governments appeared to agree, saying they support Taiwan's participation in international organizations and stronger ties with Taiwan. In a joint statement issued by the two governments at the conclusion of the 31st Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) in Washington, they said Taiwan plays an important role in the Indo-Pacific region. "The principals emphasized their support for Taiwan's meaningful participation in international organizations, as a member where statehood is not a prerequisite and as an observer or guest where statehood is a prerequisite for membership," it said. Meanwhile, Taiwan urged the European Union to begin preparations for the possible signing of a bilateral investment deal, as part of the bloc's pledge to seek a trade deal under its newly published Indo-Pacific strategy. The EU strategy document said the bloc plans to increase its influence in the Indo-Pacific region, in the areas of health, security, data, infrastructure, the environment, oceans, and trade. "The EU will also pursue its deep trade and investment relationships with partners with whom it does not have trade and investment agreements, such as Taiwan," according to a communique on the strategy. More joint exercises The document said the EU intends to work with its Indo-Pacific partners to strengthen and diversify trade ties, which will also involve addressing strategic dependencies in supply chains. "For semiconductors, for example, it will do so with partners such as Japan, the Republic of Korea and Taiwan," the document said. The move came as China filed an application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Commerce Minister Wang Wentao submitted Chinas application to join the free trade agreement in a letter to New Zealands trade minister, Damien OConnor, the Chinese ministry said in a statement late on . The CPTPP was signed by 11 countries including Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan and New Zealand in 2018. Before that, it was known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership and seen as an important economic counterweight to Chinas regional influence. Meanwhile, the EU said China's "significant military build-up" and "display of force" as well as the "increasing tensions in regional hotspots" such as in the South and East China Sea and in the Taiwan Strait, may have a direct impact on European security and prosperity. The EU said it will conduct more joint exercises and port calls with Indo-Pacific partners, including multilateral exercises, to fight piracy and protect freedom of navigation, while reinforcing EU naval diplomacy in the region. Former Taiwanese Chief of General Staff Lee Hsi-ming warned on that Xi has linked the invasion of Taiwan with his concept of the "Chinese Dream," and the "rejuvenation" of the Chinese nation. He called for better defenses to deter any such attack. "The only way to be sure is to make it impossible for him," Lee told an online forum on . "The best way to fight a war is to prevent it from happening in the first place." Lee called for bigger military reserves and a homeland defense force to boost Taiwan's own defense capabilities. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. At least 15 government troops were killed while fighting Kachin rebels in the area, sources say. Myanmars military launched airstrikes on villages in northwestern Sagaing region as clashes with anti-junta joint forces intensified over the weekend, leaving at least 15 government troops dead and causing thousands of civilians to flee their homes to safety, sources said Monday. Intense fighting broke out between junta forces and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) armed ethnic organization (AEO) on Sunday in Pinlebu township, prompting the military to deploy heavy weapons and call in airstrikes to clear the area, a local branch of the Peoples Defense Force (PDF) militia told RFAs Myanmar Service. Sources said that following the strikes, PDF members urged residents of Wun Bair Inn village, the scene of the firefight, to dig bomb shelters and leave the conflict zone, if possible. A resident of Katha township, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told RFA that the military had also ordered thousands of people to depart the area, which lies some 180 kilometers (110 miles) east of Pinlebu. In Pinlebu, people were ordered to evacuate to a certain site and the army said they would not take responsibility for those who did not do sothere must be about 3,000 people involved, the resident said. There are eight or nine villages about a mile away from each other near the scene of the fighting. People were terrified because there were airstrikes recently. Many of the residents are very simple peoplesome have never even seen a train or a boat before. He said the military had been checking all traffic heading towards nearby Kawlin township on Monday. Cars leaving Kanbalu township around noon on Sunday were stopped by soldiers for about three hours and some were commandeered to take the wounded to Kanbalu Hospital, residents said. Myanmars shadow National Unity Government (NUG) said in a statement Monday that at least 15 junta soldiers were killed during clashes near Pinlebus Sar Taungbon village on Sept. 24 between the military and local PDF groups, and that government weapons and ammunition were seized. RFA was not immediately able to confirm the number of casualties. Attempts to contact KIA spokesman Colonel Naw Bu by telephone went unanswered on Monday. Residents of the area said telephone lines and the internet were cut off in Pinlebu, Kawlin and Wuntho townships early on Sunday, ahead of the airstrikes. The three townships joined 25 others across the country that have had the internet blocked after they were the center of anti-junta activities. Myanmars military has attempted to justify its overthrow of the democratically elected National League for Democracy (NLD) government by claiming the party had stolen the countrys November 2020 ballot through voter fraud. The junta has yet to provide evidence of its claims and has violently repressed anti-coup protests, killing at least 1,136 people and arresting 6,850 others, according to the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). On Sept. 7, the 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. Many EAOs have been fighting against Myanmars military for the more than 70 years since the countrys 1948 independence. In the aftermath of this years coup, several groups have thrown their support behind anti-junta resistance fighters, while others are joining forces with the local PDF branches to fight the military. Joint PDF forces on patrol in Kayah state's Demoso township, in an undated photo. Loikaw PDF Kayah state clashes Fierce fighting also broke out between junta troops and the Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF) militia in Kayah state over the weekend near Demawso townships Kone Thar and Thaysulei villages, according to KDNF sources. The KNDF said two of its men were killed in the fighting and that around 30 houses in the two villages were destroyed by fire. On the first day, one was killed on our side and on Sunday, another comrade fell, said a KNDF official who declined to be named. The enemy suffered at least 10 [deaths] and they set fire to the houses in the villages. Local reports said more than 10,000 people who live in the vicinity of the two villages were forced to flee into the mountains as the military fired heavy artillery shells during the fighting. One woman told RFA that those who fled the fighting are having difficulty finding food and shelter. At around 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, when the military started firing heavy weapons, our houses were all shaken, she said. Afterwards, the whole village fled. We took some clothes, rice, oil and salt and fled by boat. The ground in the jungle is muddy because of heavy rains and we were unable to sleep because the plastic sheets we used for cover couldnt withstand the downpour. Residents of Demawso said junta troops withdrew to the townships Nyaung Kone village on Monday. Calls to military spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun seeking comment on the fighting in Sagaing region and Kayah state went unanswered Monday. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Victims include members of the deposed ruling party the National League for Democracy, social volunteers, school teachers, and students. Myanmar activist and former political prisoner Than Tun Oo is shown in an undated photo. The weekend killing of a former political prisoner who was shot in the legs after a slow response to orders and then tortured to death raised the tally of Myanmar civilians to die under interrogation by security forces to 54 since the military seized power in a coup nearly eight months ago, sources in the country say. Victims include members of the deposed ruling party the National League for Democracy, social volunteers, school teachers, and students, according to family members who say that blatant violations of the law by Myanmars military have left them with no way to seek justice. Than Tun Oo, an obese former political prisoner, was abducted from his home in Mandalay on Sept. 25 and taken to the No. 7 Area Police Station, where he was shot in the legs when he failed to respond quickly to orders to kneel and later killed by interrogators, according to his friends. Than Tun Oos death was reported to his family the next day, friends said. The number of reported deaths under questioning rose from six to eight each month from March to July, with nine reported in August and 10 so far in September. Also killed in September was Kyaw Min Oo, 40, a resident of Kalay in Myanmars Sagaing region. Arrested on Sept. 14, Kyaw Min Oo was taken from his home to the headquarters of the regional military command, where he died under suspicious circumstances. During a surprise check at his house in the industrial zone, they found an iron pipe which they said could be used as a rifle barrel, and they arrested him, a friend told RFA, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect his personal safety. After his arrest, there was no contact with his family or friends, and no details are known at this time regarding how or why he died, his friend said, adding that Kyaw Min Oos captors quickly cremated his body, informing his family of his death only on Sept. 18. Kyaw Min Oo had owned a lathe machine shop for around 20 years and is survived by his wife, an 11-year-old son, and a six-year-old son, he said. In central Myanmars Myingyan district, 24-year-old Soe Maung Maung was reported dead on Sept. 17, three days after his Sept. 14 arrest, with military sources claiming the armed-robbery suspect had died of alcohol poisoning, a friend of the family said. His father-in-law, U Kalar, was told that Soe Maung Maung had died from drinking too much alcohol, the friend said, speaking like RFAs other sources on condition of anonymity. He died three days after he was arrested, and his family was told next day that he had died. His family had sent food packets for him every day, he said. U Kalar did not inform his daughter, Soe Maung Maungs widow, of the death because she was pregnant, the man said. Three of five young men arrested with Soe Maung Maung on robbery charges on Sept. 14 are being held at the military compound in Myingyan, while the whereabouts of the other two are still unknown, he said. Also killed this month, Kyaw Kyawa 50-year-old resident of Taungdwingyi township in central Myanmars Magway regionwas visiting a sick relatives house on the night of Sept. 17 when he was arrested, with his death announced by military sources the next day, a source close to his family said. Reached for comment by RFA, a local administrative official denied the man had died. No hope for justice Myanmars military operates with impunity in cases involving deaths in detention, leaving grieving family members with no confidence in winning justice from the countrys ruling authorities, relatives and lawyers say. They dont take any action even if you file a complaint, said a relative of Kan Htauk, a resident of Magway regions Hnankhar village who died under interrogation on Aug. 21. They are above the law, and so family members have no hope of getting justice, he said. Families have no confidence in the [ruling] Military Council. The law is only in their mouths, he said. High Court lawyer Khin Maung Myint said that Myanmar law prohibits the torture of detainees, so that the killings reported at interrogation centers are violations of the law. Whether these deaths were caused by the investigation team, the military, or the police, it is a violation of the law if a person dies during arrest and interrogation. It is not in line with domestic or international law, he said. We need the junta to rein in its security forces. Also, the current political situation in the country will not allow law firms to act in accordance with the law, he said, adding that only a return to civilian rule will establish the rule of law needed to address the peoples grievances and concerns. Requests for comment by junta spokesperson Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun received no reply this week. On Feb. 1, Myanmars military overthrew the countrys democratically elected government, claiming voter fraud had led to a landslide victory for national leader Aung San Suu Kyis National League for Democracy (NLD) party in the countrys 2020 election. The junta has yet to provide evidence of its claims and has violently suppressed nationwide demonstrations calling for a return to civilian rule, killing 1,139 people and arresting 6,891 over the past eight months, according to the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP-Burma). Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Richard Finney. Experts say the deal will see him maintain a low profile until a decision later this year. Myanmar's ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun addresses the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, in a file photo. Myanmars ambassador to the United Nations withdrew from addressing the General Assembly on Monday as part of a U.S.-China-brokered deal that will see him maintain a low profile until a U.N. decision on who will represent the country expected later this year, according to sources familiar with the situation. Over the weekend, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told RFAs Myanmar Service that current U.N. Ambassador Kyaw Moe Tun had withdrawn from his speaker slot at the U.N. General Assembly (UNGA) on Monday, the final day of the gathering. The only information that I have is that Myanmar is not inscribed on the speakers list, Dujarric said at the time, referring further questions to the ambassador. Kyaw Moe Tun, who was appointed by Aung San Suu Kyis since-deposed National League for Democracy (NLD) government, confirmed to Reuters news agency that he would not be speaking at the General Assembly, without providing a reason. When pressed, he told the outlet that he was aware of an understanding between the nine members of the U.N. credentials committee, which include Russia, China and the U.S., although he did not elaborate. On Feb. 1, Myanmars military seized power in a coup, alleging that the NLD engineered a landslide victory in the November 2020 election through widespread voter fraud. The junta has yet to provide evidence of its claims and has violently repressed anti-coup protests, killing at least 1,136 people and arresting 6,850 others, according to the Bangkok-based Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP). Russia and China have thrown their support behind the junta, while the U.S. has imposed sanctions on the military leadership over its violent response to those who oppose its rule. The junta appointed military veteran Aung Thurein as its ambassador to the U.N., while Kyaw Moe Tun has asked that he have his accreditation renewed, despite reports that he was the target of a plot to kill or injure him because of his opposition to the coup. The U.N. credentials committee traditionally meets in October or November and is expected to rule on who will represent Myanmar at that time. Speaking to RFAs Myanmar Service on Monday, Naing Swe Oo, executive director of the pro-military think-tank Thayninga Institute for Strategic Studies in Myanmars capital Naypyidaw, said that Aung Thurein should be recognized as ambassador, given the juntas control of the countrys executive, judicial and legislative branches of government. He said Kyaw Moe Tun had been prevented from speaking at the UNGA because of the informal agreement between China and the U.S. All in all, I think this is a victory for the [junta] because only the representative of a government body who can officially represent the country is allowed to speak at UNGA, whether it is democratic, communist or authoritarian, he said There is no reason the U.N. should recognize representatives other than those of [the junta]. Delaying a decision Richard Gowan, U.N. Director at the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, said that under the U.S.-China-brokered deal, Kyaw Moe Tun had agreed to take a low profile until a formal decision is made later this year on who will represent Myanmar at the U.N. That means that the U.S. is happy because the military is not sitting at the U.N. gaining formal recognition, but also China is happy because their position is not going to come under criticism, he said. It would be embarrassing for China if you had the ambassador using the opportunity of the U.N. General Assembly to attack Beijings support for the military rulers in Myanmar. And secondly, it would be possible for the General Assembly to take a vote on who should represent Myanmar [and] there is a chance that the military representatives would lose. Gowan told RFA he believes that both sides were willing to accept a delay and expects that the discussion will resume in November. Now we don't know what the credentials committee will do at that point, and were all waiting very cautiously, he said. But getting into the General Assembly is just one thing, right? It doesn't necessarily mean being recognized as a government. Gowan suggested that leaders in Washington and other Western capitals are concerned about fully endorsing the NUG, which on Sept. 7 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. I think that Western officials dont want to be seen to actually be endorsing more violence in Myanmar, he said. Attempts by RFA to reach Kyaw Moe Tun and military junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun went unanswered Monday. Reported and translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung for RFAs Myanmar Service. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Myanmar's Mya Hnin Ye Lwin during her modeling and acting days (L) and after fleeing to the jungle to join the fight against the junta. Myanmar model and television and film actor Mya Hnin Ye Lwin, 34, gained widespread recognition for her roles in popular TV drama series and 10 movies, including the 2016 legal drama Angel of Eden and the 2018 romantic comedy Yee Sar Ta Won Kwal. She also holds a degree in psychology from Dagon University. Earlier this year, she returned to the spotlight, but this time as one of the most active celebrities in the resistance movement against the national militarys seizure of power on Feb. 1. Mya Hnin Yee Lwin has denounced the coup at anti-junta rallies and on social media. In response, the military government in April issued a warrant for her arrest for inciting the public to disturb the peace and stability of the nation. Although she has fled Yangon and sought refuge in a rebel-controlled liberated area, she has vowed to keep up the fight against the junta. Reporter Aye Aye Mon of RFAs Myanmar Service spoke to Mya Hnin Ye Lwin about her decision to join in the anti-junta activities. The interview has been edited for length and clarity. RFA: Many film and music artists have joined the protests against the Feb. 1 military takeover, but most of them did not choose to take up arms. Why did you decide to join the protests and stand up for the people? Mya Hnin Ye Lwin: I took part in the protests after hearing the shocking news about the coup that morning on Feb 1. I felt that it was an injustice against the people and decided to join the protests. In the beginning, I did not have much fear because there were so many people, thousands of us trying to peacefully express what we wanted for the country. Later on, when arrests were made and a warrant was issued against me under Section 505(a) [of Myanmars Penal Code], I became a little frightened of what might become of me if I was arrested. I went into hiding at first and decided later to join the resistance, despite the fear in my heart. RFA: You come from a very well-off and educated family and have been quite successful in your career. Do you find daily life to be very difficult in your present situation? Mya Hnin Ye Lwin: I had never dreamed about, not even joked about, spending my days in the jungle like this. Of course, there are hardships. Food and shelter are poor. Sanitary conditions are unspeakable, especially for a young woman like me. Sometimes it is a little disheartening and I have to lift up my spirits by thinking about those who have made greater sacrifices. I have no regrets, and now I have become used to life here. The changes in life were so sudden, and I have had to adjust myself mentally as well as physically. Myanmar model and actor Mya Hnin Ye Lwin in an undated photo. Credit: Mya Hnin Ye Lwin/Facebook RFA: You must miss home. Mya Hnin Ye Lwin: Of course, I miss home very much sometimes, but we told ourselves we cannot go home yet. We have decided to make sacrifices for the people. And with that in mind, even when looking at posts and pictures on social media, I put my emotions aside and just look at them as a third person. RFA: Some people say that you resemble former Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi in photos posted on Facebook. When did you first realize that you look like her? Mya Hnin Ye Lwin: People began noticing that I looked very much like her when they saw pictures of me in interviews with some media [outlets]. At one time, a photographer friend asked me to model for him, and I dressed up in a long-sleeve top with long hair flowing down like Amay [Mother] Suu. I have a habit of learning the styles and movements of people Im portraying even though I may not totally resemble them physically. More people noticed the resemblance one day at the protests. That day, all the women protesters were asked to wear traditional Myanmar dresses and wear a flower in their hair the way Amay Suu always does. I dressed up accordingly, and people saw how much I look like her. RFA: Many people have made sacrifices but for some, successful people like you, the sacrifice is greater. How do you feel about leaving behind all you have worked for? Mya Hnin Ye Lwin: Like I said earlier, there were days when I felt a bit down in the dumps. But I try not to think of how many sacrifices I have made. The hardships we face each day are nothing compared to the lives of those who gave up life and limb and those who have been imprisoned. With such thoughts in my mind, I will carry on this fight until we have victory. RFA: What do you think of the daily killings and fighting across the country at present? Mya Hnin Ye Lwin: All this unnecessary violence and killings stemmed from the brutal suppression of peaceful protesters by the junta. Millions of people peacefully protesting on the streets were all unarmed, but the junta resorted to violence that resulted in bloodshed on the streets and arbitrary arrests and killings. People were not even safe in their own homes, and finally they had no other choice but to take up arms to protect themselves and their families. We will have to fight on until we win so as to honor those who have given their lives. Mya Hnin Ye Lwin (left photo in the black cap) takes part in a street protest after the Feb. 1 coup; the actor (right photo) impersonates Aung San Suu Kyi during a protest. Credit: Mya Hnin Ye Lwin/Facebook Reported by Aye Aye Mon for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Customers say they believe the junta would use the money to maintain power instead of help the nation. Myanmars junta has lost some 2 trillion kyats (U.S. $1 billion) in revenue from its military-operated power company since seizing power seven months ago amid a widespread public boycott of the paying of electricity bills, according to the countrys shadow National Unity Government (NUG). NUG Minister of Finance and Investment Tin Tun Naing said Tuesday that 98 percent of electricity customers in the countrys Yangon region, 97 percent in Mandalay region, and about 80 percent in the countrys remaining states and divisions have been refusing to pay their bills as part of a Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) to protest the junta and its Feb. 1 coup detat. We have a record of the Ministry of Electricity and Energys meter bills, and they have failed to recoup about 2 trillion kyats in the last seven months, he told RFAs Myanmar Service. The people need to keep up with this action. I predict that the junta could lose about 2.5 trillion kyats U.S. $1.43 billion) by the end of the year. Following its establishment in May, the NUGs Ministry of Electricity and Energy issued an order exempting all households from paying electricity bills and on June 8 announced that it had also ordered the suspension of payments for commercial entities. According to a leaked departmental directive issued on Sept. 7 by the juntas Yangon Region Electric Power Corporation, residents of townships in Yangon region alone were in arrears of more than 281 billion kyats (U.S. $161 million) from June to December 2020. The junta recently issued a letter of warning ahead of the close of the 2020-21 fiscal year, instructing district and township level offices to discuss overages with customers and cut off power, if necessary, to ensure that they pay their balances on any overdue electricity bills beginning from March 2021. The directives come after junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, during a May 20 meeting in the capital Naypyidaw, noted that electricity revenues were down and called on the people of Myanmar to pay their bills. The juntas Ministry of Electricity and Energy acknowledged in a statement on July 8 that it has had to purchase power from privately owned power plants to make up for shortfalls and warned that it would only be able to supply electricity to the country if the government can earn enough revenue. The Independent Economists of Myanmar (IEM) reported in July that the ministrys revenue had dropped by 90 percent since February this year due to the boycott on the payment of monthly meter fees. The IEM said in a statement that the ministry is currently losing 100 billion kyats (U.S. $57.2 million) a month, with only two percent of customers in Yangon and three percent in Mandalaythe two cities that account for the nations highest electricity consumptionmaking electricity payments in March. More than 4,000 employees have been fired from the department, which is now dealing with a shortage of staff, it added. Trying to starve the junta Several people told RFAs Myanmar Service they are taking part in the boycott because they believe the junta would use electricity tariffs to perpetuate military rule and said they would not pay electricity bills until a civilian government is elected. A resident of Mandalay recently told RFAs Myanmar Service that he had joined the boycott because he believes the junta would use the money for its own benefit. We are trying to starve the junta of vital revenues so it will not be able to function by refusing to pay all taxes, said the resident, speaking on condition of anonymity. Income from the electricity sector is definitely a part of the government machinery. What benefit will we get from paying them? Since the coup, security forces have killed 1,093 civilians and arrested at least 6,533, 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 National League for Democracy (NLD) government because the party had 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. Last week, the 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 Peoples Defense Force (PDF) militias and ethnic armed groups. A poster calling for participation in the Civil Disobedience Movement on display in Yangon's Kyimyindaing township, April 24, 2021. Citizen journalist Infrastructure targeted Power infrastructure has also been the target of sabotage by the PDF and other armed groups in opposition to the junta. A July 16 bomb blast in Mandalays Pyigyidagun township killed an employee of the Electric Power Corp. and a man waiting to pay his meter bill and injured at least seven people. The week prior, on July 7, township power offices in Yangons Hlaing, Mayangone, Kamayut, South Okkalapa, and Thingangyun townships were targeted in bomb blasts. The Yangon Revolutionary Front claimed responsibility and said the explosions were a warning to the Department of Electricity to refrain from forcing people to pay their bills. Since then, there have been at least 10 bomb blasts at power offices in Mandalays Mogok and Pyigyidagun townships, Yangons Lanmadaw township, and Magway regions Myothit and Yezakyo townships. A 30-year-old man from Yangons South Dagon township told RFA that the explosions had made him too afraid to visit a power office to pay his bill. At first, the reason for not paying was in protest of the junta, but later it was because NUG and PDF groups have warned against paying meter bills, said the man, who also declined to be named. There were incidents in Mandalay where two people who went to pay their bills were killed in a bomb blast, so now even those who were not against [the military] dare not go pay their bills. An employee of the power corporation said he had to be extremely cautious when distributing meter bills to customers. There are no security guarantees provided by the department, so we have to look out for ourselves, he said, speaking anonymously due to concerns about his safety. Long term impact Analysts told RFA that Myanmars major cities that account for the nations largest share of energy consumption could be severely impacted by the boycott and any subsequent power outages. Its not as simple as people think because electricity and water are basic requirements, said Aung Phyo, an energy researcher in Shan states Kalaw township. If a certain situation arises, there will be no money from the people. How can the government prepare a budget without revenue? You need revenue to carry out maintenance and repairs. Without these, factories may have to close. People in urban areas who require a lot of electricity will suffer more. Reported by RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khin Maung Nyane. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. Azerbaijan's Defense Ministry has said that Baku will host joint military drills in the days ahead with troops from Turkey and Pakistan -- the first such drills involving the three countries. The ministry said in a statement that the goal of the so-called Three Brothers-2021 exercise is to improve the combat interoperability of the special forces from the three countries, to "prepare for operations in peacetime and wartime," and to exchange "knowledge and experience." The nine-day exercise is due to begin on September 12. Earlier this year, troops from Turkey and Azerbaijan held joint live-fire drills in Baku. Turkey last year supported efforts by Azerbaijan's military to drive ethnic Armenian forces out territory they'd controlled since the early 1990s in and around Azerbaijan's breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh. Based on reporting by Reuters and APA.az A Russian national sentenced to nine years in a U.S. prison for cybercrimes in a case that closely attracted Moscows attention has reportedly been sent back home in what experts said is a rare move by the Justice Department. The Russian news agency RIA cited Russia's Interior Ministry on September 28 as saying that Aleksei Burkov had been returned. The U.S. Justice Department did not immediately respond to an RFE/RL request for comment. Burkov, 31, was sentenced in June last year by a U.S. district court in Virginia for stealing more than $20 million from U.S. consumers through a credit card fraud scheme. He was released from prison on August 25, 2021, days after a federal judge responded to a Department of Justice plea that remains under seal, according to court and prison data. Arkady Bukh, a New York-based lawyer who has represented dozens of clients from the post-Soviet world accused of crimes, told RFE/RL that it was "highly unusual" for the United States to extradite a felon back to Russia to serve out a jail term because of Moscows noncompliance with the terms. He said he could only recall one other case in which the Department of Justice agreed to extradite a Russian national serving a prison term in the United States back home. Bukh said the decision to extradite Burkov could indicate that the hacker either gave the United States information or that he may be part of an exchange. He said he expected Russia to release Burkov from prison within a few months. Burkov had been the subject of a three-year diplomatic scuffle between Russia, Israel, and the United States. He was arrested in December 2015 at the behest of the U.S. Justice Department while leaving Israel and extradited to the United States in November 2019. Moscow had pressed the Israeli government to send Burkov to Russia. After Burkov's extradition, Russia's Foreign Ministry accused Washington of "hunting" Russian citizens around the world. Based on reporting by Reuters and RIA YEREVAN -- Armenia has accused Azerbaijan of violating a key term of the Russian-brokered cease-fire deal that ended last falls fighting over the breakaway Nagorno-Karabakh region, alleging that Baku is reneging on a pledge to free Armenian soldiers and civilians captured during the conflict. Unfortunately, the return of prisoners is again delayed, the office of Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinian said in a statement posted on Facebook on April 9. Avinian said that Russian-mediated negotiations are continuing and we hope that the Azerbaijani side will at last respect the cease-fire agreement signed in November 2020, putting an end to six weeks of fighting between Armenian and Azerbaijani forces in and around Nagorno-Karabakh. There was no immediate reaction from Azerbaijani officials. Avinians accusations come a day after Armenian government representatives said that a group of prisoners of war (POWs) was about to be repatriated to Armenia. But a plane from Azerbaijan that was expected to bring 25 POWs turned out to be empty when it landed in Yerevan. Nagorno-Karabakh is internationally recognized as part of Azerbaijan but has been controlled by ethnic Armenians since the early 1990s. Under the Moscow-brokered cease-fire deal, a chunk of Nagorno-Karabakh and all seven districts around it were placed under Azerbaijani administration after almost 30 years of control by ethnic Armenian forces. The agreement also resulted in the deployment of around 2,000 Russian peacekeepers, and provided for an exchange of POWs and other detained people. Several prisoner exchanges have taken place in recent months. There are no official figures of how many Armenians are still being held by Azerbaijan, but the RBK news agency said there were about 140. Its unclear how many Azerbaijani prisoners there are. On April 9, hundreds of relatives of POWs and missing soldiers protested in Yerevan and other parts of Armenia. In the capital, about 400 blocked the entrances of the Defense Ministry for a second day. Some protesters clashed with police. More than 6,000 people died in last years fighting. With reporting by dpa UN special rapporteur Anais Marin has cited "terrible repression" and says the crackdown in Belarus on the country's human rights groups has hindered international monitoring of abuses there. Marin said via video link on September 7 at which she discussed strongman Alyaksandr Lukashenka's targeting of the Vyasna human rights group that since she's not allowed in Belarus, Vyasna's volunteers were "crucial" to her work. "The terrible repression that is currently targeting Vyasna has a direct negative impact on our capacity in Geneva to follow up on allegations of human rights violations, to gather testimonies and to properly report on the repression, and this is probably no coincidence," Marin said. At least 10 people, including the leader of Vyasna, were detained during sweeps by security forces of offices and homes of lawyers and activists in mid-July. Vyasna has been crucial for many international media efforts to track repression since a disputed presidential election in August 2020 sparked a year of unprecedented protests, prompting mass arrests of tens of thousands, expulsions and media closures, and other persecution. Marin said the detention of Vyasna's leadership was "arbitrary" but "politically motivated." She demanded that they "not be subjected to ill-treatment in detention." "Last year, I assessed the situation in Belarus as catastrophic," Marin said. "I'm lacking words now to express my interpretation of the situation. I could not imagine it could get so much worse." On September 6, leading Belarusian opposition figures Maryya Kalesnikava and Maksim Znak were sentenced to 11 and 10 years in prison for conspiracy in a process the United States called "shameful" amid the ongoing crackdown. Based on reporting by Reuters A multiday primary election to find a candidate to challenge Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban got under way on September 18 but was suspended due to a system crash. Organizers blamed the early interruption of voting on a suspected cyberattack and said balloting would resume on September 20. "In addition to the masses of voters seeking change, someone else was interested in the primary: a mass load of [messages of] unknown origin hit the background system of the primary election," the national primary election committee said in a statement. The primaries are the first to seek a challenger to Orban and are taking place after a six-party alliance of leftist, liberal, and formerly far-right parties united under the common goal of pushing Orban out in elections next year. They accuse Orban, who has clashed with Brussels over migration and rule-of-law issues, of corruption and creeping authoritarianism and hope the primary system brought in under Orban in 2012 will be their path to defeating his Fidesz party. Antal Csardi, a candidate for the green LMP party, said the primary elections are "an innovation that was forced on us" by the election system, and are the only hope of seeing an anti-Fidesz candidate win. "The opposition can only compete with Fidesz if they are in a single bloc, Csardi told AFP. We've learned that the hard way." The primaries allow opposition voters to select single candidates to take on both Orban as well as Fidesz rivals in each of Hungary's 106 electoral districts. More than 250 candidates are standing in the primaries, which are scheduled to run through September 26. Voting is taking place online and in-person. If necessary, a runoff for the prime minister candidate will be held from October 4-10. Based on reporting by AFP Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has summoned Ukraine's ambassador over what he said was Kyiv's attempts to block Budapest's new long-term gas supply deal with Russia, which was signed on September 27. In a September 28 post on Facebook, Szijjarto denounced Ukraines criticism of the new 15-year natural-gas supply deal with Russian state-owned energy giant Gazprom as a "serious violation of Hungarys sovereignty." Executives of Hungarian energy group MVM signed the gas deal with Gazprom CEO Aleksei Miller on September 27 at the Foreign Ministry in Budapest. The deal reroutes Russian natural gas exports bound for Hungary through a new pipeline under the Black Sea to Turkey that extends further on to Central Europe, circumventing a shorter land route through Ukraine and depriving Kyiv of millions of dollars in transit fees. Ukraines Foreign Ministry called Hungary's supply deal a "purely political, economically unreasonable decision" that was made to the detriment of Ukraine's national interests and Ukrainian-Hungarian relations. The Ukrainian statement said the deal would have "a significant impact on the energy security of Ukraine and Europe," and that it will ask the European Commission to assess whether the agreement respected European energy legislation. Szijjarto wrote in his Facebook message that the Ukrainian government's decision to attack the deal was "deeply upsetting" and amounted to an "unfriendly step." On September 27, Szijjarto told a news conference that for Hungary, energy safety is a matter of security, sovereignty, and economy rather than a political matter." "You cannot heat homes with political statements," Szijjarto added. A Gazprom statement quoted Miller as saying that Hungary will start receiving Gazprom's gas starting from October 1 already via TurkStream and the pipelines of South-Eastern Europe." Under the deal, Gazprom would ship 4.5 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Hungary annually, allowing for the supply of around half of Hungary's annual gas consumption. There were no immediate comments from the EU executive. The United States has opposed the extension of the TurkStream pipeline into Bulgaria, Serbia, and further on to Hungary, saying it strengthens the Kremlins grip on Europes energy industry. When contacted by RFE/RL, the U.S. State Department declined to comment on Hungarys new gas deal with Russia, saying instead that it supports efforts to strengthen energy infrastructure connectivity in Central and Eastern Europe more closely with the rest of the EU but also to the United States. The United States is seeking to export more liquefied natural gas to ports on the Adriatic and Aegean Seas to help diversify energy supplies to Central and Eastern Europe. Russia, which used to ship natural gas primarily through Ukraine, has diversified export routes, constructing the Nord Stream pipelines to Germany and the TurkStream link to Turkey. Hungary has relied on Russia for most of its natural gas imports delivered via a pipeline through Ukraine, but in recent years it has diversified gas imports, opening cross-border interconnectors with most of its neighbors and securing supplies from Royal Dutch Shell via a liquefied natural gas terminal on Croatia's Adriatic island of Krk. Relations between Hungary and its neighbor Ukraine have been tense for years because of a dispute over the linguistic rights of some 150,000 ethnic Hungarians living in the western Ukrainian region of Transcarpathia. Kyiv angered Budapest in 2017 with a law restricting the use of minority languages, including Hungarian, in schools. In response, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's nationalist government blocked Ukraine's efforts to build closer ties with NATO and the European Union, of which Hungary is a member. With reporting by Reuters Russia has refused to extend the mandate of international observers to monitor two border crossing points with Ukraine, a U.S. official said. The United States deeply regrets that the Russian Federation has indicated that it will not join consensus to extend the missions mandate and financing arrangement at the end of September, Courtney Austrian, the charge daffaires at the U.S. Mission to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), said in a September 2 statement. Austrian said the OSCE mission has carried out its mandate to provide impartial reporting of border crossing at two points in a professional manner and served as a tool to build confidence between Russia and Ukraine. She said the Kremlins decision to end the mandate looks to be just the latest in a long line of broken promises and the most recent demonstration that maintaining positive relations with its neighbors is simply not a priority for Russia. There was no immediate reaction by Russia to Austrians comments. Russia is accused of sending troops and weapons over the border into eastern Ukraine and fomenting a war in an attempt to destabilize its neighbor and bring it back into its orbit. The war, now in its eighth year, has resulted in the death of more than 13,200 people and devastated Ukraines economy. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she hopes to start European Union accession talks with Albania and North Macedonia before the end of the year as frustration grows in the Western Balkans over the snail-like pace of progress on the issue. "Weve asked a lot of you, and you have delivered. We will do everything to overcome the hurdles we have at the moment that should not hinder the enlargement process," von der Leyen said on September 28 during a visit to the Albanian capital, Tirana. "I really want to bring this process forward so that we can start before the end of the year," said von der Leyen, who is on a regional tour ahead of an EU-Western Balkans summit on Oct. 6. France blocked the start of negotiations with the two Western Balkan nations in 2019 in a move that was criticized by some fellow EU members. Bulgaria is now blocking the start of talks over a language dispute with neighboring North Macedonia. EU rules require a unanimous vote to start talks with potential new member states. The EU said it wants to start the talks with Tirana and Skopje at the same time, meaning Bulgarias veto of North Macedonia is impacting Albania. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who met with Von der Leyen, called the situation absurd. In an interview with RFE/RL earlier this month, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Gabriel Escobar, who oversees the Western Balkans, called on the EU to begin talks this year with the two counties, saying they had met the requirements. Some U.S. and EU officials say that further delays in accepting the Western Balkan nations into the bloc will only open the door to greater Russian and Chinese influence. The six Western Balkan countries -- Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia -- are at different stages on the EU membership path. The EU has not expanded since accepting Croatia into the bloc in 2013. The global financial crisis of 2008-2009, the European migration crisis in 2015, and Brexit are among the factors that have delayed expansion. Separately, Von der Leyen said the EU is focused on mobilizing 9 billion euros ($10.5 billion) in projects and potentially raising investment of up to 20 billion euros ($23.5 billion) in 2021-2027 for the Western Balkans and the region's 18 million people. The bloc has secured half a billion euros ($585 million) this year for projects in the Western Balkans, and it is looking to find another 600 million euros ($700 million), she said. With reporting by Reuters and AP Moscow police have blocked the entrance into the building hosting the Communist Party's legal service, where lawyers were preparing to file a lawsuit against the results of remote electronic voting in general elections held earlier this month, which were won with almost 50 percent of the vote by the Kremlin-backed ruling United Russia party, Russian media reported. Communist Party lawyer Maksim Sikach told Novaya Gazeta that the police arrived at the building in downtown Moscow on September 28, a few minutes before the Communists were going to leave to register documents in court. Sikach said the lawsuit has to be filed no later than September 29. "We had been preparing a claim against [the results of] remote electronic voting for 10 days. We were all this time in our office writing the claim," Sikach said. According to him, five minutes before they were about to leave to file the lawsuit, police officers came and blocked the entrances of the building. During the September 17-19 election, in several regions including Moscow, people were able to cast votes online for the first time for the State Duma -- Russia's lower house of parliament. Because the results of the e-voting were published late and influenced the final result in favor of United Russia, the opposition Communist Party, which came a distant second in the polls with just under 19 percent, accused the authorities of fraud, with party leader Gennady Zyuganov announcing that all Moscow party candidates intended to sue. After the vote, the independent election-monitoring group Golos said 78,000 more electronic ballots had appeared in the officials' Moscow tally than were issued, highlighting what it called the "shame" of "one of the dirtiest" elections in Russian history and calling for the electronic votes to be nullified. Two protests, attended by several hundred, mainly Communist, sympathizers were staged in Moscow on September 19 and 25, with participants claiming they were cheated of victory by the online voting system and calling for the system to be scrapped. Sikach said on September 28 that the police demanded to be allowed into the building but the Communists refused to let them in. "Our premises are under siege. We understand that their goal is to detain us. We have all the documents, the candidates are waiting for us at the court," the lawyer explained. Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs has not yet commented on the incident. In early July, with the United States on the verge of moving up the deadline to quit Afghanistan and end its longest war, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was asked if Moscow might one day have to send its own troops back. He pointed to a Central Asian state that shares a lengthy, and very porous border, with Afghanistan. "I believe the answer is obvious," Lavrov said. "We are allies with Tajikistan. And if there is an attack on Tajikistan, of course, this would be an immediate topic for consideration by the CSTO" -- the Collective Security Treaty Organization. Now that the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan has become a reality, however, the answer is anything but obvious. And the Taliban's return to power in Kabul has raised a host of new questions when it comes to the CSTO's role and relevance in protecting its members, and Central Asia as a whole, from any potential threat from Afghanistan. Russia has made it clear that any renewed U.S. military presence in Central Asia is not welcome, and suggested it could even attract Islamic extremists emboldened by the Taliban victory in Afghanistan. But Moscow has also not insisted on taking the lead role in providing security in what it considers its backyard, with three Central Asian states situated along Afghanistan's northern border. The Kremlin has instead stressed the need to bolster the CSTO -- the loose-knit grouping of six former Soviet states that Moscow dominates and uses to push its regional foreign-policy objectives. 'As An Alliance, It Doesn't Work' Founded in 1992, the alliance now includes Belarus, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Tajikistan, which shares a 1,300-kilometer border with Afghanistan. Over the years, Moscow has continually sought to deepen military integration among the member countries; most have been deeply wary of Moscow's ultimate intentions -- particularly after Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula in 2014. Like NATO, the organization includes a mutual-defense clause in its founding treaty. It has never been invoked. As the Taliban swept across Afghanistan in recent months and closed in on Kabul, Moscow has tried to position the CSTO at the ready. In recent weeks the organization held an emergency session to discuss the situation in Afghanistan, announced military exercises in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, and has said it plans to explore its options for "joint response measures" regarding Afghanistan during its summit in Dushanbe on September 16. But while the CSTO may look similar to NATO on paper, military experts express serious doubts about the group's ability to respond to threats as one. Afghanistan In Turmoil: Full Coverage On Gandhara Read RFE/RL's Gandhara website for complete coverage of developments in Afghanistan. Gandhara is the go-to source for English-language reporting by RFE/RL's Radio Azadi and its network of journalists, and by RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal, which offers extensive coverage of Pakistan's remote tribal regions. Russian military analyst Pavel Felgenhauer describes the CSTO as a "joke" that is more of a framework for Moscow's bilateral relations with fellow members than a true military alliance. "As an alliance it doesn't work," he said by telephone from Moscow, adding that there was "no chance" of Russia sending in troops to Afghanistan in the event of an attack on one of the group's members. The CSTO is "demonstrably weak in terms of collective unity and woefully incapable of providing security," said Richard Giragosian, director of the Regional Studies Center, an independent, Yerevan-based think tank. "The CTSO alliance is not only Russian-led, but is also Russia-dependent, revealing that the only 'firepower' capacity comes from Russian forces, with local capabilities limited to basic border security at best," he said in an e-mail to RFE/RL. The Taliban has tried to assuage fears that its return to power could lead to cross-border attacks on Tajikistan or other bordering states: Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, neither of which are members of the alliance. Despite being officially labeled a terrorist organization by Russia, Taliban officials have also engaged in discussions with Moscow -- and traveled there regularly -- aimed at establishing a sound working relationship. Felgenhauer said the Taliban crossing any borders into Central Asia "is not happening," but that there was a window for insurrection and infiltration that local populations "might be inclined to support." As a result, Russia is much more interested in keeping a lid on that situation than it is in Afghanistan, Felgenhauer said. "Russia says they will defend the border, and obviously they will," he said, adding that "Russia is not a joke" and "is not ready to hand over decision-making on military matters" to an outside organization like the CSTO. Central Asian Bases Russia has a number of strategic assets at its disposal in Central Asia, Felgenhauer noted, including a major military base in Tajikistan, and would take things into its own hands if retaliation were required, by, for example, launching air strikes in Afghanistan. Looking ahead to the CSTO summit in Dushanbe later this month, Giragosian said the group "seems pressed to mitigate the negative security implication from the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan." With U.S. troops out of the picture, he said, "any CSTO response to the Afghan situation may actually be 'too little, too late' as any effective security response depends on a fragile and daunting combination of Russian resolve and Central Asian unity." Aside from this tricky diplomatic balancing act, and the potential for spillover from the resurgent Taliban, the CSTO will face another fundamental challenge: the divergence of interests between Russia and "local Central Asia elites." Russia will seek to forge its own transactional relationship with the new Taliban leadership in Kabul, Giragosian said: local elites, however, will be "ready to barter greater dependence on Russia for security guarantees," but may offer Moscow far too little in contrast to an opportunity for fresh Russian power and influence " in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Ultimately, "the CSTO has never been able to prove its credibility or provide confidence in its role," Giragosian said, adding that the alliance's relevance was "derived solely from Russia's role." "This case is no different," he said. "The CSTO has never been able to overcome Russia's dominance and has always failed to demonstrate either initiative or collective alignment beyond Moscow's shadowy offer of security." Russian investigators have launched a new criminal case against leading Kremlin critic Aleksei Navalny and his top allies, accusing them of launching and participating in an extremist group, as the state extends its clampdown on the opposition following parliamentary elections. The Investigative Committee, which deals with major crimes in Russia, said in a statement on September 28 that no later than 2014 Navalny "created an extremist network and directed it" with the aim of "changing the foundations of the constitutional system in the Russian Federation." Investigators said that Navalny and his top lieutenants, Leonid Volkov and Ivan Zhdanov, are suspected of having run the "extremist network," known as the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), while Lyubov Sobol and a number of his other allies are accused of taking part. In their statement, investigators accused Navalny and his allies of setting up a number of social media accounts and the FBK's website "in order to promote criminal activity." Russia carried out a wide-ranging pressure campaign this year against Navalny and his FBK ahead of crucial parliamentary elections held earlier this month. Navalny was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison in February on charges he calls trumped up while his organization was later banned as extremist and colleagues hounded by authorities. Volkov and Zhdanov are among the many Navalny associates that have fled Russia this year. Navalny called on his many supporters to vote against the pro-Kremlin United Russia party in an attempt to deprive it of a supermajority and hinder President Vladimir Putin from easily pushing through constitutional changes before his term is up in 2024. United Russia won a supermajority during the September 17-19 vote, which was marred by allegations of fraud and irregularities. Some Navalny supporters had hoped the states campaign against the opposition would ease up after the elections. The Investigative Committee's new case seemed to dash those hopes. Sobol, a lawyer, told the Associated Press that she expects the crackdown to continue right up until 2024, when Putin may seek a third consecutive term. She denied any wrongdoing, saying FBKs activity has always remained within the law. Since its founding in 2014, Navalnys Anti-Corruption Foundation has published hard-hitting exposes on graft in the highest echelons of the Russian government that receive millions of views. . Two of FBKs most-watched exposes include investigations into alleged large-scale corruption by President Vladimir Putin and former Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. The Kremlin has refuted FBKs allegations. If convicted, Navalny, Volkov, and Zhdanov could face six to 10 years in prison, while Sobol and the other activists could be sentenced to two to six years behind bars. With reporting by Reuters and AFP DUSHANBE -- Tajik authorities say 19 people were killed and 87 injured in clashes along a disputed segment of the border with Kyrgyzstan last week, in their first official data on the violence. The official statement by the authorities of the northern Sughd region on May 6 said that all of the victims were from villages close to the border. It did not provide any more details. RFE/RL correspondents from the area have reported that 20 people, including 11 military personnel, were killed during the violence. Tajikistan's official statement comes after the deadly violence erupted on April 28 and lasted for almost three days after the Tajiks tried to install security cameras on disputed territory near the border of the two Central Asian states. Kyrgyz authorities have said that 36 Kyrgyz citizens died in the skirmishes, while 189 people were injured and 58,000 were evacuated. Like many other border areas in Central Asia, almost half of the 970-kilometer-long Kyrgyz-Tajik border has not been demarcated, leading to tensions over the past 30 years. The latest fighting was the heaviest in years and raised fears of a wider conflict between the two impoverished neighbors. Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov on May 6 visited villages in the southwestern Batken Province that were heavily affected by the clashes. In the wake of the violence, Japarov discussed the situation with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, who invited the Kyrgyz leader to the Tajik capital, Dushanbe, to discuss border issues. After the phone call, it was officially announced that Japarov will visit Tajikistan in late May. However, during a meeting with residents of the village of Margun, Japarov said he will not visit Tajikistan "until Kyrgyz-Tajik border issues are resolved." The European Union, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and Russia have all urged both sides to respect the cease-fire agreement. Both Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan host Russian military bases. Prosecutors from both countries have launched criminal cases over the deadly violence, accusing each other of deliberately "encroaching" into each other's territory. CROP INSPECTION Chandigarh: The Department of Revenue took the initiative to start E-Girdawari in the State of Punjab. The programme was featured to bring efficiency, correctness, and transparency in recording the crop inspections an exercise, popularly called girdawari which is undertaken twice a year in routine. For executing this momentous task, the Technical team of PLRS in the Revenue Department developed the software and mobile app to capture the crop details. There are more than 2.21 Crore Khasras in Punjab and the process of data entry was started on 17 August 2021. Advertisement Detailed instructions were given to all the Deputy Commissioners in meetings held by Ravneet Kaur, the Special Chief Secretary (Revenue) through Video Conference to accomplish this task before 30 September 2021. The work of data entry was regularly monitored through VC and DLR-cum-Member Secretary, PLRS made field visits also to the districts of Pathankot, Gurdaspur, SBS Nagar, Hoshiarpur, and Amritsar along with SCS (Revenue). Advertisement The administration and Data Entry Operators of the PLRS worked day and night to complete the task of data entry. As a result of the untiring efforts of all those involved in this exercise, this entire work of data entry of 2.21 Crore Khasras was completed on 27 September 2021 well before the target date, with the help of more than 800 Data Entry Operators. The digitized record will be made available in the public domain for citizens very soon and citizens can lodge online grievances about incorrect Girdawari, informed Ravneet Kaur, Special Chief Secretary (Revenue). Mr. TRAN BANG VIET, General Director of Dong-A Solutions, spoke with Saigon Investment and explained in detail the drastic effects of the current anti-pandemic measures on foreign investments and projects. JOURNALIST: - Sir, according to the latest report of the World Bank, even when the Covid-19 pandemic wave began to get too complicated, Vietnam still attracted USD 2.4 bn in registered FDI capital, which was up 65% over the previous month. However, foreign business associations wrote in a letter to the Prime Minister that Vietnam is missing out on investment opportunities that may be lost forever. What are your comments on these two contradictory statements? Mr. TRAN BANG VIET: - The report of the World Bank is only about registered capital and disbursement, but not the future. However, the contents of the letter sent by foreign business associations to the Prime Minister needs immediate attention, because these enterprises have been operating in the Vietnamese market for some time. So it is clear that these are two different viewpoints, but not necessarily contradictory issues. In the report of the World Bank, it is necessary to review the proportion of investment enterprises. Frankly, a large market like Vietnam is still very attractive as it is the 15th largest in the world in terms of population, and the younger percent of population will still dominate for the next ten to fifteen years, especially for consumer products. Young people like to shop, spend, and even spend their savings for the future, so the development room for the Vietnamese consumer market continues to be very large. In addition, Vietnam is still a country with great potential for economic development, so it will have great room, a strong wave of restructuring, and rebuilding the economy after the pandemic, with Government infrastructure investment stimulus packages. Some industries will benefit in this, such as construction, basic materials, and energy. This will also attract the attention of foreign investors in related fields. In any case, the registered capital is just registration and not a long term commitment. As for the assessment of foreign business associations in Vietnam, we must pay attention to what they have to say. During the global pandemic, the attractiveness of the investment environment in Vietnam as a manufacturing country weakened a great deal, when once it was an important link in the supply chain of the world economy. In fact, it was not until foreign business associations made the same comments in the letter to the Prime Minister, that we were warned of Vietnam's investment environment which is now unable to keep up to its earlier competitive advantage and edge for many reasons. About two weeks ago, a Japanese newspaper reported that many Japanese enterprises are planning to withdraw orders from Vietnam because their supply chain in the world market is badly disrupted. In the past, many Japanese and German enterprises had withdrawn from China and gradually moved to Vietnam and other countries. At that time, Vietnam remained the top priority, but now a percentage of these enterprises do not want to withdraw from China anymore. Parts of the current orders are shipped back to China, and the other parts are still in Vietnam, but there are more options from other countries. Vietnam is certainly losing many vital opportunities. At the end of last year, when Vietnam had very good anti-pandemic results, we were classified in the group of 5 beneficiary countries. However, according to Nikkei assessment nearly a month ago, Vietnam's anti-pandemic effectiveness has greatly influenced foreign investors' investment decisions in a negative way. - Sir, do we need to take into account a worst case scenario that foreign enterprises will move factories to other countries in the region? - I think the relocation of factories of FDI enterprises is less likely. However, one thing that needs to be recognized is that many plans to boost investment are now being stalled indefinitely. Enterprises that I know had previously made investment plans to increase capacity by 20% to 30% or even double it, but now they do not want to invest anymore. Yet, some factories operating at 100% earlier, or even over 100% capacity, now may not choose to withdraw from Vietnam but gradually reduce capacity to 60% to 70%. This will gradually decrease the importance of Vietnam in the world supply chain. At the same time, it also affects the supporting industries in the supply chain across many localities. During last year's pandemic, Vietnam benefited a lot when many investors fled China to move to other countries, including Vietnam. At that time, Vietnam benefited a lot from cash flow, import and export. However, in this wave of the pandemic, FDI enterprises are complaining about Vietnam's excessively strict anti-pandemic methods, causing a slowing down of all their operations. If we are only a few weeks to a month apart, they still accept with affection and trust, but we have stretched it for far too long. Even if they sympathize, they cannot accept continuing to bear the burden of such high costs. The longer this phase continues, the more they lose. - Sir, in your opinion, what should be done to retain FDI enterprises and welcome new investment waves after the pandemic is finally over? - In my opinion, the solutions offered by foreign business associations in Vietnam are very clear, concise, and convincing. State management agencies should carefully consider these proposals. If we successfully fight the pandemic, and everyones hopes are pinned on this, things will gradually return back to normal, and Vietnam will again be a bright spot for foreign investment. However, we need to take this opportunity to improve the investment environment so that some points are made better and more attractive for foreign investors. There is still a belief that some state management agencies in some localities have not really done enough to welcome foreign investment. If we do not improve, we will lose this once-in-a-hundred-year opportunity for sure. - Thank you very much. Thanh Dung Once upon a time, there was a mother fruit bat who had a newborn baby she loved very much, and she named her Stellaluna. So begins the internationally acclaimed 1993 childrens book Stellaluna. Generations of toddlers have grown up reading the beautifully illustrated tale of the little lost bat raised by birds. But very few readers know the story behind the picture book or its nature-loving creator, Janell Cannon of Carlsbad. Back in 1993, Cannon was an overworked graphic artist living in a Carlsbad garage when she put the finishing touches on her first book and sent a hopeful letter to a prospective agent. She figured that if nothing came of her query, shed at least have a lovely collection of bat paintings for herself. But something did come of it. San Diegos now-defunct Harcourt Brace Jovanovich snapped up the book and turned it into a runaway bestseller. Over the years, the book has sold millions of copies, its been translated into 30 languages and its been ranked by the National Education Association and School Library Journal among the top 100 childrens books of all time. Advertisement I feel stratospherically fortunate, Cannon said Thursday. To be able to have that book continue on is a miracle. A page from Janell Cannons picture book Stellaluna, about a confused young bat who adopts birdlike behavior after falling into a birds nest. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune ) On Aug. 7, publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will issue a 25th anniversary hardbound edition of Stellaluna with freshly reprinted artwork, bonus crafts and activities. To mark the occasion, Carlsbad is celebrating its hometown celebrity with a seven-week exhibition that opened July 1 at the city-run William D. Cannon Art Gallery at 1775 Dove Lane. (The author has no relation to the gallerys namesake.) All of the books original hand-painted illustrations are on display in the gallery side by side with the books text pages, so visitors can walk clockwise around the gallery and read the entire book. There are also additional painting studies she did on bat wings and bodies. Cannon herself will be in the gallery every Friday afternoon from 1 to 3 p.m. painting at an easel in a corner and greeting visitors. Shell also take part in several community events, including a book-signing on Aug. 18. Installation under way Thursday on the Janell Cannon: Stellaluna exhibit opening July 1 at Carlsbads Cannon Art Gallery. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune ) Cannon worked for the city of Carlsbad for 12 years before leaving in 1994. Shes excited for the exhibit because Carlsbad is where Stellaluna was born and because she loves the city and its employees. Karen McGuire, curator of exhibits at Cannon Gallery, said the public is very excited about the show. Calls have been pouring in and many impatient visitors were knocking on the glass doors during installation this past week. Janells work is stunning, McGuire said. Its professional and beautiful and warm and it holds up throughout the years. Thats why a whole new generation of readers will be able to enjoy it. Cannon, 60, grew up in Minnesota, where her nature-loving family enjoyed nightly visits by swooping bats. She was born with the artistic gene. Her parents were artists and three of her siblings went on to careers in graphic design, architectural drafting and craftsmanship. She started painting in sixth grade, when she found a set of acrylics tucked in her Christmas stocking. She painted on any surface she could find, from glass to wood chips, and she painted portraits from pictures in National Geographic. By high school, she was selling commissioned paintings to her teachers. Her mom, who had raised her children mostly alone on a clerical salary, tried to discourage her daughters artistic dreams and sent her to typing and accounting classes. But she couldnt be swayed. After high school graduation, Cannon and her sister caught a Greyhound bus west. They worked a summer together in Yellowstone National Park, then parted ways. Her sister went to college and Cannon headed to Southern California where she struggled for years, working odd jobs and selling the occasional painting. Entirely self-taught, Cannon gradually built a portfolio as a freelance artist and graphic designer. In 1982, she landed a job at Carlsbads Georgina Cole Library, designing murals, newsletters and childrens library programs. Cannon decided as a young woman not to have children herself, but she always felt a vivid connection to her childhood and she was a keen and fascinated observer of children at the library. One day in 1991, she noticed that the only three books with bat characters had been removed from circulation because they were worn out. I saw there was a vacancy on the shelves for books about bats so I thought maybe I could write my own, she said. Janell Cannon visits the exhibit of her Stellaluna artwork opening July 1 at the Cannon Art Gallery in Carlsbad. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune ) Over the next two years, she exhaustively studied and painted bats, inspired by a National Geographic photo essay on the African epauletted fruit bat. The tiny brown creatures were both strange and beautiful, qualities she knew would appeal to both boys and girls, and she found she could paint them very well. For her book, she did all of the paintings first, working with Prismacolor wax-based pencils and airbrushed acrylic paints. Then she wrote the words, a story of tolerance inspired by a vacation in Thailand, where she experienced being the only Westerner among crowds of Thai villagers. I felt like I belonged there, but I was different, she said. There was that acknowledgment of difference and sameness. I wanted kids to take that in and walk around in the world with it. When Stellaluna was published, Cannon said, it was a 180-degree change for me. She was thrilled and grateful, but also overwhelmed with juggling book promotion responsibilities and her full-time city job. A year later, she left her job and has focused on books and art-making ever since. Visitors to the Janell Cannon: Stellaluna exhibit at the Cannon Art Gallery in Carlsbad this summer can see all the original illustrations and text from the book side by side. This is page one. (Charlie Neuman / San Diego Union-Tribune ) Cannon went on to publish five more books. As in Stellaluna, she wanted to tell stories about other misunderstood creatures, like Verdi, a courteous baby python; Pinduli, a young hyena with low self-esteem; and Crickwing, a bullied cockroach. Most were well-received except a pair of books on fictional catlike characters called Fuzzheads, which dealt with more serious societal issues. One review in The New York Times was so witheringly negative, Cannon said all she could do was laugh about it. She still has one unpublished book, a tale told from a dogs perspective with some comics panels. Her publisher turned it down so shes looking to publish it herself. These days she donates her artwork and talents to nonprofits like bat conservation groups, the Amazon Conservation Team and the Buena Vista Audubon. Most recently, she did illustrations for a Spanish-language book by a Colombian author about a family that fled into the jungle during the violent South American rubber boom in the late 19th century. She does all her painting now on a computer because its easier on her eyes, using programs like Corel Painter, Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator. The success of Stellaluna allowed Cannon to buy a home on an acre of land 20 years ago. There, she has allowed plants to grow free and has cut paths through high grass to make trails for rabbits and birds. With a game camera and a journal, she keeps meticulous records of her propertys flora and fauna. Its a singular life, but its not lonely. And though she doesnt keep office hours, shes busy all the time. The concept of being bored is alien to me, Cannon said. Life itself is a phenomenon. Every day is icing on the cake for me. Janell Cannon: Stellaluna Hours: 11 am. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays. 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays. Exhibit runs through Aug. 19. Where: William D. Cannon Art Gallery, 1775 Dove Lane, Carlsbad. Phone: (760) 602-2021. Online: carlsbadca.gov/services/depts/arts/exhibits/cannon.asp Related events: Janell Cannon will be painting in the gallery from 1 to 3 p.m. Fridays, through Aug. 17 Cannon will join a free Family Open Studios hands-on art program from 5:30-7:30 p.m. July 13 at Poinsettia Community Park, 6600 Hidden Valley Road. A Searching for Stellaluna event will be held from 2 to 5 pm. Aug. 18 at the gallery. It will include a book-signing of the new 25th anniversary edition of Stellaluna by Cannon, along with a book-reading with harpist Charissa Berger pam.kragen@sduniontribune.com 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. Close Jupiter's Great Red Spot is the most famous storm in the Solar System and fascinates astronomers. For 150 years, scientists have been following its adventures ad learning new things about this swirling vortex. But now, CNet reported that the winds along the outer edge of the Great Red Spot are accelerating. NASA and ESA's Hubble Space Telescope, which monitored Jupiter for more than a decade, has logged an interesting phenomenon. The winds in the outer layer are speeding and have increased by 8% from 2009 to 2020. In contrast, the winds in the innermost layer are moving significantly more slowly. The full findings are described in the study, titled "Evolution of the Horizontal Winds in Jupiter's Great Red Spot From One Jovian Year of HST/WFC3 Maps," in the Geophysical Research Letters. Hubble Shows Winds in Jupiter's Great Red Spot Accelerating NASA compared the new speed of the winds in the Great Red Spot as the speed of an advancing race car driver, traveling at 400mph (644kph). Researchers have analyzed the data from Hubble's regular monitoring "storm reports" and found that the average wind speed in the high-speed ring has increased in the past decade, especially an abrupt change in 2017 due to a convective storm nearby. The Great Red Spot has been spinning counterclockwise at speeds that awed astronomers. Lead analyst Michael Wong from the University of Berkeley, California, said he initially could not believe the results. "But this is something only Hubble can do. Hubble's longevity and ongoing observations make this revelation possible," he said in a statement. Amy Simon of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center explained that there are no storm chasers in Jupiter, unlike on Earth in which meteorologists could track major storms using Earth-orbiting satellites. But the Hubble Space Telescope could e used in monitoring and capturing Jupiter's winds in detail. Simon added that the increase in wind speeds only accounts for less than 1.6 mph per Earth year. But combined in 11 years, the small speed changes become noticeable. Researchers use Hubble to revisit and analyze its data to precisely create observations. ALSO READ: NASA Juno Spacecraft Saw Clyde's Spot on Jupiter After a Year: Did Its Appearance Change? What Does the Increase in Wind Speeds Mean? Wong said that they took a new approach in analyzing data from the Hubble. They used software to track thousands of wind vectors, which gave them more consistent velocity measurements. Also, they ran a battery of statistical tests to confirm the increase in wind speeds. When asked what the increase in wind speeds means, Wong answered that Hubble could not see the bottom of the storm very well, so it is hard to diagnose. But the data could help astronomers understand what could be fueling the Great Red Spot and how this swirling vortex remains its energy. Astronomers have been studying Jupiter since the 1870s, especially its Great Red Spot. They noted that it is shrinking in size and turning more circular than oval but emphasized that Earth can still fit inside it. They also observe other legendary storms in the Solar System. For example, they found that storms in Neptune tend to travel across the planet and disappear after a few years. Scientists said that studying storms in other planets helps them understand the individual characteristics of planets and draw conclusions on the underlying physics that drive and maintain these storms. RELATED ARTICLE: Tornado-Like Winds on Jupiter Could Reach Speeds of Up to 900mph Check out more news and information on Jupiter in Science Times. Close An international team of scientists said humans in New Guinea may have collected eggs from cassowaries close to maturity and then raised their birds as early as 18,000 years ago. The team, Mirage News reported, used eggshells to determine the prehistoric embryos' developmental phase or chicks when the eggs cracked. According to Kristina Douglass, assistant professor of anthropology and African studies, Penn State, such a behavior "that we're seeing is coming" thousands of years before the chicken's domestication. She added this is some tiny fowl as it is a large, bad-tempered, flightless bird that can eviscerate an individual. Most possible, the assistant professor continued, the dwarf variety that weighs 44 pounds. ALSO READ: Nonnative Birds Take Charge in Oahu Seed Dispersal Cassowaries The research findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences showed that the data presented in the study might denote the earliest sign of human management of the avian taxon's breeding anywhere worldwide, preceding the chicken and geese's early domestication by several millennia. As described in the study, Cassowaries are not chickens. They are, in fact, bearing more similarity to velociraptors compared to most domesticated birds. Nevertheless, the researchers reported that cassowary chicks are imprinted readily to humans and are easy to maintain and raise to adulthood. Inscription occurs when a newly hatched bird decides that the first thing it sees is its mother. If that initial glance happens to catch sight of a human, the said bird species will follow the former anywhere he goes. Commenting on their work, the study authors said cassowaries are still traded in New Guinea as a commodity. New Guinea People Either, Into Eating 'Baluts' or Hatching Chicks The team turned to legacy eggshell collections from two New Guinea sites, particularly Yuku and Kiowa. A similar Phys.org report said that they applied their approach to over 1,000 fragments of these eggs, aged 18,000 to 6,000 years old, a similar Phys.org report said. What the researchers found, explained Douglass, was that the eggshells' large majority were harvested during the last stages. She also said the eggshells look very late, and the pattern is not random. People from New Guinea, she continued, were either into eating "baluts" or hatching chicks. The so-called "balut" is an almost developed embryo chick typically boiled and eaten as street food in some portions of Asia, particularly in the Philippines, as described in the Journal of Ethnic Foods. No Sign of Capturing For Cassowary Chicks As specified in this report, the original archeologists did not find any sign of capturing for the cassowary chicks. The bones of cassowaries found at sites are only those of the meaty parts, particularly the thigh and leg, suggesting these were captured birds, processed in the wild, and just the meatiest portions got hauled home. The few cassowary bones found at sites are only those of the meaty portions - leg and thigh - suggesting these were hunted birds, processed in the wild, and only the meatiest parts got dragged home. According to Douglass, they also looked at burning on the eggshells. There are adequate samples of late-stage shells that don't exhibit burning that they can say they were hatching instead of eating them. To hatch and raise cassowaries successfully, the people should know where the nests were, find out when the eggs were laid, and take them out from the nest just before they were hatched. She also said, back in the late Pleistocene, humans were intentionally collecting these said eggs, and this research suggests that people were not just harvesting eggs to eat their contents but also raising their chicks. Related information about cassowaries is shown on Rumble Viral's YouTube video: RELATED ARTICLE: Female Hoopoes Behavior: Researchers Observe How These Birds Prepare for Mating, Birth Check out more news and information on Birds in Science Times. WASHINGTON Sen. Dianne Feinstein was absent from the Senate for a week due to her husbands hospitalization, but the California Democrat is returning to Washington in the midst of a tumultuous legislative session. The last time Feinstein voted in the Senate was on Sept. 14, though the Senate took several days off. She has missed all votes since the body reconvened on Sept. 20. But Feinsteins spokesperson Tom Mentzer said she will soon be on her way back. Sen. Feinstein is returning to Washington this evening after staying in San Francisco while her husband was hospitalized, Mentzer said Tuesday. Her husband is now recovering at home. Earlier, Mentzer had told reporters a health issue with a family member has kept her in San Francisco. On Monday, Feinstein missed a vote to keep the government open and raise the debt limit ahead of Thursdays federal funding deadline, a priority for Democrats that was blocked by Republicans. The Hill was first to note her absence. The senators husband, financier Richard Blum, entered the hospital last week with an undisclosed condition that led him to spend four or five days in intensive care, according to a source close to Blum who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak about family health issues. The Chronicle granted the request, consistent with its policy on anonymous sources. Hes significantly ill, the source said. Blum was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2016, which caused Feinstein to miss the Democratic National Convention due to his treatments. Blum has not had COVID-19, the source said, but had a debilitating respiratory issue in 2018. A University of California regent, Blum is not expected to attend this weeks three-day virtual meeting, which concludes Thursday. Feinstein, 88, is the oldest sitting senator and won re-election to a six-year term in 2018. Blum, 86, is a wealthy investment banker. The pair are major fundraisers for the Democratic Party. 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. With the Senate divided 50-50, Feinsteins vote is critical to Democrats hopes of passing legislation without Republicans. Her absence so far has not cost Democrats any votes, but the party is in the midst of an effort to pass President Bidens ambitious infrastructure bill and is aiming to use a procedural tactic that would bypass the need for Republican support in the Senate. Mondays funding bill would have been blocked even with Feinsteins support, but in coming days, Democrats are expected to attempt again to raise the debt limit in order to avoid a U.S. default without Republican votes. That strategy would rely on Feinsteins presence. Feinstein has waved off questions about her fitness to serve and age in recent years. She gave up her leadership position on the Judiciary Committee when Democrats retook the majority after facing criticism from progressive groups over not being aggressive enough on key judicial confirmations. She also batted away rumors that she might resign her seat when her husband was angling for a European ambassadorship from Biden, saying his interest would not take her away from the Senate. Tal Kopan and Nanette Asimov are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com, nasimov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan, @NanetteAsimov A federal appeals court on Tuesday dismissed Oaklands long-running suit against Wells Fargo Bank over its lending practices to minority home buyers, saying the city has no direct evidence that it suffered financial losses from foreclosures allegedly caused by discriminatory loans. A federal judge and a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit had previously ruled that Oakland could seek millions of dollars in damages from Wells Fargo if it could prove that the San Francisco-based bank targeted Black and Latino borrowers with adjustable-rate mortgage loans, leading to higher foreclosure rates and lower property tax revenues for the city. But after the full Ninth Circuit granted the banks request for a new hearing, a larger panel ruled Tuesday that even if the banks lending practices were discriminatory, Oakland could not show that it was financially harmed by those practices. The city has no direct evidence, as required by a 2017 U.S. Supreme Court decision, that discriminatory loans automatically result in increased foreclosures and decreased property value, Judge M. Margaret McKeown said in the 11-0 ruling. She noted that individual borrowers can sue the bank over its lending practices. President Barack Obamas administration won a $175 million settlement from Wells Fargo in 2012 in a suit on behalf of borrowers and a $1.2 billion settlement in 2016 in a separate suit in which the bank admitted deceiving the government into insuring high-risk mortgages. In its suit, filed in 2015, Oakland said Wells Fargo was more than twice as likely to saddle Black and Latino home buyers than than other borrowers with adjustable-rate loans with predatory terms rather than fixed-rate loans. Loans to minority borrowers carry higher costs, and the bank is less willing to refinance them to avoid default, the city said; it said 14.1% of loans in minority neighborhoods ended in default, compared with 3.3% in nonminority areas. Wells Fargo denied discrimination. But the court said Tuesday there was no need to decide that issue because Oakland cannot draw the link between its financial losses and the banks lending practices, a link defined by the high courts 2017 ruling in a similar suit by the city of Miami against Wells Fargo and Bank of America. A borrower can default on a loan for many reasons unrelated to the lenders practices, McKeown said: Job loss, a medical hardship, a death in the family, a divorce, a fire or other catastrophe, COVID-19, broader economic trends, or any number of other unpredictable causes not present when the loan was made. Likewise, she said, property value and the resulting tax revenue can decline because of the owners neglect, outside criminal activity or economic conditions. And the foreclosure decision itself may be made by another lender that bought the loan from the bank. These downstream factors are too attenuated and travel too far beyond Wells Fargos alleged misconduct to enable the city to show that it was financially harmed by the banks practices, McKeown 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. San Francisco, the state of California and housing-rights groups filed arguments supporting Oakland, while business organizations sided with Wells Fargo. In San Franciscos brief, filed in 2019, City Attorney Dennis Herreras office argued that local governments can detect discriminatory housing practices that individual borrowers might not be aware of, and that prohibiting such suits will make it difficult, if not impossible, for municipalities to continue to promote fair housing and end discrimination. Wells Fargo said it was pleased by the ruling and the courts dismissal of the suit. We will continue our focus on helping to expand home ownership opportunities in the city of Oakland and across the country, the bank said in a statement. There was no immediate comment from lawyers for the city. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Bay Area guitar great Carlos Santana has sold his seaside Tiburon home with expansive San Francisco Bay views for $5.53 million. The four-bedroom, three-bathroom hilltop home was listed for $5.77 million and sold after 49 days on the market, according to Shana Rohde-Lynch, the listing agent on the property. There was only one bidder. Santana, who got his start as a blues musician in San Francisco, purchased the Marin County home in November 2007. At 3,690 square feet, the modern home offers a blend of classic and contemporary styles plus floor to ceiling glass and ample views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. It also comes with a unique architectural highlight: an acoustic dome circular space that has a microphone effect when speaking from its location. Santana, who moved from Mexico to San Francisco with his family in the 1960s, lived in the Mission District for many years and attended Mission High School. 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 74-year-old Santana, whose home base is in Las Vegas, has had multiple residences in Hawaii and recently purchased a vacation villa in Kauai for $20.5 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. Annie Vainshtein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avainshtein@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @annievain When Sumier Phalake left India at age 21 to attend Georgia Tech, his parents gave their blessings. When he landed a good job out of college, and stayed in the United States, they were supportive. None of them anticipated the heartbreak, 18 years later, when Phalakes father was diagnosed with cancer and died within months, his son unable to be with him as he breathed his last because he was trapped in U.S. immigration limbo waiting more than a decade in this countrys interminable green card queue. Instead, on an ordinary August evening, just back from a walk in Golden Gate Park, Phalake sat alone in his San Francisco apartment and said goodbye over video chat, staring at his phone as his fathers last rites were administered 8,000 miles away. Distraught, he took to social media to express his grief. The legal immigration system in this country is a cruel and unfeeling beast, Phalake tweeted on Aug. 15. Its (sic) cruelty only magnified the longer you are trapped in its (sic) clutches. Phalake, who works as a product designer for a big tech firm, is one of almost 1 million Indians in the U.S. who are stuck in a precarious legal status despite decades in the country. This limbo has long been a source of despair, but this year there was a rare glimmer of hope for a big jump forward. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle Because of COVID and other Trump administration restrictions in fiscal year 2020, an extra 120,000 green cards were added to the annual allotment for all immigrants applying based on employment this year, almost doubling the number available and offering a rare opportunity to cut into the backlog filled mostly with Indian nationals. Finally, Phalakes application was in the pile to be processed, allowing him to imagine how life would change when he got his green card. His first order of business would be a long-overdue visit to his family in India. Instead, he and others face an even greater disappointment. Days before the end of the federal fiscal year on Sept. 30, when any unallocated green cards are forfeited, more than 80,000 visas have not been issued and arent expected to be. These unused green cards, which allow foreign nationals to permanently live and work in the U.S., will essentially evaporate, leaving many in the queue livid. Its a psychological nightmare for the people waiting in line, said Charles Kuck, an Atlanta-based immigration attorney representing dozens of immigrants in a lawsuit against the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services over the delays. Its like walking up to a kiosk and the guy in front of you gets his doughnut and coffee and you get up to the kiosk and they pull the shade down and wheel the cart away. Those stuck in this limbo have jobs, families and deep roots in their U.S. communities, but remain on temporary visas. Its not for lack of trying: Phalake has been waiting over a decade for his green card, which would allow him to travel the world freely, change jobs without bureaucratic red tape, and most importantly, start the process of becoming a U.S. citizen. The problem is caused by a little-known part of U.S. immigration law that limits the number of immigrants from any one country who can get a green card each year. The country-cap rule has created an ever-growing wait time primarily for Indian and Chinese immigrants working and living in the U.S. because they are by far the biggest groups arriving as high-skilled foreign workers. Problem countries For people from most countries in the world, there is virtually no wait time; they get their figurative doughnut and coffee within a year as not enough immigrants arrive in the U.S. from those places each year to hit the countrys cap. But for a few countries, predominantly India and China in the employment-based category, wait times are so long that some immigrants will die before they can get a green card. Applying via the work-based category, Indians and Chinese immigrants find themselves stuck once theyre already in the U.S. working and contributing to the economy. They are highly skilled and highly sought by employers as engineers or in software and computer programming roles. They are also high wage earners with a median annual household income of $120,000. U.S. technology companies, many in Silicon Valley, seek to hire thousands of them each year for jobs they say they cant fill with Americans, eventually leading to their greater numbers in the immigration pipeline. But the long-simmering anger over the situation has reached a boiling point as USCIS, the agency that processes green cards, has failed to issue all the extra green cards available this year. USCIS says it has been working feverishly to process as many applications as it can with limited resources, including 40,000 more than an average year, and that no immigrant will lose their ability to work or lose their status as a result of the delays. The agency is uniquely structured so as to be funded by the fees immigrants pay for their applications, which officials say leaves them vastly understaffed and underfunded to keep up with demand. The agency is reviewing all policies, operational procedures and options under the law that would allow for available green cards to either be issued before the end of the fiscal year or carried over into FY2022, said spokesperson Matt Bourke in a statement. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas was asked about the agencys inability to process enough green cards Monday at the Migration Policy Institutes annual conference, saying COVID was an extraordinary driver of the situation but also blaming the Trump administration for limiting legal immigration with its policies and choices. Were incredibly saddened to, of course, see the green card backlog, Mayorkas said. Frankly, the agency ... quite candidly, has found itself in really significant financial straits. But immigrants and their attorneys are furious that President Bidens administration did not do more to avert the waste, and that the agency doesnt recognize the real human impacts of more time spent without permanent residency status. While they acknowledge the Trump administration exacerbated the problem with its hard-line anti-immigration tactics that specifically constrained USCIS, they criticize the Biden administration for not immediately increasing resources to the division that processes green cards. Santiago Mejia/The Chronicle This is an affront by the immigration agency to its customers that paid extraordinary amounts of money for a timely service that they are apparently incapable of providing, said Kuck. The cavalier manner that the acting deputy director dismissed the (concerns) in federal court on this issue is shocking. There appears to have been no effort made to prioritize the use of this maybe once-in-a-generation number of visas to dig into a pressing backlog. A serious situation By law, visas on the basis of familial ties that are unused at the end of each year become available as employment-based visas the following year; that is how 120,000 extra visas were added to the 2021 fiscal year, with COVID-19 and the Trump administrations policies responsible for processing less than half as many such visas last year. Employment-based visas that arent issued by the end of the year go away. Only an act of Congress can change that. Congress is working on some other options to fix the situation. One is to make unused visas from past years available once more. Democrats proposed to do so going back to 1992, which would allow for more than 1 million green cards to become available again, according to estimates. But that measure is tied up in a bigger fight over the budget reconciliation bill, using a procedural tactic to try to bypass the usual need for Republican votes in the Senate to advance legislation. However, the arbiter of Senate rules decided Sept. 19 that immigration proposals did not belong in a budgetary bill, dashing the hopes of many. Another effort, long championed by San Jose Democratic Rep. Zoe Lofgren, would remove the caps on green cards by country. In the past, similar bills authored by her have passed the House and other versions passed the Senate by overwhelmingly bipartisan margins, but the differences between the two chambers versions could not be reconciled in time to become law. Lofgren is trying again this year with a new version of the legislation called the Eagle Act, which attempts to reconcile last years differences with the Senate. But the bill is garnering less support this year and faces opposition from constituencies from other countries who do not want to see their wait times for green cards increase as a result of making all nationalities wait in the same line instead of the current per-country lines, Lofgren told The Chronicle. Still, Lofgren said, shes working with the Senate to push forward the recapture issue and continuing to work on eliminating the country caps. 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 think it is a serious situation, not just for the individuals stuck in backlogs that could go for decades, but for the U.S. economy, Lofgren said. These are individuals who have already been screened and found to be taking a job that their employer could not find an American to do. So clearly they are good for the American economy. One other hope is the lawsuit Kuck and others are pursuing, in which they ask the court to order this years green cards preserved because of what they allege is USCIS malfeasance and poor management, not mere resource constraints as the agency says. Nevertheless, its a virtual certainty that neither any of the congressional options nor legal avenues will be resolved before Sept. 30, leaving many wondering if their application will ever be processed. More for you Listen: Green card backlog leaves Silicon Valley workers in limbo And the situation may repeat itself next year. A State Department official predicted in July that roughly 150,000 family visas could go unused this year, which would extend next years employment cap. Living in a limbo For some, the long wait has had dire endings. Last month Indian engineer and Cupertino resident Anthuvan Kuzhandaisamy died suddenly of a heart attack, leaving his family vulnerable to deportation. Kuzhandaisamy lived and worked in the Bay Area for 11 years. His youngest child was 1 when they arrived; he is now in seventh grade. Kuzhandaisamys wife and childrens ability to stay permanently in the U.S. was tied to their late fathers green card application, which he submitted in 2015. The children have completed almost all of their education here, yet when their father passed away they were not only thrust into grief, they were immediately out of status. Immigration law gives the family 60 days after the death of the primary applicant to leave the country, and after talking to many lawyers, and contacting Congressman Ro Khannas office, the family decided they have no other option but to return to India. They plan to do so in early October, according to family friend Joseph William, whom they authorized to speak on their behalf. The fear of what happened to the Kuzhandaisamy family has rippled through the Bay Areas Indian community, where many find themselves in the same long wait. Youre literally living in a limbo, said Kuck, the attorney who represents many such immigrants. The fact that you have a work permit and travel authorization whoop-de-do. Thats not why you filed a green card. Yet even the travel permits for foreign workers and their families have been delayed in some cases, and given the COVID travel restrictions for Indians and Chinese nationals requiring them to spend two weeks in a third country before reentering the United States, travel home has become next to impossible. Shivprasad Bade of Milpitas feels helpless. He came from Bangalore, India, in 2015 to work for one of the tech giants and applied the next year for his green card. In the five years since, he and his wife bought a house, and his children have voiced their own strong opinions about their desire to stay in Milpitas where they love school and have deep friendships. If it wasnt for his children, Bade might choose to go back to Bangalore, where he would have the freedom to change jobs, take career risks, and advance. The biggest stressor for Bade and his wife is their aging parents in India. Its very emotionally hard; its a roller-coaster for people like me, stuck in this situation, Bade said. There is extra emotional stress juggling what your kids want and your parents needs, and you are in the middle. If I had a green card I could come and go freely to India. Back in his San Francisco apartment, Sumier Phalake still waits. His elation that he may get his green card this year has become a daily wait-and-see game. Since his application status changed in March to currently pending, Phalake said he has not heard from the immigration agency. He is still waiting for the request for his medical information and his interview. Phalake hopes he will get processed in the next year so he can return to Mumbai and see his grieving mother. Deepa Fernandes is The San Francisco Chronicles immigration correspondent. Email: deepa.fernandes@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @deepafern Tal Kopan is The San Francisco Chronicles Washington correspondent. Email: tal.kopan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @talkopan Citing low vaccination rates among prison staff and an unforgiving delta variant, a federal judge Monday ordered guards and other jail employees in California to get vaccinated for the coronavirus. Judge Jon S. Tigar gave state prison officials and employee unions two weeks to come up with a plan to vaccinate more than 66,000 prison employees, along with any inmates who choose to work outside the prisons. The order came despite protests from prison employee unions and Gov. Gavin Newsoms corrections department, which argued that nearly every prisoner has been offered the vaccination and that was fulfilling their role. Defendants have undertaken significant measures to combat the virus, Tigar wrote in his 22-page order. But the virus continues to infect the prison population, including incarcerated persons who have accepted the vaccine one of whom recently died from the disease and outbreaks create significant risks of harm beyond the risk of infection. The prison system has been stress-tested during the pandemic. More than 50,000 incarcerated people have been infected in California and 240 have died, including a large number during an outbreak at San Quentin State Prison in Marin County last year. About 75% of the states more than 99,000 prisoners have been fully vaccinated, compared to a staff rate of 57%. The number drops to 44% for prison guards. An outbreak at North Kern State Prison, where there are 131 active cases among prisoners, has been linked to a staff member. Officials havent said whether the employee was vaccinated. The California Correctional Peace Officers Association had warned that a mandate on vaccines could lead to safety concerns at prisons with staffing shortages. Weve undertaken an aggressive, voluntary vaccination program and we still believe the voluntary approach is the best way forward, the associations president, Glen Stailey, said in a statement. We are looking into our legal options to address this order. In his order, Tigar said the guards voluntary vaccination program had stalled. A one-on-one vaccine counseling program started in August with 5,135 staff members attending an appointment, but only 262 (5%) agreed to be vaccinated. In fact, more than 4,300 instead signed a formal refusal to become vaccinated, Tigar wrote. Tigar wrote that allowing prison employees to be unvaccinated with the virulent delta variant ravaging the country violated prisoners Eighth Amendment constitutional rights. No one disputes, the judge wrote, that staff are the primary vector for introduction of the virus into vulnerable prison settings. Defendants are aware of a substantial risk of serious harm to incarcerated persons, and, although they have taken many commendable steps during the course of this pandemic, they have nonetheless failed to reasonably abate that risk because they refuse to do what the undisputed evidence requires, Tigar wrote. He left room for religious and medical exemptions for certain staff and prisoners. Dana Simas, spokesperson for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, said prison management is evaluating the courts order. We respectfully disagree with the finding of deliberate indifference, as the department has long embraced vaccinations against COVID-19, and we continue to encourage our staff, incarcerated population, volunteers, and visitors to get vaccinated, Simas said in a statement. Additionally, we were one of the earliest adopters of the COVID-19 vaccine, having rolled it out to vulnerable populations and staff at the end of 2020, and have implemented robust response and mitigation efforts against the pandemic. 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. Already, the department is working to hit a previous mandate to have prison health care staff vaccinated by Oct. 14. Rita Lomio, an attorney with the Prison Law Office, said she hopes the mandate gets enforced quickly. She said prisoners have been infected and died at much higher rates than those outside prison. Further delay will only harm the many elderly, disabled and medically fragile people in prison, most of whom are Black or brown, she said. It is a real shame that it took litigation to get California where other states, counties and the federal government already are. All sides argued the case Friday, after the prison systems federal receiver, tasked with overseeing the health care system since 2008, recommended the mandate. In May 2020, prison officials and medical staff created a public health disaster when they botched a transfer of prisoners to San Quentin and Corcoran state prisons, a February Office of Inspector General report found. That outbreak led to the death of more than two dozen inmates and a guard. San Quentin now has zero cases. Matthias Gafni is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: matthias.gafni@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mgafni Daly City Police Department A mountain lion was prowling the streets of Daly City on Tuesday morning, and residents in the area were asked to use caution when going outside. The mountain lion was reported to police when it entered the backyard of a home in the 4100 block of Callan Boulevard. Officials with the states Department of Fish and Wildlife searched the area, but the feline had slipped away from the backyard. A San Francisco sheriffs deputy is facing criminal charges after he allegedly sexually assaulted someone and threatened to shoot others at a dinner party last week, officials said. Prosecutors announced Tuesday that they had filed four felony charges and three misdemeanor charges against Dominic Barsetti, who has worked for the sheriffs office since 2018. Officers were called to an apartment in the Parkmerced area Thursday around 10:15 p.m. for a report of a man threatening to shoot people. Barsetti, who was off duty at the time, attended a potluck at the apartment that night and allegedly inappropriately grabbed an 18-year-old woman at the apartment, officials said. When others confronted him, Barsetti allegedly grabbed a guitar and swung it around the apartment, damaging a curtain and a book case and breaking a tank holding a pet lizard, officials said. Barsetti then allegedly threatened to shoot multiple people at the apartment before going home. Prosecutors said Barsetti had shown people at the dinner his gun collection earlier that day. The allegations in this case are outrageous, and particularly troubling coming from someone we entrusted to wear a star and uniform. We will hold Deputy Barsetti accountable for his actions, San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin said in a statement. This case involves not only weapons, threats, and vandalism, but also sexual misconduct. Officers arrested Barsetti and executed a search warrant at his home. They confiscated three handguns, ammunition and an inert grenade. Barsetti appeared to be intoxicated and was slurring his words, officials 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. The San Francisco Sheriffs Office has placed Barsetti on administrative leave pending the results of the criminal investigation, said Christian Kropff, the offices acting director of communications. Barsetti was booked into the Marin County Jail on Friday morning, according to county records. He was scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday afternoon. Andy Picon is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: andy.picon@hearst.com Twitter: @andpicon Mrinal Mohit could have lived anywhere he wanted in San Francisco. But the former Facebook senior software engineer chose Bernal Heights for a few reasons. It was quiet, but close enough to more active neighborhoods like the Mission where he could easily meet up with friends. It was also close to the highway, so he could easily commute to work in the South Bay. And there was another, less quantifiable aspect of Bernal Heights Mohit loved. It has that community feel, the 28-year-old, who now works for a startup, told The Chronicle. There will be weekend barbecues. ... It definitely has a feeling that in this neighborhood a lot of people know each other. Its clear that Bernal Heights is a desirable neighborhood, for all these reasons and more. The Chronicles housing guide describes the neighborhood as a food lovers hub with a small-town feel. Redfin named it the hottest neighborhood in America in 2014. So why isnt it growing? Last week, the U.S. Census Bureau released its second batch of data from the 2020 decennial census, which included detailed population counts of cities down to the block level. The data shows that over the last decade, all of San Franciscos neighborhoods in the top half in income those neighborhoods with median incomes over $125,000 saw at least a 5% growth of inhabitants. Except Bernal Heights. The neighborhood was one of just six S.F. neighborhoods that recorded fewer people in 2020, though it essentially stayed flat, dropping by just 12 people. (This is among the 39 neighborhoods defined by the San Francisco Planning Commission.) Theres at least one obvious reason why Bernal Heights which is bounded by Interstate 280, Highway 101, Cesar Chavez Street and San Jose Avenue, according to the Planning Commission has not ballooned in size, and it will be familiar to anyone with a grasp of San Franciscos public policy: Since 2010, the neighborhood has constructed almost no new housing. But Bernal Heights situation is extreme even for San Francisco. In 2019, the planning district associated with the neighborhood created fewer net housing units than any of the citys 14 other planning districts except for South Central and Ingleside, according to a report by the San Francisco Planning Commission. And from 2011 through 2019, the district built zero new buildings with more than four housing units, according to that report. An illustrative recent example: A project to create four new duplexes in the neighborhood was finally approved in late 2019 41 years after the developer, Patrick Quinlan, had originally purchased the property. The demographics of the neighborhood stayed relatively constant over the decade. In 2020, about 45% of residents identified as non-Hispanic white, 26% as Hispanic, 18% as Asian, and about 3.5% as non-Hispanic Black. The Hispanic and Black populations of the neighborhood declined slightly from 2010 to 2020, while the share of Asian residents and those who identify as two or more races increased. The white population stayed about the same. Yalonda M. James/The Chronicle Danielle Lazier, a real estate agent who has sold more than 160 homes in Bernal Heights and who lived in the neighborhood for 11 years, said Bernal Heights consists of densely packed single-family homes on small lots. This layout creates a cozy, communal village feel, she told The Chronicle. The press that Bernal Heights got during shelter-in-place, little businesses popping up, community members helping each other, I think really (shows) that, she said. However, the neighborhoods layout has also made it difficult to build new housing, particularly multifamily buildings creating a shortage thats sent home prices soaring. Home values in Bernal Heights have grown by almost 240% since 2000, according to data from Zillow, making it one of the neighborhoods with the fastest appreciating real estate values in an already expensive city. Part of the reason its so hard to build new homes in Bernal Heights is that the neighborhood has its own building code. The code, which aims to encourage development in context and scale with the established character of the neighborhood, prohibits buildings over 30 feet tall in most circumstances making the construction of large apartments close to impossible. It is fairly restrictive, Dan Sider, director of executive programs at the San Francisco Planning Department, told The Chronicle about Bernals building code. He added that the code includes restrictions on building depth and mass as well as height, and until recently required each new home to have a parking garage. 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. These codes have essentially locked in Bernal Heights status quo of tightly packed, small single-family homes with some duplexes sprinkled in. This layout makes the neighborhood feel much denser than it is; multiple sources described Bernal as dense or tight, when in fact its not among the citys most dense neighborhoods. Todd Lappin, a longtime resident of the neighborhood who used to run the neighborhood blog Bernalwood and now manages a neighborhood Facebook page, agreed that the neighborhoods housing layout may help explain its lack of growth. But he said thats probably not the only factor at play. My hypothesis about the slight population decline in Bernal is that its about lower density within the existing housing that we have, he said. Essentially, Lappin believes that over the last decade or so, older, larger families have been moving out more often. Younger adults, who tend to live alone or in smaller families a couple with their first baby, say have been disproportionately moving in. The data doesnt necessarily support this theory. While youths under 18 make up an increasingly small percentage of San Francisco, Bernal Heights actually gained youths as a share of its population since 2010. People under 18 now make up almost 17% of the neighborhoods population, up from about 16.6% in 2010. Susie Neilson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: susie.neilson@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @susieneilson Alexandra Souverneva, the Palo Alto woman charged with starting the Fawn Fire north of Redding last week, told law enforcement she had been trying to make a fire in order to boil water from a puddle, according to court documents. Souverneva, 30, was arrested on Wednesday when she walked out of a wooded area near the Fawn Fires ignition point, about 5 miles northeast of the city of Shasta Lake. The Cal Fire law enforcement officer who made the arrest reported that Souverneva was carrying a lighter, several carbon dioxide cartridges and an incendiary device containing a green leafy substance but without a battery, according to court records. A supervisor at a nearby quarry reported seeing a woman matching Souvernevas description trespassing in the area that morning, and other witnesses reported that she was acting irrationally. She allegedly ignored quarry workers telling her that she was not allowed to be there and proceeded to walk into the forest, leaving behind a battery and two carbon dioxide cartridges on a dirt road, according to court records. Souverneva told law enforcement that she had been hiking to Canada. When she became thirsty, she tried to boil water from a puddle in a creek bed because she believed it contained bear urine, but conditions in the area were too wet for the fire to ignite, she said. Later on, she said, she saw smoke and planes flying overhead dropping pink stuff, according to court records. The Fawn Fire, which triggered mandatory evacuation orders, had grown to 8,577 acres and was 60% contained by Monday night. Three firefighters have been injured and 184 structures have been destroyed. Another 1,269 structures are threatened, according to Cal Fire. Souverneva is being investigated for potentially starting other fires, both in Shasta County and elsewhere in California, though officials did not say how many, where or when. Fire Tracker Follow wildfires across the state Latest updates on wildfires burning across Northern and Southern California Souverneva earned a bachelors degree in chemistry and biology at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena in 2012. She later attended graduate school at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.. She could face up to nine years in prison for the arson charge, with an enhancement for setting the fire during a state of emergency, according to Shasta County District Attorney Stephanie Bridgett. Additional charges could follow. Andy Picon is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: andy.picon@hearst.com Twitter: @andpicon Californias chief utilities regulator, Marybel Batjer, announced Tuesday she would resign by the end of the year, leaving her position as the state remains mired in a wildfire crisis partially tied to its largest investor-owned utility. Batjer, whose term as president of the California Public Utilities Commission was set to end in 2027, provided no explanation for her early departure and said it was a difficult decision in a statement to agency staff. Batjer said she is ready for a new challenge and adventure after serving in various government posts under four governors. I am grateful for Gov. (Gavin) Newsoms support in this decision and for his continued support as I focus the remainder of my service to facilitate the transition of new leadership and better position the state for the reliability and safety challenges of this and subsequent summers and wildfire seasons, she wrote. Newsom will make a decision about her successor by the end of the year, according to a spokesperson for the governor. For decades, Marybel Batjer has helped tackle the most persistent challenges confronting Californians head-on, Newsom said in a statement. She is a passionate, smart and thoughtful leader and Im grateful for her service to the State of California and wish her all the best in future endeavors. The commission oversees privately owned utilities, including those providing electricity, gas, telecommunications, water, railroad and passenger transportation services. Batjer took the helm in October 2019 after Newsom appointed her to oversee those critical utility sectors during a tumultuous time. Pacific Gas and Electric, the states largest utility, had entered bankruptcy in January 2019 after its equipment was blamed for causing deadly and destructive wildfires in back-to-back years. As Batjer took the helm, PG&E had just launched a program of planned blackouts to prevent wildfires during dangerous fire weather, leaving vast numbers of Northern and Central Californians without power. The program has been widely criticized. Critics have blamed the commission for decades of lax oversight of power companies that allowed investor-owned utilities like PG&E to neglect its electric infrastructure, putting millions of Californians in danger from fires as climate conditions have grown hotter and drier. In her statement, Batjer said that since her appointment the commission had been called upon to translate its rules and processes into timely actions and outcomes to better protect and improve the quality of life for Californians. I can say with confidence that we at all levels of the CPUC have worked tirelessly to support Californians during these challenging times, she said. Batjers successor, who will be appointed by Newsom, will face similar challenges. The commission is currently investigating PG&Es suspected role in starting the massive Dixie Fire burning in the Sierra Nevada, the second-largest wildfire in state history. State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, who serves on state Senates energy, utility and communications committee, said Batjer was the right person at the right time to lead the commission. It was a massive undertaking to ensure PG&E was properly regulated and held accountable, Dodd said in an email. She made a lot of progress and obviously there is still more to do to ensure Californians have the energy grid and telecommunications they deserve. Its important that work continues under the next president. Julie Johnson is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: julie.johnson@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @juliejohnson Celebrity chef Tyler Florences anticipated new steak house Miller & Lux opens Tuesday with visions of glamour, over-the-top luxury and dry-aged beef. The 7,000-square-foot waterfront restaurant is part of Thrive City, the development surrounding the Chase Center thats also home to a new Gotts Roadside and spacious Harmonic Brewing taproom. Miller & Lux is the most upscale venture to open in the Warriors-centric area, which got its first restaurant last year with the debut of Dumpling Time. Florence tapped renowned designer Ken Fulk, who also just re-envisioned Boulevards interior, to create a midcentury modern space inspired by Chasens, a legendary Hollywood haunt in Los Angeles that closed in the 90s. Like Chasens, Miller & Lux is lined with plush, circular booths but adopts a softer color palette featuring caramel and gold. Multiple carts will rove the 147-seat restaurant, which also has an outdoor patio, bar seating and private dining room, to provide table-side service. The Caesar salad ($19), for example, will not only be assembled table side but harvested in front of diners as well. Courtesy Jason Perry Every two days, Miller & Lux staffers will retrieve live heads of romaine, roots still in soil, from Sonoma Hills Farm in Petaluma. Theyll repot the lettuce into individual black pots, and then trim the leaves table side for the freshest possible salad. The greatest Caesar salad in the world is the goal, Florence said, describing the Spanish anchovies, Gilroy garlic and French gray sea salt in the dressing. The salad gets finished with crispy sourdough croutons flavored with preserved Meyer lemon. Theres also a dessert cart, designed by Fulk and outfitted with vintage plates. Itll showcase six different sweets for diners, such as eclairs and tarts, in part to speed up the dessert ordering process for groups rushing out to a game or concert at Chase Center. Courtesy Jason Perry And, of course, there will be steak. Diners can choose between a 10-ounce filet mignon ($58), 20-ounce New York strip ($88), 32-ounce tomahawk rib eye ($130) and 52-ounce porterhouse ($160). Generally, the steaks are dry-aged for 45 days to give it that really delicious, almost charcuterie aroma, Florence said. The steaks come from different Northern California farms, where the cows are grass-fed and then finished on barley. The kitchen employs old-school broilers that reach 1,000 degrees, which Florence hopes will result in steaks with a crisp, browned crust and tender, juicy interior. Diners can add a sauce like tarragon bearnaise ($8) as well as sides like creamed kale ($14). Courtesy Jason Perry The restaurant also serves raw seafood starters, such as tuna tartare ($18) dressed in shiso and dashi, and small bites like bacon-wrapped dates stuffed with blue cheese ($20) and custard-filled caviar doughnuts ($98). For mains, Miller & Lux offers a few options beyond steaks. Theres whole dover sole ($68), deboned and finished with a traditional meuniere sauce table side, and the lone vegetarian entree of fettuccini ($38) loaded with black truffle. Theres also a burger that Florence said has made a couple people cry already. It features a fatty blend of beef, garlic aioli, garlic butter, bacon-onion jam and crispy shallots. The thick patty gets seared on a plancha and draped with Cowgirl Creamerys Mt. Tam, a milky triple cream cheese. Courtesy Jason Perry Its then sandwiched between Firebrand Bakerys brioche buns that the chefs intentionally leave out for a day to toughen them up, so they can absorb the juices. A key test of the breads resolve will be when diners order an off-menu special: The burger Lux-style comes with a pool of green peppercorn bordelaise, and is intended to be eaten with a knife and fork. Miller & Lux, which is named after two German immigrants who became some of the biggest cattle ranchers in the country, will only be open for dinner for the first month before expanding into weekday lunch in November. Florence hopes it becomes a late-night destination, with reservations available until 11 p.m. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. The chef said hes wanted to open a steak house for many years, inspired by a restaurant he went to growing up in Greenville, S.C. The staff would bring out a tray showing off the raw steaks and let diners pick their cut, which always felt like a special experience, he said. Courtesy Jason Perry Servers will bring steaks out on a tray at Miller & Lux, too. The idea of doing something that feels relatable to a lot of people fits where we need to be right now, he said. So much detail and thought and care went into every element to make it feel familiar but best in class. The steak house was initially scheduled to open in the spring of 2020 but was pushed back due to the pandemic. It marks Florences first new restaurant in San Francisco in 11 years following American comfort food spot Wayfare Tavern. Hes also known for hosting Food Network shows like Tylers Ultimate and The Great Food Truck Race. Miller & Lux. Opens Tuesday. 5 to 11 p.m. Monday to Saturday, 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday. 700 Terry A Francois Blvd., San Francisco. millerandluxrestaurant.com Janelle Bitker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @janellebitker Ox & Tiger, a popular Filipino-Japanese pop-up run by a former Rich Table chef, has found a permanent home in San Francisco. It has taken over 552 Jones St., formerly a location of Filipino restaurant Tselogs. Owners EJ Macayan and Hitomi Wada will be serving their playful marriage of Filipino and Japanese food, their respective heritages, for takeout only on weekends initially. They soft-opened last weekend and plan to open fully in late October with a tasting menu inside the intimate, counter-only space. The duo will continue to serve Ox & Tiger classics, like Japanese gyoza filled with Filipino bistek or their take on the Filipino bicol express (pork loin thats brined in fish sauce, then breaded and fried). New dishes include seafood doria, a Japanese casserole-like dish covered with melted provolone cheese, and fish ball skewers, a Filipino street food staple. Diners will be able to watch Macayan cook the fish balls, topped with annatto chili oil and garlic-vinegar peanuts, on a new yakitori grill behind the counter. Most dishes come with seasonal atchara, or Filipino pickles. The couple draw heavily on seasonal, local produce, like garlic chives and mizuna from Hikari Farms in Watsonville, run by a Japanese American family. They plan to apply for a license so they can offer beer, wine and sake pairings. Alex Bernardo, the owner of Millbrae natural wine shop Vineyard Gate, who has hosted their pop-ups in the past, will help inform the wine and sake selections. Macayan has worked at Rich Table in San Francisco, Filipino food truck the Sarap Shop and Fat Rice in Chicago. He and Wada started Ox & Tiger in 2018. Their pop-up dinners, with dishes like pancit topped with spicy cod roe and tonkatsu on homemade milk bread, drew a loyal following. During the pandemic, they shifted to takeout meals and outdoor pop-ups when they were allowed again. The Tenderloin space felt like kismet to Macayan and Wada: Before Tselogs, it housed a Japanese curry restaurant. And its a relief to get back to serving food in person on plates instead of to-go boxes, though theyre thinking about offering takeout at lunch, and the space already has a pickup window. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. When we were first doing pop-ups, it was tasting dinners and we were able to speak to our customers and hear their stories and share our stories. Were really excited to get back into doing that again, Macayan said. This past year was hard. Check Ox & Tigers Instagram for the most up-to-date information on hours and menu. Ox & Tiger. 552 Jones St., San Francisco. oxandtiger.co Elena Kadvany is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: elena.kadvany@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ekadvany Eugene Garcia/Associated Press Regarding California moves on climate change (Sept. 26): I very much appreciated Samantha Youngs analysis of what legislation to address climate change has (and has not) passed this summer in Sacramento. The measures that have been signed into law certainly help treat some important symptoms of climate change but do little to advance the wholesale and systemic change that will be required to prevent a bleak future for ourselves, our children and grandchildren. We are currently at 1.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial global temperatures and climbing. When I think of the devastation that were now seeing at 1.1 degrees, contemplate what that might look like at 1.5 degrees, 2 degrees or higher. Swift and drastic coordinated action is needed now, beyond just Sacramento, but by national, state and local governments across the world. The fact that a 2045 carbon-neutral commitment was defeated in Sacramento by business and labor interests worried about losing jobs is incredibly short-sighted. Job losses are inevitable, regardless of the path we choose. If we do it right, new jobs and industries will be created that are focused on harnessing energy from the sun and wind, and which are focused on capturing carbon from the sky and returning it to the ground. When San Francisco officials said they would reject beloved homegrown taqueria El Farolitos plan to set up shop in North Beach, citing the areas ban on chain stores, it set off an intense debate around formula retail laws in San Francisco. Critics asked whether the laws intended to keep big chains out of neighborhoods are hurting, rather than helping, local and fast-growing small businesses. A retail business or restaurant that has more than 11 locations worldwide is considered a chain in San Francisco, even if its a locally grown small business rather than a multinational corporation with hundreds of outlets. Rules for chain stores vary by neighborhood. Most require a special permit for chains to open while three ban them altogether and several others have a partial ban, which targets only chain restaurants. El Farolito, which has 11 locations, wanted to open in one of the neighborhoods with a ban. While the taqueria did not formally apply to open, it did approach officials about its plans, which is when the owners were told theyd face the chain store ban. Despite its noble intentions, the laws have never really done what they set out to do, said Pamela Mendelsohn, a Realtor with San Francisco-based Maven Commercial, a retail-focused real estate firm. In some cases its kept out big chains, yes, but its also pushed out small local businesses simply because they have more than 11 locations. Thats not right. The question of whether chain laws are ripe for rethinking is particularly urgent now, as San Francisco small businesses struggle due to the pandemic and many commercial corridors deal with a glut of empty storefronts, critics of the law argue. But proponents of the laws, including several supervisors, say banning chains protects small local businesses from major corporations and keeps the city unique. Except for Downtown and Union Square, all chain stores and restaurants are required to go through what can be long, expensive and complicated permitting before they can open. But North Beach, Hayes Valley and Chinatown ban them completely. At least four neighborhoods including upper Fillmore, central SoMa, Taraval Street and the Mission District do not allow chain restaurants. San Francisco takes into account whether standard looks apply to merchandise, facades, color schemes, signage, worker dress and decor. Stores with a recognizable look like a Rite Aid or Macys constitute a chain. But there is a difference between a McDonalds and an El Farolito, said Kazuko Morgan, Realtor with Cushman and Wakefield in San Francisco. She agreed the law makes sense for bigger corporations but shouldnt displace local smaller businesses just for increasing storefronts in the region. Starting in 2004, San Francisco enacted chain store regulations through a series of laws and a ballot measure. In 2014, amendments to the law included counting international locations and other changes. El Farolito is not the only restaurant with Bay Area roots thats come up against the rules. Jennifer Sarver, who started San Francisco Soup Co. in 1999 with her husband, Steve, said the laws made expanding her business difficult. Now known as Ladle & Leaf, the business counts 10 locations across the Bay Area. But there was a time when they had 20 locations and felt the chain store laws kept them out of some neighborhoods. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle For us it wasnt worth it to go into neighborhoods to fight the fight, said Sarver. Instead, the couple almost exclusively opened new locations Downtown, where there are no chain restrictions. It is still completely unreasonable that homegrown businesses are not able to expand in this city, she said. Chain stores have found a way to filter through into some neighborhoods that ban them. Trader Joes in Hayes Valley recently received an exemption and will open in the next year or two. Supervisor Aaron Peskin, who represents North Beach, defended formula retail laws this week, arguing they protect neighborhood businesses. But Peskin added that the Planning Departments email to El Farolito was not a formal ruling, and he believes that the departments interpretation of the existing locations, which he said are not under the same ownership and have different branding and names, makes them not have enough to be deemed to be formula retail under the law. He said hes optimistic that officials will figure out how to accommodate El Farolito while preserving the neighborhoods unmatched uniqueness. El Farolitos owners did not respond to repeated requests for comment. Sharky Laguana, the president of the Small Business Commission, said the law doesnt make sense if it unwittingly makes it difficult for homegrown businesses. We need to be more encouraging and welcoming to businesses that want to fill these vacant storefronts, he said. We want to get folks in there so that we can restore these commercial quarters. Laguana is proposing one possible fix. In 2007, San Francisco voters passed a ballot measure that expanded the need for a special permit for chain stores to all neighborhood commercial districts. He thinks a charter amendment should be put on the ballot that would, if approved, turn those restrictions into an ordinance. That would allow supervisors to change aspects of it as they see fit. Supervisor Matt Haney has come out in support of Laguanas proposal. If passed, Haney would support adding different definitions for local versus national or international business chains. Jessica Christian/The Chronicle A locally owned and grown burrito shop that has (more than) 11 stores shouldnt be treated the same as a Starbucks or McDonalds. If our laws prohibit that, then we should change our laws, Haney said. El Farolito is absolutely a small business. 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. Supervisor Gordon Mar said he supports the ban on formula retail restaurants in the Sunsets commercial corridors but agreed the definition of formula retail could be updated to distinguish local businesses and national or international chains. Supervisors Ahsha Safai and Myrna Melgar agreed with tweaking definitions or loosening rules for local businesses, while keeping restrictions for major chains. I dont think that we intended to have a ban against El Farolito and the best burritos, Melgar said. Other supervisors differed on the need for change. Supervisor Dean Preston said he supports the overwhelmingly successful total formula retail ban in Hayes Valley. I disagree with the idea that one should try to gut a very successful, pro-small business law because of interest in how it applies in one case, he said. Supervisor Hillary Ronen, who represents the Mission, where El Farolito got its start, said she felt the restrictions in her district were working. They require chain stores to go to the Planning Commission to get a special permit. The fact that in San Francisco we have extra scrutiny at the very least for formula retail is a good thing, Ronen said. Supervisor Connie Chan defended the law. Its premature to be talking about changing a policy that has been extremely popular and effective at protecting our small businesses, she said in a statement. Mayor London Breeds spokesman, Andy Lynch, did not answer specifically which, if any, changes to the chain store laws she would support but did say in a statement, We should look at further reforms to ensure that our laws arent punishing successful small businesses, especially ones that started here in San Francisco. Shwanika Narayan and Mallory Moench are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: shwanika.narayan@sfchronicle.com, mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shwanika, @mallorymoench San Francisco sheriffs deputies could soon be eligible to work part time as security guards for private businesses under new legislation written in an effort to combat retail theft. On Tuesday, San Francisco Supervisor Ahsha Safai introduced legislation to allow deputies to provide security services at retail stores and commercial districts. They would be off-duty and paid overtime by the retailers or business districts not by the city. San Francisco police officers have long been able to earn extra income as private security guards while not on duty. Safais legislation would extend the program to sheriffs deputies. The biggest criticism we have heard of this program is that there are not enough officers to go around, Safai told The Chronicle on Tuesday. So we are expanding the opportunity to include sheriffs deputies. There are already 2,000 police officers eligible to pick up the overtime. The legislation would add about 800 deputies to that pool. Normally, deputies do fixed-post work, Safai said, working security at City Hall, courtrooms and San Francisco General Hospital in addition to their main duties running the Hall of Justice and the County Jail and transporting prisoners to court appearances and medical appointments. Deputies who volunteer for retail work will wear their standard green uniforms and carry the same equipment as police officers in blue. Deputies will be allowed to move from their fixed posts to apprehend thieves and make arrests. They can follow a suspected thief out of the store and follow them out of state, Safai said. In announcing the legislation, Safai was joined by Sheriff Paul Miyamoto at a news conference in front of the Walgreens store at 300 Gough St. in Hayes Valley. This was the site of a June crime in which a man rode a bicycle into the store, filled a garbage bag with items while a uniformed private security guard filmed him, and rode right by the guard and out the door. A video of the crime went into wide circulation, making it a symbolic location for the news conference. But Safai said the idea of offering up deputies-for-hire to combat what he called organized retail crime came last summer when he witnessed the same thing at the Walgreens in my neighborhood at Mission and Geneva. He had heard the store was a popular mark so he went down to talk to the merchants. As he was returning to his car, he saw as many as 10 young men carrying bags walk into Walgreens while an 11th man stood watch outside. For me it was just a real stark eye-opener that this was happening, Safai said. People could do it with impunity and our city was caught flat-footed. While reports of shoplifting have been dramatized by video of incidents, the actual rate of retail theft in 2021 is down in San Francisco compared to reported thefts in 2018 and 2019. Reports of theft dropped dramatically after the COVID-19 lockdown, because stores were closed. In the summer of 2020 as stores reopened, there was a surge in reports, which climbed steadily until the end of 2020. But this year saw a steep decline between January and April, according to an analysis of property crime trends conducted by The Chronicle. John Crew, a retired police practices expert, said that the jobs of police officer and sheriffs deputy are dissimilar and that there may be questions of training. 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. Deputy sheriffs in this town play an entirely different role than SFPD, he said. It is not an apples-to-apples comparison. Generally speaking, the San Francisco Sheriff's Department has no experience in street-level enforcement. In introducing the legislation, Safai said he had enlisted the cooperation of the NAACP, represented by Rev. Amos Brown, and the Deputy Sheriffs Association. Everyone is on board, he said. Police are just one spoke in the wheel of what we need to do to deter this brazen crime that has been happening in San Francisco for the last year. The legislation was introduced at Tuesdays Board of Supervisors meeting. The soonest deputies would be in the stores and on retail corridors would be late November. Lt. Tracy McCray, vice president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, said the union is opposed to the proposed ordinance to put sheriffs deputies out in these retail establishments and the POA plans to voice its opposition to the Board of Supervisors. Sheriffs deputies are experts at working in a controlled environment. Those stores are not controlled environments, she said, noting that working 10B is essentially a patrol beat, and many officers work security on the same beats that they patrol, getting to know the street people. Deputies do not get this experience in their regular duties. We go through a lot of training that they dont go through and I dont think their standards are as rigorous as they are in our department. Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SamWhitingSF Scott Strazzante/The Chronicle A person of interest was detained Tuesday morning as San Francisco State University officials continued to investigate a report of an anonymous, non-specific threat made online. University police and other law enforcement authorities detained an individual, who was not identified, who they suspect was responsible for the threat on campus, the university said. San Francisco supervisors approved an $8 million settlement Tuesday for a wrongly convicted man who alleged that San Francisco police framed him for a murder he didnt commit. Maurice Caldwell, now 54, spent 20 years in state prison after he was convicted of second-degree murder in a 1990 shooting in the Alemany housing project on Ellsworth Street. His conviction was based on the testimony of a single, unreliable eyewitness identification obtained by unnecessarily suggestive procedures, according to a 2012 wrongful-imprisonment lawsuit filed by the Northern California Innocence Project and a Pasadena law firm. Caldwell, who maintained his innocence, was released from prison in 2011 after a judge overturned his conviction. The $8 million settlement, negotiated with the City Attorneys Office, required approval from the Board of Supervisors, which the board provided without comment. Linda Starr, the Northern California Innocence Projects co-founder and executive director, said the settlement was welcome but insufficient. No amount of money can give back to Mr. Caldwell or his family the 20 years he spent wrongfully incarcerated, she said. But this settlement, though far too long in coming, finally recognizes the harm that San Francisco caused him, and provides him the resources to continue his life and provide for his family. Matt Dorsey, a Police Department spokesperson, deferred comment to John Cote, a spokesperson for the City Attorneys Office. Cote said the settlement reflects the difficulties involved in re-creating a murder investigation from events that took place over 30 years ago. Many witnesses including the key eyewitness are now deceased, and others are many years removed from the events. He also said that the settlement should not be seen as an admission that the officer acted inappropriately, and defended the multimillion-dollar settlement. 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. Mr. Caldwells lawsuit sought far in excess of $21 million, Cote said. Settling this for a fraction of that avoids the cost of further litigation in a case about police practices from the 1980s where evidence and witnesses are no longer available more than 30 years later. Caldwell sued San Francisco and its Police Department over their interactions with Mary Cobbs, who died while Caldwell was in prison. According to Caldwells suit, a police sergeant grabbed Caldwell on the street, brought him to Cobbs door and identified him to her by his name and nickname, Twone. Cobbs, when interviewed earlier about the crime she had witnessed, told police she did not know the shooter by name. But about two weeks later, she picked Caldwell out of a photo lineup and said she had heard people use the nickname for him. The suit also alleged that police fabricated statements allegedly made by Caldwell and said police targeted him because he is Black and because his father had shot and killed a San Francisco police officer. Michael Cabanatuan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ctuan With San Franciscos school district already facing a massive $112 million budget shortfall, the likely recall election of three school board members would add up to $8 million to that tab, an unanticipated financial hit that could increase cuts to classrooms unless the city steps in to cover the costs. Supervisor Rafael Mandelman hopes to make that happen, saying he will announce legislation Tuesday that would pull money from city coffers to pay for the expected recall election of President Gabriela Lopez, Vice President Faauuga Moliga and board member Alison Collins. Signatures have been submitted to put the recall on the ballot, and it is widely expected to qualify. I think that given the financial condition of the district, given this is an unanticipated event, an exigency neither the city or school district could plan for, it makes sense for the city to step in and cover the school districts costs, he told The Chronicle. Theyve got challenges over at the school district. They do not need to be carrying another $8 million cost for the recall. Mayor London Breed threw her full support behind the effort if the recall makes the ballot. Were not going to have the money come out of the classroom to pay for this election, so well make it happen, said spokesperson Jeff Cretan. Were figuring it out. If approved, the funding would continue a pattern of the city inserting itself in the districts affairs. While the school district operates as an independent government agency, city officials have increasingly meddled in district issues over the past year, a response in part to a school board beset by controversies. The city not only created in-person learning hubs when schools were closed, but also gave the district $15 million to help cover pandemic costs. The city attorney also unsuccessfully sued the district to try to force the reopening of classrooms. At the same time, covering the cost could help the recall effort, eliminating the argument by opponents that the recall would be financially foolish. Recall elections are relatively rare on a local or state level, with no public official in San Francisco successfully recalled in decades. Gov. Gavin Newsom easily remained in office after a recall vote earlier this month. The school board recall effort could break the trend given wavering support for the education officials over the past year. The public and fellow liberal politicians have lambasted the board over the delayed reopening of classrooms and a reversed effort to rename dozens of schools amid the pandemic. Several supervisors, state officials and the mayor also took a strong stand against Collins, asking her to resign over tweets seen as anti-Asian that she made prior to her election to the board. Instead, Collins sued the school district and five fellow board members for $87 million after they stripped her of the vice presidency and positions on committees. A federal judge tossed out the lawsuit earlier this month. Mandelman said he is typically not supportive of recall efforts, but signed the petition to oust Collins. Collins has gone above and beyond demonstrating shes not fit for office, he said. District officials declined to comment on the possible recall funding, saying it is not the practice of staff to comment on school board elections. Moliga also declined to comment at least until the legislation is before the Board of Supervisors. Collins and Lopez did not respond to requests for comment. Supporters of the recall submitted more than 80,000 signatures to recall each of the three board members in mid-September, about 30,000 more than required. Elections officials have 30 working days to certify an election. The city would then have 88 to 125 days to hold the election. If certified, the recall election likely would be held in January or February. Still, the recall effort has split the city and the Board of Supervisors with critics saying the effort is targeting three people of color on the school board in a costly attack just 10 months before the next regular election. People should think about the consequences before they push knee-jerk reactions, said Board of Supervisors President Shamann Walton, a former school board member. Recalls are costly, and thats why we have a regular election process. Walton said he doesnt want the city or the school district to pay for the recall election, that those calling for the unnecessary recall should pay for it. He acknowledged that taxpayers, however, are obligated to pay the cost. Organizers of the recall, however, have said they are not targeting the three members because theyre people of color. They said they would have attempted to recall all seven board members one of whom is white but only three had served long enough to be eligible. Supporters have also said they cant wait for the next election because the board has too many important decisions to make in the interim, including balancing the budget and picking a new superintendent. 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. If the city wants to pay for the recall election, that would be great, said Siva Raj, one of the main organizers of the recall. We fully support Supervisor Mandelmans legislation and hope that all members of the Board of Supervisors support it, he said. Mandelman said he would work with the controller, elections officials and the city attorney to draft the legislation. The city typically seeks reimbursement from the district for its share of election costs, which could be $5 million to $8 million if a special election includes only the recall of the school board members. Its possible that the city would have to share costs if the ballot also includes a vote for the position of assessor-recorder. Carmen Chu, the elected assessor-recorder, left that position to replace city administrator Naomi Kelly, who stepped down amid corruption charges. Joaquin Torres was named to replace Chu and will be required to run for the seat in the next San Francisco election, which could be the school board recall election. Supervisor Hillary Ronen said she supports paying for the recall election. Kids shouldnt suffer because of the actions of adults, she said. Supervisor Matt Haney, who chairs the budget committee, said hes open to the idea. I definitely dont want the money to come out of the classrooms, he said. School board member Jenny Lam echoed that, saying she was hopeful the city would continue to support the district. SFUSD is already projected to have a deficit of $100 million for its 2022-23 budget. We are facing a looming fiscal crisis, said Lam, who oversees the boards Budget Committee. The school district did not plan for costs associated with a recall when we approved our current budget, nor can we afford this huge additional operational cost all on our own. Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker About a dozen smiling people in matching yellow T-shirts wheeled 45 heavy boxes through the City Hall basement to the Department of Elections the other morning. Inside those boxes sat six months of effort and nearly a quarter million signatures of San Francisco voters that are almost certain to qualify school board members Gabriela Lopez, Alison Collins and Faauuga Moliga for a recall. Get ready for a special election, probably in January or February, that would be the first local recall to qualify for a San Francisco ballot since 1983. Already, supporters of the internationally ridiculed school board have bashed the recall for supposedly being fueled by Republicans, conservatives and dark money, but is it? Unlike with Tuesdays recall election of Gov. Gavin Newsom, the answer is no. Everyday San Franciscans with real concerns about the school board and who believe the citys kids deserve better launched the effort and worked tirelessly to gather signatures. And their beefs are far more significant than Newsoms unwise, unmasked dinner at the French Laundry. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle Do I look like a Republican? Hello! said one of the men in a yellow T-shirt plus a rainbow beard, top hat, silver pants and platform boots. Im Gaybraham Lincoln. Queens for the recall! Honest (and Fabulous) Abe was David Thompson, who pulled his 10-year-old son out of the district after months of the boys outbursts and despondency over Zoom school while the school board mostly ignored families concerns and instead focused on distractions like renaming 44 closed schools, including Lincoln High. A good board catches the mistakes of the administrators it oversees and corrects them. This one ignores the districts errors, blasts critics and creates unnecessary messes. What should it be focusing on? The districts enrollment drop to 49,774, a 5% dip from June, 2020. And the projected budget deficit of at least $114 million next year. And the fact its teachers are still underpaid in one of the most expensive cities in the world while not a single unit of teacher housing, talked about for at least 17 years, has opened. Theres also the districts last-minute change in school schedules, made without parent or teacher input, which the district said saved $3 million in transportation costs, but which budget documents show cost it $2.1 million this year in before and aftercare costs, seeming to negate the point. Then theres the new resolution from Collins and Lopez directing Superintendent Vince Matthews to craft a plan to ensure 3 feet of social distancing at schools, weekly testing of students and staff and air filtration in all used spaces including hallways despite it probably making the budget picture even worse and new data showing there hasnt been a single case of COVID-19 transmission in the citys public schools. Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The Chronicle Matthews, who agreed to stay on an extra year after his planned retirement when the board promised to not micromanage him, resisted the resolution, saying it would distract his already stretched team. Backers of the school board say the fact a recall election will cost the district several million dollars means voters should wait until November 2022 when the same three commissioners are up for re-election. But recall supporters point out the group will need to choose a new superintendent and close a huge budget gap well before then, and this crew doesnt seem up to the job. Besides, Collins wasnt concerned about the districts gaping budget hole when she sued it and her colleagues for $87 million after losing her vice president title because of her anti-Asian tweets. She finally withdrew the lawsuit Tuesday after a federal judge dismissed the case, but she hasnt offered to repay the district more than $110,000 in legal fees, and theres no sign her colleagues will force the issue like they should. The three school board members could prevent the district spending money on an election by resigning, but that seems improbable. At a recent meeting of the Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democractic Club, Collins said of the recall, When I see certain people getting upset, I know Im doing the right thing, according to news coverage of the event. Lopez blamed the recall on sexism, racism and discrimination against young people and said, They recognize this is an opportunity to bring down someone who is me. It seems unlikely that a city that elected a Black woman as mayor is secretly out to get women of color on the school board. Neither Collins nor Lopez returned requests for interviews. Moliga, who to his credit engages with journalists, texted that the Pacific Islander community strongly supports him and added, We have seen a tremendous outpouring of support in San Francisco and throughout California from people who are standing with us to oppose my recall. The Rev. Amos Brown, president of the San Francisco NAACP and an opponent of the recall, said he hasnt agreed with the group on everything including its insistence on covering murals at Washington High but said recalls are foolishness that will destroy this republic. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle Supervisor Hillary Ronen, though, said she and her colleagues are getting a tremendous amount of email from district parents asking the supervisors to solve problems that the school board and central office wont address. I want a school board thats going to be laser-focused on the impending budget deficit and on the day-to-day needs of educators and students to make school safer and more successful, Ronen said. That hasnt happened for quite a long time. The recall was initiated by Siva Raj and Autumn Looijen, partners who between them have five kids and were furious by the unending Zoom school for Rajs kids in San Francisco versus an earlier, smooth return for Looijens kids on the Peninsula. Raj, who moved from India in 2010 to run his tech startup, is not a citizen and cannot vote except in local school board races under a proposition passed by city voters in 2016. Looijen is a registered independent who voted for Joe Biden for president. 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. Neither of us have any association with the Republican Party, Raj said. We are fiercely nonpartisan. Campaign disclosures filed with the citys Ethics Commission show the recall effort has raised $569,000. A lot of that money has come from the tech industry including $49,500 apiece from venture capitalists David Sacks and Arthur Rock and $10,099 from venture capitalist Garry Tan. Most of the donations, though, came from 1,400 people giving much smaller amounts including about 50 people who listed their occupations as educators. Those who signed the petition are all over the map too literally. Data from Raj and Looijen show people living in the Sunset, Richmond and west of Twin Peaks neighborhoods had the highest percentage of signers. Visitacion Valley and the Bayview were close behind and had higher percentages of signers than the Marina and Pacific Heights. Gabrielle Lurie/The Chronicle One of the recall campaigns most avid backers is Monty Worth, a history teacher at Lowell High whos gathered signatures since the spring. He said he was stunned and embarrassed by the school boards refusal to involve historians in its effort to rename 44 schools. He said hes a registered Democrat who disagrees with the recall effort against Newsom and District Attorney Chesa Boudin, but believes the school board has been so uniquely destructive and intolerant of others views that the recall is imperative. Its damaging to progressivism to have this kind of radicalism, he said. We need practical people, and frankly, much more boring meetings. Perhaps the happiest person Tuesday as the group turned in its petitions was Kit Lam, the dad whose petitions were stolen at a farmers market but went on to collect more than 4,300 signatures on his own. My wife wants her husband back, Lam said with a laugh. Now well let the voters decide. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Heather Knight appears Sundays and Wednesdays. Email: hknight@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @hknightsf Alabama-based photographer Ashtynn Wilhite was in San Francisco for just one day when disaster struck. Wilhite says the hard drive containing nearly all of the photos she snapped of a wedding was stolen by thieves who broke into her car near the Painted Ladies on Sept. 21 between 7 and 7:30 p.m. The thieves also made off with at least $15,000 worth of camera gear, she says. "We had such a phenomenal day there, and all of a sudden it was just ripped away," Wilhite told SFGATE. "It was so sad." The couple, Alex and Tyler Hamel, were married in Birmingham, Alabama in early September. They are offering a $2,000 reward for the return of the photographs, in addition to Wilhite's $5,000 reward for the return of the hard drive and her laptop. Wilhite said she was in San Francisco the day of the theft to shoot engagement photos for another couple. They drove all around San Francisco, taking in the sights, when they decided to make Alamo Square their last stop. With no room in the trunk of her car, Wilhite decided to leave her and her assistant's camera equipment covered by blankets in the back seat. They shot at Alamo Square for only a handful of minutes. "I saw the glass but it didnt really hit me," Wilhite recalled. "I thought something broke. I got out of the car, and the window was shattered. Then it hit me somebody stole our gear." Courtesy Ashtynn Wilhite Wilhite said she "immediately went into shock," dropping to her knees, sobbing, "Somebody stole our stuff." She said she immediately called the police, who allegedly told her to call 311, which then instructed her to file a report online. Wilhite went to SFPD headquarters anyway in an attempt to file a report, but she said they directed her to the online form as well. "This kind of stuff doesn't really happen where we're from," she said. "If something like this did happen, the police would be more intrigued to help. But in San Francisco, they're like this happens every day, sucks to suck. There's really nothing they can do, it's such a big city." There is some good news. Wilhite had sent the Hamels a "sneak peek" of the wedding a few days after the event. She says the 50 photos or so she sent is now all that remains of the special day. "I dont normally do that," Wilhite said. "I gave them a significantly large sneak peek back because their wedding day was so amazing. I came straight home and edited some. It was a god thing." San Francisco is in the grips of an unprecedented drug epidemic as fentanyl floods the street-drug marketplace, intensifying the peril of addiction and leading to a staggering number of overdose deaths. While myriad other drugs such as cocaine, heroin and especially methamphetamine are part of the city's recreational drug supply, the number of accidental overdose deaths tied to the astonishingly cheap, potent and addictive synthetic opioid went up 483% from 2018 to 2020. Fentanyl was detected in the blood of 89 of the 260 total people who died from overdoses in San Francisco in 2018, while it was present in 519 of the 712 people who overdosed in 2020, data shared by the city with SFGATE showed. Illicit fentanyl, which can be 50 times more powerful than heroin, emerged in San Francisco only a few years ago. As recently as 2015, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said it didn't seize any fentanyl in its Northern California region. The agency confiscated 15 kilograms in 2016 and numbers rose in following years. In 2020, the division seized 29 kilograms of fentanyl, and this year so far 74 kilograms have been confiscated an amount that could kill up to 37 million people when you consider 2 milligrams is a lethal dose. "Thats double what we seized last year and were not even done with the year," said Wade Shannon, special agent in charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency's San Francisco field division with a region stretching from the California-Oregon border to Bakersfield. "We are drowning in fentanyl." SFPD Where is all the fentanyl in San Francisco coming from? As with all illegal drugs, fentanyl flows into the United States through a complex underworld spread across the globe, passing through many different hands, its value increasing with each step. China is the main source of ingredients used to make fentanyl and it also produces the drug in a completed form, usually powder. The Chinese government has recently cracked down on the drug, and India has emerged as a new player, the DEA said in a 2020 report. From China and India, the ingredients and powder are sent on container ships to Mexico. Much smaller amounts are sold over the dark web and sent through the mail, sometimes directly into the hands of people who intend to use the drug in the U.S. Transnational criminal groups, also known as cartels, are the next step in the supply chain, and they're synthesizing the drug, producing mainly powder, packaging it to be sold in the U.S. in pure form and also lacing other drugs such as cocaine and heroin with it, the DEA said. Fentanyl is an inexpensive and easy way to pump up the potency of other drugs. Cartels are also stamping fentanyl into pills made to look like legitimate prescription pills such as OxyContin, Adderall and Xanax. The DEA launched a nationwide campaign this week to increase awareness about the increasing prevalence of criminal drug networks mass-producing fake pills, with the number of DEA-seized counterfeit pills containing fentanyl jumping nearly 430% since 2019. Shannon said 2 milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose and recent DEA lab testing revealed that two out of every five pills with fentanyl contained a deadly amount. "The quality of these pills its an inexact science," said Shannon. "The cartel who are stamping these pills dont have quality control. You can get what we call hot batches." Unlike heroin, cocaine or marijuana, fentanyl doesn't require farmland, sunshine, rain or field hands. The highly potent and addictive drug is easily synthesized with few ingredients in a lab, making it a drug trafficker's dream. Shannon said a cartel can purchase a kilogram of fentanyl powder for $3,000 to to $5,000 and that can make a half-million pills. "This leads to a $1.5 million return on that investment," Shannon said. "Thats a huge benefit for the transnational criminal organizations." The cartels are working with local distribution networks, street gangs or smaller entities in the U.S. to sell the drug on the streets and also through social media. "For San Francisco, its usually coming through the Central Valley and working its way north into San Francisco," Shannon said. Pills are sold on the streets of San Francisco for $4 to $10 each, Shannon said. People are also buying the drug in powder form, sometimes smoking it. Often they're getting the drug unknowingly when they purchase pills and other drugs. How much of the use is intentional versus accidental? "The simple answer is that we dont know," Dr. Sarah Mars, a UCSF associate researcher studying fentanyl use with USCF professor Dr. Daniel Ciccarone, wrote in an email. "When people are able to buy fentanyl as fentanyl, use is clearly intentional but when drugs are mixed together, it is difficult to tell. Much of the data we have is obtained post mortem after overdoses and we do not know whether the person who took the drugs planned to mix them with fentanyl or not." Fentanyl emerged on the East Coast before the West Coast Up to 100 times more powerful than morphine, fentanyl, like all opiates, is a respiratory depressant and can impact a person's ability to breathe. In an overdose situation, a person's breathing can entirely stop with little or no oxygen reaching the brain and this can lead to a coma, irreversible brain damage and death. Research shows that the potency of fentanyl is more likely to trigger an overdose than other opioids. One reason the risk for overdose is so high with fentanyl is it acts almost immediately. While a heroin overdose can take 20 to 30 minutes to progress to cardiac arrest, with fentanyl it can happen in minutes. Fentanyl was initially created in the 1960s to manage pain after surgery, and its clinical use expanded in the 1990s with the introduction of the extended release patch for chronic pain, typically advanced cancer pain. Illicit fentanyl first emerged on the East Coast in about 2014, mainly found as an adulterant in powdered heroin. "They called it a poisoning epidemic because it was being called heroin but it had this 40 times more potent product in it and it was poisoning people," said Ciccarone, who specializes in addiction medicine and has followed the westward expansion of fentanyl. "After 2018 it started coming into the West." Through their research at UCSF, Ciccarone and Mars have found evidence that people who use opioids on the East Coast may tend to actively avoid fentanyl, as test strips that alert consumers to its presence in their drugs have become more common. Ciccarone said there's some evidence some people in San Francisco are seeking out and choosing to take fentanyl, but there's still a lot more research to be done. A 2021 quantitative and qualitative study on fentanyl use in the Bay Area found some people who use drugs were switching from injecting tar heroin to smoking fentanyl, citing benefits such as lower cost and less social stigma by reducing visible "track marks" from injections. Researchers such as Ciccarone and Mars are launching studies to better understand how fentanyl is being used on the streets, while the DEA, in conjunction with the San Francisco Police Department, tries to get the drug off the streets. Meanwhile, city agencies are working hard to reduce drug use and prevent overdose deaths, helping get users into recovery and administering Naloxone, an overdose-reversing medication. Across the city, Naloxone is on hand everywhere from public libraries to bars. With fentanyl at the center of this effort, none of it is easy. "Its like nothing Ive ever experienced in my career," Shannon said. "There have been drug overdoses ever since there have been drugs, but the data and deaths were seeing with fentanyl, its uncharted territory." TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) Chinas Foreign Ministry said Monday that two Canadians detained in late 2019 who were allowed to return to Canada in a prisoner swap were released on bail for health reasons. A ministry spokesperson made the comment as Beijing sought to downplay the connection between their release and the return to China of a long-detained executive of Huawei Technologies. Canadians Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig were detained in December 2019, days after Huaweis chief financial officer, Meng Wanzhou, was arrested in Canada at the request of U.S. authorities. Many countries labeled Chinas action hostage politics, while China accused Canada of arbitrary detention. The two Canadians were jailed for more than 1,000 days. Meng fought the U.S. demand for extradition from Canada. She landed in China on Saturday after reaching a deal with the U.S. Justice Department that led to a prisoner swap. The case of Meng Wanzhou is completely different from that of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor in nature, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a daily briefing on Monday. The two men were suspected of endangering national security, Hua said. Spavor, an entrepreneur, had been sentenced to 11 years in prison, accused of spying. Kovrig had not yet been sentenced but was facing similar charges. China released the two Canadians on bail after a diagnosis by professional medical institutions, and with the guarantee of the Canadian ambassador to China, Hua said. Hua did not answer questions from journalists about whether the prisoner releases were entirely unrelated and what the health reasons were. Canada has maintained that Kovrig and Spavor were innocent of any charges. We continue to oppose the way these two citizens were treated, Canadian Foreign Minister Marc Garneau told the U.N. General Assembly meeting of world leaders Monday. He said Spavor and Kovrig paid a heavy price because their country "observed the rule of law in responding to the U.S. extradition request. Representatives for the two countries traded retorts later Monday on the assembly floor, with China rejecting Canada's take on the affair. Canada continued to insist Kovrig and Spavor were mistreated. Meng reached an agreement with U.S. federal prosecutors that will drop fraud charges against her next year. In return, she is accepting responsibility for misrepresenting the companys business dealings in Iran. U.S. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters Monday that the decision to allow Meng to return to China was an independent law enforcement matter decided by the U.S. Justice Department. She added that President Joe Biden's administration has advocated for the release of the two Canadians but stressed that the White House was not involved. She said Biden raised concerns about the Canadians' detention when he spoke with President Xi Jinping earlier this month. Meng's return to China was broadcast live on the country's state broadcaster, CCTV. She wore a red dress the shade of China's flag and thanked Xi and the ruling Communist Party. On Monday, Hua, the Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said Meng was a victim of political persecution" and was able to return to China thanks to the government's unrelenting efforts. In contrast, the release of the Canadians was reported by the state-owned tabloid Global Times, and while the news spread online, it was not carried by more authoritative state media agencies such as CCTV or Xinhua News Agency. Huawei is the biggest global supplier of network gear for phone and internet companies. It has been a symbol of Chinas progress in becoming a technological world power and a subject of U.S. security and law enforcement concerns. Former President Donald Trump's administration cut off Huaweis access to U.S. components and technology, including Googles music and other smartphone services, and later barred vendors worldwide from using U.S. technology to produce components for Huawei. ___ Associated Press video producer Liu Zheng, and Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz at the United Nations, contributed to this report. A San Francisco sheriff's deputy is facing multiple felony charges, including a terrorist threats charge, after attending a small party Thursday evening, San Francisco police say. Dominic Barsetti, a deputy for the San Francisco Sheriff's Office, according to NBC Bay Area, was present at a small party on Josepha Avenue in San Francisco's Parkmerced neighborhood Thursday when he began "acting erratically," a police spokesperson told SFGATE on Tuesday morning. Other partygoers at the scene reported that Barsetti, 32, broke home goods, assaulted attendees and, most frighteningly, "threatened to return to the home to shoot the victims" before leaving the party, according to the statement provided by San Francisco police to SFGATE. Police later found Barsetti and detained him without any incident; he is being held in San Francisco County Jail, police said. His arraignment is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, NBC Bay Area reports. Barsetti faces felony charges of terrorist threats and misdemeanor charges of vandalism and sexual battery, according to San Francisco police. A spokesperson for the San Francisco Sheriff's Office confirmed that Barsetti was put on administrative leave. "He has currently been placed on administrative leave until the conclusion of the criminal investigation process, which will then lead to his administrative investigation," Christian Kropff, a San Francisco Sheriff's spokesperson, told SFGATE. Anyone with further information is encouraged to call the San Francisco police tip line at (415) 575-4444 or text at TIP411. Currently Reading Alert: Milley defends call to Chinese counterpart at end of Trump presidency, says: 'My task at that time was to de-escalate' AMSTERDAM (AP) As COVID-19 lockdowns ease and borders reopen, there is a gathering at Amsterdam's Rijksmuseum of people from around Europe, depicted in more than 100 Renaissance portraits. The Dutch national museum's new exhibition Remember Me, covers the century 1470-1570 and features portraits from across the continent by masters including Albrecht Duerer, Hans Holbein and Titian that underscore humanity's enduring desire to be remembered. It also shows the lengths artists went to to portray people, their wealth, jobs, power and love for one another. While the exhibition has been in the works since before the global pandemic swept the world last year, the wish to be remembered is something that felt more pressing than ever amid lockdowns, said the museum's general director Taco Dibbits. We now felt with the corona crisis that people were so far away they couldnt come to you. You couldnt travel, Dibbits said Tuesday. That was always the case in the Renaissance, when it was far harder to travel and ... there was this great longing to have the person with you. I think something that we felt over the last one-and-a-half years. The show offers a snapshot of European society in the Renaissance period and includes for the first time in a single exhibition the two earliest individual portraits of Black men known in Europe a painting by Jan Jansz Mostaert of a man in military attire who was possibly Christophle le More, a personal bodyguard to Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and a 1508 drawing, "Portrait of an African Man," in black chalk by Albrecht Duerer that is on loan from Vienna's Albertina Collection. For Dibbits, whose museum has just wrapped up a groundbreaking exhibition bringing the history of slavery in the Netherlands and its former colonies into sharp focus, the two portraits are a way of bringing Europe's Black population in the Renaissance out of obscurity. There was a presence in the Renaissance, so around 1500, of Africans in Europe and we felt it very important to show these two works, to also show that presence," he said. I think that for a long time in the history of art, these works were invisible. So people just thought, well they didnt exist. For Dibbits and Matthias Ubl, the museum's curator of Early Netherlandish, Italian and German painting, one of the standout highlights of the show is the enigmatic Portrait of a Young Girl, painted around 1470 by Petrus Christus. The portrait of an unknown girl is on loan from the Gemaeldegalerie in Berlin, the first time the painting has left the museum since 1994. Ubl said he first became fascinated by the work when he saw it on a poster as a student in London around 20 years ago. When I first saw it, I thought, wow, this is just so amazing. This is one of the most beautiful portraits there is. And now its here and its almost unreal, Ubl said. Getting all the loaned portraits to Amsterdam from museums around Europe, the United Kingdom and United States, was a feat in itself at a time of travel restrictions. The show opens Oct. 1 and runs to Jan. 16. Were incredibly grateful that we got them all together, Dibbits said. "And its really like a (re)union, you could say. It was like real people now get back together again and also these people from the Renaissance are now here gathered again together. Pane e Vino Trattoria, a neighborhood Italian restaurant in Cow Hollow, has closed after 30 years, as first reported by Eater. It was known as a homey, romantic spot serving thin crust pizza, risotto, pasta and specials such as rabbit wrapped in pancetta and served with polenta. Pane e Vino's last day in service was Aug. 26. "We are truly thankful and so fortunate to all our customers who have supported us for the past 30 years," reads a farewell note on the restaurant's website. "Thank you to the community who embraced us so kindly and for the wonderful memories we created here together." Nic Z. via Yelp Chef Bruno Quercini, who was born in Bianzone, Valtellina, Italy, became executive chef at Pane e Vino in 1991. He first learned to cook from his mother and began cooking for his family when she passed away when he was a teenager. When he first moved to the Bay Area, he was head chef at Marin County restaurant Giramontis for 10 years. In 1998, Quercini opened a new restaurant, Via Vai, with Pane e Vinos original founder, Pietro Bernadi but by 2003, Pane e Vino moved into the Via Vai new space at 1715 Union St. Over the years, the restaurant received its fair share of accolades, including a positive review from then-San Francisco Chronicle food critic Michael Bauer. "It has been a privilege being part of the 'Pane e Vino' family and we thank you all," said Pane e Vino's goodbye letter. SFGATE has reached out to Pane e Vino for comment on the closure but did not hear back at time of publication. HAMPTON, S.C. (AP) Ask any of the 2,600 residents in this South Carolina town whether they know Alex Murdaugh, and youll probably get a quick nod. Nearly everyone does in Hampton, a tiny place where every road in has just two lanes. Ask them to tell you about Murdaugh, though, and youll get a firm head shake, followed by: You're not going to quote me, are you? No one wants to talk about the influential lawyer whose wife and son were killed and whos now accused in a string of controversies at least, not in the open. For the past century, the Murdaughs have steered much of the legal world in this remote corner of South Carolina north of Savannah, Georgia, and far from the interstate or just about anything else. Running the prosecutors office and a large civil law firm allowed the Murdaughs to do it quietly, until recently. Murdaughs wife, Maggie, and son Paul were killed June 7, shot multiple times at the familys sprawling estate. No one's been arrested in their deaths, which brought scrutiny into every nook of Murdaugh's life. Six investigations are underway, over the killings, stolen money, death coverups and a Sept. 4 shooting in which a bullet grazed Murdaughs head on a lonely highway. Police said he tried to arrange his own death and make sure a $10 million life insurance policy would pay off for his surviving son. The man charged with shooting Murdaugh is Curtis Eddie Smith, a former client from a workplace accident case. Smith said they became friends, and he was stunned to find himself dismissed as a callous drug dealer by Murdaughs lawyers. With a friend like that, who needs enemies, Smith said as he limped around his property in Walterboro, checking on his shop and rescue dogs. He wouldn't say anymore, insisting he was done discussing Murdaugh and the case for now. Like many people in town, Smith got entangled with the Murdaughs in a courtroom in Hampton County, population 20,000, where the family is used to being in power, not being questioned. If you stole something or had something stolen from you, the Murdaughs ran your case for the state. Alex Murdaughs father, grandfather and great-grandfather were the elected prosecutors for 87 years straight. If you got hurt on the job, the Murdaughs took you on as a client. The family founded a law firm a century ago. It now employs several dozen lawyers, and its brick headquarters takes up a whole city block. There's no sign out front; everyone knows it's the Murdaughs' firm. And if you had a charity or other cause, the Murdaughs donated. The family has given millions to all sorts of projects. Alex Murdaughs father was grand marshal of the parade of the towns marquee Watermelon Festival several years ago. But plenty of people tell hushed stories of what happened if the Murdaughs were crossed. Connor Cook said that in 2019, he knew his friend Paul Murdaugh was intoxicated when he drove a boat that crashed, killing a 19-year-old passenger. But the Murdaughs tried to pin him as the driver, Cook said, according to a wrongful death lawsuit. In a deposition, Cook said he feared the family: Just anything they get in, they get out of. Ive always been told that. The night of the crash, Alex Murdaugh and his father visited the hospital. Murdaugh scrutinized a board where staff kept track of patients and tried to talk to everyone who'd been on the boat, nurses told investigators. The crash bought the kind of attention the Murdaughs always tried and for decades, succeeded to avoid. It took months to charge Paul Murdaugh with boating under the influence causing death, the local newspaper noted. Many around town wondered whether the family was wielding their sizeable influence. Paul Murdaugh was awaiting trial when he died. Now, state police are investigating whether the Murdaughs obstructed that investigation. They're also looking into the 2018 death of family housekeeper Gloria Satterfield. She died after falling in the Murdaughs' home, but the death wasnt reported to the coroner. Documents appear to show Murdaughs insurance paid more than $4 million in wrongful-death claims. But a lawyer for Satterfields sons said they havent seen a dime since agreeing to use an attorney who was Murdaugh's college buddy to handle the legal work and another banker friend as estate executor. The documents have signatures purported to be from judges, but some were never entered into publicly searchable court records. Others dont appear to have followed state rules for settlements. Despite long staying out of headlines, the Murdaughs aren't strangers to their own legal troubles. Alex Murdaughs great-grandfather, Randolph, founded the family law firm and in 1920 became the elected prosecutor for the five-county region that includes Hampton County. Randolph Murdaugh died when his car was hit by a train as he headed home from a poker game in 1940. His son, Randolph Buster Murdaugh Jr., took over the law firm and prosecutor position; he served for 46 years, with the exception of several months awaiting federal trial over tipping off a local moonshiner to move his still. Eighteen of 23 defendants were found guilty. But Buster was acquitted and returned to office even as the judge noted that, if he were Murdaugh, he could not go back and face his people much less resume public office, according to federal records. "Buster" was larger than life in court, admonished more than once by the state Supreme Court for improper arguments telling juries he wouldnt try another death penalty case or would release rapists awaiting trials if verdicts didnt go his way. Randolph Murdaugh III followed his father, taking over in 1986 and serving almost 20 years. Neither of his sons followed him into the solicitors chair, although Alex Murdaugh worked as a volunteer prosecutor before his law license was suspended in September as he was fired from the familys PMPED law firm over millions of dollars turning up missing. In civil law, the Murdaughs were known for suing railroads. A now-repealed South Carolina law allowed anyone who wanted to sue a railroad to choose any state county. The Murdaughs found sympathetic juries and made Hampton County known for seven-figure verdicts. The PMPED firm has dozens of lawyers and practices in all of South Carolinas 46 counties. Its website lists 14 cases with awards of more than $1 million railroad companies that didnt cut vegetation at crossings, a cancer patient hurt by chemotherapy, a 9-year-old burned by a SUVs gas tank. Alex Murdaughs brother, Randolph Murdaugh IV, still works at the firm. He didnt answer an email asking about his family. The law firm issued a statement saying many of their lawyers grew up in the area and are closely involved in their communities and churches. The firm said no one they have spoken to knew that Alex Murdaugh was addicted to drugs and no employees were involved in his scheme. He lied and he stole from us, the PMPED statement said. Alex Murdaugh, 53, remains in an out-of-state rehab facility awaiting trial on charges of insurance fraud and filing a false police report. Through his lawyer, Murdaugh adamantly denied having anything to do with the deaths of wife Maggie, 52, and son Paul, 22. When Murdaugh found their bodies, he'd just returned from visiting his terminally ill father, his brothers said on Good Morning America. While people around Hampton remain careful in speaking about the Murdaughs, hints about their influence pop up. An addendum at the top of the wrongful death lawsuit over the housekeepers death includes these lines, in all capital letters. THE PLAINTIFFS ARE VICTIMS. THE PLAINTIFFS ARE VULNERABLE. THE PLAINTIFFS ARE SCARED. ___ Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP. PHOENIX (AP) A 24-year-old woman has been detained by police after two of her children were shot in their south Phoenix home Monday, police said. Phoenix police said a 2-year-old girl was later pronounced dead at a hospital while a 6-year-old boy remained in critical condition. SUDBURY, Ontario (AP) An operation was underway Monday to evacuate 39 miners trapped underground for more than 24 hours after a mechanical problem blocked the entrance shaft to a mine in northern Ontario. Mining company Vale said a rescue team had reached the workers, who were in several different ``refuges between 900 and 1,200 meters underground at the Totten Mine, west of Sudbury, Ontario. No one was injured, the company said. ``We expect everyone to reach the surface by tonight, Vale said in a statement. A statement from the United Steelworkers, the union that represents 30 of the 39 workers trapped in the mine, said it was cautiously optimistic that all would be safely evacuated. The company said the miners have had access to food, water and medicine. Vale said the incident happened when a scoop bucket being sent underground Sunday afternoon detached, blocking the mine shaft. As a result, it said, the ``conveyance system for taking workers to and from the surface could not be used. ``The employees will exit via a secondary egress ladder system with support of Vales mine rescue team, the company said. Ontario Premier Doug Ford said his thoughts were with the miners. ``We understand this rescue will take some time and are very relieved to hear the miners are currently uninjured, he said on Twitter. Totten Mine opened in 2014 in Worthington, Ontario -- the first mine to open in the area in 40 years, according to the companys website. The mine produces copper, nickel and precious metals and employs about 200 people. Kalem McSween, a spokesman for the provinces Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development, said in an email that an inspection team would investigate the incident once the rescue operation was finished. CORONA, Calif. (AP) A man accused of fatally shooting two young people inside a Southern California movie theater last July has pleaded not guilty, and not guilty by reason of insanity, to two counts of murder. Joseph Jimenez, 20, did not speak during Monday's hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice, letting his attorney enter the pleas, the Press-Enterprise reported. TIRANA, Albania (AP) Albanias Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered the re-trial of a former interior minister who was convicted of abuse of office two years ago. The Supreme Courts decision mentioned irregular steps taken from the court judges and the prosecutors office during the case as the basis for its decision. The former minister, Saimir Tahiri, said he would proceed with another judicial step, complaining the Supreme Court focused (only) on the procedural violations, while he wants the court to throw out all the charges. In September 2019, Tahiri was sentenced to three years of probation for abuse of office but was acquitted of charges based on his alleged ties to a criminal network suspected of trafficking large amounts of marijuana. Prosecutors first accused Tahiri of alleged links to drug trafficking, corruption and involvement in a criminal organization. They tied the case to some of Tahiris relatives who were arrested or jailed for drug trafficking in Italy and Albania. Tahiri, who served as interior minister during 2013-2017, resigned as a lawmaker with the governing Socialist Party in May 2018 and was briefly held under house arrest. Albania was once known as a European crossroads for marijuana trafficking, but there are now more cases involving the trafficking of heroin and cocaine to other European countries. Fighting corruption has been a major problem in post-communist Albania, strongly affecting the countrys democratic, economic and social development. Currently Reading Alert: Man who killed 5 at Maryland newspaper is sentenced to more than 5 life terms in prison without possibility of parole Getty Images / Contributed Photo MADRID, Maine (AP) A Connecticut man was killed when he lost control of an all-terrain vehicle and was thrown off, causing fatal injuries, officials said. Sebastian Constantini, 47, of Oxford, Connecticut, was leading a small group late Monday afternoon while returning to Rangeley after a day of riding, the Maine Warden Service said. BALTIMORE (AP) A Baltimore financier accused of spending at least $90,000 for sex with women, including women he supplied with drugs, was sentenced Monday to 18 months in prison on a prostitution charge, according to federal prosecutors. Charles Chuck Nabit, 66, pleaded guilty earlier this year to transporting a person to engage in prostitution. U.S. District Judge George L. Russell III also ordered Nabit to pay a $55,000 fine and a $5,100 special assessment. KYIV, Ukraine (AP) The authoritarian leader of Belarus on Tuesday announced a referendum on a new constitution to be held in February 2022 and vowed not to let the opposition come to power, a move analysts say could further cement his grip on power after months of mass protests. President Alexander Lukashenko said Tuesday a new constitution had been drafted that redistributes powers between the main branches of the government and establishes a new governing body the All-Belarus Peoples Assembly. The changes are aimed at making the Constitution more harmonized and balanced by redistributing the powers of the president, the parliament and the government and establishing a constitutional status for the All-Belarus People's Assembly, Lukashenko said. He didn't offer details about the proposed bill or the role that the All-Belarus People's Assembly would assume there is currently no such governing body in Belarusian law but there is a parliament already. Lukashenko has said earlier that he would step down as president a post he has occupied for over a quarter century once the new constitution is adopted, but in recent months he stopped mentioning such a possibility. The people will make the final decision, the referendum will take place no later than February next year, Lukashenko said. During his 27 years leading the former Soviet republic, Lukashenko has held three referendums, abolishing limits on presidential terms, amending the constitution and bringing back Soviet-looking state symbols. Belarus was rocked by months of protests fueled by Lukashenkos being awarded a sixth term after the August 2020 presidential vote that the opposition and the West denounced as a sham. He responded to the demonstrations with a massive crackdown that saw more than 35,000 people arrested, thousands beaten by police and other forced to seek refuge abroad. The Belarus opposition and international organizations have proposed talks between the government and the opposition under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, but Belarusian authorities rejected the proposals. Lukashenko on Tuesday once again promised not to let the opposition come to power, claiming they would destroy the country. Lukashenko doesn't plan on going anywhere, he is ramping up repressions in order to secure a referendum result he needs, independent analyst Valery Karbalevich said. The Kremlin helped him hold on to power, and the referendum is necessary to cement that. ___ Follow all AP developments on Belarus at https://apnews.com/hub/Belarus. LONG BEACH, Calif. (AP) Police are investigating an off-campus shooting by a Southern California school safety officer that wounded a person in a car. No students were reported injured in the shooting Monday afternoon in Long Beach about a block from Millikan High School, according to a Long Beach Unified School District statement. The school safety officer approached a group of individuals to investigate an altercation, and during the course of that investigation, the school safety officer discharged their duty weapon and an individual was struck by gunfire, the statement said. The statement gave no information about the person who was shot. The district said the shooting was being investigated by the Long Beach Police Department. City police said in a social media post that they were assisting the investigation but did not release any other information. The Long Beach Press-Telegram reported that a social media video showed that the officer approached the passenger side of a car in a parking lot and fired when the car drove off with tires squealing. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The Cherokee Nation and three opioid distributors reached a $75 million settlement to resolve opioid-related claims against the companies, the tribe and the companies announced Tuesday. The Tahlequah, Oklahoma-based tribe announced the settlement, the largest in Cherokee Nation history, with McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation. The settlement will be paid out over six and a half years. Todays settlement will make an important contribution to addressing the opioid crisis in the Cherokee Nation Reservation; a crisis that has disproportionately and negatively affected many of our citizens," Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said in a statement. This settlement will enable us to increase our investments in mental health treatment facilities and other programs to help our people recover. The tribe sued the three companies, along with several pharmacy companies, in 2017, alleging they contributed to an epidemic of prescription opioid abuse" within the tribe and have not done enough to prevent tribal members from acquiring illegally prescribed opioid painkillers. The three companies said in a joint statement that the settlement is a step toward a broader settlement with all federally recognized Native American tribes across the country. While the companies strongly dispute the allegations against them, they believe this resolution will allow the companies to focus their attention and resources on the safe and secure delivery of medications and therapies while delivering meaningful relief to affected communities, and will also support efforts to achieve a broad resolution with the remaining Native American tribes," the statement said. The Cherokee Nations claims against Walmart, Walgreens and CVS are pending. The settlement announced Tuesday is separate from similar claims brought by other tribes, as well as state and local governments, around the country, including a multi-district litigation proceeding in federal court in Ohio. Former Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter in 2019 secured a $465 million judgment against consumer products giant Johnson & Johnson in the first such state trial against an opioid manufacturer. That case is currently on appeal. Hunter also secured multimillion-dollar settlements with other drugmakers over the states opioid crisis. From 2007 to 2017, more than 4,600 people in Oklahoma died from opioid overdoses, state statistics show. SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) The lower house of Chiles Congress took a step toward decriminalizing abortion in most cases Tuesday, voting to craft a law barring prosecution of women who get abortions in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. The initiative, which is opposed by the government, still faces hurdles before it can become law. While lawmakers in the lower house voted 75-68 with two abstentions to debate it, details of a bill will have to be agreed upon before the matter then goes to the Senate. Currently, abortion is allowed in Chile only in cases of rape, medical conditions that endanger a womans life or instances when a fetus would not be able to survive. The vote by legislators came the same day that women's groups in Mexico, Venezuela and elsewhere the region were staging demonstrations against abortion restrictions. There are no statistics on how many clandestine abortions are performed per year in Chile. The Humanas Corporation, a womens rights group, estimates there are between 60,000 and 70,000. Decriminalization of abortion in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy would protect women from seeking the procedure in possibly unsafe conditions, said Chilean lawmakers who support the measure. Condemning a woman for simply having an abortion is immoral, opposition deputy Andrea Parra said. Monica Zalaquett, the minister of womens affairs, said that this government will always protect life, from its conception and that no woman in Chile is serving jail time for having an abortion. Chile holds general elections Nov. 21 and is also in the process of drafting a new constitution to replace the old military-era charter. Many countries in heavy Catholic Latin America have restrictive abortion laws, though legalization efforts in some nations have gained momentum. The project to decriminalize abortion in most cases languished in Chiles Congress for several years and was only reactivated when a similar law was approved in Argentina in December 2020. This month, Mexicos Supreme Court ruled it is unconstitutional to punish abortion, unanimously annulling several provisions of a law from Coahuila a state on the Texas border that had made abortion a criminal act. The decision in Mexico came soon after a Texas law took effect prohibiting abortions once medical professionals can detect cardiac activity in the fetus. Jennifer Davis/AP SWAMPSCOTT, Mass. (AP) Several environmental activists who chained themselves to a pink sailboat with the words climate emergency" on the side at Gov. Charlie Baker's home on Tuesday morning were arrested, state police said. In addition to six people who chained themselves to the boat, a seventh person who was on top of the boat was arrested, according to an emailed statement from state police spokesperson David Procopio. SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) Don Varnadoe spent months watching videos about train trips on his office computer in preparation for a special cross-country vacation to celebrate his and Margie Varnadoe's 50th wedding anniversary. He phoned his co-workers in coastal Georgia, where he sold real estate for decades, from the first leg of their trip Friday to let them know it was turning into a dream vacation. He had called the office and said how excited they were," said Robert Kozlowski, managing broker at Coldwell Banker Access Realty in the port city of Brunswick. "They were in Washington, D.C., and headed west. A day later, the couple died when an Amtrak train they were on derailed in rural Montana. They were among three people who died along with a 28-year-old Illinois man named Zachariah Schneider, according to the Liberty County Sheriffs Office in Montana. Schneider was a software developer and big Green Bay Packers fan. He was traveling to Oregon with his wife, Rebecca Schneider, who survived and filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Amtrak and BNSF Railway. The Amtrak train was going just under the speed limit at about 75 mph (121 kph) when it went off the track along a gradual curve, possibly ejecting passengers, U.S. investigators said Monday. The Amtrak Empire Builder that was en route from Chicago to Seattle crashed Saturday afternoon near Joplin, a town of about 200 near the Canadian border. The train, carrying 141 passengers and 16 crew members, had two locomotives and 10 cars, eight of which derailed, with some tipping onto their sides. Residents in the farm community mobilized that day to help injured passengers. Investigators do not know the cause of the derailment, but they are studying video from the train and another locomotive that went over the same track a little over an hour earlier, National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg said Monday. The derailed train also had a black box that records everything happening in the train, he said. One possibility is a problem with the tracks, perhaps from heat-induced buckling, railroad crash experts speculate. Kozlowski was arriving at church Sunday in Georgia when he got a text message alerting him of a rumor circulating that a tragedy had befallen the Varnadoes. A phone call to a family member confirmed the terrible news that the couple had been killed in the derailment. Everybody at the office knew about the big trip and were excited for the couple. One co-worker joked that Don Varnadoe, 74, might have to leave Margie Varnadoe, 72, at home when he struggled with his computer to print out her ticket. He said, 'This is our trip of a lifetime and were so looking forward to it, recalled Kozlowski, his boss of 18 years. The Varnadoes had lived 45 years on St. Simons Island, home to about 15,000 people just over an hours drive south of Savannah. Kozlowski said Don Varnadoe loved to tell the story of how the moving truck arrived on July 4, 1976 the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Margie Varnadoe was retired from the Glynn County public school system, where she had long worked as a teacher and an administrator. Her husband sold real estate for more than four decades, and showed no sign of slowing down. Kozlowski said Don Varnadoe worked every day and often led the sales staff in prayer before meetings. His wife was beloved at the office, where she often brought flowers, brownies and other gifts. She dropped off one last pan of brownies just before leaving on their anniversary trip. If you want an example of how to treat people, Don and Margie were them, Kozlowski said. With their faith and the way they treated people, theyre in a good place, I think. The lawsuit filed by Rebecca Schneider, who was also hurt in the derailment, acknowledged the investigation is in its early stages but contends the the train operator failed react to whatever caused the derailment. Shortly before the derailment, Zachariah Schneider left her in the sleeping car and went to sit in the viewing car, where he was horrifically maimed and killed, the lawsuit said. The couple, who rescued dogs and fostered kittens awaiting adoption, met at Southern Illinois University and had been married for nearly five years, the lawsuit said. Sadly, what was supposed to be a joyous vacation turned tragic because of the failures of Amtrak and BNSF to fulfill their safety responsibilities, said her attorney, Jeffrey P. Goodman, in a news release. Officials with Amtrak and BNSF Railway didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about the lawsuit. ___ This story has been corrected to show Zachariah Schneider is 28 years old, not 29. ____ Associated Press writers Amy Beth Hanson in Helena, Montana, and Don Babwin in Chicago contributed to this report. Dylann Roof has lost the next phase of his appeal, with a federal court turning down his request for a new hearing to challenge his death sentence and conviction in the 2015 racist slayings of nine members of a Black South Carolina congregation. In an order issued Monday, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals wrote that it was denying Roof's request for a hearing before a full appellate court, as well as his petition that a court of substitute judges from other circuits be designated to consider his case. All of the judges from the 4th Circuit, which covers South Carolina, have recused themselves from hearing Roofs case, thus adding an uncommon wrinkle to the flow of his appeals process. One of their own, Judge Jay Richardson, prosecuted Roofs case as an assistant U.S. attorney. Richardson led the case against Roof in 2017, when he became the first person in the U.S. sentenced to death for a federal hate crime. Authorities have said Roof opened fire during the closing prayer of a Bible study at Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, raining down dozens of bullets on those assembled. He was 21 at the time. In his appeal, Roofs attorneys argued he was wrongly allowed to represent himself during sentencing, a critical phase of his trial. Roof successfully prevented jurors from hearing evidence about his mental health, under the delusion, his attorneys wrote, that he would be rescued from prison by white-nationalists but only, bizarrely, if he kept his mental-impairments out of the public record. In May, a panel composed of judges from several other appellate circuits heard Roof's case. Three months later, those judges rendered their decision, unanimously upholding his conviction and death sentence and issuing a scathing rebuke of Roofs crimes. No cold record or careful parsing of statutes and precedents can capture the full horror of what Roof did, the judges wrote. His crimes qualify him for the harshest penalty that a just society can impose. Roof subsequently asked that a full appellate court consider his case, arguing that the panels decision interpreted too broadly the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which authorizes Congress to regulate commerce among the states. Government lawyers opposed that notion, arguing that prosecutors had proven their case. On Monday, the 4th Circuit wrote it declines to take the unprecedented step of seeking a full substitute court to consider Roof's request for a new appellate hearing, citing U.S. Supreme Court precedence that "only judges of the Circuit who are in regular active service may make the determination to rehear a case en banc. If unsuccessful in his direct appeal, Roof could file whats known as a 2255 appeal, or a request that the trial court review the constitutionality of his conviction and sentence. He could also petition the U.S. Supreme Court or seek a presidential pardon. ___ Meg Kinnard can be reached on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MegKinnardAP. Nurses and hundreds of other staff members will soon begin wearing panic buttons at a Missouri hospital where assaults on workers tripled after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cox Medical Center Branson is using grant money to add buttons to identification badges worn by up to 400 employees who work in the emergency room and inpatient hospital rooms. Pushing the button will immediately alert hospital security, launching a tracking system that will send help to the endangered worker. The hospital hopes to have the system operational by the end of the year. A similar program was successfully tested last year at CoxHealth's Springfield hospital, spokeswoman Kaitlyn McConnell said Tuesday. Hospital data showed that the number of security incidents at the Branson hospital rose from 94 in 2019 to 162 in 2020. Assaults rose from 40 to 123 during that same period, and injuries to health care workers rose from 17 to 78. Data for 2021 was not available. The delta variant of the virus hit hard in southwestern Missouri starting in June, leaving hospitals so full that many patients were sent to other facilities hundreds of miles away. The hospital in Branson, the popular tourist town known for its many shows and attractions, has been at or near capacity for four months. CoxHealths director of safety and security, Alan Butler, said the panic buttons fill a critical void. Personal Panic Buttons are one more tool in the battle to keep our staff safe and further demonstrate this organizations commitment to maintaining a safe work and care environment," Butler said in a statement. The Missouri hospital isnt alone. The Texas Tribune reported earlier this month about the rising number of assaults at Texas hospitals, incidents that officials believe are fueled by a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations. Jane McCurley, chief nursing executive for Methodist Healthcare System in Texas, said at a news conference in August that staff members at the San Antonio hospital have been cursed at, screamed at, threatened with bodily harm and even had knives pulled on them. Worldwide, a February report by the Geneva-based Insecurity Insight and the University of California, Berkeleys Human Rights Center identified more than 1,100 threats or acts of violence against health care workers and facilities last year. Researchers found that about 400 of those attacks were related to COVID-19, many motivated by fear or frustration. Assaults on health care workers have been a concern for years, Missouri Hospital Association spokesman Dave Dillon said, but COVID-19 has changed the dynamic in a number of ways. Among them: The effort to slow the spread of the virus means relatives often can't accompany a sick person, raising already-high stress levels. Jackie Gatz, vice president of safety and preparedness for the Missouri Hospital Association, said the use of a button alert is among many steps hospitals are taking to protect workers. Security cameras are being added, and some security personnel are wearing body cameras. CoxHealth added security dogs late last year in Springfield. The Missouri Hospital Association also provides training to help workers protect themselves, including training on how to recognize and de-escalate when someone becomes agitated. Gatz said nurses and staff also are encouraged to stand between the hospital bed and the door. You can control your environment without necessarily placing physical barriers," Gatz said. PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) Oregon is experiencing a downward trend in COVID-19 hospitalizations and cases after a crippling late-summer surge, but Gov. Kate Brown said Tuesday she was gravely concerned about an outbreak in the northeastern part of the state following the Pendleton Round-Up rodeo. So far, there have been at least 49 newly confirmed cases of COVID-19 tied to the annual rodeo, which attracted thousands of people to a rural corner of Oregon from Sept. 11-18. Most of the cases were reported in Umatilla County, where the round-up take place, and in nearby Wallowa County. Joe Fiumara, Umatilla County's public health director, said some people who attended the rodeo were sick but chose to go anyway. It's still too early to say if those cases foreshadow a new spike in cases statewide and health officials are watching closely for that possibility, said Deputy State Epidemiologist Dr. Tom Jeanne. Umatilla County has one of the lower vaccination rates in the state, with 46% of its eligible residents fully vaccinated. The county recorded its second-highest number of newly confirmed virus cases last week since the outbreak began and hospitals in the rural area have struggled to keep up with patients hospitalized with COVID-19. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation on Monday voted to declare a public health emergency because of a drastic spike in COVID-19 after at least 72 new cases were diagnosed at its tribal health clinic in Umatilla County last week. "We knew that a surge in positive COVID-19 cases was possible following the Pendleton Round-Up. What weve seen from this past week is that the cases have spiked quickly, Aaron Hines, the clinic's interim CEO, said in a statement. The worries about a potential surge tied to the rodeo came amid a brighter coronavirus outlook overall for Oregon, state officials said. Statewide, the COVID-19 surge of late summer and early fall appears to have reached its peak, Jeanne said. Hospitalizations and new case numbers are declining, and the state's positivity rate for virus tests has dropped from 12% to 8.9% since Sept. 1, he said. Newly confirmed case counts have declined for three weeks in a row, he added. Brown also said there is ample supply of the Pfizer vaccine in Oregon for people in certain groups eligible for booster shots. People are eligible to receive booster shots six months after they received the second dose of Pfizer vaccine if they meet one of these requirements: Age over age 65. Live in a long-term care setting. Have an underlying medical condition that puts them at a higher risk of COVID-19 and are between ages 18 and 64. Work in jobs that puts them at high risk of COVID-19 exposure, such as teachers, health care workers, first responders, transit workers and grocery store workers If you are in one of these groups, you can schedule an appointment today, said Brown. We have free and readily available vaccines across the state. Everyone who is eligible for a vaccine will get one. About 300,000 Oregonians are currently eligible for the Pfizer booster and there are 800,000 doses of vaccine available around the state, including 400,000 Pfizer doses, said Rachael Banks, director of the Oregon Health Authority's public health division. The state is planning for larger-scale vaccine clinics for booster shots and also looking for child-friendly sites anticipating there may be authorization for children ages 5-11 later this fall, Banks said. Currently, 75% of the people eligible for the vaccine in Oregon have received at least one dose and nearly 69% are fully vaccinated, according to statewide COVID-19 data. HAPPY VALLEY, Ore. (AP) A Clackamas County deputy shot and killed a person during a traffic stop in the Portland suburb of Happy Valley early Monday. The sheriffs office said a deputy initiated the traffic stop around 2 a.m. near Southeast 145th Avenue and Southeast King Road, KGW-TV reported. The sheriffs office did not give specific details about what led up to the shooting, but in a news release said deputies tried to take a suspect into custody and a struggle ensued before the deputy shot the person. The person died at the scene and the sheriffs office said a gun was recovered near them. The sheriffs office has not released the name of the suspect or the deputy. Detectives are working to reconstruct what happened at the scene. The Clackamas County Major Crimes Team and the Clackamas County District Attorneys Office are investigating. NORTH TOPSAIL BEACH, N.C. (AP) A former North Carolina police officer has been accused of stealing guns from the police department where he worked, authorities said Tuesday. In a news release, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation said former North Topsail Beach police officer Mark William Ray Jr., 41, is charged with 15 counts of obtaining property by false pretense, embezzlement, and felony conversion, according to an agency news release. LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) Arkansas' majority Republican Legislature is meeting this week to redraw the state's four U.S. House districts, a task that has generated plenty of ideas but little consensus so far on how to do it. There's also uncertainty about whether there may be an effort to try and take up other issues, despite legislative leaders' desire to keep the agenda limited to congressional redistricting. Here's a closer look at the discussion over redistricting: WHY IS THE LEGISLATURE MEETING? The House and Senate reconvene on Wednesday morning at the Capitol. The Legislature must redraw the boundaries of the state's congressional districts every 10 years following the census. Lawmakers wrapped up this year's session in April, but with plans to reconvene in the fall once the latest census numbers were released. ___ HOW COULD THE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS CHANGE? The biggest debate appears to be over whether to split up counties, especially the state's most populous, into more than one congressional district. Republicans hold all four of the state's U.S. House seats. Arkansas' current congressional map divides up five counties. Some proposals have called for dividing up Pulaski County, which includes the Little Rock area and is currently located in the 2nd Congressional District. Democrats have unsuccessfully tried to flip the 2nd District in recent years. Proponents of splitting up Pulaski have said it makes sense given the county's location in the state's center and that it could prevent dividing up even more counties around the state. But Democrats in Pulaski County oppose the move, saying it would divide the community. Republican Sen. Jason Rapert, who chairs the Senate State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee, said he sees support building on his panel for one proposal that would split Pulaski County along the Arkansas River and interstates between the 2nd and 4th districts. Republican Rep. Dwight Tosh, who chairs the House panel, said he doesn't know if there's a proposal that's reached consensus on his committee. At least three maps proposed by Democrats would create a new 2nd District that would include some or all of Pulaski County as well as southeastern Arkansas counties. But those proposals appear to have little support among Republicans. ___ WHAT ELSE IS ON THE AGENDA? Legislative leaders say they hope to keep the focus on congressional redistricting. The proclamation they issued calling lawmakers back to the Capitol said they could also address legislation related to the COVID-19 public health emergency and distribution of COVID-19 relief funds." Senate President Jimmy Hickey said that wording was included in case lawmakers needed to address matters related to federal virus relief funds, but said the Legislature only needs to work on redistricting. Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Tuesday also said he believed that lawmakers could only take up redistricting during the reconvened session. But bills have been filed anyway related to employers requiring workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19. One proposal would prohibit businesses from requiring employees to disclose whether they've been vaccinated, and another would prohibit the state for denying unemployment benefits to someone fired for refusing to get vaccinated. ___ WHAT ABOUT THE STATE LEGISLATURE'S DISTRICTS? The Legislature won't be redrawing its own districts. That job will be taken up later this fall by the Board of Apportionment, which is in charge of redistricting for the state's 100 House and 35 Senate seats. That panel is comprised of the governor, attorney general and secretary of state. All three are Republicans. ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) Thousands of healthcare workers in New York faced with either getting the COVID-19 vaccine or losing their jobs received at least one dose as the statewide mandate neared, according to state figures released Tuesday. More than 650,000 workers at hospitals and nursing homes in the state had until Monday to get their first vaccine dose under the new requirement. Healthcare facilities on Tuesday reported suspensions of unvaccinated employees, and some had scaled back services in anticipation of fewer workers. But they largely appeared to avoid dire staffing shortages so far, according to industry administrators and representatives. "Right now, services, by and large, are not affected and they remain to be the high-quality level that we have come to expect from our New York hospitals, said Kenneth E. Raske, president of The Greater New York Hospital Association, which represents 140 hospitals and health systems around New York. Raske said a substantial influx of workers received a shot in the last day. State figures show that by Monday evening, 92% of nursing home staff received at least one vaccine dose, up from 82% a week earlier. And preliminary figures showed 92% of hospital staff received at least one dose by Monday evening. The percentage of fully vaccinated staff was 85% Monday evening, up a percentage point from Wednesday, according to Gov. Kathy Hochul. Despite the higher vaccination rates, hospitals and nursing homes that were already facing staff shortages began suspended and terminating employees this week. One nursing home industry representative said employers are reluctant to terminate workers when they are so badly needed. Many providers are giving them an unpaid leave of absence just because theres such a workforce crisis that the providers dont want to sever that relationship, said Stephen Hanse, who represents nursing homes statewide as president of the New York State Health Facilities Association and the New York State Center for Assisted Living. The hope is that workers will change their mind on vaccinations and come back. Mitchell Katz, head of New York Citys public hospital system, said they brought in 500 nurses to to fill in for nurses who were not on the job after the mandate kicked in. But the president and CEO of New York City Health and Hospitals said both public and private hospitals in the city were fully operational. We anticipated that there would be some loss of staff. We knew that no matter what our efforts, some people were not going to get vaccinated, and we planned appropriately, he said. Albany Medical Center President and CEO Dennis McKenna said they will suspend without pay 204 unvaccinated employees out of its 11,456 workers. But McKenna cautioned they still dont know the vaccination status of some employees who have not worked a shift since the mandate. So this is a fluid number and it will take us a couple of days to sort out that number, McKenna said at a news conference. Healthcare facilities have prepared for mandate-related staff reductions by reducing services like elective surgeries, shifting staff and limiting admissions. People were working overtime at hospitals and nursing homes and some facilities were using staffing agencies to help provide vaccinated workers. Also, Hochul signed an executive order late Monday aimed at helping alleviate staff shortages. The executive order allows out-of-state doctors, nurses and other medical professionals to practice in New York, makes it easier for retirees to return to the workforce, and allows physician visits in nursing homes to be done by telemedicine, among other things. Bea Grause, president of the Healthcare Association of New York State, said the executive order could help hospitals, but that it's still a challenging time. Hospitals are not out of the woods yet because that underlying problem is the workforce shortage, said Grause, whose organization represents more than 200 hospitals and healthcare systems. ___ Associated Press writer Michelle L. Price contributed from New York. FITCHBURG, Wis. (AP) A former Milwaukee police chief who sued the city after he was demoted is the next chief in the Madison suburb of Fitchburg. The city has posted the announcement on its website with a statement that said the Police and Fire Commission looks forward to working with Alfonso Morales. He was named a finalist for the job in July. TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) A former Kansas utility worker accused of remotely tampering with a public water system's cleaning procedures has notified a federal court that he plans to change his plea. Wyatt Travnichek was indicted in March with remotely accessing the Post Rock Rural Water Districts systems in March 2019, about two months after he quit his job with the Ellsworth County utility. He initially pleaded not guilty to the charge. BERLIN (AP) Pressure grew for a quick start to talks on Germany's next government as newly elected lawmakers held their first meetings on Tuesday and tensions simmered in outgoing Chancellor Angela Merkel's bloc, which declined to its worst-ever result in the country's election. Olaf Scholz and his center-left Social Democrats, the narrow winners of Sunday's parliamentary election, underlined their hopes of talks soon on forming a coalition with the two parties that are likely to be kingmakers. Since neither of the traditional big parties wants to renew their outgoing grand coalition of rivals, the third- and fourth-placed parties the environmentalist Greens and the business-friendly Free Democrats appear to hold the keys to a parliamentary majority. Leaders of those parties plan to meet each other this week to search for common ground before entertaining advances from potential suitors. The Greens and Free Democrats have been invited by us to hold exploratory talks with us this week already if they want, Social Democratic parliamentary group leader Rolf Muetzenich said before a gathering of his party's newly elected and outgoing lawmakers. Hopes in Merkels center-right Union bloc of holding on to the chancellery appeared to be fading, with the rival who lost out to Armin Laschet to be the blocs candidate to succeed Merkel sounding pessimistic. At the moment, Olaf Scholz clearly has the best chances of becoming chancellor, Markus Soeder said Tuesday. Scholz, the outgoing vice chancellor, said Monday that he wants a new government before Christmas if possible. Forming a government can take weeks or months in Germany as parties thrash out in detail the new coalition's plans. Laschet's Union bloc also is holding a meeting of its lawmakers later Tuesday, with recriminations likely after a disastrous campaign. After saying Sunday night that it would do everything we can" to form a new administration, Laschet made clear Monday that he still hopes to lead one but sounded more reserved, arguing that voters gave no party a mandate. A top lawmaker with the Free Democrats called for all parties to be ready for talks by the end of this week, and for the Union to figure out what it wants to do. Marco Buschmann, the party's chief whip, told Deutschlandfunk radio that very different signals are being sent in the Union. Some want to govern, I think others don't. There have been some calls for Laschet to resign as leader of the Christian Democratic Union, the dominant party in the Union bloc, but not so far from prominent figures. Soeder, who leads the Union's smaller party, the Bavaria-only Christian Social Union, congratulated Scholz on finishing ahead. He said the Social Democrats should have the first crack at forming the government and if that doesn't work, then we are ready for talks. The CSUs top lawmaker in the parliament underlined frustration over the election outcome. It is one the most unnecessary defeats of recent decades, Alexander Dobrindt said. Anton Hofreiter, one of the Greens' parliamentary leaders, noted as their much-increased group met that his party, the Social Democrats, and the Free Democrats made gains in the election while the Union lost significant ground. We will of course talk with all democratic parties, but that's why it's more likely that in the end there will be a traffic light," he said, using the German shorthand based on the parties' colors for a Social Democrat-Green-Free Democrat alliance. The full 735-member new Bundestag, or lower house of parliament, is expected to hold its first meeting next month. ___ Follow APs coverage of Germanys election at https://apnews.com/hub/germany-election MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) The Republican National Committee is suing two Vermont cities for allowing noncitizens to vote on local issues in their communities. The similar, but separate lawsuits against the cities of Montpelier and Winooski ask judges to declare noncitizen voting unconstitutional. The Vermont Constitution requires U.S. citizenship as a qualification of voting," said both lawsuits, written by Republican attorney Brady Toensing. The suits, filed Tuesday in state courts in Burlington and Montpelier, were brought by the national GOP, its Vermont counterpart and a number of individuals. Last November, voters in Winooski considered to be one of the most diverse cities in northern New England authorized noncitizens to vote in local elections if they were in the U.S. legally. In 2019, the city of Montpelier passed a similar measure. Earlier this year the Vermont Legislature approved changes to the charters of the two communities allowing noncitizen voting. The initial bills were vetoed by Republican Gov. Phil Scott, but both vetoes were overturned by the Legislature. In his June veto message, Scott said noncitizen voting was an important issue that deserved further consideration but said a town-by-town approach to municipal voting creates inconsistency in election policy. Scott reiterated that position on Tuesday when asked about the lawsuits during his weekly news conference. We can't do this piecemeal because the approach that Winooski took was different from the approach that Montpelier had taken so we just need it all the same so there is no confusion, Scott said. Proponents say noncitizen voting was expanded after being approved by the people in the communities. We have a rich history of Vermonters coming together in their cities, towns, and villages to work together and chart a path forward that works best for their communities, House Speaker Jill Krowinski said in June when the House overrode the governor's veto. Montpelier City Clerk John Odum said Tuesday he hadnt seen the lawsuit, but since noncitizen voting was approved by the Legislature any changes would have to be made by the Legislature. I am not sure what is to be gained by suing the cities, the charters are now the law," Odum said. Winooski Mayor Kristine Lott didnt return a call Tuesday seeking comment. CONAKRY, Guinea (AP) Guineas military junta has released a transitional charter that outlines the missions and duties of the transitional government and bars any members of the junta from running in elections that will eventually return the West African nation to civilian rule. Lt. Col. Mamady Doumbouya, who led the Sept. 5 coup, will serve as the president in a transition that will remain in place until it determines an election date. The charter was read out on state TV late Monday. CHESTER, Mont. (AP) Trevor Fossen was running late for a wedding Saturday afternoon when he turned onto a dusty, gravel road in rural Montana as a westbound train approached the crossing in front of him. The train never made it to the crossing. The next thing Fossen saw was a wall of dust fill the sky. I started looking at that, wondering what it was, and then I saw the train had tipped over and derailed, said Fossen, a 29-year-old farmer. It was an Amtrak Empire Builder en route from Chicago to Seattle that had derailed, killing three people and injuring dozens. Investigators still don't know what caused the crash. Fossen and at least nine other people called 911, setting off a chain reaction of help from residents in the nearby towns of Joplin and Chester as people jumped into action to get people off the train and care for injured passengers and those who were stunned and had suffered bumps, bruises and other less serious injuries. Volunteer emergency responders, firefighters, law enforcement, medical providers and regular citizens all worked together to help those whose trip was so suddenly and violently interrupted, embodying the spirit of a rural part of Montana's Hi-Line region near the Canadian border. Fossen said he started to help first responders get a handful of people out of a train car that was leaning, then moved back to three cars that were detached from the train and were lying on their sides. He and others helped get a badly injured woman out of a car. Others helped unload the baggage car near the front of the train. The three who didnt survive were identified as Donald Varnadoe, 74, and Marjorie Varnadoe, 72, a married couple from Georgia; and Zachariah Schneider, a 28-year-old from Illinois. All died at the scene, the Liberty County Sheriffs Office said. Dale Fossen, Trevor's uncle, farms nearby and arrived at the scene shortly after the crash. The 75-year-old amateur photographer said he wasnt sure what he could do to help, but he observed the chaotic scene and took some pictures with his cellphone. Some passengers stood in the dust, looking bewildered, he said. Others tended to their wounds. I saw a small child, mother and father, sitting on the railroad tracks right behind the first car that I saw laying sideways," he said. "The little girl was crying. Dale Fossen said he walked over a rise and saw the three cars on their sides. I could see people standing on top of the middle car and ladders and I saw them trying to cut a hole in the roof that was laying on the side, he said. The effort to cut into the rail car failed, even with the Jaws of Life equipment. He talked to one passenger who said he was in one of the cars when it started to tip sideways and a large spring went through the windshield by him. So he grabbed ahold of something as the car tipped over, Fossen said. He said the only thing that kept him from going underneath the train was him holding on. Meanwhile, Liberty Medical Center in the small community of Chester called in all of its staff including housekeeping and most responded, said Bev Halter, director of human resources. They triaged 31 patients Saturday evening. We may be a small Critical Access Hospital in a remote location, but we were able to show the size of our commitment to being here for those in need," Halter said in a statement. We are so thankful for this facility, our employees, and the community who pulled together to provide the best response and care possible. People who were seriously injured were taken by ambulance or flown to other hospitals in the region that had called and offered their help, said Sarah Robbin, the Disaster and Emergency Services coordinator for Liberty County. Six people remained hospitalized Tuesday. Those who were not seriously hurt were loaded onto school buses and the senior citizen bus and taken to a school gym and community center in Chester, where residents helped them charge their cellphones to call families and health care workers evaluated them. Some took showers, and the passengers were offered food. Ricky Maan, owner of the Chester Supermarket, said he provided water and ice, made some pizzas and allowed residents to take whatever else was needed for the passengers, including napkins, wipes and bandages. I told my cashier, dont charge them, said Maan, whose family bought the grocery store five years ago. We can help those people who already hurt." He added: We like to help all the time. This is our community. . . . We used to live in a big city, we never see like this. But in small town, everybody is like, once something happens, is all together." A religious group brought in ingredients to make sandwiches. Some people drove passengers to Great Falls or Kalispell that night to reunite them with hospitalized family members, and others took passengers to Great Falls to catch a flight home, officials said. Recordings of the 911 calls to the Liberty County sheriff's office included some breathless passengers asking for help, describing injuries to fellow passengers including two men with cuts on their heads and at least one Amtrak employee describing a co-worker's injuries and saying there were more than 90 people on board. People who had been driving along the highway and saw the derailment also called to make sure it had been reported. We've had a derailment. It's urgent, one passenger said. Get as many ambulances out there as you can. Robbin, the Disaster and Emergency Services coordinator, said the response across the Hi-Line was fantastic. We cant thank our partners enough, who came from everywhere and did what they needed to do, and its just going to be one of those things that I dont know that well ever be able to repay, but know that when they put out the call, we will be there for them, she said. The county is offering a counselor-led debriefing on Wednesday. This is for community members to discuss their experiences and for those that may be struggling to process the recent events in our community, the notice states. A counselor will be available on Thursday for individual discussions, as needed. Please reach out to your neighbors, friends and family members, to support them during this time, the notice says. The rail line was reopened to traffic early Tuesday, said Lena Kent, a BNSF Railway spokesperson. COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) A Boone County judge on Tuesday rejected Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt's effort to expand his litigation against mask mandates in public schools to districts across the state. Schmitt initially sued the Columbia Public Schools after it required students and staff to wear masks while indoors to reduce the spread of COVID-19. He had sought class certification to expand the lawsuit to other districts. PORTLAND, Maine (AP) The owner of four hydroelectric dams on the Kennebec River sued two Maine agencies on Monday alleging they improperly cooperated on fish passage regulations that impact the future of the dams and fish populations. The lawsuit filed in Kennebec Superior Court is the latest brought by Brookfield Renewable Power, a subsidiary of a large Canadian company that owns many of the dams in the state, the Portland Press Herald reported. The lawsuit contends that the Department of Marine Resources improperly helped the Department of Environmental Protection draft fish passage policies, claiming that the cooperation between state agencies violates a 1993 settlement between the dams' then-owners, environmental groups and state and federal bodies. The company argues that under that settlement, disputes about fish passage standards related to the dams must be resolved through the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which licenses dams. The Shawmut dam is currently under review for FERC relicensing and must get water quality approval from Maine as part of that process. In July, the federal agency decided that endangered Atlantic Salmon in the Kennebec River can be protected without removing the four dams. In September, environmental groups sued the company, alleging that it is violating the Endangered Species Act and is operating the dams illegally by harming salmon. Brookfield spokesperson Miranda Kessel said Maine regulators are acting on their own accord and not following the regulatory processes they are supposed to follow. But Scott Ogden, a spokesperson for Democratic Gov. Janet Mills, called the lawsuit meritless and a missed opportunity to work to save salmon. Brookfield has the opportunity to work in good faith with the state of Maine to restore the endangered Atlantic salmon to the Kennebec River, a feat that would be historic in nature and that would make Maine the last refuge in the United States for these fish, Ogden said. The four hydroelectric dams on the Kennebec are the Shawmut Dam, Hydro Kennebec and Lockwood in Waterville and the Weston dam near Skowhegan. Mills has said she wants one of them removed to allow river-run fish improved access to the Kennebec and other habitats upriver. Sean Mahoney, executive vice president of the Conservation Law Foundation, said the dam owners lawsuit bordered on frivolous. I guess in todays age theres no shame, and if you say anything loud enough and often enough maybe enough people will think its true, said Mahoney, whose organization supports removal of the dams. ATLANTA (AP) Logistics company Radial Inc. plans to hire 4,000 entry-level workers outside Atlanta this year ahead of the busy holiday season, the company announced Tuesday. The new employees will work out of two Atlanta-area fulfillment centers one in Locust Grove and one in Buford to process online orders from various different brands, Radial said in a news release. The company then plans to promote more than one-third of the seasonal employees to full-time positions, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. THIBODAUX, La. (AP) A Louisiana man faces a murder charge in the death of his infant daughter, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff's Office said. Jake Guidry, 26, told deputies he hit 11-month-old Zabria Guidry too hard," Sheriff Craig Webre said in a news release Tuesday. GILLETTE, Wyo. (AP) As her beloved grandmothers health declined, Lauren Pfenning's family insisted that she get a COVID-19 vaccine before paying her a final visit. She spent over a week researching vaccines on the internet and anguished over the decision during and after 12-hour shifts at her job hauling coal in an open-pit mine near Gillette, Wyoming. Her grandmother died earlier this month before she made a decision, but Pfenning stands by her choice to not get vaccinated. Pfenning embodies the fiercely independent, deeply conservative Wyoming way of life that has defined the states response to the pandemic and made it the second-least vaccinated state as of Tuesday, behind only West Virginia. Only 23% of residents in her county have been vaccinated, putting it among the bottom handful of places in America that have not cracked 25% with their COVID-19 immunization rates. The vaccine hesitancy in Gillette is emblematic of the live-free, mind-your-own-business mentality toward the pandemic that is dominant across conservative America at a time when the delta variant is tearing through unvaccinated communities. For every 100 people spotted around town in Gillette, the number wearing masks can be counted on one hand. Among a group of six people on a smoke break downtown, all said they had too many concerns about the vaccine to mess with it. Down the street, a black shirt displayed in a storefront warned, ATTENTION SNOWFLAKES: THIS IS NOT A SAFE PLACE. People bristle at the workplace vaccine mandate being pushed by President Joe Biden. When asked about workplace mandates and the option to bypass the requirement with regular virus testing, Pfennings immediate response: Test away!" Anger over presidential meddling in Wyomings affairs is dominant across the state, but in Gillette, it gets personal. The areas vast coal industry has suffered a decade of decline amid competition from renewable energy and inexpensive natural gas, and coal regulations imposed by President Barack Obama and lifted by President Donald Trump have provoked fury among residents. It just feels like one attack after another. I think were just wanting to fight back harder at this point. Wyoming as a whole is just sick of being pushed around, said Pfenning. All the while, COVID-19 patients have been filling several of Wyomings hospitals including the one in Gillette, the states third-largest city. At Campbell County Memorial Hospital, 17 of 27 intensive care and medical-surgical unit patients recently had severe COVID-19, leaving just two beds open while the very worst coronavirus cases got flown to more intensive treatment in neighboring states. Meanwhile, a local surge up 34% in a week drove up COVID-19 cases to almost four times the national rate, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Statewide, more than 96% of those hospitalized with COVID-19 were unvaccinated. Yet the daily flow of COVID-19 failed to persuade many Campbell County Memorial Hospital employees to get the vaccine. Only 39% of the hospitals workforce is vaccinated, and there are no plans to require or incentivize it, said the hospitals chief medical officer, Dr. Attila Barabas. Wyomings statewide vaccination rate of 41% is well below the national rate of 55%. Im a big believer in freedom of choice. I honestly think thats a fundamental aspect of being an American. And I think mandates can be troublesome and can cause a pushback to some degree, Barabas said. The doctor got the vaccine and has encouraged relatives and patients to do the same. Ultimately, though, that has to be a choice that you make, Barabas said. Wyomings view of vaccine mandates could come to a head soon. Wyoming officials are promising a vigorous fight against Bidens vaccine mandate, with talk about using the presidents coronavirus relief funds to compensate businesses for fines levied against them for defying the mandate. At the same time, they are gently encouraging people to get the jab. In a television ad showing people line dancing to country music, a woman says she got vaccinated to be able to have ladies night out. Wyoming has spent $900,000 and plans to spend another $685,000 on such ads, according to the Wyoming Department of Health. Striving for balance with COVID-19 policies has whipsawed Republican Gov. Mark Gordon at times. Preparing to impose an unpopular statewide mask mandate last year, Gordon lashed out at people who refused to take steps to control the virus, calling them knuckleheads. This year, as the delta variant brought more death and illness to the state, Gordon promised no mask mandate but said people should get vaccinated if youre willing. Vaccine resistance during the pandemic reflects a broader dilemma for public health officials in a region where prevailing attitudes cause high smoking and low flu immunization, cancer screening and seat belt use rates, said the departments interim director, Stefan Johansson. We just have a population that I think is indicative of the Mountain West culture that, you know, lives free and doesnt always take the health advice, Johansson said. For Pfenning, the coal mine worker, the decision to not vaccinate came down to her belief that the approval process was rushed and there are too many risky side effects, despite the fact that hundreds of millions of people have safely gotten the shots and avoided serious illness and hospitalization. It has nothing to do with politics. Im even picky on what I give my horses, Im picky on what I give my dogs. And we over-vaccinate, said Pfenning. And while Pfenning said her decision wasnt political, politics pervades. In November, Wyoming gave Trump his widest margin of victory of any state, 70%. Campbell County gave Trump his one of his widest margins of victory in Wyoming, 87%. The people are so conservative here that they have these grass roots of saying, Look, I dont like the government regulating my life, summed up Campbell County Commissioner Del Shelstad. Scott Clem, pastor of Gillettes Central Baptist Church, is among the many in the city who are not vaccinated. The former Republican legislator led a mask-burning protest at the Wyoming Capitol in Cheyenne in January and says he trusts his immune system to protect him. It's none of your business whether I'm vaccinated or not, said Clem. That, I think, in some sense, is being a busybody in other men's matters. I think that's some of the sentiment out here in Wyoming. We're pretty rugged individuals out here in the West. ___ Follow Mead Gruver at https://twitter.com/meadgruver PORTLAND, Maine (AP) The Maine supreme court on Tuesday upheld the murder conviction and life prison sentence of one of three people convicted in a deadly home invasion. Christopher Murray, of Red Springs, North Carolina, contended the judge erred in instructing the jury and in preventing an expert witness from telling jurors the surviving victim was likely confabulating her memory. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) An Alabama man has been arrested in a deadly shooting nearly four years after it occurred, al.com reported. Willie Richard Williams, 36, was booked into the Jefferson County Jail on Monday on a capital murder charged in the slaying of Laronald McDaniel, 21. McDaniel died at a hospital after being shot outside a home near Bessemer in January 2018. David Cliff/AP LONDON (AP) A man charged with the murder of a 28-year-old school teacher in London plans to plead not guilty, a defense lawyer said Tuesday. Delivery driver Koci Selamaj, 36, is accused of killing Sabina Nessa, who disappeared while walking to meet a friend at a pub a few minutes from her home in southeast London on Sept. 17. Nessa's body was found in a local park the next day. SALEM, Ore. (AP) A 75-year-old man died Monday in hospice care at the Oregon State Penitentiary while serving a life sentence without parole for the kidnapping and shooting of two Oregon park rangers in 1999, officials said. Corrections officials did not specify Larry Gene Cole's cause of death. Cole was convicted in Tillamook County Circuit Court in 2001 for forcing park rangers Danny Blumenthal and John I. Jack Kerwin to hike into a grove of trees at gunpoint before shooting them in the head and driving away in Blumenthals pickup truck, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Kerwin, 53 at the time, survived after doctors removed two bullets from his jaw. Blumenthal, 50, died after being shot three times. In Coles trial, Kerwin testified that he begged for his life while a hooded gunman bound him and stood over him. He said the man took their wallets and the truck keys, marched them up to Cape Falcon Trail and shot them. Police arrested Cole hours later while he was driving Blumenthals truck. Cole claimed he knew nothing and testified that he moved around the South robbing methamphetamine labs and had just arrived in Oregon to rob a meth lab with associates in Tillamook. Cole told the jury he was framed. He said a man he had been camping with at the state park left the camp on the morning of the shootings and returned later, agitated. Cole said the man handed him keys and told him to drive a pickup truck to Portland. On April 26, 2001, a Tillamook County jury found Cole guilty of 20 charges related to the shootings. He entered Oregon Department of Corrections custody in July 2001. Coles attorney emphasized during closing arguments that there was no physical evidence linking Cole to the crime scene. Bill Porter, the Tillamook County District Attorney at the time, called Coles explanation blatantly ridiculous and said Cole shot the men simply because he was cold, wet, hungry and didnt want any witnesses to the robbery. Cole was among the FBIs most-wanted fugitives 25 years before he was convicted in the park ranger case. In 1974, Cole and his wife kidnapped Virginia real estate agent Betty Van Balen at gunpoint while she was showing them properties in Roanoke, Virginia, according to a 2001 Oregonian story. Cole then demanded $25,000 in ransom from Van Balens husband, Frank Van Balen, the owner of a fiberglass plant where Cole had worked. Van Balen met Cole and his wife in the Appalachian Mountains to pay the ransom. After taking the money, Cole and his wife escaped in Van Balens car. Later in 1974, a federal judge in Roanoke, Virginia sentenced Cole to 25 years in prison for abducting Van Balen. Cole was released on parole in 1984. LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) A Paola man has been sentenced to more than three years in prison after a crash that killed a Baker University employee last year. Tayler Livingston, 27, was sentenced for involuntary manslaughter in the February 2020 death of 25-year-old Deeva Sharma of Leawood, the Douglas County District Attorneys Office announced Tuesday. DETROIT (AP) A young Detroit-area man who snapped a photo of a gang chart while cleaning an FBI office and posted it on social media was sentenced Tuesday to probation. Publicizing the chart could have caused a bloodbath, said U.S. District Judge Linda Parker. Parker said it was a serious case, but she turned down the government's request that Anthony Cassani be locked up for three months. I dont think you need to be incarcerated to understand the gravity of what youve done here, the judge said. In 2020, Cassani, 22, was cleaning an FBI office to reduce the risk of COVID-19 when he saw a chart of Detroit gang members. He admits taking a picture of the chart with his phone and posting it on Snapchat. It could have gone horribly wrong if search warrants were executed and the targets of the search warrant were prepared for the agents to come in, Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton Brown said. We're thankful that's not what happened. Cassani pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor. Mr. Cassani is like a lot of young men who react impulsively and immaturely. ... Its unlawful, its wrong, said defense attorney Mark Gatesman, adding that young people live their lives online. Cassani apologized and acknowledged the potential harm. I fully realize that what I did was not simply theft of government property, he told the judge. Parker noted that Cassani has family support and a job. She ordered 60 hours of community service and counseling to control impulsive behavior. Youre not living your life on some kind of reality show. What you do in real life has real consequences, the judge said. ___ Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwritez ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Selene San Felice said she often questioned how or why she survived the shooting that left five others dead at a Maryland newspaper. Montana Winters Geimer described the grievous loss she and the community suffered when her mother, longtime local journalist Wendi Winters, was killed in the attack. San Felice and Winters Geimer were among several survivors and relatives of victims of the June 2018 killings at the Capital Gazette newspaper who testified in court Tuesday before a judge sentenced the shooter to more than five life terms without the possibility of parole. We lost the storyteller of our family, and as a community we lost the storyteller for everyone that is an Annapolitan, Winters Geimer said. Judy Hiaasen spoke of how difficult it was to even talk about the loss of her younger brother, Rob Hiaasen, who was an editor and columnist at the paper. She described his ability to keep memories of their mother and father alive. Now, she said, That story has been taken from me. My little brother was slaughtered, and the impact of that loss is indescribable, she said. It is unique, and it is never-ending. Anne Arundel Circuit Court Judge Michael Wachs described shooter Jarrod Ramos' actions as a cold-blooded, calculated attack on the innocent employees of a small-town newspaper. Ramos used a shotgun to kill his victims. The impact of this case is just simply immense, Wachs said. To say that the defendant exhibited a callous and complete disregard for the sanctity of human life is simply a huge understatement. Wachs gave Ramos an additional 345 years to underscore the fact that he would never be released from prison. And he ordered another life sentence for the attempted murder of photographer Paul Gillespie, who had previously testified that Ramos barely missed him with a shotgun blast as he ran out of the newsroom. While Gillespie said he didnt believe there could have been a better outcome at the sentencing hearing, he doubted a full sense of closure would ever be possible after losing his five colleagues. I was almost killed myself, Gillespie said outside the courthouse. Its something that haunts me every day. In July, a jury took less than two hours to reject arguments from Ramos' lawyers during a 12-day trial that he was not criminally responsible due to mental illness for killing Winters, Hiaasen, John McNamara, Gerald Fischman and Rebecca Smith. Ramos had pleaded guilty but not criminally responsible to all 23 counts against him in 2019, using Marylands version of an insanity defense. The case was delayed several times before and during the coronavirus pandemic. The judge was crystal clear that Jarrod Ramos should never be allowed to walk out of prison ever," Anne Arundel County State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said of the sentence handed out Tuesday. San Felice, who watched one of her colleagues get shot and survived one of the deadliest attacks on a newsroom in U.S. history by hiding under her desk, testified that she and other survivors were determined to press on and not let the traumatic attack stop them. Remember this, she said, as Ramos sat on the other side of the courtroom. You cannot kill the truth. Ramos declined to make a statement in court when asked by his attorney, Katy ODonnell. Prosecutors said Ramos, 41, acted out of revenge against the newspaper after it published a story about his guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of harassing a former high school classmate in 2011. Prosecutors said his long, meticulous planning for the attack which included preparations for his arrest and long incarceration proved he understood the criminality of his actions. They also highlighted how Ramos called 911 from the newsroom after the shooting, identified himself as the gunman and said he surrendered evidence, they said, that he clearly understood the criminality of his actions. ___ This story has been edited to correct the spelling of McNamara. A bill that would allow parents in Pennsylvania to exempt their children from wearing a mask at school cleared a state Senate committee on Tuesday as Republican lawmakers started making good on their pledge to counter the governors statewide mask mandate. The legislation would hand the ultimate decision on masking at school to parents and guardians, allowing them to overrule any face-covering mandate imposed by the state Department of Health, a local health department or a school board. The Senate Education Committee approved the bill on a party-line vote. It requires passage by the full Senate and the House before going to Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf, whose office said he opposes the bill. GOP leaders had promised to mount a legislative response to Wolfs statewide mask mandate for schools, which requires students, staff and visitors at K-12 schools and child care facilities to wear masks while indoors, regardless of vaccination status. Wolf has said a universal, statewide order was necessary after most Pennsylvania school districts did not impose their own mask mandates and the delta variant of the coronavirus caused a statewide surge in COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths. Some school boards and anti-mask parents and students have vehemently opposed the order, saying without scientific evidence that masks inhibit breathing and cause other problems and that it should remain a parental decision. There is strong evidence that masking children in schools can reduce COVID-19 transmission. My office has been overwhelmed with calls and emails from parents so upset with the masking mandates from the Wolf administration and from our own school districts, the bills co-sponsor, state Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair, said in an Education Committee meeting. The original legislation only applied to mask mandates imposed by state and local health authorities, but was expanded Tuesday to include masking orders from a school board. The bill would also prohibit schools from keeping unmasked students away from other students or excluding them from any school-sponsored activities. Wolf's office lambasted the effort. The bill supporters efforts would better serve their constituents and the commonwealth as a whole by focusing on increasing the vaccination rates within their legislative districts instead of working on this unnecessary legislation," said Wolf's spokesperson, Lyndsay Kensinger. We need Republicans to stop spending their time undermining public health and instead encourage people to get vaccinated. The governor's office released data on Monday showing that Republicans represent nearly all of the least-vaccinated legislative districts in Pennsylvania. In the state House, meanwhile, GOP leaders got behind an effort Tuesday to give tuition money to parents who disagree with a school districts COVID-19 mitigation measure. But the legislation fell short of the votes required for passage, with nearly 20 Republicans defecting amid questions about how much the program would cost and whether the grants were taxable for federal purposes. ___ Rubinkam reported from northeastern Pennsylvania. Associated Press writer Marc Levy in Harrisburg contributed to this story. MIAMI (AP) City of Miami commissioners held a special meeting in which they attacked the chief of police less than six months into his post, and voted to further investigate him and his appointment. Police chief Art Acevedo had been criticized after firing two high-level police officials and relieving of duty a sergeant-at-arms. Acevedo also angered Cuban exiles earlier this month when reports emerged of remarks made by him saying the Cuban mafia ran Miami. The Cuban-born chief apologized for the comments made to officers and said he didnt know that was a term former Cuban leader Fidel Castro used to refer to exiles, arguing he was raised in California. Three of the five city commissioners are Cuban-American. On Friday, Acevedo sent an accusatory eight-page memo to the mayor and city manager saying those commissioners were hampering his efforts to reform the police department by eliminating positions and interfering with internal affairs investigations. Commissioners on Monday said these allegations would also be investigated by the committee they were forming. At the special meeting on Monday, Miami Commissioner Joe Carollo spent hours reading from a document that outlined instances where Acevedo was allegedly reprimanded in the past. He also questioned whether the city manager knew whether Acevedo had political aspirations. At one point, Carollo played a video showing Acevedo entering the dance floor of a fundraiser to dance the cha-cha-cha and slapping a womans rear with a piece of paper, and another video of him impersonating Elvis Presley dancing the Jailhouse Rock in the iconic white jumpsuit. The pants are so tight. Is this something you believe is appropriate for a police chief? Carollo said. The Miami police union said this weekend that an internal survey showed many officers were not confident with his leadership and wanted Acevedos ouster or resignation. Acevedo, 57, came to Miami after serving more than four years as police chief in Houston, where he gained national prominence by calling for gun control, marching with protesters after George Floyds death and criticizing former President Donald Trump. Miami city mayor Francis Suarez then called him Americas best chief. And Acevedo vowed to reform the department, acknowledging communities of color are disproportionately impacted by bad policing. Suarez was not present at the commission meeting. Ten years ago, city commissioners voted to oust a police chief, citing he violated orders about personnel moves. Miguel Exposito had drawn criticism over the fatal police shootings of seven Black suspects and had defended them saying they were part of a crackdown on high-crime neighborhoods. BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. (AP) Three Mississippi cities and Birmingham, Alabama have been awarded grants to improve their train stations ahead of the planned return of Amtrak service to the Gulf Coast. Bay St. Louis, Gulfport and Pascagoula received a little more than $700,000 total, and another $250,000 went to Birmingham, the Biloxi Sun Herald reported. The newspaper said the grants were announced on Monday by the Southern Rail Commission. TRENTON, N.J. (AP) New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy and Republican Jack Ciattarelli sparred in an at-times testy and raucous debate Tuesday in the first of two meetings in this year's campaign for governor. Murphy, a first-term Democrat, and Ciattarelli, a former GOP Assembly member, met at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark in a debate interrupted continuously by cheers and boos from the audience despite pleas from moderators. Murphy's handling of the COVID-19 outbreak took center stage early on, specifically his management of the pandemic in nursing homes, which account for roughly a third of the state's 27,000 deaths. Ciattarelli criticized Murphy's order in early 2020 requiring nursing home residents to return from hospitals regardless of their COVID-19 status. Murphy defended the order, as he has for months, saying the facilities were the residents homes and management was required to keep returning residents separate from other residents. Murphy pivoted quickly, though, to mask and vaccine mandates, which his opponent has been skeptical of. Saying that its your call and government cant mandate a vaccine or no masking is akin to drunk driving, Murphy said. It impacts the person whose driving drunk and all of us. The governor also attacked Ciattarelli for saying that whether people get the vaccine is up to them. Murphy has mandated the vaccine or regular testing in a number of industries in the state, including health care, schools and day cares. Ciattarelli said he has been vaccinated and thinks people should get vaccinated, but he draws a distinction at what government should be requiring. Do I believe government has a right to tell people that they have to take a medicine? He said. No. On whether young children should wear masks in schools, Ciattarelli said it should be up to parents. Murphy has signed an executive order requiring masking in day cares, as well as in the state's schools. Ciattarelli said he agreed, though, with Murphy's requiring teachers to get vaccinated or undergo testing. People should have a choice, he said. Packed into an hourlong debate were seemingly endless clashes. There was little the candidates found common ground on except they both praised the diversity of the state. On taxes: Ciattarelli repeated a campaign-long criticism of Murphy that seized on a clip of him saying that if taxes are your issue, then we're probably not your state," saying the comment was disqualifying in a state like New Jersey leads the nation in property tax rates. Murphy cast the election repeatedly as a question of continuing to move forward or going back, an allusion to former GOP governor Chris Christie as well as former President Donald Trump. He touted the hike in taxes on those making more than a $1 million a year on his watch, an increase in school aid and the state fully funding public workers' pensions. He also pledged that if reelected he would not raise taxes again. Ciattarelli wasn't alone in labeling actions disqualifying. Murphy said a Jan. 6 rally, in which clips show Ciattarelli speaking in front of someone holding a Stop the Steal sign made Ciattarelli unfit for office. Ciattarelli has said he didn't know the event was being held in support of Trump's false contention that the 2020 election was stolen. On Tuesday, he acknowledged that Biden was the president and said Trump's rhetoric led to the Capitol insurrection that same day. On abortion, Murphy pointed to Ciattarelli's votes in the Assembly against funding women's health services, including for Planned Parenthood. He said his opponent wanted to turn New Jersey into Texas. Ciattarelli disavowed the Texas law and said he supports Roe v. Wade, but not late-term abortions. On gun control, Ciattarelli contended that Murphy would probably like to end the 2nd Amendment. Murphy protested, but touted laws he signed to tighten the state's gun laws, red-flag legislation and a bill that limits magazine clips to 10 rounds. Murphy is trying to become the first Democrat in 44 years to win reelection and to buck a trend going back to 1985 that has seen the party of the president lose the New Jersey governorship. Ciattarelli faces headwinds of his own. Down by double digits in publicly available polls, he faces a Democratic registration advantage of 1 million more voters. He's also not a universally known figure in the state. Ciattarelli is a former state Assembly member and the founder of a medical publishing company. He has an accounting background and hinges his campaign around affordability, arguing New Jersey's taxes are too high. Becoming governor is Murphy's first elected political position. He's served as Barack Obama's ambassador to Germany and before that was an executive at Goldman Sachs. New Jersey will have early in-person voting from Oct. 23-31. Election Day is Nov. 2. The debate was produced by New York and Philadelphia ABC affiliates, along with Twitter, Univision, WBGO radio, NJ.com and Rutgers Eagleton Institute of Politics. A second, final debate will be Oct. 12. JAMESTOWN, Tenn. (AP) A nonprofit organization and two Tennessee state agencies have expanded protection of conserved property in the Cumberland Plateau by more than 11,700 acres (4,734 hectares). The Conservation Fund, the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency announced the expansion, completing an effort to conserve more than 14,700 acres (5,948 hectares) in the plateau. LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) Nebraska moved one step closer to getting new congressional and legislative boundaries on Tuesday after lawmakers advanced redrawn district maps to a final vote in the Legislature. Lawmakers moved the maps through the second of three required votes, despite complaints from some senators about a compromise struck last week. The congressional map drew criticism from some Democratic lawmakers, who argued that it was designed to help Republicans in the Omaha-focused 2nd Congressional District, one of the few places in Nebraska where Democrats are competitive. The district is also significant because Nebraska and Maine are the only two states that can split their Electoral College votes in presidential elections. Democrats Barack Obama and Joe Biden claimed one in 2008 and 2020, respectively, by winning the popular vote in the Omaha area. The congressional maps have decisions baked in that were political, said Sen. John Cavanaugh, a Democrat in the officially nonpartisan Legislature. The new map would keep Douglas County whole within the 2nd District, as Democrats had wanted. But it would also add rural, Republican-heavy Saunders County to the district while keeping in conservative-leaning Omaha suburbs in Sarpy County. Saunders County has traditionally been a part of the more conservative 1st Congressional District. Placing them into the 2nd Congressional District is done for one purpose, and it's a partisan purpose, said Sen. Steve Lathrop, a Democrat from Omaha. Republicans have defended the change as a compromise for not splitting Douglas County, as they initially proposed to do. Sen. Mike Groene, of North Platte, railed against Nebraska's vote-splitting system in presidential races and called for a citizen-led citizen drive to return the state to a winner-take-all process. Some lawmakers also blasted new legislative maps with changes that would cut up parts of southern and western Lincoln and shift them into more rural districts. Lawmakers are expected to give the maps final approval on Thursday. ___ Follow Grant Schulte on Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrantSchulte HOUSTON (AP) A grand jury has declined to indict four Houston police officers who fatally shot a man more than 20 times while he was in the midst of a mental health crisis. The grand jury chose not to indict the officers, who had been fired after last year's death of Nicolas Chavez, 27. At the time, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo who has since taken over as Miami's police chief said the officers did not follow departmental rules by failing to retreat and take cover when Chavez picked up a stun gun. The Harris County Civil Rights Division presented evidence over a four-day period and the grand jury chose not to indict on various charges, including criminally negligent homicide and murder, the Houston Chronicle reported. District Attorney Kim Ogg said Monday that the grand jury also considered the issue of defense, including self-defense and defense of a third person. Civil Rights Division prosecutors presented all the evidence to ensure grand jurors were fully informed prior to making a decision, Ogg said. Our heart goes out to the Chavez family over the loss of their loved one. We respect the grand jurys decision. Family members of Chavez and supporters have said that he was needlessly killed. Those fired were identified as: officers Patrick Rubio, Luis Alvarado and Omar Tapia, and Sgt. Benjamin LeBlanc. They have appealed their firings. Im happy the grand jury saw it the way it happened, Houston Police Officers' Union president Doug Griffith said. These officers acted in the way they were trained, and Im looking forward to ... arbitration, so they can get their jobs back. The officers were responding to 911 calls that reported a man jumping fences and threatening bystanders. The officers opened fire when Chavez, who earlier told police that he was a patient at a mental health clinic, picked up a stun gun that one of the officers had dropped. He was shot more than 20 times, authorities have said. Augie Pinedo, District 18 director of the League of United Latin American Citizens, compared Chavez's killing to one by a firing squad. We feel for the family who has been waiting months and months for justice to be done only to suffer a serious blow to their attempts to obtain justice for their loved one and closure for the family, Pinedo said. We can say without equivocation that justice failed today. BUFFALO, Iowa (AP) Authorities have identified a man killed last week in a house fire in the eastern Iowa city of Buffalo. The Buffalo Police Department reported Tuesday that Bernard Gerischer, 63, died in the Friday afternoon fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation, police said, and no other information was released. FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) While acknowledging the inevitable advance of alternative energy sources and technology, OPEC said that oil would be the leading energy source for decades to come as crude prices reached three-year highs Tuesday. In its annual World Oil Outlook, OPEC acknowledged that more electric vehicles on the road and the push for alternative and renewable energy will indeed usher in an era of declining demand for oil in rich countries. But the energy needs of expanding economies in other parts of world means that oil will be the worlds No. 1 source of energy through 2045, OPEC said Tuesday. The long-term report from OPEC arrives as economies emerge from the most severe economic shocks from the global pandemic, snarling supply lines and creating tight supplies of nearly everything, including oil. Brent crude touched $80 per barrel on Tuesday while the U.S. oil benchmark crude wasn't far behind, both reaching three-year highs. Hurricane Ida slammed into a critical port that serves as the primary support hub for the Gulf of Mexicos deepwater offshore oil and gas industry in the U.S., worsening the supply situation, at least temporarily. The average price for gasoline in the U.S. rose again over the weekend, according to the Lundberg Survey, and now costs $1 more per gallon than it did last year at this time. After being stung by deep production cuts in 2020 during the depths of the pandemic, OPEC has increased production slowly. "What is clear in this years WOO is that energy and oil demand have picked up significantly in 2021, after the massive drop in 2020, and continued expansion is forecast for the longer-term," OPEC said. Global primary energy demand is expected to increase by 28% in the period between 2020 and 2045, with all energies required, driven by an expected doubling in size of the global economy and the addition of around 1.7 billion people worldwide by 2045. Only coal will see less use, while other sources of energy will see increasing demand, though the share will shift to include a bigger proportion for renewables, nuclear and natural gas, according to the group. The 340-page report sketches out a future of declining demand for oil in wealthier countries that belong to the 38-member Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation, as efforts to fight climate change take hold in the form of renewables and alternative fuels in cars, airplanes and ships. It forecasts that the world's vehicle fleet would grow by 1.1 billion to 2.6 billion by the end of the report's time frame in 2045 and that 500 million of those would be electric powered, or 20% of all vehicles. But growing populations and expanding middle classes in the rest of the world including China and India will mean increased demand for oil between 2020 and 2045, although much of that increase will take place in the earlier part of that period, the report, produced by OPEC's secretariat in Vienna, said. Oil will satisfy 28.1% of the world's energy demand by 2045, down from 30% in 2020 but ahead of natural gas with 24.4% and coal with 17.4%. Hydroelectric, nuclear and biomass energy sources and other renewables such as wind and solar make up the rest. A key reason cited for declining energy use in the more-developed world was demography: shrinking and aging populations that usher in lower economic growth. The report noted that growing awareness of the need to accelerate actions to address climate change have resulted in ambitious new policy intentions to reach net zero emissions by 2050. The European Union, the United States, Japan, the UK, Canada and Brazil have proposed roadmaps to meet new goals. This month, U.S. President Joe Biden signed an executive order setting a target for zero-emissions vehicles to account for half of all automobiles sold in the USA by 2030. OPEC, however, noted considerable doubts as to whether all these ambitious climate-mitigation commitments will be met in the proposed timeframe. For example, the European Union in July spelled out its Fit for 55 package, in which the 27-country bloc vowed to reduce emissions by 55% from 1990 levels by 2030. OPEC said that the plan remains exactly that for the time being, a plan, which still needs to be negotiated and agreed by all EU Member States, leaving ample scope for exceptions and watering-down. The UK will host the 26th UN climate change conference Oct. 31-Nov. 12 in Glasgow, Scotland, where national leaders will seek ways to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and limit the rise in global temperatures. PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) Pakistani security forces killed 10 militants, including four insurgent commanders, in a shootout in a former Taliban stronghold in the country's northwest Tuesday, the military said. According to a military statement, troops also seized a cache of weapons during the operation in the district of South Waziristan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on the border with Afghanistan. NEW YORK (AP) The family of slain traveler Gabby Petito on Tuesday implored the public and news media to put the same energy into helping find other missing people as they did Petito, a 22-year-old woman who vanished on a cross-country trip with her boyfriend. Petitos parents and stepparents spoke to reporters at a news conference in Bohemia, New York showing off fresh tattoos based on her designs and mantra Let it be as authorities in Florida continued searching for her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, who is a person of interest in her disappearance and remains unaccounted for. A lawyer for Petitos family, Richard Stafford, renewed calls for Laundrie to turn himself in and criticized his parents for what he said was a lack of cooperation in the search that turned up Petitos remains. The Laundries released a statement Monday saying they werent helping him flee. The Laundries did not help us find Gabby, they sure are not going to help us find Brian, Stafford said. For Brian, were asking you to turn yourself in to the FBI or the nearest law enforcement agency. Petitos body was discovered Sept. 18 in a remote area in northwestern Wyoming. A memorial service was held Sunday on Long Island, where Laundrie and Petito grew up before moving to Florida in recent years. Her family announced it was starting a foundation to support people searching for missing loved ones. Petitos case has led to renewed calls for people to pay greater attention to cases involving missing Indigenous women and other people of color, with some commentators describing the intense coverage of her disappearance as missing white woman syndrome. Joseph Petito thanked the news media and social media for spotlighting his daughters disappearance, but he said all missing persons deserved the same attention. I want to ask everyone to help all the people that are missing and need help. Its on all of you, everyone thats in this room to do that, he said, pointing to reporters and cameras in front of him. And if you dont do that for other people that are missing, thats a shame, because its not just Gabby that deserves it. The search for Laundrie is also generating a frenzy, with TV personalities like Duane Chapman known as Dog the Bounty Hunter and longtime Americas Most Wanted host John Walsh working to track him down. Stafford said Petitos family welcomed everybodys help in finding Laundrie and encouraged people with information on his whereabouts to contact the FBI or local police. Petito was reported missing Sept. 11 by her parents after she didnt respond to calls and texts for several days while she and Laundrie visited parks in the West. Her death has been ruled a homicide, but authorities in Wyoming havent disclosed how she died pending further autopsy results. Petitos stepfather, Jim Schmidt, said Wyoming authorities still had possession of her remains. Petito and Laundrie posted online about their trip in a white Ford Transit van converted into a camper. They got into a physical altercation Aug. 12 in Moab, Utah, that led to a police stop, which ended with police deciding to separate the quarreling couple for the night. No charges were filed, and no serious injuries were reported. Investigators have been searching for Laundrie in Florida, and searched his parents home in North Port, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) south of Sarasota. Last week, federal officials in Wyoming charged Laundrie with unauthorized use of a debit card, alleging he used a Capital One Bank card and someones personal identification number to make unauthorized withdrawals or charges worth more than $1,000 during the period in which Petito went missing. They did not say who the card belonged to. Joseph Petito said the Gabby Petito Foundation is in the formative stages and will seek to fill in any gaps that exist in the work of finding missing people. He said they would work with organizations that helped them, like the AWARE Foundation and We Help The Missing. We need positive stuff to come from the tragedy that happened, Joseph Petito said. We cant let her name be taken in vain. ___ Follow Michael Sisak on Twitter at twitter.com/mikesisak MOAB, Utah (AP) The police chief in the Utah tourist town where officers stopped Gabby Petito and her boyfriend weeks before her death has taken a leave of absence. Moab Police Chief Bret Edge requested a leave of absence that began Monday, city spokesperson Lisa Church confirmed Tuesday. It is unclear if his request is related to criticism the department has faced over the past week after Petito's body was discovered in a remote area in northwestern Wyoming. MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) Police in Georgia shot and wounded a man Tuesday suspected of using a bow and arrow to carjack a woman in Atlanta before crashing the stolen car and pointing the weapon at police, authorities said. The suspect was taken to a hospital after he was shot by an officer during a standoff in Marietta, a suburb northwest of Atlanta, police said. He was conscious, alert and breathing, department spokesman Officer Chuck McPhilamy said. HODGENVILLE, Ky. (AP) A Kentucky man has been arrested after police found human remains in his backyard, authorities said. David Puyear, 59, of Buffalo, was charged with murder and lodged in the Larue County jail, Kentucky State Police said Monday in a statement. DELANO, Calif. (AP) A woman shot and killed by police in Southern California last weekend was trying to stab an 8-year-old girl, officials said. Officers responding Saturday to reports of a dispute heard screaming and threats from inside a home in Delano, police said. FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) A priest has resigned as chaplain of a Catholic high school in northeastern Indiana after he was accused of sexually abusing a minor, the local diocese says. The Catholic Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend said Monday in a statement that it learned Sept. 19 of allegations that Father David Huneck engaged in sexual and other misconduct, including that with a minor. NEW YORK (AP) Prince Andrew has acknowledged through his lawyer that he has been served with a lawsuit by a U.S. woman who says he sexually assaulted her, clearing a hurdle that had stalled legal proceedings for several weeks. The acknowledgment was confirmed in a joint agreement signed by a lawyer for the British prince, approved by a Manhattan federal judge and entered into the public court record Tuesday. The court papers said Andrew had been challenging acceptance of the lawsuit until lawyers spoke by phone on Sept. 21. An agreement was signed three days later, according to the order signed by Judge Lewis A. Kaplan. In the lawsuit, Virginia Giuffre claims Andrew abused her on multiple occasions in 2001 when she was under 18. His lawyer has called the allegations baseless. Delivering a lawsuit to a defendant is usually a routine matter but can be more complicated when a defendant resides outside the United States. A judge must be satisfied that a defendant has been properly notified of the allegations and has a reasonable period of time to respond to them. The prince must file responses to the lawsuit's claims by Oct. 29. A conference was scheduled for Nov. 3. Lawyers for Giuffre had told the judge that they'd delivered the lawsuit to Andrew in numerous ways, though never directly into his hands. At one point, Britain's high court accepted a request from Giuffre's lawyers to formally contact Andrew about the lawsuit. Los Angeles attorney Andrew Brettler, who signed the papers on Andrew's behalf acknowledging the prince was aware of the lawsuit, had argued at a hearing this month that Giuffre's claim was baseless, nonviable and potentially unlawful. In late 2019, Andrew told the BBC Newsnight program that he never had sex with Giuffre, saying, It didnt happen. Brettler has said that Andrew cannot be sued because an earlier lawsuit in the United States that was settled absolves our client from any and all liability. That 2009 settlement document, however, remains sealed. The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they choose to come forward publicly, as Giuffre has. NORMAN, Okla. (AP) The University of Oklahoma's former top lobbyist who resigned last month won't face charges related to a woman's allegations that he sexually assaulted her, Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn said Tuesday. Mashburn said he determined the facts did not support a criminal charge against John Woods, 46. This is a deal where he made two advances to her, and she successfully rejected those advances," Mashburn said. It does not rise to the level of a criminal prosecution." Mashburn said both advances involved Woods trying to kiss the woman in the parking lot of a bar where the two had met. Mashburn's decision was first reported by the online news outlet NonDoc. The womans allegations were outlined in a petition for a protective order filed in Cleveland County last month. A judge granted the woman an emergency protective order, but she declined to pursue a permanent victim protective order. Woods attorney, Steve Stice, says his client appreciates the prosecutors decision. Its the decision that we expected," Stice said. My client was prepared to defend against the victim protective order and if criminal charges were filed. Hes appreciative of the investigation and wants to move on from here." In her request for a protective order, the woman claimed Woods sexually assaulted" her in a parking lot on July 27 and later sent her a sexually explicit video of himself. The woman also claimed Woods continued to harass her by sending her unwanted text messages. The woman filed her petition for a protective order and reported the incident to police about 11 days after the incident. The Associated Press does not generally identify victims of sexual misconduct. Woods worked for three Republican speakers of the Oklahoma House before stints as the president of the Norman Chamber of Commerce and as director of the Oklahoma Tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust. He was named OUs director of government affairs in 2018 by then-President Jim Gallogly. The University of Oklahoma was rocked with sexual assault allegations in 2019 against its former President David Boren and one of Borens top administrators, Tripp Hall III. Both men denied the allegations, and criminal charges were never filed. A lawsuit filed against the university by one of Halls accusers was settled, but the terms of the settlement were not disclosed. BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) The developer of an oil refinery planned near Theodore Roosevelt National Park in western North Dakota has a new contract with a company that will buy and market all diesel and gasoline produced at the facility. Developer Meridian Energy Group says its 10-year contract with Musket Corp. covers 360 million gallons of diesel and 280 million gallons of gasoline produced annually. The fuels make up 90% of the volume of refined products at the plant. More than a year after Black Lives Matter protests launched a worldwide reckoning about the centuries of racism that Black people continue to face, the question of reparations emerged unevenly as a high-profile issue at this years largest gathering of world leaders. At the U.N. General Assembly, African and Caribbean countries that stand to benefit from reparations were backed by other nations, though those most responsible for slavery and colonialism said little about what they might owe to African descendants. Leaders from Africa (South Africa and Cameroon) to the Caribbean (Saint Kitts & Nevis and Saint Lucia) were joined by representatives of countries that are unlikely to be tapped to pay up Cuba and Malaysia among them in explicitly endorsing the creation of reparation systems. Those missing from the renewed global conversation on the topic, though, were noteworthy as well: the United States, Britain and Germany, wealthy and developed nations built from conquests of varying kinds. Caribbean countries like ours, which were exploited and underdeveloped to finance the development of Europe, have put forward a case for reparations for slavery and native genocide, and we expect that case to be treated with the seriousness and urgency it deserves, said Philip J. Pierre, prime minister of Saint Lucia. There should be no double standards in the international system in recognizing, acknowledging and compensating victims of crimes against humanity. A look at who is and isn't talking about the issue this past week is a sign that while the movement supporting literal payback to the African continent and the forced diaspora that ravaged it is growing, the substantive engagement of major powers however apologetic is limited. U.S. President Joe Biden, for example, made no mention of it in his address, though the White House earlier this year said it supported studying reparations for Black Americans. And the office of its U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who is African American, wouldn't comment on the recent reparations discussions. Monetary atonement for Americas history of slavery is a seminal question in the worlds attempt to reconcile with what South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called one of the darkest periods in the history of humankind, and a crime of unparalleled barbarity. Its legacy persists in the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, and in Africa itself, Ramaphosa said at a meeting on reparations during the General Assembly. Millions of the descendants of Africans who were sold into slavery remain trapped in lives of underdevelopment, disadvantage, discrimination and poverty. Slavery in what became the United States began more than 400 years ago with slaves forcibly transported by ship from Africa. The debate about reparations has been ongoing ever since slavery was abolished in 1865. In recent years, the issue has languished in Congress for more than three decades, though reparations have gained traction in a smattering of cities and local governments as the country continues to grapple with fallout from the death of George Floyd in 2020. Carla Ferstman, an international law expert who studies reparations as a professor at the University of Essex, said the U.N. talks this session mark a significant milestone for the global reparations movement that has been brewing for 20 years. What remains to be seen is how it unfolds between individual nations and how transformative the results are. While each reparations program would specifically be between the perpetrators and the victims' descendants, the conversation to rectify wrongs in history has now become universal. Its universal," Ferstman said, because inequity is universal. Valued reparations to address harm could come in the form of direct financial payments for individuals, developmental aid for countries, the return of colonized land, treasured artifacts and cultural items, systemic corrections of policies and laws that may still oppress, and the kind of full-throated apologies and acknowledgements that wipe aside certain historical figures that were once celebrated as national heroes. People perceive their harms in very different ways this perception of how the wrongs happened and how they manifested in terms of later generations, Ferstman said. "One needs to be sensitive to what is important and how to best rectify. The latest discussions on reparations came as the U.N. commemorated an important but contentious 2001 anti-racism conference in South Africa that resulted in what is known as the Durban Declaration. A new resolution adopted at the commemoration meeting last Wednesday acknowledged some progress but deplored what it called a rise in discrimination, violence and intolerance directed at people of African heritage and many other groups from the Roma to refugees, the young to the old, people with disabilities to displaced people. There was even a discussion devoted to reparations, though it didn't go unnoticed during that talk that last weeks new declaration stopped short of demanding nations must pay reparations to those their government harmed. It said only that there should be a way for descendants to seek just and adequate reparation or satisfaction for any damage suffered. That was despite the U.N. Human Rights Councils explicit recommendation for reparations in a major milestone report in June. While reparations could not compensate or right all the wrongs that had been done against the people of African descent, they could go a long way in addressing systemic racism that still lingers in the society today, in bringing about a level playing field to realize their true potentials, Syed Mohamad Hasrin Aidid, head of Malaysias U.N. mission, said at Wednesdays meeting. The United States, Britain and Germany were among the dozens of countries that didnt attend the Durban commemoration last week because of persisting grievances about the conference 20 years ago, when the U.S. boycotted it over references to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. The U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it did not dispute the horrors of slavery and colonialism, but that it was focused on solving today's problems. It said in a statement: While we acknowledge that the wounds run very deep, we believe that the most effective way for the U.K. today to respond to the cruelty of the past is to ensure that current and future generations do not forget what happened, and to address modern-day slavery and racism. Germanys president, in his General Assembly address, didnt mention reparations, though his is one of the few countries that have directed money to make up for its colonial-era actions. Early this year, Germany officially recognized the massacre of tens of thousands of people in Namibia as genocide and agreed to provide 1.1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) for projects that are expected to stretch over 30 years to help the communities affected. That announcement pointedly did not label Germany's initiative as formal reparations. Facing journalists this week at the United Nations who sought answers on Namibia, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said his country continues to negotiate proposals with the African leaders. (T)he results that have been achieved have been achieved with the desire to finally reach an outcome, though not a conclusion, with regard to this truly difficult chapter of German history," Maas said. For in fact, it is only the beginning of a period of very, very intensive cooperation between Germany and Namibia. ____ Sally Ho, based in Seattle, is a member of The Associated Press' Race & Ethnicity team. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/_sallyho Tom Davies/AP INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Republicans voted down a Democratic overhaul of Indianas congressional redistricting before moving ahead with their speedy approval of new election district maps that will be used for the next decade. The Indiana Senate elections committee voted 7-2 along party lines Tuesday in favor of the Republican-drawn redistricting plan for the states nine congressional districts and 150 state legislative seats based on population shifts from the 2020 census. MADISON, Wis. (AP) State Senate Republicans confirmed four of Democratic Gov. Tony Evers' Cabinet appointments Tuesday after letting them languish for months but took no action on a key pick that would give the governor control of wildlife and pollution policies. The Senate voted overwhelmingly to confirm Craig Thompson and Randy Romanski as transportation and agriculture secretaries; Missy Hughes as secretary of the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp.; and Dawn Crim as secretary of the Department of Safety and Professional Services. The Senate also confirmed about 30 other appointments to various boards, commissions and committees, including Daniel Carlton Jr. as administrator of the Wisconsin Ethics Commission and Joaquin Altoro as executive director of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority. I know theyve been real busy, Evers said of the Senate when asked at a news conference about the pending confirmation votes. But we have some extraordinary leaders waiting to be approved, lots of people already serving on some committees and advising us around various issues that are really important. Its about time. Not on Tuesday's docket was Sandra Naas, Evers' choice to replace Natural Resources Board Chairman Fred Prehn. His term expired in May, prompting Evers to appoint Naas to fill his slot. The move would give Evers appointees majority control of the body that regulates hunting, pollution and other environmental policies. But Prehn, who was appointed by then-Republican Gov. Scott Walker, has refused to step down. He points to a 1964 state Supreme Court ruling that gubernatorial appointees don't have to leave their posts until their replacements are confirmed. Prehn was forced to cancel the boards September meeting after Department of Natural Resources officials said they had no items to discuss. Prehn accused the department of not wanting to work with him. Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul filed a lawsuit seeking a court order forcing Prehn off the board but a Dane County judge rejected it, citing the Supreme Court precedent. This can happen in a rational way. Somehow it became irrational, Evers said of replacing Prehn. Im hopeful that we solve it soon. Either he leave the board or we get the Senate to approve Sandy Naas to be the next person on the board. It just slows down the process and makes us look like idiots as a state and theres no reason for us to look like idiots. We have good people who want to do the work. The battle over Naas' confirmation illustrates how confirmation votes, once pro forma exercises in the Senate, have morphed into another partisan battlefield since Evers defeated Walker in 2018. Republican leaders have delayed votes on some of Evers' top appointees for months, allowing them to serve but leaving them vulnerable to removal. The Senate voted against confirming Brad Pfaff as agriculture secretary in 2019, angering Evers so much he decried the move as political B.S. and amoral and stupid. Pfaff went on to win a Senate seat as a Democrat in the 2020 elections. Republicans have been wary of Thompson, saying theyre concerned he worked as a lobbyist on transportation issues and advocated for raising taxes to build roads. Theyve also expressed reservations about Crim, who was charged with child abuse in 2005 after she jabbed her 5-year-old sons hand with a pen. The case was ultimately dismissed after Crim successfully completed the terms of a deferred prosecution. The Senate approved all the appointees aside from Thompson and Crim unanimously. Thompson was confirmed on a 27-4 vote, with Republicans Julian Bradley, Chris Kapenga, Steve Nass and Duey Stroebel voting against him. Crim was confirmed on a 29-2 vote with Bradley and Nass in opposition. There was no debate over any appointee. Following the vote, Democratic Sen. Chris Larson said about 100 appointees still need confirmation. I would just hope to have a fully functioning government here we would move forward with the other appointments as quickly as possible, he said. Republicans did not respond. ___ Associated Press writer Scott Bauer contributed to this report. ___ Follow Todd Richmond on Twitter at https://twitter.com/trichmond1 HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) The Connecticut Senate voted Tuesday to extend Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont's emergency powers for the sixth time during the COVID-19 pandemic, despite pushback from Republican lawmakers who argue the state is no longer in crisis. It all needs to end, said Sen. Rob Sampson, R-Wolcott. No one can deny that theres no public health emergency and that individual, local and legislative powers must be restored. Yet Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney, D-New Haven, said state legislators have a much stronger reason to extend the public health and civil preparedness emergencies than back in July, the last time Lamonts powers were extended until Sept. 30. He noted how the states COVID positivity rate and number of hospitalizations have increased since then due to the delta variant. Its self-evident the pandemic is still with us, no matter how much wishful thinking the Republicans may engage in by saying that it is not, he said. Clearly we need to have the governor have these emergency powers when necessary to go forward. The resolution to extend the governor's powers until Feb. 15 passed 18-15 on Tuesday with two Democrats joining the Republicans in opposition. Three senators were absent. The vote came day after the House of Representatives voted 80-60 in favor of extending Lamonts renewed declaration of public health and civil preparedness emergencies until early February, when the General Assembly's regular legislative session is scheduled to open. Democrats control both chambers. While there were loud protests outside the state Capitol during Monday's House debate, including parents upset about Lamont's executive order requiring face masks in schools, it was much quieter on Tuesday. Only a handful of people turned out for the Senate debate. A few watched the proceedings on TV on the first floor of the Capitol, the only floor where members of the public are currently allowed due to COVID-19 restrictions. Lamont and Democratic legislative leaders have said the public health emergency should be extended in order to quickly handle pandemic-related issues that might arise, such as new variants, the distribution of booster shots, masking and vaccination requirements, and vaccinations for children. They contend the steps taken so far have been working in Connecticut, in contrast to other parts of the country with high infection rates. Over the past two weeks, the rolling average number of daily new cases has declined by 251 in Connecticut, a decrease of 34.1%, according to researchers at Johns Hopkins. Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, credited Connecticut's mask mandate, for example, for fewer pediatric hospitalizations and school closures. Lamont is expected to issue roughly a dozen executive orders, mostly extensions of existing orders such as the school mask mandate that were set to expire on Thursday. Looney said lawmakers will have a say on those orders, noting how the top six legislative leaders can meet to consider vetoing any of the orders 72 hours after they've been issued by the governor a provision that was included in recent bipartisan legislation that placed limits on the governor's abilities. But Senate Minority Leader Kevin Kelly, R-Stratford, said he didn't think it was worth trying to challenge any of the orders, given the Democratic majority on the six-member panel. What makes you think in a day or two, within 72 hours, theyre going to miraculously change their mind when for six times theyve wanted to stay in this to all of a sudden come out of it, Kelly asked. EAGLE RIVER, Wis. (AP) The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating a plane crash that happened just before noon Tuesday in northern Wisconsin. Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman Emma Duncan said three people were on board the twin-engine Rockwell 690B when it crashed in a swamp 12 miles (19 kilometers) east of Eagle River. SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) State officials are celebrating attendance at this year's Illinois State Fair after it was canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The state Department of Agriculture reported Tuesday that the Springfield-based festival in August attracted 472,390. Since 2014, when the agency started formally tracking attendance, that's second only to the 508,900 who attended in 2019. ATHENS, Greece (AP) A strong aftershock with a preliminary magnitude of 5.3 has struck the southern Greek island of Crete, a day after a prolonged earthquake there left one man dead and injured several people. The Athens Geodynamic Institute said Tuesday mornings aftershock, the strongest of dozens that have been rattling the island, had an epicenter 22 kilometers south southeast of Heraklion, Cretes main city and the fourth largest in Greece. SEATTLE (AP) A Tacoma woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to torching five Seattle police vehicles during racial justice protests and rioting that followed the killing of George Floyd last year. Margaret Aislinn Channon, 26, was arrested nearly two weeks after she was caught on videos using fire and aerosol cans to spark flames in the police vehicles in downtown Seattle on May 30, 2020. TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) Taiwan's legislature descended into a rowdy brawl after opposition lawmakers interrupted a policy address and rushed the podium Tuesday. Opposition lawmakers pushed their way to the speaker's podium as the head of the Cabinet, Su Tseng-chang, was opening his annual address on the governments performance with a focus on national security and the economy. In the ensuing melee, a few lawmakers were shoved to the ground and others poured out bottles of water onto their opponents. Su was unable to give his speech. The opposition lawmakers members of the Nationalist party, or Kuomintang broke through the protective barrier formed by members of Su's own party, the ruling Democratic Progress Party, as they shouted for the speaker's resignation. The Nationalist party has criticized the ruling administration over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Legislators on Tuesday waved signs which called recently shortened quarantine requirements for pilots a big breach." More than 800 people died in Taiwan's largest coronavirus outbreak in May and June this year. The source of the outbreak hasn't been confirmed but many people suspect the virus spread from pilots returning home from overseas who only had to do three-day quarantines. Last year, members of the Nationalist Party brought pig guts into the chamber and threw them around in a melee to protest Taiwan's removal of a ban on American pork products. On YouTube, where videos of the fight were shared, some commenters praised the Kuomintang for becoming stronger. ____ This story has been corrected to show Su is the head of the Cabinet, not head of the legislature. The spelling of Kuomintang has also been corrected. MADISON, Wis. (AP) All Wisconsin elementary schools would be required to teach cursive writing under a bill passed Tuesday by the state Assembly. The bills sponsors, including former teacher state Rep. Jeremy Thiesfeldt, say teaching cursive will stimulate different parts of the brain and improve the education of students. But opponents, including groups representing school boards, superintendents and administrators, oppose the measure, saying it could be a costly mandate and that instructional time would be better spent teaching more modern forms of communicating, like keyboarding. Teaching cursive is included in state standards for education set by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. However, those are a model and not a requirement. The bill would make the teaching of cursive mandatory. No one registered in support of the measure, while a host of school-related groups were against it. The Assembly passed the measure last year but it died in the Senate. The Assembly passed the Republican-backed bill Tuesday on a 59-39 vote. It now heads to the Senate. It would have to pass the Senate and be signed by Democratic Gov. Tony Evers in order to become law. Evers is a former state superintendent of schools. The state education department which he used to lead said in written testimony that the requirement could prove difficult for students with disabilities. FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) A man has confessed to killing three people whose dismembered bodies were found in a burning dumpster in Texas, as well as his roommate and girlfriend, saying he felt compelled to sacrifice them, authorities said Tuesday. Jason Thornburg, 41, was arrested Monday on a capital murder charge in the deaths of the three people whose bodies were found in the dumpster in Fort Worth on Sept. 22, police said. Surveillance footage of a vehicle at the site of the burning dumpster led them to Thornburg, an electrician's apprentice. Officers on Monday found him working in nearby Arlington, an arrest warrant said. During an interview, Thornburg told officers that he had in-depth knowledge of the Bible and believed he was being called to commit sacrifices, according to the arrest warrant. Forth Worth police said Tuesday that the bodies found in the dumpster belonged to a man and two women. Earlier, police had said they believed one of the bodies was that of a child. Police have identified the male victim as David Lueras, 42. Police said the medical examiner would release the identifications of the women. Thornburg, who had been staying in a motel in the Fort Worth suburb of Euless since late July, told officers that about five days before the bodies were discovered, Lueras had showed up at his motel room, the arrest warrant said. Thornburg told officers he cut Lueras' throat and then cut him into pieces in the bathtub, the arrest warrant said. According to the arrest warrant, about two days later he slit the throat of a woman who showed up at his motel room and two days after that, killed another woman who had come to the motel. He said he tried to stab the second woman but ended up strangling her. Police said at a news conference that Thornburg only knew the women casually. Police said that when they identified Thornburg as a suspect in the slayings of the three found in the dumpster, they were already familiar with him from a suspicious death investigation earlier in the year. According to the arrest warrant, Thornburg's roommate had been killed in a suspicious house fire on May 21. During the police interview on Monday, Thornburg told officers he had slit his roommate's throat then uncapped a natural gas line and lit a candle. At the time, the medical examiner had not been able to determine his roommate's cause of death. When police asked Thornburg about any other sacrifices, he said he also sacrificed his girlfriend in Arizona, according to the arrest warrant. The arrest warrant said records show she had been reported missing. Police did not provide additional details on her. According to the arrest warrant, video surveillance near the dumpster shows an SUV pulling up late on the night of Sept. 21. The person in the vehicle is seen dumping the contents of containers into the dumpster. The person then returns early the following morning and makes more deposits in the dumpster, the arrest warrant said. Also, according to the arrest affidavit, video surveillance from the motel shows a person wearing what appeared to be a full body suit taking large containers from Thornburgs motel room and placing them in the vehicle. Police have said firefighters discovered the bodies. Thornburg was being held in jail on $1 million bond. Jail records did not list an attorney for him. AP TYLER, Texas (AP) A defense attorney for a former nurse accused of killing four patients at an East Texas hospital in 2017 told jurors Tuesday that his client was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, while a prosecutor called him a serial killer who found the perfect place to hide. William George Davis, 37, of Hallsville, is accused of injecting air into the arteries of four patients recovering from heart surgery at the Christus Trinity Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler, killing John Lafferty, Ronald Clark, Christopher Greenway and Joseph Kalina. His capital murder trial in Tyler began Tuesday with a not-guilty plea. Days before Germanys federal elections, Facebook took what it called an unprecedented step: the removal of a series of accounts that worked together to spread COVID-19 misinformation and encourage violent responses to COVID restrictions. The crackdown, announced Sept. 16, was the first use of Facebooks new coordinated social harm policy aimed at stopping not state-sponsored disinformation campaigns but otherwise typical users who have mounted an increasingly sophisticated effort to sidestep rules on hate speech or misinformation. In the case of the German network, the nearly 150 accounts, pages and groups were linked to the so-called Querdenken movement, a loose coalition that has protested lockdown measures in Germany and includes vaccine and mask opponents, conspiracy theorists and some far-right extremists. Facebook touted the move as an innovative response to potentially harmful content; far-right commenters condemned it as censorship. But a review of the content that was removed as well as the many more Querdenken posts that are still available reveals Facebooks action to be modest at best. At worst, critics say, it could have been a ploy to counter complaints that it doesn't do enough to stop harmful content. This action appears rather to be motivated by Facebooks desire to demonstrate action to policymakers in the days before an election, not a comprehensive effort to serve the public, concluded researchers at Reset, a U.K.-based nonprofit that has criticized social media's role in democratic discourse. Facebook regularly updates journalists about accounts it removes under policies banning coordinated inauthentic behavior," a term it created in 2018 to describe groups or people who work together to mislead others. Since then, it has removed thousands of accounts, mostly what it said were bad actors attempting to interfere in elections and politics in countries around the world. But there were constraints, since not all harmful behavior on Facebook is inauthentic"; there are plenty of perfectly authentic groups using social media to incite violence, spread misinformation and hate. So the company was limited by its policy on what it could take down. But even with the new rule, a problem remains with the takedowns: they don't make it clear what harmful material remains up on Facebook, making it difficult to determine just what the social network is accomplishing. Case in point: the Querdenken network. Reset had already been monitoring the accounts removed by Facebook and issued a report that concluded only a small portion of content relating to Querdenken was taken down while many similar posts were allowed to stay up. The dangers of COVID-19 extremism were underscored days after Facebook's announcement when a young German gas station worker was fatally shot by a man who had refused to wear a mask. The suspect followed several far-right users on Twitter and had expressed negative views about immigrants and the government. Dozens of far-right extremists use Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter to promote their brands, new research shows. By carefully toeing the line of propriety, key architects of Germanys far-right harness the power of mainstream social media to promote festivals, fashion brands, music labels and mixed martial arts tournaments that can generate millions in sales and connect like-minded thinkers from around the world. But simply cutting off such groups could have unintended, damaging consequences. All told, there are at least 54 Facebook profiles belonging to 39 entities that the German government and civil society groups have flagged as extremist, according to research shared with The Associated Press by the Counter Extremism Project, a non-profit policy and advocacy group formed to combat extremism. The groups have nearly 268,000 subscribers and friends on Facebook alone. Facebook initially declined to provide examples of the Querdenken content it removed, but ultimately released four posts to the Associated Press that weren't dissimilar to content still available on Facebook. They included a post falsely stating that vaccines create new viral variants and another that wished death on police that broke up violent protests against COVID restrictions. Reset's analysis of comments removed by Facebook found that many were actually written by people trying to rebut Querdenken arguments, and did not include misinformation. Facebook defended its action, saying the account removals were never meant to be a blanket ban of Querdenken, but instead a carefully measured response to users who were working together to violate its rules and spread harmful content. Facebook plans to refine and expand its use of the new policy going forward, according to David Agranovich, Facebook's director of global threat disruption. This is a start, he told The AP on Monday. This is us extending our network disruptions model to address new and emerging threats. The approach seeks to strike a balance, Agranovich said, between permitting diverse views and preventing harmful content to spread. The new policy could represent a significant change in the platform's ability to confront harmful speech, according to Cliff Lampe, a professor of information at the University of Michigan who studies social media. In the past theyve tried to squash cockroaches, but there are always more, he said. You can spend all day stomping your feet and you wont get anywhere. Going after networks is a smart try. While the removal of the Querdenken network may have been justified, it should raise questions about Facebook's role in democratic debates, said Simon Hegelich, a political scientist at the Technical University of Munich. Hegelich said Facebook appears to be using Germany as a test case for the new policy. Facebook is really intervening in German politics, Hegelich said. The COVID situation is one of the biggest issues in the election. Theyre probably right that theres a lot of misinformation on these sites, but nevertheless its a highly political issue, and Facebook is intervening in it. Members of the Querdenken movement reacted angrily to Facebook's decision, but many also expressed a lack of surprise. The big delete continues, one supporter posted in a still-active Querdenken Facebook group, See you on the street. - Klepper reported from Providence, R.I. Associated Press writer Barbara Ortutay contributed to this report from Oakland, California. BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) About 70,000 students across southeast Louisiana remain out of school because of Hurricane Ida's destruction to classroom buildings a month ago, state Superintendent of Education Cade Brumley told lawmakers Tuesday. That's nearly 1 in 10 of Louisiana's K-12 students largely in Terrebonne, Lafourche, Jefferson, St. John the Baptist and St. Charles parishes who remain idled by the Category 4 storm, which wrecked several parishes when it struck Aug. 29. More than 300,000 students were forced out of school immediately after Ida, but many have returned to class as power and water were restored across the region. Frankly, I am impressed with the speed that this is taking place, Brumley told the Senate Education Committee. These system leaders have done an excellent job. But in the hardest-hit areas, Ida flooded schools, ripped off classroom roofs, blew out parts of buildings and wrecked buses, making it more difficult to get children back into learning environments. Internet service is out in areas, making virtual learning impossible. And some teachers and school staff are living out of their districts because their homes were destroyed or heavily damaged. More schools reopened this week, and others are scheduled to come online throughout October. Lafourche Parish Schools Superintendent Jarod Martin said 10 of its 30 schools reopened Monday, with more restarts planned in the coming weeks. St. Charles Superintendent Ken Oertling said a quarter of his parish's 19 school sites should reopen next week, while others could take weeks longer. Two high schools will have to share space on one campus, he said. It's kind of hard to comprehend the amount of damage, Oertling said. He said the school district gave each student a Chromebook laptop ahead of Ida to ready for virtual learning if schools were heavily damaged. But he said online learning is not an option for his schools right now. We have no internet, Oertling said. Electricity returned last week, but the parish still faces rolling outages. Brumley didn't have an estimate for the rebuilding costs for school damage but expected it would be in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Although school systems have insurance coverage, testimony from individual systems Tuesday suggested that wouldn't be enough to cover the full repair costs, leaving assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help fill the gaps. For example, Martin said the Lafourche Parish school system has $20 million in property insurance coverage but estimates repair and mitigation costs will top $100 million. The school district's annual budget is $126 million a year for its 14,000 students. But FEMA aid involves bureaucratic hurdles and provides reimbursement after money is spent. The superintendents didn't get much encouragement Tuesday from the experiences that Calcasieu Parish Superintendent Karl Bruchhaus described in seeking reimbursement for his schools' rebuilding costs related to Hurricane Laura. That storm ravaged southwest Louisiana when it roared ashore as a Category 4 storm in August 2020. Every school has reopened in Calcasieu Parish, but some are still under repair and have leaks whenever it rains, Bruchhaus said. The school district borrowed money to help cover upfront rebuilding costs while awaiting FEMA reimbursement, but the superintendent said construction on school repairs had to shut down because the district is having cash flow problems awaiting more than $120 million in expected FEMA payments. On the construction side, we're out of cash. That's been a challenge, Bruchhaus said. In addition, the state's homeland security office has been sitting for months on a few million dollars in FEMA reimbursements owed to the school district while reviewing paperwork and contracts to ensure they meet federal requirements. That's unacceptable, unreasonable and unconscionable, said Senate Education Chairman Cleo Fields, a Baton Rouge Democrat. Under pressure from lawmakers, homeland security Director James Waskom pledged to send the Calcasieu Parish school system a check Wednesday for any money it was withholding for its paperwork review. But Bruchhaus said he needs the heftier amounts awaiting payment from FEMA for months to resume construction work on school buildings. Sen. Bodi White, a Republican whose Baton Rouge area district saw severe flooding in 2016, warned that FEMA moves slowly, but that the federal agency is critical to recovery. It's just going to take patience, a lot, White said. ___ Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte. UPDATE 8:40 AM: San Francisco State officials have alerted students that all in-person instruction has been cancelled on Tuesday September 28 due to an anonymous threat made online. On its website, the school said: "All in-person instruction and services for Tues., Sept. 28 should move to remote modalities if possible. Remote instruction and work should continue as planned. University buildings, including the library, will remain closed. Residential students are asked to remain in campus residences until notified otherwise." In-person classes and activities at San Francisco State University were delayed on Tuesday due to an anonymous, non-specific threat posted online, the university announced. In an alert posted online, the school said: "Due to an ongoing investigation by San Francisco State University Police of an anonymous, non-specific threat, the start of in-person courses and activities on campus are delayed until 10 a.m. on Tues., Sept. 28. Check your student/employee email for more info." The Golden Gate Express student newspaper reported that university police had acknowledged an anonymous user on a school "confession page" had posted online: On campus armedsee yall tomorrow. The comments were reportedly deleted shortly after. In an email alert, the school told students on campus that they should stay in their dorms until 10 a.m. This is a developing story. TOKYO (AP) Japanese automaker Toyota is revving up acquisitions in mobility technology, adding Renovo Motors Inc., a Silicon Valley software developer, to its Woven Planet team, which is working on automated driving. The addition, announced Tuesday, follows the purchase earlier this year of CARMERA Inc., a U.S. venture that specializes in sophisticated road mapping updates made cheaper and faster by using crowdsourced information obtained from millions of net-connected Toyota vehicles. The company has not disclosed the value of either deal. Renovo develops automotive operating systems, which Toyota Motor Corp. sees as essential for developing programmed vehicles so it can transition to what it calls a mobility company that includes more than just cars. Renovo means new life or renew in Latin. Renovo's data-management platform enables automakers to continuously learn from their vehicles, using a so-called complete loop approach, so vehicles can become safer and more reliable. In Woven Planet and Toyota, weve found partners committed to doing exactly what we have always wanted to do, on a global scale, and thats a great feeling, said Renovo Chief Executive Christopher Heiser. Woven Planet, Toyotas wholly owned subsidiary, earlier acquired San Francisco-based Lyfts self-driving division Level 5. Chief Executive James Kuffner said more acquisitions may be coming. The big picture is Woven Planet creating a dream team of software and vehicle engineering people globally to deliver the worlds programmable and safest mobility. Thats the context, he told The Associated Press. Always as an executive, you are trying to balance the speed and the growth versus the focus and maintaining company culture. The larger you grow, the risk is that you slow down, he said. We will keep growing, but we are going to be careful. Kuffner declined comment on an recent accident at the Paralympics Athletes Village in Tokyo, when a Toyota bus equipped with automated driving technology bumped into a Paralympian athlete and injured him. The accident is still under investigation and may be an example of the kinds of hurdles to be overcome before the technology can be widely used on public roads. The bus isnt approved for widespread use on public roads but was shuttling athletes and officials at the Village during the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. A human driver was on the vehicle as a safety precaution. President Akio Toyoda has apologized and promised improvements. Major automakers are working on various driving technologies. Vehicles of electric car maker Tesla Inc. equipped with its Autopilot driver-assist system have been in several crashes, including fatal ones, in the U.S. Some analysts say companies should avoid suggesting cars sold today with such technology can safely drive themselves. Woven Planet, known previously as Toyota Research Institute-Advanced Development, is working on technologies spanning smart cities, green energy and mobility solutions and robotics that are meant to eventually become consumer products, said Kuffner, who has worked on Googles self-driving cars and robots at Boston Dynamics. ___ Yuri Kageyama is on Twitter https://twitter.com/yurikageyama PORTAGE, Ind. (AP) U.S. Steel says a northwestern Indiana plant's discharge of elevated levels of iron were the cause of an orange plume that entered a Lake Michigan tributary, prompting the closure of several nearby beaches and a water treatment facility. Company spokeswoman Amanda Malkowski said in a statement late Monday that an analysis of the discharge from the U.S. Steel Midwest plant in Portage revealed elevated concentrations of iron causing the discoloration" in the the Burns Waterway. The company did not indicate what concentrations of iron were detected in the discharge, and it was not immediately clear whether the release posed any threat to public health, the environment or wildlife. U.S. Steel idled the plant about 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of Chicago as a precaution after it said the wastewater treatment facility experienced an upset condition that sent the rusty colored plume into the waterway Sunday. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said Tuesday that it was awaiting results from its own samples of the plant's discharge and would provide an update once those results are analyzed. The EPA did not respond to a question from The Associated Press about what impact elevated iron levels could pose to humans, animals or the environment. Gabriel Filippelli, a professor or earth sciences at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, said the test results released by U.S. Steel were vague but that, in general, iron itself is just kind of a nuisance rather than a contaminant that requires a significant amount of intervention." With testing still underway, however, Filippelli said it remained to be seen whether the discharge could have contained toxic heavy metals such as mercury or lead, or other contaminants. Who knows what else it was carrying? Usually when you find iron you find some other nasty stuff," he said. An Indiana Department of Environmental Management spokesman said Tuesday that the agency was investigating and would provide an update after it receives and analyzes sampling test results. Neither the EPA, IDEM or U.S. Steel indicated if any type of cleanup was planned. Indiana Dunes National Park closed all of its beaches and the Portage Lakefront and Riverwalk on Sunday until further notice as a precaution, while Indiana American Water shut down its Ogden Dunes treatment facility Sunday night, also as a precaution. The discharge plant comes weeks after a federal judge approved a revised settlement with the company, more than four years after the Portage plant discharged wastewater containing a potentially carcinogenic chemical into the Burns Waterway. U.S. Steel agreed to pay a $601,242 civil penalty and more than $625,000 to reimburse various agencies for costs associated with their response in April 2017 after the plant spilled 300 pounds (136 kilograms) of hexavalent chromium or 584 times the daily maximum limit allowed under state permitting laws. Malkowski said in Monday's statement that sampling of the discharge found no indications of permit level exceedances for hexavalent and total chromium, as those sampling results came in well below permit limits." She said preliminary sampling results showed that the Portage plant remains in compliance with numeric permit limits. MADISON, Wis. (AP) Wisconsin public schools would be prohibited from teaching students and training employees about concepts such as systemic racism and implicit bias under a Republican bill the state Assembly passed Tuesday on a party line vote. The measure would also have to pass the state Senate before it would head to Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who almost certainly would veto it. The bill has no Democratic co-sponsors, but they don't have the votes to stop it in the Legislature. Wisconsin's proposal follows a national trend of Republican-controlled legislatures moving to thwart certain ideas they associate with critical race theory, a framework legal scholars developed in the 1970s and 1980s that centers on the view that racism is systemic in the nations institutions and serves to maintain the dominance of whites in society. This is a Republican attempt to defund education by usurping local district policies and entangling school districts, as well as independent charter schools, in lawsuits based solely on opinions and not facts, Democratic state Rep. LaKeshia Myers, of Milwaukee, said before debate began. Myers said that critical race theory is not taught in any K-12 public school and the bill is a poor attempt at reverse psychology to sow seeds of division and hate by playing on the fears of a shrinking white majority. The Assembly's Democratic minority leader, Gordon Hintz, described the bill as the white supremacy preservation act before debate on it began. He said it was part of a national movement to create a new boogeyman in the culture wars to use fear and resentment to motivate base voters. Republican Assembly Speaker Robin Vos defended the measure, suggesting that teaching critical race theory concepts would be racist. What is the harm in ensuring that we make every single person in the state realize that we dont want sexism, we dont want racism, we dont want stereotyping in our schools? Vos said before debate began. Im disappointed that its become some kind of a rallying cry for the left. The Assembly passed the bill on a 60-38 vote, with all Republicans in support and Democrats against. Eight Republican governors have signed bills or budgets into law banning the teaching of critical race theory in K-12 schools or limiting how teachers can discuss racism and sexism in the classroom. Similar bills have been introduced or other steps have been taken in 19 additional states, according to an Education Week analysis. Republicans across the country are using critical race theory and indoctrination as catchall phrases to describe racial concepts they find objectionable, including white privilege, systemic inequality and inherent bias. The movement against the theory gained traction last year when former President Donald Trump signed an executive order barring federal contractors from conducting racial sensitivity trainings. Several state lawmakers subsequently inserted language from Trumps now-defunct order into their own bills. Education groups, including the National Education Association and the National Council for the Social Studies, are worried that the proposals will have a chilling effect on teachers and classroom discussions, and lead to a sanitized version of the nations history being taught in schools. The Wisconsin bill would prohibit teaching that one race or sex is superior to another, that a person is inherently racist or sexist by virtue of his or her race or sex, and that a persons moral character isnt determined by race or sex. It would also ban teaching that a person should feel guilty for past acts committed by people of his or her race or sex and that systems based on meritocracy are racist or sexist, or designed to oppress people of another race. The only registered supporter of the bill was the conservative anti-abortion rights, anti-gay marriage group Wisconsin Family Action. There were 18 registered opponents, including groups representing school boards, administrators and other officials, Milwaukee Public Schools, the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the Wisconsin Council of Churches and the statewide teachers union, the Wisconsin Education Association Council. Another bill the Assembly passed on Tuesday would prohibit local governments and state agencies from training employees on such concepts, mirroring the Trump executive order that President Joe Biden lifted in January. Violations of the Wisconsin bills would result in the loss of state aid for schools and funding for state agencies. MADISON, Wis. (AP) The Wisconsin Assembly on Tuesday passed a Republican-authored bill that would require Democratic Gov. Tony Evers to spend $100 million in COVID-19 relief funding on mental health programs in schools. The measure approved on a party line 60-38 vote with all Republicans in support and Democrats against faces a nearly certain veto from Evers. He has already vetoed two similar bills that would direct how he spends COVID-19 funding from the federal government that is currently left to the discretion of the governor to hand out. MADISON, Wis. (AP) Gov. Tony Evers said Tuesday its unlikely he would sign into law any maps drawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature that are based on the current ones, boundary lines that solidified GOP majorities over the past decade. The state Legislature approved guidelines Tuesday for drawing new political boundary lines that require making the new maps adhere as closely as possible to ones drawn a decade ago. Democrats and Evers want the new maps to be drawn from scratch. Those Republican-drawn maps enacted in 2011 have been identified as among the most gerrymandered in the country. The Legislature is preparing to vote on new maps this year as part of the once-a-decade job of redistricting. Evers was asked at a Tuesday news conference at the World Dairy Expo in Madison whether he would sign maps that are based on the ones in place now. If theyre based on the current maps that are clearly gerrymandered and have been rejected by a number of counties in the state through referenda, its unlikely," Evers said. "The current maps are inadequate and to base on our decision-making on that inadequacy would not be doing the peoples work. Democrats, voting rights advocates and others pushing to have a nonpartisan commission draw maps instead of the Legislature oppose the resolution that is up for approval in the Senate and Assembly. If youve already rigged the maps once, then what youre doing is you're burying, or baking in, that gerrymandering forever, Sachin Chheda, director of the Fair Elections Project, said Monday during an online event attended by advocates for creating a nonpartisan map-drawing process. It is incredibly insidious. The resolution comes before the Legislature has introduced any new maps and as two lawsuits move forward before the Wisconsin Supreme Court and in federal court. The resolution lays out parameters for any maps submitted to the Legislature. The one guideline drawing the most opposition from Democrats and others calls for retaining as much as possible the core of existing districts, thus maintaining 11 existing communities of interest, and promoting the equal opportunity to vote by minimizing disenfranchisement. An argument Democrats and voting rights groups make in a federal redistricting lawsuit is that the current Republican-drawn maps should be declared unconstitutional and not used as the starting point for new maps. Republicans asked the U.S. Supreme Court last week to dismiss the lawsuit. Democrats didn't have the votes to stop the resolution from being adopted Tuesday. Both the Senate and Assembly passed the resolution with all Republicans in support and all Democrats against. Democratic Sen. Jon Erpenbach said the current districts are so skewed left or right that incumbents care only about avoiding a primary opponent. That leads to extreme legislation from both sides as incumbents try to get further right or left of potential primary challengers, he said. Republican Kathy Bernier countered that Democrats underestimate voters ability to change their minds and Republicans dont take their constituents for granted. We do not get lazy, she said. And we are accountable. Republican Assembly Majority Leader Jim Steineke has said the resolution was an attempt to be transparent about the parameters for considering maps submitted to the Legislature. Its about continuity of representation, Steineke said. The parameters of reapportionment have always been the same, trying to keep districts compact, contiguous, keep communities of like interest together. Republicans are accepting maps from the public until Oct. 15. The Legislature has not said when exactly it will release its plan or vote on it. An Associated Press analysis found that Republicans won about 16 more U.S. House seats in 2018 and held on to seven more state legislative chambers, including the Wisconsin Assembly, than would have been expected to based on their average share of the vote in congressional districts across the country. ___ Associated Press writer Todd Richmond contributed to this report. Filmmaker Haile Gerima is having a long overdue moment and hes a little conflicted about it. The 75-year-old director of Bush Mama and Ashes and Embers has proudly operated outside of mainstream Hollywood for almost 50 years. Now retired and living in Washington D.C., where he taught film at Howard University for decades, Gerima has found himself in a spotlight that hes unaccustomed to with a 4K restoration of his 1993 epic Sankofa thats newly available on Netflix and a retrospective series at the new Academy Museum of Motion Pictures beginning Oct. 2. And neither might have happened were it not for Ava DuVernay. Long a student and champion of Gerimas groundbreaking films, DuVernay spearheaded the restoration of Sankofa through her company ARRAY Releasing. Mr. Haile Gerima is the reason I was inspired to create my own film distribution company and he is, very simply, one of my heroes, DuVernay said. He disrupted the system long before anyone was willing to take notice and continues to chart his own path. Though Gerima has eschewed Hollywoods overtures through the years, in DuVernay he found a kindred spirit devoted not just to her own career, but to the amplification of Black narratives through independent distribution. Shes thinking horizontal, Gerima said in a recent interview. Shes planning the future cinema of the African American world. Gerima told DuVernay she could have any of his films. She chose Sankofa, a meditation on the generational trauma of slavery that takes a modern model on a shoot in Ghana and transports her back in time to a plantation in America. Although the film was celebrated at international festivals at the time, it was not widely released in the U.S. But by then, he was already used to self-distributing his and his peers films to universities and cultural centers. Distribution has been a passion for the Ethiopian born and raised Gerima, going back to his time at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the late 1960s and early 1970s when it became abundantly clear that if he wanted to get his and his peers stories out to the world, hed have to do it himself. It was there that he found likeminded peers who were interested in rebelling against the Eurocentric language of cinema and empowering their own narrative accents. Prominent filmmakers that emerged out of the L.A. Rebellion community include Gerima, Charles Burnett, Larry Clark and Julie Dash. We felt the many mainstream distribution, even alternative distribution, often could not see what we see in our story, Gerima said. The mainstream industry often works from a very white supremacist paradigm. But the business itself was not sustainable. We didnt have the cash flow power because we also made sure 80% went to filmmakers against business logic because that was what we felt we deserve as filmmakers, he said. It was not a coherent business, but it was out of rebelliousness that it came about and it was very anarchistic. We didnt have the business savvy to continue it. So for Ava to come along and offer to take over the distribution is very important. Then came the opportunity from the Academy Museum, which involved being recognized with the inaugural Vantage Award and a retrospective screening series. DuVernay made the ask and stopped him before he could even answer. She said to me, I know youre going to say no,' he laughed. DuVernay asked for the chance to explain and for him to think about it for a week. Gerima ultimately agreed, but on his terms. The series, Imperfect Journey: Haile Gerima and his Comrades, which begins Oct. 2 and runs through Nov. 14, will include screenings of Gerimas shorts and features, like his groundbreaking thesis film about a woman from Watts, Bush Mama. The program also includes screenings of Ashes and Embers, the world premiere of a new restoration of Wilmington 10 - USA 10,000 and Harvest: 3000 Years. It will also highlight works from his peers, mentees and students. Ive never lost faith in people and human beings on a racial basis. But I know industry is industry and capitalism is capitalism. If the museum wants to recognize an outsider as me, they have to recognize the many dead bodies that never made it to where I am. Im going to remind them that. Im going to say this is recognizing me, thank you, but is it going to be sustainable? Are the well-meaning people who made this choice, will they remain to reinforce it? I am a little bit conflicted about it. And thats my energy. Im not bought in, I never wanted it. But if it helps at least in the democratic preservation of all ethnic groups cinematic contribution, if this moment could be a reminder of that, Im for it, he continued. So many works perished because they were not considered stories ... Im imperfect on an imperfect journey. I did it as ... best as I could. But I want young people in the future who would come to give a chance to look at my work, what I tried to do, and then go from it." ___ Online: https://www.academymuseum.org/en/series/haile-gerima ___ Follow AP Film Writer Lindsey Bahr on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ldbahr RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) Soon entering the critical phase of North Carolina's budget talks, Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday he would aim to get Republican lawmakers to fund public education improvements a judge says the state must start implementing. Addressing a panel he created to help comply with legal rulings in a decades-old school funding case, Cooper said there's no excuse for the state to fail to carry out the multi-year plan Judge David Lee approved, particularly for the next two years. The state's coffers are overflowing with several billion dollars of surplus or unspent revenues. Cooper will soon negotiate with House and Senate Republicans, who passed this summer competing state government spending plans. Senate leader Phil Berger and House Speaker Tim Moore are expected this week to send an initial joint offer for Cooper to consider. As we enter these new trilateral budget negotiations ... I will work as hard as I can for strong investments in this plan so that we can make it a reality, Cooper told the Commission on Access to Sound Basic Education. We have a transformational opportunity here. We have the funding. The separate Senate and House budget fell well short of the $1.7 billion in new education spending Cooper proposed through mid-2023 to meet a leg of the $5.6 billion remedial plan Judge Lee signed. Lee said recently if the plan is not fully funded before a scheduled Oct. 18 court hearing, he will consider ways to take action. That could include holding the General Assembly in contempt or issuing monetary penalties. This court is prepared to implement the judicial remedies at its disposal, Lee wrote in an order dated last week and released later Tuesday. Republican leaders, particularly in the Senate, have chafed at the judge's directives, saying funding decisions are exclusively the purview of the legislature, not the courts. In the Leandro litigation named after an original plaintiff the state Supreme Court ruled in 2004 that the states children have a fundamental right to the opportunity to receive a sound basic education, but that the state had not lived up to that mandate. Interest in compliance with the rulings grew as Lee took over monitoring the case and a consultants report in 2019 declared little progress had been made to comply. The plan developed by Cooper and the State Board of Education aims to spend more than $5.5 billion in new education funding through 2028. The proposal includes funding improvements to help low-income students and those with disabilities. Theres increased pay for teachers, principals and assistant principals, as well as efforts to improve teacher diversity and competency and child access to prekindergarten. The commission, composed of former legislators, educators and others, passed unanimously a resolution Tuesday urging all state bodies, entities, and agencies to take all necessary actions" to carry out the plan. Funds amply exist" to fully fund the next two years of the plan, said Rick Glazier, a panel member, former lawmaker and current executive director of the left-leaning North Carolina Justice Center. And now the state has to comply. And this is not a discretionary task, lest we leave the constitution to be a nullity and it clearly is not. Bergers press office, responding to commission discussions, tweeted Tuesday that tactics and threats by those pushing for full Leandro funding have irreparably poisoned the well. Despite the differences over education funding, theres been more optimism this year from the legislative and executive branches that Cooper can sign a two-year budget bill into law. He vetoed similar budget bills in 2017 and 2019. There seems to be a real willingness now to negotiate in good faith as we move forward, Cooper told commission members in the online meeting. I know this, that we have to continue fighting to implement this plan at all levels and in all ways. New York City has dethroned San Francisco as the most expensive city for renters, according to a report from real estate site Zumper. SFGATE spoke with Zumper data journalist Jeff Andrews to understand why the City by the Bay is trailing, albeit slightly, New York. He believes it has something to do with you guessed it San Francisco's high cost of living. The median price for a one-bedroom apartment in New York is currently $2,950, just $150 more expensive than San Francisco, according to Zumper's monthly rent report. New York is down just 3% since March 2020, when the U.S. went into lockdown due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which saw renters flee major coastal cities for the suburbs in search of more space and lower costs. By comparison, San Francisco rents remain 20% down since March 2020. While researchers have debunked the myth of a statewide exodus in California, data does show that people left San Francisco during the pandemic, forcing rents to plunge down to meet the lower demand. Andrews conjectures that San Francisco topped New York for the first time between 2005 and 2008. Its rents steadily climbed ahead of New York's during the financial crisis. Andrews said the early pandemic migration consisted mostly of "rich people," who could pack up and leave "on a dime." The middle and lower classes followed behind, with many leaving San Francisco and New York in the summer and fall of 2020. One theory is that the predominance of the tech sector, which generally enables people to work remotely, in San Francisco accounts for the lower rents. But Andrews noted that the difference in office occupancy between New York and San Francisco is "negligibly higher," thereby debunking that theory. "It's not like San Francisco offices didnt reopen and New York's did, and thats what led everyone to come back," he said. "I'm personally of the mind that thats not what accounts for it." New York, Andrews said, has altogether sprung back from where it was at the height of the pandemic, which enabled people living in more affordable areas, such as Brooklyn, to rent their "dream apartments" in pricier neighborhoods for lower prices. In San Francisco, rents were already so high, the 20% dropoff had a leveling effect on rents, bringing them back down to earth, Andrews said. "In New York, there was a price incentive to come back. In San Francisco, there really wasnt just because it was so much more expensive even at the onset of the pandemic," Andrews said. "I mean, it's still really expensive." Douglas Zimmerman A weak cold front moving across Northern California delivered mostly drizzle across the drought-stricken region Monday night into Tuesday morning but some isolated locations, especially to the far north, saw significant rain. In the San Francisco Bay Area, one location along the Sonoma Coast had recorded a half-inch by 5 p.m. Monday with other locations around the North Bay reporting a hundredth to a couple tenths of an inch, the National Weather Service reported. The amounts were small, but amid a drought, any rain was welcomed. New Delhi: Thailand, one of the most favoured holiday destinations for Indians, is struggling to its economy back on track. As the Thai government barred international tourist inflow into the country since the outbreak of the Covid 19 pandemic last year, thousands have been left jobless -- without any income. The tourism sector accounts for over 11.5 per cent of the country's total GDP. The World Bank said the shock of the Covid 19 wave caused the economy to contract by 2.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2021, following a 6.1 per cent drop in GDP in 2020 -- one of the steepest contractions among Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states. While the official unemployment rate has remained at 2 per cent in the first quarter of 2021, up from 1 per cent in the first quarter of 2020, it does not present the real picture, an analyst told India Narrative. "A very large part of the workforce is in the unorganised sector, the data of which is not captured in the official employment figure, the unemployment scenario is alarming to say the least," he said. Joblessness has also pushed suicide rates in Thailand. Consider this. Even prior to the pandemic, Thailand had the highest rate of suicide among Southeast Asian nations, the Daily Telegraph noted. But Covid blues have made things worse. Quoting statistics provided by the country's Ministry of Health, the newspaper said that the rate of suicide had already been increasing year-on-year in Thailand pre-pandemic, but during Covid-19, the figure leapt by 11 per cent from 2019 to the end of 2020. Desperate citizens have also resorted to stealing, reports said. According to WalkthroughIndia, India was the 7th most foreign tourist revenue generating country for Thailand and Bangkok was the most frequently visited by international tourists along with Pattaya, Phuket and Krabi. "The face of Thailand has changed, the country known for its vibrant beach towns now presents a ghost-like situation. While the Thai government has now started allowing tourists to come, people are not keen to visit due to the tight restrictions and also because the place does not anymore appeal to tourists as they wear a deserted and glum look," an executive with Make My Trip told India Narrative. Thailand's loss has been Maldives' gain. Indian tourists looking for international destinations opted for an "upmarket" Maldives as most other countries closed their doors. According to Maldivian government, Indians accounted for 23 per cent of the overall tourist arrival. Nikkei Asia in a report pointed out that Covid-19 has only exposed how Thailand had become over-reliant on tourism for creating jobs and economic growth. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) The phone conversation came hours after the North fired a short-range missile into the East Sea, days after Pyongyang expressed a willingness to improve inter-Korean relations and even discuss a summit with Seoul, reports Yonhap News Agency. Seoul, Sep 28 (IANS) South Korea's top nuclear envoy, Noh Kyu-duk, on Tuesday spoke to US Special Representative for North Korea Sung Kim to discuss Pyongyang's latest missile launch, the Foreign Ministry said. The North said improvements can happen only when the South drops its hostile attitude against the regime and the double standards of calling the North's weapons tests "provocations" while conducting its own such tests. "The two sides shared the assessments on the latest Korean Peninsula situation, including the North's short-range missile launch and recent statements, and discussed ways to respond," the Ministry said in a statement. "They agreed on the need for the stable management of the Korean Peninsula situation and watertight coordination between South Korea and the US," it said. Noh and Kim decided to meet in person in Indonesia on Thursday for further discussions, the Ministry said. The US State Department condemned Tuesday's missile launch as violating UN Security Council resolutions and posing a threat to neighbouring countries and the international community. --IANS ksk/ Ata Mohammad Noor, leader of Jamiat-e Islami Afghanistan and the former governor of Balkh Province, had recently compiled and made public a list of 39 jihadist organisations operating in the region - from the Islamic State and Jamaat Ansarullah to the East Turkestan Islamic Movement and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. An ethnic Tajik who had left Afghanistan with Abdul Rashid Dostum and vowed to "settle accounts" with the Taliban, Noor revealed the contents of his list before the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Dushanbe, earlier this month. "According to the politician, the leaders of these organisations are located in the Afghan province of Badakhshan. And the main leader of the groups is Haji Furqan, a citizen of Kazakhstan and a representative of the East Turkestan Islamic Movement," said a report in Sputnik Tajikistan. It mentions that the Taliban calls the members of these most dangerous terrorist groups "Islamic brothers" and continues to cooperate with them. Experts reckon that even though the Taliban is currently projecting to the world that it will not allow terrorists to operate from the Afghanistan soil, it won't be too long for these radical groups to launch operations in Central Asian countries after receiving direct orders from Kabul. They say that several cells in the neighbouring countries have already become active since August 15, the day Taliban took control of the Afghan capital. "Together with the Taliban, the victory is being celebrated by Salafis and jihadists all over the world, including in the CIS countries. In their eyes, the victory of the Taliban looks like a good example that should be repeated in other countries. So, of course, it would be logical to expect an intensification of the propaganda of the jihadist and Salafi underground throughout the CIS," Parviz Mullojanov, a noted political scientist from Tajikistan told Dushanbe-based news agency Asia-Plus. The analyst believes that most likely, the Taliban will hold back their allies for some time and will not allow massive breakthroughs across the borders, so as not to spoil relations with Russia and China, with which they apparently already have agreements on this matter. "But they will not be kicked out of the country either, and they are unlikely to be able to. So they will be given the opportunity to continue their activities: create training camps, bases, conduct propaganda and recruit new supporters through the Internet and social networks," he said. The Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) organisation members Russia, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have already announced a series of large-scale military exercises on the Tajikistan-Afghanistan border to counter the Taliban threat. Last week, while speaking at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon highlighted once again the threat Taliban's return to power in Kabul poses to regional security and stability. Asserting that the Tajiks of Afghanistan - who comprise more than 46 per cent of the country's population - have the right to take their deserved pie in the public affairs, Rahmon said that the growing intensity of fights between the ethnic groups and tribes is another factor further destabilizing the political and security situation in the region. "Various terrorist groups are actively using the unstable military and political situation in Afghanistan to strengthen their position. We have witnessed the release of thousands of members of ISIS, al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups," said the Tajikistan President. "In other words, it is a matter of concern and regret that today Afghanistan is once again on the path to becoming a breeding ground for international terrorism," he added. Tajikistan, which he said due to its geographical location, is at the forefront of countering current threats and challenges, such as terrorism, extremism, radicalization, drug trafficking and other transnational organised crime, will continue its efforts to prevent their further spread. (The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com) --indianarrative India's biggest Online contest; Students from Grade 3 to 12 participated and came up with innovative solutions to tackle Covid Problem; 6000+ Registrations from 400+ Schools across India; 45% all girls Teams;Panel of International judges;Prizes include Internships at IIT Madras, Azure, Laptops, Tablets, Vouchers worth over Rs 10 lacs. Our sincere appreciation and gratitude to all the student participants, parents, school leaders & Management for making the AI COVID Warrior Contest a grand success. AI COVID WARRIOR CONTEST 2021 Winners The Covid-19 pandemic outbreak in March 2020 and the subsequent shutdown of Educational Institutions has posed unprecedented challenges in the education sector. Viewing this as an opportunity, leaders of progressive Educational Institutions have introduced innovative online teaching-learning solutions and engagement programmes while preparing students and faculty for the digital world. Highlights of the Contest: 'Unique, first of its kind' Online Contest conducted in India to find Solutions to fight against Covid19. Students from Grade 3 to 12 across India participated 6000+ Registrations, 400+ Registered Schools across India 45% all girls Teams Prizes include internships at IIT Madras, Internships at Azure Knowledge Corporation, Laptops, Tablets, Vouchers, Online Courses, Books and lot more. We would like to convey our sincere appreciation and gratitude to all the student participants, their parents, School leaders & Management for taking part in the AI COVID Warrior Contest and making it a huge success! Panel of International Judges for the Contest Dr Wolfgang Slany , Graz University of Technology Austria, , Graz University of Technology Austria, Dr Ken Kahn, Senior Researcher, Oxford University of Technology, Senior Researcher, Oxford University of Technology, Mr Roozbeh Aliabadi, CEO ReadyAI USA, CEO ReadyAI USA, Dr B Ravindran, Head of RBC-DSAI, IIT Madras, Head of RBC-DSAI, IIT Madras, Mr Vipul Shah, Head Education & Skilling, TCS Global CSR. Contest Winners (Code and Without Code) From Grade 3 to 12 across India. (Prizes 1st, 2nd& 3rd) Overall, Pan India Schools Students won the contests South, West, East & North India. Over all Top Prize Winners Contest Winners (with code) Contest Winners (without code) Idea behind the Contest: We at AI School of India believe that with the knowledge of how AI works and its impact, children have the potential to create innovative solutions to real-world problems transforming our societies and shaping the future of our planet. We were really amazed by the projects that we received and glad to see the ideas of the little minds engaging themselves and expressing their ideas on how to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology to solve real-world problems. In fact, our judges had a hard time in finalizing the winners as every project that was reviewed was equally creative and the solutions were mind-blowing. The purpose of conducting AI covid warrior contest was to make AI relevant to the ongoing pandemic. Most of the time, it is too theoretical or esoteric for people to understand how to make it a reality. Initially it was a challenge whether school students can take up this challenge and do something practical out of it but after we saw the number of entries we were greatly encouraged and excited", says Mr.Ramana Prasad, Chairman Digital currency is a relatively recent concept, and central banks around the world are still grappling with its consequences. Blockchain, bitcoin, and other fintech technologies are demonstrating that they can not only boost the status quo, but also advance the idea of digital currencies, making it a viable replacement for fiat money. The governments around the world are in an uncomfortable situation as a result of this. On the one hand, enacting legislation that promotes the use of trying to cut financial technology could be a huge boost to the economy's productivity. On the other hand, giving these people too much independence could jeopardise the region's own paper currency. Since an equilibrium still has to be reached, major governments have responded to the implementation of bitcoin (and other blockchain technology) in their native governments in a variety of ways. A wide spectrum of emotions has been expressed, from fear to complete acceptance. One thing they all agree on is that this is not a choice to be undertaken casually. With eKrona Cryptocurrency's overall market cost of capital increasing into the hundreds of thousands of dollars, the governments around the world have almost unequivocally stated that they are open to enabling this new innovation to take place. With a few deviations, their predominant policy has been to watch from the periphery and wait quietly Even just the largest commercial institutions are uncertain, but the majority of those who have taken action have done so in a constructive, delicate approach Irrespective, such decentralised authority gives policymakers a small range of options.buy eKrona as it recommended from most popular traders. Regulation In USA The United States, like any other nation, stands to benefit and lose a lot from digital currency and cryptocurrency acceptance. Surprisingly, policymakers have largely opted to ignore the growing trend, allowing it to continue without pomp and circumstance. The central American government has not yet asserted the sole right to control cryptocurrency, allowing individual countries to decide if their people should participate. The only specific comments made by federal authorities about how individuals would report their income (cash dividends to the IRS) and how they are taxed (as property). Soon, US retail investors will be able to purchase bitcoin through institutional investment firms in the United States, exposing the entire globe to further attention and market opportunities. Asias Acceptance Rate Asia's fair representation countries are taking positions on bitcoin and cryptocurrencies that range from cautious to outright hostile. Japan is probably the most pro-cryptocurrency nation, having achieved this by accepting bitcoin as a "legal method of exchange," rather than a conventional currency. As a result, banks are unable to sell bitcoin to their clients, but it is not illegal to keep bitcoins, leaving the market to be powered solely by financial technology entrepreneurs. Many businesses have integrated bitcoin as payment into their operations, and derivatives trading have been developed alongside other types of acceptance. Other Asian countries cannot boast of such success, and are wary of cryptocurrency's arrival. Using or selling virtual currency is extremely illegal in Asian countries, with severe penalties. Even Asia's most powerful nation, China, has had a rocky relationship with cryptocurrency. China benefited from the lack of any legislation by being an enthusiastic supporter in the cryptocurrency world, particularly in virtual currencies and mining, but this trend reversed later this year. China placed sudden tight restrictions on bitcoin trading and more, fearful of the amount of capital leaving the country through bitcoin, and proponents in the country are still grappling with the repercussions. Is Europe Considering Crypto As A Real Currency The cryptocurrency market in Europe is more complicated. Unlike the US, Europe emerged from the 2008 global financial crisis more concentrated than ever, rapidly enacting legislation and establishing regulatory authorities to direct the fledgling financial industry on its uphill journey. In recent times, fintech has come to mean "blockchain," and luckily, there are already a number of laws in place to promote its growth. Blockchain is almost the reason for existence for new regulations requiring visibility of details and related transactions between economy and infrastructure within the 19-country eurozone, and it has rapidly become the continent's most important new startup industry. Central banks outside the monetary union have followed suit, recognising the enormous potential of initial implementation for their respective countries. India's Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) and the US Customs and Border Protection have agreed to expand greater facilities to exporters, from each others country, who meet certain compliance criteria. This was agreed upon as part of a mutual recognition agreement by the two agencies of the authorized economic operator (AEO) programme, a scheme that permits certain privileges to players in international trade that are accredited by authorities based on their track record. Privileges consist of greater trust in declarations, besides faster tax refunds and expedited adjudication of disputes. CBIC, in an update on Monday, said the agreement was finalized at a virtual meet last week. With the volume of trade with the US being over $80,000 million in the year 2020-21, this initiative is further expected to give a positive thrust to trade. With the implementation of the mutual recognition agreement, the goods exported by Indian AEOs will enjoy enhanced trade facilitation at all the ports of entry in the US," CBIC stated in the update. In international trade, AEOs are entities permitted by customs authorities as compliant with supply chain security standards, based on documentation and other forms of verification. This voluntary scheme is open to importers, exporters, logistics providers, custodians or terminal operators, custom brokers and warehouse operators. AEOs self-declaration of origin of goods is also accepted. CBIC said the development was important in light of Prime Minister Narendra Modis call to get $400 billion worth of exports during this year. Cross-border trade is a crucial part of economic recovery of many countries, including India. New Delhi is also providing incentives to boost local manufacturing and build infrastructure. Throughout the pandemic, the indirect tax authority stepped up digitisation of trade related paperwork to reduce physical interface between people and to improve ease of doing business. Cross-border trade was one of the areas that the World Bank had highlighted where India needed to usher in reforms to improve its overall ease of doing business score. Local events as the ones in Southern California are essential to the Bitcoin community's continued development. The ranges and size of what happens worldwide are also increasing as Bitcoin prices continue to grow. Although Bitcoin is a macro-scale phenomenon with significant economic and historical implications, we should not fail to pay attention to the use of technology by the communities. The OC Bitcoin will host a Bitcoin paid launch party for its Nexx Burger restaurant in Newport Beach, California, on the 24th of April. The case, supported by Bitcoin Is and Strike, with music from Bitrefill, is an example of the growing scope and potential effect of Bitcoin and Quantum AI app in the region. I was lucky to talk to a couple who organized this event and gave me a wonderful insight into various aspects of bitcoin locality. I was very excited about how I met the people who organized this event and the way I did it. Firstly Dimitrios Politis, CEO of Nexx Burgers, explained why he decided to start accepting Bitcoin: How did you hear about Bitcoin first, and how did you feel about it? "I first came from a good friend to Bitcoin in December 2017. He explained what Bitcoin was developed and how it functioned. And I saw how Bitcoin could be transformed into a revolutionary digital currency. Last year in March, I started diving into Bitcoin and have always learned since." When did you decide that Bitcoin was right for your company? "Nexx Burger will now research and refine Bitcoin until it becomes a commonplace completely." What have you had so far in the Bitcoin community? "The culture of Bitcoin was amazing. Brian of the Bitcoin Network of the Orange County helped me to learn more about Bitcoin." Bitcoin local development and usage is paramount for the macro-scale acceptance of Bitcoin. Indeed, Bitcoin began as an email list-subscribed network for Cypherpunks. These small interactions formed the basis for earth shifting and showed a continuing need to expand the network. If Bitcoin is to be embraced across the globe, the microeconomies around us must be converted. George Mekhail from Bitcoin Is, an advocate and knowledge source for Bitcoin's circular economy, spoke about what it looked like. For more information on bitcoin community, When did you first become interested in Bitcoin? Where do you see yourself in the Bitcoin community? "Since 2017, I have been in Bitcoin. I am most excited to help grow Bitcoin communities and make moral arguments for Bitcoin while empowering people to get out of the corrupt economy of fiat. I'm also co-author of "Thanks to God for Bitcoin: Creative Money and Corruption." How did you encourage Bitcoin to start with? "Russell Okung and I were searching in September 2019 for the best ways of dealing with Bitcoiners. We decided to organize a final minute event in L.A. to help newbies to learn about the best voices in the space. Bitcoin is already working with a handful of startups, providing tools to get people started and consults countrywide meetings." It educates people to become a "circular Bitcoin economy." Could you explain what? "The circular economy of Bitcoin is the economy beyond the legacy fiat structure. This is a new paradigm which encourages people to save their hard-earned sats money and encourages sellers who accept payments from the BTC." Why does this matter? "Society will switch to sound money, which will result in an economic change when enough people take this view. In a Bitcoin circular economy, products and services are inexpensive as savings and purchase powers improve rather than undermine our currency in terms of the existing model of rescue and incentives." The continued mission in Southern California to empower business owners through the Bitcoin circular economy is underway. Bitcoin supporters are responsible for encouraging and expressing the strong wish to continue to expand access to Bitcoin payment systems in local economies. The event in Newport Beach is just one example of the local Bitcoin meetings that can be popular past meetings have shaped a company into embracing Bitcoin. Maybe now, more companies are looking to imitate the successful use of the technique. Conclusion: Bitcoin is a global, interconnected, and expansive network and technology. The complexity and size of what is happening worldwide have grown in tandem with bitcoin prices. Although Bitcoin is a macro-scale phenomenon with far-reaching economic and historical implications, community technology adoption should not be overlooked. 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! International airlines are not selling tickets to Australians desperate to return home this summer because they do not know if strict arrival limits will be in place, nor what testing, quarantine and vaccination rules will apply. The Morrison government has flagged that it may open the border and lift the ban on Australians leaving the country before Christmas, while Qantas is planning to reboot parts of its international network from December 18. International airlines say they are not prepared to start selling more tickets to Australians trying to come home. Credit:Getty But foreign airlines still flying to Australia are delaying opening up their bookings to more passengers until the government explains who will be allowed in and out of the country, and on what conditions, according to Barry Abrams, executive director of the Board of Airline Representatives of Australia (BARA). International airlines are currently sitting on a very large number of empty seats that they will not have the confidence or ability to sell because they dont know what the arrangements are, said Mr Abrams, who represents major international carriers. BHP, the nations biggest mining company, is facing the risk of a shareholder backlash against its climate change strategy and pressure to do more to tackle the huge carbon footprint of the customers of its products around the world. As investors prepare to cast their votes ahead of BHPs annual meetings in Australia and the United Kingdom in the coming weeks, influential proxy advisor CGI Glass Lewis has recommended against supporting the companys existing set of climate commitments and targets, citing room for improvement. Australias top mining companies are facing growing calls to tackle emissions across their global supply chains, including the steel-making sector. Credit:Bloomberg The firm said BHPs stated aspirations to limit its so-called Scope 3 emissions the greenhouse gases emitted when customers burn or process the raw materials it sells required further discussion with shareholders. While the company has the laudable goal of pursuing a long-term goal of net-zero Scope 3 emissions, it appears to have somewhat limited targets, said CGI Glass Lewis, which advises large investors how to vote on board appointments, executive pay and a range of other corporate matters. However, the ads also indicate wider shifts within the $3.3 trillion super industry. As the default system is dismantled through the stapling measure, and union membership slides, funds must fight it out in new ways to gain market share. In super, bigger means better. Funds are now seeking to grow by improving their services spruiking strong performance records, innovating with digital products and personalising services to ensure workers seek out the right product for them, rather than passively taking what is given to them. Over the past five years, AustralianSuper has steadily increased the number of its members joining by choice, as opposed to the default system, from 23 per cent to half. That hasnt been by accident, Kerlin says. We saw the writing on the wall a number of years ago, we started investing in our brand and building that out. Successive government inquiries have revealed a concerning number of Australians languish in dud super funds, which can have drastic impacts on living standards in retirement. This, combined with rising account balances and the emergence of the responsible investor trend, have made people more engaged with their super than ever, Kerlin says. We are expecting people will start making more choices, rather than pick up whatever fund they go to, Kerlin says. Its absolutely the future. NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes has refused to declare the Warragamba Dam wall-raising a critical state project, a classification that would give it effective immunity from legal and regulatory challenges, because it impacts a World Heritage area. In the sharpest indication yet of the governments division over the project, Mr Stokes has declined to sign off on the application to boost the significance of the proposal amid mounting criticism of the environmental and cultural damage it will bring. The release of the environmental impact study into the plan to raise the wall of Warragamba Dam is imminent. Credit:Brook Mitchell A spokesman for the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment said the agency wrote to WaterNSW informing the government-owned body that operates the dam that Mr Stokes had not agreed to declare the project critical, and would continue to be assessed as state significant, a lesser classification. This project is unique in that it impacts a World Heritage area and its important we meet our UNESCO obligations, the spokesman said. Scott Morrison is a natural for the role of shopping centre Father Christmas; jiggling small children on his knee (or is that against regulations now?), spouting Hallmark cliches. Pulling from his pockets plastic toys such as eight or so nuclear-powered submarines that Australias slated to get in about 20 years, though first the government must embark on 18 months of wrangling with our traditional Anglo allies to identify an optimal pathway to delivery of same. Such as net zero emissions another 10 or so years after the subs materialise, fingers crossed. Prime Minister Scott Morrison and US President Joe Biden in New York. My Father Christmas description is meant as a compliment though. Morrisons suburban dad persona appears so organic that those fancying politics as psychodrama are left frustrated by the dearth of backstory. Hence, the persistent invocation of Scotty from Marketing, with its suggestion that the anodyne medium is the message. Alas, Morrison keeps conforming to the caricature. Even his religiosity leaves space for advertising; asking the Lord for a sign during the 2019 election campaign in exchange for more labour on His behalf. A fugitive who escaped from prison 29 years ago and handed himself in to police this month will plead guilty to the escape and ask the NSW Attorney-General to pardon the remainder of his prison sentence, his lawyer says. Darko Desic, 64, was part way through a sentence for cannabis cultivation at Grafton in northern NSW when he took bolt cutters and a hacksaw blade and escaped the jail some time between July 31 and August 1 in 1992. He was aged 35 at the time. While authorities attempted to search for Desic, he was unable to be located until he walked into Dee Why Police Station in Sydneys northern beaches on September 12 and surrendered. He was charged with one count of escaping from lawful custody. Principals expect a wave of students to return to school before the official date because parents working in industries due to reopen earlier, such as retail and hospitality, will no longer be able to supervise remote learning. A staggered return to face-to-face teaching begins on October 25, with all students back in class from November 8. However, Robyn Evans from the Primary Principals Association said it was inevitable that some would sooner. Schools expect a wave of students to return to school before the official start date. Credit:AP Once the families have the idea that hairdressers, pubs are open, I believe well see children return, she said. The head of the Secondary Principals Council, Craig Petersen, said schools were absolutely bracing for more students before the official return date. As soon as businesses start returning, we are concerned there will be an increase in student attendance, he said. Damaging winds, large hail stones and heavy rainfall are expected to hit south-west Queensland before creeping to the south-east corner later this week. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued an alert for parts of Channel Country and Maranoa and Warrego districts on Wednesday. Severe thunderstorms are expected to hit Brisbane on Thursday and Friday. Credit:Ben Sartor Thunderstorms were developing in a moist and unstable air mass east of a surface trough over south-west Queensland, with the assistance of an amplifying upper trough, the alert said. Severe thunderstorms are likely to produce damaging winds, large hail stones and heavy rainfall that may lead to flash flooding in the warning area in the next several hours. Just one month ago a very bleak picture was emerging in the city of Shepparton where a major coronavirus outbreak was threatening to spiral beyond control. Infections were rising rapidly, pushing past 120 at the clusters peak. More than 20,000 people, many of them essential workers, were ordered to isolate. Shepparton residents queue for COVID-19 testing. Credit:Joe Armao So many residents were in quarantine that supermarkets ran short of workers, raising justifiable fears that families would go hungry because of difficulties in delivering food. Some community leaders privately worried Shepparton would never free itself of the virus and Melbourne-level restrictions would remain until the entire state was 80 per cent fully vaccinated. NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian warned this week that case numbers would go through the roof when her state reopened next month as it reaches 70 per cent of the population over 16 double vaccinated. The Andrews government is hoping a vaccination sprint will see the state following a similar trajectory to NSW. The best lived-experience we can point to is NSW, Health Minister Martin Foley said, pointing to high-risk communities in Sydneys west similar socio-economic groups live in Melbournes west and north. Victorian Health Minister Martin Foley. Credit:Eddie Jim Those high-risk communities, once they got over 50 [per cent vaccinated], the curve started to bend. Its the same variant, its the same vaccines, the communities are not dissimilar in a lot of ways, Mr Foley said. Victorias road map out of lockdown relied heavily on modelling released by the Burnet Institute in September, which foreshadowed thousands of new COVID-19 cases each day by late October. But the state could potentially avoid projected daily average infection peaks between 1500 and 3000 cases, as vaccination rates in high-risk communities increase. The states effective reproduction number (the measure of how many people each infected person passes the virus onto) has fallen from 1.5 at the time the Burnet Institute conducted its modelling to 1.2 in recent days. If that rate continues to fall thanks in large part to increased vaccination and testing, people in the north and west of Melbourne changing their behaviour in response to the growing COVID-19 threat, and the shutdown of the high-risk construction sector daily cases may not go as high as projected. A whole lot of work is being done to bring up those vaccination levels, and once you start to get control of the outbreak, the [reproduction rate] will naturally come down, said Professor Margaret Hellard, co-author of the Burnet modelling. Similarly to what were seeing in Sydney local government areas of concern, there were high caseloads, and a huge amount of work was done to increase vaccination, work with local communities so they understood restrictions. This then lowers the [reproduction number], and it disproportionately has a good effect. Catherine Bennett, the chair in epidemiology at Deakin University, said it could take a higher level of vaccination to turn Melbournes outbreak around because we have a different distribution of the virus in the community than Sydney. We dont have it as contained as they did at a similar point. Professor Bennett said there had been a concentrated effort to get the vaccinations rolling out in those hotspots in Sydney. They really had an extraordinary rise some weeks, an 8 to 9 per cent rise in people getting vaccinated with their first dose. She said the more widely distributed outbreak in Melbourne was proving more difficult to tackle. She commended the Victorian governments strategy of pop-up vaccination hubs in high-risk areas. If you can boost the vaccination rates in areas with highest transmission, hopefully it starts dampening it down. It just might take us longer to get vaccines to the right spots in Melbourne. Loading Asked if case numbers in Melbourne would now plateau, Professor Bennett warned that, while they would, the state could see high numbers in the weeks ahead before a levelling off. Were still on an upward incline. So while it could turn around any time, at the moment were tracking towards 1000 cases a day in the next few days and then 2000 a day in the next few weeks. Professor Bennett said it was crucial immunisation coverage was raised in vulnerable areas now Victoria had greater access to vaccines. If this was done, and the state succeeded in keeping cases below 2000 a day, we could transition out of this by October 25 and avoid those predicted December highs. Opposition Leader Matthew Guy said the Victorian government should follow the lead of NSW, Tasmania and South Australia and commit to fully reopening the state from December 1. A 28-year-old alleged Mongol associate was on bail for serious charges when he allegedly carjacked a motorist on the Graham Farmer Freeway before engaging in a dramatic chase with police while armed on Monday morning. Joshua Alban Gomez had a bedside hearing while at Royal Perth Hospital on Tuesday over fresh charges including being armed in a way that may cause fear, carrying an unlicensed handgun, aggravated armed robbery, deprivation of liberty and possessing stolen property. A lawyer for Mr Gomez phoned in to the Perth Magistrates Court seeking a one-week adjournment to review documents from WA Police and give legal advice to her client, who had spent the night under heavy police guard. The Bedfordale man was taken into custody about 7am on the public holiday after the vehicle he was driving still allegedly with the 60-year-old carjacking victim inside was rammed at both ends by tactical response group vehicles. Melbourne bar and restaurant owner Hayden Burbank and financial planner Mark Babbage have been charged after allegedly entering Western Australia by falsely claiming to be Northern Territory residents and attending the AFL grand final. The pair were taken into custody in WAs South West region on Tuesday morning after police made a public plea to find them on Monday night. A photo on the AFLs Instagram account shows Mr Burbank, who owns Chapel Street venue Morris Jones alongside player Alex Neal-Bullen and Mr Babbage, inside the Demons locker rooms celebrating and drinking with players after the clubs 57-year drought-breaking win at Optus Stadium on Saturday. The pair flew from Darwin to Perth on September 22 after having arrived in the NT from Melbourne on September 14, WA Police said. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull has warned Australia will need to develop a nuclear industry to maintain its proposed fleet of submarines and lashed his successor, Scott Morrison, for not being upfront with France over its decision to dump a $90 billion contract. Mr Turnbull, who chose Paris in 2016 to build a fleet of 12 conventionally powered submarines, said the government should have explored the possibility of building a nuclear-powered fleet using low-enriched uranium with France and the United States. Former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull says Australia could have built nuclear-powered submarines with the French. Credit:James Brickwood He suggested the French nuclear technology had safety and non-proliferation advantages over the weapons-grade uranium used in American and British submarines and accused the federal government of running a clumsy, deceitful and costly process. Safety and sovereignty dictate that we will need to develop nuclear facilities in Australia to maintain and support these submarines, Mr Turnbull wrote in an opinion piece for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Australia is a step closer to reopening its international borders with a new iPhone application allowing border officials to read QR code vaccination certificates. The app, which appeared on the Apple store this week, gives Australian officials the ability to scan international vaccination certificates once they become available within days. The new app allows border officials to read QR code vaccine certificates. Credit:Shutterstock A meeting of the national security committee of cabinet will also meet on Wednesday to discuss further details on how to reopen the countrys international borders in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The federal government will start issuing international COVID-19 vaccination certificates from October 1 and is also in talks with other countries to work out which vaccines will be recognised in international travel bubble arrangements. The Nationals need a pound of flesh to cut a deal over net zero emissions and on Tuesday the NSW government showed their federal Coalition colleagues how to give it to them. NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro said last year that his governments commitment to decarbonise the economy by 2050 would mean the end of mining and agriculture. But now hes not just locked in behind the 2050 goal, he is committed to halving the states emissions as soon as 2030 matching the pace of the most ambitious plans around the world, like in the US and Britain. Often assumed to be rivals over NSWs climate change policy, Matt Kean and John Barilaro have joined forces to endorse ambitious plans to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Credit:AAP, Renee Nowytarger NSW says its emissions reduction drive will attract about $12 billion of investments across the economy by 2030, with two thirds expected to flow into regional communities. Whether it is in modern manufacturing, minerals or agriculture, regional NSW is home to the skills, infrastructure and resources needed as the demand for low emissions technologies like batteries and hydrogen grows, Mr Barilaro said. As the issues which confront society, from climate change to the rising power of China to the COVID-19 pandemic, grow more complex it sometimes seems that our ability to debate them is becoming more impoverished. In a democracy, we look to politicians to lead debate but too often they are so focused on the next election or on maintaining party discipline, they gloss over important issues with sound bites or simply avoid them. There are now whole areas of policy which are practically off limits. It is now impossible, for example, for any politician from a major party to propose a carbon price as a way of reducing carbon emissions or discuss significant change to the tax system. In theory, social media has opened up new opportunities for democratic discussion that bypass the political process but, in practice, real debate there is often very limited. While it offers a dizzying diversity of sites, the internet often becomes an echo chamber because users only follow sources which they agree with. This auto-curation often splits debate into left and right where the inhabitants of each hermetically sealed group compete to shout their received wisdom without making an effort to understand or convince the other side. Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews says Australians cannot be complacent about the threat of terrorism amid the rise of home-grown religiously motivated and ideologically driven groups which have been fuelled by the dark web during the COVID-19 lockdown. Ms Andrews will use a major speech to mark the 20-year anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States to warn that sporting arenas, shopping malls, airports, and other iconic locations will again need to contend with the spectre of terrorism as the nation reopens following months of restrictions. Home Affairs Minister Karen Andrews says terrorism in Australia will re-emerge once capital cities come out of lockdowns. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen She will convene a meeting of Commonwealth, state and territory police agencies in the coming weeks to deal with what she says are significant developments in threats. Individuals, groups, and ideologies both old and new continue to plot and fantasise about doing us harm ... I dont say this to scaremonger rather to ensure were clear-eyed about the threat; so we can prepare now to safeguard all Australians from those who would do us harm, Ms Andrews will say in a speech to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute. The largest-ever examination of Defence and veteran suicides did not tell widow and advocate Gwen Cherne anything she did not already know about who was at risk, but it has given her hope. The report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, released on Wednesday, covers every person who served in the Defence Force since 1985 and died by suicide between 2001 and 2019, more than doubling the cohort previously studied. Serving ADF personnel have lower rates of suicide than the general population while veterans are more likely to take their own life. Credit:Glenn Campbell Although this meant the number of deaths reported was higher than in previous years, the rates of suicide were largely the same. It is still the case that serving ADF personnel have lower rates of suicide than the general population while veterans are more likely to take their own life. Male veterans are 24 per cent more likely to die by suicide than the general population and female veterans are twice as likely. Hospitality and retail businesses will not be fined for granting entry to unvaccinated people when NSW reopens, while police will only step in to assist with enforcement when asked. Industry groups say they are screaming out for guidance around enforcing the vaccine mandate, with the state government yet to reveal the public health order terms dictating the need for a jab. Health Minister Brad Hazzard on Tuesday said he was confident health orders would be enforced, after NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller said officers would not be walking through venues to check if people were fully vaccinated when the state starts reopening on October 11. NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller says officers wont be stopping people and asking to see their vaccine passport when the state emerges from lockdown. Credit:Police Media Their main role would be assisting businesses who have asked for help to enforce the mandate, Commissioner Fuller told 2GB. (2GB is owned by Nine, the publisher of this masthead.) The NRL is confident the grand final will go ahead as scheduled at Suncorp Stadium despite the latest COVID-19 outbreaks in Brisbane. The South Sydney-Penrith clash will mark the first decider to be held outside of Sydney, but there are fears it could be shifted again following six new positive cases in Queensland. The match will move to Townsville if the game cant proceed in Brisbane. However, the NRLs head of football, Graham Annesley, is confident the showpiece event wont need to shift again. As the Premier said this morning there is absolutely no change to plans for Sunday, Annesley said. Marise Payne, who has made an art form of hiding her light under a bushel, dashed onto the national stage on Monday, completely unfazed by the blazing footlights. The purpose of this daring appearance was to attack me for having the temerity to say that the governments AUKUS agreement re-staples us to the Anglosphere the world of the Atlantic, while stridently turning its back on our geography, Asia, in the same awkward movement. Payne and the Prime Minister were bedazzled by the grand reception they were afforded in Washington a reception any strategic client of the United States would have received had they turned over control of their armed forces to the US. But in our case, turning over effective control of our foreign policy into the bargain. Any prime minister that shops Australias prerogatives and interests to another power will always be feted and celebrated by that power. And this is precisely what Scott Morrison and Marise Payne experienced. The US submarine decision was not just about under-sea warfare, it was about donating eight submarines paid for by us to the command of the United States, as an integral part of its Pacific fleet. Try and think of another country that would do anything this submissive. Washington: Homicides in the US in 2020 increased nearly 30 per cent over the previous year, the largest one-year jump since the FBI began keeping records, according to new figures released by the agency. Homicides and non-negligent manslaughters climbed an estimated 29.4 per cent to 21,570, an increase of 4901 over 2019, FBI data showed. It is the highest estimated total since the early 1990s, when homicides stayed above 23,000 a year as drug wars played out in many places in the US. A man carries a weapon during a second amendment gun rally in Salt Lake City in February 2020. Credit:AP Homicides continued to rise in 2021, according to a midyear report released by the nations largest police agencies, although the rate of increase has slowed. The 18-month increase in homicides has broadly mirrored the COVID-19 pandemic. Violent crimes in 2020 meanwhile rose by a more moderate 5.6 per cent over the previous year while property crimes continued a nearly two-decade decline, falling 7.8 per cent. Robbery and rape dropped 9.3 per cent and 12 per cent respectively. PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- The Fourth Implementation Agenda was approved on Friday, September 24 in the Kingdom Council of Ministers. This agenda covers the period from October-November-December. Implementation Agendas outline action points that have to be taken by the Government of Sint Maarten and are therefore in line with the final decision-making in the Council of Ministers and established after approval in the Kingdom Council of Ministers. The ministries have the lead in drafting the action points that are linked to the reform measures as well as establishing the corresponding timeframe for delivery of the measures. The ministries are assisted by a Temporary Work Organization. The implementation agenda is to be considered a roadmap that outlines the priorities and the sequencing of implementation of the reform measures. On December 22, 2020, Sint Maarten and the Netherlands signed a mutual agreement for the implementation of the Sint Maarten Country Reform Package. The confirmation of this agreement has cleared the way for the realization of reforms and investments aimed at enhancing the countrys economic and social resilience in line with St. Maartens National Development Vision (NDV). The country reform package covers aspects of Financial Control, Costs and effectiveness of the public sector, Taxes, Financial Sector, Economic Reforms, Health, Education, and Strengthening of the Rule of Law. The ultimate aim of the country reform package is to improve the overall well-being of our country in terms of sustainable economic growth and earning capacity. Good governance, solid government finances, and social cohesion, which are all considered vital building blocks for the long-term development of the nation up to 2030. The result will be an economy and society that is also more resilient in the face of crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, other natural disasters, or economic shocks while improving resilience by offering new opportunities for citizens and businesses. The Sint Maarten Ministry of General Affairs Department of Interior and Kingdom Relations (BAK) is providing secretariat support in this process. The new normal was all we heard about when it came to the working model shift after the pandemic hit. Businesses worldwide adopted working from home, and then the hybrid model: a balance of remote work and office work. And according to a recent survey by 451 Research, nearly 80% of organisations surveyed said they have implemented or expanded universal work-from-home policies as a result of COVID-19, whilst 67% expect these policies to remain in place either permanently or for the long-term. With more vacant office spaces, the question is: is hybrid working a red flag for business security? Empty-office days When buildings and office spaces are still active with advanced technology, equipment and assets on show, yet footfall is not as busy as it once was, opportunistic criminals are closely watching and taking note. But what are they learning? Security systems provider, Expert Security UK, investigates our new normal. Offices are nests for expensive, valuable equipment, with maybe the latest technology Instead of a packed, busy office five or six days a week, hybrid working means more empty-office days, which is music to the ears of burglars. Offices are nests for expensive, valuable equipment, with maybe the latest technology and safes sitting there, or potential stacks of cash or company cards. You may be thinking, well, who leaves company cards or cash out? Youd be surprised, especially when business owners think theyll never be a victim, or sometimes, staff make mistakes. Hybrid working model And dont forget, burglars dont always know whats been left and will take their chances. And when a hybrid working model is the new normal, that means a lapse in security - at least in a thiefs mind. So how worried should business owners be? Well, the latest figures are pretty worrying, but also, not massively shocking. Reiterating the temptation and lure the working model shift has on robbers, Statista recorded a 12-year high for robbery offences in the UK in 2019/2020. When more businesses either shut up shop or sent staff away to home offices, its not hard to make a connection. These figures reflect how, when given the opportunity, thieves will strike and take advantage. Handing vital information Whether youve decided to go fully remote, its crucial to review and rethink your business security However, its worth noting that the lockdowns and empty streets would also have played a part in this spike, and now that were out of lockdowns with a world back to flipping its sign to open, many businesses will be carrying on working from home, but towns, shops, and streets are busy again. Whether youve decided to go fully remote, or have adopted the hybrid model, its crucial to review and rethink your business security, starting with your social media presence. Its a good idea to review your social media channels. We forget how open we can be on social media, and how our digital presence can actually work as a perfect guide and insight for criminals. All they have to do is follow your channels to pick up on clues. And if youre not giving it a minutes thought about what you're putting out there, you may even be just handing them vital information and helping their plans. Remote working shift Of course, there is information readily available such as your opening times, location etc. But, do you really want/need to show off the new, state-of-the-art tablets youve just kitted your office out with? It can be hard as a business, or even as a social person, to not want to share positive news on social media, but we really do have to stop and think, especially if people know a lot about the company and its remote working shift. Its also a good idea to have a meeting with your staff about a social media policy Maybe share a post about that new, intelligent security system you've installed instead. Its also a good idea to have a meeting with your staff about a social media policy or maybe just a casual chat about best practices, e.g. not to tag the business in a post about their new office gadget etc. Improving business security With fewer office days, you probably wont need to take up as much work space anymore. Maybe some equipment has become more ornamental. Anything you dont use or need, you could sell or donate. If you do have expensive equipment lying around thats not being used, try and make money back from it or store it elsewhere. If you are keeping a lot of expensive equipment in vacant premises, especially fixed equipment and technology, then consider installing bars and shutters over the windows. Whatever your budget, you can improve your business security tenfold with key security measures. One of them being access control. Security gates with access control are incredibly effective at stopping unauthorised people from gaining entry. There are also car park barriers and bollards that are highly effective at keeping any potential getaway vehicles out. Easily portable technology High-quality CCTV is a best friend to any business, but you need to be reviewing it frequently High-quality CCTV is a best friend to any business, but you need to be reviewing it frequently, especially if youve done a perimeter check and noticed any signs of forced entry or damage. Dont forget those signs either, let visitors or trespassers know theyre on camera. To fit in with the hybrid working model, static fixtures are becoming redundant. For instance, companies are switching to laptops instead of computers, so that workers can transport them easily to and from the office. This is not only more efficient and convenient, but it means assets are more guarded. Its the same for any other gadgets. Having easily portable technology is good for business, hybrid working, and security. Dont forget about your deterrents. Simple signs to warn people of alarms, CCTV, and even the fact that you dont leave equipment inside overnight can go a long way. Best security technology Thieves are famous for taking their chances. Some will meticulously plan, and many strike at a convenient, opportune time. So having signs in place that show you have high-quality, intelligent security in place can work wonders, making them think twice. Its also worth noting that you may not have the best security technology in place at the moment, but those on the outside dont need to know that; they can be fooled. However, having the best physical security in place is vital, as criminals lurk and will take chances. Keep reviewing your security, especially as your business adapts and reshapes - whether you return back to full office days or carry on the hybrid working model. This guest post was contributed by Danny Scholfield, Managing Director of Expert Security UK. NASA and SpaceX will hold a news conference today (Oct. 6) at 1 p.m. EDT (1700 GMT) to discuss the upcoming launch of SpaceX's Crew-3 mission to the International Space Station. The Crew-3 mission is scheduled to launch Oct. 30 with NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Thomas Marshburn and Kayla Barron, and European Space Agency astronaut Matthias Maurer. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft will lift off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida. You can watch the news conference live in the window above, courtesy of NASA TV. The official crew portrait of the SpaceX Crew-3 mission: (from left) Commander Raja Chari and pilot Thomas Mashburn, both NASA astronauts; mission specialist Matthias Maurer of the European Space Agency; mission specialist Kayla Barron of NASA. (Image credit: NASA) NASA will highlight the next crew rotation flight of a U.S. commercial spacecraft carrying astronauts to the International Space Station with a pair of virtual media briefings Wednesday, Oct. 6, and Thursday. Oct. 7. The first briefing, at 1 p.m. EDT Wednesday, Oct. 6, will present an overview of NASAs SpaceX Crew-3 mission and discuss the upcoming crew rotation. This will be followed by a crew news conference at 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7, with all four crew members. The briefings, which will take place at the agencys Johnson Space Center in Houston, will air live on NASA Television, the NASA app, and the agencys website. All media participation in the news briefings and interviews will be remote. NASAs SpaceX Crew-3 mission will carry NASA astronauts Raja Chari, Tom Marshburn, and Kayla Barron as well as ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Matthias Maurer aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket to the space station. The mission is scheduled to launch Saturday, Oct. 30, from Launch Complex 39A at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This will be the final media opportunity to speak to the crew before they fly to Kennedy to prepare for launch. To participate in the briefings by phone or to request a remote interview with the crew members, reporters must contact Johnson's newsroom at: 281-483-5111 or jsccommu@mail.nasa.gov no later than noon Tuesday, Oct. 5. Those wanting to submit a question on social media may do so using #askNASA. Crew briefings and participants include: Wednesday, Oct. 6: 1 p.m. Mission overview press conference, with the following participants: Kathryn Lueders, associate administrator, Space Operations Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters in Washington Steve Stich, manager, Commercial Crew Program, Johnson Joel Montalbano, manager, NASA International Space Station program Sarah Walker, director, Dragon Mission Management, SpaceX Frank De Winne, manager, International Space Station Program, ESA Thursday, Oct. 7: 2 p.m. Crew mission press conference with the following participants: Raja Chari, spacecraft commander Tom Marshburn, pilot Kayla Barron, mission specialist Matthias Maurer, mission specialist 3:30 p.m. Round robin crew interviews Crew-3 astronauts will be available for a limited number of remote interviews following the news conference. Chari is commander of the Crew Dragon spacecraft and the Crew-3 mission. He is responsible for all phases of flight, from launch to re-entry. He also will serve as an Expedition 66 flight engineer aboard the station. This will be the first spaceflight for Chari, who became a NASA astronaut in 2017. He was born in Milwaukee, but considers Cedar Falls, Iowa, his hometown. He is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force and joins the mission with extensive experience as a test pilot. He has accumulated more than 2,500 hours of flight time in his career. Marshburn is the pilot of the Crew Dragon spacecraft and second in command for the mission. He is responsible for spacecraft systems and performance. Once aboard station, he will serve as an Expedition 66 flight engineer aboard station. Marshburn is a Statesville, North Carolina, native who became an astronaut in 2004. Prior to serving in the astronaut corps, the medical doctor served as flight surgeon at Johnson and later became medical operations lead for the International Space Station. The Crew-3 mission will be his third visit to the space station and his second long-duration mission. Marshburn previously served as a crew member of STS-127 in 2009 and Expedition 34/35, which concluded in 2013. Barron is a mission specialist for Crew-3. As a mission specialist, she will work closely with the commander and pilot to monitor the spacecraft during the dynamic launch and re-entry phases of flight. Once aboard the station, she will become a flight engineer for Expedition 66. Barron was born in Pocatello, Idaho, but considers Richland, Washington, her hometown. She earned a bachelors degree in systems engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in 2010. She earned a masters degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Cambridge, in England, in 2011, as Gates Cambridge Scholar. Barron earned her submarine warfare officer qualification and deployed three times while serving aboard the USS Maine. At the time of her selection as an astronaut candidate in 2017, she was serving as the flag aide to the superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy. Maurer also will serve as a mission specialist for Crew-3, working with the commander and pilot to monitor the spacecraft during the dynamic launch and re-entry phases of flight. He will become a long-duration crew member aboard the space station. Maurer comes from Sankt Wendel, in the German state of Saarland. Like Chari, Maurer will be making his first trip to space with the Crew-3 mission. Before becoming an astronaut, Maurer held a number of engineering and research roles, both in a university setting and at ESA. In 2016, Maurer spent 16 days on an undersea mission as part of a NASAs Extreme Environment Mission Operations, or NEEMO, space analog. 'ISS Live!' Tune in to the space station Find out what the astronauts and cosmonauts aboard the International Space Station are up to by tuning in to the "ISS Live" broadcast. Hear conversations between the crew and mission controllers on Earth and watch them work inside the U.S. segment of the orbiting laboratory. When the crew is off duty, you can enjoy live views of Earth from Space. You can watch and listen in the window below, courtesy of NASA. "Live video from the International Space Station includes internal views when the crew is on-duty and Earth views at other times. The video is accompanied by audio of conversations between the crew and Mission Control. This video is only available when the space station is in contact with the ground. During 'loss of signal' periods, viewers will see a blue screen. "Since the station orbits the Earth once every 90 minutes, it experiences a sunrise or a sunset about every 45 minutes. When the station is in darkness, external camera video may appear black, but can sometimes provide spectacular views of lightning or city lights below." Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. New York, 27 September 2021 (SPS) - The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) and Nicaragua reaffirmed on Monday the imperative and sacred nature of the principle of self-determination and independence of all peoples and their equal rights to sovereignty and territorial unity. During a meeting between the SADR and Nicaraguan foreign ministers on the sidelines of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, the two parties reiterated "the imperative and sacred nature of the principle of self-determination and independence of all peoples and their equal rights to sovereignty and territorial unity". The meeting was an opportunity for the heads of diplomacy of the two countries to assess the state of bilateral relations. Nicaragua has always called for the application of international law, the respect of human rights, the decolonisation of Western Sahara, the last colony in Africa, and urged the UN Secretary General to speed up the appointment of a Special Envoy for this territory. 062/700 For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, fewer than 100,000 Connecticut residents put in weekly claims for unemployment compensation, coinciding with the expiration of enhanced jobless benefits that had been authorized by Congress. Continuing claims fell 9.8 percent to 91,250 people receiving aid, according to an updated count released Monday by the state Department of Labor. The numbers could fall even more dramatically in the weeks to come; the DOL is still adding up claims for the second week of September, but early figures suggest a sharper decline. It was an expected development, as schools reopened and the several pandemic unemployment programs reached their end, including a $300 addition to weekly assistance and an allowance for independent contractors to file claims despite not having contributed to state unemployment trust funds. Gov. Ned Lamont announced Monday the selection of Margeret Keane as as one of two co-chairs for the AdvanceCT initiative to get more companies to expand in Connecticut. Keane is the executive chair of the retail finance giant Synchrony Financial in Stamford. The company continues to have success filling jobs in Stamford and elsewhere, with about 20 openings currently ranging from $60,000 a year to $170,000, she said. Weve always had great talent. With the universities and colleges here in Connecticut, weve not had trouble recruiting, Keane said. Were kind of growing with (students) as they are in school we give them projects, they work for us, and then they get offered opportunities when they come out. While school bus drivers returning to the rounds drove a significant portion of the decline in unemployment compensation claims the larger transportation sector saw filings drop by a third companies like FedEx have been on a major hiring push to get delivery people in anticipation of holiday online shopping. The next biggest drop was in education services at 16 percent, likewise the result of schools reopening. The food and lodging sector saw unemployment claims drop 13 percent, leaving more than 10,400 people out of work who were employed at restaurants, hotels, cafeterias and caterers prior to the pandemic. As of Tuesday morning, full-service restaurants were looking to fill about 5,000 jobs in Connecticut, not including a few thousand more openings at fast-food options like McDonalds and Dunkin. United Natural Foods is at the cross-section of the food and transportation sector, as a distributor to grocery stores and restaurants. The company has a regional warehouse in Killingly, where it had its headquarters until 2009 when it moved the office to Providence, R.I. Our turnover has not slowed. I mean, the work force has a variety of options and its very competitive, Eric Dorne, chief operating office of United Natural Foods, said on Tuesday. This is an ongoing problem that we are going to continue to work through. President Biden introduced additional uncertainty this month with an order for larger employers to require COVID-19 vaccinations for workers or weekly tests for the virus. That has prompted legal challenges and threats by some to leave their jobs if forced to comply, on the assumption they will land on their feet quickly at companies spared from the mandate due to having fewer than 100 people on the payroll. About a dozen school bus drivers employed by First Student appeared last week before the conservative caucus of the Connecticut General Assembly to speak out against the mandate, saying it violated their civil rights. Theres plenty of bus driver jobs out there, said Carolyn Patrell, a Bristol driver who has 17 years experience transporting children with special needs in the district. I dont think some Joe Schmo off the corner whos never dealt with children who doesnt care and just drives the bus would make a good bus driver. Alex.Soule@scni.com; 203-842-2545; @casoulman How often do you reinvent yourself? Sometimes we do it automatically and sometimes because the environment forces us. The COVID-19 pandemic was undoubtedly one of those times when we had to restart various systems and paradigms that we were used to. And, although, little by little the reactivation begins, we can still find events completely online that we can attend from anywhere on the planet and hybrids that combine the best of both worlds. In this context, on October 13 and 14 the hybrid version of Social Media Week Mexico 2021 will be held , which seeks to generate dialogue between digital leaders and the audience around the theme REINVENTION. You may be interested: Why you should let your employees be influencers Image: Courtesy of SMWMexico. Right now we are in the midst of a great reinvention of both society and business and ourselves personally. Importantly, systems undergo a stress test. "All the systems come from public health, education, government infrastructure, business and, also marketing, and in 2020/21, many of these systems failed or collided with their own arrogance," the experts explain. According to the spokesmen of Social Media Week Mexico, some of the failures of the marketing system are: Focus on the tactic and forget the strategic truths The short-term view of looking at short-term profits Exalting any trend or the most striking thing in social networks Don't think of smart data more than big data more than The inability of marketers to put themselves in the shoes of their customers and lead with empathy. During the pandemic, many brand messages were inconsistent and many leaders, completely out of their comfort zone in the way of marketing, and there was a disconnect vacuum with their audience. According to experts, some of the brands that did stand out in this situation were Postmates, P&G, Clorox, Aviation Gin and Airbnb, since their brand values, their leadership, and their messages were previously aligned to something bigger than themselves. . So we ask ourselves: how should marketers reinvent themselves and respond to the challenges of our time? Crises bring inventions and this is achieved through constructive resilience. But what should be invented and what should be reinvented? In her October 2020 article " The ABCDE of Marketing Re-Invented ", Rishad Tobacawala addresses this question by developing a framework on how marketing has changed and how it is changing in the future. A = Audience B = Brand C = Content D = Data E = Company. By adapting to the ABCDE framework for reinvention, the organizers of Social Media Week Global drew up a list of questions that represent priority areas that we can or should focus on: Audiences: How can we think of people and not consumers? How can we think of people and not consumers? The brand: How should experience and purpose influence brand strategy? How should experience and purpose influence brand strategy? The content: It has always been the key to marketing, but now there are trends in TikTok and IG Reels minute by minute, there are new ways to do it, faster and cheaper, so how do we break through the noise? It has always been the key to marketing, but now there are trends in TikTok and IG Reels minute by minute, there are new ways to do it, faster and cheaper, so how do we break through the noise? Data : How can we focus on quality versus quantity? : How can we focus on quality versus quantity? Company: A current company that wants to survive must show transparent information and decision-making and its leaders must be responsible. How do we empower people and inspire leaders? Where does this reinvention begin? Of course, like many change processes, reinvention begins with recognizing what does not work, asking ourselves difficult and important questions, and willing to accept the transformation, no matter how expensive or uncomfortable it may feel in the first place. This will allow anyone to survive and walk into the future. It is time to reevaluate and rebuild systems that lead to a less divisive, more transparent and just world. To participate in #SMWMexico during 2021, check their Social Media Week Mexico City page or follow them on social networks where you find them as SMWMexico Fanpage. Copyright 2021 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved STAMFORD There is a shortage of bus drivers in Stamford and it could get worse. A note sent out to families early Monday announced that the district was short-staffed, and to expect delays in the morning and afternoon. Its unclear if the bus driver shortage will get more dire as a result of an executive order by Gov. Ned Lamont requiring drivers to be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus. The deadline to get at least one shot of the vaccine was Monday. Bus service in Stamford is provided by Ohio-based First Student. Michael Fernandes, the districts associate superintendent for intervention and student support, said about 75 percent of the districts 146 bus drivers and bus monitors are vaccinated. Fernandes said any unvaccinated school employees hired before Sept. 27 will have to undergo weekly testing, so unvaccinated drivers and monitors have a week to get their first round of testing done. New drivers will be required to be fully vaccinated, he added. Stamford continues to face challenges due to the statewide bus driver shortage, Fernandes said, in an email Monday. We have a number of drivers out today, due to a variety of reasons, including sick, quarantine and leaves of absences. As a result of these absences, we have some routes that are running behind schedule, as drivers pick up additional routes or are rerouted to find efficiencies. A nationwide bus driver shortage has affected many school districts in Connecticut this year. Its unclear how many drivers are now out of compliance. The Connecticut School Transportation Association reported to the state Friday that it conducted a survey, finding that 1,558 school drivers in 12 school bus companies were unvaccinated. Under the vaccination order by Lamont, all school personnel and contractors in contact with students including bus drivers must be vaccinated or agree to weekly testing. In a statement Monday, the association reported very few disruptions in getting kids to school. Thanks to the committed school bus drivers and managers for promptly following the Governor's mandate for COVID vaccinations and testing, while at the same time, doing what needed to be done to get Connecticuts children safely to school, Jon Hipsher, vice president of COSTA, said in the statement. It was also unclear Monday how state and local officials planned to enforce the requirement. State employees also fell under a similar mandate deadline Monday morning but Josh Geballe, Lamonts chief administrative officer, said in an email to state employees that they should report to work Monday as usual, as the state sorts out vaccination records supplied by employees. I think the vast majority said, I want to get vaccinated. There are some that say, Can I get tested? I havent heard of too many that have said hell no but there will be some, the governor said. State workers who dont get vaccinated and refuse to get tested should be on an unpaid furlough for a period of time, he added. Heading into Monday, school officials worried that opposition to the mandatory vaccinations could leave kids waiting on street corners without a way to get to school. While several districts including North Haven and Pomperaug Regional School District 15, which covers Southbury and Middlebury reported a handful of drivers who did not show up Monday, no Fairfield County districts said they had drivers take a stand against the vaccines or testing by walking out Monday. Lamont has required staff at pre-K-to-12 schools statewide to get at least their first shot by Sept. 27. The mandate allows for religious and medical exemptions with an opt-out for testing. The mandate comes as school transportation companies struggle to find enough drivers even without a vaccination mandate, amid an odd job market. Unemployment remains higher than normal but employers in many sectors report difficulty hiring. ignacio.laguarda@stamfordadvocate.com PARIS (AP) France and Greece on Tuesday announced a defense deal worth around 3 billion euros ($3.5 billion), including Athens decision to buy three French warships as part of a strategy to boost its defense capacities in the Eastern Mediterranean amid recurring tensions with longtime foe Turkey. President Emmanuel Macron and Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced a defense and security strategic partnership in a joint news conference in Paris. This partnership expresses our will to increase and intensify our cooperation in the defense and security sector based on our mutual interests, Macron said. It will help protect the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity of both states." Greece will purchase three French frigates to be built by defense contractor Naval Group in Lorient, in western France. The deal includes an option for the acquisition of a fourth frigate. Mitsotakis said it comes out of national motivation to shield our country, but also has a European motive as it strengthens our common defense industry." Greece and France are today taking a bold first step towards European strategic autonomy, he added, saying it's paving the way towards a Europe that ... will be able to defend (its interests) in the wider region, in the eastern Mediterranean, in the Middle East. The announcement comes at a key time for France after the loss this month of a $66 billion deal to sell diesel-electric submarines to Australia, which instead chose to acquire nuclear-powered submarines provided by the U.S. The three-way strategic defense alliance announced by Australia, the U.K. and the U.S. came as a shock to French officials. French Defense Ministry spokesperson Herve Grandjean said the warships contract is worth about 3 billion euros. The frigates will be delivered in 2025 and 2026. As France and Greece are entering a period of negotiation about details of the deal, Granjean said we have no doubt as to the positive outcome unlike what happened with the Australian submarines contract. We should not slip into excessive paranoia and the incident that we faced recently is the exception rather than the rule. Greece has already bought 18 French Rafale fighter jets and plans to purchase another six under a program to modernize its armed forces. Tensions between Greece and historic regional rival Turkey have increased in recent years over gas exploration rights in the eastern Mediterranean and waters between the two countries. Both countries have been at loggerheads for decades over a long series of issues, including territorial rights in the Aegean Sea, maritime and aviation boundaries, and minority rights. ___ Derek Gatopoulos in Athens, Greece and Alexander Turnbull in Paris contributed to this story. MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney will be the featured speaker at a New Hampshire fundraising event celebrating the First Amendment. Cheney, R-Wyo., a fierce critic of fellow Republican Donald Trump, will speak at the Nackey S. Loeb School of Communications First Amendment Awards on Nov. 9 at St. Anselm Colleges Institute of Politics. TORONTO (AP) Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday that Canada will decide within weeks whether to allow Chinese tech giant Huawei into the countrys next-generation 5G wireless networks and noted that major telecommunication companies have already started to remove Huawei from their networks. Canada and its security agencies have been studying whether to use equipment from Huawei as phone carriers prepare to roll out fifth-generation technology, which is designed to support a vast expansion of networks to facilitate medical devices, self-driving cars and other uses. Two of Canadas three major telecommunication companies have already said theyve decided not to use Huawei for their 5G networks. Bell Canada has said Sweden-based Ericsson will be its supplier and Telus Corp. has said it has selected Ericsson and Nokia. Rogers already has a longstanding partnership with Ericsson. We have actually seen that many Canadian telecommunications companies, if not all of them, have started to remove Huawei from their networks and are moving forward in ways that doesnt involve them as a company, Trudeau said at a news conference. We continue to weigh and look at the different options. We will no doubt be making announcements in the coming weeks. The Canadian government is studying the use of Huawei as Canada and China are coming off a dispute that Canadas foreign minister has said the country will never forget. Chinas imprisonment of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor was widely seen as retaliation for the arrest in Canada of Huawei senior executive Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. extradition warrant. China released the pair Friday after Meng reached an agreement with U.S. federal prosecutors that called for fraud charges against her to be dismissed next year and allowed for her to return to China. Canada had arrested Meng on a U.S. extradition request in December 2018. China grabbed the two Canadians days later. Many countries labeled Chinas arrest of Kovrig and Spavor as hostage politics, while China has described the charges against Huawei and Meng as a politically motivated attempt to hold back Chinas economic and technological development. Huawei is the worlds biggest supplier of network gear used by phone and internet companies, but U.S. authorities have long seen it as a front for spying by Chinas military and its security services allegations the company denies. The U.S. has urged Canada and other countries to exclude Huawei equipment from its next-generation wireless networks. The United States and Australia have banned Huawei. Delta Medix agreed to sell its medical practice to Lehigh Valley Physicians Group, but the deal could be scuttled by two Commonwealth Health System hospitals, which also want to purchase the practice. The proposed sales agreement was reached in July, but had not yet been publicly announced. The deal recently came to light after attorneys for Scranton Quincy Hospital Co., doing business as Regional Hospital of Scranton and Moses Taylor Hospital, filed a motion seeking to halt the sale. Lisa Lori, attorney for Delta Medix, said the practices owners chose Lehigh Valley because it offers certain services, particularly in cancer care, that will help make the practice the premiere health care and cancer treatment center in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The deal, which officials hope to conclude by Dec. 31, will greatly enhance cancer care in the region because Lehigh Valley has an exclusive alliance with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Its an opportunity to bring world-class cancer care to Northeastern Pennsylvania, Lori said Monday. In a Sept. 13 letter to an attorney for Regional and Moses Taylor, Lori also cited multiple issues for rejecting their offer, including concerns about the quality of care at the hospitals. The dispute centers on a section of a 2017 agreement between Delta Medix and Scranton Quincy Hospital Co., an affiliate of Commonwealth Health System, that gives it the right of first refusal to nix any sale of Delta Medix to another party, as long as it matches the sales price and all other conditions. In court papers, Stuart ONeal III, attorney for the hospital system, says it offered more money for Delta Medix than Lehigh Valley and can meet all other conditions, which include offering employment to all current Delta Medix physicians and other employees. The motion, which does not reveal the amount of the offers, asks a Lackawanna County judge to halt the sale pending the resolution of the dispute. A hearing on the matter is set for Oct. 28 before Judge James Gibbons. Lori confirmed Commonwealth Health offered more money, but Delta Medix rejected the offer on other grounds. This is not about money, she said. Delta wants to do the deal with Lehigh Valley because it cares about the people of Scranton. Loris letter, which ONeal attached to his motion, contends the section of the cancer care network agreement regarding any Delta Medix sale is not binding because the hospitals cannot match all the services that the Lehigh Valley physicians group, which is part of the Lehigh Valley Health Network, will provide. According to the letter, Lehigh Valley has programs and employs specialists in cancer care that Regional and Moses Taylor do not, including medical geneticists, medical oncologists who will oversee an outpatient infusion center, cancer nurse navigators and board certified palliative care physicians. Lehigh Valley also offers clinical trial programs and a survivors program, neither of which are offered by Commonwealth Health. The letter also says Delta Medix physicians and the medical community at large have grave concerns about the apparent ongoing deterioration of care at Regional and Moses Taylor hospitals. Those concerns include the elimination of ICU beds, consistent staffing shortages which have led to the regular cancellation of elective surgery, replacement of quality service lines, lack of specialty care necessitating patient transfers and the overall state of maintenance and cleanliness of the hospitals. The letter also notes the hospital systems offer appears to increase the base salary of the male physicians who own Delta Medix, but decreases the salary of Dr. Kristine Kelley, the only female owner. In an email, Annmarie Poslock, spokeswoman for Commonwealth Health, said the allegations in the letter are baseless and do not reflect the reality of care at our hospitals. Furthermore, in our conversations with the Delta physicians themselves, none have expressed any concerns similar to those mentioned in their lawyers letter, she said. Brian Downs, spokesman for Lehigh Valley Health Network, declined to comment. The National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) has become a national psychosis, and the thesis with the money coming in is not Okay, because we have to succeed with internal resources, not only with European resources, on Tuesday warned the chairman of the Fiscal Council, academician Daniel Daianu, in a debate, agerpres reports. "Romania needs a solid government. I don't think we have the institutional process that allows us instability. We also have this PNRR that has already become a national psychosis. "Money has come!", "The money is coming, the money is coming!" ... This thesis either, this ethos that is being created now, is not Okay. A country can be greatly helped by European resources, but it must also have internal resorts to look for the light and manage its public affairs. We need prevention more than reaction, and that's what we're seeing in terms of managing the pandemic as well. We need to increase investment in Health and Education. We have a very large deficit in terms of financing public health and we have very low tax revenues, very low budget revenues so that we will not cope with the challenges of the future. We will not make it, because we have no reserves. Considerably higher budgetary resources are needed to face the challenges," Daianu said. According to academic Daianu, Romania needs a more equitable tax system, a topic which, in his opinion, is not approached in the country's public debate."The European Commission's officials come, other European leaders talk about inclusive society, equity, businesses equity. We have no such topics here. We only talk about "The money is coming", "Who wins the election?". Theses are soaked with ideologies that have no relevance for the very difficult period Europe and humanity are going through. If we do not succeed, first of all not only with European resources, but with internal resources, with a much more sincere speech, not showing off, we will not stop the emigration of people, which means the erosion of the stock of human capital Romania has," the chairman of the Fiscal Council said.The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Institute of Romania organized on Tuesday the debate "Post-pandemic economy", included in the series of events dedicated to the Conference on the Future of Europe. The Government communicated that Prime Minister Florin Citu has interrupted, on Tuesday, the press statement that he was holding at the Parliament Palace after the meeting of the National Liberal Party's Executive Bureau because he believed his statements "are no longer of interest to journalists" and not because he was "annoyed" at their attitude. "Prime Minister Florin Citu interrupted his press statement at the Parliament Palace, considering that his statements are no longer of interest to journalists. The Prime Minister was not annoyed by the attitude of reporters, did not run away from their questions, showing as always openness to media representatives," the Government mentions, Agerpres informs. Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Ludovic Orban said on Tuesday that the Citu Government "has won just one day", because the censure motion initiated by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) will be voted on next Tuesday, just one day away compared to the date proposed for the debate of the Save Romania Union - Party of Liberty, Unity and Solidarity (USR PLUS) - the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) motion, which was rejected in the Joint Standing Bureaus. "Representatives of PSD and PNL, except yours truly, again violated the Constitution and the rule of law by refusing to schedule the censure motion initiated by USR PLUS and AUR MPs, while scheduling the censure motion filed by PSD. I personally cannot understand such conduct. Behaviour in compliance with the constitutional requirements, with the regulatory provisions should prevail in Parliament and in the Joint Standing Bureaus. Through all the decisions of the CCR [Constitutional Court of Romania], including the one made today [Tuesday, ed.n.], obstructing the carrying out of the censure motion, preventing the scheduling of the day of debate and vote on the motion initiated by USR PLUS and AUR parliamentarians represents a violation of the Constitution and the constitutional principle of the rule of law. The Citu government only earned one day. If the USR PLUS motion had been debated, the proposal was for Monday, and the PSD censure motion is debated and voted on Tuesday," Orban explained in Parliament. Ludovic Orban reminded that, in case the censure motion is adopted by Parliament, Florin Citu cannot be appointed again by President Klaus Iohannis prime minister, because there is a decision of the CCR in this respect, Agerpres informs. Asked if there is a variant for a PNL prime minister comfortable with the dialogue with USR, Ludovic Orban said: "You have it in front of you! (...) Which, by the way, was the solution in the most difficult period Romania went through after the Second World War". The Joint Standing Bureaus of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate decided on Tuesday that the PSD motion be read, on Thursday, from 14:00 hrs, in joint plenary session, and will be debated and voted next Tuesday, from 12:00 hrs. For the censure motion initiated by USR PLUS, the Joint Standing Bureaus decided to wait for the publication of the reasoning of the CCR decision regarding the referral submitted by Prime Minister Florin Citu on the existence of a constitutional conflict between the Government and Parliament. On Tuesday, PSD submitted the censure motion titled "Stop poverty, price increases and criminals. Down with the Citu Government!". Chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Prime Minister Florin Citu, said on Tuesday that in Parliament, where two censure motions are submitted, there is a "competition" of those who want to "destabilize Romania". He argued that the reasoning of the Constitutional Court of Romania (CCR) regarding the decision on the referral he submitted on the issue of the legal conflict between the Executive and Parliament in the case of the motion of censure of Save Romania Union (USR) and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR) should be expected. "We have to wait for the motivation of the CCR decision, we know very well that a decision of the Constitutional Court must be respected in its entirety by everyone, including the Romanian Parliament. We can interpret, I say that the Constitutional Court was right, it said that there is a legal conflict. If not, we will challenge before the Constitutional Court, again, and you will see that we will be right," Citu declared, before the meeting of the PNL Executive Bureau, Agerpres informs. According to the prime minister, "there is a festival and a competition of those who want to blow up the country, to destabilize Romania". "On the one hand, we have a USR-AUR coalition, on the other hand, PSD [the Social Democratic Party], they are competing to throw the country into chaos and they want to overthrow the Romanian Government," Citu declared. Asked what he will do as the leader of the PNL after one of the two censure motions ends up being voted in Parliament, Citu replied: "I do not discuss scenarios". According to him, PNL is not negotiating with anyone at present. "There are two motions, a competition of irresponsible parties that want to blow up the country ahead of this winter which is a very difficult one. We look at them, we see how they are fighting in the Romanian Parliament, we are taking care of government. Let's see, let these motions be put to the vote, to see that USR votes with PSD and AUR, to see that PSD votes with AUR and USR," mentioned the PNL leader. Asked what he will do with the government, with the emergency ordinances prepared, the prime minister said: "We are preparing to get back in Parliament if those at USR decide not to come back and negotiate, we go to the Romanian Parliament with proposals for ministers and move on". Citu confirmed that he has already prepared a short list of ministers for the portfolios now occupied on an interim basis. "We will bring them next week and you will see them when we bring them in the Romanian Parliament," he added. Chairman of the National Liberal Party (PNL), Prime Minister Florin Citu, declared on Tuesday that the PNL remains open to collaboration with Save Romania Union - Party of Liberty, Unity and Solidarity (USR PLUS) until this party votes on a censure motion against the Government. "The PNL is a responsible party, a party that has taken over the government in a difficult period and does not back down. The PNL still firmly backs the president and prime minister during this period, there is no discussion here. We are waiting for the USR partners to come and discuss and move on with this coalition, but we will draw a line when the USR votes a motion with the PSD [the Social Democratic Party] or AUR [the Alliance for the Union of Romanians] . (...) We remain open to collaboration with those from USR until they vote on a motion against the Government," said Citu, at the end of the PNL Executive Bureau meeting. The Liberal leader refused to answer other questions, Agerpres informs. First Deputy Chairman of the opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) Sorin Grindeanu announced on Tuesday that PSD tabled a motion of censure against the Citu government. "PSD has filed a motion of censure against the Citu Government called 'Stop poverty, price increases and convicts. Down with the Citu Government!.' We are waiting for the standing bureaus to be called in session as soon as possible, in accordance with the Constitution says, and we will put forth an agenda so that this incompetent government can go home as soon as possible. (...) We have tabled a legal motion, with 157 PSD signatures, meeting all the requirements," Grindeanu said at the Parliament House. He added that PSD is counting on the fact that the Save Romania Union - Freedom, Unity and Solidarity (USR PLUS) alliance and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR ) will vote for this motion of censure, Agerpres informs. National chairman of the opposition Social Democratic Party (PSD) Marcel Ciolacu says he would suggest at a meeting of the party's National Political Council that the Social Democrats table a motion of censure today if the Constitutional Court (CCR) refuses to take up the motion filed by the Save Romania Union - Freedom, Unity and Solidarity Party (USR PLUS) alliance and the Alliance for the Union of Romanians (AUR), agerpres reports. "Tomorrow, we have the CCR decision. If there is no conflict, the motion immediately enters the agenda, in a day or two, and the entire PSD will vote on the [USR-PLUS AUR] motion. We convene the standing bureaus in session and the next day we vote on the motion. If there is a conflict, immediately after CCR announces the decision, I will inform my colleagues; we have a convention of the National Political Council, and I will ask my colleagues to table tomorrow the PSD motion that is ready. We have the signatures, we have the text. We will ask in the joint session of the standing bureaus for the motion to be read on Thursday, if there is a conflict, and to have the vote on Monday at the latest," Ciolacu told Antena 3 private broadcaster on Monday. The PSD leader added that the Social Democrats will not participate in a government of national union in case the Citu government is dismissed by a motion of censure."It is out of the question to form a government, because I keep hearing that it is a national union government, a PNL [National Liberal Party] minority government, a PSD government with PNL. From our point of view, there is only one solution - early elections. I cannot ask my colleagues to form a government with Raluca Turcan, with Citu, with Oros. (...) Backing a minority PNL government is also out of the question. We have said that very clearly," Ciolacu said. USR PLUS (Save Romania Union - Party of Liberty, Unity and Solidarity alliance) lawmakers will vote on the first motion of censure that will be put to the vote, spokesman Ionut Mosteanu announced on Tuesday, agerpres reports. Mosteanu specified that the National Bureau of USR PLUS has mandated the alliance's representatives in the Standing Bureaus of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies to support any motion of censure, of USR PLUS and AUR (Alliance of the Union of Romania) or the one filed by the PSD (Social Democratic Party), which gets a vote. "Every day with (Prime Minister, ed. n.) Florin Citu is a lost day for Romania. We note that PNL (National Liberal {arty, ed. n.) did not consider the request of USR PLUS to withdraw Florin Citu and at this moment the only instrument we have at hand is the vote of no confidence. Florin Citu will leave, being dismissed by no confidence vote. Florin Citu's days at the Victoria Palace are now being counted. We will see which motion gets first to the vote and the USR PLUS MPs will vote on the first motion that reaches the vote," Mosteanu said in a statement to the press at the Parliament Palace. The World Bank has announced on Tuesday the 18 organizations of the civil society (OSC) in Romania that will be part of the second cohort of the Roma Sounding Board, informs a release of the financial institution. The Roma Sounding Board, established by the WB in 2017, represents a network of OSCs selected competitively and with expertise in the social and economic inclusion of Roma. During the period of their mandate, up to June 30, 2023, the selected organizations will collaborate closely with the World Bank to advance the social inclusion of Roma, through activities ran as part of the Country Partnership Framework with Romania in the 2018-2023 period. According to the estimates of the Council of Europe, Romania has between 1.2 and 2.5 million Roma living within its borders. Despite Romania's progress in reducing poverty and increasing the standard of living compared to the average of the European Union, a large part of the country's Roma population is poor and excluded from full participation in social and economic life. Through the Roma Sounding Board, the World Bank proposes to identify the real needs and challenges that Roma people are facing, approach them as part of the strategic commitment to the country and, thus, accelerate progress to a more equal and prosperous society, Agerpres informs. In Romania, over 70 pct of Roma live in poverty. It's unacceptable. The agenda for the social inclusion of Roma is at the center of our efforts to reduce poverty and encourage the sustainable growth of income for the disadvantaged population, said Anna Akhalkatsi, country director with the World Bank for Romania and Hungary, at the launch event. The 18 organizations in the second cohort of the Roma Sounding Board are: Reality check, Bucharest; Center for Human Rights and Education, Bucharest; Roma Center for Health Policies (SATISPEN), Bucharest; Center for Roma and Minority Policies, Bucharest; Roma Education Fund (REF), Bucharest; the Initiative for the Development of Roma Entrepreneurs, Bucharest; the ARESEL Civic Platform, Bucharest; The PAKIV Association Romania, Alba Iulia; The Civic Union of Roma Youth in Romania (UCTRR), Cluj Napoca; the Association for the Promotion of Social Inclusion, Cluj Napoca; Center for Roma Community Resources, Cluj Napoca; Divers Association, Targu Mures; Justice and Brotherhood Organization Ialomita, Ialomita; the Association for the Integration and Development of Vulnerable Categorie, Galati; DANROM Association Faurei, Braila; the Nevo Parudimos Association, Resita; the Marginalized Communities Association, Botosani; the CRIS Center for Social Inclusion Resources, Ploiesti. 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. In mid-2021 the U.S. Airforce expanded its emergency operating capabilities by holding a training exercise on a state highway where two air force SOCOM (Special Operations Command) C-146A twin-turboprop transports and four reserve (National Guard) A-10s practiced landing and taking off from a stretch of highway. Both the C-146A and the A-10 were built for this sort of thing and during the Cold War the USAF joined other NATO air forces in practicing this sort of thing in Europe. This was the first time such training took place in the United States during peacetime. The air force is preparing to quickly send some combat and support aircraft to new hot spots emerging in Africa and other areas where speedy response with small numbers of aircraft could make a big difference. This is the latest development in a two- decade effort to organize and train pilots and support personnel to deploy quickly to any part of the world and operate from small airports or, for some types of aircraft, roads. Since 2001 the air force tested these deployment capabilities for squadrons being sent overseas, with an emphasis on turning small civilian airports into bases capable of quacking providing air traffic control and support facilities for combat aircraft. Given the increasing stockpiles of ballistic missiles with high-explosive warheads to quickly disable military airbases and major civilian airports, there has been a revival in training to use highways, especially in Asia where countries threatened by China note that China has the largest number of these ballistic missiles designed to take out air bases early in any war. After testing the concept in 2015, India decided in 2016 to adopt the increasingly popular practice of training pilots and ground crews to use designated sections of highways as temporary air strips. North Korea has been a believer in this practice and regional neighbors Pakistan and China have also revived the use of highway airstrips. In 2014 China held air force training exercises involving the use of designated stretches of highway for emergency airfields for fighters and transports. This technique had not been used by China since 1989 and by 2015 at least ten stretches of highway in Liaoning (adjacent to North Korea), Shandong (facing South Korea across the Yellow Sea) and Fujian (opposite Taiwan) provinces have been designated for such emergency use. There may be others that have been designated but not practiced on, so their location can be kept secret. China is following the example of Taiwan which began regularly practicing using highways as emergency air strips for fighter aircraft back in the 1970s. Then that sort of thing was halted for 26 years as Taiwan tried to make peace with China. In 2004 the highway landings were resumed, and now it's done every few years. There is some preparation involved, at least for the peacetime drills. Troops walk down the length of highway to be used and remove any rocks or other objects that the aircraft wheels might hit. Then cars go down the road, honking their horns, to flush out any birds who might be sucked into the jets air intakes. At that point, the F-16s can come in and land. And then turn around and take off again. China apparently follows the same procedures as the Taiwanese. When Taiwan resumed these drills in 2004 they included actual use of superhighways as secondary highway air fields for combat aircraft during military exercises. For example, in one publicized event two Mirage 2000 fighters landed on a highway, were serviced (which can include refueling, rearming or minor repairs) and took off again. Parts of Taiwan's system of superhighways were designed just for this purpose but actual use of the highways during training exercises lapsed for over two decades because the Defense Ministry did not want to block traffic or annoy China. The resumed training exercises on highways were done more for diplomatic reasons; to remind China that Taiwan had many defensive capabilities. In 2007, the highway drill was carried out once more, and again in 2011. With less warning these drills are still held, but without any publicity. An F-117 Nighthawk lands at the Fresno Yosemite International Airport, Calif., after conducting a training mission with the local Air National Guard unit Sept. 15, 2021. Two F-117 pilots were participating in dissimilar air combat training missions with F-15 pilots from the 144th Fighter Wing. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Capt. Jason Sanchez) X 0 20 Help Keep Us Soaring We need your help! Our subscription base has slowly been dwindling. We need your help in reversing that trend. We would like to add 20 new subscribers this month. Each month we count on your subscriptions or contributions. You can support us in the following ways: Reporters who cover local violence and crime are finding that fewer and fewer of the violent incidents they report on have anything to do with rebel or Islamic terror groups. For those who have been covering violence for more than a decade, the change has been dramatic and often life-changing. Thats because journalists who were too detailed in their reporting on rebel or Islamic terrorist activity were often attacked and even killed to eliminate the embarrassingly accurate reports of what these outlaws were actually up to. Most of the political violence came from communists, who had been around but not very active before World War II, but became a major part of the armed opposition fighting the brutal 1942-45 Japanese occupation. After independence in 1946 leftist rebels continued fighting, trying to establish a communist dictatorship. That proved difficult to do. A major reorganization took place in the 1960s, resulting in the creation of the NPA (New Peoples Army) in 1969. The new communist rebel organization adopted the Chinese Maoist long term strategy. That was not very successful despite lots of economic and social problems they could promise to fix if they were in charge. Enthusiasm for a "communist solution" went sharply downhill after the collapse of the Soviet Union and its East European communist allies between 1989 and 1991. That massive failure of communist states left the NPA much weaker ideologically and vulnerable to subsequent amnesty programs. A decade ago, NPA leaders admitted that they had only a small fraction of their peak (in the 1980s) strength of 26,000 armed members. There were some serious attempts to reverse the decline in popularity. NPA gunmen were instructed to behave better around civilians and the NPA were found giving some civilians, especially health or aid workers, cash compensation of a few hundred dollars each for wounds received during NPA attacks on soldiers or police. The government increased its efforts to provide medical care for such victims of NPA violence, the NPA tried to compete and found they couldnt afford it. Since early 2021 the military has revised their estimate of how much longer the NPA rebels can survive as an organization. At the start of the year, it was believed the NPA organization would be eliminated by mid-2022. So far this month there have been over a dozen planned attacks on the NPA and even more unplanned clashes during patrols. All this activity has left over a hundred NPA men dead or captured and a growing number surrendering, often as a direct result of these defeats and a growing willingness to report local NPA activity to the security forces, who are now prepared to act quickly on the information. This satisfies civilian calls to act against decades of NPA violence and extortion. Military and police intel indicates that there are fewer than 3,000 active NPA members (armed and unarmed) nationwide. Monthly losses have been growing and changing attitudes among leaders about a negotiated end to the conflict. This decline was accelerated by the 2020 decision to designate the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines) and NPA terrorists under the New Anti-Terrorism Act. The NPA was already suffering a massive decline in popular and communist party support. Increasingly most NPA units must depend on extortion, theft and other criminal activity to survive. This caused growing anger and protests in areas where the NPA still operated for the good of the people. The NPA can no longer do much political work when their very survival is at risk. For over a decade the government tried, without much success, to negotiate a peace deal with the NPA. The leadership, as well as the commanders of various armed factions, were split on which peace terms were acceptable and most were continuing to operate (fighting and stealing). The NPA, to most Filipinos, have become bandits with a veneer of communist ideology to justify their crimes. The banditry option is not working well enough to assure long-term survival. This can also be seen when factions run short of money. Less cash and popular support lead to more desertions. The army will grant amnesty to NPA members who surrender, especially if they bring their weapons and some useful information with them. Information on the location of NPA camps, weapons storage sites or covert supporters was increasingly common. This enabled military intelligence analysts to build an increasingly accurate assessment of the NPA size and capabilities. As a result, more NPA camps were being attacked, weapons storage sites seized and key supporters arrested. A growing number of NPA leaders were demoralized by the extent of these losses in popular support. Some NPA leaders felt this was all a temporary setback and that a peace deal would enable a revitalized Philippines Communist Party to become a major political power. These delusions make negotiating a peace deal difficult. Meanwhile the NPA maintained its status as a major source of criminal, as opposed to Islamic terrorist, activity in the country. Most of the NPA senior leadership live in Europe and are considered somewhat out of touch with the reality of what the NPA has become in the Philippines. The exiled NPA leadership still has some support in Western nations, which contributes to criticism of the Filipino tactics used to suppress NPA criminal activity. Then there was the separatist problem. NPA members in general were dismayed when the Islamic terrorist and Moslem separatist violence in the south sharply declined after the 2014 vote by the majority of Moslems and Christians in the Philippines to establish an autonomous Moslem region. This consisted of the southwest coast of the large southern island Mindanao and the string of smaller islands, mainly Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi extending from southwestern Mindanao towards Malaysia. The new Moslem entity was called Bangasamoro and provided more autonomy and responsibility. That meant the Moslems down there were responsible for maintaining the peace. This is no small matter because, more than elsewhere in the Philippines, the Moslem south has long had many more clan militias that believed it was their right to engage in private wars. Not all the clans share the official attitudes about who has the right to make war in Bangasamoro. Bangasamoro governs the four million Moslems in Mindanao and even more Christian neighbors of those Moslems. Filipino Moslems are outnumbered by Christians who had moved south during the last half century. Nationwide there are about 12 million Moslems and over 95 million Christians. The Christian Filipinos are better organized, more industrious and more economically successful. The Moslem separatists believed they should run Mindanao even if they were the minority, because Mindanao is the local "Islamic homeland." While some in the national government were willing to concede this, the Christian majority in Mindanao and the rest of the Philippines was not. A compromise was finally negotiated and approved by all voters. Diehard separatist groups like BIFF, ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) and Abu Sayyaf are treated as outlaws in Bangasamoro and continually lost support and members since 2014, but are still around but not nearly as active as they were before 2014. A Bad Memory Returns The Japanese invasion and occupation left a lasting mark on Filipino attitudes and few Filipinos expected that sort of thing to happen again. As the communist and Islamic terrorist threats began to fade a decade ago, something potentially worse than the World War II Japanese showed up. A revitalized, now more fascist than communist, China began making claims on Filipino territory in the South China Sea and against all their neighbors. When strenuously rebuffed by the Philippines, the Chinese proved more relentless than the Japanese. While the Japanese felt they had to win their war against the West in a few years, China is willing to take decades. Like during World War II, Filipinos are dependent on more powerful allies to survive. They still have the Americans, but also a democratic Japan with military forces second only to China in East Asia. The anti-China coalition now includes more economic and military power than China can muster. This threat is not going to disappear as spectacularly as the Japanese did in 1945. There were still diehard Japanese soldiers surviving in remote areas until the 1970s, but now the Japanese are benefactors and allies. Likewise the Chinese threat will never fully fade and looks like a long-tern headache. September 27, 2021: In the south (Occidental Mindoro province) three Australian warships arrived to train with Filipino warships and aircraft off Cabra Island, which faces the South China Sea. September 25, 2021: President Duterte is in the last year of his six-year term and that played a part in a recent drop in his voter satisfaction ratings from 79 percent in late 2020 to 62 in mid-2021. Duterte is running for vice-president in the next presidential elections and most voters do not approve of that. Duterte earned his sustained high approval ratings by doing something none of his predecessors could do; his campaign promises included reducing violence and corruption and he actually did just that. Term limits prevent a second term as president and running for vice-president seems pointless, or sinister or both. September 23, 2021: In the south (Surigao del Sur province) soldiers clashed with NPA gunmen, leaving three of the communist rebels dead. In the south (Davao del Norte province) seven NPA rebels surrendered, mainly because of hunger and despair. Two of the communist rebels were teenagers (15 and 16). The NPA has made itself even more unpopular by recruiting teenagers and ignoring parental disapproval. September 21, 2021: In the far north (Cagayan province) troops found an NPA camp and at least 40 NPA gunmen, who fled. Pursuing troops eventually found the bodies of five rebels who had either died of wounds from the gun battle or airstrikes that supported the operation. Troops also found an NPA landmine workshop and captured weapons, ammunition, explosives and landmine components. The army expects some NPA members to surrender because of this defeat. This has been the pattern since 2018. September 20, 2021: In the south (Bukidnon and Agusan del Norte provinces) clashes with the NPA left six of the communist rebels dead and many more firearms captured. Tips from local civilians led the troops to where the rebels were operating. August 30, 2021: In the south (Misamis Oriental province) an NPA base was raided yesterday and fleeing NPA members tracked and pursued until two clashes with rebels led four of the communist gunmen killed and the survivors, some of them wounded, dispersed in several directions. To military intel and local civilians this indicated the end of a local faction of the NPA. LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Ault Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE American: DPW) a diversified holding company (the Company), announced that Adtech Pharma, Inc. (Adtech), has appointed Jodi Brichan, to its Board of Directors. Ms. Brichan was a member of the board of directors of the Company until August 13, 2021. In June of 2021, the Company entered a securities purchase agreement (the Agreement) with Adtech that granted the Company the right to acquire up to 40% of the current equity in Adtech, an innovative biotechnology company, for $3 million. The right to appoint Ms. Brichan was provided for in the Agreement. The investment in Adtech was made through Digital Power Lending, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. Jodi Brichan is a commercialization expert with more than 25 years of experience in bringing new products to market in hypergrowth healthcare industries such as pharmaceuticals, medical devices, energy devices, and life sciences. In her prior role as a communications executive at two of the leading global communications networks, Omnicom and Publicis, Ms. Brichan managed the pharmaceutical portfolio of ophthalmology products for Alcon, a leading eyecare company specializing in glaucoma. Over the past five years, she has served on the board of directors for healthcare and technology companies. Her significant experience in clinical research, commercial product launches, and driving shareholder value makes her the ideal board member for Adtech. She holds a B.A.A. from Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, Michigan. Adtech is an innovative biotech firm that has developed a novel formulation of a sole-sourced synthetic cannabinoid therapeutic targeting glaucoma known as NB-110. Adtech believes that there is a worldwide marketplace of over $4 billion in annual sales for glaucoma eye drop therapeutics. NB-110 comprises a synthetic cannabinoid Nabilone in the absence of any preservative and its formulation mimics a human tear to drive efficacious delivery through the cornea to the retina and optical nerves in the back of eye. Based on Adtechs preclinical findings, NB-110 is targeted to lower interocular pressure and protect optical nerves for glaucoma patients. Adtech believes its formulation makes this drug unique and differentiates it from todays marketed glaucoma medications. Milton Todd Ault, III, the Companys Executive Chairman, stated, We are very pleased that Adtech has appointed Jodi Brichan to its board of directors. We look to see Adtech benefit greatly from Jodis experience, expertise, and success in nurturing products through clinical development, early commercialization, and ultimately impacting revenue creation in the biopharma and healthcare sectors. Jodi is noted for her enthusiasm and energy from her years of experience as an active member of a board directors. Ault added, Adtech is a wonderful company led by a great management team and is an example of how Ault Global continues to grow our platform and invest in undervalued businesses and disruptive technologies with a global impact. Dr. Robert Kupper, President and CEO of Adtech stated, We are very pleased to have appointed Jodi Brichan to our board of directors. Ms. Brichan possesses a wealth of experience we anticipate will be directly beneficial to Adtech. We are excited to work with her and look to extend our partnership with Ault Global Holdings to advance Adtechs science and technology with a goal to deliver medicines to patients in need. For more information on Ault Global Holdings and its subsidiaries, the Company recommends that stockholders, investors and any other interested parties read the Companys public filings with the SEC, available at www.sec.gov, and press releases available under the Investor Relations section at www.AultGlobal.com. About Ault Global Holdings, Inc. Ault Global Holdings, Inc. is a diversified holding company pursuing growth by acquiring undervalued businesses and disruptive technologies with a global impact. Through its wholly and majority-owned subsidiaries and strategic investments, the Company provides mission-critical products that support a diverse range of industries, including defense/aerospace, industrial, automotive, telecommunications, medical/biopharma, and textiles. In addition, the Company extends credit to select entrepreneurial businesses through a licensed lending subsidiary. Ault Global Holdings headquarters are located at 11411 Southern Highlands Parkway, Suite 240, Las Vegas, NV 89141; www.AultGlobal.com. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as believes, plans, anticipates, projects, estimates, expects, intends, strategy, future, opportunity, may, will, should, could, potential, or similar expressions. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any of them publicly in light of new information or future events. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors. More information, including potential risk factors, that could affect the Companys business and financial results are included in the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, the Companys Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. All filings are available at www.sec.gov and on the Companys website at www.AultGlobal.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210927005325/en/ IR@AultGlobal.com or 1-888-753-2235 Source: Ault Global Holdings, Inc. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 27, 2021) - AgriCann Solutions Corp. (the "Company" or "AgriCann"), a full-service premium Cannabis nursery and craft industry supplier and retailer, has given notice to Sticky Leaf Cannabis that AgriCann retracts its Notice of Exercise of Option dated June 23, 2021 whereby it would acquire 100% of Sticky Leaf and its licenced Cannabis Retail Stores in accordance with the Option to Buy Agreement dated October 12, 2020 between the parties. Further to the board changes as announced on September 15, Chris MacPherson remains as a director and Leslie van Santen has resigned her directorship. The Company thanks Leslie for her support during our formative stage. Update on 100%-owned Craft Nurseries Canada Inc. Seeking competitive advantage on its competitors, Craft Nurseries has secured and registered with Health Canada a genetic seed bank with 171 unique recreational & medical strain genetics. Stored are thousands of cannabis seeds, dutifully catalogued, maintained in a refrigerated vault at its licenced greenhouse nursery facility in Lake Country. Focusing on the supply and sale of superior starter plant materials complements our full-service cultivation support initiatives to help the industry rationalize their operations. Update on Royal Asset Management, LLC ("RAM"), and Venture Product Consulting, LLC ("VPC") RAM and VPC have completed their application requirements and AgriCann is responding with final suitability submissions to the Colorado Department of Revenue Marijuana Enforcement Division ("MED") whereby AgriCann can acquire 100% of RAM and VPC for closing consideration of $13.0 million via the issue of 26,000,000 common shares at $0.50 from treasury to the stakeholders of RAM and VPC. It is anticipated that closing will take place in Q4 2021. Financing The Company has accepted $50,000 in receipts towards its August 18th announced $0.60 per Unit non-brokered private placement, and a further $260,000 in on-demand advances from non-arm's-length parties to the Company by virtue of holding more than 10 per cent of the Company's issued and outstanding common shares on a fully diluted basis, and/or holding officer and director positions in the Company. The Company intends to close the private placement and reject uncompleted subscriptions without further notice. About AgriCann Solutions Corp. AgriCann Solutions Corp. is a "Reporting Issuer" created as result of a statutory plan of arrangement completed by The Valens Company in 2015. AgriCann operates wholly owned subsidiary Craft Nurseries Canada Inc. ("CNC"), licensed under the Cannabis Act and Cannabis Regulations to produce and sell unique premium cannabis and hemp genetics, including clones, pre-veg and veg plants. AgriCann is executing an aggressive roll-up strategy with three share-exchange acquisitions pending completion (see our June 25, 2021 news release). AgriCann currently has 13,480,758 common shares outstanding. ON BEHALF OF AGRICANN SOLUTIONS CORP. (signed) "Rob van Santen" CEO & Director For further information, please contact: Robert van Santen, CA, CPA, CMT Telephone: +1.604.608.1999 Some of the statements contained in this press release are forward-looking statements and information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can be identified by the use of words such as "expects", "intends", "is expected", "potential", "suggests" or variations of such words or phrases, or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "should", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements and information are not historical facts and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control. Actual results and developments are likely to differ, and may differ materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements, except as may be required by law. The Company will provide further updates respecting these initiatives as developments occur. There can be no assurance that interests in any or all of these or additional projects being pursued will be acquired, funded and/or commercialized. AgriCann Solutions Corp. 400-1771 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6G 1C9 Tel. +1.604.608.1999 ~ Fax. +1.778.379.9990 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/97848 IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Zymo Research has donated one million COVID-19 test kits that include its new DNA/RNA Shield - DirectDetect reagent and collection devices to Mapmygenome based in Hyderabad, India. Mapmygenome is a molecular diagnostics company that provides personalized DNA testing, COVID-19 testing, and genetic counseling to its customers. It offers personalized health solutions to its customers based on genetic tests. They have provided COVID-19 testing throughout the pandemic at their state-of-the-art molecular testing, cGLP-compliant laboratory as well as an onsite laboratory at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, India where they test incoming passengers for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. DNA/RNA Shield DirectDetect, a reagent similar to Zymo Research's established DNA/RNA Shield, safeguards viral RNA from degradation for safe, ambient temperature collection and transportation of samples without the need for nucleic acid extraction. Removing the nucleic acid extraction step reduces the time to get PCR test results. Compared to other reagents, DNA/RNA Shield - DirectDetect does not inhibit downstream RT-PCR. The DNA/RNA Shield - DirectDetect testing kit contains the DNA/RNA Shield - DirectDetect reagent with swab collection devices. "DNA/RNA Shield - DirectDetect enables countries seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases to perform COVID-19 testing without extraction; therefore, removing the barrier of limited extraction resources. It's our way of providing humanitarian support to people in need," said Dr. Marc Van Eden, Vice President of Business Development at Zymo Research. "We teamed up with Mapmygenome because of their ability to rapidly deploy and analyze RT-PCR testing." "In India, where testing supplies and vaccinations are difficult to obtain, testing is imperative to diagnosing the SARS-CoV-2 virus," said Anu Acharya, Founder and CEO of Mapmygenome. She continued, "While many biotechnology and testing suppliers have tended to concentrate on their domestic testing efforts, we appreciate Zymo Research's global humanitarian effort to help eradicate COVID-19." For more information about DNA/RNA Shield - DirectDetect and Zymo Research's donation program, visit their website. About Zymo Research Corp. Zymo Research is a privately owned company that has been serving the scientific and diagnostics community with state-of-the-art molecular biology tools since 1994. The company's vision "The Beauty of Science is to Make Things Simple" is reflected in all of their products, from epigenetics to DNA/RNA purification technologies. Historically recognized as the leader in epigenetics, Zymo Research is breaking boundaries with novel solutions for sample collection, microbiomic measurements, diagnostic devices, and NGS technologies that are high quality and simple to use. Follow Zymo Research on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zymo-research-pays-it-forward-with-their-commitment-to-eradicate-the-covid-19-pandemic-in-india-301386263.html SOURCE Zymo Research Corp. TICKERS: OCG; OCGSF; MRG1 Source: Streetwise Reports (9/27/21) Outcrop Silver and Gold's most recent batch extended mineralization in the north part of Santa Ana and generated a new target in the project's southern end. 190 kilometers northwest of Bogota, in Colombia's Mariquita District, lies the Santa Ana gold project, which is currently operating in stages of advanced exploration. Its sibling Mallama, which lies in the immediate southwestern tip of the country, is a 9,036-hectare gold-silver project in Narino, which is also an advanced project for the Canadian parent company. That firm is none other than Outcrop Silver & Gold Corp. (OCG:TSX.V; OCGSF:OTCQX; MRG1:DE), which has been delivering impressive exploration and drill results from Santa Ana for months now. "The 12 main vein zones ... create a current strike length of 17 kilometers." And yet another set is positive, further expanding the company's historic Santa Ana high-grade silver district in Colombia. So far, the Santa Ana project, comprising about 28,000 hectares (28,000 ha) in northern Tolima, is known to contain 12 main vein zones, each containing multiple parallel veins. Together, this network of veins creates a current strike length of 17 kilometers. The veins can show both high-grade silver and high-grade gold mineralization, and mineralization, as determined via drilling, is present from or near surface down to at least 350 meters (350m). New surface sampling and mapping results, including assays of up to 3,086 grams per ton silver equivalent, extend seven veins and their subparallel vein sets about 1,000m to the north of the northernmost discovery, El Dorado. In addition, prospecting yielded a new target, Maras, at the southern end of Santa Ana, about 1,000m south of San Antonio. Results are detailed in a news release. "Outcrop is advancing four other projects in Colombia, all with world-class discovery potential." San Antonio and El Dorado are among the six shoots at Santa Ana. The others are La Ivana, Megapozo, San Juan and Roberto Tovar. The shoots cumulatively comprise a potential resource area of about 1,500m long by 300m deep. Along with Santa Ana, Vancouver-based Outcrop is advancing four other projects in Colombia, all with world-class discovery potential. Mallama, which we discussed a bit earlier, is in a more advanced stage of exploration than the others, Antares and Oribella in Antioquia as well as Argelia. These projects round out the Outcrop Silver & Gold Corp. family, and Streetwise Reports will be following their stories closely. [NLINSERT] Disclosures: 1) Doresa Banning compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. She or members of her household are paid by the following companies mentioned in this article: None. 2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: Outcrop Silver & Gold Corp. 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As of the date of this article, officers and/or employees of Streetwise Reports LLC (including members of their household) own securities of Outcrop Silver & Gold Corp., a company mentioned in this article. TICKERS: ARU; AUIAF Source: Streetwise Reports (9/28/21) Aurania Resources' hole SH-003, drilled in the Tiria-Shimpia target at Los CitiesCutucu, returned silver grades up to 10.5 grams per tonne and zinc grades up to 2.5%. In a Sept. 28 research note, Noble Capital Markets analyst Mark Reichman reported that new drill results show Aurania Resources Ltd. (ARU:TSX.V; AUIAF:OTCQB) is having success in locating the higher grade parts of the mineralized system at its Lost CitiesCutucu project. The company is exploring four priority targets on this property in Ecuador: Tiria-Shimpia, Tsenken N1, Tatasham, and Latorre C. Results are in for hole SH-003, and they are high-grade. Aurania drilled this hole in the Tiria-Shimpia silver-zinc target about 2 kilometers to the north of where it placed holes SH-001 and SH-002. Intercepts from hole SH-003 include 3.5 grams per tonne (3.5 g/t) of silver and 0.6% zinc over 29 meters (29m), including 10.5 g/t of silver and 2.5% zinc over 5m. The hole intersected the top of a brecciated limestone layer at 35m downhole. To date, Aurania has drilled three holes over 1,018m at Tiria-Shimpia. As for Tsenken N1, the minerals explorer just completed hole TSN1-007 and began drilling TSN1-008 there. Regarding the company's overall drill campaign at Lost CitiesCutucu, Reichman noted, "In the near term, we think Aurania will continue to operate two drill rigs and maintain some flexibility in terms of the drilling sequence." To fund its continuing exploration and drill work, Aurania is pursuing a nonbrokered private placement for gross proceeds of up to CA$5 million, Reichman indicated. In this financing, which may consist of more than one tranche, up to 2,083,334 units are being sold at CA$2.40 apiece. Each unit consists of one common share and one half-warrant. In the 24 months after the financing closes, each whole warrant can be converted into one common share for CA$3. "The shares have traded well above CA$3 per unit, and the warrants may be viewed as a call on successful outcomes resulting from Aurania's exploration and drilling program," Reichman wrote. Noble has an Outperform rating and a US$3.50 per share target price on Aurania, the stock of which is trading now at about US$1.78 per share. [NLINSERT] Disclosures: 1) Doresa Banning compiled this article for Streetwise Reports LLC and provides services to Streetwise Reports as an independent contractor. She or members of her household own securities of the following companies mentioned in the article: None. 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Airmen from Langley Air Force Bases 94th Fighter Squadron and 192nd Wing work on an F-22 during an exercise in Alaska. (Marcus Bullock/U.S. Air Force) HAMPTON, Va. (Tribune News Service) Air Force brass are refining lessons learned from an intensive three weeks of Alaskan flying for Langley Air Force Bases 94th Fighter Squadron and 192nd Wing last month. But for Lt. Col. Jonathan Kuntz, the 94ths commander, the big takeaway is simple. We learned in Vietnam that the most losses came in the first eight to 10 sorties, and so this is a way to give young pilots those eight to 10, he said. I had 17 pilots out of 155 people, probably hundreds more with the tankers and support on the way and back and all the planning think of all that to make sure pilots get those eight to 10 and are safer. The 94ths pilots who went to Alaska one with just 40 hours in an F-22 are mostly used to flying over the ocean when they take to air from Langley. Alaska is a lot different. Were flying over terrain. We dont fly over Denali (the highest peak in North America) but ... some is 10,000 to 12,000 feet high, Kuntz said. Youve got to be aware of that. Youve got to know that an adversary might be hiding in a valley. If we need to divert here, were minutes from the Newport News airport or Oceana. Up there, our nearest divert was 250 miles away. A key part of the exercise for Langleys F-22 pilots was flying with other planes and learning their different capabilities and the potential threats that so-called fifth generation fighters might post. F-16s from the 18th Aggressor Squadron at Eielson Air Force Base acted as adversaries in the exercise. Pilots from the Royal Australian Air Force flying with the Langley team were in F-35s, the newest fighter jet the American military and a handful of allies fly, as well as F-18s and the Australians E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning and control planes. That was a big deal for 1st Lt. Bentley Barker of the 94th hes a native of Australia. Being able to integrate with coalition partners like the RAAF is something we dont often get to do, he said U.S. Navy pilots also joined in, flying EA-18 Growler electronic warfare planes. For a lot of my pilots, this is the first time they have been able to do fighter integration with other aircraft, Kuntz said. They flew a wide range of air-to-air and surface-to-air scenarios, with more than 100 sorites and more than 250 hours of flight time. Langley sent eight of its F-22s to Alaska for this years Red Flag Alaska exercise. But they came with some 120 tons of equipment spare parts and tools for repairs and maintenance and figuring out what they needed and how to move it from Virginia, as well as how the planes would refuel on the way, was a two-month effort for 1st Lieutenant Evan Reiss, alternate installation deployment officer, and his team. Reiss staged the spare parts, tools and other equipment in three lots, flown by Air Force C-17s the giant military transports that can lift 72 tons of cargo sending in one load ahead of the F-22s, so that the basics to handle repairs the planes might need were there immediately on arriving in Alaska. He was planning on bringing the gear back on a 747, but that plane ran into problems, and he had to scramble to arrange for trucks to bring the Langley cargo down the Alaska Highway through Canada. Sometimes, you just have to cope, he said. Airmen from Langleys 633d Logistics Readiness Squadron joined the pilots and maintenance teams. The squadron had handled the packing and paperwork for the 120 tons of equipment Langley sent to Alaska, as well as the portion it retrieved, and the airmen who went to Alaska were responsible for finding spare parts or other supplies the pilots and planes needed during the exercise. This is a chance to work with real assets in a real situation, just like we were deploying, said Maj. Heather Higley, the 633rds commander. Its really a chance to exercise those muscles. 2021 Daily Press. Visit dailypress.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. FORT BRAGG (Tribune News Service) After nearly two decades of war in Afghanistan, the last boots on the ground there belonged to the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division commander. And less than two days after the U.S. withdrawal from the country, the spouses of the division received a visit from the sergeant major of the Army. A brigade, battalion and the 82nd Airborne Divisons commander, Maj. Gen. Christopher Donahue, were called upon in August to assist with evacuating Americans from the country, where troops have spent nearly two decades since shortly after 9/11. The troops from the 82nd Airborne Division are part of the Immediate Response Force, which rapidly deploys on short or no-notice deployments. The latest deployment has been the third for the local Fort Bragg force in less than 18 months. That is why Sgt. Maj. Of the Army Michael Grinston visited Fort Bragg on Wednesday, to thank the spouses who have supported their soldiers in the deployments. And they reminded me, three no-notice deployments in the last 18 months, Grinston said following the private meeting. Imagine youre going through this, your spouse is there, then theyre back and theyre gone again, and then they come back and theyre gone again. In addition to thanking the spouses, Grinston said he also asked for feedback on how the Department of the Army can better support Fort Bragg military families. With a list to take back with him, he said one of the things that was discussed was spouses who have coped with juggling childcare and medical appointments in the midst of COVID-19. Some of the spouses, he said, did not have time to make childcare arrangements and are under the impression they are being asked to not bring their child with them to medical appointments. Grinston said its a point hell discuss with the surgeon general of the Army to determine if the deployment would exempt the spouse from the request. Childcare wasnt the only topic brought up. All the deployed paratroopers will see a behavioral health specialist while in the theater before returning to Fort Bragg and once again when they arrive back home, Grinston said. Grinston said his message is its OK to seek behavioral health help. He said theres a deliberate plan to support the soldiers currently, and he said he is confident in the behavioral plan at Fort Bragg that is supported by the 18th Airborne Corps command team that the 82nd Airborne Division falls under. At the same time, Grinston said, leaders should be attuned to whether or not help is needed past the immediate evaluations. That was a very unique and challenging mission, and there will be a lot of stress from that mission, and it may not come out in Kuwait and it may not come out here. It may be later, a month or two months or three months, six months, a year later down the road. In reflecting on the role the division had in the latest mission, Grinston said its a historic part of the 82nd Airborne Divisions legacy. We just couldnt be more proud of how they executed it; but Im going to be honest, even that mission came at a loss, and we want no losses, and thats hard, Grinston said. But I think because of the 82nd, we saved a lot of lives, because they were there, and I think thats in the history of the 82nd. They need to be proud of that. Grinston commended Alena Knauss, the spouse of Fort Bragg soldier Staff Sgt. Ryan Knauss, who was one of 13 servicemembers do die in an ISIS-K suicide bombing Aug. 26 in Afghanistan. She is talking about the wonderful person that her spouse was and her composure we met her at Dover on Sunday, and I was so impressed by her, just what an incredible woman, he said. For the local veteran community who served in Afghanistan, Grinston said he understands what its like, because hes also deployed twice to Afghanistan. He said he asks veterans to reflect on why American troops originally went to Afghanistan, and responds back to say Osama Bin Laden planned and facilitated the 9/11 attacks right there in Afghanistan. Did we accomplish that mission? Absolutely. Did it come at a cost? Yes, he said. He said he recognizes the deployments will be part of the veterans who spent time there, but reminds them to consider that the U.S. has not had any facilitated attacks coming from Afghanistan during the past 20 years. The person that started those attacks and 9/11 is no longer with us, so every soldier did exactly what the country has asked us to do, Grinston said. He again thanked the paratroopers, spouses, command team of the 18th Airborne Corps and Fayetteville community on behalf of the secretary of the Army, chief of staff of the Army and himself. We are the greatest Army in the world because of the support we get from our communities, like Fayetteville, Grinston said. Grinston reflected on security force assistance brigades continued mission to advise, assist, enable and accompany indigenous conventional forces in combat operations, calling it vital. The 2nd Security Force Assistance Brigade and Security Force Assistance Command are at Fort Bragg with that mission. Youre going there to make a better place for other people around the world, and I dont think we should stop trying to do that, he said. ___ (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. Tents are set up at Fort Bliss Dona Ana Village where Afghan refugees are being housed in Chaparral, N.M., Friday, Sept. 10, 2021. (David Goldman/AP) A soldier reported that she was assaulted by a small group of Afghan refugees at a shelter complex set up for the refugees in New Mexico, Fort Bliss officials said. A Fort Bliss statement said the assault happened Sept. 19 at the Fort Bliss Dona Ana County Range Complex about 40 miles north of El Paso, Texas. "We take the allegation seriously and appropriately referred the matter to the Federal Bureau of Investigation," said a Fort Bliss statement. Earlier reports did not list her as a soldier, only as a service member. The soldier was reporting for her shift around midnight when three to four men attacked her, according to a U.S. Defense Department official. She had minor physical injuries and was able to get away. She was not sexually assaulted, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an ongoing investigation. The official said that soldiers on duty operate with a buddy system, but the female soldier was just arriving and had not yet linked up with her buddy for the shift. The official said that no one had yet been charged and that the FBI was investigating. It was unclear if law enforcement had identified the attackers. The Fort Bliss statement said the woman was immediately provided appropriate care, counseling and support and that security measures at the complex were being strengthened. U.S. Rep. Yvette Herrell, the New Mexico Republican representing the district where the complex is situated, said her staff was also investigating. The U.S. government erected the complex in late August and early September to house thousands of Afghan refugees from the Taliban. According to the Fort Bliss statement, all Afghan nationals are subjected to a multi-layer screening and vetting process before being admitted to the United States. The process involves biometric and biographic screenings conducted by intelligence, law enforcement, and counterterrorism professionals from the Department of Homeland Security, FBI, the National Counterterrorism Center and other intelligence community resources. Rear Adm. Brendan McLane, commander of Naval Surface Force Atlantic, introduces the Task Group Greyhound Initiative aboard the USS Thomas Hudner at Naval Station Mayport. (U.S. Navy) (Tribune News Service) Naval Station Mayport is now home to part of the U.S. Navy's new Task Group Greyhound, a fleet-footed plan to quickly deploy its destroyers when needed in the Western Atlantic Ocean. Announced Monday onboard one of the Mayport-based Arleigh Burke-class destroyers to be used in the new Naval Surface Force Atlantic mission, it will take part in a "full range of fleet tasking," including maritime homeland defense training with NATO allies, searches for Russian submarines and other work, the Navy said. Rear Adm. Brendan McLane, commander of Naval Surface Force Atlantic, said the task group will provide the Atlantic Fleet with "continuously ready and fully certified warships." He was joined aboard the USS Thomas Hudner in Mayport by Rear Adm. Brian Davies, whose Submarine Group Two will partner with the destroyers on missions from Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia as well. "Undersea security is a priority in the Atlantic because our adversaries are closing the gap. Military leaders have noticed the determination of our strategic competitors in challenging the security of the homeland by presenting a persistent and proximate threat in the undersea," McLane said. "Task Group Greyhound is providing us a way forward to increase continuity between training assets and operating against high-end competitors in a dynamic environment." Naval Surface Force Atlantic is composed of 77 ships and 31 shore commands on the East Coast. Task Group Greyhound was designed to assign East Coast-based destroyers to support counter-Russian undersea threats by Rear Adm. Brad Cooper, past-commander of the Surface Force Atlantic. The program is a departure from the Navy's usual deployment procedures, designed to provide more frequent but smaller incremental availability periods for ship maintenance and upgrades, the Navy said. U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Brendan McLane (at podium) announces Task Group Greyhound aboard U.S.S. Thomas Hudner in Mayport. (U.S. Navy) Four ships have been assigned to Greyhound, starting with Mayport's Hudner and USS Donald Cook this year. Those will be followed by Mayport's USS The Sullivans in January, with the Norfolk-based USS Cole and USS Gravely joining next as designated undersea warfare platforms in the Western Atlantic, McLane said. McLane said the crews of the Hudner and Cook have proven track records "at the tip of the spear," deployed from the Middle East to Mediterranean with the Eisenhower Strike Group. He also congratulated them on work they did during Exercise Sea Shield 21 in March supporting operations in the Black Sea, alongside 12 other NATO-allied countries. What the ships are involved with will "run the gamut when it comes to operations," Davies said. "If we have a submarine transiting to homeport, we can have our assets go out to track it for training's sake," he said. "If a real out-of-area deployer comes along, the whole team will be ready to go vs. playing a pick-up game with assets that may or may not be available." Davies said his Submarine Group Two mission is to "practice like we're gonna play" to validate how what it practices makes sense on the sea. dscanlan@jacksonville.com 2021 www.jacksonville.com. Visit jacksonville.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The hammerhead crane at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, photographed on Friday, January 25, 2013. (Steve Earley, The Virginian-Pilot/TNS) (Tribune News Service) Theres been no decision on civilian job cuts at Navy facilities, the command in charge of them said. Last week, the Navy region responsible for bases from Hampton Roads to Maine and west to Illinois said it would cut 500 positions beginning in October. But the memos detailing the move were planning documents, preparing for a worst-case scenario while awaiting congressional action on the Navys fiscal year 2022 budget, according to the Navy Installations Command. No decision has been made on cost reduction measures across our shore installations at this time ... until an appropriations bill is enacted by Congress, said Capt. Josh Frey, the command spokesman. Earlier this month, the Navys Mid-Atlantic region, which comes under the installations command, imposed a hiring freeze and advised commanders across the region that it would cut 500 positions of its 10,000 civilian posts at 16 facilities. Most would come by not filling vacant slots and not replacing employees who retire or leave, the regions spokeswoman, Beth Baker, has said. The region has some 457 vacant positions, including 331 in Hampton Roads. Baker said many of the cuts would come in the Navys morale, welfare and recreation service, since 300 of the 500 positions affected are nonappropriated fund slots paid for by funds generated from such programs as behavioral health, education services, fitness, food, hospitality, recreation and retail stores. The regions $754 million budget allocation for fiscal year 2022 is $66 million short of what it needed to continue operating at current levels, Baker said. That shortfall reflects the Navys effort to focus limited funding on training and readiness, she said. In addition, to reduce overtime expenses, the region will begin enforcing a longstanding policy that costs incurred by ship movements outside of core port operations hours of 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays must be reimbursed to facilities. dress@dailypress.com 2021 Daily Press. Visit dailypress.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Prior to the HMS Richmond's recent trip through the Taiwan Strait, the last British warship to sail the politically sensitive waterway was the HMS Kent, seen here in 2008. (Royal Navy) Beijing has condemned the Royal Navys first trip through the Taiwan Strait in more than a decade as a meaningless display, according to Chinese media. The HMS Richmond, part of the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeths strike group, steamed through the contentious, 110-mile-wide waterway Monday on its way to rendezvous with the Vietnamese navy. The ships presence in the region provoked accusations of belligerence from China. Beijing dispatched vessels and aircraft to track and monitor the British warship through the Taiwan Strait, according to a Monday report in China Military Online, the official news site of the Peoples Liberation Army. Such ill-intentioned behavior undermines peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and fully exposes its speculative mentality, the report quoted Senior Col. Shi Yi, spokesman for the armys Eastern Theater Command, as saying. The state-sponsored China Daily newspaper also quoted Shi: "The U.K. is carrying out a meaningless display of presence with an insidious intention." The Chinese government similarly condemns the passage of U.S. Navy warships through politically sensitive waterway that separates Taiwan from mainland China. Although the strait is considered international waters, China views the presence of foreign warships there as a provocation. Beijing considers democratic Taiwan a breakaway province that must be reunited with the mainland, possibly by force. The United Kingdom denied the Richmonds passage was intended to provoke enmity from Beijing. In a statement mirroring the typical U.S. Navy response to such criticism from China, an unnamed Ministry of Defence spokesperson told Stars and Stripes in an email Monday that the transit was in compliance with international law. The U.K. has no interest in stoking conflict in the region, the spokesperson added. The UKs long-standing position on the South China Sea remains unchanged: we take no sides in the sovereignty disputes, the email said. We encourage all parties to settle their disputes peacefully through the existing legal mechanisms, in particular the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. U.S. Navy warships have steamed through the Taiwan Strait nine times so far this year. The Richmonds journey is the first in recent years for a British warship. The last Royal Navy vessel to make the trip was the HMS Enterprise, a survey ship, in 2019. The last warship, however, was the frigate HMS Kent in 2008, according to the Ministry of Defence. Buy Photo Tokyo reported 248 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. (Aaron Kidd/Stars and Stripes) TOKYO With the worst phase of its coronavirus pandemic now a recent memory, Japan is moving to restore dining and alcohol sales, according to Japanese media Tuesday. Tokyo, the capital city, reported 248 new coronavirus infections on Tuesday, continuing a trend of declining case numbers, according to public broadcaster NHK. The number of seriously ill in the city of 13.9 million fell to 117. The national government is ready to lift a state of emergency in 19 prefectures, including Tokyo and other large cities, when it expires Thursday. Along with the emergencys end, the measure to close bars and restaurants between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. will be lifted in phases in the affected prefectures, the Mainichi newspaper reported. Under the emergency, those establishments were incentivized to close early and to curtail alcohol sales. Businesses overall were encouraged to promote telework and employees to reduce their commutes. One U.S. military installation in Japan, Yokosuka Naval Base south of Tokyo, reported three new infections, according to a news release Tuesday. One unimmunized and two immunized individuals tested positive after falling ill with symptoms of COVID-19, the coronavirus respiratory disease, since Friday, according to a base news release. The base is monitoring six patients. U.S. Forces Japan on Friday reported fewer than 160 cases of COVID-19 on all 15 U.S. bases. Eight installations on Okinawa accounted for nearly 100 of them. Okinawa prefecture, where the III Marine Expeditionary Force is headquartered, reported another 57 new coronavirus cases and five deaths Tuesday, according to the prefectural Department of Public Health and Medical Care. Gov. Denny Tamaki at a news conference Sunday said the prefecture would proceed carefully to lift restrictions once the public health emergency expires. The prefecture has experienced the highest number of new cases, per 100,000 population, in the nation, according to the public health department. Regardless of what government decides, it will be an important phase for Okinawa, Tamaki said. And whether or not we could thoroughly implement the infection control measures and keep the decreasing trend will decide the future for Okinawa that has been under the strict measures for a long time. Japan on Monday reported 2,134 new coronavirus infections and 21 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center. More than half, 57.4%, of Japans population, or 72.5 million people, are fully vaccinated. Stars and Stripes reported Mari Higa contributed to this report. Lincoln assassin John Wilkes Booth circa 1865. (Library of Congress) The man who shot President Ronald Reagan and three others in a 1981 assassination attempt will be granted an unconditional release by a judge, likely making him the first person to ever shoot a president and live to see freedom again. Throughout U.S. history, five sitting presidents and one former president have been killed or wounded in assassination attempts. In all of the other incidents, the shooters were either executed or killed soon afterward. John W. Hinckley Jr. shot Reagan, White House press secretary James Brady and two officers outside a Washington hotel on March 30, 1981, less than two months into Reagan's presidency. Reagan suffered a punctured lung and internal bleeding and nearly died from his injuries. Hinckley, now 66, claimed no political motivation. At trial, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity after explaining that by shooting the president he was trying to get the attention of actress Jodie Foster, with whom he was obsessed. Foster had played a character in the movie "Taxi Driver," about a would-be assassin of a presidential candidate. The verdict outraged many and led to changes in laws making the insanity defense more difficult to claim, but it didn't change the outcome of Hinckley's trial. He spent several decades in a government psychiatric hospital, where his condition improved, and by the 1990s he was going on supervised trips with family. In 2016, he was granted a strictly controlled conditional release to his mother's home in a gated community. This is by far the best outcome for anyone who has ever shot a president. When John Wilkes Booth assassinated President Abraham Lincoln in April 1865, he was dead by the end of the month. After soldiers hunted him down to a barn in Port Royal, Va., they set it on fire. As he moved around inside the burning structure, one soldier, claiming he spotted Booth raising a pistol, shot him in the neck. Booth's last words, according to biographer Gene Smith, were "Useless, useless." Lawyer Charles Guiteau was arrested immediately after shooting President James Garfield in a Washington, D.C., train station in July 1881, supposedly because he imagined himself crucial to the new president's win and wanted an ambassadorship in exchange. Garfield lingered for months, enduring gruesome and unsanitary treatments by his doctors, before succumbing to his injuries. "They ought to be indicted for murdering James A. Garfield, not me," Guiteau told reporters during his November trial. He was convicted and hanged. For Leon Czolgosz, the anarchist who assassinated President William McKinley in 1901, punishment for his crime came swiftly, repeatedly and continued after his death. Within seconds of shooting McKinley in the abdomen at a public event in Buffalo, Czolgosz was punched in the face by James Parker, the Black man waiting behind him in line to meet the president. "I am told that I broke his nose. I wish it had been his neck," Parker said later. Czolgosz was then badly beaten by law enforcement, and weeks later, after a brief trial, he was convicted and sentenced to death. He died by the electric chair 45 days after the shooting. Prison officials dissolved his body in acid, the New York Times reported. Then there is Lee Harvey Oswald. The former Marine was taken into police custody hours after he shot and killed President John Kennedy from the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas. Two days later, while being transferred from the city jail to the county jail, he was shot and killed on live television by local nightclub owner Jack Ruby. An x-ray image of Theodore Roosevelts chest showing the bullet lodged in his chest muscle. It remained there for the rest of his life. (Library of Congress) Other than Reagan, there is only one other president who survived being shot by a would-be assassin, but in that case, it was a former president. In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt was in Milwaukee campaigning for a third term and a return to the White House when he was shot in the chest by saloonkeeper John Flammang Schrank. Roosevelt was famously saved by the eyeglasses case and folded speech in his breast pocket, which slowed the bullet and saved him from serious injury. Schrank was nearly lynched by the surrounding crowd until Roosevelt intervened. Schrank told authorities McKinley's ghost had ordered him to kill Roosevelt; he was declared insane and, like Hinckley, committed. Unlike Hinckley, he was never released; Schrank died in custody in 1943. In a handful of other incidents, sitting presidents have been shot at but not hit, with a broad range of consequences (or lack thereof) for the shooters. In 1835, Andrew Jackson beat a failed assassin with his cane; the perpetrator was found to be insane and institutionalized until his death. In the summer before Booth assassinated Lincoln, Lincoln was shot at twice - once by Confederates during the Battle of Fort Stevens, and once by an unknown assailant, who, according to biographer Carl Sandburg, shot straight through Lincoln's top hat while he rode alone on horseback. In early 1933, while still president-elect, Franklin Roosevelt narrowly escaped being shot by Giuseppe Zangara at a Miami park. The shooter, an unemployed bricklayer, said he hated capitalism, the rich and just presidents in general. Zangara was quickly sentenced to 80 years for wounding others in the attack. When one of victims, Chicago mayor Anton Cermak, died, he was resentenced for murder and executed. Only two women have ever attempted to shoot a president. Incredibly, both women acted only 17 days apart in 1975 and were aiming at the same guy - President Gerald Ford. Neither Lynnette "Squeaky" Fromme nor Sara Jane Moore hit their target, though they did pull their triggers. Each woman was sentenced to life in federal prison, and each woman escaped briefly Moore in 1979 and Fromme in 1987 before being recaptured. Both were also paroled in the years following Ford's death in 2007. At the same time Hinckley could be released unconditionally, Sen. Robert Kennedy's assassin, Sirhan Sirhan, could be paroled from prison. In August, a California parole panel voted in favor Sirhan's release, more than 50 years after he killed the presidential candidate. The decision must still be approved by the full parole board and the governor before Sirhan would be released. In 2007, Arthur Bremer was granted a conditional release from prison after attempting to assassinate presidential candidate George Wallace at a 1972 rally in Laurel, Md. At 21, he shaved his head and kept a diary of his plot to kill either Wallace or President Richard Nixon. Wallace was easier. At trial, Bremer pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, but a jury took less than two hours to find him both sane and guilty. Bremer's parole is scheduled to end in 2025; he will be 74. Bremer was part of screenwriter Paul Schrader's inspiration to write "Taxi Driver," the movie that Hinckley later said became part of his fantasy to kill Reagan. A series of recent missile tests by North Korea has once again underscored how important it is for the United States to maintain a strong missile defense as well as offensive missile deterrent. But America has unfortunately already fallen behind one of its main geopolitical foes and other rivals in the Asia-Pacific region, China, with regards to the key missile technology of hypersonics. These weapons, which can move up to 20 times the speed of sound and can evade existing missile defenses, represent the next generation of missile technology. Yet while China has already deployed a ground launched hypersonic weapon and its testing of an air launched version is currently underway, the United States will not field its first hypersonic weapon until at least next year. Current trends in the defense industry also threaten to exacerbate this deficiency. In December 2020, Lockheed Martin announced its plan to merge with Aerojet Rocketdyne in a deal valued at $4.4 billion. This risks not only setting the United States further behind in the hypersonics race, but it also puts our traditional missile forces in jeopardy. Should this merger be approved, competition and modernization efforts within the missile defense industry and for hypersonic missiles in particular, would be greatly undermined. As Aerojet is the sole remaining independent provider of propulsion systems in the United States, approval of this merger would grant Lockheed a near monopoly on the critical propulsion technology of many current and future Missile Defense Agency Interceptors as well as on hypersonic technology. Aerojet provides the majority of solid rocket motors for the Navys SM-2 anti-ship missile and the SM-3 interceptor used in the AEGIS Ballistic missile defense system. The company is also the sole propulsion provider for the Divert and Attitude Control System, a key component of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense missile defense system used by the U.S. Army. Ending the independence of this key supplier will likely leave the other major defense contractors unable to compete to procure or will force them to look to overseas providers to fill their propulsion needs. Lockheed Martin meanwhile, just completed the strategic acquisition of the hypersonic portfolio of Integration Innovation Inc. (i3), giving them full control over the companys hypersonic design, development and production expertise. By acquiring Aerojet, one of the leaders in hypersonic propulsion technology, Lockheed would be squarely in control as the contractor of record for 2nd-generation hypersonic technology. It has been confirmed many times before that industries without competition lead to reduced innovation incentives and skyrocketing costs. A perfect example, with regards to the defense industry in particular, is what happened with the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program. Soon after Northrop Grumman acquired Orbital ATK, another provider of propulsion systems in 2018, the $80 billion GBSD program was ultimately awarded to Northrop without contest. The programs incumbent contractor, Boeing, lost access to key supplier Orbital in the wake of the merger and could not submit a bid in time. The Federal Trade Commission has now opened an investigation into whether Northrop acted in a restraint of trade and violated an order requiring the company to sell its solid motor rocket engines on a non-discriminatory basis. Due to these recent developments, the nations top anti-trust regulator has raised concerns about similar vertical integrations such as the Lockheed-Aerojet merger. In response to specific concerns raised by the U.S. Senate about deals in the defense industry, Lina Khan, chair of the FTC, said she believes that the remedies her agency has previously provided to encourage competition have proven inadequate. Moving forward, she suggested, a better solution may be to more frequently consider opposing problematic deals outright. All of this leaves the Department of Defense and FTC with a critical decision. Given the significant implications for national security and the taxpayer, it is imperative these officials thoroughly consider the potential impacts of the Lockheed-Aerojet merger before making a final decision. Too often before regulators have rushed into approving consolidation in the defense industry to the detriment of taxpayers and the broader defense supply chain. But in a time of great uncertainty and national security risks, there is little room for additional error if we are going to win the hypersonics race and keep our country safe. Bob Dees, a retired U.S. Army major general, is a graduate of the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. He has an extensive background in national security, weapons system development and defense economics. Once again, North Korea is engaging in disturbing provocation. The totalitarian regime in Pyongyang has announced successful launch of a cruise missile. This follows many years of testing both rudimentary ballistic missiles and nuclear explosives. The cruise missile is an unusually flexible insidious weapon, flying low and relatively slow, difficult to detect with radar. The V-1 rocket of Nazi Germany, which killed many British civilians in the latter part of World War II, was an early version. North Korea has had at least rudimentary nuclear weapons since 2006. From time to time, Pyongyang makes threats to use them, including against the United States, as well as Japan and South Korea. This latest incident occurs as the Biden administration reevaluates Korea policies. A natural assumption is that North Korea leader Kim Jong Un is returning to rigid hostility, after some flexibility, including high-profile meetings with former President Donald Trump. In moving forward, U.S. government officials should keep in mind three basic realities about dealing with North Korea. First, for many years North Korea has been inconsistent. In 2013, Pyongyang declared a state of war with South Korea and abruptly abrogated the 1953 armistice that ended the Korean War. Yet, accommodating moves followed. In short, unpredictability is normal. This implies considerable factional infighting. Second, we must demonstrate commitment to defense of South Korea and our own readiness, and willingness, to use a range of forces. The Obama administration rightly deployed the Terminal High Altitude Air Defense anti-missile system for this purpose. In 2013, the Pentagon expanded anti-ballistic missile defenses on the U.S. West Coast. Simultaneously, THAAD was sent to Guam, a potential target. In 2009, THAAD was sent to Hawaii for the same reason. On cue, China expressed indignation about anti-missile deployments. That was predictable, also understandable given potential use of the systems radars for information gathering. At the same time, Beijing worked to restrain Pyongyang, including suspending airline flights between the two cities. Third, we should emphasize coordination with other nations. This ideally should include China and Russia, but always our durable friend and close ally South Korea. South Koreas substantial investment in and trade with China grows, while North Korea remains a costly dependent, though ideologically important. Chinas President Xi Jinping visited Seoul in 2014. He finally visited North Korea in 2019. Chinas foreign policy reflects self-interest, and traditional caution. North Korea is a drain. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought North Koreas long-growing economic deterioration to a crisis point. Trade and wider interchange with China contracted. Long-term economic sanctions stymie recovery. The Korean War from 1950 to 1953 devastated the Korean Peninsula, and made the Cold War global. President Harry Trumans courageous decision to support the United Nations in defending the South against invasion from the North laid the foundation for todays remarkably successful South Korea. Democratic change culminated with the election in 1998 of President Kim Dae-jung, heroic opponent of dictatorship. In 2000, he received the Nobel Peace Prize. During the earlier dictatorship, Kim survived imprisonment and at least one attempt to kill him. Occasional political turmoil since 1998 confirms South Koreas democracy. As in the past, U.S. leaders should work with allies, underscore military commitment, and pursue negotiation. The Biden administration is returning to traditional strong ties between the U.S. and South Korea. This includes extremely close, thorough cooperation between our militaries, established during the Korean War, greatly reinforced during the Vietnam War. Our South Korean friends maintained approximately 50,000 troops in South Vietnam during our long war there. In part, this was to repay our vital support during the Korean War. Our alliance remains a linchpin for future relations with China and other Pacific powers. Learn More: William Stueck, The Korean War An International History. Arthur I. Cyr is author of After the Cold War and other books. The last soldier has left Afghanistan. The longest war in American history has ended. No matter where we turn be it news channels, social media or local newspapers we are bombarded by those casting blame about whos at fault for the rushed evacuation and stranding of American citizens and Afghan allies in a country controlled by the Taliban. Its enough to make you feel helpless, but you are not. Now is the time to stand up and do your part to help. After weeks of intense evacuation efforts, American troops completed the dangerous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Thanks to the selfless courage of our service members including 13 American heroes who gave their last full measure the U.S. armed forces successfully evacuated around 120,000 U.S. citizens, citizens of allied nations, and Afghan allies. While many of those evacuated are returning to America or abroad, tens of thousands of Afghan allies and their families face a new reality: beginning a new life in a new country with no more than the clothes on their back. These Afghan allies are more than just former citizens of Afghanistan. They are heroes who fought alongside our troops for the past two decades. After our service women and men returned from deployment, they continued to fight for a free Afghanistan. Some are interpreters attached to U.S. military units who aided in critical operations. Others are Afghan military veterans who stood up against corruption and death threats to fight for freedom. Some are embassy workers who assisted U.S. citizens traveling in-country for the past 20 years. Above all, the Afghans who arrive at Fort Bliss, Texas, and in our communities across the country are friends to our military. The service they provided over the years helped save countless American lives. As civilians, it may be hard to understand the dynamic bond formed between American troops and Afghan allies. We must look beyond the false narrative unfairly orchestrated by some to see the truth: These allies have risked their lives, and the lives of their entire families, to support Americas mission in Afghanistan. Now, we need your help to show these refugees our better angels. Our nonprofit Soldiers Angels was contacted by military bases across the country that are in urgent need of help preparing to host thousands of Afghan refugees. They are seeking clothing, hygiene items, household items, toys, school supplies anything that will give these friends of Americas military the welcome they deserve. The list of items the military installations have requested is long, but we are focusing on these emergency needs that will be a lifeline for refugees faced with starting new lives in America. Now is the time to extend our hand of friendship and do what each of us can to support our allies who worked and fought alongside our service women and men in Afghanistan. Please visit soldiersangels.org to learn what you can do to help. Amy Palmer is the president and CEO of Soldiers Angels and a U.S. Air Force veteran. Founded in 2003, Soldiers' Angels is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides aid, comfort and resources to the military, veterans and their families. U.S. Army Col. Timothy MacDonald, operations director, Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, re-administers the Oath of Enlistment to Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Phelps, from Locke, N.Y., while aboard a KC-130J over East Africa, Sept. 11, 2021. (Michael Cossaboom/U.S. Air Force) Two soldiers from upstate New York participated in a reenlistment ceremony aboard a KC-130J Super Hercules flying over a ground ceremony commemorating the 20th anniversary of 9/11 attacks Saturday at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti. Col. Timothy MacDonald, operations director of Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa, administered the enlistment oath to Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Phelps, a military police officer on his third deployment supporting the Global War on Terrorism. Flanked by two French Dassault Mirage 2000s, the KC-130J flew over a joint services formation where the colors were presented and taps was played. Camp Lemonnier is the only permanent U.S. military installation in Africa and was established in 2002 to support U.S. operations against extremist groups in the Middle East and Africa. Phelps, from Locke, N.Y., was in high school Spanish class when the World Trade Center was hit on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. Our entire school stopped that day and watched as the towers fell, he said in an emailed statement. A U.S. KC-130J Super Hercules, with Combined Joint Task Force Horn of Africa, and two French Dassault Mirage 2000s perform a combined flyover with during a Patriots Day ceremony at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Sept. 11, 2021, commemorating the 20th anniversary of 9/11. (Dereck White/U.S. Army) U.S. Marine Staff Sgt. Roberto Bravo, with Marine Air Refuel Transport Squadron 234, holds an American flag during a Patriots Day ceremony at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, Sept. 11, 2021, commemorating the 20th anniversary of 9/11. (Dwane Young/U.S. Army) Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Phelps, military police officer, CJTF-HOA, from Locke, N.Y., takes the Oath of Enlistment while aboard a KC-130J over East Africa, Sept. 11, 2021. (Michael Cossaboom/U.S. Air Force) He "felt a calling" to join the Army in 2008, and deployed to Iraq the following year and Afghanistan in 2013. He renewed his enlistment indefinitely Saturday because he still felt that calling, he said. My thoughts of 9/11 are remembering the lives lost that day because of to the actions of terrorists, Phelps said. I will never forget the sacrifices made that day or those made since by my fellow Americans who have paid the ultimate cost. I remember my brothers and sisters who have come home injured or forever changed. MacDonald, of Sydney, N.Y., joined the Army in 1994 and deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. I am humbled to have been part of his continued dedication to our country, MacDonald said of Phelps reenlistment. I personally have felt the impacts of September 11th, and I admire every soldier who chooses to serve and defend our great nation. (WikiMedia Commons) NAIROBI, Kenya The disappearance of a young intelligence officer in Somalia has led to a rapidly escalating power struggle between the president and prime minister that has torn apart the government and potentially gives new openings to al-Qaida-linked militants. Details of what happened to Ikran Tahlil Farah, a 25-year-old cybersecurity analyst, are still murky. But her abduction led President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed on Thursday to suspend the powers of the prime minister, who has accused him of obstructing justice in Tahlil's case. The political showdown risks turning into a security crisis, experts say, and has blown up any pretense that Somalia's federal government is functioning. That could strengthen the hand of al-Shabab - which Somalia's government has been fighting for years, aided by billions in security support from the United States. "Anytime you have this level of political infighting, it benefits al-Shabab in so many ways," said Omar Mahmood, senior analyst for Somalia at the International Crisis Group. "This narrative paints into everything they say about the federal government. That it is ineffective, weak, divisive and provides nothing to the public. And it is hard to argue against that." Implications of the back-and-forth between the president, known by his nickname Farmaajo, and Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble rippled on Friday across international borders. The president's office accused neighboring Djibouti of illegally detaining Fahad Yasin, former head of the National Intelligence and Security Agency, as he tried to board a flight to Mogadishu. Roble had suspended Yasin - who is known as the president's right-hand man - earlier this month in connection with Talil's disappearance. Djibouti's foreign minister rejected the claim from Somalia's government, saying it was meant to "create confusion and drag Djibouti into Somalia internal challenges and crisis." The events were just one example of increasing tensions that could risk further delaying an already slow-moving election process, Mahmood said. The elections involve committees of sub clan elders convened around the country to elect members of parliament, which then elects the president. Only 37 of the 330 open seats, including the presidency, have been filled, he said. The president is currently serving more than seven months past his term. "It's time to start talking about more punitive measures from the international community, to keep everyone in line before the election," Mahmood said. Among officials in Washington, there has been increased concern about the situation in Somalia since February, when gunfire broke out on the streets of the capital, Mogadishu, after the president did not hold scheduled elections. That raised questions about the depth of Somalia's political instability - and about if U.S. strategy needs to shift. But there have been few changes to U.S. policy since the Trump administration ordered the removal of 700 U.S. soldiers from the country, with the United States continuing to support military operations in the region against al-Shabab. Al-Shabab controls the majority of Somalia's interior and has about 10,000 active fighters in the country, experts believe, with a much larger network of supporters. An attack it launched in Kenya last year killed one U.S. service member and two American private contractors, according to a U.S. military statement. But the biggest risk al-Shabab poses, experts say, is for residents within Somalia and for its neighbors in the region, where attacks are regular. President Joe Biden's top intelligence official said Monday that the greatest terrorism threat to the U.S. does not come from Afghanistan but from countries including Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Iraq. Members of the U.N. Security Council released a statement Saturday expressing "deep concern about the ongoing disagreement within the Somali Government and the negative impact on the electoral timetable and process." Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the ranking member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he is closely monitoring current political divisions within Somalia and "deeply concerned about the trajectory of the country." "With the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Somalia and an emboldened al-Qaida network from the continued debacle in Afghanistan, al Shabaab is surely taking notes," McCaul said in a statement. "They remain a dangerous and capable threat to U.S. interests and the homeland. Unfortunately, years of support to the Somali armed forces and billions of dollars of assistance has barely moved the needle toward lasting stability in the country." Facing intense pressure from the West after the violence in February, including threats of sanctions from Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Somalia's president - once a Department of Transportation administrator in Buffalo - backed down and agreed to hold elections. Roble was tapped to lead the process in May. It was not too long after - on June 26 - that the analyst Talil was abducted, said her mother Qali Mohamud Guhad in an interview. The last time she spoke with her daughter was via a WhatsApp call that night, Mohamud said. Talil told her that she was going to see the security chief Yasin, who she said had been calling her all day. The intelligence agency announced in early September an investigation found that al-Shabab had killed Talil. But the terrorist group quickly denied it, saying it takes responsibility for attacks on intelligence officers and did not kill her. Mohamud said she is still holding out hope that her daughter is alive, held somewhere in captivity. She said she does not know why Talil was abducted, but noted that her daughter had information about soldiers from Somalia who were rumored to have been sent by the government to fight in Ethiopia, which has been one of the many political weak spots for Somalia's president. Mohamud personally met this month with Roble, who she said assured her that he would take the steps necessary to achieve justice. Roble's decision to suspend Yasin - over the objections of the president - reportedly led last week to a brief military standoff, after each selected a different person to lead the intelligence agency. Roble's spokesman, Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu, said in an interview Saturday that he views the president's suspension of his powers as unconstitutional and that the prime minister is committed to seeing the elections through. "The more [the president] stays and keeps doing these illegal and unconstitutional behaviors, the closer we get to a civil war," said Ismail Osman, a former NISA deputy chief, who is based in Washington. Matt Bryden, director of Sahan Research, a Somalia-focused think tank, said that al-Shabab's strength is always in inverse proportion to the weakness of its adversaries. "It fills a vacuum," he said. "And this is a protracted vacuum." - - - Faruk reported from Mogadishu. The deserter pursuit unit, composed of about 100 South Korean soldiers who track and arrest AWOL service members, will be eliminated by July 2022. (South Korean army) CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea The South Korean military will disband a unit dedicated to apprehending troops who are absent without authorized leave. The deserter pursuit unit, composed of about 100 soldiers who track and arrest AWOL service members, will be eliminated by July, a ministry official told Stars and Stripes on the customary condition of anonymity Monday. The unit gradually became unnecessary because the number of runaway soldiers within the South Korean military is decreasing, according to the official. An average of 126 cases have been investigated annually since 2016. About 550,000 active-duty troops are serving in South Koreas military. South Korean men ages 18 to 28 are required to serve in the armed forces for 18 months, a period that was reduced from 21 months in recent years. There are a few exceptions to this policy, including service in local police or fire departments, health exemptions or winning a gold medal at the Asian Games or the Olympics. Captured AWOL service members are sentenced based on the circumstance of their desertion. During wartime or a national emergency, a deserter avoiding military service can face a prison sentence of at least five years, while a deserter who defects to the enemy can face the death penalty. The units disbanding comes a month after the Netflix release of D.P., a show based on a web cartoon series about service members from the deserter pursuit unit. The show includes several stories of service members being bullied or suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. The defense ministry noted that discussions about disbanding the deserter pursuit unit began as early as 2018 and its final decision has nothing to do with the drama. Stars and Stripes reporter Yoo Kyong Chang contributed to this report. Buy Photo Technicians prepare an Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone just before take-off at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. (Wyatt Olson/Stars and Stripes) MARINE CORPS BASE HAWAII Three Air Force MQ-9 drones have been flying a dozen training sorties a day out of Marine Corps Base Hawaii since the hunter-killer Reapers arrived in the state for the first time ever earlier this month. The drones are here until Oct. 8 as part of the monthlong Exercise ACE Reaper, and local media were invited to the bases flight line Monday to witness a Reaper take off into the partly cloudy sky. Two of the Reapers arrived in Hawaii a few weeks ago after roughly 13-hour flights, one from Creech Air Force Base, Nev., the other from Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. It marked the first time the MQ-9 had been flown to the state from the continental U.S., Col. Ryan Keeney, commander of the 49th Wing at Holloman in New Mexico, told reporters Monday. The third drone arrived in the usual manner used for long trips: disassembled, crated and hauled in a cargo plane. Among the goals of the exercise is tailoring the drones capabilities to fit the Air Forces agile combat employment, or ACE, concept, Keeney said. Similar exercises happened last year in California. Agile combat employment means a lot of things to a lot of different people, and you'll see it defined differently all over, he said. Applied to MQ-9s specifically, the concept means the ability to use any runway of sufficient length to land, maintain and relaunch Reapers as rapidly as possible with a minimum number of people, Keeney said. The Hawaii exercise is the chance to continue finding ways to reduce the amount of equipment and personnel needed for recovery and launch as the Air Force adapts the MQ-9 for the ACE concept in the vast Pacific. ACE is a response to Chinas emerging military ambitions in the Indo-Pacific. Buy Photo Col. Ryan Keeney, left, commander of the 49th Wing, and Lt. Col. Jaime Olivares, commander of the 9th Attack Squadron, both based at Holloman Air Force Base, N.M., pose near a Reaper drone at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. (Wyatt Olson/Stars and Stripes) Buy Photo An Air Force MQ-9 Reaper drone flies over the tree line at Marine Corps Base Hawaii during Exercise ACE Reaper, Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. (Wyatt Olson/Stars and Stripes) The MQ-9, for a long time, has been the most requested asset in [Central Commands] Middle East theater of operations, Keeney said. They have been operating out of large, fixed bases that have changed little over the years, he said. We know that as we start moving away from the Middle East that we're going to be required to be in many different places on a rapid timeline, he said. How do we go from setting up a base in weeks, to days, to hours? he said. The Air Force announced in July that it had successfully tested automatic takeoff and landing for the MQ-9. That new capability allows an aircrew to land the drone anywhere via satellite, whereas before the aircraft could land only at the airfield of operation. The new auto feature is kind of a game-changer for reducing the footprint of recovery and launch, Lt. Col. Jaime Olivares, commander of 9th Attack Squadron, told reporters Monday. The squadron is a training unit for drone pilots and sensor operators at Holloman. What we've been doing here specifically is taking a five-person team to watch an aircraft when it comes back and lands, service it, and take it off, Olivares said. So, our goal was to do that in less than an hour, and weve exceeded that greatly. About half the sorties have been over the sea, while many others are over the Pohakuloa Training Area on the big island of Hawaii. The training scenarios simulate the types of weapons Reapers could potentially carry, which include laser-guided missiles. No live weapons are being used. Once the drones have been launched in Hawaii, airmen who are being trained at Holloman and Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., take over flying them during each sortie, Keeney said. The exercise is also a chance for aviators at the Marine Corps Base Hawaiis air station to familiarize themselves with the drones before they get their own. The base is slated to receive six Reapers beginning in 2023 after completion of an environmental impact study. This a good opportunity for us to expose them to the 20-plus years that we've had working on MQ-9s and how they can set up their base to succeed as they get them in the future, Keeney said. China allowed two U.S. citizens, siblings Victor and Cynthia Liu, who were prevented from leaving the country for more than three years, to return to the United States on Sunday. (Facebook) China allowed two U.S. citizens, siblings Victor and Cynthia Liu, who were prevented from leaving the country for more than three years, to return to the United States on Sunday. Their departure, confirmed to The Washington Post by a State Department spokesperson, came shortly after a deal the Department of Justice struck with the chief financial officer of Huawei, Meng Wanzhou, that allowed her to return to China over the weekend after nearly three years of house arrest in Canada. The State Department had described the siblings' situation as an example of "coercive exit bans." After Meng's release, China set free two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, whom it had charged with stealing state secrets, in what had been widely seen as retaliation for Canada's detention of Meng on a U.S. warrant. Cynthia and Victor Liu are the daughter and son of Liu Changming, a businessman wanted on fraud charges in China. The siblings went to China in June 2018 to visit relatives but were barred from leaving, while their mother, Sandra Han, who made the trip with them, was detained. Their lawyers and the U.S. authorities described the move as an attempt to pressure Liu Changming into returning to China to faces charges - despite the siblings saying they had not had contact with their father in years. Victor and Cynthia Liu's lawyer Marc Ginsberg told the New York Times that he believed a Sept. 9 phone call between President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping had "helped to break a logjam" and contributed to the siblings' release. He added that the siblings would have no comment for the news media. A person familiar with the case told The Washington Post that the siblings had agreed with Chinese authorities not to publicly disclose details of their situation out of consideration for their mother, who is still being held in the country. In a statement, a State Department spokesperson said the United States opposed the use of exit bans against people who had not been charged with crimes. Several other Americans are thought to remain in China under exit bans, and it is not clear whether there could be further releases. On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying described the handling of the siblings' case as "lawful and an independent judicial procedure" and part of the investigation into their parents' cases, AP news reported. "Chinese police, in order to find out the truth, restricted their exit from China," Hua added. "In light of the progress of the investigation, police lifted the restrictions in September 2021." Meanwhile, the United States and China have denied that the releases of Meng, and of Spavor and Kovrig, were linked. On Monday, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said: "We can't determine how the Chinese or others manage their business over there ... but we have an independent Justice Department that made independent decisions - law enforcement decisions. At the same time, we have made no secret about our push to have the two Michaels released. That's certainly positive news and good news." Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said during a news conference that Spavor and Kovrig were granted bail for medical reasons. "The Meng Wanzhou incident is completely different in essence from the two Canadians' cases," she added. On Friday, Meng was released from Canada after entering into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Justice Department in which she acknowledged that she had misled HSBC into violating U.S. sanctions on Iran. She returned to China on Saturday to a hero's welcome. Hours later, Spavor and Kovrig were sent home to Canada. In April, a group of U.S. senators including Massachusetts Democrats Edward J. Markey and Elizabeth Warren introduced a bill known as the "Ending China's Exit Ban for American Citizens Act 2021," aimed at preventing any Chinese official who arbitrarily prevents an American citizen from leaving China from obtaining a U.S. visa. In its travel advisory for China, the U.S. State Department warns Americans to "reconsider travel" to the country "due to arbitrary enforcement of local laws," including by carrying out arbitrary and wrongful detentions and through the use of exit bans on U.S. citizens and citizens of other countries without due process of law." Taliban members sit in front of a mural depicting a woman behind barbed wire in Kabul, Afghanistan. (Felipe Dana / AP) KABUL, Afghanistan Female Afghan health workers, teachers and rights defenders Tuesday urged the international community to resume financial aid to Afghanistan, saying non-payment has disproportionally impacted women. Aqela Noori, a teacher, said at a news conference in the capital Kabul that 120,000 female educators and nearly 14,000 female health care workers have not been paid their salaries for the past two to three months. "We call on the international community, the World Bank and international humanitarian agencies not to suspend their humanitarian aid to Afghanistan," she said. "Don't leave Afghanistan alone in this difficult time." Since the Taliban overran Kabul on Aug. 15 and seized control of the country, the world has been watching to see whether they will re-create their harsh rule of the late 1990s. Foreign aid accounted for nearly 75% of Afghanistan's public expenditure, according to a World Bank report, prior to the Taliban taking control of the country last month. The funds have been frozen and now an economic crisis looms. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund paused disbursements to the government, while the U.S. froze billons of dollars in assets held in American accounts by the Afghan Central Bank. Women working in rural areas are severely affected by the months of salary arrears, Noori said, urging that their salary payments be prioritized. Public salaries for both men and women across state institutions were not paid by the previous government under President Ashraf Ghani months before the Taliban takeover. The World Bank said in a statement Tuesday the bank was "deeply concerned" about the disruptions to critical health services and said it was "closely monitoring and assessing the situation." "We continue to follow events and once the situation becomes clearer, we will be able to assess next steps," it said. Noori said the non-payment of female health workers has undermined service delivery, especially in rural areas, leading to higher rates of maternal and infant mortality. She did not provide statistics. Noori said the salaries of 8,400 out of a total 14,000 health workers had been paid directly by the World Bank in the past, but the allocations stopped two months ago. Yalda Hamishi, an obstetrician, said the suspension of funds has caused a "catastrophe" in rural areas and that most female doctors have stopped working because they haven't been paid. Teachers, meanwhile, addressed the new Taliban leadership directly, asking them to provide alternative jobs for the approximately 16,000 female teachers the Taliban have prohibited from teaching high school until a decision is made on their status. Most, they said, were the only breadwinners in the family. They urged the Taliban to ensure a safe environment for both boys and girls to attend schools and to open schools to girls as soon as possible. Girls' schools from Grade 7-12 still remain closed. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan speaks during a press briefing at the White House, Monday, June 7, 2021, in Washington. (Evan Vucci/AP) SANAA, Yemen Two days of fierce clashes between Yemeni government forces and Houthi rebels over a crucial central city have killed more than 130 fighters, mostly rebels, officials said Tuesday. The escalation of fighting over the energy-rich city of Marib comes as President Joe Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan traveled to Saudi Arabia to meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as Washington presses for a cease-fire in the yearslong war. Yemen has been convulsed by civil war since 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthis captured the capital of Sanaa and much of the country's north, forcing President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and his government to flee to the south, then to Saudi Arabia. A Saudi-led coalition entered the war in March 2015, backed by the United States, to try restore Hadi to power. Despite a relentless air campaign and ground fighting, the war has deteriorated largely into a stalemate and spawned the world's worst humanitarian crisis. The rebels renewed their attacks on Marib earlier this year, an offensive that threatens to exacerbate a dire situation in a city that already hosts hundreds of thousands of displaced Yemenis. The Houthis have for years attempted to take Marib to complete their control over the northern half of the country but have met with stiff resistance. The latest fighting has taken place south of Marib where the rebels are trying to break the government defenses, according to tribal elders, government and rebel officials. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media and the elders spoke anonymously because they feared reprisals. Yemen's military said its forces, aided by tribal fighters and airstrikes by the Saudi-led coalition, have killed and wounded dozens of Houthi fighters and destroyed vehicles during fierce clashes around Marib in the past 24 hours. The rebels usually attack with waves of fighters charging government lines, thereby becoming easy targets for warplanes of the Saudi-led coalition. The Houthi media office said the Saudi-led coalition launched more than 30 airstrikes on their fighters around Marib on Monday. Workers examine a train car, Monday, Sept. 27, 2021, from an Amtrak train that derailed Saturday, near Joplin, Mont. Federal investigators are seeking the cause of the derailment. (Ted S. Warren/AP) JOPLIN, Mont. An Amtrak train that derailed in rural Montana over the weekend was going just under the speed limit at about 75 mph (121 kph) when it went off the track along a gradual curve, killing three people and possibly ejecting passengers, U.S. investigators said Monday. Investigators do not know the cause of the accident, but they are studying video from the train and another locomotive that went over the same track a little over an hour earlier, National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman Bruce Landsberg said. The derailed train also had a black box that records everything happening in the train, he said. We have experts that are studying the camera footage frame by frame to make sure that we see exactly what the engineer saw or maybe didnt see, Landsberg said. The train derailed before a switch in the line, where one set of tracks turned into two, on a stretch of track that had been inspected just two days before, he said. The westbound Empire Builder was traveling from Chicago to Seattle when it left the tracks Saturday afternoon near Joplin, a town of about 200. The train, carrying 141 passengers and 16 crew members, had two locomotives and 10 cars, eight of which derailed, with some tipping onto their sides. When asked about wooden ties that were seen along the side of the tracks, and whether there was recent maintenance on that section, Landsberg did not answer directly. That will be one of the questions that we look at, he said. Maintenance will be a really big concern for us. We dont know, at this point, exactly what happened, whether it was a track issue, whether it was a mechanical issue with the train. So all of these things are open. He said a preliminary report on the derailment is expected within 30 days. Dale Fossen, one of several Joplin residents who went to the scene to help, said the train tracks ended up mangled. You could see the tracks looked like a pretzel, they were really twisted bad, Fossen said. Investigators will look at everything, including the switch, wheels, axles and suspension systems, as well as the track geometry and condition, including any cracks, said Steven Ditmeyer, a rail consultant and former senior official at the Federal Railroad Administration. He said a switch like the one in Joplin would be controlled by the BNSF Railway control center in Fort Worth, Texas. Sometimes rail lines can become deformed by heat, creating buckles in the tracks known as sun kinks, Ditmeyer said. That was the cause of a derailment in northern Montana in August 1988, when an Empire Builder train veered off the tracks about 170 miles (274 kilometers) east in the tiny town of Saco. The NTSB concluded that an inspection failed to catch a problem in the track, and officials did not warn trains to slow down on that stretch. The crew saw the track had shifted, but the train was going full speed and could not stop before derailing. Temperatures were in the high 80s Saturday near Joplin, according to the National Weather Service. Russ Quimby, a former rail-accident investigator for the NTSB, said heat is the most likely explanation. He is convinced because the locomotives in front did not derail, but eight lighter coach cars behind them did. This has all the earmarks of a track buckle also, Quimby said. Sometimes a locomotive, which is heavier, will make it through a buckled track, but the cars following wont. You saw that in this accident, he said. A malfunction of the switch seems less likely, Quimby said, because the switch would have been inspected when the track was checked last week. Another possibility was a defect in the rail, said railroad safety expert David Clarke, director of the Center for Transportation Research at the University of Tennessee. He noted that regular testing does not always catch such problems. Speed was not a likely factor because trains on that line have systems that prevent excessive speeds and collisions, which appear to have worked in this case, Clarke said. Did the switch play some role? It might have been that the front of the train hit the switch and it started fish-tailing and that flipped the back part of the train, Clarke said. The derailment was about 150 miles (241 kilometers) northeast of the capital of Helena and about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the Canadian border. The tracks cut through vast, golden brown wheat fields that were recently harvested and roughly parallel to U.S. Highway 2. Allan Zarembski, director of the University of Delawares Railway Engineering and Safety Program, said he did not want to speculate but suspected the derailment stemmed from an issue with the track, train equipment or both. Railways have virtually eliminated major derailments by human error after the implementation of a nationwide system called positive train control, which is designed to stop trains before an accident, Zarembski said. The derailment comes as Congress works toward final passage of a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package that includes $66 billion to improve Amtrak service. Thats less than the $80 billion that President Joe Biden who famously rode Amtrak from Delaware to Washington during his time in the Senate originally asked for, but it would be the largest federal investment in passenger rail service since Amtrak was founded 50 years ago. The biggest chunk of money would go toward repairs and improvements along the rail services congested 457-mile-long (735-kilometer-long) Northeast Corridor as well as intercity routes with higher commuter traffic. About $16 billion also is aimed at building out Amtraks national service to wider America, particularly in rural regions. Amtrak CEO Bill Flynn said the company was working with the NTSB, the Federal Railroad Administration and local law enforcement and shared their sense of urgency to determine what happened in Montana. Landsberg, the NTSB vice chairman, said safety officials hope to complete their investigation as soon as possible so BNSF can repair the rails, which are a key line for freight traffic. He noted that trains are backed up on both sides of the crash site. Were sensitive to the fact that the railroad is a critical lifeblood, and we want to get the goods and services moving, he said. ___ Koenig reported from Dallas. Associated Press writer Hope Yen in Washington also contributed to this report. In this Dec. 21, 2020, photo, Michelle Chester, director of employee health services at Northwell Health, prepares the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at Northwell Health's Long Island Jewish Valley Stream hospital in Valley Stream, N.Y. Hospitals and nursing homes across the country are preparing for worsening staff shortages as state deadlines arrive for employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19. (Eduardo Munoz/AP) Hospitals and nursing homes around the U.S. are bracing for worsening staff shortages as state deadlines arrive for health care workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19. With ultimatums taking effect this week in states like New York, California, Rhode Island and Connecticut, the fear is that some employees will quit or let themselves be fired or suspended rather than get the vaccine. How this is going to play out, we dont know. We are concerned about how it will exacerbate an already quite serious staffing problem, said California Hospital Association spokesperson Jan Emerson-Shea, adding that the organization absolutely supports the state's vaccination requirement. New York health care employees had until the end of the day Monday to get at least one dose, but some hospitals had already begun suspending or otherwise taking action against holdouts. Erie County Medical Center Corp. in Buffalo said about 5% of its hospital workforce has been put on unpaid leave for not being vaccinated, along with 20% of staff at its nursing home. And the states largest health care provider, Northwell Health, said it has begun removing unvaccinated workers from its system, though it said its workforce is nearly 100% vaccinated. To those who have not yet made that decision, please do the right thing, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said. Some New York hospitals prepared contingency plans that included cutting back on noncritical services and limiting nursing home admissions. The governor also drew up plans to summon help from National Guard members with medical training, retirees or vaccinated workers from outside the state. About a dozen states have vaccination mandates covering health care workers in hospitals, long-term care facilities or both. Some allow exemptions on medical or religious grounds, but those employees often must submit to regular COVID-19 testing. States that have set such requirements tend to have high vaccination rates already. The highest rates are concentrated in the Northeast, the lowest ones in the South and Midwest. The Biden administration also will require the roughly 17 million workers at health facilities that receive federal Medicare or Medicaid to be fully vaccinated under a rule still being developed. That has worried some hospital officials, particularly in rural communities where vaccination rates tend to be lower. We are looking at the need to reallocate staff, in some cases just to maintain services that are essential, and there are going to be some delays" in care, said Troy Bruntz, president and CEO at Community Hospital in McCook, Nebraska. He said 25 of the hospitals 330 employees said they would definitely resign if they were required to be vaccinated. The remainder of the approximately 100 unvaccinated employees a group that includes nurses as well as cleaning and maintenance staff havent decided. He also worries that it will be difficult to hire new workers when the hospital is already short-handed. It doesnt make us feel too confident that this isnt going to turn into something short of a nightmare for American health care, he said. Many hospitals and nursing homes are already suffering staff shortages because many nurses and others have quit as a result of pandemic-related burnout or have left for lucrative jobs traveling from state to state. White House press secretary Jen Psaki noted that hospitals in Houston and Maine lost a relatively small number of employees recently after requiring employees to get vaccinated. Were seeing in a lot of places that this is working, its effective. Its creating more certainty and protection in their workforces," Psaki said. In California, where health care workers have until Thursday to get fully vaccinated, some hospitals are anticipating firings, suspensions or the moving of people to other positions, Emerson-Shea said. She said many traveling nurses have declined assignments in California because of the state's vaccine requirement. But with a statewide mandate, health workers won't be able to just quit their jobs and go to other hospitals, said Dr. Jeff Smith, CEO and executive vice president of hospital operations at Los Angeles-based Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. He expects that about 97 percent of Cedars-Sinai's almost 17,000 employees affected by the vaccine mandate will comply by the deadline. Another 1 percent have applied for medical or religious exemptions. Those who don't comply by Friday will be suspended for a week, and fired on Oct. 8 if they don't comply or if there are not extenuating circumstances, he said. The hospital also was able to hire over 100 nurses in the past month and uses some travel nurses. Were in a good place but dont want to minimize the challenges other hospitals are likely facing," Smith said. In Rhode Island, where the vaccine mandate takes effect Friday, the state said hospitals can allow unvaccinated employees to keep working 30 days past the deadline in cases where firing them would compromise patient safety. The mandate is being challenged in court because it doesn't allow religious exemptions. In states that dont have mandates, some hospitals are imposing their own. Ginger Robertson, a registered nurse who works in a mental health clinic at a hospital in Bismarck, North Dakota, has requested a religious exemption from her hospitals vaccination requirement. She said she will look for other work if she doesnt get it. Honestly, I really love my job. I am good at it. I enjoy my patients. I enjoy where I am at," she said. "So this is a really hard place, to have to choose between two things I dont want to do. I dont want to leave, and I dont want to get the vaccine. She said other nurses are also considering leaving over what she called the insulting mandate. We feel demoralized, like as though we arent intelligent enough to make these choices for ourselves, Robertson said. A North Carolina-based hospital system announced Monday that more than 175 of its 35,000-plus employees have been fired for failing to comply with its COVID-19 vaccination requirement. Last week, Novant Health announced 375 workers had been suspended and given five days to comply. Nearly 200 of them did so including those who submitted approved exemptions before the Friday deadline, spokesperson Megan Rivers said. Massachusetts' mandate, issued by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, applies only to rest homes, assisted living facilities, hospice programs and home care programs. It allows for medical and religious exemptions but doesn't require regular testing. The deadline is Oct. 31. In Connecticut, a vaccine mandate for employees of state-run hospitals took effect on Monday. It does not apply to privately run hospitals, some of which are imposing their own requirements. Medical and religious exemptions are possible, but anyone else who fails to get vaccinated will be barred from the workplace. About 84% of over 450,000 hospital workers in New York were fully vaccinated as of Wednesday, according to state data. Nursing home data through Sunday showed about 89% of nursing home workers fully vaccinated. New York Citys hospital system reported a 95% vaccination rate for nurses and a higher rate for doctors. In Missouri, which became a severe COVID-19 hot spot over the summer, the Mercy hospital system is requiring vaccinations among staff at its hundreds of medical centers and clinics in Missouri and neighboring states by Thursday. Anyone who doesn't comply by then will be placed on a 30-day unpaid suspension, said Mercy spokeswoman Bethany Pope. ___ Webber reported from Fenton, Michigan, and Hollingsworth from Mission, Kansas. Philip Marcelo and Mark Pratt in Boston; Michael Melia in Hartford, Connecticut; Michael Hill in Albany, New York; Skip Foreman in Charlotte, North Carolina; and Zeke Miller in Washington contributed to this story. A U.S. Coast Guard takes part in a joint Arctic search and rescue exercise with Canadian counterparts Sept. 6, 2021, in Nunavut. (Michael Martini/U.S. Coast Guard) MIAMI (Tribune News Service) U.S. Coast Guard crews based in Key West stopped a speedboat off the Dominican Republic last week that the agency said was hauling 10 bales of cocaine. The total weight of the drugs was around 250 kilograms with a wholesale value of about $7.5 million, according to a Coast Guard press release issued Monday. The 25-foot boat was about 145 nautical miles south of Hispaniola last Wednesday when a U.S. law enforcement aircraft detected the vessel and radioed the Coast Guard Cutter Kathleen Moore to intercept it. Along with the drugs, the crew of the cutter and a smaller Coast Guard patrol boat found two men from the Dominican Republic operating the vessel, the press release states. The men were arrested on charges of possession with intent to distribute cocaine aboard a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. The crew did a great job working with interagency partners and Coast Guard watchstanders preventing this drug smuggling go-fast from making landfall, Lt. Andrew R. Collins, the Kathleen Moores commanding officer, said in a statement. The men, who the Coast Guard did not name, were transferred to another cutter, which took them to San Juan, Puerto Rico, to face the charges on Saturday. 2021 Miami Herald. Visit at miamiherald.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the conclusion of military operations in Afghanistan and plans for future counterterrorism operations, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Patrick Semansky/AP ) Army Gen. Mark Milley on Tuesday told senators that he never attempted to usurp authority from President Donald Trump during the final months of his presidency, labeling calls with Chinas top general as needed to calm fears of an imminent U.S. attack. I am certain that President Trump did not intend to attack the Chinese, and it was my direct responsibility [from] the [defense] secretary to convey that intent to the Chinese, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the Senate Armed Services Committee, addressing allegations raised in the new book Peril. My task at that time was to de-escalate. My message, again, was consistent: Stay calm, steady and de-escalate. We are not going to attack you. Bob Woodward and Robert Costa first reported in their book the calls on Oct. 30 and Jan. 8 between Milley and his Chinese counterpart Gen. Li Zuocheng. The Washington Post journalists wrote Milley assured Li that he would warn him ahead of time if Trump decided to attack China. The authors also claimed Milley took other steps some potentially illegal to work around Trump after his Nov. 20 election loss, and the general agreed with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., that Trump was crazy. Milley admitted Tuesday that he spoke with Woodward before the books publication, and he pushed back on some of the media reporting about the book. However, he told senators he had not read the book and could not comment specifically on the accuracy of its portrayal of his actions. Pressed by several Republican senators hours into the marathon hearing Tuesday to examine the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Milley defended his decisions to speak with Woodward and several other authors of tell-all style books about the waning days of Trumps presidency. The general denied allegations raised by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., that he had leaked sensitive information or private conversations that he had with Trump. Milley also told Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, that during calls with Li, his assurance that he would call China before an attack was issued only because there was no chance Trump was going to launch such an assault. Let me tell you what I actually said, senator. I said if theres going to be a war if theres going to be an attack, theres going to be a lot of calls, a lot of tensions ahead of time, Milley told Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska. I said, Ill probably call you. I didnt give him a heads up, because we were not going to attack. Asked a short time later if he would actually alert Li if the United States planned a real attack on China, Milley said he would not do so. Of course I wouldnt, the general told Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla. Some Republicans, including Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, have cited the books contents in recent calls for Milleys removal from his position. President Joe Biden has said he remains confident in Milley and had no intention of firing the general, who became chairman of the Joint Chiefs in 2019 when he was hand-picked by Trump against the recommendations of his former defense secretary Jim Mattis. In a statement after the books contents were reported, Trump called Milley a dumbass and suggested he had committed treason if the reporting was accurate. Milleys appearance Tuesday on Capitol Hill was the first time that the general offered an extended defense of his actions in Trumps final months in the White House. He testified alongside Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who was not asked to address the allegations against Milley during the hearing. A senior defense official said the defense secretary remains confident in his top general. In Milleys opening statement, he adamantly denied wrongdoing. He told senators that he was strongly committed to his oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution and would never undermine presidential authority. At no time was I attempting to change or influence the process, usurp authority or insert myself into the chain of command, but I am expected to give my advice and ensure the president is fully informed, Milley said. My oath is to support the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies foreign and domestic. And I will never turn my back on that oath. I firmly believe in civilian control of the military as a bedrock principle essential to the health of this republic, and Im committed to ensuring the military stays clear of domestic politics. The job of chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff was created in 1949 to provide the president and defense secretary a top uniformed adviser who is not within the chain of command. Milley is the 20th Joint Chiefs chairman and about two years into a four-year term. No Joint Chiefs chairman has ever been fired by a president. Milley said the two calls in question were properly coordinated with the defense secretaries at the time and included other top Pentagon officials on the call. The general said he briefed then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows shortly after the Jan. 9 call. Milley disputed the allegations that he agreed with Pelosis assertion that Trump was crazy, but confirmed the House speaker shared concerns about the president and she made various personal references characterizing the president. I am not qualified to determine the mental health of the president of the United States, he said Tuesday. A handful of Republican senators scolded Milley for spending time speaking with journalists, including Woodward, early this year as the military worked to withdraw from Afghanistan. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., accused the general of being a little bit distracted in talking with authors. Blackburn went further, accusing him of leaking information to make himself look good. The general said he spent only several hours speaking authors, including conversations on- and off-the-record. He said speaking to journalists ensures they are presented accurate information about events. Milley, who commissioned into the Army after graduating from Princeton University in 1980, served extensively in Afghanistan and Iraq. He is a Green Beret who previously served as the Army chief of staff and commanded U.S. troops at every level. He is also no stranger to controversy. Milley faced criticism last year for accompanying Trump on his infamous walk across Lafayette Square outside the White House amid racial protests. Milley later apologized for appearing during the incident, which he worried undermined the apolitical nature of the U.S. military. Milley has also faced criticism recently from Republicans for the Pentagons efforts to address extremism in the ranks and promote racial equity in the ranks. He told senators on Tuesday discussions of the intelligence related to the two calls with China would need to be discussed in a classified briefing. He told them that he would provide them any emails, phone logs, memoranda, witnesses or anything else you need to understand these events. The Pentagon in Arlington County, Va. (Dreamstime/TNS) WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service) The defense policy bill the House passed last week would make sweeping changes to how the Defense Department handles vehicle safety. Included in the mammoth, $768 billion fiscal 2022 National Defense Authorization Act are four provisions and one amendment that would direct the Pentagon to implement changes recommended by Congress, create a DOD-wide safety council and change the way the department handles vehicle accident investigations. The NDAA language is at least in part the result of years of lobbying by the families of servicemembers killed during training. I think this is major progress, but there is more to do, said Michael McDowell, the father of Lt. Conor McDowell, who was killed in May 2019 when, during a training exercise at Camp Pendleton in California, his light armored vehicle rolled off a cliff into a crevice that was hidden by tall weeds. He died instantly. The reforms are significant, and were two-thirds of the way to reducing death tolls and horrific injuries, but the next priority is to address the lack of leadership in terms of flag officers accepting responsibility on safety, which is part of their job, and being held accountable, McDowell said. Watchdog recommendations Since Conors death, McDowell and his wife, Susan, have lobbied hard to prevent future military vehicle accidents. They asked members of Congress to task the Government Accountability Office, a watchdog agency for the legislative branch, with investigating what they said was a pattern of military training deaths involving vehicles across the services. That investigation found that a lack of adequate driver training and a failure to implement safety practices were the most common causes of Army and Marine Corps vehicle rollovers over the past decade. In the past 14 years, nearly four times as many service members have died in training accidents as in combat, according to the Congressional Research Service. The GAO report also found the drivers of vehicles often have limited or rushed training. And when drivers are trained, there is no system in place to ensure they are capable of driving in diverse conditions, including at night or on difficult terrain. Now, an amendment to the Houses NDAA by Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., directs the Pentagon to implement all of the GAOs recommendations, which include developing risk management procedures across the Army and Marine Corps, improving driver training programs and implementing ways to better communicate hazardous driving conditions between units. Buchanan became involved in the push to reform how the DOD handles vehicle training accidents following the death of his constituent, Army Spc. Nicholas Panipinto, who flipped and rolled a combat vehicle he was driving during a Nov. 6, 2019, road test at South Koreas Camp Humphreys, the U.S. militarys largest overseas base. The emergency response to the rollover was plagued by a series of vehicle and equipment problems and other mishaps that delayed lifesaving treatment. The 20-year-old ultimately died. Improving the training capabilities of our armed forces has remained one of my top priorities since the heartbreaking death of my constituent, Nicholas Panipinto, said Buchanan in a press release. I am pleased to see the House take action and approve my amendment to implement these commonsense proposals to prevent future training accidents and more importantly, save lives. Safety provisions Another provision in the Pentagon policy bill would direct the secretaries of the Army and the Navy to carry out a pilot program that evaluates the feasibility of using data recording devices on combat vehicles, similar to black boxes on airplanes. The devices would record and transmit data on the status of the vehicles, the driver and the vehicles surroundings during regular use to assist commanders in better understanding how the vehicles are used, and what happens during an accident. The bill also contains language that would establish a joint safety council within the office of the deputy secretary of defense that would be responsible for updating vehicle safety and accident investigation regulations, establishing a uniform accident data collection system and reviewing the safety management system of each service, among other responsibilities. And finally, the measure would direct the deputy secretary of defense to develop a proposal for a Mishap Investigation Review Board. The board would provide independent oversight of safety investigations carried out by the Pentagon and would evaluate the circumstances surrounding operational and training accidents. Next, the Senate will consider its version of the NDAA, which its Armed Services Committee approved in July. Presuming the Senate passes it, a House-Senate conference will reconcile differences before both chambers vote on sending the bill to President Joe Biden. Advocates like McDowell hope that the bipartisan nature of military safety proposals will insulate the House provisions from being stripped from the final bill. 2021 CQ-Roll Call, Inc., All Rights Reserved. Visit cqrollcall.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the conclusion of military operations in Afghanistan and plans for future counterterrorism operations, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Patrick Semansky/AP) WASHINGTON The Talibans rapid takeover of Afghanistan came as a surprise to defense officials who had spent months planning the evacuation mission from the country, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. The Pentagon began planning for the possibility of a noncombatant evacuation from Afghanistan as far back as this spring, Austin said, though no one predicted the Afghan government would fall before U.S. forces left on Aug. 30. The fact that the Afghan army that we and our partners trained simply melted away, in many cases without firing a shot, took us all by surprise and it would be dishonest to claim otherwise, he said. The fall of the Afghan government and its military made an already difficult evacuation mission more challenging, Austin said, noting in the span of just two days from Aug. 13 to 15 we went from working alongside a democratically elected, longtime partner government to coordinating warily with a longtime enemy. Noncombatant evacuations remain among the most challenging military operations, even in the best of circumstances. And the circumstances in August were anything but ideal, he said. Extreme heat. A land-locked country. No government. A highly dynamic situation on the ground. And an active, credible and lethal terrorist threat. However, though the Pentagon absolutely missed the rapid 11-day collapse of the Afghan military and the collapse of their government, senior officials knew Kabul would eventually fall to the Taliban, said Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. I think there was a lot of intelligence that clearly indicated that after we withdrew that it was a likely outcome of a collapse of the military and collapse of the government, he said. Most of those intelligence assessments indicated that that would occur late fall, perhaps early winter. Still, Austin said the forces were ready for the evacuation mission because he had ordered in mid-May that U.S. Central Command, which oversees operations in the Middle East region, prepare for that outcome. Two weeks later, I began prepositioning forces in the region, to include three infantry battalions, he said. On the 10th of August, we ran another table-top exercise around a noncombatant evacuation scenario. We wanted to be ready. And we were. The evacuation mission, which began Aug. 13 just two days before the Taliban captured Afghanistans capital of Kabul was numerically a success with more than 124,000 Americans and U.S. allies, including Afghans, evacuated from the country before the last U.S. troops left Aug. 30, Austin said. It was the largest airlift conducted in U.S. history, and it was executed in just 17 days, he said. Was it perfect? Of course not. We moved so many people so quickly out of Kabul that we ran into capacity and screening problems at intermediate staging bases outside of Afghanistan. However, congressional lawmakers have criticized its execution, which Austin said in its first days saw several desperate Afghans clinging to the sides of military aircraft at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul and falling to their deaths. In the evacuations final days, 13 troops died when Islamic State terrorists detonated an explosive vest and fired into the crowds at the airports Abbey gate on Aug. 26. To be clear, those first two days were difficult, Austin said. We all watched with alarm the images of Afghans rushing the runway and our aircraft. We all remember the scenes of confusion outside the airport. Austin admitted the military was unable to evacuate everyone, saying the government is still working to get Americans out who wish to leave. When U.S. forces left Afghanistan, between 100-200 Americans who wanted to leave remained in the country, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said at the time. Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., said Tuesday that the military at President Joe Bidens command did the unthinkable by leaving Americans behind. The American people deserve answers about how this avoidable disaster happened, he said. Why were Americans left behind? Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of CENTCOM, said former President Donald Trumps February 2020 agreement to leave Afghanistan in 2021 contributed to the willingness of Afghan security forces to cede to the Taliban. Trump made the agreement with the Taliban and Afghan government during a meeting in Doha, Qatar. The primary accelerant to lowering morale and general efficiency of the Afghan military was what they saw coming on the heels of the Doha agreement what they believe was forced upon them, McKenzie said, referring to an assumed Taliban takeover. Further, the now-ousted Afghan President Ashraf Ghanis sudden decision on Aug. 15 to abandon Afghanistan as the Taliban closed in on Kabul disheartened the Afghan forces, leading to the Taliban pushing in as fast as they wanted to go into the center of the city, the general said. I think when we consider what happened to the Afghan military, you have to consider it linked completely to what happened to the Afghan government, and when your president flees literally on no notice in the middle of the day that has a profoundly debilitating effect, McKenzie said. Though there are no longer U.S. forces on the ground in Afghanistan, Austin said the evacuation part of the mission is not over as about 100 Americans and countless vulnerable Afghans remain in the country. We did not get out all of our Afghan allies enrolled in the special immigrant visa program. We take that very seriously, he said. That is why we are working across the interagency to continue facilitating their departure. In the future, Austin said the Pentagon should consider some uncomfortable truths that we didnt fully comprehend the depth of corruption and poor leadership in the senior ranks and the snowball effect caused by the deals that the Taliban commanders struck with local leaders in the wake of the Doha agreement. In this June 17, 2021 file photo, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, left, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Mark Milley talk before a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Evelyn Hockstein/AP) WASHINGTON In their first public testimony since the U.S. completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, top Pentagon leaders will face sharp questions in Congress about the chaotic pullout and the Taliban's rapid takeover of the country. Republicans in particular have intensified their attacks on President Joe Bidens decision to pull all troops out of Afghanistan by Aug. 30, saying it left the U.S. more vulnerable to terrorism. They are demanding more details on the suicide bombing in Kabul that killed 13 American service members in the final days of the withdrawal. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, are slated to testify Tuesday in front of the Senate Armed Services Committee and then on Wednesday before the House Armed Services Committee. Gen. Frank McKenzie, who as head of Central Command oversaw the withdrawal, will testify as well. The Senate committee's ranking Republican, James Inhofe of Oklahoma, has peppered the Pentagon with a lengthy list of questions about multiple aspects of the withdrawal, including the suicide bombing on Aug. 26 at Kabul's international airport that killed 169 Afghans in addition to the American service members. He also is demanding information about decision-making over the summer as it became apparent that the Taliban were overwhelming U.S.-backed Afghan forces. We need a full accounting of every factor and decision that led us to where we are today and a real plan for defending America moving forward, Inhofe wrote last week. The withdrawal ended the longest war in U.S. history. The Biden administration, and some Democrats in Congress, have argued that former President Donald Trump bears some of the blame for the war ending in a Taliban victory, since his administration signed a deal with the Taliban in 2020 that promised a full American withdrawal by May 2021. They also have pointed to a yearslong U.S. failure to build an Afghan military that could stand up to the Taliban. This is not a Democratic or a Republican problem. These failures have been manifesting over four presidential administrations of both political parties, Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I, said the day after the Taliban took over Kabul on Aug. 15. Although Tuesday's hearing was scheduled to focus on Afghanistan, other topics will likely come up, including Milley's actions during the final months of Trump's presidency. Some in Congress have accused Milley of disloyalty for what the book Peril, by Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, reported as assurances to a Chinese general that the U.S. had no plan to attack China, and that if it did, Milley would warn him in advance. In the days following news accounts of the book's reporting, Milley declined to comment in detail, instead telling reporters that he would lay out his answers directly to Congress. His only comments have been that the calls with the Chinese were routine and within the duties and responsibilities of his job. Both Milley and Austin have defended the U.S. military's execution of an Afghanistan withdrawal that Biden ordered in April. The pullout was largely completed by early July, but several hundred troops were kept in Kabul, along with some defensive equipment, to protect a U.S. diplomatic presence in the capital. The State Department initially said the diplomats would remain after the military withdrawal was completed by Aug. 31, but when the Afghan forces collapsed and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, leaving the Taliban in charge, a frantic evacuation began. The Pentagon has defended its execution of an airlift from Kabul airport that transported more than 120,000 people, while acknowledging that it got off to a chaotic start and was under near-constant threat of terrorist attack. The Biden administrations avalanche of incompetence has damaged our international reputation and humiliated the United States on the world stage, Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas and Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, both Republicans, wrote in the Des Moines Register. Yet, our president and secretary of state continue to pretend that the withdrawal from Afghanistan was a historic success. Cotton and others have questioned the viability of U.S. plans to contain al-Qaida and the Islamic State group's Afghanistan affiliate by using intelligence-collection assets and attack planes based outside of Afghanistan. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley listens to a Senators question during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the conclusion of military operations in Afghanistan and plans for future counterterrorism operations, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (Patrick Semansky/AP) WASHINGTON Army Gen. Mark Milley and Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie told senators Tuesday that they were against withdrawing all U.S. troops from Afghanistan for fear the country would fall to the Taliban. The generals said they believed about 2,500 troops should have remained in Afghanistan to prevent the fall of the Afghan government. However, Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and McKenzie, the top U.S. general in the Middle East region, declined to tell members of the Senate Armed Services Committee whether they advised President Joe Biden to keep troops in Afghanistan before he made the decision in April to withdraw American forces from the country. McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command, said it would be reasonable for the committee to assume that Biden was informed of the generals opinion. Thats counter to Bidens claim that no military advisers warned against withdrawing from Afghanistan in an Aug. 18 interview with ABC News. No one said that to me that I can recall, Biden told ABC News when asked whether he was advised to keep 2,500 troops in that country. Republican lawmakers, including Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. expressed outrage that Biden reportedly ignored advice not to withdraw from Afghanistan, calling the hearings revelations extraordinary. The president of the United States lied to the American people about the advice that you gave him about the military judgment that you provided him, Hawley said. Milley said he had been against withdrawing from Afghanistan since last fall when then-President Donald Trump considered ending the war before his term in office expired. Trump on Nov. 11 issued an order to withdraw from Afghanistan no later than Jan. 15, 2021, Milley said, but Trump rescinded the order two days later after further discussions regarding the risks associated with such a withdrawal. My analysis was that an accelerated withdrawal, without meeting specific and necessary conditions, risks losing the substantial gains made in Afghanistan [and] damaging U.S. worldwide credibility, McKenzie said. While not admitting to counseling Biden against the withdrawal, Milley said it is the presidents prerogative to decide whether to adhere to military leaders advice. When asked why he didnt resign after his guidance was ignored, Milley said it would have been an incredible act of political defiance for a commissioned officer to just resign because my advice is not taken." This country doesn't want generals figuring out what orders we're going to accept and do or not. That's not our job, Milley said. [Civilians] having control of the military is absolute -- it's critical to this republic." But Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Tuesday that keeping U.S. service members in Afghanistan for another year would not have meant peace for the country as President Donald Trump had earlier agreed to withdraw from the country by May 1. If you stay there at a force posture of 2,500, certainly youd be in a fight with the Taliban and youd have to reinforce yourself, Austin told senators. This was not risk-free and the Taliban ... were committed to recommencing their operations against our forces [had we not left]. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said the withdrawal was long overdue and was conducted in accordance with the advice of his military advisers who planned and executed every step of this withdrawal One more year of propping up a corrupt government and an army that wouldn't fight on its own was not going to give us a different outcome, she said. Caitlin Doornbos MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (Tribune News Service) Remains of eight veterans who were forgotten or abandoned in Connecticut funeral homes are to be buried with full military honors on Friday. The public is invited to the ceremony honoring the World War I, World War II, Korean and Vietnam War veterans at 10:30 a.m. at the State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown. The veterans cremated remains sat on funeral home shelves, some since the 1970s, unclaimed by any family members. Funeral directors are not bound to keep ashes after trying to find someone to take possession, but many do anyway. In 2008, then-state veterans Commissioner Linda Schwartz joined the Connecticut Funeral Directors Association and the state chapter of the Missing in America Project to identify veterans remains. At the time, the Missing in America Project had helped locate, identify and inter the ashes of more than 100 veterans nationwide. Ceremonial burials for the remains of such honorably discharged veterans started in Connecticut in 2009. The ceremony was canceled last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2019, the remains of four veterans one from the Spanish American War, one from World War I and two from World War II were buried. Funeral Directors Association spokeswoman Laura Soll said no family members have come forward after the burials or due to publicity surrounding the ceremonies. The veterans to be interred Friday are: Victor Herbert Anderson, U.S. Marines/Korean War, Aug. 4, 1933 - Nov. 1, 2018, died in Seymour. Orville K. Davis, U.S. Army/World War II, May 10, 1923 - Nov. 5, 1993, died in Southington. Stephen Yoder Forrester, U.S. Army/Vietnam War, Feb. 7, 1946 - Nov. 29, 1972, died in Branford. Joseph P. Galipeau, U.S. Army/World War II, March 23, 1929 - Oct. 29, 2001, died in Southington. Lawrence W. Jordan, U.S. Army/World War I, Oct. 10, 1898 - Aug. 5, 1976, died in Branford. Bernard Joseph Lafleur, U.S. Navy/World War II, Nov. 30, 1925 - March 17, 2007, died in Southington. George Dalton Parker, U.S. Navy/World War II, Oct. 30, 1916 - Sept. 10, 1984, died in Hartford. Lawrence Earl Tefft, U.S. Navy/World War II, July 14, 1927 - Feb. 9, 1998, died in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Teffts home at the time was in Connecticut). Four hearses carrying the veterans remains are to leave the DVAs Rocky Hill campus at 9:40 a.m., escorted by police and Connecticut Patriot Guard Riders. At the cemetery, state Veterans Affairs Commissioner Thomas J. Saadi is to lead the ceremony, supported by funeral home directors from across the state. The ceremony also is to include posthumous presentation of Connecticut Wartime Service Medals. jleavenworth@courant.com 2021 Hartford Courant. Visit courant.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Voter registration materials seen at a volunteer registration table during the Arlington Independence Day Parade on Monday, July 5, 2021, in Arlington, Texas. The White House on Tuesday announced a host of plans to boost voter registration and participation rates. (Smiley N. Pool, Dallas Morning News/TNS) WASHINGTON (Tribune News Service) Veterans will be able to register to vote when they receive medical treatment. Job seekers may be able to do the same at federally funded employment centers. And local housing agencies may offer voter registration help to millions of Americans living in public housing. All of those steps are being taken under President Joe Bidens plan to expand voting access amid a string of new state-level restrictions. The White House announced on Tuesday the first batch of actions that federal agencies will undertake after Bidens executive order instructed them to draft plans to boost voter registration and participation rates. Federal agencies submitted plans to the White House last week under the orders deadline, and more actions could come in the future. Several agencies will pair voter registration services with health care. The Department of Veterans Affairs and Indian Health Service will offer voter registration services to patients who rely on the agencies for medical treatment, according to a White House fact sheet. The VA will also help homebound veterans in registering to vote and casting their ballots. Everything you see here is a commitment. It either has happened or will happen, a White House official told McClatchy, referring to the fact sheet. Most of the plans center on providing people who interact with the agency access to forms or information on voter registration. The fact sheet does not specify a timeline for each agencys implementation. The Treasury Department will add information to direct deposit campaigns for Social Security and other federal benefits, while the U.S. Department of Agricultures rural development offices will provide voter registration forms and information on location and dates for voting to those who visit their offices for housing and business assistance. The Department of Housing and Urban Development will issue a guidance for local public housing authorities to provide nonpartisan voter registration services that will go out to 3,000 local agencies that oversee 1.2 million housing units nationwide. The hope is we will see millions of eligible Americans getting more information about how they can participate and we certainly hope that translates to more participation, the White House official said. The point here is to expand opportunity. The administration publicly released the plans on National Voter Registration Day when civic organizations around the country highlight the importance of registering to vote. Our nation and democracy are stronger when everyone participates, and weaker when anyone is left out. As we celebrate National Voter Registration Day, we must continue the work of protecting the fundamental right to vote, Vice President Kamala Harris said in a statement. The President and I continue to use all the tools available to us to help advance that right. Voting rights advocates are hopeful that the administrations actions will help close gaps in voter registration rates along racial and economic lines. Black and brown Americans are significantly less likely to be registered to vote, and many have several contacts with federal agencies and programs, Laura Williamson, senior policy analyst at Demos, a progressive think tank, told McClatchy last week. Having seen millions of voter registration applications submitted after the enactment of similar measures at the state level, were hopeful that well see an even greater impact with federal agencies actively working to get more people registered, she said. Bidens order explicitly set a goal to increase the rate of voter registration among Native Americans as roughly one-third of eligible voters in that community arent registered. The Department of Interior plans to hold on-site voter registration events at Bureau of Indian Education schools and will offer to states to use tribal colleges as voter registration agencies under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), the 1993 law that empowered departments of motor vehicles and other state agencies to offer voter registration services. The Labor Department will issue a guidance to states asking that 2,400 American Job Center offices, which provide employment services and training in every state, are made into voter registration agencies under the NVRA. The Department of Transportation will encourage local bus, subway and other transportation systems to offer reduced fares on Election Day and to provide voter registration materials in high transit stations. The White House would not immediately comment on whether implementing those plans will require additional financial resources. The American Civil Liberties Union and other voting rights organizations have recommended to the Biden administration that it enable people to register to vote when they apply for federal student financial aid or sign up for health insurance on Healthcare.gov. Those proposals were not included in the plans announced on Tuesday. The White House official said that the plans represent the first set of actions, but declined to say what additional actions could be taken in the future. The White House also wants Congress to pass voting rights legislation. But various legislative proposals, including ones endorsed by Biden, face a difficult path in the evenly divided Senate. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has repeatedly blasted the Democratic-crafted voting rights legislation as a power grab. 2021 McClatchy Washington Bureau. Visit at mcclatchydc.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. There has been a detection of Covid-19 in Tauranga wastewater and further testing is underway in Tauranga and Mount Maunganui, with results expected on Thursday. The sample was taken on September 23, additional samples are also being taken from Paeroa, Waihi Beach, Katikati, Matamata, Te Puke and Maketu. Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says there are a number of reasons why wastewater testing may return a positive result including a recovered case or an undetected acute case. Bloomfield says that people in the greater Tauranga area should get a Covid-19 test if you have any symptoms or been at a location of interest. Testing centres in Tauranga will be opening extended hours today and additional pop-ups will be available tomorrow. The locations of those popups will be made available on the Healthpoint website. When asked if Tauranga and the surrounding area should be preparing for a snap lockdown as a result of the positive test Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said, "No." Bloomfield also confirms it is unlikely the test result is a consequence of the truck driver from Auckland who recently visited destinations in Tauranga. There are eight new cases of Covid-19 in the community, all of which are in Auckland. Of those, seven are contacts of existing cases. The remaining case presented at Waitakere Hospital yesterday. The person was transferred to North Shore Hospital as soon as their test returned positive where they are being treated in isolation in a negative pressure room. Five members of Waitakere Hospital's emergency department have been stood down as a result. Eight patients are also being treated as contacts. There are now three active sub-clusters, down from four yesterday. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has confirmed that those leaving Auckland permanently can do so as of midnight tonight, should they provide a negative Covid-19 test. Tune into the livestream above for today's update. More to follow... Bay of Plenty You will be operating the Roller and also required to help out the team hands on. You will be working near Bayfair for a... View or Apply on GoodWork.co.nz 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. RoadMonkey BHPian Join Date: Feb 2018 Location: PB03 Posts: 314 Thanked: 1,083 Times The Maruti crossover battle | Vitara Brezza vs S-Cross We have two cars in our garage, a '20 Polo and a '10 Ritz. The state of my Polo is well documented in this forum. I'm yet to have the BCM failure resolved. Owing to that, we have had to travel a lot on the Ritz and that has highlighted a need for its replacement. My father primarily drives the Ritz, bought it for its styling (yes!) and upright stance. He used to consider Ford Ecosport the natural upgrade to the Ritz but with Ford leaving, that's not an option. The Ritz has aged well and runs perfectly. But after The Polo has satiated our risk appetite and we are now looking for robust cars with bulletproof reliability. So unfortunately, Nexon with its AMT is not on the list. My father's going to retire in a few years, he really loves driving and wants to travel by road as much as possible before hanging up his driving shoes. He isn't an enthusiast by any means, he enjoys the travelling aspect of driving more than the adrenaline rush, so sedate cars are okay, in fact, even preferred! He would also like to keep the car for 15, even 20 years. This is going to be his last car and he wants to make it count. To that end, we've shortlisted the Vitara Brezza (In its Urban Cruiser avatar) and S-Cross. Requirements 1) Comfort - The car's going to be taken out on the highway a lot, but it's also going to be used for the daily commute and city runabouts. He's at a point in life where comfort is the #1 priority. 2) Reliability - Necessary for a car that's going to do a lot of highway runs. 3) Safety - For obvious reasons. 4) Automatic - He's gotten lazy with shifting gears and after having driven the Polo AT, does not think the next purchase should be a manual. 5) Tall - It's not about the seating position, but a way to not be blinded by ever increasing high beam menace within city limits. In our low slung Polo, an oncoming Baleno on high beam with its LEDs completely blinds us. We're hoping that sitting taller will help mitigate that to some extent. Vitara Brezza (Urban Cruiser) + Tall : Fits the bill. It also has the very annoying LED projectors that should make people consider lowering their high beams in exchange for less annoyance for themselves. Nobody seems to care much about the high beams of my VW Polo when I try to flash them in order to signal for low beam. + Reliable : MSIL. Also very popular on our roads so the spares availability and repairability scene should be better than the S-Cross'. (We've faced Ritz' spares problems at times, nobody does with a Swift!) + Safety : 4* GNCAP rated. Not the best, but definitely not "unsafe" either. Given that the car will be driven at 90 max, this should be sufficient. - Ride Quality : I've heard it's not very good. I've driven the Diesel Brezza on broken roads and it was nothing to write home about. The Baleno felt better at the time. - Generic Interiors : The interior really feels cheap and bad. Decade old Polo's interiors feels better. S-Cross + Comfort : I've Test Driven the S-Cross 1.5 and the suspension is pretty good. The ride quality is very good owing to it being a crossover, rather than a pseudo SUV. + Premium feel : It definitely feels the better put together of the two cars. + Driving manners : Again, owing to a more aerodynamic shape, it should be more stable than the Brezza on open highways. - Size : My father's concerned about the city maneuverability of the vehicle. He wants something that's easy to drive within city limits. - Not very tall : Is the seating height enough to ensure a person doesn't go blind from the high beams of the oncoming traffic? I don't know. I TD'd it at day time. - Concern about spare availbility in the future : While spares are available for the Ritz, they're not always in the stock of our local dealer. The clutch failed once while we were visiting family and nobody had a clutch wire for the Ritz in stock. Now I'm facing issues with the steering assembly of the same. S-Cross is about as popular in comparison to the Brezza as the Ritz was, in comparison to the Swift. Postscript : I am not a big fan of the Smart Hybrid feature. Will unplugging the battery beneath the passenger seat affect the warranty? Is there any way to disable it for good? Can one just remove the battery and keep it outside the car? Any input will be appreciated! The decision will be taken at the beginning of 2022. We do not want to wait for the next generation of Brezza/S-Cross. MSIL is shifting all of its cars to the HEARTECT platform and that has a sketchy record with safety. Both of these are built on the old Vitara platform, I believe. This is not about deciding which is the better car of the two, which I believe the S-Cross is. It's about finding out which car will be more appropriate for stated needs. Thanks! Hello, forum members!We have two cars in our garage, a '20 Polo and a '10 Ritz. The state of my Polo is well documented in this forum. I'm yet to have the BCM failure resolved. Owing to that, we have had to travel a lot on the Ritz and that has highlighted a need for its replacement. My father primarily drives the Ritz, bought it for its styling (yes!) and upright stance. He used to consider Ford Ecosport the natural upgrade to the Ritz but with Ford leaving, that's not an option.The Ritz has aged well and runs perfectly. But after the accident (Pics: Accidents in India) , we've not felt very comfortable driving it on the highways.The Polo has satiated our risk appetite and we are now looking for robust cars with bulletproof reliability. So unfortunately, Nexon with its AMT is not on the list.My father's going to retire in a few years, he really loves driving and wants to travel by road as much as possible before hanging up his driving shoes. He isn't an enthusiast by any means, he enjoys the travelling aspect of driving more than the adrenaline rush, so sedate cars are okay, in fact, even preferred! He would also like to keep the car for 15, even 20 years. This is going to be his last car and he wants to make it count.To that end, we've shortlisted the Vitara Brezza (In its Urban Cruiser avatar) and S-Cross.1) Comfort - The car's going to be taken out on the highway a lot, but it's also going to be used for the daily commute and city runabouts. He's at a point in life where comfort is the #1 priority.2) Reliability - Necessary for a car that's going to do a lot of highway runs.3) Safety - For obvious reasons.4) Automatic - He's gotten lazy with shifting gears and after having driven the Polo AT, does not think the next purchase should be a manual.5) Tall - It's not about the seating position, but a way to not be blinded by ever increasing high beam menace within city limits. In our low slung Polo, an oncoming Baleno on high beam with its LEDs completely blinds us. We're hoping that sitting taller will help mitigate that to some extent.+ Tall : Fits the bill. It also has the very annoying LED projectors that should make people consider lowering their high beams in exchange for less annoyance for themselves. Nobody seems to care much about the high beams of my VW Polo when I try to flash them in order to signal for low beam.+ Reliable : MSIL. Also very popular on our roads so the spares availability and repairability scene should be better than the S-Cross'. (We've faced Ritz' spares problems at times, nobody does with a Swift!)+ Safety : 4* GNCAP rated. Not the best, but definitely not "unsafe" either. Given that the car will be driven at 90 max, this should be sufficient.- Ride Quality : I've heard it's not very good. I've driven the Diesel Brezza on broken roads and it was nothing to write home about. The Baleno felt better at the time.- Generic Interiors : The interior really feels cheap and bad. Decade old Polo's interiors feels better.+ Comfort : I've Test Driven the S-Cross 1.5 and the suspension is pretty good. The ride quality is very good owing to it being a crossover, rather than a pseudo SUV.+ Premium feel : It definitely feels the better put together of the two cars.+ Driving manners : Again, owing to a more aerodynamic shape, it should be more stable than the Brezza on open highways.- Size : My father's concerned about the city maneuverability of the vehicle. He wants something that's easy to drive within city limits.- Not very tall : Is the seating height enough to ensure a person doesn't go blind from the high beams of the oncoming traffic? I don't know. I TD'd it at day time.- Concern about spare availbility in the future : While spares are available for the Ritz, they're not always in the stock of our local dealer. The clutch failed once while we were visiting family and nobody had a clutch wire for the Ritz in stock. Now I'm facing issues with the steering assembly of the same. S-Cross is about as popular in comparison to the Brezza as the Ritz was, in comparison to the Swift.Postscript : I am not a big fan of the Smart Hybrid feature. Will unplugging the battery beneath the passenger seat affect the warranty? Is there any way to disable it for good? Can one just remove the battery and keep it outside the car? Any input will be appreciated!The decision will be taken at the beginning of 2022. We do not want to wait for the next generation of Brezza/S-Cross. MSIL is shifting all of its cars to the HEARTECT platform and that has a sketchy record with safety. Both of these are built on the old Vitara platform, I believe. This is not about deciding which is the better car of the two, which I believe the S-Cross is. It's about finding out which car will be more appropriate for stated needs.Thanks! Mail Account Setup Wizard Prior to this feature you had to know your IMAP, SMTP, and SSL/TLS settings. Now all you need to provide is your name, email address, and password and the email account set up wizardry will check our database and find the email settings for you. Personalized Email Addresses Ever dreamed of having a personalized email address (such as "dad@thesmithfamily.com") for you, your family or your business? Thunderbird makes this easy - you can sign up for a new email address within Thunderbird, and it will all be set up automatically for you ready to send and receive. One-click Address Book One-click Address Book is a quick and easy way to add people to your address book. Add people by simply clicking on the star icon in the message you receive. Two clicks and you can add more details like a photo, birthday, and other contact information. Attachment Reminder The attachment reminder looks for the word attachment (and other words like file types) in the body of your message and reminds you to add an attachment before hitting send. 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Your search results are displayed in a tab so you can easily switch back and forth to your search results and other email. Message Archive If you think youre going to need an email in the future but want it out of your inbox without deleting it, archive it! Archiving helps you manage your inbox and put your email into the archive folder system. Selecting the Archive button or hitting the A key will archive your email. Activity Manager Thunderbird version 91 is only offered as direct download from thunderbird.net and not as an upgrade from Thunderbird version 78 or earlier. A future release will provide updates from earlier versions. New Native support for macOS devices built with Apple Silicon CPUs New Thunderbird now operates in multi-process (e10s) mode by default New Latvian language support New user interface for adding attachments New Enable redirect of messages New Ability to change order of accounts in UI New Allow showing empty CC/BCC rows in compose window New Warning popup when sending a reply to a likely non-existant email address such as "noreply@example.com" New Warning popup when public recipients of a message exceeds threshold New Add support for "X-Unsent: 1" header, to open a saved email in a compose window for editing New Add support for non-ASCII characters in recipient addresses New Context menu to expand mail list pills in the compose window to the list of recipients New Quick Find is now available in the multi-message (thread summary) view New Keyboard shortcuts to access To/CC/BCC fields of compose window New Allow pinning folder views to the Folder Pane New Language packs and dictionaries added to about:support New PDF.js viewer now included in Thunderbird New OpenPGP: "Copy Key Id" option added to Key Manager context menu New OpenPGP: Added config option to disable encrypting saved drafts New Encrypt mail to BCC recipients (with warning that it will expose the recipients in the list of keys) New CardDAV address book support New CardDAV address books automatically detected based on provided user information New Access to Outlook Contacts; To enable, set ldap_2.servers.outlook.dirType to 3; This setting may cause startup delays. New Suggest replacements for discontinued/incompatible add-ons New Chat: Beta-level support for Matrix servers (set chat.prpls.prpl-matrix.disable to false) New Calendar: Remote calendar auto-detection now supported New Calendar: Calendar and category colors now displayed in selection dropdowns New Calendar: "Edit" item added to event context menu New Calendar: Support opening of .ics files by double-click New Calendar: Thunderbird now informs the operating system that it knows how to open webcal: URLs New Calendar: Filter and sort items to be imported in the Import dialog New Prompt to choose the identity of an accepted calendar invite when no identity matches the event attendees list New Support mid: URL scheme for Related Links in calendar event dialogs New Permissions to access calendar and address book are now requested when a GMail account is set up, so that calendar and address book can be accessed without having to re-authorize (see notes) New Calendar: Per-calendar and global notification settings (in addition to alerts set in events) New Tasks: Undo/Redo support for event and task creation and deletion Changes Changed "Master Password" renamed to "Primary Password" Changed Renamed "Add-ons" to "Add-ons and Themes" and "Options" to "Preferences" Changed Account setup moved to a tab Changed Mail recipients that are not found in any address book will no longer appear in red type; invalid addresses will appear red Changed Clicking on an already-selected pill in the recipient list will now allow editing the address Changed Folder pane color scheme overhauled with a focus on readability Changed Sending backend, SMTP protocol, and LDAP protocol implementations rewritten in Javascript Changed Sending backend, SMTP, and IMAP protocols now operate only in UTF-8 mode Changed Sending a message will now fail if any recipients are not accepted by the SMTP server Changed Error messages from an SMTP server are now displayed to the user Changed UI Customization controls moved to the View menu Changed End-to-End Encryption "Advanced Settings" are now disabled when encryption is not configured Changed Movemail support removed Changed WeTransfer FileLink provider removed Changed Enterprise policies updated Changed Printing UI updated Changed AutoComplete from LDAP directories now searches by substring instead of left-side match Changed Chat modules and custom widgets are now lazy-loaded to improve Thunderbird startup time Changed Default IRC server for new chat accounts changed to "libera.chat" Changed Chat: Image based emoticons replaced with Unicode Changed Calendar: Opening an existing event now opens summary dialog Changed Calendar: Default to CalDAV when supported by the server Fixes: Thunderbird did not properly handle Self-signed certificates on IMAP servers Fixed Various issues with special and non-ASCII characters in IMAP folders names, especially on Gmail Fixed Drag & drop operations could be disrupted by incoming mail notifications Fixed Dragging a folder from an authenticated IMAP server to a not-yet authenticated server fails Fixed Temporary errors from POP3 servers would cause Thunderbird to stop downloading mail until it was restarted Fixed Favorite Folder view did not maintain UI state between Thunderbird restarts Fixed Saved search virtual folders were not retained after restarting Thunderbird Fixed Thunderbird did not correctly warn about all affected filters when removing a folder Fixed Manually running filters on a maildir folder did not work Fixed Partially downloaded messages displayed in a stand-alone window did not refresh after clicking link to download the rest of the message Fixed An erroneous "Sender" header was displayed in the message preview after viewing certain S/MIME signed emails Fixed Some temporary files created by the message composer were not automatically removed after closing the compose window Fixed Archiving messages from an NNTP account made the target folder unusable Fixed Compose window: The user-configured style for quoted text was not honored Fixed Message headers in compose window disregarded manual resizing when adding additional recipients Fixed Various improvements to new message notifications Fixed A Thunderbird icon pinned to the Windows taskbar reverted to a non-functional placeholder after an update Fixed Various improvements to recipient pills in message compose window Fixed Keyboard shortcut to open the Message Security popup did not work on Mac Fixed Subject column in message lists sometimes showed text from invalid email headers Fixed Account settings: When creating a new account, some already entered settings did not copy to the Advanced Config dialog Fixed Default address book preference was not honored in the contacts sidebar Fixed Import Address Book from CSV did not not allow mapping all available fields Fixed LDAP address books did not display multi-valued attributes Fixed Address Book: Users with LDAP admin rights could delete accounts if trying to delete an entry from an address book backed by LDAP Fixed Some preferences related to an address book were not removed when the address book was deleted Fixed Shortcut for Advanced Address Book Search (Ctrl+Shift+F) did not work on Linux Fixed Radio buttons could not be selected on photo tab of an address card Fixed Windows uninstaller did not always remove all Thunderbird program files Fixed Chat: Double clicking an account type in new account wizard did not select it Fixed Chat account settings did not always save as expected Fixed User nickname colors were not used in chat content Fixed Chat: Multiple system messages did not collapse Fixed Calendar: Reminder details appeared editable when viewing an event Fixed Calendar: HTML rendering in event descriptions restored Fixed Calendar: The toolbar in the invitation details dialog was not honoring the theme colors Fixed Calendar: Various dialog updates Fixed Calendar: Import and export via CSV did not parse years correctly in event dates Fixed Calendar: Event boxes were not always focused when clicked Fixed Dragging and dropping an ICS file to the Today Pane did not populate the "New Event" dialog Fixed Calendar: Reduced flickering effect in Today Pane Fixed Calendar: The time of day indicator line did not update automatically Fixed Location field was not preserved when modifying recurring events stored on a remote calendar Fixed Today was difficult to pick out visually in the month/multiweek calendar views Fixed Columns in Today Pane were not resizable Fixed Calendar event text could render outside the confines of the event block Fixed Event time and event name were not vertically aligned Fixed Improved formatting of event descriptions with long links, such as Zoom invites Fixed RSVP replies to invitations sometimes sent from the wrong email address Fixed Various UI and theme improvements, especially to dark themes Fixed Various security fixes Known Issues Why it matters: China has been trying to bolster its semiconductor industry for years in an effort to become self-sufficient and more competitive on the global market. Development has been slow on the CPU side of things, but it looks like the country's NAND champion is quickly closing the gap on flash storage when compared to industry giants like Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix. Back in July, Chinese media outlets reported that Yangtze Memory Technologies Co (YMTC) was getting ready for mass manufacturing of 128-layer 3D NAND memory, which is considered the pinnacle of domestic flash memory development and key to addressing the high demand for consumer-grade solid-state storage in the region. The Wuhan-based company may be China's NAND champion, but it's a relatively small player in the grand scheme of things. For reference, Intel, Micron, Kioxia, Samsung, SK Hynix, and Western Digital account for a combined 97 percent of the NAND market, so it won't be easy for YMTC to compete with these memory giants. It also doesn't help that parent company Tsinghua Unigroup has been having financial difficulties and is currently looking for a generous cash infusion to stay afloat. According to a report from Tech Insights, YMTC has indeed started mass-producing the new memory chips. The IP and tech intelligence firm managed to take a closer look at Asgard's new AN4 1-terabyte SSD, which is based on the YMTC's 128-layer NAND. Although the Chinese company calls it "3D NAND," it should be noted that a more accurate term would be 2.5D NAND, as it leverages Xstacking 2.0 hybrid bonding technology to essentially glue together two separate dies -- one for the TLC NAND array and another for the CMOS peripheral circuitry. That said, the new SSD is no slouch, with sequential read speeds of up to 7,500 megabytes per second and write speeds of up to 5,500 megabytes per second. As you may have guessed, the Asgard is a PCIe 4.0 SSD, and these speeds are achieved over an x4 interface thanks to the InnoGrit IG5236 controller. This is the same controller used in the Plextor M10P SSD, and coupled with YMTC's 128-layer NAND, it can achieve over 1.2 million IOPS in 4K read workloads and 900,000 in 4K write workloads. NAND Technology YMTC 128L Xtacking Samsung 128L V-NAND Micron 128L CuA CTF SK Hynix 128L 4D PUC Device Asgard AN4 1TB Samsung EVO 870 1TB Crucial BX500 480GB SK Hynix Gold P31 1TB Capacity per die 512 Gb 512 Gb 512 Gb 512 Gb Die size 60.42 sq. mm 74.09 sq. mm 66.02 sq. mm 63 sq. mm Memory density 8.48 Gb per sq. mm 6.91 Gb per sq. mm 7.76 Gb per sq. mm 8.13 Gb per sq. mm It's also worth noting that YMTC's new 128-layer NAND memory has almost double the density of previous designs based on the initial version of its Xstacking tech. More importantly, the 8.48 Gb per square millimeter in storage density is higher than that achieved by Samsung, Micron, and SK Hynix using comparable 128-layer TLC NAND designs. These companies have largely moved on to more advanced designs, but it looks like China is quickly closing the gap. YMTC has also been working on a successor to Xstacking 2.0, which will allow the company to make high-capacity QLC 3D NAND memory with a capacity of 1.33 Tb per die. However, development on 128-layer QLC NAND has been slow, and the company says it has yet to achieve better yields needed for mass manufacturing of the new memory chips. In the meantime, YMTC is scrambling to increase production to 100,000 wafer starts per month by the end of the year and is not affected by the recent energy crunch in China. Overall, this development is much more impressive than what's been going on with x86 and Arm-based CPU development in the region. That said, Zhaoxin's x86 processors are slowly creeping into consumer products, and Huawei's HiSilicon subsidiary has been quietly pushing its custom Arm-based Kunpeng silicon to both consumers and data center clients. As for YMTC, it has an extensive list of clients, mainly Chinese phone makers and SSD manufacturers. With its new 128-layer NAND, the Wuhan-based chipmaker intends to attack the data center market in the near future. In brief: If you listen to the hate Apple gets from so many people, its easy to imagine that Cupertino is the most hated technology company in the world. According to a new report, however, that unwanted title falls to rival Microsoft, which is despised more than any other big tech brand in 22 countries. RAVE Reviews, using the research tool SentiStrength, assessed over a million brand-related tweets for positive or negative content. Any brands that had fewer than ten disparaging tweets arent included. The results are split into categories. In the area of big tech (top), Microsoft is by far the number one disliked company across the world, hated by 22 countries, including the US. For comparison, Facebook and Google have 24 countries between them. Maybe Windows is to blame? Its worth noting that Facebook has the highest hate rate for big tech in a specific country85% in Hong Kongwhile Ireland and Pakistan arent big Apple fans, with 73% and 64% hate rates, respectively. It also seems that Zimbabwe really dislikes Pepsi, for some reason. As for the most hated US brand, that dishonor falls to Uber. RAVE Reviews doesnt class it as a tech firm, which is ironic as the company has long argued that it isa way to avoid transportation service rules and regulations. The next most hated brand in the US is Lego, as anyone whos stood on a piece while barefoot can understand. Its followed by Sony, which, like Uber, isnt classed as a tech firm. The Japanese giant is also the most hated brand in Canada. Looking at gaming brands, it should come as no surprise to see Ubisoft dominate this area, being the most hated industry name in 23 countries. But the US, Australia, and Canada reserve their vitriol for Game Freakdeveloper of the Pokemon RPG series. Are you a fan of Dominoes? Then you might be in the minority. Its the most hated fast-food brand in the US and the UK, though KFC is most countries least favorite brand within this category. In brief: A Singapore-based US citizen has pleaded guilty to advising North Korea on cryptocurrencies. Virgil Griffith, an Ethereum Foundation scientist, admitted to one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and faces between 63 months and 78 months behind bars when sentenced on January 18. The Department of Justice (DoJ) writes that in 2018, Griffith hatched plans to provide services to individuals in North Korea by developing and funding cryptocurrency infrastructure in the hermit kingdom. The DoJ writes that he knew this could help the country avoid US sanctions. Griffith traveled to North Korea in 2019 to attend a crypto and blockchain conference, despite the US Department of State denying him permission to travel as it violated Treasury bans on "exporting any goods, services, or technology." The DoJ alleges that while there, Griffith "provided instruction on how the DPRK could use blockchain and cryptocurrency technology to launder money and evade sanctions" and "how blockchain technology such as 'smart contracts' could be used to benefit the DPRK, including in nuclear weapons negotiations with the United States." He also announced plans to renounce his US citizenship, with the goal to "purchase" citizenship in another country. It's alleged that Griffith attempted to recruit other US citizens, who would have traveled to North Korea and provided similar crypto services. He was arrested at Los Angeles International Airport in November 2019. Griffith, who has a doctorate in theoretical neuroscience from the California Institute of Technology, pleaded guilty before his trial. Prosecutors agreed to seek a punishment in the range of 63 months to 78 months as part of the deal, helping him avoid the maximum 20-year sentence. WTF?! You can add the word gaming before pretty much any product these days and sell it as a way of raising your kill to death ratio. While not offering any promises about making you better at games, the latest bewildering product to enter this category is the Gaming Mattress, which, other than being pretty thin, really doesnt look all that different from most mattresses. Famitsu (via Kotaku) writes that the mattress, available in Japan, is of the slightly firm foam variety, and it provides the support one needs after gaming for so long that your buttocks become numb. That does sound enticing to those who sleep on a concrete floor every night. For the rest of us who already slumber on beds that do the same job, its not exactly selling the mattress as a must-buy item. The Gaming Mattress comes from Japanese company Bauhutte, who tapped mattress maker Nishikawa for its creation. Its noted that there are slits in the foam throughout the mattress to offer varying degrees of support, which sounds nice. From Bauhuttes point of view, it probably sees its Gaming Mattress as the ideal accompaniment to the Gaming Bed it makes. Though, even that is just a regular bed with several of the companys items placed around the outside, including its bed side-board and side table. But at least you can now buy an official mattress to lie on as you game for 22 hours per day while developing muscular atrophy. The lack of a pull-out bedpan is disappointing If for some reason you are interested in this mattress, it costs between 28,500 yen ($256) and 43,500 yen ($391) and comes in single, semi-double, and double sizes. Not surprisingly, many are questioning why the mattress warrants the gaming designation. The cover can be removed and cleanedcould that be gamified in some way? Maybe making it a water bed and filling it with Monster would have been more stereotypically apt. At least add some iCue-compatible RGB. Still, its better than Pumas $105 gaming socks, which come with three different modes. What just happened? This week the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission filed a complaint against Activision Blizzard for alleged employment discrimination and sexual harassment. It is only the latest group within the US government to do so after the company was accused of being host to a "frat boy" culture this past summer. On the same day, Activision Blizzard reached an agreement on an $18 million settlement. The complaint alleges that employees within Activision Blizzard have been subject to employment and pay discrimination based on gender, pregnancy discrimination, and retaliation from the company for complaining about these things. "Employees were subjected sexual harassment that was severe or pervasive to alter the conditions of employment," the complaint reads. "The conduct was unwelcome and adversely affected the employees. The Defendants knew or should have known of the sexual harassment of the adversely affected employees." The complaint goes on to say that the company failed to make changes in response to complaints. The EEOC started investigating Activision Blizzard in 2018, and the harassment allegedly began in 2016. So far this year, Activision Blizzard has come under scrutiny from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing, the Communications Workers of America, and the Securities and Exchange Commission based on these same allegations. Since then, the president of Blizzard has left the company. So did multiple Blizzard game designers and the company's chief legal officer. These events may even be a factor in Blizzard's significant drop in player numbers and popularity on Twitch. Activision Blizzard announced its agreement with the commission on the same day that the EEOC filed the complaint. An investor press release said it would commit $18 million to compensating the victims and to initiatives that support women in the video game industry. The courts and the EEOC must approve those commitments. On top of that, Activision Blizzard said it would invest in training programs and software tools to help improve workplaces in the industry. It also said it would expand its performance review programs with an equal opportunity focus to prevent harassment. It plans to start oversight and assessments of its training programs, investigation policies, and disciplinary framework while sending such reviews to the board of directors and the EEOC. "There is no place anywhere at our company for discrimination, harassment, or unequal treatment of any kind, and I am grateful to the employees who bravely shared their experiences," said Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick. "I am sorry that anyone had to experience inappropriate conduct, and I remain unwavering in my commitment to make Activision Blizzard one of the world's most inclusive, respected, and respectful workplaces." Image credit: Raimond Spekking (CC BY-SA 4.0) Elon Musk has called Tesla's board advisor called the Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) "ISIS," after it has advised against the re-election of Kimbal Musk and James Murdoch. There would be an upcoming board meeting for shareholders of the clean energy company, and its members would get to decide who will be put into a managerial position. Boards, shareholders, and investors play an important role in massive and public companies as they are the ones that watch over the actions of the CEO and how the company runs. It is important to know that once the company is public, it can remove even the founder and CEO if they are not part of the board members, as it is funded by shareholders. Elon Musk Calls ISS as 'ISIS' The clean energy company CEO (@elonmusk) has opened up his stand and position against the so-called Institutional Shareholder Services company or ISS, as they are against the re-election of Kimbal Musk. Musk has called the company "ISIS" or same as the Middle Eastern terror group called the Islamic State of Iraq and The Levant. Musk, without saying it directly, has called the shareholder services company a terror or a terrorist as they give key points and advice that go against the people that are part of the board. Not only is Kimbal Musk the person that the ISS wants to be removed or prohibited from being re-elected, but also James Murdoch. Read Also: Elon Musk: Tesla FSD Beta v10.1 Shows Promising Results, While Autopilot 'Buggy' Says Users Musk did not explain further after he called them "ISIS," as the tech CEO has only expressed his opinion about the advice. ISIS Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 27, 2021 Elon Musk: Tesla ISS Advise Against Kimbal Musk The CEO has replied to Teslarati's report, which talked about the advice against the brother of the Tesla co-founder by ISS, and it has revealed that there will be an upcoming board election for this year. Tesla's board would get a re-organization from this vote, leaving out those with no contributions for the company and having those that would improve for their future ventures. However, two key people that the ISS has advised against are known to have no deep background in cars and automotive, something which was the key narrative of the shareholder services for its statement. Kimbal Musk is focused on the restaurant or culinary business, which he has ventured on, while James Murdoch was known to be a former CEO of 21st Century Fox. Kimbal Musk is an Important Person for Tesla Elon Musk has not expanded on Kimbal Musk's importance for Tesla, but it was attested to by fans and enthusiasts who have replied to the comment by the tech CEO. According to Whole Mars Catalog via Twitter, he would be re-electing both Kimbal Musk and Murdoch for their position at Tesla's board. The blog post website said that Kimbal's influence over Elon has roots in when they first arrived in Silicon Valley, California, and when the pair started on their ventures and businesses. That being said, Kimbal was said to be a massive influence on Elon Musk, especially as he too is a smart and intellectual person that "deserves" a spot on Tesla's board. Related Article: Tesla to Invest More Into China After Elon Musk Praised the Country, Again This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Richard 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Google is going to block Android devices with version 2.3.7 and lower to access its popular applications, including that of Gmail, Google Maps, and YouTube, among others. The reason for this may be for security purposes, especially as Google would no longer provide any protection for the old Android versions that have already stopped support. There have been a lot of applications that have ended their support for the old iPhone running a long-time iOS, as well as an old Android OS to run via their devices. This only means that the said device cannot keep up for the more recent times, as well as the features that would come. Some have also been speculating that Apple has better support offered compared to old Android phones. But one reason for this is to upgrade the smartphone constantly. Google Blocks App Support for Old Android Versions Google has rolled out an announcement for those which have old Android smartphone versions, and according to Express UK, the Mountain View giant is ending their support for these. However, it does not stop there, as Google is also blocking the connection of apps including (but not limited to) YouTube, Gmail, and Maps. This means that this application would no longer work for the smartphone versions with old Android, particularly version 2.3.7 and lower. This means that for these apps to work, people need to upgrade to version 2.4 and higher or go for Android 3.0. However, it is known that the Android version is a very old one, as it is in the Android 12 beta now, signifying that it has reached a decade more than its early releases. Read Also: Microsoft Surface Duo Android 11 Option Could Launch in 2021 How to Access YouTube, Gmail, Maps on Old Android? However, fear not, as September 27 is not doomsday for old Android users, as they have the chance to still use Google's services via their obsolete operating systems for their old devices. The thing to do is to log in to later Android versions, v3.0 and later so that people can still access their smartphone or Google account. After securing it, they may use the said logins on the old phone with earlier versions of Android. Users can still access YouTube, Gmail, and Maps via the old Android phone with v2.3.7 or lower. This is through the web browser of the smartphone, where users can log in or plain access it when browsing for a clip or looking at emails, as well as browsing the map or locations. Google's 23rd Birthday Twenty-three years ago, Google officially established itself as a small-time search engine from a dormitory on Stanford University with Larry Page and Sergey Brin. After which, it has grown into a massive service that people have been using to scour the internet for different content, information, and the like. It is important to note that Google has launched earlier, September 4. Moreover, the news for the end of support for these Android devices comes alongside Google's celebration of its birthday, something which signifies a new year for the company. Related Article: Android Features for Those with Speech and Motor Impairments Rolls Out Sept. 30 This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Richard 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. All eyes are on social media platforms and news websites as the United Kingdom is having localized problems with regards to petrol shortage, something which EV drivers are mocking via the internet. Electric vehicles would indeed have no problems when the petrol or diesel would be phased out, something which would happen soon. England has already put up legislation on their laws that would require homes and offices to have EV chargers, and this is for the aims of the company for electric mobility. This is a massive move, especially as over the other side of the coast, California and other US states are already planning a switch to EVs by 2030 and have a strict rule over it. UK EV Drivers Mock Petrol Car Owners UK electric vehicle drivers are bragging on social media for their electricity-powered cars that no longer need the traditional petrol or diesel used by an engine to be converted to energy and used for transportation. According to Metro UK, the mockery has focused on a hashtag that has been popular for the current local crisis known as "#petrolshortage." People are mocking those who have still relied on petrol cars and have not made the switch to electric vehicles, despite its popularity in the United Kingdom, England, and the European region. It is known that despite the efforts of the country to push for EVs, there is still a lot that sticks with their petrol cars and is not prioritizing the switch due to budget constraints or preferences. Read Also: Lithium-Sulfur Batteries Can Be Made More Durable by Adding Sugar: Scientists Memes and Mockery of EV Drivers to Petrol Users It has been noted that BBC or the British Broadcasting Channel has deployed a special reporter to deliver the news to the public, and the people have pointed out his appropriation to be a part of the newscast. The reporter's name is "Phil McCann" and his surname was looked like a meme or joke as people queue up in stations bringing their petrol cans for refilling. Ideal reporter choice for the #petrolshortage story pic.twitter.com/6hl3naIFk7 Gary Taphouse (@garytaphouse) September 25, 2021 Several people are showcasing their electric vehicle, saying that the hour-long queue on petrol stations is enough to charge an EV and go on their way to driving around again. And so it begins, the toilet roll brigade have hit the petrol stations!!!! #petrolshortage pic.twitter.com/Bfr1shVuD4 Paul (@Pridley1974Paul) September 24, 2021 Everyones panic buying for their car so I thought Id rush home and refuel!!! Thankfully the truck drivers are still delivering electricity. #petrolshortage pic.twitter.com/gX9OQltfuA EV Man UK (@evmanuk) September 24, 2021 UK Petrol Shortage: Is It Real? A lot of people have been saying that there are ample amounts of petrol to last stations and that the shortage is only isolated local cases. Some said that they have enough stocks to last a week, but the panic buying would be the reason for losing the said stocks and running out for everyone to use. This is the @BBCNews homepage. This sort of imagery is deeply irresponsible and Im sure can turn localised issues into a full blown crisis. Surely a benefit of the license fee should be that our national broadcaster doesnt have to chase clicks in this way. #petrolshortage pic.twitter.com/Gi9C13xXTz Gavin Sheppard (@GavinJSheppard) September 24, 2021 Cant believe the selfishness of some people. I watched this guy in #Maidstone fill TWELVE Jerry cans #unnecessary #petrolshortage pic.twitter.com/Bfxi21BPKq Tannice (@Tannice_) September 24, 2021 Some Twitter users are saying that the BBC has got it wrong, especially as it is not a national or major crisis, and their information has caused a massive scare among people to panic buy. Nevertheless, EV drivers are getting the kick out of this as they remain unbothered by all of the happenings for petrol users. Related Article: California Autonomous EV Plan Aims To Restrict All Traditional and Hybrid Cars From Operating by 2030! This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Richard 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. North Korea has fired off an unidentified projectile towards the coast of South Korea, and it has been confirmed by the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the latter country earlier today. It is known that the United States has a close relation to South Korea, and is currently helping the country investigate the matter, especially as it is of national concern. Throughout the pandemic, the tension has filled the relationship of both North and South Korea, especially after the countries have been focusing on their military presence and testing of equipment. The closed-off country still had the coronavirus infection, despite not allowing people to go in and out of the country easily. North Korea's Unidentified Projectile North Korea has launched an unidentified projectile towards the coast of South Korea, something which remains a blur of the government, as reported by CNN. However, ABC News said that what the North Koreans have fired is a suspected ballistic missile towards the Korean peninsula where it landed on SoKor's region. This has happened a few hours after the UN summit where North Korea and South Korea have both attended, together with the other countries of this world. Moreover, what the summit has talked about is peace between the divided country and their talks that would provide a joint military force even on the DMZ. Read Also: South Korea to Work With the US to Expand Space Program, Set to Continue Plans That Will Take Off in 2025 South Korea and the US The US and South Korea have had a mutual relationship that helps each other with their concerns and focuses, providing assistance and aid to both countries with their needs. Moreover, another focus of this relationship is with the aid in technology and progressing with the current trends in the digital world where both the US and SoKor are known to be global leaders. Samsung and Apple are known rivals but have also helped each other on several occasions as part of speculations. Tension Between North and South Korea Both the North and South Korean countries have tested their missiles earlier this September, and according to Al Jazeera, it has created massive tension between both countries. While any military movement made by either could be interpreted as an "act of war" or violence against the other, they are particularly wary of the events that take place. It is known that the US's involvement with South Korea is a massive threat that North Korea sees, something that would change the course of the war. It is known that the US is helping South Korea with their space ventures, something which the Asian country aims to take up and improve on, joining the space race of the world. Related Article: North Korea Nuclear Plant Appears Active in Planet Labs' Latest Satellite Images | More Nukes To Be Developed? This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Richard 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Image from Unsplash Website) 3D Printing for Medicine Production | What Could the Future of Patient-Tailored Doses Look Like? 3D printing has been known to be effective in certain things like bionics but could this technology be used for actual medicine production? Check out what the potential future could look like with the existence of patient-tailored doses. 3D Printing Technology for Medicine According to the post by ScienceDirect, 3D printing is known as a promising new technology for the production of medicines. It reportedly employs additive manufacturing techniques and is also ideal for producing personalized medicines. These would include patient-tailored dose, drug release kinetics, and dosage form. In order to investigate how 3D printing technology could actually be implemented in a certain European pharmaceutical system. This is by suggesting different scenarios and also assessing aspects that could potentially affect its own implementation. 3D Printing for Personalized Medicines Qualitative, semi-structured interviews were actually conducted with key stakeholders. This reportedly includes authorities, the ministry, research organizations, and pharmacies. The interviews were conducted with key stakeholders over in the Netherlands to start eliciting perspectives on 3D printing of personalized medicines. The Netherlands was reportedly also chosen since it is known to have a strong tradition when it comes to compounding. Five different general scenarios were also investigated. These scenarios include community pharmacies, placing the 3D printer in the industry, hospital pharmacies, compounding facilities, and even patients' homes. Biological 3D Printing Content analysis was reportedly utilized and was building on verbatim transcripts. Fifteen different stakeholders were interviewed. The economic, regulatory, ethical, as well as organizational challenges were identified to a number of degrees in different scenarios. 3D printing has even been used to create a replica of Wagyu steak, which showed how far biological 3D printing can go. The industry, as well as home scenarios, were then associated along with the most challenges, hospital pharmacies, as well as compounding facilities with the least. There were also other important aspects identified which include the role of community pharmacies as well as who should design the tablets to be printed on. Read Also: 3D Vaccine Patch Now in Development! Needles No Longer Need-Giving Patients Painless Immunization Other Uses for 3D Printing All potential scenarios for 3D printing of certain personalized medicines include other challenges. These should reportedly be taken into account when actually pursuing the use of a 3D printing machine in order to help make medicine. 3D printed orthopedics are being utilized to help people with foot pain as a new approach towards medicine. According to the story by PewTrusts, advances when it comes to 3D printing, which is also called additive manufacturing, are now capturing attention in the whole healthcare field due to its potential to improve treatment for certain medical conditions. A certain radiologist, for instance, could actually create an exact replica of a patient's spine in order to help surgery. A dentist could potentially scan a certain broken tooth in order to make a certain crown that would fit precisely into the patient's mouth. In the two instances, the doctors can make use of 3D printing in order to make products that would specifically match a certain patient's anatomy. Related Article: Android Features for Those with Speech and Motor Impairments Rolls Out Sept. 30 This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Urian B. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. #TechCEO's spotlight this week would be Edward Breen, and he is from DuPont, a company that leads one of the top multi-industrial production companies that focuses on different equipment. The focus of DuPont is to feature the different wearable technology, as well as devices that help in overall wellness and assist people in their everyday needs. DuPont does not focus only on these, as the multi-industrial company has plenty of ventures which it has focused on, with over decades of experience that has brought it to where it is now. They were known as a chemical company, but they promise a sustainable take on technology and innovation, something which is being pushed by its new CEO. Edward Breen, DuPont CEO Edward Breen has a colorful career behind him, but now, he is with DuPont, a massive company that deals with the multi-industrial focus in different ventures and focuses. Breen is fairly new to the job as CEO, as he was only appointed last February 2020, but he has already made plans for the company's future ventures, especially as it progresses. DuPont is a company that focuses on wearable types of equipment that they manufacture using the latest in technology, something which is widely used among different industries. From healthcare to military uses and construction, DuPont has one for the people. Breen has been an executive for DuPont back when it was straightening things out with Dow Chemicals, the mother company of DuPont. Both are known to be chemical companies that focus on different ventures and work. Read Also: Atari and Chuck E. Cheese Founder to Release NFT | Nolan Bushnell Edward Breen's Sustainable Goals for DuPont According to Breen, 2021 was a turning point for DuPont, something which would help the company deliver more on the multi-industrial industry, which they are on and expanding its business more. Aside from the acquisitions and merging of the different companies or departments, Breen is also focusing on sustainability for the chemical company. It is a notion that when it is said to be a chemical company, it cannot be sustainable or safe for the environment, but that is what DuPont aims to change in the present. The multi-industrial company focuses on bringing a new focus for the company, and it is with sustainable products that would help in reducing the need to get more natural resources and contribute to pollution. DuPont's Future DuPont is still here for the long run, and it is with CEOs like Edward Breen does companies thrive as they aim for the betterment of the company and the planet to which all humans currently reside. It may be a challenge to change the status quo and adapt to the future of technology, but it is what needs to be done as early as now. The future of DuPont has been set towards a sustainable goal, something which the company would strive for, thanks to its current CEO, Edward Breen. Soon, it would focus on better innovations that would help a lot of industries, as technology would be evolving from now on and until the end of time. Related Article: American Crypto Researcher Violated US Laws by Attending a North Korea Blockchain Conference in 2019 | Gave Advice on How to Elude Sanctions This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Isaiah Richard 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Photo : Image from Unsplash Website) Facebook Puts $50 Million Into Building Metaverse 'Responsibly' Facebook is planning to put in $50 million into "responsibly" building the metaverse. With the internet already being widely accepted, the next step could be the metaverse, and Facebook is now investing in it. Facebook Plans to Invest $50 Million on Metaverse Facebook announced its plans to invest a massive $50 million budget into building out the metaverse. This is a term used to describe the virtual, interactive spaces within the digital world. The upcoming two-year, $50 million investment is called the XR Program and Research Fund. This particular fund will go directly toward global research and program partners in order to ensure that these particular products are being developed "responsibly." There has been discussion regarding the metaverse being the successor of the internet. Development of the Metaverse Facebook also describes its own plans for the metaverse as a certain place where users will be able to work, hang out with friends, play, learn, shop, create, and so much more. It also explained that the metaverse actually does not refer to just a single product that is built by one company but rather a certain shared global space. The company noted that just like the internet, the metaverse also exists whether Facebook will be there or not. Facebook also added that many of the products that it is investing in would only be fully realized in the future, which could be in the next 10 to 15 years. Facebook to Work with the Government, Industry, and Academia Facebook notes that it will work along with experts in the government, industry, and even academia to be able to troubleshoot certain potential issues. This is while also involving itself in human rights as well as civil rights communities in order to ensure the technologies will be built to be "inclusive and empowering." According to the story by HypeBeast, this would also include creating the whole economic opportunity across the stretch of digital economy, maximize user privacy, and even keep users safe and retain accessibility as a top priority. Read Also: 'YoHero Metaverse,' A Revamped'Axie Infinity' NFT Game Will Arrive this Month Investment Into the Metaverse The initial partners of Facebook include the Organization of American States, the Women In Immersive Tech, and even a number of other African tech startups in order to help amplify a more diverse set of voices. Facebook noted that its success still depends on building robust interoperability across different services so that different companies' experiences will be able to all work together. According to an article by The Verge, Facebook has actually already funded academic research in the past. This funding went into the social impact of AR wearables as well as solicited VR hardware proposals. Epic Games already has a $1 billion funding for the metaverse as the company seeks to build a digital reality. The official Facebook post announced that the metaverse is the "next computing platform" while noting that the company will be working along with policymakers, researchers, and even industry partners while building it. The investment is now actualized, with a $50 million investment coming from the company. Related Article: KuCoin CEO: We'll See First Fully Operational Metaverse in Five to Seven Years This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Urian B. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Discord, a popular voice-chat app, has upcoming new features that Premium Nitro subscribers can use. Earlier this week, the team announced that you can now use a unique avatar for each channel server. The users can now go to "edit server profile" instead of heading to the "change nickname" option. This will allow them to alter their nicknames and avatars in a particular servers, which work if a user have joined several servers. Apparently, that's not the only feature for the streaming application. According to the company, you can also schedule an event ahead of its launch, the same way how the Facebook event works. Discord Avatars and Scheduled Events Feature From The Verge's recent report, an interesting feature will soon be usable for users who always want to stay updated for important announcements. The developers who want to inform the players about their upcoming games could use this Discord feature so every fan could stay in tune. The feature sounds like a typical RSVP since those who are interested in an event could be notified during the schedule. They could receive notifications to enter the event. This also opens an opportunity for those who frequently miss significant meetings online. Besides this scheduled events feature, Discord Avatars will be making their way on the platform earlier this week, especially for Discord Premium Nitro subscribers. The avatars are fully customizable and can be used for multiple servers. In the past, we knew that users needed to change their avatars whenever they landed on the various servers. This could be tedious on the part of those who enter different servers. As per Howto Geek's article on Monday, Sept.27, the new server profiles were expected to come at the time of publication. The Discord Avatars can now be utilized by Premium Nitro Tier users. Meanwhile, the Discord scheduled events feature would be unveiled on Tuesday, Setp. 28. In the next two weeks, it would be readily available for the fans. Is it Worthy to Purchase Discord Nitro? In a Quora forum about Discord Premium Nitro, many citizens shared different opinions about its importance. One user said that those who often treat Discord as their main social media could reap its full benefits. Besides the 100 MB upload limit, the cheap subscription would also let you create emojis. Another person who uses the chat app wrote that he was happily using the Discord Premium because of the server boost per month. For those who consider Discord a social app staple, purchasing its Nitro Tier is definitely worth it. Read Also: 'Pokemon Emerald' is Now Playable in Discord; Twitter Plays 'Pokemon Red' Maker Shares New Method in Playing it Discord Watch Together Feature Last week, we reported that the app has been testing the Watch Together feature following YouTube's Rythm takedown on the platform. Upon this event, several music lovers voiced out their disappointments to YouTube. So far, we anticipate that the Discord Watch Together will have a better set of features than Rythm and Groovy. If you want to get started watching movies on the Discord Chat Server, you can also read the article about that. Related Article: Discord's Groovy Bot to Be Discontinued as Google Files for Cease and Desist This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Elon Musk said Tesla's FSD or Full Self Driving beta will start adding 1,000 new testers each day by next week, but the first batch will only be those who boast perfect safety scores. As such, the prioritized users will be those with a 100/100 Safety Score, which is a new system that the EV maker introduced along the FSD Beta Button to filter out drivers with bad behavior. Tesla FSD Button and Elon Musk The Tesla CEO and founder announced the release of the Tesla FSD Beta button will be on Sept. 24, which finally happened after numerous delays. During the announcement, Musk also revealed that the FSD button will not be a download button of the said feature as it was initially expected. Instead, it will serve as a request button that will still be subject to one week of behavior observation. After a week of safe driving behavior, the owner will be able to start testing the Tesla FSD feature. It is to note that the initial release of the button was first envisioned last 2019, which was supposed to roll out before the year ends. Back then, the FSD package was still cheaper at a price tag of $6,000, compared to the current cost to the tune of $10,000, as per CleanTechnica. Tesla FSD Button to Add 1,000 Users/Day According to Electrek, the Tesla exec announced that the FSD Beta is rolling out its version 10.2 on Friday, Oct. 8, which marks the "wider release" of the feature to more testers. With that said, billionaire Musk announced that the wider rollout of the FSD Beta will be ranked based on the newly introduced Safety Score system, which is likewise still in beta. The Tesla boss further noted that the "first few days" of the FSD release will be for users with a 100/100 Safety Score. After which, those with a 99 rating will get the feature. Then, owners carrying a 98 score will follow, and so on. Read Also: Tesla FSD Beta 10 Brings Smarter, More Efficient Road Assistance Features | YouTuber Already Experiences Smoother Performance Tesla Safety Score System Last Sept. 24, the Tesla FSD request button came out with the Safety Score system. As per Teslarati, the new scoring system paired with the Tesla FSD is meant to evaluate the overall driving behavior of its owners, which will decide whether they are worthy of the controversial feature. What's more, the scoring system also seeks to incentivize good driving behavior after the Tesla FSD feature got the ire of the National Transportation Safety Board or the NTSB. The NTSB raised concerns regarding the safety of the FSD, noting that the EV firm still needed to address its "basic safety issues." Related Article: Tesla FSD 10 Fails to Avoid Cone Obstacle, Elon Musk Says Beta 10.1 Would 'Fix' Issue, Visualization, and MORE This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Teejay Boris 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Android 12 is nearing its final touches for its upcoming update. However, there was a recent leak about Google's revision that would point out the 12.1 build. The rumors apparently highlighted that this leaked build was linked to the foldable phones. From the looks of it, we could soon see the arrival of this software. Google Android 12.1 Rumor: What Does it Say? According to the screenshots shared on XDA about the Android 12.1 build, there was an indication that the foldable phones would adopt an improved set of features, such as cleaner UI, huge screen, and navigation tool, including the bottom taskbar. The most conspicuous sign that the foldable phones are likely coming soon is the big-screen display. Aside from the foldable phone, it could also make its way to the Google tablets. What we saw from XDA resembled an old Android 4.0 build. The user interface has been released in the old tablet over the past decade. The previous versions of Google's OS have revolved around the lack of support for gadgets with huge screens. In addition, the functionalities of the Google tablets only look like oversized mobile devices, according to Android Police. Assuming that the Android 12.1 internal build is legit, we might expect that the Google Pixel Fold could follow its release. In short, the tech giant is likely on the verge of unveiling Android 12's point release. Most importantly, even though the big screens signal the potential arrival of 12.1, Google has not yet concluded if this is true or not. Since this is a leak, the best thing that we could do is to wait for the possible launch of the Android 12 update in October. The foldable phone could follow after the software release. Read Also: Google Android Auto Interface: Honda to Use New Automotive OS Next Year What's Inside the Android 12.1 Build? According to the media outlet, besides the big screen, the Android 12.1's lock screen is composed of the date information and clock on the left side. The right side, meanwhile, has notifications. Currently, the leaked image showed that the icon still lacks color, but Google could further improve it before its official release. We believe that the developer is still working to tweak more changes for the UI. It's also worth noting that the lock screen password entry is located in a different place suitable for one-hand unlocking. The users have the freedom to move it by clicking the other half of the screen. On top of these leaks, Google seems to be prepared this time. The foldable phone could feature split-screen capabilities for multitasking. The users will experience a unique transition with its taskbar. Google Pixel Foldable Phone to Use Samsung's Ultra-thin Display Last July, we spotted a report about Google's plan to launch the Pixel Phone that will use Samsung's Ultra-thin glass layer. At the time of writing, the foldable device was believed to be released by the end of 2021. Before, the company was not into phone-making. It was in 2019 when a Google patent suggested that it was now in the process of creating a foldable phone. Related Article: Google to Block Android v2.3.7 and Lower, Access to Gmail, YouTube, Maps, and MORE Amid 23rd Birthday This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Facebook earlier announced that it would be pausing "Instagram Kids" for a while following the disapproval that it received from several lawmakers and advocates. The app, which is intended for children below 13 years old, will be suspended so that the company can focus on people's concerns. Facebook to Suspend Instagram Kids According to a report by Texas News Today, Instagram head Adam Mosseri published on its blog post that they will work first with the policymakers and other concerned individuals for the demonstration of the product. Following the criticisms from parents, advocates, and lawmakers, there were findings that Instagram has hidden mental health risks for young people. Facebook is now seeking ways to solve the issue. The lawmakers found this impact to be alarming for the teenagers that's why the group has decided to write a letter addressed to Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg on Sept.15. The letter stated that the social media giant has failed its obligation to secure the safety of the children when using the platform. Moreover, the letter added the plans of the company to suspend its operations for the new app. Facebook Messenger Kids App Issue Actually, what Facebook is currently facing is not a new situation for the company. The previous Messenger Kids app, which was launched in 2017 for children was criticized by many people including the teen's parents. Going back to Instagram Kids, Mosseri said that the company will offer a "parent-controlled experience for the app. Furthermore, he uttered that Facebook has started this to combat a specific problem. Amid technological innovation, many kids manage to own a phone. In some cases, they could use the app using a fake age. They could gain access to applications that do not permit those users who are 13 years old and below. Regarding Instagram Kids, Mosseri said that the platform would be free from ads. The target consumers of this project are young users who are aged 10 to 12. The app cannot be easily accessed since it would require parent's permission and features that restrict user's age and more Mosseri believed that the children still need an ideal Instagram app for them. Instead of sticking to the age verification system for the kids, the parents should supervise their children when using this. From another report by CBS News, Facebook learned about Instagram research involving mental health risks. The company's head of research Pratiti Raychoudhury said that the research poses inaccuracy in proving that the app is causing problems for teen girls. The criticism ignited when child advocacy groups challenged Facebook to pause the development of Instagram Kids. Read Also: Instagram for Kids: Attorney Generals Want Facebook to Stop Plans for New App-Why is That? Mark Zuckerberg Says Instagram For Kids is Safe In our previous report in March, the Facebook CEO commented that the kid's platform is safe. At the time of publication, Zuckerberg said that Instagram Kids' feature will be beneficial for the young audience. Moreover, the platform will also help them to be more educated and safer, according to the company. In May, a ban petition for Instagram for Kids arose. During that time, there were already 180,000 signatures that were signed by the critics and other people. Related Article: 'Instagram Protects Children:' App Bans Minors, Created New App for Kids Alone This article is owned by Tech Times Written by Joseph Henry 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A new Google Chrome zero-day exploit is currently putting the company's user data at risk. Various cybersecurity experts claimed that this issue could be more dangerous compared to common system flaws. But, the giant search engine reassured its users that Chrome's new patches would fix the vulnerability so that massive data leaks would be prevented. As of the moment, Google Chrome, one of the most reliable and safest browsers in the market, is used by more than two billion people across the world. This is why the company's developers need to make sure that the sensitive details they handle are safe from any malicious campaigns. However, just like other browsers, Chrome would still have its own system vulnerabilities, especially since hackers and other cybercriminals can create methods or find ways to bypass its security features. Google Chrome Zero-Day Could Leak Your Data According to Republic World's latest report, Google's security researchers are now urging the public to update their Chrome browsers to the latest version. Also Read: American Crypto Researcher Violated US Laws by Attending a North Korea Blockchain Conference in 2019 | Gave Advice on How to Elude Sanctions They said that the new zero-day vulnerability of their system s allegedly being used by online attackers. Google's experts added that the new flaw currently targets Linux, Windows, and macOS consumers, which are included in the top PC systems in the computer market. Since the new "CVE-2021-37973" is quite serious, Google already rolled out the Chrome 34.0.4606.61 stable update. "We would also like to thank all security researchers that worked with us during the development cycle to prevent security bugs from ever reaching the stable channel," said the giant search engine via its official blog post. Protecting Your Chrome Protecting your sensitive details on Chrome is quite easy to do. You can do this by simply installing the latest Chrome 94.0.4606.61, which is available on the three targeted computer systems: macOS, Linux, and Windows. Once you have done that, you can now rest at ease since Google already promised the new browser version would prevent the new zero-day exploit. For more news updates about Google Chrome and other popular browsers, always keep your tabs open here at TechTime. Related Article: Three Apple Zero-Day Vulnerabilities Still Active? Security Experts Share iPhone Maker Covers Up the Flaws This article is owned by TechTimes Written by: Griffin Davis 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Addy Melancon, the last living veteran of the original Louisiana National Guard, was honored in Breaux Bridge on Sunday for his service during the Second World War. Melancon, who is 99, was a member of Company F, 2nd Battalion of the 156th Infantry Regiment out of Breaux Bridge, famous for being the only unit in the Army to speak only French. Melancon joined in 1940 when he was 17. In 1945, he served as an officer in in Europe, acting as an interpreter between members of his tank unit and French civilians. I was there so that you can be free now, Melancon said Sunday, surrounded by the members of his family, and holding the hand of his great-granddaughter, Emily Hardy, who is serving in the same National Guard unit. Holy Family asking Lafayette donors to help expand school to provide 'a pathway' out of poverty Supporters of Holy Family Catholic School have dug deep to generate some $3 million in gifts and pledges to expand the campus footprint, addin It was a Sunday when I arrived in Europe like it is today, Melancon recalled. The French language helped me a lot in life, before the war, during and after. Melancon spoke only Cajun French as a child. He learned how to speak English thanks to a young teacher met in Breaux Bridge; he learned how the numerous French dialects with the help of a woman he met in France in 1945. Once In Europe, I was fascinated by all of these ways to use the same language I knew, he said. There were no classes or courses over there. It was all real life. The celebration at Melancon's home in Breaux Bridge was courtesy of the Louisiana House of Representatives and the Acadiana Museum. +8 Lafayette artist who lived 'like a hermit' remembered for his brilliant work, vivid imagination Olin John Leroy Evans died alone in a first-floor Cedar Crest apartment Sept. 9, where he kept near him everything that he held dear: music, We thank you, and we are immensely grateful for your service, said Rep. Mike Huval, who represents District 46. He recalled that in 1945, speaking only French was frowned upon in Louisiana. Instead, your French language helped our country to communicate with the locals in Europe, to win the war and allow us to live in a free world today, Huval said. You were not trained for it. You succeeded in it naturally. Melancon also received recognition from the Acadian Museum of Erath for helping preserve Acadian culture. You stood up proudly, didnt try to hide your Frenchness, but used it as a badge of honor and a way to serve your country, said Warren Perrin, chairman of the museum. Stories like that inspired the Louisiana legislature to create the 22-Parish area called Acadiana in 1971, and in 1974 our flag. 78 years after graduation day, Lafayette oilman and WWII Marine receives his diploma DURAND, Wisconsin Lafayette oilman Paul Hilliard got what was due him last week his high school diploma 78 years after his classmates re Melancon's story is not only one of service but also of tradition. As his only great-granddaughter, I knew the right thing to do was to continue his legacy and join the military, said 22-year-old Emily Hardy. He is definitely my inspiration. Hardy joined the Army in 2019, and serves at the National Guard transportation unit based in voyelles Parish. I remember when I was a child, I was fascinated by the stories he shared with all of us every time, sitting on a chair at the porch, drinking coffee after a meal, she said. Melancon expressed his pride of Hardy's service. I hope someday she will be a Lieutenant, and that I can salute her again, he said. Louisiana attorneys may know this week whether the U.S. Supreme Court will review a case this term involving a state statute that compels people convicted of sex crimes to carry cards identifying them as sex offenders. High court justices were culling through possible cases to review in the fall starting Monday morning, including one in which former 15th Judicial District Judge Patrick Michot Sr. ruled in 2019 in favor of Tazin A. Hill, formerly of Duson, a convicted sex offender who altered his state-issued identification card to remove the words SEX OFFENDER, written in orange, from his state issued ID. Michot has since retired from the bench. Hills initial crime he pleaded guilty in 2010 to having sex with a 14-year-old girl while he was 32 is not at issue. In 2013, he completed a mandated three years in state custody for the sex charge, carnal knowledge of a juvenile, to which he had entered a guilty plea. +2 Lafayette deacon, a local attorney, accused of sexually abusing minor before joining ministry A deacon with the Diocese of Lafayette has been placed on administrative leave following claims of child sexual abuse predating the deacons s But the state compels such sex offenders to carry cards or driver licenses that clearly ID them to others as sex offenders. In Louisiana, that can include showing the state-issued card not only to law enforcement officers but to others in transacting much of their daily business. When Hill reported to the Lafayette Sheriffs Office on Dec. 5, 2016 to update his ID card, deputies saw he had eliminated the words sex offender on the card and taped over the space. Penalties for defacing the card could have ranged from two to 10 years in prison with a fine of up to $1,000. Michot agreed with Hill and his attorneys that the state ID card was not the least restrictive way to notify law enforcement officers that Hill is a sex offender. Then District Attorney Keith Stutes notified Attorney General Jeff Landrys office of the district court outcome, and the Attorney Generals office pressed an appeal unsuccessfully to the state Supreme Court, which affirmed Michots ruling in late December. The AGs office then appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court. Top stories in Acadiana in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Hill and his attorneys contend that the mandated ID card reveals him as a convicted sex offender while carrying out necessary tasks and chores in everyday life. Such ID cards, they say, provide unremitting and diffuse broadcast of the card holders criminal past. Further, they say, identification as a sex offender is compelled speech because the state mandates that the card holder must carry and display the card routinely, which bears the states chosen message sex offender. The state, in turn, says the speech is not Hills but rather its own and that the message sex offender serves the publics interest by helping members of the public protect themselves, which is an essential operation of the state. It also says that the cards must be shown only on rare occasions. Children die when recidivistic sex offenders hide their status, the state says in court documents. The state says that other states have similar laws; opponents say that most states have ID cards with codes on them that are plain to law enforcement officers but not to the general public. The state is represented by Elizabeth B. Murrill, the states solicitor general. Murrill said the state has raised important points in its appeal. She said if the court accepts the case, both sides would file additional briefs before oral arguments would be scheduled. Hill is represented by the Louisiana Capital Assistance Center. His attorney of record is Richard Bourke. Good food the taste, the aroma and the look of it can evoke memories old and new. And that's just what Willie Chapman and his family bank on at Willie's Restaurant & Bar, 11260 Coursey Blvd. There, the memories are based on the foods Chapman and his sisters, Emily Hazelwood and Amanda Singley, grew up eating in DeRidder. Add to that the memories of his wife, Kayte, who is from Baton Rouge. And, of course, there are the memories customers have made at the restaurant. "Those memories and building that menu are very important for longevity," Chapman said. "Sometimes restaurants can come in and be very trendy and fit in with the times or what's current, but that's harder to maintain over a long time. "So we cook what we grew up eating in west Louisiana, and as we grew and adapted to the customer, we cook what we feel is true." The family works as a team at Willie's, each handling their own area of the operation. Kayte Chapman handles the front of house and bar, Hazelwood is in charge of branding and marketing, and Singley oversees development. Willie Chapman runs the whole show but quickly acknowledges that the show isn't his alone. "We're extremely competitive amongst each other," Chapman said. "So we make sure that no one can call the other person lazy, because lazy is a toxic word in our family. I think that drive is a constant effort in our family." And that drive began in their west Louisiana childhood, when the Chapman kids pitched in with family chores. Their mom, Mary, who often cooked, also had a job as a pharmacist in Alexandria. That was an hour away, so while waiting for her to get home, Hazelwood took over the dinner duties. "That's when we started joking about, 'Is this going to make the menu one day?'" Hazelwood said. Their dad, Frank, got them to school and sporting events, and their grandmother, who lived behind them, always made fried chicken on Sundays. That's one of the Chapmans' biggest food memories, and, yes, it made the menu as Killa's Hot Chicken, a play on Willie and Kayte Chapman's son's name. The chicken is juicy on the inside and coated in Willie's Killa Good spicy mix on the outside. Other menu items also are named for Chapman family children, including the Redfish Ryn, named for Willie and Kayte Chapman's daughter. The dish is a customer favorite, combining blackened redfish with Pontchartrain jumbo lump blue crab meat and au gratin sauce cooked in a cast-iron skillet. Where To Go, What To Eat Each week we'll highlights the best eats and events in metro Baton Rouge. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Fried Ribs are also a big favorite, with smoked spare ribs deep-fried and topped with spicy Louisiana honey. It can all be washed down with Kayte Chapman's cocktail specialty, Willie's Punch, made of wine-soaked fruit. And then there's the crawfish. It's Willie's top seller when the mudbug season comes around, with up to 16 sacks boiling at a time in the kitchen. Pots are seasoned, then rotated to maintain an uninterrupted supply for diners. "When crawfish season is going on, we're constantly boiling them," Chapman said. To cook the crawfish, Chapman hired Lanny Kleinpeter, who worked at Chapman's original restaurant, Mike Willie's on Cloverland Drive. Chapman ran that eatery with a business partner in 2009. When the partner left, the name was shortened to Willie's after moving to its present location in 2015, where the restaurant employs up to 70 workers and seats some 200 people. "Lanny told me he already knew how to cook crawfish, but I wanted to make sure that we brought west Louisiana to east Louisiana," Chapman said. "East Louisiana likes their liquid oil. They don't want seasoning on (the) outside of crawfish, whereas people in west Louisiana sometimes don't put any seasoning in the water." Chapman and Kleinpeter eventually compromised on a recipe and contracted with a crawfish farming family in Rayne who became the restaurant's only supplier. Like the crawfish, almost all the food cooked at Willie's is sourced from Louisiana farmers and suppliers. "If we can't get our products from Louisiana, we make sure they're from the United States," Chapman said. Chapman's restaurant journey in the capital city began when he moved from DeRidder to Baton Rouge to attend LSU. He worked at Plucker's while in school, then moved to Zea's Rotisserie & Bar, then Juban's before entering opening Mike Willie's. Meanwhile, Chapman and his crew are focusing on growing, purchasing the lot behind the restaurant to build a wholesale distribution business. Other plans include retail distribution of Willie's seasonings and sauces. At Willie's, it's his family's vision on the menu and in the "good vibes" of the interior. "Our overall feeling, brand and everything we try to push is that we expect you to be able to come in and flip-flops and be comfortable, yet we also want it to be a place that you can bring a date," Chapman said. "And the food has to match that. By the way, the family involvement extends beyond Chapman, his wife and sisters. His mom helps keeps records and analytics on the business side, and his dad serves as the restaurant's most honest food critic. While Chapman, his wife and sisters are working, his in-laws, Kathy and Terry Clair, babysit all the kids. A Tangipahoa Parish warehouse shut down after hundreds of nursing home residents were evacuated there for Hurricane Ida was once part of a pesticide plant that is still under a decades-long cleanup order because of hazardous chemicals that leached into the ground. State environmental officials say contaminants in underground water at the site have been reduced to levels that pose no serious health risk inside the warehouse, especially for short-term occupants, and issued a letter in 2015 saying the agency had no objection to residential uses for the property. But other experts question the wisdom of housing vulnerable people at a site with such a history, saying even brief exposure to small amounts of noxious chemicals could cause issues such as respiratory problems and rashes for people who are already in weakened health. "It would be like putting a very sick person into an area that is going to make them sicker," said Wilma Subra, an environmental scientist who works as technical director for the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, an advocacy group. Nursing home owner is already facing several lawsuits over Hurricane Ida evacuation Its only been a week since 843 nursing home residents were rescued from a partially flooded warehouse in Tangipahoa Parish where they were li The hot, crowded and unsanitary conditions in the converted Waterbury Companies complex prompted state officials to revoke the licenses held by Bob Dean for the seven nursing homes evacuated there ahead of Ida. Seven of the 843 people taken there died in the aftermath of the storm and at least 50 were hospitalized. State health inspectors found the residents were neglected in the Independence warehouse, lying in feces and urine for days at a time, many of them on mattresses on a warehouse floor that flooded. Now the facilitys history and the lingering groundwater contamination around it have become another element in one of several lawsuits against Dean, his companies and the state Department of Health over the abortive evacuation effort. A new filing claims Dean failed to live up to his duty under the nursing home Residents Bill of Rights to inform his residents that they would be taken to a building where they could be exposed to toxic chemicals. The suit alleges Dean publicly misrepresented the old Waterbury warehouse and its outbuildings as either an alternative care facility, an old Fruit of the Loom warehouse or an old Febreze factory. This is critical information that should have been shared with the residents and their loved ones," said Don Massey, a plaintiffs lawyer who filed the lawsuit. But instead it was concealed from them. John McLindon, a Baton Rouge lawyer representing Dean, said state agencies had no problem with the location of the shelter, citing the 2015 letter from the state Department of Environmental Quality and the state Department of Healths approval of the evacuation plan for the group of nursing homes. He added that Dean's companies never received any prior complaints from the public or government agencies about the facility. We have no evidence there has ever been any problem with fumes or anything like that, he said. State environmental department records show that for more than 30 years, under Waterbury and an earlier owner, Cline-Buckner, the buildings were used to mix chemicals and package them into aerosol cans for fragrances and pesticides. Some of the chemicals stored there in large amounts were defined by federal regulations as hazardous materials, Waterburys emergency plans show. Operations ended in 2011. PAC supporting Sen. John Kennedy returns campaign donation from nursing home owner Bob Dean A political action committee supporting U.S. Sen. John Kennedy has refunded a $25,000 donation from nursing home magnate Bob Dean after Dean c The hazardous chemicals included the industrial solvents tetrachloroethene and methyl chloroform and the pesticide Propoxur, annual reports say. About a decade ago, producers voluntarily withdrew Propoxur from use inside homes and in flea collars because of its potential toxicity to humans, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The groundwater contamination dates to before 1985, when the site was run by Cline-Buckner, DEQ records say. Trichloroethylene and vinyl chloride are among the pollutants being cleaned up under DEQ oversight since 1987. Trichloroethylene, an industrial solvent, is a common groundwater contaminant and the frequent focus of long-running post-industrial cleanups. State revokes nursing home licenses for owner who sent 800 residents to warehouse for Ida Louisiana health officials announced Tuesday that they are revoking Bob Dean's seven nursing-home licenses after he evacuated more than 800 nu A likely carcinogen, it breaks down underground into vinyl chloride, a known carcinogen. Both can vaporize from groundwater and seep upward into homes, even through cracks in concrete slabs, according to environmental regulators. The contamination at the old Waterbury plant triggered lawsuits in the past from nearby property owners who settled out of court. The latest reports to DEQ show the contamination continues to trend downwards and has been eliminated from some spots, but a few areas not directly under the old Waterbury buildings continue to have elevated vinyl chloride and trichloroethylene levels. 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 In an interview last week, Fernando Iturralde -- who supervises underground pollution cleanup for DEQ -- said it is unlikely vapor could travel into the buildings from the areas that still have elevated contamination. Problem with nursing-home evacuation was execution, not plan itself: Louisiana health officials The ghastly problems that festered after residents of seven New Orleans-area nursing homes were evacuated to a warehouse in Tangipahoa Parish In 2015, the real estate investment company that sold the property to Dean asked DEQ to greenlight the site for residential use, saying a company was interested in turning it into a nursing home evacuation shelter, according to DEQ correspondence. DEQ geologists issued a "no objection" letter to that use. After years of cleanup, the groundwater contamination didnt pose a risk because levels were low enough and what remained did not have a pathway to expose people, the letter said. Also, no one used the shallow aquifers for drinking water, DEQ noted. Three months after the March 2015 letter, one of Deans companies bought the property for $918,000, Tangipahoa Parish land records show. Windsor Investment Group retained the groundwater monitoring responsibility and financed the building purchase. DEQ's Iturralde said it is very unlikely the flooding that soaked mattresses and the floor in the buildings during Ida contained pollutants from the remaining underground contamination elsewhere on the site. DEQ officials said they have never tested the buildings' interiors for any vapors from the underground contamination. 3 more Louisiana nursing-home residents die after evacuation to warehouse; total now at 7 Three more nursing-home residents who were controversially evacuated to a huge warehouse in Tangipahoa Parish have died, bringing the total nu State health officials have declined to say whether they considered the sites environmental history before approving Deans plans to temporarily house residents there. "While there are multiple ongoing investigations into this event, including our own rigorous review, I'm not able to answer most of your questions at this time," said Kevin Litten, spokesman for the agency. Litten also declined to say whether the health department contacted DEQ about the site. DEQ spokesman Greg Langley said there's no record of any formal contact between the agencies. Subra, the scientist with the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, said that in addition to the underground contamination, the fact that dangerous chemicals were mixed inside the facility should be a concern. +3 AG probes warehouse of Hurricane Ida nursing home evacuees; 5th resident reported dead A fifth nursing home resident who had been transferred to a Tangipahoa Parish warehouse ahead of Hurricane Ida has died. DEQ's "no objection" letter didn't examine the risk of spills inside the buildings. State health inspector reports from visits made during the Ida evacuation say nursing home residents were at first housed in three buildings on the old Waterbury site before flooding forced them into the main warehouse. McLindon, Deans lawyer, noted chemical mixing did not happen in the large warehouse where most residents were housed. But he acknowledged some residents were, for a time, in a building that contained a chemical mixing room. He pointed out that the chemical mixing ended 10 years ago. Former Waterbury employees interviewed recently said the chemical mixing process occasionally produced spills. Those spills, they said, were immediately cleaned up. Measuring up to a few dozen gallons, the spills were usually too small to hit the mandate for reporting to state regulators, the former employees said. One of them, Andrew Truxillo, worked as a chemist at Waterbury from 1998 until shortly before it shut down. Truxillo said he would mix batches of up to 4,000 gallons of chemicals at a time in enclosed vats. The spills were typically handled by sopping up the chemicals with absorbent blankets that were then put in hazardous waste containers, he said. Truxillo said he wouldn't feel comfortable sleeping on the shop floor given its history. "Hell to the no, hell to the no," he said. "You don't know what they spilled on that floor years ago. Dr. Ray Dorsey, a professor of neurology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, said the most serious health risks from trichloroethylene -- such as Parkinson's disease and cancer -- result from long-term, not short-term, exposure. But he added that the warehouse would not be the optimal place for housing displaced residents because of the risk of inhaling fumes from the residual groundwater contamination nearby. Subra, too, said she is concerned about the possibility of toxic fumes seeping into the buildings, as well as about the persistence of spilled chemicals even after theyve been wiped up. "That was the most inappropriate location. They should have never taken the chance," she said. Gov. John Bel Edwards said Tuesday he's reupping Louisiana's indoor mask mandate for another month, crediting the face covering requirement with keeping students safe from COVID-19 and helping to combat the state's fourth surge of the coronavirus illness. The Democratic governor reinstated the mask mandate in August as Louisiana faced its worst spike in coronavirus cases since the start of the pandemic, with hospital leaders describing grim conditions caused by the influx of COVID-19 patients. People infected with the delta variant of the coronavirus filled up hospital beds and damaged access to inpatient health care services for people seeking treatment for non-coronavirus illnesses. But shortly after the face covering requirement was reenacted, hospitalizations of people battling COVID-19 peaked at more than 3,000 and then started to decline, falling below 1,000 this week for the first time since July. The number of new infections and the percentage of COVID-19 tests returning positive also have dropped sizably over the last six weeks. Louisiana COVID numbers: Data on cases, deaths, hospitalizations, vaccines Editor's Note: Due to changes in the importance of various metrics used to track the pandemic, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate r Even as the latest surge lessens, Louisiana's health department cautioned Tuesday that it's seen an increase in severe pregnancy outcomes among unvaccinated women in a state that lags most others in its coronavirus immunization rates. The agency cited the cases of 14 pregnant women infected by COVID-19 since mid-July, saying six of those women died and 10 of the children died. More COVID-19-related maternal and fetal deaths have been reported during the delta surge than the total number of COVID-19 severe pregnancy outcomes reported during the previous 15 months of the pandemic in Louisiana, said Dr. Joe Kanter, the state's chief public health official. Edwards's continued mask mandate includes all public indoor locations such as K-12 schools, colleges, restaurants, bars, gyms and retail stores. The requirement covers anyone age 5 and older and any kindergartners if they are under the age of 5, and it includes people who are vaccinated. COVID can cause pregnancy complications or even stillbirth, CDC says; officials urge vaccines The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged all pregnant women Wednesday to get the COVID-19 vaccine as hospitals in hot spots around The governor can only enact such public health emergency rules for a month at a time, so he must continue renewing the mask mandate monthly if he wants to keep it in place. The latest order will expire Oct. 27. Edwards said keeping the mask requirement was especially critical for schools, where many students are too young to be vaccinated and where people are crammed into packed classrooms for hours each day. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up The state, however, has not rolled out a strong enforcement effort of the mandate, hoping that most schools, businesses and residents will comply voluntarily. Louisiana's health department Tuesday reported 1,031 new confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 over the last 24 hours and 989 people hospitalized with the illness. More than 12,200 people across Louisiana have died of the coronavirus disease, and another 1,600 deaths are considered likely from COVID-19, according to department data. +7 Heres how Louisiana physicians are debunking myths about the COVID vaccine and pregnancy A group of Louisiana female physicians said Friday that misinformation is incorrectly linking coronavirus vaccines with infertility and bad pr Though the latest surge has lessened, public health officials warn Louisiana still has significant amounts of COVID-19 circulating in the community. But the state no longer has the highest per capita COVID-19 growth in the nation as it did in early August when Edwards reinstated the masking requirement. Louisiana has fallen to among the lowest per capita rates among for new cases, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Louisiana continues to have one of the country's lowest vaccination rates, but immunization levels have grown since the fourth virus surge. More than 45% of the state's 4.6 million people are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, while 51% have at least started the process that can take two shots. ___ Follow APs coverage of the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic. ___ Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte. A group of Louisiana female physicians said Friday that misinformation is incorrectly linking coronavirus vaccines with infertility and bad pregnancy outcomes, adding that the myths have led to concerning repercussions for the state as more and more local pregnant women are being hospitalized with the coronavirus. "We are seeing healthy, young women who are getting very sick in the ICU," said Dr. Jane Martin, an Ochsner Health System maternal/fetal medicine fellow who specializes in high-risk pregnancy care. "We have a ton of women in the hospital who are pregnant with COVID," Martin added during a Friday media briefing from Ochsner to debunk falsehoods. "They are almost all unvaccinated. Its affecting the pregnant women, the fetus, her newborn at home. Martin weighed the same decision about whether to receive the coronavirus vaccine while pregnant several months ago. She received her first dose of the coronavirus vaccine when she was 34 weeks pregnant, her second dose when she was 37 weeks pregnant and delivered her healthy baby about a week later. The decision to get the vaccine was easy, she said, because she was treating severely ill pregnant women in the hospital who had the virus. Since her baby was born six months ago, the volume of information has continued to grow that encourages pregnant women and women of childbearing age to receive the vaccine. The New England Journal of Medicine published a new study last month specifically on mRNA vaccines including the Pfizer and Moderna coronavirus vaccines and pregnancy. The study found no increased rates of adverse pregnancy outcomes in those who had been vaccinated. The good news is we have great data that shows the COVID vaccine does not increase womens risk of infertility, birth defects, miscarriage or bad pregnancy outcomes," Martin said. Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Still, despite the research and evidence, misinformation about coronavirus vaccines and pregnancy continues to flourish on social media. Even within the hospital, not all health care workers are immune from the myths: Ochsner has recently seen increases in the numbers of employees getting vaccinated, but their vaccination rate is still at 63%. Dr. Katherine Baumgarten, Ochsner's medical director of infection control and prevention, said that the virus' effects have been "devastating to our community." Were trying to encourage people to talk to their physicians, to go back to their original sources, to dispel misinformation," she said. And Dr. Erin Biro, an Ochsner neurosurgeon, spoke of the importance of using both good data and her own personal stories in combating fear around the coronavirus vaccines. Biro has enrolled all three of her children ages 6, 3 and 14 months in clinical trials of the coronavirus vaccine. The vaccine is currently only approved for children 12 and up. She said she was hesitant to do so at first, especially given some data that shows rare side effects of heart inflammation known as myocarditis and pericarditis among children who have been vaccinated. But "if you actually look at the data, the risk of myocarditis and pericarditis after COVID is much, much greater," she said. And the delta variant of the coronavirus is leading to more severe cases of coronavirus among children, cementing Biro's decision to enroll her children in the studies. Pregnant women and women of childbearing age who continue to refuse the vaccine could face a difficult road ahead. Martin pointed to several studies that found pregnant women are at greater risk for severe coronavirus disease, needing to be admitted to intensive care units, being placed on ventilators and even death. Meanwhile, there's some evidence that pregnant women who have received the coronavirus vaccine pass along protective antibodies to their newborns. "Your OB-GYN doctors are begging you to go get the COVID vaccine," she said. An explosion at a chemical plant near Lake Charles injured six people overnight, but the site was offline for maintenance at the time and no evacuations of neighborhoods were required, authorities and the company said Tuesday. The explosion was reported around 11 p.m. Monday at Westlake Chemical's Petro 2 ethylene plant in Sulphur. Six workers were taken to hospitals with injuries, the company said. Four have since been released and details on the conditions of the other two were not immediately available, said Chip Swearngan, a spokesman for the Houston-based company. "All the individuals are employees of three contract firms," Westlake Chemical said in a statement. "There was no offsite impact and there has been no fire as a result of the accident, which is under investigation." More than 20% of local industrial sites are still down two weeks after Hurricane Ida More than two weeks after Hurricane Ida made landfall nearly a quarter of industrial sites in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans area remain idle Lake Charles news in your inbox Once a week we'll send you the top stories we find in the Lake Area e-mail address * Sign Up A video shared on social media said to be of the site showed plumes of smoke rising from the plant after the blast, but Calcasieu Parish Emergency Preparedness Director Dick Gremillion said officials were not aware of any chemical leak and no evacuations had been ordered. Hazardous materials technicians were expected to return to the scene Tuesday for further investigation, said State Police spokesman Derek Senegal. The state Department of Environmental Quality was also involved in the investigation, said Gremillion. Boring and dependable is the new black for income-seeking real estate investors who forked out a total of $83.26 million at a super-size online auction on Tuesday, snapping up funeral homes, childcare centres, petrol stations and the Sunbury Ford dealership in Melbournes north. Kingston Funerals home in Cheltenham sold to a Melbourne investor for $3.83 million. Credit: The auction of 21 properties, conducted online with much of Sydney and Melbourne still in the grip of a pandemic lockdown, was fiercely contested. Another two auctions scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in Brisbane and Sydney are expected to attract similar interest, agency Burgess Rawson said. The auction extravaganza, when completed, will have put more than 60 properties under the hammer over three days. Burgess Rawsons Billy Holderhead said the Melbourne event registered 189 bidders across 21 properties for sale, providing a level of pent-up-demand among investors that pushed the total price of all assets 11 per cent above the vendors combined reserve of $75 million. For years Facebook stock has been a must own. The company enjoyed constant growth, regular user engagement and ad revenues that grew even with scandals tied to user data and fake news. But investors should be starting to worry a little. Regulators have been given the tantalising prospect of accessing internal documents that could bolster planned investigations into the company. Files leaked to the Wall Street Journal recently exposed troubling internal practices and some of the documents have been handed over to the US Securities and Exchange Commission by a person seeking federal whistleblower protection. Facebook s reign as social media leader is under threat. Credit: Being bearish on Facebook is an unpopular view. Out of 58 equity analysts tracked by Bloomberg, only three recommend selling Facebook shares, and the average 12-month target is $US418 ($575), almost $US60 above the current price. But Facebooks reign as social media king is increasingly under threat from competitors such as ByteDances TikTok and even Apple. The companys innovations in virtual reality and smart glasses will never replicate the success of its ad business. (The departure of its chief technology officer last week doesnt conjure much faith in future products, though his successor has a track record in hardware.) The shift toward investing based on environmental, social and governance performance may also hurt the company: ESG-focused funds have blacklisted Facebook for past controversies, and it currently has a riskier ESG score than Alphabets Google, Microsoft or Apple, according to Sustainanalytics. Chinas power crisis looks set to spur it to import more coal from a wider range of producers, putting it into competition with European and Indian buyers that are also snapping up more of the dirtiest fossil fuel. More than two-thirds of Chinas electricity comes from coal-fired plants and, while more than 90 per cent of the fuel it uses is mined locally, its difficult to raise local output at short notice. Looking offshore is the easier option, but thats been complicated somewhat by Beijings decision to ban imports from Australia - the worlds second-biggest exporter - late last year. China is likely to increase purchases of coal from other countries after banning Australian coal last year. Credit:AP It isnt easy to ramp up local coal supply, given the low investment in new mines in recent years, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Michelle Leung said in a note. Over-mining is also strongly prohibited amid safety concerns, she said. Instead, China is likely to try and increase purchases from traditional sources. Jilin province will seek more coal from Indonesia, Russia and Mongolia to ensure power supply and heating, Governor Han Jun said in a statement. The Adalong Guesthouse in South Brisbane is under police guard after reports of a new positive case of COVID-19. Police were called to the address on Stephens Road about 11pm on Monday. Adalong Guesthouse in South Brisbane is under police guard after a request from Queensland Health on Monday night. Credit:Ben Murphy, Twitter We were requested to attend by Queensland Health, a police spokesman said on Tuesday. Seven News reported that more than 12 people were isolating in the guesthouse and the positive case was not believed to be the aviation worker that tested positive overnight. Brisbane will not go into a snap lockdown but mask rules will tighten as Queensland recorded four new local cases of coronavirus, including a truck driver who was infectious in the community for one week. Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk urged people not to panic but said masks would be mandatory indoors in Brisbane and the Moreton Bay region amid two unrelated COVID clusters, while restrictions would return for aged care and disability facilities, hospitals and prisons. Theres no need to panic because Queenslanders have been doing the right thing, especially in the south-east, she said. The mask restrictions will be in place for two weeks and apply to anyone who has worked or lived in Brisbane or Moreton Bay since September 19. Therell be a Mont Blanc-sized mountain of papers waiting on Prime Minister Scott Morrisons desk this week as he returns from his whistle-stop US tour to spruik the awkwardly named AUKUS alliance and discuss the bajillion-dollar contract for eight nuclear subs. There really is nothing like dropping a nuclear-sized defence pivot and tearing up a $90 billion contract before jetting out of the country five seconds later to clog up the correspondence tray. But at least Morrison will have some warm memories from the trip to counter the arctic frost which has settled over our relationship with France. Welcome back, sir: Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce. Credit:Illustration: John Shakespeare No surprises, the PM turned it on for Boris Johnson with a snack-themed charm offensive. The PM gifted BoJo a pack of Tim Tams, after learning that a pack stashed inside a gift hamper given to the UK PM in June to mark the Australian-UK free trade agreement was a hit. But a source on Capitol Hill informed CBD that the pack of chocolate delicacies had to be hastily procured from the Ambassador Arthur Sinodinos private cache. And the bright spark who knew exactly where to find them was none other than the PMs faithful and more-than-resourceful economics adviser Nico Louw. More than a year after the behind-the-scenes operator stumbled into the limelight as the literary superspreader of Malcolm Turnbulls manuscript A Bigger Picture its great to see Louw is as indispensable as ever. Fans of British culinary excellence if thats an actual thing will be disappointed to learn Johnson didnt repay the gift with a pack of Penguins, Britains rather inferior chocolate biscuits. SPRING OPENER It is a sad 2021 fact that the closest any punters will get to the Birdcage at Flemington this year for spring racing may well be the Guy Grossi picnic hamper delivered on Tuesday to their front door. A week after protesters were dispersed by riot police on the steps of the Shrine of Remembrance just up the road there will be a demonstration of an entirely different type. It involves one masked man carrying not a placard but a wreath of flowers and instead of yelling slogans he will remain silent. It will be Chief Commissioner Shane Patton who will kneel to lay the wreath at the Police Memorial, an amphitheatre about 700 metres from the Shrine, because today, September 29, is National Police Remembrance Day. Chief Commissioner Shane Patton laying a wreath at the Victoria Police memorial on last years Police Remembrance Day. Credit:Eddie Jim If it wasnt for lockdown, hundreds of police led by police horses would march along St Kilda Road the same route taken by riot police and police horses last week to confront anti-lockdown protesters. A former partner of multimillionaire businessman Sean Buckley has pleaded guilty to contempt after admitting to circulating an audio recording of him allegedly assaulting her. Mr Buckley was granted an order by the Supreme Court in February that banned any dissemination of the explosive recording, which also captured the Ultra Tune executive chairman threatening to kill former business associate Jimmy Seoud. Ultra Tune founder Sean Buckley and his former partner Jennifer Cole. Mr Buckleys former partner, model Jennifer Cole, pleaded guilty to one count of contempt in the Supreme Court of Victoria on Tuesday. Her barrister, David Hancock, told the court his client breached the court order by sending the recording to two of Mr Buckleys colleagues. The dissemination of the recordings was to persons who were already in possession of it, and there was no loss or damage as a result of the delivery of the messages, Mr Hancock said. Nine knowledgeable beer men have just finished judging 130 entries in the national brewing exhibition held annually at the Ballarat College of Advanced Education. Watching them at work was like spying on a life-and-death conference of doctors. They wore white coats, they nodded gravely, and they talked quietly and urgently. You felt afraid to move your chair in case the noise disturbed them. Every so often, they reached for a glass and took a sip. Wouldnt you think that beer judges would be a rollicking lot? They should be banging their glasses on the table and telling rowdy jokes. It is sad to report that nothing remotely like this has been happening in the past few days at Ballarat. They did this for five hours on Wednesday, and three hours yesterday, seated in groups of three at separate tables. Poor fellows, it turned out that they werent allowed to discuss the beer. They could discuss the beer they had last week, or the beer they would have next Tuesday, but not the beer in front of them. Nor, having taken a sip, could they spit it out as the wine men do. This was made clear later by one of the judges, David Watson, who, 20 years ago, brewed Melbournes first Courage beer and created Crest lager. You must swallow the beer, he said: You cant relish the taste otherwise. They sipped and cogitated and, wrote numbers on paper, and then white-coated stewards would glide across the carpet with trays and more beer. Each entry reached the college in bottles that bore no markings except the number of the class, the type and a distinguishing mark. Each could score a maximum of 20 points, eight of which concerned physical characteristics such as carbonation, foam formation, colour and the way the beer clung to the glass. The other 12 points concerned aroma, balance, aftertaste and general palate appeal. The 130 entries represented a huge rise over last years 32. Who would have thought a few years ago that there would be so many beers in Australia? The pub breweries are the main cause. As things turned out, the small brewers did badly this year. The judges did not make one award in the lager section. An Incredible situation, was how the exhibitions director, Mr Neville Gower, described things. Theyll have to work much harder. A New Zealand entry, Macs Real Ale, submitted by McCashins Brewery and Malthouse, won the small brewery section ale award. The judges named Old Hunter (NSW) as the best ale of the exhibition. It is said to be part of the Bond Corporation breweries. They named a New Zealand entry from Dominion Breweries, Waitemata, as the best lager. The champion of them all, the supreme entry of exhibition was Old Southwark Stout, made by the South Australian Brewing Company. Only two major breweries, Carlton and Unite and New Zealand Breweries, did not submit entries, Mr Gower said. A Victorian Labor MP has called for a long-standing home for some of Melbournes most marginalised residents to clean up its act or close as a row rages over living conditions at the facility in Melbournes west. Melton MP Steve McGhie said that in his less than three years in State Parliament he had had multiple complaints about health and welfare issues at Meadowbrook, a supported residential service in Melton South. Meadowbrook in Melton South Credit:Paul Jeffers I dont believe this facility meets appropriate standards for housing these residents, Mr McGhie told The Age. It should be brought up to standard and if it cant be, it should be closed. He said all such facilities should meet appropriate standards. We have three wards that have now been converted to COVID wards and were treating patients that are really unwell, she said. High demand at the emergency call centre means Victorians dialling triple-zero may soon have their calls picked up by interstate call takers amid strain on the system, which caused some to wait on hold for up to 13 minutes. Mr Smyth said the demand was comparable to that seen elsewhere in the world but it was the highest since the thunderstorm asthma episode five years ago, which saw 1900 emergency calls made in just five hours, ambulance delays and 10 deaths. He said Mondays surge could not have been foreseen and flagged plans to divert calls to interstate agencies during surge periods. Unions, however, said ESTA was chronically undermanned and called for minimum staffing levels. Mr Smyth said the Bendigo girls case would be investigated internally because of the time it took to answer the call. We send our condolences to the family Its a real concern, he said, adding it was too early to say whether the call wait contributed to the outcome. Loading Ambulance Victorias acting regional director for Loddon Mallee, Trevor Weston, said paramedics arrived 14 minutes after the call - within the target time of 15 minutes - and were met some time later by MICA paramedics, who have a higher level of training. The girl did not survive. Victorian Ambulance Union secretary Danny Hill said even a one-minute delay for a cardiac arrest could mean the difference between life and death. Those calls need to be answered within seconds, he said. Victorias Health Minister Martin Foley expressed his condolences to the childs family and the Bendigo community. Any death is a tragedy but a death of a young child from a major incident like that is really, really traumatic for everyone involved. ESTA, which was funded to receive 43 new staff as part of the last state budget, answered about 95 per cent of calls within the target time before the pandemic but call volumes spiked in 2021, driven partly by the poor health of Victorians who deferred care during lockdowns. A Victorian government spokeswoman said ESTA would review its ability to cope with ballooning demand and report back to the government. Our sincerest condolences and thoughts go out to the family on this tragic incident, and to the paramedics in attendance yesterday, she said. Victorias hospitals have been facing a soaring level of demand and increased numbers of patients needing emergency care have led to longer wait times in emergency departments. Doctors are reporting that patients are arriving sicker after putting off seeking treatment or having their surgeries delayed due to the pandemic, and there is widespread burnout of healthcare workers, even before the worst of the expected wave of coronavirus patients. Loading There are about 375 Victorians in hospital with COVID-19, but that number could increase tenfold by the end of the year, according to Burnet Institute modelling produced for the government. Speaking at Wednesdays coronavirus briefing, Mr Foley said the states authorities are confident that although the health system is under huge stress, it will nonetheless get through. What we have seen across all of the emergency and health response sectors is an enormous demand, [and] not just COVID demand, which we would expect through the projections to actually increase over the weeks of October, Mr Foley said. The $749 million invested in the May budget, the $300 million in the December budget, [is] all designed to make sure that we get that capacity up. The Northern Hospitals Ms Bourne said hospital staff had the skills and training to operate under high pressure, but there were some patients presenting that didnt need to be there, as they had conditions that could be managed by their GP. While images of lines of ambulances idling outside hospitals may shock the public, paramedics and emergency doctors say similar situations occur outside major Melbourne hospitals most days. But Australasian College for Emergency Medicine president, John Bonning, said ambulance ramping was a symptom of a stretched health system and the COVID-19 pandemic had exacerbated long-standing issues. Ambulance Employees Australia Victorian secretary Brett Adie is among those warning the health system is already at capacity. He called for a more cautious reopening from lockdown to avoid the scenario forecast by the Burnet Institute, where 3000 or more COVID patients ended up in hospital by mid-December. Mr Adie said it was only possible to push healthcare workers so far before they burnt out and were no longer willing or able to work extra shifts, leading to preventable deaths. The message that is coming from many people out there is too bad, the hospital system just needs to cope, he said. Loading However, he said the way things were heading a young person that might have survived a cardiac event in 2019 due to prompt care may not in 2021. Mr Hill said he had been told that the ESTA was understaffed on Monday night. Mr Hill said Victorias emergency and health systems were so strained it didnt take much to tip the system over the edge. It doesnt need to be anything phenomenally extra to occur, its just with our population growth and people not going to their doctors and calling an ambulance instead, sometimes for quite trivial things all those things come into play, he said. Three men who planned to shoot and kill innocent members of the public were unlikely to have plotted a terror attack if not for the inducement of a covert police operative, a judge has ruled. However, brothers Ertunc and Samed Eriklioglu and their friend, Hanifi Halis, became willing participants in a plan to buy a .22 semi-automatic assault rifle so they could shoot people to advance their belief in extreme Islam, the Supreme Court of Victoria heard on Tuesday. Ertunc Eriklioglu after his arrest on November 20, 2018. Credit:Justin McManus Judge Michael OConnell jailed Ertunc Eriklioglu, 33, Samed Eriklioglu, 28, and Halis, 24, for 10 years after they each pleaded guilty to conspiring to do acts in preparation for, or planning, a terrorist act. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life in prison. The three men must serve seven years and six months before they are eligible for parole. With more than 1000 days already served in jail, they will be eligible for parole in less than five years. New technology and regulatory reforms have pushed back the danger to reliable power across south-west Western Australia from rooftop solar panels forcing too many large generators that stabilise the grid to switch off in the middle of the day. In early 2019, the Australian Energy Market Operator warned that without urgent action as early as 2022 Australias second-biggest power grid could face, in the worst case, widespread blackouts. Managing the output of energy from rooftop solar in WA has been a focus of the Australian Energy Market Operator. Credit:Bloomberg The risk is greatest on mild sunny days in spring and autumn when rooftop solar output is high but there is little demand for heating or cooling, causing gas and coal-fired power stations to shut down. Traditionally these huge fossil fuel-driven generators all spinning 50 times a second provided the stability, or inertia, for the system to maintain 240 volts and a frequency of 50 hertz as supply and demand fluctuates. Climate change is again at the centre of national and global politics ahead of Novembers international climate meeting in Glasgow, at the very moment that fossil fuel prices are booming amid new fears of energy insecurity. On the European continent, natural gas storage facilities are at record lows with winter looming, and prices have soared between three and fivefold in the past year, trading at near record levels after 2020s COVID-related plunge. A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London on Tuesday. Credit:AP It has forced fertiliser producers to slash their output, which may yet have an inflationary effect on food prices. Another byproduct is a reduction of carbon dioxide production, a gas which is used to stun animals before they are slaughtered as well as in carbonated beverages, among other common consumer products. In the UK, the surging gas prices have caused several retail energy retailers to collapse, unable to provide energy to households on long-term contracts profitably when prices in the spot markets have soared. It is clear that in Davis formulation, bodies with vaginas is a substitute for women, and in the context of an essay in a medical journal it doesnt seem especially problematic. In isolation on the cover, however, its a little more challenging, and could be read as a reduction of womanhood to a slab of meat with a genital organ (though bear in mind that references to bodies in a medical context are commonplace). On Twitter, with little by way of context, it landed like a hand grenade. Transgender man Freddy McConnell gave birth to a child, an experience documented in the movie Seahorse. So why not just say women? The answer lies in the way the term women is itself now contested. Does it denote a set of biological characteristics set from birth, or an identity that can emerge over time, with an element of self-determination? Or both, plus a whole lot of other identities along the continuum between those two points? The trans rights movement insists that trans women are women. Only an estimated 10 per cent of trans women ever undergo gender-affirming genital surgery; from the trans rights perspective, having a vagina is not an essential element of identifying as a woman. The phrasing chosen by The Lancet was likely intended to encompass trans men too those assigned female at birth. Available data suggests only around 2 per cent of female to male trans people have had genital surgery. But gender-critical feminists sometimes derogatorily referred to as TERFs (trans-exclusionary radical feminists) argue that simply declaring oneself a woman does not make one a woman. Thus the term bodies with vaginas is an attempt by Davis and The Lancet to signal women as biological entities while acknowledging that some women (including, but not only, trans women) might not possess or even desire to possess a vagina. Whats so bad about that? There are many feminists who see this and other attempts to modify language such as the use of the term chestfeeding in place of breastfeeding, and front hole rather than vagina as part of a campaign to erase sex. And that potentially has implications, they argue, in a range of areas, including medicine, law and policing. There are also plenty of ordinary people who bristle at what they see as an attempt to force a kind of Orwellian Newspeak upon them. And there are many people in the medical and scientific communities who see the move from sex to gender as anti-scientific, with the potential to distort research and data. For Lancet readers who align with those views, the journal has sacrificed science and objectivity in its rush to capitulate to the trans rights lobby (several have claimed on Twitter that they will never write or peer-review for the journal again). And in the process, it has crudely reduced women to lumps of meat with a sex organ, just as a serial killer might do, some angrily observed. So its clearly wrong, then? Not so fast. Theres plenty of evidence that gender is not a matter of genitalia, and that even for bodies with vaginas (ie: those we have traditionally understood as women) the experience of womanhood is far from uniform. The same, of course, applies to bodies with penises (those we have traditionally understood as men). If we accept that human identity can encompass a whole range of positions along a continuum, then we need language that more accurately reflects that. As the Victorian governments guide on the subject notes, The health and wellbeing outcomes of people with trans and gender-diverse experience are directly related to transphobic stigma, prejudice, discrimination and abuse, including when incorrect language is used, often unknowingly. Loading So, what are we supposed to say? The aforementioned guide advises we say sex characteristics rather than biological sex. It doesnt offer much help on genitalia other than to advise that physical organs should not be gendered as male or female. The trans health resource site Transhub says it uses medical terms like penis, vagina/front hole and anus, but also notes that our communities often use similar words for quite different body parts particularly our genitals. In other words, language, like identity, is fluid. The ACON guide to preferred language in a clinical setting suggests upper body in place of chest or breast, erogenous or erectile tissue in place of penis or clitoris, and internal genitals in place of vagina. The Age has spoken to several Nationals sources who confirmed the plan, which would involve Mr Chester standing for the party in the seat of Morwell against independent MP Russell Northe. The former veterans affairs minister, who was dumped from cabinet when Barnaby Joyce resumed the Nationals leadership in July, confirmed to The Age he had been approached by senior party figures about a potential switch to state politics. Federal Nationals MP Darren Chester has been approached to run for the Victorian Parliament at next years election amid speculation about his future after he announced he was taking a break from the party. One state Liberal MP, speaking on the condition of anonymity, welcomed talk of Mr Chester being drafted to Victorian politics, saying it would help the Coalitions brand in the state. Hes the sort of talent that could give us a boost, the Liberal MP said. He is young enough that he could even be in line for a leadership position. In August 2017, after racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt to former colleagues, friends and business associates, due in part to problem gambling, Mr Northe quit the Victorian Nationals. He ran as an independent in 2018 and won 19.56 per cent of the primary vote but was re-elected on preferences. The Victorian Nationals are expected to preselect their candidate for Morwell at the start of 2022. The party is under pressure to win back the seat a goal Coalition insiders believe would be aided by Mr Chesters candidacy. He is considered a popular local member, holding the federal seat of Gippsland by a margin of more than 18 per cent. His federal seat covers most of south-eastern Victoria, including the Latrobe Valley and the town of Morwell. Victorian Nationals leader Peter Walsh said he would welcome Mr Chester as a candidate if he wanted to run for State Parliament. The competition watchdog wants more power to cut Googles dominance in the digital advertising technology market, warning the search engine giant has too much control over how ads are delivered on the internet. Citing its inquiry into the sector, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) said on Tuesday that more than 90 per cent of ad impressions passed through at least one Google service in 2020. ACCC chairman Rod Sims says Googles monopoly over the ad tech sector harms advertisers, publishers and consumers. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen It said Google uses its dominance to preference its own services and protect them from competition by preventing rival ad tech services from accessing ads on platforms such as YouTube. Googles activities across the supply chain also mean that, in a single transaction, Google can act on behalf of both the advertiser (the buyer) and the publisher (the seller) and operate the ad exchange connecting these two parties, the regulator said. As the interests of these parties do not align, this creates conflicts of interest for Google which can harm both advertisers and publishers. Paris: Australias decision to cancel a French nuclear submarines deal will not change Frances strategy in the Indo-Pacific region, President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday. Macron told a news conference the cancellation would have a relatively limited impact on France, concerning a few hundred jobs. Australia sank the $90-billion French contract for a fleet of conventional submarines this month, saying it would instead build at least eight nuclear-powered submarines with US and British technology under a new Indo-Pacific defence deal with the US and Britain the new AUKUS security partnership. French President Emmanuel Macron said: We must, as Europeans, take our part in our own protection. Credit:AP Macron also said European countries must stop being naive, boost their defence plans and make themselves respected. 2021 Lexus IS - Review by Larry Nutson +VIDEO Sporty and Suave By Larry Nutson Executive Editor and Bureau Chief Chicago Bureau The Auto Channel Not to be hampered by the pandemic that has gripped the world in 2020, Lexus continues to roll out new and updated models. For 2021 the compact IS sport sedan gets a freshened exterior styling, a reimagined interior, retuned driving dynamics, more advanced driver-assistance safety features and an updated infotainment system. The 2021 Lexus IS made its debut in a mid-2020 virtual reveal. Prior to my IS drive experience Lexus partnered with the Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA), of which I am a member, and hosted a web-based MAMA eMeet to review key highlights of the new IS. Lexus College Senior Analyst Chad Deschenes provided a product overview and fielded live questions. This was an all-important update for MAMA journalists since the 2021 Lexus IS is a candidate for MAMAs Luxury Family Vehicle of the Year award. The IS has been a part of the Lexus model program for more than 20 years. Its the first step for many customers into the Lexus brand, priced slightly lower than the ES. For 2021 the IS lineup is a bit revised now with two trims: an IS 300 and an IS 350 F SPORT. Both trims are available in rear-wheel or all-wheel drive (AWD). IS 300 is powered by a 241hp 2.0-L turbo four-cylinder engine. The IS 300 AWD gets a power boost with a 260hp 3.5-L V6. The IS 350 F SPORT is powered by a 311hp 3.5-L V6 in both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive setups. Rear-wheel drive models use an eight-speed Sport Direct Shift automatic transmission while AWD models send power through a six-speed automatic. Performance is plenty adequate with a 0-60mph time for IS 350 F SPORT RWD of 5.6 seconds and IS 350 F Sport AWD of 5.7 seconds. In developing the new(ish) IS Lexus engineers set an objective to offer both high-quality ride comfort as well as high-level vehicle control. The underlying architecture and body structure is where it all starts with enhanced body rigidity. Lexus says through hours of testing they achieved their goal to help reduce unwanted noise and vibration, improve riding comfort, driving performance and steering response. Coined as the new Lexus Driving Signature, Lexus says it will be the new development standard that every model will reflect moving forward. Development is done at Toyotas Technical Center Shimoyama near Lexus global headquarters. The center includes a country-road test course based on the Nurburgring Nordschleife in Germany, well known around the world for its grueling driving conditions. On the outside the IS is lower and wider with a more muscular look all around. A new spindle grille, slimmer LED headlamps and DRLs, full width L-shape blade-style taillights and restyled rear fascia provide balance to the overall coupe-like design. New are standard 18-inch wheels with optional 19-inch wheels. IS 350 F SPORT has 19-inch graphite alloy wheels as standard. IS 350 F SPORT features a unique front bumper with functional aero enhancements, rear bumper, grille surround, rear lip spoiler, rocker molding, exhaust diffuser and badging. Unique F SPORT 19-inch wheels and larger 265/35R19 rear tires are fitted for added performance. The interior cabin features standard NuLuxe-trimmed seating, 10-way power driver and 8-way power adjustable front passenger seats, a dual-zone automatic climate control system with touch-sensitive controls, and an available power moonroof. IS 350 F SPORT gets unique graphic patterns and interior trim. The standard 8-inch or a larger optional 10.3-inch touchscreen are now more than 5 inches closer to the driver. Touchscreen functionality is a big improvement, while the touchpad is still also equipped. The new infotainment system also features Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility plus Amazon Alexa integration. The standard Lexus Safety System+ (LSS+) receives additions for 2021 in the form of the new LSS+ 2.5. A number of key features that are part of the LSS+ have been enhanced, along with the addition of a few new features. The Pre-Collision System, which include Frontal Collision Warning, Automatic Emergency Braking, Pedestrian Detection and Bicyclist Detection, features an enhancement to expand the response range. It is now possible for the system to help also detect a preceding bicyclist in daytime and even a preceding pedestrian in daytime and low-light conditions. At intersections, the system has improved recognition of an oncoming vehicle or pedestrian when performing a left-hand turn and is designed to activate typical pre-collision functions if needed. More information and specs on the 2021 Lexus IS can be found at www.lexus.com. Pricing for the IS 300 begins at $39,000. IS 300 with AWD is $2,000 more at $41,000. The IS 350 F SPORT is $42,900 and $44,900 with AWD. The new IS is in dealers now. For my drive experience I was behind the wheel of a IS 300 AWD finished in an attractive Grecian Water exterior with a Glazed Caramel interior trim. Overall I found the IS attractive to my taste with a well-grounded sporty and yet also premium look and feel both in and out. I prefer lighter tone interiors, so the Caramel was right to my liking. The V6 delivers decent performanceitll get to 60mph in 6.1 seconds. I didnt stretch things out, but Lexus says top end is 143mph. The front seats are quite comfortable and roomy. The rear seats 3-across, and that can be a bit tight. I liked the overall compact exterior especially for negotiating city traffic. The trunk at 10.8 cu.ft. is good for two on a weekend getaway, but might be a challenge with more. Lexus hit the mark with ride and handling. Theres plenty of fun to drive in the IS coming in part from new suspension components and reduced unsprung weight. I was pleased with the 235/45R18 tires fitted to this IS as they provide a good balance in ride comfort and handling. Lower profile 40- or 35-series tires get to be risky to puncture on worn city streets. Optional navigation and Mark Levinson 1800-watt 17-speaker premium audio was fitted for $2,750. Comfort Package for $1,950 added heated leather-trimmed steering wheel, power tilt-and-slide moonroof, heated and ventilated front seats and black geometric interior trim. The premium compact segment has some new entries such as the Cadillac CT4 and Genesis G70 as well as others from Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. The refreshed 2021 Lexus IS is a viable consideration if you are shopping in this segment. 2020 Larry Nutson, the Chicago Car Guy Chevron Mourns Passing of Former Texaco Chairman Alfred DeCrane SAN RAMON, Calif.--Chevron Corporation today honored the life and career of former Texaco Chairman and CEO Alfred C. DeCrane, Jr., who died this past week at the age of 90. Al led Texaco at an important and challenging time for the company and the industry as a whole, and he leaves a proud legacy, said Mike Wirth, chairman and CEO of Chevron. His work across multiple industries is a testament to the value of his leadership. Speaking for our board and employees, we extend our condolences to all those who remember him. DeCrane died on September 22, surrounded by family in his home in Vero Beach, Florida. DeCrane joined Texaco after graduating from law school in 1959. He had job offers from leading law firms and companies, but said he chose Texaco "because they told me that Texaco would let me do everything or anything that I showed a capability and a willingness to do." Chevron and Texaco merged in 2001. Born in Cleveland, DeCrane attended Cathedral Latin School, where he graduated as valedictorian. He graduated magna cum laude from the University of Notre Dame. After graduation he was commissioned an officer in the US Marine Corps and married Joan Elizabeth Hoffman in 1954. They raised their six children in Bronxville, New York. With an honorable discharge from the Marines as Captain, he went to work for Joseph P Kennedy, father to the senators and president, as a speechwriter. DeCrane went on to attend the Georgetown University Law School, and argued in front of the US Supreme Court at the age of 34. DeCrane was on a joint industry team that met with President Nixon and key administration officials to successfully obtain an antitrust exemption to allow the company to negotiate with OPEC. He was named Texacos general counsel in 1976, elected to the board the next year, and became president in 1983. DeCrane was named chairman in 1987 and became CEO in 1993. Following his retirement in 1996, DeCrane served on many corporate boards, including Bestfoods, Cigna, Birmingham Steel, Harris Corp., and Dean Whitter Discover. Daimler Takes A Stake In European Battery Maker Editor's Note: Could this purchase be a "cover your ass investment"?. Who really knows which fuel will win-out after the marketplace not politicians decide? Daimler to take 33% stake in battery venture ACC will begin supplying Daimler from mid-decade Daimler to invest up to 1 billion euros Kallenius: "Our focus is on Europe" BERLIN, Sept 24 (Reuters) - Daimler's (DAIGn.DE) Mercedes-Benz said on Friday it will take a 33% stake in battery cell manufacturer Automotive Cells Company (ACC), expanding its European sourcing of battery cells key to its EV ambitions and currently produced primarily in Asia. ACC, founded in 2020 by France's Stellantis (STLA.MI) and TotalEnergies (TTEF.PA), will begin supplying Mercedes-Benz with batteries from its production locations in France and Germany from the middle of the decade. "Our focus is on Europe," Daimler Chief Executive Ola Kallenius told a press conference. "That is where ACC wants to grow, expand, and develop technologies with us." Daimler, which plans on making exclusively electric vehicles in 2030 if market conditions allow, will invest up to a billion euros ($1.2 billion) in the battery venture starting with a mid-three-digit-million cash investment next year, the company said. SEE COMPLETE ARTICLE Batavia, NY (14020) Today Considerable cloudiness. High around 75F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy this evening with more clouds for overnight. Slight chance of a rain shower. Low 61F. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. 4 Indicted in Alleged Target Gift Card Fraud Scheme LOS ANGELESTwo Southland residents were arrested today in connection with an alleged fraud scheme that induced people into purchasing thousands of Target gift cards, which were then used at stores in Los Angeles and Orange counties to purchase electronics and other goods. Bowen Hu, 26, of Hacienda Heights, and Tairan Shi, 27, of Diamond Bar, both Chinese nationals, are among four people named in a federal indictment detailing the alleged fraud scheme, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office. The two other defendantsBlade Bai, 33, of El Monte, and Yan Fu, 58, of Chino Hillsare expected to be summoned to appear in court next month. Bai is a U.S. citizen, while Fu is a Chinese national, prosecutors said. According to the U.S. Attorneys Office, Bai, Hu, and Shi essentially laundered proceeds of the scheme by obtaining more than 5,000 fraudulently purchased Target gift cards, then distributing them to runners, including Fu, who used the cards at stores primarily in Los Angeles and Orange counties to purchase electronics and other items. Prosecutors contend the gift cards were originally purchased by people who were targeted by various fraudsters who convinced victims they needed to purchase the cards to resolve financial issues. For instance, some perpetrators claimed to be government officials or police officers who told victims to purchase gift cards to resolve issues such as arrest warrants or Social Security matters, while others convinced victims they needed to buy the cards to correct computer or account access problems. The fraudulently obtained cards were then distributed through an online group dubbed the Magic Lamp, prosecutors said. This case offers an important reminder to consumers that gift cards are for presents to friends and loved onesthey should never be used for payments to any government or corporate entity, Acting U.S. Attorney Tracy L. Wilkison said in a statement. Dont be fooled by callers claiming to be with a government agency, a bank, or any other institution demanding that you purchase gift cards. There is no reason to purchase a gift card to resolve a problem with an account, your Social Security number, or a supposed criminal case. Prosecutors said Fu visited as many as 17 Target stores in a single day to use the fraudulently obtained cards, and Bai resold the purchased goods, using some of the proceeds to pay the Magic Lamp group. The defendants are estimated to have laundered more than $2.5 million in gift cards between June 2019 and November 2020. All four defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Arizona Judge Blocks Laws Banning School, City Mask Mandates An Arizona judge on Monday ruled that the states ban on mask mandates in public schools, and other Republican-passed Arizona laws that block local governments from imposing COVID-19 requirements, are unconstitutional. The sweeping ruling from Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Katherine Cooper effectively clears the way for Arizona cities and counties to impose mask mandates. At least 29 public school districts had defied the laws and enacted their own mask requirements. Cooper in her ruling voided a ban on vaccine requirements at public universities, community colleges, and local governments. The judge also overturned several provisions not related to COVID-19 that were slipped into the state budget, including a required investigation of social media companies and stripping the Democratic secretary of state of her authority to enforce election laws. The measures were set to go into effect on Wednesday. The bill is classic logrollinga medley of special interests cobbled together to force a vote for all or none, Cooper stated in her ruling. Budget bills were intended to determine spending for Arizona, wrote Cooper, not to enact laws prohibiting mask mandates, regulating school curriculum, or authorizing special interest projects unrelated to the budget or budget reconciliation. The issue here is not what the Legislature decided but how it decided what it did, she added. Cooper wrote that the laws violate constitutional requirements that the content of legislation is described in its title and is confined to a single subject. State attorneys argued that all the provisions had something to do with spending for education or health and that the Legislature didnt need to be more specific. That is not correct, Cooper wrote. The Legislature has discretion to title a bill but, having picked a title, it must confine the contents to measures that reasonably relate to the title and to each other to form one general subject. A spokesman for Republican Gov. Doug Ducey called the ruling clearly an example of judicial overreach. In a statement on Twitter, Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, vowed to appeal the ruling. We will appeal this ruling. Its unfortunate that left-wing groups want to undermine the legislative process and indoctrinate our children with critical race theory and force vaccines on those who dont want them, he wrote. I will continue to stand for the rule of law and the people of Arizona. The Epoch Times reached out to a spokesman for Brnovich for additional comment. Arizona is one of several states where Republican governors have pushed to block local governments and school districts from imposing mask mandates. Critics of mask mandates have argued that such rules infringe on personal liberty and are ineffective at preventing the spread of viruses, while proponents of the measures have said they are necessary to curb the transmission of COVID-19. According to data compiled by Burbio, masks are currently required at schools in 75 percent of the 200 largest districts nationwide. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Robert Aaron Long appears in front of Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville at the Fulton County Courthouse in downtown Atlanta on Monday, Aug. 30, 2021. (Alyssa Pointer/Atlanta Journal Constitution via AP) Atlanta Spa-Shooting Suspect Pleads Not Guilty in 4 Killings ATLANTAA man already sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to fatally shooting four people at a massage business outside Atlanta pleaded not guilty to shooting four others on the same day at two spas inside the city. Robert Aaron Long, 22, appeared briefly Tuesday in Fulton County Superior Court, where he waived arraignment and entered a not guilty plea on charges including murder, aggravated assault, and domestic terrorism. District Attorney Fani Willis is seeking the death penalty, as well as a sentencing enhancement under Georgias new hate crimes law. In July, Long pleaded guilty in Cherokee County to charges including four counts of murder. He received four sentences of life without parole plus an additional 35 years. Those killed in Cherokee County were: Paul Michels, 54; Xiaojie Emily Tan, 49; Daoyou Feng, 44; and Delaina Yaun, 33. The Atlanta victims were: Suncha Kim, 69; Soon Chung Park, 74; Hyun Jung Grant, 51; and Yong Ae Yue, 63. Tuesday was the second time Long appeared before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville. The hearing lasted a few minutes. Glanville asked the defense if they wanted to waive indictment and plead not guilty, and defense attorney Jerilyn Bell said yes. Long did not address the judge. Glanville set the next hearing in the case for Nov. 23. During a brief appearance last month, Glanville asked Longs defense attorneyscourt-appointed lawyers from the Georgia capital defenders officeabout their qualifications to handle a death penalty case and went through a checklist specific to capital cases. Cherokee County District Attorney Shannon Wallace said during the hearing in July that investigators found no evidence of racial bias motivating the killings. She said that had that case gone to trial, she was prepared to seek the death penalty and would have argued Long was motivated by gender bias. Wallace said she spoke to the Cherokee County survivors and families of victims before agreeing to a plea deal and made that decision in the interest of getting justice quickly, and avoiding a drawn-out trial and appeals process. Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, said last month that she believes race and gender played a role in Longs motivation. Georgias hate crimes law does not provide for a stand-alone hate crime. After a person is convicted of an underlying crime, a jury must determine whether it was motivated by bias, which carries an additional penalty. Willis has said the families of the Atlanta victims have told her they understand it may be a long road but theyre in favor of seeking the death penalty. BJay Pak, a lawyer who represents the families of Yue and Kim, said they believe a lengthy judicial process is a small price to pay to get justice for their loved ones. Theyre ready and they have the resolve to do it, Pak said. He noted that the family members try to come to court for the hearings to seek closure and justice, and to remind the judge and others involved of whats been lost. After shooting five people at Youngs Asian Massage in Cherokee County, Long drove about 30 miles south to Atlanta, where he shot three women at Gold Spa and one woman across the street at Aromatherapy Spa, police have said. He then headed south on the interstate, and authorities have said he intended to carry out similar attacks in Florida. But his parents had called police after recognizing their son in images from security video posted online by authorities in Cherokee County. His parents were already tracking his movements through an application on his phone, which allowed authorities to find him and take him into custody on a south Georgia interstate. The Epoch Times Staff contributed to this report. An Indonesian nurse performing a COVID-19 rapid test at a football stadium that is being converted into a hospital for Covid-19 patients in Jarkarta, Indonesia on September 11, 2020. (Ed Wray/Getty Images) Australians to Get at Home COVID-19 Testing Kits Australians will be able to get access to COVID-19 home rapid antigen test kits from November pending approval by regulator the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) due in the coming month. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said on Sept. 28 it will ensure Australians can go about their lives as safely as possible as we learn to live with COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. This is an important additional protection for Australians: home testing to support Australians and to support the national plan, Hunt said. Rapid antigen at-home testing kits can return results in around 20 minutes and have been in use overseas for months. TGA Deputy Secretary John Skerritt said he was confident that the home tests would be available for Australians in November. However, he told a Senate committee that the TGA would be looking to make sure all home testing kits must be able to detect the Delta variant of the CCP virus. It does seem that some of the testsand I dont want to name particular products, but some of them are quite significant productsare much less sensitive against Delta, he said. The TGA has also announced that they will be making a new regulation so that from Oct. 1, companies can formally apply for TGA approval to legally supply their COVID-19 home testing kits for use in Australia after Nov. 1. Each of the tests will require TGA approval and inclusion in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG). This is an important step in supporting the National Plan to transition Australias National COVID-19 Response and aligns with the timeframe where it is expected that approximately 70 percent of Australians will be double vaccinated, the TGA said. The TGA has noted that any tests approved will also need appropriate support available for consumers who are seeking advice or help with forms, including online videos, a 1800 call number, or a website fact sheet for consumers who are seeking help. The TGA has also noted that prior to the release of the tests, state and territories will need to have appropriate systems in place to ensure any consumer who has a positive rapid antigen test result is supported to immediately have a confirmatory PCR test at a COVID-19 testing centre. This could mean state and territory governments may need to implement strategies to compel people who test positive at home to get a PCR test. Australian authorities had been cautious in approving the use of the testing kits for at-home use because of concerns around accuracy compared to nose and throat swabs. However, Hunt is confident the kits will provide Australians with an additional layer of protection from the pandemic. One of the important things is that we can supplement what is known as PCR testingthe testing that we all know if we go to a Commonwealth or a state clinicwith the home testing, he said. Hunt noted that once approved, the rapid antigen tests would be available for purchase at pharmacies around Australia. Ban Scientific and Medical Cooperation With Chinas Unethical Gene Harvesting Part 4 of the 4-part series 'World Summit on Forced Organ Harvesting' News Analysis Scientists are increasingly wary of Chinas practice of collecting DNA data. Geneticist David Curtis argues that Chinas mass collection of DNA could be used as an organ bank database. The organizers of the World Summit on Combating and Preventing Forced Organ Harvesting proposes a boycott of Chinas medical and scientific establishment. One of the most powerful presentations in the summit, held between Sept. 17 and Sept. 26, suggested that China could be developing a gene bank that is useful for forced organ harvesting through mass genetic testing. The presenter, professor David Curtis, is a geneticist at the University College London (UCL). He also argued that some scientific journals should potentially reject article submissions from China due to the countrys egregious record of human rights abuses. Other experts, too, are increasingly wary of engaging with scientists from China. There have been other [protest] cases associated with analysis of genetic data, especially in the context of surveillance and/or identification, according to professor Margaret Kosal, who holds numerous appointments, including at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Parker H. Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience. For my work dealing with security implications of emerging and disruptive technologies, these studies are some of the most specific, scientific-based, documented open-source exemplars of use of genetics and machine learning [ML] algorithms by [the] PRC [Peoples Republic of China] and indicators of capability. I wrestle ethically with questions of in what context, or even if, I should use [for example, cite and reference] them in my own research writing and speaking. Curtis stated: We know that forced organ harvesting is occurring [in China]. We know that people are subject to arbitrary arrest, to detention, sometimes to disappearancessometimes without judicial process. The third thing we know, and this is more recently, is that there is mass genetic testing across whole populations, minority populations, and particular regions. Technicians work at a genetic testing laboratory of BGI in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China, on Dec. 26, 2018. (Stringer/Reuters) He said that people are sometimes subjected to medical examinations, they provide blood samples, and one of the things that are done with these blood samples is that one can take DNA from them. Since 2017, according to research by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, the Chinese regime is collecting the DNA of all of its 700 million males in order to track them for law enforcement reasons. The American company Thermo Fisher is reportedly providing DNA testing kits to the Chinese authorities that meet their specifications. But Chinas DNA collection was previously focused on minorities, and according to Curtis, it allows the Chinese authorities to maintain a data bank of potential organ donors, who could be forced into organ donation. There is a relative lack of voluntary organ donations in China and mass DNA collection is also opposed in the country. Human rights organizations argue that there is no real consent to DNA collection in a highly authoritarian system where it is difficult to decline. They are also concerned that widespread DNA testing could be used to punish family members of dissidents and activists. According to The New York Times, police officers in China have demanded blood samples in mass DNA testing of male children in schools. It cites another case in which a 31-year-old male was forced to give a blood sample after being threatened. Mr. Jiang, a computer engineer from northern China, told the Times in a 2019 interview that authorities warned him, If blood wasnt collected, we would be listed as a black household. If he failed to comply, it would deprive him and his family of benefits like the right to travel and go to a hospital, the report said. Given the nature of the regime in Beijing, Curtis said: It is very hard to see why that [forced organ harvesting based on mass DNA collection] would not be happening. Here you have a regime that is collecting samples from which they can get DNA from all of these people. We know that they have no compunction about arresting people, detaining people. We know that they have no compunction about forced organ harvesting. That brings a uniquely terrible new dimension to this process. Curtis argued that the pool of potential donors for forced organ harvesting has expanded in China from executed prisoners, convicted prisoners, to detainees in general. And now Chinese authorities can go through the DNA banks that they have. They can identify a suitable donor. It does not have to be a detainee, because it can be someone just walking on the street, going to work, going to school, at home. There could be a knock on the door, and that person can be detained, taken from their home, taken from their workplacenever seen again because they are a good match for somebody who needs an organ transplant, he said. This creates the potential for the entire population of China to be a human farm of potential organ donors, according to Curtis, who stressed that there is no evidence of this. But he said: We do have evidence that forced organ harvesting is happening. We do have evidence of arbitrary detention and people disappearing. And we do have evidence that there is massive DNA collection going on. He asked, Why would the Chinese authorities not engage in forced organ harvesting from Tibetans, Uyghurs, and prisoners, for example, who have their DNA stored in a bank, if a powerful CCP official needs a kidney transplant, and therefore needs to find a good match? A technician works in a lab specializing in DNA in Beijing on Aug. 22, 2018. (Greg Baker/AFP/Getty Images) Curtis said that if gene banks are used for transplants that utilize forced organ harvesting, then this does not only involve security services. He continued, For this to work, doctors have to be involved, genetic sciences and a lot of other people in a professional scientific and medical network. Unlike in Britain, where scientists would go to jail for involvement in such unethical medical practices, there is no professional transparency and accountability in China, he said. There is no mechanism to go up against the state and advocate to uphold an ethical standard if it goes against what the state wants to do. Given what he knew about forced genetic testing and forced organ harvesting, Curtis felt increasingly uncomfortable, as editor of a genetics journal, about submissions he received from China. Why should I trust that the scientists had carried out their research in an ethical way, when I know that the [Chinese] scientific establishment and medical establishment is willing to put up with practices such as this? Curtis explained, What this brings us is a new genetics dimension to this problem. He said that we should be doing something about this. I think there is a way that we could seek to influence Chinas behavior, he said. There are places where there are sensitivities and things that they care about and one of these things is their scientific recognition, and the careers of those in their sciences. Curtis raised the question of the routine rejection of scientific papers based on their origin in China. He did this when he was editor of the Annals of Human Genetics, which is based at UCL and published by Wiley. According to Curtis in an email: I felt I could not continue as editor if I had to keep dealing with contributions from China. At the annual meeting with the publishers, having discussed with the board, we agree[d] that a boycott was not feasible. At the meeting, as a compromise, we agreed that I could publish an editorial setting out my concerns and suggesting that people might consider a boycott. I and Thomas Schulze [at LMU Munich in Germany and SUNY Upstate Medical University in New York] composed an editorial. (This is the text linked in the Guardian article, more or less.) When the publishers saw the editorial they refused to publish it and wanted it changed. I refused to change it because I thought that I should be responsible for the content, not the publishers. Since they would not publish the editorial I had written I submitted my resignation. Curtis, Schulze, Yves Moreau at KU Leuven ESAT-STADIUS in Belgium, and Thomas Wenzel at the Medical University of Vienna in Austria, attempted to publish the letter, titled Chinais it time to consider a boycott? elsewhere. The proposal to reject all articles from China contradicts rules frequently found in non-discrimination clauses against discrimination based on national origin. But this is a misguided inclusion when some nations are committing crimes against humanity and genocide, according to the U.N. definition. Not allowing such discrimination, especially against the worlds most powerful totalitarian state, invites the further growth of its power. Failing to take measures against this states genocide and crimes against humanity is to fail to take a stand against these greatest of injustices. Should we not discriminate against genocide? Is non-discrimination in this case not complicity in an exponentially greater discrimination? Other journals refused to publish the letter, including the Lancet, the British Medical Journal (BMJ), and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). It was, however, published by the Guardian in June. While the medical journals denied being overly deferential to China, the Guardian reported that Wiley and the Lancet suggested that the letters publication could cause difficulties to their offices in China, according to the letters authors. Curtis explained in an email: According to my contract I had sole responsibility for what was published and I could have simply rejected every submission from China. But I knew this would not be in keeping with what was expected of me. It would not accord with the policies of the publisher and it was also something that the editorial board did not support (it was discussed with them). I realized that it was a personal position that I was taking and so I decided to resign. Curtis resigned from his editorship of the Annals of Human Genetics in protest in September 2020, which became public in June. He told the Guardian: I resigned because publication of the article was blocked by senior managers at Wiley who should have no say in the content of a scientific journal. I was told that Wiley has got an office in Beijing, the implication being that publication would make it difficult. The publisher has no business telling the editor what they can and cant publish because of strong interests in China. The Annals of Human Genetics was originally called the Annals of Eugenics, the disgraced scientific field of improving the human species through breeding out supposed traits of mental illness, criminality, or in the case of Nazi Germany, racial characteristics. The case of Curtis unfortunately demonstrates that the most ethical of scientists, in fields sometimes lacking in ethics, are the ones forced out of positions of salutary influence. Curtis continues his work on bringing a more ethical approach to the genetics field, however, both through speaking out publicly against forced genetic collection and forced organ harvesting, and in raising questions about whether a formal medical scientific boycott of cooperation with China should be instituted. Sir Geoffrey Nice QC, chair of the China Tribunal into forced organ harvesting on the first day of public hearings, London, UK, on Dec. 8, 2018. (Justin Palmer) What that would mean for scientific journals is that we would not consider submissions coming out of China, coming from Chinese doctors and Chinese scientists, he said. We would be saying, look, you know your profession is complicit in these practices. We are not going to treat you as our colleagues. We are not going to say that we know that you follow the same ethical practices that we do. Curtis argued that this would raise awareness in Chinas medical and scientific communities about unethical practices. He wrote in an email, We are hoping to soon launch a website that will allow doctors and scientists to sign up to a boycott. Just after Curtis spoke at the summit, the coalition of five nonprofit groups that organized it, Doctors Against Forced Organ Harvesting (DAFOH) in the United States, CAP Freedom of Conscience in France, the Taiwan Association for International Care of Organ Transplants, the Korea Association for Ethical Organ Transplants in South Korea, and the Transplant Tourism Research Association in Japan, released their Universal Declaration on Combating and Preventing Forced Organ Harvesting. Its Article 9 is directly supportive of Curtis proposal, among other prescriptions. It states, All governments shall (1) urge medical professionals to actively discourage their patients from going to China for transplant surgery; (2) urge medical professionals not to give training in transplant surgery or not to provide the same training in their countries to Chinese doctors or medical personnel; (3) urge medical journals to reject publications about the Chinese experience in transplant medicine; (4) not issue visas to Chinese medical professionals seeking training in organ or body tissue transplantation abroad; [and] (5) not participate in international seminars, symposia or conferences of Chinese doctors in the field of transplantation and transplant surgery. We do in fact need not only a scientific and medical boycott of China, as Curtis has mooted, but legislation banning scientists and medical professionals from cooperating with foreign medical and scientific establishments that are engaged in highly unethical practices. This applies as much to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) today, as it should have applied to Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 1940s. With such legislation, awareness would be raised that the West is serious about its commitment to human rights and its willingness to energetically assert these rights in the face of the overwhelming power of illiberal political parties like the CCP. Awareness would be raised in China, where constraining effects of the law would provide consequences for the CCPs support and leadership in unethical medical and scientific practices, thus pressuring it to cease forced DNA collection and forced organ harvesting. We must take these issues with the utmost of seriousness in countries that are privileged to enjoy their freedoms, as in the case of the Falun Gong, Uyghurs, and Tibetans in China, they are constitutive of genocide. Read part 1, part 2, and part 3. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. President Joe Biden speaks to reporters after receiving a third dose of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine in the South Court Auditorium in the White House on Sept. 27, 2021. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Biden: 96 to 98 Percent of Americans Need to Be Vaccinated to Go Back to Normal President Joe Biden told reporters at the White House on Monday that 96 to 98 percent of Americans need to be vaccinated before the nation can go back to normal. I think we get the vast majoritylike is going on in some industries and some schools96, 97, 98 percent. I think were getting awful close. But Im not the scientist, the president said in response to a question about how many people need to be vaccinated for the United States to go back to normal. But one thing for certain: A quarter of the country cant go unvaccinated and us not continue to have a problem, the president added. Biden made the remarks after receiving a booster shot of the vaccine against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. The Food and Drug Administration approved the booster shot for people 65 and over on Sept. 22. As of Sept. 27, more than 55 percent of the U.S. population was fully vaccinated against the virus. That is far below some of the highest vaccinated nations in the world, including the United Arab Emirates, Portugal, and Malta, all three of which have 84 percent of their population fully vaccinated against the CCP virus. High vaccination rates in nations around the world have not prevented outbreaks. Israel, where enough vaccine doses have been administered to cover 80 percent of the population, recently recorded one of the highest COVID-19 case rates in the world, according to the Reuters Global COVID tracker. The United Kingdom, which has administered enough doses to cover almost 70 percent of its population, has averaged the second most COVID-19 cases in the world over the past week. Biden is scheduled to travel to Chicago on Wednesday to push more businesses to mandate the vaccine. The president had earlier this month ordered his administration to roll out a rule mandating vaccination at private companies with more than 100 employees, the vast majority of healthcare workers, and all federal government employees. According to a Gallup poll released on Sept. 24, 58 percent of Americans support Bidens vaccine mandate for companies. Slightly more, 63 percent, support the mandate for healthcare workers. Boosters are important, but the most important thing we need to do is get more people vaccinated, the president said on Monday at the White House, urging businesses to put their own mandates in place. Biden Losing Allies Confidence: Experts Warn Poor Execution of Plan After the Afghanistan withdrawal and the AUKUS deal leaving France empty-handed, concerns are rising among allies over the credibility of the United States under President Joe Biden. Is this a big problem, and in turn, a hindrance to diplomacy in the future? We aim to explore the positive big ideaslike AUKUSyet poor executionlike the Afghan withdrawal and the relationship of the two are playing out in the Biden administration, and how they should look forward. I have two special guests: Alexander Gray, a senior fellow at National Security Affairs, and previously deputy assistant to the president and chief of staff in the National Security Council under President Donald Trump; and Richard Bitzinger, an independent international security analyst and defense researcher. They take us into the details and the greater political aspects AUKUS provides. Join us for this part 2 episode on the shifting global order into the Indo-Pacific and how the U.S. administration is doing with allies in the Pacific Ocean. British Army Drivers on Standby to Deliver Fuel A limited number of army tanker drivers will get ready to help deliver fuel to petrol stations if needed, the UK government announced on Monday amid mounting pressure. Earlier on Monday, ministers said they had no plan at the time to draft army drivers after media outlets reported that Prime Minister Boris Johnson had been prepared to trigger Operation Escalinreportedly an existing plan to draft military drivers to deliver fuel to petrol stations in case it was needed after Brexit. The government said the military personnel will receive specialised training before they can be deployed. In an interview prior to the government announcement, Brian Madderson, chairman of the Petrol Retailers Association, told BBC Radio 4s Today programme on Monday that theres a whole process involved in delivering fuel, with one of the difficulties being loading the tanks. The government announcement came as one of the causes of the long queues at the petrol stationpanic buying after a handful of forecourts ran dry due to heavy goods vehicle (HGV) driver shortagesis expected to calm down. In a joint statement on Monday, industry leaders including BP, Shell, and Fuels Transport & Logistics said they expect the spiking demand will return to its normal levels in the coming days as cars are fully fueled. There is plenty of fuel at UK refineries and terminals, and as an industry we are working closely with the government to help ensure fuel is available to be delivered to stations across the country, the statement reads. Besides military backup, the government also said it will extend some ADR driver licences to ease the strain on the supply chain. The ADR licence, which indicates a driver is qualified to carry dangerous goods under the ADR treaty, allows drivers to drive dangerous goods across borders. Drivers are required to take refresher training courses to renew their licences between 12 months to six weeks prior to the expiry date of their licences. Under the temporary extension, licences expiring between Sept. 27 and 31 Dec. 31 will be extended to Jan. 31, 2022. This will reduce the number of drivers taken out of circulation to attend training courses this winter. The government previously offered to issue three-month visas to 5,000 foreign HGV driversalong with 5,500 poultry workersto alleviated pressure during this Christmas season amid long-time shortages of HGV drivers caused by a mixture of factors including low pay, working conditions, training costs, tax rule changes, Brexit, and the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) pandemic. Labours shadow defence secretary John Healey said drafting army drivers is an admission of failure from a government that continues to rely on the Army to bail it out. Calling the move a sticking plaster, Healey said the government had moved too slowly despite months of warnings from across the sector. British Warship Makes a Rare Passage of Taiwan Strait A British warship transited the Taiwan Strait as China continues its military pressure upon Taiwan. The Royal Navys HMS Richmond announced on Twitter its latest whereabouts on Sept. 27. After a busy period working with partners and allies in the East China Sea, it said, we are now en route through the Taiwan Strait to visit Vietnam and the Vietnam Peoples Navy. The brief post drew a rebuke from the Chinese militarys Eastern Theater Command the same day. The spokesperson for the command, Shi Yi, criticized the passage on its official WeChat account as a public hype-up, saying the UK just validated its existence. He said the command forces would maintain a high degree of alert, vowing to counteract any threat or provocation. For years the Chinese communist regime has claimed Taiwan as part of its territory. However, the communist regime has never held rule over Taiwan. Moreover, Beijing has threatened to use force to bring the island under its control. In recent years, the Chinese authorities exerted mounting military pressure on Taiwan by flying warplanes into its air defense identification zone. Data shows the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) fighters have invaded Taiwans airspace for 188 days so far this year, causing 526 radio warnings. This far exceeds last years total of 380, according to the Southwest Airspace of TW, a website documenting military activity in the area. In response to Chinas aggressiveness, the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan have strengthened their ties with Taiwan. Britain sent its carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth to the Indo-Pacific region in May 2021, as part of a UK-led freedom of navigation operation. The voyage was heralded as a warning against Beijings bullying of its neighbors in the region. Admiral Tony Radakin, a senior Royal Navy officer, told Nikkei Asia in mid-September that the UK would station two new patrol vessels in the Indo-Pacific region at least over the next five years as part of the United States and its allies efforts to curb the CCPs military expansion. Radakin stressed that Taiwan is clearly part of the free and open Indo-Pacific. It is a waterway that can be used by different nations, he said. HMS Richmond is a Type 23 frigate, part of the Royal Navys HMS Queen Elizabeth carrier strike group. It was first deployed in 1997 to the Far East. Building Community Is Good Business As business leaders, when we are able to reinvest into our communities and the people in them that we serve, wonderful things happen In decades past, advertising used to be the predominant form of businesses communicating with and attracting a large number of customers. While still crucial, today, advertising has taken a backseat to the attention a business or brand can receive by doing good for their community and those in it. That attention, when generated for (and from) the right reasons, can provide business leaders and professionals with the positive recognition they need to not only retain and acquire more loyal customers, but also the positive recognition necessary for any brand to continue growing as a successful business in todays world. Related: Why Philanthropy is Good Business Doing Good Helps Foster Impactful Relationships Whenever a business begins brainstorming ways for how it can do good in its community, the best place to start is by addressing concerns members in that community have. For instance, are its public schools under-supplied? Are there animal shelters or sanctuaries in need of charitable donations? By pinpointing ways in which a business can do good in its community in such a way that provides the maximum positive impact possible to the members of that community, those individuals begin to take notice and respond in kind. As an example, Cody Pierce, vice president of marketing for Pizza Ranch based in Orange City, Iowa, began hosting community impact nights at his restaurants. These events allowed members of the local community to not only voice concerns about issues in their community, but also to put their heads together to discover and implement solutions for them, such as raising money for school trips. Similarly, Pierce hosted the impact nights on evenings that were traditionally slow for the restaurants, and would donate 5 to 20 percent of that nights tips towards the cause his community members were rallying around. By engaging with his community in this way, Pierce was not only able to generate more revenue for his business, but he was able to do so in a way that left a positive impact on his community. This laid the foundation for more members of his community to view his business in a way that was positive for the community as a whole. Related: Why Doing Good for Others Does Good for Your Business Doing Good Bolsters Employee Engagement Your businesss work to do good for your community doesnt only leave a positive impact on the community itself. It also provides ways for your employees to become more engaged, both in your business and within the community. By giving your employees a way to give back, businesses often see a boost to their employees morale as part of a collaborative effort to inspire and help others. Over the past decade, there have been hundreds of reports and studies (if not more) generated that show a distinct correlation between how engaged employees feel and their performance in the workplace. Unsurprisingly, the data shows us that when employees feel more engaged in their work, they strive to perform better. For customers, this means that the employees they interact with are more likely to work harder to solve their problems, resulting in improved customer loyalty and retention which can serve as its own positive form of organic advertisement for a business. Similarly, this helps the business grow and increase its profits through both more productive employees and more satisfied customers. One study published in 2012 showed, a reciprocal relationship between job attitudes and business performance, but especially so for companies that maintained their philanthropic community engagement programs for longer periods of time (two years or more). In this way, businesses that implement charitable initiatives in their communities not only allow for further opportunities to engage and build meaningful relationships with their customers, but do so in a similar manner with their employees. Related: 4 Ways Your Company Benefits from Giving Back Doing Good Boosts Your Bottom Line When businesses can operate in ways that improve their employee engagement while also offering solutions to problems faced by those within their communities, those businesses are then able to witness how these initiatives can provide a similar positive impact to their own bottom line. Allow me to clarify: In todays hyper-digital world, building and positively impacting a community around a specific brand or business allows for customers to feel as if they are a part of something larger and more meaningful than themselves as individualsit invites them to become a part of your businesss story. Humans are social creatures, and while recent digital innovations have connected the world and those in it like never before, they have likewise left a vacuum for social interaction within that digital space. Brands that can tap into this are able to set themselves apart from their competitors by creating a space where their customers and employees alike feel more connected, and thus, more valued. Value is a two-way street: It cannot be received without being given and vice-versa. When a businesss employees feel more connected to and valued by their employer, their workplace performance improves. Similarly, when a businesss customers feel more connected to and valued by the brands they choose to do business with, they are more likely to continue doing business with that brand in the future. Both of these factors play a part in the business itself improving its own bottom line in creating a more profitable venture, and both canin many casesbegin when a business is committed to doing good in its community. Each business existing today is a comprehensive system of people, procedures, and profits. Doing good through enacting philanthropic and charitable initiatives is simply one way that businesses can better blend these three aspects, but also one through which they can create better and more meaningful ways to engage with their community. This, in turn, leads to an overall more positive outcome for the business, its customers, employees, and communities. California Offers New Eviction Protections Until 2022 California officials announced Sept. 27 new eviction protections for tenants who did not paid their rent during the pandemic until March 31, 2022. As Californias eviction moratorium comes to a close on Sept. 30, the new eviction protections that go into effect Oct. 1 will allow tenants who apply for the states COVID-19 Rent Relief program to avoid eviction. After September 30 for renters to protect themselves from eviction, they have to apply for rent relief because then a court will not take up their evictions until the decision is made on the applications [about whether the tenant qualifies for rent relief], Russ Heimerich, a spokesperson for the Department of Housing and Community Development, told The Epoch Times. Tenants who show COVID-19 related financial hardships or are below 80 percent of area median income can apply for rent relief. If you have a COVID-19 financial hardship and you qualify for removal relief and lets say you run into trouble paying your rent in December, you can apply for rent relief and be protected from eviction until we determine whether or not you qualify. While there is no deadline to apply, Heimerich urged tenants to do so as soon as possible since the rent relief will continue to be paid out until funds are exhausted. After the March 2022 end date, tenants face the possibility of eviction if rent goes unpaid. Lawmakers extended statewide eviction protections under existing Assembly Bill 832, which as of Oct. 1 will extend protection to tenants at or below an 80 percent median income. Tenants who owe back rent or who will have trouble paying rent on the first of the month should not wait to apply for rent relief, Department of Housing and Community Development Department Director Gustavo Velasquez said in a statement. The sooner they apply for rent relief, the sooner they will be protected from eviction for non-payment of rent. As of Sept. 27, $650 million has been distributed to 55,000 households. In addition, $1.5 billion from Round 1 of federal funding has been paid or approved for payment. The COVID-19 pandemic left many families without the income needed to cover their rent and stay in their homes, Consumers Services and Housing Agency Secretary of the Business Lourdes Castro Ramirez said in a Sept. 27 press release. Too many tenants have lived with the fear of eviction. We have moved quickly to disburse help to renters and landlords, assisting nearly 55,000 households. According to Ramirez, the state has more money left over in the California COVID-19 Rent Relief program and from additional resources. Tenants will not be required to disclose their immigration status or disclose proof of citizenship when applying for rent relief. California Parents Seek Court Injunction Blocking Aztec Prayers in School Parents and a civil rights group are asking a court to force California to immediately halt Aztec prayers in public school classrooms that are required by the California State Board of Educations Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum. This novel curriculum includes a section on Affirmation, Chants, and Energizers. Among these is the In Lak Ech Affirmation, which invokes five Aztec deitiesTezkatlipoka, Quetzalcoatl, Huitzilopochtli, Xipe Totek, and Hunab Ku. The pagan prayers address the deities both by name and traditional titles, recognize them as sources of power and knowledge, invoke their assistance, and give them thanks. Aztec religious practices included the cutting out of human hearts and the flaying of victims and wearing of their skin. Our clients are not opposed to having students learn about different cultures and religions, including the practices of the Aztecs, said Paul Jonna, partner at LiMandri & Jonna LLP and special counsel for the Thomas More Society, a national public interest law firm. But the California State Board of Educations approved Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum goes far beyond that by directing students to pray to Aztec deities. This portion of the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum is not only offensive, but blatantly unconstitutional. The lawsuit, Californians for Equal Rights Foundation v. State of California, was filed Sept. 3 in the Superior Court of California, County of San Diego, by the Thomas More Society. The other plaintiffs are Eric Gonzales, Steve Houbeck, and Jose Velazquez, all of whom are parents who now have or had children enrolled in public schools in California. The application for a temporary restraining order was filed on Sept. 24 and is scheduled to be heard by Judge Eddie C. Sturgeon on Oct. 7. Frank Xu, president of Californians for Equal Rights Foundation. (Courtesy Frank Xu) The curriculums unequivocal promotion of five Aztec gods or deities through repetitive chanting and affirmation of their symbolic principles constitutes an unlawful government preference toward a particular religious practice, Frank Xu, president of Californians for Equal Rights Foundation, said when the lawsuit was launched. This public endorsement of the Aztec religion fundamentally erodes equal education rights and irresponsibly glorifies anthropomorphic, male deities whose religious rituals involved gruesome human sacrifice and human dismemberment. Sociocultural anthropologist Alan Sandstrom, a scholar with expertise in the culture, religion, and rituals of the Aztec and other Mesoamerican peoples, filed a declaration with the court supporting an order prohibiting the inclusion of the prayers. Having reviewed the In Lak Ech affirmation, I can say it is a modern creation that borrows elements of the Aztec religion. It would be of no real value in learning about the Aztec people or culture of the past or today. According to the legal complaint, the State Board of Education appointed R. Tolteka Cuauhtin, a co-author of the 2019 book Rethinking Ethnic Studies, to chair a committee tasked with developing an ethnic studies model curriculum (ESMC). In his book, Cuauhtin demonstrates an animus towards Christianity and Catholicismclaiming that Christians committed theocide (i.e., killing gods) against indigenous tribes. In March, the Board of Education approved the ESMC. The curriculum also includes the Ashe Affirmation, which invokes the divine forces of the Yoruba religion four timeshonoring this divine force and seeking assistance for the school day, the complaint states. Yoruba is an ancient philosophical concept that is the root of many pagan religions, including santeria and Haitian vodou or voodoo, according to the Thomas More Society. It reportedly has 100 million believers worldwide in West Africa, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Guyana, and in Caribbean nations. The Epoch Times reached out to California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, for comment but didnt receive a reply by press time. Canadas Tax System: A Monstrous Labyrinth That Needs to Be Simplified Commentary Do you have a grumpy accountant? If not, perhaps you dont live in Canada. But if you do, you probably need one. You shouldnt. I dont just mean an accountant. But its incredibly hard to do your taxes without one. I mean a grumpy one. Because its incredibly hard to do your taxes even with one. So meet George, the fictional protagonist in Neil Winokurs book called The Grumpy Accountant, and written by one. George and Winokur want to put themselves out of business. And here, as surprisingly often, it may be necessary to explain to Canadians that they are being ill-used. In this case because the tax system they take for granted, as part of the price we pay for living in a world-class country, is in fact a scandal. Like long waiting lists for medical procedures, the length of the tax code, complexity and instability of its rules, vast budget of the Canada Revenue Agency and its aggressive and obtuse procedures, and the need to file tax returns is all an unnecessary aggravation, a failure of governance, and a breach of the social contract. Wait a minute, you cry. The need to file tax returns? Didnt Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. say Taxes are what we pay for civilized society? Are you some sort of nutbar libertarian? OK, maybe you didnt all cry the Holmes bit. But yes, he did, in 1927. Yes, they are. And no, Im not a nutbar who thinks either taxes or government unnecessary. But the need to pay taxes is not the same as the need to pay excessive taxes in a system so monstrous it would inspire envy in whoever created the rack. And as Winokur points out, there are plenty of civilized countries where most people do not file tax returns. No, really. Their employers simply file the local equivalent of the T4 which tells the government what they earned, so it applies the appropriate rate. Here you get penalized for not submitting a T4 they already have. Crank that thing a little more, willya? Whereas in exotic locales like, well, England, 90 percent of taxpayers do not have to file a return. In Sweden, 74 percent. And in Estonia it takes on average five minutes to file one. Canadians are a little too used to be treated like dirt beneath the governments feet. If you try to call the Canada Revenue Agency you cant get through but receive a stern automated warning not to seem ungrateful if you somehow hang in for, say, 90 minutes and finally get an agent. And dont be rude because they will hang up, and because I actually feel sorry for CRA agents dealing with scared, frustrated people all day. But why should we be either? And for so long? Some Canadians actually feel fortunate to get a tax refund, as if the government did us a favour by eventually repaying the principal on an involuntary, no-interest loan. Whereas if the CRA thinks you owe them money, hoo hah on the eventually, the no-interest, and the manners. Then there are all those tax credits. Politicians love them, including a man once suspected of being a nutbar libertarian who turned out not to be a libertarian, Stephen Harper, because they let you microtarget voters. Which is not the purpose of a tax system and in his case didnt even work. But I digress. No. I dont. As the grumpy commentator I want all kinds of changes to governance in Canada, including conservative parties making conservative critiques on biggies like climate and euthanasia. But if those things are too much to ask, can we at least simplify the tax system? Is it so controversial? There is no principled argument for it being a labyrinth complete with bureaucratic minotaur. People hate it. Even accountants, a vast and lucrative industry in Canada because of both labyrinth and minotaur, hate it. Economists hate it. And if politicians love it anyway, well, feel free to hate them too. Especially as its not a new issue. As Winokur grumps, our tax system hasnt had a fundamental re-examination since the Leafs last won the cup. But it hasnt sat still. The GST was added, infuriating a populace who preferred a less efficient less visible tax. But the basic exemption for small businesses to become unpaid tax collectors was $30k in 1991 and today still is. Is it fair? Logical? Open to debate? Our tax code is some 3,000 pages long, over a million words prone to shape-shifting. Yet no party advocates cutting it to 300, rationalizing social assistance, or letting most salaried Canadians avoid accountants, tax-filing software, and fear and loathing every April 30. If they do it to us, and we let them, at least drop the pretense that we even want good government. And get grumpy. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. People listen to a speaker during a rally and march organized by those opposed to COVID-19 vaccination passports and public health measures, in Vancouver on Sept. 8, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck) Canadians Increasingly Divided Over Vaccination Status, Poll Finds Other polling data suggest the country is more divided since the election Canadians who are vaccinated against COVID-19 feel a growing animosity towards those who are unvaccinated, according to a new poll, with other polling data suggesting Canada is generally more divided since the recent federal election. Conducted by Leger for the Association for Canadian Studies, the survey found that more than three in four respondents hold negative views about those who are unvaccinated. The relationship between the two camps of Canadians is also seen in a negative light by two out of three survey respondents, says association president Jack Jedwab. Theres a high level of I would say antipathy or animosity toward people who are unvaccinated at this time, Jedwab said. What you are seeing is the tension played out among family members and friends, co-workers, where there are relationships between people who are vaccinated and unvaccinated. The online poll, which surveyed 1,549 Canadians between Sept. 10 and 12, found vaccinated people consider the unvaccinated to be irresponsible and selfish, a view contested by those who are not vaccinated. It also found divisions among people who are unvaccinated, with roughly one in four unvaccinated respondents holding negative views towards others with the same status. Jedwab said he expected tensions between the vaccinated and unvaccinated to further spiral as employers and governments continue to push to have more people vaccinated. The survey also suggests that the tension rising from the vaccination issue has become equally fierce as some of the other social, racial, and cultural issues that divide the Canadian population. My sense is a lot of negative sentiment people feel towards certain groups is getting displaced by their feeling of antipathy toward those people who are unvaccinated, Jedwab said. This finding resonates with a separate survey by Maru Public Opinion that shows 77 percent of Canadians find the country more divided now than it was before the federal election held last week. Those who believe that the country is more divided than before the election was called are represented in every dimension of the country, according to Maru. Those most likely to hold this perspective reside in Alberta (88 percent), followed by those in Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Manitoba, (79 percent), then British Columbia (77 percent), Atlantic Canada (70 percent), and Quebec (69 percent). Men (78 percent) and women (76 percent) equally share this view; the youngest group of Canadians (aged 18 to 34), are less likely to take this view than the oldest Canadians (aged 55 and above) who are more likely to believe it is the case. A slim majority (52 percent) of Canadians believe the democratic process is broken and needs a major overhaul, whereas a minority (48 percent) believe Canadas democratic process remains intact. The Maru Public Opinion polling surveyed 1,510 randomly selected Canadian adults, 18-year-old and above, between Sept. 20 to 21, with an estimated margin of error of +/- 2.5 percent, 19 times out of 20. There is no margin of error for the Leger survey, as online polls are not considered truly random samples of the population. With files from The Canadian Press Canadians Released After Huawei CFOs Release Canada and China exchange detainees. Canada releases Chinese telecom giant Huaweis CFO, while Beijing lets two detained Canadian citizens go home. Chinese state-owned media outlets are calling the incident a win for China, even daring to tell Canada to learn from the incident. Some Apple and Tesla suppliers halt production in China amid widespread power outages. And in some parts of the country, the blackouts are now impacting residents. In another Chinese clampdown on a major company, the companys leaders have already been hauled off by police over debt estimated at $100 billion. Police-like law enforcement staff are caught red-handed on camera, sparking concerns online. A video shows them harassing street merchants, including an old woman. Subscribe to our YouTube channel for more first-hand news from China. For more news and videos, please visit our website and Twitter. People out on the streets to celebrate the end of the COVID-19 restrictions, in Oslo, on Sept. 25, 2021. (Naina Helen Jama/NTB via AP) CDC Lists Norway as Very High Travel Risk After Country Ends All COVID-19 Restrictions The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week listed Norway as a country with a very high risk of travel after the Scandinavian nation lifted its COVID-19 pandemic restrictions last week. The CDC now designates the country Level 4: COVID-19 Very High, according to its website. Avoid travel to Norway, the CDCs website said in an update Monday about Norway, the country with the highest human development index in the world. If you must travel to Norway, make sure you are fully vaccinated before travel. Norway announced the removal of all its CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus restrictions, prompting celebrations over the past weekend. It has been 561 days since we introduced the toughest measures in Norway in peacetime, outgoing Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg said on Sept. 24. Now the time has come to return to a normal daily life. Solberg later noted that Norwegian health experts had supported the decision. We shall not have strict [CCP virus] measures unless they are professionally justified. People must be allowed to live as they wish, Solberg told Norwegian newspaper VG over the weekend. Her remark came as one of Norways top health officials compared COVID-19 to influenza and said that the country will not classify the virus as a dangerous illness in the near future. We are now in a new phase where we must look at the coronavirus as one of several respiratory diseases with seasonal variation, Geir Bukholm, the assistant director for the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, told news outlet VG last week. This is because the vast majority of those at risk are protected, Bukholm said, referring to the countrys vaccination campaign. With the announcement, Norway wont mandate businesses to implement social distancing measures, and it will similarly allow certain venues and restaurants to operate at full capacity, the prime ministers office said. We have lived a long time with strict measures at the borders. This has been important in combating imported infections. When we now move on to a normal everyday life, the government proposes a gradual reduction of the restrictions on entry into the country. This will take place under close supervision, Minister of Justice and Emergency Management Monica Mland said in a translated statement on the governments website. Earlier this month, neighboring Sweden made a similar announcement saying that on Sept. 29, restrictions on theaters, restaurants, stadiums, and related venues will be lifted. The Epoch Times has contacted the Norwegian embassy in the United States for comment. Chinas Debt Crisis Goes Far Beyond Evergrande China's real estate sector is the foundation for everything News Analysis Chinas foreign debt, including U.S. dollar debt, stood at $2.4 trillion at the end of 2020, a 4 percent increase from the previous quarter. The countrys corporate debt, combined with household debt, now exceeds 300 percent of GDP. The U.S.China trade war, along with the pandemic lockdowns, have slowed the economy. The CCP hopes that increased internal demand will replace lost export revenuesbut thats unlikely, given Chinas high savings rate, high unemployment, and an aging population. Chinas debt-to-GDP ratio appears to be growing at a rate of about 11 percent, which means that it will outpace GDP growth, even in the best of years. To mitigate economic stagnation, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has been using state-owned banks to funnel credit to the private sector and increasing domestic consumption. Along with increased loans has come an increase in defaults. By the end of 2020, Chinese banks were holding $466.9 billion in non-performing loans (NPL). Research conducted by academics from several universities in Singapore suggests that the NPL situation may be much worse than it appears, with banks concealing non-performing assets from regulators. As Chinese banks have been bundling NPLs and selling them off to investors, these researchers estimate that more than 70 percent of NPL packages were resold at inflated prices. The way the sales were structured, the NPLs were moved off of the banks balance sheets, but the banks remain exposed to the NPLs. Its estimated that the real number of NPLs that banks are exposed to could be two to four times the reported figures. These suspicions of underreported NPLs have been further substantiated through an analysis of the income of Chinese banks. Basically, if Chinese banks have X amount of outstanding loans, they should have Y amount of income from loans. Since their income is substantially less than expected, this would suggest that a significant percentage of their loans are non-performing. In addition to debt held at banks, Chinas off-balance-sheet lending, the so-called shadow banking industry, totaled about $13 trillion in 2020. While the pending Evergrande defaults have been dominating news coverage, the troubled property developer is merely the tip of a very large iceberg, which is rotten at the base. Crumbling under $300 billion in liabilities, Evergrande has abandoned countless development projects across China, leaving 1.5 million buyers waiting for their homes to be finished. While Evergrande is just the latest and highest-profile developer to run out of money, this problem has been going on for years. Recently, in the city of Kunming, 14 buildings were destroyed in a controlled demolition because the developers ran out of money seven years ago, and city officials grew weary of looking at half-finished apartments riddled with quality defects. Villagers hold banners during a protest rally in Wukan, Guangdong Province, on Dec. 19, 2011. They demand central authorities to take action over illegal land grabs and the death of a local leader in custody. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) Similar, pre-sold, unfinished, and abandoned real estate developments, by a slew of companies, are scattered across the country. Chinese developers generally pre-sell apartments before they are built, combining those funds with bank loans to complete the construction. Consequently, when demand drops because people move out of the city, or fewer people than expected move into a city, or when oversupply kills sales, the developers have no way of obtaining the funds to complete the projects and they go unfinished. Often, this means that loans will not be repaid to the banks and creditors. Other results of these failed completions include people living in unfinished buildings and massive protests against developers. Evergrande claims to have 1,300 projects in more than 280 cities. Ostensibly, these projects will be added to Chinas list of unfinished and abandoned developments. The company is the largest issuer of high-yield dollar-denominated bonds, many of which are coming due and it cannot afford to pay. This will send a ripple through an array of lending institutions, shaking the very foundations of the property industry, which accounts for about 27 percent of all loans and 29 percent of Chinas GDP. Real estate also represents 78 percent of the wealth of urban Chinesemeaning that if the sector collapses, it will take the economy, big developers, small investors, homeowners, and families with it. Beyond Chinas borders, countries that export steel, copper, concrete, and raw materials for building such as Australia, Brazil, and Zambia, depend on demand from Chinas real state sector. If China stops building, then natural resource markets could tumble and these countries could suffer. Over the past several years, the CCP has cracked down on Chinas $1 trillion wealth management product (WMP) market. WMPs are opaque low-risk, high-yield investments sold at banks, the proceeds of which are generally passed to property developers. In order to avoid a 2008-style subprime mortgage crisis, Chinese regulators have made it illegal for WMPs to invest in bonds that are rated lower than AA-plus. This new law is expected to disqualify $390.5 billion of WMPs, which will have to be swapped for lower-yielding, high-quality investments. In spite of the CCPs attempts to rein in these products, they still represent yet another massive slice of the economy thats directly or indirectly dependent on the real estate sector. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Employees produce down coats at a factory for Chinese clothing company Bosideng in Nantong in China's eastern Jiangsu province on Sept. 24, 2019. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) Chinas Factory Profits Slow as Industries Brace for Power Crisis BEIJINGProfit growth at Chinas industrial firms slowed for a sixth month as plants fought off high commodity prices, COVID-19 outbreaks, and part shortages, with an unfolding power crisis a growing threat to output and bottom-lines. Profits rose 10.1 percent on year in August to 680.3 billion yuan ($105 billion) compared with a 16.4 percent gain in July, data from Chinas statistics bureau showed on Tuesday. The worlds second-biggest economy rapidly recovered from a pandemic-induced slump last year, but momentum has weakened in recent months, with its manufacturing sector facing heightened costs and production bottlenecks, and more recently, electricity rationing. Factory output rose in August at its slackest pace since July 2020, weighed by domestic COVID-19 outbreaks, high raw material prices, and a persistent shortage of parts such as semiconductors. We expect industrial profit growth to fall further in coming months amid a notable growth slowdown in H2, Nomura wrote in a note. High commodity prices in recent months have hurt the profitability of many medium-sized and downstream factories. To cool prices, China will auction more industrial metals from its state stockpiles next month in a rare release of inventories. Prior to this year, Beijing had not sold off state metal reserves for more than a decade. Earlier this month, China also released crude oil from its strategic reserves for the first time. Power Crisis New headwinds are also building as Chinas efforts to meet carbon emissions goals lead to wider curbs on electricity use, particularly on energy-intensive plants and businesses. Local governments in Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Yunnan, and Guangdong provinces have told factories to limit power usage or curb output. In the past week, electricity rationing has severely hit Chinas northeast. We estimate two months of electricity rationing from mid-September in selected provinces will cut 0.1 percentage point from 2021 GDP growth and 0.3 percentage point from 2022 GDP growth, Commonwealth Bank of Australia wrote in a research note. The combined share of the industrial sector in affected provinces with power rationing is about 14 percent of Chinese GDP. Tight coal supplies and higher fuel prices have also eroded the bottom lines of power companies. For the January-August period, industrial firms profits rose 49.5 percent year-on-year to 5.61 trillion yuan ($869 billion) slowing from a 57.3 percent increase in the first seven months of 2021. Liabilities at industrial firms rose 8.4 percent on an annual basis at end-August, up from 8.2 percent growth as of end-July. The industrial profit data covers large firms with annual revenues of over 20 million yuan ($3 million) from their main operations. Chinese Regime Using Top International Social Media Star for Propaganda: Experts News Analysis Chinas largest international social media influencer spoke at a government event after several months of unexpected absence. While the star says she was taking time off to organize her personal life, commentators suggest that she is being used as a propaganda tool. Li Jiajia, known by the name of Li Ziqi on her popular YouTube channel, appeared and spoke at the Farmers Harvest Festival in Sichuan Province on Sept. 23. Dressed in dark attire and appearing somber in a photo publicized by her assistant, she commented on how she will be changing her focus to advancing farming for Chinese common folk. Li spoke in the third person, saying she previously only focused on developing things for herself. I want to create a new farming model for the common folks, she said, according to Chinese media outlet Jiemian News. This model will be able to sustain, develop, duplicate, and spread. The farming stars reappearance comes after an unannounced hiatus from making videos for her YouTube channel, with the previous video published on July 14. Her videos, often published once per month, showed her making handicrafts and food all from the natural environment. Though YouTube is banned in China, Lis videos were consistently published outside of Chinese websites. She has held the Guinness record for the largest Chinese language YouTube channel since July 16, 2020. Her fame caught the attention of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as well. The regime has awarded her various titles such as Ambassador of Farming in Sichuan, Ambassador of Leading Youth Farmers Who Become Wealthy, and Committee Member of the All-China Youth Federation. Analysts say that Li and her videos are now filling a propaganda role for the CCP, creating a romanticized image of an idyllic lifestyle in the countryside. The image is to cover up the large number of rural residents living in deep poverty. Political commentator Hu Ping said that, despite Chinas claims of eradicating poverty, a large portion of the rural population still lives well below international poverty alleviation standards. Chinese artist Ji Feng echoed Lis situation as a propaganda tool. These videos meet the needs of CCPs grand external propaganda, Ji said. The CCP wants people to see, through these videos, not only the beauty of the rural countryside, but also the potential of entrepreneurship. Ji said in a previous interview that the majority of the countryside in certain areas is either deserted or unlivable. Independent commentator Zhang Qizeng told the Chinese language edition of The Epoch Times that the CCP creates different types of model citizens and heroes for different times to steer public opinions. The old propaganda methods dont work because there is no market, Zhang said. The CCP will bundle the process of making such heroes into certain business dealings so that it does not show a trace of government involvement. The Guardian wrote on January 2020 that many of Chinas rural villages have shrunk or disappeared completely in past decades as the nation prioritized urbanization and workers migrated to cities. Kelly Song contributed to this article. Delaware Mandates COVID-19 Vaccination for Teachers Delaware teachers and other school staffers must get a COVID-19 vaccine or undergo weekly testing. Gov. John Carney, a Democrat, and state health and education officials announced the mandate on Tuesday. The requirement will be formally laid out in an emergency regulation and is slated to take effect Nov. 1. It applies to over 12,000 people who work in K12 schools. Theres no better way to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and keep all Delaware children in their classrooms, than to get vaccinated, Carney said in a statement. Our top priority has been to get all Delaware students back in school this fall. This new requirement will help keep them there and prevent regular disruptions to their learning. These vaccines are safe and extremely protective against COVID-19 infection and serious illness. I encourage all Delawareans to get your shot and help us finally put an end to this pandemic. The Delaware State Education Association, the states largest teachers union, said it backs the mandate. Stephanie Ingram, president of the union, said its goal is to keep educators and students in school while protecting their health. To that end, we support the Governors decision for all school employees to get vaccinated or submit to testing. All scientific evidence shows us that this vaccine is effective and prevents the risk of transmission while lessening the symptoms if the disease is transmitted. So, we urge our members to get vaccinated, Ingram said in a statement. She called the weekly testing option a reasonable alternative for workers who dont want to get a shot at this time. Workers and students are already required to wear masks in schools, regardless of their vaccination status. Several states, including Oregon, have imposed COVID-19 vaccine mandates on school workers without a weekly testing opt-out. Others, including Delaware and Connecticut, are letting teachers not get vaccinated. Those who arent must get tested on a weekly basis. Still others, including Alabama, have prohibited districts from requiring teachers to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. An employee works on steel bars at a factory in Hangzhou, in China's eastern Zhejiang Province on May 15, 2020. (STR/AFP) Delta Variant Casts Shadow Over East Asia and Pacific Economies in Long Term: World Bank The World Bank said on Monday that the COVID-19 Delta variant is holding back the recovery in East Asia and Pacific (EAP) countries, which would give rise to economic recession and inequality in the long term. Testing, tracking, and isolation among the public have been less effective against the more infectious Delta variant, partly driving up lockdowns and restrictions to curb the growing outbreak, the World Bank said in its East Asia and Pacific Fall 2021 Economic Update published on Sept. 27. The disease is damaging the economy and is unlikely to disappear in the foreseeable future, the report reads. Findings show that the overall economic growth of the EAP region is projected at 7.5 percent. Cambodia, Malaysia, and Mongolia are expected to reach pre-pandemic levels in output by 2022; yet the Philippines, Thailand, and many Pacific Islands would remain at lower levels in 2023, according to the document. The growth momentum of China has eased, it said. Official data released by Beijing indicate Chinas factory output growth in August hit a 13-month low, due to domestic Delta variant surges and the global supply shortage. As a result, the regional employment rate shrank about 2 percentage points between 2019 and 2020. Both Indonesia and the Philippines would see as many as 8 million more people struggle with poverty in 2023, said the report. A man arranges dry bricks before firing in the furnace at a brick factory on the outskirts of Kajhu, Aceh Province, Indonesia, on Nov. 18, 2020. (Chaideer Mahyuddin/AFP) Burma (also known as Myanmar), among one of the hardest-hit, will face the biggest contraction in employment under military takeover and civil disobedience. While all households have suffered, poorer ones were more likely to lose income, sell off productive assets, suffer food insecurity, and lose schooling for children, it reads. In Indonesia, Mongolia, and the Philippines, firms lost on average at least 40 percent of their typical monthly sales and cut jobs, while micro-firms suffered most, lacking access to advanced technologies and government support, the World Bank said. However, domestic economic activity has so far been less sensitive to infections, researchers found. In May 2020, an infection rate of one in every 1,000 people would see a 5 percent decline in industrial output. The impact was negligible by June 2021. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) smiles after receiving the gavel from Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) following her election as the next Speaker of the House during the first session of the 116th Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 3, 2019. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Democrats Suggest Giving President, Treasury Power to Raise Debt Limit After a Tuesday meeting of the Democratic caucus, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) spent much of the press conference discussing the debt ceiling. As Republicans continue to block Democratic efforts to raise the debt limit, Pelosi indicated that members of her caucus are already looking for ways to avoid the challenge in the futurespecifically, by giving the president-appointed secretary of the Treasury the power to raise the debt limit on their own. The caucus meeting came after the Senate rejected debate on the Democrat-authored continuing resolution to fund the government Monday evening in a roughly party-line vote. The vote was the culmination of months of posturing by Senate Republicans, who have insisted since August that they would not vote to increase the debt limit. In a petition drafted by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), 46 Republicans signatoriesincluding former presidential candidates Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), and Rand Paul (R-Ky.), and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.)explained their reasoning. The petition accused Democrats of an unprecedented deficit spending spree, and insisted that they should take ownership for the spending by raising the debt limit on their own. While Democrats do have the votes to do this, it has been an avenue that Democratic leaders have been unwilling to take, as some polls have shown that debt ceiling increases are unpopular with the American people (pdf). Pelosi, Democrats Considering Both Legislative and Executive Options After Senate Vote In her Tuesday press conference, Pelosi discussed Democratic plans in the wake of this vote. Because of the imminent nature of the debt ceiling crisis, Pelosi said that the caucus spent most of their time on the debt ceiling issue. She warned of the effects from failing to raise the debt ceiling, including a default for the first time in American history. Such a default, Pelosi said, would wipe out trillions in family wealth for middle Americans. Pelosi also warned that Just the discussion of failing to raise the debt ceiling [under the Obama Administration] lowered our credit rating. She continued: This is not about future spending, this is to pay the bills that were incurred. Only 3 percent of this is about Joe Bidens presidency. The bulk of it is under the previous presidents administration. Still, Pelosi said that Democrats plan to put forward a new clean continuing resolution, the only effect of which would be to continue to fund the government through December. The continuing resolution rejected Monday by the Senate was significantly more expansive, ordering billions in new spending to address the ongoing Afghan special immigrant crisis and the aftereffects of Hurricane Ida. On the Senate floor Monday, McConnell indicated that he and other Republicans may be willing to vote for such a resolution. Pelosi also discussed much more ambitious executive options for resolving the current crisis and preventing such crises in the future. Pelosi criticized the opposition party for their vote. When the Republicans refuse to cooperate on this, they are jeopardizing the full faith and credit of the United States of America, which is guaranteed in the Constitution, she said. Here, Pelosi is referencing the so-called public debt clause of the 14th amendment, which reads, The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. Though the clause was a post-Civil War amendment meant to deal with immediate issues at the time, some have interpreted the clause as giving the president unilateral authority to raise the debt ceiling. President Bill Clinton, discussing a similar standoff over the debt ceiling in the mid-90s, interpreted this cause to give the president authority to raise the debt limit on his own authority if Congress fails to do so. Clinton said he would have used the clause without hesitation, and force the courts to stop me. But many, including President Barack Obama, have been unconvinced of the constitutionality of this move. Though it is unclear how such an executive action would work, Pelosi indicated that Democrats were considering it. Ill let you know soon, she replied when asked if the clause would be used. The point is its in the Constitution. We really do not have to go through this all the time. Pelosi also said that Democrats were considering options to give the Treasury Secretary the power to raise the debt limit, a suggestion that she said was put forward by Reps. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) and John Yarmuth (D-Ky.). Yarmuth has previously suggested that Congresss role in the debt ceiling should be abolished altogether. The House Speaker clarified how this new process would work. Because of constitutional requirements that debt and revenue schemes be approved by Congress, Pelosi said that Congress would have the power to reject a debt limit increase undertaken by the Treasury Secretary after the fact. But that would require at a minimum 51 senators as well as a signature from the president, a move that would severely constrict the minority partys ability to stop or reject such raises. Nevertheless, said Pelosi, it has to be addressed and its about paying past bills. EasyJet planes are parked at a stand at Stansted Airport, in Stansted, Britain on June 30, 2020. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) EasyJet Reports 93 Percent Take-Up of $1.6 Billion Rights Issue LONDONBritish airline easyJet said its investors had bought 93 percent of the new shares on offer in its 1.2 billion pound ($1.64 billion) rights issue, designed to help fund its recovery from the pandemic. The airline announced the cash call, its second during 18 months of COVID-19, earlier this month, at the same time as revealing it had rejected a takeover approach from an unnamed suitor, believed to be low cost rival Wizz Air. EasyJets chief executive, Johan Lundgren, said the extra funds would enable it to take advantage of new opportunities likely to arise as carriers like British Airways-owner IAG, Air France-KLM, and Lufthansa retreat. EasyJet check-in counters are pictured at Cointrin Airport during the CCP virus outbreak, in Geneva, Switzerland on May 28, 2020. (Denis Balibouse/Reuters) The success of this capital raise, thanks to great support from investors, will enable easyJet to strengthen its balance sheet and accelerate its post-COVID 19 recovery plan, he said in a statement on Tuesday. The airlines biggest shareholder, the family of founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou, decided not to participate in the rights issue, and their stake is set to reduce to around 15 percent from 25 percent when the shares go live at 0800 GMT on Tuesday. The founder has in the past clashed with management over its growth plans. EasyJet shares fell 3 percent to 686 pence in early deals, after the underwriting banks, including Credit Suisse, BNP Paribas, and Goldman Sachs, said they would sell the remaining 21 million shares via an accelerated book build. They closed the book at 0655 GMT, saying it was oversubscribed at 690 pence. ($1 = 0.7311 pounds) By Sarah Young A view of the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant in Playa Del Rey, Calif., on July 14, 2021. (Chris Delmas/AFP via Getty Images) El Segundo Residents Say Stench Remains After Hyperion Plants Repairs Complete The Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant completed repairs and cleanup last week after a debris backup caused 17 million gallons of sewage to spill into the Playa Del Rey Beach on July 11, but some residents are still frustrated by a lingering sewage smell and delays in the citys reimbursement program. El Segundo residents had previously complained that the sewage spill caused them headaches, burning eyes, nausea, and respiratory problems. I cant concentrate, I have nearly daily headaches, dizzy, and just feeling overall lousy since this happened, resident Sainte Jose DeLude told The Epoch Times in a previous interview. Nearly two months later, some residents say that things have improved, but the smell lingers. The smell isnt as constant but persists, DeLude Told the Epoch Times on Sept. 28. Hyperion Plant Currently, the only emission coming from the Hyperion plant is hydrogen sulfide, which has remained under the safety threshold of 30 parts per billion throughout September after reaching 70 ppb in July, plant Executive Manager Tim Dafeta told the Los Angeles Daily News. However, humans can still smell hydrogen sulfide at low levels, hence the lingering stench. Resident Jo Franco, who once dubbed the City of El Segundo Smell Segundo, said her eye irritation and headaches have gone away, but she expects there will be always be a lingering scent because of the citys proximity to the Hyperion plant. The Hyperion plant always has odors adrift because of what they do, Franco told The Epoch Times. They process sewage, and I dont think technology has reached the point to where there will be an odor free way to process the sewage. Its all going to boil down to how much odor there is and will be, and the subjective test of whats tolerable. Earlier this month, the Los Angeles city council also moved to instruct the citys sanitation department to look into improvements that can be made to the departments public response system, after the public was not immediately warned of the spill. Reimbursement Program After an influx of complaints, Los Angeles Sanitation & Environment (LASAN) created a program to reimburse residents of the surrounding area for up to $1,200 for an air purifier or air conditioner, or a hotel room to escape the stench. The city stopped taking reimbursement applications on Sept. 23, with LASAN officials saying data shows the air quality is sufficient to stop accepting requests. The city will still, however, accept reimbursements receipts from those who applied before the cutoff date until Oct. 8. So far, 2,350 residents applied for the program, and 709 have been reimbursed, Hyperion spokesperson Tonya Durrell told the Los Angeles Daily News. The city has spent more than $1.4 million on reimbursements, with more than 100 applications awaiting approval. While some residents say they have received their reimbursements after about one month, others have yet to receive the funds. DeLude said she filed her reimbursement for an air conditioning unit in early August and has not received a reimbursement as of Sept. 28. I charged it to a credit card and it made my excellent score go down to very good, just as I was about to finance a car, DeLude said. Currently, it takes about six to twelve weeks for the reimbursements to go through. Some applications take longer because the department must verify all the documents, and many applications are filed with missing documents; residents can expect reimbursement within six to eight weeks after the department has received the application with all the correct paperwork. El Segundo Councilmember Scot Nicol urged the city to extend its reimbursement deadline in a community forum on Sept. 23. Things are still not good, Nicol said during the forum. The smells are still here; the incidents not over. Nicol suggested that the city give quality of life surveys to residents to fill out, and ask people if they are still bothered by the smell; Nicol also suggested the city vary the times it measures hydrogen sulfide levels. The residents need a light at the end of the tunnel, Nicol said, not [to be told] told the [hydrogen sulfide odor] readings are low and everything is going to be fine, because its not. Hyperion spokesperson Tonya Durrell did not respond to a request for comment by press time. A fast-charging station for electric vehicles stands in the cell phone lot at John F. Kennedy airport in New York City on April 2, 2021. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images) Electric Vehicles Will Usher in New Pennsylvania Regulations News Analysis Ready or not, the pressure for companies and individuals to adopt electric transportation is lurching forward along with new regulations that will likely be felt by all. The future of electric vehicles in Pennsylvania was the topic of several discussions at the statehouse Monday. At the same time, Congress is debating a federal infrastructure bill that would help fund a network of vehicle charging stations. Electric Trucks and Cars to Be Required A rebate of up to $1,000 is available for Pennsylvanians who buy electric vehicles, according to a Facebook Live event hosted Monday by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The event also featured tips for new electric vehicle owners on where to find charging stations and how to decrease range anxietythe fear that your car will run out of juice before you find a place to charge. We at DEP have a keen interest in supporting electric vehicles for a number of reasons, DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell said during the event. He listed lower operating costs, lower greenhouse gas emissions, the potential for net job increases, and better air quality. But Pennsylvania already has better air quality. During the Senate Transportation Committee hearing Monday on vehicle emissions and electrification, Mark Hammond, DEP director of air quality said Pennsylvanias air quality has improved in the past decades. Over the last 20 years, Rebecca Oyler president and CEO of the Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association said, the following pollutants have all decreased in the transportation sector in Pennsylvania: sulfur dioxide, down 97.4 percent; carbon monoxide, 88.4 percent; volatile organic compounds 87.9 percent; nitrogen oxides 80.2 percent; fine particulate matter 77.2 percent; ammonia 53.9 percent; course particulate matter 52.8 percent; and transportation-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions declined 12.7 percent during the same period. Pennsylvania has committed to increasing the use of electric vehicles, McDonnell said. An executive order by Governor Tom Wolf calls for a 26 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 compared with 2005 levels. That order also set of goal of electrifying 25 percent of the states fleet by 2025. DEP also intends to meet a minimum of 30 percent zero-emission (electric) vehicle market share for new medium and heavy-duty pick-up trucks sold in 2030 and 100 percent of pick-up trucks sold by 2050. President Joe Bidens goal of 50 percent of all new vehicles being electric by 2030 aligns with commitments from the automotive industry, as more consumers are replacing their traditional gas-powered vehicles with electrical vehicles, Pennsylvania Department of Transportation Secretary Yassmine Gramian said during the Facebook Live event. Ironically, the increased adoption of electric vehicles creates a problem for PennDOT, Gramian said. Pennsylvania is dependent on state and federal gas taxes for 78 percent of its highway and bridge funding. That is why Wolf established the Transportation Revenue Option Commission, which discussed replacing the gas tax. Ideas include paying a tax by the kilowatt-hour and paying per mile driven. A plan has not been determined yet, but it is something Pennsylvanians will want to watch. Electric Will Hobble Truck Industry We are definitely headed in the direction of electric vehicles, Oyler told The Epoch Times in a phone interview. She told the Transportation Committee there are many ways to continue reducing emissions in the trucking industry and there is a difference between zero-emission vehicles which are electric and low emission vehicles that run on liquid natural gas or compressed natural gas. Diesel trucks are much cleaner than they were decades ago, Oyler said. Replacing old trucks with newer diesel can also improve the environment. Electric is not the only way to go, Oyler said. Its best not to push mandates on the trucking industry before the technology is ready, And, she says the technology is not ready for trucking. Electric trucks weigh 4,000-5,000 pounds more than diesel. It means 4,000-5,000 pounds less cargo to keep trucks within federal weight restrictions. The result is more trips to carry what one truck can currently carry. The Pennsylvania Turnpike stretches 360 miles across Pennsylvania. By comparison, an electric truck can only go 200-250 miles on a charge. Drivers have enough driving hours to go 500 miles in a day. With electric trucks, a new tractor will have to be swapped in to complete a longer journey, or drivers will face hours of downtime while charging. Thats not to say we cant get there someday. But we are not quite there yet for most companies. Trucking companies likely wont have a choice of when they go electric, because of California rules that many states, including Pennsylvania, adopted in 2003. The California Air Resources Board, (CARB) defines targets for reductions in emissions. The DEP is taking the position that they adopted those regulations by reference in 2003 and that obligates us to follow CARB in perpetuity for emissions, Oyler said. CARB is controlled by the people of California. They are making rules for the people of Pennsylvania. Its a little frustrating. We dont have any say here in Pennsylvania. Another portion of CARB is the Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV) Clean Trucks Rule, which is optional, but the Pennsylvania DEP has indicated that it intends to follow it and will likely announce that in the coming days. New York and New Jersey have already agreed to follow CARBs ZEV Clean Trucks Rule. It mandates a certain, growing percentage of electric trucks, forcing the trucking industry to transition. In 2020, California had 157 days exceeding federal ozone standards, while Pennsylvania had only 27, a testament to our success, Oyler said. Yet our state has ceded its authority to regulate truck emissions to the people of California, and that is having very real impacts on our trucking industry today. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, center, meets with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, left, in the Vice President's Ceremonial Office at he Eisenhower Executive Office Building next to the White House in Washington on Sept. 24, 2021. (Patrick Semansky/Pool/AFP via Getty Images) False Positive COVID-19 Tests Derailed Kamala Harris Interview, View Hosts Say COVID-19 tests that stopped an in-person interview with Vice President Kamala Harris turned out to be false positive, The View hosts said Monday. Ana Navarro and Sunny Hostin were asked to leave by a producer after their tests late last week returned positive, derailing plans to have Harris in the ABC shows studio to answer questions. But repeated followup tests over the weekend showed that the initial tests were wrong, host Joy Behar said Monday. I am thrilled to report that Sunny and Anas Friday results turned out to be false positives, and everyone is safe, healthy, and COVID-free, Behar said. No ones got it. It was a mistake of some sort. The producer who pulled Navarro and Hostin off apologized and said that he was relieved the positives were false. Hostin said the incident affected her husband, a surgeon who was pulled out of the operating room, as well as her parents and son. I always was assured by the fact that I am fully vaccinated. And so if even if I were COVID positive, I was convinced that I would likely be okay, she added. Federal officials say fully vaccinated persons are less likely to suffer severe disease from COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. The most widely used type of test for the disease, polymerase chain reaction tests, are known to deliver false positives. High-profile figures have in the past tested positive only to test negative on multiple subsequent tests. Harris on Friday ended up conducting the interview, but remotely. Aides said she never had contact with Hostin or Navarro and the vice president proceeded with her schedule, which included meetings with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Court Allows COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate for NYC Public School Teachers, Staff to Take Effect A federal appeals panel on Monday ruled in favor of New York Citys vaccine mandate for teachers and other Department of Education staffers in public schools, just hours before it was scheduled to begin. Plaintiffs, a group of teachers, had asked for a temporary injunction against the mandate, which requires all workers to show proof that theyve received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, stating that it violated the U.S. Constitutions Due Process Clause. That clause states in part that no state can deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law. On Sept. 24, a federal judge granted the request to temporarily block it, and a three-judge panel had been scheduled to hear the case this coming Wednesday. But in a surprise turn of events, the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan issued its ruling Monday evening instead, dissolving the prior injunction without providing any further explanation as to why. New York Citys Mayor Bill de Blasio said on Monday that Department of Education staff have until 5 p.m. on Oct. 1 to get their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine, noting that the swift decision also came as a surprise to him. If you have not gotten that first dose by Friday, 5 oclock, we will assume you are not coming to work on Monday and you will not be paid starting Monday and we will fill your role with a substitute or an alternative employee, the Democrat said. The decision has prompted concerns that there will soon be a shortage of teaching staff. Some unions have called for a delay. The courts have cleared the way for the city to begin enforcing the citys vaccine mandate for school employees, the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) President Michael Mulgrew said in a statement following the sudden decision. The citys estimate is that 97 percent of the teachers have been vaccinated, but according to our recent survey of UFT chapter leaders, only about one-third believe that as of now their schools can open without disruption, given the potential shortage of unvaccinated personnel, including school aides and security personnel, he added. The city has a lot of work before it to ensure that enough vaccinated staff will be available by the new deadline. We will be working with our members to ensure, as far as possible, that our schools can open safely as the vaccine mandate is enforced. Louis Gelormino, an attorney for the UFT, told Fox News he was considering taking the case to the Supreme Court. How can laying off or suspending 28,000, and thats not an exaggerated number, DoE employees not have an effect on the New York City schools, which dont run very efficiently in the best of times, he said. Were reviewing our options and theres a good possibility that we might try to take it up to the Supreme Court. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen prepares to speak during a meeting at the European Council building in Brussels, Belgium, on July 12, 2021. (Virginia Mayo/AP Photo) Federal Government Will Run Out of Cash on Oct. 18 If Debt Ceiling Isnt Raised: Treasury Secretary Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Tuesday warned members of Congress that the United States cash reserves will likely be exhausted unless lawmakers vote to raise or suspend the debt ceiling by Oct. 18, warning that its not clear if the United States would be able to meet all of its financial obligations if no deal is passed by then. If that deadline is reached, we expect Treasury would be left with very limited resources that would be depleted quickly, Yellen warned, adding that it is uncertain whether we could continue to meet all the nations commitments after that date. Should the debt limit be reached without a bill passed in Congress, Yellen wrote (pdf) that there could be substantial disruptions to the stock market that will thereby erode investor confidence and increase volatility. The federal government has spent, on average, about $50 billion per day and at times has exceeded $300 billion in daily expenditures in the past year, according to her office. Furthermore, the secretary added, we know from previous debt limit impasses that waiting until the last minute can cause serious harm to business and consumer confidence, raise borrowing costs for taxpayers, and negatively impact the credit rating of the United States for years to come. The Bipartisan Policy Center recently projected that the Treasury will run out of cash to meet the governments financial obligations between Oct. 15 and Nov. 4. The U.S. Capitol building exterior is seen at sunset in Washington on March 8, 2021. (Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images) After running out of cash, Treasury will be unable to meet approximately 40 percent of all payments due in the several weeks that follow, the group wrote on Sept. 24. How Treasury would operate in such an environment is unclear. Prioritization and delayed payments are two possibilities, but substantial uncertainty exists about operationalizing them. Last week, the White House circulated a letter to governors stating that a U.S. default could trigger an economic recession, and analysts have warned that as many as 6 million jobs could be lost. Yellens warning comes just hours after Senate Republicans blocked a measure to avert a federal default and provide funding to the government on Monday evening. All 50 GOP senators voted against the House-approved bill that combined a continuing resolution that funds the government until Dec. 3 and suspends the debt limit until the end of 2022. In a 4850 vote, the bill failed to clear the 60-vote filibuster hurdle needed to end debate in the upper chamber. Previously, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said his caucus wont sign onto a debt limit hike, although earlier this month, he stated that America must never default. Bipartisanship is not a light switch: a light switch that Democrats get to flip on when they need to borrow money and switch off when they want to spend money, the GOP leader said Monday. For weeks now, Republicans said Democrats can take unilateral action to raise the debt ceiling and finance spending Biden administration-backed bills worth trillions of dollars. Republicans, meanwhile, have assailed a Biden-backed $3.5 trillion spending package that focuses primarily on climate and social welfare programs, saying that the package is too expensive. And over the past year, Congress passed several COVID-19-related stimulus packages worth trillions while a $1.1 trillion infrastructure Senate-passed measure is scheduled for a vote in the House later this week. Fred Smith, chief executive officer of FedEx, arrives at Trump Tower in New York on Nov. 17, 2016. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images) FedEx Investors Approve CEO Pay, Proposals on Lobbying and Golden Parachutes NEW YORKFedEx Corp investors approved billionaire Chief Executive Fred Smiths $54 million pay plan on Monday at the delivery companys annual meeting, but rebuffed the corporate boards recommendations on shareholder proposals on lobbying and outsized executive severance packages. Investors approved by more than 50 percent non-binding proposals for more disclosures on the companys lobbying and for shareholder voting on senior management severance packages that pay out more than roughly three times salary and bonus, known as golden parachutes. The investor support is part of a sea change this year as top funds throw more of their weight behind shareholder challenges to companies on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues. It is clear mainstream investors have had enough with FedEx and its exposure to dark money politics, said Michael Pryce-Jones, senior corporate governance analyst at the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which sponsored the lobbying proposal. Partial disclosure only begs the question: what are you hiding? FedEx said in an emailed statement it would consider the results of the vote as it evaluates (its) disclosure and compensation practices. The Teamsters labor union, which has been bargaining on behalf of FedEx employees at a freight facility, had also urged that investors reject Smiths pay. The union said his pay package amounted to double dipping because Smith received stock options instead of a cash bonus last year after the pandemic hit, and then was also awarded the cash bonus. FedEx said in a supplementary securities filing this month that the boards compensation committee made decisions in real-time, based on the best information available. The lobbying proposal asks FedEx to prepare a report updated annually on its political expenditures at local, state, and federal levels. FedEx said it supported business and regulatory actions that further its business objectives. The severance payout proposal, submitted by investor John Chevedden, says investors should be protected from golden parachute payouts. By Jessica DiNapoli A private members bill introduced in the House of Commons on Feb. 26 seeks to ban medical practitioners from performing an abortion sought solely because of the childs genetic sex. (Peter Schulzek/Shutterstock) Florida Republican Files Texas-Style Abortion Bill, Democrats Label as Disgusting On Sept. 22, Republican Florida State Rep. Webster Barnaby filed HB167, a Texas-style abortion bill also known as the Florida Heartbeat Act. Florida Democratic lawmakers immediately condemned the measure as extreme, disgusting, and a war on women. Barnaby files EXTREME anti-abortion legislation, banning abortion at 6 weeks and creating a pathway to SUE people who help someone end a pregnancy too, Democratic Florida state Rep. Anna Eskamani posted on Twitter moments after the bill was filed. Its a [Florida] version of [Texas]s bill and its disgusting. My response to these Democrat lawmakers is that we could begin to listen with a little more seriousness to their talking points if it didnt involve the purposeful destruction of a human life, Father Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life told The Epoch Times, citing that even the Supreme Court has acknowledged abortion is the only procedure that involves the purposeful termination of a potential life. These people are just spouting talking points, Pavone said. Contact Rep. Barnaby and tell him how you feel about this offensive attack on reproductive rights and bodily autonomy, Eskamani said on Twitter. Remember we expect MORE anti-abortion bills to be filed, too. Eskamani added in a statement that Abortion is healthcare, abortion is a private medical decision, abortion is personaland there should be no politicians getting involved between a person and their doctor. Abortion is Not Health Care The statement by state representative Eskamani is based upon emotion rather than fact, Alveda King, former state representative for Georgia and niece of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., told The Epoch Times. As a woman who has learned the hard way that abortion is not healthcare, I can say emphatically that science proves that the best and most healthy way to help a woman is to give her opportunities to birth her children in a healthy way. Any medical procedures whether they be chemical or surgical, that alters a womans natural reproductivity will have consequences. Pavone also insists abortion is not healthcare, which is why Democrats wont describe what abortion is. Do me a favor, Pavone said. Describe to me how abortions are done. Give me an accurate medical description of the procedure. They dont know how to do that, Pavone asserted. They dont have the courage to do that because as soon as the person starts describing the procedure, they cant even say the words. Its so horrific, and they know it. I challenge them directly. Okay, you think this is healthcare? Okay, very good. Well, its good to talk about healthcare. Lets describe what it is. You say abortion is healthcare, even late-term abortion? Tell me exactly how late-term abortion is done, from beginning to end. What instruments are used? What does the doctor do in performing this healthcare for the woman? They wont do it. Theyre afraid to do it, and if they did it there would be no more argument because the public would see its literally barbaric. Abortion is Death Care Extremist politicians continue to find time for their War on Women, Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.) said on the House floor the day the bill was filed, adding that when she was a police officer, she put away rapists, stalkers and domestic abusers. Now extremist politicians in Texas and my state of Florida are instead trying to empower those same criminals to sue victims if they get an abortion, Demings charged. King said, while the crimes of rapists, stalkers, and domestic abusers are heinous crimes, abortion does nothing to staunch the harmful impact of those criminal actions. The most important thing to remember here is that abortion does not cure those crimes, King said. It compounds the grief the mother must bear and then adds the burden of bringing about the death of an innocent child. The child is innocent. Why should the child die? Demings also made it clear she believes women should also have the right to have an abortion simply if the pregnancy is an inconvenient result of consensual sex. But let me be clear, Demings continued. No Florida woman needs to justify her healthcare decisions to anyone. Its our freedom to decide versus your attempts to control. When I chose to have family, I did not ask my senator, my congressman or my governors for permission. Every woman has the right, the freedom, to make their choice for herself. And to do so based on her own personal, individual circumstances. The issues of abortion and harmful measures and procedures that are offered to women in the name of reproductive health care are often harmful to a womans health, well-being and life, King countered. What should be discussed is a womans right to know abortion is death care. Abortion actually kills a human person. Abortion actually affects the body and life of the mother. There are lasting effects from abortion that are often not known for many many years and are certainly not recorded as such by those who provide the abortions. According to CompassCare, the immediate risks of abortion include damage to the womb or cervix, incomplete abortion, requiring an additional surgical abortion procedure, infection of the uterus or Fallopian tubes, Sepsis or Septic shock, uterine perforation, or death. Future risks from abortion include breast cancer, pelvic inflammatory diseases, infertility and mental health problems. Mothers who must make a life-changing decision are often ill-advised, mislead, and lied to about the lasting harm that abortion can bring, King noted. A woman has a right to know there are healthy alternatives to abortion. Abortion Is Not Equity Access to abortion is health care, access to safe abortion is equity, access to safe abortion is racial justice and equal justice and women justice, Democratic state Rep. Michele Rayner said at a Bans Off My Body rally led by Democratic Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried on the steps of Floridas old Capitol on Tuesday. Abortion is not equity in that abortion takes the life of an innocent human being, King refuted. There is no attorney for the child in the womb for the mother. That makes abortion a crime against humanity and a civil wrong. Because civil law is man-made law, abortion is legal but its an act against the life of an innocent human being. A medical procedure is supposed to help the body do something its naturally supposed to do but is having trouble doing, Pavone added. Abortion is the opposite. The body is doing what its supposed to do in nurturing and growing that child and adjusting in many ways to the presence of that child and abortion goes in and stops all of that. Abortion is a reversal of what medicine and healthcare is supposed to be. The Bill Much like the Texas bill, which was signed into law by Texas Gov. Gregg Abbot in May, the proposed Florida bill requires a physician to conduct a test for the presence of detectable fetal heartbeat and to inform the mother if one is found. If a heartbeat is detected the measure prohibits the physician from performing or inducing an abortion and the measure provides for civil action against the physician if the abortion is performed anyway. If the physician fails to conduct test to detect fetal heartbeat before performing an abortion, this also authorizes private civil cause of action. The bill also asserts that the State of Florida has a compelling interest from the outset of a womans pregnancy in protecting the health of the woman and the life of the unborn child. Florida House Speaker Chris Sprowls was contacted for comment on the bills progress. Theres some pretty serious arguments right now in the Supreme Court regarding states interest, Pavone said, and this is what Florida is doing here. Theyre trying to express interest of the states, which was actually acknowledged by Roe v. Wade and reaffirmed in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. As Pavone explained, the point of states interest was made particularly in Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The court agreed thatfrom the onset of pregnancythe state has an interest both in the life of the mother and in the life inside of her. Theyre trying to assert the interest of the state, Pavone clarified. So we cant do rational and responsible law-making if were just going to throw out all of these arguments using pro-abortion soundbites. These Democrats are so shallow. Its all theyre doing here. It would be good for them to read the briefs that have been submitted and are under consideration right now by the Supreme Court and get a little educated on what abortion bills are all about. Prayerfully, America is waking up, realizing that human life is sacred from the womb to the tomb, King said. As civilized human beings we must find ways to serve humanity without killing humanity. When we recognize the beating heart of a baby at six weeks, that is a step forward. What do we do about the babies from conception up to six weeks? We have to think about that and care about them. What about the woman who has been raped or abused and finds herself pregnant and not ready to bear her child, to birth her child, and be a mother. There has to be healthy solution, life-affirming solutions, for the mother and the child. Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. French Government spokesperson Gabriel Attal attends the questions to the government session at the National Assembly in Paris, France, on Sept. 21, 2021. (Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters) France Cuts Back Visas for Maghreb Nationals Over Immigration Policy PARISFrance will slash the number of visas available to nationals from Maghreb countries because of their governments refusal to take back illegal immigrants sent home by the French authorities, government spokesman Gabriel Attal said on Tuesday. Immigration is becoming a key campaign issue for the French presidential election set for April next year, with conservative parties challenging President Emmanuel Macrons policies. Macron has not yet said whether he will stand for re-election. Attal said the French government would halve the number of visas available to nationals from Algeria and Morocco and reduce those for Tunisians by almost a third. It is a decision that is made necessary as these countries do not accept back nationals whom we do not want and cannot keep in France, he told French Europe 1 radio. Moroccos foreign minister Nasser Bourita told reporters in Rabat the decision was unjustified and does not reflect the reality of consular cooperation in the fight against irregular migration. French politician Marine Le Pen said on Monday she would call a referendum proposing drastic limits on immigration if she was elected president next year. Le Pen said on France 2 television the referendum would propose strict criteria for entering French territory and for acquiring French nationality, as well as giving French citizens priority access to social housing, jobs, and social security benefits. In 2017, she made it to the second round of the presidential election but was defeated by Macron, who won more than 66 percent of the vote. By Matthieu Protard and Kate Entringer Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the conclusion of military operations in Afghanistan and plans for future counterterrorism operations, on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 28, 2021. (Patrick Semansky/Pool via AP Photo) Gen. Mark Milley Defends Telephone Calls to Chinese General Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley vigorously defended his two telephone calls on Oct. 30, 2020, and Jan. 8, 2021, to reassure the top leader of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) that then-President Donald Trump had no intention of launching a military attack on Beijing. My loyalty to this nation, its people, and the Constitution hasnt changed and will never change as long as I have a breath to give, Milley told the Senate Armed Services Committee in an opening statement addressing the widespread criticism he received following a report on the two calls prompted by a story by The Washington Post citing an excerpt from Peril, a book published earlier this month by authors Bob Woodward and Robert Costa. My loyalty is absolute and I routinely communicated with my counterpart, Gen. Li [Zuocheng], with the knowledge and coordination of civilian oversight. I am specifically directed to communicate with the Chinese by Department of Defense guidance, the policy dialogue system. These military-to-military communications at the highest level are critical to the security of the United States in order to deconflict military situations, manage crises, and prevent wars between great powers that are armed with the worlds deadliest weapons. The calls on 30 October and 8 January were coordinated before and after with Secretary [of Defense Mark] Esper, Acting Secretary [of Defense Christopher] Millers staff, and the inter-agencies. The specific purpose of the Oct. 30 and Jan. 8 calls [was] generated by concerning intelligence that caused us to believe the Chinese were worried about an attack on them by the United States. Milley paused at that point, before addressing the committee once again. I know and I am certain that President Trump did not intend to attack the Chinese, and it is and was my directed responsibility by the secretary of defense to convey that intent to the Chinese, he said. My task at that time was to deescalate, my message again was stay calm, stay steady, and de-escalate. We are not going to attack you.' Milleys declaration before the Senate panel on Sept. 28 appears to contradict the account of the calls he made to the Chinese general described by Woodward and Costa in their book. The headline on the excerpt that appeared on Sept. 14 in The Washington Post declared, Top General Was So Fearful That Trump Might Spark War That He Made Secret Calls to His Chinese Counterpart, Book Says. According to the report, Milley told Gen. Li that he wanted to assure you that the American government is stable and everything is going to be okay, and that the United States was not going to attack or conduct any kinetic operations against you. General Li, you and I have known each other for now five years, he said, according to the books account. If were going to attack, Im going to call you ahead of time. Its not going to be a surprise. During the afternoon portion of the hearing, tensions rose when Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) asked Milley: Do you think if the Chinese Communist Party decided to invade Taiwan, would their military leadership call and give you a heads-up? Milley responded tersely. I think there would be a period of increased tension, indications, and warnings, and I think there would be an exchange of various communications at all levels, Milley said. But Sullivan interrupted Milley. Do you really think the Chinese Communist Party, the head of the PLA, would call and say, Hey, General, were getting ready to invade Taiwan, just thought I would give you a heads-up? Do you honestly think that? Sullivan asked. I would call him and ask him I think an invasion of Taiwan would be a fairly obvious thing to pick up on, Milley said. Sullivan responded that he believed that if the top general of the PLA called Milley, he would be shot. Sullivan then challenged Milley to explain the apparent discrepancy between his telling the committee earlier in the hearing that he didnt think Trump had any intention of attacking China and what he was described as saying in the Woodward and Costa book. Let me tell you what I actually said, Milley said. What I said was, If theres going to be a war, there will be a lot of calls and tension ahead of time and youre going to get I was communicating to my Chinese counterparton instruction, I might addto deescalate the situation, and I told him that we are not going to attack. President Trump has no intent to attack. If there is going to be an attack, your intelligence will probably pick it up. Everybody will be calling you. I will probably call you to tell you were not going to attack you. Just settle down, its not going to happen. And I did it twice. If youre giving them a heads-up, Sullivan said, with Milley denying that he did so. But the exchange was terminated by Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the committee chairman. Milley was then asked point-blank by Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) if he would give the PLA head advance warning of a real attack by the United States under any president. Of course I wouldnt, Milley said. Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) also asked Milley to provide lists of the people who were present during his two calls to Li and copies of the transcripts of what was said. Milley agreed to provide that material. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released a statement to reporters during the hearing. General Mark Milley spent hours with journalists spinning his egotistical self-promotion instead of doing his job, she said in the statement. Milley denied that he leaked information to journalists. The committees Democratic members didnt step in to defend Milley regarding the calls to China during the hearing. Commander of U.S. Central Command Gen. Kenneth McKenzie testifies during a hearing before Senate Armed Services Committee in Washington on Sept. 28, 2021. (Alex Wong/Getty Images) Generals Contradict Biden, Say They Recommended Keeping Troops in Afghanistan Two top-ranking generals on Tuesday said they recommended to President Joe Biden that he leave U.S. troops in Afghanistan. I recommended that we maintain 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, Gen. Frank McKenzie told members of a Senate panel in Washington. Gen. Mark Milley also said he believed U.S. troops should remain in the Central Asian country. And Gen. Scott Miller, who commanded U.S. forces in Afghanistan, made similar comments to senators behind closed doors earlier this month. McKenzie said he was concerned that a full pullout would lead inevitably to the collapse of Afghanistan military forces and eventually the Afghan government. After the United States started preparing for its final withdrawal, the Taliban routed U.S.-backed Afghan forces and took over the country, triggering a frantic 10-day evacuation mission that failed to evacuate all Americans from Afghanistan. McKenzie said he was confident the recommendations were heard by Biden. U.S. soldiers stand guard behind barbed wire as Afghans sit on a roadside near the military part of the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 20, 2021. (Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images) Their input was received by the president and considered by the president, for sure, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said. Former President Donald Trump started the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan but troops were still in the country when Biden took office in January. Biden ended up following through on the withdrawal, despite recommendations to keep troops there. Asked whether top military advisers recommended keeping 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, Biden told ABC News last month that no one said that to me that I can recall. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) said Tuesday that he was shocked by what he heard. Gen. Milley, I can only conclude that your advice about staying in Afghanistan was rejected, Cotton said. It is clearPresident Biden lied to the American people and ignored military advice, Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) added on Twitter. White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters at a briefing Tuesday that Biden made clear that advice from advisers was split and that the president didnt outline what every individual conveyed to him. Later in the hearing, under questioning by Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Milley said that the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which he chairs and which includes Gen. McKenzie, unanimously recommended on Aug. 25 that the United States fully withdraw from Afghanistan. Every one of us evaluated the conditions at the time on the 25th and we made a unanimous recommendation that we end the military mission and transition to a diplomatic mission, Milley said. Biden ultimately ordered troops to withdraw by the end of the month, and forces pulled out by the end of Aug. 30, leaving, according to the administration, as many as 200 Americans behind. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks during a COVID-19 briefing at the Capitol, in Atlanta, Ga., on July 17, 2020. (John Bazemore/AP Photo) Georgia Using Federal Funds to Give First Responders $1,000 Bonuses Firefighters and other first responders in Georgia are poised to get $1,000 bonuses, Republican leaders in the state announced Monday. The bonuses will be paid for by COVID-19 relief funding that was allocated by Congress in March. Law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and correctional officers are among those eligible for the bonuses, which first responders will need to apply for. Others may talk of defunding your departments, slashing your budgets, or vilifying your professionnot here in Georgia, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, told a press conference in Atlanta. We are going to refund, or fund, our public safety officials, and let them know that the people of this state and its leaders value them as well as their families, he added. Andy Hester, the president of the Georgia Sheriffs Association and the sheriff in Turner County, said the bonuses will make a big difference to the lives of those who receive them. Janet Moon, chief of police in Peachtree City and president of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police, said the supplement will let first responders cover unexpected childcare-related expenses and pay for COVID-19 tests. Kemp, Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, and other Republican leaders in the state previously announced bonuses for approximately 57,000 state employees, K to 12 public school teachers, and every school-level staffer across the state. Georgia will ultimately receive approximately $4.9 billion from the package Congress passed in March and President Joe Biden signed into law, according to the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute. No Republicans in Congress voted for the package, which was dubbed the American Rescue Plan. The state package that includes funding for the first responders is pegged at $100 million. Democrats in Georgia noted GOP opposition to the American Rescue Plan. Were glad to see Brian Kemp has finally come around to supporting President Bidens American Rescue Plan after staunchly opposing this critical relief for working Georgians and law enforcement. If Kemp or any of Georgias Republican Senate candidates had their way, Georgia would not be seeing a dime of this essential funding for our first responders. These bonuses are thanks exclusively to the President and Georgia Democrats, who passed the COVID-19 relief package without a single Georgia Republican vote, Rhyan Lake, spokeswoman for the Democratic Party of Georgia, said in a statement. A sign is shown on a Google building at their campus in Mountain View, Calif., on Sept. 24, 2019. (Jeff Chiu/AP Photo) Google, in Fight Against Record $5 Billion EU Fine, Slams Regulators for Ignoring Apple As Google attempted to annul a record fine of 4.34 billion euro ($5.1 billion) related to the monopolistic practices of the Android ecosystem, the company censured EU antitrust regulators for disregarding Apples key position in the market. The Commission shut its eyes to the real competitive dynamic in this industry, that between Apple and Android, Googles lawyer Meredith Pickford told a panel of five judges at the European General Court (EGC) at the start of a five-day hearing. Google representatives maintained that Android was a vigorous market disruptor and a massive success story of competition at work. Google dominates the global mobile operating system market with more than 70 percent of the total share. In 2018, the European Commission had fined the tech giant for thwarting competition and preventing rivals from being able to compete against its wide-ranging ecosystem. Commission lawyer Nicholas Khan dismissed Googles claim, saying that Apple carried a relatively smaller share of the global market. Bringing Apple into the picture doesnt change things very much. Google and Apple pursue different models, he told the court. The commission took up the case based upon a complaint registered by lobbying group FairSearch. Characterized as a Google watchdog, FairSearch is controlled by Oracle, and features members like Microsoft and Nokia. FairSearchs complaint alleges that Google offered Android as a Trojan horse to hardware manufacturers marketing the platform as community-driven, easily adaptable, and open source. Using a bait and switch strategy, the company would essentially offer two versions of Android. One was truly open source but starved of functionality, and the other is Googles proprietary version. The company did this by implementing an application programming interface (API) layer, Google Play Services. This principal repository of Android apps was maintained and updated, and not part of the open source version. Hardware manufacturers were encouraged (and in some cases, required) to use the Play Services APIs restricting them from releasing other editions on the open source platform, according to a summary of the FairSearch complaint. Khan said that Googles purposeful barriers for rivals resulted in a virtuous circle for Google but a vicious circle for anybody else. Over the last decade, Google has been fined more than eight billion euros ($9.34 billion) in EU antitrust fines. A verdict is expected in 2022. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks during a press conference at the Shul of Bal Harbour in Surfside, Fla., on June 14, 2021. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) Gov. DeSantis Orders Facebook Probe for Alleged Violations of Election Laws Gov. Ron DeSantis has directed Floridas secretary of state to open an investigation into whether Facebook violated the states election laws through its program that allegedly exempts certain high-profile users from moderation. The Republican governor in his letter (pdf) to Secretary of State Laurel M. Lee on Monday cited a Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report, published earlier this month, that alleges the social media companys XCheck program has given millions of celebrities, politicians and other high-profile users preferential treatment. These users are exempt from some or all of the Big Tech companys rules, the WSJ report found, noting that it placed on a whitelist certain politiciansbut not every candidate. While the program included most government officials, it didnt include all candidates for public office, at times effectively granting incumbents in elections an advantage over challengers, the WSJ reported. The discrepancy was most prevalent in state and local races, the documents show, and employees worried Facebook could be subject to accusations of favoritism. A Facebook spokesperson told the news outlet that it had addressed the problem. Its no secret that Big Tech censors have long enforced their own rules inconsistently, DeSantis said in a statement on Monday, directing Lee to probe the matter. If this new report is true, Facebook has violated Florida law to put its thumb on the scale of numerous state and local races, he said. Floridians deserve to know how much this corporate titan has influenced our elections. That is why I am directing Secretary Lee to use all legal means to uncover violations of Floridas election laws. The Republican governor directed Lees office to use all legal means to uncover any violations committed by Facebook, including but not limited to, issuing subpoenas, conducting witness interviews, reviewing all available information, and consulting with law enforcement. DeSantis added, The thought of technology companies clandestinely manipulating elections is an affront to the basic principles of our republic. Floridians deserve to have faith that their elections are fair and free from intrusion by Big Tech monopolies like Facebook. Facebook didnt immediately return a request for comment. The governor has long criticized the influence of Big Tech companies. In May, he signed a bill to target social media giants for censorship and issue fines for those that deplatform political candidates in the state. If Big Tech censors enforce rules inconsistently, to discriminate in favor of the dominant Silicon Valley ideology, they will now be held accountable, he said in signing SB 7072 earlier this year. A federal judge has since temporarily blocked the bill. Florida is appealing the judges decision to block the legislation. Christina Pushaw, a spokesperson for DeSantis, told Politico that the governors move to probe Facebook has nothing to do with SB 7072. We do not know where exactly this alleged electioneering occurred, and the scope is known only to Facebook, Pushaw said. Thats why Governor DeSantis ordered this investigation. If Facebooks double standards amounted to interference in state and local races, then Floridians deserve to know the extent. The Epoch Times has reached out to DeSantis office for additional comment. Jarrod Ramos is seen in this booking photo provided on June 29, 2018. (Anne Arundel Police/Handout via Reuters) Gunman in 2018 Maryland Newspaper Massacre to Be Sentenced on Tuesday The gunman who killed five people at the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis in 2018 will be sentenced to prison on Tuesday after a Maryland jury found him criminally responsible for the massacre in July. Jarrod Ramos, 41, faces the prospect of life in prison for one of the deadliest attacks on a U.S. media outlet. Ramos pleaded guilty in Oct. 2019 to 23 felony counts, including five counts of first-degree murder, but argued that he was not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder. The jury rejected his insanity defense after just a few hours of deliberation. The Capital Gazette is seen in a newspaper vending box, in Annapolis, Md., on June 29, 2018. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) The mass shooting took place on June 28, 2018, when Ramos walked into the Gazettes Annapolis newsroom and killed the newspapers assistant editor, Rob Hiaasen, 59; journalists Wendi Winters, 65, Gerald Fischman, 61, and John McNamara, 56, and sales assistant Rebecca Smith, 34. Ramos had waged a long legal battle with the paper over a column it published about him, and his lawsuit was eventually dismissed. By Maria Caspani Harvard Business School Moves Some Classes Online Amid COVID-19 Outbreak The graduate business school of Harvard University is temporarily moving some of its classes online after having begun the semester with in-person classes amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. Classes for all first-year and some second-year MBA students at Harvard Business School (HBS) are being moved online for a week, from Sept. 27 through Oct. 3, after a spike in COVID-19 cases on the campus, reported The Harvard Crimson, the universitys student newspaper. According to COVID-19 testing data from Harvard University, about 95 percent of students and 96 percent of staff are fully vaccinated. Over the past seven days, 60 of the 74 positive cases reported were graduate students. Four administrators of HBS said in an email to all MBA students on Sept. 23 that the school, located in Boston, Massachusetts, has identified 121 cases among MBA students since July 1 and that first year students comprise 75 percent of those cases, the newspaper reported. We are a complete outlier among Harvard schools in our numbers. MBA students comprise roughly 9% of the student population at the University, but have accounted for more than two-thirds of total student cases in September. Our positivity rate is 12 times that of the rest of Harvard, reads the email from the schools dean, executive dean, executive director of the MBA, and senior associate dean. They added: There is something about the way we at HBS interact that makes our MBA community susceptible to the Delta variant This seems unique to HBS; we have a far higher rate of infection than other Harvard schools. HBS spokesperson Mark Cautela said in a statement to news outlets on Monday: Contact tracers who have worked with positive cases highlight that transmission is not occurring in classrooms or other academic settings on campus. Nor is it occurring among individuals who are masked. According to The Harvard Crimson, the four administrators in their email attributed the rising cases to numerous unmasked, indoor activitieseverything from sharing an Airbnb for the weekend, to dinner gatherings in an apartment, to larger parties, and urged students to stop all unmasked indoor social activities. They also said that students of the school are expected to test three times a week, for now. Hopeful Signs From Afghanistan Commentary It is not my purpose here to recount to readers as familiar with them as I am the cascade of bad decisions that shamed America in Afghanistan, led to the needless deaths of many people, strained the Western alliance, gravely jeopardized 20 years of social and economic progress in Afghanistan, and may have partially reopened Afghanistan as a nursery and breeding ground of international terrorist organizations. There has naturally been great curiosity about whether the returning Taliban will simply try to take up where the Taliban of 20 years ago left off. A substantial majority of the citizens of Afghanistan are 20 years old or younger and now know nothing of the era when women were severely restricted and such justice system as there was consisted of largely uncorroborated denunciations followed by the severance of limbs or execution. The fact that the former head of the country who was effectively installed by the United States and its allies, Hamid Karzai, has remained in Afghanistan and as far as is known has not been detained or threatened, is a positive fact. So is the continued presence in office of the mayor of Kabul; an American citizen and former United Airlines pilot. These are hopeful signs. There have been probably reliable reports of vindictive and lawless acts, and it must be difficult for the new government to restrain the trigger-happy and vindictive instincts of all of its forces now ruling almost every town in Afghanistan without any of the customary restraints on their behavior that are imposed in more politically sophisticated countries. When the United States departed altogether on Aug. 31, there was widespread expectation of the imminent slaughter of all those who had cooperated in any way with the 20-year NATO occupation, and dreadful acts of vengeance against prominent former collaborators, and it was assumed and predicted that the primitive misogynistic and aggressively ignorant society governed by the infamous Mullah Omar who tolerated Osama bin Laden setting up in the first place would spring instantly back to grim life again. It may, but there is little indication that it has. Fox News is among Western media outlets that still telecast live from Kabul, and to judge from the street scenes in the interviews with ordinary people life is confused, but from the chaos of upheaval and not from terror and vengeance. There are evident demonstrations by somewhat Westernized women; doubtless their protests and their demands are treated with contempt, but the demonstrators themselves are not physically intimidated. The Taliban rule that we remember from 20 to 30 years ago in the period between the departure of the Soviet Union and the arrival of NATO was not one that would tolerate what they considered underdressed women on the streets demonstrating about anything. There are also reports, both officially from the Afghan government and from Western news outlets relying upon their own contacts, of skirmishing between the Taliban and ISIS. This is certainly evidence that it is not the intention of the new government now to throw open the country to any terrorists who wish to enter, and it is unlikely that the Afghan government will wish to absorb the military responses of any countries whom guest terrorist organizations such as ISIS and al-Qaeda might choose to antagonize. The Afghans almost certainly will not give a blank check to these terrorists again. They would know and presumably have been told that anything remotely resembling a repetition of 9/11 would lead to over the horizon retribution of extreme destructiveness, with no accompanying notions of boots on the ground with a civilizing, democratizing, and nation-building objective. It has been revealed that there are direct and frequent contacts between the new regime and several of the Western governments, including the United States. The American freeze of assets and its embargo and sanctions on Afghanistan are onerous, and if the leaders of the new regime are not completely mad, and to judge from their appearance, they are, but to judge from their conduct they are not, then some sort of agreement, as controversy subsides, should be possible to liberalize the international treatment of Afghanistan in exchange for allowing the departure of fugitives from legitimately apprehended injustice. It is difficult to predict how Afghanistans foreign policy will function, given that all of its neighbors have been meddling within the country and patronizing separate sections of the Taliban: Pakistan, Uzbekistan, India, and Iran, in particular. The Haqqani Taliban is generally regarded as the most influential political force in the country and one heavily subsidized by Pakistan. The United States has contributed something like $20 billion to the Pakistani Armed Forces and their infamous ISI intelligence services in the last 20 years. A significant amount of this money was clearly really funneled into Afghanistan and to forces hostile to the United States. It is such a terribly complicated and squalid part of the world that there is more than a germ of good sense to the Trump-Biden view that an exit was appropriate (though obviously not the chaotic and pitiful departure that occurred). A great deal of misinformed history has been inflicted on the public by poorly qualified news people about Afghanistan as the graveyard of empires. It was not the site of any defeat of Alexander the Great. He was never defeated, and he established himself as the suzerain power in Afghanistan, then known as Bactria, became friendly with the king, and married his daughter, the famous Roxanne, who bore Alexanders legitimate heir. The British sent two exploratory forces there in the middle and late 19th century. The first was roughly handled and the British sent back a punitive expedition. They maintained a presence there until their withdrawal from India and Pakistan in 1947. There is no jinx to Afghanistan. But it is very poor, primitive, landlocked, fiercely resistant to foreigners, riven by tribal and sectarian disagreements, and does not reward the efforts of any greater powers that put themselves to the trouble and expense of subduing it. The claims of its rare earth resources remind me of Herbert Marcuses theory of Vietnamese oil 50 years ago: neither has yet been confirmed. If the Chinese want to run their Belt and Road through Afghanistan, they will not find the locals any friendlier than the British or the Russians or the Americans did. President Joe Biden is right that Afghanistan is not strategically worth much to America, and it is probably time to terminate assistance to Pakistan, tighten relations with India, and mobilize Arab opinion against the encroachments of their ancient Iranian and Turkish foes. Bidens talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan last week were apparently a failure, and Turkeys status in NATO should be reviewed. Biden told the United Nations last week that he was putting alliances first and that America is back in the world. Not for the first time his words do not correspond with his actions as the American ambassador was sent packing from Paris a couple of weeks after the German government said that Biden had unprecedentedly strained NATO, and the British Parliament voted its contempt for the U.S. president. For all his shortcomings, strategically, he may ultimately have done the right thing, as President Donald Trump did when he stopped trying to stand between the Turkish army and the militant Kurdish PKK. The West can build its own road from Japan through Australasia and South Korea, Indochina (including, up to a point, Taiwan), India, and to Arabia, Israel, and Europe. If we must return to a containment policy, we should separate Russia from China (as Trump would have done if the Democrats hadnt defamed him as a Russian intelligence asset), and get on with the diplomatic and military work necessary to meet the Chinese challenge. We have the allies and the strategic strength. All that is missing is the policymakers in Washington. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. Hospital System That Serves 4 States Fires 175 Workers After Vaccine Mandate Days after announcing that about 375 healthcare employees would be suspended, a North Carolina-based hospital system confirmed Monday that around 175 workers were fired in one of the largest-ever mass terminations due to a COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Several days ago, Novant Health announced that around 375 of its employees had been suspended and were given five days to comply with the companys mandate. They will have an opportunity to comply over a five-day, unpaid suspension period, the companys release said. If a team member remains non-compliant after this suspension period, he or she will have their employment with Novant Health terminated. Since then, nearly 200 additional team members came into compliance, increasing that rate across Novant Health to over 99 percent, Novant spokeswoman Megan Rivers told news outlets on Monday. So fewer than 200 were non-compliant, it said, confirming that the rest were terminated for not complying with the mandate. The Winston-Salem-based hospital system includes 15 hospitals, 800 clinics, and hundreds of other facilities across four states, including Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia. More than 35,000 people are employed by the company. Rivers statement said that those who have submitted an approved religious or medical exemption can still work there. Employees who are exempt from the vaccine have to undergo weekly COVID-19 testing, wear N95 respirator masks, and wear eye protection while working on the premises, according to the hospital system, which didnt elaborate on how many exemptions were granted. Workers who have gotten their first of a two-dose vaccine series made by Pfizer or Moderna have until Oct. 15 to get the second dose, according to Novans news release last week. It comes weeks after Indiana University Health, the biggest hospital system in the state, fired about 125 workers for not complying with its vaccine mandate, the company announced in a news release. 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. In New York state, healthcare workers had until Monday to comply with a statewide mandate directing them to either get the COVID-19 vaccine or not work. Ahead of the order, New York hospital executives had expressed worry that the move would force their systems to shutter certain services, including maternity wards and elective surgery departments. Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo suspended elective inpatient surgeries and had stopped accepting intensive-care patients from other hospitals over the mandate, spokesman Peter Cutler told Reuters. Curtailing some operations would inconvenience patients and hurt hospital finances, he said, adding that the procedures bring in about $1 million per week. We had to make a decision as to where we could temporarily make some changes so that we could ensure other areas of services are as little affected as possible, Cutler told the outlet. Financially, its a big deal. Thousands of illegal immigrants, mostly Haitians, live in a primitive, makeshift camp under the international bridge that spans the Rio Grande between the United States and Mexico while waiting to be detained and processed by Border Patrol, in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 21, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) How the Haitian Border Crisis Under a Del Rio Bridge Unfolded DEL RIO, TexasThe largest caravan of illegal immigrants to date was, for them, successful. At its height, around Sept. 18, nearly 15,000 mostly Haitian nationals who had primarily been living in Chile or Brazil, were camped under an international bridge in Del Rio, Texas, that had been closed to legitimate trade and travel. More than 12,400 of the aliens were ultimately released into the United States as the primitive camp was cleared and dismantled, according to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The majority were given either a notice to appear, which is a date to appear in immigration court, or a notice to report, which is a request to check in with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within 60 days. None were tested for COVID-19. About 2,000 Haitians were flown back to Haiti during the week, Mayorkas said on Sept. 24. He also said that Border Patrol had apprehended almost 30,000 illegal immigrants in Del Rio during the previous two weeks. News spread swiftly among the Haitians in Del Rio, and when the first deportation flights landed in Haiti, many of those left under the bridge fled back across the Rio Grande to Acuna, Mexico, to wait out the uncertainty. All of the Haitians that The Epoch Times spoke to had been living in Chile or Brazil for years before deciding to come to the United States. They all said it wasnt an option for them to return to Haiti and that they were determined to get into the United States one way or another. The southwest Mexican city of Tapachula is the common entry point of the well-worn route for Haitians making the trek north. After passing through the treacherous Darien jungle from Colombia to Panama, they get help from the United Nations International Organization for Migration. Then, they make their way through Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala, before entering Mexico near Tapachula. Haitians and African nationals have been gathering in Tapachula for years to wait for transit permits or to apply for asylum in Mexico. In 2019, The Epoch Times reported that more than 5,000 Haitians and Africans were bottlenecked in Tapachulas immigration center. At the time, it took more than one month to get the required documents, but no one wanted to be caught without legal documents and risk deportation at that stage, so they waited. However, in mid-September this year, thousands of Haitians left Tapachula, some without legal documentation, and started making their way to the U.S. border, mostly by bus. The Mexican government has been very helpful, Phanel, a Haitian national, told The Epoch Times on Sept. 21 in Acuna, Mexico. Legally, they are issuing permits, but some of us didnt wait for it [in Tapachula]. But still they provided guidance on how to get here. Phanel said he had been living in Chile for three years before deciding to come to the United States. He had spent five nights under the bridge in Del Rio with his wife, son, and daughter, before crossing back to Mexico to retrieve groceries. Another Haitian man who had been living in Chile for several years was looking for a hotel to stay at in Acuna to avoid deportation from the United States. I thought I was going to be let in [to the United States], be handed the notice to appear, and right away, look for a job so I can send money back to my family, he said. Traditionally, Haitians first made it to Puerto Rico, rather than take the overland route through Latin America. The second-busiest crossing point for Haitians had been the northern U.S. border (604 arrests in 12 years) and the southern border was third, with 473 arrests in 12 years. But, in 2019, Border Patrol agents in Del Rio started apprehending upward of 1,000 Haitians within a few weeks. This year, the number of Haitians crossing illegally into Del Rio has been on a sharp upward trend, especially since April, when agents apprehended 514 Haitians. The number grew tenfold to 5,196 in August. September is set to break all records. Policy Incentives On a policy level, the Biden administration has been lenient on illegal immigrants, including through policy changes that allow most to be released into the United States. Mayorkas announced on May 22 an extension for Haitians currently eligible under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program that was put in place after the 2010 earthquake. That allowed Haitians who were already in the United States before the earthquake to stay, as their country was deemed unsafe to return. TPS holders get work permits and are shielded from deportation. The original 2010 designation was extended several times until the Trump administration announced in January 2018 that Haitis designation would end, effective July 22, 2019. Subsequent lawsuits allowed the designation to remain in effect. On Aug. 3, Mayorkas dramatically increased the number of Haitians eligible for the program by announcing that all Haitians who had made it into the United States by July 29 this year, would now be eligible to apply for TPS. Former President Barack Obama started the practice of redesignating TPS so people who arrived after the original designation were also covered, said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies, a D.C.-based think tank that promotes legal immigration. Redesignating does provide an incentive to get here and then take advantage. You can never be sure that thats going to happen, but I think it was a reasonable expectation for people that if they got here, the Biden administration would eventually do it again, Vaughan told The Epoch Times. I dont think the migrants themselves always know the specific policies and what the eligibility criteria are they just know that people are being allowed to enter and stay here for an indefinite period of time. Social media such as Facebook and messaging platforms such as WhatsApp contribute greatly to the rapid spread of information and organizing capacity of large groups of would-be illegal immigrants. As many as 30,000 Haitians are currently on their way to the border, according to reports received by Del Rio Mayor Bruno Lozano last week. A Warning Three months before the Haitian crisis, Jon Anfinsen, a Border Patrol agent and national union representative for Del Rio, said he warned the administration to prepare for an overwhelming influx of illegal immigrants. It was a warning cry he said was ignored. It was basically recommended that they should start building some kind of facility down here, Anfinsen told The Epoch Times on Sept. 21. Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council said, Not only did they ignore him, they came back and said, We have more efficient ways to handle it.' Now were in this situation, Judd said as he pointed to the squalid conditions under the bridge in Del Rio. Judd said theres no way in the world that the Department of Homeland Security didnt know 15,000 Haitians were on their way to the U.S. border. We have a very robust intel department. There is no way in the world they could not have prepared. They just didnt do it, he said. Speaking to the media at the White House on Sept. 24, Mayorkas said the situation in Del Rio was unprecedented. It is unprecedented for us to see that number of people arrive in one discrete point along the border in such a compacted period of time, he said. He reiterated that the criteria for asylum dont include economic need, flight from generalized violence but rather credible fear of persecution by reason of ones membership in a particular social group. Its unclear if Haitians who have safely lived in Chile or Brazil for years will be eligible for asylum. Vice President Kamala Harris was tapped in March to address the border issue and has said her focus is on the root causes of illegal immigration. Mayorkass three-part plan is to invest in the countries that people are leaving, to build safe, orderly, and humane pathways for migration, and rebuild the asylum system and refugee program. Vaughan said Congress has been unable to address border security and immigration issues for years. Immigration law and policy has been abdicated by Congress, and is now in the hands of the courts and the executive branch, she said. The effects of huge numbers of illegal immigrants being released across America will put a huge burden on communities, she said. [The communities] are going to have to pick up the tab for itto have these kids in school, for health care. Theyre going to be occupying a lot of the affordable housing, theyre going to be trying to work off the books because they dont have work permits. And they will eventually be accessing all kinds of public welfare programs. Off the Border As the Haitian nationals poured across the border, Border Patrol was forced to close several highway checkpoints for more than a week in order to send agents to deal with the influx. That left Highway 90a direct shot from Del Rio to San Antonioopen, as Texas state troopers also left the highways to guard the border. On Sept. 24, before the checkpoint reopened, Highway 90 kept troopers and local law enforcement tied up with vehicle pursuits and smuggling arrests. The driver of a stolen pickup truck out of Houston took state troopers and Kinney County deputies on a high-speed chase for several miles, before he careened off the road and smashed through a high game fence. Five illegal aliens were arrested near the truck and the remaining three were located and arrested with the help of the DPS helicopter. Border Patrol took all eight into custody. Within hours of that stop, Kinney County Sheriffs Deputy Danny Molinar stopped a vehicle suspected of carrying illegal aliens. The driver, a 15-year-old boy, had stolen the car from his father in Cedar Creek, Texas, and was smuggling four Mexican nationals. The boy is currently in juvenile detention facing four felony counts of human smuggling. A recent law change in Texas has made it easier to prosecute human smugglers by removing the requirement to prove pecuniary gain, or payment, to the smuggler. When you look at the resources that are being pulled to the bridge to deal with this, its completely and totally depleted the field resources of not just DPS but the Border Patrol, Judd said. And Del Rio, youve got close to 240 miles that just is being patrolled by an absolute skeleton crew. And, of course, the cartels are going to exploit that. Foreign Affairs Ministers from member states wave as they pose for the official picture before signing the rebranded 11-nation Pacific trade pact, the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), in Santiago, Chile, on March 8, 2018. (CLAUDIO REYES/AFP via Getty Images) In Beijings Fight With Taipei, 11 Pacific Trade Pact Countries Will Decide the Winner The two authorities across the Taiwan Straits applied to join a trans-Pacific trade agreement. The Beijing side tried to obstruct Taiwans application, while Taipei defended its right to be included in the regional pact. On Sept. 22, the Chinese regime sent 24 warplanes to Taiwan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ), which was understood as a threat to apply pressure against Taiwans inclusion. The Taiwan government reiterated its willingness to join despite Bejings threats and said it wouldnt give in. Can China and Taiwan finally join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)? The decision will be made by the 11 CPTPP member states, which include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. Each of them will have informal engagements with the applicants before making their decisions. Only after receiving the approval of all member states can the applicants join the trade partnership. This is a complicated fight. In general, Taiwan meets the high CPTPP requirements and is qualified, but its a de facto independent country. China cant meet the requests and isnt qualified at all, Feng Chongyi, a professor on China studies at the University of Technology Sydney, told The Epoch Times on Sept. 23. However, as the worlds second largest economy, China has exerted influence in some developing countries. Its possible that some CPTPP member states might be afraid of the Chinese regime and reject Taiwan, Feng said. The Chinese regime claims the self-ruled island of Taiwan as its own, despite the fact that Taiwan is a de facto independent country, with its own military, democratically-elected government, and constitution. Taiwanese sailors salute the islands flag on the deck of the Panshih supply ship after taking part in annual drills at the Tsoying naval base in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on Jan. 31, 2018. (Mandy Cheng/AFP via Getty Images) The fight to join the CPTPP started with the Chinese regime submitting its application to join on Sept. 16. Six days later, the Taiwan government announced its application, which sparked resistance from Beijing. China firmly opposes all official interactions with Taiwan, firmly rejects Taiwans accession to any agreement or organization of official nature. Chinas position on this issue is clear, said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian on Sept. 23. The same day, the Chinese regime sent 24 warplanes into Taiwan airspace, which was the largest of such provocations in scale for September. Since then, Beijing has continued sending warplanes into Taiwan AFIZ on a daily basis. On Sept. 27, five Chinese aircrafts entered Taiwan AFIZ. Taiwan has been prepared to join CPTPP for years, Yen Huai-shing, deputy director of Taiwan Chung Hua Institution for Economic Research, told The Epoch Times on Sept. 23. She said Taiwan had worked to amended its related rules and policies over the past years to meet the CPTPPs standards. Now, it seeks to join the trade agreement. Taiwans Chief Trade Negotiator John Deng told reporters in Taipei on Sept. 23: How mainland China comments on this is a matter for them I stress that Taiwan is a sovereign, independent nation. Deng explained that Taiwan applied to join CPTPP under the name the Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu, which is the name that the island uses in the World Trade Organization and is the least controversial. A Chinese PLA J-16 fighter jet flies in an undisclosed location in a file photo. (Taiwan Ministry of Defense via AP) Worlds Voice In the past days, Australia, Canada, Japan, and the United States have expressed their support for Taiwan to join the regional trade pact. Australia will work with the CPTPP membership to consider Taiwans application on a consensus basis, in accordance with the CPTPP Accession Guidelines, Australian Trade Minister Dan Tehan told The Australian on Sept. 24. One week ago, Tehan said the Chinese regime must stop its trade coercion against Australia if it wants Canberra to approve its CPTPP application. The foreign minister of Japan Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters in New York on Sept. 23 that Japan welcomes Taiwans application to join CPTPP. Motegi said that Taiwan shares basic values, such as the rule of law, with Japan, and was an extremely important partner of Japan. Ned Price, spokesperson of the U.S. State Department, also answered questions about Taiwan and Chinas CPTPP applications at the Foreign Press Centers briefing on Sept. 24. The United States isnt a member of the CPTPP after it withdrew from an earlier agreement in 2017. We would expect that Chinas non-market trade practices and Chinas use of economic coercion against other countries would factor into the CPTPPs parties evaluation as a potential candidate for accession, Price said. We would expect that Taiwans record as a responsible member of the World Trade Organization and Taiwans strong embrace of democratic values would factor in the CPTPPs parties evaluation of Taiwan as a potential candidate for accession. Irvine Ranked Safest City for the 16th Year in a Row The City of Irvine is Americas safest city of its size for the 16th year in a row, according to a Sept.27 report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The annual uniform crime report that measures for the year 2020, said that Irvine has the lowest reported rate of violent crime per capita out of any city in the nation with a population of 250,000 or higher. It measures Part 1 crime, which includes murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, auto theft, and arson. Irvine Mayor Farah Khan attributed the major win to the collaboration between city hall, residents, and the police department, which all work together to reduce crimes. I am extremely proud that, once again, the men and women of the Irvine Police Department have worked proactively to keep our residents and businesses safe and truly embody working in partnership with the community, Khan said in a statement. The continued partnership of our police department, City Council, residents, and businesses makes Irvine the safest city to live, work, and play. Kids and adults walk near old aircraft hangars in the Great Park of Irvine, in Irvine, Calif., on July 17, 2020. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times Irvine Police Chief Mike Hamel, who has led the department for six years, echoed similar statements to Khan, noting the partnerships that keep the city safe. Irvine continues to be a safe community due to the strong partnership between the men and women of the Irvine Police Department, our City leaders who always make public safety a top priority, and our residents and business community, Hamel said in a statement. Showing compassion and being professional, while maintaining public safety will always be our top priority. I join our community with my thanks to the men and women of the [Irvine Police Department] for their tireless work in partnership with our community to keep #Irvine Americas Safest City, Councilmember Anthony Kuo wrote on Twitter. Gabrielle Petito, 22, poses for a photo with Brian Laundrie in this undated handout photo. (North Port/Florida Police/Handout via Reuters) Lawyer: Gabby Petitos Family Skeptical Fiance Brian Laundries Family Will Help FBI Search The family of Gabby Petito, whose case has drawn international headlines, held a news conference on Tuesday to announce a foundation in the womans name, but they also alleged the family of her missing fiance, Brian Laundrie, hasnt been cooperative. Speaking on behalf of the Petito family, attorney Richard Stafford claimed, The Laundries did not help us find Gabby. They are sure not going to help us find Brian. For Brian we are asking you to turn yourself in. Laundrie, a person of interest in the case who is wanted by the FBI for bank fraud, disappeared earlier this month just days after he returned to his home in Florida from a cross-country trip without Petito. On Sept. 11, Petitos family reported her missing, and last week, her body was found in a Wyoming campground before a local coroner ruled her death a homicide. A massive search for Laundrie has been carried out in Floridas Carlton Reserve after officials said his parents directed them there. They said that he traveled to the swampy wilderness area earlier this month and hasnt returned. I want to ask everyone to help all the people that are missing and need help, Joe Petito, the womans father, said during the Tuesday news conference. Its on all of you, everyone thats in this room, to do that. A day before, the parents of Laundrie released a statement via their lawyer saying that Chris and Roberta Laundrie do not know where Brian is, adding: They are concerned about Brian and hope the FBI can locate him. The speculation by the public and some in the press that the parents assisted Brian in leaving the family home or in avoiding arrest on a warrant that was issued after Brian had already been missing for several days is just wrong, the lawyer, Steven Bertolino, added in the Monday statement. On Sept. 20, FBI agents announced they executed a search warrant at the Laundrie family home in North Port and were seen carrying loads of evidence from the house. Meanwhile, reality TV star Duane Dog the Bounty Hunter Chapman said he is joining the search for Laundrie and was seen knocking on the family homes door over the weekend. No one answered. On Monday, Chapman told Fox News that he received a tip that Laundrie and his parents camped together at Fort De Soto Park in Pinellas County in early September, claiming the family took several trips to Fort De Soto between Sept. 1 to Sept. 3 and Sept. 6 to Sept. 8. They were registered, went through the gate, the TV star said. Theyre on camera. They were here. The Epoch Times has contacted Bertolino for comment. Liechtenstein: Big Adventures in 1 of the Worlds Smallest Nations Its the first time Ive taken a city bus to a whole other country. Winding high into the Alps, most of the journey took place on a train, crossing the breadth of Austria, then climbing into the snow-capped peaks in Switzerland. Finally I disembarked from the sleek, modern carriage in the small town of Buchs, a picture-perfect Swiss place that shines under the sun. Taking in the colorful flower boxes on balconies and a busy little shopping street, I got directions the rest of the way from a friendly, mustachioed man working at the station. Looking a little concerned, he noted that I would need to change buses to get to my destination. Take the number 12, descend to the platform, wait five minutes, and then board the number 11, he said with a German accent, his expression reflecting that he doubted I could make such a complicated travel maneuver. If you get confused just ask, and someone will give you directions from there. Despite his doubts, everything went well. A simple sign marked the border. The entire trip, including the transfer, took less than 20 minutes, right into the heart of Vaduz, the capital of Liechtenstein. Liechtenstein is a funny place. A micro-state sandwiched between Austria and Switzerland, skirted by the mighty Rhine River, its very existence includes a couple of interesting quirks. Covering little more than 60 square miles, just 15 miles from north to south, its the smallest country in the world to border two different countries. And one of just two to be doubly landlocked (meaning you need to cross two different countries to reach the sea). A beautiful panoramic view in Liechtenstein. (Kenny Vogt/Liechtenstein Marketing) In some ways, this German-speaking country feels like a medieval kingdom, and perhaps thats not surprising. Liechtenstein is still ruled by a prince, and the castle he inhabits with his family rests on the flanks of a mountain visible to many of his subjects, who inhabit the spreading valley below, and who number fewer than 40,000 altogether. The principality takes its name from the ruling family who occupied Liechtenstein castle in Lower Austria as far back as 1140, and over the centuries collected vast lands across Europe, in Moravia (now part of the Czech Republic), Silesia (present-day Poland), and Styria (Slovenia and Austria). They acquired two neighboring lordshipsVaduz and Schellenbergin 1699 and 1712; in 1719, Charles VI united them and declared Liechtenstein a principality in the Holy Roman Empire. When Napoleon took control of the empire in 1805, he dissolved feudal arrangements, meaning Liechtenstein no longer owed obligations to the crown. In 1866, with the dissolution of the German Confederation, the country gained its independence. It remained neutral through the two world wars, and industrialized in the postwar period. Later, under Prince Hans Adam II, the principality joined the United Nations, the European Free Trade Association, and the World Trade Organization. Through a series of constitutional amendments, the prince sought to increase his power. These came to a referendum in 2003, and Liechtensteiners voted to affirm his ability to veto legislation, although they reserved the right to remove him by a vote of no confidence, should they deem that necessary. Today, the 130 rooms of Vaduz Castle are the day-to-day residence of Prince Alois and Duchess Sophie, who raised four children behind its thick walls. This isnt the kind of palace (like Versailles, or Pena) where you can take a guided tour. An actual, functioning residence, the gates of this 900-year-old place remain closed for 364 days every year, swinging open to provide a glimpse inside only on Aug. 15, Staatsfeiertag, the principalitys version of the Fourth of July. Vaduz Castle in Liechtenstein. (Liechtenstein Marketing) But that doesnt mean the prince is aloof. As I walked down a pedestrian street in the heart of Vaduz, passing high-end boutiques, watch shops, and the Tre Cavalli, a dynamic bronze statue of three horses, I entered the national museum. Chatting with the young woman working at the front desk, she said she sees Prince Alois all the timeeverybody does. They always bicycle right through town, she said. The museum is housed in a building that dates back to 1438 and was once home to a tavern, and the seat of government (but not at the same time). Its fascinating, though some of the finer points get a little lost in translation. A series of antlered headsmade from multi-colored plaid materialline the uppermost reaches near the ceiling over the main stairwell. One room is dedicated to cat portraits. And in addition to detailing Liechtensteins history, and displaying historic paintings, the museum exhibits stuffed examples of the principalitys wildlife, including mountain goats, beavers, and various birds of prey. Its a reminder that, despite its diminutive size, there are still wild places here. Striding out, I placed my map in my back pocket, and just kept walking, not headed anywhere in particular, just content to make random turns until it seemed like I had experienced this place. Above, Vaduz Castle held its princely position. Crossing a meandering creek and passing handsome little residential homes, ahead, I found the Rhine. Broad, but shallow, the water is a little murky and blue, in the way that mountain streams often are; the wide valley here offers a 360-degree panorama of soaring, snow-capped Alpine summits. Along the banks of the river, on a footpath, and in a series of interlinked parks, people walked, jogged, and enjoyed the sunshine. One family, pants rolled up to the knees, had walked out to a rocky little island in the middle of the river. Alte Rheinbrucke, the old bridge that connects Liechtenstein and Sevelen, Switzerland. (Liechtenstein Marketing) And then, something unexpected: a long, wooden, covered bridge. Spanning the Rhine, it connects Liechtenstein to Switzerland. I would later learn that the Alte Rheinbrucke (or, Old Bridge) stretches more than 440 feet, and stands as the last wooden bridge over the Rhine. Walking across, I noticed a little sign marks the border, the flags of each nation on either side, and people waving as they walked and biked across. Having entered on a lumbering city bus, I marked another firstexiting a country on foot, by covered bridge. A one-of-a-kind experience, in a strange and wonderful little country. Stepping out the other end, I turned around and headed backwhile tiny, there was still more of Liechtenstein for me to experience before sundown. A Lockheed Martin F-35 aircraft is seen at the ILA Air Show in Berlin, Germany, on April 25, 2018. (Axel Schmidt/Reuters) Lockheed Trims F-35 Delivery Forecast for 2022 Lockheed Martin said on Sept. 27 that it had agreed with the Pentagon to deliver 151 to 153 F-35 fighter aircraft in 2022, and 133 to 139 this year. This is fewer than the 169 jets it had planned to deliver initially for 2021. There has been an aircraft shortfall last year due to the pandemic and resulting workspace changes within Lockheed Martin production facilities. The aerospace company has now agreed to an F-35 rebaseline that ensures more predictability and stability in the production process, according to the press release. Based on this, the company expects to deliver 156 aircraft from 2023 onward. With 283 F-35s currently in possession, the aircraft is the second-largest fighter fleet in the U.S. Air Force inventory. Due to its advanced capabilities, Chief of Staff Gen. Charles CQ Brown had said in testimony (pdf) on the fiscal 2022 budget before the House Appropriations defense subcommittee that the F-35 remains the cornerstone of our future fighter force and air superiority. The U.S. government is the biggest customer and the Air Force plans on purchasing more F-35s in coming years, with 1,763 in the pipeline. There have been more than 700 F-35 jets delivered to allies, operating from 21 bases worldwide. According to estimates, F-35A, the version used by the U.S. Air Force, costs about $78 million and has a recurring cost of $38,000 per hour of flight. Solar panels are seen at the Desert Stateline project near Nipton, Calif., on Aug. 16, 2021. (Bridget Bennett/Reuters) Los Angeles to Invest $30 Million to Reach 100 Percent Renewable Energy by 2035 The City of Los Angeles announced on Sept. 27 that it will invest $30 million to help achieve its goal of 100 percent renewable energy by the year 2035. The funds will go toward a program that will create solar energy and storage options in city-owned buildings across Los Angeles. This years city budget allotted the $30 million for the program, called LA100, and is currently pending in the councils Energy, Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and River Committee; Councilmember Mitch OFarrell, who chairs the committee, also co-authored the motion. OFarrell, along with Councilmember Paul Krekorian and Mayor Eric Garcetti, hosted a press conference about the initiative on Sept. 27. We recently adopted the LA100 goal of 100% renewable energy by 2035, and I noted that this was not simply aspirational, but a work plan for a world in trouble, OFarrell said in an email statement to The Epoch Times. Today, we took a huge step forward. This unprecedented, coordinated investment between the Department of Water and Power and so many city agencies will transform Los Angeles. It takes leadership to steer the second-largest U.S. city and economy, and this initiative sets the standard for how municipal governments must address the climate crisis. The program is based on the U.S. Department of Energys National Renewable Energy Laboratorys LA100 study, which found that the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power could reach full renewable energy by the year 2045 if it shifts to wind and solar power and develops electrical energy storage in the coming years; the same study projected that the city could almost completely reduce greenhouse gas levels by 2030 if the city begins transitioning now. The programs deadline was moved from 2045 to 2035 after the study was released. Based on the studys projections, the motion would create more wind and solar energy resources and city-owned electricity storage, as well as assess up to 25 facilities for solar resources, with priority given to disadvantaged areas. The program is expected to create 9,500 jobs. The program would be a cross-department project that would include the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the Department of General Services, the Bureau of Engineering, the Bureau of Street Services, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Fire Department, the Department of Transportation, the Public Library Department, the Department of Recreation and Parks, the Emergency Management Department and the Los Angeles Zoo. Each department mentioned will pay a critical role in that coordinated, focused deployment, OFarrell said during the press conference. We are leading the nation, and yes, this is hard stuff. Transforming the second largest city in the country will take resolve, coordination, prioritization, and monetization of our zero-carbon 2035 or sooner commitment. It means intelligently planning and paying for improvements year after year with a relentless commitment in coordination with the Department of Water and Power. The General Services Department currently maintains over 600 buildings that store energy. Tony Royster, general manager of the department, said they saved 76 million kWh from various energy conservation projects over the past 5 years. With this funding, Los Angeles can continue to lead by example and implement the next phase of clean energy projects to make our buildings more resilient, Royster said in a statement. Krekorian and Garcetti did not respond to a request for comment by press time. Man With Metal Detector Finds Trove of Huge Gold Medallions Dating Back 1,500 Years Ago in Denmark In a time of calamity in Denmark, some 1,500 years ago, an enormous hoard of gold was buried under the earth by an Iron Age chieftain, its believed. It might have been to sacrifice to higher powers, or perhaps to save it from being captured in war, that the gold was entombed. Recently, that hoard was found. Archaeologists exhumed the precious metal artifacts in Vindelev, just 8 kilometers (5 miles) outside Jelling, after local man Ole Ginnerup Schytz (whod recently acquired a metal detector) first located the trove while exploring land belonging to an old classmate. The find has been called by VejleMuseerne one of the greatest gold treasures in Danish history. (Courtesy of Conservation Center Vejle) Experts from VejleMuseerne and the National Museum excavated the cachecomprised of huge, beautifully decorated medallions (or bracteate), Roman coins, and jewelry in a find that is unique in Danish history. All of which was buried in what was once a longhouse in a village, and demonstrates that Vindelev was a center of power in the late Iron Age, VejleMuseerne stated. The chieftain who owned the gold may have buried it around the year 536 A.D., when a volcano erupted and spewed ash into the atmosphere, causing an environmental and agricultural catastrophe that led to crop failure and famine, altering the course of Danish history. The chieftains intention might have been to hide the gold from enemies or appease the gods, the statement said. (Courtesy of Conservation Center Vejle) (Courtesy of Conservation Center Vejle) (Courtesy of Conservation Center Vejle) (Courtesy of Conservation Center Vejle) This time period may have also coincided with the formation of Viking Age civilization and the united Danish Kingdom. The fascinating journey of the gold tells us about a European continent that already in the Iron Age was closely connected by trade and war, the museum said. Many of Scandinavias largest gold finds date from the middle of the 5th century. One of the bracteates bears the design of a male head with a braid, who appears to interact with a bird. Under the head, the image of a horse is depicted with a runic inscription between its muzzle and forelegs, which, according to a preliminary translation, reads houa, or the high one. That name could refer to whoever owned the gold, but could alternatively denote the god Odin. (Courtesy of Conservation Center Vejle) (Courtesy of Conservation Center Vejle) Additionally, the hoard includes much older coins from the Roman Empire, including a heavy gold coin issued by Emperor Constantine the Greatwho reigned from 306 to 337 A.D., and declared tolerance for Christianity in 313. Included in the find were Roman coins made into jewelrycomparable examples of which have not been seen before in their combination and use of technique. All told, the gold weighed nearly 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds). To date, over 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of gold from the Iron Age have been found in Denmark, with the markedly unique find in Vindelev standing out foremost among them. A couple of years ago, VejleMuseerne archaeologists excavated another gold stash from the same period on the small island of Hjarn in Horsens Fjord. The collection of Iron Age gold artifacts is set to be placed on display in February of next year as part of the VejleMuseernes extensive Viking exhibition. 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 Sen. Leo Housakos speaks with the media in the Foyer of the Senate on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, in a file photo. (The Canadian Press/Adrian Wyld) Mengs Release Could Encourage Future Hostage Diplomacy by Beijing: Senator The freeing of the two Michaels at the same time Meng Wanzhou was released from her bail conditions proves that Beijing was using hostage diplomacy all along and sets a troubling precedent for future dealings with the Chinese regime, warns Canadian Sen. Leo Housakos. [In] this particular case, China won. They got what they wanted, Housakos told The Epoch Times. They put pressure on us politically. They put pressure on our judicial systems. My biggest fear is that this has emboldened the Chinese regime, he added. Housakos said that because the regime got what they wanted in the Meng case, they could use hostage diplomacy as an ongoing strategy in other situations that might arise. They could randomly pick up citizens of any one of our western democracies and hold them for ransom, he said. Nothing prevents them from doing it again. Canadas Ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman speaks via video link at the Global Business Forum in Banff, Alta., on Sept. 24, 2020. (The Canadian Press/Jeff McIntosh) Canadas ambassador to the U.S., Kirsten Hillman, has asserted that Washington did not make Chinas release of the two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, a condition of the resolution of the charges against Meng. During an interview on CTVs Question Period on Sept. 26, she said Canada never succumbed to the pressure China asserted by detaining Kovrig and Spavor, and proved this by following through with Mengs trial proceedings. Meng, the CFO of Chinese telecom giant Huawei, was arrested in Vancouver on Dec. 1, 2018, on a U.S. extradition request related to fraud charges for allegedly misleading HSBC in 2013 about Huaweis business dealings in Iran, in violation of U.S. sanctions. Days later on Dec. 10, Kovrig and Spavor were detained on baseless charges in China. Under a deferred prosecution agreement with U.S. prosecutors signed on Sept. 24, Meng was allowed to plead not guilty but had to agree to the charges against her as spelled out in a statement of facts document. On the same day, a Canadian court removed her bail conditions, allowing her to fly back to China. Also the same day, the two Michaels were released and allowed to fly home to Canada. Within minutes of Meng Wanzhou being freed they put the two Michaels on a plane, Housakos said. The Chinese regime did this in a blatant way, reinforcing that what they did was was hostage diplomacy. Beijing denies allegations it engaged in hostage diplomacy. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Chunying Hua insisted during a press conference on Sept. 27 that the two Canadians were released on bail for medical reasons, and that they have confessed to their crimes of endangering Chinas national security. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying speaks during a daily briefing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs office in Beijing on Sept. 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) On Aug. 11, Spavor was found guilty on charges of espionage and sentenced to 11 years in prison by a Chinese court. Kovrigs trial was held on March 21 but no verdict was announced. Housakos notes that Chinas judicial system is far from being independent and doesnt try cases based on the rule of law, making it nearly impossible that the two Canadians would have received a fair trialeven if they were guilty as charged. Weve seen when it comes to detention of foreigners and Chinese themselvesanybody in China who the regime and the Communist Party wants to detainthey detain them, they try them secretly, they hold them without due process. Out-of-Control Tyrants Through the saga of the arbitrary detention of Kovrig and Spavor, the Chinese communist regimes thuggery has been fully exposed and Canada must now distance itself from the regime, Housakos said in a statement issued on Sept. 25, where he proposed a way forward for Canada. He stressed that Canada must act quickly and decisively to send a message that what happened would not be tolerated again. We must stand up to out-of-control tyrants who so blatantly and proudly flout international rule of law. We cannot allow others to suffer the same fate as Misters Kovrig and Spavor and Mr. Huseyin Celil, he wrote, referring to the Canadian Uyghur human rights activist who has been imprisoned in China since 2006. The communist regime of China is a very real and increasing threat. Canada must start treating it as such. The senator proposed banning Huawei from Canadas 5G, boycotting the Beijing Olympics, moving away from the reliance on cheap goods produced in China, and pursuing trade with countries that share the same values of freedom, democracy, human rights, and rule of law. He told The Epoch Times that Canada cannot continue to trade with China until the regime starts working within the confines of our values and principles. To trade with China, in exchange for trading in our values of human rights and democracy, its just not worth it, he said. Canadians can find cheap products from other sources for that matter. If need be, lets start making some of those cheap products back in Canada. Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau speaks during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken at the Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, Iceland, on May 19, 2021. (Pool Photo via AP/Saul Loeb) Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Marc Garneau said on Sept. 26 that Canadas eyes are wide open when it comes to normalizing relations with China, and going forward will operate on a fourfold approach of coexist, compete, co-operate, and challenge. Housakos says Garneau may have his eyes wide open but still needs to pull his head out of the sand regarding Beijings threat to the world. This is a regime that really, really operates worse, I think, than any criminal organization or any nefarious type of dictatorial regime we have seen in a very, very, very long time, he said. There is no limit to which they wont go in order to achieve their goals. With files from Reuters Michigan State University Cuts Dining Hall Hours Amid Statewide Labor Shortage Michigan State University said it has closed its dining halls to the public and reduced service hours of two cafeterias because of a severe staff shortage. Like other schools and universities across the country, we are experiencing severe staffing shortages, the universitys culinary services department said in a statement announcing the changes. Many businesses in the local area and around the country are hiring. We are all competing for the same available talent. Under the new operation schedule, the universitys residential dining halls will only open for customers with MSU-issued ID cards. Two cafeterias in residence halls and two Starbucks locations on campus will also reduce their opening hours. Our human resources team is working as quickly as possible to recruit and hire team members for our dining facilities. They remain dedicated to improving staffing levels, the university said, adding that it will also rely on student workers and volunteers. Some of these modifications may remain throughout fall semester, it continued. We foresee having an improved staffing level at that time. The university told WXYZ, a Detroit-based ABC affiliate, that its culinary services department needed about 470 full-time workers, 2,800 student workers, and 800 temporary and on-call employees to be fully operational. It did not say how many staff members it was short of. The announcement comes amid a widespread labor shortage in Michigans hospitality industry. According to the latest survey by Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA), nearly 90 percent of restaurants and nearly all hotels in the state have been operating with inadequate staffing to meet consumer demand. The survey was conducted on Aug. 3 and 6 by the MRLA over 320 restaurant and hotel operators, representing approximately 1,000 locations statewide. Nearly 80 percent of respondents reported closing early or for specific segments during the day as a direct result of inadequate staffing levels, even though most of them have increased wages in 2021 to attract and keep workers. It also revealed that just 28 percent of respondents supported the federal recommendation of wearing masks indoors to create a safer and more stable environment in which to operate, while 72 percent opposed because it would reignite an environment of fear that will negatively impact my business. In addition, 73 percent of respondents would oppose a New York City-style mandate requiring patrons to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination before they enter most indoor establishments including restaurants and hotels. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is expected to sign a state budget that includes language banning state entities from requiring vaccine passports. Restaurant and hotel operators are trying to meet consumer demand that exceeds 2019 with 100,000 fewer workers and skyrocketing labor and commodity prices, said Justin Winslow, president and CEO of MRLA. Workers are exhausted and profit margins are thin for many despite the resurgent demand. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark A. Milley speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the conclusion of military operations in Afghanistan and plans for future counterterrorism operations on Capitol Hill in Washington on Sept. 28, 2021. (Patrick Semansky/Pool/Getty Images) Milley Admits He Told Chinese General the United States Was Not Going to Attack China The highest-ranking U.S. military officer admitted on Tuesday that he told a Chinese general last year that the United States was not going to attack China. Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a congressional panel that he was certain in October 2020 that then-President Donald Trump did not intend to attack the Chinese. Milley said then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper directed him to convey that intent to Gen. Li Zuocheng of the Peoples Liberation Army. Intelligence indicated that the Chinese Communist Party was concerned about such an attack, according to a declassified memorandum on the calls. My task at that time was to deescalate. My message, again, was consistent: Stay calm, steady and deescalate. We are not going to attack you,' Milley said. That call and another made on Jan. 8 of this year were coordinated with Esper, his successor Christopher Miller, and other U.S. officials, according to Milley. The latter conversation came after the Chinese requested another call take place. Eight U.S. officials were on the October 2020 call and 11 officials were on the January call, according to Milley. Esper has not commented on the calls, which Republicans in Congress say should be probed by current Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. But Miller, who briefly led the Pentagon, said previously that he did not authorize the call. Miller said that if reports about the call were true, it represents a disgraceful and unprecedented act of insubordination by the Nations top military officer. Milley did not address reports that he informed Zuocheng on one of the calls that he would warn his counterpart if the United States was planning an attack, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) noted. During Tuesdays hearing, Milley also addressed a call that he shared with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) later on Jan. 8. Pelosi wanted to know about Trumps ability to launch nuclear weapons and expressed various concerns. After the call, she said she spoke to Milley to discuss available precautions for preventing an unstable president from initiating military hostilities or accessing the launch codes and ordering a nuclear strike. Milley said he sought to assure Pelosi that nuclear launch is governed by a very specific and deliberate process. Milley explained that the president is the sole nuclear launch authority and he doesnt launch them alone and that I am not qualified to determine the mental health of the president of the United States. At no time was I attempting to change or influence the process, usurp the authority, or insert myself into the chain of command, Milley said. He said that his loyalty to the United States has not changed and will never change as long as I have a breath to give. Most Connecticut School Bus Drivers Show up for Work After Vaccine Mandate Takes Effect Several school bus routes in Connecticut were delayed Monday morning as drivers did not show up to work in response to the states COVID-19 vaccine mandates for school employees, but the governor said the worst case scenario has been avoided. I think I can speak on behalf of 500,000 kids and their parents, thankfully the overwhelming majority of the school bus drivers showed up let kids get back to school for in-person learning, Gov. Ned Lamont said on Monday after an event on a new car safety law. Under Lamonts order, all Connecticut state employees, staff of childcare facilities, and preK-12 schools statewide must have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine by Sept. 27 or get tested weekly, raising concerns about whether hundreds of unvaccinated school bus drivers would be on the job when the mandate took effect. The Connecticut School Transportation Association (COSTA) warned that over 200 workers across the state might be skipping work because of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. A number of unvaccinated bus drivers also said that they would strike over the vaccination requirement, and some drivers not planning to join the strike were told they might have to pick up more children than they usually do. In a press release issued on Monday, the school bus drivers union reported that the fear did not materialize, as there were only minor disruptions in getting children to school. Thanks to the committed school bus drivers and managers for promptly following the Governors mandate for COVID vaccinations and testing, while at the same time, doing what needed to be done to get Connecticuts children safely to school, Jon Hipsher, vice president of COSTA, said in the release. The vaccine mandate took effect as a divided Connecticut House of Representatives voted in special session to extend Lamonts emergency COVID-19 powers through Feb. 15, a decision that would keep his mask and vaccination mandates in place. The extension was passed in a special session by a largely party line vote of 80 to 60, with 10 Democrats joining a Republican minority that voted No. If it is also approved Tuesday by the Democrat-majority state Senate, the top six legislative leaders will still have three days to veto any of the emergency orders Lamont seeks to continue. Look, were doing this to keep you safe, Lamont said to the state legislature. Weve got boosters like we are talking about. Vaccines for kids. Weve got to be able to act fast. Connecticut House Minority Leader Vincent Candelora argued that there should be a standard to determine whether an emergency actually exists. I feel as if now the emergency is: COVID exists, therefore the declaration needs to exist, Candelora said, reported Connecticut news site CT Mirror. And I would say that democracy is stronger than COVID, and I would say we need a standard to determine why this governor needs a blank check to continue to run the government. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attends a NATO Foreign Ministers video meeting following developments in Afghanistan at the NATO headquarters in Brussels on Aug. 20, 2021. (Francisco Seco/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) NATO Shares Concerns Over Beijings Coercive Policies, Expanding Nuclear Program NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has urged the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) to be transparent about its expanding nuclear arms program during a meeting with State Councilor and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi. The NATO secretary general and the PRC foreign minister connected during a virtual meeting on Sept. 27 where they discussed NATO-China relations and current international security challenges, Stoltenbergs office announced in a statement. While Stoltenberg made it clear that NATO does not view the PRC as an adversary, he urged Beijing to comply with its international obligations and act responsibly. Stoltenberg also expressed NATOs concerns over Beijings coercive policiessomething that NATO previously expressed back in June when leaders met for a one-day summit in Brusselsas well as the PRCs lack of transparency on its military modernization. He also raised concerns over the PRCs nuclear expansion, which has attracted attention from the United States and the international community this year. The Washington Post and Federation of American Scientists, an American think tank, disclosed on June 30 and July 26 that the PRC was building hundreds of nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile silos in the desert areas of Gansu Province and near Hami City in eastern Xinjiang. The PRC also this year introduced its Long March 18 strategic nuclear submarine, which is said to be capable of being equipped with the Julang-3 ballistic missile that has a range of more than 6,200 miles (10,000 kilometers). The Long March 18 has been interpreted by the military experts of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as a qualitative leap in sea-based nuclear power. Numerous officials have warned of Beijings ever-increasing nuclear and military capabilities, with former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo co-authoring an article earlier this year titled Why Chinas Nuclear Build-Up Should Worry the West, where he claimed that the PRC has historically covered up its nuclear weapons development and that its nuclear arsenal now poses a threat to neighboring countries. During Mondays meeting, the NATO secretary general urged Beijing to engage meaningfully in dialogue, confidence-building, and transparency measures regarding its nuclear capabilities and doctrine while stressing that this would better serve both NATO and the PRC. According to the Chinese state media Global Times, Foreign Minister Wang Yi accused NATO member states of frequently deploying aircraft to the Asia-Pacific region and that the region doesnt welcome military bloc, major-power confrontation, or Cold War instigators. NATO should adhere to its original geographical positioning and play a constructive role in the peaceful and stable development of the region, Wang said. During Mondays meeting, the secretary general and the foreign minister also discussed developments in Afghanistan, with Stoltenberg calling for a coordinated international approach among countries to make sure the Taliban are held accountable for their actions and commitments on counterterrorism, as well as womens rights. According to the press release, Stoltenberg stressed that NATO Allies went into Afghanistan to ensure the country did not serve again as a platform for terrorists and recalled that no terrorist attacks against our countries had been organized from Afghanistan since 2001. Wang He contributed to this report. Syringes with a COVID-19 vaccine inside them are seen in New York City in a file photograph. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images) Navy SEALs Told Theyre Undeployable If They Dont Get COVID-19 Vaccine: Lawyers Navy SEALs have been informed by their superiors that they wont be deployed if they refuse to get a COVID-19 vaccine, even if theyre granted a religious or medical exemption, according to lawyers representing the elite special operations troops and a document seen by The Epoch Times. What theyve been told is if they apply for a religious accommodation, they will no longer be deployable, R. Davis Younts, who is representing seven SEALs and is in talks to take on approximately 20 others, told The Epoch Times. Timothy Parlatore, whose firm represents a number of SEALs and other service members concerned about the vaccines, said his clients have also been given a similar ultimatum. Some SEALs have even been sent home mid-deployment for refusing a vaccine, one of his clients told him. A document presented to the SEALs says that any special operations personnel, including Special Warfare Combatant-Craft Crewmen, who refuse to receive the COVID-19 vaccine based solely on personal or religious beliefs will be disqualified from [special operations] duty. It was signed by Capt. Liam Hulin. This will affect deployment and special pays, the document also states. This provision does not pertain to medical contraindications or allergies to vaccine administration. The reasons the SEALs dont want a shot are the same as many unvaccinated Americans. They believe they have so-called natural immunity, or protection against reinfection after getting COVID-19 and recovering. And a subset are Christians who dont want any medicines that are developed using cells from aborted fetuses. These guys are not anti-vax, they justgiven the extraordinarily low risk of COVID to them and the substantial risk of unknown long-term effects of the vaccinethey arent comfortable with it right now, Parlatore told The Epoch Times. While the exact number of SEALs considering not getting a vaccine isnt known, both Parlatore and a pastor who is advising some of them say its in the hundreds. The loss of that many SEALs could devastate the elite force, which has 2,450 active-duty members. So far, lawyers havent been successful in attempts to convince military leaders to alter the harsh mandate. Shortly after U.S. drug regulators in August approved Pfizers COVID-19 vaccine, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered troops to be vaccinated. Austin directed the heads of every branch to draft requirements, which are all similar. Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro issued a vaccine mandate on Aug. 30 that said active-duty Navy personnel would have to be fully vaccinated, or have a full vaccine regimen, by Nov. 28. The Department of Defense (DoD) has previously said troops can request exemptions, but no exemptions were outlined in the order and sailors were told they would face punitive measures if they dont comply. The Navy declined to answer questions for this article. The Naval Special Warfare Command didnt respond to a request for comment. Navy SEALs participate in a joint rescue exercise with Cypriot Navy special forces in Limassol, Cyprus, on Sept. 10, 2021. (Iakovos Hatzistavrou/AFP via Getty Images) Younts is pursuing religious exemptions for his clients, while Parlatore is primarily focusing on medical exemptions. Pastor Jeff Durbin, who heads Apologia Church in Mesa, Arizona, is ministering to some of the SEALs. He says theyve gotten required vaccines in the past but are worried about what they see as insufficient safety data, particularly regarding long-term effects. The two main vaccines were authorized in December 2020. They see this as a violation of the governments responsibilities and role in terms of being able to mandate a new technology thats never been employed before with very suspicious, and even alarming safety data, Durbin told The Epoch Times. Federal health officials say that trial data and information from other sources show the vaccines are safe and effective. Critics note that the number of reports of adverse events and deaths following vaccination has skyrocketed and is much higher for COVID-19 vaccines than any other type of vaccine. The Pfizer and Moderna shots use messenger RNA technology, which is new and hadnt been used in approved vaccines before. Some of the SEALs have verified theyve been infected with COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, in the past. That means, according to experts and a slew of studies, that they enjoy a high level of immunity against reinfection. But theres no acknowledgment for the immunity in the mandates. U.S. requirements have virtually all ignored natural immunity while some European countries allow it as an alternative to vaccination. Natural immunity has not been taken into consideration. In the past for the vaccines there was a denoted exception or accommodation that can be made for someone if they had the immunity, or serology showing it, they wouldnt have to take that vaccine. Thats not the case in this vaccine, Younts said. The lawyers are trying to convince the military to ease up on the mandate and approach the situation differently, especially in light of the anthrax vaccine program, which was deemed illegal and left many service members with adverse reactions. Whenever theres something like this, where they provide very little information about the safety of the vaccine, and instead just threaten everybody take it or else, that causes natural resistance, Parlatore said. Dont forget, this is the same community that was given the anthrax vaccine without proper safety protocols, which a judge ended up stopping. So DoD, unfortunately, hasnt built up a lot of trust with forcing people to take relatively new vaccines. A United States Border Patrol agent on horseback tries to stop illegal immigrants from entering the United States, in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 19, 2021. (Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images) News Outlets Backtrack From Claims Border Agents Whipped Illegal Immigrants News outlets are backing away from claims that Border Patrol agents whipped or struck at illegal immigrants at the U.S.-Mexico border, though some are still using wording that doesnt appear to be backed by evidence. The false claims reverberated widely, making it to the White House press briefing room, where a reporter told White House press secretary Jen Psaki that agents were using what appeared to be whips on Haitian nationals. Psaki and other top administration officials, including President Joe Biden, subsequently condemned the agents for attempting to stop the illegal immigrants. But images and videos from the scene show no whips being used. The initial claim was from The El Paso Times, a local outlet that has reporters at the border. The agent swung his whip menacingly, charging his horse toward the men in the river who were trying to return to an encampment under the international bridge in Del Rio after buying food and water in Ciudad Acuna, Mexico, a Sept. 19 story from the outlet read. That language has been altered. It now says that The agent menacingly swung his reins like a whip. A clarification says that the outlets reporting team, in fact, did not see an actual whip. But the damage was already done. Yamiche Alcindor, a PBS reporter, shared the story with over 1.2 million followers on Twitter and asked Psaki about the situation in Washington. There are photographs and reports of border agents on horseback using what appeared to be whips on Haitian migrants, Alcindor said in the briefing room at the White House. The El Paso Times, its reporter who wrote the piece, and Alcindor havent alerted their followers on social media to the correction. Other outlets also got the story wrong. The New York Times sourced footage from Sawyer Hackett, the executive director of the leftwing People First Future group. Hackett wrote on Twitter that agents were rounding up Haitian refugees with whips. A New York Times story hyperlinks to Hacketts series of tweets, an action that signals reporters verified the claims and believe they are true. A follow-up story from the paper claimed agents were using the reins of their horses to strike at running migrants. That story linked to the initial story as the source of the claim. The language was later altered. It now says agents were waving their reins while pushing migrants back. A correction says the article overstated what is known about the behavior of some Border Patrol agents on horseback. While the agents waved their reins while pushing migrants back into the Rio Grande, The Times has not seen conclusive evidence that migrants were struck with the reins, the correction stated. The paper did not alert readers to the correction and the hyperlink to Hacketts posts is still there. Twitter did not append the posts with any labels. Axios, meanwhile, revised its claims twice. The news outlet deleted a tweet on Sept. 20 after posting photographs it claimed showed agents swinging whips at immigrants. No whips were visible in the pictures. The outlet nearly a week later, on Saturday, deleted another tweet that alleged Border Patrol agents were seen whipping at immigrants. But at least one Axios story still says agents were whipping at immigrants. The story links to an NBC News Twitter post that does not contain that language. It also was appended with an editors note that says the piece was corrected to show the mounted agents were reportedly whipping at the migrantsnot using whips. Representatives for Axios, the New York Times, and the El Paso Times did not return requests for comment. The fake news reverberated across the nation. Psaki, Biden, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said the photographs and video footage was horrific and suspended horse patrols in the Del Rio sector for now. A United States Border Patrol agent on horseback faces off with illegal immigrants on the banks of the Rio Grande River at the U.S.-Mexico border in Del Rio, Texas on Sept. 19, 2021. (Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images) Biden said last week that there were people being strapped despite no images or video showing that. Its outrageous. I promise you those people will pay, the Democrat added. Mayorkas launched an investigation and said the images from the border do not reflect who we are. At least one image and video shows agents swinging reins, but none show agents striking any immigrants. Psaki, alerted to the corrections on Monday, was asked whether the walkbacks changed anything for the administration. I dont think anyone could look at those photos and think that was appropriate action or behavior or something that should be accepted within our administration. Theres an investigation. Thats ongoing. Well let that play out. But our reaction to the photos has not changed, she said. The narrative about what happened has drawn pushback. Brandon Judd, head of the National Border Patrol Council, told The Epoch Times that agents did not use reins to strike anybody. He said the Biden administration was perpetuating the narrative that police are bad. There are a lot of news organizations that sparked this controversy with their rush to judgment in their inaccurate reporting. And I think if youve talked around the country, and talked to most people who consume left of center media they would still be under the impression that border agents were whipping immigrants at the border, which we know was not true, Jeffrey McCall, professor of communication at DePauw University, told The Epoch Times. Some news outlets report things they know arent true, according to Adam Guillette, president of Accuracy in Media, a media watchdog. He pointed to undercover recordings by Project Veritas of New York Times staffers and cited previous situations where multiple outlets were forced to correct initial stories, such as reporting on the Covington Catholic students. Theyre not trying to go after a broad demographic with their readership, rather they know that the only base that theyre going to get is rabid anti-Trump, anti-Republican progressives. So theyre going to write whatever stories they can that appeal to that demographic, Guillette told The Epoch Times. In the future, whenever initial reports present alarming optics, news organizations should wait and work to determine whether the situation is as it seems, McCall recommends. Military guard posts of North Korea, rear, and South Korea, bottom, are seen in Paju, near the border with North Korea, South Korea, on Sept. 24, 2021. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) North Korea Fires Unidentified Projectile Into Sea Update: North Korea said its launched projectile was a hypersonic missile. Original story below North Korea fired an unidentified projectile from an inland area off its east coast towards the Sea of Japan on Tuesday, South Koreas military said. The projectile was fired around 6:40 a.m. local time, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said, adding that South Korean and U.S. intelligence are analyzing the launch, reported Yonhap News Agency. We are analysing the situation and intention of North Koreas missile launch, South Korean Defence Ministry Spokesman, Boo Seung-chan said Tuesday at a news briefing. Also, we think the missile launch is regrettable at a time when we urgently need to stabilize the situation in the Korean peninsula. Japans defence ministry issued a statement saying that it appeared to be a ballistic missile. The U.S. State Department condemned the latest missile test, which it said posed a threat to North Koreas neighbours and the international community. Meanwhile, the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said the launch posed no immediate threat to the United States or its allies but highlighted the destabilising impact of Pyongyangs nuclear weapons programs. People watch a TV showing a file image of a North Korea missile launch during a news program at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea, on Sept. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) It comes after the socialist dictatorship announced on Sept. 15 that it had launched two ballistic missiles from a train toward the Sea of Japan that struck an intended target 497 miles (800 kilometers) away. On the same day, South Korea also test fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile. Prior to that, North Korea had tested new cruise missiles it said were capable of hitting targets 932 miles (1,500 kilometers) away, putting all of Japan and the U.S. military installations therewith a total of 80,000 U.S. troopswithin striking range. Read More North Korean Cruise Missile Likely Assisted by China and Iran: Expert The latest reported projectile launch comes as South Korean President Moon Jae-in, in an address to the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 21, called for a formal end to the 195053 Korean War and proposed that the two Koreas make that declaration. The conflict had halted in a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty. But North Korean Vice Foreign Minister Ri Thae Song said that the call is premature because there is no guarantee that the United States would withdraw its hostile policy against Pyongyang, reported state mouthpiece KCNA on Sept. 24. Meanwhile, North Korea has continued ignoring warnings from the international community about its weapons activity. Recently, international experts have said that satellite images shows that North Korea is expanding a uranium enrichment plant at its main Yongbyon nuclear complexa sign that the Kim regime is intent on boosting the production of bomb materials. A U.N. Atomic Watchdog said in late August that Pyongyang appears to have restarted a nuclear reactor at the plant. This satellite photo from Planet Labs Inc., a uranium enrichment plant is seen at North Koreas main Yongbyon nuclear complex, Sept. 18, 2021. (Planet Labs Inc. via AP) Continuing to deflect international attention from the regimes actions, North Koreas ambassador to the United Nations, Kim Song, blamed the United States and Seoul for the atmosphere of hostility and double standards toward Pyongyang, as the denounced Pyongyang for its weapons development while continuing their own military activities. He said that North Korea would respond willingly at any time to offers to talks after snubbing Moons calls for ending the war. On similar lines, Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said on Sept. 25 that North Korea is willing to consider stalled inter-Korean talks on ending the Korean War if mutual respect between the two countries can be assured, KCNA reported. In a separate statement on Sept. 25, she asked South Korea to abandon hostile polices and double-dealing standards. South Koreas Unification Ministry on Sept. 26 called her statement meaningful but urged North Korea to restore dormant communication channels before arranging talks between the rivals. North Korea hasnt responded. Efforts from the United States aimed at convincing North Korea to denuclearize in return for lifting related sanctions over Pyongyangs nuclear program and missile tests have stalled since February 2019. Then-president Donald Trump said that North Korea wanted to lift sanctions without offering enough denuclearization in return. They wanted the sanctions lifted in their entirety, and we couldnt do that, Trump said at the time. They were willing to denuke a large portion of the areas we wanted, but we couldnt give up all of the sanctions for that. Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. New York Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul gives a news conference at the state Capitol, in Albany, N.Y., on Aug. 11, 2021. (Hans Pennink/AP Photo) NY Governor Declares State of Emergency as Thousands of Health Care Workers Remain Unvaccinated New York Gov. Kathy Hochul on Monday night declared a state of emergency to deal with possible staffing shortfalls resulting from the statewide vaccination mandate for health care workers. Last night, the Democrat governor wrote on Twitter Tuesday, I took bold action and signed an executive order that will alleviate potential staffing shortages in our hospitals and other health care facilities across New York State. My desire is to have the people whove been out there continue to work in their jobs, working in them safely, she said Monday at a news conference in the Bronx. To all the other health care workers who are vaccinated, they also deserve to know that the people theyre working with will not get them sick. Its not clear why Hochul suggested that someone who is vaccinated against COVID-19 would be at a higher risk of getting sick from someone who isnt vaccinated. Some studies have shown that fully vaccinated individuals can transmit the virus, although federal health officials have asserted that the vaccine protects against serious illness and hospitalization. Over the weekend, Hochul said that she would direct the National Guard to potentially replace health care workers who were terminated or suspended from their jobs due to their vaccination status. Her office also raised the possibility of hiring accredited nurses from other states and other countries, or those who are retired. The New York State Department of Health last month issued an order that all health care workers in the state would be required to get at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot by Sept. 27. According to her office, about 16 percent of all health care workers in New York are not vaccinated against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. As the deadline on Monday night loomed, critics noted that firing or suspending potentially thousands of health care workers in the middle of a pandemic could backfire. A federal judge in Albany earlier this month had temporarily ordered New York state officials to allow religious exemptions for the vaccine mandate for health care workers. Several New York hospitals confirmed to Reuters that the process of terminating or suspending workers started on Monday, and some said that elective surgeries would be postponed. Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo suspended elective inpatient surgeries and had stopped accepting intensive-care patients from other hospitals as it prepares to fire hundreds of unvaccinated employees, spokesman Peter Cutler told the news outlet. Cutler said the decision to curtail some operations would inconvenience patients and hurt hospital finances, while adding that the procedures bring in about $1 million per week. We had to make a decision as to where we could temporarily make some changes so that we could ensure other areas of services are as little affected as possible, Cutler said. Financially, its a big deal. Dr. Mitchell Katz, the head of NYC Health + Hospitals in New York City, said at a news conference that 5,000 of the citys 43,000 employees of public hospitals havent received the vaccine. Reuters contributed to this report. Sacramento County District Attorney: One-Third of Inmates Served Less Than Half of Their Sentences Out of 4,000 inmates sentenced in Sacramento County, more than 1,300 served less than half of their sentence, according to the Sacramento County District Attorneys (SCDA) office. SCDA Anne Marie Schubert announced on May 26 that she and 43 other elected District Attorneys across California have filed a civil lawsuit against the California Department of Correction and Rehabilitation (CDCR) for awarding additional conduct credits to 76,000 violent and serious offenders without including a traditional regulatory scheme public comment period. In July, Schubert and a few other District Attorney have also submitted a California Public Records Act request to CDCR to find out how much time Sacramento inmates are serving of their court-ordered sentences between January 2019 to May 17, 2021. The data demonstrate more than 1,300 out of 4,070 inmates served less than half of their sentences. We became aware of CDCR releasing inmates significantly shorter than their court-ordered sentence time, sometimes after serving less than 50% of their time, when those individuals were re-arrested while our records showed they should be in prison, Schubert in a July 6 statement. District Attorneys Offices across the state have also seen a disturbing trend of individuals given parole consideration long before their court-ordered sentence time. The statement added that the U.S. Department of Justice study found a 71 percent recidivism rate among individuals released from prison across 34 states, including California. Proposition 57, also known as the Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2016, was overwhelmingly approved by California voters to give authority to CDCR to submit regulations to provide additional opportunities for incarcerated people to receive Good Conduct Credit (GCC) for early release. The act aims to incentivize incarcerated people to take responsibility for their own rehabilitation by providing credit-earning opportunities for sustained good behavior. Schubert said that one of the largest problems with Proposition 57 is that people who are convicted of non-violent felonies can have their sentence drastically reduced, but that the law does not define nonviolent in a way that most people think. Schubert told The Epoch Times that domestic violence is considered nonviolent and explained: somebody that goes to prison for beating a woman can get out in a fraction of their sentence. These people earn credits now for not misbehaving, its not because theyre doing additional rehabilitation. Youre now releasing them before theyve had an opportunity of having a meaningful rehabilitation, Schubert told The Epoch Times. Schubert suggested that CDCR should have instilled more transparency in the decision-making process and gather public input before implementing any sentencing changes. Schubert said the proposition takes the role of ignoring victims rights and ignoring the potential consequences for recidivism. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation spokeswoman Dana Simas told The Epoch Times in an email that the expansion of GCC can help reduce recidivism and make out community safer. She said that this change is meant to incentivize incarcerated individuals to have sustained good behavior and encourage them to participate in rehabilitative and educational programs to earn additional credits. Its important to note that the Good Conduct Credit (GCC) emergency regulations are not an early release program, and these changes do not result in the automatic release of any incarcerated individual. Simas explained that GCCs will not make an inmate eligible for expedited release, and the recidivism data for those released this year will not be available until approximately 2025 since the data is only gathered by following individuals three years post-release. A Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chemist checks confiscated pills containing fentanyl at the DEA Northeast Regional Laboratory in New York on Oct. 8, 2019. (Don Emmert/AFP via Getty Images) Orange County DA: Fentanyl Deaths Skyrocketing Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer warned Sept. 27 of the rise in fentanyl-related deaths in the county, which has been occurring on an average daily basis. The number of fentanyl-related deaths in Orange County is skyrocketing, Spitzer wrote Sept. 27 on Twitter. Fentanyl is very cheap to produce, and its extreme potency allows dealers to maximize profits by lacing it into different narcotics. Dont trust illicit pills! You never know what is in them and it only takes one 2 milligram dose of fentanyl to kill an adult. Recent data released by the Orange County Sheriffs Department show that 37 people were poisoned by the drug in Orange County in 2016. There were 57 deaths in 2017, 134 deaths in 2018, and 165 deaths in 2019. That number spiked to 432 people in 2020, making it more than once a day on average. The issue of fentanyl-related poisonings is affecting far beyond Orange County, as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) warned Sept. 27 that there has been a significant nationwide surge in the availability and lethality of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine. We want to save lives and protect the community with this important awareness campaign, said Los Angeles Field Division Special Agent in Charge Bill Bodner told City News Service. The sad reality is that these dangerous counterfeit pills made with fentanyl are having deadly consequences not just in Los Angeles, but nationwide. As individuals are being deceived and families are grieving the loss of loved ones, drug dealers profit, he said. Its not the pill you think it is. DEA Los Angeles Field Division confiscated approximately 1,217,000 counterfeit pills believed to contain fentanyl in all of 2020, and in just the first few months of 2021, obtained close to the same number at 1,230,000. DEA officials issued a safety alert in order to raise awareness about the pills, which are reportedly mass-produced in labs by criminal drug networks and are then deceptively marketed as prescription drug pills, and are killing Americans at an unprecedented rate. The agency also reported that more than 9.5 million counterfeit pills have been seized nationwide so far this year, which is more than the last two years combined, with the DEA seizing them in every state. Additionally, when tested in labs, the pills are showing a dramatic rise in the number of pills containing at least two milligrams of fentanyl, which is a lethal dose. Officials noted that a deadly dose of fentanyl is small enough to fit on the tip of a pencil, showcasing how potent and deadly the drug really is. Approximately 40 percent of pills containing fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose. The fake pills are becoming more widely accessible and are becoming often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, often made to look like oxycodone and hydrocodone. City News Service contributed to this report. The COVID-19 Moderna Vaccination prepared at Lesonnac Free Clinic in Orange, Calif., on March 9, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Orange Countys COVID-19 Metrics Continue Decline SANTA ANA, Calif.Orange Countys COVID-19 hospitalizations finally fell below 300 after two months, as weekly averages posted Sept. 28 showed more encouraging news in a slowdown of the Delta variant-fueled summer surge. The countys weekly case rate per 100,000 residents improved from 11.3 to 9.7, while the positivity rate fell from 3.7 percent to 3.4 percent. The countys Health Equity Quartile positivity ratewhich measures progress in low-income communitiesdropped from 4.2 percent to 3.8 percent. Those numbers look good, Andrew Noymer, an epidemiologist and University of CaliforniaIrvine professor of population health and disease prevention, told City News Service on Tuesday. The number of hospitalized patients dropped from 300 Monday to 288, with the number of intensive care unit patients declining from 80 to 72, according to the Orange County Health Care Agency (OCHCA). The county has 24.2 percent of its intensive care unit beds available and 66 percent of its ventilators. The last time hospitalizations were at this level was at the end of July. Hospital numbers are down significantly compared to a week ago, Noymer said. Things are moving in the right direction. All of Southern California, not just Orange County, is looking good. Things are getting better. Noymer added, Id say dont let our guard down. We need to keep masking. Orange County CEO Frank Kim said Monday that the county was seeing a continued decline in testing positivity. We do feel this last wave is coming toward an end, Kim said. Kim noted there has also been a slight increase in vaccination rates. Orange County Board of Supervisors Chairman Andrew Do and Supervisor Katrina Foley got into a heated discussion Tuesday, with Foley questioning the countys chief health officer, Dr. Clayton Chauwho is also the director of the OCHCAin an extension of their recent feud over protocol. Do said he felt Foley was expanding discussion on unrelated topics as the board was set to vote on a relatively routine agenda item. Foley argued that since the agenda item covered a grant for outreach on vaccination, it was appropriate to question Chau on where the county was in terms of vaccination levels. We have to have some kind of order, Do snapped at Foley. Youre disrupting the order, Foley angrily shot back. When Do scolded her for interrupting him, she said, Youre interrupting me. You interrupted my question. Do replied, You may have this desire to turn every meeting into a circus, which prompted Foley to shoot back, You turned it into a circus because you dont like my questions for some unknown reason. Do replied, Every question leads to something else with you Now were going into a COVID update. Foley said, I would think you of all people would care about COVID, referring to the fully vaccinated Dos breakthrough infection. That drew a rebuke from Supervisor Don Wagner. I understand the heat of rhetoric, Wagner said. But, he said, no matter anyones health status on the board, All of us care about COVID, and to suggest you have to have it for it to matter to us is truly an unfortunate rhetorical flourish in the heat of argument and I object to it. Chau said the county by now should be over 70 percent of eligible individuals, who have received at least one dose of vaccine. He said the vaccination rate among seniors is about 90 percent. The county logged another 13 COVID-19-related fatalities on Tuesday, raising the cumulative total to 5,418. One of the deaths was in the 18-24 age range. Of the fatalities logged Tuesday, 12 occurred in September and the other one was in August. The death toll for September is 62 and 156 for August. That marks a stark contrast with the rest of the summer. The death toll for July was 22, 19 for June, 23 for May, 46 for April, 199 for March, 615 for February, 1,580 for Januarythe deadliest month of the pandemicand 976 for December, the next deadliest. Dr. Regina Chinsio-Kwong, deputy county health officer, said Friday that 94 percent of the people who died in August were unvaccinated. Without vaccines the death toll from this summers surge, which was fueled by the more contagious Delta variant, would have been higher, Chinsio-Kwong said. We could have been losing more people to Delta if we didnt have the vaccination rates we have, Chinsio-Kwong said. Eight of the people who died from COVID-19 complications in August were vaccinated and at least 65 years old, Chinsio-Kwong said. Seven were older than 75 and one who was between 65 and 74 was in a skilled nursing facility, she added. All Orange County residents who died from COVID-19 complications in September were not fully vaccinated, Chinsio-Kwong said. One had received one of two doses of the Moderna vaccine and the others did not receive any doses, she added. The county on Monday also logged another 235 infections, raising the cumulative total to 296,932 since the pandemic began. People count California recall ballot votes at a Los Angeles Registrar site at the Los Angeles Fair Grounds in Pomona, Calif., on Aug. 31, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) Permanent Vote-by-Mail Elections Reckless Move, Says Watchdog Group California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed legislation on Sept. 27 making vote-by-mail elections permanent for all registered voters in the state, along with nine other election-related bills. Last year we took unprecedented steps to ensure all voters had the opportunity to cast a ballot during the pandemic and today we are making those measures permanent after record-breaking participation in the 2020 presidential election, he said in a statement. As states across our country continue to enact undemocratic voter suppression laws, California is increasing voter access, expanding voting options and bolstering elections integrity and transparency. While Newsom and other supporters claim vote-by-mail ballots strengthen election integrity, critics disagree. Ruth Weiss, director of legislative oversight at watchdog group Election Integrity Project, California (EIPCa), told The Epoch Times that the legislation, Assembly Bill 37, is reckless and will only weaken election integrity. The nonprofit group has long opposed wholesale vote-by-mail elections, ballot harvesting, and other recent changes to election laws that it claims open the door to the potential for increased irregularities and voter fraud. EIPCa is not, and never has been about who won or lost. Our focus is on the integrity of the election process which should result in fair, honest and transparent elections from beginning to end, the group said in a recent statement. In the Sept. 14 gubernatorial recall election, citizen observers reported a number of anomalies to EIPCa. They include: Defective codes on vote-by-mail ballots caused rejection by the tabulator. All of those ballots had to be duplicated. Voters were forced to vote provisionally or not at all because a vote had already been recorded in their name. Voters with a long history of voting in every election were suddenly removed from the voter rolls between November 2020 and this election. Voters in multiple counties left the polls with their live ballot in their hands, believing or being told that it was their receipt, not a ballot that needed to be submitted to the ballot box. Poll workers met with unanswered hotlines on Election Day and therefore were unable to resolve serious issues. Voters received multiple vote-by-mail ballots, ballots of strangers, ballots of previous homeowners, and ballots of adult children who had moved to other states many years ago. Former Californians received recall ballots in their new state, even though they had canceled their California registration and re-registered in their new state. Many of these people had been out of state for decades. Individuals who never registered to vote received ballots in the mail. Voters were forced to mark their ballots with Sharpies, which bled through and likely required ballots to be duplicated. People count California recall ballot votes at a Los Angeles Registrar site at the Los Angeles Fair Grounds in Pomona, Calif., on Aug. 31, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times) High Voter Turnout Claims The practice of sending vote-by-mail ballots to every registered voter first began in California in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and was extended through 2021. When voters get a ballot in the mail, they vote, Assemblyman Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) said in the release. We saw this in the 2020 General Election when, in the middle of a global health pandemic, we had the highest voter turnout in California since Harry Truman was president. California Secretary of State Shirley Weber applauded the legislation. The bill will permanently expand access and increase participation in our elections by making voting more convenient and meeting people where they are, she said in the statement. Vote-by-mail has significantly increased participation of eligible voters. Voters like having options for returning their ballot whether by mail, at a secure drop box, a voting center or at a traditional polling station. And the more people who participate in elections, the stronger our democracy and the more we have assurance that elections reflect the will of the people of California. Weiss criticized claims that vote-by-mail directly correlates to high voter turnout. There is no way to prove that, she said. Its like comparing apples and oranges. In 2020, they have no idea what the participation would have been without forcing a vote-by mail ballot down everybodys throats, because it was a very energetic and contentious election that was bound to have a high turnout anyway. Mail-in ballots were sent out to all registered voters in the gubernatorial recall election, and yet the turnout was nothing to write home about, she said. As of Sept. 27, the California Secretary of State reported that recall election turnout was 57 percent. However, county elections officials have until Oct. 15 to report final official results to the Secretary of States office, which will summarize and certify the county reports in the official statewide results on Oct. 22. The recall election resulted in complaints from a number of voters in the counties of Orange and Los Angeles who showed up to vote in-person but were told they had already voted. Recent changes to elections laws and the voting process in California have also confused and frustrated voters, especially those who chose to vote in-person. Its very chaotic, Weiss said. In the 2020 election, EIPCas research determined that more than 440,000 ballots were mailed out to voters who had either died or moved out California, but the state has done little to clean up the states voter rolls, Weiss said. They completely denied the enormity of the numbers that we were able to provide she said. EIPCa, a non-partisan group, has been investigating election integrity in the state for the last 11 years. Most state legislators had a tendency to address our concerns as if we were these big conspiracy theorists, she said. So, the fact that they didnt even want to work with us and work with the information that we had in order to craft a bill that made more sense was not surprising, but its distressing. Other Election-Related Bills The other nine bills Newsom signed on Sept. 27 are: Senate Bill 35 authored by Senator Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) makes changes to the distance within which electioneering and specified political activities near a voting site are prohibited; Assembly Bill 1367 by Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell) increases penalties for the egregious personal use of campaign funds to up to two times the amount of the unlawful expenditure; SB 686 by Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Contra Costa) requiring a limited liability company (LLC) that is engaged in campaign activity to provide additional information regarding the members and capital contributors. AB 319 by Assemblywoman Suzette Valladares (R-Santa Clarita) Political Reform Act of 1974: contributions: foreign governments or principals. AB 796 by Assemblyman Marc Berman (D-Menlo Park) Voter registration: California New Motor Voter Program. AB 1495 by Assemblywoman Luz Rivas (D-San Fernando Valley) Vacancy elections. AB 1590 by Committee on Elections Political Reform Act of 1974. SB 503 by Senator Josh Becker (D-Menlo Park) Voting: ballots and signature verification. SB 594 by Senator Steve Glazer (D-Contra Costa) Elections: redistricting. R | 2h 36min | 23 December 1992 Scent of a Woman is an inspiring high school movie about a boy becoming a man by showing his integrity and character when the chips are down, and a bitter old man becoming a boy again when hope springs eternal and destiny brings him a lovely female companion. This is the story of how the boy and the man become mutual catalysts who facilitate these profound changes in each others life. Prep School Much like Dead Poets Society, Scent of a Woman opens with shots of high school boys in blazers, chinos, and docksiders animatedly migrating between classes at the prestigious all-boys prep school Baird, in New Hampshire. Charlie Simms (Chris ODonnell), a 17-year-old Oregonian on scholarship, checks the hallway bulletin board for a Thanksgiving weekend job, hoping to make enough money to be able to fly home for Christmas. Meanwhile, his well-to-do classmates prepare for a swanky Vermont ski adventure at Sugarbush resort. George Willis Jr. (Philip Seymour Hoffman, L) and Charlie Simms (Chris ODonnell) are prep school classmates in Scent of a Woman. (Universal Pictures) Harry Havemeyer (Nicholas Sadler), a particularly supercilious have (as opposed to Charlies have-not) invites Charlie along. When Harrys pal George Willis Jr. (Philip Seymour Hoffman) later says, You know hes on aid, Harry Have replies, Traditionally during the holidays the lord of the manor offers drippings to the poor. Its that kind of milieu. Charlie Meets the Colonel Charlie finds a weekend assignment. A local family hires him to look after their uncle, a testy, cigar-chewing alcoholic and rageaholic, retired Lt. Col. Frank Slade (Al Pacino) for the next few days. This is no walk in the park, because not only does the persnickety, demanding, bullying colonel spew nonstop insultshes also blind as bat (a fact that his family conveniently neglects to mention). And the colonel demands a lot from his aides. Dont call him sir, dont ask him too many questions, his niece explains. Slade also likes his aides to be presentable, with good skin. No pimples! However, before Thanksgiving break commences, a few of Charlies friends play a practical and highly embarrassing joke on Headmaster Trask (James Rebhorn). They paint-bomb him and his newly acquired, board-of-trustees-bequeathed dark green Jaguar, all while running snide commentary about the well-attended spectacle over the schools loudspeaker system. Mr. Trask (James Rebhorn), the Baird prep school headmaster, experiences humiliation on a grand scale, in Scent of a Woman. (Universal Pictures) To Snitch or Not to Snitch All of which puts Charlie at risk because Trask strongly suspects that Charlie and George Willis Jr. both know who pulled the prank. Trask sweetens the pot for Charlie to rat on his buddies: He dangles a personal recommendation, by him, for Charlie to Harvard Universitys admissions board. So young Charlie Simmss got the weekend to decide whether or not he really wants to sacrifice a shot at Harvard by stonewalling Trask to protect the paint-perpetrators, whom he knows look down on his peasant status. Lt. Col. Frank Slade (Al Pacino, L) and Charlie Simms (Chris ODonnell) head to Manhattan for a special week that the colonel has been saving up for, in Scent of a Woman. (Universal Pictures) The stress of this moral dilemma is further compounded by his new charge Slade, whos got a grand when the cats away, the colonel will play scheme, and drags the protesting Charlie via jet plane to New York City, grandiosely exclaiming: This is just the start of your education, son. Colonel Slade (Al Pacino) ruminates in his cabin, in Scent of a Woman. (Universal Pictures) The colonels saved his money to afford the best hotel, the best meals, the best cigars, the best whisky, and a high-end prostitute. Why? It soon becomes apparent that Franks nonstop tirades and wise insights cover immense pain and regret about the choices that led from being an aide to LBJ to living in a ramshackle hut behind his nieces house. And so, after indulging himself in the luxuries listed above, he will give himself a proper military sendoff, dressed in uniform, with his Colt 1911. Thats the plan. Lt. Col. Frank Slade (Al Pacino) contemplates ending his life, in Scent of a Woman. (Universal Pictures) He didnt count on his normally easily cowed young boy of a handler to suddenly grow a backbone, call his bluff, and demand that he come down, and stand down, from his ledge of misery. Pacino Along the way is a tour de force of Al Pacino theatrics. Pacino, throughout his career, has never not been bombastic, and Scent of a Woman is Pacino at his utmost bombastic. Its a spectacular bombast, featuring the 60-something colonel charming a random, 20-something beauty (Gabrielle Anwar), asking her to tango, and pulling off an utterly believable virtuoso (because the characters blind) ballroom tango. Lt. Col. Frank Slade (Al Pacino) dances the tango with a fetching young woman (Gabrielle Anwar) whose delicious soap-and-water fragrance he detected from across the room, in Scent of a Woman. (Universal Pictures) And then theres delightful unfolding of the meaning of the movies title: The colonel has, basically, blindness-compensatory supernormal olfactory sensory neurons and an ability to rhino-locate women by the smell of their perfumes and soaps. All the names and labels of which he can quote, much to the ladies collective bedazzlement. Pacinos creation, Army Lt. Col. Frank Slade, is an idiosyncratic, thespian creation to be savored. Hes got the poetic flair for cursing and insulting that the American military is legendary for, hes got jokes, hes got deep insights and literary nuggets, and hes got the above-mentioned uncanny knowledge of soaps, psychological X-ray vision, and sage adviceall punctuated with Army Hooah! battle cries and Ha!sall of which hit the believability mark every time. Although ODonnell matches Pacinos ironclad Army vet manliness with a just-as-deeply felt, untested boyish faltering and anguish, Scent of a Woman was obviously only ever going to be a one-man show; its like a Pacino comet. Charlies Predicament George Willis Jr. (Philip Seymour Hoffman, L) and George Willis Sr. (Baxter Harris) are flabbergasted when their expectations of exoneration are dashed, in Scent of a Woman. (Universal Pictures) When a resolution for Charlies school conundrum finally arrives, Lt. Col. Frank Slade delivers a scorched-earth monologue that ranks among the best movie monologues ever. Its highly apropos of todays moral chaos, and cuts through Baird prep schools loss of vision as to how to forge powerful, moral individuals. Theres nothing as convincing as a military veteran talking to privileged prep school boys about boys in battle getting arms and legs blown off; about integrity, true manhood, and how, when the bullets fly downrange, some boys run and some stand their ground. And while George Willis Jr. hides safely in his fathers pocket, fatherless Charlie faces danger and shows character. Lt. Col. Frank Slade (Al Pacino, L) gives Baird prep school faculty and students a thunderous, galvanizing, shaming tongue-lashing while Charlie Simms (Chris ODonnell) looks on in awe, never having had someone stand up for him like that before, in Scent of a Woman. (Universal Pictures) Every high schooler needs to see it. Sometimes, Hollywood does the right thing and tells the right story. Scent of a Woman Director: Martin Brest Starring: Al Pacino, Chris ODonnell, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Frances Conroy, Gabrielle Anwar, Bradley Whitford Running Time: 2 hours, 36 minutes MPAA Rating: R Release Date: Dec. 23, 1992 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars Prisoner Swap Between Huawei CFO and Canadas Two Michaels Gives Hardliners in Beijing Ammunition Commentary Former diplomat Michael Kovrig and business consultant Michael Spavor are both home in Canada now. On Sept. 24, they were released by Beijing immediately after Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou was released from Canadian custody, following U.S. prosecutors decision to end the extradition request for her and to put the prosecution on hold until December 2022. The deferred prosecution agreement between Meng and the United States would allow her to return to China. In December 2018, Meng was arrested at Vancouver International Airport on a U.S. extradition warrant. She is accused of being involved in a scheme to use the global banking system to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran. The detentions of the two Canadians were widely seen as a tit-for-tat response by the Chinese regime over Mengs arresta tactic called hostage diplomacy. Kovrig and Spavor were detained in China for over 1,000 days and Chinese authorities accused them of spying. Kovrig had a closed-door trial in March but the verdict moved to an unspecified date. Last month, a Chinese court sentenced Spavor to 11 years in prison. Its hard for any outsider to imagine the reaction of family members and friends when the two men were released. Its a time for both Michaels to realize that their return to freedom could be a whole new challenge, especially on how to deal with the mental health fallout that comes from such extreme experiences. Its a phenomenon that my NGO Safeguard Defenders is familiar with, often arranging mental health support for victims of disappearances, detentions, and torture. Being released from detention is often a mixed blessinga happy occasion that brings a whole new slew of challenges. Former diplomat Michael Kovrig embraces his wife Vina Nadjibulla upon his arrival at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Sept. 25, 2021. (DND-MDN Canada/Cpl. Justin Dreimanis) The Trudeau government in Ottawa has withstood extensive criticism for its handling of the case, and so has both the Trump and Biden administrations. Criticism has focused on the failure to move quickly in leveraging reputational and political risks against Beijing for its blatant hostage taking. Still, to their defense, after acting far too slow and not taking enough action early on, both governments came to realize that the cost to Beijing had to be increased, with Canada rallying allies under the banner of general action against arbitrary detention being one key action. For a long time, the hardliners in Beijing have likely been under pressure, as NGOs, civil society actors, and media, alongside government action have pushed the reputational and political costs to unimaginable levels for China. While I sit here in Europe, where people are often blissfully unaware of what goes on in China, the case of the Two Michaels is an anomaly, one where people outside the China sphere have been shocked by Beijings behavior. Its not for nothing that the leader of Lithuania recently said that Chinas behavior concerning the Two Michaels was a wake-up call for us all. In the end, the release of Meng has proven the hardliners right, despite the much higher-than-expected cost. This high cost is likely the reason why we have not seen other people being taken as hostages in China. Still, with hardliners now being able to show that hostage diplomacy does indeed yield the desired results, foreigners in China are likely in greater danger now than ever. Hostage diplomacy, the hardliners will contend, is effectiveeven if the cost ends up far greater than anyone in Beijing can foresee. In the end, the Canadian government had no choice but to engage wholeheartedly to get their citizens back, which is a sign of a responsible government. However, for a long time, it failed to respond quickly to pressure Beijing and to raise the cost of its hostage diplomacy. Canada, like Australia and Sweden before it, started taking action far too late, relying on normal diplomatic proceduresthe ones they are accustomed and comfortable withbefore taking wider action. Hopefully, once and for all, Western governments will now have learned that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) cannot be dealt with as any other government, and when the next Michaels are takenand they willgovernments will have learned to launch wide counter measures quickly, and involve their allies, rather than squander a whole year. Chinas state broadcaster CGTN anchor Liu Xin looks at a screen showing her debate with Fox Business Network anchor Trish Regan, at the CCTV headquarters in Beijing on May 30, 2019. (Wang Zhao/AFP/Getty Images) For Canada, its now time to consider the usefulness of the bilateral consular agreement with Chinaan agreement that China has violated time and time again. Why maintain an agreement which bounds Canada, but which China ignores at will without consequences? Its time to focus energy on diversifying Canadas supply chains and lessen its economic dependency on China, much like Australia and Japan are now doing. Its time to counter the undue influence of CCP-operated groups on Canada, to rein in CCP media such as CGTN and CCTV, which operates without oversight. Most importantly, the parliamentary committee established to advise on whole-of-government policy changes for dealing with China needs to be given room to put forth real and concrete proposals for how to better deal with the Chinese regime in the future. In the end, like with all complicated political matters, I think a lot of us are left feeling conflicted; relieved and happy that both Michaels are finally free from a hellish situation that they should not have been put through, but also worried that the way it ended will embolden the CCP to do more, and do worse. Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. The Totten Mine near Sudbury, Ont., is shown on Sept. 27, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Gino Donato) Rescue Mission Continues at Sudbury Mine, With 33 out of 39 Workers Rescued so Far The effort to rescue 39 miners trapped underground in Sudbury, Ont., continues today, with the majority already rescued and others expected to be brought safely to the surface as the day advances. The miners were trapped in the Totten Mine, west of Sudbury, on Sunday when a scoop bucket being sent underground detached and damaged the mine shaft. As a result, the conveyance system that takes workers to and from the surface was out of commission. Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger told CTV News that 27 workers had returned to above ground early on Tuesday morning. Bigger said the main challenge for the mine rescue team was reaching the extreme depth to where the miners were located, with some at 3,000 feet below surface, or nearly double the height of the CN Tower. Their employer, Vale Canada Ltd., said miners have been staying in underground refuge stations as part of the mining companys standard procedures. Some workers were also making their way out through a secondary egress ladder system. We thank the impacted employees for their patience and perseverance and the mine rescue teams for their tireless dedication and support, said Gord Gilpin, head of mining for Vales Ontario operations. Totten Mine opened in 2014 in Worthington, Ont., and produces copper, nickel and precious metals. Roughly 200 people are employed there. With files from The Canadian Press The Totten Mine near Sudbury, Ont., is shown on Sept. 27, 2021. A mining company says 39 workers who've been trapped underground near Sudbury, Ont., since yesterday are now slowly on their way out. Vale says no one has been injured at the Totten Mine and all the trapped workers are expected to reach the surface by tonight. (The Canadian Press/Gino Donato) Rescue Mission Continues at Sudbury Mine, 33 out of 39 Workers Retrieved The mission to rescue 39 miners who were trapped underground in Sudbury, Ont. continues today, with the majority already retrieved and others expected to emerge as the day advances. The miners were trapped in the Totten Mine, west of Sudbury, on Sunday when a scoop bucket being sent underground detached and damaged the mine shaft. As a result, the conveyance system that takes workers to and from the surface was out of work. Greater Sudbury Mayor Brian Bigger told CTV News early on Tuesday morning that 27 workers have returned to above ground. By noon, 33 miners have been retrieved. Bigger said the main challenge for the mine rescue team was reaching the extreme depth to where the miners were located, with some at 3,000 feet below surface, or nearly double the height of the CN Tower. Their employer Vale said miners have been staying in underground refuge stations, as part of the mining companys standard procedures. The workers were also making their way out through a secondary egress ladder system. We thank the impacted employees for their patience and perseverance and the mine rescue teams for their tireless dedication and support, said Gord Gilpin, head of mining for Vales Ontario operations. Totten Mine opened in 2014, in Worthington, Ont., and produces copper, nickel and precious metals. Roughly 200 people are employed there. With files from The Canadian Press Schumer Will Surrender, Put Debt Ceiling in Reconciliation: Cruz On Monday evening, unified Senate Republicans shot down debate on a resolution to fund the government through December. Now, Democrats are scrambling to find a new way to push a debt ceiling increase through the Senate with at least some Republican support. But according to Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) will not find that support, and will be forced to surrender. The Monday vote was the culmination of months of posturing by Senate Republicans, who have insisted since August that they would not vote to increase the debt limit. According to these Republicans, who explained their reasoning in a petition drafted by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Democrats were on an unprecedented deficit spending spree. These Republicans said that they refused to enable such spending through raising the debt ceiling. Instead, Republicans have insisted that Democrats use the reconciliation process if they want to raise the debt limit. The reconciliation process is one that allows certain bills related to federal revenues and spending to bypass the 60-vote threshold usually required to begin debate on a bill in the Senate. Currently, Democrats are using the process to push through their controversial budget, which has a top line price of $3.5 trillion. In his petition, Johnson argued that Democrats have the power to unilaterally raise the debt ceiling [through reconciliation], and they should not be allowed to pretend otherwise. Still, Democrats have been hesitant to take this route, as some polls have shown raising the debt ceiling to be an unpopular move among American voters (pdf). I Fully Expect That Schumer Is Gonna Surrender: Cruz Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Cruz insisted that Democrats will have no choice but to raise the debt ceiling on their own. Cruz commented that Democrats have complete and total ability to raise the debt ceiling. Through reconciliation, he said, they could have done so last week, they could have done so a week before, they could have done so a month ago, two months ago, three months ago. Schumer has not done this, Cruz suggested, because hes trying to hide from responsibility for the trillions in debt that Democrats are irresponsibly trying to load onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. Cruz posited that Schumer was trying to find an outcome where 10 Republicans vote with him so he can blame those Republicans for Democrats irresponsible debt. Its a game. It wont work. He added, Schumer knows it wont work. Mondays vote demonstrated continued Republican resilience against raising the debt ceiling, even after many Democratic leaders insisted that the party was bluffing. President Joe Biden said of the Republican threat in August: Nope. Theyre not going to let us default. $8 billion$8 trillion of that is on the Republicans watch. Around the same time, Schumer said simply, I cant believe Republicans will let the nation default. Now, with the failure of their original continuing resolution, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced a new clean resolution, stripped of the billions in new spending contained in the original bill, in the hope that Senate Republicans will accept it. While Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) suggested that Republicans may be open to such a resolution on Monday, Cruz said that this new move will fail as well. When this fails, I fully expect Schumer is gonna surrender, Cruz commented, And hes gonna do what he could have done weeks or months ago, which is [to raise] the debt ceiling using Democratic votes. He added, Accordingly, Democrats will bear responsibility for the trillions in debt that theyre saddling on the country. He knows the outcome, Cruz added. If he wants to play games, he is the majority leader by the slimmest of margins but he is the majority leader. If he wants to play games on the Senate floor, thats unfortunately his prerogative. At a press conference Tuesday, Schumer rejected this course of action. Going through reconciliation is risky to the country and is a non-starter, the senator said, adding that using reconciliation to raise the debt limit is very, very risky, and said Were not pursuing that. An employee installs parts on the undercarriage of a Mercedes-Benz GLS-Class SUV at the Mercedes-Benz US International factory in Vance, Alabama on June 8, 2017. (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images) Semiconductor Shortages to Cost Auto Industry $210 Billion in Revenue This Year The U.S. auto industry is expected to lose $210 billion in revenue this year, according to the latest forecast by the global consulting firm AlixPartners, which projects a multitude of extraordinary disruptions in the industry. The industry is facing a loss of 7.7 million units of vehicle production, double the loss of a May forecast AlixPartners projected because of an ongoing semiconductor shortage worldwide. Any type of technology that is computerized depends on semiconductors to function. Prior to automobiles being computerized, their operations were mechanical. Modernizing automobiles to be computerized was designed to make them more efficient and less expensive. However, without semiconductors, computerized automobiles cant operate and parts are hard to come by. Semiconductors control everything from airbag deployment, to emergency brake assistance, and computer management of engines related to fuel economy and performance. Without chips, production of automobiles cant be completed, leading to a shortage of products, and available parts needed for repairs. The current semiconductor shortage is a result of a combination of factors related to supply and demand, Marketplace reports. During the state shutdowns last year, more people bought computers, smartphones, and electronic devices, causing a demand for chips to be built for the tech industry. While demand went up for chips, supply went down, as it normally would, but was also impacted by weather conditions outside of the industrys control. A major chip supplier in Japan had a fire, halting chip production. Intel, based in Texas, had issued related to the mid-February freeze that hampered operations. In July, Intel also restructured its operations after announcing delays in its 7nm processes, ZDNet reported. And Taiwan, one of the largest chip producers in the world, is suffering from a drought, impacting chip production, which requires a lot of water. The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. announced its supplies would remain constrained until at least 2022. The auto industry also uses less expensive chips made with older production techniques, AlixPartners notes. And with companies prioritizing chip production for tech over cars, a shortage became inevitable. Of course, everyone had hoped that the chip crisis would have abated more by now, but unfortunate events such as the COVID-19 lockdowns in Malaysia and continued problems elsewhere have exacerbated things, Mark Wakefield, global co-leader of the automotive and industrial practice at AlixPartners, said in a news release. Also, chips are just one of a multitude of extraordinary disruptions the industry is facing including everything from resin and steel shortages to labor shortages, he added. Theres no room for error for automakers and suppliers right now; they need to calculate every alternative and make sure theyre undertaking only the best options. Dan Hearsch, an AlixPartners managing director, said, There really are no shock absorbers left in the industry right now when it comes to production or obtaining material. Virtually any shortage or production interruption in any part of the world affects companies around the globe, and the impacts are now amplified due to all the other shortages. Thats why its critical that companies be armed with good information and analysis, to begin with, and that they follow through with flawless, determined execution. The result has been companies announcing they are cutting production. General Motors recently announced it was cutting production at six North American assembly plants. Its president, Mark Reuss, said that he expected the global supply of semiconductors to stabilize but not enough to help automakers rebuild their inventories. Were going to see a stabilization to some extent before we see getting the volume that we really need, he said. Weve got an inventory hole that then got exacerbated by the chip shortage. Stellantis NV, Chrysler parent company, announced it was cutting production at three facilities in the U.S. and Canada. Ford announced it was temporarily shutting down its Kansas City assembly plant, according to CNBC. Toyota has announced it is cutting production by 40 percent in its Japanese-based assembly plants and roughly 60 percent of its production at its North American-based plants. AlixPartners released its forecast on the same day last week that U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo and White House economic adviser Brian Deese held a semiconductor supply chain meeting in Washington, D.C. Raimondo said the agency might invoke a Cold War-era national security law to force companies to provide information on chip inventory and sales. The Commerce Department is now requesting companies to voluntarily fill out questionnaires so the department can determine where bottlenecks, shortages and possible hoarding is occurring. But if the industry doesnt comply, she said, the agency could invoke the Defense Production Act, Bloomberg News reported. What I told them is, I dont want to have to do anything compulsory but if they dont comply, then theyll leave me no choice, she said. I said today were evaluating all of our options right now, all the tools. I hope not to go there but we need to see some progress and we definitely need compliance. U.S. companies lead the world in chip design, but the majority of semiconductor production, 80 percent, takes place in Asia. The Democratic multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure package includes a $50 billion investment in critical technologies, including semiconductors. An April budget request also includes $150 million for two new manufacturing programs, one of which would prioritize manufacturing semiconductors in the U.S. By Bethany Blankley Senate Banking Chief Plans Bill to Address Fed Officials Stock Trades The head of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday said he plans to introduce legislation that would ban ownership of individual stocks by Federal Reserve officials in the aftermath of revelations that two reserve bank presidents had been active investors. Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown of Ohio told Fed Chair Jerome Powell of his intent to introduce the legislation at the start of a hearing Browns committee was holding to review actions by the Fed and U.S. Treasury to shield the economy during the coronavirus pandemic. Senate Votes Against Democrat Bill to Raise Debt Ceiling, Fund Goverment Democratic leaders forced back to negotiating table On Monday, the Senate met to vote on a continuing resolution advanced by House Democrats to fund the government through December and provide emergency aid for areas affected by Hurricane Ida and Afghan refugees. In a roughly party-line vote, the upper chamber failed to meet the 60-vote threshold to begin debate on the resolution, a move that denied the bill from advancing to a vote. The 4850 vote came after a tense political situation in Washington for over a month. In early August, a group of 46 Republicans led by Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) prepared a new strategy that would force congressional Democrats to take the brunt of the blame for increasing the limit. Almost every Republican senator in the body signed a petition created by Johnson vowing to not vote for a debt ceiling increase. We, the undersigned Republican Senators, are letting Senate Democrats and the American public know that we will not vote to increase the debt ceiling, whether that increase comes through a stand-alone bill, a continuing resolution, or any other vehicle, the letter read. Republicans Demand Democrats Go It Alone On Debt Ceiling Increase Johnson and other Republicans have since emphasized that Democrats should not let the nation default under any circumstance, but have insisted that Democrats with their majority in both chambers had the power to raise the limit on their own through the reconciliation process. The process, which allows legislation to avoid a death by filibuster in the Senate, is at the core of Democrats plans to pass their expansive $3.5 trillion budget resolution without Republican support. In the petition, Johnson argued that Democrats have the power to unilaterally raise the debt ceiling [through reconciliation], and they should not be allowed to pretend otherwise. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) made the same point Monday on the Senate floor, noting that Democrats have all the tools they need to raise the debt ceiling to fund their bill. Still, this is a route that the Democratic leadership has been loathe to take. Some polls have shown that raising the debt ceiling is unpopular with the American people (pdf). Earlier in the month, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) explicitly rejected including the debt ceiling in the reconciliation bill. Instead, Democrats insisted that not raising the debt ceiling would be irresponsible on the part of Republicans. Several, including Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), often referenced warnings from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who predicted that the results of not raising the debt ceiling would be catastrophic. Democratic leaders also often pointed to their partys willingness to raise the debt ceiling under President Donald Trump. Democratic leaders also accused Republicans of bluffing. President Joe Biden said of the Republican threat: Nope. Theyre not going to let us default. $8 billion$8 trillion of that is on the Republicans watch. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said simply, I cant believe Republicans will let the nation default. Rather than including the debt ceiling increase in reconciliation, Democrats quickly crafted the continuing resolution in mid-September, a move designed to give congressional leadership much needed time to negotiate with Republicans through December. The bill also would have ordered billions in new spending to address the ongoing Afghan special immigrant crisis and the aftereffects of Hurricane Ida. Debate on the measure required 60 votes, a threshold rebellious Republicans easily denied to Democrats. With this vote, Republicans have effectively killed the legislation, forcing Democratic leaders back to the negotiating table. Read More Senate Democrats Advance $3.5 Trillion Budget With No Republican Votes And the clock is ticking for Congress to avert a default. Though the Treasury has resorted to extraordinary measures to continue to fund U.S. obligations, Yellen has said that the federal government will run out of money entirely by October without the go-ahead from Congress to issue new bonds. A debt ceiling increase is absolutely essential to Democratic policy priorities, as they delegated $1.9 trillion to CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus relief earlier this year and hope to spend approximately $4.7 trillion more in their infrastructure and budget package. Further, without an increase in the debt ceiling, the U.S. government will default for the first time in its history. Financial analysts from J.P. Morgan and Moodys have joined the Treasury Secretary in warning against such an outcome, but Republicans remain adamant in their demands. Schumer, predicting the final outcome of the vote, said that after today, there will be no doubt which party is working to solve the problems that face this country and which party is accelerating us towards an unnecessary, avoidable disaster. McConnell shot back, accusing Democrats of want[ing] to use this temporary pandemic as a Trojan horse for permanent socialism. He said of the debt ceiling that for ten weeks, Democrats have known what kind of government funding legislation could pass the Senate and what kind would fail. He continued: Republicans are not rooting for a shutdown or a debt limit breach. Weve given the united Democratic government total clarity about how each can be avoided. After the vote, Schumer said that the Republican Party had become the party of default. Senate Republicans, he said, are playing games with the full faith and credit of the United States. Schumer also said that Democrats would be taking action later this week to avoid a default. Passengers board a commercial aircraft bound to Kabul at Herat Airport in Afghanistan on Sept. 22, 2021. (Hoshang Hashimi/AFP via Getty Images) Some 100 Americans Stuck in Afghanistan Still Trying to Evacuate Taliban-Controlled Nation About 100 American citizens and legal permanent residents who wish to evacuate Afghanistan are still stuck in the country while waiting for a flight back to U.S.-held grounds, a senior State Department official announced on Monday. The official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said they are working to get people safely out of the war-torn nation, but the Talibans unpredictability on who is allowed to leave is holding back the rescue operation. The biggest constraint to the departure of our citizens and others from Afghanistan, of course, remains the Talibans unpredictability regarding who is permitted to depart, the official said, according to a State Department statement. The second big constraint is the absence of regular commercial air service to enable folks who wish to depart to do so in a predictable manner. The official also noted that the State Department is in regular communication with private groups chartering their own evacuation flights from the country. Our highest priority in Afghanistan, of course, remains helping those American citizens who wish to leave the country now to do so, and ensuring safe passage and freedom of movement, the official said. At least 85 American citizens and 79 lawful permanent residents have evacuated Afghanistan on sporadic flights with U.S. assistance since the last American troops withdrew from the country on President Joe Bidens self-imposed Aug. 31 deadline. Officials have struggled to provide an estimate of exactly how many American citizens and legal permanent residents still remain in Afghanistan, with numbers fluctuating. Roughly 124,000 people were airlifted out of Kabul, the Afghan capital, since American troops fully withdrew the country following the Talibans takeover of the capital in late August. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday defended the Biden administrations Aug. 31 deadline and withdrawal of American troopsa move that has faced intense criticism from both Republicans and Democrats. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the conclusion of military operations in Afghanistan and plans for future counterterrorism operations in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington, on Sept. 28, 2021. (Patrick Semansky/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) My judgment remains that extending beyond the end of August would have greatly imperiled our people and our mission, Austin said during his first congressional testimony on the tumultuous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Staying longer would have made it even more dangerous for our people and would not have significantly changed the number of evacuees we could get out, he said. Republicans have said Bidens decision to pull all American troops out of Afghanistan by Aug. 31 left the United States more vulnerable to terrorism. They are also demanding more details on the suicide bombing in Kabul that killed 13 American service members in the final days of the withdrawal. Democrats have sought to push much of the blame for the unpopular fiasco onto the Trump-era deal with the Taliban, although some Democrats have also been critical of the Biden administrations handling of the situation and the rapid collapse of the previous Afghan government. From NTD News Some Australian Universities to Mandate COVID-19 Vaccine Staff and students at Australias La Trobe University have been told that if they dont get vaccinated against the COVID-19 disease it may compromise their ability to fulfil their respective obligations for work or study. The university will encourage and support all staff and students to be vaccinated until the end of November, but by early December, anyone attending a campus for any reason is expected to be fully vaccinated, according to a media statement. Our goal will be that everyone attending La Trobe campuses who is eligible and able to be vaccinated, is fully vaccinated, the statement read. La Trobe said the university will help those with eligible vaccination exemptions to make new work or study arrangements, but for those who remain unvaccinated by choice, they may be deemed to be compromising their ability to fulfil their respective obligations for work or study. La Trobe University is based in Melbourne, Victoria, which has recently seen heavy handed police enforcement of strict pandemic lockdown measures during days of protest and unrest in what has been dubbed the worlds most locked down city. Another Victoria-based university, Monash, with over 95,000 staff and students, has also moved to mandate vaccination on campus. All staff, students, and visitors are required to get two doses by Nov. 5, the date of which 80 percent of Victorias eligible population is expected to be fully vaccinated, according to the states new reopening roadmap. Monash University is also offering staff and students cash rewards to get them vaccinated. Such inducements have been deemed by local politicians as weakening the legal concept of informed concept and amounting to coercion. In the neighbouring state of New South Wales (NSW), University of Sydney and the University of NSW, two Group of Eight universities, are taking surveys of students and faculty about their attitudes toward getting vaccinated. A USYD spokesperson confirmed that all Faculty of Medicine and Health students undertaking training in clinical settings are required to be vaccinated. The health and wellbeing of our students and staff is our greatest priority. We strongly encourage our community to book their COVID-19 vaccinations once they are eligible, the spokesperson said in an email to The Epoch Times. We are currently surveying our staff about vaccination and are working on a plan to safely open up our campus in line with the roadmap released by the NSW Government. As part of that work, we will review if we need to make any changes to our current policy on vaccinations. All large universities in metropolitan Sydney are currently considering vaccine mandates for students, according to Professor Barney Glover, the convenor of NSW vice-chancellors committee. Vicki Thomson, chief executive of the Group of Eight, said the groups universities had not taken a position on vaccine mandates but strongly supported the governments vaccine rollout. Go8 universities are complying with current restrictions but are keen to get students back on campus as soon as its safe to do so, Thomson told AFR. The NSW state government confirmed last week that hundreds of vaccinated international students will return to the state by 2022. However, Chinese and Nepalese students are unlikely to be included in the pilot program if they are vaccinated with Sinovac or Sinopharm, which are not approved by Australias drugs regulator, the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Schoolchildren wearing face masks listen to a teacher at a school in Tbilisi, Georgia on Feb. 15, 2021. (Photo by Vano Shlamov / AFP) (Photo by VANO SHLAMOV/AFP via Getty Images) South Carolina Governor Voices Concern Over Aggressive School Mask Enforcement Policies South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster expressed concern last week over what he called an aggressive use of school resource officers to enforce mask mandates in the Charleston County School District (CCSD). After a filmed incident in which a school resource officer warned a parent that he will call the Department of Social Services (DSS) if the parent left his child at school, McMaster formally requested that CCSD not use state funds to enforce its mask policies. Numerous media outlets have recently documented the methods being employed by the [CCSD] to enforce the districts mandatory mask mandate, McMaster said in a Sept. 24 press release. Among other things, I am concerned that the districts aggressive use of school resource officers may inadvertently create unhealthy, erroneous, and negative stereotypes of law enforcement officers, especially among our young children. McMaster addressed his request to Eric Mack, the chairman of the CCSD Board of Trustees, the district within which the James B. Edwards Elementary school in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, operates. In the video taken at the elementary school on Sept. 22, the school resource officer tells the person filming that he will call the DSS, while the parent asks why his kids cant be here today. According to a press release from the Mount Pleasant Police Department (MPPD), the resource officer is identified as Ransom Walters, who was assigned to the school. The MPPD said the officer became involved after the parent was asked to leave the school because his children were not wearing masks. If a parent abandons a child in any situation, notifications can be made to DSS so arrangements can be made for the childs safety, the MPPD said. The MPPD said that the video shared on Facebook was not of the entire interaction, and that a review of the officers body camera showed the officer telling the parent must leave at the request of the school staff. If the parent left the children, then DSS would be called because of the children being left unattended at the school, the MPPD said. The situation was handled administratively between the parents and Charleston County School District, and the children were taken home by a parent. Andy Pruitt, media relations at CCSD, told The Epoch Times that CCSD is not using school resource officers or law enforcement to enforce mask mandates. Mask policies are enforced using a reserve fund, which Pruitt said is money accumulated over time, not from the current state budget. The Supreme Court of South Carolina had ruled unanimously in September in favor of legislation prohibiting local school districts from using state money to enforce mask mandates. On Sept. 16, Mack said in a CCDS press conference that the CCDS Board of Trustees voted to mandate masks for employees, students, and visitors in all schools and on school buses beginning on Sept. 20. Students will be given a reasonable opportunity to comply, Mack said. However, those who continue to refuse will not be allowed to attend class with students who are wearing facemasks. To not violate state law, Mack said, CCSD is looking at how to implement the mask mandate without using state funding in order to comply with South Carolinas budget proviso 1.108. We are working on the logistics of paying the salaries of all persons charged with enforcing this policy from moneys that do not impugn any state funds appropriated from the school funding allocations for the 21/22 school year, Mack said. Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen waves to the media aboard the PFG-1112 Ming Chuan, a Perry-class guided missile frigate, after a commissioning ceremony at Kaohsiung's Zuoying naval base, Taiwan Nov. 8, 2018. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters, File Photo) Taiwan Says Needs Long-Range Weapons to Defend Against China TAIPEITaiwan needs to have long-range, accurate weapons in order to properly defend itself against a China that is rapidly developing its systems to attack the island, Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said on Monday. Taiwan this month proposed extra defence spending of almost $9 billion over the next five years, including on new missiles, as it warned of an urgent need to upgrade weapons in the face of a severe threat from giant neighbour China, which claims the self-ruled island as its own territory. Speaking in Parliament, Chiu said Taiwan needed to be able to let China know that they could defend themselves. The development of equipment must be long range, precise, and mobile, so that the enemy can sense that we are prepared as soon as they dispatch their troops, he added, referring to Taiwans missile capability. In a written report to parliament to accompany Chius appearance, the ministry said both medium- and long-range missiles were being used in intercept drills at a key test facility on Taiwans southeastern coast. Chiu declined to give details to reporters of how far Taiwans missiles could reach, something the government has always keep well under wraps. Taiwan offered an unusually stark assessment of Chinas abilities in its annual report on Chinas military, saying they could paralyse Taiwans defences and are able to fully monitor its deployments. Chiu said it was important that Taiwans people were aware of the danger facing them. Asked what China would attack first in the event of a war, Chiu answered that it would be Taiwans command and communications abilities. On this, the Chinese Communists abilities have rapidly increased. They can disrupt our command, control, communications and intelligence systems, for example with fixed radar stations certainly being attacked first, he said. So we must be mobile, stealthy, and able to change positions. President Tsai Ing-wen has made bolstering and modernizing defences a priority, to make the island into a porcupine that is hard to attack. Taiwan has complained for months of repeated Chinese military activity near it, particularly of air force jets entering Taiwans air defence zone. China has been ramping up efforts to force the democratically governed island to accept communist party rule. Most Taiwanese have no shown no desire to be ruled by Beijing. By Ben Blanchard Students attend a class bifurcated by a curtain separating males and females at a private university to follow the Taliban's ruling, in Kabul on Sept. 7, 2021. (Aamir Qureshi/AFP via Getty Images) Talibans Newly-Appointed Chancellor of Kabul University Bans Women From Working or Studying at Institution The Talibans newly-appointed chancellor of Kabul University has banned women from working or studying at the institution, he announced on Monday. Mohammad Ashram Ghairat, a BA degree holder, stepped into the role of chancellor of the university this week after the Taliban fired PhD holder Vice-Chancellor of Kabul University, Muhammad Osman Baburi. The decision sparked backlash throughout the institution, prompting around 70 members of its teaching staff, including assistant professors and professors, to resign. On Monday, Mohammad Ashram Ghairat took to Twitter where he signaled that the Taliban appears to be taking a strict approach in enforcing its own harsh interpretation of Islam, similar to that when they were previously in power in the 1990s. Folks! I give you my words as the chancellor of Kabul University, he wrote. As long as real Islamic environment is not provided for all, women will not be allowed to come to universities or work. Islam first. His comments come despite the Taliban pledging to be more inclusive and respect human rights, including those of women. Last month, longtime Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the terrorist group would permit women to work and study and will be very active in society but within the framework of Islam. Just weeks ago, the Taliban announced that women in Afghanistan can continue to study in universities, including at post-graduate levels, but classrooms will be gender-segregated and Islamic dress is compulsory. We will not allow boys and girls to study together, acting Higher Education Minister Abdul Baqi Haqqani said at a news conference. We will not allow co-education. Haqqani said hijabs will be mandatory but did not specify if this meant compulsory headscarves or also compulsory face coverings. The acting Higher Education Minister also said that the subjects being taught would be reviewed but did not elaborate further. Under the Talibans previous rule between 19962001, women and girls were banned from attending school or having jobs, and were only allowed out in public if they were accompanied by a male family member or husband. Many were punishedoften publiclyif they disobeyed the draconian measures. Music and arts were also banned, apart from some religious chants. The organization destroyed all cassette tapes, and CDs, musical instruments, and singing were forbidden, while even captive songbirds, which were often found in marketplaces, were outlawed. Condemning the hiring of Mohammad Ashram Ghairat, the teachers union of Afghanistan last week sent a letter to the government demanding that it rescind his appointment. He has also been heavily criticized on social media for his lack of academic experience. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told The New York Times that Ghairats announcement that women could not return to Kabul University might be his own personal view. A registered nurse waits to test residents for COVID-19 antibodies at Abyssinian Baptist Church in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City on May 14, 2020. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images) Thousands of NY Health Care Workers Placed on Unpaid Leave, Face Firing Over Vaccine Mandate Thousands of nurses and other health care workers across New York state have lost their jobs or been suspended because they are refusing to comply with the states mandate to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Going into effect on Sept. 27, the mandate has led to staffing shortages, although some of the large hospital systems in the state have said they are maintaining continuity of services. As of Sept. 27, 92 percent of hospital employees in the state have received at least one dose of the vaccine, based on preliminary self-reported data, the office of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a statement. That would leave tens of thousands of hospital workers slated for termination, though some health care providers indicated that they are giving their employees some time to still get vaccinated and return to work. The mandate has already caused some disruptions upstate. Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester announced a two-week pause to some elective procedures. Patients can expect longer wait times for routine appointments, some employees will be asked to take on new responsibilities, and temporary bed closures are possible, the University of Rochester, which runs the hospital, said in a statement, noting emergency services and critical care will continue. Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo suspended elective inpatient surgeries and has stopped accepting intensive-care patients from other hospitals as it prepares to fire hundreds of unvaccinated employees, spokesman Peter Cutler told Reuters. Northwell Health, the states largest health care employer with two dozen hospitals and 76,000 staff, indicated that not all unvaccinated employees were given the immediate boot. The company notified all unvaccinated team members that they are no longer in compliance with New York States mandate, spokesman Jason Molinet told The Epoch Times. We have begun a process to exit all unvaccinated team members, using a carefully planned approach that both maintains continuity of care at all of our facilities and ensures the safety of all of our patients, he said in an emailed statement. He declined to clarify whether that means some unvaccinated employees are being allowed to keep working for now. Sorry, no update beyond the statement, he said. More than 91 percent of staff members at NYC Health + Hospitals, the New York City-run safety net hospital system, are vaccinated, an official with the company told The Epoch Times. That still leaves more than 3,000 unvaccinated individuals, who have been put on unpaid leave yet are free to return to work if they change their minds on the vaccination. The system hasnt seen interruptions of service and doesnt expect any, its head, Mitchell Katz, said during Sept. 28 press conference with New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. At New York-Presbyterian Hospitals, one of the nations largest hospital systems, there remain fewer than 220 unvaccinated out of 48,000 employees with the passing of the deadline, President and Chief Executive Steven Corwin told CBS News. St. Barnabas Hospital in The Bronx borough of New York City has fewer than 100 out of its 3,000 employees still unvaccinated, down from more than 600 a week ago, spokesman Steve Clark told The Epoch Times. They have until Oct. 4 at 6 a.m. to get the first dose of the vaccine before being fired. The loss of these employees, who are presently suspended, has not affected patient care or staff scheduling, Clark said via email. The previous week was spent in an intensive effort to communicate to supervisors and staff about the mandate. At Samaritan Health in northern New York, over 90 percent of its over 2,000-strong staff was vaccinated and another roughly 6 percent were granted exemptions from the mandate as of Sept. 27 afternoon, spokeswoman Leslie Distefano told The Epoch Times. Employees in violation of the mandate were placed on two weeks leave. If they wont get vaccinated by then, theyll be fired. The mandate hasnt caused any significant disruptions to services, she said. Hochul declared a state of emergency on Sept. 27 to deal with potential staffing shortages. She said on Sept. 25 she was prepared to activate National Guard members who have medical training to replace health care workers. Providers can hire workers licensed in other states and countries, as well as recent graduates and retired health care professionals, she said. Correction: A previous version of the article included an incorrect workforce figure for Northwell Health. The network has over 76,000 employees. Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) soldiers assembling during military training at Pamir Mountains in Kashgar, northwestern China's Xinjiang region, on Jan. 4, 2021. (STR/AFP via Getty Images) 3 Warfares Doctrine Underpins CCPs Sprawling Campaign to Infiltrate the West: Report Psychological warfare. Public opinion warfare. Legal warfare. Known as the three warfares doctrine and relatively unknown in the West, these concepts serve as key strategies guiding the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in its quest to win a war against the free world without firing a single shot. Psychological warfare seeks to demoralize the enemy; public opinion warfare seeks to shape the hearts and minds of the masses; legal warfare seeks to use systems of law to deter enemy attacks. This explanation was set out in a recently released 650-page report that provides a comprehensive illustration of the Chinese communist regimes global influence operations. The French-language report was published by the Institute for Strategic Studies of Military Schools (IRSEM), an independent agency affiliated with the French Ministry of Armed Forces. Combined with another key CCP doctrine called United Front work, these principles have undergirded a breathtaking campaign by the Chinese regime to expand its influence and infiltration into Western democracies, the report stated. United Front, described by the CCPs first leader Mao Zedong as a magic weapon, is a policy that, according to the report, involves the regime eliminating its internal and external enemies, controlling groups that may challenge its authority, building a coalition around the Party to serve its interests, and projecting its influence abroad. The report comes amid rising pushback from the West against CCP aggressions, including its severe human rights abuses, rampant theft of intellectual property, economic coercion, and military assertiveness. Sweeping Effort Guided by such strategies, the Chinese regime has built a sprawling infrastructure with global reach consisting of a broad network of state and non-state actors to execute its plans. According to IRSEM, Beijings influence operations abroad have two main objectives: to seduce and subjugate foreign audiences by creating a positive narrative of China, and above all, to infiltrate and coerce. Infiltration aims to slowly penetrate opposing societies in order to hinder any inclination to act against the interests of the Party, the report stated. Coercion corresponds to the gradual expansion of punitive or coercive diplomacy to become a policy of systematic sanction against any state, organization, enterprise or individual threatening the interests of the Party. Targets of the CCPs campaigns span the whole spectrum of society. Key battleground areas include education, media, politics, culture, and social media. United Front Work in Action Much of Beijings overseas United Front efforts are carried out through a nebulous network of intermediaries loosely coordinated by CCP bodies, including Chinese embassies and consulates, and the Partys United Front Work Department, the report stated. In a 2020 speech, then-Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs David Stilwell said the CCP leverages thousands of overseas groups that carry out political influence operations, suppress dissident movements, gather intelligence, and facilitate the transfer of technology to China. While some United Front organizations publicly state their affiliation with Beijing, most try to present themselves as independent, grassroots-type NGOs, cultural-exchange forums, friendship associations, chambers of commerce, media outlets, or academic groups, Stilwell said at the time. A 2020 investigation by Newsweek found about 600 such groups in the United States. One of those groups highlighted in the report is the China-United States Exchange Foundation (CUSEF). CUSEF is a Hong Kong-based nonprofit headed by billionaire and Chinese regime official Tung Chee-hwa that bills itself as an independent group working to provide U.S.China dialogues and exchanges. But in reality, it functions as a de facto front organization for the PRC [Peoples Republic of China] government, the report stated, citing the findings from a 2020 study by Jamestown Foundation, a Washington-based think tank. The group is also registered under the U.S. Foreign Agent Registration Act (FARA). The group has entered into a range of partnerships with a range of prestigious American think tanks and universities, which IRSEM characterized as a bid to launder its influence activities. Partners include Johns Hopkins University, the East-West Institute, the Carnegie Endowment for Peace, the Atlantic Council, and the Brookings Institution. Earlier this year, CUSEFs ties to the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace came under the spotlight during the nomination hearing for CIA Director William Burns. Prior to his nomination, Burns served as president of the think tank. Facing criticism from Republican lawmakers, Burns told the Senate hearing that he had inherited Carnegies relationship with CUSEF but cut ties with the group not long after he began his tenure in 2015. Burns further said he was increasingly worried about the expansion of Chinese influence operations. The group also sponsors many high-level dialogues between CCP officials and U.S. military and political figures, the report stated. U.S. media have also been targeted by CUSEF. It has organized trips to China for more than 120 journalists from almost 50 U.S. media outlets since 2009, The Epoch Times previously reported. From 2009 to 2017, CUSEF also hosted a range of dinners and meetings with executives and editors from 35 outlets, including Time magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The New York Times, The Associated Press, and Reuters. The groups FARA filings described the dinners, hosted by CUSEF founder Tung, as invaluable for their effectiveness in engaging support from the leaders of the news industry. The Epoch Times has reached out to CUSEF for comment. Repression Overseas ethnic Chinese populations, even those who arent Chinese citizens, find themselves as priority targets of Beijings influence operations, according to the report. One objective, according to IRSEM, is to control the diaspora such that they do not represent a threat to power; the other is to mobilize them to serve its interests. Described by Freedom House as the worlds largest perpetrator of transnational repression, Beijing has targeted a range of overseas-based dissident groups, including Uyghur Muslims, rights activists, Hong Kong democracy proponents, and Falun Gong practitioners. Victims face physical attacks, threats, surveillance, harassment, and intimidation by Chinese agents or their proxies, in person or online, the advocacy group stated in a February report. In one extreme example, Freedom House noted the case of Sun Yi, a Falun Gong practitioner who survived imprisonment in the notorious Chinese labor camp Masanjia. Falun Gong is a spiritual practice that has been brutally persecuted by the CCP for more than two decades. While he was detained, Sun snuck an SOS letter into a Halloween decoration for export. It was later found by an American woman in 2012. He filmed a documentary with undercover footage detailing his experiences and escaped to Indonesia. In 2017, Sun died of sudden kidney failure. His family said Sun never had kidney problems, and the hospital didnt give concrete details of his death and rushed to have his body cremated. No autopsy was performed. These circumstances have caused Suns supporters to suspect foul play. People attend a candlelight vigil at Victoria Park in Hong Kong to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre in Beijing on June 4, 2019. (Philip Fong/AFP/Getty Images) Tiananmen Square Massacre Survivors Worry About Hong Kongs Clampdown on Pro-Democracy Alliance While the Chinese regimes propaganda machine is in full swing preaching the Partys successes prior to Chinas National Day, expatriate Tiananmen Square Massacre survivors are worried about the personal safety of their supporters in Hong Kong. October 1 is Chinas National Day. Each year, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) considers the weeks around that date to be politically sensitive. It is routine for the regime to punish its opposition leaders during this time as a way to warn them to not challenge the one-Party ruling system. This year, Tiananmen Square Massacre survivors around the world focus their concerns on the dissolution of the Hong Kong Alliance (Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movement of China), and 12 Hong Kong pro-democracy leaders who were recently sentenced for their involvement in organizing last years annual memorial for the victims of the massacre. The Epoch Times interviewed several survivors of the massacre for their comments. The Hong Kong Alliance has been the main organization and the core of Hong Kongs democratic movement. It was also the beacon and the institution that carried the legacy of the 1989 pro-democracy movement through the last 32 years. Thus, it was a thorn in the eyes of the CCP once it [the communist regime] had full control of Hong Kong, said Zhou Fengsuo, president of Humanitarian China, a U.S.-based organization with the mission of providing humanitarian support in China. Zhou was one of the student leaders of the 1989 pro-democracy protests in Beijing. The regimes bloody crackdown on the movement on June 4, 1989, has made the date an iconic day for Chinas pro-democracy supporters. Two main activities organized by the Alliance have been the annual candlelight vigil around June 4, and a museum displaying historical items related to the massacre. The annual event has been supported by Hong Kong society since 1989. Participants in the event have numbered more than 100,000 for many years. The Alliance came under direct political pressure from Beijing after China regained control of Hong Kong in 1997. In August of this year, the Hong Kong authorities ordered the Alliance to submit all of its meeting records, information on its members, and financial resources since 2014. The Alliance refused to obey. On Sept. 25, the Alliance publicly announced that it was disbanding operations, which effectively ended the 32-year tradition that was many peoples last hope for Chinas democratic future. The Hong Kong authorities ordered closure of the 6.4 (June 4) Museum in Hong Kong, which was operated by the Alliance. The police searched the museum and took away most of the exhibition items and files. In the past, the authorities allowed the Alliances annual event, but stopped issuing event permits in 2020 using the excuse of public health concerns because of the pandemic. Many people from mainland China went to Hong Kong to participate in the annual events before, said Cheng Kai, a political refugee who fled China to the United States in 1990. Cheng was the chief editor of Hainan Daily, the official state-owned newspaper of Hainan Province in China and a strong supporter of the 1989 student pro-democracy movement. Cheng describes todays Hong Kong as a city completely controlled by the police, the same way mainland China is ruled by the CCP. He sees no hope for Hong Kongs future because both the education and the judicial systems are under the direct control of the regime. Cheng said that Hong Kongs schools and universities use textbooks approved by the state, and education has become a part of the brainwashing process as per orders from Beijing. He also said that Hong Kongs judicial system has been forcing out the judges from the United Kingdom and replacing them with ones loyal to the CCP. What has happened in Hong Kong was exactly what we predicted two or three years ago, said Fang Zheng, president of Chinese Democratic Education Foundation, a U.S.-based pro-democracy organization. Fang was a college student who participated in the 1989 pro-democracy movement in Beijing. Both of Fangs legs were crushed by a Chinese military tank during the violence. He moved to the United States in 2009. Fang admires Hong Kongs democratic leaders for choosing to not leave Hong Kong, and continue the fight for freedom. Hong Kong will keep its freedom spirit as long as the fights continue, Fang said. Hong Kong will become a city in which all capital, all assets, and all people belong to the Communist Party, said Elmer Yuen, president of Hong Kong Freedom Beacon, a U.S.-based organization with the mission of supporting Hong Kongs freedom. Yuen told The Epoch Times that he was born in Shanghai. He said the city became a communist stronghold less than 10 years after the CCP took over in 1949. Yuen believes that what happened to Shanghai will happen to Hong Kong. The crackdown on the Hong Kong Alliance signals that Hong Kong is not the city that it was for the last [one] hundred years, said Ken Chen, a board member of Northern California Hong Kong Club. Chen believes that more crackdowns and more arrests will come. The regime has no bottom line now. Xi Jinping doesnt even care about how the international society will look at them anymore, said Zheng Yun, Chairwoman of the Northern California branch of The Federation for a Democratic China, a Canada-based organization that advocates for the democratization of China. There shouldnt be any wishful thinking for CCPs future political reform, Zheng asserted. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to media as he visits a vaccine clinic in Ottawa on Sept. 28, 2021. (The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick) Trudeau Says Will Reflect on Relationship With China and Decide on Huawei in New Term Prime Minster Justin Trudeau says he will reflect on Canadas relationship with China as he prepares to form a new government in the coming weeks. During a press conference on Sept. 28, Trudeau was asked if he will take a harder line on China and ban Huawei from 5G as many of Canadas allies have, now that the Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor have returned to Canada. The pair was arbitrarily detained by the communist regime for nearly three years in what was widely seen as hostage diplomacy. We have to thank our allies and partners around the world who stood with us, not just Canadians, but around the world. Now, we have to reflect on our relationship with China, and the world, and that includes the Huawei issue, Trudeau said. We will be making that decision as we work on our plan for this next term. Kovrig and Spavor, often called the two Michaels, were detained by the Chinese government on charges of espionage in December 2018, days after Canada arrested Meng Wanzhou, Huaweis chief financial officer and daughter of the companys founder, on a U.S. warrant to have her extradited on charges of bank and wire fraud. The two men arrived in Canada on Sept. 25, after Beijing released them on Sept. 24, following a deal with the United States that allowed the Huawei executive to return to China on the same day. Trudeau did not respond directly when he was asked why his Liberal government remains unsuccessful in rescuing Huseyin Celil, another Canadian citizen and Uyghur human rights activist who has been detained by the Chinese authorities since 2006. In the case of the [two Michaels], the challenge of their detention for political reasons, was something that galvanized both public opinion in Canada and around the world, and we were able to demonstrate that we are a country of the rule of law, he said. We never flinched on applying the fundamental rules of our justice system, of our approach on that, and we will continue to advocate for people who are wrongly imprisoned around the world. Many other Canadians are still arbitrarily detained in China, including Sun Qian, a Falun Gong practitioner who was imprisoned for her faith. Sun was arrested in Beijing in February 2017 and has been held in custody ever since. On June 30 of this year she was sentenced by a Beijing court to eight years in prison for her belief in Falun Gong, a self-cultivation practice that includes meditative exercises and moral teachings based on the tenets of truthfulness, compassion, forbearance. In January, Sun reportedly renounced her Canadian citizenship and is suspected of giving a coerced confession under prolonged torture while in police custody. During the press conference, Trudeau said he had confirmed earlier that day with Gov. Gen. Mary May Simon as to his intention to form the next government. He said Chrystia Freeland will continue serving as the deputy prime minister and minister of finance. He also intends to name other cabinet ministers in October, and resume the parliamentary session before the end of fall. A Southeastern train in an undated handout photo, which has become the first train service in the UK to use data on passenger weight to enable better social distancing. (Southeastern/PA) UK Government Takes Over Train Operator Southeastern The UK Government is to take over running services on train operator Southeastern, also known as the London & South Eastern Railway Limited (LSER), after a serious breach of its franchise agreement. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said an investigation by his department identified evidence that since October 2014 the company has not declared more than 25 million ($34.2 million) of historic taxpayer funding which should have been returned. Further investigations are being conducted and the government said it will consider options for more action, including financial penalties. Shapps said: There is clear, compelling, and serious evidence that LSER have breached the trust that is absolutely fundamental to the success of our railways. When trust is broken, we will act decisively. The decision to take control of services makes unequivocally clear that we will not accept anything less from the private sector than a total commitment to their passengers and absolute transparency with taxpayer support. Under the new operator, we will prioritise the punctual, reliable services passengers deserve, rebuild trust in this network, and the delivery of the reforms set out in our Plan for Railto build a modern railway that meets the needs of a nation. Southeastern is run by Govia and operates services across south-east England, covering London, Kent, East Sussex, and the High Speed 1 Lines. Manuel Cortes, general secretary of the Transport Salaried Staffs Association said: The days of rail franchising must now be well and truly over. Time and time again we see the private sector fail and taxpayers ride to the rescue. We need the government to dump the failed franchise system, end the profiteering of the train operating companies and take over the whole thing, lock stock, and rails. Rail, Maritime, and Transport union general secretary Mick Lynch said: This latest public sector rescue of a privately operated rail service should kill off the risky and expensive nonsense of rail privatisation once and for all. A Southeastern Highspeed Javelin train passes through Dover in Kent, England, on April 26, 2019. (Gareth Fuller/PA)The government will take over running services on Southeastern from Oct. 17, saying a serious breach of the franchise agreements good faith obligation in relation to financial matters was identified. Ministers stressed the announcement will have no impact on frontline staff, who they said have been at the frontline of delivering services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The decision is no reflection on their professionalism and dedication and will not affect jobs, said the Department for Transport. A brief statement on Southeasterns website said: Our passengers will see no change in our day-to-day operations. All tickets will remain valid after transfer and new tickets can continue to be purchased in the usual way. Southeastern has been running the train service between London and Kent and parts of East Sussex since 2006, operating one of the busiest networks in the country including the UKs first domestic high-speed service with Javelin trains. Southeastern is operated by Govia, a joint venture between transport operators Go-Ahead (65 percent) and Keolis (35 percent). Shares in Go-Ahead, which are listed on the London Stock Exchange, plunged more than 13 percent in early trading. The company employs 4,000 workers and runs more than 2,000 services on weekdays. It has almost 400 trains and serves 180 stations. Southeasterns latest contract started in April 2020, running until Oct. 16, with the option to extend at the Department for Transports discretion until March 2022. During the course of the contract term, Southeastern said it would deliver a range of customer experience improvements including exploring options to boost capacity as additional rolling stock becomes available. Go-Ahead Groups chairwoman Clare Hollingsworth said: It has always been this groups intention to provide the best possible public transport, and to work in partnership with the government and related agencies. We recognise that mistakes have been made and we sincerely apologise to the DfT. We are working constructively with the DfT towards a settlement of this matter. The group said the release of its results for the year ended July 3, 2021, scheduled for Sept. 30, has been postponed. The group also announced that Elodie Brian has resigned as group chief financial officer and will be standing down from the board with immediate effect. By Alan Jones Pilots talk after exiting a Delta Airlines flight at the Ronald Reagan National Airport, in Arlington, Va., on July 22, 2020. (Michael A. McCoy/Getty Images) Union Representing Thousands of Pilots Warn Vaccine Mandate Could Cause Travel Chaos A union representing pilots for several major U.S. airlines warned that COVID-19 vaccine mandates could trigger chaos during the upcoming holiday travel season. Allied Pilots Association President Eric Ferguson, in a letter (pdf) to the White House and Congress, said that some pilots are unable to undergo vaccination for documented medical reasons, while others are reluctant to get vaccinated based upon concerns about the potential for career-ending side effects. The Allied Pilots Association represents about 14,000 pilots with American Airlines. As a result, Ferguson asked for an exemption to President Joe Bidens pending vaccine mandate that he announced earlier this month, stipulating that private businesses with 100 employees or more get the vaccine or submit to regular testing. To ensure commercial aviations ongoing viability by avoiding a scenario in which airlines are forced to either offer unpaid leaves of absence or, worse, implement mass terminations of unvaccinated pilots, it is essential that an alternate means of compliance with the Executive Order be made available for professional pilots, he wrote in his letter, which was also sent to the Federal Aviation Administration and other agencies. The union boss then called on lawmakers and regulators to note the specialized role that pilots play in the travel industry and allow for an alternate means of minimizing the risk of spreading COVID-19, such as regular testing or proof of natural immunity, while still allowing unvaccinated pilots to fly. Commercial airline pilots, the letter noted, generally have to adhere to strict medical requirements. Some documented vaccine side-effects include blood clots or heart inflammation, although federal health officials have said theyre rare. A union representing thousands of Southwest Airlines pilots echoed the Allied Pilots Associations argument in a statement to its members. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Associations stance is that it is each pilots right to choose whether or not to get the vaccine, the union wrote on Monday, according to reports. We are also concerned that the Executive Orders anticipated 60-day implementation period for mandatory vaccinations could result in labor shortages and create serious operational problems for Southwest Airlines and its peers. Airlines generate a substantial portion of their annual revenue during the holiday period, with a great many travelers depending on us to get them to their destinations, the Allied Pilots Association said. Our nations airlines, and the traveling public, cannot afford significant service disruptions due to labor shortages. To date, United Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and Hawaiian Airlines have mandated COVID-19 vaccines for their entire workforces, although the companies will grant some exemptions. Delta Air Lines said it will tack on an additional $200-per-month surcharge onto the companys health plan for unvaccinated employees. The deadline for unvaccinated United Airlines workers to get their first shot was Monday. CEO Scott Kirby told CNBC that he believes around 98.5 percent of the companys 67,000 employees are vaccinated. Several White House and federal health officials have publicly suggested that all airline passengers may have to show proof of vaccination before they fly. The Epoch Times has contacted Southwest Airlines and American Airlines for comment. Haitians and others who crossed the U.S. border illegally are seen boarding a bus after being released by federal authorities, in Del Rio, Texas, on Sept. 22, 2021. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) Unmitigated Crisis: Florida Sues Biden Administration Over Release of Illegal Immigrants The Biden administrations repeated release of illegal immigrants has drawn a legal challenge from the state of Florida. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, a Republican, sued the federal government over its catch-and-release policy, which has led to the freeing of over 225,000 illegal immigrants this year. The lawsuit primarily concerns the treatment of immigrants seeking asylum, which is granted in cases where authorities rule they have a legitimate fear of persecution based on their race, religion, or several other reasons. Federal law requires the government to detain the asylum seekers until authorities rule on their case. But under President Joe Biden, it has released at least 225,000 illegal immigrants, including asylum seekers, so far, according to Customs and Border Protection data. Releasing this many arriving aliens into the interior necessarily means that the government is violating congressional commands in the immigration laws, the 23-page suit, filed in federal court in Pensacola, states. We are seeing dramatic effects at our border. It is an unmitigated crisis based on this presidents refusal to follow federal law. Its in black and white, folks, and its not a presidents responsibility to decide whether he agrees with the law. In fact, the head of an executive branch must follow the law, Moody told reporters during a briefing in Lee County. Florida has been negatively affected through elevated costs to hold illegal immigrants, officials say. Florida is asking the court to find the Biden administrations catch-and-release policy unlawful and require defendants to stop enforcing the policy while coming into alignment with requirements set by federal law. The Biden administration did not respond to a request for comment. Officials have defended the widespread release of illegal immigrants, claiming the law is being followed because theyre being given notices to appear in court or at an immigration office. We remain in touch with them. We monitor them to ensure their appearance in court at the designated time of appearance, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told reporters in Washington last week after the administration released over 12,000 illegal immigrants who were clustered in Del Rio, Texas. But fewer than 6 in 10 illegal immigrant asylum seekers show up in court, according to Department of Justice data. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is seen in a file photograph. (Patrick Semansky/AP Photo) Florida officials say the Biden administrations policies are designed to boost immigration numbers, and illegal immigration has skyrocketed since the Democrat took office. Todd Bensman, a senior national security fellow for the Center for Immigration Studies, said the Biden administration has been bypassing what previous administrations did, which was only releasing illegal immigrants when detention facilities were full. One way the administration is doing that is by using its parole power, which was designed to be used for a small number of cases and only for urgent humanitarian or significant public benefit. The policy of releasing immigrants into the country on parole is vast, widespread, and historic in its scope, Bensman told The Epoch Times. The new suit asks the judge to stop the Biden administration from paroling immigrants without engaging in a case-by-case review. Also on Tuesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, announced an executive order that bars all Florida agencies under his purview from facilitating illegal immigration and requires state officials to collect information on the costs and scope of illegal immigration in the state. Since President Biden took officewhich has been less than one yearthe Border Patrol has released nearly a quarter-million illegal aliens into the United States, DeSantis said in a statement. This executive order makes it clear that Florida resources will not be used to prop up the failed open border agenda enacted by this administration. Protesters against a COVID-19 vaccine mandate in New York State hold signs outside the St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown, Long Island, on Sept. 27. (Dave Paone/The Epoch Times) Unvaccinated Health Care Workers on Long Island Rally Against Vaccine Mandate SMITHTOWN, New YorkAs New York States mandate for all health care workers to be vaccinated against the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus went into effect on Sept. 27, several unvaccinated health care industry employees and their supporters held a rally outside St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown, Long Island. The rally began at 11 a.m., and one of the first two participants to arrive was Karen Roses, a patient care technician at a Northwell hospital in Riverhead, New York. Roses has been in the health care industry for over 20 years. Shes unvaccinated and feels mandating the vaccine is dangerous and takes peoples freedoms away. She knows her refusal to take the jab could mean she loses her job but says shes not going to be bullied or pressured [by] anybody for any reason. Its not an anti-vaccine statement. Its a freedom of choice statement, she told The Epoch Times. Protesters against the COVID-19 vaccine mandate hold signs outside the St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown, Long Island on Sept. 27. (Dave Paone/The Epoch Times) Roses carpooled with a coworker who is also not taking the vaccination with one reason being she wants to have children and is afraid of jeopardizing their health. The group topped out at about 40 participants. They gathered next to the entrance of the hospital. They held signsone comparing the current situation to Nazi Germanyand shouted to passing drivers, who often honked their horns in support. Gabby (who preferred not to give her last name) has been an ultrasound technician for the past four years. The 27-year-old has put in for a religious exemption with her employer for the flu shot each year and its been approved. But thats all changed and her religious exemption for the CCP virus vaccine has been denied. I have been told I am a danger to the public and to my patients, she told The Epoch Times. Her employer has instituted rolling terminations, so she doesnt know exactly when shell be fired. Protesters against the COVID-19 vaccine mandate hold signs outside the St. Catherine of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown, Long Island on Sept. 27. (Dave Paone/The Epoch Times) She has over 200 hours of banked paid time off and sick time but if shes terminated, she will not see any of that money. While many of the protestors have been in the working world for some time, the youngest of the group was Maverick Stow, an 18-year-old who graduated from William Floyd High School last June. Stow feels if the vaccine mandate is forced on health care workers today, then it will be another industry tomorrow. Eventually its just gonna be that theyre gonna start knocking on the front doors and giving you the vaccine, Stow told The Epoch Times. Debbie Rizzo, a 48-year-old speech therapist, agreed with Stow. If [the government] can force an injection, what else can they do? Theres no end, Rizzo told The Epoch Times. The rally at St. Catherines was not the only one held on Long Island on Monday. Rizzo attended another one just prior. The consensus amongst many of the participants was that the best these rallies will do is raise awareness. Rizzo hopes for a little more. Maybe itll give more people courage driving by because courage is contagious, she said. A U.S. Marine passes out water during the evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 21, 2021. (U.S. Marine Corps/Isaiah Campbell/Getty Images) US Marine Who Sought Accountability From Military Leaders Over Afghanistan Withdrawal Is Jailed: Report The U.S. Marine dismissed from command after criticizing senior military leadership on the handling of the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan is in the brig, according to reports. All our son did is ask the questions that everybody was asking themselves, but they were too scared to speak out loud, Lt. Col. Stuart Schellers father, Stu Scheller Sr., told Task & Purpose. He was asking for accountability. In fact, I think he even asked for an apology that we made mistakes, but they couldnt do that, which is mind-blowing. Scheller first published a video on his personal Facebook account on Aug. 26 criticizing the Afghanistan withdrawal, which drew backlash. Defending that video, he published a further clip saying he was calling for accountability of my senior leaders over obvious mistakes that were made. Im not saying we can take back what has been done. All I asked for was accountability, for people to comment on what I said and to say, Yes, mistakes were made. And had they done that I would have gone back into rank-and-file, submitted, and accomplished what I wanted, Scheller said at the time, announcing that he was resigning his commission. Schellers initial video was posted on the same day that 13 U.S. troops and more than 100 Afghans were killed in an attack outside Kabuls international airport. The terrorist group ISIS-K, an ISIS affiliate, claimed responsibility for that attack. They had a gag order on him and asked him not to speak, the elder Scheller said. He did, and they incarcerated him. They dont know what to do with him. A spokesperson for Marine Corps Training and Education Command said in a statement that Scheller is currently in pre-trial confinement pending a preliminary hearing. The time, date, and location of the proceedings have not been determined. Lt. Col. Scheller will be afforded all due process, the statement continued. Schellers father defended his actions, arguing that he was only seeking accountability from military leaders. Hes asking for the same accountability that is expected of him and his men, the elder Scheller said. Ive had Vietnam veterans contacting me applauding him for his courage because they too want to know: was it all worth it? he continued. And by demanding accountability and honesty from his senior leaders, thats all he was asking. And the way the Marine Corps has dealt with it: they have now put him in jail. People arrive to attend the Huawei keynote address at a trade fair opening day in Berlin, Germany, on Sept. 3, 2020. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images) US Sets Start Date for Fund to Rip and Replace Huawei and ZTE Network Equipment The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on Sept. 27 announced the start date for a $1.9 billion program to repay U.S. telecom carriers to rip and replace network equipment manufactured by Huawei, ZTE, and other China-based companies designated as national security threats. Carriers will be able to apply for the funds beginning on Oct. 29 through Jan. 14, 2022. The FCC adopted rules in December last year requiring carriers to replace all equipment made by Huawei and ZTE. The FCC designated Huawei and ZTE as national security threats on June 30 last year, barring U.S. firms from using an $8.3 billion government fund to buy equipment from either firm. Both companies have close ties to the Chinese Communist Party and Chinas military apparatus, and both companies are broadly subject to Chinese law obligating them to cooperate with the countrys intelligence services, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai said in a statement at the time. We cannot and will not allow the Chinese Communist Party to exploit network vulnerabilities and compromise our critical communications infrastructure. The reimbursement fund was established by Congress in 2019. It covers telecom carriers with 10 million customers or less. Rural carriers are facing high costs and difficulty in finding workers to replace the equipment, according to Reuters. The size of the $1.9 billion pot was determined in September last year based on an estimate for the removal and replacement of the equipment. In March this year, the administration of President Joe Biden expanded on the designations made under President Donald Trump and added five more China-based firms to the list of national security threats: Hytera Communications Corp., Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology Co., and Dahua Technology Co. This list is a big step toward restoring trust in our communications networks, Acting Chairwoman Rosenworcel said in a statement at the time. This list provides meaningful guidance that will ensure that as next-generation networks are built across the country, they do not repeat the mistakes of the past or use equipment or services that will pose a threat to U.S. national security or the security and safety of Americans. In addition to taking steps to uproot Huawei and ZTE equipment at home, the United States has been warning allies about the presence of the equipment in their networks. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan warned Brazil about the issue during a trip in August. The FCC announcement comes days after a Canadian court dropped U.S. extradition proceedings against Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, who is now back in China. The Chinese Communist Party released two Canadian citizens around the same time. Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, leaves her home to appear in British Columbia Supreme Court, in Vancouver, on Oct. 27 2020. (Don MacKinnon/AFP via Getty Images) What Went On Behind the Scenes in the Meng Wanzhou Case? An analysis of the mystery surrounding the resolution of Mengs case and the immediate release of the incarcerated Canadians News Analysis As the two Michaels departed China for Canada on the evening of Sept. 24, not only their families but millions of Canadians were relieved to finally see the men safely on their way home. Besides that, very little is known about the facts surrounding a decision by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to allow Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou to avoid extradition and a criminal trial and get off with a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA), which ended with Meng and Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor returning to their respective countries at nearly the same time. There are so many different interests involved, from national security, to high finance, to geopolitical considerations, that if youre trying to figure out what happened its like walking in a heavy fog where you cant see more than an inch in front of your nose, Marc Ruskin, a 27-year veteran of the FBI, said in an interview. Former diplomat Michael Kovrig embraces his wife, Vina Nadjibulla, upon his arrival at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Sept. 25, 2021. (DND-MDN Canada/Cpl. Justin Dreimanis) Some questions that bear pondering include whether the DPA worked mostly in Meng and Chinas benefit, whether political influence was involved in Mengs legal case, if there were negotiations behind the scenes, and what the different parties took to be a success at the end of the saga, besides the obvious happy ending for the two Canadian citizens who had been arbitrarily detained in China since December 2018. Mengs DPA Meng was arrested in Vancouver on Dec. 1, 2018, on a U.S. extradition request. She was charged with fraud for allegedly lying to HSBC bank about Huaweis business dealings with Iran, leading HSBC to violate U.S. sanctions on Iran. Days later, Kovrig and Spavor were detained in China, with the move widely seen as a case of Beijings hostage diplomacy to pressure Canada to release Meng. Meng is the daughter of Huaweis founder, Ren Zhengfei, a former officer with Chinas Peoples Liberation Army. Huawei, which reported US$137 billion in revenue in 2020, is a telecom company with deep connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Under her DPA with U.S. prosecutors signed on Sept. 24, Meng was allowed to plead not guilty but had to agree to the charges against her as spelled out in a statement of facts document. On the same day, after the DOJ withdrew its extradition request for Meng, a Canadian court removed her bail conditions, allowing her to fly back to China. It is unclear what motivated the DOJ to offer Meng a DPA. The agency declined comment for this article. Some possible valid motives could include uncertainty on whether her extradition from Canada would be allowed, as well as the opportunity to use the DPA to go after bigger targets for future criminal prosecutions. However, the details surrounding the case make these possibilities unlikely. Mengs extradition proceedings in Canada were nearing the final stage this year, with the presiding judge setting a next appearance for Oct. 21 and saying she would have a better idea then of when she will be announcing her decision on whether to extradite Meng to the United States. Canadian businessman Michael Spavor in a file photo. (AP Photo/File) According to Toronto-based criminal lawyer Ari Goldkind, the extradition case against Meng seemed solid. She admitted the entirety of the United States case [in the DPA]. She admitted her guilt and signed an agreement to that effect, Goldkind told The Epoch Times. The extradition therefore in Canada was airtight, properly brought in pursuant to the rule of law, which is why what happened [on Sept. 24] is such a disgrace in so many ways. Calvin Chrustie, a 33-year RCMP veteran who has worked in complex transnational organized crime investigations, says that in his experience, if someone is held in an extradition case as long as Meng was, there would be substantive evidence to support the extradition. Otherwise, in Canadian courts it would be almost unprecedented that someone would be detained that long if there wasnt significant evidence to support extradition, says Chrustie, who now heads the security and risk consultancy firm Critical Risk Team. Under Canadas extradition law, the final decision on whether an individual should be extradited rests with the justice minister, even if a court has ruled in favour of extradition. In Mengs case, the minister and the Canadian government had refused to intervene, saying all along that the issue would be decided by the rule of law. Ruskin, now an adjunct professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York and an Epoch Times contributor, says DPAs are not that common but are not unheard of in white-collar crime cases. He says they are typically used to go after bigger targets for criminal prosecution. For example, he explains, the DOJ may want to use the signed statement of facts in a future case against Huawei that could implicate the Chinese telecom giant. But that would require Mengs presence in the court, which would not likely happen if she stays put in China, he says. Steven Surowitz, a fellow FBI veteran, agrees. The defence attorney of the company would object [if] shes not there, because they cant cross-examine a piece of paper, says Surowitz, formerly chief division counsel at FBI Newark and now president of consulting firm SHS Solutions. In addition, Mengs DPA doesnt stipulate that she must testify in future cases against others. Legal Cases and Political Influence Lawyer Goldkind is convinced that despite U.S. and Canadian officials denials, the decision to offer Meng a DPA was influenced by politics. There is very little legal about this, he said. There is everything political. The issue of DPAs and political influence is fresh in Canadians memory following a scandal that cost Prime Minister Justin Trudeau two of his highest-profile cabinet members and a finding of ethics violations. According to a 2019 report by the ethics commissioner, Trudeau violated Canadas Conflict of Interest Act when he pressured his then-attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to halt criminal prosecution against Montreal-based company SNC-Lavalin and to pursue a DPA instead. Wilson-Raybould and Treasury Board President Jane Philpott resigned from cabinet in protest and were later expelled from the Liberal caucus. Surowitz says such political intervention in the United States would also be unethical, although the politicization of legal cases does happen. The Department of Justice seal. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) It would not be considered acceptable for a politician to influence the attorney general, he says. Unfortunately, these things have happened in our country. Ruskin reports the same trend within the FBI and the DOJ. The reality is that in recent years, theyve become less objective and more subject to political influence, he says. As far as the field agents are concerned, I think theyre still objective and neutral, but theres been a kind of a sea change at the bureau with the upper management. The White House is adamant that there was no link between Mengs deal with the DOJ and the release of Kovrig and Spavor. We have an independent Justice Department. We cant determine how the Chinese or others manage their business over there, said White House press secretary Jen Psaki on Sept. 27. At the same time, we have made no secret about our push to have the two Michaels released. Thats certainly positive news and good news. Psaki confirmed that during a Sept. 9 call between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Joe Biden, Xi brought up the issue of Mengs case and Biden pressed for the release of Kovrig and Spavor, but she said there was no negotiation about it. She added that she doesnt have any information on whether Biden was aware of negotiations between Mengs lawyers and the DOJ. Canadas ambassador to the United States, Kirsten Hillman, similarly says the DOJs offer of a DPA was independent of the release of the two Canadians. The DPA and the resolution of the charges against Ms. Meng was a completely independent process, Hillman told CTV on Sept. 26. She added that as Mengs resolution was heading towards success the Chinese government made its decision, and its decision was that it was no longer in its interest to continue holding the Michaels. She credited pressure from Canada, from our allies around the world for the Chinese regimes decision to release Kovrig and Spavor. Extremely Complex Chrustie says that in a case such as Mengs, its not possible to take the legal case away from the context of the larger geopolitical conflict. I would imagine that the negotiations and resolution tracks were, on multiple levels, extremely complex, and there wasnt likely one single track of negotiation. There would be a negotiation table and multiple negotiations taking place away from the table in discrete contexts, he said. Chinese leader Xi Jinping (R) is shown around the offices of Chinese telecom giant Huawei by its president and founder, Ren Zhengfei, in London, England, during Xis state visit to the UK on Oct. 21, 2015. (Matthew Lloyd/AFP via Getty Images) He adds that whenever criminal law crosses into international lawfor example in cases where extradition is involvedthe process becomes more prone to being impacted by outside influence. In a criminal case its more difficult to have outside influences. But when you get into the international realm, geopolitics, it is more likely [for there to be outside influence]. Trust in Legal System Sheng Xue, a Chinese-Canadian activist and author, says the U.S. and Canadian governments should be transparent about what went on behind the scenes. Its very sad. I see that a lot of people are now saying that the legal system is not trustable even in the United States or Canada, and it could be influenced by political powers, she said in an interview. This is a disaster. Sheng says what transpired allowed the CCP to get away with its hostage diplomacy, as the regime released Kovrig and Spavor immediately after Meng was freed, dispelling any illusions that its arbitrary detention of the two Canadians wasnt in retaliation for Mengs arrest. The CCP is now very arrogant, she said. Aftermath In Shengs view, the only winners, besides the two freed Canadians, are the leaders of the three countries: Xi Jinping, for bringing the executive of Chinas crown jewel company back; Trudeau, for taking credit for the release of the Canadians; and Biden, who also claims credit and who she says has pursued a soft approach on the CCP. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (L) and U.S. President Joe Biden walk along the boardwalk during the G7 summit in Carbis Bay, Cornwall, southwest England, on June 11, 2021. (Phil Noble/POOL/AFP via Getty Images) But it wasnt the people of these countries who benefited from what transpired and Chinas hostage diplomacy, she says, noting that in the end, even Meng wasnt a winner. Meng is now useless to the CCP after her arrest. The CCP wanted her back so badly because they didnt want to allow her to speak freely in the free world, she said. Goldkind says that while its great news that Kovrig and Spavor are back home, the world has watched two Western world governments negotiate with hostage takers. From a rule of law and even diplomacy perspective, I find this all to be a complete disgrace, he said. For Chrustie, every conflict provides huge opportunities and this one is no exception. He says the way in which Beijing conducted itself throughout the Meng case has better shown the world the threat China poses. More importantly, he adds, the case has made clear how Western democracies have to now rely more on each other, not only in the security and intelligence world, but in the economic, financial, and trade world. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki speaks at a press briefing in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 27 2021. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) White House Continues to Tout Vaccine Mandates as New York Prepares for Health Care Worker Shortages The White House is doubling down on its support for vaccine mandates in the private sector even as hospitals in the state of New York prepare for staff shortages from mandates. Monday, Sept. 27, marked the deadline for workers in New York hospitals to get fully vaccinated. But thousands in that setting still have yet to get the jab and many refuse. This prompted New York Gov. Kathy Hochul to announce on Monday her intent to sign an executive order allowing her the power to deploy the National Guard to replace health care workers. She said that providers can also allow workers licensed in other states and countries, as well as recent graduates and retired health care professionals, to work in the state as well. They are taking steps to work with health care systems to ensure that they have alternatives, that they can backfill as needed, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters. And that certainly is something we support, that some states like New York are doing. According to Hochuls office, about 84 percent of health care workers in the state are vaccinated, meaning that 16 percent arent. The move by the White House comes as a new rule to be issued by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is expected in the coming weeks, requiring vaccines for 80,000 private sector workers nationwide. President Joe Bidens executive order creates the rule to require businesses with 100 workers or more to demand that its employees be vaccinated, or show proof of a negative COVID test twice a week. Fines for companies that dont comply with the law could total as much as $13,600. Psaki said she expects OSHA will take into consideration the roll out of state-level mandates as it crafts its new rule. Im sure they will look at how its applied to different health systems across they country as well as businesses, and how theyve applied it across the country in the private sector where its been implemented as well, she said. Psaki pointed to some health systems that chose to implement mandates before it was required by law. She said Houstons Methodist Hospital lost 153less than one percentof its 25,000 employees due to vaccine mandates, 65 people out of 33,000 health care workers in Maine lost their jobs, while Henry Ford hospital in Detroit went from 68 percent vaccinated to 98 percent after they put a mandate in place. Were seeing in a lot of places that this is working. Its effective, its creating more certainty and protection in our workforces, she said. But reports from New York tell a different story. Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester, located upstate, announced it would pause some elective procedures for two weeks over the shortages, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center, which operates the facility. Patients can expect longer wait times for routine appointments, some employees will be asked to take on new responsibilities, and temporary bed closures are possible, the University of Rochester said in a statement, stressing that emergency services and critical care will continue. On Sept. 24, a hospital in Lowville, located in upstate New York, stopped delivering babiesat least temporarilyas several employees who worked in the maternity ward resigned over the vaccine mandate. Biden is scheduled to travel to Chicago on Wednesday to continue to promote his vaccine mandate plan and ask more businesses to put vaccine mandates in place. Operations Section Chief, Jon Wallace looks over General Sherman where the historic tree was protected by structure wrap from fires along with the Four Guardsmen at Sequoia National Park, Calif., on Sept. 22, 2021. (Gary Kazanjian/AP Photo) Woman Arrested on Suspicion of Starting California Blaze REDDING, Calif.A woman has been arrested on suspicion of starting a Northern California wildfire that spread rapidly, burning homes and prompting evacuation orders Thursday in a rural community, authorities said. Workers at a nearby quarry reported seeing a woman acting strangely and trespassing in the area in Shasta County where the Fawn Fire was sparked Wednesday afternoon, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a statement. Later Wednesday, Alexandra Souverneva walked out of the brush near the fire line and approached firefighters and told them she was dehydrated and needed medical help, Cal Fire said. Souverneva, 30, was taken out of the area for evaluation and treatment. During an interview with Cal Fire and law enforcement, officers came to believe Souverneva, of Palo Alto, was responsible for setting the fire, officials said. She was arrested and booked into the Shasta County Jail. It wasnt immediately known if she has an attorney. KRCR-TV aired video Thursday of multiple houses burning near the unincorporated Mountain Gate area north of the city of Redding. Officials said 25 structures were destroyed, but didnt specify how many were homes. The number of people affected by evacuation orders was not immediately known. People living in other areas were warned to be prepared to leave. About 2,000 structures were threatened. The fire scorched more than 8.5 square miles of heavy timber on steep, rugged terrain amid hot, dry, and gusty conditions. It was just 5 percent contained. Statewide, more than 9,000 firefighters remained assigned to 10 large, active wildfires, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. California fires have burned 3,671 square miles this year, destroying more than 3,200 homes, commercial properties, and other structures. Those fires include two big forest blazes growing in the heart of Californias giant sequoia country on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. Smoke from those fires raised air quality concerns for the southern end of the Central Valley and flowed over greater Los Angeles, darkening skies and causing mistaken reports of mountain fires. On Wednesday, officials showed reporters how Sequoia National Parks famous Giant Forest has been protected from the KNP Complex fire by years of using carefully set and controlled fires to burn away vegetation that can serve as wildfire fuel. The bases of some of the most famous giant sequoias were also wrapped in fire-resistant materials. Giant Forest has 2,000 sequoias and includes the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world by volume. The fear of catastrophic fire coming through that section of the national park has been greatly reduced because of the combination of the prescribed burns and the low intensity of the fire that moved into part of the forest, said Ed Christopher, deputy fire director for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. And because of that, we feel that the majority of the trees in this Giant Forest area should come out of this event like they have for the past thousands of years, he said. The KNP Complex began as two fires ignited by lighting on Sept. 9. The fires later merged into one and have charred more than 56 square miles. Sequoia and adjacent Kings Canyon National Park have been closed. Several communities are under evacuation orders or warnings for people to be prepared to leave. There was no containment. Nearby, the Windy Fire has burned through nearly 77 square miles on the Tule River Indian Reservation and in Sequoia National Forest, including Giant Sequoia National Monument. It was just 6 percent contained. Also ignited by lightning on Sept. 9, the Windy Fire has forced the evacuation of small forest communities, but no privately owned structures had burned as of Thursday morning. A fire lookout structure and a radio repeater site on a peak were destroyed by the blaze. The fire has moved through several groves of giant sequoias and damaged one of the big trees on the famed Trail of 100 Giants. An expert from Yosemite National Park was expected to examine the groves Thursday. DARIEN The town is looking to opt out of a new state regulation and address its parking needs in its own way. The new state law concerning multifamily projects was adopted during this past session and goes into effect Friday. It requires developers to include one parking spot for every studio or one-bedroom unit and two spaces for every two-bedroom or more unit. It is just one example, some Darien officials said, of how the recent zoning changes from Hartford dont work. This one-size-fits-all approach isnt the best way of going about things for the state as a whole, particularly for Darien, Fred Doneit, senior planner for the town, said at a recent Board of Selectmen meeting. The Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing on opting out on Oct. 5. The commission will vote on Oct. 12 and then the Representative Town Meeting will vote on it on Oct. 18. Both the commission and RTM need to approve opting out by a two-thirds majority, otherwise the town reverts to the state standards. It comes shortly after Dariens Planning and Zoning Commission made its own changes to their parking requirements for these projects, which went into effect on Sunday. Under the town regulations, one spot would be required for every studio unit, 1.5 spaces for every one-bedroom unit, two spaces for every two-bedroom unit and 2.5 spaces for every unit with at least three bedrooms. That standard the commission adopted really only differs from Public Act 21-29 by a half of a space for both one bedroom and three-plus bedroom units, Doneit said. Previously, the town had required 2.5 spaces for every unit in a multifamily project. This regulation was in effect for quite some time, Doneit said. Developers might be able to get a variance to get an exception for the parking requirement, though Jeremy Ginsberg, the towns planning and zoning director, said no one has ever done it. He also said developers could add even more on-site parking than required. Officials said the state took on-street parking options into consideration when it set the new standards, but Darien doesnt have a lot of these opportunities. On-street parking also isnt generally allowed when it snows so the plows can get through, which officials also said needs to be considered. Many public streets in Darien dont allow for or have sufficient room for on-street parking, whereas other communities across the state, particularly larger towns or cities, might had additional parking on their streets, Doneit said. First Selectwoman Jayme Stevenson agreed there are some narrow streets in town due to the old New England character that dont accommodate on-street parking. She said some police officers have also said some of the neighborhoods can be dangerous for children if people park on the streets. Our community highly values bicycle and pedestrian safety, she said, adding they need to find the sweet spot between that and parking. Stevenson said she appreciates the thoughtful approach the commission has taken to the parking requirement. The commission deliberated on this quite extensively, Doneit said, adding the members have been looking at it since June. WASHINGTON (AP) The drama and deadlines driving action on Capitol Hill right now can be disorienting. Democrats are trying to pass more than $4 trillion in infrastructure and social programs at the center of President Joe Bidens agenda and at the same time avert a government shutdown and prevent a federal default that could send financial markets crashing. The next few days will be a time of intensity, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wrote in a letter to colleagues over the weekend. That might be an understatement. Adding to the challenges for Democrats are their thin advantages in both chambers, the end of the fiscal year and intraparty disagreements over the size and scope of Biden's signature social spending and climate legislation. Republican leaders have encouraged their members to reject almost all of it, leaving Democrats to go it alone. Biden has been meeting with fellow Democrats as they navigate the political obstacle course. Weve got three things to do: the debt ceiling, the continuing resolution and the two pieces of legislation, Biden said Monday. If we do that, the countrys going to be in great shape. A guide to understanding it all: GOVERNMENT FUNDING Averting a government shutdown at midnight on Sept. 30 the end of the fiscal year has become an anxiety-inducing ritual in Washington. This year is no different. The House last week passed a measue to keep the government open and suspend the debt limit by a party-line vote of 220-211. The Senate was to hold a procedural vote on that bill Monday evening, but Republicans were expected to block it after Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell said his members wouldn't help raise the debt limit. One possible path to avoiding a shutdown: Democrats could separate government funding from the debt limit. McConnell says Republicans would support that. The stopgap spending legislation includes bipartisan priorities, including $28.6 billion in disaster relief for Hurricane Ida and other extreme weather events and $6.3 billion to support Afghanistan evacuees after the end of the 20-year war. DEBT LIMIT Congress has a bit longer to resolve the debt limit issue, as the U.S. is not at risk of defaulting on its accumulated debt load of roughly $28 trillion for a few weeks. But it is unclear, for now, how Democrats will get around Republican opposition. The U.S. has never defaulted on its debts in the modern era, and historically both parties have voted to raise the limit. Democrats joined the then-Republican Senate majority in doing so several times during Donald Trumps presidency, including a suspension of the debt limit that expired in August. But now that Democrats have unified control of Washington, McConnell has ruled out returning the favor. McConnell has blamed the proposed $3.5 trillion tax and spending bill and other Democratic priorities for the need to increase the debt limit. But that formula has it backward. Raising the debt limit is needed to make good on past not future spending decisions, including the Republicans' $1.5 trillion, deficit-financed tax overhaul that Trump signed into law in 2017 and additional trillions in coronavirus relief that passed with GOP support. The legislation passed so far by the House would cover borrowing authority through the end of 2022. $1 TRILLION BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL Democrats and Republicans in the Senate joined together in a rare bipartisan moment over the summer to pass the public works measure. It has been bottled up in the House ever since, on hold while the Democratic Partys moderate and progressive wings have sparred over the details of the much larger separate package, which would spend $3.5 trillion over a decade. House progressives say they wont vote for the infrastructure bill unless there is agreement on the larger bill. With no deal in hand, Pelosi pushed a vote on the infrastructure bill to Thursday to buy time for negotiations. Despite the 19 Senate Republicans who voted for the $1 trillion measure and the money it would bring to their districts House Republican leaders are encouraging their members to oppose it. That's because Democrats are linking it to the larger legislation with social and environmental priorities. The infrastructure measure would authorize nearly $550 billion in new spending over five years for public works in all corners of the country. Theres money to rebuild roads and bridges, shore up coastlines against climate change, protect public utility systems from cyberattacks and modernize the electric grid. It would also pay for new public transit projects, upgrades and repairs to airports and railroads and the replacement of lead drinking water pipes. $3.5 TRILLION IN SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMS Democrats are trying to pass the separate $3.5 trillion measure on their own by using an elaborate process called budget reconciliation. Using it allows the bill to bypass an otherwise certain GOP filibuster. But Democrats can't move forward until they reach agreement among themselves on what the legislation should contain. The bill as drafted includes an assortment of long-time Democratic priorities, including an expansion of existing health, education and child care programs for Americans young and old. Republicans are lockstep opposed to the plan, which would be paid for by increasing the corporate tax rate, from 21% to 26.5% on businesses earning more than $5 million a year, and by raising the top rate on individuals from 37% to 39.6% for those earning more than $400,000 a year, or $450,000 for couples. Besides the disagreements in the House, moderate Democratic Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona are making a stand of their own, saying they can't support a package that totals $3.5 trillion, even if Democrats succeed in covering the cost with tax increases and other revenue. Manchin has previously proposed spending $1 trillion to $1.5 trillion. Asked Sunday on ABC if she agrees the final number on the so-called reconciliation bill will be somewhat smaller than $3.5 trillion, Pelosi responded: That seems self-evident. ___ Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Alan Fram and Kevin Freking contributed to this report. NORWALK The overall crime rate continued to fall for the third year in a row in the city, but several crimes saw an uptick in 2020, according to data released by the FBI on Monday. Incidents of rape increased by 33 percent in 2020, with 12 incidents reported by the Norwalk Police Department. The property crimes of burglary and motor vehicle theft also spiked to a three-year high. The Norwalk Police Department reports its crime numbers voluntarily to the FBI using the National Incident-Based Reporting System. Other agencies submit their statistics through the Summary Reporting System. All of the information collected by the FBI is contained in its Uniform Crime Reporting program. Crimes reported are violent crimes of murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, in addition to property crimes of burglary, larceny theft, motor vehicle theft and arson. Overall, violent crime fell by almost 22 percent from 2019 to 2020. The city reported one homicide or non-negligent manslaughter, the same number reported over the past two years. Robberies were down 28 percent year to year, and aggravated assaults fell 25 percent. These are encouraging trends, Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling said Monday. I am proud that Norwalk is safer than it has ever been. I am hopeful these trends will continue. I personally know how hard the men and women of the Norwalk Police Department work, and how deeply they care about our community. I am thankful to them for helping keep us safe in our homes and community. The police department did not respond to a request for comment on Monday. Connecticut saw violent crimes decrease in 2020 by 4 percent over the previous year, but property crimes increased by 10 percent. Like the rest of the country, Connecticut also saw the number of murders increase in 2020 by nearly 29 percent, which is about the same as the national increase of almost 33 percent. The FBI collected crime data from 85 percent of law enforcement agencies across the United States. All 107 law enforcement agencies in Connecticut submitted data to the federal agency. emily.morgan@hearstmediact.com Connecticut State Police / Contributed CHESTER State and local agencies are investigating the discovery of a mans body at the Pattaconk Recreation Area Tuesday. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection officers and state police joined members of the Chester Fire Department in an area of Cockaponset State Forest after receiving reports of an unresponsive man, DEEP said in a press release late Tuesday. At 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, the Marine Fire Department went to the scene of a fatal motorcycle accident on Route 4 south of Fruit Road. There was one confirmed fatality due to the accident. "All I can confirm is a three-vehicle car accident with a fatality, an investigation is underway with Illinois State Police and Madison County Coroner," Marine Fire Department Assistant Chief Steven Bartlett said. CAIRO (AP) Floods triggered by seasonal torrential rains in Sudan have killed more than 80 people and damaged or destroyed some 35,000 homes since July, a senior police official said Monday. Flooding has killed 84 people and injured another 67 since the start of the rainy season, said police Brig. Gen. Abdul-Jalil Abdul-Rahim, spokesman for Sudans National Council for Civil Defense. Fourteen of Sudan's 18 provinces have been affected by the rains, which have demolished more than 8,000 houses and damaged at least another 27,000, Abdul-Rahim said. The eastern provinces of River Nile and al-Qadarif were hardest hit, he said. Abdul-Rahim said people who lost their houses have been taken to shelters close to their neighborhoods, where they have been receiving humanitarian aid from local non-governmental organizations. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has said that 102,000 people have been affected by the rains across the country. Between Sept. 4-6, over 61,000 people, including 35,000 South Sudanese refugees, were affected by the flooding in 53 villages in the White Nile provinces Aj-Jabalain district, the U.N. said. The U.N. complained that the flood response in some affected areas has been delayed despite the rising number of people affected. The Sudan Humanitarian Fund, a multi-donor fund run by the U.N.s humanitarian affairs office, has allocated $7.7 million to 14 NGOs in 15 provinces for swift humanitarian response, according to a statement released by UNOCHA on Thursday. Another $7 million has been allocated to four U.N. agencies for the procurement of emergency stocks. Last year, Sudanese authorities declared the country a natural disaster area and imposed a three-month state of emergency across the country after flooding and heavy rain killed around 100 people and inundated over 100,000 houses. EDWARDSVILLE At its annual business meeting on Sept. 25, the Illinois Municipal League (IML) elected officers and members to its board of directors during its annual business meeting that was part of the 108th Annual Conference at the Hilton Chicago. Edwardsville Mayor Art Risavy was elected to serve as a vice president on the statewide organizations board of directors. Gov asks for urgent financial assistance for Phukets unemployed PHUKET: Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew has sent an urgent request to Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow asking for the central government to provide financial assistance to employers and employees in Phuket registered with the Social Security Office. COVID-19economicstourism By The Phuket News Tuesday 28 September 2021, 10:00AM The letter was marked Urgent and addressed to Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow. Image: PR Phuket In the letter, literally marked urgent and signed and dispatched yesterday (Sept 27), Governor Narong explained that he had received complaints over the financial support being provided to those in the 29 provinces designated red or dark red zones, where COVID prevention measures are designated as maximum control, who have been left without work or unable to open their businesses. The complaints stemmed from business owners and workers in Phuket being left in the same position, due to the lack of tourists, leaving many people out of work, the governor continued. Phuket Province [the provincial government] received complaints from people who are insured under Section 33, Section 35 and Section 40 [of the Social Security Act] who are domiciled and reside in Phuket that they were not being helped by aid measures, Governor Narong pointed out. Phuket Province [the provincial government] would like to inform you that since the outbreak of the COVID-19, the people of Phuket have suffered a lot, he said. When the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic caused tourism to halt, the effect on the incomes of the people was very high. In 2019, the people of Phuket province had a per capita income of B403,534 per person / year [about B33,00 per month], but when the economic crisis caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic came, the income obtained from tourism decreased greatly. The average per capita income had plunged to only B1,963 per person/month, causing many people in Phuket to become acutely poor, he added. They have suffered a lot, and from the Cabinets resolution to pay compensation to those insured [under the Social Security Act] in the dark red areas and the areas under maximum control, under Section 33, Section 39 and Section 40, whereby the government will provide a living allowance of B5,000 per person, but not for those in Phuket, he said. Phuket Province would like to inform you that although the government has announced a policy for Phuket Province to be a Phuket Sandbox, Phuket Province still has a large number of people who are suffering who are insured under Section 33, Section 39 and Section 40, Governor Narong noted. There are 106,859 people insured under Section 33, 41,869 people insured under Section 39 and 37,368 people insured under Section 40, totaling 186,096 people, Governor Narong pointed out. Therefore, if they receive assistance of B5,000 each that would be a total amount of B900,480,000, he said. If we can get help from the insurers compensation fund [Social Security Fund], it can help relieve the suffering of the people in Phuket very much. We will be very grateful, he wrote. On Demand We have a new story every day on the front page of thephuketnews.com. Also like us on our Facebook page (facebook.com/thephuketnews) and be the first to watch all the new stories. Finally you can watch any segment, any time by going to thephuketnews.com/tv where all the stories are listed for you to enjoy. All our programs can be enjoyed in High Definition when watching on the internet. In-Room VDO Today A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. Slight chance of a rain shower. High near 70F. Winds N at 5 to 10 mph. Tonight Rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers overnight. Low 48F. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Tomorrow Cloudy with periods of rain. High 54F. Winds NW at 15 to 25 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Rainfall around a quarter of an inch. Never-before-heard interviews with Beatles legend John Lennon have been unearthed as a result of a cleaning spree during lockdown. The family of late journalist Ken Zeilig were amazed to discover the tapes which contained recordings of conversations between him and the 'Imagine' songwriter - who was murdered outside The Dakota apartment building in New York City in 1980 at the age of 40. His daughter Hannah Zeilig said: "We always knew from him that hed hung out with John Lennon and that hed interviewed John Lennon. But we never heard the interview. He didnt mention hed spent time with Yoko Ono as well, which he clearly had." The 12 reel-to-reel recordings comprise of three separate interviews thought to have taken place on separate occasions in 1969 and the early 1970s. Hannah told Global News: My sister, who lives in LA, was clearing out her garage and she found a whole bunch of boxes. She wasnt looking for anything in particular. She was looking to do one of those pandemic clear-outs that we all did" In one of the interviews, Lennon - who married Japanese artist Yoko in 1969 - admits to being "prejudiced" towards his own music when asked to name his favourite songs and goes on to discuss his creative process. Hannah added: I found that absolutely extraordinary and so insightful. Like, forget all those self-help books. John Lennon, just, like, puts it really well. The tapes are now up for auction under the guidance of Omega Auctions and are expected to fetch up to $50,000 Staff at Omega Auctions were quick to share their excitement over the historic discovery. Paul Fairweather said: Just reading the transcripts before we actually heard them was fascinating in itself. hen we actually heard them, it was amazing to hear John speaking because theyre such clear audio recordings that it feels that hes actually sat in the room with you." The tapes will be auctioned off on September 28. BANG Showbiz WASHINGTON (AP) President Joe Bidens national security adviser Jake Sullivan is heading to Cairo on Wednesday for talks with Egyptian government officials about rising tensions between Israel and Hamas. The Biden administration is leaning heavily on Egypt, which has long played a role as mediator between Israel and Hamas, for help in maintaining stability in the region even as it presses Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi to stop his crackdown on dissent. Sullivan plans to follow up on the Egypt talks during a meeting with his Israeli counterpart, Eyal Hulata, next week in Washington, said National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne. Egypt brokered a cease-fire after an 11-day war between Israel and Hamas erupted in May. Sullivan had already planned visits to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for talks focused on finding an end to war in Yemen. The visit to Egypt comes after the Biden administration announced earlier this month it would withhold $130 million in military aid to the country over human rights concerns. The region has seen an increase in fighting in recent weeks, with tensions fueled by Israeli settlement construction and heightened militant activity in the northern West Bank. Israeli troops conducted a series of arrest raids against suspected Hamas militants across the occupied West Bank early Sunday, sparking a pair of gun battles in which five Palestinians were killed and two Israeli soldiers were seriously wounded. Looming over the meeting in Cairo is the administration's recent decision to withhold some military aid to Egypt. Congress had passed legislation calling on the administration to withhold $300 million in military aid to Egypt. In the end, $170 million was sent along as the administration used its authority to waive human rights conditions placed on the assistance by Congress. The Biden administration said it decided to release most of the military aid to preserve a U.S.-Egypt security relationship that it says is critical to Mideast stability. The remaining $130 million will be released if Egypt "addresses specific human-rights related conditions, according to the State Department. At the same time, Biden advisers have praised Egypt for brokering the cease-fire that ended the latest Israel-Hamas war. The administration was also pleased that el-Sisi hosted Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Cairo earlier this month, the first visit by an Israeli prime minister to Egypt since 2007. Egypt is pressing the U.S. to side with it in a dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a hydropower project on the Blue Nile that Ethiopia says is crucial for its economic development. Egypt says the dam would choke its economy and has threatened to use all available means to stop it. The Blue Nile, a major tributary of the Nile River, originates in Ethiopia. The Biden administration sees the dam dispute as potential flashpoint, but has sought to take a back seat to the African Union in finding a resolution. EDWARDSVILLE Two people were charged with weapons-related felonies stemming from a late-night shooting in Alton Saturday. Wakita L. Lampkin, 43, of Fort Worth, Texas, was charged with aggravated battery with a firearm, a Class X felony, and aggravated unlawful use of a firearm, a Class 4 felony. According to court documents, on Sept. 25 Lampkin shot a man in the leg and was carrying a loaded firearm, an SCCY 9 mm pistol, without a concealed carry permit. Bail was set at $100,000. Also charged was Marcus D. Pearson, 37, of the 400 block of Church Street, East Alton. Pearson was charged with two counts of unlawful possession of weapons by a felon. According to court documents he was in possession of an SCCY 9 mm handgun, and a Norinco 7.62 SKS rifle. It was noted he has a prior felony conviction for use of a vehicle in discharge of a weapon, out of Tulsa County, Oklahoma in 2009. Bail was set at $50,000. The Alton Police Department has been investigating two nonfatal shootings that occurred at about the same time Saturday night. At about 10:30 p.m. police began receiving reports of shots fired in the 200 block of W. Third Street. When officers arrived at the scene they learned a gunshot victim had been taken to an Alton area hospital, and was later transported to a St. Louis area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The victim continues to recover. A preliminary investigation revealed that this was not a random act of violence, said Alton Police Chief Marcos Pulido. The investigation led police to Lampkin and Pearson, who were taken into custody early Monday morning in the 400 block of Church Street, East Alton. Assisting Alton police were the East Alton Police Department and the Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System special response team. Both remain in custody at the Alton Police Department. When violent crime occurs in Alton, my officers and detectives will work diligently to identify the offenders, Pulido said. I am proud of the work that our officers and detectives have done and are still doing. At about the same time as the Third Street incident, Alton police and other agencies responded to a shooting near the intersection of Ridge and East Seventh streets. At that location a victim had been shot while in a vehicle. The wounds were also considered non-life-threatening. That shooting is still under investigation. BEIJING (AP) Global shoppers face possible shortages of smartphones and other goods ahead of Christmas after power cuts to meet official energy use targets forced Chinese factories to shut down and left some households in the dark. In the northeastern city of Liaoyang, 23 people were hospitalized with gas poisoning after ventilation in a metal casting factory was shut off following a power outage, according to state broadcaster CCTV. No deaths were reported. Factories were idled to avoid exceeding limits on energy use imposed by Beijing to promote efficiency. Economists and an environmental group say manufacturers used up this year's quota faster than planned as export demand rebounded from the coronavirus pandemic. A components supplier for Apple Inc.'s iPhones said it suspended production at a factory west of Shanghai under orders from local authorities. The disruption to China's vast manufacturing industries during one of their busiest seasons reflects the ruling Communist Party's struggle to balance economic growth with efforts to rein in pollution and emissions of climate-changing gases. Beijings unprecedented resolve in enforcing energy consumption limits could result in long-term benefits, but the short-term economic costs are substantial, Nomura economists Ting Lu, Lisheng Wang and Jing Wang said in a report Monday. They said the impact might be so severe that they cut their economic growth forecast for China to 4.7% from 5.1% over a year earlier in the current quarter. They cut their outlook for annual growth to 7.7% from 8.2%. Global financial markets already were on edge about the possible collapse of one of Chinas biggest real estate developers, Evergrande Group, which is struggling to avoid a default on billions of dollars of debt. Manufacturers already face shortages of processor chips, disruptions in shipping and other lingering effects of the global shutdown of travel and trade to fight the coronavirus pandemic. Residents of Chinas northeast, where autumn temperatures are falling, report power cuts and appealed on social media for the government to restore supplies. The crunch comes as global leaders prepare to attend a U.N. environmental conference by video link on Oct. 12-13 in the southwestern city of Kunming. That increases pressure on President Xi Jinping's government, as the meeting's host, to show it is sticking to emissions and energy efficiency targets. China is one of the world's biggest emitters of climate-changing industrial gases and consumes more energy per unit of economic output than developed countries. The ruling party also is preparing for the Winter Olympics in the Chinese capital, Beijing, and the nearby city of Shijiazhuang in February, a period when it will want clear blue skies. Scores of companies have announced power rationing could force them to delay filling orders and might hurt them financially. Apple components supplier Eson Precision Engineering Co. Ltd. said Sunday it would halt production at its factory in Kunshan, west of Shanghai, through Thursday in line with the local governments power restriction policy. Eson said the suspension shouldnt have a significant impact on operations. Apple didn't immediately respond to a question about the possible impact on iPhone supplies. China's energy consumption and industrial emissions have surged as manufacturers rush to fill foreign demand at a time when competitors elsewhere still are hampered by anti-coronavirus controls. Chinas economy is more driven by exports than any time in the past decade, but official energy use targets fail to take that into account, economists Larry Hu and Xinyu Ji of Macquarie Group said in a report. Some provinces used up most of their quotas for energy consumption in the first half of the year and are cutting back to stay under their limits, according to Li Shuo, a climate policy expert at Greenpeace in Beijing. Utility companies, meanwhile, are being squeezed by soaring coal and gas prices. That discourages them from increasing output because the government limits their ability to pass on costs to customers, said Li. Prices have risen past the range of what Chinas electricity industry can bear, Li said. China has launched repeated campaigns to make its energy-hungry economy more efficient and clean up smog-choked cities. City skies are visibly clearer, but the abrupt way the campaigns are carried out disrupts supplies of power, coal and gas, leaving families shivering in unheated homes and forcing factories to shut down. Shopping malls in the northeastern city of Harbin have announced they will close stores earlier than usual to save power. In Guangdong province in the south, the government told the public to set thermostats on air conditioners higher even as temperatures rose above 34 degrees C (93 degrees F). State Grid Corp., the world's biggest power distributor, issued a pledge to ensure adequate supplies. Meanwhile, state media say local governments have signed long-term coal contracts to ensure adequate suppliers. ___ Soo reported from Singapore. AP writer Huizhong Wu in Taipei, Taiwan, contributed to this report. ALTON Alton Main Street and Jacoby Arts Center will again partner to present First Friday on Oct. 1. The late night art and shopping experience spans 15 locations across the Downtown Alton district. Participating businesses are offering discounts, refreshments and giveaways. Everyone who has their passport stamped at each location will receive a $10 gift certificate to any participating business. Free parking is available in the lot next to Jacoby Arts Center at 627 E. Broadway and a free shuttle bus will run a continuous loop between all participating locations 5-9 p.m. The shuttle will also make photo opportunity stops at downtown Altons a street mural at the intersection of State and 3rd streets. First Fridays passports will be available at Jacoby Arts Center where people can receive a free Jacoby watercolor print by artist Chrissie Chapman along with an entry to win a one-year membership with each purchase. Mississippi Mud Pottery will offer 10% off all in-stock pottery and artwork. Picture This & More will offer 15% off new custom framing orders. Funky Planet Toys & Gifts will offer 15% off stickers and stationery. BASECAMP.alton is offering $10 off any purchase and Rushmore will offer sips and sweets. River Bend Yoga is offering Open Aerial space in their studio. The Hacienda of Tranquility is offering 10% off kombucha fills with the purchase of a new growler. CJs Juicery is offering $1 off all drinks. Olive Oil Marketplace is offering 15% off purchase of $15. Alton Stained Glass Works will offer handmade art glass and beverages. Country Meadows Antiques and Party on Broadway also will be open. The Grapevine of Alton will offer raffles, refreshments and sales. State Street Market will offer flatbread specials and 10% off bottles of carry out wine. For more information visit www.jacobyartscenter.org or call 618-462-5222. Or visit www.DowntownAlton.com. COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) A cassette tape with a 33-minute audio recording of John Lennon being interviewed by four Danish teenagers 51 years ago as well as an apparently unpublished song by the late Beatle fetched 370,000 kroner ($58,240) Tuesday at an auction in Denmark. The tape, recorded on Jan. 5, 1970, chiefly consists of Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, speaking about being in Denmark and world peace. It also has the couple singing two songs: 1969's Give Peace a Chance and Radio Peace, which was made for a radio station in the Netherlands but never released. The cassette was put up for sale by Bruun Rasmussen Auctioneer in Copenhagen, together with 29 still photos and a copy of the school newspaper for which the teenagers had interviewed Lennon and Ono. The pre-sale estimate for the lot was 200,000 kroner to 300,000 kroner ($31,481 to $47,222). "It is a small item with lots of interest," auctioneer Jesper Bruun Rasmussen said as he brought the hammer down. I thought it was extraordinary that it went above the estimate, Alexa Bruun Rasmussen of Denmarks main auction house told The Associated Press. Unfortunately it is confidential who the buyer is but I can reveal that it went abroad." The Danish teenagers did the interview in northern Denmark at the height of the Vietnam War and the Cold War because Lennon and Ono had a message of peace, and that was what was important to us, Karsten Hoejen, who made the recording on a tape recorder borrowed from the local hi-fi shop, told The Associated Press. After the sale in a packed auction hall, Hoejen said it exceeded all expectations. There is some kind of relief now, he said, adding the three surviving men who did the interview have not decided what to do with the money. Lennon and Ono were in the northern Danish region of Thy because Onos ex-husband had moved there and brought their 5-year-old daughter Kyoko with him. Alternative living communities also mushroomed in Denmark from the late 1960s, attracting people from abroad, and music festivals were organized there, inspired by Woodstock and the ones on the Isle of Wight. Tuesday's auction was devoted to 20th-century artwork and featured 116 items for sale. MADISON State Sen. Christopher Belt, D-Swansea, and state Rep. Jay Hoffman, D-Swansea, delivered two sets of washers and dryers on Sept. 27 to the Quad City Community Development Center in Madison. Under no circumstances should students feel the need to skip school because they do not have access to clean clothing, said Belt. GODFREY Lewis and Clark Community College board trustees have committed $12.5 million to support a major renovation of the Godfrey Campus Main Complex. In August, LCCC closed two floors of Baldwin and Caldwell Halls in the Main Complex because of safety and health concerns. HVAC issues was found to have been contributing to mold growth. In 2019, Illinois allocated $37.5 million to LCCCs Main Complex Renovation Project. So far the college has not received any of that funding. LCCC Board Chair David Heyen on Monday night supported the boards authorization. This does not mean we have to come up with $12.5 million tonight, he said. It means we are open to providing that money. Im encouraged by this opportunity and think a renovation of this space could even help Lewis and Clark attract more students in the future, he said. The authorization was supported 6-1. The $12.5 million represents a 25 percent match to support an important and long overdue renovation that ensures the operational vitality of our campus, said LCCC President Ken Trzaska. College leadership is encouraged that the action taken by our board Monday night demonstrates the colleges commitment to this important project for our campus and community and to this funding coming to fruition. In an August email to staff and students, Trzaska said mold was discovered in portions of Baldwin and Caldwell Halls as the campus re-opened following nearly 18 months of virtual and hybrid learning. He said the problems were mainly a result of the buildings aging process, as well as its limited use throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Outdated HVAC systems, moisture and humidity in some spaces has led to the presence of mold discovered in air quality testing. Classrooms with mold detected in air quality testing were closed Aug. 27, with classes shifted to other areas of campus. LCCC officials this week said the closures in Baldwin and Caldwell Halls have displaced 46 faculty, 26 offices and 136 class sections a total of 153 classroom moves to other locations on campus and 33 moves from face-to-face to virtual classes. Student services were among the offices impacted. The affected spaces will remain closed indefinitely, Trzaska said. We hope to avoid additional operational setbacks that could very well impact enrollment negatively as well as our collective ability to apply our mission and serve our students and community at optimal levels, he said. According to Trzaska, if and when state funding is released LCCC will begin conceptual designs for renovation. The team would include community members, campus staff and students. We have a really good opportunity to be mindful of our budget and resources, but also think about the future of the Main Complex and its alignment to the colleges mission, values and future growth, he said. At Mondays meeting, LCCC Faculty Association President Debbie Witsken, Radio Broadcasting Coordinator Mike Lemons and Professor of Music Peter Hussey urged the board to support the match and renovate the Main Complex, which dates back to the 1800s. We need you, Witsken told the board. And this is a great opportunity for all of us to work together to do something amazing for our campus. EDWARDSVILLE A Missouri resident has been charged with putting sexual images onto a porn website without the subjects permission. Deangelo F. Wright, 24, of Malden, Missouri, was charged Sept. 23 with non-consensual dissemination of private sexual images, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Bethalto Police Department. According to court documents, on July 14 Wright allegedly placed a video of a woman performing a sex act on a website without her permission. Bail was set at $40,000. Other felony charges filed recently by the Madison County States Attorneys Office include: Paula M. Duane, 44, of Edwardsville, was charged Sept. 27 with arson, a Class 2 felony; and criminal damage to property, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Edwardsville Police Department. On Sept. 26 Duane allegedly set fire to a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country van belonging to another person, causing in excess of $500 damage. Bail was set at $50,000. Jason L. Pritz, 44, of Lebanon, Illinois, was charged Sept. 23 with aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony, and aggravated unlawful restraint, a Class 3 felony. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department. According to court documents, on Sept. 21 Pritz allegedly hit a household or family member about the head, bit her finger and fractured another finger. He also allegedly followed the victim who was leaving a residence and carried her back to the residence, while armed with a knife. Bail was set at $75,000. Jesse L. Clough, 43, of Edwardsville, was charged Sept. 27 with aggravated battery and aggravated domestic battery, both Class 2 felonies. The case was presented by the Edwardsville Police Department. On Sept. 25 Clough allegedly strangled a household or family member; and bit an Edwardsville police officers arm. Bail was set at $75,000. Derrick W. Anthony Jr., 29, of Granite City, was charged Sept. 27 with aggravated domestic battery and aggravated battery, both Class 2 felonies. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department. On Sept. 25 Anthony allegedly strangled a household or family member by wrapping clothing around their face and neck, and spit on a Collinsville police officer. Bail was set at $60,000. Elijah D. Miller, 47, of Alton, was charged Sept. 24 with aggravated domestic battery, a Class 2 felony. The case was presented by the Alton Police Department. On Sept. 23 Miller allegedly strangled a household or family member. Bail was set at $60,000. Wesley A. Moore III, 51, of Madison, was charged Sept. 27 with domestic battery (second subsequent offense), a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Madison Police Department. On Sept. 25 Moore allegedly struck a household or family member in the face. He has a 2020 Madison County conviction for domestic battery. Bail was set at $75,000. QUITO, Ecuador (AP) A riot in a penitentiary in coastal city of Guayaquil killed 24 inmates and injured 48 more Tuesday, Ecuadorian officials said. A police and military operation managed to regain control of the Guayaquil prison after five hours, according to a statement from Ecuadors prison service. Guayas state Gov. Pablo Arosemena said at a news conference outside the Litoral prison that order had been restored. The presence of the state and the law must be felt, he said. The violence involved gunfire, knives and explosions and was caused by a dispute between the Los Lobos and Los Choneros prison gangs, officials said. Television images showed inmates firing from the windows of the prison amid smoke and the detonation of firearms and explosives. The Guayas state government posted images on its Twitter account showing six cooks being evacuated from one of the prisons wings. In July, President Guillermo Lasso decreed a state of emergency in Ecuadors prison system following several violent episodes that resulted in more than 100 inmates being killed. The bloodiest day occurred in February, when 79 prisoners died in a simultaneous riot in three prisons in the country. In July, 22 more prisoners lost their lives in the Litoral penitentiary, while in September a penitentiary center was attacked by drones leaving no fatalities. EDWARDSVILLE Two men face multiple felony charges relating to the theft of catalytic converters on Sept. 22. Rickey R. Carter, 53, of Wood River, and Devan A. Cook, 29, of East Alton, have each been charged with offenses relating to motor vehicles and two counts of burglary, all Class 2 felonies, as well as one count each of possession of burglary tools, both Class 4 felonies. The cases were presented by the Wood River Police Department. According to court documents and information from the police department, on Sept. 22 the two allegedly were found to be in possession of a stolen catalytic converter. They are accused of entering Trickeys Towing in Wood River as well as and a vehicle at the business. Court documents state they had been in possession of a reciprocating saw. Court documents state Carter and Cook were taken into custody at about 7 a.m. Sept. 22 while they were in an enclosed area cutting a catalytic converter from a vehicle. The area has been under surveillance due to recent catalytic converter thefts from vehicles. The Roxana and East Alton police departments assisted in the arrest. The theft of catalytic converters is a nation-wide issue, with a huge increase in thefts in the St. Louis area this year, according to the New York Times. The thefts are fueled by the extremely high cost of some of the materials used in the anti-pollution devices. The local thefts are part of a nationwide trend, fueled by high prices for some of the materials used in the anti-pollution devices, specifically platinum, palladium or rhodium, according to multiple media and industry sources. On Tuesday, rhodium was priced at $12,600 per ounce, platinum at $945 per ounce and palladium at $1,941 per ounce. Unlike reported increases in car burglaries and thefts which often involve groups hitting an area looking for unlocked vehicles, catalytic converter thieves can hit any exposed vehicle and take the parts in about two minutes, according to information from several insurance companies. Bail for Cook and Carter was set at $50,000 each. In unrelated charges, Robert W. Childress, 40, of Granite City, was charged Sept. 27 with two counts of offenses relating to motor vehicles, both Class 2 felonies. The case was presented by the Granite City Police Department. On Sept. 25 Childress allegedly was found to be in possession of a stolen 2016 Jeep Wrangler. On July 17 he allegedly was found to be in possession of a stolen 1989 Carryall Truck. Bail was set at $50,000. Roger L. Booth, 29, of House Springs, Missouri, was charged Sept. 27 with offenses relating to motor vehicles, a Class 2 felony; unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, an enhanced Class 2 felony, and aggravated fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the South Roxana Police Department. On Sept. 24 Booth allegedly was found to be in possession of a stolen Ford Horizon van and .22 caliber Remington ammunition. He also allegedly attempted to flee from a South Roxana police officer, reaching speeds in excess of 21 miles above the posted speed limit. Booth has a prior felony conviction out of Missouri, making him ineligible to possess weapons or ammunition. Bail was set at $50,000. LAS VEGAS (AP) Federal prosecutors in Washington, D.C., have amended criminal charges against a Tennessee man and a Nevada resident who were arrested in Las Vegas in January and accused of violence at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Nathaniel DeGrave of Las Vegas, pleaded not guilty Monday to the revised charges, and Ronald Sandlin, who lives near Memphis, pleaded not guilty Sept. 21, court records showed. Sandlin and DeGrave planned to interfere with the peaceful transition of presidential power, beginning in December 2020, the Justice Department said in a news release describing the court developments. U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich arraigned both men on crimes that could put them in prison for decades. They remain in federal custody pending a court date Oct. 21. Attorney John Pierce, representing DeGrave, declined comment on Tuesday. Attorney Jerry Ray Smith Jr., representing Sandlin, did not immediately respond to messages. DeGrave, 34, and Sandlin, 32, were initially charged in January and arrested Jan. 28 in Las Vegas. The amended indictment, filed Sept. 15, added specificity to allegations against them. Both men now face 12 counts including obstruction of an official proceeding; assaulting, resisting or impeding Capitol police officers; civil disorder; and entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds. Other charges were dropped, including physical violence in the Capitol grounds or buildings; disorderly conduct in a Capitol building; impeding passage; and parading, demonstrating or picketing in a Capitol building. The court filing refers to six Capitol police officers, using their initials, as victims of actions by Sandlin and DeGrave. It said the officers were among 139 Capitol and Washington, D.C., police members assaulted during rioting that disrupted the certification by Congress of the November 2020 electoral victory of now-President Joe Biden, a Democrat, over then-President Donald Trump, a Republican. The document also refers to accounts provided to investigators and prosecutors by Josiah Colt, an Idaho man who pleaded guilty in July to one felony charge of obstructing an official proceeding. Colt, 34, has not yet been sentenced. He is expected to face about five years in prison. Colt acknowledged traveling to the Capitol with Sandlin and DeGrave, bringing weapons and other tactical equipment, and obstructing the certification of the vote. In exchange for his guilty plea and cooperation in other cases, prosecutors agreed to drop three other felony charges against him. Prosecutors allege Sandlin, DeGrave and Colt began conspiring in December on Facebook to travel to Washington to, in Sandlins words, stop the steal and stand behind Trump when he decides to cross the rubicon. An internet post contained a link to a GoFundMe webpage with the caption Patriots Defending Our Country on Jan. 6th, organized by Ronnie Sandlin. The crossing by Julius Caesar of the Rubicon River in 49 B.C. is considered the start of the Roman Civil War. It is a metaphor for passing a point of no return. On the day of the violence, Sandlin, DeGrave and Colt allegedly met in a hotel room in Maryland and recorded social media video in which Colt mused about whether they should carry guns. They didnt, but the government alleges they went to the Capitol with knives, walkie-talkies and protective gear including gas masks, helmets and protective body armor. DeGrave was accused of pushing officers guarding the Capitol Rotunda. Prosecutors alleged he recorded a video in which he declared: This is what separates us true patriots from everyone else who is all talk ... we out here taking action. Sandlin was allegedly seen on video fighting with police and apparently smoking marijuana inside the Rotunda. The three men allegedly reached a gallery balcony overlooking the Senate chamber, where Colt climbed down and sat in a chair reserved for the vice president while DeGrave allegedly shouted for people to take laptops, paperwork, take everything. In the eight months since Jan. 6, prosecutors said more than 600 people have been arrested in nearly all U.S. states and accused of crimes related to the Capitol breach, including 185 people charged with assaulting or impeding law enforcers. Five people died, including a Trump supporter who was shot and killed by police as she tried to break into a lobby off the House chamber. Several police officers later took their own lives. WOOD RIVER Madison County has recorded two additional COVID-19 related deaths since Friday. According to the Madison County Health Department, the deceased included a man in his 30s and a man in his 40s. MCHD has recorded 580 COVID-19 related deaths to date, including 22 so far in September. Twenty deaths were recorded in August. On Friday, the Macoupin County Health Department reported an additional COVID-19 related death, a man in his 70s. To date the county has recorded 129 deaths. The MCHD on Monday reported 247 new confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases since Friday. Of that number, 151 were people younger than 40. There were 37 COVID-19 patients in Madison County hospitals on Monday, six of them on ventilators. To date the MCHD has reported 38,072 cases and 448,881 tests. In Madison County, 258,231 people had received at least one COVID-19 vaccination as of Sunday; the IDPH lists the countys population as 264,461. The county also had 131,620 residents fully vaccinated, or 49.77%. Other county fully vaccinated rates include Monroe County with 52.72%, St. Clair at 47.83%, 48.26% in Clinton, 46.76% in Jersey, 46.42% in Macoupin, 43.74% in Montgomery, 40.08% in Bond, 36.82% in Calhoun and 33.95% in Greene. The MCHD has COVID-19 vaccination clinics planned Sept. 29 at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey and Sept. 30 at Triad High School in Troy. For details visit www.madisonchd.org. Walk-ins are accepted, but appointments are preferred. For assistance, call 618-692-8954, Ext. 2. The Macoupin County Health Department will offer booster shots starting Tuesday, Oct. 5, at the Macoupin County Fairgrounds on Illinois 4 in Carlinville. For details visit http://www.mcphd.net/ or call 217-854-3692. EDWARDSVILLE Multiple weapons-related felony cases have been filed by the Madison County States Attorneys Office recently. Anthony D. Sims, 41, of Madison, was charged Sept. 27 with unlawful possession of weapons by a felon, a Class 2 enhanced felony. The case was presented by the East Alton Police Department. According to court documents, on Sept. 25 Sims allegedly was found to be in possession of brass knuckles. It was noted he has a prior conviction for robbery in Madison County in 2018, making him ineligible to possess weapons. Brass knuckles are also prohibited in Illinois. Bail was set at $50,000. Other weapons-related felony charges filed recently include: James L. Lemmons, 42, of St. Louis, was charged Sept. 24 with unlawful possession of weapons by a felon and unlawful possession of methamphetamine, both Class 3 felonies. The case was presented by the Collinsville Police Department. On Sept. 24 Lemmons allegedly was found to be in possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine, and a Glock 27 handgun. It was noted he has a prior conviction for theft of a motor vehicle out of St. Louis City in 1998, making him ineligible to possess weapons. Bail was set at $30,000. Samantha M. Basham, 30, of Wood River, was charged Sept. 23 with unlawful use of weapons by a felon and unlawful possession of methamphetamine, both Class 3 felonies. The case was presented by the East Alton Police Department. On July 8 Basham was found to be in possession of a stun gun and less than five grams of methamphetamine. She has a 2018 Madison County conviction for unlawful possession of methamphetamine, making her ineligible to possess weapons. Bail was set at $20,000. Anthony Young, 19, of St. Louis, was charged Sept. 27 with aggravated unlawful use of weapons, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Illinois State Police. On Sept. 26 Young allegedly was found to be carrying a loaded and accessible Glock 17 handgun in a motor vehicle without a Firearm Owners Identification Card or concealed carry permit. Bail was set at $50,000. Ronnell W. Byrd, 21, of St. Louis, was charged Sept. 27 with aggravated unlawful use of weapons, a Class 4 felony. The case was presented by the Illinois State Police. On Sept. 26 Byrd allegedly was found to be carrying a loaded and accessible SCCY Model CPX-2 pistol in a motor vehicle without a Firearm Owners Identification Card or concealed carry permit. Bail was set at $50,000. 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 Motorists driving their cars into Europe will now need to display a new UK number plate or sticker, with the traditional GB sticker used on the back of cars no longer valid from 28 September. Anyone intending to use their UK-registered motors in Europe with a GB number plate will need to display a new 'UK' sticker, or have to order fresh number plates with the UK symbol displayed on the left-hand-side. The change is intended to be more inclusive of Northern Ireland in the wake of Brexit but sparked fury from drivers and motoring groups who have since bemoaned the loss of the long-running GB emblem. Car sticker rule change: Britons driving their cars into Europe will need to display new number plates or stickers showing 'UK' as the traditional 'GB' sticker is now no longer valid In July, the UN said it had received 'a notification stating that the United Kingdom is changing the distinguishing sign that it had previously selected for display in international traffic on vehicles registered in the United Kingdom, from 'GB' to 'UK''. Any penalties for non-compliance with the new rules will be dependent on specific countries, though Halfords warned earlier this year that motorists failing to display the correct 'UK' badge on their vehicles could be 'refused entry'. 'From 28 September, British motorists travelling abroad will be legally required to display a UK sticker on their vehicle, in place of the old GB one,' a spokesperson claimed. 'Failure to adhere to the new regulations may lead to refusal on entry and holidays ruined.' The change to 'UK' will come just nine months after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps committed to a redesign to replace the EU's stars with a Union Jack on 'GB' number plates following Britain's split from Brussels. Shapps then notified the UN in the summer that the marking would be changed from 'GB' for UK-registered vehicles to be more inclusive. The change is intended to be more inclusive of Northern Ireland in the wake of Brexit but sparked fury from drivers and motoring group who have since bemoaned the loss of the long-running GB emblem Drivers with a number plate like this will need to have a 'UK' sticker on the back of their car. Halfords says some may be refused entry without the correct sticker displayed The new stickers can be purchased online, with prices start from 1.50 RAC spokesman Rod Dennis told This is Money: 'It might only be a matter of replacing two letters, but this is a significant change for drivers who in normal times take their cars outside the UK. 'Any driver with a GB sticker on their car now needs to replace it with a new UK one if they are taking their vehicle abroad. 'Drivers also need to remember that number plates featuring the blue band and letters 'GB' next to the European golden stars are also no longer valid.' The AA bemoaned the loss of the 'famed' GB sticker and said it amounted to 'losing another element of British motoring'. Edmund King, the organisation's president, told the Telegraph in July: 'From a heritage point of view, we have lots of classic cars, such as Jaguars, Spitfires, and so on, that have metal GB signs on the rear of the car. 'Now I don't propose that they take them off but what they will now have to do is have a tacky plastic UK sticker alongside it. 'So from a historic perspective, we have lost the tax disk on the windscreen and we are now losing another element of British motoring, the famed GB sticker.' The motoring group said the new rule change meant its stock of around 50,000 GB stickers have since been rendered worthless. The AA bemoaned the loss of the 'famed' GB sticker and said it amounted to 'losing another element of British motoring' that has become part of tradition Edmund King, AA president said it was disappointing that classic cars, like this Jaguar, would now need to have a 'tacky' sticker attached if driven in Europe Private number plate specialists CarReg also warned those who had invested in personalised number plates with the GB sign included will also need to update their designs or be forced to display a sticker if they plan to use their motor abroad. Government recommendation now officially states that a number plate that includes the UK identifier with the Union Jack will not need to display a UK sticker. However, owners of UK-registered cars driven into Europe will need to display a UK sticker clearly on the rear of the vehicle if your number plate has any of the following: a GB identifier with the Union flag; Euro symbol; national flag of England, Scotland or Wales; numbers and letters only no flag or identifier. 'If you're in Spain, Cyprus or Malta, you must display a UK sticker no matter what is on your number plate,' Gov.uk outlines. 'You do not need a UK sticker or number plate to drive in Ireland,' the website clarifies. The new UK stickers are available online, in post offices, garages and motor retail specialists including Halfords for around 1.50 to 4. Like number plates, the EU flag has also been removed from the top left corner of the pink plastic cards, replaced by 'UK'. A Union Jack was already displayed on the right-hand-side of the photocards before 1 January. While the old style driving licences are still valid, the new versions will be issued to everyone renewing their photocard or getting one for the first time from 2021. Its no exaggeration to say that a bomb has gone off under the Governments energy policy, and its of the nuclear sort. One senior minister described the change of mood to an industry source like this: The UKs energy policy has been completely rewritten in the last ten days. The light bulb has finally switched on. After years of prevarication and muddled policy, government ministers are now acknowledging that Britains energy security and its commitment to net zero by 2050 is impossible to achieve unless they move swiftly to build more nuclear reactors for electricity generation. Ministers are now acknowledging that Britains energy security is impossible to achieve unless they move swiftly to build more nuclear reactors for electricity generation The reason is not hard to discover. The combination of worldwide high gas prices, weather conditions which mean wind has been providing some 4 per cent of energy supplies over the last few months and problems with the inter-connectors bringing gas in from Europe have concentrated their minds. If it wasnt for the lack of wind, you would call it a perfect storm. At present, nuclear energy hovers between 15 per cent and 20 per cent of total electricity generation but the nuclear fleet is running down, fast, and by 2030 there will be far less capacity because of increased demand from, for example, electric cars. The Dungeness B reactor was retired in June this year, Hunterston B will shut by Christmas and Hinkley Point B retires next July with Hartlepool and Heysham 1 coming off stream in 2024. Which is why the nuclear industry says if the change of thinking is serious, ministers must move like lightning to power up the nuclear programme. This means building at least two new big nuclear stations Sizewell C in Suffolk and Wylfa on Anglesey, the Horizon site that Hitachi pulled out of a few years ago and which the consortium headed by Bechtel wants to develop. Only with these two, plus ten SMRs from Rolls-Royce, being built by 2035, could the Government meet the sixth carbon budget as set out by the Climate Change Committee. If the UK does want to achieve net zero by 2050, then three times that amount of nuclear capacity will be needed. What can the Government do to speed up such an ambitious and costly programme? First is to push legislation through Parliament in the next few weeks to press the button on the new Regulated Asset Base (RAB) operating model, which brings in private investors, should reduce consumer electricity bills and reduce the cost to taxpayers. Second, the Treasury, with Rishi Sunak said to be one of the most vocal converts to nuclear power needs to confirm that developers can access pre-development funding which was set aside in the spring spending review. The most promising new project is the Bechtel consortium with Westinghouse which wants to build AP1000 reactors on the Hitachi-owned site at Wylfa. In parallel, there is a bid from Shearwater to build SMRs on the site but the Nuclear Industry Association says there is room for both projects. Giving the green-light to Bechtel would be a smart move. Building such projects can take decades but the US firm has a time advantage because the AP1000 has already gone through the UKs strict regulatory hurdles because it was approved for use at Moorside in Cumbria since dropped. The same team who would build on Anglesey has just finished two similar plants in Georgia. If there is a genuine conversion, ministers should not be afraid of explaining the benefits of going for more nuclear power if they are to keep the lights on long-term. There are many. It is the most efficient way of halting the UKs over-reliance on imported gas from Russia and elsewhere to provide energy security, while also achieving carbon targets. Advances in nuclear technology also mean that over time the price of generation has become far more competitive compared to other sources. Such a programme would also bring thousands of skilled jobs to the regions which need an economic rocket boost the most. In the jargon, levelling up and powering up. Takeover blues Everything about the 1.1billion takeover of Blue Prism by US private equity firm Vista Equity Partners looks a little weird. The robotics specialist has had a torrid five years listed on AIM, with shareholders only recently accusing the board of not investing in the future. It rather looks as if investors were right, and that the board just wanted out and to take the shilling. And its a fat shilling. The founders and the boss are selling out for more than 130million. Vista doesnt even pretend to be on the side of the angels, warning that jobs will be lost to achieve the required synergies. Easyjet investors have overwhelmingly backed the budget airline's 1.2billion rights issue to raise cash to pay down debt and make investments. The company, which has rejected a takeover approach from an unnamed suitor widely understood to be rival Wizz Air, announced the cash call last month - its second since the start of the pandemic. It has already raised more than 5.5billion since the start of the Covid-19 crisis, including 420million from shareholders. Cash call: Easyjet said it had received acceptances from investors for 93% of the new shares The cash-strapped carrier has also sold planes, furloughed staff and laid off up to 4,500 employees, or about 30 per cent of its workforce, in a bid to stay afloat during the pandemic. EasyJet's chief executive, Johan Lundgren, said the fresh funds would enable it to take advantage of new opportunities likely to arise in the industry, as carriers like British Airways, Air France-KLM and Lufthansa retreat. 'The success of this capital raise, thanks to great support from investors, will enable easyJet to strengthen its balance sheet and accelerate its post-Covid 19 recovery plan,' he said in a statement on Tuesday. A rights issue consists in offering existing shareholders the chance or right to buy new shares at a discount to the market price. Because more shares are issued, the stock price is diluted and will likely go down. Shares in the FTSE 250 company took a hammering when it announced the rights issue. Today, they fell 2.2 per cent to 694p in early trading. The stock has seen big swings in recent weeks, but remains down about 15 per cent since the start of the year and around 50 per cent since February 2020, before Covid. EasyJet's biggest shareholder, founder Stelios Haji-Ioannou, decided not to participate in the rights issue and his stake is set to reduce to around 15 per cent, from 25 per cent as a result. Haji-Ioannou, who has in the past clashed with management over its growth plans, has repeatedly said he did not plan to plough more money into easyJet while the airline sticks to a deal with Airbus to buy more planes. Easyjet said it had received acceptances from investors for 93 per cent of the new shares. The underwriting banks on the issue will now try to find subscribers for the remaining 21million shares not taken up by shareholders. If they can't, they will subscribe for the stock themselves. North Korea on Tuesday fired a suspected ballistic missile into the sea, Seoul and Tokyo officials said, the latest in a series of weapons tests by Pyongyang that came days after it offered talks with South Korea. Seouls Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement that an unidentified projectile fired from an inland location in North Korea flew toward the countrys eastern sea Tuesday morning. It said South Korean and U.S. intelligence authorities were analyzing details of the launch. Japans Defense Ministry said North Korea fired a possible ballistic missile but gave no further details. Earlier this month, North Korea performed tests of ballistic and cruise missiles in its first such launches in six months, displaying an ability to attack South Korea and Japan, both key U.S. allies. But last Friday and Saturday, North Korea reached out to South Korea, saying its open to resuming talks and reconciliatory steps if conditions are met. Some experts said North Korea wants South Korea to play a role in winning relief from U.S.-led sanctions or other concessions. U.S. officials have repeatedly expressed hopes to sit down for talks with North Korea but have also made it clear they will continue sanctions until the North takes concrete steps toward denuclearization. A U.S.-led diplomatic effort aimed at convincing North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons in return for economic and political benefits remain stalled after 2 years. A main sticking point is a dispute over U.S.-led sanctions imposed on North Korea over its nuclear and missile tests. SOURCE: AP ALBANY A year ago, health care workers were the undisputed heroes of the pandemic, and rightly so. When COVID-19 was novel and unknown, when there were no vaccines to combat it, nurses and other hospital employees were at the forefront, working long hours and sacrificing their own health for the common good. They deserve our continued gratitude. Yet New York has apparently decided that some of those nurses and hospital workers aren't so terrific after all. By state order, the minority that remained unvaccinated against COVID-19 by 5 p.m. Monday were set to be suspended or fired, even if their terminations will bring widespread chaos to the health care system. In a Sunday morning speech at a Brooklyn church, Gov. Kathy Hochul framed vaccinations in starkly moralistic terms. "God did answer our prayers. He made the smartest men and women, the scientists, the doctors, the researchers he made them come up with a vaccine," Hochul said, before adding: "All of you, yes, I know you're vaccinated, you're the smart ones, but you know there's people out there who aren't listening to God and what God wants. You know who they are." The governor's religiosity and sense of service to the greater good are appealing qualities, generally. But be skeptical when a politician claims to be on the side of God or casts others as indifferent to what the almighty supposedly wants. You know who they are. Goodness. If nothing else, Hochul's rhetoric was remarkably harsh and ungenerous, especially with regard to unvaccinated nurses and other health care workers. Yes, people who work in medical settings should be vaccinated. Most of them are 84 percent of hospital workers statewide are vaccinated, according to state statistics, including 91 percent in the Capital Region. And yes, people forced to spend some time in hospitals and similar settings shouldn't have to worry that nurses or other hospital employees will make them sicker. For sure, this pandemic of the unvaccinated is frustrating and unnecessary. It's worth remembering, however, that vaccinated workers can still spread COVID-19, the more contagious delta variant especially, even if they are less likely to do so. And despite rhetoric casting them as unsmart, or even ungodly, many unvaccinated health care workers do have reasons for their decisions. As Public Employees Federation head Wayne Spence noted last week, some have underlying health worries. Some have already had COVID-19. Some might be coping with fertility issues as they try to get pregnant, while others may be lactating moms. (It isn't clear which medical exemptions will be considered worthy and which will not.) I suppose you could argue that the sanctity and protection of our health care system justifies jettisoning even sympathetic unvaccinated health care workers, and that the protection of the sick and needy warrants the tough decision that New York is making. Except that the vaccination mandate is throwing the health care system into such disarray that it is likely to harm the people the state is presumably trying to protect. The mandate, in other words, seems likely to do more damage than good. With thousands of workers likely to be fired at a time when hospitals are already dealing with worker shortages, some executives are predicting the most alarming and dire staffing crisis in memory. Even before Monday's deadline, hospitals were announcing cutbacks and initiating plans to cut surgeries, baby deliveries and other essential services. To combat the crisis, Hochul plans on sending in the National Guard, importing nurses from elsewhere and asking retired health care workers to return to service. "We are not relenting," the governor said Monday. "Were not backing off." But are those solutions practical? Will they do anything to curb the pandemic or improve medical care? Will New York's vaccine mandate be more effective than the frequent testing that states such as New Jersey are instead requiring for unvaccinated health care workers? Say what you want about unvaccinated nurses and hospital staffers, but many are experienced at dealing with COVID-19 and working through a pandemic. The same can't be said for many of their potential replacements. Heck, as of this writing, it wasn't even clear if all the medical personnel from the National Guard would be vaccinated. This is progress? It sure doesn't look like it. Instead, the mandate looks more like a symbol of our pandemic frustrations and our desire to punish the unvaccinated, who, as the governor kindly reminded us, aren't listening to God. Given the paucity of evidence showing that unvaccinated hospital workers are even responsible for spreading the virus, this looks like an unnecessary emergency born of the state's inflexibility. So thousands of health care workers, heroes of the pandemic, are set to lose their jobs and won't even be eligible for unemployment insurance. And if you have a surgery coming up or a baby on the way, well, you might have to wait. cchurchill@timesunion.com 518-454-5442 @chris_churchill ALBANY The statue of Gen. Phillip Schuyler, a celebrated Revolutionary War hero whose legacy is stained by his enslavement of Black people, will stand sentry over City Hall awhile longer. The city is working with the Underground Railroad Education Center and its Young Abolitionist Leadership Institute program to lead a series of public discussions around the future of the statue and provide the city with an action plan. The city is also using the planned removal of the statue to possibly redo the traffic circle in front of City Hall. The earliest that plan might land on Mayor Kathy Sheehans desk is fall 2022. Sheehan ordered the removal of the statue 15 months ago as Albany and the nation were confronting an uproar over the police killing of George Floyd and the treatment of Black people by police. As part of its work, the center applied for a $100,000 grant from Monument Lab, a Philadelphia-based public art and history studio, said Mary Liz Stewart, co-founder of the Underground Railroad Education Center. The centers plan is to have approximately 10 teenagers from Albany High School who signed up for the leadership institute to play a role in a learning and research effort that will culminate in public discussions on the statues future. The conversations will be followed by creation of an action plan for the city that should feature three to five options for what it should do with the statue, Stewart said. The discussion about the Schuyler statue is happening at a time of national reckoning over the future of monuments dedicated to historical figures who enslaved people and Confederate generals and politicians who led the fight against the Union Army during the Civil War. Monument Lab, through the Mellon Foundation, is sponsoring 10 teams throughout the country on projects to reimagine or rework public art and spaces. The center is supposed to learn whether or not it received its grant by the end of the month. Sheehans spokesman David Galin said the city was waiting on the result of the grant application before moving forward. We very much appreciate the Underground Railroads willingness to be a partner in the process and their efforts to submit the grant application to help partner with an organization to lead a discussion about where the statute should be relocated to and the appropriate historical context that should accompany it, he said in a statement. Sheehan previously has said that she wanted the statue to be moved after public conversations about where to move it. She announced the statue would be removed in June 2020 in the midst of weeks of protests over police brutality. At the time, Sheehan said multiple city employees had come to her and asked her to remove the statue because Schuyler had owned people and they did not feel comfortable walking past the monument every day. Stewart said Sheehan reached out to the center this past July to see if they would be interested in helping the city facilitate those conversations. The center's leadership institute typically takes teenagers from the city's summer youth employment program and leads them through a monthslong learning experience designed to introduce them to a variety of careers as they study the work of local abolitionists. This cohort will instead cover three sessions beginning this fall. The teens will start by learning more about Schuyler, a general in the American Revolution and politician who held multiple political offices. They will also examine how monuments across the country are being reexamined. The group has already been to the Schuyler Mansion to learn more about the family, Stewart said. The mansion has gained more prominence with the popularity of "Hamilton: An American Musical," as Schuyler was Alexander Hamilton's father-in-law. Expert research at the historical site also found evidence Hamilton also enslaved people. They have some exposure and understanding of this family and their relationship with the institution of slavery, she said. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. The teens will also research how other cities are handling calls to remove or contextualize statues and monuments before running open community conversations on the statue and its future. Stewart said as part of the process, the center will form a team of adults to provide input and connections to community members for the teens as they pursue their research. Stewart says she doesnt expect the program to wrap up until fall 2022. The teens only meet once a week for two hours, which slows the process, she noted. The assumption is well also have time to put a price tag on what do with (it), Stewart said. Sheehan previously said she believes moving the statue could cost roughly $40,000. The grant money may be put toward moving the statue to another location. The city is also using the decision to remove the statute to examine whether it should reconfigure the traffic circle at the intersection of Eagle Street and Washington Avenue, Galin said. Its not clear how much any resulting changes to the intersection would cost. The city Water Department has been doing several projects in the area and more are planned in the next few weeks. ALBANY Capital Region hospitals have begun placing hundreds of employees on unpaid leave after they failed to comply with the states new mandate requiring health care workers to get vaccinated against coronavirus. Albany Medical Center President and CEO Dennis McKenna said 204 out of more than 11,000 employees across the hospital system failed to get their first shot of vaccine or seek an exemption to the mandate by the Monday night deadline. Those employees have been suspended without pay and have seven days to comply or face termination, he said. More than 20 percent of the unvaccinated are nurses, but there are also 10 physicians who have not gotten the shot. McKenna said some of the doctors are "voluntary staff" who are in the community but not on the medical center's staff. That number is down from the 253 Albany Med employees who remained unvaccinated as of last Wednesday. Our colleagues, my colleagues have led with strength, passion and dedication to overcome this health crisis, McKenna said. We can continue to do so by leading by example and I applaud all my fellow caregivers at Albany Med and all the other regional hospitals with whom we speak to on a regular basis who have stepped up to be vaccinated. They did the right thing. McKenna held a news conference Tuesday morning to discuss the growing staffing crisis at Albany Med and the hospital's plan for addressing it. Hospitals across the region and nation have struggled with a shortage of workers for years, but after last winters surge of COVID-19 infections subsided they began to see an exodus of burned-out workers leave for other jobs or retire. Staffing was already reaching crisis levels before the vaccine mandate, which has now exacerbated the issue, they said. On Monday night, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed an executive order that will allow the state to address the health care worker shortage by bringing in out-of-state health care workers and, if need be, deploying National Guard to health care facilities in dire need of extra staff. McKenna said Albany Med has tried to recruit and retain staff by raising wages across various departments this year and offering referral bonuses. The hospital also recently implemented a new pay enhancement program that rewards staff who show up for all of their shifts in a given pay period. But area hospitals may also need to postpone elective procedures and scale back hours at outpatient clinics so they can redeploy staff to the bedside in order to plug the staffing shortages, he said. It truly is a crisis theres no two ways about that, he said. McKenna said that while most people think of nurses when they think of staffing shortages, the current crisis is being felt across nearly every department in the hospital. Those who failed to comply with the mandate work in a variety of departments, he said. Of the 204 employees who failed to meet Mondays deadline, 48 were nurses, 29 were patient care associates, 10 were physicians and six were students, he said, noting that other departments had a handful of unvaccinated employees as well. The full impact of the mandate wont be known until later this week or early next week, but it has helped to raise vaccination rates at some area hospitals. St. Peter's Health Partners, which also says it employs more than 11,000 people in the region, saw its ranks of unvaccinated employees shrink from nearly 400 as of Monday afternoon to 322 as of Tuesday morning, spokesperson Courtney Weisberg said. "In the hours leading up to the deadline, we did see an increase in the number of people submitting their vaccine documentation, which we had expected and planned for," she said in an email. "We anticipate that number could come down even further, as suspended colleagues are being given until (Oct. 8) to become compliant." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. At Glens Falls Hospital, 44 unvaccinated employees were placed on 90-day unpaid administrative leave Tuesday, spokesperson Ray Agnew said. That's down from over 200 employees who were unvaccinated just two weeks ago, he said. About 70 percent of those suspended Tuesday were staff who worked around patients, he said. "Thanks to an incredible dedicated, professional, loyal team that is picking up extra shifts, extra call duty, etc. along with agency staff we have the bases covered," he said. Nathan Littauer Hospital in Gloversville said 36 employees remained unvaccinated without exemptions as of Tuesday down from 73 on Friday. Its vaccination rate rose from 92 to 96 percent over that same period, spokesperson Cheryl McGrattan said. Saratoga Hospital President and CEO Angelo Calbone told the Times Union last week that some 60 to 70 employees risked losing their jobs over the mandate. Spokesperson Kristin Mosher said Tuesday afternoon that the hospital is still assessing the impact from the mandate deadline but should know more by the end of the week. Ellis Medicine in Schenectady, meanwhile, had 105 unvaccinated employees out of compliance with the mandate Tuesday, according to spokesperson Philip Schwartz. That number did not change significantly overnight, he said. "There is a disciplinary process prior to termination, which includes a window of time for colleagues to get vaccinated in order to become compliant with the policy," he said. The statewide impact of the mandate which applies to nursing home and adult care facility workers as well on staffing levels was less clear Tuesday. Hochul released updated vaccination figures Tuesday afternoon, however, that showed vaccination rates in these facilities have risen significantly in recent weeks: The percentage of nursing home staff receiving at least one dose increased to 92 percent as of Monday evening, up from 71 percent on Aug. 24 and 82 percent on Sept. 20. The percentage of adult care facilities staff receiving at least one dose increased to 89 percent as of Monday evening, up from 77 percent on Aug. 24 and 85 percent on Sept. 20. The percentage of hospital staff receiving at least one dose is 92 percent as of Monday evening based on preliminary self-reported data. The percentage of fully vaccinated is 85 percent as of Monday evening, up from 84 percent on Sept. 22 and 77 percent on Aug. 24. How many missed the deadline? Here's how many area hospital workers failed to meet Monday's vaccine deadline, as reported by hospitals Tuesday: St. Peter's Health Partners: 322 Albany Medical Center: 204 Ellis Medicine: 105 Glens Falls Hospital: 44 Nathan Littauer Hospital: 36 Note: Saratoga Hospital did not provide figures Tuesday, but reported 60-70 unvaccinated employees as of Friday afternoon. See More Collapse "This new information shows that holding firm on the vaccine mandate for health care workers is simply the right thing to do to protect our vulnerable family members and loved ones from COVID-19," Hochul said. "I am pleased to see that health care workers are getting vaccinated to keep New Yorkers safe, and I am continuing to monitor developments and ready to take action to alleviate potential staffing shortage situations in our health care systems." SCHENECTADY Debate raged in Schenectady Monday over two free speech-related flash points shaping city and regional politics: The arrests of activists and a spiked resolution by a city council member to censure a prominent racial justice advocate and city school board member for her calls to defund the police. Over a dozen speakers spoke in support of activists at Mondays City Council meeting, casting both the nixed resolution and roundup of demonstrators on minor charges related to events in Schenectady and Saratoga Springs as those casting a pall over free speech. It is truly chilling to see individuals in an elected body use their authority to condemn an activist and official for differing views, especially when those views are central to their work evaluating city budgets and priorities, said Melanie Trimble, director of the Capital Region Chapter of the NYCLU. Trimble also said she was pleased that the state Attorney General's Civil Rights Bureau is scrutinizing upstate cities where activists have been arrested. Councilwoman Karen Zalewski-Wildzunas tried to introduce a resolution earlier this month criticizing activist Jamaica Miles, contending her calls to defund the police are divisive and detrimental to the safety and security of both our residents and law enforcement officers. Speakers pushed back for the second time in as many weeks. Mabel Leon, 80, has worked for 60 years as an activist and said she felt extreme distress with the efforts. Miles activism, Leon said, is the continuance of a long lineage of civil rights activists who have shaped the U.S. since its founding, including the abolition of slavery and womens suffrage. A democracy is founded on free speech, Leon said. Change comes with difficulty. Fourteen social and racial justice advocates have been arrested over the past month in both Schenectady and Saratoga Springs on warrants for events that took place weeks earlier. The dozen arrests in Saratoga Springs were in connection with a July protest in which Broadway traffic was blocked for several minutes. A 911 caller, riding in a car, asked the police to do something to move traffic so he could get home to his heart medication, a call a police spokesman said prompted an investigation that led to charges of disorderly conduct and unlawful imprisonment. Two activists were arrested in Schenectady after they attended a police-organized neighborhood event on Aug. 26 designed to make inroads with the community. Vivian Parsons, a Republican candidate for City Council, said her young child was left shaken after activists hurled invective at police. Parsons played an audio recording purportedly capturing the slurs. No one wants to talk about the fact that innocent people were subjected to this, Parsons said. One of those arrested in connection to the incident, Mikayla Foster, didnt deny disrupting the event and applied handcuffs as they spoke for four minutes, lashing city officials for vague looks of indifference and discomfort and vowing that their activism will continue. If thousands of people in Schenectady were just doing it for fun, why are you so uncomfortable? Foster said. It shouldnt bother if its not true. The hour-long public comment period came immediately after a campaign rally for four City Council candidates nearly descended into chaos on the steps of City Hall, where Dave Ditoro briefly scuffled with county Democratic Committee Chairman Joe Landry after he attempted to place a campaign sign for his wife, Doreen Ditoro, on the lectern while Landry was speaking. Attendees urged the City Council to pursue more equitable policies and engage in dialogue in an attempt to find common ground. Heather Benno, a lawyer and founder of the Albany-based Immigrant Justice Solutions, called the roundup a coordinated attack against anti-racists, and part what she called an troubling retaliatory trend by authorities against those who have led protests in the Capital Region since the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer last summer, as well as deaths of other people of color. Schenectady NAACP President the Rev. Nicolle Harris wondered if the efforts would lead to an erosion of confidence amongst activists in the state-mandated police reform process, which is now in the implementation phase. If youre presenting resolutions like this, what youre doing is telling people its a dog and pony show and dont intend on making any changes, Harris said. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Rachel Novick, a teacher at the University of Albanys School of Criminal Justice, called for anti-racism training for city employees and a more inclusive environment in the Schenectady police department. Novick acknowledged her status as a white woman allows her privileges not afforded to people of color. Because of my privilege, city councilors dont propose resolutions condemning my speech, Novick said. At least 10 community members also submitted formal letters, most of them in favor of activists, with some calling for the charges to be dropped. Miles, co-founder of All of Us, delivered comments the very opposition that [Dr. Martin Luther] King faced were all facing again as well as co-founder Shawn Young, who implored officials to hear out activists even though their delivery method may be rough sometimes. Theres change here, Young said. Listen to it, be a part of the conversation. It may be loud, it may be noisy and you may not like what youre hearing sometimes. City Councilwoman Marion Porterfield said she wasnt surprised that the effort to censure Miles provoked a firestorm." Majority Leader John Polimeni criticized what he said were falsehoods being propagated on social media. No ones First Amendment rights were denied, said Polimeni, who backed the scrapped effort. But, he acknowledged: We can do better and we need to do better. Zalewski-Wildzunas pointed at the coarse language used by activists at the event that resulted in their arrest. We need to bring civility back," Zalewski-Wildzunas said after the meeting. [Dialogue] needs to be done in a civil manner and it must be done respectfully. Schenectady County District Attorney Robert Carney said his office hasnt taken a position on the arrests in his jurisdiction. I have to review the evidence in the case, Carney said in a brief phone interview. HONOLULU (AP) Supervisors of a Hawaii food distribution company discriminated against a Black employee by subjecting him to racial slurs and racist references to slavery, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged in a lawsuit. According to the lawsuit, a supervisor at Suisan Company's Hilo warehouse shouted racial slurs at the worker, who then completed an incident report. SCHENECTADY County Democratic Committee Chairman Joe Landry extolled the historic nature of a slate of county and city candidates at a rally at City Hall on Monday. But just as he finished his thought, Landry was confronted by Dave Ditoro who thrust a campaign sign for his former wife, Doreen Ditoro, toward Landry before being led away. While Landry didnt mention race, all are candidates of color, including four City Council hopefuls and two candidates for County Legislature. The clash occurred when Doreen Ditoro, a fifth candidate for City Council, showed up with two dozen supporters including City Council members Carmel Patrick, John Polimeni and Karen Zalewski-Wildzunas to hold a competing campaign event, contending they werent invited to participate. The group stood just feet away, talking loudly and occasionally shouting down the speakers, which included Mayor Gary McCarthy, city Democratic Committee Chairman Tom Bellick and Deputy County Legislature Chairman Philip Fields, as well as a group of Black leaders. The exchange marked the latest flare-up in what some members of the citys Black political apparatus claim are the dying throes of a white establishment seeking to maintain its grip on power. There was an old guard an old-school guard in Schenectady who controlled everything, said community activist Walter Simpkins. Now their power base has slipped and is eroding and they want to create division as if its an issue of color created by Black candidates. Schenectadys Democratic Party has long counted on the votes of Black residents, and now politicians of color and their supporters say its time to back them for political office. I feel as if the party has been muted in their support for candidates who happen to be people of color, said Rene Bradley, a longtime city Democratic Committee member and ward leader who has grown disenfranchised by what she believes is the partys sluggish embrace of diversity. Thats the messaging many people of color are getting from the county and city party. As an antidote, Bradley is working with a new political action committee on a mission to support Black candidates seeking office. Mondays tense exchange revealed the extent to which race has become a focus in this years contest, which is unusually fluid following the abrupt departures of two lawmakers earlier this year, resulting in five contested seats. The campaign kickoff was designed to boost the slate of endorsed Democratic candidates, including City Council President John Mootooveren and City Councilwoman Marion Porterfield, as well as hopefuls Damonni Farley and Carl Williams. All are Black except for Mootooveren, who is of Guyanese descent. The quartet marks the most candidates of color to run at the same time for City Council, disrupting a long-standing belief in the Black community that candidates of color have historically had to wait their turn. There was an unspoken practice that a limited number of people of color would be allowed on the City Council, Porterfield said. No one ever said it, but it was clear in the endorsement process. Bradley said candidates of color are tired of being met with someone standing in the doorway. I see discord in the Schenectady community thats fighting against change and I think theres a lot of operatives who may have endorsed change, but are not moving to tackle it. It's a viewpoint backed by the Schenectady NAACP, which released a statement in May accusing city and county party brass of "suppressing" Black candidates. Bellick disputes those claims, pointing at the partys previous backing of Porterfield and Fields. I dont see that, Bellick said. Attempts to further diversify the party are ongoing, said Landry, who stressed that the the party consists of committee members from throughout the county who volunteer their time. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Were always looking for new faces, Landry said. Old people and young people who want to get involved with the party. Its an ongoing challenge to get as many people involved as we can. Sometimes were more successful than others to get people involved. City Council has had just two Black lawmakers: Joe Allen was the first Black candidate to be elected in 1995, with Porterfield following in 2012 as the first Black woman. Ditoro, who didnt initially seek the partys endorsement but de facto won the nod after winning Junes primary, has opted to run as part of a breakaway group alongside Zalewski-Wildzunas, who was defeated by Farley in her bid for another four-year term. They are also backed by city Democratic Committee members Polimeni and Vice Chair David Bouck. All are white. Zalewski-Wildzunas has launched a bid on the Conservative Party line to retain her seat, and has used pro-police rhetoric that critics have said leans heavily into racial tropes, including staunch opposition to defunding the police even targeting a high-profile activist for censure. Its that type of language, Bradley said, that is reminiscent of conservative Republicans, and the fact that a portion of the Democratic Party is supporting Ditoro instead of Farley is evidence that party operatives are slow to embrace change. It starts from the top, Bradley said. There is concern that theres ugly messaging going on in the party structure itself that shouldnt take place. Zalewski-Wildzunas said the schism isnt race-related. I want to focus on the qualifications of the individuals running, Zalewski-Wildzunas said. Race should not come into play. I dont care if youre Black, brown or purple: What are your thoughts and how are you going to move the city forward? I dont think its about race and it shouldnt be about race. No matter the reason for discord, the party is indisputably cleaved, and Zalewski-Wildzunas and Patrick are calling for Bellicks ouster. It appears that there is clearly one set of rules for Chairman Bellick and his desired slate and another for everyone else, Ditoro said in a statement. An unfazed Bellick responded: If they want to replace me, have a good time. Ive been running campaigns in Schenectady for 35 years. AMMAN, Jordan (AP) Jordans national airline will resume direct flights to Damascus on Oct. 3, Jordans state-run news agency reported Tuesday, nearly a decade after flights were suspended because of the war in Syria. The resumption of flights is the latest sign of thawing relations between the two neighbors. The decision was announced at the end of a two-day ministerial meeting held in Jordan's capital of Amman, in which the two sides discussed strengthening cooperation in the trade, transport, energy and agriculture sectors, according to the Petra news agency. Royal Jordanian halted its flights to Damascus, the Syrian capital, and Aleppo in 2012 at the height of the Syrian civil war due to security reasons. In 2019, as military operations in Syria receded, airlines were able to resume flights in Syrian air space. In October 2018, Jordan also reopened a key border crossing with Syria, allowing the flow of goods between the two countries to resume. Jordan is a close Western ally and has offered support to Syrian rebels operating near its border. It hosts more than 650,000 Syrian refugees. After a decade of conflict, military operations in Syria have largely died down after President Bashar Assads forces aided by allies Iran and Russia recaptured most of the territory previously held by rebels. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. More recently, some Arab countries have shown a willingness to mend relations with Syria, whose membership in the Arab League was suspended in 2011 over its brutal crackdown against largely peaceful protests. Last week, Syrias defense minister was invited to Amman for talks with Jordans army chief on border security. Earlier this month, ministers from Lebanon, Syria, Jordan and Egypt said after meeting in Amman that Egyptian natural gas should reach Lebanon through Jordan and Syria as soon as next month, after maintenance of pipelines and the review of a deal interrupted 10 years ago. KINSLEY, Kan. (AP) The undersheriff of a south-central county in Kansas was arrested Monday in relation to a domestic violence incident over the weekend. Edwards County Undersheriff Robert Bobby Blackwell was arrested for aggravated domestic battery, the Kansas Bureau of Investigations said in a news release. (The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.) Justin Nix, University of Nebraska Omaha (THE CONVERSATION) Homicides in the U.S. spiked by almost 30% in 2020. That was the main takeaway from figures released on Sept. 27, 2021, by the FBI that showed almost uniform increases across America in the murder rate. The fact that big cities, small cities, suburbs and rural areas in both blue and red states experienced similar increases in homicides suggests that nationwide events or trends were behind the rise. The COVID-19 pandemic would be one obvious explanation given its pervasiveness in 2020. But as a criminologist, I know that homicide rates are affected by a number of factors. And what happened in 2020 was a confluence of events that created the perfect conditions for a spike in murders. Stress and a lack of support COVID-19 likely did have an impact. People were under increased psychological and financial pressure during the pandemic. Criminologists have long pointed to strain theory to explain criminal behavior. Stressors such as unemployment, isolation and uncertainty about the future can lead to increased frustration and anger. People experiencing these negative emotions are more prone to turn to crime when they lack access to more positive coping mechanisms. And previous research has shown how financial stressors and a lack of social support work together to influence the overall homicide rate. But the pandemic wasnt the only major event of 2020 that likely contributed to the increased homicide rates. In May of that year, George Floyd was murdered by a police officer in Minneapolis. Floyds murder and the large-scale protests that followed sparked a police legitimacy crisis. In short, this means citizens trust in police was diminished. The Ferguson effect When trust in the police falls as dramatically as it did following Floyds murder, the general public may become less likely to call 911 to report crimes or otherwise engage with the criminal justice system. Indeed, research by Desmond Ang at Harvard University suggests that after Floyds death, 911 calls dropped significantly in the eight cities he and his colleagues studied. High-profile cases of police brutality are also associated with what has become known as the Ferguson effect, in which police officers make fewer stops that occasionally result in illegal guns being taken off the streets. Research shows that a small number of people are disproportionately involved in violent crime. If this small group felt emboldened as a result of the legitimacy crisis, then it might help explain the increase in homicides. Richard Rosenfeld, a criminologist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, cited the Ferguson effect as a factor in the 17% hike in homicides recorded in U.S. cities after Michael Brown was shot by a police officer in the Missouri city in 2014. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. More guns = more gun homicides There is also evidence that gun carrying increased in 2020. Crime analyst Jeff Asher and data scientist Rob Arthur found that in 10 cities, although police made fewer arrests in 2020, the number of gun seizures went up. This suggests more people were illegally carrying guns in 2020. And research has long confirmed that gun ownership is linked to higher rates of firearm homicides. When there are more guns in the hands of emboldened offenders, then the likely result is more attempted and completed murders. That this all happened during the height of a pandemic means 2020 was a perfect storm of factors that proved capable of producing the largest single-year homicide spike on record. [Get the best of The Conversation, every weekend. Sign up for our weekly newsletter.] This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/more-guns-pandemic-stress-and-a-police-legitimacy-crisis-created-perfect-conditions-for-homicide-spike-in-2020-168823. More than a year after Black Lives Matter protests launched a worldwide reckoning about the centuries of racism that Black people continue to face, the question of reparations emerged unevenly as a high-profile issue at this years largest gathering of world leaders. At the U.N. General Assembly, African and Caribbean countries that stand to benefit from reparations were backed by other nations, though those most responsible for slavery and colonialism said little about what they might owe to African descendants. Leaders from Africa (South Africa and Cameroon) to the Caribbean (Saint Kitts & Nevis and Saint Lucia) were joined by representatives of countries that are unlikely to be tapped to pay up Cuba and Malaysia among them in explicitly endorsing the creation of reparation systems. Those missing from the renewed global conversation on the topic, though, were noteworthy as well: the United States, Britain and Germany, wealthy and developed nations built from conquests of varying kinds. Caribbean countries like ours, which were exploited and underdeveloped to finance the development of Europe, have put forward a case for reparations for slavery and native genocide, and we expect that case to be treated with the seriousness and urgency it deserves, said Philip J. Pierre, prime minister of Saint Lucia. There should be no double standards in the international system in recognizing, acknowledging and compensating victims of crimes against humanity. A look at who is and isn't talking about the issue this past week is a sign that while the movement supporting literal payback to the African continent and the forced diaspora that ravaged it is growing, the substantive engagement of major powers however apologetic is limited. U.S. President Joe Biden, for example, made no mention of it in his address, though the White House earlier this year said it supported studying reparations for Black Americans. And the office of its U.N. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who is African American, wouldn't comment on the recent reparations discussions. Monetary atonement for Americas history of slavery is a seminal question in the worlds attempt to reconcile with what South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called one of the darkest periods in the history of humankind, and a crime of unparalleled barbarity. Its legacy persists in the Americas, the Caribbean, Europe, the Middle East, and in Africa itself, Ramaphosa said at a meeting on reparations during the General Assembly. Millions of the descendants of Africans who were sold into slavery remain trapped in lives of underdevelopment, disadvantage, discrimination and poverty. Slavery in what became the United States began more than 400 years ago with slaves forcibly transported by ship from Africa. The debate about reparations has been ongoing ever since slavery was abolished in 1865. In recent years, the issue has languished in Congress for more than three decades, though reparations have gained traction in a smattering of cities and local governments as the country continues to grapple with fallout from the death of George Floyd in 2020. Carla Ferstman, an international law expert who studies reparations as a professor at the University of Essex, said the U.N. talks this session mark a significant milestone for the global reparations movement that has been brewing for 20 years. What remains to be seen is how it unfolds between individual nations and how transformative the results are. While each reparations program would specifically be between the perpetrators and the victims' descendants, the conversation to rectify wrongs in history has now become universal. Its universal," Ferstman said, because inequity is universal. Valued reparations to address harm could come in the form of direct financial payments for individuals, developmental aid for countries, the return of colonized land, treasured artifacts and cultural items, systemic corrections of policies and laws that may still oppress, and the kind of full-throated apologies and acknowledgements that wipe aside certain historical figures that were once celebrated as national heroes. People perceive their harms in very different ways this perception of how the wrongs happened and how they manifested in terms of later generations, Ferstman said. "One needs to be sensitive to what is important and how to best rectify. The latest discussions on reparations came as the U.N. commemorated an important but contentious 2001 anti-racism conference in South Africa that resulted in what is known as the Durban Declaration. A new resolution adopted at the commemoration meeting last Wednesday acknowledged some progress but deplored what it called a rise in discrimination, violence and intolerance directed at people of African heritage and many other groups from the Roma to refugees, the young to the old, people with disabilities to displaced people. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. There was even a discussion devoted to reparations, though it didn't go unnoticed during that talk that last weeks new declaration stopped short of demanding nations must pay reparations to those their government harmed. It said only that there should be a way for descendants to seek just and adequate reparation or satisfaction for any damage suffered. That was despite the U.N. Human Rights Councils explicit recommendation for reparations in a major milestone report in June. While reparations could not compensate or right all the wrongs that had been done against the people of African descent, they could go a long way in addressing systemic racism that still lingers in the society today, in bringing about a level playing field to realize their true potentials, Syed Mohamad Hasrin Aidid, head of Malaysias U.N. mission, said at Wednesdays meeting. The United States, Britain and Germany were among the dozens of countries that didnt attend the Durban commemoration last week because of persisting grievances about the conference 20 years ago, when the U.S. boycotted it over references to the Israel-Palestinian conflict. The U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said it did not dispute the horrors of slavery and colonialism, but that it was focused on solving today's problems. It said in a statement: While we acknowledge that the wounds run very deep, we believe that the most effective way for the U.K. today to respond to the cruelty of the past is to ensure that current and future generations do not forget what happened, and to address modern-day slavery and racism. Germanys president, in his General Assembly address, didnt mention reparations, though his is one of the few countries that have directed money to make up for its colonial-era actions. Early this year, Germany officially recognized the massacre of tens of thousands of people in Namibia as genocide and agreed to provide 1.1 billion euros ($1.3 billion) for projects that are expected to stretch over 30 years to help the communities affected. That announcement pointedly did not label Germany's initiative as formal reparations. Facing journalists this week at the United Nations who sought answers on Namibia, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said his country continues to negotiate proposals with the African leaders. (T)he results that have been achieved have been achieved with the desire to finally reach an outcome, though not a conclusion, with regard to this truly difficult chapter of German history," Maas said. For in fact, it is only the beginning of a period of very, very intensive cooperation between Germany and Namibia. ____ Sally Ho, based in Seattle, is a member of The Associated Press' Race & Ethnicity team. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/_sallyho ALBANY Carla B. Freedman is close to clearing another hurdle to become the Capital Regions next top federal prosecutor. Freedman, a supervisory federal prosecutor in Syracuse nominated by President Joe Biden to be U.S. attorney for the 32-county Northern District of New York, is scheduled to be approved Thursday by a U.S. Senate judiciary panel meeting at 9 a.m. Also up for approval are Breon Peace, who is Biden's nominee to lead the U.S. attorneys office in the Brooklyn-based Eastern District of New York; Damian Williams, the presidents nominee to lead the offices Manhattan-based Southern District of New York and nominees for other federal prosecutors, judges and officials. Freedman will need to be confirmed by the the full Senate before leading the office now headed by acting U.S. Attorney Antoinette Bacon. Freedman would be the first woman to permanently lead the office. The 57-year-old Freedman, of Manlius, a graduate of Syracuse University and New York Law School, worked as a prosecutor in the Manhattan district attorney's office from 1988 to 2004. After taking time off to raise her daughter, since 2007 she has worked in the U.S. attorney's office in Syracuse as chief of the NDNY's Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDEFT), Upon Senate confirmation, Freedman will lead an office that includes her native Syracuse, the entire Capital Region, Adirondacks, Binghamton and Kingston. In a questionnaire for non-judicial nominees before the Senate committee, Freedman explained that while she has prosecuted a wide variety of crimes in her 32 years as a prosecutor, she has concentrated on cases involving organized crime, violent crime and drug trafficking offenses. Since 2009, she said, that has included cases involving controlled substance analogues and synthetic drugs. Freedman listed her top cases, including the successful prosecution between 2014 and 2018 of Andrew Raymond and Brian Requena, both of Los Angeles, who operated what Freedman said was among the most sophisticated synthetic drug organizations in the country. Other top prosecutions she highlighted included the takedown of an organization importing synthetic bath salts from a Chinese pharmaceutical company and another case involving a person who scammed desperately ill victims who paid large amounts of money and traveled to the Philippines based on false promises to receive organ transplants. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Freedman, a Democrat, is expected to succeed Bacon, a Republican whose tenure was expected to end as a result of the presidential election won by Biden. ALBANY Another blast of Hollywood star power is coming to the Capital Region. "Billions," the Showtime series starring Paul Giamatti and Damian Lewis, will film segments of the show in Albany in the coming days. It is just the latest movie or television show to shoot scenes in the Capital Region. A casting call posted to film industry job website projectcasting.com last week is seeking extras to portray "senators, aides and government worker types for filming scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. They had scouted us over the summer, said Albany County Film Commissioner Deb Goedeke. They came over the summer and looked at a few different locations and we helped make that happen. The sixth season of the drama on wealth and power in U.S. financial centers is just the latest production to land in the Capital Region, joining HBOs The Gilded Age in Troy and the same networks White House Plumbers starring Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux last month. Goedeke credited the state's film tax credit program as one component making Albany a desirable location for filming as well as a streamlined approval process, which cuts down on red tape. And amid the ongoing pandemic, the regions lower population density helps to put production crews at ease, she said. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Its just the ease of coming here, Goedeke said. Our city has doubled for New York City and Washington, and our costs are much lower. NewsChannel 13 reported "Billions" was interested in the region on Monday. ALBANY Amid a state-imposed freeze on in-state tuition, the State University of New York has raised the tuition for out-of-state students and ramped up non-tuition fees for all students at four research universities, including the University at Albany. Four-year SUNY colleges may raise nonresident tuition $125 per semester, according to a June resolution that will be finalized by the SUNY Board of Trustees on Wednesday. Nonresident students at associate degree-granting colleges will see their tuitions rise between $140 and $425 per semester. The new rates went into effect this fall. "While SUNY froze tuition for any New York State resident or any of the medical degree programs, given the continued demand for qualified medical professionals at the front lines against COVID, we did marginally increase tuition for out-of-state residents and professional rates," SUNY spokeswoman Holly Liapis said. She added that SUNYs out-of-state tuition is still among the most competitive in the nation. The cost of tuition at state and city universities has skyrocketed over the last decade. In 2011, the state Legislature and then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo approved SUNY 2020, which allowed SUNY to raise tuition by up to $300 a year for five years. During that period, tuition at SUNY shot up by $1,500, or 30 percent. After SUNY 2020 expired, lawmakers did not renew it, criticizing SUNY for the ongoing increases. The creation of the Excelsior Scholarship program in 2018, which allows students of families that make below $125,000 a year to receive free tuition, allowed SUNY to raise tuition $200 a year on those not eligible for the scholarship. It has done so every year through 2020-21. The 2021-2022 state budget, passed in April 2020 in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, restored nearly $75 million in cuts to SUNY and City University of New York, and invested an additional $56 million in the public university systems. It also froze in-state tuition increases at two- and four-year colleges for three years. A variety of vaguely defined college fees, which can add hundreds of dollars in student costs each semester, are not restricted by the state Legislature or covered by the state's Excelsior Scholarship. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. At their June meeting, the board raised the "Innovation Fee" at UAlbany, Binghamton University, the University at Buffalo and Stony Brook University from $62.50 to $137.50 "to take advantage of a once in a generation opportunity for competing for an unprecedented investment from the proposed United States Innovation and Competition Act of 2021," Liapis said. The fee increase, which went into effect for the 2021-2022 academic year, will be used to expand learning opportunities for student researchers, much-needed high-tech equipment and laboratory improvements, and the hiring of the new faculty, according to Liapis. These investments "will allow SUNY to be successful in being on the front line of receipt of these federal funds," she said. Students from low-income households, about 45 percent of impacted students, will have the fees covered by the state Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) and other state and federal student financial aid. Hill & Markes, wholesale distributor in Amsterdam, is hosting a webinar on what you need to know for the upcoming foam ban with experts from Pactiv and World Centric on Wednesday, September 29 at 10 a.m. As of January 1, 2022, New York is banning polystyrene foam. The webinar will discuss what to expect, alternatives, and exemptions to the foam ban for impacted businesses. Register at: https://www.hillnmarkes.com/webinars ALBANY Former Bishop Howard J. Hubbard has been accused of misrepresenting the Albany diocese's handling of sexual abuse cases, including making "at least one outright lie," in an Aug. 13 commentary in the Times Union in which he sought to explain the religious organization's cover-up of the abuse. Attorneys for individuals who have filed sexual abuse claims against the diocese have made the accusation against Hubbard in recent court filings, and are asking a judge to unseal key portions of the former bishop's testimony in April, when he was deposed in private for four days as part of pre-trial proceeding involving dozens of cases filed under the state's Child Victims Act. In March a month before Hubbard was deposed the attorneys in the case had agreed to a stipulation that would allow the transcript of his deposition to remain sealed under a protective order. Jeffrey R. Anderson and Cynthia S. LaFave, attorneys for dozens of alleged victims who are suing the diocese, Hubbard or other former priests, told a judge in a recent filing that the reasons supporting the protective order including potential nuisance and prejudice are no longer valid because of Hubbard's alleged misstatements in the opinion piece about the diocese's handling of abuse complaints. "Bishop Hubbard's Aug. 13 ... op-ed in the Albany Times Union is rife with misrepresentations by omission and at least one outright lie regarding his handling of child sexual abuse allegations during his 37-year tenure as bishop of the Diocese of Albany, and the public has a right to know the full truth," the attorneys wrote. Hubbard's attorney could not immediately be reached for comment on Monday. The plaintiffs' filing notes that Hubbard's legal team as well as the attorney for the Albany diocese oppose the potential unsealing of the deposition. Two weeks before Hubbard's commentary was published, the Times Union reported on a similar statement he made to the newspaper in which he confirmed that the diocese had shielded priests and others facing sexual abuse allegations sending them into private treatment programs rather than contacting law enforcement officials or alerting parishioners. Some of those priests allegedly emerged from treatment and committed more crimes. Hubbard ran the diocese from 1977 to 2014. "When an allegation of sexual misconduct against a priest was received in the 1970s and 1980s, the common practice in the Albany diocese and elsewhere was to remove the priest from ministry temporarily and send him for counseling and treatment," Hubbard had said. "Only when a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist determined the priest was capable of returning to ministry without reoffending did we consider placing the priest back in ministry. The professional advice we received was well-intended but flawed, and I deeply regret that we followed it." The unsealing of Hubbard's deposition, which was conducted by attorneys in multiple abuse cases, is being sought in a case in which a "John Doe" victim is suing the diocese and Our Lady of the Annunciation Parish in Queensbury, one of the parishes where former priest Gary J. Mercure, who is serving more than 25 years in a Massachusetts prison, was found to have raped and sexually abused multiple altar boys. Hubbard's commentary in the Times Union was published as the Albany diocese is facing roughly 300 Child Victims Act lawsuits. The cases, filed under a law that gave victims a two-year window to bring claims outside of New York's statute of limitations, describe decades of abuse allegedly committed by priests and others who preyed on the children in their care, while using their positions to evade accountability. In a detailed response to questions from the Times Union over the summer, Hubbard said he was a leader in the church on fighting abuse and had championed policies such as background checks and compensation funds to redress the churchs legacy of sexual abuse. He denied that he ever brushed aside abuse. In the commentary published two weeks after that story was published, Hubbard said their "failure to notify the parish and the public when a priest was removed or restored was a mistake. ... Most of the allegations received in the 1970s and 80s involved misconduct that was well beyond criminal and civil statutes of limitations. ... There was a sense in those days that these crimes should be handled with a minimum of publicity that might re-victimize a minor." Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. Anderson, an attorney with one of the largest abuse firms in the country, on Monday declined to comment on the request to have Hubbard's deposition unsealed, saying the filing "speaks for itself." He and LaFave have asked a judge to rule on their unsealing request in the coming weeks. In their filing, the attorneys argue that releasing Hubbard's testimony "serves the goals of the New York Legislature in enacting the CVA, including the public identification of predators, accountability for institutions that harbored child sex abusers, and justice for survivors. ... If Bishop Hubbard wanted to maintain the secrecy of the information that he was questioned about in the deposition, he should not have gone public with the very same subject matter." Peter J. Saghir, an attorney for another alleged victim in the case against the diocese and Our Lady of Annunciation Parish, filed a motion Monday in support of the unsealing request made by Anderson and LaFave. Saghir wrote in his filing that Hubbard's commentary contained "material contradictions to his sworn testimony in an effort to conceal the true nature of his conduct and improperly influence the jury pool" should the cases go to trial. "Bishop Hubbard represented to the public that most of the allegations received in the 1970s and 1980s involved misconduct that was well beyond the criminal and civil statute of limitations, while the opposite is true," Saghir wrote. He added that Hubbard's claims that he and society now better understand the addictive nature of sexual abuse and the lifelong scars for the victims are contradicted by his testimony in the deposition that indicate he was aware of those consequences decades ago, when the abuse was occurring. Saghir said Hubbard acknowledged receiving detailed information from experts who informed him in the 1970s of the lifelong consequences for survivors and the unlikelihood that abusers would strike only once. Hubbard, "as leader of the diocese, protected and enabled predator priests to continue abusing children despite the risks known to him of re-offending with his self-serving goal of avoiding scandal and preserving the church's reputation," Saghir wrote. "He seeks to continue to do the same now through misrepresenting material facts, and contradicting his own sworn testimony to avoid public scrutiny and avoid scandal, while promoting 'respect for the priesthood.'" Kamloopa, An Indigenous Matriarch Story is the fall presentation of WAM Theatre in the Berkshires and will run Oct. 7-24 at Shakespeare & Companys Bernstein Theatre. But Kamloopa is not theater. According to author Kim Senklip Harvey, it must be considered Indigenous artistic ceremony. For more than a decade now, WAM has done brilliant work at the intersection of theater and activism. For this production, they supplemented a standard press release with some recommended guidelines on discussing the work at hand. Also part of the press pack is a lengthy statement from the playwright titled, Protocols for entering the Indigenous Artistic Ceremony. Heres an excerpt: Consider how you make your requests from Indigenous people or make potentially oppressive comments towards Indigenous peoples who continue to live under siege of Settler and white supremacy. And this: We're not looking for comparative analysis with American Theatre. We are inviting you to come and bear witness and participate in Indigenous artistic ceremony, to learn what that means and not assert Settler power aggressively over us. Not very welcoming, that. Quite the opposite, actually. But an assignment is an assignment. Preparing for an interview with two of the artists, I gave a quick read of the provided script (thanks again, WAM), expecting to enter some kind of solemn and sacrosanct realm. To my surprise and relief, Kamloopa is fast paced, often funny, and frequently irreverent. Two young adult sisters with a messy apartment and busy lives commiserate about all the stereotypes and caricatures that are constantly heaped on them as Indigenous people. Their desire for authentic experience is answered with the mysterious arrival of IFN1 (Indian Friend No. 1) who leads them in a journey of discovery. Nevertheless, I remained cautious as the phone interview began. After introductions, I spoke of how much I enjoyed the script and that it was, dare I say it, fun. Hearty laughter and general agreement was the quick response that came from director Estefania Fadul and cast member Sarah B. Denison. Were having so much fun with lots of exploring and laughing together as we find our way through, says Fadul. The story highlights the joy of three modern young women entering a new life, and theres a lot of comic relief. The creative team for Kamloopa consists entirely of women of color, while each of the three actors is Indigenous. Fadul was born in Colombia and raised in New Hampshire, and her credits include past work with WAM and the Williamstown Theatre Festival. Denison, who plays the older sister Kilawna, is a New York-based actor, writer and director who is originally from the Spokane Reservation. Weve come together to tell a story and storytelling in Indigenous culture is sacred, says Denison, Every single play fosters growth and discovery and thats the most poignant thing about Indigenous theater. Ive played spirits and ancestors before but in Kampoola Im a real modern person, an animal and an ancestor all rolled into one. Magical realism, to use a term from the cursed American theater, is a big part of the production. Not only do the actors have secondary roles as the animals and ancestors Denison referred to, the script also includes what might be called elemental interpolations. Evocative phrases like The Wind River blows through and Ancestor cries and Howls are included alongside more traditional stage directions like picks up purse and exits. The author leaves it vague on how theyre to be interpreted or realized and refers to them as opportunities. Fadul says that after consultation with dramaturg Tatiana Godfrey and sound designer Caroline Eng, shes come to view those curious cues as catalysts connecting time that help the characters travel on the different dimensions. She further states that the team has decided to realize them as part of the vocabulary of sound and light. Theres also a lot of music in Kamloopa with snippets of songs often used to make a point and none more frequently than Colors of the Wind from the 1995 Disney film Pocahontas. While the song is beautiful, it uses a lot of stereotypes, says Fadul. Acknowledging and wiping away the tired and cliched notions of the Indigenous people of our continent seems to be the point of Kamloopa. Apparently, its OK to be entertained along the way. This piece is hopeful and has poignant moments and it doesnt take itself too seriously. The characters make discoveries and that allows the audience to make discoveries too, says Denison. Its important that the audience knows its okay to laugh or laugh at yourself. And its okay to be a white person who doesnt know all this. Joseph Dalton is a freelance writer based in Troy. Thousands of healthcare workers in New York faced with either getting the COVID-19 vaccine or losing their jobs received at least one dose as the statewide mandate neared An Edmonds, Washington woman has pleaded guilty to wire fraud related to the 2018 fire at her business that prosecutors said she set in order to collect insurance money A 40-year-old Georgia man is being held without bond in connection with a shooting that killed one person and wounded at least seven at an event after a festival in South Carolina Officials at two central Florida schools ordered students to hold in place when a black bear was spotted near the campuses [September 28, 2021] 1Kosmos Selected as Winner of 2021 Alestra NAVE Open Innovation Program 1Kosmos, the only cybersecurity solution to provide identity proofing and passwordless authentication, has been selected as the winner of the 2021 Alestra NAVE Program. NAVE is the open innovation program of Alestra (News - Alert) , a Mexican company with the most robust offering of information and communication technology services in the country. The NAVE program promotes B2B startups and scaleups aligned to technological megatrends, and enables organizations to be more productive through digitization in areas like big data, AI, mobility, IoT, VR/AR, cybersecurity, and blockchain. In February, 1Kosmos was selected as one of six winners to enter the organization's 16-week program to introduce its BlockID platform to Alestra's customers. The company entered this program with the objective to formalize business alliances in the Mexican market and strengthen Alestra's portfolio of digital transformation services. Through this partnership, Alestra will leverage all of 1Kosmos BlockID product offerings to enhance their identity based authentication capabilities. "We're thrilled to be selected as the winner of Alestra's NAVE Program this year amid a highly competitive pool of participants," said Hemen Vimadalal, CEO and co-founder of 1Kosmos. "Our BlockID technology represents a critical industry shift toward identity based authentication measures which are the future of cybersecurity. As an organization dedicated to digital innovation and the sharing of ideas, NAVE has been a great partner in helping spread the need for this technology and the principles behind it." BlockID is the platform supporting 1Kosmos product offerings, each of which advancs identity based authentication principles. As a standards-certified solution, BlockID allows users to establish an undisputable identity for use in all login attempts by uploading government issued IDs that are verified against live biometrics. All information is stored in a decentralized blockchain ledger to ensure the highest level of identity protection. This highly verified identity makes obsolete traditional username/password credentials, and added protection measures of multifactor authentication ( MFA (News - Alert) ) and one time codes (OTC). All 1Kosmos solutions eliminate identity fraud without introducing friction into the user experience. "At Alestra, we're proud to name 1Kosmos as an official commercial partner after concluding our 2021 NAVE Open Innovation Program," said Jenaro Martinez, Director of Innovation and Strategic Alliances at Alestra. "With BlockID, 1Kosmos is defining a market for identity based authentication and the important role this technology will play in the future of cybersecurity. Though there are many benefits of the platform, the ease of implementation will allow companies like ours, and our 18,000 clients, to accelerate our digital transformation." Now in its fifth year, NAVE seeks to create a dynamic and collaborative ecosystem with global reach to enable digital innovation in Mexico. The mission of its open innovation program is to attract entrepreneurs who work with disruptive technologies to generate future value such as new products, business models, and skills. It is focused on facilitating the entry of new businesses in Mexico, including education on the Mexican market and regional go-to-market strategy, the constitution of the company, compliance with regulations and payment of taxes, pricing, and the management of international operations. About 1Kosmos 1Kosmos BlockID is a distributed digital identity platform supporting both business-to-employee and business-to-consumer services that easily integrates with existing operating systems, applications, and IT security infrastructure to perform strong, verified identity-based authentication - eliminating the need for passwords, one-time codes, and more. By simplifying identity infrastructure, 1Kosmos drives both cost savings and user convenience while securing businesses and individuals from the harm and inconvenience of identity fraud. The company is headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey. For more information, visit www.1kosmos.com or follow @1KosmosBlockID on Twitter (News - Alert) . About Alestra Alestra is Axtel ICT services business unit, it is a leader and a promoter of Digital Innovation for companies and government organizations with more than 25 years leading digital transformation and close to 15 years of experience in corporate innovation solutions. Throughout its portfolio, Alestra enables organizations with managed networks, collaboration, cybersecurity, cloud solutions, systems integration, digital transformation and mobility, in alliance with the world's leading technology manufacturers. Website: alestra.mx Facebook (News - Alert) : facebook.com/Alestra.mx LinkedIn (News - Alert) : Alestra Twitter: @alestra_MX View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005262/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Aptean Launches Integrated CRM and Industrial Manufacturing ERP Cloud-Based Solution Enables 360-Degree View of Buyer Journeys ALPHARETTA, Ga., Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Aptean , a global provider of mission-critical enterprise software solutions, announced the launch of a new integrated offering joining its Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software and Aptean Industrial Manufacturing ERP Made2Manage Edition. The integration of the CRM and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) will enable customers to centralize data and decrease the likelihood of errors that can result from switching between platforms. In the industrial manufacturing industry, buyer journeys can be complex. To effectively nurture relationships, industrial manufacturers need a CRM that can store customer interactions at every touchpoint, over time, in one central location. Apteans integrated CRM and Industrial Manufacturing ERP helps manufacturers improve their customer service by creating an easier way to access customer data as well as orders, timelines, complaints and follow-ups. The integrated CRM and ERP solution is cloud-based and delivers benefits, including: Ability to monitor and store all customer interactins in one central location accessible to all internal stakeholders regardless of device or location. Access to rich marketing campaign performance and sales lead data that can help production anticipate demand to forecast schedules and maintain optimized inventory levels. Improved customer experience and relationships, streamlined internal processes and enhanced productivity. For more information about Aptean CRM, click here. About Aptean Aptean is one of the worlds leading providers of purpose-built, industry-specific software that helps manufacturers and distributors effectively run and grow their businesses. With both cloud and on-premise deployment options, Apteans products, services and unmatched expertise help businesses of all sizes to be Ready for Whats Next, Now. Aptean is headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To learn more about Aptean and the markets we serve, visit www.aptean.com. Aptean is a trademark of Aptean, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. For Media Inquiries Please Contact Nicole ORourke Chief Marketing Officer Nicole.Orourke@aptean.com (770) 715-0362 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Carahsoft Expands Availability of Forescout's Platform to Government Organizations in Canada RESTON, Va., Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Carahsoft Technology Corp., The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, today announced it has expanded its partnership with Forescout to provide enterprise-class visibility and control to all levels of the Government of Canada, including federal, provincial, territorial, municipal and Crown corporations. Under the agreement, Carahsoft will leverage its Software Licensing Supply Arrangement (SLSA) Contract, held through Public Services and Procurement in Canada, to distribute Forescout products and services. Carahsoft will work with its reseller partners in Canada to offer additional contracts to support new Public Sector customers and broaden the availability of Forescout solutions. Forescout has been working with the US government as a foundational cybersecurity provider through its Continuous Diagnostics & Mitigation (CDM) and Comply-to-Connect (C2C) contracts. We provide real-time and continuous discovery, assessment and governance to allow organizations to achieve visibility and control of all devices across their heterogeneous network, said Tamer Baker, Global Government Chief Technology Officer, Forescout. Extending our partnership with Carahsoft will provide deeper security awareness within the Canadian government and a clear roadmap to a zero-trust framework. Forescout aligns the network realitywith security frameworks by providing the most comprehensive cybersecurity platform for visibility and control of all network-connected devices. It then assesses and manages risk based on the vulnerabilities and threats and enforces segmentation and compliance of every connected device. Implementing zero trust does not stop at the data center or with applications. It is about securing everything, everywhere. Forescout helps agencies adopt a NIST 800-207-based Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA) established on best practices, from identifying, continuously monitoring, and controlling connected assets to orchestrating security across your enterprise. We are proud of this new contract with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) and look forward to bringing Forescout into the Canadian marketplace, said Alex Whitworth, who leads the Forescout Team at Carahsoft. Our team and Forescout partners look forward to building out a focused Public Sector program to bring the benefits of the Forescout platform to all levels of the Canadian government. We will leverage our experience supporting the U.S. Department of Defense Comply-to-Connect program as we support the Canadian Federal Government. Forescouts zero trust solutions are now available to the Canadian Public Sector through Carahsofts SLSA Contract #EN578-100808/417/EE and the companys reseller partners. For more information, contact the Forescout Canada team at (833)-FSCT-GOV or Forescout@carahsoft.com. About Carahsoft Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator for our vendor partners, we deliver solutions for Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Open Source, Customer Experience and Engagement, and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Visit us at www.carahsoft.com. Contact: Mary Lange 703-230-7434 pr@carahsoft.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Creative, a DNI Company, Earns CDC eClearance Contract OKLAHOMA CITY, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative IT Solutions, LLC (Creative), a tribally-owned SBA certified 8(a) Small Disadvantaged Business (SDB), is excited to announce they have been awarded a prime contractor role under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) IT Support for Scientific Knowledge Management Support Systems Time and Materials (T&M) Contract. Creative is pleased support CDC with cloud and server-based hosting and development of knowledge management systems in Atlanta, Georgia. Creative is extremely proud to be suppoting CDC's mission to promote health and quality of life by preventing and controlling disease, injury, and disability. Creative has experienced exponential growth over the past few years and is repeatedly recognized as a small business success story, earning a plethora of exceptional CPARS (Customer Performance Assessment Reporting System) from satisfied customers. ABOUT CREATIVE IT SOLUTIONS: Creative has experience providing enterprise IT support and other specialized services to the federal government. Creative is ISO 9001 certified, ISO 27001 certified, and is CMMI Maturity Level 3 appraised in CMMI Development (CMMI-DEV/L3). ABOUT DELAWARE NATION INDUSTRIES: DNI is wholly owned by the Delaware Nation, the first Indigenous Nation to sign a treaty with the United States. DNI operates with a Shared Services Business Model with the corporate reach-back and proven management that allows them to leverage best practices across each contract. Contact: For more information, please contact the Marketing and Communications Department, at MarCom@DNIshines.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/creative-a-dni-company-earns-cdc-eclearance-contract-301385902.html SOURCE Delaware Nation Industries [September 28, 2021] CSC Finds Majority of World's Largest Companies Susceptible to Phishing and Brand Abuse Due to Improper Domain Security CSC, a world leader in business, legal, tax, and domain security, today released its annual Domain Security Report: Forbes Global 2000 Companies, which found that despite the shift to modernize business environments and operations among the Global 2000 companies, web domains remain dangerously under protected. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005027/en/ Key findings from the 2021 Domain Security Report (Graphic: Business Wire) CSC's (News - Alert) research also shows that most Global 2000 companies continue to lag in the adoption of domain security measures. Most notably, 81% of companies are not using registry locks. Other concerning findings illustrate that domain security remains an afterthought for many brands: 70% of homoglyph (fuzzy match) domains-a tactic commonly used inphishing and brand abuse-are owned by third parties 57% of the Global 2000 are relying on off-the-shelf consumer-grade registrars who offer limited domain security mechanisms to protect against domain and DNS hijacking CSC's additional findings leave little doubt that bad actors are applying tactics to hide their tracks and accelerate their attempts to execute their attacks. The research found that among the 70% of third-party domains deemed suspicious: 77% used domain privacy services or also had WHOIS details redacted used domain privacy services or also had WHOIS details redacted 43% are configured with MX email records, giving them the ability to send phishing emails are configured with MX email records, giving them the ability to send phishing emails 56% were pointing to advertising, pay-per-click content, or being used for domain parking were pointing to advertising, pay-per-click content, or being used for domain parking 38% had inactive web content had inactive web content 6% were pointing to brand impersonation and malicious content including phishing and potential malware delivery The rise of cyber crime and digital fraud, along with a steady increase in domain registrations over the last 18 months, necessitates more industry oversight. At the same time, it's imperative that companies get proactive with their domain security moving forward. Including security measures can help mitigate phishing-a common starting point in most ransomware attacks. Companies need to take a more aggressive cyber security approach to disrupt criminal activities taking place across their domain ecosystem. Download the report now at cscdbs.com/securityreport. To learn more about CSC's approach to domain security, visit cscdbs.com. About CSC CSC is the trusted provider of choice for the Forbes Global 2000 and the 100 Best Global Brands for enterprise domain names, domain name system, and digital certificate management, as well as digital brand, fraud, and phishing protection. We secure companies against cyber threats to their online assets using our proprietary security solutions, helping them avoid devastating revenue loss, brand reputation damage, or significant financial penalties. We also provide a combination of online brand monitoring and enforcement, taking a holistic approach to digital asset protection. Learn more about our domain management, security, brand protection, and fraud protection services at cscdbs.com. Headquartered in Wilmington, Delaware, USA, since 1899, CSC has offices throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Asia-Pacific region. CSC is a global company capable of doing business wherever our clients are-and we accomplish that by employing experts in every business we serve. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005027/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Deskpass Announces Expansion into Canada CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Deskpass, the largest on-demand network of flexible work spaces in the U.S., announced it will enter Canada, further cementing the company's role as a leader in the hybrid work revolution. Deskpass has partnered with operators across the country and will launch in the Greater Toronto Area this week, followed by Ottawa and Vancouver later this fall. For Canadian businesses that are transitioning to hybrid offices, Deskpass is a valuable partner, bringing customizable hybrid work plans that allow employees to find a place where they can do their best work. In Toronto, the company will begin with a network of 30+ flexible workspaces across the city, including Workhaus and Staples Studios locations. Ottawa and Vancouver will be welcoming Deskpass in Q4 2021. "Our mission is to empower businesses to implement successful hybrid offices, supporting them with a work-from-anywhere solution that ultimately benefits both employers and employees," said Sam Rosen, CEO and co-founder of Deskpass. "We've received a warm welcome from many of the coworking alliances in Canada. With so many experienced operators on the Deskpass team, our workspace partners can tell we are committed to supporting their success." This has been a year of dramatic growth for Deskpass, which is now in 29+ markets across three countries. With more companies choosing to go hybrid, Deskpass grew their corporate business tenfold from April to July of this year, enabling companies to plan cost-efficient expansions and onboard remote employees. In August, Deskpass was awarded a flex-working contract from the U.S. government, providing versatile, on-demand workspaces for federal employees. For more information about Deskpass, visit www.deskpass.com About Deskpass Deskpass is a Work From Anywhere solution for companies with remote distributed teams. Through our network of thousands of workspaces across the world, we provide on-demand desks, meeting rooms and private offices by the hour, day, week and month. There's no setup or monthly fees - it's purely pay as you go. More information at deskpass.com. Deskpass Contact: Anna Stancioff / 646.246.8261 // 319901@email4pr.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/deskpass-announces-expansion-into-canada-301385869.html SOURCE Deskpass [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] E-Commerce Brand-Builder Merama Closes US$225 Million Series B Financing Co-Led by Advent International and SoftBank Less than five months after closing its Series A round, Merama, the leading acquirer and builder of direct-to-consumer businesses in Latin America, has raised an additional US$225 million in Series B funding at a valuation of approximately US$850 million. The all-equity round was co-led by Advent International ("Advent") and SoftBank Group ("SoftBank"), two of the world's largest private equity firms, and is the largest Series B round ever raised in Latin America.1 New investor Globo Ventures, the venture arm of the Brazil-based media conglomerate, and existing investors Monashees, Valor Capital, Balderton Capital (News - Alert) and MAYA Capital also participated in the financing, which was more than three times oversubscribed. "This new financing from some of the world's premier investors is a strong affirmation of Merama's business model, momentum and the size of the market opportunity," said Sujay Tyle, co-founder and CEO of Merama. "We are pleased to welcome Advent, SoftBank and Globo Ventures as new partners alongside our existing investors and believe their deep experience building businesses in both Latin America and e-commerce will benefit Merama significantly." Advent is a core investor in Thrasio, the largest acquirer of Amazon FBA brands globally, while SoftBank has invested in several of Latin America's largest online platforms and retailers such as Rappi, Petlove and Olist. Differentiated business model Founded in December 2020 with dual headquarters in Mexico City and Sao Paulo, Merama invests in and helps operate and exponentially grow the largest, mainly online, brands originating in Latin America. The company typically acquires a majority stake, allowing the founders to retain ownership and continue operating the businesses while supporting them with its team of e-commerce experts and working capital funding. Merama aggressively expands the brands across Latin America and the U.S. and promotes each brand individually to enhance their direct-to-consumer capabilities. It is also building a unique suite of technology tools not available from any other competitor in Latin America to power and automate the brands. To date, Merama has acquired stakes in more than 20 brands operating in Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Colombia and the U.S. Together these businesses are expected to generate over US$250 million of revenue in 2021 and are highly profitable. The company has dozens of additional brands in its pipeline but is highly selective in the businesses it chooses to partner with. "The new capital from the Series B round will enable us to pay down debt more rapidly, partner with more great businesses, finish building our technology platform and provide working capital to existing brands," said Felipe Delgado, co-founder and CFO of Merama. "With the support of Advent, SoftBank and our entire investor base, we look forward to continuing our rapid growth and solidifying our position as the leading e-commerce aggregator in Latin America." Latin America: The fastest-growing e-commerce region globally The growth of e-commerce in Latin America-both in absolute terms and as a percent of total retail sales-has outpaced all other regions worldwide.2 The Latin American market is estimated at US$67 billion and growing 24% a year due to the low penetration of online sales (9% in Latin America versus 20% in the U.S.).3 Brazil and Mexico were the second- and fifth-fastest-growing e-commerce markets globally in 2020.4 "E-commerce in Latin America is growing exponentially, creating enormous opportunities for leading builders of online brands like Merama," said Renato Andrade, co-founder of Merama. "We have strong conviction in our differentiated model of collaborating with founders to grow a select number of the best brands into de facto category leaders." Advent and Softbank: Leading investors in Latin America and e-commerce In conjunction with the Series B financing, Wilson Rosa, Head of Retail and Consumer Investing for Advent in Latin America, and Paulo Passoni, Managing Partner of SoftBank Latin America, will join Merama's board of directors. Alex Szapiro, Operating Partner and Head of Brazil for SoftBank Latin America and former General Manager of Amazon Brazil, will join the board as an observer. "This financing round will enable Merama to continue its accelerated growth in a large, underpenetrated and highly fragmented market," said Brenno Raiko, Head of Technology Investing for Advent in Latin America. Wilson Rosa added, "Merama has a solid founding team with proven M&A capabilities and a relentless focus on building value in the brands through sales channel and supply chain optimization, marketing, international expansion and other levers. We look forward to partnering with Sujay, Felipe, Renato and the rest of the team to drive the company's continued development and expansion." Paulo Passoni said, "Led by an exceptional team, Merama has quickly begun building a select portfolio of leading online brands in the rapidly expanding Latin American e-commerce market. We are thrilled to partner and support their mission to remove merchant's traditional barriers to scale, building category leaders throughout the region." Advent and SoftBank both bring significant local-market knowledge and sector expertise to the partnership with Merama. Advent is one of the leading and longest-established private equity firms in Latin America, having invested more than US$7 billion in 67 companies across the region over the past 25 years. It also has significant experience in the e-commerce, fintech and payments sectors, with recent investments including Thrasio, Nubank, the world's largest independent digital bank, and EBANX, the leading cross-border commerce platform in Latin America. SoftBank, known internationally for its global Vision Funds, has a dedicated US$5 billion Latin America Fund I and recently announced the US$3 billion Latin America Fund II. About Merama Founded in December 2020, Merama is the leading consolidator of direct-to-consumer businesses in Latin America. The company invests in and helps operate and scale category-leading online merchants selling on marketplaces such as Mercado (News - Alert) Libre, Amazon and Shopee. To date, Merama has acquired ownership stakes in more than 20 businesses offering consumer products across a diverse range of categories. The company was co-founded by CEO Sujay Tyle, co-founder and former CEO of Frontier Car Group (sold to Naspers (News - Alert) for approximately US$700 million); Felipe Delgado, previously CEO of Beetmann Energy; Olivier Scialom, co-founder and former COO of Petsy (sold to Maskota); Renato Andrade, previously Associate Partner at McKinsey; and Guilherme Nosralla, former Head of Marketing at Wildlife Studios. Merama has more than 100 employees in Mexico City and Sao Paulo, bringing together relevant experience from leading technology and e-commerce companies such as Uber, Facebook, Google (News - Alert) , Amazon, Falabella, and Mercado Libre. For more information, visit www.merama.io. 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 companies across 42 countries, and as of June 30, 2021, had US$81 billion in assets under management. With 14 offices in 11 countries, Advent has established a globally integrated team of over 245 investment professionals across North America, Europe, Latin America and Asia. The firm focuses on investments in five core sectors, including business and financial services; healthcare; industrial; retail, consumer and leisure; and technology. After more than 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 www.adventinternational.com or www.linkedin.com/company/advent-international. About SoftBank Group The SoftBank Group invests in breakthrough technology to improve the quality of life for people around the world. The SoftBank Group is comprised of SoftBank Group Corp. (TOKYO: 9984), an investment holding company that includes stakes in telecommunications, internet services, AI, smart robotics, IoT and clean energy technology providers; the SoftBank Vision Funds, which are investing more than US$135 billion to help extraordinary entrepreneurs transform industries and shape new ones; the US$5 billion SoftBank Latin America Fund, the largest venture fund in that region; the newly-launched US$3 billion SoftBank Latin America Fund II; and the SB Opportunity Fund, a US$100 million fund dedicated to investing in enterprises founded by entrepreneurs of color in the U.S. To learn more, please visit https://group.softbank/en. 1 LAVCA - The Association for Private Capital Investment in Latin America 2 eMarketer (News - Alert) , Latin American eCommerce 2019, June 27, 2019 3 Euromonitor, July 2021 4 eMarketer, Latin American eCommerce Forecast 2021, July 14, 2021 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005398/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Global Parcel Volume Exceeds 131 Billion in 2020, up 27 Percent Year-Over-Year, Finds Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI), a global technology company that provides commerce solutions in the areas of ecommerce, shipping, mailing, data and financial services, today released the new Parcel Shipping Index featuring 2020 data from 13 major markets around the world. The Index finds global parcel volume reached 131.2 billion in 2020, equating to 4160 parcels shipped per second - an increase of 27 percent year-over-year. 34 parcels were generated per person, on average. Looking ahead, the Index estimates parcel volume could reach 232 billion or as high as 303 billion by 2026. The most likely outcome is that parcel volume will double in the next five years to reach 266 billion in 2026 with an 11 percent CAGR from 2021-26. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005317/en/ The Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index, now in its sixth year, reveals parcel volume increased across all regions in 2020 with the exception of India. China remains the largest market by volume, with parcel numbers reaching 83.4 billion in 2020 or 2643 parcels shipped every second. Based on forecasts from Pitney Bowes, China is expected to become the first country in the Index to reach 100 billion parcels by volume in one year, which is likely to happen in 2021. 2020 was the first year US parcel volume increased at a faster rate than China since the inception of the Shipping Index. Carrier parcel revenue increased across all 13 countries in 2020, collectively reaching $429.5 billion, up 22 percent since 2019. The US remains the market with the highest carrier revenue of all regions in the Index. Countries including the US, Brazil and Australia saw their more established carriers lose market share to competitors. The latest Index introduces a new performance measure, revenue per parcel. Tracking this datapoint provides insight into carriers' ability to respond profitably to changing market conditions. France generated the highest revenue per parcel in the report at $9.3. China's revenue per parcel was the lowest at $1.5. Key findings from the latest Parcel Shipping Index include: Parcel volume reached 131.2 billion in 2020, up 27 percent from 103.2 billion reached 131.2 billion in 2020, up 27 percent from 103.2 billion 4160 parcels shipped per second compared to 3248 in 2019 compared to 3248 in 2019 Parcel revenue reached $429.5 billion, up 22 percent since 2019 reached $429.5 billion, up 22 percent since 2019 Highest CAGR 2014-20 for parcel volume was generated by China at 35 percent followed by Brazil at 18 percent and India at 15 percent was generated by China at 35 percent followed by Brazil at 18 percent and India at 15 percent Highest CAGR 2014-20 for parcel revenue was generated by China at 27 percent followed by India at 16 percent and US and UK, both with 11 percent was generated by China at 27 percent followed by India at 16 percent and US and UK, both with 11 percent The top three markets by revenue - US at $171.4 billion, China at $127.5 billion and Japan at $33.3 billion - represented 77 percent of global parcel revenue in 2020 by revenue - US at $171.4 billion, China at $127.5 billion and Japan at $33.3 billion - represented 77 percent of global parcel revenue in 2020 China remains the largest market in terms of parcel volume, reaching 83.4 billion, up 31 percent from 63.5bn, followed by the US at 20.2 billion and Japan at 9.1 billion remains the largest market in terms of parcel volume, reaching 83.4 billion, up 31 percent from 63.5bn, followed by the US at 20.2 billion and Japan at 9.1 billion United States remained the market with the highest carrier revenue, reaching $171.4 billion, an increase of 29 percent year over year remained the market with the highest carrier revenue, reaching $171.4 billion, an increase of 29 percent year over year Brazil experienced the highest year-over-year parcel volume growth at 46 percent to 1.2 billion parcels, followed by the US at 37 percent and UK at 33 percent experienced the highest year-over-year parcel volume growth at 46 percent to 1.2 billion parcels, followed by the US at 37 percent and UK at 33 percent Japan saw an increase in parcel volume for the first time in three years, with volume reaching 9.1bn, up from 9bn in 2019 saw an increase in parcel volume for the first time in three years, with volume reaching 9.1bn, up from 9bn in 2019 India's parcel volume decreased but carrier revenue continued to grow, reaching $4.5bn, up from $4.4 the previous year parcel volume decreased but carrier revenue continued to grow, reaching $4.5bn, up from $4.4 the previous year United Kingdom saw the highest increase in carrier revenue, up 37 percent year over year to $22.2 billion saw the highest increase in carrier revenue, up 37 percent year over year to $22.2 billion France generated the highest revenue per parcel at $9.3 "For six years, the Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index has tracked monumental change across the shipping and logistics industry, reflecting shifting consumer behaviors and carriers' ability to adapt at scale," said Jason Dies, EVP and President, Sending Technology Soluions, Pitney Bowes. "Ecommerce has become fundamental to our lives, and the staggering parcel volume revealed in the latest Index reflects this. For the world's carriers, as essential service providers 2020 was a transformative year which tested their investments in people, infrastructure and digital capabilities to the limit. The Parcel Shipping Index accurately tracks and compares their performance during one of the hardest years they've ever faced. The Index has never been more widely anticipated or more relevant." The Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index measures volume and spend for business-to-business, business-to-consumer, consumer-to-business and consumer-consigned shipments with weight up to 31.5 kg (70 lbs.) in 13 major markets, representing 3.8 billion people in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Norway, Sweden, China, Japan, Australia and India. Based on proprietary and published data, the Index has become a valued industry benchmark and a reliable source of accurate forecasting since the inaugural report in 2016. Parcel Shipping Index Findings by Region Americas (Brazil, Canada, United States) Brazil's increase in parcel volume was the highest across the study, exceeding one billion for the first time, reaching 1.2 billion in 2020 - a 46 percent increase from 0.85 billion in 2019. Its revenue per parcel showed the highest rate of decline, at -22 percent y-o-y. Brazil Post decreased its revenue market share by 15 percentage points with a 27 percent revenue share decline CAGR 2014-2020. increase in parcel volume was the highest across the study, exceeding one billion for the first time, reaching 1.2 billion in 2020 - a 46 percent increase from 0.85 billion in 2019. Its revenue per parcel showed the highest rate of decline, at -22 percent y-o-y. Brazil Post decreased its revenue market share by 15 percentage points with a 27 percent revenue share decline CAGR 2014-2020. Canada's increase in revenue was one of the highest in the study at 29 percent, reaching $11.5 billion, up from $8.9 billion. Volume reached 1.6 billion, up 29 percent. increase in revenue was one of the highest in the study at 29 percent, reaching $11.5 billion, up from $8.9 billion. Volume reached 1.6 billion, up 29 percent. United States generated the highest carrier revenue in the Index, at $171.4 billion, an increase of 29 percent y-o-y. Parcel volume rose by 37 percent to reach 20.2 billion. Parcels per capita reached 61 in 2020, up from 45 in the previous year. The rise of Amazon Logistics was most prominent in the US as UPS' and FedEx's share of both parcel volume and revenue declined. Amazon Logistics generated 109 percent y-o-y parcel revenue growth and 127 percent increase in parcel volume. Europe (France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sweden, UK) France generated the highest revenue per parcel in the Index at $9.3. Parcel volume reached 1.6 billion, up 18 percent year over year. Revenue rose 11 percent to $14.6 billion. generated the highest revenue per parcel in the Index at $9.3. Parcel volume reached 1.6 billion, up 18 percent year over year. Revenue rose 11 percent to $14.6 billion. Germany generated 4.1 billion parcels in 2020, up 12 percent from 3.7 billion the previous year. Carrier revenues reached $21.6 billion, up 18 percent, while revenue per parcel rose 5 percent to $5.3. All larger carriers including DPD, DHL and GLS reported revenue growth, while smaller carriers comprising 'others' saw their growth decline. generated 4.1 billion parcels in 2020, up 12 percent from 3.7 billion the previous year. Carrier revenues reached $21.6 billion, up 18 percent, while revenue per parcel rose 5 percent to $5.3. All larger carriers including DPD, DHL and GLS reported revenue growth, while smaller carriers comprising 'others' saw their growth decline. Italy saw parcel volumes exceed 1 billion for the first time, reaching 1.3 billion, up 31 percent from 2019. Carriers generated $9.6 billion in parcel revenue, a 24 percent y-o-y increase. While revenues per parcel were some of the highest in the Index at $7.4, this was a decline of 5 percent from the year prior. saw parcel volumes exceed 1 billion for the first time, reaching 1.3 billion, up 31 percent from 2019. Carriers generated $9.6 billion in parcel revenue, a 24 percent y-o-y increase. While revenues per parcel were some of the highest in the Index at $7.4, this was a decline of 5 percent from the year prior. Norway generated 98.5 million parcels, up from 76 million the previous year. Revenues reached $210.7 million. Posten Norge retained 79 percent of carrier volume market share as it has every year since 2014, with revenue per parcel reaching $2.1. generated 98.5 million parcels, up from 76 million the previous year. Revenues reached $210.7 million. Posten Norge retained 79 percent of carrier volume market share as it has every year since 2014, with revenue per parcel reaching $2.1. Sweden saw parcel volumes reach 170 million, up 26 percent y-o-y reaching 17 parcels per capita, an increase from 13. Carrier revenue per parcel is $2.1 and had been declining since 2016. saw parcel volumes reach 170 million, up 26 percent y-o-y reaching 17 parcels per capita, an increase from 13. Carrier revenue per parcel is $2.1 and had been declining since 2016. UK generated the highest increase in carrier revenue across the Index, up 37 percent to $22.2 billion from $16.1 in 2019. Revenue per parcel increased - for the first time since 2016 - to $4.4. Of the major carriers, Hermes saw the biggest increase in market share (from 6 percent to 11 percent) and the highest growth in volume (63 percent). Parcels per capita rose to 74 - the highest in the Index - from 56 in 2019. Asia Pacific (Australia, China, India, Japan) Australia generated the third highest revenue per parcel across the Index, at $7.6 after France at $9.3 and the US at $8.5, although this has fallen since it reached $9.8 in 2014. Revenue reached $7.8 billion, up 9 percent. Parcel volume reached 1 billion for the first time, up from 934 million in 2019. Australia Post retains its dominant market share of 40 percent of the market by volume and 39 percent by revenue. generated the third highest revenue per parcel across the Index, at $7.6 after France at $9.3 and the US at $8.5, although this has fallen since it reached $9.8 in 2014. Revenue reached $7.8 billion, up 9 percent. Parcel volume reached 1 billion for the first time, up from 934 million in 2019. Australia Post retains its dominant market share of 40 percent of the market by volume and 39 percent by revenue. China reached 83.4 billion in parcel volume up from 63.5 billion in 2019, the largest of all markets by volume and the first country in the Index forecast to reach 100 billion in 2021, which it is expected to reach in 2021 . Parcels per capita reached 58 from 45 in the year prior. Parcel revenue reached $127.5 billion, up 17 percent y-o-y. reached 83.4 billion in parcel volume up from 63.5 billion in 2019, the largest of all markets by volume and the first country in the Index forecast to reach 100 billion in 2021, which it is expected to reach in 2021 Parcels per capita reached 58 from 45 in the year prior. Parcel revenue reached $127.5 billion, up 17 percent y-o-y. India was the only country to see a decline in parcel volume in 2020, down 16 percent to 2.4 billion parcels from 2.9 billion in 2019. This is likely to be a result of pandemic-related exceptional circumstances and not considered a trend. Despite this volume decline India generated a 3 percent increase in parcel shipping revenue reaching $4.5 billion. Amazon Logistics has been steadily increasing its market share by volume with 4 percent CAGR from 2014-20. was the only country to see a decline in parcel volume in 2020, down 16 percent to 2.4 billion parcels from 2.9 billion in 2019. This is likely to be a result of pandemic-related exceptional circumstances and not considered a trend. Despite this volume decline India generated a 3 percent increase in parcel shipping revenue reaching $4.5 billion. Amazon Logistics has been steadily increasing its market share by volume with 4 percent CAGR from 2014-20. Japan's parcel volume reached 9.1 billion, up from 9 billion in 2019. Revenue increased by 6 percent to $33.3 billion. While parcel revenue has grown steadily since 2016, parcel volumes peaked in 2017 at 9.6 billion. To download the Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index ebook and view the video, infographic and interactive map, please visit https://www.pitneybowes.com/us/shipping-index.html. The Shipping Index is an example of research Pitney Bowes conducts annually to provide insight and forecasts on the shipping and logistics industry. Pitney Bowes also conducts BOXpoll a series of weekly consumer surveys in partnership with Morning Consult. Please visit www.pitneybowes.com/boxpoll for the latest BOXpoll findings. About the Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index The Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index measures parcel volume and spend for business-to-business, business-to-consumer, consumer-to-business and consumer consigned shipments with weight up to 31.5kg (70 pounds) across Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States. Population data points were sourced from the International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database published in 2020. The Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index spans 13 countries and represents the parcel shipping activity of 3.7 billion people. About Pitney Bowes Pitney Bowes (NYSE:PBI) is a global technology company providing commerce solutions that power billions of transactions. Clients around the world, including 90 percent of the Fortune 500, rely on the accuracy and precision delivered by Pitney Bowes solutions, analytics, and APIs in the areas of ecommerce fulfillment, shipping and returns; cross-border ecommerce; office mailing and shipping; presort services; and financing. For 100 years Pitney Bowes has been innovating and delivering technologies that remove the complexity of getting commerce transactions precisely right. For additional information visit Pitney Bowes at www.pitneybowes.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005317/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Golden Star Enterprises Ltd. Corporate Overview and Update for Investors Claymont, Delaware, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- Golden Star Enterprises Ltd. (OTCPink: GSPT) updates investors with a summary of past and recent corporate activities, the current status of the Company and the plans for the near future. Golden Star Enterprises was established in 1993. Since its inception, corporate operations have focused on various industry sectors and business plans, and the Company appreciates that we have inherited shareholders as the Company has transitioned from each operating plan to the next. At the end of fiscal 2020, Golden Star Enterprises again transitioned its focus to position itself as a Technology Holding Company that enables tech startups to grow and realize their goals. Concurrently, GSPT introduced a new management team with skill sets complementary to the Companys current focus: Mr. Louis Shefsky as its new president and board member and Mr. Eliav Kling as its new CEO and board member. Both Mr. Shefsky and Mr. Kling bring decades of experience in business, public markets, and specifically, the tech industry. In November of 2020, GSPT acquired Enigmai, an Israeli tech company that specializes in the Workforce Management space, as its first operating project. Enigmai was established in 2009 and has developed a comprehensive workforce management system that enables large organizations to better manage their employees schedules and save money by providing a state-of-the-art management tool. Following the acquisition of Enigmai, Golden Star Enterprises retained Ms. Eital Muskal as Vice President of Strategy and Business Development of the new subsidiary. Ms. Muskal brings years of experience as a lawyer and business development executive with a depth of experience from multiple organizations and sectors. Ms. Muskal is currently overseeing the business activities for Enigmai focused on expanding Enigmais footprint and visibility both in Israel and abroad. One of the first achievements for Enigmai under the guidance of Ms. Muskal was securing new three-year contracts with two of its key clients, Isracard, the largest credit card and payment processing company in Israel, and Clal, one of Israels largest insurance companies. Signing those long-term contracts with our existing clients was a clear indicator of the trust our key clients have in Enigmai and its product. We are very proud of Enigmais team for this critical milestone, said Mr. Shefsky, GSPT President. In the Spring of 2021, Enigmai was featured at Israels largest call center convention where Enigmai presented its product, the Enigmai Business Suite (EBS). The response was overwhelming, and the feedback was very positive. Further, from that convention, Enigmai received a dozen strong leads from potential clients interested in learning more about the solution Enigmai is offering. This interest came from companies across different verticals including companies in Telecom, Postal Services, Banks, and Municipalities. One of the inquiries from the Sprin Convention came from the City of Tel-Aviv, Israel. We are pleased to report that the City of Tel-Aviv signed a pilot agreement with Enigmai in September 2021. During the two-month pilot, users from the city of Tel-Aviv will get to experience and evaluate the system in order to confirm it fits their needs. At the end of the pilot, Enigmai expects to engage in a full implementation contract. Resulting from other valuation convention feedback, Enigmai has recently determined to invest in upgrading its user interface (Client). To this end, the company engaged a local Israeli company to upgrade its existing Client to update the 10-year-old platform. This project is currently ongoing and is scheduled to be completed by the end of fiscal 2021. As part of managements efforts to position GSPT as a leader in its category, the company established an advisory board and added its first two advisory board members, Mr. Raz Yaron and Mr. Tim Cadeau. Mr. Cadeau has spent the last 23 years in various leadership positions with the Teamsters, Service Employees International and the National Organized Workers Union. In his various roles, he has served as the chief negotiator for 100s of collective bargaining agreements, arbitrations, labour management meetings, mediations, and Ontario Labour Relations Board tribunals, spanning across healthcare and numerous other industry sectors. Mr. Cadeaus experience and connections make him an excellent choice as the initial member of the Companys Advisory Board. Mr. Raz Yaron brings over 30 years of unique experience in senior leadership and executive management positions. Raz Yaron is a dynamic leader and an expert in Software Development and Implementation, Consulting Services, Managed Services and Operations, and Financial Analysis and Optimization, bringing substantial expertise in Business Development. As another step towards expanding Enigmais client base and product offering, in the summer of 2021, Enigmai signed a service agreement with AuroraView, managed by Mr. Raz Yaron, GSPT newly added advisory board member. The service agreement includes the provision of various services to Enigmai including, Implementation Services, Software Development, Business Analysis, System Architecture & Design, Database Services, Cloud Services, Quality Assurance, Automation, Project Management, Help Desk, Maintenance, among other IT consulting services. This partnership will allow Enigmai to focus on product development while AuroraView will provide the implementation and support services for the Company's growth in Israel, North America, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). Mr. Louis Shefsky, GSPT President, commented, I am pleased with Enigmais achievements so far this year. This year is a critical one for GSPT and Enigmai, as we transition to our new business model. I know that Enigmai appreciates the value that the management of GSPT delivers relative to its planned expansion, and I am confident that Enigmai will meet the performance targets set. Mr. Eliav Kling, GSPT CEO, added, In 2021 we have focused on building the foundations of both GSPT and Enigmai. By the end of the year, Enigmai will have upgraded its product offering and will be ready to push forward with targeted marketing efforts to gain new clients. Through the strategic agreement with AuroraView, Enigmai is ready to deliver an unparalleled software and service solution not only in Israel but across North America as well. We have many exciting plans for the future including developing a mobile application that will open the door to potential clients and business verticals. One of the larger opportunities we currently see, with the guidance of our advisory board, is in hospitals. We believe that we can bring significant value and resolve some of the most pressing challenges hospitals face around employee scheduling. We will continue to update our investors on the plans and activities as they are happening. 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 28, 2021] Government Welcomes Traction on Demand to Winnipeg, Skills Training Program to Support Job Growth in Winnipeg Traction on Demand (ToD), a high growth Canadian technology and consulting firm, has selected Winnipeg to be the next home of one of their regional offices and will receive training support from the Manitoba government, Minister of Economic Development and Jobs, Jon Reyes announced today. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005320/en/ "Our province is a growing tech hub with many competitive advantages, and we are extremely pleased that Traction on Demand chose Manitoba as their next expansion location," said Reyes. "This investment by Traction on Demand and our government will create good, new tech focused jobs for Manitobans and contribute to the continued growth of the information, communications and digital technologies sector in our province." The Manitoba government is investing $520,000 over the next two years through the Industry Expansion Program with Traction on Demand to provide skills training to 100 net new hires who will be employed at the company's new regional office, which will be opening in 2022. In line with ToD's Diversity and Inclusivity targets, the hires will be representative of the local population. Headquartered in Burnaby, BC, and with operations across Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and India, Traction on Demand is North America's largest, dedicated Salesforce consulting and application development firm, focused on helping organizations drive digital transformation and positive change. The company has experienced exponential growth in the last 10 years, with a growing global team of over 1,200 employees. By recognizing the ptential for tech growth and opportunities outside of Vancouver, ToD is continuing its expansion by locating new operations in Manitoba. Drawn to Winnipeg for its diverse population, workforce and recent growth of the local technology industry, Traction on Demand also saw great potential for partnerships with other technology companies and post-secondary institutions. "This exciting partnership between Traction on Demand and the Manitoba government will make room for new tech opportunities in Winnipeg and beyond. We recognize the evolving, competitive landscape in this city and look forward to expanding our team with this diverse, rich pool of talent," said Jolene Chan, Chief Impact Officer, Traction on Demand. Chan further stated that, "Partnering with YES! Winnipeg was incredibly helpful in ensuring that we were connected to the right government funding vehicles, universities and local organizations." The company noted that Winnipeg is the perfect extension of Traction on Demand's robust Canadian presence and the ideal location to bolster a growing tech hub in the Prairies. "EDW's business development team, YES! Winnipeg provides a tailored concierge service to make it easy for businesses to locate and grow in our city," says Dayna Spiring, President & CEO of Economic Development Winnipeg. "Traction on Demand was particularly interested in our diverse talent pool, and we're proud to help connect them to the talent they need. It's another win for our expanding tech sector and our city. Great things are happening here and more and more businesses are seeing they can succeed and thrive in Winnipeg." The minister noted the Industry Expansion Program is one of the tools that Manitoba will continue to use to build its economy into a post-pandemic world. It assists companies to capitalize on growth opportunities by providing funding support to train new and existing employees required to support business expansion projects. "This investment demonstrates our continued commitment to business investment and expansion, job creation and a long-term focus on economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic," said Reyes. "This project will create highly skilled, well-paying jobs that can assist Manitoba businesses in shifting to online customer sales and services, and we are extremely excited to work with Traction on Demand." This new project aligns with the province's Economic Growth Action Plan and the Skills, Talent and Knowledge Strategy. It also supports the department's mandates of strengthening demand-led training opportunities and championing Manitoba as an ideal location for business investment and expansion. For more information on the Industry Expansion Program, visit: https://www.gov.mb.ca/wd/ites/is/iei.html. About Traction on Demand Traction on Demand is North America's largest dedicated Salesforce consulting and application development firm delivering cross-platform solutions and standalone SaaS (News - Alert) products. Traction on Demand provides services to support the design, development, implementation and integration of technology and process across commercial and nonprofit organizations. Unlike traditional system integrators, Traction on Demand's mission is to develop and grow the Salesforce ecosystem by empowering people and enabling organizations. Traction on Demand is a proud B Corp. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005320/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Hispanic Heritage Month: Great Learning celebrates the inspiring stories of resilience and courage of its Hispanic American Learners BOSTON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- While everyone has various methods to cope with adversities, the reason why some people are able to cope better and rebound from setbacks is because of their sheer resilience and hard work. This Hispanic Heritage Month , Great Learning is proud to highlight the voz that resonates in the entire community to power ahead in life through continuous learning. Great Learning will be highlighting many inspiring stories of its Hispanic learners who despite several ups and downs in their personal and professional life, understood the importance of lifelong learning and upskilling. Their journey and achievements motivates all to embrace resilience in times of difficulty and uncertainty. Gaston Alvarado Maza, Global Category Manager at Materion Corporation, was born and raised in Mexico. Spanish was the only language he knew. At the age of 18, Gaston was introduced to English for the first time and it took him 7 years to master the language. Today, he fluently negotiates contracts in English for a living. He finally moved to the US in 2010 where he had to learn, unlearn and relearn to adapt to the new workplace culture. He has a job but also has his venture which is why he decided to study Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning from Great Learning primarily to AI-power his venture - GS Business Solution. Yolinda Burns inherited her passion for service from her dad who was a doctor in Venezuela. Her selfless nature and the constant will to go above and beyond for others ultimately paid off when a person she helped without any ulterior motive got promoted and asked Yolinda to join her team. After 7 years she got an opportunity to work on an international project, something she always wanted. Her aspiration to grow made her upskill via Great Learning's Data Science Program which led her to start an industry-first initiative at her current role as HR Reporting Analyst at Sysco. Yolinda lost her dad and husband but believes that she made them both proud through her service-driven attitude and her will to better herself. Maria Poroli, an Argentinian, broke all stereotypes when she became a petroleum engineer, a rather male-dominated sector. Coming from a large family, Maria knew that she had to be persistent for her voice to be heard. In a male-dominated workplace, she stood up for herself and got an opportunity to move to the US. After being laid off from work due to COVID-19, Maria didn't lose her hope and realized there's more to life than work. Her efforts to continuously power ahead made her accomplish a Data Science Certification that raised her spirits and made her optimistic again. Great Learning continues to create many such resilient narratives across borders in diverse groups and communities. It not only fosters continuous learning and quality education but also creates a level playing field for one and all to fulfill their dreams and aspirations. To elevate Hispanic and Latinx accomplishments, we have planned a Rock Your Profile session for anyone looking to build their personal brand on LinkedIn. The session on best practices, tips, and more will be conducted by professionals and industry experts, which is scheduled for 30th September 2021. Aspirants can also avail an exclusive and in-depth Career Guide to help them navigate through various career paths and the industry-relevant skills to excel in them. About Great Learning: Great Learning, a part of BYJU'S group, is a technology-enabled online and blended-mode e-learning organization that offers high-quality, impactful, and industry-relevant learning programs to working professionals, cutting across domains in the areas of data, technology, and business. The company's guided learning approach and global university collaborations with institutions including MIT, Stanford, Northwestern University, The University of Texas at Austin, University of Singapore, and many more have helped over 2.2 million learners across 170+ countries, to power ahead in their careers. View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hispanic-heritage-month-great-learning-celebrates-the-inspiring-stories-of-resilience-and-courage-of-its-hispanic-american-learners-301386758.html SOURCE Great Learning [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Huawei Hosts Official Launch of Europe's Innovation Lab for Digital Finance and Security - FinSec Initiative aims to overcome universal personal finance challenges with digital solutions HELSINKI, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Digital Finance and Security Innovation Lab (FinSec), a centre in which the common challenges in personal finance can be addressed through collaboration and product development, was launched today. The ambitious initiative driven by Huawei, will facilitate and support the financial services sector to develop technology to improve the financial health of customers, enhance their experiences and encourage loyalty. Huawei and its R&D centre in Finland will work with researchers from Aalto University and University of Helsinki, as well as fifteen Lab participants - banks and fintechs from across Europe. At the launch financial services brands including, Raiffeisen Digital from Austria, BLIK, a leading mobile payment system in Poland, and Neonomics, an open banking services pioneer from Norway, provided unique insight into the challenges of delivering digital solutions for customers. "Huawei's objective is to deliver a seamless AI life experience for consumers and this means easy, convenient access to financial services," said Derek Yu, President of Central Eastern Europe, Nordic and Canada Region, Huawei Consumer Business Group. "The Digital Finance and Security Innovation Lab reinforces our commitment to facilitating new ideas that deliver solutions to the consumer needs of today. We are excited about opening doors for future technology and services and driving innovation. " Factors behind digital transformation The aims of FinSec focus on three key areas driving digital transformation: mobile technology, to enhance payment process and improve access in any location, circumstance or scenario; innovations that make the experience simpler and more convenient; and partnerships which bring together business, banking, academic and technology expertise to help develop universal solutions. "As a global leader in industrial R&D with a long term strategy for investment in research, Huawei is well placed to launch and steer the FinSec initiative," commented Wang Aimeng, President of Huawei Finland Research Center. "The digitalization of economies can succeed where research, education, and industry players are working together on common R&D collaborative projects." Notes to Editors Brands to have declared their intention to participate and co-operate in FinSec are Copenhagen Fintech, SOK, Intesa Sanpaolo, PAYSERA, VIA BILL, Smart ID, Neonomics, icard, Virtual Cards S.R.L, Sirumobile, Phyre, BLIK, Raiffeisen Digital, Fidesmo. About HUAWEI Consumer BG Huawei's products and services are available in more than 170 countries and are used by a third of the world's population. Fourteen R&D centres have been set up in Germany, Sweden, Russia, India and China. HUAWEI Consumer BG is one of HUAWEI's three business units and covers smartphones, PC and tablets, wearables and cloud services, etc. HUAWEI's global network is built on almost 30 years of expertise in the telecom industry and is dedicated to delivering the latest technological advances to consumers around the world. For more information, please visit https://www.huawei.com/en Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1637485/image.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Immutable Holdings Goes Public on the NEO Exchange NEO is pleased to announce that Immutable Holdings Inc. ("Immutable Holdings" or the "Company"), a Canadian blockchain holding company, is now listed on the NEO Exchange. Immutable Holdings is available for trading under the symbol HOLD. With a mission to deliver the value of digital assets to every person around the world, Immutable Holdings is positioned to capitalize on the growth in the cryptocurrency and blockchain eco-system. "The blockchain space is entering a period of consolidation," remarked Jordan Fried, Chairman and CEO of Immutable Holdings. "There are so many players in the sector, but it's just not feasible for all of them to make it on their own. Our goal is to roll the best of those businesses up into Immutable Holdings, a true Canadian blockchain holding company." "A public listing on the NEO Exchange will enable us to execute upon our aggressive growth strategy," he continued. "We stand to benefit from greater exposure to the investor community, increased access to capital, enhanced liquidity, and the exceptional level of service for which NEO has become known. This is a true partnership between innovators who are paving the way for the future." Led by a team with experience across digital asset investing, capital markets and blockchain technology, Immutable Holdings also has television personality and financier Kevin O'Leary and MindMed co-founder Leonard Latchman, among its list of strategic investors. "This launch is a big win for the blockchain and crypto investment space, and I am excited to be a part of the journey for Immutable Holdings," said O'Leary. "Their decision to list with the NEO Exchange was a strategic one - NEO is the ideal listing partner for companies that are shaping tomorrow." "It's an honour to welcome yet another innovator and visionary to the ranks of NEO-listed issuers," >commented Jos Schmitt, President and CEO of NEO. "Immutable Holdings is poised to become a market leader in the world of digital assets, and we are proud to be a catalyst for the growth and success of this future-forward company, the blockchain space, and the innovation economy at large." Investors can trade shares of HOLD through their usual investment channels, including discount brokerage platforms and full-service dealers. The NEO Exchange is home to over 165 corporate and ETF listings, and consistently facilitates close to 15 percent of all Canadian trading volume. Click here for a complete view of all NEO-listed securities. About the NEO Exchange The NEO Exchange is a Canadian Tier 1 stock exchange for the innovation economy, bringing together investors and capital raisers within a fair, liquid, efficient, and service-oriented environment. Fully operational since June 2015, NEO puts investors first and provides access to trading across all Canadian-listed securities on a level playing field. NEO lists companies and investment products seeking an internationally recognized stock exchange that enables investor trust, quality liquidity, and broad awareness including unfettered access to market data. Connect with NEO: Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook About Immutable Holdings Inc. Immutable Holdings, the Blockchain Holding Company, is on a mission to democratize blockchain investing by building products that make investing in cryptocurrency, non-fungible token (NFT) and other digital assets easy and accessible for both consumer and institutional investors. Founded by Jordan Fried, a founding team member of the $11B Hedera Hashgraph network who celebrity investor "Mr. Wonderful" Kevin O'Leary called "the Warren Buffet of blockchain," Immutable Holdings already boasts over $150M under management and a portfolio of six companies built on the blockchain ecosystem: 1800Bitcoin.com, Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC.com), HBAR Labs, Immutable Advisory, Immutable Asset Management, and NFT.com. Connect with Immutable Holdings: Website | LinkedIn | Twitter View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005541/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Keyloop Acquires FISC To Integrate Automotive Finance, Expanding Its Offerings For Both Retailers And OEMs LONDON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Keyloop, a leading global supplier of technology solutions to the automotive industry, today announced its acquisition of FISC, a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) finance renewals and compliance business. This is Keyloop's fourth acquisition since March 2021, further demonstrating the company's commitment to helping both OEMs and dealers transform the automotive retail experience. Headquartered in Sheffield, UK, FISC is a leading SaaS provider of solutions for finance houses, OEMs and dealers that increase vehicle sales, maximise customer retention and improve profitability. Today, its products and services are being used by 14 OEMs and finance houses across over 1,700 dealers in the UK, Europe and South Africa. FISC has two core product offerings, its sales and finance renewal systems, eMaster, and its Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) compliance and training software. The flagship product, eMaster, combines real-time and accurate data from both the customer finance agreement and the OEM, to identify the optimum point within a contract to offer customers a new vehicle. This helps OEMs increase customer retention, build brand loyalty and generates new sales opportunities for their retailers. At the same time, their customers get a truly personalised purchase experience by receiving timely, bespoke finance offers. When they are ready to upgrade to their next vehicle, FISC's "Key4Key" technology makes he switch easy and hassle free. The acquisition of FISC by Keyloop builds on the acquisitions of RAPID RTC, enquiryMAX and MotorDocs earlier this year. These companies have enhanced Keyloop's ability to support dealerships in their digital transformation journeys. The addition of FISC will allow Keyloop to extend its digital solutions to OEMs and finance houses as well. Tom Kilroy, CEO, Keyloop, comments: "We are delighted to welcome FISC into the growing Keyloop family to enhance our offering for both OEMs and dealerships. By making improvements across the entire purchase and aftersales journey, we will ultimately transform the overall experience for consumers and retailers alike. The acquisition of FISC is exciting because although over 90% of vehicles are purchased through a credit agreement, only 20% of these deals complete their full term. Therefore, the ability for retailers and OEMs to retain customers by upgrading their vehicle at the optimum point is truly vital. From a consumer perspective, we know that financing is a key point of friction in the car purchasing experience, and FISC's products can facilitate a smoother, tailored vehicle upgrade process for the car buyer. There is a thrilling future ahead for automotive retail and adding FISC to our portfolio opens up a number of other opportunities to support the ongoing digital transformation of our industry." Simon Young, Managing Director, FISC, comments: "We are excited to be joining Keyloop on its mission to advance and transform the car buying and ownership experience. Our goal is to provide systems and services that improve efficiency, effectiveness and profitability, and together with Keyloop we will continue to innovate motor finance for consumers, OEMs and dealers internationally." Editor's Notes About Keyloop Keyloop's mission is to create and connect technology that advances the car buying and ownership experience?in partnership with dealers and OEMs. It is a leading global provider of software solutions to the auto retail industry, serving approximately 18,000 dealer sites and most automotive manufacturers, in 100 countries. Headquartered in the UK, Keyloop?also has operations across EMEA?and?Asia. For more information, please visit?www.keyloop.com. About FISC Since 2004 FISC has provided finance and insurance, compliance and training solutions to the motor industry. Its market leading SaaS products help finance houses, OEMs and dealers increase vehicle sales, maximise customer retention and improve profitability. Used by 14 motor manufacturers & finance companies, FISC systems and services are used in over 1,700 dealerships in the UK and internationally. For more information, visit https://www.fisconline.co.uk/ Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1444817/Keyloop_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] L3Harris Selects Aegis' Platform for 20 Manufacturing Locations with Over 5,500 Users Aegis Software, a global provider of Manufacturing Execution Software (MES), has signed an enterprise agreement with L3Harris Technologies (NYSE:LHX) to support 20 manufacturing sites and more than 5,500 end users with the Aegis' FactoryLogix platform. The platform will consolidate IT systems by digitizing and optimizing manufacturing data to help streamline operational processes. A key advantage of the suite of manufacturing software is the enhanced visibility into productivity and quality metrics. "Our priority is to provide solutions that meet the critical needs of our customers and Aegis will help us do this across the selected sites," said Byron Green, Vice President, Global Operations, L3Harris. "We are always looking to invest in technology that supports continuous improvement and innovation, while helping us remain agile and deliver more quickly in a safe and secure manner." "We are honored that our twelve-year relationship serving L3Harris has now moved to an enterprise-level agreement. Aegis is excited to work with L3Harris at this level and see the efficiencies, cost savings, and operational excellence the FactoryLogix platform will bring to their enterprise," stated Jason Spera, CEO and Co-ounder of Aegis Software. "Our modern IIoT-based MES platform, proven experience in the defense and aerospace industry, and rich domain expertise are why leading companies, like L3Harris, consistently turn to Aegis. FactoryLogix is a holistic and modular IIoT-based MES platform that delivers leading-edge technology with easily configurable modules to support and execute a discrete manufacturer's strategy towards Industry 4.0. FactoryLogix manages the entire manufacturing lifecycle: from product launch to material logistics, through manufacturing execution and quality management, to powerful analytics and real-time dashboards. This end-to-end platform is helping companies accelerate product introductions, streamline processes, improve quality and traceability, reduce costs, and gain greater visibility for competitive advantage and profitability. About L3Harris L3Harris Technologies is an agile global aerospace and defense technology innovator, delivering end-to-end solutions that meet customers' mission-critical needs. The company provides advanced defense and commercial technologies across air, land, sea, space and cyber domains. L3Harris has approximately $18 billion in annual revenue and 47,000 employees, with customers in more than 100 countries. L3Harris.com. About Aegis Software Founded in 1997, Aegis Software uniquely delivers a comprehensive and flexible end-to-end manufacturing execution system (MES) platform giving manufacturers the speed, control, and visibility they require. Aegis has international sales and support offices in Germany, UK, and China and partners with more than 37 manufacturing equipment suppliers. Since its inception, Aegis has been helping more than 2,000 factories across the military, aerospace, electronics, medical, and automotive industries, drive rapid and continuous innovation with the highest quality while reducing operational costs. Learn more by visiting https://www.aiscorp.com Speed, Control and Visibility for Manufacturing. Note: FactoryLogix is a registered trademark of Aegis Industrial Software. All other company and product names contained herein are trademarks of the respective holders. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005428/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Mastercard Reinvents Installments To Give Consumers More Payment Choices Wherever They Shop To meet growing consumer demand for flexible, digital-first payment options, Mastercard today unveiled Mastercard Installments, a unique and innovative Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) program that delivers greater choice at checkout, both in-store and online. Mastercard Installments uses the power of the company's trusted network to make BNPL available to millions of consumers and merchants worldwide. It enables banks, lenders, fintechs, and wallets to offer a variety of flexible installment options to consumers - including a zero percent interest, pay-in-four model - without onerous integration into the merchant infrastructure, allowing them to quickly offer secure and competitive BNPL experiences at scale. Mastercard Installments enables consumers to digitally access BNPL offers, either pre-approved through their lender's mobile banking app or through instant approval during checkout. Pre-approved installments can be used directly on a merchant's website, and can be stored in digital wallets including Click-to-Pay, to then be used online or in-store wherever Mastercard is accepted. Instant approvals during checkout will be available through Click-to-Pay shortly after launch. Consumers will have full transparency on lender practices up-front during the approval process, and unlike most current BNPL offerings, consumers will continue to benefit from zero liability fraud protection, the ability to challenge unrecognized charges, and the peace of mind that comes with Mastercard's acceptance footprint. "At the heart of it, payments come down to choice - and people want more from their money with greater flexibility and control in how they pay and where they shop," said Craig Vosburg, Chief Product Officer, Mastercard. "Mastercard Installments has been built on our guiding principles to protect consumers and enable choice without sacrificing trust and security. It is a digital-focused way to pay today and tomorrow, delivered through consumer's most trusted relationships with their banks and other lenders, at merchants of their choice." Mastercard Installments builds on Mastercard's investments in open banking that help deliver a simple and convenient experience for consumers, merchants and lenders. As an elective option for lenders, with consumer consent, account-level transaction histories can be considered as part of the underwriting process, enabling credit to be safely extended to a greater number of shoppers. Open banking technology also facilitates the consumer's preferred method of repayment, which may be their checking or savings account, a Mastercard debit card, or another payment product. Key benefits of Mastercard Installments include: Consumers: The Mastercard Installments program enables consumers to choose how and when they pay for items from a brand they can trust. Consumers enjoy a seamless experience before and after checkout through options to access BNPL offers, or secure an offer at the time of checkout, from trusted lenders for use at a variety of merchants interest-free. As consumer protection is paramount at Mastercard, Mastercard Installments provides ubiquitous acceptance backed by zero liability fraud protection, not yet available through most current BNPL offerings. Merchants & Acquiring Banks: The Mastercard Installments program helps merchants scale BNPL offerings to consumers to turn convenience into a competitive advantage. BNPL solutions have been shown to increase average sales by 45 percent and reduce cart abandonment by 35 percent post-implementation*. Mastercard Installments provides seamless merchant integration with a streamlined process for millions of merchants who already accept Mastercard. Meanwhile, acquiring banks can offer installments capabilities to their entire merchant base with minimal, simple integration. The Mastercard Installments program helps merchants scale BNPL offerings to consumers to turn convenience into a competitive advantage. BNPL solutions have been shown to increase average sales by 45 percent and reduce cart abandonment by 35 percent post-implementation*. Mastercard Installments provides seamless merchant integration with a streamlined process for millions of merchants who already accept Mastercard. Meanwhile, acquiring banks can offer installments capabilities to their entire merchant base with minimal, simple integration. Lenders: Through the Mastercard Installments Program, lenders can offer a lexible, seamless BNPL experience to both existing and new customers, expanding their lending opportunities in one of the fastest growing consumer segments. Mastercard Installments provides an expedited time to market and global expansion opportunities with a responsible lending approach. Through the Mastercard Installments Program, lenders can offer a lexible, seamless BNPL experience to both existing and new customers, expanding their lending opportunities in one of the fastest growing consumer segments. Mastercard Installments provides an expedited time to market and global expansion opportunities with a responsible lending approach. Wallets and BNPL players: Digital wallets and BNPL players can easily integrate Mastercard Installments' APIs and deploy the solution to consumers and already integrated merchants, extending reach beyond their existing footprint. Mastercard Installments is embedded in the core Mastercard network, which means there is no longer a need for wallets and BNPL players to build direct settlement arrangements with merchants or acquirers. BNPL providers can also supplement their existing networks with additional merchant acceptance. Fueled by changing consumer spending habits during the pandemic, BNPL adoption continues to accelerate globally. In addition to consumer demand, the momentum is being driven by issuer and merchant desire to deliver new, complementary ways for consumers to shop both in-store and online. Mastercard Installments will also provide access and support to a new suite of APIs to power each step of the BNPL journey; from installment calculation to multiple repayment options, all delivered securely and at a global scale through the Mastercard multi-rail network. Learn more on Mastercard Developers. Mastercard Taps Key Partners in the U.S. and Australia Mastercard Installments will first come to market in the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom (UK). Mastercard is working with Barclays US, Fifth Third, FIS, Galileo, Huntington, Marqeta, SoFi, and Synchrony in the U.S., and with Qantas Loyalty and Latitude in Australia. Mastercard is committed to supporting its customers across the globe to offer the Mastercard Installments program, with plans to scale to other markets in the future. Denny Nealon, CEO, Barclays US Consumer Bank said, "Barclays US Consumer Bank is excited to partner with Mastercard as it introduces its new BNPL solution. Our ambition to be the premier choice for America's best brands hinges on our ability to deliver a full suite of products that meet and exceed the needs of our partners and customers. Mastercard Installments leverages the full power and reach of the Mastercard Network and will complement the highly-customized credit and lending solutions we offer to our partners that drive their businesses forward while delighting their customers." Howard Hammond, Executive Vice President and Head of Consumer Banking at Fifth Third Bank said, "We are excited to see Mastercard bring this BNPL solution to the market to provide customers more choices and ease concerns about payment. This new Mastercard Installments program meets the growing demand for flexible options both at the checkout and online." Vicky Bindra, Chief Product Officer, FIS said, "BNPL is one of the fastest growing alternative payment models globally - it is transforming the traditional purchasing experience for both consumers and merchants. The rapid growth of BNPL is rooted in the choice, flexibility and expediency it gives shoppers. We are delighted to partner with Mastercard to provide pioneering services to new and existing customers; this collaboration will spearhead further innovation in the space, making BNPL more accessible to merchants and consumers, while driving confidence and trust across the ecosystem to bring increased adoption." Amit Dhingra, Retail Payments and Consumer Lending Director, Huntington National Bank said, "We are pleased to see Mastercard continue to develop innovative payment features, like Buy Now, Pay Later for consumers and merchants. We recognize the need for customers to have greater choice and flexibility in new and different ways to manage their finances." Ahmed Fahour, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Latitude Financial said, "Through our long-standing partnership, Latitude is looking forward to working with Mastercard to bring new BNPL payment solutions to life in Australia, benefiting merchants and providing customers with a superior shopping experience." Salman Syed, SVP/GM North America at Marqeta said, "Mastercard has taken a forward-thinking approach to enabling the Buy Now, Pay Later ecosystem with their new Installment Program. It allows BNPL providers and financial institutions access to a merchant network that encompasses anywhere Mastercard is accepted, and Mastercard has done the hard work of building out the network infrastructure to support that. We're excited about the possibilities for new innovation opened up by combining Mastercard Installments with Marqeta's modern card issuing platform and see this being an attractive proposition for banks and fintechs alike." Anthony Noto, CEO of SoFi said, "As a digital personal finance company with a passion to help people get their money right, we pride ourselves on bringing products and features that meet our members' wants and needs when it comes to saving, spending, and borrowing money. The demand for a new way to pay via BNPL within a debit account like SoFi Money is clear; SoFi is thrilled to be deepening its partnership with Mastercard to bring this technology to life." Michael Bopp, Chief Growth Officer at Synchrony said, "Mastercard's enablement of BNPL offerings across their network will further empower merchants and consumers with access to a greater variety of payment options. We are committed to providing our partners and customers with choice, flexibility and long-term value, and we look forward to exploring ways we can collaborate with Mastercard in this endeavor." About Mastercard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com 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. Disclosures: * Source (News - Alert) : Study conducted using Mastercard transaction data; October 2020 SoFi Money is a cash management account, which is a brokerage product, offered by SoFi Securities LLC. Member FINRA/SIPC. Neither SoFi nor its affiliates are a bank. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005404/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Mazda Motor Europe chooses VTEX to power its commercial digital transformation in 22 countries LONDON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- VTEX (NYSE: VTEX), the enterprise digital commerce platform for premier brands and retailers, the leader in accelerating the digital commerce transformation in Latin America and now expanding globally, is proud to announce it has signed an agreement to power Mazda Motor Europe's digital commerce operations in the region. With VTEX, the automotive manufacturer aims to enable every country in which it operates in Europe to cater to its changing customer needs. Starting with an online Mazda Vehicle Stock Locator for new cars in a first pilot market, but effectively setting up an ecommerce marketplace infrastructure for all Mazda entities Europe-wide will enable nearly 1,600 Mazda dealerships to sell new and used vehicles online in a phased implementation approach as part of the overall strategy. With the Vehicle Stock Locator, consumers throughout Europe will be able to easily identify new and used Mazda vehicles near to their location. Customers may then reserve the vehicle online, closing the purchase at the dealership. The Mazda Vehicle Stock Locator is an important step in Mazda's digital transformation, which looks to closely integrate the company with its dealerships to offer better online experiences to their customers. The initiative will empower Mazda to gain important information onits prospects' purchasing interests by participating in the online sales process. Mazda Motor Europe aims to evolve its solution to create a complete digital car shopping experience, allowing vehicle configuration, test drive booking, financing calculation and approval, purchase of accessories and, most importantly, the full purchase of new and used vehicles. Mazda Motor Europe selected VTEX due to its proven track record in the automotive industry, its tried and tested native marketplace solution, its composable front-end and back-end architecture that can be tailored to Mazda's needs, and also because of VTEX's agility to deliver fast time-to-market for enterprise customers. "We are excited to shape the digital future of the automotive industry through a bold initiative that serves both customers and dealerships. After careful consideration, we have selected VTEX to accompany us on this transformation journey," says Matthias Sileghem, VP Communications & Public Affairs of Mazda Motor Europe. "Since early in the process, VTEX has shown incredible commitment to turn our vision into reality, acting as a true long-term partner." "Gaining Mazda Europe's vote of confidence is a tremendous honour for all of us at VTEX and another proof that our commerce and marketplace capabilities are a match for the greatest enterprises in the market," adds Daniela Jurado, General Manager at VTEX Western Europe. "Without a doubt, vehicle shopping is entering a new era and we are proud to power it to its potential through Mazda's visionary project." About VTEX VTEX (NYSE: VTEX) provides a software-as-a-service digital commerce platform for enterprise brands and retailers. Our platform enables our customers to execute their commerce strategy, including building online stores, integrating, and managing orders across channels, and creating marketplaces to sell products from third-party vendors. Founded in Brazil, we have been a leader in accelerating the digital commerce transformation in Latin America and are expanding globally. Our platform is engineered to enterprise-level standards and functionality, and we are trusted by more than 2,000 customers with over 2,500 active online stores across 32 countries to connect with their consumers in a meaningful way*. *Figures as of FY ended on Dec. 31st, 2020 About MAZDA Motor Europe Mazda Motor Europe (MME) is the regional headquarters of Mazda for the European market. It was established in 1989 and is located in Leverkusen, Germany. MME coordinates the operations of all Mazda National Sales Companies and Independent Distributors in more than 30 countries. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Munetrix Announces Investment by Essex Bay Capital AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Munetrix, a provider of municipal and school district data management tools and proprietary performance analytics applications, today announced it has received a growth equity investment by Essex Bay Capital, a private equity investment firm that partners with middle-market companies and management teams to help drive growth. Headquartered in Auburn Hills, Mich., Munetrix empowers municipal leaders, school administrators and finance leaders to make more informed financial, strategic, and academic decisions. The investment allows Munetrix to expand its resources in areas like product development, customer support and sales. Essex Bay will continue to support Munetrix's unique expertise, excellent customer service, as well as their extensive partnerships like Ed-Fi Alliance and data integrations like the one it has with Michigan Datahub to provide best practice guidance and resources to clients. "I could not be more proud of the Munetrix team for living our mission and delighting our customers every single day by helping hundreds of K-12 school districts and municipalities on financial planning, budgeting, transparency and academic outcomes" said Buzz Brown, Cofounder and CEO of Munetrix. "We are excited to workwith our new partners at Essex Bay who understand and appreciate our core values, and who will support our vision for product innovation and growth, both organically and through acquisitions." Franklin Foster, Partner at Essex Bay Capital, said, "Munetrix's reputation as a leader and innovator in the financial planning and academic analytics realms is well-earned, as evidenced by its winning of a 2021 CODiE award , an EdTech Breakthrough Award , its ongoing GovTech100 recognition , and the clear demand for the solutions it brings to market. We look forward to partnering with the Munetrix leadership team to continue the company's fast-paced growth and further support its mission, culture and customers." Additionally, as part of the transaction, Munetrix has added serial GovTech entrepreneur Steve Ressler to its Board of Directors. Steve has held numerous GovTech executives roles, including as President of Callyo, which was recently sold to Motorola Solutions, as well as serving as Chief Marketing Officer of Granicus and Founder of GovLoop. Steve will bring his experience growing GovTech companies to the next phase of growth at Munetrix. About Munetrix : Munetrix, among the nation's largest aggregators of municipal and school district data, promotes municipal wellness and sustainability through its cloud-based data management tools and proprietary performance analytics applications. In partnering with Munetrix, municipalities and school districts are able to manage their data and access cost-effective products and advisory services to make meaningful and reliable budgets, financial projections, academic achievement metrics, trend reports and better-informed forward-looking decisions. More than 300 clients across the country use Munetrix's tools to make more informed financial and business decisions and improve student success. Learn more at www.munetrix.com. About Essex Bay Capital : Essex Bay invests in small to mid-sized private companies, partnering with management to accelerate growth. With over 20 years of investing experience, and 70+ completed acquisitions, our team brings more than just capital to the equation. We are long-term investors, focused on creating sustainable value. We build companies, organically and through add-on acquisitions to become market leaders. Partnership and alignment are at the core of everything we do. We pride ourselves on being transparent and supportive with resources, insight and expertise to create win-win opportunities for our partners. Contact: Tom Nixon 319895@email4pr.com 313.418.9791 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/munetrix-announces-investment-by-essex-bay-capital-301386772.html SOURCE Munetrix [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] NovaSignal Secures $37 Million in Series C1 LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NovaSignal Corp., a medical technology and data company specializing in the assessment and management of brain health, announced today it has closed $37 million in a Series C1 round of funding. The company will use the capital to support NovaSignals continued commercial expansion, consistent delivery of product innovation, and new clinical trials to increase indications within and beyond stroke. The funding round was led by Alpha Edison and Reimagined Ventures. Cerebral blood flow is a critical indicator of overall health, but it can be difficult to accurately assess. By applying robotics and artificial intelligence to ultrasound, NovaSignal uniquely captures cerebral hemodynamics in real time, enabling better and faster clinical decisions. The Series C1 funding is a strong endorsement of our technology and mission, said Robert Hamilton, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of NovaSignal. Over the last twelve months, NovaSignal delivered significant advancements to the healthcare industry. Launched in April, the fully autonomous and cloud connected NovaSignal Platform is transforming stroke programs across the country by reducing the complexity of performing crucial cerebral assessments. The company also broadened its commercial footprint beyond the U.S. and Europe with a Health Canada license approval. We have witnessed NovaSignals robust growth and laser focus on harnessing blood flow data to improve patient outcomes. We are excited to once again back NovaSignal and believe that its innovative approach has the potential to revolutionize patient care across a variety of disease areas, said Nick Grouf, Managing Partner at Alpha Edison. The trasformative power of NovaSignals technology is clear. As a physician, I understand the importance of increasing access to safe and effective diagnostics for stroke. We look forward to NovaSignals continued momentum in delivering their platform into stroke programs across the US, Europe, and Canada, said Dr. Ted Koutouzis, Managing Director at Reimagined Ventures. The healthcare industry recognizes the need for faster and more accurate stroke diagnosis. Stroke is an interruption of blood flow to the brain. The NovaSignal Platform autonomously captures and analyzes cerebral blood flow data through the application of robotics, AI, and cloud computing. It is the only solution capable of democratizing cerebral blood flow assessment. The NovaSignal Platform will improve the standard of care for stroke patients, and we are determined to drive availability to the millions of people in the U.S. that suffer from neurological conditions every year, said Diane Bryant, Chair and CEO of NovaSignal. About NovaSignal: Founded in 2013, NovaSignal Corp. is a medical technology company whose mission is to save lives by unlocking the power of cerebral blood flow data. The companys FDA-cleared NovaGuide Intelligent Ultrasound combines non-invasive ultrasound, robotics, and artificial intelligence to assess cerebral hemodynamics in real time. Using cloud computing and data analytics, NovaSignal supports physicians in their clinical decision making in several neurological conditions including stroke, traumatic brain injury, and dementia. To learn more, visit novasignal.com. About Alpha Edison: Alpha Edison is an early-stage venture firm that partners with courageous entrepreneurs to build industry-changing technology platforms. We share our research and expertise in business model innovation to help ambitious founders create new markets, unlock latent demand, and scale businesses that change our world - for the better. Based in Los Angeles, CA, you can learn more about us at www.alphaedison.com. About Reimagined Ventures: Reimagined Ventures is an experienced and innovative family investment office which specializes in investing in, growing, and operating highly innovative companies across a variety of asset classes and industry sectors. Learn more at reimaginedventures.com. Media Contacts: Lerie Kane, VP, Marketing, NovaSignal Corp. lerie@novasignal.com Theresa Masnik, SHIFT Communications novasignal@shiftcomm.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Octopus Energy is Proud Sponsor of SunPedal Ride in a Cross Country Journey Octopus Energy, a renewable energy retailer based in Houston, Texas, is a sponsor of the SunPedal Ride, an annual, solar powered electric bike ride across the U.S., which reached North Dakota this week. Conducted by Sushil Reddy, a Guiness World Record holder for longest e-bike ride, the SunPedal Ride is designed to encourage conversation about clean energy, sustainable mobility, and low-emission travel. Now on its 7th trip, the SunPedal Ride began on August 15, 2021 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and is scheduled to finish in early December in Houston, Texas after covering 6,498 miles of travel. Following completion of the journey, Octopus Energy will host an end-of-ride celebration in Houston, Texas commemorating a months-long journey across the country. "Octopus Energy is proud to sponsor Sushil's SunPedal ride and work closely with him to evangelize adoption of renewable energy and clean, low-carbon lifestyles worldwide," said Michael Lee, CEO of Octopus Energy US. "This is a critical time for the global energy transformation and individual actions play a crucial role in driving us towards a greener, cheaper and more sustainable energy future. We look forward to hosting the SunPedal Ride team here in Houston this December." Reddy is also joined on this year's SunPedal ride by Luis Fourzan, a lawyer, outdoor enthusiast, and sustainable energy advocate who resides in Mexico. Fourzan also participated in the 2018 SunPedal ride, which took place in Iceland, and recently became a partner in green energy financial company Rayema. Other countries where the SunPedal ride took place in past years include France and India, the latter of which was home to Reddy's world record e-bike journey in 2016. Each year, the SunPedal ride is made possible by a series of sponsors and supporting partners who help spread awareness about the trip. In addition to Octopus Energy, this year's sponsors include: Oriden, Mitsubishi (News - Alert) Power, Radisson Hotels, Radisson Rewards, Hypertrack, Streetlight Data, Sol Mobil, Grin Technologies, Schwalbe, Ortlieb, MPOWERD, E-Bike Lovers Association, Project Green Schools, DoorDash, Lumos, Quad Lock, Solgaard, and Arxtec. Those interested in learning more about Sushil's journey can visit www.thesunpedalride.com, follow updates on Twitter (News - Alert) , Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram, or reach out via email to sushilr25@gmail.com. ABOUT OCTOPUS ENERGY US Octopus Energy Group is a technology-driven, renewable energy retailer, directly supplying over 2 million customers globally with 100% green electricity at a cheaper price and with a focus on incredible customer service. Founded five years ago as a global energy retailer, Octopus Energy entered the U.S. market in 2020, forming Octopus Energy U.S. and fueling the company's global expansion. Octopus Energy is valued at over $2 billion and is one of energy-tech's fastest-growing private companies. To learn more, visit: www.octopusenergy.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005789/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] President Li Zhengmao of China Telecom: Unleashing the Power of Connectivity and Beyond, and Building "Shared 5G Network" for Sustainable Development HONG KONG, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- On 19 September, the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development held its 2021 Annual Fall Meeting. Commissioners and special guests attending the meeting include the Commission's Co-Chair His Excellency President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Co-Chair Mr. Carlos Slim Helu, founder of the Carlos Slim Foundation, Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, Mr. Zhao Houlin, Secretary-General of the International Telecommunication Union, Mr. Abdulla Shahid, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Maldives, and Mr. Qu Dongyu, Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, who conducted extensive communication and exchanged ideas by focusing on topics such as "Unleashing the Power of Connectivity and Beyond" and "Pushing forward People-Centred Approaches for Universal Connectivity". China Telecom President Li Zhengmao was invited to the meeting and shared practices and considerations of China Telecom on "Unleashing the Power of Connectivity and Beyond". In his speech, President Li introduced the general information about China Telecom in the first place. He said that China Telecom is a world-leading, large-scale full-service operator of integrated intelligent information services. It ranked the 126th in the latest "Fortune Global 500", moving up 32 spots compared with that of last year. By the end of July 2021, the Company's mobile subscribers had reached 365 million, of which 138 million were 5G subscribers, and its broadband user scale had steadily grown to 195 million households. The Company is also a main force in new information infrastructure development and a global leader in cloud-network convergence. It is the largest IDC service provider in China and its e-Cloud ranks the first among global operators in terms of public cloud IaaS. In building 5G networks that need high investment, how to effectively utlize resources and save investment is a crucial problem. President Li said that China Telecom together with China Unicom has walked on an innovative road of co-building and sharing. The two sides have started full life cycle co-building and sharing of 5G network across the country since September 2019, with "one physical network and two logical networks". Through two years' joint efforts, they have achieved remarkable outcomes and considerable benefits. By the end of July, 517,000 shared 5G base stations had been opened, and it is estimated that the two sides would save about 80 billion yuan of investment in total. The full life cycle 5G co-building and sharing conducted by the two large operators of China Telecom and China Unicom is the first case in the world, contributing "Chinese experience" to global telecom industry. The Broadband Commission was established in May 2010 by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Its Commissioners include industry leaders, government leaders, and experts from international agencies and organizations concerned with development. It is committed to devising and formulating strategies that give more attention and priority status to broadband infrastructure and service development to ensure that broadband technology will bear fruit in all countries and benefit all people. About China Telecom Global China Telecom Corporation Limited ("China Telecom"), one of the world's largest providers of integrated telecommunication services, has been unwaveringly strived to enhance its capabilities in maintaining its global footprints while addressing changing demands. In 2000, China Telecom established its first overseas office. In order to further enhance its global service quality and accelerating overseas business expansion, China Telecom established China Telecom Global Limited ("CTG") in 2012, which is headquartered in Hong Kong, China. Leveraging its vast network resources of 47 submarine cables with 74T in intercontinental capacity and 223 Points-of-Presence (PoPs) around the world, China Telecom offers a high-performing global network for international carriers, multinational enterprises and overseas Chinese customers. China Telecom delivers a wide portfolio of high quality, integrated communications solutions, including internet direct access, internet transit, data services, broadband, unified communications, internet data centres, cloud computing, ICT services, fixed-line and mobile services, multi-domestic MVNO and global IoT connectivity service, professional services, industry solutions, telecom operation consultancy and service outsourcing. With an agile and forward-looking spirit, innovative products and business models, and industry-leading technologies, China Telecom has become a world-class integrated telecommunication services provider with presence in 41 countries and regions. China Telecom is dedicated to creating value for its customers in their business transformation, enabling them to achieve business growth, enhance global footprints and maintain competitive edges by digitalisation. For more information, please visit www.chinatelecomglobal.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/president-li-zhengmao-of-china-telecom-unleashing-the-power-of-connectivity-and-beyond-and-building-shared-5g-network-for-sustainable-development-301386690.html SOURCE China Telecom Global [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] PSG Closes Fifth U.S. Flagship Fund at $4.5 Billion PSG, a leading growth equity firm partnering with middle-market software and technology-enabled services companies, today announced that it closed PSG V, its fifth U.S. flagship fund, at its hard cap with $4.5 billion in third-party limited partner commitments. It received commitments from both existing and new investors, including state and corporate pension funds, sovereign wealth funds and family offices. PSG V brings PSG's aggregate capital commitments across the U.S. and Europe to more than $10 billion. Founded in 2014, PSG has grown to a team of over 120 employees across offices in Boston, Kansas City and London, including more than 85 investment professionals and over 30 operations team professionals. PSG is also supported by 20 senior advisors. The firm closed its debut European fund earlier this year with 1.25 billion in third-party limited partner commitments. Through PSG V, the firm will continue its commitment to its founding 'buy and build' strategy focused on helping middle-market software companies grow through strategic value cration initiatives in addition to sourcing and facilitating add-on acquisitions. "Since inception, we've been extremely thoughtful in charting PSG's expansion and we're thrilled to arrive at this milestone with continued confidence in our strategy," said Mark Hastings, Co-Founder and CEO of PSG. "We're grateful for the support of our new and returning investors as we continue to scale and partner with a growing number of exceptional entrepreneurs and management teams." Peter Wilde, Co-Founder and Chairman of PSG, added, "The significant investor demand for PSG V and the exciting trajectory that the firm is on is a true reflection of our entire team's dedication, our investment approach and, most importantly, the hard work of our network of portfolio companies." 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 85 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. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005321/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Quinbrook to Build the UK's Largest Consented Solar + Battery Storage Project Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners ("Quinbrook"), a specialist global investment manager focused exclusively on renewables, storage and grid support infrastructure investment, today announced that it has acquired a consented 350MW Solar + Battery storage project, located in Kent, UK ("Project Fortress"). Quinbrook expects to commence construction of the project in the first half of 2022. Once operational, Fortress is expected to be the largest single site solar PV installation in the UK, and is more than three times the size of the UK's next largest consented solar PV project. The addition of battery storage to large scale solar generation at Fortress is designed to provide critical support to improve security and reliability for the UK power grid and help continue the UK's sustainable drive to Net Zero. A Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project ("NSIP"), Fortress was granted development consent by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in May 2020. Fortress is forecast to generate enough renewable power each year to meet the power needs of c. 100,000 UK homes and to help reduce carbon emissions by 164,450 tonnes in its first year of operations alone. Fortress includes an extensive landscape and biodiversity management plan, designed in collaboration with Natural England, Kent Wildlife Trust, RSPB, and the Environment Agency, that will add more than 3.5km of native hedgerow screen planting across the site and seek to deliver a net gain of 65 percent in biodiversity. Project Fortress follows closely behind Quinbrook's massive Gemini Solar + Battery Storage Project in Nevada, US, which is currently under construction. Developed by Quinbrook portfolio company Primergy Solar, Gemini is a US$1.1 billion, 690 MW solar PV and 380 MW battery storage system and is believed to be the largest co-located solar PV and battery storage project in US history. Gemini is expected to host over 1.8 million solar modules and generate enough renewable energy to meet the residential power demands of the entire City of Las Vegas, Nevada. Primergy Solar also recently announced the 600 MW Hot Pot and Iron Point solar + battery storage projects in Nevada which are proposed to replace the retiring North Valmy coal-fired power station. Quinbrook's Nevada projects together with Fortress bring the current solar + battery storage portfolio to well over 1.6 GW of solar PV and 1 GW of battery storage capacity representing over USD 2.5 billion of project capital investment for the US and UK renewables markets. Rory Quinlan, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Quinbrook commented, "We believe Project Fortress is a landmark transaction on many fronts and represents a new frontier in UK solar teamed with largescale battery storage. We have been immersed in large scale solar and storage in the US for many years and we can apply our significant experience in project design and equipment selection to ensure Fortress becomes the new benchmark for renewables that support the UK grid rather than challenge it." Investment in Fortress continues the Quinbrook Founders' 20-year history of investment in UK renewables and grid support projects. Quinlan added: "Fortress is an excellent example of the scale of new renewables impact the UK needs to build not only to rapidly decarbonize the UK power sector, but also to meet the 13 percent increase in electricity demand that the Ten Point Plan is expected to create by 2030. The acute power price volatility and security of energy supply concerns we have seen in the UK these past weeks highlight how critical new capacity investment in the UK will be to deliver the energy transition without further disruption. We plan for Fortress to play its part in helping to improve energy independence for the UK." Quinbrook Applies Its Strong ESG Capabilities to Project Fortress Quinbrook plans to apply several progressive innovations at Fortress for real-time measurement and reporting of carbon emissions in the UK power grid and the 24/7 tracing and tracking of the renewable provenance of the power sold to the project's offtakers. Using advanced blockchain and other applications, Quinbrook aims to deliver a complete carbon reporting service to assist customers with tracking progress against their Net Zero goals and their compliance obligations with TCFD and related carbon reporting. Quinlan added, "Fortress provides a timely opportunity to showcase the application of advanced technologies that are critical to verify the carbon reductions available to our customers from Fortress. We think this is destined to become the standard for all energy supply projects in the years ahead." Quinbrook will also work with local stakeholders to help secure measurable economic benefits from the development for the local community. To achieve this, Quinbrook will focus on opportunities for the involvement of local companies in the construction and operations supply chain; the ability of local residents to access employment opportunities associated with construction and operation; and the ability for research organisations to use Fortress to enable technical research and innovation in the renewable energy sector. Preliminary analysis by Quinbrook indicates that during its expected lifetime, Fortress could support approximately 1,000 jobs1 (direct and indirect) and contribute in excess of GBP 100 million2 in local socio-economic contributions from lease payments to landowners and local taxes. Mike O'Donnell, CEO of the London Collective Investment Vehicle, an investor in Quinbrook's Renewables Impact Fund, commented, "Fortress is an excellent example of the type of project London CIV sought to invest in when we made an allocation to Quinbrook from our LCIV Renewable Infrastructure Fund." Quinbrook Focuses on UK 'Net Zero' Transition In the UK, Quinbrook is focusing on opportunities arising from the accelerating energy transition to achieve 'Net Zero' emissions from the country's energy supply system. With ageing coal, gas and nuclear plants being retired in the UK, significant long-term capital investment in new renewables supply infrastructure, battery storage, smart grid and related businesses will be needed. Quinbrook views the need for new supply and grid support infrastructure as an opportunity to deliver measurable ESG impact from asset creation and optimisation which it considers fundamental to any 'high impact' focused investment thesis. Quinbrook aims to protect and enhance the value of invested assets for the long-term benefit of its investors through the proactive identification and management of the ESG aspects of those investments. However, Quinbrook's ESG objectives extend beyond this; to job creation, improved governance, greater community engagement, and reduced environmental impacts from the daily operation of portfolio assets. About Quinbrook Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners (http://www.quinbrook.com) is a specialist investment manager focused exclusively on renewables, storage and grid support infrastructure and operational asset management in the US, UK and Australia. Quinbrook is led and managed by a senior team of power industry professionals who have collectively invested c.USD 8.2 billion equity in energy infrastructure assets since the early 1990s, representing a total enterprise value of c.USD 28.7 billion or 19.5 GW of power supply capacity. Quinbrook's investment and asset management team has offices in Houston, London, Jersey, and the Gold Coast of Australia. Quinbrook has completed a diverse range of direct investments in both utility and distributed scale wind power, grid support, biomass, battery storage and 'smart grid' projects in the US, UK and Australia. 1 Jobs: Includes direct and indirect jobs, solar pv total FTE 6/MW CEBR / Solar powered growth in the UK / prepared for solar trade association, storage and grid support 10,000 man hrs / 20MW (20VAR) 2 Business rates and lease payments expected during 35-year asset life for 350 MW solar and 150 BESS View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005388/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Sharpen's COO Pam Hynes Wins Gold Stevie for Female Executive of the Year The Stevie Awards for Women in Business, the world's top honors for women entrepreneurs, executives, employees, and the organizations they run, honored Sharpen's COO Pam Hynes with a Gold Stevie for Female Executive of the Year in the Business Products -11 to 2,500 Employees category. Judges called Pam an "innovative leader with a high impact" and noted her "impressive track record of achievement that has seen entrepreneurial growth, innovation, and leadership at its best." In her 33-year career, Pam has been a leader in the tech community, instrumental in building not one but two successful companies. Her first, Software Artistry, made history in Indiana by being the first tech company in the state to go public. Interactive Intelligence (News - Alert) , her second, created thousands of jobs around the world and sold for $1.4 billion in 2016. Since Pam joined Sharpen in 2017, the software company has made the 2020 and 2021 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America and the 2021 Fast 25-Indiana Business Journal's (IBJ) list of the 25 fastest-growing companies in the region. It has also been named a Best Places to Work by both Inc. (2019) and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce (2021). In 2020, Pam was named a Woman of Influence by IBJ. "This achievement is only possible because of the great teams around me throughout my career," said Pam. "I've been very fortunate to work with and for very talented entrepreneurs who were innovative, collaborative, and inclusive. I've been blessed and truly enjoy what I do." More than 1,500 nominations from organizations and individuals around the world were submitted to the awards this year for consideration in categories including COVID-19 Response, Entrepreneur of the Year, Executive of the Year, Most Innovative Company of the Year, and Startup of the Year, among others. Stevie Award-winning nominations were submitted by organizations in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Estonia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kenya, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwn, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam. "Pam is one of the reasons Sharpen (News - Alert) is a great place to work," noted Sharpen CEO Bill Gildea. "When you combine her unwavering commitment to ensure our customers' and employees' success, along with her leadership skills, attention to detail, and ability to hire--and mentor--great team members, you can see why she has been so successful at every stop she's made." A list of Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie winners by category, can be found here. About Sharpen Technologies Sharpen Technologies is the world's first, truly agent-focused contact center platform built in the cloud for the cloud. The omnichannel platform lets users work from anywhere, seamlessly moving between calls, texts, webchats, emails, social media etc., all in real-time and in a single interaction. Sharpen was recognized by Frost & Sullivan's (News - Alert) Contact Center Buyers Guide, North America for its "dramatic ROI," "out-of-the-box integrations," "powerful reporting and analytics tools," and "demonstrable value." In 2020 and 2021, it was named to the Inc. 5000, the magazine's annual list of America's fastest-growing private companies. And, it is a Best Places to Work by both Inc. (2019) and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce (2017, 2018, 2021). Visit Sharpen on LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and the Sharpen blog. About the Stevie Awards Stevie Awards are conferred in eight programs: the Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards, the German Stevie Awards, the Middle East & North Africa Stevie Awards The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, the Stevie Awards for Great Employers, the Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Stevie Awards competitions receive more than 12,000 entries each year from organizations in more than 70 nations. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about the Stevie Awards at http://www.StevieAwards.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005874/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Skullcandy Unveils Skull-iQ Smart Feature Technology To Enable Hands-Free Audio Via Simple Voice Commands PARK CITY, Utah, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Skullcandy, the #1 selling brand in Stereo Headphones1 and True Wireless Earbuds2 under $100, announced today its all-new, voice-driven platform, Skull-iQ Smart Feature Technology. Providing users with the ability to go completely hands-free, Skull-iQ debuts on the Grind Fuel ($99.99 MSRP) and Push Active True Wireless Earbuds ($79.99 MSRP) which get smarter over time with over-the-air updates via the Skullcandy App. The new collection is available now at Skullcandy.com and select retailers nationwide. Intuitive voice commands are the standout feature of Skull-iQ Smart Feature Technology. Users can simply say, "Hey Skullcandy" to initiate seamless voice control. They can then give commands to play or pause content, accept or reject calls, turn on Stay-Aware Mode for enhanced safety and even launch Spotify. Through a partnership with the world's most popular audio streaming subscription service, Skullcandy is the first to provide voice-activated Spotify Tap access. A simple, "Hey Skullcandy, Spotify" voice command enables the most frictionless way to access music and podcasts, or users can press a button on their earbuds to activate. Skull-iQ also makes it easy to issue audio commands directly to a device's personal voice assistant without any additional setup. These game-changing convenience features are ideal for anyone seeking added flexibility, but especially important for active lifestyle users engaged in activities like snowboarding, mountain biking, skateboarding and more. "At Skullcandy, we live and breathe adventure in the same ways our consumers do and it's our shared passions that push us to innovate," said Jeff Hutchings, Skullcandy Chief Product Officer. "Skull-iQ grants our fans the freedom of hands-free voice control over their music, communications and more, allowing them to stay in the action without missing a beat. We're thrilled to bring these advancements to the masses with the value-packed Grind Fuel and Push Active True Wireless Earbuds, offering affordable access to an ever-growing list of advanced features thanks to over-the-air updates." Skullcandy's latest collection of true wireless earbuds is led by Grind Fuel. Serving as the ideal entry point to Skull-iQ hands-free voice control technology, Grind Fuel featurs Personal Sound for a customizable audio experience and wireless charging for added convenience. For those seeking an adventure-ready, durable fit designed specifically for high-intensity activities, Push Active True Wireless Sport Earbuds are the ultimate audio partner, offering flexible over-ear hooks and water/sweat resistance. Additional details surrounding Grind Fuel and Push Active True Wireless Earbuds include: Grind Fuel True Wireless Earbuds $99.99 MSRP Skull-iQ Smart Feature Technology Issue simple, hands-free voice commands to take calls, change tracks, adjust volume, turn on Stay-Aware Mode, activate device assistant, launch Spotify Tap, and more Issue simple, hands-free voice commands to take calls, change tracks, adjust volume, turn on Stay-Aware Mode, activate device assistant, launch Spotify Tap, and more Over-the-Air Updates Update earbuds via the Skullcandy App to add new features for enhanced functionality and to extend the life of the earbuds Update earbuds via the Skullcandy App to add new features for enhanced functionality and to extend the life of the earbuds Premium Audio Quality Experience supreme sound thanks to expertly-tuned acoustic drivers, dual noise-reducing microphones for natural and clear call quality and a noise-isolating fit Experience supreme sound thanks to expertly-tuned acoustic drivers, dual noise-reducing microphones for natural and clear call quality and a noise-isolating fit Up to 40 Hours of Battery Life Listen longer with 9 hours of battery life in the earbuds and 31 hours in the charging case Listen longer with 9 hours of battery life in the earbuds and 31 hours in the charging case Wireless Charging Enjoy the convenience of charging without wires Enjoy the convenience of charging without wires Personal Sound Tune your audio experience to your unique hearing ability via the Skullcandy App by taking a real-time audio test to create a Personal Sound Profile for optimized audio levels Tune your audio experience to your unique hearing ability via the Skullcandy App by taking a real-time audio test to create a Personal Sound Profile for optimized audio levels USB-C Rapid Charging Case For 10 minutes spent in the case, receive 2 hours of battery life For 10 minutes spent in the case, receive 2 hours of battery life True Wireless via Bluetooth 5.2 Auto On/Connect Enjoy automatic turn on and pairing with the last device used Enjoy automatic turn on and pairing with the last device used IP55 Sweat and Water Resistance Go on any adventure without missing a beat Go on any adventure without missing a beat Built-in Tile Finding Technology If an earbud is misplaced, simply 'ring' it from the Tile app Push Active True Wireless Sport Earbuds $79.99 MSRP Skull-iQ Smart Feature Technology Issue simple, hands-free voice commands to take calls, change tracks, adjust volume, turn on Stay-Aware Mode, activate device assistant, launch Spotify Tap, and more Issue simple, hands-free voice commands to take calls, change tracks, adjust volume, turn on Stay-Aware Mode, activate device assistant, launch Spotify Tap, and more Over-the-Air Updates Update earbuds via the Skullcandy App to add new features for enhanced functionality and added value Update earbuds via the Skullcandy App to add new features for enhanced functionality and added value Premium Audio Quality Experience supreme sound thanks to expertly-tuned acoustic drivers, dual noise-reducing microphones for natural and clear call quality and a noise-isolating fit Experience supreme sound thanks to expertly-tuned acoustic drivers, dual noise-reducing microphones for natural and clear call quality and a noise-isolating fit Up to 44 Hours of Battery Life Listen longer with 10 hours of battery life in the earbuds and 34 hours in the charging case Listen longer with 10 hours of battery life in the earbuds and 34 hours in the charging case USB-C Rapid Charging Case For 10 minutes spent in the case, receive 2 hours of battery life For 10 minutes spent in the case, receive 2 hours of battery life True Wireless via Bluetooth 5.2 Auto On/Connect Enjoy automatic turn on and pairing with the last device used Enjoy automatic turn on and pairing with the last device used IP55 Sweat and Water Resistance Go on any adventure without missing a beat Go on any adventure without missing a beat Built-in Tile Finding Technology If an earbud is misplaced, simply 'ring' it from the Tile app For more information on Skull-iQ Smart Feature Technology as well as Grind Fuel and Push Active True Wireless Earbuds, visit Skullcandy.com/Skull-iQ. 1. The NPD Group / Retail Tracking Service, based on Stereo Headphone Dollar Share and Unit Share YTD July 31, 2021. 2.The NPD Group / Retail Tracking Service, based on True Wireless Earbuds Dollar Share and Unit Share YTD July 31, 2021. About Skullcandy Skullcandy is the original lifestyle audio brand, born in 2003 on a chairlift in Park City, Utah. Fast forward to today where Skullcandy is the #1 selling brand in Stereo Headphones1 and True Wireless Earbuds2 under $100, and on a mission "to unleash the visceral power of music for all." Skullcandy headphones and earbuds are created, tuned and tested to deliver music you can feel, specially engineered to provide a deeper, more immersive listening experience. The brand supports charitable causes through its Music With A Mission program where dedicated campaigns and a portion of proceeds from limited-edition product sales help make an impact. Skullcandy designs, markets and distributes its audio products through a variety of distribution channels globally. The company's website can be found at www.Skullcandy.com . View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/skullcandy-unveils-skull-iq-smart-feature-technology-to-enable-hands-free-audio-via-simple-voice-commands-301384609.html SOURCE Skullcandy [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. Hires Industry Veteran Scott Ashby SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., a member of SMBC Group, today announced that Scott Ashby has joined the firm as Managing Director, Head of Capital Markets and Investment Banking, Senior Deputy President. In this role, he will oversee several business functions within the Capital Markets and Investment Banking division, working closely with the firm's product and coverage teams to help drive further growth and maximize future client opportunities. "We are very excited to have Scott join the firm to lead our Capital Markets and Investment Banking business," said Bungo Miura, Chairperson and President, SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. "He brings a tremendous wealth of experience leading a first class fixed income capital markets business. Scott is a great fit to lead our business, is an outstanding addition to our team, and will help to enhance the execution of our strategy and delivery for clients." Scott joins SMBC Nikko Securities America from Morgan Stanley, where he spent the past 24 years, most recently as a Managing Director, Co-Head of Fixed Income Capital Markets in the Americas within the Global Capital Markets division. There, he was responsible for investment-grade debt underwriting and related risk management in the U.S. and Latin America. In addition to managing the Fixed Income Capital Markets practice, Scott has built his career by focusing on coverage of financial institutions and corporations around te globe, specifically, U.S. and foreign banks, insurance and finance companies, global asset managers, the global automotive industry, as well as a select group of large multinational corporations. Scott previously held several positions within Morgan Stanley's Fixed Income Capital Markets business and Equity Research division, where he covered the U.S. automotive industry. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, he was a Financial Analyst at Toyota Motor Credit Corporation. About SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. is a member of SMBC Group, one of the world's largest global financial institutions. Based in New York City, SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. provides investment securities and other financial services to corporate and institutional clients, focusing on North America and Latin America. SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc. caters to institutional investors such as mutual funds, hedge funds, and other investment advisors. About SMBC Group SMBC Group is a top-tier global financial group. Headquartered in Tokyo and with a 400-year history, SMBC Group offers a diverse range of financial services, including banking, leasing, securities, credit cards, and consumer finance. The Group has more than 130 offices and 85,000 employees worldwide in nearly 40 countries. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group, Inc. (SMFG) is the holding company of SMBC Group, which is one of the three largest banking groups in Japan. SMFG's shares trade on the Tokyo, Nagoya, and New York (NYSE: SMFG) stock exchanges. As of June 30, 2021, its total assets were $2.11 trillion. In the Americas, SMBC Group has a presence in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, and Peru. Backed by the capital strength of SMBC Group and the value of its relationships in Asia, the Group offers a range of commercial and investment banking services to its corporate, institutional, and municipal clients. It connects a diverse client base to local markets and the organization's extensive global network. The Group's operating companies in the Americas include Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. (SMBC), SMBC Nikko Securities America, Inc., SMBC Capital Markets, Inc., SMBC Rail Services LLC, Manufacturers Bank, JRI America, Inc., SMBC Leasing and Finance, Inc., Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro S.A., and Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Co., Ltd. 202120 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005814/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] SpotLite360 Provides Corporate Update for Q3 2021 DENVER and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SPOTLITE360 IOT SOLUTIONS, INC. (SpotLite360 or the Company) (CSE: LITE) (OTC: SPLTF) (Frankfurt: 87A) is pleased to provide a corporate update with regard to its milestones achieved in the course of Q3 2021. On June 15, 2021, the Companys common shares began trading on the Canadian Securities Exchange and promptly thereafter began initiatives focused on select industries for launching the SpotLite360 software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution (the SpotLite360 Technologies). As supply chains around the globe continue to evolve in ways that can benefit from blockchain and Internet-of-Things (IoT) solutions such as the SpotLite360 Technologies, the Company is strategically positioning itself to align with some of the worlds largest and most complex industries with respect to their business objectives, needs of the end consumer, and regulatory compliance. Below, an overview is provided of the Companys key milestones from this quarter. Additional information can be found on the SpotLite360 website, as well as on the Companys SEDAR profile at http://sedar.com . Industry Focused Launch Initiatives: In press releases published throughout July and August, the Company announced initiatives for launching the SpotLite360 Technologies to accounts in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, cannabis, and agriculture industries. Given the often complicated regulatory frameworks in which players in these industries operate as well as the pervasiveness of counterfeit goods in the pharmaceutical sector, firms could realize significant value from the integration of the SpotLite360 Technologies into their business systems, as well as the systems of their respective partners and suppliers. In mid-July 2021, SpotLite360 President James Greenwell made a 17-minute video presentation explaining the potential benefits of the SpotLite360 Technologies in the cannabis industry. This presentation can be viewed by clicking here . License Agreements for the SpotLite360 Technologies: This quarter was a promising start for the Company as it landed two license agreements for the SpotLite360 Technologies with cannabis industry players in the state of Colorado; Aurora-based Apollo Sciences (hemp manufacturer with more than 200 contract farmers) as well as Denver-based Peak Dispensary (holder of Colorados fourth dispensary license, well-known tourist attraction, currently planning multi-state expansion). First SpotLite360 Technologies Reseller Relationship: Building upon SpotLite360s existing relationship with Apollo Sciences as a licensee of the SpotLite360 Technologies, Apollo Sciences also became a reseller of the Companys solution in September 2021. Given their reach in the cannabis industry, Apollo Sciences is capable of reaching many new potential accounts for licensing of the SpotLite360 Technologies. Updated Company Name: To better reflect the vision of the Companys management for the SpotLite360 Technologies as an innovative solution for global supply chains leveraging the capabilities of IOT integrations, the Company was renamed to SpotLite360 IOT Solutions, Inc. effective Tuesday, August 24, 2021.The ticker symbols for the Companys common shares remained the same following this change. On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company, SpotLite360 IOT Solutions, Inc. James Greenwell James Greenwell, President For more information about SpotLite360, please visit: http://spotlite360.com Charles Lee Investor Relations and Media Inquiries +1 (720) 830-6120 ir@spotlite360.com THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE (CSE) HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ACCURACY OR ADEQUACY OF THIS RELEASE, NOR HAS OR DOES THE CSES REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER. About SpotLite360 IOT Solutions, Inc. SpotLite360 is a logistics technologies solutions provider unlocking value, opportunities, and efficiencies for all participants in a supply chain. Building upon existing applications of IoT technologies, distributed ledgers, and machine learning, SpotLite360 endeavours to set new standards of transparency, integrity, and sustainability in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, and agriculture industries. As regulators across the globe begin to impose new tracing and accountability requirements for the protection of consumers (e.g., DSCSA and FSMA from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration), the need for reliable, cost-effective, and versatile tracking technology is expected to grow considerably. SpotLite360s flagship SaaS solution has been engineered to seamlessly track the movement of a product by integrating with systems of all major stakeholders in a supply chain ranging from the raw materials to the hands of the end consumer. With a primary objective of onboarding new clients in 2021, SpotLite360 plans to explore innovative use cases for its proprietary stack of technologies which could transform logistics workflows in some of the worlds largest industries. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, with respect to the Company. The forward-looking information included in this news release is not based on historical facts, but rather on the expectations of the Companys management regarding the future growth of the Resulting Issuer, its results of operations, performance, business prospects, and opportunities. This news release uses words such as will, expects, anticipates, intends, plans, believes, estimates, or similar expressions to identify forward-looking information. Such forward-looking information reflects the current beliefs of the Companys management, based on information currently available to them. This forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements relating to: the intentions, plans and future actions of the Company; statements relating to the business and future activities of the Company; anticipated developments in operations of the Company; market position, ability to compete, and future financial or operating performance of the Company; the timing and amount of funding required to execute the business plans of the Company; capital expenditures of the Company; the effect on the Company, of any changes to existing or new legislation or policy or government regulation; the length of time required to obtain permits, certifications and approvals; the availability of labour; estimated budgets; currency fluctuations; requirements for additional capital; limitations on insurance coverage; the timing and possible outcome of regulatory and permitting matters; goals; strategies; future growth; the adequacy of financial resources; our expectations regarding revenues, expenses and anticipated cash needs. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, intentions, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses made by the Company in light of the experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, and expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate, and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the assumptions underlying these statements are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect, and there can be no assurance that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. Given these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, prospective investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Whether actual results, performance, or achievements will conform to the expectations and predictions of the Company is subject to a number of known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors, including those listed in the Company's non-offering prospectus dated May 26, 2021. If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements prove incorrect, actual results might vary materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements. Information contained in forward-looking statements in this news release is provided as of the date of this news release, and the Company disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or future events or results, except to the extent required by applicable securities laws. Accordingly, potential investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or the information contained in those statements. All of the forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements. Statement Regarding Third-Party Investor Relations Firms Disclosures relating to investor relations firms retained by SpotLite360 IOT Solutions, Inc. can be found under the Company's profile on http://sedar.com . [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Timo, Vietnam's first digital bank introduced a new feature to help people affected by the pandemic HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Timo, Vietnam's first digital bank, recently introduced a new feature helping donors to financially support people negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Timo's TimoPay by Link feature allows customers to send money easily and safely to anybody in need without the hassle of asking for bank account details. In combination with Zalo Connect, a recent initiative by Zalo where people can mark themselves as in need of support, TimoPay by Link provides an easy, convenient, and free way to quickly help during these difficult times. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, a new tool on Zalo Connect allows people who have been seriously affected by COVID-19 in Ho Chi Minh City, and other big cities in Vietnam, to seek emergency support from the community to request for food, medicine, essential goods, and quickly connect with doctors or medical professionals for remote consultation. As social distancing measures continue to be extended and the transportation of goods on inter-district routes is limited, many donors choose to support their peers in difficulty through financial means. Those joining the Zalo Connect community are often moved to tears by seeing the sheer number of people calling for help in their community. Each "orange dot" (indicating people lacking food or medicine) on Zalo Connect is a story of adversity and need. It could be a lonely old man running out of food, a young couple with a child who has gone without milk for weeks or a student who could not return home before the social distancing and is now trapped at a dormitory without money. It could be an unmployed worker who can no longer afford to pay rent, or an expecting young couple who cannot afford essentials. Seeing so many people in need, Timo realized that its TimoPay by Link would be a perfect complement allowing anybody to easily and securely send money to a person in need without even knowing their bank account details. The project is referred to as "Surround yourself with green hope" a reference to the dots marking people and families on Zalo Connect who are struggling to make ends meet during this time. Once resolved, these dots will turn from orange to green showing that the person has successfully been helped. As of September 15, more than 40,000 people had joined Zalo Connect to support those in difficulty, with more than 100,000 orange dots turning green after receiving food and necessities. About 92 per cent of requests for help were for essential food such as rice, eggs, meat, fish, vegetables, milk, and bread, while the rest was for other necessities such as washing powder, toothpaste, electronic appliances, medicine, and healthcare advice. Nguyen Vu, a resident in Tan Phu district of Ho Chi Minh City who had participated in Zalo Connect, said she was looking to support families with children or elderly relatives, as well as families with COVID positive test cases being treated at home. She eventually chose a young couple in Binh Tan district. "Via Zalo Connection, I saw a request from Le Nguyen who is living in a small place with a 4-year old. Due to the pandemic, Le and her husband were jobless and ran out of money. I sent some money via Timo link to Le to help them overcome the difficult time," Nguyen said. Thu Hong, a resident in District 10, Ho Chi Minh City, said that in the past few days, besides practical and meaningful support activities such as fundraising, supporting, and empowering medical staff, doctors and volunteers, campaigns like "Surround yourself with green hope" has helped spread positive messages and energy throughout social networks and the whole community to overcome the pandemic. "The 'Surround yourself with green hopes' project has really brought together the community and spread the love, making both the needy and the helpers more optimistic and more connected," Hong said. Jonas Eichhorst, Board Director at Timo, shared that Timo was the first to offer a fee-free, easy, and convenient digital banking experience in Vietnam. Since then, the company aspires to set the benchmark for modern banking, in Vietnam and beyond. As shared by him, "Specifically, we try to help people stay on top of their finances and live their best possible lives. We do this through rethinking a wide range of banking products and services and focusing on providing the best possible customer experience. We know that banking does not exist in isolation and believe in the idea of social banking." As he further elaborated: "For us at Timo, this begins with small shifts in mindset, thinking about connecting people instead of just bank accounts. And this extends all the way to big questions like how banking in general and Timo specifically can be a contributor to a prosperous and harmonious society. The 'Surround yourself with green hopes' project is a great example of how a bank transfer is not just about sending money, it is about helping others and contributing to a more prosperous future." View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/timo-vietnams-first-digital-bank-introduced-a-new-feature-to-help-people-affected-by-the-pandemic-301386645.html SOURCE Timo Digital Bank [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Top MNCs are Investing in the Spain, Sweden, & Ireland Data Center Markets - Arizton CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the last 57 years, the market has grown significantly, with increase in the development of hyperscale data centers. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a strong driver for digital transformation initiatives in private and public sector enterprises across data centers. The trend of greenfield development is increasing across all regions, which is expected to fuel the growth of the global data center market. Data center knowledge base portfolio consist of a wide range of data center market research reports. The reports cover overall insights of several growth factors, new technologies, trends, and competitive landscape to grow your business. Arizton is also coming up with more customized and insightful reports related to data center industry. Here's a sneak peek of the trendiest reports: 1. Spain Data Center Market - Investment Analysis and Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 Spain data center market size will witness investments of USD 1.97 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 5.85% during 2021-2026. Arizton has identified about 42 unique data center facilities in Spain and 4 facilities are upcoming in the future. Around 35 colocation facilities are in Spain, with Madrid leading the market and accounting for over 20 data centers, followed by Barcelona with 7 facilities. In Spain, with an increase in the adoption of cloud-based services, the enterprise digitalization drive, involving migration to on-premises facility, is likely to drive the colocation services market during 20212026. Key Highlights: In 2020, with over 85% people's participation, WhatsApp was the most used social media in Spain , followed by Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. , followed by Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. Rapid investments and the deployment of 5G technology have led to the growth of internet users, thereby boosting the demand for data centers Spain . . Sherpa Red Points , Source{d}, vLex, Artificial Solutions, Inbenta are a few prominent AI companies in Spain . , Source{d}, vLex, Artificial Solutions, Inbenta are a few prominent AI companies in . Most data center facilities in Spain adopting medium-to low-voltage switchgears for power distribution across data centers. adopting medium-to low-voltage switchgears for power distribution across data centers. About 10 data center facilities in Spain are certified as Tier IV by the Uptime Institute. Get your free sample! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/spain-data-center-market-investment-analysis-report 2. Sweden Data Center Market - nvestment Analysis and Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 Sweden data center market size to reach USD 3.77 billion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 7.82% during the forecast period. Arizton has identified about 31 unique data center facilities in Sweden and 1 facility are upcoming in the future. Sweden expects to add around 5 million square feet of data center space during 20212026. Most underdeveloped colocation data center facilities span over 10,000 square feet of the net rentable space. The Swedish data center market expects to witness investments from cloud service providers such as Microsoft and Google as well as colocation service providers during the forecast period. Key Highlights: Sweden hosts key cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft. Increase in data volumes in Sweden witnessed businesses adopting cloud-based services. hosts key cloud providers such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft. Increase in data volumes in witnessed businesses adopting cloud-based services. Microsoft has invested around USD 1.25 million in Sweden in partnering with 13 organizations to advance the STEM program focused on upskilling youth in Sweden . in in partnering with 13 organizations to advance the STEM program focused on upskilling youth in . Increased investments in data centers and the implementation of GDPR have fueled the growth of the server market in Sweden over the last two years. over the last two years. Tax incentives from the Swedish government also have a major effect on the market, with several local and global data center providers investing in Sweden . Get your free sample now! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/sweden-data-center-market 3. Ireland Data Center Market - Investment Analysis and Growth Opportunities 2021-2026 Ireland data center market will witness investments of USD 3.84 billion by 2026, growing at a CARG of 5.47% during the period 2021-2026. Arizton has identified about 24 unique data center facilities in Sweden and 12 facilities are upcoming in the future. Core & shell development services in Ireland are likely to witness a cumulative investment of over USD 7 billion during 20212026. Equinix, Digital Realty, Keppel Data Centres, and EdgeConneX are the major colocation service providers in Ireland. In Ireland, the contribution of renewable energy sources stood at over 40% in 2020 and expects to reach 70% by 2030 across data center facilities. Key Highlights: AWS and Facebook have announced to offer over 1,000 new constructions across data centers in Ireland over the next few years. over the next few years. In 2020, TikTok announced its plans to build a USD 500 million data center facility in Ireland , which is expected to be operational by 2022. data center facility in , which is expected to be operational by 2022. Echelon Data Centres, a new market entrant in the Ireland market, expands its wholesale colocation spaces through its Clondalkin Data Center. The company is also involved in the development of the Arklow Data Center Phase I in Dublin . market, expands its wholesale colocation spaces through its Clondalkin Data Center. The company is also involved in the development of the Arklow Data Center Phase I in . Free cooling systems is dominating the data center market in Ireland . Get your free sample now! https://www.arizton.com/market-reports/ireland-data-center-market-2025 Subscribe to our data center knowledge base portfolio to access the latest research reports at competitive pricing. Read some of the top-selling reports: About Arizton: Arizton Advisory and Intelligence is an innovation and quality-driven firm, which offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients across the world. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services. We offer comprehensive market research reports on industries such as consumer goods & retail technology, automotive and mobility, smart tech, healthcare, and life sciences, industrial machinery, chemicals, and materials, IT and media, logistics and packaging. These reports contain detailed industry analysis, market size, share, growth drivers, and trend forecasts. Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts possess exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports. Mail: enquiry@arizton.com Call: +1-312-235-2040 +1 302 469 0707 Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/818553/Arizton_Logo.jpg [September 28, 2021] UBS Advisor David W. Ellis III Recognized by Forbes/SHOOK and Barron's for Commitment to Clients UBS Wealth Management USA announced today that David W. Ellis III, a Managing Director and Private Wealth Advisor in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been recognized for his commitment to clients by being named to three industry accolades. In 2021, David has been named to the Forbes/SHOOK Research Best-In-State Wealth Advisors list, the Forbes/SHOOK Research Top 250 Wealth Advisors list and the Barron's Top 1,200 Financial Advisors list. "We are thrilled that David has received this well-deserved recognition," said Michael Gatewood, Midwest Market Head at UBS Private Wealth Management. "Entrepreneurs, executives and high net worth families choose to work with David and his team because of their tailored advice, deep expertise and commitment to helping them meet their financial and future planning needs." With more than 30 years of experience in the financial services industry, David and his team provide asset and wealth management services for individuals, families and organizations, and currently oversee over $2.2 billion in client assets. David holds the Series 7, 24, 63 and 65 securities licenses. He earned his B.S. in accounting from Syracuse University and is Chairman Emeritus of Gradison. Outside of the office, David is committed to supporting his community, serving on the boards of the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center Foundation, the Blue Ash Protective Association and the Segoe Foundation. This year's Forbes/SHOOK Research Best-in-State Wealth Advisors list is comprised of over 5,000 Advisors across the country, managing more than $6 trillion in client assets. For the full list and further information visit: https://www.forbes.com/best-in-state-wealth-advisors. The sixth annual Forbes/SHOOK Research Top 250 Wealth Advisors list recognizes the country's top financial advisors who represent the future of the wealth management industry. For the full list and further information visit: https://www.forbes.com/top-wealth-advisors. With an average industry tenure of 30 years, this year's Top 1,200 Advisors and their teams typically serve 750 households, each of which has an average of $14 million to invest. Each advisor manages approximately $3 billion in client assets and has an average client-retention rate of 98.4%. For the full list and further information visit: https://www.barrons.com/report/top-financial-advisors. Notes to Editors About UBS Global Wealth Management As the world's largest wealth manager, UBS Global Wealth Management provides comprehensive advice, solutions and services to wealthy families and individuals around the world. Clients who work with UBS benefit from a fully integrated set of wealth management capabilities and expertise, including wealth planning, investment management, capital markets, banking, lending and institutional and corporate financial advice. About UBS UBS provides financial advice and solutions to wealthy, institutional and corporate clients worldwide, as well as private clients in Switzerland. UBS's strategy is centered on our leading global wealth management business and our premier universal bank in Switzerland, enhanced by Asset Management and the Investment Bank. The bank focuses on businesses that have a strong competitive position in their targeted markets, are capital efficient, and have an attractive long-term structural growth or profitability outlook. UBS is present in all major financial centers worldwide. It has offices in more than 50 regions and locations, with about 30% of its employees working in the Americas, 30% in Switzerland, 19% in the rest of Europe, the Middle East and Africa and 21% in Asia Pacific. UBS Group AG employs more than 72,000 people around the world. Its shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). UBS 2021. All rights reserved. The key symbol and UBS are among the registered and unregistered trademarks of UBS. Although neither UBS Financial Service Inc. or its employees pay a fee in exchange for these ratings, UBS may hire RJ Shook to be a speaker for events. Past performance is not an indication of future results. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005698/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions Leader Named Executive of the Year, Financial Technology Steven Meirink, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions, has been named recipient of CEO Monthly's Executive of the Year, Financial Technology. The accolade recognizes his efforts in leading the business throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, his role in acquiring eOriginal, a leading provider of cloud-based digital lending software, and his leadership around the company's multi award-winning Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Supported by TSoftPlus software. Wolters Kluwer acquired eOriginal in December 2020 for approximately 231 million in cash. The acquisition extended Compliance Solutions' leading position in U.S. mortgage and loan document generation and analytics into the fast-growing digital loan closing and storage adjacency. The eOriginal platform enables lenders and their partners to create, store and manage digital assets from close through to the secondary loan market. The offerings of eOriginal and GRC Compliance Solutions are highly complementary and together form an industry leading end-to-end digital lending platform. Recent independent recognition of the technology's leading industry position includes winning Corporate Vision magazine's Best End-to-End Digital Lending Platform Award in the Technology Innovator Awards, 201, and Wealth & Finance International's End-to-End Digital Lending Platform of the Year Award, 2021. Earlier this year Acquisition International awarded Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions its coveted Financial Technology Acquisition of the Year accolade, 2021, for the eOriginal purchase. PPP Supported by TSoftPlus, meanwhile, was launched in April 2020 to help banks, credit unions, and other local lenders in the U.S. support small businesses with payroll funding during the COVID-19 crisis. Wolters Kluwer and eOriginal enabled almost 500 SBA lenders in the initial rounds of the PPP program, ensuring a contactless borrower experience and, in the process, helped those small businesses save more than ten million U.S. workers' jobs. CEO Monthly is a global publication within the AI Global Media stable which provides news, commentary and analysis to more than 60,000 C-suite executives each month. Winners of its prestigious free to enter awards are based on evidence of excellence and innovation and decided by the magazine's expert editorial panel. "I am humbled to accept this award, following a truly momentous eighteen months of exceptional work by the talented Compliance Solutions team," Meirink commented. "I accept the award on behalf of the entire team that has responded to urgent client needs in a truly remarkable way. Sincere thanks to CEO Monthly's editors for recognizing the team's valuable work across the full range of offerings that substantively enhance lenders' capabilities and help them better serve their customers." Meirink joined Wolters Kluwer in December 2015 leading a global team of more than 1,500 professionals across 15 global offices. He is responsible for the overall strategy and full operating P&L for the company's Compliance Solutions business, serving the banking, insurance, and securities markets. Prior to joining Wolters Kluwer he was Senior Vice President and General Manager for Assurant Mortgage Solutions and has held several senior level positions within Equifax. Wolters Kluwer Compliance Solutions is a market leader and trusted provider of risk management and regulatory compliance solutions and services to U.S. insurers, banks and credit unions, and securities firms. The business, which sits within Wolters Kluwer's Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) division, helps these financial institutions efficiently manage risk and regulatory compliance obligations, and gain the insights needed to focus on better serving their customers and growing their business. Wolters Kluwer's GRC division provides an array of expert solutions to help financial institutions manage regulatory and risk obligations. Compliance Solutions' OneSumX for Regulatory Change Management, for example, tracks regulatory changes and organizes them to create structured, value-added content through a single data feed that is paired with an easy-to-use software solution. Wolters Kluwer Finance, Risk & Regulatory Reporting (FRR), meanwhile, is a global market leader in the provision of integrated regulatory compliance and reporting solutions. The division's legal solutions business are Wolters Kluwer CT Corporation and Wolters Kluwer ELM Solutions. About Wolters Kluwer Governance, Risk & Compliance Governance, Risk & Compliance is a division of Wolters Kluwer, which provides legal and banking professionals with solutions to help ensure compliance with ever-changing regulatory and legal obligations, manage risk, increase efficiency, and produce better business outcomes. GRC offers a portfolio of technology-enabled expert services and solutions focused on legal entity compliance, legal operations management, banking product compliance, and banking regulatory compliance. Wolters Kluwer (AEX: WKL) is a global leader in information services and solutions for professionals in the health, tax and accounting, risk and compliance, finance and legal sectors. Wolters Kluwer reported 2020 annual revenues of 4.6 billion. The company, headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands, serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries and employs 19,200 people worldwide. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005106/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 27, 2021] Cover Genius Secures $100M in Series C Round Driven by Sompo Holdings Asia to Expand its Embedded Insurance Platform NEW YORK and SYDNEY, Australia, Sept. 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cover Genius, the leading insurtech for embedded insurance, announced today that it has secured $100M AUD in a Series C funding round led by Sompo Holdings (Asia) Pte. Ltd (Sompo Asia) who invested ~$68M AUD, with participation from G Squared and other existing investors. The latest funding round follows a momentous six months during which Cover Genius tripled its gross written premium (GWP) after signing over 20 new partners across multiple industries. The funding will be used to expand its global insurance distribution platform and support new e-commerce, property, travel, mobility, auto, B2B and financial services partners. With 70% of customers wanting embedded insurance integrated into their online experiences, our XCover distribution platform is helping some of the worlds largest global companies exceed their customer expectations of what insurance can be with a single API call, said Angus McDonald, CEO and co-founder of Cover Genius. Our technology, licensed in more than 60 countries and all 50 US states, gives our partners the ability to protect their customers, regardless of location, currency or language. This strategic investment will help us expand our capabilities into markets equipped for new lines of distribution. Founded in 2014, Cover Genius is the global insurtech specializing in providing end-to-end embedded insurance to the customers of the worlds largest digital companies, including Booking Holdings, eBay , Wayfair, Intuit, and other global leaders, like SE Asias largest company, Shopee . With its end-to-end technology, Cover Genius is able to offer global capabilities to multiple industries, including property insurance for renters, landlords, homeowners and corporates, fintech and bank insurance programs, solutions for retailers , gig contractors , logistics platforms , cyber security companies and online travel agencies , rental car aggregator and airlines. Given that Cover Genius has been awarded as the number one fastest-growing global insurtech , according to the Financial Times, we are excited to partner with a frontrunner in the space whose technology is uniquely positioned for a global, platform-based economy, said Daniel Neo, CEO of Sompo Asia. The companys disruptive approach to insurance benefits both customers, who receive a seamless digital experience, and partners that can provide customers global, expandable insurance offerings with dynamic pricing and product recommendations. Cover Genius impressive management team has built a global, multi-line insurance offering with what we believe to be unrivalled breadth, said Larry Aschebrook, Founder & Managing Partner, G Squared. The company has partnered with a number of top-tier companies to utilize its insurance distribution platform and has demonstrated clear recurring revenue growth with those partners. We view the unique underwriting customization as a key differentiator and are delighted to support Cover Genius in this exciting next chapter. Cover Genius' award-winning technologies include XCover , its global distribution platform that delivers highly customizable, personalized insurance and warranty products in any country, language and currency, and XClaim , an API for real-time payment of approved claims. With XClaim, instant claim payments can be handled in more than 90 currencies and through a range of payment methods, including bank transfer, store credit, card top-up, and digital wallets. The ease of use and efficiency of the platform has resulted in a world-leading NPS score of +65. About Cover Genius Cover Genius is the insurtech for embedded insurance that protects the global customers of the worlds largest digital companies including Booking Holdings, owner of Priceline, Kayak and Booking.com, Intuit, Skyscanner and Descartes ShipRush . Were also available on eBay , Wayfair, Tile and, SE Asias largest company, Shopee . Cover Genius vision is to protect all the customers of the worlds largest online companies through XCover , an award-winning global distribution platform for any line of insurance or warranty, and XClaim , an API for instant payment of approved claims that delivers an NPS of +65, a result that has been independently recognized as the highest for any insurance company globally. Cover Genius and partners co-create solutions that embed protection, aided by Cover Genius licenses in 60+ countries & all 50 US States. About Sompo Holdings (Asia) Pte. Ltd. Based in Singapore, Sompo Holdings (Asia) Pte. Ltd., is the regional headquarters for our Asia Pacific entities, except Japan, and is part of Sompo International Retail Platform . Collectively, the companies are under the global extension of the Sompo Holdings Group (Sompo Group) headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. With more than 70 years of trusted presence in Asia, our business spreads across 14 markets with over 4,500 employees in the region. As a leading Non-life insurance company globally, we have forged strategic partnerships to access a wider network of resources and distribution to provide the best solutions for our customers, while keeping up with the evolving trends of digitalization and innovation. The Sompo Group strives to contribute to the security, health and wellbeing of our stakeholders, customers, and society by providing more than just insurance. The Group operates its overseas business in 28 countries and regions worldwide, including the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Oceania. About G Squared G Squared is a global venture capital firm that partners with dynamic companies throughout their life cycles as a complete capital solutions provider, working to create value for companies, investors, employees, and other stakeholders. The firm focuses on investments in growth-stage technology companies and has invested in nearly 100 portfolio companies since it was founded in 2011. For more information on G Squared and its portfolio, visit: www.gsquared.com . ??Cover Genius Media Contact: Shelley Petri Senior B2B Marketing Communications Manager shelley.p@covergenius.com www.covergenius.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 27, 2021] Panish Shea & Boyle LLP: Sempra and Southern California Gas Company Agree to Settle Aliso Canyon Gas Well Blowout Litigation for Up to $1.8 Billion Panish Shea & Boyle LLP: This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210927005879/en/ Infrared image of the uncontrollable release of natural gas during the Aliso Canyon Gas Well Blowout. (Photo: Business Wire) Following nearly six years of intense litigation and over $5 million in discovery sanctions, Southern California Gas Company ("SoCalGas") and its parent company Sempra Energy (News - Alert) ("Sempra") have agreed to pay up to $1.8 billion to settle the claims of over 35,000 victims of the 2015 Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility blowout. Plaintiffs allege they suffered personal injury and property damage after one of SoCalGas' negligently maintained natural gas storage wells failed and uncontrollably released nearly 100,000 tons of methane and other substances into the atmosphere over 118 days. The Aliso Canyon blowout remains the biggest natural gas leak in U.S. history. Sempra and SoCalGas deny any wrongdoing. Subject to certain conditions, the settlement money will be allocated among the plaintiffs in accordance with an allocation protocol to be developed by neutral, independent allocators. "Our goal has always been obtaining justice for the men, women and children who were failed by SoCalGas throughout every turn of this catastrophe. This settlement, and the numerous discovery sanctions imposed by the court, hold Sempra and SoCalGas accountable for the Aliso Canyon blowout and their repeated misconduct throughout this litigation. This result could not have been obtained without the commitment, dedication, and hard work of the trial team preparing this case for trial," said Brian Panish, Plaintiffs' Lead Trial Counsel. "We recommend that all plaintiffs participate in the settlement. We will continue to ensure that all plaintiffs are fairly compensated for their injuries throughout this allocation process." In this litigation, SoCalGas, Sempra Energy, and their counsel from Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP were sanctioned over $5.7 million - one of the largest discovery sanctions in California history. The utility giants and their counsel wrongfully withheld over 150,000 documents under a pattern of discovery misconduct that the Court characterized as "willful, intentional, and in bad faith." In a February 2020 ruling, awarding $525,610 in sanctions against defendants and defense counsel jointly, the court noted defendants' abuse of the discovery process as justification for these sanctions: "The court finds that Defendants' pattern of conduct in this case with respect to Defendants' claims of pivilege, including repeated assertion of unmeritorious objections, repeated refusal to furnish a legally compliant privilege log, violation of court orders (in particular this court's September 18, 2019 order) and related efforts over an extended period (as discussed above) to misuse claims of privilege to attempt to deprive Plaintiffs of documents to which they are entitled, was willful, intentional and in bad faith." The Court found that there was "clear prejudice to Plaintiffs resulting from Defendants' conduct" in the case. The Court also found that Defendants had made misrepresentations to the Court in efforts to justify their privilege objections. As a result, Plaintiffs were entitled to take any deposition at Defendants' cost and expense arising out of the wrongfully withheld documents. Plaintiffs took over 585 days of depositions in the case, involving 470 witnesses. In total, Defendants will have ultimately paid over $5.7 million in sanctions. The Plaintiffs trial team in the Southern California Gas Leak Cases include Brian J. Panish and Jesse Creed of Panish Shea & Boyle LLP; Ray Boucher and Cathy Kim of Boucher LLP; Frank Pitre, Gary Praglin and Kelly Weil of Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy LLP; Michael Kelly (News - Alert) and Lindsey Bayman of Kirtland Packard; Mariana McConnell and Paul Kiesel of Kiesel Law LLP; Frank Petosa of Morgan & Morgan; R. Rex Parris and Patricia K. Oliver of Parris Law Firm; Devin Bolton and Robin L. Greenwald of Weitz & Luxenberg; and Roland Tellis and Evan Zucker of Baron & Budd. About Panish Shea & Boyle LLP Panish Shea & Boyle LLP is a nationally recognized personal injury law firm representing plaintiffs in catastrophic injury, wrongful death, product liability, mass torts/class action, and business litigation cases. The firm is ranked by U.S. News & World Report and Best Lawyers in the areas of Plaintiffs Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions, Plaintiffs Personal Injury Litigation and Plaintiffs Product Liability Litigation as a "Tier 1" Firm - the highest ranking a firm can receive - and among the top Plaintiff's law firms in the country by the National Law Journal. About Baron & Budd Baron & Budd is one of the largest, oldest and most revered plaintiffs' law firms in the nation. Our mission of "Protecting What's Right" spans the protection of people in virtually every aspect of their lives. Established more than four decades ago to fight for workers injured by asbestos, Baron & Budd has expanded to confront not only the asbestos industry but also other societal threats such as water contamination, unsafe pharmaceutical drugs and devices, trucking accidents, financial industry fraud, and automobile recalls. About Boucher LLP Boucher LLP is a boutique law practice with extensive legal experience handling individual cases as well as complex civil cases including consumer class actions, employment class actions, and mass torts litigation. Our legal expertise includes such areas as sexual abuse and harassment cases, catastrophic personal injury, wrongful death, product liability, workplace accidents, wage and hour, wrongful termination, pharmaceutical device defects, false labeling, and civil rights. About Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy represents people or entities in cases involving only just principles or causes. The key to CPM's 50 years of success is its experienced attorneys and staff and their innovative approach to litigating complex matters in a cost-effective and efficient manner. Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy is also known for the breadth of its practice and the diversity of its clients: CPM attorneys are experienced in state and federal false claims matters, antitrust law, securities actions, employment law, consumer class actions, and personal injury cases, among other practice areas. About Kiesel Law LLP Kiesel Law LLP is an AV-rated firm whose principals have extensive trial and civil litigation experience in federal and state courts throughout the country. Paul Kiesel is a Past President of the Los Angeles County Bar Association and he was recently selected by "The Daily Journal" as one of the Top 25 Plaintiff's Lawyers in California. Both Kiesel and partner Steven Archer are American Board of Trial Advocates members. Kiesel Law had two of the top 20 verdicts in California in 2017. About Kirtland & Packard, LLP Founded in 1932, the award-winning law firm of Kirtland & Packard measures success by the number of lives changed through the attorneys' relentless pursuit of justice on behalf of clients who have suffered damages as a result of negligence and misconduct. Lawyers at Kirtland & Packard have attained significant verdicts and settlements in claims as varied as wrongful termination, aircraft accidents and many others in the fields of personal injury and business law. About Morgan & Morgan The largest contingency law firm in the United States, Morgan & Morgan has recovered more than $10 billion for our clients. The firm has more than 800 attorneys across 49 states and Washington D.C. and represent clients in a wide range of practice areas: national mass torts and class actions, personal injury, workers' compensation, medical malpractice, labor and employment, mesothelioma, and product liability lawsuits, among others. [forthepeople.com] About Parris Law Firm The PARRIS Law Firm is recognized as one of America's top personal injury, employment, and environmental law firms. With a proven track record of fighting for justice on behalf of families and individuals, the firm boasts numerous seven and eight-figure verdicts and settlements. About Weitz & Luxenberg Established in 1986, Weitz & Luxenberg is one of the premier plaintiff's law firms in the nation. The largest mass tort and personal injury litigation law firm in New York, Weitz & Luxenberg is also one of the most successful firms nationally, having won over $17 billion in verdicts and settlements for clients from all 50 states. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210927005879/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 27, 2021] TCL Celebrates 40th Anniversary Across the World HONG KONG, Sept. 27, 2021 /CNW/ -- TCL, one of the dominant players in the global TV industry and a leading consumer electronics company, is celebrating its 40th anniversary by hosting celebrations around the world and by kicking-off a global advertising campaign. Driven by its company culture of creativity and innovation, the past four decades have witnessed TCL's rapid growth to become one of the global leading consumer electronics players with a diversified product portfolio ranging from award-winning TV and audio home appliances to smart phones and smart home products. To mark its 40th anniversary, the company is putting on various events for its employees, customers, partners and communities worldwide, and will launch an advertising campaign in Dubai, Los Angeles, Paris, Sao Paulo and Sydney five cities located on ontinents where TCL has experienced continuous expansion over the past four decades. "I am incredibly proud of what TCL has acheieved over the years, becoming a leading company with global influence," said Shaoyong Zhang, CEO of TCL Electronics. In 2020, TCL ranked third* in the global TV market share and ranked second* in the global LCD TV market share, in terms of sales volumes. Today, TCL has 42 research and development (R&D) centers, 32 manufacturing bases and operates in over 160 countries and regions, making it one of the most influential comsumer electronics brands operating worldwide. Besides innovation and globalization, TCL brings happiness and excitement to consumers around the world through assortment of sponsoring titles, such as a two-time official partner of Copa America, a long-term global partner of FIBA and the Official TV Partner for Call of Duty: Vanguard. And in the future, TCL will continue to focus on developing intelligent, technology-enabled products that enhance consumer lifestyles with the aim to make life intelligent. * Data by OMDIA, 2020 About TCL Electronics TCL Electronics (1070.HK) is a fast-growing consumer electronics company and a leading player in the global TV industry. Founded in 1981, it now operates in over 160 markets globally. According to OMDIA, TCL ranked global No.2 in TCL brand LCD TV market share in 2020. TCL specializes in the research, development and manufacturing of consumer electronics products ranging from TVs, audio and smart home appliances. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tcl-celebrates-40th-anniversary-across-the-world-301385662.html SOURCE TCL Electronics [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Ambassadors of 24 countries participate in the Diplomatic Conclave at Chandigarh University With a vision to make India Vishwa-Guru in Higher Education; Chandigarh University offers to mentor 24 countries in 6 domains including Space Technology, Curriculum Development and Faculty Training Chandigarh University becomes the first private university of India to be listed in ICCR CHANDIGARH, India, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Study in India campaign has been successful in projecting India as Global Education destination as there has been a quantum jump in number of foreign students coming to India in last four years. There is a need to develop Global Standard Curriculum to encourage more international students to choose India as their preferred destination for Higher Education. This was stated by Dinesh K Patnaik, Director General of Indian Council for Cultural Relations. He was speaking during the inaugural ceremony of the Diplomatic conclave organized by Chandigarh University. Taking the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make India a Vishwa Guru in the field of Education, Chandigarh University has taken an initiative to mentor other countries in the field of Space Technology, Research, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Training of Faculty in New Technologies, Curriculum Development, Quality Assurance and Student Mobility. Chandigarh University is organizing a 2 days Diplomatic Conclave on the theme 'Cost-Effective Higher & Technical Education Matching Global Standards' from 27th September to 28th September 2021. Ambassadors from 24 countries including Indonesia, Tanzania, Iran, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Togo, Malawi and Zimbabwe participated during the inaugural ceremony of diplomatic conclave. Satnam Singh Sandhu, Chancellor, Chandigarh University and R.S Bawa, Pro-Chancellor, Chandigarh University were also present during the inaugural ceremony of Diplomatic Conclave. During his inaugural speech Dinesh K Patnaik said, "Chandigarh University becomes the first private university of India to be listed in ICCR. The New Education Policy is a visionary step which emphasizes on the Internationalization of Education for all-round Development of Students and New Education Policy will not empower the youth of the country but also help in making India an education hub for the foreign stuents. India Education market is now worth US$ 250 billion." Dinesh K Patnaik further said, "The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) has introduced innovative concepts to improve access, equity and quality education in India. Credit transfer programme which has been introduced in the New Education Policy will provide huge opportunities to the students. Credit transfer has the potential to internationalise India's higher education system as it offers a student friendly approach that can ensure multidisciplinary holistic education to the students." "India should have to emphasize on extracurricular activities to make a preferred destination in the field of education for foreign students," added Dinesh K Patnaik. Ambassador of Bhutan, Major General Vestop Namgyel said, "Bhutan presently doesn't have enough colleges to meet the needs of Bhutan's youth who finish high school every year. Like any students of the world, students of Bhutan would also like to study in the best university in the US and UK but the cost is beyond the reach of the vast majority of students in Bhutan." Ambassador of Bhutan further said, "India with its rich history and civilization and culture of learning and home of the oldest university in the world has been a very good destination for higher education for Bhutan students." All the colleges and universities in India have common objectives of providing affordable and world class Higher Education comparable to the best universities of the world at much more affordable cost to the students, added Ambassador Vestop Namgyel. Speaking on the occasion, Nabhit Kapur, Royan Ambassador to India said, "Often due to some reasons not every student is able to pursue higher education, so universities should take concrete steps to provide free education to the students. Providing free of cost quality education to the students can provide opportunities to every student at the global level." Nabhit Kapur further said, "Students studying in other countries do not give importance to learning different languages. In this direction, concrete steps should be taken by the universities, and at the same time, attention should be paid to the mental health of the students and to motivate them." While speaking about the friendly relations between Bangladesh and India, High Commissioner of Bangladesh, Muhammad Imran said, "Every year a large number of Bangladeshi students come to India to study and as a neighboring country, Bangladeshi students does not face any problem in India." Bangladesh has a proper educational environment and infrastructure for higher education and about 7 to 8 thousand Indian students are presently studying in Bangladesh in the field of medicine and science. "We should need to focus on promoting cooperation, exchange of ideas, so that students of both the countries can benefit," added Muhammad Imran. Speaking on the occasion, Malawi Deputy High Commissioner Patrick Mphepo said, "The education sector has faced many challenges due to COVID-19 so we need to work towards a B2B approach at the university level and efforts should be made to link higher education institutes within the country." Patrick Mphepo further said, "Apart from this higher education institutes through tie-ups with the research institutes of national and international level and through more practical based learning approaches should work on skills improvement of the students and faculties." Deputy Ambassador Zimbabwe, Edson Moyo said, "More than 2000 students of Zimbabwe are presently studying in India. Zimbabwe and Indian Higher Education Institutes should collaborate in various training programs, collaborative research, knowledge sharing and faculty & student exchange programs." Describing the new education policy as historic, Chandigarh University Chancellor, Satnam Singh Sandhu said, "In order to make world class and quality education in the country, the university is emphasizing on developing an educational framework based on the aspects of the new education policy. This diplomatic conclave would prove fruitful in terms of internationalization of education, where expectations and challenges for the expansion of education were discussed under the guidance of representatives of different countries." Satnam Singh Sandhu further said, "With the objective of imparting international standard education to the students, the University has tie-ups with more than 312 universities around the world. More than 2000 students from 60 countries of the world are pursuing their higher education in the Chandigarh University and more than 1200 students of the university have gone abroad to study under various international academic programs." About Chandigarh University Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+ Grade University and an autonomous educational institution approved by UGC and is located near Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. It is the youngest university in India and the only private university in Punjab to be honoured with A+ Grade by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). CU offers more than 109 UG and PG programs in the field of engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce, and others. It has been awarded as The University with Best Placements by WCRC. For more information, please visit our website www.cuchd.in. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1636925/CU_Diplomat_Meet.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Teledyne to showcase comprehensive portfolio of industrial and scientific imaging technology at Vision 2021 MUNICH, Germany, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Teledyne, a part of Teledyne Technologies [NYSE: TDY], and a global leader in machine vision technology, will exhibit their newest technologies at Vision 2021 taking place October 5-7, 2021 in Stuttgart, Germany. Teledyne will display the worlds most comprehensive, vertically integrated portfolio of industrial and scientific imaging technology including the latest from newly acquired Teledyne FLIR. Visit the Teledyne booth and explore the unmatched capabilities and products from Teledynes DALSA, e2v, FLIR, and Lumenera business units. Your one source for unlimited vision will be on display at Stand 8 B10. Teledyne will participate in the Industrial Vision Days with keynote and technology presentations taking place Wednesday, October 6, 2021: At 9:20 AM join Teledyne DALSAs Matthias Sonder delivering his presentation entitled Clarity at High Speed join Teledyne DALSAs delivering his presentation entitled At 4:20 PM be sure to attend Teledyne e2vs Sergio Morillas speaking about Highly reliable 3D imaging for challenging applications with Time-of-Flight New products introduced by Teledyne companies include: Linea HS 16K Multifield features charge-domain CMOS TDI sensor technology with 16k x (64+128+64) TDI arrays and a 5x5m pixel size. It is the industrys first TDI camera capable of capturing up to three images simultaneously in a single scan. features charge-domain CMOS TDI sensor technology with 16k x (64+128+64) TDI arrays and a 5x5m pixel size. It is the industrys first TDI camera capable of capturing up to three images simultaneously in a single scan. Sapera Vision Software offers field-proven image acquisition, control, image processing and artificial intelligence functions to design, develop and deploy high-performance machine vision applications. In this new release, the AI tool Astrocyte TM allows learning at runtime for increased flexibility and performance on deployed systems. Vision Software offers field-proven image acquisition, control, image processing and artificial intelligence functions to design, develop and deploy high-performance machine vision applications. In this new release, the allows learning at runtime for increased flexibility and performance on deployed systems. Topaz CMOS Sensors . New 2MP and 1.5MP CMOS sensors feature a low noise global shutter pixel. New 2MP and 1.5MP CMOS sensors feature a low noise global shutter pixel. FLIR Lossless Compression: Break through GigE Bandwidth barriers with Teledyne FLIRs new Lossless Compression feature which delivers up to 70% higher FPS with 100% data integrity. Break through GigE Bandwidth barriers with Teledyne FLIRs new feature which delivers up to 70% higher FPS with 100% data integrity. Preview a concept Teledyne FLIR camera providing both SWIR and visible light imaging in a single camera using Sonys new SenSWIR technology. using Sonys new SenSWIR technology. Quartet Embedded Solution for Nvidia TX2 for easy integration of multiple cameras including AI capability. for easy integration of multiple cameras including AI capability. Achieve flawless 10GigE high speed performance with a new pre-integrated bundle of the Oryx camera with the Myricom NIC. Expected release date: Q4 2021. Click here for an overview of featured products and demonstrations for Vision 2021. About Teledyne Teledynes Vision Solutions group form an unrivaled collective of imaging expertise across the spectrum. Individually, each company offers best-in-class solutions. Together, they combine to leverage each others strengths and provide the widest imaging technology portfolio in the world. From aerospace through industrial inspection, scientific research, spectroscopy, radiography and radiotherapy, and advanced MEMS and semiconductor solutions, Teledyne offers worldwide customer support and the technical expertise to handle the toughest tasks. Their vision solutions are built to deliver to their customers a unique and competitive advantage. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f0354ddd-e085-4a22-9b8e-d620205323bc For media enquiries, please contact: Jessica.Broom@teledyne.com | + 44 (0)1245 453607 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Unify Platform AG Officially Launches World's First (*) Open Platform for Entrepreneurial Researchers Promoting SDGs ((*) Based on Google search results) KANAGAWA, Japan, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Unify Platform AG of Switzerland, with its Japan Hub in Shin-yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, announced on September 28 the start of the official service of UNIPLAT, an open platform specifically designed to help entrepreneurial researchers who promote all academic fields and projects related to the SDGs advocated by the United Nations around the world to obtain more exposure and connect with supporters who want to contribute to the improvement of global research. UNIPLAT offers a novel way for entrepreneurial researchers to publish their research and get support and funding from all over the world (companies, institutes, foundations, etc.) in an equal-opportunity environment. (Logo: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M106816/202109220466/_prw_PI7fl_GUQVm8yn.jpg) (Image1: UNIPLAT Front and Video Content Page Preview https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M106816/202109220466/_prw_PI6fl_mT2F1BcE.jpg) The three major features of UNIPLAT are: - One-stop database for researchers and entrepreneurs By publishing a database of various contents like live-streaming archives (*), videos, texts and so on about own research or technology to supporters in a one-stop solution, entrepreneurial researchers can improve trust and build their reputation as researchers and entrepreneurs. (*) Live-streamed videos can be archived. - World's first (*): Live streaming with speedy simultaneous multi-language translations UNIPLAT offers a live-streaming unction via which entrepreneurial researchers can deliver their own research, technology, ideas, etc. in various languages (initially 8 languages) concurrently in real time. Through this, it is very easy for them to showcase their contents to many supporters across different language spheres. - World's first (*): Donation to research contents Regardless of the economic situation in the region where researchers and entrepreneurs are located, entrepreneurial researchers can get incentives from donors all over the world with money gifted to them when they publish and promote their contents. This is the world's first such platform and will allow researchers and entrepreneurs to exchange their incentives for other assets at their discretion. (*) Based on Google search results Additionally, new features will be added as follows in 2021: - World's first (*): Credit rating of entrepreneurial researchers By automatic evaluation from various perspectives using AI, a function will be in place to display each person's rating as a credit score based on activities of entrepreneurial researchers in UNIPLAT. If the score is high, the relevant researcher's capability and credibility are also considered high. This function could open the door to many benefits such as offers and grants from companies and universities. (*) Based on Google search results - World's first (*): Pre-IP (TM) certification Pre-IP (TM) is an abbreviation for "Pre (applied) Intelligent Property" and a unique UNIPLAT term. When researchers and entrepreneurs register their contents (images, videos, text, etc.) published on the platform as Pre-IP (TM), UNIPLAT will issue a third-party certificate stating that the content is authentically registered under the name of the researchers or entrepreneurs by using Unify Platform's own block chain technology. This arrangement is introduced as an alternative to assure the authentication of research content even before a legal patent or any other legal registration is issued. This allows researchers and entrepreneurs to prevent imitation of ideas and unauthorized secondary use of content through post disclosure. (*) Based on Google search results About Unify Platform AG Unify Platform AG was established in Zug, Switzerland, in December 2019 with the support of the Zug government in Switzerland. The firm is the R&D and management company for UNIPLAT, whose goal is to ensure that entrepreneurial researchers worldwide are evaluated and rewarded fairly, regardless of their economic situation, geography, or affiliation, through incentives based on their innovative research, results, and excellence. Company homepage: https://unify21.com UNIPLAT Top Page: https://uniplat.social/ SDGs: The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are International goals for a sustainable and better world written in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted at the United Nations Summit in September 2015. The SDGs, consisting of 17 goals and 169 targets, are based on the philosophy of "Leave no one behind" on earth. (Image2: https://kyodonewsprwire.jp/prwfile/release/M106816/202109220466/_prw_PI8fl_4Q4914PF.jpg) SOURCE Unify Platform AG [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] DRIVE Software Solutions Makes Every Charging Network a Fleet Manager 10 m Investment to Become De-Facto Standard for Fleet Managers of Electric Vehicles MYKONOS, Greece, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Announcing recent funding received from John Porter, leading technology entrepreneur and venture capitalist, and their next round of funding of 10 million, Richard Parris, Chairman, Rob Gorby, Chief Commercial Officer, and Tim Shields, Chief Product Officer of DRIVE Software Solutions are keynoting at the 12th Annual Follow The Entrepreneur (FTE) Summit in Mykonos on the 5th of October 2021. Due to recent significant client and partnership wins which are not yet disclosed, DRIVE Software Solutions will be bringing in further capital of 10 million, building on the validation of one of the world's most significant technology venture capitalists, John Porter, now a significant shareholder of DRIVE. Porter, a founding shareholder of VIVA Investment Partners, along with Richard Parris, Chairman, and Julie Meyer, Director of DRIVE Software Solutions and CEO of VIVA Investment Partners, have supported DRIVE through COVID and after the acquisition in November 2019 by VIVA Investment Partners. The 10 million will continue to accelerate DRIVE's ODO platform's growth, powered by ORACLE Cloud, which has enabled brokers and dealers across the United Kingdomto build digital businesses during COVID. ODO is a premium innovator in operational fleet management of EVs, carbon footprints, connected car data collection and operation, integration of multiple modes of mobility, and logistic industry operations. DRIVE has an installed base of more than 1.5 million vehicles. Under Chief Commercial Officer Robert Gorby's leadership, DRIVE's 30 year technology leadership has found new energy in the Electric Vehicles Ecosystem. The ODO platform organises the economics for all of the applications which provide data to fleet managers. During the most recent 12 months. DRIVE has generated significant customer wins for the ODO platform, signing supply / support agreements with a variety of corporates and their fleet managers, including Acosta Europe, with UK brokers such as Select and leasing companies such as Rivervale. Additional revenue will be generated through agreements with suppliers to the leasing ecosystem, allowing the company to generate income from a wide array of related applications. The relationship with Masternaut, with a leader in EV transition planning, exemplifies this "whole of market" approach. Over the coming decade, fleet managers will need to maintain a balance between EV and ICE, for which ODO data management provides the required systems. New growth opportunities include large fleet management, EV Data Dashboard and Uber for Fleets. Commenting on DRIVE's potential, Dr. Julie Meyer MBE, CEO of VIP, said: "DRIVE's ODO will become the de-facto standard for Fleet Managers of Electric Vehicles, turning every charging network into a fleet manager." Notes for Editors Drive Software Solutions Limited (DSSL) or "DRIVE," through its ODO platform, provides SaaS fleet management solutions to leverage the transition to EVs (electric vehicles). Through this management of data, managers are better able to maximize utilization rates and life cycles across fleets. www.ododrive.com VIVA Investment Partners AG (VIP) is a Swiss investment corporation led by Julie Meyer which invests directly using their own capital into technology firms as well as venture capital funds. www.vivapartners.net The Follow The Entrepreneur (FTE) Investor Summit is the annual Investor Summit of VIP which brings leading entrepreneurs and investors together; see https://globalftenetwork.com for more details of the upcoming FTE from 1-5 October at the Royal Myconian Hotel. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Camera Accessories Market to record growth of $ 951.82 mn during 2021-2025 | Technavio NEW YORK, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The camera accessories market size is expected to decline by $ 951.82 million during 2021-2025, registering a CAGR of almost -5% during the forecast period. Download Now to uncover successful business strategies deployed by Companies of Camera Accessories Market. The camera accessories market report covers insights on major trends, key growth drivers, and challenges impacting the overall growth of the market. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario and the overall market environment. The market is driven by high demand for advanced digital cameras. Scope of Camera Accessories Market Report: Report coverage Details Base Year 2020 Forecast Period 2021-2025 Decremental Growth $ 951.82 million CAGR Decelerating at (4.82)% No. of Pages 120 Segmentation By geography:- North America Europe APAC South America MEA By distribution channel:- Online Offline By type:- Lenses Bags and cases Tripods Batteries and chargers Others Drivers High demand for advanced digital cameras Increased demand for high-quality photos Availability of affordable digital cameras Challenges Declining cost of camera accessories Machine vision cameras replacing consumer cameras in industrial applications The camera accessories market analysis includes distribution channel and type segment and geographic landscape. This study identifies the increased demand for high-quality photos as one of the prime reasons driving the camera accessories market growth during the next few years. This report presents a detailed picture of the market by way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources by an analysis of key parameters. Gain access to our repository of 17,000+ market research reports instantly for Benchmarking your Marketing Strategies to lead among competitors.. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION Platform The camera accessories market covers the following areas: Camera Accessories Market Sizing Camera Accessories Market Forecast Camera Accessories Market Analysis Companies Mentioned Canon Inc. FUJIFILM Holdings Corp. Hitachi Ltd. Koninklijke Philips NV Nikon Corp. Olympus Corp. RED Digital Cinema LLC Ricoh Co. Ltd. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Sony Corp. Related Reports: Global Dual Lens Camera Smartphone Market by Price and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025 Analog Security Camera Market by End-user and Geography - Forecast and Analysis 2021-2025 Key Topics Covered: Executive Summary Market Landscape Market ecosystem Value chain analysis Market Sizing Market definition Market segment analysis Market size 2020 Market outlook: Forecast for 2020 - 2025 Five Forces Analysis Bargaining power of buyers Bargaining power of suppliers Threat of new entrants Threat of substitutes Threat of rivalry Market condition Market Segmentation by Distribution channel Market segments Comparison by Distribution channel Online - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Offline - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Market opportunity by Distribution channel Market Segmentation by Type Market segments Comparison by Type Lenses - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Bags and cases - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Tripods - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Batteries and chargers - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Others - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Market opportunity by Type Customer landscape Customer landscape Geographic Landscape Geographic segmentation Geographic comparison North America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Europe - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 APAC - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 South America - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 MEA - Market size and forecast 2020-2025 Key leading countries Market opportunity by geography Market drivers Market challenges Market trends Vendor Landscape Overview Landscape disruption Vendor Analysis Vendors covered Market positioning of vendors Canon Inc. FUJIFILM Holdings Corp. Hitachi Ltd. Koninklijke Philips NV Nikon Corp. Olympus Corp. RED Digital Cinema LLC Ricoh Co. Ltd. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. Sony Corp. Appendix Scope of the report Currency conversion rates for US$ Research methodology List of abbreviations 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 consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. 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: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/camera-accessories-market-to-record-growth-of--951-82-mn-during-2021-2025--technavio-301385755.html SOURCE Technavio [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] LTI and eClinicalHealth Form Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Innovation in Clinical Research - Partnership to help decentralize clinical trials resulting in better and faster outcomes MUMBAI, India, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Larsen & Toubro Infotech (BSE: 540005) (NSE: LTI), a global technology consulting and digital solutions company has entered in a strategic partnership with eClinicalHealth Limited to accelerate digital innovation in R&D Clinical Trials Management process for patient-centric drug development. The partnership will help clients decentralize clinical trials setting new benchmarks of excellence in clinical research space. The significance of the tie-up is based on the fact that 86 percent of clinical studies are delayed* due to challenges in patient engagement mainly involving recruitment and retaining patients, which is a time consuming and expensive process. The pandemic has further aggravated this challenge. It is in this context that eClinicalHealth, which is focused on developing innovative clinical trial solutions, launched cloud-based patient-centric SaaS solution, Clinpal which improves patient engagement for each clinical trial journey. As part of this strategic partnership, LTI with its digital, technical and life sciences domain capabilities, will help accelerate joint go-to-market pursuits and faster deployment for Clinpal Adopters. The solution will make use of exponential technologies such as analytics and AI to enhance patient engagement and faster clinical studies. Archana Ramanakumar, EVP & Global Delivery Head Life Sciences, Media, Consumer & Technology, LTI commented: "At LTI, we are on a journey to drive digital transformation for various aspects of clinical trials. Our endeavour with eClinicaHealth partnership is to accelerate and streamline the enablement of Decentralized Trials, to reduce patient burden and drive acceleration of clinical trials. With this partnership we aim to accelerate the development and deployment of eClinicalHealth's ClinPal platform in clinical trials for the industry." Karl Landert, Chairman of the Board and CEO at eClinicalHealth said: "The new normal world has put into limelight the benefits of a telemedicine ecosystem for larger benefit of end-users. Clinical trials assume an important function in development and improvement of treatment methods in order to enhance patient's wellbeing, and De-Centralized Trials (DCT) have attained highest order of patient preference. With our strategic partnership with LTI, our aim is to further scale and simplify patient engagement." *Contemporary Clinical Trials Volume 66, March 2018, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2018.01.003 About LTI : LTI (NSE: LTI) is a global technology consulting and digital solutions Company helping more than 435 clients succeed in a converging world. With operations in 31 countries, we go the extra mile for our clients and accelerate their digital transformation with LTI's Mosaic platform enabling their mobile, social, analytics, IoT and cloud journeys. Founded in 1997 as a subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro Limited, our unique heritage gives us unrivalled real-world expertise to solve the most complex challenges of enterprises across all industries. Each day, our team of more than 36,000 LTItes enable our clients to improve the effectiveness of their business and technology operations and deliver value to their customers, employees and shareholders. Find more at http://www.Lntinfotech.com or follow us at @LTI_Global. About eClinicalHealth : Headquartered in Scotland, eClinicalHealth Limited, developers of the revolutionary Clinpal patient engagement platform, was founded in early 2012 to provide innovative clinical trial solutions. The company is committed to leading open and collaborative innovation discussions about patient-centric clinical trial processes and technology with pharmaceutical companies, CROs, and other service and technology providers. Connect with LTI : Read our News and Blogs Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn Like us on Facebook Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1044154/LTI_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Professional Energy Services Expands Presence in UK with New Milton Keynes Office LONDON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Professional Energy Services, a leading UK Energy Broker, has announced that it has expanded into the Milton Keynes area with the opening of a new office. The new office will allow for Professional Energy Services to increase its growing head count and attract top industry talent. "By moving into a new UK premises, off the back of a great first year since our acquisition of EUtilityUK, we are excited to be exanding the team and growing in the Milton Keynes area" explained Alex Dovey. "By opening in the Milton Keynes district, we are able to attract industry top talent as we operate in a region known by energy and utilities professionals" Alex continued. Professional Energy Services have seen success this year due to their transparent approach as an energy broker. They work with their clients to help them reduce their energy costs, by finding the best suppliers and contracts suited for their client's business model and consumption. With expert energy consultants and experience in supporting net zero goals, Professional Energy Services are looking forward to the next chapter in their history with the move to the new Milton Keynes office. About Professional Energy Services Professional Energy Services Limited (PES) is one of the longest established energy consultants in the UK, we provide end-to-end energy management services as we look to find the best energy tariffs based on your businesses size and consumption. Well known for being a software company as much as we are an energy company. We source competitive energy contracts for businesses of all sizes and couple this with pioneering technology to provide ongoing energy and cost savings For more information visit www.professionalenergy.co.uk Logo- https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1634603/Professional_Energy_Services_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Tigo Energy to Reveal New Solutions for Solar Fleet Management and Fire Safety at Intersolar Europe Tigo Energy, Inc., the solar industry's worldwide leader in Flex MLPE (Module Level Power Electronics), confirms the Company's presence at the upcoming Intersolar Europe in Munich, Germany. Tigo representatives will showcase the entire family of Tigo TS4 Flex MLPE devices, including the recently introduced TS4-A-2F and the Tigo Energy Intelligence software platform. Together, these Tigo products make up the most cost-effective and advanced solution for rapid shutdown on large-scale solar projects. Tigo Energy has led solar innovation with its Tigo TS4 Flex MLPE by providing the freedom for customers to choose the featues and components for their solar installations. Over the past 12 months, Tigo released key updates and innovations to its Flex MLPE product line to address the growing demand for high-power solar modules and energy projects that call for a diversified set of fire safety, monitoring, management, and power optimization features. "The Tigo TS4 is a fixture in the systems we deploy because they provide a level of utility and value simply not found elsewhere," said Ines Zion, Head of Business Development at Energy Rockstars GmbH & Co.KG. "The TS4 units are quick and easy to install, and the module-level monitoring they enable through the Tigo EI app gives us an outstanding overview of the installed components. The system reporting offered by Tigo also helps us quickly understand system performance and manage maintenance, both of which our customers value." The Tigo Energy Intelligence (EI) solution, a comprehensive digital platform, is designed to optimize the installer experience around commissioning, monitoring, and maintaining fleets of solar installations. Tigo EI also delivers the tools to decrease operation and maintenance costs, increase system performance and revenue, and improve the user experience for installers and customers. The platform also simplifies the commissioning process by providing greater system visibility and information to end installers and EPCs. "The Tigo Energy Intelligence platform takes the installer experience to the next level, and we look forward to showing our installer partners exactly what Tigo EI can perform for them," said Mirko Bindi, Vice President EMEA Sales and MD Europe at Tigo Energy. "The data granularity and analytics provided by the Tigo EI platform enables deep insights into systems that allow EPCs and installers to speed up commissioning, reduce operations and maintenance costs, maximizing system performance and revenue." To learn more about Tigo Flex MLPE solutions and the Tigo Energy Intelligence monitoring platform, please visit Tigo Energy at Intersolar Europe (Messe Munchen, Pavilion B5, Booth 150) from October 6-8, 2021. About Tigo Energy Tigo Energy is the worldwide leader in Flex MLPE (Module Level Power Electronics) with innovative solutions that increase solar energy production, decrease operating costs, and significantly enhance safety of solar energy systems. The Tigo TS4 platform maximizes the benefit of solar and provides customers with the most scalable, versatile, and reliable MLPE solution available. Tigo was founded in Silicon Valley in 2007 to accelerate the adoption of solar energy worldwide. Tigo systems operate on seven continents and produce gigawatt hours of reliable, clean, affordable, and safe solar energy daily. With a global team, Tigo Energy is dedicated to making the best MLPE on earth so more people can enjoy the benefits of solar. Find us online at www.tigoenergy.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005425/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Bright Data Supports Data-Driven Solutions to the Climate Emergency With Subak Joining The Bright Initiative The Bright Initiative, a global programme that uses public web data to drive positive change, has joined the fight against the climate crisis by partnering with startup accelerator Subak. Launched in the UK this summer, Subak selects, funds and scales organisations which want to work collectively to keep the planet habitable, using shared data, infrastructure and tools. It connects the best tech, environmental and science talent to drive mass behaviour and policy change. Powered by Bright Data, one of the world's most powerful public web data collection platforms, the Initiative will provide Subak's member organisations with direct access to the company's technology, know-how, support, and expertise. This will allow a wide range of organisations tackling climate change in a variety of ways to make use of large amounts of relevant, structured and publicly available data drawn from the web. Or Lenchner, Bright Data's CEO, said: "The climate crisis is the greatest challenge that we have ever known and it is essential that the world's most powerful resource - data - is fully utilised in tackling it. Working with Subak we can make sure that innovators with radical ideas have the data that they need to make a difference. We know from our work with thousands of worldwide customers in multiple industries just how powerful the insights drawn from public web data can be, so there is much to be gained in using it in the fight against climate change." Subak's founding members, who will have access to Bright Data's support and services, are: New AutoMotive, a transport research group which supports the rapid uptake of electric vehicles in the UK by opening up data about the transition. It helped support the UK Government decision to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK from 2030. It has developed new tools including the Electric Car Count which splits electric vehicle sales data by manufacturer and region to track progress and hosts ElectricCar.Guide, a consumer guide to EVs which uses tools like a novel cost saving estimator that creates personalised costs, tailored to a person's own vehicle usage. TransitionZero, which is harnessing satellite data to provide insight into global energy markets. Its recent Turning the Supertanker report assessing China's ambition to reach Net Zero by 2060 was hailed by former US Vice President Al Gore as "ground-breaking". Ember, which has built the first open-source dataset of global power generation with maps showing global coal flows from mines to power and steel plants. It is using these tools to influence policy to end the use of coal power globally. It also exposed the cost of subsidising a power giant's wood-burning power plant in North Yorkshire - more than 30 billion - quivalent to 500 for every British home. Open Climate Fix, co-founded by former Google (News - Alert) DeepMind machine learning engineer Dr Jack Kelly, and has been awarded funding from Google.Org to support its work in forecasting solar electricity generation to help optimise the grid. Climate Policy Radar is mapping and analysing the climate policy landscape globally using machine learning and AI to support evidence-based policymaking. It will build on the work that founder Dr Michal Nachmany did at the Grantham Research Institute at LSE where she led the work to map national climate legislation in every country in the world. Dan Travers, Head of Data Science, Partnerships & Execution at Subak said: "Having access to one of the world's most powerful public web data collection platforms, Bright Data, will allow Subak members to take their climate impact even further. Subak member New AutoMotive, who is using data to support the switch to electric vehicles, will be able to use data to understand the public sentiment on electric vehicles over time, or monitor prices of charging cables. This will help inform why some areas have lower uptake of electric cars than others and allow New AutoMotive to focus their efforts. These types of insights, the support, and expertise from Bright Data will be invaluable to all Subak members in their work to tackle the climate crisis." Alongside the partnership with Subak, The Bright Initiative is working with UK Government officials at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on a dedicated National Data Strategy ( NDS (News - Alert) ) workstream exploring how to harness the power of data to meet net zero ambitions. As a member of the NDS Forum Bright Data is providing advice on how to shape the work and will contribute insight and expertise as it progresses. ENDS Notes to editors: About the Bright Initiative The Bright Initiative was established as a place to give back and make a real impact on people's lives. We offer our robust data-driven technology and products, know-how, expertise, and finely attuned support, aimed at quite literally improving the world as we know it. We focus on three areas: Public Well-being & Environmental Protection: Supporting social justice initiatives & saving lives, & driving forward environmental protection campaigns. Academia: Driving critical research forward and developing next generation of data professionals Promotion of Internet Transparency: Championing programmes and initiatives that promote responsible digital conduct To read more about the Bright Initiative, click here About Bright Data Bright Data is an industry-leading web data platform. Fortune 500 companies, academic institutions, and small businesses rely on Bright Data's solutions to retrieve public web data in the most efficient, reliable, and flexible way so they can research, monitor and analyze it to make better decisions. About Subak Baroness Bryony Worthington was inspired to launch Subak after reading about the co-operative water management system developed for Indonesian rice fields in the 9th Century in Roland Kupers' book 'A Climate Policy Revolution' (News - Alert) . The system allowed for the sharing of critical resources to ensure the survival and growth of the community. Baroness Worthington saw the potential for organisations to collaborate and share data, infrastructure and skills to speed progress. Subak selects, funds and scales non-profit organisations that are tackling climate change through open- source data. The community will allow Subak members, fellows and other organisations to develop stronger environmental insights and opportunities to measure climate impact. Subak seeded 250k and its founding members have already raised over 8.5m in funding, while delivering remarkable data-driven achievements. Individual Subak fellows can receive a 10k grant with an idea for an innovative, data-driven climate project. Fellows receive selected access to Subak support and learning resources. Subak is based at County Hall on the banks of the Thames alongside a growing hub of sustainable tech startups. To read more about Subak, click here View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005083/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] SAP & HKCSS Support Social Enterprises to Develop Digital Skills in "SAP Good Goods Business Challenge 2021" HONG KONG, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Furthering its commitment to supporting social enterprises, SAP today launched the "SAP Good Goods Business Challenge 2021" in Hong Kong in partnership with the Hong Kong Council of Social Service (HKCSS) and its Social Enterprise Business Centre. The Challenge aims to empower social enterprises to thrive in the digital economy and amplify their impacts. As self-financing businesses, social enterprises fulfil an important societal role pursuing social missions, such as creating jobs and education opportunities for the underserved and protecting the environment. The "SAP Good Goods Business Challenge 2021" is open to social enterprises serving Hong Kong communities and provides professional e-tailing training and consultation. It will enhance social entrepreneurial skills and refine business models to enable social enterprises to self-reliantly fund their operations in a changing world. The Challenge also facilitates participating enterprises to raise their public profile and earn cash incentives. "Hong Kong has a growing social entrepreneurship ecosystem and there are 659 social enterprises listed in the Social Enterprise Directory published by the Social Enterprise Business Centre," said Chua Hoi Wai, Chief Executive of HKCSS. "The COVID-19 pandemic and global economic downturn have put extra pressure on the sector. Due to evolving consumer behavior, social entrepreneurs require necessary commercial and digital skills to generate sufficient revenue to sustain their operations. HKCSS is delighted to partner with SAP to help bridge this gap." "Every enterprise today needs to explore new and innovative ways to respond to the new normal," said Fabian Padilla Crisol, Managing Director, SAP Hong Kong. "The 'SAP Good Goods Business Challenge 2021' is a platform for social enterprises to enhance entrepreneurial skills by adopting mission-critical digital technologies and transformative business models, which will help them thrive in the digital economy. This truly reflects SAP's purpose to help the world run better and improve people's lives." Series of Challenges to Promote Learning and Growth The "SAP Good Goods Business Challenge 2021" will kick off on October 20, 2021 at an open recruitment session held by Social Enterprise Business Centre. The First Challenge invites participants to introduce their signature products or services in a written proposal or storyboard. Shortlisted enterprises will be invited to a series of four workshops on topics ranging from e-commerce and e-marketing to product photography and vidography. These workshops will be held later this year and run by subject experts from SAP and other organizations, with SAP volunteers and students from different institutes matched with each team for further support. Applying the skills they learn in these workshops, the social enterprises will compete in the Second Challenge and develop a short promotional video, with the top five receiving targeted professional support to prepare for the Final Challenge: a live-streaming session for the social enterprises to promote and sell their products or services. HKCSS, SAP volunteers, university students and expert consultants will continue to provide advice and support through this stage of the competition. Social enterprises will receive cash incentives as they move through the challenges, with the Final Challenge also providing access to a HK$100,000 prize pool, allocated on a pro-rata basis according to sales after the Final Challenge. For more information about the "SAP Good Goods Business Challenge 2021", please visit www.goodgoods.hk/en/SAPGGBC2021. SAP's Commitment to Social Enterprises As the largest enterprise application software provider in the world, SAP firmly believes that social enterprises can enhance corporate supply chains in mutually beneficial relationships. In October 2020, SAP launched "5 & 5 by '25" to encourage organisations around the world to direct 5% of addressable procurement spend to social enterprises and 5% to diverse suppliers by 2025. The initiative is part of the SAP One Billion Lives program, which focuses on bringing social enterprises into the global economy. SAP has supported social enterprises around the world since 2012 through the SAP Social Sabbatical program, which enables SAP employees to use their expertise to help social enterprises address strategic challenges. SAP also works directly with non-profit and social enterprise partners, providing skills, technology expertise and market access to over 1,500 organizations impacting more than 1 billion lives in 2020. SAP is a member of the World Economic Forum's COVID-19 Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs and has sponsored the annual Social Enterprise World Forum since 2018. For more information about SAP's commitment to social enterprises, please click here. About SAP SAP's strategy is to help every business run as an intelligent enterprise. As a market leader in enterprise application software, we help companies of all sizes and in all industries run at their best: 77% of the world's transaction revenue touches an SAP system. Our machine learning, Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics technologies help turn customers' businesses into intelligent enterprises. SAP helps give people and organizations deep business insight and fosters collaboration that helps them stay ahead of their competition. We simplify technology for companies so they can consume our software the way they want without disruption. Our end-to-end suite of applications and services enables business and public customers across 25 industries globally to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and make a difference. With a global network of customers, partners, employees, and thought leaders, SAP helps the world run better and improve people's lives. For more information, visit www.sap.com/hk. Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations. The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates. 2021 SAP SE. All rights reserved. SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE in Germany and other countries. Please see https://www.sap.com/copyright for additional trademark information and notices. Please see our privacy policy here. SOURCE SAP Hong Kong [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Quasacoin (QUA) Listed on Uniswap, Quasa Conducts AIO on KickICO Frankfurt, Germany, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The QUASA platform is being created to solve the biggest problem facing humanity, namely to solve the problem of unemployment, so that people can find a job they love, provide for themselves and their families. With the move to blockchain and the use of artificial intelligence, QUASA is creating a new environment that will revolutionize our daily work. QUASA is the starting point for the growth and coordination of the Quasa Chain blockchain . Combining the most brilliant minds in global trade, information security, blockchain, and artificial intelligence, QUASA aims to fix the inefficiencies in a $150 trillion USD industry. Ecosystem QUASA Quasacoin (QUA) is listed on the Uniswap exchange. QUA token smart contract address: https://etherscan.io/address/0x4daeb4a06f70f4b1a5c329115731fe4b89c0b227 Anyone can trade or become a liquidity provider (LP) in the QUA liquidity pool today.QUA liquidity positions are represented on Uniswap in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFT). Token Info: Quasacoin (QUA) is an internal platform ecosystem token that is implemented on the Ethereum blockchain and is compatible with all ERC-20 wallets. Name: Quasacoin Symbol: QUA Total Supply: 62,445,870 QUA Contract Address: 0x4dAeb4a06F70f4b1A5C329115731fE4b89C0B227 QUA is the governance token of the QUASA platform. Follow to trade QUA tokens on UniSwap: https://app.uniswap.org/#/swap?inputCurrency=0x4daeb4a06f70f4b1a5c329115731fe4b89c0b227 Quasa conducts crypto-crowdfunding of AIO on KickICO AIO (Initial Auction Offer) is a more advanced form of crowdfunding, which is designed to protect the investor's assets, that is, raising funds through an auction. In this type of crowdfunding, there is a backers who submits applications and supports the project. The more backers place bids, the higher the price of the project token at the end of the crowdfunding. In AIO crowdfunding, the value of a token rises as interest in the project increases. The Quasa International GmbH team has passed the mandatory KYC / AML procedure and provided several key legal documents, as well as documents from their founders and directors. The QUASA AIO crypto auction began on September 7 and will last exactly one month, and will end on October 7, 2021. The number of QUA tokens for distribution at the auction is limited to 10 million QUA. The total emission of QUA tokens to be issued by the QUASA project is only 64 million QUA. Contact Details: Quasa International GmbH Vasipenok Viacheslav Quasagroup@gmail.com https://quasa.io/ Source Link [September 28, 2021] Christopher Perkins Joins Academy Securities' Advisory Board Academy Securities, a registered broker-dealer, certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE), and Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), today announced the addition of CoinFund President Christopher Perkins to the Firm's Advisory Board. Mr. Perkins comes to the Firm's Advisory Board after a 13-year career at Citigroup as a Managing Director and Global Co-Head of Futures, Clearing and FX Prime Brokerage. A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Mr. Perkins' nine-year military career included service in Iraq during the Global War on Terrorism. He founded Citigroup's Military Veterans Networks and is the co-founder of "Veterans on Wall Street (VOWS)," an initiative dedicated to honoring former and current military personnel by facilitating career and business opportunities in the financial services industry. Mr. Perkins also recently launched Veterans In Digital Assets (VIDA), a non-profit initiative focused on identifying employment opportunities for veterans in the digital asset and crypto space. Additionally, Mr. Perkins is the President of CoinFund, a diverse investment firm focused on digital assets and decentralized technologies. "Chris Perkins will be an invaluable asset to Academy Securities' Advisory Board. His experience in the financial and digital asset sectors, and as a fellow veteran will help us grow the firm to even higher standards," stated Academy's Chairman and CEO Chance Mims, "His impressive veteran initiatives align with Academy's core values, including support of Veterans on Wall Street." Mr. Perkins commented on joining Academy Securities: "I am honored to join Academy's Advisory Board. I look forward to joining the Firm in their mission of supporting military veterans while adding value to clients in the financial services." Mr. Perkins graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy, with distinction, and earned a Master of Arts in National Security Studie from Georgetown University. "We look forward to bringing Mr. Perkins onboard to share his insights with both our team and clients. This is a tremendous addition to the team, and we are happy to have his experience to lean on as we continue to expand our firm," stated Academy's President Phil McConkey. About Academy Securities: Academy Securities is a preeminent disabled veteran owned investment bank with strength in capital markets, public finance, fixed income and equity trading. Leadership and staff have had intensive military training prior to entering and gaining in depth financial services experience in global capital markets. We are mission driven with a high ethical code, a solid sense of accountability and strive for excellence in the pursuit of our clients' success. Intellectual assets, strong visionary leaders and a proud team commitment bring out the best in each other for the benefit of our clients. Academy is our nation's first and only post-9/11 disabled veteran owned investment bank and is a certified as a DVBE, SDVOSB, and MBE. The firm has a strong top and middle tier client base served by a national platform with offices in New York, Chicago, San Diego, Los Angeles, Chapel Hill, Kansas City, Austin, Louisville, and Sacramento. Information about Academy Securities is available at www.academysecurities.com. About CoinFund: CoinFund is a blockchain-focused investment firm founded in 2015 with the goal of shaping the global transition to digital assets and decentralized finance. The firm invests in venture and liquid opportunities within the blockchain sector with a focus on digital assets, decentralization technologies and key enabling infrastructure. The CoinFund team has studied and supported the development of the blockchain space from the inception of the first decentralized networks and brings together more than 30 years of experience in investing, engineering, law, and decentralized protocols. For more information, please visit our website at coinfund.io and follow the firm on Twitter (News - Alert) at @coinfund_io About Veterans In Digital Assets (VIDA): Veterans In Digital Assets (VIDA) was founded in 2021 when Chris Perkins and Ed Han, both longtime supporters of The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF), identified the wide range of opportunities for veterans in the digital asset space. VIDA's mission is to guide and support veterans and their families as they transition from the military and into the next phases of their careers in digital assets, including cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology. For more information, please email vida@bobwoodrufffoundation.org and follow us on Twitter @VIDABWF View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005101/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Koc Group's Industry 4.0 Practices Continue to Be Named Among Global Best Practices by the World Economic Forum ISTANBUL, Sept. 28, 2021 /CNW/ -- Koc Group has reached yet another milestone in its transformation journey with another manufacturing plant included in the "Global Lighthouse Network" by the World Economic Forum (WEF), which recognizes leaders in applying Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies. Arcelik Eskisehir Refrigerator Plant has joined the ranks of the world's most advanced manufacturing plants, following in the footsteps of Arcelik's Washing Machine Plant in Ulmi, Romania, and Ford Otosan Kocaeli Plant, both of which were named "Global Lighthouses" in 2018. Launched in 2018 by the WEF, the Global Lighthouse Network list has admitted just 90 manufacturing plants to date and these have been selected among more than a thousand candidates. Cakiroglu will be participating as a featured speaker in the Annual Meeting of the Global Lighthouse Network, which is taking place on Wednesday, September 29, 2021, and share yet another success story by Arcelik. Levent Cakiroglu: "We see digital transformation as a key component of our cultural transformation program." "At Koc Group, we are focused on increasing our competitiveness, improving our technology and innovation capabilities while managing our business through a global lens," said Koc Holding CEO Levent Cakiroglu, adding "We see digital transformation as a key component of our cultural transformation program. Today, our Arcelik Eskisehir Refrigerator Plant - the biggest large-volume refrigerator production facility in Europe, which started production in 1975 - has been selected by the World Economic Forum as one of the world's leading Industry 4.0 plants. This prestigious global recognition is much deserved thanks to investments in digitalization, artificial intelligence, machine learning, robot and sensor technologies and other exemplary technological practices. I'd like to thank all of my colleagues for helping achieve such a significant success that made us proud." Levent Cakiroglu stated that a special digitalization roadmap was set for Arcelik as Koc Group began its digital transformation journey, saying: "The digital transformation of our Eskisehir factory is an inspiringsuccess story. To meet rising consumer demand for its expanding product range, while also meeting all quality expectations, Arcelik created more than 30 use cases. To accomplish this, our company, which develops new ideas and can test them quickly, used in-house innovation and advanced engineering platforms like Atolye 4.0 and The Garage. We also collaborated with SMEs, universities, and start-ups. As a result, digital applications could be implemented at a lower cost. Thanks to the digitalization of operations, our factory was able to quickly adapt to shifts in consumer demand caused by the pandemic. Furthermore, in response to increased demand, we plan to invest in increasing our capacity." The manufacturing plant employs artificial intelligence, machine learning and closed-loop feedback control systems. Acknowledged as a global leader, the Arcelik Eskisehir Refrigerator Plant stands out with the following achievements: - The manufacturing plant uses artificial intelligence, machine learning and closed-loop feedback control systems to enable artificial intelligence-based decision-making solutions, which has resulted in significant improvements in quality indicators and a 20 percent reduction in customer complaints. - The closed-loop feedback control systems were adjusted to the machinery, resulting in a 43 percent capacity increase and a 17 percent reduction in transformation costs. - Carbon emissions were reduced by 14% thanks to digital solutions. Additionally, Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) were integrated to replace forklifts and automate the material distribution system, resulting in a 7 percent reduction in carbon emissions. - The closed-loop feedback control systems improved energy efficiency by 19 percent by optimizing the core production processes. - The manufacturing plant's 11 robots and 3,500 sensors collect 7.5 million pieces of data per day. The facility makes use of digital manufacturing equipment that it designed itself. - Employee engagement increased by 82 percent, exceeding the Best Employer average score, thanks to effective transformation management, employee participation in the process, and improved employee competency. About Koc Holding Dating back to 1926, Koc Holding, one step ahead of change at all times, has become one of the largest and most successful groups in Turkey and in the region and the only Turkish company to be listed in Fortune Global 500 list. As of today, Koc Holding is Turkey's leading investment holding company and Koc Group is Turkey's largest industrial and services group in terms of revenues, exports, number of employees, taxes paid and market capitalization on Borsa Istanbul. Koc Holding has leading positions with strong competitive advantages in energy, automotive, consumer durables and finance sectors, which offer strong long-term growth potential. Creating long-term sustainable value for the world and the societies in which the Koc Group operates, lies at the heart of its business model. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1636010/Levent_Cakiroglu.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1636004/Arcelik_Eskisehir_Plant.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1636009/Koc_Holding_Logo.jpg View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/koc-groups-industry-4-0-practices-continue-to-be-named-among-global-best-practices-by-the-world-economic-forum-301386486.html SOURCE Koc Holding [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Microsoft 365 customers rapidly adopting Altitude Networks SaaS platform to secure cloud collaboration SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Altitude Networks, the leading provider of Cloud DLP for collaboration platforms, announces successful deployments of customers with Microsoft 365 applications, SharePoint, and OneDrive productivity and collaboration tools. Altitude Networks's DLP cloud has helped customers to protect their sensitive collaboration data from negligent/accidental sharing, malicious insiders and third-party applications. Cloud-based collaboration is outside the traditional on-prem DLP security infrastructure and therefore a challenge for IT Security teams. Also, most DLP solutions also require a tremendous investment in time for policy writing, tuning, tagging of data, and management which makes for inconsistency in protection. This causes cloud-based data collaboration to be inadequately protected from both internal and external threats in a timely manner. Other Cloud-based solutions do not provide visibility and prioritization of file-based collaboration threats or make it simple for administrators to resolve threats. Altitude Networks is the only cloud native DLP solution that secures file collaboration by using data science engines to automatically categorize, correlate and prioritize sensitive files. Altitude Networks' sophisticated engine surfaces sensitive files at risk based on sharing permissions, relationships, and behavior patterns for IT security to remediate. Remediation is completed with one mouse click from within the dashboard. "Our customers are realizing immediate value by utilizing the Altitude Networks integration with Microsoft 365. IT Security teams no longer have to write and iterate security policies in order to surface risks with their cloud collaboration environments," said Michael Coates, CEO of Altitude Networks. " With Altitude Networks they are able to instantly see their cloud collaboration and data security risks on Microsoft 365 and remediate them quickly with one-click. Gone are the days of multiple steps to find or resolve a risk or stop data exfiltration." "We've expanded our Altitude Networks Cloud DLP deployment to protect Microoft 365-based collaboration in addition to Google Workspace," said Steve Tran, CISO of MGM Studios. "Our IT Security Admins are able to see the risks for the two platforms that drive the collaboration and removing them quickly is crucial to our team's securing the various productions at MGM studios." "Before Altitude Networks we had no idea what files were being shared and with whom. Our users didn't understand the consequences of their actions," said Bob Lord, CISO of DNC. "Altitude Networks provided us with visibility to help understand how people were working and what they were doing. This enabled us to understand the risks to our security posture and then work with people to help them understand what they were doing was risky and how they should operate. Altitude Networks helped the DNC to improve its security posture while still enabling collaboration with hundreds of people across the US." "We worked with Altitude Networks to implement their DLP protection for our file storage environments. Altitude Networks provides us with the visibility that our IT personnel need to quickly understand and remediate file access issues," said Tim Holmes, Quantumscape. "With zero impact to our users, our IT team is more able to protect our files." To find out more about Altitude Networks' integration and protection for Microsoft 365 visit: https://altitudenetworks.com/microsoft-0365 Companies looking to understand their data security risks in the cloud can sign up for a free assessment at: https://info.altitudenetworks.com/assessment Follow Altitude Networks LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/altitude-networks/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/altitude Blog: https://altitudenetworks.com/resources About Altitude Networks Altitude Networks is the industry's first cloud security platform to provide improved security, governance and compliance for cloud collaboration tools like Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Slack, Box, and others. Built for organizations of all sizes who use SaaS or cloud applications to collaborate, Altitude Networks protects them against unauthorized data access, accidental or malicious document sharing, and data theft. The company was founded in 2018 by security veteran Michael Coates and machine learning and fraud detection expert Amir Kavousian. Altitude Networks is backed by Felicis Ventures, Accomplice, Slack Fund and Rain Capital. More information can be found at www.altitudenetworks.com. Contact: press@altitudenetworks.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/microsoft-365-customers-rapidly-adopting-altitude-networks-saas-platform-to-secure-cloud-collaboration-301386381.html SOURCE Altitude Networks [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Snappy's Co-Founder and CEO, Hani Goldstein, Honored in Inc. Magazine's Female Founders 100 List Snappy, an award-winning gifting platform helping organizations create connections through the power of gifting, is proud to announce their Co-Founder and CEO, Hani Goldstein, was included in the Inc. Female Founders 100 list. This accomplishment comes hot on the heels of Snappy being named the second fastest-growing woman-led company in America on the Inc. 5000 list. Inc.'s Female Founders award honors the most exceptional, trailblazing, and diverse group of 100 women who powered through adversity in a very tough year and changed the world. The final list honors entrepreneurs of every age, background, and geography-from very early-stage founders with world-changing ideas to women who have taken companies public, sold them to big buyers, or spent decades building and running their businesses. These women are leading innovative companies in a vast range of global industries, including tech, retail, finance, fitness, health care, consumer products, food, and more. "It's an honor to be recognized among inspiring women like Jessica Alba, Tracee Ellis Ross, and more," said Hani Goldstein, Co-Founder and CEO of Snappy. "I'd like to share this recognition with our entire Snappy team. Together, we work hard to spread smiles through the power of kindness and giving to over 1,400 enterprise customers including Microsoft (News - Alert) , Comcast, Zoom, and Uber. I'd also like to applaud the success of all the other female-founded businesses mentioned on the list and beyond!" Inc. editors and writers went through thousands of impressive applications that revealed how so many female founders triumphed in a year filled with challenges. The result is an incredible list of founders wh have improvised, adapted, and made something from nothing. They join game-changing past honorees Jessica Alba, Tracee Ellis Ross, Rihanna, Shonda Rhimes, and more. Taken together, they represent the female-led future of business. "The 100 women highlighted on this list are inspiring, creative, tenacious, and trailblazing role models in entrepreneurship. What's more is they were able to achieve success during one of the toughest years ever. That's something certainly worth celebrating," says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. To see the complete list, go to: https://www.inc.com/female-founders About Snappy ??Founded in 2015, Snappy is an award-winning gifting platform that combines fun, personal gifting experiences with advanced technology that takes the guesswork out of gifting. We help companies show true appreciation to their employees and customers, spreading smiles and boosting loyalty and productivity at the touch of a button. Snappy is headquartered in New York and employs over 200 people across four countries. Snappy is growing rapidly and has recently been named the fastest-growing company in the NY region and the 15th fastest-growing company in America by Inc. Magazine with a three-year revenue growth of 18,708%. Snappy was also named to Inc.'s 2021 Best Workplaces list as well as Fortune's "Best Small & Medium Workplaces." Snappy's stance on diversity and inclusion, its active focus on give-back programs, and its fundamental mission to spread happiness through fun, thoughtful gifts, leads the way in unlocking the power of human kindness at work. For more information, visit www.snappy.com. About Inc. magazine The world's most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning, multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels, including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion among the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information, visit www.inc.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005342/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] RingCentral MVP Innovations Leapfrog Competition in Solving Productivity Challenges of Hybrid Work RingCentral, Inc. (NYSE:RNG), a leading provider of global enterprise cloud communications, video meetings, collaboration and contact center solutions, today announced exciting new capabilities for RingCentral (News - Alert) MVP (Message Video Phone). The new features are designed to immediately address the challenges faced by workers and teams working in a hybrid world. Nat Natarajan, executive vice president, Products and Engineering, at RingCentral, said, "As organizations embrace new hybrid work styles, RingCentral is focused on combating real-world organizational and end-user challenges by delivering capabilities that enable them to run and grow their business. We're giving customers solutions that are designed to overcome the challenges they face today so they can maximize their potential every single day. From transcriptions and summaries to next-gen analytics and reporting, there's a new innovation for all parts of the workforce - whether you're in IT, a line of business role, or an end-user." Blair Pleasant, president & principal analyst of COMMfusion, said, "As we continue to navigate hybrid working environments and our meetings become more personable, the features RingCentral is announcing today are critical to keeping us connected. These new innovations are designed to ensure that the essence of physically being in the workplace and collaborating in-person is not lost." Meeting summaries, live transcription and whiteboard Live transcription : As the number of meetings continues to rise, it has now become the norm for people to be double booked or join meetings late. Leveraging AI, RingCentral now enables entire meeting conversations to be automatically transcribed, ensuring those who join late can easily catch up without disrupting the meeting, and to help those that are hearing impaired stay engaged with the conversation. New transcription capabilities further support RingCentral's focus on creating an accessible environment, democratizing the video experience for everyone. : As the number of meetings continues to rise, it has now become the norm for people to be double booked or join meetings late. Leveraging AI, RingCentral now enables entire meeting conversations to be automatically transcribed, ensuring those who join late can easily catch up without disrupting the meeting, and to help those that are hearing impaired stay engaged with the conversation. New transcription capabilities further support RingCentral's focus on creating an accessible environment, democratizing the video experience for everyone. Meeting summaries : In order to meet the challenge of managing multiple conflicting meetings and fighting meeting fatigue, RingCentral is launching meeting summaries, giving users a recap of the conversation and an auto-generated short-form summary, video highlight reel, and keywords. This comes in addition to the existing transcription and full recording for any recorded meeting, ensuring users can quickly find keywords for discussion points and get up to speed without needing to read or watch the entire recording. : In order to meet the challenge of managing multiple conflicting meetings and fighting meeting fatigue, RingCentral is launching meeting summaries, giving users a recap of the conversation and an auto-generated short-form summary, video highlight reel, and keywords. This comes in addition to the existing transcription and full recording for any recorded meeting, ensuring users can quickly find keywords for discussion points and get up to speed without needing to read or watch the entire recording. Whiteboard: As we continue to navigate a hybrid working environment, organizations are rapidly trying to arm their employees with the best tools and technologies so that people can replicate in-person experiences. RingCentral firmly believes that those working remotely should not be disadvantaged. With this in mind, RingCentral is introducing its new infinite whiteboard feature whereby users can visually illustrate ideas through free form drawing, virtual sticky notes, uploading images, and annotating over content that can then be shared after meetings. RingCentral is giving users infinite space on the whiteboard, enabling them to keep scrolling and adding drawings or images, without any constraints. A built-in mini map helps participants keep track of where they are on the whiteboard at all times when collaboration goes beyond the infinite borders. Jim Lundy, founder and CEO, Aragon Research, said, "Running between meetings and being double booked is a reality many of us are grappling with in today's corporate world. Getting a downloadable recording transcription with a meeting summary and automated action items is a complete game changer and a huge competitive advantage for RingCentral. Talk about delivering on the promise of making unified communications work for you so you can be more productive and focus on things that actually matter and move your business forward." Availability: Live Transcription, Meeting Summaries and Whiteboard will be generally available to customers in Q1'22. Next-gen analytics deliver breakthrough insights for line of business use cases With next-gen analytics, users can now unlock insights that were previously impossible to assemble from on-premise and disparate solution approaches. Because RingCentral is born in the cloud, it includes powerful built-in analytics, available in a single pane of glass enabling customers to make business decisions in just a few clicks. Additionally, line of business managers can now enance their team's performance and business impact with the power of analytics. The new line of business analytics gives users visibility into communications data on a rich, customizable dashboard and reporting interface, as well as open APIs to help build key performance indicators (KPIs) relevant to their business. Users can now slice and dice data for ad-hoc analysis and create custom reports to make effective, data-backed decisions by helping answer questions such as: Is every customer facing team and facility optimally staffed? (For example: call volume & call handling trends) Is my team putting forward the best performance? Are there opportunities to train? (For example: number of calls, number of unanswered calls, call handling speed, etc.) How is my team's communication activity driving sales and revenue outcomes? (For example: merge calls data with sales and revenue data) Praneeth Vadrevu, senior data analyst, Lucas Group, said, "RingCentral's new line of business analytics beta is a very robust tool that allows you to customize dashboards based on your business needs. The API configuration is a very useful automation for our organization which integrates into our data infrastructure. The reporting capabilities help us make better business decisions based on call volume and individual activity. I am so glad that these tools are made available to us now, whereas in the past it was a lot of manual retrieval of reports and ingesting them into Microsoft Excel." Dave Michels, principal analyst and founder, TalkingPointz, said, "RingCentral expands its MVP offer with features that appear aimed at organizations with distributed teams. Analytics has long been critical for business success, regardless of department. With the new customizable dashboards and widgets from RingCentral, both IT teams and line of business users will have access to superior business intelligence at no additional cost, enabling organizations to run and grow their business. This offering means users can now access data they need at their fingertips to get the most out of their UCaaS solution, regardless of where their teams are based." Availability: Next-gen analytics is available immediately upon request and generally available in Q1'22. Content sharing via phone rear camera As teams continue to rely on video to stay connected, RingCentral has introduced further enhancements to help users get the most out of their video interactions. RingCentral is one of the first Unified Communications (News - Alert) as a Service (UCaaS) leaders to offer sharing in a meeting via phone rear camera within the RingCentral app, providing a new way for users to share live and real moments. Availability: Content sharing via phone rear camera will be available in Q4 '21. New RingCentral Rooms capabilities Hybrid work is now a reality with several people in the office and others working from home, a coffee shop, a train station, or elsewhere. For those in the office, RingCentral is focused on minimizing the risk of being exposed to the virus by creating a no-touch environment with the latest advancements and features including the ability to seamlessly share content, switch from their devices to a meeting room, place phone calls in meeting rooms, and connect existing room systems to RingCentral's video meetings. Additionally, RingCentral believes it is equally important to create participant equity to ensure that people don't feel left out. The company continues to make this a priority and show fast-paced innovation to support meeting rooms. Roopam Jain, vice president of Research, Connected Work at Frost & Sullivan, said, "We cannot let remote workers be at a disadvantage anymore. It is critical that organizations create a level-playing field so remote participants are represented equally on screen, and meetings are more inclusive than ever before. The new RingCentral Rooms innovations are a big step in the right direction, helping to make hybrid work environments a success." RingCentral Rooms has already brought touchless experiences after less than two years in the market. These new enhancements will further support businesses as they consider their return to the office, bringing stronger than ever mobility and flexibility. Tight integration across RingCentral's MVP portfolio creates a leading offering, ensuring users can continue their conversations and work with minimal disruption. New features include: Mobile to room meeting switch - End users can easily switch an ongoing meeting on the go from mobile directly to a RingCentral Room - End users can easily switch an ongoing meeting on the go from mobile directly to a RingCentral Room Rooms as softphone - Existing RingCentral Rooms setups can now double as a phone, all from the same RingCentral Rooms application - Existing RingCentral Rooms setups can now double as a phone, all from the same RingCentral Rooms application Rooms proximity sharing - Participants can share content directly to a nearby RingCentral Room without "joining" the meeting via bluetooth - Participants can share content directly to a nearby RingCentral Room without "joining" the meeting via bluetooth Room Connector - With this add-on license, users can now use existing SIP enabled meeting room hardware to join RingCentral Video meetings in their meeting rooms. RingCentral has also partnered with several hardware vendors including Logitech (News - Alert) , Poly and Yealink. Through these partnerships, RingCentral will offer new Rooms appliances that are easy to install, manage and use. The new appliances include: Logitech Rally Plus for RingCentral Rooms : Deploying RoomMate together with Rally Plus helps you easily add video collaboration capability to large rooms. With computing power and video conferencing software together in a dedicated appliance, RoomMate makes it easy to deploy RingCentral Rooms with the Logitech Rally Plus. This large room solution will be available this fall and rounds out the Logitech video collaboration portfolio for RingCentral Rooms providing meeting solutions for all size rooms. : Deploying RoomMate together with Rally Plus helps you easily add video collaboration capability to large rooms. With computing power and video conferencing software together in a dedicated appliance, RoomMate makes it easy to deploy RingCentral Rooms with the Logitech Rally Plus. This large room solution will be available this fall and rounds out the Logitech video collaboration portfolio for RingCentral Rooms providing meeting solutions for all size rooms. Poly (News - Alert) Studio X70 video bar : The Poly Studio X70 video bar brings broadcast quality video to large rooms and is designed to upgrade the video collaboration experience by delivering meeting equality to all participants on the call. The Poly Studio X70 video bar rounds out Poly's portfolio of video conferencing gear for rooms of all sizes, to include the Poly Studio X30, Poly Studio X50, and G7500 : The Poly Studio X70 video bar brings broadcast quality video to large rooms and is designed to upgrade the video collaboration experience by delivering meeting equality to all participants on the call. The Poly Studio X70 video bar rounds out Poly's portfolio of video conferencing gear for rooms of all sizes, to include the Poly Studio X30, Poly Studio X50, and G7500 Yealink A20 & A30: A new partnership with Yealink, launching both the A20 and A30 all-in-one meeting bars with the CTP18 tablet controller for small and medium-sized meeting rooms. With AI features such as auto framing and speaker tracking that allow users to experience a smarter and safer video conference, and Yealink noise-proof technology that brings excellent audio experience in small to medium rooms and ensures that everyone can be heard as well as seen, these features help deliver an excellent video collaboration experience. Availability: New RingCentral Rooms appliances, Mobile to Room, Rooms as a softphone, Proximity sharing, and Room Connector will be generally available to customers in Q4 '21. About RingCentral RingCentral, Inc. (NYSE: RNG) is a leading provider of business cloud communications and contact center solutions based on its powerful Message Video Phone??(MVP) global platform. More flexible and cost effective than legacy on-premises PBX (News - Alert) and video conferencing systems that it replaces, RingCentral empowers modern mobile and distributed workforces to communicate, collaborate, and connect via any mode, any device, and any location. RingCentral offers three key products in its portfolio including RingCentral MVP, a Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) platform including team messaging, video meetings, and cloud phone system; RingCentral Video, ?the company's video meetings solution with team messaging that enables Smart Video Meetings; and RingCentral cloud Contact Center solutions. RingCentral's open platform integrates with leading third-party business applications and enables customers to easily customize business workflows. RingCentral is headquartered in Belmont, California, and has offices around the world. 2021 RingCentral, Inc. All rights reserved. RingCentral, Message Video Phone,? RingCentral MVP, MVP, RingCentral Engage Digital, RingCentral Engage Voice, RingCentral Video, RingCentral Rooms, Glip, Smart Video Meetings, and the RingCentral logo are trademarks of RingCentral, Inc. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005423/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Kraig Biocraft Laboratories Prepares for Challenge Testing of Disease Resistant Silkworm Lines Immunity enhanced silkworms provide licensing opportunities into the broader $14 B1 silk industry ANN ARBOR, Mich., Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. (OTCQB: KBLB) (Company or Kraig Labs), the biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of spider silk, announces today that it is preparing to conduct challenge testing on two lines of immunity enhanced silkworms. These silkworm lines were developed by Kraig Labs to combat two of the biggest challenges facing the global silk production industry. It has been reported that as much as 50% of all losses in silk production result from a single widespread virus. A 2020 paper cited that 75% of all interviewer silkworm raisers reported losses due to this disease. With no effective treatment, this virus results in countless millions of dollars of economic annually. Kraig Labs realized that technologies it was developing for other applications could be used to significantly reduce these losses in the broader silk industry. The Company has made rapid progress in the development of this new technology. Specifically designed to target and combat this virus and other pathogens, these new transgenics developed by Kraig Labs, are now preparing to undergo challenge testing. These new disease-resistant lines of silkworms are intended for licensing into the global market for mundane silks to combat pathogenic viruses and fungi. The Company expects to make these lines of resilient silkworms available for commercial licensing shortly after the conclusion of successful challenge testing. We are very excited to begin challenge testing for these immunity enhanced silkwor lines, said COO Jon Rice. Our intention is to license this technology to silk produces all over the world. This program to produce licensable commercial lines of more robust silkworms is the perfect complement to our core focus, the commercialization of Kraigs eco-friendly recombinant spider silk. To view the most recent news from Kraig Labs and/or to sign up for Company alerts, please go to www.KraigLabs.com/news . ___________________ 1 From New Analysis from Global Industry Analysts Reveals Steady Growth for Silk, with the Market to Reach $21 Billion Worldwide by 2026, read more at: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-analysis-from-global-industry-analysts-reveals-steady-growth-for-silk-with-the-market-to-reach-21-billion-worldwide-by-2026-301377060.htm About Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. Kraig Biocraft Laboratories, Inc. ( www.KraigLabs.com ), a fully reporting biotechnology company, is a developer of genetically engineered spider silk based fiber technologies. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Information Statements in this press release about the Companys future and expectations other than historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements are made on the basis of managements current views and assumptions. As a result, there can be no assurance that managements expectations will necessarily come to pass. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as believes, plans, expects, anticipates, foresees, estimated, hopes, if, develops, researching, research, pilot, potential, could or other words or phrases of similar import. Forward looking statements include descriptions of the Companys business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions and goals. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any security. Ben Hansel, Hansel Capital, LLC (720) 288-8495 ir@KraigLabs.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] White Oak Real Estate Capital Closes Its First Loan Investment White Oak Real Estate Capital ("WOREC") announced today that it has provided a $28.45 million senior secured loan to 1784 Capital Holdings for the development of a Class-A self-storage facility in the city of Goleta, California. The deal marks the business' first loan since WOREC launched as an affiliate of White Oak Global Advisors in July 2021. The storage facility will feature 97,860 square feet of rentable space and include 1,023 units, of which 89% are climate controlled with the remainder consisting of highly desirable drive-up units. "The self-storage industry has established itself as an essential service for people moving their home or business during the COVID-19 pandemic, and has demonstrated notable resilience in the face of economic downturn over the last 20 years," said Eric Tanjeloff, Managing Principal at White Oak Real Estate Capital. "This inaugural deal confirms our commitment to providing innovative financing solutions to the commercial real estate sector, and we are excited about our robust pipeline of financing opportunities across the industry." Following the expected 16-month construction period, WOREC expects the asset to benefit from existing excess demand in the 5-mile trade area. The self-storage facility will be located at 10 Kellogg Avenue in Goleta, California along the highly trafficked US Highway 101 in Santa Barbara County and inclose proximity to the University of California, Santa Barbara, which enrolls approximately 24,300 students. "Eric Tanjeloff and his talented team at White Oak Real Estate Capital are committed to efficiently utilizing their deep lending capabilities and national scope to provide competitive financing options and certainty of execution. We were most pleased with the White Oak experience and look forward to growing the relationship," said Shane Albers, CEO and founder of 1784 Capital Holdings LLC. About White Oak Real Estate Capital, LLC White Oak Real Estate Capital, LLC ("WOREC"), an affiliate of White Oak Global Advisors, LLC is a lender to the commercial real estate industry specializing in originating bespoke financing solutions secured by transitional assets. WOREC offers loans across the capital structure, from first lien stretch senior loans to special situations bridge loans. The company is headquartered in New York City. About White Oak Global Advisors White Oak Global Advisors, LLC ("WOGA") is a leading alternative debt manager specializing in originating and providing financing solutions to facilitate the growth, refinancing and recapitalization of small and medium enterprises. Together with its financing affiliates, WOGA provides over twenty lending products to the market, including term, asset-based, and equipment loans, to all sectors of the economy. Since its inception in 2007, WOGA and its affiliates have deployed over $9 billion across its product lines, utilizing a disciplined investment process that focuses on delivering risk-adjusted investment returns to investors while establishing long term partnerships with our borrowers. More information can be found at www.whiteoaksf.com. About 1784 Capital Holdings LLC 1784 Capital Holdings LLC is a National Self Storage Developer and Owner. The company's objective is to develop, construct and operate Class A self-storage facilities across the US in major MSAs with high barriers to entry. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005341/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Omaha National Raises $45 Million in Series B Financing Omaha National Group, Inc. ("Omaha National"), a leading tech-enabled provider of workers' compensation insurance and payroll services, today announced a $45 million Series B round led by Accomplice. The company plans to use the funds to support its transition to operating as a direct insurance writer and to continue the expansion of its advanced proprietary software. Omaha National was founded in 2016 by a team of executives with a track record of building successful workers' compensation businesses at other carriers, including Berkshire Hathaway. They are combining their established strategic approach with new proprietary technology to provide care and support to injured workers while reducing unnecessary costs. Reduced claim costs lead to lower insurance premiums for the small to midsize companies that Omaha National insures, allowing its clients to invest the savings in growing their businesses. "We see an unmet need in workers' compensation for a company that employs advanced technology to achieve better claim outcomes and superior underwriting results," said Omaha National President and CEO Reagan Pufall. "We've achieved a lot in the past five years but we're just getting started. We're excited to welcome our new investors to join us on this journey." "We were drawn to Omaha National's proprietary technology and their forward-thinking culture," said Ryan Moore (News - Alert) , Founding Partner with Accomplice. "We're excited to be supporting their efforts to expand their strategy." About Omaha National: Omaha National serves the businesses that build America and keep it running; the small to midsize companies where people work with their hands and have a greater risk of being injured. Our proprietary software enhances our operations to better help our customers and their injured workers, while generating consistently compelling loss ratios. Omaha National offers AM Best A (Excellent) rated workers' compensation coverage through more than 2,500 agencies. Since our launch in 2016, we have grown to more than 190 employees and over $120 million in program premiums. About Agman: Agman leverages its permanent capital base to partner with exceptional entrepreneurs building enduring businesses. Since its humble origins nearly a century ago, Agman has grown into one of the largest family-owned investment firms in the United States, with thousands of employees, activities across the country, and expertise in a range of industries. About Accomplice: Accomplice is a seed-led venture capital firm that embraces risk. Accomplice has been part of the origin story of AngelList, Carbon Black, Coinlist, Currencycloud, FLOW, DraftKings, FalconX, Freshbooks, Integral Ad Science, Hopper, Luna, Near, Orchard, Patreon, PillPack, Plastiq, Recorded Future (News - Alert) , SecurityScorecard, Skillz, Veracode, Work Human, WHOOP, and Zoopla. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005512/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Deepspatial Inc. Announces Strategic Partnership with SISL Infotech and Addition of Key Senior Management Deepspatial Inc. (CSE:DSAI) (OTCQB:DSAIF) ("Deepspatial" or the "Company") is pleased to announce a partnership with SISL Infotech, to provide its patented AI (artificial intelligence) & GIS (geographic information systems) solutions to SISL Infotech's vast, industry-wide client base. SISL Infotech is a leading system integrator in India, helping customers automate their business functions with IT software and services. Some of their partners include Microsoft (News - Alert) , IBM, Cisco, HP, Dell, and ESRI. SISL Infotech is one of the largest technology system integrators in India with more than 4000 employees and 6000 global customers. The Deepspatial / SISL Infotech partnership will empower businesses to tap into previously unserved markets by taking advantage of geo-spatial intelligence and AI-driven business insights. "We believe this partnership will enable Deepspatial to take advantage of SISL's extensive client base and provide solutions to businesses and organizations that will benefit from implementing AI and GIS in their practices." Said Dr. Rahul Kushwah, Chief Executive Officer of Deepspatial. "From dynamic sentiment monitoring to product pricing optimization and supply chain optimization solutions, Deepspatial is likely to transform the Indian business landscape," said Arjun Mittal, Co-Founder, SISL Infotech. "SISL Infotech is glad to be instrumental in this journey to help businesses take advantage of higher visibility and control in untapped markets with amazing potential." Deepspatial is also pleased to announce addition of senior team members to assist with business and technology development. Leading the company's AI team is now Dr. Bushra Zaman, a senior data scientist who's an adjunct professor at the University of Utah and previously led high-profile projects with World Bank. Additionally, Debojoyti Purkayastha (Deb), previously an advisor to Deepspatial, has transitioned to the role of VP, Global business development. Deb has 23 years of experience in technology sales and helped scale up major global tech companies such as Voyager labs and Riverbed (News - Alert) . Kunal Singhal has been hired as the head of sales for India. Kunal has 15 years of experience in enterprise software sales and managing channel partners. He previously worked with global tech corporations such as Checkpoint and Riverbed. "We are extremely pleased to have Bushra, Deb and Kunal join our team. Bushra brings with her years of experience with major geospatial projects along with leading tech teams in the AI and GIS space. Deb and Kunal bring years of experience in scaling business for major global tech corporations and their experience and network will be instrumental in business growth and expansion at Deepspatial", said Dr. Rahul Kushwah. Dr. Rahul Kushwah appeared on Proactive Investors Media to talk about the partnership and what it means for Deepspatial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzi0iFF-nIg&ab_channel=Proactive About Deepspatial Inc. Deepspatial Inc. is an artificial intelligence, technology SaaS (News - Alert) company at the forefront of geospatial artificial intelligence and geographic informational systems, specializing in providing robust, AI-powered solutions to businesses by leveraging the power of geospatial data. The company has currently built products that target four specific customer needs across industry verticals. These are (1) geodemographic customer profiling, (2) price recommendation engine, (3) inventory management and supply chain analytics (market entry and expansion), and (4) sentiment monitoring to measure and improve brand health. To learn more, please visit our website at www.Deepspatial.ai or follow us on Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn. About SISL Infotech SISL Infotech is a leading system integrator in India, helping customers bring automation to their business functions with IT software and services. It proudly serves the needs of public and corporate enterprises with the best of IT, IoT, analytics and AI solutions. The company goes beyond the ordinary every time and delivers the best IT services to its clients globally. Through a vast network of technology partners and the strong presence in multiple geographies, SISL has achieved great success with customer service. It offers industry-leading IT solutions and cost-effective services for the setting up of virtual workspaces, public and private cloud, database management, web application development and data analytics. For more information, visit: https://www.sislinfotech.com/ Caution regarding Forward Looking Information: THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED NOR DOES IT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. This news release may contain forward-looking statements and information based on current expectations. These statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results of the Company. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by such statements. Although such statements are based on management's reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that such assumptions will prove to be correct. We assume no responsibility to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. The Company's securities have not been registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or applicable state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold to, or for the account or benefit of, persons in the United States or "U.S. Persons", as such term is defined in Regulations under the U.S. Securities Act, absent registration or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. 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 the securities in the United States or any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. Additionally, there are known and unknown risk factors which could cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking information contained herein, such as, but not limited to dependence on obtaining regulatory approvals; the ability to obtain intellectual property rights related to its technology; limited operating history; general business, economic, competitive, political, regulatory and social uncertainties, and in particular, uncertainties related to COVID-19;risks related to factors beyond the control of the company, including risks related to COVID-19; risks related to the Company's shares, including price volatility due to events that may or may not be within such party's control; reliance on management; and the emergency of additional competitors in the industry. All forward-looking information herein is qualified in its entirety by this cautionary statement, and the Company disclaims any obligation to revise or update any such forward-looking information or to publicly announce the result of any revisions to any of the forward-looking information contained herein to reflect future results, events or developments, except required by law. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005487/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] CrowdHealth Raises $6M to Develop a Tech Enabled Healthcare Toolbox to Give You Freedom From Health Insurance Today, our journey to revolutionize the way we pay for healthcare begins. For 30 years, the middle class has experienced no real income growth due to the increasing costs of health insurance. Now the middle class has a new way to pay for healthcare. Every year, 250,000 people declare bankruptcy due to medical bills despite having health insurance. Quality healthcare is now affordable. Doctors can now rediscover the joy of practicing medicine without health insurers invading the patient-doctor relationship. Americans who are victims of medical price gouging, predatory bill collection and garnished wages now have an ally. "If we want our children and grandchildren to continue to have access to the best healthcare practitioners in the world, our system to pay for medical care must change," said Andy Schoonover, CEO and founder of CrowdHealth. "If we want to unleash the growth potential of the middle class, small businesses and entrepreneurs, we must stand up to the perverse incentive systems within healthcare that have robbed them of opportunities to flouish." We have gathered an incredibly talented team and a group of skilled investors to do just that. We are excited to announce that we have raised a $6 million investment round, led by Next Coast Ventures and Activate Venture Partners, to form CrowdHealth, a new solution that frees Americans from health insurance. CrowdHealth is a technology platform and a set of tools that enable people to fund their healthcare expenses outside the traditional health insurance system. The app-based tools we provide our Community include: The latest innovation in fintech, allowing our Community to aggregate crowdsourced funds to pay doctors quickly and directly. A nationwide doctor quality and cost database that empowers Members to make informed decisions about their care without the limitation of restrictive networks. Highly engaged, personalized Care Advocacy to help our Community navigate their health journeys. Negotiation and legal services that fight for our Community when dealing with outrageous bills. Access to deeply discounted prescription drugs. By eliminating insurance plan middlemen, reimagining the healthcare payment system and empowering doctors to direct care choices, CrowdHealth will help our Community significantly reduce their out-of-pocket expenses when compared to healthcare.gov plans. We invite you to join us on this journey at www.joincrowdhealth.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005343/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] New Agents of Change Report Highlights Innovative Women-Focused Cyber Career Program 100 Women in 100 Days THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- SynED, a national non-profit focused on education, today released Agents of Change: 100 Women in 100 Days, the second in a series of reports that provide a roadmap on how individuals, organizations and communities address systemic barriers or challenges in our education and workforce training systems and take action. "This new series provides a guide on the critical components of successful innovations done at a local level and provides practitioners and policymakers alike useful insights and tools they can leverage to connect people to careers of their choice in their own communities," said Scott Young, President and Executive Director, SynED. Volume 2 of Agents of Change focuses on the approach of Carmen Marsh, founder of the 100 Women in 100 Days Cybersecurity Career Accelerator. When she started her own cybersecurity career more than 20 years ago, Carmen was the only woman on a team of several hundred information security engineers. She expected the number of women in cybersecurity to grow over time but several years ago, Carmen finally had had enough. She remembers thinking, "Where are all the women?" Her initial question led her on a journey to attract, educate and move women into cyber careers. There is a well-documented shortage of cybersecurity professionals in the United States and beyond, but the picture is more complex than just the number of open positions. While women are underrepresented in cybersecurity, studies show that they have relational and professional skills that make them perfectly suited for the work. In addition, greater diversity of cybersecurity professionals in and of itself will benefit the security of companies, governments and consumers. A lack of gender diversity is a lack of diversity of thought, and complex cybersecurity challenges demand more than just "group think" solutions. Unfortunately, existing marketing strategies for training programs and cybersecurity careers do not appeal to women at a broad scale. To counter the narrative of the typical cybersecurity professional, Ms. Marsh started an annual awad, Cybersecurity Woman of the Year, to showcase real life examples of highly successful women working in cybersecurity. "These role models are everyday women just like all of us, but they do extraordinary work in cyber," Ms. Marsh said. "But the most important part is to give women enough information about what jobs there are in cybersecurity so they can start asking questions and find out that it interests them. Until then, we will always have a lack of women in cyber." The 100 Women in 100 Days program guides cohorts of 100 women through intensive cybersecurity education while providing robust support, community building, and hands-on experience. The typical 100 Women in 100 Days participant is currently in the field or has had a decade or more of work experience, though not in cybersecurity. While some have worked in cyber-adjacent fields like software development and Information Technology, participants are just as likely to have been a wine buyer or a hairdresser. "With 100 Women in 100 Days, there was more information, there was more guidance, I was able to network and understand more what I had signed up for," Eva Baaza, a participant, said. "I feel like I've gained so much more, in just the time I've been in the program, than I ever did in all my university years." The 100 Women in 100 Days program's success shines a spotlight on shortcomings of current education and workforce development systems when it comes to equipping people for careers in cybersecurity and computer technology. "The reason that Carmen's program gets so many applicants is because it is geared towards women," said Sharee English, co-founder of WECybr, a women-owned and operated cybersecurity consulting business that helped design the early instruction portion of the program. "I do think that in general, when you have any group that is together, that shares something in common, like wanting to change careers, it really creates a bond that allows people to find strength in that and get through that. And I think that is probably the biggest benefit that these programs can provide." As 100 Women in 100 Days builds on its success and expands its reach with each cohort of 100 women, it is providing a model that policymakers can learn from and practitioners can replicate in their own communities and industries. About SynED SynED is a national non-profit that identifies and highlights emerging best practices for effective articulation between employers, job seekers, and education providers. SynED is the proud recipient of the 2021 Association for Career & Technical Education Business-Education Partnership Award About Agents of Change The Agents of Change series seeks out unique and highly successful efforts that look beyond generally accepted labor statistics, on what jobs are available and how to fill them, to truly understand the connection points between trained individuals and the employers who want to meet them. Highlighting Those Who Dare to Make the World a Better Place. Contact: Teana Fredeen 805.235.3361 319985@email4pr.com View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-agents-of-change-report-highlights-innovative-women-focused-cyber-career-program-100-women-in-100-days-301386434.html SOURCE synED [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] FloQast Names Razzak Jallow its First Chief Financial Officer LOS ANGELES, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FloQast , a provider of accounting workflow automation software created by accountants for accountants, today announced the appointment of Razzak Jallow as Chief Financial Officer, a new position at the company. As CFO, Jallow will lead multiple functions across the company including accounting, finance and business operations. FloQast announced its $1.2 billion valuation less than three months ago, and Jallows role as CFO will bring a rich level of expertise to the company that will only increase its strides towards IPO. Prior to joining the team, Jallow served as the vice president of finance at Looker a data analytics company which was acquired by Google in 2019. "Razzak is the perfect CFO to lead FloQast. His financial pedigree combined with a deep understanding of helping SaaS businesses scale puts him at the center of FloQast's mission to drive operational excellence through the controller's office," said Mike Whitmire, CPA*, CEO and co-founder of FloQast. I expect him to make huge contributions, not only to FloQast's thriving operations, but also by assuming an important position as a spokesperson for FloQast's philosophies among like-minded CFOs, controllers and chief accounting officers." Jallows broad-based understanding of Software as a Service (SaaS) and experience across financial planning and analysis, accounting, tax and treasury, sals and investor operations in both public and private companies including, Google, Apple, Adobe, and Looker uniquely position him to support the companys rapid and efficient business scaling, as well as other strategic initiatives to deliver profitable growth. FloQast has a fantastic product addressing a need in a market thats growing but has been under served for a while, Jallow said. The management team is extremely strong with a shared passion for doing whats right, so Im excited to join the team and bring value to our customers. The addition of Jallow is part of a recent hiring spree at FloQast. On Sept. 2, the company named Justin Smith to the newly created role of vice president of customer success. For more information on open positions at FloQast, visit the company careers page and follow FloQast on LinkedIn . About FloQast FloQast delivers workflow automation software enabling organizations to operationalize accounting excellence. Trusted by more than 1,400 accounting teams including Twilio, CoinBase, Los Angeles Lakers, Zoom and SnowFlake FloQast was built by accountants, for accountants to enhance the way accounting teams work. FloQast enables customers to streamline processes such as automated reconciliations, documentation requests and other workflows that impact the month-end close, financial reporting and payroll, and is consistently rated #1 across all user review sites. Learn more at FloQast.com . *inactive Contact: Sammy Totah BOCA Communications for FloQast floqast@bocacommunications.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Alert Logic and AVANT Expand Cybersecurity Adoption with Exclusive New Master Distributor Agreement Agreement Extends Reach of Managed Detection and Response Solution to More Than 170 AVANT Service Providers HOUSTON, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Alert Logic today announced a new exclusive Master Distributor Agreement with AVANT to advance the adoption of Managed Detection and Response (MDR) solutions. The agreement enables AVANT service providers to leverage best-in-class MDR solutions to enhance their customers' security posture and improve their ability to adhere to compliance mandates. The new program is designed to extend service provider offerings in cybersecurity through AVANT's mature and supported ecosystem to deliver improved risk management, greater resilience, and more effective business enablement. By utilizing joint customized program materials, service providers can gain the advantages of marketing, enablement, and efficient business practices to expand their security offerings. "With Alert Logic, our service providers are on the forefront of managed detection and response solutions to elevate their customers' security posture and help them meet compliance mandates," said Drew Lydecker, Co-founder and President, AVANT. "Our partnership with Alert Logic offers service providers an efficiet route to market while easing the burden of technology 'tools,' operational costs, and personnel challenges associated with the cybersecurity landscape." AVANT's network of service providers who join the program will be able to utilize Alert Logic to protect their own businesses, customers, and data from growing cybersecurity threats. Alert Logic provides 24/7 protection by delivering proactive threat detection with threat intelligence, and continuously expanding security content through purpose-built technology and security analysts who identify and respond to cybersecurity breaches. "MDR services provide the benefits of improved security, including the ability for organizations to be better able to detect and respond to threats, without having to add the required security experts to your staff," noted Fran Howarth, Practice Leader, Security, Bloor Research. "Those that use MDR benefit from the expertise and intelligence that is provided to help reduce risk, manage security threats, and reach compliance objectives. A service that covers all your needs and takes into account all the environments in which you work will aid in any digital transformation initiative and help to smooth the journey to the cloud." "With almost 200 service providers under their umbrella, AVANT has built a reputation as a trusted advisor for managing IT challenges, including cybersecurity," said John Post, Chief Executive Officer, Alert Logic. "We've established a collaborative partnership with AVANT to offer best-in-class managed detection and response capabilities that enable the level of business resilience and peace of mind that service providers require for their customers." The program launches at the upcoming AVANT Special Forces Summit, September 26-29 in Austin, TX: www.goavant.net/summit21. To learn more about managed detection and response and how Alert Logic's approach addresses today's cybersecurity challenges, download the IDC MarketScape: U.S. Managed Detection and Response Services 2021 Vendor Assessment here. About Alert Logic Alert Logic is the only managed detection and response (MDR) provider that delivers comprehensive coverage for public clouds, SaaS, on-premises, and hybrid environments. Since no level of investment prevents or blocks 100% of attacks, you need to continuously identify and address breaches or gaps before they cause real damage. With limited expertise and a cloud-centric strategy, this level of security can seem out of reach. Our cloud-native technology and white-glove team of security experts protect your organization 24/7 and ensure you have the most effective response to resolve whatever threats may come. Founded in 2002, Alert Logic is headquartered in Houston, Texas and has business operations, team members, and channel partners located worldwide. Learn more at alertlogic.com. Alert Logic unrivaled security for your cloud journey. Alert Logic is a registered trademark of Alert Logic, Inc Alert Logic MDR is a trademark of Alert Logic, Inc. All other trademarks listed herein are owned by their respective companies. For Alert Logic Inquiries: Bob Wientzen Public Relations Alert Logic 720-201-8125 bob.wientzen@alertlogic.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/882591/Alert_Logic_Logo.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Marki Microwave Triples Its Footprint With New 60,000 Square Foot Headquarters Marki Microwave, innovator of high performance in the radio frequency and microwave industry for 30 years, has established a new 60,000 square foot headquarters in Morgan Hill, California to accommodate its rapid growth and hiring. Spanning a four-acre lot, the new headquarters features 20,000 square feet of office space and 40,000 square feet of manufacturing space, providing the room required to support future growth. The building expansion coincides with Marki Microwave celebrating its 30-year anniversary. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005360/en/ "Thus far, 2021 has been a hugely exciting year for Marki Microwave. Not only is the company honoring its 30-year anniversary, but it has also experienced tremendous growth during a highly unpredictable time," said Christopher Marki, CEO of Marki Microwave. "Marki's new headquarters is three times larger and is conveniently located just three miles from its previous location in Morgan Hill. We remain dedicated to Morgan Hill and the South Silicon Valley region. The new location will help ensure a seamless transition for the company's operations and its employees for years to come." The new building is equipped with a huddle room, 25 offices and ver 100 cubicles to accommodate Marki Microwave's growing workforce and recruitment initiatives. In addition, the first floor is home to a manufacturing space that is quadruple in size, which enables the company to continue delivering products that are designed, built and tested in the U.S. Marki Microwave is looking for the industry's top talent. The company is hiring for multiple positions, including a reliability engineering manager, NPI engineers and a supply manager. To learn more, visit Marki Microwave Careers. About Marki Microwave At Marki Microwave our goal is to invent technologies that empower the RF and microwave industry to design faster, simplify production, eliminate complexity and shatter performance barriers. All our products are designed and developed in the United States with a specialized team and state of the art testing and CAD simulation software. Our approach is to collaborate with our customers and suppliers to achieve the breakthroughs needed for today's ever-increasing demands of electronic products. All assembly and tests are performed under the supervision of the design engineer at the same facility. Our assembly capabilities include precision leaded and lead-free solder and wire bonding for gold/thin film assembly. Our portfolio of high performance components include broadband, low conversion loss, and highly linear mixers, high directivity, low return loss couplers and directional bridges, well balanced power dividers and hybrid couplers, and many other quality products. To view our comprehensive catalog, visit our website at www.markimicrowave.com. For specific details, please call us at 408.778.4200 or email info@markimicrowave.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005360/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] centrexIT Welcomes Joseph Turso as Director of Operations centrexIT, an information technology (IT) services provider helping businesses thrive through technology, today welcomes Joseph Turso as its new director of operations. The company also announces the promotions of Sean Ernst and Andy Albrecht to vice president of technology and director of technology, respectively. All three appointments come on the heels of centrexIT experiencing strong revenue growth, as the company expands its client base to multiple time zones across the United States. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005489/en/ Following Strong Revenue Growth, centrexIT Appoints Director of Operations, VP of Technology and Director of Technology (Photo: Business Wire) "With the company's team members now operating coast to coast, we have a need to evolve and simplify the way we provide great, reliable service to those that rely on us most," said James Desson, president of centrexIT. "Joseph is a results-oriented leader who possesses detailed knowledge of the technologies that drive our clients' businesses. He understands the importance of innovating support methodologies as technology and business conditions hange over time, which is vital as centrexIT continues to experience rapid growth." Turso is a seasoned IT industry veteran with over 15 years of experience structuring and leading teams of technical professionals, executives and business leaders. Throughout his career, Turso has held multiple director-level positions at IT consultancies across the United States. For the past 10 years, Turso has volunteered for FIRST, a nonprofit organization that advances STEM education for students. Turso is ITIL certified and is a certified managed services professional. He received his bachelor's degree in applied science from Trinity College and is a veteran of the U.S. Army and the Alabama National Guard. Company Growth Fuels Two Promotions to Better Serve National IT Client Portfolio To support the company's growing IT client portfolio, centrexIT has promoted Sean Ernst to vice president of technology and Andy Albrecht to director of technology. Over the past two years, Ernst has spearheaded efforts to mature the company's service frameworks and platforms beyond what have been commonly available in the managed services provider industry. These innovations provide a more customizable and streamlined service experience based on each client's unique business needs. As vice president of technology, Ernst will oversee the company's growing internal technical division and evolve its vision for the internal systems and capabilities that empower the centrexIT team. Andy Albrecht will assume the role of director of technology, where he will own the technology roadmap and systems architecture for the organization. Formerly the company's cloud operations manager, Albrecht led the design and implementation of the latest generation of centrexIT core private cloud infrastructure, achieving a more scalable, competitive and feature-rich environment. As director of technology, Albrecht will continue to serve as a mentor to the technology team and help evolve the system capabilities utilized across centrexIT's client base. About centrexIT centrexIT helps small to medium-sized businesses focus on their success by providing a value-driven and transparent IT experience. With a wide range of available services, such as Information Technology (IT) and Information Systems (IS) management and consulting, centrexIT incorporates best-in-class solutions to establish stable, scalable, and secure technology environments. Since its founding in 2002, commitment to consistently providing excellent customer service and quality has defined centrexIT as the leading managed IT services provider in Southern California. To view centrexIT's service and product offerings, or to join the centrexIT team, visit www.centrexIT.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005489/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Blackline Safety Named Company of the Year at 2021 TECTERRA Awards Blackline Safety Corp. (TSX: BLN), a global leader of gas detection and connected safety solutions, today announced it has been named Company of the Year by TECTERRA Inc. TECTERRA, a Canadian geomatics technology innovation support center, released the news as part of its 2021 TECTERRA Awards recognizing outstanding achievement in technology development in the Canadian geospatial community. Blackline Safety was acknowledged for its impact on Canada's geospatial landscape through its blending of GPS technologies, cloud-connected software and data analytics to help organizations around the world meet demanding safety challenges and increase productivity. The company was also inducted into TECTERRA's Hall of Fame, acknowledging Blackline Safety's successful completion of its industry investment project and for achieving excellence in technology commercialization. "We are thrilled to be recognized as Company of the Year by TECTERRA," said Brendon Cook, Co-Founder and Chief Partnership Officer, Blackline Safety. "This achievement is a testament to the efforts of our 450 dedicated and hardworking employees around the world and the effectiveness of our connected safety solutions in saving lives and improving performance. It also speaks to the strength of Canada's geospatial landscape and the support we've been able to receive along the way - including from TECTERRA." "TECTERRA has a unique privilege to see innovative technologies in their infancy - and disruptive waves of change before they begin to occur - and we've tracked Blackline Safety's growth from a start-up to the successstory it is today," said Jonathan Neufeld, CEO, TECTERRA Inc. "We're proud of the work that Blackline Safety is doing, and their incredible growth over the years." Watch the award winners video announcement About Blackline Safety Blackline Safety is a global connected safety leader that helps to ensure every worker gets their job done and returns home safely each day. Blackline provides wearable safety technology, personal and area gas monitoring, cloud-connected software and data analytics to meet demanding safety challenges and increase productivity of organizations with coverage in more than 100 countries. Blackline Safety wearables provide a lifeline to tens of thousands of people, having reported over 159 billion data-points and initiated over five million emergency responses. Armed with cellular and satellite connectivity, we ensure that help is never too far away. For more information, visit www.blacklinesafety.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. About TECTERRA TECTERRA Inc. is a national organization supporting the Canadian development and commercialization of geomatics technologies for integrated resource management. With current funding from the Province of Alberta and the Government of Canada, TECTERRA invests in technology solutions for energy, forestry, agriculture, environment, and land management and development applications. The first centre of its kind, TECTERRA works with industry, entrepreneurs, researchers, and government partners to enable the use of geomatics technologies in addressing local, national and global challenges in resource management. TECTERRA, a non-profit organization, is governed by an independent Board of Directors representing key industry sectors associated with TECTERRA's focus markets. For more information, visit tecterra.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005441/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] USDA Forest Service Modernizes Criminal Justice Information System and Attains New Compliance Standards with Tyler Technologies and V3Gate Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: TYL) announced that through Tyler's Platform Alliance Silver level partner V3Gate, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations (LEI) has gone live on the Entellitrak case management solution to replace its Law Enforcement Investigation Management Attainment Reporting System (LEIMARS). An Entellitrak-based Criminal Justice Information System (CJIS) provides the USDA with end-to-end case management on a single platform. In replacing its legacy LEIMARS system with LEIRS (Law Enforcement Investigation Reporting System), the LEI is now both Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) and National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) compliant. LEIRS enables reporting of law enforcement activities and information including incident reporting, investigations and violation notices through NIBRS. This implementation represents the second Entellitrak-based CJIS that has been configured and deployed to meet congressionally-mandated NIBRS compliance. "The USDA Forest Service LEI needed a more robust and modernized system with security and configurability to support is growing law enforcement mission," said Jill Ryan, director, Program Management Office for V3Gate. "Tyler and V3Gatewere able to meet those needs while also providing USDA Forest Service law enforcement officers with tools to make doing their jobs easier. With this modernized solution, USDA Forest Service can now join a short list of federal agencies that have met the NIBRS mandate in 2021." With this connectivity, law enforcement officers are now able to issue violation notices and create incident reports from anywhere and then upload and manage those documents easily when able to connect online. With Entellitrak, the USDA Forest Service LEI also has access to advanced capabilities including: Filing records, checking the status of queries and claims, and easily submitting documents online allowing for better engagement of external audiences and lower workload of internal staff A customizable help module which delivers greater access to vital information and instructions to end users Designing, generating and formatting reports through a user-friendly interface, providing better access to data "This full solution allows Forest Service LEI to rapidly modernize management of law enforcement activities, with the potential to fully modernize the business side of law enforcement including timekeeping and activity reporting, training management, and asset management," said Skip Bland, business development executive, Tyler Technologies (News - Alert) . "We're excited to continue our work with the USDA Forest Service and demonstrate Tyler's ability to deliver robust federal and public sector law enforcement solutions." About Tyler Technologies, Inc. Tyler Technologies (NYSE: TYL) provides integrated software and technology services to the public sector. Tyler's end-to-end solutions empower local, state, and federal government entities to operate more efficiently and connect more transparently with their constituents and with each other. By connecting data and processes across disparate systems, Tyler's solutions are transforming how clients gain actionable insights that solve problems in their communities. Tyler has more than 27,000 successful installations across more than 11,000 sites, with clients in all 50 states, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia, and other international locations. Tyler has been named to Government Technology's GovTech 100 list five times and has been recognized three times on Forbes' "Most Innovative Growth Companies" list. More information about Tyler Technologies, an S&P 500 company headquartered in Plano, Texas, can be found at tylertech.com. About V3Gate V3Gate is a recognized IT solutions provider for the US Public Sector, healthcare, and education. A Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) and Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE), V3Gate specializes in emerging technologies that help our clients simplify their infrastructure, reduce costs, and create a more agile IT environment. V3Gate has been recognized on the Inc. 5000 for six years in a row (2016-2020), the Inc. Vet50 list in 2018 and 2019, and was named to the CRN Solution Provider 500 in 2020. The company is also a certified Great Place to Work. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005079/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] AIM ImmunoTech Submits Pre-IND Application to the FDA for Phase 2 Clinical Studies of Ampligen as a Potential Early-Onset Therapeutic for COVID-19 OCALA, Fla., Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AIM ImmunoTech Inc. (NYSE American: AIM) today announced that is has submitted a Pre-Investigational New Drug application (Pre-IND) to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for two separate Phase 2 clinical studies to study the potential of Ampligen as both an infusion and an intranasal therapy for early-onset COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2. The two clinical trials will be Phase 2, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Ampligen as an: Intravenous therapy 200 mg of Ampligen or placebo, with five doses over a treatment period of 17 days; and an Intranasal therapy 1,250 g spray (625 g per nostril), with seven doses over a treatment period of 15 days. In addition to studying efficacy and safety, the new Phase 2 protocols include exploratory endpoints that the company believes could support its recently filed provisional patent application. AIM CEO Thomas K. Equels stated: With Ampligens recently established intranasal safety profile, and the preliminary results from these trials, we may be able to show that Ampligen not only has an early-onset therapeutic effect against a broad spectrum of respiratory viruses, but also may provide a boost to post-infection immunity that will confer cross-protection against viral variants. We believe the clearly defined exploratory endpoints for the upcoming trials will substantially validate the significant potential of Ampligen. Moreover, as the principal architect of AIMs developing portfolio of COVID-19-related inventions, I personally believe our most recent provisional patent application for Ampligen, as an early-onset intranasal therapy, stands out as an extremely important development in the progression of our patent portfolo. AIM believes that it is critical to test the potential of Ampligen as both an intravenous and an intranasal therapy for early-onset COVID-19, as there is science to support the potential of both approaches. Ampligen has demonstrated clear activity in prior SARS-CoV-1 virus animal experiments. With a SARS-CoV-1 virus mouse models, Ampligen demonstrated 100% protective survival benefit compared to 100% mortality in a saline control group. Ampligen also reduced SARS-CoV-1 lung titers to below the level of detection. Based on the SARS-CoV-1 data, AIM pursued a successful in vitro testing model at the Institute for Antiviral Research at Utah State University, with results showing that Ampligen was able to decrease SARS-CoV-2 infectious viral yields by 90% at clinically achievable intranasal Ampligen dosage levels. Additionally, in June 2021 AIM announced that all subjects have completed treatment in a Phase 1 clinical study to assess the safety, tolerability and biological activity of Ampligen as a potential intranasal therapy. A total of 40 healthy subjects received either Ampligen or a placebo in the trial, with the Ampligen given at four escalating dosages across four cohorts, to a maximum level of 1,250 micrograms. The study reported no Severe Adverse Events at any dosage level. Intranasal Ampligen conferred a boost to homologous reactivity when used as an influenza vaccine adjuvant. Further, the TLR-3 agonist when administered intranasally induced epitope spreading and clear cross-reactivity against heterologous viral variants. (See: Overton 2014, Ichinohe 2007, Ichinohe 2010) About AIM ImmunoTech Inc. 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. 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 28, 2021] Sprout Social Makes $100,000 Contribution to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) to Provide Scholarships for Black/African American Software Engineering Students CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sprout Social, an industry-leading provider of cloud-based social media management software, today announced a $100,000 contribution to the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) for the establishment of the Sprout Social Scholarship Fund. This contribution will provide eight merit-based scholarships to Black/African American college seniors who exemplify strong leadership abilities and demonstrate interest in computer science or software engineering. Scholarship recipients will also receive the opportunity to apply and interview for a full-time role at Sprout Social that would start in the summer of 2022. Selected college seniors will be awarded an $11,000 scholarship to help alleviate outstanding financial burdens as they complete their post-secondary education. Moreover, through its partnership with UNCF, Sprout Social is also providing more access to opportunities for highly qualified students to enter the workforce. Students interested in a career opportunity with Sprout Social can apply to be a part of the engineering rotational program for new graduates. Sprout Socials rotational program embeds engineers in cross-functional Agile development teams. Individuals work across multiple engineering disciplines: back-end, front-end, QA, or mobile. Engineers also get exposed to a variety of technologies, including Java, Python, MySQL, Cassandra, Hadoop, Elasticsearch, NSQ, Docker, Kubernetes, React and Redux. They work in tandem with product designers and product managers to drive product initiatives to successful outcomes. We are proud to partner with UNCF to establish the Sprout Social Scholarship Fund, said Cassandra Blackburn, Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Sprout Social. At Sprout, we are committed to increasing access to education and workforce opportunities for the Black/African American community. These scholarships are just one part of the work we re excited to continue with UNCF to cultivate creative, collaborative and inquisitive leaders that will drive the future of software development. This gift from Sprout Social is very helpful, making a significant impact on the lives of talented, deserving students pursuing careers in computer science and engineering, said Maurice E. Jenkins, Jr., executive vice president and chief development officer, UNCF. HBCUs produce 25% of all Black graduates in STEM. Through valued partnerships such as this one, we can enable more students attending HBCUs to achieve better futures. We look forward to working with Sprout Social and others who would like to fuel more diversity across STEM careers in the United States. Black students have a lot to provide to this field, and their voices, skills and talent are truly needed. Students interested in applying can find more information here. About Sprout Social Sprout Social offers deep social media listening and analytics, social management, customer care, commerce and advocacy solutions to more than 30,000 brands and agencies worldwide. Sprouts unified platform integrates the power of social throughout every aspect of a business and enables social leaders at every level to extract valuable data and insights that drive their business forward. Headquartered in Chicago, Sprout operates across major social media networks, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and LinkedIn. About UNCF UNCF (United Negro College Fund) is the nations largest and most effective minority education organization. To serve youth, the community and the nation, UNCF supports students education and development through scholarships and other programs, strengthens its 37 member colleges and universities, and advocates for the importance of minority education and college readiness. UNCF institutions and other historically black colleges and universities are highly effective, awarding nearly 20 percent of African American baccalaureate degrees. UNCF awards more than $100 million in scholarships annually and administers more than 400 programs, including scholarship, internship and fellowship, mentoring, summer enrichment, and curriculum and faculty development programs. Its logo features the UNCF torch of leadership in education and its widely recognized motto, A mind is a terrible thing to waste, but a wonderful thing to invest in. Today, UNCF supports more than 60,000 students at more than 1,100 colleges and universities. Learn more at UNCF.org or for continuous news and updates, follow UNCF on Twitter @UNCF. Media Contacts Sprout Social: Kaitlyn Gronek Email: pr@sproutsocial.com Phone: (773) 904-9674 UNCF: Monique LeNoir Email: monique.lenoir@uncf.org Phone: (202) 810-0231 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] OTC: ILUS, ILUS International (Ilustrato Pictures International Inc), Announces its US Firefighting Equipment Distribution Rollout NEW YORK, NY, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NewMediaWire -- ILUS International Inc (OTC: ILUS) is a Mergers and Acquisitions company focused on acquiring and developing public safety technology-based companies across the globe. As part of the fulfilment of its strategy, ILUS is currently working on acquisitions in the US and Europe. The company can announce that it has officially agreed to terms for the purchase of a profitable US-based firefighting equipment distributor, which holds multiple exclusive distribution contracts for the sales and servicing of some of the worlds largest firefighting equipment brands, and has a current annual turnover of $3 million. The seller has requested that all employees are formally notified of the sale prior to the company being named and therefore ILUS will announce the company name and further important details such as the exclusively distributed product names and contracts in a follow up Press Release once all approvals are in place. During the 3rdquarter of 2021, ILUS has been working on the completion of 4 acquisitions in the United States, alongside that of additional acquisition targets in Europe and the Middle East. Whilst the US and European acquisitions remain close to completion, ILUS determined that it was a priority to enter the US market by acquiring an established distribution model for its existing products, combined with the existing distribution of industry leading fire and rescue products which are already in widespread use and in high demand across the US. With this strategy being the priority, ILUS focused on the completion of the distribution acquisition first in its line of upcoming acquisitions. ILUS is officially entering the US market by acquiring a leading US distributor of firefighting equipment as well as equipment for police and EMS personnel. The acquisition is a well-known industry name and has been operating for nearly 20 years. It holds numerous exclusive distribution contracts for its local state and neighbouring states as well as several nationwide distribution contracts. The company has exclusive distribution contracts in place for the worlds largest hydraulic rescue equipment brand, one of the worlds largest brands of rescue tools and rescue support equipment and for a global leader in turnout gear. Furthermore, the companys nationwide distribution rights include but also extend well beyond the following: the worlds leading brands for firefighting nozzles and monitors along with leading global brands of breathing apparatus and safety equipment, firefighting pumps, HazMat equipment and wildland firefighting gear. The company has a strong online sales presence with business development currently led by its 6 member sales team, all of whom possess extensive relevant industry experience. In addition to its 6,000 square foot distribution warehouse, the company also has an equipment servicing division, 4 fully equipped demonstration vehicles and 2 mobile trailers. Immediate plans for the acquisition by ILUS include a new distribution warehouse which will be in the region of 15,000 square feet and include a larger showroom and vehicle yard. ILUS has spoken in previous press releases of its strategy for entering the US market, with the triple pronged objective of acquiring routes to market for its existing products, acquiring market knowledge and acquiring manufacturing capability. This acquisition is significant for ILUS in that it provides a well established and very successful route to market for existing FireBug products, and the company is home to a number of experienced industry experts in management and sales, who will provide valuable market knowledge for ILUS expansion into the US market. This acquisition will be FireBugs exclusive distribution channel into the US market, meaning that all FireBug products will be demonstrated to fire authorities across the US through this channel and they will also be sold online, supported and serviced by experienced industry experts who are renowned for reliability and excellent customer service. Through upcoming acquisitions which are already underway in the US, some of the existing FireBug products such as the pumps and rapid response vehicles will be manufactured and/or assembled in the US for distribution through this acquisition. In addition to the distribution of FireBug products across the US, this acquisition is already well established for the sales, training and servicing of its existing product lines and presents an exciting opportunity for ILUS to obtain further exclusive distribution and OEM Partnerships for additional complimentary product lines, including numerous innovative products manufactured in Europe which are currently not available in the US. As an example, ILUS is currently in negotiations regarding an innovative and leading range of wildfire fighting equipment manufactured in Europe which is not available in the US. ILUS is also in the process of signing an exclusive OEM partnership agreement for a range of robotic firefighting monitors which are not available in the US and will be exclusivey distributed through this acquisition. The US fire and rescue equipment industry is a multi billion dollar per year industry that is growing at nearly 10 percent annually due to increased urbanisation, despite nearly four-fifths of the US population already living in urban areas. In the US, road crashes are the leading cause of death for people aged 1 to 54, killing more than 38 000 people per year across the country. Road Crash Rescue and Technical Rescue equipment is used to assist fire fighters in retrieving people who may be trapped in a vehicle after an accident or who are trapped inside a building or structure. The equipment enables fire fighters to cut apart steel, push apart steel and/or provide physical support to areas at risk of collapse. The acquisition of exclusive distribution rights to equipment which has a direct impact on saving more lives from road accidents and in the event of tragedies and disasters fits perfectly with ILUS strategy for acquiring technology which saves lives and it puts ILUS in a stronger position to develop new innovative rescue equipment technologies. John-Paul Backwell, Managing Director at ILUS had the following to say about the acquisition: The number one driving force behind all we do at ILUS is to deliver innovative technology which protects more communities and saves more lives. We are already doing this with our firefighting technology which we have now acquired a successful US distribution channel for, and we have also wanted to expand into the rescue technology sector. We know this will give us the ability to improve existing rescue equipment technology and therefore play a leading role in preventing fatalities from road accidents and other tragic events or disasters, which we know are a constant and growing threat to life globally. We all know of families broken apart through road accident deaths or similar tragedies. I believe that ILUS has a huge role to play in improving the technology available to first responders and their ability to respond quicker to incidents where a matter of minutes or even seconds can dramatically alter the outcome for victims and their families. This acquisition is far more than just numbers for us. It puts us in the ideal position to make a real world impact on life safety. Not only will we have an incredibly effective distribution channel for our existing firefighting equipment and vehicles, but we will also hold distribution of leading global rescue equipment brands with countless opportunities and avenues for expansion across the US and even globally. This acquisition is also already opening the door to further US and global acquisition opportunities and it is allowing us the opportunity to work with leaders in the US fire and rescue industry to gain further knowledge and to collaborate on new ideas for more innovative and disruptive technology. In addition to moving into a larger distribution facility, additional short term growth plans by ILUS for this acquisition include but are not limited to the opening of a distribution centre on the US West Coast, securing additional states for exclusive distribution of rescue equipment, employing additional sales resources, the hiring and training of a new General Manager for the business and the purchase of an additional demonstration vehicle which is required as a result of current demand. ILUS will also conduct a full marketing brand overhaul which will improve the company websites online sales platform, its overall look and feel and its search engine optimisation. ILUS is convinced that this acquisition harbours extraordinary growth potential for its existing technology and for the distribution of new technologies. The company has a strong network of existing customers and contracts which will prove extremely valuable when it comes to rolling out existing ILUS products across the US. ILUS CEO, Nick Link, said the following: We are excited to announce that the terms of the deal have been agreed for this acquisition. As we are purchasing a well-established distribution business, the strength of the many distribution contracts are vitally important and we have required that in order for this deal to complete, all distribution contracts must be renewed with the respective product manufacturers. This has been the main reason why we have delayed on announcing this deal, since all of the distribution contracts are with large global manufacturers. We are now at the finish line of this deal with terms having been officially agreed. It is now going through the final legal contract process which is in the hands of the attorneys and could take a couple of weeks. We are incredibly excited about the massive overall value this acquisition will add to ILUS and its Shareholders. We look forward to providing a follow up PR with further details on this acquisition followed by further PRs as we secure new avenues of growth for the acquisition. We will also be providing ongoing updates on the products and the many existing US customer references which the company has. This acquisition fits our strategy so perfectly and it will be the cornerstone of our expansion into the US. We would like to thank our shareholders in advance for your patience whilst the attorneys hammer out the formality of the final legal contracts. The additional US acquisitions are simultaneously underway thanks to our hardworking team, and they should fall in line smoothly following this highest priority acquisition. We are convinced that our strategy for the acquisition of existing US distribution and manufacturing capability, along with the existing revenue that these companies generate and their immense growth potential will prove incredibly successful for ILUS. For further information on the companies, please see their communication channels: Website:https://ilus-group.com Twitter: OTC_ILUS Contact: Email:IR@Ilus-Group.com Source: ILUS Related Links https://ilus-group.com Forward-Looking Statement Certain information set forth in this press release contains "forward-looking information", including "future-oriented financial information" and "financial outlook", under applicable securities laws (collectively referred to herein as forward-looking statements). Except for statements of historical fact, the information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements and includes, but is not limited to, the (i) projected financial performance of the Company; (ii) completion of, and the use of proceeds from, the sale of the shares being offered hereunder; (iii) the expected development of the Company's business, projects, and joint ventures; (iv) execution of the Company's vision and growth strategy, including with respect to future M&A activity and global growth; (v) sources and availability of third-party financing for the Company's projects; (vi) completion of the Company's projects that are currently underway, in development or otherwise under consideration; (vi) renewal of the Company's current customer, supplier and other material agreements; and (vii) future liquidity, working capital, and capital requirements. Forward-looking statements are provided to allow potential investors the opportunity to understand management's beliefs and opinions in respect of the future so that they may use such beliefs and opinions as one factor in evaluating an investment. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and undue reliance should not be placed on them. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or result expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although forward-looking statements contained in this presentation are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, 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. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") has provided guidance to issuers regarding the use of social media to disclose material non-public information. In this regard, investors and others should note that we announce material financial information via official Press Releases, in addition to SEC filings, press releases, Questions & Answers sessions, public conference calls and webcastsalso may take time from time to time. We use these channels as well as social media to communicate with the public about our company, our services, and other issues. It is possible that the information we post on social media could be deemed to be material information. Therefore, considering the SEC's guidance, we encourage investors, the media, and others interested in our company to review the information we post on the following social &media channels: website:https://ilus-group.com Twitter: OTC_ILUS Note: ILUS Coin does not sit within ILUS International Inc (Ilustrato Pictures International Inc), so the public are recommended to follow the correct Media Channels relating to the public company OTC: ILUS. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] PayPal Vets Bring Full-Stack Embedded Finance Platform Out of Stealth With $54M Raise with Top Fintech VCs SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Highnote , the worlds most modern card platform purpose-built for embedded card experiences, today announced its emergence from stealth with $54 million in combined funding from both a Seed and Series A round. Oak HC/FT led the Series A and co-led the Seed with Costanoa Ventures, with participation from XYZ, SVB Capital, and WestCap. Bill Ready, President of Commerce & Payments at Google (former COO of PayPal [PYPL]), and Renaud Laplanche, CEO of Upgrade, also participated as angel investors. Consumer expectations are changing, and frictionless payments are table stakes. Customers now expect a fast and easy process when paying for things, whether thats a rideshare trip, a coffee, or a health insurance bill. That capability, called embedded finance, is poised to be a $3.6 trillion market over the next decade in the US alone. While companies like Amazon, Shopify, and Apple can meet this demand thanks to vast resources and armies of engineers, small and mid-sized companies can only rely on legacy providers who offer clunky, decade-old platforms which dont give them control and require lengthy implementations. Highnote is the first card issuing platform specifically built for small and mid-sized companies. Founded by John Macllwaine, former General Manager at Braintree (a PayPal [PYPL] company) and Kin Kee, former Director of Architecture at Braintree, Highnote empowers innovative companies to differentiate themselves through embedded payment experiences. With Highnote, companies can dramatically reduce their speed to market without sacrificing the flexibility needed to build customer loyalty and engagement. Highnote's ability to act as the issuer and the processor allows us to own the user experience while also providing significantly better revenue generation and lower cost of ownership than any other solutions we evaluated, said Aman Magoon, Head of Product at Nayya , a leading healthcare technology company helping Americans better protect themselves through smarter health, insurance, and finance decisions. The team has deep domain expertise in payments and really understands what it takes for non-fintech enterprises to seamlessly embed card programs into their core offerings to drive growth, and we've been really impressed with what we've seen so far. Highnotes platform provides the following benefits: Speed to Market: Highnotes platform significantly reduces the time it takes a company to launch a card, from four to eight months to just weeks. By embedding capabilities like compliance and fraud detection, perating with the highest-performance tech stack, and serving as both a card issuer and processor, Highnote helps companies launch cards and related financial services faster than existing card issuance platforms. Highnotes platform significantly reduces the time it takes a company to launch a card, from four to eight months to just weeks. By embedding capabilities like compliance and fraud detection, perating with the highest-performance tech stack, and serving as both a card issuer and processor, Highnote helps companies launch cards and related financial services faster than existing card issuance platforms. Simplicity: Highnote offers one simple, easy-to-use platform for everything a company may need to start offering payment experiences. It is built with low-code APIs that help small, nimble developer teams compete with much larger companies. Highnote offers one simple, easy-to-use platform for everything a company may need to start offering payment experiences. It is built with low-code APIs that help small, nimble developer teams compete with much larger companies. Flexibility: Small and medium-sized businesses are currently stuck with rigid one-size-fits-all platforms built a decade or more ago. Highnote gives developers the flexibility to customize their payments experiences to suit their organizations unique and fast-changing needs while gathering data in real time and continuously improving their product for their users. Highnotes funding will be used to grow its product and engineering teams as it continues to build out its platform to include instant credit issuance, full-stack acquiring, and global expansion. The enthusiasm for Highnotes product is also shared by its investors. Weve backed many of the leading companies in the fintech space, but there is something really special about John, Kin, and their team, said Matt Streisfeld, Partner at Oak HC/FT . We understand the many challenges enterprises currently face in embedding payments capabilities to drive customer engagement, loyalty, and revenue, as well as for consumers and SMBs that need access to wages and funds immediately. We see a massive opportunity emerging to whomever is able to crack the code. Were building that at Highnote, and as a result, we are thrilled to provide the support they need to continue their incredible velocity. This teams ambitious vision for a modern card platform and innovative embedded finance simply blew us away, said Greg Sands, Managing Director of Costanoa Ventures . We genuinely believe they have the power to change how any company doing commerce envisions whats possible for their customer experience. About Highnote Highnote is the worlds most modern card platform, purpose-built to realize customer loyalty and engagement through embedded card experiences. Its fully integrated tech stack provides every service needed for innovative companies to launch new ways to use card payments. Utilizing the Highnote platform, clients launch virtual card programs in weeks, not months, to create compelling value for their customers. The company has raised more than $54 million from leading investors and strategic partners and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. For additional information, please visit www.highnoteplatform.com , or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn . About Oak HC/FT Oak HC/FT is a venture and growth equity firm investing in companies driving transformation in healthcare and fintech, two uniquely complementary and high-growth sectors. With deep domain expertise and strategic resources, Oak HC/FT partners with leading entrepreneurs at every stage, from seed to growth, to build businesses that make a measurable, lasting impact on these industries. Founded in 2014, the firm has $3.3 billion in assets under management and is headquartered in Greenwich, CT, with investors in San Francisco and Boston. Follow Oak HC/FT on Twitter and LinkedIn and learn more at oakhcft.com . About Costanoa Ventures Costanoa Ventures is an early-stage boutique venture firm backing tenacious and thoughtful founders who change how business gets done. Costanoa seeks to be a long-term partner to entrepreneurs rethinking data, infrastructure, fintech and verticals and who want to build durable companies. For more information, please visit www.costanoavc.com. Media Contact: Jillian Smith, jillian@propllr.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b9ab24fa-995d-4b57-abd7-fe5493262a4d [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Introducing Amperity 4.0: Accelerating Use of First-Party Customer Data to Enable Personalization at Scale SEATTLE, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Amperity, the leading customer data platform (CDP) for enterprise consumer brands, today announced the launch of the fourth generation of its platform that includes new features and capabilities to accelerate the shift to first-party customer data management. With Amperity 4.0, brands have a competitive edge by delivering personalization at scale with the ability to accurately identify, predict, and connect with their customers in an ever-evolving consumer landscape. This latest evolution of Amperity CDP also enables customers to tackle new challenges such as the death of the third-party cookie, increasing consumer demand for real-time, personalized experiences, and internal teams' desire to collaborate on enterprise-wide customer data initiatives with modern, easy-to-use technology that doesn't sacrifice data governance. "The runner is at the center of everything we do at Brooks, and our CDP is at the center of our tech stack. As an early adopter of the Amperity CDP, we know that better data quality delivers better results," said Melanie Allen, chief marketing officer at Brooks Running. "It's getting the data right on the back end so you can win the hearts of the consumers on the front end, and deliver delightful experiences. When you see a 260% increase in paid search click-through rate, a 128% increase in ROAS, and a 150% increase in paid social engagement metrics, it's table stakes." Amperity 4.0 includes a number of critical innovations purpose-built to meet the needs of customers and help consumer brands address three emerging trends: Personalization at Scale - providing brands with best-in-class customer insights, predictions, and data, to any team or technology across the enterprise. StreamRT: Realtime event streaming for omni-channel real-time experiences across disparate systems Realtime event streaming for omni-channel real-time experiences across disparate systems Next-gen self-optimizing predictive models with 30% better performance with 30% better performance New solutions with outbound channel and content partners to unlock new omni-channel personalization use cases including Braze, Optimizely, Attentive, Persado, and Zendesk to unlock new omni-channel personalization use cases including Braze, Optimizely, Attentive, Persado, and Zendesk Connector enhancements that improve interoperability and maximize existing investments in marketing clouds including Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Adobe, Orace, and Google Ads Privacy-ready Cloud Data Management - to improve governance, access and performance for analytics and IT users; enable business agility and maximize existing data investments with 17000% improvement in query performance Multi360: Access controls and data governance for multi-brand, multi-country, multi-owner (i.e. franchises), and multi-team data management capabilities Access controls and data governance for multi-brand, multi-country, multi-owner (i.e. franchises), and multi-team data management capabilities BI Connect: Easy dashboarding with side-by-side data hydration with Business Intelligence tools Easy dashboarding with side-by-side data hydration with Business Intelligence tools Realtime query performance for results above 50MM rows, powering instant insights from previously heavy, time intensive processes. for results above 50MM rows, powering instant insights from previously heavy, time intensive processes. Interoperability with Adobe, AWS, Google Cloud Platform, Microsoft, Oracle, Salesforce, Snowflake Death of the Third-Party Cookie - to help brands better understand their customers and reduce the dependency on third-party data needed to complete a customer profile Anonymous Engage: Analyze and reach previously unreachable customers with a privacy-safe Customer 360 of anonymous offline consumers Analyze and reach previously unreachable customers with a privacy-safe Customer 360 of anonymous offline consumers Cookieless reach and attribution via new adtech identity partners with integration to UID 2.0, Infutor, and Throtle via new adtech identity partners with integration to UID 2.0, Infutor, and Throtle Expansive cookieless first-party sync options with major adtech ecosystems including Google, Amazon Marketing, Facebook, Neustar, Liveramp "Amperity creates the data foundation that fuels the experiences consumers have with the brands they love," said Chris Jones, chief product officer at Amperity. "As a brand, you need to capture the memory of your customers as data, and then make that data available to everyone at the company. Your CDP should be the data infrastructure that not only touches every customer-facing system in your company, but delivers unified data that brings all the systems to life and allows them to work together for your customer." Amperity 4.0 arrives at a moment when consumer-facing enterprises are accelerating their digital transformation efforts to keep pace with radical changes in consumer habits and preferences. Amperity creates a unified data platform by connecting first-party data from on-prem and cloud systems regardless of data type or structure that gives everyone in the organization access to an actionable source of truth and insights about their customers. Built with interoperability, and governance in mind, Amperity connects to an expansive ecosystem of technologies, and powers those investments with privacy-first complete and accurate customer data and insights. It's this unified view that improves marketing performance, enables realtime personalized experiences, and equips finance, compliance, support teams and more, with the data they need to make customer-centric business decisions. For more information, head to www.amperity.com or register to attend Amplify on October 6 to hear from Amperity customers and partners such as Brooks Running, Deckers Brand, BECU, and First Hawaiian Bank, Accenture, and Boston Consulting Group, with opening keynote by Joe Stanhope, Principal Analyst at Forrester. About Amperity Amperity is the leading Enterprise CDP trusted by the world's most loved brands to accelerate their shift to first-party customer relationships. Amperity has revolutionized the way brands identify, understand, and connect with their customers by leveraging AI to deliver a comprehensive and actionable Customer 360. This unified view improves marketing performance, fuels accurate customer insights, and enables world-class, real-time customer experiences. With Amperity, technical teams are freed from endless integration and data management, and business teams have direct access to the comprehensive data they need to build long-term customer loyalty and drive growth. Amperity serves many of the world's most loved brands, including Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Alaska Airlines, Michaels, Tapestry, Lucky Brand, DICK'S Sporting Goods, Crocs, Servco Automotive Retail, First Hawaiian Bank, and many more. To learn more, visit Amperity.com. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/introducing-amperity-4-0-accelerating-use-of-first-party-customer-data-to-enable-personalization-at-scale-301386691.html SOURCE Amperity [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] American Express Declares Regular Quarterly Dividend The Board of Directors of American Express (News - Alert) Company (NYSE: AXP) has declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.43 per common share, payable on November 10, 2021, to shareholders of record on October 8, 2021. ABOUT AMERICAN EXPRESS American Express is a globally integrated payments company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, instagram.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/company/american-express, twitter.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexress. Key links to products, services and corporate responsibility information: personal cards, business cards, travel services, gift cards, prepaid cards, merchant services, Accertify, Kabbage, Resy, corporate card, business travel, diversity and inclusion, and corporate responsibility. Source (News - Alert) : American Express Company Location: Global View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005774/en/ [September 28, 2021] FireMon Extends Network Security Policy Management Leadership for Hybrid Cloud Environments FireMon, the leading network security policy management company that brings visibility, control, agility, and automation to enterprise cloud and hybrid network infrastructure, today announced the availability of updates to the FireMon platform, helping customers to more effectively manage network security policy in existing data centers while enabling secure adoption of the cloud. In this new release, FireMon builds on its commitment to help customers automate cumbersome manual processes and eliminate misconfiguration errors that lead to unplanned downtime, compliance violations, or security exposure. Key new features include: New Integrations: Provides new integrations and full support for VMware NSX-T virtualized network security platform for global hybrid storage environments and A10 Thunder and Lightning Application Delivery Controller ( ADC (News - Alert) ). Improved Management Station Capabilities: A new foundation for policy changes has been created for management stations and the devices attached to them. It is now possible to continuously stage and validate policy changes for dependent ("child") devices pre-deployment without running into cumbersome locks triggered by global poliy changes. Enhanced Platform Support: Extends support for Fortinet (News - Alert) Hyperscale and FortiOS 6.2 and 6.4, verified support for Palo Alto's PANOS 10.X, URL category normalization for Palo Alto, and Zscaler, along with over 25 additional enhancements. News - Alert) , Zscaler, and A10." The new release will be generally available in October 2021. About FireMon FireMon is the only agile network security policy platform for firewalls and cloud security groups providing the fastest way to streamline network security policy management, which is one of the biggest impediments to IT and enterprise agility. Since creating the first-ever network security policy management solution, FireMon has delivered command and control over complex network security infrastructures for more than 1,700 customers located in nearly 70 countries around the world. For more information, visit https://www.firemon.com/. FireMon is on social media: LinkedIn, YouTube, and Facebook. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005793/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Mexican Actor Diego Boneta and Skrill Money Transfer Connect Family and Friends in US Leading digital wallet Skrill USA will collaborate with TV and movie icon Diego Boneta to demonstrate the ease of staying connected with friends and family overseas through Skrill Money Transfer. The Mexican-born star of Netflix's hit Spanish-language musical biopic Luis Miguel: The Series is teaming up with sister Natalia, brother Santiago, and adopted dog Akila Cabrona - all together for the first time to represent the zero-fee1 international money transfer service. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005792/en/ Mexican actor Diego Boneta in new Skrill USA campaign for Skrill Money Transfer with sister Natalia, brother Santiago, and adopted dog Akila Cabrona. (Photo: Business Wire) Skrill Money Transfer's ease of use is highlighted in the campaign's central promotional piece, an upcoming TV commercial that follows Boneta in a series of seamless transitions as he moves from an urban setting in the U.S. to the warmth and welcome of Mexico - with his siblings and Akila, a star in her own right with 34.5K+ Instagram followers, joining him along the way. The family-focused story is pieced together as the camera follows Boneta between the two spaces, portraying the simplicity of coming together despite being physically apart. > Trustpilot. Boneta, who will return in a recently confirmed third season of Luis Miguel: The Series, is the first brand ambassador for Skrill USA. In addition to continuing his role as Grammy award-winning Mexican pop legend Luis Miguel, 2021 saw the release of Boneta's latest film, Die in a Gunfight, an action-comedy about two star-crossed lovers. The international star's two-decade acting career has seen him play the lead in 2012 glam-metal musical comedy Rock of Ages and a supporting role in 2019's Terminator: Dark Fate. Boneta commented: "This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for me to represent a forward-thinking brand in Skrill USA and its Skrill Money Transfer solution. Sending money back home or even to friends in other countries shouldn't be as complicated as it is. I'm looking forward to telling people about this digital-first solution, with zero fees when using a bank or debit card - it can benefit a lot of people." Paul Jardon, CEO and CFO of Skrill USA, Inc., said: "Skrill's wide range of products, particularly Skrill Money Transfer, have proven to be a strong fit in the U.S., addressing various consumer payments needs. With Diego Boneta, a truly international and borderless star, as our new U.S. ambassador, we look forward to expanding our brand recognition and helping even more consumers to take advantage of our solutions." For more information on how to send money to Mexico using Skrill Money Transfer, visit https://www.skrill.com/diego ### About Skrill Skrill has been making digital payments simple, secure and quick since 2001. We're an acknowledged world-leader in developing global payment solutions for people's business and pleasure, whether they're buying online or sending money to family and friends. We also meet the needs of businesses worldwide, helping them build a global customer base and drive growth. The assets, liabilities, and results of operations of Skrill USA are consolidated in Paysafe Limited's consolidated financial statements; however, Paysafe Limited has no direct equity ownership in Skrill USA. About Paysafe Limited Paysafe Limited ("Paysafe") (NYSE: PSFE) (PSFE.WS) is a leading specialized payments platform. Its core purpose is to enable businesses and consumers to connect and transact seamlessly through industry-leading capabilities in payment processing, digital wallet, and online cash solutions. With over 20 years of online payment experience, an annualized transactional volume of U.S. $100 billion in 2020, and approximately 3,400 employees located in 12+ global locations, Paysafe connects businesses and consumers across 70 payment types in over 40 currencies around the world. Delivered through an integrated platform, Paysafe solutions are geared toward mobile-initiated transactions, real-time analytics and the convergence between brick-and-mortar and online payments. Further information is available at www.paysafe.com. 1 Skrill Money Transfer has zero 'send' fees when using a bank or debit card to make a transfer. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005792/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Bates College Announces $100M Initiative to Expand Access to Financial Aid Bates College today announced a challenge grant of $50 million from the Schuler Access Initiative to be matched dollar for dollar by Bates donors. The combined effort will fuel an unprecedented $100 million expansion of financial aid at Bates to enroll talented students who are Pell-eligible or undocumented. Bates is one of four top liberal arts colleges and one university selected by the Schuler Education Foundation to launch the new initiative. "This is a game-changer for Bates," said Bates President Clayton Spencer. "Bates was founded by people who believed in the power of education to develop the full potential of every human being. This extraordinary investment from the Schuler Education Foundation, combined with the generosity of Bates donors, provides us with the means to renew this founding vision in a very real and tangible way. I am thrilled that we will be able to make the life-transforming experience of the liberal arts available to even greater numbers of talented students who might otherwise not have this opportunity." The infusion of financial aid funds, Spencer said, will enable Bates "to increase the number of students who are Pell-eligible, undocumented, and low income at Bates by 50 percent over the next decade. It will allow us to attract talented and ambitious students who bring a wide range of perspectives and life experiences to their education, many of whom are the first in their families to attend college." The $100 million effort at Bates is structured as an incentive program that offers a dollar-for-dollar match from the Schuler Education Foundation, up to $50 million, for every dollar raised by the college over the next five years. The funds raised from Bates donors are gifts to endow permanent support for expanded financial aid. This grant to Bates is one of the largest scholarship-focused gifts ever to a Maine college. "Combined with the deep generosity of the Bates community, this new grant create an extraordinarily meaningful and powerful $100 million partnership," said John D. Gillespie '80, chair of the Bates College Board of Trustees and a co-chair of The Bates Campaign, which includes financial aid as a major priority. "There is no doubt it will be transformative, not just for the individuals it touches, but for this institution." A national effort with broad reach and impact, the Schuler Access Initiative is poised, over the next 10 years, to award up to $500 million to as many as 20 U.S. colleges and universities that pledge to increase their enrollment of students whose exceptional financial need qualifies them for federal Pell grants, or whose undocumented status makes them ineligible for federal aid programs. At each participating institution, the Schuler investment will stimulate one-to-one matching gifts, up to a total of $1 billion. In creating the Schuler Access Initiative partnership, the foundation looked "for institutions that we felt were leaders in educating and supporting students who are Pell-eligible or undocumented," said Jason Patenaude, executive director of the Schuler Education Foundation. "It didn't make a lot of sense to dramatically increase the number of students if we didn't think the institutions could support them successfully to graduation." Historically, Bates has one of the strongest overall graduation rates in the country, and the six-year graduation rate for the cohort of Bates students that entered in 2014 was 98 percent for students who receive Pell grants compared with 92 percent overall. Patenaude added that the partner institutions were chosen for their track record of collaboration on a national level, their willingness "to exchange ideas and best practices with each other. Not every institution is comfortable discussing their 'secret sauce.' But for us, learning what works best and then sharing those ideas as broadly as possible is why we're doing this." Bates' record of national-level collaboration includes membership in the American Talent Initiative. Supported by Bloomberg (News - Alert) Philanthropies and comprising 125 of the nation's most respected colleges and universities, the initiative seeks to expand by 50,000 the number of low- and moderate-income students attending 270 of the top U.S. schools by 2025. For more information about Bates College, visit www.bates.edu. About Bates College Located in Lewiston, Maine, and engaged worldwide, Bates is broadly valued as a leading national college of the liberal arts and sciences, attracting 2,000 students from across the U.S. and around the world. Since 1855, Bates has been dedicated to the emancipating potential of the liberal arts and sciences, educating the whole person through creative and rigorous scholarship in a collaborative residential community. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005776/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] joimax Launches NAVENTO Navigation Endoscopic Tower at NASS and EUROSPINE joimax, the German-based market leader in technologies and training methods for full-endoscopic and minimally invasive spinal surgery, is excited to announce the global launch of its new generation tower, NAVENTO Navigation Endoscopic Tower. Optimized for endoscopic spine surgery with special settings for the safe treatment of sensitive structures, NAVENTO will be featured at the North American Spine Society (NASS) meeting in Boston later this month and at EUROSPINE in Vienna this October. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005043/en/ NAVENTO, the fully integrated fourth generation endo-tower, contains everything a surgeon needs to perform a successful procedure. (Graphic: Business Wire) NAVENTO, the fully integrated fourth generation endo-tower, contains everything a surgeon needs to perform a successful procedure. The tower boasts updated design features for enhanced usability and is composed of six devices tht work in unison to give the user the best possible surgical experience: Vitegra, the brain of NAVENTO, offers complete documentation and data management. Combined camera system and light source Camsource LED provides optimal clarity up to 4K resolution. Intracs, the newest device from joimax, delivers electromagnetic navigation at the instrument's tip. Shrill, the shaver drill system, with the newest generation recently launched, provides optimal RPMs and torque management. Endovapor 2 poses electrosurgical offerings for monopolar and bipolar settings. Spinal irrigation pump Versicon, delivers fluid and pressure regulation. "joimax continues to lead the endoscopic spine market through innovations in technologies aimed to increase the user experience and provide spinal patients with an ultra-minimally invasive treatment option," stated Christoph Hofstetter, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Washington. Wolfgang Ries, CEO and founder of the joimax group, continued, "NAVENTO pulls together the latest technologies forming one complete, seamlessly integrated spinal endoscopic package, fully leading us into this decenium after 20 years of development of the spinal edoscopy market and therefore needed technologies." NAVENTO, along with the full suite of joimax endoscopic technologies will be showcased at NASS, booth #3512, and at EUROSPINE, booth #04. About joimax Founded in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 2001, joimax in its 20th anniversary is the leading developer and marketer of complete systems for full-endoscopic and minimally invasive spinal surgery. With the Endoscopic Surgical Systems TESSYS (transforaminal), iLESSYS (interlaminar) and CESSYS (cervical) for decompression procedures, MultiZYTE for facet and sacroiliac joint pain treatment, EndoLIF and Percusys Plus for minimally-invasive endoscopically assisted stabilizations, established systems are provided, addressing a whole range of indications. In procedures for herniated disc, stenosis, pain therapy or spinal stabilization treatment, surgeons utilize joimax technologies to operate through small incisions under local or full anesthesia, via tissue and muscle-sparing corridors, and through natural openings in the spinal canal, e.g. the intervertebral foramen, the so-called "Kambin triangle." View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005043/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] FordDirect and ComplyAuto Team Up to Tackle Privacy and Security Needs of Ford and Lincoln Dealerships DEARBORN, Mich, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- FordDirect, a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and its franchise Dealers, announced today a strategic partnership with the dealer-owned compliance technology ComplyAuto to assist Ford and Lincoln Dealers with the growing volume of privacy, security, and other regulatory compliance issues dealerships face. This partnership is the first that makes ComplyAuto dealership solutions available at special pricing to a single manufacturer's entire dealer body. These solutions help dealerships protect and respect the consumer data they have. With solutions focused on consumer data protection, state privacy legislation, phishing, ransomware, security awareness and more, ComplyAuto provides peace of mind to participating dealers looking to reinforce their existing cybersecurity and consumer privacy practices. Not only does the company promise a Compliance Guarantee to ensure total compliance with state consumer privacy laws, but its intuitive interface integrates with existing dealer systems and speaks the language dealership personnel use. Unique dealership problems demand unique dealership solutions and ComplyAuto's purpose-built platform was engineered with this in mind. "Consumer privacy and cybersecurity are issues that every dealership should take seriously," said Chris Cleveland, co-founder and CEO, ComplyAuto. "Not only are they the dealership's biggest legal exposure, but customers legitimately care about how dealerships handle and protect their personal information. Automating the complexities of consumer privacy rights is just beginning The goal at ComplyAuto is to reimagine dealership compliance from customer contact to customer contract. We're using automation and technology to become the ultimate dealership compliance partner." "As more states develop privacy rights laws to protect consumers, we realize the complexities dealerships face to stay in full compliance while marketing to shoppers in different states," said Matt VanDyke, chief executive officer of FordDirect. "ComplyAuto is a perfect fit to help FordDirect usher dealerships through the evolution of these standards and enhance our focus on the consumer experience. Their roots are in a high-performing California Ford dealership, making them uniquely qualified to understand and build a dealer-focused solution. Coming from California, the home of the groundbreaking CCPA and now the CPRA, ComplyAuto has developed its mission and its solutions through real experience. ComplyAuto is not just any compliance company; it is by dealers and for dealers." As part of this strategic partnership with ComplyAuto, FordDirect will connect Ford and Lincoln Dealers (and their consumers) with this innovative new dealership compliance tech partner at special pricing. Information is being made available to Dealers in conjunction with this announcement. FordDirect's partnership with ComplyAuto comes just in time for October's National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. To mark the occasion, FordDirect will host a live webinar panel discussion Thursday Oct. 14 with dealers and experts in privacy, security, and digital marketing in the automotive retail space. Already this fall, FordDirect has introduced on-demand cybersecurity and privacy training at no cost to Ford and Lincoln Dealers. This strategic partnership between ComplyAuto and FordDirect and the ongoing efforts in security and privacy support FordDirect's mission to be Ford and Lincoln Dealers' trusted advisor. About FordDirect FordDirect, headquartered in Dearborn, Mich., connects the worlds of data, analytics and technology to provide best-in-class digital marketing and advertising solutions exclusively for Ford and Lincoln dealers. FordDirect is a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and its franchised dealers with a mission of helping Ford and Lincoln dealerships sell more cars and trucks. About ComplyAuto ComplyAuto is a RegTech (regulatory technology) company offering cloud-based software that helps dealerships modernize compliance through automation and advanced technology. ComplyAuto is built around a philosophy that regulatory compliance shouldn't be dependent on forms, spreadsheets, manual audits, outside attorneys, and training sessions. Rather, ComplyAuto operationalizes dealership compliance in a modern solution that is affordable, simple, and accessible to dealers of all sizes. In ComplyAuto, full compliance is always just a click away. Visit ComplyAuto.com to learn more. MEDIA CONTACTS Jill Whitehead Vice President, Marketing and Dealer Engagement, FordDirect bwhiteh9@forddirect.com Mobile: (248) 228-5075 Chris Cleveland Co-Founder and CEO, ComplyAuto chris@complyauto.com Mobile: (385) 277-5882 View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/forddirect-and-complyauto-team-up-to-tackle-privacy-and-security-needs-of-ford-and-lincoln-dealerships-301386169.html SOURCE FordDirect [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Cubic Recognized with Cigna Well-Being Award Cigna has selected Cubic Corporation as a recipient of their annual Cigna Well-Being Award for demonstrating a strong commitment to improving the health and well-being of its employees through a robust workplace wellness program. "At Cubic, employee health is our top priority and we are honored to be selected as a recipient of the Cigna Well-Being Award," said Brad Feldmann, chairman, president and chief executive officer, Cubic Corporation. "We understand the important role employee well-being plays in a company's success and the relationship between a more productive, engaged workforce and high impact business performance." While poor health takes a toll on workers, it is also a burden to employers. A national study on resilience from Cigna found that two-thirds of full-time employees are at risk of having low resilience, which could impact their ability to overcome challenges. This can result in lower job satisfaction, lower performance, and higher turnover. Employers can help build resilience in their workforce by emphasizing holistic health management, and offering tools and resources including wellness programs. "Cigna is a leader in improving employee health, and we continue to recognize forward-thinking employers like Cubic who share our commitment to workplace wellness. Creating a healthy work environment is a rising focus and many employers are seeing lower health care costs as a result of wellness initiatives," said Gene Rapisardi, president of Cigna's Southern California market. Cigna Well-Being Award applicants are evaluated based on the core components of their well-being program, including leadership engagement, company culture, strategy and goals, implementation, and employee engagement. All applications are scored and reviewed by a panel of Cigna health promotion experts. About Cubic Corporation Cubic is a technology-driven, market-leading provider of integrated solutions that increase situational understanding for transportation, defense C4ISR, and training customers worldwide to decrease urban congestion and improve the militaries' effectiveness and operational readiness. Our teams innovate to make a positive difference in people's lives. We simplify their daily journeys. We promote mission success and safety for those who serve their nation. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005091/en/ HPE GreenLake Edge-to-Cloud Platform Powers Data Modernization with Breakthrough Analytics and Data Protection Cloud Services Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) today announced a sweeping series of new cloud services for the HPE GreenLake edge-to-cloud platform, providing customers unmatched capabilities to power digital transformation for their applications and data. This represents HPE's entry into two large, high-growth software markets - unified analytics and data protection. Together, these innovations further accelerate HPE's transition to a cloud services company, and give customers greater choice and freedom for their business and IT strategy, with an open and modern platform that provides a cloud experience everywhere. The new offerings, which add to a growing portfolio of HPE GreenLake cloud services, allow customers to innovate with agility, at lower costs, and include the following: HPE GreenLake for analytics - open and unified analytics cloud services to modernize all data and applications everywhere - on-premises, at the edge, and in the cloud - open and unified analytics cloud services to modernize all data and applications everywhere - on-premises, at the edge, and in the cloud HPE GreenLake for data protection - disaster recovery and backup cloud services to help customers take ransomware head-on and secure data from edge-to-cloud - disaster recovery and backup cloud services to help customers take ransomware head-on and secure data from edge-to-cloud HPE Edge-to-Cloud Adoption Framework and automation tools - a comprehensive, proven set of methodologies expertise, and automation tools to accelerate and de-risk the path to a cloud experience everywhere "The big data and analytics software market, which IDC (News - Alert) predicts will reach $110 billion by 20231, is ripe for disruption, as customers seek a hybrid solution for enterprise datasets on-premises and at the edge," said Antonio Neri, president and CEO, at HPE. "Data is at the heart of every modernization initiative in every industry, and yet organizations have been forced to settle for legacy analytics platforms that lack cloud-native capabilities, or force complex migrations to the public cloud that require customers to adapt new processes and risk vendor lock-in. The new HPE GreenLake cloud services for analytics empower customers to overcome these trade-offs and gives them one platform to unify and modernize data everywhere. Together with the new HPE GreenLake cloud services for data protection, HPE provides customers with an unparalleled platform to protect, secure, and capitalize on the full value of their data, from edge to cloud." HPE continues to accelerate momentum for the HPE GreenLake edge-to-cloud platform. The HPE GreenLake platform now has more than 1,200 customers and $5.2 billion in total contract value. In HPE's most recent quarter, Q3 2021, HPE announced that the company's Annualized Revenue Run Rate was up 33 percent year-over-year, and as-a-service orders up 46 percent year-over-year3. Most recently, HPE announced HPE GreenLake platform wins with Woolworths Group, Australia and New Zealand's largest retailer, and the United States National Security Agency. HPE GreenLake Rolls Out Industry's First2 Cloud-Native Unified Analytics and Data Lakehouse Cloud Services Optimized for Hybrid Environments HPE GreenLake for analytics enable customers to accelerate modernization initiatives, for all data, from edge to cloud. Available on the HPE GreenLake edge-to-cloud platform, the new cloud services ae built to be cloud-native, and avoid complex data migrations to the public cloud by providing an elastic, unified analytics platform for data and applications on-premises, at the edge and in public clouds. Now analytics and data science teams can leverage the industry's first2 cloud-native solution on-premises, scale-up Apache Spark lakehouses, and speed up AI and ML workflows. The new HPE GreenLake cloud services include the following: HPE Ezmeral Unified Analytics : Industry's first 2 unified, modern analytics and data lakehouse platform optimized for on-premises deployment and spans edge to cloud. : Industry's first unified, modern analytics and data lakehouse platform optimized for on-premises deployment and spans edge to cloud. HPE Ezmeral Data Fabric Object Store : Industry's first 2 Kubernetes-native object store optimized for analytics performance, providing access to data sets edge to cloud. : Industry's first Kubernetes-native object store optimized for analytics performance, providing access to data sets edge to cloud. Expanding HPE Ezmeral Partner Ecosystem: The HPE Ezmeral Marketplace delivers a rapidly growing set of validated full-stack solutions from ISV partners that enable customers to build their analytics engines. This includes new support from NVIDIA (News - Alert) , PepperData and Confluent, and open-source projects such as Apache Spark. HPE has added 37 ISV partners to the HPE Ezmeral Marketplace since it was first introduced in March 2021, delivering additional ecosystem stack support of core use cases and workloads for customers, including big data and AI/ML use cases. HPE Takes Cyberthreats and Ransomware Head-On with New HPE GreenLake Cloud Services to Protect Customers' Data from Edge to Cloud HPE today entered the rapidly growing data protection-as-a-service market with HPE GreenLake for data protection, new cloud services designed to modernize data protection from edge to cloud, overcome ransomware attacks, and deliver rapid data recovery. HPE Backup and Recovery Service: Backup as a service offering that provides policy-based orchestration and automation to backup and protect customers' virtual machines across hybrid cloud, and eliminates the complexities of managing backup hardware, software, and cloud infrastructure. Backup as a service offering that provides policy-based orchestration and automation to backup and protect customers' virtual machines across hybrid cloud, and eliminates the complexities of managing backup hardware, software, and cloud infrastructure. HPE GreenLake for Disaster Recovery: Following the close of the Zerto acquisition, HPE plans to deliver Zerto's industry-leading disaster recovery as a service through HPE GreenLake, to help customers recover in minutes from ransomware attacks. Zerto provides best-in-class restore times4 without impacting business operations for all recovery scenarios. HPE Accelerates Adoption of Cloud-Everywhere Operating Models with Proven Framework and Data-Driven Intelligence and Automations Tools HPE also today announced a proven set of methodologies and automation tools to enable organizations to take a data-driven approach to achieve the optimal cloud operating model across all environments: The HPE Edge-to-Cloud Adoption Framework leverages HPE's expertise in delivering solutions on-premises, to meet a broad spectrum of business needs for customers across the globe. HPE has identified several critical areas that enterprises should evaluate and measure to execute an effective cloud operating model. These domains, which include Strategy and Governance, People, Operations, Innovation, Applications, DevOps, Data, and Security, form the core of the HPE Edge-to-Cloud Adoption Framework. leverages HPE's expertise in delivering solutions on-premises, to meet a broad spectrum of business needs for customers across the globe. HPE has identified several critical areas that enterprises should evaluate and measure to execute an effective cloud operating model. These domains, which include Strategy and Governance, People, Operations, Innovation, Applications, DevOps, Data, and Security, form the core of the HPE Edge-to-Cloud Adoption Framework. The cloud operational experience is enhanced with the industry's leading AI Ops for infrastructure5, HPE InfoSight, that now constantly observes applications and workloads running on the HPE GreenLake edge-to-cloud platform. The new capability, called HPE InfoSight App Insights, detects application anomalies, provides prescriptive recommendations, and keeps the application workloads running disruption free. HPE CloudPhysics delivers data-driven insights for smarter IT decisions across edge-to-cloud, enabling IT to optimize application workload placement, procure right-sized infrastructure services, and lower costs. HPE GreenLake Announcement Event Please visit the HPE Discover More Network to watch the HPE GreenLake announcement event, including the keynote from Antonio Neri, HPE president and CEO, live on September 28th at 8:00 am PT or anytime on-demand. Product Availability HPE GreenLake for analytics and HPE GreenLake for data protection will be available in 1H 2022. The HPE Edge-to-Cloud Adoption Framework is available now. HPE provides additional information about HPE product and services availability in the following blogs: HPE GreenLake for analytics HPE GreenLake for data protection HPE Edge-to-Cloud Adoption Framework About Hewlett Packard Enterprise Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) is the global edge-to-cloud company that helps organizations accelerate outcomes by unlocking value from all of their data, everywhere. Built on decades of reimagining the future and innovating to advance the way people live and work, HPE delivers unique, open and intelligent technology solutions delivered as a service - spanning Compute, Storage, Software, Intelligent Edge, High Performance Computing and Mission Critical Solutions - with a consistent experience across all clouds and edges, designed to help customers develop new business models, engage in new ways, and increase operational performance. For more information, visit: www.hpe.com. 1 IDC, Worldwide Big Data and Analytics Software Forecast, 2021 - 2025, July 2021. IDC Doc # US47402321 2 HPE GreenLake edge-to-cloud platform rolls out industry's first cloud-native unified analytics and data lakehouse cloud services optimized for hybrid environments, HPE blog, September 28, 2021 3 HPE Q3 2021 financial results 4 Tencate Recovers from Ransomware with Zerto: A Before and After 5 HPE InfoSight-Artificial Intelligence for autonomous infrastructure, February 2020 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005312/en/ [September 28, 2021] Atar Capital Portfolio Company, Pathways, Continues Geographical Expansion with Acquisition of Renew Consulting Atar Capital, a global private investment firm, announced today that its portfolio company, Pathways Health and Community Support, LLC ("Pathways"), acquired Renew Consulting. Pathways is one of the largest providers of behavioral and mental health services in the United States; Renew Consulting is a leading residential behavioral health company servicing Northwest Oregon. The acquisition is part of Pathways' strategic plan to expand access to behavioral health services in inclusive and positive environments. It comes less than one year after Pathways acquired three subsidiaries of Community Intervention Services, Inc. (CIS) in October of 2020. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. Renew Consulting, founded in 2004, is headquartered in Albany, Oregon and offers services in seven Northwest Oregon counties, employing more than 200 team members. It is a service-driven organization committed to providing customized, person-centered support for individuals with developmental disabilities and mental health needs. The organization provides 24-hour care in community-based residential homes. Integrating Renew Consulting's programs and services into Pathways' current offerings will enable Pathways to expand the field of behavioral health services geared toward adults and children in the state of Oregon. Led by Jill Winters, Pathways' CEO and former United Healthcare executive, the organization will now have physical locations in 19 states and the District of Columbia. The company employs a team of 5,000+ dedicated staffmembers working to create healthier communities by providing behavioral health services that include counseling, telehealth, autism services, case management, therapeutic foster care, parent education, supportive employment and substance use services. The company also offers employer-based programs through Pathways at Work, a series of customized workplace health and well-being seminars, webinars and other resources for employees. Winters said, "Renew is a fantastic company with an experienced and dedicated team passionate about serving their clients and community. This acquisition aligns with our mission to improve lives across the country and I am delighted that, together, we will be able to deliver a broad array of behavioral health services in Oregon." Cyrus Nikou led the Atar investment team that also included Senior Managing Director Robert Lezec, Managing Directors Stanley Huang and Vijay Mony and Vice President Roman Zelinsky. Dykema provided legal counsel to Atar Capital and Hexagon Capital Alliance served as the financial advisor to Renew Consulting in the transaction. About Atar Capital Atar Capital is a global private investment firm that acquires a wide range of lower middle market businesses exhibiting opportunities for growth, revitalization and significant value creation. Atar Capital's principals have completed more than 80 private equity transactions across North America, Europe and South America. Atar Capital's combination of operational expertise, industry knowledge and investment experience provide a unique edge in creating value and working as a true partner with its portfolio companies. The firm assists in activities ranging from growing the business to improving operations and financial performance, leveraging all available resources and talent within Atar's leadership team, as well as its bench of seasoned senior advisors with deep sector and functional expertise. For more information, please visit www.atarcapital.com. About Pathways Pathways Health and Community Support, LLC is one of the largest providers of behavioral and mental health services in the United States. Originally founded in 1997 as Providence Service Corporation, Pathways' mission is to improve the lives of people by inspiring personal growth, health and wellness. The organization offers a full spectrum of social services and behavioral health solutions, including mental health support, youth and family services, adult services, and prevention services, to clients in their homes or through telehealth and community-based resources. The company also offers employer-based programs to help employees manage stress, anxiety and other behavioral health challenges through Pathways at Work, a series of customized workplace health and well-being seminars, webinars and other resources for employees. For more information visit www.pathways.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005864/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] The Indonesia's Ministry of Communications and Informatics to Elevate MSME Digitalization in Eastern Indonesia SORONG, Indonesia, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The Indonesia's Ministry of Communications and Informatics recently launched a digital literacy program to widespread digital transformation and technology in Sorong, West Papua, Indonesia. Hosted in collaboration with the National Digital Literacy Movement (GLND) Siberkreasi, the program targets micro and small-medium enterprises (MSME) in the area. Sorong, located in Eastern Indonesia, is well-known by the rich of natural resources such as agriculture, fisheries, livestock, forestry, mining, and untapped potential in the tourism sector. The majority of MSMEs in the area come from the retail and trade sector, followed by the food and beverage sector. However, digital literacy in the region remains poor; over 70% of MSMEs claimed that they have never used the internet for their business processes. To improve digital literacy n the area, Digital Literacy Week opened with a two-day on and off-screen workshop and training sessions is Sorong, West Papua on September 23, 2021. Enthusiasm soared high from the local audiences, with over 600 participants joining the sessions. Creating digital equity in Eastern Indonesia The program kicked off with two main sessions. The first one was "Digital Literacy Talk", which introduced digital literacy skills for MSMEs such as optimizing digital technology, social media, and cyber security for MSMEs. The speaker line-up for the event's first session included Donny B.U, expert staff from the Ministry of Communications and Informatics; Teguh Hidayat Iskandar Alam, the head of the Institute for the Assessment of Competition and Business Policy (LKPU) in Sorong; and Siti Ashter, a representative of MSME in Sorong. "We have a high internet penetration rate, as 91% of the people in Sorong are active internet users," said Teguh Hidayat, "However, MSMEs' digital literacy skills in Eastern Indonesia, including Sorong, are still lacking." A recent report shows that over 30% of MSME operators in Eastern Indonesia have no knowledge in social media. Moreover, 40% stated that they are not sure how social media may help their business. The session aimed to address this stumbling block, while allowing participants to explore the potentials of social media for their business. Uplifting the MSMEs with high-quality content Meanwhile, the program's second session, "Knowledge-sharing: How to create inspiring content" focuses on building awareness about high-quality content production with the responsible use of digital technology. The session brought in public figure Nicholas Saputra; Coordinator of the Ministry's Digital Literacy Programm Rizki Amelia; and renowned photographer and videographer, Michael G. Buyung. "Digital technology, if used properly, can empower MSMEs. Embracing knowledge of common digital tools, such as photography and videography, can help MSMEs to elevate their businesses and add more values to their products," said Nicholas Saputra. Sorong's Digital Literacy Week also hosts content competition, free training classes, and webinars for the general public, covering various digital literacy skills. Free training classes and webinars are available at info.literasidigital.id. About The Ministry of Communication and Informatics of Indonesia The Ministry of Communication and Informatics of Indonesia through Ditjen Aptika has the primary function of spreading and developing the national digital infrastructure to accelerate Indonesia's digital transformation. The Ministry is working with National Digital Literacy Movement Siberkreasi as its partner to provide education on digital literacy to the broader public through various forms of media. This movement is focused on using digital literacy as a way to elevate the national capability and to further the Indonesian people. SOURCE Kementerian Komunikasi dan Informatika [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Sisu Raises $62M Series C Funding Round; Launches Explorations and Dashboards to Close the Data Decision Gap Sisu, a Decision Intelligence Engine, today announced it has raised $62M in a Series C funding round led by Green Bay Ventures and with participation from existing investors a16z and NEA and new investor Geodesic (News - Alert) Capital. The new funding brings Sisu's total capital raised to over $128M and will accelerate the company's continued growth and investment in closing the gap between data that is collected and data that is used in decision-making. Today, Sisu also announced Explorations and Dashboards, two new capabilities that will allow businesses to accelerate the process of data-informed decision-making. "Sisu is creating a new way for organizations to not only analyze their data, but actually use it to make the best decisions in improving the operations, profitability, and success of their business," said Anthony Schiller, co-managing director of Green Bay Ventures. "This investment recognizes Sisu's amazing growth and massive forward potential, and will help the company continue to grow both its team and product suite to empower businesses of all kinds to be data-driven." Over the past year, Sisu nearly doubled its headcount, more than tripled its revenue, and saw strong customer traction. The company currently works with a range of businesses including Mastercard, Samsung (News - Alert) , Upwork, Wayfair, and Gusto to optimize their metrics for growth, revenue and incident rate. "We're excited to continue partnering with Sisu as they accelerate growth and transform the way companies use data," said Pete Sonsini, Sisu board member and general partner at NEA. "As founding investos in Tableau, which democratized dashboarding and Business Intelligence, we see Sisu as a driving force of a new wave of analytics for cloud data. As businesses continue to collect and organize more data in the cloud, there's an unprecedented need for new tools that are easier, more scalable, and more intuitive than ever before." With Sisu's Decision Intelligence Engine, analysts and business leaders alike can quickly and comprehensively leverage their cloud data to understand what's happening in their business, why it's happening, and how to take action. The launch of Explorations and Dashboards takes the company a step closer to its goal of closing the Decision Gap: the space between the data that's collected, stored, and organized in modern organizations and the data that's actually utilized to make decisions. "Today, businesses have massive amounts of complex data, but not enough time, people, or the right tools to analyze it - that's the massive problem Sisu is working to solve," said Peter Bailis, CEO and founder of Sisu. "This financing in combination with the launch of Explorations and Dashboards allows us to further our goal of redefining how business decisions are made by empowering everyone to better understand what's happening to their businesses, why it's happening, and what actions to take in response." Explorations allow Sisu users to quickly and easily dig into, pivot, and visualize metrics, without requiring code; Dashboards permit users to view explorations, track metric changes, and share key data drivers with colleagues and executives. The integration of these tools with Sisu's existing analysis capabilities creates an industry-first experience where analysts and business leaders are able to seamlessly transition between analyzing what has happened in their business to why it has happened, and what to do about it - all on a single platform and without writing any code. Early users of Sisu Dashboards and Explorations at companies such as Gusto and Ro shared excitement about the new capabilities and reported using them to monitor, investigate, and share metrics with executive staff. About Sisu Sisu is a Decision Intelligence Engine where everyone can quickly and comprehensively leverage their cloud data to understand what's happening, why it's happening, and how to take action. Data-forward organizations like Mastercard, Autodesk (News - Alert) , Samsung, Upwork, Wayfair, Equinox, Udacity, and Gusto rely on Sisu to make decisions to optimize their customer journeys, accelerate revenue growth, and reduce incidents. Based on years of research at Stanford University, Sisu's mission is to operationalize the world's data to enable everyone to make the best possible decisions. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005934/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Five Companies Offering Location and Geospatial Intelligence Solutions Named IDC Innovators International Data Corporation (IDC) today published an IDC (News - Alert) Innovators report profiling five companies offering location and geospatial intelligence solutions that assist enterprises in gathering information about real and digital worlds in dimensions that include space. The five companies are: CARTO, Capella Space, Inpixon, IQGeo and xyzt.ai. The collection of location data is not new, but until recently location has not been central to most organizations' data analytics and business intelligence efforts. As the amount of data gathered and analyzed has grown in recent years, it has become increasingly clear that location adds another critical dimension for analysis. With data volumes skyrocketing, new tools are being brought to bear to conduct these analyses and derive additional value from location and geospatial intelligence. "The availability and applicability of location and geospatial intelligence are booming right now," said Lynne Schneider, research director, Location and Geospatial Intelligence at IDC. "This is not an entirely new market, but the interest in this area had been largely concentrated with GIS professionals. As the use of location-enabled data moves more mainstream, we see a rapid increase in the need for location and geospatial data, mapping & navigation, location-enabled developer platforms and location analytics & visualization. There are really exciting developments in this space." The report, IDC Innovators: Location and Geospatial Intelligence, 2021 (IDC #US48224121), features five companies offering location and geospatial intelligence solutions that address the growing needs of organizations to gather, curate, analyze, and act on data with a location and/or geospatial component. The five companies are: CARTO offers a location intelligence development platform with spatial data and tools that aims to help general data scientists and analysts become better able to utilize and extract value from location-enabled data. offers a location intelligence development platform with spatial data and tools that aims to help general data scientists and analysts become better able to utilize and extract value from location-enabled data. Capella Space provides high-quality synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery and analytical tools that enable users to monitor geographic areas of interest at scale over time and automates activity and change analysis. provides high-quality synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery and analytical tools that enable users to monitor geographic areas of interest at scale over time and automates activity and change analysis. Inpixon is a spatial intelligence platform that provides organizations with the tools to ingest, interpret, and integrate indoor data to support indoor mapping, positioning, security, and analytics for a variety of use cases. is a spatial intelligence platform that provides organizations with the tools to ingest, interpret, and integrate indoor data to support indoor mapping, positioning, security, and analytics for a variety of use cases. IQGeo offers geospatial software designed to accelerate productivity and collaboration across sales, planning, design, construction, and maintenance processes for the telecommunications and utility industries. offers geospatial software designed to accelerate productivity and collaboration across sales, planning, design, construction, and maintenance processes for the telecommunications and utility industries. xyzt.ai offers an analytic and visualization platform that is built to accommodate a high volume of data from a variety of sources (GPS, bluetooth, radar, etc.) along with the geospatial and temporal aspects of the data. About IDC Innovators IDC Innovators reports present a set of vendors - under $100 million in revenue at time of selection - chosen by an IDC analyst within a specific market that offer an innovative new technology, a groundbreaking approach to an existing issue, and/or an interesting new business model. It is not an exhaustive evaluation of all companies in a segment or a comparative ranking of the companies. Vendors in the process of being acquired by a larger company may be included in the report provided the acquisition is not finalized at the time of publication of the report. Vendors funded by venture capital firms may also be included in the report even if the venture capital firm has a financial stake in the vendor's company. IDC INNOVATOR and IDC INNOVATORS are trademarks of International Data Group, Inc. For more information about IDC Innovators research, please contact Jen Melker at jmelker@idc.com. 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/20210928005948/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Teva Reaches Agreement with Louisiana to Settle the State's Opioid-Related Claims Teva Pharmaceuticals, a U.S. affiliate of Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA), has reached an agreement with the Attorney General (AG) of Louisiana that settles the state's opioid-related claims. The agreement is contingent on confirmation from the state by November 2, 2021 that all political subdivisions will release Teva as part of the settlement. Under the terms of the settlement, Teva will pay Louisiana $15 million over an 18-year time period and will provide an additional donation of lifesaving medicines to aid in opioid addiction and recovery, valued at $3 million (wholesale acquisition cost). Teva continues to negotiate a national settlement and remains open in parallel to pursuing opportunities with individual states such as the deal announced today, as long as it is consistent with the nationwide approach. The Company will continue to defend itself in court in states such as New York and California where we have not reached terms of a settlement agreement. Teva believes that today's settlement with Louisiana is a positive step forward in getting life-saving medicines to people suffering from opioid addiction. About Teva Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. (NYSE and TASE: TEVA) has been developing and producing medicines to improve people's lives for more than a century. We are a global leader in generic and specialty medicines with a portfolio consisting of over 3,500 products in nearly every therapeutic area. Around 200 million people around the world take a Teva medicine every day, and are served by one of the largest and most complex supply chains in the phamaceutical industry. Along with our established presence in generics, we have significant innovative research and operations supporting our growing portfolio of specialty and biopharmaceutical products. Learn more at www.tevapharm.com. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are based on management's current beliefs and expectations and are subject to substantial risks and uncertainties, both known and unknown, that could cause our future results, performance or achievements to differ significantly from that expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include risks relating to: our ability to successfully compete in the marketplace; our substantial indebtedness; our business and operations in general, including: uncertainty regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our business, financial condition, operations, cash flows, and liquidity and on the economy in general; the effects of reforms in healthcare regulation and reductions in pharmaceutical pricing, reimbursement and coverage; compliance, regulatory and litigation matters, including: failure to comply with complex legal and regulatory environments; increased legal and regulatory action in connection with public concern over the abuse of opioid medications and our ability to reach a final resolution of the remaining opioid-related litigation; scrutiny from competition and pricing authorities around the world, including our ability to successfully defend against the U.S. Department of Justice criminal charges of Sherman Act violations; potential liability for patent infringement; product liability claims; failure to comply with complex Medicare and Medicaid reporting and payment obligations; compliance with anti-corruption sanctions and trade control laws; and environmental risks; other financial and economic risks; and other factors discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, including in the sections captioned "Risk Factors" and "Forward Looking Statements." Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements or other information contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. You are cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005969/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Key step toward digitalization: HeidelbergCement partners with leading software investment firm Thoma Bravo and invests in Command Alkon to build the digital ecosystem for the Heavy Building Materials industry HEIDELBERG, Germany, BIRMINGHAM, Ala. and SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- HeidelbergCement, one of the world's largest integrated manufacturers of building materials and solutions, and Command Alkon, the global leader in comprehensive supply chain technology solutions for heavy building materials, announced today that as part of a new partnership with Thoma Bravo, a leading software investment firm, HeidelbergCement has signed an agreement to make a minority investment to acquire 45% in Command Alkon. Thoma Bravo will retain the majority ownership of Command Alkon. Since acquiring Command Alkon in 2020, Thoma Bravo has helped guide the company to expand its solutions portfolio as well as modernized and centralized its systems and organizational structure to enhance the customer experience. As a group, Thoma Bravo, HeidelbergCement and Command Alkon expect to continue to accelerate Command Alkon's strategy to deliver best-in-class, cloud-based solutions to better serve its customers. The addition of HeidelbergCement's global reach and product adoption will further enable Command Alkon to scale its solutions and drive growth. HeidelbergCement and Command Alkon believe through each company's efforts, as well as continued collaboration with stakeholders globally, they can help advance digital transformation within the heavy building materials supply chain sector, including more transparent industry standards for seamless connectivity, improved solutions to customers' everyday pain points (e.g., digital ticketing or Telematics), a generally increased pace in innovation, and an acceleration to customers' sustainability efforts. HeidelbergCement will continue to autonomously own and develop HConnect, its proprietary digital product suite with more than 18,000 customers. "As part of our strategy "Beyond 2020", our clear goal is to become the first industrial tech company in our sector," said Dr. Dominik von Achten, Chairman of the Managing Board of HeidelbergCement. "We have made significant progress in our independently developed HConnect digital customer experience since its development in 2018. The investment in Command Alkon and the partnership with Thoma Bravo now allows us to monetize the hidden potential of our assets and translate it into a new growth path for HeidelbergCement. Together, we will build the digital ecosystem of the future for the Heavy Building Materials industry." "This partnership is a unique opportunity to accelerate digital change across the heavy building materials supply chain," said Phil Ramsey, CEO at Command Alkon. "HeidelbergCement is a leading industry player, and their investment is a validation of our strategy, solutions and the outstanding customer experience we offer. This transaction will better position Command Alkon to enhance our support to all customers, expand our geographic footprint and execute our transition to the cloud. We look forward to continuing to benefit from our partnership with HeidelbergCement and Thoma Bravo as we continue to provide automation and business process technologies that deliver value to our customers and stakeholders across the construction industry." "We are so excited to partner with HeidelbergCement, who is the clear industry leader in terms o digital transformation, to further support Command Alkon's growth strategy and transform the heavy building materials industry," said A.J. Rohde, a Senior Partner at Thoma Bravo. "This is our most significant partnership with a global industrial company, and one that we believe will have a lasting positive impact on the sustainability and ease of doing business within the heavy building material sector. The goal when we acquired Command Alkon was to modernize the company's platform, build a digital ecosystem from production to consumption, and expand its global footprint. This investment and industry-changing partnership from HeidelbergCement will help accelerate all of those initiatives even faster for the benefit of all Command Alkon customers." Command Alkon has the largest installed software base in the heavy building materials supply chain sector with more than 2,500 customers globally. Its comprehensive product portfolio includes software and technology for plant and site automation, materials ordering and scheduling, inventory and mix management, trucking logistics and fleet optimization, office and field operations, reporting, and analytics. More than 1,000 companies use Command Alkon's CONNEX platform connecting all participants across the heavy building materials supply chain suppliers, haulers, and buyers to empower sharing of data and digital workflows across all parties at cloud scale and make it simpler and easier for customers to do business, improve stakeholder efficiencies, and encourage greater sustainability. The purchase agreement is subject to customary regulatory approvals, which are expected to be obtained by the end of 2021. About HeidelbergCement HeidelbergCement is one of the world's largest integrated manufacturers of building materials and solutions, with leading market positions in aggregates, cement, and ready-mixed concrete. Around 53,000 employees at more than 3,000 locations in over 50 countries deliver long-term financial performance through operational excellence and openness for change. At the center of actions lies the responsibility for the environment. As forerunner on the path to carbon neutrality, HeidelbergCement crafts material solutions for the future. For more information, visit www.heidelbergcement.com. About Command Alkon Command Alkon offers technologies that automate and streamline all aspects of the heavy building materials supply chain for materials suppliers, haulers, and buyers. A comprehensive suite of industry-specific solutions combined with employees invested in the success of heavy materials operations and construction projects differentiates Command Alkon as an industry leader and go-to partner. CONNEX, a supply chain platform built for the industry, enables business partners to digitize and integrate workflows for materials and trucking management and capture powerful insights that drive performance. Command Alkon is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama and has offices in locations around the globe. For more information, visit www.commandalkon.com. About Thoma Bravo Thoma Bravo is one of the largest private equity firms in the world, with more than $83 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2021. The firm invests in growth-oriented, innovative companies operating in the software and technology sectors. Leveraging the firm's deep sector expertise and proven strategic and operational capabilities, Thoma Bravo collaborates with its portfolio companies to implement operating best practices, drive growth initiatives and make accretive acquisitions intended to accelerate revenue and earnings. Over the past 20 years, the firm has acquired more than 325 companies representing over $100 billion in enterprise value. The firm has offices in Chicago, Miami and San Francisco. For more information, visit thomabravo.com. Contacts: HeidelbergCement Christoph Beumelburg Group Spokesman, Director Group Communication & Investor Relations +49 (0) 6221 481 13249 info@heidelbergcement.com Command Alkon Karli Langer Command Alkon (205) 879-3282 x 3968 klangner@commandalkon.com Dan Moore / Tim Ragones Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher (212) 355-4449 Thoma Bravo Megan Frank Thoma Bravo Communications (212) 731-4778 mfrank@thomabravo.com or Joe Berg Finsbury Glover Hering (203) 984-2771 joe.berg@fgh.com View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/key-step-toward-digitalization-heidelbergcement-partners-with-leading-software-investment-firm-thoma-bravo-and-invests-in-command-alkon-to-build-the-digital-ecosystem-for-the-heavy-building-materials-industry-301386988.html SOURCE Command Alkon Incorporated, HeidelbergCement [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] FHLB Dallas Donates $500K to Greater New Orleans Foundation The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) donated $500,000 to the Greater New Orleans Foundation (Foundation) to assist with its Hurricane Ida recovery efforts. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005990/en/ Andy Kopplin, Greater New Orleans Foundation CEO and president (right), shakes hands with the team at the Ward Seven Citizens Center as they work with the Helio (News - Alert) Foundation in Chauvin, Louisiana, during the Foundation's recent relief trip to the hurricane-impacted region. (Photo: Business Wire) FHLB Dallas is a member-owned financial institution cooperative with approximately 800 members across five states, including banks and credit unions and their customers who were impacted by Hurricane Ida. "Hurricane Ida devastated the southern portion of Louisiana, and the rebuilding and recovery effort will take months and years," said Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas. "We hope this donation to the Greater New Orleans Foundation, which has extensive expertise in this area that includes work in the aftermath of 2005's Hurricane Katrina, will assist in those long-term efforts." The Foundation plans to use the funding to assist in the region's disaster response, said Kenneth St. Charles, vice president for philanthropy at the Foundation. He said the Foundation will provide monetary support to nonprofit agencies in a 13-parrish region. "We thank FHLB Dallas for its generous donation to assist us in making these lifesaving grants to agencies that are helping with the response and recovery," he said. The Foundation has already allocated more than $1.8 million in Hurricane Ida aid,Dr. St. Charles said, and the latest assistance comes at a critical time. "We are seeing needs that are immediate and extremely critical as they relate to families that have lost their homes because of flooding," he said. "The needs are basic such as food, shelter, cleaning supplies, diapers and blue tarps to cover damaged roofs. We are also seeing needs from families who had to relocate to a safe place, from the elderly who may lack resources, and from homeowners needing help filing insurance claims." He said organizations coming together are making a difference. "Because of the generosity of funders such as FHLB Dallas, we can do this work with the help of a network of nonprofit partners; I invite everyone who has that focus to reach out to us," Dr. St. Charles said. In addition to the donation to the Foundation, FHLB Dallas made $500,000 in donations to other charitable agencies in the region, including food banks. FHLB Dallas has also made available, through its member institutions, $2.5 million in Hurricane Recovery Grant program funds, which assist members' employees who were impacted by the disaster; an additional $500,000 through members via its Disaster Rebuilding Assistance program, which provides repair and rehab funding for qualified owner-occupied housing; and low-cost advances (loans) to members through its Disaster Relief Program. About the Greater New Orleans Foundation With roots extending nearly 100 years, the Greater New Orleans Foundation has over 1,000 different philanthropic funds and assets of $460 million. The Foundation serves the 13-parish region of Southeast Louisiana including Assumption, Lafourche, Terrebonne, St. Charles, St. James, St. John, St. Tammany, Jefferson, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, Tangipahoa, and Washington. Over 900 nonprofits from the region participate in its annual online giving day, GiveNOLA Day, which has raised over $40 million for nonprofits in the last eight years. The Greater New Orleans Foundation has responded to every disaster since Hurricane Katrina, when it led the Unified Community Planning Effort and a $23 million affordable housing fund. More recently, it raised and distributed nearly $7 million in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In response to Hurricane Ida, the Foundation has already raised over $4 million from more than 1,100 individual donors, corporations, and foundations and has dispersed funds to help nonprofits pre-position for Hurricane Ida response efforts. About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $58.6 billion as of June 30, 2021, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 800 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit our website at fhlb.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005990/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Distributors Announce Settlement With Cherokee Nation AmerisourceBergen (NYSE: ABC), Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH) and McKesson (NYSE: MCK) announced today that they have reached an agreement with the Cherokee Nation to pay approximately $75 million over 6.5 years to resolve opioid-related claims. This settlement was negotiated in connection with ongoing negotiations toward a broad resolution of opioid-related claims brought by Native American tribes that, as previously disclosed by the companies, are not covered by the ongoing settlement process involving state and local governmental entities. The companies view today's settlement as an important step toward reaching a broader settlement with all federally recognized Native American tribes across the country. This settlement reflects an agreement of the Cherokee Nation to dismiss its ongoing lawsuit in exchange for the companies' agreement that the Cherokee Nation will receive a settlement amount consistent with its anticipated allocation under a broader agreement with Native American tribes. While the companies strongly dispute the allegations against them, they believe this resolution will allow the companies to focus their attention and resources on the safe and secure delivery of medications and therapies while delivering meaningful relief to affected communities, and will also support efforts to achieve a broad resolution with the remaining Native American tribes. The companies remain deeply concerned about the impact the opioid epidemic is having on communities across the nation and remain committed to being part of the solution. Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward Looking Statements The preceding descriptions of a potential resolution of certain opioids-related claims of Native American tribes against pharmaceutical distribution companies constitute "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, that involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in those statements. It is not possible to identify all such risks and uncertainties. The reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are first made. Except to the extent required by law, the companies undertake no obligation to publicly update forward-looking staements. Risk factors include, but are not limited to: the settlement process may not result in a resolution of all or any claims against each company regarding its role in distributing opioids; the companies may continue to experience costly and disruptive legal disputes and settlements related to distribution of controlled substances, including opioids; the companies might experience losses not covered by insurance; and the companies might be adversely impacted by changes in tax legislation or challenges to their respective tax positions. Investors should read the important risk factors described in each company's Form 10-K, Form 10-Q and Form 8-K reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. About AmerisourceBergen AmerisourceBergen fosters a positive impact on the health of people and communities around the world by advancing the development and delivery of pharmaceuticals and healthcare products. As a leading global healthcare company, with a foundation in pharmaceutical distribution and solutions for manufacturers, pharmacies and providers, we create unparalleled access, efficiency and reliability for human and animal health. Our 41,000 global team members power our purpose: We are united in our responsibility to create healthier futures. About Cardinal Health Cardinal Health is a distributor of pharmaceuticals, a global manufacturer and distributor of medical and laboratory products, and a provider of performance and data solutions for healthcare facilities. With 50 years in business, operations in more than 40 countries and approximately 48,000 employees globally, Cardinal Health is essential to care. Information about Cardinal Health is available at cardinalhealth.com. About McKesson Corporation McKesson Corporation is a global leader in healthcare supply chain management solutions, retail pharmacy, community oncology and specialty care, and healthcare information solutions. McKesson partners with pharmaceutical manufacturers, providers, pharmacies, governments and other organizations in healthcare to help provide the right medicines, medical products and healthcare services to the right patients at the right time, safely and cost-effectively. United by our ICARE shared principles, our employees work every day to innovate and deliver opportunities that make our customers and partners more successful - all for the better health of patients. McKesson has been named a "Most Admired Company" in the healthcare wholesaler category by FORTUNE, a "Best Place to Work" by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, and a top military-friendly company by Military Friendly. For more information, visit www.mckesson.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005991/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] State Auto Receives 2021 PIA Company Award of Excellence State Auto Insurance Companies (State Auto) has received the 2021 Company Award of Excellence from the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005890/en/ State Auto Insurance Companies Vice President of Strategic Agency Partnerships and External Relations Gerald Ladner, named the 2021 PIA National Company Representative of the Year. (Photo: Business Wire) 2021 PIA Company Award of Excellence The Company Award of Excellence is PIA's highest annual company honor. State Auto was recognized for its strong partnership and commitment to independent agents and the agency distribution system. "On the day of State Auto's founding in 1921, the company's founder said State Auto would sell its products exclusively through independent agents because they 'deliver the best and most efficient service to customers,'" said PIA National President Wayne F. White. "That commitment to independent insurance agents has remained firm throughout State Auto's 100-year history." "We're as committed as ever to the success of independent agents," said State Auto President & CEO Mike LaRocco. "We couldn't be more proud of how we've transformed our company to beome an even better partner for our agents and to help secure the future of the independent agency system. We take great pride in this recognition from our partners at PIA." 2021 PIA National Company Representative of the Year Additionally, State Auto Vice President of Strategic Agency Partnerships and External Relations, Gerald Ladner, was named the 2021 PIA National Company Representative of the Year. Ladner serves as the current chairman of the PIA Partnership, PIA's agency-company council, and was recognized for his experience, support of independent insurance agents and the agency system, involvement in the community and more. "Gerald has brought a rich mixture of experience in the insurance industry to The PIA Partnership," said PIA National President-elect Gerald Hemphill. "Throughout his 40 years of professional experience, he has demonstrated his dedication to the industry and his community at large by serving on the boards of directors of professional, educational and other nonprofit institutions." "My thanks to PIA for this honor, it was a wonderful surprise," said Ladner. "I'm honored to be a part of the PIA Partnership, which brings the best and the brightest company leaders together to collaborate and ensure our agents compete and compete effectively. The work we do today will yield dividends for PIA members in the future," he added. State Auto and Gerald Ladner were recognized on Sept. 23, 2021, during the annual fall meeting of the PIA National Board of Directors. About State Auto State Automobile Mutual Insurance Companies (State Auto), headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, is a super regional property and casualty insurance holding company. The company is primarily engaged in writing personal and business insurance products exclusively through independent insurance agencies. State Automobile Mutual Insurance Company is part of the State Auto Group, which is rated A- (Excellent) by the A.M. Best Company and includes State Automobile Mutual Insurance Company, State Auto Property & Casualty Insurance Company, State Auto Insurance Company of Ohio, State Auto Insurance Company of Wisconsin, Milbank Insurance Company, Meridian Security Insurance Company, Patrons Mutual Insurance Company of Connecticut, Rockhill Insurance Company, Plaza Insurance Company, American Compensation Insurance Company and Bloomington Compensation Insurance Company. Additional information can be found online at www.stateauto.com. About PIA Founded in 1931, PIA is a national trade association that represents member insurance agents and their employees who sell and service all kinds of insurance, but specialize in coverage of automobiles, homes and businesses. PIA's web address is www.pianational.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005890/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] SKEMA and EADA Create a Double-Degree BBA in Barcelona SKEMA Business School and EADA Business School have signed an agreement to launch a new joint double-degree BBA programme "SKEMA X EADA Global BBA" in Barcelona, where EADA operates. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928006004/en/ Official signing of the partnership between SKEMA and EADA on 20 September 2021 from SKEMA Business School's Grand Paris Campus. From left to right: Patrice Houdayer, Director of Programmes, International and Student Life, Koke Pursals, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the EADA Foundation, Alice Guilhon, SKEMA's Dean & Executive President, and Jordi Diaz, EADA's Dean. (Photo: Business Wire) Through this alliance, SKEMA intends to develop a new European base from EADA's Barcelona campus. EADA will benefit from the presence of SKEMA's campuses in five continents. At the same time, the two schools also aim to open this new four-year post-baccalaureate programme to candidates from Spanish-speaking countries. "This post-baccalaureate double-degree programme is a new opportunity to develop SKEMA's brand in the European continent and South America with EADA. It also offers our students in the SKEMA Global BBA - a programme which has 50% international students representing more than 60 different nationalities - the possibility of studying on the EADA campus and immersing thmselves in the global city of Barcelona, with its ultra-dynamic economic centre, where they will be able to follow the sustainable innovation specialisation," explains Patrice Houdayer, Director of Programmes, International and Student Life at SKEMA Business School. "As part of its development, EADA wanted to enter the field of post-baccalaureate BBA programmes, by favouring a partnership with a school that is highly recognised internationally. This is possible thanks to SKEMA, which will design a programme with us that meets the best international BBA standards, and which will confer the degree of bachelor and the visa," says Jordi Diaz, Dean at EADA. From September 2022, students in the new EADA X SKEMA Global BBA double-degree programme will be able to spend the first two years on the EADA campus in Barcelona, then go on a mobility programme in the third year on one of SKEMA's seven campuses across the world, and then spend their fourth year either in Barcelona or on one of SKEMA's campuses, depending on the specialisation they have chosen. About SKEMA Business School With 9,500 students of 120 nationalities and 50,000 graduates in 145 countries, SKEMA Business School is a global school which, through its research, its +70 teaching programmes, its international multi-site structure trains and educates the talents that 21st century businesses need. The school is now present on 7 locations across 5 countries: 3 campuses in France (Lille, Sophia Antipolis, Paris), 1 in China (Suzhou), 1 in the United States (Raleigh), 1 in Brazil (Belo Horizonte) and 1 in South Africa (Cape Town - Stellenbosch). SKEMA's Faculty composed of 180 professors is divided into 3 academies (Globalisation, Innovation, Digitalisation). The Research Department has 5 research centres representing the main dimensions of management. The school has also established its Artificial Intelligence research and resource centre in Montreal. SKEMA Ventures, SKEMA's incubation-acceleration dedicated device, has incubated over 250 projects. SKEMA is multiaccredited - Equis, AACSB and EFMD Accredited EMBA. Its programmes are recognized in France (Visa, 'licence' Degree, Master Degree, RNCP, CGE label), as well as in the United States (Licensing), Brazil (Certificacao) and China (Ministry of Education). www.skema.edu. Follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) : @SKEMA_BS About EADA Business School EADA Business School Barcelona was founded in 1957 as a private and independent institution. It has EQUIS (EFMD) and AMBA accreditations and is ranked 28th best business school in Europe by the Financial Times (News - Alert) , top 45 best schools in Executive Education and its MBA is ranked 21st in Europe and 78th worldwide. With a renovated 4,000m2 campus in the centre of Barcelona and its residential campus in Collbato being the largest in Europe (15 hectares), today its Alumni community is represented by more than 100,000 members of 65 different nationalities and, after 64 years of history, its mission continues to be to promote the professional development and growth of people, as well as the transformation of organisations, in order to contribute to a more just, supportive and sustainable life. The axes on which it supports its learning model are innovation, sustainability and leadership. www.eada.edu/es. Follow it on LinkedIn (News - Alert) : @EADABusinessSchool View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928006004/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Huawei Strengthens Contribution and Cooperation in Indonesia Cyber Security JAKARTA, Indonesia, Sept. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei Indonesia has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting cyber security knowledge sharing through the renewal of the MoU on cyber security cooperation yesterday with Indonesia's highest cyber security body National Cyber and Crypto Agency of the Republic of Indonesia (BSSN). Huawei Indonesia and BSSN sealed off a new, tripartite cooperation agreement (PKS) with Institut Teknologi Del (IT Del). The signing ceremony was witnessed by Gen. (ret.) Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan, Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs and Investment of the Republic of Indonesia (Marves), Mr. Ren Zhengfei, Huawei CEO and Founder, Mr. Jeffery Liu, Huawei Asia Pacific president, and Mr. Jacky Chen, Huawei Indonesia CEO. Minister Luhut also held a high-level discussion with Mr. Ren to mark a renewed collaboration and long-term commitment of the leading global ICT provider, especially in cyber security ehancement in Indonesia. Luhut praised highly Huawei to Mr. Ren. "You are lucky to have the team here for making Huawei popular and the technology has been widely used. The establishment of Huawei Academy in Indonesia and the tripartite Cooperation between Huawei, the National Cyber and Crypto Agency and IT Del, also shown Huawei commitment to not only building digital infrastructure in Indonesia, but also digital human resources development and transfer of high technology," Luhut said. "I am sure Huawei could make significant contribution to Indonesia's Green Development and Smart Future. In the next few years, digital property will be one of the most valuable assets in the next generation." "Indonesia is a beautiful and great nation, boasting long coastal lines, a wealth of natural resources, and a wide variety of agricultural produce," Mr. Ren, spoke highly of Indonesia. He opined that besides representing a large, untapped market for Indonesian exports, China also has a few examples of utilizing technology to improve vital operations. For example, Indonesia can learn to integrate intelligence into the day-to-day running of the nation's many strategic ports and airports, or alternatively implement 5G, AI, wireless, and radar technologies to improve safety at coal mines to a substantial degree. "Huawei thanks Indonesia for its longstanding support for our local team in the country. With the great trend towards collaboration and shared success between China and Indonesia, based on respecting each other's sovereignty integrity, political systems, and social customs, we believe that together we will lay the foundation for Indonesia's future," Mr. Ren reaffirmed. The signing of the MoU and cooperation agreement was also attended by Lt Gen (ret.) Hinsa Siburian, BSSN chief, and Prof. Ir. Togar M. Simatupang M, Tech. Ph.D, IT Del rector. Hinsa lauded Huawei for the close collaboration since the cooperation was inked in 2019. In his welcome remark, Mr. Jacky Chen, Huawei Indonesia CEO, said, "The renewal of the MoU marks a new milestone in our joint cyber security initiative as it will involve more universities and reach out wider public to benefit in this program." Nearly 7,000 government officials and civil servants have benefited from the collaboration between Huawei and BSSN since 2019 through various training activities, webinars and joint programs. SOURCE Huawei [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Two UBS Advisors in San Diego, CA, Named to the Forbes/SHOOK Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors List UBS Wealth Management USA announced today that two Financial Advisors in San Diego, California, have been named to the Forbes/SHOOK Research Top Next-Gen Wealth Advisors list for 2021. Kalyn Maher Walker, based in the Carmel Valley branch, and Stephen LaFata, based in the La Jolla branch, were named to the list. "These advisors are diligent in increasing their knowledge to better support their clients," said Chris Marsh, San Diego Market Head at UBS Wealth Management USA. "Both Kalyn and Stephen have a focus on business owners who, even though they are close to or already in retirement, trust their expertise and guidance to make decisions that will help them leave a meaningful legacy." "It's great to see Stephen and Kalyn recognized by Forbes for setting excellent examples among those that work with them and for younger people entering the profession," said Todd Locicero, West Coast Market Head at UBS Private Wealth Management. "We are exceedingly proud of them and teir teams." As a Private Wealth Advisor, Stephen LaFata advises affluent families and successful business owners with their financial planning and investment needs. In 2020, he was recognized by UBS as a Rising Advisor and this is the first time he has been named to the Forbes/SHOOK Top Next-Gen list. He holds both Certified Private Wealth Advisor (CPWA) and Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA) designations. Stephen has an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating with honors, and has B.S. and B.A. degrees in mathematics and economics, graduating magna cum laude from Duke University. Stephen is an active member of the San Diego theatre community. This is the third year that Kalyn Maher Walker has been named to the Forbes/Shook Next-Gen list. Through her dedication to clients, Kalyn has also been named to various other industry accolades from publications such as Financial Planning, REP Magazine and WealthManagement.com. She holds Series 7, 66 FINRA securities and the State of California Insurance licenses and is also a Certified Exit Planning Advisor (CEPA). Kalyn earned her B.S. in Finance from the Leavy School of Business at Santa Clara University. The 2021 Forbes/SHOOK Research Top Next-Gen list includes 500 rising advisors who help manage over $1 trillion in client assets. Each advisor was nominated by their firm, then vetted and ranked by SHOOK Research. For the full list and further information visit: https://www.forbes.com/top-next-gen-advisors/#640c05f36df0 Notes to Editors About UBS Global Wealth Management As the world's largest wealth manager, UBS Global Wealth Management provides comprehensive advice, solutions and services to wealthy families and individuals around the world. Clients who work with UBS benefit from a fully integrated set of wealth management capabilities and expertise, including wealth planning, investment management, capital markets, banking, lending and institutional and corporate financial advice. UBS 2021. All rights reserved. The key symbol and UBS are among the registered and unregistered trademarks of UBS. Although neither UBS Financial Services Inc. or its employees pay a fee in exchange for these ratings, UBS may hire RJ Shook to be a speaker for events. Past performance is not an indication of future results. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928006047/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] TELUS International Announces Closing of Upsized Secondary Offering of Subordinate Voting Shares and the Exercise of the Underwriters' Over-Allotment Option TELUS (News - Alert) International (Cda) Inc. (TELUS International) (NYSE & TSX: TIXT) announced today the closing of the upsized underwritten public secondary offering of 14,400,000 subordinate voting shares of TELUS International, at a price of US$34.00 per share, by certain shareholders of TELUS International, including Baring Private Equity Asia. Additionally, the underwriters fully exercised the option to purchase up to an additional 2,160,000 subordinate voting shares of TELUS International from the selling shareholders. TELUS International did not sell any subordinate voting shares in the offering and did not receive any proceeds from the sale of the subordinate voting shares by the selling shareholders. As a result of the offering, TELUS International's publicly traded float increased to 65,902,464 subordinate voting shares. Following the offering, and including the impact from the exercise in full of the underwriters' over-allotment option, TELUS Corporation and Baring Private Equity Asia hold approximately 70.9% and 25.9%, respectively, of the combined voting power of TELUS International and approximately 55.1% and 20.1%, respectively, of the economic interest. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Barclays Capital Inc., CIBC Capital Markets and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC acted as joint lead book-running managers for the offering. Citigroup Global Markets Inc. and RBC Dominion Securities Inc. also acted as joint book-running managers and Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, BMO Capital Markets, Scotia Capital Inc., TD Securities Inc., Wells Fargo (News - Alert) Securities Canada, Ltd. and William Blair & Company, L.L.C. acted as book-running manager for the offering. The offering was made only by means of a prospectus. A copy of the prospectus related to the offering may be obtained from: J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, by telephone at (866) 803-9204 or by email at prospectuseq_fi@jpmorganchase.com, Barclays Capital Inc., c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, New York 11717, by telephone at (888) 603-5847 or by at email at barclaysprospectus@broadridge.com; CIBC Capital Markets, 161 Bay Street, 5th Floor, Toronto, ON (News - Alert) M5J 2S8, by telephone at 1-416-956-6378 or by email at Mailbox.CanadianProspectus@cibc.com; or Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 6933 Louis Stephens Drive, Morrisville, North Carolina 27560, Telephone: 1-800-221-1037 or e-mail: usa.prospectus@credit-suisse.com. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of TELUS International, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of that jurisdiction. About TELUS International TELUS International (NYSE & TSX: TIXT) designs, builds and delivers next-generation digital solutions to enhance the customer experience (CX) for global and disruptive brands. The company's services support the full lifecycle of its clients' digital transformation journeys, enabling them to more quickly embrace next-generation digital technologies to deliver better business outcomes. TELUS International's integrated solutions span digital strategy, innovation, consulting and design, IT lifecycle including managed solutions, intelligent automation and end-to-end AI data solutions including computer vision capabilities, as well as omnichannel CX and trust and safety solutions including content moderation. Fueling all stages of company growth, TELUS International partners with brands across high growth industry verticals, including tech and games, communications and media, eCommerce and fintech, healthcare, and travel and hospitality. TELUS International's unique caring culture promotes diversity and inclusivity through its policies, team member resource groups and workshops, and equal employment opportunity hiring practices across the regions where it operates. The company is building stronger communities and helping those in need through large-scale volunteer events that have positively impacted the lives of more than 150,000 citizens around the world and through its five TELUS International Community Boards that have provided $4 million in funding to grassroots charitable organizations since 2015. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928006074/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Sharen Jester Turney Appointed to Paycom's Board of Directors Paycom Software, Inc. (NYSE:PAYC), a leading provider of comprehensive, cloud-based human capital management software, today announced the appointment of Sharen Jester Turney to Paycom's board of directors as a Class I director, replacing Janet Brutschea Haugen, who tendered her resignation. Turney, a retail executive with more than 30 years of experience, last served as CEO of Gloria Jeans, a large international retailer of fashion apparel, footwear, and accessories. She previously spent a combined 16 years as president and CEO of the Victoria's Secret brand and Victoria's Secret Direct. Prior to Victoria's Secret, Turney spent 10 years with Neiman Marcus, first serving as its executive vice president before launching its ecommerce business, where she served as president and CEO of Neiman Marcus Direct. "Sharen is a seasoned ecommerce leader with a high growth mindset, and will be a natural fit to help us continue to propel the adoption of our technology," said Paycom's founder, CEO and chairman of the board, Chad Richison. Turney is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Education. In 2015, she was inducted into the state of Oklahoma Hall of Fame and earned the title of one o America's Favorite Bosses by Glassdoor in 2014. "I am excited to be part of a technology company that is not only revolutionizing the way businesses engage their employees, but has also only scratched the surface of its growth opportunity," said Turney. "Paycom has built a unique product offering that is paired with a customer-centric approach. It is constantly innovating and is poised for a bright future." Turney's appointment as a director will be effective as of Sept. 28, 2021. About Paycom As a leader in payroll and HR technology, Oklahoma City-based Paycom redefines the human capital management industry by allowing companies to effectively navigate a rapidly changing business environment. Its cloud-based software solution is based on a core system of record maintained in a single database for all human capital management functions, providing the functionality that businesses need to manage the complete employment life cycle, from recruitment to retirement. Paycom has the ability to serve businesses of all sizes and in every industry. As one of the leading human capital management providers, Paycom serves clients in all 50 states from offices across the country. 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 are any statements that look to future events and include, but are not limited to, statements regarding Paycom's business strategy; anticipated future operating results and operating expenses, cash flows, capital resources and liquidity; trends, opportunities and risks affecting Paycom's business, industry and financial results. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof and are subject to business and economic risks. As such, Paycom's actual results could differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements as a result of the factors discussed in Paycom's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to those discussed in Paycom's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020. Paycom undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable securities laws. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928006094/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] RenaissanceRe Schedules Third Quarter 2021 Financial Results Conference Call RenaissanceRe Holdings Ltd. (NYSE: RNR) (the "Company" or "RenaissanceRe") will conduct an investment community conference call on Tuesday, October 26, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. ET to discuss its financial results for the third quarter of 2021, as well as the Company's outlook. RenaissanceRe will release its results following the close of market on Monday, October 25, 2021. A live webcast of the conference call will be available through the Investors section of RenaissanceRe's website at www.renre.com. An archive of the call will be available from approximately 1:00 p.m. ET on October 26, 2021, through midnight ET on November 26, 2021. About RenaissanceRe RenaissanceRe is a global provider of reinsurance and insurance that specializes in matching well-structured risks with efficient sources of capital. The Company provides property, casualty and specialty reinsurance and certain insurance solutions to customers, principally through intermediaries. Established in 1993, the Company has offices in Bermuda, Australia, Ireland, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928006087/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] National Urban League and Experian Launch Partnership to Support Financial Inclusion and Credit Education The National Urban League and Experian North America today announced the launch of a new partnership to further the mission of financial inclusion and empowerment for all. National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial and Experian North America Chief Executive Officer Craig Boundy (News - Alert) shared the news during the opening day of National Urban League's first all-virtual Conference. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928006112/en/ "The racial credit gap is a major barrier to Black entrepreneurship, homeownership and wealth-building," said National Urban League's Morial. "By utilizing a more inclusive credit-scoring model and offering other financial services, this innovative partnership will help put Black business owners, homeowners and job-seekers on a more equal footing, building stronger communities and a stronger economy." Through this partnership, Experian is providing National Urban League Young Professionals - a community-based volunteer auxiliary comprised of young professionals ages 21-40 - and those enrolled in one of 12 Urban League Entrepreneurship Centers with free access to their Experian consumer credit report and FICO Score, along with the ability to potentially increase their credit scores instantly with Experian Boost. Experian will also be offering small business tools, services, and educational content. Based on a more inclusive credit-scoring model, Experian Boost can boost credit scores to reflect a more accurate payment history by factoring in utility bills, cellphone bills and video streaming services. "Access to credit enables consumers the chance to reach their goals. We know that some have faced more obstacles than others through no fault of their own. Whether it's buying a home, a car, or access to credit itself at a more affordable rate, everyone deserves the chance to achieve financial health and we're excited this new partnership will facilitate these opportunities," said Boundy. Investing in communities is a key pillar of Experian's Corporate Social Responsibility program. The partnership is part of Experian's United for Financial Health initiative, which aims to empower and protect vulnerable consumers to improve their financial health through education and action. About National Urban League The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. The National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its 91 local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people annually nationwide. Visit www.nul.org and follow us on Facebook, Twitter (News - Alert) , and Instagram: @NatUrbanLeague. About Experian Experian is the world's leading global information services company. During life's big moments - from buying a home or a car to sending a child to college to growing a business by connecting with new customers - we empower consumers and our clients to manage their data with confidence. We help individuals to take financial control and access financial services, businesses to make smarter decisions and thrive, lenders to lend more responsibly, and organizations to prevent identity fraud and crime. We have 17,800 people operating across 44 countries, and every day we're investing in new technologies, talented people, and innovation to help all our clients maximize every opportunity. We are listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and are a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Learn more at www.experianplc.com or visit our global content hub at our global news blog for the latest news and insights from the Group. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928006112/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Corsiglia, McMahon & Allard Files Sexual Abuse Lawsuit Against Los Gatos Union School District The Los Gatos Union School District and a former fifth grade teacher, Joseph Brian Houg, are being sued by the parents of a 10-year-old child who was sexually abused by Houg. Due to the boy's age and the sensitive nature of the allegations, the suit was filed anonymously on behalf of "John Doe." The lawsuit was filed today in Santa Clara County Superior Court by San Jose-based Corsiglia, McMahon & Allard. Houg is a former Blossom Hill Elementary School teacher who last month pleaded no contest to 10 felony counts of child molestation and three misdemeanor counts of annoying and molesting a child. Those charges stemmed from his crimes against 10 male Blossom Hill elementary students, including John Doe. In a California criminal proceeding, pleading no contest means the defendant agrees to accept conviction for the crimes. The suit details specific acts Houg committed against Blossom Hill students, some of whom, like John Doe, participated in school theater productions. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Houg was Blossom Hill's theater director. "In January 2020, my client was alone in a dressing room with Houg, who played with his genitals while pretending to tuck in his shirt. The school's lac of oversight permitted Houg to isolate and abuse my client," attorney Robert Allard said. John Doe trusted Houg, the lawsuit says, and was seriously traumatized by the molestation incident. "Shirt tucking" incidents, bullying and verbal abuse were reported by numerous Houg victims, most of whom were male, except for two girls who were bullied. It's believed Houg began teaching at Blossom Hill in fall 1999. The bullying and sexual assaults started a few years later, the lawsuit says. "A mother of a fifth grader reported Houg's bullying to the principal during the 2003-2004 school year and she was ignored," Mr. Allard said. "The mother followed through, reporting Houg to the school superintendent and a school board member but they didn't discipline or reprimand him - they didn't even bother documenting her concerns. Houg, meanwhile, was grooming a third grader who was interested in musical theater." Grooming is the process pedophiles use to lure their victims into illegal sexual encounters. To ensure Los Gatos students are protected against pedophiles, the lawsuit demands the district establish policies to ensure transparency and accountability. John Doe's parents want all complaints, including those involving teacher discipline, to be documented, investigated and properly responded to. The lawsuit also calls for students and parents to be instructed on how to file complaints and would establish an "open door" policy for times when a child is alone in a room with an educator, except for counseling. "My client's parents believe it's imperative that current and future students be protected," Mr. Allard said. "Clearly, the school district has a lot of work to do to make sure this doesn't happen again." Houg's crimes became public in spring 2020, when he instructed two 13-year-old theater students to engage in inappropriate conduct during Zoom calls. The boys reported him and Houg was arrested by Santa Clara County sheriff's deputies in September 2020. He faces up to 35 years in prison when he's sentenced Nov. 29. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928006119/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] TIBCO Breakthroughs in Data Integration Lay Foundation for the Future of Data Fabric TIBCO Software Inc., a global leader in enterprise data, empowers its customers to connect, unify, and confidently predict business outcomes, solving the world's most complex data-driven challenges. Today, TIBCO announced an evolution of its data quality capabilities into the new TIBCO DQ product family, along with key enhancements to TIBCO Data Virtualization and TIBCO EBX within the Unify portfolio. These announcements address organizations' data management challenges head-on, empowering the business to assemble an agile data fabric, unrestricted by siloed data, on any cloud platform. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005416/en/ Unify Momentum (News - Alert) (Graphic: Business Wire) "An agile data fabric democratizes corporate data in a way that's easily accessible, automated, and augmented with AI," said Mark Palmer, senior vice president, engineering, TIBCO. "Our recent innovations include smart matching for master data management, automated data quality that intuitively corrects errors before they impact decision-making, and processing streaming data as part of the next-generation of real-time digital business. Data insights only matter if they're based on pure, secure, trusted, real-time information." TIBCO DQ will become the new data quality product family, significantly enhancing current capabilities available throughout the entire TIBCO data fabric, with built-in artificial intelligence and machine learning to automate quality detection, monitoring, and anomaly resolution. Data quality monitoring capabilities assist data engineersin overseeing data quality across all sources, as well as supporting automated remediation and fully audited business user-centric workflows. Cloud-native container support and SaaS (News - Alert) offerings help customers deploy data quality in any public cloud, private cloud, or on-premises. Enhancements to the portfolio also include TIBCO EBX productivity innovations, including low-code scripting and a streamlined configuration, smart match and merge of data processes, and extended integration with new development APIs. Now, the breadth of supported use cases expands with a new data processing engine, which supports rapid processing of large volumes of data. The continued evolution of EBX is central to improving master data management, a critical and central part of agile data fabrics. TIBCO Data Virtualization upgrades make virtualized data more easily accessible in the cloud and on-premises. With one-click search of the virtualized data catalog, any business user can discover and access data in seconds. In addition, the new TIBCO Data Virtualization workbench empowers citizen data engineers to prepare and transform data with an agile, web-based, low-code user experience, enabling faster, smarter decisions. "Evolving our business in a healthcare environment puts additional pressure on data management practices. When your stakeholders demand data at the speed of business, efficiency across sources, quality, and consistency is key," said Katie McDonald, senior director, data management, Change Healthcare. "Partnering with TIBCO, we streamlined data sharing across our organization, deploying advanced data management solutions that transformed how we interact with and consume data from multiple sources. This allowed us to democratize data in the business and bring transparency to our data management operations." Announced in the Unify (News - Alert) track of TIBCO NOW2021, these data solutions combine to create, manage, and provide data quality assurance for an organization's data fabric. When used together, users derive the full value of the TIBCO "better together" strategy and fundamentally change the face of data management. Follow @TIBCO on Twitter (News - Alert) , and on our Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn pages to hear the latest news and updates from #TIBCONOW on September 27-30, 2021. About TIBCO TIBCO Software Inc. unlocks the potential of real-time data for making faster, smarter decisions. Our Connected Intelligence platform seamlessly connects any application or data source; intelligently unifies data for greater access, trust, and control; and confidently predicts outcomes in real time and at scale. Learn how solutions to our customers' most critical business challenges are made possible by TIBCO at www.tibco.com. TIBCO, TIBCO NOW, EBX, Omni-Gen, and the TIBCO logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TIBCO Software Inc. and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. All other product and company names and marks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners and are mentioned for identification. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928005416/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Navitas and Compuware Partner to Redefine Best-in-Class Performance for Next-Generation Data Center Power DUBLIN, Sept. 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Navitas Semiconductor, the industry leader in GaN Power ICs and Compuware, the leading brand in high-end, green-energy power supplies announced a partnership to define new benchmarks for data center power supplies. With 44% of data center costs being related to power (electricity, power conversion & cooling), an upgrade to GaN-based data centers could save over 15 TWhr or up to $1.9B/year, which represents a 6x return on investment in a year. GaN is expected to address a 2.6 Gton / year reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050 Gallium nitride (GaN) is a next-generation semiconductor technology that runs up to 20x faster than legacy silicon chips. Navitas' proprietary GaNFast power ICs integrate GaN power (FET) and GaN drive plus control and protection in a single SMT package. These GaNFast power ICs become easy-to-use, high-speed, high-performance 'digital-in, power-out' building blocks and deliver up to 3x faster charging or 3x more power in half the size and weight, and with up to 40% energy savings compared with legacy silicon chips. "GaN is a breakthrough new technology that is enabling dramatic reductions in size, energy savings and power density for data center power supplies," said Robin Cheng, VP of Compuware's R&D team. "Navitas is an excellent partner with industry-leading GaN IC technology that integrates GaN power, GaN drive, plus control and protection to widen our horizon of GaN and cooperate to create new, breakthrough standards for high-performance computing, as the world's demand for data increases." Typical data centers using silicon to process power achieve only 75% end-to-end efficiency from 'AC-to-processor'. A GaN-based data center is expected to reach 84%, representing a dramatic 36% increase in energy savings. Since 2014, Compuware has introduced more 'Titanium-certified' power supplies than any other company. Over 1/3 of the highest-efficiency-grade models certified are from Compuware, and the company ships over 2,000,000 server power supplies each year, with Supermicro as a lead customer With an estimated $25 of GaN content per power supply, this represents a $50M per year opportunity. The new benchmarks are not only enabled by GaN technology but also demanded by legislation such as the European Union's 'Directive 2009/125/EC, 2019 Annex' which states that data new center power supplies must meet the extreme 80 Plus 'Titanium' level of efficiency from January 1st, 2023. "Navitas and Compuware are aligned on extreme efficiency gains and critical environmental impact," said Gene Sheridan, Navitas' CEO and co-founder. "Together, I am confident we will set the efficiency, energy consumption and CO2 benchmarks for the industry with the future of GaN-based data centers" Manufacturing a GaN power IC has up to a 10x lower CO 2 footprint than for a silicon chip, and when you also consider the use-case efficiency, material size and weight benefits, then together GaN can save 4 kg of CO 2 for every GaN IC shipped. Overall, GaN is expected to address a 2.6 Gton / year reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050. With over 13 million servers shipped each year, each with over $75 of GaN content, data centers represent a ~$1B+ / year GaN opportunity. About Compuware Established in 2004, and now with a dedicated, highly-skilled team of over 900 people, Compuware Technology Incorporated has long been devoted to high efficiency and green energy principles. Compuware has the world's most 80 PLUS Titanium green products, providing up to 96% efficiency, and our mission is to save energy and environmental protection. Through 16 years of professional experience in high-efficiency power supplies, power can be customized according to customer needs, providing support from design and R&D to manufacturing and production, and with high-quality throughout the process. Compuware ships over 2 million power supplies per year to customers world-wide. Main applications include HPC, network equipment, industrial computers, data centers, telecommunication equipment and high-end servers. About Navitas Semiconductor Navitas is the industry leader in gallium nitride (GaN) power ICs, founded in 2014. Navitas has a strong and growing team of power semiconductor industry experts with a combined 300 years of experience in materials, devices, applications, systems and marketing, plus a proven record of innovation with over 200 patents among its founders. GaN power ICs integrate GaN power with GaN drive, control and protection to enable faster charging, higher power density and greater energy savings for mobile, consumer, enterprise, eMobility and new energy markets. Over 130 Navitas patents are issued or pending. As of August 1st, 2021, over 25 million GaNFast power ICs have been shipped with zero GaN-related field failures, to tier-1 companies including Dell, Lenovo, Xiaomi, LG, OPPO and more. On May 7th, 2021, Navitas announced plans to "Go Public at an Enterprise Value of $1.04 Billion via Live Oak II (NYSE: LOKB) SPAC Business Combination." Contact Information Stephen Oliver, VP Corporate Marketing & Investor Relations ir@navitassemi.com Navitas Semiconductor, GaNFast, and the Navitas logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Navitas Semiconductor, Ltd. All other brands, product names and marks are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks used to identify products or services of their respective owners. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/navitas-and-compuware-partner-to-redefine-best-in-class-performance-for-next-generation-data-center-power-301387236.html SOURCE Navitas Semiconductor [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Heart Experts Call For Millions To Benefit From Life-Saving Online Services As Telemedicine Rockets - Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains world's biggest killer, claiming 18.6 million lives per year GENEVA, Sept. 28, 2021 /CNW/ -- On World Heart Day, 29 September 2021, the World Heart Federation (WHF) is calling on the international community to bring digital cardiovascular health services to millions worldwide. COVID-19 has seen an explosion in telemedicine, with a 40%1 jump in the world's richest countries. WHF believes this digital transformation presents a pivotal opportunity for millions living with cardiovascular disease from lower-income backgrounds who have little access to in-person consultation. CVD claims the lives of 18.6 million people per year and the 520 million people living with CVD have been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. WHF is calling for equity across healthcare and for the rapid development of digital care to reduce inequalities by transforming the diagnosis, prevention and management of CVD in lower- and middle-income settings. Currently only 20%2 of the population in lower-income countries is online. WHF is calling for operators to fund and develop the infrastructure to reach disconnected hearts everywhere; governments to prioritise digital infrastructure and heart health in policy; industry to keep prices of tech affordable; and telecoms servie providers to collaborate with them to bring digital medicine to some of the world's poorest communities across the globe. "Never before have we seen such a 'techceleration' in cardiology," says Fausto Pinto, President of the World Heart Federation. "This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to transform the lives of millions of people who are left behind in healthcare today. We should use digital health to scale up and speed up prevention efforts and save lives and millions spent on care." From online consultations to simple Electrocardiograms (ECGs), blood pressure monitoring and virtual surgery, the web has opened new possibilities to make cardiovascular care accessible to millions. As with all rapid digital transformation, there are challenges. For healthcare, top concerns include data privacy, technology compatibility and the need for human contact. According to WHF, co-designing programmes with patients will also be critical. World Heart Day is supported by leading pharmaceutical companies AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Boehringer Ingelheim and Lilly Alliance. The general public is encouraged to get involved in World Heart Day by joining the conversation across social platforms using the hashtags #UseHeart and #WorldHeartDay. Notes to Editors Media Contact: Borjana Pervan , Communications Director, World Heart Federation Borjana.pervan@worldheart.org Interviews: bios and headshots spokespeople can be found here. Please contact Aline Bochenek-Benoit , Campaign Manager, World Heart Federation aline.bochenek-benoit@worldheart.org or +41228070325. Link to images: Dropbox Sources: 1. McKinsey https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/telehealth-use-stabilizing-at-38-times-pre-covid-19-levels-mckinsey-says/603153/ 2. https://www.undp.org/blogs/evolving-digital-divide View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/heart-experts-call-for-millions-to-benefit-from-life-saving-online-services-as-telemedicine-rockets-301387084.html SOURCE World Heart Federation [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] Wolters Kluwer Enablon Releases Version 9.3 of Vision Platform Software to Provide 360-Degree Risk Management for Asset-Intensive Enterprises CHICAGO, Sept. 28, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Managing risk is now easier for enterprises of all sizes, thanks to Version 9.3 of the Enablon Vision platform. Enablon today announces a brand-new release of its integrated risk management platform, adding enhancements in user navigation, deployment options, mobile use cases and cross-domain functionality: Version 9.3 of the Enablon Vision Platform enables customers to obtain a holistic view of risk across their enterprise, a mandatory requirement to increase operational excellence. Enablon is a Wolters Kluwer business and a global leader in Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance (ESG), Governance, Risk management, and Compliance (GRC), Environment, Health, Safety, and Quality (EHSQ) and Operational Risk Management (ORM) software solutions. Organizations now face growing pressure to conduct business in a more responsible, productive, and safe manner, says Laurent Dechaux, Vice President & Managing Director, Wolters Kluwer Enablon. Not only is there a shift in expectations from consumers and stakeholders for businesses to do no harm and contribute to a better world, but corporations also face pressure from the market to keep pace with digitization and embrace latest innovations to unlock the full potential of their business. Why is 360-Degree Risk Management important? Data that helps organizations monitor, report, and predict against requirements related to risk is often siloed and stored in disparate systems, and the information needed to make informed decisions is not available to those needing real-time visibility. Version 9.3 of the Enablon Vision platform covers the full range of activities involved with risk, from capturing, measuring, and refining to managing and predicting risk, in a single platform, with a single user interface and deployment. Organizations face challenges in the balance between being a good corporate citizen and being a productive business. To meet those needs, they need a platform that not only allows them to manage risk, but also to make the best decisions possible, says Rob Davis, Vice President of Product Management, Wolters Kluwer Enablon. Enablon is the only solution that covers and connects all types of enterprise risk, including operational, environmental, health, safety and quality. Version 9.3 enables our clients to get to the next level and break through the plateau that they are facing in terms of improving safety outcomes, improving operational excellence, efficiency and in making decisions to be more responsible. Top 5 Benefits of Enablon Vision Platform Version 9.3: Single sign-on and enhanced, consistent user interface and navigation: Navigate between capabilities across the platform using one set of credentials for easy access. Public cloud offering with more options for service continuity: Meet enterprise-class IT requirements through additional worldwide, public cloud deployment options. Save time in the field with new mobile functionality for Permit to Work and Incident Reporting. Drive collaboration between previously siloed teams with four cross-domain use cases to manage operational risk: Lessons learned from incidents delivered straight into operational frontline for better Control of Work planning Visualize EHS KPIs within Barrier Management for real-time view on leading indicators Access Bowtie view of risk from the centralized risk register in Risk Management to view level of control effectiveness Access Bowtie view of risk from Barrier Management for full real-time overview of barrier integrity combined with control effectiveness Address challenges in risk and operations by equipping staff with new expert solutions, including: Calculate aggregated control effectiveness from multiple indicators across the platform Integration with RiskLens to perform financial impact quantification of risks Leverage the Value Reporting Foundations SASB framework for ESG reporting through the integration of the SASB Standards and SASB Materiality Map into the Enablon Vision platform Version 9.3 is available now for new Enablon customers and as an upgrade for existing customers. For more information about Enablons products and solutions, visit www.enablon.com. About Enablon, a Wolters Kluwer business Enablon, a Wolters Kluwer business, is the worlds leading provider of integrated software solutions for risk and compliance; engineering and operations; environment, health, safety and quality (EHSQ) and sustainability. We help create a better world by making organizations responsible, productive and safe through innovative technology. Hundreds of industry-leading enterprises and millions of users worldwide rely on our solutions to minimize risks, increase worker safety, prevent incidents from happening, achieve regulatory compliance and reduce environmental impact. For more information, visit www.enablon.com, and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the healthcare; tax and accounting; governance, risk and compliance; and legal and regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2020 annual revenues of 4.6 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 19,200 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. For more information, visit www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Media Contact: Astrid Greve-Spencer Global Associate Director, Corporate Affairs and Communications Wolters Kluwer Enablon M: +1.708.427.8429 E: astrid.greve@wolterskluwer.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] California Tacos, Inc. Announces Plans to Acquire OnPlate Mobile App California Tacos, Inc announced today that it has entered into a binding Letter of Intent to acquire "OnPlate," a mobile app technology company. California Tacos owns and operates California Tacos Fast-Casual restaurants, Bandito Hot Sauce, and Bag-it-to-go Mobile app technology. Upon the closing of the transaction, scheduled for October 27th, 2021, California Tacos will merge Bag-it-to go mobile app technology with OnPlate and consolidate all mobile app technologies under the OnPlate technologies brand going forward. Robert Reynolds, CEO of California Tacos: "OnPlate has done an incredible job building their mobile app technology in a user-friendly, practical, and authentic way. We are excited to have OnPlate as our new foundational piece of our digital strategy as we continue to execute on our overall growth initiatives. Additionally, we believe this will also be a big boost in value to our start engine raise as it expedites our digital market strategy for immediate market deployment." (https://www.startengine.com/californiatacos) Scott Kelly, CEO of OnPlate: "When I assumed the role of CEO and moved the headquarters to Phoenix, I set a goal of taking the leading edge payment technology my partners built to scale. Joining the experienced team at California Tacos allows us to do just that. We are thrilled to a part of the team that Robert built." Kelly is also the CEO of Phoenix based accelerator Black Dog Venture Partners. (BlackDogVenturePartners.com) OnPlate will join the list of brands that California Tacos controls in the fast-casual, consumer packaged goods, and digital technology sectors. About OnPlate: Phoenix, AZ based OnPlate is a one-of-a-kind concierge, waiter, menu and payment processor, all wrapped into one easy-to-use mobile app. (OnPlate.app) About California Tacos, Inc. California Tacos is a fast casual Southern California-inspired Mexican restaurant with a fresh and simple menu. Through its diversified business model, California Tacos is able to participate in the wildly popular fast-casual restaurant concept, a consumer product goods distribution channel with proven flavor profiles for the Bandito Hot Sauce, and a disruptive mobile app technology offered to all independent restaurants for a low fee to keep them competitive in an ever changing market. (caltacos.com) If you would like to receive Company news directly to your inbox, you can signup at the company website. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928006163/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [September 28, 2021] BrainChip Podcast Explores Neuromorphic Computing with Industry Expert Michael Azoff BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN), (OTCQX: BRCHF), a leading provider of ultra-low power high performance artificial intelligence technology, today announced that industry expert Michael Azoff is the featured guest on this month's "This is our Mission" podcast. He joins BrainChip Vice President of Worldwide Sales Rob Telson to discuss neuromorphic computing in the AI space. The podcast will be available October 5 at 4 p.m. PDT across the company's podcast platforms and the BrainChip website. Azoff's work as an IT industry analyst covers software engineering topics from agile and DevOps to application lifecycle management and cloud-native computing. He began covering machine learning when deep learning emerged as a top of interest within artificial intelligence. Azoff and Telson cover a range of topics, including edge AI, neural network architectures, sensory-based applications, autonomous vehicles and more. "One of the best parts of doing this podcast series is talking to people with the passion, background and expertise in the very fields where BrainChip excels," said Telson. "Having someone like Michael be able to share his two decades of analyst coverage in the IT industry gives our audience great perspective in how neuromorphic computing will impact a wide scope of industries and applications. I'm eager for everyone to hear this engaging conversation and hopefully learn more about BrainChip's mission in revolutionizing AI at the edge." BrainChip's Akida brings artificial intelligence to the edge in a way that existing technologies are not capable. The solution is high-performance, small, ultra-low power and enables a wide array of edge capailities. The Akida (NSoC) and intellectual property can be used in applications, including Smart Home, Smart Health, Smart City and Smart Transportation. These applications include but are not limited to home automation and remote controls, industrial IoT, robotics, security cameras, sensors, unmanned aircraft, autonomous vehicles, medical instruments, object detection, sound detection, odor and taste detection, gesture control and cybersecurity. The BrainChip Podcast is a monthly event intended to provide company and industry insight for the engineering community in target markets, as well as analysts, technical and financial press and investors. Past podcast episodes are available to listen to at https://brainchipinc.com/brainchip-podcasts/. About BrainChip Holdings Ltd (ASX: BRN, OTCQX: BRCHF) BrainChip is a global technology company that is producing a groundbreaking neuromorphic processor that brings artificial intelligence to the edge in a way that is beyond the capabilities of other products. The chip is high performance, small, ultra-low power and enables a wide array of edge capabilities that include on-chip training, learning and inference. The event-based neural network processor is inspired by the spiking nature of the human brain and is implemented in an industry standard digital process. By mimicking brain processing BrainChip has pioneered a processing architecture, called Akida, which is both scalable and flexible to address the requirements in edge devices. At the edge, sensor inputs are analyzed at the point of acquisition rather than through transmission via the cloud to a data center. Akida is designed to provide a complete ultra-low power and fast AI Edge Network for vision, audio, olfactory and smart transducer applications. The reduction in system latency provides faster response and a more power efficient system that can reduce the large carbon footprint of data centers. Additional information is available at https://www.brainchipinc.com Follow BrainChip on Twitter (News - Alert) : https://www.twitter.com/BrainChip_inc Follow BrainChip on LinkedIn (News - Alert) : https://www.linkedin.com/company/7792006 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210928006111/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Sadly, it seems like the COVID era trend in local violence is that WOMEN ARE GETTING KILLED at an increasing rate. Worse still . . . Most of the victims are women of color. Accordingly, here's today's local homicide report . . . Homicide 8200 block of Forest This morning about 7:40am officers were dispatched to the area of 82nd and Forrest on a shooting call. When Officers arrived they located an adult female shooting victim unresponsive in the street at the entrance to the apartment complex there. Officers summoned EMS in for treatment, and they unfortunately declared her deceased here at the scene. Detectives and crime scene personnel are canvassing for witnesses and processing the scene for evidence to hopefully lead detectives to determine what led up to the shooting. Preliminary information indicates that a confrontation between an unknown male suspect and the shooting victim occurred in the street there that led to the victim being shot. Troost is closed to vehicle traffic in both directions as we are processing the scene and working with the residents in the area to get in and out to get to work and kids to school. If anyone saw anything here this morning or has any information they are asked to contact the Homicide Unit directly at 235-5043 or the TIPS hotline anonymously at 474-TIPS. There is a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to an arrest in this case. ############# Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news links . . . Woman dead in shooting near The Village apartments by: Juan Cisneros Posted: / Updated: KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Kansas City Police Department is on scene of a fatal shooting in the 8200 block of Forest Avenue. Officers were called to the area at about 7:40 a.m. on reports of a shooting. Woman shot to death Tuesday morning in south Kansas City, Missouri KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City, Missouri, police are investigating a deadly shooting Tuesday morning. A woman was shot to death around 7:45 a.m. in the 8200 block of Forest Avenue. The incident happened near an entrance to The Village Apartments off Troost Avenue. Kansas City police investigate after woman fatally shot in street Tuesday morning Kansas City police are investigating a fatal shooting Tuesday morning near 82nd Street and Forest Avenue.Police said officers were called to the area at about 7:40 a.m. and found a woman who had been shot lying in the street near the entrance to the apartment complex. Woman shot and killed in south Kansas City; police trying to find suspect KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- Police are trying to find the man who shot and killed a woman in south Kansas City on Tuesday morning. Officers responded to a shooting call at 7:40 a.m. at an area near the entrance of The Village Apartments off of Troost Avenue near East 82nd Street. Developing . . . A nationwide COVID labor shortage trend is finally hitting Kansas City. An urban core hospital now confronts pandemic culture war. Here's the sitch . . . A spokesperson for Truman Medical Centers said 39 of its employees would resign this week after making the decision to skip the vaccine. The hospital employees around 4,500 people. The hospital did not disclose the number of employees granted medical waivers. In a statement about the decision that was released in July, President and CEO Charlie Shields said it wanted to make sure it could care for the patients it needed to. TMC/UH wants to ensure we are doing everything possible to keep our patients, our workforce, and our community safe. In doing so, we recognize the importance of leading by example, Shields said. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news link . . . Employees to resign from Truman Medical Centers over vaccination mandate by: Heidi Schmidt Posted: / Updated: KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Thousands of employees working at Truman Medical Center/University Health are now required to be vaccinated. The hospital announced in July it would mandate all employees be fully vaccinated by Sept. 20, unless they had an approved medical waiver. Truman Medical Centers' vaccine mandate results in resignations KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Truman Medical Centers/University Health was the first medical center in the region to require staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Now, several employees are resigning from their positions this week because they do not wish to receive the vaccine. 39 workers resigning from TMC/UH after choosing 'not to comply' with vaccine mandate KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- A total of 39 workers will be resigning from Truman Medical Centers/University Health after choosing not to comply with the hospital's vaccine mandate. A spokesperson for TMC/UH said, "It's great that we are going to be keeping more than 99% of our staff. 39 to resign from Truman Medical Center/University Health over vaccine mandate breaking news is in Kansas city, two of the area's biggest employers will soon require their workers to get vaccinated. I'm kelly Ackerman and I'm laura moritz. It comes as the delta variant of the corona virus spreads in our area. Developing . . . It's unclear if policing youngsters for stupid online comments helps the local discourse or changes hearts and minds. However . . . Adults tracking the comments of youngsters is now a mainstream news trend and possibly a sign that Internets culture is soon to change and become more restrictive for EVERYONE. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news links . . . 2nd Johnson County school connected to racist poster KANSAS CITY, Mo. - A private Catholic school in Johnson County, Kansas, said it is investigating a racist poster made last week. St. James Academy Principal Shane Rapp told KSHB 41 News on Monday that the school notified its parents about the investigation around noon Saturday. Facebook Halts Plans for 'Instagram Kids' App After Backlash Facebook is tabling " Instagram Kids" for now - but at the same time, Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, says that launching an app for kids under 13 is still "the right thing to do." News of the Instagram Kids project came earlier this year, and it was swiftly bashed from several quarters. Here's one of many news items that makes TKC's life miserable . . . The demand for the booster isn't as great as the media is reporting. Very much like the vaxx, there are people who want it and would be glad to queue up and wait patiently for it . . . But, tragically, the vast majority of folks on local streets are too broke and busy to care about their health. And so . . . Once again it seems like we're going to have to endure a pointless charade over booster vaxx availability. It looks like MSM is dutifully working to play up anticipation and tension over booster shots when overall vaxx rates are pretty pathetic. Accordingly, tonight we gather a collection of info on the new dose and the mostly harmless conspiracy to make getting it extremely inconvenient. Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news links . . . COVID-19 booster shots arrive in the Kansas City metro for some Those who received the Pfizer vaccine may be eligible for a booster dose. The Johnson County Health Department began its first of two booster clinics on Monday to administer the doses.Within the first three hours of opening, the Johnson County Health Department's booster shot clinic at 6000 Lamar Ave. Local pharmacies busy giving out COVID-19 booster shots KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) -- Some pharmacies across the metro are packed with people getting their COVID-19 booster shot, while local health departments say they're holding off on giving out the third jab. The CDC guidelines on the Pfizer vaccine booster came out on Friday, and many local pharmacies started following the recommendations immediately. MO health officials update order to allow counties to provide vaccine boosters KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services late Monday updated is standing order to allow health departments across the state the ability to provide COVID-19 booster vaccinations. Earlier Monday, several area health departments said they were unable to provide the booster shots to eligible populations as recommended last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Platte, Clay, Jackson, Cass counties not yet offering COVID boosters PLATTE COUNTY, MO (KCTV) -- Today, the Platte County Health Department said that they are not yet able to give Pfizer COVID-19 booster shots. "Important information regarding Pfizer booster vaccines," a post from the department on Facebook said. "We are not yet able to offer Pfizer boosters, as we operate under standing orders from the Missouri Department of Health. Wyandotte County issues clarification about Pfizer booster shots KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The Wyandotte County Unified Government Public Health Department issued a statement Monday addressing confusion regarding access, availability and eligibility of the Pfizer COVID-19 booster shot. The department had four key messages for the public: Pfizer booster shots are available at its 7836 State Ave. Johnson County begins Pfizer booster shots for those 65 and older MISSION, Kan. - Johnson County public health workers started giving out booster shots of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Monday morning. The guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention leaves a lot of leeway for doctors to determine who should get a third shot. How the US vaccine effort derailed and why we shouldn't be surprised Dr Claudia Fegan's patient was a congenial, articulate and unvaccinated 27-year-old deli worker who contracted Covid-19 and became so ill he required at-home oxygen treatments. Now recuperating, he told his doctor his 64-year-old boss had been vaccinated, and she too was sickened with a "breakthrough" case. CDC director on Covid booster shots: 'I am not at all concerned about supply' Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky clarified her comments regarding Covid-19 booster shots after she told the Atlantic on Monday that she plans on getting a Covid booster shot, but wants to make sure those who are at higher risk get them first. Biden gets COVID-19 booster shot before cameras, pushes vaccinations President Joe Biden publicly received his COVID-19 booster shot on Monday afternoon as his administration promotes new booster guidance that has spurred some confusion among Americans on when to get a third dose. "Like I did with my first and second COVID-19 vaccination shot, I'm about to get my booster shot and do it publicly. Developing . . . Public health rules earn another court victory as this GOP Senate contender endures another setback. Moreover . . . It'll be hard to argue that a rural Missouri judge is a progressive in any real sense of the word. Check the deets that also offer a ray of hope for COVID mask critics . . . "Boone County Circuit Judge Brouck Jacobs also denied Schmitts motion for a class action as well as Columbia Public Schools (CPS) motion to dismiss the suit." Read more via www.TonysKansasCity.com news link . . . Boone County judge denies Schmitt's challenge to school mask mandates A Boone County judge denied Attorney General Eric Schmitt 's motion for a preliminary injunction in his effort to block mask mandates for public schools. Boone County Circuit Judge Brouck Jacobs also denied Schmitt's motion for a class action as well as Columbia Public Schools ' (CPS) motion to dismiss the suit. Judge denies Schmitt's request to immediately halt CPS mask mandate BOONE COUNTY Judge Brouck Jacobs denied the state's request to immediately halt Columbia Public Schools' mask mandate. The decision came Tuesday morning during the 2.5 hour hearing of Attorney General Eric Schmitt's lawsuit against the district at the Boone County Courthouse. Jacobs first denied CPS' request to dismiss the case totally. Developing . . . Hi all, hoping someone can clarify this for me with the upcoming changes to the covid rules because I cant make it out from the gov website and seems to give conflicting information. Im flying from Nassau Bahamas to London Heathrow and arrive on the 12th of December Ill be staying at the T5 Sofitel overnight and then leaving to fly to Iceland the next morning - this is with the same airline but under a different booking. Do I need to book the 2 and 8 day covid tests or are they not necessary as Ill just be in the hotel and wont be leaving the airport area to do anything. Im vaccinated but it isnt accepted in the UK because it was done in the Bahamas Good for: Special Occasion Dining, Romantic Dining options: Breakfast, After-hours, Dinner, Delivery, Reservations Description: We are running a thriving takeaway service during this Coronavirus Crisis!! Please see our website for the delicious and great value menu, and ordering/collection/payment details. Thank you! The Bathwick Boatman is a tranquil slice of gastronomic heaven, located just 10 minutes stroll from Bath's city centre on the picture-perfect banks of the River Avon. Run by husband and wife restaurateur team Ben and Rosy Hall, the restaurant is set in an old rowing club with beautiful river views and a cosy, rustic ambience. After training in Italy and Spain, Ben worked in Miami before returning home to Britain, and his simple, seasonal menu is full of robust flavours and represents good old-fashioned value for money. The Bathwick Boatman has a divine summer terrace, and is perched just above Bath's historic boating station, where you can hire a punt or a rowing boat for a post-meal paddle. Some online classes for forms four to six have ceased in Tobago. This, as a directive has co The Security Service of Ukraine has apprehended a former senior official of the Kyiv Armored Plant SE, who was in office in 2014 when he inflicted UAH 12 million losses to the state budget through corrupt schemes. Thats according to the SBU press center, Ukrinform reports The inquiry has learned the culprit set up an illegal mechanism of appropriation of funds allocated for military hardware modernization. To this end, he registered several fictitious firms in different regions across Ukraine and concluded sham contracts with them, transferred to these companies accounts funds designated for performing a state defense order. Payments were made either at inflated rates or for works never performed. This way, the funds were cashed and appropriated by conspirators involved in the scheme. According to preliminary estimates, over almost six months the scheme was active, the budget suffered losses in the amount of UAH 12 million. In late 2014, in order to avoid responsibility for his unlawful action, the ex-official fled to the non-government-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine, the SBU reports. Security operatives detained the perpetrator as he attempted to cross into the government-controlled area at the Stanytsia Luhanska checkpoint. Charges have been pressed against the suspect under Part 5 Art. 191 (grand misappropriation or embezzlement of assets, including through the abuse of office) and Part 2 Art. 366 (forgery in office) of the Criminal code of Ukraine. The Darnytsia District Court ruled to remand the suspect in custody pending inquiry. Further investigation is underway to identify the culprits accomplices. im As part of the strategic command and staff exercise Joint Efforts 2021, the Ukrainian military worked out launches of the Buk M1 anti-aircraft guided missiles. Thats according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports. As part of the strategic command and staff exercise Joint Efforts 2021, Buk M1 crews with the Shepetivka anti-aircraft missile regiment of the Zakhid (West) Air Command performed live fire launches on the VR 3 Reys unmanned aerial vehicles posing as targets, the statement reads. All targets have been destroyed, the press service wrote on Facebook. The General Staff noted the units efforts to improve their skills and capability to protect the country from external armed aggression. As Ukrinform reported earlier, the Joint Efforts 2021 strategic command and staff exercises is being held September 22-30. Up to 12,500 forces and more than 600 units of armaments and military equipment will take part in the drill, including up to 85 tanks; up to 420 armored combat vehicles; up to 50 missile and artillery systems,; up to 20 warships (boats); and up to 30 helicopters and warplanes. The Joint Efforts 2021 exercise involves troops from Canada, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Jordan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Romania, the UK, and the USA. Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine im The Ukrainian low-cost carrier SkyUp Airlines will again open a flight program from Kyiv to the island of Zanzibar (Tanzania) from October 23, 2021, the airlines press service reports. In particular, Kyiv-Zanzibar-Kyiv flights will be operated twice a week on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and from the beginning of 2022 the number of flights will increase to four per week. Tickets are already available on skyup.aero. To visit Zanzibar, Ukrainians need a visa. It can be issued upon arrival in the country at the airport. The visa is valid for 90 days. Travelers are now required to present a negative PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before crossing the border. In addition, tourists must complete the online form no later than 24 hours before crossing the border. As Ukrinform reported, SkyUp will start operating flights from Kyiv to France, Spain, and Italy in August. ish The development of a hydrogen economy could offer Ukraine a historic chance to become an important energy supplier for Germany, displacing Russia. The opinion was expressed by Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba who spoke at the Freedom of Speech panel show on ICTV, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "Thanks to 'green' hydrogen, Ukraine could become what Russia is to Germany in the gas sector. This is truly a historic opportunity, and it is very important to not waste it but build a relationship between Ukraine and Germany that will bring us to the forefront in their both foreign and domestic policy," Kuleba said. Read also: GTSOU joins Central European Hydrogen Corridor initiative As reported earlier, on August 22, the day Angela Merkel's visited Kyiv, Naftogaz of Ukraine and Germanys RWE Supply & Trading gas trader signed a memorandum of understanding in the field of hydrogen economy. Last year, the EU approved the Hydrogen Strategy for a Climate-Neutral Europe until 2050, designating Ukraine as a priority partner due to the potential for green hydrogen production and the availability of infrastructure connected to the EU. Hydrogen is a component of the Green Agreement in the transition from traditional energy sources to renewables. The required investment in such a transition is estimated for Ukraine at least $100 billion. im Ukraine's gas transmission system is well-maintained and ready to deliver gas to Europe at a full annual capacity of 146 billion cubic meters. Thats according to CEO of Gas TSO of Ukraine, Serhiy Makogon, who spoke at a virtual discussion"Nord Stream 2 and Turkish Stream 2: What should Europe do? held under the auspices of the Brussels-based European Policy Center (EPC), an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "Our gas transmission system is maintained in very good condition. We invest about $200 million annually in maintenance and repairs, and another $100 million to $200 million in capital investment. So we are investing a lot, and our system is ready to supply 146 billion cubic meters of gas, at full transit capacity. We never disconnected or decommissioned any of our compressor stations. So everything is ready for use at full capacity," said Makogon. The official stressed the fact that the capacity of the Ukrainian GTS significantly exceeds that of both lines of Russias Nord Stream (about 110 bcm - ed.), and that Gazprom doesnt use even half of the capacity Ukraine offers. Therefore, the Kremlin has initially eyed Nord Stream 2 as a geopolitical weapon to exert pressure on Ukraine and Europe, as well as to sow discord among EU member states. "The transformation of Nord Stream 2 into a weapon is not a hypothetical scenario, not a one-time event. This is a process that will begin as soon as the pipeline is operational. The situation is deteriorating from a political perspective, but no one can predict what other dramatic events may unfold once the EU attempts to respond. Most EU countries objected to the Nord Stream 2 construction, but this didnt stop the Kremlin from putting pressure as it sought to complete it at any cost," said the CEO of Gas TSO of Ukraine. "The decision to (allow Russia to - ed.) complete the project was a terrible idea. It was made under pressure, and is a demonstration of weakness, which both Germany and Europe will later regret," the Ukrainian official added. As Ukrinform reported earlier, over the last month gas prices in the EU energy markets have been growing steadily and have almost reached the psychological mark of $1,000 per 1,000 cubic meters. This is taking place against the background of the NS2s ongoing certification process, as well as Gazprom's refusal to supply additional gas volumes to the EU. As a result, the gas reserves in European gas storage facilities are currently only at about 73% of what is required to safely pass through the winter period. Agricultural and metal products are the most debatable issues in the talks on signing the free trade agreement between Ukraine and Turkey. "Why do the talks last so long? The deal itself was agreed upon 12 years ago. The text of the agreement has been written out. The problem is the amendments to it and the tariffs that will be applied to each of the groups of goods," Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Ambassador of Ukraine to Turkey Vasyl Bodnar said in the program "Informal Conversation" on Dom TV channel, Ukrinform reports. According to Bodnar, each of the parties fiercely defends its interests during the talks. "Both Ukraine and Turkey are large producers of agricultural and industrial goods, primarily, metal products. These are the two largest groups of goods that provoke such lengthy, to put it mildly, consultations. The problem is the balance between the impact on domestic and benefits from future trade. It needs to be achieved," Bodnar explained. He noted that Ukraine has a liberalized market, open to any group of goods. "The Turkish market is quite closed. Especially with regard to the agricultural group of goods. There are, of course, large producers who are not ready to let cheaper Ukrainian goods enter this market. At the same time, we know that Turkish tomatoes feel quite comfortable in Ukraine. We need to protect domestic producer who also has the right to sell the same tomatoes or wheat, or sunflower oil there. This is actually a large scope [of goods] which is somehow seen as a threat to the domestic market of Turkey," the Ambassador continued. The Ukrainian side has concerns about the light industry. "Turkey has a well-developed textile industry. Our industry is just rising. If we do not balance these interests now, our industry may not uprise because the prices offered by Turkish producers can bury it right away," Bodnar said. The deputy minister said that there are "quite a lot" of such nuances. "We should not just sign some document, we should reach the agreement that would stimulate trade," he said. According to him, it is difficult for Ukrainian producers to enter the markets of Turkey. "The internal regulation of the Turkish market simply does not allow for free competition. When it comes to [import] tariffs 180% for wheat or 120% for meat how can you compete? Or, for example, our alcohol. Its impossible to simply enter that market as it is very protected," Bodnar said. The Ambassador supposes that at some stage Ukraine will have to defend the interests of its producers in the domestic market with similar rigidity. As reported, in June Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba stated that Ukraine and Turkey had to take the last step before concluding the free trade agreement, which is the most important and sensitive one. Such a step requires a compromise on both sides. ol Ukraine's state defense conglomerate Ukroboronprom has presented the strategy for the development of Ukraine's shipbuilding industry until 2030. The presentation took place at the Ukrinform news agency on September 28. The strategy was developed by Ukroboronprom together with the Ukrsudprom Association of Shipbuilders of Ukraine. A detailed analysis of the state of military and civilian shipbuilding in Ukraine was conducted to draw up the strategy. Presenting the strategy, Viktor Plakhuta, Project Manager at Ukroboronprom, said that as of today, there are 18 ships in the Ukrainian Navy. In accordance with the National Security and Defense Council's decision on the development of the Ukrainian Navy until 2031, Ukraine plans to build patrol and artillery boats, missile boats, corvettes, and a frigate. The strategy states that a number of steps are needed to implement this decision. In particular, it is necessary to determine a central executive government body responsible for shipbuilding, to ensure maximum localization of production within joint projects with foreign partners, update the scientific and technical base and provide a system of cheap lending for long-term capital-intensive and science-intensive shipbuilding projects for the Ukrainian Navy. The development of the civilian fleet in Ukraine requires, first of all, the renewal of the fleet of ships. In total, 240 new ships need to be built for domestic needs. Ukroboronprom estimates that inland waterway transportation in Ukraine by 2030 could be increased to 30 million tonnes per year, which will potentially create 7,500 new jobs and annually bring an additional UAH 16.47 billion to the budget. To achieve such indicators, it is necessary to adopt a decision of the National Security and Defense Council on measures to develop the shipbuilding industry in Ukraine, amend the Customs and Tax Codes in accordance with this decision, adopt a decision of the National Security and Defense Council to ban ships manufactured in Russia, and to extend the effect of the law on state support for the shipbuilding industry. In order to increase competitiveness and attract investment in the industry, Ukroboronprom proposes to temporarily exempt from tax and customs burden the goods produced abroad that are used for shipbuilding, to temporarily exempt shipbuilding companies from paying taxes, and to restructure the debts of such companies to budgets and funds. Ukroboronoprom believes that the shipbuilding industry can be supported by transferring part of the net profit of the Ukrainian Sea Ports Authority to implement an investment program for the purchase of ships, attract an export credit agency to protect Ukrainian exporters, equalize the cost of rail and waterway transportation, and introduce a progressive incentive tax on vessels built over 30 years ago. "Together with Ukrsudprom, we have developed a draft shipbuilding development strategy, which has already been sent to the National Security and Defense Council and is being discussed today. We expect the project to be considered at the level of the National Security and Defense Council, which will allow shipbuilding companies to receive support from the state. This will create the necessary conditions for a comprehensive and systematic strategic development of shipbuilding in Ukraine in general," said Yuriy Husyev, CEO of Ukroboronprom. op Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Senik invited Kuwaiti entrepreneurs to invest in Ukraine. As the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine informs, Senik took part in the UkraineKuwait Investment Forum "Government Support for Investments in Ukraine" on September 28. The deputy foreign minister praised the growing interest of Kuwait and other Gulf states in investing in Ukraine, spoke about promising areas for investment and the introduction of specific instruments of state support for investors. Senik also stressed that promoting the development of bilateral and multilateral trade and investment cooperation was one of the priorities of the Foreign Ministry. During the forum, Executive Director of UkraineInvest Serhiy Tsivkach and Deputy Chairman of the State Property Fund of Ukraine Taras Yeleyko acquainted the participants with the Law of Ukraine On State Support of Investment Projects with Significant Investments in Ukraine and presented investment projects in Ukrainian mining, real estate, renewable energy sources, agriculture, information technology, and other areas. As noted, the UkraineKuwait Investment Forum "Government Support for Investments in Ukraine" took place in Kuwait on September 28 in the format of online workshop for Kuwaiti investment institutions, companies, and private investors. The investment forum was organized with the assistance of the Exporters and Investors Council under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Investment Promotion Office (UkraineInvest), and the State Property Fund of Ukraine. In January-July 2021, UkraineKuwait bilateral trade in goods totaled $17.47 million with the export of goods at $16.62 million and the import of goods at $0.85 million. The balance of trade in goods is positive for Ukraine and amounts to $15.77 million. ol Volodymyr Zelensky would lead a tete-a-tete with Vladimir Putin from offensive positions and create a discomforting situation for his counterpart. Thats according to Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba who spoke at the Freedom of Speech panel show on the ICTV, an Ukrinform correspondent reports. "The president of Ukraine is clearly aware of our red lines. If such a conversation had ever taken place, he would have led it from an offensive position, creating plenty of discomfort for President Putin in a one-on-one meeting, the diplomacy chief is convinced. According to the top diplomat, such a meeting would be appropriate if it contributed to achieving peace in Ukraine. The minister also noted that it would not hurt the Normandy Four format in any way. Kuleba stressed Zelenskys absolute readiness for such conversation precisely because the Ukrainian leader understands really well the tricks Moscow is capable of. "Certainly, Russia manipulates and lies. It is cynical and it has no sentimental principles for negotiations. But there is no other Russia, and there is a war out there, and there is Russian aggression against Ukraine. Therefore, whatever Russia is, we need to speak with them, Kuleba stressed. As Ukrinform reported earlier, on April 20, Zelensky addressed Putin, inviting him to meet "anywhere in the Ukrainian Donbas where the war is ongoing." In two days, Putin said he was ready to meet with Zelensky in Moscow, but that the issue of ending the war in eastern Ukraine would be discussed only after the Ukrainian authorities held talks with the leaders of the so-called DPR and LPR, Russian-controlled and internationally-unrecognized statelets controlling parts of eastern Ukraine. In May, Mykhailo Podoliak, an adviser to the head of the President's Office, said his chief Andriy Yermak was working to set up a meeting between the Ukrainian and Russian presidents. In June, Zelensky said in a televised interview that a "ball is on Russia's pitch" when it comes to a possible meeting with Putin. Photo: Forum Ukraine 30 im The Kremlin's statements about the limited capacity to inject gas into European underground storage facilities are part of continued blackmail aimed to ensure Nord Stream 2s successful certification despite its failure to comply with EU regulations. Thats according to Yuriy Vitrenko, Chairman of the Board of Naftogaz of Ukraine, Ukrniform reports. The Kremlin says it is allegedly ready to supply more gas to Europe, claiming that the issue is the limited capacity to inject gas into Europes underground storage facilities. This is a continued effort to blackmail Europe over Nord Stream 2. They claim you wont have enough time to pump enough gas ahead of winter so let us launch this pipeline without full compliance with EU rules," Vitrenko wrote. Read also: Naftogaz expects new supervisory board to be elected by December The head of Naftogaz notes that Ukraine has sufficient capacity available in its USFs at about 10 billion cubic meters. In addition, gas can be pumped into Ukrainian USFs after the heating season starts, provided that supplies from Russia increase. "Therefore, Gazprom should allow European companies to receive gas at the Russian-Ukrainian border so that they can then pump more gas into our storage facilities," Vitrenko said. He also stressed that Gazprom, contrary to European rules, is effectively blocking access of third parties to gas pipelines laid from Russia to the EU. Background Russia's gas monopoly Gazprom on September 10 announced the completion of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, laid from Russia to Germany along the bottom of the Baltic Sea, thus bypassing Ukraine. Russias Gazprom is a sole shareholder in the project. Germany's Federal Network Agency has been reviewing since September 8 the Nord Stream 2 certification application, filed by the operator, Nord Stream 2 AG. Ukraine, Poland, the Baltic countries, and the United States have opposed the pipeline. The German side assures it will do everything to ensure that Ukraine retains its transit role, expecting from Russia guarantees that the gas transit contract with Ukraine be extended after the current 5-year deal, signed in December 2019, expires. im During his visit to New York, President Zelensky did not raise the issue of the involvement of UN peacekeepers in resolving the situation in eastern Ukraine. "The Ukrainian side is set against a frozen conflict. Therefore, the issue of possible deployment of blue helmets was not discussed [by Zelensky at UN]. And now, I think, we are not at the stage to discuss this question," Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak said in the program "Freedom of Speech" on the ICTV channel, an Ukrinform correspondent reported. Indeed, the United Nations has forces under its auspices to maintain peace but "in order to maintain peace, it must be achieved," Yermak noted. "And in order to achieve it, we need to sit down at the negotiating table directly with the party to the conflict, which does not recognize itself as a party to the conflict, and reach agreements on the cessation of war, on the start of the return of our occupied territories," he said. As reported, in September 2019, President Zelensky stated that he would support the presence of UN peacekeepers on the border with Russia but not in the territory of Ukraine. ol In Brussels, Ukraine's Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Olga Stefanishyna met with Secretary General of European External Action Service (EEAS) Stefano Sannino to discuss issues of preparations for the EU-Ukraine Summit, which is to be held in Kyiv on October 12. Ukrinform reports this with a reference to the European integration portal. Olga Stefanishyna informed her European counterpart about Ukraine's progress in achieving the objectives of the Association Agreement. "Ukraine and the EU can strengthen the potential of the Association Agreement. The joint review of achieving objectives of the Agreement should define sectors where we can achieve more, Stefanishyna stressed. The official noted significant progress in bringing the Ukrainian legislation closer to the rules of European Union law. In particular, she outlined the priority European integration legislative initiatives recently agreed and approved by the Government to accelerate sectoral integration. In addition, the parties discussed the possibility of strengthening cooperation between Ukraine and the EU in the field of security, among other things, Ukraine's involvement in the initiatives of the EU Common Security and Defense Policy, primarily Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). Olga Stefanishyna agreed with Stefano Sannino on the next steps for a joint review of the Agreement after the presentation of internal assessments on the sidelines of the forthcoming summit. The parties also agreed on some political positions on non-recognition of the elections to the State Duma of the Russian Federation in Crimea, continuation of the sanctions regime imposed against Russia and joint actions within the framework of Crimea platform. For his part, the Secretary General of the EEAS praised Ukraine's presentation of the assessment of the Agreement and assured the Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister of further close cooperation and support for European integration reforms in Ukraine. As Ukrinform reported, on September 27-28, Stefanishyna is on a working visit to Brussels as part of preparations for the Ukraine-EU summit. iy Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine Oleksiy Reznikov believes that the Normandy format should be preserved by involving other countries in it. "We need to preserve the Normandy format and give it a chance. But this does not mean that other partners cannot join this format. We are completely open. We talk not about narrowing but, on the contrary, about expanding the format," Reznikov said in the program "Freedom of Speech" on the ICTV channel, an Ukrinform correspondent reported. He noted that Ukraine needed various alliances that would strengthen our country. The Deputy Prime Minister told how he had recently discussed this issue with his colleagues from France and Germany and explained to them that Ukraine did not criticize the Normandy format. According to him, "we are satisfied with this format, but Ukraine criticizes the result which has not been achieved in seven years" because the war is not over, Russia has not withdrawn its troops and has not liberated the occupied Ukrainian territory. As reported, Reznikov stated that the participation of the United States as the OSCE member and the guarantor of the Budapest Memorandum was possible and acceptable at the level of the Normandy format and the Trilateral Contact Group. ol The speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the 76th session of the UN General Assembly was one of the most anticipated and had a powerful effect, Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak has said. He said this on the Freedom of Speech program on the ICTV channel on Monday, September 27, the presidential press service reported. "There was a lot of attention [to the president's speech at the General Assembly]. We received a lot of messages and calls -- from the U.S. Department of State, from the White House, from European partners -- with very warm words of support and impressions from the president's speech. This had a very powerful effect," Yermak said. According to him, Zelensky in his speech emphasized the need to reform the UN in order to increase its effectiveness, because this issue is long overdue. "The president said the worst thing would be the UN turning into a League of Nations or a 'retired superhero.' Today, the challenges facing the world community are such that it is very important to change things like the abuse of the veto that we have seen in recent years, or the lack of equality between countries. The values and ideology with which the UN was created must be returned," Yermak said. He noted that it was very important for residents of the occupied Crimea to hear Zelensky's words from the rostrum of the UN General Assembly about the need to return the peninsula to Ukraine's control. Yermak stressed that Ukraine expects the United Nations to sign the declaration of the Crimea Platform summit. "We know how successful and powerful the Crimea Platform summit was, and how many delegations were present. The signature of the United Nations has not yet appeared, but the right to sign [the declaration] is open, and I think that over time there will be more participants and signatories of the declaration," he added. Zelensky arrived on a working visit to the United States on September 20 to participate in the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. On September 21, Zelensky took part in the opening of the session, and on September 22, he addressed the UN General Assembly. Photo: President's Office The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has summoned Hungarian Ambassador Istvan Ijgyarto over the signing by Hungary of a new gas supply contract with Russia's Gazprom, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko has told Ukrinform. He also confirmed that the Hungarian Foreign Ministry had summoned Ukrainian Ambassador in Budapest Liubov Nepop over the situation surrounding the contract. "I can confirm that the Ukrainian ambassador in Budapest has been summoned. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry similarly summoned the Hungarian ambassador to Kyiv to convey our principled position that gas transportation bypassing Ukraine undermines our country's national security and Europe's energy security. Hungary's new contract with Gazprom strikes a serious blow to Ukrainian-Hungarian relations," Nikolenko said. According to him, "the Ukrainian side will take decisive measures to protect its national interests." Earlier, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that the Hungarian Foreign Ministry was summoning the Ukrainian ambassador because of a dispute over Budapest's contract with Gazprom. Hungary agreed with Russia on all terms for a new long-term gas supply contract to enter into force on October 1. The issue concerns the supply of Russian natural gas bypassing Ukraine. Hungary will receive 3.5 billion cubic meters per year through Serbia and one billion cubic meters through Austria. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said it was initiating the postponement of a meeting of the joint Ukrainian-Hungarian intergovernmental commission on economic cooperation due to Hungary's signing of a gas supply contract with Gazprom. op Head of the Ukrainian World Congress (UWC) Human Rights Commission, Borys Wrzesnewskyj, together with representatives of the UWC Offices in Toronto, Kyiv, and Brussels, met with Permanent Representative of the President of Ukraine in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and Head of the Crimea Platform Office Anton Korynevych. According to a report on the UWC website, the meeting was also attended by Deputy Permanent Representative Tamila Tasheva and the Permanent Representatives Office staff. During the meeting, the parties discussed cooperation and coordination of efforts between the UWC and the Permanent Representatives Office at the international level to implement the Crimea Platform, primarily in terms of protection of human rights in Russian-occupied Crimea. The parties have also discussed the current situation in the peninsula and a new wave of terror, launched by the Russian Federation against the Crimean Tatar People," the report says. In addition, Anton Korynevych told the UWC representatives about the structure and the work of the Crimea Platform Offices in Kyiv and in Kherson, their general working plans and priorities in the process of de-occupation of Crimean Peninsula. In his turn, Borys Wrzesnewskyj informed the colleagues about the UWC Human Rights Commissions working plans and planned events, such as legislative hearings in a number of countries regarding the current state of human rights in the Crimea and persecutions of members of the Crimean Tatar and Ukrainian communities. The parties agreed about permanent cooperation, aimed at successful implementation of the Crimea Platform action plan, joint international advocacy for maintaining and strengthening sanctions against Russia, bringing to justice those responsible for blatant violations of human rights, and at releasing the Ukrainian political prisoners in Russia, the report says. The signing by Hungary of a new gas agreement with Russia seems to have caught Ukraine off its guard Yesterday came the reports of Budapest sealing with Russia's Gazprom a long-term contract for natural gas supplies bypassing Ukraine. Against the backdrop of an impending crisis over the Kremlin's barely concealed plans to make full use of Nord Stream 2 as a hybrid energy weapon against Ukraine's gas transmission system, Hungary's move looks insidious, to say the least. It should be noted that this is not the first time over the recent years that Hungary has created certain problems for Ukraine in the foreign policy arena. Being a NATO member state, the country has been blocking the NATO-Ukraine Commission meetings, demanding changes to Ukraine's legislation on the state language and national minorities. However, both sides pursued the dialogue, and Kyiv until the last moment tried to find a compromise solution without harming own national interests. But in the case of the Russian gas deal, things are different. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine reacted immediately to the news, stating it considered Budapest's step "purely political and economically unviable decision taken in favor of the Kremlin," adding that the move failed to comply with the principles of the Treaty on Good Neighborliness and Cooperation between Ukraine and Hungary of December 6, 1991. Moreover, it was stressed that "the Hungarian-Russian gas agreement will have a significant impact on the energy security of Ukraine and Europe. Peter Szijjarto / novinite.ru Ukraine's harsh statement did not go unanswered. Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has criticized Ukraine for an "unfriendly" statement, which he considers an attempt at meddling which threatens his countrys "energy sovereignty." He also dismissed any political pretext behind the Russian gas supply contract, saying "houses cant be heated by political statements." The Ukrainian ambassador was summoned to the foreign ministry, while Kyiv did a mirror move, conveying to the envoy "a principled position: transmitting gas bypassing Ukraine undermines our country's national security and Europe's energy security." In fact, it is obvious who is actually managing this game against Ukraine, putting into Budapest's hands an "energy knife" for an unexpected stab in Kyivs back. The Russian Federation is gradually approaching its strategic goal of reducing and potentially abandoning gas transit via Ukraine, stripping the country of hefty transit fees and untying own hands for further aggression, including through the infamous "gas wars," upping its game to which Ukraine may just not be ready. The new agreement between Hungary's MVM Group and Russia's Gazprom, signed for 15 years, provides for an annual supply of 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas, including 3.5 bm through Serbia and another 1 bcm through Austria. The contract was signed against the background of Russia-orchestrated gas shortages in the EU and significant energy price hikes ahead of the winter period. At the same time, Gazprom demonstratively refused to reserve additional capacities of the Ukrainian GTS for the next period. In preparing the agreement with the Hungarian side, Russia certainly took into account the country's dependence on Russian gas, offering a comfortable price and prospects of additional profits from the resale, as well as likely political dividends. In fact, stable supplies are expected to help the current government, run by Viktor Orban, receive certain electoral benefits in the run-up to next spring's parliamentary elections. Viktor Orban / Xinhua News Agency/PA Images In general, the Hungarian prime minister has long lobbied for Russia in Europe, including in terms of energy issues. While Brussels introduced a package of sanctions over Russias aggression against Ukraine, Budapest has been pursuing a path of further strengthening economic and political ties with Moscow. In 2015, after meeting in Budapest with the Russian President Vladimir Putin, Orban said he would not be supporting the EU's energy integration plans as Hungary was about to sign a more flexible gas contract with Russia. In addition to gas supplies, Hungary remains dependent on Russia in nuclear energy, as it is with Rosatom that an agreement has been signed to expand the Paks Nuclear Power Plant, whose four units already produce more than 40% of all power consumed in the country. By the way, the deal wasnt recalled even when research showed that the site where the new reactors were to be built was in fact located on an active seismic fault line. As reported by the Austrian Federal Environmental Agency, the area "shall be considered unfit" for the construction of nuclear facilities. Today, the new gas contract will further increase Russia's influence in Hungary, which in turn could lead to a deeper political crisis in Hungary due to the escalation of conflict between Eurosceptics in government and the pro-EU opposition. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian government has already stated readiness to apply to the European Commission to assess the new Hungarian-Russian gas agreement for compliance with EU energy legislation. In general, the current situation in the European gas market may progress into another gas crisis with severe economic implications for the whole bloc. It is unclear whether the EU will be able to avoid a repeat of Russia's 2009 blackmail scenario. Recently, a leading researcher with the Atlantic Council, Agnia Grigas, noted that the EU, unfortunately, seems to have a short memory and might lack long-term thinking. Despite the fact that the bloc has adopted its own Energy Strategy, it somehow forgot that Nord Stream 2 contradicts the fundamental principles of this document, according to Grigas. Meanwhile, pushing for a positive result of Nord Stream 2s certification in Europe, Russia will certainly continue to blackmail the European Union, creating the impression that the new pipe is the only option to seal stable supplies, as well as compromising the Ukrainian gas transmission system. In turn, Naftogaz CEO Yuriy Vitrenko earlier explained that, once launching Nord Stream 2, Gazprom could transfer to the new pipeline gas volumes that are currently flown through Ukraine. "So therell be no additional gas; its just a change of routes," Vitrenko said, emphasizing that the gas shortage in Europe can be avoided by forcing the Russian energy giant to allow European companies to buy fuel at the reception point on the Russian-Ukrainian border so that they can further book transit via Ukraine on their own. However, Gazprom is refusing to move the gas reception point, further tightening Russias hybrid energy grip on Europe and gradually moving toward their goal of destroying Ukraine's GTS Including through insidious bilateral deals with certain European consumers. Yevgeny Matyushenko *The authors views and opinions do not necessarily reflect the position of the agency. A Ukrainian-language audio guide was launched at the Museum of Macedonian Struggle in Skopje, North Macedonia. This is the first Ukrainian-language audio guide in this country and the 29th launched globally within the initiative of President's wife Olena Zelenska, the press service of the Presidents Office informed on August 26. "Ukrainian-language audio guides aim to make international cultural heritage accessible to our compatriots, and Ukrainian language notable to foreigners. Today we launch the 29th audio guide in our network. Each of them is an important part of the cultural diplomacy project, and I see them as confident steps in developing Ukraine's image in the world," said the First Lady. The Museum of Macedonian Struggle presents more than 3,000 ancient exhibits related to the historical and cultural traditions of the people, the struggle for liberation, and the creation of an independent state. In addition, according to the Presidents Office, it contains works by Ukrainian artists: a quarter of the paintings from the museum collection were created by Oleksiy Kulakov, Larysa Bondarenko, and Natalia Papirna. As noted, the wax statues of prominent Macedonian historical figures, presented in the museum, were also made by Ukrainian masters. "The launch of a Ukrainian-language audio guide will allow tourists from Ukraine, who travel to this friendly Balkan country increasingly often, to better understand the identity and the path of development of the Macedonian people," the Presidents Office stressed. The Ukrainian-language audio guides have already been launched in Greece, Kenya, Great Britain, France, Austria, and other countries. ol | By January Payne A new study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, finds a single dose of typhoid conjugate vaccine (TCV) the only typhoid vaccine licensed for children as young as 6 months is safe and 84 percent effective in protecting against typhoid in Blantyre, Malawi. These are the first efficacy results from Africa and part of a five-year, multi-country project to accelerate introduction of TCV. The findings are critical as typhoid is an increasing public health threat across sub-Saharan Africa due to the emergence and spread of multi-drug resistant strains, which are now common in Malawi. An estimated 1.2 million typhoid cases and 19,000 deaths occur each year in sub-Saharan Africa, which includes Malawi. The vast majority of these infections occur in school-age and preschool children. The study is being conducted through a partnership between the University of Maryland School of Medicines (UMSOM) Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD), the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust (MLW), and Blantyre Malaria Project (BMP) in Blantyre, Malawi. The work is part of the Typhoid Vaccine Acceleration Consortium (TyVAC) a larger effort led by CVD, the Oxford Vaccine Group at the University of Oxford, and PATH. TyVAC aims to accelerate the introduction of TCV as part of an integrated approach to reduce the burden of typhoid in countries eligible for support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended TCV for children 6 months of age and older in typhoid endemic settings. The new study found that the vaccine prevented typhoid in Malawi where the incidence of typhoid is high. This helps to pave the way for additional countries to introduce TCV, making it available to all children. Our only real option to controlling these new resistant strains of typhoid in a timely way is through the vaccine, said Professor Melita Gordon, University of Liverpool, MLW, and principal investigator for the Malawi study. The TCV efficacy data are the first from Africa and offer great promise for the control of this deadly disease across the continent. The analysis included more than 28,000 children 9 months to 12 years in Blantyre, Malawi half received TCV and half received the control, group-A meningococcal (MenA) vaccine. Blood tests performed on children with febrile illness occurring at least two weeks after receiving a study vaccine confirmed typhoid in 10 children in the TCV group and 61 who received MenA. TCV was effective in all age groups, including children under age 5. Typhoid is a bacterial infection caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi and is a serious threat in many low- and middle-income countries. While typhoid is treatable, the effects can go beyond illness and death. Typhoid can impair physical and cognitive development in children, affect school attendance and performance, limit productivity, and reduce earning potential. Kathleen Neuzil, MD, MPH TCVs have the potential to protect millions of children disproportionately impacted by typhoid. We hope these much-needed data catalyze additional countries to introduce this lifesaving vaccine, said Kathleen Neuzil, MD, MPH, the Myron M. Levine, MD, DTPH, Professor in Vaccinology at UMSOM. Neuzil is also the director of CVD and principal investigator for TyVAC. Prevention of typhoid with vaccines is critical amid rising antimicrobial resistance. The TyVAC study in Africa helps inform a countrys decision to introduce TCV into their national childhood immunization program to combat the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance occurring globally. These findings highlight the burden of typhoid illness and the remarkable impact of a single dose of TCV in improving the health of children in low- and middle-income countries, said E. Albert Reece, MD, PhD, MBA, executive vice president for medical affairs, University of Maryland, Baltimore, and the John Z. and Akiko K. Bowers Distinguished Professor and dean, UMSOM. CVD has again harnessed the power of partnership to address the globes most pressing problems. TyVAC is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Typbar TCV is licensed by Bharat Biotech International Limited, Hyderabad, India. About the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine For over 40 years, researchers in the Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD) have worked domestically and internationally to develop, test, and deploy vaccines to aid the worlds underserved populations. CVD is an academic enterprise engaged in the full range of infectious disease intervention from basic laboratory research through vaccine development, pre-clinical and clinical evaluation, large-scale pre-licensure field studies, and post-licensure assessments. CVD has created and tested vaccines against cholera, typhoid fever, paratyphoid fever, non-typhoidal Salmonella disease, shigellosis (bacillary dysentery), Escherichia coli diarrhea, nosocomial pathogens, tularemia, influenza, coronaviruses, malaria, and other infectious diseases. CVDs research covers the broader goal of improving global health by conducting innovative, leading research in Baltimore and around the world. Our researchers are developing new and improved ways to diagnose, prevent, treat, control, and eliminate diseases of global impact, including COVID-19. In addition, CVDs work focuses on the ever-growing challenge of antimicrobial resistance. (@FahadShabbir) The Hungarian Foreign Ministry summoned the Ukrainian ambassador in light of Kiev's reaction to Budapest's decision to sign a long-term gas supplies contract with Russian gas giant Gazprom, Bloomberg news agency reported on Tuesday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2021) The Hungarian Foreign Ministry summoned the Ukrainian ambassador in light of Kiev's reaction to Budapest's decision to sign a long-term gas supplies contract with Russian gas giant Gazprom, Bloomberg news agency reported on Tuesday. On Monday, the Hungarian government and Gazprom signed a contract for supplies of 4.5 billion cubic meters of gas annually until the end of 2036. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry expressed disappointment with the contract to supply gas in circumvention of Ukraine, saying this undermines positive trends in relations with Hungary. Kiev plans to appeal to the European Commission. Today (28th September 2021), Gold Rates in Pakistan is 95,000 per 10 grams, and the rate of Gold is 110,900 per tola. See prices of 22k, 24k, 21k and 18 karat Gold Prices of all cities here. Gold Rate in Pakistan today on 28th September 2021 - Per Tola Gold Rate in Pakistan today is 110,900 for 24-Karat, 101,565 for 22-Karat. Per 10 gram Gold Rate in Pakistan today is 95,000 for 24-Karat, 87,083 for 22-Karat. UrduPoint brings you the latest prices for gold rates, silver rates on a daily basis and updates the rates every hour. Gold Rate in Pakistan Today Karachi is the center of the gold market in Pakistan because Gold prices are set by the Karachi Sarafa Market. All other cities set the gold price according to the Karachi Sarafa Bazar Association for Gold Price. According to the below table, the gold rates in different cities such as Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Quetta, Multan and Peshawar are the same. Location 24k 10g 24k per tola 22k 10g Pakistan Rs 95,000 Rs 110,900 Rs 87,083 Karachi Rs 95,000 Rs 110,900 Rs 87,083 Lahore Rs 95,000 Rs 110,900 Rs 87,083 Islamabad Rs 95,000 Rs 110,900 Rs 87,083 Rawalpindi Rs 95,000 Rs 110,900 Rs 87,083 Peshawar Rs 95,000 Rs 110,900 Rs 87,083 Quetta Rs 95,000 Rs 110,900 Rs 87,083 Sialkot Rs 95,000 Rs 110,900 Rs 87,083 US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen held a call with European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis to discuss international tax reforms and to halt the practice of governments undercutting each other on tax rates, the Treasury Department said Tuesday WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2021) US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen held a call with European Trade Commissioner Valdis Dombrovskis to discuss international tax reforms and to halt the practice of governments undercutting each other on tax rates, the Treasury Department said Tuesday. "Secretary Yellen emphasized the importance of advancing global tax reform efforts in the OECD/G20 discussions on international taxation and expressed that the Biden-Harris Administration is pleased with the progress the U.S. Congress is making to strengthen the US international tax rules," a Treasury readout of the call said. It added that Yellen also expressed her appreciation to Dombrovskis and the European Commission for their dedication "to leveling the playing field to end the race to the bottom in global corporate taxation". The talks came as Yellen continued to lobby international authorities to revamp the global tax system and create a more equitable structure to prevent countries from shrinking tax rates and deregulating the business environment to attract large multinational businesses to concentrate operations on their soil. The Group of Seven countries agreed in June to impose a global minimum tax on corporate foreign earnings. The pact was later supported by 134 countries representing more than 90% of the world's gross domestic product. The Philippines has approved Covid-19 jabs for children as young as 12, an aide to President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday, as the country battles surging infections fuelled by the hyper-contagious Delta variant. Manila, Sept 28 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2021 ) :The Philippines has approved Covid-19 jabs for children as young as 12, an aide to President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday, as the country battles surging infections fuelled by the hyper-contagious Delta variant. Duterte's government has been skewered over the glacial rollout of vaccines, with just over a quarter of the adult population fully vaccinated nearly seven months after the first doses were delivered. The daily case rate has soared, often exceeding 20,000, with hospitals struggling to handle the influx of patients as vaccine supplies dribble into the country. (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 29th Sep, 2021) ABU DHABI, 28th September 2021 (WAM) - Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi, Minister of State for Defence Affairs, received today General Belkhir Al Farouk, Inspector General of the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces, in the presence of and Lt. General Hamad Mohammed Thani Al Rumaithi, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Matar Salem Al Dhaheri, Under-secretary of the Ministry of Defence and senior officers. During the meeting, Al Bowardi discussed with General Al Farouk fraternal relations between the two countries and ways to enhance cooperation, particularly in military and defence fields. They also exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest. (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 28th Sep, 2021) ABU DHABI, 28th September 2021 (WAM) - The Inspector General Of The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces General Belkhair El Farouk visited on Tuesday Wahat Al Karama, Abu Dhabis national and cultural landmark designed to commemorate the sacrifices and heroic deeds of UAE martyrs to defend their homeland and protect its achievements. Upon his arrival, he was welcomed by Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Executive Director of the Martyrs' Families' Affairs Office, at the Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's Court. He attended the Guard of Honour ceremony, then laid a wreath at Martyrs' Monument, made up of 31 panels leaning on one another in a symbol of solidarity between the leadership, people and soldiers of the UAE. Afterwards he went on a tour of Wahat Al Karama, where he was briefed by Sheikh Khalifa bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan about the different sections in Wahat Al Karama, which symbolises the bravery and heroism of UAE heroes, as well as the nations noble values. El Farouk wrote in the visitors log, expressing his utmost respect and appreciation for the brave martyrs of the UAE. (@ChaudhryMAli88) DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 28th Sep, 2021) The UAE government has announced that it will organise the "Great Narrative" meeting, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum (WEF), in Dubai on 11-12 November 2021. The meeting that brings together the worlds leading thinkers and futurists to exchange views and develop long-term perspectives that can help guide the creation of a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable future for all. Mohammad Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, stated that the "Great Narrative" meeting represents another milestone in the ever-growing partnership between the United Arab Emirates and the World Economic Forum, and reflects the critical role of global cooperation in mapping future trends, in order to build thriving communities and promote future readiness. He further noted that the UAE government, under the leadership of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, is keen to actively participate in this global dialogue to help communities, individuals and governments co-create a better future and more diversified economy that can deliver sustainable development and shared prosperity for future generations. On his part, Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, said, "The pandemic has revealed the acute need to focus on the future and long-term health of our societies. The Great Narrative initiative and meeting in Dubai will be a powerful catalyst to shape the contours of a more prosperous and inclusive future for humanity that is also more respectful of nature. I thank Minister Al Gergawi and the UAE government for their support of this initiative that addresses the unprecedented challenges facing todays world." The event will bring together global thinkers and experts from a variety of disciplines including futurology, genetics, health, telemedicine, space, economy, business, urbanisation, environment, climate changes, amongst others. The inspiring discussions and outcomes of the two-day meeting will be shared in a forthcoming book "The Great Narrative". (@FahadShabbir) Rabat, Sept 28 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Sep, 2021 ) :Algeria on Tuesday repatriated around 40 Moroccan migrants across a long-shuttered land border crossing opened exceptionally for the purpose, a Moroccan NGO said. "The Algerian authorities handed around 40 migrants to their Moroccan counterparts via the Zouj Beghal land crossing, which was opened specifically," said Hassan Amari, head of the Association for Helping Migrants in Difficulty. He said the group had written to the Algerian authorities asking them to release seven detained Moroccans at the request of their families, but that "to our surprise, they repatriated 40 people". The Moroccan authorities sent buses to take the migrants home, he said. The exceptional opening of the border, closed since a 1994 diplomatic crisis, comes amid a new round of tensions between the North African rivals. Morocco's King Mohammed VI in July called for the two nations' land borders to be reopened. But Algeria in August cut off diplomatic ties with Algeria in protest at what it said were "hostile actions", charges the kingdom denied. Morocco's long northern coast, some parts of which are visible from mainland Spain, has long been used by migrants from Morocco and beyond as a launchpad for bids to reach Europe by sea. But "some end up in Algeria after their boats get lost, and they are arrested," Amari said. (@FahadShabbir) Sarajevo, Sept 28 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2021 ) :Bosnian Serbs want to form their own army, their political leader has said, in a move that could further exacerbate a political crisis that erupted with the boycott of the Balkan country's main political institutions by the Serbs. "We will withdraw consent for the (joint) army" in a vote in the Republika Srpska parliament, Milorad Dodik, who is the Serb member of Bosnia's presidency, said late Monday. The move could be decided "in the next few days" and the army of the Republika Srpska could be set up "within a few months," he told reporters. Bosnia's joint presidency comprises three members -- a Croat, Serb and Muslim -- and is the commander of the country's armed forces. Since the end of 1992-1995 war, which claimed some 100,000 lives, Bosnia is made up of two semi-independent parts -- the Serb-run Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat Federation, linked by weak central institutions, including a presidency and a joint army. Set up in 2006 under pressure from the international community, the Bosnian army currently has around 10,000 soldiers and civilian employees. Its creation was seen as a crucial step towards Bosnia's territorial integrity, which Dodik has frequently challenged. However, the Croat member of the presidency, Zeljko Komsic, hit out at Dodik's proposals. "It is a criminal act of rebellion," he told Sarajevo radio on Tuesday. Dodik has frequently called for secession of the Republika Srpska, arguing that Bosnia was an "experiment by the international community" and an "impossible, imposed country". Since July, Bosnian Serbs have been boycotting the country's main political institutions in protest over a ban on genocide denial imposed by the then international community's top envoy to the country, Austrian Valentin Inzko. The current top envoy, German politician Christian Schmidt, has wide executive powers allowing him to impose laws and sack elected officialsThe 1995 massacre of more than 8,000 Muslim males in Srebrenica by Bosnian Serb forces has been deemed genocide by international courts. But Serb leaders usually deny that the atrocity amounted to genocide, instead calling it a "great crime". Montreal, Sept 28 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Sep, 2021 ) :Canada's second-largest pension fund said Tuesday it will withdraw from investing in the oil sector by the end of 2022. The move was part of a larger commitment to make the Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec (CDPQ) portfolio of investments "net-zero by 2050," senior managers told a news conference. The fund will also offer financial help to companies in its portfolio, which is worth Can$390 billion (US$305 billion), to decarbonize their operations, they said, with the aim of slashing their overall carbon emissions by 60 percent from 2017 levels by 2030. "The urgency to act pushes us to go further, faster and to innovate," said CDPQ chief executive Charles Emond. CDPQ, he said, is on track to "complete its exit from oil production" by the end of 2022. The move comes amid increased calls by environmental activists and Quebec residents for the institutional investor, which manages public pension funds and insurance programs in the Canadian province, to step up its climate efforts, including getting out of fossil fuel investments entirely. In its last annual report on December 31, 2020, the CDPQ listed in its portfolio oil and pipeline companies such as Enbridge, Canadian National Resources Limited, Suncor and TC Energy. These oil industry investments represent around one percent of its total investments and are worth roughly Can$4 billion. "We don't think that (the oil sector) has a sustainable future, so we decided to limit our exposure only to existing pipelines," Emond said. The CDPQ has also set itself the objective of tripling the value of green assets in its portfolio to Can$54 billion by 2025. (@FahadShabbir) Khartoum, Sept 28 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 29th Sep, 2021 ) :Five Sudanese counterterrorism officers were killed Tuesday during a raid in Khartoum targeting "a cell linked to the Islamic State group", the country's intelligence services said in a statement. "After receiving information on the presence of a terrorist cell linked to IS, intelligence officers conducted a search," it said. During the operation, "two officers and three non-commissioned officers" were killed, while "four foreign terrorists managed to escape". "Eleven terrorists from different foreign countries have been arrested," the statement added. A two-storey house in the capital's Jabra neighbourhood was surrounded by a cordon of security forces, who asked crowds to move away in case explosives were left behind, an AFP reporter said. Neighbours told AFP they heard an exchange of gunfire and saw the wounded being transported away in cars. In 2019 the US Department of State warned of the risk of IS in Sudan. "Despite the absence of high-profile terrorist attacks, ISIS facilitation networks appear to be active within Sudan," it said, using another name for the group in its 2019 country report on terrorism. Sudanese officials had "acknowledged that there were 'extremists' linked to ISIS in the country", the report added. To north of Sudan lies Egypt, which for years has been battling an insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula led mainly by the local branch of the Islamic State group. Another group of the extremist fighters is active in Yemen, across the Red Sea from Sudan. The clash comes after Sudan's government said last week it thwarted a coup attempt involving military officers and civilians linked to the regime of ousted strongman Omar al-Bashir. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Paris, Sept 28 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2021 ) :France's Greens on Tuesday chose Yannick Jadot, a 54-year-old member of the European Parliament, as their candidate to challenge President Emmanuel Macron in next year's presidential election. Joining an increasingly crowded field of hopefuls, Jadot will vie with the Socialist mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and far-left contender Jean-Luc Melenchon of the France Unbowed party for votes on the left of French politics. Despite stunning successes in 2020 local elections -- which saw Greens claim control of key city halls including Bordeaux and Lyon -- the Europe Ecology The Greens (EELV) party has yet to make a major impact at a national level. Their influence is far behind that of of their Green counterparts in Germany, who have already tasted coalition government and are eager to feature in the next administration where they may play a kingmaker role. Jadot, the only French Greens member with nationwide name recognition, has promised a pragmatic "solutions-driven" approach to environmental policies. His runoff rival Sandrine Rousseau, sometimes called an "eco feminist", sprang a surprise in the first round of online voting last week, finishing a close second out of five candidates with 25. 14 percent, compared to Jadot's 27.7 percent. Analysts credited the strong performance to Rousseau's feminist credentials after she went public with allegations of sexual harassment against a Greens leader during the #MeToo movement. Her radical proposals on the economy and environment -- she wants to introduce a minimum living wage and significantly increase fuel prices and taxes on the rich -- have also mobilised the party base. But in Tuesday's online Primary runoff Rousseau had to concede with just under 49 percent of votes, failing to win over party sceptics who disliked her moves to to switch focus from traditional Green concerns into social and economic territory. The two main parties of the left, the Socialists and far-left France Unbowed, both fear they could lose votes to the Greens. But analysts still expect the April elections to end up being a duel between Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen while emphasising that the emergence of a strong contender on the traditional right could yet upend these calculations. Washington, Sept 28 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2021 ) :US pharmaceutical company Pfizer said Monday it had begun a clinical trial to test an influenza vaccine designed with the same mRNA technology behind its successful Covid-19 shot. The idea is to improve on the current generation of flu vaccines that have an efficacy of 40-60 percent against a disease that can cause up to 650,000 deaths a year. "The Covid-19 pandemic allowed us to deliver on the immense scientific opportunity of mRNA," Kathrin Jansen, head of vaccine research at Pfizer, said in a statement. "Influenza remains an area where we see a need for vaccines which could result in improved efficacy in any given season, and we believe mRNA is the ideal technology to take on this challenge." The early stage study will recruit more than 600 Americans aged 65 to 85, according to a company statement and a government website listing the trial. Specifically, Pfizer wants to compare the safety and level of immune response of a single, double and quadruple strain mRNA vaccine at different dosage levels versus a conventional, licensed quadruple strain vaccine. Conventional seasonal flu vaccines are generally cultured by growing the virus inside chicken eggs or mammalian cells. The viruses are inactivated and processed to be turned into vaccines. The process is fraught with challenges, including producing vaccines that evoke a strong response and keeping up with virus strain changes. Experts have to predict the best match for next season's vaccine six months out. The promise of mRNA (messenger ribonucleic) acid technology is that they only require the genetic sequence of the virus, or a specific part of it, enabling faster and more flexible production. The human body reads the genetic code and produces virus-like cells that train the immune system to be prepared for the real thing. Pfizer began work on its mRNA influenza vaccine in 2018 with its German partner BioNTech, which would receive a royalty upon approval and commercialization. In the future, Pfizer plans to explore mRNA medicine against other respiratory viruses, cancer and genetic diseases. Moderna likewise is working on an mRNA flu vaccine and one against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). (@fidahassanain) The Foreign Minister said there is a humanitarian crisis in the making and there can be ways and means to ensure that the money reach to the needy. ISAMABAD: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Sept 28th, 2021) Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has once again urged the international community to engage with the new reality in Afghanistan and unfreeze the assets to avert a humanitarian crisis. In an interview with Al-Jazeera tv, the Foreign Minister said there is a humanitarian crisis in the making and there can be ways and means to ensure that the money reach to the needy. He said the collapse could lead to exodus, a huge influx of refugees moving in different directions towards, Pakistan, Iran and Tajikistan. Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the economic collapse could give space to terrorists and it would have serious consequences not only for Pakistan but for the entire region. To a query, he said that there was uncertainty when Taliban took control of the government, but the anxiety has gone down due to the reasons that there is no bloodshed and chances of major civil war have been averted. About recognizing Taliban set up by Pakistan, the Foreign Minister said we are watching and observing as the things unfold and we will take a decision at an appropriate time. He said Pakistan has been advocating for more inclusive approach. Responding to a question, he said Taliban have made a clear commitment that Afghan soil would not be used against any country including Pakistan. ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2021 ) :Pakistan on Tuesday categorically rejected the "baseless propaganda" by India about arresting an alleged 'militant' and killing another on the Indian side of the Line of Control (LoC), terming it an attempt to divert focus from the human rights violations in the Occupied Kashmir. "Such allegations are the established Indian tactics to mischievously implicate Pakistan and divert world attention from its own heinous activities in Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK)," Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said in a statement. He was responding to the news reports circulating in the Indian media claiming apprehension of an alleged Pakistani 'militant' by the Indian occupation forces in IIOJK. The FO Spokesperson said Pakistan had shared "incontrovertible evidence" with the world about India's grave human rights violations in the IIOJK, including through a dossier unveiled this month. He mentioned that as a matter of fact, thousands of young Kashmiris were incarcerated in Indian jails on trumped up charges. From time to time, some of these youth are produced before the world as alleged 'militants' whenever India feels the pressure from the international community, he added. He said it was "nothing new" for the Indian occupation forces involved in running false-flag operations, fake encounters and fake arms recovery operations to hide their own atrocities in IIOJK and terrorist activities against Pakistan. He said the details had been uncovered in detail in the dossier with "concrete evidence". The FO Spokesperson said Pakistan was "seriously concerned" about the recent Indian attempts to vitiate the environment on the LoC. However, he stressed that Pakistan was maintaining restraint, despite the Indian provocations, in line with the Director Generals of Military Operations' (DGsMO) understanding of February 2021 regarding the ceasefire along the LoC. (@fidahassanain) Zareen Ghazal, the wife of the Umar Sharif, says that he is stable and will fly to the US for his treatment. KARACHI: (UrduPoint/UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News-Sept 28th, 2021) Comedy legend Umer Sharif is fit for traveling to the United Sates for his medical treatment. The doctors, after thoroughly examining is health condition, advised the family that he could travel. A day earlier, he was shifted to Intensive Care Unit of an hospital in Karachi and the doctors said that next 48 hours were critical for his health. The ill comedian was barred from travelling to the US by a panel of his doctors. The family members of the comedian confirmed that he would fly to the US via air-ambulance today where he would undergo heart surgery. Zareen Ghazal, the wife of Umar Sharif, also said that the health of his husband was stable and she would leave with him to the US for his treatment. The ambulance administration was asked to wait for a day by the doctors. Zareen Ghazal had said that it would be a massive financial loss if the air ambulance departs without carrying Umer Sharif to the US for medical treatment. YEREVAN (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th September, 2021) A Brazilian citizen, who arrived in the Armenian capital on a flight from Sao Paulo with a stopover in Doha, has been arrested at the Yerevan airport for smuggling $300,000 worth of cocaine in his stomach, the country's State Revenue Committee said on Tuesday. "Officers of the anti-smuggling department of the State Revenue Committee decided to inspect a Brazilian citizen who arrived at the Zvartnots airport in Yerevan. He was escorted to a medical facility. A CT scan and further medical inspection revealed that he had smuggled 80 capsules of cocaine with a total weight of 746 grams from Brazil to Armenia," the customs authority said in a statement. The smuggler faced significant risks due to the possibility of a capsule rupture during his 24-hour flight, which could lead to an overdose and death, the committee noted. The Brazilian national was arrested and a criminal case for "smuggling narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and (or) their precursors" was initiated. The investigation is underway. The cost of the smuggled drugs on the country's black market is estimated at about $300,000, according to the committee. Germany is headed for weeks, if not months, of protracted coalition haggling as Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives insisted Monday on trying to form a government even after losing to the Social Democrats in a tight race Berlin, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 27th Sep, 2021 ) :Germany is headed for weeks, if not months, of protracted coalition haggling as Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives insisted Monday on trying to form a government even after losing to the Social Democrats in a tight race. Finance Minister Olaf Scholz, who led the Social Democrats' (SPD) campaign, said Europe's biggest power would not be thrown off by the power struggle, stressing that Germany would remain "stable" even as parties scramble for coalition partners. But the country pivotal in shaping Europe's responses on issues from the coronavirus pandemic to relations with Russia and China, risks being put out of play on the international scene for some time, just as the upcoming COP26 climate summit will be demanding action from the world's biggest powers. Europe's largest economy will also hold the presidency of the G7 club of rich nations next year, and will need a government capable of setting the international agenda. Preliminary official results showed that the centre-left Social Democrats -- junior partners in Merkel's coalition -- narrowly won the vote at 25. 7 percent, while her centre-right CDU-CSU bloc sunk to a historic low of 24.1 percent. The Green party placed third at 14.8 percent, its best result yet but still short of expectations. Laschet, 60, took responsibility for his side's poor showing and vowed "renewal in all areas". But he insisted that "no party" -- not even the SPD -- could claim a mandate to govern from Sunday's outcome, as said he was ready to head a coalition. Scholz, 63, rejected Laschet's bid, saying voters had made it clear that the conservatives "should go into the opposition". The finance minister also sought to play down the impact of drawn-out negotiations for a governing majority. "You should know that Germany always has coalitions, and it was always stable," he said. From Paris, French minister for European affairs Clement Beaune stressed that France "has an interest to have a strong German government in place", urging "swift" action from German parties. The Kremlin said it hoped for "continuity" in Moscow's ties with Berlin. Greece will buy three frigates from France as part of a deeper "strategic partnership" between the two countries to defend their shared interests in the Mediterranean, French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday Paris, Sept 28 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2021 ) :Greece will buy three frigates from France as part of a deeper "strategic partnership" between the two countries to defend their shared interests in the Mediterranean, French President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday. The deal marks "an audacious first step towards European strategic autonomy", Macron said at a signing ceremony with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the Elysee Palace. He called Athens' decision to buy the Belharra ships "a sign of confidence" in France's defence industry, against competition notably from the American group Lockheed Martin, according to press reports. The deal also sends a signal from Paris after its stinging loss of a multibillion-euro contract for submarines with Australia, which announced it would instead sign a deal for nuclear-powered subs from the US. Macron has long insisted that Europe needs to develop its own defence capabilities and no longer be so reliant on the United States. "Today is a historic day for Greece and France. We have decided to upgrade our bilateral defensive cooperation," Mitsotakis said. He said the agreement involves "mutual support" and "joint action at all levels," though no financial details of the contract were given. Mitsotakis added that the French deal would have not affect a defence cooperation agreement under discussion between Greece and the US, despite the tensions sparked between the EU and Washington after the Australia submarines row. The agreement is "not antagonistic" to the Greek-US relationship, he said, citing how "France stood by us during difficult times in the summer of 2020", a reference to Turkey's challenge of Greek territorial rights in the Aegean Sea. Macron also vowed that the US-Australia pact would not impact France's strategy for the Indo-Pacific region, where China has made no secret of its desire to exercise significant military sway. "We have one million fellow citizens who live in this region, and over 8,000 soldiers deployed there," Macron said, referring to France's presence through several overseas territories in the region. He added, however, that "Europeans must stop being naive" regarding geopolitical competitions, while confirming that France's ambassador to Washington, called home in the wake of the subs crisis, would return on Wednesday. Swedish eco-activist Greta Thunberg accused world leaders on Tuesday of "betrayal," dismissing their pledges of climate action as empty words ROME (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2021) Swedish eco-activist Greta Thunberg accused world leaders on Tuesday of "betrayal," dismissing their pledges of climate action as empty words. "Build back better, blah blah blah. Green economy, blah blah blah. Net zero by 2050, blah blah blah. Climate neutral, blah blah blah. This is all we hear from our so-called leaders. Words that sound great, but so far have led to no action. Our hopes and dreams drowned in their empty words and promises," Thunberg said speaking at the Youth4Climate Summit in Milan. According to the eco-activist, the climate crisis is a consequence of a broader, social crisis of inequality, stemming from colonialism. "A crisis that stems from the idea that some people are worth more than others," Thunberg said. She accused world leaders of inaction, calling their attitude a betrayal of current and future generations. "Our leaders do not act voluntarily, and that is a betrayal. They can't say that they're doing it, because they continue to open coal mines and exploit deposits, without increasing funds for vulnerable countries. They select young people like us pretending to listen to us, but they don't. They have never listened to us," the 18-year-old said. The Youth4Climate Climate Change Summit is running from September 28-30 in Milan, bringing together some 400 activists aged 15 to 29. The event was organized by the Italian authorities as part of a partnership agreement with the UK, which is to host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference from October 31 to November 12. BUENOS AIRES (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 29th September, 2021) Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido, who illegally proclaimed himself the interim head of state, has responded to harsh criticism from his supporters, the Justice First party, over the way the country's foreign assets are being managed. The opposition Justice First party denounced that Guaido does not take into account opinions of others. The political force believes that a separate trust must be established to ensure transparent management of the overseas property, seized from the constitutional government of Venezuela. Moreover, the party believes that Venezuelan assets cannot be transferred to foreign countries, as happened with Monomeros fertilizer company, which came under the control of the Colombian authorities. "All decisions related to the protection, restoration and management of assets were made with the participation of all political factions. Responsibility and decisions on the protection of assets were not and will not be a prerogative of one party or one person. We once again express our support for the (opposition) National Assembly, which is responsible for evaluating mechanisms that guarantee better asset protection," Guaido's press service said in a statement. The situation can be regarded as a split in the opposition bloc of parties, which will run together in regional elections in November. Justice First is also one of the parties participating in talks with the Venezuelan government, which are taking place in Mexico and have to do with the potential return of foreign assets to the constitutional authorities. In mid-September, the Venezuelan Prosecutor General's Office launched an investigation into Guaido over Colombia's decision to take over Monomeros, a subsidiary of state-owned petrochemical company Petroquimica de Venezuela. The Venezuelan government regarded the decision as an attempt to impinge on its assets. Caracas effectively lost control of Monomeros' assets and accounts in 2019, when Colombia recognized Guaido as the president of Venezuela. The opposition parliament appointed its own board of directors in Monomeros company. The junta which seized power in the West African state of Guinea has unveiled a "transitional charter" that it says will steer the country back to civilian rule Conakry, Sept 28 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2021 ) :The junta which seized power in the West African state of Guinea has unveiled a "transitional charter" that it says will steer the country back to civilian rule. The document, read out on national television late Monday, sets down a series of tasks, including the drafting of a new constitution and holding "free, democratic and transparent" elections, although it does not spell out how long the transition will last. Troops led by a special forces colonel, Mamady Doumbouya, on September 5 arrested 83-year-old President Alpha Conde, who had been battling a wave of unpopularity. Conde became Guinea's first democratically elected president in 2010 and was re-elected in 2015. But last year he pushed through a controversial new constitution that allowed him to run for a third term in October 2020. The move sparked mass demonstrations in which dozens of protesters were killed. Conde won re-election but the political opposition maintained the poll was a sham. The new charter identifies four institutions or figures that will be in charge of the transition. They are the National Rallying Committee for Development (CNRD) set up by the junta and headed by Doumbaya; the president of the transition, who will also serve as the head of the CNRD, head of state and armed forces chief; a government headed by a civilian prime minister; and a legislative body called the National Transition Council or CNT. No member of these institutions will be allowed to take part "in either national or local elections, which will be organised at the end of the transition period." The duration of the transition "will be set down by joint agreement among the living forces of the nation" and the CNRD, according to the charter. Guinea's neighbours in the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) are deeply worried by the turbulence in Guinea, one of the poorest and most volatile countries in Africa. The putsch is the second to take place in their region, after Mali, in less than 13 months. The bloc is demanding that elections be held within six months. The CNT, comprising 81 members drawn from political parties, civil society, trade unions, employers, the security forces and other bodies, will be tasked with drawing up the new constitution. No members of Conde's government or the institutions of the former regime can be named to it. Nearly all of 39 miners trapped underground in eastern Canada for two days have been rescued and the remainder were expected to reach the surface soon Tuesday, officials and local media said Ottawa, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2021 ) :Nearly all of 39 miners trapped underground in eastern Canada for two days have been rescued and the remainder were expected to reach the surface soon Tuesday, officials and local media said. The miners became trapped Sunday afternoon after an accident damaged their transport system, cutting off access to the main exit. None of the miners were injured. Shawn Rideout, chief mine rescue officer with Ontario Mine Rescue, told public broadcaster CBC that 33 of the miners had been rescued, so far. "Our volunteers and our mine rescue officers have been at it since seven o'clock Monday morning," he said. "There's light at the end of the tunnel, we're getting there," he said. "Six (miners) are left to go, and we're hoping by mid-afternoon, we'll have everybody on the surface, safe and sound and back to their families." He described "a slow process" using ropes and ladders to help miners climb up a secondary egress. "It is quite a depth -- 3,000 feet is a long way to go. That's why it's taking such a long time," he said. "You know, they've been underground for almost 48 hours now, (and some) who are not physically capable to make the climb, we will use ropes to hoist them up, level by level." In a statement, the Brazilian mining company Vale said a heavy scoop bucket had detached from and collided with the conveyance system on Sunday, rendering it unusable. Its head of mining in Ontario, Gord Gilpin said the employer is "relieved and delighted to see (the miners) returning to surface safe and sound." "There is no doubt this was and continues to be an exhausting experience. I commend them on their patience and their resolve," he said, adding thanks also to the rescuers. All operations at the Totten mine in Sudbury, Ontario -- which employs 200 people -- have been halted since Sunday, and Vale says it will conduct an assessment before resuming production. The mine had closed in 1972, but Vale completed work and reopened it in 2014. In the first six months of 2021, about 3,600 tons of finished nickel were extracted from it. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Independent investigators mandated by the World Health Organization (WHO) to probe allegations of sexual abuse by its staff in the DR Congo cited "clear structural failures" and "individual negligence" in a report released Tuesday Geneva, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2021 ) :Independent investigators mandated by the World Health Organization (WHO) to probe allegations of sexual abuse by its staff in the DR Congo cited "clear structural failures" and "individual negligence" in a report released Tuesday. The abuses were committed by personnel hired locally as well as members of international teams in the country to fight an Ebola outbreak from 2018 to 2020. The commission interviewed dozens of women who were offered work in exchange for sex, or who were victims of rape. The 35-page report paints a grim picture, noting "the scale of incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse in the response to the 10th Ebola outbreak, all of which contributed to the increased vulnerability of 'alleged victims' who were not provided with the necessary support and assistance required for such degrading experiences". WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a press conference Tuesday that the report "makes for harrowing reading". WHO Africa chief Matshidiso Moeti said: "As WHO leadership we apologise to these people, to the women and girls." The special commission cited "individual negligence that may amount to professional misconduct" in the report. It also said it found "clear structural failures and unpreparedness to manage the risks of incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse" in the poor central African country. And the investigators underscored a "perception of impunity of the institution's staff on the part of alleged victims". Nigerian police said Tuesday they had arrested dozens of Shiite Muslim followers of an outlawed group after clashes during a religious procession in the nation's capital Abuja, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2021 ) :Nigerian police said Tuesday they had arrested dozens of Shiite Muslim followers of an outlawed group after clashes during a religious procession in the nation's capital. Abuja police said no casualties occurred when they dispersed the group, but a spokesman for the banned Islamic Movement in Nigeria (IMN) said at least two of its members were killed. The IMN, an outlawed pro-Iranian group, has clashed with Nigerian security forces for years and often marches in Abuja, especially over the arrest of their cleric leader Ibrahim Zakzaky. The army killed 350 IMN Shiites, with many gunned down and burned alive according to rights groups, during a religious procession in northern Nigeria in December 2015. Police said security forces on Tuesday intercepted IMN members who attacked them with petrol bombs and stones and they arrested 57 suspects. "The miscreants who were found in their numbers were promptly intercepted by the security operatives and dispersed to prevent them from causing further disruption of public order," the police statement said. But IMN spokesman Ibrahim Musa said two followers were killed by security forces. "We were almost rounding up the procession when the police and army came and started shooting," he said. "Two of our members were shot dead while several others were wounded. They also took many away." IMN leader Zakzaky and his wife, who had been held since the 2015, were freed last month after a court acquitted them of murder charges involving the death of a soldier. But the cleric still faces terrorism and treasonable offences charges, according to prosecutors. Founded by Zakzaky in the late 1970s and inspired by the Iranian Revolution, the IMN has been at loggerheads with authorities for decades in a country where Shiites are a minority of the Muslim population. A pregnant Algerian mother and her five children were among 277 migrants rescued off the coast of mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands in the past 24 hours, officials said Tuesday Madrid, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 28th Sep, 2021 ) :A pregnant Algerian mother and her five children were among 277 migrants rescued off the coast of mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands in the past 24 hours, officials said Tuesday. Nearly two-thirds of them were pulled to safety from boats in waters near the Balearics, while another 91 were rescued off the coast of Alicante in southeastern Spain. The sea route to mainland Spain and its Balearic and Canary Islands is fraught with danger, with the International Organization for Migration saying at least 1,025 people have died in 2021 in "the deadliest year on the migratory route to Spain". The woman, who "was eight months pregnant," was one of those who reached the Alicante coastline, a Red Cross spokeswoman told AFP, saying she had been taken to hospital suffering from stomach pains. Most of them were from Algeria although one boat was carrying refugees from Syria, she said. "The first boat was found near Santa Pola with four women and six minors on board, including a baby of seven months, while the others were between four and six," she said. Of the 23 on board, "most of them were Syrians. " Spain's Salvamento Maritimo coastguard said six vessels were rescued, all of which had apparently set sail from the Algerian coast, which at its closest lies around 270 kilometres (170 miles) from Alicante. Meanwhile, the coastguard also rescued 13 vessels off the Balearic Isles in less than 24 hours, pulling 176 people -- including 11 women -- to safety, the Spanish government's delegation in the islands told AFP. Last week, the bodies of eight migrants, including three women and a child, washed up on the shores of southern Spain near the city of Almeria, the local authorities said. The boats had likely set off from Morocco or Algeria. Spanish interior ministry figures to September 14 show that a total of 10,701 migrants have managed to reach mainland Spain or the Balearic Islands by sea. They also show 11,060 people reached the Canary Islands from the coast of west Africa, more than double the 5,090 in 2020. Figures from Caminando Fronteras, a Spanish NGO that monitors SOS calls from migrants at sea, suggest that more than 2,000 people have died or gone missing on the Atlantic route this year. SEOUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2021) Members of the National Security Council (NSC) of South Korea expressed regrets over the launch of a North Korean ballistic missile, during an urgent meeting chaired by National Security Adviser Suh Hoon on Tuesday, the South Korean president office said. Reports indicated that North Korea fired an unidentified projectile in the eastern direction, toward the Sea of Japan early Tuesday, without providing further details. "Members of the NSC permanent committee closely observed the missile launch by North Korea and the motive (behind it), and, having expressed regrets concerning the launch at the time when stability on the Korean peninsula is extremely important, decided to keep an eye on further actions by North Korea and closely consult with the countries involved, starting with the US," the NSC statement said. Tuesday's launch is the sixth in 2021 for Pyongyang. Before that, on September 15, North Korea fired two ballistic missiles in the direction of the Sea of Japan, and the rockets flew about 800 kilometers (497 miles) at the height of 60 kilometers (37 miles) and over. Several days before, the country tested long-range cruise missile, with rockets covering 1,500 kilometers (932 miles) range. Ballistic missile launches contradict the United Nations Security Council resolution. However, North Korea describes the launches as substantiated defense efforts and holds South Korea and the United States responsible for the tensions on the Korean peninsula. North Korea's Ambassador to the UN Kim Song said at the 76th UN General Assembly in New York that his country was eligible to defend itself and test weapons to counter the external aggression, but North Korea would not do harm to neighboring countries and the United States. The ambassador noted that Pyongyang was ready for a dialog if the US gave up the hostile policies and stopped military drills on the Korean peninsula. (@FahadShabbir) The goal of the European Union is to open talks with Albania over membership of the bloc by the end of 2021, President of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen said on Tuesday MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2021) The goal of the European Union is to open talks with Albania over membership of the bloc by the end of 2021, President of the European Commission Ursula Von der Leyen said on Tuesday. ''We will have our first intergovernmental conference so that we can start the accession talks. I really want to bring this process forward so that we can start before the end of the year. That is the goal,'' the president said during a joint press conference with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama. The EU official is on a visit to Albania ahead of the EU-Western Balkans summit. Kenyas Catholic Bishops have issued a pastoral letter that addresses various pertinent matters affecting the nation. Paul Samasumo Vatican City. In their pastoral letter, released Wedensday and titled, Call to keep our hope alive, the Bishops called a press conference where they read the document. Leading the presser in Nairobi, Chairman of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), Archbishop Martin Kivuva Musonde of Mombasa, said the document was the result of a process of deep collective reflection by Kenyas Bishops. Covid-19 and mixed messaging from politicians Among other matters, the Bishops commended the Kenyan Government in the manner it handled the covid-19 pandemic. We thank the Government of Kenya for the concerted efforts towards ensuring that the country is cushioned against the ravaging impact of the Covid-19 pandemic through a raft of measures, including rolling out a vaccination campaign. We applaud the majority of Kenyans who have continued to adhere to the Ministry of Health protocols on Covid-19 prevention, Archbishop Kivuva told Kenyan media. Nevertheless, the Bishops condemned double standards exhibited by politicians who continue to hold large public gatherings in total disregard of the Governments health protocols. We note with concern that despite the Government announcing a suspension of all public gatherings in the country, a section of political leaders has continually defied this directive. It is unfortunate that no action has been taken on all those leaders who are abjectly flouting these protocols, reads the pastoral letter. The Bishops added, We wish to state that our political leaders are sending a wrong message to ordinary Kenyans, and it is dismaying that the law enforcement agencies are not taking action on this recklessness by politicians. The rift between Kenyan President and his deputy The Bishops also addressed the bitter and public fall-out between Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto. It is an open and sad reality that the President and Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya are not reading from the same script. The public exchanges that are being witnessed are dangerous for the prevailing peace and tranquillity in the country and cannot be taken lightly. They are already creating anxiety among the people and have the potential to ignite political violence if not addressed with immediate effect, the Bishops said. They continued, We are deeply concerned that if this open disagreement between the President and the Deputy President is taken up by their supporters, the trickle-down effect it could generate across the country will be dire to even contemplate. In a young democracy like ours, it is important that there is unity among the top leaders as this gives confidence to the people, the Bishops admonished. The Church is above partisan politics The nine-page document also reminds politicians, clergy and the faithful about the Bishops' ban against politicians visiting Catholic parishes and turning them into arenas for political campaigns. We wish to firmly state again that our places of worship and liturgy are sacred and should not serve as political arenas. The Church is above politics, the Bishops reiterated. Electoral reforms The pastoral letter also deals with the perennial challenge of political violence in Kenya and the need for electoral reforms before the next general election of August 2022. The Bishops further express concern over the drought situation affecting some Kenyan regions. They encourage Kenyans to pray for peace, tolerance and justice. The bishops of Canada, as a tangible expression of their commitment to walk with Indigenous Peoples along the pathway of hope, are making a nation-wide collective financial commitment to support healing and reconciliation initiatives for residential school survivors, their families, and their communities. By Lisa Zengarini Following last weeks formal statement of apology to indigenous communities who suffered in Indian Residential Schools, Canada's bishops have announced a $30 million national financial pledge to support healing and reconciliation initiatives. Funds will be allocated over a period of up to five years and parishes across Canada are encouraged to participate and amplify the effort, a press release issued on Monday explained. Making a difference to those who experience ongoing trauma The newly elected President of the Canadian bishops conference (CCCB), Bishop Raymond Poisson, hopes that these efforts will support meaningful projects across Canada and make a significant difference to those who experience ongoing trauma caused by the residential school system: When the Bishops of Canada came together in Plenary last week, there was universal consensus that Catholic entities needed to do more in a tangible way to address the suffering experienced in Canadas residential schools, he said in the statement. Comprised of local diocesan initiatives, this effort will help support programs and initiatives dedicated to improving the lives of residential school survivors and their communities, ensuring resources needed to assist in the path of healing. Working in consultation with local First Nations, Metis, and Inuit populations Funding for projects will be determined in consultation with First Nations, Metis, and Inuit populations in each region. The Bishops of Canada have been guided by the principle that we should not speak about Indigenous People without speaking with them. To that end, the ongoing conversations with local leadership will be instrumental in discerning the programs that are most deserving of support, explained Bishop William McGrattan, vice president of the CCCB. There is no single step that can eliminate the pain felt by residential school survivors, but by listening, seeking relationships, and working collaboratively where we are able, we hope to learn how to walk together in a new path of hope, he added. The Canadian Government's public apology Residential schools were compulsory boarding schools funded by the Canadian government and run by religious authorities during the 19th and 20th centuries with the aim of assimilating indigenous youth into Euro-Canadian culture. However, the schools disrupted lives and communities; and many children suffered neglect and abuse, causing long-term problems among Indigenous peoples. Since the last residential school closed in 1996, former students have demanded recognition and compensation, resulting in the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement in 2007 and a formal public apology by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in 2008. "Cultural genocide" In a report published in 2015, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), after a seven-year inquiry, concluded that at least 4,100 children died while attending these schools, many of them due to abuse, negligence, and disease. In total, an estimated 150,000 First Nation, Inuit, and Metis children attended these schools. The Commission described the system as a "cultural genocide". The discovery of hundreds of unmarked graves and remains on the grounds of a number of former Catholic-run residential schools earlier this summer has drawn new public attention to this tragedy. The Statement of Apology of the Catholic Bishops of Canada In their statement of apology published on September 24 during their Autumn Plenary Assembly, Canadian bishops acknowledged that grave abuses had been committed by some in the Catholic community, and expressed their profound remorse, apologizing unequivocally. They also confirmed that Pope Francis will meet a delegation of survivors and Indigenous people in the Vatican in December. In early June Pope Francis joined with the bishops in expressing closeness to "traumatized Canadians" over the discovery of the remains of an estimated 215 children buried on the grounds of a former Catholic-run residential school in Kamloops, British Columbia. Pope Francis releases his message for the 2021 Diocesan World Youth Day, and calls on young Christians to courageously bear witness to Jesus Christ, in the footsteps of St. Paul. By Devin Watkins The 36th World Youth Day takes place on 21 November 2021 and will be celebrated in dioceses around the globe as the Church prepares for the 2023 WYD in Lisbon, Portugal. Pope Francis released his message for the 2021 Diocesan WYD on Monday, under the theme: Arise. I appoint you as a witness of what you have seen (Acts 26:16). In the message, the Pope pointed to the important role that young people have to play in the world, especially as they have faced enormous setbacks and difficulties due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Many young people, said the Pope, experienced a rise in family problems, unemployment, depression, loneliness, and addictive behavior. But, he added, the experience of the pandemic has also revealed the virtues of young people, including our inclination to solidarity. Whenever a young person falls, in some sense all humanity falls, he said. Yet it is also true that when a young person rises, it is as if the whole world rises as well. With that in mind, Pope Francis urged young Christians to arise and help the world start afresh with their passion and enthusiasm. Listen to our report Blinded by the Light The Pope then reflected at length on the passage from which the theme is taken (Acts 26:16), in which St. Paul tells the story of his conversion as he stands trial before King Agrippa. Twenty-five years earlier, as Paul is busy persecuting Christians, he is thrown off his horse by a bright light and hears the voice of Jesus speaking to him. Jesus, said the Pope, called Paulthen Saulby his name, showing that he knew him personally. Only a personal and non-anonymous encounter with Christ changes lives This grace, this unmerited and unconditional love, will be the light that radically transforms Sauls life. Jesus and the Church are one Pope Francis said St. Paul responds to Jesus by asking, Who are you, Lord?, a question the Pope said we will all have to ask sooner or later. This question, he added, is what prayer is all about: a personal dialogue and relationship with Jesus Christ. The Pope noted that Jesus responds by saying that he is Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Paul believed he was only persecuting Christians. Instead, Jesus makes him realize that He and the Church are a single Body. One cannot know Jesus if one does not know the Church, said Pope Francis. One cannot know Jesus apart from the brothers and sisters in his community. We cannot call ourselves fully Christian unless we experience faiths ecclesial dimension. Our true image revealed In choosing Saul, said the Pope, Jesus shows that no one is lost in Gods eyes, and that every personif they consider itfeel the fire of Gods love burning in their hearts. The encounter with Jesus leaves Paul lying on the ground and temporarily blinded, since the Lord has revealed the errors of his ways and humbled him to his true stature. Pope Francis said that Saul then changed his name to Paul, which means small, as a sign of the deep change he had undergone. The Pope also noted how many young people spend so much time on social media seeking to portray an image of themselves that does not correspond to reality. Christ, the noonday sun, comes to enlighten us and to restore our authenticity, freeing us from all our masks. He shows us clearly who we are, for that is exactly how he loves us. After his encounter with the Lord, Paul is led to Damascus, where he will spend time in prayer and silence, deepening his newfound relationship with Jesus. Persecutor to great witness Pope Francis went on to urge young Catholics to follow Pauls example, as he turned his youthful passion and strength into zeal as a herald of the Gospel to the very ends of the earth. Paul went on to become known as the apostle of the nations, after the Lord put His trust in him. Gods ways of thinking can turn the worst persecutor into a great witness. The Pope then called on young people to arise and accept their mission to testify to Jesus and His power to heal our broken hearts. The Lord, the Church and the Pope trust you and appoint you to bear witness before all those other young people whom you will encounter on todays roads to Damascus, said the Pope. Arise and bear witness And he concluded his message with several encouragements which young Catholics can take to heart as they prepare for the 2021 Diocesan World Youth Day. - Arise! Do not remain downcast or caught up in yourself: a mission awaits you! You too can testify to what Jesus has begun to accomplish in your lives. In Jesus name, I ask you: - Arise! Testify that you too were blind and encountered the light. You too have seen Gods goodness and beauty in yourself, in others and in the communion of the Church, where all loneliness is overcome. - Arise! Testify to the love and respect it is possible to instil in human relationships, in the lives of our families, in the dialogue between parents and children, between the young and the elderly. - Arise! Uphold social justice, truth and integrity, human rights. Protect the persecuted, the poor and the vulnerable, those who have no voice in society, immigrants. - Arise! Testify to the new way of looking at things that enables you to view creation with eyes brimming with wonder, that makes you see the Earth as our common home, and gives you the courage to promote an integral ecology. - Arise! Testify that lives of failure can be rebuilt, that persons spiritually dead can rise anew, that those in bondage can once more be free, that hearts overwhelmed by sorrow can rediscover hope. - Arise! Testify joyfully that Christ is alive! Spread his message of love and salvation among your contemporaries, at school and in the university, at work, in the digital world, everywhere. On Sept. 22, a U.S. federal judge instructed Facebook to release records of closed accounts connected to the Myanmar governments violence against the Rohingya community. U.S. Magistrate, Judge Zia M. Faruqui, criticized Facebook for failing to provide information to countries that are pursuing a case at the international court against Myanmar. He stated that allowing Facebook to withhold such data would compound the tragedy that has befallen the Rohingya. Facebook refused to release the data citing privacy issues. According to the social media giant, such a move would be a breach of a U.S. law that prevents electronic communication services from disclosing the interactions of their users. But the judge noted that the deleted posts would not be covered under the law. Locking away the requested content would be throwing away the opportunity to understand how disinformation begat genocide, Faruqui wrote in the ruling. He added that Facebook taking up the mantle of privacy rights is rich with irony, pointing out that news sites have entire sections dedicated to Facebooks sordid history of privacy scandals. A spokesperson from Facebook told Forbes that the company was appraising the decision and noted that it has already made voluntary, lawful disclosures to the United Nations Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM). The government of Gambia is seeking the data of closed accounts as it wants to prosecute Myanmars government at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in Hague. Myanmar has been accused of violating the 1948 United Nations Convention on Genocide by Gambia. Back in 2018, UN investigators blamed Facebook for playing a role in spreading hate speech that triggered violence against the Rohingya. Facebook admitted at the time that it was too slow to prevent misinformation and hate in Myanmar. The accounts, which were closed in 2018, include those of senior Myanmar military leaders such as Sen. Gen. Min Aung Hlaing whose troops were involved in the violent clearance operation in Rakhine State. More than 700,000 Rohingya were forced to abandon their homes after the military crackdown. Allegations of mass murder and rape were made. Rights groups also noted that villages were set ablaze and mass killings were carried out. However, authorities in Myanmar have denied the claims of genocide. According to them, no planned atrocities were committed as they were only combating an insurgency. The suppression of Rohingyas did not create much of a clamor in the Buddhist-majority state of Myanmar at the time. The Rohingyas are considered to be illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Facebook can act now. It took the first step by deleting the content that fueled a genocide. Yet it has stumbled at the next step, sharing that content. Failing to do so here would compound the tragedy that has befallen the Rohingya, Faruqui said in his judgment.Shannon Raj Singh, human rights counsel at Twitter, called the decision momentous and one of the foremost examples of the relevance of social media to modern atrocity prevention & response. Tesla chief Elon Musk praised Chinas business practices for the second time in as many weeks, doubling down on his commitment to invest in and offshore research and development spending from the United States to the communist country that hosts a factory that now comprises almost half of the companys Model 3 and Model Y production. In a pre-recorded question and answer clip given by Musk to the World Internet Conference on Sept. 25, hosted by the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) internet regulator, the Cyberspace Administration of China, Musk made conciliatory comments praising the Chinese governments business policies. My frank observation is that China spends a lot of resources and efforts applying the latest digital technologies in different industries, including the automobile industry, making China a global leader in digitalization. Tesla will continue to expand our investment and R&D efforts in China, he said. Just nine days earlier, Musk made similar comments in an analogously prepared question and answer video for the World New Energy Vehicle Congress, hosted by seven different ministries of the Chinese government, where he said, I have a great deal of respect for the many Chinese automakers for driving these (EV) technologies, adding that his Chinese rivals were most competitive in the world. In July, Breitbart reported that both Tesla and Musks verified accounts on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, donned themselves in customized red graphics celebrating the 100th Anniversary of the CCPs founding. On June 30, CCP mouthpiece Xinhua News Agency published a propaganda tweet in celebration of the Partys Anniversary, praising the regime for building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Xinhua also claimed the Party had brought about a historic resolution to the problem of absolute poverty in China, and boasted a stated goal of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects. Musk took it upon himself to reply to Xinhua in an ingratiating fashion, The economic prosperity that China has achieved is truly amazing, especially in infrastructure! I encourage people to visit and see for themselves, he said. The economic prosperity that China has achieved is truly amazing, especially in infrastructure! I encourage people to visit and see for themselves. Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 1, 2021 The tweet was echoed by Musks Weibo account, complete with a Chinese-language translation. In 2019, Tesla opened a massive Gigafactory on the outskirts of Shanghai, breaking from a growing trend of maintaining, enhancing, and developing U.S.-based production under the Trump administrations America First initiative. In Teslas 2018 vehicle production and deliveries press release, the company blamed Donald Trumps trade war with the CCP for a 40 percent tariff imposed on Teslas imports by Beijing. The presser also said Tesla was at a financial disadvantage arising from a lack [of] access to cash incentives available to locally produced electric vehicles in China that are typically around 15% of MSRP or more. Taking ocean transport costs and import tariffs into account, Tesla is now operating at a 55% to 60% cost disadvantage compared to the exact same car locally produced in China. This makes for a challenging competitive environment, given that China is by far the largest market for electric vehicles, said the release. To address this issue, we are accelerating construction of our Shanghai factory, which we expect to be a capital efficient and rapid buildout, using many lessons learned from the Model 3 ramp in North America. On Sept. 25, Business Insider reported based on data provided by Chinese sources who requested anonymity, as they were not allowed to speak to the media, that the Shanghai Gigafactory had pumped out 300,000 Model 3 sedans and Model Y SUVs in the first nine months of 2021. The article said a Chinese official in the area where Teslas factory is located said the Gigafactory would produce 450,000 vehicles this year, more than 66,000 of which are to be exported to Germany, Japan, and the United Kingdom. In August, enthusiast website Teslarati said, based on figures provided by the Chinese Passenger Car Association, that the Shanghai Gigafactory exported 24,347 vehicles in July alone, comprising 73 percent of the months production. In its Q2 2021 investor relations deck, Tesla said that due to strong U.S. demand and global average cost optimization, we have completed the transition of Gigafactory Shanghai as the primary vehicle export hub. The deck also noted the Shanghai facility as having an annual capacity of >450,000 vehicles per year, which is almost the same as the Model 3 and Model Y facility in California listed at 500,000. Foreign workers and tourists stranded in Cambodia during the COVID-19 pandemic have been trafficked and forced to work in sophisticated Chinese-run online scams, a Thomson Reuters Foundation investigation has found. In interviews, nine trafficking victims said they were lured by social media adverts promising well-paid jobs in call centers. Instead, they ended up in shuttered hotel-casinos and guarded compounds where they had their passports confiscated before being put to work online. The victims, mainly from Africa and Asia, said they were ordered to create fake profiles on Tinder, WhatsApp, and Facebook to entice people into fraudulent investment schemes involving cryptocurrencies, foreign exchange, and shares. Those who objected or performed poorly were subjected to violence and threats, victims said. Mary, a teacher from the Philippines, said she miscarried while locked in a room without food and water for three days. "We were desperate," said Mary, who was three months pregnant and four months out of work when she responded in July to a Facebook post offering call center jobs to English-speaking foreigners. "We thought it was real work but it became a living nightmare," said the 26-year-old, whose name has been changed to protect her identity. Approached for comment on the nine trafficking cases that the Thomson Reuters Foundation uncovered, a spokesperson for the Cambodian interior ministry said, "We also have heard about this before but until now we still do not have any evidence." Cambodian police have previously carried out raids and deported hundreds of Chinese on suspicion of telecoms scams. But organized crime experts said the police have struggled to stamp out online crime because of corruption and weak law enforcement. A Facebook spokesperson said the company would investigate profiles and groups passed on by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. A spokesperson for WhatsApp said that users should use tools in the app to report suspicious activity. A Tinder spokesperson said it had "zero-tolerance" for "romance scams" and that it would "work with law enforcement to ensure justice is served in such cases." 'CHINESE MAFIA' Cambodia shut its borders when COVID-19 struck in March 2020, barred almost all international flights and closed its schools to contain the virus, leaving many tourists and foreign workers unemployed and unable to return home. For more than a decade, Chinese criminal groups have used Cambodia as a base for online scams that duped Chinese nationals out of billions of dollars. Crime experts said the pandemic has made it easier for these groups to target stranded foreigners. Four of the nine captives interviewed by the Thomson Reuters Foundation were unemployed teachers - three from Asia and one from Uganda. Another was a construction worker from Bangladesh, three were tourists, and one was a Tanzanian graphic designer. Two days after agreeing to work at a call center near the Phnom Penh airport, Mary, the teacher from the Philippines, was in her recruiter's car, bound for on-site training - or so she thought. When the car passed the airport, the driver said the induction had been moved to Sihanoukville, a port city some 200-km (125 miles) away that has received an influx of money from China, Cambodia's largest foreign investor. More than 80 casinos have been built in the city, largely for foreign tourists and online punters as it is illegal for Cambodians to gamble. Back in 2018, the province's governor at the time, Yun Min, had warned that the influx of Chinese investment in the region was leading to a surge in crimes by the "Chinese mafia," including kidnapping. China's embassy in Phnom Penh declined to comment on the Thomson Reuters Foundation's findings but called on Cambodia to enforce its online gambling ban, which it introduced in 2019, saying the industry had become a security concern amid rising reports of crime. "Kidnapping and human trafficking are by-products of illegal online gambling," a spokesperson said in emailed comments. "Instead of addressing only the symptoms by focusing on individual cases, full implementation of online gambling prohibition can stem the problem from its root." LOCKED IN A ROOM Inside a heavily guarded compound in Sihanoukville, Mary said she handed her passport to human resources and was given the tools for her new job: five iPhones and five British SIM cards. Mary said she was told to use images of attractive women to create fake identities on Tinder, WhatsApp, and Facebook and find people interested in foreign exchange trading. A few hours in, she told the manager she wanted out. "She started threatening me: 'We will beat you if you don't follow our rules,'" Mary recalled. "I told her, 'I signed no contract. I want to leave. Release me.'" Mary said the manager replied, "If you won't work, pack your bags - we sell you to another company." Mary was locked in a room, bare except for three-bed frames and two other women, also bound for a new boss, she said. For two nights and three days, they went unfed, drinking water from a toilet in a bathroom which they were allowed to access at the whim of their guards, she said. Guards had confiscated their phones - but Mary had a second device and was relaying events to her husband who, after reporting the situation to police in Sihanoukville, took up vigil at the compound's gates. "I was worried if they transfer my wife, I would not find her again," he said. 'SINISTER' Sihanoukville is a haven for a new breed of "sinister" Chinese gangs that take advantage of Cambodia's fast internet speeds and relaxed visa rules, said John Coyne, head of the Northern Australia Strategic Policy Centre, a research group. "Sihanoukville is a criminal hotspot created by the confluence of Chinese money, Chinese organized crime groups, and a very poor legal environment," said Coyne, an ex-police officer and expert on organized crime in the Mekong region. Beijing has sent police and planes to Cambodia to take home hundreds of suspected Chinese scammers in recent years, sending a "very heavy and very public ... message to its citizens" about the risks of engaging in crime, said a foreign law enforcement officers monitoring the situation. "The operators shifted to other targets," said the official, adding that by trafficking more people who speak languages other than Chinese, the gangs were able to target more nationalities. "Eight new clients per day. If you don't get eight, you keep working," said a Tanzanian woman who took what was advertised online as a call center job in Sihanoukville in June. "Four hundred of us in one room - cheat, cheat, cheat. That's the job," she said, describing how she used fake online profiles to trap people into fraudulent investment schemes. When the woman told management she wanted to leave, she was locked in a room with Mary and given two options: pay $2,000 or be sold to another company, she said. The woman shared contact numbers for her trafficker, who told the Thomson Reuters Foundation he was paid a $1,000 commission for each person recruited to work in Sihanoukville but denied recruiting a Tanzanian woman. The recruiter, who said he was Chinese and gave his name as Li Qiang, said he worked for a large firm that did not have a name and said that his actions did not involve trafficking. "The employee can leave whenever they want," he said. The police chief in Preah Sihanouk province, where Sihanoukville is located, and a spokesman for the provincial administration, declined to comment. SOLD LIKE GOATS Cambodia has become a popular destination for workers in tourism, construction and education, which have been hard-hit by COVID-19, leaving a pool of "invisible people" for recruiters to prey on, said labor abuse investigator Khun Tharo. "Many have lost their jobs and they're very easy to access, very easy to scam," said Tharo of labor non-profit CENTRAL. Nehan, a teacher from Nepal who has lived in Cambodia for five years and was laid off during the pandemic, said he responded to a Facebook advert for a call center job after exhausting his savings - and ended up being enslaved. "To them, we are just animals; bought and sold like goats and chickens," he said. Nehan said he was taken to start work in the shuttered White Sand Palace Hotel in Sihanoukville. "(People) think that during corona time, White Sand is closed, but what happens inside, they don't know," said Nehan, who was released after working for a month without pay when he threatened to get his wife to report the scammers to the police. "People go in (to the hotel) ... then they cannot go out." A woman who answered a phone at White Sand Palace Hotel said it was not possible to speak to management as they had gone "to China," adding that the hotel was not aware of any online scamming operations on the premises. Nehan said he was taken to hotel rooms where hundreds of people - mostly Chinese - worked to coax online investors into fake investment schemes and into scanning a QR code embedded in a website that allows them to hack into people's smartphones. "They are hackers, thieves," Nehan said. BEATEN All of the victims were told to pay a ransom to be freed, but only one did - a South African tourist, whose mother shared a screenshot of a July payment of $2,047 sent to a Cambodian who negotiated her son's release. Six others said they used threats, negotiation and social media posts to win their release. Two are still being held. The tourist shared photographs of himself in a hospital bed with a bruised face and a bandage around his head, which he said was stitched after he was beaten by his trafficker for trying to rally a walkout from a Chinese-run scamming operation. "We tried not to do the money thing but in the end, we had to. These people beat him up, and it's just been hell for one month that we've been trying to negotiate," his mother said shortly after his release. In Mary's case, her husband shared her ordeal on Facebook after three days, when she told him she thought she had miscarried their baby. He also gave details to the local news website Cambodia News English, he said. "At first (the traffickers) were angry - how was this information getting out? I had videos and photos from inside," Mary's husband said. After threatening violence and demanding a $1,500 ransom, a deal was reached: Mary would be freed if he deleted the Facebook posts, he said. The couple agreed and are now in hiding, unable to leave Cambodia together due to COVID-19 travel restrictions in their home and neighboring countries. "Right now, we feel only anger and fear," Mary's husband said. "I can't sleep. When I close my eyes, I can only imagine our child. When my wife sleeps, she shakes." The dismissal of Radio Television Slovenia's (RTV) director of television programming has reignited charges of political pressure on the country's influential public broadcaster. Andrej Grah Whatmough, RTV's chief executive, dismissed Natalija Gorscak on August 20, citing poor ratings and management differences. But Gorscak maintains that she was fired for refusing under pressure to dismiss the managing editor of RTV's news and current affairs department, Manica Janezic Ambrozic. Gorscak and analysts who spoke with VOA see the dismissal as another sign that Prime Minister Janez Jansa's government is looking to bring Slovenia's independent media to heel. Since Jansa's center-right party took power in 2020, media analysts say, the government has attempted to increase control over RTV and the state news agency, STA, and that the prime minister and allies have tried to intimidate journalists on social media. Jansa's supporters counter that the country's media is biased in favor of opposition political parties and that public media are often reporting unfair or false news. After one of RTV's programs last year criticized a government plan to raise the pay of high-ranking officials, Jansa used Twitter to accuse the broadcaster's news programs of disseminating untruths. "Don't spread lies @InfoTVSLO We pay you to inform in these times and not to mislead the public. Obviously there are too many of you and you are overpaid," Jansa said in the tweet. Gorscak has worked for RTV almost continuously since 1996. She disputed allegations of biased reporting and falling ratings under her tenure. "We are a public television not a state television. It is our job to oversee the work of each government. We work according to professional standards, and each government has always criticized us, which is how it should be," she told VOA. Gorscak said political pressure on RTV has never been as bad as under Jansa. "The government wants to ensure that TV journalists will report according to its wishes, particularly ahead of parliamentary elections," she said. Slovenia will hold regular parliamentary elections in the second quarter of 2022. Motives questioned The Vienna-based International Press Institute said justifications for Gorscak's dismissal "appeared questionable." "It is hard to avoid the conclusion that the sacking [firing] was the result of strong political pressure aimed at sweeping out staff and overseeing a shift in editorial position to one more pliant to the government," IPI Europe advocacy officer Jamie Wiseman told VOA. "IPI is concerned it will now open the door to the dismissal of other editorial staff in the crosshairs of the ruling party. If such controversial changes continue, the broadcaster's editorial independence will be jeopardized further." It already may be eroding. RTV journalists contacted by VOA espoused differing views about the level of pressure. Still, some described how they self-censored after online attacks by government officials. Four journalists spoke to VOA on condition of anonymity because of potential retaliation. "After a critical story, it is not just government officials who attack you on platforms like Twitter, but also a number of other, often anonymous people, who I believe are connected to the government," one RTV journalist said. "As a result, many journalists resort to self-censorship in order to avoid trouble." Critics say RTV's new chief Whatmough was installed to promote the government's agenda, although Whatmough and others in the government reject that assertion. Whatmough took over in April after being elected by the broadcaster's Program Council a 29-member body mandated to act independently. The majority of council members, 21, is appointed by the parliament. Prior to that, Whatmough was a member of the RTV's Supervisory Board since 2015. He was first nominated to that position by the Party of Modern Centre, now a junior party of Jansa's government coalition, local media reported. Jansa has not commented on the changes at RTV, and Whatmough and RTV have not responded to VOA's questions about the controversy. In an interview with news website Siol.net, however, Whatmough said Gorscak's firing was "based on professional arguments" and that he was disappointed it had been politicized. "The director [Gorscak] did not support any of my proposals [for program changes], but an even bigger problem was that she did not have any proposals of her own," Whatmough was quoted as saying. He denied being under any political pressure. Aggressive posture Marko Milosavljevic, a professor of journalism at the University of Ljubljana, told VOA that "every government wants to have an influence on the public media; every politician wants to have a lot of positive media attention." But "the situation at present is very different from the past," Milosavljevic said, "because the situation has never been so legally unfounded, aggressive and vulgar." He cited unsuccessful attempts to fire previous RTV CEO Igor Kadunc last year and a draft media law proposed by the Culture Ministry that would have cut one of the main sources of funding for the broadcaster. The draft never made it to parliament after protests from the opposition, academics and journalists. Peter Jancic, editor of Siol.net and a former member of the Program Council, dismissed claims the Jansa government was interfering. "There is a constant battle going on as the left-wing and the right-wing parties want to increase their influence on the public television, particularly ahead of general election," said Jancic. In spite of that, "most journalists at RTV Slovenia are trying to do their job professionally and impartially," he said. Siol.net, which is owned by the state-run telecommunication operator Telekom Slovenia, is widely viewed as pro-government. 'Entirely autonomous' Slovenia's Culture Ministry, which oversees media policy, also denied that RTV's journalists are under political pressure or that Whatmough is pro-government. "The CEO is entirely autonomous in his decisions and has a wide support of the Program Council he is supported by members who are in their beliefs close to the left side of the political spectrum as well as by those who are closer to the right side," the ministry said in a statement to VOA. Vasko Simoniti of Jansa's Slovenian Democratic Party is the minister. "The Slovenian government respects the freedom of expression and the media freedom. Indeed, pressures on individual journalists exist, but that has been happening continuously also in times of previous governments," the statement added. Laurens Hueting, senior advocacy officer for the European Center for Press and Media Freedom, said the Jansa government's efforts to influence media have not reached the level of Hungary or Poland, where leaders have moved to squelch independent reporting. But that is changing, he said. "Slovenia still has high levels of press freedom and media pluralism," Hueting said, "but the current government is attempting to reshape that landscape by boosting its own propaganda channels, expanding control over RTV and press agency STA, and undermining critical journalism." The United States is backing Lithuania in the face of what American officials describe as Chinas coercive behavior after Vilnius recently became the first European country since 2003 to allow Taiwan to open a representative office. On Wednesday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis met for talks at the State Department. The meeting followed a call on August 21 in which Blinken underscored ironclad U.S. solidarity with Lithuania in the face of Chinas coercive behavior. Lithuania and the United States are very strong partners in NATO. We stand together for collective defense and security. We stand against economic coercion, including that being exerted by China, Blinken said Wednesday. Wednesday was the United Nations International Day of Democracy. Landsbergis said its truly symbolic that the NATO allies reaffirm our commitment to defend democracy, liberty, human rights across the globe. Members of Congress have also expressed support for Lithuanias position on Taiwan. Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Bob Menendez in a tweet praised Lithuanias courageous efforts to stand up for Taiwan, as well as democracy activists in Belarus, Russia and Cuba. Menendez met with Landsbergis on Tuesday. China has long had a policy of urging countries not to develop closer ties with Taiwan, and this week a spokesperson in Beijing pushed back against American officials characterization of Beijings tactics. The label of coercion can never be pinned on China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said during a Tuesday briefing. The U.S. should immediately stop ganging up with others to wantonly smear China and stop provoking confrontation and disputes. Such tricks wouldnt work on China, Zhao said. In July, Lithuania became the first European country to allow Taiwan, a self-governed democracy, to open an office in Vilnius with the name of Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania. Other nations often designate such offices with the name Taipei Representative Office or Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office to avoid offending China, which claims Taiwan as part of its territory. The Taiwanese Representative Office in Lithuania is set to open this fall, marking the first time in 18 years that Taiwan has opened a new representative office in Europe. The last time Taiwan established a representative office in Europe was in 2003, with the name of Taipei Representative Office in Bratislava, Slovakia. Lithuanias move has already led to repercussions and economic retaliation from China. In August, Chinas government asked Lithuania to withdraw its ambassador to Beijing while recalling its own envoy to Vilnius. In a statement, Chinas Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the Lithuanian side to immediately rectify its wrong decision, take concrete measures to undo the damage, and not to move further down the wrong path. The Baltic Times reported on August 22 that Beijing had stopped approving new permits for Lithuanian food exports to China. The report cited a Lithuanian official saying the country's talks with China on export permits for feed, non-animal products and edible offal had stopped. China has also reportedly halted direct freight trains to Lithuania. A Lithuanian Railways spokesperson, Gintaras Liubinas, told Newsweek: "We have received information through our customers that several freight trains from China will not arrive in Lithuania at the end of August and in the first half of September. Meanwhile, transit trains pass through Lithuania in the usual way. On September 3, Lithuania recalled its ambassador to China. The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry expressed regret over Chinas actions, but said the Baltic country is ready to develop mutually beneficial ties with Taiwan. The top EU diplomats in China also met to show solidarity with Lithuania Ambassador Diana Mickeviciene as she departed Beijing. The meeting between the top diplomats of the United States and Lithuania follows Mondays call between U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan and Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte of Lithuania. Sullivan reaffirmed strong U.S. support for Lithuania as it faces attempted coercion from the Peoples Republic of China, according to the White House. In another move to show solidarity with Lithuania, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa has urged the EU to stand with Lithuania against Chinese pressure. Slovenia holds the six-month EU presidency. Jansa said in a letter, dated Monday, that China's decision to withdraw its ambassador to Lithuania over a dispute about Taiwan was "reprehensible" and would hurt EU-China ties, according to Reuters report. Female circumcision, known as female genital mutilation, is illegal in Kenya but is still being forced on young girls in some areas. Cases increased after schools closed due to the pandemic, but one survivor is fighting the practice in an ethnic Somali community. Twenty-three-year-old Yasmeen Mohammed volunteers with Silver Lining Kenya, an organization that champions the rights of young girls and women in Kenya's Garissa County. Mohammed says her focus is on eradicating the illegal and harmful practice of female genital mutilation, or FGM. "As someone who has gone through the act, I know how harmful this is," she said. She and other activists have joined the government's drive to end cases of female genital mutilation. The number of FGM cases jumped after the coronavirus pandemic forced schools to close, particularly in Somali communities in Garissa. Mohammed says the long closure of schools was detrimental to the fight against FGM. "During COVID, it was a moment of staying together, so that was when parents would realize that these children are growing," she said. "So, for the ones who were young, there is need for them to go through the cut. For the ones who are going through puberty is when you see, 'Oh, this one is supposed to be married.'" The practice of FGM is illegal in Kenya, with the government pledging to eradicate it by the end of 2022, eight years ahead of the global deadline of 2030. Maka Kassim, a community leader involved in rescuing girls from the practice, says it still thrives in places like Garissa because of strong cultural and religious beliefs. "The Somali culture believes, they believe that a girl who doesn't go through the cut, she is like someone who is not clean, she is (an) unclean person," Kassim said. "They also believe that a girl who doesn't go through the cut, she is also not clean to do the prayers." The Kenyan government's anti-FGM board is leading the campaign against the harmful practice. The board's CEO, Bernadette Loloju, says keeping schools open is critical to combating the problem, but there are other challenges, too. "The only big challenge we have is that girls are being taken for the cut at a younger age, when they don't understand what has happened to them," she said. "So, the communities are really coming up with new ways of evading the law." Still, Kenyan officials say they are hopeful efforts by the government and advocates for the girls will keep the country on track to bring the practice to an end. As Benin awaits results from Sundays election, many hoped the small, West African country would continue its tradition as a beacon of democracy in the region. But analysts worry Benin is following the path of neighbors like Chad, which held elections the same day and is expected to extend President Idriss Deby's 30-year rule. Benin made history in 1991 when it became the first mainland sub-Saharan African country to peacefully vote out an incumbent leader. But critics and political analysts say Benins reputation as a stable democracy has begun to erode under President Patrice Talon. Though hes been praised for growing Benins economy and infrastructure, Talon has been widely panned for quashing critics. After winning a five-year term in 2016, he broke a promise not to run again and pushed through election laws that sidelined opponents or forced them into exile. As a result, of the 19 candidates who planned to run against Talon on Sunday, just two largely unknown figures were deemed eligible. Gilles Yabi is a Beninese political analyst based in Senegal and the founder of West Africa Citizen Think Tank. Its possible to have a democratic regression and of course we cannot exclude that in a few years, if we continue in this trajectory of exclusion of political actors, of using the justice system to exclude political opposition, and to reduce the liberties, of course we can have Benin becoming a country like other countries in West Africa, or like others in Central Africa, where the realities are no longer a democratic system, he said. Talons government used troops to violently crack down on election protesters last week, leaving at two people dead. Political analysts are worried the democratic decline in Benin is part of a larger trend. Over the last year, leaders of other West African nations such as Senegal, Guinea and Ivory Coast have also been accused of sidelining political opponents. Chads President Idriss Deby has clung to power for the last three decades and is expected to win a sixth term after also holding polls Sunday. Jeannine Ella Abatan, a senior researcher with the Institute for Security Studies in Dakar, says though Chad and Benin have very different political histories, she sees some worrisome similarities. You have this blurring of lines between the executive and legislative and the judiciary in that all institutions that are supposed to provide checks and balances have either been weakened or are controlled by the president, she said. Abatan says both Chad and Benin have restricted media and used security forces to attack protesters. Election results are expected as early as Tuesday in Benin and by Thursday in Chad. The first vice president of Tanzania's Zanzibar Island, Seif Sharif Hamad, died Wednesday morning, weeks after being hospitalized with COVID-19. Announcing the death Wednesday, Zanzibar's President Hussein Mwinyi said he had learned with great sadness of the passing of Hamad, a prominent politician who was also the chairman of the Alliance for Change and Transparency party. "On behalf of the people of Zanzibar, I take this opportunity to pass my condolences to the family, relatives, Alliance for Change and Transparency party, and to all the people of Zanzibar and ask them to stay calm during this mourning period," Mwinyi said. Mwinyi declared seven days of a national mourning and said flags will be flown at half-staff. The cause of death has not been made public, but on January 31, Hamad was hospitalized in the archipelago after testing positive for COVID-19. He became the first person to declare his COVID-19 status in Tanzania since April 29, 2020, as authorities dismissed the idea the virus was present in the country. On a Twitter post, Tanzania's President John Magufuli sent his condolences to Zanzibar's president and the people of Zanzibar, saying he was saddened by Hamad's passing. He did not mention a cause of death. "I have received with profound shock the news of the death of Hon. Maalim Seif Sharif Hamad, the first vice president of Zanzibar," he tweeted. Hamad was challenging Mwinyi in the October polls in the election that the opposition claims was full of fraud. In December, Hamad was sworn in as the first vice president of Zanzibar as part of a unity government. Former Bolivian interim president Jeanine Anez claimed Sunday that she had the peoples support, after a judge in the capital La Paz sentenced her to four months pre-trial detention for inciting a coup d'etat against her predecessor. I have the support of the people because we defend the rule of law and of all those who believe in democracy, Anez, former interim president of Bolivia said speaking in Spanish. I cannot have the support of the MAS (Movement for Socialism) party because they obviously despise democracy. MAS won the elections in October 2020 and currently controls the presidency and the Congress. In a tweet later she said [t]hey are sending me to detention for four months to await a trial for a coup that never happened, adding [f]rom here I call on Bolivia to have faith and hope. One day, together, we will build a better Bolivia. Earlier Anez told reporters that the rule of law in the country was being undermined and that Bolivia could become a no mans land. Judge Regina Santa Cruz ruled in a virtual hearing on Sunday to send Anez, 53, and two ministers in her caretaker government to pre-trial detention after prosecutors had initially for six months as a precautionary measure. Anez was arrested Saturday on terrorism, sedition and conspiracy charges. The United States, European Union, and right groups, including InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights have called on Bolivia to follow due process without political interference. Anez, a lawyer and former senator for the center-right Democrat Social Movement, took power after her predecessor Evo Morales and most parliamentarians from his MAS party resigned and fled the country in November 2019 as violent protests erupted across Bolivia amid accusations that he rigged the election. The claims were supported by international organizations. At least 33 people were killed, 30 of them after Anez took office. Morales returned to Bolivia from exile after his former economy minister, current President Luis Arce led MAS to win the elections last October. Swedens prime minister offered his sympathy, and the Home Affairs minister said the government is aiding in the investigation after an explosion and a fire at a Goteborg apartment building early Tuesday left at least 20 people injured. Emergency officials say they were alerted to the blast just before 5 a.m. local time in the Annedal district in central Goteborg, Swedens second-largest city. Fires spread to several units of the building, and emergency responders had to rescue several people. At least 16 people were taken to the hospital. Fire crews battled the blaze for several hours. At a news conference in Stockholm, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven and Home Affairs Minister Mikael Damberg discussed the incident with reporters. Lofven said he expressed the governments sympathy for all those affected, saying an incident like this hits hard on our whole society." Damberg said the explosion was not caused by anything natural but that investigators are exploring several hypotheses. The incident may be an accident, but it may also be an attempted attack on one or more people who were inside the building. Police spokesperson Thomas Fuxborg echoed similar sentiments. Damberg said police have, so far, been questioning witnesses, knocking on doors, and gathering surveillance videos from the area. He said the formal, technical investigation will start as soon as possible. Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press and Reuters. Australia is under growing international pressure to commit to net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, but the policy is fiercely dividing its center-right government. Australia is one of the worlds major exporters of coal and gas. Coal is mined in every state. Most exports go to countries in Asia, including China, Japan and South Korea. In 2020, exports were worth about $39 billion. Trade has almost doubled in the past decade. But Chinas informal import restrictions on Australian coal saw the value of exports fall sharply, although prices have started to recover. Coal also generates about 70% of Australias electricity. Coal-fired power makes it the most carbon polluting nation per capita in the world. Prime Minister Scott Morrison is planning to eventually shift his countrys reliance on coal and gas in favor of clean energy technologies, a shift from his time as a treasurer in 2017. In support of the mining industry, then-treasurer Morrison brought a piece of coal to Parliament to argue the need to continue producing coal in a famous scene. This is coal, he said. Dont be afraid. Dont be scared. Its coal that has delivered prosperity to Australian businesses and has ensured that Australian industry has been able to remain competitive on a global market. Clean energy is still an issue that deeply divides his center-right governing coalition. Some members of the National Party the junior alliance partner are adamant that Australias coal industry is too valuable to lose and insist it will thrive for decades. Many regional communities depend on it. There is also disagreement about committing to a target of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The prime minister said he wants to achieve net zero emissions as soon as possible but has not outlined any measures to do so. But government lawmaker Trent Zimmerman said Australia must join the global push to reduce emissions. We need both the target and the plan that matches it, Zimmerman said. It is very hard to divorce the two and obviously much of the international community has moved in that direction. In fact, eighty percent of global emissions or thereabouts are covered by pledges that relate to reaching net-zero. So, it is important for Australia that we are part of that because it is the right thing to do. Morrison has said he is yet to decide whether he will attend the Glasgow Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, in November. He told a newspaper that he wanted to oversee Australias eventual emergence from COVID-19 lockdowns. His critics insist he is too embarrassed by his governments climate change policies to attend the summit in the Scottish capital. Opinion polls by the Australia Institute, an independent public policy think tank based in Canberra, have shown that most Australians want stronger measures to curb emissions. A United Nations climate change report recently warned that global warming will inflict more severe and frequent droughts, storms, heatwaves and bushfires in Australia. However, those surveys reported by the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper also revealed support for the coal industry. Less than half of Australians believe that coal power should be phased out within a decade. Australias addiction to fossil fuels might be hard to give up, according to the survey. Yemen's Houthis rebels could be on the verge of changing the course of the war as they close in on a key northern city, experts say, warning millions of refugees are at risk. Hundreds of fighters have died in fierce clashes this month after the Iran-backed insurgents renewed their campaign for Marib, the government's last bastion in the oil-rich northern region. Seizing Marib would be a game-changer, completing the rebels' takeover of Yemen's north while giving them control of oil resources and the upper hand in any peace negotiations. It also raises fears for the more than two million refugees living in camps in the region after fleeing other frontline cities during the long-running conflict. "The battle of Marib will determine the future of Yemen," Abdulghani Al-Iryani, a senior researcher at the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies, told AFP. "Houthis control most of the governorate and are closing in on the city." The severe threat to Marib comes just over seven years after the rebels overran the national capital Sanaa, just 120 km (75 miles) to the east, in 2014. The takeover prompted the Saudi-led intervention to prop up the government the following year. The grinding war has created what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian crisis with millions of displaced people on the brink of famine. "The refugees will probably pay the highest price for this destructive war," said Iryani. Air bombardments Marib sits at a crossroads between the southern and northern regions and is key to controlling Yemen's north. If it falls, the Houthis could be emboldened to push into the government-held south, analysts say. Ahmed Nagi, of the Malcolm H. Kerr Carnegie Middle East Center, said they have made significant advances after opening new fronts around Marib in recent weeks. If they seize the city, "the Houthis will use Marib to advance towards the southern governorates bordering it", he told AFP. The Houthis began a big push to seize Marib in February and, after a lull, they renewed their campaign this month, prompting intense air bombardments from coalition forces. "Losing Marib to the Houthis could change the course of the war," said Elisabeth Kendall, researcher at the University of Oxford's Pembroke College. "It would be another nail in the coffin of the government's claim to authority and would strengthen Houthi leverage in any projected peace talks." According to Iryani, there still lies the possibility that Marib's tribes and parties, which fight on the government side, accept a Houthi deal to spare the city destruction. "It's unlikely that they will fight their way into the city. More likely, they will strike a deal. Neither side wishes to engage in a bloody urban battle," he said. "The offer stipulates the local government disavow the coalition, declare neutrality and share the governorate's resources with (the rebels in) Sanaa. "In return, Houthis will leave the city alone and recognize its local government." 'Dire' fallout The city had between 20,000 and 30,000 inhabitants before the war, but its population has ballooned as Yemenis fled there from other parts of the country. With about 139 refugee camps in the province, according to the government, hosting approximately 2.2 million people, the displaced civilians are caught in the line of fire once again. "As they disperse, it will be harder for them to access humanitarian assistance and, with the specter of famine looming over Yemen, the Marib battle will make it more imminent," said Iryani. Kendall said "if the rebels seize Marib, the impact on the humanitarian situation will be dire", while Nagi predicted a "huge" disaster. About 80 percent of the 30 million people in Yemen, long the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country, are dependent on aid. While the UN and the US are pushing for an end to the war, the Houthis have demanded the reopening of Sanaa airport, closed under a Saudi blockade since 2016, before any ceasefire or negotiations. "Taking over Marib will not push the Houthis to accept the brokered peace or even to be committed to it if it is accepted," said Nagi. "On the contrary, it encourages Houthis to move to the other southern parts to ensure its full control over all Yemen." In Thailand, a team of aerospace engineers is using the high-tech skills they honed programming planes and satellites to run a simple but effective mapping website helping everyday volunteers reach those with COVID-19 who are falling through the cracks of a struggling public health care system. Since going live in mid-July, jitasa.care has seen well over 10,000 households sign on, seeking assistance for everything from food to oxygen to an urgent ride to the hospital, most of them in the capital, Bangkok. About the same number of volunteers have signed up to help them. Jitasa ties together the Thai words for mind and volunteer. In Thai it means people who want to volunteer to do good deeds, said Wasanchai Vongsantivanich, one of the lead developers. He was surprised by how quickly the site took off. It got a big boost after someone shared the link with a popular local Facebook influencer who passed it on to his millions of followers. When it went widespread, people started to make use of this and a lot of volunteers subscribed by themselves [to] help each other, and that was fantastic and a wonderful thing that we see from the platform, Wasanchai said. The engineers efforts are part of an outpouring of help from Thais of all stripes who are volunteering their time and singular skills to take some of the load off the public health care system. The medical services are strained by the worst wave of infections to hit the country since the pandemic began. Every day brings tens of thousands of new cases and hundreds of more deaths. Intensive care units in Bangkok are filling up, forcing some Thais to spend days hunting for a free hospital bed and the worst off to die at home before they find one. 'People helping people' Volunteers have played a vital role in meeting some of the shortfalls, said Pichit Siriwan, deputy director of relief and community health at the Thai Red Cross Society. Theyre now very important. We need the volunteers help fighting against COVID-19 in Bangkok because of the rise in infections. Now the daily infection in the country is almost 20,000 cases ... and almost half of them are in Bangkok, he said, leaving hospitals in and around the city overwhelmed. Pichit said the Thai Red Cross Society relies on thousands of volunteers itself, and that some of them have been using jitasa.care to find people with COVID-19 in need. Wasanchai said the idea for site started with a backlog at crematoria burning the bodies of the newly dead, as per Buddhist tradition. A local volunteer group asked him and his colleagues to brainstorm ways to help families find available time slots. By early July, so many people were dying of COVID-19 in the greater Bangkok area that the Buddhist temples with crematoria equipped to handle infected bodies safely were struggling to keep up. A colleague of Wasanchais who had just lost his grandmother to the virus had to call 19 temples before finding one that could take her. Once the team came up with the idea of an interactive map of Thailand drawing on crowdsourced data to show people which temples had spare capacity, it was an easily leap to add community isolation centers with free beds, shops ready to fill oxygen tanks and more. Just as helpful is the sites ability to quickly connect the sick with people who want to help others. Anyone suffering from COVID-19 can sign in with a phone number, pin their location to the map, and post a note explaining their symptoms and what they need. Anyone who wants to help can sign on with their own phone number and contact them directly. Those asking for assistance show up on the map as a bright red circle that grows bigger the longer theyve been waiting. Their circle turns green when they start getting help, goes to gray once their needs have been met, then vanishes after a few days. Everyone can see the map, and they see their community and the area around them. Anyone around them who needs help, they just volunteer. If they think they can help [those] people, that household, they just contact and help, Wasanchai said. That is the simple idea people helping people. Turning red to green Sonskuln Thaomohr, who handles company registration records for the Commerce Ministry by day, has taken to jitasa.care with a passion. Since coming across the site last month, he says he has responded to dozens of posts asking for help taking blood oxygen level readings, dropping off food bundles to those self-isolating or helping seniors tap into public services by guiding them through online registration forms. Lately he has seen an increase in posts requesting anti-viral medicine. If I could do something to help the situation, I really want to do it, said Sonskuln, whose close friend lost his mother to COVID-19 and blamed himself for having accidentally passed the virus on to her. Im so sad for him, and that affects me personally because I dont want any other of my friends or others to tell the sad story and blame themselves like that again, he said. Sonskuln likes that the site also lets volunteers communicate with one another and coordinate their efforts. But even then, they can sometimes be too late. We call it super red, which is the triage level, he said. That means they are in emergency state [and] need paramedic attention and transfer to hospital ASAP. Those people are waiting inside their house and, to be honest, they are not in good shape at all. We have seen people dying me too laying on the floor. With other volunteer groups and even some government agencies signing in to jitasa.care to respond to posts for help, Wasanchai said, most of Bangkoks red circles are turning green. Most of those on the site still waiting for help are now to the south and southeast of the capital. After climbing steadily for more than four months, new daily infection numbers for the country have also started to level off and dip a bit in the past two weeks, convincing the government to start easing lockdown rules that have crippled the economy. But Pichit, at Thai Red Cross Society, warned that the latest trend could be an artifact of less testing and said infection numbers were still rising in some provinces in the south and northeast of Thailand, so that health care professionals and volunteers alike would have to stay vigilant. The more you test, the more you find, so we still need to be aware that this decrease in number may be due to decreased tests, he said. So, we should keep an eye on it. Show more Show less Brazil was among the countries facing big difficulties in purchasing COVID vaccines early this year and, with fatalities soaring, its leaders bet on China's CoronaVac to jump-start its immunization program. But the Chinese vaccine is shunned by many Brazilians after studies indicated a low efficacy rate so much so that Brazilian authorities banned the distribution of millions of doses this month pending further study. For VOA in Sao Paulo, Edgar Maciel reports Brazil is making some adaptations that could be starting to yield positive results. Camera: Edgar Maciel Former U.S. President Donald Trump tried threats of "fire and fury, followed by personal letters and made-for-TV summits to convince North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to give up his nuclear weapons. As U.S. President Joe Biden now maps out his own strategy for North Korea, many former U.S. officials want the White House to base its approach on a less flashy but in some ways even more provocative idea: that North Korea has no plans to abandon the nuclear program it spent decades building. The United States has long demanded the complete denuclearization of North Korea, even as a wide range of Korea watchers agreed that will likely never happen. For many, the alternative is simply unfathomable; recognizing North Korea as a nuclear weapons state could convince other nations to pursue the bomb, leading to a regional or global arms race. But with or without recognition, North Korea has made steady progress on its nuclear and missile programs. According to recent estimates, North Korea possesses anywhere from 15-60 nuclear warheads. It also has an increasingly diverse array of ballistic missiles, including some that may be able to reach anywhere in the continental United States. Given the trajectory, a growing number of observers advocate what they say is a more pragmatic approach that would aim to cap or reduce the threat of North Koreas arsenal, even if the immediate goal isnt full denuclearization. More pragmatic A reality check is overdue, said Markus Garlauskas, a former U.S. intelligence official, in an article this month published by the U.S. Institute for Peace. Garlauskas is not just any analyst; until June he was the U.S. governments top intelligence officer for North Korea. In Garlauskas' view, U.S. policy toward North Korea has been based on two ideas that have proven false: 1) that the United States has enough leverage to convince North Korea to give up its nuclear weapons, and 2) that China will cooperate in achieving that goal. Garlauskas proposes Washington shift its focus away from near-term denuclearization while offering Pyongyang diplomatic and military engagement. Such efforts would help build buffers against the risks of escalation, misinterpretation, and miscalculation in crises, as well as help combat perceptions of implacable U.S. hostility, he says. Arms control Many former U.S. officials now embrace such views, with some calling for an arms control deal that would mirror those reached by the United States and Soviet Union during the Cold War. The parties would seek to cap and contain the most dangerous elements of North Koreas weapons programs in order to stop their growth and minimize chances of inadvertent use, proliferation, and leakage, former National Security Council member Victor Cha wrote in November for Foreign Affairs magazine. In October, former senior U.S. diplomat Joseph Yun and ex-Pentagon official Frank Aum lamented that for 15 years, Washington has chased the white whale of complete, verifiable, and irreversible denuclearization at the expense of achieving near-term, material reductions in the nuclear threat. But doing so has made the perfect the enemy of the good. North Korea will not easily give up its treasured sword, which represents the only noteworthy success in its history, they said, calling for an interim deal that freezes North Koreas nuclear and missile activities. Though North Korea's nuclear program has made impressive technological advances in recent years, some analysts argue its still worth freezing at the current stage. According to nuclear scientist Siegfried Hecker, who has visited North Korean nuclear facilities, North Korea still needs to do more nuclear and ICBM tests to be able to reach the United States with a nuclear-tipped missile. Not a perfect fix But the idea of an arms control approach doesnt sit well with some U.S. allies in the region. Many fear it would result in a de facto recognition of North Koreas nuclear program. "I get the rationalist argument that national or regime survival will mean that Kim won't de-nuke, a senior military official of a U.S.-allied nation told VOA. But if the U.S. accepts this premise, the consequences across the region would be most significant. An even implicit U.S. recognition of North Korea could make it easier for other countries, such as Japan and South Korea, to eventually develop their own nuclear weapons. There would also be implications for countries like Iran, who may conclude that they can develop their own nuclear weapons and eventually even achieve some degree of relations with the United States, if they persevere through a period of sanctions. Another commonly expressed concern: North Korea could decide to sell its nuclear technology to other countries or even terrorist groups. Given those concerns, some say its better for the United States to publicly push for denuclearization, even if it may never happen. In some ways it is the polite fiction that must be maintained while [U.S. officials] try and reverse the trend of an expanded nuclear capability, said the military official. Few signs from Biden Biden, who is consumed with domestic issues like the coronavirus and the economy, has given few hints about the direction of his new policy. In a briefing last week, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the denuclearization of North Korea remains a central premise of the U.S. approach. But even Secretary of State Antony Blinken has at times in the past called for an interim agreement with North Korea. In a New York Times editorial in 2018, Blinken argued that Trump should use the Iran nuclear deal as a model when negotiating with Pyongyang. Earlier this month, Blinken said the United States would consider both sanctions and diplomacy as part of the administrations wide-ranging North Korea policy review. But it may not be the right strategic moment to apply more sanctions. Not only are there humanitarian concerns about tightening sanctions during a global health emergency, there are questions about how effective economic pressure would be, considering North Korea has already voluntarily sealed itself from the rest of the world to contain the novel coronavirus. But the Norths pandemic calculation could eventually change, says Duyeon Kim, a Korea specialist at the Center for New American Security. The longer the pandemic persists, the more Pyongyang will desire sanctions relief when the pandemic subsides, she says. The more desperate North Korea becomes for sanctions removal, the more leverage the Biden administration could have. Demonstrators clashed with Thai police in Bangkok Wednesday amid ongoing protests over the governments handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Protesters fired slingshots and threw paint and firecrackers at police, who in turn used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse them. The confrontation occurred as the crowd sought to approach the home of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha. The protesters are demanding Prayuth resign for what they believe is his mismanagement of Thailands most serious outbreak of infections and its adverse impact on the economy. He refuses to resign. Police said at least eight officers were injured and the Erawan Medical Center reported one demonstrator was hurt. This was the second consecutive day of protests over the governments response to the pandemic. The U.S.-based Johns Hopkins University says on its coronavirus dashboard that Thailand currently has more than 795,000 confirmed cases and 6,588 deaths. The coronavirus causes the COVID-19 disease. Albania is temporarily hosting some 600 Afghan refugees who have fled the violence and chaos in their country. The last of several flights with 150 people on board arrived in Albania August 30. Ilirian Agolli spoke with some of them. Keida Kostreci narrates his story. A diplomatic dispute between Morocco and Spain over Madrids decision to host a leader of the Western Saharan independence movement has soured what had been improving relations across the Mediterranean Sea. Brahim Ghali, the leader of the Polisario Front, which wants for independence of the Sahrawi people in Western Sahara, is being treated at a hospital in Logrono in northern Spain, after he was infected with COVID-19. His presence in Spain has angered Morocco which has accused the leftist government in Madrid of endangering relations with Rabat. The Polisario Front fought a long war against Morocco to win the independence of the disputed Western Saharan territory. Despite a truce in 1991, both sides have been at loggerheads for years. The United Nations classifies Western Sahara, a Spanish colony until 1975 with a population of one million people, as a non-self-governing territory. The Polisario Front has demanded an independence referendum while Rabat claims the territory as part of Morocco. Spain has tried to appear neutral on the Western Sahara issue, but analysts suggest that Morocco will use the diplomatic dispute between Rabat and Madrid over the presence of Ghali in Spain to exert pressure on Spain to change its policy. Rabat complains Moroccan Foreign Minister Naser Burita asked whether Spain wanted to sacrifice relations with Morocco by failing to inform Rabat of Ghali's presence in Spain. Why doesn't Spain consider it should have to inform Morocco of the presence of Ghali? Would they rather consort with the enemies of Morocco? This is a test of our relationship, Burita said in an interview at the weekend with EFE, the Spanish state news agency. Burita was referring to Algeria when he mentioned Moroccos enemies as the neighboring North African state champions the cause of the Polisario Front. The minister said Morocco had supported Spain when former Catalan regional president Carles Puigdemont staged a failed independence declaration in 2017, plunging Spain into its worst political crisis for decades. Morocco last month summoned Ricardo Diez-Hochleitner, the Spanish ambassador to Rabat, to complain about Ghalis presence in Spain. Rabat also accused Madrid of allowing Ghali to enter Spain with a false passport and identity, adding that there are several complaints against Ghali in Spain for allegations of war crimes and human rights violations. Ghali has been accused by a dissident Polisario Front group based in Spain called ASADEDH, who accuse him of torture and crimes against humanity, charges that Spanish authorities are investigating. The dissidents claim members the Western Saharan independence movement held them in camps in Algeria against their will. Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha Gonzalez Laya told journalists Spain admitted Ghali for strictly humanitarian reasons, saying he was recovering from coronavirus. Spain's National Court, which deals with serious cases of terrorism and fraud, has summoned the militia leader to appear on June 1 to answer allegations of torture made by Polisario Front dissidents. Ghali has been summoned to appear on June 1 if he is well enough to attend the hearing, a court spokesman told VOA. Gonzalez said Spain's justice system would deal with any allegations against the Polisario leader but it had nothing to do with the Spanish government. If the justice system believes Ghali must answer to the justice system, then he will appear before the court, she added during a press conference last week. It will not be the government that intervenes in the independent and free operation of justice in our country. Justice will do what it has to do and the government will fully respect it as it cannot be otherwise in a democratic country. Spanish media reported that Ghali had given a false name and used an Algerian diplomatic passport to enter Spain. Ignacio Cembrero, a Spanish journalist who has written widely about Morocco, said Rabat will try to use the Ghali row to change Spain's policy on Western Sahara. Spain under pressure At present, Spain maintains a solution to the issue can only come from an agreement brokered by the United Nations but, Cembrero contends, Morocco may try to push Spain to change this stance to one more sympathetic to Rabat. In public Spain would never admit that it had changed its policy, Cembrero told VOA. However, in private Spain may act more favorably towards Morocco's ambitions to rule Western Sahara. Over the years, Spain has quietly helped Morocco by aiding it at the United Nations and in its legal battles at the European Court of Justice. Spain has sought to distance itself over international disputes over Western Sahara, conscious of the possible effect this could have on trade and security relations between the close neighbors, experts said. Last week, a fresh disagreement erupted between Morocco and Germany over the disputed territory, with Rabat recalling its ambassador in Berlin. Morocco accused Germany of distancing itself from the spirit of constructive solution with a destructive attitude on the issue of the Moroccan Sahara, the Moroccan Foreign Ministry said in a statement. After the U.S. recognized the Moroccan right to control over Western Sahara in January, Germany called for a closed-door UN Security Council meeting to discuss the issue. The German government said it was surprised by Morocco's move to recall its ambassador. We are all the more surprised by this measure as we are working with the Moroccan side in a constructive way to resolve this crisis, the German Foreign Ministry said. North Macedonia's bid for membership in the European Union was held up for two decades by a dispute with Greece over its name. One painful compromise later, the road forward is being blocked again this time by Bulgaria in a dispute over language and historical grievances. And Albania, whose EU bid is to be considered in tandem with that of North Macedonia, is collateral damage. Both North Macedonia and Albania had high hopes of moving forward this year, but progress was brought to a halt at a June meeting of the EU's General Affairs Council, where Bulgaria exercised its veto as an EU member to block the start of accession negotiations with North Macedonia. Among several cultural and historic grievances, Sofia called for North Macedonia to acknowledge that the language spoken there is derived from Bulgarian. That is a bitter pill for the government in Skopje, which already acceded to the addition of "North" to the country's name to satisfy the objections of Greece, which has a province named Macedonia. The government in Skopje said it does not plan on giving up on its EU aspirations and that it will continue to actively seek out a solution. "If there is political will and leadership on the side of Bulgaria, I think we can find a European solution that would be good for Macedonian-Bulgarian friendship, for the European promise to the region, and for North Macedonia. But there is an 'if,' because we already did our best," Nikola Dimitrov, North Macedonia's vice prime minister for European affairs, said in comments reported by Euronews. In a June 28 statement on its Foreign Ministry website, Bulgaria maintains it is committed to resolving its differences with North Macedonia, but it demands an end to what it describes as the suppression of the rights of people in North Macedonia "who identify themselves as Bulgarians." Experts in the United States which supports EU integration of the entire Balkans warn that the delay in starting accession talks with the two countries is likely to be exploited by Russia and China to increase their influence in the western Balkans. Balkans expert Edward Joseph, a senior fellow with the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, describes the impasse as an extremely serious challenge for the EU and its vision. "This is an unconscionable blockage and imposition by Bulgaria against North Macedonia. Failure to do this will destabilize the Balkans and represents an opening for Russia and China in the region," Joseph told VOA's Macedonian Service. ll other countries in the EU agree that North Macedonia and its 2 million people are more than ready to join the bloc. "North Macedonia has done what it has been asked; it has done more than any other country has been asked. And we in the United States, we respect what North Macedonia has done in this compromise, which was a true compromise with Greece," Joseph said. He argued that Bulgaria is demanding that Macedonians "accept a version of history, a version of who they are except that version that Bulgarians insist upon is against EU values," which maintain that members must not bring bilateral issues into the accession process. Bulgaria, for its part, maintains that it sees EU enlargement in the western Balkans as a priority and that it does not object to accession talks with Albania, although at present the bloc is not prepared to discuss the one country without the other. "We are resolute to continue the dialogue with the Republic of North Macedonia," the statement on its Foreign Ministry website says. "We are committed to finding pragmatic, sustainable and mutually acceptable solutions to the challenges inherited from the past." Joseph argues that if the EU members are not able to bring sufficient pressure on Bulgaria and North Macedonia to move the process forward, the United States should step in. "Washington has to join with Brussels and with key capitals Berlin, Paris and others, and bring requisite pressure," he said, noting that U.S. President Joe Biden had himself argued in the 1990s for the Clinton administration to do more to integrate the Balkans with western Europe. Erwan Fouere, a former EU special representative in North Macedonia, offered a similar assessment. "The Americans are expecting the EU to take assumed leadership. And unfortunately, the EU is not assuming the leadership as it should," he said. "The situation with Bulgaria and the veto that Bulgaria imposed undermines the entire EU enlargement agenda. So many promises that have been given to North Macedonia, that have been broken, and this is another one now," he told VOA Macedonian. Fouere, currently a senior associate research fellow at the Center for European Policy Studies in Brussels, said the way forward may require "mediation by a third party, by the Council of Europe or OSC. These are all entities that have experience in resolution of bilateral disputes." Florida filed suit against President Joe Biden's administration Tuesday, claiming his immigration policy is illegal. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis signed an order barring state agencies from assisting with the relocation of undocumented immigrants arriving in the state. DeSantis' order authorized the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Florida Highway Patrol "to detain any aircraft, bus, or other vehicle within the State of Florida reasonably believed to be transporting illegal aliens to Florida from the Southwest Border" if allowed by federal and state law. The caveat likely prevents them from seizing federal aircraft. He also ordered the agencies to gather information on the identities of any immigrants arriving illegally in Florida from the U.S.-Mexico border and told state agencies not to spend money assisting those immigrants unless required by law. Democratic state Representative Anna Eskamani criticized DeSantis, saying he's using the immigration issue to score political points with his conservative base instead of focusing on other issues facing the state. "He is completely bonkers and just wants to distract everyday people from real-life issues," she said. "We have an affordable housing crisis. We have climate change to worry about. We have folks that can't find a good paying job. There's so many issues around us, and this is what he chooses." Attorney General Ashley Moody's lawsuit claims the federal immigration policy will cost the state millions of dollars and cause harm to Florida. "While some arriving migrants have legitimate asylum claims, many do not. Some are gang members and drug traffickers exploiting the crisis at the border, as evidenced by the skyrocketing amount of fentanyl seized at the border this year," the suit says. Moody and DeSantis held a news conference in southwest Florida in which both strongly condemned Biden on immigration and praised former President Donald Trump's policies. "President Biden is aiding and abetting criminal cartels," Moody said. Asked about the lawsuit and DeSantis' order, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said she hadn't seen the suit. "Any Republican or any member who wants to have a constructive conversation about solutions to addressing what we all agree is not a long-term sustainable operational or moral approach to immigration, we're happy to have that conversation," Psaki said. DeSantis, considered a potential 2024 presidential candidate, has been attacking Biden on immigration for months. He sent Florida law enforcement officers to Texas to help deter illegal border crossings, and he and Moody later visited the border and held a news conference to talk about the issue. A Maryland judge on Tuesday sentenced the gunman who killed five people at the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis in 2018 to five life prison sentences without the possibility of parole, the office of the state's attorney for Anne Arundel County said. A jury in July found Jarrod Ramos, 41, criminally responsible for the massacre, one of the deadliest attacks on a U.S. media outlet. Ramos pleaded guilty in October 2019 to 23 felony counts, including five counts of first-degree murder, but argued that he was not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder. The jury rejected his insanity defense after just a few hours of deliberation. The mass shooting took place on June 28, 2018, when Ramos walked into the Gazette's Annapolis newsroom and killed the newspaper's assistant editor, Rob Hiaasen, 59; journalists Wendi Winters, 65, Gerald Fischman, 61, and John McNamara, 56; and sales assistant Rebecca Smith, 34. Ramos had waged a long legal battle with the paper over a column it published about him, and his lawsuit was eventually dismissed. The trial had been postponed several times, in part because of the coronavirus pandemic. Had the jury found that Ramos was suffering from a mental disorder at the time, he could have received a sentence committing him to a mental health institution. Jailed Kremlin critic Alexey Navalny is facing a new criminal probe by Russian investigators that could lead to 10 more years in prison. The investigation, launched Tuesday by the Russian governments Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, accuses Navalny of creating and directing an extremist network the goal of which was "changing the foundations of the constitutional system in the Russian Federation, according to a statement by the committee. Investigators also accuse Navalny and his allies of setting up social media accounts to promote Navalnys banned Anti-Corruption Foundation "in order to promote criminal activity." "The illegal activities of the extremist network were aimed at discrediting state authorities and their policies," investigators said. The probe comes after Russian President Vladimir Putins party won lower house parliamentary elections earlier this month. Navalny's allies were banned from running in the elections, and last week, Navalny, in a message from prison, said the election had been stolen. Navalny, 45, is currently serving a two-and-a-half year sentence on a 2014 embezzlement conviction that was widely seen as politically motivated. The sentence was suspended but Navalny was arrested for parole violations in January when he returned to Russia from Germany, where he was recovering from what he said was a nerve agent attack by the Kremlin. Russian officials deny his allegation. In June, Navalnys foundation was outlawed as extremist, and authorities blocked websites run by his network, charging them with distributing propaganda. Two of Navalnys top allies, Ivan Zhdanov and Leonid Volkov, are also facing criminal investigations. Mali's interim government appears ready to cast aside long-standing counterterrorism partnerships with the United States and France, saying that both countries have failed to make Mali any safer. But at the same time, Mali's prime minister says reports of a deal to bring in mercenaries from Russia's Wagner Group are just "rumors and allegations." "The security situation keeps deteriorating by the day," Choguel Maiga told VOA in an interview on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly late Sunday. "Despite the fact that Mali has a lot of partners on the ground, we have to find new partners who can help improve the security situation," Maiga added. "We can seek partnership either with Russia or with any other country." Reports of a deal between Mali's interim government and Russia's Wagner Group first emerged earlier this month, with Reuters reporting that Mali would pay $10.8 million a month to bring in about 1,000 mercenaries to train Mali's military and provide security for senior officials. 'A real concern' U.S. and French officials have expressed their growing concern that the introduction of Russian mercenaries will do more damage than good. "We don't think looking to outside forces to provide security is the way forward," a senior administration official said Friday in response to a question from VOA about the potential deal with Moscow. "That is not how to best start down the road to true stability." French officials have also expressed growing alarm, both in public and private, about the possible deal with the Russian firm. "We want the return of the Malian state, not the arrival of Russian mercenaries," French Defense Minister Florence Parly tweeted last week. "We are for the sovereignty of Mali, not for its weakening." Another official with knowledge of the matter called the potential deployment of Wagner mercenaries "a real concern." "Such a perspective is not a viable and reasonable solution for Mali and the Sahel," the official told VOA on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation, adding that Malian officials need only to look at developments in the Central African Republic to see the dangers. "The situation we are currently observing in Central Africa, a country in which more than 2,000 Wagner mercenaries are present, reinforces our view that such a force is pursuing a predatory agenda," the official said. "Wagner is exploiting mining areas and controlling Central Africa customs and, above all, is guilty of serious abuses against the civilian population abuses highlighted by the U.N. in several reports." Russia has denied any abuses by contractors there. Mali's prime minister, while denying that a deal with Wagner had been finalized, dismissed the idea that the U.S., France and other countries had any right to criticize the interim government. "All those countries of the international community which are opposing any partnership between Mali and the Wagner Group, all those countries are present there for the past eight years," Maiga told VOA. "I can only say that the government of Mali is assessing the situation, is seeking better ways," he said. "The day we reach any agreement we will say it, and everybody will know. Whether it is with the Russian state, whether it is with another entity, people will find out." Moscow open to deal In contrast to denials from Malian officials, however, Russian officials have welcomed talk of the potential deal with Wagner. "They are combating terrorism," Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during a news conference at the U.N. on Saturday. "And they have turned to a private military company from Russia in connection with the fact that, as I understand, France wants to significantly draw down its military component." "We don't have anything to do with that," Lavrov said, adding, "at the government level, we are also contributing to providing for military and defense capacities of Mali." Many Western governments, though, insist that there is little practical difference between the Kremlin and the exploits of the Wagner Group, run by Russian oligarch Yevgeny Prigozhin. Prigozhin, sometimes called "Putin's cook" because of his catering company's work for Russian President Vladimir Putin, is thought to have extensive ties to Russia's political and military establishments, according to U.S. intelligence officials. The U.S. State Department sanctioned Prigozhin and Wagner back in July 2020, as well as several front companies for the group's operations in Sudan. VOA's Bambara, French to Africa and Hausa services contributed to this report. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Wednesday that his country would abide by the 2015 nuclear deal if the United States and the five other signatories abided by their responsibilities in the accord as well. Rouhani, speaking on the 42nd anniversary of the country's Islamic Revolution, essentially repeated remarks he made to foreign ambassadors on Tuesday. Rouhani also insisted Tehran was on the verge of winning an economic conflict that was imposed on it by former U.S. President Donald Trump. Meanwhile, Iran's spy chief, Intelligence Minister Mahmoud Alavi, said in an interview with Iranian TV on Tuesday that Tehran could produce nuclear weapons in self-defense, despite a 1990s religious edict by Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei forbidding them. He said that Khamenei considered production of nuclear weapons contrary to the tenets of the Islamic Republic, but that if Iran was pushed into a corner, it might be forced to build them and it would not be the country's fault for doing so. Former Iranian President Abolhassan Bani Sadr told VOA that there were "some parties inside [Iran] that favor building nuclear weapons," but that the current standoff over the nuclear accord, in his eyes, was that Washington and Tehran each insisted that the other resume its obligations in the treaty first. He said that both sides were acting like children in demanding that the other begin respecting the agreement first. Khamenei, he said, wants Washington to go first and lift all economic sanctions, and President Joe Biden wants Iran to stop nuclear enrichment first. Dr. Paul Sullivan, a professor at National Defense University in Washington, told VOA that he thought "both sides are playing cat and mouse," but that there must be "some real hard negotiation," including "give and take" from both sides. Sullivan argued that the world had changed since the accord was signed in 2015 and that the deal "should be negotiated from scratch," with "a new foundation" that irons out weaknesses in the original. He said he thought a new deal must be tougher on ballistic missiles and nuclear enrichment and abolish time frames built into the original deal. Bani Sadr, however, said he thought it was unlikely that Iran would renegotiate a nuclear deal before its upcoming presidential election, scheduled for June. The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan did little to reduce tensions between India and Pakistan. Anita Powell reports from the White House on how President Biden, fresh from a historic meeting with Indias leader, is approaching relations with the two South Asian rivals. North Korea conducted another missile test Tuesday, its third in a month. The test occurred minutes before a North Korean ambassador spoke at the United Nations, where he accused South Korea of hostility. The North launched the missile toward the sea off its east coast at about 6:40 a.m. local time on Tuesday, according to South Koreas military, which monitors such launches. Japanese defense officials said the test appeared to involve a single ballistic missile. South Koreas military said the missile is presumed to be short-range and was launched from Mupyong-ri in the North's province of Jagang. That is the same area from which North Korea launched an intercontinental ballistic missile in July of 2017. The United States condemned the missile launch, calling it a violation of multiple U.N. Security Council Resolutions and a threat to the DPRKs neighbors and the international community. We remain committed to a diplomatic approach to the DPRK and call on them to engage in dialogue, a State Department spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday. Our commitment to the defense of the Republic of Korea and Japan remains ironclad. Since it resumed ballistic missile launches in 2019, North Korea has typically launched two missiles at a time. Most of those launches have involved short-range missiles, many from systems that can launch multiple weapons at once. A single launch could indicate a longer-range missile, some defense analysts speculated, though there is no evidence that is the case. The North typically does not announce the details of its weapons tests until the following morning in state media. News of the launch came as North Korea's United Nations ambassador delivered a speech at the U.N. General Assembly in New York. In his speech, North Korea's U.N. ambassador, Kim Song, defended his country's nuclear missile advancement, calling it a response to the "hostile policy" of the United States and South Korea. "Nobody can deny the righteous right to self-defense for (North Korea) to develop, test, manufacture and possess the weapons systems equivalent to the ones which are possessed or being developed by" the United States and South Korea, Kim said. The North Korean ambassador also condemned the presence of U.S. troops in South Korea, recent U.S.-South Korea military exercises and South Korea's recent military buildup. It is not clear whether the missile test was intentionally timed to coincide with the U.N. speech. But analysts said it was notable the launch came days after North Korea had hinted it was open to dialogue with South Korea. "North Korea employs emotional blackmail as a form of leverage, alternating between provocation and charm especially with the South Koreans," said Jean Lee, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Wilson Center. Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, said Sunday the North is open to an inter-Korean summit and declaring a formal end to the Korean War if South Korea first ends its "hostile policy" and "double standards" to the North. Her comments came in response to a speech last week by South Korean President Moon Jae-in, who reiterated his call for an end to the war, a symbolic step he hopes will spur progress in wider peace talks. "It's been a few weeks of whiplash for the South Koreans, from missile tests designed to create a sense of tension followed by glimmers of hope, and then dashing those hopes again with silence and more provocation. It's gaslighting, and the North Koreans are expert at using this emotional manipulation to create a sense of uncertainty and anxiety in Seoul," Lee said. "It will be a test of Seoul's resolve to remain steadfast and to employ principled diplomacy, as well as patience," she added. Earlier this month, North Korea launched two short-range ballistic missiles from a train. Those missiles landed in Japan's exclusive economic zone. Two days before that, the North conducted a long-range cruise missile launch. Both tests used technology meant to make it more difficult for the United States and others to monitor, detect and defend against North Korea's missile arsenal. South Korea has also been developing and testing its own new ballistic missile technology. Earlier this month, the South became just the seventh country to have successfully tested a homegrown submarine-launched ballistic missile. VOA State Department Correspondent Nike Ching contributed to this story. A report submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council blasts the Nicaraguan governments harsh crackdown on opposition leaders in advance of November 7 Presidential and Parliamentary elections. Critics accuse Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega of systematically ridding himself of viable opposition candidates to secure a fourth consecutive term as President of the country. In her latest update to the Council, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michele Bachelet said increasing restrictions by Nicaraguan authorities on peoples right to vote are undermining free and fair elections. She said Nicaraguans should be able to exercise their right to vote without intimidation, violence, or administrative interference. Her report documents the arbitrary detention of 16 people between June 22 and September 6. They include political leaders, human rights defenders, businesspeople, journalists, as well as peasant and student leaders. She said these arrests are in addition to 20 other government opponents who have been detained since May 28. She spoke through an interpreter. This group includes six men and one woman who have publicly stated that they were aspiring to the presidencyThe large majority of these people remain deprived of their liberty and have been so for up to 90 days, being held incommunicado, some in isolation without any official confirmation as to their whereabouts from the authorities to their families, she said. The Public Prosecutors Office says most of the people detained are accused of conspiracy to undermine national integrity and other crimes linked to the implementation of cooperation funds. U.N. rights chief Bachelet said attacks on freedom of expression and against the media and journalists have intensified. She said similar patterns of repression are being registered against human rights defenders, social and political leaders, among others. Given this deteriorating situation in Nicaragua, it is essential that the government once again guarantee the full enjoyment of civil and political rights of all Nicaraguans, that they put an end to persecution of the opposition, press, and civil society, and that they immediately and unconditionally release the over 130 persons detained since April 2018, according to civil society sources, said Bachelet. The Nicaraguan government has consistently brushed off U.N. and international criticism, claiming it is based on disinformation from North American and European countries seeking to maintain their colonial grip on the country. Editor's Note: Three weeks ago, VOA brought you the story of Nasria, one of the Americans trapped in Afghanistan after U.S. evacuation efforts ended August 30. She asked that we use only her first name for her safety. VOA Pentagon correspondent Carla Babb has been in touch with her since the evacuation ended and has this update. Twenty-five-year-old Californian Nasria came to the Afghan capital in June to visit family and marry her longtime boyfriend. Pregnant and scared after the Taliban takeover, she fled with her husband to the airport. But they never made it in. She filmed herself waving her American passport, but day and night, the Taliban kept blocking her. "I was, got a gun pointed to my head," Nasria said. "Our troops were literally at the gate just waiting for us to continue walking. And they (the Taliban) had blocked us. And there was a time where I went past them, and I started walking as fast as I can, and they started shooting right by my leg and told me to come back or they would shoot me." When the U.S. military left, Nasria said the Taliban were hunting down Americans. "There's been days where, you know, I think to myself am I going to make it home? Am I going to end up living here? Am I going to end up dying here? What's going to happen?" she said. Nasria hid in a basement for nearly three weeks, as VOA News and others in and out of government worked around-the-clock to help. And then, a breakthrough. "I got a call from the State Department at 3:00 in the morning, and they told me to go to a Serena hotel in Kabul at 8:00 in the morning," she said. From there, Qatar officials put her on a flight to Doha. However, she said, "The State Department told me that I had to stay for, like, a week and a half or two until they can evacuate me from Qatar." So, the veterans group Operation Recovery, who'd been monitoring her case, booked her a flight to Los Angeles just a few days later. "I'm just really excited to be back home, and it feels amazing," Nasria said. "It's nice to breathe again, to be honest." She's seen friends and family since her return, and she says best of all: "The baby is good. Matter of fact, I went for a checkup, and I got my ultrasound. I got to hear his little heartbeat or her little heartbeat. I don't know the gender yet." Boy or girl, that little one has had an interesting journey already. The government of eSwatini is refuting media reports that the nations King Mswati III - the last absolute monarch in Africa is critically ill with COVID-19. Reports began to circulate after the king did not appear for a Good Friday service. The King is not ill, Foreign Minister Thuli Dladla told VOA via WhatsApp message when asked about the reports on Monday. He is very much fine and directing Cabinet from the Palace. He meets the PM and Minister (of) Health now and again. We don't want him to be exposed. He is very well." She also called the media reports a very sick joke and very defamatory. The World Health Organization says the landlocked nation of 1.1 million people, formerly known as Swaziland, has reported 12 cases of the virus, and no deaths. The tiny nation wedged between South Africa and Mozambique is Africas last absolute monarchy, co-ruled by King Mswati III and his mother. The nation is technically a democracy, though political parties are banned, and the king is the top executive who rules for life. The 51-year-old monarch has ruled since he was 18. He has at least 15 wives and 23 known children. In 2018, he suddenly changed the countrys name to eSwatini. News outlets based in eSwatini or in neighboring South Africa have in recent days raised questions about the kings whereabouts. On April 11, journalist Zweli Martin Dlamini, editor of the online Swaziland News, published a report that the monarch was in a critical health condition at Manzana Royal Hospital after the king did not appear for services Friday. A rights group, the Swaziland Solidarity Network, reported that day that royal police raided Dlaminis home and harassed his family. His newspaper has subsequently reported that he is missing and wanted by police. In addition to reporting on the kings health, Dlamini has also published several critical articles on the king, whose lavish lifestyle is in stark contrast to the dire poverty faced by most Swazis. Swazi activists in South Africa say they believe the reports of the kings illness are true. South Africa-based activist Lucky Lukhele, spokesperson for Swaziland Solidarity Network, said the king is seriously ill in the hospital. He said his information comes from close contacts within the royal family. He also said his network had received reports that other members of the royal family are ill. The Taliban said Tuesday they plan to temporarily enact articles from Afghanistans 1964 constitution that are not in conflict with Islamic Sharia (law) to govern the country. An official announcement quoted Abdul Hakeem Sharaee, the Talibans acting minister of justice, as telling the Chinese ambassador about the plan in a meeting in Kabul. The Islamic Emirate will implement the constitution of the era of former King Mohammad Zahir Shah for the interim period without any content that is in conflict with Islamic Sharia and the principles of the Islamic Emirate, Sharaee said, using the Taliban's name for their new government. Moreover, international laws and instruments which are not in conflict with the principles of Sharia and the Islamic Emirate will be respected, as well, Sharaee added. The minister did not discuss the provisions they are using from the constitution that granted women the right to vote and opened the doors for their increased participation in Afghan politics. Then-King Shah enacted the constitution in 1964, enabling Afghanistan to enjoy a decade of parliamentary democracy on its own, without external help or intervention, before he was overthrown in 1973 in a peaceful coup by his cousin, Mohammed Daoud. The hard-line Taliban swept back to power in August and have promised to rule the conflict-torn country with a more tolerant and inclusive political approach than during their reign in Kabul from 1996 to 2001, when women were barred from public life and education, among other human rights abuses. The Taliban are already under fire for excluding women in their male-only caretaker Cabinet introduced earlier this month. Taliban leaders have promised to bring women on board and dismissed criticism of their government, saying it is represents all Afghan ethnicities. But the failure to give women a role in governance has fueled concerns about a marked deterioration in womens rights since the Taliban takeover, especially after the new rulers announced that secondary education would resume for boys only. Taliban officials have dismissed those fears as unfounded, saying female students will be able to return to schools very soon once arrangements for them to study in a safe and sound environment are put in place. And one of the group's founders said last week that executions and amputations will be back, though perhaps not in public. The U.S. said Monday it was deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Afghanistan. We have also consistently emphasized, as has the international community, the importance of respect for human rights, as well as fundamental freedoms on the part of any government in Afghanistan, Jalina Porter, principal deputy spokesperson at the State Department, told reporters in Washington. Of course, these rights would include freedom of expression, as well as the promotion and protection of the rights of women and girls, as well as other ethnic and minority religious groups, Porter emphasized. After invading the country nearly 20 years ago to oust the Taliban for sheltering al-Qaida leaders, the United States and Western allies helped Afghanistan adopt a new constitution in 2004 that envisaged a presidency and enshrined equal rights for women. But while waging a deadly insurgency against the Western-backed Afghan government, the Taliban adamantly rejected that constitution as an illegal entity and a product of the U.S. occupation of Afghanistan. The U.S. and the world at large have so far refused to recognize the Taliban as legitimate rulers of the country, saying they want to see if the Taliban uphold their commitment of introducing an inclusive government and respect human rights. It seems a pragmatic approach by the Taliban to adopt the 1964 constitution, said Said Azam, a Canada-based political analyst and former Afghan government official, when asked about the Talibans plans. He noted that the constitution was the outcome of a comprehensive national debate, and the entire process of drafting and ratification spanned over two years. The Talibans main goal is to receive widespread acceptance from the Afghan society by implementing the 1964 constitution, therefore, Azam said. TRANSCRIPT: The Inside Story: Bidens U.N. Debut (Episode 06 September 23, 2021) Voice of KATHERINE GYPSON, VOA Congressional Correspondent: In his first U.N. speech, President Biden reasserts Americas place in the world. U.S. President Joe Biden: I stand here today for the first time in 20 years the United States not at war. We have turned the page. KATHERINE GYPSON: Topping Bidens foreign policy priorities: Climate, COVID and China. U.S. President Joe Biden: I know this: as we look ahead, we will lead, we will lead on all the greatest challenges of our time. KATHERINE GYPSON: The global challenges facing the new U.S. president, next on The Inside Story: Bidens U.N. Debut. KATHERINE GYPSON: Hi. Im Katherine Gypson, VOAs Congressional Correspondent. Shortly after his inauguration as the new U.S. president, Joe Biden told State Department workers, quote, America is back. Diplomacy is back at the center of our foreign policy. This week, Biden outlined his foreign policy vision and priorities to an audience of fellow world leaders at the 76th UN General Assembly. Having ended Americas longest war by pulling troops out of Afghanistan, Biden pressed an agenda that could be described as the three Cs: climate, COVID and China. Add a diplomatic spat between the US and France and Biden had plenty to deal with for his first U.N. speech. VOAs White House Bureau Chief Patsy Widakuswara gets us started from New York: PATSY WIDAKUSWARA, VOA White House Bureau Chief: In his first address to the United Nations General Assembly, U.S. President Joe Biden declared his administration ready to help the world tackle global challenges. U.S. President Joe Biden: 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. PATSY WIDAKUSWARA: Recognizing rising U.S. tensions with China and Russia, Biden said major powers must manage relationships and avoid conflict. U.S. President Joe Biden: 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 disagreement in other areas, because we'll all suffer the consequences of our failure. PATSY WIDAKUSWARA: U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also urged immediate action. Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General: COVID and the climate crisis have exposed profound fragilities of societies and as a planet. Yet instead of humility in the face of these epic challenges, we see hubris. Instead of the pacts of solidarity, we are on a dead end to destruction. PATSY WIDAKUSWARA: Biden promised to boost funding up to $11.4 billion to help developing nations cope with the ravages of climate change and build greener economies. Some are skeptical of his commitment. Joseph Majkut, Center for Strategic and International Studies: The U.S. also has a history of making fairly large pledges of internet support for national climate finance but missing them when it comes to actually sending the money. PATSY WIDAKUSWARA: Still, Bidens speech is a departure from his predecessors rejection of multilateralism and globalism. But he faces an uphill battle convincing allies that America is back and ready to lead. Michael Kugelman, Wilson Center: The fiasco that took place in Afghanistan over the last few weeks of the withdrawal certainly caused a lot of alarm in many key capitals. And I think that President Biden needs to use global forums like the UNGA meetings to try to send a very important message to the world, and including NATO partners and treaty allies in Asia, that despite what may have happened in Afghanistan, the U.S. remains committed to its allies and its partners. PATSY WIDAKUSWARA: Despite the chaotic withdrawal, Biden framed the U.S. exit from Afghanistan as an end to relentless war" and the beginning of a new era of relentless diplomacy. But on the diplomatic front, Biden is already dealing with French anger over the recent U.S. and U.K. announcement to provide nuclear-powered submarines to Australia, which scuttled President Emmanuel Macrons conventional submarine deal. While frayed relations need to be repaired, analysts say, its unlikely to have long-term impact. Stacie Goddard, Wellesley College Political Science Professor: The bigger issue of U.S. credibility is whether or not the United States can continue to signal that it willing to provide global public goods of security, of economic aid to its allies and partners and, when necessary, to work with the rest of the globe. PATSY WIDAKUSWARA: Patsy Widakuswara, VOA News. KATHERINE GYPSON: The head of the United Nations welcomed world leaders back, after a pandemic-induced virtual gathering in 2020. UN Chief Antonio Guterres starkly outlined the challenges the world is facing. He also specifically called on the United States and China to reduce tensions in their relationship. In his own words, the Secretary General urged both superpowers to tone down their increasingly heated rhetoric. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres: It will be impossible for the dramatic economic and develop challenges, while the world's two largest economies are at odds with each other. Yet I fear our world is creeping towards two different sets of economic, trade, financial, and technological rules. Two divergent approaches into development artificial intelligence. And ultimately, the risk of two different military and geopolitical strategies. And this is a recipe for trouble. It will be far less predictable than the Cold War. To restore trust, and inspire hope, we need cooperation. We need dialogue. We need understanding. We need to invest in prevention, peacekeeping, and peacebuilding. We need progress on nuclear disarmament and in our shared efforts to counter terrorism. We need actions anchored in respect for human rights. And we need a new comprehensive agenda for peace. KATHERINE GYPSON: For many Afghan women, the recent takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban represents a return to a lifestyle of limited opportunities. Even with government officials announcing policies on womens education, many are skeptical. VOAs Arash Arabasadi reports on how some women are taking the street marching for their rights. Voices of demonstrators: Panjshir is fighting for all of Afghanistan. ARASH ARABASADI, VOA Correspondent: The Taliban said Sunday that women can continue their higher education in gender-segregated classrooms and so long as they wear a hijab. Abdul Baqi Haqqani, Taliban Acting Higher Education Minister: The first solution is that there must be places where boys can be separated from girls. Or, the second solution, there should be specified times for boys and specified times for girls. The third solution is there must be a partition in class. ARASH ARABASADI: Haqqani says the Taliban-dubbed Islamic Emirate will not oppose education that follows Islamic law. Advocates for women have voiced skepticism. Alison Davidian, UN Women in Afghanistan: Every day we are receiving reports of rollbacks on womens rights. Women are prohibited from leaving the house without a mahra. In some provinces theyre stopped from going to work. Women protection centers that provide essential services for women who flee violence have been attacked. ARASH ARABASADI: Davidian added that safe houses are at full capacity. Last week in Afghanistan, women joined anti-Taliban protests in Kabul. The interior ministry of the Taliban government recently issued an order to end all protests in the country unless demonstrators first receive permission, including for slogans and banners. Arash Arabasadi, VOA News. KATHERINE GYPSON: With the U.S. now out of Afghanistan, the international community is waiting to see which countries step in to provide support. Some experts say China and Pakistan are already laying the groundwork to offer short-term aid and long-term investment for the Taliban acting government in Kabul. While Afghanistans border with China is relatively short, how they and neighboring Pakistan act has major implications for the region -- and for U.S. security interests. VOA senior diplomatic correspondent Cindy Saine explains. CINDY SAINE, VOA Senior Diplomatic Correspondent: Some Afghans are selling their prized possessions to finance their escape from Taliban rule, or just to pay for food. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says the country is facing a humanitarian crisis. Antonio Guterres, UN Secretary-General: Humanitarian aid will not solve the problem if the economy of Afghanistan collapses, and we know that the risk is enormous and that there is a dramatic lack of cash. CINDY SAINE: The international community pledged more than $1.2 billion for humanitarian and development assistance for Afghanistan. The Talibans acting foreign minister also called for access to the countrys $10 billion in foreign assets, much of which has been frozen in the United States. Amir Khan Muttaqi, Taliban Acting Foreign Minister: We believe that the USA is a big country; they need to have a big heart. Afghanistan is a poor country and must not be treated cruelly. We want positive and inclusive relations with the international community, and we ask them also to stop putting more pressure on the Afghan people. CINDY SAINE: The U.S. and other Western countries are calling on the Taliban to respect human rights and in particular, the rights of women and girls before the assets are released. But China and Pakistan have sent food and health supplies to the Taliban acting government and held meetings with Taliban representatives. Experts say for Pakistan, this support for the Taliban is nothing new. Maximilian Hess, Foreign Policy Research Institute: Pakistan certainly has had a relationship with the Taliban or individuals who constitute some of the Taliban leadership going back over 30 years. CINDY SAINE: The U.S. State Department is calling on Pakistan to hold the Taliban accountable, as Islamabad had pledged to do. Ned Price, State Department Spokesperson: We are going to continue to look to Pakistan and to other countries in the region to make good on their public statements on commitments they have made to in different ways to step up to support the people of Afghanistan. CINDY SAINE: Another analyst points out that for Pakistan, India is always a factor in the equation. Manjari Chatterjee Miller, Council on Foreign Relations: Pakistan is worried about India. India is its number one enemy, and so it definitely wants a government in Afghanistan that is friendly towards Pakistan and not towards India. CINDY SAINE: As for China, one expert says the important thing to keep an eye on is long-term investment in Afghanistan. Maximilian Hess, Foreign Policy Research Institute: With regards to China, it's the potential for investment over the long term following the template that is used on its Belt and Road program in Central Asia. This would typically begin with grants for large-scale road and infrastructure construction. Those have not been announced yet. CINDY SAINE: Another expert points out that investing in Afghanistan is a risky proposition. Manjari Chattarjee Miller, Council on Foreign Relations: China has been very careful about how it supports Afghanistan and essentially doesn't want to be sinking money into a black hole with no guarantees of either government survival or any guarantees of the jihadi groups that China's worried about that the Taliban supports. CINDY SAINE: Qatar is also providing tons of medical and food aid to Afghanistan and is working to get the Kabul airport back up and running. Cindy Saine, VOA News. Voice of narrator: Long before China began using N95 masks and COVID-19 vaccines as part of its diplomatic efforts, it used pandas. The furry bears have been used by China to generate goodwill with other countries for more than 1000 years. During the Tang Dynasty, Chinese emperor Wu Zeitan presented Japan with two handouts. During the modern era, in 1941, just before the United States entered World War Two, Beijing sent two cuddly black and whites to the Bronx Zoo as a thank you gift. The practice hit its stride during the Cold War. Moa Tse Tung sent pandas to China's Communist allies, Russia and North Korea, in the 1950s. After US President Richard Nixon's trip to China in 1972, Beijing gave the United States two giant pandas. Nixon said of the pandas impending us arrival, it's going to be a hell of a story. He was right. More than 20,000 people visited the pandas the first day they were on display at the National Zoo in Washington in 1972, the first of 1.1 million visitors during the first year. The gift inspired British Prime Minister Edward Heath, to ask China for pandas London Zoo during his 1974 visit to China. The panda adoration inspired the World Wildlife Fund to adopt the bear as its logo. In 1984 China changed its panda policy as environmental groups began to list the bears as an endangered species. Beijing switched to lending the bears instead of gifting them, and made it clear that any cubs born overseas belonged to China. During the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles the United States paid $50,000 a month to borrow pandas. Now, zoos around the world typically pay up to $10 million for a 10-year loan period. The animals bring zoos millions in revenue each year. When new pandas arrived at the National Zoo in Washington in 2001, the zoo, which charges no entry fee, nearly doubled its merchandise and food sales. The animals are also an enormous expense, however. Apart from China's lone charge, pandas cost roughly $500,000 a year in care. National Geographic reports that is more than five times the cost of the next most expensive animals, elephants. The costs add up because pandas eat special bamboo, live ain custom built enclosures, and often require invitro fertilization treatments to produce panda cubs. Chinese officials have acknowledged that pandas popularity has aided diplomatic efforts. The Chinese ambassador to the United States said that in 2013 there are actually two Chinese ambassadors in Washington: me and the panda cub at the National Zoo. Voice of narrator, continued: An Oxford University study in 2013 found that China gave pandas, either to Asian countries with which it had recently signed trade agreements or to nations that had supplied it with natural resources and technology. The study also found that China would recall its pandas to show disapproval. In 2010 two US born panda cubs that were due to return to China were put on a flight just days after US President Barack Obama defied China's wishes by meeting the Dalai Lama. Recently, as tensions between the United States and China have been strained by a range of issues, China renewed the national zoos panda loan for three more years but called for them to be returned in 2023. Pandas in the southern US city of Memphis, Tennessee have come under scrutiny after Chinese social media posts went viral, claiming that the animals looked unwell. Memphis Zoo officials have denied the bears are sick and said they are checked by veterinary teams every day. Beijing controls all the world's pandas, which are native only to South Central China's mountain ranges. They also used to inhabit lowland areas, but their terrain has become more restricted because of farming and development. An estimated 1800 pandas within the wild live in China, while 600 pandas live in zoos or breeding centers around the world. The animals are no longer endangered but are listed as vulnerable. KATHERINE GYPSON: One possible flashpoint in the US-China relationship is Taiwan. The island is east of mainland China and governed independently since 1949. But China views Taiwan as part of its territory. But the US still sells military weapons to Taiwan even though it no longer recognizes Taiwan diplomatically. And China is using the U.S. departure from Afghanistan to sow doubt in Taiwan about the strength of Americas backing. VOAs Elizabeth Lee walks us through the situation. ELIZABETH LEE, VOA Correspondent: With the rapid Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the American troop withdrawal, Chinas government-backed Global Times newspaper is suggesting Taiwan could suffer the same fate as Afghanistan. A newspaper editorial described the U.S. as an unreliable partner. But the U.S. considers the Taiwan Strait to be key to the security and stability of the Indo-Pacific region. Ned Price, U.S. State Department Spokesperson: We urge Beijing, as we have before, to cease its military, diplomatic, economic pressure against Taiwan and instead to engage in meaningful dialogue. ELIZABETH LEE: On Twitter, Taiwans Minister of Foreign Affairs, Joseph Wu, accused China of emulating the Taliban. He wrote, we have the will and means to defend ourselves. Analysts say Chinas aim is to isolate Taiwan. Scott Harold, RAND Corporation: I think that that article needs to be understood as for what it is, which is a piece of political warfare. ELIZABETH LEE: Without an American presence in Afghanistan, the U.S. may be able to focus more on Taiwan and the Indo-Pacific region, says political scientist Scott Harold. Scott W. Harold, RAND Corporation: The United States explanation for why it was withdrawing from Afghanistan was so as to focus on countering China, Russia and other malign great power actors and not continuing to try to sustain a government that unfortunately we saw was not able to survive much beyond the period when the United States withdrew its very active support. ELIZABETH LEE: Analysts say the U.S. is not the only country that has an interest in security in the region. Chinas control of Taiwan would have serious implications for U.S. allies in the region, says analyst Michael Shoebridge. Michael Shoebridge, Australian Strategic Policy Institute: Being in the possession of the Chinese would be a huge power projection platform for them way beyond those tiny little bases they built in the South China Sea, and it would have a more profound power projection effect for them as a result that it would cut right into the U.S. alliance relationships with Japan and Korea, so it's a fundamental security issue for the Indo-Pacific and for Australia as a result. Scott Harold, RAND Corporation: Taiwan is not only the key to the first island chain of the security of America's allies and partners in the Philippines, Japan and South Korea as well as Australia, but it's also the key to the global supply chain of semiconductors and other advanced technologies. ELIZABETH LEE: With news of how Beijing represses the countrys Uyghur Muslim minority and continuing questions about COVID-19's origins, analysts say there is also more public support in the U.S. to defend Taiwan against China than to remain in Afghanistan. Scott Harold, RAND Corporation: The trends that we see in the populace as a whole are substantially greater. In the elite and decision-making circles, I think China is more widely recognized as a threat there, and I think Taiwan's importance has only grown over the last four or five years from an already fairly strong base. ELIZABETH LEE: China considers Taiwan a renegade province and a domestic matter. Beijing, through the editorial, encourages Taiwan to seek peace with China politically. Elizabeth Lee, VOA News, Washington. KATHERINE GYPSON: Word of a new trilateral defense pact by the U.S, Britain and Australia has jeopardized ties with one of Americas major European allies. France, caught off guard by news of the deal, recalled its ambassadors to the U.S. and Australia. The developments are also coming at a time when North and South Korea are ramping up missile testing in the Indo-Pacific region. VOAs Bill Gallo is monitoring the latest missile activity and what it means regionally and globally. He spoke to us earlier from Seoul. WILLIAM GALLO, VOA Seoul Bureau Chief: So, we haven't seen any North Korean missile activity in about six months. Then we saw them launch a cruise missile, which could actually reach all of South Korea and most of Japan. That was last week and then a couple days later we saw them launch a ballistic missile. This missile was launched from a train, which is very interesting because North Korea seems to be trying to launch missiles from as many different types of basing platforms as it can. It's already working on launching them from submarines, it can do this from road mobile launchers and now trains. It's not, you know, that dangerous in and of itself, it just forces the US, South Korea and Japan to monitor all these different types of missile launchers, and that makes it a bit more difficult. This is definitely not just a North Korea thing, its not just a North and South Korea thing. China is doing it, Taiwan is doing it, Japan is even thinking of doing it. We saw Australia in the news with these nuclear-powered submarines that they're getting with the help of the US. So it's true I think North Korea will see this as, why should we be the only ones to stop testing our missiles it everyone else, including our main rival in South Korea, is getting really advanced weapons? Coming into the start of the Biden administration there was I think a widespread expectation in both North and South Korea that we would see a return to the Barack Obama era of strategic patience, which was sort of gradually ramp up pressure on North Korea, in the hopes that this would return them to the negotiating table. but don't do anything really to rock the boat, whether that's through diplomacy, whether it, whether that's through big, big sanctions. And so basically that's somewhat the approaching youve seen the Biden administration take. It repeatedly says almost on a daily basis, it's open talks with North Korea. However, it's not really seeming to offer anything that North Korea wants in the form of relaxed sanctions, or any kind of an end of hostilities agreement for the Korean War that's been going on for 70 years, technically. And so I don't really know that even though you have these offers of talks from the Biden administration that there really is going to be any progress on this. There is some frustration in South Korea because they really desperately want progress on denuclearization and on peace talks. But despite there being some sort of high-level diplomacy as Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense of the US have also visited the region since the Biden administration began. However, you know, most of this was just repeating talking points, there may be something going on behind the scenes we don't know about, but it doesn't seem like it. KATHERINE GYPSON: Thats all for now. Stay with VOANews.com for the latest news from the United Nations General Assembly meetings. And stay connected @VOANews on Instagram and Facebook. Im Katherine Gypson reporting from Washington, D.C. See you next week for The Inside Story. ### The top U.S. military officer told Congress on Tuesday that two calls to his Chinese counterpart in the last months of the Trump administration were made openly and in response to legitimate concerns. He said key officials in the administration of former President Donald Trump knew about the calls, in which he assured China that Trump had no intention of launching an attack against it in the waning weeks of his White House tenure. Some Republican lawmakers have called on President Joe Biden to fire Army General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, for what they characterized as a violation of the long-standing U.S. tradition of civilian control of the military. But Milley defended the calls, one on October 30 and one on January 8, saying he was responding to "concerning intelligence" that China was worried about a U.S. attack. "I know, I am certain, that President Trump did not intend to attack the Chinese and it was my directed responsibility to convey presidential orders and intent," Milley told the Senate Armed Services Committee, referring to his calls to Gen. Li Zuocheng of the People's Liberation Army. "My task at that time was to de-escalate, he said. My message again was consistent: Stay calm, steady, and de-escalate. We are not going to attack you." The calls were first disclosed in the recently released book "Peril" by Washington Post journalists Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, an account of the final weeks of Trumps presidency. After the disclosure, Trump called the Joint Chiefs chairman "a complete nutjob" and said Milley "never told me about calls being made to China." But Milley said the first call was directed by Defense Secretary Mark Esper, while 11 people were present for the second call and that he later informed Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows of it. Milley said the second call, which occurred two days after hundreds of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol to try to prevent lawmakers from certifying that Biden had defeated Trump in last November's election, came at the request of the Chinese and was coordinated with the office of then-acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller. Milley said he was committed to civilian control of the U.S. military. "Civilian control of the military is a bedrock principle essential to the health of this republic," Milley testified, adding, "And I'm committed to ensuring that the military stays clear of domestic politics." Ugandan police have rearrested two opposition lawmakers on charges of treason just minutes after they were released on bail in another case in which they stand accused of murder. The National Unity Party lawmakers deny the charges, which they say are politically motivated. Police spokesperson Fred Enanga in a statement said authorities were holding legislator Ssegirinya Muhammed on fresh charges. Earlier Monday, upon his release, security personnel traveling at high speed pursued the vehicle that had picked up Ssegirinya from a prison in the Wakiso district. When it pulled over, they forcefully put him into their vehicle. Enanga said they were holding Ssegirinya at the special Investigations division for further processing. We want to inform the public that Honorable Ssegirinya Muhammed has also been rearrested on fresh charges of treason and incitement to violence by the joint security task team of investigators, said Enanga. The other lawmaker, Allan Ssewanyana, was rearrested outside the prison gate minutes after his release on Friday evening. The two legislators, both members of the National Unity Platform party, were arrested earlier this month. They were accused of being involved in a recent spate of murders in Masaka district in central Uganda that left close to 30 people dead. Many of the dead were killed with machetes. The state charged the lawmakers with three counts of murder and attempted murder. In their most recent court appearance, prosecutors told the judge they were still investigating the lawmakers and amended the charge to terrorism, aiding and abetting terrorism. Shamim Malende, the lawyer for both legislators and from whose vehicle Ssegirinya was forcefully taken, said authorities keep changing the charges against the men with no valid evidence. When they speak of inciting violence in Uganda, when they speak of treason, when they speak terrorism, unlawful assembly, those are political cases in Uganda. I think there's a problem. It is either fooling the nation or it is that they do not want to speak the truth. Its now looking like persecuting the political opponents, people who belong to the National Unity party or are against government bad policies, said Malende. Joel Ssenyonyi, the National Unity Platform spokesperson, said the rearrest of the legislators is President Yoweri Musevenis way of fulfilling his word when he said he would destroy the party led by musician-turned-politician Bobi Wine. You know these guys are bushmen. They were in the bush as rebels and thats why they are behaving like bushmen, disregarding court orders. Court releases somebody on bail and you say no, we shall rearrest them as they get out of jail. And thats what Mr. Museveni is doing, said Ssenyonyi. The legislators rearrest comes just days after the president clashed with Chief Justice Alphonse Owinyi Dollo over granting bail to capital offense suspects. While the chief justice argued that bail was a constitutional right, Museveni argued that if anyone is arrested for murder, giving that person bail is a provocation and abominable. A U.S. judge on Tuesday said that evidence of criminality in the extradition case against former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo is "sufficient," all but clearing the way for his extradition back to Peru on corruption charges. Peruvian authorities allege that while serving as president between 2001 and 2006, Toledo negotiated bribes with Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht SA. The final decision on whether to extradite Toledo now lies with the U.S. State Department. Toledo has denied the graft allegations against him. He lives in California near the Stanford University campus where he studied and later worked. He is currently under house arrest, although he also spent several months in jail during the earlier stages of the extradition case. Key to the decision by U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Hixson in San Francisco were the testimonies of Jorge Barata, the former Odebrecht head in Peru, and that of Josef Maiman, an acquaintance of Toledo who has said he helped the former president receive bribe money. "Barata and Maiman's testimony, combined with Toledo's admissions in this extradition proceeding that he ultimately received approximately $500,000 in Odebrecht bribe money ... establish probable cause to believe that Toledo committed collusion and money laundering," the judge wrote in his decision. The United States extradited former Panama President Ricardo Martinelli in 2018. The U.S. Senate failed Monday to pass measures to avert a partial government shutdown and prevent a federal default at the start of a crucial legislative week that is highlighting the challenges facing the sharply divided Congress. Republican lawmakers voted to oppose the bills Monday evening, forcing Democrats to look for other ways to keep the government open beyond Thursday and to raise the debt ceiling before the government is expected to default on its loans sometime in late October or early November. The near party-line vote failed 48-50. Democrats narrowly control both Houses of Congress, but under Senate rules, 60 out of 100 votes are needed to pass most legislation in that chamber. Republicans have said they want Democrats to lift the debt limit on their own, saying they do not support the Democrats multitrillion-dollar spending plans. We are not willing to help Democrats raise the debt ceiling while they write a reckless taxing and spending spree of historic proportions behind closed doors, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor Monday. Democrats say much of the nations debt was incurred during the Trump administration. Historically, both parties have voted to raise the limit to prevent the United States from defaulting on its debts. Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said that the Republican action is one of the most reckless and irresponsible votes I have seen take place in the Senate and that the Republican Party has solidified itself as the party of default. McConnell said Republicans would support a bill funding the day-to-day operations of the government, which runs out of money after Thursday. Democrats, however, do not want to separate the government funding measure from the debt limit bill. A White House statement late Monday said President Joe Biden spoke with Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi about the work being done by Democrats to avoid a breach of the United States full faith and credit in the face of Republican obstruction and irresponsibility GOP actions that show a lack of concern about our economic recovery. In addition to the impasse on those measures, Congress is also at odds over a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill as well as a $3.5 trillion Democratic social spending and climate change bill. The House of Representatives began debate Monday on the infrastructure bill ahead of a planned vote Thursday on the measure, which is a major part of President Joe Bidens domestic agenda. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the dates in a letter to Democratic lawmakers Sunday. In television interviews, she expressed confidence the bill would pass. Let me just say that were going to pass the bill this week, Pelosi said on ABCs This Week. The Senate approved the infrastructure plan in a vote last month that saw 19 Republicans join all 50 members of the Democratic caucus. Progressive Democrats in the House, however, have tied the infrastructure bill to the larger $3.5 trillion social spending bill, which faces more opposition, including from some Senate Democrats who say they will not support that much spending. House progressives say they wont vote for the infrastructure bill unless there is progress on the social spending bill, while Democratic moderates say they may not vote on the larger spending bill until the infrastructure bill passes. Pelosi told ABCs This Week that the negotiations would certainly result in a lower price tag for the social spending bill, calling such a development self-evident. The $3.5 trillion proposal includes plans to provide universal prekindergarten instruction, free community college classes, expanded health care for older Americans, child care funding and money to combat the effects of climate change. It would also attempt to change immigration law and lower prescription drug prices. The infrastructure spending, with nearly half of it in new government funding, would repair aging roads and bridges and expand broadband, pay for replacement of dangerous drinking-water systems that use lead pipes, add new sewer infrastructure, expand passenger rail and transit systems, and improve airports. Some information for this report came from The Associated Press and Reuters. The easing of restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic has U.S. counterterrorism officials holding their breath, worried an increasingly lax environment could make it easier for a variety of extremists to try to launch new attacks across the country. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued the updated alert Friday, warning the threats environment had grown increasingly complex and volatile." Violent extremists may seek to exploit the easing of COVID-19-related restrictions across the United States to conduct attacks against a broader range of targets after previous public capacity limits reduced opportunities for lethal attacks, according to the bulletin. The alert does not cite any specific threats but notes that a range of ideologically motivated extremists including those classified as Domestic Violent Extremist (DVE) and racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists (RMVEs) have historically targeted houses of worship, crowded gatherings and government facilities. It also warns that a range of extremists have continued to push out propaganda on a variety of online and social media sites, and that a growing number of online narratives are seeking to exploit racial justice grievances and police use of force concerns." Overseas actors While some of the narratives are being pushed by homegrown actors, others are being pushed from overseas, both by terror groups like Islamic State and al-Qaida and by countries like Russia and China. "We are advising the public to be vigilant about ongoing threats to the United States, including those posed by domestic terrorism, grievance-based violence, and those inspired or influenced by foreign terrorists and other malign foreign influences, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in statement. In this evolving threat environment, DHS is redoubling our efforts to detect and disrupt all forms of foreign and domestic terrorism and targeted violence, while safeguarding privacy protections, civil rights and civil liberties. The updated terror alert comes just days after DHS announced it had created a new unit tasked specifically with focusing on domestic violent extremism. The unit, located within the departments Office of Intelligence and Analysis, aims to galvanize the expertise necessary to produce the sound, timely intelligence needed to combat threats posed by domestic terrorism and targeted violence, according to a statement by DHS this past Tuesday. A report issued earlier this year by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence warned that the biggest threats facing the country emanated from within, and that U.S.-based extremists could seek to carry out attacks against civilian and government targets. Fears that the easing of COVID-19 restrictions could unleash a new spate of terrorist incidents is something some experts and analysts have been warning about for months. As much as we all want to get back to normal life, once we do there are vulnerabilities associated with that, Colin Clarke, the director of policy and research at The Soufan Group, an intelligence and security consultancy, told an online forum in February. Fast start expected Once COVID restrictions start to become eased, and in some cases, lifted, we're going to see people shot right out of the cannon, he said. We're going to see the acceleration of networking, of recruitment, of fundraising and financing. And we're going to see once people start traveling in earnest again that face-to-face kind of bonding. A previous DHS terrorism advisory, issued in January in the wake of the siege of the U.S. Capitol, warned that extremists motivated by perceived grievances fueled by false narratives could mobilize to incite or commit violence. But while domestic terrorists have been getting more attention of late, a just-released intelligence assessment from the FBI and DHS shows the threat has been building steadily. The report, issued late Friday, said between fiscal 2015 and 2019, the FBI and partner agencies arrested 846 individuals on federal and state domestic terrorism charges. Fiscal 2016 saw the greatest number of arrests, with 229, of which 169 involved federal charges, though the report warned fiscal 2019, with only 107 arrests, was the deadliest. During fiscal 2019 there were five separate attacks by domestic violent extremists, resulting in 32 deaths, 24 of which occurred during attacks conducted by extremists advocating for the superiority of the white race, the report said, making it the deadliest year since 1995. It also warned that both the FBI and DHS concluded back in 2019 that racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists, "primarily those advocating for the superiority of the white race, likely would continue to be the most lethal DVE threat to the homeland." A World Health Organization investigation has found that dozens of women were allegedly sexually abused and exploited by international staff and locals hired to respond to an Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The WHO appointed a five-member independent commission in October 2020 to investigate allegations of sexual abuse by its staff in Congo's Ituri and North and South Kivu provinces. Senior WHO officials call the results, released Tuesday, horrifying and heartbreaking. The commission found that more than 80 alleged cases of sexual abuse occurred during the outbreak between August 2018 and June 2020. Most of the victims were uneducated women ages 13 to 43. Commission member Malick Coulibaly said most of the women who testified said they had been forced to exchange sex for the promise of a job. He said some of the sexual exploitation and abuse was organized through a network operating through the local branch that recruited people to work on the Ebola response. "Most victims did not get the jobs that they were promised in spite of the fact that they agreed to sexual relations," Coulibaly said through an interpreter. "Some women declared that they continued to be sexually harassed by men and they were obliged to have sexual relations to be able to keep their job or even to be paid." Coulibaly added that some women had been dismissed for having refused sexual relations. The panel reports nine women were raped. Women who were interviewed said none of the perpetrators had used birth control, and some who became pregnant said the men who had abused them forced them to have abortions. The investigation found 21 of the 83 alleged perpetrators were WHO staff, some Congolese, some from abroad. The other alleged perpetrators were contractors such as drivers and security personnel. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the document as harrowing reading. "The conduct it describes is a sickening betrayal of the people we serve," he said. "It is my top priority to ensure that the perpetrators are not excused but are held to account. And I will take personal responsibility for making whatever changes we need to make to prevent this happening in future." Tedros said four WHO staff have been fired and two have been put on administrative leave. He said the alleged perpetrators of rape will be referred to national authorities in Congo for investigation. The WHO chief also said that all victims of sexual exploitation and abuse will have access to the services they need, including medical and psychosocial support, and that assistance for their children's education will be provided. The World Bank is predicting slower economic growth for developing nations in the East Asia and Pacific regions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A report issued by the bank Tuesday said while Chinas economy is expected to grow by 8.5% in 2021, the rest of the region will only expand by 2.5%, down from its April forecast of 4.4%. Manuela Ferro, the World Banks vice president for East Asia and Pacific, says the regions economic recovery from the pandemic faces a reversal of fortune. The report says the persistence of COVD-19 will likely hurt growth and increase inequality throughout the region. The bank is urging governments to enhance testing and tracing to contain the spread of the virus, increase regional production of vaccines and strengthen their health systems. The Manila-based Asian Development Bank issued a separate report last week predicting the regions developing economies will likely grow at a slower-than-expected pace in 2021 due to lingering COVID-19 outbreaks and the slow pace of vaccination efforts. The ADB also predicted that economies in Southeast Asia would grow by just 3.1% this year. It also had predicted 4.4% growth back in its economic outlook back in April. The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) has published a list of individuals that the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) said to be abusing mobile telecommunications services and other social media platforms to promote and facilitate illegal foreign exchange transactions and money laundering activities. In a statement signed by RBZ governor, John Mangudya, the central bank said, The FIU has instructed banks, mobile money operators and other financial service providers to identify and freeze any accounts operated by these individuals and, further, to bar them from accessing financial services for a period of two years, with immediate effect. The FIU has also requested the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (POTRAZ) to bar the said individuals from operating mobile phone lines. The FIU, in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, will continue to monitor various social media and bank accounts to identify and take action against perpetrators of illicit dealings. Over and above the corrective measures of barring the delinquent individuals from accessing banking and financial services and operating mobile phone lines, the FIU has forwarded their names and particulars to law enforcement agencies for prosecution. The bank said members of the public who have information that may assist in identifying more perpetrators are urged to contact the FIU on WhatsApp numbers 0714039897 or 0780434475. VOA Zimbabwe could not reach some of the affected individuals as they were unreachable on their mobile phones, which have since been deactivated by mobile phone providers. Police are believed to have arrested two of them who are expected to appear in court soon. Police spokesperson, Senior Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi, was unreachable as he was not responding to calls on his mobile phone. Below is the list of the people identified by the RBZ as of abusers of mobile phone lines and social media for illegal foreign exchange transactions and money laundering activities Name Mobile Number ID Number Rangarirai Guzha 0772291836 632550731R45 Lloyd Mbonga 0772339801 38116287W38 Rodrick Njiva 0772367838 63942104L22 Peter Idi Kubare 0772447491 632591926T50 Ernest Maferefa 0772693796 38056617M38 Munesu Mutsenga 0772868930 632309867H85 Langford Farai Munyati 0773412705 592003269N07 Bairon Mawoyo 0773807594 632246322M50 Edwell Mapondera 0773976016 632399754L18 Shingirayi Shelton Kuzamba 0774067636 631235592S71 Nixon Murwira 0775342305 47171679N47 Nickson Hwai 0775512940 59033874D18 Kudakwashe Hove 0776839724 54105536D03 Washington Kativu 0777205820 43188953N48 Lawrence Kudzaishe Chikanga 0777274162 632046154N86 Pariet Kadembo 0778867383 59153509R47 Wellington Hiya 0779470252 59189755P25 Mehlule Qedisisa Sibanda 0779577864 08928249S29 Fadzayi Mitetwa 0779653563 34107926G34 Show Bobo 0780820062 15106958F15 Admire Sithole 0782226669 580111668f67 Terence Mwadiwa 0782766882 63233901N13 Kudakwashe Mkwanila 0783575100 631553386W63 Jephiter Nzvuwu 0785095252 04176840S04 Rangarirai Sosono 0713801840 05088510N45 Winston Guzha 0719291836 632550731R45 Evans Mutsakanyi 0713640008 150146420W15 Wisdom Chitava 0714665328 432006031X48 Takudzwa Mapeka 0717766751 631520898H18 Farai Celestino Gwezere 0771124634 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 Kokkini Chani (21 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Kurzes Zittern im Boden,wie von einer Ruttelplatte, dann starke Seitwartsbewegung! Das Meer wurde fur 5 Minuten ganz ruhig, dann kamen erste Wellen zuruck! | 18 users found this interesting. Chania (121.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : We were sitting in the sofa, it felt like a soft rolling/shaking feeling. No vertical feelings, only sideways. | 18 users found this interesting. In Chania too, we were having breakfast and felt the terrasse of the hotel trembling In Chania too, we were having breakfast and felt the terrasse of the hotel trembling / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s Moxos, Crete (19.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Walking to cafe, heard building materials and windows shaking, ground shook, could visually see horizontal sway. | 15 users found this interesting. Kalyves (105.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Sitting down in living room downstairs. Very pronounced North South back & forth movement. Strong for at least 30 seconds. Then much smaller movement for 1.5 minutes. | 16 users found this interesting. Malia, Creta Greece (23.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : I felt the building shake gently but clearly and heard a deep growl from the earth that lasted for about 5 seconds, long enough to realize I was witnessing my first earthquake. | 14 users found this interesting. Heraklion (749.9 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 1-2 minutes : Ich lebe seit 34 Jahren in Heraklion und habe erst zum zweiten Mal solche Panik empfunden wahrend ich schon sehr viele Erdbeben erlebt habe. Die Menschen rannten auf den Platz weil man in dem Moment Angst hatte dass die Hauser einsturzen konnten. Ich | 11 users found this interesting. Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (21.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Enough to spill tea from a mug | 9 users found this interesting. Zaros Crete / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s It was loud, the windows were rattling, 2 very alarmed dogs. Nothing fell from shelves but everything was moving. | 8 users found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Megalochori, Greece (137.3 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s : Sitting on a bench, felt shaking, noticed the building swaying and creaking. | 8 users found this interesting. Hersonissos Crete (22.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) : Was ironing at home OMG scary! Pictures and ornaments smashed the whole house shock for half a minute I thought all the windows would fall out - worst Ive felt in Crete for 30 years or so | 7 users found this interesting. near Arkalochori, Heraklion, Crete (19.7 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s : First earthquake experienced. Two to three seconds to react, then fear decides me to move. And it stops after about five seconds. Very impressive experience, although nothing is broken or cracked! | 4 users found this interesting. Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (22.5 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Light Horizontal shaking. Woke us up from sleep | 5 users found this interesting. Heraklion, Crete (20.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : It was a pretty strong earthquake cause I felt it strongly outside amd the water in the pool was splashing | 3 users found this interesting. Agia Pelagia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Moderate Shaking - Riss in der Wand! | 5 users found this interesting. Agios nikolaos (40.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s : I was sleeping on the 5th floor and my furniture was shaking and rambling. I sprang out of bed and saw all the birds flying around. Very interesting sensation: my first ever earthquake. | 5 users found this interesting. Atlantica atki Zeus hotel (27.8 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : Woke up to intense vibration/movement lasting around a minute long. Hangers in the wardrobe continued to swing for 30 secs after the quake. | 5 users found this interesting. Gouves (20.9 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Was sitting outside the medical centre when all of a sudden the bench started wobbling like someone was jumping on it. Then, what can only be described as a large hippo fart sound occurred. This, along with absolute panic from everyone in all buildings, e | 4 users found this interesting. Ierapetra, Greece (47 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : We woke up because of it, Bottle of Water fell on the Ground, the whole bed was shaking | 4 users found this interesting. Stalis (22.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : At the beach | 4 users found this interesting. Santorini (136.5 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Long slow shaking | 4 users found this interesting. Perama, Rethymno, Crete (53.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : House on hill started shaking | 3 users found this interesting. Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (22.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Getting ready to leave hotel room for breakfast with our two children. One Child was lying on the bed.. the other one was standing.. us adults were also standing- we all felt the shaking, the furniture in the room above was making moving sounds (which was | One user found this interesting. Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (22.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s Alles hat gewackelt und wir sind sofort aus dem hotel gerannt. Selbst fur die einheimischen sehr ungewohnt. | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s Stalida, Heraklion, Crete (22.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Mein erstes Erdbeben erlebt. Sehr merkwurdig. Am Strand auf der Sonnenliege hab ich mich gefuhlt wie auf einer Ruttelplatte. Nach ca. 10 sec. war alles vorbei. | One user found this interesting. Mein erstes Erdbeben. Wir saen am Fruhstuckstisch im Hotel zu sechst, der Boden begann zu vibrieren. Einer sagte, das ist ein Erdbeben, ein Glas fiel zu Boden uns zerbrach - Stille - dann war es vorbei und ich konnte nichts mehr essen / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s Gazi, dolphin bay / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s | One user found this interesting. / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s near Kentri, Lasithi, Crete (61.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / vibration and rolling / 20-30 s : at first the chair i was sat on began to move from side to side gently but got stronger and stronger. The lights were swinging and the water in the water dispenser was sloshing around | One user found this interesting. Malia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s : It was after 9:00 am (dont know correct time). I was outside. First i hear like huge (like really big truck) traffic and i had feeling like the earth is shaking because of it. So i turn around and i saw building shaking and people running out from it- the | 3 users found this interesting. Rethymno / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : It felt like a big one, a rumble and 20sec of shaking | 3 users found this interesting. Chania / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Light shaking | 3 users found this interesting. Loutra (65.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : We were in bed but awake and the villa began to shake, the bed and lights were vibrating and moving! First time Ive experienced an earthquake! | 3 users found this interesting. Ich habe es auch heftigst gespurt, sind Bucher umgekippt, auch Flaschen und Glaser. Loutra/Rethymno / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Knossos Museum / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Started with some lateral shaking then escalated to vibrating. Intense portion only 2-3 seconds, full shaking slightly over 5-6 seconds | 3 users found this interesting. Kamari (138.6 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : Shakira floor in the hotel. Definitely feelable, lasting for a ref seconds. It Was my First time so i do tego know if it was hard or noy | 3 users found this interesting. Antiskari (40.4 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : The whole floor walls etc swaying | 3 users found this interesting. Rethymnon, Crete (72.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Was sitting in a hammock. Suddenly the trees started shacking and the door began to rattle. | 2 users found this interesting. Kokkini Chani, Heraklion, Crete (19.5 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Upstairs and the whole house shook for about 5-10 seconds | 2 users found this interesting. Heraklion, Crete / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s : Everything was moving. Intense noise. Extremely long duration. Everyone was in the streets within seconds, and I could also hear screams. Aftershocks strong enough to be felt on second floor. | One user found this interesting. Kokkini Chani, Heraklion, Crete (20.8 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 30-60 s : We were in the bed, the bed moved and startet shaking! The furniture moved as well for example the tables! Also the lights startet shaking a lot and glasses fell of and broke. We also heard sounds of thundering and trembling also ambulances nearby started Kokkino Chorio (100.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : The floor was moving lightly from side to side. The water in the swimming pool was moving up and down. Emporeio, Kyklades, South Aegean (138 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was outdoor sitting on a chair, and could first feel the bumps through the chair very clearly. Then the walls were kind of moving vertically, and the water in the glasses and in the pool were shaking. This moment was really scary. Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (29 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s : Wir waren gerade beim Fruhstuck im Hotel als plotzlich immer starker der Boden umd das Geschirr, sowie die Lampen stark gewackelt haben, mehrere Personen wurde es schwindelig. Nach ein paar Sekunden war alles vorbei. Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (22.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) : Strong shaking, 3rd floor newly opened big strong hotel, floor underneath the feet started to move left and right as if this big hotel was just as vulnerable as Lego. Near Agios Nikalaos (40.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s : We are in an upper floor. The building felt as though it was wobbling. It was short perhaps 7 seconds herssonisos (22.3 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 15-20 s : few seconds of light primary wave shaking followed by moderate side to side shaking with arrival of secondary wave. Building oscillation of a few inches (third floor) all building shook, drinks spilt, objects on table knocked over. shaking peaked after 5- Hersonissos, heraklio (20.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : While walking in the street, suddenly the earth started shaking heavily. Everybody came out in the street in panic and surprise Crete (20.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Shaking very strong, the house and the furniture was shaking and the water in the pool looked like jelly Rethymno (74.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : I was lying on the bed and I felt the whole bed being shaken as if it were being rocked. I saw everything shaking around me and it lasted about 30s. Greece Santorini (141.9 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Sat on 1st floor balcony in katerados the balcony wall was moving and a bottle of water on the wall was moving inside the bottle Marino village / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s : Was sleeping just the bed shaking | 2 users found this interesting. Aeroport de santorin (141.4 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : Directly from Santorini airport, waiting for register, everything mooved around us, the tv, and everybody looked around surprised | 2 users found this interesting. Kastri, 70004 (17.3 km SSE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : strongest one in 15 years we have felt. strange scary feeling. small cracks in stonework bottles and ornaments shaking, glass flexing in frames. | 2 users found this interesting. Kokini Haki ,Hotel Arina / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : Starke erschuttert. | 2 users found this interesting. Heraklion / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Never felt anything like it in my life. Quite a terrifying experience and panic from everyone in the restaurant. | 2 users found this interesting. / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Malia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating : Der Boden wackelte | 2 users found this interesting. Stalis greece (22.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Its a strange feeling when you feel it and see all the trees and objects are shaking. | 2 users found this interesting. Nivritos, Crete / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I was standing in the middle of the room when I thought I heard a truck drive next to the house, the noise grew louder, and then the ground started moving under me, and then the whole house shook from left to right v.v. No damage. | 2 users found this interesting. Choumeriako, Lassithi / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : Low rumble sound like large truck outside & the sofa I was sat on felt to be wobbling/shaking. Our entire house felt like it was vibrating with the tremor. Quite scary! | 2 users found this interesting. Heraklion Airport / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Buildings were shaking and all people running on the streets | 2 users found this interesting. Plaka, chania / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : One slight movement up then down | 2 users found this interesting. Kokkini Hani (20.8 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s : Glasses felt on the floor, the light shaked and the furniture shaked as well. Also heavy objects like the bed and a couch shaked | 2 users found this interesting. Gouves,Crete, Greece (19.9 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 15-20 s | 2 users found this interesting. / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 15-20 s Malia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s : Maiges bis starkes schutteln | 2 users found this interesting. Heraklion (25.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Little but intense It was my firstshake | 2 users found this interesting. Palekastro Crete (90.1 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Laying on the sunbed I felt the quake at 9:18 shaking slightly sideways for a few seconds. | 2 users found this interesting. Chania, crete (121.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Chair moving and lights swinging | 2 users found this interesting. Tympaki, Heraklion Regional Unit, Crete (46.7 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 5-10 s : Even the water shaked out of the pool Earth was moving like if you stand on something in the water | One user found this interesting. Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (21.5 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Long | One user found this interesting. Arkalochori, Heraklion, Crete (6.4 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : Scary | One user found this interesting. Agia Marina, Chania, Crete (127.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Few seconds shake left to right | One user found this interesting. Giannoudi, Crete (71.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s : It is one of the scariest ones I felt and it is not the first one of the height. | One user found this interesting. 31 km of Tsikalaria, Chania, Crete (103.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I felt my chair vibrating for a few seconds. It felt like a light shaking. | One user found this interesting. tertsa (29.3 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Grosses ondulations | One user found this interesting. Agios Nikolaos / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 5-10 s | One user found this interesting. Rethymnon, Crete (74.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : hotel room shaking, light shaking | One user found this interesting. Thera, Kyklades, South Aegean (141.9 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : In camera d'albergo ho avuto senso di nausea | One user found this interesting. Malia / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Initially we thought a heavy vehicule was driving by causing some light shaking, but it intensified and endured for some time and then we realised it was an earthquake.. Limenas Chersonisou / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : Felt mostly indoors. Wakes light sleepers, may vibrate like heavy traffic or cause a jolt. Possible rattling or creaking. Stalis / not felt / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : On first floor of apartment, felt quite worried as whole hotel felt it was moving, short duration and settled down after Malia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s : Room shook and items fell off cupboards. | 2 users found this interesting. Hotel Eri beach and village in Hersonissos / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I was having a breafast ar the hotel terrace and the entire structure for few seconds was violently moving. We run outside but the quake stopped. After I returned to my room I found the bottle of water which I left open on the floor... During the day in m | One user found this interesting. Pitsidia (46.9 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Bottom in 2nd floor felt like a boat on the the sea | One user found this interesting. Matala (47.6 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Das Bett vibrierte, die Kleiderbugel klapperten im Schrank | One user found this interesting. Pitsidia (46.9 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Die Terrasse unseres Hauses bewegte sich horizontal | One user found this interesting. Analipsi, Crete / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : The building, wardrobe and lights were shaking gently from side to side for about 20 to 30 seconds | One user found this interesting. Pitsidia (46.5 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 15-20 s : I was sitting on Our tarrace which is covered by a Roof. The Whole wodden construction wich weighs Approx. 800 kgs Was moving hefty for about 15 seconds.the roof is mounted flexible and the top moved absolut 3-5 cm | One user found this interesting. Listaros (39.4 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 1-2 s : Deutliche Erdbewegung, leichtes Schutteln, Klappern von Mobiliar. | One user found this interesting. Amari, Kreta (57.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s : Complete house was swinging. Noise like heavy truck. Between light and moderate... no damage to see. House is new and few things standing around | One user found this interesting. Elounda (43.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : Bed shaking, some noise from building structure | One user found this interesting. Episkopi (11.4 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Strong vibrations under foot, whole house swinging from side to side. Moderate sound of quake. Felt / sounded like machinery was tunnelling underneath the villa. | One user found this interesting. Agios Nikolaos / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Stronger than a mild earthquake, caused cats to scatter and dog to bark. Nothing fell off the walls, but it would have been very noticeable to try to walk across the floor without hanging onto something. Unattached things swayed back and forth. The house | One user found this interesting. Scaleta, scaleta beach hotel / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s : Shaking with Rolling thunder | One user found this interesting. Polirizos (86.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Sitting on bed. Door, Warderobe and Windows rattling. Hanging lamp swinging. | One user found this interesting. Loutra rethymnon / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging : Sat in my bed and the whole bed and the walls were shaking, so I ran down to ground floor, a picture fell down from the fireplace and broke. This was scary, and we found out that we dont know how to react when this happens. Our house were built 5 years | One user found this interesting. Heraklion (25.4 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : I was in a building close to the sea and I felt the building structure shaking, I could see the main lamp on the top of the room swinging. It lasted less than a minute I think. | One user found this interesting. ELIA / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s : Des objets sont tombes mais rien de casse. J'entendais les voisins dans la rue, tout le monde est sorti, les gens ont vraiment eu peur. | One user found this interesting. Koutsouras, Crete / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : The house was shaking. No oanic | One user found this interesting. Gouves / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) : Floor violently shaking | One user found this interesting. Kamilari / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : A bit frightened but OK We are tourists | One user found this interesting. Kaylves (106.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Laying in bed and felt slight Rocking movement for about 6 or 7 seconds | One user found this interesting. Kato Gouves / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Intense rattling of walls, dogs barking, alarms going off. | One user found this interesting. Choumeriaco / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Heard a roaring sound like a tube train coming out of a tunnel which increased in sound as the floor vibrated and the chair rocked from side to side. Furniture and also shutters rattled. | One user found this interesting. Stalida / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s : Woke us up as whole room was shaking | One user found this interesting. Agios Nikolaos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s : weak consistent shaking (2.floor in building) | One user found this interesting. Kalio limenes (45.4 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s : I was in my bed whith my wife and suddenly there was vertical swinging in the bed and the appartement Moving. | One user found this interesting. Gouves Crete (17.5 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : I was by the pool, felt the ground under me moving, then in a flash I was shaking for about 5-10 seconds | One user found this interesting. Strand, Chersonissos / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s : Alle sind aus dem Hotel auf den Parkplatz hinausgefuhrt. | One user found this interesting. Crete, near iraklion (21.6 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s : Inthe bathroom | One user found this interesting. Santorini Kamari beach (138.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Shaking | One user found this interesting. Anissaras (23.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Light between moderate shaking | One user found this interesting. Agia Pelagia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Light shaking for about 5 seconds. | One user found this interesting. Perissa Santorini / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Sitting around hotel pool. Felt sun longer shaking as if something underneath rubbing against it. Water in the pool. Rippling | One user found this interesting. Kamilari (45.2 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 20-30 s : Heavy stone table swinging, while sitting; felt instantly becoming seasick, realizing its an Earthquake. Everything was shaking, the House, the Stone Grill, the whole landscape. When finished: Time was 09:19. Inside the House, Lamps on the celing were | One user found this interesting. Agios Nikolaos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Longest and loudest earthquake we've felt in many years | One user found this interesting. Kreta (22.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : I was in the swimming pool during the quake and everything was shaking for a few seconds (5seconds) the vibration was not that heavy but it shocked all the people | One user found this interesting. Roupes villas (56 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : We felt the earthquake very much the whole house was shaking | One user found this interesting. Ireapetra, Crete, Greece / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : I first thought, that a big truck or tank would drive next to the house. But the movement was more horizontally and shaking, which is uncommon to trucks on streets. | One user found this interesting. Georgiopolis (91.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Weak shaking.top of Sunbrellas on Beach moving about15 cm Right to left | One user found this interesting. Kreta, Kalamaki near Matala (48 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : The lamps swayed back and forth. The jacuzzi made real waves and the floor rumbled and swayed. | One user found this interesting. Chersonissos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : Afraid!!! | One user found this interesting. Elounda, Crete / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s : Everything in the house rattled, but nothing fell over. Chandelier is still swinging ten minutes later.... | One user found this interesting. Heraklion (28.4 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Ground felt fluid and was moving easily below feet, felt inside and outside | One user found this interesting. Marnelledes village, Agios Nikolaos Crete, Greece. (61.4 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Making coffee. Cup nearly fell off shelf. Dull rumble first then rattling g and shaking. Could hear cutlery shaking in draw. | One user found this interesting. Lentas / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : Rumbling and shaking side to side , we went outside. | One user found this interesting. Gouves / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Strong shaking | One user found this interesting. Heraklion / not felt | One user found this interesting. Stalida (22.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Felt the ground rumble and felt in my belly like a heavy truck run by and bumped at something big. | One user found this interesting. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Crete (23.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) : Seconds of shaking, sounds like a huge train | One user found this interesting. Heraklion (38 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Having breakfast - felt like a big helicopter was flying over | One user found this interesting. Emporio (135.9 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s : I was in bed | One user found this interesting. Nea Alikarnassos, Heraklion Regional Unit, Crete (23.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 5-10 s Arkalochori, Heraklion, Crete (0.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Things fell from shelves, every house in my village collapsed except mine near Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (38.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Adamantas, Kyklades, South Aegean (187.7 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : Light lateral back and forth. With aftershocks, too near Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (38.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (22.5 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (22.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s Rethymnon, Crete (71.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) Perama, Rethymno, Crete (54.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 15-20 s Neapoli, Lasithi, Crete (31.8 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s Georgiopoli, Chanion, Crete (94.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 20-30 s Mournies, Chania, Crete (121.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Another shock at 07.58 on Tuesday 28 September also horizontal swinging Elounda, Lasithi, Kreta (43.5 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s near Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (38.4 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (27.4 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s near Palekastro, Lasithi, Crete (88.5 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (22.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : Tattling Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (27.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging Larissa, Thessaly (559.7 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt Panormos, Rethymno, Crete (53.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (35.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (22.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : Light shaking Neukirchen, Saxony (2004.4 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (21.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Rethymnon, Crete (66.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s near Kastelli, Heraklion, Crete (14.2 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (22.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s : Angst, Hilflosigkeit, angespannt 30 km of Kalyves, Chania, Crete (95 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging Malia, Heraklion, Kreta (23.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Thera, Kyklades, South Aegean (143 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s Kentri, Lasithi, Crete (45.2 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (21.4 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 s Je pensais qu un tracteur arrivait derriere moi (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 1-2 s Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (21.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (27.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 30-60 s Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (22.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (22.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s Rethymnon, Crete (73.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s near Mires, Heraklion, Kreta (46 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (21.3 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (27.2 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (22.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (21.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 30-60 s Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (22.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : - beangstigend - starkes wackeln der Mobel - Boden gewickelt Alle Personen ok Kastelli, Heraklion, Crete (11.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Sehr beunruhigt und angstlich Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (27.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s Gournes, Heraklion, Crete (20.8 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s Kreta, Chania (121 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s near Rethymnon, Crete (92 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 30-60 s : Room was shaking, and bed moving, when we stood up it felt like being on a boat. Malia, Heraklion, Kreta (22.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s Agios Nikolaos, Lasithi, Crete (38.9 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Agia Marina, Chania, Crete (130.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Auf dem Sofa al wurde jemand es verschieben. Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (22.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes near Agia Marina, Chania, Crete (140.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (24.9 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s Panormos, Rethymno, Crete (66 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (22.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : Scary shaking, upper floor hotel Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (22.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 30-60 s Rethymnon, Crete (68.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (22.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s near Arkalochori, Heraklion, Crete (17.8 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (24.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex motion difficult to describe / 30-60 s Arkalochori, Heraklion, Crete (4.6 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s near Kentri, Lasithi, Crete (65.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (22.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s Tirana (838.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) (reported through our app / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) Stalida, Heraklion, Crete (23.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (23.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Panormos, Rethymno, Crete (53.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (21.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s Ierapetra, Lasithi, Crete (47.2 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s Rethymnon, Crete (73.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Pyrgos, Heraklion, Crete (17.1 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s Rethymnon, Crete (68.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Elounda, Lasithi, Crete (43.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Whalls shaking in a hotel room, strong vibration Panormos, Rethymno, Crete (61.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s Nea Alikarnassos, Heraklion Regional Unit, Crete (23.4 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s near Rethymnon, Crete (91.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt near Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (38.6 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Kreta, Chania (120.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Light shaking Gournes, Heraklion, Crete (20.8 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (23.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s Stalida, Heraklion, Crete (22.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s Malia, Heraklion, Kreta (23.5 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (22.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s 30 km of Rethymnon, Crete (93.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Viktring, Klagenfurt am Worthersee, Carinthia (1571.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (22.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) near Pyrgos, Heraklion, Crete (17.5 km S of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / 5-10 s : 2 times - one strong, one without shaking 15 monutes later Heraklion, Crete (25.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (22.5 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (21.4 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 2-5 s Heraklion, Crete (25.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 10-15 s Stalida, Heraklion, Crete (22.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s Heraklion, Crete (25.4 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s near Rethymnon, Crete (90.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Heraklion, Crete (24.8 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s near Moires, Heraklion Regional Unit, Crete (39.1 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s Neapoli, Lasithi, Crete (34.3 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (22.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (21.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s Kreta, Chania (120.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (21.5 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s 31 km of Rethymnon, Crete (94.6 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (22.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (18.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (23 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (22.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s Kritsa, Lasithi, Crete (34.7 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : I FELT IT! Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (21.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was sleeping and woke up because of it Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (19.3 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : Au petit dejeune panique general Klima, Crete, Greece (46.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s Koutsounari Krete (53.8 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Terrasse Kreta, Chania (121 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Bed shaking lights swinging on a upper floor Profitis Ilias, Heraklion, Crete (18.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s : Scary...! Rethymno (74.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : 3-4 bigger horisontal swings north-south direction, approx 7 secs smaller swings after that Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (21.3 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s : on upper floor, felt room move laterally, was making coffee which spilled Koutloutfari (21.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Rumblings and shaking Sfakaki (67.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : was sitting on the hotel terrace, terrace starts to shake around, no damages in the surrounding Home (117.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 minutes : The light and the bed was shaking. I was afraid. Heraklion (25.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 20-30 s Rethymnon (71 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : The sun lounger on which I was lying went back and forth lake - inland. Chersonisou (22.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Kamilari (45.4 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s Gavalochori (110.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Panormos, Rethymno, Crete (66.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s Tertsa, South Crete (29 km SE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Quite shaking but nothing broken Amoudara (27.5 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 10-15 s Gergeri (28.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Malia, Heraklion, Kreta (25.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (21.2 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 5-10 s Crete (21.5 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Le ressenti dun gros camion passant sur la route et faisant trembler la terre. near Rethymnon, Crete (94.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : We where sitting inside and feel the rattle and light shaking. First time Malia (22.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Roumeli (16 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s GAVALOHORI, APOKORONA (102.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (21.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Moderate shaking Chania (107.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Felt like you are dizzy Loutra Rethymno (66.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s near Rethymnon, Crete (78 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Athanati (20.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s Agia triada (67.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s Crete (43.6 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Sitting down at breakfast. Chair started swaying. Stalida (22.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s Santorin, Perissa (136.2 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s Heraklion (25.6 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Scared Platanias Crete (130.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : In bed Imerovigli (145 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Household items shaking lightly. Light fixings and bed moving side to side Malia, Crete (23.2 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Vasiliki (30.5 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : House was shaking for aprox. 3-4 sec Stalida, Heraklion, Crete (22.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) Xamoudochori (136 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Thera, Kyklades, South Aegean (143.4 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s In bed (114.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Swaying for a few seconds Agios nikolaos (42.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s Heraklion (27.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 5-10 s Heraklion (25.2 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 20-30 s Thera, Kyklades, South Aegean (146 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (23.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : Very unpleasant feeling. Drum like sounds, slight difficulty keeping balance kritsa, lassithi (34.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : felt whole stone house shaking from side to side and vibrating. creaking of joists? dog afraid kamari (138.4 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s : It felt like a truck passing by in an tinny house Agia marina, Create (129.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : First quake ever, so it Toke a sec. to realise what happening, Agia Marina, Chania, Crete (130.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Rethimno (73.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Shaking Agia Marina, Chania, Crete (127.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Chania, Crete (121.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Very weak shaking. Sleeping upstairs in double story house. Hersonissos (21.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : We were in our hotel room and the whole room shook for around 5 seconds Gonia (75.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Woke up with bed shaking Limenas chersonisou (21.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Heraklion Airport (23 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s : Very very strong earthquake because it was not very deep. Messaria, Kyklades, South Aegean (138.8 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 10-15 s : The bed mooved! Rethymnon, Crete (71.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) Santorini (139.1 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s Rattling, seiche in teacup! Distinct shaking. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s Crete (95.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s : Sat on terrace and started feeling a shaking bed felt like it was moving Malia (23 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s Kamilari (45.5 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Limenas Hersonissou, Heraklion, Crete (21.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s Rethymno (75.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s : Balcony at 4th floor moving Emporeio, Kyklades, South Aegean (138.6 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Very weak shaking while sitting on a chair. Like a train passing by Lasithi (17.7 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Gouves (21.2 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Moderate shaking, empty plastic bottles fell over,bed (on wheels) slid back and forth Kumari beach (139.1 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s Agios Nikolaos, Lasithi, Crete (40.4 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) Agia Galini (53.1 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s near Rethymnon, Crete (90 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging Agia Galini (53.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s Neapoli, Lasithi, Crete (37.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s Chersonissos, greece (22.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Deep rumbling glass startet to shatter Rethymnon, Crete (71.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Waked me uo Malia (23.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : Secousses fortes qui ont survenu brusquement Pyrgos, Heraklion, Crete (15.8 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s Analipsi (22.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s Sivas crete europe (39.3 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s Rethimno (63.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s Magarikari, Greece (40.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes Kamari (138.5 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Gerani, (133 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Light swinging Thera, Kyklades, South Aegean (142.6 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 15-20 s : Sat in a coffee shop Tympaki, Heraklion Regional Unit, Crete (46.5 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (16.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : Downstairs, enough to move elderly neighbours off their feet Souda, Chania, Crete (105.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s Agia Marina (128.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : Weak shaking Adamantas, Kyklades, South Aegean (187.7 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : Light lateral back and forth. With aftershocks, too Emporeio, Kyklades, South Aegean (135.9 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 1-2 s Agios (40.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Anidri (141.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s : Obergeschoss, Bett hat leicht gewickelt. Heraklion (15.9 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : I was in bed and it woke me up Chania (121.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : It was my first Rethymno greece (74.9 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 10-15 s : Breakfast outside Crete Greece (25.1 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) Kreta (23.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Was at breakfast in Hotel Meropi Kato Asitai, Heraklion, Crete (26.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s : Assez long et puissant. Plus de 4 secondes. Malia, Heraklion, Kreta (25.3 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) Kato Gouves, Heraklion, Crete (21.8 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s Agia Galini, Rethymno, Crete (52.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Amoundi (35 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s Limenas Chersonisou (21.9 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : weak shaking Crete (21.1 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Shaking of ground. Fira (141.8 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Sun lounger moved Gazi (25.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 15-20 s : Strong and long Gouves (21.4 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s : Was awoken by light shaking, no apparent damage Sisi, Lasithi, Crete (29.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s Outdoors,moderate shaking, everybody Here felt it (reported through (reported through our app / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s Lentas (38.5 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Heraklion, Crete (23.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) Heraklion, Crete (24.9 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Panormos (61.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Very Short Quake Hersonissos village (23.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short Heraklion, Crete (27.7 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s Agios Nikolaos, Lasithi, Crete (40.3 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s izmir (403.6 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging Kokkinos (48.4 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Hersonissos (22.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Platanias (130.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s near Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (37.3 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) Akrotiri (135.9 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating Chania, crete (121.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Malia, Heraklion, Kreta (25.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 5-10 s Analipsi, Krete (22.1 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s Mouzouras, Chania, Crete (109.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s Stalida (22.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : We are almost sleeping xD Santorini (144.4 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Sitting on balcony Rethimno (75.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s Chania (121.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Slightly shaky Koutouloufari (21.5 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s Plakias (79 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Sitting on a chair on a camping place Skalani, Heraklion, Crete (19.9 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Crete (21.2 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Koutoulafari (21.3 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : In bed it woke me up Crete (21.9 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was in bed stalida Crete (22.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : Stalida crete, violent shaking Faistos (45.3 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Light fittings swinging and swimming pool sloshing Plakias (79.7 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s Axos (15.5 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s Malia (23.6 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 1-2 s Adele (69 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Light trembling in the house Koutouloufari (21 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Table rattling felt like traffic gouves (21.1 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s Aghios nikolaos crete 72100 (40.4 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Sitting at my desk .table shaking Ilmenas herssonisou (22.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s Gazi, Heraklion, Crete (27 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s Hersonissos (22.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s Panormos (59.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s Stavromenos, crete (67.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Gouves (21.5 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) Santorini (140.3 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Light shake Crete (77 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s Kouses Crete greece (42.3 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 2-5 s : I was lying in bed and it started shaking Milos airport (187.3 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Rethymnon, Crete (82.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Chersonissos (22.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Were at breakfast on vacation and felt it in the teracce Heraklion (19.2 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Pictures and mirrors on the wall were shaking Fira (142.3 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s Agios Nikolaos (40.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Chania (123.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Weak shaking horizontally for 3-4 sec (reported through (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Analipsi (22.3 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 5-10 s : On the balkony from my hotel. I felt staking up. Agios Nikolaos, Lasithi, Crete (40.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Hersonissos (22.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s Agios Georgios, Santorini (134.2 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Laying in bed. Ierapetra, Greece (47.9 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s Heracleion, Crete (24.4 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s Axos (71.4 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s Istron (44.4 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Chers (20.3 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) Elounda (43.7 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Messaria, Kyklades, South Aegean (142.9 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) Rethymnon, Crete (75.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 15-20 s Greece malia (23.8 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s near Rethymnon, Crete (92.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Fira (143.2 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Matala (49 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 1-2 minutes Kreta, Chania (120.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s Tavronitis (140.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) Istron (41.2 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) Hersonissos (17.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s Pyrgod (138.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Agia pelagia / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s | One user found this interesting. Lyttos Beach Hotel / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 30-60 s : I really was in fear of me and the life of my family. Im shocked. Anissaras serita beach hotel / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : The building swayed items fell, some cracking of plaster on walls Ulrike Juriens Hotel Anissa Beach / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 5-10 s : Ich sa am Strand auf meiner Liege und es kamen Gerausche, wie wenn ein Unwetter naht die Liege wackelte, der Sonnenschirm und der Sand unter meinen Fuen. Panisch rannte ich zu einer alteren Dame und fragte was ich machen soll (ich dachte glei Analipsi (22.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Chersonissos / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / complex motion difficult to describe / 10-15 s : Ich war unter der Dusche. Die Glaswande der Duschkabine haben geschwankt, der Tisch ist durchs Zimmer geruckelt, einige Dinge fiehlen um und aus dem Schrank. Ich aus der Dusche gelaufen und habe mich im Turrahmen fest gehalten. Anissara / Moderate shaking (MMI V) Anissaras / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s Charaki, Rhodes / not felt Gouves ,im Hotel / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : Das Hotel Aphrodite hat gewackelt, Angst hatte man. Unser Zimmer kaputt. Caldera palace hotel / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s : Very frightening experience for about 10-15 seconds as the entire hotel began to violently shake. People screaming and plates and items being broken. Totally unexpected. Stalis / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Makry Gialos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s : The shaking continued a lot longer than normal, but there was no property damage Gouves (21.7 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s Hotel Alexanderhouse / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 minutes : 1. Unsure-2.worried-3. Fear Kritsa / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s Hersonissos / not felt / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : Verra bad Stalis / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / complex motion difficult to describe / 10-15 s : Very heavy,seemed like a plane crashing noise and a lot of trembling. First time,felt unreal and scary ! Hotel in Agia Pelagia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating : First we heard loud strange noices! Than the room was shaking! It felt very ugly! Hersonissos / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s Aphrodite beach Hotel / Gouves / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / complex motion difficult to describe / 15-20 s Crete Maris Hotel, Hersonissos / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Felt like I was in a train tunnel with trains going past and also suffering turbulence Kokkini hani / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 2-5 s : Things were fallong on the floor, building was shaking It lastet few seconds Akasha Hotel Beach and spa (22.5 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Gouves / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s : Das Hotel hat so stark gewackelt das man sich kaum auf den Beinen halten konnte. Hat starke Zerstorung im Hotel verursacht. Wir wurden danach evakuiert und musste die Nacht drauen verbringen. Am nachsten Morgen nochmal ein starkes Erdbeben was noch me Pitsidia / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Waking up from shaking and vibrating. Ran out of the house. Cracks in the building. Rethimno / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Heraklion / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s : Whole apartment shook violently for 20-15secondd Analipsi / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s : Took me by surprise the whole experience was very scary as I couldnt work out what was happening Looking back whilst I would never knowingly put myself in it, I am also thrilled to have experienced such a powerful natural phenomenon (unscathed) I becam Heraklion / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) Caro Gouves / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s : Wszystkie organy wewnetrzne odczuy wstrzasy Crete Maris Hotel, Hersonissos / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Felt like I was in a train tunnel with trains going past and also suffering turbulence Kravos (91.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 15-20 s : Earth moving like a wave Sougia / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : About 6 small shakes Stalida (20.4 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Agios nikolaos / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s Skaleta / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : Wir waren in der 2.Etage eines Hotels. Das komplette Zimmer begann zu schwingen. Die Putzfrauen des Hotels, hockten mit den Handen uber ihren Kopfen in den Turen um sich zu schutzen. Da wir so etwas noch nie erlebt hatten, bekamen wir naturlich Angs Anissaras Serita beach hotel (23.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 10-15 s Hersonissos / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s chania / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 20-30 s : weak Kalyves Crete / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 10-15 s Myrthios, Plakias, Crete / not felt : Felt absolutely nothing! Analipsi (22.4 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Tsivaras (103.7 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Slight shaking from side to side, enough to wake from sleep Piskopiano, Greece / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Chersonissos / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 30-60 s : was at the brakfast indoors, it was loud, tableware was rendering, as it was in a closed hall people were panickly hiding unter tables and running to the emergenyc exits,due to the mass panic i suffered several bruises, pretty scary Heraklion Airport / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Das ganze Flughafengebaude hat geschwankt als ware ein Flugzeug am Dach gelandet Triopetra / not felt Chania (121.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Was surprised by the news Panormo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Whole room shook lightly. Tv wobbled on desk visibly Georgioupolis / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Agios Nikolas (40.8 km E of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Agios Nikolaos / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 5-10 s Akrotiri, Santorini / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Swaying motion for a few seconds Herakleion / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s Retheymno (1.4 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s Rethimno / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 15-20 s : Sol et mur qui bougent. Les portes qui claquent fort Rousies near Pachnes summit (111.9 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt Malia / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Hevy Delfina Beach bei Georgeopolis (91.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : Meine Frau wollte mir gerade sagen dass sie schwindelig ist und sich unwohl fuhlt. heraklion / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / rattling, vibrating / 15-20 s Rethymnon / not felt Gavalohori / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Gerani / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Panormo Geropotamou, 740 57, Griechenland / not felt / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Kato gouves / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Moderate shaking Anissara, Crete / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 2-5 s : The earth was shaking for a few seconds. Gazi Amadoura at the Breakfast / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s : It was very very scary Gouves, Kreta / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Chersonissos (0 km NW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very strong shaking (MMI VII) / 15-20 s : Ich bin 52 Jahre alt und hatte in meinem Leben noch nie so eine Todesangst. Ich habe mit meinem Leben abgeschlossen. Wir sind grade in den Lidl rein, als das Beben anfing, also keine Chance rauszulaufen. Es hat gerumpelt und alles hat gewackelt, ich dacht Heraklion (22.7 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : The noise was very important and the shakings very stong . Some furnitures in the hotel felt and broke. Missiria / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Tris Ekklisies / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s Ferma (55.5 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s Kissamos (153.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt Elounda / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 1-2 s Plantanias / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex rolling (tilting in multiple directions) / 20-30 s : Strong shaking - animals unsettled - building shaking and furniture Heraklion / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / 5-10 s 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 Hula (99 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 5-10 s : Made the children run out of the house, not common in this part of png and felt big..huge movement | 6 users found this interesting. Port Moresby Sogeri(Koitaki Country Club) / Strong shaking (MMI VI) / complex motion difficult to describe / 2-5 s : Very big | 3 users found this interesting. Port Moresby, National Capital (157.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was asleep and felt the house shaking. | 2 users found this interesting. Port Moresby, Sabama / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : I was inside the house still sleeping. The house was shaking very forcefully and I was thinking people in the house was fighting but it was very strong and I realised it was an earthquake. Told people outside no one believed me but had to confirm online.. | 2 users found this interesting. Ridge, Popondetta, NP / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Was still in bed and was woken buy the shaking and rattling of wondow glasses and roof down pipes | One user found this interesting. Port Moresby / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s : It felt like the house was swaying. It woke me up from my sleep. | One user found this interesting. near Port Moresby, National Capital (151.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Items on shelf moved n doors and building shuck. New Maria, Central Province (32.8 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : I live in Port Moresby so did not feel the earth quake Port Moresby, National Capital (157.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Airways Hotel, near airport / Weak shaking (MMI III) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 2-5 s In bed asleep / not felt Port Moresby / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Port Moresby Savannah height / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s Port Moresby / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Kelekapana Village / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s Tokarara, Pom, Ncd, Png / Light shaking (MMI IV) / complex motion difficult to describe / 5-10 s Port Moresby / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Port Moresby (154.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Port Moresby / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Port Moresby / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Weak shaking of the apartment building, object fell from a shelf in the apartment Port Moresby / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Port Moresby / not felt / rattling, vibrating / 10-15 s : Woke to short and light shaking, identified as an earthquake Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : A tremor, slightly longer than the ones I've felt before. Popondetta town / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s Port Moresby / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : It's felt like someone waking you up from sleep. Port Moresby (157 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s : Weak shaking woke me up from bed. About 2 secs. Felt like a heavy vehicle driving by. Port Moresby / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : It did not take long, but it was felt shaking the whole building Air Niugini Apartment Port Moresby (153.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Port Moresby / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Port Moresby / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Port Moresby (155.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Port moresby / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 20-30 s Port Moresby / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Port Moresby / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s Port Moresby / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Boroko / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 15-20 s : High set house swayed Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : It was enough to wake us from our sleep. Grand Papua st marry street / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : The room was vibrating for 5 seconds The Stanley Hotel, 15th Floor, Waigani, Port Morrs / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s Brief, light shaking of building. (reported through (reported through our app / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 1-2 s Rest room / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Just felt like an earthquake but very quick Port Moresby / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short Port Moresby / Light shaking (MMI IV) Port Moresby / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : I was in a hotel, 4th floor and I felt the shake for about 4 seconds. Port moresby / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 20-30 s Port Moresby / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Weak earthquake. I was sleeping and the ceiling fan was moving I decided to come check online to see... Edai Town, Central Province / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Port Moresby / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Port Moresby (156.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Port Moresby / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Budilinh rattled and moved Port Moresby (159.5 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s 154.5 km WNW of epicenter [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s 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 Santo domingo, Capital City. Ensanche Naco secto (59.3 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I live on a 6th floor. I was reading on my notebook over the table and it vibrste very light, then again after , les say 10 seconds and then it vibrated again a little bit more intente | 6 users found this interesting. Santo Domingo Este (47.9 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Estaba banandome y la estructura del edificio se conmovio totalmente, las cosas del bano en el 4to piso se calleron | One user found this interesting. Santo Domingo (59.7 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : I was playing, I live in a third floor of an apartment, but it really did sound and the shaking was too notable. Santo Domingo Este (44.1 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I wasin my bed and everithing start vibrating, my bed forniture make a sound. It last for 3-4 seconds. dominican republic, santo domingo (60.2 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : it later like 8.5 seconds and it was not so hard, i was in my couch and it stared moving like vibrating . santo domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : quick, aggressive shake back and forth. | 2 users found this interesting. Republica Dominicana (134.3 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Fue super leve pero luego acelero y se fue | 2 users found this interesting. Santo Domingo Distrito Nacional / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s : Hace mucho calor, mi abuela decia que siempre temblaba para que la tierra se enfriara, asi que me lo estaba esperando y habra mas Santo Domingo Norte - El Higuero (138.1 km NE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : There were two shakings, like from two different locations | One user found this interesting. Santo Domingo Este / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / 2-5 s : En los mameyes se sintio muy fuerte | One user found this interesting. Villa Francisca, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (54.9 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Thanks for the information Villa Francisca, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (54.9 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Thanks for the information La Julia, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (59.7 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 5-10 s Villa Francisca, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (54.9 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Thanks for the information Boca Chica, Santo Domingo (34.8 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Nothing in Boca chica Estebania, Provincia de Azua (136.6 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short Bella Vista, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (64.9 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt (reported through our app / not felt Cotui, Sanchez Ramirez (86.6 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : it was really bad, i was together with my children at home, oh my god. La Julia, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (60.5 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short : It was near San Pedro de Macoris, not San Francisco de Macoris. San Fco is at the opposite side Boca Chica, Santo Domingo (31.4 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short Santo Domingo Oeste (62.6 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Bella Vista, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (61.4 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Ciudad Nueva, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (58.7 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Moderado Boca Chica, Santo Domingo (33.8 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : feaR Santo Domingo (57.5 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : So hard, I was scared near El Centro, Yamasa, Monte Plata (49.2 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s Dominicana republic (56 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) Bani, Peravia (104.5 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short Villa Francisca, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (54.9 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Thanks for the information Santo Domingo Este (50.6 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / simple rolling (tilting sideways along one direction) / 20-30 s Santo Domingo Este (51.1 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Boca Chica, Santo Domingo (33.8 km SSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s los minas republica dominicana (53.1 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Estuve en mi Cama y senti un fuerte temblor que la movio unos 30 cm santo domingo (61.9 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short : The forniture shaked like crazy Santo domingo (65.4 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s Sto.dgo. (52 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : Estaba recostado en el espalda de la cama y se sintio el espaldar moverse varias veces lateralmente Bella vista (62.8 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt Santo domingo (63.1 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Bella Vista, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (63.8 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short Santo Domingo (55.8 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s : My closet door was shaking and my tiny pong game almost fell to the floor La Julia, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (60.2 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / very short : Scary La Julia, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (59.6 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s El Seibo (39.1 km ENE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging : Miedo Santo Domingo (60.5 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Preocupacion, worry Ensanche quisqueya santo domingo (62.4 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short Villa Mella, Santo Domingo Norte (56.3 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Santo Domingo (57.2 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Santo Domingo, DN (64 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : I was in my room, laying down in bed and i felt the bed shaking for 5 seconds Bella Vista, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (67.6 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt Santo Domingo, D.N. (61.4 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I felt my desk shaking Villa Consuelo, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (59 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Santo Domingo Oeste (64.1 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s Republica Dominicana (51 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating : sacudio un poco fuerte si y me siento mareado Bella Vista, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (63.3 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single vertical bump / very short : Just enough to push my bed uo a bit, a friend said that glasses on her table spilled Santo Domingo, Republica (51.3 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : Normal Santo Domingo Este (50.3 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Santo domingo (85 km W of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s La Julia, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (60.3 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short : Weak shaking Villa carmen santo domingo este (49 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt / very short sabana perdida (51.3 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / very short Santo Domingo Este (45.2 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Bonao, Monsenor Nouel (108.8 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : I was seat at my homes table in a zoom call. Santo Domingo, Distrito Nacional (65.3 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Santo Domingo Norte (56.3 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : An strong vibration La Julia, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (61.8 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s : I heard my cabinet moving, as well as the lamp desk. I also heard vibrating sounds. Santo Domingo (58.4 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Light shaking Republica Dominicana (49.3 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Horrible Santo domingo (56.9 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : My bed starting moving with me on it Villa Consuelo, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (54.8 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Santo domingo (65.6 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) Santo Domingo Este (53.2 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s La Caleta, boca chica (38.8 km SW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : 5.0 santo domingo, dominican republic (60.4 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 30-60 s Primaveral villa mella (55 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) La Julia, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (59.5 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : In bed watching TV. Villa Consuelo, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (58.8 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt / single lateral shake / 2-5 s (reported through our app / not felt / single lateral shake / 2-5 s near Santo Domingo Este (38.4 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / very short Santo Domingo Oeste (66.4 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s : . Santo Domingo (59 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s La Julia, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (62.1 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : My chair felt like it was levitating El Puerto, Los Llanos, San Pedro de Macoris (15.2 km N of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 2-5 s : Slight shake Santo Domingo (60.1 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s Santo Domingo (57.7 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : . Santo Domingo Este (50.7 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : I was playing and feel the earthquake Santo Domingo (58.1 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : My closet door was shaking near Cotui, Sanchez Ramirez (84.2 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : Laying in bed Pequeno terremoto (44.5 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / very short Santo Domingo, Republica Dominicana (64.5 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Santo Domingo (66.3 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : laying in bed distrito nacional (63.1 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) Santo Domingo Dominican republic (61.4 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / very short : Lying in bed short sudden shaking. Santo Domingo (63.7 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s : I was sitting on a sofa and i felt like it was moving santo domingo piantini (61.2 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : i was doing some work and the lamp and table start shaking Bella Vista, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (64.2 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I was in my bed, it wasnt strong Villa Consuelo, Santo Domingo De Guzman, Nacional (58.1 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Sideways shaking Re (87.1 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Normalmente Distrito Nacional / not felt : My wife and friends Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Distrito nacional / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s Republica Dominicana (49.3 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : Horrible Distrito nacional / not felt / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s distrito nacional / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : i felt the glasses shaking Puntarena / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : On 4th (top) floor of a beach condo felt sofa vibrate Santo Doningo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Barahona / not felt Menos de 5 min / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 10-15 s Santo Domingo (61.2 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Santo Domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Santo Domingo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 1-2 s Santo Domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Light shaking Santo Domingo (59 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : First horizontal movement and a final jump in vertical Santo Domingo (47.9 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / very short Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s Santo Domingo Distrito Nacional / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : Table shaked for around three seconds 32200 Las Terrenas, Sector El Paraiso (ex Monte Ad (67.3 km WNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) : sitting on the table, playing PC. Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s Santo Domingo Estes (49.2 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / not felt : Un tremblement de terre Santo Domingo (61 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Acostado, la cama traqueo y se movio Distrito nacional / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s boca chica Dominican Rep / not felt : friend message me from boca chica San Jose de ocoa / not felt Higuey (50.1 km ESE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Estaba senta y senti como la silla se movio Distrito NAcional / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s Santo Domingo (60.4 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s I was in the bathroom and thought the toilet might be falling through the floor. (reported through (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) / vertical swinging (up and down) / 2-5 s Santo Domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) : Yes, I felt my bed move. No se cuanto fue la intensidad pero fue fuerte. Santo domingo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 5-10 s : Very weak shaking Las Terrenas (69.8 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) : low shaking Santo Domingo (59.3 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Santo Domingo / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s Yamasa Monte Plata Dominican Republic / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s El Seibo, republica Dominicana / not felt Santo Domingo Oeste / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 1-2 s Santo Domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / very short Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Santo Domingo (57.8 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Just a little shake Home / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 30-60 s : The apartment shaked. Los corales / Weak shaking (MMI III) / very short : I was on my bed I felt it for 1 second Santo Domingo Este / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : I was inside my vehicle, parked in front of my house and I felt that it moved as if someone were pushing it, I looked around but there was no one around, then I received a message about the tremor. Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / very short Santo Domingo Distrito Nacional / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : Table shaked for around three seconds Miches (19 km NNE of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Moderate shaking Santo-Domingo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / very short Santo Domingo (54.5 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : My desk started to move Santo domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 1-2 s : All fine. It was very gentle. My apartamento, the bed was moving and few perfume / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Was walking and realize a lot of stuff were moving and shaking Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 1-2 s En el dorado3 / not felt / 2-5 s : Fue temblor debil me asuste Santo Domingo Este (53.8 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s : Estaba sentada haciendo tarea y la silla temblo. Santo Domingo este (50.5 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s SAN PEDRO DE MACORIS / not felt Santo domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 30-60 s Santo Domingo (11.4 km NNW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I felt a slight shaking on the couch watching TV Santo Domingo Oeste / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s Santo Domingo Este (51.1 km WSW of epicenter) [ Map ] / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s : Temblor Santo Domingo, DN / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / very short : There was an strong movements Z(na oriental / not felt : Scary Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Los mameyes / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Distrito Nacional / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Santo Domingo Este / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s distrito nacional / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : i felt the glasses shaking Santo Domingo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Very weak Distrito Nacional, Santo Domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s Esperanza Vieques / not felt (reported through our app / not felt Santo Domingo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / both vertical and horizontal swinging / 2-5 s : First horizontal movement and a final jump in vertical Santo domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s santo domingo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : very weak shaking Santo domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 15-20 s los alzarrizos / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 5-10 s Santo Domingo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / rattling, vibrating Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Na Santo Domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s Santo Domingo / not felt Santo domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 1-2 s San Cristobal / Light shaking (MMI IV) (reported through our app / Light shaking (MMI IV) Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s Santo domingo / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s Distrito nacional / Weak shaking (MMI III) / vibration and rolling / 10-15 s Santo Domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Panic Santos Domingo Este / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s Distrito nacional / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s santo domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s : Felt it Lucerna santo Domingo este / Light shaking (MMI IV) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s : Fuerte Santo Domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / 2-5 s : 4.5 Distrito nacional / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : I was not sure ir was an earthquake Distrito Nacional / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / 15-20 s Villa tropicalia / Very weak shaking (MMI II) / single lateral shake / 1-2 s Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 30-60 s Santo Domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 2-5 s : I felt dizzy Santo Domingo / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s : Moderate shaking Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / rattling, vibrating / 5-10 s Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single vertical bump / 2-5 s santo domingo este / Light shaking (MMI IV) / 5-10 s Santo Domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) / horizontal (sideways) swinging / 2-5 s Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) / complex motion difficult to describe / 10-15 s Aeropuerto Las Americas / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) / single lateral shake / very short Santo Domingo Este / not felt / rattling, vibrating / 2-5 s santo domingo / Moderate shaking (MMI V) / single lateral shake / 2-5 s : Weak shaking Santo Domingo / Weak shaking (MMI III) (reported through our app / Weak shaking (MMI III) Santo Domingo / Light shaking (MMI IV) The consequences of the Geneva Accords - known as "Yalta 2" (June 16, 2021) - for the wider Middle East are about to reach a new stage: foreign forces occupying parts of Syria are about to withdraw. After 12 years of massacres, the war against the Syrian Arab Republic is ending. President Bashar al-Assad went to the Kremlin. Nothing transpired from his meeting with his Russian counterpart. However, it seems that Moscow will supervise both Syria and Lebanon from the Lebanese parliamentary elections in May 2022. If Washington does not keep its word, Syria could be admitted to the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO), the military alliance around Russia. In such a case, Moscows support for Damascus would increase considerably as Syria would move from being a friend to an ally. Any attack on its security would be an attack on Russias. Israel In recent weeks, the "rebels" of Deraa (in the south of the country) have laid down their arms. They had already done so with a Russian general, then mobilised again against Damascus at the request of Saudi Arabia. They finally surrendered after Israel withdrew its military support. This is an important event that marks the evolution of the Tel Aviv regime. Since the resignation of Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel is freeing itself from the colonial ideology of Zeev Jabotinsky and trying to become a state like any other. The government of Naftali Bennett (despite its rhetoric) and Yair Lapid has agreed to stop supporting armed groups in Syria. However, this does not prevent it from continuing its secret war against Iran on Lebanese and Syrian territory. Especially if Tel Aviv accepts many concessions, it stands firm on the occupation of the Golan Heights, which it has illegally annexed under the UN. Commenting on President Bashar al-Assads visit to Moscow, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov told Russia Today in an interview in Arabic that Russia intends to free all of Syria from all foreign forces illegally stationed there: the Israeli, Turkish and US. The Golan Heights are being returned in exchange for an Iranian withdrawal from Syria. Jordan, which has never committed itself against Syria but has let the US and Saudi Arabia use its territory to fight Damascus, seems relieved. The rebels in Deraa, anticipating what would happen next, refused to leave for Idleb (in the north of the country). They preferred to lay down their arms without any compensation. Turkey The next step must be the withdrawal of US and Turkish troops from the north of the country, the surrender of Kurdish mercenaries and the flight of the jihadists amassed in Idleb. This is where the problem lies: Turkey refuses to leave. For it, Idleb is an area that it has claimed since the "National Oath" of 1920 [1]. Ankara had welcomed the occupation as a step towards restoring Ottoman grandeur. Its withdrawal would mean not only the loss of this territory, but the failure of its neo-Ottoman dream. This is why President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, during his speech at the 76th UN General Assembly, reawakened the threat of his support for Tatar terrorism. In 2015, Turkey and Ukraine had officially created an International Islamic Brigade against the attachment of Crimea to Russia [2]. Three months later, the Turkish army shot down a Russian Sukhoi, causing a serious political crisis. But this episode was short-lived. The anti-Russian terrorist option was abandoned in 2016 and President Erdogan apologised for the "incident". Disrupting the chessboard, the CIA attempted to have President Erdogan assassinated. The operation failed and turned into an improvised coup, which also failed. To everyones surprise, Ankara then turned to Moscow and signed deal after deal for the Turkish Stream gas pipeline and finally for the purchase of S-400 anti-missile systems. Today Ankara finds itself in a difficult position as it stands against Moscow and Washington at the same time. Its threat to reactivate Tatar terrorism is credible insofar as Recep Tayyip Erdogan, before becoming president, was an important actor in the wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya. He gave the support of the Milli Gorus to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar in Afghanistan, and then offered a rear base to the terrorists of Dokou Oumarov for their Emirate of Itchkeria (Chechnya). It is obviously unlikely that Russia will give in to Turkish blackmail this time, since it did not do so in 2015. Moscow is not Brussels, which cowardly paid $5 billion during the migrant blackmail. In any case, even if the Turkish threat does not have to go through, stating it raises the stakes. President Erdogan does not intend to give in without strong compensation. The withdrawal of US forces from Iraq and Syria will leave the Kurdish mercenaries unprotected just as the withdrawal of US armies from Afghanistan left the local CIA collaborators to their fate. Given the crimes they have committed, especially against Christian Arabs, a panic is beginning to set in. Some of them are already in negotiations with Damascus. The secret meeting of the US and Russian chiefs of staff, Generals Mark A. Milley and Valery Gerasimov, on September 21 in Helsinki, dealt with the Syrian issue. It is not known what the two men decided, but General Miley is a strong supporter of Joe Biden and would not sabotage his commitments. Iran Iran, which has established itself as an economic power under Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and as a military power under General Qassem Soleimani, is about to be integrated into the concert of nations. While official negotiations on its nuclear status have stalled, secret contacts are increasing. The US has now agreed to put Iranian nuclear research into perspective as long as it is peaceful. In the last year of the war imposed by Iraq on Ruhollah Khomeinis Iran, Tehran forbade itself to build the atomic bomb, a project that the US and France had developed with Shah Reza Pahlevi. Iran only lifted this ban after President Donald Trump assassinated General Qassem Soleimani. There is no indication that Tehran has since resumed this project. The fact that Washington and London have revealed their nuclear pact with Australia means that these two major powers can no longer accuse Iran of proliferation. The US has also given up on dividing the Muslim world into Sunni and Shia. Solid contacts are being established between the brotherly enemies that Saudi Arabia and Iran had become. The latest was a secret meeting between the heads of the two countries secret services on September 23 at Baghdad airport. Tehran should give up some of its military actions and concentrate on the defence of Shiite communities in the world (including Latin America). The Revolutionary Guards could therefore leave Syria and give more room to the Lebanese Hezbollah. The European Union On the diplomatic front, the embassies of EU member states in Damascus have almost all reopened (but not the French one). It seems that the EU has financial obligations imposed by an old UN resolution. In any case, Brussels is providing $7 billion to rebuild Syrias infrastructure. Strangely, the European Commission, which continues to employ 6,000 British civil servants more than a year after the Brexit, is represented in Syria by the British NGO Oxfam (which had supported the White Helmets terrorist group). In any case, the EU officially remains on the position stated by US ambassador Jeffrey Feltman when he headed the UN four years ago: not a penny for the reconstruction of Syria until the "regime" has fallen [3]. The question that remains open is whether or not Lebanon will return to Russian-Syrian administration. The answer will determine Chinese involvement in the region. For the moment, the three Lebanese presidents (of the Republic, the Government and the Parliament) are compatible with the administration of President Bashar al-Assad. However, President Bashar al-Assad, who was unjustly accused of having instigated the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and whose troops were booed in Beirut, does not seem to want to play this role. This would be the wisest solution. The announcement of a possible candidacy for the presidency of the Lebanese Parliament of the Director of General Security, General Abbas Ibrahim, is interpreted as the entry into the race of a man aware of the culture of Greater Syria. Until the Sykes-Picot-Sazonov agreements of 1915, which planned the creation of Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Cyprus, these five states formed the same Ottoman province. China In the event of a Syrian trusteeship over failed Lebanon, China would step in to rebuild the end of the ancient Silk Road. In ancient and early medieval times, the Silk Road linked the then Chinese capital, Xian, to the Mediterranean via Palmyra and Damascus. Beijing plans to build both a land and rail route as well as telecommunications infrastructure. This would be a very important victory for Presidents Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping as part of the war on Syria was explicitly aimed at preventing this project. It would be surprising if the US, which has forced Israel to cancel all its contracts with Beijing, were to let Russia install China in Syria without a quid pro quo. France France, once the colonial power of Lebanon and Syria, does not intend to be ousted. Last month, President Emmanuel Macron attended the Baghdad summit, under the watchful eye of the British secret service. France and the United States played a central role in the appointment of Najib Mikati as the new strongman of the Lebanese Sunni community and consequently as the new Prime Minister (this function being reserved for a Sunni). The Westerners favoured the man who is now, according to Forbes, the richest man in the country, as Rafik Hariri had been. To achieve this, they eliminated the Hariri family with the help of Saudi Arabia. The assets of Saad Hariri (the son, who was also Prime Minister) were seized by court order. The operation should soon continue with the seizure of his assets in Lebanon. Najib Mikati, who is no more honest than he is, depends on Washington and Paris insofar as his fortune is dispersed in states under Western tutelage. He is as much a symbol as the Hariris of the use of Lebanon as a pirate state in the Western economic system. It does not subscribe to any of the Western rules, but is used for all the Wests secret transactions, especially drugs and telecommunications. In this respect, Lebanon is comparable to Israel, although the self-proclaimed "Jewish state" specialises in secret diamond and arms deals (including software). In both cases, the profits of the rulers do not benefit the population. Frances support for Najib Mikati is aimed at preventing Lebanon from becoming a real nation and no longer an aggregate of communities. Paris will therefore do its utmost to ensure that the next parliament is elected according to the iniquitous rules that have prevailed until now. Lebanon is the only country in the world where the majority of parliamentarians are elected from father to son. To ensure that a democratic rule is not adopted, France intends to deploy its troops and secure the polling stations during the May 2022 elections. Denying the origin of the problems, it prioritises economic over political reforms. President Macron hosted Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati on September 24. As soon as he was appointed, the latter rushed to the Elysee Palace, breaking the sacrosanct rule according to which a new Lebanese Prime Minister should not visit the former colonial power without having first met his main Arab counterparts. Only once the political landscape is stabilised can the exploitation of hydrocarbons in Israel, Lebanon and Syria begin. It is necessary to delimit the maritime borders that were vaguely drawn by the Sykes-Picot agreements, but never precisely fixed. podcast review Suspect Might Be the Best True-Crime Podcast of the Year Its far from revolutionary, but theres something to be said about being the most polished version of a standard. The city is seeing a violent spike in crime, a troubling trend that experts say is largely due to socioeconomic issues exacerbated by the pandemic and one that led the police chief to resign from his position last month. Gun violence incidents in Shreveport have increased 11% from the same time frame last year with 168 incidents so far in 2021, according to data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive (GVA), a non-profit organization that tracks gun-related violence in the United States. "Three of the highest crime cities in America -- Shreveport, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans -- are all in Louisiana, which is among the poorest (states) in the country," said Edward Shihadeh, an expert on criminology at the Department of Sociology at the Louisiana State University. "We have low rates of educational attainment and lack of education," he added. "Poverty is directly related to these issues, which interacts in times of social change to make things even worse." Shreveport Police Chief Ben Raymond resigned in August ahead of a no-confidence vote called for by Shreveport City Council members Jerry Bowman Jr. and LeVette Fuller. "To blame me as chief of police for the violent offenders that are running our streets is ludicrous," Raymond said during his resignation speech. Raymond said he would remain on the Shreveport police force but would take a demotion to the position of sergeant. He will be on leave until returning in November. "We are experiencing an inexcusable surge of violent crime in this particular moment," Shreveport Mayor Adrian Perkins said. "My number one priority is focusing on the future and making sure that each and every citizen of Shreveport is as safe as possible. The police department needs change." Shreveport takes big city approach The spike in violent crime prompted city officials to set up a Real Time Crime Center (RTCC), which uses technology such as cameras to better track the violence in the streets, help speed up response times, and gather intelligence on crimes to find suspects and aid prosecution. Shreveport, with a population of roughly 187,000 people, according to 2019 Census data, is one of the smallest cities employing advanced policing capabilities and becoming more in line with major cities such as New York, Chicago, Detroit and Austin that have implemented RTCCs to aid law enforcement in compiling data and responding more efficiently to crimes. The city also launched an eight-week #SaferShreveport campaign aimed at decreasing crime. The initiative was a collaboration between the Office of the Mayor, Shreveport Police Department, Shreveport Fire Department, Community Development, Shreveport Public Assembly & Recreation and Property Standards. The campaign emphasized "programs that are available to improve the quality of life for all of our residents," Perkins said in a June news release. "Our goal is to connect citizens to valuable resources related to crime prevention, job placement, youth programs and mental health." The shootings are so concerning that some first responders are asking to be equipped with bulletproof vests. "I want any firefighter that asks for that level of protection to be able to receive it," Barbara Sellers, Shreveport Firefighters Association president, told CNN. "For each seat to be equipped with a vest, according to the fire chief last week, it would take $125,000." Most of the perpetrators and the victims of gun violence in the city are Black men, according to Mayor Perkins. Perkins, who grew up in Shreveport, said there's a "huge difference" in who is getting involved in the city's violence. "There were adults doing it in the '80s and '90s," he said. "These are kids doing it." Raymond told CNN he's not sure what's driving the increase in violent crime, which he said is "well above and beyond our average," while other categories of crime such as burglary, theft and auto theft have decreased over last year. Raymond said his department is more than 100 officers short of normal staffing levels, mirroring a nationwide trend as agencies struggle with recruitment and retention as they face an anti-police climate and calls to defund police budgets. It's not just more police officers that are needed, Raymond said, but it's more convictions that can act as a deterrent. A focus on predicting crime patterns Police chiefs have blamed the violent crime rise across the country on the pandemic, as sectors of the criminal justice system that hold people accountable for their crimes have been disrupted over the past year. Jails, prisons, correctional facilities and court systems have been severely impacted by Covid-19 outbreaks. Rodney Demery, a former Shreveport homicide detective, said individuals need to know if there will be consequences for their actions to determine whether they will commit a crime. "If someone has a high chance of getting away with murder, they are more likely to go through with it," he said. . Shihadeh said the pandemic is not only severely disrupting communities, but law enforcement capacity to control violence in their communities. In Louisiana specifically, crime rates spiked after massively disruptive events such as Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and widespread flooding in Baton Rouge. The Real Time Crime Center represents the shift in law enforcement interest from understanding the causes of crime to predicting crime patterns, according to Shihadeh. "It's not that they are callous, but they need technology, whether it's statistical technology like predictive analytics or cameras, to predict and stop the crime," he said. Shihadeh said the initiative will likely be "labor intensive" and expensive to sustain in the long run, a common issue with law enforcement crime reduction programs. Faith leaders in Shreveport have been hosting prayer nights to promote peace during the city's fight against gun violence. Ronald Timothy Jones, a 23-year-old Black man and the son of the pastor at Peaceful Rest Baptist Church, said many people his age, including himself, have lost friends to violence in the city. Darwin Jones, a Shreveport resident and member of the church, said he's lost two nephews to gun violence since the beginning of this year. "One of the things we have to do is first have some respect for human life, period," he said. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. The Huntsville Area Association of Realtors will host an event Tuesday morning to discuss affordable housing in North Alabama. Decatur resident Patricia Lynch says that's welcome news as she and her granddaughter have been searching for their new home. "It has been you make an offer but somebody comes in with more money and you're out of luck," Lynch says. About four months ago Patricia Lynch says they began looking, but she says it has been a challenge. "We find a great price, some that would work for us, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and then it sells for $50,000-60,000 over list price so that's an issue we've had." Lynch says she and her granddaughter want to live in Hazel Green. With the housing market as competitive as it is right now, they have decided to expand their search to other areas. "It's been quite a bit frustrating," Lynch says, but they aren't giving up in their search for the perfect home. "We've had such an explosive growth over the last three or four years," Huntsville Madison County Builders Association Executive Officer Barry Oxley says. "It's going to continue on for the next six or eight years that the housing of existing houses has tightened up where there's not near as many houses on the market because people have decided to stay in especially during COVID people decided to do remodels and stuff like that." More people moving into the area makes the search for people like Lynch even more difficult. The event scheduled for Tuesday is to discuss the growing challenges within the housing industry and ways to stay ahead. According to Oxley that includes attainability and affordability for all. "We estimate that we probably need to build about 5,000 homes this year and last year we did about 4,000," Oxley says. So we have to build more homes to accommodate the people coming here." If you'd like to read more about the event click here. The Alabama Department of Public Health released this information on Tuesday from Dr. Karen Landers and Dr. Wes Stubblefield: Consistent and correct mask use in schools has helped reduce the number of cases of COVID-19, helped schools remain open to in-person learning in Alabama, and helped prevent the consequences of this serious disease. See which North Alabama schools do and dont require mask-wearing HERE Even with the decline in COVID-19 cases in Alabama, almost 23 percent of cases are in the 0-17 age group and, of that number, almost 18 percent of cases are in school-age children. As of September 27, at least 30 children were hospitalized in Alabama for COVID-19 and three were on ventilators. Medical Officers and Pediatricians, Drs. Karen Landers and Wes Stubblefield of the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), strongly advise all schools to apply all preventive measures to reduce COVID-19, including universal masking for students, teachers, staff and visitors; good hand hygiene; social distancing; environmental cleaning and good ventilation to reduce disease transmission. Dr. Stubblefield, former President of the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, who recently joined ADPH, stated, "Practicing preventive measures against COVID- 19 in schools is critical to keeping our kids in the classroom where they can learn in a safe environment." Mask use in schools is a critical strategy for preventing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in studies published recently in the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). These studies can be viewed as follows: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/pdfs/mm7039e1-H.pdf https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/pdfs/mm7039e3-H.pdf Studies in the MMWR reports found that school districts without universal masking policies in place were more likely to have COVID-19 outbreaks than other districts that did not implement mask policies. A conclusion stated, Given the high transmissibility of the SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant, universal masking, in addition to vaccination of all eligible students, staff members and faculty and implementation of other prevention measures remains essential to COVID-19 prevention in K-12 settings. Dr. Landers added, I very much support keeping kids in classroom settings, and data reinforce the advisability of universal indoor masking in schools, along with other layered mitigation measures. The Alabama K-12 COVID-19 School Dashboard can be viewed at https://alpublichealth.maps.arcgis.com/apps/dashboards/c6909b3820ae4047b0317fa00abc46fc. ADPH guidance for schools was updated September 24. The new guidance includes case study examples to help schools and parents navigate specific incidents in responding to COVID-19. It's another quiet start to the day with temperatures in the upper 50s to low 60s. Some patchy dense fog has developed again this morning, especially near area waterways. No Dense Fog Advisory in effect, but low visibilities may cause problems for the morning drive. Today is a carbon copy of yesterday. With plenty of sunshine, we'll be back in the mid 80s this afternoon. The storyline for the rest of the week continues to be the battle between humid air to our southwest and drier air to our northeast. Which airmass wins the battle? Well, at least for the short term, it might be a split decision. The more humid air tries to sneak into northwest Alabama starting Wednesday. This added moisture may set off an isolated shower or two in the Shoals both Wednesday and Thursday afternoons. Everyone else will likely see just a few more clouds with more warm temperatures in the mid 80s. Looking ahead to the weekend, data sources are still undecided on how the humid and dry airmasses interact. One data source keeps the humid air in place for everyone through the weekend, meaning chances for spotty showers and storms by Sunday. Another source pushes drier air into northeast Alabama, which would minimize rain chances. For now, our forecast will split the difference. A stray shower is possible Sunday with slightly higher coverage Monday. Rainfall totals stay below a quarter inch for all of us in the next seven days. Hurricane Sam is still churning over open water as a mighty Category 4 storm. Luckily, no direct impacts to any land are expected (latest track pushes Sam east of Bermuda), but it may stay as a major hurricane all the way into the weekend. The NHC is also watching three other areas of interest for possible development but no impacts to the US are expected for at least the next 10 days. It's that time of the year time to roll up your sleeves for a shot in addition to the Covid-19 vaccine. Now is the time to begin getting flu shots. Anita Walden, chief of nursing at Decatur-Morgan Hospital, says everyone needs to protect themselves this flu season. "Flu season is here," Walden said. "Please remember to get your flu shots. That is very important and please remember to come and get your vaccinations. That is proven to be very effective." Walden and other health officials expect the number of flu cases to rise over the upcoming weeks. Elias Escobar was just 19 when he was shot and killed in the parking lot of a Taco Bell in Guntersville last week. Now his family is asking for help paying for his funeral. Bilma Lopez set up a GoFundMe on Saturday, saying they are Escobars younger sibling and the family needs help with funeral expenses. He was a young man that didnt live his adult life, Lopez said of Escobar. He left this world too young. Lopez said the family would greatly appreciate anyone who can help donate. The GoFundMe has a goal of $10,000, of which just under $1,000 had been raised as of Monday evening. Escobar was one of two people killed in the shooting Thursday. The other victim was 17 and has not been identified. Kevon Yenovi Williams, 23, of Grayson, Georgia, was arrested and charged with their murders. He remains in custody. Officials say there was an altercation prior to the shooting but have not released details about the altercation or why Williams chose to shoot Escobar and the 17-year-old victim. Those who wish to donate to the GoFundMe can do so by clicking here. More people are rolling up their sleeves for a Covid-19 vaccine booster shot just days after the CDC expanded eligibility for it, but not every clinic is offering the shots yet. On Monday, Huntsville Hospital announced their vaccine clinic at John Hunt Park will begin offering the shots to the newly eligible groups starting Wednesday. Dozens of people showed up to the clinic Monday wanting the shot and had to be turned away. They told WAAY-31 they will be back Wednesday. People who were able to get the boosters were happy to see so many people coming to the clinic. "I wanted to get it done as soon as I could, so I just feel fortunate to be able to get it done today," Wood Veleuil, who received his booster Monday, said. Unlike Veleuil, many others who showed up at John Hunt had to be turned away. But, people like Veleuil said even though they weren't able to get their third dose just yet, it's a positive thing to see people embracing the boosters. "I've been really disappointed that there's been so many people in Alabama who would not get the vaccine, and it's good to see somebody doing it," Robert and Marie Cloyd, who received their boosters Monday, said. They said they believe this third shot is beneficial, and they're happy more of the vulnerable population will soon be able to walk in and get it just like they did. "I feel very confident in what it can do for me and I can't wait to get the rest of my family boosted," Veleuil said. Those in the newly eligible group must make an appointment for their third dose. They can do so online here. MONTGOMERY (AP) Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is defending her states plan to use pandemic relief funds to build new prisons. Ivey said the expenditure is both allowed and needed. The Republican governor issued the statement in response to the U.S. House Judiciary Committee Chairman urging Treasury to block the expenditure. A committee on Tuesday advanced the $1.3 billion construction plan that uses $400 million of American Rescue Plan funds. Carla Crowder of Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice said during a public hearing that the proposal doesnt address a staffing crisis or most of the issued identified by the U.S. Department of Justice in a lawsuit against Alabama. A special visitor got an up-close look this week at the special opportunities offered to high school students in Madison. James Clemens High is the only school in Alabama to get such a visit from the president of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Gregg Wieczorek is on a cross-country tour. He's going to at least one school in every state in search for innovative ideas to share with principals across the country. James Clemens Principal Brian Clayton said JCHS' faculty and staff wanted to really highlight the ways in which they put students in the right environments for hands-on learning. "I think that's the best thing that we do," Clayton said. The high school offers several career-focused classes to make sure students have an idea about what they want to do by the time they graduate. "Kids have an opportunity to see what careers look like in those particular areas of study," Clayton said, "rather than waiting until they're in college and spending great deals of money to see what that looks like." On Tuesday, the principal gave Wieczorek a firsthand look at some of those programs. The tour included an engineering class, a bank that's run by students and even a health lab, where students learn how to treat patients portrayed by other students. The programs eventually lead to internships in which students get real-life experience in their chosen career track. Clayton said even if it doesn't work out and the student doesn't pursue that profession, the programs still benefit them in some way. "That's usually reserved for tech schools and college. They are getting that opportunity here," Wieczorek said. "I've never seen something like that at a school before." Wieczorek plans on taking those ideas and putting them in a document along with other ideas from schools across the country. He said education is changing and evolving from seven classes a day to a more career-oriented system. By sharing ideas like those at James Clemens, Wieczorek aims to show principals don't have to create everything themselves and can instead explore opportunities to connect and work with one another. The countdown is on until Thursday morning when the first Trader Joes in North Alabama opens for business in the Rocket City. Workers were busy Tuesday putting the final touches on the store in the MidCity District. WAAY-31 cameras were allowed inside the store for a behind-the-scenes look as they stocked shelves and prepared for a flood of customers. "I think people like us because we are such a cool concept," Jerimy Krepps, store manager, said. "We are that neighborhood grocery store that people love." The store will make grocery shopping a little more colorful, too. Trader Joe's staff of artists painted the murals on the walls, with large rockets strapped to produce and scenes from local natural parks on display. I think, for people, its kind of an adventure in shopping, and thats what connects people," Kreeps said. When Huntsville economic developers asked the public over the years what they wanted to see in the city, the surveys always had "Trader Joe's" as a favorite. I have heard from a lot of people out there, driving through our parking lot every day, talking about how much theyve been waiting for this to open," Kreeps said. "We are excited, and the outpouring from the community shows everyones really excited. Trader Joes opens to the public Thursday and will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks of Huntsville announced Monday that he has co-sponsored a bill opposing President Joe Bidens coronavirus vaccine mandate. The bill, from Rep. Andy Briggs of Arizona, also would prevent the federal government from making employers require vaccines for, or testing of, workers, according to a news release from Brooks office. Joe Biden claims the U.S. Constitution empowers a president to mandate vaccines. He is wrong, Brooks said in the release. Under the Constitution, states, not the federal government have that power. I challenge anyone to identify a provision in the U.S. Constitution that unambiguously gives Joe Biden or the federal government the authority he arrogantly claims. Liberty and freedom have combined to help make America the greatest nation in world history. The decision to get vaccinated against COVID-19 is a deeply personal one. Americans must weigh the risks and rewards for themselves. That is the essence of liberty and freedom. For Joe Biden to insert himself into Americans health care choices is arrogant, dictatorial, despicable and dangerous. I will protect liberty and freedom from dictatorial government oppression with every fiber of my being and every tool at my disposal. Italy's bid for Rome Expo 2030 comes after Milan hosted Expo 2015. The Italian government is to propose Rome as a candidate to host the 2030 Universal Exposition, or Expo, premier Mario Draghi announced on Tuesday. "It is without doubt a great opportunity for the development of the city," Draghi wrote in a letter to the candidates vying to become the next mayor of Rome in elections this weekend. The news was welcomed by outgoing mayor Virginia Raggi who hailed the Expo as "one of the most important international events, an event capable of attracting investments, proposing major innovation projects to the world and relaunching employment and the economy in all of Italy." "Today a challenging and exciting journey begins officially" - Raggi wrote on Facebook - "we have to beat the candidacies of Moscow and Busan." Russia was the first to submit a bid for Expo 2030, proposing Moscow in April of this year, followed with a bid from South Korea proposing Busan in June. Italy, which hosted Milan World Expo in 2015, is the third country to submit a bid for Expo 2030. Il Governo candidera @Roma ad ospitare l #EXPO2030. Una grande opportunita per lo sviluppo della citta ha detto il Presidente del Consiglio Draghi https://t.co/853m2hHQ3f Palazzo_Chigi (@Palazzo_Chigi) September 28, 2021 Photo Wanted in Rome 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. Regulators appear to believe the crypto lending accounts are some of the lowest hanging fruit in their bid to bring some law and order to the crypto world -- after all, with firms like Celsius and BlockFi theres a clear entity to sue, rather than just some computer code as in some DeFi transactions. The moves against the firms could be just the start of a broader crackdown. In years past, the SEC more or less put an end to a boom in what were known as initial coin offerings, or ICOs, by entrepreneurs hoping to launch the next Bitcoin, when it ruled that most counted as securities -- endeavors where investors pool funds and get returns that depend on the actions of others. In steps Eve. Shes rich and brilliant and beautiful with high, prominent cheekbones that assert themselves like contradictions. Eve introduces Michaela to thinkers like Susan Sontag. They debate the feminist merits of casual sex. Love and Virtue captures the near-erotic thrill of being a young woman, alone and adrift, who finds, in another young woman, an intellectual equal. Loading But their bond, which excludes those not like them, contains a seam of toxicity. At a party, Eve passes off Michaelas anecdotes as her own. She laments capitalism in vegan sneakers that cost several hundred dollars. Like Elena and Lila in Elena Ferrantes My Brilliant Friend, a touchstone for Reid, their spark feels charged, given to exploding. I think that toxicity is important to talk about, Reid says. Michaela and Eve dont compete with the boys, they compete with each other because they believe that space for women is limited. But to have a rivalry with someone means that you are taking yourself and your ambition seriously. In a philosophy class, called Morals and Mores, Michaela, whos 18, is drawn to a professor, twice her age, Paul Rosen. Outside a pub, she pursues him. Predictably, they start sleeping together. Under patriarchy, young women are socialised to view their intellects through the lens of male authority. Irish author Sally Rooney, best-known for Normal People also canvasses friendships and university life. Credit:Johnny L. Davies Writes Oxford philosopher Amia Srinivasan in On Not Sleeping with Your Students, a chapter in her 2021 book The Right to Sex: Where a students desire is inchoate do I want to be like him or, to have him? it is all too easy for the teacher to steer it in the second direction. Says Reid: At first Michaela doesnt really see Paul as a person. She is living out a fantasy that she is conditioned to want because he is powerful, and a professor and it proves that shes smart. Consent, as critic Parul Sehgal says in a June 2021 New York Times article, stems from consentire, Latin for to feel together. What does feeling together mean when two people, whether they are friends or lovers, feel the weight of cultural forces so differently? Says Reid: I think when we talk about consent, what we are really talking about is womens agency. Their right to feel that they control their bodies, they control their lives and they control the narratives around those things. Love and Virtue begins with a hook-up in a bar: A boy and a girl, hold each other, limbs loose with alcohol. Theres a sexual encounter in his dorm. She throws up in his bin. The incident evokes the testimonies, offered by past and current Australian high school students, published online by the activist Chanel Contos. And it takes place during O-Week. The period, according to The Red Zone, a 2018 report from End Rape on Campus Australia, coincides with one in eight attempted and completed sexual assaults at the University of Sydneys residential colleges. In May this year, the NSW government made the historic move toward an affirmative consent model, thanks to the tireless work of advocates. In Australia, our cultural obsession with the good guy, the top bloke gives rise to the myth that good guys dont do bad things. Love and Virtue invites the reader to bury the incident. Then, in a flash of memory, Michaela learns that she is the girl in the dorm during a drinking game led by Sackers, a fan of public humiliation. The boy, however, is Nick. He has quiet eyes and curly hair that matched his Italian surname. He is a good guy, altogether more thoughtful, less entitled than the friends he went to school with. But, in Australia, our cultural obsession with the good guy, the top bloke gives rise to the myth that good guys dont do bad things. That goodness is a matter of individual integrity, rather than systems that invite abusive behaviour. Theres this idea in philosophy that most people are more interested in appearing to be good than actually being good, says Reid. When Paul breaks up with Michaela, he says I dont want you to hate me. I think men who have had these insular upbringings in private schools havent necessarily had the opportunity to self-reflect on their place in the world. Maybe if you grew up in an environment where there are no material limitations, you take for granted that you will be a good person. She pauses. My takeaway is that most people are not good people. Being a good person is really, really hard. Diana Reid says female betrayal was the idea that sparked the novel. Credit:Wolter Peeters Michaela cant decipher the meaning of the incident at O-Week. But Eve does it for her. When Michaela refuses to be interviewed for an article on the toxic culture at the universitys residential colleges, Eve appropriates her friends experience, passing it off as her own. Its a private breach of consent that does enormous public good, sowing the seeds of institutional change and turning Eve into a famous advocate for the rights of women on campus. The culture of misogyny she exposes isnt limited to campus the boys she implicates, we now know too well, graduate to work in law and media and politics. Reid wrote Eves betrayal the idea that sparked the book to explore a different form of power. Diana Reid is now working on her second novel. I was trying to show how easy it is to think about power when it fits into an existing narrative, she says. Eve is quick to say that Michaelas relationship with Paul is wrong because of the power imbalance. But Eve is really rich and really beautiful, and these are kinds of power that are harder to see. Eve is also white. Through history, whiteness, when coupled with class privilege, is itself considered a kind of virtue. A June 2021 report from the Harmony Alliance and the Monash Migration and Inclusion Centre found that 42 per cent of migrant and refugee women had survived physical and sexual violence. And 2020 figures from Our Watch found that three in five Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have experienced violence by a male partner. To me, Eves choices also reflect a society that still requires survivors to match the types of credibility and capital it already values. Reid, whos working on her second novel, wants her readers to be less confident in their opinions at the end of her book than when they started. Jemima Kirke makes a rock-star entrance in the third season of the constantly surprising delight that is Sex Education. Thirteen minutes into the first episode she arrives as Hope Haddon, the new principal at the fictional Moordale Secondary, with a singing-and-dancing debut on stage at the school assembly. Ncuti Gatwa as Eric Effiong and Jemima Kirke as high school principal Hope Haddon. Credit:Sam Taylor/NETFLIX The disbelieving students are suitably dazzled by the head teachers unconventional presentation You can call me Hope energy and jazzy style. Fashion maven Ruby (Mimi Keene), the recent hook-up of the shows central character, Otis (Asa Butterfield), gives her stamp of approval to Hopes chosen shade of lipstick. I love her, whispers a wide-eyed Aimee (Aimee Lou Wood) to her equally gobsmacked pal, Maeve (Emma Mackey). A successful and smoothly assured Moordale graduate, Hope represents a significant departure from Kirkes best-known role as the self-absorbed, impulsive loose cannon Jessa in Girls. And the actor is well aware of the contrast. One of my frustrations with the business, she says over the phone from Belfast, is that, oftentimes, people see you playing a character and assume that thats your crutch, your gimmick, your thing, to play that type of role. They assume that because youve done that role well, you might not do a service to another completely different role. So I was refreshed, to say the least, to hear that I was being offered this role that was very different from Jessa. Until recently, while also resisting movie-length productions, SBS has been a stalwart in the documentary area, commissioning an array of local productions. Among others, theres been See What You Made Me Do, a three-part study of domestic abuse, Every Family Has A Secret, about genealogy discoveries, and Untold Australia, which focused on unique communities: Lebanese beauty queens, outback rabbis, undertakers. Presented by Australias third favourite Asian-Australian comic, Michael Hing, Where Are You Really From? looked at the history and culture of a number of migrant communities. Meanwhile, the ABC has narrowed its available space for documentaries, mostly confining them to hour-long slots. As was the case on Ten, Auntys 2020 screening of The Australian Dream, also about Adam Goodes, represented a departure. On free TV, its a different story, more akin to a desert that has proved particularly hostile for local documentary makers. The commercial channels are almost exclusively interested in true-crime stories. The 2019 screening on Channel Ten of The Final Quarter, a feature-length documentary about AFL champion Adam Goodes, represented a striking exception. The healthy appetite for non-fiction stories has been one of the notable developments on subscription TV. On the streaming services over the past 18 months, everything from The Last Dance and Tiger King to Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich and The Test have been enthusiastically embraced. This month, Foxtel has been promoting the range of riches on its newly launched Fox Docos channel. Local, topical and filling a gap that isnt being addressed elsewhere, these programs have fallen within the prescribed format of series that confine themselves to half-hour and hour-long episodes. But now theres a significant shift. Earlier this month, SBS launched Australia Uncovered, an eight-part series of self-contained documentaries, some of them feature-length, which the broadcasters director of television and online content, Marshall Heald, described as SBSs biggest ever commitment to one-off documentaries. They premiere on Sunday nights (8.30pm) and are then available on SBS on Demand with sub-titles in five languages. The series made an impactful opening on September 12 with Strong Female Lead. Directed by Tosca Looby, it drew on archival footage news stories, Parliamentary proceedings, Q&A episodes, radio interviews, Twitter posts to assemble a damning chronology of the response to Julia Gillard through her time as the countrys first female Prime Minister. While that history is recent enough to seem familiar, the compilation nevertheless proved shocking as an ugly account of misogyny emerged. Beyond any argument about the rough-and-tumble of politics, what came through with startling clarity was just how much bad behaviour from a range of Gillards political opponents and media critics was allowed to pass as acceptable in the battleground of politics. Then came Osher Gunsberg: A Matter of Life and Death, directed by Jodi Boylan, in which Gunsberg talked to a range of people who suffer from mental illness and a number of doctors, scientists and community workers involved in programs designed to help them. Declaring his own mental-health problems upfront, he explored drug trials and drug-free experiments, while emphasising that acknowledgement and discussion of the problem was a key to helping people who were suffering get the help they needed. From left, Paula, Muriel and Lucas Craig, the family of murdered Bowraville teen Collen Walker-Craig. Credit:SBS On September 26, the series continued with The Bowraville Murders, directed by Allan Clarke. Its focus is the 1990 disappearance of three Indigenous children from a NSW town over a six-month period. That you might never have heard of this case, as opposed to, say, the 1966 disappearance of the Beaumont children from an Adelaide beach, is part of the point of this well-considered production. The anger, grief and dismay evident from early in the film is wholly understandable by the time you reach the end of its tale of inattention, inaction and racial prejudice. While The Bowraville Murders begins as a murder mystery, it steadily builds into a searing survey of injustice with deep and wide historical roots. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size For South Coast Labour Council secretary Arthur Rorris, intensifying debate over what a low-carbon future may mean for Australias industrial centres is a signal the rest of the country may finally have caught up with the Illawarra. Standing beneath a towering smokestack at Port Kemblas BlueScope steelworks last week, Rorris says the regions unions concluded in 2009 that climate change was happening and that there was just one question they needed to answer. Its going to be massive if the steelworks were to close: Arthur Rorris, co-convener of Recharge Illawarra, at Bluescopes facilities at Port Kembla. Credit:Janie Barrett Loading Thats whether we are going to share in the jobs created by the coming revolution, he says. Or will we stand on the sidelines and watch the rest of the world take them? Often left out of discussions about a so-called transition off fossil fuels, the area around Wollongong hosts the nations largest steelworks, fed by coal mined in a hinterland that also includes several dams serving greater Sydney. Boasting a deepwater port and heavy industry with two centuries of heritage, the Illawarra rivals the NSW Hunter and Victorias Latrobe Valley as a region with the most at stake and perhaps most to gain if Australia can do its share of the decarbonisation needed to curb global heating. So far, there is no national effort to steer such a shift. Advertisement If steel goes, forget the town, Rorris says. Its going to be massive. The future, though, may not be as gritty as the past and present. Across the shipping canal, not far from where Rorris stands, preparations are under way for a gas and potentially hydrogen processing site being developed by billionaire Andrew Twiggy Forrest. Loading Still, navigating from the known will need more courage and co-ordination than is currently on display. Take BlueScopes steelworks, which produce about 3.2 million tonnes of the metal a year over a sprawling campus that has four railway stations and its own postcode. It generates about 1 per cent of the states economic output and one-tenth of the Illawarras. The company earned $1.2 billion in its latest financial year, a 13-fold increase on a year earlier. BlueScope plans to pour $800 million into relining a traditional blast furnace, and has declared it will be a fast follower rather than a leader in the emerging green steel industry that substitutes hydrogen for coking coal. Advertisement A BlueScope worker sits at the front of one of the companys torpedoes, a wagon that takes 180 tonnes of molten iron per tube from the blast furnace to a steel-processing plant. Credit:Janie Barrett Chris Page, head of future technologies and a 28-year BlueScope veteran, doesnt think the threat is imminent. Swedens HYBRIT, which last month claimed to have produced the worlds first coal-free steel, took three months to make 100 tonnes of it, he says. Loading Although modest on a global scale, the Port Kembla site alone makes about 8000 tonnes of steel a day. Weve got to learn how to use hydrogen, Page says. Thats why the timeframe is decades, not months. The company plans to spend $150 million over five years to cut greenhouse gas emissions, but only at the annual rate of 1 per cent to 2030. However, more proximate challenges for Illawarras workforce and even BlueScope could come from disruptions to the regions coal supplies. Advertisement Opposition to the extraction of the fossil fuel has been growing not only from climate change activists but also those fearing long-term damage to Greater Sydneys water catchment from mine subsidence. Climate change activists (from left) Naia Webb, Claire Rogers, and Tatianna Hatzopoulos, outside Russell Vale colliery near Wollongong, which has received approval to expand underground mining. Credit:Janie Barrett Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley overlooked those worries only this month when she approved Wollongong Coals plan to reopen its Russell Vale colliery so it could extract 3.7 million tonnes of coal over five years. A panel outside the mine notes European colonists first identified the exposed fuel in a nearby rock face when shipwrecked sailors stumbled ashore in 1797 at what they promptly if unimaginatively named Coalcliff. Naia Webb, a 20-year-old law and creative arts student, and a member of the Illawarra Climate Coalition, says her grandfather had worked in coal mines. Even so, their days should be numbered. You can be proud of your history and all that, but also recognise that its not the future and we have to move on, Webb says, before unveiling a protest poster as trucks rumble in and out of the Russell Vale pit site as preparations for a reopening gather pace. An aerial view of the mine head at Wollongong Coal, where preparations to reopen the Russell Vale mine are gathering pace. Credit:Janie Barrett Advertisement High pay for some mine worker make the jobs crazily appealing, she says, adding, though, that those jobs can be only short-lived if climate action is going to be serious. Loading It is important that we protect our local community from being left behind in this global transition away from coal, Webb says. Another nearby battle over coal is brewing. In February, NSWs Independent Planning Commission rejected plans by ASX-listed South32 to extend the Dendrobium mine out to 2048, citing its potential to significantly impact the water catchment among the reasons. The $956 million project would have created jobs but the extra 78 million tonnes of coal would also have resulted in about 250 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent (CO2-e). Kaye Osborn from Protect Our Water Alliance says Sydneys Special Areas are off-limits to the public to protect them from degradation and contamination. They should be off limits to extractive industries also. Greater Sydney is the largest city in the driest inhabited continent on earth and yet we are the only city that allows coal mining this close to its water storages, she says, noting Dendrobiums proximity to Avon and Cordeaux reservoirs. Advertisement Melbournes construction union headquarters has officially been listed on the Victorian Governments coronavirus exposure site list alongside a suburban supermarket. CFMEU president John Setka tested positive for COVID-19 and is in isolation, after heated protests outside the unions inner city building last week. CFMEU secretary John Setka outside the unions Melbourne headquarters before the protest turned violent. Credit:AAP The health department on Wednesday evening listed the CFMEUs Melbourne office, on Elizabeth Street, as an tier-1 COVID-19 exposure site on September 20 from 8am to 6.30pm after a positive case attended the building. This means anyone who attended the Elizabeth Street premises during that time must get tested immediately and quarantine for 14 days from the exposure date. The CFMEU headquarters has also been listed as a tier-2 site during the same time period. The health department said those who will be subject to tier-1 conditions will be contacted directly. In Melbournes north, the Epping Costco store on Deveny Road has been listed as a tier-1 exposure site on September 21 from 5.45pm to 7.15pm. More tier-1 sites were added late on Wednesday night including a medical centre, a disability support centre, several childcare and early learning centres. The new tier-1 sites are: Our Medical Home in Williams Landing on September 28 from 12.45pm to 1.30pm Elite Smart Community Care, in Campbellfield on September 21 from 9am to 1pm Aspire Childcare Atherstone Estate in Strathtulloh on September 27 from 8.30am to 10.30am Triple R Mufflers in Fawkner on September 25 from 12.50pm to 3.30pm Truganina Early Learning Centre in Truganina from September 23 from 7am to 4.30pm Kensington Community Childrens Co-Operative in Kensington on September 23 from 9am to 3.30pm Thrive Bulk Whole Foods in Doncaster East on September 25 from 1.30pm to 6pm Nido Early School in Glenroy on September 21 from 8.30am to 5.30pm and September 22 from 8.30am to 11.30am Delahey Childrens Centre in Delahey on September 23 from 1pm to 6pm St Margarets Primary School in Maribyrnong from September 23 from 8am to 4pm Narre Kids Early Learning & Kinder in Narre Warren on September 27 and 28 from 9am to 4.30pm. The department also added a raft of tier-2 sites in metropolitan Melbourne and regional towns, including a residential complex in Flemington over 10 days from September 19 and a vaccination hub at the Cranbourne Turf Club on September 26. Some individuals at the Flemington residential complex will be Tier 1 contacts required to quarantine for 14 days and the Department will be in contact with them directly with this advice. The full list of exposure sites can be found here. Like it or not, Catholicism is still enormously influential in Australia. It is Australias largest non-government employer through its schools, hospitals and aged care with around 230,000 people working directly for the church. It also runs many voluntary organisations, like the Saint Vincent de Paul Society with some 20,700 members and 41,150 volunteers with a huge impact on social welfare. Despite this, Catholicisms reputation has been effectively trashed in the media and wider community by the sexual abuse crisis and church leaders appalling, long-term failure to deal decisively with clerical abusers. The revelations of the royal commission reinforced the churchs toxic reputation. The number of Catholics in Australia is in decline. Credit:Simon O'Dwyer The result: people are abandoning Catholicism in droves. The percentage of self-confessed Catholics in the population has dropped from 27 per cent in 2001 to 22.6 per cent in the 2016 census. Of the 5.3 million Catholics in 2106, only 11.8 per cent attended Mass regularly. In an attempt to respond, Australias 46 bishops are gathering with 99 invited priests, 25 religious sisters and around 110 laypeople from across Australia in a Plenary Council in early October to try to sort out the churchs future. The Andrews government would have new powers to build high-rise towers near train stations in the heart of Melbournes suburbs, according to councillors who fear the consequences of heavy-handed laws before Parliament. Several councils in Melbournes eastern and south-eastern suburbs were blindsided by proposed laws that would give the government planning control over swathes of land so it can build the Suburban Rail Loop. The Andrews government is building a 26-kilometre rail tunnel with underground stations at Cheltenham, Clayton, Monash, Glen Waverley, Burwood and Box Hill in the first stage of its signature rail project. With early works set to start next year, the Suburban Rail Loop Authority would be given power to bypass councils and rezone and develop up to 1.6 kilometres of land surrounding each station, if the new laws pass the Upper House. Chinas 66 subs with another 10 expected over the rest of this decade have the capacity to threaten not only the US navy and US bases in the region; its four nuclear-armed submarines can threaten the US mainland with nuclear attack. This makes them the ultimate deterrent and equaliser with America, hidden in the deep waters, says Medcalf. Washingtons war planners have long hoped and expected that Japan and Australia would join its effort. In the event of all-out war, the US wants Tokyos 22 subs and Canberras six to complement the US fleet of 68. Japans have been pencilled in to operate in the north and Australias in the south. Illustration: Andrew Dyson Credit:The Age This is where AUKUS come in. It includes in-principle agreement from Washington and London to supply Australia with nuclear propulsion technology for a new fleet of eight submarines instead of the planned 12 diesel-electric subs, now ditched. Why was this greeted rapturously in Washington? The long-term prospect of eight nuclear-powered RAN subs prowling the Pacific resets the naval balance of power, says Mike Green of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington. The Collins class subs the existing Australian fleet - couldnt get up to the choke points that are approaches to Australia and that are important to the US, he tells me. Nuclear powered subs have greater range and speed and underwater endurance than conventional. This significantly increases the number of undersea assets the Peoples Liberation Army has to worry about, says Green, formerly senior Asia adviser to the George W. Bush White House. We were heading to the situation of having to send our subs out of play into a defensive deployment, and not be able to deploy to defend Japan or Taiwan. The AUKUS subs deal, he says, reverses the trend towards Chinese undersea advantage and it puts them on the defensive. Perhaps, but Australian officials say it will take almost 20 years to actually get the first Australian-built, nuclear propelled sub into the water. Till then, the ageing Collins class, refurbished to extend their lives, will be the only Australian offering. Mike Green is not troubled by this: US admirals say itll take China 20 years to master the use of their aircraft carriers and subs, that our advantage will be gone in 15 to 20 years. These Australian subs will come on line when our very strong undersea advantage is lost. The balance of nuclear powered subs now will be in our favour. The Australian Strategic Policy Institutes subs expert, Marcus Hellyer, isnt so sanguine: If Mike Green is confident that China isnt going to do anything for the next 15 or 20 years, thats not necessarily the view of the entire policy community. Xi Jinpings timetable for his stated aim of regional dominance wont be adjusted to suit Australias serial procrastinations. And he has many options other than underwater. Hellyer points out that Canberras Defence Strategic Update delivered last year dumped the long-standing assumption that Australia would have a 10-year warning time of any hostilities. Hellyer says that the only plausible way that Australia could put a nuclear-powered sub in the water in time to be relevant to the looming US-China contest would be if America handed over some of its ageing Los Angeles class subs. The Pentagon is currently pensioning them off. Theyd need to be refurbished. But thatd still be a lot faster, taking years rather than the decades of waiting for the first Australian-made one. Former Pentagon strategy chief under Barack Obama, Michele Flournoy, accepts that the long time lags in the submarine element of AUKUS mean that the other elements are more relevant: If we just look at when the first sub is in the water, OK, theres no difference for 20 years. I think the real message here is that China understand it was their actions that drove Australia into this agreement, their overreach has driven the allies closer together, just as it drove the Quad closer Australia, Japan, India and the US. Loading And AUKUS is about much more than subs. Its about areas like cyber and emerging technologies where you will see a number of real opportunities for increasing momentum and getting new capabilities into the hands of our allies, says Flournoy, now managing partner of WestExec Advisors and chair of the Centre for a New American Security. That will bolster multilateral deterrence. In the meantime, the contest for control of vital maritime passes will continue to rage silently undersea. Probably without any greater Australian contribution to guarding them. Peter Hartcher is international editor. Liberal MP Dave Sharma says climate change can no longer be fought through a city-country divide, firing back at his cabinet minister colleague Bridget McKenzie after she labelled the Liberals support for a carbon neutral economy by 2050 the worst kind of vacuousness over values. The Victorian senator, who holds several regional-based policy portfolios, says too many federal MPs were worried about being cool rather than the consequences of their decisions. Bridget McKenzie says too many MPs want to be fashionable about climate change. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The junior Coalition partner which is bitterly divided on the issue has put off a likely fierce debate on a net-zero target until a planned face-to-face meeting on October 17, warning they will not be pushovers on any net zero emissions pact. Senator McKenzie singled out Mr Frydenberg, the member for the Melbourne seat of Kooyong, and Dave Sharma, who holds the Sydney seat of Wentworth, in her criticism as the debate over the target hits fever pitch within the federal government. Vaccination rates of Indigenous people must be lifted as a matter of urgency before the country opens up, a senior Labor frontbencher argues, after it was revealed fewer than a third are fully immunised against COVID-19 more than six months into the national rollout. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have the lowest vaccination rates among priority groups in the nation. So far, just 29.1 per cent of Indigenous Australians aged 16 and over have had two doses, compared with 52 per cent for the general population. Labors spokeswoman for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, says vaccination rates in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are dire and must be addressed by the federal government. Credit:Louie Douvis. Labors spokeswoman for Indigenous Australians, Linda Burney, said vaccination rates in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities were dire and must be addressed by the federal government. Just like everything else when it comes to social justice outcomes, when it comes to Indigenous Australians, they are the worst on any scale, she told The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. Prime Minister Scott Morrison has briefed federal MPs on cutting greenhouse gas emissions to net zero as soon as 2050 amid Liberal anger at Nationals colleagues raising new fears over the cost of reaching the target. Mr Morrison spoke to Coalition backbenchers on Tuesday in an informal conference call ahead of a decision within weeks on whether to endorse the 2050 deadline in time for a United Nations climate summit that starts on November 1. Prime Minister Scott Morrison spoke to Coalition backbenchers on Tuesday in an informal conference call. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen But former Nationals resources minister Matt Canavan cited a transport crisis in the United Kingdom as proof of the danger of endorsing net zero, sparking a riposte from Liberal colleague Jason Falinski. Liberals also took issue with Nationals cabinet minister Bridget McKenzie after she criticised Treasurer Josh Frydenberg and prominent backbencher Dave Sharma for advocating action on climate and saying calls for net zero were the worst kind of vacuousness on policy. Brighton: The British Labour party says it backs the AUKUS alliance and would have signed up to it in power, but would kick Australia out of an expanded G7 if it didnt commit to binding climate change targets. Prime Minister Scott Morrison may skip attending the next round of climate talks - COP26 - set for November in Glasgow if he cannot get the Nationals to agree to net-zero targets. Australia has come under sustained pressure, including from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, to back net-zero by 2050. Currently, Australias goal is to commit to net-zero preferably by 2050. Speaking at a side event at the Labour partys annual conference in Brighton on Tuesday AEST, Labours foreign spokeswoman Lisa Nandy said the opposition supported an expanded alliance of democracies such as a D10, but that it would come with obligations on carbon reduction. Paris: A wall of shame has been built in Paris to separate a park frequented by crack cocaine addicts from a neighbouring suburb, drawing the ire of politicians who say it does nothing to tackle the citys drug problem. Residents of Pariss 19th arrondissement have pointed out that it takes two minutes to walk around the structure that blocks a bridge underpass. The conflict could loom large in Frances presidential race, where Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo is playing up her record of managing the capital in a bid to unseat Emmanuel Macron. Paris Police Chief Didier Lallement told Hidalgo the wall was a necessary protection for the residents of Pantin, which is part of the Seine-Saint-Denis department, one of the poorest in France. Holbrook, New York: Lines of mourners paid their respects on Sunday for Gabby Petito, the 22-year-old whose death on a cross-country trip has sparked a manhunt for her boyfriend. Among those who congregated in Holbrook, about 56 kilometres east of New York City, were family members, friends, co-workers and people who were touched by Petitos story even though they didnt know her. I dont want you guys to be sad, her father, Joseph Petito, said during a memorial at Moloney Holbrook Funeral Home. Gabby didnt live that way people gravitated toward her. Her nature was always to smile. A poster of homicide victim Gabby Petito near the funeral home where she was remembered. Credit:AP He said his daughter should inspire people to grab lifes opportunities. WESTPORT Cigarette butts, food wrappers and plastic bags were among the 76 pounds worth of trash cleaned up from about 2.5 miles of Sherwood Island State Park Saturday, as part of a cleanup organized by Save the Sound. Nearly 60 volunteers showed up at the event, one of several Save the Sound sponsored on Saturday. Other cleanups included those at Keney Park in Hartford and Clinton Town Beach. The events are part of the larger Connecticut Cleanup, an annual event that aims to keep trash away from wildlife and out of the water. Over the past eight years, 15,500 volunteers have removed almost 110,000 pounds of trash from Connecticuts shoreline, according to Save the Sound. Sherwood Island is a popular site for cleanups, said Anthony Allen, assistant director of ecological restoration for Save the Sound, an organization the works to protect the air, water and land of Connecticut and Long Island Sound. Theres a lot of work can be done there, because its such a big park, Allen said of Sherwood Island. The majority of items found at Sound cleanups are small bits of trash, and the Sherwood Island event was no exception. According to the Save the Sound report, items removed by volunteers included 204 cigarette butts, 182 food wrappers, and 19 plastic grocery bags. Other items found included three pieces of personal protective equipment (such as gloves and masks) and 33 pieces of fishing gear. A total of 15 bags of trash were removed from the park. The cleanup captains for the Westport event were Cecilia Duffy and Bethann Camillo, both teachers in the Staples High School science department. Duffy said residents of 12 towns, including Scarsdale, N.Y. came to the event, and that there was a group from Trumbull getting their community service hours through the event. Saturdays event was a productive one, Duffy said. There was a lot of microplastic along the wracklines if you sift through the seaweed, she said. Another cleanup will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 2 in the Long Wharf food truck area. For information on more Save the Sound cleanups, visit https://www.savethesound.org/take-action/upcoming-events/. Correction: This story has been updated to reflect the name of the organization is Save the Sound. NWS Weather Alert NOTE: This information is provided by the National Weather Service. Forecast may differ from local information provided by our own 69News Meteorologists ...AREAS OF FOG THIS MORNING... Areas of fog developed in parts of northern New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania. If you will be driving this morning, be prepared for reduced visibility. Be sure to leave plenty of room between your vehicle and the one ahead of you. The fog is expected to lift and dissipate by 10:00 AM. This topical new play from Mufaro Makubika proves a bit of a curate's egg. On one hand its central narrative, of a British Zimbabwean single mother and her relationship with her teenage daughter as they travel back to their ancestral land, is gripping and acutely well observed. But the spiritual experiences that give the play its political message feel rather overwrought. The play opens with 15 year-old Hope in a hospital room, where she has been admitted for a suspected overdose. Her anxieties are in many ways familiar, though when she mentions she's been "seeing things" there are hints of something else. After her mother Faith, who was a Rhodes scholar and has become a British citizen, decides they will return to their family farm in Zimbabwe, these visions become all the more intense. Hope begins to interact with one of her ancestors, who entreats her to excavate the corpse of the aforementioned Victorian empire-builder and "finish our war" by banishing him from the country once and for all. The title of the play is the name given to this sacred burial land, which Rhodes himself dubbed "a view of the world". The struggle of both Hope and Faith, superbly played by Kudzai Mangombe and Shyko Amos, to come to terms with the legacy of colonialism in Zimbabwe and also their own British identity, is the heart of the play and the interactions between them fizz with this underlying cultural divide. There is humour too, particularly through the larger-than-life character of the family's Zimbabwean helper Gogo (another excellent performance from Natasha Williams), who teaches Hope to make peanut butter while learning about social media or "the 'gram" in return. Monique Touko makes an assured directing debut in a production that feels elongated but never dull, played out on Zoe Hurwitz's economic yet vibrant set. And Sifiso Mazibuko and Tendai Humphrey Sitima show great versatility by bringing to life a range of supporting characters this is an ensemble firing on all cylinders. As the Rhodes Must Fall protests continue and Britain continues to wrestle with its post-colonial identity, Makubika is writing in decidedly 'hot button' territory. But by anchoring it in the story of a mother-daughter relationship he avoids the pitfalls of agitprop and tells a story with universal relevance. However, the theatrics of the spiritual visions are difficult to rectify with the subtlety of the central drama, and the conclusion feels rather neat and predictable considering the tensions that build up to it. Casting has been announced for Jeff Wayne's musical version of H G Wells' The War of the Worlds, which will embark on a UK tour next year. Wayne will conduct the piece, which features the Black Smoke Band as well as the 36-piece ULLAdubULLA strings ensemble. The experience will also feature a giant 30-foot tall martian robot, armed with dual fire cannons, alongside a giant 100-foot wide CGI wall. Liam Neeson will also play The Journalist as a 3D holograph. Touted as "The Life Begins Again Tour", the piece will star Claire Richards making her debut as Beth, The Parson's Wife, alongside Kevin Clifton as The Artilleryman. Joining them will be Nathan James as The Voice of Humanity, Blue's Duncan James as Parson Nathaniel, Justin Hayward as The Sung Thoughts of The Journalist and Anna-Marie Wayne as Carrie, The Journalist's Fiancee. Callum O'Neil will also appear as Wells himself. The show toured the UK in 2014 before playing the Dominion Theatre in February 2016. It toured again in 2018. The tour will open in Nottingham on 23 March 2022, before visiting Birmingham, Cardiff, Brighton, Bournemouth, Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds, Hull, Liverpool, Newcastle and London. An immersive production will also open later this summer in London. Most Canadians aren't optimistic about humanity's chances of fighting climate change, a new survey suggests. A women paddle boards along Lake Ontario in the extreme heat in Toronto on Friday, July 19, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette Most Canadians aren't optimistic about humanity's chances of fighting climate change, a new survey suggests. But that attitude has to change before it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, said Megan Leslie of the World Wildlife Fund Canada, which commissioned the online Environics poll. "That's what keeps me up at night," said Leslie. "People in Canada have environmental anxiety but a lot of them think we've gone too far, that we can't reverse those impacts. People don't understand what solutions look like." The poll, which queried 1,000 Canadians in late August, found that they worried about their environmental future. It found 67 per cent of respondents were at least somewhat pessimistic about the planet. Almost as many 65 per cent believe the Earth's climate is at a tipping point and that time to act is short. Fourteen per cent believe it's already too late. The polling industry's professional body, the Canadian Research Insights Council, says online surveys cannot be assigned a margin of error because they do not randomly sample the population. Sarah Roberton of Environics said respondents in its survey reflected the overall Canadian population as closely as possible. She also said that while the survey echoed other work the company has done in the past, the pessimism of the responses stood out. "That really struck me," Roberton said. "In general, what we see is that Canadians tend toward optimism." Roberton suggested that while environmental challenges such as climate change and species loss are front and centre with the public, talk about solutions isn't. She said the survey also showed that 80 per cent of Canadians couldn't say what a nature-based solution planting trees to absorb carbon, for example consists of. "Canadians see the challenges of climate and biodiversity in high relief," Roberton said. "They don't see the solutions with that same degree of focus." It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg problem, Leslie admitted pessimists don't act, but action reduces pessimism. "It's incredibly important that we take action. It's equally important to show Canadians the possibilities, to show the solutions that are possible." Leslie said she hopes to use the survey to steer the conversation to what can be done. Measures such as planting trees, restoring and protecting wetlands and bringing depleted landscapes back to life can help, she said. "Nature is a solution. One-third of our global greenhouse gas emissions come from the destruction of nature when we drain those wetlands or dig up that coastline." 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. Her group plans to restore at least one million hectares of damaged landscape to its former state, bringing back habitat for wild animals and sequestering carbon in the soils and plants. It plans to help "steward" another hundred million hectares, doing what it can to keep that landscape healthy. The World Wildlife Fund said it can reduce Canadian carbon emissions by 30 million tonnes just by supporting and implementing nature-based climate solutions. It can be hard to imagine that individual actions add up to much, said Leslie. But that's the only thing that ever does. "There are a lot of things chipping away at that sense of 'we' and weakening those bonds," she said. "It was important to us to send that message that you can be a part of something bigger." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2021. Follow Bob Weber on Twitter at @row1960. FREDERICTON - New Brunswick is reporting two additional deaths from COVID-19 and 68 new cases of the disease today. People leave a mass vaccination and testing clinic at the Moncton Coliseum, in Moncton, N.B., on Wednesday, September, 22, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov FREDERICTON - New Brunswick is reporting two additional deaths from COVID-19 and 68 new cases of the disease today. Health officials say the deaths involve two people in their 80s one in the Fredericton area and one in the Edmundston region. The province has recorded a total of 56 deaths related to the novel coronavirus since the beginning of the pandemic. Of the new cases, officials say 58 involve people who are not fully vaccinated. 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. The province now has a total of 632 active cases, with 40 people hospitalized due to the virus, including 16 patients in intensive care. Public health officials also reported that 79.5 per cent of people 12 and older are now fully vaccinated, while 88.4 per cent of those eligible have received one dose of a vaccine. They said 25 of the cases identified Tuesday were in the Fredericton area, 22 were in the Moncton region and 15 were in the Edmundston area. Another two cases were found in the Saint John region, three were registered in the Campbellton area and one was identified in the Bathurst region. Officials say positive cases have been confirmed in schools and child-care facilities in the Moncton, Saint John, Fredericton and Campbellton regions. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2021. HALIFAX - Nova Scotia is reporting its 97th death related to COVID-19 as well as 32 new infections today. Premier-designate Tim Houston arrives at a COVID-19 briefing in Halifax on Monday, Aug. 23, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan HALIFAX - Nova Scotia is reporting its 97th death related to COVID-19 as well as 32 new infections today. 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. Officials say a man in his 70s in the northern health zone died of the disease. Premier Tim Houston offered his condolences in a news release and urged people to get vaccinated. Twenty-seven new cases are in the Halifax area, while three are in the northern zone and two are in the eastern zone. Officials say there is community spread in the Halifax area, primarily among people aged 20 to 40 who are unvaccinated. The province has 205 active reported cases of COVID-19 and 13 people in hospital with the disease, including one in intensive care. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2021. OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The Cherokee Nation and three opioid distributors reached a $75 million settlement to resolve opioid-related claims against the companies, the tribe and the companies announced Tuesday. FILE - In this Aug. 22, 2019, file photo, Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr., speaks during a news conference in Tahlequah, Okla. The Cherokee Nation and three opioid distributors reached a $75 million settlement to resolve opioid-related claims against the companies, the tribe and the companies announced on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, File) OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) The Cherokee Nation and three opioid distributors reached a $75 million settlement to resolve opioid-related claims against the companies, the tribe and the companies announced Tuesday. The Tahlequah, Oklahoma-based tribe announced the settlement, the largest in Cherokee Nation history, with McKesson Corporation, Cardinal Health and AmerisourceBergen Drug Corporation. The settlement will be paid out over six and a half years. Todays settlement will make an important contribution to addressing the opioid crisis in the Cherokee Nation Reservation; a crisis that has disproportionately and negatively affected many of our citizens," Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said in a statement. This settlement will enable us to increase our investments in mental health treatment facilities and other programs to help our people recover. The tribe sued the three companies, along with several pharmacy companies, in 2017, alleging they contributed to an epidemic of prescription opioid abuse" within the tribe and have not done enough to prevent tribal members from acquiring illegally prescribed opioid painkillers. The three companies said in a joint statement that the settlement is a step toward a broader settlement with all federally recognized Native American tribes across the country. 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. While the companies strongly dispute the allegations against them, they believe this resolution will allow the companies to focus their attention and resources on the safe and secure delivery of medications and therapies while delivering meaningful relief to affected communities, and will also support efforts to achieve a broad resolution with the remaining Native American tribes," the statement said. The Cherokee Nations claims against Walmart, Walgreens and CVS are pending. The settlement announced Tuesday is separate from similar claims brought by other tribes, as well as state and local governments, around the country, including a multi-district litigation proceeding in federal court in Ohio. Former Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter in 2019 secured a $465 million judgment against consumer products giant Johnson & Johnson in the first such state trial against an opioid manufacturer. That case is currently on appeal. Hunter also secured multimillion-dollar settlements with other drugmakers over the states opioid crisis. From 2007 to 2017, more than 4,600 people in Oklahoma died from opioid overdoses, state statistics show. So many businesses and organizations that depended on the physical gathering of people pre-pandemic are now in the process of figuring out the best way to reboot. Opinion So many businesses and organizations that depended on the physical gathering of people pre-pandemic are now in the process of figuring out the best way to reboot. Some enterprises were thriving to varying degrees before March 2020 because theyd built up momentum. The question for some will be how to re-energize after losing the velocity they had worked for some time to generate. The technology startup infrastructure is an example of efforts that have been ongoing for some time whose successes are immediately obvious but take a while to materialize. In order to get to that point, companies need to be nurtured with all sorts of different community supports. In Winnipeg, North Forge Technology Exchange has been busy during the pandemic laying the groundwork for a large-scale angel investor network that would be available to financially support, if they so choose, the dozens of companies it is assisting in starting and scaling up. But one way or another every new company needs public awareness or exposure to its target audience of some sort. One way for nascent companies to be able to do that is to get in front of people and "pitch" the companys concept. None of that was happening during the pandemic in Winnipeg or anywhere else. But public health regulations in Manitoba now allow enough vaccinated people to get together in the same room to get that ball rolling again. Next month, North Forge is holding a celebration for the 10th anniversary of the North Forge Fabrication Lab, which opened its doors as AssentWorks on Oct. 27, 2011. Its now the largest non-profit publicly accessible fabrication lab in North America and has been the home workshop for the creation of numerous products and enterprises in cleantech, medtech, femtech, AR-VR, robotics, AI, and machine learning industries. Last week, the Manitoba Technology Accelerator (MTA), in collaboration with the Bioscience Association of Manitoba (BAM), held the first of what they plan to be quarterly pitch competitions. One of the reasons these events need to be regular occurrences is that during the pandemic, the new business incubators and accelerators have been busy attracting new clients. In particular, the MTA has been growing its roster of international startup clients through its association with the federal governments Startup Visa Program. The program that was formalized about three years ago targets immigrant entrepreneurs with the skills and potential to build businesses in Canada that are innovative, can create jobs for Canadians and have the potential to scale up to compete globally. The MTA, which boasts SkipTheDishes as an all-star former client, basically rewrote its business plan after being named one of dozens of organizations designated to participate in the program. Marshall Ring, the enterprising chief executive officer of MTA, believes he has the right to refer to the MTA as the gold standard in the Startup Visa Program. All the statistics are not immediately accessible, but MTA has now contracted to provide management service to close to 400 of these companies through this program. Some of them are still in their home countries, some are in other parts of the country and some are in Winnipeg. One of the winners of last weeks pitch competition, SamPlas.co, is an Iranian medical technology company developing a process to treat dermatological conditions such as acute and chronic wounds, skin cancers, and post surgical wound closures. The companys principals are planning to relocate to Winnipeg where the verification, validation, and clinical evaluation will take place. "What we are trying to do is make as many of the companies want to come to Winnipeg as possible," Ring said. Its already bolstering MTAs ability to help local startups like FasTab, another of the winners of the pitch competition. The company is developing a payments application that could, among other things, allow you to pay your restaurant cheque without having to wait for the busy service staff to deliver it to your table. 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. Its partly because of its increased revenue from the Startup Visa Program that MTA was able to submit the winning bid in the citys request for proposal to take over the restaurant space on the Esplanade Riel. They are just in the process of finalizing the lease agreement. The MTA hopes to be able to deploy the space as offices and an event centre to show off the citys innovation culture and help attract others here. "Were pretty excited about it," Ring said. "The vibrancy we think we can bring through that building will help show that Winnipeg is technology hub and a city on the rise with lots of compelling enterprises building good companies here." martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca BRUSSELS (AP) The Daily Stormer website advocates for the purity of the white race, posts hate-filled, conspiratorial screeds against Blacks, Jews and women and has helped inspire at least three racially motivated murders. It has also made its founder, Andrew Anglin, a millionaire. This image captured from the Daily Stormer website shows part of a Feb. 21, 2021, post by Andrew Anglin with instructions on how to send him money via the cryptocurrency Monero. Transactions in Monero are less transparent than Bitcoin and more difficult to trace. (AP Photo) BRUSSELS (AP) The Daily Stormer website advocates for the purity of the white race, posts hate-filled, conspiratorial screeds against Blacks, Jews and women and has helped inspire at least three racially motivated murders. It has also made its founder, Andrew Anglin, a millionaire. Anglin has tapped a worldwide network of supporters to take in at least 112 Bitcoin since January 2017 worth $4.8 million at todays exchange rate according to data shared with The Associated Press. Hes likely raised even more. Anglin is just one very public example of how radical right provocateurs are raising significant amounts of money from around the world through cryptocurrencies. Banned by traditional financial institutions, they have taken refuge in digital currencies, which they are using in ever more secretive ways to avoid the oversight of banks, regulators and courts, finds an AP analysis of legal documents, Telegram channels and blockchain data from Chainalysis, a cryptocurrency analytics firm. Anglin owes more than $18 million in legal judgments in the United States to people whom he and his followers harassed and threatened. And while online, he remains visible most days, dozens of stories on the Daily Stormer homepage carry his name in the real world, Anglin's a ghost. His victims have tried and failed to find him, searching at one Ohio address after another. Voting records place him in Russia in 2016 and his passport shows he was in Cambodia in 2017. After that, the public trail goes cold. He has no obvious bank accounts or real estate holdings in the U.S. For now, his Bitcoin fortune remains out of reach. ___ EDITORS NOTE: This story is part of a collaboration between The Associated Press and the PBS series FRONTLINE that examines challenges to the ideas and institutions of traditional U.S. and European democracy. ___ Beth Littrell, a lawyer for the Southern Poverty Law Center who is helping represent one of Anglins victims, says its grown harder to use the legal system to stamp out hate groups because now they operate with online networks and virtual money. We were able to sue the Ku Klux Klan, a terrorist organization, in essence out of existence, she said. Doing the same today is much harder, she said. "The law is evolving but lagging behind the harm. CURRENCY OF THE RADICAL RIGHT In August 2017, a week after the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, Anglin received 14.88 Bitcoins, an amount chosen for its oblique references to a 14-word white supremacist slogan and the phrase Heil Hitler because H is the eighth letter of the alphabet. Worth around $60,000 at the time, it was his biggest Bitcoin donation ever and would be valued at over $641,000 at todays exchange rate. The source of the funds remains a mystery. Anglin now faces charges in U.S. court for conspiring to plan and promote the deadly march. By the time of Charlottesville, Anglin had been cut off by credit card processors and banned by PayPal so Bitcoin was his main source of funding. In his Retards Guide to Using Bitcoin, published in April 2020, he claimed to have funded the Daily Stormer exclusively through Bitcoin for four years. Ive got money now. Ive got money to pay for the site for the foreseeable future, he wrote in December 2020, as Bitcoins price surged. Anglins former lawyer, Marc Randazza, argued that political censorship by financial authorities drove Anglin to cryptocurrency by shutting him out of traditional banking, which he said is more Nazi-like than Andrew Anglin could ever hope to be. Dont create a black market and then be surprised theres a black market, Randazza added. While Anglin likely turned to Bitcoin for practical reasons, part of the appeal of cryptocurrency to the radical right is ideological. Bitcoin was developed in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis when distrust of the global financial system was running high. It offers an alternative that doesnt depend on banks. Instead, transactions are validated and recorded on a decentralized digital ledger called the blockchain, which derives its authority from crowdsourcing rather than a class of elite bankers. As one white nationalist cryptocurrency guide circulating on Telegram puts it: We all know the Jews and their minions control the global financial system. When you are caught having the wrong opinion, they will take it upon themselves to shut you out of this system making your life very difficult. One alternative to this system is cryptocurrency. Richard Spencer, an American white supremacist, has dubbed Bitcoin the currency of the alt-right. Its hard to tell how large a role cryptocurrency plays in overall financing for the far right. Merchandise sales, membership fees, donations in fiat currencies, concerts, fight clubs and other events, as well as criminal activity, are also common sources of revenue, government and academic research has shown. What is clear is that early adopters of Bitcoin, like Anglin, have profited handsomely from its increase in value over the years. Bitcoin prices are notoriously volatile. Since April, the currency has shed a third of its value against the U.S. dollar, then took a further drubbing last week when China declared cryptocurrency transactions illegal. Chainalysis collected data for a sample of 12 far-right entities in the U.S. and Europe that publicly called for Bitcoin donations and showed significant activity. Together, they took in 213 Bitcoin worth more than $9 million at todays value between January 2017 and April 2021. These groups embrace a range of ideologies and include white nationalists, white supremacists, neo-Nazis and self-described free-speech advocates. They are united by a shared desire to fight the perceived progressive takeover of culture and the state. These people have real assets. People with access to hundreds of thousands of dollars can start doing real damage, said John Bambenek, a cybersecurity expert who has been tracking the use of cryptocurrency by far-right actors since 2017. Andrew Weev Auernheimer, Anglins webmaster for the Daily Stormer, has raked in Bitcoin worth $2.2 million at todays values. The Nordic Resistance Movement, a Scandinavian neo-Nazi movement thats been banned in Finland, Counter-Currents, a U.S.-based white nationalist publishing house, and the recently banned French group Generation Identitaire have each received Bitcoin that's now worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, Chainalysis data shows. Two social media platforms that have been embraced by the far right, Gab and Bitchute, received a surge in Bitcoin funding in the lead up to the Jan. 6 U.S. Capitol insurrection. Since 2017, Bitchute has gotten Bitcoin worth nearly $500,000 at todays values, about a fifth of which rolled in during the month of December 2020. Gab has gotten more than $173,000; nearly 40% came in during December 2020 and January 2021, Chainalysis data shows. On Aug. 1, Gab announced it was stepping up its fight against financial censorship and creating its own alternative to PayPal to fight against the tyranny of the global elites. PRIVACY COIN While cryptocurrencies have a reputation for secrecy, Bitcoin was built for transparency. Every transaction is indelibly and publicly recorded on the blockchain, which enables companies like Chainalysis to monitor activity. Individuals can obscure their identities by not publicly linking them to their cryptocurrency accounts, but with Bitcoin they cannot hide the transactions themselves. Because of that public footprint, Anglin in November 2020 just as Donald Trump lost the U.S. presidential election abandoned Bitcoin and asked his supporters to send him money only in Monero, a privacy coin designed to enhance anonymity by hiding data about users and transactions. He published a new guide in February 2021 on how to use Monero, which included instructions for non-U.S. donors. Every Bitcoin transfer is visible publicly. Generally, your name is not attached to the address in a direct way, but spies from the various woke anti-freedom organizations have unlimited resources to try to link these transactions to real names. With Monero, the transactions are all hidden. Anglin wrote. Monero, Anglin advised, is really easy. Most importantly, it is safe. Others have reached the same conclusion. Thomas Sewell, an Australian neo-Nazi currently facing charges, is soliciting donations in Monero for his legal defense fund. Jaz Searby, a martial arts instructor who headed an Australian chapter of the Proud Boys, is seeking donations Monero only to help spread our message to a generation of young Aryan men that may feel alone or fail to understand the forces that are working against us. The Nordic Resistance Movement and Counter-Currents also solicit donations in other cryptocurrencies, including Monero, and NRM has experimented with letting supporters mine Monero directly on their behalf. Do you really think how we operate our economy is any of your business? Martin Saxlind, the editor of NRMs magazine, Nordfront, asked AP in an email. Swedish banks have abused their control of the economy to deny us and others regular banking accounts for political reasons. Thats why we use cryptocurrency ... you should investigate the corrupt banks instead of doing what I assume is some retarded hit piece on white dissidents. The Global Minority Initiative, which describes itself as a prison relief charity for American white nationalists also takes donations only in Monero or by postal money order. And Frances Democratie Participative, a racist, anti-Semitic, anti-LGBTQ website that was banned by French courts in 2018, also solicits donations in Monero only, warning supporters not to contribute via a mainstream cryptocurrency exchange. Money is the sinew of war, the site says on its fundraising page. Thanks to your support we can continue to prevent Jews and their allies from sleeping soundly. The AP reached out to all the groups and individuals named in this article. Most did not reply to requests for comment. A few were unreachable. Others replied anonymously, sending anti-Semitic and pornographic content. One email, for example, read: Stay the f--- out of our crypto you demonic k--- ... DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOING GLOBAL Shortly before his suicide, in December 2020, a French computer programmer named Laurent Bachelier sent 28.15 Bitcoins then worth over $520,000 to 22 far-right entities. The bulk went to Nick Fuentes, an American white nationalist influencer who would spend the coming weeks encouraging his tens of thousands of followers to lay siege to the U.S. Capitol. One bitcoin went to a Daily Stormer account. I care about what happens after my death, Bachelier wrote in his suicide note. Thats why I decided to leave my modest wealth to certain causes and people. I think and hope that they will make a better use of it. Since getting Bacheliers money, Fuentes has ramped up recruiting for his America First livestream and expanded the reach of his political nonprofit, the America First Foundation, which says in corporate registration documents it advocates for conservative values based on principles of American Nationalism, Christianity, and Traditionalism. The transactions only became public because of a tip to a journalist at Yahoo News and the fact that Bachelier happened to leave digital traces that linked his Bitcoin address with his email. The money trail offered clear evidence that domestic extremism isnt purely domestic and showed how wealthy donors can use cryptocurrency to fund extremists around the world with little scrutiny. Bacheliers money slipped quietly into the U.S., not triggering alerts it might have had it landed via traditional banking channels. Thats because much of it notably the Bitcoin donation to Fuentes, then worth $250,000 passed through accounts that were not hosted by regulated cryptocurrency exchanges, according to Chainalysis. Those exchanges, which can convert Bitcoin into U.S. dollars and other currencies, are generally regulated like banks, allowing authorities to get access to information or funds. But cryptocurrency wallets can also be unhosted, which means that users themselves control access. Unhosted wallets like Fuentes are akin to cash. They dont have to go through banks or exchanges that could flag suspicious transactions, verify a users identity or hand over money to satisfy a court judgment. Financial regulators around the world are waking up to the threat. The Financial Action Task Force, a Paris-based multilateral organization that sets global guidelines to protect against money laundering and terrorism financing, in June released its first report on far-right fundraising, which highlighted the groups use of cryptocurrencies and warned that transnational links among such actors are growing. The FATF also said there is a dearth of information about both cross-border fundraising and the scale of cryptocurrency use. Similar to their jihadist counterparts, many of these groups have used the internet and social media to share propaganda and recruit ideologically-aligned supporters from around the world. They also may be looking to forge financial links, the report said. This trend has posed a challenge for law enforcement or security services which are used to combating ERWT (extreme right-wing terrorism) as a domestic threat with few transnational links. As the COVID-19 pandemic sealed borders, white nationalists continued to gather in virtual communities that allowed them to connect with people from around the world. On Telegram, posts tagged with different flags stream together: Theres a burly White Boys Club in Kyiv, a group of nationalists in Minnesota and a cluster of men with pixelated faces in Greece, each posing around White Lives Matter banners. Images of people stomping on or burning colorful LGBTQ buttons and flags roll in from Poland, Slovakia, Russia, Croatia. Men with skull masks and rifles pose after tactical training in the woods in Poland. A person with a fascist flag stands in the rain in France, and a man draped with a swastika banner looks out from a high hill somewhere in the woods of America. The transnational links make people feel they are part of a much larger community, they can inspire each other and network, said Marilyn Mayo, a senior research fellow at the Anti-Defamation Leagues Center on Extremism. They can also raise money. Blockchain data shows that Andrew Anglins donors are part of a global community of believers who sent money to entities in multiple countries. Donors to Anglin since 2017 have also given Bitcoin to 32 other far-right groups and people in at least five different countries, according to Chainalysis data. The data also shows that money flowed into the sample of 12 far-right groups from cryptocurrency exchanges that serve customers all over the world, with Western and Eastern European-focused exchanges playing a growing role. Chainalysis uses web traffic data and economic activity patterns to estimate where the customers that use a given exchange are located. European groups like the Nordic Resistance Movement and Generation Identitaire also received donations from North America-focused exchanges. Similarly, U.S. entities like American Renaissance, Daily Stormer and WeAreChange got money via exchanges that serve customers in Western and Eastern Europe. Kimberly Grauer, Director of Research at Chainalysis, said the shift to using global exchanges certainly could be in order to obfuscate detection, but it could also be a sign that increasingly donations are coming in from all over the world. VIRTUAL JUSTICE While Andrew Anglin remains physically hidden and his money remains virtually untouchable, his debt grows. Each day that ticks by, he owes Tanya Gersh, a Jewish real estate agent in Montana, another $760.88, interest on a $14 million court judgment he has failed to pay. After Gersh got in a dispute with the mother of white supremacist Richard Spencer in 2016, Anglin published her contact information and used his website to whip up an army of trolls against her. She received death threats, threats against her as a Jew and threats against her child. Sometimes shed pick up the phone and hear a gunshot. Gershs hair started falling out. She had panic attacks, sought trauma counseling and seriously considered fleeing. The balm for all that came in 2019, when a federal court made clear that targeted anti-Semitic hate speech is not protected by the First Amendment. But since that fleeting moment of victory, nothing has happened. Gersh has yet to see a penny of her $14 million. She is not the only one. Anglin also owes Muslim comedian Dean Obeidallah $4 million, and hes supposed to pay Taylor Dumpson, the first Black student body president of American University, $725,000 all the results of civil litigation in U.S. courts over libel, invasion of privacy, inflicting emotional distress and intimidation on the Daily Stormer. Last September, Gershs legal team sent requests to six Ohio addresses and four emails demanding that he disclose his assets. Four were returned as undeliverable, one was refused. He didnt respond to the rest. The court then ordered Anglin to hand over information about his finances, but the April 1 deadline for that came and went. Her lawyers moved to hold him in contempt of court, which could lead to his arrest. Anglins Bitcoin is his most visible asset. Gershs lawyers can see Anglins virtual fortune but so far they haven't been able to touch it. He also keeps his cryptocurrency in unhosted wallets, according to Chainalysis, complicating collection efforts. 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. Meanwhile, Gersh is running up legal bills at a rate of $980 an hour. The problem with an unhosted wallet is what is your pain point? said Amanda Wick, who served as a senior policy adviser for the Treasury Departments Financial Crimes Enforcement Network and as a federal prosecutor before joining Chainalysis as chief of legal affairs. The only thing we have is civil contempt or criminal conviction. If someone is willing to sit in jail and the money is theirs on the other side because no one can access it, thats a problem. The hunt for Anglin and his pain point continues. He may not be in the United States, but he is out there somewhere, Littrell said, and hes not untouchable. He will be held accountable, she said. We will get his cryptocurrency. ___ Contact APs global investigative team at Investigative@ap.org. Philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs, will invest $3.5 billion within the next 10 years to address the climate crisis, a spokesperson for Emerson Collective, Jobs organization, said on Monday. 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. FILE - In this Aug. 2, 2016, file photo, philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs arrives for a State Dinner at the White House in Washington. Jobs, the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs, will invest $3.5 billion within the next 10 years to address the climate crisis, a spokesperson for Emerson Collective, Jobs organization, said on Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File) Philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow of Apple founder Steve Jobs, will invest $3.5 billion within the next 10 years to address the climate crisis, a spokesperson for Emerson Collective, Jobs organization, said on Monday. The money will go into Waverley Street Foundation, an organization Jobs set up in 2016, and focus on "initiatives and ideas to help underserved communities most impacted by climate change," the spokesperson said. Efforts will focus on housing, transportation, food security, and health. Jobs has done most of her work through Emerson Collective, which focuses on education, immigration reform and environmental causes, and has other media investments and grants in film, TV production and journalism. The spokesperson also said Lisa Jackson, Apples vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, has been selected to chair the foundations board. Jackson served as the head of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under former President Barack Obama. ____ The Associated Press receives support from the Lilly Endowment for coverage of philanthropy and nonprofits. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of APs philanthropy coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/philanthropy. TORONTO - When Sasha Steinberg reopened Cider House after a COVID-19 shutdown last year, she erased the pub's list of about 50 ciders from a wall chalkboard and stopped printing hundreds of menus, instead placing pixelated, black and white squares on tables. Trainer Karly Estey has her COVID-19 QR code scanned by Jonathan Gagne, manager of Orangetheory Fitness in Montreal, Wednesday, September 1, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes TORONTO - When Sasha Steinberg reopened Cider House after a COVID-19 shutdown last year, she erased the pub's list of about 50 ciders from a wall chalkboard and stopped printing hundreds of menus, instead placing pixelated, black and white squares on tables. When scanned with a smartphone, the QR (Quick Response) codes generate a COVID-19 screening questionnaire, and guests who report no symptoms can then click through to the west Toronto pub's menu. "It's worked like a dream," said Steinberg. In some ways it's an improvement, she said, since it reduces the grunt work associated with constantly cleaning menus and updating the chalkboard. "I don't think that in the future we will go back to our regular menu." Scores of other businesses have made similar moves, finding the solution cost effective and easy to use, as QR technology can link to websites, forms or apps. It's fast and often, free. Dating back to the 1990s, QR code technology was originally developed for the automotive industry before disappearing. Thanks to the pandemic, they are now making a comeback, although data security and privacy concerns have emerged. Saskatchewan removed QR codes from vaccination records last week after a privacy breach involving at least 19 codes displaying the wrong person's health info. Weeks earlier, there were reports in Quebec that the QR codes had been stolen from vaccine passports belonging to legislature members. Across the border, Florida attorney general Ashley Moody warned scammers can use the technology to reroute consumers to malicious websites. "The risks are out there," said Imran Ahmad, a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP and co-head of the firm's data protection, privacy and cybersecurity practice. "Hackers are always evolving. They're super sophisticated, they're going to find a way to reroute you to a site that may be malicious or a site that looks legit but actually has bad things happening in the background that are maybe unbeknownst to you." He expects the implementation of vaccine passports in additional provinces and the introduction of such technology at more businesses to make privacy a hot topic. The codes linking to web pages or apps made their debut in 1994, when Masahiro Hara, who worked for Toyota subsidiary Denso Wave, was asked by manufacturers to develop scanners that could read bar codes more quickly. Denso Wave's website said bar codes could store only 20 alphabetical characters at the time and workers had to scan as many as 1,000 per day, making work less efficient and tracking vehicles and parts during manufacturing difficult. It took Hara and a two-person team a year-and-a-half to develop the codes, which could be scanned 10 times faster than bar codes and ended up being used for inventory management and shipment tracking. The codes eventually cropped up in other industries, but didn't become ubiquitous for consumers until the mid-2000s. That was when smartphones became more commonly used, making users a target for marketers. Film distributors put QR codes on posters to link to movie trailers and BlackBerry promoted them as a way for users to quickly add each other as contacts on its messaging service. But many smartphone users still didn't have internet or data on their phones and QR code reading technology wasn't as sophisticated as it is today, when all you need to do is aim your phone's camera at the icon. The technology languished until pandemic measures created a perfect niche for its use. Suddenly, people wanted to avoid handling objects such as menus, pens, forms or shared devices. "I hardly used a QR code before the pandemic and now, not only am I using them, but I know how to use them very well," said Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agrifoods Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University in Halifax. A recent survey he conducted estimated three in five Canadians had used QR codes at a restaurant or grocery store in the previous month. That means about 40 per cent of the country is not using QR codes, although Charlebois said that percentage is much lower among millennials and Gen Z. He believes QR code usage will increase further because retailers and food businesses are increasingly seeing the wealth of data it can provide and its ease of use. "You never know that you actually need something until you actually see it or use it well," he said. However, he warns that companies and consumers should be careful because anyone can generate a QR code, raising cybersecurity concerns because some may use them to dupe or scam others. "People are scanning everything and implying that things are safe, but if (QR codes) are going to get used more often, we're going to have to start thinking about authenticity," he said. Try our Dish The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. Dish arrives in your inbox every other Friday. See sample. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. That's already on Steinberg's mind. At Cider House she keeps some paper menus sealed in a wipeable, plastic cover for guests who won't use QR codes or aren't savvy with a smartphone. The menu and screening system she uses is from Canatrace, which says on its website that it complies with Canadian privacy legislation, only uses personal information in the event of a COVID-19 exposure and removes data from its system after 30 days. Ahmad recommends businesses seeking a QR code service look for white papers verifying the provider's privacy policies, and inquire with other companies already using its products about their experience. While he would be surprised to see restaurant QR codes used maliciously, customers who notice businesses like a bank using a QR code and feel it is out of the ordinary should call their branch and ask if the code is legitimate. If you scan a code and it delivers malicious content or you have concerns after inputting information, he recommends reaching out to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or a credit monitoring firm that can investigate abnormal activity in financial accounts. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2021. COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Along with billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief money, South Carolina lawmakers have another large bonus pot of money to spend soon $525 million from the federal government over plutonium still sitting inside the state. FILE - In this Nov., 20, 2013, file photo, radioactive waste, sealed in large stainless steel canisters, are stored under a five-feet of concrete in a storage building at the Savannah River Site near Aiken, S.C. South Carolina lawmakers are debating how to spend $525 million from a federal settlement after U.S. officials didnt remove all the plutonium from the state by a 2017 deadline. (AP Photo/Stephen B. Morton, File) COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) Along with billions of dollars in federal COVID-19 relief money, South Carolina lawmakers have another large bonus pot of money to spend soon $525 million from the federal government over plutonium still sitting inside the state. The money is part of a 2020 settlement with the federal government which promised a plant at the Savannah River Site near Aiken that would turn plutonium from unneeded nuclear weapons into nuclear reactor fuel but instead left about 21,000 pounds (9,500 kilograms) of the highly radioactive material in storage in South Carolina. A state Senate subcommittee looking into how to spend COVID-19 relief money also has been given the task of spending the plutonium settlement. The two senators who represent the 310-square-mile (803-square-kilometer) federal site, where thousands were forced out of their homes in the early 1950s because the U.S. needed a place to build nuclear weapons during the Cold War, said the counties that lost land should get most of the money. "We're not asking for all the money, but were asking we get out fair share based on the history of this site," Sen. Brad Hutto said at Tuesday's meeting. The Democrat from Orangeburg said he thinks $425 million should go to counties affected, while $100 million should go for statewide projects. Hutto broke the county share down by saying Aiken, Barnwell and Allendale counties deserve the biggest share because that's where the site is. The ring of counties around those areas also deserve extra money because they lost jobs when the federal government ended the Mixed-Oxide Fuel Fabrication Facility, or MOX program, that was supposed to create nuclear fuel before the facility was finished, said Sen. Tom Young, a Republican from Aiken. "The MOX project promised hundreds and hundred of jobs," Young said. Good paying jobs," replied Sen. Nikki Setzler, a Democrat from West Columbia. Young and Hutto said it would ultimately be up to senators and the South Carolina House to decide exactly how to spend the money. They have a list of possible projects from new high schools in rural areas to industrial park renovations and expansions to new programs at Aiken Technical College to expanding computer, internet and other access in North Augusta to partner with the Georgia Cyber Center across the Savannah River in Augusta, Georgia. Senators took no votes Tuesday as Hutto and Young promised to give them a full list of suggested items. Hutto said the counties closest to the site deserve the most money because they embraced their role of helping the U.S. beat the Soviet Union in the Cold War, but also suffered. He said a number of businesses, especially food service, skipped over the area because of the proximity of the dangerous radioactive material. "I dont know of a soul last year who decided not to go to Myrtle Beach because there is plutonium in Barnwell," Hutto said. South Carolina has long fought with the federal government over the plutonium with officials in the state worried that the radioactive material was sent before the MOX plant was running. 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. The feds promised in 2002 to get rid of all the plutonium by 2017 and the settlement was brokered after the promise was broken. The 2020 settlement also requires the U.S. to get all the plutonium out by the end of 2036 or face more penalties that could total more than $1 billion. That possibility of more money almost two decades from now is another reason to be careful how this $525 million is spent, Young said. It will not be binding, but it will in some respects be instructive, Young said. The Savannah River Site once had nearly 26,000 workers in the early 1990s as it shifted from making nuclear weapons to finding ways to clean and store the radioactive byproducts of weapons and nuclear plants. Now, about 11,000 people work at the site. ___ Follow Jeffrey Collins on Twitter at https://twitter.com/JSCollinsAP. OTTAWA - A group of senators is calling on the federal government to strike a grand economic plan with provinces, territories, businesses and civil society to drive growth coming out of the pandemic. Senator Peter Harder speaks with the media in the Foyer of the Senate in Ottawa, Friday, November 29, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld OTTAWA - A group of senators is calling on the federal government to strike a grand economic plan with provinces, territories, businesses and civil society to drive growth coming out of the pandemic. The report includes calls to rethink how to deliver skills-training programs, to streamline the regulatory system to encourage entrepreneurs and for companies to invest in themselves. The document also says the federal government must come up with a more credible plan to manage the nation's burgeoning debt through new rules to guide budgetary decisions. Senators say the Trudeau Liberals must consider finding more new sources of revenue and suggest the government increase the value of federal sales tax. The report made public Tuesday is the culmination of work that started last November and included interviews with some 70 domestic and international experts about how Canada could avoid another era of low economic growth. Sen. Peter Harder, one of the 12 senators who worked on the report, says the group believes the country shouldn't wait until after the pandemic to rethink how to improve Canada's economic performance. "This is very much a national task," he said in an interview. "It's not going to be easy, but is absolutely essential if we want to improve our competitive performance." Canada's economy faced headwinds prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, including productivity declines that mean Canadians work longer to match the output of counterparts in the G7 countries. Waning business investment, which could reverse the productivity decline, is also lower in Canada than many peer nations. The report from senators singles out the domestic tech sector for extra attention. It recommends governments help improve access to capital and streamline regulatory regimes to help companies grow and compete globally. Sen. Colin Deacon said regulatory changes wouldn't cost the government money, and allow new, innovative businesses to enter the market. It would be a change in mentality for governments by moving to catalyze, not control, by putting in key policy frameworks for the digital economy and regulating where needed. Deacon said the mentality shift is possible, noting how quickly federal officials crafted emergency aid programs for workers and businesses. What we did see in the initial response to the pandemic was government willing to put forward a plan, examine how it was working, and iterate, he said. "And that doesn't happen. Normally, what happens in government is they put forward a plan, and then they dig in." Any new spending will be heaped on top of the historic debt levels. The Liberals have promised to focus on having the debt decline as a proportion of the overall economy, known as the debt-to-GDP ratio. 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 report recommends two alternative measures: keeping debt service costs below 10 per cent of federal revenues, an idea put forward by former Bank of Canada governor David Dodge, or cap federal program spending as a percentage of gross domestic product. Senators say there isn't a need for austerity, but rather a need to avoid financing new programs through more debt. The group also suggests raising the Goods and Services Tax to seven per cent from five per cent, and increase the value of the GST tax credit to offset costs for low-income households. A C.D. Howe Institute report estimated the measures could yield $15 billion annually in new tax revenues. Harder said spending guidelines and new revenue measures would signal the government takes seriously the need to manage the debt. "That in itself creates economic confidence going forward that governments will be responsible in their fiscal programming," he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2021. MONTREAL - SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. says it is restructuring its business segments again as it looks to become cash-flow positive and return to an investment-grade credit rating. The SNC-Lavalin headquarters is seen in Montreal on February 12, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Paul Chiasson MONTREAL - SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. says it is restructuring its business segments again as it looks to become cash-flow positive and return to an investment-grade credit rating. The Montreal-based engineering firm, which has been working to put several corruption scandals behind it, says the reorganization will help set the stage for growth after years of de-risking the business. The company is rolling its mining and infrastructure segments into its general engineering services business, while engineering as a whole and several other segments are now grouped under its SNCL services business. SNC says it is targeting organic revenue growth of four to six per cent annually for the next three years in the services segment, which excludes only some legacy transit projects in Canada and the company's capital segment. Speaking at an investor day Tuesday, company chief executive Ian Edwards said the company has sold its oil and gas business and is winding down its lump-sum turnkey contracts for transit projects that have been a drain on cash flow as it looks to simplify the business. 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. He says the company will be focused on its core markets of Canada, the U.K. and the U.S., while also maintaining more targeted operations in other global markets. What were about here is permanently de-risking this business," said Edwards. "Reducing the business down to countries and geographies where we know we can succeed, we can get paid, and we can produce predictable results and predictable cashflows. While the company moves on, its name continues to come up related to past scandals. Just last week SNC and two former executives were charged in relation to a bridge contract in Quebec from around 20 years ago, while earlier this year the World Bank removed the company from a blacklist it had been added to because of its ties to corruption in contracts in Bangladesh and Cambodia. In 2019, the company settled criminal charges related to the work the company did in Libya. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2021. Companies in this story: (TSX:SNC) CHESTER, Mont. (AP) Trevor Fossen was running late for a wedding Saturday afternoon when he turned onto a dusty, gravel road in rural Montana as a westbound train approached the crossing in front of him. A welcome sign for the town of Joplin, Mont., is shown Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. An Amtrak train derailed Saturday near the town, killing three people and injuring others. Federal investigators are seeking the cause of the derailment. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) CHESTER, Mont. (AP) Trevor Fossen was running late for a wedding Saturday afternoon when he turned onto a dusty, gravel road in rural Montana as a westbound train approached the crossing in front of him. The train never made it to the crossing. The next thing Fossen saw was a wall of dust fill the sky. I started looking at that, wondering what it was, and then I saw the train had tipped over and derailed, said Fossen, a 29-year-old farmer. It was an Amtrak Empire Builder en route from Chicago to Seattle that had derailed, killing three people and injuring dozens. Investigators still don't know what caused the crash. Fossen and at least nine other people called 911, setting off a chain reaction of help from residents in the nearby towns of Joplin and Chester as people jumped into action to get people off the train and care for injured passengers and those who were stunned and had suffered bumps, bruises and other less serious injuries. Volunteer emergency responders, firefighters, law enforcement, medical providers and regular citizens all worked together to help those whose trip was so suddenly and violently interrupted, embodying the spirit of a rural part of Montana's Hi-Line region near the Canadian border. Fossen said he started to help first responders get a handful of people out of a train car that was leaning, then moved back to three cars that were detached from the train and were lying on their sides. He and others helped get a badly injured woman out of a car. Others helped unload the baggage car near the front of the train. The three who didnt survive were identified as Donald Varnadoe, 74, and Marjorie Varnadoe, 72, a married couple from Georgia; and Zachariah Schneider, a 28-year-old from Illinois. All died at the scene, the Liberty County Sheriffs Office said. Dale Fossen, Trevor's uncle, farms nearby and arrived at the scene shortly after the crash. The 75-year-old amateur photographer said he wasnt sure what he could do to help, but he observed the chaotic scene and took some pictures with his cellphone. Some passengers stood in the dust, looking bewildered, he said. Others tended to their wounds. I saw a small child, mother and father, sitting on the railroad tracks right behind the first car that I saw laying sideways," he said. "The little girl was crying. Dale Fossen said he walked over a rise and saw the three cars on their sides. I could see people standing on top of the middle car and ladders and I saw them trying to cut a hole in the roof that was laying on the side, he said. The effort to cut into the rail car failed, even with the Jaws of Life equipment. He talked to one passenger who said he was in one of the cars when it started to tip sideways and a large spring went through the windshield by him. So he grabbed ahold of something as the car tipped over, Fossen said. He said the only thing that kept him from going underneath the train was him holding on. Meanwhile, Liberty Medical Center in the small community of Chester called in all of its staff including housekeeping and most responded, said Bev Halter, director of human resources. They triaged 31 patients Saturday evening. We may be a small Critical Access Hospital in a remote location, but we were able to show the size of our commitment to being here for those in need," Halter said in a statement. We are so thankful for this facility, our employees, and the community who pulled together to provide the best response and care possible. People who were seriously injured were taken by ambulance or flown to other hospitals in the region that had called and offered their help, said Sarah Robbin, the Disaster and Emergency Services coordinator for Liberty County. Six people remained hospitalized Tuesday. Those who were not seriously hurt were loaded onto school buses and the senior citizen bus and taken to a school gym and community center in Chester, where residents helped them charge their cellphones to call families and health care workers evaluated them. Some took showers, and the passengers were offered food. Ricky Maan, owner of the Chester Supermarket, said he provided water and ice, made some pizzas and allowed residents to take whatever else was needed for the passengers, including napkins, wipes and bandages. I told my cashier, dont charge them, said Maan, whose family bought the grocery store five years ago. We can help those people who already hurt." He added: We like to help all the time. This is our community. . . . We used to live in a big city, we never see like this. But in small town, everybody is like, once something happens, is all together." A religious group brought in ingredients to make sandwiches. Some people drove passengers to Great Falls or Kalispell that night to reunite them with hospitalized family members, and others took passengers to Great Falls to catch a flight home, officials said. Recordings of the 911 calls to the Liberty County sheriff's office included some breathless passengers asking for help, describing injuries to fellow passengers including two men with cuts on their heads and at least one Amtrak employee describing a co-worker's injuries and saying there were more than 90 people on board. People who had been driving along the highway and saw the derailment also called to make sure it had been reported. We've had a derailment. It's urgent, one passenger said. Get as many ambulances out there as you can. 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. Robbin, the Disaster and Emergency Services coordinator, said the response across the Hi-Line was fantastic. We cant thank our partners enough, who came from everywhere and did what they needed to do, and its just going to be one of those things that I dont know that well ever be able to repay, but know that when they put out the call, we will be there for them, she said. The county is offering a counselor-led debriefing on Wednesday. This is for community members to discuss their experiences and for those that may be struggling to process the recent events in our community, the notice states. A counselor will be available on Thursday for individual discussions, as needed. Please reach out to your neighbors, friends and family members, to support them during this time, the notice says. The rail line was reopened to traffic early Tuesday, said Lena Kent, a BNSF Railway spokesperson. SUDBURY, Ont. - Thirty-five of 39 miners trapped underground in northern Ontario since Sunday have scaled a series of ladders to climb up safely to the surface, the company that runs the facility said Tuesday afternoon as a rescue operation continued. The Totten Mine near Sudbury, Ont., is shown on Monday, Sept. 27, 2021.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Gino Donato SUDBURY, Ont. - Thirty-five of 39 miners trapped underground in northern Ontario since Sunday have scaled a series of ladders to climb up safely to the surface, the company that runs the facility said Tuesday afternoon as a rescue operation continued. Vale, which owns the Totten Mine near Sudbury, Ont., said it expected the four workers who remained underground to emerge by the end of the day. "Employees reported to surface healthy and eager to return home to family," Vale said in a statement. A team of 58 responders from the company's rescue team and the Ontario Mine Rescue agency have been helping the trapped workers through their long trek up the ladder system, the company said. Some miners have to climb up from 1,200 metres below the surface. Henry Bertrand, one of the first miners to reach the surface, told local reporters early Tuesday that he had been with a small group working about 650 metres underground. It took him a little more than two hours to make the climb out. "I'm happy to be out, for sure," he said, explaining that he'd had to climb two sets of ladders, rest on a landing and then continue up. "It's a trek. It's hard on the arms." There was a larger group of miners about 960 metres below the surface, Bertrand said. "A few gentlemen down there have health issues and stuff, so they'll need assistance to come up," he said. Bertrand added, however, that he hadn't been too worried and took his time climbing out. "It wasn't a cave-in or anything like that, no one was in harm's way," he said, noting that workers had been able to phone loved ones and were sent sandwiches and other snacks to eat. "We stayed positive and cracked jokes and stuff like that." The employees were trapped in the mine on Sunday when a scoop bucket being sent underground detached and blocked the mine shaft, Vale said. The "conveyance system" for taking workers to and from the surface became unavailable due to damage to the shaft, the company said. Vale said the trapped miners had been staying in underground "refuge stations," some 900 to 1,200 metres below the surface, as part of the company's standard procedures. They had access to food, water and medicine, it said. The workers began making their way out Monday night through what the company called "a secondary egress ladder system." "We thank the impacted employees for their patience and perseverance and the mine rescue teams for their tireless dedication and support," said Gord Gilpin, head of mining for Vale's Ontario operations. "This has been an incredible team effort." The trapped workers were examined by medical support staff at various points through their climb up to the surface, Vale said. It also said it had a mental health team offering support once the miners were above ground. United Steelworkers, which represents the majority of the trapped workers, said it was pleased with the progress of the rescue operation. 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. "No one has been physically injured in the incident or in the evacuation," the union said in a statement. Nick Larochelle, president of USW Local 6500, said everyone came together to deal with what happened. "The miners support each other, the highly trained mine rescue teams come together and the whole community waits patiently praying for the safe return of every one of the 39 miners to surface," he said in a statement. Totten Mine opened in 2014, in Worthington, Ont., and produces copper, nickel and precious metals. It employs about 200 people. The province's Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development said an inspection team will investigate the incident once the rescue operation is finished. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2021. OTTAWA - Elizabeth May could return to the Greens as interim leader to stabilize the embattled party. Elizabeth May, right, Green candidate for Saanich-Gulf Islands, watches federal election results roll in during a gathering in Victoria, Monday, Sept. 20, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Dirk Meissner OTTAWA - Elizabeth May could return to the Greens as interim leader to stabilize the embattled party. Her chief of staff said that, if asked to take the helm until a permanent leader is found, she would "consider it" to help the party. May, who was Green leader from 2006 to 2019, has previously said she would not return to the role. But the resignation of Annamie Paul after a disastrous election result has prompted a hunt for a caretaker to keep the Greens afloat. May's spokeswoman said she would not rule out doing "the honourable thing" and consider taking the helm temporarily. "Elizabeth remains deeply committed to ensuring the viability of the Green Party of Canada. If the party were to ask her to be the interim leader she would do the honourable thing and at least consider it," said Debra Eindiguer, May's chief of staff. The Greens were beset by infighting and slumped in the polls, sending just two MPs to Parliament on Sept. 20. May has said an election post-mortem which is automatically triggered following elections where the Greens do not form the government would have to look at why Green candidates were not fielded in all ridings and why the party was so poorly prepared. May is now one of the two Green MPs in the House of Commons, alongside Mike Morrice who won Kitchener Centre. Paul, who announced her intention to resign as leader on Monday, was sharply criticized for failing to visit target ridings during the election, concentrating instead on fighting to gain a Toronto seat where she came in fourth place. She has said the election was very difficult, pointing to a lack of funding, campaign staff and a national campaign manager. Originally $250,000 was earmarked for her local campaign but that money was nixed by party executives. Although impressive in the leaders' debates, she faced a stream of vitriol for decisions she took as leader, and calls to stand down from within her own party. While announcing her resignation Monday, Paul said leading the Greens had been the worst period of her life. Paul will step down formally as leader within "the coming weeks," the Green party confirmed. A leadership race kicks off six months after an interim leader is selected. Jo-Ann Roberts, a former broadcast journalist who served as interim leader after May stood down, is another figure the Greens' ruling council is likely to consider as an interim leader. An expert who researches the Greens said May would be the "obvious option" to take the helm during the party's "existential" crisis. Mark Winfield, a professor at York University, said May has the "moral authority" to keep the party, which has been beset by internal strife, from imploding. He said appointing her in the interim would "be the most logical thing to do." Winfield said, as well as facing a financial crisis, the Greens had to find a way of regrouping after a "shocking political fall." They had the worst vote (in) more than 20 years," he said, referring to the partys share of the popular vote. "The more serious question is: Does the party even survive? It is not clear how you would put the party back together with an empty bank account." 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 interim leader is not allowed to stay on as permanent leader, under the rules. Already, key figures in the party are being urged to throw their hat into the ring to lead it. Morrice on Monday ruled himself out of the leadership race to concentrate on representing his constituents. Dimitri Lascaris, a Montreal-based lawyer and activist who came second to Annamie Paul in the last leadership race, has not ruled himself out of the fight to be the next leader. He said in a statement that Paul's resignation was "the right decision for the Green Party of Canada." Dr. Courtney Howard, an emergency doctor in Yellowknife who came third in the 2020 Green leadership election, said on Twitter after Paul's resignation that her focus was on combating COVID-19 and climate change. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2021. KELOWNA, B.C. - A former British Columbia social worker accused of stealing money from foster children under his care has pleaded guilty in a Kelowna court. A lawyer wears a face mask and gloves to curb the spread of COVID-19 while waiting to enter B.C. Supreme Court, in Vancouver, B.C., Friday, Aug. 28, 2020. A former British Columbia social worker accused of stealing money from foster children under his care has pleaded guilty in a Kelowna court. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck KELOWNA, B.C. - A former British Columbia social worker accused of stealing money from foster children under his care has pleaded guilty in a Kelowna court. The BC Prosecution Service says Robert Riley Saunders pleaded guilty to fraud over $5,000, breach of trust in connection with his duties as a child protection worker and causing the province to act on a forged document. Saunders faced 13 charges arising from a three-year investigation by RCMP that included 10 counts of fraud over $5,000. Dan McLaughlin, communications counsel for the prosecution service, says they anticipate the outstanding charges will be stayed at the completion of his sentencing hearing set for March 21. The B.C. Supreme Court approved a settlement last year in a class-action lawsuit brought against Saunders and the provincial government by more than 100 children who claimed the social worker stole from them. Several lawsuits were filed before the settlement, alleging Saunders had moved the children from stable homes in order to make them eligible for financial benefits from the ministry. 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. Statements of claim alleged Saunders took the funds deposited in their accounts, leaving them homeless and vulnerable to addiction and physical and sexual abuse. The notice of settlement said each member would get a basic $25,000 payment and those who are Indigenous would get an additional $44,000. Further damages could be paid to those who experienced homelessness, psychological harm, sexual exploitation or injury, or whose education was delayed, the settlement said. Both Saunders and the ministry were named as defendants in the lawsuits, but the former social worker never filed a response. The B.C. government wasn't immediately available to comment on the plea, but it said in a statement in a settlement agreement filed last July that Saunders harmed children in the director's care and the province was "vicariously liable for the harm caused" by the man. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 27, 2021. OTTAWA - A lawyer for Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin painted the senior military officers abrupt removal as head of Canadas COVID-19 vaccine rollout in May as a threat to the independence of the Canadian Armed Forces. Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin arrives to be processed at the Gatineau Police Station in Gatineau, Que., on Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang OTTAWA - A lawyer for Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin painted the senior military officers abrupt removal as head of Canadas COVID-19 vaccine rollout in May as a threat to the independence of the Canadian Armed Forces. The comments came Tuesday during the first day of a two-day hearing in which Fortins legal team led by Thomas Conway asked a Federal Court judge to reinstate their client to his former job at the Public Health Agency of Canada, or a similar position. Fortins lawyers have previously alleged the decision to remove the Afghan war veteran was unreasonable, lacked procedural fairness and involved inappropriate political interference by the Liberal government in the militarys internal affairs. Conway repeatedly hit upon that last point, arguing that because Fortin was still a serving military member, only acting defence chief Gen. Wayne Eyre had the power under the National Defence Act to remove him from the vaccine campaign. In that vein, Conway questioned why the government did not provide an affidavit from Eyre or other evidence to prove Canadas top military officer was ultimately responsible for removing Fortin from his position on May 14, rather than Eyres political masters. Those masters include Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan, Health Minister Patty Hajdu and Janice Charette, clerk of the Privy Council. "That's all that was required to clear up this controversy," Conway told Justice Ann Marie McDonald, later adding: "The silence of the acting chief of defence staff speaks volumes." Court was also shown a clip of an interview Hajdu did with CTV on May 30 in which she said she "agreed with the (PHAC) president (Iain Stewart) that Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin should be relieved of his duties with the Public Health Agency." Conway pointed to those comments, handwritten notes from Eyre and what he described as a lack of transparency from the government as proof Fortins removal was both politically motivated and a threat to military independence. "This application exposes a serious breach of that proper ordering of civilian control that Parliament contemplated in the National Defence Act by political actors outside the chain of command," he said. "It is an insidious breach that, if left unchecked, will have serious and negative repercussions for it will signal that a new norm is in place. One that permits political actors to seed the chain of command with members who are not committed to the chain of command." Conway's colleague, Natalia Rodriguez, later argued that there was also no reason to believe that keeping Fortin in his position at PHAC represented a risk to others. Fortin was removed from his position five days before military police referred a case of sexual misconduct to the Quebec prosecution office. The senior officer was charged last month with one count of sexual assault dating back to 1988. He has denied any wrongdoing and his criminal defence is being led by a different legal team. Conway on Tuesday was facing off against Justice Department lawyer Elizabeth Richards, who at one point appeared to accept that others beyond Eyre were involved in the decision to remove Fortin. "(Fortin) alleges that the minister of health, the minister of national defence, the Privy Council Office and the prime minister made that decision," she said. "You'll hear tomorrow that there's no dispute about the involvement of those individuals." Richards was scheduled to respond to Conways arguments in earnest on Wednesday. Yet she suggested during her own motion earlier in the day asking McDonald to toss Fortins case that if the senior military officer was unhappy with his removal from the vaccine campaign, he should have filed a grievance with the military. "The military grievance process is established exactly for that reason: to deal with any manner of complaints, any issue whatsoever, about the administration of the Canadian Armed Forces," Richards told the court. 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 applicant hasn't even tried, hasn't even filed a grievance," she later added. Conway in turn argued the grievance process was not the appropriate venue given allegations the decision to remove his client was made by the Liberal government and not Eyre. "The decision was made outside of the chain of command of the Canadian Armed Forces," Conway said of Fortins removal. "The Canadian Armed Forces has no authority to review decisions of ministers of the Crown." Conway also noted concerns raised about the military grievance system and its failure to deal with complaints in a timely manner, including by retired Supreme Court justice Morris Fish in his recent review of the military justice system. Richards shot back that such complaints were purely speculative, and that if McDonald allowed Fortins case to go forward, it would open the door to other Canadian military members also sidestepping the grievance process by taking their complaints to court. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 28, 2021. WINNIPEG - Prosecutors have told a jury there is no doubt that a Winnipeg man accused of fatally stabbing a three-year-old boy is guilty. People enter the Law Courts in Winnipeg on Feb. 5, 2018. A jury in Winnipeg is expected to hear closing arguments today in the murder trial for a man accused of fatally stabbing a three-year-old boy in 2019. Daniel Jensen, 34, is charged with first-degree murder in the death of Hunter Smith-Straight. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods WINNIPEG - Prosecutors have told a jury there is no doubt that a Winnipeg man accused of fatally stabbing a three-year-old boy is guilty. But Daniel Jensen's defence lawyer said the Crown's case is circumstantial since no one saw Jensen attack the boy nearly two years ago. Jensen, 34, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Hunter Smith-Straight. Justice Herbert Rempel is expected to give his instructions to the jury Wednesday. During closing arguments Tuesday, Crown prosecutor Jennifer Mann said Jensen wanted to hurt Hunter's mother in the cruellest and most permanent way by taking the life of her only child. The Crown said the core of the case is domestic violence. Jensen was in a relationship with Clarice Smith, and court heard from multiple witnesses over two weeks that the couple had been violently fightingbefore Hunter was attacked in his home during the early morning hours on Oct. 30, 2019. Hunter died three days after the stabbing when he was taken off life support in hospital. The prosecution alleged Smith told Jensen that she and her son were moving away without him. Jensen later stabbed Hunter in the head and neck six times while the boy slept in his bed, the prosecution argued. "He was ready to hurt anyone who crossed his path, but most of all he wanted to hurt Clarice Smith. She was leaving him and he knew how to hurt her," Mann told the jury. Court heard Jensen and Smith had earlier been visiting lounges, a casino and a friend's place with Smith's sister and her partner. The group ended up at a bar in Winnipeg's North End, where Jensen and Smith got into a violent argument. "She rejected him and he brutally assaulted her. He punched her and kneed her repeatedly. He had to be pulled off her," said Mann. During the trial, the jury was shown surveillance footage from the bar. Smith also testified that she punched Jensen after he threatened to have Hunter taken away from her. Multiple witnesses testified Jensen threatened Smith more than once throughout the night. He ended up leaving the bar by himself. Throughout the trial, the jury heard from some of Hunter's relatives who also lived in the home where he was attacked. The Crown said no one saw Jensen attack the boy, but one relative let Jensen inside the home about a half-hour before Hunter was found injured. 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. Mann said Jensen had a motive to kill Hunter, he was let into the home and a short time later was seen running away. The toddler's DNA was also found on Jensen's clothes. "There is no doubt that Daniel Jensen killed Hunter. None at all," said Mann. Defence lawyer Bruce Bonney, however, stressed that no one in the home saw or heard the attack and said it's possible someone else in the home hurt Hunter. Bonney said his client went back to the house to retrieve his belongings, after Smith told him she was moving away. Bonney argued that Jensen found the injured child in the bedroom and that's how the DNA got on his clothing. This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Sept. 28, 2021. PROGRESSIVE Conservative party leadership hopeful Shelly Glover has promised to reverse the closure of Dauphin Correctional Centre should she become Manitoba premier. PROGRESSIVE Conservative party leadership hopeful Shelly Glover has promised to reverse the closure of Dauphin Correctional Centre should she become Manitoba premier. At a Saturday event in Dauphin, Glover said the closure hurts rural development and criticized the PC governments previous review and decision-making process when planning the jails closure. "A rural economic development plan that focuses on cost cutting and moving services away from people that need them is fundamentally flawed. We need to be driving rural economic growth and reducing the stress on an already overcrowded correction system," Glover said in a statement Monday to the Free Press. "I recently shared my plan to build a new correctional facility in Dauphin with local residents that enthusiastically welcomed the idea." The Dauphin Correctional Centre was closed in May 2020, after the costs of renovations were deemed too high, despite the NDP opposition and Manitoba Government and General Employees Union Local 10 calling for the closure to be postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 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. Around 65 inmates and 80 staff members were relocated. Fellow PC party leadership candidate Heather Stefanson has no plans to do the same, according to a statement from her campaign team. "The Dauphin Correctional Centre is already closed, and has been for over a year. Its in the middle of renovations to expand the courthouse, and there has not been an inmate in there since May of 2020. Everyone who previously worked there was offered a job with Manitoba Corrections," a campaign spokesperson said in an email. "The reality is that the Dauphin jail wasnt safe for inmates or staff. We would caution any suggestions to send people back into unsafe conditions." malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: malakabas_ Manitoba's elections watchdog buried information about charges laid against two Tory constituency officials following the 2019 provincial election. And the lack of transparency from Manitoba's Commissioner of Elections is troubling and inexplicable, ethics and political experts say. Multiple charges have been laid after a brief mention of "financial irregularities" involving two unnamed constituency association officials was buried in the commissioner's latest annual report. The accused are to appear in provincial court next month. Rajbir Grewal, 30, and Rajpal Grewal, 32, face several Election Financing Act charges, including obstructing an investigation and withholding information. At the time of the 2019 provincial election, they were listed as treasurer and president, respectively, of the Progressive Conservative party's Waverley constituency association. They are presumed innocent and scheduled to appear in court Oct. 6 and Oct. 7, respectively. "Its troubling that charges have been laid and the appointed officials have not been transparent about what the charges are." Arthur Schafer, founding director of the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics at the University of Manitoba Manitoba elections commissioner Bill Bowles who was appointed in 2011 didn't respond to questions about the alleged violations that he alluded to in his annual report when he was contacted last week. Elections Manitoba also declined to comment, saying it has nothing to do with compliance and enforcement investigations. It provided the name of the outside counsel appointed by Bowles to prosecute the cases. When contacted, lawyer Evan Roitenberg provided the names of the accused but not the charges, which the Free Press learned at provincial court. "Why has the commission made it so difficult for the public to find out charges have been laid?" said Arthur Schafer, founding director of the Centre for Professional and Applied Ethics at the University of Manitoba. "Its troubling that charges have been laid and the appointed officials have not been transparent about what the charges are." Manitoba's Commissioner of Elections has the authority to launch an investigation and recommend prosecution if there are grounds to believe that laws may have been broken, said University of Manitoba political studies professor emeritus Paul Thomas. The commissioner hires an outside investigator, often a lawyer, to conduct a probe, give the accused an opportunity to rebut any negative information brought against them and prepare a report, Thomas said. "The integrity of the rules and the enforcement of the rules is a promise to the citizens of Manitoba that no individuals, or parties or groups will be allowed to take unfair advantage of the rules that there is a level playing field, everyone is held accountable and those who violate them will be held responsible." Arthur Schafer "You don't want to prematurely disclose that someone is accused of having done something wrong without having done a full investigation," he said. "Once it's headed to court, I would've thought you should be prepared to explain and defend what you've done. If you get to the stage where you've charged people, it's serious. We should know the names of these individuals. I would think that information is fair to both sides." Two facing charges Rajpal Grewal, 32, is facing three Election Financing Act charges and is set to appear in provincial court on Oct. 7. He is charged with obstructing an investigation, withholding information or materials relevant to an investigation and failing to provide information sought by the commissioner or a representative for the purposes of an investigation. click to read more Rajpal Grewal, 32, is facing three Election Financing Act charges and is set to appear in provincial court on Oct. 7. He is charged with obstructing an investigation, withholding information or materials relevant to an investigation and failing to provide information sought by the commissioner or a representative for the purposes of an investigation. The offences are alleged to have been committed between Sept. 25, 2020, and Dec. 1, 2020. Rajpal Grewal was the Manitoba Progressive Conservative party's Waverley constituency association president from June of 2017 until November 2019, during which time he helped Economic Development and Jobs Minister Jon Reyes get elected, according to Grewal's LinkedIn profile. Reyes' press secretary deferred to the PC caucus for comment. Rajbir Grewal, 30 the Waverly constituency association's former treasurer, is facing eight charges and has an Oct. 6 court date. The charges include: omitting to state material facts when providing information in a report or record under the Election Financing Act; knowingly giving false information in a record or report filed with the chief electoral officer; failing to comply with the required duties of a financial officer by failing to keep proper records of all income, including contributions, transfers and loans; failing to comply with duties of a financial officer by failing to file statements and other information of the constituency association with the chief electoral officer as required; and failing to ensure that every disbursement, including transfers made for the constituency associations account, were substantiated by an invoice or voucher. The offences are alleged to have occurred between June 20, 2017 and Oct. 29, 2019. Between Sept. 25, 2020 and Dec. 1, 2020, Rajbir Grewal is accused of obstruction of a person carrying out an investigation under the Election Financing Act, withholding information or materials relevant to an investigation under the act, and failing to provide the commissioner of elections or his representative with the information sought for the purposes of an investigation. When asked about the charges Monday, Manitoba PC party spokesman Keith Stewart said in an email to the Free Press that the party was alerted by the Waverley PC Association in the fall of 2019 about financial irregularities in constituency bank records. The financial situation as reported by the outgoing president and the treasurer were not in accordance with the bank statements issued by the constituency's bank. As a result, incorrect information was supplied to Elections Manitoba for the years 2017 and 2018, the party said. As soon as it discovered the irregularity, it alerted Elections Manitoba, Stewart said. Neither the party nor any constituency members were found responsible, he said, declining to comment further on the charges against Rajpal and Rajbir Grewal. Close The charges against Rajpal and Rajbir Grewal have not been proven in court. Election finance laws are fundamental to a democratic society and have to be taken seriously and handled transparently, Schafer said. "The integrity of the rules and the enforcement of the rules is a promise to the citizens of Manitoba that no individuals, or parties or groups will be allowed to take unfair advantage of the rules that there is a level playing field, everyone is held accountable and those who violate them will be held responsible," the ethicist said. "If someone cheats on election financing, they gain an unfair advantage. In a democratic society thats considered a deeply serious crime. Its not a trivial matter like a parking ticket. Following election financing laws goes to the integrity of our democracy if the rules arent enforced and the guilty aren't convicted, blamed, shamed and held accountable, the public becomes cynical. Schafer said the erosion of public trust in democracy is clear to see just over the border, where many Republicans are claiming losses suffered by the party are because of "rigged elections." 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. "I think American democracy is under real threat at the moment," he said, adding that one constituency association facing charges of violating election financing laws here isn't necessarily a threat, but whenever election officials aren't forthcoming, it becomes a concern. "The process whereby the rules are enforced has to be seen to be scrupulously honest and transparent, and people involved have to be held accountable," Schafer said. "Any hint of secrecy, coverup and concealment or the suspicion of a coverup feeds cynicism and mistrust. The elections commissioner has a stringent obligation to apply and enforce the rules with integrity." The harshest penalty for an individual charged under the act is a $5,000 fine. With files from Dean Pritchard carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Enraged after his girlfriend told him she was leaving town without him, Daniel Jensen made a plan to hurt her in the most damaging way possible by killing her only child, the prosecution said in its closing argument Tuesday. Enraged after his girlfriend told him she was leaving town without him, Daniel Jensen made a plan to hurt her in the most damaging way possible by killing her only child, the prosecution said in its closing argument Tuesday. "He was ready to hurt anyone who crossed his path, but most of all he wanted to hurt Clarice Smith. She was leaving him and he knew exactly how to hurt her," Crown attorney Jennifer Mann told jurors. Jensen, 34, is on trial for first-degree murder in the October 2019 stabbing of three-year-old Hunter Smith-Straight. Jurors have heard evidence Jensen assaulted Smith at the Northern Hotel after an argument over her decision to move to her mothers home without him. Prosecutors allege thats when Jensen made his way back to their Pritchard Avenue home and stabbed the sleeping child six times in his head and neck. Hunter was taken to hospital after suffering massive blood loss and irreversible brain damage. He was taken off life-support three days later and died. Witnesses have testified Jensen was let into the house to "check on" Hunter and left minutes later, a short time before family members discovered the mortally wounded child. Jensen was arrested later that day. Blood found on Jensens hoodie, T-shirt and sweatpants was later matched to Hunters DNA. Jensens lawyers pointed the finger at another suspect in the home, one of Hunters adult cousins, who when questioned by police that day had bloody injuries to his hands and blood on his clothing. That man testified he had injured himself when, in a fit of anger, he broke dishware and punched a door. Defence lawyer Bruce Bonney accused police of focusing solely on Jensen while ignoring the cousin, who had several convictions for violence, including one for stabbing his brother. Bonney argued the man was angry because he, along with everyone else in the house, had to move out due to a violation of the lease. "Before and after Hunters death he was subject to violent outbursts. It was in his nature," he said. Police didnt seize any of the mans clothing and didnt check to see if blood spatter at the scene matched his DNA, Bonney argued. Security video later that day showed Jensen visiting a Leila Avenue Boston Pizza restaurant and a liquor store before he was arrested. Bonney said if Jensen had killed the boy, he would have made more of an effort to hide. "If Daniel Jensen was running away to escape, he clearly wouldnt be wandering around the city the next day," he said. "Wouldnt you think hed be on the Trans-Canada Highway with his thumb out, trying to get out of town as quickly as possible?" Bonney argued Jensen came upon Hunter after he had been stabbed and that his blood ended up on his clothing after he tried to revive the boy. 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. Mann rejected that theory, saying the blood spatter on Jensens clothing was consistent with someone holding the boy down with his left hand while stabbing him with his right. "There is no doubt that Daniel Jensen killed Hunter, none at all," she said. Evidence of an alternative suspect is enough to provide jurors with reasonable doubt, Bonney said. "Your duty is to ensure there is not a wrongful conviction here," Bonney said. "If you were to say to me that Daniel Jensen was probably or likely guilty, I wouldnt argue, but thats not enough. He has to be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt." Jurors are expected to start deliberations on Wednesday. dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca Canadians should remember the case of Meng Wanzhou and the two Michaels next time we receive an extradition demand from the United States government. We should give such a request some thought and consider how it will end. Canadians should remember the case of Meng Wanzhou and the two Michaels next time we receive an extradition demand from the United States government. We should give such a request some thought and consider how it will end. In this case, Canada took the U.S. demand seriously, at enormous cost to Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, who spent 1,020 days in Chinese prisons until their return home on Saturday. Canadas trade and political relations with China also suffered great damage which is still beyond counting. The United States, on the other hand, in the end treated the matter lightly. It dropped the extradition demand and agreed to drop the charges, more or less admitting that its case did not have enough merit to be worth pursuing in court. Canada and the two Michaels were left twisting in the wind for nearly three years until the U.S. authorities essentially said "OK, never mind." Canada and the two Michaels were left twisting in the wind for nearly three years until the U.S. authorities essentially said OK, never mind. The negotiated settlement that included dropping of charges and release of Ms. Meng and the hostages was a blessing to Canada and especially to the two Michaels. Canadians can rejoice that this solution was eventually found. It nevertheless raises awkward questions about how Canada found itself in this situation in the first place. Canada might legitimately have told the U.S in December 2018, "This is not our fight. You make your own arrests." 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. Canada should step up its defences against hostage-taking by China. Canadian firms doing business in China should be regularly reminded of the dangers they face from a cruel and repressive regime that arbitrarily imprisons people as a way of enforcing its will. China continues to offer absurd pretexts for its conduct and gives no sign of submitting to international norms. Canada and its companies should organize means of doing business in China beyond the reach of Chinese security forces. Canadian intelligence gathering in China should also be intensified. We should not count on second-hand intelligence from U.S. sources because the U.S. has its own aims which may not coincide with Canadas. This country needs its own sources of data and its own interpretive wisdom on what China is up to. Chinas rulers have claimed a great victory in winning the release of Meng Wanzhou. If they really believe it was a victory, they will presumably continue taking hostages as a way of coercing other countries. For a government that cares nothing about its world reputation, hostage-taking is a cheap and cowardly way of waging low-intensity war. Chinas recent conduct, including imprisonment of the two Michaels, has, however, exacted a reputational price from Beijing. It has crystallized coalitions aimed at resisting China. Sixty-six countries and the European Union have endorsed the Canadian-sponsored declaration against arbitrary detention. The newly-formed Quad group of the U.S., India, Japan and Australia has resolved to pursue a free and open Indo-Pacific region. China continues to offer absurd pretexts for its conduct and gives no sign of submitting to international norms. The U.S. and the United Kingdom have agreed to help Australia build nuclear-powered submarines. G7 leaders at the June summit in Cornwall resolved to find out how the COVID-19 pandemic actually started in Wuhan, and also to compete against Chinas Belt and Road program of Third-World infrastructure projects. If Chinas rulers wonder why this multi-faceted grand coalition to resist China is taking shape, they should review their own cruelty and their defiance of the usual practices of peaceful relations among countries. Great nations win the admiration of the world. They do not look for ways to coerce and terrorize their neighbours. China needs to change course. Faced with a previously lengthy waiting list for hip and knee replacements made even longer by the pandemic, Dr. Eric Bohm and other orthopedic surgeons would like to perform more surgeries but the province wont let them. Faced with a previously lengthy waiting list for hip and knee replacements made even longer by the pandemic, Dr. Eric Bohm and other orthopedic surgeons would like to perform more surgeries but the province wont let them. At least not yet. It's all because, for budgeting purposes, the province caps the number of hip- and knee-replacement procedures surgeons can perform. Dr. Eric Bohm, a hip and knee replacement surgeon at Concordia Hospital. (Jessica Lee / Winnipeg Free Press) Bohm, an orthopedic surgeon at Concordia Hospital, a professor of surgery at the University of Manitoba and the medical adviser for the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority's orthopedic wait list, said procedures in the four places hip and knee surgeries are mainly performed at Concordia and Grace hospitals, the Health Sciences Centre and the Boundary Trails Health Centre in Winkler and Morden have been capped at 4,000 for a few years. But three years ago, with a growing wait list that showed no signs of decreasing, the province agreed to raise the number to 5,000 surgeries per year. And then COVID-19 arrived. "Three years ago there was a lucid, rational decision to increase the volume based on the continuum we had, and that was just torpedoed by the pandemic," Bohm said. "We've got to clear this backlog to get back to a normal state, and that is going to take a lot of work... certainly all the surgeons I know would be happy to do more cases." Before the pandemic, Bohm had a list of 175 patients waiting for surgery. It now sits at 350. Surgeons could each do between 400 to 500 per year, he said. "Three years ago there was a lucid, rational decision to increase the volume based on the continuum we had, and that was just torpedoed by the pandemic." Dr. Eric Bohm, orthopedic surgeon at Concordia Hospital "I do about 350 or 375 per year," he said. "I also do probably 25 emergency cases a year. I've got exactly a year's worth of work on my waiting list if we started back up at the same rate we were doing before." The only way to clear the backlog is, not surprisingly, to do more surgeries, he said. And that means the province will have to lift the cap even higher. "Manitoba patients deserve better health care sooner, and that includes reducing the time they wait for priority procedures," then-health minister Cameron Friesen said in November 2018 during an announcement of the bump in surgery numbers. A Shared Health spokesman said because the number of surgeries are budgeted, hospitals schedule them "to ensure a consistency and continuity of service that lasts throughout the year. "If a site gets behind or ahead on their predicted volumes, the regional health authority will work with the side to determine how best to manage." But the spokesman said special consideration will be given because of the pandemic's disruptions in surgical activity and the backlog. Bohm said tackling and clearing the backlog will not be a quick undertaking; he expects the province, Shared Health and others will have to sit down again, as they did in 2018, to figure out how many surgeries will have to be done annually to catch up in a post-pandemic world. "It is a lot longer than you think it is going to be because you can't double your surgical volume," he said. "You're probably looking at a 30 per cent increase for three years to clear that backlog." At least one of Bohm's patients former travel agency owner Max Johnson told the Free Press recently he was not willing to wait a long time for his knee-replacement surgery. Johnson opted to fly to a surgical centre in Lithuania, where he will pay about $16,000 Canadian for the procedure and two weeks of rehabilitation. "It is a lot longer than you think it is going to be because you can't double your surgical volume. You're probably looking at a 30 per cent increase for three years to clear that backlog." Dr. Eric Bohm, orthopedic surgeon at Concordia Hospital And Johnson is not alone. At least two other Manitobans told the Free Press they went to a surgical centre in Calgary to pay to have their hips replaced at a cost of about $50,000 in total. "I understand why people go to the states," said Bohm. "I understand why people go to Lithuania to have their procedures done. They don't want to wait." But that doesn't mean that he wants to see a private system set up to reduce the size of the wait list. "I'm a very strong supporter of a universal publicly funded health-care system," he said. "You look at the data and it is the most cost-effective and high-quality way of providing health care. If you have a private parallel system, you will start siphoning off resources, human resources, from the public system. 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. "You'll simply spend more money doing what you are doing in the public system." For now, Bohm said Manitobans should make sure they are vaccinated so they are ready for elective surgeries. "I've had one patient who has refused to be vaccinated and is quite upset he can't have his hip surgery," said Bohm. "There are some people (who are) very anti-vaccine and it is hard to understand the reason. "They will trust me to cut them open and to permanently alter them for the rest of their life, but they won't trust me when I tell them having the vaccine is the single most important thing they can do. "It puzzles me." kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca It was yet another head-on collision between medical science and politics. And politics won, again. It was yet another head-on collision between medical science and politics. And politics won, again. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney who foolishly decided to remove all pandemic restrictions July 1 is deep into a COVID-19 crisis overwhelming his province's health-care system. The threat is so severe, Kenney reluctantly agreed two weeks ago to implement a vaccine passport system. However, he still refuses to impose a total lockdown a decision that prompted two of the province's top doctors to issue an open letter pleading for immediate action to prevent "more disease, deaths and suffering." Kenney's response to having medical science thrown in his face? He claimed a lockdown would be unfair punishment for the majority of Albertans who are vaccinated. Dr. James Talbot (former chief provincial health officer) and Dr. Noel Gibney (one of Alberta's leading critical care experts) sought a "fire break" lockdown and a transfer of ICU patients to other provinces to ease capacity concerns. Otherwise, they said, hospitals would have to start implementing a triage protocol that would deny life-saving treatment to some critically ill patients. "Your governments own policies are responsible for collaborating with COVID in creating this killing surge," the letter stated. "Continued inaction is not moral or ethical." Kenney's response to having medical science thrown in his face? He claimed a lockdown would be unfair punishment for the majority of Albertans who are vaccinated. So, who is right? If past practice means anything, Alberta is headed for a world of hurt as the premier clings to a deeply flawed plan. It makes you wonder: is this approach supported by medical and scientific experts within the Alberta government? Or are they silent dissidents to Kenney's madness? In some ways, it's a trick question. Top public health officials in each province do not have the authority to impose or remove restrictions on their own. Even though they are often used as spokespeople for public health orders, these experts serve an advisory role to political leaders. Which is to say, politicians make the decisions. The set-up works fine as long as political leaders can show their decisions are based on solid medical and scientific advice, and not manipulated for fiscal or political purposes. However, if such decisions were based on the best expert advice available, then why are so many groups of experts with unparallelled credentials outside government writing open letters to shame premiers into changing strategies? The contrast between the government's pandemic response and the advice coming outside government raises troubling questions. In Manitoba, both last fall and early this year, open letters from medical professionals outside government warned then-premier Brian Pallister about the need for immediate action to mitigate COVID-19 surging case loads. Two things happened after these open letters were made public: they were largely were ignored by government and the dire predictions contained within were fully realized. Last fall, doctors and nurses repeatedly pleaded with Pallister for a lockdown. While he did tinker with restrictions, he wouldn't shut the province down until Nov. 19. The results of this procrastination: 247 Manitobans died due to COVID-19 in November 2020, almost a quarter of all the province's pandemic deaths. It happened again in the spring, when front-line physicians pleaded with Pallister for more restrictions to stem rising hospital admissions. In May, hospitals were overrun with new COVID-19 cases and Manitoba was forced to start airlifting ICU patients to other provinces. The contrast between the government's pandemic response and the advice coming outside government raises troubling questions. Is this the result of a lack of expertise within government? If internal experts are just as qualified as those outside, is this just a case of politicians supplanting best practices in science and medicine with political instinct? All evidence suggests it is the latter. That means the only antidote to this loathsome predicament is a massive dose of transparency and accountability. The only antidote to this loathsome predicament is a massive dose of transparency and accountability. Citizens need to hear the advice internal experts are providing before decisions are made. More external experts should be brought into the deliberations to ensure the broadest range of options are being considered. This was the approach taken by New Zealand in the early days of the pandemic. With a shortage in-house expertise, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern created an all-star advisory group comprised of scientific and medical experts. It was given a direct line to Ardern, but at the same time was allowed free to speak candidly in public. Within a few weeks of the first confirmed local case, the New Zealand parliament created the epidemic response committee a group of MPs who met regularly to question key scientific experts and government officials. Every meeting of the committee was webcast live and transcripts posted on the government's website. Every province in Canada needs to adopt the New Zealand model. 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. We need all the pandemic data and modelling in real time, and unfettered access to medical and scientific experts advising government and those experts must be free to give opinions on decisions ultimately made by politicians. Right now, we have politicians, deaf to voices outside government, masquerading as subject-matter experts. And it's killing us. dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Selene San Felice said she often questioned how or why she survived the shooting that left five others dead at a Maryland newspaper. Montana Winters Geimer described the grievous loss she and the community suffered when her mother, longtime local journalist Wendi Winters, was killed in the attack. FILE - This June 28, 2018, file photo provided by the Anne Arundel Police shows Jarrod Ramos in Annapolis, Md. Ramos, who killed five people at a Maryland newspaper more than three years earlier, is scheduled to be sentenced on Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021, for one of the deadliest attacks on journalists in U.S. history. (Anne Arundel Police via AP, File) ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) Selene San Felice said she often questioned how or why she survived the shooting that left five others dead at a Maryland newspaper. Montana Winters Geimer described the grievous loss she and the community suffered when her mother, longtime local journalist Wendi Winters, was killed in the attack. San Felice and Winters Geimer were among several survivors and relatives of victims of the June 2018 killings at the Capital Gazette newspaper who testified in court Tuesday before a judge sentenced the shooter to more than five life terms without the possibility of parole. We lost the storyteller of our family, and as a community we lost the storyteller for everyone that is an Annapolitan, Winters Geimer said. Steven Rittenour brother of Rebecca Smith who died in the Capital Gazette newsroom shooting in 2018, speaks during a news conference outside of the courthouse following the sentencing verdict of Jarrod W. Ramos, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021, in Annapolis, Md. Ramos was sentenced on Tuesday to more than five life terms without the possibility of parole, according to prosecutors. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Judy Hiaasen spoke of how difficult it was to even talk about the loss of her younger brother, Rob Hiaasen, who was an editor and columnist at the paper. She described his ability to keep memories of their mother and father alive. Now, she said, That story has been taken from me. My little brother was slaughtered, and the impact of that loss is indescribable, she said. It is unique, and it is never-ending. Anne Arundel Circuit Court Judge Michael Wachs described shooter Jarrod Ramos' actions as a cold-blooded, calculated attack on the innocent employees of a small-town newspaper. Ramos used a shotgun to kill his victims. The impact of this case is just simply immense, Wachs said. To say that the defendant exhibited a callous and complete disregard for the sanctity of human life is simply a huge understatement. Dana Winters Rengers, left, holds the hand of her niece Montana Winters Geimer, right, daughter of Wendi Winters, a community beat reporter who died in the Capital Gazette newsroom shooting, as she speaks during a news conference following the sentencing verdict of Jarrod W. Ramos, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021, in Annapolis, Md. Ramos was sentenced on Tuesday to more than five life terms without the possibility of parole, according to prosecutors. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Wachs gave Ramos an additional 345 years to underscore the fact that he would never be released from prison. And he ordered another life sentence for the attempted murder of photographer Paul Gillespie, who had previously testified that Ramos barely missed him with a shotgun blast as he ran out of the newsroom. While Gillespie said he didnt believe there could have been a better outcome at the sentencing hearing, he doubted a full sense of closure would ever be possible after losing his five colleagues. I was almost killed myself, Gillespie said outside the courthouse. Its something that haunts me every day. In July, a jury took less than two hours to reject arguments from Ramos' lawyers during a 12-day trial that he was not criminally responsible due to mental illness for killing Winters, Hiaasen, John McNamara, Gerald Fischman and Rebecca Smith. Summerleigh Winters Geimer, left and her sister Montana Winters Geimer, daughters of Wendi Winters, a community beat reporter who died in the Capital Gazette newsroom shooting, during a press conference following the sentencing verdict of Jarrod W. Ramos, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021, in Annapolis, Md. Ramos was sentenced on Tuesday to more than five life terms without the possibility of parole, according to prosecutors. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana) Ramos had pleaded guilty but not criminally responsible to all 23 counts against him in 2019, using Marylands version of an insanity defense. The case was delayed several times before and during the coronavirus pandemic. The judge was crystal clear that Jarrod Ramos should never be allowed to walk out of prison ever," Anne Arundel County State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said of the sentence handed out Tuesday. San Felice, who watched one of her colleagues get shot and survived one of the deadliest attacks on a newsroom in U.S. history by hiding under her desk, testified that she and other survivors were determined to press on and not let the traumatic attack stop them. 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. Remember this, she said, as Ramos sat on the other side of the courtroom. You cannot kill the truth. Ramos declined to make a statement in court when asked by his attorney, Katy ODonnell. Prosecutors said Ramos, 41, acted out of revenge against the newspaper after it published a story about his guilty plea to a misdemeanor charge of harassing a former high school classmate in 2011. Prosecutors said his long, meticulous planning for the attack which included preparations for his arrest and long incarceration proved he understood the criminality of his actions. They also highlighted how Ramos called 911 from the newsroom after the shooting, identified himself as the gunman and said he surrendered evidence, they said, that he clearly understood the criminality of his actions. ___ This story has been edited to correct the spelling of McNamara. NEW YORK (AP) - A federal appeals panel has given the green light for New York City to impose a vaccine mandate on its teachers and other workers. The three-judge panel late Monday lifted an order suspending the mandate until the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Manhattan could consider complaints from a group of teachers. The mandate was set to go into effect Monday when an appeals judge temporarily blocked it late Friday. The panel to which the case was assigned decided to reject a temporary blockage of the mandate after both sides in the dispute submitted written arguments. Oneida County will hold two booster vaccine clinics for those who are eligible to get the Pfizer shots. The first will be held at Griffiss International Airport in Rome on Thursday, Sept. 30 and the second will be at Mohawk Valley Community Colleges Jorgensen Center in Utica on Friday, Oct. 1. Appointments are available from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. both days. The CDC recommends those 65 and older, residents of long-term care facilities, and those 50 to 64 with underlying medical conditions get the boosters. Any adults with underlying conditions or who work jobs that put them at high risk of contacting COVID also qualify to get the booster shot. Underlying conditions that put people at high risk of contracting COVID include: Cancer (current or in remission, including 9/11-related cancers)Chronic kidney disease Cancer (current or in remission, including 9/11-related cancers)Chronic kidney disease Pulmonary disease, including but not limited to, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma (moderate-to-severe), pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis, and 9/11 related pulmonary diseases Intellectual and developmental disabilities including Down syndrome Heart conditions, including but not limited to heart failure, coronary artery disease, cardiomyopathies, or hypertension (high blood pressure) Immunocompromised state (weakened immune system) including but not limited to solid organ transplant or from blood or bone marrow transplant, immune deficiencies, HIV, use of corticosteroids, use of other immune weakening medicines, or other causes Severe obesity (BMI 40 kg/m2), obesity (body mass index [BMI] of 30 kg/m2 or higher but < 40 kg/m2) Pregnancy Sickle cell disease or thalassemia Type 1 or 2 diabetes mellitus Cerebrovascular disease (affects blood vessels and blood supply to the brain) Neurologic conditions including, but not limited to, Alzheimer's Disease or dementia Liver disease The shots are only for those who previously received the two Pfizer vaccine shots, and it must have been at least six months since the second shot was administered. Residents must bring a valid COVID-19 vaccine card or Excelsior Pass with proof of previous Pfizer vaccines, and sign an attestation form confirming they meet one or more of the qualifications. Those who do not have either form of proof should contact the Oneida County Health Department at 315-798-5431 before their appointment. To make an appointment for a county booster vaccine, click here. Booster shots are also available at local pharmacies. To find a location near you, click here. ROME, N.Y. -- New York State Police say troopers found fentanyl, cocaine, and drug paraphernalia while executing a search warrant in Rome over the weekend. On Sunday, Sept. 26, troopers from the Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team and the Rome Police Department executed the warrant at W. Thomas St. in Rome. Scott Harrison Scott Harrison After finding the drugs, troopers arrested 53-year-old Scott Harrison. He was charged with four counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance. Harrison was arraigned and remanded to the Oneida County jail without bail. Back in May, Harrison was also facing drug charges after police say they found drugs in his car following a hit-and-run crash in Rome. TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) From 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. today Purdue University Police Department is hosting a virtual training course in verbal de-escalation. On Monday Purdue University Police Special Services Captain Song Kang said verbal de-escalation is a preventative self-defense mechanism. It uses verbal communication and active listening to help calm an angry person to prevent a physical altercation. This particular training session is free and open to the public. Kang said that verbal de-escalation can be used anywhere; whether at work, in the classroom or even in social settings. The class will even touch on using verbal de-escalation in issues of consent. Kang says the session will help people understand consent by stepping out of their own perspective and seeing things from another person's point of view. Kang said officers from the Purdue University Police Department uses verbal de-escalation. "This is another technique that our officers are using as well, so that we can pay attention to the people that we are dealing with out in the field," Kang said. "In case they are emotionally, again, mad at you, you can just go ahead and deploy the active listening skill and focus on the problem, rather than focusing on the person. Or, rather, you taking it personally." But verbal de-escalation doesn't always work. "It's not, obviously, a fix-all," Kang said. "So, there are times that, you know we as an officer have to take it to the next level. But, again, this is just a basic skill set. Or almost like a survival skill so that in case you are in a position that, you know, you are dealing with a out-of- control angry subject it's something that you can deploy while others are looking for, getting or calliing for help." For more information on verbal de-escalation sessions reach out to Lieutenant Sarah A. Clark at the Purdue University Police Department. LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) The Fairfield Township Trustee is clearing the air about multiple accusations made against her. "My board is hostile," said Fairfield Township Trustee Taletha Coles. Tensions were high as the Fairfield Township board met to discuss the 2022 budget on Tuesday morning. Less than 10 minutes into the meeting, Board President Stephen Snyder walked out. Trustee Taletha Coles says she's requesting the same amount as last year to avoid raising taxes, but technically it's the same as 2020 due to Coles not submitting a budget for 2021. Things got heated when it came to the Lafayette Fire Department, which provides service to the township. As we've reported, Fire Chief Richard Doyle says the township owes the department 300-thousand dollars, but Coles disputes that. "Fairfield Township does not owe the fire department any money," Coles said. "We bought a fire truck in 2015, therefore, we don't owe them money. They've been getting $100,000 a year, and I've been told they're using it on their parties." Coles said a former trustee did not require an itemized budget list from the Lafayette Fire Department. "I do understand that they need more equipment, and I'm all about giving them money," Coles explained. "I want to know what they're spending it on. Just like everyone else that gets money from us." Coles wants to put some of the budget into other resources. "I hear we need ambulances," she said. "That there's a shortage of ambulances and drivers and people to do that. So, maybe we need to be looking at this money a little different and steering towards an ambulance service or getting more ambulances." Board Secretary Rocky Hession said that's just not true. "She said there's dire need," Hession said. "There's no dire need that I've ever seen." Coles' former employees allege unclaimed cremains of township residents are in her office. She said she's asked a funeral home to pick them up, but they will stay in her office safe until that happens. However, she had plans for the ashes. "I was going to find a way to bury them at the Greenbush Cemetery," Coles said. Coles said she's going to keep doing her job despite the push back from the board. "It's hard to share information with my board because I cannot trust them," Coles said. Hession said the feeling is mutual and told News 18 plans to run against Coles in the next election. "She has to have the trust of us that she's going to do it right, and that's been worn away," Hession added. On Tuesday evening, Coles sent a letter to local media addressing Rocky Hession's announcement to run for Fairfield Township Trustee. "...As for Rocky forming a committee to run for Township trustee, its sad knowing that I never had a chance with my board and that no other trustee throughout Indiana I have spoken to has ever heard of such hostility coming from a board but if that is what he wants to do, I say go for it, I am glad he found something he is good at and life is to short so I hope he enjoys it as well. I just hope if I dont win that no trustee after me ever has to go through the nightmare I have been going through. I have hopefully improved this office enough for anyone coming in after me to step right into the position as it should have been for me. This will only help our community continue to grow in harmony because we all know how much it has been growing population wise. I am a servant and I will continue to serve long after being Fairfield Trustee, this was just a blessing along the way. I would like to know what difference will Rocky make? What has he done for the community or for this office? I am afraid what hell bring will be filled with conflict and confusion similar to what I have gone through and the community will suffer so, Im voting for me." The complete message can be read below. The township board will vote on the budget at their next meeting on Oct. 29. --Below is the complete issued statement-- I wish my board used half as much energy to assist me during this trying time during covid verses the many attempts of tearing me and the township down. Having their support and more minds with ideas would have been beneficial and it would have been an amazing experience for not only us but for our township residents. They have created many challenges that I have overcome which has made me stronger along with the many constituents who have continued to support me along the way, both Democrats and Republicans which is a blessing in itself, when so many try to divide parties, we found a way to work together. I was faced with many township improvements that were a must and the Greenbush Cemetery Sexton house was crumbling along with the roof rotting away. It would have been wonderful to have had the board supporting me and assisting with the projects. Along with helping me with the project of getting the Greenbush Cemetery into the State and National Historical Landmark, I went to the ceremony at the State Fair to receive them. What a amazing experience to be a part of Fairfield Townships History. These are considered day to day operations that the Trustee handles however, I feel team work brings people together and is a positive for all and I would have loved to have shared the experience with my board and committees I asked them to help me form. I thought I had a board that would help me build our community up verses causing confusion, I worked towards harmony and received discordance. Sure, it would have been nice to move forward with the board but they have shown me with their hostility and unwillingness that this will not happen so I am looking forward to the next election and hope with my experience and knowledge I have learned during this term that the next board members will want to grow with me and be a part of serving our community as it deserves. As for Rocky forming a committee to run for Township trustee, its sad knowing that I never had a chance with my board and that no other trustee throughout Indiana I have spoken to has ever heard of such hostility coming from a board but if that is what he wants to do, I say go for it, I am glad he found something he is good at and life is to short so I hope he enjoys it as well. I just hope if I dont win that no trustee after me ever has to go through the nightmare I have been going through. I have hopefully improved this office enough for anyone coming in after me to step right into the position as it should have been for me. This will only help our community continue to grow in harmony because we all know how much it has been growing population wise. I am a servant and I will continue to serve long after being Fairfield Trustee, this was just a blessing along the way. I would like to know what difference will Rocky make? What has he done for the community or for this office? I am afraid what hell bring will be filled with conflict and confusion similar to what I have gone through and the community will suffer so, Im voting for me. When they go low, we go high. Give a girl the right shoes and she can conquer the world.. Sincerely, Taletha Coles Fairfield Township Trustee Black holes are no longer the stuff of science fiction. Jens Boos says its time to take them seriously Maybe not: The left black hole is according to Einsteins theory of gravity. It has a singularity, and that singularity, just like a needle, rips a hole into spacetime. The right black hole as per a new theory of gravity where the singularity needle is softened and spacetime is safe. Graphic by Jens Boos Photo - of - Hide Caption Jens Boos is a black-hole guy, and has been a black-hole guy since he began studying physics in his native Germany. The nice thing about black holes is that they used to be the objects of science fiction novels, he said. These mysterious objects in space. Once you fall in, you cant get out anymore. Yadda yadda. Weve all heard the stories. Today, Boos is a post-doctoral researcher with the High Energy Theory group in William & Marys Department of Physics. He recently was awarded the 2021 P R Wallace Thesis Prize of the Canadian Association of Physicists (Division of Theoretical Physics) and the Winnipeg Institute for Theoretical Physics. The award recognizes his doctoral thesis Effects of Non-locality in Gravity and Quantum Theory. The black-hole guys career as a physicist was getting up to steam as black holes moved from the theoretical to the observed column in the ledger of natural phenomena. In 2015, when Boos was a graduate student at Perimeter Institute in Canada, the LIGO Collaboration announced the detection of gravitational waves from the collision of two black holes. The Event Horizon Telescope Array documented its first black hole in 2019, when he was a graduate student at the University of Alberta. But now there is a huge sort of problem, right? Albert Einsteins theory of gravity predicts the existence of black holes, and now they have been observed, Boos said. Thats fantastic, but it also means that you have to take them more seriously. Boos and other theoretical astrophysicists are taking black holes seriously very seriously. Theyre working on potential explanations of the physics inside a black hole. The edge of a black hole is known as the event horizon, and inside the black hole, Boos explained, is a thing called a singularity. But its a bit problematic to refer to a singularity as a thing. Its a place in space and time where something bad happens, Boos explained. Its where space and time cease to exist. Thats how I like to think of it. He explains that physicists consider space and time as a single concept: spacetime. These four numbers, latitude, longitude and elevation, then the time on the clock the combination of these numbers makes up spacetime, Boos said. Spacetime is central to causality itself, Boos writes in his abstract, making us capable of distinguishing the past from the future, and the cause from the effect. In short, spacetime rules. Except when and where it doesnt, like the singularity inside a black hole. Mathematically, Einsteins theory describes gravity as the curvature of spacetime. For example, massive bodies orbiting a star are not actually attracted by a gravitational force: Theyre rolling in a curved, sloping gravitational field. And what happens at the singularity is that the slope becomes infinitely strong. Not large, but really infinity, Boos said. And we physicists think thats highly unphysical. How can anything really be infinite? He explained that infinity is a common bugaboo for physicists. Infinity has never been observed and may not even exist in the physical world. Boos said the math in many physics theories leads to infinities and theorists work hard to refine the theories to remove that problem. People think that these infinities inside of black holes, these singularities, are just an artifact of Einsteins theory, Boos said. Einsteins theory could be incomplete. It is a classical theory; it doesnt know about quantum. Boos said that he and many other theorists believe that a fully realized theory of quantum gravity will resolve the infinity problem. The problem is not so much to find a theory of quantum gravity, there are several promising candidate theories that people came up with, he said. But you have to think about a way to experimentally verify them. Booss thesis suggests a potential way to get around the singularity-infinity paradox. Instead of inventing an entirely new theory it centers on a concept called nonlocality. The laws of physics that we know, almost all of them are local laws of physics, he explained. That means that if you want to predict what happens at one point in time and space, all you need to know is whats going on right now or at some time in the past. If you see waves in a pond, for example, you know somebody threw in a stone. That sort of thing. But when you have nonlocality, all that can be very different. He went on to explain that the concept of nonlocality has been part of physics theory for some time. People were talking about nonlocality in the 30s, he noted. At a basic level, Boos said nonlocality means conceptualizing a state in which you can no longer distinguish two neighboring points. Boos addresses nonlocality through something he calls mathematical sandpaper, drawing on mathematical concepts such as Green functions and incorporating elements of string theory and non-commutative geometry. Nonlocality takes off all the sharp corners, right? he said. It makes everything more smooth. And thats the idea. If you take the idea of a singularity as an infinitely sharp needle that pierces a hole into spacetime, you could take your mathematical sandpaper and make it more dull. It would still be sharp but not infinitely sharp. But thats all we want. We dont want infinity, and spacetime will be safe. At William & Mary, he is applying the concept of nonlocality to particle physics as well, working with another theoretical physicist, Professor Chris Carone. What I love about nonlocality is that it challenges the way we think about space and time, in many different areas of physics not just gravity. It really keeps you on your toes! Boos said. A nurse takes care of a newborn baby at Gansu Provincial Maternity and Childcare Hospital in Lanzhou. [Xinhua] Deaths among newborns to be reduced to below three per thousand by 2030 The central government has pledged to reduce the mortality rate among newborns to below three per thousand by 2030, a 10-year plan on children's development said. It will also continue to curb mortality rates among older children, the Outline on the Development of Chinese Children (2021-30), released by the State Council Information Office on Monday, said. The infant mortality rate for children younger than 1 will be reduced to below five per thousand, and that for children younger than 5 will be kept below six per thousand, the plan said. The deputy director of the State Council's National Working Committee on Children and Women, Huang Xiaowei, told a news conference that the mortality rate among those under the age of 1 last year was 5.4 per thousand, down from 13.1 a decade earlier. The rate for children younger than 5 was 7.5, down from 16.4 in 2010, she said. "We have prioritized the development and healthy growth of children, and their health has continued to improve," Huang said. Yu Yanhong, a member of the Leading Communist Party of China Members Group of the National Health Commission, said that China has outperformed many other upper-middle-income countries in women's and children's health. The latest national census data, released in May, showed that the number of newborns in China last year was 12 million, the second lowest since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. To ensure the health of newborns, the central authorities have in recent years expanded the coverage of pre-pregnancy and prenatal checkups. The pre-pregnancy checkup was made a basic public service in 2019 and is offered free of charge. Yu said the rollout of the third-child policy this year means there will be more older pregnant women. "The new situation demands better and more balanced health services," she said. The plan said authorities will create a "working mechanism" to improve the accuracy of prenatal checkups and make the screening of newborns for diseases more comprehensive. Zhao Chenxin, secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission, said that it is stepping up construction of "children-friendly cities", which aims to protect children's rights. "With the rapid urbanization in China, cities are becoming the most important external environment for the growth and development of more and more children," Zhao said. The plan also aims to address a shortfall in affordable day care services and kindergartens as part of a broader effort to cut the cost of child rearing. The plan said policies in fields ranging from tax and land to finance and talent will be used to bolster the supply of such services. The central government also unveiled a 10-year plan on women's development on Monday that pledged to fight workplace gender discrimination. Li Zhong, vice-minister of human resources and social security, said it will step up oversight of employment advertisements containing terms that discriminate against women applicants. (Source: China Daily) Government Agencies Should Strive for Quality Customer Service Is the business world the only place where customer service matters? Sometimes it feels that way. Theres definitely an incentive for businesses to treat customers with care:continued business. When customers are treated with exceptional service, they tend to form long term relationships with businesses and refer friends and family, ultimately forming a strong foundation for the future. But what about organizations that people have no choice in dealing with, such as government agencies? For decades, citizens of America have complained about the lack of care and attention from post offices, the DMV, and even the IRS. It seems that these organizations feel they can skirt around quality service due to the simple fact that citizens have no alternatives for their objectives. This fact has generated a somewhat vicious cycle among government employees and everyday citizens, where government workers expect unhappy customers and customers expect low quality service. Republican Arkansas Senator John Boozman recently published an opinion piece highlighting some of the poor practices of the IRS, which can be broadly applied to other areas of government service. Boozman points out that taxpayers have a right to expect decent service, as many of these requests deal with serious financial or legal matters that require immediate attention. Not to mention, these citizens are the very people that fund these agencies to begin with, which entitles them to a certain level of care. Government agencies should adapt to the evolving customer demands the same way that businesses have over the last decade. The abundance of CX resources and automated tools on the market has made it possible to create massive improvements to common tasks and general inquiries. There's simply no longer an excuse for poor public service, as it can easily be improved with modern technology. If the public is forced to support the various government institutions that keep our nation running, they deserve, at a minimum, decent and respectable service without hassle. Edited by Maurice Nagle Weather Alert ...Patchy Dense Fog This Morning... Be careful if you are traveling this morning. Patchy fog is causing visibilities to vary widely from near zero to having no fog at all. Dense fog is most likely near rivers, bodies of water, and valleys. Be cautious driving this morning as visibilities can suddenly change to near zero. Keep plenty of distance between you and the vehicle in front of you. Avoid using high beams. The fog will dissipate by mid morning. School breakfast clubs offered chance for 1,000 funding boost from Kelloggs School breakfast clubs in Wrexham could get their hands on a 1,000 cash windfall to help support their work. The grant, available from cereal giant Kelloggs, can be used by schools to invest in any aspect of their breakfast clubs, from equipment and food to volunteer pay and learning materials. Breakfast clubs are critical for many schools, with research by the cereal company finding that 60 per cent of teachers think they help children settle before class. A further 97 per cent of teachers agree on the importance of having something to eat in the morning before school, especially when getting back into routine after the summer holidays. Kelloggs Breakfast Clubs Programme currently supports more than 4,000 schools, by providing training, grants and food. Research carried out by Kelloggs found that a third (27%) of teachers revealing they bring food into school in case they notice a pupil whos not eaten, breakfast clubs provide an opportunity to ensure no child starts the day with an empty stomach. Chris Silcock, managing director for Kelloggs UK and Ireland, said: Kelloggs has supported breakfast clubs in the UK since 1998 and we are delighted to be able to support schools once again through our grants programme. We are proud to have established thousands of breakfast clubs up and down the country that contribute vastly to improving childrens school attendance and attainment as well as alleviating hunger in some cases. Its not just the children that benefit its a lifeline for parents too. Schools can apply by visiting: www.kelloggs.co.uk/breakfastclubgrants. The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) and the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) in Sri Lanka held a lively online meeting last Thursday to discuss the socialist and internationalist policies required to combat COVID-19. SEP (Sri Lanka) online meeting (WSWS Media) The meeting, which was held on August 26, attracted almost 200 people with about 150 joining the event, along with dozens more watching on the partys Facebook page. Listeners attended from across Sri Lanka as well as India, France, the Middle East and several other places around the world. The video has so far been viewed by more than 1,200 people. SEP political committee member Prageeth Aravinda chaired the meeting, pointing out that the catastrophic situation facing millions of people around the world was a result of the ruling classes placing profits above human lives. The International Committee of the Fourth Internationals description of the pandemic as a trigger event arising from the contradictions of the capitalist system had been confirmed, he said, noting the new wave of working-class struggles emerging around the world. Workers, however, he said, had to break from their treacherous leaderships, and all bourgeois ideologies, in order to fight the pandemic on the basis of a socialist perspective. Dr. Kamal Mahagama who spoke on behalf of the Health Workers Action Committee (HWAC), provided the meeting with a scientific analysis of the surging pandemic and the criminal response of the governments everywhere. His report was enriched with information and remarks made during the August 22 international online discussion, For a Global Strategy to Stop the Pandemic and Save Lives! hosted by the World Socialist Web Site. Using data charts from Johns Hopkins University, Mahagama pointed out that Sri Lankas current death rate for the coronavirus rate is ten times worse than India. He explained that the so-called herd immunity and mitigation methods adopted by governments around the world were based on the profit motive and that these strategies were shown to be deadly. The bodies of COVID-19 victims placed on hospital stretchers in Sri Lanka (Source: Facebook) The WSWSs conclusion that the eradication of the pandemic was the only viable perspective was absolutely correct, he said. We, as health workers, can never agree with the inhumane and deadly policy of living with the pandemic. Using graphs to compare the possible outcome of the various methods of pandemic control, he concluded that if we made a scientific effort to control the pandemic completely, it could be completely eradicated within two weeks. This required proper public health measures with a complete lockdown and vaccination of the entire population. SEP Political Committee member and IYSSE convenor Kapila Fernando explained that the re-opening of schools in many countries had led to increasing death rates among children worldwide. He said that the government had refused to expand facilities for online education to cover all students in the country. The Rajapakse government is shifting the burden of the pandemic entirely onto the working class, whilst providing every opportunity for the big capitalists to maximise their profits, he said. Reviewing the ongoing struggle by Sri Lankan teachers, he called on teachers to break from the unions, which were preparing for another betrayal, and join the Educators Action Committee established by the SEP. SEP Assistant National Secretary Deepal Jayasekera gave the main report, emphasising that COVID-19 could not be eradicated in a single country and that a global effort was required. The international working class must therefore take up the task of mobilising and coordinating global resources to fight the pandemic, he said. Like his counterparts around the world, President Rajapakse has said that the people must understand the reality and live with the virus, the speaker said. This meant workers had to keep working in unsafe conditions, at the expense of their own lives and the lives of their children and loved ones, to generate profits for the capitalists. Jayasekera explained how the capitalist rulers everywherefrom Biden in the US, Boris Johnson in the UK and Modi in Indiawere moving to lift the limited existing restrictions to fully reopen the capitalist economy. In Sri Lanka the garment industry is defined as an essential service because it generates huge profits for the capitalists, and so it is operating without any hindrance, he said. It is the working class, not the bourgeoisie that must decide the essential services that must be operated during the pandemic, he added. The speaker said the Rajapakse regime was preparing dictatorial forms of rule to deal with workers now entering the struggle. Reviewing the role of unions, and their unwavering support for the government, he said workers had to take control of their struggles by building action committees in every workplace. Sri Lankan workers could only fight the worsening pandemic and the repressive methods of the Rajapakse government by fighting for socialist policies in solidarity with the working class in the region and globally. Jayasekera concluded by urging participants to study the International Committee of the Fourth Internationals analysis and program and joining the SEP to take forward the fight for socialism. Dr. Mahagama was asked several questions during the meetings discussion period. He explained that it was essential to shut down all non-essential industries and impose a full lockdown in order to eradicate COVID-19 pandemic. There should be no limit on the resources used to improve the overall health facilities but this is not possible without the working class seizing those resources from the capitalists, he said. SEP General Secretary Wije Dias participated in the discussion, noting the overwhelming audience response to Dr. Mahagamas report and placing it in a broader context. This showed how the working people, are keenly interested in a real scientific exposition of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Global capitalism operates in complete defiance of scientific explanations in order to defend its profit interests. Capitalism in crisis has become hostile to science, he said. Dias said that capitalism, which previously developed science in opposition to feudal mysticism and for the progress of humanity, was now in its highest final stage in the form of imperialism and that its promotion of genuine science had turned into its opposite. In the present period in history, he continued, the sciences can flourish only when combined with the historic interests of the working class which are opposed to the barbaric profit demands of the bourgeoisie. This has been amply revealed during the pandemic crisis. Dias quoted the last passage of Friedrich Engelss pamphlet Feuerbach and the End of Classical German Philosophy to explain the point. As Engels said: The more ruthlessly and disinterestedly science proceeds the more it finds itself in harmony with the interests and aspirations of the workers. The new tendency [Marxism], which recognised that the key to the understanding of the whole history of society lies in the history of the development of labour, from the outset addressed itself by preference to the working class and here found the response which it neither sought nor expected from officially recognised science. Dias continued: The public response to our meeting here, as well as the global response for WSWS online meeting on August 22, vindicates the perspective outlined by Engels The mantra equally repeated by Rajapakse government and all sections of the bourgeoisie and all its lackeys in the left, to justify murderous policies of the capitalist rule, is that Sri Lanka is a poor country and so it cannot afford to lockdown economic activities. All of them cover up the fact that the rich capitalist countries are no less reluctant to close down production despite deaths running into multi-millions and that it is the capitalist-imperialist system that they represent and cling onto which is responsible for the poverty that exists in the former colonial world. While arguing for the above position, the pseudo-lefts support all the anti-working-people attacks waged by the Rajapakse government, including cuts in social welfare benefits to the rural poor. But they keep mum on the spending of over $4 billion a year in debt servicing to foreign banks. They are completely silent about the multi-million tax concessions and cash subsidies paid to the large employers. In opposition to all the pro-capitalist parties, the SEP raises the demands to abrogate all re-payment of foreign loans and to establish a sliding scale of tax increases for the rich, Dias said. The speaker stressed that eradication of COVID-19 depended on the working class winning political power. He concluded by pointing out that the SEP would take the initiative in politically educating workers in all key sectors of the economy and amongst the youth, such as universities. What is required, he said, is to build the SEP as a mass revolutionary party to fight for a workers and peasants government in Sri Lanka, as part of a federation of Socialist States of South Asia and internationally. Tamil nationalist parties in Sri Lanka met on August 22 to discuss working together in support of the US-sponsored resolution on Sri Lanka at the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and for mediation in a power-sharing agreement with the Colombo government. The UNHRC resolution, which was passed in March, calls for an investigation into human rights violations committed during the 30-year communalist war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Last months meeting was initiated by the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi, which leads the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), and also involved the Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization, a partner of the TNA, the Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front, the Tamil Peoples Alliance, and the Tamil Nationalist Party. Tamil families fleeing war in January 2009 [Source: Wikimedia] Participants agreed to press the Rajapakse government on four issues: the removal of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA); the release of political prisoners; an end to land acquisitions in the North and East; and for Colombo and New Delhi to fully implement the 13th constitutional amendment. The PTA was enacted in 1979 to suppress Tamil groups, including the LTTE, along with working class and any other political opponents of the Sri Lankan government. Dozens of Tamil political prisoners seized under the draconian PTA remain in jail, as do several Muslim leaders and journalists arrested in recent months. The 13th amendment emerged from the July 1987 Indo-Lanka Accord to disarm the LTTE and devolved limited powers to the Tamil elite in the North and East. Successive Colombo governments have been hostile to any power-sharing with the Tamil bourgeoisie and have not fully implemented this amendment. The call for an end to land requisitions is for release of land forcibly acquired by the military during the war and in the last decade following the LTTEs defeat in 2009. Some of this property is being used for the militarys economic activities and used for military camps. Buddhist temples have also been provocatively established in areas where Tamil people are living. Widespread anger is brewing among the Tamil masses over these repressive actions by the military which has occupied the North and East for decades. Like successive Colombo regimes, President Gotabhaya Rajapakses government, which rests on the military and Sinhala-Buddhist chauvinist groups, opposes any concessions to the Tamil elite. At the same time, it uses anti-Tamil propaganda to divide the working class. The Tamil elite is cynically using the UNHRC resolution, not to defend the democratic rights of Tamil workers and the poor, but to pressure Colombo for concessions. In line with this agenda the Tamil parties are providing political assistance to the US and other major powers which are exploiting the human rights violations and repression of the Tamils to further their own geopolitical interests. Eelanadu, a Jaffna-based online publication, reported that last months meeting of Tamil parties decided to be firm and not give any space for the government to escape the international pressure. The meeting was held after US diplomats in Colombo had at least two discussions with TNA leaders. On July 16, the US ambassador in Colombo, Alaina B. Teplitz, met with TNA leader R. Sambandan and other party officials at his residence. Sambandan told the media that they complained to the ambassador about the insincerity of Colombo governments in resolving the grievances of the Tamil people and urged the international community to directly intervene to provide a solution. Teplitz also held discussions on political reconciliation with TNA spokesman and parliamentarian M. A. Sumanthiran at an August 15 dinner. Cabinet minister G.L. Peiris was also invited, five days before he was appointed foreign minister. The US has kept India fully informed about its discussions with TNA leaders, who have also met several times with Indian envoy Gopal Baglay in Colombo. India is aligned with Washingtons military preparations for war against China and hostile to Chinese influence in the South Asia region. On August 30, Sumanthiran told the Jaffna media that Colombo needed to present a solution to the issues faced by the Tamil people and that the US should be a mediator that studies and approved those solutions. The next UNHRC meeting, which is scheduled to begin today, will review the progress of implementation of its call for the investigation of human rights violations. UNHR Commissioner Michele Bachelet has called for member states to collect evidence of war crimes in order to prosecute those responsible. The UN estimates that about 40,000 Tamil civilians were massacred by the military in the final months of Colombos war against the LTTE that ended in May 2009. Hundreds of LTTE cadres who gave themselves up simply disappeared, while surrendering LTTE leaders were killed. The US and other major imperialist powers, which are responsible for countless war crimes internationally, have no concern about the violation of human rights in Sri Lanka. Washington is using these crimes to persuade the Rajapakse government to sever its relations with Beijing. The cash-strapped Colombo regime, which faces a deepening economic crisis worsened by the pandemic, is increasingly reliant on investment and loans from Beijing. In April it began the operations of the China-funded Colombo Port Citya 269-hectare seafront area and an important component in Beijings Belt and Road Initiative to counter future US threats to its trade routes in the Indian and Pacific oceans. Washington opposed former President Mahinda Rajapakses close relations with Beijing which provided his government with financial assistance and military hardware. It initiated a series of human rights and war crimes resolutions at the UNHRC in an attempt to force Colombo to distance itself from Beijing. When this failed, Washington orchestrated a regime-change operation that ousted Mahinda Rajapakse and replaced him with the pro-US Maithripala Sirisena as president. The Tamil parties, including the TNA, backed the US-initiated human rights resolutions and then the regime-change operation. Even as it manoeuvres with the imperialist powers and India, the TNA leadership has sought meetings with President Gotabhaya Rajapakse. The Tamil language Kaalaikathir recently reported that Sumanthiran held a closed door discussion with Rajapakse on August 23 but provided no details. The developments over the past two months confirm that the TNA and other Tamil parties are prepared to provide whatever assistance they can to the US and other imperialist powers. In doing so, they are backing US war preparations against China. Like their counterparts in Colombo, the Tamil elites are fearful of the developing struggles of the Sri Lankan working class, across all ethnic and religious lines, and long ago dropped previous demands for withdrawal of the military from the North and East. They have said nothing about Rajapakses repressive public sector strike bans and other anti-democratic measures. In opposition to the Tamil parties turn to the imperialist powers, Tamil workers must unify with workers across Sri Lanka and internationally to defend their democratic and social rights. The developing class struggles across the island have prepared the ground for advancing such unity. The fight for democratic rights is bound up with the struggle to overthrow capitalist rule and the communal discrimination embedded in Sri Lankas formal independence in 1948. The Rajapakse regime, which is rapidly moving towards a presidential dictatorship, is stepping up its attempts to divide workers along communal lines. The Socialist Equality Party calls for a Sri Lanka-Eelam Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, as part of the struggle for socialism in South Asia and internationally. This is inseparable from the building of an international anti-war movement as advanced by the International Committee of the Fourth International. Seven years after the disappearance 43 students from the Ayotzinapa rural teaching college in the southwestern state of Guerrero, workers and youth mobilized in a week of protests across Mexico. On the night of September 2627, 2014, 57 students from the school, on their way to a protest rally in Mexico City, were seized after a confrontation with the police and the Mexican Army. In the confrontation, six were killed and 25 injured. Of those who were abducted, 43 went missing. Since then, the partial remains of three of the students have been found and identified. The days of protests began on September 21, when parents of the 43 missing students marched in the streets of Chilpancingo, the capital of Guerrero State, together with members of the Mexican Federation of Socialist Rural Students (Federacion de Estudiantes Campesinos Socialistas de Mexico, FESM). The Chilpancingo demonstrators demanded a resolution to the case of the 43 students who were disappeared by the Mexican state. "Ayotzinapa Lives" (Credit: Rocio Arias Puga) This demand was repeated in all the rallies that took place across the country during the week, culminating in a mass demonstration in Mexico City on Sunday, September 26. Thousands of workers and students marched in the capital city and across the country chanting, Where are they? and Vivos se los llevaron, vivos los queremos! (They were taken alive, we want them back alive!) and demanding that the government respond. The parents of the 43 disappeared students denounced the governments refusal to bring to justice the architects of the historical truth about the crimea fictional account of the events leading up to the disappearance of the 43 students that night, seven years agoconcealing evidence of the involvement of the Mexican armed forces in their disappearance and presumed murder. In October 2018, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (AMLO) included uncovering the truth of the events of that night as one of his campaign promises when running for office. Almost halfway into his six-year mandate, this promise is still unfulfilled. At a recent meeting with the parents, Lopez Obrador declared that the government is pursuing two lines of inquiry: seeking to recover remains and investigating the role played by officials of the Pena Nieto government (2012-2018) who invented the phony narrative misnamed the historical truth. On September 24, as the protests were taking place, it was announced that 40 videos have been brought to light, further exposing the lies of the governments historical truth. The videos, taped by the now-defunct National Investigations and Security Center (Centro de Investigaciones y Seguridad Nacional, CISEN), show government officials in the act of torturing witnesses in 2014 to extract confessions buttressing their false narrative. The videos, compiled by the Special Unit of Investigation and Litigation (Unidad Especial de Investigacion y Litigacion, UESIL), are further proof showing the initial investigation was manipulated by the Pena Nieto government. The interrogations were videotaped between October 2014 (just days after the disappearance of the 43) and January 2015. The objective was to torture witnesses and suspects into repeating the governments manufactured version of the facts. At the center of this plot were Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam and the Director of Criminal Investigations Tomas Zeron, who has since fled to Israel. As a result of these maneuvers, the government of President Pena Nieto announced that the 43 students had died at the hands of a local criminal drug cartel, Guerreros Unidos, which had burned their bodies at a garbage dump, placed their remains in plastic bags and thrown them into the San Juan River in Cocula, a town near Iguala, where the attack on the students took place. Federal authorities insisted that their findings were not to be doubted, calling them the historical truth, a phrase first used by Murillo Karam. With this incantation, the investigation of the disappearance of the Ayotzinapa 43 was effectively frozen, covering up the role of the military. Evidence since then has revealed that the Armys 27th Infantry Division, stationed in Guerrero State, was deeply involved. The disappeared students were taken to the army base, tortured and then delivered to the Guerreros Unidos gang for incineration at a local mortuary. Small pieces of remains were planted in the vicinity of the San Juan River to lend veracity to the official story. From the beginning, relatives of the disappeared students questioned this official story. Their suspicions were confirmed by an investigation carried out by the Inter-American Human Rights Commission (CIDH) and its Interdisciplinary Independent Experts Group (GIEI) that demolished the governments account. A year ago, President Lopez Obrador indicated that arrests would begin of 89 people involved in the case. So far, 40 individuals have been arrested, including Capt. Jose Martinez Crespo of the 27th Infantry, allegedly for conducting the interrogations of the disappeared students. The relatives insist that this is the tip of the iceberg. Meanwhile, the armed forces continue to stonewall the investigation. Twenty-one on the arrest list have either died or been assassinated. Since 1964, over 90,000 people have been disappeared in Mexico. In addition, some 52,000 bodies have yet to be identified out of an estimated death toll of 250,000. This war on society accelerated under the presidency of Felipe Calderon (2006-2012). Under the pretext of a war on drug gangs, the Mexican government unleashed a brutal class war targeting human rights advocates, left-wing activists and the press. The attack on the Ayotzinapa students was part of this campaign. Only a small minority of the casualties and arrests from this war involved members of drug syndicates. The so-called war on the drug gangs took place in the context of the Merida Initiative, a US-Mexico military alliance, established in 2007, supporting the Mexican armed forces with training and armaments that have been used mainly to repress the population. More than a dozen students have been infected and one has died from COVID-19 after schools were reopened in Bangladesh this month. Students attend a class at the Narinda Government High School as schools reopen after being closed for nearly 18 months due to the coronavirus pandemic in Dhaka, Bangladesh, Sunday, Sept.12, 2021 [Credit: AP Photo/Mahmud Hossain Opu] On September 12, the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ordered all schools, apart pre-primary facilities, to reopen with in-person classes. Educational institutions had been closed more than one and a half year, following the outbreak of the pandemic in Bangladesh in March 2020. Government and education officials justified the reopenings by claiming that 97 percent of teachers and staff had been vaccinated. Most students, however, are not vaccinated and are highly vulnerable. Health Minister Zahid Maleque said claims that students between 12 and 17 years will be vaccinated in October and those 18 years and over are being registered for vaccinations. Inadequate and unsafe school infrastructure, however, makes it virtually impossible for students to maintain official health guidelines, including social distancing. This makes them highly vulnerable to infection and as transmitters of the deadly disease to their families. The reopening of schools is a part of Hasinas attempts to claim the situation in Bangladesh is normal. This is to justify the easing of pandemic control restrictions, which began on August 11, and allow major industries and many other businesses to resume full production. With the Bangladesh ruling elite prioritising corporate profits over human lives, most sectors of the economy are operating. When schools began reopening in Bangladesh, the national test positivity rate was 7 percent, with some districts recording between 10 percent and 20 percent. Epidemiologist AM Zakir Hussain warned in the New Age on September 13 that there was the danger of an infection spike of the virus. What we see here is cluster transmission, adding, cluster transmission can develop into community transmission and then may cause a countrywide spike of Covid cases. Notwithstanding Bangladeshi government assurances, countries with high rates of vaccination are experiencing rising numbers of deaths and infections among students following the reopening of schools. In the US, where 54 percent of the population is vaccinated, children and educators are dying of COVID-19 at a rate of at least three per day nationwide, the World Socialist Web Site reported on September 23. Bangladesh, however, has one the lowest vaccination rates in the world, with some 21 million or 12.7 percent of its 165 million population with one dose and just 14 million or 8.5 percent having had a second dose. This is less than a third of the 31.4 percent of the world populations which is fully vaccinated. As of September 24, the total number of COVID deaths in Bangladesh since March last year, was over 27,000 and total number of cases more than 1.5 million. Official, grossly understated, figures issued by the government are being used to claim the pandemic is under control. On September 21, the daily COVID test positivity rate fell below 5 percent, according to New Age . While some online education was available in Bangladesh during the lockdown, most Bangladeshi parents cannot afford a computer or pay for internet access so their children can access online education. A study conducted by one Bangladeshi NGO found that about 56 percent of the countrys students had no online facilities. The school reopenings are already adversely impacting on students. The Dhaka Tribune reported that a grade eight student at Surendra Kumar Government Girls High School at Manikganj Sadar died from COVID-19 on September 22. Her relatives told the newspaper: She had been suffering from fever and sore throat since her first day of school on September 15. The young girl later suffered from shortness of breath and was rushed to Kurmitola General Hospital in Dhaka that day. The school was closed for a week when another student tested positive. The New Age reported on September 24 that at least 14 primary and secondary school students at three educational institutions in Thakurgaon had tested positive for COVID-19, since schools reopened. A student from Ferdhora Government Primary School in Kotalipara sub-district of Gopalganj also contracted the virus on September 17, and her mother also tested positive. Parents fear their children being infected. The father of one student told Al Jazeera, COVID is still there, and I am not feeling comfortable sending my children to school. These concerns are reflected in declining attendance at schools. The Business Standard, citing the education ministry data, reported on September 24, that student attendances across the country stood at 67 percent on September 12 but dropped to 59 percent by September 21. The decision to reopen all educational institutions was made following discussions early this month between Education Minister Dipu Moni and senior authorities from universities and schools. Moni recommended gradual and phased reopenings in line with government health guidelines. These included temperature monitoring of teachers and students, social distancing, provision of hand washing facilities and other minimal procedures. While the schools opened September 12, university authorities could decide for themselves to reopen any time after September 27, subject to governments recommendation. This involved the vaccination of one dose for 70 to 80 percent of students, a retreat from the governments previous target of all university students being fully vaccinated by September. Under this gradual reopening, school classes will be held for a limited number of days per weekinitially one day per week for lower grade classes. The 18-month closure of schools has seriously impacted on children and led to a high number of dropouts. The Dhaka Tribune reported on September 17 that 50,000 children may have dropped out in the district of Kurigram, alone. Frustrated students from Rajshahi and Jahangirnagar universities have also demonstrated, demanding the universities be reopened by the end of September. The government has exploited the concerns of poor parents and university students to declare the necessity for all education facilities to reopen. But the conditions that undermined the education of millions of students during the pandemic were created by the Hasina government and its failure to provide online education facilities for all. This is the case across the region. Citing a report based on research in India, the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, UNICEFs regional director for South Asia George Laryea-Adjei said: School closures in South Asia have forced hundreds of millions of children and their teachers to transition to remote learning in a region with low connectivity and device affordability Even when a family has access to technology, children are not always able to access it. As a result, children have suffered enormous setbacks in their learning journey. The inability of the ruling elites in Bangladesh and rest of South Asia to maintain proper online education is another expression of their incapacity to address any social and democratic issues confronting hundreds of millions of working people and oppressed masses in the region. The eradication of the pandemic, leading to safe reopening of educational institutes, requires a global strategy to mobilise the worlds vast resources and expertise. This must include the closure of in-person education until the virus is eliminated, while providing all technological facilities to teachers and students to maintain online education, along with a full-range of health measures, including vaccines and a vast expansion in public health spending. Such a program requires the independent political mobilisation of international working class based on socialist program. The 11-day strike by carpenters in the metro Seattle area has reached a crossroads. The efforts of rank-and-file workers to wage a real struggle to win their demands are being met with determined efforts by the Pacific Northwest Carpenters Union (NWCU) to shut down the strike and impose another pro-company labor agreement. After carpenters rejected four attempts by the NWCU to push through a deal that continued the erosion of their living standards, the union was forced to a call a strike on September 16, the first walkout in nearly two decades. From the beginning, however, the NWCU ordered 10,000 of the 12,000 carpenters to remain on the jobincluding at the largest public works projects, under so-called Project Labor Agreements signed with the contractors association and state and local politicians that include no-strike clauses and substandard terms. Striking carpenters in downtown Seattle last week (WSWS Media) Like other sections of workers, the carpenters are determined to overturn decades of union-backed concessions. They have sought to expand their struggle by calling out non-striking carpenters and other building trades workers. Despite the pandemic, Seattle is experiencing a construction boom driven by the new projects ordered by Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Facebook. Carpenters who cannot afford to raise a family in the area or keep up with rising fuel and other costs associated with long daily commutes are calling for a $15 wage increase over three years, increased employer contributions to health care and pensions and fully paid parking. Construction is one of the most dangerous industries, a reality brought home by last Mondays death of 31-year-old plasterer Bryan Phillips, who was crushed to death by falling equipment at the Washington State Convention Center in downtown Seattle, one of the projects the unions has kept running during the strike. Construction sites are also among the top sources of workplace COVID-19 outbreaks, and building workers have suffered a disproportionate share of infections and deaths in Washington and other states. The role of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters Opposed to the strike from the beginning, officials from the NWCU and its parent organization, the United Brotherhood of Carpenters (UBC), have functioned as strikebreakers, doing everything to weaken and shut down the struggle and impose the dictates of the giant construction firms that make up the Associated General Contractors (ACG) consortium. Among rank-and-file carpenters, there is a widespread sentiment that workers must take control of the strike into their own hands and get other building trades workers on their side if they are going to win. Small groups of carpenters, many of them organizing through the social media site, the Peter J. McGuire Group, have begun a series of wildcat protests that they say has slowed or shut down around a dozen additional job sites. The union has viciously cracked down on these unauthorized actions, deciding on Friday to shut down all picket sites and encouraging the rest of the 2,000 striking carpenters to turn against the workers involved. Facing widespread opposition, the NWCU set up pickets at 11 sites yesterday. But this is only a maneuver, which is a prelude to the shutdown of the strike and an attempt to impose another concessionary deal that has already been drawn up behind the scenes. To oppose this, carpenters and other building trades workers should form rank-and-file strike committees to take the conduct of the struggle out of the hands of the UBC and AFL-CIO bureaucrats. These committees should expand the struggle not only throughout the construction industry but among broader sections of the working class, including educators, Amazon and Boeing workers who are all fighting impossibly high living costs and the criminal sacrifice of human life for profit during the pandemic. The NWCU and local building trades unions have launched a witch-hunt against militant workers aimed at bullying carpenters into surrendering. Lawyers for the NWCU have already sent out letters to organizers of the Peter J. McGuire Group demanding that they cease and desist from advocating wildcat strikes and threatening to hold their leaders personally responsible for any resulting violations and will pursue all legal remedies available under state and federal law as well as the UBC Constitution. In a last-ditch effort to intimidate the strikers, NWCU Executive Treasurer Evelyn Shapiro, Kings County Labor Council leader Nicole Grant and building trades union leaders Monty Anderson and Chris McLain have resorted to redbaiting members of the Peter J. McGuire Group and Seattle City Councilwoman and Socialist Alternative member Kshama Sawant, who has made public statements in support of the strikers. Their crude attacks on extremist Marxists, which echo Trumps right-wing rantings against socialism, are aimed at blocking the radicalization of workers and their revolt against the corporatist unions. Anderson recently complained to a right-wing radio host that the membership was being estranged from the leadership and was separating from the herd. Workers must be on guard against provocations by the union officials, who are more than willing to collude with the courts, the police and federal agents to frame up and jail militant workers. The most dangerous folly would be to underestimate the ruthlessness of the union bureaucracy, which sees in the upsurge of the carpenters an existential threat to their lucrative relations with the corporations. NWCU Executive Treasurer Evelyn Shapiro got $259,038 in union compensation in 2020. Her boss, UBC General President Douglas McCarron, pocketed $519,000, and his 10 underlings on the UBC executive board got another $3.7 million combined. In 2020, the UBC national headquarters disbursed $123 million on union administration, general overhead, purchase of investments and fixed assets and political activities and lobbying, while paying $0 on strike activities. In recent years UBC leaders of Michigan and New Jersey affiliates have been jailed for stealing pension funds. The role of Socialist Alternative While there are many militant carpenters who look to the Peter J. McGuire Group to express their opposition, it must be said that the political outlook of the groups leaders is fatally flawed. No matter how sharp their rhetoric against the UBC bureaucrats, in the end they hope to convince Shapiro & Co. to adopt more militant policies and reform the union. This false and naive conception has been reinforced by Sawant and the Socialist Alternative, which have done everything to conceal the irreconcilable class conflict between the carpenters and the working class on the one side, and their implacable enemies who run the NWCU, UBC and AFL-CIO on the other. At every point Sawant has sought to keep workers tied to the corporatist unions and prevent the independent industrial and political mobilization of the working class against the Democratic Party, which dominates state and local politics. Kshama Sawant with Nicole Grant in 2014 (Source: Flickr) In her remarks at a public rally on Saturday, Sawant presented the sabotage of the strike as the mistaken direction of the leadership who were pursuing a losing strategy, not the deliberate and politically conscious decisions of union executives whose material interests are completely separated from and hostile to those of the working class. Sawant invited Shapiro and Grant to the Saturday event. She said, I believe for the labor movement to win victories we need transparent discussion and even debate on strategy and tactics, she said, adding, I do feel it is unfortunate that neither one of them has joined us here. At a similar event Thursday morning, Sawant begged Monty Anderson, executive secretary of the Seattle Building and Construction Trades Council, and Chris McLain, vice president of the Pacific Northwest Ironworkers, to come here and talk to us. Her cringing appeals to Brother Anderson have not been slowed by the fact that the Seattle building trades union executive is one of the leading figures in the right-wing campaign to recall Sawant and throw her off the city council. Far from calling on workers to break decisively with the corporatist unions and build new organizations of struggle genuinely controlled by workers themselves, Sawant functions as an adviser to the union bureaucrats, suggesting various measures that they should take to better fool the workers into believing they represent them. In repeated letters and public statements, Sawant urged Shapiro and other elected labor leaders to reduce their salaries to the level of an average worker so they can be more in touch with the conditions of the workers they represent. Sawant and SA claim the union executives, though they may have been led astray by the bosses, can be returned to fold. But the union bureaucrats understand that their privileged positions depend entirely on proving again and again their value in suppressing the class struggle. Finally, Sawant has introduced meaningless legislation in the Seattle City Council that would supposedly require contractors to pay for workers parking fees and increase local authority to investigate wage theft in the industry. The aim of all of this is to sow illusions in the Democratic Party. But at every level, from the Biden administration to Governor Jay Inslee and Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan, the Democrats serve the interests of the corporate and financial elite. The Democrats have handed over trillions in corporate tax cuts and bailouts and kept schools and workplaces open so workers can produce profits even as nearly 700,000 people died in the pandemic. Sawants progressive elected officials would also not hesitate to send police to crush the carpenters if their rebellion expanded and triggered a broader movement of the working class. If Sawant refers to the class enemies of the carpenters as her brothers and sisters, it is because the pseudo-left Socialist Alternative speaks not for the working class but for left-talking union bureaucrats, progressive elected officials and other affluent layers of the upper middle class. Sawants own American Federation of Teachers has played the leading role in helping the Biden administration herd educators and children back into infected schools. Build a rank-and-file strike committee! The Seattle strike is part of the growing resistance of workers in the US and around the world, including educators, Dana auto parts workers and others. To fight, the working class needs the truth and new organizations of struggle. The Socialist Equality Party calls on carpenters to take the fight into their own hands by forming a rank-and-file strike committee, completely independent of the corporatist unions. This committee should establish lines of communication between construction workers and with other sections of workers, including Seattle and Washington state educators, Amazon and Boeing workers. A rank-and-file strike committee will unite and coordinate joint action with all workers coming into struggle against social inequality and the criminal sacrifice of life for profit during the pandemic. In opposition to the threats by the NWCU, UBC and AFL-CIO bureaucrats, a rank-and-file committee will fight for the broadest support in the working class, including mass demonstrations, rallies and joint strikes, to defend the striking carpenters and oppose any state intervention against them. This must be combined with a political struggle by the working class against both corporate-controlled parties and the fight for a workers government to replace the capitalist profit system with socialism. The Chicago Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee is independent of the CTU and Democratic Party and aims to unite educators, parents, students and the broader working class to prepare strike action to close all schools and nonessential workplaces. We call on all Chicago educators, parents and students to join our committee today. Less than one month into the school year, cases of COVID-19 have exploded among students at Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Officially, the district has recorded 558 cases among students, and nearly 10,000 are currently in quarantine even with the districts almost nonexistent testing and contact tracing. Despite the danger to children and educators, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, in line with the entire state Democratic Party, has insisted that schools are safe and must remain open for in-person learning, even though nearly all previously announced mitigation measures have been rescinded or remain a dead letter. Freddie Golden, 17, reaches for a folder from his friend and classmate Amari Crockett at the Collins campus of North Lawndale College Prep High School in Chicago on Wednesday, June 2, 2021 [Credit: AP Photo/Martha Irvine] In addition to the official student cases recorded by CPS, there have officially been 185 cases among educators and other staff. These numbers vastly understate the level of spread in schools. In some cases, it appears CPS is delaying adding known cases to its online tracker. While CPS claimed before the school year started that they would test students weekly, only three percent of CPS students have registered for testing, a consequence of the fact that the program has been opt-in and the district has made little effort to sign students up. In fact, the whole process of testing and quarantining is obviously designed to present bureaucratic hurdles to parents and students who might wish to be tested and to serve as a disincentive to report any positive tests or exposure. Many parents have reported on social media that CPS has sent messages that their children may have been exposed and should quarantine days after the fact, while teachers have reported being left in the dark about their students status. In what amounts to a punitive measure for quarantining students, they are denied an option for remote learning while away from school, and essentially given a packet of homework to complete on their own. Statewide data from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) paints a somewhat more accurate picture of the grim situation in schools, although it too likely understates the cases given limited testing and the abysmal state of contact tracing. According to IDPH data, the number of cases being recorded in young children aged 5-11, who are being forced back into school despite being ineligible for vaccines, has exploded in the current surge driven by the Delta variant. The week ending September 4 has been the worst so far, with 3,654 cases among this younger age group, 73 percent higher than the number of cases for that age group on January 9. Although cases declined somewhat for the week ending September 18, to 2,514, the level of infections for children too young to be vaccinated remains higher than during last years winter surge. IDPH also lists active COVID-19 outbreaks at 257 schools, with 31 in Cook County and eight in Chicago, including four at CPS charter schools. According to state contact tracing data, schools represent the largest source of potential exposures, at 28 percent. Although the IDPH graph listing the sources of current outbreaks omits schools, they would be the biggest source of outbreaks in the state, with Factory/Manufacturer coming in second with 212 outbreaks. The state has also seen recent deaths of students, educators and their family members. On Monday, 43-year-old Shenitha Angel Curry, the mother of a CPS student at Jensen Elementary, died from COVID-19. At least 205 students, including her child, had gone into quarantine after there were eight confirmed COVID-19 cases among students and staff at the school. Currys sister has told local media that Curry was sure her illness stemmed from the outbreaks at her childs school. On September 13, 39-year-old Cherie Garza, a teacher at Crete-Monee Middle School, in Chicagos far south suburbs, died of COVID-19. Garza had planned to get vaccinated before the beginning of the school year but fell ill before getting the chance to do so, as a result of the states widespread reopening while the Delta variant was beginning to run rampant. Just a few days later, on September 17, 17-year-old Alexia Garrison died. Garrison, a student at Taylorville High School, southeast of the state capital in Springfield, initially had only mild symptoms, and had seemingly been symptom-free for several days, prior to her sudden collapse and death. There is growing opposition among Chicago parents, educators and students to the reckless reopening of schools, which has caused all of the above needless infections and deaths. After UK parent Lisa Diaz called for a school strike in the UK, Chicago parents took this up and are preparing to organize similar protests in Chicago this Friday. Far from expressing any kind of concern for the nearly 10,000 CPS students in quarantine due to being a close contact of someone who tested positive, Lightfoot instead complained that CPS was being overly strict in its quarantine decisions and promised changes to the policy in order to keep more students in school, as has already taken place in New York City. CPS also stopped reporting the number of students considered close contacts on its website. Saying she was not happy and frankly deeply disappointed with the way CPS has handled this from the start of the school year, Lightfoot said, There is no reason the numbers should be growing. She then claimed, contrary to scientific findings about the infectiousness of the Delta variant, Passing someone in the hallway is not 15 minutes of substantive contact that would warrant the kind of quarantining that we have seen. During an interview with WTTW, Lightfoot said, Im confident that things will improve, and theyre going to improve because we have put Dr. [Allison] Arwady and her team on the case and they will be helping build up the infrastructure of CPS to do better case investigations and better contact tracing. In other words, Arwady, Commissioner for the Department of Public Health, is being sent into CPS to cover up what is seen by the ruling class as a mere public relations disaster. Arwady will ensure that neither testing nor contact tracing will be done in any systematic or comprehensive way that might disclose the actual state of disease spread and have the potential to shut down schools. She claimed last week that the case numbers at CPS were really low numbers and certainly not unexpected. The Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), for its part, has suggested the bungled and chaotic reopening is due essentially to poor management by Lightfoot and district officials, rather than a conscious class policy. In fact, the CTU has maintained the fiction put forward by American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten that schools can be made safe through the use of limited mitigation measures, even though it is abundantly clear that maintaining those standards across an entire school day is all but impossible, even when the resources exist. CTU President Jesse Sharkey basically agreed with Lightfoots complaints about quarantine, calling it a crude measure for trying to stop the spread of COVID in our schools. Far from trying to combat the unsafe resumption of in-person learning, since their sabotage of the teachers struggle against reopening in the spring, CTU leaders have repeatedly insisted they be brought in officially to help with the management of the pandemic in schools through an agreement with the district. Parents, for their part, have criticized the lack of a remote option, the consequence of an edict by the Illinois State Board of Education. Parents who have refused to send their children back to school have also seen them declared inactive, the first step to being disenrolled from school. At a recent online event hosted by the CTU, the union made clear it would undertake no serious struggle to shut down schools or otherwise protect students and teachers. Referring to the toothless safety committees created through the reopening agreement, CTU Recording Secretary Maria Moreno expressed the union leaderships hostility to genuine struggles, and commitment to issuing only mild criticisms of Lightfoot and CPS leadership. If conditions are unsafe at a given school, she threatened merely to organize a press conference in front of the school. She added, We pushed the board, unfortunately, to the point of threatening to go on strike and work actions to move. We would prefer not to have to do that all the time, every time with the board of ed[ucation], and the mayor, because it takes a lot of resources and time away from what teachers and educators went into the profession of teaching, which was to teach your children. CPS educators, parents and students who are looking for a way to combat the dangerous reopening plan must understand that the CTU is not an organization working in their interests. The only way forward is through the building of the Chicago Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee as part of a nationwide and international network of rank-and-file committees. Those interested in joining this committee should sign up today to get involved. As in the United States and across Europe, the Macron governments policy of keeping schools open throughout the coronavirus pandemic is continuing to produce the mass infection of children. A school in Strasbourg, eastern France, on September 2, 2021. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias) The government announced last Friday that 2,366 classrooms had been closed over the previous week, down from 3,299 the week earlier. A classroom is closed only in primary school upon the detection of a single case. In total 6,383 students tested positive for the virus, down from 9,748 the week earlier. The total number of daily cases for all age groups remains at over 5,700. This is down from approximately 20,000 daily cases one month ago on August 23. However, while the warmer weather combined with the impact of vaccinations have temporarily reduced case numbers, scientists are continuing to warn that the ending of social distancing measures is preparing a new wave as autumn begins, that could well be as deadly as last year. The reopening of schools has already led to a significant surge of the virus among children. In its latest national bulletin published on September 23, Public Health France reported that the incidence rate among those aged 0-9 was 94 per 100,000 people this week, compared to 73 for the general population. Last week was the first time in the previous 10 weeks that the incidence rate for this age group was higher than the population at large. The incidence is highest among children aged 6-10. The government is in fact responding to the spread of the virus in schools by loosening social distancing protocols. On Wednesday, September 22, government spokesman Gabriel Attal announced that masks will no longer be compulsory in primary schools as of October 4, in departments where the incidence rate is below 50 per 100,000 people. There are currently 40 departments where this would apply. Yesterday, Prime Minister Jean Castex announced that the Macron government would be experimenting with a new health protocol in a number of school districts. Under the new policy, a case detected in primary school will also not close the class, but only result in the testing of all students in the classroom and the sending home of positive students. It will result in additional delays that will allow even more time for the virus to spread among students. These events make clear the importance of the October 1 school strike call made by UK parent Lisa Diaz, a member of the SafeEd4All group who works with the UK Educators Rank-and-File Safety Committee. We need collective action, and we need to keep raising awareness, Lisa told the WSWS. Because the politicians have failed us. The unions are failing children. The claim that children are not so affected by this is a lie. In France, the Macron governments own scientific advisory council is predicting a new wave of the pandemic, particularly among school-aged children. On September 13, the Scientific Council provided the government with an update, noting the the absence of vaccination protection among children less than 12 years old and the still weak vaccination rate of those from 12-17 (67.1 percent with a single dose and 53.6 percent with total vaccination). The report was only made public last week. It called attention to a significant viral circulation in the general population with incidence rates among the 0-9 and 10-19 age groups elevated in certain regions (such as in Provence-Alpes Cote dAzur, with 300 cases per 100,000 people, and 428 in the Bouches-du-Rhone.) In the last week of August, more than 10,000 cases were reported among those aged 0-9, and more than 20,000 among those aged 10-19, compared to 300 and 3,100, respectively, for the same age groups at the same time last year. The report refers to the development in the United States of a sharp rise in paediatric hospitalisations tied to the Delta variant (5 times in June and August), particularly among the 0-4 ages (10 times over the same period) which could be tied to the rise in incidence in this population but also to the increased paediatric severity [of the variant.] Also, an increased viral circulation among minors could lead to a major growth in long Covid among children The document warns that contaminated children could make up 35 percent of cases and 5 percent of hospitalisations in the course of the coming weeks. At even current hospitalisation rates, this would mean the hospitalisation of many hundreds of children. But other scientific modelling predicts a course of development that is even more grave. On September 6, the Pasteur Institute published modelling projections of the development of the spread of the Delta variant, under varying assumptions of immunity rates within the population. It found that even with a total vaccination rate of 70 percent for 12-17 year olds, 80 percent for 18-59 year olds and 90 percent for those over 60, daily hospitalisations would exceed 5,200 people in a new wave within the coming months, higher than during the first and second waves of the virus. Simon Cauchemez, the Pasteur researcher and a member of the Scientific Council, noted that these results can be surprising given current vaccination rates, but during the first wave, we estimate that five percent of the French population were infectedno doubt less among the most fragile, who had fewer contactsand this was sufficient to overwhelm the health system. Even with a coverage of 90 percent among the oldest people, which means there would be 10 percent of vulnerable people, meaning three times as much as the infected population during the first wave. The Pasteur Institute modelling, moreover, is based on an R value of 5 for the Delta variant, which they note is on the lower end of current estimates. Under these conditions, Macron is proceeding with the ending of social distancing measures. Last week, the government also indicated it would consider ending the health pass, which effectively mandates vaccination for travel to public places on a region-by-region basis. Macrons policy is dictated by the interests of the corporate and financial elite. Social distancing measures are being ended using the justification of partial and insufficient vaccination because this is required to ensure that corporate operations can continue. Children are being kept in overcrowded classrooms so that their parents can continue to work. This not only ensures that many tens of thousands of people will die unnecessarily but increases the danger of the development of new variants. Macron has relied on the support of the political establishment, including the nominal opposition of the Socialist Party and Jean-Luc Melenchons Unsubmissive France, as well as the nominal right Republicans and Le Pens National Rally, to implement this policy of mass death. It has also depended upon the support of the trade unions, which have enforced the reopening of schools in unsafe conditions. The alternative to this policy as advocated by the Socialist Equality Party is the policy of eradication of the pandemic on a global scale. This necessarily would include the closure of nonessential workplaces and schools until the spread of the virus has been stopped, the population vaccinated, with coordinated measures internationally to eliminate the virus. Mondays farmer-union called Bharat Bandh (all-India shut down) demanding the repeal of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) governments pro-agribusiness laws won widespread popular support. In many states, the 10-hour 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. protest significantly disrupted socioeconomic life. This was especially true in Punjab and Haryana in the north, and several states in the south where opposition-led governments made a show of supporting the farmers. Policemen walk along as activists of various organizations march in support of farmers during a nation-wide shutdown to protest against contentious farm laws in Bengaluru, India, Monday, Sept. 27, 2021 [Credit: AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi] The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM-United Farmers Front), an umbrella body of 40 farmers groups, called the protest to mark one year since Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his far-right BJP rammed their farm reform through parliament with next to no debate. Sept. 26 also marked exactly 10 months since the farmers organizations launched an agitation that has seen tens of thousands of protesting farmers continuously encamped at three entry points into the Delhi National Capital Territory. In many parts of the country Monday, farmers and their supporters blocked highways, including from Uttar Pradesh into Delhi, and squatted on rail lines. Elsewhere, there were rallies at rail stations and outside government buildings. According to the Tribune, there was an enormous response in Punjab and Haryana where tens of thousands of farmers blocked major highways, including National Highway 1 linking Delhi. Shops and other commercial establishments were closed in most towns as traders extended their support to the agitating farmers. Also impacted were Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in the north, West Bengal and Odisha in the east, Tripura in the northeast, Rajasthan in the west, and Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka in the south. The SKM called the support for Mondays bandh unprecedented and historic, adding that the countrys annadaata (food providers) had mounted protests in 23 of Indias 28 states, with spontaneous participation from various sections of the society witnessed at most places. Spokespeople for the BJP government were quick to disparage the protests, labelling them an opposition party ploy. The government had hoped to wear down the protesting farmers and split their leaderswho are either drawn from more wealthy, politically-connected farmers or are themselves local political leadersthrough long drawn-out negotiations and the offer of minor, mainly cosmetic changes to the three laws. But the agitation for the repeal of the laws has persisted, even as the government insists that it is ready to countenance no more than a handful of amendments. Most opposition partiesincluding the Congress Party, till recently the Indian bourgeoisies preferred party of national government, the Aam Aadmi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party, Telugu Desam Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, and the Stalinist CPI and CPMissued statements declaring support for the bandh. In some cases their party workers joined the farmers protests. In Kerala, the Stalinist-led Left Democratic Front government joined with the trade unions in promoting the bandh, giving most government workers the day off and ordering virtually all state-owned buses off the road, resulting in a near total shutdown of the state. The Andhra Pradesh state government, led by a regional split-off from the Congress, the YSR Congress Party, also cancelled bus service for the duration of the protest. In Tamil Nadu, by contrast, the Stalinist-backed DMK government limited its support for the farmers to ordering party workers to wave DMK flags at a handful of demonstrations. By associating themselves with the widely popular 10-month-long farmers agitation against the BJP governments pro-agribusiness laws, the opposition parties hope to reap electoral gains in next years state elections, especially in Indias most populous state, Uttar Pradesh. Their principal concern, however, is that the burgeoning and increasingly explosive mass opposition to Modi and the Hindu supremacist BJP be contained within parliamentary and protest politics and thereby defused and suppressed. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged India, Modi and his Hindu supremacist BJP had been pushed onto the back-foot by the mass protests against its discriminatory, anti-Muslim Citizenship Amendment Act and a growing working class challenge to its pro investor agenda of austerity, privatization and the gutting of environmental and labour standards. The Indian ruling class ruinous and criminal response to the pandemic, which has systematically prioritized corporate profits and investor wealth over saving lives, has resulted in mass death and enormously exacerbated an already acute social crisis. Led by Modi and his BJP, Indias governments have pushed relentlessly to reopen the economy, resulting in two devastating waves of the pandemic that have overwhelmed the countrys ramshackle health care system, and now threaten to produce a third. Officially, India has recorded just under 450,000 COVID-19 deaths, but the true figure, as a spate of studies of increased mortality during the pandemic have demonstrated, is approaching 5 million or more. Moreover, alongside the health crisis there has been a pandemic of joblessness and hunger as Indias governments, beginning with the calamitous ill-prepared lockdown Modi imposed with less than four hours notice in March 2020, have left Indias workers and toilers to effectively fend for themselves amid unprecedented job losses. In August, according to the Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy, there were 28 million workers employed in manufacturing as compared to 40 million before the pandemic struck. Desperate for any income and means of support, tens of millions Indians have turned to hawking or agriculture, whether as subsistence farmers or agricultural labourers, during the pandemic. The Modi government and Indian bourgeoisie have responded to the pandemics intensification of the crisis of global capitalism by shifting sharply further right. To attract investment, they are intensifying their class war assault on Indias workers and toilers, and for both geostrategic and economic reasons they are integrating India ever more fully into Washingtons military-strategic offensive against China. In the September 2020 Monsoon session of parliament, the Modi government pushed through its three farm reform laws, which pave the way for agri-business to entirely dominate Indias agriculture sector. They remove most restraints on hoarding, allow corporate houses to bypass the existing government markets (mandis), which farmers rightly fear will lead to the abolition of the government minimum support price for key commodities, and strengthen big business in its dealings with contract farmers, including by giving them near blanket legal immunity. In the same parliamentary session, the Modi government pushed through a so-called labour law reform. It further expands employers already sweeping prerogatives to employ contract workers and ensnares workers in an elaborate state-supervised labour relations regime with the aim of making most worker job actions illegal. In this years just-completed Monsoon session of parliament, the Modi government pushed through a further raft of right-wing laws, including legislation authorizing further privatizations and illegalizing all strikes by workers in defence-related industries. The government has also brought forward a national monetization pipeline scheme under which the management and profits from a vast array of government and PSU (public sector unit) assets, from train lines and highways to power stations, will be leased to big business. There is mass opposition within the working class to the Modi governments and the employers attacks on jobs and wages and their criminal mishandling of the pandemic. Recent months have seen broad sections of workers, from bank clerks to coal miners, join one-day strikes against the governments privatization drive. Last Friday, hundreds of thousands of rural health (AHSA) workers, who have been on the front lines of the fight against the pandemic, staged a one-day strike to demand improved pay, insurance and proper personal protective equipment. Workers in Indias globally-connected auto sector have been involved in a wave of struggles against speed-up, poverty wages and precarious contract jobs. In late May, a worker rebellion against the lack of COVID-19 safety measures forced Hyundai, Ford and Renault-Nissan to temporarily shut down their plants in the auto manufacturing belt neat Chennai, Tamil Nadu. However, the unions and the ostensibly left parties, above all the Stalinist Communist Party of India (Marxist) or CPM, and its close ally the Communist Party of India (CPI), are doing everything in their power to straitjacket the working class resistance and politically suppress it. While mouthing support for the farmers they have kept the working class on the side-lines, and above all, worked to prevent it from intervening as an independent political force, fighting to rally the farmers, and especially the small and marginal farmers and agricultural workers, behind it in the fight for a workers government and a socialist-internationalist program. Long an integral part of the capitalist political establishment, the Stalinists aim to smother the popular opposition to Modi by subordinating it to the efforts to bring to power an alternate right-wing government, whether led by the Congress or a combination of regional-chauvinist and caste-ist parties, in Indias 2024 national election. Revelations that the CIA discussed the assassination of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange confirm the staggering criminality of the US and British ruling class. By rights, they should see the US extradition case against Assange still proceeding through the UK High Court thrown out, and the investigation and prosecution of the conspirators up to the highest level of the US and UK governments and their intelligence agencies. Julian Assange being dragged out of the Ecuadorean embassy in London, April 2019 According to an investigation by Yahoo News published Sunday, President Donald Trumps CIA director Mike Pompeo christened WikiLeaks a non-state hostile intelligence service in 2017 to make its employees and associates a legitimate target for CIA offensive counterintelligence activities. Pompeo then asked for plans to be drawn up for Assanges kidnap or assassination. The report is based on information from more than 30 US sources. Both Pompeo and the CIA have refused to comment. These sources, former top US officials, explain that the US manhunt of Assange escalated dramatically after the publication of the Vault 7 leaks in March 2017, exposing intimate details of CIA spying operations. Three sources stated that plans were discussed to kill the WikiLeaks founder, with Trump reportedly asking for options from the agency on how this could be done. CIA heads apparently requested and were provided sketches of assassination plans and discussions were had on whether killing Assange was possible and whether it was legal, according to one source. Plans for Assanges kidnap, in the event of a Russian-backed escape from the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where Assange had claimed asylum, included ramming a Russian diplomatic vehicle, shoot-outs with Russian agents in the streets of London and, as a last resort, shooting the tyres of any Russian plane trying to carry Assange out of the country. A senior official told Yahoo that Britain agreed to do the shooting if gunfire was required. Yahoos investigation confirms and substantially expands on claims subject to a current court case in Spain that the firm UC Global, which provided security for Ecuadors London embassy, worked with the CIA to spy on Assange and discussed his kidnap and assassination. There is nothing the least surprising about the existence of plans for Assanges murder. US imperialism has despatched its professional assassins all over the world to secure its interests for decades. The Assange plot recalls the murder of Chilean dissident Orlando Letelier in 1976, whose car was blown up in Washington D.C., just a mile from the White House. Organised by Augusto Pinochets secret police, the killing was facilitated by US intelligence under Operation Condorthough this has always been denied. What is new today is the increasingly unguarded character of ruling class violence and repression. Plots once organised through accomplices, kept closely under wraps and strenuously denied are now carried out in ever more open fashion. The admitted murder and dismemberment of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, in the Saudi consulate in Turkey in 2018 by agents of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, elicited only the most token condemnation by the US and UK governments. Just over a week ago, the New York Times gloried in the US-Israeli assassination of Iranian physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. Assanges own killing was widely discussed shortly after the Iraq and Afghanistan war logs and US diplomatic cables leaks. In 2012, WikiLeaks produced a video, titled Assassinating Assange, collecting the threats made against his life by prominent figures in the previous two years. Commentators on Fox News called for the then Obama administration to illegally shoot the son of a b****, have the CIA take him out and say, if we catch you, were gonna hang you. Former Republican speaker of the house Newt Gingrich said Assange had engaged in terrorism and should be treated as an enemy combatant. He was agreed with by then Vice President Joe Biden, who labelled Assange a high-tech terrorist. Secretary of State Hilary Clinton reportedly asked in private, Cant we just drone this guy? There is no doubt that high-level discussions regarding Assanges possible assassination took place under Obama. Sundays revelations demonstrate that the Trump administration, in response to continued WikiLeaks releases causing serious damage to US imperialism and an explosion of domestic class tensions, sought ever more recklessly to realise this aim. Moreover, their leaking by so many sources must be related to the escalating factional warfare in ruling circles regarding Trumps January 6 coup plot. The close involvement of the British state in these plans sheds light on the January 4 surprise ruling by District Judge Vanessa Baraitser that Assange should not be extradited to the US due to the substantial risk of his suicide. That ruling was challenged by the US, which this August was granted expanded grounds to appeal the decision in a hearing before the High Court scheduled for October 27-28. Clearly, the type of suicide Baraitser had in mind was a murder orchestrated by the US state. The pseudo-legal pursuit of Assange was an ancillary operation to the kill or capture mission discussed by the CIA. Once Assange was in the clutches of the US prison system, he could meet a similar fate to that of Jeffrey Epsteinwho supposedly hanged himself in his cell in August 2019 before being called to testify in a sex trafficking case implicating dozens of the most powerful figures in American society. In the knowledge of this plot, the UK ruling class evidently felt it lacked sufficient deniability in January for such a barefaced murder of a journalist whose imprisonment it has overseen for the past decade. Every action taken by the British judiciary since the original denial of extradition, however, has been in the US governments favour. By proceeding with the case, the British state is knowingly complicit in an ongoing conspiracy to murder or otherwise silence Assange forever. Also complicit are the worlds media, above all the liberal Guardian in the UK and the New York Times in the US. At the time of writing, the Times had not reported on the Yahoo News revelations at all. The Guardian only published an article late on Monday evening (9 pm BST) and buried it in its media section. Despite feeling belatedly forced to make a show of opposition to Assanges extradition, these papers continue to do all in their power to obscure the full implications of a case that reveals the total, unreformable criminality of US, British and world imperialism. They have painted the extradition proceedings as a case of ill-advised overreach by embarrassed governments, which should be ruled against by a wiser judiciary. These latest exposures blow this fraud apart. The only conclusion to be drawn is that Assanges extradition must be dropped immediately. The US has not even the formal right to seek his extraditionunder UK law, no one can be extradited to a country where they have a chance of facing the death penaltyand the UK has no right to hear his case. Both governments are party to kidnap and murder plots against him. These facts alone do not offer any guarantee of Assanges safety. In her ruling against extradition, Baraitser said of the defences evidence on UC Global and CIA surveillance that there is no reason to assume this related to these proceedings and that fruits of any surveillance would not be seen by prosecutors assigned to the case. Baraitsers statement proves there is no purely judicial route to Assanges freedom. What is necessary is the construction of a mass international movement, rooted in the working class. Building such a movement requires a complete rejection of the appeals made by those like the official Dont Extradite Assange campaign to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, President Joe Biden and even, when he was president, Trump. All of these figures, together with their heads of intelligence and their deputies, are implicated in a plot to kill the WikiLeaks founder. The fight to free Assange is bound up with the struggle to put these imperialist gangsters in the dock in his place. As they struggle with some of the worlds worst COVID-19 outbreaks, countries across Southeast Asia are under pressure, from the imperialist powers and manufacturing conglomerates, to remove COVID-19 control measures and free up crippled global supply chains. An article in Fortune on September 13 declared that Vietnam, Malaysia and Singapore have realized they can no longer afford their strict COVID control measures. While low vaccination rates make many vulnerable to the Delta variant, their stretched state finances and dwindling monetary policy firepower mean lockdowns are less tenable by the day, the magazine intoned. A man breaches through a barricade to get in an alley in Vung Tau, Vietnam, Monday, Sept. 20, 2021 [Credit: AP Photo/Hau Dinh] While governments have begun winding back protective measures, finance capital and big business are making sure that they realise the necessity of opening up. In what amounts to a threat, Fortune declared that addressing global supply-chain blockages is vital to avoid dampening foreign investor appetite for the dynamic region. Amid escalating geo-strategic tensions, Washington is preparing an offensive over control of essential resources. The Quad meeting of leaders from the US, Australia, India and Japan last weekend, led by US President Biden, committed to bolster supply chain security for semiconductors, components and software, to reduce dependence on China, as part of the build-up for war. An article in Forbes on September 12 described semiconductors, which are vital for military equipment, as the most essential physical resource of the 21st century, and warned the fight over access to semiconductors is the main economic factor that could trigger war between the US and China. Currently, the uncontrolled spread of the Delta COVID-19 variant is producing shortages of semiconductors and computer chips, disrupting production and driving up the prices of cars and electronic goods, with a growing impact on the global economy. A surge of COVID-19 cases in Vietnam and Malaysia, has contributed to the shortage of computer chips and vehicle parts. Toyota, the worlds largest carmaker, announced that it was slashing production for September, from 900,000 units to 540,000. Other auto companies, including Ford, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover and Chinas Geely have had to cut production in plants in Europe, Japan, the US and China. The threat to profits is substantial. The WSWS reported in April that the global auto industry could see a $US61 billion drop in revenue in 2021. Ford is expecting that shutdowns will cut profits by $1 billion from $2.5 billion in the first half of the year, while GM revealed pre-tax profits could be hit by $2 billion. The global chip shortage will last for at least another year, according to Flex, one of the worlds largest electronics contract manufacturers. The Wall Street Journal reported on September 17 that the surge in COVID-19 cases has also throttled ports, and locked down plantations and processors, sparking extended disruptions of raw materials, including palm oil, coffee and tin. The Delta strain has become rampant in recent months, with the daily death rate in many Southeast Asian countries exceeding the global average. There is growing pressure by big business to resurrect profits, by treating COVID-19 as endemic and imposing the homicidal policy of learning to live with the virus. Singapore, a global trade and travel hub, ranks among the most vaccinated, at above 80 percent of the population fully vaccinated. After shutting its borders in March 2020, Singapore entered the deepest recession in its history, with the government spending $US100 billion, or 20 percent of GDP, to shore up the economy. However, despite the high vaccination rate, there has been a resurgence of the virus. As of September 25, Singapore reported 1,443 new COVID-19 cases, the fifth consecutive day new infections have exceeded 1,000, and bringing the total to nearly 86,000 cases. And there have been 21 deaths so far in September, a new monthly record. Malaysia and Vietnam, which play critical roles in producing electronics, as well as packaging and testing components, used in everything from vehicles to smartphones, are facing their worst outbreaks since the pandemic began. Vietnam has become an increasingly important part of the tech supply chain, with companies from Samsung Electronics to Apple suppliers relocating from China, amid rising costs and trade and geopolitical risks. Early in the pandemic, Vietnam remained mostly open, allowing Intel to increase production volume by 30 percent, in the first half of 2020. Beginning in April, however, the government imposed strict lockdowns to contain the new Delta surge, with strict stay-at-home orders in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Samsung was forced to cut back production at one of its big electronics factories, after an outbreak sparked demands to find accommodation for thousands of workers at the industrial complex. The trade ministry warned that Vietnam risked losing overseas customers, because of shuttered factories. The European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam estimated that 18 percent of its members had relocated part of their production to other countries, to ensure their supply chains were protected, with more expected to follow. Bloomberg reported that the new rules had riled exporters as lockdowns impacted manufacturers and businesses, while failing to halt Deltas spread. Vietnam is now testing a strategy of limited target lockdowns, which has seen Hanoi instituting travel checkpoints, as officials vary restrictions based on virus risk in different areas of the city. Vietnam, however, is reporting record-high infection rates, with new cases averaging 7,950 per day and deaths surging to 360 daily. In total, 263,543 infections have been reported in one month, according to Johns Hopkins. Vietnam has recorded 747,000 cases and over 18,000 deaths. The outbreak has seriously impacted Vietnams health care system. Just 7.5 percent of its population is fully vaccinated, while 30 percent of 98 million people have at least one jab. The slow vaccine rollout is due, in part, to the fact that wealthy nations garnered the majority of early vaccine supplies. In Malaysia, COVID-19 infections are also soaring. The country recently imposed its fourth lockdown, as it reported consecutive daily records of coronavirus cases. Malaysia has one of the highest infection rates and deaths per capita in the world. Daily new infections are currently running at nearly 16,000, with a total of 2.17 million cases. The death toll stands at more than 25,000. More than 50 international chip vendors operate fabrication plants in Malaysia, which is also home to semiconductor packaging and testing facilities. The global supply of tin, used to connect computer chips to circuit boards, has been hit by interruptions at a major smelter in Malaysia. Tin exports decreased 29 percent in June, from a year earlier. Restrictions have also prevented migrant laborers from traveling to Malaysias plantations, raising prices of widely used palm oil. With Malaysias 2021 growth forecast set to halve to 34 percent, companies were allowed to keep operating, with 60 percent of their workforces, during partial lockdowns. Factories and workers crowded dormitories became major transmission sites for the virus. Businesses will now be able to resume full operation, when more than 80 percent of their workers are fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, vaccines are being directed to economically vital regions, rather than poorer residential areas. Indonesia, with the regions largest population, persists as an epicentre of infections and deaths. Yet in the capital Jakarta, a drop in case numbers to 2,500 per day from 50,000 has seen authorities junking the red zone status and partial lockdowns in many city districts and declaring the disaster over. Thailand announced last month that it will shift away from a COVID-zero strategy, to one that tolerates the virus, amid its own wave of new infections and a lagging vaccine campaign. More than 1.5 million people have been infected with over 16,000 deaths, mostly since April. The government has lifted most of its limited lockdown measures, in a bid to revive tourism and manufacturing. Under conditions of deepening poverty and a public health catastrophe, broad political opposition is erupting. In Malaysia last month, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin was forced to resign. The failure of the government to contain the virus, together with the worsening economic and social crisis, fueled protests by young people and a strike by overworked junior doctors. Street protests against the Thai military-backed regime, that predate COVID, have evolved into pandemic-related rallies. The latest wave of protests began at the end of June, and has escalated over the past two months, despite police crackdowns. More than 10 demonstrations were broken up with force last month. The Stop the War Coalition (STWC) marked its 20th anniversary this month. At a rally held in the aftermath of the US/UK troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, the STWCs leading personnel engaged in mutual backslapping and self-congratulation. Epitomised by the address of one former chair of the STWC, Andrew Murray, the theme of the event was, We were righta phrase he repeated more than a dozen times. This was all based on the STWCs opposing wars in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere for the past two decades. But the STWCs real role has been how they took leadership of a mass movement against warbeginning in response to the post 9/11 US-led war on Afghanistan and leading in 2003 to the largest protest event in history, the February 15 demonstrations opposing war against Iraqonly to politically destroy it. The featured speaker at the rally was former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who in 2003 spoke at the end of a march in London that mobilised well over one million people. And it is Corbyn, also a former STWC chair, who personifies the political bankruptcy of the forces making up the STWC and explains why the semi-official anti-war movement it heads barely exists any longer. Jeremy Corbyn speaking at the Stop the War Coalition anniversary meeting (screenshot of video/StoptheWarCoalition YouTube) It is not necessary to cite at length from every speech delivered to the 20th anniversary rally. From the opening remark by current STWC chairperson Shelley Asquith that Weve massively shifted popular public opinion. One of our former chairs even almost went on to become prime minister, all roads eventually led to Corbyn. But one remark should be cited from Murray, a lifelong Stalinist, union functionary and one of Corbyns main advisers, whose boastful tirade included the telling observation, Frankly world politics would be much better if Stop the War Coalition rather than Labour and Tory governments had been directing the foreign policy of this country This is not rhetoric on Murrays part. It is a job application, offered once again to the movers and shakers within the political establishment. Andrew Murray speaking at the Stop the War Coalition anniversary meeting (screenshot of video/StoptheWarCoalition YouTube) The STWC began as an alliance of pseudo-left tendencies, Stalinists, pacifists, a few left Labourites and trade union bureaucrats, and religious groups including the Sunni Muslim Association of Britain. But its leading political figures came from the Socialist Workers Party (SWP)Lindsey German, John Rees and Chris Ninehamand Murray from the Communist Party of Britain. German, Rees and Nineham later split from the SWP to form the Counterfire group in 2010. From its inception, and with the most devastating political impact in 2003, the STWC functioned as a mechanism for capturing anti-war sentiment and bringing it under the political tutelage of the trade union bureaucracy and a handful of Labourites, such as Corbyn and his mentor, the late Tony Benn, who professed opposition to war but remained loyal to the Labour Party no matter what. Prior to Iraq, there was a real possibility of opposition to war becoming the starting point of a political movement of the working class against Tony Blairs Labour government. But the leaders of the STWC focused hostility exclusively on Blair as an individual, evidenced in tens of thousands of posters branding him Bliar. Even the Liberal Democrats were held up as anti-war allies, together with the French and German governments and the United Nationscollectively advanced as an alternative to the alliance of Blair with the US administration of George Bush Jr. The end result of the STWC opposing any possibility of the working class intervening independently and against the bourgeois parties was that the war went ahead, disillusionment set in, and opposition petered out. For having so successfully politically eviscerated the anti-war movement, the STWC was over time given semi-official status and substantial trade union backing. From this new and eminently respectable vantage point, the STWC again and again made clear that its policy of mass pressure to force the government of the day to listen to the will of the people was a call directed towards British imperialism, not against it. In 2007, the STWC used the departure of Blair as Labour leader to make a direct appeal to his replacement and partner in crime Gordon Brown to Pursue a foreign policy independent of the administration of the United States of America. The STWC acknowledged, Brown has been at the Prime Ministers right hand throughout the decisions on Iraq and Afghanistan, before adding, Nevertheless, it is our conviction that mass pressure, combined with electoral self-interest, can force the British government to break from George Bushs wars. Under the Conservatives, the STWC did not waver in its policy of advancing a foreign policy that was anti-American rather than anti-imperialist. Public opposition to militarism forced the Conservative government of David Cameron to hold a parliamentary vote on August 30, 2013, the failure of which prevented Britain from participating in planned US airstrikes against Syria. An article on Counterfires website stated, Parliament has finallyunder the weight of long-term pressurecome close to reflecting public opinion. The STWC called a rally the following day at which German proclaimed, Weve said for some years that one of our aims as a movement should be to break Britain from following the US in every step of its foreign policy. This week we made that possible. Tariq Ali, the former leader of the Pabloite International Marxist Group, said that after living in this country for 40 years or more... It feels for the first time you are living in an independent country. But it was Corbyns winning leadership of the Labour Party in 2015 that finally offered the STWC possible access to the corridors of power. Hence his being given pride of place at the anniversary rally. Corbyns only reference to his own period as Labour leader on that occasion was an anecdote about being asked by a journalist, I assume you have already left the Stop the War Coalition? I said absolutely no. Why should I? He said because it would cloud your judgement. I said it will inform my judgement to build a world of peace, not of war! The impression given is of resolute defiance and a commitment to implementing the anti-war agenda of the STWC come what may. The reality was very different. On becoming Labour leader, Corbyn quit as chairman of the STWC and was quietly replaced by Murray, who was seconded as an adviser to the new Labour leader by Unite the Union. This initial back-peddling inaugurated an extended political rout on Corbyns professed opposition to war, beginning on December 2, 2015, when he granted a free vote to Labour MPs on supporting UK bombing raids in Syria, allowing Cameron to overturn the 2013 vote against air strikes with the backing of 66 Labour MPs. Corbyn capitulated to the Blairites at every turn, with not even token criticism from the STWC. This amnesty included silence on Corbyns efforts to shield Blair himself. Corbyn said in May 2016 that Blair should face war crimes charges, but he said nothing when the Chilcot Report published July 6 that year provided the basis for such a prosecution. The Financial Times praised Corbyns restraint, noting the absence of an electrifying Commons performance and observing with satisfaction that the B-wordBlairdid not pass his lips. Later that year, on November 30, Corbyn did not even bother to show up for the parliamentary vote on a motion to investigate whether Blair was guilty of misleading parliament in pursuit of British involvement in the Iraq War. Andrew Murray offered a blanket justification for STWCs refusal to condemn Corbyn: We have to think about everything we say, and how we protesthow itll not just impact on public opinion, but how it could impact on Jeremy, who is a very staunch friend of Stop the War We have a lot of money in the bank with each other, as it were. Against all evidence, a Corbyn-led government was advanced as the best hope for peace. An article written by John Rees on November 4, 2017, Labour Badly Needs to Adopt Corbyn's View of War and Peace, gave an extended presentation of the STWCs alternative foreign policy for British imperialism. He denounced the Zombie foreign policy dominating the ministries of the Western powers, Out-of-date Cold War structures, and post-Cold War failures and defeats that have left an exhausted but malignant security and defence establishment losing public support. Corbyn, he continued, brings a unique, at least in the establishment, set of views and values to this debate, thwarted because Labour policy is the exact opposite of its leaders: It is pro-Trident, pro-NATO, and in favour of spending 2 percent of GDP on defencea NATO requirement that very few NATO countries, including Germany, actually bother to meet. Rees urged British imperialism to adopt Corbyns policy. NATO is a creature of the Cold War, he wrote, and fraying at the edges All this at a time when the US, the dominant state in the NATO alliance, has a President [Donald Trump] who had to be coerced by his own political establishment into abandoning his campaign trail hostility to NATO The truth is this: Western imperial architecture is outdated, its wars have ended in defeat, its allies are untrustworthy, and its leading state is losing the economic race to China. Britain, said Rees, should respond by abandoning the special relationship, which leaves the UK under-labouring for the USs pivot to the Pacific. Labour, i.e., the Blairite warmongers, should therefore Adopt Corbynism. In pursuit of this chimera the STWC organised an extended series of public meetingsthe Why We Need An Anti-War Government Tour featuring six Labour MPs as speakers, including four members of Corbyns shadow cabinet. However, rather than Labour adopt Corbynism, Corbyn adapted himself totally to Blairism. Under his leadership Labour fought two general elections, in 2017 and 2019, on manifestos committed to NATO membership, the renewal of the Trident nuclear missile systemestimated to cost around 200 billionand guaranteeing to spend at least 2 percent of GDP on defence. When Tory Prime Minister Theresa May assented to British air strikes on Syria on April 13, 2018, German offered another foreign policy critique, warning, The unintended consequence of the war in Iraq has been the strengthening of Iran. The failed strategy of regime change in Syria has also strengthened Iran. So now Iran will move to centre stage. During two parliamentary debates lobbied by the STWC, on April 16 and 17, the Blairites solidarized with May. Fully 55 Labour MPs abstained on Corbyns doomed motion calling for a parliamentary vote on future military action. Protesters pack London's Whitehall during a march to Hyde Park, to demonstrate against a possible war against Iraq. February 15, 2003 (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File) Corbyn left the Labour Party as he found it, as an imperialist party of war led by the Blairites. That was his real missionto subdue the popular demand for change that led to his election and maintain the grip of the Labour and trade union bureaucracy over the working class. The thanks he extended at the STWC anniversary rally to the gang of four, Chris, John, Lindsey and Andrew was for their invaluable help in accomplishing this. The STWCs response to the ignominious pull-out of US and allied forces from Afghanistan was an August 15 appeal for politicians of all parties to learn the lessons of the failed wars of intervention and turn to international cooperation as the means of resolving disputes and tackling problems of poverty and underdevelopment, coupled with yet another letter writing campaign targeting MPs. But Germans frustration was evident in her article published that same day, explaining how, I find the response to this by the western governments and their supporters absolutely appalling. The cynicism with which they absolve themselves of all responsibility and continue to justify their original actions is quite shocking and they refuse to entertain other opinionssuch as those put by anti war campaigners 20 years agowhich have been proved correct. [emphasis added] Clearly nothing has changed regarding the political orientation of the STWC since Corbyns tenure as Labour leader ended in abject failure in April 2020. They are still offering their services as advisors to the bourgeoisie, but feel their own long march through the institutions has passed its high-water mark with Corbyn and that they are reduced to celebrating past glories. On this at least the STWCs leadership will be able to boast, We were right. The forces such as the Labour and trade union lefts they advanced as opponents of war are a politically discredited and declining force. The parties and organisations to which they are wedded are nakedly pro-war. The upper middle-class layer that provided social support for the STWCs pacifist political agenda in large measure abandoned opposition to war after Iraq. Along with the pseudo-left groups and their membership, they discovered the supposedly progressive credentials of various Islamist movements cultivated by the imperialist powers as proxy forces and advanced as democratic allies in the wars in Libya and Syria. The war danger grows more acute by the day, and targets ever more openly China and Russia. Anti-war sentiment remains widespread in the working class, but vanishingly few believe it will ever be led by the likes of Corbyn or that pacifist appeals to the better nature of the imperialist powers will be listened to. The conditions are emerging for the building of a new anti-war movement, rooted in the working class, international in scope, and dedicated to the struggle to bring an end to the capitalist system and the building of a socialist world. Those coming forward in this struggle, especially among the younger generation, will look on the STWC as an essential political lesson in what not to do and how not to stop wars. Thirty-nine miners employed by the Brazilian multinational Vale were stranded underground for two days following an incident at the companys Totten mine Sunday. As this article goes to publication, 19 miners have successfully returned to the surface, with rescue efforts ongoing to get the remaining 20 out. An incident occurred in the mines shaft shortly after the beginning of a 7 a.m. shift Sunday, causing the conveyance system to be put out of operation. The 39 miners underground immediately went to refuge stations. Underground miners in Sudbury (Source: Vale Media) According to a statement by the company, Vale was in regular contact with them during the more than 24 hours that elapsed before the first miners could begin their ascent to the surface. Medical supplies were delivered underground to some of the workers by rescue workers using ladders. There are reportedly no injuries among the trapped workers. The Totten mine is located some 43 kilometres west of Sudbury, northern Ontarios largest city, and employs about 200 people. Nickel, copper, and other precious metals are extracted there. An internal Vale memo leaked to sudbury.com revealed that the incident was caused by a scoop bucket, which detached from the conveyance system and became caught in the shaft. The company considered two options to return the miners to the surface: one involving the use of secondary egress ladders, and the other deploying a hoist. A relative of one of the miners speaking to sudbury.com Monday said that the miners will have to climb secondary egress ladders for 2,500 feet (762 meters) before being brought back to the surface in a cage. Miners and rescuers will have an opportunity to rest every 100 feet. She added that rescue workers are accompanying two miners at a time on the perilous climb. Its really nerve-wracking to know that theyre underground, and they have no food, she continued. They havent eaten since yesterday. (Mine rescue) brought them protein bars and candy bars for food. The conditions there are not great. Theyre sleeping in boardroom chairs. The ordeal for the miners and their loved ones comes at a time when the highly profitable Vale is doing all it can to maintain production at its huge Sudbury-area operations going at full tilt to take advantage of high prices for nickel and other precious metals. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Vale kept its Sudbury operations running without interruption thanks to the connivance of the United Steelworkers union. USW Local 6500 agreed to a one-year lengthening of the miners collective agreement in 2020 to ensure the mines remained open. The extension amounted to a pay freeze for the miners. Miners then waged a bitter two-month strike this summer to oppose Vales concession demands, which included a real-terms wage cut and the elimination of health care benefits for retirees. The strike only took place because rank-and-file workers rebelled against the pro-corporate USW, voting down a USW-recommended tentative agreement by a 70 percent margin. The USW, which controls hundreds of millions of dollars in assets, followed this up by starving strikers on the picket lines with meagre strike pay of C$375 per week. The miners determined struggle forced Vale to remove some of its most aggressive concessions demands, including the elimination of health care benefits for new hires. The company worked behind the scenes with the USW to bring the strike to an end on the basis of an understanding that it could reap major profits by returning to full operations under conditions of booming commodity prices and lucrative contracts for the coming years with the burgeoning electric vehicle sector. Striking miners (Source: USW L.6500) While miners have suffered gruelling work schedules and dangerous conditions, Vale is drowning in cash. Its 2020 global revenue amounted to some $40 billion, with close to $5 billion in net profits. Nonetheless, Vale still managed to obtain $67 million in government handouts during the pandemic under the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, a program ostensibly designed to protect workers jobs. This unbridled money-making bonanza has produced mounting anger among miners and the local community. As a relative of a miner said of Vale in a comment to the World Socialist Web Site during the strike, Wait. ... Didnt you guys take billions of $$ during COVID? Were your top executives given large bonuses? If the answer is yes to both of these, I dare say you have no legs to stand on. Treat your employees with the dignity and respect they deserve. This state of affairs would have been unthinkable without the USWs crucial role in facilitating the enforcement of massive, historically unprecedented concessions in the wake of the 2009-10 year-long strike. These included the introduction of the hated multi-tier wage system and a huge expansion of low-wage, contract labour. It is significant to note in this regard that only 30 of the 39 miners involved in the latest incident are USW members, an indication that a large portion of the workforce is made up of non-union, contract workers. The USWs collaboration with Vale management has produced a steady undermining of miners wages and benefits, and a corresponding deterioration in workplace safety. On Monday, as the 39 miners remained stranded underground, a fine of $120,000 was imposed by a Sudbury court on DMC Mining Service, a contractor that employs workers at Vales Sudbury operations. The fine related to the injury of a worker due to falling rocks at Vales Copper Cliff South project. The court concluded that DMC failed to take account of the danger of falling rocks triggered by vibrations from underground drilling. Nearly one in five tertiary education workers in Australia lost their jobs in the 12 months to May this year, according to a recent analysis by the Centre for Future Work, and the toll is still growing. The report, entitled An Avoidable Catastrophe: Pandemic Job Losses in Higher Education and their Consequences, sheds light on how governments and employers have been able to exploit the COVID-19 disaster to devastate higher education, at the expense of staff and students alike. University of Sydneys Main Quadrangle [Credit: Jason Tong/Wikipedia] The report estimates that more than 40,000 jobs were eliminated in just one year, from May 2020 to May 2021. This was the highest number in any non-agricultural industry so far, during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, university job losses have been much worse this year than in the first year of the pandemic. Now, according to the report, they mostly affect permanent and full-time positions, unlike last year, when casual workers suffered the initial brunt of the government-employer attack. In 2021, university administrations began to attack permanent positions with a vengeance. Year-over-year permanent employment (defined as positions with normal paid leave entitlements) in public tertiary education declined by over 34,000 jobs in the first half of 2021. By the May quarter of 2021, as universities increased hiring casuals, as cheap and expandable labour, permanent jobs represented all the net job loss compared to year-earlier levels. Altogether, an estimated 35,000 jobs had been lost at public universities by May. More than 5,000 jobs disappeared at Technical and Further Education (TAFE) colleges and other public vocational education institutions. But no overall job losses occurred at private colleges, many of which received federal government bailouts via last years JobKeeper wage subsidy scheme. National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) national president Alison Barnes issued a media release on the report saying: It is now incumbent on vice chancellors to step up and secure jobs and careers. The pandemic must not be an excuse for further casualisation and wage theft. But that is exactly what is happening. Appeals to the very managements that are executing these cuts will do nothing to halt this offensive. Last year, the NTEU itself calculated that up to 90,000 jobs could have been eliminated. The latest estimate appears to show that some of the losses may have been reduced, but only because casuals are being hired to replace permanent staff. The truth is that the catastrophe documented in the report, commissioned by the NTEU, is an indictment of the sectors trade unions, which have opposed any unified national struggle by staff and students against this onslaught. A supposed national week of action, by the NTEU from September 13 to 17timed to coincide with the reports releaseconsisted primarily of impotent appeals to vice chancellors and the Liberal-National Coalition government for increased funding to restore job losses. That was combined with pleas to university workers to support the NTEUs current enterprise bargaining negotiations with individual employers. This enterprise bargaining regime, concocted by the Keating Labor Party government and the Australian Council of Trade Unions three decades ago, serves only to atomise workers. It ties them to the revenue and cost-cutting demands of their employer and straitjackets them into the anti-strike laws that were reinforced by the last union-backed Labor government of 2007 to 2013. The NTEU and other unions are promoting the prospect of another Labor government, even though Labors shadow education minister, Tanya Plibersek, told an elite business gathering last month that a Labor government would escalate the corporate restructuring of tertiary education. In her August 16 speech to the Australian Financial Review Higher Education Conference, Plibersek said nothing about the destruction of jobs, let alone commit a Labor government to reversing the cuts. Instead, she echoed the demands of the financial elite, highlighted by a recent blueprint issued by the EY global consulting giant, for the pandemic to be utilised to radically reshape higher education to satisfy the vocational training and research requirements of big business. It was the Rudd-Gillard Labor government of 2007 to 2013, in which Plibersek served as a cabinet minister, that imposed the education revolution, featuring a demand-driven system. Labor compelled universities to compete with each other for enrolments, particularly in business-oriented courses, in order to survive financially, and then slashed university funding by several billion dollars in 201213. This system, which the Coalition government has retained ever since, drove the universities to turn to full-fee paying international students, treating them as cash cows. By 20192020, international student fees accounted for over $12 billion in revenue for Australian universitiesalmost quadrupling over the previous decade. Vocational education providers received another $2 billion per year, in international student fees. When the pandemic hit, these revenues began to dry up, and this became the pretext for the government-employer drive to slash costs. The NTEU has actively facilitated this assault, despite the anger and resistance of staff and students, who have initiated petitions against the demolition of jobs and courses at numbers of universities, including La Trobe, Monash, Adelaide, the University of Western Australia and Sydneys Macquarie University. The NTEUs role was typified at Macquarie University, where, on top of more than 300 job losses in 2020, management has used a Hunger Games-style operation to cut several dozen more positions this year, forcing educators to compete against each other for survival. A letter from the NTEUs Macquarie branch to Bruce Dowton, the universitys vice chancellor, made no demand that the redundancies be reversed. Instead, it requested that redundant staff have access to the information that led to the decision to cut their positions, so that the process could be transparent. Moreover, the entire spill and fill operation was conducted within the framework of the change process set out in the NTEUs enterprise agreement with management. Such bitter experiences demonstrate that in order to fight the assault on public education, new organisations are neededin the form of a network of rank-and-file committees, independent of the trade unions. Such committees would reject the entire framework of enterprise agreements, and establish common cause among university workers, students and all those in schools and childcare. They would link up with all workers internationally, who are facing similar critical struggles against the impact of the worsening global crisis, and discuss the necessity for an opposed socialist perspective: one that fights for the complete reorganisation of society in the interests of all, not the soaring wealth accumulation of the billionaires. Such an orientation would provide the billions of dollars needed to establish free, high-quality education, from kindergarten to university, and the basic right of all education workers to full-time employment, with decent pay and conditions. An online Zoom meeting hosted by the University of Newcastle Student Association (UNSA) underscored the organisations anti-democratic attempts to muzzle student political activities at the campus in regional New South Wales. Under cover of the pandemic crisis and behind the backs of students, new clubs and societies guidelines have been instituted by UNSA at the University of Newcastle (UoN) which threaten to prevent the reaffiliation of long standing political and religious clubs. Those that are granted affiliation are forbidden to proselytise, i.e., engage students in discussion with the intent of winning them to a certain perspective. The University of Newcastle [Credit: https://www.newcastle.edu.au/] UNSA is a newly formed company which emerged alongside a university management restructure affecting hundreds of jobs and courses. It replaces a number of liquidated student associations including Yourimbah, the Newcastle University Post-Graduates Student Association (NUPSA), the Newcastle University Students Association (NUSA) and the Club Management wing of Student Central. The Zoom meeting on September 16 was held with the purported intent of outlining the transition of as many as seventy clubs previously affiliated with Student Central to UNSA. In the Q&A, John Davis, president of the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) club on campus, condemned UNSAs crackdown on political rights. I think this whole process has been very undemocratic, Davis said. A little background, when Student Central was established by the university, it was to undermine the existing and long-standing student organizations and poach clubs away from the Newcastle University Students Association (NUSA). It didnt work. What I think we are seeing with the transition of all clubs from Student Central to UNSA, is the completion of that process by another means. Now the university has used the transformation of NUSA into UNSA to bring student clubs and organizations under the control of the university. It needs to be recalled that UNSA itself was established last year under the guidance of the university administration. The decision to shut down the former student associations, NUSA, NUPSA and Yourimbah was imposed bureaucratically without any input from students or student clubs. The whole aim of this enterprise is to have a completely subservient student organisation to university management. One can see that from the fact that UNSA has refused to take up any fight against the ongoing devastating restructure. I think nothing expresses this more, however, than the new guidelines established by UNSA in May, which virtually excludes a number of clubs from financial assistance and restricts what it is that they can say. UNSA General Manager Georgia Killick attempted to cut Davis off but he ended his remarks by demanding, that these rules and regulations be immediately withdrawn. New regulations should be drawn up as the subject of a mass meeting of students and with the involvement of all students and clubs. Killick asserted that UNSA had been formed through a democratic process, and that its creation had been moved by student association members, involving the presidents. This is belied by the stunned response of student clubs, the most active section of the student body, over the past year. The IYSSE reached out to UoN affiliated clubs upon first hearing of the restructure, and of the five that replied only one had been informed of the process. None, however, were privy to any vote or discussion on the formation of UNSA. Other clubs have also pointed this out publicly. The president of Newcastle Christian Students club, for instance, stated: For the last 18 months weve been very concerned and frustrated. We have not been welcomed and there has not been any consultation. In response to concerns raised by students over the new guidelines, Killick stated that they were fully in line with Student Services and Amenities Fees (SSAF) legislation. The IYSSE treasurer rejected Killicks interpretation of SSAF stating that, the guidelines went far further than what is listed in the SSAF legislation there is no clause forbidding proselytization. Far from making clubs vibrant and thriving as has been claimed in this meeting, UNSA is in fact restricting the political activities of clubs on campus. Passed by the Greens-backed Labor government of Julia Gillard in 2011, the SSAF legislation imposes compulsory fees on students to provide basic services, which ought to be free. It also states that funds raised cannot be used to support a political party. This has been interpreted in the past by the administration to revoke the opportunity for clubs such as the IYSSE to host political members on campus during Orientation Week, claiming that SSAF fees were being effectively siphoned to a political party. The IYSSE led a fight against this interpretation at the University of Newcastle in 2015 by turning to the student body who successfully forced a repeal of the decision. In a statement that year, the IYSSE placed the attempted curtailment of political rights on campus in the content of the bipartisan assault on higher education, the growth of social inequality, and the militarisation of university campuses, in line with US-Australian preparations for war. It declared: The IYSSE warns that the UoN Services re-interpretation of the SSAF legislation is setting a precedent that will be used to prevent students from developing the political means to fight these attacks through the organisation of political lectures, classes, meetings, debates and demonstrations. Over six years later, the deepening crisis of capitalism has led to a pandemic of historic proportions and the student body finds its democratic rights under attack again on a broader scale. The pandemic is also being utilised by the corporate elite to accelerate its attacks on higher education, which it declares in the interests of profit to be already dead . According to union estimates up to 90,000 jobs have been lost in the sector since early 2020. Universities have also become increasingly incorporated into the war drive against China. UoN states favourably on the research section of its website that it is uniquely placed to collaborate with the defence industry listing a whole raft of research initiatives it is involved with such as Australian Defence Force Operation and Sustainment and the development of military Autonomous Systems. The IYSSE has exposed the pro-corporate role played by student associations and unions throughout this process. In the name of transparency UNSA has hosted consultation sessions in which management has been given a platform in front of students to justify the pro-business restructure on campus. The NTEU has not called for a single mass meeting of staff, instead preaching defeatism and appealing to management for greater collaboration with the union. Notably absent in the Zoom meeting and silent throughout this whole affair has been the UoN Socialist Club. Formed this year, it has not made any statement on its Facebook page opposing the guidelines or the restructure, nor has it voiced opposition in the student consultation meetings. Its complicit silence is in line with the pseudo-left clubs orientation to Labor, the Greens and the unions. Only the IYSSE, the genuine socialist club on campus, has spoken out against the cuts, social inequality and the danger of war. The latest interpretation of SSAF legislation in UNSAs club guidelines is a warning that management is cracking down far harder than before on any independent political activity of students. UNSA denies the fact that it is a political organisation but as with its predecessor, UNSA, it is led by Labor Party students. Underlining the anti-democratic intent of the guidelines is the fact that some clubs seeking affiliation have been forced to seek approval from the universitys vice chancellor. Chief Information Officer Anthony Molinia told the university newspaper Yak that if a major conflict were to arise between UNSA and a club, the university would likely play a role in finding a resolution. The IYSSE unequivocally opposes the guidelines in their current form. Affiliation must not be subject to the political persuasions of university management. Students must fight for their democratic right to form whatever club they wish. We urge young people, staff and students to contact the Newcastle IYSSE and attend our upcoming Annual General Meeting for affiliation in October, which will be opposing the corporate assault on higher education. Norway on Monday moved into the highest-risk category on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's list of travel advisories for destinations around the world. The Scandinavian country moved up to "Level 4: Covid-19 Very High" just as the country relaxed most of its domestic Covid-related restrictions over the weekend. Neighbors Sweden and Denmark are listed in the CDC's Level 3 category. In Eastern Europe, Bulgaria also moved into the Level 4 category on Monday. Destinations that fall into the "Covid-19 Very High" Level 4 category have had more than 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days, according to CDC criteria. People should avoid traveling to locations designated with a "Level 4" notice, the CDC recommends. Anyone who must travel should be fully vaccinated first, the agency advises. Nearly 90 destinations are now listed as Level 4. Both Norway and Bulgaria were previously listed as "Level 3: Covid-19 High." The Level 3 category applies to destinations that have had between 100 and 500 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days. The CDC's travel notices range from Level 1 ("low") to Level 4 ("very high"). The CDC does not list the United States in its travel advisories. The two new destinations added to Level 4 on September 27 are: Bulgaria Norway New Level 3 destinations Six destinations moved to Level 3 on September 27: Bangladesh Equatorial Guinea Panama Saint Barthelemy Singapore Slovakia Three places moved down from Level 4: Bangladesh, Panama and Saint Barthelemy (St. Barts). The other three moved up into the higher-risk Level 3 category. Equatorial Guinea moved up from a previous Level 1 designation, and Singapore and Slovakia moved up from Level 2. Destinations carrying the "Level 2: Covid-19 Moderate" designation have seen 50 to 99 Covid-19 cases per 100,000 residents in the past 28 days. You can view the CDC's risk levels for global destinations on its travel recommendations page. In its broader travel guidance, the CDC has recommended avoiding all international travel until you are fully vaccinated. "Fully vaccinated travelers are less likely to get and spread Covid-19. However, international travel poses additional risks, and even fully vaccinated travelers might be at increased risk for getting and possibly spreading some Covid-19 variants," the agency said. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - According to its executive director, the most recent Tox Away Day event hosted by the Vigo Count Solid Waste Management District was a success. It happened on Saturday. Executive Director Karrum Nasser told Vigo County Commissioners more than 450 vehicles stopped in and dropped off trash and recyclable items. That's up from 270 vehicles last year. Nasser went on to say they collected 120 tons of trash and recyclables, with over 100 tires and 65 tvs. He told commissioners he hopes to offer two Tox Away Days next year. The Vigo County Solid Waste District is also expected to launch an app on America Recycles Day, which is November 15. People using the app will be able to locate places and ways to drop off recyclable items. CLAY COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI)- Across the nation, schools are reporting delays in receiving menu items. The delays and food shortages stem from the COVID-19 pandemic. Like many other industries, schools are adapting to the challenges. Clay Community Schools is one of those schools. Patsy Woolery, Director of Food Services for Clay Community Schools, said the schools were alerted before the school year about the problems. She said her distributor has worked with her along the way. "We knew ahead of time that there would be delays," she said. "Gordon Food Services is doing a great job of subbing products for us." Even with planning ahead, some kids are missing out on their favorite meals. This is due to the shortage of two cafeteria favorites. "A lot of the chicken products have been hard to get," Woolery said. "The kids' favorite PB&J Uncrustables." Woolery said they've been substituting these lunchtime classics with other ones. These include meals like hamburgers, chicken tenders, sandwiches, and pizza, when available. On top of that, cafeteria staff is making sure the substitutions meet state guidelines for meal nutrition. "We've got certain guidelines we have to cover," Woolery said. "They need to have their fruit. They need to have their two vegetables every day. Their milk, then their two grains." Woolery said the guidelines are being met amidst all the challenges. She praises her team for all their hard work to keep Clay Community students fed. "My girls are awesome," she said. "They just know what they can do. They know what they're supposed to do and they do a great job of doing it." For more information, you can visit the Clay Community Schools Food Services page here. LAKE COUNTY, Ill. (WTHI) - The Illinois Department of Public Health says the state has its first human case of rabies in the state since 1954. The case involves a person in Lake County, Illinois. The state says that a man in his late 80s woke up in mid-August to a bat on his neck. Officials said the bat tested positive for rabies. Health officials told the man he needed to start postexposure rabies treatment, but he declined. Around a month later, he started having symptoms consistent with rabies and ultimately died. In humans, symptoms of rabies include neck pain, headache, difficulty controlling his arms, finger numbness, and difficulty speaking. Each year in the United States, there are one to three cases of rabies in people. Rabies has the highest mortality rate of any disease, said IDPH Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike. However, there is life-saving treatment for individuals who quickly seek care after being exposed to an animal with rabies. If you think you may have been exposed to rabies, immediately seek medical attention and follow the recommendations of health care providers and public health officials. This year, 30 bats in Illinois have tested positive for rabies so far. Each year, around 1,000 bats are tested due to possible exposure. Learn more about how to keep you and your family safe here. VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - One local Wabash Valley school has a new update to one of its programs, and many local parents are expressing their frustrations. Monday night, the Vigo County School Board met, updating the public on new changes to its opt-in sex education program. But parents are still advocating for a new curriculum. The Creating Positive Relationships (CPR) Program is a week-long sex-ed enrichment program. This is offered to all Vigo County school students in sixth through ninth grade. Earlier, we told you the district was working to help reform sex education. And on Monday that committee announced it had finished its research. But now, local parents are still speaking up seeking change. "The update we received was completely inadequate," one local parent said. Some parents say the abstinence-based program that has been in place for nearly 30 years is not benefitting the young students for the better. "Abstinence-only is not the only option in Indiana," one local parent said. "We can do so much better for our children."' Back in November, the board voted to move the CPR enrichment activities to an opt-in basis. A subcommittee, which included local teachers and nurses, was then tasked to review the program and make changes. Monday night the sub-committee noted as many as 26 content issues per grade level. They did not go into detail, but they say these issues will be fixed as the program continues as an opt-in enrichment activity for students. Although several parents expressed their frustrations, school officials have confidence that these new changes will make the program better and stronger. "The researchers that looked at the CPR curriculum made some suggestions and revisions," Dr. Rob Haworth, the Vigo County School Corporation superintendent, said. "Our charge was, can we work to solve those issues and we believe we did just that" A list of the new changes to the CPR program will be published in the near future. TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI)- The "We're Hiring" signs on businesses are hard to miss these days. It seems like there are plenty of jobs for those willing to work, but some businesses still have open positions. A new Indiana Chamber of Commerce survey may have the answers. Here's the data from the survey: 62% of employers said meeting talent needs were their biggest challenge. Almost 60% of the companies surveyed said they have left jobs unfilled due to underqualified applicants. 26% of companies said employees are getting retrained because of new technology. Nearly 60% of the companies said they are looking to expand the workforce. So, what's causing the small job pool? Jason Bearce, Vice President of Education and Workforce Development for the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, said this is not a new problem. "This is just an existing issue that has come back to the fore as other issues, as other circumstances change," he said. Like many other things, COVID has played a huge role in the size of the job pool. Bearce said many people are hesitant to return to the workforce because of the virus. Others are wanting more benefits, like childcare, added to their jobs. Education requirements have also kept the pool small. "Employers are looking for more highly educated, highly skilled talent," Bearce said. "As the labor market has become tighter, those challenges have come to the fore." In the Wabash Valley, things are looking up. Todd Hein, the owner of Labor Link, said he receives daily calls from local businesses looking for employees. He said many are even changing background requirements to help increase applicants. He said some of the businesses are even adapting to welcome all skill levels. "We've seen a lot more training in our companies," Hein said. "Instead of just throwing them out to the floor, they've implemented full training academies to get these people prepared and ready to go." Hein stresses that if you're willing to work, there are jobs available. To contact Labor Link, click here. For resources with the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, click here. WASHINGTON (AP) In their first congressional testimony on the tumultuous final months of Americas longest war, top U.S. military officers on Tuesday acknowledged misjudging the fragility of Afghanistans army and said they believed the U.S. should have kept at least several thousand troops in the country to prevent a rapid takeover by the Taliban. Without saying what advice he had given President Joe Biden last spring when Biden was considering whether to keep any troops in Afghanistan, Gen. Mark Milley told the Senate Armed Services Committee it was his personal opinion that at least 2,500 were needed to guard against a collapse of the Kabul government. Gen. Frank McKenzie, who as head of Central Command had overseen the final months of the U.S. war, said he agreed with Milleys assessment. He also declined to say what he had recommended to Biden. Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., asked Milley why he did not choose to resign after his advice was rejected. Milley, who was appointed to his position as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff by President Donald Trump and retained by Biden, said it was his responsibility to provide the commander in chief with his best advice. The president doesnt have to agree with that advice, Milley said. He doesnt have to make those decisions just because we are generals. And it would be an incredible act of political defiance for a commissioned officer to resign just because my advice was not taken. Testifying alongside Milley and McKenzie, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin defended the militarys execution of a frantic airlift from Kabul and asserted it will be difficult but absolutely possible to contain future threats from Afghanistan without troops on the ground. Under questioning, he, too, declined to say what advice he had given Biden about whether to make a full troop withdrawal. Milley cited a very real possibility that al-Qaida or the Islamic State groups Afghanistan affiliate could reconstitute in Afghanistan under Taliban rule and present a terrorist threat to the United States in the next 12 to 36 months. It was al-Qaidas use of Afghanistan as a base from which to plan and execute its attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, that triggered the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan a month later. And we must remember that the Taliban was and remains a terrorist organization and they still have not broken ties with al-Qaida, Milley said. I have no illusions who we are dealing with. It remains to be seen whether or not the Taliban can consolidate power or if the country will further fracture into civil war. Austin questioned decisions made over the 20-year course of the U.S. war in Afghanistan. In retrospect, he said, the American government may have put too much faith in its ability to build a viable Afghan government. We helped build a state, but we could not forge a nation, he told the Senate Armed Services Committee. The fact that the Afghan army we and our partners trained simply melted away in many cases without firing a shot took us all by surprise. It would be dishonest to claim otherwise. Asked why the United States did not foresee the rapid collapse of the Afghan army, Milley said that in his judgment the U.S. military lost its ability to see and understand the true condition of the Afghan forces when it ended the practice some years ago of having advisers alongside the Afghans on the battlefield. You cant measure the human heart with a machine, you have to be there, Milley said. Austin acknowledged shortcomings in the final airlift from Hamid Karzai International Airport that began Aug. 14, such as an initial wave of violence at and near the airfield that led to multiple deaths of Afghan civilians. But he asserted that the airlift was a historic accomplishment that removed 124,000 people from Taliban rule. To be clear, those first two days were difficult, said Austin, who is a veteran of the war. We all watched with alarm the images of Afghans rushing the runway and our aircraft. We all remember the scenes of confusion outside the airport. But within 48 hours, our troops restored order, and process began to take hold. The Biden administration faces criticism on multiple fronts for its handling of the final months of the war. Sen. James Inhofe, the ranking Republican on the Armed Services panel, told Austin and Milley that the withdrawal and evacuation amounted to an avoidable disaster. Republicans in particular have intensified their attacks on President Joe Bidens decision to pull all troops out of Afghanistan by Aug. 30, saying it left the U.S. more vulnerable to terrorism. They are demanding more details on the suicide bombing in Kabul that killed 13 American service members in the final days of the withdrawal. Gen. Frank McKenzie, who as head of Central Command oversaw the withdrawal, testified alongside Austin and Milley. Inhofe has peppered the Pentagon with a lengthy list of questions about multiple aspects of the withdrawal, including the suicide bombing on Aug. 26 at Kabuls international airport that killed some 169 Afghans in addition to the American service members. He also is demanding information about decision making over the summer as it became apparent that the Taliban were overwhelming U.S.-backed Afghan forces. We need a full accounting of every factor and decision that led us to where we are today and a real plan for defending America moving forward, Inhofe wrote last week. WABASH VALLEY, Ind. (WTHI) -- Farmers in the Wabash Valley are taking advantage of these dry and warm conditions by getting as much harvesting done before our next round of rain. Last week, we learned that corn yield could be taking a hit this harvest season because of tar spot disease. Although corn crop is creating some hurdles for the farming community, one farmer says soybeans are thriving! "Things just clicked. Everything fell into place this year, and things are looking good," said Kevin Cox, the Owner of TST Farms in Brazil, Indiana. As of Monday, Cox and his team have harvested 500 acres of soybeans. He said he's on track for his best yield numbers yet but knows current conditions aren't final. "So far in the fields we've been in, everything has been 15-20% better than what we normally would've seen come out of it so, again, that can all change, but right now we're really pleased with what we're seeing," Cox explained. This year, Cox decided to try something different by planting earlier to manage crops to a higher degree. He said early planting helped with the success, but when it comes to farming, a lot is out of his control. "We can do everything right, and the thing we depend on the most is the weather, and that's something I can't control," Cox said. According to Cox, in a perfect world, there'd be no rain until Thanksgiving, so he and his team can get the job done quickly and smoothly. Cox told News 10 that warm, dry, and breezy conditions not only allow farmers to work longer hours, but also help dry crops naturally. Top US General Mark Milley offered a full-throated defense of his behavior during the last days of the Trump administration, including a phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart, as he and other senior military officials appeared before lawmakers on Tuesday for a hearing about the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Specifically, Milley said the call with the Chinese official was not only appropriate, but that numerous senior Trump officials were aware it occurred. "I personally informed both Secretary of State [Mike] Pompeo and White House Chief of Staff [Mark] Meadows about the call, among other topics. Soon after that, I attended a meeting with Acting [Defense] Secretary [Chris] Miller, where I briefed him on the call," he told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Milley and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin are testifying publicly before Senate lawmakers Tuesday, the first time that top military officials are appearing before Congress since the full withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan. Austin and Milley are joined by the leader of US Central Command, Gen. Frank McKenzie, who played an integral role in facilitating the evacuation from Kabul -- an effort that has been the focus of immense bipartisan criticism since the last American military aircraft departed the Afghan capital. Peril During the hearing, McKenzie said that he recommended the US keep 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, a recommendation Milley said he agreed with. The testimony appears to contradict President Joe Biden's claim to the contrary during an interview last month. "I also had a view that the withdrawal of those forces would lead inevitably to the collapse of the Afghan military forces, and eventually the Afghan government," McKenzie said. Biden, when asked in an interview with ABC on August 18 interview if top military wanted him to keep about 2,500 troops in the country, said, "No, they didn't. It was split ... That wasn't true." In his opening remarks, Milley specifically addressed new reporting in "Peril," a book by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Robert Costa, which details the military leader's phone conversations to reassure a nervous Chinese general and his efforts to limit then-President Donald Trump from potentially ordering a dangerous military strike. Milley's actions, which were reported by CNN and others earlier this month ahead of the book's release, spawned sharp criticism from Trump and his allies, including calls for Milley's resignation and that he be tried for treason. Two unclassified memos submitted by Milley to the Senate Armed Services Committee, and obtained by CNN, include a timeline of calls between Trump administration Department of Defense officials and Chinese officials that took place from November 2019 to January 2021. The timeline shows Milley talked with General Li Zuocheng in December 2019 and April 2020 as well as the October 2020 and January 2021 calls that had previously been reported. The other memo submitted to Congress provides background information about Milley's call with Hosue Speaker Nancy Pelosi on January 8, two days after the insurrection on Capitol Hill. The memo says that Milley "immediately informed" then-Acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller about his call with Pelosi and seems to attribute any disparaging comments about the former President during the conversation to the House Speaker. "At no time was I attempting to change or influence the process, usurp authority, or insert myself into the chain of command, but I am expected to give my advice and ensure the President is fully informed," Milley said in the memo. The memo with the timeline of calls between Chinese officials and DoD officials also provides relevant statutory guidance about the Chairman's role in advising the President of the United States. "Communication between the President or the Secretary (or their duly deputized alternates or successors) and the CCDRs 'will be transmitted through the Chairman unless otherwise directed,'" the memo states. 'We wanted to be ready and we were' In his opening remarks, Austin emphasized the planning that preceded the evacuation from Afghanistan and the positioning of forces that allowed troops to arrive in Kabul fairly quickly as the evacuation began. As early as spring, the Pentagon began thinking about the possibility of a non-combatant evacuation and preparing for a number of scenarios, Austin said. By early June, Austin pre-positioned forces in the region, he said, including three infantry battalions. "We wanted to be ready, and we were," he said. Although the first two days of the evacuation were "difficult," Austin acknowledged, US troops restored order in 48 hours, and the herculean effort to move tens of thousands of American citizens and at-risk Afghans began in earnest. "We are still working to get Americans out who wish to leave," Austin said, though that is now the job of the State Department and the interagency, not the military. Lawmakers have repeatedly criticized the Biden administration for concluding the military evacuation and withdrawal from Afghanistan while there were still American citizens who wanted to leave the country. They have also criticized the administration's inability to say just how many Americans are left in Afghanistan. On Monday, a senior State Department official said the department is working to get out approximately 100 US citizens and Afghan Green Card holders from Afghanistan, but there was no indication of when that might happen or by what route they would leave the country. "Even with no military presence on the ground, that part of our mission is not over," Austin said. Austin also defended the military's decision to transfer Bagram Air Base to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces, a move which quickly saw the sprawling base and hub of US operations fall to the Taliban. He said it would have required 5,000 troops to defend Bagram, and it would have "contributed little" to defending the embassy in Kabul about 30 miles away, which was initially the primary mission. "Staying at Bagram, even for counter-terrorism purposes, meant staying at war in Afghanistan, something that the President made clear he would not do," Austin said. As he neared the end of his opening remarks, Austin shifted his focus to the entire 20-year war, asking if the US had the right strategy, if it believed falsely that it could build an Afghan government that would last, and if it could create a self-sustaining Afghan military. Austin admitted frankly that the US never understood the problems on the ground in Afghanistan, including endemic corruption that undermined and delegitimized the US-backed government. The collapse of the Afghan army in the face of a Taliban offensive "took us all by surprise," Austin said. "We helped build a state, but we could not forge a nation," Austin said. This story has been updated with additional developments. The-CNN-Wire & 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved. TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) - Hundreds of small farmers and those interested in small farming are gathering at the BancorpSouth Arena Conference Center this week. The 29th annual Small Farmers Conference started on Monday. Alcorn State University and the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives host the event. Covid canceled last year's event. This year's event will only be for two days, rather than three. The event brings in farmers from across the South. At the event, farmers discuss the industry. Also at the event, Lee County Supervisor Tommie Lee Ivy received The Spirit of Courage Award. WASHINGTON (AP) In his first congressional testimony on the tumultuous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is defending the militarys execution of a frantic airlift from Kabul. He also asserted on Tuesday that it will be difficult but absolutely possible to contain extremist threats in Afghanistan without troops on the ground. Republicans in Congress have intensified their attacks on President Joe Bidens decision to pull all troops out of Afghanistan, saying it leaves the United States more vulnerable to terrorism. They are demanding more details on the suicide bombing in Kabul that killed 13 American service members. Related - Milley defends calls to Chinese at end of Trump presidency The claim: Biden family owns 10% of prominent Chinese lithium battery company A new conspiracy theory claims President Joe Biden and his family own part of one of China's biggest lithium battery companies, despite official paperwork refuting the claim. "The Bidens own 10% of a Chinese lithium ion battery company whos (sic) stock has soared almost 300% since Biden was 'elected,'" a Sept. 6 Facebook post reads. "For anyone interested in researching the company = Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited (CATL)." The post has been shared almost 1,000 times. Other versions posted online have also accrued thousands of shares collectively. Leading up to the 2020 election, theories claiming Biden and his son, Hunter, had accepted payoffs from foreign countries went viral. Then-President Donald Trump frequently accused them of wrongdoing with China and Ukraine, calling for an investigation in 2019. Fact check: Shouting profanity about the president is protected by the First Amendment, legal experts say But official documents show Biden, and his family, don't actually hold any stakes in the company mentioned. USA TODAY reached out to the poster for comment. Biden family not shareholders in Chinese company Contemporary Amperex Technology Company is a fast-growing Chinese battery manufacturer for electric vehicles, supplying batteries to car companies including BMW, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz. Shares of the company have increased by over 150% since 2020 due to the higher demand for electric vehicles, Forbes reported in May. In August, Biden signed an executive order with a target of making half of all cars sold zero-emissions by 2030. All-electric cars, which use a battery pack to store the electrical energy that powers the motor, are considered zero-emission vehicles by the Department of Energy because they produce no direct exhaust or tailpipe emissions. The image being shared across social media doesn't offer any evidence demonstrating Biden or his family own a stake in CATL. Story continues Biden and his wife, Jill, released financial disclosure forms when he was running for president in 2020, and again in 2021, and neither mentions CATL. The assets and income listed on the form include an unspecified amount from Biden's books "Promises to Keep" and "Promise Me, Dad," an investment fund and Jill Biden's retirement plans, among others. Biden's disclosure forms between 1995 and 2015 also don't mention CATL in the assets or income sections. Alex Baumgart, who researches personal financial data at the nonprofit Open Secrets, told USA TODAY in an email he didn't find "any indication that the president is an investor in this Chinese battery company." Biden's most recent tax documents also don't mention CATL. In addition to the disclosure forms, Biden and his family are not listed among any of CATL's shareholders, according to MarketScreener, a stock market and finance website. The three shareholders that own 10% or more of CATL are the company's chairman, Yu Qun Zeng (42%), the vice chairman and deputy general manager, Shi Lin Huang (19%) and Chinese billionaire Zhen Hua Pei (12%). The White House didn't immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. The only relationship between the Biden family and CATL seems to be from a 2018 investment by Hunter Biden in a Chinese private equity firm. In an investigative article about Hunter's business activities, the Wall Street Journal reported Hunter Biden became a shareholder in 2017 in Bohai Harvest RST Equity Investment Fund Management Co. (BHR), a private-equity firm that later invested in CATL. When CATL's stock surged by 44% in its debut session as a publicly-traded company on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange in 2018, Hunter was among the shareholders who profited from BHR's investment in the company, the newspaper reported. Fact check: Biden's approval rating is higher than Trump's term low The incorrect 10% figure in the Facebook post may have originated from a misunderstanding of this investment. The Journal reported that as of December 2020, Delaware corporation Skaneateles LLC, which is controlled by Hunter Biden, owned 10% of BHR not CATL. Our rating: False We rate the claim that the Biden family owns 10% of a prominent Chinese lithium battery company FALSE, based on our research. While the White House didn't immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment, Biden's official disclosure forms from 2020 and his years as vice president don't mention CATL. An investigative article from The Wall Street Journal found that Hunter Biden benefitted from CATL's stock surge in 2018 because a company he was a shareholder in, BHR, had invested in it. But Hunter Biden and companies connected to him don't own 10% of CATL. Our fact-check sources: Thank you for supporting our journalism. You can subscribe to our print edition, ad-free app or electronic newspaper replica here. Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Facebook. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fact check: False claim that Biden family owns 10% of Chinese company Photo credit: Getty Images Gordon Ramsay spoke highly of Princess Diana in last night's episode of Gordon, Gino and Fred Go Greek!, a series which follows Gordon and fellow food and hospitality experts Gino D'Acampo and Fred Sirieix as they travel Greece for culinary excursions. When speaking of the best meals they've ever cooked, Gordon reminisced about the royal family. After eating moussakaa traditional Greek dish made with eggplant, potato, and often ground meatthe three took in the breathtaking Santorini sunset. This is when Gino asked the group about the best meal they've ever had or ever cooked and Gordon promptly knew his answer. "Man, I think cooking for Lady Di once," he said. And when Gino asked if she was nice Gordon said: "Oh, beautiful," comparing her beauty to that of the famous Greek island itself. "I mean, here is renowned as the supermodel of the isletsSantoriniand she, by far, was one the most gracious members of the royal family Ive ever met," he said. Although Gordon didn't go into detail during this episode, he said in a 2016 interview he remembers Princess Diana eating his pressed leek terrine and sea bass for the main dish. As we know, the royal family has to follow several particular rules when it comes to how they enjoy their food and their table etiquette, so it's refreshing to know these interactions can be fond for the cooks as well. You can watch the trailer for Gordon, Gino and Fred Go Greek! here. You Might Also Like Remember when the Lady Gaga Oreos were all the rage, and were going on eBay for ridiculous prices? Well, that was so last year. This year, the special edition Oreos that have captured everyones attention are a wee bit less human than Gaga. And yet, are no less colorful than Mother Monster. According to a report from Kotaku, Oreos with images of the Pokemon Mew are currently selling for hundreds if not thousands of dollars on eBay. Yes, we said thousands of dollars. For Oreos. The new Oreo cookies from Nabisco feature some sixteen different Pokemon from across several generations. They include characters like Bulbasaur, Charmander, Cyndaquil, Dratini, Grookey, Jigglypuff, Lapras, Pancham, Pikachu, Piplup, Rowlett, Sableye, Sandshrew, Snivy, Squirtle, and the elusive Mew. In keeping with the game, Mew remains one of the rarest Pokemon to capture. Pkemon Oreo featuring Mew. Nabisco So just how much are the fans willing to pay for these? Turns out, there is almost no limit. One listing for charity is going for $13,300.00. Yes, you read that right. Although Oreos have a shelf life of about a month, we have a feeling these are never getting eaten anyway. They are no doubt going in some special Pokemon vault for all eternity. The gotta catch em all mentality has stretch to all facets of Pokemon fandom. Earlier this year, dozens of shoppers stormed a Pennsylvania Walmart as soon as it opened, all in order to score some Pokemon cards. This Pokemon mania resulted in Target stores across the country actually no longer selling Pokemon cards, hoping to stop violence among shoppers. That is a thing that happened. If that isnt some sort of sign of the apocalypse, then the fact that a man in Japan assaulted and robbed someone of their Pokemon cards just might be. People, dont make Pikachu cry. The post Mew Pokemon Oreos Are Selling for Thousands of Dollars on eBay appeared first on Nerdist. (Getty Images) Joshua Henry Punt has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for sexually exploiting girls online. Punt, 39, of Ridgefield, Washington, pleaded guilty in April to posing as a teen and using social media services Snapchat and Kik to coerce girls into sending him explicit images. Once he had explicit images of his victims, Punt would use them to pressure the girls aged 12-16 into sending more, by threatening to show the images publicly if they didnt comply. This predatory defendant infiltrated our homes, said acting US Attorney Gorman. We warn our children about the dangerous stranger they might encounter on the street we must be equally vigilant about the ones who are lurking online. The eight child victims hail from New York, Arkansas, California, Texas, Nevada, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. At Mondays sentencing, US District Judge Benjamin H Settle said: There are no words to express how serious this crime is. The weight of the damage will go on for scores of decades rippling through lives You could see the pain in those girls, and you continued to do it to eight precious, innocent young girls you tortured them. Punt set up fake profiles online, using images of male teenagers from YouTube. Victims were pressured into sending the photos, which would supposedly disappear or the sender would be notified if an attempt was made to copy it. To get around this, Punt copied the content on a separate phone, without his victims knowledge or consent. At the sentencing, a mother of one of the victims said of her daughter. She met a monster disguised as a boy, and her life will be changed forever She now knows what evil looks like. The FBI has also identified Punt as the administrator of a child pornography distribution group on Kik. After his sentence, Punt will be on supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender. A healthcare worker places a BiPAP machine on a COVID-19 patient at United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, Texas, December 28, 2020. Callaghan O'Hare/Reuters A Wisconsin deputy threatened to arrest a teenager over COVID-19 social media posts in March 2020. Amyiah Cohoon had posted about her experience with what she and her doctors believed was COVID-19. On Friday, a judge ruled that the threat violated Cohoon's first amendment right. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. A Wisconsin teenager won a lawsuit against a sheriff and his deputy who allegedly threatened to have her jailed if she didn't remove a social media post about her COVID-19 experience in March 2020, the Wausau Daily Herald reported. On Friday, US District Judge Brett Ludwig ruled that student Amyiah Cohoon's free speech rights had been violated. "Demanding a 16-year-old remove protected speech from her Instagram account is a First Amendment violation," Ludwig said in the ruling. According to court documents, Cohoon, after returning from a spring break trip to Florida with the Westfield Area High School band on March 15, 2020, suspected she had been infected with the coronavirus. On March 26, she posted about her illness, including a photo of her wearing an oxygen mask in a hospital. Cohoon had tested negative, but her doctors suspected she was probably infected earlier and had missed the window for testing, court documents said. On March 27, 2020, Marquette County Sheriff Joseph Konrath sent a Sgt. Cameron Klump to Coohon's home. Klump then allegedly threatened Cohoon with arrest if she didn't remove the posts. Cohoon took down the posts at Klump's request. Cohoon's attorney, Luke Berg, told the Associated Press in April 2020 that the school's administrator, Bob Meicher, had called Konrath about the posts. Cohoon's parents also reportedly contacted the parents of other students on the trip to warn them about the possible exposure. Meicher then sent a message to families in the district that said "there was a rumor floating out there that one of our students contracted COVID-19 while on the band trip to Florida two weeks ago" and "there is NO truth to this." Story continues The Wausau Daily Herald reported Cohoon sued Konrath and Klump in April 2020, alleging they violated her First and Fourteenth Amendment rights. Konrath and Klump tried to have the case dismissed, the Wausau Daily Herald reported. They said they reasonably believed her posts were causing "significant disturbance, anxiety, fear, concern, and even panic among other citizens," which gave Klump probable cause to charge her with disorderly conduct. Ludwig ruled that their concern was not strong enough to constitute probable cause and said their actions could undermine freedom of speech. "The First Amendment is not a game setting for the government to toggle off and on. It applies in times of tranquility and times of strife," Ludwig wrote in the ruling. "While Defendants in this case may have believed their actions served the greater good, that belief cannot insulate them. Demanding a 16-year-old remove protected speech from her Instagram account is a First Amendment violation." In a press release, Berg, Cohoon's attorney said: "This decision underscores that First Amendment rights cannot be dispatched with in an emergency. More importantly, law enforcement has no business trying to regulate the social media posts of local teenagers." Konrath and Meicher did not respond to Insider's request for comment at the time of publication. Read the original article on Insider Cristiano Ronaldo is set to play his first Champions League match at Old Trafford since rejoining Manchester United when they host Villarreal on Wednesday. Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of the best nights at the stadium in the competition for the Portugal forward, who won the first of his five European Cups with United and is the Champions Leagues record scorer. Manchester United 7 Roma 1 (quarter-final second leg, April 10 2007) Ronaldo scored twice in Uniteds thrashing of Roma in 2007 (Martin Rickett/PA) Having not previously scored in the competition, Ronaldo notched a brace as United thrashed a stunned Roma to advance into the semi-finals 8-3 on aggregate. Sir Alex Fergusons men were 4-0 up by half-time on the night via efforts from Michael Carrick, Alan Smith, Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo, who then added the fifth shortly after the break. Carrick made it 6-0, Daniele De Rossi pulled a goal back for the visitors and Patrice Evra completed the rout late on. Manchester United 3 AC Milan 2 (semi-final first leg, April 24 2007) Ronaldo gave United an early lead in the last four tie with a header before Kaka struck twice to put Milan in front. Rooney then netted a double of his own to give United the advantage again, his second coming in stoppage time. The second leg would prove a disappointing affair for Fergusons team as the Italians won 3-0 to triumph 5-3 on aggregate. Manchester United 2 Sporting Lisbon 1 (group stage, Nov 27 2007) Ronaldo (right) celebrates his stoppage-time winner against his old club Sporting Lisbon in 2007 (Martin Rickett/PA) Another contest with late drama as Ronaldo produced a stoppage-time winner against his old club, driving home a free-kick after Carlos Tevez had cancelled out Abel Ferreiras opener for the visitors. The goal, which sealed top spot in Group F, was Ronaldos fifth in the pool, which also included the decisive effort in Uniteds 1-0 away win against Sporting. Manchester United 1 Barcelona 0 (semi-final second leg, April 29 2008) Ronaldo (left) helped United get past Barcelona in the 2007-08 semi-finals (Martin Rickett/PA). A first Champions League final awaited Ronaldo after he helped United see off Barca following a 0-0 draw in the first leg. While he did not get on the scoresheet, Ronaldo was involved in the build-up to Paul Scholes superb strike just before the quarter hour. United went on to beat Chelsea on penalties in the final in Moscow after a 1-1 draw, with Ronaldo scoring the opener and having a spot-kick saved in the shootout. Story continues Manchester United 2 Inter Milan 0 (last 16 second leg, March 11 2009) After a 0-0 draw in the first leg, United got past Jose Mourinhos Inter and into the quarter-finals with a victory that saw Nemanja Vidic give the hosts the lead early on and Ronaldo then wrap things up with a second-half header. Manchester United 1 Arsenal 0 (semi-final first leg, April 29 2009) Another occasion when Ronaldo did not score, but he brought some fine saves out of Manuel Almunia and rattled the crossbar in a contest settled by John OSheas early goal. The Portuguese was then the star of the show in the second leg, netting twice as United beat Arsenal 3-1 to progress to a final that they lost 2-0 to Pep Guardiolas Barcelona in Rome. Manchester United 1 Real Madrid 2 (last 16 second leg, Mar 5 2013) Ronaldo (right) returned to Old Trafford with Real Madrid in 2013 (Martin Rickett/PA). Having left United to join Real in the summer of 2009, Ronaldo returned to haunt his former employers, scoring the Spaniards second to secure a 3-2 aggregate win. After a 1-1 first-leg draw in Madrid in which Ronaldo had also scored United went ahead at Old Trafford through a Sergio Ramos own goal, before having Nani controversially sent off. Luka Modric then drew things level and Ronaldo had the final say soon after. Drew Barrymore can't stop gushing about her ex-husband's new wife. The actress, 46, appeared on Dax Shepard's Armchair Expert podcast on Monday and spoke about ex Will Kopelman's new wife, Alexandra Michler. "He just got remarried actually last week to this most amazing woman," Barrymore told Shepard. "This incredible woman Allie, and I just feel like I won the lottery with her, like, I really did. I feel like I'm lucky that there's this new beautiful soul that came into our lives." Barrymore added she does not "try to be her best friend," although Michler "knows that I absolutely worship the ground she walks on, and I'm her biggest cheerleader." "But I give them space," she continued. "We hang out. We do dinners with all the kids, birthdays. We might take a trip together, we're finding our way in a beautiful, slow, respectful manner." RELATED: Drew Barrymore's Ex Will Kopelman Shares Sweet Photos from His Honeymoon with Alexandra Michler Drew Barrymore, Will Kopelman, Alexandra Michler Presley Ann/Getty; Will Kopelman/Instagram Barrymore added, "I'm just so lucky because she came into Will's life and got to know my daughters very well and very real, saw all the warts and all the hearts, everything in between. Literally was like, 'I choose you.' It's a miracle, and I know miracles exist because I was so devastated that our relationship didn't work out because I wanted this." Barrymore and Kopelman, 43, tied the knot in 2012 and divorced in 2016. The two share daughters Olive, 9, and Frankie, 7. Will Kopelman, Alexandra Michler Jill Kargman/Instagram Despite their split, Barrymore said, "I think Will and I did a kick a-- job of putting our kids first and showing solidarity." Kopelman, an art consultant, married Michler, the 33-year-old director of fashion development at Vogue, on Aug. 28 in a romantic ceremony in Massachusetts. Never miss a story sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Story continues Kopelman and Barrymore's two daughters acted as flower girls during the ceremony, as shown by Kopelman's sister Jill, who shared photos from the event on Instagram. The art consultant shared pictures of their honeymoon on Instagram in early September, showing off their Italian getaway as they enjoyed wine tastings, Italian cuisine and yacht tours. Barrymore previously celebrated Kopelman's engagement while talking to Howard Stern on The Howard Stern Show the month after the couple shared their big news. "I'm happy to say he just got engaged to this wonderful woman named Allie who I am probably president of her fan club," Barrymore said. "The #NoEvilStepmother is the greatest blessing I could have hoped for. She is just so wonderful. I want him to be happy." Today Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High near 85F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Tonight Partly cloudy skies. Low 63F. Winds WNW at 10 to 20 mph. Tomorrow Sunny. High near 85F. Winds NNW at 10 to 15 mph. VILLANOVA, Pa.Lisa Marco-Bujosa, PhD, assistant professor of Education, is part of a group of researchers that will be working together to create a professional development program for 7-12 grade STEM teachers to design learning experiences and curriculum that focus on social justice issues in the communities in which their students live and learn. The four-year, $2.8 million research and development project is funded through the National Science Foundations Discovery Research PreK-12 program. Arcadia University is the lead on the project, and Marco-Bujosa will also be working with colleagues from LaSalle and Mercyhurst universities. The Philadelphia Regional Institute for STEM Educators (PRISE), which is hosted by St. Josephs University, is also part of the grant. PRISE has previously received NSF funding for professional development for urban STEM educators, but this grant will expand on the previous work by adding in social justice and local impact components. The team of researchers will work with a cohort of approximately 25 teachers from southeastern Pennsylvania over the course of two years, reaching a total of 75 teachers for the duration of the grant. The first year, the researchers will deliver the professional development program to the teachers. The second year, the research team will go into the classroom and see how the teachers are implementing it into their classrooms. They will then repeat the process with a new cohort in years three and four. Marco-Bujosa is passionate about equity and social justice in STEM. She explains that rather than have a textbook and the standards that are handed down by a state, this endeavor is really to think about how students can best understand science that is meaningful, interesting and can be tool in their own lives specifically from a social justice and urban education standpoint. Theres a lot of topics in urban communities that students are aware of that if you allow them to make the connection and have the issue be the lead, as opposed to the content thats more interesting, meaningful and authentic for students. says Marco-Bujosa. That will be the hook to get students not only interested in science learning, but also the skills that they need to be activists and put real change in their community through science. Before Marco-Bujosa became a professor, she was a middle school science teacher in Houston, Texas. Because of the heat, humidity, pollution and other factors, the city often issued air quality warnings. In addition, her school was right across from a beer manufacturing plant. Many days she would drive by and see a beige cloud of yeast and other byproducts hovering over the community and could not help but think about the impact it had on the students and their families living there. Locally, an example of an issue students in Philadelphia face is sugar. Students might learn about it as a compound in chemistry, but theyll also talk about how sugar impacts the body in biology and the Philadelphia sugary drinks tax in social studies. Quite often these topics are right in front of students, says Marco-Bujosa. They may not be front and center to those that dont live in those communities, but for the students that do, if they have a better understanding about how it impacts their lives, families and health, and are empowered to do something about it because of what theyve learning in school, then weve done something good. In addition to how the research team hope students benefit, they also hope teachers will see value in this way of thinking and teaching. A lot of teachers, especially those that are starting out, are given the curriculum and the standards and they think theres only one way to go about accomplishing their goals, Marco-Bujosa said. But were going to provide them with the tools and savviness in the professional development program to see how they can accomplish their goals as a teacher and check their boxes, but also accomplishing these broader social justice goals. Its reframing the way we think about the purpose of science and science education. About Villanova University: Since 1842, Villanova Universitys Augustinian Catholic intellectual tradition has been the cornerstone of an academic community in which students learn to think critically, act compassionately and succeed while serving others. There are more than 10,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students in the University's six collegesthe College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Villanova School of Business, the College of Engineering, the M. Louise Fitzpatrick College of Nursing, the College of Professional Studies and the Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law. Ranked among the nations top universities, Villanova supports its students intellectual growth and prepares them to become ethical leaders who create positive change everywhere life takes them. For more, visit www.villanova.edu. The Budapest Autumn Festival will offer over 150 events at thirty venues between September 26 and October 10, the deputy mayor in charge of charge of cultural affairs said. Erzsebet Gy Nemeth told a press conference that the festival has been revamped to demonstrate that experimentation, movement and change were all part of culture. Events this year will be performed in the citys first, second, eighth and ninth districts, she said, though the organisers plan to involve more and more districts in the years ahead. The Budapest Autumn Festival was originally launched by the city council some thirty years ago. Learn more about the Festival here. We all have dreams, but only a few know the resources to reach there. Nowadays, dance is one of the most celebrated ways of living life. People love to dance. No matter the occasion, dance is always at the front seat. Tejal Pimpley has introduced YOU dance academy to make your dreams come true. B YOU was established in 2019 in Andheri West of Mumbai, Maharashtra. Its strategic location has attracted students from all over the state. B YOU is the brook that will lead you to your dreams. More than a dance academy, B YOU is devoted to helping you find your strengths and understand yourself better. It offers various dance forms such as Bharatnatyam, Contemporary, Heels, jazz, etc. Moreover, it also provides classes in other creative fields like acting, singing, etc. B YOU is the hub and a go-to place for many Bollywood celebrities to practice and learn. Furthermore, the teachers are technically well-versed and experienced in their respective dance forms. Many of them have experience of over ten years in dance and are expert teachers as well. They aim to teach you to dance using technical moves so that you have a strong foundation. After which you are good to go with any dance form. Each session is packed with knowledge and proper training. The students will have ample understanding even if they attend only one class. B YOU has become a brand of its own, and many have started recognizing its potential and worth. The academy is working on collaborating the traditional and modern dance styles and moves to create a fusion that will be unique and interesting. It also conducts workshops and seminars for your growth. B YOU will soon be expanding and will have its reach in all the cities and states of the country. Also, Tejal wants to take our traditional dance forms to the world. She wants the world to have exposure to our art forms and is planning to start from Tanzania in Africa. B YOU gives you the creative space you need to discover yourself and work in your dreams. It is no doubt that B YOU will soon reach great heights. It will become a common and prestigious platform for artists and dancers. It is bringing a revolution in the dance field with its unique thinking and aims to help students build their dreams. (Disclaimer- Brand Desk Content) New Delhi: Since COVID-19 curbs on cinemas have been lifted, numerous Bollywood films have announced their theatrical release dates, including five of Akshay Kumars films namely - Sooryavanshi, Prithviraj, Bachchan Pandey, Raksha Bandhan and Ram Setu. However, there was no announcement for his movie Atrangi Re. Th film might get an OTT release. To be honest, I havent yet included Atrangi Re in the list because we are still mulling over whether it should be a theatrical film or an OTT release. And OTT may simply be the medium of choice for Atrangi Re, as it looks right now, Akshay told HT City. The superstar praised Anand L Rais directorial film as fantastic and a fresh story. Atrangi Re has a fantastic, never-heard-before subject and storyline. For me and Anand Rai, it is critical that the most suited platform is chosen for the film, told the 53 years old. Apart from Akshay Kumar, Atrangi Re also stars Sara Ali Khan and Dhanush. The Good Newwz actor said he has great respect for the OTT medium and at the end wants to select a platform that is best for the film. I am as much for OTT as for theatres. Whats best for the film should decide the medium of release, shared Akshay. Akshay Kumar is currently busy filming for his upcoming film Cinderella. On Tuesday, the 24-carat gold is sold for Rs 46,280 per 10 gram, up Rs 40 from the previous transaction. According to the Good Returns website, silver is sold for Rs 60,250 per kilogram, up Rs 350 from yesterday's trading price. Due to excise duty, state taxes, and production costs, the price of gold jewellery varies across India, the metal's second-largest consumer. 10 gm of 22-carat gold is sold for Rs 45,500 and Rs 45,280 in New Delhi and Mumbai, respectively. According to the website, the yellow metal was sold for Rs 43,510 in Chennai. The price of 10 gm of 24-carat gold in Delhi is Rs 49,640, whereas it is Rs 46,280 in Mumbai. Gold is sold for Rs 47,470 in Chennai this morning. The cost in Kolkata is Rs 48,450. According to Reuters, yellow metal prices fell globally, weighed down by a stronger dollar and higher US Treasury yields, as investors anticipated additional clues from Federal Reserve officials on the central bank's monetary policy move. Gold futures in the United States declined 0.3 percent to $1,747.50 per ounce, while spot gold fell 0.1 percent to $1,748.01 per ounce. Live TV #mute NEW YORK: Microsoft Corps near-acquisition of social media app TikTok last year was the "strangest thing I`ve ever worked on," its Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella has said. TikTok had been ordered by then-US President Donald Trump to separate its US version from Chinese parent ByteDance because of national security concerns about the collection of American users` data. Microsoft in August 2020 began talks on the proposed acquisition but the deal collapsed by September. Trump`s divestment push ended by the time he left office in January and no potential suitor ending up acquiring TikTok. Speaking at the Code Conference in Beverly Hills, California, Nadella said he was looking forward to bringing Microsoft`s security, child safety and cloud expertise to TikTok. "It`s unbelievable," Nadella said of the experience during an on-stage interview. "I learned so many things about so much and so many people. First of all, TikTok came to us. We didn`t go to TikTok." "TikTok was caught in between a lot of things happening across two capitals," Nadella continued. "President Trump had a particular point of view of what he was trying to get done there, and then it just dropped off. The (US government) had a particular set of requirements and then it just disappeared." Nadella said what attracted ByteDance CEO Zhang Yiming to Microsoft was the US company`s services related to content moderation and child safety, developed through products included in Xbox video gaming tools and on business social network LinkedIn. Nadella said he has no idea whether the U.S. is still pushing for a deal under President Joe Biden. The Biden administration has said it is reviewing the national security concerns. "At this point, I`m happy with what I have," Nadella said. Live TV New Delhi: The Moroccan beauty Nora Fatehi has done it again! Upping the hotness quotient, and leaving her fans surprised. The gorgeous beauty turned muse for famous designer duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla's latest dream project 'Into The Lights'- a small film which they call it 'beyond fashion'. Nora Fatehi turned into a 'divine sorceress' for the project. She wrote in her Instagram (IG) caption: Nora, the Numinous. Nora Fatehi is all set to dazzle as the Divine Sorceress in 'Into the Light'. Her other-worldly charm, radiant charisma and ever-shining heart are the ideal complements to the film that celebrates fashion and so much more. 'Into the Light' by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla and Joseph Radhik will rise tomorrow. @norafatehi Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla also dropped a few images and videos on IG. The caption reads: Enter the Dream, The night, like our hearts, is a young and wild thing. Into the Light - a film by Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla and Joseph Radhik that celebrates couture like never before. Into the Light has finally conjured a long brewing fantasy. For the past year, Abu Sandeep have been captivated by the possibility of creating a film that goes far beyond fashion. Much before Into the Light manifested as reality, Sandeep had written to Joseph about the idea, knowing well in his heart that only they can bring this hypnotizing dream to fruition. A very Special Thank You to @norafatehi Celebrity pap Viral Bhayani also shared an inside shoot video. Nora Fatehi earned name and fame after featuring in the 'Dilbar' track for John Abraham starrer Satyamev Jayate. The track got her 'Dilbar girl' tag as well. The Moroccan beauty was first seen in the reality show Bigg Boss season 9. She made her Bollywood debut with Roar: Tigers of the Sundarbans. Her popularity in Telugu cinema began with hit songs in films such as Temper, Baahubali: The Beginning and Kick 2. She also starred in two Malayalam films, Double Barrel and Kayamkulam Kochunni. New Delhi: Priyanka Chopra Jonas who is currently shooting for her upcoming series Citadel, recently took a private jet to Spain to complete the shoot. Her team has now shared a picture of PeeCee where she can be seen sitting in the flight with her legs crossed. While the world was drooling over her picture, some of her fans loved her desi pose that got everyone's attention. Sharing the picture on Instagram, her team also gave the picture courtesy to Priyankas mother Madhu Chopra as she clicked the picture. Her fans loved her picture and called her India wale while complimenting her. For the unversed, Priyanka recently attended the Global Citizens Live 2021 on Saturday in a gorgeous earth-themed dress and fans cannot get over her outfit. The global sensation took to her Instagram handle to share pictures of her look as she posed in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The dress was designed by Prabal Gurung who is based in New York City. She was styled by Law Roach, had make-up done by Morgane Martini and hair by Laurie Zanoletti. Global Citizen Live is 2021 featured Priyanka Chopra as one of the hosts and the actress had shared many BTS clips from the event on her social media. On the work front, the actress has her plate full with multiple projects. Priyanka will be seen in Matrix 4, a rom-com film Text For You and an upcoming Amazon Prime Videos spy thriller Citadel. She will also star in the Hindi film Jee Ley Zaraa along with Katrina Kaif and Alia Bhatt. The film will be directed by actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar. New Delhi: Streaming giant Netflix has released the trailer of the fourth and final season of the series 'Little Things', which stars Mithila Palkar and Dhruv Sehgal. Directed by Ruchir Arun and Pranjal Dua, 'Little Things 4' is a celebration of all the subtle things, the adulthood, the maturity and above all the little moments that truly make a relationship beautiful. Talking about her journey on 'Little Things', Mithila said: "Little Things is a show that is very close to my heart. Kavya is a character that is going to stay with me forever. It's been an incredible journey with Dhruv, my Directors and the fabulous crew. The finale season nudged me to go back in time and relive my journey as Kavya for one last time. I am hoping audiences enjoy this season as well and celebrate their bond with Dhruv and Kavya." In the final season, Mithila stars as Kavya and Dhruv plays Dhruv. Produced by Pocket Aces and Dice Media, 'Little Things'. Season 4 celebrates Dhruv and Kavya's individuality and relationship as they grow together amidst their highs and lows. While they make the tricky transition from young love to a mature relationship, audiences will witness Dhruv and Kavya navigate questions around commitment, health, their ambitions and family. Dhruv added: "I have grown with this show and the amount of love it has received over the years has really overwhelmed me. I'm honestly a little sad that this show is coming to an end, but I'm also immensely happy that Dhruv and Kavya were able to spread this much love and joy amongst their audience." SRINAGAR: The Indian Army on Tuesday gunned down one Pakistan-based terrorist and captured alive another during an operation in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir. Sharing more information, Major General Virendra Vats, GOC, 19 Infantry Division, said, An operation was carried out for over nine days along the Line of Control (LoC) in the Uri sector. It started on September 18, when the patrol team along the LoC detected infiltration movement. When the encounter took place, two infiltrators came across the border, while four were on the other side, Maj Gen Vats said. One terrorist was neutralized, another terrorist was caught during an operation in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir, Major General Virendra Vats said. Uri | One terrorist neutralized, another terrorist caught during an operation in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir: Major General Virendra Vats, GOC, 19 Infantry Division pic.twitter.com/YbJIEKBDdz ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2021 He added that 7 AK series weapons, 9 pistols and revolvers and more than 80 grenades and Indian and Pakistani currency were recovered in Uri operation and the one that took place on 18 September in the surrounding areas. 7 AK series weapons, 9 pistols and revolvers and more than 80 grenades and Indian & Pak currency recovered in Uri operation and the one that took place on 18 Sep in the surrounding areas: Major General Virendra Vats, GOC, 19 Infantry Division ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2021 "The captured terrorist belongs to terror outfit LeT. He has been identified as Ali Babar Patra from Okhara, Punjab in Pakistan. He reportedly surrendered before the security forces during the operation in the Uri sector of Jammu and Kashmir,'' the Indian Army said. Vats further informed that this infiltration attempt was made in the area of Salamabad Nallah. Vats said during the press conference that this infiltration group was supported from the Pakistan side by three porters who had come to LoC along with supplies. The movement of such a large group of people can't take place without the active complicity of the Pakistani Army deployed on the other side, he alleged. On September 25, an encounter ensued, during which one terrorist was neutralised and another was caught. The surrendered terrorist, who is now in custody, has admitted that he is a member of LeT and that he was trained by them in Muzaffarabad in PoK. Live TV New Delhi: The emergency use authorisation (EUA) for Bharat Biotech`s COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin has once again been delayed by the World Health Organisation. But the Bharat Biotech has said that it is 'working diligently with the WHO to obtain EUL at the earliest.' The EUA is important because without it Covaxin will not be accepted by most countries. The Strategic Advisory Group of Expert on Immunization (SAGE) will be meeting on October 5 on EUA to Covaxin. Earlier in an exclusive interview to ANI Dr Pravin Bharati Pawar, Minister of State for Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said, "There is the procedure of submitting the documents for approval. WHO`s emergency use authorisation is expected soon." In an statement, the company has that it is not appropriate to speculate or comment on the regulatory approval process and at appropriate time it will announce about the regulatory approval. As a responsible manufacturer with past approvals for our other vaccines, we do not find it appropriate to speculate or comment on the regulatory approval process & its timelines. We are diligently working with the WHO to obtain EUL at the earliest: BharatBiotech pic.twitter.com/vuDXAp5wLq ANI (@ANI) September 28, 2021 Dr VK Paul, Member (Health), Niti Aayog also indicated in a press briefing that the WHO EUA is expected in the last week of September. According to Bharat Biotech Phase 3 clinical trials of Covaxin demonstrated an efficacy rate of 77.8 per cent. All the relevant trial data has been submitted to WHO, and all clarifications by the UN health agency have been responded to Bharat Biotech. "We have responded to any clarifications sought by WHO and are awaiting further feedback. As a responsible manufacturer with several prequalified vaccines, we do not find it appropriate to speculate or comment on the approval process and its timelines," the Hyderabad-based company said in a statement. This delay will affect Indians especially students and who have international travel plans. The WHO has approved COVID-19 vaccines by Pfizer -BioNTech, AstraZeneca, Johnson and Johnson, Moderna and Sinopharm. (With Agency inputs) Live TV With Kanhaiya Kumar likely to join the Congress party soon, CPI Bihar state secretary Ram Naresh Pandey on Tuesday confirmed that some days ago Kanhaiya had taken out the AC installed by him in the CPI's state office in Patna. "I gave my consent because he had installed it at his own cost," Pandey said. Pandey said that he hopes that Kumar will take back his decision to join the Congress. "I still hope that Kanhaiya Kumar will not join Congress because his mindset is communist and such people are strict with their ideology." Pandey also mentioned that Kumar participated in the National Executive Council meeting of CPI on September 4 and 5 in the national capital, and added, "During the meeting, he never gave any intention of leaving the party, nor did he demand any specific party post." Former JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar and Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch (RDAM) MLA Jignesh Mewani from Gujarat are expected to join the Congress party on September 28. Currently, Kumar, a CPI leader, is a member of the National Executive Council, a top decision-making body of the party. Mewani is an independent MLA from the Vadgam constituency in Gujarat and convener of RDAM. In the 2017 Gujarat Assembly election, the Congress party did not field its candidate against Mewani in the Vadgam constituency. Live TV New Delhi: A new version of the Akash missile was successfully flight-tested from the integrated test range at Chandipur in Odisha on Monday. A video shared by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) shows how the Akash prime missile intercepted and destroyed an unmanned aerial target mimicking an enemy aircraft in its maiden flight test with pinpoint accuracy. DRDO today conducts Successful Maiden Flight Test of Akash Prime Missile from Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur, Odisha. pic.twitter.com/QlvMHtTWVj DRDO (@DRDO_India) September 27, 2021 The flight testing took place around 4:30 pm, according to the DRDO officials. "In comparison to the existing Akash system, Akash Prime Missile is equipped with an indigenous active RF seeker for improved accuracy. Other improvements also ensure more reliable performance under a low-temperature environment at higher altitudes," an official said. The modified ground system of the existing Akash weapon system was for the flight test. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has congratulated the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), Indian Army, Indian Air Force and other stakeholders on the successful trial of the Akash prime missile. Singh said the successful flight test proves the competence of the DRDO in designing and developing world-class missile systems. DRDO Chairman G Satheesh Reddy also congratulated the team involved in the successful flight trial of the Akash prime missile. Reddy said the Akash Prime system will further boost the confidence of the Indian Army and Indian Air Force as the Akash system is already inducted and now getting improved with more lethal missiles. Live TV New Delhi: On the occasion of the birth anniversary of Bhagat Singh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (September 28, 2021) said that the courageous sacrifice of the revolutionary freedom fighter had ignited the spark of patriotism among countless people. PM Modi also expressed that Bhagat Singh lives in the heart of every Indian. Taking to his official Twitter account, the Prime Minister wrote, "The brave Bhagat Singh lives in the heart of every Indian. His courageous sacrifice ignited the spark of patriotism among countless people. I bow to him on his Jayanti and recall his noble ideals." - The brave Bhagat Singh lives in the heart of every Indian. His courageous sacrifice ignited the spark of patriotism among countless people. I bow to him on his Jayanti and recall his noble ideals. pic.twitter.com/oN1tWvCg5u Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 28, 2021 Bhagat Singh was born in 1907 in Banga village of Faisalabad district, now in Pakistan`s Punjab province. He was only 23 when he was hanged in the Lahore jail along with Shivaram Hari Rajguru and Sukhdev Thapar on March 23, 1931. His idealism coupled with his sacrifice has made him a folk hero and an inspiration for many. Live TV New Delhi: India recorded 18,795 new COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours and saw less than 20,000 fresh infections for the first time in 201 days, the health ministry informed on Tuesday (September 28) morning. With this, the country's active coronavirus count has dropped to 2,92,206, which is also the lowest in 192 days. According to the health ministry, India recorded less than 50,000 daily coronavirus cases for the 93rd consecutive day. #Unite2FightCorona India's Active Caseload (2,92,206) constitute 0.87% of Total Cases. pic.twitter.com/ozi1dmkBSc Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) September 28, 2021 India also registered 26,030 recoveries and 179 deaths between Monday and Tuesday morning. The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has gone up to 3.29 crore, while the death toll stands at 4,47,373. This is to be noted that India's COVID-19 tally crossed the 20-lakh mark on August 7, 2020, the 30-lakh mark on August 23, the 40-lakh mark on September 5 and the 50-lakh mark on September 16. It then went past 60 lakh on September 28, 70 lakh on October 11, 80 lakh on October 29, 90 lakh on November 20 and touched the one-crore mark on December 19. India then saw the COVID-19 situation improving at the start of this year, but due to the second wave that hit the country in April, it saw the total tally crossing the grim milestone of two crore on May 4. It then crossed the three-crore mark on June 23. Meanwhile, India's cumulative COVID-19 vaccination coverage has crossed 87 crores after more than 1.02 crore doses were administered in the last 24 hours. #Unite2FightCorona#LargestVaccineDrive Indias Cumulative #COVID19 Vaccination Coverage crossed the landmark of 87 Cr (87,07,08,636). More than 1.02 Crore doses administered in last 24 hours.https://t.co/OP7aln2bWI pic.twitter.com/LjVpXzfjBV Ministry of Health (@MoHFW_INDIA) September 28, 2021 (With agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: The Delhi University will announce its first cut-off list on October 1, followed by the second on October 9 and the third on October 16. Nearly 70,000 seats under various courses are up for grabs and the admission process is online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The colleges will declare their first cut-off list on October 1 and admissions will start from October 4 at 10 am and will go on till October 6 at 11.59 pm, the varsity said on Monday. Colleges are expected to approve admissions under the first list by 5 pm on October 7 and the last day of payment will be October 8 by 5 pm, it said. The second cut-off will be declared on October 9, with admissions starting from October 11 at 10 am and ending on October 13 at 11.59 pm. The Delhi University (DU) said that admissions under the second list will be approved by 5 pm on October 14 and the last day of payment will be October 15 by 5 pm. The third list will be announced on October 16 with the admission process starting on October 18 at 10 am. The candidates will be able to apply for admission till October 21 at 11.59 pm. Colleges will approve admissions under the third list by 5 pm on October 22 and the last day of payment will be October 23 by 5 pm, the DU said in its admission schedule. The varsity said that colleges will announce special cut-offs after the third list if there are vacant seats. The special list will be for those who could not apply in the previous three lists despite being eligible, it said. The admission process will start on October 26 at 10 am and end on October 27 at 11.59 pm for special cut-offs and colleges will approve admissions by 5 pm on October 28 and the last day of payment will be October 29 by 5 pm, the DU said. The fourth list will be out on October 30 with the admission process commencing on November 1 at 10 am and ending on the next day at 11.59 pm, it said. The colleges are expected to complete admission approvals by 5 pm on November 5 with the last date of payment being November 6 by 5 pm, the varsity said. The fifth list will be announced on November 8 and the candidates will be able to apply for admission by November 9 at 10 am and ending on the next day on November 10 at 11.59 pm. The colleges will complete admission approvals by 11.59 pm on November 11 with the last date of payment being November 12 by 5 pm. They will declare cut-offs under the special drive on vacant seats wherever applicable on November 13 with admissions happening between November 14 and 15 and the last date of payment being November 16. Live TV New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate attached assets Rs 300 Crore of Icore Group of Companies in a chit fund scam case. The agency alleged that the group illegally raised a huge amount of money from lakhs of gullible investors by promising exorbitant returns. It further said that so far the proceeds of crimes (POC) have been quantified to the tune of Rs 2400 crore. The properties attached by the Directorate belong to 11 Icore group companies, its directors Late AnukulMaiti, Kanika Maiti, and their family members. The properties attached comprise of bank accounts, plots, factories, shopping malls and various residential properties. Live TV Chennai: When the Indian government revealed that the US was repatriating 157 antiquities and artifacts during Prime Minister Narendra Modis recent US visit, it was a significant milestone on many counts and it offered hope for many more to follow. Here are some statistics to ponder upon - Between the years 1970 and 2000, India recovered 19 antiquities from abroad, between the years 2000 and 2013, none were recovered, between 2013 and 2021 August, about 53 had been recovered and in the past one week, 157 were recovered, as per the India Pride Project, an NGO that works towards the restoration and recovery of Indias Heritage. At face value, the recovered artefacts might mean different things to different people. But for the volunteers of India Pride Project, this meant years of their tireless efforts coming to fruition and offers them more hope to continue in pursuit of such looted and lost treasures of Indian heritage. While a team of volunteers monitors social media for any Indian objects going on sale, the core team works on research and coordinating with law enforcement agencies to ensure the lawful return of artifacts. Zee Media spoke to S Vijay Kumar, Co-founder of the India Pride Project to understand their journey into the world of art, identifying and tracing stolen art and the efforts that follow, before getting the antiques to where they belong. According to Vijay, the latest trove of 157 heritage works were recovered from the collections of five art smugglers/dealers/thieves/exhibitors, who operated and made millions in the international market via illegal sale. The big names are Subhash Kapoor (Art of Past Gallery), Doris and Nancy Wierner (Wierner Gallery), Nayef Homsi, other UK dealers who had exhibited stolen idols during the 2016 Asia Week in New York along with the Punnainallur Nataraja from Asia Society Museum. At different points in time, over the last decade, these individuals and their warehouses were held and raided by US authorities. Our work and coordination has primarily been with the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Department of Homeland Security and Colonel Matthew Bogdanos, Assistant District Attorney, New York and Art Expert Apsara Iyer in his team, besides the Indian authorities. The authorities send us pictures known as robber offering photos that depict fresh loot, which are meant to be sent to collectors abroad. We use these pictures and compare them with our database and undertake the extremely time-consuming process of cross-verifying and matching them with old records. After sourcing irrefutable proof, we reach out to the authorities and request the retrieval of the artefact, Vijay Kumar elaborated. According to India Pride Project, some of the significant artifacts from the present lot of 157 are the Punnainallur Chola Bronze Nataraja, Chamunda ex Dakshina Candi temple Odisha, Chola bronze Alingana Murthy from Deepambalpuram seized from Ball State Museum, a Pala stone steele of Vishnu seized from the Harn Museum, Chola Stone Lingothbava seized from Birmingham Museum and a host of Terracota stoneware from Chandraketugarh seized from the Toledo Museum (Ohio) and Honolulu Museum. However, the team is hopeful that this is only the first batch of heritage articles from the US and that many more batches would follow. Some of the major expectations in the upcoming batches are pinned on the return of the Thachur Murugan from Tamil Nadu, host of Chola bronzes from Sripuranthan, the Barhut Yakshi from Madhya Pradesh, the Chola stone Nagapattinam Buddha etc. The teams biggest regret and trigger has been how Indias Living Gods or Murtis that are meant to be placed in the sanctum sanctorum of temples adorn the swimming pools and living rooms of the ignorant and rich Westerners, who only see them as idols that can be purchased. They firmly believe that Indias authorities at the state level must wake up to the reality of such thefts of historical artefacts and how they are smuggled out of the country. A constant lament of those working in this sector has been how Indian Law has helped smugglers rather than protecting the heritage articles - In India, idol or artefact theft is punishable with seven years imprisonment and a fine of Rs.3000. This is said to be in stark contrast to Egypt and China, where theft from tombs attracts as much as capital punishment. While most countries track down their heritage articles that go on sale abroad and demand proof of ownership from the sellers, India is said to have been following the method where the onus of proving lay on itself. This is another major stumbling block in tracing and retrieving the artifacts from high-profile museums and auctions that take place abroad. Despite the obstacles that come their way, the India Pride Project team remains committed to restoring Indian Pride and heritage and labours from the different locations that they have spread across, while also carrying on with their professions. Live TV New Delhi: Schools need to be reopened in a phased manner, starting with primary sections with proper implementation of multi-layered COVID-19 mitigation measures, according to experts at the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). In an opinion piece published in The Indian Journal of Medical Research, the experts said testing strategies in school settings could serve as key interventions to check the potential spread of the virus underlining routine temperature or symptom checking in schools should be avoided due to limited evidence on their utility. Experts cited a UNESCO report, which stated that school closures in India for more than 500 days have affected over 320 million children. It has hit hard children from the relatively deprived hamlets and slums with many not being able to read more than a few words. A survey has found that students missed out on social interactions, lacked physical activity and had a sense of loosening the bonds of friendship due to prolonged school closures, mentioned the piece 'Reopening of schools during COVID-19 pandemic: A persistent dilemma'. In the opinion piece that has synthesised scientific evidence from within India and abroad on the justification for reopening of schools, experts said knowing that COVID-19 transmission is an "over-dispersed" phenomenon, testing strategies in schools could serve as key interventions to check the potential spread of the virus. It must also be acknowledged that Covid testing strategies in schools should act as an adjunct and not substitute to other organisational and behavioural interventions, stated the perspective by Tanu Anand, Balram Bhargava and Samiran Panda. Evidence indicates that restoration of functioning of the education system as it was in pre-Covid times, as early as possible appears prudent in the current Indian context, they said. "However, it would be necessary to examine state-specific as well as district-specific data on earlier waves of infection and the status of adult vaccination coverage to project any plausible third wave and its potential intensity to inform decisions related to schools reopening." "It is recommended that schools should have access to on-site testing facilities according to existing country-specific guidelines. Temporary or localised closures of a class or school may occur depending upon the local community transmission levels or if COVID-19 indicators worsen." School teachers, staff and those involved in the transportation of children should be vaccinated on an emergent basis and continue to use a mask even after receiving the jabs, the experts underlined. This combination intervention is critical as vaccination against COVID-19 does not prevent acquisition or transmission of infection, and it is true for adults and children. "Opening of schools under this combination-intervention will ensure not only continuity of in-person learning but also instil confidence among parents that schools are safe for their children," they said. COVID-19 vaccine trials for children and adolescents are still ongoing in India. Available evidence suggests that those aged 12 years and above are at a high risk of contracting the infection. Therefore, they must be prioritised for vaccination compared to the younger children, the experts said. To get the maximum benefits of reopening schools, the opinion piece highlighted the need for devising proactive multi-layered mitigation strategies to create an optimal learning environment for the children with a reduced risk of transmission. Consistent and appropriate use of masks, implementation of a standard protocol for sanitization and hand washing are the key pillars of Covid-appropriate behaviour and must be practised by students and school staff alike. Ensuring the provision for such behaviour change practices requires planning and resource allocation by school authorities, the experts highlighted. While masks are not recommended for children under five years, six to 11-year-old children may wear a mask depending on their ability to use them safely and appropriately. Those aged 12 years and above should wear masks under the same conditions as adults, they said. Live TV Schools should ensure that the indoors are well ventilated and air conditioners should be avoided. Exhaust fans should be installed in classrooms to curtail the potential spread of the infection. Also, children should be advised against sharing meals, spending long hours in canteens or dining halls. Referring to the open-air classes propagated by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore at Santiniketan, Anand, Bhargava and Panda said, "COVID-19 has forced us to explore and discover innovative learning methods, particularly in the nature's lap." They said that there is ample evidence to suggest that children aged 1-17 years have similar susceptibility to a mild form of COVID-19 as in adults. "However, the risk of severe disease and mortality in children when compared to adults is much less," the experts said. Anecdotal evidence from India also points towards a sporadic rise in Covid cases in states that initiated the reopening of schools after the first wave. All these points towards over-dispersed phenomenon in COVID-19 transmission in various settings, they said. It should also be noted that global evidence suggests schools as "non-drivers" of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the community, the experts underlined. New Delhi: It's official now. Former JNU students' union president Kanhaiya Kumar joined the Congress on Tuesday (September 28) in the presence of Rahul Gandhi, party sources said. Gujarat Dalit leader and Independent MLA Jignesh Mevani has also come out in support of the party, they said. Kumar had joined the Communist Party of India (CPI) ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha election and had unsuccessfully contested from Begusarai in Bihar against Giriraj Singh of the BJP. Kanhaiya, after joining the party said, "I am joining Congress because it's not just a party, it's an idea. It's country's oldest and most democratic party, and I am emphasising on 'democratic'...Not just me many think that country can't survive without Congress." Kanhaiya Kumar with Rahul Gandhi in Delhi (Pic: ANI) Mevani, who is currently a legislator in Gujarat and represents the Vadgam constituency, is the convener of the Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch (RDAM). He is a lawyer-activist and a former journalist. Mevani's entry into the Congress comes at a time when it is wooing the scheduled castes community after handpicking the first Dalit chief minister of Punjab. Mevani clarified that he could not join the Congress due to some "technical" reasons. Giving clarification further in a press conference at AICC headquarters in Delhi, Mewani said he is an independent MLA and if he joins a party, he may not continue as an MLA. However, extending his support to Congress, Mewani said that ideologically he is with the party. He announced he shall contest the upcoming Gujarat Assembly polls from Congress. "We look forward to working with these young leaders, Kumar & Mevani, to defeat the fascist forces ruling this country," Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said. Charanjit Singh Channi succeeded Amarinder Singh as chief minister of Punjab, seen as a bold step by the party for wooing back the scheduled castes, traditionally considered the vote bank of the Congress. However, the party suffered a fresh setback in Punjab on Tuesday when state Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu resigned. (With Agency inputs) Live TV New Delhi: Swami Anand Giri and two others, arrested for allegedly abetting the suicide by Akhil Bhartiya Akhara Parishad president Narendra Giri last week, were on Monday remanded to the CBI custody for seven days by an Allahabad court. The three, including Bade Hanuman Temple priest Adya Prasad Tiwari and his son Sandeep, were remanded to the CBI custody by Chief Judicial Magistrate Harendra Nath. District prosecution counsel Gulab Chandra Agrahari said CJM Nath sent the trio to the CBI custody after hearing the agency's remand application with the three accused joining the court proceeding from the Naini jail, where they have been lodged since their arrests, through video conference. The CBI remand for the three will start at 9 am on September 28 and last till 5 pm on October 4, he added. Narendra Giri was found hanging from the ceiling of his room in Shri Baghambari Gaddi under the Geoge Town police station area. In his suicide note, the deceased had named the three, accusing them of mentally harassing him, following which the police had lodged an FIR under section 306 of the Indian Penal Code on charges of abetting the suicide. The Uttar Pradesh police had arrested Anand Giri and Adya Tiwari the very next day on September 21 after the Akhara Parishad chief was found dead in his room. The third accused and Tiwari's son Sandeep was arrested on September 22 and all three of them were remanded to judicial custody after their arrests. The CBI took the probe into the case on the Uttar Pradesh government's recommendation. Live TV New Delhi: Former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday (September 28) hit out at Navjot Singh Sidhu, calling him anti-national and said that the party high command should accept his resignation. His statement comes after Sidhu submitted his letter of resignation as Punjab Congress chief to the partys interim president Sonia Gandhi. Singh projected senior leader Sunil Jakhar as a good choice for taking the role of the partys state president. Navjot Singh Sidhu is anti-national, Singh told Zee News. I will be happy if Sunil Jakhar is made state Congress chief, he added. Calling Sidhu unfit to lead Congress in Punjab, Singh said he was glad that he resigned from state chief post. Its good that he (Sidhu) is not the state chief anymore. Like I had said earlier, he lacks the stability needed to lead the party, Singh said. Asked about if he would join any other party, Singh said he would tell the people if and when he decides to make such a move. He further declined to say whether he would remain in the Congress party. Live TV By Ram Anuj New Delhi: While there is no official confirmation, around 100 soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) reportedly transgressed the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Barahoti sector in Uttarakhand last month, people familiar with the development said on Tuesday (September 28), according to PTI. The transgression took place on August 30, and the Chinese troops returned from the area after spending few hours, they said. The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) personnel are deployed in the area. The people cited above said as part of a tit-for-tat strategy, Indian troops carried out patrolling. There was no official comment on the Chinese transgression. The incident comes amid a continuing standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in a number of areas in eastern Ladakh though both sides completed disengagement in two sensitive locations. The people cited above said minor transgressions have been taking place in Barahoti because of differing perceptions about the LAC by both sides. However, what surprised the Indian officials was the number of PLA personnel who transgressed on August 30. The Chinese side has also significantly ramped up infrastructure development along the LAC in the sector. India has been maintaining a strict vigil along the nearly 3,500-km LAC following the eastern Ladakh standoff. The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year in eastern Ladakh following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area. Both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry. Also read: With eyes on the West, Chinas PLA undergoes major reshuffle As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in the Gogra area last month. In February, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in line with an agreement on disengagement. Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sensitive sector. Meanwhile, when asked about the arrival of Chinese soldiers on the border of Uttarakhand and China, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said that there is no information about such an occurence. "But the central government is always alert about the security of the border, and if any such incident comes to the fore, then it will be shared with the media," the CM said. (With PTI inputs) Live TV New Delhi: Punjab CM Charanjit Singh Channi on Tuesday (September 28) called a press conference to take on the Centre on the ongoing farmers issue. However, he had no idea that moments ago his partys state chief Navjot Singh Sidhu had resigned from his post. I have no information was all the CM said when asked about Sidhu's resignation as Punjab Congress chief. I have full confidence and faith in Sidhu Sahab, he added. Channi further said, "It will be settled if he (Sidhu) is upset...though he is not upset with me." Addressing the media at Punjab Civil Secretariat, Channi appealed to the Centre to repeal the three farm laws. The condition of the farmers is getting worse day by day but the Centre is unaffected. I, as Punjab CM, want to appeal to the Centre to repeal the three farm laws, said the CM. In a shocking development, Navjot Singh Sidhu, who was being seen as a major contender for the Chief Minister face in the upcoming assembly elections in Punjab, resigned as the partys state chief. In a letter to Congress interim President Sonia Gandhi, Sidhu wrote a short cryptic message, clearly indicating that all is not well in the party and that despite the recent change of chief minister, the power tussle continues. Sidhu will, however, continue to remain in the party. The collapse of a mans character stems from the compromise corner, I can never compromise on Punjabs future and the agenda for the welfare of Punjab, Sidhu wrote in the letter. Therefore, I hereby resign as the President of Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee. Will continue to serve the Congress, he added. Live TV New Delhi: Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) Nitin Gadkari will review and inspect the Zojila and Z-Morh tunnel projects on Tuesday (September 28, 2021). Gadkari will drive through the 6.5 km long Z-Morh main tunnel and visit the 14.15 km long Zojila tunnel through the west and east portals. Both projects are under the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) and as per them, work on the Zojila and Z-Morh tunnels on the Srinagar-Leh highway is going on at a fast pace and will be completed ahead of schedule in 2023. Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting @ianuragthakur visits Zojila Tunnel (on Srinagar-Leh NH) and inspects the work in progress for the completion of the project. The minister is on a two-day visit to the UT of J&K starting today. pic.twitter.com/S8LuWXTPFw PIB in Jammu and Kashmir (@PIBSrinagar) September 26, 2021 The Zojila tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar valley and Leh (Ladakh plateau) on NH-1. It involves the construction of a 14.15 km long tunnel at an altitude of about 3000 m under Zojila pass (presently motorable only for 6 months in a year) on NH-1 connecting Srinagar and Leh through Dras and Kargil. This is to be noted that it is one of the most dangerous stretches in the world to drive a vehicle. Here's all you need to about Zojila Tunnel Significance: The construction of the Zojila Tunnel will provide all-weather safe connectivity between Srinagar, Dras, Kargil and Leh regions. It will also bring about all-round economic and socio-cultural integration of these regions which remains cut-off from the rest of the country during winters due to heavy snowfall for about six months. It, notably, will also be of great importance to the defence of the country, in view of the recent military activities that took place along borders in Ladakh, Gilgit and Baltistan. The project will also make the travel on Srinagar-Kargil-Leh Section of NH-1 free from avalanches. J&K: Project Beacon of Border Roads Organisations (BRO) today rescued 5 passengers stuck due to snow and avalanche at Zojila pass on Srinagar-Sonmarg road. Vehicles were also evacuated & the road was opened for traffic pic.twitter.com/R9nhZUqEQM ANI (@ANI) November 29, 2020 It will enhance the safety of the travelers crossing Zojila Pass and according to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, it will reduce the travel time from more than 3 hours to 15 minutes. Safety features: According to the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, emergency lay-bys are located at intervals of 750 m staggered on both sides of the carriageway. Manual fire alarm push buttons and portable fire extinguishers will be at the disposal of all drivers. A telephone will be installed at the emergency call niches. Fire Hydrants and Hydrant Niches, Fire Extinguishers. The tunnel Lighting System will represent the most significant part of the tunnel traffic safety and will cover the entrance lighting (in the accommodation sections at both ends of the tunnel), interior lighting (through the whole tunnel) and lay-bys lighting. The tunnel will also have a video surveillance system. It will also have a fire alarm system in buildings and automatic fire detection and suppression system in the tunnel. The tunnel will also have a traffic control system with a central control room. Here's all you need to about Z-Morh Tunnel The Z-Morh tunnel will facilitate locals and tourists to access Sonamarg during the winter season as well. It will also facilitate a socio-economic boost to Jammu and Kashmir. The tunnel project is being executed on DBFOT mode with an approximate cost of Rs 2,378 crore. Recently, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports, Anurag Singh Thakur had also inspected Zojila and Z-Morh tunnel projects. There's always light at the end of the tunnel! Zojila Tunnel pic.twitter.com/43Ugr3owUc Anurag Thakur (@ianuragthakur) September 26, 2021 Live TV Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will launch Women Entrepreneurs Empowerment Helpline in the state on Wednesday (September 29). Under the ongoing Vikas Utsav program of the government, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will launch the Women Entrepreneurs Empowerment Helpline at Lok Bhavan on Wednesday, the state government said in a statement. The UP government, in the last four and a half years, spared no effort to make women entrepreneurs self-reliant by providing them employment, security, dignity and self-reliance, it added. UPICO MD Praveen Singh informed that 75000 women from 75 districts will be given skill capacity development training and training for their safety at workplace. He said that CM Yogi will launch Women Entrepreneur Empowerment Helpline number 1800 2012 6844 in the program. From this helpline number, women entrepreneurs may get all the information related to MSME and the possibilities of self-employment and entrepreneurship. Along with the helpline, entrepreneurship development training to 75 thousand women will also start on this occasion, said the government, adding, free gas connection will also be distributed to women under Ujjwala 2.0. Live TV In a shocking incident, a senior IAS officer in Uttar Pradesh cadre has been accused of carrying out propaganda against Hinduism. The allegations have been levelled by National Vice President of Math Mandir Coordination Committee, Bhupesh Awasthi, against IAS officer Mohammad Iftikharuddin. Mohammad Iftikharuddin is presently serving as the Chairman of Uttar Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation. Awasthi released videos of religious programmes of then Kanpur Zone Commissioner Mohammad Iftikharuddin. It is alleged that in these videos, Iftikharuddin is telling people the benefits of adopting Islam as a religion. The purported videos also show a religious leader sitting beside the IAS officer. In another video, IAS Iftikharuddin is seen sitting on the ground when a Muslim speaker is purportedly giving radical lessons at his official residence. After the video surfaced, Kanpur Police Commissioner Aseem Arun has asked Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Somendra Meena to investigate the matter. "The investigation of the viral video of IAS officer Mohd Iftikharuddin taken at Kanpur Commissioner's residence has been entrusted to ADCP East, Police Commissionerate Kanpur Nagar. It is being investigated whether the video is authentic and if there is any crime in it," the official said. UP govt orders SIT probe into 'religious conversion' complaint against IAS officer Mohammed Iftikharuddin: Official Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) September 28, 2021 Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has summoned the Police Commissioner Aseem Arun to Lucknow on Tuesday in this regard. Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said, "This is a serious matter. If there is any truth in it, it will be taken seriously." The IAS officer, meanwhile, did not respond to calls. Live TV Lucknow: Lauding the tireless efforts of Anganwadi workers in controlling the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, CM Yogi Adityanath, on Tuesday (September 28), said that the Smart Anganwadi will be the foundation of all-round development of children. The use of smartphones and technology will make their work even smarter. Smartphones will make your work even smarter and this smartness should be your identity. Smartphones will provide health-related information of every child making the daily work easy and transparent, stated Yogi Adityanath while distributing smartphones to 1,23,000 Anganwadi workers at an event held in Lucknow. The CM also distributed as many as 1,87,000 Newborn Growth Monitoring devices (infantometer) to each Anganwadi centre to measure the level of growth of newborn children. During the programme, the CM himself handed over smartphones to 20 workers, while 10 were provided with Growth Monitoring Devices. At the same time, distribution was done by the local public representatives in the districts He said that before 2017, Anganwadi workers were known only for protests and now they are playing an important role in the nutrition and development of children with full commitment. The CM stated that during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, surveillance committees were formed to check on the spread of disease in the rural areas. The Anganwadi workers, as a member of these committees, went door-to-door to provide medical kits and made people aware of the vaccine. With their dedication and work, the workers have changed the perception of the people. Referring to the encephalitis disease, the Chief Minister said that from 1977 to 1997, no one took care of the innocent. In the hospitals of the Gorakhpur-Basti division, four children used to get treatment on a single bed. No government paid attention. After our government came in 2017, we worked for ending this situation. It was the Anganwadi workers sisters who made the 'Dastak Abhiyan' successful, he said. Today, if UP has successfully eradicated the encephalitis disease by 95-97 percent, the credit goes to Anganwadi workers, he added. The CM also said that the government is continuously working towards the all-round development of children in the State. Yogi said that once the Anganwadi was infamous for the Panjiri corruption. It not only tarnished the image of the government but also put a question mark on the Anganwadis. Our government worked in this regard and now nutritious food is being prepared in the district itself keeping in mind the pregnant or lactating women. E-governance is useful for good governance: Swati Singh Minister of Women, Child Development and Pustahar described smartphone distribution as an example of e-governance. He said that Chief Minister Yogi is determined for good governance and e-governance is a very useful medium for good governance. The Minister also thanked the Chief Minister for increasing the honorarium of Anganwadi workers. The government's effort behind providing smartphones to workers is to make Anganwadi programs more transparent and update real-time data. It will help them to run the schemes run by Anganwadi- including nutrition and care of children more effectively. Live TV New Delhi: The CBI has charge-sheeted six people, said to be TMC workers, in connection with the killing of a man whose wife had earlier blamed "BJP goons" for the murder during post-poll violence at Sitalkuchi in West Bengal's Cooch Behar district, officials said on Tuesday. The CBI has filed the charge sheet against Tahidul Mia, Haridas Barman, Madan Barman, Naba Kumar Barman, Shyamal Barman and Arabindo Barman in the court of the Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Cooch Behar, they said. The wife of the deceased had claimed that her family was a Trinamool Congress supporter. Alpana Maitra Barman had alleged in an FIR that on May 3 her husband Manik Maitra was beaten up with iron rods by "BJP goons". She had alleged that the goons had shot her husband in the belly and he succumbed to the injuries at a hospital. Alpana had claimed that filing of the FIR got delayed by two days as she was engaged in the last rites of her husband. The CBI has taken over the cases after a five-judge bench of Calcutta High Court on August 19 entrusted the agency with investigations into the alleged murder and rape incidents reported during post-poll violence in West Bengal. The HC's directions came after the National Human Rights Commission submitted a report on the violence in the state after the Assembly election results were announced on May 2, declaring an astounding victory for the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress humbling the BJP in a bitterly fought eight-phase electoral battle. PTI Live TV New Delhi: Actor Vicky Kaushal starrer Sardar Udham movie release date was announced recently. Helmed by classic filmmaker Shoojit Sircar, the biopic is all set for release on of October 16, 2021. Lauding the acclaimed director, none other than megastar Amitabh Bachchan extended his best wishes for the upcoming project. Amitabh Bachchan took to his social media handle to wish his old director pal, Shoojit, the very best for the release of his film Sardar Udham and even uploaded the link of the trailer. "Shoojit .. wishing you the very best .. https://youtu.be/M0n12SiqtwE" Having worked on 3 projects together in the past the duo surely shares a warm relationship. They have in the past teamed up for hit films like Pink, Piku and Gulabo Sitabo. Chronicling the lesser-known story of the legendary Indian revolutionary, Sardar Udham Singh, the film delves deep into his boundless courage to avenge the death of his countrymen, in an event that shook British Empire. The film is set to be available on Amazon Prime Video exclusively starting October 16, 2021. New Delhi: Superstar Shah Rukh Khan will be making his comeback after a brief hiatus with YRF's Pathan. Deepika Padukone and John Abraham will be seen in lead roles opposite SRK. The latest buzz right now is that a massive song shoot will be taking place in Europe, Mallorca. Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika Padukone will be shooting an electrifying song set in one of the most expensive and exquisite travel destinations of Europe, Mallorca! The aim is to make Pathan a visual spectacle that no one has seen before and Sid Anand and YRF is leaving no stone unturned to achieve this ambitious goal! Pathan team heads to Spain where they will be shooting in a grand destination like Mallorca, Cadiz (a stunning port city) and Vejer De La Frontera (one of the most picturesque hilltop towns in Europe). The team will be in Spain from October 10th to the 31st, informs a trade source. No other Bollywood film has ever shot in these places so audiences, who havent been to these expensive and exquisite places, will see them for the first time! Visually these settings will add grandeur and lavishness to the film, adds a trade source. SRK and Deepika will be presented in a never seen before manner in this big scale song. Shah Rukh Khan and Deepika will also shoot a massive song in Mallorca! It will present the two in their never seen before avatars and it will be the biggest song that people have ever seen in terms of scale and mounting, says the source. When you have two of the biggest superstars of the country, you have to create a visual extravaganza like never before and the makers want to do justice to the pairing they have in Pathan. It will be a sensational shoot to say the least, adds the trade source. Pathan will hit the screens next year. MUMBAI: Actor-filmmaker Pooja Bhatt on Tuesday celebrated five years of abstinence from alcohol and credited her sobriety for keeping her 'afloat' through emotional upheavals. Bhatt took to Instagram and penned a note, describing how sobriety has been life-changing for her. For the longest time, the 49-year-old actor said she had chased love in all corners but when the universe "introduced" her to sobriety, it became "the love of my life". "And the need for validation from any other source ebbed. A demanding yet fulfilling lover, sobriety breaks down your defences, bares and reveals your soul, calls out any and all bulls***, yet clasps your hand tight and ensures you make it through many uncertain nights. "Filling your dawn with such unimaginable light when you do the most revolutionary thing-say no to yourself," she wrote. Bhatt, known for her starring turns in acclaimed films of the 1990s like "Daddy", "Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin", and "Zakhm", has been vocal about her struggles with alcohol. She had previously said she quit drinking because she thought she had fallen into the "trap of addiction myself and the only way to get out of it was to acknowledge it to myself". In her Instagram post, Bhatt said it has been almost five years of her being sober and called it a "deeply gratifying relationship". "One that has helped me weather many vicious storms, kept me afloat through great loss and grounded through a supposed revival of fortune and fame. There is no room for a third in my life at this point. My priority for the first time ever, is myself. "My emotional health comes first. Sobriety, recovery gets first priority. And because recovery, like love, is selfish no matter what people say, my choice is clear- it is single blessedness all the way." The actor was last seen in the Alankrita Shrivastava-created Netflix series, "Bombay Begums". Bhatt's next is R Balki's thriller feature. The currently untitled film also stars Sunny Deol, Dulquer Salmaan, and Shreya Dhanwanthary. New Delhi: Fans of actor-politician Pawan Kalyan on Tuesday tried to attack actor and producer Posani Krishna Murali for his remarks against the former. Pawan's fans reached the Hyderabad Press Club where Posani was addressing a news conference. They raised slogans against him. This led to tension. The protestors, including workers of Pawan's Jana Sena party, tried to barge into the hall where Posani was but police foiled their bid by taking them into custody. Police also escorted Posani safely to his house in a police vehicle. The actor alleged that he faced a threat to his life from Pawan Kalyan's fans. Posani, also a screenwriter and producer, said if he anything happens to him, Pawan Kalyan will be responsible. He said he would lodge a complaint with the police on Wednesday. Posani, who alleged that Pawan Kalyan's fans can't digest criticism, claimed to have received thousands of abusive phone calls and messages during last 24 hours. A supporter of Andhra Pradesh's ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), he had made certain remarks against the leading actor and Jana Sena leader on Monday. Reacting to Pawan's attacks on the YSRCP government over the issue of online sale of movie tickets, Posani had stated that Pawan Kalyan does not have the stature to speak about Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. He also alleged that a noted Tollywood personality cheated a Punjabi actress by impregnating her and asked Pawan to demand justice for the girl. Though Posani did not name the celebrity who cheated her, YSRCP supporters started tweeting with hashtag #JusticeForPunjabGirl and soon it became one of the top trends on Twitter. At Tuesday's press conference, Posani said while criticism and counter criticism is common in politics, speaking out of personal vendetta is not proper. He alleged that Pawan Kalyan was resorting to personal attacks. He made it clear that he will respond to any criticism of Jagan Mohan Reddy as he is a big fan of the YSRCP leader, and Pawan Kalyan was neither a leader of people nor of the film industry. The actor also revealed that differences between him and Pawan Kalyan cropped up during the shooting of "Gabbar Singh". He narrated an incident which occurred during the shooting when Pawan Kalyan turned up on the sets very late and got angry with him for leaving the sets before his arrival. He alleged that following this incident, Pawan Kalyan got him removed from the movie. Facebook has shared more details about its internal research into Instagram`s impact on teenage girls as the social media giant hits back at a report on the research after it was made public on The Wall Street Journal (WSJ). In a blog post, Facebook Vice President and Head of Research, Pratiti Raychoudhury dismissed the WSJ`s assessment of internal research as not accurate and denied the claims that Instagram was toxic for teenage girls. Raychoudhury said: "It is simply not accurate that this research demonstrates Instagram is `toxic` for teen girls. The research actually demonstrated that many teens we heard from feel that using Instagram helps them when they are struggling with the kinds of hard moments and issues teenagers have always faced." (Also Read: WhatsApp will stop working on THESE smartphones by end of 2021: Check full list here ) Raychoudhury also noted that the internal research cited by WSJ had limitations as it relied on input from only 40 teenagers and was designed to focus on the most negative perceptions of Instagram. "Our internal research is part of our effort to minimize the bad on our platforms and maximise the good. We have a long track record of using our research, as well as external research and close collaboration with our Safety Advisory Board, Youth Advisors and additional experts and organisations, to inform changes to our apps and provide resources for the people who use them." On September 14, the WSJ published a story on The Facebook Files focused on data suggesting that Instagram had an extremely damaging effect on teenagers, especially teenage girls. (Also Read: Google to withdraw app support from THESE smartphones, check if your phone is on list) The newspaper said Facebook was well aware of the harm its products were doing to teens and that the company "has made minimal efforts to address these issues and plays them down in public" Samsung Galaxy M52 5G will be released in India today, only days after it was unveiled in Poland. The company will introduce 5G connectivity to another mid-budget product with the debut of the new 5G Galaxy-M smartphone, competing against Chinese brands such as Xiaomi, Realme, Oppo, and others. The Galaxy M52 5G for India appears to be comparable to the one offered in Poland based on the advertising poster. The Galaxy M52 5G features a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED+ display with 1,080x 2,400 pixels (Full-HD+ resolution), 120Hz refresh rate, and a hole-punch cutout for the single selfie camera in Poland. It has an octa-core Snapdragon 778G processor, 6GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage that can be expanded up to 1TB with a microSD card. The phone has a hybrid slot for dual-SIM cards and runs Android with One UI on top. In terms of optics, the rectangular-shaped module has three lenses. A primary 64MP camera is first, followed by a secondary 12MP sensor, and then a 5MP macro camera. There's a 32MP camera on the front for selfies, but it doesn't have autofocus. Bluetooth v5.0, 5G, Wi-Fi, USB Type C, and NFC are among the other important features. A 5,000mAh battery powers the Samsung Galaxy M52 5G. The phone's price is currently unknown, although it is expected to cost more than Rs 25,000 in India. Samsung's Galaxy M42 5G and Galaxy M32 5G smartphones are already available for roughly Rs 25,000. The new Galaxy M52 5G could be available in three colours: black, blue, or white. According to the company, the phone would be sold through Amazon and Samsung channels. Live TV #mute New Delhi: Ace comedian Kapil Sharma is a household name with his super successful shows 'Comedy Nights With Kapil' and later with 'The Kapil Sharma Show'. He started off with The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, Comedy Circus among others and finally got his own show which is now much-loved by viewers. Talking about his show and how it all started, Kapil Sharma told RJ Nishant during Fever FM's Bounce Back Bharat Festival. Hindustan Times report quoted Kapil as telling RJ, "This wasn't a show actually. I went to the Colors office, they had called me over, asking if I could host a show. I asked them which one? They said Jhalak Dikhhlaa Jaa. I asked them what will I be required to do? They said you and Maniesh Paul will host it." I said fine and they told me to meet a production house called BBC. I went to meet them and after looking at me, she said, Aap bahut mote hain. Aap thoda wazan kamm karo.' I told the channel about what she told me, said, 'What is all this?' But the channel called her, told her the guy is good, let's get him onboard as host, he'll lose the weight later.' So, I asked them, 'Why don't you think about making a comedy show?, Kapil said. He further elaborated on how he got launched 'The Kapil Sharma Show'. They told me to make a pitch but I asked them for two days' time as I had no ideas. I went back home and really thought about things that I can actually do well I enjoyed doing standup, sketch comedy, costume comedy. So I planned to bring together all the elements I am good at, put them in one show. I made the pitch, they asked me how long it would be. I gave them the lowdown. After standup, gags, celebrity interviews and all, five minutes' time still remained. But when the show was shot, it went up to 120 minutes. They wanted just 70 minutes of content." He added that the makers were unable to cut it. "It's difficult to realise when you go overboard when you are chatting. We are all big on chatting anyway. But the show got so much love, still does. We had planned for 25 episodes but we had already finished 500 episodes when we began the current season." The Kapil Sharma Show's new season will see Sudesh Lehri, Krushna Abhishek, Kiku Sharda, Bharti Singh and Chandan Prabhakar along with Archana Puran Singh. Milan: Greta Thunberg and fellow youth campaigners struck a skeptical tone for this week`s climate talks in Italy, saying much has been promised but little done to tackle global warming in almost three decades since the landmark Earth Summit. Fears that climate change is worsening grew after a UN report in August warned the situation was dangerously close to spiralling out of control, with the world certain to face further disruptions for generations to come. "Thirty years of blah, blah, blah," Thunberg told the opening session of a Youth4Climate event on Tuesday (September 28). Thousands of young activists have converged on Milan this week with some 400, from about 190 countries, due to engaging with policymakers to hammer out proposals for possible solutions. "So-called leaders have cherry picked young people to meetings like this to pretend they are listening to us, but they are not listening," Thunberg said. "There is no planet B ... Change is not only possible but necessary but not if we go on like we have until today." The youth activists, who fought to get climate change to the top of the global agenda years after leaders at the 1992 Rio Summit in Brazil pledged to tackle environmental problems, are being challenged to help come up with the solutions ahead of the COP26 United Nations summit in November. Their proposals will be vetted by climate and energy ministers gathering at the same venue for their pre-COP26 meeting, and some will find their way to the Glasgow summit. The meetings come as soaring energy prices on world markets stoke fears of a popular backlash against climate reform. The UN COP26 conference aims to secure more ambitious climate action from the nearly 200 countries who signed the 2015 Paris Agreement and agreed to try to limit human-caused global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. "Young people need to start getting involved in the actual negotiations," said Rose Kobusinge, a youth delegate from Uganda. "We want 1.5 (degrees) and we wont go beyond that." `MONEY SPEAKS` At their pre-COP26 summit, which starts on Thursday (September 30), some 50 climate ministers will tackle hurdles, including differing views on the pace of transition and who pays for it. While new energy and funding pledges from the US and China have left negotiators more upbeat, many G20 countries, including major polluters like China and India, are yet to deliver updates of their short-term climate action plans. "Now is the time for leaders of the biggest economies and the biggest greenhouse gas emitters to make much bolder commitments," Britain`s COP26 President Alok Sharma, said in a video message on Tuesday (September 28). Climate activists are demanding policymakers match rhetoric with action and stump up the billions of dollars needed to wean the world off fossil fuels to cleaner energy during a year that has seen record-breaking heatwaves, floods and fires. "Money speaks, and if rich nations don`t restructure debt for poor nations and commit $500 billion for climate action from 2020-2024, there`s no point in wasting time at these meetings," Oscar Soria of the US-based activist network Avaaz said. Wealthy nations who pledged a decade ago to mobilize $100 billion a year to help vulnerable countries adapt and transition to cleaner energy are still short of their 2020 goal. "It was promised by 2020 and we are still waiting," Vanessa Nakata, a youth delegate from Uganda, said. Live TV Kathmandu: In an attempt to form a cabinet after months of assuming office, the Nepal government and its alliance partners decided to withdraw the ordinance brought by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba which allowed division of the opposition parties. The Deuba government, on August 18, had promulgated an ordinance that allowed a new political party to get registered at the Election Commission with only 20 per cent supplier of its leaders whether in the parliamentary party or in the partys central committee. Article 114, clause 2(b) of the Constitution provides that the President may repeal the ordinance at any time on the recommendation of the government. Following the governments decision to repeal the ordinance, President Bidya Devi Bhandari scrapped the ordinance issuing a statement. "President Bidya Devi Bhandari as per the decision of the Council of Ministers and recommendation of the Prime Minister has scrapped the Ordinance on Political Parties (Second Amendment)-2078 as per Clause 2(b) of Article 114 of the Constitution of Nepal, the Office of the President said in a statement on Monday. The ordinance delayed the process of cabinet expansion as ruling alliance partners feared it could ease splits in their parties. The government has withdrawn the ordinance but we are not sure what will be the outcome. Janata Samajwadi Party faction led by Upendra Yadav wanted the ordinance to be withdrawn whereas the Madhav Kumar Nepal faction wanted the continuation of the ordinance. Both factions are trying to keep their party safe. They are building their own safety net, a Nepali Congress leader told Zee Media. The leader further said, We intend to form a coalition and hopefully this will help in cabinet formation. Upendra Yadav has not confirmed to join the government. It has been over two months since the government was formed and the prime minister is yet to constitute a cabinet. Earlier, the Political Parties Act had a provision that any group can register as a new party if it can show it has the support of 40 per cent members of the central committee and the parliamentary party. If both, the central committee and the parliamentary parties could not get 40 per cent members, the office-bearers or MPs who separated from any party could lose their posts. The passing of the ordinance not only benefited Madhav Kumar Nepal to separate from KP Sharma Oli led CPN-UML, but also the Mahanta Thakur faction of Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) to form a new party. Nepal faction announced their split from the CPN-UML party and formed the CPN (Unified Socialist) while Thakur split the Janata Samajwadi Party to form the Loktantrik Samajbadi Party. Live TV Kabul: The Taliban regime has brutally executed a child in Takhar province of Afghanistan over suspicion that his father is a member of the Afghan Resistance Forces. The execution has been reported by Panjshir Observer which is an independent media covering Panjshir and Afghanistan situation. "Child executed in Takhar province by Taliban fighters after his father is suspected of being in the Resistance. #WarCrimes #Afghanistan," Panjshir Observer said in a tweet. The incident reflects the Taliban's crackdown on Afghans who raised voices against the outfit. The Taliban after the siege of Afghanistan is trying to deliver a moderate image to the world in an attempt to gain international confidence but experts say that the scenes at the Kabul airport were proof that the terrorist group has returned with the same radical and violent mindset. Violence was an integral trait of the Taliban even in their previous term. The so-called transfer of power exercised in Kabul without any bloodshed, was nothing but a part of ''good image plan'', Inside Over reported. As the Taliban took control of Afghanistan once again after 20 years, experts also believe that Afghan women are most likely to face an uncertain future under the terrorist group regime. Washington: US Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark Milley on Tuesday (September 28) said that the Taliban has never renounced its ties with al-Qaeda. Milley told the US Senate Armed Forces Committee during testimony in the US troops withdrawal from Afghanistan. "The Taliban has never renounced al-Qaeda or broke its affiliation with them," Milley said. After the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officials commented on Al Qaeda activity in Afghanistan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken had also said that if Al Qaeda threatens the United States from the war-torn country, the Taliban will be responsible for it. Earlier in September, the CIA had said that they are noticing early signs that Al Qaeda may be regrouping in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.US Secretary of Defence Lloyd J. Austin III and Milley revealed while testifying the US Senate Committee on Armed Services on the conclusion of military operations in Afghanistan. During the testimony, Austin cited the Doha agreement as the main reason behind the defeat of Afghan soldiers. "Doha agreement with the Taliban had a demoralizing effect on Afghan forces and was one of the reasons they were defeated by the terrorist group," Austin said. Austin, in his testimony, also added that the US did not anticipate the snowballing effect caused by the deals that the Taliban commander struck with local leaders in the wake of the Doha agreement and that the Doha agreement itself had a demoralizing effect on Afghan soldiers". (ANI) Live TV Ankara: Turkey will "never" close schools again despite a recent rise in COVID-19 infections and the government is mulling various methods to continue in-person education, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said. After months of online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, Turkey reopened schools this month, while removing most restrictions over the summer. It also began asking for a negative PCR test or proof of vaccination from teachers and also for certain public events. Turkey`s daily infections have risen over the last month at a rate higher than most peer countries to just below 30,000 per day, as have average positive tests, according to global data. Daily deaths, which rose to around 250 this month, have fallen slightly and Turkey`s vaccination rate based on population is higher than most peers. Speaking to reporters after a cabinet meeting on Monday (September 27), Koca said a quarter of coronavirus cases detected since schools reopened were among those aged up to 17. But the priority was to continue in-person classes under all conditions, he said. "I have said that we will keep schools open this year under any circumstances. It`s not about being the last to close, they should never close," state broadcaster TRT Haber quoted Koca as saying. He said Ankara was also mulling education options including weekend classes and other methods. Turkey will keep shopping malls open. Some 52% of Turks have received two vaccine shots under a national programme that has administered more than 108 million jabs. More than 63,000 people have died from COVID-19 in Turkey, according to the World Health Organization. Live TV New Delhi: United States President Joe Biden on Monday (September 27, 2021) received his COVID-19 vaccine booster shot and said that it will provide even more protection from the virus. Like his first and second doses, Biden took the Pfizer jab publicly. "This is a pandemic of the unvaccinated. Thats why Im moving forward with vaccination requirements wherever I can," the US President said during remarks ahead of the shot. The COVID-19 booster shots will provide even more protection from COVID-19 for those who are at greater risk. Thats why today, I got my booster and encourage everyone whos eligible to do so as well. pic.twitter.com/XO4l3XxgLG President Biden (@POTUS) September 27, 2021 "We know that to beat this pandemic and to save lives, to keep our children safe, our schools open, our economy going, we need to get folks vaccinated. So, please do the right thing. Please get the shots. And it can save your life. It can save the lives of those around you. And its easy, accessible, and its free," he added. Biden said that COVID-19 vaccine boosters are important, but the most important thing he needs to do is get more people vaccinated. He also informed that he didn't have any side effects from the first or second shot. "I dont anticipate one now, but well see," he added. The US President stated that over 77 per cent of adult Americans have gotten at least one shot, while about 23 per cent haven't gotten any shots. "That distinct minority is causing an awful lot of us an awful lot of damage for the rest of the country," he remarked. This is to be noted that the US Food and Drug Administration last week gave emergency use authorisation for a booster dose of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine in people 65 and older, people at high risk of severe disease and those who are at increased risk of COVID-19 because of where they work or live, like healthcare workers, teachers, first responders and grocery store clerks.